Willington Issues

Letter from Linda Yau

2007-11-03T20:55:00.000-04:00

Linda asked that I publish this letter as the newspapers thought it was too long. Thank you Linda.

To the Editor:
When Town Politics Gets Ugly by Linda Yau
I have lived in Willington for the last sixteen years. And up until the last four years, I was as guilty as anyone else in town. It's easy to get caught up in our fair town's bucolic surroundings. Wonderful people. Great schools. Low taxes. And what used to be responsible town government. It was all too easy to sit, feet up in your back yard, and ignore what was going on around you.

"Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo." - H. G. Wells (1866-1946)

But, just prior to Willington's 2003 municipal elections, I began to be repeatedly bombarded by some familiar faces in town spouting all kinds of venom about our then First Selectman, John Patton. The information was a little sketchy, in my opinion, having more to do with his wife, Diane Becker, than John's work in Willington. I heard a lot about "the Beckers own this, and the Beckers own that" and "just because they have money doesn't mean they get to run the town..." Everyone was so sure that the Patton/Becker team was behind some evil conspiracy to hog land and power in a town of 6,000 people. It all sounded to me like the upcoming election was personal. On the other hand, I saw a lot of heads nodding to this rhetoric, although I had not a clue that things were really about to change. The whisper campaign had begun. There was no stopping it now.

"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

Things did change. The upcoming elections saw John Patton and Jack Lewis give up their Town seats to Michael Eldredge and John Blessington. The town government had officially changed hands. Had people actually believed what they were hearing out on the streets? What did the townspeople think was wrong with John and Jack, if anything? Change for the sake of change.

"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." - Galileo Galilei

During the next two years, some big projects begun by the A Sentinel Party were finally coming to fruition, albeit, under the Eldredge watch. The Town library was being built and the plans were put into motion for the construction of Senior housing, after being fought over and for, for literally decades.

"There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life." - Frank Zappa

OK, fast forward two years to the 2005 elections. Someone in the Eldredge brain trust had come up with the idea of effectively eliminating the A Sentinel Party from ever being a "threat" to them or their politics again. In 2003, they had done an experiment where the Republicans were cross-endorsed for the Board of Selectmen and the Democrats were cross-endorsed for Region 19. It worked so well then that they did almost the whole slate in 2005. If you're not familiar with the concept of cross-endorsement, this means that each candidate would receive a vote each as a Republican and as a Democrat. This would make it virtually impossible for anyone, Sentinel or otherwise, to get enough votes to defeat any cross-endorsed candidate. You do the math. Cross-endorsement, by the way, is perfectly legal, but it does allow the unscrupulous to manipulate the voting system.

Manipulation of our voting system was not the original reason behind the concept of cross-endorsement. The intention was that it was a way to keep good government in place, as a kind of reward system. Because of collusion and misuse of this process, 41 states have since outlawed its practice.

"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action." - Auric Goldfinger, in "Goldfinger" by Ian L. Fleming (1908-1964)

As so we come to the 2007 elections, and it should not come as a shock to anyone that the people of Willington, those of us paying attention, that is,have had enough of the manipulation of the Republicans and Democrats in this town and that we realize that it's time to take action. Thus, Dave Charette,candidate for First Selectman, John Patton and Robert Lisiewski have filed suit in Federal Court to take down the practice of cross-endorsement in Willington.

"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." - Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

Of course, you don't file suit in Federal Court naming all cross-endorsed candidates, our Town Clerk, the Registrar of Voters, and Secretary of State Susan Bysewicz, without drawing a little fire. For Dave Charette, it has meant the sacrifice of some long-held relationships. He is, literally, suing his neighbor. Those being sued have also passionately screamed at him in public for his actions. Personally, I do not encourage litigation unless it is absolutely warranted, but this is one of those cases.

"People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid." - Soren Aabye Kierkegaard (1813-1855)

Interestingly enough, the same people that cried "it's not fair!" in 2003 are still crying that now, this time complaining about the lawsuit. But what's fair? Is it fair to undermine the voting process of an entire town for the benefit of a few? And who exactly made the decision to go along with this scam? The fact is, every cross-endorsed candidate on Willington's ballot this year, each, at some point, made a conscious decision to blindly follow an ill-conceived, ill-informed lead. Although I will say that I understand there are some candidates who have valiantly refused not to be cross-endorsed, as a matter of principle. As it should be.

"The difference between 'involvement' and 'commitment' is like an eggs-and-ham breakfast: the chicken was 'involved' - the pig was 'committed'." - unknown

The townspeople of Willington now have an opportunity, as candidates and as voting citizens to do the right thing. This is an opportunity for cross-endorsed candidates to step-up and think for themselves, putting the needs of the Town first. This, after all, is the essence of public service. As voting citizens, the rest of us also have an obligation to our town to think for ourselves, no matter who our friends are. We are, after all,OBLIGED, not "privileged" to vote. It is our civic duty, and one we should take seriously for our own benefit and that of our children and their future.

