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Norwalk: Hour Rewinds 2007


by turfgrrl


December 31st, 2007 · 15 Comments

Today’s Hour recaps the major local stories of 2007. The biggest missing stories? How about Stuart Opdahl mismanaging construction projects and operations of Norwalk schools? Or how about the lack of qualifications that Bruce Morris has for his BOE job, coupled with the lack of accountability for the hours he supposedly “works” while spending much of his daytime in Hartford during a particularly intensive legislative session? Then there’s the other major unaccountable city employee Sue Gunn, curator of the Norwalk Museum, which may or may not be closed depending on the whim of the curartor rather than the published hours.

There’s a pattern here. Accountability. All easily solved with checks and balances, time cards, and oversight.  Those are my top three examples. There are more, the comment section is full of them. If you’re feeling nostalgically outraged, add your top examples to the comment area.

Tags: Norwalk

15 Responses so far “Norwalk: Hour Rewinds 2007”



  • 1 barnstorm // Dec 31, 2007 at 8:59 am

    Sue Gunn got her job as a favor to her daddy by King Frank Esposito. She’s been nothing but a thorn in the city’s side ever since people started trying to nail down exactly what she’s supposed to do and who she’s supposed to report to. She’s not dumb, and knows how to play the system.

    Luckily for her, Museum curator is pretty far down the list of priorities for the city to look at.

    As far as general outrage goes however, I save that for our fellow citizens. When you look at the percentages of voter participation the majority of Norwalkers apparently feel that lack of accountability is not a big deal to them.

    But the spittle sure does fly when taxes go up, doesn’t it?

  • 2 In Norwalk an Hour of instruction equals one minute according to human resources protocol for CEU credits // Dec 31, 2007 at 10:31 am

    “and knows how to play the system. Luckily for her, Museum curator is pretty far down the list of priorities for the city to look at.”

    barnstorm, you have got to be kidding me! The city PROMOTES players of the system. That is how they stay in power. We must be more creative to get every person in Norwalk informed about the issues.

    She probably getting a raise for being called a player I respond to your post!

  • 3 In Norwalk an Hour of instruction equals one minute according to human resources protocol for CEU credits // Dec 31, 2007 at 10:33 am

    TAKE 2: She probably is getting a pay raise for being called a player as I respond to your post!

  • 4 Dead horse // Dec 31, 2007 at 11:06 am

    Turfgrrl is beating a dead horse.

    YourCT readers do not need more evidence about how The Hour reports primarily by telephone and meetings or how they are the exclusive source for quotes by politicians and administration. I have to admit I do find a bit of refreshment while reading old news stories that beat the dead horse.

    Does anybody know why they are called the Hour? I understand the word Advocate, but Hour? It takes me about a minute to discover the paper has nothing worth an hour of reading. An hour a year of investigative reporting? Does anybody know?

  • 5 Anonymous // Dec 31, 2007 at 11:31 am

    Well just in case you need more evidence. Start here or any other education thread.

    http://www.yourct.com/new/2007/12/28/norwalk-boe-budget-clocks-in-requestion-a-49-increase

  • 6 anon // Dec 31, 2007 at 12:07 pm

    Turf should win some journalism award for this blog. The Hour and Norwalk Advocate should be ashamed about the lame investigations they deliver. I don’t want to see advertising on this site, but I’d like to see Turf add a few reporters and branch out into printed media.

  • 7 Anonymous // Dec 31, 2007 at 12:59 pm

    not to defend or deflect but the Advocate is running a close lenght behind in journalism with the Hour.

    The Hearst Corp. bought The Advocate and Greenwich Time from Tribune Co. for $62.4 million in a deal that closed Nov. 1. MediaNews has an agreement with Hearst to operate some of its newspapers.

    Because Tribune will sell the Tresser Boulevard building in Stamford and the East Elm Street building in Greenwich separately, The Advocate and Greenwich Time no longer have a press.

    The Advocate, Greenwich Time, News-Times and Post - and six weeklies in Fairfield County - now are owned or operated by MediaNews Group Inc. of Denver

    The Norwalk Advocate will join the Citizen and disolve their Norwalk office. I guess like their own spring cleaning.

    The biggest change for readers of the Advocate will be that, because of earlier deadlines, the newspapers no longer will report late sports scores in the print editions, Dunster said. Recent changes in print quality and how stories are booked in The Advocate will improve as the pressmen in Danbury adjust, he said.

    Notice they have said nothing about the news running late or not at all talk about covering their own news or is it their ass?

