Brushing aside concerns from two veteran politicians that the move is designed to sidestep a committee that could pose an obstacle to the $120 million school project, city councilors agreed Tuesday to hold a special meeting soon to review potential sites for two new buildings.
The goal is to make it possible for everyone involved to gather so that each of the decision-makers will learn all of the necessary information to support or reject particular locations for the proposed 900-student schools.
“We don’t have much time,” said city Councilor Cliff Block.
The council unanimously agreed to hold a joint session with the West Bristol and Forestville school building committee behind closed doors to discuss “negotiations for land.”But councilors said they have many questions that don’t involve secret negotiations so the session will almost certainly include a wide-ranging public discussion about the project as well.
City Councilor Frank Nicastro, who heads the Real Estate Committee, said it is “very clear to me” that the request to have the council meet as a whole instead of relying on the three-person real estate panel was made because supporters of the project feared his committee “will squash this” project.
“I’m not foolish,” Nicastro said, adding that there “is no reason to usurp the Real Estate Committee’s authority” to make a recommendation to the council.
Another veteran councilor, Republican Mike Rimcoski, said he’s also sure the plan was meant to sidestep the regular real estate panel. He said that the Board of Education is circumventing normal procedures.
But Mayor Art Ward said that he thinks the move merely eliminates an unnecessary step in the decision-making process.
Having everyone in the room, said city Councilor Ken Cockayne, ensures “everyone would be in the loop.”
The school project, which the council and Board of Finance gave tentative backing to last year, aims to build two kindergarten to eighth grade schools that would replace four aging buildings.
Two sites are under consideration for the schools: the former Crowley dealership on Pine Street and a closed sand pit off Barlow Street.
Block said that multiple appraisals have been done to determine their value, but there has been no public indication of the cost to purchase the land.
Ward said the appraisal process is a major reason for the lack of progress on the project this year.
“It does take time and it does stagnate the process,” the mayor said.
Ward said that he wants the council to take up the issue soon so that it won’t have to scramble next spring to make a decision before a state-imposed deadline.
“This is the next step,” Block said.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
August 12, 2008
State to scrutinize new school construction more closely
A recent state audit found many districts are failing to follow the proper procedure to show the need for new schools.
They are not using correct projections for future enrollment, the state auditors found in the
audit, beginning on page 11.
I'm not sure Bristol's projects relate much to enrollment, since the main goal is to replace old schools with new ones, but it's still an interesting development that could come into play as this project rolls forward.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
They are not using correct projections for future enrollment, the state auditors found in the
audit, beginning on page 11.
I'm not sure Bristol's projects relate much to enrollment, since the main goal is to replace old schools with new ones, but it's still an interesting development that could come into play as this project rolls forward.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Colapietro endorsed by pro-choice group
The NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut PAC just released a list of candidates it's endorsing this year who are "deemed by the PAC to be 100 percent pro-choice."
Only one Bristol candidate appears among those endorsed - state Sen. Tom Colapietro, a Democrat who has represented the 31st District since 1992.
"All candidates endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut PAC pledge, if elected, to vote against anti-choice bills, including those that would restrict access to the full spectrum of reproductive health services – from contraception, to carrying a healthy pregnancy to term, to choosing a safe and legal abortion. Pro-actively, endorsed candidates support comprehensive, age appropriate sexuality education that is based on medically accurate information, and all support equitable and timely access to emergency contraceptionm," according to the group's press release.
“We are so pleased to have so many candidates who are advocates for women’s reproductive health,” said Cari Carter, PAC chair, according to the release.
"The NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut PAC is confident that if elected, each and every one of our endorsed candidates will protect choice, work to improve access to emergency contraception, and defend against amendments and bills that attempt to chip away at our reproductive freedom.”
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Only one Bristol candidate appears among those endorsed - state Sen. Tom Colapietro, a Democrat who has represented the 31st District since 1992.
"All candidates endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut PAC pledge, if elected, to vote against anti-choice bills, including those that would restrict access to the full spectrum of reproductive health services – from contraception, to carrying a healthy pregnancy to term, to choosing a safe and legal abortion. Pro-actively, endorsed candidates support comprehensive, age appropriate sexuality education that is based on medically accurate information, and all support equitable and timely access to emergency contraceptionm," according to the group's press release.
