Woodstock CT Café

In last Friday’s issue of the Villager, Editor Walter Bird attempted to address the debate over embryonic stem cell research. Since his vociferous defense of Anne Coulter a few weeks ago, we have paid no attention to his column. However, we examined closely his latest column because it was focused on the stem cell debate to see what insight he could offer. His insight boiled down to labeling those in favor of embryonic stem cell research as idealogs. We thought that this was an odd label to give a paraplegic, someone with spinal cord injury, or someone with a loved one with Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s Disease. His editorial became even more twisted when he wandered on to link Bush’s position on stem cell research to the necessity of the Iraq war. Then he marveled at the fact that Bush can stand his ground because he doesn’t need to be re-elected. Mr. Bird ends with the declaration that “We must have leaders that will not abandon their beliefs to garner votes” - a statement that conjures up the image of the hooded leaders of the Klu Klux Clan.

The Cafe has restrained itself from exploring broader issues not pertaining to Woodstock. But, unfortunately each and every week our mailboxes are insulted by the Villager. To maintain some degree of balance, the Cafe feels some responsibility to respond to ‘stuff’ printed in the Villager. So we decided to try a new technique in publishing - that is, new for the Cafe. We decided to tap the expertise of Woodstock resident, John Leavitt, to see what we might learn about the subject of embryonic stem cell research, the subject so tortuously manipulated by Mr. Bird.

This interview was first published in May of 2005 by Thought Mechanics, a nationally recognized blog. It has been updated to include a comment on the recent success of scientists at Stemagen (La Jolla CA) who announced their success at cloning human embryonic stem cells. Admin

Thought Mechanics: What is an embryonic stem cell?
John Leavitt: An embryonic stem cell is a cell that is toti-potent. In other words, these cells are the earliest stage embryonic cells that develop after the egg is fertilized. The unique property of an embryonic stem cell is that it has the capacity to differentiate into any tissue in the body.

Thought Mechanics: We heard in the news 2 years ago about the Korean fraud regarding their claim to have successfully cloned human embryonic stem cells. How has this impacted on the future of this field of research?
JL: Fraud in academic research is rare. It’s unfortunate but I have heard of no negative fallout when it comes to the academic and public desire to move forward with embryonic stem cell research. On the positive side, the false claims of the Korean ‘success’ led to lots of productive discussion about the importance of embryonic stem cell research. It gave us an opportunity to envision the benefits and the downside and weigh them against each other. Read the rest of this entry »

“Will the MFATF soon be called the MEATf-heads? I hope not.�

It’s interesting that the Café article proposing an “independent commissionâ€? entitled “To the Board of Educationâ€? was published on March 21st. Shortly afterwards, on the 24th of March the following was published at the Café in a “Villager Renewsâ€? article from comments by Ms. Rapose (Chairman of the BOF) and Ms. Wholean in the Woodstock Villager that same day – “Ms. Rapose, chairwoman of the Woodstock Board of Finance, announced plans to appoint a blue-ribbon panel of Town citizens to look at the Town’s budgetary issues. Ms. Rapose gave credit to an anonymous individual for this suggestion. It was stated by the Villager that Ms. Wholean is also in favor of forming this panel to look at Town spending. But Ms. Rapose said that every fiscal faction…should be represented on this panel. Since about 75% of the Town budget is for education, it is the hope of WoodstockCTCafe that Ms. Rapose will consider assembling a group of clear thinking, open-minded citizens with backgrounds that indicate a respect for education but who also don’t automatically equate ‘quality’ with the amount of money spent.â€?

Since I refuse to subscribe the the Villager website and I often deliver the Villager to the dump ASAP, I could only recover the statements of Ms. Rapose and Ms. Wholean from the archives of the Cafe. Apparantly many in Woodstock give the Villager a speedy demise. If you go to the post office on Friday or Saturday morn, you can see the trash cans stuffed with copies of the Villager.

