What’s with the hat?

When I first started covering news stories,  police were rightfully suspicious and wonder who is this guy and why is he recording us?  I also  own a reminiscing website YouRememberThat.com and back in the day reporters would be wearing a fedora style hat and they would have their press pass in the band of their hat.  It was a natural thing for me to do, and unnatural thing  since I don’t really like wearing hats.  But it was an important thing for me to do because not many men wear fedoras these days and it stood out.  It helped identify me with the public officials on who I am.  Years ago I even had an assistant fire chief refuse to talk to me because he had no idea who I was; today he and I are good friends.

The hat made me recognizable to the public officials and the public.  Adding the trench coat was a natural progression.  I joke about it that I go work in costume but it also allows me to do something no other media can do and that is come out from behind the logo.  To be a real person.  People like that.

My audience has grown substantially since the early days and most cops and firefighters now know me.  I learned the other night covering a fire a cop didn’t care who I was, I went to the next block and the cop was happy  to see me again.  It also stands out in my mind when I’m at a shooting and people shout out “It’s DoingItLocal!” or as I’m walking to a fire and people are looking out their windows, recognize me and give me a wave.  All it comes down to is I just want to tell you the story of what is going on in your neighborhood.

Bridgeport News – City Crews Focusing on Pothole Repairs

City Crews Focusing on Pothole Repairs
Residents Asked to Send in Requests through City’s BConnected Service

 BRIDGEPORT, CT (January 15, 2014) – Winter snow combined with dramatic shifts in temperature can mean only one thing in New England – it’s pothole season. Constant freezing and thawing wreak havoc on roadways, so City Public Works crews are out each day, weather permitting, filling potholes throughout the City. Mayor Finch announced today, the City will deploy four Roadway Maintenance trucks focused on filling potholes on roads in every neighborhood in the city.

“As a result of the snow and the extreme temperature shifts, we are certain to see potholes popping up very quickly. Our crews are out on our streets every day filling and patching potholes to help drivers more easily navigate our roads,” said Mayor Finch. “We are very thankful to the residents for their cooperation during our most recent snowstorm; compliance with the Snow Emergency parking rules is critical to the success of our snow removal efforts. I’m now asking for residents to assist our Roadway Maintenance crews by reporting potholes through our BConnected service by phone, online or through our smartphone application.”

Citizens can report potholes by calling the BConnected Call Center at 203-576-1311, visitingbridgeportct.gov/bconnected or using the BConnected App available for free on the iPhone and Android smartphones. Potholes reported through BConnected are sent directly to the Roadway Maintenance crews.

The four trucks focused on filling potholes will be positioned to cover the entire City. One crew will handle pothole filling in the North End, another crew will be positioned to fill the potholes in the Reservoir neighborhood, another crew will be working on the East Side and East End and the fourth crew will be filling potholes in Downtown, West Side/West End and Black Rock.

Pothole repairs performed during winter months using “cold patch” are temporary.  During warmer temperatures, hot asphalt is used for more permanent repairs.  All pothole filling operations are weather permitting.

Bridgeport News–Police Arrest Two in Burglary

#Bridgeport, CT — Jan. 15, 2014 – Two men face burglary charges after police received a report of a burglary in progress on Columbia Street.

A concerned citizen called 911 Tuesday reporting seeing two people break into a house through a side window.  Officers Frank D’Amore and Fernando Oquendo responded to the location while the caller provided information to dispatchers, who relayed it to police over the radio. Oquendo detained two men on Ridge Avenue who were carrying items apparently taken from the house. D’Amore, Officers John Perry and Frank Cuccaro and Detective David Garcia checked the house and observed signs of a burglary.

Police recovered a range of items from the men including a coin-filled piggy bank, a football, a laptop computer, television set, a digital camera, assorted jewelry and beer.

Jesus Figueroa, 25, of Bridgeport, and Marcos Colon, 22, of Stratford, were charged with third-degree burglary, criminal trespass, criminal mischief and possession of burglary tools.

Bridgeport News–Carjacking arrest by officer doing paperwork

#Bridgeport, CT — Jan. 15, 2014 – Two city women face attempted robbery and attempted carjacking charges after an incident on Laurel Avenue Tuesday evening.

Officer Damien Csech was completing paperwork on a motor vehicle stop he conducted when a woman approached and told him two females had just tried to rob her. She told him the incident had just happened and the women were on foot. Csech checked the side streets in the area and located two women matching the description of the suspects and detained them.

The victim stated that she was coming home from work when one of the suspects walked in front of her vehicle and stood in front of her bumper so she couldn’t drive forward. The suspect then walked to the driver’s door, opened it and demanded the woman’s vehicle. The woman said she got out of the vehicle and the women started to get into the vehicle when they notice Csech’s police cruiser nearby.

The women then fled on foot. Chanel Thomas-Jones, 20, and Shanique Roberts, 18, both of Bridgeport, were charged with criminal attempt at second-degree robbery, criminal attempt at carjacking and breach of peace.

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