“We are so pleased to have so many candidates who are advocates for women’s reproductive health,” said Cari Carter, PAC chair, according to the release.
"The NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut PAC is confident that if elected, each and every one of our endorsed candidates will protect choice, work to improve access to emergency contraception, and defend against amendments and bills that attempt to chip away at our reproductive freedom.”
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
August 11, 2008
School project backers seek to buy sites
Hoping to push the stalled $120 million project to build two new schools, officials plan Tuesday to ask city councilors to agree to hold a special meeting soon to go over potential sites for the buildings.
“They’re trying to expedite the process and get some decisions on the locations,” Mayor Art Ward said Monday.
The two school building committees, charged with overseeing construction of new 900-student schools in Forestville and in the West End, are asking the City Council to hold a joint session with them to go behind closed doors to discuss “negotiations for land.”
It isn’t clear where things stand in terms of negotiations for either of the sites currently on the table: the former Crowley dealership on Pine Street and a closed sand pit off Barlow Street.
Spurring action may be a worry that unless the pace picks up, the city’s June 2007 request for state funding of about 70 percent of the project might be thrown out.
Ward said he understands there is a two-year limit for the city to find acceptable locations in order for its initial funding application to remain valid.
School officials have expressed frustration at the lax pace of the site selection process, which narrowed in on two locations months ago.
Since then, however, there has been little public indication of any activity, though at least some behind-the-scenes negotiations have taken place, according to several officials.
What isn’t clear, though, is whether the city and the landowners are in the same ballpark in terms of the value of the sites eyed.
Both the West Bristol and the Forestville school building committees asked the council to schedule a joint session with them soon.
They also asked that the council agree to meet as the Real Estate Committee – normally a three-person subcommittee of the council chaired by former Mayor Frank Nicastro – because the site selection law gives the real estate panel a key role in approving any deal.
Two members of the real estate panel, Nicastro and Councilor Mike Rimcoski, voted against the school sites recommended by the committees and are considered less likely to favor moving ahead with the project at all.
The motion sought by the two school panels asks that the joint meetings be held in executive session, which would make the proceedings secret, a move that is legal because it involves land negotiations.
There is no legal requirement, however, that the meetings must be held in secret. That is a choice that city leaders are allowed to make.
How much the public will learn about the status of the projects remains unknown.
The city and the Board of Education plan to construct two kindergarten to eighth grade schools that would each house 900 students. When they are ready, four existing schools would be closed: Memorial Boulevard Middle School and Bingham, Greene-Hills and O’Connell elementary schools.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
“They’re trying to expedite the process and get some decisions on the locations,” Mayor Art Ward said Monday.
The two school building committees, charged with overseeing construction of new 900-student schools in Forestville and in the West End, are asking the City Council to hold a joint session with them to go behind closed doors to discuss “negotiations for land.”
It isn’t clear where things stand in terms of negotiations for either of the sites currently on the table: the former Crowley dealership on Pine Street and a closed sand pit off Barlow Street.
Spurring action may be a worry that unless the pace picks up, the city’s June 2007 request for state funding of about 70 percent of the project might be thrown out.
Ward said he understands there is a two-year limit for the city to find acceptable locations in order for its initial funding application to remain valid.
School officials have expressed frustration at the lax pace of the site selection process, which narrowed in on two locations months ago.
Since then, however, there has been little public indication of any activity, though at least some behind-the-scenes negotiations have taken place, according to several officials.
What isn’t clear, though, is whether the city and the landowners are in the same ballpark in terms of the value of the sites eyed.
Both the West Bristol and the Forestville school building committees asked the council to schedule a joint session with them soon.
They also asked that the council agree to meet as the Real Estate Committee – normally a three-person subcommittee of the council chaired by former Mayor Frank Nicastro – because the site selection law gives the real estate panel a key role in approving any deal.
Two members of the real estate panel, Nicastro and Councilor Mike Rimcoski, voted against the school sites recommended by the committees and are considered less likely to favor moving ahead with the project at all.
The motion sought by the two school panels asks that the joint meetings be held in executive session, which would make the proceedings secret, a move that is legal because it involves land negotiations.
There is no legal requirement, however, that the meetings must be held in secret. That is a choice that city leaders are allowed to make.
How much the public will learn about the status of the projects remains unknown.
