THE LEAGUE OF
WOMEN VOTERS OF WESTON, CONNECTICUT VOTER SERVICES 2013:
This is a WEBPAGE location
for Westonites to depend upon for news, updates and special
insights of a non-Partisan nature regarding issues in the
Campaign discussed at debates.
"LIVE AT THE LIBRARY..." 2013 LWV OF
WESTON DEBATES ON CH79 NOW - START YOUR DAY WITH LWV
DEBATES
Saturday, Oct. 12 10:30am-12 noon (Board of
Education; Judge of Probate) over; Wednesday, Oct. 23 7:30pm
to 9pm (Board of Finance and Planning and Zoning)
WESTON, CONNECTICUT -
ELECTION 2013 - ALL DEBATES IN WESTON LIBRARY COMMUNITY ROOM
Local Election Tuesday November 5, 2013
Link
to Secretary of the State's Office - specifically to the 2013
election calendar!
CONTENTS OF THIS PAGE:
FYI - WITH NO RACE FOR BOARD OF
SELECTMEN WE GOT 32%; WESTPORT, WITH A CONTEST, GOT
42.86%
Heading
into lunch time, voting steady and heavy...official
result
total
TURNOUT: 2135 or @32%
Thank
you to all candidates who bravely stood for office...and the
results: Winners (boldface)
Judge of Probate (Weston tally): Lisa Wexler 1161, Kieren Costello 951
First Selectman: Gayle Weinstein, 1433
Selectman: Dennis Tracey 975, David Muller 1064
Finance: Patty Kopas1141, Melissa Koller 1270, Allan Grauberd 1195, Richard Bochinski 1279
Education: Elise Major 1272, Denise Harvey 1271, Christopher Moore 1102, Sara Spaulding 1208
B.A.A.: Ryan Cornell 1004, Marina Coprio 1031, Hillary Koyner 1064, Rob Nordlinger 965
P & Z: Tom Failla 1163, Sally Korsch 1225, Britta Lerner 1270, Howard Aibel 1104
P&Z 2yr term: James Carlon 1398
ZBA: Nick Noyes 1362, Cleody Snaith 1296
ZBA alt.: John Moran 1373, Don Scarborough 1288
Police: Woody Bliss 1482, Susan Moch 1257, Peter Ottomano 1373, Jeff Eglash 1315
2013
LWV
OF WESTON/WESTON FORUM VOTERS GUIDE
Still
not sure if there is a reason to vote today? Please
click on VOTERS
GUIDE and learn
who is running for what, who they are, what is their
experience and most of all, what they answered
to the LWV's questions! You'll learn much,
much more than you've found out from any other source
so far this election season!!!
W O R L
D S E R I E S O
F D E B A T I N G
Attendees witness the Board of Finance debate,
which was number one on the October 23, 2013 program of
double-header debates "Live at the Library"
TWO (2) LWV OF WESTON DOUBLE-DEBATES IN 2013:
O C T O B E
R 2 3
SETTING UP FOR OCT. 23 LIVE BROADCAST ON
CHANNEL
79...FROM
THE COMMUNITY ROOM AT WESTON LIBRARY - AN EXTRA SERVICE TO
VOTERS WHO DON'T WANT TO GO OUT MID-WEEK AT NIGHT! Links
to online versions below:
(110 megaBytes; 45 minutes 11 seconds)
Best viewed with Internet Explorer,
which will automatically open Windows Media Player and start
playback without waiting for the download to complete.
-------------
Best viewed with Internet
Explorer, which will automatically open Windows Media
Player and start
playback without waiting for the download to complete.
Library
Community Room all set to host debates!
These debates will be shown as separate programs on Channel 79
beginning soon, and re-run until Election Day.
READY, SET...GO DIRECT TO FINANCE HERE - OR P&Z HERE
The Steering Committee of
the Weston LWV opened the proceedings...by introducing the
candidates for Board of Finance...
WHO KNEW?
