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.
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!!