The city and the Board of Education plan to construct two kindergarten to eighth grade schools that would each house 900 students. When they are ready, four existing schools would be closed: Memorial Boulevard Middle School and Bingham, Greene-Hills and O’Connell elementary schools.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Congressional candidate ready to pull country out of the toilet
Green Party congressional hopeful Steve Fournier of Hartford offers a strikingly different agenda than the ones put forward by major party candidates.
“I think our country is in the toilet and I'm willing to go in there and pull it out. Cleaning up Congress is a dirty job, I tell them, and somebody has to do it,” Fournier said.
Fournier, 62, said that volunteers have collected more than 3,000 signatures in the 1st District that “make it all but certain” that he’ll be on the November ballot against U.S. Rep. John Larson, an East Hartford Democrat, and Republican challenger Joe Visconti of West Hartford.
To reach the ballot, a petitioning candidate needs 2,050 verified signatures from registered voters, a determination that should be made soon.
Fournier’s campaign aims “to vindicate us with our grandchildren. They will certainly defile our graves if we don't make big changes now.”
Fournier, a community activist, said he personally got 900 signatures – and talked with those who signed.
“The people I've been talking to are angry, but they're also afraid. Afraid to dissent and afraid to look powerless and foolish,” he said.
Fournier said that people are looking away from what the nation’s leaders have done to the country during the past generation.
“The criminals who govern us have injured our earth, damaged our republic, put us in mortal danger, and we go on as if everything were fine, seemingly unaware of our dire situation,” Fournier said in a pamphlet.
“My conversations tell me that we are not unaware and that we are seething with repressed rage. Witnesses to an atrocity, we turn away because we feel unable to act,” he said.
“We're told that enemies are in our midst,” Fournier said, “and our biggest fear is not that any of the million or so terrorists out there will do us any harm but that we will be counted among them.”
“And so we take off our shoes in the airport and buy newspapers that lie to us and pretend to support the troops and stay away from political gatherings of all kinds,” he said.
“It’s not that people are apathetic or complacent. We're damaged and discouraged,” Fournier said.
Fournier, a Vietnam veteran, said that “racketeers and their henchmen now govern America.”
“The two major political parties have been complicit in the racket and have furthered it by trashing the Bill of Rights, undermining the rule of law, and effectively repealing all checks on executive power,” he said.
“Most recently, our leaders have waged two wars to advance their political ends and lost both of them, as all responsible authorities predicted they would,” Fournier said.
“They have long since quit regulating the big, anti-national corporations that control public policy, resulting in the widespread abuse of workers, poor quality goods, mass export of jobs, declines in public health and happiness, environmental pollution, the concentration of wealth in a few hands, and a failing economy,” he said.
“These problems can't be addressed until Americans undertake the restoration of Constitutional government,” Fournier said. “This candidacy--the candidate is a troublemaker and whistleblower--is an expression of urgency.”
Fournier said he’s been active in politics since he left the Air Force in 1970 and got involved in the anti-war movement and left-wing politics. In the years since, he said, he’s been a Democrat, a Republican and a Green Party member.
With the exception of a brief stint on the Hartford Board of Education a decade ago, when he helped convince the state to take over Hartford’s troubled public schools, Fournier’s been an activist and outsider.
Larson has rolled over challengers since winning the 1st District in 1998. He’s represented Bristol since a redistricting in 2002 expanded the size of each of Connecticut’s remaining five congressional districts.
Fournier’s agenda
- Withhold all military funding until there is “an acceptable timetable” to withdraw troops from Iraq.
- Uncover wrongdoing in the executive branch and military, including the ouster and punishment of “those responsible for 9/11/”
- Crack down on economic misconduct by the rich and powerful.
- Enact universal health care at least as good as Medicare.
- Create a mandatory national service for all Americans to serve in the armed forces or improving public assets.
- Crack down on pollution.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
“I think our country is in the toilet and I'm willing to go in there and pull it out. Cleaning up Congress is a dirty job, I tell them, and somebody has to do it,” Fournier said.
Fournier, 62, said that volunteers have collected more than 3,000 signatures in the 1st District that “make it all but certain” that he’ll be on the November ballot against U.S. Rep. John Larson, an East Hartford Democrat, and Republican challenger Joe Visconti of West Hartford.
To reach the ballot, a petitioning candidate needs 2,050 verified signatures from registered voters, a determination that should be made soon.
