The town/schools spending plan for 2013-2014 includes a $3,516,054 town government budget, a $373,620 capital expenditure plan, and a $4,182,373 appropriation for Chester Elementary School. The town’s $4,257,893 share of the Region 4 education budget had already won voter approval in a May 7 referendum.

Due to drops in student enrollment at the elementary school and fewer students from Chester attending the two Region 4 secondary schools, education spending for 2013-2014 dropped by more than $450,000. The drops in enrollment allowed the board of finance to authorize a one-half mill decrease in the tax rate to fund the total town/schools spending plan. The tax rate will drop from the current 22.45 mills to a rate of 21.95 mills. The new rate represents $21.95 in tax for each $1,000 of assessed property value.

On a series of voice votes, the town meeting authorized $273,580 in transfers from various items in the capital expenditure plan to create a total available capital expenditure fund for 2013-2014 of $647,200. Voters then authorized funding for seven capital projects, including $30,000 for town hall computers, $338,435 for road and sidewalk repairs, $56,200 for emergency electric generators for town buildings,  $50,000 for a fire company vehicle replacement, $100,000 for repairs to the firehouse roof, $54,000 for repairs to the elementary school roof, and $4,000 for administrative expenses for the Main Street Project committee.

Voters also amended a town ordinance on issuance of permits for properties with unpaid back taxes. The existing ordinance barred the issuance of any town permits for improvements to any property where taxes are towed to the town. First Selectman Edmund Meehan said the board of selectmen had decided to “provide some flexibility,” to the permitting ordinance for situations where a property needs emergency repairs, such as after a fire or storm damage, and the owner lacks funds to immediately pay off a tax bill before obtaining a permit.

“It can be a Catch 22 for a property owner,” Meehan said, adding the provision in the amended ordinance would “be used very sparingly.” The amendment allows the board of selectmen to grant relief from the requirements of the permitting ordinance “in cases of exceptional circumstances affecting the welfare of the residents of the property or in the interests of the public health and safety.” The new provision would only apply to residential property,.

The Essex lawn signs pictured along Main Street, opposite Champline Square, along Grove Street and next to Book Hill Road.

There is a smoldering controversy about the “kid safety” lawn signs that have been posted along the streets of Essex recently.  All the signs carry the same message, DRIVE LIKE YOUR KIDS LIVE HERE.

The sign postings are the work of the Essex Police Department with the assistance of the Essex Boy Scouts. To date the Police Department has distributed dozens of signs to Essex residents, although a few appear to be coming down because of local protests.

For example, there used to be lawn signs out in front of Essex Town Hall and the Essex Library, but now they have disappeared.

A Sign Enthusiast Speaks Out   

One of the sign posters who is proud of her positing is Luisa Kreis Whiting, who lives on Main Street. “I love the signs,” she says. However, she adds, “Some people in town don’t like them.”

In encouraging the posting of the signs, the Essex Police Department has gone about it very carefully. Signs are only given to a home owner who requests one. It is not like the haphazard postings of campaign signs during election time, or the real estate “open house” signs, which also sometimes go up without permission.

Police lawn signs in Essex with their message, DRIVE LIKE YOUR KIDS LIVE HERE, most likely will be around for awhile.

The budget appeared to win approval on a voice vote only minutes after it was presented, with no questions or discussion from the crowd. But First Selectman Richard Smith asked for a paper ballot vote based on a public commitment made by the selectmen and finance board when the panels decided last month not to schedule a referendum vote on the budget. Some voters said they were not aware the voice vote was the final deciding vote on the spending plan.

Deep River has been voting on budgets by referendum since a contentious budget season in 2001. But declining voter turnouts in the annual referendums led the board of selectmen to decide last month to return to a town meeting vote on the budget.

The budget plan includes a $4,094,439 town government budget that includes $348,060 in debt service and $43,000 for capital expenditures. The total spending package also includes a $5,511,158 appropriation for Deep River Elementary School, and the town’s $5,160,924 share of the Region 4 education budget that was approved in a May 7 referendum. The total spending package will require a 0.40 increase in the  tax rate, for a 2013-2014 tax rate of 25.08 mills. The new rate represents $25.08 in tax for each $1,000 of assessed property value.

The LOCAL VOICES at the Ivoryton Library reading event (left to right) State Representative Phillip Miller, Pamela Nomura, Beverley Taylor, Joan Wyeth and Peter Walker

“Why did we pick this Sunday with so much going on?” Ivoryton Library Director Elizabeth Alvord asked herself before last Sunday’s afternoon program at the Ivoryton Congregational Church got underway.

But she did not need to worry.

No less than forty people showed up to hear five readers present their selections of poems and others musings. The topics ranged from the shop worn to the original, and in all it was a literary sweep of life’s joys and adversities, with far greater emphasis on the latter.