The Villager in its MFATF article (will the MFATF soon be called the MEATf-heads? I hope not) on Friday July 28th attempts to re-write history by stating “The concept originated in First Selectman Margaret Wholean’s ‘From the Hot Seat’ column which was first published on May 26th and chronicled by the Café in an article entitled “Ms. Wholean’s Hotseatâ€? . The Villager article this last Friday then goes on to say “Wholean even made the modest decision to question the general budget she helped draft when she asked ‘But is it a good budget?’â€? Well, gag me with a spoon!

To the credit of the Board of Finance, Ms. Wholean stated in the Villager on Friday “The Board of Finance has recommended to me that I form an advisory group to look at these issues of budgeting…â€? apparently on March 24th. Read the rest of this entry »

Paladin’s comment below says “So I have heard the following on this “blue-ribbon commissionâ€?: Ernie St. Jean, Barbara Rich, Roger Gale, Becki Leavitt, Bill Sowka, and a few others from the Republican Town Committee (the Chair, I think, is someone that ran for P&Z)…. Anybody else? Also, is this open to the public? ” posted here by Admin on Monday August 7th

The Cafe published this article on March 21st during the chaos of referenda and budgetary debate. It is being re-published in response to the decision by our First Selectman, Ms. Wholean, to organize the “Municipal Finance Advisory Task Force” (MFATF). Originally, the author proposed that such a committee be assembled by the BOE to independently validate the education budget. It makes good sense to apply this concept to the Town operating budget as well. So the Cafe applauds this effort. It is hoped that MFATF will be free of special interests and able to advise the Town on how to make the budget development process prioritizable, equitable, transparent, and less devisive. But, it’s our concern that this will not be the case.

Here is what was proposed in March:

It is herein proposed that a commission of Town citizens be created for the purpose of carrying out an independent review of Woodstock’s education budget.

This commission, composed of Woodstock citizens, should be authorized by the Board of Education (BOE) to carry out its mission independently of the BOE with the exception of the BOE’s cooperation with this commission in exchanging information and providing clarifications as needed by the commission.

Nominations for appointment to this commission should be posted publicly on the internet and in local newspapers as these nominations should be known by the Town citizenry. It should be stipulated that nominees to the commission (1) should have no prior role with the BOE or the Academy including recent candidacy for election to the BOE or the Board of Trustees of the Academy, (2) should not have recently run for Town office or been appointed to any Town committee, (3) should have some form of higher education combined with sustained experience in a profession, and (4) no commission nominee should have a child entering or coming through the Woodstock school system in the fiscal year 2006-2007 or thereafter. The commission members can be chosen by the BOE or after the BOE selects appropriate nominees, but only if there are many nominees, the final commission members might be elected by the Woodstock electorate based solely on the nominee’s published credentials.

The mandate of this commission should be as follows: (1) To complete a line-by-line review of the proposed BOE budget for the 2006-2007 school year; (2) provide an independent review of reasonable needs of the school system based upon review for the proposed budget; and (3) provide a review of the events that led to a proposed budget that currently exceeds the allowable budget presented by the Board of Finance by about $660,000. To complete its mission, this commission will compile a written report that will be published in a timely fashion on the internet and in local newspapers. There is no set time line for completion of this review. It’s not expected that this review could be completed before the 2006-2007 Read the rest of this entry »

See Sherri Vogt’s Website. See Mike Albert’s Website. Bill, See Sherri’s latest comment under “Sherri Vogt Responds…” at the lower right.

“Sherri, … If you can figure out what the lesson is, you might have a shot at beating Mike.”

In November 2004, Mike Alberts beat Reese Painter by 48 votes (0.44%) to win a seat representing the 50th Congressional District of Connecticut composed of 5 towns – Woodstock, Pomfret, Eastford, Brooklyn, and Hampton. The odd thing about this election was that there were two elections – the first to represent District 50 in the next full congressional term and a second to represent the 50th District for the remaining months of Jefferson Davis’ term who had resigned in August 2004. Mike won the first election but lost the second election by 11 votes. Why was the vote different for the two elections that were side-by-side on the voting machine? Read the rest of this entry »

