Norwalk: Photos of Mill Hill Fall Festival

by turfgrrl

October 21st, 2007 · 20 Comments

Tags: In the News · Norwalk

20 Responses so far ↓ “Norwalk: Photos of Mill Hill Fall Festival”

• 1 Scott Kuykendall, NHS President // Oct 22, 2007 at 9:15 am

  For those of you who couldn’t make it to the Harvest Festival yesterday, it was a stunning success. Thanks to our volunteers and the Crystal Theater, this was the best year ever for this event with an estimated 300 attendees.

  We also owe thanks to the members of the DAR, Governor Fitch re-enactor John Atkin, members of Boy Scout Troop 19, Wyatt Whiteman, our outdoor cook who prepared oyster stew, Chef Jehan de Noüe for his hearth cooking, and the NHS board members who made time to prepare food and assist: Jenny and John Harrington, Tod Bryant, Dick Ventre, Eileen Harrington, Steve Berizzi (who manned the POKO street fair table for NHS), Gail Wall, John Wall, George Jackson, and of course, our new Executive Director, VivianLea Stevens, who outdid herself as the public face of NHS. We chose well in selecting VivianLea to represent us to the public.

  Last, but not least, we would like to thank all the members of the public who showed up to support the Historical Society, because it could not have been done without them.

• 2 was there // Oct 22, 2007 at 10:06 am

  Yesterday’s events were excellent. Thanks to POKO Partners for bring so many people to the Wall Street area on such a great day! They got to see just what will be happening in the area and all the great improvements that will be a reality very soon.

  What can one say about the Harvest Festival but Fantastic! Great to see John Atkin as Gov. Fitch and whoever thought that Vivian Lea Stevens would make a great Executive Director was was right on target. She just personifies Norwalk History!

  There are never enough Kudo’s to The Crystal theater but let me tell you it was such a pleasure to see these young upcoming actors depicting times when Norwalk was under siege. Anyone who has never had the chance to see a crystal Theater performance should make every effort to follow their schedule and get over to see a performance.

  Reggae always gets peoples blood flowing and thats just what it did for those of us who attended the YMCA event. Everyone was dancing, eating and just having a great time. Young and old alike got into the beat and the chili cheese burgers topped off the heat of the music.

  Its a great day in Norwalk when so many people can go from one event to another and just mingle and hyave a great time.

  Thanks to all who made it a great day for families.

• 3 Al Bore // Oct 22, 2007 at 10:29 am

  Wall Street Place I call it condo congestion place. Where are we going to put all these cars and traffic congestion. This is just the beginning of the madness. We needed a master plan eight years ago to prevent this. No one was thinking except the developers that live outside of Norwalk.

• 4 Anonymous // Oct 22, 2007 at 10:32 am

  Who was in charge of creating a master plan? Do we have one thats worth following?

• 5 AnonymousAlso // Oct 22, 2007 at 10:44 am

  #3
  I moved to Norwalk in 1966 and the Wall Street area has only gone down hill year after year. I can’t remember it ever being a thriving area. Finally there is a plan and developers who can turn the area into a desirable place to live and do business, and all you can do is complain. You sound like that dope Bonnefant. Perhaps you don’t understand. You need people to live in this area in order for it to come alive day and night. I look forward to a new Downtown Norwalk. We are finally moving forward, thanks to the last two administrations.

• 6 Truth Teller // Oct 22, 2007 at 10:49 am

  POKO Partners brought people to the Wall street area? Try POKO Parners brought politicians to the Wall Street area.

• 7 MGeake // Oct 22, 2007 at 11:50 am

  #6: As a politician who was there, let me assure you that I had plenty of “people” who weren’t running for office to talk to — maybe it was the free food that brought them out.

• 8 condo-do-do // Oct 22, 2007 at 11:54 am

  How much condos do we have to have? What happened to the moritoriom? I am sick of all these out of town developers buying off our politicians. The man with the hat is looking good.

