Monthly archives: June 2007

 

 

Steel to Steel

  • By: Cindy

I have received many calls and e-mails from people wondering about this sign issue on the telephone polls. There is a Section 22 in the state code of ordinances that prohibits the posting of signs on the telephone polls. The fine for violating this state ordinance is $50. I know many of you are angry that this practice of “posting” your lost animal, tag sale, stag party directions, etc., has for the most part come to an end.

In all honesty, blame the Town Government. That’s right–the Town Government and their self-appointed censorship policy. Everything was fine in Cheshire until last Monday when I received a phone call from an Officer F. from the police department: I am assuming it was Cheshire, although the Officer never said what department he was from. The Officer said as was stated in the last post by my supporters, that “someone” made a complaint that my husband was putting up a sign on a telephone poll. I am not saying the laws should not be obeyed they should be–but let’s face it–I have lived in this town for over 22 years and I have never seen a flak such as this. The REAL reason the Town Government is upset–is because of the content of the sign as my husband has stated time and time again. I bet my big fat lower extremity that if my husband was actually putting up a sign and it just said “Tag Sale” or “Lost Dog” or “Support the Lifestyle Center” no-one would have said anything.

I did go around this past Saturday up and down Rt. 10 with some people and take photos of signs on telephone polls. I also took a few photos of signs put into the ground. These signs are under the jurisdiction of Assistant Town Planner and Zoning Enforcement Officer Lisa Murphy who told my husband they are not allowed either. I tried to take the photos far enough away so as not to identify anyone because that is NOT my intent. I am not trying to get anyone in hot water. The point is that as long as the sign does not say “No Mall”or No Queen Street” it seems to be fine. I went back out on Sunday, and some of the signs were gone. It is too bad this has to happen to this community, but I know you can understand the feeling. How would any of you like it if you put up a sign and got told by the police it was illegal–and had it taken down but right next to the sign you were putting up was another sign that did not bother the “censors” in this town and that sign was allowed to stay up? I don’t believe any of you would be too happy!

The Town Government says all these postings on polls are illegal so the Undergroundtownhall hopes the town will equally enforce the rules. Don’t tell one party to take the signs down while others remain. I am talking about a certain set of signs about a lost animal which are all over town and I mean ALL OVER and are still up! and have been up for over six months! What about that Town Government!

And as far as the New Haven Register is concerned they to retract their libel article on my husband! When they contacted him he told the Register reporter that he made a statement one this website. They did not even bother to “quote” him. They just took the town dictators word for everything. Outrageous. But just maybe the Register will take another look at the issue. STEEL TO STEEL!!

 

Wildlife at the Interchange Zone

  • By: Cindy

I received an e-mail from Sigrun Gadwa neighbor and environmentalist who forwarded this survey on the Ten Mile River done by Tony Ianello.

I really hope that if this property is developed the wildlife there will not be forgotten. When I was a student at Kansas State University of Agriculture and Applied Science, their motto was and still is “Rule by Obeying Natures Laws.” That says it all. This is an extraordinary piece of property and if it is to be developed must be developed with nature in mind. My husband and I have always tried to do this with our properties here in Connecticut and in other states. We have tried to leave it as natural as possible, and not always to the liking of people living near us.

Tony Ianello, Field Investigations
1029 Moss Farms Road, Cheshire, CT 06040
Turtle Survey Ten Mile River/ I- 691 Cheshire

  • On Wednesday, May 30th, 2007, searched Ten Mile River corridor and river itself within property boundaries, north of I-691, in the northwestern quadrangle of the Cheshire Interchange Zone .
  • Weather: very warm; at 9:00 a.m. temperatures were already in the 70s. Winds were westerly and dew points very low, close to red flag warning conditions. There had been no significant rain for about 2 weeks. This was likely why box turtles were not seen, as they are dehydration sensitive. The habitat is otherwise good for them.
  • In the river, found snapping turtle; there were also minnow sized fish (dace or fry) and many Elliptio mussels. Mammal tracks were seen in wet sand: deer, raccoon, and otter. Belted kingfisher was seen, red shouldered hawk was heard.
  • Found 2 painted turtles, one in mucky vernal pool.
  • A wood turtle was found on a bank and displayed peculiar behavior; wood turtles generally dart into the water when disturbed, and swim very fast. This one stayed on the bank, which was very weed and vine snarled under a closed canopy, for several minutes while the three of us were no more than 12 feet away. A GPS of this position was taken.
  • On Thursday, May 31st, 2007, searched potential nesting habitat within property boundaries, saw no nesting during 8:30-10:30am search. We did however see another wood turtle basking on a leaned tree, which jumped quickly into the river.
  • Side note on nesting conditions during that week: late Thursday afternoon a brutal thunderstorm rolled through, soaking in a good half inch of rain. On Friday morning I got a call for a nesting turtle in the south part of town; I’m guessing Friday, June 1, 2007 was an important day for nesting based on weather and full moon. Full moon was Thursday night at 9:04 pm.