Fournier’s campaign aims “to vindicate us with our grandchildren. They will certainly defile our graves if we don't make big changes now.”
Fournier, a community activist, said he personally got 900 signatures – and talked with those who signed.
“The people I've been talking to are angry, but they're also afraid. Afraid to dissent and afraid to look powerless and foolish,” he said.
Fournier said that people are looking away from what the nation’s leaders have done to the country during the past generation.
“The criminals who govern us have injured our earth, damaged our republic, put us in mortal danger, and we go on as if everything were fine, seemingly unaware of our dire situation,” Fournier said in a pamphlet.
“My conversations tell me that we are not unaware and that we are seething with repressed rage. Witnesses to an atrocity, we turn away because we feel unable to act,” he said.
“We're told that enemies are in our midst,” Fournier said, “and our biggest fear is not that any of the million or so terrorists out there will do us any harm but that we will be counted among them.”
“And so we take off our shoes in the airport and buy newspapers that lie to us and pretend to support the troops and stay away from political gatherings of all kinds,” he said.
“It’s not that people are apathetic or complacent. We're damaged and discouraged,” Fournier said.
Fournier, a Vietnam veteran, said that “racketeers and their henchmen now govern America.”
“The two major political parties have been complicit in the racket and have furthered it by trashing the Bill of Rights, undermining the rule of law, and effectively repealing all checks on executive power,” he said.
“Most recently, our leaders have waged two wars to advance their political ends and lost both of them, as all responsible authorities predicted they would,” Fournier said.
“They have long since quit regulating the big, anti-national corporations that control public policy, resulting in the widespread abuse of workers, poor quality goods, mass export of jobs, declines in public health and happiness, environmental pollution, the concentration of wealth in a few hands, and a failing economy,” he said.
“These problems can't be addressed until Americans undertake the restoration of Constitutional government,” Fournier said. “This candidacy--the candidate is a troublemaker and whistleblower--is an expression of urgency.”
Fournier said he’s been active in politics since he left the Air Force in 1970 and got involved in the anti-war movement and left-wing politics. In the years since, he said, he’s been a Democrat, a Republican and a Green Party member.
With the exception of a brief stint on the Hartford Board of Education a decade ago, when he helped convince the state to take over Hartford’s troubled public schools, Fournier’s been an activist and outsider.
Larson has rolled over challengers since winning the 1st District in 1998. He’s represented Bristol since a redistricting in 2002 expanded the size of each of Connecticut’s remaining five congressional districts.
Fournier’s agenda
- Withhold all military funding until there is “an acceptable timetable” to withdraw troops from Iraq.
- Uncover wrongdoing in the executive branch and military, including the ouster and punishment of “those responsible for 9/11/”
- Crack down on economic misconduct by the rich and powerful.
- Enact universal health care at least as good as Medicare.
- Create a mandatory national service for all Americans to serve in the armed forces or improving public assets.
- Crack down on pollution.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Still checking COO petition signatures
City Clerk Therese Pac said today that her office is still checking the signatures submitted on the petitions calling for a referendum on the proposed chief operating officer position. She said she's not sure when the work will be done.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Back from vacation
Just a quick word to let you -- cranks and faithful readers alike - know that I am back from a two-week vacation. I had a nice time, thank you very much.
So what'd I miss?
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
So what'd I miss?
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
August 10, 2008
New commuter lot opens Monday
Press release from the state Department of Transportation:
The Department of Transportation announced today, that a new Commuter lot at Lake Avenue in Bristol will open on Monday, August 11, 2008. In conjunction with the opening of the new lot, the existing commuter lot at Todd Street will be closed. Signs have been posted and pamphlets distributed to notify commuters of this upcoming change. This new commuter lot is part of the ongoing Route 72 Relocation project in Bristol and Plainville.
Work on this $40 million project is being performed by Manafort Brothers, Inc. of Plainville, Connecticut under contract with the Department of Transportation. The anticipated completion date for this project is in November 2009.
Motorists are urged to obey the posted speed limit and proceed with caution through this and all other construction work zones.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The Department of Transportation announced today, that a new Commuter lot at Lake Avenue in Bristol will open on Monday, August 11, 2008. In conjunction with the opening of the new lot, the existing commuter lot at Todd Street will be closed. Signs have been posted and pamphlets distributed to notify commuters of this upcoming change. This new commuter lot is part of the ongoing Route 72 Relocation project in Bristol and Plainville.
