Or not.

A January 23 Norwalk Hour story said that the 9,180-square foot property, on 2.73 acres at the corner of Wilton Road and Newtown Turnpike, was “poised to change hands and become the new home of Chabad Lubavitch of Westport.”

The Three Bears was a famed restaurant/inn — with 6 fireplaces — from 1900 until February 2009. It reopened for about 5 seconds as Tiburon restaurant, but the property was soon abandoned. Weeds sprouted on the once-stately site.

The Three Bears, after abandonment.

According to the Hour, John Zervos of DVB Commercial Realty said that Chabad — an Orthodox sect based in Brooklyn, and by some estimates the largest Jewish organization in the world — was “not planning on changing the outside, and the inside works really well for them with the big open spaces of the dining rooms.”

The Hour paraphrased Zervos as saying that while the group had already moved their offices into the new space, they had not yet applied for permits with town officials “to use the space as a religious institution in order to officially close the deal.” (They appear to be leasing, not buying, the building.)

The Three Bears, in its heyday. (Postcard/Cardcow.com)

The story noted that Westport’s Planning and Zoning Department received a complaint on January 4 from a neighbor “regarding activity taking place at the former restaurant.” A January 11 inspection revealed work being done on the premises without permits.

A letter sent January 13 cited violations of zoning regulations, said P&Z director Laurence Bradley. Chabad’s attorney requested a 30-day abeyance for more time to submit paperwork. It was granted, giving the group until February 23 to file its application.

Bradley noted, “they have been working and doing things without a permit. It’s been a restaurant since probably before there was zoning, so if they want it to become a synagogue, they will have to go through an extensive review and public hearings.”

Chabad attorney Ken Gruder told the Hour that the space will be used for an outreach group that includes prayer services, educational programs and religious discussions.

“It’s not a synagogue in the traditional sense, it’s so much more,” Gruder added.

But the story does not end there, with applications simply pending.

Yesterday afternoon, I received an email from a longtime Westporter. Attached was a letter the resident sent a day earlier to Bradley.

The interior of the Three Bears, also from its glory days. (Postcard/Cardcow.com)

It said: “Without proper permits for use of the premises as an office or house of worship, the group appears to already be working in the building, often at night, although the nature of their activities are unclear.” Apparently, there are 6 to 10 cars there each night.

The resident added that an “extremely bright outdoor security light in the parking area” was infringing on neighbors.

The writer expressed concern about traffic, parking and wetland impacts, and noted that the building — currently enjoying a “pre-existing approval for non-conforming use as a restaurant in a residential area” — would need a new P&Z approval process for any change of use.

One more concern: exterior alterations to historic building.

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-94), famed Chabad leader.

In the email to me, the resident added more information: Several years ago Chabad was embroiled in a lawsuit in Litchfield, over proposed renovations that would turn a Victorian house in the town’s 1st synagogue. At one point, according to the Register-Citizen newspaper, Chabad filed suit against the town in federal court, alleging anti-Hasidic prejudice.

Right now, Chabad occupies a house on Kings Highway North that faces the medical complex.

Will they apply for permits by February 23? Will there be hearings — and if so, how contentious will they be?

Will Chabad move a mile or so up Wilton Road? Will the site of what was once Westport’s oldest restaurant become our town’s newest synagogue-or-something-like-it?

And why — despite a story last month in a Norwalk paper — is no one talking about this in Westport?

As the newly elected members of the Planning and Zoning Board — Chip Stephens,  Cathy Walsh, Jack Whittle and Al Gratrix — we all want to thank you for your support, trust and faith in our campaign promise to you that we will do our very best to PRESERVE WESTPORT for you and generations to come.

We hope to deliver a more transparent and interactive board that will listen to you, the citizens of Westport, and your  concerns and suggestions.  We want your voices to be heard, and we will abide by the plans, rules and Town Plans that have served us so well in maintaining the charm and vision of Westport.

Thank you Save Westport Now for your endorsement.  Thank you Republican Town Committee for your endorsement.  Thank you to all who came out and voted, and thank you to all who are leaving their positions on the P and Z for your service and dedication.

We 4 will do our best to uphold our pledge to Preserve Westport.  We promise to listen and consider all proposals brought to us over the next 4 years, and to judge each application with an open mind and fair hand.

We will do our best to understand the wishes of those that elected us and will welcome any and all suggestions .   Please join us at the meetings live or on cable. Please keep us real and on track with your opinions via email or in person.

We will do our best to make your decision one you will never regret

Thank you from all 4:
Chip Stephens
Cathy Walsh
Jack Whittle
Al Gratrix

Ahead for the new P&Z: many decisions about Westport's future.

The Planning and Zoning Commission has been overturned.  An unlikely cross-endorsement of 4 Republicans by Save Westport Now — which, according to Republican Town Committee chairman Bob Zappi is “99% Democratic”– resulted in the election of all 4 candidates:  Catherine Walsh, Chip Stephens, Al Gratrix and Jack Whittle.

The Board of Finance swings to Republican control too, with the addition of Mike Rea and John Pincavage, plus incumbent Tom Lasersohn.  Democrat Janis Collins is in, but incumbent Ken Wirfel is out.

The Board of Education remains in Democratic hands.  Democrat Michael Gordon joins incumbent Mark Mathias.  Also elected is Republican Jennifer Tooker; missing the cut is Jeanie Smith.

What does this all mean for Westport?  Click “Comments.”  Please keep all insights civil.  Try to stay on-topic, and avoid personal attacks.

We’re all still Westporters — and all in this together!

(Graphic courtesy of League of Women Voters)

It’s an off-year election.  Local races never matter.

Right?

• Everyone knows the budget gets set in back-room negotiations.
• The Board of Ed will make the same decisions about curriculum, classroom sizes, start times, standardized tests, salaries and everything else no matter who’s on it.
• Nothing the P&Z says will stop developers and homeowners from doing what they want.
• WTF is the RTM?

So definitely, don’t vote on Tuesday.  Far better to stay home.

And use the time writing letters to the editor (and emailing “06880″) complaining about everything that’s wrong with our elected officials.

Whether we vote or not, Westport will still be a lovely, leafy suburban community. Or an ugly, overbuilt town. (Photo/FromtheAir.com)

But the Board of Ed is important.  It’s the biggest part by far of the town budget, as we all know.

Still, it takes an involved citizen to sift through position papers, and listen to board candidates natter on about ERGs, CAPTs and whatnot.

If you want to know more, though, there’s one event you shouldn’t miss.

