Southington Citizen Editor's Blog

In their own words

2010-04-02T08:43:00.000-07:00

The St. Thomas Passion Play, longstanding Southington tradition, starts this weekend. There is a show Saturday, March 27, at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, March 28, at 3 p.m. and each weekday except Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are free and are available while they last. For tickets, contact Diane at (860) 628-4197, Lois at (860) 621-0411, Jean at (860) 628-7913, Trish at (860) 621-8289, Janet at (860) 621-6347 or Ginny at (860) 628-4628.
Instead of my own thoughts on the show, I collected some quotes from members of the cast and crew about the show and why they are in it. In keeping with Passion Play tradition, I won’t identify the cast members.
“Personally, I never expressed any interest in joining drama clubs, nor did I really have an interest in acting or singing. I saw the Passion Play every year since I was four years old and I loved it. I used to get so excited around Easter because I knew that I would get to see the show. My sister joined the children's chorus one year before me, and for the first time I got to see the ‘behind the scenes’ — how the show came together: rehearsals, blocking, costumes, the makeup. I joined the children's chorus the next year at the age of 12, eleven years ago. To me, the Passion Play is simply about coming together as a community to celebrate our faith. There are no ‘stars’ or "professionals’ involved. It is organized, planned, directed, acted and run by individuals who purely want to spread the messages Jesus spoke about.”
“I have been in the cast and chorus of the passion play since third grade (only missing a few years for college). I am not the greatest singer or actress but they always have a spot for everyone.”
“I am participating for the 15th year. I love theater, but this is the show I do for Jesus — to thank Him for giving me a voice with which to sing His praises. Being in the show has helped bring back the joy of Easter. After I lost my daughter in 1991, the first major holiday was Easter. When I went to get my older daughter's Easter Basket down, my little one's fell out, and I fell apart: I wanted to be filing her basket instead of decorating her grave. Easter became a time of sadness until I experienced the Passion Play through tickets obtained from a friend. Two years later, I portrayed Martha in the play. The best time for me was portraying the Blessed Mother — I could really identify with losing your child from my own experience.”
“I have been in the Passion Play for 13 years, I started at the age of 4 years old. I enjoy doing Passion Play every year because I love to share the story of Jesus Christ to other people.”
“All of the people involved in the production of the play (or prayer as some here like to call it) have a unique connection unlike any other performing group that I've been part of before. We have a common bond, this goal of being witnesses for Christ through the display of visual, musical and emotional elements. This play provides the opportunity for God's presence to be rekindled within the heart and soul of all involved.”
“This is my 14th year. I had been going for years and years, and was called to get involved. I had no desire to act, but signed up for stage crew. Our director needed someone to play Joseph for a few shows, and initially I was terrified, until she told me that I did not have to talk, just hold the baby Jesus with Mary. The next two years, I was promoted to a role with one line, and in my fourth year I was blessed with the role of our Lord and Savior!”
“Every year as people exit the play, the compliments and thoughts shared are moving. People express how the play has helped them learn about their faith, God and what Jesus did for us. Some patrons mention it would not be Easter without coming and they come every year.”
“I have been in the passion play for seven years. I was invited to be in the play from a good friend. He said they needed soldiers that year. I challenged my friend to go on the men’s retreat at Holy Family and I would be in the play so that’s how it all started. Who would of thought that five years later I would be asked to play Jesus! At first I was like, ‘you definitely have the wrong person, I’m too fat, I can’t grow a beard and I could never remember all those lines.’ Well, God had other plans for me. After much prayer, I felt called to fulfill this role and was inspired to go for it! I had no acting experience but continued to ask God for strength and wisdom, I couldn’t do it on my own. Well, it was one of the most fulfilling and rewarding things I’ve ever done in my life. I witnessed tears of joy and thankfulness from people who had turned away God and wanted Him back. I was awestruck of the talent that was put into this from the young children to the backstage crew who all worked endless hours to bring this prayer to life.”
“This is my first year in Passion Play. I noticed that everyone is like a huge family.”
“I've been connected to the play since it started. My husband Don and I came to the play, feeling we were called to a ministry. My husband died nearly 12 years ago, and I pondered if I should continue, but I still felt the strong ‘pull’ to be there with my Passion Play family. Passion Play to me is not putting on a show, but our community depicting the life, death and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior. My husband loved being a part of the acting crew, but I love behind the scenes, casting, tickets and wherever I am needed. I guess being here so long, it's in my blood.”
“I have been involved with Passion Play for 22 years and it is a part of the reason I moved to Southington. I make this commitment yearly because just one person who comes to see it may take away an important message. A few months of my time and effort may change a life! It has certainly changed mine.”
“I am a Roman soldier in the Passion Play; it is my first year. For me, it seems as though each rehearsal builds to something bigger than the last. At each rehearsal, I feel as though I am really doing the work of the Lord. Each rehearsal feels as though it is working towards a larger picture, so that by the last show, I will get the message God wanted me to get when He got me involved in the play, or as we call it, prayer.”
— Zachary Janowski

Be sure to give your two census

2010-03-22T08:39:00.001-07:00

It’s not that often that the average person gets to live part of the Constitution, but one such opportunity was recently hand-delivered.
Check your mailbox. Your census may have already arrived.
The Founding Fathers wrote the once-every-ten-years survey into the Constitution because a government can’t represent the people if it doesn’t know where the people are. Once the results are in, seats in Congress will be distributed to the states and the state legislatures will scamper off to redraw the lines between districts.
Fortunately, Connecticut stands to keep its five seats in Congress, although some of the district borders will change during redistricting. The census will play a role in redrawing districts for the state legislature itself. Census figures also determine how the federal government distributes money to states and other recipients.
“When you receive your 2010 Census, please fill it out and mail it back,” Census Bureau Director Robert M. Groves said in a statement. “It’s one of the shortest forms in our lifetime with just 10 questions very much like the questions James Madison and Thomas Jefferson helped craft on the very first Census.”
According to Census Bureau estimates, if every household completed and mailed back their census form, taxpayers could reduce the cost of taking the census by $1.5 billion. The bureau saves about $85 million for every percentage point increase in the nation’s participation rate by mail.
“Here is something every family can do to help their government save money, and get an accurate census at the same time. Mailing back your census form when it arrives will contribute to saving hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars,” Groves added. “It’s a lot less expensive to get responses back by mail than it is to send census takers to knock on doors of households that failed to respond.”
“It costs the government just 42 cents for a postage paid envelope when a household mails back the form,” said Groves. “It costs $57 to send a census taker door-to-door to follow up with each household that fails to respond.”
Basically, Groves’ point is that if you forget to mail the census back, you didn’t save yourself time because someone’s going to be knocking on your door until you answer their questions.
What will the census ask? Here is a quick rundown. The bureau estimates the 10 questions should take about 10 minutes to complete.
1. The number of people living in the residence
2. Any additional people that might be living there as of April 1, 2010
3. Whether the residence is owned or rented
4. Telephone number (in case the Census Bureau has follow-up questions)
5. Name
6. Sex
7. Age and date of birth
8. Whether of Hispanic origin
9. Race
10. Whether that person sometimes lives somewhere else
No need to worry. Census responses are confidential and can’t even be shared with other parts of the federal government.
Don’t miss this chance to save yourself some (tax) money and ensure you are represented in the future.
— Zachary Janowski

Please, don't buy it

2010-03-22T08:38:00.003-07:00

Imagine this conversation.
Friend: “Thanks for the advice. I am so glad to get rid of that burden.”
You: “What did you do? Did you sell your house?”
Friend: “Yes, I sold my house. You were right it just didn’t make sense to have a $5,000 a month mortgage payment when I had to put $2,000 a month on my credit card.”
You: “I’m glad. That sounds like a smart decision. What are you going to do now? Where are you going to live?”
Friend: “Well, I bought another house. I am really excited about it. I got a great deal. The mortgage payment is only $4,000 a month so now I only have to put $1,000 a month on my credit card. Exciting, right?”
Despite his attempt to cut costs, our friend here didn’t get the whole point. Most people, especially given the brutal lessons of the recent economy, would advise their friend not to go forward with this purchase, if at all possible.
The federal government is in need of similarly prudent friends.
The health care reform bill being pushed by President Barack Obama and Congress tries to do exactly what our friend did with his house. The bill, or at least some versions of the bill, would take about $500 billion from Medicare savings — or reductions, depending on who you ask — and use them to pay for new spending in the health care bill.
The prudence of this plan depends on whether Medicare has any extra money to spare.
According to the Government Accountability Office, by 2014 almost half (45 percent) of Medicare outlays will be funded by general revenue instead of the taxes specifically for Medicare. The Medicare Hospital Insurance trust fund will run out of money 2017 and Medicare revenue will only pay for 81 percent of outlays.
Medicare is not in a strong financial condition to make good on the government’s promise to seniors.
Perhaps the right thing to do is to take those $500 billion in savings to make Medicare stronger. That would be a tough decision, but it would pass the prudence test. Tying that money up in new spending certainly doesn’t.
I think I hear our friend coming again.
Friend: “I’ve decided. I am buying a new car.”
You: “What are you going to get? A Honda Civic?”
Friend: “I am skipping right to the top. Ferrari.”
You: “How are you going to pay for it, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Friend: “Not at all. It took some planning, but I figured it out. If I start saving now, in four months I will have enough money in the bank to make the payments for the rest of the year.”
You: “Well, then what happens next year? When you don’t have money saved up anymore?”
Friend: (Holds up credit card.) “They increased my limit.”
Our imaginary friend has done it again. This is another gimmick in the health care reform proposals. There are some changes that would happen immediately if a bill is passed, but most of the benefits that cost money won’t start until 2014. However, the taxes and fees that pay for the program start right away. This is how the proposals save money in the first decade, by using ten years of revenue to pay for six years of benefits.
Don’t get me wrong, Obama and Congress are well-intentioned. But I think (some) critics of the bill are well-intentioned, too.
Just a few years ago, I was a young writer who couldn't afford health insurance. I sympathize with the millions of people who lack insurance and those who otherwise live the flaws of the current system every day.
As bad as it is, though, it could be worse.
The current proposals would incur a lot of costs, a huge amount of costs. The federal government will spend about $800 billion more than it does now if one of these proposals passes.
The goal of Obama and Congress is to provide insurance, although indirectly, to the people who don’t have it. The proposals are so complex that it is hard to identify who exactly would be the winners and the losers under the new system. When the benefits to one become costs to another, the plan may simply end up replacing one set of uninsured with another.
At this price, I have to ask both our friend and our leaders, “Please, don’t buy it.”
— Zachary Janowski

Awful lawful

2010-03-22T08:38:00.001-07:00

It didn’t make headlines, but maybe it should have: the chairman of the Connecticut Citizen's Ethics Advisory Board is in trouble with the Office of State Ethics.
What?!
G. Kenneth Bernhard, a Westport attorney, “may have inadvertently violated the Code of Ethics” by making political donations, according to an OSE spokesman.
“In 2008, while serving on the board and before he became chairman, Mr. Bernhard made political contributions to persons subject to the Code of Ethics,” the spokesman said in a statement. “Connecticut law prohibits members of the CEAB from making political contributions to any person subject to the Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State Employees.”
This fiasco, more than anything else, highlights how ridiculous the state’s rules are. Even the chairman of the board can’t keep them straight.
Look at what happened to Rep. Charlie Rangel, the New York Democrat who chaired the House tax-writing committee until Wednesday when he took a leave of absence pending — you guessed it — an ethics investigation.
What has gotten Rangel into trouble? Well, for one thing, he messed up his taxes.
Whether Rangel made a mistake or was trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the IRS or something somewhere in the middle, I don’t know.
What would be worse?
Scenario A: Rangel took advantage of his knowledge of the tax code which is so complicated it took years for anyone to catch on.
Scenario B: Despite knowing more about the tax code than 99 percent of the population Rangel still can’t get his Form 1040 right.
The state ethics laws and the federal tax code are results of the same approach to legislating, an incoherent pile of law upon law upon rule upon regulation.
This reminds me of Sen. John McCain’s campaign finance reform crusade that resulted in the passage of McCain-Feingold in 2002. The point of the law was to “get the money out of politics” by limiting how much individuals can donate to election campaigns.
Easier said than done.
In order to make the limits actually mean something, the law also had to ban election contributions from minors — so parents can’t get around the limits by having their children donate money.
And then the law made it illegal for independent groups to advocate for candidates at the time of an election (when else would someone want to advocate for a candidate?) — so individuals can’t skirt the rules by giving unlimited money to advocacy groups.
And so on and so forth.
The problem with ‘reforms’ like McCain’s is the law, in order to work, requires a web of supporting laws to prevent people from sneaking around the first one. And the tangled web restricts behavior that wouldn’t otherwise be illegal. The U.S. Supreme Court has acknowledged this with a series of rulings that have hacked away at McCain-Feingold by snipping several strands holding up the web of foolishness.
As the law becomes more complex, it favors people who spend most of their time immersed in them. It gets to a point where they start winning the game not because they are better at it, but because they know which page of the rulebook to show to the referee.
Just look at Rangel’s substitute, Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif. He recently graduated from his own ethics investigation. This one is priceless. He applied for a tax exemption only available to Maryland residents on his home there. Interesting, given that he represents California’s 13th district.
Hey, it was worth a try.
— Zachary Janowski

