Since I'm constantly asked how things are going at the paper by those who actually see me, I figure I should probably let everyone in on what little I have to say. One thing I learned from the whole 'paper is going to close' episode is that there's no point in staying mum.
Perhaps the biggest change in recent weeks is that we're going to print the paper in Northhampton, Mass. now, not in Torrington. That's one more tie to the old company that's nearly cut.
That doesn't matter much to readers, I suppose, but it's a key step to separating entirely from the bankrupt former owner. That's a good thing.
A positive move for employees is that we are once again covered by health insurance, after a five week gap. That's obviously important. What's more, the insurance seems pretty good and the cost is a little lower than what we had before (though we still pay something like 40 percent of the premium plus a couple thousand more for using it, so I'm painfully aware of how much better city workers' benefits are than my own, for those who wonder).
We have three reporters working in Bristol now -- Jackie and I cover the city while Diane Church covers Plymouth and Burlington. There were a couple of weeks when we didn't have a towns reporter so we're glad to have her aboard. Even so, three is still one less than we had as recently as December, but perhaps we'll get a new police reporter one day soon. I sure hope so. We need it.
All in all, though, I see progress. We're moving in the right direction. Mike Schroeder, our boss, is looking for new office space. We all expect to move within a few months, but so far there's no word on where the new quarters will be.
I don't know if advertising or circulation is up, but I'd be surprised if it hasn't improved at least a little since Schroeder bought the paper. I know we had a circulation bump right off the bat.
I should repeat my plea that if you want a quality local paper, you buy it, read it and tell Schroeder or any of us what you would like to see in it. Tell us how it can get better. We're all eager to see this experiment work out -- and not just because it's nice to have jobs.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
March 4, 2009
Bristol's schools too successful?
Reporter Jackie Majerus wrote this story:
After years of hard work, struggling to improve the city’s schools, the effort paid off – and resulted in a huge cut in state funding.
Superintendent Phil Streifer said Tuesday that he recently learned from state officials that Bristol is no longer considered a “priority” school district.
“Our achievement is so high they’re taking away our priority school district status,” said Streifer.
That’s great news as far as academic improvement, but the loss of the special designation means that the city will also lose almost $2 million annually in extra funding that goes along with it.
The hit won’t come all at once, but the bulk of it is coming in the next budget, when Streifer is already searching for how to cope with reductions in the regular state aid.
The three-year phase out of priority school district funding starts with a loss of more than $1 million in the coming year, Streifer said. By the third year, the loss will reach $1.7 million.
Streifer said he’s not sure how he can maintain the higher test scores without the funding that’s supported them. He said the percentage of children living in poverty is up, as is the number of students who are moving in and out of the district.
But that’s a problem for another day. At 7 tonight, the superintendent presents his budget to the school board for approval.
Because his budget has been in the works for awhile and the news about the city’s priority school district status just arrived, it’s not even figured into the budget yet, Streifer said.
Not counting a $1.28 million increase in special education costs, Streifer said, he’d be at a 2.4 percent increase.
“We’ve really held the line,” Streifer said.
As it is, the increase is 3.69 percent, he said, or $3.7 million.
“I’m asking the board of education to approve my budget, which funds all programs,” said Streifer. “They’re voting on a full budget.”
But if enough state and city funding doesn’t materialize, Streifer said, the district will turn to his recommended cuts, which will reduce the numbers of teachers, increase class size and eliminate some programming.
“People are concerned,” said Don Currie, president of the Performance Arts Booster Club at Bristol Central High School. He said he’s worried that music will take a bigger cut than other programs.
If cuts are to be made, Currie said, the district should be fair.
“They should be even across the board,” said Currie.
Kathy Brodeur, co-president of the Parent Action Committee at Chippens Hill Middle School, said she and other parents are worried about enrichment programs losing funding and about increased class sizes.
“We’re taking more and more away from our kids,” said Brodeur, who said she’s afraid that her middle school daughter will not have the same choices of courses as her high school daughter had.
In the long run, Brodeur said, any change in the school district will be reflected in the housing market, which she said will impact all homeowners, not just those with kids in school.
Federal stimulus money, if it comes to the district, may be “very restrictive,” said Streifer. He said it’s too early to know how much might come to Bristol or how it could be used.
The possible program cuts, said Streifer, are “still real.”
He said whether those will need to be implemented won’t be clear until April or May – after the city budget is set.
