The Darien Times

20 Darien RTM members miss budget vote

Written by Susan Shultz
Thursday, May 17, 2012 04:00 PM

The Representative Town Meeting has four official meetings a year, and arguably the May budget vote is its most important.

It is a chance for the town’s representatives to weigh in and vote on the spending for the next year and set the tax rate.

This year, out of 95 active members (of a potential 100), only 72 showed up to the last meeting of the fiscal year, which approved a $120 million spending package for the town and school.

Copper stolen from Darien home

Written by David DesRoches
Thursday, May 17, 2012 02:00 PM

Five copper pipes, valued at $1,250, was reported missing from behind a home on St. Nicholas Road sometime during the past week. No damage to the home was reported, police said.

Darien’s reps back state education reform

Written by Susan Shultz & Joshua Fisher
Thursday, May 17, 2012 10:00 AM

The General Assembly last week adopted a $100 million bill that would lead to "meaningful education reform," according to Gov. Dannel Malloy, and "allow us to begin fixing what is broken in our public schools."

"By allocating nearly 100 million additional dollars to reform our public schools, we are saying that every child can and must receive an education that allows them to compete in the 21st century economy," Malloy said during a press conference last week. He signed it into law this week.

The education bill might prove that the state's children are not a partisan issue, with all three of Darien's state legislators agreeing the bill is a good one.

RTM grumbles but OKs $120M town spending package

Written by Susan Shultz
Thursday, May 17, 2012 08:00 AM

The Representative Town Meeting proved its bark was worse than its bite on Monday night, when it almost unanimously passed the town and schools’ combined $120.2 million budget — with only three quarters of the legislative body in attendance.

The vote followed some harsh criticism of the Board of Education side of the budget, but in the end, only four RTM members voted against it. Two members voted against the town side.

Darien taxpayers will see a 3.9% increase in their tax bills for the 2012-13 fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Memorial Day parade to be Kraft’s last; next generation asked to step up

Written by Joshua Fisher
Thursday, May 17, 2012 06:36 AM

The year’s Memorial Parade will honor a World War II veteran, remember a beloved Darienite who died late last year, feature a military flyover and draw thousands of Darienites to the downtown. But it will also be last time Phil Kraft, the man who heads so many veteran causes here and across the state, will lead and organize one of Darien’s most popular annual events.

After 12 years as the parade’s organizer, Kraft, who is also chairman of the Monuments & Ceremonies Commission will pass on the time-consuming duty to the next generation — he hopes. The town is still waiting for that generation to step forward.

The commission, whose youngest members are in their 60s, and includes members over 80. And the work to plan the parade has become too time-consuming for the volunteers who are responsible for maintaining the town’s many monuments and the several ceremonies held each year, which will still include the Memorial Day ceremony held at the state Veterans Cemetery on the Post Road.

In today's Darien Times

Written by The Darien Times
Thursday, May 17, 2012 06:02 AM