When Lowell Weicker was governor Bridgeport was a priority. Housatonic Community College had for decades languished on the East Side. About 25 years ago under Weicker’s leadership the state purchased a former shopping mall at State and Lafayette and relocated HCC to that Downtown location while also transferring the Troop G State Police Barracks from Westport to a facility across from the college. Since that time Housatonic has emerged as a leading community college in the state with an enrollment of roughly 6,000 students. On Monday local and state officials joined Housatonic President Paul Broadie II to commemorate the expansion of Lafayette Hall adding 47,000 square feet of new space for classrooms, labs and student services along with 28,500 square feet in renovations to adjacent spaces on the Bridgeport campus.
From CT Post reporter Linda Conner Lambeck:
State Sen. Marilyn Moore, who once attended Housatonic as a student when it was on Barnum Avenue, said Housatonic is something she mentions at every door she knocks on while campaigning.
“This is a diamond,” she said.
Caroline Steadham, of Shelton, president of the Housatonic Student Senate, said the addition will help students flourish.
“This ensures that students are studying in technology-rich classrooms and will be more competitive applicants in the job market,” she said.
The college collaborated with Bridgeport Hospital to create labs to mimic hospital settings for medical assistant students and also expanded its advanced manufacturing program that in addition to college students, serves a growing number of students from Bassick, Kolbe and Bunnell High Schools.
Full story here.
When Lowell Weicker was governor Bridgeport was a priority, truer words could not be spoken, this man save Bridgeport yes, Housatonic Community College, transferring the Troop G State Police Barracks from Westport, having the State to purchase the Beardsley Park Zoo, putting in place a financial review board to manage the City’s finances from bankruptcy, all of these things plus more kept Joe Ganim in office. Yes Governor Weicker made the deal with for the Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods casinos but he saves Bridgeport and there’s no recognition or mention of any of this plus most City Council members have little knowledge of what was done for Bridgeport.
Those of us who were there know that Weicker came to the rescue only after Ganim withdrew the bankruptcy filing. Ganim and Weicker seized the opportunity to look like heroes who saved Bridgeport.
Tom White, you are correct, Mayor Mary Moran a Republican made the attempt to file for bankruptcy as s new mayor and the effort fail and she became a one time mayor and was out after two years. That attempt was the end of the Republican Party in Bridgeport from ever being I’m power again. There were a number of Republicans like Linda Grace who I liked but now there’s no Republican Party here anymore.