It’s this Wednesday (November 2, 7-9 p.m., Staples High School library).

It’s a “forum” — not a debate — and even better, it’s sponsored by an organization that has a true stake in this election:  Staples Student Assembly.

Someone who’s been to a past forum calls it “the most interesting” pre-election session.

“Others are scripted and boring,” this education-watcher says.

“At Staples they asked about teaching intelligent design, open campus and other good topics.”

Herman Cain is not on the Westport Board of Ed ballot.  But — if we’re lucky — a high school student or two might come up with questions that elicit Cain-like answers that reveal something fascinating about this year’s candidates.

For better, or worse.

No one knew what the 2nd half of the 20th century would bring — but the town had already begun moving toward something different, modern and new.

A group of women wanted to influence the future.  They were smart and energetic — and, despite their many responsibilities as housewives and mothers, they found time to work for Westport.

That year — sitting around a tea set in Mrs. Wolcott Street’s Myrtle Avenue home — they formed a chapter of the League of Women Voters.

Over the next 6 decades, the organization grew — in numbers and influence.  The LWV helped determine the structure of the nascent Representative Town Meeting (RTM); later, the League made sure there was open space on the Post Road, and led the crusade to “green” it.  Look at the Post Road today in Westport — compared to neighboring Norwalk — and you’ll see the lasting effect the LWV has had on our town.

League of Women Voters members, 1966.

Two years ago John Hartwell — an LWV member (it’s not just for men anymore!), who was taking video production classes at Norwalk Community College — was asked to tape a coffee celebrating the Westport chapter’s 60th anniversary.  Four former LWV presidents were scheduled to speak.

A detached retina forced John to cancel.  To make amends, he promised to interview the 4 ex-presidents in their homes.

The stories he heard — and the careers the LWV launched — amazed and inspired him.

Julie Belaga

For example, after her League presidency, Julie Belaga served in the Connecticut Legislature, ran for governor, served as New England director of the EPA, and was appointed by President Clinton to the Export-Import Bank.

Jackie Heneage went on to serve 2 terms as first selectman — the 1st woman ever elected to the post.

Pat Porio had a long career after her service as president.

By the time John interviewed the 4th woman — 5-time LWV president Lisa Shufro — he realized there were many more voices to be heard.  He vowed to direct a video — and asked Lisa to produce it.

Sixteen more interviews followed.  There were visits to the house where the League was founded.  Hours and hours of footage — and hundreds and hundreds of stories — had to be edited down to the final 43-minute product.

Two themes emerge from “A League of Their Own.”  One is how the LWV empowered so many women.  For example, Martha Aasen went on to become the national organization’s official observer at the UN; she then worked full-time there.

Ann Gill was a major force on Westport’s Planning and Zoning Commission for years.  The list goes on and on.

From left: Marty Hauhuth, Ann Gill, Barbara Butler, Mary Jenkins, Jacqueline Heneage -- LWV members, and accomplished women all.

The 2nd major theme is the impact the LWV had on Westport.

The video debuted at the League’s annual meeting in June.  It was shown at the Westport Library in September, and Senior Center earlier this month.

Always, the feedback was the same:  Wow!

Women interviewed for the film were impressed how well their stories were told.  Other viewers remarked how much they learned about the League — and Westport.

Seeing and hearing about women who have gained so much from the LWV — and in turn have given so much back, to their town and country — brought tears to the eyes of some.

You can watch the film now:  click here.

Or you can go to the Westport Historical Society this Sunday (October 30), for a showing.  Afterward, 2 of the League’s living legends — Jackie Heneage, and Selma Miriam (a leading proponent of Project Concern, and the founder and longtime owner of Bridgeport’s Bloodroot restaurant and bookstore) — will talk, and answer questions.

The video’s title is a pun on the League of Women’s Voters — and the 1992 film about women’s professional baseball — but it aptly describes the role of this organization in the life of our town.

For 6 decades, Westport’s LWV has been in a league of its own.

A screenshot from "A League of Its Own."

The subject line read:  “HELP – Please forward to anyone and eveyone you think supports our proposed zone chnage and future development and would be willing to participate – THANK YOU”

In it, Waldman outlines his proposals for a zoning change for 35 Church Lane (next to the Y); his vision for other nearby properties, and his thoughts on current and potential Planning and Zoning Commission members.

“06880′”s previous post on 35 Church Lane drew 95 comments.  This one might surpass that.

Friends and Colleagues,

I am sending this email with the hope that you will consider sending a letter to the Chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission, similar in nature to the sample letters attached.  I have attached two versions, one for local landlords or business owners and one for residents (if you are not a resident I apologize but hope you will consider passing this on to your friends who live in Westport who would supportive of our zone change and future project).  Please feel free to modify this sample letter so it reflects your views (with the hope that those views are still supportive of our proposal).  We would also welcome personal supportive letters to the editors of the local papers prior to the meeting on the 20^th.

Next week, on Thursday, October 20th, the partners of Bedford Square, of which I am one, are going in front of the board to seek approval to change the current zoning on 35 Church Lane from RORD to BCD.  Our partnership purchased the property in late 2010 with the hopes of combining it with our redevelopment of the YMCA.

35 Church Lane

The re-zoning is just the first step which would allow us to create a more vibrant project for the downtown area.  Assuming we are successful with the zone change, and subsequent public meetings to follow, the proposed project could have over 100 underground onsite parking spaces, 35+ residential units, substantial public space, courtyards, outdoor dining, pathways and connections from Elm Street, Church Lane and Main Street, as well as additional small shop retail, restaurant and office space moving down Church Lane and rounding the corner at Elm Street.

As part of the development team and a resident of Westport for over 40 years, I, as well as my partners, care deeply about the character of our town and its overall success.  We are well versed with how adaptive re-use and preservation can be achieved and complemented as well as the principals of smart growth and sustainability.

I am currently working on the restoration of 101-107 Post Road East (soon to be the new home of Urban Outfitters) as well as the restoration of 26-28 Church Lane (soon to be the home of a new restaurant owned and operated by the operators of the Grey Goose).  I was also involved with the restoration of 87 Post Road East (home to Patagonia and recipient of both local and federal preservation awards).  I was part of the development team which repurposed 125 Main Street(home to the new Gap and Brooks Brothers Women) and continue to work hard to make Downtown Westport a better, more vibrant and active place.

Work proceeds on the new Grey Goose restaurant on Church Lane, across from the Y.