Work on this $40 million project is being performed by Manafort Brothers, Inc. of Plainville, Connecticut under contract with the Department of Transportation. The anticipated completion date for this project is in November 2009.
Motorists are urged to obey the posted speed limit and proceed with caution through this and all other construction work zones.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Hamzy aims to free up cash for Lake Compounce
Press release from state Rep. Bill Hamzy, a Plymouth Republican whose 78th District includes northwestern Bristol:
State Representative William A. Hamzy is working with Governor Rell and the state Office of Policy and Management to get $3.3 million in state funding that would clear the way for the expansion of the water park at Lake Compounce placed on the State Bond Commission agenda for its September meeting.
The funding, which was included in the bond authorization act (P. A. 07-7) approved by the state legislature during the June 2007 special session, amounts to $3.3 million. The grant must be approved by the bond commission before it is released.
The $3.3 million would pay for the relocation of a 3,000 foot section of Mount Vernon Road from the Bristol city line to Welch Street in Southington. The project would clear the way for a six-acre expansion of the water park to more than 10 acres, said Representative Hamzy, R-78th District.
“This is a win-win proposal for the state, for Lake Compounce and for Bristol and Southington,” Representative Hamzy said. “If the bond commission approves the $3.3 million to pay for the relocation of a portion of Mount Vernon Road in Southington, for utility upgrades and other related improvements, it will lead to the investment of about $20 million by Lake Compounce for the expansion of the water park.”
“This relatively modest investment in a public infrastructure improvement project will significantly benefit the towns, the region and the state. When completed, the Lake Compounce expansion project will help Bristol and Southington by creating jobs and attracting more visitors to the amusement park - many of whom will patronize local businesses. It also will enhance the state’s rapidly-growing tourist industry, which is becoming a significant contributor to the state’s economy, generating millions in revenues and hundreds of new jobs every year,” Representative Hamzy said.
“Although getting an item included on the bond commission agenda is a difficult and competitive process, I believe state funding for this project is fully justified under whatever criteria are used to evaluate it. It is important to the economic future of our towns and our state. That is why I am aggressively pursuing the funding necessary to make it happen,” Representative Hamzy said.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
State Representative William A. Hamzy is working with Governor Rell and the state Office of Policy and Management to get $3.3 million in state funding that would clear the way for the expansion of the water park at Lake Compounce placed on the State Bond Commission agenda for its September meeting.
The funding, which was included in the bond authorization act (P. A. 07-7) approved by the state legislature during the June 2007 special session, amounts to $3.3 million. The grant must be approved by the bond commission before it is released.
The $3.3 million would pay for the relocation of a 3,000 foot section of Mount Vernon Road from the Bristol city line to Welch Street in Southington. The project would clear the way for a six-acre expansion of the water park to more than 10 acres, said Representative Hamzy, R-78th District.
“This is a win-win proposal for the state, for Lake Compounce and for Bristol and Southington,” Representative Hamzy said. “If the bond commission approves the $3.3 million to pay for the relocation of a portion of Mount Vernon Road in Southington, for utility upgrades and other related improvements, it will lead to the investment of about $20 million by Lake Compounce for the expansion of the water park.”
“This relatively modest investment in a public infrastructure improvement project will significantly benefit the towns, the region and the state. When completed, the Lake Compounce expansion project will help Bristol and Southington by creating jobs and attracting more visitors to the amusement park - many of whom will patronize local businesses. It also will enhance the state’s rapidly-growing tourist industry, which is becoming a significant contributor to the state’s economy, generating millions in revenues and hundreds of new jobs every year,” Representative Hamzy said.
“Although getting an item included on the bond commission agenda is a difficult and competitive process, I believe state funding for this project is fully justified under whatever criteria are used to evaluate it. It is important to the economic future of our towns and our state. That is why I am aggressively pursuing the funding necessary to make it happen,” Representative Hamzy said.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Fournier collects signatures to win right to take on Larson
Press release from Green Party congressional hopeful Steve Fournier:
Volunteers collected over 3,000 signatures to make it all but certain that Green Party candidate Steve Fournier will be on the ballot in November for the First Congressional District seat now held by Democrat John Larson.
