Once Around the City: Matters of the heart

NORWALK, Conn. – It’s Valentine’s Day, a time when hearts are a-flutter, bursting with love, or maybe breaking.

It’s the a-fluttering that sometimes can cause problems, and that is just one of the things Norwalk Public Schools (NPS) has taken steps to remedy.

At Tuesday night’s Board of Education meeting, the BOE approved $50,000 for the purchase and installation of Automated External Defibrillators, those shocking little paddles that can turn that flutter – or a complete stoppage – back into normal sinus rhythm, like the beat, beat, beat of the tom-tom that Cole Porter wrote about in “Night and Day” (look it up, kids).

The computerized AED’s, which won’t activate unless they detect a need, will be installed throughout the schools, a safety measure championed by Assistant City Clerk Erin Herring, with help from the Common Council Health, Safety and Public Welfare Committee chaired by Michelle Maggio (R-District C) along with Mayor Harry Rilling and NPS Superintendent Manny Rivera.

Rilling said in January he hoped to get corporate donations or sponsors for the equipment.

“Harry and Manny met with the Board of the Chamber of Commerce to make a pitch for support,” BOE Chairman Mike Lyons said in an email. “So far, no takers, though we’ve been told there may be some interest out there. We decided we didn’t want to wait; since we have surplus money in our budget, we decided to use our own funds so we can get the AEDs in the schools as soon as possible. If contributions come in later, we’ll credit them to the AEDs and replenish the surplus account. Since it’s a safety matter we felt we should move forward.”

About those final reval notices…

A reader asked why the city had not sent out the final revaluation notices, which generally are due out by Jan. 31. WE contacted Norwalk Tax Assessor Paula Kyriakides, who told us, “An extension of one month was granted to finalize the grand list. This year, the final assessment notices will be mailed out by the end of February and, should you want to appeal the assessment, the application period to the Board of Assessment Appeals will be March 1 through March 20.

Mosque suit wrangling

Lawyers for the city and the Al Madany mosque were in court Monday for a settlement conference that apparently went nowhere (no one can talk about it). What did happen was an order was issued by Judge Donna F. Martinez for the parties to take part in a settlement conference by phone at 10:45 a.m. Feb. 28.

Convicted ex-governor back in the news

Former governor and federal prisoner John Rowland is back in the news.

According to a FoxCT website story, the Hartford Courant reported Roland has hired a high-profile D.C. criminal defense attorney, Reid Weingarten, to defend him as federal investigators probe “why Rowland was ‘volunteering’ for congressional candidate Lisa Wilson-Foley at the same time that he was getting $5,000 a month working for her husband’s chain of rehab and nursing centers. The question is whether it was a scheme to pay Rowland without disclosing it as a campaign-related expense.”

Rowland resigned as governor in 2004 and spent 10 months in prison for corruption, followed by four months house arrest.

The ex-gov/con is now a radio talk show host for the CBS affiliate WTIC in Hartford, a role that drawn fire as he advocates for Wilson-Foley.

Rowland, according to reports, continues to receive a $50,000 annual state pension.

Bridge joints inspection planned for I-95 SB

The Connecticut Department of Transportation is announcing that inspection work will be performed on the bridge joints on I-95 southbound in Stamford and Greenwich and will require daytime lane closures on Thursday, Feb. 20.

Helping All Children Succeed in a Diverse Society

The Norwalk Early Childhood Council will hold a follow-up session to the Community Conversation: “Helping All Children Succeed in a Diverse Society” session held last November.

The event, at the South Norwalk Library at 10 Washington St., is set for 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25.

You don’t have to have attended the first session to participate in the follow-up.

A light dinner will be served and childcare will be provided for children ages 3 and older. The Norwalk Early Childhood Council and its partners seek input from all citizens, especially parents and caregivers.

The event is free, but reservations are required. Registration is available online or by calling 203-899-2790, ext. 15903.

The Community Conversation is funded by the William Casper Graustein Memorial Fund.

For more information please contact Mary Oster, 203-854-4148/[email protected] or Sherelle Harris, 203-899-2780 x15123/[email protected]

Lose your health insurance?

If you need health care coverage the Norwalk Health Department may be able to help. Staff members at the Health Department have been trained and certified to help enroll people in a health insurance plan through Access Health CT, Connecticut’s official health insurance marketplace. They can answer your questions and guide you through the process of enrolling in health coverage.

Staff members are available by appointment from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays. Assisters are fluent in English and Spanish. See the Health Department’s online flyer (www.norwalkct.org/DocumentCenter/View/5683) or call 203-854-7779 or 203-854-7776 for more information or to make an appointment.