I realize that many of you may have questions before you decide to send in a letter supporting our zone change and I would be happy to answer any of those questions either in person, by email or by phone.  If you are willing to send in a letter, please make sure it gets to Mr. Corwin before the meeting on the 20^th.

Also, and equally as important, there is an upcoming election for the Planning and Zoning Commission which will help shape the future of the downtown area.  Three members of the current commission are stepping down opening up the opportunity for their seats to be occupied by potentially “obstructionist” members who do not understand change nor want it to occur.

In particular, Jack Whittle and Chip Stephens are these type of people.  If elected, they could impede the positive momentum our current commission has set in place.  They want the commission to remain a reactive body instead of a proactive body.

The other candidates, Jennifer Johnson, Catherine A. Walsh and Al Gratix are all reasonable, intelligent candidates who understand smart growth and want to create a successful, vibrant downtown.  For all those interested, there is a debate on Monday the 17th at town hall between all the candidates.  I believe this debate will be televised on Chanel 79.

Patagonia anchors the area of downtown embroiled in debate.

I implore you to get the word out about the candidates who should and deserve to fill the soon to be vacated seats on the P&Z.  In particular, Jennifer Johnson has a long and solid background in planning and, like Catherine and Al they want to see positive change in the downtown area.  They want to see our riverfront opened up to the public, they want to see vibrancy, an additional tax base to lessen the blow on residents.  They deserve your vote but need your help in ensure they can win.

Thank you again for your consideration.  Our project, like all the projects me and my partners have been involved with, will be of the highest quality in terms of material, diversity and sustainability and hopefully something all residents and visitors of Westpoer will be proud to have in the Downtown area.

Sincerely,

David A. Waldman
President
David Adam Realty, Inc
Suite 200
Westport CT 06880
203-221-8148 ext 220 (office)
203-856-9674 (cell)
David@davidadamrealty.com

But in District 1 there’s a guy who so wants to be elected, he’s conducting a write-in campaign.

Marty Bell never thought of running.  In fact, despite living here since 1983, he has been active in — by his own admission — “zero town events.”

Marty Bell

That’s not to say he’s a slacker.  A businessman (and Vietnam vet), he’s  involved in a variety of efforts to bring new jobs to Connecticut.  But his political experience is nada.

Nevertheless, after the filing deadline he was approached by 3 RTM members, plus someone on a town board.  All asked him to run.

He was flattered.  And promptly said no.

But — like any good businessman — he did his due diligence.  He learned that the RTM (the Representative Town Meeting, for those of you with the same political involvement as Bell) has “influence and approval powers,” but no legal jurisdiction.

That appealed to him.  “I want to influence things — not change them,” he says.

Ballots have already been printed, so Bell’s task is to get his name in front of district voters.  He’s designing a brochure, and will give it people he knows.  He hopes they’ll pass it along to others.

“It’s a mathematical gamble,” he says.  “But I want to be the voice of positive change.”

Founded more than 50 years ago, the RTM is a vestige of New England’s old “town meeting” tradition.  We’ve outgrown that “Our Town”-type government, but we haven’t moved on to something as bureaucratic as a town council.

Throughout Connecticut, RTMs are endangered species.  Yet we hold fiercely to ours.

And — at least in one district — one man feels a sudden urge to be part of our representative democracy.

Even if his name must be written in by hand, the old-fashioned way.

(Want to know what RTM district you’re in?  Click here.)

That Sunday, 4 feet of water filled the streets.  A bit seeped into the garage.  But the house had been raised by the previous owner, so there was no damage inside.

Like the rest of Westport, the Williamses waited for power to return.

At 8:30 Tuesday night, it came back on.

Pumps throughout Saugatuck Shores roared to life at once.  Tremendous pressure filled the sewer line.

A check valve — attached by a hose and clamp — is supposed to prevent outside sewage from flowing back into the tack.

Dan’s clamp failed.  It ripped off the line.  Sewage poured into the tank at enormous speed — and found the closest exit points.  They were a pair of 1st-floor toilets, and a tub.

Sewage shot out “like a volcano,” Dan says.

And it kept coming.

“There was no way to shut it down,” Dan says.  “We tried to shut the power off — nothing worked.”

The house was destroyed.  Everything on the 1st floor was lost.

It finally stopped only when the 130 or so tanks in the neighborhood were empty.

Into the Williams’ house.

His “wonderful” neighbors rushed over.  The used shovels, brooms, mops — anything to get the estimated 6,000 to 9,000 gallons of sewage out of there.

“I can’t thank them enough,” Dan says.

He has harsher words for the sewer line engineers.

“There should have been 2 check valves,” Dan notes.  “In the planning stages, one of my neighbors was an outspoken opponent of only 1 check valve.  And he’s a pump expert — that’s his job.”

A small part of the damage to the Williams' home.

The Williamses — Dan, his wife Stacy, 2 teenage girls and an 11-year-old boy — vacated their ruined home immediately.  They stayed with friends for a couple of weeks.  Now they’re in a rental house.

His kids are “better,” he says.

But Stacy is “an absolute mess.  This was her home, her decorations.  It’s all gone.”

Dan did not go to work for 3 weeks.

“No one knew what to do,” he says.  “We had to figure everything out.  We had to rip the house apart, start reconstruction, get a cleaning company to verify it will be okay — there was so much to do.”

His insurance company was no help.  “They were inundated” after the storm, Dan says.  “Getting someone here was a headache.  It’s been almost impossible to talk to anyone.”

What about the town?

“What about them?” Dan counters.

Brian Thompson — the Public Works Department’s lead engineer on the project — “did a wonderful job holding my hand that night, and the day after,” Dan says.

“But he’s the only one from the town I’ve heard from.”

The pump manufacturer — E/One — has already replaced area residents’ setups with stronger hoses and clamps, Dan says.

No one from the company has contacted him.  “I’m sure they’re lawyered up, waiting for me to come after them.”

Dan says that he has heard the town will put in 2nd check valves — at no cost to homeowners.  However, he adds, “if you haven’t hooked up to the system yet, you have to pay for (the 2nd valve) yourself.”

“We’re coping as best we can,” Dan says.  “On a good day, we can smile.”

Yet, he notes, “I still can’t wrap my head around what I need to do to go forward.

“How do I make sure my family and property will be okay?  Who verifies that?

“Will my house be devalued?  What if someone in my family gets sick?

His family, he says, is “heartbroken.”

Meanwhile, their home has been gutted down to studs and beams.  Rebuilding could take 4 to 6 months.

Reconstruction is underway on the ruined interior.

