The Stratford Observer

• The Burglary Bummer

  
  With the recent news about the break-ins in town, I looked around for some information on our crime statistics. This is by no means a comprehensive report! I’m just listing a few interesting tidbits I found online that might be of interest. My concluson after a [...]
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  Posted: December 07, 2008, 1:33pm EST
  

• Welcome to the 21st Century

  
  After a brief stint in the hospital, the Observer is back and itching to catch up. One thing I noticed was the ridiculous discussion of police delivery of meeting agendas, a policy that has evidently been practiced for years now. Are you kidding me? We are [...]
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  Posted: November 15, 2008, 11:24am EST
  

• The Closing Whistle

  The story sneaked in, far from the Obituaries but just as crushing: The Whistle Stop is closing!
  
  The family-run business has nestled in amongst its neighboring shops off Main Street for almost twenty years now, the unassuming bookstore bursting at the seams with titles of all sorts. Far superior [...]
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  Posted: October 11, 2008, 8:44am EDT
  

• Guess Where This Is In Stratford?

  
  Isn't this a fancy bike path rest stop? I'm curious as to how many of you know where this is? We stumbled upon it completely by accident! Give it your best guess, then read below the "cut" for the actual location! It turns out that this [...]
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  Posted: September 25, 2008, 6:52pm EDT
  

• Mayoral Government Creates Momentum

  It looks like few think the mayoral form of government was a mistake according to the results of our latest poll. This is hardly surprising when one looks at the momentum the Town has finally gained in the last few months. Regardless of where you stand on the issues, it’s [...]
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  Posted: September 16, 2008, 8:12pm EDT
  

• Stratford's Town Council Players Bomb Onstage!

  As if the sitting Town Council needed another black eye, those of us observing yesterday’s proceedings were greeted with yet another installment of the three-ring circus of adolescent behavior that has become its hallmark. Chairman Henrick’s inability to maintain decorum was outshined only by a Democratic show of divisiveness and [...]
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  Posted: September 09, 2008, 8:34pm EDT
  

• The Referendum Conundrum

  With the birth announcement from the latest Town Council meeting coming soon (“Town Ballot Gives Birth to Fourth Referendum Initiative and its Name is Long Beach West!”), the burden of making another difficult decision falls to us, the citizens of Stratford. The worry of those opposed to ballot referendums has [...]
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  Posted: September 09, 2008, 6:55pm EDT
  

• The Deafening Silence of District Representatives

  
  (CLICK PICTURE TO ENLARGE)
  After reviewing the results of our latest poll, it looks like our elected representatives can do a better job of communicating with their constituents. This is not a surprise because the wording of the question itself was possibly skewed (beware, referendum-writers). Had [...]
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  Posted: September 05, 2008, 8:05pm EDT
  

• Update From Tonight's "Special" Town Council Meeting

  Too crowded in room 110 of the Birdseye Complex tonight, folks, and I am angry. I arrived late and realized there were no seats left. A friend and I talked to folks as they came out and realized that the sale of Long Beach West will now go to binding [...]
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  Posted: September 02, 2008, 10:05pm EDT
  

• Jumping Without Parachutes

  As the Town Council tinkers with the contract language that looks like it will end up on the November ballot, I hope they don’t forget the obvious. This cannot merely be a vote on “sell or don’t sell.” This issue is much more complicated than that.
  
  Currently the discussion [...]
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  Posted: September 02, 2008, 5:05pm EDT
  

• The Accomplishments of Stratford's Mayor Miron

  
  I was surprised to see that no one had responded to several online requests to list some of Mayor Miron’s achievements over the last two years. My first reaction was to assume that he’d done little in his time in office, and I wanted to investigate [...]
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  Posted: August 31, 2008, 7:53pm EDT
  

• Stratford Asks: For This I Miss “Deal or No Deal”?

  This year’s Democratic National Convention has a theme of “America’s Town Hall.” In fact, I skipped attending tonight’s scheduled town council meeting at our own Town Hall just so I could study this quadrennial bloodsport and get a feel for what to expect through November. With today’s Dow dropping 242 [...]
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  Posted: August 25, 2008, 10:00pm EDT
  

• A Poll Among The Ashes

  
  Back to the issues. The poll results are in, and 54 unique votes were tabulated on the question, “Should Stratford sell Long Beach West under the conditions listed in the current agreement?”
  
