CT Differs from National Trend: Top Baby Names are Mason and Emma

Across the nation in 2012, the most frequent names for newborn babies were Jacob and Sophia.  Not in Connecticut.  Here, the leading names were Mason and Emma, choices that were runners-up nationally.

The top ten boys’ names in Connecticut were:  Mason, Jacob, Michael, Liam, Ethan, Jayden, Anthony, Matthew Noah and Ryan.  The top ten girls’ names in Connecticut were:  Emma, Olivia, Isabella, Sophia, Ava, Mia, Emily, Charlotte and Abigail.

Nationally, the leading boys names in 2012 were, Jacob, Mason, Ethan, Noah, William, Liam, Jayden, Michael, Alexander and Alden.  The most frequent girls names were Sophia, Emma, Isabella, Olivia, Ava, Emily, Abigail, Mia, Madison and Elizabeth.

In Connecticut, Sophia also topped the list in 2011, while Alexander was the leading name among boys.    Mason ranked third that year.  In 2010, Michael and Isabella were the most popular names chosen by Connecticut parents. Alexander dropped from number one in 2011 to number 13 in 2012.  Emma jumped from number four in 2011 to the top spot in 2012 in Connecticut.

The data is based on Social Security card application information, and compiled by the Social Security Administration. A decade ago, in 2002, the top names selected in Connecticut were Michael and Emily.  In 1992, Michael and Jessica topped the list.  By 2012, Jessica did not make the top 100 girls names in Connecticut.

Another name on the move – perhaps reflecting the growing popularity of the location in New York (and perhaps Connecticut, too?)  – is the name Brooklyn.  After finishing 75th in 2010 and 76th in 2011, the name jumped to47th in popularity in 2012.    Elizabeth is more popular outside Connecticut, ranked at number 10 nationally in 2012 and at number 20 in Connecticut, up slightly from number 23 the previous year.

Reasons for name selection vary widely.  One of the more recent findings, published in the October 2012 issue of Psychological Science, was developed by researchers Jonah Berger, Eric Bradlow, Alex Braunstein and Yao Zhang of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.  Writing in the journal of the Association for Psychological Science, they found that names starting with K, such as Karl and Katie, became about 9% more popular after Hurricane Katrina – evidence that parents’ choices about what to call their children are influenced by the sound of names in the news.   It is unclear whether Storm Sandy had a similar effect in Connecticut, since the storm occurred mid-way through the year.

A recent study by Bohan + Ipsos for WhyMomsRule.com found that nearly nine in ten Americans approve of their first names – 31 percent “love it,” 56 percent “like it,” 10 percent “dislike it” and 3 percent “hate it.”  The study also found a marked shift toward “unique” names and away from family and traditional names during the 20th century.  Daughters have more unusual names than sons, and sons have names that are easier to spell than daughters, the study, conducted in March 2013, found.

Closing out the top 100 most popular names in Connecticut were Antonio, for boys, and a three-way tie between Melanie, Serenity and Valentina among girls.  And just in case you’re wondering, in addition to Connecticut, Mason and Emma were the #1 names for 2012 in West Virginia.

Rebranding of Tweed-New Haven Seen as Key to Airport Growth

For a time, it seemed as if Tweed-New Haven Airport would be handling flights without the benefit of air traffic controllers.  That altered state of reality was averted – at least for the time being – when Congress intervened, after federal sequestration budget cuts called for eliminating the control tower personnel this spring.

But at a news conference earlier this month, members of Connecticut’s Congressional delegation stressed that Tweed-New Haven and other regional airports are not out of the woods yet. That means the facility needs to more aggressively state its case – to lawmakers and the public.  Which is precisely what’s being done, with a reinvigorated public information effort including a recently developed website and logo.

Last July, officials at Tweed launched a new user-friendly website to meet the needs of its expanding customer base. The new website www.flytweed.com makes it easier to price and track flights throughout the world. In addition to the website, a new logo was created and Tweed mobile applications were launched.

The initiative to refresh the airport's identity and branding online was aimed at changing travelers' search habits, placing the airport's code ("HVN") into prominence as the first step at accomplishing that goal.  The tagline “Southern Connecticut’s Airport” is also featured with the revised logo.  The airport is served several times a day by US Airways Express, through connecting flights via Philadelphia to over 130 national or international destinations.

