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The Nose: Sports In The Park, Expectations Of Privacy, & McMahon's Paybacks

giustina_ilyusha, Flickr Creative Commons

http://cptv.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ypmwebcontent/Chion/Colin%20McEnroe%20Show%2009-21-2012.mp3

What are parks for? We'll talk about that today as we examine an attempt by the City of Hartford to restrict informal games of soccer and Ultimate Frisabee that are occasionally played in Busnell Park.
 
This is a silly idea. 
 
Bushnell Park is a wonderful space but it is seriously underutilized.  I am old enough to remember events like the New England Fiddle Fest which, in the 1970s, would put 65,000 in Bushnell Park. It survived that. It can probably survive ten people running around after a plastic disc. 
 
What it cannot survive, what is has not survived is emptiness. Parks need to be full of people. When they're not, they turn into scary and dangerous places. The damage done to Hartford on all the days and evenings when there's no critical mass in downtown Hartford is far worse than a few divots.
 
Also, we're talking about Monica Lewinsky's new book, expectations of privacy in a world full of long, long camera lenses, why Linda McMahon is repaying old debts, and as always, endorsements!
 
Leave your comments below, e-mail colin@wnpr.org or Tweet us @wnprcolin.

Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. Colin can be reached at colin@ctpublic.org.

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