I did manage to attend two events in Cheshire on Saturday-the first being the dedication of the solar energy panels at the Cheshire Public Library-I did NOT actually attend the speeches but I went to the library intending to take a photo of the solar panels on the roof.

Well, when I got to the library, I was sort of dismayed because I could not see the solar panels from the street. So I happened to run into Library Director Ramona Harten and I asked her if I would be able to see the panels-which are obviously on the roof-from the street so I could take a photo,

Well, she told me I could not see the panels from the street-I would have to go on the roof-so half teasingly I said-”Can I go onto the roof?”

She said OK!!! So we proceeded to go to the back of the library-Ramona opened a door, I stepped into the room and to my horror-I looked up to see a REAL STEEP set of stairs!!

I am DEATHLY AFRAID OF STEEP STAIRS and LADDERS.

It is really weird-because I will climb just about anything,  but I WILL NOT GO PAST THE THIRD RUNG OF A LADDER AND THESE STEPS AT THE LIBRARY WERE SO STEEP THEY WERE NEARLY STRAIGHT UP-HARDLY ANY ANGLE!!

So, I did manage a photo-but it was taken by a member of the library staff of which I am grateful-BUT GUESS WHAT?

I DID MANAGE to summon up enough courage and CLIMB THOSE STEPS TO THE ROOF!!

When I got up there, everyone started clapping-believe me-MY ENTIRE BODY IS STILL SORE from that climb because I had a death grip on that railing!! I must have tensed up every muscle in my lower body, that is how scared I was.

We came pretty close to calling the Fire Department-because I almost couldn’t come down!! But I did dig deep within myself and go down the stairs too!!

The photo below shows the 5 kilowatt solar energy panel system. I am also providing a link to the Cheshire Energy Commission which explains how the panels work and actually lets you see how much energy is being produced at the library when it is open.

Cheshire Energy Commission

Now the second event I attended on Saturday was the Fund Raiser for Cheshire Police Officer Eric Tracy who is undergoing chemotherapy treatment and is not able to work.

The event, which took place at Cheshire High School, was really nice-it was very touching to see so many members of the community and police officers in attendance.

I really liked the yellow t-shirts with the Cheshire Police Department patch on the front and an Irish saying-(I am sorry I don’t know Gaelic)-on the back of the shirt.

Members of the CPD and staff were wearing these shirts-I HOPE I CAN GET ONE!!

I collect t-shirts so I would like to have one-maybe I can purchase one at the Police Station. I will have to find out. If I can get one-maybe I will put a photo of it on the blog and you all can purchase one to help out Officer Tracy,

I will let you know.

FUNDRAISER FOR CHESHIRE POLICE OFFICER ERIC TRACY

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Finally: I know MANY OF YOU are looking for work.

This might help:

VisualCV.com

And I just had to pass this along-thanks to a friend!!

Dunkin Donuts won’t go out of business here!!

You have to scroll halfway down to see the “photo”

Also: I know this is Alcohol Awareness Week-so I wanted to stir some debate with this article:

New York Teens Busted for Acting Like Montrealers

You know what-NO PLACE IS PERFECT ON THIS EARTH-But the United States has certain FIXATIONS-one of them being alcohol-ESPECIALLY CONNECTICUT.

You go up to Massachusetts, or New Hampshire-you can purchase the alcohol just about whenever you want-there are aisles and aisles of it-and no on really puts on a big fuss-if you think this might tempt young people to drink-MAYBE SOME-but not all.

I don’t drink AT ALL-and I have lived in Montreal, and Rome, which has OVER 600 bars-open from early morning to late at night-even in the grocery stores and I never felt compelled to drink.

It was readily available ALL THE TIME-but I just passed it by.

I know there are many who can’t pass up the opportunity to drink, especially young people-but I sometimes wonder if putting TOO MUCH EMPHASIS ON NOT BEING ABLE TO HAVE SOMETHING-is actually detrimental and causing MORE PROBLEMS!!