The five performers in the program were State Representative Phil Miller, poet/professor Pamela Nomuna, and poet/performers Beverley Taylor, Joan Wyeth and Peter Walker.

The lead off performer was Beverley Taylor, who holds a senior position at the Ivoryton Playhouse. Ms. Taylor read a third person account of the laments of a “been there, done that” kind of woman, who now at fifty years of age, is well hardened by life’s difficulties, but is still soldiering on.

Ms. Taylor’s reading was polished and professional.

Next on the program was Phil Miller, who brought a very different theme to the program. Although the other performers tended to personal, self-revealing selections in their presentations, Miller spoke exclusively about the life style and noises of the Barred Owl.  This particular breed of owl is common in this area, according to Miller, and he estimated that there are no less than eight Barred Owl families in Essex.

Miller characterized the Barred Owl as a “mysterious, nocturnal bird,” which lives primarily on insects rather than small animals. He stressed that the Barred Owls’  “hoots and yowls” in the night were very distinctive, and in a fitting climax to his presentation he gave his own imitation of the Barred Owl’s full throated hoot and howl. The audience loved it.

Next on the program was Joan Wyeth, who was by far the youngest of the performers. She read, somewhat too rapidly, a personal account of the woes and irritations of an American family, with some keen insights in her subject matter. Her entire reading was completely original.

Number four on the program was an established poet, Pamela Nomura. Not only has she taught poetry at Wesleyan University, she is a published poet. One poem of hers that she read was called, “The Rain.”   Two stanzas in the poem tell the story:

I can’t work today, miss.
It’s raining, and it’s 2 years to the day
since your mother has not answered
your calls. And you wonder if it’s raining
in Puerto Rico, if it’s falling through

the shining leaves
and pinging onto the tin roof
of the yellow house
where the phone is ringing.

Concluding the Ivoryton Library program was the well established poet and performer, Peter Walker. Walker in his remarks complained that when it comes to popular music, the people who write the words should be more celebrated  than those who write the melodies.

Walkler then read some of his own poems, mixed with those of others. Also, he spoke of a safari in East Africa that he once went on, where he saw his own face implanted on a Serengeti cloud.

Ivoryton Library Director Alvord appeared to be generally pleased with this “bold” event, and more such programs may be coming up in the future.

Midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy’s Sailing Squadron will be sailing into Essex and docked at the Essex Yacht Club on Novelty Lane on Friday evening, June 14.

Their NAVY 44 yawls will be available to tour on Saturday, June 15  and Sunday, June 16 from noon-4 p.m. This is a wonderful event for the whole family.

The new tax rate funds the total $22,664,150 town/schools spending plan that was approved by voters at the annual budget meeting Monday. The new rate was approved on a unanimous vote, though some members expressed a preference for setting the rate at an even 19 mills. Board member Campbell Hudson, a Democrat, pushed for holding the tax rate below 19 mills.

In setting the new rate, the board made no transfers from the town’s undesignated fund balance, which now totals about $2.62 million, representing more than 13 percent of the town’s total annual operating expenses. Taxes jumped by 0.49 mills last year, when the board set the current tax rate of 18.47 mills.

The town is currently engaged in a full 10-year townwide property revaluation that includes inspections of all residential and commercial properties. In discussing the revaluation at Thursday’s meeting, First Selectman Norman Needleman predicted a 10 percent or greater drop in the grand list of taxable property when the revaluation becomes effective next year. The lower grand list, which would reflect the decline in property values since the start of the Great Recession in 2008, is expected to require a higher mill rate, though many homeowners will likely be paying the higher rate on a lower assessed property value.

“The Region 4 School District is entrusted with the resources needed to provide all our students with the opportunity for an excellent education,” said Dr. Ruth Levy, Superintendent of the Region 4 Schools. “Our Board and Administration work diligently throughout the year to meet this obligation while conducting our business in a financially responsible manner at all times.”

Funds are returned based on the number of students enrolled from each town during the 2011-12 school year. The 2011-12 surplus will be refunded as follows:

Town of Chester $18,734
Town of Deep River $19,765
Town of Essex $29,376

TOTAL $67,875

The district continually looks for budgetary efficiencies throughout the year, and has consistently been able to return funds to member towns. The approved budget for the 2011-2012 school year was $17,324,933 and expenditures for the year came within ½% of the appropriation.

The adult cabaret class is directed by CMS Artist-in-Residence Karli Gilbertson and accompanied by pianist Sue Sweeney.

The concert is free and open to the public. Please call 860-767-0026 or visit www.community-music-school.org for additional information.

CHESTER – Maple and Main Gallery at One Maple Street is having a clothesline sale of art Saturday, May 25 as part of the annual town-wide tag sale.