A report issued last year indicated that more airline passengers flew out of Tweed in 2011 than in 10 of the previous 11 years – including a jump of 11% in 2011 over 2010. Figures for 2012 were not immediately available.  Total 2011 departures exceeded the average annual number of departures over the last 12 years by a strong 24%.   It also marked the third consecutive annual increase in the number of passengers flying from Tweed.

In addition to Tweed, the six airports that would have been impacted by the federal cuts include Hartford’s Brainard Airport and the airports in Danbury, Bridgeport, Groton-New London, Waterbury.

Officials have pointed out that with competitive fares, convenient parking and easy access from downtown New Haven and I-95, Tweed’s popularity has grown  from a decade ago. The growth also reflects the increasing vitality of the New Haven business community, reflected in a growing and vibrant retail community and greater demand for residential space in the city. Airport officials have said they will continue working with airline representatives to  seek additional service and destinations.

West Hartford, Farmington, Cromwell Earn "Top Town" Titles

 West Hartford has been ranked as the Greater Hartford region's number one community in a new analysis published in the June issue of Hartford magazine.   Rounding out the top 10, in order, are South Windsor, Glastonbury, Manchester, Bristol, Farmington, Simsbury, Middletown, Avon and Enfield. The publication is produced by CT1Media, which also publishes The Hartford Courant.

The rankings are based on information highlighting more than three dozen factors, from school test scores to crime rate, property taxes to median home price, voter turnout to number of retail establishments. In 12 overall categories, the data was weighted to determine rankings broken down by small, medium and large towns, in addition to the overall results.

 

• The top-ranked large towns (over 30,000 population) are West Hartford, South Windsor, Glastonbury, Manchester and Bristol.  
• The leading medium-sized towns (15,000-30,000 population) are Farmington, Simsbury, Avon, Berlin and Southington.
• The top small towns (under 15,000 population) are Cromwell, Granby, Canton, Burlington, and East Granby.

Here’s the breakdown of the champions, by category (and size), according to Hartford magazine:

• Best for Families/Schools: West Hartford (large), Simsbury (medium), and Granby (small).
• Best for Seniors: West Hartford (large), Farmington (medium), and Cromwell (small).
• Young and Hip: Hartford (large), Southington (medium), and Hebron (small).
• City Living: Hartford (large), Southington (medium), and Cromwell (small).
• Country Living: Glastonbury (Large), Simsbury (medium), and Granby (small).
• Bang for the Buck: Bristol (large), Windsor (medium), and Windsor Locks (small).
• Most Affluent:  West Hartford (large), Avon (medium), and Granby (small).
• Most Educated:  West Hartford (large), Farmington (medium), and East Granby (small).
• Lowest Crime:  Glastonbury (large), Simsbury (medium), and Hartland (small).
• Leisure Life:  Hartford (large), Simsbury (medium), and Hebron (small).
• Fastest Growing: Hartford (large), Southington (medium), and Cromwell (small).

West Hartford, en route to earning the top spot, finished first in five categories, second place in four, along with two fifth place finishes (Country Living and Lowest Crime) and one sixth place (Bang for the Buck).  Among the medium sized towns, Simsbury won four categories, and Southington and Farmington each  won three.   Among the small towns, Cromwell won four categories and Granby won three.

In addition to the rankings, the magazine outlines how they arrived at the rankings, explaining that data was gathered from a number of sources, “including the schools (we parsed 84 individual test score results for each town), town profiles compiled by Connecticut Economic Resource Center (www.cerc.com), Connecticut State Department of Education, Connecticut Secretary of the State and Nielson Pop-Facts 2013.”

New Video Seeks to Improve Teen Driving Safety, Recalls Tragic Death of West Hartford Teen

Kohl's Tween Safe Program is currently focusing on the dangers inherent in teen driving.  The  program's website features a new video with the father and sister of  Reid Hollister, a 17-year-old West Hartford resident who was killed in a one-car accident in 2006.  The video, prepared in association with the Connecticut Children's Medical Center,  aims to alert teens and parents to the realities and risks of teen driving.

Reid’s father, Tim Hollister, became a leading advocate for better-informed parental decision-making about teen driving in the months after Reid’s tragic death.  He was a leading member of the Governor’s Safe Teen Driving Task Force in 2007-8, which led to legislative passage of a series of stringent laws in Connecticut, including graduated teen  licenses, to lessen the risks of car crashes involving teens.

