As everyone knows, this Thursday is Sept. 11th.  Even if I did not know what month I was in, I easily could guess by the amount of government hits I am getting and have been for the past month and a half. This is part of a democracy. Our government does monitor. I am sure they monitor my site because of “underground” in the title but that does not bother me, as long as free speech remains.

People who are close friends of mine, and yes I DO HAVE close friends, know I have done work for the government from time to time. There is no greater country, even with our problems than the United States. I love the United States with all my heart. Sept. 11th to this day, bothers me so badly, all I do is cry when I think about it.

So, for this week, I will be doing features on Sept. 11th, especially the World Trade Center. I LOVED the World Trade Center. I was there at least 100 times. In fact, I was there in late August 2001, but it was so crowded that day, our family could not get to the observation deck so we ended up going to the Empire State Building. My son has a great photo of the World Trade Center from there taken by my sister-in-law.

Now, I did want to mention an e-mail that I received from the Police Chief Michael Cruess regarding my statement that the Town Manager and the Police Chief should walk around the Fall Festival this Saturday, Sept. 13th and meet and greet people.

Now, the Chief reminded me that the Cheshire Police Department DOES indeed have a booth set up with literature and staffed all day by various members of the Department, including the Chief. And yes, Chief I DO REMEMBER the conversation we had that day at the fair. But, I hope you will go around and speak to as many people as possible, besides people you know, and invite them to come to your late night office hours the first Thursday of each month.

These late night office hours at the Town Hall and Police Station could stand with a little more publicity, like on Channel 14 the Government Channel, and in the Herald!! Hopefully the Town of Cheshire will have a booth and the Town Manager will go around and speak with people. I know he has late office hours every first Thursday of the month also, but I believe he still should go around and get to know the townspeople.

Besides featuring articles on Sept. 11th, I will be featuring music videos that feature the World Trade Center in it. When I researched this, I couldn’t believe how many artists used background or flyby shots of the World Trade Center, especially music videos of the 80’s. It was a hallmark and people of the United States, especially New Yorkers, were so proud of it. There is and will never be another place like it–ever. SO SO SAD.

Now, speaking of the Fall Festival, I probably will NOT be in attendance, one because it is my b-day, two, because I want to go to New Hampshire and three, I really don’t believe there should be ANY FESTIVITIES this entire week because of Sept. 11th.

Everyone should be in mourning the ENTIRE WEEK. I mean, how can we laugh and have fun, when there are people whose remains were never found–the people who had to jump from over 1200 feet in the air–the people whose remains were found in the Deustche Bank months, even years later!!

The people on those three flights, especially Flight 11-the first plane to be hijacked and hit the World Trade Center; and Flight 93 which crashed in Pennslyvania. Everyone should spend this week in reflection not at a fair or at fireworks.

I am going to put aside all our petty arguments, yes, even this ticket issue, and let it go for a while. So should everyone else.

As I always tell my children, if you had three minutes to live–what would be YOUR LAST THOUGHTS!!

Nothing is more important than these people who died and the people who died trying to save lives. Let us never stop remembering the people who could not find their loved ones and posted photo after photo in New York City. I remember a poignant scene where ex-President Bill Clinton had walked to the ruins of the World Trade Center a few days after the attack, and people came running up to him, crying, screaming, tugging at him, begging him to help them find their loved ones who were missing. It was if they thought by going to him and touching him, that things would be alright. That was one of the most moving scenes I have ever seen on Television–EVER!!

Now in keeping with the memory of Sept. 11th, let us reflect and remember the marvel and accomplishment of one generation–let us remember the World Trade Center in all of its magnificence. New York City will NEVER BE THE SAME WITHOUT IT!!

World Trade Center Remembered

As many of you know, I have had various articles, (pro and con), regarding this Artificial Turf, Field Turf issue throughout the months.

The  Town of Cheshire is serious considering installing this turf at the Cheshire High School Football Field. A study committee, and let’s be honest here, made up of people who WANT the turf, are looking into its possible impact on a person’s health.

Next week, I am planning on making a stop at my old love school, yes I have so many, University of New Haven, which has artificial turf at Kayo Field, which is the schools soccer and lacrosse field, and is in the process of having artificial “blue colored” turf installed at the Football field. In fact, it probably is already set up. I will go by there while I am in the area on business and see if I can speak to some people about their feelings regarding the turf.

I know the Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has questioned the turf’s safety, or more specifically, the rubber pellet underlay. I have actually read websites and blogs where people have stated they have gotten the pellets on their clothing or even in their mouths.

The Town of Westport has several artificial turf fields in their community. I am providing the information below. This article is from WESTPORTCT.GOV. The official Town of Westport website.

