Thursday, March 11, 2010
Westport's Green Task Force adopts an alternative route to help finance the green initiatives it recommends to the town.
In my last column, I took a look at how the state budget crisis potentially impacts Connecticut's green future. At times, sustainability goes beyond the environment and is all about the monetary green – dollars and cents. Green initiatives are investments with short-, mid- and long-term returns. And while our town administrators have the best of intentions and have begun making investments in our future (when possible tapping state and federal funding), unfortunately all too often towns like Westport do not have the resources to fully commit to the sustainability investments we should be making. Last week, Westport's Green Task Force took a step forward in addressing this issue. On March 3, the task force adopted a resolution to …
Westport, Weston and Wilton held a joint candidate forum for local residents to meet and question those interested in being governor.
From bringing tolls back to the state and analyzing expenditures to creating jobs and consolidating services, four Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls told Westporters Wednesday night how they would address Connecticut's $3 billion to $4 billion annual deficit. It's an issue each candidate or potential candidate — some are still in the exploratory phase — sees as a top priority for the state's next governor. Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi, former Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy, Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont and Simsbury First Selectwoman Mary Glassman are all vying for that post and made their intentions known at a candidate forum held by the Democratic Town Committees of Westport, Weston and Wilton. In welcoming the crowd, Westport …
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Monday, March 8, 2010
First Selectman Gordon Joseloff says there are still many unanswered questions.
First Selectman Gordon F. Joseloff and Hopes With Hope have asked to withdraw the application to the Planning and Zoning Commission requesting an extension of its lease on the town-owned Linxweiler Property to build supportive housing. "It is apparent there are still many unanswered questions about the application and that it needs modification if there is going to be any neighborhood buy-in," Joseloff said in a statement, adding he had passed the request on to the commission. "We are deeply grateful for the work Homes With Hope does for those in need in Westport and hope that it will find a way acceptable to the community to continue to expand its services." The nonprofit organization, which helps the homeless in Westport, Weston and …
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Westport, Wilton and Weston will host two candidate forums, one each in March and April.
ELECTIONS|Monday, March 8
The Democratic Town Committees of Westport, Wilton and Weston are pleased to announce that they will be hosting two Democratic Candidates Forums. The first forum, scheduled for March 10, will include the candidates for Governor. Each of the possible candidates will present a brief overview of their qualifications and participate in a question-and-answer session. The second forum, scheduled for April 19, will include the candidates for Attorney General, Secretary of the State, Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer and Comptroller. Both forums will be held at 8 p.m. in the auditorium at Westport Town Hall. "This is an important election this year and the Town Committees of the three towns want to ensure that not only the members of their town …
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The inn's future is uncertain.
The Inn at National Hall closed its doors today, according to inn manager Marco Degl'Innocenti. "The owners have decided to shut down," he said of Antares NH LLC, a Stamford real estate firm that purchased the hotel in 2006. Antares said today it would not comment on the inn's future at this time. The opulent hotel occupies all but the ground floor and is one of five buildings in the town's Historic Design District Zone, located at Post Road West and Wilton Road. In addition to the hotel, Antares purchased three other buildings in the historic district in 2006. The company has suffered severe financial problems as a result of the worldwide downturn in real estate values. In December, the Planning and Zoning Commission approved a zoning …
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Inn at National Hall
2 Post Rd W
/articles/inn-at-national-hall-to-close
23600
/locations/303223
Friday, March 5, 2010
Governor Rell announces $40 million of state road and capital repair funds, about $193,000 of which will go to Westport.
Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that $30 million to fund local paving projects and road repairs and an additional $10 million for local capital improvement projects is expected to gain approval when the state Bond Commission meets March 16. About $193,000 is expected to go toward Westport projects. Governor Rell said the $30 million in Town Aid Road (TAR) funding and $10 million in Local Capital Improvement Program (LOCIP) funding has been highly anticipated by cities and towns. "We all know we are in the midst of a very difficult budget year," Governor Rell said. "It is a tough year for the state and for towns, but we will not overlook our local governments' needs. All 169 municipalities are impacted by this funding. Many have …
Many oppose the proposed future plans for the Linxweiler property.
From quoting Scripture to stifling silent expressions of free speech, Thursday's Planning and Zoning Commission meeting focused on a lengthy and emotional discussion of the Interfaith Housing Association Homes with Hope's plans for supportive housing on the Linxweiler property. Joanna Linxweiler gifted her 1.3 acre property at 655 Post Road East to the Town of Westport in 1981 with the hope that it remain a green space on highly-traveled commercial corridor, according to her will. For the past 25 years, the nonprofit organization Homes with Hope has leased the property from the town and has used the five-bedroom home that exists there to serve first as a halfway house for men and most recently as transitional housing for single mothers. …
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Thursday, March 4, 2010
Questions raised over donations.
GOVERNMENT|Thursday, March 4
The Hartford Courant is reporting that Westport resident G. Kenneth Bernhard has resigned as chairman of the state ethics board over prohibited campaign contributions he made in 2008 totalling $250. Read the report here.
Finding efficiencies is necessary in a year when the town needs to tighten its belt, members say.
When it comes to the budget, "the good old days are gone," says Board of Finance member Brian Stern. The board met Wednesday for a public hearing regarding the 2010-2011 municipal and education budgets. At the meeting, First Selectman Gordon Joseloff requested an overall town and education budget of $174.8 million, which is a 3.88 percent increase over the current year. The figure represents a town-side increase of 7.6 percent and an education increase of just over 2 percent. Board of Finance members said Joseloff's proposed budget allows for new employees, which some say the town can't afford this year when it needs to tighten its belt and focus on funding pension liabilities. At workshops last week, the board indicated it was 'troubled' …
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/articles/board-of-finance-says-budget-needs-more-work
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Monday, March 1, 2010
Solar Panels are to be installed soon at Staples, but will there be more such projects in Westport as the Governor looks to tap clean energy funds for deficit borrowing?
With our state swimming in red ink, and an economy still struggling to get up off the mat, Governor M. Jodi Rell has again proposed raiding the state's Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) and Energy Efficiency Fund (CEEF) to balance the budget. Her plan is to use these monies to fund borrowing for a period of at least 10 years. The energy funds are the backbone upon which all clean energy and efficiency programs in Connecticut are built, including some in Westport. Despite the lack of fanfare and attention the governor's move has gotten, it is fraught with peril for our community and state, endangering green jobs. It's ironic that a year ago, these are the very jobs Governor Rell (along with 11 other governors) lobbied President Obama about in a …
41.15364
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Staples High School
70 North Ave
/articles/the-sustainability-corner-red-ink-endangers-green-jobs
23582
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Sounds like more of the same to me. more taxes! more spending! when will these people wake up? more ›