"Always do right- this will gratify some and astonish the rest." - Mark Twain (1835-1910)

However stunned they were to be sued in Federal court, the cross-endorsed Republican and Democratic candidates in Willington still have an opportunity to extricate themselves from this situation. There is still a way out. They could have changed their candidate status to one party line only, thus eliminating themselves from the suit, as promised by John Patton, quoted in his August 30 press release. I'm hoping these candidates will come to recognize the true meaning of public service and decide to do the right thing not only for themselves, but for the voters of Willington as well.

Nobody ever said public service was easy.

Editors Note: The request for a premiminary injunction to the combined Republican/Democrat slate mentioned by Linda was denied at the at the trial court and appellate court.

Response to Letter to the Editor

2007-10-28T18:20:00.001-04:00

As I promised, here is a point by point response to Ms. Semprebon's letter in the Courant and the Chronicle. Laurie Mazich Semprebon Willington Semprebon is a candidate for the board of education and chairman of the Willington Board of Education and a member of the Willington Democratic Town Committee.

"I would like to respond to some of the press that John Patton and the A Sentinel Party have been getting of late leading up to the November election in Willington, particularly over the water project for Hall Memorial School, their missing selectman signs and Patton’s lawsuit over cross-endorsement of candidates by the Democratic and Republican town committees. Patton complains that no one is listening to him about the alternative of a second well instead of bringing public water to Hall Memorial School. I am a member of the water committee and do not recall John Patton even once approaching the water committee directly about his concerns."

When was I supposed to attend a water committee meeting? One had not been scheduled for months. Even the members don't know when they are. Their agendas are given to the Town Clerk but sporadically posted on the website. At a Selectmen’s meeting scheduled to discuss the water main project with the Chairman of project in attendance, the Engineer went through the work to be done and the cost estimate and then indicated the cost of the water main project construction was going to be around three hundred thousand dollars. At that time, I asked the Chairman (Mark Palmer) to look into the possibility of drilling a well as an alternative to this project. The well would have been drilled to establish yield and water quality of the well. School property is over the same underground aquifer that feeds the water main. I was told by the First Selectman and the Chairman that it could be done and that was the end of that. They got out of that meeting and nothing more was done.

"Where was Patton when the water committee considered all the options, including a second well, about two years ago? The committee (and the first selectman) have answered his concerns about the second well option many times: 1) the water system in the school is archaic and held together by the constant monitoring and repairing by the school system’s head maintenance person; 2) testing of the water has to take place constantly and at great expense; 3) the water contains high levels of minerals and often looks brown (although potable, students do not want to drink it); 4) the school system would have to put in, not one, but two wells to meet the state requirements for well placement and water availability (and still have the above issues); 5) the state consent order (with a deadline of Dec. 31) requires public water be brought into the school; and 6) Patton did not even attend the recent town meeting (Oct. 3) where more than 60 townspeople attended and voted unanimously to approve the additional funding of the water project, with none dissenting nor anyone abstaining."

Contrary to Ms. Semprebon’s assertion, an engineering report done three years ago by Lenard Engineering indicated that installing a new well and water system was quite feasible and was estimated to cost around $210,000 which included replacement of the “archaic” system. The $210,000 was eligible for an approximate 70% cost sharing by the State leaving the Town share to be around $65,000. We already have one well on-site (which is where we get water from today) and we would have to drill another one. The existing well would have to be throttled back to produce a yield of less than 10 gallons per minute – not a big deal. The new well was the preferred method until a new cost came in for the water main extension bringing the cost of the project to $300,000 of which the Town was eligible for a $300,000 STEAP grant. Given my experience with the First Selectman, I should have been a little more jaded and asked what came first – the amount of the grant available or the cost estimate. As far as the Town meeting, Semprebon mistakes voting to approve the funding, which I indicated when I voted to call the Town meeting, to approval of the management of the project.

I will repeat what I had said often in public meetings. Given the information we had at the time when we voted to install the water main, it was the right decision. We now have better information, should you not reevaluate your decision at that time to see if it makes sense? You may come to the same conclusion but you owe it to the Townspeople to reevaluate decisions made when the assumptions change significantly. If we had evaluated the option of drilling the well, we could have found out that it was feasible, not feasible, costly, or that the water main still provides the best investment. We will never know now because you and your cohorts did not have the intellectual curiosity to find out.