Bristol school board members present the school budget to the city finance board on March 18, said Streifer.
That’s when Streifer hopes to see parental support for school programs.
“I want them there on March 18,” Streifer said.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
March 3, 2009
GASB 45 panel recommends status quo
Brushing aside claims that tapping excess city pension cash could save taxpayers millions, a panel investigating the issue recommended Tuesday that officials put the idea aside for now.
Three of the GASB 45 Committee’s members voted against shelving the concept, but all four of the municipal union members serving on the panel said they want to stick with the status quo for the time being.
Mayor Art Ward said the panel’s choice makes sense give the turbulence in the stock market these days. But, he said, that if the funds become flush again, the proposal would be viable.
“It’s always going to be a topic of consideration,” Ward said.
Union members said they’re not necessarily opposed to using small amount of surplus pension cash to help pay for the health care of retired city workers.
But, they said, they don’t want to risk undermining the three pension funds that still hold tens of millions of dollars more than the city anticipates it will need to pay off pension promises, even after the wild plummet of the market during the past six months.
“We all know the economy is drowning,” said city Finance Chairman Rich Miecznikowski, one of the three committee members who wanted to push ahead with the idea of using the excess money.
“It would go a long way with helping us with the mill rate,” Miecznikowski said.
T. J. Barnes, the panel’s chairman, said that Bristol and many other levels of government have “made a lot of promises” to government workers “and we don’t necessarily fund those promises properly.”
Though Bristol has done a stunning job of funding pension obligations – it’s one of the best funded municipal pension plans in the country – it hasn’t set aside much of anything to pay for a decade’s worth of health care guaranteed to retired city employees.
Comptroller Glenn Klocko said there is $1.4 million earmarked for the fund, but he hasn’t yet moved the money into an irrevocable trust to begin creating a cushion for the future.
He said he wanted to see what would happen with the GASB 45 issue first, because if the city used surplus pension cash, it could use that money for something else.
Barnes warned that if the city can’t figure out how to get the $72 million or more it will need to pay future health care claims – a figure that rises annually – there’s always a chance it will be forced to renege on the deal.
“If people can’t hang on to their homes,” Barnes asked union officials, “then how do we pay for your health care?”
“It’s one thing to promise to pay something. It’s another to pay it,” Barnes said.
But several union officials said they have tried over the past decade to work out a deal with the city to start funding a health benefits fund that would begin to set aside the necessary funds. The city hasn’t been willing to take the proposals seriously, they said, so they never got anywhere.
There is still a chance the City Council will take up the proposal despite the GASB 45 panel’s recommendation. There are at least two councilors who want to pursue it.
What is GASB 45?
It is a reporting requirement that calls for cities and towns to lay out the post-retirement employment costs they have taken on. It also asks that they say how they intend to fund the expense.
There is no rule that municipalities take any concrete action, but Bristol officials say they don’t want to ignore the problem and stick taxpayers in a decade or two with massive bills for costs that could be dealt with sooner.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Bristol man killed in I-84 crash in East Hartford
Angela Ostrowski had hoped her husband Stanley, who worked as a medical courier, would get a different job that kept him closer to home and away from the highway.
But Tuesday morning, police came to the door of their ranch home on Federal Hill to tell her that Stanley Ostrowski had died in a crash on I-84.
“When they came, it shocked the hell out of me,” said Angela Ostrowski, remembering the awful moment.
According to state police, 62-year-old Stanley Ostrowski was heading west on near Exit 58 on I-84 a little before 6 a.m. when his vehicle, a 2006 Kia Sedona minivan, hit the back of a state snowplow headed in the same direction.
According to the state police accident summary, Ostrowski “suffered fatal injuries and was presumed dead on scene” at 6:10 a.m.
Stephen Petrello, 45, of Ashford, was driving the state Department of Transportation plow. He was not injured, police said.
“The investigation’s still ongoing,” said Sgt. Chris Johnson of the Connecticut State Police. He said the investigations typically take four to six months to complete.
The Associated Press reported the East Hartford crash shut down three lanes of traffic and caused a nine-mile back up. Traffic was slowed for more than four hours as a result.
Angela Ostrowski said her husband was working at his job for RAA Greenfield Transportation in Plainville – delivering medication to nursing homes – at the time of the crash Tuesday morning.
