According to theshadowlands.net, here's what's haunted in Bristol:
Church of Eternal Light - Formerly one of the three original churches built in Bristol by the Sessions family, church was built late 1889. It has been on national T.V. show , a ghost hunter filmed ghost balls or spirit balls. There are also reports of a former churchgoer who was struck by lightning on the front steps. There have also been reports of an apparition seen in the bell tower.
Lake Compounce Amusement Park - The oldest running amusement park in the world. The first hauntings date back to the opening of the park in the late 1800's when the ghost of the former owner of the land, Chief Compounce, who killed himself in the lake the day before the land was to change hands. Since that time, every building on the land has experience hauntings at one time or another. As well, death has been a plague at the park. In recent years, a child died from injuries received from a near drowning it the lake, a worker was killed underneath a rotor ride, and another was decapitated by a roller coaster. Most of the hauntings have occurred in the Star Light Ball Room. It was said, but this author has not confirmed, that the head of the Norton family, who bought the land from Chief Compounce, died after mysteriously falling from a ladder. The park is now under new management, and is running successfully. However, the park still employs overnight security service people, who all, without prior knowledge of hauntings, have all disclosed their fears and sightings around the park.
Peacedale Cemetery - Sightings of a white wolf that walks down near the banks of the stream that runs through this cemetery are usually sought by those who have a deep emotional problem bothering them.
Pine Lake Area - Feelings of being followed, now a high ropes course, occasionally hearing ropes tighten as if being swung from, loud footsteps in the leafy ground, whispers, and shouts, over all spookiness.
Polish American Citizens Club - Ghost in the bingo room. Friendly. the old president was doing books at the bar one morning . The building should have been vacant, He saw a man walk out of the bingo room into the men’s room. He went into the men’s room to see who was in the building. When he entered the men’s room no one was there. Al the short guy was cleaning up in the bingo room and saw 2 eyes but no body following him around. He says he has seen it several times. Frank Jankowski once a bar tender was cleaning up late one night and heard some one moving chairs in the bingo room. He thought it was a thief went to investigate but found no one there or signs of forced entry.
Saint Paul Catholic High School - In the G-Wing of this school it is rumored that a student once hung himself. A SPCHS teacher also died of a heart attack in this same hallway. During play rehearsals and performances, this area is used for dressing rooms/prop rooms and it is rumored that a ghost has been seen when the lights are off.
Torries Den - Torries Den got it's name because while the Revolutionary War was taking place soldiers who deserted their ranks, also known as Torries hid in the caves located in these woods. Some of these Torries perished while enduring the harsh New England winters. Campers have reported strange lights and a strange heavy breathing noise.
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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Mock election: Ward wins
A mock municipal election at Bristol Central High School gives hope to the Republicans.
Though Democrat Art Ward came out on top among the 800 students voting in the mock election, Republican contenders Mark Anderson won the treasurer's race and two of the GOP City Council candidates beat their Democratic foes.
Here are the results of the polling among students:
Mayor
Democrat Art Ward - 384
Republican Ken Johnson - 338
Treasurer
Republican Mark Anderson - 355
Democrat Bill Veits - 344
1st District City Council
Democrat Rich Kilby - 541
Democrat Cliff Block - 420
Republican Mike Rimcoski - 373
2nd District City Council
Democrat Bruce Lydem - 388
Republican Ken Cockayne - 327
Democrat Kevin McCauley - 326
Republican Joe Geladino - 210
Independent Mark Blaschke - 157
3rd District City Council
Democrat Frank Nicastro - 592
Republican Bob Merrick - 421
Democrat Craig Minor - 334
This year's mock election was once again sponsored by the Social Studies department with the help of a senior, Brock Weber, who's active in Republican politics in town.
Teacher Lea McCabe's ELL (English Language Learners) Social Studies class also took part in organizing the mock election as part of its unit on the democratic process. Though most of the students in McCabe's ELL class are from Central American countries, she also has a student from Ukraine. These students, with the help of Weber, organized the ballots and tallied the results.
They had a greater than 50 percent response rate and more than 800 ballots cast.
PS: For those who read an early version of this post, the mistakes were mine. I posted in haste because I was getting ready to go trick or treating with my kids.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Though Democrat Art Ward came out on top among the 800 students voting in the mock election, Republican contenders Mark Anderson won the treasurer's race and two of the GOP City Council candidates beat their Democratic foes.
Here are the results of the polling among students:
Mayor
Democrat Art Ward - 384
Republican Ken Johnson - 338
Treasurer
Republican Mark Anderson - 355
Democrat Bill Veits - 344
1st District City Council
Democrat Rich Kilby - 541
Democrat Cliff Block - 420
Republican Mike Rimcoski - 373
2nd District City Council
Democrat Bruce Lydem - 388
Republican Ken Cockayne - 327
Democrat Kevin McCauley - 326
Republican Joe Geladino - 210
Independent Mark Blaschke - 157
3rd District City Council
Democrat Frank Nicastro - 592
Republican Bob Merrick - 421
Democrat Craig Minor - 334
This year's mock election was once again sponsored by the Social Studies department with the help of a senior, Brock Weber, who's active in Republican politics in town.
Teacher Lea McCabe's ELL (English Language Learners) Social Studies class also took part in organizing the mock election as part of its unit on the democratic process. Though most of the students in McCabe's ELL class are from Central American countries, she also has a student from Ukraine. These students, with the help of Weber, organized the ballots and tallied the results.
They had a greater than 50 percent response rate and more than 800 ballots cast.
PS: For those who read an early version of this post, the mistakes were mine. I posted in haste because I was getting ready to go trick or treating with my kids.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Special City Council meeting on Thursday
There will be a Special Meeting of the Bristol City Council to be held on Thursday,
November 1, 2007 at 6:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers, 111 North Main Street, Bristol, Connecticut.
AGENDA
1. To nominate and make appointments, and to take any action as necessary.
2. To authorize the Superintendent of Schools to file any necessary grant applications in connection with the matters relating to the Forestville School Building Committee and the West Bristol School Building Committee, and to take any action as necessary.
3. To consider amendment or restatement of the Certificate of Incorporation for the Bristol Downtown Development Corporation, and to take any action as necessary.
4. To approve change orders for the Southeast Bristol Business Park up to $225,000 and to authorize the Mayor or Acting Mayor to execute all necessary documents, and to take any action as necessary.
5. To consider a request from Connecticut Light & Power Co. to install above ground utilities on James P. Casey Road, and to take any action as necessary.
6. To convene into anticipated Executive Session regarding pending litigation case of Gina Davenport as Executrix of the Estate of Bryant Davenport vs. City of Bristol, et al, Docket No. 3:06cv0278(JCH), and to take any action as necessary.
7. To reconvene into Public Session, and to take any action as necessary regarding Gina Davenport as Executrix of the Estate of Bryant Davenport vs. City of Bristol, et al, Docket No. 3:06cv0278(JCH).
8. To adjourn.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
November 1, 2007 at 6:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers, 111 North Main Street, Bristol, Connecticut.
AGENDA
1. To nominate and make appointments, and to take any action as necessary.
2. To authorize the Superintendent of Schools to file any necessary grant applications in connection with the matters relating to the Forestville School Building Committee and the West Bristol School Building Committee, and to take any action as necessary.
3. To consider amendment or restatement of the Certificate of Incorporation for the Bristol Downtown Development Corporation, and to take any action as necessary.
4. To approve change orders for the Southeast Bristol Business Park up to $225,000 and to authorize the Mayor or Acting Mayor to execute all necessary documents, and to take any action as necessary.
5. To consider a request from Connecticut Light & Power Co. to install above ground utilities on James P. Casey Road, and to take any action as necessary.
6. To convene into anticipated Executive Session regarding pending litigation case of Gina Davenport as Executrix of the Estate of Bryant Davenport vs. City of Bristol, et al, Docket No. 3:06cv0278(JCH), and to take any action as necessary.
7. To reconvene into Public Session, and to take any action as necessary regarding Gina Davenport as Executrix of the Estate of Bryant Davenport vs. City of Bristol, et al, Docket No. 3:06cv0278(JCH).
8. To adjourn.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Tax dollars flushed away?
Republican mayoral hopeful Ken Johnson just sent this along:
I’m unhappy that the initial hearing for Freedom of Information complaint about scripted meetings happened yesterday. I state again: we are all aware that the complaint served one purpose and one purpose only- to poke a political stick in the eye of Mr. Ward’s opponent in the Democratic primary. I’ve repeatedly asked my opponent to ask his friend Mr. Meisinger to withdraw the complaint and last Monday Mr. Ward publicly refused to do so. I’ve warned that this could cost the taxpayers money to defend this frivolous case. Sure enough, a hearing took place in Hartford yesterday and we’ve now running up the tab for the cost of outside counsel at taxpayers’ expense for the city to defend the case.
I understand that Mr. Meisinger showed up with no attorney and presented no evidence -- is the complainant even taking this seriously? I guess they’ve got to see it through to give it the appearance of legitimacy. Public disgust at watching our tax dollars being flushed away is completely justified.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
I’m unhappy that the initial hearing for Freedom of Information complaint about scripted meetings happened yesterday. I state again: we are all aware that the complaint served one purpose and one purpose only- to poke a political stick in the eye of Mr. Ward’s opponent in the Democratic primary. I’ve repeatedly asked my opponent to ask his friend Mr. Meisinger to withdraw the complaint and last Monday Mr. Ward publicly refused to do so. I’ve warned that this could cost the taxpayers money to defend this frivolous case. Sure enough, a hearing took place in Hartford yesterday and we’ve now running up the tab for the cost of outside counsel at taxpayers’ expense for the city to defend the case.
I understand that Mr. Meisinger showed up with no attorney and presented no evidence -- is the complainant even taking this seriously? I guess they’ve got to see it through to give it the appearance of legitimacy. Public disgust at watching our tax dollars being flushed away is completely justified.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Couture defends Ward
"Let’s also talk about the mother lode of all contract fiascos: the purchase by the City of the Downtown Mall. This contract was negotiated and entered into behind closed doors, in secret, at one or more meetings held at a local Forestville restaurant. Mr. Ward you were present, along with other members of the City Council and various support staff including the former mayor’s secretary who took notes. Mayor Stortz has the pictures and probably the notes.
Mr. Ward, if you think that the public doesn’t care about how you participated in these secret meetings, then come out and explain why it was okay to have those meetings in secret! You were involved and often took credit as the Deputy Mayor. Is this what we can expect from you? With all the contracts this city is about to enter, you have only demonstrated that you are capable of dealing behind closed doors out of sight from the public, whose trust is the mortar of public service. You were the proclaimed Deputy Mayor that spent 5.2 million taxpayer dollars without public input and that administration was thrown out of public office. Why should we expect anything different from you in the future? Or will you flip flop on this issue as well?” -- Art Mocabee, chairman of the Bristol Republican Party
Former Mayor Gerard Couture said Wednesday that Mocabee’s got it wrong.
Mocabee “talks a good game, but he just can’t play shortstop,” said Couture, who served as mayor from 2003 to 2005.
“I just want to clear the air. Artie was never a part of those meetings, those sessions we had,” Couture said.
On the other hand, he said, “our state legislators were there,” including state Rep. Bill Hamzy, a Plymouth Republican.
“Every meeting I ever had, Bill Hamzy was part of it,” Couture said.
He said he held many informational meetings with members of the community before seeking to buy the mall and ultimately got approval to purchase it for $5.3 million in March 2005 with the unanimous backing of the City Council and only one dissenter on the Board of Finance, Dolores Caper, who worried about how much it would eventually cost once everything was tallied up.
Couture said he met with Chamber of Commerce officials, businessmen such as Wally Barnes and Bob Fiondella, and many other to seek out their advice before proceeding with the mall purchase.
Fiondella told him that “in the end you won’t have any friends,” Couture recalled, which proved partially true.
But the meetings were never improper, Couture said.
“My council was kept abreast of these meetings but they were never a part of them. They were never any illegal meetings,” he said.
“It’s not fair to Arthur Ward,” Couture said, to hold him any more accountable than any other official who supported the mall’s purchase, including state Rep. Ron Burns, Hamzy and many Republicans.
“I think we did the right thing,” Couture said.
He said he used to keep Burns and Hamzy up to date with regular Monday meetings “to make sure they knew what we were doing.”
Burns “was one of the guys who stuck by me from day one” because he saw the vision embodied in the downtown plan Couture pushed, the former mayor said. Burns was elected to the state House last year after serving on the council during Couture’s stint as mayor.
Couture said that he feels sad that some politicians “sold their souls” in 2005 to get reelected by distancing themselves from the administration’s effort to revitalize the mall site, but he hopes everyone recognizes that the mall buy gave the city a chance to remake its downtown.
After six terms on the council and a term as mayor, “I got a chance to do something that everyone was waiting to happen,” Couture said, and he took it.
Everyone wanted to do something with the mall, he said, and tackling it had been part of every campaign for years. “Finally, we got a chance. We got a commitment from the state,” he said, so he plunged forward with a plan that he still believes would work out.
“The city never, never was going to lose that money,” he said. “We would eventually get our investment back.”
With Couture’s plan for a field house, community theater and more now off the table, the ex-mayor said, “you have to start from scratch all over again” because there’s no proposal for the state to consider.
He said he hopes the new downtown corporation will move swiftly to come up with something that would help Bristol.
Meanwhile, though, Couture said he couldn’t stay on the sidelines any longer and watch Ward get beat up for things he never did.
“I’ve got to defend my people and everyone who was involved in what we did,” Couture said.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Mr. Ward, if you think that the public doesn’t care about how you participated in these secret meetings, then come out and explain why it was okay to have those meetings in secret! You were involved and often took credit as the Deputy Mayor. Is this what we can expect from you? With all the contracts this city is about to enter, you have only demonstrated that you are capable of dealing behind closed doors out of sight from the public, whose trust is the mortar of public service. You were the proclaimed Deputy Mayor that spent 5.2 million taxpayer dollars without public input and that administration was thrown out of public office. Why should we expect anything different from you in the future? Or will you flip flop on this issue as well?” -- Art Mocabee, chairman of the Bristol Republican Party
Former Mayor Gerard Couture said Wednesday that Mocabee’s got it wrong.
Mocabee “talks a good game, but he just can’t play shortstop,” said Couture, who served as mayor from 2003 to 2005.
“I just want to clear the air. Artie was never a part of those meetings, those sessions we had,” Couture said.
On the other hand, he said, “our state legislators were there,” including state Rep. Bill Hamzy, a Plymouth Republican.
“Every meeting I ever had, Bill Hamzy was part of it,” Couture said.
He said he held many informational meetings with members of the community before seeking to buy the mall and ultimately got approval to purchase it for $5.3 million in March 2005 with the unanimous backing of the City Council and only one dissenter on the Board of Finance, Dolores Caper, who worried about how much it would eventually cost once everything was tallied up.
Couture said he met with Chamber of Commerce officials, businessmen such as Wally Barnes and Bob Fiondella, and many other to seek out their advice before proceeding with the mall purchase.
Fiondella told him that “in the end you won’t have any friends,” Couture recalled, which proved partially true.
But the meetings were never improper, Couture said.
“My council was kept abreast of these meetings but they were never a part of them. They were never any illegal meetings,” he said.
“It’s not fair to Arthur Ward,” Couture said, to hold him any more accountable than any other official who supported the mall’s purchase, including state Rep. Ron Burns, Hamzy and many Republicans.
“I think we did the right thing,” Couture said.
He said he used to keep Burns and Hamzy up to date with regular Monday meetings “to make sure they knew what we were doing.”
Burns “was one of the guys who stuck by me from day one” because he saw the vision embodied in the downtown plan Couture pushed, the former mayor said. Burns was elected to the state House last year after serving on the council during Couture’s stint as mayor.
Couture said that he feels sad that some politicians “sold their souls” in 2005 to get reelected by distancing themselves from the administration’s effort to revitalize the mall site, but he hopes everyone recognizes that the mall buy gave the city a chance to remake its downtown.
After six terms on the council and a term as mayor, “I got a chance to do something that everyone was waiting to happen,” Couture said, and he took it.
Everyone wanted to do something with the mall, he said, and tackling it had been part of every campaign for years. “Finally, we got a chance. We got a commitment from the state,” he said, so he plunged forward with a plan that he still believes would work out.
“The city never, never was going to lose that money,” he said. “We would eventually get our investment back.”
With Couture’s plan for a field house, community theater and more now off the table, the ex-mayor said, “you have to start from scratch all over again” because there’s no proposal for the state to consider.
He said he hopes the new downtown corporation will move swiftly to come up with something that would help Bristol.
Meanwhile, though, Couture said he couldn’t stay on the sidelines any longer and watch Ward get beat up for things he never did.
“I’ve got to defend my people and everyone who was involved in what we did,” Couture said.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Lake Compounce, BCO among bond package winners
Press release from the state House Republicans:
A fiscally responsible bond package approved by the Connecticut General Assembly Tuesday will help pay for important Bristol projects and provide funding for school construction and transportation infrastructure projects statewide without increasing the burden on taxpayers or threatening the state’s bond rating, state Representatives William A. Hamzy and Ron Burns said today.
The $2.82 billion package approved Tuesday was significantly less expensive than the $3.2 billion measure that passed on party line votes in September, with the majority Democrats voting to approve the bill. House Republicans opposed that Democrat measure but voted for a leaner alternative Republican bond package, which failed on another party-line vote.
Governor Rell vetoed the earlier Democrat bonding bill, citing excessive spending on pork barrel projects that could have jeopardized the state’s bond rating and unduly burdened taxpayers. She has indicated she will sign the measure that passed Tuesday.
“The bonding package approved by the majority Democrats a few weeks ago called for excessive spending on pork barrel projects that did not serve the overall interests of the people of Connecticut, would have increased the burden on taxpayers who already bear the nation’s third-highest per capita state debt, and threatened our currently favorable bond rating,” said Representative Burns, R-77th District, who serves on the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee.
“Interestingly enough, the measure we approved today is almost a mirror image of the alternative bond package we offered in September. Weeks of uncertainty over the future of school building projects around the state could have been avoided if Democrat legislators had crossed party lines and voted to approve our proposal,” Representative Burns said.
“Governor Rell did the right thing by vetoing the majority Democrats’ original bonding proposal while Republican legislators showed it was possible to put together a responsible measure that provided funding for repairs and improvements to our highways and bridges and for school construction projects throughout the state without increasing the tax burden on working families,” said Representative Hamzy, R-78th District, who had a prior commitment in Washington, D.C., and was unable to be in Hartford for Tuesday’s vote. “I’m proud of the work I did to help draft our alternative bond package, which in many ways was the model for the measure that passed today. Unfortunately, I had to be in our nation’s capitol for an engagement that could not be postponed or I would have been on the state House floor and would have voted for the bond package that passed today.”
Grants authorized for Bristol projects in the bill that passed Tuesday include:
• $3,500,000 for road relocation, utility upgrades, new service facilities and other improvements related to the expansion of Lake Compounce Water Park.
• $373,170 for the Bristol Community Organization, Inc., to purchase a building for the expansion of the Head Start program.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
A fiscally responsible bond package approved by the Connecticut General Assembly Tuesday will help pay for important Bristol projects and provide funding for school construction and transportation infrastructure projects statewide without increasing the burden on taxpayers or threatening the state’s bond rating, state Representatives William A. Hamzy and Ron Burns said today.
The $2.82 billion package approved Tuesday was significantly less expensive than the $3.2 billion measure that passed on party line votes in September, with the majority Democrats voting to approve the bill. House Republicans opposed that Democrat measure but voted for a leaner alternative Republican bond package, which failed on another party-line vote.
Governor Rell vetoed the earlier Democrat bonding bill, citing excessive spending on pork barrel projects that could have jeopardized the state’s bond rating and unduly burdened taxpayers. She has indicated she will sign the measure that passed Tuesday.
“The bonding package approved by the majority Democrats a few weeks ago called for excessive spending on pork barrel projects that did not serve the overall interests of the people of Connecticut, would have increased the burden on taxpayers who already bear the nation’s third-highest per capita state debt, and threatened our currently favorable bond rating,” said Representative Burns, R-77th District, who serves on the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee.
“Interestingly enough, the measure we approved today is almost a mirror image of the alternative bond package we offered in September. Weeks of uncertainty over the future of school building projects around the state could have been avoided if Democrat legislators had crossed party lines and voted to approve our proposal,” Representative Burns said.
“Governor Rell did the right thing by vetoing the majority Democrats’ original bonding proposal while Republican legislators showed it was possible to put together a responsible measure that provided funding for repairs and improvements to our highways and bridges and for school construction projects throughout the state without increasing the tax burden on working families,” said Representative Hamzy, R-78th District, who had a prior commitment in Washington, D.C., and was unable to be in Hartford for Tuesday’s vote. “I’m proud of the work I did to help draft our alternative bond package, which in many ways was the model for the measure that passed today. Unfortunately, I had to be in our nation’s capitol for an engagement that could not be postponed or I would have been on the state House floor and would have voted for the bond package that passed today.”
Grants authorized for Bristol projects in the bill that passed Tuesday include:
• $3,500,000 for road relocation, utility upgrades, new service facilities and other improvements related to the expansion of Lake Compounce Water Park.
• $373,170 for the Bristol Community Organization, Inc., to purchase a building for the expansion of the Head Start program.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Comptroller's office wins an award it always gets
Press release from Mayor William Stortz:
In a prepared release, Mayor William T. Stortz announced that The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has given the City of Bristol, Connecticut the GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its budget.
The award represents a significant achievement by the entity. It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. Mayor Stortz said, “ In order to receive the budget award, the City had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well a City’s budget serves as: a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide and a communications device.” Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories to receive the award.
For budget including fiscal periods 2005, 1069 entities received the award. Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.
When a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is granted to an entity, a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation is also presented to the individual or department designated as being primarily responsible for its having achieved the award.
Stortz said, “We are very proud to announce that David J. Bertnagel, Chief Accountant and Jodi A. McGrane, Assistant to the Comptroller have received this Certificate of Recognition.
They, along with the rest of the Comptroller Department epitomize the dedication, the conscientious of our staff, as we all strive to provide a high level of service and to create an even better Bristol.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
In a prepared release, Mayor William T. Stortz announced that The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has given the City of Bristol, Connecticut the GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its budget.
The award represents a significant achievement by the entity. It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. Mayor Stortz said, “ In order to receive the budget award, the City had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well a City’s budget serves as: a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide and a communications device.” Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories to receive the award.
For budget including fiscal periods 2005, 1069 entities received the award. Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.
When a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is granted to an entity, a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation is also presented to the individual or department designated as being primarily responsible for its having achieved the award.
Stortz said, “We are very proud to announce that David J. Bertnagel, Chief Accountant and Jodi A. McGrane, Assistant to the Comptroller have received this Certificate of Recognition.
They, along with the rest of the Comptroller Department epitomize the dedication, the conscientious of our staff, as we all strive to provide a high level of service and to create an even better Bristol.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
The other "scripted" meeting, which included Ward
The other day, Republican Party Chairman Art Mocabee lambasted Democratic mayoral candidate Art Ward for a number of things that I think most of the readers here are familiar with.
But one point may be fuzzy.
Mocabee's attack included this paragraph: "In addition to your failure to negotiate the City’s business in the open, why don’t you step up to the plate and explain why it was okay for you to participate in the 'scripted' meeting when the Blight Ordinance was adopted? Now you feel, by way of your supporter’s recent FOI complaint, that the process is flawed. Maybe the answer is that if it serves your needs it is okay, but when you don’t support another council member’s idea it is wrong. This is hardly the mark of a leader."
I'm not sure that issue has been made clear to everyone, including Mocabee.
It wasn't the blight ordinance, as Mocabee says, it was the new housing code in 2005.
City Councilor Ellen Zoppo provided a copy of that "script" back in June but it got left on the back burner because it was both older and duller than the downtown hearing last winter that's been the focus of attention.
But I am sure some of you would like to see the script so you can ascertain for yourselves whether Ward did anything wrong.
In the first comment below, you can read the entire text of the "Housing Code Talking Points" that Zoppo prepared for the Sept. 14, 2005 meeting that led to the implementation of a new housing code in Bristol.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
But one point may be fuzzy.
Mocabee's attack included this paragraph: "In addition to your failure to negotiate the City’s business in the open, why don’t you step up to the plate and explain why it was okay for you to participate in the 'scripted' meeting when the Blight Ordinance was adopted? Now you feel, by way of your supporter’s recent FOI complaint, that the process is flawed. Maybe the answer is that if it serves your needs it is okay, but when you don’t support another council member’s idea it is wrong. This is hardly the mark of a leader."
I'm not sure that issue has been made clear to everyone, including Mocabee.
It wasn't the blight ordinance, as Mocabee says, it was the new housing code in 2005.
City Councilor Ellen Zoppo provided a copy of that "script" back in June but it got left on the back burner because it was both older and duller than the downtown hearing last winter that's been the focus of attention.
But I am sure some of you would like to see the script so you can ascertain for yourselves whether Ward did anything wrong.
In the first comment below, you can read the entire text of the "Housing Code Talking Points" that Zoppo prepared for the Sept. 14, 2005 meeting that led to the implementation of a new housing code in Bristol.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
FOI hearing in Hartford Tuesday not scripted
Here's reporter Jackie Majerus' account of the state Freedom of Information Commission hearing today on the complaint filed by resident Jay Meisinger:
HARTFORD – Upset that city Councilor Ellen Zoppo's distribution of a script to fellow councilors before a public hearing early this year undermined the integrity of the open meeting process, a Bristol man presented his complaint to state officials Tuesday.
"There was something terribly wrong," Jay Meisinger told hearing officer Colleen Murphy, who is executive director and general counsel of the state Freedom of Information Commission, and commission counsel Lisa Siegel.
Meisinger said he was concerned about a "closed government," "manipulation of legislation" and other violations.
"It looked like it was predetermined results," said Meisinger of the scripted public hearing that ended with the council's approval of the creation of the Bristol Downtown Development Corp. to oversee the city-owned mall property.
Before the hearing that day, Zoppo handed out what she described in an email to Mayor William Stortz that same day as a "script" for councilors to follow that night. She gave one to Stortz and every member of the council except for Art Ward.
Zoppo said she left Ward out because he had "become extremely antagonistic" and wasn't participating with the rest of the council.
"We just don't include him when we do these types of things," said Zoppo.
Now, Zoppo says the script was "simply an organizing document" to be used by councilors to "keep us on message for that evening."
"The script word really gives a connotation that people were told what to say," Zoppo said.
She said the instructions in the email to gather up the scripts so none were left lying around afterward stemmed from her sensitivity that the other councilors might not want anyone to know that she'd provided them a script.
"It's a reflection of preparation," said Zoppo, adding that it might hurt the "pride" of the others on the council if it was obvious they didn't do their own preparation, but relied on hers.
That January day, Zoppo said, she and Councilor Craig Minor met with Stortz in his office and talked for an hour about the upcoming hearing. She had the city's computer department take the script as an email attachment and print it out for her, Zoppo said. Then she went to the mayor's office and made copies.
"I gave one to the mayor and four of my colleagues," said Zoppo.
A month earlier, Zoppo said, five of the six Democrats on the council met privately to talk over the contentious issues related to downtown. She called that session a "caucus."
Attorney John King, representing the city, peppered Meisinger with questions. He demanded to know whether Meisinger had first-hand knowledge of secret meetings or agreements among members of the city council before the hearing.
A frustrated Meisinger, who said he became upset when he learned of the scripted meeting from reading a news story in The Bristol Press, said he wasn't privy to secret sessions among city councilors. He had no evidence to produce, said Meisinger, who was there alone, without any attorney.
"How could I possibly have it?" Meisinger asked. "If I was present, I would know all this."
Meisinger said Zoppo's script and her email to Stortz, which he provided to the FOI Commission, was what he had to offer.
Meisinger said he is friends with Ward and wasn't going to deny it. He said he did speak with Ward before filing his complaint – in part because he'd never filed an FOI complaint before, he said – and Ward didn't have any problem with it.
But Meisinger said the fact that he filed a complaint had nothing to do with the individuals involved.
"If it was somebody else," said Meisinger, "I would have done the same."
After the FOI hearing, Meisinger said he didn't like the way it went, but seemed glad to have brought the issue to the attention of the Commission.
"Win or lose, I don't want this to happen again in City Council chambers," said Meisinger. "I think it was totally wrong."
For more information on the issue, including copies of the scripts, emails, and Meisinger's FOI complaint, check out the Bristol Blog at http://bristolnews.blogspot.com.
For background, check out these earlier Bristol Blog posts:
Is Ward behind the FOI complaint? (Aug. 10, 2007)
Mocabee speaks out on FOI complaint (Aug. 10, 2007)
FOI complaint lodged against Zoppo, Stortz, city (Aug. 10, 2007, includes text of FOI complaint)
Council hopeful Rich Kilby weighs in on script controversy (June 10, 2007)
McCauley defends Zoppo (June 8, 2007)
Zoppo stands by scripted meetings (June 6, 2007)
What do you think about scripting city meetings? (June 5, 2007)
Scripting city meetings (June 5, 2007, includes the script used for the January meeting)
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
HARTFORD – Upset that city Councilor Ellen Zoppo's distribution of a script to fellow councilors before a public hearing early this year undermined the integrity of the open meeting process, a Bristol man presented his complaint to state officials Tuesday.
"There was something terribly wrong," Jay Meisinger told hearing officer Colleen Murphy, who is executive director and general counsel of the state Freedom of Information Commission, and commission counsel Lisa Siegel.
Meisinger said he was concerned about a "closed government," "manipulation of legislation" and other violations.
"It looked like it was predetermined results," said Meisinger of the scripted public hearing that ended with the council's approval of the creation of the Bristol Downtown Development Corp. to oversee the city-owned mall property.
Before the hearing that day, Zoppo handed out what she described in an email to Mayor William Stortz that same day as a "script" for councilors to follow that night. She gave one to Stortz and every member of the council except for Art Ward.
Zoppo said she left Ward out because he had "become extremely antagonistic" and wasn't participating with the rest of the council.
"We just don't include him when we do these types of things," said Zoppo.
Now, Zoppo says the script was "simply an organizing document" to be used by councilors to "keep us on message for that evening."
"The script word really gives a connotation that people were told what to say," Zoppo said.
She said the instructions in the email to gather up the scripts so none were left lying around afterward stemmed from her sensitivity that the other councilors might not want anyone to know that she'd provided them a script.
"It's a reflection of preparation," said Zoppo, adding that it might hurt the "pride" of the others on the council if it was obvious they didn't do their own preparation, but relied on hers.
That January day, Zoppo said, she and Councilor Craig Minor met with Stortz in his office and talked for an hour about the upcoming hearing. She had the city's computer department take the script as an email attachment and print it out for her, Zoppo said. Then she went to the mayor's office and made copies.
"I gave one to the mayor and four of my colleagues," said Zoppo.
A month earlier, Zoppo said, five of the six Democrats on the council met privately to talk over the contentious issues related to downtown. She called that session a "caucus."
Attorney John King, representing the city, peppered Meisinger with questions. He demanded to know whether Meisinger had first-hand knowledge of secret meetings or agreements among members of the city council before the hearing.
A frustrated Meisinger, who said he became upset when he learned of the scripted meeting from reading a news story in The Bristol Press, said he wasn't privy to secret sessions among city councilors. He had no evidence to produce, said Meisinger, who was there alone, without any attorney.
"How could I possibly have it?" Meisinger asked. "If I was present, I would know all this."
Meisinger said Zoppo's script and her email to Stortz, which he provided to the FOI Commission, was what he had to offer.
Meisinger said he is friends with Ward and wasn't going to deny it. He said he did speak with Ward before filing his complaint – in part because he'd never filed an FOI complaint before, he said – and Ward didn't have any problem with it.
But Meisinger said the fact that he filed a complaint had nothing to do with the individuals involved.
"If it was somebody else," said Meisinger, "I would have done the same."
After the FOI hearing, Meisinger said he didn't like the way it went, but seemed glad to have brought the issue to the attention of the Commission.
"Win or lose, I don't want this to happen again in City Council chambers," said Meisinger. "I think it was totally wrong."
For more information on the issue, including copies of the scripts, emails, and Meisinger's FOI complaint, check out the Bristol Blog at http://bristolnews.blogspot.com.
For background, check out these earlier Bristol Blog posts:
Is Ward behind the FOI complaint? (Aug. 10, 2007)
Mocabee speaks out on FOI complaint (Aug. 10, 2007)
FOI complaint lodged against Zoppo, Stortz, city (Aug. 10, 2007, includes text of FOI complaint)
Council hopeful Rich Kilby weighs in on script controversy (June 10, 2007)
McCauley defends Zoppo (June 8, 2007)
Zoppo stands by scripted meetings (June 6, 2007)
What do you think about scripting city meetings? (June 5, 2007)
Scripting city meetings (June 5, 2007, includes the script used for the January meeting)
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
GOP Board of Ed candidate Chris Wilson speaks out
Since the seal is broken! My educational background is a graduate of The college of NJ with Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, Masters of Science in Insurance University of Hartford. I graduated from the US Army in 3 years with an Honorable discharge.
I am past President of McCabe Waters LL & Bristol Rotary. I am currently President of West Cemetery Ass'n & Professional Insurance Agents of CT. I am currently a board member for Property and casualty Trust-an insurance captive insuring United Methodist Churches and agencies. I am also a past board member of The familiy Center for Girls and boys and Bristol Day Care Center.
I have been employed at C.V. Mason & Co-an insurance agency since 1980. I have been the president since 1992.
I have an interst in education because I believe it has been instrumental in the success I have realized in my life. I wish to make sure others have that same opportunity.
2 mottos I pattern my life "If you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem" in raising children my motto is "pave the child for the path not the path for the child"
I have 3 children who have been educated in the Bristol schools and have gone on to earn College degrees.(well 2 7/8 I assume the last one will graduate in May)
I believe we need to raise the bar and expectations. The expectations need to be raised by all involved in the educational process including Parents, students, educators, administrators and even commissioners!
I believe that our fathers education is not good enough for our students to be successful. We need to build within the entire community the goal to raise expectations.
I am for K-8. I believe the educational strategies can be better accomplished in that environment. That is not to say other configurations won't work but my reading, visiting K-8 schools and analysis says that is the correct approach. Unfortunately we, do not have the resources to make such a change immediately so it must be transitioned over a long number of years.
I am in agreement for the location for the Forestville school at Green Hills. For the West Side I still belive the Center Mall would be better served as a community school than a mixed use retail/office/habitational complex. I believe we must compete for families to live in our community. Schools are one of the first charateristics a future resident will use to determine residency. However if the Center Mall is not chosen as a site I will evaluate other sites based upon their suitablity for educational and community benefits.
If you choose me as one of your electoral candidates for the BOE I assure you I will give my all to make effective and judicious decisions on behalf of the entire community.
That makes one down and 12 more to go!
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
I am past President of McCabe Waters LL & Bristol Rotary. I am currently President of West Cemetery Ass'n & Professional Insurance Agents of CT. I am currently a board member for Property and casualty Trust-an insurance captive insuring United Methodist Churches and agencies. I am also a past board member of The familiy Center for Girls and boys and Bristol Day Care Center.
I have been employed at C.V. Mason & Co-an insurance agency since 1980. I have been the president since 1992.
I have an interst in education because I believe it has been instrumental in the success I have realized in my life. I wish to make sure others have that same opportunity.
2 mottos I pattern my life "If you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem" in raising children my motto is "pave the child for the path not the path for the child"
I have 3 children who have been educated in the Bristol schools and have gone on to earn College degrees.(well 2 7/8 I assume the last one will graduate in May)
I believe we need to raise the bar and expectations. The expectations need to be raised by all involved in the educational process including Parents, students, educators, administrators and even commissioners!
I believe that our fathers education is not good enough for our students to be successful. We need to build within the entire community the goal to raise expectations.
I am for K-8. I believe the educational strategies can be better accomplished in that environment. That is not to say other configurations won't work but my reading, visiting K-8 schools and analysis says that is the correct approach. Unfortunately we, do not have the resources to make such a change immediately so it must be transitioned over a long number of years.
I am in agreement for the location for the Forestville school at Green Hills. For the West Side I still belive the Center Mall would be better served as a community school than a mixed use retail/office/habitational complex. I believe we must compete for families to live in our community. Schools are one of the first charateristics a future resident will use to determine residency. However if the Center Mall is not chosen as a site I will evaluate other sites based upon their suitablity for educational and community benefits.
If you choose me as one of your electoral candidates for the BOE I assure you I will give my all to make effective and judicious decisions on behalf of the entire community.
That makes one down and 12 more to go!
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Republicans list candidates
The GOP hasn't got much on its website, but it does have a list of its candidates, which includes two email addresses for its Board of Education candidates. Here's the link:
http://www.bristolctgop.com/bristolgop/pages/home1.html
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
http://www.bristolctgop.com/bristolgop/pages/home1.html
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Democratic Board of Ed candidate bios
From the Democrats' website -- www.bristoldemocrats.com/boardofed.html#ed2007 --
Barbara Y. Doyle
A former teacher of French and City-Wide Foreign Language Department Chair, Barbara Y. Doyle is completing her third term on the Bristol Board of Education. She served as Vice-Chair from 1997 to 2000 and has been the Board Chairperson for the last four years. She holds Bachelor, Master's and Sixth Year degrees in French, Math and Education.
Presently she is an ex-officio member of all the Board committees and also attends the meetings of the Parent Advisory Council. She was the Bristol Board representative to the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) and was elected Chairman of the CREC Board of Directors in May of 2001.
Barbara recently achieved the level of Certificated Board of Education Member in the CABE Board Member Academy by earning the required credits in the areas of policy, curriculum, school finance, school law, labor relations and board operations.
As an active participant in many community activities , she is a past member of the Bristol Welfare Board and served as chair for the last 6 years of the appointment
A long time member and officer of the local and state teachers' union, she was a member of many committees in the education area on the local, state and national levels as well as serving as moderator and/or presenter at many conferences.
Both Barbara and her late husband, James G. Doyle, retired from teaching several years ago. They have four children and four grandchildren, one of whom attends Memorial Boulevard School.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Julie M. Luczkow
Julie M. Luczkow, is currently serving a third term as a Board of Education Commissioner serving as the Vice-Chair.
Presently, she chairs the Student Achievement Committee and is a member of the FinanceCommittee and serves as an alternate member of the Operations Committee. During her time on the board, she has been a member or Chair of many of the Board’s sub-committees.
Julie has participated in many Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) conferences and workshops and recently joined CABE’s Government Relations Committee. She has participated in the State Department of Education and CABE workshops on Leadership, Student Achievement, Education Finance Report, Closing the Achievement Gap, and the Board’s Role in Using Data-Driven Accountability System for Learning.
She holds an Associates Degree from Post University.
Her interests outside of the education arena include volunteering for Special Olympics Northwest Region Games held at Bristol Eastern, and volunteering at the Pan Mass Challenge (a fund raising event on behalf of the Dana-Farber Cancer Center in Massachusetts).
She is married to Edmund Luczkow, a 1972 graduate of Bristol Central High School.
They have a daughter Robyn who is a sophomore at Central Connecticut State University,majoring in Education. She also has a stepson who recently finished serving in the United States Air Force in Okinowa, Japan.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jane Anastasio
Jane has had a lifelong interest in education. The daughter of Bruce Elliott, a retired Bristol Central High Physics teacher, and Madelyn Elliott, a longtime former member of the Democratic Town Committee, Jane was raised in Bristol and attended Edgewood, Northeast, and Bristol Eastern High School . She is a graduate of UConn with a B.S. degree in Medical Technology and is currently employed at Hospital of Central Connecticut (BMH campus) in the laboratory. Her specialty is Hematology, blood disorders.
Jane was taught at an early age to give back to her community and she remembers working on campaigns stuffing envelopes as a child and spending many a cold November day handing out leaflets at the polls .
Jane has served on several boards for many years including the Zoning Commission, Mayor's Housing Coalition, Board of Ethics, Democratic Town Committee, Hubbell School PTO In 2002 she was appointed to the Board of Education and subsequently ran as a Board of Education candidate in the election of 2003 and has been on the Board since then. She has be a member of the Student Achievement Committee, the Communications and Community Relations Committee, and the Finance Committee..
Jane is married to John J. Anastasio, Jr. They have four sons; Mark, Paul, John, and Connor one of whom is presently a student at Chippens Hill Middle School.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom O'Brien
Tom O'Brien grew up in Bristol. He graduated from Central High School and Boston College. After ten years with the Exxon Corporation, he returned to Bristol to work with his father at the O'Brien Funeral Home. Prior to 1991, he served for two years as the council liaison and ten years as a member of the Board of Education. In 2003 was elected to the Board and has served as the Chairman of the Personnel Committee and the Finance Committee as well as serving as an alternate to the Student Achievement Committee. He was appointed as the Chair of the Board’s Facilities Committee.
He has been married for 26 years to Marie Cassetta O'Brien. They have two sons, Chris, 24 and Matt, 23.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Karen L. Vibert
Karen is a part-time free lance court stenographer who was born and raised in Bristol. She has been involved in many different activities in the Bristol Public School System to an extensive degree, including being a member of the Parent Advisory Council, commonly known as the PAC. That service strengthened her interest in education and desire to advocate for all children.
Active in many civic organizations, she currently is a member of the Bristol Kiwanis, Little League District 5, and the Forestville Village Association. Karen is a Girl Scout leader and consultant and teaches CCD at the Church of Saint Matthew. In recent years she has served on the Board of Directors of the Family Center and as a Cub Scout leader.
Karen was educated in Bristol and then attended St. Joseph College in West Hartford. She and her husband Marty have two children: Andy, a freshman at Bristol Eastern, and Millie, a fourth-grader at Mountain View
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sherry Bouchard Turcotte
Sherry was born and raised in Bristol, attending Green-Hills, Northeast and Bristol Eastern High school graduating in 1983.
She has worked in the Bristol community for almost 25 years. Working at Bristol Hospital in the laboratory as a receptionist and phlebotomist, working as a receptionist for Dr. David Zomick for many years and is currently working for Dr. Doris Altherr in the same capacity.
On Tuesday afternoons she teaches CCD at St. Gregory's CCD Center where she enjoys teaching and learning from the children.
Sherry is active in her children’s activities, with Nutmeg Performing Arts Center and The Bristol Splash swim team.
Sherry and her husband Ghislain B. Turcotte moved back to Bristol in 1996 so that their children, Jacob and Morgan could attend The Bristol School System. Jacob is in 8th grade at Northeast Middle School and Morgan is in 4th grade at Edgewood School.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Barbara Y. Doyle
A former teacher of French and City-Wide Foreign Language Department Chair, Barbara Y. Doyle is completing her third term on the Bristol Board of Education. She served as Vice-Chair from 1997 to 2000 and has been the Board Chairperson for the last four years. She holds Bachelor, Master's and Sixth Year degrees in French, Math and Education.
Presently she is an ex-officio member of all the Board committees and also attends the meetings of the Parent Advisory Council. She was the Bristol Board representative to the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) and was elected Chairman of the CREC Board of Directors in May of 2001.
Barbara recently achieved the level of Certificated Board of Education Member in the CABE Board Member Academy by earning the required credits in the areas of policy, curriculum, school finance, school law, labor relations and board operations.
As an active participant in many community activities , she is a past member of the Bristol Welfare Board and served as chair for the last 6 years of the appointment
A long time member and officer of the local and state teachers' union, she was a member of many committees in the education area on the local, state and national levels as well as serving as moderator and/or presenter at many conferences.
Both Barbara and her late husband, James G. Doyle, retired from teaching several years ago. They have four children and four grandchildren, one of whom attends Memorial Boulevard School.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Julie M. Luczkow
Julie M. Luczkow, is currently serving a third term as a Board of Education Commissioner serving as the Vice-Chair.
Presently, she chairs the Student Achievement Committee and is a member of the FinanceCommittee and serves as an alternate member of the Operations Committee. During her time on the board, she has been a member or Chair of many of the Board’s sub-committees.
Julie has participated in many Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) conferences and workshops and recently joined CABE’s Government Relations Committee. She has participated in the State Department of Education and CABE workshops on Leadership, Student Achievement, Education Finance Report, Closing the Achievement Gap, and the Board’s Role in Using Data-Driven Accountability System for Learning.
She holds an Associates Degree from Post University.
Her interests outside of the education arena include volunteering for Special Olympics Northwest Region Games held at Bristol Eastern, and volunteering at the Pan Mass Challenge (a fund raising event on behalf of the Dana-Farber Cancer Center in Massachusetts).
