In a result that augurs well for November, Coach David Borglum’s team prevailed over the Wilton Republicans at the 2010 Frivolity Bowl by a resounding 23-0.

A town tradition that began in the 1960s, the Frivolity Bowl is annual softball game held between the Wilton Democrats and Republicans every July 4. With the 2010 win, the Wilton Democrats narrowly lead the almost 50-year series.

Budget, 2012

FY2011 Budget passed as proposed: Mill Rate up 2.9%, Grand List up .7%, BOS Budget up .28%, BOE Budget up 1.17%, Senior Tax Relief up 6.2%, and Wilton still holds a AAA Moody’s rating. Unions have come to the table for pay freezes; we are still waiting for the teacher’s union. The Town Meeting was packed–standing room only. Budget passed with a comfortable margin. We are already preparing for Budget 2012.

My Take: This has been a tough budget year; at the same time, I left the Town Meeting feeling quite uplifted! The turnout was wonderful, and people spoke passionately, yet respectfully, in expressing their thoughts, concerns, and hopes. I applaud all of the Town Boards along with our First Selectman for working through tough issues. While I believe the economy, and the overall state of the nation is improving overall, this will still be a very, very tough upcoming budget year locally. There is a lot of hard work and sacrifice yet to come, but there is hope at the end of the tunnel!

Re-usable Bag Ordinance

Only 1% of plastic bags are recycled

My Take: I am very hopeful that over time, this initiative will be passed in a form that best suits Wilton. While China and most of Europe have long decided that retail checkout bags–plastic or otherwise–are a detriment to the environment and a waste of resources, old habits die hard! Businesses can be proud that they have plastic bag return bins, but the unfortunate reality is that the recovery rate is hovering at 2% in the United States. You can bet that the lobbyists will be sending their minions to upcoming BOS meetings; your public support in the form of letters to the editor and comments at our meetings will be most helpful in furthering this crucial grass roots environmental effort! That being said, I did have a sit down with Peter Keating (owner, Village Mkt), and Mark Carluzzi (Carluzzi’s) about how the ban would affect them specifically. We will crunch some numbers. My first real job was at the Village Market; Peter was the Manager at the time. I want to make sure that our local markets can survive any action we take. I believe they can, but we still have work to do. Whether or not this effort moves forward depends on your support. No public support, no movement. So, if you believe this is worthwhile, we need those letters…

Dog Ordinance/Town Playing Fields

Parks and Rec. still wants a stronger ordinance concerning dogs near playing fields. They have adjusted their fifty feet ban of dogs near playing fields to twenty five feet – with exceptions for paths that cross near a field, such as with Merwin. The driver is that there has been too much dog excrement on fields, some altercations between dogs, and the concern that players may crash into dogs. Another version is on the way, clarifying specific fields.

My Take: The concern is, again, and again, legitimate. Unfortunately, the current ordinance is not effectively enforced; dogs are already prohibited from fields. While I agree dogs should not be on fields, I still feel that even twenty five feet is too harsh for all fields. The stadium and Lilly Field may be legitimate, but I do not want to burden good owners with good dogs from attending all sporting events. We are still working on this, and want to get it right. There is new language on the way this summer, that could help clarify things.

Troop Boxes

Trackside is now also helping with the troop box drive. They were featured recently on News 12 for their efforts!

My Take: This is great, because the drive needs help! Our troops are working hard for us, far away from home. Please grab a flat rate box that I have put at the entrance of town hall, along with a list of items needed. Boxes can be filled and returned to Town Hall – just let us know what you put in them! We can also accept donations for shipping (checks can be made payable to the Wilton Town Hall Troop Box Drive). FYI, at present we do have money to ship, but no boxes to ship, so please, take a box!

Contact Selectman Ted Hoffstatter any time with comments or questions via email or phone at (203) 451-5049.

Town Meeting

First, the numbers, as proposed: Mill Rate up 2.9%, Grand List up .7%, BOS Budget up .28%, BOE Budget up 1.17%, Senior Tax Relief up 6.2%, and Wilton still holds a AAA Moody’s rating. Unions have come to the table for pay freezes; we are still waiting for the teacher’s union. The Town Meeting was packed–standing room only.

