Entries from January 2008

January 19, 2008

Goodbye, Superintendent Sklarz

 The town’s $188,000-a-year school superintendent, David Sklarz, is retiring in June 2009.
Sklarz, 61, has done a commendable job dealing with the town’s conflicting demand of maintaining a great school system without hitting people up for more money to pay for it. That’s tough work.
But he’s also been too secretive and too polarizing, failing to pull [...]

January 15, 2008

Abandon town manager form of government?

The town government’s entire structure could be overturned.
At least some politicians are seriously talking about the possibility of throwing out the town manager form of government that has guided West Hartford for years in favor of a system that relies on a strong mayor.
The motives behind the discussion are murky but at least part of [...]

January 9, 2008

10-year plan needs public input

Just want to help make sure people are aware of this one, because dull as it sounds, it’s actually a crucial planning document that will make a real difference in our town’s future: 
Community Forum
PLAN OF CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Wednesday, January 16, 7:00 PM
West Hartford Town Hall, Room 400
The West Hartford Town Plan & Zoning Commission has begun [...]

January 9, 2008

Connecticut Democratic primary

Wow, our votes may matter.
I’m in the awkward position of liking most everyone in the race, though I worry that John Edwards is too flimsy for the job. Obama and Clinton are terrific speakers and embody something drastically different and better even if they say nothing at all.
Bill Richardson is great. I trust that whoever [...]

January 9, 2008

The Connecticut primary, Republican edition

I keep imaging a group of Republican business leaders sitting around in Washington trying to figure out which of these candidates angling for the GOP nomination could possibly be worth investing in.  They’re all seemingly decent — except for Rudy, of course — but they seem so lightweight and doomed. The bigshots must be beside [...]

January 9, 2008

Let’s get rolling again

Without my colorful, useful calendar from the town — discontinued to save money, without any warning at all — I only just realized that it’s 2008 and that this blog needs some attention.
It looks like we’re going to have a ton to talk about, from a looming redistricting to how much to tip a peddle [...]