She is married to Edmund Luczkow, a 1972 graduate of Bristol Central High School.
They have a daughter Robyn who is a sophomore at Central Connecticut State University,majoring in Education. She also has a stepson who recently finished serving in the United States Air Force in Okinowa, Japan.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jane Anastasio
Jane has had a lifelong interest in education. The daughter of Bruce Elliott, a retired Bristol Central High Physics teacher, and Madelyn Elliott, a longtime former member of the Democratic Town Committee, Jane was raised in Bristol and attended Edgewood, Northeast, and Bristol Eastern High School . She is a graduate of UConn with a B.S. degree in Medical Technology and is currently employed at Hospital of Central Connecticut (BMH campus) in the laboratory. Her specialty is Hematology, blood disorders.
Jane was taught at an early age to give back to her community and she remembers working on campaigns stuffing envelopes as a child and spending many a cold November day handing out leaflets at the polls .
Jane has served on several boards for many years including the Zoning Commission, Mayor's Housing Coalition, Board of Ethics, Democratic Town Committee, Hubbell School PTO In 2002 she was appointed to the Board of Education and subsequently ran as a Board of Education candidate in the election of 2003 and has been on the Board since then. She has be a member of the Student Achievement Committee, the Communications and Community Relations Committee, and the Finance Committee..
Jane is married to John J. Anastasio, Jr. They have four sons; Mark, Paul, John, and Connor one of whom is presently a student at Chippens Hill Middle School.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom O'Brien
Tom O'Brien grew up in Bristol. He graduated from Central High School and Boston College. After ten years with the Exxon Corporation, he returned to Bristol to work with his father at the O'Brien Funeral Home. Prior to 1991, he served for two years as the council liaison and ten years as a member of the Board of Education. In 2003 was elected to the Board and has served as the Chairman of the Personnel Committee and the Finance Committee as well as serving as an alternate to the Student Achievement Committee. He was appointed as the Chair of the Board’s Facilities Committee.
He has been married for 26 years to Marie Cassetta O'Brien. They have two sons, Chris, 24 and Matt, 23.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Karen L. Vibert
Karen is a part-time free lance court stenographer who was born and raised in Bristol. She has been involved in many different activities in the Bristol Public School System to an extensive degree, including being a member of the Parent Advisory Council, commonly known as the PAC. That service strengthened her interest in education and desire to advocate for all children.
Active in many civic organizations, she currently is a member of the Bristol Kiwanis, Little League District 5, and the Forestville Village Association. Karen is a Girl Scout leader and consultant and teaches CCD at the Church of Saint Matthew. In recent years she has served on the Board of Directors of the Family Center and as a Cub Scout leader.
Karen was educated in Bristol and then attended St. Joseph College in West Hartford. She and her husband Marty have two children: Andy, a freshman at Bristol Eastern, and Millie, a fourth-grader at Mountain View
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sherry Bouchard Turcotte
Sherry was born and raised in Bristol, attending Green-Hills, Northeast and Bristol Eastern High school graduating in 1983.
She has worked in the Bristol community for almost 25 years. Working at Bristol Hospital in the laboratory as a receptionist and phlebotomist, working as a receptionist for Dr. David Zomick for many years and is currently working for Dr. Doris Altherr in the same capacity.
On Tuesday afternoons she teaches CCD at St. Gregory's CCD Center where she enjoys teaching and learning from the children.
Sherry is active in her children’s activities, with Nutmeg Performing Arts Center and The Bristol Splash swim team.
Sherry and her husband Ghislain B. Turcotte moved back to Bristol in 1996 so that their children, Jacob and Morgan could attend The Bristol School System. Jacob is in 8th grade at Northeast Middle School and Morgan is in 4th grade at Edgewood School.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Many more cops needed, says police chief
Though Bristol’s population hasn’t grown much in more than two decades, the police department is eyeing a massive increase in the number of officers.
In a recent report on space needs, which urges construction of a new police headquarters to handle the rising number of public safety personnel, Police Chief John DiVenere recommends adding two dozen more employees to the 151 positions the department has now.
“There is no doubt that the thought of hiring these additional positions will shock some people,” DiVenere said, “especially considering the cost involved.”
But, he cautioned, he is merely laying out a plan for the next five to 10 years, not making a request for immediate hiring.
The department already has 12 percent more police officers than it did in 1998 – 125 compared to 112 – and its civilian staff has risen from seven to 26.
But that’s not enough to keep up with rising demands, the chief said.
“The police department needs to grow to keep up with the demand for service from the community,” DiVenere wrote in the Oct. 10 report for Mayor William Stortz and police commissioners.
In his report, the chief said that during the next decade, he needs to add a captain, seven detectives, two sergeants, 12 police officers, two dispatchers, a dispatch supervisor and two civilians.
In some cases, it might be possible to reassign existing positions, the chief said, but his report mentions only a sergeant and a police officer that could be shifted. The other slots would apparently need new employees.
If the department were to add 20 more police officers of various ranks, it would have 145, for a 29 percent rise in the number of police since 1998 at a time when the city’s population is expected to have climbed less than 2 percent.
DiVenere’s report addresses the reason why police needs are rising faster than the population is growing in Bristol.
While acknowledging that the number of residents “has not changed very much,” the chief said that “what has changed and what will continue to evolve is the demographics of the city, its new or proposed industrial and commercial growth and the addition of the new Route 72 extension into Bristol.”
“All these point to the need for a police department that can address these issues for the safety and welfare of our citizens,” DiVenere said.
“We must expand our services and our coverage of the city to encourage business growth and the maintenance and relocation of families into the city as well,” DiVenere said.
“When these segments look to relocate, they not only look at the quality of the educational system within the community but they also look to the safety and overall crime issues in that area,” the chief reported.
He said there “is no doubt that the police department has grown in size during the past several years,” but that’s because “it is being called on to address more non-traditional policing areas than ever before.”
“No longer is our sole focus crime and accident prevention,” DiVenere said. “Code enforcement, youth programs, internet crimes, community policing, emergency operations, polygraph and technology issues all strain our staffing levels, but are necessary programs for today.”
The chief said the department’s core functions, patrol and criminal investigations, also need to grow to keep up with rising demand.
Additional help is also needed for evidence collection and identification, technology, communications, training, school resources and traffic, he said.
DiVenere said that downtown development will also increase the demand for services, including more foot patrols “to maintain a level of safety in the downtown area. This alone will necessitate an increase in our patrol staff.”
At this point, police commissioners and city leaders are reviewing the chief’s report. No decisions have been made.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
In a recent report on space needs, which urges construction of a new police headquarters to handle the rising number of public safety personnel, Police Chief John DiVenere recommends adding two dozen more employees to the 151 positions the department has now.
“There is no doubt that the thought of hiring these additional positions will shock some people,” DiVenere said, “especially considering the cost involved.”
But, he cautioned, he is merely laying out a plan for the next five to 10 years, not making a request for immediate hiring.
The department already has 12 percent more police officers than it did in 1998 – 125 compared to 112 – and its civilian staff has risen from seven to 26.
But that’s not enough to keep up with rising demands, the chief said.
“The police department needs to grow to keep up with the demand for service from the community,” DiVenere wrote in the Oct. 10 report for Mayor William Stortz and police commissioners.
In his report, the chief said that during the next decade, he needs to add a captain, seven detectives, two sergeants, 12 police officers, two dispatchers, a dispatch supervisor and two civilians.
In some cases, it might be possible to reassign existing positions, the chief said, but his report mentions only a sergeant and a police officer that could be shifted. The other slots would apparently need new employees.
If the department were to add 20 more police officers of various ranks, it would have 145, for a 29 percent rise in the number of police since 1998 at a time when the city’s population is expected to have climbed less than 2 percent.
DiVenere’s report addresses the reason why police needs are rising faster than the population is growing in Bristol.
While acknowledging that the number of residents “has not changed very much,” the chief said that “what has changed and what will continue to evolve is the demographics of the city, its new or proposed industrial and commercial growth and the addition of the new Route 72 extension into Bristol.”
“All these point to the need for a police department that can address these issues for the safety and welfare of our citizens,” DiVenere said.
“We must expand our services and our coverage of the city to encourage business growth and the maintenance and relocation of families into the city as well,” DiVenere said.
“When these segments look to relocate, they not only look at the quality of the educational system within the community but they also look to the safety and overall crime issues in that area,” the chief reported.
He said there “is no doubt that the police department has grown in size during the past several years,” but that’s because “it is being called on to address more non-traditional policing areas than ever before.”
“No longer is our sole focus crime and accident prevention,” DiVenere said. “Code enforcement, youth programs, internet crimes, community policing, emergency operations, polygraph and technology issues all strain our staffing levels, but are necessary programs for today.”
The chief said the department’s core functions, patrol and criminal investigations, also need to grow to keep up with rising demand.
Additional help is also needed for evidence collection and identification, technology, communications, training, school resources and traffic, he said.
DiVenere said that downtown development will also increase the demand for services, including more foot patrols “to maintain a level of safety in the downtown area. This alone will necessitate an increase in our patrol staff.”
At this point, police commissioners and city leaders are reviewing the chief’s report. No decisions have been made.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Johnson talks about city contracts
Republican mayoral contender Ken Johnson wrote this letter on Friday night or Saturday morning. I just got a copy today, so here it is:
I am writing in reply to the Saturday Bristol Press article that attributes comments to me about City contracts.
In Wednesday night’s debate, I was asked if I was satisfied that all City bids, contracts and hirings are done completely above board. My answer was ‘no’ based on an experience I recalled from 2006. The situation I was referring to was the city’s plan to hire a real estate brokerage to help the city dispose of surplus city-owned properties. The awarding of the contract to an out-of–town real estate company and the perception that local companies were not given every reasonable consideration upset many Bristol-based companies that were interested in the work.
I feel badly that several elected officials got so angry about this. I choose to believe there must be some misunderstanding because I am certain that our elected leaders, on both sides of the aisle, feel like I do – that we’d all like to see qualified local businesses get city work. I choose to believe that the Real Estate committee was acting in the best interest of the city and followed proper procedure when it made its choice. However, if there were numerous businesses questioning the process and feeling left out, then something is wrong with the process.
I stand by my answer because I was being honest. Unfortunately some people didn’t like my answer. But, as many are finding out, I do not mince words. If I am asked a question, I give an honest response and stand by it.
I’m a citizen of Bristol, like you, who cares a lot about my city. As your mayor, I pledge to be honest, to act with integrity, to listen respectfully to your point of view and to restore civility to our politics.
The full text of my comments to the Bristol Press about this matter can be found at http://bristolnews.blogspot.com/ under the heading "Johnson explains his comment on city contracts."
It is time to Put Bristol First. I hope to see you at the polls on Nov. 6th; I would be humbled and honored to be your mayor.
Ken Johnson
BristolRepublican candidate for mayor
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
I am writing in reply to the Saturday Bristol Press article that attributes comments to me about City contracts.
In Wednesday night’s debate, I was asked if I was satisfied that all City bids, contracts and hirings are done completely above board. My answer was ‘no’ based on an experience I recalled from 2006. The situation I was referring to was the city’s plan to hire a real estate brokerage to help the city dispose of surplus city-owned properties. The awarding of the contract to an out-of–town real estate company and the perception that local companies were not given every reasonable consideration upset many Bristol-based companies that were interested in the work.
I feel badly that several elected officials got so angry about this. I choose to believe there must be some misunderstanding because I am certain that our elected leaders, on both sides of the aisle, feel like I do – that we’d all like to see qualified local businesses get city work. I choose to believe that the Real Estate committee was acting in the best interest of the city and followed proper procedure when it made its choice. However, if there were numerous businesses questioning the process and feeling left out, then something is wrong with the process.
I stand by my answer because I was being honest. Unfortunately some people didn’t like my answer. But, as many are finding out, I do not mince words. If I am asked a question, I give an honest response and stand by it.
I’m a citizen of Bristol, like you, who cares a lot about my city. As your mayor, I pledge to be honest, to act with integrity, to listen respectfully to your point of view and to restore civility to our politics.
The full text of my comments to the Bristol Press about this matter can be found at http://bristolnews.blogspot.com/ under the heading "Johnson explains his comment on city contracts."
It is time to Put Bristol First. I hope to see you at the polls on Nov. 6th; I would be humbled and honored to be your mayor.
Ken Johnson
BristolRepublican candidate for mayor
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Bristol fighting drug dealers now, officials say
Calling Bristol “a safe haven for drug dealing,” Republican mayoral contender Ken Johnson urged more help for city police to combat the problem.
Police Chief John DiVenere said Tuesday that Bristol “has a drug problem, as does every other community in the country. I know we’re not any worse than most.”
“We have a very safe community,” the chief said. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say we had a problem, but we do very well in enforcing those laws.”
“I don’t want our drug dealers to think they have the run of the community, because they don’t,” DiVenere said.
Johnson said, though, that the department’s fight against drugs needs more resources.
“We need to send a strong message to the drug dealers and drug buyers that they are not welcome here in Bristol,” Johnson said in a prepared release Tuesday.
“Drugs in our community are not confined to the West End,” Johnson added. “They are in our neighborhoods and in our schools.”
Art Ward, the Democratic mayoral candidate, said that even one illegal drug transaction in town is too many. But, he said, the problems facing Bristol are no different than cities across the country are dealing with.
Democratic city Councilor Frank Nicastro, a police commissioner, said that police are “fighting day and night” against drugs and keeping the dealers in check.
He called Johnson’s comments “an election ploy” and challenged the Republican to prove his statement that the city has become “a safe haven for drug dealing.”
“Where’s his proof of that?” Nicastro asked.
“We combat drugs very effectively in the city of Bristol,” said Nicastro, who served as mayor from 1993 to 2003.
DiVenere said his department considers the battle against drugs “very serious” and it’s a high priority for him.
He said that every officer is trained about drug enforcement and there is “a very active narcotics enforcement team.”
Moreover, the chief said, the department has an active DARE program to educate students about the dangers of drugs. It also have four police dogs, including one that’s specifically trained for narcotics enforcement.
Johnson said that he would work with the chief and Police Board “to allocate more resources” to the police. Ward said he’s already discussed ideas with the chief.
Johnson pointed to a “a successful drug sting in New Britain this summer that netted more than 100 arrests of drug dealers and buyers” and called for “similar sweeps here in Bristol as our city has become a safe haven for drug dealing.”
He said he would beef up the narcotics division by providing police with the tools they need to step up the effort to crack down on the narcotics trade.
Johnson also said the community needs to be alert for gang activity.
“We cannot be blind to the threat of gang violence,” Johnson said. “Look at the increase in graffiti – it might look like art but to me it is an ominous sign that the gangs and the drug dealers are already here.”
Johnson said residents should be “vigilant,” looking for signs of gangs and drug trafficking such as graffiti and sneakers over power lines.
“I’d like to see a confidential tip-line to the police,” he said.
Johnson said that he believes a confidential tip line “would encourage the reporting of incidents or suspicious activity. If one phone call leads to averting violence or helps shut down a drug dealer then we got the bang for our buck.”
What Johnson apparently doesn’t know is that the city has had a confidential tip line: (860) 585-TIPS.
“We’ve had one for many years,” DiVenere said.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Police Chief John DiVenere said Tuesday that Bristol “has a drug problem, as does every other community in the country. I know we’re not any worse than most.”
“We have a very safe community,” the chief said. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say we had a problem, but we do very well in enforcing those laws.”
“I don’t want our drug dealers to think they have the run of the community, because they don’t,” DiVenere said.
Johnson said, though, that the department’s fight against drugs needs more resources.
“We need to send a strong message to the drug dealers and drug buyers that they are not welcome here in Bristol,” Johnson said in a prepared release Tuesday.
“Drugs in our community are not confined to the West End,” Johnson added. “They are in our neighborhoods and in our schools.”
Art Ward, the Democratic mayoral candidate, said that even one illegal drug transaction in town is too many. But, he said, the problems facing Bristol are no different than cities across the country are dealing with.
Democratic city Councilor Frank Nicastro, a police commissioner, said that police are “fighting day and night” against drugs and keeping the dealers in check.
He called Johnson’s comments “an election ploy” and challenged the Republican to prove his statement that the city has become “a safe haven for drug dealing.”
“Where’s his proof of that?” Nicastro asked.
“We combat drugs very effectively in the city of Bristol,” said Nicastro, who served as mayor from 1993 to 2003.
DiVenere said his department considers the battle against drugs “very serious” and it’s a high priority for him.
He said that every officer is trained about drug enforcement and there is “a very active narcotics enforcement team.”
Moreover, the chief said, the department has an active DARE program to educate students about the dangers of drugs. It also have four police dogs, including one that’s specifically trained for narcotics enforcement.
Johnson said that he would work with the chief and Police Board “to allocate more resources” to the police. Ward said he’s already discussed ideas with the chief.
Johnson pointed to a “a successful drug sting in New Britain this summer that netted more than 100 arrests of drug dealers and buyers” and called for “similar sweeps here in Bristol as our city has become a safe haven for drug dealing.”
He said he would beef up the narcotics division by providing police with the tools they need to step up the effort to crack down on the narcotics trade.
Johnson also said the community needs to be alert for gang activity.
“We cannot be blind to the threat of gang violence,” Johnson said. “Look at the increase in graffiti – it might look like art but to me it is an ominous sign that the gangs and the drug dealers are already here.”
Johnson said residents should be “vigilant,” looking for signs of gangs and drug trafficking such as graffiti and sneakers over power lines.
“I’d like to see a confidential tip-line to the police,” he said.
Johnson said that he believes a confidential tip line “would encourage the reporting of incidents or suspicious activity. If one phone call leads to averting violence or helps shut down a drug dealer then we got the bang for our buck.”
What Johnson apparently doesn’t know is that the city has had a confidential tip line: (860) 585-TIPS.
“We’ve had one for many years,” DiVenere said.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Johnson calls Bristol a "safe haven" for drug dealing
Press release issued today by Republican Ken Johnson, who's aiming to be mayor after next Tuesday's election:
Ken Johnson, the Republican nominee for Mayor of the City of Bristol, elaborated further on another of the planks of his campaign platform. Johnson has vowed that as Mayor he would work with the Chief of Police and Police Board to allocate more resources to the Police Department. A major area of concern for Johnson is drug trafficking in our City.
Johnson cited a successful drug sting in New Britain this summer that netted more than 100 arrests of drug dealers and buyers. Johnson advocated for such similar sweeps here in Bristol as our city has become a “safe haven” for drug dealing.
The Mayoral nominee would like to beef up the department’s narcotics division by providing police with the tools they need to step up the effort to crack down on the narcotics trade. “We need to send a strong message to the drug dealers and drug buyers that they are not welcome here in Bristol. Drugs in our community are not confined to the West End,” Johnson added, “They are in our neighborhoods and in our schools.”
Along with the drug issue, Bristol needs to be on the alert for gang activity and stop it in its tracks. “We cannot be blind to the threat of gang violence. Look at the increase in graffiti – it might look like art but to me it is an ominous sign that the gangs and the drug dealers are already here.”
Johnson encouraged residents to be “vigilant,” looking for signs of gangs and drug trafficking such as graffiti and sneakers over power lines. “I’d like to see a confidential tip-line to the police. If residents had the assurance of confidentiality, I believe it would encourage the reporting of incidents or suspicious activity. If one phone call leads to averting violence or helps shut down a drug dealer then we got the bang for our buck.”
“I intend to Put Bristol First, rather than any political party or personal agenda.” Johnson concluded, “The residents of Bristol have been clamoring for a change – I offer that change and my ideas on how we can better serve the people of Bristol in the years to come. Providing our police department with the resources to combat drugs in our City will improve our quality of life and is in our collective best interest.”
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Ken Johnson, the Republican nominee for Mayor of the City of Bristol, elaborated further on another of the planks of his campaign platform. Johnson has vowed that as Mayor he would work with the Chief of Police and Police Board to allocate more resources to the Police Department. A major area of concern for Johnson is drug trafficking in our City.
Johnson cited a successful drug sting in New Britain this summer that netted more than 100 arrests of drug dealers and buyers. Johnson advocated for such similar sweeps here in Bristol as our city has become a “safe haven” for drug dealing.
The Mayoral nominee would like to beef up the department’s narcotics division by providing police with the tools they need to step up the effort to crack down on the narcotics trade. “We need to send a strong message to the drug dealers and drug buyers that they are not welcome here in Bristol. Drugs in our community are not confined to the West End,” Johnson added, “They are in our neighborhoods and in our schools.”
Along with the drug issue, Bristol needs to be on the alert for gang activity and stop it in its tracks. “We cannot be blind to the threat of gang violence. Look at the increase in graffiti – it might look like art but to me it is an ominous sign that the gangs and the drug dealers are already here.”
Johnson encouraged residents to be “vigilant,” looking for signs of gangs and drug trafficking such as graffiti and sneakers over power lines. “I’d like to see a confidential tip-line to the police. If residents had the assurance of confidentiality, I believe it would encourage the reporting of incidents or suspicious activity. If one phone call leads to averting violence or helps shut down a drug dealer then we got the bang for our buck.”
“I intend to Put Bristol First, rather than any political party or personal agenda.” Johnson concluded, “The residents of Bristol have been clamoring for a change – I offer that change and my ideas on how we can better serve the people of Bristol in the years to come. Providing our police department with the resources to combat drugs in our City will improve our quality of life and is in our collective best interest.”
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
"Scripted" meetings FOI complaint to be heard in Hartford today
A note from Republican mayoral candidate Ken Johnson to reporters this morning:
Just wanted to bring to your attention that city attorneys are going to Hartford today at 1pm to defend the city against the Freedom of Information Complaint filed by the Ward camp. As I have stated before, we are all aware that the complaint served one purpose and one purpose only: to poke a political stick in the eye of Art’s primary opponent. I’ve repeatedly asked my opponent to ask his friend to withdraw the complaint and last Monday he finally answered me and publicly refused to do so. He has ignored my argument that it does not serve the best interest of the people. I’ve warned that this could cost the taxpayers money for the city to defend the case. So now this, too, has become come to pass because of my opponent’s need to put his own political agenda above the interest of the people. So here we go again. Politics over people.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Just wanted to bring to your attention that city attorneys are going to Hartford today at 1pm to defend the city against the Freedom of Information Complaint filed by the Ward camp. As I have stated before, we are all aware that the complaint served one purpose and one purpose only: to poke a political stick in the eye of Art’s primary opponent. I’ve repeatedly asked my opponent to ask his friend to withdraw the complaint and last Monday he finally answered me and publicly refused to do so. He has ignored my argument that it does not serve the best interest of the people. I’ve warned that this could cost the taxpayers money for the city to defend the case. So now this, too, has become come to pass because of my opponent’s need to put his own political agenda above the interest of the people. So here we go again. Politics over people.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Zoppo to direct Family Center
Check out reporter Jackie Majerus' story here:
Zoppo signs on to restructure Family Center
And let me add ahead of time, I'm not going to allow a trashing of Zoppo to occur in the comments on this thread. If you want to say something, keep it clean, decent and reasonable or I won't post the comment.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
And let me add ahead of time, I'm not going to allow a trashing of Zoppo to occur in the comments on this thread. If you want to say something, keep it clean, decent and reasonable or I won't post the comment.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
No more criminal court in Bristol?
Both Mayor William Stortz and Police Chief John DiVenere have said in recent days that the Bristol criminal court is likely to become a juvenile court instead.
In a report about his space and personnel needs, the chief said that that when the court change happens, the city will need to transport prisoners to New Britain each days, requiring “another court officer with a transport van” to cope with the work.
Stortz said in a memorandum to Board of Finance members that the state “is looking into possible changes within the court complex, possibly affecting court needs in the police-court complex.”
The state has eyed the closure of the Bristol courthouse in the past, but always backed down from it.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
In a report about his space and personnel needs, the chief said that that when the court change happens, the city will need to transport prisoners to New Britain each days, requiring “another court officer with a transport van” to cope with the work.
Stortz said in a memorandum to Board of Finance members that the state “is looking into possible changes within the court complex, possibly affecting court needs in the police-court complex.”
The state has eyed the closure of the Bristol courthouse in the past, but always backed down from it.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Monday, October 29, 2007
Recycling down in Bristol
New press release from City Hall:
Public Works was recently notified that the City of Bristol has experienced a decline in the amount of recyclable materials being collected.
Recycling is mandated by law in the State of CT and by Ordinance in the City of Bristol. Recycling also saves the City of Bristol money, as rubbish costs nearly twice as much to process than recyclables.
In an effort to ensure full participation in recycling, the City of Bristol Public Works Department will begin randomly auditing the contents of rubbish barrels to ensure that recyclable materials are not being disposed of with rubbish. If recyclable material is found in rubbish barrels, residents will be notified of the violation, and repeated offenses could lead to citations/fines.
Mandatory recyclables are newspaper, magazines, corrugated cardboard (cut to 3’X3’), office & computer paper, clean glass & metal, plastic #1 or #2 (stamped on the bottom) food and beverage containers, paper milk/juice cartons and aseptic beverage containers,
Additional items that should be recycled are catalogues, phone books, junk mail, soft cover books, brown envelopes and packing paper.
Newspapers (and other paper recyclables) can be placed in a separate bin instead of in paper bags to make recycling easier for residents. Recycle bins are available, free of charge, at Public Works (City Hall – Ground Floor) Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Saturday mornings at the Transfer Station.
If you have any questions, or want more information about recycling, please contact Public Works at (860) 584-6125.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Public Works was recently notified that the City of Bristol has experienced a decline in the amount of recyclable materials being collected.
Recycling is mandated by law in the State of CT and by Ordinance in the City of Bristol. Recycling also saves the City of Bristol money, as rubbish costs nearly twice as much to process than recyclables.
In an effort to ensure full participation in recycling, the City of Bristol Public Works Department will begin randomly auditing the contents of rubbish barrels to ensure that recyclable materials are not being disposed of with rubbish. If recyclable material is found in rubbish barrels, residents will be notified of the violation, and repeated offenses could lead to citations/fines.
Mandatory recyclables are newspaper, magazines, corrugated cardboard (cut to 3’X3’), office & computer paper, clean glass & metal, plastic #1 or #2 (stamped on the bottom) food and beverage containers, paper milk/juice cartons and aseptic beverage containers,
Additional items that should be recycled are catalogues, phone books, junk mail, soft cover books, brown envelopes and packing paper.
Newspapers (and other paper recyclables) can be placed in a separate bin instead of in paper bags to make recycling easier for residents. Recycle bins are available, free of charge, at Public Works (City Hall – Ground Floor) Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Saturday mornings at the Transfer Station.
If you have any questions, or want more information about recycling, please contact Public Works at (860) 584-6125.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
State is satisfied with BDDC paperwork
Though I have no real idea what this means in practical terms, here's a new press release from Mayor William Stortz:
In an announcement released today by the Mayor’s office, the Bristol Downtown Development Corporation Chairman, Frank Johnson and Mayor William T. Stortz were pleased to announce that the Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner, Joan McDonald, has reviewed and accepted the information and documents submitted by the City in its request to form the BDDC.
“I am happy to inform you that this latest information submitted satisfies the requests for information made by the department to the City,” said McDonald.
“This is a big step forward for Bristol,” said Chairman Frank Johnson. “It enables us to work with DECD and the State as we seek to revitalize Bristol, especially its Downtown area.”
Mayor William T. Stortz was also very enthused with this announcement and stated, “I appreciate the efforts, cooperation and support of all who got us to this point. The announcement is a positive one, one that shows that we are doing the right thing, the right way. I am confident that the BDDC will move quickly in developing plans for a Downtown that we all can be proud of. I hope that the public will come forward now and provide input to the BDDC who is in the process of scheduling meetings and hearings.”
Stortz concluded, “I also thank the DECD, and the State, for their support.”
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
In an announcement released today by the Mayor’s office, the Bristol Downtown Development Corporation Chairman, Frank Johnson and Mayor William T. Stortz were pleased to announce that the Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner, Joan McDonald, has reviewed and accepted the information and documents submitted by the City in its request to form the BDDC.
“I am happy to inform you that this latest information submitted satisfies the requests for information made by the department to the City,” said McDonald.
“This is a big step forward for Bristol,” said Chairman Frank Johnson. “It enables us to work with DECD and the State as we seek to revitalize Bristol, especially its Downtown area.”
Mayor William T. Stortz was also very enthused with this announcement and stated, “I appreciate the efforts, cooperation and support of all who got us to this point. The announcement is a positive one, one that shows that we are doing the right thing, the right way. I am confident that the BDDC will move quickly in developing plans for a Downtown that we all can be proud of. I hope that the public will come forward now and provide input to the BDDC who is in the process of scheduling meetings and hearings.”
Stortz concluded, “I also thank the DECD, and the State, for their support.”
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Meskill remembered in Bristol
Friends of former Gov. Thomas Meskill, who died Monday, remember him as a thoughtful, articulate man whose rise to power included a stint as Bristol’s congressman and a statewide primary win against a prominent Bristol businessman.
Meskill “was one of the nicest men in politics that I’ve ever known. He was just down to earth and honest,” said Ellie Klapatch, the city’s long-time Republican registrar.
“When Tom told you something, you knew it was the truth,” Klapatch said.
Shortly after flying his plane home from a weekend in Washington, D.C., former state Sen. Wallace Barnes said that Meskill was a friend before they faced off in the first-ever statewide primary in 1970 and remained close afterwards.
“He was a very effective politician in a sort of an understated way,” Barnes said. “He was thoughtful and articulate, but not bombastic in any way.”
Meskill, a Republican who served as mayor of New Britain, first sought to enter a larger stage in 1964 when he took aim at the congressional seat held by attorney Bernard Grabowski of Bristol, a Democrat.
Grabowski won a statewide congressional seat in 1962 which was abolished soon after. Two years later, he won the newly created 6th District seat in a showdown with Meskill.
In 1966, however, Meskill took the seat and held it until his 1970 run for governor.
Klapatch said that she sided with Meskill at the congressional convention because she thought he was the better candidate, even though the rest of Bristol’s delegation thought otherwise. Meskill took a shine to her after that.
In 1970, Klapatch said she remembered the Republican convention at The Bushnell theater in Hartford. Meskill had a big majority of the delegates on his side but Barnes sought to force a primary by securing at least 20 percent of the convention vote, a margin he eventually got.
“We were there until five in morning at the convention while Meskill and Barnes were talking to other at a hotel,” Klapatch said.
She said she hoped that Barnes would settle for the lieutenant governor’s slot on the ticket, but that’s not how it worked out.
“They would have made a great team,” Klapatch said.
In the end, the two men squared off in a primary that Meskill won, but without the rancor or divisiveness that’s so common today.
“Those were the days in politics. We had fun in politics. We respected each other,” she said.
Barnes said that during the primary race, he called for the state to adopt an income tax that would ensure a steady revenue stream. While it might have been a good idea, he said it “was not helpful” in winning over the GOP voters in the primary.
“I guess that was perhaps the major issue in the campaign,” Barnes said.
Barnes said that Connecticut is better off for Meskill’s public service as a congressman, governor and federal judge.
Klapatch said that Meskill was a particularly loyal politician.
“He appreciated anything you ever did,” she said, and remembered those who had assisted him along the way.
“I’m going to miss him,” Klapatch said.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Meskill “was one of the nicest men in politics that I’ve ever known. He was just down to earth and honest,” said Ellie Klapatch, the city’s long-time Republican registrar.
“When Tom told you something, you knew it was the truth,” Klapatch said.
Shortly after flying his plane home from a weekend in Washington, D.C., former state Sen. Wallace Barnes said that Meskill was a friend before they faced off in the first-ever statewide primary in 1970 and remained close afterwards.
“He was a very effective politician in a sort of an understated way,” Barnes said. “He was thoughtful and articulate, but not bombastic in any way.”
Meskill, a Republican who served as mayor of New Britain, first sought to enter a larger stage in 1964 when he took aim at the congressional seat held by attorney Bernard Grabowski of Bristol, a Democrat.
Grabowski won a statewide congressional seat in 1962 which was abolished soon after. Two years later, he won the newly created 6th District seat in a showdown with Meskill.
In 1966, however, Meskill took the seat and held it until his 1970 run for governor.
Klapatch said that she sided with Meskill at the congressional convention because she thought he was the better candidate, even though the rest of Bristol’s delegation thought otherwise. Meskill took a shine to her after that.
In 1970, Klapatch said she remembered the Republican convention at The Bushnell theater in Hartford. Meskill had a big majority of the delegates on his side but Barnes sought to force a primary by securing at least 20 percent of the convention vote, a margin he eventually got.
“We were there until five in morning at the convention while Meskill and Barnes were talking to other at a hotel,” Klapatch said.
She said she hoped that Barnes would settle for the lieutenant governor’s slot on the ticket, but that’s not how it worked out.
“They would have made a great team,” Klapatch said.
In the end, the two men squared off in a primary that Meskill won, but without the rancor or divisiveness that’s so common today.
“Those were the days in politics. We had fun in politics. We respected each other,” she said.
Barnes said that during the primary race, he called for the state to adopt an income tax that would ensure a steady revenue stream. While it might have been a good idea, he said it “was not helpful” in winning over the GOP voters in the primary.
“I guess that was perhaps the major issue in the campaign,” Barnes said.
Barnes said that Connecticut is better off for Meskill’s public service as a congressman, governor and federal judge.
Klapatch said that Meskill was a particularly loyal politician.
“He appreciated anything you ever did,” she said, and remembered those who had assisted him along the way.
“I’m going to miss him,” Klapatch said.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Why people should vote for Johnson
Letter from Art Mocabee, chairman of the Bristol Republicans:
The Bristol Mayoral election is about to occur and we as voters must go to the polls to choose who we think is best qualified to lead our city for the next two years.
As the minority party in Bristol, we have enjoyed the view from inside for the first time in 14 years. Having access to the Mayors office is far different than one council seat and having both a council seat and the Mayors office has been enlightening.
Ken Johnson, the Republican candidate for Mayor has run a respectable visionary campaign, committing to moving Bristol in a positive direction with rapid development of the Mall site, a thorough airing of the school issues we face and an aggressive marketing approach to develop the Southwest Industrial Park. In addition, he sees the need to increase the resources Bristol must have to improve public safety and to protect our open space.
To accomplish these goals, many city contracts will come into play. Mr. Johnson, during one of the recent debates, expressed his personal feeling that the process can always be improved. There is no debate that when the contract awarding the sale of properties owned by the City to a Plainville Realty company was announced to the community that there was outrage. Mr. Johnson is right, but his comments only touched the tip of the iceberg.
Bristol employees and Bristol employers make up the hard working Bristol families who pay taxes and deserve to be the first for consideration when it comes to providing their talent and trade to our community. Bristol contractors bring pride to building our community that no outsider can do. Even after the outrage expressed by the community, the Real Estate Committee, headed by Frank Nicastro, still ignored that outrage and gave Bristol business away to an outside firm. Yes, the policies set forth in the purchasing manual were followed, but based on this past winter’s community-wide outrage, something is wrong with the way we do business. It can be improved and Mr. Johnson knows it, Mr. Ward denies it.
In addition to the real estate fiasco, the company selected to do our re-valuation was $72,000 higher then the next bidder. Also, a local construction company lost a bid because he was higher by pennies per $100 of contract specifications.
Mr. Ward, you are satisfied with the status quo, Mr. Johnson is not, especially when it comes to local contractors and services that involve re-evaluation of our homes for tax purposes. After 14 years, why have you not addressed this flaw in our system? Bristol businesses that are qualified and meet all bid specifications technically and financially need to have the first option on city business. It is as simple as that!
But let’s also talk about the mother lode of all contract fiascos: the purchase by the City of the Downtown Mall. This contract was negotiated and entered into behind closed doors, in secret, at one or more meetings held at a local Forestville restaurant. Mr. Ward you were present. along with other members of the City Council and various support staff including the former mayor’s secretary who took notes. Mayor Stortz has the pictures and probably the notes.
Mr. Ward, if you think that the public doesn’t care about how you participated in these secret meetings, then come out and explain why it was okay to have those meetings in secret! You were involved and often took credit as the Deputy Mayor. Is this what we can expect from you? With all the contracts this city is about to enter, you have only demonstrated that you are capable of dealing behind closed doors out of sight from the public, whose trust is the mortar of public service. You were the proclaimed Deputy Mayor that spent 5.2 million taxpayer dollars without public input and that administration was thrown out of public office. Why should we expect anything different from you in the future? Or will you flip flop on this issue as well?
Mr. Ward, you and your party controlled every vote over the last 14 years. Whatever it is that you say needs to be done now begs the question: Why hasn’t it been done over the last 14 years? A wholesale change is needed in our City government.
In addition to your failure to negotiate the City’s business in the open, why don’t you step up to the plate and explain why it was okay for you to participate in the “scripted” meeting when the Blight Ordinance was adopted? Now you feel, by way of your supporter’s recent FOI complaint, that the process is flawed. Maybe the answer is that if it serves your needs it is okay, but when you don’t support another council member’s idea it is wrong. This is hardly the mark of a leader.
Speaking of scripts, Mr. Nicastro has stated that he could never support a mayor who did not support a member of his own party. Everyone in town knows that you, Mr. Ward, had one of your supporters initiate the Freedom of Information action against fellow Democrat Ellen Zoppo. Come on Frank, you cannot have it both ways. By your logic you will not support your candidate for Mayor.
It is too bad that Art Ward and the current members of the City Council would rather cloud the issues than discuss them. Ken Johnson is a breath of fresh air, not a member of the old boy network, which has run the City for the last 14 years. It is time to change the makeup of the City Council and to choose a leader who has a new vision and will lead Bristol to becoming the regional urban center Bristol can be. The question we all need to ask ourselves is “Who can lead us more intelligently and openly as Bristol passes through the cross roads we are about to enter?” That person is Ken Johnson.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The Bristol Mayoral election is about to occur and we as voters must go to the polls to choose who we think is best qualified to lead our city for the next two years.
As the minority party in Bristol, we have enjoyed the view from inside for the first time in 14 years. Having access to the Mayors office is far different than one council seat and having both a council seat and the Mayors office has been enlightening.
Ken Johnson, the Republican candidate for Mayor has run a respectable visionary campaign, committing to moving Bristol in a positive direction with rapid development of the Mall site, a thorough airing of the school issues we face and an aggressive marketing approach to develop the Southwest Industrial Park. In addition, he sees the need to increase the resources Bristol must have to improve public safety and to protect our open space.
To accomplish these goals, many city contracts will come into play. Mr. Johnson, during one of the recent debates, expressed his personal feeling that the process can always be improved. There is no debate that when the contract awarding the sale of properties owned by the City to a Plainville Realty company was announced to the community that there was outrage. Mr. Johnson is right, but his comments only touched the tip of the iceberg.
Bristol employees and Bristol employers make up the hard working Bristol families who pay taxes and deserve to be the first for consideration when it comes to providing their talent and trade to our community. Bristol contractors bring pride to building our community that no outsider can do. Even after the outrage expressed by the community, the Real Estate Committee, headed by Frank Nicastro, still ignored that outrage and gave Bristol business away to an outside firm. Yes, the policies set forth in the purchasing manual were followed, but based on this past winter’s community-wide outrage, something is wrong with the way we do business. It can be improved and Mr. Johnson knows it, Mr. Ward denies it.
In addition to the real estate fiasco, the company selected to do our re-valuation was $72,000 higher then the next bidder. Also, a local construction company lost a bid because he was higher by pennies per $100 of contract specifications.
Mr. Ward, you are satisfied with the status quo, Mr. Johnson is not, especially when it comes to local contractors and services that involve re-evaluation of our homes for tax purposes. After 14 years, why have you not addressed this flaw in our system? Bristol businesses that are qualified and meet all bid specifications technically and financially need to have the first option on city business. It is as simple as that!
But let’s also talk about the mother lode of all contract fiascos: the purchase by the City of the Downtown Mall. This contract was negotiated and entered into behind closed doors, in secret, at one or more meetings held at a local Forestville restaurant. Mr. Ward you were present. along with other members of the City Council and various support staff including the former mayor’s secretary who took notes. Mayor Stortz has the pictures and probably the notes.
Mr. Ward, if you think that the public doesn’t care about how you participated in these secret meetings, then come out and explain why it was okay to have those meetings in secret! You were involved and often took credit as the Deputy Mayor. Is this what we can expect from you? With all the contracts this city is about to enter, you have only demonstrated that you are capable of dealing behind closed doors out of sight from the public, whose trust is the mortar of public service. You were the proclaimed Deputy Mayor that spent 5.2 million taxpayer dollars without public input and that administration was thrown out of public office. Why should we expect anything different from you in the future? Or will you flip flop on this issue as well?
Mr. Ward, you and your party controlled every vote over the last 14 years. Whatever it is that you say needs to be done now begs the question: Why hasn’t it been done over the last 14 years? A wholesale change is needed in our City government.
In addition to your failure to negotiate the City’s business in the open, why don’t you step up to the plate and explain why it was okay for you to participate in the “scripted” meeting when the Blight Ordinance was adopted? Now you feel, by way of your supporter’s recent FOI complaint, that the process is flawed. Maybe the answer is that if it serves your needs it is okay, but when you don’t support another council member’s idea it is wrong. This is hardly the mark of a leader.
Speaking of scripts, Mr. Nicastro has stated that he could never support a mayor who did not support a member of his own party. Everyone in town knows that you, Mr. Ward, had one of your supporters initiate the Freedom of Information action against fellow Democrat Ellen Zoppo. Come on Frank, you cannot have it both ways. By your logic you will not support your candidate for Mayor.
It is too bad that Art Ward and the current members of the City Council would rather cloud the issues than discuss them. Ken Johnson is a breath of fresh air, not a member of the old boy network, which has run the City for the last 14 years. It is time to change the makeup of the City Council and to choose a leader who has a new vision and will lead Bristol to becoming the regional urban center Bristol can be. The question we all need to ask ourselves is “Who can lead us more intelligently and openly as Bristol passes through the cross roads we are about to enter?” That person is Ken Johnson.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Former Gov. Thomas Meskill died this morning
If anyone has any memories they'd like to share, post a comment or drop me a line at scollins@bristolpress.com.
From The Associated Press:
Former Gov. and U.S. Rep. Thomas J. Meskill died early Monday in Florida, his wife said. He was 79.
He had the blood disorder myelodysplasia and had gone to the Bethesda Memorial Hospital in Boynton Beach, Fla., on Sunday to have blood drawn. Mary Meskill, his wife of 52 years, said he died of a heart attack at the hospital about 4 a.m. Thomas Meskill, a Republican, was governor from 1971 to 1975.
In a brief phone interview from her home in Delray Beach, Fla., Mary Meskill said she was too distraught to answer questions.
"We're grieving," she said.
Asked about her husband's life, she said, "He was a powerhouse. That we know."
Mary Meskill said a funeral has not been scheduled, but it will be held in Meskill's hometown of New Britain.
He first ran for office in 1958, when he made an unsuccessful bid for the state Senate. The following year, he ran for mayor and narrowly lost.
Meskill won in 1962 and served as mayor until 1964.
He was elected to Congress representing the 6th District in 1966 and served until 1970.
He was elected governor in 1971. When he entered office, the state had a $260 million deficit. By 1973, the deficit had been erased and the state treasury had a surplus of $65 million.
During Meskill's tenure, the Department of Environmental Protection was established and a state lottery system was instituted as Meskill's alternative to a state income tax.
In 1975, President Gerald Ford named him a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, and he served until 1993. During his last year on the bench, Meskill was chief judge.
Former U.S. Rep. Nancy Johnson, a friend of Meskill's, said he transcended politics and connected with all of those he served.
"It was a trust that he engendered in people and the quality of service that he provided that enabled him to be mayor and then congressman and then ultimately governor and judge," she said. "That is a quality that in today's world people are longing for."
House Speaker James Amann, D-Milford, said Meskill was well-respected at the Capitol, even though he had left office years ago.
"I can tell you that I never heard anything negative about Governor Meskill," he said. "He was a good leader and managed this state very well."
New London Superior Court Judge Robert Leuba, who was legal counsel to Meskill from 1973 to 1975, said Meskill brought about pension reform, requiring companies to set aside money to guard against pension losses in case of bankruptcies. He also credited Meskill with establishing one of the first state environmental protection agencies in the U.S.
