News

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Connecticut shot up more than 10 places on CNBC’s latest ranking of business-friendly states, published Tuesday. CNBC’s 2021 “America’s Top States for Business” report — which evaluates metrics related to costs of doing business, workforce quality, infrastructure and other categories — says Connecticut is the 24th-best state for business in the country, up from 35th in 2019. CNBC did not release a 2020 version of the typically annual ranking. The report says Connecticut improved in several key areas over the last two years, including infrastructure (43rd in 2019 to 18th in 2021), economic strength (43rd to 32nd), technology and innovation (18th to 8th...

Groton City taking community planning outdoors this summer

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

The City of Groton is taking its community planning outside of City Hall. The city Planning and Economic Development Department will host a series of community design workshops this summer and fall to learn what community members want for the main commercial areas. The first workshop will focus on placemaking and streetscape designs for Thames Street on Thursday evening at Thames View Park, according to a city notice. That will be followed by a workshop in August on Bridge Street and another in October in the Five Corners neighborhood. Click here for the full article

‘Blue Tech’ projects sought for $1.5 million in funding

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Thames River Innovation Place — a supporter of entrepreneurial projects in Groton and New London that is funded by the public-private network CTNext — is seeking year five proposals that will be eligible for a total of up to $1.5 million in matching funding. The request for proposals notes that priority will be given to projects that activate the regional "Blue Tech Economy," meaning maritime technology projects that target economic activity on or around the Thames River or Long Island Sound. This might include projects connected to the Navy, Electric Boat or offshore wind. Click here for the full article

The Hunt for Business: Connecticut Pitches Sites and Economic Rebound

Thursday, July 08, 2021

Connecticut, and many of its municipalities, are looking for business. All one needs to do is flip thru the pages of the most recent edition of Site Selection magazine and it’s apparent that the drive to attract business has intensified across the country, and Connecticut is no exception. Site Selection.png Connecticut’s feature story – one of 10 state or regional profiles – is headlined “A New Plan for Economic Growth Is Catching On.” The 16-page section includes comments from the Governor and select business leaders, interspersed with ads trumpeting the virtues of the state and municipalities for business relocation and growth. Sit...

Where Is the Next Silicon Valley? Groton, Connecticut.

Tuesday, July 06, 2021

Walker Potts, Executive Director of the Naval & Maritime Consortium, is anticipating significant economic growth tied to Groton’s BlueTech industry. “This region has been a major hub of global maritime economic activity dating back to the 17th century, with a long heritage of seafaring, from fisherman and sailors, shipbuilders and ropemakers, naval architects, and maritime manufacturers. Today, that industry is coming back in a very significant and modern way,” said Potts. “The region has secured billions in BlueTech investment over the coming decades, mostly centered around in the defense and energy sectors. That investment, along with innovative technology and workforc...

Sub base lab celebrates 75 years of medical research

Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Groton — For 75 years, scientists have been pioneering medical research at the Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory that is designed to improve the health, safety and performance of submariners. The lab on Wednesday will celebrate its 75th anniversary, which was on June 25, with a ceremony at the Submarine Force Library and Museum. Scientists on Monday offered a tour to the media, highlighting some of their research into wearable technologies, hearing preservation, decompression and underwater exercise. Click here for the full article

Groton’s Project Oceanology receives $950,000 from offshore wind partners

Friday, June 18, 2021

Offshore wind partners Ørsted and Eversource continued to make good on promises of local partnerships Thursday, with an award of $950,000 to Groton-based Project Oceanology. The money is aimed at enhancing and expanding the marine science nonprofit’s STEM-based programming for kindergarten through 12th grade, with a focus on climate change, sustainability, energy generation and offshore wind. Click here for the full article

The booming foodie scene in Mystic, Conn., is so much more than pizza

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

There’s still pizza to be had in Mystic, Conn., but the small coastal town is gaining a big reputation as a booming foodie haven and an essential entry in any East Coast eater’s docket. Quaint and artsy Mystic, named for the river that runs through it and under the bascule bridge before emptying into Long Island Sound, is largely known for its Mystic Seaport Museum (the nation’s leading maritime museum). And, as the town where the Julia Roberts’ career-launching film “Mystic Pizza” was filmed. (Yes, the Mystic Pizza parlor is still there.) Click here for the full article

Water taxi season starts Saturday in New London and Groton

Thursday, June 10, 2021

The Thames River Heritage Park's water taxi will open for the season on Saturday and is scheduled to operate until Sept. 12. "It's fitting that we'll be launching our harbor cruises and boat tours on CT Open House Day which was created to enhance awareness and interest in the state's tourism assets," Thames River Heritage Park Executive Director Amy Perry said in a news release last week. Click here for the full article

Rhode Island PBS Weekly: Silent Service

Wednesday, June 09, 2021

Michelle San Miguel reports on the U.S. Navy’s efforts to construct its next generation of submarines. Facing increased competition at sea, thousands of additional workers are needed to build this growing fleet in Southeastern New England, known as the “Silicon Valley of undersea warfare." Rhode Island PBS Weekly talks with leaders in the defense industry about their maritime strategy.

