Nancy on Norwalk

Opinion: Shout out to new Norwalk ACTS CEO

Anthony Allison

Anthony Allison is the Chief Initiative Officer of Norwalk ACTS.

Shout Out to Jennifer Barahona — the new Norwalk ACTS CEO. Jennifer will begin her work with Norwalk ACTS this coming Monday. Paula Palermo, Norwalk ACTS Data Director, and I are thrilled that she is joining our team.

I worked with Jennifer for many years in Norwalk prior to her role as Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer for the Newtown-Sandy Hook Community Foundation. Jennifer is a tremendously gifted leader! She will provide Norwalk ACTS with great insight, skill, strength, and vision to help all of us continue to improve our work in positively impacting the lives of every single child in Norwalk. I am grateful and honored to have the opportunity to work with Jennifer in my new role as Norwalk ACTS Chief Initiative Officer. Norwalk ACTS is in solid hands with Jennifer at the helm. Continue reading Opinion: Shout out to new Norwalk ACTS CEO

Norwalk political notes: Himes, Milligan, POKO and noise

U.S. Rep. Jim Himes (D-Greenwich) speaks to reporters, Thursday in Stamford.

A photo provided Saturday by real estate broker Jason Milligan.

NORWALK, Conn. – Some Norwalk political action for you:

Himes: Mueller report shows ‘pretty ugly stuff’
‘A little bit confident’ on Trump $1 trillion for infrastructure
City seeks to block Milligan’s witness
New Tyvek on Wall Street
Council to vote Tuesday on noise ordinance, discuss POKO

Video by Harold Cobin posted with story

Continue reading Norwalk political notes: Himes, Milligan, POKO and noise

Norwalk ethics commissioners look to block ‘abusive’ complaints

John Flynn, right, addresses the Norwalk Common Council Ordinance Committee, Tuesday in City Hall, as Board of Ethics member Haroldo Williams listens.

Correction: 2:17 p.m.: Wording on Donna Smirniotopoulos adjusted.

NORWALK, Conn. – Board of Ethics Commissioners support rule changes to prevent ethics complaints from being filed as a political weapon, three commissioners said Tuesday.

The ethics panel, comprised of three Republicans, two Democrats, and two unaffiliated voters, seeks discretion to dismiss complaints it considers groundless and to ban “vexatious” citizens from filing complaints. People who publicize their complaints after taking an oath to keep them confidential would also be subject to the ban. Continue reading Norwalk ethics commissioners look to block ‘abusive’ complaints

Norwalk Council sends noise ordinance ahead for a vote

Tracey Dinkin speaks to the Norwalk Common Council Ordinance Committee, Tuesday in City Hall. People use a traffic light near her for “fantasy,” revving their engines and then peeling out when it turns green, she said.

NORWALK, Conn. – After two years of effort, Norwalk Common Council members finalized a new noise ordinance and moved it forward for approval.

Ordinance committee members unanimously approved new rules that would prohibit what Council President Tom Livingston (D-District E) called “real noisy construction stuff” on weekends, move back the allowed construction start time from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m, and set special maximum noise levels for the Washington Street area, where residents live in close proximity to bars. Continue reading Norwalk Council sends noise ordinance ahead for a vote

Norwalk political notes: New CFO, a tour, protests and Tuesday hearing

Mayor Harry Rilling, right, discusses Norwalk economic development with U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), left, as Norwalk Chief of Economic and Community Development Jessica Casey listens during a Monday afternoon tour. (Contributed)

NORWALK, Conn. – Some political notes for you:

Rilling set to appoint new CFO
Murphy tours Norwalk economic development
Call for opinions at noise ordinance public hearing
Protesters decry ‘wasteful Pentagon budget’
Stop & Shop strike continues

Continue reading Norwalk political notes: New CFO, a tour, protests and Tuesday hearing

Former principal gets City Hall recognition; political events, Norwalk cleanup and DREAMers

From left, David Eldred, Karen Eldred, Samantha Eldred, Ruth Craffey, and Mayor Harry Rilling mark Craffey’s donation of a portrait of long-time Norwalk High School principal Eric Malmquist. (Contributed)

NORWALK, Conn. – Some Norwalk announcements for you:

Former NHS principal honored
Pie & Politics set for April 23
Norwalk Dems offer ‘Politics 101’
City-wide cleanup planned for April 27
DREAMers offered college aid

Continue reading Former principal gets City Hall recognition; political events, Norwalk cleanup and DREAMers

Opinion: Tolling plan is in trouble

A Hartford protest against tolls. (CTMirror.org)

Jim Cameron

Gov. Ned Lamont’s tolling plan is in trouble. I knew it last weekend when I got a call from Dan Malloy.

The former governor and I know each other going back to his days as mayor of Stamford, but he’s only called me once before (many years ago when he sought my endorsement in his run for a second term as governor).