Recommendations:

  • Check site for evidence of nesting and predated nests in early June.
  • Conduct further searches during the fall season which is the best time to get good wood turtle counts. They congregate in October at hibernaculum sites and are easier to spot. Search for box turtles in early summer or early fall. They are best found up in the autumn olive areas mixed with the small meadows (instead of thick continuous autumn olive) right after a rain shower or the morning after a rain event.
  • Development design should leave buffers to the river of at least 300 feet to protect the high wildlife habitat function of the river corridor.
  • Maintain water quality through best possible storm water management system. system, also monitoring water quality quality regularly, especially after storms.
  • A fence can be used that will keep species from entering parking lot. Turtles are sometimes found under cars when parking lots are on turtle habitats.(This is the case at James’ Baird State Park in NY state where Blandings Turtles are found under cars in the parking lot. There is a sign for people to check under they’re cars.) I think a fence would do fine for that.

 

A Message to Cheshire Town Government

  • By: Cindy

This is a response to Michael Milone Town Manager regarding his comments in the New Haven Register from supporters of the Undergroundtownhall, including the Undergroundnation and the People for Justice.

Town Manager Michael Milone needs to apologize to Mr. Kleist and other people in this town who are trying to exercise the right to free speech in an intelligent manner. First of all, the signs that were put up, right or wrong, were not offensive. The signs do not say or never said “don’t build it” as the Town Government controlled Cheshire Herald cartoon illustrates in their distorted view of the news. Michael Milone tries to link Mr. Kleist as the person putting up the signs. We know that the police never saw Mr. Kleist putting up a sign. If you read older posts on the this website by Ms. Kleist, who speaks from her website and invites all comments as long as they are professional, in fact (she has run the W/S video and has been the only one to do so on a website), then the people will see who is distorting facts and who is not! The police called Ms. Kleist and never identified themselves as the Cheshire Police Department when they called. According to Ms. Kleist, they just asked if Mr. Kleist was available. When Ms. Kleist asked who was calling, the person on the other end of the line said “Officer —— we will leave the name blank because this person should not be involved he was just doing his job. They told Ms. Kleist, who is very upset and has asked us to write in her place today, that “someone” repeat “someone” made a complaint against Mr. Kleist for putting up a sign against the W/S Zone Change. No one knows to this day who this “someone” was. Michael Milone told the New Haven Register that Mr. Kleist was seen by the police putting up a sign. WRONG!! Then if that is the case, why didn’t the police approach and question? The real issue–the Town Government tries to use law enforcement to settle their personal scores against people they don’t like. They don’t encourage free speech. The Undergroundtownhall encourages ALL people to speak as long as it is professional. Any one can resort to imtimidation–it takes intelligence to sit down and think out what you want to say in a professional manner. As Ms. Kleist has always said and keeps saying and we support her–law enforcement is for ALL PEOPLE and should be enforced EQUALLY. Many of you are outraged over the special treatment being given Paris Hilton. This is exactly what Ms. Kleist means. She broke the law and she should be equally punished along with everyone else. If her last name was not Hilton, she would still be in jail! Now the people who run this town know the power of the Undergroundtownhall–the Undergroundnation and the People for Justice!! IN EFFECT!!

UNDERGROUNDTOWNHALL!! UNDERGROUNDTOWNHALL!! UNDERGROUNDTOWNHALL!!!

 

Community Bulletin Board

  • By: Cindy

I just went on my boy’s blog and read there was a meeting Tuesday night of the Ordinance Committee and the Personnel Committee. I went on the Cheshire Town Government website and did not see a notice posted. I also went to the Town Hall bulletin board and did not see a notice posted, but in all fairness, since I went today and the meeting was Tuesday night, it could have been taken down. I finally called the Town Clerks office and they verified the meeting was posted in their official notification log, but I really wish we would have known about it over the Town Government Channel Cable 14 or on the Town of Cheshire Connecticut website. I had to put “Connecticut” because there are other “Cheshires” and I get hits from people all over.