My Take: This has been a tough budget year; at the same time, I left the Town Meeting feeling quite uplifted! The turnout was wonderful, and people spoke passionately, yet respectfully, in expressing their thoughts, concerns, and hopes. I applaud all of the Town Boards along with our First Selectman in working hard to balance the interests and concerns of all of this Town’s citizens. Many townspeople spoke out in favor of the budget; many regretted it was too low, and some regretted it was too high. And some spoke out against the proposed budget for those same reasons. While young families and seniors may at times seem at odds in a budget, I believe their interests are very much tied together. The Wilton I grew up in was all about family–not a boarding school for families, who left as soon as their kids graduated our great schools, and not a retirement community. Wilton, as I have seen it, and still see it, should continue to be a community for all–a Town that balances everyone’s interests. This is NOT a perfect or easy model, but a challenging one. That being said, this is one windmill well worth tilting at!

Re-usable Bag Ordinance

Only 1% of plastic bags are recycled

My Take: I am very hopeful that over time, this initiative will be passed in a form that best suits Wilton. While China and most of Europe have long decided that retail checkout bags–plastic or otherwise–are a detriment to the environment and a waste of resources, old habits die hard! Businesses can be proud that they have plastic bag return bins, but the unfortunate reality is that the recovery rate is hovering at 2% in the United States. You can bet that the lobbyists will be sending their minions to upcoming BOS meetings; your public support in the form of letters to the editor and comments at our meetings will be most helpful in furthering this crucial grass roots environmental effort! That being said, I did have a sit down with Peter Keating (owner, Village Mkt), and Mark Carluzzi (Carluzzi’s) about how the ban would affect them specifically. We will crunch some numbers. My first real job was at the Village Market; Peter was the Manager at the time. I want to make sure that our local markets can survive any action we take. We will know more next month.

Dog Ordinance/Town Playing Fields

Parks and Rec. still wants a stronger ordinance concerning dogs near playing fields. They have adjusted their fifty feet ban of dogs near playing fields to twenty five feet – with exceptions for paths that cross near a field, such as with Merwin. The driver is that there has been too much dog excrement on fields, some altercations between dogs, and the concern that players may crash into dogs.

My Take: The concern is, again, and again, legitimate. Unfortunately, the current ordinance is not effectively enforced; dogs are already prohibited from fields. While I agree dogs should not be on fields, I still feel that even twenty five feet is too harsh for all fields. The stadium and Lilly Field may be legitimate, but I do not want to burden good owners with good dogs from attending all sporting events. We are still working on this, and want to get it right.

Troop Boxes

Trackside is now also helping with the troop box drive. They were featured recently on News 12 for their efforts!

My Take: This is great, because the drive needs help! Our troops are working hard for us, far away from home. Please grab a flat rate box that I have put at the entrance of town hall, along with a list of items needed. Boxes can be filled and returned to Town Hall – just let us know what you put in them! We can also accept donations for shipping (checks can be made payable to the Wilton Town Hall Troop Box Drive). FYI, at present we do have money to ship, but no boxes to ship, so please, take a box!

Contact Selectman Ted Hoffstatter any time with comments or questions via email or phone at (203) 451-5049.

Budget FY2011

The BOS just passed the FY2011 Budget. While departments came in flat or below, the budget will increase by a little over 2% due to contractual obligations, retirements, etc. If BOS and BOE go unchanged, the mill rate will increase upwards of five percent. We still have more work to do with BOF and BOE.

[Editor's note – the Board of Finance subsequently finalized a 2.94% mill rate increase.]

My Take: Mill rate = Unacceptable to me –and the BOS! I voted for the budget, as proposed. I believe it is especially prudent to be fiscally conservative at a municipal level as it affects our capital bond rating. We have just been approved again, by Moody’s, as a AAA rated town. Once a town loses this ability to borrow for capital projects at a low rate, it almost never gets it back. At the same time, we will not compromise on public safety. I will reiterate that any overall increase is due to contractual obligations and retirements, not for increases in other areas –in a holding pattern since March… that being said, certain boards need to find somewhere to cut

Plastic Bag Ordinance

Only 1% of plastic bags are recycled

My Take: I am very hopeful that over time, this initiative will be passed in a form that best suits Wilton. While China and most of Europe have long decided that retail checkout bags–plastic or otherwise–are a detriment to the environment and a waste of resources, old habits die hard! Businesses can be proud that they have plastic bag return bins, but the unfortunate reality is that the recovery rate is hovering at 2% in the United States. You can bet that the lobbyists will be sending their minions to upcoming BOS meetings; your public support in the form of letters to the editor and comments at our meetings will be most helpful in furthering this crucial grass roots environmental effort! That being said, I did have a sit down with Peter Keating (owner, Village Mkt), and Mark Carluzzi (Carluzzi’s) about how the ban would affect them specifically. We will crunch some numbers. My first real job was at the Village Market; Peter was the Manager at the time. I want to make sure that our local markets can survive any action we take.