The gallery is also offering bargains but these are original unframed paintings which will be hung with clothespins on lines strung between the gallery’s porch columns. More unframed art will be on display inside the gallery.

The clothesline sale is open Saturday, May 25 from 8 am to 6 p.m. and continues inside the gallery on Sunday, May 26 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information: visit  mapleandmaingallery.com; 860-526-6065; mapleandmain@att.net.

Spend part of Memorial Day weekend paddling with naturalist Phil Miller on a family canoe/kayak on Mill Pond, sponsored by the Essex Land Trust.  The event will take place on Saturday May 25 at 2 p.m. at Fall’s River Park, Ivoryton.

Mill Pond is part of the Falls River Preserve, a 40-acre waterfront park with a peninsula of forest and ledge projecting into the Falls River. The preserve is an important stopover for warblers, vireos, blackbirds and other migrating songbirds and is the year-around home of chickadees, titmice, cardinals, nuthatches and woodpeckers. Waterfowl include swans, wood duck and mallards, while egrets, cormorants and osprey drop in from Long Island Sound and the Connecticut River. Bass, perch, sunfish and catfish populate the pond. Jean’s Island will be a possible stop. Open to paddlers of all ages, but basic experience is required.

The event is part of the Essex Great Outdoors Pursuit program. Park at the canoe/kayak launch on Falls River Dr. Bad weather cancels.

The idea of a single monthly meeting was raised by First Selectman Norman Needleman at the conclusion of Wednesday’s meeting. Needleman, a Democrat elected top job in 2011, said the board’s agendas have been light in recent months, and he “would be OK with having one meeting a month.”  Needleman said the board could call a special meeting if important issues arose that required another meeting.

Selectwoman Stacia Libby and Selectman Joel Marzi each said they were open to a change in the meeting schedule. The board agreed to discuss, and possibly vote, on a change to the meeting schedule at the board’s next meeting on June 5.

The Essex Board of Selectmen has been following a twice monthly meeting schedule for more than two decades. Selectmen in Chester and Deep River currently adhere to a twice monthly meeting schedule.

Chester author D. Joseph Jacques would suggest that our lives can be a quest if we want them to be; a quest for meaning and virtue through which we can reclaim and nourish the very best of who we are. When rooted in ethics that are central to Western culture, our living quest can heal not only ourselves but our world as well.  Surely such a meaningful life, which incorporates such concepts as truth, the purpose of freedom, Nature’s Law, and the attainment of personal authenticity, is both an ongoing adventure and very relevant to 21st century society.

Inquisitive minds are invited to join the author at Chester Library on Monday, June 3, at 7 p.m. in a thoughtful conversation about reclaiming the best of ourselves and our society. Mr. Jacques drew on 35 years of experience in social work and a deep appreciation of Arthurian Literature in writing The Deeper Quest, which will provide the basis for this conversation. Refreshments will be served and books will be available for purchase.

For more information visit www.chivalrynow.net.

Voters at a town meeting Tuesday approved a resolution accepting the grant provided under the Inter-town Capital Equipment Incentive Program (ICE). With Deep River as the host town, selectmen and town meetings in Essex and Chester are also authorizing a joint application to apply the funds to the school district shared by the three towns. Region 4 is expected to provide matching funds to cover the estimated $38,000 to $40,000 cost of the radio system.

The funds will be used to purchase radio repeater equipment that would be attached to an existing 100-foot telecommunications tower at John Winthrop Middle School. The new system will provide direct radio communications between the middle school, central office, Valley Regional High School, and the elementary schools in Chester, Deep River, and Essex. The radio system could be used during any emergency, whether weather-related or as a result of an incident at one of the schools. The new radio system is expected to be installed over the summer to be put in operation during the next school year.

CDR Beckman, on the faculty of the Naval War College in Newport, is part of the College of Operational and Strategic Leadership and interacts routinely with the U.S. Navy’s maritime operations centers around the globe to improve war-fighting effectiveness at the operational level. He holds a B.S. in Mathematics from the U.S. Naval Academy, a M.S. in Operations Research from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a Masters in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University.

The Rhode Island Federal Executive Council (RIFEC) recognized outstanding federal employees for their work and accomplishments over the past year at a ceremony held at the Radisson Hotel in Warwick, RI.

Fifty-five years ago, the Rotary Club of Essex introduced the quintessential New England event to the Connecticut Shoreline.  A unique fundraiser and dining experience known as a shad bake.  For our shad lovers, the lure is the secret ingredients and the authentic method of preparation and cooking handed down from Connecticut natives.

