The Storyline: Recent Episodes
The Day Publishing Co.
The Storyline is a podcast produced by The Day in New London, CT and it takes a look at the top stories on theday.com and from around southeastern Connecticut with conversations with journalists about the communities they cover and the stories they report. Hosted by Karen Florin.
Cost of Silence is a podcast series produced by The Day in southeastern Connecticut. The series will delve into the impact of sexual abuse cases in a Roman Catholic diocese in Connecticut. We’ll look to uncover what is the psychological, emotional, physical, spiritual and financial cost associated with these horrendous crimes.
In this episode of In Short Supply, we delve into the legacy of urban renewal and the complicated history of the Thames River Apartments in New London Connecticut. And we hear from an affordable housing developer about the challenges that these much-needed below-market-rate projects face.
In Short Supply is a podcast series examining how the housing crisis, which is affecting the country as a whole and is getting worse with the growth in inflation, impacts the communities of southeastern Connecticut. It is part of The Day's yearlong investigative initiative called the Housing Solutions Lab.
You can find the housing series at theday.com/housinglab
You can support this podcast and the Housing Solutions Lab by making a tax-deductible donation at givebutter.com/thedayhousing.
We want to thank our community donors and our supporting partners: The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut, The William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund, the Melville Charitable Trust and the Chelsea Groton Foundation
In this episode of the In Short Supply podcast, we hear from The Day staff writer Elizabeth Reagan about how our region is faring when it comes to the housing crisis and why there seems to be a short supply of affordable homes, housing developments, and options for some members of our communities. How does this all deepen the existing economic divide in our state and country? And how do we address, what Cathy Zall the executive director of New London Homeless Hospitality calls the mismatch between income and the cost of living?
In Short Supply is a podcast series examining how the housing crisis, which is affecting the country as a whole and is getting worse with the growth in inflation, impacts the communities of southeastern Connecticut. It is part of The Day's yearlong investigative initiative called the Housing Solutions Lab.
You can find the housing series at theday.com/housinglab
You can support this podcast and the Housing Solutions Lab by making a tax-deductible donation at givebutter.com/thedayhousing.
We want to thank our community donors and our supporting partners: The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut, The William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund, the Melville Charitable Trust and the Chelsea Groton Foundation
Presenting In Short Supply, a podcast by The Day about how the housing crisis is deepening the economic divide.
Connecticut evictions in 2022 surpassed pre-pandemic numbers. There were more than 22,000 evictions statewide last year, according to data collected by The Connecticut Fair Housing Center. That yearly number exceeds evictions reported in at least the previous five years.
The Day has published a series of stories on this growing issue. Day reporter Greg Smith in partnership with University of Connecticut professor Mike Stanton and students in his advanced investigative reporting class analyzed the eviction data and told the stories of desperate tenants and frustrated landlords.
On Sunday, January 5, 1969, the 118-foot ship Sea Surveyor departed from Electric Boat in Groton. The mission was routine: to rendezvous with a submarine, conduct some antenna communication tests, and return home. When the 12 crew and passengers eventually returned they had left their ship at the bottom of the Atlantic. What went wrong?
Retired Dr. David Bingham, who opened the region's first clinic providing contraceptives and abortions, took us back to the days when women desperate to terminate their pregnancies maimed or killed themselves with coat hangers, knitting needles, and chemicals. He talked of hospital "septic tank wards" for women suffering from the effects of botched abortions.
New London prides itself on its diversity of music, but some musicians have found it hard to find a place in the city's music community. UConn's Gladi Suero talked to Queer Afro-Indigenous artist and community organizer Erycka Ortiz about her musical journey in New London and how she found a supportive fanbase and how she centers her art on celebrating her identity.
About the Sound On The Sound series Under the direction of instructors Gail B. MacDonald, a UConn professor in residence and former Day reporter, and Carlos Virgen, The Day's assistant managing editor for audience development, UConn journalism students worked all semester crafting stories in text, audio and photographs that strive to tell parts of the overarching tale of music in New London. They spoke to musicians, business people, city and regional officials, educators and others to inform their work. These stories will be published in The Day and on theday.com
Restaurants and bars are pivotal in the New London music scene. The pandemic has forced some to close and while others have had to reinvent. UConn's Corina Wallenta talked to Wendy Bury, the executive director of Southeastern Connecticut Cultural Coalition, about the role of restaurants in the New London music scene. She also talked to Sean Murray, manager of The Social and The Oasis - a restaurant and pub that are central in the downtown New London scene, and musicians Sean Nelson and Noah Feldman who have relied on the establishments to bring their music to live audiences.
About the Sound On The Sound series Under the direction of instructors Gail B. MacDonald, a UConn professor in residence and former Day reporter, and Carlos Virgen, The Day's assistant managing editor for audience development, UConn journalism students worked all semester crafting stories in text, audio and photographs that strive to tell parts of the overarching tale of music in New London. They spoke to musicians, business people, city and regional officials, educators and others to inform their work. These stories will be published in The Day and on theday.com.
