This report comes from the press report held at the police station this morning at 6:30am:

At 12:24 am Friday morning, seasoned Norwalk Police officer was investigating an incident a Lubrano Place parking lot. Backups had not arrived yet, and the officer attempted to investigate the activity. The name of the male officer has not been released. The parking lot is actual located at the end of the cul du sac of Lubrano Place.

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You just know that there had to be more to this exchange:

On Tuesday night, tax board members questioned Alvord about his draft 2008-09 operating budget. The public works director requested $17.3 million, including $200,000 to hire an outside firm to clean plugged pipes and culverts. The city’s finance director, Thomas S. Hamilton, has recommended $16.4 million — a 3.3-percent increase over current spending — including $100,000 for the pipe and culvert cleaning.

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At first, I looked at this story and skipped through quickly because the tantalizing DPW budget and sewer pipe cleaning beckoned. But then, I realized this was a story, because The Hour, was covering it, like, well, like a newspaper should. Political flunkies hold a press conference and then vanish into the still of the night is all too common. Someone, ahem, the media, is supposed to be keeping an eye on them. Naturally, we’ve forgotten how that once worked, unless we revisit His Gal Friday for details.

But here’s Jared Newman on follow-up:

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This so does apply to many things in life.

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Goes without saying that making youtube parodies about the fed in 2006 is pretty prescient.

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Okay, So I <3 monorails. Big reminder was at the Fairfield Theater Company screening of Fahrenheit 451 last night. So much to love about that movie, and also the reminder that the book by Ray Bradbury is this year’s Big Read. Norwalk is kicking off the big read on April 5th, at NCC. But back to the monorail. Las Vegas has one, Austin has one.

And because everything old is new again, here’s a look at how the evil empire back in the day figured planned for this beautiful monorail.
From modern mechanix: yesterday’s tomorrow today:

Swift, Overhead Trams to Be “Equipped with Floats to Cross Water Like Boats AMPHIBIAN trains that can whiz above desert sands on an overhead rail, or plunge into the water to ford a river, are contemplated by the Soviet Government in an amazing plan to tap mineral wealth in Turkestan. They are to travel three projected monorail lines of unprecedented design, totaling 332 miles in length and crossing deserts and rivers.

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Rising seas, Georgia heat and dead lobsters. That would normally call for a B-52’s themed youtube clip, but it’s NCAA tourney time, so my head is way back in the 80’s and for all the Cinderellas out there:

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S’okay, we know that students need to be more competitive in the math and sciences, so naturally getting rid of an AP chemistry teacher is a high priority. Knowing nothing whatsoever of the details, and apparently so was the BOE, they moved to table the item. Smart move. Dig in BOE members and find out what’s really going on over in absentee principal land. Now let’s go the video tape and insert the usual calls for Stuart Opdhal and Bruce Morris to be fired.

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Well, taking a gander at the BOE operating budget might be a better start, but this news is good. Norwalk will recieve lower revenues this upcoming year. The budget must reflect that.

Moccia has asked department heads to identify “potential reductions” and communicate them to Director of Finance Thomas S. Hamilton no later than Tuesday.

In addition, Moccia wrote that he has instructed the Department of Personnel and Labor Relations to institute a “hiring freeze for all nonpublic safety positions effective immediately.”

The memorandum, prepared with input from Hamilton, comes as the Board of Estimate and Taxation crafts the city’s 2008-09 operating budget.

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The Courant manages to run two articles that are completely related yet strangely don’t mention each other. The first, The Wheat Factor; Agricultural, Financial And Energy Issues Have Sent Prices Soaring is about the rising prices of wheat. Granted its an AP “filler” story in the business section, but wouldn’t someone over at the business desk have asked the obvious question in, Area Restaurant Closings Are Called Signs Of The Times, when they feature the closing of Macaroni Grill?

The wheat article states:

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