It is stories like the one I READ IN THE RECORD JOURNAL  ON FRIDAY that make me think twice about ending Underground Town Hall. It involves a former Town Council Candidate who was arrested for ALLEGEDLY driving while inxicated.

I am NOT  going to name this person. YOU ALL KNOW WHO IT IS. Remember, there are two sides to every story. I DO NOT DO NOT CONDONE DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED. NEVER EVER EVER. BUT WE NEED TO GIVE THIS PERSON A CHANCE.  HE IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY. THE POLICE GET JACKED UP AND GO OVERBOARD SOMETIME. AND SOMETIMES THE POLICE CAN BE DOWNRIGHT NASTY. GUESS WHAT-SO AM I.

I KNOW THE GAMES THE PEOPLE WHO RUN THIS TOWN PLAY. HELEN KELLER COULD SEE HOW THEY TRY TO CONTROL PEOPLE THEY DON’T LIKE AND I AM S ORRY I INSULTED HELEN KELLER.

BELIEVE ME, I DO. SO NOW ALL THE DO GOODERS WHO NEVER DO ANYTHING WRONG WILL MAKE SURE THEY CONTINUE TO MAKE THIS PERSONS LIFE MISERABLE.  THEY WILL RAKE THIS GUY MERCILESSLY. IF IT WERE THE TOWN MANAGER OR SOME HIGHER UP WOULD WE HAVE KNOWN ABOUT IT??  AS BOB FROM BOB’S DISCOUNT FURNITURE WOULD SAY: “I DOUBT IT” !!!

Today is Friday, February 26th. On February 27th 2010 my blog will go down-at least this is what my webhoster said. I HAVE KEPT the Domain Name, that was scheduled to expire on March 11, 2010. I also exported my blog files to a folder for safe keeping. I have two people who have also exported the files just in case-so in a way Undergroundtownhall will remain alive “just sleeping.”

I WILL NOT BE POSTING ANYMORE AFTER TODAY.

OK I KNEW IT AND YOU PROBABLY DID ALSO. THAT SO CALLED 140 YEAR OLD HOT DOG FOUND NEAR CONEY ISLAND IN NEW YORK WAS A HOAX!!! I DO GIVE THE PERSON OR PERSONS CREDIT FOR DUPING THE NEWS MEDIA, BUT HONESTLY, THAT ISN’T TOO DIFFICULT THESE DAYS BECAUSE THEY DON’T BOTHER TAKING TIME TO DO RESEARCH ANYMORE. THEY ARE MORE CONCERNED WITH RATINGS!!

Click HERE for story.

I really loved doing this blog. I know I had to take some heat but that goes with the territory I guess. There are a lot of RUDE  people out there, but what can I tell you. Sometimes, I am not exactly Miss Congeniality.

I stood my ground in Cheshire and said what I had to say and was honest about it. AND I ALWAYS PUT MY NAME ON EVERYTHING. I THRIVED ON IT!! I WILL MISS IT!!

Having a blog is somewhat like owning a business. People “enter” but you never see their faces. There is no better thrill in the world than this. You create and people come to read and rely on what product you are giving to them. This product was from my heart-there was a little bit of me in it to you. Even though most of you don’t know me personally, in a way you did. I do feel bad in a way about stopping the blog because I had several loyal readers who have been hitting my blog since the OLD UTH back in 2002!!! I have been able to follow their IP addresses.

I never will know most of the people who visited this blog. I think I know the ones that didn’t like me because it seems if I were walking around in Cheshire or at the store, sometimes I would get dirty looks from some of them, I just figured those were the ones I pissed off.

WHATEVER!! IT WAS NOTHING PERSONAL. IT REALLY WASN’T.

Cheshire isn’t used to hearing or reading someone who speaks their mind. I hope this changes, but I doubt it. The problem here-NO COMMUNITY. Most of the people are from somewhere else and don’t really care. They were lured into this town by developers and real estate agents who offered a nice picture and for the most part it was true-the community is safe and pleasant and the schools are good. That was all these people cared about and the people who run this town know that.

Some things have changed-I believe Cheshire has gotten A LITTLE more open with issues. I don’t think you would have even HEARD about this issue with the Police Chief several years ago. I HOPE CHESHIRE LEARNED FROM ITS MISTAKE A FEW YEARS AGO. THINGS HAPPEN-DEAL WITH IT. NOTHING IN LIFE IS PERFECT. BRING IT OUT IN THE OPEN AS I DID ON THIS BLOG TO YOU-DISCUSS IT. STOP TREATING PEOPLE LIKE IDIOTS. STOP HIDING INFORMATION FROM THEM. IT ISN’T WORTH IT IN THE END. IT JUST BACKFIRES.

