August 4, 2008
The State of Connecticut will hold a primary election on August 12, 2008 for the office of Representative in Congress from the Fourth Congressional District. All Wilton residents who are registered as members of the Democratic Party are eligible to vote in this primary election. Primary candidates are party-endorsed candidate Jim Himes and challenger L.Lee Whitnum, both of whom are Greenwich residents.
Wilton voters will vote in three polling places: Wilton High School’s Clune Center, Middlebrook School Gym, and Driscoll School Gym.
New voters, or those wishing to change their party affiliation from unaffiliated to Democrat, must complete a voter application form. Voters may appear in person at the registrars’ or town clerk’s offices until 12 noon on August 11, 2008 to apply.
Mail-in applications for new voters must be postmarked by August 7, 2008. If you are an unaffiliated voter on the Wilton voting list, your mail-in application must be received by August 7, 2008. Voters who have changed their party affiliation from Republican to Democrat within the past 3 months are not eligible to vote in this primary election. You can confirm your registration status and party affiliation on the town’s Website, www.wiltonct.org, Registrar of Voters -Voter Info Lookup.
The polls are open from 6 am to 8 pm. Absentee ballots for the Primary are available at the Wilton Town Clerk’s office. For more information, contact the Wilton Registrars of Voters at 563-0112.
From: Peggy Reeves, Registrar of Voters, and Carole Young-Kleinfeld, Deputy Registrar of Voters
How Do You Water a Lamppost?
July 28, 2008
Wilton Parks and Recreation Department employee Randy Lienhardt uses a watering wand to reach the flower baskets on one of the new lampposts in Wilton Center. It takes about an hour and a half to water the 96 baskets each morning during the summer months, except when it rains. The plants are also regularly fertilized. The converted watering truck holds a 150-gallon tank and an electric pump. Photo: Bill Brennan.
Wilton Police/Fire Dive Rescue Team Called To Ridgefield Lake Accident
July 25, 2008
The Wilton Police and Fire Dive Rescue Team was called in when a kayak accident was reported on a Ridgefield lake on July 21. The Wilton divers spent eight hours searching the silt-filled waters of Lake Pierrepont before handing the search over to the State Police. A body was later recovered from the lake. According to Deputy Fire Chief Mark Amatrudo, Wilton's Police/Fire Dive Rescue Team assists neighboring towns that do not have their own specially equipped and trained units.
Rare Birds Spotted in Wilton Open Spaces
July 24, 2008
It's been twenty years since Harris's Sparrow was last sighted in Connecticut. So it caused a stir when Wilton birder Luke Tiller spotted one in Wilton in November 2007. Sightings like this have made Allen's Meadows in Wilton a hotspot for serious birders. For more about the exceptional bird habitats in Wilton's open spaces, see Luke Tiller's article in the spring Conservation Commission newsletter. A list of bird species that can be observed in Allen's Meadows is available on the Conservation Commission web page. Photo: Clay Taylor/Swarovski Optik
Charter Commission Hears From Town Officials
July 21, 2008
Chief Financial Officer Joseph Dolan and Sarah Taffel, who serves as Director of Human Resources, Labor Relations and Administrative Services, appeared before the Wilton Charter Commission on July 2. The two long-standing Town officials explained the roles that their positions play in the current form of Town government. They also answered the Commission's questions about how possible changes in the Charter might affect the areas that they oversee.
Detailed minutes of the July 2 meeting are available on the Wilton Charter Commission web page.
Also, Town of Ridgefield officials have provided Wilton's Charter Commission with a marked-up copy of the Ridgefield charter, which shows the revisions that voters there adopted in 2006. The revised text can be accessed on the Charter Commission's web page, along with a meeting calendar, minutes of previous meetings and a list of Commission members.
"Are You Okay?" Program Assists Those Who Live Alone
July 11, 2008
The Wilton Police Department operates an automated calling system that helps monitor the well-being of people who live alone. The system is designed to provide comfort to the subscribers and reassurance to friends and relatives, who may find it difficult to stay in regular contact.
The system calls each person on the list between 8 am and 10 am every day. If the person answers the phone, no further action is taken. However, if the phone is busy or unanswered, the system calls back two more times. Finally, if the call is not completed, an alert appears on the Police dispatcher screen, along with critical information about the person. Emergency action will then begin. As part of the program, information is maintained about keyholders who can help.