    Now if we could please get the weather, tide charts and bridge openings here on the blog Turfgrrl has the new news source in Norwalk.

    I’m sure plenty of teachers could find students for the sports here on the blog.

    Wonder how this all might effect the mayors race?

    Just a new years thought :)

  • 8 Anonymous // Dec 31, 2007 at 2:45 pm

    Is there anyone out here that can defend how our news papers are doing covering the news and issues objectively?I realize the editorial section of the Hour is somewhat selfserving why is that?Sundays Advocate is a good read I always thought.

  • 9 Anonymous // Dec 31, 2007 at 8:33 pm

    # 4 they call it the hour because it take an hour for the paper to dry out so you can read it for a minute every time they dliver it on rainy days. This paper is the biggest wast of trees and norwalk should go green and do away with the paper for ever the advocate is a much more informitive paper and reports the truth good or bad.

  • 10 Anonymous // Jan 1, 2008 at 1:58 am

    I signed up with the Hour online. I dig on my green thumb neighbor. He goes through my garbage to recycle my garbage. I told him I will recycle the day you stop littering our shared driveway with newspapers. I run over them on purpose. He recycles the papers, but a diehard green thump would read the news online. He means well. We pay over $20000 a year for our small lot of land. The double digit million dollar education increase this year needs an audit. The equity value of my home decreased $60,000 the past year. The value of my home drops each statement and I am near retirement. I plan to sell my home in two years and move to North Carolina. My money is being sucked out of my bank at a rate I can’t control.

  • 11 Anonymous // Jan 1, 2008 at 2:55 am

    There are a lot of voters that disregard local issues and become active during Presidential campaign times. The once in every 4 year activists will start showing up as we get closer to November.

  • 12 Hourly disappointments by a news junkie // Jan 1, 2008 at 4:18 am

    I don’t think the Hour or the Advocate will improve the quality of the stories, because the Internet news is taking over. Newspapers have lost a lot of money, because the competition is continues to grow. The revenue losses experience over the past ten years from drop in classified ads is one of many examples. Some newspapers have figured out how to make a profit online. The Hour is following a failed method of charging readers excessive subscription fees to read anything on the website. Most newspapers have figured out that they need to provide at the very least the major stories for free to provide an incentive for the reader to understand the value of a subscription for the missing stories. The Hour initially followed the teaser approach, but I strongly believe the problem with the Hour is the quality of there main stories are not incentives for subscription. They are failing to report news, yet they are successful in reporting what is known as filler stories to stay afloat. II am deeply disappointed with the quality of news stories.

  • 13 Anonymous // Jan 1, 2008 at 5:22 pm

    Your right #12 so lets see who carries this tommorrow,this came out yesterday on the FBI site.Its online today and what paper tommorrow?

    PORTLAND, Ore. - The FBI is making a new stab at identifying mysterious skyjacker Dan Cooper, who bailed out of an airliner in 1971 and vanished, releasing new details that it hopes will jog someone’s memory. The man calling himself Dan Cooper, also known as D.B. Cooper, boarded a Northwest flight in Portland for a flight to Seattle on the night of Nov, 24, 1971, and commandeered the plane, claiming he had dynamite

  • 14 Anonymous // Jan 1, 2008 at 5:39 pm

    The story I read online said Mississippi was the last state working to require background checks of school employees. The story didn’t have a word about Norwalk. In other news, Mexico needs administrators.

  • 15 Anonymous // Jan 2, 2008 at 2:35 am

    Its online today and what paper tommorrow?

    this came out on the FBI site

    the winner is The Hour

    The FBI wants Americans to be “crime smart.” For more information on any of the tips listed below, visit the FBI Web site at http://www.fbi.gov/becrimesmart.htm.

    About Protecting Your Kids

    * Protect your kids from club drugs

    * Learn about Crimes Against Children

    wouldn’t you think a savy reporter would list the Norwalk police site itself to help and aid local residents against child diddlers and local felons?

    Yes they list where they live with pictures

    Not that this wasn’t a great article but Norwalk does have pictures of some of these scumbags parents could eyeball waiting for the bus with their children in the morning. Today is back to school for most.

    then they suggest
    Find crime stats for your community

    can’t Norwalk is missing most cities and towns in Ct. have them listed I always wondered why?

    http://www.norwalkpd.com/

    so in the best interest of the children of Norwalk and the dedicated men and women we have in Norwalk lets thank them for a great website and information as well.

    You read it on the blog first! :)

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