Imagine sumptuous pieces of this rare and local fish being nail to seasoned 50 lb. boards.  Now envision 20-30 of these boards standing on end as they encircle a once raging fire that now boasts hot coals that cook each piece to perfection given the appropriate seasoning and timing.  Add to this delicacy homemade potato salad, tossed green salad, and apple pie from Lyman Orchards garnished with a hunk of cheddar cheese and you’ve got yourself a gourmet meal!  Don’t care for shad?  We offer BBQ chicken and hot dogs.  Share a piece of Connecticut and Essex history with your friends and family.

The event is always held on the first Saturday of June and we guarantee great weather as well as music from Stu Ingersoll and his band and games for the kids.  The atmosphere is vibrant with antique cars, picnickers, and the delicious smell of shad roasting around the open fire.

This is an all volunteer event hosted by the Rotary Club of Essex and coordinated by Bake Master Joe Shea of AJ Shea Construction.  You might find one of your favorite doctors or dentists at the de-nailing table or visit Greg Shook from Essex Savings Bank for a freshly shucked clam or oyster.

Join seasoned Shad Bake pioneers like Herb Clark, Chet Kitchings, and Dan Lapman for a story from shad bakes of yesteryear including the year of the big flood.  Curiosity, hunger, whatever your motivation, join us at the Essex Elementary School in Centerbrook on June 1st, 4.30 – 6.30 p.m. for one of the “Top 20 Summer Events” according to Yankee Magazine.

Tickets are $25 with discounts for children.  Visit our website at www.rotaryclubofessex.com to purchase tickets and view a great video of the Rotary Club of Essex in action.

The parade will follow a three mile route as it makes the following stops to pay respects:  Riverview Cemetery, First Baptist Church, Town Hall, Centerbrook Cemetery, and the Essex Veteran’s Memorial Hall.  There will be a short ceremony at the Veteran’s Hall at the conclusion of the parade (approximately 11:15 a.m.).

If weather precludes a parade, ceremonies will be held at Essex Town Hall at 9:30 a.m. and at the Essex Veteran’s Memorial Hall at 11:00 a.m.  All interested parties please contact Phil Beckman at 860.767.9755 or philipbeckman@yahoo.com with questions.  Veterans who may require transportation, please contact Phil Beckman.

The spending plan includes a $6,967,461 town government budget, and a $7,634,917 appropriation for Essex Elementary School. The town’s $8,081,772 share of the Region 4 education budget had already been approved by voters in a May 7 referendum. The total spending appropriation of $22,684,150 represents a 2.69 percent increase over the current spending total.

The board of finance will set the tax rate for 2013-2014 at a meeting Thursday. First Selectman Norman Needleman and finance board chairman Jim Francis each said after the vote the tax rate is expected to increase by “about one-half mill” to fund the total spending package. The current tax rate is 18.47 mills, or $18.47 in tax for each $1,000 of assessed property value. The property tax rate was increased by 0.49 mills last year to fund the current town and school budgets.

First Selectman Edmund Meehan said there have been no changes to the budget that was presented to a handful of residents at the May 1 public hearing. The total $12,328,940 spending plan, which is $419,141 less than current spending, includes the $3,515,054 town government budget, a $373,620 capital expenditure plan, a $4,182,373 appropriation for Chester Elementary School, and the town’s $4,257,893 share of the Region 4 education budget. The Region 4 education budget was approved by voters of Chester, Deep River, and Essex in a May 7 referendum.

Education spending in the proposed budget is down by $467,000 because a declining enrollment at the elementary school, and fewer students from Chester attending the  two Region 4 secondary schools, Valley Regional High School and John Winthrop Middle School. The decrease in enrollment has led to a $426,084 reduction in the Chester share of the Region 4 budget.

Meehan has described the proposed 2013-2014 budget as “an anomaly” that is unlikely to be repeated in future budget years. The enrollment-driver reduction in education spending has allowed the board of finance to recommend a one-half mill reduction in the tax rate, from the current 22.45 mills to a tax rate of 21.95 mills. The new rate represents $21.95 in tax for each $1,000 of assessed property value. Unlike many past years, the board of finance has found no need to transfer funds from the town’s undesignated fund balance as a way to hold down taxes. The fund balance is projected to total $1.57 million when the budget year ends on June 30, 2014.

The state DOT wants to increase fares from $3 to $6 for vehicles and from $1 to $2 to walk-on passengers. The discount coupon book that currently goes for $40 for 20 tickets would be doubled to $80. With the ferries running at a deficit of about $650,000, the DOT says this plan will help keep both ferries viable and open.

But residents worry such a steep increase will drive ridership down and ultimately lead to the closure of Connecticut’s historic ferries. State Representatives Marilyn Giuliano (R- Old Saybrook) and Melissa Ziobron (R- East Haddam) are working with local and state officials to look for possible alternatives to doubling the fees.

