Woodstock CT Café

“The need for new perspective in leadership is the most common thought that coalesces…�

Over one hundred articles have been published at this site on issues related to Town politics, schools, management issues, and local crime. Writing some and reading all of these articles have been helping me to understand better what is going on in Woodstock, especially the constraints that we face in making improvements in Town services. Of course, not every statement or claim put forth at this site has been accurate, but the perceptions of all contributors are very real. Perceptions of individuals are important, and the more we share these perceptions, the better we will understand the issues – I say this hopefully.

There has been an evolution in thinking as we have progressed through the months and a continual changing of issues as they have arisen. Although there are several hundred visitors to this site, only a small minority have contributed comments or articles, and no articles or comments have been turned down as of yet. The intent is to collect as many points of view as possible in order to translate perception into reality. Each of us has the freedom to determine, on our own, what IS reality.

In October we heard about citizens calling the Board of Education and the leadership of Woodstock Academy together to discuss the impasse in negotiations of the contract between the Town and the Academy. In this meeting we observed a sharp contrast in the behavior of the participants. Much to our chagrin, we were left with the impression that while Academy officials were acting in a professional manner to seek an appropriate contract with the Town, our BOE was working hard, with much contractual subterfuge, to justify new high school options for Woodstock students. At the same time by contrast, members of the Town citizenry were working tirelessly to support the inauguration of the Academy football team in its first season.

In November we had an election that was marred by harassment at the polling place by the third party candidates (now known as CPS’ers). Then we saw Delpha and Republican board members swept aside by the election of all Democratic candidates. But, a cautious article warned the readers that “It’s not over yet!� and that “the ‘old guard’ knows precisely where to through the monkey wrench.� Then we learned that Joe Breen could not take his elected position on the Board of Finance because of the landslide vote. Margaret Wholean was ecstatic at becoming First Selectman without any real agenda.

December was a dark month because we lost Judy Nilan. We also began to realize the ineptitude and slant of the Woodstock Villager. Delpha complained about Margaret Wholean’s dismissal of Delpha’s ‘Executive Assistant.

In January we started to question “who’s in charge?â€? and listened to discussion about conflicts of interest and nepotism on the various Town boards. A parody of Woodstock as being much like the goings on in Baharain was put forth. We also started to see more criticism of the Woodstock Villager in the ‘ReNews’. Finally, one article expressed the concern that Margaret Wholean was not stepping forward. Read the rest of this entry »

This is a work in progress Please see additions and corrections at the bottom of this article

“Why are we raising the Town operating budget – padded with unnecessary items and pet projects – in a time when the electorate has asked for a reduction in their taxation? “

There were very few people at the Board of Finance’s Public Hearing last night (May 02) at the Middle School. From what I understand, there probably weren’t more than fifty people and most of them were town hall employees or members of various boards. The actual head count of the public attending probably wouldn’t have used up all of one’s fingers and toes.

In a general and quick perusal of the stack of handouts available at the back table of the meeting left me with lots of questions.

The first is confusing: Why are there TWO capital improvement schedules? One was on white paper (accompanied by a power point presentation) and the other on yellow paper. The white papered plan is titled the “CIP Management Plan – May 2006�. The yellow-papered plan is titled “Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan�, dated 05/02/06 Public Hearing. Everything on the ‘bond list’ of the white-papered plan is also on the yellow-papered plan. Ironically there are in the neighborhood of $1.8 Million dollars of items on the yellow-papered list that are not included on the formal presentation of the white-papered plan. What’s up with that??? There is no explanation accompanying these two items that would rectify the differences.

By the way, there is $350K for a Park and Recreation Soccer Field. On the white-papered plan it doesn’t note that this figure is only an estimate, as it does on the yellow-papered plan… which is where it is noted that this field is to be built at the Hawkins Road site. This site needs remediation, as determined three or four years ago by the previous Recreation Fields Committee. The $350K is not a real estimate, it’s a fantasy. Does anybody remember what remediation cost was quoted to us by the old committee? Read the rest of this entry »

This website has devolved into alot of whining losers. I thought this website was supposed to be blind and yet when I write under “interested” someone has to say that I am “the Swami”. The Town of Woodstock has had dirty politics for years, everyone in the area outside knows this. Anyone who gets involved with you morons has to be out of their mind. I know from personal experience how deceptive, lying and miserable you people truly are.

Education in Woodstock has been a joke for a long time and rather expensive for such poor results. The Citizens are divided between those who question Education and those who worship at the Education altar and only believe spending unlimited amounts of money is the answer. This last group usually has children in the system or a job on the school’s payroll. Woodstock is a middle class town with alot of Seniors and low/middle income families with children. You seem to think that Woodstockers are stupid, uninformed, manipulated masses who don’t know what they are doing. Fortunately, they are none of the above and don’t buy into the Special Interest group that is represented on this website. You people should be ashamed of yourselves and start taking responsibility by questioning your own school system. Every time I question Education, it results in personal attacks and changing the subject by going after the Town side of the Budget. The First Selectmans’ income did not jump by alot as one of you has said, it has been going up the same amount as other Town Hall positions. All you want is to get your way. You seem to think that a Town Charter with one of your hired stooge, called a Town Manager, will solve your problems and get you what you want. It won’t. Read the rest of this entry »

The Run For Judy is this Saturday. It starts at 10AM. Please call the Woodstock Middle School (963-6575) tomorrow (Fri.) for more information.

“…who needs regular sports when they will already have Wehrsports?�

When the Town budget, both reduced and in line with Prop 46, is put up for approval by the electorate later this month, what do you think will happen? This will probably take place in a Town meeting unless the CPS’ers petition a referendum. Either way, there is the distinct possibility that the Town budget will be attacked again by the CPS’ers in an attempt to block the Town from functioning at all. At some point however, the CPS’ers may decide that continuing their blockage of the Town budget may put them in a bad light among their own constituency. They may also try to split that budget so that they can continue their attack of the school budget without diminishing the Town operating budget which they hope to own as theirs after the next election. After all, they don’t want to reduce their own future pay check in the process of attacking the livelihood of others.

Which sour pusses do you think will be put forth as Selectmen candidates in the next election by the CPS’ers. Mr. Wetzel – who fancies himself as a Swami with “vast knowledgeâ€? of how the Town works (using his own words) – would probably like to come back as First Selectman? Then there is the enigmatic Mr. Shultz, followed by Mr. Klusek, last year’s candidate who secured several hundred votes, and Mr. Livernois who never shows up on important occasions. There are also dark horses like Mr. Cinguanta and even Petey Racine. Unfortunately, there are not enough paid jobs to go around for these CPS’ers but many would like to have a job. Since their constituency is now well formed and highly inflamed, and given the performance of Ms. Wholean at the same time, the CPS’ers would probably be a shoe-in if the election were held this month – that is, unless the electorate with children woke up and rose up in unison. Read the rest of this entry »