The short video, with Reid’s dad and sister on camera recounting discussing Reid’s life, and the circumstances surrounding his death, are the featured subject on Kohl’s Tween Safe website, and excerpts of their comments, along with noteworthy statistics, are also be telecast on local television stations as a public service announcement.

Tim Hollister’s blog, "From Reid's Dad," was launched in September 2009 and has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Transportation/National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Public Service Award, April 2010, for "extraordinary efforts to assist parents in making informed decisions about safe teen driving." The site includes a model teen driving agreement for teens and parents, available for download. and helpful information and suggestions regarding teen driving and parental decision-making.

The Injury Prevention Center at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, in partnership with Kohl’s Cares®, has launched Kohl’s Tween Safe, a website and public information initiative to provide information aimed at preventing all types of injuries. The goal is to share the latest news and research to enable tweens, parents and coaches to make informed decisions.

On December 2, 2006, 17-year-old Reid Hollister, died after a one car accident.  He was driving on a three-lane Interstate highway (I-84 in Plainville) that he likely had not driven before, on a dark night just after rain had stopped, and apparently traveling above the speed limit, “he went too far into a curve before turning, then overcorrected, and went into a spin.” As the blog describes it, “While the physics of the moment could have resulted in any number of trajectories, his car hit the point of a guardrail precisely at the middle of the driver's-side door, which crushed the left-side of his chest.”

Among the statistics highlighted on the site:

• Safer teen driving starts with informed, conservative decisions about whether teens get behind the wheel of a car in the first place. Teaching teens to operate a vehicle safely is Step 2.
• Driving is the leading cause of death for people under age 20 in the United States.
• Safer teen driving is everyone's concern. In 2010, nearly 2,000 teen drivers died, but their crashes killed more than 3,000 passengers, other drivers, and pedestrians.

The video featured on the Kohl’s website was recorded recently when Connecticut Children’s Medical Center approached the Hollister family about making a video about Reid’s story, for teen drivers and their parents.

Earlier this year, the blog reported the following:  “The Governors’ Highway Safety Administration has issued a new report, New Study: Teen Driver Deaths Increase in 2012 (Feb. 26, 2013), based on preliminary fatality statistics for 2012, and the key finding should send a big shiver up our collective national spine:  after years of decline, deaths of 16 and 17 year old drivers increased in the first six months of last year. From 2011 to 2012, the national number of 16 year old driver deaths increased from 86 to 107 and the number of 17 year old deaths from 116 to 133.”

Remembering CT's Korean War Veterans, Advancing Opportunities for State Vets

Even as Memorial Day is observed throughout the state, many veterans and their families are looking ahead to July 27, 2013, which marks the 60th anniversary of the signing of the armistice to end the hostilities of the Korean War - often referred to as the Korean Conflict or the “Forgotten War.”

The armistice agreement, meant to be a temporary document until a peace agreement could be achieved, was signed by the United Nations, the North Korean People’s Army, and the Chinese People's Volunteers.  Even today, 60 years later, no peace agreement exists.

Through the remainder of 2013, commemoration events are planned in communities across the nation to honor and thank all veterans who served in the Korean War and the families who lost loved ones. Of the approximately 1.5 million Americans who served in Korea, an estimated 31,000 reside in Connecticut. 

The Veterans History Project at Central Connecticut State University and the Connecticut Department of Veterans’ Affairs are partnering to host a special event for all Korean War veterans on July 26, 2013 at Camp Niantic (formerly Camp Rell) in Niantic.

The state's Korean War veterans are invited to attend a remembrance ceremony at Nett Hall at 11:00 AM to honor the 326 Connecticut men killed in action.  A picnic to celebrate and thank the surviving veterans will immediately follow the memorial ceremony.  Korean War veterans are invited to attend with a guest free of charge.  For details or to contact  860-616-3603 or Tammy.Markik@ct.gov by Friday, July 19, 2013. Connecticut citizens who would like to attend to show their appreciation can also purchase tickets.

The honorary chairs of the event include Mrs. Nikki O'Neill (the widow of former Governor William A. O'Neill), Command Sergeant Major Robert Moeller and General James H. Throwe.

To view historic photographs and hear fascinating first-hand accounts of combat in Korea from Connecticut veterans, visit the Veterans History Project website at http://www.ccsu.edu/vhp where one can choose from more than 50 oral histories to explore.