Music is routinely used in therapy by mental health professionals. Musicians also use music as a medium to find emotional catharsis. UConn's Madison Gardner spoke to New London therapist Janelle Posey-Green and musician Daphne Parker Powell – who now lives in New Orleans but was previously based in New London – about the healing power of music.
About the Sound On The Sound series Under the direction of instructors Gail B. MacDonald, a UConn professor in residence and former Day reporter, and Carlos Virgen, The Day's assistant managing editor for audience development, UConn journalism students worked all semester crafting stories in text, audio and photographs that strive to tell parts of the overarching tale of music in New London. They spoke to musicians, business people, city and regional officials, educators and others to inform their work. These stories will be published in The Day and on theday.com
Over the last eight years, the annual "Pass the Guitar" event benefiting the New London Homeless Hospitality Center has raised close to $24,000. The event is just one example of a long list of ways in which the lure of music in New London has been used as a force for communal well-being, philanthropic outreach, and economic stimulation in the region. UConn's John Leahy spoke to Hugh Birdsall, founding member of seminal New London band The Reducers and creator of the "Pass the Guitar" event, about how the benefit event was born.
About the Sound On The Sound series Under the direction of instructors Gail B. MacDonald, a UConn professor in residence and former Day reporter, and Carlos Virgen, The Day's assistant managing editor for audience development, UConn journalism students worked all semester crafting stories in text, audio and photographs that strive to tell parts of the overarching tale of music in New London. They spoke to musicians, business people, city and regional officials, educators and others to inform their work. These stories will be published in The Day and on theday.com
New London – the Whaling City – has always been intrinsically connected to the waterways that surround it. In fact, it was Connecticut's first official port. And before the European colonizers arrived, the Indian tribes in the region relied on the water to travel and fish, and it was closely tied to their spiritual and cultural traditions.
UConn's Alison Cross spoke to Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel, Mohegan Tribe Medicine Woman and tribal historian, and Steve Manuel, executive director of the New London County Historical Society, about how the surrounding waterways have influenced music in New London.
About the Sound On The Sound series Under the direction of instructors Gail B. MacDonald, a UConn professor in residence and former Day reporter, and Carlos Virgen, The Day's assistant managing editor for audience development, UConn journalism students worked all semester crafting stories in text, audio and photographs that strive to tell parts of the overarching tale of music in New London. They spoke to musicians, business people, city and regional officials, educators and others to inform their work. These stories will be published in The Day and on theday.com
Stephanie Johnson, diversity trainer for OneDigital Learning, provided The Day with six months of thought-provoking lessons on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. On the last day of training, she spoke with us about some of the fun activities she uses to foster teamwork and about the ongoing work needed at The Day, and every workplace.
As we begin a year-long investigation into the housing market in New London County, we speak with The Day journalists who will be working on the initial reporting: Staff Writers Elizabeth Regan and Johana Vazquez, photographer Sarah Gordon and Production Manager Scott Ritter.
To learn more about the Housing Solutions Lab or to make a tax-deductible donation to support the project, visit www.theday.com/housingsolutionslab.
The Day's Vickie Fulkerson is in Minneapolis to cover the UConn women's basketball team in their record 14th straight Final Four. After the Huskies' wild double-overtime win over NC State, Vickie barely had time to catch her breath before catching a flight to Minnesota, where she spoke with Rebecca Lobo about her experiences in the 1995 Final Four.
Hear what Day sportswriters Vickie Fulkerson, who covers UConn women’s basketball, and Gavin Keefe, who covers the UConn men, had to say the morning after the NCAA brackets were published. Keefe is headed to Buffalo to cover Thursday’s game against the New Mexico State Aggies. Fulkerson will be covering the UConn women when they play against Mercer Saturday in Bridgeport.
During one weekend in mid-February 2022, six people died from fatal overdoses in New London County and 26 others suffered from non-fatal overdoses. Jennifer Muggeo, deputy director of the Ledge Light Health District, stopped in to bring us up to date on the evidence-based treatments for those suffering from opioid use disorder and of the available harm reduction tools, including naloxone kits, fentanyl test strips, and syringe exchanges. Muggeo told us about a new animal tranquilizer turning up in overdose cases involving the synthetic opioid fentanyl.
At any given time, panels of citizens are called to serve 18-month stints on grand juries at Connecticut’s federal courthouses in Bridgeport, New Haven and Hartford. The public hears little about their work, which is largely performed in secrecy but is, says attorney Chris Mattei, “an extraordinarily important instrument” of our justice system.
