June 24, 2011 at 12:04 pm by John Schwing
The bickering between the two candidates seeking this year’s Republican nomination for first selectman over debating each other appears to have ended. At least for now.
Representative Town Meeting member David Becker and Board of Finance member Robert Bellitto over the last few days engaged in what has now become something of a tradition in American politics: the chicken dance over who’s more scared — or more desperate, depending on you how look at it — to engage the other in what usually evolves into a highly scripted form of political theater.
Well, when the smoke cleared — well, it may have generated a wisp or two — and the tsk-tsking and the nah-nahhing subsided, the candidates announced late Thursday that the great showdown will take place Monday, July 11, in the main branch of the Fairfield Public Library. It gets under way at 7:30 p.m., and gives local Republicans a chance to size up the contenders before the July 19 caucus to select their party’s slate of candidates for the November election.
And even non-Republicans are invited, say the organizers.
June 21, 2011 at 1:22 pm by John Schwing
Graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2011 at both of Fairfield’s public high schools commence Thursday evening.
The commencement exercises get under way at 6 p.m. on the respective campuses of Fairfield Ludlowe and Fairfield Warde high schools.
The weather forecast, however, is not promising — rain and possibly thunderstorms are possible. On both sides of town!
If bad weather forces the ’11 graduations indoors, both will take place in the schools’ gyms.
Here’s hoping the skies don’t rain on those pomp & circumstance parades.
June 16, 2011 at 10:00 am by John Schwing
Here’s the district-by-district breakdown of the vote in this week’s referendum on the Fairfield education budget. The overall tally was 4,311 “yes” votes in favor of restoring $800,000 to the education budget and 3,553 “no” votes. The referendum fell short of the 8,640-vote threshold the “yes” voters needed for the count to be valid. Overall voter turnout was only 22.78 percent of roughly 34,500 voters.
- District 1: 345 yes, plus 5 absentees
486 no, 19 absentees
23.07 percent turnout
- District 2: 570 yes, plus 3 absentees
446 no, 13 absentees
26.57 percent turnout
- District 3: 388 yes, plus 6 absentees
405 no, 13 absentees
21.42 percent turnout
- District 4: 524 yes, plus 8 absentees
300 no, 6 absentees
29.47 percent turnout
- District 5: 237 yes, plus 4 absentees
159 no, 8 absentees
13.99 percent turnout
- District 6: 443 yes, plus 5 absentees
266 no, 6 absentees
20.54 percent turnout
- District 7: 390 yes, plus 6 absentees
285 no, 8 absentees
22.03 percent turnout
- District 8: 464 yes, plus 8 absentees
366 no, 7 absentees
22.62 percent turnout
- District 9: 448 yes, plus 4 absentees
354 no, 19 absentees
23.67 percent turnout
- District 10: 450 yes, plus 3 absentees
373 no, 14 absentees
23.86 percent turnout
June 15, 2011 at 9:59 am by John Schwing
The stretch of Route 136 in Fairfield is closed this morning for several hours after an excavator being loaded onto a trailer tipped over into a ditch sometime after 9 a.m.
There were no injuries in the incident, according to Fairfield police.
The road has been closed to facilitate removal of the construction equipment.
June 14, 2011 at 3:52 pm by John Schwing
“What we got here is … a failure to communicate.”
That very memorable line is from the macho movie classic, “Cool Hand Luke.” The 1967 film also gave Paul Newman one of his best-known roles.
“Luke,” and some victuals besides, are featured fare at the next Guys Night Out program set for Friday evening at the Fairfield Public Library. Things get under way at 5:30 p.m. with food and the movie unspools at 6:30 p.m. on the library’s very imposing 120-inch, high-definition projection system complete with surround sound and Blu-ray player. And the food’s no less impressive, with salad, flank steak, tortellini, wild rice salad, cookies and more provided by Fitzgerald’s Fine Catering of Bridgeport.
It’s all free, but registration is required. Sign up here. But, library officials say, the move is not very appropriate for minors.
June 13, 2011 at 5:16 pm by John Schwing
It’s the only poll that counts.
Referendum voting Tuesday on whether to restore the $800,000 cut by the Representative Town Meeting from Fairfield’s 2011-12 education budget takes place Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the following polling places:
District 1: Fairfield Senior Center, 100 Mona Terrace
District 2: Burr Elementary School, Burr Street (a change from the usual poll at St. Pius School)
District 3: Dwight Elementary School, 1600 Redding Road
District 4: Osborn Hill School, 760 Stillson Road
District 5: McKinley School, 60 Thompson St.
District 6: Fairfield Warde High School, 755 Melville Ave.
District 7: North Stratfield School, 190 Putting Green Road
District 8: Holland Hill School, 200 Meadowcroft Road
District 9: Fairfield Ludlowe High School, 785 Unquowa Road
District 10: Sherman Elementary School, 250 Fern St.
June 10, 2011 at 1:06 pm by John Schwing
Polishing off another school year, students in the woodworking program at Fairfield Warde High School will host the annual exhibit of their handiwork Tuesday, June 14.
The event, open to the public, will feature a range of projects in wood fashioned by the students, including furniture, over the course of the year under the guidance of teacher John Kassay.
The exhibit is open from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the wood shop of the school at Melville Avenue and Knapps Highway.
June 6, 2011 at 9:23 am by John Schwing
A little bit of history will unfold Thursday night in Fairfield.
A rare gathering of elected officials — all from the same political party and all whose terms on town boards are not “staggered” — will gather at 7 p.m. in McKinley and, barring an extremely unexpected twist, will vote to name Board of Finance member Michael Tetreau as the town’s interim first selectman until the November general election.
This “gang of 18” Democratic officials, ranging from a selectman to a constable, will be filling the remainder of Kenneth Flatto’s term as first selectman, cut short when he left in May to take a job as director of special revenue for Gov. Dannell Malloy’s administration.
This process is mandated under state law when, as was the case when the remaining members of the Board of Selectmen — Democrat Sherri Steeneck and Republican James Walsh — could not agree on appointing an interim official by last Wednesday’s deadline.
State elections officials could not remember the last time this obscure law has been used to tap a community’s top official. So, be a part of history and witness this idiosyncratic chapter in nearly 400 years of Fairfield’s history. It’s one for the record books … regardless of how it plays out.
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