Business Building Opportunities in Hartford, New Haven

Connecticut Public Broadcasting’s Veterans Vocational Training Program was launched earlier this month, offering a free opportunity for veterans to train for a career in media arts and video production.  For the pilot, CPBN is transforming its Hartford television studio into a learning facility that will use the power of digital media technology to inspire learning, spark innovation and develop workforce skills in post 9/11 veterans.

Completion of the program leads to industry-specific certifications in digital arts or video production and includes portfolio development.

Participants gain experience working with media professionals on digital projects and productions, ranging from live broadcasts to studio operations to web services. To ensure veterans attain employment opportunities, the program also plans to partner with local businesses.

In New Haven, there will be a free workshop for veterans on starting and growing a small business, on Wednesday, May 29 from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM at Gateway Community College in Room S106.  To register (by May 27) call 203.285.2201 or email wparsons@gatewayct.edu  The workshop will feature experts sharing information on the first steps to start or grow a veteran-owned business in Connecticut, where to find start-up money, and how to use the discipline and planning s\kills that were learned in the military.

Women Veterans Documentary Airs Nationwide

A documentary by Connecticut filmmaker Lizzie Warren, produced with Connecticut Public Television, is receiving airplay nationally this weekend.  The program, WAR ZONE/COMFORT ZONE, will be seen on CPTV on May 26 at 10 AM, and on PBS affiliates around the country throughout the weekend.

Writing in the online publication Salon, Warren notes that homelessness among women veterans has riesn sharply in recent years, and that "women veterans are the fastest growing homeless population in the nation."

Here’s the program summary:  Women account for roughly 14 percent of the active-duty U.S. military and more than 24 percent of the National Guard, yet they often receive less than a hero's welcome upon their return to civilian life. Many face poverty, homelessness and joblessness; deal with the psychological and physiological effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from military sexual trauma and combat related injuries; and often receive poor service from a Veterans Administration ill-equipped and, in some cases, unwilling to help them.

The Emmy® -nominated documentary WAR ZONE/COMFORT ZONE uncovers the plight of these veterans through the intense and personal stories of four women veterans coping with life after their military service. Each seeks a sense of normalcy and peace without the benefit of a comprehensive support system. WAR ZONE/COMFORT ZONE weaves together intimate interviews with the story of two women - Shalini Madaras and Joy Kiss - struggling to establish transitional housing for homeless female veterans in Bridgeport, Connecticut, despite virulent community opposition.

Cadavers, Bones, Burial and Dying Among Summer Reading Recommendations from State

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers is just one of the books that the state is recommending that high school students read this summer, as part of the Governor’s Summer Reading Challenge, a statewide program coordinated by the Connecticut State Department of Education (SDE) in conjunction with the Connecticut State Library.

The best-selling book by Mary Roach "explores how human cadavers have been used throughout history and discusses how the use of dead bodies has benefited every aspect of human existence."  It has earned the distinction of being among the “Outstanding Books for the College Bound."

Connecticut schools compete based on student population and grade level, with the schools with the highest participation and highest books-per-student receiving recognition next fall.  Schools are asked to tally the number of grades participating, the number of students who take part, total number of books read, and the average number of books read per student.  The data must be submitted to the department by October 4, 2013.

Among the other recommended titles for students entering grades 9-12 are Corpses, Coffins and Crypts: A History of Burial, which documents the burial process throughout the centuries and in different cultures, and Salvage the Bones, a story of children struggling to prepare for Hurricane Katrina amidst teen pregnancy, alcoholic and absent parents and a dying litter of pups.  Other titles include Mary Stewart’s The Crystal Cave, Karen Healey’s Guardian of the Dead, and Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke & Bone.

The department’s website provides suggested reading lists for Grades K-2, grades 3-4, grades 5-6, and grades 7-8, in addition to the high school age recommendations.  The site also offers a Summer Reading Journal that students can use to keep track of their reading and a student certificate template.  Information for principals, parents and students is also provided, along with a Summer Reading poster and a coloring poster for younger children.

Among the books recommended for students entering third and fourth grade are: Bones, Barnum’s Bones, Please Bury Me in the Library, Dying to Meet You and Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Dinosaur Bones.  