"Patton also complains about the project not being estimated very accurately — does anyone want to remind him of who was first selectman when the senior housing project was started and went into huge overruns (the water system was estimated at $250,000 and cost over $800,000 — this for under 100 people, while the Hall School water serves more than 350 staff and students) — Patton himself?"

I did not realize that Semprebon’s memory is that poor. The project went into huge overruns when Eldredge was First Selectman and for many of the same reasons we see today in the water main extension. He does no planning, no parallel investigation of alternatives to solve a problem and does not follow through and creates an impossibly short schedule to complete a project when finally forced to do something. The Senior Housing water system is an interesting example. I will quote from an entry I made into the Willington issues blog in January 2006:

“The town agreed to construct a water system to help with Phase II and III of this project. After the HUD 202 contract was awarded in November 2004, an aggressive schedule was developed for construction of the water system. That was the last anyone saw of the schedule. After emergency Board of Finance meetings in January of 2005 to call a town meeting for funds to develop the necessary wells, contract award and drilling did not begin until 5 months later. During the last year, multiple and vocal requests for schedules, finances and project
meetings were denied. We were assured by the First Selectman that everything was okay. In summer of 2005, a meeting was finally called to discuss the status of the projects. It was there that multiple questions were raised about time lines, responsibilities and funding. In January of 2006, after threats of refusing to apply for grants, the First Selectman called another meeting to discuss the project status. It was at this meeting that the Selectmen and the project engineers first saw that there was no measurable progress by the Town since the summer and the project deadline was February 1, 2007. At the point we are at, it
will take us fourteen months to complete the project - if everything goes right. We will also need to identify and commit anywhere from $300,00 to $600,000 in additional town funding between now and March 31, 2006. Despite the continued assurances of the First Selectman, this project and the $4 million dollar funding are in jeopardy.”

Back in January 2006, Jack Lewis and I were ridiculed and publicly denounced by Sembrebon’s cohort, Palmer, and others for “blocking” the Senior Housing. After seeing the problems, we took the project out of the First Selectman’s hands and we formed a Senior Housing Project committee to ensure that Town commitments were actually completed whatever the cost. The water system project came in over budget and despite the housing schedule slipping by six months we received our approval to operate the water system only one week before opening of the Senior Housing Apartments. If Jack and I did not force the issue then, we would not be opening today. Due to the short timeline, we were unable to respond using any sort of alternative construction method to reduce costs and have any sort of confidence that we could finish the project. The project cost was raised significantly because we forced the contractor to perform the construction during the winter and gave him a short time frame to completion. Despite the schedule, we made time to change the project guidelines and rebid the construction project when our first request for proposals received only two bids and they were about $100,000 higher than the ultimate bid selected.

We did have more time to deal with the other Town commitments such as a drainage area and the septic system where they were dealt with in a professional, competent manner and came in well below budget. You would think that Jack and I would be thanked for standing our ground when we knew it was the right thing to do but I am not going to hold my breath.

"It’s also interesting that Patton created such effective news coverage of a few missing selectmen signs for the upcoming election. Since both Democratic and Republican signs have also gone missing, why are the A Sentinel Party signs of more importance and getting more coverage?"

I think part of the reason is that we actually make the signs ourselves and in this particular case, they were a little different than usual. We don’t call up the sign shop and send a check and wait for the signs to arrive. We have volunteers spend their time making them. The vinyl Daves were a significant time investment (my wife and I spent a Saturday and Sunday pasting him together) and they were also different and fun. The other difference is that over the years, we have been the victim of substantial thefts or vandalism of signs while the Democrat and Republican signs usually fall apart in the weather and blow away.

"I’m sure part of the reason Patton is getting more coverage is that Patton is a politician who knows that he can get publicity by calling up the newspapers with controversial issues; the rest of us are regular townspeople busy serving on the boards to which we have been elected, working cooperatively with all other boards and committee members (regardless of political affiliation) to get projects completed and the work of those committees and boards done, defending ourselves against trivial lawsuits, and not creating controversy where none exists."

I am sorry that newspaper coverage upsets some people. I also did not realize that I am an irregular townsperson. The newspaper reporters normally call me because a.) I will answer my phone or call them back; b.) I am typically well informed on the issues and if I am not I will tell them so; c.) I respect them for the job they do and part of that is they have deadlines to meet; and d.) I am usually able to speak in complete sentences.

I always believed that newspapers help inform the public of what happens in Town government for good and bad. One of the bigger complaints I hear is the lack of news coverage in Town. It was one of the reasons I worked to create the Town website so people could be aware of what is happening. Many people do read the minutes. I look nostalgically upon the days when we had assigned reporters from the Chronicle, Courant and the Tolland County Times.