As a federal grand jury investigates Konstantinos “Kosta” Diamantis’ tenure heading up state oversight of the Connecticut Port Authority’s project at State Pier in New London and major school construction projects in New London and statewide, we asked Mattei to tell us what he knows about grand juries. He also weighed in on the "deeply troubling" connection to Connecticut's top prosecutor Richard Colangelo.
Mattei, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney now in private practice with Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder law firm, served as Chief of the Financial Fraud & Public Corruption unit with the U.S. Attorney’s office in the District of Connecticut. He oversaw the prosecution of former Gov. John G. Rowland and others on campaign fiancé and obstruction of justice charges and supervised a ground-breaking investigation and prosecution of fraud in the residential mortgage-backed securities market following the financial crisis of 2008.
Mattei currently serves as the lead attorney on behalf of Sandy Hook families and first responders against Alex Jones and the corporate entities involved in promoting a lie that the school shooting was a hoax.
As Harold Wolfe, 95 years old and dying, prepared to enter a hospice facility in Mystic in early January, his wife and children invited The Day reporter Elizabeth Regan and photojournalist Sarah Gordon to spend time with them and document an event made more poignant by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The resulting story and photos were incredibly touching. We spoke with Regan and Gordon about reporting the story and with Community Editor Lee Howard, who connected The Day staff with the Wolfe family. After recording the interviews for the podcasts, we received the update that Harold Wolfe died at 6:00 p.m., Monday, January 17 with his wife Sherry by his side.
Lonnie Braxton II of New London is a busy man, and that won’t change upon his retirement at the end of the year from his job as a state prosecutor. He spoke with us about his remarkable life, which began in the segregated south, and his hope for the future.
Cathy Zall, executive director of the Homeless Hospitality Center in New London, helps set the stage as The Day begins an investigation of housing availability in our region. Zall tells us what’s working to get people housed in southeastern Connecticut and what she thinks is needed.
Stephanie Johnson of OneDigital, an employee benefits consultant, traveled from Atlanta to conduct training for The Day staff on unconscious bias. She spoke with us about her work between training sessions. She said after the social unrest that followed the death of George Floyd in the summer of 2020, she looked at the diversity training that was available and found it lacking. Johnson designed her own program, then worked with The Day’s diversity committee to create a custom six-month training program for the company that began on Nov. 9 and includes in-person and self-paced coursework.
Features Editor Kristina “Kristy” Dorsey takes us behind the scenes of Hallmark and Lifetime movies filmed in southeastern Connecticut by Synthetic Cinema International. Synthetic was founded in 2004 by Andrew Gernhard, a Norwich native who now lives in Gales Ferry. Some of the recent films have included scenes from Norwich City Hall, The Garde Arts Center in New London and Noank Village, with locals serving as extras.
As legal sports betting gets underway in Connecticut, Johnny Avello, director of sportsbook operations for DraftKings, walks us through the process of placing bets on everything from the NFL to the World Series, ping pong and maybe even the Oscars.
The Day’s Publisher and President, Timothy Dwyer, explains our independent newspaper’s unique ownership model and its obligation to donate a portion of its profits to charitable organizations.
Dwyer said he keeps a copy of the last will and testament of Theodore Bodenwein in the top drawer of his desk and refers to it often. Bodenwein, publisher of The Day from 1891 to 1939, established the paper’s structure and it’s charitable arm, the Bodenwein Public Benevolent Foundation.
Editorial Page Editor Paul Choiniere, who is retiring, sat down to talk with us. He shared some of his most memorable stories and editorials, from exposing safety issues at the Millstone Nuclear Power Station in the 1990s to writing about a cult in the Norwich-Jewett City area and, as an editorial page editor, representing the paper’s point of view even when he didn’t agree.
Tammy de la Cruz, whose son Joey Gingerella was shot and killed while trying to stop a man from beating his girlfriend, talks about Joey’s life and her enduring grief.
The Day has published a series of stories to mark the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. In this episode of The Storyline, we hear from the staff writers who reported these stories.
New London attorney Kevin Barrs, who represents indigent people accused of major crimes, speaks with us about the role of court-appointed attorneys.
As Haiti continues to struggle with political turmoil and natural disasters, we spoke with people in southeastern Connecticut who are working to help.
Enoch Petit-Homme, who is of Haitian descent, is the English language intervention specialist and diversity officer at Norwich Free Academy.
Susan Wallace is the executive director of the Norwich Catholic Diocese’s Outreach to Haiti program. Outreach to Haiti employs nearly two dozen staff in the Christ Roi neighborhood of Port-Au-Prince and operates a medical clinic and school.
Seven Afghan refugees – a woman, her husband, their four children, and a single man – flew on one of the last commercial flights from Kabul to Qatar to Virginia to New York before being driven to New Haven, where they'll begin to rebuild their lives as refugees. Reporter Taylor Hartz was there to report their story.
