Today’s Hour reports that Laurel Lindstrom is running for a district C Common Council seat. Some anonymous poster revealed that a few weeks ago here, suggesting that Alex Knopp, rumored mayoral candidate for the Democrats, is against it. I’ll go out on a limb here and say that this is either a sign that there’s some significant Democratic sentiment that Knopp running would be a disaster, and that his dictatorial decree of who he wants running is being ignored for good reason, or that Knopp is not running.
From the Hour article:
“As founder and president of the Eastern Norwalk Neighborhood Association, I have had the opportunity to already serve the citizens of the district in the role of a neighborhood leader,” wrote Lindstrom, a Democrat, in a recent letter to District C Democratic Committee Chairman Kevin M. Poruban. “I am excited at the prospect of serving as their elected Councilwoman.”In her letter, copied to Democratic Town Committee Chairwoman Galen Wells, Lindstrom wrote that she hopes to be endorsed as the Democrats’ District C council candidate.
District C Democrats will choose their candidates in late spring. In July, the Democratic Town Committee will makes its endorsements for the various offices.
Wells said Lindstrom would make a good councilwoman, based on her involvement in the community, from the Eastern Norwalk Neighborhood Association to having edited “Norwalk At Your Fingertips” and “Know Your Town” informational directories.“I certainly would support her,’ Wells said. “I think she would have a lot of support.”
Lindstrom, born in Vancouver, Canada, came to Norwalk in 1993. She works as a home-care nurse. In January 1993, she founded Advocates for Calm Traffic to slow speeding in the Raymond Terrace neighborhood where she lives, according to her resume.
In December 2001, Lindstrom founded the East Avenue Neighborhood Association — later to become Eastern Norwalk Neighborhood Association. Lindstrom said she has spoken with residents and, based on their input, believes she would not have a conflict of interest by remaining on the neighborhood association and serving on the council. She said she has always been able to “wear different hats.”
In 2005 Fred Bondi and Kevin Poruban both Democrats ran against Nick Kydes and John Tobin both Republicans. Kydes and Tobin are rumored to be running again, with Kydes running as an incumbent this time. Laurel Lindstrom represents a major upgrade in the race for the Democrats and should turn the District C race into a hotly contested one.
The other news out of the Hour was an expansion of the odd multi candidate appointment process during Tuesday night’s common council meeting. Robert Koch reports:
On one side was council President Michael W. Coffey, a Democrat.On the other side was former council President Matthew T. Miklave, also a Democrat. Miklave charged Coffey with putting forward the name of Republican Councilman Richard A. McQuaid for appointment to the Historical Commission without notifying some fellow Democrats.
“I cannot not comment on the procedure by which this appointment has taken place, because I think the public has seen behind-the-scenes deals at work, literally, politicians working in the closet to cut some kind of a deal that the public will not know anything about,” Miklave said. “Because on the very agenda, where Mr. McQuaid’s name was up, we took a recess, and without any public discussion, Mr. Hempstead’s was out there.”
Coffey countered that fellow Democrats hadn’t put forward their suggestions.“None of the other council members had approached me (regarding) serving on this commission,” said Coffey, who gave his e-mail address and encouraged fellow council members to contact him regarding appointments.
The council ultimately voted to appoint Douglas E. Hempstead, a Republican, to the Historical Commission over Democrat Kevin M. Poruban, whose name Coffey offered to blunt Miklave’s criticism. Coffey also put forward the name of Democrat Gwen L. Briggs. She withdrew her name.
The appointment vote reflected the ongoing rift among the council’s 10 Democrats.
Coffey and four Democrats have come under criticism by Miklave and four others for allegedly secretly brokering city business with Moccia, a Republican, and the council’s five Republicans. Coffey has defended his work with Republicans as bi-partisan and in the interest of residents.
It seems disingenuous for Miklave, who as leader of the Norwalk-outers, couldn’t be bothered with attending the caucus and committee meetings along with the other Norwalk-outers to complain of not being involved. It also seems that Galen Wells is right to note that there’s a noticeable tilt of Republicans on the commission. But as they say in the lottery commercials, you can’t win if you don’t play.
But maybe more importantly, maybe its time for both parties to reach out to the non partisan residents out there in a more aggressive manner. For example there’s an archaeology club run out of NCC that might have a few young people interested in the historical commission. By having someone like Gail Wall, a Republican, who is an officer of the Norwalk Historical Society, as a well as member of the Save Cranbury organization, the friends of the Norwalk Museum, the Norwalk Garden Club and countless others at the exclusion of a little diversity is something worth looking into. A start could be posting a list of open positions on the city web site and way to send in resumes for consideration.
Source: The Hour: Neighborhood leader vies for Council seat, By ROBERT KOCH, March 14, 2007
Source: The Hour: Common Council Dem dispute rages over appointment process, By ROBERT KOCH, March 14, 2007