I don’t know. I am AGAINST ALL ALCOHOL AND DRUGS.

It really amazes me when I go to Montreal and go out on a Friday and Saturday night-ALMOST ALL OF THE DRUNK REVELERS ARE KIDS FROM THE U.S. THEY GO CRAZYBECAUSE THEY CANNOT HANDLE THE FACT THAT YOU JUST ABOUT CAN DO ANYTHING IN MONTREAL AS LONG AS YOU DON’T BOTHER ANYONE!!

But, if you harm someone or destroy property-GOOD LUCK dealing with the Montreal Police Department-THAT IS THE LINE IN THE SAND!!

Maybe we need to tone things down a bit-start from when the kid is young-like I tell my kids-you drink when you are 21. IF YOU DRINK BEFORE THAT AND I FIND OUT-OUT YOU GO AND I DON’T CARE WHAT THE STATE SAYS!! OUT YOU GO!!!

Now, did my son who went to Montreal when he was 18 to go to school drink?? YES I know he did-BUT HE KNEW IF HE WENT OVERBOARD-out of school he would go!!

He is over 21 now. Does alcohol have this MYSTIQUE to him?? NO-HE COULD CARE LESS!! HO HUM he says.

You know why? Because he could get it whenever HE WANTED-practically 24/7 without anyone harping or pointing fingers or judging.

And guess what?? He doesn’t care anymore about drinking-it has lost its appeal. I know he still goes out once in a while-but for the most part-it is just part of life and NOT something HE JUST HAS TO HAVE.

Preventing underage drinking STARTS AT HOME. YOU REINFORCE YOUR MESSAGE-YOU LAY OUT THE CONSEQUENCES-YOU STICK TO IT-AND IT DOES HAVE POSITIVE RESULTS.

MY four children are not perfect-but not one of them-THREE ARE ADULTS-has ever had a problem with law enforcement-has NOT EVER been arrested for underage drinking or drugs-my younger son did tell me he experimented ONCE-but HE TOLD ME and that was the end of it!!

I am very open in my home-my spouse and I discuss EVERYTHING well, NOT THAT!! BUT EVERYTHING ELSE IN OUR HOME. THERE ARE NO CLOSED DOORS WITH OUR CHILDREN. THEY KNOW WE ARE HUMAN AND HAVE FAULTS-WE DISCUSS THEM RIGHT OUT IN THE OPEN. WE NEVER HID ANYTHING FROM THEM.

So that is why they feel comfortable discussing things with us-they know we are not perfect-we can only hope that we guided them down the right path-we were always there for them and still are-three of my children are 22, 21, and 19-and they are fine. My youngest is 16 and he is fine.

Parenting is the hardest job on earth-you just pray your children will follow the right path-but open dialogue is the key-never go behind a door to talk about any issue!! Talk right in front-laugh in front of them-argue in front of them-let them see you are human and are readily able to admit your faults.

This has been the key for us-and so far it has worked and if you don’t believe me (to paraphrase a quote from one of my haters)-”just ask the police.”

FOR YOUR HEALTH:

Click here for “LIVING FOOD”

And on a pessimistic note:

Click here for “The Future of Food”

How engineered food has quietly found its way into America’s Supermarkets.

I hope you will take some time this weekend to watch both “Living Food” and the “The Future of Food.”

First off, I want to say “thank you” to my homeboy who MUST remain anonymous-THANKS for caring and SHARING!! You are  a rare breed in today’s world-SOMEONE WHO CARES ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE and takes pride in their work!!!

IT IS APPRECIATED!!

Now,on Thursday, I saw my “boyfriend” in the library-I WON’T SAY WHO-but it is very well known who this person is-hint: a certain Town Councilor KNOWS who I am talking about!!

Well anyway, this person asked if I had attended the Tea Party rallies-I said no because I thought it was a Republican Illuminati trick!!

I mean come on- I DON’T GO FOR THESE BAILOUTS EITHER-but like um, when George Bush senior and son were bailing out corporations and banks when they were President-I did not see ANY of these tea party rallies then. I mean, I think SOME of the people are sincere-but I smell I GOP rat in the house!!