Open letter to nameless writers

2010-03-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. or Mrs. Anonymous,
Address: unknown
I recently received your anonymous letter to The Citizen. I also received a letter from your brother, Nameless, and your cousin, Concerned Citizen. I appreciate your input, complaints and concerns, respectively, but there isn’t much I can do with your letters.
Sorry.
The Southington Citizen only prints letters with the name of the author. We allow our letter writers a lot of flexibility in what they say and how they say it. In return, we require them to identify themselves.
If you want your letter printed, sign it. If you want to name names publicly, start with yourself.
Sometimes you send anonymous letters with the hope of giving us a tip. Unfortunately, these aren’t usually helpful either. I have no problem keeping sources anonymous, but first I need to know who you are, why you have the information you have and why it should matter to my readers. Most anonymous tipsters don’t provide any evidence for their complaints or even suggest a way to confirm their accusation.
It is easier for you to call or write in with a name attached. Feel free to request anonymity right away. I will even wear a trench coat to our secret meeting if you insist, but you have to give me a number to call you back — if for nothing else so we can set up the aforementioned secret meeting.
Don’t let me discourage you, Mr. Tipster. If you have evidence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq or some other smoking gun, by all means send it to me. But the smoking gun doesn’t do much good unless it is on government letterhead with the words “Top Secret” stamped on it. Your handwritten or even pasted together (!) letter is no smoking gun; it is an opinion that doesn’t even belong to anyone.
Send me an e-mail. Give me a call. If your quill pen could use some exercise, write me a letter. If you want, leave out your last name. But I need a way to get in touch with you. My telepathy has deteriorated since I was in second grade. If I have to write you a letter or a fax, I will. However, I do draw the line at smoke signals and carrier pigeons.
Sir or madam, if your sole purpose is to vent some anger and frustration, then by all means send me another anonymous letter. I will gladly recycle your concerns for you.
Very publicly yours,

— Zachary Janowski

2010 races start to take shape

2010-03-22T08:31:00.000-07:00

Some states really get started on elections early with Illinois holding primaries this week. In Connecticut, things will take shape a little more slowly. The party conventions will come in May, with a strong likelihood that primaries will follow in August. Election Day this November will give Southington residents a chance to elect a new governor, U.S. Senator, attorney general and secretary of the state.
The U.S. Senate race had an added bit of interest for Southington when our state Sen. Sam Caligiuri, R-Waterbury, was running for the seat. However, he dropped out of the race to run for U.S. Representative in the fifth congressional district. Southington, in a textbook case of gerrymandering, is in the first, not fifth, district, despite the fact that the three current candidates come from nearby towns.
Caligiuri won’t have an open road to the GOP nomination against Democrat Rep. Chris Murphy of Cheshire. He will have to get past Justin Bernier of Plainville, who brings experience from state government, working for former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons, R-2nd, and as a veteran of the Afghan war.
The elections in November will also decide the state legislators who will draw the lines for these districts based on new census data. More on that to come.
With Susan Bysiewicz not running for reelection as secretary of the state, some candidates have lined up to seek that office. Hartford Republican Corey Brinson has been in the race since last summer. Recently, Wallingford resident and Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell entered the race. House Majority Leader Denise Merrill is the most prominent Democratic candidate.
Bysiewicz is now trying to run for attorney general, but critics from both parties have questioned whether she meets the legal requirements for the position. Currently, she faces former state Senate Majority Leader George Jepsen in the race for the Democratic nomination.
The races for state comptroller and treasurer haven’t gotten that interesting yet, so I will hold back on those. Here’s a rundown of the candidates for the two biggest races.
Governor: Democrats
This field has had a long time to come together because, unlike the Republicans, no one had to wait for Gov. M. Jodi Rell to announce she wasn’t running. Recently, Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz left the field to pursue the attorney general’s office.
Former House Speaker James Amann
Former candidate for U.S. Senate Ned Lamont
Former Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy
Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi
Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman
Governor: Republicans
Once Rell announced she wouldn’t run for reelection a horde of candidates jumped into the race. Other possible candidates include former U.S. Rep. Chris Shays who represented the fourth district.
Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele
Businessman and former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Tom Foley (formerly a candidate for U.S. Senate)
President and CEO of MetroHartford Alliance Oz Griebel
Chester First Selectman Tom Marsh
Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton
U.S. Senate: Democrats
Attorney General Richard “Dick” Blumenthal
Merrick Alpert
U.S. Senate: Republicans
Business owner and state board of education member Linda McMahon
Former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons
Investor Peter Schiff
With a menu of options this big, November should be interesting this year.
— Zachary Janowski

The state of the coalition

2010-01-28T06:57:00.000-08:00

I have the privilege of serving on the advisory board of STEPS, the Southington Town-wide Effort to Promote Success.

I thought it might be useful if I gave an update of what STEPS is doing and how it is affecting Southington.

— STEPS has held three large events to build its coalition. It is planning a fourth event in the coming months.

— STEPS won a $125,000 Drug Free Communities grant from the federal government. Now a committe is working on a renewal application that will bring in another $125,000 next year.

— Kelly Berkmoes, who helped get STEPS off the ground as a part-time employee in the youth services department, moved up to full time thanks to the grant funding.

— Berkmoes and Susan Saucier, who runs youth services and oversees the grant, attended a training program in Washington, D.C., for recipients of the drug free grants from around the country.

— STEPS hired Matt Shea, a 2004 SHS graduate, to work at Southington High School with students to help them build the assets that will help them be successful in life.

Shea said staff members at the high school refer students to him for a lot of different reasons.

“It could be anything. It could be their grades are starting to slip,” Shea explained.

Shea has spent time canvassing the school so students get to know him and he also meets with students one-on-one, giving them the asset test and getting them involved in activities that match their interests.

Shea also substitute teaches at the high school and is an assistant coach for the indoor track and soccer teams.

One early success Shea had was with a group of students who were dancing in the hallways in between bells, causing a disruption by attracting an audience of 50 to 60.

Shea helped the performers start a dance crew that meets after school, giving them a legitimate platform for their talent. He said the students also dance before school on some days.

“They’ll get their bagel at the DECA-mart and they’ll dance,” he explained.

Just a few steps, but all in the right direction.

— Zachary Janowski

If it's broke, fix it

2010-01-22T09:38:00.000-08:00

Back in October, when I was interviewing candidates before the municipal election, I got the impression from the some planning and zoning commission members and candidates that members of the town staff had acted improperly when granting approval for V.I.P. to move onto Queen Street.

However, other candidates had a very different view that staff acted properly and not only within the law, but as required by law.

These two narratives clearly don’t line up. Perhaps, they were campaign bluster. Maybe clarity isn’t an option in the eyes of the commissioners right now because the case is ongoing and they must protect themselves — and the town.

According to Town Attorney Mark Sciota, there are no comments relating to the V.I.P. application in the personnel files of the town planner or zoning enforcement officer.

This question — whether town staff acted correctly or not — needs to be answered in order to protect the processes that protect Southington and its residents.

If town staff, and this goes for any department, can go renegade and ignore the town’s policies, those protections will lose their value and leave residents vulnerable to abuse.

I am not so naive to think because I don’t like something it can’t happen, that there must be a law somewhere that will prevent it, or should have.

However, I do believe it is important that rules are enforced consistently and predictably.

If V.I.P. got special treatment out of fear of violating the applicant’s rights, isn’t that a violation of fairness for applicants in less seedy businesses that have not had to go to the courts to earn their legitimacy?

Then there is the concern about categories. If a business can decide whether it is a sexually oriented business while applying for a permit, why would any business say it fell into that category?

What is to stop a gas station from saying it is a retail store, a power plant from calling itself something else or a sexually-oriented business from saying it’s not?

A business that is one thing or another should fall under the rules for that category. A business that says it is one thing, doesn’t become that just by saying it.

I guess it depends on what the meaning of the word “is” is.

-Zachary Janowski

Dodd duds and Dick blooms

2010-01-07T06:34:00.000-08:00

In his most politically astute move of recent memory U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd announced Wednesday that he would not run for re-election.

Perhaps Dodd’s 30 years in the senate have not left him completely tone deaf to voters.

This development is a mixed bag for the Republicans in the race. The experience that allowed Dodd to raise money and work the establishment is the same experience that made him vulnerable to, well, common sense.

Connecticut Attorney General Richard “Dick” Blumenthal, long rumored to drool over Sen. Joe Lieberman’s seat, will run in Dodd’s place.

Blumenthal deserves credit for his political omnipresence, if nothing else. I have seen him, personally, at multiple events in Southington, which leads me to believe he spends an immense amount of time out of the house shaking hands.

That being said, why does Blumenthal even want the job. He has gotten into something of a grove at the AG’s office, sitting there since 1990. Plus, senators can’t sue everyone who gets in their way — at least as far as I know.

It’s no wonder Blumenthal reportedly has approval ratings in the stratospheric 80 percent range. He has sued the 20 percent who hate his guts and everyone else is falling in line for fear of being served with legal action.

Perhaps I exaggerate, but I believe it is without distortion.

The attorney general model embraced by Blumenthal and former New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer relies on a staff of state-paid lawyers to bury opponents and obstacles in paperwork and legal bills, not to mention a bad public image.

But look at what happened to Spitzer when he was elected governor of New York. He crashed and burned as “client number 9” of a high-priced prostitution ring.

After getting his way, or just about, for so long, it seems Spitzer became cranky and resorted to corruption, in both the moral and political senses.

Mr. Attorney General, why not stick around Connecticut where you can lord it over your fiefdom with an extra subpoena always at the ready.

Let the suing continue. Just not me.

Please.

— Zachary Janowski

Hartford sounds like a broken record

2009-12-21T07:17:00.000-08:00

Gov. M. Jodi Rell and the Democrats in the state legislature are at it again, antagonizing one another as they try to break even for the fiscal year. Most of our elected representatives in Hartford are guilty of thinking the good times would never end. Now they are so bitter about the end to free money and easy street, they can’t even agree on what number is what.

Look back at the foolishness in the spring. Rell and the Democrats couldn’t even agree how much money the state was short. What’s a billion dollars one way or the other?

Well, the two sides finally worked it out, but without smiles on either side. Now the two sides are trying to cut the budget they passed, late, because it is projected to fall short by a few hundred million dollars.

Towns across the state are in the lurch with uncertainty about the state’s plans. For some towns that have not been prudent, state cuts could be disastrous. Thankfully, for towns like Southington that have taken an active and thoughtful role to managing finances, the cuts will only do minimal damage. Sadly, it is no comfort for Southington or its residents that our local leaders look like geniuses compared to the state’s financial cesspool.

Unfortunately, the nationwide recession that began in 2007 has disguised some of Connecticut’s unique problems in the same way a hurricane would hide the flooding in the basement. However, once the thunder and rain pass, Connecticut will have unique challenges to face. Water will still seep into the basement. Hopefully, the governor and legislature will stop arguing about the water level long enough to plug some leaks.

Not convinced that Connecticut has unique problems outside of the so-called Great Recession? Just look at the state’s $1.5 million bribe to get UnitedHealth Group to stay here. Anyone who has ever been toy shopping with a 3-year-old knows exactly where this leads: “Mama Rell, I want more!”

Even Rell couldn’t find enough goodies to get Pratt & Whitney to keep 1,000 manufacturing jobs in Connecticut. In September, she announced a plan with $100 million in benefits to get the company to save the jobs at two Connecticut plants.

Don’t get me wrong, I want the jobs to stay in Connecticut. It’s a great place to live and I say the more the merrier. Plus, people who have good jobs, spend money at businesses that buy ads in newspapers like this one. That’s how I earn my paycheck.

But the state is definitely taking the wrong approach here, offering Pratt $100,000 per job just to keep them in Connecticut. Not to sound silly or anything, but I could create quite a few jobs with $100 million and still have some cash left over for additions to my new mansion.

Wouldn’t the state have gotten more for its money if it spent that $100 million wisely, ahead of time, to create an environment where companies want to stay?

Since Rell’s bribe failed — which should tell us something about just how bad it is here, more than $100 million bad — Attorney General Richard “To the Rescue” Blumenthal is siding with a union lawsuit against Pratt & Whitney.

This is how Blumenthal put it in a statement: “Pratt cannot conscionably defend its disregard of the state’s offers and its job destruction.” Apparently, it’s OK to offer bribes, just not to refuse them.

— Zachary Janowski

How can we be better?

2009-12-17T11:04:00.000-08:00

With the New Year swiftly approaching, I want to take some time to reflect on The Southington Citizen so we can have a successful year ahead.

I can’t do this alone. I need you — our readers, contributors and advertisers — to let me know what has been working, what is missing and what could be better.

Here are some questions to get you thinking:

— Do you find the calendar and entertainment sections useful?

— Do we print the right amount of photos? Too many? Too few?

— Are we missing any important issues around town? Are there gaps in our coverage?

— Do you appreciate the inclusion of all relevant obituaries, free of charge?

— Is there something you would do differently?

— What sections aren’t useful or interesting to you?