I have been the recipient of one her “cooperative” letters and Hugo Chavez would be so proud. I would also be happy to put my record of past and present community service up against Ms. Semprebon anytime.

"Don’t forget that Patton (along with his protégé Dave Charette) sued 11 members of both major town parties, the parties themselves, our town clerk, the secretary of state, and the head of the state Elections Commission over actions by those persons that are legal in the state of Connecticut, namely cross-endorsement of candidates in the upcoming election. The very volunteers who are willing to serve their town with countless hours of unpaid work are having to defend themselves in court because they are being supported by another political party in the upcoming election and Patton doesn’t like it."

The Democrats and Republican leadership are working together to eliminate the only people who provide a choice to the voters of Willington. They do not wish to do this through an active campaign of informing voters of their platform and vision of the future and asking for their vote but through their ability to exploit a loophole meant as a reward that is used sparingly. If they succeed in eliminating the Sentinel Party (which Republican Chairman John Blessington calls “the greater evil”) there will be no reason to hold an election in Willington. The elected officials will be hand picked by the major party leadership and the voters be damned - there will be “cooperation”

"Patton does not appear to appreciate cooperation and effective functioning of the boards in Willington — just read the minutes from many selectmen meetings to see his lack of cooperation and lack of interest in what’s best for the town. The board of selectmen is the only board in town controlled by the A Sentinel Party and the only board that is dysfunctional."

I like cooperation; it is silent acquiescence to incompetence that I dislike. I also do not mind disagreement on issues. I am happy to argue points of view and then wait for a vote. As far as the Board of Selectmen being dysfunctional, I am not sure what the Board has failed to accomplish. When it gets to the point of making a decision on an issue, Jacka and I will force a vote. If I assume that Semprebon is correct, then maybe the reason is that they do not give us the same courtesy of cooperation as we give them.

Please read the minutes of the Board of Selectmen. You will then realize how often the Selectmen have to bring up the same issue to get the First Selectman to do his job. You will see how often I have warned him of issues that he ignores. Just last September, we had a meeting where I informed Eldredge and Palmer that the water main extension project would fall under the prevailing wage statutes. I was told that it was not true and that I was “simplistic” for thinking that. I also told them that they would have to revise their cost estimate because it did not assume prevailing wage rates. You will then see at the next meeting that of course it was a prevailing wage job but that the cost estimate was still valid. Well, you know the rest of the story (another town meeting on October 30th). In 2006, you can read about how the First Selectman didn’t ask for more money for public works (even though he said he would two months earlier) so we didn’t have money to meet payroll until an emergency meeting of the Board of Finance was called. Even worse, he didn’t realize we were out of money and he didn’t consider it a big deal.

"Patton, are you really interested in what’s best for Willington, or are you more concerned about what you want and what’s best for you and the major A Sentinel Party contributors? The public is getting plenty of onesided information that you disseminate — either through publicity stunts like the “missing Daves,” creating controversy where none exists (the water project), or by calling the papers."

The question sounds almost sinister. She asks about the “major A Sentinel Party contributors” like there is some big money trails to be discovered if people would just look little farther. If anyone is interested, the records are on file at the Town Clerk’s office. She would be happy to show them to you. I can’t help it if the major parties or their elected officials can not explain their positions on issues. I am not sure why I should apologize for trying to inform voters. The bottom line is that the Semprebons of the world will find out that neither I nor other Sentinel Party members caused their deficiencies. Having to defend your ideas when you are in a position of authority is part of the democratic process. I know, I have had to do it for years, which is why we now have Senior Housing, a new Library, Recreation Fields, an award winning financial office, reserve money, a working Capital Plan and money to work on some of these road issues. Yea, I think I'm interested in what’s best for Willington. I don't just say it, I have results to show for it.

Copy of Ballot

2007-10-26T09:50:00.000-04:00

Here is a copy of the ballot.

New Voting Machines

2007-10-22T21:27:00.000-04:00

I am sure that you have already heard about the new voting machines. The Secretary of the State has produced a video explaining how the system works. It can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVRvR-kWxiI . The video incorrectly states that the ballot is one-sided. Willington's ballot uses both sides so don't forget to flip the ballot to vote for all of the offices.

Cross Endorsement versus Lawsuit

2007-09-05T21:07:00.001-04:00

As you may or may not have heard, the Democrat and Republican parties cross-endorsed 12 of their candidates for the upcoming election. No big deal you say. Take a look at the election results over the last two elections. (http://www.asentinelparty.com/toppage1.htm ) Do you find it interesting that the cross-endorsed candidate had their name on the ballot twice and they were able to total their votes on both lines and win the election. Does this seem like a fair election in any sense of the word. It is an effective ploy that the two parties have grown used to in their effort to guarantee their election and to force out the local political party called the A Sentinel Party.