This free service is available to any resident of Wilton over the age of 60, or to residents who are home bound, and to the medically disabled, either on a permanent or long term basis, regardless of age.
To enroll in the "Are you OK?" telephone reassurance program call Captain Robert Crosby at 834-6260. For more information, visit wiltonpolice.org.
Charter Commission To Host Ridgefield First Selectman Tonight
July 10, 2008
The Wilton Charter Commission meeting tonight will feature an appearance by Ridgefield's First Selectman, Rudy Marconi. Marconi will talk about the workings of Ridgefield's system of town government. The Commission is inviting a variety of officials to contribute their insights, as it considers possible changes to Wilton's town charter.
The Wilton Charter Commission was appointed by the Board of Selectmen to review the charter and to propose any changes that might be beneficial to the Town. The Town's charter, along with Connecticut state statutes, directs how the Town government works.
At the meeting on June 24, the Commissioners heard from Phil Schenck, the town manager of Avon, CT. Schenck described the hybrid structure of Avon's government, which includes a Town Council and an annual town meeting, as well as a professional town manager.
Meetings of the Charter Commission are open to residents. Tonight's meeting will begin at 7:00 pm in Room B at Town Hall. Minutes, membership, and other information are provided on the Charter Commission's web page.
Fire Department Responds to Home Smoke Alarm
July 9, 2008
Occupants of a residence in Wilton were recently protected from serious injury when a home smoke alarm went off. The Wilton Fire Department tells this story and explains the importance of automatic fire alarms in this recent press release.
"It is frightening to consider what the consequences might have been if there were no fire alarm in this home," says the Fire Department release. The Fire Department also posts regular updates about consumer product recalls on its web site, wiltonfire.org.
Allen's Meadows Rising on Birding Charts, Reports Wilton Conservation Newsletter
July 5, 2008
Even residents who think they "know their Wilton" may be surprised to learn just how special Allen's Meadows is to the world of birding. The spring 2008 issue of the Conservation Commission Newsletter reports on rare and watch-listed species, like the Blue-Winged Warbler and the Brown Thrasher, that breed right here in Wilton in the summer.
Luke Tiller, a Wilton resident and a board member of the Connecticut Ornithological Association, recently visited Allen's Meadows and captured images of a bird that had never been documented in the state before. This subspecies of the White-Crowned Sparrow breeds in Alaska and normally winters in southwestern states.
.As a result of sightings like these, Allen's Meadows will be listed among the top 25 birding sites in Connecticut in a forthcoming book. For the location of Allen's Meadows, see this CT DOT map. For information about other Wilton open spaces, see the Wilton Conservation Commission's A Wilton Walker's Guide, which provides directions and trail maps.
The spring newsletter also contains articles on recycling in Wilton, a chance to take part in the Wilton Center Tree Plan, and tips from the Wilton Energy Commission. The newsletter is mailed to Wilton households and is also available on-line.
Wilton Conservation Commission Newsletter, Spring 2008
Route 7 Traffic Will Have to Share a Single Lane on Week Nights Through the Summer
Monday, June 2
There will be alternating one-way traffic on Route 7, between Wolfpit and Deerfield Roads, beginning on or about Monday, June 2, 2008, according to an announcement by the Connecticut Department of Transportation. The traffic restriction is for drainage work in association with the widening and reconstruction project. The nighttime work is scheduled to take place Monday through Thursday, from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am, and will last through the summer. Wilton police will be on hand to direct traffic and assist motorists. More . . .
Wilton Electrical Substation Project Sets Cutover Dates
Major milestones will take place during 2008 in the construction of the new Wilton electrical substation. Northeast Utilities has informed the town that some of the steps will require cutting power on the utility transmission lines. more…
Results of the Wilton Primary
In Wilton, John McCain was the winner for the Republicans and Barack Obama was the winner for the Democrats, mirroring the results statewide. 67% of the enrolled Democrats voted, along with 45% of the Republicans. It was perhaps the highest turnout for a Democratic Primary in Wilton's history, and was also a good turnout for a Republican Primary. see complete results…