At The Citizen, we want our newspaper to entertain and inform you. If it’s not, or if we could do it better, please send your feedback. You can call me at (860) 620-5960, e-mail me at news@southingtoncitizen.com or mail it to 40 N. Main St., Southington, CT 06479. Please let me know if you want your feedback published as a letter to the editor. Otherwise I will treat it as just between you and me.

—Zachary Janowski

Breaking down the votes

2009-12-17T11:00:00.000-08:00

The results of Nov. 3 left me wondering, “What happened?”
Many new candidates won election, while many experienced politicians lost their spots. I took a look at the numbers to try to make some sense of it.
The Democratic town council and board of education candidates lost a lot of votes if you compare the 2009 results to those from 2007.
The Republican town council candidates also lost votes compared to 2007, just not as many as the Democrats did.
Look at how this year’s Democrats would have fared if the Republicans had the same number of votes as they did two years ago. In this scenario, the Republicans would have captured six seats on the council.
The question is, where did all those votes go?
About the same number of votes weren’t case in the 2007 and 2009 town council races, 3,012 and 3,028 respectively.
I have two theories about where some of these votes could have gone.
My first theory is probably more obvious and less controversial. I think the independent candidates took more votes from the Democratic candidates than Republican ones.
Why? I am not sure about this. I think part of the reason is dissatisfaction with the status quo, in many cases the cause of the dissatisfaction was not at all in the control of the Democratic majority on the council.
But that is the way of voters. Often they punish who is there for what they feel, no questions asked.
My second theory is a bit more of a reach, but stick with me.
I think President Barack Obama hurt the Democratic candidates.
In this way: two years ago and the previous two elections, Democrats could rally around President George W. Bush.
Wait, that came out wrong.
Democrats rallied against Bush in the past three municipal elections. I would guess they did it with increasing fervor each time.
Now Obama has solved everything, or at least demonstrated the potential to do so, in the minds of many Democrats. I imagine there are some Southington residents who don’t even consider themselves Democrats who have voted loyally for the party over the past few years because of the intense dislike of Bush.
My guess is the same national-level changes that made some Democrats complacent, got a few more Republicans out to vote last month.
Overall, the number of voters didn’t change much, but I think some Democrats tagged out of the 2009 election and let a Republican neighbor take their spot.
I should point out that this is an exercise of curiosity. I saw the election results and wanted to understand them better so I started looking back at the history of it. If anyone has any theories of their own, I would be glad to hear them. If we work hard enough, maybe by 2011 we can predict the outcome of the municipal elections a month ahead of time.
Yea right.
— Zachary Janowski

Thinking thanks

2009-12-17T10:59:00.000-08:00

What do you get when you put tickets to “The Lion King,” Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots in a room with a year’s worth of wine, a backyard smoker and a Hearts of Fire diamond necklace?

$60,000 — give or take — to help kids go to camp and enjoy other activities at the Southington-Cheshire YMCA.

“In this economy, we were thrilled at the outpouring of support and the generosity of folks,” said YMCA Executive Director John Myers. “Just phenomenal. Best of all, all funds get funneled right back into the community to help out local kids and families. We also really like the feel of the event as the Southington fall event to be at. A nice hometown reunion before the holidays hit.”

The YMCA’s annual fundraiser, Forever in Blue Jeans, was certainly the place to be this year. Hundreds of people attended.

In the night’s revelry, many attendees got carried away bidding. However, these well-meaning bids are the opposite of greedy. In fact, I think some people might have paid a bit more than sticker price, just because the proceeds went to such a good cause.

It’s something to be thankful for to live in a town that has a combination of resources and generosity that won’t let our neighbors fail or children sit idle.

Let’s remember these good fortunes, whether we have enough to help or enough help to get by, as we celebrate this holiday season.

— Zachary Janowski

Congratulations

2009-11-05T06:59:00.001-08:00

Applause is in order for all the candidates who gave the people of Southington a choice on Election Day. A pat on the back to all the residents who voted. For those who didn’t, no condemnation, just don’t complain. To the candidates who won, congratulations and best of luck as you take on this challenge. Remember, whether you serve for two years or 20, Southington will go on much longer. You are only temporarily in charge. Do your best with it.

Register early and vote often

2009-11-04T06:49:00.000-08:00

It is that time of year again, election season. For some of us it is more like Christmas than for others. Regardless of how thrilled you are to cast your ballot, you need to take the first step. To help you along, here is some information you may want to know.

The Southington Registrars of Voters have an office in town hall, immediately on the left when you walk in the front door. Their office is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The registrars are also holding extra office hours for your convenience. Saturday, Oct. 17, the office will open at 10 a.m. and close at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, the office will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

One week before the election, Oct. 27, is the last day you can register to vote in this election unless you move to Southington or become a citizen between the deadline and Election Day.

For more information about registering to vote, call (860) 276-6268.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at the follwing locations: District 1, South End School; District 2, JFK Middle School; District 3, Derynoski Elementary School; District 4, Hatton Elementary School; District 5, Flanders Elementary School; District 6, DePaolo Middle School; District 7, North Center Elementary School; District 8, Kelley Elementary School; District 9, Thalberg Elementary School; District 10, Master’s Bible School; District 11, Plantsville Congregational Church; and District 12, Strong Elementary School.

— Zachary Janowski

Meeting John Aschcroft

2009-09-25T07:49:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity last week to attend a political fundraiser in Cheshire to interview former Attorney General John Ashcroft. The event, held at the welcoming home of Marilyn and Joseph Bartoli, benefited Anne Giddings, a candidate for Cheshire Town Council and the twin sister of Ashcroft’s wife.
My interest in the event isn’t Cheshire politics, but Ashcroft’s comments during an interview and later to the crowd of 100 or so.
Since I can remember the fury against Ashcroft when then-President-elect George W. Bush nominated him to be attorney general, I would like to point out some observations about Ashcroft in person.
He pauses, looks to his hands as he joins his fingers together and collects his thoughts before answering a question. He is not intimidating, but rather disarming.
“I’m the only person in the world who lost his senate seat to a dead person,” Ashcroft said, referring to the 2000 election when Missouri elected Mel Carnahan to the Senate, although he died two weeks before the election. The governor later appointed Carnahan’s wife, Jean Carnahan, to fill the Senate seat.
Before serving in the Senate, Ashcroft was governor and attorney general of Missouri.
Although Ashcroft lost his place in the Senate, he soon had the opportunity to serve as attorney general.
“I’m grateful more than proud,” Ashcroft said of his service in the Bush administration and, more specifically, the prevention of “vicious attacks on our soil” despite successful terrorist plots in Spain, Russia, Indonesia and Pakistan.
“I think we need to be vigilant in a constant way,” Ashcroft said.
He explained that America, as a future-oriented country, tends to forget the past.
“American culture is episodic,” he said. “We think every problem can be solved in a 30-minute interval.”
Terrorism is an “intergenerational” problem without any quick fix, according to Ashcroft.
He said he has spoken to current Attorney General Eric Holder.
“I think he knows what I think.”
He said the highly-criticized prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is a “necessity.”
“The security of the United States depends on it,” he explained. “I don’t know anybody who was like, ‘Oh, let’s open a prison down in Cuba.’”
“There’s a sense in which they have adjusted their approach,” Ashcroft said of the Obama administration’s national security policies.
“I’m not here to explain the u-turns and the traffic patterns of the current administration,” he added, before getting any more specific in his critique. “I don’t drive that car.”
Ashcroft on local politics:
“When I was governor, people would call me with a problem, I’d give them a council member’s name,” he said. “That’s where problems are really solved.”
On America and the Constitution:
“The genius of America is not that leaders impose their values on the people. The genius of America is that the people impose their values on the government.”
“America was designed differently.”
“The constitution doesn’t give us freedom. I believe God designed us for freedom.”
On the Bush administration:
The American people are coming to a “fairer understanding of President Bush.”
On the economy:
“Three out of four of my grandparents came here not because they wanted it to be more like Europe.”
He warned that current unemployment rates in the U.S. are still lower than the normal rate of unemployment in Europe.
On national security:“Anytime you undermine your intelligence capacity, you’re unintelligent.”
“Feet on the ground really mean a lot.”
“Agencies need to act within the law,” Ashcroft said.
For those that don’t, he had a simple answer. “We prosecute them.”
Ashcroft pointed to the threats of “evil biology, evil chemistry” and nuclear technology that could “vaporize a city.”
“We are — flirting with disaster.”
“The deliverability of lethality is so much different now,” Ashcroft said. “Massive destructive capacity is deliverable in an instant.”
— Zachary Janowski

STEPS picnic: FREE

2009-09-21T06:16:00.000-07:00

What’s this STEPS thing anyway?
First, let me tell you about the free picnic featuring 1,000 hot dogs, Rogers Orchards apples and plenty of fresh carrots, plus a battle of the bands and access to Camp Sloper from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In addition to the food and entertainment, nearly 50 organizations will be there to share what they have to offer and how students, parents and children can get involved.
Whether it is karate classes, volunteering or the arts, it’s there.
Leading up to the picnic, Southington schools have been celebrating STEPS awareness week with daily challenges and lessons about assets that help kids succeed. Some students even painted the windows in the high school cafeteria to promote STEPS to their fellow students.
That’s a lot of promotion, but what for? What is STEPS anyway?
STEPS is a group of people who want to improve Southington to make it easier for kids to succeed. Here’s an analogy. Somebody steps on a rusty nail, so they need a tetanus shot. If a local group provides the shot, that isn’t STEPS.
STEPS wants to pick up the rusty nails, show kids how to walk around them and find them places to play far away from them — so to speak.
I joined the STEPS board of directors this week and have learned a lot as I got involved with this project.
Just to be clear, the people of STEPS aren’t worried about kids stepping on rusty nails.
One focus of STEPS got a boost of energy when the federal government awarded us a $125,000 Drug Free Communities grant last month. Drug use and underage use of alcohol and tobacco are proverbial rusty nails. Although STEPS can’t get rid of them, we hope to help students develop the skills to see them and avoid them.
STEPS plans to use a system developed by smart people to help kids, based around getting them to develop 40 assets that help them succeed.
We hope to teach students and parents all about the assets, including how to get them and how to increase their value, but first come to the picnic.
If you can bring a nonperishable food item, please do, because the shelves of Southington’s food pantries are starting to look bare.
By the way, STEPS stands for Southington’s Town-wide Effort to Promote Success.
— Zachary Janowski

The 9/11 generation

2009-09-11T14:53:00.000-07:00

No one close to me died in the Sept. 11 attacks. For me the tragedy of 9/11 was that I didn’t cry.

I was 17 when my government teacher interrupted one of my classes, frantically telling our teacher and the class that a bomb had gone off at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon was on fire.

Despite our school’s decision to suppress knowledge about the attacks, rumors circulated and the amount of information available to students grew. The difficulty was discerning what was true.

Some teachers tried to let us watch what was happening on TV, but administrators protested.

Ironically, my 9-year-old brother watched it on a TV his teacher wheeled into class.

By the end of the day, rumor had it that Washington had been nuked.

When I got home that day, or maybe it was at my friend’s house, I watched news reports, no longer concerned that principals would banish me.

I still didn’t cry.

I was concerned that my response was inhuman. How could I not be sad to see, literally to watch, so many people die?

My primary response to the attacks, perhaps the one most accessible to me as a teenage male, was anger.

In the debates that followed in my government class over the next few days, I constantly used the refrain “bomb them” although I wasn’t sure who “them” was.

As information became available, I was fully prepared to authorize the bombing of most Arab countries. Among the many reasons why teenage presidents are a bad idea.

At the time I was convinced I knew enough to judge and perhaps I did. I had the intelligence to reason and decide, but I was lacking in something else. I still had not cried.

Over time my anger subsided and I moved on to other concerns.

My aggression was still there, although not as immediate.

Two years ago, I watched the movie “United 93” which forced out six years of ugly, fermented sadness in 111 minutes.

I did not realize the profound effect the movie would have until my roommate said he expected the movie to “piss him off.”

I had no anger left — over six years it had dissipated. Instead, I had empty sadness.

The movie brought me to the intellectual realization that American authorities had no idea how many planes were hijacked. It would have been considerably easier to manage the crisis if they, like me watching the movie, had known there were only four.

More importantly, the movie brought me to the emotional realization, that more than anything else 9/11 was sad.

It allowed me to mourn and made me realize that I did feel for the 2,973 people who died that day.

It is important that generations younger than mine are allowed to mourn this loss, and a testament to director Paul Greengrass that his creation can help to educate Americans, historically and emotionally.

As the credits rolled, I stared blankly through the tears.

— Zachary Janowski

Great music to match the cause

2009-09-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

My wife, Rachel, and I were excited to learn that Christopher Williams, a solo performer we have seen several times, will be coming to Southington on Sept. 12 as part of the Twin Angel Folk Fest at YMCA Camp Sloper.

First, a little bit about the event. For $20, you get admission to Camp Sloper from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., a barbecue meal and performances by six singer-songwriters. Children under 12 are free. The foundation will hold a raffle at 4:30 p.m. Prizes include gift certificates to Southington businesses.