To get on the 2008 ballot in the First District (Greater Hartford, Bristol, Torrington and Winsted), a petitioning candidate needs verified signatures of 2,050 registered voters. Allowing for illegible entries, gaps in the voting lists, and other disqualifying conditions, Fournier seems to have more than enough signatures to satisfy legal requirements.
In the petitioning campaign, volunteers have been handing out an incendiary flyer in which Fournier accuses the two parties of being complicit in corruption. He promises to "bring down" the system and adds, "Your grandchildren will thank you." Volunteers report that the flyer convinced many skeptical voters to sign the petition.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Volunteers collected over 3,000 signatures to make it all but certain that Green Party candidate Steve Fournier will be on the ballot in November for the First Congressional District seat now held by Democrat John Larson.
To get on the 2008 ballot in the First District (Greater Hartford, Bristol, Torrington and Winsted), a petitioning candidate needs verified signatures of 2,050 registered voters. Allowing for illegible entries, gaps in the voting lists, and other disqualifying conditions, Fournier seems to have more than enough signatures to satisfy legal requirements.
In the petitioning campaign, volunteers have been handing out an incendiary flyer in which Fournier accuses the two parties of being complicit in corruption. He promises to "bring down" the system and adds, "Your grandchildren will thank you." Volunteers report that the flyer convinced many skeptical voters to sign the petition.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Fitzgerald vows to keep regular office hours
Press release from Republican state House candidate Jill Fitzgerald in the 77th District:
If elected as the 77th District’s new state representative, Republican candidate Jill Fitzgerald will hold monthly office hours in Bristol to give constituents whose job and family responsibilities make it difficult for them to travel to Hartford the opportunity to meet with her at a convenient location in the district.
“One of the reasons state Representative Ron Burns has been such an effective legislator is that he has never lost touch with the citizens of the 77th District,” Fitzgerald said. “By dedicating two hours on the third Saturday of each month to meet with citizens at the Giamatti Little League Center, Ron remains in close contact with the people he represents. In addition to being there in person to help constituents who are having problems that need to be resolved at the state level, conducting local office hours helps Ron stay on top of the issues that are most important to them.”
“If you choose me as your next state representative, I will do everything I can to make sure my votes and actions at the General Assembly accurately reflect your views and respond to the most critical needs of our district and our city. As your voice at the state legislature, holding regular monthly office hours is one of the best ways I can think of to learn what issues are most important to you and your family,” Fitzgerald said. “As a working parent, I understand that your family and job commitments could make it difficult for you to travel to Hartford to meet with me and for that reason, I will hold regular local office hours once a month in much the same way as Ron has done.”
“With gasoline prices still at more than $4.00 per gallon, most middle class families are trying to limit their driving to trips that are absolutely necessary. Holding office hours in the district will mean you won’t have to travel to Hartford to meet with me – and it will help you conserve gasoline and save a few dollars as well,” Fitzgerald said.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
If elected as the 77th District’s new state representative, Republican candidate Jill Fitzgerald will hold monthly office hours in Bristol to give constituents whose job and family responsibilities make it difficult for them to travel to Hartford the opportunity to meet with her at a convenient location in the district.
“One of the reasons state Representative Ron Burns has been such an effective legislator is that he has never lost touch with the citizens of the 77th District,” Fitzgerald said. “By dedicating two hours on the third Saturday of each month to meet with citizens at the Giamatti Little League Center, Ron remains in close contact with the people he represents. In addition to being there in person to help constituents who are having problems that need to be resolved at the state level, conducting local office hours helps Ron stay on top of the issues that are most important to them.”
“If you choose me as your next state representative, I will do everything I can to make sure my votes and actions at the General Assembly accurately reflect your views and respond to the most critical needs of our district and our city. As your voice at the state legislature, holding regular monthly office hours is one of the best ways I can think of to learn what issues are most important to you and your family,” Fitzgerald said. “As a working parent, I understand that your family and job commitments could make it difficult for you to travel to Hartford to meet with me and for that reason, I will hold regular local office hours once a month in much the same way as Ron has done.”
“With gasoline prices still at more than $4.00 per gallon, most middle class families are trying to limit their driving to trips that are absolutely necessary. Holding office hours in the district will mean you won’t have to travel to Hartford to meet with me – and it will help you conserve gasoline and save a few dollars as well,” Fitzgerald said.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
August 1, 2008
Officials eyeing $12 million project at City Yard
The city is eyeing a $12 million overhaul of the City Yard to improve efficiency and protect municipal vehicles and equipment better.