“We have to be careful not to make short-sighted decisions that have the opposite of the intended result,” Giuliano said. “Doubling the fees might make sense on a balance sheet but, in practice, could be harmful to the bottom line- we need to look at all possibilities.”

“People in this region are passionate about the ferries and they play an important role in tourism including for Gillette Castle State Park in East Haddam,” Ziobron added. “We have to do our due diligence to make sure we have explored all our options before we simply double the fees. This has to be an ‘all of the above’ approach.”

Giuliano and Ziobron have arranged to speak with local stakeholders and the Department of Transportation Commissioner to discuss various alternatives to the proposed fee increases.

DOT plans to hold hearings on the fare increases this month. On May 20th there is a hearing in the Rocky Hill Community Center and on May 22nd there will be a hearing at the Chester Meeting House. Both begin at 6:30pm. Giuliano and Ziobron said they would like to attend the meeting in Chester but will likely be held up in legislative session in Hartford.

Anyone wishing to speak with them regarding the proposed rate increases can feel free to call their office at 1-800-842-1423 or send an email to Marilyn.Giuliano@housegop.ct.gov or Melissa.Ziobron@housegop.ct.gov

Uncharted-Territory by Renni-Ridgeway-Korsmeyer

The Essex Art Association is pleased to announce the opening of a new show “Favorite Things” showing the work of the Elected Artist Members. Opening Reception May 31, 2013 from 6-8 pm public welcome. The show runs from June 1 – 22, open daily 1-5, except Tuesdays.

The Exit Gallery features the art of Renni Ridgeway-Korsmeyer of Old Lyme.

Renni Ridgeway-Korsmeyer was raised among the beautiful fields and farm land of Ohio. She now resides in Old Lyme Connecticut where in the art community there she discovered her love of painting. She works in oils and pastels and enjoys each medium equally.
In painting glimpses of nature, she strives to capture a moment in time and the ambiguous transitory qualities of the landscape. While painting each unique landscape, it is learned that, like life, all things change. With those changes, feelings and emotions in the artist and the viewer begin to unfold, shift, and evolve.

Essex Art Association is a non-profit open to the public.

Essex Art Association
10 North Main Street
Essex, CT 06426

860-767-8996
EssexArtCt@gmail.com
www.EssexArtAssociation.com

(l-r): Organizers, sponsors and participants gather to toast the 20th Annual RiverFare happening on May 30 at the Connecticut River Museum. Olive Oyl’s Owner and Chef Kevin Kendall, Gourmet Galley Owner Anna Lathrop, Connecticut River Museum Executive Director Jerry Roberts, Red House Owner Marc DeTour, Red House Chef David Schumacher, Red House Chef Brian Checko, CRM Vice-President Peter Prichard, RiverFare Committee Member and Vegetable Ivory and Organics Owner Desiree Richardell, and Essex Savings Bank President Greg Shook.

ESSEX-– On Thursday, May 30 from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm, the waterfront lawn of the Connecticut River Museum will be the scenic setting for RiverFare 2013.  The unofficial kick off of summer on the shoreline, features savory bites, fine spirits and silent auction overlooking scenic Essex Harbor.  This year’s lineup of Connecticut’s leading restaurants and food purveyors includes Red House, Marley’s Cafe, Essex Coffee & Tea Co., Fromage Fine Foods, The Cheese Shop of Centerbrook, Gourmet Galley Catering, Griswold Inn, Olive Oyl’s, Saybrook Point Inn, Seaflour Foods, Selene’s Sweet Shoppe, The Ivory Restaurant and others.  RiverFarers can sample signature dishes and drinks while perusing and bidding on a diverse array of fine gifts, services, and entertainment experiences up for silent auction.

Tower Labs and Wells Fargo Advisors are this year’s Presenting Sponsors. Other sponsors include C. Sherman Johnson Co., Inc., Centerbrook Architects and Planners, Clark Group, Essex Savings Bank/Essex Financial Services, Bogaert Construction, Rachel Thomas Real Estate, Middlesex Hospital, Reynolds’ Garage & Marine, Inc., Essex Boat Works, Inc., Caulfield & Ridgway, Inc., blp Enterprises, Sapia Construction, Essex Printing, Rhode Van Gessel Design, Connecticut Rental Center, Apparel Plus and Valley Courier.

Event admission is $60 per person in advance and $65 on the day of the event.  Patron tickets may be purchased for $150 and include a premium bar and $100 tax deduction.  Net proceeds will help support the Connecticut River Museum’s mission to increase public awareness and access to the heritage, culture, and natural beauty of New England’s Great River.  For more information or to make advance reservations, go to www.ctrivermuseum.org or call 860.767.8269.    The Connecticut River Museum is located at 67 Main Street in Essex.