Lisa Cote, a Southington resident and veteran folk performer, founded the folk festival to raise money for a cause she tragically became aware of in 2002 when her twin sons were diagnosed in utero with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome.

TTTS causes nutrients going to the twins to be divided unevenly, causing developmental problems for both babies.

“It only happens in identical twins that share one placenta,” Cote said.

She said extra nutrients cause one baby’s heart to work too hard and its bladder to grow large from processing so much.

“The other baby might not even have a bladder,” Cote explained.

She said the mother carrying twins with TTTS also faces complications, including anemia.

The TTTS Foundation, a national organization, provided support for Cote to travel to Milwaukee for laser surgery to treat the syndrome.

Cote’s two children, Benjamin and Joshua Wilson, died shortly after birth. Joshua, the donor child, died after nine hours. Benjamin, who received too many nutrients because of the syndrome, died after five weeks.

The Twin Angel Foundation has hosted the concert since 2006 to raise money for the national TTTS Foundation to allow other people the opportunity to travel for treatment and to raise awareness about the disease.

Cote, who will perform at concert herself, has arranged for performances by Williams, Joe Jencks, twin Christina Thompson-Lively, Eric Paradine and Southington native Amanda Rafala.

Thompson-Lively and Paradine have performed at all three previous Twin Angel events. Cote knows Paradine as a friend from her touring days around New York and Connecticut. Thompson-Lively performed for years with her identical twin, Cote said, but is beginning a solo career.

Cote said Jencks, who will make his first appearance at Twin Angel this year, “has a voice like an angel.”

Rafala, also making her first appearance, knows Cote through her son, a fellow student at Southington High School.

“I thought it would be neat to have somebody of the up and coming generation,” Cote said.

“I haven’t played a ton in Connecticut,” Williams said.

He has performed in Southington once before, a house concert at Cote’s house, and he is looking forward to his first appearance at Twin Angel.

“It’s a cool little festival from what I understand,” he said.

Williams said he is a folk singer-songwriter “in the sense that I play acoustic guitar.” He describes his music as having a “bluesy, gospel-ly” feel.

“His songwriting is just out of this world,” Cote said.

I would have to agree.

The first time I remember seeing him perform, Williams appeared on the main stage at a large music festival in between acts — alone with his djembe hand drum. Williams’ singing and drumming managed to make an impression sandwiched between two acts complete with drum set, two or three guitarists and a bass player.

After that initial taste, I saw Williams perform on smaller stages, where he continued drumming and also played guitar.

I later bought his CD, “When I Was Everything.”

Initially, I was disappointed with my purchase, but I soon realized it had more to do with Williams’ talent as a live performer than the shortcomings of the record. It’s simply not possible to capture a Williams performance in a studio.

That’s why, at the concert next weekend, I plan to look into buying one of his live CDs. Perhaps “Something As Simple,” out since March.

A quick word on folk music. For some reason, in my head folk music means something like boring music. Christopher Williams certainly isn’t boring, so I plan on attending the festival to see what else I’ve been missing.

For more information about the Twin Angel Foundation, including links to artist Web sites and information about TTTS, visit www.twinangelfoundation.org.

— Zachary Janowski

Try this, too

2009-09-03T05:57:00.000-07:00

What does Southington taste like?
Parmesan garlic buffalo wings Milanese followed by a pulled pork and coleslaw gelato cannoli.
Oh, wait. I might not have that quite right.
One thing is for sure. The people over at the Barnes Museum and the Southington Public Library certainly do. Have things right, that is.
The eighth annual Taste of Southington featured Napoli Imports, Smokin’ with Chris, Anthony Jacks Wood Fire Grill, Sliders Grill, Pig Out BBQ, Machiavelli’s, Kess’ Cafe, Aziago’s, Rita’s Ice and Paul Gregory’s Bistro.
Although I didn’t try everything myself, I came dangerously close.
I did have two cannoli from Napoli Imports, a pulled pork sandwich and coleslaw from Pig Out BBQ, Chicken Milanese with lemon butter and white wine sauce over penne from Aziago’s and chocolate gelato from Paul Gregory’s Bistro.
Not necessarily in that order.
I also had a chance to tour the Barnes Museum, my first but definitely not my last.
It was interesting to see such an old house with a lot of its original furnishings. The museum provides a glimpse about how different, and perhaps more difficult, life was in the past.
There is also a window into how Southington used to be.
My favorite part of the museum, so far, is the map I came across outside the curator’s office.
It shows the center of Southington with many of the roads we use today in their earlier forms. I think the map’s appeal came from how it clearly showed the way rivers and railroads influenced the original shape of the town.
From that original shape, the Southington we know today has grown up around it.
The Barnes Museum, 85 N. Main St., is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. and Thursday from 1 to 7 p.m.
To schedule an appointment, call (860) 628-5426.
Here is information about the participating restaurants.
Napoli Imports, 848 S. Main St., Plantsville, (860) 628-4994.
Smokin’ with Chris, 59 W. Center St., (860) 620-9133.
Anthony Jacks Wood Fired Grill, 30 Center St., (860) 426-1487.
Sliders Grill, 1219 S. Main St., Plantsville, (860) 628-8815.
Pig Out BBQ, 16 Eden Ave., (860) 621-2227.
Machiavelli’s, 75 Center St., (860) 426-9920.
Kess’ Cafe, 11 W. Main St., Plantsville, (860) 276-8551.
Aziago’s, 166 Queen St., (860) 426-1170.
Rita’s Ice, 279 Queen St., (860) 276-8829.
Paul Gregory’s Bistro, 148 Center St., (860) 621-9999.
— Zachary Janowski

Breaking news

2009-08-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

Just hours before deadline Wednesday, concerned citizens started calling to let us know about V.I.P. moving into town.
We pulled together a story and a photo to get out as much information as possible.
I bet many people are wondering what can be done to stop Very Intimate Pleasures from moving to town. From what we have learned at The Citizen, it looks like there isn’t much.
Some decisions still have to be made. For example, V.I.P. will need a sign permit. However, it is unlikely that anyone can stop the company from moving into town.
Our neighbor, Berlin, has fought V.I.P. vigorously with zoning regulations that are more strict than ours, yet V.I.P. perseveres. The Berlin case is headed to the United States Court of Appeals.
Southington has some regulations regarding “sexual oriented,” but they only prevent such businesses from locating within 750 feet of homes, schools, churches and parks. The regulations also prevent sexually oriented businesses from locating near one another, apparently to keep them from clustering and creating a really seedy area.
It is likely that town officials will say, “There is nothing we can do.”
If they are careful enough to say it that way, they will be correct. There isn’t anything they can do now. But there was something they could have done. Especially given the experience of our neighbor, Southington officials should have looked closely at our regulations.
Which brings me to what we can do. We can voice our opinions about V.I.P.’s sign permit and we can look ahead to future questions of land use.
This isn’t the end of Southington as we know it. The proper response is not dwelling on this inconvenience, but anticipating future problems and putting the proper protections into place.
What future challenges will our town face? Perhaps more adult-oriented stores will try to move into town. Is that what we want? If not, we better change something.
Pay attention to the planning and zoning election campaign this year. Ask the candidates how they stand on future V.I.P.s. Tell them where you stand.
— Zachary Janowski

Finding Mystic

2009-08-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, I made my first visit to a Connecticut beach. My wife, Rachel, and I made a day out of it. We went to Mystic Seaport first. I particularly enjoyed the printer’s shop because it made me appreciate how much the news business has changed.
I also enjoyed learning about barrel- and cask-making from the cooper. And boy did I enjoy lunch. We went to Seamen’s Inne Restaurant & Pub where I had some amazing sea scallops.
Of course, the tall ships were a sight to see. I am baffled that anyone could live on these boats, though, especially someone who actually is tall. I think I would go stir-crazy, not to mention the trauma from knocking my 6-foot, 2-inch head on the less generous ceilings below deck.
During our visit, antique boats were also in town for an annual event as an added treat. Several of the boats dated back to the 1920s, but looked brand new.
The shipbuilding exhibits showed, among other things, how rope stuffed into cracks between boards strengthened the structure of tall ships. I think my favorite exhibit was the map gallery that showed the evolution of maps of the Pacific coast. Initially, many explorers believed California was an island. Other maps show it as an extended peninsula. Many maps exaggerated California’s westward bulge into the Pacific. As I made my way through the exhibit the shape and proportions of the coast slowly came into focus as they would appear on a map today.
Speaking of maps, Mystic might not be on yours. Mystic is a bit like Plantsville, Marion and Milldale in that it is a neighborhood with a historical name, but without any political significance. However, Mystic is even more ephemeral in that it exists in two municipalities, Groton and Stonington, not one. As far as I can tell, Mystic Seaport is in Stonington.
We concluded our day at Ocean Beach Park, clearly in New London. Rachel warned me not to expect waves on the Long Island Sound, so I was prepared for the calm, if not the cold. Preferring to avoid frostbite, we mostly read on the beach. Perhaps next time we will go to a beach in Rhode Island, but it’s good to know Connecticut has its own beaches that will do just fine in a pinch.
Mystic Seaport is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. For more information, visit www.mysticseaport.org.
Ocean Beach Park is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. For more information, visit www.ocean-beach-park.com.
— Zachary Janowski

A mock election

2009-08-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

By Mike Guerrera

The recent nominations taking place to various positions in town over the past week, it got me thinking - athletes have played a role in politics in the past, i.e. Jesse "The Body" Ventura, former wrestler and former governor of Minnesota, and Jim Bunning, Baseball Hall of Famer and one of Kentucky's U.S. Senators.
Now what if Southington was run by some of its more prominent athletic names? Here are the four names I conjured up, most of them you probably know: Carl Pavano (Cleveland Indians) and Chris Denorfia (Oakland Athletics), major league baseball players, Rob Dibble, former major leaguer, and Vinny Clements, former NFLer. For sake of time, let's say they were all on the same ticket - democrat or republican, you pick - and now the four of them were sitting around a table, talking about campaign strategy. Let the satirical discussion commence.
VC: Alright guys, I think we need to be really calculated. I played for the New York Giants so I know what it can be like to get overwhelmed.
CD: Hey Carl and Rob, who is this guy? Was I even born when he was still in the NFL?
CP: I don't know. You know what I do know, I'm great. No matter what, I'm great. Hey, I have a great idea, let's have one time where we really campaign hard and make us look great. Then everyone will give us their money; after that, we can say we're hurt and just keep collecting money from that one good time.
RD: How 'bout this - we throw out baseballs with our campaign logo on it and this time, I'll try not to hit an old lady.VC: Do any of you guys know what you're doing or how to win this thing?
CD: I don't, I'm on the Oakland Athletics...if you check the paper, you'll see we're not used to winning.RD: You guys are getting me so angry, that's it! (Dibble proceeds to fight with all three members)
(The fight slows down)
VC: Hey, where'd Carl go?
CP: I'm over here in the corner...you know my theory, when the going get's tough, go hide where they can't find you.
CD: I don't think that's how it goes.
RD: Yeah Carl, what are you talking about? (Dibble throws a ball at Carl's back)(Carl gets hit in the back)
CP: Ouch, that hurts, that's it, I'm pulling out, I'm going to Cleveland.
RD: Figures...well guess what, I'm out of here too, but before I leave, I'm going to rip my shirt off in anger...so here you go (A bare-chested Dibble hands his chirt to Clements).
VC: Wonderful...things were so much easier in Minnesota.
CD: I'm still in.
VC: Wait, who are you again?

What is wisdom anyway?

2009-08-24T13:42:00.000-07:00

I feel less wise this week.
It could be my diet of yogurt, Jello and pudding, or maybe it is the four teeth now sitting in my medicine cabinet.
“Do you want to take your teeth home with you?”
“Yes,” I said, immediately realizing I would have to write a column about wisdom teeth.
According to some Internet sites of questionable reliability, wisdom teeth got their name because they come in when someone is old enough to have acquired wisdom.
I guess when teeth got their name, wisdom came a little earlier in life, considering they usually begin pushing through in the teenage years.
As a teenager I certainly felt I had wisdom, but I think losing that feeling is part of becoming wise.
For something I use every day, I don’t know that much about teeth either.
I mean, looking at my wisdom teeth this morning, I found it hard to believe these rather large rock-hard crushing implements were stashed in my mouth — and before that somewhere in my jaw — all of my life.
Maybe for lunch today, I will have Jello, then pudding then yogurt, instead of eating the pudding last. Sadly, that is what counts as a varied diet right now.
I do have to say it is a bit of a relief to have the teeth out now, even though the pain of their removal hasn’t subsided yet.
My mouth is more spacious and I think the rest of my teeth will enjoy the few extra square inches.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Dr. David Sheintop who successfully rearranged my mouth.
Sheintop and his team did a great job removing my teeth and keeping me relatively comfortable in the process.
I wish I could be more specific in my thanks beyond the good doctor, but I can’t even remember how many people were in the room, let alone the details.
Perhaps the most surprising fact I learned is how easy it is to pull a tooth. I guess I never wondered what would happen when you pulled straight down.
— Zachary Janowski

Summer arrives

2009-08-24T13:39:00.000-07:00

Summer is here.

At least it finally feels like it.