"He brought more advancements to Connecticut than people will ever know," Leuba said. ------ Associated Press Writers Stephen Singer, Susan Haigh and Pat Eaton-Robb contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2007, The Associated Press
"Tom Meskill was a giant, a legend and a public servant without peer. Judge Meskill served in uniform, as a Mayor, as a Congressman,, as Governor, and a Federal Judge. Tom Meskill reformed state government and was a leader on some many fronts, but most importantly he was a kind man who selflessly gave everything to his community, his state and country. If you were Tom Meskill's friend, and there were many, you were his friend for life. The state and country has lost a great man and Republicans everywhere owe him and his family their prayers and thanks for a life well lived for others." -- Christopher Healy, Connecticut Republican Chairman
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
From The Associated Press:
Former Gov. and U.S. Rep. Thomas J. Meskill died early Monday in Florida, his wife said. He was 79.
He had the blood disorder myelodysplasia and had gone to the Bethesda Memorial Hospital in Boynton Beach, Fla., on Sunday to have blood drawn. Mary Meskill, his wife of 52 years, said he died of a heart attack at the hospital about 4 a.m. Thomas Meskill, a Republican, was governor from 1971 to 1975.
In a brief phone interview from her home in Delray Beach, Fla., Mary Meskill said she was too distraught to answer questions.
"We're grieving," she said.
Asked about her husband's life, she said, "He was a powerhouse. That we know."
Mary Meskill said a funeral has not been scheduled, but it will be held in Meskill's hometown of New Britain.
He first ran for office in 1958, when he made an unsuccessful bid for the state Senate. The following year, he ran for mayor and narrowly lost.
Meskill won in 1962 and served as mayor until 1964.
He was elected to Congress representing the 6th District in 1966 and served until 1970.
He was elected governor in 1971. When he entered office, the state had a $260 million deficit. By 1973, the deficit had been erased and the state treasury had a surplus of $65 million.
During Meskill's tenure, the Department of Environmental Protection was established and a state lottery system was instituted as Meskill's alternative to a state income tax.
In 1975, President Gerald Ford named him a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, and he served until 1993. During his last year on the bench, Meskill was chief judge.
Former U.S. Rep. Nancy Johnson, a friend of Meskill's, said he transcended politics and connected with all of those he served.
"It was a trust that he engendered in people and the quality of service that he provided that enabled him to be mayor and then congressman and then ultimately governor and judge," she said. "That is a quality that in today's world people are longing for."
House Speaker James Amann, D-Milford, said Meskill was well-respected at the Capitol, even though he had left office years ago.
"I can tell you that I never heard anything negative about Governor Meskill," he said. "He was a good leader and managed this state very well."
New London Superior Court Judge Robert Leuba, who was legal counsel to Meskill from 1973 to 1975, said Meskill brought about pension reform, requiring companies to set aside money to guard against pension losses in case of bankruptcies. He also credited Meskill with establishing one of the first state environmental protection agencies in the U.S.
"He brought more advancements to Connecticut than people will ever know," Leuba said. ------ Associated Press Writers Stephen Singer, Susan Haigh and Pat Eaton-Robb contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2007, The Associated Press
"Tom Meskill was a giant, a legend and a public servant without peer. Judge Meskill served in uniform, as a Mayor, as a Congressman,, as Governor, and a Federal Judge. Tom Meskill reformed state government and was a leader on some many fronts, but most importantly he was a kind man who selflessly gave everything to his community, his state and country. If you were Tom Meskill's friend, and there were many, you were his friend for life. The state and country has lost a great man and Republicans everywhere owe him and his family their prayers and thanks for a life well lived for others." -- Christopher Healy, Connecticut Republican Chairman
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Pumpkin Festival today
Here's something great to do today (Sunday) in Bristol:
www.bristolpumpkinfestival.com
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
www.bristolpumpkinfestival.com
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Friday, October 26, 2007
Johnson calls for "time out" on school plans
Press release from GOP mayoral contender Ken Johnson, just in:
The Republican nominee for Mayor of the City of Bristol, Ken Johnson, elaborated further today on the Board of Education plans to switch from the current Elementary School/Middle School approach to a Kindergarten through 8th Grade (K-8) system and build two new 900-pupil schools.
Johnson, a Real Estate Broker, understands the importance of maintaining a strong and vibrant educational system as a way of attracting families to Bristol and keeping them here. “While we endeavor to open our doors to those who want to call Bristol home, we must always remain cognizant of the needs of those of you who already live here,” Johnson Said. “The citizens of our community -- young and old -- cannot afford to pay exorbitantly high taxes and still call Bristol home.”
“My Mayoral opponent and I both agree that the Board of Education needs to do a better job of communicating to the public about these plans. We both sat through a presentation on the school plans at the October City Council meeting. Unfortunately, it was again poorly publicized to the public and, while education officials seem to have convinced my opponent that the K-8 system is the way to go, I’m not convinced,” Johnson added, “That is why I have called for a ‘Time Out.’”
Johnson hailed Councilor Mike Rimcoski, a member of his Bristol First Team, for his leadership at the October meeting to turn back the proposal to build one of the new schools at the old Scalia sand pit site. “Taking a stand, particularly on a controversial issue, is what leadership is all about. Thanks, Mike,” Johnson said.
Johnson wants the public to clearly understand that “we are not going to a K-8 system.” The Board’s stated intention to implement a K-8 system only applies to certain sections of town. “At best it is a hybrid – Northeast and Chippens Hill will still be middle schools and have many years of useful life in them.”
“The West End is driving the need for new schools. The near century old O’Connell and Bingham schools are obsolete. But is Memorial Boulevard? Is a new K-5 in the West End a realistic alternative to the proposed K-8 complex?” With the unique needs of a more transient population in the West End, Johnson asks, “Why aren’t we exploring a school/community center for this area? Could the Bristol Boys & Girls Club be a part of the solution? What about addressing blight? With the inter-relationships of downtown and the West End, perhaps we should be seeking input from the BDDC and others associated with the downtown. I don’t see any collective vision coming out of the efforts to date. All I see are Boards and committees bumping into each other.”
“We are certainly looking down the gun barrel of major education issues and big dollar items. The decisions we make will have long-term implications. Calling a Time Out and allowing ourselves the time to think this through and get it right can only be a good thing.”
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The Republican nominee for Mayor of the City of Bristol, Ken Johnson, elaborated further today on the Board of Education plans to switch from the current Elementary School/Middle School approach to a Kindergarten through 8th Grade (K-8) system and build two new 900-pupil schools.
Johnson, a Real Estate Broker, understands the importance of maintaining a strong and vibrant educational system as a way of attracting families to Bristol and keeping them here. “While we endeavor to open our doors to those who want to call Bristol home, we must always remain cognizant of the needs of those of you who already live here,” Johnson Said. “The citizens of our community -- young and old -- cannot afford to pay exorbitantly high taxes and still call Bristol home.”
“My Mayoral opponent and I both agree that the Board of Education needs to do a better job of communicating to the public about these plans. We both sat through a presentation on the school plans at the October City Council meeting. Unfortunately, it was again poorly publicized to the public and, while education officials seem to have convinced my opponent that the K-8 system is the way to go, I’m not convinced,” Johnson added, “That is why I have called for a ‘Time Out.’”
Johnson hailed Councilor Mike Rimcoski, a member of his Bristol First Team, for his leadership at the October meeting to turn back the proposal to build one of the new schools at the old Scalia sand pit site. “Taking a stand, particularly on a controversial issue, is what leadership is all about. Thanks, Mike,” Johnson said.
Johnson wants the public to clearly understand that “we are not going to a K-8 system.” The Board’s stated intention to implement a K-8 system only applies to certain sections of town. “At best it is a hybrid – Northeast and Chippens Hill will still be middle schools and have many years of useful life in them.”
“The West End is driving the need for new schools. The near century old O’Connell and Bingham schools are obsolete. But is Memorial Boulevard? Is a new K-5 in the West End a realistic alternative to the proposed K-8 complex?” With the unique needs of a more transient population in the West End, Johnson asks, “Why aren’t we exploring a school/community center for this area? Could the Bristol Boys & Girls Club be a part of the solution? What about addressing blight? With the inter-relationships of downtown and the West End, perhaps we should be seeking input from the BDDC and others associated with the downtown. I don’t see any collective vision coming out of the efforts to date. All I see are Boards and committees bumping into each other.”
“We are certainly looking down the gun barrel of major education issues and big dollar items. The decisions we make will have long-term implications. Calling a Time Out and allowing ourselves the time to think this through and get it right can only be a good thing.”
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Stay of execution for Bristol Social Security office
Press release from U.S. Rep. John Larson, moments ago:
The Social Security Administration (SSA) told the Connecticut Congressional Delegation today that it has decided to keep the Bristol office open for at least another three months while they reevaluate their decision to close it.
Senators Chris Dodd and Joe Lieberman, as well as Congressman John B. Larson CT-01, Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, have worked tirelessly with the community and Administration to keep this office open. Most recently, Lieberman and Dodd were successful in getting an amendment introduced and included in an appropriations bill that would prohibit SSA from closing the Bristol office until they meet certain requirements. Congressman Larson has spoken with Michael Astrue, the Commissioner of the SSA, on numerous occasions to stress the importance of this office and the hardships closing it would inflict on the community. The members have also worked to diligently to increase funding for the Social Security Administration above the levels set both by the previous year and the request of the Bush Administration.
The Social Security Office provides a vital function to the population in and around Bristol. And, the delegation has every intention of continuing to fight until a permanent decision to keep the office open is made.
Congressman John B. Larson CT-01, Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, spoke with Michael Astrue, Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, this afternoon. Following the conversation, Larson said:
“I would like to thank Commissioner Astrue for going above and beyond to help us keep this office open. I am thrilled at today’s news and I’m confident we will be able to keep this office open. I will continue to work with the Social Security Administration and my colleagues in the Senate to make the decision to keep the Bristol office open permanent. The office is vital to Bristol’s elderly community. I realize that, the town realizes that and now the Social Security Administration is beginning to realize that.”
Senator Chris Dodd (CT-D) said:
"This is certainly a step in the right direction, and I am confident that given this extra time the SSA will recognize the vital role this office plays in the community of Bristol and the surrounding area. This is not a matter of mere convenience for our senior citizens; it is a matter of necessity. I am sure the SSA will draw the same conclusion in three months' time."
Senator Joe Lieberman (CT – ID) said:
“I am pleased that SSA will keep the Bristol office open while they consider the negative impact of closing this vital facility. I hope that they reach the conclusion that this office must permanently remain open in order to provide critical services to the residents of this area.”
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The Social Security Administration (SSA) told the Connecticut Congressional Delegation today that it has decided to keep the Bristol office open for at least another three months while they reevaluate their decision to close it.
Senators Chris Dodd and Joe Lieberman, as well as Congressman John B. Larson CT-01, Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, have worked tirelessly with the community and Administration to keep this office open. Most recently, Lieberman and Dodd were successful in getting an amendment introduced and included in an appropriations bill that would prohibit SSA from closing the Bristol office until they meet certain requirements. Congressman Larson has spoken with Michael Astrue, the Commissioner of the SSA, on numerous occasions to stress the importance of this office and the hardships closing it would inflict on the community. The members have also worked to diligently to increase funding for the Social Security Administration above the levels set both by the previous year and the request of the Bush Administration.
The Social Security Office provides a vital function to the population in and around Bristol. And, the delegation has every intention of continuing to fight until a permanent decision to keep the office open is made.
Congressman John B. Larson CT-01, Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, spoke with Michael Astrue, Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, this afternoon. Following the conversation, Larson said:
“I would like to thank Commissioner Astrue for going above and beyond to help us keep this office open. I am thrilled at today’s news and I’m confident we will be able to keep this office open. I will continue to work with the Social Security Administration and my colleagues in the Senate to make the decision to keep the Bristol office open permanent. The office is vital to Bristol’s elderly community. I realize that, the town realizes that and now the Social Security Administration is beginning to realize that.”
Senator Chris Dodd (CT-D) said:
"This is certainly a step in the right direction, and I am confident that given this extra time the SSA will recognize the vital role this office plays in the community of Bristol and the surrounding area. This is not a matter of mere convenience for our senior citizens; it is a matter of necessity. I am sure the SSA will draw the same conclusion in three months' time."
Senator Joe Lieberman (CT – ID) said:
“I am pleased that SSA will keep the Bristol office open while they consider the negative impact of closing this vital facility. I hope that they reach the conclusion that this office must permanently remain open in order to provide critical services to the residents of this area.”
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Bipartisan anger at Johnson over GOP mayoral hopeful's claim that not all city contracts "are done properly and completely above board"
When Republican mayoral candidate Ken Johnson told a crowd recently that he is "not satisfied that all contracts are done properly and completely above board" at City Hall, city officials and politicians said they were perplexed.
But when Johnson explained the next day that he was referring to last year’s decision to hire a Plainville real estate broker to help sell surplus city property, they got mad.
Calling the charge “an eleventh hour political ploy, Democratic city Councilor Frank Nicastro, said Johnson’s comments were “offensive as heck. He owes the city an apology.”
“He cast a general allegation against the city,” said Republican Mayor William Stortz, that made Bristol look bad without any justification at all.
Republican city Councilor Mike Rimcoski, one of the three real estate panel members that picked the Plainville firm for the pilot project, said, “If I had to do it again, I’d do it again.”
Democratic mayoral contender Art Ward, a council veteran, said that Johnson “cast dark aspersions” that he failed to justify.
Johnson said that some city firms that sought the contract to sell surplus residential property “were not satisfied the contract was awarded properly.”
Johnson said that his own real estate firm, based in Bristol, was one of the brokers shut out when the city tapped the Plainville-based Berarducci Realtors to handle its sale of surplus residential property.
It’s unclear, though, what anyone did wrong.
Roger Rousseau, the city’s purchasing director, said that the selection process that led to the hiring of Berarducci was “no different” than the way Bristol awards all of its professional service contracts.
He said the contract was advertised twice in both The Bristol Press and a Hartford paper, discussed at council meetings and the subject of news stories.
Still, though a dozen firms sought the contract, some agents complained later they didn’t know the city was looking to hire someone to sell off surplus land.
“Were local firms given every reasonable opportunity to bid on the project and every reasonable consideration to be selected?” Johnson asked.
In hindsight, Rousseau said, he would not rely only on the normal marketing methods. He said he would ask the Realtor’s Association to spread the work about a similar contract in the future.
Nicastro, who heads the real estate panel, said that everything about the selection of Berarducci was done in public and correctly.
Rimcoski said it led to the sale of $700,000 worth of property that has helped reduce the tax burden for residents.
The other member of the Real Estate Committee, Democratic city Councilor Kevin McCauley, said the panel “did everything above board. Nothing was done behind closed doors.”
“We have nothing to hide,” said Nicastro.
McCauley said that Berarducci got the nod because it offered the most attractive deal to the city, something that Nicastro, Rimcoski and Rousseau also said.
McCauley said he is disappointed that Johnson would attempt to make an issue of the deal after it was extensively discussed in public last year.
“Why didn’t he bring it up at the time?” Ward asked.
“I never saw Mr. Johnson at any of the meetings,” Nicastro said.
Nicastro said he was particularly offended that Johnson would put Rimcoski in the crosshairs.
“When he attacks a member of his own political party, that’s not the kind of person I want as mayor,” Nicastro said.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
But when Johnson explained the next day that he was referring to last year’s decision to hire a Plainville real estate broker to help sell surplus city property, they got mad.
Calling the charge “an eleventh hour political ploy, Democratic city Councilor Frank Nicastro, said Johnson’s comments were “offensive as heck. He owes the city an apology.”
“He cast a general allegation against the city,” said Republican Mayor William Stortz, that made Bristol look bad without any justification at all.
Republican city Councilor Mike Rimcoski, one of the three real estate panel members that picked the Plainville firm for the pilot project, said, “If I had to do it again, I’d do it again.”
Democratic mayoral contender Art Ward, a council veteran, said that Johnson “cast dark aspersions” that he failed to justify.
Johnson said that some city firms that sought the contract to sell surplus residential property “were not satisfied the contract was awarded properly.”
Johnson said that his own real estate firm, based in Bristol, was one of the brokers shut out when the city tapped the Plainville-based Berarducci Realtors to handle its sale of surplus residential property.
It’s unclear, though, what anyone did wrong.
Roger Rousseau, the city’s purchasing director, said that the selection process that led to the hiring of Berarducci was “no different” than the way Bristol awards all of its professional service contracts.
He said the contract was advertised twice in both The Bristol Press and a Hartford paper, discussed at council meetings and the subject of news stories.
Still, though a dozen firms sought the contract, some agents complained later they didn’t know the city was looking to hire someone to sell off surplus land.
“Were local firms given every reasonable opportunity to bid on the project and every reasonable consideration to be selected?” Johnson asked.
In hindsight, Rousseau said, he would not rely only on the normal marketing methods. He said he would ask the Realtor’s Association to spread the work about a similar contract in the future.
Nicastro, who heads the real estate panel, said that everything about the selection of Berarducci was done in public and correctly.
Rimcoski said it led to the sale of $700,000 worth of property that has helped reduce the tax burden for residents.
The other member of the Real Estate Committee, Democratic city Councilor Kevin McCauley, said the panel “did everything above board. Nothing was done behind closed doors.”
“We have nothing to hide,” said Nicastro.
McCauley said that Berarducci got the nod because it offered the most attractive deal to the city, something that Nicastro, Rimcoski and Rousseau also said.
McCauley said he is disappointed that Johnson would attempt to make an issue of the deal after it was extensively discussed in public last year.
“Why didn’t he bring it up at the time?” Ward asked.
“I never saw Mr. Johnson at any of the meetings,” Nicastro said.
Nicastro said he was particularly offended that Johnson would put Rimcoski in the crosshairs.
“When he attacks a member of his own political party, that’s not the kind of person I want as mayor,” Nicastro said.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Lydem wants more energy assistance
New press release from Democratic City Council candidate Bruce Lydem:
LYDEM ADVOCATES FOR ENERGY ASSISTANCE HELP FOR BRISTOL’S SENIORS/STRUGGLING FAMILIES
Today’s Bristol Press featured an article about the real estate conveyance tax. Focusing on the real estate conveyance tax is missing the point entirely.
In today’s business news the price of oil has hit just over $90 a barrel! Bristol residents can expect to pay record prices to heat their homes and fill up their tanks with gas this year. This is unacceptable.
While the conveyance tax only kicks in when you buy or sell a property, the price of energy to heat your home and fill up your car with gas hits you every single day. If this coming winter season is a cold as many believe it will be, it will be a long, hard winter.
Leadership is about setting priorities and fighting for those issues that most impact your constituents. What affects Bristol’s citizens more, a tax that kicks in only when you sell or buy a property or the high prices you pay everyday to fill your car up with gas and heat your home? The answer is obvious.
We should focus on giving our citizens, especially our seniors, the help they need with energy assistance. We should be working toward securing funds at the state and federal levels, to help our seniors and those in most need deal with the every increasing cost of energy. It is the right thing to do.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
LYDEM ADVOCATES FOR ENERGY ASSISTANCE HELP FOR BRISTOL’S SENIORS/STRUGGLING FAMILIES
Today’s Bristol Press featured an article about the real estate conveyance tax. Focusing on the real estate conveyance tax is missing the point entirely.
In today’s business news the price of oil has hit just over $90 a barrel! Bristol residents can expect to pay record prices to heat their homes and fill up their tanks with gas this year. This is unacceptable.
While the conveyance tax only kicks in when you buy or sell a property, the price of energy to heat your home and fill up your car with gas hits you every single day. If this coming winter season is a cold as many believe it will be, it will be a long, hard winter.
Leadership is about setting priorities and fighting for those issues that most impact your constituents. What affects Bristol’s citizens more, a tax that kicks in only when you sell or buy a property or the high prices you pay everyday to fill your car up with gas and heat your home? The answer is obvious.
We should focus on giving our citizens, especially our seniors, the help they need with energy assistance. We should be working toward securing funds at the state and federal levels, to help our seniors and those in most need deal with the every increasing cost of energy. It is the right thing to do.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
About candidates' kids
To all of you who want so desperately to post something about candidates' children: it ain't happening.
When somebody runs for office, they open themselves up for public scrutiny. That's fair.
But they aren't volunteering their entire family for that same level of scrutiny unless they seek the presidency or some other extremely powerful position.
I'm not going to let comments go through that talk about the way a candidate cares for his or her children, points out legal transgressions by children, or puts children in a less than positive light.
There may be a reason for an exception someday, but that's how I'm doing it 99.9 percent of the time. Kids are off limits.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
When somebody runs for office, they open themselves up for public scrutiny. That's fair.
But they aren't volunteering their entire family for that same level of scrutiny unless they seek the presidency or some other extremely powerful position.
I'm not going to let comments go through that talk about the way a candidate cares for his or her children, points out legal transgressions by children, or puts children in a less than positive light.
There may be a reason for an exception someday, but that's how I'm doing it 99.9 percent of the time. Kids are off limits.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Johnson explains his comment on city contracts
Though there will be more on this Friday, this is is from Republican mayoral candidate Ken Johnson today:
The situation I was referring to was an RFP released by the council/real estate committee in March 2006 to hire a real estate broker to help dispose of excess city-owned property. 12 bids were received by the city on 4/18/06, including 9 from Bristol-based firms (including mine). The list of proposals was to be narrowed and then bidders were to be invited in to make their pitch with a formal presentation to the committee. Many local companies were not satisfied that the process was done properly when presentations were cancelled and it was it was announced that the bid was awarded to an out-of-town company (Berarducci Realtors in Plainville).
Other Bristol firms were unhappy because they either were not mailed a bid package or they were unaware of the opportunity to bid. I think the question being asked as a result was: Were local firms given every reasonable opportunity to bid on the project and every reasonable consideration to be selected?
A couple of important points:
-I'm not certain that Ward took exception to my answer to this question last night. In any event, my answer was not an attack on Ward as Ward had nothing to do with it.
-I have the utmost faith and confidence in our purchasing agent so please make sure that my answer is not misinterpreted in that way. In fact, to the contrary, in my opinion, our purchasing agent is highly competent, highly professional individual and we are fortunate to have a gentleman of such high moral character and ethical standards serving our City.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The situation I was referring to was an RFP released by the council/real estate committee in March 2006 to hire a real estate broker to help dispose of excess city-owned property. 12 bids were received by the city on 4/18/06, including 9 from Bristol-based firms (including mine). The list of proposals was to be narrowed and then bidders were to be invited in to make their pitch with a formal presentation to the committee. Many local companies were not satisfied that the process was done properly when presentations were cancelled and it was it was announced that the bid was awarded to an out-of-town company (Berarducci Realtors in Plainville).
Other Bristol firms were unhappy because they either were not mailed a bid package or they were unaware of the opportunity to bid. I think the question being asked as a result was: Were local firms given every reasonable opportunity to bid on the project and every reasonable consideration to be selected?
A couple of important points:
-I'm not certain that Ward took exception to my answer to this question last night. In any event, my answer was not an attack on Ward as Ward had nothing to do with it.
-I have the utmost faith and confidence in our purchasing agent so please make sure that my answer is not misinterpreted in that way. In fact, to the contrary, in my opinion, our purchasing agent is highly competent, highly professional individual and we are fortunate to have a gentleman of such high moral character and ethical standards serving our City.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
DeFillippi defends elected school board
From Lori DeFillippi, park commissioner:
Did you know that according to the National School Boards Assoc. (NSBA) that nationally 96% of school boards are elected? Did you know that elected school boards are increasingly targeted for takeover by Mayors, as well as governors?
School board members are trustees for the educational welfare of all children in the communities they serve. They are elected by the people and are directly accountable to the community. Although we as parents, and all members of the community, may not always agree with the board members views/changes, they are accountable to the community who voted them in. I am speaking as a parent, and share the views of other parents who have children in our educational system. School Board members appointed by the Mayor or anybody else for that matter is a bad idea. Who is to say the Mayor, the Council or, heaven forbid, a newspapers picks “better people”?
The key factor in electing School Board members is that WE get a vote, and if WE don’t like the job he or she is doing, WE can vote that person out in the next election. Our political system and our country have been built on the promise that WE will have representation of the people and for the people. Who would the “appointed” members represent? And if we didn’t like the job they were doing, how would we get rid of them?
Of all elected positions we have in this country, School Board members must have the confidence of parents and the community as a whole, and you don’t get that by appointing members. You are asking us, the voters, parents, to trust the appointments of school board members by a Mayor and Council members with our most valuable resource, our children. So why would you not trust us with our vote to elect these members?
If people wanting to serve on the school board do not want to stand up to the rigors of a citywide election, I don’t want them representing me nor our children’s’ educational needs. You need to reject this notion that an appointed school board can do a better job than an elected board. It’s discriminatory and just wrong.
My children have gone through the elementary process. My son is in middle school and my daughter just entered her freshmen year in high school. I have been very satisfied with their educational needs being meant. I know I have a say in the election process. I know the school board members are accountable to the community. School Board members know that without the majority of community approval, nothing would get accomplished, and to think that an elected board cannot achieve community success shows no respect at all for the current School Board members who, like it or not, were voted into office by the citizens of Bristol.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Did you know that according to the National School Boards Assoc. (NSBA) that nationally 96% of school boards are elected? Did you know that elected school boards are increasingly targeted for takeover by Mayors, as well as governors?
School board members are trustees for the educational welfare of all children in the communities they serve. They are elected by the people and are directly accountable to the community. Although we as parents, and all members of the community, may not always agree with the board members views/changes, they are accountable to the community who voted them in. I am speaking as a parent, and share the views of other parents who have children in our educational system. School Board members appointed by the Mayor or anybody else for that matter is a bad idea. Who is to say the Mayor, the Council or, heaven forbid, a newspapers picks “better people”?
The key factor in electing School Board members is that WE get a vote, and if WE don’t like the job he or she is doing, WE can vote that person out in the next election. Our political system and our country have been built on the promise that WE will have representation of the people and for the people. Who would the “appointed” members represent? And if we didn’t like the job they were doing, how would we get rid of them?
Of all elected positions we have in this country, School Board members must have the confidence of parents and the community as a whole, and you don’t get that by appointing members. You are asking us, the voters, parents, to trust the appointments of school board members by a Mayor and Council members with our most valuable resource, our children. So why would you not trust us with our vote to elect these members?
If people wanting to serve on the school board do not want to stand up to the rigors of a citywide election, I don’t want them representing me nor our children’s’ educational needs. You need to reject this notion that an appointed school board can do a better job than an elected board. It’s discriminatory and just wrong.
My children have gone through the elementary process. My son is in middle school and my daughter just entered her freshmen year in high school. I have been very satisfied with their educational needs being meant. I know I have a say in the election process. I know the school board members are accountable to the community. School Board members know that without the majority of community approval, nothing would get accomplished, and to think that an elected board cannot achieve community success shows no respect at all for the current School Board members who, like it or not, were voted into office by the citizens of Bristol.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Stortz says mill rate would be higher without conveyance tax
From Mayor William Stortz, in response to my question about his thoughts on whether the extra conveyance tax should be turned down, as Republican mayoral hopeful Ken Johnson called for:
The city council approved utilizing the opportunity that the state afforded certain cities, those that were more in need.
The difference to Bristol would have averaged over $600,000/yr over the past few years. About .2 mill.. Without that revenue source this year, the milll rate increase would have been 40% higher.
The question then is, where would that additional monies have come from?
As a Real Estate Agent, as an owner of a Real Estate Firm, I am sure Mr. Johnson joins in with the rest of his profession in opposing this revenue source. I know I was criticized by leadership within my own party for supporting this legislation, for I was told it would hurt fund-raising.
As the legislation was being discussed, I looked at the total picture and impact on the city in making my decision.
The issue is moot for this year: I do not think it realistic to change it during the current fiscal year, and it probably will be an issue before the legislature next session as to whether to change the Sunset Date.
Then the city Might have the opportunity to make a decision again.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The city council approved utilizing the opportunity that the state afforded certain cities, those that were more in need.
The difference to Bristol would have averaged over $600,000/yr over the past few years. About .2 mill.. Without that revenue source this year, the milll rate increase would have been 40% higher.
The question then is, where would that additional monies have come from?
As a Real Estate Agent, as an owner of a Real Estate Firm, I am sure Mr. Johnson joins in with the rest of his profession in opposing this revenue source. I know I was criticized by leadership within my own party for supporting this legislation, for I was told it would hurt fund-raising.
As the legislation was being discussed, I looked at the total picture and impact on the city in making my decision.
The issue is moot for this year: I do not think it realistic to change it during the current fiscal year, and it probably will be an issue before the legislature next session as to whether to change the Sunset Date.
Then the city Might have the opportunity to make a decision again.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Big news for Connecticut newspapers
The Tribune Company, which owns The Hartford Courant, today announced it is selling The Advocate (Stamford) and Greenwich Time to the Hearst Corp. for $62.4 million. MediaNews Group, Inc. -- which owned The Bristol Press before it sold the paper in 1994 to the Journal Register Co. -- is going to manage the two Connecticut papers under some kind of private joint venture deal.
Hearst the MediaNews already have a similiar arrangement for the Connecticut Post in Bridgeport and The News-Times in Danbury.
The head of MediaNews, Dean Singleton, told the Associated Press he is delighted to add the Stamford and Greenwich papers "to our growing Connecticut cluster."
It's funny being in a business that is struggling financially and so full of shakeups and change.
Though nobody can say what will eventually happen to the rest of the papers in the state as events unfold, it's sure to be a rocky ride.
I just hope somebody keeps paying me to write.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Hearst the MediaNews already have a similiar arrangement for the Connecticut Post in Bridgeport and The News-Times in Danbury.
The head of MediaNews, Dean Singleton, told the Associated Press he is delighted to add the Stamford and Greenwich papers "to our growing Connecticut cluster."
It's funny being in a business that is struggling financially and so full of shakeups and change.
Though nobody can say what will eventually happen to the rest of the papers in the state as events unfold, it's sure to be a rocky ride.
I just hope somebody keeps paying me to write.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Fighting over the conveyance tax
During the past three and a half years, the city has raked in more than $5 million in extra cash from a conveyance tax surcharge that officials reluctantly imposed.
There’s been no effort to repeal it because politicians and finance officials alike are thrilled to have another solid revenue stream that helps them pay for municipal services without hiking property taxes.
But Republican mayoral hopeful Ken Johnson said he would dump the extra tax, a move some real estate experts strongly endorse.
"I will do away with the higher tax," Johnson said, adding that it imposes too high a burden when property trades hands.
City Comptroller Glenn Klocko said, though, that “giving that money back is really an unnecessary and irrational move on the city’s part.”
“The conveyance tax is a very helpful tax for the city,” Klocko said Thursday. “It’s probably one of the most helpful taxes the state has granted to the city.”
Democratic mayoral candidate Art Ward, who voted along with the rest of the City Council to adopt the tax in 2004, said it brings in necessary revenue to fund one-time projects and equipment purchases.
Ward said the money is used for one-time items so it's not built into the city’s yearly spending plan. It just lessens burden on taxpayers, he said.
“It certainly helps us when we make our budget,” city Finance Chairman Rich Miecznikowski said Thursday. “It’s extra revenue that really helps offset rising costs.”
City financial records show that Bristol has collected $1.6 million annually from the extra tax. This year, it’s on track to make at least as much.
Klocko said that the money pays for major purchases, but most of it winds up as end-of-the-year surplus cash that helps ensure the rainy day fund remains secure.
A state law allows “distressed municipalities,” which include Bristol, the chance to impose an extra .25 percent tax on all real estate sales, an option that city officials initially declined but later decided to snatch up.
Because of the extra surcharge, the city’s share of the conveyance tax on a $100,000 transaction would be $250. That’s $140 more than it would get if it used the same tax rate that non-distressed municipalities are allowed to impose.
It adds up to big money. This year alone, Klocko said, the city collected $460,000 in the first quarter of its fiscal year.
Despite the revenues pouring into city coffers, Bristol Realtor Bob Fiorito said that he strongly agrees with Johnson’s position.
“The conveyance tax is a regressive tax paid by homeowners,” said Fiorito, a former president of the Connecticut Realtors Association.
Because it’s based on sale price, he said, it poses a real difficulty for many sellers now in a tough market when many sellers are facing “a lot of hardships” already as they deal with foreclosures, interest rate hikes and other difficulties.
“It’s not about Realtors. It doesn’t affect us at all,” Fiorito said.
Miecznikowski said that he recognizes the extra charge poses a burden to property sellers, but he has never personally heard a complaint about it.
Fiorito said that the state gave distressed municipalities the option of collecting extra conveyance taxes during a budget crisis that is now over.
“The reason for the conveyance tax to be increased to the detriment of homeowners is now gone,” Fiorito said. “And the tax should be allowed to sunset as it was supposed to Fiorito called it “a dubious honor” for Bristol to embrace the distressed town status that allows it to charge more.
“We’re trying to attract people to this town. It’s just a bad idea,” he said.
Johnson said he doesn’t want Bristol to advertise itself as a distressed community.
He said that part of marketing the city to prospective businesses and others is to showcase its strengths rather than grabbing more taxes by lumping itself in with places such as Hartford and New Britain.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
There’s been no effort to repeal it because politicians and finance officials alike are thrilled to have another solid revenue stream that helps them pay for municipal services without hiking property taxes.
But Republican mayoral hopeful Ken Johnson said he would dump the extra tax, a move some real estate experts strongly endorse.
"I will do away with the higher tax," Johnson said, adding that it imposes too high a burden when property trades hands.
City Comptroller Glenn Klocko said, though, that “giving that money back is really an unnecessary and irrational move on the city’s part.”
“The conveyance tax is a very helpful tax for the city,” Klocko said Thursday. “It’s probably one of the most helpful taxes the state has granted to the city.”
Democratic mayoral candidate Art Ward, who voted along with the rest of the City Council to adopt the tax in 2004, said it brings in necessary revenue to fund one-time projects and equipment purchases.
Ward said the money is used for one-time items so it's not built into the city’s yearly spending plan. It just lessens burden on taxpayers, he said.
“It certainly helps us when we make our budget,” city Finance Chairman Rich Miecznikowski said Thursday. “It’s extra revenue that really helps offset rising costs.”
City financial records show that Bristol has collected $1.6 million annually from the extra tax. This year, it’s on track to make at least as much.
Klocko said that the money pays for major purchases, but most of it winds up as end-of-the-year surplus cash that helps ensure the rainy day fund remains secure.
A state law allows “distressed municipalities,” which include Bristol, the chance to impose an extra .25 percent tax on all real estate sales, an option that city officials initially declined but later decided to snatch up.
Because of the extra surcharge, the city’s share of the conveyance tax on a $100,000 transaction would be $250. That’s $140 more than it would get if it used the same tax rate that non-distressed municipalities are allowed to impose.
It adds up to big money. This year alone, Klocko said, the city collected $460,000 in the first quarter of its fiscal year.
Despite the revenues pouring into city coffers, Bristol Realtor Bob Fiorito said that he strongly agrees with Johnson’s position.
“The conveyance tax is a regressive tax paid by homeowners,” said Fiorito, a former president of the Connecticut Realtors Association.
Because it’s based on sale price, he said, it poses a real difficulty for many sellers now in a tough market when many sellers are facing “a lot of hardships” already as they deal with foreclosures, interest rate hikes and other difficulties.
“It’s not about Realtors. It doesn’t affect us at all,” Fiorito said.
Miecznikowski said that he recognizes the extra charge poses a burden to property sellers, but he has never personally heard a complaint about it.
Fiorito said that the state gave distressed municipalities the option of collecting extra conveyance taxes during a budget crisis that is now over.
“The reason for the conveyance tax to be increased to the detriment of homeowners is now gone,” Fiorito said. “And the tax should be allowed to sunset as it was supposed to Fiorito called it “a dubious honor” for Bristol to embrace the distressed town status that allows it to charge more.
“We’re trying to attract people to this town. It’s just a bad idea,” he said.
Johnson said he doesn’t want Bristol to advertise itself as a distressed community.
He said that part of marketing the city to prospective businesses and others is to showcase its strengths rather than grabbing more taxes by lumping itself in with places such as Hartford and New Britain.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Hartford Courant endorses Ken Johnson
I'm not sure why editorial endorsements matter to campaigns, as they are normally written by badly out of touch editors, but they do. Here's what the Courant had to say this morning:
www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-endorsebristol.artoct25,0,7714246.story
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-endorsebristol.artoct25,0,7714246.story
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Overview of The Great Debate
In the final scheduled mayoral debate of the campaign, Republican hopeful Ken Johnson came out swinging.
Vowing to bring greater honesty and integrity to government, Johnson said that he is "not satisfied that all contracts are done properly and completely above board" at City Hall.
Democrat Art Ward, who’s served on the City Council for 14 years, said he took exception to the charge.
It’s unclear what caused Johnson to question the propriety of municipal contracts, but he said after the debate at the Little League complex that he would provide specific information on Thursday.
During the faceoff, sponsored by the Democratic and Republican parties, both candidates sounded themes and touched on issues they have rehashed frequently during the campaign, but a few intriguing, new items came to light as well.
Among the new issues raised were whether to collect extra conveyance taxes, whether to build a public safety headquarters, how to avoid a decline in the city’s fortunes and how best to deal with an open government complaint filed last summer challenging a “scripted” city meeting in January that led to the creation of the downtown corporation.
Johnson said he would “do away” with the extra conveyance tax charged when property is sold, a move that would immediately drain more than $1 million from the city’s revenues.
Ward said the money is needed for costly, one-time purchases and that failing to collect the money would hurt most taxpayers.
Though both candidates said there’s a growing space crunch at the police and fire departments as well as City Hall, Johnson’s answer for the problem was to seek a creative answer that would mesh together with downtown planning.
Ward said that he believes it is time to consider a police and fire safety complex that would combine the headquarters of both the police and fire departments.
Both Ward and Johnson, who face the voters on November 6, said that Bristol is at a crossroads.
“We are at a very, very critical junction," Johnson said, because Bristol is no longer a little town.
"It would be very easy for us to slide down that slippery slope" and face the woes that afflict New Britain, Waterbury and Meriden, he said.
The way to avoid it, Johnson said, is that “we must aggressively market the city of Bristol" to attract new businesses to expand the tax base.
"Perception becomes reality," Ward said, adding that is why revitalizing the mall site and opening the new industrial park are so important.
Ward said they would bring jobs, places to shop and more "along with preserving our neighborhoods."
He also said he wants to take up the "clean and green" policy of former Mayor Gerard Couture that focused on neighborhood improvements.
Johnson said that he would like to see the Freedom of Information complaint filed against the city over the meeting last winter that city Councilor Ellen Zoppo “scripted” beforehand.
He said the pending FOI complaint "does not serve the best interests of the people" and was only intended "to poke a stick in the eye" of Zoppo, Ward's primary opponent.
Ward said he is committed to open government.
But Johnson zinged Ward for participating in another “scripted” session in 2005 before the approval of a new housing code. Ward did not respond to Johnson’s prodding on the issue.
More details of the debate are available online on reporter Steve Collins’ Bristol Blog at bristolpress.com.
The debate is going to be shown twice on cable channel 21 by Nutmeg TV, at 6 p.m. Sunday and again on Monday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Vowing to bring greater honesty and integrity to government, Johnson said that he is "not satisfied that all contracts are done properly and completely above board" at City Hall.
Democrat Art Ward, who’s served on the City Council for 14 years, said he took exception to the charge.
It’s unclear what caused Johnson to question the propriety of municipal contracts, but he said after the debate at the Little League complex that he would provide specific information on Thursday.
During the faceoff, sponsored by the Democratic and Republican parties, both candidates sounded themes and touched on issues they have rehashed frequently during the campaign, but a few intriguing, new items came to light as well.
Among the new issues raised were whether to collect extra conveyance taxes, whether to build a public safety headquarters, how to avoid a decline in the city’s fortunes and how best to deal with an open government complaint filed last summer challenging a “scripted” city meeting in January that led to the creation of the downtown corporation.
Johnson said he would “do away” with the extra conveyance tax charged when property is sold, a move that would immediately drain more than $1 million from the city’s revenues.
Ward said the money is needed for costly, one-time purchases and that failing to collect the money would hurt most taxpayers.
Though both candidates said there’s a growing space crunch at the police and fire departments as well as City Hall, Johnson’s answer for the problem was to seek a creative answer that would mesh together with downtown planning.
Ward said that he believes it is time to consider a police and fire safety complex that would combine the headquarters of both the police and fire departments.
Both Ward and Johnson, who face the voters on November 6, said that Bristol is at a crossroads.
“We are at a very, very critical junction," Johnson said, because Bristol is no longer a little town.
"It would be very easy for us to slide down that slippery slope" and face the woes that afflict New Britain, Waterbury and Meriden, he said.
The way to avoid it, Johnson said, is that “we must aggressively market the city of Bristol" to attract new businesses to expand the tax base.
"Perception becomes reality," Ward said, adding that is why revitalizing the mall site and opening the new industrial park are so important.
Ward said they would bring jobs, places to shop and more "along with preserving our neighborhoods."
He also said he wants to take up the "clean and green" policy of former Mayor Gerard Couture that focused on neighborhood improvements.
Johnson said that he would like to see the Freedom of Information complaint filed against the city over the meeting last winter that city Councilor Ellen Zoppo “scripted” beforehand.
He said the pending FOI complaint "does not serve the best interests of the people" and was only intended "to poke a stick in the eye" of Zoppo, Ward's primary opponent.
Ward said he is committed to open government.
But Johnson zinged Ward for participating in another “scripted” session in 2005 before the approval of a new housing code. Ward did not respond to Johnson’s prodding on the issue.
More details of the debate are available online on reporter Steve Collins’ Bristol Blog at bristolpress.com.
The debate is going to be shown twice on cable channel 21 by Nutmeg TV, at 6 p.m. Sunday and again on Monday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The Great Debate, part 4
24 quick questions now.
I'm only going to mention things that sound new.
This is kind of an interesting thing, but it's rehashing what they've been saying.
Personally, I want to know a whole lot more about why GOP candidate Ken Johnson says that there's a problem with honesty and integrity at City Hall.
To help prevent all the bickering of the past two years, Johnson said he would "get elected."
Johnson said senior tax relief is not at the top of his priority list, but he would like to minimize taxes for all.
Democrat Art Ward said the initial way to address taxes is to control spending. "That helps everyone," Ward said.
It's almost game time, I think. I can't wait.
Open government?
Ward said that "decisions will not be made in the back room" or at multiple special council meetings. Johnson said he "absolutely will not participate in secret meetings" or scripted meetings.
He kind of pointed out that Ward did stick to the script in 2005, which is true.
Re K-8....
Ward said it's for efficiency and cost to put both K-5 and 6-8 in one building.
"I'm calling for a timeout" before the city moves forward, Johnson said, to create a community center with the school in the West End.
Question about police oversight...
Johnson said conflicts of interest shouldn't exist. He said he has no ties "and I owe favors to noone."
Ward said employees have a right to seek elected office, but "they need to use discretion."
Question re K-8 site in West End...
"I am agains the use of the Roberts property," Johnson said. "The West End needs a West End solution."
He said he'd be willing to use eminent domain at IGA site.
Ward said he's not limited to Roberts site. He said he'd like to see more information on alternatives.
Question about a detective that didn't investigate cases and nothing happened to his superiors....
Ward said that he doesn't know details of the personnel matter. "I can't make a judgment call on that," Ward said.
Johnson said the public needs to know matters such as this are dealt with appropriately. He said a citizen board "is the appropriat way to go" to adjudicate.
Forestville K-8 site on Crowley property?
Ward said absolutely, if it's clean. He said it would address the area's needs.
"Let's get something right," Johnson said. He said that there should be a timeout for that school, too.
Question re corrupt mayors...
Johnson said there is only constructive thing that leaders can do with power - "delegate it and give it away." He said "a giant step" toward depoliticization if a manager hired.
Ward said that with an open, respectful, considerate administration would "in itself police all of our actions."
Johnson said the mayor "is not a micromanager." He said it's another reason for a professional manager so that people can focus on specific tasks.
To manage and make sound decisions is what leadership is. "Leadership is being able to guide," Ward said.
Johnson said he'll hold open office hours and have sessions around town so people can get involved more easily.
Conveyance tax?
Ward said the money is used for one-time items so it's not built into the budget. It just lessens burden.
"I will do away with the higher tax," Johnson said. He sai the tax is too high.
"I will eliminate the higher tax."
Wow, now that will shock and horrify some city officials.
Johnson said he wants to preserve and protect open space wherever possible.
Ward said he favors open space, but "you cannot have a total community that is open space." He said owners have a right to develop their property.
firehouse for SW corner?
"I believe the answer to that is yes," Johnson said. He said there is a general lack of utilities in that area. He said there is "no question" that area is underserved.
Ward said the Water Board has been installing lines and pump stations in area. He said that area deserves assistance.
Question about poverty...