IF YOU ARE OPEN AND HONEST PEOPLE WILL RESPECT THAT-THEY MAY NOT LIKE IT OR YOU-BUT THEY WILL RESPECT THAT.

I think for me, the biggest highlight was when I was able to get the Police Department Summary Call logs without World War 3 breaking out. Now it was just matter of fact when I asked for them. Also, the Senior Tax Freeze. I saw so many people come together for a great cause. Some of these people have become my friends and I am happy for that.

This was my passion in life. I feel really sad now but I must devote my time to work. I am going to leave you with my take on this ICMA Consultant Report-I really believe the town of Cheshire needs to stop stalling and get the report out now!! WHAT DID IT SAY?? REPLACE THE POLICE CHIEF?? DEAL WITH THIS AND DISCUSS IT!! YOU MAY BE ABLE TO IRON OUT THE PROBLEM. ARE THERE REAL PROBLEMS DOWN AT 500 HIGHLAND AVENUE  OR JUST SOME DISCONTENTED PEOPLE??

A POLICE COMMISSION COULD HAVE ACCOMPLISHED THE SAME THING-BUT THE TOWN DOESN’T WANT A COMMISSION AND SOME OF MY OLD CROCHETY CRABBY READERS DON’T WANT IT EITHER BECAUSE THE ISSUES WOULD BE AIRED OUT IN THE OPEN AND WE CAN’T HAVE THAT!!

Here is a link to the FOI Section 210 that deals with items that cannot be disclosed to the public. READ IT CAREFULLY AND SEE IF THIS ICMA REPORT FITS INTO THIS CATEGORY.

Click HERE.

What a disservice to the men and women on this police department. They deserve to have their issues discussed with the public. The community knows what is best for its community and its police, NOT SOME WASHINGTON D.C. CONSULTANT!! The message this sends is that the Town Government doesn’t trust or thinks the community is stupid or both!!

I read the Freedom of Information guidelines on what can or cannot be released to the public as far as this ICMA report goes and for the life of me, I don’t think any of this report should be private.  It is not a health issue, or a hiring or firing or salary or promotion. It basically was generic griping. You will  read the report when the town of Cheshire gets through “prettying it up.”

I know a lot of you told me you enjoyed the videos I posted from Youtube and the ones I made myself and my photos. I also tried to make UTH an expression of myself personally.  I do want to run again the link to Madonna’s “The Power of Good-Bye.”

This video was filmed in Malibu, California. Maybe some of you recognized the area.

“THE POWER OF GOODBYE”

Your heart is not open, so I must go
The spell has been broken…I loved you so
Freedom comes when you learn to let go
Creation comes when you learn to say no

You were my lesson I had to learn
I was your fortress you had to burn
Pain is a warning that something’s wrong
I pray to God that it won’t be long
Do ya wanna go higher?

Chorus:
There’s nothing left to try
There’s no place left to hide
There’s no greater power than the power of good-bye

Your heart is not open, so I must go
The spell has been broken…I loved you so
You were my lesson I had to learn
I was your fortress

Chorus:
There’s nothing left to lose
There’s no more heart to bruise
There’s no greater power than the power of good-bye

Bridge:
Learn to say good-bye
I yearn to say good-bye

Chorus:
There’s nothing left to try
There’s no more places to hide
There’s no greater power than the power of good-bye
There’s nothing left to lose
There’s no more heart to bruise
There’s no greater power than the power of good-bye

A SPECIAL MESSAGE TO ALL MY FRIENDS:

“THE POWER OF GOODBYE”

I thought I would post this item featured in “The Smoking Gun.” It features complaints about toll collectors from motorists who travel the Jersey Turnpike. If it weren’t so disgusting, it would be funny in a weird sort of way.

Click HERE for story.

I know the big talk around Cheshire is this ICMA report on the Cheshire Police Department. Hopefully, Town Council person Tim White will let us in on the skinny if he can. Most of the discussion took place in executive session (if not all of it).

I JUST READ TIM WHITES BLOG ON THE POLICE UNION CONTRACT. THE FIRST YEAR THEY GET NO RAISE!!   THE SECOND YEAR 2.o PERCENT.