This week we have plenty of summer in the pages of The Citizen. Susan Kania reports from the first farmers’ market, page 1. Judging from the length of the line, it was a success.

Harry Kyle previews the Italian-American festival, pages 2 and 7, which starts early this year. Kyle also asks people about their plans to visit Southington’s parks on page 25.

Even though it’s summer, there is still plenty of school news, pages 9, 10 and 13. This gives us a chance to catch up with all the accomplishments of students from Southington.

If you are looking for things to do, either to enjoy the weather or find some good entertainment, check out pages 16 and 17. For a list of events by date, check out the calendar on pages 24 and 25. There’s a whole list of ways to get healthy — or help other people with their health — on pages 28 and 29.

On page 31, Michael Guerrera gives an introduction to an alternative summer sport, disc golf. Can you hit a target with a Frisbee? It may be worth checking out.

Enjoy your vacations, whether you are traveling far or staying close to home. If you don’t have plans yet, you may want to study some lyrics for the karaoke competition at Machiavelli’s Restaurant. The Vacation Center will provide the grand prize: a vacation to the Dominican Republic! See the full story on page 5.

— Zachary Janowski

State budget still MIA

2009-07-10T09:51:00.000-07:00

Connecticut has a multi-billion dollar budget deficit and the legislature and governor continue to wrangle over how to fill in the gaping holes.
Gov. M. Jodi Rell has committed herself to a budget without any tax increases, while Democrats in the legislature have sought a combined package of tax increases and spending cuts.
Before we take a look at what the state budget pays for, take a moment to guess what the largest categories of state expense are.
Write down the items you expect to cost the state the most.
Don’t look ahead.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Just in case you are trying to peek ahead, I will tell you where the state gets its money from: two-fifths, 42.8 percent, income tax; one-fifth, 20.9 percent, sales tax; 15.4 percent, federal money; 8.1 percent, business taxes; and about 15 percent from a combination of gambling, tobacco and other revenues.
The correct answers are 1) human services, which is mostly Medicaid, 2) education, mostly payments to towns, 3) debt payments, 4) pensions and benefits and 5) health and hospitals, primarily the Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services and the Department of Developmental Services.
These five categories combine to make up 75 percent of the state budget. Medicaid alone makes up about one quarter of the budget, education one-fifth and debt service one-tenth.Transportation makes up just over one-fiftieth of the budget, 2.7 percent. Law enforcement makes up about the same amount, 2.4 percent.
Prisons and the Department of Children and Families make up 8.7 percent of the budget and courts 3 percent.
The state faces a budget deficit equal to about 23.1 percent of its current budget. That means the legislature could cut roads and state police, close prisons and DCF and shut down the courts — and still have deficit.
As state Rep. John “Corky” Mazurek, D-Wolcott, has said, the state could lay off all its employees, and it would still have a deficit.
I am not going to wade into the morass of the ongoing budget debate.
State legislators and the governor have a series of difficult decisions ahead of them just to be able to pay all the bills this year.
Going forward, our representatives in Hartford, and residents in general, will need to make even harder decisions to fix the long-term problems facing the state budget.
If the state expenses listed above aren’t what you expected — or if they don’t reflect your priorities — you should contact your legislators in Hartford.
In the meantime, I am interested to hear what you thought the state’s top five expenses are. If you send them to me I will write another column about the responses and comments I get.
E-mail me at news [at] southingtoncitizen.com or mail it to me at 40 N. Main St., Southington, CT, 06489.
— Zachary Janowski

For the Class of 2009

2009-06-26T08:56:00.000-07:00

This weekend I attended two graduations: one for the Southington High Class of 2009, go Knights, and another for my brother, congratulations Tyler.
This got me thinking about what advice I would give to high school graduates as they enter a new phase in their lives.
I ran a 5K last week, my first race. I am not a runner by nature. I trained with my wife, Rachel, in order to meet my goal: finishing the 3.1-mile race without walking.
During our training, Rachel told me our goal each day.
“There’s no way I can do that,” I responded.
Each time, I was able to complete the workouts. Eventually, I started believing I could do the next workout without any convincing.
I placed 128 out of 135 runners in the Summer Solstice 5K in West Hartford. I plan on running another 5K in July with my wife, members of her family and other friends. I hope to do better. I don’t plan on winning these races, I plan on finishing them.
This attitude is refreshing to me, probably because I didn’t always hold it. When I was younger I would assess a game or competition based on my likelihood of winning. If I didn’t perform well, I would devalue the game, calling it “stupid” or “only luck,” instead of improving my abilities.
I can remember a conversation I had with a high school friend after he showed me some of his artwork.
“I can’t draw,” I told him.
“I couldn’t either,” he replied.
He went on to tell me about taking lessons and practicing, because he enjoyed drawing and wanted to improve.
Looking back, it is odd how I rejected some activities because I was not naturally good at them, particularly music, drawing and some sports. Today, I play guitar and run. I won’t ever play like Hendrix or run like Usain Bolt, but I am rewarded by my ability to finish a song or complete a race.
Growing up, I never thought rehearsal and preparation would make up such a large part of life. I slowly realized that much of work, much of life, is preparation.
I think of actors looking natural in their roles on stage. They achieve the appearance of effortlessness through rehearsal, reading and memorizing their lines, and going through the motions in order to expect them.
Class of 2009, as you go through life, look ahead and prepare for what you want to come next.
— Zachary Janowski

An impressive showing

2009-06-19T06:47:00.000-07:00

Last weekend at the annual Relay For Life, the Southington community raised more than $160,000 to fund cancer research and support patients undergoing treatment. Special thanks to the organizers who worked behind the scenes so efficiently that participants hardly noticed they were there.
It was great to participate in an event that drew from all corners of the town and beyond, including more than 60 teams and involvement from many schools and churches.
In my experience, the Relay is so successful because it provides hope for those with cancer and for their families. I think it took me longer to notice the significance of this attitude because my generation has grown up with people who survived cancer. The Relay breaks the association between cancer and death for older generations, too.
Even with the Relay on Friday and Saturday, many people turned out Sunday for a Meriden Humane Society fundraiser at the Polish Falcons Club to raise $2,800 for that worthy cause.
— Zachary Janowski

Remembering Bob Garry

2009-06-15T10:54:00.000-07:00

There were a lot of different ways I thought about in approaching this piece. Yet, I came to the realization that there was no way I could do such a man true justice. Instead, I’m going to talk about the impact that Bob Garry had on my life, in only the two short months that I knew him.
In getting my first journalism job at The Southington Citizen, there were a lot of thoughts I had coming in. Will coaches like me? Will it be difficult to get information? Will I be looked upon as an outsider?
All of those questions were answered quickly and blatantly and my future was forever changed when I met Bob Garry.
He opened up right away. The first time I met him, we talked for a while as we watched one of the girls tennis matches. We weren’t talking for quotes; we were just talking to talk. As I started to interview him and ask him questions, he would answer them by first saying, “Well, you know Mike...”
I was almost caught off guard. I had only known him for less than a few hours and he was referring to me as if we were longtime friends. I immediately felt comfortable talking with him and knew that there was a trust and bond already forming.
As a reporter, it is hard to tell where the line is between a coach being charismatic and a coach being genuinely friendly. Bob Garry was the latter.
In the next two months, I enjoyed attending the girl’s tennis matches and talking to coach Garry about one of his true loves – tennis. He was engaging and exuded an unmatched warmth.
Still referring to me as Mike and still treating me as a friend, the season came to an end. Hearing about his retirement from tennis, I was saddened, but looked forward to still seeing him down the road.
Now, as I sit here and write, I feel like that friendship has only grown stronger. Bob Garry was famously known for saying, “it’s nice to be nice,” and he was exactly that.
It may be difficult to comprehend, but in less than 60 days, Bob Garry impacted me in a way that I will always remember. He didn’t scare me away with an abrasive attitude towards writers, but he gave me the faith that there are other people out there with a kind heart; Garry possessed the kindest.
I think that it is sometimes forgotten that we really are all out here to live our lives and be happy in doing that. Bob Garry never forgot that and his happiness was contagious, rubbing off on everyone around him, especially me.
I am forever grateful and in debt to him for the lessons he unknowingly taught me: to treat everyone with respect, gratitude and as a friend.
From that first moment we stood against the fence talking, as if longtime pals, I will remember his kindness, his smile, and his willingness to reach out to others and take joy in other people’s happiness.
If it’s true that greatness is in fact measured by character, then Bob Garry was, without question, a great man. You will forever be remembered and missed.
—Michael Guerrera

Get ready to Relay

2009-06-08T13:59:00.000-07:00

Dig up your sleeping bag. Grab a lawn chair. Bring a sweatshirt, sunscreen and a raincoat.
It’s time to Relay.
The Southington Relay For Life begins next Friday, June 12, at 4 p.m. and will last 24 hours. A genuine family affair, the Relay offers food and fun for all ages.
The Relay honors survivors who have fought cancer, remembers those who died from it and raises money to support research for new treatments and meet the needs of cancer patients.
The tentative schedule for the Relay is:
Friday, June 124 p.m — Welcome Walk
5:15 p.m. — Opening Ceremonies begin
6 p.m. — Welcome remarks, invocation, speakers
6:10 p.m. — Attorney General Richard Blumenthal
6:20 p.m. — John Weischel, town manager
6:45 p.m. — Survivor ceremonies begin
7 p.m. — Survivor/Caregiver Walk; survivor private reception
8 p.m. — Torch Ceremony
9 p.m. — Southington Relay For Life movie
9:20 p.m. — Luminaries Ceremony begins
9:30 p.m. — Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back and Hope Ceremony
10 p.m. — Taps
10:25 p.m. — Torch Walk for survivors/teams/caregivers
Saturday, June 13
7 a.m. — Pancake breakfast – sponsored by Mary Our Queen Church
8 a.m. — Morning activities and stretch with DJ and YMCA
10 a.m. — Schools gather for Parade of the Banners and kids’ activities begin
10:30 a.m. — Kids’ Walk and Parade of the Banners
11 a.m. — Visit from Rocky of the Rock Cats, relay races with YMCA
Noon — Silent auction ends
12:30 p.m. — Team Baton Walk
1 p.m — Team Theme Walk
1:30 p.m. — Dedication Walks
2:30 p.m. — Tent Award
3 p.m.— Closing Ceremonies
If you can’t make the Relay next weekend, there are some activities this weekend.
Sculptures Salon, 550 N. Main St., will host a cut-a-thon and Locks of Love event Sunday, June 7, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. All haircuts cost $20 and the salon will donate the full amount to Relay For Life. Those donating eight inches of hair or more will receive a gift and entrance into a grand prize drawing. Prizes include Lia Sophia and Tupperware. For more information, call (860) 621-9365.
The Live Well Krew is selling raffle tickets for a chance to win a handmade quilt, with proceeds benefiting Relay For Life. Tickets cost $5 and are available at the fabrics and crafts counter at Wal-Mart, 235 Queen St., Southington. Ask for Rosalie or Katy.
Luminaries can be purchased at team meetings at Hair Expo, 410 Main St., Sculptures Salon, 550 North Main St, Pelaganos Stained Glass and Art Gallery, 1241 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike, Plantsville, and Friday during the Relay. Each luminary is a donation of $5 in memory of someone who has passed or in honor of a survivor. Each name submitted before June 8 will appear in the next edition of The Citizen.
— Zachary Janowski

Just to be clear

2009-05-29T11:43:00.000-07:00

Recently, town council member Michael Riccio raised some eyebrows — and the tempers of at least a few fellow councilmen — by pointing out the reimbursements paid to some council members for tuxedo rentals, food and events at a council meeting with a larger-than-usual audience.
The accusations in both directions have been overblown. The total expenditures tally just about $751 over multiple years, so what’s Riccio’s point. The council Democrats, meanwhile, accuse Riccio of playing politics at a town council meeting. Where else is there to play such games?
For a lighthearted take on ‘tuxedogate,’ read Harry Kyle’s column on the facing page.
There is the possibility something good may come out of this squabble after all. The council should institute policies to govern the reimbursement of council member expenses to avoid future controversy.
For example, the council could set a rule that each expenditure will go before the council for an up or down vote before the council member is reimbursed. This way, each expense is publicized immediately and is reasonable enough to garner support from fellow council members. Council members would know what they should receive reimbursements for because they will see what their colleagues are doing.
The council could also set specific guidelines about expenses. When members could seek reimbursement for rental tuxedos, meals and tickets could be spelled out explicitly.
Either way, the council will protect itself from future infighting. If expenses are disclosed right away and approved using specific guidelines or by vote of the council, each member will have political cover for their reimbursements. With simple clarification, reimbursements can fulfill their intended purpose in the town charter instead of being a political weapon.
— Zachary Janowski

Don't use kids

2009-05-26T06:47:00.000-07:00

Southington Schools have a budget and, despite initial projections, no programs will end.

Alta, the gifted and talented programs, middle school sports and school libraries will change, but continue largely intact.

It makes sense that the board of education took the middle course by following the superintendent’s recommendation to save money at the margins of each program instead of ending any one of them. Politically, this course is wise because no interest receives special treatment with each shares the pain to some extent.

