A practical age

If Benjamin Lathrop had been mayor of Norwich during its 19th-century heyday as the Rose of New England and had overseen the expansion of thriving mills, construction of elegant homes and creation of such landmark institutions as Mohegan Park and Norwich Free Academy, perhaps city historians would hail him as an inspirational visionary.

Unfortunately, Mayor Lathrop found himself in charge during a time of contraction, not expansion. He had his share of bold ideas, but unlike those who had the good fortune to serve during periods of prosperity, he took office just as the economic bubble was bursting. On Monday night Mr. Lathrop presided over his final City Council meeting, likely wistful that he couldn't deliver many of the projects he envisioned during his four-year term.

Mr. Lathrop championed an 18-story Hilton Hotel at Norwich Harbor, encouraged revitalization of Norwichtown Mall and promoted a marine science and technology high school - all worthwhile projects that went nowhere. His praiseworthy effort to establish a Sachem Fund to support economic development and arts programs, backed by $400,000 in annual contributions from the city of Norwich and the Mohegan Tribe, was blunted after both parties had to trim their payments to $75,000 apiece.

We are not singling out Norwich's woes because they are unusual, but because they are commonplace throughout the region, the state and the nation. Efforts to revitalize Fort Trumbull in New London and the former Norwich Hospital property in Preston remain likewise stalled.

If there's a lesson from Mr. Lathrop's legacy, it is that there's a time for idealistic initiatives and there's a time for pragmatism. We are now in a period where we need municipal officials who are capable of adopting realistic budgets, concentrating on fundamentals and otherwise keeping the engine of government running.

But prudence doesn't mean pessimism. In time, growth will return. For now, however, the measure of effective leadership will be creatively doing more with less.