In urging school principals to have their schools participate, the department emphasizes that the Summer Reading Challenge “will support and enhance efforts to help every student become a proficient and confident reader.”  The program will recognize schools for participation and the number of books read, as well as outstanding public school-library partnerships.  Certificates are to be awarded at a public ceremony to schools with 100 percent participation of their students.

Information offered to parents stresses that reading is a “gateway skill,” which builds language skills, improves the capacity for conceptual thinking, builds better thinking strategies, and teaches discipline in regards to the written word.  Families are urged to have children use the library, ask about summer reading materials, read every day, talk about what they are reading, and make reading materials part of their home.

Million Dollar Packages Routine Atop Connecticut Hospitals, CEO’s Receive Highest Pay at 26 of 30

Newly released data from the state Office of Health Care Access, which regulates hospitals in Connecticut, reflects that 18 Connecticut hospital executives received pay packages of over $1 million during fiscal year 2012.

Leading the top-compensated list – and exceeding $1.5 million in total compensation for their highest paid individual staff member - were William Backus Hospital ($3.4 million), Hartford Hospital ($3.3. million), and Yale- New Haven Hospital ($2.8 million).

In addition to the top three, there were seven other hospitals where the highest compensated official received a pay package exceeding one million dollars during FY2012.  Rounding out the top ten were officials at  Greenwich Hospital ($1.5 million), Saint Francis Hospital & Medical Center ($1.5 million), Stamford Hospital ($1.5 million), Hospital of Central CT ($1.5 million), Bridgeport Hospital ($1.1 million), Hospital of Saint Rafael ($1.8 million), and Middlesex Hospital ($1 million).

An analysis by Connecticut by the Numbers indicates that the top salary and benefit package at all but four of the state’s 30 hospitals went to top administrators, usually the President or CEO.  The exceptions included  New Milford Hospital, where the president’s total package ranked 5^th and a lab physician led the list;  at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, where the CEO also ranked 5^th and a physician surgeon ranked first, and at Rockville General Hospital which was led by the Medical Director, with the CEO placing third in the salary hierarchy.    At Windham Community Memorial Hospital, the top administrator – the Vice President of Operations – placed 7^th in salary and fringe benefits amongst hospital leadership.

Only five hospitals in the state saw the top ranked individual receive less than half a million dollars in compensation.  The lowest was at  Rockville General Hospital, where the Medical Director received $324,458, followed by Windham Community Memorial Hospital, where the top  Physician/Hospitalist earned $463,270, John Dempsey Hospital, where the CEO earned $477,518, New Milford Hospital, where the top package was $480,036 and Johnson Memorial Hospital, where the President’s pay package totaled $483,070.

The OHCA report did report the names of individual administrators, but listed the top 10 paid positions at the state's 30 acute care hospitals. The state's two largest hospitals—Hartford Hospital and Yale New Haven Hospital—each had four senior executives that received million-dollar plus pay packages last fiscal year, the Hartford Business Journal has reported, while Stamford Hospital had two administrators earn over $1 million.

The highest paid hospital executive in fiscal 2012 was the former president & CEO of William Backus Hospital, who received a total pay package of $3.4 million. That included $3.2 million in fringe benefits, the report said.  In addition, the President & CEO received compensation of $975,550 during the year.  The highest active paid hospital administrator was Hartford Hospital's vice president of academic affairs and chief academic officer, who received $3.4 million in compensation.

In 2007, there were seven hospital CEO’s earning in excess of $1 million in compensation, according to the Office of Legislative Research.  In fiscal year 2005, five of the top paid positions at the state’s 30 hospitals received more than $1 million, data from the Office of Legislative Research indicates – all of them CEO’s.

Hospitals are required to provide their top ten highest paid hospital positions annually to OHCA.  The full list for FY2012 is available on the OHCA website. The top salary at each hospital, according to the report:

Bridgeport Hospital, President & CEO: $1,101,139

Bristol Hospital, President & CEO: $605,526

Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, Physician Surgeon: $661,640