As some members of the school board and town council have mentioned, it is exciting to see students attend and participate during the public meetings. It gives them a valuable opportunity to learn about the political process and practice speaking in public.

However, there is a fine line that must be observed and I fear it was not during this debate. In some instances, adults took advantage of the students entrusted to them to make a political point. Adults must show restraint and not use children as their spokesmen and spokeswomen in future debates.

Often times we forget the purpose of education. Students spend their years in school and at study refining their judgment. For this reason, they need teachers. If these students already know what is best for the community, then there is no need to educate them in the first place.

Students can provide a valuable perspective. Perhaps many adults don’t know what a program does or how it affects students.

However, their perspective is tainted when it is formed at the direction of influential adults in their lives, particularly when these adults could be at risk to lose their jobs. At this point, informing students ceases as teaching and becomes propaganda.

Political leaders at all levels must decide between two goods. A decision between a bad and a good, is no decision at all. Students who participate in one program have a unique ability to understand the benefit of that good, but their ability to weigh two goods is disadvantaged. That ability, along with the judgment, intellect, imagination and knowledge required, will come with time.

Until these students reach maturity, it is important for adults who have it already to demonstrate it. The easy way is good because it is easy, but often there is a better way.

— Zachary Janowski

Run, citizens, run

2009-05-18T06:08:00.000-07:00

Southington has a budget. For most town officials, the hardest decisions are behind them. Already they are looking ahead.
The rest of us should, too.
Did you lose sleep during the budget deliberations? Are you angry? Upset? Thrilled? Disappointed? Disgusted?
If any of these apply: run.
The Southington party committees are looking for candidates to run in the November 2009 municipal elections. Both committees would like potential candidates to express their interest in the next week.
Each party will nominate six candidates for town council, six for board of education, four for board of finance, four for planning and zoning commission and three for water commission, according to Town Clerk Leslie Cotton (who is not up for reelection).
Members of the town council, board of finance and board of education serve for two years, while members of the PZC and water commission serve for four years.
According to Cotton, the parties will make their endorsements between July 21 and 28. After that period candidates can challenge the nominee to a primary through a petition. Details about primary petitions are available through the registrars of voters.
It’s too early to worry about primaries because there is still time to get a party endorsement. Independent and minor party candidates can also petition to join the ballot, through a process overseen by the Secretary of the State’s office.
If you are ready to run, carefully consider your target.
First, there are practical considerations. Are you busy every Monday evening? Town council won’t work if that’s the case.
Second, what are your skills and interests? Your strengths should help you choose an office, plus you should know what they are before you embark on a campaign.
Third, consider your objectives. Do you want to keep taxes down? Boost school spending? Protect open space? Promote economic development?
Some boards are better suited for accomplishing certain objectives than others.
However, it seems candidates often “sort” themselves based on their interests instead of their objectives. For example, in this year’s budget process, a member of which board could have had the most impact on raising the school budget? Probably a board of finance member.
Which board is best able to slow the growth of school spending? The board of education.
If an advocate of school spending — or a slate of advocates — is elected to the board of finance, the budget process would look much different next year. Meanwhile, if tax-minded candidates, or a slate of them, run for the board of education, the next round of union contracts could look very different.
If you’ve never thought about running, think about it now. Give one — or both — of the parties a call.
Potential Republican candidates should contact Mary Baker at (860) 919-5124 or Sharon O’Brien at (860) 628-4885. Democrats interested in running should contact Robert Berkmoes at (860) 621-3847.
Just think, maybe this time next year you will be on the other side of the table.
— Zachary Janowski

One giant leap for Southington

2009-05-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

More than 100 residents — community leaders, parents and students — attended STEPS’ second summit Saturday at Camp Sloper.
STEPS, the Southington Town-wide Effort to Promote Success, is a one-of-a-kind Southington organization. It makes sense that Southington would create its own organization rather than import one that grew up outside its borders.
The point of STEPS is not to create a new program. STEPS is not a solution, in itself, but an opportunity or a tool to make other programs or solutions work better.
In some ways STEPS is like a movement, a set of ideas that spread with impact across the community. The ideas, or perhaps ideals, behind STEPS are the 40 “assets” developed by the Search Institute.
The institute describes assets as “developmental nutrients,” which is a good way to describe them. According to the institute’s research, young people with more than 30 assets during their formative years are more likely to thrive and less likely to make risky choices.
The assets include family support, relationships with adults other than parents, caring schools and neighborhoods and safe environments. Other assets are reading for pleasure, appreciation from the community and frequent opportunities to be creative.
Each month in The Citizen, STEPS coordinator Kelly Berkmoes will explain the asset of the month. See the next page for her explanation of this month’s asset, “community values youth.”
Berkmoes and Susan Saucier, her colleague at Southington Youth Services, have applied for a grant to support STEPS going forward. With the application complete and in the mail, they can only wait until the summer when they learn about the results.
Among other things at the summit, the group brainstormed the beginnings of a comprehensive list of youth activities. The goal is to publicize this list to get kids “hooked on something positive.”
We made connections and shared our involvement in the community, spreading ideas in the process.
One of the most valuable results of the summit was the opportunity to generate ideas. As participants listed the extensive athletic opportunities, some noticed the town lacks similar variety when it comes to organized arts activities.
Many participants agreed. It is through this kind of consensus that STEPS will have an impact on Southington.
The value comes from getting everyone in the room and thinking collectively about problems and opportunities. Nothing concrete has come out yet, but these connections will provide many opportunities.
The point of STEPS is to show that everyone can help young people build assets, even other young people. If we all take one step toward building an asset for a friend, neighbor or student, Southington will take one giant leap.
— Zachary Janowski

Decisions, decisions

2009-04-30T10:12:00.000-07:00

The time for difficult decisions has arrived. On May 11, the town council will approve a budget which will determine the fate of jobs and programs, particularly in the Southington’s schools.

In their vote council members must weigh the conflicting demands of the priorities expressed by citizens at the public hearing Monday. After nearly four hours of input from the public, the decision doesn’t seem any easier to me.

The town council’s budget decision will likely have a profound impact on Southington. As elections approach, their decision could be hailed as a wise decision or damned as ruinous. The evaluation of their decision will depend as much on economic conditions outside of their control as on their decision itself.

Southington’s teachers have an opportunity to save the town council from their dilemma.

The education budget includes a salary increase for Southington’s teachers and school administrators.

Many teachers will earn raises because they will move up the seniority ladder or complete additional degrees. However, all teachers will get raises because the entire salary scale will shift upward.

The proposed board of education budget includes $50,124,928 for employee salaries, an increase of $1,407,759 over the current year’s budget.

If the teachers gathered together and offered some portion of those increases, it would generate a lot of good will with residents and town officials. It would also make life easier for the town council. The council could more easily argue for a compromise position, reinstating part of the money that the board of finance removed, than trying to defend a return of the entire amount.

Judging from the chatter I heard outside the public hearing Monday, the people of Southington aren’t looking for teachers to take a vow of poverty. It sounds like residents want to hear the teachers say, “We understand the economy is bad.”

Top town officials and several unions have accepted pay freezes, showing they understand the environment.

Many residents have been laid off. Others have had their pay cut. Few can anticipate raises this year.

My suggestion: Southington’s teachers should make an offer in order to make themselves look good. They should offer that each teacher only take one raise this year. Each teacher could decide whether to take their step increase, their education increase or the increase provided by the shift in salary schedule.

Under this plan, or something like it, all Southington teachers would get paid more next year than the current one. No one would give up their long-term earnings potential. Teachers with impending retirements would be least affected because they wouldn’t be likely to get education or step increases. They only get one raise anyway. Other teachers would volunteer to simply delay a portion of their raise this year, to get a bigger one next year. In turn, residents would know that teachers appreciate the struggles they face.

Southington’s teachers can save the town council from making a difficult decision.

Should they?

— Zachary Janowski

Finance board gets into risky business

2009-04-30T09:21:00.000-07:00

The board of finance unanimously voted to flatline the town budget, but the board split when it came time to set the bottom line for Southington’s schools.

The four Democrats — Glenn Klocko, Ken Beaudoin, Vice Chairman Philip Pomposi and Chairman John Moise — voted to set the budget $1.2 million below the board of education’s request.

The majority on the board of finance wants the teachers and administrators to concede salary increases for the coming year to fill the $1.2 million hole.

Efforts by the board of finance, indeed all town officials, to minimize the tax increase this year should be applauded. However, the strategy employed by the board of finance is unwise.

In the end, the board may get what they want from the unions. But they might not.

Regardless of the outcome, their decision is too risky to be praised.

The board of finance essentially has decided to “play chicken” with the teachers unions, except the board already said they won’t jump off the track unless the train stops coming, giving the unions a big advantage.

Thought experiment: The unions don’t give up their wage increases (which town officials had to approve at some point in time) and the board of education is forced to cut positions. Board of finance member Robert Triano, who voted against the school budget adopted by the board, estimated the district could lose 30 positions in a “worst case scenario.”

Klocko said the board is dealing with a structural deficit. I agree.

However, doing structural damage to the town school system won’t improve the structural deficit.

The unions that represent Southington’s teachers and administrators can’t escape at least partial blame for the board’s decision. If they had offered a salary freeze to the board of education, or even a partial one, they could have preserved their reputation and stopped this game of chicken before it started. It’s not too late for the unions to show leadership and make such an offer now, either.

Many Southington residents have suffered far worse than a wage freeze during the current economic downturn, ranging from outright wage reductions to furloughs and layoffs. Not to mention inflation is hovering around zero, which should hold the cost of living down.

I don’t envy the union and administration representatives as they approach the negotiating table, if it comes to that. The town will be at a significant disadvantage given that their hand is already laid out on the table.

“It’s just inconceivable that any union would take a hard stance,” Pomposi said, explaining his position on the budget.

I think the board of finance just dared them to.

— Zachary Janowski

Keep your options open

2009-04-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

Next year, Connecticut residents will get an uncommon opportunity in this state: a chance to choose a senator.
U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd has severely damaged his reputation over the past few years by accepting a “VIP” mortgage from Countrywide Financial, by moving to Iowa during his unimpressive run for president and for his role as a puppet for the treasury department while drafting the legislation that allowed AIG to award bonuses to its employees despite accepting billions in federal bailouts.
Not to mention that Dodd, as chairman of the senate banking, housing and urban affairs committee, should have been out in front of the sub-prime mortgage crisis and the economic fiasco that has followed.
Dodd was elected to the senate in 1980. Prior to that, he served six years in Congress.
In 2010, he will complete 30 years of service in the senate, but Dodd may face one of the most challenging elections of his career. His popularity has fallen significantly as measured in the widening gap between his approval and disapproval numbers and polls that show him losing to Republican candidates voters don’t even know yet.
From the opinion polls, it looks like Connecticut residents are ready to send some more change to Washington in 2010.
Fortunately, it looks like they will have several choices worth considering.
The first to enter the ring on the Republican side was former 2nd District Rep. Rob Simmons, a retired army veteran and CIA officer who served eastern Connecticut in Congress for six years.
Closer to home in Southington, state Sen. Sam Caligiuri, R-Waterbury, has represented us in Hartford for the past four years. He has distinguished himself on the state level by voting against the state budget in 2007 and leading the campaign for a three-strikes rule that would require longer sentences for repeat violent criminals.
Other possible candidates include Tom Foley, former ambassador to Ireland, and Jack Orchulli, the fashion millionaire who challenged Dodd six years ago.
The conventional wisdom has labeled Caligiuri as the underdog in the primary against Simmons. There is some degree of truth to this contention. Simmons is well-known throughout the eastern part of the state, an advantage that will be hard to overcome for any primary competitor.
Simmons also has access to the Washington establishment, which is useful for fundraisers and connections.
But wait a second, isn’t that what we have in Dodd, and why we are unhappy with him.
Caligiuri may have slightly longer odds, but that’s where I will put my money at this point in the Republican primary.
It still remains to be seen if Democrats will challenge Dodd to replace him with a stronger candidate.
Who knows, maybe Dodd will find religion over the next year and he will return to Connecticut’s good graces. If not, it will be useful to have an alternative on hand. At this point, Caligiuri looks like a good one.
— Zachary Janowski

It wasn't always this way

2009-04-09T12:23:00.000-07:00

St. Thomas School will host the sixth and final performance of its annual Passion Play on the night this paper arrives in your mailbox.
I first visited Southington five years ago to attend the Passion Play. At the time, I didn’t understand why it was necessary to show up more than an hour before the show started.
Now, I know.
Since then I have had the privilege of participating in the play three times.
What I like most about the Passion Play is that it forces me to think what it must have been like to hear Jesus speak for the first time.
Christian stories and concepts have entered popular culture and even the English language to such an extent that it has become easy to forget how out of the ordinary many Christian ideas are.
Religious ideas aren’t the only ones that lose their novelty over time.
I like the movie “Braveheart,” Mel Gibson’s film about a Scottish freedom fighter.
However, the movie lost some credibility with me after one of my college professors pointed out how the character William Wallace was speaking like a natural rights philosopher centuries before John Locke or Thomas Hobbes lived.
After a while, I learned to appreciate the movie for what it was without holding its historical inaccuracies against it.
The larger point is that we, that is people of this time in history, especially Americans, often forget that freedom as we understand it was not a primary concern to humans for much of history.
But we can’t blame history for ignoring freedom. just as we can’t blame it for not using computers sooner.
I challenge you to take a moment to do a thought experiment. Take one of the assumptions you live by, and imagine if it wasn’t there to guide you.
Imagine, for example, that all men were not created equal.
Pretend you lived before any of today’s major religions existed.
Or even try to put yourself in the shoes of someone who cannot take their own survival for granted.
In my experience, time spent thinking about these ideas and preconceptions helps us to realize that not everyone from the past, or even today, shares them with us.
It’s hard for me to even imagine thinking without thinking about freedom.
It wasn’t always this way.
Similarly, it has been an enlightening experience to think back to what Jesus must have sounded like to the fishermen, tax collectors, priests, scribes, mothers, fathers, children, beggars, lepers, prostitutes and thieves who heard him.
At the time, Jesus’ claim that he is God would have shocked the people around him.
Today, it is treated as a commonplace.
Now, Christians can comfortably view the resurrection as inevitable. Two-thousand years ago, during the time between his death and his appearance in the upper room, the followers of Jesus would not have been so certain.
Happy Easter!
— Zachary Janowski

Southington citizens continue to serve U.S.