• 9 another pol // Oct 22, 2007 at 12:06 pm

  The turn out was great for POKO.

• 10 Mr Greenpeace // Oct 22, 2007 at 12:55 pm

  Maybe this thread belongs here it was started earlier and certainly has some merit here

  figure will all the hoopla over all the big plans that are tanspiring in Norwalk, somewhere in the city we are probably losing something,

  could this letter in the Hour be correct in having us assume progress may not be happening for all of us in the city..

  Colonial Village expansion forced on neighborhood

  To the Editor:
  With the former Colonial Village Community Center nothing more than a small pile of rubble, it is obvious that the Norwalk Housing Authority is moving forward with their plans to destroy the longtime ball field/playground (formerly a city park) and the only remaining “green space” in this area to make way for even more housing units in this already very densely populated and congested area.

  The housing authority is literally shoving these expansion plans down my neighborhood’s throat, as our local politicians just stand idly by. (Yet they want our votes!)

  “Won’t affect me” you’re saying to yourself. Really? I think that the expansion proposed there at Colonial Village might “affect” you more than you think. Are you a Norwalk taxpayer? Any children in the Norwalk public school system? Do you drive or shop in Norwalk in the Route 1/Connecticut Avenue area?

  Are you concerned with Norwalk’s current quality of life? How about the increasing housing density in Norwalk?
  So now take a moment and think about what this could mean in terms of additional cars on the local roads, additional children in the school system, the added cost to educate them, the additional necessary city services and infrastructure cost, the destruction of the very limited open space/parkland in town, etc. And those items are just the tip of the iceberg. Most of those things require additional funds — which could lead to HIGHER TAXES that YOU and I would have to pay. So it won’t only be me and my neighborhood that will be affected – it will also be YOU and your neighborhood that’s affected.
  How would you feel if a special interest group was allowed to hijack your neighborhood and put THEIR cause and interest ahead of what YOU, the people of the neighborhood felt was best?

  Just like other neighborhoods, we feel that we deserve a major voice in how our neighborhood is developed. And who would know better than the people of the neighborhood as to the state of our neighborhood, and the direction we feel it should go in. We are the ones that live here each and every day! (Even though we had representatives attend the master planning meetings, our input was totally ignored.)

  We feel that this proposed expansion will just completely overpopulate our already heavily populated neighborhood and totally destroy what little residential character it has remaining, while continuing to further batter my neighborhood’s already declining quality of life. I don’t believe that the Norwalk Housing Authority’s main concerns are about things like traffic congestion, housing density, neighborhood population, quality of life elements, crime, school population, balanced development, “smart” growth, preservation of neighborhoods or what the impact will be on existing home values in the neighborhood.

  As someone who lives here each and every day and has a large financial stake in what happens there, I see these as major elements of concern. These are certainly many of the things that make a neighborhood, and the things that make that neighborhood livable.

  And where will the many, many “high risk” children from Colonial Village and the surrounding neighborhood have a chance to safely play to help “relieve their boredom” and maybe partake in some sports activities, which might teach them some of life’s lessons including things like teamwork and sportsmanship coupled with some character development, if their only park and open space is destroyed to build this additional housing? When you look closely at the sites of existing parks, you will see that the closest existing park is miles away, and requires crossing heavily trafficked roads.

  Just what are our priorities?

  I ask for your support to continue to oppose the housing authority’s plan to add any additional housing in any way shape or form to this area and complex, and that the open space at Colonial Village be restored to its original intended purpose — as a park and open space to provide residents and neighbors alike a deserved place to play, relax and unwind in.

  No Colonial Village expansion!