As part of the project, officials are also exploring the possibility of consolidating all of the vehicle maintenance for every municipal department and the school system at the revamped facility.
Mayor Art Ward said it “would be foolish” to spend millions to update the aging public works yard without incorporating the parks, schools, police, fire and other departments under the same roof.
Public Works Director Walter Veselka said he has long “been a proponent of consolidating that maintenance function” in a single location.
A consultant has developed four options for reconfiguring the City Yard, which he said is currently laid out inefficiently and relies on a main building that is “quite dilapidated.”
A proposed master plan would move the fueling station, add more maintenance bays, add offices and storage areas and include more places for vehicles to park under cover to lengthen their lifespan, said Tom Arcari, a principal in the Farmington-based Quisenberry Arcari Associates.
The option pushed by Arcari would include a new entrance, a new employee parking lot on the north side of Vincent P. Kelly Road, more administrative space and a host of improvements to the storage and maintenance functions that are the heart of the operation.
“We’re trying to create a new image for the facility,” he said.
Arcari said the city doesn’t have to do the whole project at once. It can be divided into phases so that taxpayers don’t have to fork over the entire amount in one year.
Pulling all of the city’s maintenance on vehicles into one place would obviously require more space, officials said.
“Now is the time” to make that decision, said George Wallace, the assistant public works director.
The Public Works Board recently unanimously called for the consultant to move forward on the assumption that other departments will also be using the revamped yard.
If that happens, the most visible change for residents might be the closure of the Park Department’s small garage at Rockwell Park, which could be razed, officials said.
One key element in the redesign so far is the creation of a new fueling station on the west end of the yard, where vehicles could easily pull and refill at a lighted station with video cameras recording exactly who’s using it, officials said.
Arcari, who helped redesign New Britain’s yard, said the existing fuel depot “is in a horrible location” and needs to be moved to improve efficiency.
Besides, he said, the underground tanks it uses are slated for replacement in seven years anyway.
Moving the fuel station would make drive-through bays possible for a far more modern maintenance system, he said.
An overhaul of the salt storage shed is also needed, Arcari said.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
As part of the project, officials are also exploring the possibility of consolidating all of the vehicle maintenance for every municipal department and the school system at the revamped facility.
Mayor Art Ward said it “would be foolish” to spend millions to update the aging public works yard without incorporating the parks, schools, police, fire and other departments under the same roof.
Public Works Director Walter Veselka said he has long “been a proponent of consolidating that maintenance function” in a single location.
A consultant has developed four options for reconfiguring the City Yard, which he said is currently laid out inefficiently and relies on a main building that is “quite dilapidated.”
A proposed master plan would move the fueling station, add more maintenance bays, add offices and storage areas and include more places for vehicles to park under cover to lengthen their lifespan, said Tom Arcari, a principal in the Farmington-based Quisenberry Arcari Associates.
The option pushed by Arcari would include a new entrance, a new employee parking lot on the north side of Vincent P. Kelly Road, more administrative space and a host of improvements to the storage and maintenance functions that are the heart of the operation.
“We’re trying to create a new image for the facility,” he said.
Arcari said the city doesn’t have to do the whole project at once. It can be divided into phases so that taxpayers don’t have to fork over the entire amount in one year.
Pulling all of the city’s maintenance on vehicles into one place would obviously require more space, officials said.
“Now is the time” to make that decision, said George Wallace, the assistant public works director.
The Public Works Board recently unanimously called for the consultant to move forward on the assumption that other departments will also be using the revamped yard.
If that happens, the most visible change for residents might be the closure of the Park Department’s small garage at Rockwell Park, which could be razed, officials said.
One key element in the redesign so far is the creation of a new fueling station on the west end of the yard, where vehicles could easily pull and refill at a lighted station with video cameras recording exactly who’s using it, officials said.
Arcari, who helped redesign New Britain’s yard, said the existing fuel depot “is in a horrible location” and needs to be moved to improve efficiency.
Besides, he said, the underground tanks it uses are slated for replacement in seven years anyway.
Moving the fuel station would make drive-through bays possible for a far more modern maintenance system, he said.
An overhaul of the salt storage shed is also needed, Arcari said.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
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