(9/4/2007) The Westport Parks and Recreation Department has said that continued use of synthetic athletic turf fields in Westport is warranted despite concerns expressed by some saying they may adversely affect the health of users.

In a statement, Parks and Recreation Director Stuart McCarthy said: “The Westport Parks and Recreation Department continues to support the installation of synthetic athletic turf as a safe alternative to grass playing fields.

“While we are constantly reviewing all available information on this subject we have seen no evidence that playing on these fields is unsafe. There is ample evidence that these fields perform well, use fewer pesticides and improve playing conditions and athlete safety over the current over-used grass fields.”

McCarthy said the department encourages continued testing of these products to assure the safety of users of these playing fields.

“To date, while several studies have identified chemical compounds associated with the rubber infill materials used in this current technology, not one of the studies has concluded that the presence of those compounds pose a danger to human health or the environment,” he said.

In a statement issued following the latest reports of testing done by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station’s chemical laboratory, Brian Toal  supervising epidemiologist, Environmental and Occupational Health Assessment Program, Environmental Health Division of the State of Connecticut, Department of Public Health, wrote:

“We have reviewed a great deal of the literature on potential human health risk from rubber used in synthetic turf fields. We have not seen any information that would lead us to recommend against installing such fields based on potential chemical exposures or health risk from those using the fields.

“At this time we do not plan on issuing a recommendation against installation of synthetic turf fields. It is important to note we do not have authority to issue a moratorium. If we felt there was a serious health risk from such fields we would work with the Connecticut Department of Education and DEP to issue a recommendation to schools. At this point no such action is planned by DPH.”

McCarthy noted that the current generation of synthetic athletic turf has been in use for approximately 8 to10 years.

There are currently more than 1,000 installations nationwide and dozens in the local area. Current installations are in place in nearly every state, in professional stadiums, college campuses (including state universities and colleges), urban and suburban parks and municipal schools and recreation facilities both indoors and outdoors, he said.

The Parks and Recreation Department is not aware of any state or federal agency which has banned, restricted or warned against the use of this product, McCarthy said.

“The Parks and Recreation Department will continue to review information and public health statements regarding the use of synthetic athletic turf as we go forward,” he said.

While I was surfing around the Town of Westport’s official website, I noticed something I had alluded to a few months ago. Apparently, the Westport’s First Selectman writes a monthly column on Town happenings. The website even lists archives of his past columns so readers can enjoy past posts.

I suggest Town Manager Michael Milone give this site a once over and see what a great idea this is.  He calls it “Gordon’s Journal.”

The First Selectman even invites readers to e-mail him directly with an “email Gordon” link. UPDATE: The commenter is right. When you click on “e-mail Gordon” you get directed to a page with a phone and fax number. Maybe he was getting too many E-Mails!!

I know this man is good First Selectman because his first name is Gordon!!

So here is the link to Westport’s official website:

click here

It’s time to have “Michael’s Journal” and it is time to see our Town Manager get on a more intimate basis with the people of this community, not just the FIVE Democratic Town Council members.

I would like to see the Town Manager go around the Fall Festival that I will NOT be attending this year. and do a meet and greet with as many folks as possible. In fact, set up a Town Hall booth and man it with as many staff people as possible and talk to your constituents!!! The Police Chief should do the same thing!!!

I have received a lot of response about this ticket issue. In fact, a few friends have been calling people in town and out of town who have received tickets asking them to come to the Sept.  9th Town Council meeting.

But I want to move on, so I will address it for the last time.

The Centralized Infractions Bureau was scheduled to make a decision whether to nolle or proceed to court by this past Wednesday. Hopefully we will hear from them at least by early next week. People who have spoken with me online and the on the phone know how I feel. It is not even the ticket, it is the “distorting of facts” in my opinion that has upset myself and my spouse.

The bottom line, if the Officer felt my husband pulled out too soon or too near his vehicle, that is one thing, but to distort and say this man went through a stop sign you cannot go through, is just plain WRONG!! If he HAD gotten the ticket for unsafe turn, you know what, I probably would NOT have questioned it, knowing Mr. Magoo’s driving habits.

One has to realize that if the charge sticks of not obeying a stop sign, my husband will receive two points on his license. Speeding is ONE POINT!! Can you believe that?? Probably because the State Legislator who wrote that part of the bill and had it passed had a heavy foot.