Insurance covers their rental.  But, Dan says, “they say we’re 100% covered for damage.  But we don’t know.  Can we just buy new furniture?  Will they say our contents were depreciated?

“This is the 1st time I’ve had to deal with tearing a house apart — with deconstruction and reconstruction.”

Dan spends his days talking with insurance agents and lawyers — and trying to talk with town officials.

“There’s not a lot of help,” he says.  “It’s unbelievable.”

“Not a lot of help,” he repeats, unbelieving.

Yesterday, a longtime Westporter reacted with relief.  And a plea.

He addressed this open letter to all “06880″ readers:

When I was in school, textbooks called China a “sleeping dog.”  The giant would arise some day — but until then, let sleeping dogs lie.

Those words were prophetic.

Also when we were younger, there was passion among Westporters when outsiders threatened us.  United Illuminated wanted to build a nuclear power plant on Cockeone Island. Bloomingdale’s wanted to build on the baron’s property (now Winslow Park).

Westporters rallied, and beat them back.

Over the next 3 decades Westport seemed to fall asleep.   Very little activism seemed to be present — except for occasional McMansion debates, the Y discussions and a few others.

That changed this week.

Downtown Westport -- with not a 6-story building in sight.

This month the spirit of Westport arose like a phoenix.  We pushed back against the P & Z, as our own elected officials in a bit of an overzealous move tried to push through an amendment that would have allowed 60-foot buildings in order to accommodate a movie theater in town.

Over 2 nights Westporters flocked to the Town hall to express 2 loud and uniform messages:  They would love a movie theater (as they loved Fine Arts 1-4), and Westport likes the way it looks and exists in a small-town downtown where 60-foot buildings do not fit.

As Mike Calise put so well, we let things get out of hand in the 1960s and ’70s with lax regulation.  We ended up with the Wright Street building, the current Gap building (125 Main Street), the Riverside Avenue 4-story buildings and the one on Charles Street.

New rules stopped that madness, and we thank those who took that step.  Without it, Westport would look much different now.

The P & Z and developers today seem intent on undoing those rules, with the theater overlay amendment (now dead),  the 6-story proposed building next to the Y, a 4-story parking garage on the Baldwin lot, and other projects proposed downtown and on the Post Road.

After the amendment was withdrawn last night, I feel Westport will rise to the challenge of the next battles.  It was a proud moment for us long-timers still around.

Maybe the P & Z should take a lesson from our old textbooks:  Let sleeping dogs lie.

“Hot” as in “turning Westport into a hot spot.”

Or “hot” as in “people are outraged.”

This evening at Town Hall (7 p.m.), the P&Z considers “text amendment 637.”  The bureaucratic-sounding term is a proposal for a “Theater Overlay Zone.”

That‘s policy-talk for a new zoning concept.  It would remove setback and height restrictions, permitting buildings up to 6 stories in downtown Westport.

It would also increase the square footage of certain commercial buildings, from the current 10,000 square feet to 50,000 square feet.

Any new theater downtown will not look like the old Fine Arts (now Restoration Hardware).

A driving force behind the proposal is the desire for a movie theater downtown. The amendment would not require additional parking if the theater is located within 500 feet of a municipal parking lot with at least 3 spaces.  Parker Harding Plaza, the Baldwin lot (behind Williams-Sonoma) and the Imperial Avenue lot all qualify.

The text amendment pleases Westporters who say a movie theater would revitalize downtown.

It displeases Westporters — including some circulating a petition against it — who say a 6-story building would destroy that same downtown.

So far, the text amendment/zoning issue has not gotten much press.

After tonight — no matter what the weather outside — Westport’s political temperature will rise.

Now Hadley Rose, Eileen Flug and Patty Strauss want you to run.

Run for the RTM, that is.

Hadley is RTM moderator.  Eileen is deputy moderator.  Patty Strauss is town clerk.

That’s all you need to know.  Really.

Serve on the RTM with Eileen Flug -- and many other talented, creative, concerned Westporters.

Okay, it helps to know that the RTM is the Representative Town Meeting — Westport’s 36-member legislative body.

You should also know that of the 9 districts, there are several uncontested races — in fact, some do not even have enough candidates to fill every spot.

It’s easy to say “I don’t have the time.”  Well, no one does.  But plenty of folks make time — monthly evening meetings — to serve their town.  And to have a direct impact on everything from human beings to dogs and deer.

It’s easy to say “I’m not a politician.”  Great!  The RTM is non-partisan.

It’s easy to say “I don’t know enough about Westport.”  What better way to learn about the town?

It’s easy to say “It’s okay.  Someone else will run.”

But if you decide to throw your hat into the (pretty small) ring, here’s how:

First, pick up a petition at the Town Clerk’s office.  After gathering 25 signatures of registered voters in your district, return the petition to the Town Clerk by Tuesday, September 13.  Once the returned petition is certified by the Town Clerk, your name will be placed on the ballot as a candidate to represent your district.

How easy is that?!

Today, the Town of Westport takes over Wakeman Town Farm from GVI.

Mike and Carrie Aitkenhead — the couple whose contract as “town farmers” was not renewed, leading to a townwide controversy and the resignation of 5 Green Village Initiative board members — have agreed to volunteer at the farm.

“They will be a very visible presence,” promises Elizabeth Beller, who heads the transition team.

The "GVI" sign may come down, now that the town has taken over operation of Wakeman Farm.

The transition group plans to continue the farm’s popular programs.  Mike’s Staples High School horticulture class will work at the farm; Staples’ Club Green, and the middle school environmental clubs, will also work there after school.

The full transition team will be appointed by first selectman Gordon Joseloff.  Former GVI members will be included.

Already, team members have met with the Board of finance a member of the Friends of Parks and Rec to discuss the umbrella organization that will help the Town Farm retain its not-for-profit status.

Additional meetings are scheduled for early next month.  That will pave the way for a $20,000 fundraiser.

“The Board of Finance naturally has questions about funding and capital expenditures,” Elizabeth says.  “The town wants assurances that the farm won’t cost them anything.  Right now, things look very good, and very positive.”

(A training session, for anyone interested in volunteering at the Wakeman Town Farm, is set for next Sunday, August 28 (9:30 a.m.).  Mike Aitkenhead will lead the session.  For more information, email elizbeller@gmail.com)

A new board will be appointed once the transition is complete.