CT Children’s Medical Center, President & CEO : $748,347

Danbury Hospital, Chief Executive Officer: $955,838

Day Kimball Hospital, President & CEO: $514,375

Essent-Sharon Hospital, Chief Executive Officer: $736,907

Greenwich Hospital, President & CEO: $1,530,629

Griffin Hospital, Chief Executive Officer: $558,543

Hartford Hospital, VP, Academic Affairs & CAO: $3,351,507

Hospital of Saint Rafael, President  : $1,803,605

John Dempsey Hospital, CEO : $477,518

Johnson Memorial Hospital, President : $483,070

Lawrence and Memorial Hospital, President, CEO: $761,734

Manchester Memorial Hospital,CEO: $560,793

Middlesex Hospital, President/CEO:  $1,022,460

MidState Medical Center, President/CEO: $958,020

Milford Hospital, President: $579,475

New Milford Hospital, Lab-Physician: $480,036

Norwalk Hospital, President & CEO : $901,148

Rockville General Hospital, Medical Director:  $324,458

Saint Francis Hospital & Med Ctr., President: $1,521,090

Saint Mary’s Hospital, President & CEO: $791,256

Saint Vincent’s Medical Center, Chief Executive Officer:   $2,394,278

Stamford Hospital, President & CEO: $1,532,094

The Hospital of Central CT, President & CEO: $1,499,546

Waterbury Hospital, President: $520,298

William W. Backus Hospital, Former Pres. & CEO: $3,357,690

Windham Community Memorial Hospital, Physician/Hospitalist: $463,270

Yale-New Haven Hospital, President & CEO* : $2,803,228

*includes Yale-New Haven Hospital and Yale-New Haven Health System

Strategies to Advance Transit-Oriented Development Outlined by Coalition

Strategies including community engagement, placemaking, mixed-income housing, complete streets, parking configuration, green infrastructure and energy efficiency are outlined in a comprehensive 68-page “toolkit” focusing on opportunities to extend transit-oriented development in Connecticut, as the state moves forward with significant rail and bus initiatives.

 Working in partnership, Connecticut Fund for the Environment, Partnership for Strong Communities, Regional Plan Association and Tri-State Transportation Campaign have created a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Toolkit that highlights key strategies necessary for developing competitive and sustainable TOD in Connecticut.  The toolkit has been shared in recent weeks with interested officials  and organizations around the state, and discussed at two public forums in Bridgeport that brought together more than   80 municipal leaders from the region.

The document outlines the primary components of a TOD program that meets common community goals of strengthening town centers, supporting municipal budgets, expanding housing and commercial opportunities, and minimizing environmental impacts. Among the central components outlined:

• The process and design for getting TOD built in a community, from developing a community vision and supportive zoning, to determining how accessible a station is for non-drivers.
• The demographic trends that favor mixed-income, transit-accessible housing, the fiscal impacts of residential TOD, and mechanisms to include affordable housing within TOD development.
• Complete Streets strategies that enhance streets and sidewalks to promote walking and biking to a station and to TOD built around it. Transit access, walking an bicycling, and the mix of uses in TOD mean that TOD districts require less parking than traditional development.
• Best practices for managing parking, including parking maximums, shared parking, and transit incentives.  
• Information and resources for incorporating green infrastructure and energy solutions in a community. Green infrastructure minimizes wastewater and pollutant impacts from development. Energy-efficiency, local energy generation and micro-grids help communities use less power and withstand disruptions to the regional energy supply.

Efforts are continuing by the organizations participating in the effort, and others pursuing a transit-oriented development agenda, to coordinate with key state agencies regarding strategies to move TOD forward in the state, especially along key transportation corridors.  Officials are working to secure funds for a new TOD position that would initially provide technical support to Meriden and other towns on the upcoming New Haven - Hartford - Springfield rail and CTfastrak bus lines and to develop a funding source to support financing and land acquisition for priority TOD sites.

 Transit-oriented development is described in the toolkit as “development that’s built to take advantage of the ability of people to access it with transit - a strategy for growth that produces less traffic and lessens impact on roads and highways.”  The overview also points out that “households located within walking distance of transit own fewer cars, drive less, and pay a smaller share of their income on transportation related expenses. Homes and businesses can be built with less parking, reducing the cost of development, making development more feasible in weak markets, and increasing local tax revenue.”

Northeast Homes are Older, Smaller than National Average

Applications for new home construction nationwide rose to a five-year high in April, offering evidence that the post-recession housing revival will be sustained, according to Associated Press reports on U.S. Commerce Department data.  Applications for building permits – considered an indicator of future demand - rose 14.3 percent to a rate of 1.02 million, the highest since June 2008.