It is also an effective way to destroy any sense of choice in an election. The elected officials will not need to "fear" the voter because the voter will be powerless. It is a good thing that every two years, elected officials need to sit back and reflect on what they have or have not accomplished. A competitive election also forces officials to address what they believe the issues are in the future that will need to be addressed. When asked about the reason for cross-endorsements, the democrat and republican leadership exclaim "we can't find enough people to run". I am confused how putting the same name on two lines gives you more people. If the object was to find people to run, wouldn't it be better that three groups of active citizens were looking to find people to help in the running of the town than just one? As it is, the three parties were able to find 30 people. The A Sentinel Party is running 8 good people with 5 of them being new to elected office. Some of them are facing democrat/republican cross-endorsement and face a virtually impossible task of winning. To their credit, they are putting their name in the ring anyway.

All of this brings me to the point of this posting. Robert Lisiewski, David Charette and I felt that the sanctity of a fair and open election was being abused and destroyed by the wholesale cross-endorsement of the other two major parties. The parties leadership are helping to choose each other's candidates in order to secure elections for their chosen few. To the credit of some candidates, they refused to be a part of the cross-endorsement and chose to run on one line. Bob, Dave and I faced a choice on whether to continue on and go along in this charade of an election or take a stand. We have constantly asked for only one thing - each candidate should run on only one line. This way the voters decide who gets elected in a fair way. Apparently this was too much to ask.

We hired an attorney and filed a lawsuit in Federal Court due to the ongoing collusion and conspiracy between the leadership of the parties in the election process. The complaint is relatively simple and stills asks that the candidates run on one line. This process guarantees no one an election but it does guarantee that the voters will have a fair election.

Senior Housing Projects

2006-01-22T17:09:00.000-05:00

There has been a lot of information recently about the Senior Housing Project and I thought I would try to highlight some salient points. Four years ago, the project was divided into three phases to accomplish the construction of Senior Housing.

Phase I: The first phase was the construction of the Senior center because it was best solution to bring the infrastructure needed to the proposed housing area and improve chances of a HUD grant. The town received over $1,000,000 in grant funding for the senior center and it was built in 2003 - 2004.

Phase II: The second phase was the contruction of the senior housing apartments. In 2004, the ACCESS Agency of Willimantic (at the time, I was Chairman of the Board)applied for and received a HUD 202 grant for 4.6 million dollars of which apporximately $4 million was for construction. The Access agancy formed a development corporation called Access Senior Housing of Willington (ASHOW) to oversee the construction and management of the apartments. Ground breaking for this is expected it May 2006.

Phase III: This phase was for the development of six 4-unit cottages for moderate and above income limit. The Willington Housing Authority is currently working on this with no time table at this time.

Town Commitments: The town agreed to construct a water system to help with Phase II and III of this project. After the HUD 202 contract was awarded in November 2004, an aggresive schedule was developed for construction of the water system. That was the last anyone saw of the schedule. After emergency Board of Finance meetings in January of 2005 to call a town meeting for funds to develop the necessary wells, contract award and drilling did not begin until 5 months later. During the last year, multiple and vocal requests for schedules, finances and project meetings were denied. We were assured by the First Selectman that everything was okay. In summer of 2005, a meeting was finally called to discuss the status of the projects. It was there that multiple questions were raised about time lines, responsibilites and funding. In January of 2006, after threats of refusing to apply for grants, the First Selectman called another meeting to discuss the project status. It was at this meeting that the Selectmen and the project engineers first saw that there was no measureable progress by the Town since the summer and the project deadline was Febraury 1, 2007. At the point we are at, it will take us fourteen months to complete the project - if everything goes right. We will also need to identify and commit anywhere from $300,00 to $600,000 in additional town funding between now and March 31, 2006. Despite the continued assurances of the First Selectman, this project and the $4 million dollar funding are in jeopardy. We may be able to pull this off but it will take skilled project management to do it. That is where we are today.

Willington Election 2005

2005-11-09T20:39:00.000-05:00

This years election is over except for the shouting.  The First Selectman retained his seat and Jack Lewis and I round out the Board of Selectmen.  The cross-endorsement seemed to do the trick with all of the cross-endorsed (Republican/Democrat) candidates victorious and the few Republican/Democrat candidates left on their own being defeated by the Sentinel candidates.  The part more difficult than campaigning has begun and that is tending to the affairs of the Town.  I look forward to the challenges ahead and hope that our elected officials work together to deal with them.  A meeting of the Boards is in order in the near future to discuss what issues we have in common and also to discuss how we all can help implement the final recommendations of the Plan of Conservation and Development.  The recommendations will require a tremendous amount of effort so we can implement the vision of the Townspeople as set forth in that document.