MODERATOR MENTIONS "ONE 30
SECOND REBUTTAL" OPTION FOR EACH CANDIDATE:
At the time, the repetition for the audience of the rules of
this debate seemed clear...one rebuttal allowed per candidate
- or was that a "get out of jail free card" from the
one-minute closing remark limit?
BOARD OF FINANCE - DEBATE NUMBER ONE
Candidates Allan Grauberd (D),
Patrice Kopas (R), Melissa Koller (D) and Richard Bochinski
(D) before the debate began.
This debate saw more questions about the
role of the Board of Finance in the development of the Board
of Education budget than any other question.
ORDER OF
RESPONSE, CHOSEN BEFORE THE DEBATE.
FIRST
TAKE: WATCH THIS DEBATE HERE SOON!
The candidates, during the course of the 45 minute debate,
showed clear differences in how the next Board of Finance will
behave regarding the new Charter and its power to make budget
cuts in the eventuality that Weston ever turns down one or
more of the Town, School or Capital budget numbers fixed by
ATBM. And if the ATBM doesn't gain a quorum, by the $$
number voted out to ATBM by the Board of Finance...
Considering that many of the questions related to the Board of
Education budget, it was significant that the Republican
candidate was more concerned about the major Finance Board
function such as keeping the Town of Weston responsive to all
its needs.
All three Democrats said to "vote for their team" in this
four-candidates-for-three-seats election to the Board of
Finance. A response to one question by the candidate
third from the left, was eye-catching. She posed the big
question of the evening: What is the role of the Board
of Finance vis a vis the education budget - should it only
deal with finding ways to accomodate the Education
establishment's proposed budget? How can the Finance
Board presume to justify budget reducation to the bottom line
of the education budget by explaining where it thinks
individual items of the educations budget can be reduced?
PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION - DEBATE NUMBER TWO
Planning and Zoning Commission
candidates appearing on the ballot November 5, 2013 (in order
chosen before debate began):
Sally Korsh (D), James Carlin (R - running for two year term
unopposed), Thomas Failla (R), Howard Aibel (D), and Britta Lerner
(R).
TAKE-AWAY
FROM PLANNING AND ZONING DEBATE:
Thoughtful incumbents running for four-year terms respond to a
wide variety of questions by subject, scope and frankly, full
community understanding of how important this commission is!
LACHAT SPRING PLANTING 2014?
It was interesting to see the response to the Lachat question -
bearing in mind that an application might be before them soon...
O
C T O B E R 1 2
THANK YOU TOWN OF
WESTON - DIRECT
LINK TO TOWN OF WESTON AND THEIR VIMEO SERVICE
WATCH SAT. OCT. 12 DEBATES FOR
BOARD OF EDUCATION & JUDGE OF PROBATE...LINKS BELOW!
Weston
FORUM
pic
Board of Education Debate
(141
megaBytes; 58 minutes 14 seconds)
(75
megaBytes; 31 minutes 2 seconds)
Best viewed
with Internet Explorer, which will automatically open Windows
Media Player and start playback
without waiting for the download to complete.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The picture story..and
separate internet versions of each of the two debates!
#1
S.R.O. meant "Standing Room Only" in this case...a rapid-fire
debate for the Board of Education in Weston.
Watch the fast paced Board of
Education debate: http://www.lwvweston.org/LWVBdOfEdDebate10-12-13.wmv
(141
megaBytes; 58 minutes 14 seconds)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
#2
Not standing room only - but a tutorial on the probate process
in CT and elsewhere!
The candidates, both lawyers, got to spar a bit.
Running for the unexpired term of the
previous Judge of
Probate, they gave the audience a tutorial on the probate
system in CT and NY.
Fiery Judge
of Probate debate: http://www.lwvweston.org/LWVJudgeOfProbateDebate10-12-13.wmv
(75
megaBytes; 31 minutes 2 seconds)
THE EARLIER,
REALLY UNOFFICIAL VERSION BELOW...
THE BALLOT with three changes, will include the material
below. No Charter Revision question (deadline missed).