The transition team welcomes involvement from the entire community during the transition, and beyond.  Interested volunteers should email Elizbeller@gmail.com

Westporters are encouraged to volunteer for the Wakeman Town Farm transition committee. (Photo/Inklings)

Manny Margolis

An attorney with a lifelong devotion to civil liberties and civil rights, he brought a draft refusal case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court — and won.

As a member of Westport’s Planning and Zoning Commission, Manny was a strong advocate for low and moderate housing regulations.

He and Estelle — his wife of 52 years — spent years at peace vigils in Westport.  They began during the Vietnam War.  For the past 6 years they’ve stood on the Post Road bridge, protesting the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Besides his wife, Manny is survived by 5 children and 10 grandchildren.

Services will be held this Friday (August 19, 10:30 a.m.) at the Abraham L. Green Funeral Home in Fairfield.  Shiva will be at 72 Myrtle Ave., Westport, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., Friday through Sunday.  A memorial service will be held later.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Connecticut ACLU:  2074 Park St., Hartford, CT 06106.

—————————————————

I would like to write some nice words about a great man.  But Manny’s grandson Jonah did a far better job, a few months ago.  Last December, “06880″ ran this tribute from the 17-year-old to his grandfather.  I introduced the story this way:

It’s a standard school assignment:  Interview someone, then write about it.  The idea is to develop interviewing skills, learn history from someone who lived it — and then connect what you learned with the world.

I can’t imagine anyone carrying out that assignment better than Jonah Newman.  The 17-year-old son of Staples graduate Abby Margolis was asked — by his American Protest Literature teacher in California — to find people who had been politically active.

He did not have to look far.  His grandparents — longtime Westporters Estelle and Manny Margolis — define the term.

Here’s part of what Jonah wrote:

As far back as I can remember, Emanuel and Estelle Margolis — my maternal grandparents — have been a part of my life.  Every year my parents, my brothers and I join the rest of the Margolis clan at my grandparents’ home in Westport, Connecticut to celebrate Passover.

The house occupies a special place in my heart — like its own timeless world it remains the same every year, as comfortingly consistent as the presence of the two people who have lived there for five decades.  Perhaps it is because I have known my grandparents for my whole life that until recently, I had rarely thought about their rich backgrounds as political activists.  I discovered that my grandparents, who participated in many of the key social and political movements of the 20th and 21st centuries, are the very definition of living history.

Emanuel Margolis and Estelle Thompson (“Papa” and “Buba” respectively) were both born in New York City in 1926.  Papa, whose father and stepfather were both rabbis, came from a conservative Jewish family.  He was highly academic, and attended University of North Carolina, Harvard graduate school and Yale Law School.

Manny Margolis always appreciated his military service.

When he was only 18 years old, Papa fought in Germany during World War II. He was wounded in the knee at the Battle of the Bulge.  He returned to college after the war thanks the G.I. Bill, and it was at UNC that he began his career as a political activist.

Papa’s experiences in Germany changed his perspective about the world and catalyzed his transformation into a political activist upon his return to the United States. Because of his religious Jewish background, he had never thought about becoming an activist; he had been assured God would make the world better.

“World War II dispelled myths about my life,” he says. “Previously, there had been no reason for me to be involved in political activity because I believed in the power of God to solve the problems of the world.” His view of life was shattered by the reality of war.

He remembers seeing a Reader’s Digest article that said “there are no atheists in foxholes,” and calling it nonsense.  The war had “changed [him] from a religious believer to an atheist.”

With the dissolution of his belief in God came a “great yearning for activism and political activity.” “I now believed,” Papa says, “that the world needed changing, and we could change the world.”

Returning to UNC after the war, Papa found a much greater social awareness at the school.  He began writing for the school newspaper about current issues, and joined several activist organizations on campus.  At one point, Papa and other veterans used the organizational skills they developed in the military to protect a group of desegregationist bus riders from a mob armed with baseball bats and 2-by-4s.

Becoming an attorney after college in many ways inhibited his activism, since the profession demands exclusive and objective devotion to the law. However, Papa notes, “a lawyer can play a very important part in helping ensure the protection of rights.”

Throughout his life, Manny Margolis' opinions were sought after, and respected.

He continued fighting for his political beliefs, specifically human rights.  He repeatedly argued in support of Constitutional principles, in particular the First Amendment.

He even defended the Ku Klux Klan’s right to march publicly, contending that it was expression of free speech. After the U.S. became involved in the Vietnam War, Papa helped young people who had been arrested while protesting the war argue their cases in court, again invoking the First Amendment.

From his marriage to Buba in 1959 until the present day, Papa has persisted in his political activism.  He is a regular columnist for the Connecticut Law Tribune, often writing about political or human rights issues. He has been a dedicated participant in anti-war protests, from Vietnam until Iraq and Afghanistan, with his wife and family.

He believes that the reason so many people support war is because they do not understand it. Having fought in a war himself, Papa firmly believes that “war is a monstrosity” that wreaks emotional damage on all involved, including those on the home front. About the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Papa asserts that “even the GI’s do not know their mission…they haven’t the foggiest idea about what they’re trying to accomplish…We’re spending trillions on wars that have no foreseeable ends.”  Though he is 84 years old, Papa’s continued activism supports the principle that humans can indeed “change the world.”

Papa and Buba fervently believe America and the world are fundamentally good.  We just need to fight to keep them that way.

A portion of the crowd -- primarily Staples students -- protesting the Viet Nam war in 1969. (Photo/Adrian Hlynka)

For nearly 10 years, America’s all-volunteer military has fought 2 costly, controversial wars.

Protests have been muted.  A few people stand on the Post Road bridge every Saturday morning.  Someone writes an occasional letter to the editor.

At Staples, high school students — few of whom even think of serving — scarcely give Iraq and Afghanistan a passing thought.

How different things were in 1969.  Vietnam was a quagmire — and Westport was up in arms, on both sides of the issue.  Loud anti-war protests took place at Town Hall every Saturday.  After 3 hours of raucous debate the RTM passed — 17-15 — a resolution asking immediate action to withdraw from Southeast Asia.

Many Staples students — though certainly not all — were fervently anti-war.  On October 15, 1200 students — joined by some from the 3 junior highs — celebrated a national Moratorium Day.

They — actually “we,” because I was among them — marched from the Staples tennis courts, down North Avenue and Long Lots Road, all the way to the steps of the YMCA.

The long line of marchers headed downtown. The A&P was near what is now the firehouse; the Esso gas station is now a Phillips 66. (Photo/Adrian Hlynka)

We carried American flags and wore buttons saying “Peace Now” and “Hell No, We Won’t Go.”  Along the way, other students threw eggs at us.