Dog Ordinance/Town Playing Fields

Parks and Rec. still wants a stronger ordinance concerning dogs near playing fields. They have adjusted their fifty feet ban of dogs near playing fields to twenty five feet – with exceptions for paths that cross near a field, such as with Merwin. The driver is that there has been too much dog excrement on fields, some altercations between dogs, and the concern that players may crash into dogs.

My Take: The concern is, again, legitimate. Unfortunately, the current ordinance is not effectively enforced; dogs are already prohibited from fields. While I agree dogs should not be on fields, I still feel that even twenty five feet is too harsh for all fields. The stadium and Lilly Field may be legitimate, but I do not want to burden good owners with good dogs from attending all sporting events. We met with Parks & Rec again, and are still working on this.

Troop Boxes

Trackside is now also helping with the troop box drive. They were featured recently on News 12 for their efforts!

My Take: This is great, because the drive needs help! Our troops are working hard for us, far away from home. Please grab a flat rate box that I have put at the entrance of town hall, along with a list of items needed. Boxes can be filled and returned to Town Hall – just let us know what you put in them! We can also accept donations for shipping (checks can be made payable to the Wilton Town Hall Troop Box Drive). FYI, at present we do have money to ship, but no boxes to ship, so please, take a box!

Contact Selectman Ted Hoffstatter any time with comments or questions via email or phone at (203) 451-5049.

The Wilton Democratic caucus held at Town Hall on March 23^rd was attended by 55 registered Democrats – young and old, new residents of Wilton as well as long time residents. All were in good spirits after the passage of the Heath Care bill by Congress on Sunday and it’s signing by President Obama.

It was an orderly and efficient caucus, which began at 7:40 p.m. and concluded at 8:10 p.m. Delegates were elected to represent the town at the following conventions:

• 4^th Congressional District | TBD – May 10
• Judge of Probate | TBD – May 11
• State Convention – Senator, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State | Hartford, May 21 (evening) – May 22 (all day)
• State Senate – 26^th District | TBD – May 24
• State House of Representatives – 143^rd District | TBD – May 25
• State House of Representatives – 125^th District | New Caanan Town Hall – May 25, 7:30 pm

Our State Convention delegates are an interesting mix. We have a very young voter in Tom Dec who graduated from Wilton High School last May and is now a freshman at UCONN Stamford. He will move on this fall to Cornell University’s School of Industrial Relations to finish his college degree. He has worked this year on the Stamford Mayoral race and is now an intern in Congressman Jim Himes’ Stamford office. Tom is very interested in government and politics. He brought several Democrat college friends with him to the caucus to root him on.

We also have a newcomer to Wilton on our list, but an old-hand at politics in Norwalk. Walter Briggs has just moved to Wilton from Norwalk. Walter ran for mayor of Norwalk several years ago. He is also the former Chair of the Norwalk DTC and Chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission. We look forward to his service in Wilton.

Peggy Reeves, our Wilton State Representative to the General Assembly, will be a delegate as well as Ted Hoffstatter, a Wilton Selectman.

Sharon Grace, former DTC Chair, Charlie Lewis and Ernie Ricco, DTC members, as well as Deborah McFadden, DTC vice chair, and John Kalamarides, DTC chair, fill out the remaining slots.

State delegates meet April 26 to select representatives for a two year term to serve on Democratic State Central Committee. The Wilton DTC has endorsed Ted Hoffstatter for another two year term. He serves the six town 26th State Senatorial District of Wilton, New Canaan, Westport, Ridgefield, Weston, Redding, and part of Bethel.