Here is info from DMV.org, a private website not affiliate with Connecticut Dept. of Motor Vehicles explaining the point system:

Connecticut DMV Point Schedule

The DMV assesses one point for each of the following infractions:

• Operating at unreasonable rate of speed

• Speeding

• Failure to drive in the proper lane

• Illegal use of limited access highway by a bus, commercial vehicle, or vehicle with a trailer

• Improper operation on multiple-lane highways

• Improper operation on a divided highway

• Wrong direction at rotary or one-way street

• Improper turn, illegal turn, illegal stopping, or failure to signal intention to turn

• Improper backing or starting

• Failure to give proper signal

• Operation of motorcycles abreast, illegal passing

• Wrong way on a one-way street

The DMV assesses two points for the following infractions:

• Slow speed, impeding traffic

• Disobeying orders of an officer

• Entering or leaving a controlled access highway at other than designated entrance or exit

• Entry upon a limited access highway at a point other than a highway intersection or designated location

• Executing a turn from the wrong lane or contrary to traffic control devices

• Failure to obey the signal at a railroad crossing

• Failure by a school bus, commercial motor vehicle carrying flammable or explosive substance, taxicab, motor vehicle in livery service, motor bus, or a motor vehicle used for the transportation of school children to stop at a railroad crossing

• Failure to observe parkway or expressway restrictions

• Failure to obey traffic control signal light

• Failure to obey stop sign

• Failure to obey yield sign

• Operating a vehicle through a pedestrian safety zone

The DMV assesses three points for the following infractions:

• Driving while impaired

• Failure to keep right when meeting opposing traffic

• Improper passing or failure to yield to a passing vehicle

• Passing on the right

• Passing in a no passing zone

• Failure to keep to the right on a curve, grade, or when approaching an intersection

• Failure to drive at a reasonable distance apart from other vehicles

• Failure to grant the right of way at an intersection

• Failure to grant the right of way at a junction of highways

• Failure to yield when emerging from a driveway or private road

• Failure to grant the right of way when emerging from an alley, driveway, or building

• Failure to grant the right of way to an ambulance, police, or fire apparatus

• Failure to grant the right of way to a pedestrian

The DMV assesses four points for the following infractions:

• Wagering, speed record

• Failure to drive at a reasonable distance apart from another vehicle or intent to harass

• Passing a stopped school bus

The DMV assesses five points for the following infractions:

• Operation of a school bus at excessive speed.

Now my husband called the Town Managers’ office this past Wednesday asking to be put on the agenda, not just public comment, because as some of you know who read my blog on a continual basis, I have tried for many years to get a Police Commission started in town, only to hear the rhetoric that “we don’t need a Police Commission or another layer of goverment, we (the Town Council) are the Police Commission.”

Ok, so we are going to hold the Town Government to its word. And as far as the Sept. 9th meeting not being televised “live” and taking place at the Senior Center, that is NO PROBLEM. HAVE  CAMERA WILL TRAVEL!!  And for those who are a little “confused” about whether or not we can film or tape a public meeting: this is an excerpt from a website citing Connecticut law about just this issue. It is a child’s website, so since I am “four” years old mentally anyway, I decided to use this as a reference:

Much of the important business of government gets done at meetings. In most cases, those meetings should be open to the public, so that people can watch their leaders in action and observe important decisions being made. Sometimes, leaders want to talk about important business in private and there are some times when the law allows that. However, the Freedom of Information Act says that meetings of government agencies must be open to the public most of the time. This means your leaders have to discuss important business in public so you and your neighbors can hear about things like your taxes, or new stores that might be coming to town or your schools. When you go to a public meeting:

You do not have to sign your name on a sign-in sheet or tell anyone who you are. You also have a right to tape record, photograph or videotape the meeting.

And because meetings are such an important part of how government does business, the Freedom of Information Act also requires that notices of public meetings be put up in towns and government centers to let everyone know when and where the meetings are going to take place.

Usually, the government must tell the people not only that a meeting is taking place, but what is going to be discussed at that meeting. The notices, sometimes known as agendas, allow citizens to plan to attend the meetings. The Freedom of Information Act also says that all votes must be taken in public. That means that citizens will know exactly how their leaders voted on key issues. The Freedom of Information Act also requires action taken at a meeting to be recorded for history. The written record of action at a meeting, known as minutes, must record what happened at the meeting and how each member voted. The minutes then must be filed with the town so that people who could not attend the meeting can find out what happened.

Get the part where YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SIGN YOUR NAME ON A SIGN IN SHEET OR TELL ANYONE WHO YOU ARE!! INTERESTING!!

Also, I just want to make a few other “comments” P.S. The quotation key fell off of my keyboard the other day–I wonder WHY??

The Town Council of Cheshire Connecticut should be ashamed of themselves over this deadlock on the Capitol Budget. Now we have to have a special meeting Sept. 4th to break the tie.

Ms. DeCaprio gets sick and I guess the whole Council falls apart!!