“So how did the letter from the DTC reach the Villager?�

I was both surprised and pleased to read the letter written to Ms. Wholean from members of the Democratic Town Committee (DTC) regarding her commitment to carrying out the goals of the Democratic platform on which she was elected. I was pleased because this seemingly forgotten platform was the platform that compelled me to vote straight democratic last November. The DTC letter was very well written, to the point, and it clearly spelled out the positions of the DTC on truly significant issues facing Woodstock. This letter was also uncharacteristically frank for political leadership. However, it seems to me that given the tone of Woodstock citizenry in denying the two referenda, statements in this letter could hurt the position of the Democratic party in the next election unless the DTC can revise their position on Proposition 46 or explain effectively why Prop 46 needs to be done away with.

In discussions at the Café there have been some who have recognized the necessity of Woodstock government to work under the budgetary confines of Prop 46 because of the overwhelming rejection of any change in Prop 46 by the voters. When some of us recognized that this situation was not likely to change, we began to look at other ways to address the needs of the school system without changing Prop 46. We discovered, however, that the Board of Finance was intransigent on how to divide tax money between the Town operating budget and the education budget and we saw funding implemented for significantly higher salaries for the Selectmen and proposals for completely unnecessary expenditures like a soccer field placed on a waste remediation site, reduced taxation for some of our wealthiest citizens (the ‘elderly’), a dial-a-ride service, a Town keystone cop, putting away money in a fund to purchase open space, etc.

Through all of this we saw no evidence of leadership by any of our ‘elected’ Selectman with regard to any of the important issues, the most prominent of which was whether-or-not there was good reason to repeal Prop 46. Instead, these three Selectmen stuck their heads in the sand and let the citizenry fight it out. Read the rest of this entry »

The letter dated April 26th from the Woodstock DTC to First Selectman Margaret Wholean signed by DTC committee members (taken from the Villager edition of July 21st) reads as follows:

“Dear Margie:

As members of the Woodstock Democratic Town Committee, we would like to provide our comments relative to the current budget discussions.

Last year, our committee and slate conducted extensive discussions and developed policy goals that were clearly articulated and distributed broadly to Woodstock voters through mailed literature, public debate and phone messaging. The “Democratic Team,� with you leading it, promised to bring coordinated professional management to the town’s three primary policy areas:

Land Use – Conservation, Development, and Scenic Road Protection

Education – Balanced Improvement of both Public and Private Education

As the budget process draws to completion this year, it appears that Woodstock Academy will receive its reasonable healthy funding request. The town’s operating budget, generally representing essential services with few reductions possible, will receive its needed funding. The public school system has gotten what remains available under the Proposition 46 expenditure cap, and is again left facing serious proposed cuts to its budget request that sought only to maintain preexisting programs. Read the rest of this entry »

As I travel around the State campaigning for Governor, the first thing most people want to know is, why am I running? I am running for Governor because I believe in the possibility of government, when run openly and well, to make a positive and lasting difference for people and the communities they love. It’s that belief that gets me out of bed in the morning. That’s at the core of why my wife Cathy and I have dedicated more than two decades to public service.

I have been honored to serve the people of Stamford for over 11 years. We have turned the city into a nationally recognized model on many fronts, from education, the environment and crime fighting to economic growth and fiscal integrity. We turned Stamford around by working together toward a common vision of a community where people and employers want to live, work, play and raise a family. As Governor, I can do the same for all of Connecticut. Read the rest of this entry »

How did the hearing go today? Well, it was awfully warm and the fans employed to bring relief made it a challenge for everyone to hear the testimony. Being that this was my first hearing of this type, I really had no expectation beyond that there would be other interested citizens like me there to bear witness. Quickly, the only preconceived notion I had was dispelled as I found myself the only one in the gallery not directly connected to the trial … attorneys, clients and witnesses. There wasn’t even any reporter from the Villager there, which was surprising to me. When we read the next article about this litigation in the Villager it will be interesting to assess their objectivity. The hearing started shortly after ten. There was a ten-minute break after eleven and then a lunch recess shortly after noon. The hearing ended about 3:30 and will reconvene tomorrow morning at the Town Hall (it’s cooler there). Read the rest of this entry »

