With the $98k grant secured, and spring, really, around the corner the Parks and Rec department is gearing up for the community garden sign ups. Director Mike Mocciae is already impressed with the groundswell of support. He said today that he’s had over 70 phone calls about obtaining a plot, and many more from volunteers offering to help manage the garden.

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If people were in a frothy lather over Nick Kydes lawyer bills, they must be in a positive washing machine over soap over the first taxing district’s legal bills. Naturally they won’t line item what incident generated what, because that would mean, full disclosure, and disclosure is something the first taxing district is totally unfamiliar with. Remember how they refuse to reveal what the water consumption is by client over to the Water Pollution Authority so that the WPA can bill people correctly?

This time, The Hour, is reporting that the first taxing district, needs to pony up $252,368 for the all encompassing legal work identifier.

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Sorry for the short notice on this one, but tonight is Earth Hour. Earth Hour is one of those you can make a difference choose your own adventures. In keeping with my philosophy of environmentalism, Earth Hour is an attempt to get people all over the world to turn off the lights. And here’s the youtube clip:

The web site says:

On March 29, 2008 at 8 p.m., join millions of people around the world in making a statement about climate change by turning off your lights for Earth Hour, an event created by the World Wildlife Fund.

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Movement is gathering to oppose the cloverleaf design, otherwise known as Modified Cloverleaf with Option D2 and a push for the DOT to choose Alternate 12 A. The details from The Hour:

“I have reviewed the department’s presentation, as well as listened to my constituents that are in the affected area of the project. I am disappointed that the department is favoring the ‘Modified Cloverleaf with Option D2′ version of the project,” wrote state Rep. Lawrence F. Cafero Jr., R-142, House minority leader, in a letter to DOT Acting Commissioner H. James Boice on Friday. “I believe that this choice does not provide the best protection to the residents of the area, the motorists using this interchange, or the environment. I would prefer the Department select ‘Alternate 12A’ as the design for ‘the project.’”

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Over here at turfgrrl world headquarters, things are beginning to look more and more like a newsroom. Tips are flooding in on all sorts of interesting and intriguing stories. The thing is, as a fake fake-journalist, with a day job, it’s increasingly difficult to hunt down details and conduct investigations on where things fall on the truth meter.

Some of the things that cross the action news desk are pretty scintillating. A certain public school employee whiling the afternoon at mermaids, for example.  Sort of Norwalk’s version of the “Elliot Spitzer” story.

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The BET held a hearing on the operating budget cap and not much protest was heard. Just wait till the actual tax increase hits the property tax bill fan. But, the process is what the process is, and the BET did an extraordinary job winnowing the budget down and exploring in great detail the line items across the city budget. Too bad the BOE did not avail itself of the BET finance expertise.

But finance expertise will be the hot topic at the BOE with Opdhal leaving.  While Greg Burnett may find it ironic that Opdhal is leaving to take on a finance director position in Oxford, I will simply observe Oxford has been in the news.

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For one, I’m totally ecstatic that Opdahl has resigned. But then I see things like this in today’s Advocate:

Opdahl said he planned to leave before the end of the school year, and he wants to work out a deal in which he can help take care of any loose ends.

Oh yeah, here’s a loose end that I’d like to see taken care of.  A forensic audit of the construction projects and a forensic audit of operating budgets and any contracts signed by Opdahl. Since Opdahl wsa notorious for not documenting routine things, like travel expenses, I’d just like a line item list of all reas where a lack of documentation exists. Let’s start with the kitchen equipment that sits unused. Who authroized the pruchase, when was it paid out, and what equipment does the school district actaully have.

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I still think the BOE budget could be tweaked further, but the approach of the Moccia administration is to cut the city operating budget. A painful process, since much of what we experience in Norwalk has that just looks like its falling apart look. I speak of roads, remember Osborne, and sidewalks, and the rest of the usual suspects. From The Hour:

The directive came as a result of concerns over reduced revenue projections, including state aid and the real estate conveyance tax, as well as reduced projections for investment income.

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I’m really not sure what to make about this development. The spilt milk retrospective would go downt he path of why this house was “saved” by dissembling it and sticking it in trailers, while it’s original lot is a vacant, while the trailers attract vandals, while no discernable fund raising goes on …

Then there’s the usual self inflicted political drama, does Norwalk have a historical plan to preserve unique character and then capitalize on tourist dollars.  So The Hour reports:

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Common Council MTG 03/25/08

Tonight we started with a brief moment of silence for Officer Morelli.

Attending: Krummel, Serasis, Brown, Sutton, Lindstrom, Geake, Bolden, Moccia, Bondi, Hilliard, Conroy, Moccia, Bonnefant, Hempstead, McQuaid

They accept the minutes.

They accept the resignation of Patrick Geraghty and appoint William Harden.

Mayors Remarks:
Thanks all the elected and public officials for their support during the shooting incident.
Thanks Chief McCarthy and the EMS people who stayed longer than they had to. He thanks the various law enforcement (mentions them by name) who came to support the investigation.

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