First
news of LWV of Weston's plans in the FORUM...we've got
two dates, the best LWVCT moderator, the locations,
arrangements for broadcast...
What questions do you think candidates
should debate? Does it depend upon which Board or
Commission, or are there some questions EVERYONE should
address?
- NEWS FROM THE SECRETARY OF THE STATE
- STOP THE PRESSES! THREE OF
THIRTY NAMES CHANGED BY FINAL DEADLINE IN
SEPTEMBER...CLICK HERE FOR LATEST!
- PARTY CAUCUS TIME OVER: August
7, 2013 by 4pm petitioning candidates must file - NONE
SHOWED UP.
- Certification of
names on the tickets Wednesday at 4PM, Town Clerk's
Office*...DONE
- Contested
races for Board of Education, Board of Finance, Planning
and Zoning and perhaps, Board of Assessment Appeals.
------
*We will not publish these lists online because they
have addresses and telephone number for the candidates.
According to the FORUM, however, here is the list of endorsed
candidates (without the private information):
The
following
are the endorsed party slates. Incumbents are indicated with
an asterisk.
Republican slate - photos
of candidates being assembled!
Selectman: Dennis Tracey**
Board of Finance: Patrice Kopas**
Board of Education: Sonya
Stack** Chis Moore
Board of Education: Elise Major
P&Z: Britta Lerner**
P&Z: James Carlon (appointed to fill a vacancy; running to
fill an unexpired term)
P&Z: Thomas Failla
Police Commission: Peter Ottomano**
Police Commission: Woody Bliss
Board of Assessment Appeals: Ryan Cornell**
Board of Assessment Appeals: Hillary Koyner (BOAA alternate
who was named to fill a vacancy; running to fill an unexpired
term)
ZBA: Frederick (Nick) Noyes**
ZBA Alternate: John Moran**
Judge of Probate for Westport and Weston: Lisa Wexler (from
Westport)
Democratic slate -
photos of candidates being assembled
First Selectman: Gayle Weinstein***
Selectman: David Muller***
Board of Finance: Melissa Koller***
Board of Finance: Dick Bochinski (appointed to fill a vacancy)
Board of Finance: Allan Grauberd
Board of Education: Denise Harvey***
Board of Education: Sara Spaulding (appointed to fill a
vacancy)
P&Z: Sally Korsh (appointed to fill a vacancy)
P&Z: Howard Aibel
Police Commission: Jeffrey Eglash***
Police Commission: Susan Moch***
Board of Assessment Appeals: Marina Coprio***
Board of Assessment Appeals: Barbara Reynolds Rob Nordlinger
ZBA: MacLeod Snaith***
ZBA Alternate: Marilyn
Parker*** Don Scarborough
Judge of Probate for Westport and Weston: Kieran
Costello (from Westport)
--------------
* - Town Clerk's list with names, addresses of
candidates; telephone numbers for one Party
** - Republican Party incumbents
*** - Democratic Party incumbents
Sources of information - Weston Forum reports in
reverse chronological order:
It is early for us to be
doing this, as you might notice from the Party pages, but
just in case you want to contact the political Parties, here
are links found on Google:
Democrats online:
http://www.weston-democrats.org/
Republicans online: http://www.westonrtc.org/wp/
NOVEMBER 5, 2013 CANDIDATES...Prior to issuance of official
ballot, LWV of Weston put names in Party colors. There
are 30 candidates, 25 to be elected, contest for 5 offices.
WHAT ARE THE
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THOSE WHO GET ELECTED TO THESE POSITIONS
UNDER THE CHARTER?
WHAT
DOES THE CT WEBSITE SAY FOR JUDGE OF PROBATE DUTIES, RULES
AND RESPONSIBILITIES?
BELOW
THE LATEST CANDIDATE LIST BY OFFICE/PARTY...LWV
WILL HOST BACKGROUND LINKS FOR CANDIDATES; BALLOT ORDER
AND LAYOUT TO COME...
...............................
Judge
of
Probate for Weston and Westport
Lisa Wexler - website here
Kierin Costelo -
article
from
newspaper here