My boy asked what they discussed. Well I and others are wondering also. It probably was about the recent “issue” over the posting of notices on the telephone poles that the Underground Town Hall brought to light. There is an article in todays (Wednesdays) Waterbury Republican about the issue and a reference to my website. Awesome!!! Maybe I should start subscribing to another paper with good taste–the Waterbury Republican!.

The article mentions that the Cheshire Police Department will be enforcing the Town Ordinance against posting on telephone poles. I believe from one of my last posts it is in Section 22 of the Town of Cheshire ordinance codes. The Police Chief said in the Waterbury article that he was asking people to refrain from putting signs on the telephone poles and for those that have already done so, to volutarily take them down because the police don’t have the time to do this. My significant other was quoted as saying the decision to enforce Section 22 of the ordinance code making it illegal to put signs on telephone poles is “censorship.” Well, Mr. Significant Other, I disagree. If anything it is defacing. I would not think of putting up signs on someone elses property and that is what one is doing when they post their lost animal, tag sale or someone’s stag party on these polls. BUT, it is just as wrong, for someone else to take it upon themselves to take the signs down. That is up to the entity that owns that property i.e. AT&T and CL&P.

It’s awful when one goes to a big city or even oversees to see these posters and signs “plastered” all over everything. It is ugly. Then on top of it, the people who posted these signs are too lazy to take them down. At least do that! I put up flyers advertising my shows on Undergroundtownhall when I was airing them on the local Cable Company  a few years ago, but I posted them on approved bulletin boards in shops and restaurants. I ASKED PERMISSION before I did anything. That is the right thing to do. I am siding with the Police Department on this issue–I know some of you can’t believe it–but it is true. The Police Chief is right and I think they are being very compromising on this issue.

I believe a solution might be a Community Bulletin Board where everyone could post their tag sales, lost animals, etc. It could be a spot centrally located in town. I believe this would be some sort of solution to people who feel they need to post things in public instead of in the newspapers or online–to get their message across. I advocate all people speaking out and expressing themselves–as long as it is in good taste. This might be the solution. I also urge the Town Government to make even better use of Channel 14 and post ALL meetings open to the public. Even “emergency” meetings could be posted in a few minutes on the channel for all to see. I will running the minutes of this Ordinance Committee meeting when they are made available.

 

Back to Reality

  • By: Cindy

I just returned from Montreal, so that is why I have not posted. I will be posting new pictures and videos soon. I drove back almost 400 miles and then had to go to work at night so I still am feeling the effects of the trip. While I was in Montreal, I saw Cirque de Soleil. There are many versions of this show going around, and I believe there will be a showing in Bridgeport at Harbor Yard Arena. If you have never seen these shows, please go and attend. It is mind boggling how these people can perform acrobatics. It is amazing. If you have seen Blue Man Group, then you will really enjoy Cirque de Soleil. The theme of all their shows revolves around good and evil.
Well, speaking of good and evil, when I work last night in town, there was a letter posted from the Cheshire Police Department asking business to obey the speed limits when they go to work and leave work. According to the Police, there have been complaints, although there is no way to substantiate these complaints about people speeding down Peck Lane and Knotter Drive, especially during working hours. The letter said something to the effect that if you wanted more information to contact the Police Department Traffic Division. To me, this is a step in the right direction for the Cheshire Police Department which has to learn, and I know they are sick and tired of it, but it is worth repeating, has to learn to communicate MORE with the public and interact MORE with the public, and I don’t mean in the back of the police car! Now people have been made aware of the speeding problem and if they get a ticket its their fault, they have no-one to blame but themselves. Sometimes I go through Knotter Drive and for the most part it is fine, but there are always one or two drivers who have to overdo it. And as far as Peck Lane is concerned, there are signs banning trucks from that road–but over the past three weeks, I have seen trucks going down that road and they were NOT making deliveries. But here we go again, whom will they ticket–the trucking company that does not have the RIGHT last name–of course. Law enforcement is for everyone. Everyone should be treated equally. I do have people who said they will go around and try to film some of these vehicles speeding or going where they are not supposed to be. Hopefully we will be able to put it on my website.
As far as the sign issue that I spoke about on my last post, it seems that OTHER peoples signs that are around town are not legal either—and we know who we are—Sandwich board signs need a permit. Get it–over on Highland Avenue across from the old Stoneworks? They are calling to tell me they saw my husband put up an “illegal” sign on a pole and they have one! It figures!
And I hope the person who is on the Town Council that I like learned his lesson about this town and their favoritism. Apparently this person tried to have a fundraiser last year in a building on Town Property and was told he could not do it. Now we read in the local paper that the party in power had a fund raiser on —- you guessed it— town property! I knew I should have stayed in Montreal!