Thank you to all of you who participated in the election.  The election results can be seen at this link - 2005 Election Results

Board of Education asks for better communication

2005-10-29T20:51:00.000-04:00

In an October 11th, 2005 letter to the Board of Selectmen, the Board of Education Chair Shannon Bourbeau inquired about creating a town committee comprised of representatives of the Boards of Selectmen, Finance and Education. The Board felt such a committe is pertinent because it would help facilitate communications between the members and to better serve the Town. I am pleasantly surprised by the letter but I don't know what the reception will be at the Board of Selectmen because we discussed this same issue about a year ago and the motion was talked down at a meeting. This is an excerpt from the August 16th, 2004 Selectmen's minutes.

"RE-ESTABLISHING CONSOLIDATION COMMITTEE
Selectman Patton commented that this can be a tool for the Town to have the Board of Finance, the Board of Education and the Board of Selectmen, along with staff, meet periodically to discuss different issues and problems. We can all offer solutions and ideas in terms of good relations, not us vs. them. We have different budgets but the money comes out of the same pocket. It worked well when we consolidated finances and went on to technology issues. It is a good planning tool. It is an avenue for all factions of the Town to talk, discuss problems, look at today and the future. Selectman Blessington asked what decision making power does it have? If you create a commission that does not have authority, people from the Board of Finance, Board of Education,Board of Selectmen and staff, they have to go back to their Board. It seems like creating a commission without real power is just for show.
Selectman Patton commented that if you have a formal committee it gives people an agenda, you can’t speak for a board as a whole but we never got into a real problem. Talk is not such a bad thing, it is a good thing. These people could come up with some recommendations, everyone thinks their problems are the most important; we need to deal with things collectively. We need to think and plan which way to go. First Selectman Eldredge commented that he understands his points but has a hard time supporting that idea. We can work back and forth; we solve problems by being asked. This is just another bureaucracy; he doesn’t feel like it is a plus. Selectman Patton asked what does it hurt? Many times when someone asks for help it is too late. First Selectman Eldredge commented that he agrees there needs to be interaction but in retrospect when he was a Board of Education member and financial consolidation took place, he felt that he lost the ability to act upon each financial detail. Selectman Blessington commented that we are creating bureaucracy that I do not see will really accomplish anything that can’t be accomplished at meetings; maybe we should have a meeting of the 3 organizations to see how they feel. They must have decision-making powers or it is not worth doing. Selectman Patton asked how do you think things get done? You have to look 10 years out; we should get together to plan things. First Selectman Eldredge commented that he
does not feel comfortable re-establishing this. Selectman Blessington commented me either.
SELECTMAN PATTON MOVED THAT WE APPROACH THE BOARD OF
EDUCATION AND THE BOARD OF FINANCE AND STAFF TO FORM A CONSOLIDATION COMMITTEE.There was no seconded. Motion fails."

Any thoughts on the Board of Education's request?

Town Finances

2005-10-19T21:09:00.000-04:00

There were a couple of requests to discuss Town finances. One specific request was "How about taking on a 'rural legend' such as:-The town's 'rainy day' fund has been washing away over the past 2 years. True or False?" Good question. There were also questions about the long-term finances of the Town. I don't have the answers tonight but I will gather up the information and try to shed some light on the subject as best as possible. In the meantime, feel free to share any information you might have.

Willington Emergency Services

2005-10-19T20:59:00.000-04:00

There seems to be some interest in the Emergency Services in Town. One anonymous blogger wrote "I would be interested in knowing opinions regarding Emergency Services in our town. Why the need for two Fire Deparmtents, one department paid, the other not etc..It seems to me that one unit would provide a better service, better budgeting etc. It is very rare to have two seperate departments in a town of 6,000." Any opinions out there.

Willington Flooding

2005-10-19T20:43:00.000-04:00

Sorry, I have not added to the blog recently but I have been making up for a couple of lost workdays due to last weekend's flooding. Willington, along with the rest of the region, probably experienced a 25 year flood. It damaged many roads on the north end of Town especially Turnpike Road and Turnpike Road Extension, Potter School Road, Mihaliak Road Extension, Liska Road, Michalec Road and Lustig Road. The Public Works Department responded late Friday night and the full extent of the problems became evident by early Saturday morning. Roaring Brook, the Fenton River and the Willimantic River all overflowed their banks. The Willimantic River caused the most problems to our residents by flooding three homes on Route 74 and doing extensive damage to the homes and vehicles. Many thanks should go out to the three members of the road crew who worked all weekend, the responding members of the Fire Departments for helping to evacuate people and pumping out basements and to Knight Construction and Hipsky Construction for responding to the call for help.