Features editor Kristy Dorsey, who considers lobster rolls the perfect summer treat, whether they’re hot or cold, talks about The Day newsroom’s coverage of our reader Lobster Madness bracket contest.
Judge Hillary B. Strackbein, administrative judge of the New London Judicial District Courts, tells us how the courts are managing their caseloads as the pandemic begins to ease and describes how criminal cases are handled from arrest through sentencing.
When the Stonington-based lobster boat Heidi Marie went missing in November 1989, Day reporter Joe Wojtas, who covers the town's fishing fleet to this day, flew with the U.S. Coast Guard on a search and rescue mission. Wojtas sat down with us recently to tell the story of the search and describe a memorable interview he conducted ten years later with the mother of one of the five fishermen lost at sea.
Sea musicians Rick Spencer and Dawn Indermuehle joined us in the studio to perform Heidi Marie, a haunting song about the missing boat and the danger faced by those "who make their living harvesting the sea."
Sun Coach Curt Miller, who has been openly gay for years, spoke with us about the importance of supporting gay athletes at all levels and how a recent comment he made about a player illustrates that “words matter.”
Scholastic Sports Editor Vickie Fulkerson tells us how The Day’s sports department selects and covers the area’s top high school athletes as we prepare to unveil our choices from July 3 to July 11.
Reporter Erica Moser tells us an “explainer” article she wrote about critical race theory is just the beginning of her reporting on this timely and divisive topic.
Reporters Claire Bessette and Elizabeth Regan talk about their profiles of graduating seniors from Norwich Free Academy, Norwich Regional Technical High School, East Lyme High School and Lyme-Old Lyme High School.
Brian Wright, who applied to the New London Police Department in 1994 after making a bet with a buddy, talks about his vision for the department and the city.
Curtis Goodwin, co-founder of the New London Talent Show and co-producer of the film, “Those People,” talks about bringing “the village” together to make the show happen, and shares some of the “aha” moments of the past decade ahead of Thursday night’s movie premiere at The Garde Arts Theater.
Day reporter Taylor Hartz tells us how she conducted an interview, through a translator, with the father of 28-year-old Jose Sancho of New London, who died in a car crash on May 21.
Family GoFundMe page
En este episodio hablamos con Lizbeth Polo-Smith quien salió de Peru en 2002 y entro a los Estados Unidos indocumentada porque en su país el costo de la comida y de pañales era muy alto y no encontraba oportunidad de mejorar su vida. Ahora, ella es ciudadana del los Estados Unidos y trabaja en lo comunidad para ayudar a los inmigrantes con sus necesidades y derechos.
We speak with Lizbeth Polo-Smith, who fled Peru in 2002 and entered the United States without immigration documents because she was unable to afford food or diapers for her children and saw no opportunity in her homeland. Today she is a U.S. citizen dedicated to helping immigrants and the community at large with food, health care and other needs.
The Day Sports Editor Chuck Banning tells us how he and his staff decide which teams and games to cover, how the sports section is organized, and how we manage to report scores even if we’re not at games.
The Day's Editorial Page Editor Paul Choiniere analyzes President Joe Biden's strategy of focusing on domestic issues during his first 100 days in office and tells us how lawmakers might respond to the President's proposal to spend $6 trillion on jobs, families, and infrastructure.
State Senator Heather Somers, chairman of the communication committee of Gov. Ned Lamont’s vaccine advisory group, talks about her own experience with the COVID-19 vaccine and continuing efforts to educate those who are hesitant to receive their shots.
To celebrate the resumption of restaurant reviews in The Day, arts writer Rick Koster takes us behind the scenes of his reviews and explains what the heck he means when he refers to TVWWAU.
Chief "Many Hearts" Lynn Malerba tells us how the Mohegan Tribal Nation approached "nation building" after the federal government recognized them as a sovereign nation in 1994 and describes the tribe's philosophy of caring for its youth, elders and the greater community.
Rodney Butler, chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, spoke with us about the education, training and guidance from elders that helped the tribe achieve the milestone of naming its first member, Jason Guyot, as chief executive at Foxwoods Resort Casino.
Reporter Vickie Fulkerson reports on the sights and tastes of San Antonio and what the Husky women can expect in their Final Four matchup against Arizona.
The Huskies knew their Elite Eight matchup with Baylor would be difficult, but they survived in dramatic fashion to reach the Final Four for the 13th straight season.
To make it into the Elite Eight, the Husky women must first get through Iowa in their Sweet Sixteen match-up on Saturday.
Day reporter Erica Moser discusses her recent survey of area residents who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The journey continues for UConn women in San Antonio, but the UConn men hit a bump in the road in Indianapolis.
Veteran UConn beat writers Gavin Keefe and Vickie Fulkerson discuss how this NCAA basketball tournament will be like no other due to COVID restrictions.
Safe Futures Executive Director Katherine Verano reveals the site of the agency's future Family Justice Center and fills us in on the progress of her dream to provide a place where victims will receive wraparound services.