NairCo LLC is a partnership run by Barbara Nair, who operates the Killingworth Arts Center on North Parker Hill Road in Killingworth. The arts center is a non-profit organization in operation since 2003. NairCo. LLC purchased the 61 Main St. property for $760,000 last November.

The commercial building, located near the traffic light in Centerbrook, has been mostly vacant for more than three years, with a pool supply and repair business currently leasing space in a section of the building. In March 2012, the zoning board of appeals denied a variance appeal that would have allowed a coffee and pastries shop in a section of the building. Earlier this spring, the zoning commission approved NairCo’s request to amend zoning regulations to allow art studios as a permitted use in a commercial zone.

The May 20 public hearing agenda also includes a request by the Essex Volunteer Fire Co. to amend zoning regulations to include fire training facilities as a permitted use in the limited industrial zone on Plains Road. The volunteer fire company is hoping to construct a fire training facility on a section of Greider Field, a recreation field on Plains Road that is owned by the fire company. The public hearings convene at 7 p.m. in town hall.

The Valley News Now (April 26) quotes Senator Linares at length in remarks before a recent seniors’ luncheon of the Estuary Council explaining why he voted against the Newtown gun control law.  In my opinion, Mr. Linares’s remarks are unconvincing.  They set a standard of glib analysis that hopefully will not characterize his future votes in office. Equally important, Mr. Linares’s remarks leave me wondering whether he has told us the whole story of his “ no” vote. The News reports that he did not volunteer his explanation, but only responded to questions after having  “consented” to a discussion.  Mr. Linares’s web site does not mention his vote.  Why is that, on an issue of such importance to his constituents?

Mr. Linares is quoted by the News as saying he “did not have a chance to read the bill.”  This is hard to credit.  The new law is largely the work of the Bipartisan Task Force on Gun Violence Prevention and Children’s Safety established last January – of which Mr. Linares was a member from the beginning.  The Task Force took extensive testimony, and legislative proposals began to emerge from it as early as the beginning of March.  The members of the Task Force then reportedly met behind closed doors to negotiate the legislation for two months before emerging in early April with a bipartisan proposal. Is it possible that Senator Linares was still clueless after participating in such a process?

The News quotes Mr. Linares as saying that the legislation “could create a black market” in guns. So what?  A black market in heroin “could be” the result of existing laws prohibiting that substance.  Mr. Linares does not, I assume, favor legalizing heroin. Taxes on cigarettes and regulatory restrictions on the production of pharmaceutical products arguably have fostered black markets in those products.  Does Mr. Linares support eliminating cigarette taxes or allowing the production of prescription drugs in substandard facilities? The answer to black markets is to enforce laws against them – not cave in.

Mr. Linares’s thought process in explaining his  “no” vote is so obscure he sometimes seems to speak in riddles.  He is quoted as saying, for example, that his concern was for police officers.  He reasons that taking guns away from common citizens could have the effect of being “dangerous to law enforcement officers.”  What does he mean by this?  How can it be good for the police, let alone the rest of us, to allow every Tom, Dick, and Harry, irrespective of mental instability or terrorist proclivities, to have access to military style weapons?  Mr. Linares does not explain.

Mr. Linares claims that “most guns are used for self defense”. This seems doubtful. I would guess that “most guns” are used for hunting or target practice.  Still, if Mr. Linares is correct that ”most guns are used for self defense,” perhaps it is because folks are returning fire — in which case it might also be true that “most guns are used in violent crime.”  In any event, Mr. Linares’s observation is irrelevant because the legislation does not ban “most guns” in Connecticut, but only a small subset of them, specifically some 100 types of assault weapons and large capacity ammunition magazines.

Few would contest Mr. Linares assertion that citizens should have the “right to defend themselves.”  However, that is not the issue presented by the Newtown legislation, which leaves intact an individual’s access to a huge variety of guns.  The issue presented by Newtown is whether we as citizens also have a right to gather in public places without the nagging fear of being attacked by an unstable, violent few bearing arms of such great destructive force that they properly belong in the military for our collective defense.

A few weeks after he voted “no” on the Newtown legislation, Mr. Linares posted a piece on his web site entitled “what I’ve heard in my first 100 days as State Senator.” There is no mention of Newtown.  Instead, Mr. Linares speaks forcefully against fiscal irresponsibility and wasteful government spending.  Is it not wasteful to spend scarce taxpayer dollars on the compensation of elected officials who do not have the  time to read important legislation and yet proceed on the basis of superficial analysis to vote against it?

In the meantime, well over a month after the enactment of the Newtown legislation, Mr. Linares still has not posted on his official website an explanation of his reasons for voting no.  I respectfully call upon him to do so now.  This is important to the transparency of his position.  All of Mr. Linares’s constituents have the right to know his reasoning, not only those who happened to attend the seniors’ luncheon at the Estuary Council.