IT REALLY IS UP TO THIS TEACHERS UNION IN CHESHIRE TO TAKE THE HINT!!! AS FAR AS THE DISPATCHERS GO-THEY NEED A GOOD CONTRACT AND A GOOD RAISE. WE CAN’T HAVE PEOPLE OPERATING THE DISPATCH THAT ARE NOT DISPATCHERS THAT DON’T KNOW HOW TO OPERATE EQUIPMENT. DO THE FIVE TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT VOTED AGAINST THEIR CONTRACT  GET MY DRIFT?? THAT IS ALL I WILL SAY ABOUT THAT!!

HERE IS AN INTERESTING ARTICLE ABOUT THE SITUATION WITH THE DISPATCHERS AT THE MADISON POLICE DEPT, MADISON CT. IT’S STRANGE-THESE DOCUMENTS WERE RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC AND IT INVOLVES PERSONNEL!!

Click HERE for story.

I am in the waning days of Underground Town Hall. I did export all of my files and did a screenshot. I will  miss Underground Town Hall, but I am moving on so that is how it is. I know now, this is the right time to let go. It just wasn’t before.

I thank all of my readers for their support. I am going to Kansas in a few months,  and I just found out that Kansas State will be freezing salaries among staff. Now, if this is happening here at a Top 10 university, I don’t see why the Union for the Cheshire Teachers can’t do the same.

In the spirit of that Sunlight website, I did come across a site that lists the top research Universities in the nation and their average Professor salaries. UCONN is fairly high up on the list with the average  research professor making approximately $113,000 a year. Kansas State is nearly at the bottom with the average salary hovering around $96,000 a year.

OMG-I know two “professors” if you will, at community colleges that MADE $10,000 a year MORE THAT THE AVERAGE  RESEARCH PROF AT K-STATE. AND K-STATE IS RANKED SIXTH IN THE NATION AND HAS HAD APPROXIMATELY 42 Rhode Scholars. The only two schools that have had MORE are YALE AND HARVARD!!

Also since 1986, Kansas State ranks first nationally among state universities in its total of Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, Goldwater, and Udall scholars.

All I can say to those nasty commenters-you couldn’t get into the MEN’S ROOM AT KANSAS STATE!!

Click HERE for Salary Comparisons at the “Very High” Research University facilities.

Speaking of research, do you know about LASIK surgery? Of course you do:

Among the university’s research facilities are the James R. Macdonald Laboratory for research in atomic, molecular and optical physics, the Konza Prairie Research area, and the NASA Center for Gravitational Studies in Cellular and Developmental Biology. The excimer laser, which made LASIK eye surgery possible, is among the inventions discovered in Kansas State’s facilities.

Other research facilities include:
*Insitute for Environmental Research
*The National Gas Machinery Laboritory
*TRIGA Mark II Nuclear Research Facility
*Semiconductor Materials and Radiological Technologies (S.M.A.R.T.) Laboratory
*Center for Complex Fluid Flows

Also, I know this isn’t a biggie, but YOU USE IT EVERY DAY-THE SNOOZE BUTTON ON YOUR ALARM CLOCK WAS INVENTED BY A K-STATE PROFESSOR!!

Kirstie Alley is a K-State graduate; so was Gordon Jump the Maytag repairman and WKRP in Cincinnati; Earl Woods, father of Tiger Woods, graduated from K-State; Marlon Fitzwater, former Reagan press secretary also Erin Brokovitch just to name a few.

I will keep posting until Friday. That will be my last post.

I wanted to put this information out before my blog REALLY GOES DOWN on Feb. 27th. I am keeping the domain name, but the blog will be gone. I know SOME OF YOU OUT THERE don’t believe it-but honestly I don’t know why you would even care!!! You can’t stand me or this blog BUT YOU KEEP READING IT!!

WHY???

I want attention.

OF COURSE I WANT ATTENTION YOU ASS!! YOU WANT IT TOO-EVERYONE WANTS ATTENTION-SOME ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS AT GETTING IT!!

I did this blog to inform-but I also did it to SHOW OFF AND ANNOY YOU-AND GUESS WHAT??

IT WORKED!! SO THERE!! NOW SHUT UP!!

Now to get back to business, years ago there was a sort of assisted living facility in Bridgeport called 3030 Park, aptly named because it was located on Park Avenue.  3030 was around since I was in high school ( and that was ages ago). The facility which was owned by the Methodists (now you get my point here), fell into financial difficulty and was bought out by the Freshwater Group.