Viewer Posts

2005-10-14T19:13:00.000-04:00

If you would like to see an issue on this blog site that I haven't covered, please send me an email at johnwpatton@msn.com or post a comment on this issue and I will try to accomodate you as best as I am able. Thank you all for using this blog.

Stop Signs on Cisar Road

2005-10-11T23:42:00.000-04:00

The Board of Selectmen voted to install stop signs on Cisar Road at the driveway of Wood Haven Apartments. Here is an excerpt from the Board of Selectmen meeting minutes from October 3rd.

Selectman Patton brought up the Stop signs for Cisar Road and asked First Selectman Eldredge if he talked to the Dept. of Transportation? First Selectman Eldredge commented no but he thinks this is worth trying, it is not the greatest thing but the State Police support it. We recognize it is a bad road and would like to try to do something. Selectman Patton commented that the Town Engineer was involved before with Town roads. This is a private drive. I think we should re-visit speed bumps. First Selectman Eldredge commented that he would like to try something to see if it will help. Lynn commented we are getting a lot of calls on speeding. Selectman Patton commented stop signs are not the way to go. Selectman Blessington commented that it is not the best solution. Selectman Patton commented that stop signs are for intersections to prevent accidents. If you want to slow people down you can narrow the road, you could put speed bumps on it but putting a stop sign does nothing for the underlining problem, which is inconsiderate drivers. Putting a stop sign there is going to waste gas and inconvince the people who live there hearing the cars starting and stopping. Lynn commented that the DOT said stop signs are not to be used for speed control. First Selectman Eldredge commented that he talked to the State Police and they think it is worth a try, it is not the best solution but I want to try something. Selectman Patton commented that he would like to see a recommendation from the Town Engineer that this is a good idea. First Selectman Eldredge commented that I recognize what you are saying but I still would like to do something.

What are your thoughts on whether we should be installing stop signs at that location?

Center School Name Change

2005-10-11T23:20:00.000-04:00

A Town resident has submitted a proposal to change the name of Center School in Willington to the Jared Sparks School. Jared Sparks (1789-1866) was an early Willington resident who grew up to be President of Harvard College and a noted historian of the American Revolution. The Board of Education is currently looking for input on this proposal. Your thoughts?

What does cross-endorsement mean.

2005-10-06T16:04:00.000-04:00

This year's local election features the Republican and Democratic leadership colluding to endorse the same person for an elected position. What is the benefit of cross-endorsement? In Connecticut, when a person appears on more than one party line, the votes are added together to achieve a total. Most often, a minor party will cross-endorse a candidate on a Democrat or Republican line to give that candidate an advantage and put them over the top and hopefully will give the minor party some leverage with their issues. The Working Families Party uses this tactic quite often.

It has never been used, until recently, by the two major parties to block the election of a minor party candidate. The first selectman's race in the last local election ended with Mike Eldredge receiving 601 votes as a Republican and 330 votes as a Democrat and John Patton receiving 762 votes as a Sentinel. Under the rules, Eldredge was declared the winner with 931 votes. The strategy seemed to work so well last election that this year the party leadership decided to cross-endorse sixteen candidates in order to wipe out the A Sentinel Party. In talking to some of the Democrat/Republican candidates, they do not realize that they are being used as pawns by their leadership to stifle political competition. However, if they desired, they could withdraw on their own from the party they are not affiliated with and run a fair election on one line.

I have often heard that the political leadership is doing this "for the good of the Town". Could somebody get past the euphamism and give me a specific reason this cross-endorsement is "good for the Town?"

Reprint of Willimantic Chronicle Community Voices

2005-09-28T19:15:00.000-04:00

The following is a "Community Voice" printed in the Chronicle on Tuesday, September 20th, 2005. The writer is a member of the Board of Education and a member of the Democratic Town Committee. Any thoughts about this voice?

Community Voices
Give Willington political parties a fair shake
By LAURIE MAZICH SEMPREBON