Fairfield County Registrars Elect Officers

The Fairfield County Chapter of the Registrars Association of Connecticut has re-elected Wilton’s Republican Registrar of Voters Tina Gardner as Secretary for 2010 and appointed Democratic Registrar Carole Young-Kleinfeld to the association’s legislative committee. The Fairfield chapter meets quarterly for the purpose of updating its members on legislative matters and providing continuing education. ROVAC’s legislative committee advocates for changes to Connecticut’s laws in order to safeguard the integrity of elections and support voters’ rights.

Voter Registration Drive at WHS Enrolls 60 New Voters

The Wilton Registrars of Voters with help from Deputy Registrars Kim Nabulsi, and Joan Starr, and Wilton League of Women Voters volunteers Kathie Mandel and Lori Kaine registered 60 new voters at the annual WHS Voter Registration drive on February 23-24.

In Connecticut, 17-year-olds may register to vote and vote in primary elections as long as they turn 18 by Election Day.

Wilton Registrar Testifies at Capitol

Wilton’s Registrar of Voters Carole Young-Kleinfeld testified on March 1, 2010 at the Capitol in support of a proposed voter protection bill.

Speaking for the Registrars of Voters Association of Connecticut, Ms. Young-Kleinfeld requested that the state legislature prohibit candidates on the ballot from assisting voters who, because of disabilities, require help in casting their ballot. Current state law prohibits employers or the agents of employers or unions from providing assistance at polling places to voters with disabilities.

State Representative Peggy Reeves (Wilton/Norwalk) serves on the Government Administration and Elections Committee which held the public hearing on this bill.

Budget FY2011

The BOS just passed the FY2011 Budget. While departments came in flat or below, the budget will increase by a little over 2% due to contractual obligations, retirements, etc.

My Take: I voted for the budget, as proposed. I believe it is especially prudent to be fiscally conservative at a municipal level as it affects our capital bond rating. We have just been approved again, by Moody’s, as a AAA rated town. Once a town loses this ability to borrow for capital projects at a low rate, it almost never gets it back. At the same time, we will not compromise on public safety. I will reiterate that any overall increase is due to contractual obligations and retirements, not for increases in other areas.

Plastic Bag Ordinance

Only 1% of plastic bags are recycled

My Take: I am very hopeful that over time, this initiative will be passed in a form that best suits Wilton. While China and most of Europe have long decided that retail checkout bags – plastic or otherwise – are a detriment to the environment and a waste of resources, old habits die hard! Businesses can be proud that they have plastic bag return bins, but the unfortunate reality is that the recovery rate is hovering at 2% in the United States. You can bet that the lobbyists will be sending their minions to upcoming BOS meetings; your public support in the form of letters to the editor and comments at our meetings will be most helpful in furthering this crucial grass roots environmental effort!

Dog Ordinance/Town Playing Fields

Parks and Rec. still wants a stronger ordinance concerning dogs near playing fields. They have adjusted their fifty feet ban of dogs near playing fields to twenty five feet – with exceptions for paths that cross near a field, such as with Merwin. The driver is that there has been too much dog excrement on fields, some altercations between dogs, and the concern that players may crash into dogs.

My Take: The concern is, again, legitimate. Unfortunately, the current ordinance is not effectively enforced; dogs are already prohibited from fields. While I agree dogs should not be on fields, I still feel that even twenty five feet is too harsh for all fields. The stadium and Lilly Field may be legitimate, but I do not want to burden good owners with good dogs from attending all sporting events. We are still working on this!

Troop Boxes

Trackside is now also helping with the troop box drive. They were featured recently on News 12 for their efforts!

My Take: This is great, because the drive needs help! Our troops are working hard for us, far away from home. Please grab a flat rate box that I have put at the entrance of town hall, along with a list of items needed. Boxes can be filled and returned to Town Hall – just let us know what you put in them! We can also accept donations for shipping (checks can be made payable to the Wilton Town Hall Troop Box Drive). FYI, at present we do have money to ship, but no boxes to ship, so please, take a box!

Contact Selectman Ted Hoffstatter any time with comments or questions via email or phone at (203) 451-5049.

The Metro North branch line will be undergoing significant enhancements as a result of a $52 million project. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided $30 million to upgrade the line’s signaling system.

Switch Upgrades Will Allow More Frequent Trains

“Investment in the Norwalk/Danbury branch is key for the region’s economic development” said Representative Reeves, who sits on the state legislature’s Transportation Committee. “In addition, the project will create much-needed jobs during construction. The upgrades being made are the first step in easing congestion on state roads and highways and providing an easier commute for Wilton residents.”