In the context of such disclosure, it would be helpful if Mr. Linares would also clarify his dealings with the National Rifle Association.  According to the non-partisan voter education organization “Project Vote Smart”( www.votesmart.org), Mr. Linares last year was accorded a 92% approval rating by the political action committee of the National Rifle Association.  This entity, known as the “NRA Political Victory Fund” (NRA PVF), is the campaign finance arm of the NRA.  The 92% approval rating given Mr. Linares apparently was the highest accorded any member of the Connecticut General Assembly (shared with only a distinct minority of his colleagues). The NRA PVF website in turn states that it “ranks political candidates – irrespective of party affiliation – based on voting records, public statements and their responses to an NRA-PVF questionnaire.”

Since Mr. Linares had no voting record on gun control at the time of his 92% ranking in 2012, and his public statements on this issue have in my experience proven elusive, it would be reasonable to assume that Mr. Linares’s stellar NRA ranking was the result of his answers to their questionnaire.  Those answers in turn hold the key to understanding what standard Mr. Linares applied when he told the seniors’ luncheon that the Newtown legislation “ went too far and was too extreme.”

The issue now is whether Mr. Linares will be as forthcoming to his constituents as he apparently has been to the NRA.  Towards this end, I call upon Mr. Linares to publish on his web site his responses to the NRA questionnaire together with any other information he has provided to the NRA that would shed light on his gun control views.  This would help his constituents understand whether it was the Newtown legislation, or Mr. Linares’s own position, which “went too far and was too extreme.”

Sincerely,

David Harfst
Essex

The town government budget of $3,701,379 is combined with a $43,000 capital expenditure plan and $348,060 in debt service for a total town government appropriation of $4,094,439. The proposed $5,511,158 elementary school budget is up by $110,371, or 2.04 percent, over the current appropriation for the elementary school.

The annual budget meeting is set for Monday May 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the newly renovated second floor auditorium at town hall. This will be the first town meeting vote on a town budget since 2000. The town has been holding referendum votes on budgets since 2001, but ever decreasing voter turnouts for the annual referendums led the board of selectmen to hold a town meeting vote on the budget this year. The vote will be conducted by paper ballot.

Teacher Mrs. Haut models a sari

Thanks to the Justus W. Paul World Cultures Program, the Essex Elementary School Foundation recently treated 3rd Graders to a day full of education about India.  Students sampled cuisine, created artwork and learned about authentic clothing during the celebration on Friday, May 3rd. 

This not-for-profit, volunteer organization provides funds for enrichment programs at the school, such as an iPad lab and a historian-in-residence.  For donation information, head to www.essexelementaryschoolfoundation.org.

First produced at the Connecticut Repertory Theatre, part of the School of Fine Arts at the University of Connecticut, in 2011,  I’m Connecticut became the biggest selling non-musical ever produced in CRT’s Main Stage Series. The Hartford Courant called the romantic comedy “hysterically funny” and named it one of the top ten productions of the year.  It was also named Best Play of 2012 by Broadway World Connecticut and it won a Special Recognition award from the Connecticut Critics Circle.

Mike Reiss

Emmy Award winning writer Mike Reiss will be joining us for the performances on June 6th, 7th and 8th and will be participating in a talk back with the audience. Mike was born in Bristol, CT but his career now spans both coasts. Mike has been a writer and producer of The Simpsons from its beginning and is currently working on season 24.  He received a Peabody Award in 2006 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Animation Writers Caucus.  He also co-wrote The Simpsons Movie, The Lorax, Horton Hears A Who! and Ice Age, Dawn of the Dinosaurs.  He has published 17 children’s books, including seven Christmas tales.
The cast will include two actors from the original production – Harris Doran and Jerry Adler.  Harris is a talented young actor who, just last year, won the Best Supporting Actor award at the Long Island International Film Expo for his work in the feature film, Junction.

Jerry Adler

Jerry Adler, a Connecticut resident, is a veteran of over 50 Broadway productions as Producer, Director and Production Stage Manager, including the original My Fair Lady (the revival of which he directed), Coco, The Homecoming, Annie and many more, as well as the Tony Award-winning Good Evening which he directed with Dudley Moore and Peter Cook – before he began his new career as an actor. He then appeared in Woody Allen’s Manhattan Murder Mystery and The Public Eye with Joe Pesci.  He has since been seen on many television productions, including The West Wing, Law and Order, Northern Exposure, CSI: Miami and was a regular on Mad About You.  He is an original cast member of The Sopranos and was “Hesh”, Tony’s mentor/advisor throughout that award-winning HBO Production’s run.