I am surprised at the Chronicle’s implied endorsement of the A Sentinel Party political party in Willington. I understand editorial endorsement of candidates or issues, but I thought that proper newspaper ethics demanded a neutral presentation of facts in articles on the front page and throughout a newspaper, other than in an editorial. Over the past couple of years, the Chronicle has had several articles heavily skewed in favor of the A Sentinel Party. You are not presenting accurate facts to the voters of Willington. As a resident who reads the minutes of many town commissions and boards, attends meetings, serves on a board in town and votes, I object to your pseudo- endorsement of the A Sentinel Party.
To be fair to the Chronicle , maybe you are getting phone calls or mail from A Sentinel Party members with information that you think is accurate and, because of time constraints or lack of reporters, you are not able to follow through as well as you should to present a balanced account of what is really going on.If that is the case, you are doing the readers a disservice to present only part of the facts.You are also contributing to the demise of our political system by presenting an unbalanced and unfair account of what is going on in the town of Willington. That makes me wonder how balanced the rest of your articles are, either on local events or nationally.Making an attempt to call one person and reporting in the article that he was “ not available for comment” and yet reporting quotations from several A Sentinel Party members ( or “ Primary Republicans” — the same thing) does not appear to be balanced reporting.
To give you just a few examples: 1) Terry Hoffman has been an invaluable, trusted servant of Willington and did not deserve John Patton’s implication that there was some kind of “backroom deal” to raise her salary. Terry has worked above and beyond her job description for years and is finally being placed at a more reasonable level, both in title and in monetary compensation; 2) If you read Bob Lisiewski’s letter to the editor accusing the Democrats of being “ the devil” and the cross- endorsing political parties of being “ the Taliban,” you might think twice about taking anything he says seriously ( it was amazing that he was able to insult almost everyone in town in a single letter).
3) Remember the big stink John Patton raised about First Selectman Michael Eldredge paying town employees overtime when they had taken sick or vacation time? It turned out that the same practice existed the entire time Patton was first selectman? These are just a few examples of how Patton’s A Sentinel Party has tried to create trouble for Eldredge and Willington when they could be spending more time and effort doing positive things for the town.I also wonder if you are reporting what you hear or read from the A Sentinel Party members because it sounds like a great story — the underdog being crushed by the bigger, stronger parties, so to speak. I think it would be a more interesting story to report the reasons behind the Democrats and Republicans cross- endorsing. I cannot imagine the crossendorsing happening on a national or even a state level, so I would think that you would be interested in what is really going on in Willington.
The Democrats and Republicans on the local level really are interested in doing what is best for the town of Willington; there is no ulterior motive for some sinister control of the town. I, myself, always vote for the candidates and not the parties ( including A Sentinel Party members) and the Democrats and Republicans put forth candidates that we felt would serve the town well.
Patton’s party had control for many years and townspeople got tired of one person trying to run everything from one position. And, although I do think that John did some good for the town when he was first selectman, I have lost a lot of respect for him in his relentless political trashing of the Republicans, especially Eldredge and Blessington. I do not agree with all of Mike’s and John’s views, but I try to listen to and respect all views. If Patton were really interested in doing the best for Willington, he would have spent more time over the past two years helping his fellow selectmen in working for the town of Willington and not creating controversy and getting in the way of every good thing that the other two selectmen have tried to do.In your future reporting of events in the town of Willington, try not to listen and report on only the A Sentinel Party side of an issue.

Semprebon is a member of the Willington Democratic Town Committee, a board of education member and a former conservation commission member.
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Town Business Manager

2005-09-19T08:51:00.000-04:00

At the end of their meeting on August 15th, the Board of Selectmen voted 2 -1 to create a position called "Business Manager" for the Town and Board of Education. This was done after the public had gone home because the Selectmen went into executive session (a non-public meeting to discuss certain privileged topics.) There was no job description or job requirements presented, no discussion with the Board of Education or Board of Finance, and the Accounting Supervisor was given an $8,000 raise and given that position. She has certainly gone beyond requirements of her position as Accounting Supervisor due to the fact that the First Selectman needed her to perform his duties since he admitted he did not understand municipal finance. Is the Town ready for a business manager or even a Town manager?

Willington Library

2005-09-18T21:33:00.000-04:00

Many people have asked about the new Willington Municipal Library. After 8 years of planning, a ground breaking was held to begin construction of the new Library. It is being constructed at the corner of Route 320 (Ruby Road) and Route 74 (Tolland Turnpike). The entrance will be on Ruby Road. The project is expected to take about a year and cost 3.5 million dollars for construction costs and soft costs.

River Road Recreation Complex

2005-09-18T21:32:00.000-04:00

This facility is located at the Intersection of Route 32 (River Road) and I-84. It is just North of the commuter parking lot. The facility will eventually contain a regulation football/soccer field, regulation little league baseball field, basketball and volleyball courts. A pavilion will also be built there. Little to no funding or other support has been given for the completion of the fields by the current administration. The Board of Finance did intercede last year and voted to allocate an additional $65,000 to finish the little league field. The vote to give a final approval for the money will be at a Town meeting sometime in late September/early October.

Willington Senior Housing

2005-09-18T21:31:00.000-04:00

The Access Agency of Willimantic applied for and received a grant to build an income-limited 32 unit Senior Housing apartment building on Old Farms Road in Willington. The facility is being designed currently and a ground breaking is expected late fall.