“He was a good driver,” said Angela Ostrowski. “He was no maniac. He took his time.”
The Ostrowskis met on the job in 1995, she said, and fell in love.
They got married in Las Vegas 13 years ago, she said, and were living a happy life in Bristol.
“We did everything together,” Angela Ostrowski said.
She said her husband recently took her to see “Jersey Boys” at the Bushnell in Hartford.
For more than a decade, the couple has lived in their little light blue house on historic Merriman Street near the Congregational Church.
Three wind chimes dangle from the front gutter and a small wreath hangs over the blue and white garage.
Inside the comfort of their cozy home, a big gray cat slept in the dining room and a big white teddy bear with a red heart sat on the sofa.
A stream of friends and relatives came to the house to offer solace, and Angela Ostrowski wept softy as she spoke about her husband.
“He was a good man,” she said. “He treated me like a queen.”
She said she is upset at the lack of information she’s received from the police about the crash. She said she learned more about the accident from news reports than she did from the police who delivered her husband’s driver’s license.
The trooper investigating the accident, she was told, is off for the next three days, so she doesn’t expect to learn much more very soon.
Stanley Ostrowski moved to Bristol after living in Middletown. He had served in the Connecticut National Guard.
Phil Dutremble, a neighbor, called Ostrowski’s death tragic. He said he felt especially bad for Angela Ostrowski.
But Tuesday morning, police came to the door of their ranch home on Federal Hill to tell her that Stanley Ostrowski had died in a crash on I-84.
“When they came, it shocked the hell out of me,” said Angela Ostrowski, remembering the awful moment.
According to state police, 62-year-old Stanley Ostrowski was heading west on near Exit 58 on I-84 a little before 6 a.m. when his vehicle, a 2006 Kia Sedona minivan, hit the back of a state snowplow headed in the same direction.
According to the state police accident summary, Ostrowski “suffered fatal injuries and was presumed dead on scene” at 6:10 a.m.
Stephen Petrello, 45, of Ashford, was driving the state Department of Transportation plow. He was not injured, police said.
“The investigation’s still ongoing,” said Sgt. Chris Johnson of the Connecticut State Police. He said the investigations typically take four to six months to complete.
The Associated Press reported the East Hartford crash shut down three lanes of traffic and caused a nine-mile back up. Traffic was slowed for more than four hours as a result.
Angela Ostrowski said her husband was working at his job for RAA Greenfield Transportation in Plainville – delivering medication to nursing homes – at the time of the crash Tuesday morning.
“He was a good driver,” said Angela Ostrowski. “He was no maniac. He took his time.”
The Ostrowskis met on the job in 1995, she said, and fell in love.
They got married in Las Vegas 13 years ago, she said, and were living a happy life in Bristol.
“We did everything together,” Angela Ostrowski said.
She said her husband recently took her to see “Jersey Boys” at the Bushnell in Hartford.
For more than a decade, the couple has lived in their little light blue house on historic Merriman Street near the Congregational Church.
Three wind chimes dangle from the front gutter and a small wreath hangs over the blue and white garage.
Inside the comfort of their cozy home, a big gray cat slept in the dining room and a big white teddy bear with a red heart sat on the sofa.
A stream of friends and relatives came to the house to offer solace, and Angela Ostrowski wept softy as she spoke about her husband.
“He was a good man,” she said. “He treated me like a queen.”
She said she is upset at the lack of information she’s received from the police about the crash. She said she learned more about the accident from news reports than she did from the police who delivered her husband’s driver’s license.
The trooper investigating the accident, she was told, is off for the next three days, so she doesn’t expect to learn much more very soon.
Stanley Ostrowski moved to Bristol after living in Middletown. He had served in the Connecticut National Guard.
Phil Dutremble, a neighbor, called Ostrowski’s death tragic. He said he felt especially bad for Angela Ostrowski.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Rockwell Park vandalized again
Vandals struck Rockwell Park again last weekend.
Someone painted symbols all over the Pavilion near the playground and on the historic bathhouse beside the drained lagoon, according to Park Director Ed Swicklas.
“We see the same thing up and down Park Street,” Swicklas said, so he suspects young people in the neighborhood struck the buildings with spray paint.
“We’ll wind up painting the whole freakin’ thing over,” Swicklas said, costing the taxpayers hundreds of dollars.