Ward said the issue is landlords enticing Section 8 people into town "so they can collect the dollars and not pump any money" into their property. He said there should be more inspections.
Johnson said the issue "gets lumped onto the head of absentee landlords" but he would like to ask landlords how to improve rental stock. He said home ownership is crucial.
Co-pays for remaining unions?
Ward said everyone understands the need to do that through "good faith bargaining" with the unions that don't have it.
Johnson said health care is high cost and sharing costs is predominate.
Question re Route 6 -- Johnson said that on eastern end of Route 6, he's planning to meet with the DOT and state Rep. Ron Burns.
Ward said he's also planning to follow up on issue seriously.
major emergency planning?
Johnson said he is "not certain we are prepared for a worst case scenario," but he said he has a wealth of background in preparing for emergencies.
Ward said that city developed two community response teams and new drills are being planned.
Question re mayors becoming target of criticism... Ward said can be accessible and try to explain. He said he'd listen and try to resolve problems.
Johnson said he favors letting everyone, including city employees, "to speak freely."
He said he wants to make it known that they can enjoy their right to free speech, even if they want to criticize their mayor.
Hold line on taxes?
Ward said that would be hard with rising energy costs. But can hold taxes down.
Johnson said many expenses beyond the city's control. But "absolutely critical" is marketing city with an aggressive economic development effort.
Final question of night: One issue you will resolve in next two years?
Johnson said, "I will have restored civility to public discourse and political debate." He said he will ensure that everyone is heard.
Ward promised "open government, open communication are the fundamentals of good government." He said it would responsive to all.
Now quick break.
Final words...
Johnson said that many Democrats are struggling with Ward. He said that staying home is not effective protest. Go vote.
"I'm not a career politician. I'm a citizen like you." He said he'll be honest, listen and energized.
"We've got an opportunity chart a new course for the city of Bristol," Johnson said.
Ward said the city is at a crossroads. "The last two years have been intersting, to say the least. The negativity at City Hall has been immense."
He said the mayor sets the tone and agenda, controlling the staff and resources.
"It's time to move Bristol forward," he said, and vowed to work with the council and boards, and to boost employee morale by respecting employees.
"I have been putting Bristol first for decades," Ward said. Bristol has the choice of experience or a well-intentioned newcomer.
That's a wrap.
Now I have to go ask my own questions. ;)
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
I'm only going to mention things that sound new.
This is kind of an interesting thing, but it's rehashing what they've been saying.
Personally, I want to know a whole lot more about why GOP candidate Ken Johnson says that there's a problem with honesty and integrity at City Hall.
To help prevent all the bickering of the past two years, Johnson said he would "get elected."
Johnson said senior tax relief is not at the top of his priority list, but he would like to minimize taxes for all.
Democrat Art Ward said the initial way to address taxes is to control spending. "That helps everyone," Ward said.
It's almost game time, I think. I can't wait.
Open government?
Ward said that "decisions will not be made in the back room" or at multiple special council meetings. Johnson said he "absolutely will not participate in secret meetings" or scripted meetings.
He kind of pointed out that Ward did stick to the script in 2005, which is true.
Re K-8....
Ward said it's for efficiency and cost to put both K-5 and 6-8 in one building.
"I'm calling for a timeout" before the city moves forward, Johnson said, to create a community center with the school in the West End.
Question about police oversight...
Johnson said conflicts of interest shouldn't exist. He said he has no ties "and I owe favors to noone."
Ward said employees have a right to seek elected office, but "they need to use discretion."
Question re K-8 site in West End...
"I am agains the use of the Roberts property," Johnson said. "The West End needs a West End solution."
He said he'd be willing to use eminent domain at IGA site.
Ward said he's not limited to Roberts site. He said he'd like to see more information on alternatives.
Question about a detective that didn't investigate cases and nothing happened to his superiors....
Ward said that he doesn't know details of the personnel matter. "I can't make a judgment call on that," Ward said.
Johnson said the public needs to know matters such as this are dealt with appropriately. He said a citizen board "is the appropriat way to go" to adjudicate.
Forestville K-8 site on Crowley property?
Ward said absolutely, if it's clean. He said it would address the area's needs.
"Let's get something right," Johnson said. He said that there should be a timeout for that school, too.
Question re corrupt mayors...
Johnson said there is only constructive thing that leaders can do with power - "delegate it and give it away." He said "a giant step" toward depoliticization if a manager hired.
Ward said that with an open, respectful, considerate administration would "in itself police all of our actions."
Johnson said the mayor "is not a micromanager." He said it's another reason for a professional manager so that people can focus on specific tasks.
To manage and make sound decisions is what leadership is. "Leadership is being able to guide," Ward said.
Johnson said he'll hold open office hours and have sessions around town so people can get involved more easily.
Conveyance tax?
Ward said the money is used for one-time items so it's not built into the budget. It just lessens burden.
"I will do away with the higher tax," Johnson said. He sai the tax is too high.
"I will eliminate the higher tax."
Wow, now that will shock and horrify some city officials.
Johnson said he wants to preserve and protect open space wherever possible.
Ward said he favors open space, but "you cannot have a total community that is open space." He said owners have a right to develop their property.
firehouse for SW corner?
"I believe the answer to that is yes," Johnson said. He said there is a general lack of utilities in that area. He said there is "no question" that area is underserved.
Ward said the Water Board has been installing lines and pump stations in area. He said that area deserves assistance.
Question about poverty...
Ward said the issue is landlords enticing Section 8 people into town "so they can collect the dollars and not pump any money" into their property. He said there should be more inspections.
Johnson said the issue "gets lumped onto the head of absentee landlords" but he would like to ask landlords how to improve rental stock. He said home ownership is crucial.
Co-pays for remaining unions?
Ward said everyone understands the need to do that through "good faith bargaining" with the unions that don't have it.
Johnson said health care is high cost and sharing costs is predominate.
Question re Route 6 -- Johnson said that on eastern end of Route 6, he's planning to meet with the DOT and state Rep. Ron Burns.
Ward said he's also planning to follow up on issue seriously.
major emergency planning?
Johnson said he is "not certain we are prepared for a worst case scenario," but he said he has a wealth of background in preparing for emergencies.
Ward said that city developed two community response teams and new drills are being planned.
Question re mayors becoming target of criticism... Ward said can be accessible and try to explain. He said he'd listen and try to resolve problems.
Johnson said he favors letting everyone, including city employees, "to speak freely."
He said he wants to make it known that they can enjoy their right to free speech, even if they want to criticize their mayor.
Hold line on taxes?
Ward said that would be hard with rising energy costs. But can hold taxes down.
Johnson said many expenses beyond the city's control. But "absolutely critical" is marketing city with an aggressive economic development effort.
Final question of night: One issue you will resolve in next two years?
Johnson said, "I will have restored civility to public discourse and political debate." He said he will ensure that everyone is heard.
Ward promised "open government, open communication are the fundamentals of good government." He said it would responsive to all.
Now quick break.
Final words...
Johnson said that many Democrats are struggling with Ward. He said that staying home is not effective protest. Go vote.
"I'm not a career politician. I'm a citizen like you." He said he'll be honest, listen and energized.
"We've got an opportunity chart a new course for the city of Bristol," Johnson said.
Ward said the city is at a crossroads. "The last two years have been intersting, to say the least. The negativity at City Hall has been immense."
He said the mayor sets the tone and agenda, controlling the staff and resources.
"It's time to move Bristol forward," he said, and vowed to work with the council and boards, and to boost employee morale by respecting employees.
"I have been putting Bristol first for decades," Ward said. Bristol has the choice of experience or a well-intentioned newcomer.
That's a wrap.
Now I have to go ask my own questions. ;)
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The Great Debate, part 3
One thing I always forget to mention is that Republican Ken Johnson is an actor. He played the Cowardly Lion in one of the Bristol Community Theater's productions and another time, the only one I actually saw, he played Daddy Warbucks in "Annie."
Republican actors, naturally, have a pretty good track record in politics. Ronald Reagan became president. Sonny Bono, who was sort of an actor, somehow became a congressman.
The coin toss goes to Democratic mayoral candidate Art Ward, who is starting things off.
Ward begins by saying happy 59th birthday to moderator Tom Monahan.
"Much of what we say here this evening... will be repetition," Ward said, "so I've changed a few things."
Ward said fiscal responsibility and setting priorities is key. Controlling spending is key by figuring out which projects are of "the most vital priority for the community."
He said the mall, the new industrial park, education and park revitalization are his priorities.
Johnson's turn now.
He thanked Monahan for having a tinge of orange in his tie.
"Voter turnout in Bristol is in the toilet," Johnson said. He said he hears frustration from voters of all parties.
After 14 years, why no progress on mall, the industrial park and more, Johnson wondered.
Ward says it is his turn, but I say it's time for change, Johnson said.
Johnson said that Ward "put politics over people" and flipped on the former Roberts property by calling for a school on property eyed for recreation.
He asked Ward if he ever participated in scripted meetings. Ward did, actually, when the housing code was approved in 2005. I don't know if Ward will ever get the chance to admit that.
Now a question about reform.
Johnson said that he presented positions to charter panel and it's ready to investigate his proposals. "I'm absolutely thrilled and excited" that the proposed manager, appointed Board of Education and more are already on the agenda.
Ward said the mall is "17 acres of prime commercial property" and revitalization need to move forward. He said setting priorities is needed.
Question to Ward about fresh ideas.
Ward said that fresh "ideers" have been coming up for 14 years, including tearing down vacant eyesores, increasing Grand List, brought in more than 50 companies, renovated parks and pools and more.
Question for Johnson about serving in city government before.
Johnson said there has been discussion about experience versus new ideas. "We need both and I offer both," Johnson said. He said he's a lifelong resident, a UVA graduate, worked for CL&P for more than 20 years in managerial roles.
"Running things is what I enjoy," Johnson said. He said his utility experience is similiar to government because both are bureaucratic with centralized management.
Question re 72 and mall....
Ward said city needs public input, plans to review, need to improve safety so people want "to gravitate to."
Johnson said, "We need to proceed full speed ahead on both aspects of the projects."
He said he'll push the BDDC to get RFPs and to dust off the Route 72 corridor study from 2005 and get ready to spruce up Riverside Avenue. Also, Johnson said, need to address Federal Hill and West End to maximize downtown's attractiveness.
Ward said he agrees. He said the city needs to work with state to make Riverside Avenue "an attractive gateway."
Johnson said Ward wanted the BDDC to halt, but now he wants it to move ahead. Plus, he said, the FOIA complaint could block progress.
Next question is about bids, contracts and hiring.
Johnson said he is "not satisfied that all contracts are done propertly and completely above board." He said the public needs more assurance of honesty and integrity. He said there should be rules to make it easier for local businesses to win local contracts. Johnson said that boards need more diversity of opinion.
Ward said there is an ordinance addressing local bidding. Actually, that's not true. It's in the purchasing manual, a Board of Finance policy.
"I take exception to any allegations" that honesty did not prevail, Ward said.
Johnson said matters that are private and personal will stay that way, but it's a debate and people need to see the differences.
Ward said there was "no substantiation" and this is not the format for such a charge.
The FOIA complaint was to defend the people, Ward said.
New question about whether city run by inner circles and cliques.
Johnson said conduct in campaign will mirror what he does as mayor. To be honest, to act with integrity, to seek out diverse opinion and respect it, and to return civility to public discourse and debate.
Ward said the privilege of being reelected attests public's opinion of his honesty and integrity. He said he prides himself on constituent service.
"I am committed to honesty in politics," Johnson said. He said the FOI complaint "does not serve the best interests of the people" and was only intended "to poke a stick in the eye" of Ward's primary opponent.
Ward said Johnson says he's always right. He said councilors don't have time but he also wants them to be the Route 72 ombudsmen.
Question about education, which is odd because they really ought to stick with this whole issue.
Ward said that school funding "has always taken a priority" and it's been fully funded in recent years. He said that has to continue.
Johnson most per student funding is for places such as Hartford.
Another question, about what issues shoudl be addressed that public isn't aware of.
Ward said the public does have knowledge of issues, but park revitalization is "a broad, expansive project" that needs to keep going forward.
Johnson said the public "may not be fully aware of" Bristol's potential "to market and sell ourselves to the world."
He said we need to focus on attributes that will bring people to Bristol.
Johnson said he's thrilled that the Rockwell Park project is moving ahead. The credit belongs to Park Board "and probably to city Councilor Ellen Zoppo."
Question about appointments.
"The good old boy system has gotta go," Johnson said. He said he has regrets that the GOP couldn't convince a woman or a minority person to join the GOP ticket. He said that a diversity of opinion is needed.
Ward said that during last 7 or 8 years, there has been a concerted effort to bring more women onto city boards. He said he would like to see more young people.
Johnson said that he would reach out to everyone to express interest in how they'd like to serve city.
Another question, about measurable goals.
Johnson said he would finish all board appointments in first 100 days. He said he wants to send a message that "we're serious about taking action" instead of "politicians running in circles and nothing getting done."
He said he wants a youth advisory board to help the Board of Education. "We want input from the students," JOhnson said.
Ward said number one is to knock down mall and get RFPs from developers, to hear from public, to get working on industrial park and to devote more attention to cleaning up areas such as the West End.
Johnson said that Ward's strategy is to lie low and let the Democratic base put him in to mayor's chair.
Ward said he brought up issues to the charter panel.
Another failure to follow up. Question about improving efficiency.
"THere's always, always avenues that we can better ourselves in," Ward said.
He said the city can be more efficient in many departments.
Johnson said he would restart the efficiency committee that Mayor William Stortz killed off. He said professional manager is crucial for oversight of spending.
Ward said that Municipal Energy got $10K in March to help get back utility payments. The city hasn't seen anything for the money.
"This is politics over people," Johnson said. "This is the kind of thing we have to stop."
Johnson said there is no conflict involved.
He cited me to defend himself, oddly enough. Like that would help anyone!
Question about internal affairs position in police...
Ward said that majority of investigations come from citizens complaining about tickets or infractions, not questioning integrity of police. He said it's infrequent that serious questions arise.
Johnson said that he supports the position, too. He asked why it took nine months to get position in place, because Ward chairs the Salary Committee.
It took nine months, Ward said, because the police chief needed to make the evaluation of how to create position.
"Look up the record and see how many meetings were called during that nine month period," Johnson said.
Question about whether Bristol slipping...
Johnson said "we are at a very, very critical junction" and no longer a little town.
"It would be very easy for us to slide down that slippery slope" like New Britain, Waterbury, Meriden. "We must aggressively market the city of Bristol" and expand the tax base, Johnson said.
"Perception becomes reality," Ward said, which is why the mall and industrial park are so important. He said it brings jobs, place to shop and more "along with preserving our neighborhoods."
He said he wants to reimplement the "clean and green" policy of former Mayor Gerard Couture.
Johnson said he's glad to see Ward is finally taking a stance on issues.
Question about downtown policy...
Johnson said that what's important is restoring faith in the honesty and integrity of their government, and that it will listen to residents. "They don't believe that their political leaders are listening to them," he said.
Ward said part of the problem for two years "has been a fragmented administration" that made it so "very little has been accomplished."
In his first 12 years on the council, he said, were progressive and active.
THe last two years, however, "have been very frustrating," Ward said.
Johnson said that Ward feuded with the other Democrats. "This division that he speaks of is self-imposed," Johnson said. He said he's running with a unified team.
Ward said Republicans don't even have a complete slate.
Question about space issues...
Ward said the police department says it has inadequate space despite spending $4 million a decade ago. Now it's time to consider a police, fire safety complex in city, he said. Ideally, he said, should be able to combine the headquarters' buildings.
"This is a topic that's going to require creativity," Johnson said. "We're running out of space" at City Hall, the police, fire and more. Whatever is done must mesh together and fit the vision of downtown and the schools.
It's necessary to look at all of the issues together and decide what to do.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Republican actors, naturally, have a pretty good track record in politics. Ronald Reagan became president. Sonny Bono, who was sort of an actor, somehow became a congressman.
The coin toss goes to Democratic mayoral candidate Art Ward, who is starting things off.
Ward begins by saying happy 59th birthday to moderator Tom Monahan.
"Much of what we say here this evening... will be repetition," Ward said, "so I've changed a few things."
Ward said fiscal responsibility and setting priorities is key. Controlling spending is key by figuring out which projects are of "the most vital priority for the community."
He said the mall, the new industrial park, education and park revitalization are his priorities.
Johnson's turn now.
He thanked Monahan for having a tinge of orange in his tie.
"Voter turnout in Bristol is in the toilet," Johnson said. He said he hears frustration from voters of all parties.
After 14 years, why no progress on mall, the industrial park and more, Johnson wondered.
Ward says it is his turn, but I say it's time for change, Johnson said.
Johnson said that Ward "put politics over people" and flipped on the former Roberts property by calling for a school on property eyed for recreation.
He asked Ward if he ever participated in scripted meetings. Ward did, actually, when the housing code was approved in 2005. I don't know if Ward will ever get the chance to admit that.
Now a question about reform.
Johnson said that he presented positions to charter panel and it's ready to investigate his proposals. "I'm absolutely thrilled and excited" that the proposed manager, appointed Board of Education and more are already on the agenda.
Ward said the mall is "17 acres of prime commercial property" and revitalization need to move forward. He said setting priorities is needed.
Question to Ward about fresh ideas.
Ward said that fresh "ideers" have been coming up for 14 years, including tearing down vacant eyesores, increasing Grand List, brought in more than 50 companies, renovated parks and pools and more.
Question for Johnson about serving in city government before.
Johnson said there has been discussion about experience versus new ideas. "We need both and I offer both," Johnson said. He said he's a lifelong resident, a UVA graduate, worked for CL&P for more than 20 years in managerial roles.
"Running things is what I enjoy," Johnson said. He said his utility experience is similiar to government because both are bureaucratic with centralized management.
Question re 72 and mall....
Ward said city needs public input, plans to review, need to improve safety so people want "to gravitate to."
Johnson said, "We need to proceed full speed ahead on both aspects of the projects."
He said he'll push the BDDC to get RFPs and to dust off the Route 72 corridor study from 2005 and get ready to spruce up Riverside Avenue. Also, Johnson said, need to address Federal Hill and West End to maximize downtown's attractiveness.
Ward said he agrees. He said the city needs to work with state to make Riverside Avenue "an attractive gateway."
Johnson said Ward wanted the BDDC to halt, but now he wants it to move ahead. Plus, he said, the FOIA complaint could block progress.
Next question is about bids, contracts and hiring.
Johnson said he is "not satisfied that all contracts are done propertly and completely above board." He said the public needs more assurance of honesty and integrity. He said there should be rules to make it easier for local businesses to win local contracts. Johnson said that boards need more diversity of opinion.
Ward said there is an ordinance addressing local bidding. Actually, that's not true. It's in the purchasing manual, a Board of Finance policy.
"I take exception to any allegations" that honesty did not prevail, Ward said.
Johnson said matters that are private and personal will stay that way, but it's a debate and people need to see the differences.
Ward said there was "no substantiation" and this is not the format for such a charge.
The FOIA complaint was to defend the people, Ward said.
New question about whether city run by inner circles and cliques.
Johnson said conduct in campaign will mirror what he does as mayor. To be honest, to act with integrity, to seek out diverse opinion and respect it, and to return civility to public discourse and debate.
Ward said the privilege of being reelected attests public's opinion of his honesty and integrity. He said he prides himself on constituent service.
"I am committed to honesty in politics," Johnson said. He said the FOI complaint "does not serve the best interests of the people" and was only intended "to poke a stick in the eye" of Ward's primary opponent.
Ward said Johnson says he's always right. He said councilors don't have time but he also wants them to be the Route 72 ombudsmen.
Question about education, which is odd because they really ought to stick with this whole issue.
Ward said that school funding "has always taken a priority" and it's been fully funded in recent years. He said that has to continue.
Johnson most per student funding is for places such as Hartford.
Another question, about what issues shoudl be addressed that public isn't aware of.
Ward said the public does have knowledge of issues, but park revitalization is "a broad, expansive project" that needs to keep going forward.
Johnson said the public "may not be fully aware of" Bristol's potential "to market and sell ourselves to the world."
He said we need to focus on attributes that will bring people to Bristol.
Johnson said he's thrilled that the Rockwell Park project is moving ahead. The credit belongs to Park Board "and probably to city Councilor Ellen Zoppo."
Question about appointments.
"The good old boy system has gotta go," Johnson said. He said he has regrets that the GOP couldn't convince a woman or a minority person to join the GOP ticket. He said that a diversity of opinion is needed.
Ward said that during last 7 or 8 years, there has been a concerted effort to bring more women onto city boards. He said he would like to see more young people.
Johnson said that he would reach out to everyone to express interest in how they'd like to serve city.
Another question, about measurable goals.
Johnson said he would finish all board appointments in first 100 days. He said he wants to send a message that "we're serious about taking action" instead of "politicians running in circles and nothing getting done."
He said he wants a youth advisory board to help the Board of Education. "We want input from the students," JOhnson said.
Ward said number one is to knock down mall and get RFPs from developers, to hear from public, to get working on industrial park and to devote more attention to cleaning up areas such as the West End.
Johnson said that Ward's strategy is to lie low and let the Democratic base put him in to mayor's chair.
Ward said he brought up issues to the charter panel.
Another failure to follow up. Question about improving efficiency.
"THere's always, always avenues that we can better ourselves in," Ward said.
He said the city can be more efficient in many departments.
Johnson said he would restart the efficiency committee that Mayor William Stortz killed off. He said professional manager is crucial for oversight of spending.
Ward said that Municipal Energy got $10K in March to help get back utility payments. The city hasn't seen anything for the money.
"This is politics over people," Johnson said. "This is the kind of thing we have to stop."
Johnson said there is no conflict involved.
He cited me to defend himself, oddly enough. Like that would help anyone!
Question about internal affairs position in police...
Ward said that majority of investigations come from citizens complaining about tickets or infractions, not questioning integrity of police. He said it's infrequent that serious questions arise.
Johnson said that he supports the position, too. He asked why it took nine months to get position in place, because Ward chairs the Salary Committee.
It took nine months, Ward said, because the police chief needed to make the evaluation of how to create position.
"Look up the record and see how many meetings were called during that nine month period," Johnson said.
Question about whether Bristol slipping...
Johnson said "we are at a very, very critical junction" and no longer a little town.
"It would be very easy for us to slide down that slippery slope" like New Britain, Waterbury, Meriden. "We must aggressively market the city of Bristol" and expand the tax base, Johnson said.
"Perception becomes reality," Ward said, which is why the mall and industrial park are so important. He said it brings jobs, place to shop and more "along with preserving our neighborhoods."
He said he wants to reimplement the "clean and green" policy of former Mayor Gerard Couture.
Johnson said he's glad to see Ward is finally taking a stance on issues.
Question about downtown policy...
Johnson said that what's important is restoring faith in the honesty and integrity of their government, and that it will listen to residents. "They don't believe that their political leaders are listening to them," he said.
Ward said part of the problem for two years "has been a fragmented administration" that made it so "very little has been accomplished."
In his first 12 years on the council, he said, were progressive and active.
THe last two years, however, "have been very frustrating," Ward said.
Johnson said that Ward feuded with the other Democrats. "This division that he speaks of is self-imposed," Johnson said. He said he's running with a unified team.
Ward said Republicans don't even have a complete slate.
Question about space issues...
Ward said the police department says it has inadequate space despite spending $4 million a decade ago. Now it's time to consider a police, fire safety complex in city, he said. Ideally, he said, should be able to combine the headquarters' buildings.
"This is a topic that's going to require creativity," Johnson said. "We're running out of space" at City Hall, the police, fire and more. Whatever is done must mesh together and fit the vision of downtown and the schools.
It's necessary to look at all of the issues together and decide what to do.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The Great Debate, Part 2
The Little League director, Don Soucy, took off before it got going.
He said that I should determine the winner and make the winner lock up.
"Then I'm losing," Democratic mayoral candidate Art Ward said.
Lots of thanks given here to Soucy and the staff before the debate actually begins. Soucy, however, is gone. He knows these guys too well to stay.
This debate is supposedly going to be broadcast by Nutmeg TV twice, at 6 p.m. Sunday and again on Monday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. It'll be on channel 21. That depends on Mike Saman's ability to get a good videotape, of course, but I have faith in him.
Introducing the candidates... Democratic chairman Dean Kilbourne introducing Ward and, no doubt, Mocabee will be telling everyone about Johnson momentarily.
After that, well, we'll see.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
He said that I should determine the winner and make the winner lock up.
"Then I'm losing," Democratic mayoral candidate Art Ward said.
Lots of thanks given here to Soucy and the staff before the debate actually begins. Soucy, however, is gone. He knows these guys too well to stay.
This debate is supposedly going to be broadcast by Nutmeg TV twice, at 6 p.m. Sunday and again on Monday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. It'll be on channel 21. That depends on Mike Saman's ability to get a good videotape, of course, but I have faith in him.
Introducing the candidates... Democratic chairman Dean Kilbourne introducing Ward and, no doubt, Mocabee will be telling everyone about Johnson momentarily.
After that, well, we'll see.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The Great Debate? Live at the Little League complex
It's cold, wet and dreary outside, but here in the the main hall at the Little League complex on Mix Street, there are about 75 people gathered for the final forum of this year's mayoral campaign.
Sponsored by the Republicans and the Democrats, it is inherently bipartisan.
It's a big room with a very high ceiling. At the front are three tables covered with blue cloths - one for Democratic hopeful Art Ward, one for Republican champion Ken Johnson, and one for the press. I'm actually sitting in the audience, in the front row, because I didn't want to ask the questions tonight. I can ask these guys questions any time I want so why do it before a crowd? I learned a long time ago that it's tough to write a story, let alone blog live, when you're a panelist.
Tom Monahan from NBC's channel 30 in Hartford, a Bristol guy, is serving as the moderator. He's nice that way.
I probably couldn't be a moderator because I'm way too prone to make snide asides to candidates.
Ward just wandered over. He said his 6-year-old grandson asked him where he was going this evening. To a debate, Ward answered.
"Oh," the kid said.
"Even he knew," Ward said.
Yeah, that's about right.
Ward told me to "be nice" to him tonight. Yeah, right.
Johnson's got an orange tie, in keeping with the Halloween color theme of his campaign. But he's got a blue suit, so he's actually wearing the school colors of his college (and mine), the University of Virginia.
Wahoo-Wa, Ken.
Anyway, I'll try to be as nice as the candidates deserve, and to let anyone willing to slog through this know what's happening here.
The one thing I'm sure of is that by 8:30, I'll be checking more on what's happening at Fenway than paying attention to whatever blather the candidates are mouthing tonight.
Both Art Mocabee, the GOP chairman, and Dean Kilbourne, the Democratic leader, are wandering around up front, looking busy. They have a rare moment in the sun, too.
The crowd is mostly politicos, of course, but there are a handful of people I've never seen before here. So perhaps a few regular citizens stumbled in, presumably on purpose.
About to get going -- just waiting for Monahan to arrive -- so I'll post this.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Sponsored by the Republicans and the Democrats, it is inherently bipartisan.
It's a big room with a very high ceiling. At the front are three tables covered with blue cloths - one for Democratic hopeful Art Ward, one for Republican champion Ken Johnson, and one for the press. I'm actually sitting in the audience, in the front row, because I didn't want to ask the questions tonight. I can ask these guys questions any time I want so why do it before a crowd? I learned a long time ago that it's tough to write a story, let alone blog live, when you're a panelist.
Tom Monahan from NBC's channel 30 in Hartford, a Bristol guy, is serving as the moderator. He's nice that way.
I probably couldn't be a moderator because I'm way too prone to make snide asides to candidates.
Ward just wandered over. He said his 6-year-old grandson asked him where he was going this evening. To a debate, Ward answered.
"Oh," the kid said.
"Even he knew," Ward said.
Yeah, that's about right.
Ward told me to "be nice" to him tonight. Yeah, right.
Johnson's got an orange tie, in keeping with the Halloween color theme of his campaign. But he's got a blue suit, so he's actually wearing the school colors of his college (and mine), the University of Virginia.
Wahoo-Wa, Ken.
Anyway, I'll try to be as nice as the candidates deserve, and to let anyone willing to slog through this know what's happening here.
The one thing I'm sure of is that by 8:30, I'll be checking more on what's happening at Fenway than paying attention to whatever blather the candidates are mouthing tonight.
Both Art Mocabee, the GOP chairman, and Dean Kilbourne, the Democratic leader, are wandering around up front, looking busy. They have a rare moment in the sun, too.
The crowd is mostly politicos, of course, but there are a handful of people I've never seen before here. So perhaps a few regular citizens stumbled in, presumably on purpose.
About to get going -- just waiting for Monahan to arrive -- so I'll post this.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Final mayoral forum tonight
Just a reminder: the last scheduled mayoral forum is at 7 p.m. tonight at the Little League complex, sponsored by the two major political parties.
If everything goes as planned, I'll live blog from the event.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
If everything goes as planned, I'll live blog from the event.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
A whizz of a candidate in Wolcott!
The Wolcott police are investigating Democratic mayoral contender Albert Podzunas for allegedly taking a whizz in a voter's front yard, according a story in today's Waterbury Republican-American.
The paper reports that Traci Hare, 42, "said she was nursing her 1-year-old daughter by her kitchen window at about 1 p.m. Monday when Podzunas, a write-in candidate, knocked on her door and told her he was running for mayor. She allegedly told him, through the window, to leave his campaign papers at the door, which he did. Then, as Podzunas walked through her property on his way back to his truck, Hare said she saw him begin to walk oddly."
Then she saw urine flying -- and promptly phoned the police.
Podzunas apparently told the police the urine on the ground was not his.
Bristol's candidates suddenly look a little better, don't they?
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The paper reports that Traci Hare, 42, "said she was nursing her 1-year-old daughter by her kitchen window at about 1 p.m. Monday when Podzunas, a write-in candidate, knocked on her door and told her he was running for mayor. She allegedly told him, through the window, to leave his campaign papers at the door, which he did. Then, as Podzunas walked through her property on his way back to his truck, Hare said she saw him begin to walk oddly."
Then she saw urine flying -- and promptly phoned the police.
Podzunas apparently told the police the urine on the ground was not his.
Bristol's candidates suddenly look a little better, don't they?
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
U.S. Senate: leave Bristol Social Security office open
Lieberman press release, issued this afternoon:
Lieberman, Dodd Win Significant Battle in Bristol SSA Fight
Rep. Larson and Senators continue push to keep office open
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) and Chris Dodd (D-CT) took a significant step forward in the fight to prevent the Social Security Administration (SSA) from closing its field office in Bristol. The Senate unanimously passed an amendment introduced by both Senators to the appropriations bill that funds the Departments of Education, Labor and Health and Human Services (HHS) that would not allow SSA to close the Bristol office until they meet certain requirements (outlined below). The bill now must go to President Bush.
SSA could close the Bristol office as early as November 2, if the legislation has not become law. Lieberman, Dodd and Congressman John B Larson (CT-01) are writing a letter to SSA Commissioner Michael Astrue urging him to respect the wishes of Congress and not close the office at least until the requirements of the amendment have been met.
"The Senate has sent a loud and clear message to the Social Security Administration that they should keep the Bristol office open," Lieberman said. "I hope SSA will not rush to disregard the will of the Senate and close the Bristol office before this amendment has a chance to become law."
"I am pleased that the full Senate agreed that the Bristol Social Security office should remain open," said Dodd. "Our senior citizens face enough challenges without having to travel unreasonable distances or conforming to limited timeframes for access to services they need and deserve. I urge the SSA to accept the recommendation of the Senate and keep the Bristol Office open."
Congressman Larson, Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, said: "I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate in conference to make sure that this amendment is included in any legislation that hits the President's desk. I will also continue to work with the Social Security Administration, which has been greatly under-funded, to keep the Bristol office open. The Bristol Social Security Office is vital to the residents of the community. We are doing everything within our power in Congress to make sure it stays open."
The amendment requires SSA to provide the following to Congress before closing the Bristol field office:
• A thorough analysis of the criteria used for selecting field offices for closure and how the SSA analyzes and considers factors relating to transportation and communication burdens faced by seniors and the disabled as a result of field office closures;
• A cost-benefit analysis of closing the office that takes the following into account:
o The savings anticipated by the closure;
o The burdens placed on seniors and the disabled;
o Any costs associated with replacing the services lost by closing the office.
Below is the text of the letter sent by Senators Lieberman and Dodd and Rep. Larson to SSA:
October 24, 2007
Michael J. Astrue
Commissioner
Social Security Administration
6401 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21235-0001
Dear Commissioner Astrue:
We are again writing to ask your reconsideration of the proposal to close the Bristol Office and to bring to your attention an amendment passed today by the United States Senate regarding this proposal.
Today, the Senate unanimously adopted an amendment we all supported to prevent any funds from being used to close the Bristol office at this time. We continue to believe that this proposal is ill-advised and that the selection of the Bristol office for closure was not based on a sound analysis of the impact on elderly citizens in our state as compared to the relatively minimal savings to be achieved.
As we have previously pointed out, the Bristol office serves over 12,000 elderly and disabled citizens each year. According to documents provided by the Social Security Administration, the Bristol office handles 25 to 35 unscheduled walk-ins each day, in addition to regularly scheduled appointments. A good many of these walk-ins are residents that rely on public transportation. Asking them to travel to New Britain is a hardship: in many cases it would require them to transfer buses or take a taxi each way. We further want to emphasize that this is a population that often is not comfortable negotiating transactions over the telephone, and is not knowledgeable about navigating online services.
We continue to believe that the criteria for selecting the Bristol office and other offices for closure has not been articulated and that a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis has not been conducted that adequately considers the transportation and communication burdens placed on the elderly. Hence the amendment adopted by the Senate states that the office should not be closed at least until such time as such criteria are identified and such analysis has been submitted.
We hope you will honor the will of the Senate. We also hope you will continue to explore with us other options to achieve cost savings while keeping open the Bristol office.
Sincerely,
Joseph I. Lieberman UNITED STATES SENATOR
Christopher J. Dodd UNITED STATES SENATOR
John B. Larson MEMBER OF CONGRESS
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Lieberman, Dodd Win Significant Battle in Bristol SSA Fight
Rep. Larson and Senators continue push to keep office open
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) and Chris Dodd (D-CT) took a significant step forward in the fight to prevent the Social Security Administration (SSA) from closing its field office in Bristol. The Senate unanimously passed an amendment introduced by both Senators to the appropriations bill that funds the Departments of Education, Labor and Health and Human Services (HHS) that would not allow SSA to close the Bristol office until they meet certain requirements (outlined below). The bill now must go to President Bush.
SSA could close the Bristol office as early as November 2, if the legislation has not become law. Lieberman, Dodd and Congressman John B Larson (CT-01) are writing a letter to SSA Commissioner Michael Astrue urging him to respect the wishes of Congress and not close the office at least until the requirements of the amendment have been met.
"The Senate has sent a loud and clear message to the Social Security Administration that they should keep the Bristol office open," Lieberman said. "I hope SSA will not rush to disregard the will of the Senate and close the Bristol office before this amendment has a chance to become law."
"I am pleased that the full Senate agreed that the Bristol Social Security office should remain open," said Dodd. "Our senior citizens face enough challenges without having to travel unreasonable distances or conforming to limited timeframes for access to services they need and deserve. I urge the SSA to accept the recommendation of the Senate and keep the Bristol Office open."
Congressman Larson, Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, said: "I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate in conference to make sure that this amendment is included in any legislation that hits the President's desk. I will also continue to work with the Social Security Administration, which has been greatly under-funded, to keep the Bristol office open. The Bristol Social Security Office is vital to the residents of the community. We are doing everything within our power in Congress to make sure it stays open."
The amendment requires SSA to provide the following to Congress before closing the Bristol field office:
• A thorough analysis of the criteria used for selecting field offices for closure and how the SSA analyzes and considers factors relating to transportation and communication burdens faced by seniors and the disabled as a result of field office closures;
• A cost-benefit analysis of closing the office that takes the following into account:
o The savings anticipated by the closure;
o The burdens placed on seniors and the disabled;
o Any costs associated with replacing the services lost by closing the office.
Below is the text of the letter sent by Senators Lieberman and Dodd and Rep. Larson to SSA:
October 24, 2007
Michael J. Astrue
Commissioner
Social Security Administration
6401 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21235-0001
Dear Commissioner Astrue:
We are again writing to ask your reconsideration of the proposal to close the Bristol Office and to bring to your attention an amendment passed today by the United States Senate regarding this proposal.
Today, the Senate unanimously adopted an amendment we all supported to prevent any funds from being used to close the Bristol office at this time. We continue to believe that this proposal is ill-advised and that the selection of the Bristol office for closure was not based on a sound analysis of the impact on elderly citizens in our state as compared to the relatively minimal savings to be achieved.
As we have previously pointed out, the Bristol office serves over 12,000 elderly and disabled citizens each year. According to documents provided by the Social Security Administration, the Bristol office handles 25 to 35 unscheduled walk-ins each day, in addition to regularly scheduled appointments. A good many of these walk-ins are residents that rely on public transportation. Asking them to travel to New Britain is a hardship: in many cases it would require them to transfer buses or take a taxi each way. We further want to emphasize that this is a population that often is not comfortable negotiating transactions over the telephone, and is not knowledgeable about navigating online services.
We continue to believe that the criteria for selecting the Bristol office and other offices for closure has not been articulated and that a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis has not been conducted that adequately considers the transportation and communication burdens placed on the elderly. Hence the amendment adopted by the Senate states that the office should not be closed at least until such time as such criteria are identified and such analysis has been submitted.
We hope you will honor the will of the Senate. We also hope you will continue to explore with us other options to achieve cost savings while keeping open the Bristol office.
Sincerely,
Joseph I. Lieberman UNITED STATES SENATOR
Christopher J. Dodd UNITED STATES SENATOR
John B. Larson MEMBER OF CONGRESS
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Who's on the ballot in Bristol?
MAYOR
Art Ward (D)
Ken Johnson (R)
TREASURER
Mark Anderson (R)
Bill Veits (D)
CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 1
(top 2 will be elected)
Mike Rimcoski (R)*
Cliff Block (D)
Rich Kilby (D)
CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 2
(top 2 will be elected)
Bruce Lydem (D)
Kevin McCauley (D)*
Ken Cockayne (R)
Joe Geladino (R)
Mark Blaschke (I)
CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 3
(top 2 will be elected)
Bob Merrick (R)
Craig Minor (D)*
Frank Nicastro (D)*
BOARD OF EDUCATION
(top 9 will be elected)
Jane Holschlag (R)
Wayne Sparks (R)
Amy Coan (R)*
Chris Wilson (R)*
Dick Prindle (R)
Margaret Bonola (R)
Jane Anastasio (D)*
Barbara Doyle (D)*
Karen Vibert (D)
Julie Luczkow (D)*
Tom O'Brien (D)*
Sherry Turcotte (D)
Mary Rydingsward (WF)
BOARD OF ASSESSMENT APPEALS
(top 3 will be elected)
Gary Klemyk, Jr (R)
Kris Keating (R)
James Minella (D)
Dominic Pasquale (D)
CONSTABLES
Thomas Hick (R)
Kym Keating-Corriveau (R)
Jason Klemyk (R)
Todd LaRue (D)
Paul Keegan (D)
John Crowley (D)
* denotes an incument. I don't remember the incumbents for the assessment appeals board and constables so those are not marked.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Art Ward (D)
Ken Johnson (R)
TREASURER
Mark Anderson (R)
Bill Veits (D)
CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 1
(top 2 will be elected)
Mike Rimcoski (R)*
Cliff Block (D)
Rich Kilby (D)
CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 2
(top 2 will be elected)
Bruce Lydem (D)
Kevin McCauley (D)*
Ken Cockayne (R)
Joe Geladino (R)
Mark Blaschke (I)
CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 3
(top 2 will be elected)
Bob Merrick (R)
Craig Minor (D)*
Frank Nicastro (D)*
BOARD OF EDUCATION
(top 9 will be elected)
Jane Holschlag (R)
Wayne Sparks (R)
Amy Coan (R)*
Chris Wilson (R)*
Dick Prindle (R)
Margaret Bonola (R)
Jane Anastasio (D)*
Barbara Doyle (D)*
Karen Vibert (D)
Julie Luczkow (D)*
Tom O'Brien (D)*
Sherry Turcotte (D)
Mary Rydingsward (WF)
BOARD OF ASSESSMENT APPEALS
(top 3 will be elected)
Gary Klemyk, Jr (R)
Kris Keating (R)
James Minella (D)
Dominic Pasquale (D)
CONSTABLES
Thomas Hick (R)
Kym Keating-Corriveau (R)
Jason Klemyk (R)
Todd LaRue (D)
Paul Keegan (D)
John Crowley (D)
* denotes an incument. I don't remember the incumbents for the assessment appeals board and constables so those are not marked.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Lydem opposes city manager proposal
Press release from Democratic City Council candidate Bruce Lydem:
The continued debate over the town manager form of government continues. As a candidate for Bristol 2nd District I have stated and been consistent in my support for our current form of government.
We should not lose sight that the board of finance is a unique situation that we have. Members of that board, past and present, have been frugal with taxpayer funds. Secondly, all members of the board are volunteers and give generously of their time and expertise.
Many cities in the state of Connecticut of significant size have a strong mayor form of government. Bristol is of a significant size. The current structure helps us to govern our ever growing city and allows us to professionally manage its growth.
Democracy is vital to our society. Citizens should have a say, by voting, in or out, their elected leaders. Under a town manager system the citizen’s right to rid themselves of leadership they don’t approve of will be eliminated. This is not right! I believe that the people of Bristol should have the power to decide the fate of their city.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The continued debate over the town manager form of government continues. As a candidate for Bristol 2nd District I have stated and been consistent in my support for our current form of government.
We should not lose sight that the board of finance is a unique situation that we have. Members of that board, past and present, have been frugal with taxpayer funds. Secondly, all members of the board are volunteers and give generously of their time and expertise.
Many cities in the state of Connecticut of significant size have a strong mayor form of government. Bristol is of a significant size. The current structure helps us to govern our ever growing city and allows us to professionally manage its growth.
Democracy is vital to our society. Citizens should have a say, by voting, in or out, their elected leaders. Under a town manager system the citizen’s right to rid themselves of leadership they don’t approve of will be eliminated. This is not right! I believe that the people of Bristol should have the power to decide the fate of their city.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Johnson blasts Ward on open space
And yet another new press release:
Ken Johnson, the Republican candidate for Mayor of the City of Bristol, today assailed his Democratic opponent for his comments regarding open space at Monday’s Mayoral debate.
“Under a Ward administration I guess the For Sale signs are going up on Bristol open space,” Johnson said. These comments were made after an exchange between the two candidates regarding the construction of a new school on the Roberts property.
Johnson is adamantly opposed to building a school on the Roberts property. “It’s the wrong location educationally, transportation-wise and socially,” said Johnson. The Republican nominee has gone on record previously that the Roberts property should be used for its intended purpose. The City Council, including Ward, voted to purchase the property for “passive recreational” use.
Said Johnson, “In spite of my opponent’s participation in this decision, he has flip-flopped and now advocates for construction on this valuable site.” Ward has said that since the city already owns the property, it would save money to put a school there.
“I disagree,” said Johnson, “as the property would have to be replaced like-for-like with another passive recreation/open space parcel. I’ve asked but have yet to get an answer from my opponent on where he would find the replacement acreage if a school were to be constructed on this property.”
The issue became much more charged following comments by the Democratic Mayoral nominee at the Monday night debate. Ward stated that sometimes you have to weigh the benefit of open space versus the economic benefit to the city. He went on to say that open space was a commodity in Bristol and we have very little space left to develop in Bristol.
“Is one to believe that my opponent might then advocate for selling the Nelson property to build homes or using the Pine Lake area for more condominium development because it would benefit Bristol economically?” Johnson asked.
“I am totally opposed to disturbing the Roberts property or any other open space parcels that the city has in its inventory today.” Johnson concluded, “Under a Ken Johnson administration, I would be very proactive in preserving, protecting and acquiring open space; it is a rare and precious resource.”
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Ken Johnson, the Republican candidate for Mayor of the City of Bristol, today assailed his Democratic opponent for his comments regarding open space at Monday’s Mayoral debate.
“Under a Ward administration I guess the For Sale signs are going up on Bristol open space,” Johnson said. These comments were made after an exchange between the two candidates regarding the construction of a new school on the Roberts property.
Johnson is adamantly opposed to building a school on the Roberts property. “It’s the wrong location educationally, transportation-wise and socially,” said Johnson. The Republican nominee has gone on record previously that the Roberts property should be used for its intended purpose. The City Council, including Ward, voted to purchase the property for “passive recreational” use.