In this week’s edition of The Storyline, Day staff members came together to remember special people from throughout the region who died during the coronavirus pandemic. See the full list of those who passed away due to COVID-19-related complications over the last year. And read all of our The Lost Year stories.
Stephen Mansfield, director of health for the Ledge Light Health District, urged us to be patient as he updated us on the plan to get COVID-19 shots into the arms of the area's educators and older residents.
Felix Reyes, director of planning and development for the City of New London, says the city will break ground in 2023 on a sustainable community center for every generation.
Day columnist David Collins discusses ongoing problems with the "quasi-public" Connecticut Port Authority and why it matters to the City of New London.
Attorney Marcy Levine-Acevedo is hopeful the new administration will clear the pathways for clients seeking asylum and family reunification.
In this week's episode of The Storyline, we talk to business reporter Brian Hallenbeck about the chances that Connecticut will finally legalize sports betting.
This week, we spoke with Rev. Florence Clarke of New London, a longtime civil rights activist and member of the city's Public Safety Policy Review Committee, about her thoughts on Wednesday's Conversation on Race discussion, and why the ongoing struggle for equity for Black Americans matters to her.
The Day has been covering the UConn women's and men's basketball teams for decades, but we've never seen a season like this. In the latest edition of The Storyline, sportswriters Vickie Fulkerson and Gavin Keefe talk about how they've managed to cover the two teams during the pandemic.
Community editor Lee Howard talks about The Norwich Times, the latest weekly community newspaper launched by The Day
Reporter Rick Koster talked to New London installation artist and art instructor Diane Barcelo about how her studio practice has intersected with the social unrest that has gripped much of the country this summer.
As the state expands provisions for absentee voting due to the COVID-19 pandemic, city and town clerks are dealing with an unprecedented amount of ballots and ballot applications during this election cycle.
Reporter Sten Spinella talked to a town clerk and registrar, and a college professor who has studied the use of mail-in ballots to get a sense of what can be expected during the primary and general election in Connecticut.
Jack Madry, jazz pianist and pastor at Madry Temple Church, talked to Rick Koster about how music has inspired him throughout his life, how music played a big part during the civil rights movement and how he finds rhythm imbued within so much of the world, including the recent Black Lives Matter protests.
As part of our ongoing conversations with local artists of color, reporter Rick Koster speaks with Michael Bradford, head of the Dramatic Arts Department at UConn and artistic director of the Connecticut Repertory Theatre, about how he finds inspiration and hope during the current period of civil unrest.
Reporter Sten Spinella spoke with Connecticut College economics professor Mónika López Anuarbe about how long-standing healthcare and economic disparities have exacerbated the COVID-19 pandemic for communities of color, in particular, the Hispanic community.
Poet and educator José B. Gonzalez talked to Rick Koter about immigration, the power of poetry to inspire, and what it means to not see an accurate representation of yourself in popular culture.
Social worker Janelle Posey-Green spoke to reporter Julia Bergman about the trauma of racism and what she is doing to help the black community cope.
Kolton Harris, executive director of Writer's Block Ink, talked to The Day's Rick Koster about the role of the performing arts during periods of social upheaval and he shared a song that he co-wrote in the weeks since the death of George Floyd titled "Another One Dead."
The county begins to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic while we also brace ourselves for another spike in cases. And as protests and unrest hit many parts of the country as a result of recent examples of police brutality toward the black community, including the recent death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police, we have started to reach out to local artists of color to get their thoughts on the unrest, the events that led up to it, and the role that art can play during times like these.
We asked our readers if they had plans to go out to eat at a local restaurant starting on May 20. Of 180 responses, 18% said they were planning on dining out, while 43% said absolutely not. Another 38% said they were going to take a wait-and-see approach.
The Day wants to help our readers and listeners make an informed decision. We sent journalists - those who felt comfortable doing so - to various restaurants in the area during the Memorial Day weekend to report back about their experience. This week we hear from The Day's newsroom about what they saw and heard while dining out during the pandemic.
Restaurants and retail shops in Connecticut opened on May 20 after months of closure due to the coronavirus. Reporters from The Day visited various locations in southeastern Connecticut to talk to customers and business owners.
Reporter Taylor Hartz joined the podcast to talk about a story she is working on about how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting crime in Connecticut and how those changes and the circumstances of the pandemic might change police strategies moving forward. She shared insights from her in-depth interview with John DeCarlo, University of New Haven associate professor and director of the master's degree program in criminal justice.
Multimedia director Peter Huoppi joined the podcast to talk about how The Day continues to produce video stories during a time of social distancing. He talked about the creativity that is required during this crisis, not only from our staff of visual storytellers but also from the community, as various groups continue to look for ways to connect and to express themselves. He's recently worked with local musicians and music students from Ledyard High School to tell their stories through virtual meetings and live-streaming apps.