The new construction data builds on a home ownership foundation that varies across regions.  There are 76 million owner-occupied homes in the United States, and three-quarters of them are in metropolitan areas.  The breakdown:  22 percent in central cities, 36 percent in urban suburbs, 17 percent in rural suburbs and only 25 percent outside of metropolitan areas.

Not surprisingly, the oldest homes (51 years old on average) are found in the Northeast, where they are also 15 percent smaller than the national average; the newest homes are in the South – 27 percent larger than the national average and an average of 31 years old.  The average home in the west is 49 years old, in the Midwest 41 years old.

In Fairfield County, only 6.8 percent of homes were built after 2000, and in the entire state that figure is 7.1 percent, the Connecticut Post reported last month.

Nationwide, the median family home size has grown substantially in recent decades.  In 1982 it was 1,520 sq. ft.; by 2007, it was 2,227 sq. ft.

The data indicate an average of 2.6 people per household nationwide, with the percentage of households with children under age 18 greatest in the urban suburbs (37%), followed by rural suburbs (36%), central cities (33%) and those outside of metropolitan areas (30%).

The data, compiled by the websites of the National Association of Home Builders (nahb.org) and trulia.com, was featured in an infographic developed for Quicken Loans in partnership with Ghergich & Co.

The sites also compares Connecticut with national averages in key home-related categories:

• Median Value of Owner-Occupied Housing Units: $166,900 [National Average $119,600]
• Median Price Asked for Housing Units: $136,500 [National Average $89,600]
• Median Household Income: $53,935  [National Average: $41,994]
• Median Family Income $65,521 [National Average: $50,046]
• Per-Capita Income: $28,766 [National Average: $21,587]

U.S. Census data featured by the state Department of Economic and Community Development indicates that Connecticut has 1,371,087 housing units occupied, led by the cities with the largest number of occupied housing units:  Bridgeport 51,255, New Haven, 48,877; Stamford, 47,357; Hartford, 45,124, and Waterbury, 42,761.

How Numbers Sound Can Create Misperceptions of Value, Study Finds

Harvard Business Review is featuring three-year old research by UConn marketing professor Robin A. Coulter that found people unconsciously associate certain letter sounds, such as the "s" and "i" in "sixty-six," with smallness and the "t" and "oo" of "twenty-two" with largeness, and these associations interfere with the accuracy of their quantitative perceptions.  Next time you hear an advertisement on tv or radio featuring a sale price, the findings would be good to keep in mind.

The  2010 study by Keith S. Coulter and Robin A. Coulter, “Small Sounds, Big Deals: Phonetic Symbolism Effects in Pricing” is receiving renewed attention as part of Harvard Business Review’s “Daily Stat,” an email newsletter sent to subscribers.  It was featured as the lead item on May 15, 2013.

The study findings, published in the Journal of Consumer Research, pointed out that when sale prices are said in English, an $11.00 to $7.88 (28.4%) discount is perceived as greater than a $10.00 to $7.01 (29.9%) discount; however, when these same prices are said in Chinese, the latter discount is correctly perceived as greater.  So, the sounds of the language matter.

"Number sounds impact price magnitude perceptions only when consumers mentally rehearse a sale price, as they might do when comparing items on a shopping trip," Science Daily reported when their research was initially released. The study’s bottom line: the mere sounds of numbers can non-consciously affect and distort numerical magnitude perceptions.

Dr. Robin Coulter is Department Head and Professor of Marketing at the UConn School of Business. She teaches in the undergraduate, Executive M.B.A. and Ph.D. programs in the areas of consumer behavior, integrated marketing communications, and marketing management. Dr. Coulter’s research interests include cross-cultural consumer behavior, branding, advertising effects and effectiveness, pricing, and services marketing.  She has published in a variety of marketing and social science journals, and participated last month in the Geno Auriemma UConn Leadership Conference.

Keith Coulter is Associate Professor of Marketing at Clark University.  He is a UConn graduate, and was a visiting Assistant Professor at Eastern Connecticut State University in the ‘90’s

The study authors found that “small sounds can create the impression of big deals” and that number-sound effects were more likely to occur when a frame of reference (a regular price) was provided, Science Daily reported, noting that the sounds of numbers at times created false impressions of value. For example, participants perceived a $10 item marked down to $7.66 to be a greater discount than a $10 item discounted to $7.22.