Then a short discussion about socialism came up-I did disagree with my boyfriends point of view-because I believe the Illuminati is deliberately distorting the TRUE meaning of Socialism.

You know I have run articles on Socialism in the past-I even highlighted my hometown-Bridgeport, Connecticut which actually HAD A SOCIALIST MAYOR-Jasper McLevy. HE WAS VERY POPULAR. He was the mayor from 1933 to 1957!! In fact I AM SO OLD-that when I was born, McLevy WAS STILL THE MAYOR!!

Socialism IS NOT COMMUNISM. People tend to confuse the two. Our government has to help its people-especially the middle class-we have been left to sink or swim too long in this country while the higher ups-DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS included-have catered to the Corporations and Banks EVERY NEED.

Socialism does involve a sort of wealth sharing-and this is where my boyfriend and I parted ways. He stated he did not want to support people who did not want to work and were taking advantage of the system (welfare) to suit their own needs.

I do agree with that-but unfortunately there will ALWAYS BE PEOPLE WHO WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE-this is one of the pitfalls of an open capitalist society-one of the pitfalls of capitalism-UNEMPLOYMENT.

But ponder this, do you not think many BANKS and some AUTOMAKERS have not taken advantage-BOY THIS IS LIKE SOCIALISM IN REVERSE!!

The poor and middle class struggle to support the rich corporate giants that the REPUBLICANS OVER THE PAST 40 YEARS HAVE ALLOWED TO RUN RAMPANT-DO WHAT THEY WANT-MAKE OBSCENE PROFITS-AND THEN SELL OUR JOBS OVERSEAS SO THEY COULD PUT EVEN MORE MONEY INTO THEIR POCKETS!!

WHAT IS FAIR ABOUT THAT???

Yes, that is redistributing wealth-well, I liken it to a clogged toilet-you flush it but it doesn’t go down-it comes right back up in your face!!

Do you not think some of our Congressmen and Senators, Mayors and Governors have NOT TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE SYSTEM AND THEIR POSITIONS-of course.

But what should we do-abolish elections? Have a free for all? Everyone for themselves? Of course not!!

We have to take the good with the bad- the downside with the positive.

Now again, let us compare Socialism with Capitalism-every time I talk to someone about Socialism, I always think of my “Grandma Mae” she was a dyed in the wool Socialist!!

“Socialism 101″

“Socialism”

The other topic I wanted to bring up is this “pay for play” for high school sports that is being considered for the Cheshire Schools.

I am TOTALLY AGAINST PAY FOR PLAY-this town pisses money away like a racehorse on all sorts of crap and then they have the NERVE to ask the kids parents to pay for sports and after school activities??

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!

So I decided to look into this “pay for play”

I don’t know what schools in Connecticut and across the country have it, but I know one school I looked up charged $1000 for students to play football!! OUTRAGEOUS!!

“Parchment, Michigan School System

“Will Pay to Play Ruin School Sports”

The above article is from 2002 but still a timely read

And Finally-something ELSE to think about:

“Worried Municipalities Look Ahead”

OK, I KNOW these minutes are on Cheshirect.org but a lot of you don’t go on that website so I wanted to post some of the more interesting minutes.

Now the first meeting minutes I will be linking you to are the April 8th 2009 minutes of the Public Safety Commission. The reason this is first is because YOURS TRULY (THE STAR) ATTENDED THIS MEETING AND SPOKE SO YOU KNOW IT IS IMPORTANT!!

Click here for Public Safety Commission minutes

And here is the latest Plan and Zoning Commission meeting of April13th, 2009 where they discuss a new modified plan to the proposed affordable housing located near Beachport. The first plan was denied.

A public hearing on the new plan will take place on April 27th.

There was also a motion to go into obviously  what would have been in MY OPINION, an illegal Executive Session to discuss this matter. Luckily, Mr. Voelker the Town Planner-had ENOUGH SENSE to inform the misinformed of WHAT CONSTITUTES A LEGAL EXECUTIVE SESSION!!