Reporter Julia Bergman joins the podcast to talk about a 13-year-old New London boy who is recovering from COVID-19 and how that experience affected his family.
The Day has received almost 100 reader-submitted questions about the COVID-19 pandemic. We are trying to answer as many of them as possible. In this week's episode, we go through 14 of your questions as answered by a nurse practitioner at Ledge Light Health District.
We also hear about what some southeastern Connecticut communities are doing to show solidarity and unity during this time of social distancing.
The Day's sports editor Chuck Banning joined the podcast to talk about how the sports department continues to tell local stories during a time when all sports, from high school through the professional level, have been canceled or postponed.
And we talk to two grocery store employees about the challenges they are facing and how they are handling the increased demand for certain products while working long hours to sanitize their stores and restock empty shelves.
Reporter Julia Bergman talked to Dr. Peter Morgan, chair of psychiatry at L+M Hospital, about the mental health needs of people as they navigate the onslaught of news in this time of crisis. He also shared some tips for parents on how to communicate with their children without causing anxiety and stress.
And reporter Erica Moser talks about her recent explainer story that looked into the science of social distancing, flattening and the curve and other recommendations that health officials have been making to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Storyline host Carlos Virgen and reporter Brian Hallenbeck met with Lawrence + Memorial Hospital's chief medical officer Dr. Oliver Mayorga as hospital staff finished setting up an outdoor staging area to take samples for coronavirus testing. The station is set up in a parking lot near the hospital's main entrance. Dr. Mayorga answered questions about the hospital's preparation for combating the pandemic and he answered some reader-submitted questions.
Reporter Julia Bergman joined campaign volunteers from around the southeastern Connecticut region as they travelled to New Hampshire to canvas for Democratic candidates ahead of the New Hampshire primary.
The Day's court reporter Karen Florin had an open and wide-ranging conversation with Connecticut Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard A. Robinson about race, implicit bias and the difficulties often encountered when trying to discuss these topics. This was part of a series in partnership with Connecticut College. The event took place on Wednesday, November 6 on the Connecticut College campus with more than 300 people in the audience.
One of our recent CuriousCT stories looked at about 27 years of CT tax data. Reporter Erica Moser talked to economists and state officials, as well as with the question-asker, Bill Hakkinen, in an effort to better understand and contextualize the data. She stopped by The Storyline to talk about her reporting.
Last month, three of our reporters set out to bring you an analysis of all the proposals on the table — and how you feel about them.
- Lindsay Boyle’s comprehensive special report featuring a toll calculator and excerpts from readers who responded to our CuriousCT survey.
- Erica Moser looked at results of a recent poll of Connecticut residents
- Brian Hallenbeck explored possible impacts tolls might have on tourism.
Thank you to WTNH in Connecticut for letting us use audio of toll protests that were used at the beginning of this episode.
The Storyline is back with new weekly episodes. I'll continue to have conversations with the journalists that cover southeastern Connecticut and talk to the communities impacted by our stories.
We'll also be featuring CuriousCT which is a relatively new feature on theday.com where we ask our readers to tell us what they want to know about the people, places and issues in southeastern Connecticut. The premise is simple: You ask, you vote, we investigate. This week we talk to reporter Erica Moser about her CuriousCT story that focuses on the breakdown of school budgets in Connecticut. The story resulted from a question submitted by Lyme resident Jim Miller.
Links:
www.theday.com/curiousct
www.theday.com/local-news/20190330/how-does-school-spending-break-down
twitter.com/thecuriousct
Reporters Karen Florin, Erica Moser and Lindsay Boyle sat down with producers Tim Cotter, Peter Huoppi and Carlos Virgen to discuss season one of Case Unsolved, share some updates on a couple of the cases and to talk about plans for season two. Case Unsolved is a podcast by The Day about unsolved murders in Connecticut, and the family, friends and law enforcement left without resolution. Find it on your favorite podcast app.
Columnist David Collins and editorial page editor Paul Choiniere stop by the studio to debate the pros and cons of the recently announced $15 million dollar investment at State Pier in New London which is to be used to prepare the pier for future use by the regions growing offshore wind industry. Martha Shanahan dropped by to talk about ticks and tick-borne pathogens and Erica Moser gives us a recap of this year's Coast Guard Academy graduation.
This week, we sit down with The Day's editorial page editor Paul Choiniere and columnist David Collins to discuss Governor Malloy's recently announced economic incentive package for Electric Boat.
Reporter Martha Shanahan got a chance to visit with a pair of pet geese in Waterford who has stirred some controversy in town.
Reporter Ben Kail talks about recent events at Montville High School that have rocked the community. Foremost is the news that a former substitute allegedly encouraged, or at least allowed, slap-fighting in the classroom and the incidents were not reported in a timely matter to the Department of Children and Families as mandated by law. Ben explains how he submitted a Freedom of Information request for emails to clarify the timeline of events and to see how much school administrators knew.