2009-04-03T09:22:00.000-07:00

I have been to Washington, D.C., a number of times. During several of my visits, I had the opportunity to visit the memorials devoted to our country’s veterans.
It wasn’t until I talked to Steve Pintarich, a past commander of Southington’s American Legion post, that I thought of visiting the memorials specifically devoted to Southington’s veterans.
Only a short walk from my office, Southington keeps a list of its veterans on two monuments on the town green.
The flagpole on the green features the names of Southington’s soldiers who participated in the Revolutionary War through the Civil War and on to World War I.
Closer to the American Legion post, a second monument picks up where the first left off. It includes names of veterans from World War II onward.
Pintarich and the American Legion plan to bring this monument up to date this year by collecting names, raising money and making additions to the plaques.
“The monument serves to remind us of the sacrifices that our veterans have given and are still giving for the freedom we all enjoy,” Pintarich said.
According to Pintarich, the town has agreed to remove the shrubs on the side of the monument facing the American Legion post. He said he has already collected 55 names to add to the monument, but he expects more veterans are out there.
Pintarich said veterans are eligible if they are from Southington, served during a conflict and have received an honorable discharge or completed their service commitment. He said the project will cost about $4,000 for the current list of names.
“As we add more names, of course, it’s going to go up,” Pintarich added.
The project has two aspects: adding new conflicts since the Vietnam War and adding new names to old conflicts.
“We have people that are applying going back to World War II,” Pintarich explained.
He said there are also plans in the works for a Wall of Honor for Southington residents currently serving.
In addition to the monument update, the American Legion Auxiliary makes boxes to send to service members. The post also visits the state veterans’ home in Rocky Hill, bringing donations of new clothing and personal care items.
To make a donation or apply for inclusion on the monument, contact Pintarich at (860) 620-9861. Mail donations and completed applications to: Southington Veteran’s Monument, P.O. Box 128, Southington, CT 06489.
Pintarich said he hopes to accept applications through July 1. The updated monument will be dedicated Nov. 11 as part of Veterans Day ceremonies.
—Zachary Janowski

Plays are springing up

2009-03-27T07:36:00.000-07:00

Spring is here!

I hope you have enjoyed a tasty-cold treat from Rita’s already. If you’re not sure what you are missing, take a look at Brandi Sabato’s article, “Locals freely taste spring,” on page 1.

In addition to creating hopes for warmer weather, which will make ice cream more enjoyable, spring is the season of school plays.

Although I performed in school plays — my dancing skills secured me an adult role in “Footloose” — I had thought they were only worth attending if I knew someone in the cast.

Certainly, parents have an added reason for taking interest in their children’s plays, but I will no longer overlook them as pure entertainment.

I have tickets to The Bushnell Broadway series and this weekend I look forward to seeing “Chorus Line.” But Bushnell prices are not sustainable every weekend.

This is where school plays come in: They are well-priced and in my experience far better than many movies on the big screen. For someone like me — I should mention that adults in “Footloose” don’t need to dance — I often lack the expertise to find fault in student productions.

Last weekend, students at Flanders Elementary School performed “The Big, Bad Musical.” Associate Editor Harry Kyle highlighted their preparations in the March 13 edition.

This week, Sabato also has a story, “Planning for summer theater starts one season ahead,” on page 7 about the opportunities for students to practice their Tony Award acceptance speeches during vacation. Professionals from Hartford Stage visited students at DePaolo Middle School this week, giving them a head start on their summer acting skills. For the full story, see “Students get professional acting lessons,” by Stacey McCarthy on page 14.

Plenty of opportunities remain to see these skills in action.

The Southington High School Drama Club will perform “Bye, Bye, Birdie” March 27 and March 28, at 7 p.m.

Although not a student production, the Peace Cafe at First Congregational Church will host “Twelve Angry Jurors,” a play by Sherman L. Sergel, March 27 and 28, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be reserved by calling (860) 628-6958.

Last week, Patricia Queen previewed the middle school drama club production of “Once Upon a Mattress,” a musical-comedy version of the fairy tale, “The Princess and the Pea.” The cast and crew of more than 100 middle school students will perform at Kennedy Middle School on April 2 and 7, at 7 p.m., and April 3 and 4, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $4 for students and $7 for adults.

The following week St. Thomas School will host its 31st Passion Play. Tickets are free and available while they last for the following performances: Saturday, April 4, 7:30 p.m.; Monday, April 6, 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday, April 7, 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, April 8, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, April 10, 7:30 p.m. There is a limit of five tickets per person.

For more information, visit the Web site www.st-thomas-play.org.

To all the cast members, break a leg. For the audiences, enjoy.

And for the weather, please warm up so my tongue doesn’t stick to my ice cream.

—Zachary Janowski

Pie in the sky library

2009-03-27T07:31:00.000-07:00

Imagine what your idea of the perfect library would look like. Now e-mail Library Director Susan Smayda.

As part of its long-range planning project, supported by a grant from the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain, the Southington Public Library is looking for suggestions, ideas and input from residents.

Smayda, the library board and staff and a consultant hired with the grant money are developing the plan by identifying the library’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. After their analysis, the team will create a three-year plan for the library.

According to Smayda, the plan will include concrete goals and objectives and a timeline. It will also assign responsibilities to members of the staff or community.

I asked Smayda about downloadable audio books, which she says are coming soon once some technical issues are worked out. It looks like I will get what I want, but how about you?

Smayda said she wants people to brainstorm opportunities for the library by asking, “Wouldn’t it be great if...” She said a group of kids recently had no trouble with thinking of “pie in the sky” opportunities for the library, including a larger cafe area and a third floor.

Your idea of a perfect library doesn’t have to be anywhere near as ambitious, but they want to hear it. A senior recently suggested that the comfortable chairs are too low to the ground for some people to get out of them.

Smayda said observations like that are easy to fix, but not easy to make, unless you are the person affected by them.

This planning process overlaps with an increase in business at the library.

“Right now the library’s busier than it’s ever been,” Smayda said.

Circulation during the first eight months of the fiscal year is up 8.75 percent over the same period last year. Smayda said reference requests and fines are up, too.

Smayda said during tough economic times, some residents cut their home Internet, which brings them more often to the library. She said residents are also taking advantage of resume and interview preparation programs offered in conjunction with Central Connecticut State University.

The reference librarians will also make one-on-one appointments with job-seekers to show them resources and provide tips about finding jobs.

Smayda said the library also helps residents save money. She said while checking out a patron it is easy to estimate the amount saved.

A patron checking out three books, a magazine and DVD, for example, saves about $25 per book, $5 for the magazine and $2 for the DVD rental, or $82.

Often it is human nature to wait until a mistake is made and then complain. Instead, let’s take advantage of the opportunity and let our imaginations run wild.

Email Smayda with your thoughts at smaydas [at] southington.org.

— Zachary Janowski

We live in a small, imperfect world

2009-03-27T07:27:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday marked the first time I was embarrassed to call Southington home.

The Department of Children and Families in partnership with a nonprofit, Ability Beyond Disability, plans to open a group home for victims of abuse on Thunderbird Drive in the northeast corner of town.

Residents of the neighborhood organized to oppose the home for young men ages 16 to 21, putting on an emotional display at the open house hosted by DCF last Thursday, in an attempt to keep it out of their neighborhood.

I left the open house afraid.

I did not fear the prospects of a group home on the street, I feared the angry mob of neighbors.

From what I heard at the meeting and in subsequent comments from neighbors, the residents of Southington have already judged the young men who will live in this home and determined they are doomed to repeat the mistakes they have suffered from.

These young men have no families or have suffered at the hands of their families. Yet they will find no haven in this town.

Does anyone want a group home located on their street? No.

Then again, does anyone want children to suffer from abuse or neglect? Of course not.

I do not fault the neighbors of the proposed home for their concerns. It would be unnatural to accept such a proposal without first questioning it. DCF didn’t help its cause with its poor communication, either.

I do not know why DCF chose the home on Thunderbird Drive, but I can think of some good reasons why that house and any number of other houses across Southington would make a great home. Oddly, the residents of the neighborhood don’t recognize that many of the reasons why they chose the neighborhood may also be reasons why DCF chose it.

A quiet neighborhood, populated with loving families, makes a good home for other loving families, right. Wouldn’t it make an even better home for someone who has never known a loving family?

There is no hope that these young men won’t turn to violence — as the neighbors already believe is inevitable — unless they can see how families should interact.

This point needs to be restated: the future residents of this group home have committed no crime. They are victims of crimes.

One person in the crowd yelled out this matter of fact statement as if it were ridiculous, “You want to bring abused children into our neighborhood.”

So what if they do.

Residents who gave the impression that their neighborhood is perfect are either overstating their case or naïve.

Some parents at the open house spoke of letting their children walk alone to visit their friends. They made the case that their children would lose this freedom once the group home opens.

Here is a tip for those parents. There are two sex offenders living in your neighborhood, according to the state sex offender registry, one on Pattonwood Drive and the other on Flanders Road near Laning Street.

Thunderbird Drive is not perfect, neither is that neighborhood or this town. We do not live in a perfect world and that is why we need group homes. I think the real damage DCF has done to the neighborhood is to crush this fantasy of perfection for its residents.

Last week, I was embarrassed by Southington’s disrespect for the employees of DCF.

Brian Mattiello, DCF director for strategic initiatives, was exceedingly polite when he said the meeting “definitely ranks up there as one of the more intense experiences” dealing with neighbors. Then again, he is more accustomed to abuse than most of us.

I was embarrassed by the hysteria spread by neighbors of the proposed home and I was embarrassed that no one tried to rein in the mob, not our elected leaders or any prominent citizens.

The mood has changed now that the neighbors feel they have the support of their elected representatives at the state and local level. Their hysteria has died down.Maybe during the calm, some neighbors will take a walk through their peaceful neighborhood and realize they wouldn’t mind sharing it with some young men who could really use some peace.

Then I would be proud.

—Zachary Janowski

Who sustains?

2009-03-27T07:25:00.000-07:00

It has always amazed me how the Lenten practice of “giving up” habits and favorite foods appeals beyond Catholics, who are most associated with the practice. Otherwise non-practicing Catholics participate annually as do Christians from other denominations, people from other religions altogether and agnostics.

At first glance, there is nothing particularly odd about this appeal, but upon further reflection it seems almost ironic that a disciplinary, even ascetic, practice has such an attractive force.

The appeal of Lenten “giving up” reveals something, I think, about the human condition. In some ways, I think the secular version of self-deprivation is a driven by a desire to prove, to oneself if no one else, that we are not sustained by coffee, chocolate or eating between meals. It is a personal declaration of independence from the grip of what the ancients would call our appetites.

Voluntary deprivation of some forms of sustenance provides the room to think about what truly sustains us. This struggle to define ourselves also explains much of the arc of history, as humans sought to rise above survival and into a more fulfilling existence.

Our state motto directly addresses this question: Qui Transtulit Sustinet.

I am no Cicero, but I had an idea that sustinet might have something to do with sustain. According to the state Web site, www.ct.gov, the motto means, “He who transplanted still sustains.”

The first English-speaking residents of Connecticut were religious refugees who believed they were transplanted for God-given reasons, which could explain our motto. But the motto is still relevant today as we strive to understand what sustains us.

The value of “giving up” is the confidence we gain by witnessing what we can do without. May that confidence sustain you during this season.

— Zachary Janowski

What if?

2009-03-27T07:21:00.000-07:00

The controversy sparked by Councilman Art Secondo’s offhand remark about President Barack Obama and his suspension for two weeks without pay by his employer, the Southington Chamber of Commerce, points to a dilemma of democracy: how much control can an employer exert over an individual’s public opinions.

An employer can discipline employees for embarrassing behavior or offensive opinions. An employee can express their opinions freely. For most Americans, our opinions are rarely broadcast beyond the water cooler at work, so their employer is unlikely to take much interest in them.

For elected officials, especially those who are not paid a full-time salary, this dilemma has the potential to reach a boiling point.

