CAPT scores up across the board

It’s nice to see that West Hartford’s sophomores raised their scores in every category this year over last year’s performance.
Here’s the results:
MATH – 59.3 percent at goal this year compared to 56.8 last year
SCIENCE – 64.6 at goal this year compared to 63.9 last year
READING – 64 at goal this year compared to 62 last [...]

Hey mister, buy me a beer?

Years ago, long before my life turned to mowing grass and hanging curtains, I went to a cinema brewhouse where you could watch a bad movie and get soused at the same time. I dimly recall a bunch of drunken college students hooting at “Blue Lagoon” but perhaps that was at a plain old theater. [...]

Vacuuming up the leaves

Is there anything more ridiculous than the West Hartford Taxpayers Association?
It demands that we cut, cut, cut and then, when cuts are made, it screams NO! NOT THAT!
For Judy Aron, its vice president, to tell The Hartfor Courant that eliminating curbside leaf  vacuum truck pickup is “a direct hit on our senior citizens” is both [...]

The budget debacle

There’s something seriously wrong if taxpayers have gunned two straight budgets by wide margins.
So what is it?
One could argue that the problem is that town leaders are simply trying to spend more money than residents are willing to support. This clearly has some truth to it, but it’s simplistic.
Another alternative is that people are struggling [...]

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 [...]

What’s up with West Hartford’s closets?

I’m sort of afraid to peer too deeply into that funny old closet beside my dryer that I can’t open because the machine’s in the way.
After all, police found a kidnapped girl living in a closet under the stairs in a house in Elmwood not long ago. And now we find out that a doctor [...]

Dodd, Obama score most West Hartford donations

The Washington Post helpfully breaks down presidential fundraising by town, so we can see who’s getting what from West Hartford donors.  
Third Quarter 2007 & 2007 Fundraising by Candidate

Candidate
Q3 2007
Overall

Chris Dodd
$5,752
$104,352

Barack Obama
$5,039
$36,032

Hillary Rodham Clinton
$2,360
$6,760

John Edwards
$1,250
$7,450

Bill Richardson
$1,000
$1,500

Joe Biden
$0
$500

Fred Thompson
$1,250
$1,250

John McCain
$1,030
$1,830

Rudy Giuliani
$900
$1,150

Mitt Romney
$80
$1,056

Jim Gilmore
$0
$500

Duncan Hunter
$0
$250

Cowabunga!

As if an influx of nasty rats wasn’t enough, our town’s also been invaded by giant, multi-colored plastic cows. I can’t explain what’s going on anymore.

Monster rats in West Hartford?!?

“Lots and lots of rats” are invading the Charter Oak neighborhood in Elmwood, according to today’s Hartford Courant.
“A rat problem that resulted in occasional complaints to health officials has spread over the past 18 months, leading officials to step up efforts to contain the rodents, which Mayor Scott Slifka called a public health [...]

Take that, Mr. Frosty!

From the latest West Hartford News:
In a lighter moment during this week’s meeting, Town Councilor Chuck Coursey reported that he and Mayor Scott Slifka met with the owner of Mr. Frosty Ice Cream, the local ice cream truck company, and requested that the volume of the music be turned down.
“The music is too loud,” said [...]