Martha Shanahan shares her thoughts after attending an emotional wedding ceremony at L+M Memorial Hospital as a terminally ill Pawcatuck woman married her longtime fiancé in front of friends and family.
This week, Lindsay Boyle talks about an overdose death at a New London sober house and the repercussions on those left behind including the deceased’s mother, the sober house manager, and other residents. Ben Kail attended a youth summit at Waterford High School that featured an inspirational speaker who showed off his harmonica beatboxing skills. And Martha Shanahan says kelp is the new kale as she visited a couple of local kelp farming operations. In fact, she says, she reached right into the water, pulled out the slimy, brown plant and took a couple of big bites.
This week we talk to Charlie Clark about the recent controversy over the possible termination of a contract between the town of Ledyard and Ledyard Volunteer Emergency Squad, the town’s current ambulance service provider.
Julia Bergman tells us about a recent report released by the Coast Guard Academy that looks at various metrics in an effort to measure equity among cadets.
And Erica Moser spent time with a Pakistani family from New Britain who is taking sanctuary at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme as they fight a deportation order. Erica explains what the family's day-to-day life has been like.
On this week's episode, managing editor Tim Cotter, a University of Rhode Island graduate and a season ticket holder of URI men's basketball, talks with beat reporter Gavin Keefe about UConn's new men's basketball coach Dan Hurley.
On Wednesday, March 14, thousands of students from around the country took part in the National School Walkout exactly one month after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida where 17 students and faculty were shot to death.
Several hundred students in southeastern Connecticut also participated. Reporter Charlie Clark got an opportunity to talk to students and administration at Ledyard High School before the walkout. He stopped by to talk about what he learned.
First, in our ongoing series of conversations with candidates for governor in this Fall’s election, we talk to Tim Herbst of Trumbull.
Reporter Martha Shanahan stops by to talk about how the growing acceptance of marijuana as a recreational and medical drug is affecting anti-drug education programs at local schools.
In a series of columns, David Collins has reported on the conditions of various historical properties owned by Connecticut Landmarks, including one in Stonington and another in East Haddam. Collins joins the podcast to give the latest on Forge Farm in Stonington.
Independent candidate for governor Oz Griebel and his running mate Monte Frank stopped by to talk about their campaign.
The flu has claimed 63 lives in Connecticut since August. Health and environment reporter Martha Shanahan gives us the latest on the flu season and the availability of the vaccine.
After petitions put the fate of North Stonington's multimillion-dollar school building project in doubt, the town cast their votes on Thursday to decide the future of its school district. Charlie Clark gave us the latest update.
Lindsay Boyle talked to me about two recent stories she wrote dealing with deep personal loss and she shares how she prepares for these very personal and emotional stories.
Charlie Clark gives us the latest on a growing controversy about an upcoming school building vote in North Stonington.
This week I talk to Julia Bergman about a complex 7-hour rescue at sea of a wounded submarine sailor. She also takes us up the Connecticut River on a Coast Guard cutter on an ice-breaking mission as accumulated ice on the river prompted emergency conditions in at least one town.
Finally, Martha Shanahan gives us an update on the much-debated future of the Seaside Regional Center property in Waterford.
I talked to Paul Choiniere, a columnist and editorial page editor, for his initial reaction to reports of Trump using profanity to describe immigrants from African countries. He also talked a bit about the editorial that was written as a result of the episode. We also talk about The Day's decision to publish the expletive and the comments we've seen from our readers on theday.com and on Facebook.
Reporter Lindsay Boyle gives us a preview of story she working on that looks at staffing levels at the New London Police and Fire Departments
Environmental reporter Martha Shanahan stopped by to give us a rundown on last week’s winter storm. How much snow did we get, how strong were the winds and exactly what is a bomb cyclone?
The Day recently launched a series looking at millennials who are bucking demographic trends in Connecticut by staying to pursue their careers and passions in the southeastern part of the state. We talked to reporters how and why they chose individuals they featured. We also address concerns from some of the commenters on theday.com about the series.
On Wednesday, Dec. 20 we ran a story by Rick Koster about what was spelled out on the marquee of the Garde Arts Center, which read in all capital letters:
FINAL APPEARANCE: TRANSGENDER, FETUS, VULNERABLE, DIVERSITY, SCIENCE-BASED, EVIDENCE-BASED and ENTITLEMENT
It was a message in response to a report by the Washington Post about the list of words and phrases that the Department of Health and Human Services reportedly presented to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that should be avoided when preparing next year’s budget. The story on theday.com garnered a very big response from our readers - at the time of this recording, it had 165 comments, plus many more on our Facebook page. We respond to some of the comments from our readers about the accuracy of the news reports.