Swicklas said that Rockwell Park, which is in the midst of a massive renovation, “is the worst right now” for vandalism. Other city parks have been left pretty much alone, he said.
The park boss said he thinks the vandals hit on Friday or Saturday night, before the snow fell on Sunday.
It doesn’t appear that the new skatepark was damaged, he said.
Swicklas said the city will probably spray paint over the vandalism soon and then repaint the entire structures later.
Swicklas said that when the park’s renovation is complete, he hopes there will be enough people in the park to keep a better eye on miscreants.
He said that he’s also exploring cameras and other electronic devices to help protect the park.
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Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Craig Minor may lose his day job
Cromwell Town Planner Craig Minor, a Bristol city councilor, could be one of five town employees laid off to save money, according to this story.
It's pretty damn clear that Minor and the leading politician in Cromwell don't get along.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
GASB 45 panel votes to do nothing
More later, but the committee voted 4-3 to leave things the way they are for now.
The four votes for the status quo came from union reps. The three no votes were from city Treasurer Bill Veits, Finance Chairman Rich Miecznikowski and T.J. Barnes, the GASB 45 Committee chairman.
But there was a clear indication that the unions are willing to consider using some of the pension money to pay for medical care for retirees so it may happen someday, especially if the stock market rebounds.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
3rd District GOP still seeking candidates
Statement issued by the 3rd District's Republican committee late last night:
Although spring hasn’t arrived, Republicans in Bristol
“This fall’s race is going to be exciting in our district,” said Bob Casar, District Chairman, “like last year’s Presidential race, we’re faced with the unique situation where there is no incumbent running for office.” Because of that, Casar said, the district has “seen an upswing in the number of people like Derek who have expressed an interest in running for Council in the third district.”
“Derek came to us about a month ago to discuss his candidacy. Since then I know he’s worked hard to develop his platform and build a campaign team that he believes will help him win the party’s nomination, and, ultimately, the election in November,” Casar said.
“At one point our list had seven names on it, and through the process some have dropped out or opted to take a role in helping others. It is refreshing to see candidates vying for the nomination who we believe would be an asset to the council,” said Mickey Goldwasser, another Third District Republican. “There are many things about Derek’s platform that we support.” “That said,” said Casar, “we are still encouraging anyone interested in running to step forward during the coming weeks.”
While the party will vote on nominations in May, the District has already begun the vetting process. In the Third District all candidates will receive a questionnaire that they will need to discuss with the Vetting Committee, further, candidates will be interviewed as a group and individually by Town Committee members and will be asked to present a platform to the Committee.
“Right now feelings of cynicism and mistrust are running pretty high in our society,” said Casar. “We feel that we owe it to the voters to put forward candidates of high integrity and strong character.” By doing that, Casar said he hopes the election will “focus on the issues that matter most to our neighbors, as opposed to devolving into partisan rants and name calling.”
Goldwasser said that the things he’s looking for in a candidate include “a solid, focused, common sense platform.” Casar is looking for “some interest from non-traditional Republicans, whether as a candidate or volunteer. Diversity is what makes organizations great – we need more young people to get involved in the process to help us build bench strength for the future; we need white collar and blue collar folks working together with Veteran’s, retirees and students. We need to reflect the image of our community.”
Finally, said Goldwasser, “we need individuals that will put the voters of
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Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
March 2, 2009
Czenczelewski seeks 3rd District seat
A 22-year-old University of Connecticut student with a passion for politics has jumped into the race to capture one of two 3rd District City Council seats held by Democrats who are stepping down this fall.
Republican Derek Czenczelewski said Monday that he thinks he can “bring something a little different” to the council.
“It’s time for a change in Bristol,” Czenczelewski said, adding that he has the ability “to bring people together” and to endeavor to end the constant political bickering at City Hall.
Czenczelewski is the first candidate to enter the 3rd District race formally, though Democrats and Republicans alike are eyeing the district during this year’s municipal race because both seats will be open.
Both incumbents in the district, Frank Nicastro and Craig Minor, have said they won’t seek re-election.
So far, Czenczelewski is the only contender to take their place for the part-time, $10,00-a-year post, but several Democrats have said they’re interested.
Kate Matthews said she plans to announce her candidacy this month and two others, Terry Parker and Charles Cyr, are eyeing the race, too. There may be others.
Czenczelewski said there a trio of Republicans considering the race in his district, down from seven initially. The others haven’t come forward yet.
