A huge convoy of trucks converged on the State Capitol in Hartford to draw attention to the extremely negative affects that CT Port Authority's plans for NL State Pier are having and will only get worse if this plan is not stopped. Temps were in the 20's and the wind was gusting. Ides of March. (Photos added courtesy of Joe Carrilli Sr. where noted) **************** Please take the liberty to add a comment when the caption is incomplete, and I'll make the updates *****************
Date(s): March 15, 2021. Album by Linda Blais. Photos by Linda Blais. 1 - 30 of 30 Total. 324 Visits.
1 Start of the line on Trinity Street, on the east side of the Capitol
2 Driver of the lead truck (DRVN Enterprises) got out and talked with Capitol Police to announce the arrival of the convoy.
3 The line of trucks stretched the length of Trinity Street, in front of the Bushnell, then for blocks down Capitol Avenue
4 Lead DRVN truck leads the convoy through the city streets to re-position according to direction from Capitol Police. The officers were very cordial and wanted to make sure the trucks could park close by in a safe way
5 Getting ready to move. Got a few horn honks and thumbs-ups. Drivers looked happy to be there
6 Every truck was spic and span clean and polished. These guys obviously take great pride in their rigs
7 You'll see the other side later of this (?) trench support (?) as the back drop for the speakers' podium
8 Awesome machines all lined up in front of the Bushnell.
9 Rounding the corner from Capitol Avenue to Trinity Street. Statue of LaFayette in the background. The building on the right is the State Library.
10 Trucks, Trucks and more Trucks, stretching for blocks down Capitol Avenue
11 On the move after sitting a bit, waiting for instructions from Capitol Police. (Don't mind the finger... I much prefer using a real camera, not a phone)
12 The line of trucks extended for blocks down Capitol Avenue, coming from their staging site in West Hartford. What an awesome sight THAT must have been!
13 The convoy starts to move down Trinity Street, navigate the city streets and end up facing west on Elm Street
14 Every truck in the convoy was washed and polished to a shine for the special event
15 Trucks lined up the length of Elm Street and around the corner
16 The back drop for the speakers moves into position. Only two trucks were permitted to go on the Capitol grounds, for space and weight reasons, according to the Capitol Police
17 Trinity Street is blocked off from Elm Street to the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch. Probably because the mural that was painted last summer
18 Trucks lined up the length of Elm Street, and around the corner
19 Trucks lined up facing south on Trinity Street. When they arrived it was in the opposite direction. Moving this many trucks through downtown as a caravan must not have been easy (photo credit: Joe Carrilli Sr.)
20 Had some press there. Fox 61, WFSB 3 and WVIT 30 and Julia Bergman from the Day of New London (probably others too)
21 I met Michelle and Troy from Texas, in CT on vacation. They were at the Capitol just to check it out. When they saw all the trucks pull up, of course I told them the story of what, where and why. They stayed for the entire event and thought it was "pretty cool"
22 Steve Farrelly, owner of DRVN Enterprises, is the first speaker to address the assembled media. (photo credit: Joe Carrilli Sr.)
23 Steve Farrelly is fighting even harder for his employees than he is for himself, right here. (photo credit: Joe Carrilli Sr.)
24 (little help with this guy's name?) One of the speakers at the Rally. (photo credit: Joe Carrilli Sr.)
25 (Name help here, please?) A 14-year employee of Logistec, the NL State Pier port operator until Spring of 2019, tells what it's like to have her job be eliminated when Gateway swooped in and got the contract, but then again when, after being hired to work for DRVN and THEY were evicted from State Pier. I think I heard tears of emotion in her words. (photo credit: Joe Carrilli Sr.)
26 Michelle Farrelly tells the human side of the results of having NL's State Pier torn out from under our SE CT economy. (photo credit: Joe Carrilli Sr.)
27 Peter Olsen, ILA Local 1411 Teamsters. This union has been proudly serving the port of NL for 90+ years. They were all given the boot, after first being forced to sign non-disclosure agreements. (photo credit: Joe Carrilli Sr.)
28 (little help with the names, please?) Truckers who also have been affected needlessly when DRVN was evicted from State Pier in NL (photo credit: Joe Carrilli Sr.)
29 Kevin Blacker addressing the gathering/press. Without him banging the drum and unwinding the spool of corruption at CPA since January 2019 this would have never been possible. (photo credit: Joe Carrilli Sr.)
30 Steve Farrelly, owner of DRVN Enterprises, concludes the morning's remarks by thanking the media and all those who attended. (photo credit: Joe Carrilli Sr.)
I fully support our truckers and there should be a full investigation into the shenanigans surrounding the State Pier. - Marvin Serruto, Tue, 16 Mar 2021 2:39AM
