2 AMERICA'S OLDEST CONTINUOUSLY PUBLISHED NEWSPAPER joutant 3ftartfor6 HARTFORD REPLANTING A SEED Missouri Man Plans To Revive Comstock, Ferre Co. Pedro Segarra Poised To Take Over As Mayor 'I Love This City5 By JENNA CARLESSO jcarlessocourant.com HARTFORD When Pedro Segarra stepped off a bus in Hartford more than 30 years ago, he felt an instant connection with the city. Despite having little money and no place to stay, Hartford felt safe to the boy who, at 15, had left the South Bronx to By AMANDA FALCONE afalconecourant.com WETHERSFIELD Comstock, Ferre Co. is back in business. The company, known for years as the country's oldest continuously operating seed company, closed in August 2009 WETHERSFIELD after 189 years because annual sales were falling.
But it will reopen next week under a new, historically minded owner Jere Gettle, owner of a 12-year-old Missouri-based company called Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Gettle bought the property at 249-263 Main St. from former owner Pierre Bennerup last Friday for a little more than $1.1 million. Under Gettle' ownership, Comstock Ferre's 1.6 acres will be operated as if it were the 19th century. Gettle says he's been studying the company's rich history to ensure historical accuracy.
Employees will wear period clothing, computers will be hidden from view and carpets will be removed and replaced by wooden floors, he said. The retail store will be returned to its original location at the front of the main building, a space SEEDS, A8 escape the pressure of joining a gang. Segarra, a lawyer and city council president, said he still feels that same connection to the city where he's spent most of his life. Now he's busy preparing for what could be his most influential role Segarra MICHAEL MCANDREWS MMCANDREWSCOURANT.COM JERE GETTLE joined by his wife, Emilee, and their daughter Sasha, 2 plans to reopen Comstock, Ferre the seed company that closed in 2009 because of flagging sales. The couple is dressed in 19th-century-style clothing.
the next mayor. "I see the role as more of a helper than a politician," he said recently from his office at city hall. "I'm stepping in at a time of crisis. That takes some of the pressure off of the job." He explained that because he's not elected, he doesn't have to concentrate as much on the usual political aspects of the job. The city charter specifies that the council president will succeed a mayor who leaves office before his term expires.
Mayor Eddie A. Perez has promised to submit his resignation Friday following his conviction June 18 on bribery and extortion charges. Perez SEGARRA, A6 FRIDAY 1820 Wethersfield Seed Co. established 1853 Renamed Comstock Ferre 2009 August: Comstock Ferre closed Jere Gettle bought Comstock Ferre for about $1.1 million GUBERNATORIAL DEBATE Lamont, Malloy: No To Tax Hikes PEREZ UPDATE Tuesday: Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez said he will submit a letter of resignation Friday.
Left unsaid: When the mayor would resign. Perez statement: "I am truly sorry for the mistakes I have made that have harmed the city that I love." Story, Page A8 Visit courant.comperezverdict for more coverage of the mayoral change, including video, reaction, pictures and legal documents. Gubernatorial Debate Democratic candidates say: Higher taxes: No Highway tolls: School vouchers: No Death penalty: No Both said they are strong believers in local control of education and do not favor any type of state financial takeover of the public schools. They both opposed school vouchers that would allow children from low-income families to obtain scholarships to attend private schools. In one hour on live television on WVIT, the candidates sparred on the issues and objected to tax increases.
They opposed the state's $250 business entity tax that small and larger businesses currently pay, depending on how the company is legally CANDIDATES, A4 By CHRISTOPHER KEATING ckeatingcourant.com Democratic gubernatorial contenders Ned Lamont and Dannel Malloy are both calling for drastically improving state government, but they both pledged Tuesday night to avoid raising taxes or reinstalling tolls on the state's highways to pay for those improvements. In their first televised debate since last month's Democratic Party convention, the candidates agreed on a wide variety of issues, including their opposition to the death penalty. Reform Can't Wait Health care reform can't come soon enough for people like Shannon Dunleavy, who underwent surgery for a brain tumor in May. After LAE SMART months of not paying bills, her insurance company is finally mailing out the checks. Susan Campbell, Page Bl TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP CART PROCESSION: Scott Wass leads the train of grounds crew workers off the 18th hole early Tuesday after getting the course ready for a practice round at the 2010 Travelers Championship.
Work started at 5 a.m. for the crew, many of whom eat and sleep at the course during the tournament. Forty-five workers 19 more than in a normal week are working on the course this week. Story, Page CI Brooks Dunn Cancel Citing illness, country duo Brooks Dunn has postponed the Last Rodeo farewell tour, includinga Hartford date scheduled for Friday. The rerouted An Artist's Aspirations Cromwell native Nicole Nadeau, right, hopes to be "The Next Great Artist" as she heads into tonight's episode of the reality show "Work Of Art" on Bravo as a Top 12 contestant.
Not The Whole Story Just because a product boasts "whole grain goodness," that doesn't make it a wholesome choice. For instance, adding whole grains to Pop-Tarts isn't going to take the sugar out. Living, Page Dl CLASSIFIED C8-C12 COMICS D4.D5 LOTTERY A2 OBITUARIES B7-B9 OPINION A13 PUZZLES D5 41 tour now hits Comcast Theatre Ai 10 tirkpte; fnr thp nrioinsl Labor Pacts Approved The Manchester Board of Directors approved agreements with town unions that include unpaid furlough days and delayed raises. Along with concessions negotiated with other workers, the savings in the next fiscal year will be about $350,000. CTNow, Page B3 East Windsor No.
1 The latest U.S. Census estimates show that East Windsor was the fastest growing town in Connecticut from 2007 to 2009. In comparison, New Haven and Hartford lost population. CTNow, Page Bl date will be honored then. For Living, Page D1 Curator Leaving Elizabeth Mankin Kornhauser, chief curator at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, is leaving for New York.
CTNow, Page Bl more info: www.courant.comdanton Continued Warm Partly cloudy. High of 89. Forecast, Page A2 75C $1.00 in Fairfield County and outside CT Copyright 2010 The Hartford CourantCo. 00623 00075 7 Connecticut Science Center New exhibit. Now on view, Presented by: fc United Technologi www.
CTScie ceCenter.org.
