Irene

As the State continues to climb out of the mess left behind by Tropical Storm Irene, the authors of Throwing Curves send our best thoughts and hopes to the residents of Connecticut and the East Coast.

Many, many schools had to start the year with cancelled classes - Connecticut still has a long list of school closings across the State. Schools are without power or are being used as emergency shelters for residents that need them.

How fortunate we are that schools are so well-built that they can shelter people in times of need as well as provide shelter for young growing minds in better times. It is a reminder of how important a good school is to a community -- especially in the many small towns of New England.