I am glad because it saved me a trip to Hartford!!

Click here

I did not see the meeting, but I guess at this past Tuesday nights Town Council meeting, Cheshire Town Attorney William Buckley –OOPS I mean Dwight Johnson, informed the Council that the developers for the proposed addition to the Highlands Health Care Center, which was incidentally DENIED by the Plan and Zoning Commission, might be taking legal action-OH HERE WE GO-ANOTHER ENTRY TO WHO IS SUING CHESHIRE LIST!! No wonder Attorney Johnson was rubbing his hands!!

All kidding aside-I like Dwight Johnson-he DOES remind me of William Buckley-he is very classy and he talks slow like Mr. Buckley-very refined. But I have a suggestion-when you speak from now on Atty Johnson-SPEED UP-TIME IS MONEY!!!

Here is the link to the April 7, 2009 Inland Wetlands Commission minutes

P.S.-I also am glad to see the town of Cheshire is uploading their Town Council meeting videos but I have a question-WHY ARE THEY USING WMV files?

USE FLV-flash video-it takes up a LOT LESS SPACE-Download RIVA flash encoder record the video-upload it to Riva and it will convert it to Flash and then put it on the website as I do!! You can put in right on the splash page (front page) and thus avoid another set of clicks to get to yet ANOTHER page on the Cheshire Town Website.

Look, if I FIGURED OUT HOW TO CONVERT VIDEO-THEN BELIEVE ME ALL OF YOU CAN!!

In other news:

A few posts ago, I spoke to you about Carriage Drive-do you remember WHAT happened on Carriage Drive last summer?

My spouse got a ticket for not stopping at the stop sign on Carriage Drive and Academy Road going towards Wallingford. If you are coming out of Carriage Drive which is almost directly across from Wiese Road, THEN YOU WILL KNOW IT IS PRACTICALLY SUICIDE NOT TO STOP AT THIS STOP SIGN. YOU CAN’T NOT STOP-YOU WILL BE HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC COMING DOWN THE HILL ON ACADEMY ROAD WHO CAN’T SEE YOUR CAR UNTIL THEY ARE PRACTICALLY RIGHT ON TOP OF YOU!! IT IS A MAJOR BLIND SPOT.

Then to make matters worse-the sign for Carriage Drive was located to the drivers LEFT, coming out of Carriage Drive. This made the situation even worse, because if you were driving towards Carriage Drive on Academy Road, and you were not sure where the street was-you literally had to slam on your brakes and make a HARD right hand turn-because the street sign would come up so fast.

Well, as you know, my husband fought the ticket he received-we went out and took photos of the street sign placement and the blind spot on the left AND the right-the ticket was dismissed but the memories lingered.

(Unfortunately, I don’t have the original Carriage Drive sign photo to show you because right after that post over the summer-my computer crashed and I lost some of  my data-including that photo).

Well, I went out and took a few new photos with my new crummy camera phone-GOD THIS CAMERA ON THIS PHONE SUCKS!!! MY CHEAP OLD PHONE WAS BETTER-IT EVEN TOOK VIDEO-THIS NEW PIECE OF CRAP DOESN’T. WHAT A RIP OFF!! OH WELL!!

So here is where the Carriage Drive sign IS NOW (on the RIGHT)

It was moved to this location a few weeks ago

Try it-if you go down Academy Road  near Wiese Road, YOU WILL ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO SEE THE CARRIAGE DRIVE SIGN and turn onto Carriage Drive without having to take two inches of rubber off of your tires!!

Hint: several months ago, after my spouse got his ticket over there-THIS IS WHAT HE HAD SUGGESTED TO THE TOWN MANAGERS OFFICE!!!

Finally-I did get an email from Arnette Talbot of the Town Managers office in Cheshire regarding this fundraising my spouse and I are going to do.