The funding will go toward new automated switches, which will allow trains to run more frequently on the feeder line. Currently trains cannot move from one section of the track into another without receiving verbal approval from a controller in New York. The federally-funded project will modernize the 24-mile track from Danbury to Norwalk and install a centralized traffic control system (CTC) which will allow trains to run more frequently. Design work for the enhancements is being completed now, and construction will begin later this year, with completion scheduled for December 2011.

Only 1% of plastic bags are recycled

The idea of emulating Westport’s ban on plastic bags at retail checkout is gaining momentum here in Wilton.

Jonathan Cunitz, who was the mastermind behind the plastic bag ordinance adopted in Westport a year ago gave a very well received presentation at the Board of Selectman meeting on February 1^st.

A Bi-partisan Initiative

We have a responsibility to protect our waterways for our children and grandchildren. - Congressman HimesAlthough Democratic Congressman Jim Himes has written a letter in strong support of the initiative, the issue is not a partisan one. In Westport, the ordinance passed with overwhelming support of elected officials from both political parties. Likewise, here in Wilton, both the Democratic and Republican Town leaders were very receptive to the idea.

But buy-in from elected leaders is only the first step in Wilton successfully emulating our neighboring town in this important initiative. Community outreach, to both the citizens of Wilton and local merchants will be critical. Ending the flood of plastic bags that clog our waterways, kill wildlife, and last forever in huge floating islands in our oceans will require that each of us do our part.

Q & A on What the Plastic Bag Ordinance Would Mean for Wilton

As we begin considering this as a community, the DTC would like to share some questions that surfaced at our recent meeting:

1. QWhat about the cost?
   AIn Westport, many merchants sold (for a few dollars) or gave away branded reusable bags as a form of advertising, so we anticipate that costs Wiltonians would be nominal. For retailers, the proposed ordinance would prevent them from giving away plastic bags for free. As Wiltonians begin regularly using the environmentally-friendly bags, merchants would save on their purchases of plastic bags.

2. QAren’t paper bags just environmentally-bad?
   AIn many cases, that is true given the high carbon footprint of converting trees into paper bags. But what the ordinance is proposing is a move from plastic bags to reusable cloth bags.

3. QDoes bringing reusable bags into stores pose health risks?
   AA good question, but it is hard to see that there would be any greater risk of spreading germs from reusable bags than from the clothes we wear and purses and backpacks many folks regularly carry into stores.

4. QHas Westport’s ban been successful?
   AAn adoption study is underway now, but anecdotally, many reusable bags are now widely used in Westport.

What’s on your mind?

Do you have questions about this initiative or ideas on how we might implement it? Selectmen Ted Hoffstatter would love to hear from you via email or phone at (203) 451-5049.

There are partisan tensions afoot in Wilton, but it isn’t the usual suspects.

This time, the battle isn’t between Democrats and Republicans, but rather dog owners and those not so keen on canines.

Possibility of a 25-Foot Perimeter

No Fido at the 4^th of July Fireworks?

Ted Hoffstatter

Selectman Ted Hoffstatter (himself a proud dog owner!) has mixed feelings about this proposal. Says Ted, “there are legitimate concerns about the stadium and Lilly Field, but I don’t want to burden responsible owners and bar good dogs from all sporting events and town activities held near the fields”.

Hoffstatter noted that there is already an ordinance barring dogs from the fields that is not being effectively enforced, so extending the ban another 25 feet beyond the fields may be less the solution than actively enforcing the existing ordinance.

Will Wilton Get a Dog Park?

In related news, at the recent Speak out Wilton breakfast held at Trackside, First Selectman Bill Brennan responded to an inquiry from one of the 80+ attendees regarding the status of the oft-discussed dog park.

One possible location being considered is the area on the East side of Route 7 where the dirt was piled up during expansion. The state owns this property, but the Board of Selectmen are raising the idea with the DOT. However, given the current financial climate and budget constraints any plans for developing a dedicated dog park will likely be pushed off for a few years.

Hoffstatter reports that he would be happy to shepherd the dog park idea through when the town is ready for it. From a budget perspective, it is a nice to do, not must do, so now is not the year, but down the road, he hopes it can be accomplished with little town expenditure except for maintainence by Parks & Rec. Instead, it would be accomplished with private donations.