Robert Skelley is Craig and Susan Powers’ attorney

I would like to ask all of the commentators to step back, just for one moment, and realize that they have now become part of a larger argument that is pulsing in this nation’s schools. I would like you to step back and realize that your debate, with a myriad of opinions on both sides of the issue, focuses on primarily the fiscal cost of providing equalized education to all students. I agree with the commentator who stated that parents are not entitled to the “best” education for their children, but I would argue that the use of the term “minimal” education is not appropriate nor does it meet the standards of the law, either. And, just for the heck of it, has anyone considered the purpose of this law? (IDEA 2004, as it is commonly known) It is not intended to deprive “normal” (for whatever that really stands for) students of any part of their education; it is not intended to provide “more” of a normal education to those who are educationally disabled. It is intended to provide a level playing field for everyone. Not more for some, nor less for others; just level. Unfortunately level can sometimes be very expensive or, in the alternative, it requires creativity and committment to assuring that everyone has the same chance to succeed. Please note that I said chance not guarantee.. to succeed. Once one has the chance, it is up to one’s abilities to make use of that chance. In most instances school departments opt to minimize the cost of leveling the playing field by controlling who gets what. Sounds very businesslike, and in many instances, very appropriate. But sometimes there becomes such a demand to contain cost that the business of education becomes the business of denial. Federal law requires that every single child that has a learning disability be provided with an individual education plan that hones in on providing that child what is needed to level the field. Sometimes it is simple to do, other times it is very difficult to do. And yes, sometimes it gets very expensive. And yes, it is important to control costs when they can be controlled, to try to limit just how expensive education can be, and to try to make it all as affordable as possible to all of us. That requires vigilance on both sides of the issue. The schools must find and treat earlier and with greater creativity in programmatic solutions; and parents must pay attention to their children and the school system. Even if their child does not have a disability, because the value of every child is one that we all benefit from and have responsibility for. This case, as in most cases, will have those who support the position of the parents and those who support the position of the school. Some will be stuck in the middle. But the dialog is so incredibly valuable. This is a big issue for Woodstock and every single town in the country. It is important for each parent and for each child; and it must not be left to fester for fear of raising hackles or bruising egos. I don’t believe the Town of Woodstock had evil people as guardians of education; I don’t believe that there are evil parents out there simply trying to scam money out of the education coffers. I believe there are reasoned people, each with a perspective, that should be able to remember that this is about a child who needs his community to remember and respect him as an equal with all of the other members of the community. The facts will speak for themselves, the result will be either welcomed or berated, for that is the course of a democratic society; but please keep in mind that there is a young boy who is counting on the school, his parents and the law to do what is right and just so he too can share in the benefits of that democracy. Read the rest of this entry »

Sorry for the delay everyone – was at a camping trip with the Scouts and only just getting back! Thanks for your patience! – SV

There are a few ways to answer the tough questions of how and why we as a state should or should not do something.
I believe that we must be all that we can be. To this end, I, and my family, volunteer many hours a week to teach and live this ideal.
For Example:
• I have been a Cub Scout leader for years
• I teach Sunday School/Catechism at Our Lady of Lasalette
• I served in the US Army during Desert Storm and was honorably discharged
• I come from a long line of public servants, my great grandfather actually once was State Representative from Brooklyn!

When I realized that the ultimate expression of this ideal was to use what I have learned and to serve my community and to serve everyone- past, present and future, I decided to seek the office in which I could do the most good. The past generations have given so much through their sacrifices, their hard work and their generosity. I strive to build on this every day as I work for a better place for all of us to live. I also see that the future depends on how we prepare for it; through education, youth employment, jobs for a lifetime, and open space to appreciate and young people filled with hope. Without a dream, without hope, how do you move on to a better place? Read the rest of this entry »

Woodstock SPED’s Dirty Little Secret

The Woodstock Board of Education, like BOEs throughout the State and country is trying to serve two masters. Their obligatory mission is to provide a quality education to all students and adhere to state and federal mandates. At the same time, they are expected to control costs and limit spending. The BOE is put into an impossible situation due to the way Connecticut funds public education. Relying on property tax encourages unequal education and discourages preservation of open space.

