KANSAS CITY TO CLOSE NEARLY HALF OF ITS SCHOOLS.

Click HERE for story.

DETROIT TO CLOSE 45 SCHOOLS.

Click HERE.

Interesting article that ties in with the above. (Or as I like to call it-the BIGGEST mistake our World War 2 parents generation made).

Click HERE.

Well I attended (for the last time) the Cheshire Police Department budget workshop this past Tuesday evening at the Town Hall. The budget was fairly bare boned and there were NO NEW CARS REQUESTED so I did not have any questions. Town Manager Michael Milone explained that included in the CPD  $5.7 million proposed operating budget which is an measly increase of approximately 2 percent over last year, is a vacancy for a Police Officer position which has been frozen for the entire fiscal year. THIS 5.7 MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET IS THE ENTIRE PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGET NOT JUST POLICE. I DID LOOK AT THE NUMBERS ON THE CHESHIRE GOVERNMENT WEBSITE BUT I GOT CONFUSED. SORRY FOR THE ERROR.

I told the Chief, if he needs extra help, call me. I will go out on my Scooter and pull over ALL THOSE SPEEDERS!! NO PROBLEM!!

But seriously, the Chief did a good job of breaking down the budget and all the Town Council people did a good job of asking questions. I was really shocked when Mr. Schrumm asked the Police Chief questions and GOOD ONES TO BOOT!!

Boy, we have come a long way in this town from even several years ago when the police budget workshop would be something like ten minutes long. This ran WELL OVER AN HOUR!!! I am really happy that everyone got involved and asked questions and they were not patronizing questions, they were questions about overtime, gas usage and my fave subject THE PATROL CARS.

Of course the Chief had to tell me that he will just purchase a car from the Gift Account. He thinks he pulled one over on me-BUT HONEY BABY JUST YOU WAIT AND SEE!!

I don’t think so. I forced you to rethink how you purchase items ESPECIALLY THOSE POLICE CARS so I would call it a even draw. There really was a method to this madness-really.

Anyway the Town Manager (who is a little bossy thing I can tell you that). I came to the meeting and he had the nerve to try to tell me where to put the chairs and where to sit. OMG-this man is out of control!!!

Even the Town Manager noted that usually two or three police cruisers (including an unmarked) would be replaced every year. Mr. Milone said this fiscal year the town is not buying any vehicles BUT (HERE WE GO WITH THE WHINING) WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL IN DEFERRING THESE PURCHASES BECAUSE ONE YEAR WHEN THIS WAS DONE, THE TOWN ENDED UP PURCHASING SIX OR SEVEN VEHICLES AT A TIME. OH COME ON!!

Then the Chief started talking about how years ago, a cars differential came apart and fell off one of the patrol cars because it was so old. OMG!! THAT IS WHAT YOU GET FOR PURCHASING A CRAPPY FORD!! BUY A TOYOTA AT LEAST NOW THEIR CARS ARE SELF PROPELLED. YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE TO PUT YOUR FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR TO SPEED UP!! SAVES ON WEAR AND TEAR ON GAS PEDAL REPLACEMENT!!

That is nothing. I remember my brother was driving my 69 Pontiac Custom S  on I-95 (which believe it or not was the concept car to the Pontiac GTO) when the seat fell through the floor!! He ass was dragging on the Turnpike and it had snowed to make it even worse. My dad had to weld a piece of sheet metal under the car to piece it back together. We kept driving that car for at least a few more years before it clunked out at something ridiculous like 70,000 miles. BOY WHAT PIECE OF GARBAGE. I found out when I got rid of that car in the late 70′s that this was one of only 12 of those vehicles ever made. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!! If I had known that I would have KEPT IT!!

Oh and it is going to be difficult to maintain the level of service with the 49th (Police Officer) position frozen. PHEW!! DAMN!!! WE WILL SURVIVE!!! GOD THIS TOWN IS SPOILED!!!

I remember when I covered Easton and Redding for the Bpt Post in the early 80′s then Redding First Selectwoman Mary Ann Guitar would go out on patrol HERSELF!! There you go, get Michael Milone to take up the slack. Give him a patrol car, or better yet, he can use his own vehicle and GO TO IT!! GO OUT ON PATROL MICHAEL!!

One of the casualties of this bare boned budget is that the (ARE YOU READY) the car seat program will be canceled. THAT IS OK I AM NOT HAVING ANY MORE KIDS. The Chief did say the department will be offering the RAD (that Rape Aggression Defense Class) and the Citizens Police Academy (THAT I FLUNKED OUT OF) NO I GOT KICKED OUT OF AND YOU KNOW WHY!!

The big overtime figure of approximately $230,000 was a four year average for the Patrol Division. Most of this is attributable to overtime and mandatory training that approximately 15 officers a year participate in. And apparently WE ARE GETTING ANOTHER OFFICER I DON’T KNOW WHY?? SHE WILL NOT BE READY TO ROLL UNTIL OCTOBER.

The Chief also spoke about Officers leaving for other departments or civilian jobs. Apparently over the past five year, the CPD has had two officers retire and four go to greener pastures.  This is not a big deal. Police Departments gain and lose all the time. You have to remember, I came from Bridgeport, CT. where there are 450 officers NOT 49!! People come and go ALL THE TIME. IT HAPPENS!!

One of the Town Council members asked if the Gift Account could be used more in lieu of the budget. GOOD IDEA!! The Chief said he would use some Gift Account money for employee evaluations. You know, I have a better idea, because one of these days that Gift Account MIGHT NOT BE AVAILABLE ANYMORE.

Send out comment cards to every resident in Cheshire and ask THEM TO RATE EACH OFFICER ON OVERALL SERVICE!! JUST LIKE A RESTAURANT. Provide names and photos and rate from 1 being REALLY BAD to 10 being REALLY GOOD. OK solved that problem.

Now,  the Chief did mention that Ford will no longer be making the Crown Vic. Thank God that car was piece of CRAP. I actually knew that Ford was discontinuing this model and replacing it with another. I bookmarked the page the other night in anticipation of Tuesdays budget workshop. So here it is–the NEW Ford Police Cruiser.

Click HERE.

And I wish we would STOP USING THAT GAS GUZZLING SUV. EVERYTIME I SEE IT I START SWEARING!! UGH!! GET RID OF IT.

I wanted to end with a really SAD DISGUSTING STORY out of my hometown Bridgeport. First we lost Pleasure Beach, now THIS.

Believe me Cheshire YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT PROBLEMS ARE!!

Click HERE for story on WTNH.

Click HERE for story on WFSB.

More on this story from Len Grimaldi’s “Only in Bridgeport” blog.

Click HERE.

This is a City that is so proud and trying so hard.  First we lost Pleasure Beach, now these beautiful trees at Sy. Mary’s by the Sea.. This is an upscale area of Bridgeport and it is BEAUTIFUl. I HOPE YOU ALL WILL DONATE TO THE BRIDGEPORT GARDEN CLUB SO THESE TREES CAN BE REPLANTED. THEY WILL NEVER BE REPLACED!!