At the Y, we listened to speeches (including one by Iowa Senator Harold Hughes).   We waved our fingers in the peace sign.  We looked around, and were stunned at our numbers.

A year earlier, we had helped drive Lyndon Johnson from the presidency — but our new president was Richard Nixon.  Finally, in 1973, a peace treaty was signed.  Two years later the last Americans were evacuated from the U.S. Embassy roof.

In 1969, Adrian Hlynka was a Staples student.  A gifted photographer, he took dozens of shots on Moratorium Day.  Here is what it looked like to protest a war, more than 4 decades ago.

A portion of the crowd in front of the Y. The Fine Arts Theater (now Restoration Hardware) was showing "Alice's Restaurant" and "Medium Cool." Police stood on the roof next door. (Photo/Adrian Hlynka)

More of the enormous downtown crowd. The current Max's Art Supplies is on the extreme left; what is now Tiffany is at the far right. (Photo/Adrian Hlynka)

Rabbi Byron Rubenstein of Temple Israel addresses the crowd from the steps of the Y. (Photo/Adrian Hlynka)

The crowd was predominantly -- though not entirely -- made up of Staples students. (Photo/Adrian Hlynka)

A Staples student states his case. (Photo/Adrian Hlynka)

Junior high students joined Stapleites at the 1969 Moratorium rally. (Photo/Adrian Hlynka)

Members discuss boat mooring fees, make sure the golf course sprinklers work, then head down to Compo to pick up dog poop.  It’s all good.

Tomorrow night’s meeting should be pretty interesting, though.

A simple-sounding agenda item –

To take such action as the meeting may determine relative to Parks and Recreation Department policy for use of Town athletic fields

– has got many folks worried.

On both sides of the field.

Westport youngsters learn lacrosse through town programs -- and private ones.

Representatives of private organizations — soccer clubs, camps and the like — fear the Rec Commission will clamp down on their field access.  Right now, they rent  space when it’s not used by town sports groups and Staples teams.

Other people think the Rec Commission — driven by the need to increase revenue — will liberalize its policy on outside use, squeezing out Westport kids in favor of outsiders.

Whatever the outcome, it’s bound to be a more exciting night than last week’s UConn-Butler snoozefest.

The Westport Transit District added maxytaxys.  Anyone could call for a ride anywhere — but the buses picked up other riders too, so getting from Point A to Point B could involve trips to Points C, D, E, F and G along the way.

By 1992 though, declining ridership, inefficient operations and deteriorating equipment caused near collapse of the system.  The RTM reached out for help.

Though the Westport Transit District still exists, it has no employees or paid administrators — not even a bus.  The Norwalk Transit District operates our system, providing great economies of scale.

Westport mass transit has 4 components:

• Fixed routes: Buses that run to and from the Saugatuck and Green’s Farms train station, all around town.
• Commuter shuttle: Buses that run between Saugatuck station and the Imperial Avenue parking lot.
• After-school shuttle: Buses that run from schools to the Y, library and downtown, stopping at churches along the way.
• Door-to-door service: Buses that provide rides for elderly and disabled riders, including physical assistance.

Last year, the WTD counted just under 100,000 trips.

The annual cost to operate Westport’s bus system is a bit over $1.3 million.  However, the town pays only $281,000.  The rest of the funds — 80% or so — comes from fares, and (mostly) state and federal matching grants.

Last week, the Board of Finance voted to cut $100,000 from the Westport Transit District’s proposed budget.  Combined with the subsequent loss of matching grants, the district would lose about 35% of its funding.

If those cuts are sustained, some tough decisions must be made.

“Who do you pick to go?” asks Jim Hood, volunteer co-director of the WTD.

“The schools?  People might say parents or neighbors could drive their kids.

“The trains?  People could say, why can’t they get there on their own.

“The elderly and infirm?  Well, people could say, those buses are inefficient and expensive.”

The dilemma, Hood says, is that “mass transit systems are a service, not a business.  They run at a loss all across the country — but they’re there because they’re important to people.”

A commuter pick-up at the Saugatuck station.

Hood compares transit with another government service:  the fire department.  “Do you divide the number of fires each year by the number of firefighters and the cost of the equipment?  Of course not.  We have a fire department because it’s necessary.”

Some politicians have suggested a fare increase.  Hood says that won’t help much.  Laws regulate how much the fare can be raised — and half of all riders buy Metro-North UniTickets, offering discounts for both trains and buses.  The WTD has no say over those prices.

“It’s easier said than done, but Westport has to figure out if it’s the kind of town that wants this,” Hood says.  “This,” he explains, is “a service for people — some of whom need it as an economic necessity.”

Once mass transit it cut “drastically,” Hood notes, ridership drops dramatically.  That has a domino effect.  Soon there is no service at all.

Bus riders are just learning of the proposed cut, Hood says.  As they do, they realize its impact.  Some are asking why the reduction is so steep.

The next step, Hood says, is a Board of Finance restoration meeting.  The RTM can also restore funds.  He hopes members of both bodies will “hear about the effects, and make an informed decision.”

If restoration fails, Westport’s mass transit riders will have to figure out a new way of getting to the station, getting downtown after school, getting around if they’re elderly or handicapped.

In other words, they’ll have to start reinventing the wheel.

Last night’s Board of Finance vote on the education budget featured none of the fuming and fulmination that sometimes characterizes Westport’s own March madness.

Instead, members of both parties went out of their way to praise the Board of Education‘s work — and that of the town’s teachers and administrators.

The  finance board then voted unanimously to cut just $250,000 from the proposed operating budget — coming from technology, not personnel — and also unanimously passed the total education budget of $112.42 million (which includes aid to private and parochial schools, long-term debt service, and debt service on bond anticipation notes).

Also unanimously, the Board of Finance approved the total town budget of $178.64 million.

It was all over in little more than an hour.  No finger-pointing.  No rancor.  No bile or bluster.

Senators, congressmen:  Are you listening?

Last night's Board of Finance meeting was like the Peaceable Kingdom.

The Board of Finance — and, later, the RTM — will examine various cost centers.  They’ll hone in here, ask questions there, and may suggest further cuts.  It’s a springtime ritual, one folks in Tunisia and Egypt and Libya would die for (quite literally).

Before all the hand-wringing and finger-pointing begins, here are some thoughts:

Westport is not at the top when compared to similar districts. In fact, since the economy tanked we’ve been a leader in minimizing year-to-year increases (only Weston is lower).  And of all the towns in our “district reference group,” we’ve got the lowest requested annual rate of increase.