We have seen a Republican or two vote with the Democrats, but I can’t recall a Democrat or two ever voting with the Republicans HAVE YOU?? I could be wrong, but I can’t recall this. This is disgusting. This Town Government needs to get over the politics and get with the program of acting in the best interests of this town REGARDLESS OF PARTY LINES!!!

No, Mr. White, the meeting did not GO WELL!! I wouldn’t call having to call a special meeting to have the Capitol Budget passed (along party lines anyway again) a good meeting!!

And W/S Development issue–delayed till Oct or Nov now–CAN YOU REALLY GUESS WHY?? YEP!!

Will I comment on the GOP Convention? DON’T BE SILLY!! All I can say is Wednesday night looked like the outtakes from “Eight is Enough”!!

Oh yeah, and I wonder why the Sept. 9th Town Council meeting IS at the Senior Center and will NOT be televised? What is ON THAT AGENDA besides the public hearing on the Road Improvement funding that they probably won’t get to when we take up most of the meeting talking about this ticket!!

Also, I have an ad in the Cheshire Herald on Page 8.  After you see my ad,  go the the legal notices section on page  16 and look at the Herald’s ad.

Now as many of you know, my husband received a ticket for not stopping at the stop sign at the intersection of Rt. 68/70 and Carriage Drive.  The officer claimed he did not stop at the stop sign at all and pulled right out onto the main road at 5:30 p.m.

Now the above photos show just what it is like at the stop sign on Carriage Drive in Cheshire before one pulls out onto Rt 68/70 turning left or right. Mind you, these photos were not taken at 5:30 p.m. when the road is filled with cars going towards Wallingford from Cheshire. These photos were taken around 7:30 p.m.

It is funny, because if my husband “allegedly” blew through this stop sign (which as you can see or can’t see at this intersection during rush hour would be suicide) why did the officer ask him “didn’t you see my car” which was coming from the right as shown in the first upper photograph.

Be honest, how far ahead can you really see from BOTH DIRECTIONS. Now in the bottom photo, I had a friend stop his car in the road before Carriage Drive. CAN YOU SEE THE CAR? Answer: HELL NO!!!

Mind you, most people coming down Rt. 68/70 go WAY OVER the 45 miles per hour speed limit. And, if you look at the bottom photo, there is also a curve in the road. So literally, if you are traveling down Rt. 69/70, you do not see Carriage Drive until you are at least 20 feet from it. It is even more of a blind spot approaching that road  from the main drag.

The biggest problem as you can see from the bottom photo, is where the street sign is placed. It is at least 10 to 15 feet from the intersection. I know, I travel to Carriage Drive several times a week to visit a friend. If you are in the Cheshire area, drive down Rt. 68-70 and turn right onto Carriage Drive THE FIRST TIME. I BET MY BIG FAT you know what–you will MISS THIS STREET!! I GUARANTEE IT!!

And on the top photo, with all the overgrown brush and trees, hello!! HOW FAR UP THE ROAD CAN YOU SEE. WE WERE AT THE STOP BAR AS IT WAS WHEN THE PHOTO WAS TAKEN. One would literally have to block the right lane to see even halfway up the street. Don’t forget cars travel in feet per second. One literally has to watch the left side of the road, and in a split second, jump out when that coast is clear because it really is blocked!!!

So do you honestly believe you can just sail through this intersection without even ATTEMPTING TO STOP?? DO YOU?? CAN YOU??

IN OTHER NEWS: The City of Bridgeport is trying to foreclose on the two “Freeman Homes” because the City says the owners of the property, Action for Bridgeport Community Development (ABCD) owe at least $116,000 in back taxes dating from 1990!!

ABCD says it is non-profit and does not pay taxes. WHAT IS GOING ON?? Couldn’t the City of Bridgeport or shouldn’t the City of Bridgeport have figured this out 18 years ago?? Apparently a Superior Court Judge said that ABCD is a taxable entity. This is so muddled it is worse than the Norton School Boiler issue.

The home is on the National Register of Historic Places. These were homes built by two free African American Women around 1831 in a section of Bridgeport that became known as “little Liberia” The Underground Railroad even used these homes as a safe haven for slaves leaving the South.  In fact, these two homes are a dwindling reminder of this time in our country’s history.

This is an outrage. Someone needs to decided if ABCD IS  REALLY not for profit and if foreclosing on the homes is in the best interest of the community. And  if so, the City should take the property over and preserve this at any cost!!  But you all know what will happen if the City takes it over- look at Pleasure Beach and the Poli Theater on Main Street for starters!!

Come on, even Cheshire wouldn’t do something as dopey as this!!

Click here for history of the Freeman homes.

Click here for WFSB’s Take On This Story

It’s that time of year again–Kansas State Athletic Wear

Click here