Connecticut and the United States require towns to provide a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) to all students, including those with disabilities. The BOE seems willing to let their special education department place a higher premium on controlling costs than on providing the education that is guaranteed by federal law. While it may be cheaper in the short run to control costs by denying and limiting services to disabled children, these actions ignore the spirit of the law and in our opinion the SPED department here in Woodstock has taken this to a level that is sickening.

These actions cost the town and the BOE when parents initiate legal proceedings to demand an appropriate education for their child as we have been forced to do. They cost society when parents are not able to advocate for their child. Many parents we have spoken with have simply given up in the face of the hassle, legal fees and the prospect of having to fund alternative education while pursuing a due process claim. We have recently spoken with other parents that have come from other districts and are just getting started with the SPED department in Woodstock. They can’t believe what they are experiencing. Unless you have a child in need of these services, you would have no idea of the ‘Twilight Zone’ you are about to encounter.

We have learned that there is a long history of problems here, although you wouldn’t learn this by reading the decisions posted on the State DOE website, as no decisions regarding Woodstock appear- they have all been settled prior to a decision being rendered. Read the rest of this entry »

Sherri Vogt is the Democratic candidate for State Representative opposing Republican Mike Alberts

Dear Friends,

I am writing to you today when asked by my fellow Woodstock Democrats and the people at the Cafe to speak about what I can offer my neighbors in Woodstock in my campaign for the 50th State Representative chair. After all, politics are local and the issues that occur in the region may not be what everyone believes needs to be addressed in Woodstock.

I love Woodstock. It is a beautiful community with generous and hard working people as its residents. It is a statewide treasure that needs to be preserved and maintained throughout the progress that our region is experiencing and long into the future. That being said, however, I understand and realize your frustration with the current property tax system. It is an unfair choice residents must make – to sacrifice beauty for needed tax dollars more and more every year – and I for one, want to see a change in this system.

Our schools deserve more than they currently receive. Woodstock is not alone when every year we fight one another for scarce revenues to pay for pencils and valuable field trips against another resident who has rightly paid their due and feels they can pay no more. It’s not fair that we should pit neighbor against neighbor year after year in an effort just to keep the light bill going in town hall. There has to be a better way and there is.

Economic Development is not the wooing of large industry and commercial development that most people think it is – it is taking responsibility for your economic destiny. It can be whatever you want it to be: agri-tourism, light industry, power cell and alternative fuels development or just local, eclectic retail stores. When towns start being true to their nature and realize their strengths over their weaknesses, then true Economic Development can occur. We need to work together with Hartford and give Woodstock it’s economic destiny back so it is no longer at the mercy of the whims of people who live over an hour away.

There is a lot more that we can discuss in person that I feel my campaign can bring to Woodstock. I believe that we have been almost ignored these past two years by Hartford and now our area is suffering for it. If it wasn’t for Don Williams and Shawn Johnston, there would almost nothing left of the Quiet Corner as a whole. Please let me help you and allow me to join them in Hartford, we want to make the Quiet Corner the best it can be and with you help. I know we can do it – together.

Thank you

Sherri Vogt,
Democratic Candidate for the 50th District
www.sherrivogt.com Read the rest of this entry »

Hawking’s question: “In a world that is in chaos politically, socially and environmentally, how can the human race sustain another 100 years?” from USA Today, 7/8/06

“Soon the southern half of Iraq will be called ‘Iranq’�

I watched the debate between Ned Lamont and Senator Joe Lieberman last night. I was not surprised to see Ned Lamont struggle with his stage presence which got decidedly stronger as the hour rolled on. I was surprised at the puffy appearance and ‘performance’ of Joe Lieberman. It was though he had too much Botox injected into his checks and lips just prior to the debate. But the puffiness did not end there. He was quite puffed up about his seniority on several important congressional committees as a “Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, and a member of the Armed Services Committee where he is Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on ‘Airland Forces and Sites’ on the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities� (what a mouthful).