Consultant recommends parking changes for downtown Mystic

Wednesday, June 02, 2021

Meters, an expanded two-hour parking zone, valets and shared parking lots are among the recommendations of a recent parking study of the downtown area. John M. Burke, a parking and transportation consultant in New England, presented the recommendations from the draft Downtown Mystic Parking Study at a virtual public meeting on Thursday, as the towns of Groton and Stonington look for solutions to the often congested area at a time when downtown Mystic is growing in popularity. The study focused on the five-minute walk zone, or about a quarter of a mile radius, around downtown Mystic, he said. Click here for th...

Copp Family Park: ‘Another hidden gem in Groton’

Wednesday, June 02, 2021

Many people who visit or drive past The Copp Family Park on Route 184 in Groton likely assume that although the parcel includes a picnic area and a few short trails for stretching the legs, the property is mainly for dog-walkers. After all, a well-traveled trail from the parking lot leads to a fenced-in area called Central Bark, where canines can cavort off-leash, under the watchful eyes of their owners. Happily for active humans, the 240-acre, town-owned property also contains miles of paths that range from smooth and flat to surprisingly rocky and hilly. Click here for the full article

Courtney hails Biden defense budget’s investment in submarines

Wednesday, June 02, 2021

U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, issued a statement Friday noting that President Joe Biden’s proposed budget for the 2022 fiscal year requests nearly $12 billion for submarine development and construction, “the largest investment in our undersea fleet since the 1980s.” Biden’s first defense budget totals $715 billion for the Pentagon, an $11 billion increase over the current spending plan. Click here for the full article

Carson’s Store Flourishing in its Second Century

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Carson’s Store in Noank was perfectly positioned to emerge from the pandemic. Even before it moved to its current location on 43 Main St., it was a small, efficient operation, opened in 1907 by Jane Carson. In 1979, David Blacker purchased the current building, improved it structurally, and ran the market for decades more. When the pandemic hit, David Blacker's son Andrew, the current owner and storekeeper, developed a steady take-out business to keep the market afloat, supported by a tight-knit but expanding community choosing to live in Noank year-round. Then in April 2021, Carson’s Store experienced a jolt of publicity when a Hallmar...

Eating at Sneekers is a tasty pleasure

Thursday, June 17, 2021

It was almost a decade ago when I last wrote about Sneekers Café, and it wasn’t a food review, it was a business story. Sure, I mentioned the food and how what had started as a bar had morphed into a restaurant in a bar, but it wasn’t a serious critique of the food. On a recent visit, it was all about sampling as much as we could and conveying the taste, flavor profiles, and presentation of the dishes served and rating the service and ambience of the place. Click here for the full article

Setting The Standard in Mystic

Monday, June 14, 2021

Kody Blake and Eric Goodman spotted the postcard beneath the glass of the table where they were having lunch one day and immediately knew it was the inspiration for their next project. The two young builders had come from different careers — Goodman was a lawyer working in finance and Blake doing instrumentation and control for nuclear power plants. But they had recently collaborated on buying and flipping houses when they were hired to do an expansion of Sift bakery in downtown Mystic. Click here for the full article

EB awarded $64 million contract modification for submarine overhaul work

Tuesday, June 08, 2021

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Electric Boat a $64 million modification to an existing contract for the overhaul of the USS Hartford (SSN-768), a Los Angeles-class attack submarine. On Friday, the department issued a “Smart Start” modification to a $125 million contract awarded last August. Click here for the full article

Open Air art at Avery Point

Tuesday, June 08, 2021

Artist Matthew Weber of Farmington works on installing his sculptures along the walking path at UConn Avery Point on Monday, June 7, 2021. The three cast sculptures are made of pigmented and stained cement inspired by geological rock formations. "This is the one of the hardest parts of the whole process," Weber said as he worked. "Getting them into place." Click here for the full article