We also talk to reporters about recent and upcoming stories, including about the future of two local businesses, trash collection in Ledyard, Navy families dealing with day-to-day life while spouses are away, and the ongoing issues with repair work on the Gold Star Bridge.
This week Carlos Virgen talks to arts and culture writer Mary Biekert about a recent Saturday when she went from observing a sublime artistry of ballerina Sara Mearns at The Garde in New London to trudging around in cold, wet shoes on a slushy snow-filled street in another part of New London trying to piece together what happened at the scene of a fatal shooting. It’s just one example of how journalists have to be able to quickly and confidently pivot at any given moment of a day.
This week I talk to reporters about stories they are working on or have recently written and ask them to give us an overview and to tell us why the stories might have an impact on our communities.
This week on The Storyline we talk about a project called Trusting News that the newsroom is taking part in. It’s a project to help newsroom increase trust, transparency and accessibility with the communities they serve. I talked to The Day’s publisher Gary Farrugia about what differentiates The Day from other news organizations. I also spoke to reporter Erica Moser and Director of multimedia Peter Huoppi about what the newsroom plans to do to tackle the issues of trust and transparency.
Environmental reporter Martha Shanahan talks to us about a controversial commercial shellfishing project in the Niantic River and Kim Drelich gets us up to speed on the proposed Costco development in East Lyme.
This week, we are joined by reporter Julia Bergman who talked to us about recent racial incidents at the Coast Guard Academy, and she caught us up on the recent Navy review of its training and basic seamanship following two deadly collisions involving Navy surface ships. Reporter Erica Moser also stopped by to give us an update on the state budget that was signed by Governor Malloy.
Reporter Lindsay Boyle joined the podcast to talk about her reporting on a massive manhunt in Norwhich connected to a home invasion and stabbing that occurred on Saturday, October 21. On Tuesday, October 24, Norwich police searched for Brandon Uzialko who was seen in the Greeneville part of Norwich. Uzialko was found dead later that night. Lindsay also gives a preview of a story she's working on about tactical training for K9 units from across the Northeast.
Also, on Wednesday, October 18, two people were killed in a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 95 northbound between exits 70 and 71. One of the vehicles was a truck pulling an excavator on a trailer and another was a car, which caught on fire. The roughly 9-mile stretch of road, which makes up about 5 percent of Interstate 95 in Connecticut, has accounted for more than 17 percent of its fatal wrecks over the past almost two years.
We want to hear from you. What do you think law enforcement and state and local officials should do to improve the safety of that part of I-95 – between exits 70 and 76 in Old Lyme and East Lyme – and how they can reduce the number of injury and fatal car wrecks? Give us a call at 860-701-4308 to share your thoughts. Or email me a voice memo at c.virgen@theday.com. Make sure you include your name and the town you live in. We may use your comment in a future episode of The Storyline.
Westminster City Councilor Robert Davis, who also has the title of deputy lord mayor, came with Bob Bone, executive director of London’s New Year’s Day Parade and Festival, to present a formal invitation. Groton education reporter Erica Moser was at Fitch High School as the marching band and chamber choir got the invitation to perform in the 2019 London New Year's Day Parade and Festival.
Military and defense reporter Julia Bergman spent 48 hours aboard the USS John Warner and she talked to us about the experience and what sailors had to say about life as a submariner.
Reporter Erica Moser joined us to talk numbers, specifically, population numbers as the Connecticut State Data Center just released it’s population projections for all Connecticut towns for the period between 2015 and 2040. We talked about some of the trends that we discovered and what it means to towns in our region.
How have the events of Charlottesville and last year's presidential election affected the way our communities think about being American? We talked to a reverend from Mystic, a pro-Trump Republican from Stonington and organizers and praticipants of a candlelight vigil in Niantic that was organized to remember the victims of Charlottesville.
Hundreds of wives, children, parents, siblings and friends crowded in the rain onto one of the piers at the Naval Submarine Base in Groton to welcome home the USS Hartford and its crew.
Over next few months on The Storyline podcast we'll explore the theme of American identity in the current politically and ideologically divisive climate in the country.
We’ll look at how our local communities have responded to the events of Charlottesville, and how that has affected their ideas of what it means to be American.
We want to know how have the presidential election of 2016, the events of last week and the months leading up to it affected our ideas of what it means to be American.
The series kicks of on this podcast when we talk to a Mystic reverend who rewrote his Sunday sermon after seeing what happened in Charlottesville, we attend a candlight vigil in Niantic and we talk to a group of Trump supporters who rally every week in Pawcatuck.
And of course, we'll ask our listeners to submit their thoughts. Tune in starting next week.
Two or three varieties of cheese usually are good enough for most pizzas. That is unless you are trying to break a world record. Erica Moser went to Waterford to see a 112-cheese pizza being made in an attempt to break a Guiness World Record.