In the quiet corner Senator Lieberman apparently ‘fought’ or helped to arrange services from the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine for local farmers with an appropriation of $480,000. I have used this service for my horse as well. He also appropriated $600,000 in 2003 for Day Kimball Hospital to implement Rural Geriatric Services from which my parents have benefited. He has also laid claim to the “Quiebaug-Shetaucket Heritage Corridot� (see www.joe2006.com) project with an appropriation of $800,000 but his spelling suggests to me that he may not even know where ‘Quinebaug-Shetaucket’ is. Is this a good track record for the Quiet Corner after 18 years (first elected in 1988) as a Connecticut Senator? He and a raft of other Connecticut politicians have claimed success in preserving the Groton submarine base from extinction.

None of this has any bearing on my decision not to support Senator Lieberman. I am opposed to his re-nomination and re-election because he has been an ardent supporter of President Bush’s and Vice President Cheney’s War in Iraq. I have been against this War since it became clear that this was the mission of Bush and Cheney and the War’s inception on March 20, 2003, e.g. “Operation Iraqi Liberation�.

First and foremost, the cost in innocent human lives has been estimated at more than 40,000. Furthermore, 2542 US soldiers have lost their lives to date and over 18,000 have been wounded. The monetary cost of this War has now reached just under $300 billion and will ultimately be over a trillion before the dust settles. We and our children will be billed for this War for generations to come. But more tragically, this policy has undermined our ability to deal more effectively with the greater emerging military threats of Iran and Korea, address important national needs, and form international alliances to effectively address more global issues.

Historically our track record in the Middle East, outside of our alliance with Israel, has been a dismal failure. Read the rest of this entry »

A quote from the Norwich Bull 7/14/06 article on the Brooklyn budget fight: “Bob Ives of Brooklyn teaches fifth grade in Woodstock. He said he has seen education programs steadily erode in Woodstock from years of steady cuts, and does not want to see teachers and program cuts and larger classrooms in Brooklyn.”

“…a majority that looks only at immediate needs and not a long-term plan for success.�

“I am on a fixed incomeâ€? is a phrase that I saw repeatedly in the Norwich Bull as they published almost daily articles on the budgetary strife in Eastern Connecticut. It’s the end of any argument about the town budgets because once this phrase is uttered there is no retort. Can you imagine a bobble-headed reporter asking, “Could you explain how you manage your income?â€? Maybe the phrase should be “I am on fixed expensesâ€?. Everyone uses the fixed income phrase as a justification for saying NO! to any referendum that is about taxation (e.g. taking their money). Reporters who repeatedly publish these statements ought to add it to their boilerplate and just stipulate that everyone is on a fixed income. Read the rest of this entry »

While Mr. Bird, Editor of the Villager, fouls his nest once again wondering where the ‘super heros’ have gone, a mother gets realistic about parents’ concerns for the children.

“…you’re good enough, you should be able to get by, you are not worth more of our investment!”

When did getting by become the American dream? I ask myself this as I look into my child’s future. My child is surrounded by a realm of peers that seem proud of barely making it, as if mere survival is something of a marvel. Is it because our culture has gone out of its way to give hall passes for almost any anomaly life throws our way? What happened to gutting it out, to keeping a stiff upper lip, to damn the torpedoes – full steam ahead?

My father raised me to be so proud of anything I did that I would be willing to sign my name to it. For the most part I have lived my life by that challenge (this may be why I really don’t “do� housework). I wouldn’t say I’m competitive, but I do hold myself to the standard of my name’s worth. Between my father’s philosophy, my mother’s anonymous-never-ending-effort, and the left over guilt and responsibility of a Catholic education, I am often left wondering when it became so laudable to celebrate the achievement of minimum standards.

Our children are surrounded, nay accosted, on a daily basis by the justification of everything as special (like happy meal toys). We have inured them to true value to the point that most all of them are incapable of making the very judgments that might lead them to a better life than that of their parents. When some aspect of every behavior, character or situation qualifies as special, is it any wonder that there is little effort made to stand out, to stand up or stand for something, anything in particular? Read the rest of this entry »