More than 82% of the budget is driven by salaries and benefits. In fact, the entire 2.36% increase requested is applied to contractual salary increases owed to employees.  The Board of Ed is asking for nothing more.  Union contracts requiring approval beyond the Board of Ed were passed overwhelmingly by the Board of Finance and RTM — and led to greater contributions by employees toward health care costs.

Over the past 2 years, there’s been a $3.6 million budgetary shortfall in the area of contractual salaries. The result has been reductions in the music and gifted programs, staff cuts in elementary schools and libraries, deferred maintenance and more.  The Board of Ed anticipates 865 employees next year — 6 fewer than this year.

Inevitably, Person A will ask why we have “x” program.  Person B will explain its importance, and question why instead we have “y.”  Person C will know that both “x” and “y” are valuable, but not say anything because it is much easier to criticize than praise.

Inevitably too, someone will note that I am an employee of the Westport school system.  That is true.  I do several things, on a part-time basis.  I earn a few thousand dollars a year from the Board of Ed.  I get no benefits — certainly not retirement.  I pay 100% of my own health insurance.

Much has changed since Horace Staples donated a high school to Westport. But his vision for a top-rate education lives on throughout town.

But I am willing to pay my fair share of the education costs (and of the entire town budget, though that’s not the topic of this post).  I know the tremendous value our schools provide for kids today.  I appreciate what they did for me, back in the day.  I know how much more in taxes my sisters in Westchester County and New Jersey pay (and don’t get the one in Gov. Christie’s state started on what’s happening there).

I know how much more — proportionally, and in some cases actually — people in neighboring towns and cities pay, for school systems that don’t come close to ours.

The debate this spring should not be about the failures of America’s educational system generally, or a bad experience one person’s child had one year with one teacher.  It should be about whether we believe Westport schools — in a wide variety of ways and, working under a staggering set of demands and for a broad range of constituencies — are preparing our children to live in, work in, contribute to and help change a dizzyingly challenging world.

And, if we believe that, whether the Board of Ed budget is a worthwhile investment in that future.

Our civic discourse is usually civil; when it’s not, it’s less along Democratic or Republican lines than other, more personal issues.

Our RTM is non-partisan.

Our Congressional district has a history of electing good, hard-working, normal people — of both parties.  And we’re proud of the job they do representing all of us.

But Westport is the site of an initial meeting of No Labels.  That’s the grassroots organization working to end the toxic tone in Washington (and many states and districts).

The group’s “Declaration” explains:

We are not labels – we are people.  We care deeply about our country.  We are frustrated and concerned about the tone of politics.  We are passionate about addressing America’s challenges.

We are Democrats, Republicans and Independents.

Most importantly, we are Americans.

We believe hyper-partisanship is destroying our politics and paralyzing our ability to govern.

We may disagree on issues, but we do so with civility and mutual respect.

We believe in the vital civil center — a place where ideas are judged on their merits.

We believe that together we can make the future better and brighter — and give us what we all deserve — a government and a political system that works — one driven by shared purpose and common sense.

We believe our politics can change, so that government will work again and produce better results.

The consequences of inaction have never been greater, because the issues we face have never been more serious, more complicated, or more dangerous….

We must put our labels aside, and put the issues and what’s best for the nation first.  A promising future awaits us.

The 1st No Label organizational meeting for Connecticut is set for tomorrow (Monday, Feb. 7), from 6:30-8 p.m. on the 1st floor of the MetLife Building, 57 Green’s Farms Road.

The public is invited.  No matter how you label yourself, you’re welcome to attend.

(For more information, click here.)

Charlie Haberstroh

Charlie Haberstroh is one of the genuinely good people in Westport.  The 60-year-old, 2-decade Westporter — a 2-term Board of Finance member, former RTMer, longtime Rotary leader and sports volunteer — is the Republican Town Committee nominating committee’s choice to fill a vacancy on the board of selectmen.  If approved by the full RTC, and then the 2 Democratic selectmen, Charlie would replace Gavin Anderson, who resigned for health reasons.

Charlie was not looking to leave the finance board — especially not during budget season. But 7 years is a long time.  I can’t begin to fathom what all those loooong meetings – filled with mind-numbing numbers and interminable speeches by passionate yet repetitious town officials and common citizens — does to the human brain.

Board of selectmen meetings may be quicker and less contentious, but they are just as important as Board of Finance gabfests.

“I’ve run my own asset management firm for 10-plus years, and was a manager for most of the 30 years I worked for other finance firms prior to founding my own,” Charlie told “06880.”

“The Town of Westport has many challenges over the next few years, including increasing pension and medical obligations, as well as anemic economic revenue growth at best.

“I can help try to rationalize expenditures, and look to try to make government work more efficiently.  I know the Westport school system well, and may be able to help integrate like functions.”

Charlie knows there is no magic wand.  The key is “hard work to try to do more with less.”  The other option:  “Westport runs the risk of turning into the other very high-taxed New York metropolitan suburbs.”

Selectmen are frequently caricatured (okay, by me) as dealing solely with stop signs.  Most Westporters know the selectmen only as proclamation-proclaimers.  Though the duties of the 2nd and 3rd selectmen (the former runs for office on a ticket with the 1st selectman; the latter is the loser with the most votes) are to advise the 1st selectman on all aspects of town government, and approve town contracts, the value of the 3rd selectman depends on the willingness of the 1st selectman to use his or her expertise.  The 3rd selectman’s status as the lone representative of the other party ensures that chances for dramatic votes are slim.

“I have every confidence that the (current) 1st selectman has the intellect and confidence” to use the 3rd selectman’s skills and expertiese effectively, Charlie says diplomatically.

So what about running for 1st selectman himself, in 2013?

“I have no political ambitions,” Charlie says.  “I run my own firm, and do not believe that will change in 3 years.  I can only do the best job I can for the town as 3rd selectman.

“Westport has been very good to my family during the 20-plus years we’ve lived here.  During that time my wife (Westport Department of Human Services coordinator Patty) and I have tried to give back to the community in any way we can.

“My goal has been to leave whatever organization I am involved in in better shape than when I began with it.  If I can do that in the 3rd selectman position, I will be very satisfied.”

Gavin Anderson leaves some big shoes to fill.  Charlie Haberstroh is one man who can step right into them.

Fortunately, the Westport board of selectmen is not the United States Congress.  Gordon Joseloff is not Harry Reid; Shelly Kassen is not Nancy Pelosi.