Said Johnson, “In spite of my opponent’s participation in this decision, he has flip-flopped and now advocates for construction on this valuable site.” Ward has said that since the city already owns the property, it would save money to put a school there.
“I disagree,” said Johnson, “as the property would have to be replaced like-for-like with another passive recreation/open space parcel. I’ve asked but have yet to get an answer from my opponent on where he would find the replacement acreage if a school were to be constructed on this property.”
The issue became much more charged following comments by the Democratic Mayoral nominee at the Monday night debate. Ward stated that sometimes you have to weigh the benefit of open space versus the economic benefit to the city. He went on to say that open space was a commodity in Bristol and we have very little space left to develop in Bristol.
“Is one to believe that my opponent might then advocate for selling the Nelson property to build homes or using the Pine Lake area for more condominium development because it would benefit Bristol economically?” Johnson asked.
“I am totally opposed to disturbing the Roberts property or any other open space parcels that the city has in its inventory today.” Johnson concluded, “Under a Ken Johnson administration, I would be very proactive in preserving, protecting and acquiring open space; it is a rare and precious resource.”
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Return to an appointed school board?
Fifteen years ago, residents angry about the possibly skewed outcome of a football game pushed successfully to require the election of Board of Education members.
No longer would politicians pick the people who should serve on the school board, supporters of the change said at the time.
But it hasn’t quite worked out the way they imagined.
Instead of the City Council selecting school board members, what’s happened is the Democratic Town Committee’s six choices for seats on the 9-member panel have easily won every election.
The only sign of a choice for voters has been which three of the Republican Town Committee’s six selections make the cut at the polls.
There is so little campaigning by prospective school board members that voters “have no idea” who the candidates for the volunteer seats are or what they stand for, said GOP mayoral hopeful Ken Johnson.
Johnson said the switch to an elected school panel is an experiment that “clearly, utterly failed.”
Democratic mayoral candidate Art Ward said he has “mixed feelings” about returning to an appointed school board.
He said he can “see the rationale” for dumping the elected board, “but I have a hard time telling the populace that we’re taking away their right to decide who represents them.”
The city’s Charter Revision Commission is eyeing the proposal to return to an appointed school board, a change that would also require the blessing of city councilors and a citywide vote to reverse the decision of the early 1990s.
Both Ward and Johnson said the nearly invisible school board campaign this year is providing impetus for a return to an appointed panel.
“They’re not getting up and answering the people,” Ward said.
Johnson said residents are clamoring for a discussion of the issues surrounding the plan to build two new 900-student schools for kindergarten through eighth grade, but they’re not hearing from the candidates.
Ward said the 13 school board contenders – six Democrats, six Republicans and Mary Rydingsward of the Working Families Party – are generally showing a “reluctance as far as stepping forward” to address pressing questions that residents want to know.
There isn’t much point in having an elected school board if the candidates running for seats on it don’t make any attempt to let voters know who they are and what they stand for, said supporters of returning to the appointed board.
Johnson said that he suspects almost nobody who enters a voting booth on November 6 will know any of the school board candidates.
He said that the people who want to serve on school board do it because they have an interest in education and children.
“They have no interest in politics,” Johnson said, so it doesn’t make sense to subject them to political campaigns.
Ward asked if appointing school board members at City Council meetings would be less political than having the town committees select the candidates.
“No, but it’s on TV,” responded Tim Furey, chairman of the charter panel. He said that the GOP and Democratic committee members aren’t shown on public access television, as regular council sessions are.
Furey said one suggestion he’s heard is to have the school elections at a different time of year so they would receive more attention.
Ward said that perhaps the city should hold all of its elections in the spring so the polls would be more accessible in warmer weather when the days are longer.
The charter panel will be weighing a wide range of potential issues before deciding on recommended changes to the city government’s blueprint in a report due in April.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
No longer would politicians pick the people who should serve on the school board, supporters of the change said at the time.
But it hasn’t quite worked out the way they imagined.
Instead of the City Council selecting school board members, what’s happened is the Democratic Town Committee’s six choices for seats on the 9-member panel have easily won every election.
The only sign of a choice for voters has been which three of the Republican Town Committee’s six selections make the cut at the polls.
There is so little campaigning by prospective school board members that voters “have no idea” who the candidates for the volunteer seats are or what they stand for, said GOP mayoral hopeful Ken Johnson.
Johnson said the switch to an elected school panel is an experiment that “clearly, utterly failed.”
Democratic mayoral candidate Art Ward said he has “mixed feelings” about returning to an appointed school board.
He said he can “see the rationale” for dumping the elected board, “but I have a hard time telling the populace that we’re taking away their right to decide who represents them.”
The city’s Charter Revision Commission is eyeing the proposal to return to an appointed school board, a change that would also require the blessing of city councilors and a citywide vote to reverse the decision of the early 1990s.
Both Ward and Johnson said the nearly invisible school board campaign this year is providing impetus for a return to an appointed panel.
“They’re not getting up and answering the people,” Ward said.
Johnson said residents are clamoring for a discussion of the issues surrounding the plan to build two new 900-student schools for kindergarten through eighth grade, but they’re not hearing from the candidates.
Ward said the 13 school board contenders – six Democrats, six Republicans and Mary Rydingsward of the Working Families Party – are generally showing a “reluctance as far as stepping forward” to address pressing questions that residents want to know.
There isn’t much point in having an elected school board if the candidates running for seats on it don’t make any attempt to let voters know who they are and what they stand for, said supporters of returning to the appointed board.
Johnson said that he suspects almost nobody who enters a voting booth on November 6 will know any of the school board candidates.
He said that the people who want to serve on school board do it because they have an interest in education and children.
“They have no interest in politics,” Johnson said, so it doesn’t make sense to subject them to political campaigns.
Ward asked if appointing school board members at City Council meetings would be less political than having the town committees select the candidates.
“No, but it’s on TV,” responded Tim Furey, chairman of the charter panel. He said that the GOP and Democratic committee members aren’t shown on public access television, as regular council sessions are.
Furey said one suggestion he’s heard is to have the school elections at a different time of year so they would receive more attention.
Ward said that perhaps the city should hold all of its elections in the spring so the polls would be more accessible in warmer weather when the days are longer.
The charter panel will be weighing a wide range of potential issues before deciding on recommended changes to the city government’s blueprint in a report due in April.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
No flip-flop for Ward on city manager issue
It's funny how two people hearing the same words can come to such different conclusions about them.
In The Hartford Courant today, a story about last night's Charter Revision Commission hearing started off this way:
Democratic mayoral candidate Art Ward on Tuesday night edged closer toward supporting the proposal for a city manager form of government, a change that prompted a Republican city council candidate to proclaim that Democrats might be embracing the GOP platform.
Ward appeared to oppose the city manager proposal as recently as early this month, when he told an audience at the Federal Hill Association-sponsored mayoral debate that he'd prefer to stay with the current mayor-council form of government.
But speaking Tuesday before the charter revision commission, Ward said, "I really don't have a fixed position per se on the town manager, but I think it's time we delve into [studying] it."
I heard that, too, of course, but I didn't see any change in what Ward said. He's been saying for months that he favors leaving the mayor-council system in place but he would also like to see the panel investigate whether to have a city manager, leaving the door open to making the change.
That struck me as pretty much what he said again last night.
But both the Courant's reporter and Ken Cockayne, a Republican council contender, detected a shift in Ward's stance.
Cockayne said he was glad that Ward was coming to embrace the GOP's agenda.
Ward said today that he almost answered Cockayne at the hearing but kept his mouth shut because the hearing "was not the forum for political grandstanding."
That's kind of funny, naturally, given that Republican mayoral hopeful Ken Johnson delivered a long speech about changes he'd like to see and Ward also piped in extensively.
Mayoral candidates grandstanding? Never. ;)
Anyway, Ward said today that he hasn't changed his stance on the manager issue. He said that the questions that have been raised deserve study, but he's still in favor of retaining the mayor-council form of government.
Personally, before I would have written that Ward had shifted ground, I would have asked him directly if that was the case. The words he said at the hearing were simply too vague to underpin the Courant's story.
The other point is that Ward, whom I've been listening to for 14 years, isn't always the most eloquent speaker. He can mangle sentences with the best of them. I suppose by now I can interpret the words pretty well, but when I'm not sure what Ward means, I ask him. Normally he can translate it all back into English.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
In The Hartford Courant today, a story about last night's Charter Revision Commission hearing started off this way:
Democratic mayoral candidate Art Ward on Tuesday night edged closer toward supporting the proposal for a city manager form of government, a change that prompted a Republican city council candidate to proclaim that Democrats might be embracing the GOP platform.
Ward appeared to oppose the city manager proposal as recently as early this month, when he told an audience at the Federal Hill Association-sponsored mayoral debate that he'd prefer to stay with the current mayor-council form of government.
But speaking Tuesday before the charter revision commission, Ward said, "I really don't have a fixed position per se on the town manager, but I think it's time we delve into [studying] it."
I heard that, too, of course, but I didn't see any change in what Ward said. He's been saying for months that he favors leaving the mayor-council system in place but he would also like to see the panel investigate whether to have a city manager, leaving the door open to making the change.
That struck me as pretty much what he said again last night.
But both the Courant's reporter and Ken Cockayne, a Republican council contender, detected a shift in Ward's stance.
Cockayne said he was glad that Ward was coming to embrace the GOP's agenda.
Ward said today that he almost answered Cockayne at the hearing but kept his mouth shut because the hearing "was not the forum for political grandstanding."
That's kind of funny, naturally, given that Republican mayoral hopeful Ken Johnson delivered a long speech about changes he'd like to see and Ward also piped in extensively.
Mayoral candidates grandstanding? Never. ;)
Anyway, Ward said today that he hasn't changed his stance on the manager issue. He said that the questions that have been raised deserve study, but he's still in favor of retaining the mayor-council form of government.
Personally, before I would have written that Ward had shifted ground, I would have asked him directly if that was the case. The words he said at the hearing were simply too vague to underpin the Courant's story.
The other point is that Ward, whom I've been listening to for 14 years, isn't always the most eloquent speaker. He can mangle sentences with the best of them. I suppose by now I can interpret the words pretty well, but when I'm not sure what Ward means, I ask him. Normally he can translate it all back into English.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Foolish Ken Johnson?
Republican Ken Johnson, an ardent Red Sox fan, got a call this week from his brother.
His brother was quite excited because, he told the prospective mayor, he'd come up with two tickets to the opening game of the World Series at Fenway tonight.
And guess who he invited along?
Yes, that's right, Ken Johnson.
But the GOP standard bearer here in Bristol said he couldn't go.
Instead, he'll be at the mayoral forum at the Little League complex starting at 7 p.m. tonight, squaring off with Democrat Art Ward instead of staring at the Green Monster with his brother.
Now that's dedication. Or something.
I'll be at the forum, too, and plan to do some live blogging there. Tune in this evening to see whether Ken Johnson made the right call.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
His brother was quite excited because, he told the prospective mayor, he'd come up with two tickets to the opening game of the World Series at Fenway tonight.
And guess who he invited along?
Yes, that's right, Ken Johnson.
But the GOP standard bearer here in Bristol said he couldn't go.
Instead, he'll be at the mayoral forum at the Little League complex starting at 7 p.m. tonight, squaring off with Democrat Art Ward instead of staring at the Green Monster with his brother.
Now that's dedication. Or something.
I'll be at the forum, too, and plan to do some live blogging there. Tune in this evening to see whether Ken Johnson made the right call.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Fundraiser for Minor on Tuesday, October 30
Another press release from my bulging inbox:
A reception campaign fundraiser for Councilman Craig Minor, Bristol Democratic Council candidate in the 3rd Council District, will be hosted by Dr. William Brownstein in his home at 29 Carleton Place on Tuesday, October 30, from 5 -8 pm. All are invited. Suggested donation is $25 per person.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
A reception campaign fundraiser for Councilman Craig Minor, Bristol Democratic Council candidate in the 3rd Council District, will be hosted by Dr. William Brownstein in his home at 29 Carleton Place on Tuesday, October 30, from 5 -8 pm. All are invited. Suggested donation is $25 per person.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
City manager tops agenda for charter commission
Instead of muddling through with a mayor at the helm, the city ought to revise its government blueprint to have a manager take care of administrative responsibilities, several residents told the Charter Revision Commission Tuesday.
Businessman Craig Yarde said that handling the duties required of mayors today is “beyond the capacity” of anyone.
With so many meetings to preside over, ceremonial functions to perform, hundreds of employees to lead and a $164 million budget to keep an eye on, supporters of changing to a managerial form of government say that mayors can’t possibly keep up.
Under the existing system, there is “much too much power and responsibility for even the best of men and women” serving in the city’s top job, said Republican mayoral hopeful Ken Johnson.
“We are not a small town anymore,” said resident Gary Wyrebek. “We need someone who knows what they’re doing” in charge, he added.
The seven-member commission also heard requests to amend the charter to allow for public votes on major projects, a larger City Council, longer terms for elected leaders, an appointed Board of Education and perhaps even spring elections.
Tim Furey, chairman of the panel, said it will weed through the many suggestions it’s received and figure which ones it wants to investigate in greater depth. The city manager proposal is virtually certain to make the first cut.
Art Ward, the Democratic mayoral contender, said he doesn’t have a solid position on the idea of adopting a managerial form of government in Bristol.
Saying that it is time to probe the possibility, Ward called for the commission “to sit there and actually address it” in the coming months.
The panel is slated to make its recommendations for charter changes to the council in April. If the council agrees with them, proposals will be placed on the November 2008 ballot for the public to approve or reject.
Both Johnson and Ward said they’d like to see a change to allow big ticket projects to go on the ballot in the future so that taxpayers can decide their fate.
The proposal to switch to a city manager would mean a drastic shakeup in the way Bristol has operated since it adopted the charter in 1911. It has always relied on a strong mayor form of government, though in the Great Depression the city added a Board of Finance that has the ultimate say on spending and bonding.
Johnson said that adding a manager would be an investment, not an expense, because whoever would be hired should easily find ways to make City Hall more efficient.
He said the manager would serve as “a firewall between our politics and the administration of government.”
Yarde said there is simply “not enough time” to mayors to manage effectively while handling all of their other duties.
“At the end of the day, this guy or gal needs to be a visionary,” Yarde said, but there’s little opportunity for a mayor to devote much attention to what the city could become because they’re buried in minutia.
Yarde said the city’s department heads are “crying out for leadership.”
With a manager in place, Yarde said, city councilors would be freed up to make policy decisions.
The way things are now, “nobody feels like they have a voice,” Yarde said.
But a manager “diffuses the power of special interests” and encourages “the free flow of information” to the public, political leaders and city staff, Yarde said.
“Our city is a business,” said Ken Cockayne, a Republican council hopeful, and needs an expert to manage it. Mayors don’t have the qualification in public administration that’s truly required for the job, he said.
The members of the charter panel Furey, Gail Hartmann, Dick Prindle, Al Marko, Maria Pirro, Hal Kilby and Harley Graham.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Businessman Craig Yarde said that handling the duties required of mayors today is “beyond the capacity” of anyone.
With so many meetings to preside over, ceremonial functions to perform, hundreds of employees to lead and a $164 million budget to keep an eye on, supporters of changing to a managerial form of government say that mayors can’t possibly keep up.
Under the existing system, there is “much too much power and responsibility for even the best of men and women” serving in the city’s top job, said Republican mayoral hopeful Ken Johnson.
“We are not a small town anymore,” said resident Gary Wyrebek. “We need someone who knows what they’re doing” in charge, he added.
The seven-member commission also heard requests to amend the charter to allow for public votes on major projects, a larger City Council, longer terms for elected leaders, an appointed Board of Education and perhaps even spring elections.
Tim Furey, chairman of the panel, said it will weed through the many suggestions it’s received and figure which ones it wants to investigate in greater depth. The city manager proposal is virtually certain to make the first cut.
Art Ward, the Democratic mayoral contender, said he doesn’t have a solid position on the idea of adopting a managerial form of government in Bristol.
Saying that it is time to probe the possibility, Ward called for the commission “to sit there and actually address it” in the coming months.
The panel is slated to make its recommendations for charter changes to the council in April. If the council agrees with them, proposals will be placed on the November 2008 ballot for the public to approve or reject.
Both Johnson and Ward said they’d like to see a change to allow big ticket projects to go on the ballot in the future so that taxpayers can decide their fate.
The proposal to switch to a city manager would mean a drastic shakeup in the way Bristol has operated since it adopted the charter in 1911. It has always relied on a strong mayor form of government, though in the Great Depression the city added a Board of Finance that has the ultimate say on spending and bonding.
Johnson said that adding a manager would be an investment, not an expense, because whoever would be hired should easily find ways to make City Hall more efficient.
He said the manager would serve as “a firewall between our politics and the administration of government.”
Yarde said there is simply “not enough time” to mayors to manage effectively while handling all of their other duties.
“At the end of the day, this guy or gal needs to be a visionary,” Yarde said, but there’s little opportunity for a mayor to devote much attention to what the city could become because they’re buried in minutia.
Yarde said the city’s department heads are “crying out for leadership.”
With a manager in place, Yarde said, city councilors would be freed up to make policy decisions.
The way things are now, “nobody feels like they have a voice,” Yarde said.
But a manager “diffuses the power of special interests” and encourages “the free flow of information” to the public, political leaders and city staff, Yarde said.
“Our city is a business,” said Ken Cockayne, a Republican council hopeful, and needs an expert to manage it. Mayors don’t have the qualification in public administration that’s truly required for the job, he said.
The members of the charter panel Furey, Gail Hartmann, Dick Prindle, Al Marko, Maria Pirro, Hal Kilby and Harley Graham.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Stortz taking on Route 6 congestion
The latest press release from Mayor William Stortz:
In a prepared release, Mayor William T. Stortz provided an update on Route 6 traffic and safety issues.
Said Stortz, “For some time, traffic congestion on Route 6, especially east of Brook Street/Mix Street has been an issue. With business activity expanding in the area, traffic especially during commuting hours and Saturdays, has been a problem.
A series of meetings have been held, with State officials, City officials and stakeholders. The State has been cooperative and has been, and is, working at addressing the issue.”
Stortz continued, “While some improvements can be made by modifying signalization, and by better planning as new businesses locate in this stretch of highway, major improvements will more than likely require land acquisition.”
Stortz said, “We are looking forward to additional meetings in the near future to review what State DOT officials have developed, and to work with them as we address this key problem, a problem that impedes economic development, as well as creating neighborhood traffic and safety issues.
While we realize that this will take time to resolve, we are confident that changes can be made in the near future to help alleviate the problem.”
Stortz concluded, “In addition, I have written a letter to DOT Commissioner Carpenter, to look at the section of Route 6 from the North Main Street area west to the town of Plymouth.
Having experienced two fatal, and very emotional accidents on this stretch in the recent past, I felt that action has to be taken.
Since that is a State highway, DOT would have the key role in making any changes or recommendations, as to signage, or possibly changes to the road itself.
Commissioner Carpenter did respond, and indicated that DOT would work with our Police Department to review that portion of the road and effect appropriate changes.
Both sections are of interest and concern and I do appreciate Commissioner Carpenter’s and DOT’s willingness to address these issues for the overall betterment of Bristol.”
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
In a prepared release, Mayor William T. Stortz provided an update on Route 6 traffic and safety issues.
Said Stortz, “For some time, traffic congestion on Route 6, especially east of Brook Street/Mix Street has been an issue. With business activity expanding in the area, traffic especially during commuting hours and Saturdays, has been a problem.
A series of meetings have been held, with State officials, City officials and stakeholders. The State has been cooperative and has been, and is, working at addressing the issue.”
Stortz continued, “While some improvements can be made by modifying signalization, and by better planning as new businesses locate in this stretch of highway, major improvements will more than likely require land acquisition.”
Stortz said, “We are looking forward to additional meetings in the near future to review what State DOT officials have developed, and to work with them as we address this key problem, a problem that impedes economic development, as well as creating neighborhood traffic and safety issues.
While we realize that this will take time to resolve, we are confident that changes can be made in the near future to help alleviate the problem.”
Stortz concluded, “In addition, I have written a letter to DOT Commissioner Carpenter, to look at the section of Route 6 from the North Main Street area west to the town of Plymouth.
Having experienced two fatal, and very emotional accidents on this stretch in the recent past, I felt that action has to be taken.
Since that is a State highway, DOT would have the key role in making any changes or recommendations, as to signage, or possibly changes to the road itself.
Commissioner Carpenter did respond, and indicated that DOT would work with our Police Department to review that portion of the road and effect appropriate changes.
Both sections are of interest and concern and I do appreciate Commissioner Carpenter’s and DOT’s willingness to address these issues for the overall betterment of Bristol.”
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Nicastro pasta dinner on Nov. 2
Press release:
A pasta dinner campaign fundraiser for Frank Nicastro, Bristol Democratic Council candidate in the 3rd District, will be held on Friday, November 2, 2007, from 5-7:30 PM at the Bristol Elks Club, 126 South Street. Tickets are $10 for Adults; $5 for children aged 7-12; 6 and under are free.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
A pasta dinner campaign fundraiser for Frank Nicastro, Bristol Democratic Council candidate in the 3rd District, will be held on Friday, November 2, 2007, from 5-7:30 PM at the Bristol Elks Club, 126 South Street. Tickets are $10 for Adults; $5 for children aged 7-12; 6 and under are free.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Ice cream fundraiser for the Republicans on Friday
The Republicans are looking for a crowd at The Ice Cream Churn (across from the mall) when they have a $5-an-ice cream sundae fundraiser from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Ward way ahead in fundraising
Democratic mayoral hopeful Art Ward has raised more than twice as much campaign cash as his Republican challenger, Ken Johnson.
Ward raked in nearly $40,000 during the campaign compared to the slightly more than $17,000 that Johnson attracted.
Both have had large fundraisers in recent, including a GOP gathering with Gov. Jodi Rell and a Democratic one that attracted U.S. Rep. John Larson, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, state Comptroller Nancy Wyman and other major officeholders. That money is not counted among the totals in the last campaign finance reports.
Among the City Council contenders, newcomer Bruce Lydem, a 2nd District Democrat, leads the pack with $7,555 raised in his bid to secure the seat that city Councilor Ellen Zoppo is giving up.
Voters will choose a mayor and six city councilors on Tuesday, November 6.
In the 1st District City Council contest, Republican incumbent Mike Rimcoski is well ahead of two Democratic newcomers in fundraising. He has collected $4,094 so far while challenger Cliff Block has pulled in $1,015 and Rich Kilby got $200 in contributions.
In the 2nd City Council district, Democratic incumbent Kevin McCauley, who’s aiming for a second term, collected $3,868, well off the pace set by Lydem. Republican newcomers Ken Cockayne and Joe Geladino raised $3,575 and $1,400, respectively. Independent Mark Blaschke has raised less than $1,000.
In the 3rd City Council district race, Republican Bob Merrick is setting the pace, with $5,142 raised. Democratic incumbent Craig Minor raked in $1,711 while Frank Nicastro, a former mayor seeing a second term on the council, collected less than $1,000.
Among the major donors to the mayoral campaigns were corporate leaders, family members, unions and politicians.
Johnson got $1,000 from Carl Johnson of Farmington and Tom Barnes of Bristol, and $250 each from former Councilor Whit Betts and Warren O. Johnson, both of Bristol. The GOP town committee donated $1,200 to his campaign.
An advertising book that Johnson put together brought in $250 ads from a number of businesses.
Ward’s donors include AFSCME Council 4, which represents many city workers. It gave $1,500.
Bruce and Deborah Yarde each forked over $1,000 to Ward’s campaign. The Connecticut Laborer’s Political League also gave him $1,000.
He collected $600 from the city's police union
The Laborers Local Union 611 gave Ward $500, a figure matched by Rene Paradis and Pat Sullivan of Bristol, and Paul and Midge Fitta of Massachusetts.
Bristol lawyer Sal Vitrano, James Donovan of Decatur, Texas and Allan Young of Northfield each tossed $350 in Ward's kitty while George Carpenter, Joe Englert and Paul Janick, both of Bristol, donated $300 apiece.
Richard Inglis of Bristol gave Ward $325. Michael Hughes of Baldwin Harbor, N.Y. chipped in $250.
Ward collected $200 each from the following Bristol residents: Robert Tobacco, Matt Cassina, Shaun Casey, Laura Lydem, George Carpenter, David Anderson, Mike Pletscher, Kim Kasparian and Bill Greger.
All of the candidates’ campaign finance filings are available for review in the city clerk’s office.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Ward raked in nearly $40,000 during the campaign compared to the slightly more than $17,000 that Johnson attracted.
Both have had large fundraisers in recent, including a GOP gathering with Gov. Jodi Rell and a Democratic one that attracted U.S. Rep. John Larson, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, state Comptroller Nancy Wyman and other major officeholders. That money is not counted among the totals in the last campaign finance reports.
Among the City Council contenders, newcomer Bruce Lydem, a 2nd District Democrat, leads the pack with $7,555 raised in his bid to secure the seat that city Councilor Ellen Zoppo is giving up.
Voters will choose a mayor and six city councilors on Tuesday, November 6.
In the 1st District City Council contest, Republican incumbent Mike Rimcoski is well ahead of two Democratic newcomers in fundraising. He has collected $4,094 so far while challenger Cliff Block has pulled in $1,015 and Rich Kilby got $200 in contributions.
In the 2nd City Council district, Democratic incumbent Kevin McCauley, who’s aiming for a second term, collected $3,868, well off the pace set by Lydem. Republican newcomers Ken Cockayne and Joe Geladino raised $3,575 and $1,400, respectively. Independent Mark Blaschke has raised less than $1,000.
In the 3rd City Council district race, Republican Bob Merrick is setting the pace, with $5,142 raised. Democratic incumbent Craig Minor raked in $1,711 while Frank Nicastro, a former mayor seeing a second term on the council, collected less than $1,000.
Among the major donors to the mayoral campaigns were corporate leaders, family members, unions and politicians.
Johnson got $1,000 from Carl Johnson of Farmington and Tom Barnes of Bristol, and $250 each from former Councilor Whit Betts and Warren O. Johnson, both of Bristol. The GOP town committee donated $1,200 to his campaign.
An advertising book that Johnson put together brought in $250 ads from a number of businesses.
Ward’s donors include AFSCME Council 4, which represents many city workers. It gave $1,500.
Bruce and Deborah Yarde each forked over $1,000 to Ward’s campaign. The Connecticut Laborer’s Political League also gave him $1,000.
He collected $600 from the city's police union
The Laborers Local Union 611 gave Ward $500, a figure matched by Rene Paradis and Pat Sullivan of Bristol, and Paul and Midge Fitta of Massachusetts.
Bristol lawyer Sal Vitrano, James Donovan of Decatur, Texas and Allan Young of Northfield each tossed $350 in Ward's kitty while George Carpenter, Joe Englert and Paul Janick, both of Bristol, donated $300 apiece.
Richard Inglis of Bristol gave Ward $325. Michael Hughes of Baldwin Harbor, N.Y. chipped in $250.
Ward collected $200 each from the following Bristol residents: Robert Tobacco, Matt Cassina, Shaun Casey, Laura Lydem, George Carpenter, David Anderson, Mike Pletscher, Kim Kasparian and Bill Greger.
All of the candidates’ campaign finance filings are available for review in the city clerk’s office.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Monday, October 22, 2007
Johnson calls Route 72 ombudsman "unnecessary"
Hot off the presses, a new press release from Republican mayoral candidate Ken Johnson:
Ken Johnson, the Republican nominee for Mayor of the City of Bristol, answered his opponent’s call for a Route 72 ombudsman. Johnson described the need for a dedicated ombudsman as “unnecessary.”
Johnson stated, now that Route 72 construction is underway as of the Governor’s groundbreaking ceremony last week, regular meetings will be held with the city and the State Department of Transportation. The Republican nominee stated that as Mayor he would see that the two Councilmen from the 3rd district, as well as our State Representative and State Senator, are included in all project meetings between the city and DOT.
“I believe communication is critically important on this project.” Johnson added, “I’m sure many Bristol residents will want to be informed as questions and inconveniences due to construction arise. Getting everyone at the table, up front, is the right way to go.”
The candidate believes that his opponent’s proposal is a “feel good” position, and one that is not needed. He suggested that the two Councilmen from the 3rd district would serve as “ombudsmen” because that is their job as members of the City Council. “On November 6th the people of the third district will decide who they want as their ombudsmen,” said Johnson.
“My expectation is that one of those Councilmen will be Bob Merrick -- he has a good feel for what the city needs to do to better communicate with its residents.” Johnson concluded, “After 14 years as a member of the city council, my opponent is fully aware that the people of our community feel ‘left out of the loop’ and that communication is part of our elected leaders’ job description.”
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Ken Johnson, the Republican nominee for Mayor of the City of Bristol, answered his opponent’s call for a Route 72 ombudsman. Johnson described the need for a dedicated ombudsman as “unnecessary.”
Johnson stated, now that Route 72 construction is underway as of the Governor’s groundbreaking ceremony last week, regular meetings will be held with the city and the State Department of Transportation. The Republican nominee stated that as Mayor he would see that the two Councilmen from the 3rd district, as well as our State Representative and State Senator, are included in all project meetings between the city and DOT.
“I believe communication is critically important on this project.” Johnson added, “I’m sure many Bristol residents will want to be informed as questions and inconveniences due to construction arise. Getting everyone at the table, up front, is the right way to go.”
The candidate believes that his opponent’s proposal is a “feel good” position, and one that is not needed. He suggested that the two Councilmen from the 3rd district would serve as “ombudsmen” because that is their job as members of the City Council. “On November 6th the people of the third district will decide who they want as their ombudsmen,” said Johnson.
“My expectation is that one of those Councilmen will be Bob Merrick -- he has a good feel for what the city needs to do to better communicate with its residents.” Johnson concluded, “After 14 years as a member of the city council, my opponent is fully aware that the people of our community feel ‘left out of the loop’ and that communication is part of our elected leaders’ job description.”
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Watch 'em on TV
Nutmeg Television is airing the Federal Hill Association political forums from earlier this month, where the mayoral and City Council candidates addressed the issues raised by both the FHA and residents.
The forums will be shown on channel 21 on cable. Those of you with DISH or, like me, getting by with only on-air TV are out of luck.
The mayoral forum will air at 7 p.m. tonight and at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 4.
The 1st District council forum is slated for 7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 23 and 6 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 3.
The 2nd District council forum will be shown at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25 and at 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 3.
The 3rd District council forum is shceduled for 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 26 and 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 4.
You can all thank Mike Saman for taping the forums.
By the way, there's also a mayoral forum at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Little League complex, sponsored by the two major political parties. I assume it will be over by 8:35 p.m., when the game starts. :)
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The forums will be shown on channel 21 on cable. Those of you with DISH or, like me, getting by with only on-air TV are out of luck.
The mayoral forum will air at 7 p.m. tonight and at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 4.
The 1st District council forum is slated for 7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 23 and 6 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 3.
The 2nd District council forum will be shown at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25 and at 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 3.
The 3rd District council forum is shceduled for 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 26 and 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 4.
You can all thank Mike Saman for taping the forums.
By the way, there's also a mayoral forum at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Little League complex, sponsored by the two major political parties. I assume it will be over by 8:35 p.m., when the game starts. :)
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Route 72 ombudsman needed, Ward argues
With work getting underway on the $53 million Route 72 extension, the city needs to create an ombudsman for advisory panel to help residents who run into problems caused by the massive construction project, said Democratic mayoral candidate Art Ward.
Ward said that having someone, or a group of people, serve as “a conduit between the citizens and what was going on with the Route 72 project as it progresses” could help minimize problems for homeowners, businesses and others.
“It would give the populace one specific person or panel to address their concerns,” Ward said, and make it more likely that issues can be resolved quickly.
Back in the 1990s, the city appointed a volunteer ombudsman, Anthony Potocki, who helped residents deal with the state Department of Transportation when it was busy selling off surplus property that was no longer needed for the downscaled Route 72 that eventually won approval.
Ward said that Potocki proved a great help both for residents and city officials because he knew who to call and had many of the answers to questions readily available.
Being able “to focus the concerns into one venue,” Ward said, makes it simpler for everyone.
“Needless to say, that person would be accountable to the mayor and the City Council,” Ward said.
Ward said that the person or panel selected would ideally live near the project “and have a direct, hands-on approach” to resolving issues.
He said he envisions them getting to know the state officials and key construction personnel so they can go directly to the people with firsthand knowledge to answer queries or handle complaints.
Ward first made the suggestion last spring, but nothing happened in response. He said he is “not really surprised” that Mayor William Stortz didn’t follow up on the idea, adding that it’s only become crucial lately as construction gets underway.
A formal groundbreaking for the project occurred Monday, but contractors haven’t truly begun the massive job of putting in 2.4 miles of new road from the end of the expressway in Plainville to Route 229.
The road, which is expected to take 19 months to finish, will slice through a residential area in Forestville before crossing Yarde Pond, creating a boulevard-like section.
It will follow the same path as Pine Street starting at Todd Street, and then cut behind Dunkin’ Donuts across a new bridge over the Pequabuck River.
A pedestrian bride would be erected over the boulevard section of the road at Forest Street and a commuter lot would be relocated to Lake Avenue.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Ward said that having someone, or a group of people, serve as “a conduit between the citizens and what was going on with the Route 72 project as it progresses” could help minimize problems for homeowners, businesses and others.
“It would give the populace one specific person or panel to address their concerns,” Ward said, and make it more likely that issues can be resolved quickly.
Back in the 1990s, the city appointed a volunteer ombudsman, Anthony Potocki, who helped residents deal with the state Department of Transportation when it was busy selling off surplus property that was no longer needed for the downscaled Route 72 that eventually won approval.
Ward said that Potocki proved a great help both for residents and city officials because he knew who to call and had many of the answers to questions readily available.
Being able “to focus the concerns into one venue,” Ward said, makes it simpler for everyone.
“Needless to say, that person would be accountable to the mayor and the City Council,” Ward said.
Ward said that the person or panel selected would ideally live near the project “and have a direct, hands-on approach” to resolving issues.
He said he envisions them getting to know the state officials and key construction personnel so they can go directly to the people with firsthand knowledge to answer queries or handle complaints.
Ward first made the suggestion last spring, but nothing happened in response. He said he is “not really surprised” that Mayor William Stortz didn’t follow up on the idea, adding that it’s only become crucial lately as construction gets underway.
A formal groundbreaking for the project occurred Monday, but contractors haven’t truly begun the massive job of putting in 2.4 miles of new road from the end of the expressway in Plainville to Route 229.
The road, which is expected to take 19 months to finish, will slice through a residential area in Forestville before crossing Yarde Pond, creating a boulevard-like section.
It will follow the same path as Pine Street starting at Todd Street, and then cut behind Dunkin’ Donuts across a new bridge over the Pequabuck River.
A pedestrian bride would be erected over the boulevard section of the road at Forest Street and a commuter lot would be relocated to Lake Avenue.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Game 7
We know what Red Sox fans will be doing tonight: praying that Dice-K proves he was worth even a fraction of his big payday by mowing down some Indians at Fenway.
For what it's worth, and to keep this blog on topic, Republican Ken Johnson is a Red Sox fan. Democrat Art Ward is a Yankees fan.
But I suspect Ward is a good enough politician that he'll be rooting at least half-heartedly for Boston to win tonight. There aren't many Indians fans in Bristol.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
For what it's worth, and to keep this blog on topic, Republican Ken Johnson is a Red Sox fan. Democrat Art Ward is a Yankees fan.
But I suspect Ward is a good enough politician that he'll be rooting at least half-heartedly for Boston to win tonight. There aren't many Indians fans in Bristol.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Friday, October 19, 2007
No luck for Larson on Social Security showdown
Press release issued today from U.S. Rep. John Larson:
Today, Congressman John B. Larson, CT-01 and Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, spoke to the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, Michael Astrue. Congressman Larson strongly urged him to reconsider his decision to close the Bristol Social Security office.
After the call, Congressman Larson said:
“I continue to work with the Commissioner to find a solution to this problem. Unfortunately, he is working under the constraints of a Bush Administration that is threatening to veto any increased funding the Congress has allocated to the Social Security Administration. I explained to him the importance of this office to the people of Bristol and the surrounding community. He is sympathetic to our request and we will work together to try to find an answer.”
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Today, Congressman John B. Larson, CT-01 and Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, spoke to the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, Michael Astrue. Congressman Larson strongly urged him to reconsider his decision to close the Bristol Social Security office.
After the call, Congressman Larson said:
“I continue to work with the Commissioner to find a solution to this problem. Unfortunately, he is working under the constraints of a Bush Administration that is threatening to veto any increased funding the Congress has allocated to the Social Security Administration. I explained to him the importance of this office to the people of Bristol and the surrounding community. He is sympathetic to our request and we will work together to try to find an answer.”
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Muzzy gateway and sports museum possible
A small sports museum outside the gates of historic Muzzy Field may become a reality.
Parks commissioners this week gave their initial approval to a five-year plan to acquire nearby houses and create a more accessible, appropriate gateway to the ancient ball field.
"We have to phase this in little by little," said Tom Ragaini, a commissioner.
Initially, the city plans to buy a house at 262 Park St. and tear it down. But it also intends to try to acquire the only other house between the ballpark and the road, a triplex at 216 Park St.
Beyond that, Ragaini said, officials want to erect "a sports building of some kind" near the gate to Muzzy Field.
In all likelihood, officials said, the building would house the Bristol Sports Hall of Fame, which has long sought a permanent place for its small collection. It could also be used for small meetings, they said.
Mayor William Stortz said he thinks the City Council will approve the purchase of the house at 262 Park St. soon.
But, he said, he doesn't want the sale to go through unless officials are ready to follow through later with sprucing up the ballpark's entrance and buying the sole remaining privately-owned house between the field and Park Street.
Otherwise, Stortz said, "it won't be very attractive."
The plan approved by the Park Board calls for buying and razing the 262 Park St. house in its first phase.
The next phase, which would take a couple of years, would be to plan for the sports building and a nicer walkway into the ballpark.
Finally, in its last phase, the city hopes to purchase and knock down the 216 Park St. triplex to allow for expansion of the Muzzy fence line and putting up the new building.
Stortz had pushed the park panel to create a long-term plan before rushing into the purchase of the house at 262 Park St. He argued that finance and other city leaders need to know what's envisioned before they take initial steps toward a vision for the site that hadn't been clearly defined.
The city's Real Estate Committee agreed in March to ask the mayor to negotiate with the three-decker house's owner, Richard Ferrucci.
At the time, Ferrucci sought $200,000 from the city, which is $7,000 less than its appraised value.
With the plan approved by the Park Board, Stortz said, he can finish negotiations quickly.
The 216 Park St. triplex has not been offered to the city, but officials said they want to make sure they are ready to buy it when it becomes available.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Parks commissioners this week gave their initial approval to a five-year plan to acquire nearby houses and create a more accessible, appropriate gateway to the ancient ball field.
"We have to phase this in little by little," said Tom Ragaini, a commissioner.
Initially, the city plans to buy a house at 262 Park St. and tear it down. But it also intends to try to acquire the only other house between the ballpark and the road, a triplex at 216 Park St.
Beyond that, Ragaini said, officials want to erect "a sports building of some kind" near the gate to Muzzy Field.
In all likelihood, officials said, the building would house the Bristol Sports Hall of Fame, which has long sought a permanent place for its small collection. It could also be used for small meetings, they said.
Mayor William Stortz said he thinks the City Council will approve the purchase of the house at 262 Park St. soon.
But, he said, he doesn't want the sale to go through unless officials are ready to follow through later with sprucing up the ballpark's entrance and buying the sole remaining privately-owned house between the field and Park Street.
Otherwise, Stortz said, "it won't be very attractive."
The plan approved by the Park Board calls for buying and razing the 262 Park St. house in its first phase.
The next phase, which would take a couple of years, would be to plan for the sports building and a nicer walkway into the ballpark.
Finally, in its last phase, the city hopes to purchase and knock down the 216 Park St. triplex to allow for expansion of the Muzzy fence line and putting up the new building.
Stortz had pushed the park panel to create a long-term plan before rushing into the purchase of the house at 262 Park St. He argued that finance and other city leaders need to know what's envisioned before they take initial steps toward a vision for the site that hadn't been clearly defined.
The city's Real Estate Committee agreed in March to ask the mayor to negotiate with the three-decker house's owner, Richard Ferrucci.
At the time, Ferrucci sought $200,000 from the city, which is $7,000 less than its appraised value.
With the plan approved by the Park Board, Stortz said, he can finish negotiations quickly.
The 216 Park St. triplex has not been offered to the city, but officials said they want to make sure they are ready to buy it when it becomes available.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Larson puts off Bristol breakfast appearance
U.S. Rep. John Larson's appearance at the Eggs and Issues breakfast of the Greater Bristol Chamber of Commerce, originally scheduled for Monday will take place on Nov. 19.
The Democratic congressman has to be in Washington, D.C. on Monday and had to revise his plans.
The breakfast will be held at 8 a.m. at Nuchie's restaurant.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The Democratic congressman has to be in Washington, D.C. on Monday and had to revise his plans.
The breakfast will be held at 8 a.m. at Nuchie's restaurant.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Sputnik?
At this week's Park Board meeting, commissioner Lori DeFillippi happened to mention October 4th.
"Sputnik Day," Mayor William Stortz immediately interjected.
"Who's Sputnik?" DeFillippi responded. "I don't know Sputnik."
After Stortz explained that Sputnik was the name of the first satellite, launched in 1957 by the former USSR, DeFillippi remained perplexed.
"I graduated from high school in 1978. How should I know Sputnik?" she asked.
"Who names a ship Sputnik?" DeFillippi asked. "I thought it was Otis Spunkmeier."
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
"Sputnik Day," Mayor William Stortz immediately interjected.
"Who's Sputnik?" DeFillippi responded. "I don't know Sputnik."
After Stortz explained that Sputnik was the name of the first satellite, launched in 1957 by the former USSR, DeFillippi remained perplexed.
"I graduated from high school in 1978. How should I know Sputnik?" she asked.
"Who names a ship Sputnik?" DeFillippi asked. "I thought it was Otis Spunkmeier."
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Employees paid to leave city cars at work
As part of a deal to keep city workers from taking municipal vehicles home each night, officials agreed to pay nine employees $1,000 apiece to give up the right to take home a government car.
City Personnel Director Diane Ferguson said Wednesday that the one-time payments were offered so the workers would “return their vehicles.”
That means that taxpayers are shelling out $9,000 to secure the formal right to say who can drive city-owned cars and trucks during off-hours.
The deal, part of a new contract with the Bristol Professionals and Supervisors Association, “effectively eliminated the past practice of allowing a limited number of employees to take their vehicles home on a regular basis,” Mayor William Stortz said.
"We were able to get a lot of vehicles back," Stortz said, ultimately reducing costs for taxpayers.
"It will be less expensive for the city," the mayor said.
Stortz, however, never mentioned in public meetings where the contract was voted on, an interview with the Bristol Press or in a press release Wednesday that the city was paying off the workers directly to agree to the change.
The three-year union pact reached between the city and 54 members of the Bristol Professionals and Supervisors Association, which had been delayed for more than a year, delivered a 9.3 percent pay hike. It got unanimous backing from city councilors.
The agreement also requires the workers to cough up a 7.5 percent co-payment for their health insurance coverage, a new high among the city’s municipal unions.
“We made tremendous improvements in those areas,” Stortz said.
But Stortz was keen to include a provision to ensure that the mayor would be able to control the use of municipal vehicles as part of the contract.
He said that getting the explicit authority to oversee off-hours use of city cars will save taxpayers money.
“It will be less expensive for the city,” Stortz said.
The mayor said some municipal workers may need to take vehicles home because of their particular duties, perhaps only during some months of the year.
He said, though, that the deal makes it possible for officials to review the justification for taking home a vehicle.
“Going forward, this will be evaluated and each situation judged on its merit, including the need for a prompt response, as well as the health and safety of employees and citizens,’ Stortz said.
Here's something the mayor posted after deadline yesterday, which sheds more light on the issue:
First, No Department Head received any benefit. They, other than Valentino, had lost their cars earlier. The only Department Heads having vehicles to take home are the Police and Fire Chiefs.
All others were part of BPSA, and their contract was negotiated earlier this year, and included the right for the city to take cars back. In addition, the city got Co-Pay from this bargaining unit as part of the overall agreement.
