Nothing like a night time drive through Norwalk, in a snow storm, after 9 PM. Notice your tax dollars at work?

No snowflakes were harmed in the making of this short video.

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Fred Wilms has provided the list of 40 questions submitted to BOE chair Susan Hamilton. If we recall last year the questions went unaswered for a period of time. Let’s hope this year the BOE is prepared to answer the questions. Good job Fred.

The Questions:

Board of Estimate questions on the proposed Board of Education budget.

1. Congratulations on receiving the CABE Award of Excellence for 2006 – 2007 and for 2007-2008.

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Make sure to see Illustrating Connecticut, a recent exhibit at the Housatonic Museum of Art, 900 Lafayette Boulevard in Bridgeport.

Illustrating Connecticut: People, Places, and Things explores the history and culture of Connecticut, highlighting the art of illustrators, many of whom presently live and work in the state.

Connecticut has long been called “home” by artists drawn to its proximity to New York City. A strong contingent in Westport and Weston has allowed for the development of such collections as the Sanford B. D. Low Illustration Collection at the New Britain Museum of American Art, the Westport Historical Society, and the Westport Library, the latter two with illustration collections on continuous view.

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Although a demolition permit has been filed, the developer plans to attend the public hearing and says that he’s not opposed to keeping the buildings.

Preservationists are hopeful that the fate of five old houses in the West Main Street neighborhood will come into clearer focus after a public hearing before the Norwalk Historical Commission on Wednesday night.

“Not only are (the houses) architecturally significant in that district — those vernacular, Victorian houses are very much in the character of that neighborhood — also, they’re providing real, unsubsidized, affordable housing,” said Tod Bryant, Norwalk Preservation Trust president. “We’d like to be able to work with the developers and the neighbors, and find something that works well there. The point of the public hearing is to open the dialogue and work with the developer.”

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Stranger things have happened.

Curious doctors and visitors at Norwalk Hospital stopped to hear the details at a news conference there Monday as Shays announced the plan with U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin, D-Rhode Island.

“This is a great partnership and I know it’s going to make a real difference,” Langevin said.

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This is part of an ongoing series of guest posts about issues in Norwalk. yourCT.com is a non-partisan site dedicated to airing all sides of a issue. That can’t happen without valuable contributions from our readers.

By Bruce Kimmel

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These guys just really think they are doing a good job.

The state-mandated report stated, “lack of clear, consistent two-way communication contributes to the negative culture and climate that exists in the district,” a statement the school superintendent found “puzzling.”

“The language used for part of the review relies on perception,” said Superintendent of Schools Salvatore J. Corda. “Part of the response … is to dig more deeply to figure out if this is a reliable perception. Is there perhaps a lack of information that, if supplied, would change it?”

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Last night the BET reviewed Norwalk’s operating budget. Key details:

1.

The budget proposal would translate to a 3.7 percent property tax increase, or an estimated $5,701 tax bill for a median single-family home in the city’s Fourth Taxing District.

“As you know, we have a long way to go. This is just the start of the budget season,” Hamilton told the Board of Estimate and Taxation.

“We can find some savings and bring taxes down, but I think this is a very good starting point,” board chairman Fred Wilms said.

2.

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Another weekend tire slashing spree hit Norwalk over the weekend.

The Advocte’s John Nickerson reports:

Saturday night into Sunday morning, 23 tires were slashed on 15 cars, Lt. Paul Resnick said.

Flattened tires were found during the day Sunday on Center Avenue Extension, Ward and O’Brien streets, Center and East avenues, East Rocks Road and Rudolf Lane, Resnick said.

Last weekend, tires were slashed late Saturday into Sunday on at least seven cars on East Avenue near the Norwalk Green.

Although the two episodes occurred less than a mile away, Resnick said that there is little else that connects them.

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