Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Friday, November 25, 2011
Wallingford board seeks parent input on school budget
(203) 317-2225
WALLINGFORD - Parents who want their voices to be heard as the
school budget is built for 2012-13 are encouraged to attend a forum
next week.
On Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., a parent budget forum will be held at
the Lyman Hall High School's vo-ag community room. Board of
Education member Chet Miller said it's important to get parent
input as the school board prepares its budget.
"They're more in touch with specific problems and issues they feel
are in danger than we are at the board level," said Miller, a
Republican. "We see things on a broader spectrum, whereas they
might be in touch with a sport or an activity."
Miller said that parent input is crucial because the budget process
will be beginning shortly.
"We like to know going in if there are areas that need attention,"
he said. "It's harder to change things after the fact."
School Superintendent Salvatore Menzo said he hopes to hear
specific areas of the budget that parents would like to be
examined.
"We want them to share with us areas they'd like us to consider in
the process," he said.
Menzo said that the district uses its strategic plan to help build
the budget. The six areas covered by the Wallingford plan include
community outreach, curriculum and instruction, district climate,
facilities, finance and technology.
"We're taking each one, and want to see things that they want
continued and possible changes," he said. "We use that as another
piece of information."
Menzo said last year's budget forum for parents was the first, and
while only about a dozen parents attended they all came with ideas
and questions.
"It's so important to hear from parents," Menzo said. "This is not
my budget, it's not the Board of Education's budget, it's the
town's budget for the children."
The 2011-12 education budget was $4,779,296 less than the
$91,573,029 the board had proposed to the mayor. Mayor William W.
Dickinson Jr.'s budget represented a 0.42 percent increase over the
2010-11 budget; the board has sought a 5.95 percent increase.
School officials have said that if the district receives no
increase in its budget for the next year, it could face a shortfall
of several million dollars.
Friday, November 18, 2011
3rd Annual Wallingford Emergency Shelter FUNraising Banquet
Dear friends of the Shelter,
Since this time last year, the Shelter Board and various committees have been working non-stop toward making the dream of emergency housing for families a reality.
We are preparing to break ground this November on the Martin B. Rubin Family Center
Please consider joining us on November 18th for our third annual “fun” raising event at Zandri’s Stillwood Inn, located at 1074 South Colony Road from 6PM to 10PM
This year’s program will be more relaxed and casual and will include a wide variety of activities including a DJ for great music and dancing, fun and exciting games, a tea cup raffle and silent auction. And of course there is the full dinner at Zandri’s which is guaranteed to be great.
Tickets are $45.00 each.
Checks should be made out to Wallingford Emergency Shelter Inc.
Additional information is available online via http://www.wallingfordshelter.org
You can also email for more details to matt@wallingfordshelter.org
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Thoughts, input–my letter to the editor, as published in the Record Journal
Editor: I wanted to thank everyone who came out to vote on Election Day, first and foremost. Whether you supported me or not, you decided it was important enough to invest the time to come out and be part of the process — and it is very important. I want to thank everyone who offered their encouragement, support and who gave me their vote.
Those votes I received, 5,537 in all, landed me in the #2 spot within my party, just 31 votes behind #1 John Sullivan and 5th out of all 12 who ran for seats on the council.
Those votes were based entirely on faith and goodwill, as I have no formal prior record of service to the Town of Wallingford. I will spend the next few weeks further preparing to take office and serve the town and all her people to the best of my ability – just as I had promised prior as part of my campaign.
I want to offer up as much information, communication and transparency as time and money permit. I will continue writing on my two Wallingford centric blogs. Wallingford Politico will remain a source of “news and information” with limited editorial commentary and “Jason Zandri for Wallingford Town Council” will become “Jason Zandri Wallingford Town Councilor,” where I will interject more of my thoughts and opinions into much of what is going on, politically and otherwise, in our town.
I cannot serve effectively without your thoughts and input. Let me know when I am on the mark and call me out when I need it. Help keep me honest and grounded. My first pledge, as your Wallingford Town Councilor (elect), will be to work hard enough to have earned each of those votes I received in advance this past November 8th. Thank you, again.
JASON ZANDRI, WALLINGFORD
Monday, November 14, 2011
Wallingford votes today on 30-year lease agreements
As published in the Record Journal, Monday November 14, 2011
By Robert Cyr
Record-Journal staff
rcyr@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2224
WALLINGFORD — As voters head to the polls today to decide whether or not to support the town’s 30-year lease agreements for a municipal parking area behind Simpson Court, groups that back either side of the issue will make their final push to sway residents to cast their ballots in favor of their viewpoint.
The Town Council in August approved the lease agreements, which say the town will supply up to $500,000 in upgrades and maintenance to the parking area owned by four building owners in exchange for municipal use of the lot. A successful petition drive forced today’s referendum.
The Simpson Court parking deal has been a hot-button issue since the council’s action, and signs from two political action committees far outnumbered campaign signs for candidates in last week’s municipal elections.
Republican Councilor Craig Fishbein, one of two councilors who voted against the lease, said he would be handing out leaflets to encourage people to vote “yes,” which would repeal the lease agreements.
“I’ll be out there telling people what they need to know about this — there seems to be a lot of confusion,” he said.
Christopher Diorio, vice chairman of the Republican Town Committee and head of the political action committee Support Our Downtown, said more than 400 signs have gone up at homes and businesses and a staff of a half-dozen volunteers would spend the last days calling up registered voters. Support Our Downtown is in favor of the 30-year lease and improvements to the parking area. A final effort will be made today to hand out flyers at post offices and grocery stores, in addition to ads in local newspapers, Diorio said Friday.
“It’s certainly been a challenge because people are very confused, and they want to know why it’s not on Election Day, and they’re confused about the yes and no situation,” he said. “It’s less of a challenge than a process.”
A “No” vote keeps the leases in place.
Council members voted to hold the referendum on a separate day after the Republican Registrar of Voters Chester Miller told them it would be a strain on the voting system due to the limited number of ballot machines and minimum space needed.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Wallingford Final election results as published in the Record Journal
Click on the image to enlarge
Thank you again for the support!
VOTING LOCATIONS listed incorrectly in the Sunday Edition of the Record Journal
The polling locations as listed in the Sunday edition of the paper were incorrectly listed.
The proper locations can be found via http://wallingfordpolitico.blogspot.com/2011/11/wallingford-parking-lot-referendum.html and / or http://www.500kparkingdeal.com/html/voting_locations.html
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