As regards the cars, the city was paying for fuel for trips forth and back to home, and in some cases that mileage EXCEEDED city use. So fuel cost were eliminated, as well as wear and tear on the vehicle. If 50 miles a week are saved, and keep in mind that some workers live out of town, and the vehicle gets 20MPG, the weekly cost for gas alone is almost $7.00/WK or $350/YR. Not including maintenance costs.
In addition, the use of the vehicle was considered a benefit which was then added to the workers W-2 form. Because the city had not taxed that benefit, it, the city, then paid the workers portion of that income tax at year end. Calculate the tax on just$1000.00, and the city (you) paid the workers tax. In most cases the benefit exceeded $1000.00/yr. That tax will no longer have to be paid by the city (you).
The worker also no longer gets the value of the benefit added to his pension calculation.
All of these savings will now accrue to the taxpayer (you).
At $500.00 savings per year, this agreement pays for itself in two years.
In many cases, the savings to the city is even greater, but what ever it is, it will continue until someone provides the vehicle again.
I am posting this from home, I do not have the file with me, but I do know that the savings well justify the decision. The facts, which are available in my office, clearly justify the decision as a sound economical one. Anyone that wants to stop in my office can get more information if they desire.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
City Personnel Director Diane Ferguson said Wednesday that the one-time payments were offered so the workers would “return their vehicles.”
That means that taxpayers are shelling out $9,000 to secure the formal right to say who can drive city-owned cars and trucks during off-hours.
The deal, part of a new contract with the Bristol Professionals and Supervisors Association, “effectively eliminated the past practice of allowing a limited number of employees to take their vehicles home on a regular basis,” Mayor William Stortz said.
"We were able to get a lot of vehicles back," Stortz said, ultimately reducing costs for taxpayers.
"It will be less expensive for the city," the mayor said.
Stortz, however, never mentioned in public meetings where the contract was voted on, an interview with the Bristol Press or in a press release Wednesday that the city was paying off the workers directly to agree to the change.
The three-year union pact reached between the city and 54 members of the Bristol Professionals and Supervisors Association, which had been delayed for more than a year, delivered a 9.3 percent pay hike. It got unanimous backing from city councilors.
The agreement also requires the workers to cough up a 7.5 percent co-payment for their health insurance coverage, a new high among the city’s municipal unions.
“We made tremendous improvements in those areas,” Stortz said.
But Stortz was keen to include a provision to ensure that the mayor would be able to control the use of municipal vehicles as part of the contract.
He said that getting the explicit authority to oversee off-hours use of city cars will save taxpayers money.
“It will be less expensive for the city,” Stortz said.
The mayor said some municipal workers may need to take vehicles home because of their particular duties, perhaps only during some months of the year.
He said, though, that the deal makes it possible for officials to review the justification for taking home a vehicle.
“Going forward, this will be evaluated and each situation judged on its merit, including the need for a prompt response, as well as the health and safety of employees and citizens,’ Stortz said.
Here's something the mayor posted after deadline yesterday, which sheds more light on the issue:
First, No Department Head received any benefit. They, other than Valentino, had lost their cars earlier. The only Department Heads having vehicles to take home are the Police and Fire Chiefs.
All others were part of BPSA, and their contract was negotiated earlier this year, and included the right for the city to take cars back. In addition, the city got Co-Pay from this bargaining unit as part of the overall agreement.
As regards the cars, the city was paying for fuel for trips forth and back to home, and in some cases that mileage EXCEEDED city use. So fuel cost were eliminated, as well as wear and tear on the vehicle. If 50 miles a week are saved, and keep in mind that some workers live out of town, and the vehicle gets 20MPG, the weekly cost for gas alone is almost $7.00/WK or $350/YR. Not including maintenance costs.
In addition, the use of the vehicle was considered a benefit which was then added to the workers W-2 form. Because the city had not taxed that benefit, it, the city, then paid the workers portion of that income tax at year end. Calculate the tax on just$1000.00, and the city (you) paid the workers tax. In most cases the benefit exceeded $1000.00/yr. That tax will no longer have to be paid by the city (you).
The worker also no longer gets the value of the benefit added to his pension calculation.
All of these savings will now accrue to the taxpayer (you).
At $500.00 savings per year, this agreement pays for itself in two years.
In many cases, the savings to the city is even greater, but what ever it is, it will continue until someone provides the vehicle again.
I am posting this from home, I do not have the file with me, but I do know that the savings well justify the decision. The facts, which are available in my office, clearly justify the decision as a sound economical one. Anyone that wants to stop in my office can get more information if they desire.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
City workers paid $1,000 to give up cars
Funny thing how Mayor William Stortz neglected to mention what the city gave up to convince the Bristol Professionals and Supervisors Association to relinquish the right to take home city cars.
When I called to ask her, Diane Ferguson, the city's personnel director, said this morning that the workers who have been allowed to take home municipal vehicles "were offered $1,000 to return their vehicles."
That's a one-time payment, she said.
Ferguson said that she thinks there were nine workers slated to receive the money.
So taxpayers are shelling out $9,000 to regain control of vehicles that the city government owns.
That's the deal that Stortz worked out with the union.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
When I called to ask her, Diane Ferguson, the city's personnel director, said this morning that the workers who have been allowed to take home municipal vehicles "were offered $1,000 to return their vehicles."
That's a one-time payment, she said.
Ferguson said that she thinks there were nine workers slated to receive the money.
So taxpayers are shelling out $9,000 to regain control of vehicles that the city government owns.
That's the deal that Stortz worked out with the union.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Rally at City Hall Tuesday to push for health care for children
Photo provided.
Here's what Jody Trestman had to say about the event in an email this morning:
Our peaceful demonstraton was on Tuesday October 16, 2007 at 5:30pm in front of Bristol City Hall. This was our response to Congress's Thursday vote to override President Bush's Vito on SCHIP. We, in attendance are aware that our 30 person demostration will not change votes in the congress, thankfully our representatives are in favor of the increase funding of this program; our goal was to increase awareness of this issue to the public.
This program is not just for people who are low or no income but for all americans who struggle everyday to pay high insurance premiums, while the insurance companies lobby state and federal politicians to enact legislation that allows them to raise rates on a regular basis, while systematically cutting benefits. Our government is of the people not the insurance corporations and their bottom line!!
Bristol is a post industrial working class town and this issue effects many of our citizens. Our hope is that eyes have been opened to this issue and people who ordinarily would not pay attention to it, because they think it does not directly effect them, will realize this and call their representatives both state and federal in support of increased funding of SCHIP.
My own personal opinion is this: If we can fund a war to kill people why can't we fund a program to help people? It's a bitter pill to shallow but, citizens of this country, no matter what economic level or political affiliation need to start standing up for what's truly important; and that is the well being of all Americans.... that is my definition of patriotism.
I know I am a bit long winded here but I for one am sick to death of the politcs in this country that perscribes to the lowest common denominator. The only elected local official that came to this event was Craig Minor, city council member. It is also important to note that Mike Petosa, Labor council President and several DTC members were present.
Here's what organizers sent out ahead of time to try to get people to come:
Please join us, we need your help!
When: Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Where: Bristol, CT City Hall (in front)
Why: The fate of our children!
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Please Bring: Candles, Friends, Families, and Children, We will try to provide posters, banners, etc.
When our kids get sick, having health insurance can mean the difference between life and death. Next week, Congress will decide which fate awaits poor children across America, when they consider whether to override President Bush's veto of kids' health care.1
To win, we only need 15 more Republicans to switch sides—and the best way to make that happen is with nationwide outcry. So, on Tuesday night, we'll gather at candlelight vigils for the millions of U.S. children who won't get health care if the Republicans block the bill.
Republicans think this is a political game—they've even gone so far as to slander 12-year old who speak out for health care. It's time to solemnly remind Congress what's at stake for the millions of kids who can't see a doctor when they're sick. These kids are one vote away from getting health care.
This is the defining domestic policy fight of the year, and the White House is pressuring Republicans in Congress to stay in line.
To override Bush's veto, we need to raise the pressure one more notch in the final hours before next Thursday's vote. The vigils are being promoted by a giant coalition of children's advocates, unions, and progressive organizations. Our coalition is also generating tons of phone calls, letters, and petitions, backed up by hard-hitting ads. But these vigils are the best way to remind the public what's really at stake—kids' lives.
Lots of people from your neighborhood are ready to stand up for our children's health care. We'll invite them. All they need is someone to help pull the vigil together.
Thank you, Joella Bouchard Mudry
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Mayor: City gains control over cars
Issued this morning by Mayor William Stortz:
In a prepared release, Mayor William T. Stortz announced that BPSA, (Bristol Professional Supervisors Association) and his office have come to a contractual agreement regarding the use of City vehicles by City personnel.
“We have effectively eliminated the past practice of allowing a limited number of employees to take their vehicles home on a regular basis. This will result in savings for the City and the taxpayer”, said Stortz.
“There are and will be certain situations where the need to take a vehicle home, to be on call, will occur. Going forward, this will be evaluated and each situation judged on its merit, including the need for a prompt response, as well as the health and safety of employees and citizens. The City, through the Mayor and the related department heads can and will authorize the use of a City vehicle, where appropriate. This will allow for contingencies, allow for adequate service, safety and response, when the need is justified and as unique circumstances occur”, continued Stortz.
In conclusion, Stortz said, “I appreciate the cooperation and understanding of BPSA members in working to effect the change.”
***
The release is sort of odd.
The news is old. Here, for example, is an excerpt from a story I wrote for the Press on Aug. 8, 2007:
Another section of the deal [with the BPSA] addresses the use of city-owned vehicles by members of the union.
Stortz said that the issue has been “a bone of contention” for a long time, but he got the union’s agreement that the right to take home municipal cars is a decision the city can make.
The mayor said some workers will keep taking cars home because there are legitimate reasons for it. But others won’t have the right any longer, Stortz added.
He said that in the long run the city will save money by paring the use of government vehicles.
Last week, the mayor pitched the story to me directly.
He said that the contract ensured the city would have total control over its own vehicles, which only makes sense.
He said there are situations where workers will be allowed to take home a municipal vehicle, but not at their own discretion.
"We were able to get a lot of vehicles back," Stortz said, reducing costs for taxpayers.
"It will be less expensive for the city," the mayor said.
I hadn't really had a chance to think about whether there was a legitimate story in that or not when I saw the mayor's press release today.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
In a prepared release, Mayor William T. Stortz announced that BPSA, (Bristol Professional Supervisors Association) and his office have come to a contractual agreement regarding the use of City vehicles by City personnel.
“We have effectively eliminated the past practice of allowing a limited number of employees to take their vehicles home on a regular basis. This will result in savings for the City and the taxpayer”, said Stortz.
“There are and will be certain situations where the need to take a vehicle home, to be on call, will occur. Going forward, this will be evaluated and each situation judged on its merit, including the need for a prompt response, as well as the health and safety of employees and citizens. The City, through the Mayor and the related department heads can and will authorize the use of a City vehicle, where appropriate. This will allow for contingencies, allow for adequate service, safety and response, when the need is justified and as unique circumstances occur”, continued Stortz.
In conclusion, Stortz said, “I appreciate the cooperation and understanding of BPSA members in working to effect the change.”
***
The release is sort of odd.
The news is old. Here, for example, is an excerpt from a story I wrote for the Press on Aug. 8, 2007:
Another section of the deal [with the BPSA] addresses the use of city-owned vehicles by members of the union.
Stortz said that the issue has been “a bone of contention” for a long time, but he got the union’s agreement that the right to take home municipal cars is a decision the city can make.
The mayor said some workers will keep taking cars home because there are legitimate reasons for it. But others won’t have the right any longer, Stortz added.
He said that in the long run the city will save money by paring the use of government vehicles.
Last week, the mayor pitched the story to me directly.
He said that the contract ensured the city would have total control over its own vehicles, which only makes sense.
He said there are situations where workers will be allowed to take home a municipal vehicle, but not at their own discretion.
"We were able to get a lot of vehicles back," Stortz said, reducing costs for taxpayers.
"It will be less expensive for the city," the mayor said.
I hadn't really had a chance to think about whether there was a legitimate story in that or not when I saw the mayor's press release today.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Fireworks only allowed at council meetings?
The city is considering a ban on the sale of fireworks.
An ordinance is under consideration that would prohibit the sale of any fireworks within the boundaries of Bristol.
Residents would still be free to purchase legal fireworks in other towns and use them in town, officials said.
City Councilor Ellen Zoppo said there will be a public hearing on the proposed ban at 6 p.m, Wednesday, Oct. 24 in the meeting room at City Hall.
Zoppo, who chairs the ordinance committee, said that officials are interested in hearing what people have to say.
City Councilor Frank Nicastro expressed skepticism about the far-reaching ban.
"We're going to ban little kids' sparklers?" Nicasto asked.
Mayor William Stortz raised the idea last summer after public safety officials devoted considerable time to checking on the safety of fireworkers dealers in Bristol, most of which are temporary businesses. They also found a couple of people selling illegal fireworks, officials said.
Connecticut allows the sale of small fireworks.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
An ordinance is under consideration that would prohibit the sale of any fireworks within the boundaries of Bristol.
Residents would still be free to purchase legal fireworks in other towns and use them in town, officials said.
City Councilor Ellen Zoppo said there will be a public hearing on the proposed ban at 6 p.m, Wednesday, Oct. 24 in the meeting room at City Hall.
Zoppo, who chairs the ordinance committee, said that officials are interested in hearing what people have to say.
City Councilor Frank Nicastro expressed skepticism about the far-reaching ban.
"We're going to ban little kids' sparklers?" Nicasto asked.
Mayor William Stortz raised the idea last summer after public safety officials devoted considerable time to checking on the safety of fireworkers dealers in Bristol, most of which are temporary businesses. They also found a couple of people selling illegal fireworks, officials said.
Connecticut allows the sale of small fireworks.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Monday, October 15, 2007
Crowley property's environmental status
It remains unclear how much pollution there may be on the former Crowley dealership in Forestville where officials plan to build a new school.
Mayor William Stortz said that car dealer Ken Crowley gave him phase 1 and phase 2 environmental studies that were done on the property beside Greene-Hills School.
But, the mayor said, he hasn't read them.
The existence of a phase 2 study indicates that there was at least some concern that the parcel might be polluted, but if there is a serious problem, a phase 3 study would normally follow.
City Councilor Craig Minor said that "we know the site is relatively clean" because of the two studies. He did explain what the reports said.
City Councilor Frank Nicastro voted against giving even tentative approval to the site because he hadn't seen the pollution reports.
"It would have been nice if it was shared with the council," Nicastro said.
Tom O'Brien, the school board member spearheading the effort to build two new schools, said that the council's approval merely meant the Crowley property was the right place for a new school.
Stortz said that the decision by councilors was "not the final call," merely the go-ahead needed to begin in-depth work on the plan to find out if it would work out on that site.
"It's not like it was the last hurrah," the mayor said. "They're going to have another shot at it."
City Councilor Kevin McCauley said that the matter would come back to the council when all the issues have been uncovered and the dollar figures known.
"Your hammer is the dollars," Stortz told councilors recently.
Nicastro said the lack of public input into the plan is a serious problem. He said he hopes that educators will allow for much more discussion in the weeks ahead.
O'Brien merely promised that meetings would be open to the public, which is something the law requires. He did not promise any hearings.
The school board plans to construct two new schools in town, one on the Crowley site and one somewhere in the western part of the city. Each would have 900 students and serve kindergarten to eighth grade.
As part of the plan, educators plan to close three old elementary schools – Greene-Hills, O’Connell and Bingham – as well as Memorial Boulevard Middle School.
The concept has gained a green light from the City Council and Board of Finance.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Mayor William Stortz said that car dealer Ken Crowley gave him phase 1 and phase 2 environmental studies that were done on the property beside Greene-Hills School.
But, the mayor said, he hasn't read them.
The existence of a phase 2 study indicates that there was at least some concern that the parcel might be polluted, but if there is a serious problem, a phase 3 study would normally follow.
City Councilor Craig Minor said that "we know the site is relatively clean" because of the two studies. He did explain what the reports said.
City Councilor Frank Nicastro voted against giving even tentative approval to the site because he hadn't seen the pollution reports.
"It would have been nice if it was shared with the council," Nicastro said.
Tom O'Brien, the school board member spearheading the effort to build two new schools, said that the council's approval merely meant the Crowley property was the right place for a new school.
Stortz said that the decision by councilors was "not the final call," merely the go-ahead needed to begin in-depth work on the plan to find out if it would work out on that site.
"It's not like it was the last hurrah," the mayor said. "They're going to have another shot at it."
City Councilor Kevin McCauley said that the matter would come back to the council when all the issues have been uncovered and the dollar figures known.
"Your hammer is the dollars," Stortz told councilors recently.
Nicastro said the lack of public input into the plan is a serious problem. He said he hopes that educators will allow for much more discussion in the weeks ahead.
O'Brien merely promised that meetings would be open to the public, which is something the law requires. He did not promise any hearings.
The school board plans to construct two new schools in town, one on the Crowley site and one somewhere in the western part of the city. Each would have 900 students and serve kindergarten to eighth grade.
As part of the plan, educators plan to close three old elementary schools – Greene-Hills, O’Connell and Bingham – as well as Memorial Boulevard Middle School.
The concept has gained a green light from the City Council and Board of Finance.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Rimcoski calls for biweekly City Council meetings
City Councilor Mike Rimcoski said he plans to propose a change that would replace the once-a-month City Council sessions with biweekly meetings.
"We don't spend the time that we should" on issues that are important, the 1st District Republican said.
He said that as meetings drag into the night, officials get tired and less inclined to debate issues thoroughly before voting on them.
Particularly when there is a long agenda, Rimcoski said, it would far better to divide it up between two meetings instead of trying to tackle everything at once.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
"We don't spend the time that we should" on issues that are important, the 1st District Republican said.
He said that as meetings drag into the night, officials get tired and less inclined to debate issues thoroughly before voting on them.
Particularly when there is a long agenda, Rimcoski said, it would far better to divide it up between two meetings instead of trying to tackle everything at once.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Labor Council endorses Ward, plus 2 GOP and 4 Democratic council hopefuls
Press release from The Greater Bristol Labor Council:
The Greater Bristol Labor Council has announced their list of endorsed candidates for election to local offices in the upcoming elections in November.
The GBLC represents working men and women in the Bristol area and is affiliated with the Connecticut AFL-CIO which represents 220,000 workers in Connecticut and nearly 900 local union affiliates.
Greater Bristol Labor Council President Mike Petosa, in announcing the endorsements, said, “It is important that working men and women rally around candidates for office who are willing to stand up and fight for them.” He said this is especially important during an era when “America's middle class in under attack.”
The local Labor Council voted last week to endorse the following candidates;
Art Ward (D) – Mayor
Mike Rimcoski (R) – 1st District City Council
Cliff Block (D) – 1st District City Council
Kevin McCauley (D) – 2nd District City Council
Bruce Lydem (D) – 2nd District City Council
Frank Nicastro (D) – 3rd District City Council
Robert Merrick (R) – 3rd District City Council
The endorsement meeting was held on October 10 at Nuchie’s Restaurant in the Forrestville section of Bristol.
Petosa added, “The candidates endorsed for election this November have demonstrated their determination to fight for issues important to workers and therefore make them ideal candidates for Bristol’s working men and women.”
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The Greater Bristol Labor Council has announced their list of endorsed candidates for election to local offices in the upcoming elections in November.
The GBLC represents working men and women in the Bristol area and is affiliated with the Connecticut AFL-CIO which represents 220,000 workers in Connecticut and nearly 900 local union affiliates.
Greater Bristol Labor Council President Mike Petosa, in announcing the endorsements, said, “It is important that working men and women rally around candidates for office who are willing to stand up and fight for them.” He said this is especially important during an era when “America's middle class in under attack.”
The local Labor Council voted last week to endorse the following candidates;
Art Ward (D) – Mayor
Mike Rimcoski (R) – 1st District City Council
Cliff Block (D) – 1st District City Council
Kevin McCauley (D) – 2nd District City Council
Bruce Lydem (D) – 2nd District City Council
Frank Nicastro (D) – 3rd District City Council
Robert Merrick (R) – 3rd District City Council
The endorsement meeting was held on October 10 at Nuchie’s Restaurant in the Forrestville section of Bristol.
Petosa added, “The candidates endorsed for election this November have demonstrated their determination to fight for issues important to workers and therefore make them ideal candidates for Bristol’s working men and women.”
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Rell at Route 72 groundbreaking
Press release from Gov. Jodi Rell:
Governor M. Jodi Rell today led a groundbreaking ceremony for the long-awaited, four-lane extension of Route 72 in Bristol. Earlier this summer, a $39.7 million contract was awarded to Manafort Brothers of Plainville for the project.
“Extending Route 72 will not only help central Connecticut commuters, it will provide a strong boost to economic development for the City of Bristol, local downtown merchants and companies along this corridor,” said Governor Rell. “The people of Bristol – and the region – have been waiting for years for this extension, which I regard as an investment in the community and Connecticut’s overall economy.”
Joining the Governor were Department of Transportation Commissioner Ralph J. Carpenter; Mayor William Stortz; Central Connecticut Chamber of Commerce President John Leone; state Reps. Betty Boukus, Ron Burn, William Hamzy and Frank Nicastro and state Sen. Thomas Colapietro.
The project calls for a 2.4-mile, four-lane section of highway extending from Route 372 (the end of the existing Route 72 roadway leading off I-84 in Plainville) to Middle Street in Bristol. It will include a new bridge over the Pequabuck River and a new pedestrian bridge over the new section of Route 72 near Forest Street.
The project is expected to take about 19 months to complete. The cost is being split between the state and federal governments, with 20 percent funded by the state and 80 percent by the federal government.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Governor M. Jodi Rell today led a groundbreaking ceremony for the long-awaited, four-lane extension of Route 72 in Bristol. Earlier this summer, a $39.7 million contract was awarded to Manafort Brothers of Plainville for the project.
“Extending Route 72 will not only help central Connecticut commuters, it will provide a strong boost to economic development for the City of Bristol, local downtown merchants and companies along this corridor,” said Governor Rell. “The people of Bristol – and the region – have been waiting for years for this extension, which I regard as an investment in the community and Connecticut’s overall economy.”
Joining the Governor were Department of Transportation Commissioner Ralph J. Carpenter; Mayor William Stortz; Central Connecticut Chamber of Commerce President John Leone; state Reps. Betty Boukus, Ron Burn, William Hamzy and Frank Nicastro and state Sen. Thomas Colapietro.
The project calls for a 2.4-mile, four-lane section of highway extending from Route 372 (the end of the existing Route 72 roadway leading off I-84 in Plainville) to Middle Street in Bristol. It will include a new bridge over the Pequabuck River and a new pedestrian bridge over the new section of Route 72 near Forest Street.
The project is expected to take about 19 months to complete. The cost is being split between the state and federal governments, with 20 percent funded by the state and 80 percent by the federal government.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
"Stay home and watch the squirrels"
Moments after the City Council approved the appointment of a new water commissioner last week, Republican mayoral candidate Ken Johnson jumped up from his chair in the audience with a look of disgust.
"I'm outta here," Johnson exclaimed loudly. He hustled to the door, which he proceeded to shove open with a resounding bang before disappearing into the night.
Politicians from both sides of the aisle said they were stunned by the dramatic move.
Johnson later explained, “You can only tolerate having somebody jab a stick in your eye for so long.”
For Johnson, the council meeting was “a microcosm of all that is wrong with Bristol politics,” including Mayor William Stortz’s “personal vendetta against me,” the hostility with which officials treated concerned citizens, and what he considered a surprising act of betrayal from Democratic mayoral candidate Art Ward.
Storming out, Johnson said, “was my way of expressing I was sick and tired of it.”
Stortz, a Republican who is not seeking reelection, said he has nothing against Johnson.
“What reason would I have to go after him? None,” the mayor said, expressing shock the GOP contender to succeed him next month would speak so harshly.
Art Mocabee, the Republican Party chairman, backs Johnson.
“The time has come to say enough, Bill,” Mocabee said. “Thank you for your efforts, but please stop using your time and city resources to try and undermined your party's ticket.”
“Stop with the pattern of vindictiveness you have so frequently shown, especially to some of us who have helped you get where you are,” the GOP chairman said.
Stortz said he is perplexed at the attacks levied on him by Johnson, Mocabee and other Republicans.
“Why are they fighting with me?” the mayor asked. “By attacking me, are they going to win over Democrats?”
While motives remain murky, there’s no doubt that most of the GOP ticket is fed up with Stortz.
Several expressed anger during last week’s council session, including council hopeful Joe Geladino, who yelled at one point that Stortz was acting like a dictator.
Geladino also complained that Stortz hauled a city attorney out to check on the legality of some Republican signs erected on Geladino’s property on Main Street, across from the library.
“It seems like you’re against your own party,” Geladino told the mayor. “You owe the taxpayers of Bristol some money because that was wrongly done.”
“If you have a problem with us,” Geladino told Stortz, “you should stay home and watch the squirrels.”
Stortz said he was already going out with Lacey to check out the mall site to see where construction fences could be placed and decided to swing by the property to see the signs after someone called him anonymously to gripe about them.
Johnson called Stortz a liar for claiming he didn’t go out with the intention of targeting the signs.
“Lie? I don’t do that,” said Stortz.
Richard Lacey, a city lawyer, said the mayor told him to “jump in the car” with him, so he did. He said they drove by the mall and the Main Street site before returning to City Hall about seven minutes later.
The council meeting was chock full of insults and flaring tempers, but Johnson was quiet until the end.
Johnson said he was angry about what he witnessed.
“That council chamber was a pretty hostile environment, Johnson said. “Do you think people think twice before stepping to that podium to speak wondering if they'll have to deal with insults hurled their way or if they'll be the butt of some politician's inappropriate joke?”
In the session’s closing minutes, the mayor nominated Sean Dunn to take the vacant Water Board seat that Johnson had held, and still hoped to regain.
City Councilor Craig Minor, a Democrat, said he understood Johnson wanted another term on the volunteer panel and said he would continue to back the Republican for the position. Another Democratic city councilor, Kevin McCauley, agreed.
But the rest of the council went along with Stortz to install Dunn on the panel on a 5-2 vote.
Johnson said he was most upset to see Ward back the mayor’s choice.
He said that Ward, who had been his strongest supporter for another appointment to the Water Board for almost a year, suddenly “flips and gives Bill what he wants?”
“I’ve come to expect it from Bill,” Johnson said, “but I didn’t expect it from Art.”
“He’s a friend. We’ve had a cordial relationship. What did I do to deserve that?” Johnson asked.
“How is it that after repeated attempts” by Stortz for many months “that he finally got the vote?” asked Johnson.
Ward said that he initially supported Johnson’s reappointment, but with a new water superintendent on board, he thought it was more important now to make sure that “a full complement” of water commissioners would be available to help with a major transition for the department.
“There needs to be some stability” on the board, he said.
Besides, Ward said, there’s only a month left before the municipal election and he assumed that Johnson’s focus would be on trying to win the race, not water issues.
Bruce Lydem, a Democratic City Council contender, called the whole flap “an unfortunate incident” that can happen in the “pressure cooker” of a campaign.
“We are down to the wire in the election season and many of us our tired and sometimes passions boil over,” Lydem said.
Though Lydem said he can understand the feelings that can lead to outbursts, they shouldn’t happen.
“We must make sure that we treat each other with respect and dignity, know and listen to our own minds and bodies and understand when the pressures of politics and serving require us to take a deep breath and step back,” Lydem said.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
"I'm outta here," Johnson exclaimed loudly. He hustled to the door, which he proceeded to shove open with a resounding bang before disappearing into the night.
Politicians from both sides of the aisle said they were stunned by the dramatic move.
Johnson later explained, “You can only tolerate having somebody jab a stick in your eye for so long.”
For Johnson, the council meeting was “a microcosm of all that is wrong with Bristol politics,” including Mayor William Stortz’s “personal vendetta against me,” the hostility with which officials treated concerned citizens, and what he considered a surprising act of betrayal from Democratic mayoral candidate Art Ward.
Storming out, Johnson said, “was my way of expressing I was sick and tired of it.”
Stortz, a Republican who is not seeking reelection, said he has nothing against Johnson.
“What reason would I have to go after him? None,” the mayor said, expressing shock the GOP contender to succeed him next month would speak so harshly.
Art Mocabee, the Republican Party chairman, backs Johnson.
“The time has come to say enough, Bill,” Mocabee said. “Thank you for your efforts, but please stop using your time and city resources to try and undermined your party's ticket.”
“Stop with the pattern of vindictiveness you have so frequently shown, especially to some of us who have helped you get where you are,” the GOP chairman said.
Stortz said he is perplexed at the attacks levied on him by Johnson, Mocabee and other Republicans.
“Why are they fighting with me?” the mayor asked. “By attacking me, are they going to win over Democrats?”
While motives remain murky, there’s no doubt that most of the GOP ticket is fed up with Stortz.
Several expressed anger during last week’s council session, including council hopeful Joe Geladino, who yelled at one point that Stortz was acting like a dictator.
Geladino also complained that Stortz hauled a city attorney out to check on the legality of some Republican signs erected on Geladino’s property on Main Street, across from the library.
“It seems like you’re against your own party,” Geladino told the mayor. “You owe the taxpayers of Bristol some money because that was wrongly done.”
“If you have a problem with us,” Geladino told Stortz, “you should stay home and watch the squirrels.”
Stortz said he was already going out with Lacey to check out the mall site to see where construction fences could be placed and decided to swing by the property to see the signs after someone called him anonymously to gripe about them.
Johnson called Stortz a liar for claiming he didn’t go out with the intention of targeting the signs.
“Lie? I don’t do that,” said Stortz.
Richard Lacey, a city lawyer, said the mayor told him to “jump in the car” with him, so he did. He said they drove by the mall and the Main Street site before returning to City Hall about seven minutes later.
The council meeting was chock full of insults and flaring tempers, but Johnson was quiet until the end.
Johnson said he was angry about what he witnessed.
“That council chamber was a pretty hostile environment, Johnson said. “Do you think people think twice before stepping to that podium to speak wondering if they'll have to deal with insults hurled their way or if they'll be the butt of some politician's inappropriate joke?”
In the session’s closing minutes, the mayor nominated Sean Dunn to take the vacant Water Board seat that Johnson had held, and still hoped to regain.
City Councilor Craig Minor, a Democrat, said he understood Johnson wanted another term on the volunteer panel and said he would continue to back the Republican for the position. Another Democratic city councilor, Kevin McCauley, agreed.
But the rest of the council went along with Stortz to install Dunn on the panel on a 5-2 vote.
Johnson said he was most upset to see Ward back the mayor’s choice.
He said that Ward, who had been his strongest supporter for another appointment to the Water Board for almost a year, suddenly “flips and gives Bill what he wants?”
“I’ve come to expect it from Bill,” Johnson said, “but I didn’t expect it from Art.”
“He’s a friend. We’ve had a cordial relationship. What did I do to deserve that?” Johnson asked.
“How is it that after repeated attempts” by Stortz for many months “that he finally got the vote?” asked Johnson.
Ward said that he initially supported Johnson’s reappointment, but with a new water superintendent on board, he thought it was more important now to make sure that “a full complement” of water commissioners would be available to help with a major transition for the department.
“There needs to be some stability” on the board, he said.
Besides, Ward said, there’s only a month left before the municipal election and he assumed that Johnson’s focus would be on trying to win the race, not water issues.
Bruce Lydem, a Democratic City Council contender, called the whole flap “an unfortunate incident” that can happen in the “pressure cooker” of a campaign.
“We are down to the wire in the election season and many of us our tired and sometimes passions boil over,” Lydem said.
Though Lydem said he can understand the feelings that can lead to outbursts, they shouldn’t happen.
“We must make sure that we treat each other with respect and dignity, know and listen to our own minds and bodies and understand when the pressures of politics and serving require us to take a deep breath and step back,” Lydem said.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Johnson upset, in part, with Ward
At the end of last week's City Council session, the mayor nominated Sean Dunn to take the vacant Water Board seat that Republican mayoral candidate Ken Johnson had held, and still hoped to regain.
City Councilor Craig Minor, a Democrat, said he understood Johnson wanted another term on the volunteer panel and said he would continue to back the Republican for the position. Another Democratic city councilor, Kevin McCauley, agreed.
But the rest of the council went along with Stortz to install Dunn on the panel on a 5-2 vote.
Johnson said he was most upset to see Ward back the mayor’s choice.
He said that Ward, who had been his strongest supporter for another appointment to the Water Board for almost a year, suddenly “flips and gives Bill what he wants?”
“I’ve come to expect it from Bill,” Johnson said, “but I didn’t expect it from Art.”
“He’s a friend. We’ve had a cordial relationship. What did I do to deserve that?” Johnson asked.
“How is it that after repeated attempts” by Stortz for many months “that he finally got the vote?” asked Johnson.
Ward said that he initially supported Johnson’s reappointment, but with a new water superintendent on board, he thought it was more important now to make sure that “a full complement” of water commissioners would be available to help with a major transition for the department.
“There needs to be some stability” on the board, he said.
Besides, Ward said, there’s only a month left before the municipal election and he assumed that Johnson’s focus would be on trying to win the race, not water issues.
Johnson said Friday that he tried to phone Ward the following morning to get an explanation, but Ward never returned the call. Ward said Monday he's tried once, unsuccessfully, to phone Johnson back.
Bruce Lydem, a Democratic City Council contender, called the whole flap “an unfortunate incident” that can happen in the “pressure cooker” of a campaign.
“We are down to the wire in the election season and many of us our tired and sometimes passions boil over,” Lydem said.
Though Lydem said he can understand the feelings that can lead to outbursts, they shouldn’t happen.
“We must make sure that we treat each other with respect and dignity, know and listen to our own minds and bodies and understand when the pressures of politics and serving require us to take a deep breath and step back,” Lydem said.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
City Councilor Craig Minor, a Democrat, said he understood Johnson wanted another term on the volunteer panel and said he would continue to back the Republican for the position. Another Democratic city councilor, Kevin McCauley, agreed.
But the rest of the council went along with Stortz to install Dunn on the panel on a 5-2 vote.
Johnson said he was most upset to see Ward back the mayor’s choice.
He said that Ward, who had been his strongest supporter for another appointment to the Water Board for almost a year, suddenly “flips and gives Bill what he wants?”
“I’ve come to expect it from Bill,” Johnson said, “but I didn’t expect it from Art.”
“He’s a friend. We’ve had a cordial relationship. What did I do to deserve that?” Johnson asked.
“How is it that after repeated attempts” by Stortz for many months “that he finally got the vote?” asked Johnson.
Ward said that he initially supported Johnson’s reappointment, but with a new water superintendent on board, he thought it was more important now to make sure that “a full complement” of water commissioners would be available to help with a major transition for the department.
“There needs to be some stability” on the board, he said.
Besides, Ward said, there’s only a month left before the municipal election and he assumed that Johnson’s focus would be on trying to win the race, not water issues.
Johnson said Friday that he tried to phone Ward the following morning to get an explanation, but Ward never returned the call. Ward said Monday he's tried once, unsuccessfully, to phone Johnson back.
Bruce Lydem, a Democratic City Council contender, called the whole flap “an unfortunate incident” that can happen in the “pressure cooker” of a campaign.
“We are down to the wire in the election season and many of us our tired and sometimes passions boil over,” Lydem said.
Though Lydem said he can understand the feelings that can lead to outbursts, they shouldn’t happen.
“We must make sure that we treat each other with respect and dignity, know and listen to our own minds and bodies and understand when the pressures of politics and serving require us to take a deep breath and step back,” Lydem said.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
How Johnson lost his Water Board seat
Last winter, Republican mayoral candidate Ken Johnson got what he calls “a nastygram” from the city clerk informing him that he was no longer on the Water Board because he had missed too many monthly meetings to remain on the panel.
Johnson said that City Clerk Therese Pac counted wrong, that he didn’t actually miss more than 60 percent of the panel’s monthly meetings in the previous year, but he didn’t contest the decision.
He said he missed five of the 12 sessions – missing seven would put him over the legal limit – for “some very personal, legitimate family issues” that he told Mayor William Stortz about but doesn’t want to air in public.
Johnson said Stortz told Pac to oust him from the five-person panel, but the mayor said that’s not true.
He said Pac does what the law requires. He said it’s possible he called the attendance problems to her attention. “If I did, that’s my prerogative,” Stortz said.
When Stortz tried to name a successor to Johnson, the City Council rebelled, with the Democratic majority telling the mayor they wanted to put Johnson back on the panel. They said they thought his reasons were legitimate.
A stalemate ensued for the rest of the year until Stortz convinced a majority last week to go along with naming Sean Dunn to take the empty Water Board slot.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Johnson said that City Clerk Therese Pac counted wrong, that he didn’t actually miss more than 60 percent of the panel’s monthly meetings in the previous year, but he didn’t contest the decision.
He said he missed five of the 12 sessions – missing seven would put him over the legal limit – for “some very personal, legitimate family issues” that he told Mayor William Stortz about but doesn’t want to air in public.
Johnson said Stortz told Pac to oust him from the five-person panel, but the mayor said that’s not true.
He said Pac does what the law requires. He said it’s possible he called the attendance problems to her attention. “If I did, that’s my prerogative,” Stortz said.
When Stortz tried to name a successor to Johnson, the City Council rebelled, with the Democratic majority telling the mayor they wanted to put Johnson back on the panel. They said they thought his reasons were legitimate.
A stalemate ensued for the rest of the year until Stortz convinced a majority last week to go along with naming Sean Dunn to take the empty Water Board slot.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Larson vows to push for Social Security office
While hoping for a long-term commitment to leave the Social Security office in Bristol, U.S. Rep. John Larson said he’ll be pushing in the coming week to convince federal decision-makers to let it remain open past the Nov. 2 deadline announced recently.
Larson said Saturday that he’s meeting this week with both the Social Security Administration commissioner and the agency’s key legislative manager to try to gain Bristol more time to make its case.
The East Hartford Democrat, whose 1st District includes Bristol, said he’ll ask both officials “to give us the time needed to wait this budget through.”
After Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue told lawmakers earlier this year that he needed hundreds of millions in extra funding to allow office in Bristol and a number of cities across the country to stay open, Larson and other congressmen delivered a proposed budget that would do just that.
However, President George W. Bush has declared that he won’t sign a budget plan that includes more money than he proposed, which would leave the Social Security Administration with few options except paring back its administrative costs.
It doesn’t have the option of slicing Social Security payments.
State Rep. Frank Nicastro, a Bristol Democrat from the 79th District, said that Bush “has to open his eyes and see how he’s hurting people” with his vow to hold down federal spending that’s necessary to keep the office open.
Nicastro called it “totally unfair” and “almost vindictive” for the president to take aim at places like Bristol.
Nicastro, a former mayor, said he cannot fathom how the government can come up with billions for an unpopular war “and we can’t help the people here, the people that made this country great.”
City Councilor Kevin McCauley said that if requires a city delegation to go to Washington and plead Bristol’s case, he’s ready.
Larson said that Bristol has done all it can to try to find ways to cut costs, including landlord George Carpenter’s cooperation.
Carpenter gets $36,983 in annual rent on the Social Security office space, which is only a fraction of the $113,000 the agency hopes to save by shutting down the Bristol office.
Officials said they are trying to enlist Gov. Jodi Rell’s help in fighting for the Bristol office to stay open. They said that as a Republican, she might have more luck in convincing Bush to let the office remain in Bristol.
John Leone, president of the Greater Bristol Chamber of Commerce, expressed frustration at trying to get assistance from Rell. He said the governor’s staff sought to dismiss the issue as one that doesn’t involve the state, which is only technically true.
“Her staff could be more receptive,” Leone said.
Rell is expected to attend a groundbreaking for the Route 72 extension on Monday in Bristol, where she will no doubt receive plenty of personal lobbying from city and community leaders to lend a hand.
Mayor William Stortz said he hopes Larson can buy the city more time.
“We need that,” the mayor said.
******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Larson said Saturday that he’s meeting this week with both the Social Security Administration commissioner and the agency’s key legislative manager to try to gain Bristol more time to make its case.
The East Hartford Democrat, whose 1st District includes Bristol, said he’ll ask both officials “to give us the time needed to wait this budget through.”
After Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue told lawmakers earlier this year that he needed hundreds of millions in extra funding to allow office in Bristol and a number of cities across the country to stay open, Larson and other congressmen delivered a proposed budget that would do just that.
However, President George W. Bush has declared that he won’t sign a budget plan that includes more money than he proposed, which would leave the Social Security Administration with few options except paring back its administrative costs.
It doesn’t have the option of slicing Social Security payments.
State Rep. Frank Nicastro, a Bristol Democrat from the 79th District, said that Bush “has to open his eyes and see how he’s hurting people” with his vow to hold down federal spending that’s necessary to keep the office open.
Nicastro called it “totally unfair” and “almost vindictive” for the president to take aim at places like Bristol.
Nicastro, a former mayor, said he cannot fathom how the government can come up with billions for an unpopular war “and we can’t help the people here, the people that made this country great.”
City Councilor Kevin McCauley said that if requires a city delegation to go to Washington and plead Bristol’s case, he’s ready.
Larson said that Bristol has done all it can to try to find ways to cut costs, including landlord George Carpenter’s cooperation.
Carpenter gets $36,983 in annual rent on the Social Security office space, which is only a fraction of the $113,000 the agency hopes to save by shutting down the Bristol office.
Officials said they are trying to enlist Gov. Jodi Rell’s help in fighting for the Bristol office to stay open. They said that as a Republican, she might have more luck in convincing Bush to let the office remain in Bristol.
John Leone, president of the Greater Bristol Chamber of Commerce, expressed frustration at trying to get assistance from Rell. He said the governor’s staff sought to dismiss the issue as one that doesn’t involve the state, which is only technically true.
“Her staff could be more receptive,” Leone said.
Rell is expected to attend a groundbreaking for the Route 72 extension on Monday in Bristol, where she will no doubt receive plenty of personal lobbying from city and community leaders to lend a hand.
Mayor William Stortz said he hopes Larson can buy the city more time.
“We need that,” the mayor said.
******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Pedestrian hit by car on Federal Hill
A 65-year-old man was hit by a car on Federal Hill Saturday morning and suffered life-threatening injuries.
Though details remain scant, police said Saturday that a 1997 Dodge Stratus sedan driven by Donald Goulet, 51, of 23 Wooding St. hit an unidentified pedestrian at the corner of Center and North Main streets about 8:21 a.m.
When officers reached the scene, they found that a 65-year-old man “suffered serious head injuries that appeared to be life-threatening,” according to a press release issued Saturday.
The injured man, who had been trying to cross Center Street from south to north, was taken by ambulance to St. Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury. No further information is available on his condition.
Acccording to polie, Goulet was trying to turn left onto Center Street when the collision occurred. The driver, who could not be reached for comment, was not hurt, police said.
No charges have been filed in the accident, which remains under investigation.
Police have asked anyone with information to contact Officer Kozaryn of the traffic division at 584-3036.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Though details remain scant, police said Saturday that a 1997 Dodge Stratus sedan driven by Donald Goulet, 51, of 23 Wooding St. hit an unidentified pedestrian at the corner of Center and North Main streets about 8:21 a.m.
When officers reached the scene, they found that a 65-year-old man “suffered serious head injuries that appeared to be life-threatening,” according to a press release issued Saturday.
The injured man, who had been trying to cross Center Street from south to north, was taken by ambulance to St. Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury. No further information is available on his condition.
Acccording to polie, Goulet was trying to turn left onto Center Street when the collision occurred. The driver, who could not be reached for comment, was not hurt, police said.
No charges have been filed in the accident, which remains under investigation.
Police have asked anyone with information to contact Officer Kozaryn of the traffic division at 584-3036.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Friday, October 12, 2007
A full-time federal guard for Bristol's Social Security office?
Shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack, Congress decided that every Social Security office in the nation needed a full-time guard.
So for the past six years, the federal government has been shelling out more than $60,000 annually to cover the tab for having a guard watching over the 5-person Social Security office in Bristol.
That office is slated to close Nov. 2 so that the Social Security Administration can save about $113,000 annually, officials said.
More than half the savings will come from eliminating the need for a guard in Bristol.
The requirement “makes no sense,” said state Rep. Frank Nicastro, a 79th District Democrat.
“It seems so ridiculous,” said state Rep. Bill Hamzy, a Plymouth Republican whose 78th District includes part of Bristol.
John Leone, president of the Greater Bristol Chamber of Commerce, said it is “like shooting a fly with an elephant gun” to combat terrorism by hiring full-time security for a tiny Social Security office.