The people who lived at 3030 would reside in their “apartments” so to speak. But after they died, the “apartment” would be turned back over to the Methodists.

I don’t know if this is what goes on at Elim Park with the apartments or assisted living aspect of it. I know some of the facility is skilled nursing, but the gentleman in the article below seemed to feel these apartments with the assisted living were TAXABLE.

Look, again it is not personal but I know the SOME OF YOU will always think otherwise-but the town of Cheshire NEEDS THIS TAX MONEY. The money needs to be given to the town, even if the town sets up a PILOT as they did with the Legionaries of Christ where the State pays the town a percentage of the value of the property after it was deemed an educational facility.

Elim Park is already paying “taxes” if you will but NOT TO THE TOWN. This money needs to be given to the TOWN and the TOWN should then be able to dole it out as needed.

But here is an interesting case: Legions of Christ v Town of Mt. Pleasant. The original decision by the Supreme Court of New York in 2001 (remember in New York, the Supreme Court IS THE LOWER COURT), stated that a “business” of a religious organization IS taxable. An appellate court REVERSED this decision and sent it back for further review.

Click HERE for Legions of Christ v Town of Mt. Pleasant.

There was a meeting conducted by the Bridgeport Economic Development Association to discuss the future of 3030 Park and the possibility of making this facility a PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) whereas the City would be able to collect some money from  the State for the facility.

The facility was non profit because of its religious affiliations.

I did find the minutes of this meeting. I am providing a link here-what is important is the opinion of one of the committee members who says “all housing MUST pay taxes under Title 12.”

Here is the link: (CLICK ON “VIEW AS  HTML” TO VIEW THE DOCUMENT.

OpenBook – City of Bridgeport

File Format: Microsoft Word – View as HTML
Oct 17, 2006 … PILOT for property known as 3030 Park Health Center … but he said under Title-

12, all housing had to pay taxes. …. Mr. Rudlinger said the new construction would be along Park Avenue facing Park Avenue going south. …
ci.bridgeport.ct.us/newdepartments/city_clerk/__…/2006-10-17.doc

We may lose and we may win, but we will never be here again.

The Eagles: “Take It Easy.”

I finally was able to upload the Fire Department Gift Account for 2010. I don’t have the ledgers for 08 or 09. I don’t know why I did not get them but I will ask for them probably early next week. I KNOW they are busy at the Finance office with the budget because they don’t want to have any overtime but this all should be kept up to date on a spreadsheet. I mean look, these people work hard no doubt, but we in Cheshire do have the LATEST software.

Anyhow, click on the link below. The ledger will pop up but it will be sideways. DO NOT CRICK YOUR NECK TRYING TO SEE THIS-I CAN’T EVEN SAY I WILL HAVE YOU GO TO MY FRIEND THE CHIROPRACTOR BECAUSE I DON’T WORK FOR HER ANYMORE (BUT WE ARE STILL FRIENDS–I THINK).

What to do is RIGHT CLICK WITH YOUR MOUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DOCUMENT-THE DIALOGUE BOX WILL SAY “ROTATE CLOCKWISE” CLICK ON THAT AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE DOCUMENT NORMALLY. OK??

ON SOME BROWSERS YOU MAY HAVE TO CLICK ON THE TOOLBAR RIGHT NEXT TO THE PLUS SIGN. THERE IS A LITTLE PAPER ICON WITH AN ARROW. CLICK ON THAT TO ROTATE THE PAGE.

Fire Gift Account 2-17-10

Now speaking of public safety, I did come across a good Web Seminar the Town of Cheshire SHOULD ATTEND!! IT IS SPONSORED BY OUR FRIENDS AT ICMA. Remember them?? They are the people who interviewed the rank and file at the Cheshire Police Department in an effort to come to some sort of solution regarding the “No Confidence” vote on the Police Chief several months ago.

According to our Town Government-we STILL do not have the report. YEP-I REALLY AM FALLING FOR THAT LINE!! NO-WHAT I THINK-WE DO HAVE THE REPORT-OH GOD-WHAT SHOULD WE DO???? OH NO–CHESHIRE MIGHT YES—LOOK BAD!! OH GOD FORBID.

What do these people who run this town think-people are stupid?? Come on-you have the report-let the public see it-WHAT IS THE WORSE IT COULD SAY?? REPLACE THE POLICE CHIEF???

Oh we can’t have that-it is too controversial-people won’t want to live here!!

OK-click HERE for “Asking your Fire Chief and Police Chief the Right Questions-And Getting the Right Answers.”