His recent films include In Her Shoes opposite Shirley MacLaine and Cameron Diaz, Prime with Meryl Streep and Uma Thurman, Find Me Guilty, directed by Sidney Lumet,  Synecdoche playing Philip Seymour Hoffman’s father, and the soon-to-be-released Last Angry Man in Brooklyn with Robin Williams.  On TV, he was the Fire Chief on Rescue Me with Denis Leary and is presently Howard Lyman on The Good Wife.

Directed by Jacqueline Hubbard, the cast includes Gwen Hollander*, Bill Mootus*, Rebecca Hoodwin*, Gino Costabile*, and Elizabeth Talbot. The set design is by Daniel Nischan, lighting design by Marcus Abbott, and costumes by Kari Crowley

I’M CONNECTICUT opens in Ivoryton on June 5th  and runs through June 23rd. Performance times are Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2pm. Evening performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30pm, Friday and Saturday at 8pm. Tickets are $40 for adults, $35 for seniors, $20 for students and $15 for children and are available by calling the Playhouse box office at 860-767-7318 or by visiting our website at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org  (Group rates are available by calling the box office for information.) The Playhouse is located at 103 Main Street in Ivoryton.

Generously sponsored by:  Webster Bank and Comcast

*member of Actors Equity

“You can tell a story a hundred times, and it will still be different each time,” says Peninnah Schram, internationally-know storyteller and recipient of the National Storytelling Network’s Lifetime Achievement Award for “sustained and exemplary contributions to storytelling in America.”  Schram will
be at Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek synagogue in Chester on Friday June 7 and Saturday June 8.  She will tell stories and conduct a workshop to show others how to find the stories in their lives.  The program is free and open to the public.

In addition to being a professional storyteller, Schram, who was born and raised in New London, is a teacher, author, recording artist and Professor of Speech and Drama at Stern College of Yeshiva University.  She is the author of 12 books of Jewish folktales and the recipient of the prestigious Covenant Award for Outstanding Jewish Educator.

Friday evening’s Shabbat service, starting at 6:15 pm, will be combined with a pot-luck non-meat dinner, punctuated by Schram’s stories and music.  On Saturday Schram will be a contributor to the synagogue’s Torah Study group, followed at 10:30 am by services with Schram interweaving stories in her discussion of the weekly Torah portion.  At 12:30 pm, there will be a pot-luck lunch and a storytelling workshop.  Saturday’s program will conclude with a Havdalah service at 5:00 pm with Schram recounting stories of the Prophet Elijah.  A complete program schedule can be found on the CBSRZ website: www.cbsrz.org.

Schram promises that the sessions will be spontaneous and entertaining.  She says, “As a storyteller, I never know when a story or an image or words from a story will take hold, like a seed that is planted that may take seven years to root and flower. But I know that with these Jewish stories I have been nourished and nurtured in my understanding of people and the wisdom of Judaism. And so I hope to enrich others with these stories.”

Elie Wiesel, award-winning author and humanitarian, said of Schram, “At a time when the unique culture of the groups within the Jewish community is fading, Peninnah is passing on their stories to future generations.”

Guests may attend any part of the program without charge.  However, those planning to attend the Friday night dinner are asked to call the office at 860-526-8920. Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek is located at 55 East Kings Highway in Chester.

The Scholar in Residence Program is made possible through the Sheldon Kutnick Visiting Scholars Fund, in memory of Sheldon Kutnick.

The Association immediately initiated the petition drive by creating an on-line petition at SignOn.org.  Click here to add your name to the petition.

Paper petitions will also be circulated throughout the communities served by the two Connecticut River ferries — the Chester-Hadlyme Ferry and the Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry.

All the petitions will be presented to the state DOT officials who will be making the decision on whether to raise the fares and by how much.

The position adopted by the members at the meeting states that the Association opposes the state’s proposal to double the fares and instead urges the state to give serious consider to other alternatives that could increase revenues, including:

– Increasing posted fare prices but provide a discount for cars with Connecticut license plates.

– Institute a system of On-peak & Off-peak pricing (similar to that used by commuter railroads) that would charge higher fares on weekends and holidays when there are usually long lines of cars waiting to ride the ferries.

– Increase hours of operation on weekends and holidays to take advantage of generating more fares when ridership demand is the highest.

– In addition to the current discount ticket books, offer a flat “annual pass” fare with a sticker to place on cars to identify those who have purchased the pass.

– Working with state tourism and parks agencies, aggressively promote both Connecticut River ferries to tourists and visitors.

Connecticut DOT will be holding public hearings on the proposed fare increases on May 20 and 22.

Hadlyme Hall Association President Curt Michael urged all those concerned about or affected by the proposed fare increase to sign the petition and to attend the public hearings.

Click here for more info on the fare increase proposal and the public hearings

Related article:  Giuliano, Ziobron Exploring Options for Ferry Revenue