  John Kuran

  Norwalk

  funny how these things slip by the us while we talk about so mnay issues that belong in the waste basket,,only some of them of course , and the forgotten city seems to receive some more housing and less places for children to gather

  I didn’t see the mayor at this ground breaking, and this seems to be a subject anyone who is in office hasn’t talked about it maybe we can hear from any of our board members to set us all straight how this was as good as the wall st project and how this is saving our city like POKO intends to do with its or is it our city?

  build it and they will come,,what about the ones who already live here?

  by Mr Greenpeace — October 22, 2007 @ 9:25 am

  Colonial Village does not need to be expanded.
  What it does need is a complete overhaul of the buildings that exist now. They need to fix what is wrong, not add to the problem. You can’t take play space away from children just to make more money. When are these people going to realize the benefit of completely overhauling the entire village, making it into co-ops and allowing those who live there to own their unit? Do you realize that if these people were allowed to own the unit they live in how quickly the drug and gang activity would go away? Does anyone realize that people who own their properties take pride in their surroundings? Why do we constanly try to pack disadvantaged people into small communities with no incentives? Instead of adding insult to injury, take the time to look at the area and see what we as fellow citizens can do to let the people of Colonial Village and any of the viallages we have be proud of where they live and give them incentive to take charge of the areas and you will see that they are avery important part of our community. Build a playground, dig a community garden egt everyone involved in making these places a better place to live and show them that Norwalk understands their needs and cares.

  by enough already! — October 22, 2007 @ 10:22 am

  RSS

• 11 Anonymous // Oct 22, 2007 at 1:14 pm

  Number 3, I completely agree! I live in that surrounding area and I am terrified of the Walls Street development plan its too much. Is there anyway that these plans can be modified?

• 12 Al Bore // Oct 22, 2007 at 1:18 pm

  # 5 allow your self 20 minutes in traffic to get downtown its going to be a nightmare. Sounds like you have alot of time so it should not effect you and your nightlife. # 8 I agree 100%. #10 our elected officials dont work with the residents of Norwalk they work for the out of town developers. Colonial village expansion would be a big mistake and thats why Norwalk officials might let it happen. What a shame!

• 13 GreenpeaceIsKillingUs // Oct 22, 2007 at 2:56 pm

  More disoriented blather. Make one point and maybe I’ll bother to read it.

• 14 Mr Greenpeace // Oct 22, 2007 at 3:19 pm

  don’t have to make a point you already have,only a couple of words were mine suppose you feel that way about the other two I reposted..and the subject what would you know we all would enjoy reading your thoughts on any subject..

  then again its not right to pick on anybody you may be tired from taking the Mensa test the other day in Manhatten , I assume it would be the case you know they say its an ego thing,,you would be up there with Lisa from the Simpsons.

  figure some of the time you simply don’t follow my rants because thats what they are..things that don’t make sense….you know like what happens in Norwalk..

  I keep thinking your one of my kids ,,school just got out..

• 15 Anonymous // Oct 22, 2007 at 3:31 pm

  this is part of Greenpeaces charter of sorts, you would think or hope the blog does this for almost every subject I only took the name but like all causes they attract dissent opinion ,,which only means something is working isn’t it?

  “In pursuing our mission, we have no permanent allies or enemies. We promote open, informed debate about society’s environmental choices. We use research, lobbying, and quiet diplomacy to pursue our goals, as well as high-profile, non-violent conflict to raise the level and quality of public debate.”

• 16 Mr Greenpeace // Oct 22, 2007 at 3:41 pm

  I suppose my last rant #15 should of carried my Mr Greenpeace tag but for whatever reason didn’t ,

  I do think something is working thou , there are more posts about whats wrong with then whats good for Norwalk lately..

• 17 Anonymous // Oct 22, 2007 at 4:40 pm

  Double commas identify Mr. Greenpeace when he posts under other guises. Is that a stylistic thing or does your keyboard get stuck?

• 18 old timer // Oct 22, 2007 at 4:48 pm

  probably gets stuck, has he hit a nerve??????????

• 19 Yossarian // Oct 22, 2007 at 6:41 pm

  I,, me,, don”t see anything wrong..

• 20 GPStillKillingUs // Oct 22, 2007 at 7:56 pm

  Craaaazzzy!

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