Well, I do not want to get into specifics, because the money we will try to raise for a CERTAIN EVENT-will be done by us-but any monies we collect will be donated to the appropriate entity on the condition that we remain anonymous.

We are not doing this for recognition. This event is very popular and my spouse and I hope to be able to raise the money so everyone can enjoy it also. Personal recognition is not needed.

We have decided to go about raising the money a different way. We were going to go door to door-to every house in Cheshire-and do not think this is impossible-my spouse and I and a few other people in Cheshire ACTUALLY WENT TO EVERY SINGLE HOME WITH FLYERS REGARDING THE SENIOR TAX FREEZE so it can be done-it just takes time.

Unfortunately, dropping off a flyer and actually collecting money are two separate entities in Cheshire.

IF YOU go to someones door and ask for money for a good cause you need to get a solciting permit which costs $100 per person!! This is a town ordinance. One also has to have their photo taken and displayed on a sort of badge when one goes around to collect monies. This is a good idea because God knows who would be trying what especially in todays economic climate.

So the $100 does put a damper on any ideas some people who would be up to no good might have. I see the sense of this ordinance.

On a similar note: the fundraiser for Officer Eric Tracy of the Cheshire Police Department will take place this Saturday, April 18th at Cheshire High School, 525 South Main Street, Cheshire from 2 to 8 p.m.

Officer Tracy has been battling cancer and needs the support of the community. Tickets are $15-children under 10 are free. There will be a silent auction and a pasta dinner.

I am hoping to get a few tickets and attend this event myself-because I always try to support our town and the Police Department.

Click here for Officer Tracy fundraiser

Living in Cheshire is sort of like trying to see out of tinted windows, you just don’t get a clear view-its distorted.

First of all, AGAIN, we have this issue that has resurfaced (no pun intended) regarding road surfacing.

A friend called me to tell me that company that has this software program that is supposed to tell the town government when to pave or repair the roadways has again reared its ugly head-I guess there was a presentation made at the Town Council meeting on Tuesday night.

I am sort of glad I never got enough votes to be on the Town Council when I ran in 2007-honestly-I would HAVE QUIT by now-I don’t know how some of the Councilors that ask the questions-sit through these meetings— GAG ME WITH A SPOON—  I couldn’t do it!!

I never saw anything like it-in all my years on this Earth and in all my years of doing newspaper reporting-I NEVER EVER saw a town like Cheshire-SELFISH-ARROGANT-NOT LISTENING TO PEOPLE-ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO HAVE IDEAS THEY DON’T AGREE WITH!! I don’t think there is a word in the English language to describe this town. I really don’t.

Apparently this road maintenance program which is computerized to alert the town when to pave roads-would cost approximately $1 million a year for the next 17 years.

This is absolutely beyond belief!! WE DON’T NEED THIS PROGRAM!! WE HAVE DONE WITHOUT IT FINE ALL OF THESE YEARS!!

You mean to tell me the town of Cheshire is honestly considering this program when at the same time-children in this town may have to pay for playing sports after school?? SPEND THE MONEY FOR THE AFTERSCHOOL SPORTS!!

I know education IS EXPENSIVE and is the main part of the budget-but I am tired of seeing education used as a “smokescreen” to cover up other expenditures the town has NO PROBLEM laying out tens of thousands of dollars for!!

Telling SOME town employees they have to go without raises for two years-cutting OTHERS hours but EVEN considering this paving program is–JUST PLAIN IRRESPONSIBLE.

I know people want roads paved and voted for it in the referendum questions last election-but NOT LIKE THIS!!

The main reason asphalt roads fall into disrepair is because of a substandard base-which does not allow for proper drainage-then, when the cold weather comes, the asphalt heaves and then cracks.

If you remember, I had posted several months ago, about the town of Old Saybrook that has opted to chip seal its roads. Chip sealing is putting down gravel and then covering it with an oily liquid asphalt to “seal it” then compacted down with a roller.