Czenczelewski said the key issues facing the city are the economy, education, public safety and transportation.
He said that city leaders “need to work with the existing businesses” in town to try to attract more jobs to Bristol. They should also prepare plans for downtown and beyond that will be ready to roll when the economy turns around.
Czenczelewski said he favors the $130 million plan to build two new 900-student schools in town, including one on Pine Street that would replace the aging Greene-Hills School in his district.
“We have schools that are really falling apart,” Czenczelewski said.
He said the city needs to push through the land purchases, hiring architects and more to get the project underway.
Czenczelewski said the city has to monitor what happens when the Route 72 extension opens up in a year or so to find out if drivers do wind up downtown in greater numbers, as officials have hoped.
He said that if the plans don’t work out, then the city needs to be ready to make some more changes to get the job done.
Czenczelewski is a 2005 Bristol Central High School graduate who is majoring in sports promotion at UConn. He is angling for a minor in communications. He said he will graduate in August.
He’s working for Edge Technology, which provides statistics and analysis for ESPN. It’s one path for future careers with the Bristol-based sports giant.
Czenczelewski said he’s learned a lot about leadership from ESPN, including the need to search for innovation and consensus.
He is not married and doesn’t have any children.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Rell taps Bristol resident for state labor panel
Press release from Gov. Jodi Rell:
Governor Rell Names Bristol
Resident to State Labor Panel
Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that she has appointed of Terence Sullivan of Bristol to the State Board of Mediation and Arbitration.
The Board provides efficient, professional and timely mediation services of grievances and contracts in the public and private sector area. The mediation process helps promote an atmosphere conducive to assisting labor and management in resolving collective bargaining controversies. Understanding that there is a need for labor and management to shift towards cooperation and away from conflict, the Board offers the services of mediation for outreach and education programs in the art of dispute settlement.
The Board also provides arbitration services for the purpose of arbitration of disputes over the application or interpretation of the terms of a written collective bargaining agreement.
Sullivan is Personnel Director for the Town of Wallingford and has worked for the town since 1995. He served in the Connecticut National Guard for 20 years, serving as a First Sergeant in the 1430 Military Police Company and receiving an Honorable Discharge in 1996. He is a Persian Gulf War veteran.
Sullivan earned a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Hartford. He also holds certificates in Contract Administration, Collective Bargaining Studies and Human Resources Studies from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
“This Board aims to preserve jobs in Connecticut by maintaining peaceful employer/employee relations and promoting equity between labor and management by resolving labor disputes,” Governor Rell said. “Terence will be an excellent addition to this panel. He has many years of experience and expertise, and I thank him for his willingness to serve.”
Sullivan will serve at the pleasure of the Governor for a term ending February 18, 2010, or until a successor is appointed and has qualified, whichever is longer.
Those interested in serving on a state board or commission can visit www.ct.gov/governorrell and click on “Forms.”
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
New turning lane eyed for Center Street
The city plans to add a turning lane on Center Street beside the central firehouse in a bid to relieve traffic congestion at the juncture with North Main Street.
Ray Rogozinski, a city engineer, said the project is slated to go out to bid this spring, with construction to get underway by early summer.
The additional lane should put an end to the increasingly common phenomena of one car that’s seeking to turn left blocking a line of others as it waits for the opportunity to make the turn, officials said.
The problem has existed for years, but the change to the layout of the post office parking lot a couple of years go exacerbated the delays because most of those leaving the post office exit onto Center Street and turn back toward North Main.
Howard Schmelder, a Bristol Development Authority commissioner, said that one car turning left there can create headaches for many others.
It isn’t yet clear how the extra lane will be marked.
It could be that there is a right turn only lane or it may be that one will be for those turning right or going straight.
Rogozinski said that restriping the pavement is a possibility.
“That would help,” Schmelder said.
Rogozinski said the fix won’t resolve every problem, but it should make a difference.
“I can’t say you’ll never be aggravated at that intersection,” Rogozinski said.
Officials said they won’t add a left turn light there – at least for now – because of the cost involved.
New traffic signals carry a hefty price tag, they said, and aren’t added without a major need.
The change in the post office parking lot, which the city pushed for, allows entry from North Main Street but the only exit is onto Foley Street, which runs behind the fire station. Drivers can only turn left or right onto Center Street from there.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
More snow
I'm ready for spring. Really.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
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