  Here are the results:
  
  Yes, it’s the best deal we can manage [...]
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  Posted: August 23, 2008, 4:57pm EDT
  

• A Break From Topix

  First, let me say I’m sorry for how some folks got carried away on the message boards of Topix. I’ve always loved this forum, and for this reason I think it’s best for me to stay away for a bit.
  
  I posted articles from the blog as they commented [...]
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  Posted: August 21, 2008, 12:07pm EDT
  

• Does Stratford Need A Blog?

  Let’s face it: maybe Stratford just isn’t an internet kind of town. I was shocked to discover there were no blogs about Stratford when I looked last year. Most of our surrounding towns have several, covering a variety of issues such as town events, music, or political issues. I’ve always [...]
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  Posted: August 20, 2008, 11:22am EDT
  

• The Animal Control Shelter STARS

  Time to focus on something “constructive”: the status of the proposed Animal Control Shelter for Stratford. While this issue might not be as “sexy” as the sale of Long Beach West or the renovations of the Shakespeare Theatre, it really is a matter or life and death!
  
  The [...]
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  Posted: August 19, 2008, 1:02pm EDT
  

• Stratford Officially Invisible!

  
  Anyone noticed that our “local” daily in Stratford, The Connecticut Post, doesn’t even feature Stratford on its main page? No, but Fairfield and Milford get their own pretty little tabs that lead to their very own pages! Well, so does “The Valley,” but that’s a tepid [...]
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  Posted: August 18, 2008, 10:09am EDT
  

• “Mission Control, We Have Liftoff!”

  
  It’s been a busy launch for us here at the Stratford Observer, and we couldn’t be happier with the results. We’ve gotten some fantastic feedback from a rapidly growing readership in our first week, and the word is getting out: there’s a place to go for [...]
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  Posted: August 17, 2008, 12:19am EDT
  

• Bulletin "Bored" Snipers

  
  If you’re reading this piece, you’ve seen them. Clinging to their anonymity like barnacles to local online bulletin boards, they seek out differing opinions and fire indiscriminately. It doesn’t matter what the discussion thread’s topic is—the only thing that matters is screaming down their opposition. What [...]
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  Posted: August 15, 2008, 3:19pm EDT
  

• We Are Watching You

  
  My time in Stratford has witnessed a series of blunders and stall tactics in Town Hall that would shame most towns but is accepted as “business as usual” here. We at the Stratford Observer have always been fiercely independent, forgoing party affiliations because of their divisiveness [...]
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  Posted: August 14, 2008, 4:20pm EDT
  

• Coming To The Table Empty-Handed: A Challenge

  
  I’m still torn on the issue of selling Long Beach West: I hate the idea of giving up such an incredible piece of pristine beachfront property, and I know I’m not alone. Unfortunately, no one has offered a viable, credible option in the form of what [...]
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  Posted: August 13, 2008, 11:09am EDT
  

• Don't Miss Your Opportunity!

  (CLICK TO ENLARGE POSTER)
  If you haven't gotten a chance to see Shakespeare performed on the grounds of the Shakespeare Theatre, there's still time! For a mere $10 you can see "Run to the Capulets, Raise up the Montagues: Crime Scene Shakespeare" on Thursday & Saturday [...]
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  Posted: August 12, 2008, 7:57pm EDT
  

• Condensed: Live Updates From The Town Council Meeting

  Tried my hand at live updates tonight, sneaking out reports as major decisions were made via my iPhone. I thought it would be useful if anyone who couldn’t attend wanted to follow along. Here are my six updates, edited together in one post; the times reflect when I managed to [...]
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  Posted: August 11, 2008, 11:05pm EDT
  

• The Mayor Needs to Act

  [...]
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  Posted: August 11, 2008, 12:40pm EDT
  

• An Open Letter to the Town Council

  An Open Letter to The Stratford Town Council
  From: Your Common Sense
  
  First of all, let me introduce myself: I am your sense of common sense. I can see that many of you are surprised to see me. It’s okay—after all, it’s been a while since we got together [...]
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  Posted: August 11, 2008, 9:16am EDT