Woodstock CT Café

TODAY 6/30 OUR SELECTMEN ARE HOLDING A SPECIAL MEETING AT 4 PM. ON THE AGENDA IS VOTING TO AUTHORIZE THE CONTINUED RETENTION OF CME. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS APPROPRIATE SINCE TWO OF OUR SELECTMEN ARE RELATED BY MARRIAGE TO DEXTER YOUNG A PZC MEMBER. IT IS ALSO RECENTLY BEEN NOTED THAT THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP TO DEXTER IN CHARGE OF CME. HOW CAN THIS NEPOTISM BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE?

‘not again’

From Harry Stefan:

At the Board of Selectmen’s Special Meeting today the selectmen passed the resolution to authorize the continued retention of CME Associates, Inc. for environmental and site planning engineerin services.

Selectman Walker recused himself from the discussion and the vote. Selectman Eaffy and Selectman Paquette voted to retain CME.

Under normal conditions, I would have to agree with ‘referee’ and Ken 100%, however, we are reaching the point (silly season) where courtesy, propriety, respectful conversation, are no longer valid means for solving problems. This is a result of long standing problems fostered by long standing individuals. As our town continues to progress in a fashion that rewards backroom deals, good ‘ol boy politics, the status quo, irresponsible growth, denies the need for an ethics ordinance, and provides fallacious lip service, more extreme measures to counterbalance are called upon as a legitimate and learned response. A response perhaps stemming in anger but one that adds a wonderful bonus which is to enlighten the community and perhaps wake a lazy electorate rather than to being simply revengeful. A vengeance of transparency made possible now through this wonderful website…

We all do wish for more transparency, right? I mean transparency and accountablity are the in-fashion buzzwords, right? Well I guess, as the saying goes, be careful what you wish for. While this new found level of transparency via the internet certainly has its benefits, it also has a way of stirring the bees nest in a way never seen before…the ability to spread information anonymously. Good for some, bad for others, but free to all. While you may call it slander, spin, the blogoshere, ect. as a way of diminishing its validity, I call it facing the facts of the 21st century, brutal honesty, tough love, or simply an opportunity for rebuttal and counter argument… so that the voter can witness true democracy in action sans the fear of retaliation and name disclosure. Read the rest of this entry »

I need to clear up a misconception.

In Mr. Wetzel’s comment he implies that there are more homerooms than classes in the K-8 system, thus reducing the class sizes during academic instruction time. In fact, there are no “homerooms” in the K-4 system. The students are with their class and teachers all day (including specials- art, music, pe) so the class size does not reduce into smaller classes during the day as Mr. Wetzel wants you to believe.

In the 5-8 system, the students start out the day in homeroom but then travel to the classes in mass. For example, if there are five homerooms in 7th grade, there are only 5 teachers that teach these students all day (plus the specialist teachers who teach all children at WMS). Again the class size does not reduce just because they have left homeroom. This phenomenon only occurs at Woodstock Academy where in fact they do have larger homerooms and travel to smaller (sometimes much smaller classes). Some of the classes at WA only have 12 or less students per class for academic classes. So perhaps Mr. Wetzel is confused and is really accusing WA of manipulating numbers. All of the class size information is readily available at each school. All Mr. Wetzel has to do is ask for it. However, I suspect that if the numbers do not prove his point, he will just ignore them or say that it is more of the conspiracy.

Mr. Wetzel, why don’t you ask for the actual class sizes at Woodstock Academy? The parents who commented on this subject do know what they are talking about when they say that the class sizes in the K-8 system are between 20 and 25 per class, depending on the overall size of a particular grade level. Again, however, I suspect that Mr. Wetzel would never believe a parent who actually has children in the system since it does not fit into his small minded thinking.

graylady