And — though he loves to golf — Charlie Haberstroh is most definitely not John Boehner.

“06880″ looks forward to Charlie’s quick approval next Tuesday by the Republican Town Committee, and soon thereafter by Harry and Nancy Gordon and Shelly.

There were no Wiis, no Kinects, no big screens or joysticks. In the early 1980s, FIFA 2011 was 2 decades in the future.

But Westport had Arnie Kaye. And no history of video games would be complete without him.

Arnie Kaye was larger than life — literally. A hulk of a man — 350 pounds is charitable — he wanted to build a video arcade on the Post Road. The site was the current location of Balducci’s.

In October 1981, the Planning & Zoning Commission rejected his initial proposal. They cited insufficient tree plantings and buffer space, and lack of parking.

A battle royale ensued between the town (and Green’s Farms Association), and Arnie Kaye. It reached the state Supreme Court — but not before Arnie Kaye chained himself to Town Hall. (He was unchained and arrested 10 minutes later.)

Arnie’s Place opened on June 14, 1982. Three weeks later, a Superior Court judge ordered it closed. But within a month it reopened, with a zoning permit allowing up to 50 video games.

Arnie Kaye installed 80. The fight continued.

This was Arnie's Place -- Vegas and teenage nirvana, Westport style. Note the baby in the stroller, hopefully unharmed by early exposure to video games. This photo ran in the November 1984 edition of Electronic Games Magazine, and is now on ArniesPlaceArcade.com.

For the next 10 years, Arnie’s Place was — depending on who you talked to — either the greatest place in town, or the symbol of everything wrong with teenagers, Westport and America. It was glitzy. It was gaudy. It was — gasp! — a video game arcade.

There was more, of course — pool tables, foosball and air hockey — but the video games were the centerpiece. Each standing alone in a wood and copper cabinet, they’ve been described as “seven rows of teenaged nirvana.”

Young kids flocked to Arnie’s — some with their parents’ blessing, some without. An adjacent ice cream parlor — Georgie Porgie’s — attracted plenty of families. Others boycotted the place.

Arnie Kaye outfitted kids in town with t-shirts during his legal battles. Many parents were no doubt horrified at what their children wore.

Arnie loved the controversy — and fanned its flames. Thumbing his nose at the town that had done the same to him, he threatened at times to turn Arnie’s Place over to Hell’s Angels — and to make it a porn theater.

Finally, on September 18, 1994 — done in by changing tastes as well as a decade of litigation — Arnie’s Place closed.

I know all this not because I was an Arnie’s Place fan — I never set foot in the place — but because Peter Caylor has created an online tribute to the video game emporium of his youth.

“Welcome to Arnie’s Place” is a website whose appeal is narrow but deep. The relatively small number of kids growing up in Westport in the 1980s who hung out there will enjoy it. Video game history savants will probably appreciate it. If you’re interested in the history of Westport, you might glance at it.

Yet what visitors find is intriguing.

There’s a brief history, which I have stolen liberally from (above).

There’s a comprehensive list of games. Apparently, Arnie’s was “about the only place in Connecticut (for) unusual titles like Krull or Journey.” There was also “plenty of room for sit down or cockpit games like Turbo.”

The list of games “verified” by more than 1 person, or a photo, runs alphabetically from APB to Wizard fo Wor. The “need to verify” list starts with 720, and ends with Vs. Super Mario Bros.

Brett, Aiden, Chris and Jesse play Gauntlet during Brett's birthday party in 1988. Arnie's was a favorite place for SOME birthday parties.

The goal is to create a 3-D model of Arnie’s Place — complete with playable games. It’s a work in progress.

Wandering through the site, it’s hard to imagine how something as innocuous as a video game arcade could have so consumed the town’s time, energy — and legal resources — for over a decade.

It did not turn Westport’s tweens and teens into derelicts, or juvenile delinquents. Kids who hung out at Arnie’s stayed in school, graduated, and had real lives for themselves. One even created a clever website about the place.

Kind of puts today’s debates about teenage texting, Facebook use and — yes — video game playing in context. Right?

The choices for Congress are between incumbent Jim Himes and challenger Dan Debicella.  Yet I didn’t need to read a word of the flyer to know who to vote for. 

The color photo of Debicella portrayed a handsome, smiling, obviously very competent guy.

The grainy, black-and-white shot of Himes showed a frothing-at-the-mouth lunatic.  I like the guy, but this scared the crap out of me.

A few hours later, a friend showed me a “Dear Independent Westport Voter” mailing he’d just received. 

Labed “Voter’s Guide,” it looked like one of those rational, objective League of  Women Voter’s, um, “Voter’s Guides.”  I’m always eager to learn more about the men and women seeking my vote, so I read on.

I learned that Debicella “Actually listens to people.  Sharp and personable.  He gets it.” 

Himes, on the other hand, is “Unbelievable, Elitist and Condescending.  The worst of non-representation.”

One typical politician...

I found more:  Senatorial candidate Linda McMahon is “Obviously not a politician or indebted to special interests or unions.”

Her opponent, Richard Blumenthal, though, is a “Career Politician of the type that got us into this mess….Got his name on the ballot twice!”

I’ve met State Senate candidate John Hartwell several times, and have always found him to be pleasant, reasonable and well-informed.  However, I now understand he is “Out of touch making outlandish attacks.”

Fortunately, we have 2 State Representative candidates who are on the ball.  By amazing coincidence both are Republicans, running in different districts.

...and another.

Nitzy Cohen (Dist. 136) “Gets it.”  DeeDee Brandt (Dist. 133) is even better than Nitzy.  DeeDee is “Sharp.  Gets it.  Knows her details and knows the numbers.  Knows them exceptionally well.”

So who should I thank for providing such a detailed Voter’s Guide?

The fine print said:  “This educational effort has been prepared and funded by a collection of voters (Independents, Democrats and Republicans) who share concerns for our country and state….We wanted you, the independents, to have these details available.  We ask you to review the attached, make informed decisions and vote to restore some balance.”

Thanks, anonymous mailing guys!  I saw this just in time.

There’s no telling how many reckless, uninformed, and flat-out wrong decisions I might have made today without this very informative “Voter’s Guide”!

The small-town, homey banners provide valuable information on upcoming events — and they’ve done so in an eye-catching, relatively unobtrusive way for years.

The bottom line is, of course, to add to the town’s bottom line.

But at what cost to hard-working, understaffed and underfunded groups and charities that need all the publicity they can get?

One of the many events that depends on Main Street publicity.