The other Social Security workers who are currently in Bristol will simply transfer to a New Britain office that is likely to be moving to new,larger quarters soon.
Local officials and aides for congressional offices who gathered at the chamber offices Friday afternoon said that one way to fight for the Bristol office to remain open may be to reduce its hours so that it would be open only four days a week instead of five.
Apparently, they said, the guard wouldn’t be necessary under the law if the office is less than full-time.
The federal Department of Homeland Security hires the guards and charges the Social Security Administration the cost of paying the guards along with a 15 percent management surcharge.
“It’s overkill,” Leone said, and clearly isn’t necessary in Bristol.
Mayor William Stortz, city councilors, state lawmakers and others said Friday they’re going to push hard to keep the office open.
“Once it’s closed, it’s closed,” said city Councilor Mike Rimcoski. “It would take an act of God to reopen it.”
Nicastro said he can’t understand the priorities in Washington.
“One bomb in Iraq” costs more than it would take to keep serving more than 12,000 people yearly at the Bristol office, Nicastro said.
He said, “We can spend that kind of money overseas - and we don’t seem to be getting anywhere, looks like another Vietnam - and we can’t this office open?”
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
So for the past six years, the federal government has been shelling out more than $60,000 annually to cover the tab for having a guard watching over the 5-person Social Security office in Bristol.
That office is slated to close Nov. 2 so that the Social Security Administration can save about $113,000 annually, officials said.
More than half the savings will come from eliminating the need for a guard in Bristol.
The requirement “makes no sense,” said state Rep. Frank Nicastro, a 79th District Democrat.
“It seems so ridiculous,” said state Rep. Bill Hamzy, a Plymouth Republican whose 78th District includes part of Bristol.
John Leone, president of the Greater Bristol Chamber of Commerce, said it is “like shooting a fly with an elephant gun” to combat terrorism by hiring full-time security for a tiny Social Security office.
The other Social Security workers who are currently in Bristol will simply transfer to a New Britain office that is likely to be moving to new,larger quarters soon.
Local officials and aides for congressional offices who gathered at the chamber offices Friday afternoon said that one way to fight for the Bristol office to remain open may be to reduce its hours so that it would be open only four days a week instead of five.
Apparently, they said, the guard wouldn’t be necessary under the law if the office is less than full-time.
The federal Department of Homeland Security hires the guards and charges the Social Security Administration the cost of paying the guards along with a 15 percent management surcharge.
“It’s overkill,” Leone said, and clearly isn’t necessary in Bristol.
Mayor William Stortz, city councilors, state lawmakers and others said Friday they’re going to push hard to keep the office open.
“Once it’s closed, it’s closed,” said city Councilor Mike Rimcoski. “It would take an act of God to reopen it.”
Nicastro said he can’t understand the priorities in Washington.
“One bomb in Iraq” costs more than it would take to keep serving more than 12,000 people yearly at the Bristol office, Nicastro said.
He said, “We can spend that kind of money overseas - and we don’t seem to be getting anywhere, looks like another Vietnam - and we can’t this office open?”
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Thursday, October 11, 2007
GOP chairman takes aim at Stortz
Just sent by city Republican Chairman Art Mocabee:
Enough is enough! The Bristol Republican slate of candidates is more unified then ever despite some individuals who think differently and some including our own Mayor who seems to be trying to undo our unity.
This group of candidates is the most cohesive group of individuals that have come together for a common cause that I have ever worked with over the many years I have been involved. They are lead by Ken Johnson. They meet regularly to discuss issues that effect the campaign and the direction they want to lead Bristol in. They do not always agree but they acquiesce to consensus of opinion and move forward, much the way they will lead Bristol if elected..
It is unfortunate that on Mayor Stotz's last City Council meeting as mayor, I or another representative of the party did not stand up to thank him for his service to Bristol. While he may have a few supporters on the Town Committee and I am sure at large in our community, he has failed to work with us because he felt it was "too political'. When good people are alienated by him, antagonized by him , with the use of city resources no less, he can expect to gain no favor from us. When he needed us we were there.
Mayor Stortz has complained and stated that he was "not asked to seek re-election" by me as Town Chairman. This simply is not true. He was asked to begin his re-election campaign in June of 2006 with the formation of a media group, he declined to participate. Meetings we held in my office on several Saturday mornings in January and February of this year that he was present to recruit City Council candidates. That action alone was our commitment to his re-election. In addition I meet with him in his office on at least three occasions, emailed him at least six times requesting him to decide what he wanted to do.
By March I had no choice but to entertain Ken Johnson's interest.
At that time, Johnson told Stortz that he would back off the nomination if he wanted it by the May Town Committee meeting. If Johnson did not hear from me or Bill, he would begin the process of seeking the nomination from the BRTC. He did so and won it, and I think he would have won it even if Bill had decided by that time to seek it.
So the time has come to say enough Bill. Thank you for your efforts, but please stop using your time and City resources to try and undermined your party's ticket. Stop with the pattern of vindictiveness you have so frequently shown, especially to some of us who have helped you get where you are.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Enough is enough! The Bristol Republican slate of candidates is more unified then ever despite some individuals who think differently and some including our own Mayor who seems to be trying to undo our unity.
This group of candidates is the most cohesive group of individuals that have come together for a common cause that I have ever worked with over the many years I have been involved. They are lead by Ken Johnson. They meet regularly to discuss issues that effect the campaign and the direction they want to lead Bristol in. They do not always agree but they acquiesce to consensus of opinion and move forward, much the way they will lead Bristol if elected..
It is unfortunate that on Mayor Stotz's last City Council meeting as mayor, I or another representative of the party did not stand up to thank him for his service to Bristol. While he may have a few supporters on the Town Committee and I am sure at large in our community, he has failed to work with us because he felt it was "too political'. When good people are alienated by him, antagonized by him , with the use of city resources no less, he can expect to gain no favor from us. When he needed us we were there.
Mayor Stortz has complained and stated that he was "not asked to seek re-election" by me as Town Chairman. This simply is not true. He was asked to begin his re-election campaign in June of 2006 with the formation of a media group, he declined to participate. Meetings we held in my office on several Saturday mornings in January and February of this year that he was present to recruit City Council candidates. That action alone was our commitment to his re-election. In addition I meet with him in his office on at least three occasions, emailed him at least six times requesting him to decide what he wanted to do.
By March I had no choice but to entertain Ken Johnson's interest.
At that time, Johnson told Stortz that he would back off the nomination if he wanted it by the May Town Committee meeting. If Johnson did not hear from me or Bill, he would begin the process of seeking the nomination from the BRTC. He did so and won it, and I think he would have won it even if Bill had decided by that time to seek it.
So the time has come to say enough Bill. Thank you for your efforts, but please stop using your time and City resources to try and undermined your party's ticket. Stop with the pattern of vindictiveness you have so frequently shown, especially to some of us who have helped you get where you are.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Gov. Rell to campaign for Ken Johnson
Invitation issued today:
Sharon and Ed Krawiecki, Jr.
cordially invite you
to attend a cocktail reception
in honor of
Ken Johnson
Candidate for Mayor
Guest of Honor
Honorable M. Jodi Rell
Governor
Monday, October 15, 2007
5:30-7:30 p.m.
203 Pinehurst Rd
Bristol, CT
Donation $100 per person
Max. Donation per person for Mayor $1,000
Please call to RSVP
589-4552 or 582-9785
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Sharon and Ed Krawiecki, Jr.
cordially invite you
to attend a cocktail reception
in honor of
Ken Johnson
Candidate for Mayor
Guest of Honor
Honorable M. Jodi Rell
Governor
Monday, October 15, 2007
5:30-7:30 p.m.
203 Pinehurst Rd
Bristol, CT
Donation $100 per person
Max. Donation per person for Mayor $1,000
Please call to RSVP
589-4552 or 582-9785
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
City needs to communicate better, Merrick says
The City Council meeting held this past Tuesday, October 9, 2007, was another example of poor communication and failure to provide the citizen’s of Bristol with adequate and necessary information on important issues facing our city.
On Thursday, September 27, 2007, I attended a special meeting of the City Council at which recommendations from the West End School Building Committee and Forestville School Building Committee were to be presented to authorize each respective committee to begin the process necessary for the building of two new 900-student, K-8 schools.
Since no one from either site committee was available at the special meeting, and the councilors were not provided with any specific information related to the decision of why the one site was chosen over another, a motion was made to table the decision for a future regularly-scheduled meeting of the City Council.
At Tuesday’s City Council meeting I was surprised to see that the school site selection committee was not listed on the agenda. Upon taking my seat I noticed a large number of Bristol Public School administration staff was present, as well as members of the Board of Education, and site-selection committee members. After a brief ceremonial presentation to McCabe-Waters baseball champions, a motion was made to move Item 6, Unfinished Business, to the top of the agenda.
A two hour and fifteen minute presentation and discussion of the site selections was made by the BOE and school administration staff. There was no opportunity for the public to provide general public input before the site selections were voted on. The public was only allowed to comment on the motion to accept in the case of the Forestville site or reject in the case of the Scalia site. No discussion was allowed regarding building structure, size, or suitability to the community as a whole. Many people in attendance, including myself, were frustrated as to how events unfolded and the appearance that it was purposely designed to limit the ability of the public to freely voice their feelings and have their concerns addressed in a meaningful and receptive manner.
It was obvious that the BOE, superintendent and other school administrative staff had a prepared presentation for the City Council. The fact that the mayor and City Council, with the exception of Councilman Nicastro, continued to push forward and approve the Forestville site without first presenting all available information, including important phase 1 and 2 environmental studies conducted on the Crowley property, and answering questions from the public first is very troubling.
A central message of my campaign is improved communication. The majority of the people in over 800 households I have visited are not comfortable with the size or grade structure of the new schools. They want more information before supporting the project. Our city’s website lists agenda as a category for City Council meetings. Not one agenda from City Council meetings has been listed this year. Given the family, job, and other competing responsibilities that Bristol residents face on a daily basis, it is inconceivable that most people would find time in their busy lives to attend a meeting with no prior knowledge of what is to be discussed.
Bristol, a city of 60,000, must do better. Our city’s leaders must substantially improve how they communicate by actively reaching out, marketing, and inviting the public back into the process of government.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
On Thursday, September 27, 2007, I attended a special meeting of the City Council at which recommendations from the West End School Building Committee and Forestville School Building Committee were to be presented to authorize each respective committee to begin the process necessary for the building of two new 900-student, K-8 schools.
Since no one from either site committee was available at the special meeting, and the councilors were not provided with any specific information related to the decision of why the one site was chosen over another, a motion was made to table the decision for a future regularly-scheduled meeting of the City Council.
At Tuesday’s City Council meeting I was surprised to see that the school site selection committee was not listed on the agenda. Upon taking my seat I noticed a large number of Bristol Public School administration staff was present, as well as members of the Board of Education, and site-selection committee members. After a brief ceremonial presentation to McCabe-Waters baseball champions, a motion was made to move Item 6, Unfinished Business, to the top of the agenda.
A two hour and fifteen minute presentation and discussion of the site selections was made by the BOE and school administration staff. There was no opportunity for the public to provide general public input before the site selections were voted on. The public was only allowed to comment on the motion to accept in the case of the Forestville site or reject in the case of the Scalia site. No discussion was allowed regarding building structure, size, or suitability to the community as a whole. Many people in attendance, including myself, were frustrated as to how events unfolded and the appearance that it was purposely designed to limit the ability of the public to freely voice their feelings and have their concerns addressed in a meaningful and receptive manner.
It was obvious that the BOE, superintendent and other school administrative staff had a prepared presentation for the City Council. The fact that the mayor and City Council, with the exception of Councilman Nicastro, continued to push forward and approve the Forestville site without first presenting all available information, including important phase 1 and 2 environmental studies conducted on the Crowley property, and answering questions from the public first is very troubling.
A central message of my campaign is improved communication. The majority of the people in over 800 households I have visited are not comfortable with the size or grade structure of the new schools. They want more information before supporting the project. Our city’s website lists agenda as a category for City Council meetings. Not one agenda from City Council meetings has been listed this year. Given the family, job, and other competing responsibilities that Bristol residents face on a daily basis, it is inconceivable that most people would find time in their busy lives to attend a meeting with no prior knowledge of what is to be discussed.
Bristol, a city of 60,000, must do better. Our city’s leaders must substantially improve how they communicate by actively reaching out, marketing, and inviting the public back into the process of government.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Johnson tired of the mayor jabbing at him
At the end of Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Republican mayoral candidate Ken Johnson watched with growing anger as Mayor William Stortz nominated someone to fill Johnson’s seat on Water Board.
When the council went along with the mayor’s request, Johnson suddenly leaped to his feet.
"I'm outta here," he exclaimed loudly, hustling to the door, which he proceeded to shove open with a resounding bang before vanishing, to general astonishment.
Today, Johnson explained, at least a little.
“You can only tolerate having somebody jab a stick in your eye for so long,” Johnson said, before deciding he better have something to eat before weighing in with more detail.
He just recently sent along a written comment that explains a little more. Here it is:
First of all, let me apologize to anyone who was offended by my abrupt departure from last night's council meeting. But, like so many of my fellow citizens, I've had enough of this foolishness. I left that meeting because the stench of 'politics as usual' was overwhelming. I'm sorry my wife, who sat with me for those four hours, had to witness our Mayor abuse the good office to carry out his personal vendetta against me. After last night, do you wonder why more good people aren't anxious to volunteer for Boards and Commissions?
Tuesday's Council meeting was a microcosm of all that is wrong with Bristol politics. And, ironically, it perfectly illustrates all the reasons I've felt so compelled to run:
I want the people to be able to expect honesty and integrity in their elected officials. We need leaders who are willing to listen to the public and seek out the alternative point of view. And we desperately need to restore civility to our politics and public debate. I saw none of that last night.
That council chamber was a pretty hostile environment. Do you think people think twice before stepping to that podium to speak wondering if they'll have to deal with insults hurled their way or if they'll be the butt of some politician's inappropriate joke?
Is it any wonder that citizens feel no one is listening and, further, that they feel powerless to affect any positive change? I believe we must hold onto the hope that we can affect change. With my candidacy for Mayor, I'm offering to be that catalyst for change. We must put Bristol first.
That means we must have a leader who is ready, willing and able to put your best interest above any competing personal or political agenda.
I'm willing to give it a try, with your help.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
When the council went along with the mayor’s request, Johnson suddenly leaped to his feet.
"I'm outta here," he exclaimed loudly, hustling to the door, which he proceeded to shove open with a resounding bang before vanishing, to general astonishment.
Today, Johnson explained, at least a little.
“You can only tolerate having somebody jab a stick in your eye for so long,” Johnson said, before deciding he better have something to eat before weighing in with more detail.
He just recently sent along a written comment that explains a little more. Here it is:
First of all, let me apologize to anyone who was offended by my abrupt departure from last night's council meeting. But, like so many of my fellow citizens, I've had enough of this foolishness. I left that meeting because the stench of 'politics as usual' was overwhelming. I'm sorry my wife, who sat with me for those four hours, had to witness our Mayor abuse the good office to carry out his personal vendetta against me. After last night, do you wonder why more good people aren't anxious to volunteer for Boards and Commissions?
Tuesday's Council meeting was a microcosm of all that is wrong with Bristol politics. And, ironically, it perfectly illustrates all the reasons I've felt so compelled to run:
I want the people to be able to expect honesty and integrity in their elected officials. We need leaders who are willing to listen to the public and seek out the alternative point of view. And we desperately need to restore civility to our politics and public debate. I saw none of that last night.
That council chamber was a pretty hostile environment. Do you think people think twice before stepping to that podium to speak wondering if they'll have to deal with insults hurled their way or if they'll be the butt of some politician's inappropriate joke?
Is it any wonder that citizens feel no one is listening and, further, that they feel powerless to affect any positive change? I believe we must hold onto the hope that we can affect change. With my candidacy for Mayor, I'm offering to be that catalyst for change. We must put Bristol first.
That means we must have a leader who is ready, willing and able to put your best interest above any competing personal or political agenda.
I'm willing to give it a try, with your help.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
New police lieutenant to do internal affairs
A new police command position created by city councilors this week will focus mainly on carrying out internal investigations of officers who are alleged to have done something wrong.
The $57,000-a-year lieutenant’s position is slated to begin on Nov. 1.
“One of his main jobs will be” internal affairs investigations,” said city Councilor Frank Nicastro, a Police Board commissioner.
Nicastro said that the existing lieutenants “are just spread too thin” so the new post will allow the police do a better job administratively.
The new lieutenant’s post will also oversee community relations, code enforcement, youth officers, neighborhood watches, the DARE program and related activities, said Police Chief John DiVenere.
City Councilor Ellen Zoppo said she is “a little concerned” the change could crimp the successful code enforcement work by Officer Tom Lavigne, but the chief said it won’t.
Creating the new post will spread the work over more command officers, officials said, and allow all of them to do a better job.
City Councilor Craig Minor said he is concerned that the internal affairs investigations “may get lost” with the new lieutenant required to oversee so many other activities.
But DiVenere said that its main focus will be to probe issues raised about other police officers. He said the community relations oversight is meant mostly “to keep this position busy” when there’s nothing to investigate.
DiVenere said that the lieutenant would largely look into charges made against police officers.
He said a detective lieutenant would investigate charges against lieutenants while he would generally be the one to investigate issues raised about a captain.
“We don’t have that many IA investigations,” the chief said.
A 2006 study of the department recommended creating the position, DiVenere said.
Minor said that he finds it “mind-boggling” that there are no job descriptions for police lieutenants. They basically do what the chief orders them to carry out.
The council voted unanimously to create the new position.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The $57,000-a-year lieutenant’s position is slated to begin on Nov. 1.
“One of his main jobs will be” internal affairs investigations,” said city Councilor Frank Nicastro, a Police Board commissioner.
Nicastro said that the existing lieutenants “are just spread too thin” so the new post will allow the police do a better job administratively.
The new lieutenant’s post will also oversee community relations, code enforcement, youth officers, neighborhood watches, the DARE program and related activities, said Police Chief John DiVenere.
City Councilor Ellen Zoppo said she is “a little concerned” the change could crimp the successful code enforcement work by Officer Tom Lavigne, but the chief said it won’t.
Creating the new post will spread the work over more command officers, officials said, and allow all of them to do a better job.
City Councilor Craig Minor said he is concerned that the internal affairs investigations “may get lost” with the new lieutenant required to oversee so many other activities.
But DiVenere said that its main focus will be to probe issues raised about other police officers. He said the community relations oversight is meant mostly “to keep this position busy” when there’s nothing to investigate.
DiVenere said that the lieutenant would largely look into charges made against police officers.
He said a detective lieutenant would investigate charges against lieutenants while he would generally be the one to investigate issues raised about a captain.
“We don’t have that many IA investigations,” the chief said.
A 2006 study of the department recommended creating the position, DiVenere said.
Minor said that he finds it “mind-boggling” that there are no job descriptions for police lieutenants. They basically do what the chief orders them to carry out.
The council voted unanimously to create the new position.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Taxpayers lost "millions" when city dropped K-8 years ago
When the city dropped its kindergarten to eighth grade schools a quarter century ago, it made a mistake that costs taxpayers millions of dollars, said the Board of Education member spearheading the effort to return to the old K-8 system.
Tom O’Brien, who is championing the effort to build two new schools and return to a K-8 system, said the city erred when it made the costly switch in the early 1980s to a new system that had elementary and junior high schools.
City Councilor Frank Nicastro said Wednesday that O’Brien’s admission of the wasted money is “a major thing” and helps explain why he is so wary of jumping to support what might prove the latest fad that educators are pushing.
“We did a flip-flop” back in the 1980s, Nicastro said, and are now asking taxpayers to shell out $115 million for two new 900-student schools so that education leaders can go back to the K-8 system they rejected a generation ago.
The school superintendent, Philip Streifer, said the switch to K-8 is justified by studies that have shown they are more successful in urban environments than the existing system in Bristol.
He said studies show they allow for more parental involvement, smaller peer groups for students and less transition for families. They bolster student achievement, increase extracurricular participation, improve self-esteem and decrease the sense of victimhood among middle school age children, Streifer said.
“This plan is a good step forward,” the superintendent said.
Nicastro said he remembers officials “spouting all the great reasons” for abandoning the K-8 system years ago. He said he’s concerned that educators are simply following the latest trend and that it won’t pan out.
O’Brien said that one advantage of the plan on the table now is that if the two new schools are built, half the district will be in K-8 and the other half in the existing system, offering a perfect laboratory to compare the two concepts.
“We will have the best of all possible worlds,” O’Brien said.
The entire Board of Education has backed the concept of returning to a K-8 system and only one of the 13 school board candidates has expressed public doubt about the concept.
Mary Rydingsward, the Working Families Party candidate, said she is “not totally opposed” to a K-8 system, but she is against the plan to erect two new 900-student schools rather than relying on smaller neighborhood schools.
Rydingsward also challenged the research that educators said they are relying on to bolster the K-8 plan. She said that it applies to small schools, not large ones such as Bristol intends to build.
Rydingsward said that she’s concerned that a 900-student school could trigger more violence among students and hinder education.
“Smaller is better,” she said. “I don’t want to think we’re brewing a Columbine situation here.”
City councilors this week gave their initial blessing to plans to put a new school next door to Greene-Hills School, but rejected the idea of putting the other one in a former Scalia sand pit off Barlow Street.
The Board of Education is pushing to close four older schools – Bingham, O’Connell and Greene-Hills elementary schools and Memorial Boulevard Middle School – and opening the two K-8 schools to replace them.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Tom O’Brien, who is championing the effort to build two new schools and return to a K-8 system, said the city erred when it made the costly switch in the early 1980s to a new system that had elementary and junior high schools.
City Councilor Frank Nicastro said Wednesday that O’Brien’s admission of the wasted money is “a major thing” and helps explain why he is so wary of jumping to support what might prove the latest fad that educators are pushing.
“We did a flip-flop” back in the 1980s, Nicastro said, and are now asking taxpayers to shell out $115 million for two new 900-student schools so that education leaders can go back to the K-8 system they rejected a generation ago.
The school superintendent, Philip Streifer, said the switch to K-8 is justified by studies that have shown they are more successful in urban environments than the existing system in Bristol.
He said studies show they allow for more parental involvement, smaller peer groups for students and less transition for families. They bolster student achievement, increase extracurricular participation, improve self-esteem and decrease the sense of victimhood among middle school age children, Streifer said.
“This plan is a good step forward,” the superintendent said.
Nicastro said he remembers officials “spouting all the great reasons” for abandoning the K-8 system years ago. He said he’s concerned that educators are simply following the latest trend and that it won’t pan out.
O’Brien said that one advantage of the plan on the table now is that if the two new schools are built, half the district will be in K-8 and the other half in the existing system, offering a perfect laboratory to compare the two concepts.
“We will have the best of all possible worlds,” O’Brien said.
The entire Board of Education has backed the concept of returning to a K-8 system and only one of the 13 school board candidates has expressed public doubt about the concept.
Mary Rydingsward, the Working Families Party candidate, said she is “not totally opposed” to a K-8 system, but she is against the plan to erect two new 900-student schools rather than relying on smaller neighborhood schools.
Rydingsward also challenged the research that educators said they are relying on to bolster the K-8 plan. She said that it applies to small schools, not large ones such as Bristol intends to build.
Rydingsward said that she’s concerned that a 900-student school could trigger more violence among students and hinder education.
“Smaller is better,” she said. “I don’t want to think we’re brewing a Columbine situation here.”
City councilors this week gave their initial blessing to plans to put a new school next door to Greene-Hills School, but rejected the idea of putting the other one in a former Scalia sand pit off Barlow Street.
The Board of Education is pushing to close four older schools – Bingham, O’Connell and Greene-Hills elementary schools and Memorial Boulevard Middle School – and opening the two K-8 schools to replace them.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Ken Johnson storms out
It's quite something here tonight.
The mayor just nominated Sean Dunn to replace Ken Johnson, the GOP's mayoral candidate, on the Water Board.
City Councilor Craig Minor said he understood Johnson wanted another term on the volunteer panel. He said he would back Johnson.
City Councilor Kevin McCauley agreed.
But the council voted to appoint Dunn with only Minor and McCauley, both Democrats, backing Johnson.
Johnson suddenly leaped to his feet.
"I'm outta here," he exclaimed loudly, then shoved the council chamber door open with a resounding bang.
And he was gone.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The mayor just nominated Sean Dunn to replace Ken Johnson, the GOP's mayoral candidate, on the Water Board.
City Councilor Craig Minor said he understood Johnson wanted another term on the volunteer panel. He said he would back Johnson.
City Councilor Kevin McCauley agreed.
But the council voted to appoint Dunn with only Minor and McCauley, both Democrats, backing Johnson.
Johnson suddenly leaped to his feet.
"I'm outta here," he exclaimed loudly, then shoved the council chamber door open with a resounding bang.
And he was gone.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
New police lieutenant post created
Unanimously hired, with the chief responsibility of handling internal investigations. More tomorrow.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Route 72 groundbreaking on Monday
Groundbreaking for the long-awaited Route 72 extension is slated to take place on Monday.
The ceremony, originally slated for last year, is scheduled to take place in the Todd Street commuter parking lot at 3:30 p.m.
State Rep. Frank Nicastro, a Democrat whose 79th District includes the proposed roadway, said he’s glad to see it getting started at last.
The $60 million project is slated to begin this month and take 19 months to complete a 2.4-mile extension from the end of the expressway in Plainville to Riverside Avenue just south of the railroad bridge on Middle Street.
State and city officials, including Gov. Jodi Rell, are expected to attend the groundbreaking.
The New Britain-based Manafort Brothers got the contract in August to carry out the work.
The new four-lane road will run between the end of the expressway in Plainville and Middle Street, crossing a new bridge over the Pequabuck River in the process.
The new road will feature a sunken, boulevard-type street slicing through a residential section between Route 372 in Plainville and Yarde's Pond, which is beside the commuter lot on Todd Street where Rell spoke Tuesday. Parts of it will be as much as 17 feet beneath the surrounding terrain.
After that section, the four-lane road will follow the existing right of way on Pine Street before crossing a new Pequabuck River bridge in order to align directly with Riverside Avenue.
Ten intersections with traffic lights will be included along the new road.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The ceremony, originally slated for last year, is scheduled to take place in the Todd Street commuter parking lot at 3:30 p.m.
State Rep. Frank Nicastro, a Democrat whose 79th District includes the proposed roadway, said he’s glad to see it getting started at last.
The $60 million project is slated to begin this month and take 19 months to complete a 2.4-mile extension from the end of the expressway in Plainville to Riverside Avenue just south of the railroad bridge on Middle Street.
State and city officials, including Gov. Jodi Rell, are expected to attend the groundbreaking.
The New Britain-based Manafort Brothers got the contract in August to carry out the work.
The new four-lane road will run between the end of the expressway in Plainville and Middle Street, crossing a new bridge over the Pequabuck River in the process.
The new road will feature a sunken, boulevard-type street slicing through a residential section between Route 372 in Plainville and Yarde's Pond, which is beside the commuter lot on Todd Street where Rell spoke Tuesday. Parts of it will be as much as 17 feet beneath the surrounding terrain.
After that section, the four-lane road will follow the existing right of way on Pine Street before crossing a new Pequabuck River bridge in order to align directly with Riverside Avenue.
Ten intersections with traffic lights will be included along the new road.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
City Council, live
There's so much more to write, but, frankly, I'm out of steam.
Most of it will wind up in stories later this week.
This is hideous, by the way, having these meetings drag on into the night.
What it really points out is that Bristol should have biweekly council meetings rather than just one a month. It's ridiculous to think that the council can hear from residents and act rationally on a month's worth of business in a few hours one night a month.
I'm not sure why nobody has pushed for a change.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Most of it will wind up in stories later this week.
This is hideous, by the way, having these meetings drag on into the night.
What it really points out is that Bristol should have biweekly council meetings rather than just one a month. It's ridiculous to think that the council can hear from residents and act rationally on a month's worth of business in a few hours one night a month.
I'm not sure why nobody has pushed for a change.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Mayor clashes with Rydingsward
Shortly after Mary Rydingsward, a school board candidate from the Working Families Party, finished speaking to the City Council about her opposition to 900-student schools, Mayor William Stortz declared that at last week's Board of Education meeting, nobody from the public showed up to speak.
Rydingsward said she took affront.
She said he deliberately raised the issue after she was done speaking to taint her words. She said the mayor also deliberately failed to mention that she and many others were at mayoral debate at City Hall at the time.
Rydingsward said the mayor's cold treatment showed "disrespect for women and people he opposes."
She walked out in anger.
The mayor ignored her.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Rydingsward said she took affront.
She said he deliberately raised the issue after she was done speaking to taint her words. She said the mayor also deliberately failed to mention that she and many others were at mayoral debate at City Hall at the time.
Rydingsward said the mayor's cold treatment showed "disrespect for women and people he opposes."
She walked out in anger.
The mayor ignored her.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Council rejects Scalia site, backs Crowley site
BRISTOL – City councilors backed a new school site in Forestville Tuesday but gunned down a proposal to build another school on the Scalia property off Barlow Street.
With the council’s blessing, educators intend to pursue the purchase of the former Crowley dealership next door to Greene-Hills School unless environmental or other problems arise.
In the West End, however, education officials are returning to square one to see if perhaps another site can win the council’s backing.
The Board of Education is seeking two sites in order to build two new 900-student schools that would house kindergarten through eighth grade. It plans to shut down four older schools: Greene-Hills, O’Connell and Bingham elementary schools and Memorial Boulevard Middle School.
Only one councilor, Frank Nicastro, opposed the Forestville site. He said there should have been more time for public input. He also expressed unhappiness that Mayor William Stortz failed to share two environmental studies that have been done on the Crowley property.
But the proposal to put a school at the Scalia site drew harsh criticism from residents and hard questions from councilors.
A handful of angry residents expressed fury that city officials allowed educators to make a pitch for their plan before the public got the opportunity to speak at Tuesday’s council session.
“What happened to public input?” yelled Joe Geladino, a Republican running for a council seat in the 2nd District. “Dictatorship?”
“Why don’t you give us a chance to talk?” hollered Mark Blaschke, an independent council contender in the same district.
Nicastro pleaded with residents to “keep your cool” and wait for the chance to speak.
After backing the Forestville site, Stortz asked if anyone had a motion for the other site.
A long silence followed.
Finally, city Councilor Mike Rimcoski proposed the council reject the Scalia site.
Stortz said he wasn’t sure a negative motion was appropriate.
“Well, nobody was making a positive one,” Rimcoski said.
Councilors said they were not sure that the Scalia site was the best possible place, raising the possibility of looking instead at the former grocery store site between Divinity and Park streets, which would require taking 35 privately owned properties, including many homes.
Mary Rydingsward, a Working Families Party candidate for the Board of Education, said she opposed the Scalia site. “Building on a sandpit does sound like a sinking proposition,” she said.
She said she’s unsure about whether to support the switch to K-8 but the arguments for it rest on helping urban children succeed. She said that putting a new school on the edge of town doesn’t fit the model.
“It’s the pits,” said Tom Doyle, another resident.
Only Stortz favored the Scalia site.
The decision goes back to a school committee next.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
With the council’s blessing, educators intend to pursue the purchase of the former Crowley dealership next door to Greene-Hills School unless environmental or other problems arise.
In the West End, however, education officials are returning to square one to see if perhaps another site can win the council’s backing.
The Board of Education is seeking two sites in order to build two new 900-student schools that would house kindergarten through eighth grade. It plans to shut down four older schools: Greene-Hills, O’Connell and Bingham elementary schools and Memorial Boulevard Middle School.
Only one councilor, Frank Nicastro, opposed the Forestville site. He said there should have been more time for public input. He also expressed unhappiness that Mayor William Stortz failed to share two environmental studies that have been done on the Crowley property.
But the proposal to put a school at the Scalia site drew harsh criticism from residents and hard questions from councilors.
A handful of angry residents expressed fury that city officials allowed educators to make a pitch for their plan before the public got the opportunity to speak at Tuesday’s council session.
“What happened to public input?” yelled Joe Geladino, a Republican running for a council seat in the 2nd District. “Dictatorship?”
“Why don’t you give us a chance to talk?” hollered Mark Blaschke, an independent council contender in the same district.
Nicastro pleaded with residents to “keep your cool” and wait for the chance to speak.
After backing the Forestville site, Stortz asked if anyone had a motion for the other site.
A long silence followed.
Finally, city Councilor Mike Rimcoski proposed the council reject the Scalia site.
Stortz said he wasn’t sure a negative motion was appropriate.
“Well, nobody was making a positive one,” Rimcoski said.
Councilors said they were not sure that the Scalia site was the best possible place, raising the possibility of looking instead at the former grocery store site between Divinity and Park streets, which would require taking 35 privately owned properties, including many homes.
Mary Rydingsward, a Working Families Party candidate for the Board of Education, said she opposed the Scalia site. “Building on a sandpit does sound like a sinking proposition,” she said.
She said she’s unsure about whether to support the switch to K-8 but the arguments for it rest on helping urban children succeed. She said that putting a new school on the edge of town doesn’t fit the model.
“It’s the pits,” said Tom Doyle, another resident.
Only Stortz favored the Scalia site.
The decision goes back to a school committee next.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
School site OK'd in Forestville
Very heated here at council. Council backed the Crowley site.
Other site likely to be shot down in a few minutes. More later.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Other site likely to be shot down in a few minutes. More later.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
City Council underway
Starting now.
First, they're recognizing the McCabe-Waters Little League All-Star team that captured the state championship. The same group of kids did it last year as well.
After this, we're getting a presentation on the two school sites.
It's a packed chamber.
Lots of public comments to come, too.
It's going to be a long, long night.
I really should get hazardous duty pay.
Standing ovation for the ballplayers. Nice.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
First, they're recognizing the McCabe-Waters Little League All-Star team that captured the state championship. The same group of kids did it last year as well.
After this, we're getting a presentation on the two school sites.
It's a packed chamber.
Lots of public comments to come, too.
It's going to be a long, long night.
I really should get hazardous duty pay.
Standing ovation for the ballplayers. Nice.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
City Council meeting tonight
I probably won't try to live blog the meeting. It gets a little wearisome.
But I will likely post something or another as the session drags on to its finale.
It's the last scheduled council meeting for Mayor William Stortz and city Councilor Ellen Zoppo.
It could be the end, too, for other incumbents who have to win over constituents on Nov. 6 if they want to return for November's monthly council meeting.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
But I will likely post something or another as the session drags on to its finale.
It's the last scheduled council meeting for Mayor William Stortz and city Councilor Ellen Zoppo.
It could be the end, too, for other incumbents who have to win over constituents on Nov. 6 if they want to return for November's monthly council meeting.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Monday, October 8, 2007
Cemetery Committee may be made permanent
City Councilor Ellen Zoppo, who's done terrific work on helping the city's ancient cemeteries, sent this note to the Bristol Historic Society tonight:
I wanted to give you a quick update on the status of the cemeteries. Much work has been accomplished in the last year and a grant for $5000 has been received from the Roberts Foundation to begin restoration work. Also, West Cemetery Association now has a management contract with the City for all the ancient cemeteries as well as Lake Avenue Cemetery, which has reverted back to the city's authority after years of being run by an association.
And finally, instead of only dealing with cemetery issues on an infrequent basis, the Mayor's Committee in place now has suggested that a permanent Committee be named to oversee the cemeteries. To that end, there will be a public hearing on the proposed Cemetery Ordinance on Tuesday evening, October 9, at 7pm in Council Chambers.
If it passes committee, it will then be referred to tomorrow night's Council meeting for adoption.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
I wanted to give you a quick update on the status of the cemeteries. Much work has been accomplished in the last year and a grant for $5000 has been received from the Roberts Foundation to begin restoration work. Also, West Cemetery Association now has a management contract with the City for all the ancient cemeteries as well as Lake Avenue Cemetery, which has reverted back to the city's authority after years of being run by an association.
And finally, instead of only dealing with cemetery issues on an infrequent basis, the Mayor's Committee in place now has suggested that a permanent Committee be named to oversee the cemeteries. To that end, there will be a public hearing on the proposed Cemetery Ordinance on Tuesday evening, October 9, at 7pm in Council Chambers.
If it passes committee, it will then be referred to tomorrow night's Council meeting for adoption.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Ward, Johnson mostly agree on student input
There ought to be a student advisory board to provide input to the Board of Education, says Republican mayoral candidate Ken Johnson.
Johnson said his proposal would have the school board “run any and all policy changes” through a new Student Policy Advisory Board.
“This panel would not prohibit the Board of Education from making policy changes,” Johnson said in a recent press release. “It would simply add a valuable student perspective to proposed changes in board policy.”
Johnson and Democrat Art Ward are vying for the chance to take the mayor’s office from retiring Republican Mayor William Stortz in the Nov. 6 municipal election.
Ward said Monday that he could go along with the idea.
“I don’t have any problem with having students sit in on an advisory capacity,” Ward said.
Ward said the school board “has to grasp the realization that all the public needs to be kept informed of the policies and decisions” it makes.
Though Ward added that “sometimes, you just sit there and you create more bureaucracy than may be beneficial,” he said that giving a bigger role to students is worthwhile as long as everyone remembers that school board members are responsible for making the final decisions.
In his press release, Johnson said that hopes his idea will be considered because it “has been far too long since the Board of Education has looked at, and attempted to understand the concerns of today’s students.”
“We’re good a studying statistics, but why not actually ask the students what they think?” Johnson asked.
Johnson said he believes that a non-voting panel made up of elected class presidents from each grade in both of the high schools should provide for student opinion and input to school board members.
“The panel would provide for another viewpoint to the board as well as encourage discussion and debate about changing school policy which directly affects our city’s youth,” Johnson said.
“I think this could be a great learning experience for our student leaders and a great opportunity to encourage youth participation in local government,” Johnson said.
“Since decisions are being made by people who no longer attend our public schools, I would think that the Board of Education would be interested in student input in their effort to make well informed decisions,” Johnson said.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Johnson said his proposal would have the school board “run any and all policy changes” through a new Student Policy Advisory Board.
“This panel would not prohibit the Board of Education from making policy changes,” Johnson said in a recent press release. “It would simply add a valuable student perspective to proposed changes in board policy.”
Johnson and Democrat Art Ward are vying for the chance to take the mayor’s office from retiring Republican Mayor William Stortz in the Nov. 6 municipal election.
Ward said Monday that he could go along with the idea.
“I don’t have any problem with having students sit in on an advisory capacity,” Ward said.
Ward said the school board “has to grasp the realization that all the public needs to be kept informed of the policies and decisions” it makes.
Though Ward added that “sometimes, you just sit there and you create more bureaucracy than may be beneficial,” he said that giving a bigger role to students is worthwhile as long as everyone remembers that school board members are responsible for making the final decisions.
In his press release, Johnson said that hopes his idea will be considered because it “has been far too long since the Board of Education has looked at, and attempted to understand the concerns of today’s students.”
“We’re good a studying statistics, but why not actually ask the students what they think?” Johnson asked.
Johnson said he believes that a non-voting panel made up of elected class presidents from each grade in both of the high schools should provide for student opinion and input to school board members.
“The panel would provide for another viewpoint to the board as well as encourage discussion and debate about changing school policy which directly affects our city’s youth,” Johnson said.
“I think this could be a great learning experience for our student leaders and a great opportunity to encourage youth participation in local government,” Johnson said.
“Since decisions are being made by people who no longer attend our public schools, I would think that the Board of Education would be interested in student input in their effort to make well informed decisions,” Johnson said.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
1st Democrats an odd pair in race with Rimcoski
BRISTOL - Both challengers running for City Council in the 1st District appear to have more in common with Republican city Councilor Mike Rimcoski than they do with each other.
While Democratic hopeful Cliff Block strongly supports the $115 million plan to build two new schools in town, the other Democrat in the race, Rich Kilby, said it is not needed and is too costly.
Rimcoski, who is seeking another term representing the northeastern corner of the city, said the Bristol won't solve its problems by throwing money at them.
"The decision on the schools will be made largely on economic development because of the scale and money," he said.
He said the problem is that people want neighborhood schools, but they cost too much.
Block said smaller peer groups and more parental involvement would help bolster student achievement. That can be done, he said, by closing four older schools and opening two new ones in their place.
He said that the 900-student K-8 schools sought by the Board of Education are really "two separate schools on one campus."
He said renovating older schools "would cost far more" and couldn't be done while students are in them.
Kilby, however, said he is scared thinking about his fourth-grader going to a K-8 school.
"They're going to be bullying the little kids around," Kilby warned. "I am totally against the K-8. I am against building a new school."
"Our school system is adequate as it is currently for another couple of years," Kilby said. He said there are too many projects in the works that are going to burden taxpayers if they all move ahead.
Kilby and Block disagree on the prospect of hiring a city manager.
"It might be time for Bristol to have a city manager," Kilby said. The manager could oversee city operations while the mayor serves as its public face, he said.
Rimcoski said he "would have to be convinced" of the need. He said he would vote against it unless someone makes a better case than he's heard yet.
"I agree with Mike," Block said. He said he is undecided about having a manager.
"It's adding another layer of government I'm not convinced we need," Block said.
Rimcoski and Kilby said that holding down taxes is a top priority for them. Block cautioned that some spending is necessary.
"We have to walk that fine line" between keeping taxes down and providing for crucial services, Block said. "I think we can keep taxes to a livable level."
Rimcoski said he'll ask the new administration to freeze the budget or reduce it by three percent.
"One of our problems is that some of our departments are kingdoms in themselves," he said. "The administration and the council needs to go in and take control."
"Enough is enough of spending," Kilby said. "Everything is going up except our paychecks."
"We have to be solid and firm" and allow "no extra spending," Kilby said.
Block said revitalizing the city-owned mall site "should not cost us anything" but the 17-acre property "is going to add millions and millions of dollars to our tax base" and so is the industrial park.
Block said the city has to provide for parks, safety, education and other quality-of-life issues or "we're dead."
Kilby and Block share common ground on the mall site. Both said it's the most pressing issue the city faces.
The mall is "issue number one" because private investment there will push revitalization of downtown, Block said. "Downtown can be revitalized," Block said, if the city can connect the dots, talk with the state and finish a municipal development plan.
"The mall site is going to the number one agenda for the new administration," Kilby said, adding that extending Route 72 is crucial for its success.
"Once we have a main store" for the mall site, he said, improvements will happen.
When good things come in, bad things will go, Kilby said adding "that is our goal for the downtown mall."
Block said the Memorial Boulevard School's auditorium will be "great for a performing arts center" that will bring people downtown. He said it can assist in boosting downtown.
Once the school closes, he said, the rest of the building could be rented out or turned into City Hall if it isn't too costly.
Kilby said the building might be a good City Hall "if it's feasible."
He said he would like a performing arts center there if it's not turned into City Hall, but the issue needs more study.
Rimcoski said he needs more information before he would support making a theater there.
He said the mall site could be in competition with it. He said there are too many unanswered questions before he'll back a theater at the school.
Democratic city Councilor Art Ward, who has represented the district for 14 years, is seeking to move up to the mayor's office this year, opening a council seat for a newcomer.
Block ran with Ward two years ago, but he fell short when Rimcoski surprised even himself by winning one of the two council seats in the district.
Councilors serve two-year terms for about $10,000 annually. The election is Nov. 6.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
While Democratic hopeful Cliff Block strongly supports the $115 million plan to build two new schools in town, the other Democrat in the race, Rich Kilby, said it is not needed and is too costly.
Rimcoski, who is seeking another term representing the northeastern corner of the city, said the Bristol won't solve its problems by throwing money at them.
"The decision on the schools will be made largely on economic development because of the scale and money," he said.
He said the problem is that people want neighborhood schools, but they cost too much.
Block said smaller peer groups and more parental involvement would help bolster student achievement. That can be done, he said, by closing four older schools and opening two new ones in their place.
He said that the 900-student K-8 schools sought by the Board of Education are really "two separate schools on one campus."
He said renovating older schools "would cost far more" and couldn't be done while students are in them.
Kilby, however, said he is scared thinking about his fourth-grader going to a K-8 school.
"They're going to be bullying the little kids around," Kilby warned. "I am totally against the K-8. I am against building a new school."
"Our school system is adequate as it is currently for another couple of years," Kilby said. He said there are too many projects in the works that are going to burden taxpayers if they all move ahead.
Kilby and Block disagree on the prospect of hiring a city manager.
"It might be time for Bristol to have a city manager," Kilby said. The manager could oversee city operations while the mayor serves as its public face, he said.
Rimcoski said he "would have to be convinced" of the need. He said he would vote against it unless someone makes a better case than he's heard yet.
