Woodstock CT Café

from Harry Stefan

Today is the final day to submit comments to the Rural Development Agency of the US Dept. of Agriculture about the Academy’s application for funds to expand its Bentley Field Athletic complex onto existing wetlands.

The August 19th Norwich Bulletin article stated that Joanne Demars of the Norwich Rural Development Office is the person to contact regarding this particular application. However, the only email address I can find is for the director of the office, Johan Strandson. His email is: johan.strandson@ct.usda.gov

from Nary

Thank you Harry for reminding us of this.

The USDA first published this announcement in early July and received no responses. According to JoAnne Demars on Monday, August 31 when I talked with her, they had already made the decision to approve the loan of 2.5 million to the Academy before their own stated deadline was over. They didn’t know that anyone objected to this plan. Ms. Demars said that the loan is contingent upon all other approvals.

Barbara Newman at the Army Corps of Engineers also wasn’t aware of any objection to the development but was interested to hear there is. Ms. Newman is helpful. She asked CME to send me a copy of the revised plan submitted for Category 2 approval. The revised plan shows some fewer parking slots due to encroachment upon wetland, an added retaining wall, an added swale and a section of bleachers on football field removed (encroachment on wetland). Essentially, it is the same densely packed plan leaving no buffer for abutters and all development coming right up to the minimum set-back for wetlands. Well-reasoned and stated input might make a difference to either of these agencies. Ms. Demars and I talked at some length with Mr. Strandson who was interested and had many questions. Demars said she’d talk about this to an upper supervisor within the State. Newman said she didn’t know if the approval will be given or not. It will be decided in October, 2009.

See the article in USA Today at http://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/2009-09-02-budget_sports_cuts_N.htm

While high schools across the country cut back in sports and other extracurricular activities, the Academy continues its disproportionate expansion of athletic facilities at taxpayers’ expense.

“I thought it was the worst thing in the world,” a high school official in Ohio said of the school board’s decision to cancel activities after a proposed property tax hike was rejected by voters in August, the third time it failed.

In this Ohio district, no one has been spared, not even the high school’s marching band because there are no football games and nowhere for the marching band to march.

“High schools across the USA are reporting that the recession has led to similar financial difficulties for extracurricular programs, forcing cost-cutting that is particularly painful now, as fall sports seasons open. From Hawaii to Rhode Island, school systems are trimming compensation for coaches, eliminating transportation, adding or increasing athletic fees for students, holding fundraising drives, cutting back on night games to save electricity costs and dropping some sports and related events altogether.”

By contrast, the Academy has no apparent fundraising program, is not turning off their lights at night, and is going in the opposite direction by expanding their athletic facilities … at taxpayers’ expense.

by Nary a Peep

The USDA Rural Development Office in Norwich has approved a 2.5 million dollar loan so the Woodstock Academy can begin building the athletic complex. This approval for the loan comes despite the fact that the Academy lacks Army Corps of Engineers approval to build anything at all in that location at this time. The USDA asked the Academy if there is an alternative site for this complex. The WA said, “no.” The total cost of the complex is not estimated by the Woodstock Academy.

The Academy applied in July of 2009 for Category 2 classification for approval on the fields’ expansion (Category 1 is denied). Barbara Newman at the Army Corps of Engineers has oversight on the application. The WA’s application will be reviewed in October. Ms. Newman expressed her surprise at the state of “soggy” fields present at Bentley; she noted this when she came to Woodstock for a site- walk. She said that the Academy informs her that the Town of Woodstock does not want students playing on town owed land (the Common) therefore they need the additional fields. When asked, the Academy assured the Army that there are NO alternative sites for the additional playing fields.

Newman also mentioned that she doesn’t ever see an application that excludes any buffer for abutters as this one does. Newman said that she didn’t know if the Academy plan would be approved or not. The Academy is minus one easement so can’t go ahead with their plan for sewer extension until this easement is secured or they prepare new plans that circumvents the pivotal property.

by Perdition

The Democrats have made it pretty clear that they don’t want to play nice. They are clearly trying to game the system. Oh, I’m sure they’ll staunchly bark up the old ‘the voter has the right to choose’ tree like a bunch of hunt-crazed hounds, but let’s not lose sight of what is clearly going on. Not satisfied at minority representation (which has been all they have been able to muster for the most part), the Dems are using the independent slot to try an pack boards with extra “like-minded” (from Craig Powers’ play book) individuals.

Richardson is running as an independent after being dismissed by both town committees. The DTC Wranglers actively supported his candidacy (against their own town committee) by signing his petition to get put on the ballot. Well, now he’s on the ballot. So what’s the end game?

Well, Richardson is holding the Holy Grail of Prop 46 in his hand and aiming to ‘correct’ the base dollar amount that Prop 46 should actually be. Mind you, this is Richardson’s determination. But, after listening to this guy ad infinitum for several years now, I’d like to share what I think would be the end result if he gets elected and has enough support from these other “like-minded” individuals. Read the rest of this entry »