This time he was calling about my recent column about the Transportation Strategy Board, the panel that 18 years ago was tasked with prioritizing our state’s transportation needs and how to pay for them.
Continue reading Opinion: Tolling plan is in trouble

State legislators opine on pot, tolls, budget at Norwalk forum

From left, State Reps. Jonathan Steinberg (D-136th) and Gail Lavielle (R-143), and State Sen. Will Haskell (D-26) , participate Thursday in a Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce legislative breakfast.

NORWALK, Conn. – Tolls, economic development and recreational marijuana were among the topics covered by area legislators last week during a robust breakfast discussion hosted by the Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce.

The forum also featured “yes or no” answers in what moderator Harry Carey called a “lightning round,” and a mini-debate between State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-25) and State Rep. Gail Lavielle (R-143), in which Duff twice rebutted Lavielle’s comments. The proposal to put tolls on major highways drew varied opinions. Legislators were generally against a possible Bridgeport casino, with Duff against and State Rep. Lucy Dathan (D-142) “on the fence”.

Video by Harold Cobin at end of story Continue reading State legislators opine on pot, tolls, budget at Norwalk forum

Author explains decline of journalism in Norwalk Library talk

Joe Strupp shares his thoughts about journalism, Saturday in the Norwalk Public Library main branch.

NORWALK – People claim the news media has a liberal bias, but veteran newsman Joe Strupp disagrees, he said Saturday at Norwalk Library.

Journalism, like every business, has some bad performers, Strupp told an audience of about 40 people. But the real problem, he said, is less money for news and fewer reporters, a result of the internet siphoning off advertising revenue from traditional news outlets.

(A video of Strupp’s presentation appears below.) Continue reading Author explains decline of journalism in Norwalk Library talk

Help Wanted

- News
By Claire Schoen, NoN Board of Directors
5 : 55 am EDT April 14 2019
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Freelancer wanted

Want to join the NancyOnNorwalk team? Your local news site is poised for growth, and seeks part-time, contract reporters who can expand our coverage of Norwalk. If you’re an experienced news writer who can report thoroughly and quickly on deadline, cover city government meetings, or develop in-depth features on local issues, we’d love to hear from you! Send clips and a resume to [email protected].

Volunteers wanted

NancyOnNorwalk also seeks volunteers to support event planning, donor tracking, fundraising, copy editing, and digital marketing. We’re a fun group of news nerds. Come join our team as we continue to grow local journalism in Norwalk! Email [email protected].

Opinion: More teachers, librarians would help kids more than innovation

- Education
- Opinion
By By Sarah Miller and Fátima Rojas
5 : 44 am EDT April 14 2019
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Fatima Rojas (center) and Sarah Miller (right) speak at a New Haven Board of Education meeting. (Christopher Peak / New Haven Independent)

Last Friday, Gov. Ned Lamont announced a $100 million donation to the state of Connecticut from the Dalio Philanthropies “to strengthen public education and promote greater economic opportunity.” The five year initiative is to be matched two-to-one by the state and unspecified private donors, with state funds this year coming from surplus dollars.

On its surface, this sounds like good news. The New Haven Public Schools face a staggering $30 million deficit. Our children, ages 4, 8, 9, and 11, attend Columbus Family Academy and the Engineering Science University Magnet School. Continue reading Opinion: More teachers, librarians would help kids more than innovation

Memo to Dathan: Middle class private sector would love a raise

Send signed letters to [email protected]

Connecticut Democrats are all aboard the tax-and-spend express, and state representative Lucy Dathan has enthusiastically donned her conductor’s cap. She voted in favor of an 11% pay raise for assistant attorneys general. The vote followed whining by union leaders that wages have effectively decreased because assistant attorneys general now contribute more towards the cost of their benefits. In effect, Dathan and her colleagues propose to tax private employees even more to raise pay for government employees at a rate faster than private employees can obtain. All this in order to compensate those government employees for bearing benefit costs that private employees have borne for many years. Continue reading Memo to Dathan: Middle class private sector would love a raise

Norwalkers hear favorite poems; Hayden named poet laureate

Erin Herring of the Norwalk Recreation & Parks Department reads “Like My Mother Does,” a poem by Lauren Alaina, at the Sixth Annual Norwalk Lit Crawl Tuesday in the lobby of the Wall Street Theater. (Bob Welsh)

Readers shared tales of loss, hope, love, and triumph at the sixth annual Norwalk Lit Crawl Tuesday, which also featured the announcement of William Hayden as Norwalk’s new Poet Laureate.

The event began in the Wall Street Theater’s lobby, where theater president Suzanne Cahill said that poetry is best enjoyed in intimate venues. More than 20 readers recited favorite poems and many spoke briefly about their selection’s personal meaning.

Hayden, a Norwalker since 1970, read two original poems, both odes to composition: Writing and Poem’s Turn. He hoped the first poem would “encourage people to write,” he said. Poem’s Turn was a reflection on how “as you write, your imagination gets fired up.” Continue reading Norwalkers hear favorite poems; Hayden named poet laureate

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