Apparently it works quite well-adds traction and takes longer to erode or crack than conventional asphalt paving-I did hear Mr. Michaelangelo, Public Works Director for Cheshire tell the Town Council that this might be a good alternative except where the road way has no curbing-he said he did not recommend chip seal be laid down up to a grass line-.

Could be-but here is an article about chip sealing and several photos-one of them showing a road-it has a double line so it must be a heavily traveled main road-that has chip sealing on it and the road has no curb or no sidewalks.

Click here

Chip sealing will last longer-DO SOME RESEARCH TOWN OF CHESHIRE AND CALL OLD SAYBROOK!! This town CONSTANTLY has to re-invent the wheel!! Someone cuts a path but CHESHIRE has to GO AROUND IT. They never take the tried and true method-i.e. what was done in Milford when they switched from a air supported bubble like we now have-to a permanent enclosure.

Did we bother taking up their idea which seems to have worked? NO-we fidgeted around-paying consultants-meeting after meeting-and after a few years-STILL NO DECISION!!

We are still going to pay (by another bid waiver) this company to take the bubble up and down-Spring and Fall at an approximate cost of $38,000-when the town COULD have copied Milfords design-or designed something similar and had volunteers LIKE the MILFORD/ORANGE Y did, take the bubble down and put it up-AT NO COST!!

NO!! Cheshire’s design had some sort of lip on it-which cannot “just be taken down” by ordinary people (volunteers, or even our Public Works)

As they say in Italian–POZZA!! CRAZY!!

You know why this happens-because the average citizen in this town DOESN’T CARE WHAT HAPPENS HERE!!

Most of them are here for the schools-or maybe it was a centrally located town for their job or BOTH and they could care less. The few people that TRY to make a difference-get ignored or insulted. This town has GOT to start listening to the residents who have lived here most of their lives-who have made a committment to Cheshire-not the helicopter crowd.

And I know it is becoming a trend-but I am getting tired of seeing “plants” come up the podium when some “party” doesn’t like what is being proposed.

We have residents, my husband included-that take an INTEREST in this town and speak out for the good of the town EVEN WHEN IT DOESN’T DIRECTLY AFFECT THEM!!

“Well, if we ignore it-it might go away” WELL-NOT EXACTLY!!

We might get DISCOURAGED from time to time-but until our car tires ROLL OVER THE CHESHIRE LINE-we will KEEP TRYING!!

Once in a blue moon-this town government DOES LISTEN-but in a roundabout way-case in point-CARRIAGE DRIVE!!

I will speak more on that on the next post!!

They do take peoples “suggestions” but they wait until the issue dies down-then implement the changes and try to call it their own!!

I know I have quoted this time and time again-but the words of Pres. Kennedy in his “Secret Society” speech well over 45 years ago-STILL RING TRUE:

“THEIR MISTAKES ARE BURIED-NOT HEADLINED-THEIR DISSENTERS ARE SILENCED-NOT PRAISED!!

Now a discussion has been going around about this over 55 adult housing proposal by Brodach Builders near Wiese Road-they wanted an easement from the town for $10. I did not watch the meeting so I don’t know what transpired-I AM SURE THEY GOT IT CONSIDERING WHO THEIR SPOKESMAN WAS!!

Anyway, there was some talk that more age restricted housing will lead to more children burdening our school system-because when the 55 and overs move out of THEIR HOMES into the adult housing-that will free up yet another home to be bought by a young couple with children.

Well, I actually came across a good article which argues the EXACT OPPOSITE-that the high cost of mandated programs and teacher salaries drive up the cost of education-NOT MORE CHILDREN in the school system.

“Age Restricted Housing In New England”

I know a lot of you enjoyed reading about the Civil Actions Cheshire is involved in-apparently so did the town of Cheshire and Murtha Cullina!!

Well anyway-I am hoping to get some more details on some of the cases I found interesting. More on that later.

I will be going down to the Cheshire Police Department sometime this week or early next week to look at the “Police Call Log” I will let you know what happens with that!!

And I am waiting for the Town Managers office to get back to me on that fundraising issue.  More on that later also!!

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