In this case, Secondo’s comment is embarrassing at worst, but what if employers took a larger interest in the views expressed by their employees who volunteer in local politics.

For example, what if an employer supports a particularly policy initiative, but a council member who works for the company criticizes the proposal during a council meeting? Would a two-week suspension without pay make sense?

What if the council member remains unconvinced and votes against the policy? Could the employer use the vote for grounds to fire their employee?

What if a member of the planning and zoning commission is fired from their day job for a land use decision? Even state legislators, most of whom have second jobs, could get caught up in this avalanche if it started.

In recent weeks “pay to play” corruption has received a lot of attention as scandals continue to smolder in Alaska, Illinois, New York and Pennsylvania. In Secondo’s case, we have almost the opposite problem. An employee has a reasonable expectation to get paid by their employer each week, opinions aside, but employers threatening to withhold pay could put a damper on the vigor of public debate.

Did the chamber do anything wrong? Probably not.

Will Secondo think longer before speaking out? Probably.

Of course, the real question is what Southington won’t hear because of it.

— Zachary Janowski

A charter opportunity

2009-03-27T07:18:00.000-07:00

The charter revision commission is a form of municipal soul-searching. Most of the time, local leaders and residents do the best they can within the existing system. But charter revision is an opportunity to look at how the system should exist.

In the 44 years since Southington first approved its charter, the town has convened 11 charter revision commissions, an average of one every four years.

This time around, the commission will look at topics ranging from how to select a town clerk to how to approve a budget.

Part of the process should be thinking of possible governments and what they would look like. What follows is my attempt at imagining a government that could possibly serve Southington.

A town council of nine members is elected every two years by the residents of Southington. The council hires a town manager who is responsible for hiring all other town employees outside of the police and fire departments.

The council has the power to create advisory committees as it chooses and to appoint the members to the committees.

The committees could range from standing committees, dealing with parks and recreation for example, to temporary ones looking at a particular project or issue.

The boards of fire and police commissioners would stand for election every two or four years.

The ongoing dispute between the police union and chief emphasizes the need for elected public safety boards directly responsive to the people.

The planning and zoning commission would remain the same, although it could potentially take on the role of the inland wetlands agency currently handled by the conservation commission.

The central principal of this government is centralizing authority in the elected officials.

The current system with unelected boards hiring individuals challenges the principles a council-manager government is based on: eliminating favoritism in local government and replacing it with the merit system.

The town manager should have the freedom to hire and fire to run the town. The council should judge the manager’s effectiveness based on how the town runs.

The power of the town manager should in turn be limited when possible to give powers of appointment to the chairman of the town council. Perhaps a simple way to accomplish this goal is to give the chairman the title of mayor, which has some significance under state law.

The “mayor” would not work any more or any harder than a chairman would under the current government. This new position would require no salary either.

This is one possible model for governing the town, not the only one. Even if we don’t get it right this time, chances are there will be another charter revision commission before the London Summer Olympics in 2012.

— Zachary Janowski

What's love got to do with it

2009-03-27T07:15:00.000-07:00

For many people chocolate and heart-shaped candies represent love, but I learned an important lesson about love from a different type of candy.
I was a college sophomore on a bus trip to Washington, D.C., when a friend began passing out Skittles. I took some and began enjoying them, sorting through the colors as I went.
Systematically, I ate the orange and green Skittles and gave away the purple and yellow ones, which, in my opinion, aren’t worth eating.
Then my neighbor on the bus, another friend, reached for my hand to take one of my precious, red Skittles — the best ones.
She reached. I closed my hand.She reached again. I closed my hand again.
Then it happened. I realized what love really is.
Love isn’t giving people your purple and yellow Skittles, it’s giving them your red ones!
It’s odd that America has an entire holiday dedicated to love, yet it isn’t obvious what love is.There are plenty of examples of love in daily life, but they don’t always stand out to observers. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that love isn’t about appearances.
It looks like love when I give someone my Skittles, even if they are purple or yellow. To me it doesn’t look like love when someone offers a purple Skittle, but perhaps it is their favorite flavor.
Even St. Paul had a hard time describing what love is. In the famous passage from his First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul, by my count, offers 16 observations about love, but states most of them in the negative.
If St. Paul is right, love isn’t jealous, boastful, rude, self-seeking or quick-tempered.
It’s easier to see what love isn’t, I suppose.It doesn’t help that in English we use the word love quite broadly. We love pizza, shoes and our mothers. When applied to pizza and shoes, love is extreme like.
In that sense, love is more selective than like.
On the human level, that relationship is reversed and liking is more selective than loving.
In this sense, we can choose who we like, but must love everyone.
Back aboard the bus, I gave my friend the last of my red Skittles. Four years later, I married her.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
— Zachary Janowski

Everything isn't a reasonable answer

2009-03-27T07:12:00.000-07:00

Soon, tough decisions will begin to flow from the town’s leaders. Before they start, some suggestions.
Budgets are essentially statements of priority. In good years it is easy to mask what really matters and what doesn’t, but this time around there won’t be any abundance to spread generously. It looks like each project, program and department will have to fight hard for each dollar it requests.
Our town leaders — and perhaps even leaders in Hartford and Washington — should keep two lessons in mind when making their decisions about how to spend.
When the bank bailouts began, many commentators warned against creating moral hazard, the term economists use for incentives that reward bad behavior. At that point, however, concerns about moral hazard were misplaced.
Rather, the public should worry about what incentives were in place to create the need for bailouts in the first place.
At the local level, what this means is not basing decisions on how not to reward bad behavior already done, but to avoid bad behavior in the future. For example, if town officials find a department poorly managed and in budgetary disarray, don’t ignore it to prove a point. Fix the situation and then fix the underlying problem.
The second lesson is to invest continuously.
The enormous stimulus package under debate in Washington — approaching $900 billion — includes many investments that need to be made, regardless of the state of the economy. (To be clear, it also includes a ridiculous number of items that don’t need to or never should be done.)
Perhaps, if the country had invested a consistent amount in roads, school buildings and the electric grid while the economy was growing, it wouldn’t have slowed as much. It is foolish to invest only when the economy flails about. Investments during years when there is excess makes it easier to make cuts when the economy is thinner.
Governments at all levels failed to observe these principles, leaving them with more must-do projects than they can afford.
As residents, we will have to make some tough decisions, too, and not just about our own wallets. Town officials will ask, “What would you rather have?” and they won’t take “everything´” for an answer.
We need to set our own priorities.
Here is a stab at my own suggestions:
— Preserve capital budgets and other forward-thinking investments. Spend money not on new items that will save money over the long term, but on maintenance that will prevent large expenditures in the future.
— Make cuts to operating budgets carefully to avoid ruining the department’s ability to perform in the future.
— Share honestly about cuts and their impact, especially with the people directly affected. Sometimes the best way to handle a situation like that is to remember that misery loves company.
No venom-spitting criticism yet, but no one has made any tough decisions yet either.
— Zachary Janowski

Economy has strong roots on our streets

2009-03-26T10:03:00.000-07:00

Amid bailouts, budget deficits, layoffs and stimulus packages, it’s important to remember the fundamentals of our economy are strong. Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, got skewered for saying just that during his unsuccessful campaign for the presidency.

However, the signs of our country’s underlying economic strength are clear — perhaps even clearer than they are in Washington — on Southington’s streets.

Last week, I spoke with several residents to get their reactions to the inauguration of President Barack Obama. In search of some perspective I met Millie Arena, of Southington, at the Calendar House. She told me she wanted Obama to follow in Franklin Roosevelt’s footsteps and that she once had the honor of meeting Roosevelt on a visit to Hartford.

Responding to Arena, I looked back at Roosevelt’s inaugural address, which most people remember for his “firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

I did not recall what Roosevelt said next.

“Nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror,” he described the fear, “which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”

Roosevelt went on to discuss the challenge of “our common difficulties.”

“They concern, thank God, only material things,” he said.

Economists will not decide for many whether the times we face are as, more or less dire than the Great Depression, although all agree that times are indeed bad. I think it is fair to say the common difficulties we face this time around once again concern material things.

Despite the difficulties, there are several signs the economy is fundamentally — at its root — strong. Look no further than the pages of The Citizen.

Lowe’s is opening a new store near Target off West Street (page 17). Students are embracing innovative thinking about marketing (page 23) and design (page 35) to solve real challenges.

Unfortunately, many companies are choosing to lay off loyal and diligent workers, thoroughly damaging their short-term financial situation.

A fundamental strength of our economy, however, is the freedom to pursue a new job or even career.

For the unemployed whose transition takes longer, there are many generous members of the community, like Eldon Hafford and Bill McDougall with Bread for Life, who will make sure no one starves (story coming next week). Students at Southington High School are collecting clothes this weekend in a drive to make sure no one freezes (page 4).

I can see North Main Street through my office window and many cars are crossing the center of town. Residents of Southington move freely. This is a principle of our economy that distinguishes us from places around the world and throughout history.

Students in our schools study to enter their chosen careers. Business owners take calculated risks.

There are no bread lines or ration cards. Commerce may have slowed, but it has not stopped. Its signs are clearly visible.

— Zachary Janowski

Married into town

2009-03-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

Without any further ado, I would like to introduce — myself.
I am the new editor of the Southington Citizen.
I was born in New Hampshire, lived for two years in a log cabin at the bottom of a small ski mountain in Massachusetts and then with the birth of my sister, moved across the border to Nashua, N.H. I grew up there and attended public schools. In high school I wrote one article for the school newspaper, but I didn’t stay involved.
As a teenager, I can remember reading a Time magazine cover story about economists working in the treasury department. At the time I thought I wanted to study economics and become an investment banker. It took me five years to realize it wasn’t the subject I enjoyed, but the writing.
After high school I studied economic history at Boston University.
Two really important things happened at BU: I wrote enough to realize it was how I wanted to spend my life and I met a girl with whom I wanted to spend my life.
That girl, Rachel, is now my wife. That’s how I married into Southington.
My wife, born Rachel Gworek, grew up in the home where I still have dinner with my in-laws each Sunday. Rachel attended Kelly School, DePaolo Middle School and Southington High, earning a scholarship to Boston University’s School of Education.
While in college, I wrote for and then edited the Sam Adams Review, a student newspaper published about once a semester. It was at an editors conference during my junior year when I finally realized journalism was more than just a college activity for me. I wanted it to be my career.
In order to gain more experience in the field — it was already too late to change my major — I got an internship at Science & Theology News, where I wrote, researched and edited for their print and online editions.
Since moving to Connecticut after graduation in 2006, I have learned about towns within towns and even picked up a few “steady habits.” I have also learned valuable lessons about reporting, writing and how local and state governments work.
Now, after proofreading ads, freelance writing and reporting for the Willimantic Chronicle, I am editing the newspaper of my adopted hometown.
I take over running the day-to-day business of The Southington Citizen from Managing Editor Robert Mayer and Assistant Managing Editor Robin Lee Michel. They will stay involved, but their focus will shift back to two other weeklies, The Berlin Citizen and The Plainville Citizen.
I live in Plantsville, close enough to Mount Southington to see the lights and hear the din of the snow-making machines. If I could remember back that far, my home might remind me of the T-bar lift behind the house where I learned to walk and talk.
I am lucky enough to live only five minutes from the Citizen offices on North Main Street, making it easy to stop home for lunch or stay late in order to meet a deadline. Point is, even when I’m not in the office I’m not far away.
—Zachary Janowski

New editor takes the helm

2009-03-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

Readers of The Southington Citizen may have noticed a new byline in the paper over the last few weeks. Plantsville resident Zachary Janowski joined the Citizen team as an associate editor at the end of December.

An award-winning journalist, Janowski comes to the Citizen from the Willimantic Chronicle, where he covered Columbia, Mansfield and the University of Connecticut. At The Southington Citizen, Janowski will manage the daily editorial demands of the paper, leading a team of reporters and freelancers in providing timely, relevant community news.

“Zach is a great addition to our team at The Southington Citizen. He has a passion for the newspaper business and the town, an ideal combination resulting in more news about issues and people in Southington. He has already been out in the community meeting people to hear their concerns about their town and to learn what they want to see in their hometown paper,” said Robin Lee Michel, assistant managing editor of the Southington Citizen.

“We are pleased to have such a talented local editor joining us,” said Michael Killian, General Manager of The Southington Citizen.

Janowski views the Citizen as a collaborative effort between the staff and residents. “We tell stories at the Citizen. In order to do that, we need help from everyone in the community.

“Snap a photo and submit it, contact us about an issue you want addressed. Write about a high school sports team or submit reported articles about people, events or places around town. We work with the community to put the paper together.”

Whether he’s taking notes at a town council meeting, enjoying a cup of coffee at a legislative breakfast or checking out a book at the library, Janowski hopes Southington residents will come up and introduce themselves.

“I’m excited to become a bigger part of the community by learning about it and about the people who live here. Everyone has a story to tell. I love to hear those stories,” said Janowski.

When Janowski and the rest of the Citizen staff are not out and about in Southington, they can be found in the office at 40 N. Main St. As always, readers should feel free to stop in and say hello.

- Carolyn Wallach, The Southington Citizen