"I agree with Mike," Block said. He said he is undecided about having a manager.
"It's adding another layer of government I'm not convinced we need," Block said.
Rimcoski and Kilby said that holding down taxes is a top priority for them. Block cautioned that some spending is necessary.
"We have to walk that fine line" between keeping taxes down and providing for crucial services, Block said. "I think we can keep taxes to a livable level."
Rimcoski said he'll ask the new administration to freeze the budget or reduce it by three percent.
"One of our problems is that some of our departments are kingdoms in themselves," he said. "The administration and the council needs to go in and take control."
"Enough is enough of spending," Kilby said. "Everything is going up except our paychecks."
"We have to be solid and firm" and allow "no extra spending," Kilby said.
Block said revitalizing the city-owned mall site "should not cost us anything" but the 17-acre property "is going to add millions and millions of dollars to our tax base" and so is the industrial park.
Block said the city has to provide for parks, safety, education and other quality-of-life issues or "we're dead."
Kilby and Block share common ground on the mall site. Both said it's the most pressing issue the city faces.
The mall is "issue number one" because private investment there will push revitalization of downtown, Block said. "Downtown can be revitalized," Block said, if the city can connect the dots, talk with the state and finish a municipal development plan.
"The mall site is going to the number one agenda for the new administration," Kilby said, adding that extending Route 72 is crucial for its success.
"Once we have a main store" for the mall site, he said, improvements will happen.
When good things come in, bad things will go, Kilby said adding "that is our goal for the downtown mall."
Block said the Memorial Boulevard School's auditorium will be "great for a performing arts center" that will bring people downtown. He said it can assist in boosting downtown.
Once the school closes, he said, the rest of the building could be rented out or turned into City Hall if it isn't too costly.
Kilby said the building might be a good City Hall "if it's feasible."
He said he would like a performing arts center there if it's not turned into City Hall, but the issue needs more study.
Rimcoski said he needs more information before he would support making a theater there.
He said the mall site could be in competition with it. He said there are too many unanswered questions before he'll back a theater at the school.
Democratic city Councilor Art Ward, who has represented the district for 14 years, is seeking to move up to the mayor's office this year, opening a council seat for a newcomer.
Block ran with Ward two years ago, but he fell short when Rimcoski surprised even himself by winning one of the two council seats in the district.
Councilors serve two-year terms for about $10,000 annually. The election is Nov. 6.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Bristol getting shafted on Social Security closure?
While targeting Bristol’s Social Security office for closure, the federal government plans to leave offices open in eight other Connecticut cities that serve far fewer people.
The only bigger municipality in the state that lacks a Social Security office is West Hartford, which shares a border with Hartford, which has a full-service office..
East Hartford, however, which also borders Hartford but which has a population almost 10 percent smaller than Bristol, has a Social Security office that’s slated to remain open.
Even tiny Willimantic, which has a little more than a quarter of Bristol’s population, will retain its Social Security office.
The Social Security Administration plans to close the Bristol office on Nov. 2 to save about $113,000 annually. It anticipates that residents of Bristol and surrounding towns will use the frequently crowded office in New Britain instead.
Connecticut’s two senators and U.S. Rep. John Larson, an East Hartford Democrat whose district includes Bristol, are pushing the Bush administration to reverse course and let the office remain open.
There are currently 17 Social Security offices in the state. Bristol’s is the only one that’s slated to shut down.
If the office is closed, Bristol will easily be the largest city in the state lacking a Social Security office either within its borders or in a neighboring municipality.
Milford, which also lacks one, is midway between New Haven and Stamford, which do. It has more than 20 percent fewer residents than Bristol, which had 60,187 as of the last Census. Experts say the city has added about 1,000 people since the Census.
The eight Connecticut cities and towns that are smaller than Bristol that have Social Security offices are Ansonia, East Hartford, Meriden, Middletown, New London, Norwich, Torrington and Willimantic.
In a letter to the administrator of the Social Security Administration, Larson and U.S. Sens. Joe Lieberman and Chris Dodd argued that Bristol’s office should remain open in part because of the “unique transportation situation” that would make it difficult for someone to take a bus to the New Britain office.
The lawmakers said in a recent press release that the proposed budget passed by the House of Representatives this spring includes a significant increase in funding to the Social Security Administration. The Senate may provide even more money.
They said that almost 15 percent of Bristol’s residents are 65 years or older, which means that at least one in five city residents gets Social Security because of age, survivor benefits or disability. Politicians point out they are also often the people who have the hardest time traveling.
"We must remind the Social Security Administration and the President that they owe our seniors the respect of an accessible Social Security office,” Larson said.
"It is critical that seniors have easy access to Social Security offices," said Dodd, who is running for president.
"I will continue to work closely with Senator Lieberman and Representative Larson to urge Commissioner Astrue to reconsider his decision to close the Bristol office. Thousands of Connecticut seniors rely on Social Security and they should not be forced to jump through hoops in order to get the benefits they deserve."
Lieberman said he is “extremely disappointed” that Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue's decision to close the Bristol office.
"Consolidating this office with the New Britain office would be a tremendous burden on seniors in our state, “ Lieberman said.
“Earlier this year, Senator Dodd, Representative Larson and I met Commissioner Astrue to hear the agency's budget concerns, and we responded by working in the House and the Senate to increase the budget for the Social Security Administration,” Lieberman said.
“In view of these facts, I urge Commissioner Astrue to reconsider this decision," Lieberman said.
City officials and the Greater Bristol Chamber of Commerce have also called for the office to stay open.
Connecticut's Social Security offices
Ansonia
Bridgeport
Bristol
Danbury
East Hartford
Hartford
Meriden
Middletown
New Britain
New Haven
New London
Norwalk
Norwich
Stamford
Torrington
Waterbury
Willimantic
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The only bigger municipality in the state that lacks a Social Security office is West Hartford, which shares a border with Hartford, which has a full-service office..
East Hartford, however, which also borders Hartford but which has a population almost 10 percent smaller than Bristol, has a Social Security office that’s slated to remain open.
Even tiny Willimantic, which has a little more than a quarter of Bristol’s population, will retain its Social Security office.
The Social Security Administration plans to close the Bristol office on Nov. 2 to save about $113,000 annually. It anticipates that residents of Bristol and surrounding towns will use the frequently crowded office in New Britain instead.
Connecticut’s two senators and U.S. Rep. John Larson, an East Hartford Democrat whose district includes Bristol, are pushing the Bush administration to reverse course and let the office remain open.
There are currently 17 Social Security offices in the state. Bristol’s is the only one that’s slated to shut down.
If the office is closed, Bristol will easily be the largest city in the state lacking a Social Security office either within its borders or in a neighboring municipality.
Milford, which also lacks one, is midway between New Haven and Stamford, which do. It has more than 20 percent fewer residents than Bristol, which had 60,187 as of the last Census. Experts say the city has added about 1,000 people since the Census.
The eight Connecticut cities and towns that are smaller than Bristol that have Social Security offices are Ansonia, East Hartford, Meriden, Middletown, New London, Norwich, Torrington and Willimantic.
In a letter to the administrator of the Social Security Administration, Larson and U.S. Sens. Joe Lieberman and Chris Dodd argued that Bristol’s office should remain open in part because of the “unique transportation situation” that would make it difficult for someone to take a bus to the New Britain office.
The lawmakers said in a recent press release that the proposed budget passed by the House of Representatives this spring includes a significant increase in funding to the Social Security Administration. The Senate may provide even more money.
They said that almost 15 percent of Bristol’s residents are 65 years or older, which means that at least one in five city residents gets Social Security because of age, survivor benefits or disability. Politicians point out they are also often the people who have the hardest time traveling.
"We must remind the Social Security Administration and the President that they owe our seniors the respect of an accessible Social Security office,” Larson said.
"It is critical that seniors have easy access to Social Security offices," said Dodd, who is running for president.
"I will continue to work closely with Senator Lieberman and Representative Larson to urge Commissioner Astrue to reconsider his decision to close the Bristol office. Thousands of Connecticut seniors rely on Social Security and they should not be forced to jump through hoops in order to get the benefits they deserve."
Lieberman said he is “extremely disappointed” that Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue's decision to close the Bristol office.
"Consolidating this office with the New Britain office would be a tremendous burden on seniors in our state, “ Lieberman said.
“Earlier this year, Senator Dodd, Representative Larson and I met Commissioner Astrue to hear the agency's budget concerns, and we responded by working in the House and the Senate to increase the budget for the Social Security Administration,” Lieberman said.
“In view of these facts, I urge Commissioner Astrue to reconsider this decision," Lieberman said.
City officials and the Greater Bristol Chamber of Commerce have also called for the office to stay open.
Connecticut's Social Security offices
Ansonia
Bridgeport
Bristol
Danbury
East Hartford
Hartford
Meriden
Middletown
New Britain
New Haven
New London
Norwalk
Norwich
Stamford
Torrington
Waterbury
Willimantic
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Merrick pushed his third party ideas to Minor
On Dec. 27, 2006, Republican City Council candidate Bob Merrick sent an email to Democratic Councilor Craig Minor that Merrick said was never answered. Here is what Merrick sent:
From: "newenglandopinion.com" <neweng@newenglandopinion.com>> Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 7:51 PM> To: craigminor@ci.bristol.ct.us> Subject: Vision for Downtown>> Dear Mr. Minor,
I have sent you the piece I wrote for the Observer that I talked to you about at the Blackstone. I also have attached a piece that I sent to the Bristol Press about Dave and his efforts on litter in Forestville. I'd be happy to help in any way with the downtown initiative. Prior to becoming a teacher I worked in procurement and contract administration at Pratt & Whitney for eight years.
As I mentioned to you I have started my own websites to help establish dialog about important issues. Please visit my websites at newenglandopinion.com, lincolnians.com, or lincolnians.org if you get a chance.
Sincerely,
Bob Merrick
Merrick attached these two documents:
Small Acts Make a Big Difference
By
Bob Merrick
It’s a cold crisp morning you grab your coffee and head out to the car making your way to work. As you run through your mental list of things to do for the day perhaps you don’t notice that the neighborhood looks cleaner than it did the day before. As you make your way to work you suddenly become aware of the prevalent litter that plagues certain parts of the city. You utter an angry comment in disgust. Why is your part of the city different? Doesn’t the public works department work throughout the city? No, it is not the fault of the city workers. It is not that people don’t litter in your part of the city either. It is due to the mission of a man called Dave.
Dave is Dave Pasqualicchio, owner of Nuchies in Forestville and President of the Forestville Village Association. Dave can be seen with his orange trash pail walking the streets of the Forestville section of Bristol picking up trash. Dave hates litter! He is passionate about keeping his section of the city clean. It is a constant battle. He realizes that first comes the litter, a visible invitation to drug dealers, transients, and criminals. Then comes the crime, shootings and other undesirable activities. What happens next? Out move his friends, neighbors, and hardworking families with children.
Hmm…Dave may be onto something. A few years back New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani started cracking down on small-time infractions and crimes which had been largely ignored due to limited police resources and the priority being given to larger crimes. Critics accused the mayor of tying up the police force with minor issues at the expense of larger crimes. What happened? As the smaller issues were addressed the larger crimes started to dramatically decrease. Hey, that makes sense. Any parent knows that if you let your children get away with the little things it doesn’t take too long before they start in on the larger ones as well and then you have a much bigger problem on your hands that is harder to correct.
What can we do? Be like Dave! Pick up your neighborhood, talk nicely to the kids next door and ask them to pick up after themselves or give you a hand. Introduce yourself to your neighbors and offer to help that senior citizen next door or single parent across the street rake the lawn, shovel the sidewalk, fix the front porch, or paint the house. Your kids said they were bored right? Send them outside to help! How about starting a neighborhood association, getting your community church involved, or enrolling your child in the local boy scout or girl scout troop? The cost of involvement is small but the rewards are big.
Whether you’re a Democrat, Republican, Independent or any other political affiliation it doesn’t matter. Make a New Year’s resolution. Take responsibility for your community. Make your neighborhood a better place to live. Be involved, be a good citizen, and make a difference.
Thanks Dave!
and
A Vision for Downtown Bristol
By
Bob Merrick
I have been a resident of Bristol for nearly eleven years. By Bristol’s standards I am a newcomer, an outsider. Many families have lived in Bristol for generations. It is great to see the love and commitment many long-time residents have for their community. I love it too! Bristol has a lot to offer. It has a great infrastructure, diverse population, good business base, good schools, centrally-located, affordable housing opportunities, beautiful libraries, nice parks, and is very self-contained.
As an educator, a home-rehab enthusiast, and a just plain curious guy Bristol is a great place to live. Bristol like just about any community in America is changing. Some changes are positive and some changes are not. In order for Bristol to maintain the integrity of our community we need to realize who we are and who we want to be going forward.
Bristol diverse population is composed of service workers, laborers, tradesmen, small-business owners, entrepreneurs, educators, craftsmen, and professionals among others. We are a considerably more diverse population than many of our surrounding towns.
There is a common bond, however, that many of our residents share, the love of sports.
Bristol loves sports. Baseball, football, basketball, soccer, hockey, you name it they watch it, attend it, play it, and support it. Little league, midget football, travel soccer, middle-school sports, high-school sports, and many others are loved in the city of Bristol. Hey, Bristol is the birthplace and home of ESPN for goodness sakes!
So what is Bristol’s identity and vision? Make Bristol the sports capital of Connecticut.
Develop the mall site as a small venue (8,000 seats) multi-purpose arena capable of supporting an arena football team and a minor league hockey team among other activities. Recently, ESPN signed a 5-year contract with the Arena Football League (AFL) taking a minority ownership position and guaranteeing television coverage. An arena would breathe life into the downtown area and provide entertainment opportunities not only for Bristol’s residents but for central Connecticut as well. With the development of the arena anchor restaurants and associated businesses would be interested in locating in downtown Bristol. Additionally, many new jobs would be created for our residents.
This project does not have to be exclusively funded by taxpayers. We have many outstanding local citizens and businessmen capable of backing this type of project. ESPN are you listening? Contact the mayor, the chamber of commerce, the town council and let them know what you think.
Remember that we need to step up and stand out, investing today, to ensure a bright future for our great community of Bristol!
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
From: "newenglandopinion.com" <neweng@newenglandopinion.com>> Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 7:51 PM> To: craigminor@ci.bristol.ct.us> Subject: Vision for Downtown>> Dear Mr. Minor,
I have sent you the piece I wrote for the Observer that I talked to you about at the Blackstone. I also have attached a piece that I sent to the Bristol Press about Dave and his efforts on litter in Forestville. I'd be happy to help in any way with the downtown initiative. Prior to becoming a teacher I worked in procurement and contract administration at Pratt & Whitney for eight years.
As I mentioned to you I have started my own websites to help establish dialog about important issues. Please visit my websites at newenglandopinion.com, lincolnians.com, or lincolnians.org if you get a chance.
Sincerely,
Bob Merrick
Merrick attached these two documents:
Small Acts Make a Big Difference
By
Bob Merrick
It’s a cold crisp morning you grab your coffee and head out to the car making your way to work. As you run through your mental list of things to do for the day perhaps you don’t notice that the neighborhood looks cleaner than it did the day before. As you make your way to work you suddenly become aware of the prevalent litter that plagues certain parts of the city. You utter an angry comment in disgust. Why is your part of the city different? Doesn’t the public works department work throughout the city? No, it is not the fault of the city workers. It is not that people don’t litter in your part of the city either. It is due to the mission of a man called Dave.
Dave is Dave Pasqualicchio, owner of Nuchies in Forestville and President of the Forestville Village Association. Dave can be seen with his orange trash pail walking the streets of the Forestville section of Bristol picking up trash. Dave hates litter! He is passionate about keeping his section of the city clean. It is a constant battle. He realizes that first comes the litter, a visible invitation to drug dealers, transients, and criminals. Then comes the crime, shootings and other undesirable activities. What happens next? Out move his friends, neighbors, and hardworking families with children.
Hmm…Dave may be onto something. A few years back New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani started cracking down on small-time infractions and crimes which had been largely ignored due to limited police resources and the priority being given to larger crimes. Critics accused the mayor of tying up the police force with minor issues at the expense of larger crimes. What happened? As the smaller issues were addressed the larger crimes started to dramatically decrease. Hey, that makes sense. Any parent knows that if you let your children get away with the little things it doesn’t take too long before they start in on the larger ones as well and then you have a much bigger problem on your hands that is harder to correct.
What can we do? Be like Dave! Pick up your neighborhood, talk nicely to the kids next door and ask them to pick up after themselves or give you a hand. Introduce yourself to your neighbors and offer to help that senior citizen next door or single parent across the street rake the lawn, shovel the sidewalk, fix the front porch, or paint the house. Your kids said they were bored right? Send them outside to help! How about starting a neighborhood association, getting your community church involved, or enrolling your child in the local boy scout or girl scout troop? The cost of involvement is small but the rewards are big.
Whether you’re a Democrat, Republican, Independent or any other political affiliation it doesn’t matter. Make a New Year’s resolution. Take responsibility for your community. Make your neighborhood a better place to live. Be involved, be a good citizen, and make a difference.
Thanks Dave!
and
A Vision for Downtown Bristol
By
Bob Merrick
I have been a resident of Bristol for nearly eleven years. By Bristol’s standards I am a newcomer, an outsider. Many families have lived in Bristol for generations. It is great to see the love and commitment many long-time residents have for their community. I love it too! Bristol has a lot to offer. It has a great infrastructure, diverse population, good business base, good schools, centrally-located, affordable housing opportunities, beautiful libraries, nice parks, and is very self-contained.
As an educator, a home-rehab enthusiast, and a just plain curious guy Bristol is a great place to live. Bristol like just about any community in America is changing. Some changes are positive and some changes are not. In order for Bristol to maintain the integrity of our community we need to realize who we are and who we want to be going forward.
Bristol diverse population is composed of service workers, laborers, tradesmen, small-business owners, entrepreneurs, educators, craftsmen, and professionals among others. We are a considerably more diverse population than many of our surrounding towns.
There is a common bond, however, that many of our residents share, the love of sports.
Bristol loves sports. Baseball, football, basketball, soccer, hockey, you name it they watch it, attend it, play it, and support it. Little league, midget football, travel soccer, middle-school sports, high-school sports, and many others are loved in the city of Bristol. Hey, Bristol is the birthplace and home of ESPN for goodness sakes!
So what is Bristol’s identity and vision? Make Bristol the sports capital of Connecticut.
Develop the mall site as a small venue (8,000 seats) multi-purpose arena capable of supporting an arena football team and a minor league hockey team among other activities. Recently, ESPN signed a 5-year contract with the Arena Football League (AFL) taking a minority ownership position and guaranteeing television coverage. An arena would breathe life into the downtown area and provide entertainment opportunities not only for Bristol’s residents but for central Connecticut as well. With the development of the arena anchor restaurants and associated businesses would be interested in locating in downtown Bristol. Additionally, many new jobs would be created for our residents.
This project does not have to be exclusively funded by taxpayers. We have many outstanding local citizens and businessmen capable of backing this type of project. ESPN are you listening? Contact the mayor, the chamber of commerce, the town council and let them know what you think.
Remember that we need to step up and stand out, investing today, to ensure a bright future for our great community of Bristol!
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
"A few perspectives" by John Cullen
Resident John Cullen submitted this today:
Found “enduring” the recent BFHA forums to have been well worth the time spent. Sorry more folks didn’t avail themselves of the opportunity to observe the myriad characters anxious to lead the city and make decisions for you. Hope the airing of the forums comes through, is at a convenient time and that it will get record ratings. Steve Collins noted that they may have been painful to endure at times. Welcome to city government. There may be moments for city leaders which some may construe as glamorous, but generally city service is a very time consuming, rigorous, tedious and frustrating grind. You all only have to endure it for a few months every two years. Hope you suck it up, do your best to investigate the candidates and make informed choices.
Kevin McCauley has been skewered to a degree for his comment/admission that it took a year and a half to get to a point where he may have felt confident in approaching his duties as a councilperson in full. To me, this is a blatant indication that the cooks at the grill shouldn’t be trusted with dinner. As involved as one could possibly be as a government outsider, starting work as an actual councilperson or mayor would still be a staggering dress down. This city has a budget of $164 million dollars and is not run like a business. At the very least, the Housing Authority, Water Department and Department of Education operate somewhat autonomously and their relationship with the city is different than the core city departments. There are also special categories of government created as needed to address specific issues, such as the Hoppers/Birge pond committee, the Roberts property committee, Pine Lake, the Downtown Bristol Development Authority… There is also the daily grind of spontaneous issues. And then there are the State and Federal requirements, relationships and issues. How do you deal with these things as a new councilor or mayor? First of all, you find out what kind of tissues you are allowed to use, by statute, as the tears well in your eyes. Or, more likely, you reluctantly inquire about the toilet tissue. Hopefully there is not a pending controversy in this area requiring a vote…
City government functions in a very specific manner to hopefully assure there are prudent and representative decisions made. This promotes tedious processes which protect the public but slows down decision making. Getting to a point where an official can actually vote on something involves wading through all kinds of murky waters and figuring out how to deal with all types of obstacles, overcoming each and arriving at the “we’re actually going to do this” level. Grunt. And then a bunch of “anonymous” folk tell them they’re spineless, mindless, partisan, have conflicts, ambitions, ulterior motives… And these are folks who haven’t gone through the grind Kevin McCauley has trying to not only understand, but master how you actually can get something progressive done within a city government structure such as Bristol’s. I would suggest these “anonymous” folks keep it in their pants unless they are willing to walk in Kevin’s or any other elected officials’ shoes or legitimize their complaints with an identity so they can be addressed by the party you have an issue with. I think it would be highly likely they will be more courteous with you than you have been with them.
Kevin McCaulley should not be denigrated for stating what is a reality for most any public servant entering a first term. There is a great deal to learn if you want to be effective – not flashy. Capable, competent and, hopefully, effective. His honesty in this regard is refreshing and indicates he has not only recognized how complex the governing of this city is, but also that making the city a better place is not a straightforward and easy task.
Because the scope, complexity and cost of Bristol’s city government has accelerated dramatically over the past ten years, it seems prudent that we, as citizens, have a stabilizing influence in place to establish continuity in our government, as well as a base to work from. When we change our direction every two years with new councilors and/or mayors we inevitably take a step back before we ever can have the opportunity to move forward. There is a severe learning curve, and each “new” official wants to do things as they see fit or as they see their constituents want things done. The areas affected by these “new” ideas/approaches tend to involve very limited aspects of government, but all the rest of the operation needs to move on. Often times, these “continuing operations” become neglected until they themselves become an issue (can you say police department?). A city manager would afford stability, continuity and a source for information that could cut a dedicated and hard working councilor like Kevin McCauley’s road to a feeling of competence way down. And since I perceive Kevin’s perspective on what equates to competence is very high, it could make for a very short case of the runs for all new elected officials.
Establishing a position of city manager does not require ceding any authority for running the city to an individual. The city manager would be beholden to the officials you elect. Any candidates from the “anonymous”? Ellen Zoppo functioned somewhat as a de facto city manager during her term as councilor. She understood the “ropes” and helped other elected as well as salaried officials navigate the complexities of the various layers of government with the simple pretense of getting something accomplished, or at least getting possibilities to the point where they could, subject to popular approval, become reality. She was vilified and cast aside at least to some degree because she didn’t spend enough time assuaging constituent’s needs and concerns to their satisfaction, legitimate or not, when she understood there was time better spent dealing with what could and needed to be dealt with for the benefit of entire population of Bristol. And she was the one comfortable enough with how government works to be a realist regarding wants and wishes. She was, consequently, compelled to say no when other elected officials may have said “I’ll look into it”, whether they did or didn’t or produced or didn’t. A true city manager would provide the councilors and mayor the greater opportunity to embrace ideas without raising false expectations. The position would establish a baseline for all our elected officials to work from that does not exist now. The base line now has the potential to flop around every two years, and that is a significant impediment to progress. Life and the encumbrances of laws and governmental relations are changing rapidly – too rapidly for my liking – but there seems no stopping the “progress”. But we can’t afford not to adapt to the change, and quickly – after all, you’re reading this as you are on a blog site. And what is a blog? Microsoft Word hasn’t even caught up with it on their spell check. What’s next? Are you ready? Is Bristol ready?
Be well,
John Cullen
PS All the candidates who participated in the BFHA forum and are running to become Bristol’s future leaders are to be commended and thanked for their sincere desire to make this city a better place. We are fortunate to have a very capable slate of candidates and my perspective is that some choices will be rather difficult. That is good news. If you disagree with them on an issue or in general, I think each or them would accept and possibly learn from that if it was couched in a positive manner. Regarding this site, lose the callousness, run yourself or pound the sand in private.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Found “enduring” the recent BFHA forums to have been well worth the time spent. Sorry more folks didn’t avail themselves of the opportunity to observe the myriad characters anxious to lead the city and make decisions for you. Hope the airing of the forums comes through, is at a convenient time and that it will get record ratings. Steve Collins noted that they may have been painful to endure at times. Welcome to city government. There may be moments for city leaders which some may construe as glamorous, but generally city service is a very time consuming, rigorous, tedious and frustrating grind. You all only have to endure it for a few months every two years. Hope you suck it up, do your best to investigate the candidates and make informed choices.
Kevin McCauley has been skewered to a degree for his comment/admission that it took a year and a half to get to a point where he may have felt confident in approaching his duties as a councilperson in full. To me, this is a blatant indication that the cooks at the grill shouldn’t be trusted with dinner. As involved as one could possibly be as a government outsider, starting work as an actual councilperson or mayor would still be a staggering dress down. This city has a budget of $164 million dollars and is not run like a business. At the very least, the Housing Authority, Water Department and Department of Education operate somewhat autonomously and their relationship with the city is different than the core city departments. There are also special categories of government created as needed to address specific issues, such as the Hoppers/Birge pond committee, the Roberts property committee, Pine Lake, the Downtown Bristol Development Authority… There is also the daily grind of spontaneous issues. And then there are the State and Federal requirements, relationships and issues. How do you deal with these things as a new councilor or mayor? First of all, you find out what kind of tissues you are allowed to use, by statute, as the tears well in your eyes. Or, more likely, you reluctantly inquire about the toilet tissue. Hopefully there is not a pending controversy in this area requiring a vote…
City government functions in a very specific manner to hopefully assure there are prudent and representative decisions made. This promotes tedious processes which protect the public but slows down decision making. Getting to a point where an official can actually vote on something involves wading through all kinds of murky waters and figuring out how to deal with all types of obstacles, overcoming each and arriving at the “we’re actually going to do this” level. Grunt. And then a bunch of “anonymous” folk tell them they’re spineless, mindless, partisan, have conflicts, ambitions, ulterior motives… And these are folks who haven’t gone through the grind Kevin McCauley has trying to not only understand, but master how you actually can get something progressive done within a city government structure such as Bristol’s. I would suggest these “anonymous” folks keep it in their pants unless they are willing to walk in Kevin’s or any other elected officials’ shoes or legitimize their complaints with an identity so they can be addressed by the party you have an issue with. I think it would be highly likely they will be more courteous with you than you have been with them.
Kevin McCaulley should not be denigrated for stating what is a reality for most any public servant entering a first term. There is a great deal to learn if you want to be effective – not flashy. Capable, competent and, hopefully, effective. His honesty in this regard is refreshing and indicates he has not only recognized how complex the governing of this city is, but also that making the city a better place is not a straightforward and easy task.
Because the scope, complexity and cost of Bristol’s city government has accelerated dramatically over the past ten years, it seems prudent that we, as citizens, have a stabilizing influence in place to establish continuity in our government, as well as a base to work from. When we change our direction every two years with new councilors and/or mayors we inevitably take a step back before we ever can have the opportunity to move forward. There is a severe learning curve, and each “new” official wants to do things as they see fit or as they see their constituents want things done. The areas affected by these “new” ideas/approaches tend to involve very limited aspects of government, but all the rest of the operation needs to move on. Often times, these “continuing operations” become neglected until they themselves become an issue (can you say police department?). A city manager would afford stability, continuity and a source for information that could cut a dedicated and hard working councilor like Kevin McCauley’s road to a feeling of competence way down. And since I perceive Kevin’s perspective on what equates to competence is very high, it could make for a very short case of the runs for all new elected officials.
Establishing a position of city manager does not require ceding any authority for running the city to an individual. The city manager would be beholden to the officials you elect. Any candidates from the “anonymous”? Ellen Zoppo functioned somewhat as a de facto city manager during her term as councilor. She understood the “ropes” and helped other elected as well as salaried officials navigate the complexities of the various layers of government with the simple pretense of getting something accomplished, or at least getting possibilities to the point where they could, subject to popular approval, become reality. She was vilified and cast aside at least to some degree because she didn’t spend enough time assuaging constituent’s needs and concerns to their satisfaction, legitimate or not, when she understood there was time better spent dealing with what could and needed to be dealt with for the benefit of entire population of Bristol. And she was the one comfortable enough with how government works to be a realist regarding wants and wishes. She was, consequently, compelled to say no when other elected officials may have said “I’ll look into it”, whether they did or didn’t or produced or didn’t. A true city manager would provide the councilors and mayor the greater opportunity to embrace ideas without raising false expectations. The position would establish a baseline for all our elected officials to work from that does not exist now. The base line now has the potential to flop around every two years, and that is a significant impediment to progress. Life and the encumbrances of laws and governmental relations are changing rapidly – too rapidly for my liking – but there seems no stopping the “progress”. But we can’t afford not to adapt to the change, and quickly – after all, you’re reading this as you are on a blog site. And what is a blog? Microsoft Word hasn’t even caught up with it on their spell check. What’s next? Are you ready? Is Bristol ready?
Be well,
John Cullen
PS All the candidates who participated in the BFHA forum and are running to become Bristol’s future leaders are to be commended and thanked for their sincere desire to make this city a better place. We are fortunate to have a very capable slate of candidates and my perspective is that some choices will be rather difficult. That is good news. If you disagree with them on an issue or in general, I think each or them would accept and possibly learn from that if it was couched in a positive manner. Regarding this site, lose the callousness, run yourself or pound the sand in private.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Friday, October 5, 2007
Crack down on young speed demons
In the past couple of months, seven teenagers have died in two high-speed, sickening car accidents.
In both cases, the drivers had already proven their recklessness on the road, but were still behind the wheel of hot Subaru sports cars that nobody who’s 17 ought to be driving.
What angers me most about the accident yesterday is that Anthony Apruzzese, the driver, had no business driving anything faster than a 10-speed.
Look at what the Waterbury Republican-American has uncovered about Apruzzese’s driving record if you want to see government failure at its best.
Since he got his license 14 months ago, Apruzzese racked up a speeding ticket in November, another one a few days later and a ticket after that for improper seat belt us.
Then, in March, he slammed a car into a tree at 90 miles an hour – while he was drunk.
Amazingly, he got his driver’s license back 90 days later.
Yesterday, of course, Apruzzese ceased needing a license. And two girls, 14 and 15, died along with him after he veered into the path of a delivery truck at high speed.
Of course, the driver bears most of the blame. His parents will also have to live with their failures in this.
But what concerns me is how come this guy was allowed to keep driving?
Capt. Domenic Angiolillo, Wolcott police spokesman, told the Waterbury paper that “he had frequently spoken to Apruzzese about his driving habits, including at least six times in September alone. He said Abruzzese was always respectful and polite.”
"He was a good kid who just made some bad choices," Angiolillo told the paper.
Well, maybe.
But among the bad choices in this whole sorry mess are ones made by lawmakers in Hartford.
The law should be changed, as quickly as possible, to crack down on this type of teenage recklessness.
Anyone under 21 who is found guilty of drunk driving should have no chance at all to recover his or her license until they are 21. That just seems like a no-brainer, for so many obvious reasons.
Moreover, anybody under 21 who gets a second speeding ticket should also lose the right to drive, maybe for a year.
But if anyone under 21 is caught going more than 20 miles over the speed limit, which is pretty darn fast, they shouldn’t even get a chance to rack up another ticket.
It’s not teen drivers who are the menace. It’s reckless teen drivers.
Once they’ve proven themselves unfit to be behind the wheel, make damn sure they’re not. It’s our responsibility to protect the rest of society from the danger they pose, of course, but it’s also our duty to protect them from themselves.
Kids make mistakes. But we should make it a whole lot harder for them to make the same mistakes over and over until they get killed from them.
I don't want to see more teenagers smashed up and dead like the ones who who died in Bristol in July and in Wolcott yesterday. Let's do something about it.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
In both cases, the drivers had already proven their recklessness on the road, but were still behind the wheel of hot Subaru sports cars that nobody who’s 17 ought to be driving.
What angers me most about the accident yesterday is that Anthony Apruzzese, the driver, had no business driving anything faster than a 10-speed.
Look at what the Waterbury Republican-American has uncovered about Apruzzese’s driving record if you want to see government failure at its best.
Since he got his license 14 months ago, Apruzzese racked up a speeding ticket in November, another one a few days later and a ticket after that for improper seat belt us.
Then, in March, he slammed a car into a tree at 90 miles an hour – while he was drunk.
Amazingly, he got his driver’s license back 90 days later.
Yesterday, of course, Apruzzese ceased needing a license. And two girls, 14 and 15, died along with him after he veered into the path of a delivery truck at high speed.
Of course, the driver bears most of the blame. His parents will also have to live with their failures in this.
But what concerns me is how come this guy was allowed to keep driving?
Capt. Domenic Angiolillo, Wolcott police spokesman, told the Waterbury paper that “he had frequently spoken to Apruzzese about his driving habits, including at least six times in September alone. He said Abruzzese was always respectful and polite.”
"He was a good kid who just made some bad choices," Angiolillo told the paper.
Well, maybe.
But among the bad choices in this whole sorry mess are ones made by lawmakers in Hartford.
The law should be changed, as quickly as possible, to crack down on this type of teenage recklessness.
Anyone under 21 who is found guilty of drunk driving should have no chance at all to recover his or her license until they are 21. That just seems like a no-brainer, for so many obvious reasons.
Moreover, anybody under 21 who gets a second speeding ticket should also lose the right to drive, maybe for a year.
But if anyone under 21 is caught going more than 20 miles over the speed limit, which is pretty darn fast, they shouldn’t even get a chance to rack up another ticket.
It’s not teen drivers who are the menace. It’s reckless teen drivers.
Once they’ve proven themselves unfit to be behind the wheel, make damn sure they’re not. It’s our responsibility to protect the rest of society from the danger they pose, of course, but it’s also our duty to protect them from themselves.
Kids make mistakes. But we should make it a whole lot harder for them to make the same mistakes over and over until they get killed from them.
I don't want to see more teenagers smashed up and dead like the ones who who died in Bristol in July and in Wolcott yesterday. Let's do something about it.
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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Merrick discusses Lincolnian Party
Press release this morning from Republican City Council candidate Bob Merrick:
Some people watch baseball, some people like to shop, I like to learn. As a teacher, I am a naturally curious person and model my curiosity in helping children better understand the concepts of the subject I teach, mathematics. I am also a proud American who feels blessed to live in a country where we are afforded endless opportunities to improve our lives to be the best person that we can be. This goal is a life-long process and education is an important component of this pursuit. It also involves the help and support from many others along the way.
I started New England Opinion website June 30, 2006 as a forum to promote civil discussion, debate, and interaction by people interested in local, regional, and national issues. The Lincolnian Party section was added as a separate set of links off of the New England Opinion site in December 2006 as a way to engage others in a bipartisan discussion regarding the workings of government.
The motivating experience for the Lincolnian Party came after researching the roots of the Republican Party and Abraham Lincoln’s leadership in particular. I was inspired by Lincoln’s appointment of some of his biggest critics to his cabinet to include different points-of-view. .
Being a passionate and curious person, I had given some thought about many of the issues facing our country and developed some suggested platforms for establishing a party in the spirit of Abraham Lincoln’s leadership. These sites are no longer active since they require a considerable amount of time to keep, a luxury I don’t have while trying to run for City Council, work, and spend valuable time with my wife and two children.
In January of 2007, I launched Unite Bristol (www.unitebristol.org) to address local issues in a nonpartisan manner through the establishment and promotion of neighborhood groups who could meet to discuss and debate issues relevant to Bristol and generate ideas and plans to be presented to our elected officials for consideration. I am no longer managing this site and have not been since announcing my candidacy for City Council.
As for the excerpts from my article, “Lincolnian Vision for America” contained in today’s Bristol Press they are summations of popular positions attached to these parties by writers, speakers, politicians, and media personalities and not mine.
After talking to many people and members of the Republican Party in Bristol I felt that my involvement in the city’s party would be a nice fit with my beliefs and I began thinking about running for public office. Only after several more months of discussions and meeting new people who felt similar about working for the best interests of the people, did I decide to run for City Council in the 3rd District.
As a candidate for City Council, I respect these core principles and hope to model them by working to improve communication, reach out and engage the public, and demonstrate my willingness to work across party lines by putting the people of Bristol first.
If anyone has any further questions I encourage you to contact me at 335-3833 and I’d be happy to speak about these or any other issues in further detail.
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Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Some people watch baseball, some people like to shop, I like to learn. As a teacher, I am a naturally curious person and model my curiosity in helping children better understand the concepts of the subject I teach, mathematics. I am also a proud American who feels blessed to live in a country where we are afforded endless opportunities to improve our lives to be the best person that we can be. This goal is a life-long process and education is an important component of this pursuit. It also involves the help and support from many others along the way.
I started New England Opinion website June 30, 2006 as a forum to promote civil discussion, debate, and interaction by people interested in local, regional, and national issues. The Lincolnian Party section was added as a separate set of links off of the New England Opinion site in December 2006 as a way to engage others in a bipartisan discussion regarding the workings of government.
The motivating experience for the Lincolnian Party came after researching the roots of the Republican Party and Abraham Lincoln’s leadership in particular. I was inspired by Lincoln’s appointment of some of his biggest critics to his cabinet to include different points-of-view. .
Being a passionate and curious person, I had given some thought about many of the issues facing our country and developed some suggested platforms for establishing a party in the spirit of Abraham Lincoln’s leadership. These sites are no longer active since they require a considerable amount of time to keep, a luxury I don’t have while trying to run for City Council, work, and spend valuable time with my wife and two children.
In January of 2007, I launched Unite Bristol (www.unitebristol.org) to address local issues in a nonpartisan manner through the establishment and promotion of neighborhood groups who could meet to discuss and debate issues relevant to Bristol and generate ideas and plans to be presented to our elected officials for consideration. I am no longer managing this site and have not been since announcing my candidacy for City Council.
As for the excerpts from my article, “Lincolnian Vision for America” contained in today’s Bristol Press they are summations of popular positions attached to these parties by writers, speakers, politicians, and media personalities and not mine.
After talking to many people and members of the Republican Party in Bristol I felt that my involvement in the city’s party would be a nice fit with my beliefs and I began thinking about running for public office. Only after several more months of discussions and meeting new people who felt similar about working for the best interests of the people, did I decide to run for City Council in the 3rd District.
As a candidate for City Council, I respect these core principles and hope to model them by working to improve communication, reach out and engage the public, and demonstrate my willingness to work across party lines by putting the people of Bristol first.
If anyone has any further questions I encourage you to contact me at 335-3833 and I’d be happy to speak about these or any other issues in further detail.
*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
One police officer fired, another one suspended
The story in today's Press makes it obvious there are some serious problems in the Police Department. Be sure to read it.
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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Johnson seeks student input on education
A new press release from Republican Ken Johnson:
Ken Johnson, the Republican nominee for Mayor of the City of Bristol, today called for the creation of a Student Policy Advisory Board under the Board of Education.
Under his proposal, the Board of Education would run any and all policy changes through this panel before they are enacted. This panel would not prohibit the Board of Education from making policy changes it would simply add a valuable student perspective to proposed changes in board policy.
Johnson hopes his idea will be considered because in his own opinion it “has been far too long since the Board of Education has looked at, and attempted to understand the concerns of today’s students. We’re good a studying statistics, but why not actually ask the students what they think?” Johnson believes that a non-voting panel made up of elected class presidents from each grade in both of the high schools would provide for student opinion and input to the Board of Education.
“The panel would provide for another viewpoint to the Board as well as encourage discussion and debate about changing school policy which directly affects our city’s youth.” Johnson added, “I think this could be a great learning experience for our student leaders and a great opportunity to encourage youth participation in local government.”
This proposal is not dissimilar from the way the general assembly processes proposed legislation. Prior to each bill or amendment reaching the floor a fiscal note is added from the Office of Fiscal Analysis. If enacted, the members of the Board of Education will have similar input from the new student panel. “Since decisions are being made by people who no longer attend our public schools, I would think that the Board of Education would be interested in student input in their effort to make well informed decisions,” Johnson concluded.
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Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Ken Johnson, the Republican nominee for Mayor of the City of Bristol, today called for the creation of a Student Policy Advisory Board under the Board of Education.
Under his proposal, the Board of Education would run any and all policy changes through this panel before they are enacted. This panel would not prohibit the Board of Education from making policy changes it would simply add a valuable student perspective to proposed changes in board policy.
Johnson hopes his idea will be considered because in his own opinion it “has been far too long since the Board of Education has looked at, and attempted to understand the concerns of today’s students. We’re good a studying statistics, but why not actually ask the students what they think?” Johnson believes that a non-voting panel made up of elected class presidents from each grade in both of the high schools would provide for student opinion and input to the Board of Education.
“The panel would provide for another viewpoint to the Board as well as encourage discussion and debate about changing school policy which directly affects our city’s youth.” Johnson added, “I think this could be a great learning experience for our student leaders and a great opportunity to encourage youth participation in local government.”
This proposal is not dissimilar from the way the general assembly processes proposed legislation. Prior to each bill or amendment reaching the floor a fiscal note is added from the Office of Fiscal Analysis. If enacted, the members of the Board of Education will have similar input from the new student panel. “Since decisions are being made by people who no longer attend our public schools, I would think that the Board of Education would be interested in student input in their effort to make well informed decisions,” Johnson concluded.
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Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Outside review of police?
With the city’s police department in turmoil, city candidates this week took differing stands on whether outside experts should be hired to review police management.
"We all know there are issues within the Police Department," Democratic city Councilor Rich Kilby said.
He said an outside study would open the door to "a more solid approach" for the department.
The other 1st District Democratic contender, Cliff Block, also said it should be done.
"It would even save face" for the police,” he said.
Republican mayoral candidate Ken Johnson said that instead of turning to outside experts, the city should bring together a diverse group to look into the problems, if they are serious enough to warrant review.
If there is a need, Johnson said, the group should involve peer review, an individual's superior, union representation, management representation, an elected official and someone from the public.
That would make the panel work properly, he said.
He said residents want to see that we're making "good, sound decisions" in city government and the type of panel he envisions would offer them.
Democratic mayoral hopeful Art Ward said that officials need to determine "if there's a bonafide reason" for an outside review.
But, he said, if it would serve the police and public, then it ought to be done.
Ward said he is concerned because people are “very quick" to suggest studies.
Rimcoski said the city probably needs an outside panel to deal with the questions raised about police management.
He said, though, the Police Board might be able to do the job.
Officials said there are a number of concerns about what’s going on within the Police Department, including the effort to discipline and perhaps fire Officers Brian Andrews and Greg Blackinton.
There are also lawsuits and bickering within the department’s ranks that have painted a portrait of a department in disarray.
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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
"We all know there are issues within the Police Department," Democratic city Councilor Rich Kilby said.
He said an outside study would open the door to "a more solid approach" for the department.
The other 1st District Democratic contender, Cliff Block, also said it should be done.
"It would even save face" for the police,” he said.
Republican mayoral candidate Ken Johnson said that instead of turning to outside experts, the city should bring together a diverse group to look into the problems, if they are serious enough to warrant review.
If there is a need, Johnson said, the group should involve peer review, an individual's superior, union representation, management representation, an elected official and someone from the public.
That would make the panel work properly, he said.
He said residents want to see that we're making "good, sound decisions" in city government and the type of panel he envisions would offer them.
Democratic mayoral hopeful Art Ward said that officials need to determine "if there's a bonafide reason" for an outside review.
But, he said, if it would serve the police and public, then it ought to be done.
Ward said he is concerned because people are “very quick" to suggest studies.
Rimcoski said the city probably needs an outside panel to deal with the questions raised about police management.
He said, though, the Police Board might be able to do the job.
Officials said there are a number of concerns about what’s going on within the Police Department, including the effort to discipline and perhaps fire Officers Brian Andrews and Greg Blackinton.
There are also lawsuits and bickering within the department’s ranks that have painted a portrait of a department in disarray.
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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com