TOWN OF CHESHIRE-REGISTER NOW!!!!!

And YES that “baby cindy” photo under “Florida” is MOI when I was two years old!!! CUTE!!

Click HERE for U.S. Census Population Clock.

I received the Cheshire Fire Department Gift Account expenditures for 2010. I don’t have any balance or anything.  All I know is that they have spent $30,000 so far.

I will need a day or two to put the document in the computer. As you know, my blog WILL EXPIRE on February 27th. I have already made these arrangements. I do feel bad about it but it is time to move on.

When I was a young girl, I dreamed of being a newspaper reporter-and I WAS!! I really believed in what I was doing-informing people-giving them the news and the information they deserved to know. The pay was crappy but the people I worked with didn’t care-they really didn’t. The people I was associated with on the various newspapers I worked on-The Osage City Journal Free-Press in Kansas; the Norwich Bulletin; The Bridgeport Post-Telegram and the Amity Observer-DID NOT REALLY CARE ABOUT SALARY EITHER.

THEY BELIEVED IN WHAT THEY WERE DOING!!! They dedicated their lives to this-being a reporter 25 and 30 years ago  this was a way of life. I don’t know what it is today. I think it mostly is about getting ads sadly. Most of these papers are starting to look like an advertising bonanza.

I know someday soon, most newspapers will be gone. I hope I am not alive when that day happens. I really LOVED the newspaper business and I was honored to be a part of it. There is nothing like it-a new product every day. Being the first to know about an event and telling the rest of the world-it was GREAT!!

Even when I left the newspaper business, I always carried it in my heart and that is why I did this blog. It allowed me to continue to inform you and give my opinion WHICH WAS ALWAYS HONEST AND FROM MY HEART.

Whether you agreed with it or not, that was superficial. I did not have to run with the ball in this town-BUT I DID. I am not connected to Cheshire, I am not a public official, I had nothing to gain from this financially. It was just a personal satisfaction. I DID ENJOY IT.

It will be hard to move on-but I will. I know many issues will never be addressed again sadly. I hope all of you will go to the Town Council meetings, get involved with the Board of Education and Planning and Zoning. Exercise your right to be heard.

I want to thank my son Gordon for helping me with this blog. This was HIS CREATION-MY IDEAS BUT HIS TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND I WILL BE FOREVER GRATEFUL TO HIM.

Even though the Cheshire Town Council did not meet this past Tuesday-THE WALLINGFORD PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION DID!!

I know, I was there. The roads were AWFUL. I-691 was like the Twilight Zone about 2:30 in the afternoon. Tractor trailers stalled on both sides of the road, cars skidding. One van was in a ditch in the divider. Then around 5 p.m., I went to go down Rt. 68 in Cheshire and IT WAS CLOSED OFF!! So I had to go down that road by the reservoir. OMG!! people were skidding, getting stuck trying to go up that hill-that is because most people don’t realize that you don’t put the car in “D” when it snows. Put it in “2″

This stops the wheels from turning as fast. That is why I like driving standard transmission because you can control the rate of spin on the wheels and use your gears to slow down without having to hit the brakes.

Here is the photo taken on my cellphone while I was stuck on 691 Tuesday afternoon. You can see the van in the ditch. It was very icy and the roads were not plowed because this storm took everyone by surprise. We all thought it was over Tuesday morning-SURPRISE!! CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO ENLARGE.

Oh I forgot-when I got home this afternoon around 2 p.m. I got a call from the State of Connecticut’s Comptrollers Office regarding that $20 jury payment check.

The woman was very nice and she understood why I was upset. It wasn’t the money-it was just the idea that is what Connecticut and most states think of people doing their civic duty and more important-the crime victims. I told her-are the crime victims worth $20?? Is this the price tag you put on them?? Would a loved one of a murder or rape victim feel vindicated knowing this?? Is my time and the other jurors time worth just $20?? I told her my mom went to jury duty in the 70’s and got $10 a day!! HELLO!!

I told the woman I would rather the state admit they can’t pay for jury duty than to insult is with this measly pittance which ISN’T EVEN MINUMUM WAGE if you factor the travel time which I was not paid for and the lunch. At least the parking was free but the garage was four tenths of a mile away from the courthouse for God’s sake!!

I was told that the check would be re-issued to me because they could not void it out. I told her I would donate it to charity, probably to the Petit Memorial Fund which I feel so deeply about.

More on Thursday. Goodbye.