• S O N G    F A V O R I T E S    O F    T H I S   W E B P A G E    -    L I N K   H E R E
• Link to webpage of "About Town's" favorite tennis player, Maria Bueno, here.  See in-the-street volley with another Maria here.
  

• United States of America
• Connecticut;
• Information sources:  we include the I-BBC here, because they are an excellent source of the same info you get from other e-newspapers, just with a different slant on things!

• E-Newspapers;
• Connecticut and A.P.
• Blogs we visit unattached to conventional newspapers
  
• Westport-Weston focus
  
• Other community papers in the U.S.A. plus NPR and The New Yorker
  
• Maps and Data and More (links);
• Environmental/nature
• Private planning/historical/political
• Basic needs department

PAGE ONE:PUBLIC MEETINGS ATTENDED BY "ABOUT TOWN":

BOARD OF SELECTMEN meeting notices and reports by "About Town" - link to unofficial  BUDGET PROCESS

PUBLIC MEETING NOTES - other Board and/or Commission meetings observed by "About Town"...by reverse chronology by Board.

• CHARTER REVISION REVIVED IN 2011-2012 AND TOTALLY NEW-LOOK CHARTER ADOPTED NOV. 6, 2012
  
• Insurance Advisory Committee continues to meet regularly.
• Link directly here to Building Committee/School Building Committee; Design Workshops were included in regular meetings when needed - details inspected as construction moves ahead:
•  NATURE CENTER ON THE SHELF FOR NOW;  ATBM cut FY07 funding - new Committee at work;  OK'd for wetlands crossings by Conservation - withdrawn from P&Z.  COMING SOON - SMALLER AND SIMPLER IDEA.  Previously:  Town Meeting said "yes" to funding this project (even as another item at Special Town Meeting went down in proverbial flames);  all about this AD HOC Committee--charge, minutes and photographs.  Funding for making building plans, etc. proposed for several years from now, as far as Weston's 50% of costs of constructing center are concerned (based on MASTER PLAN).
• Heady House Committee.

NO LONGER IN EXISTENCE: 
 
• Charter Revision Commission 2011-2012 - new Charter adopted (see above).
  
• Charter Revision Commission  (done);  the Charter of the Town of Weston, CT (after revisions approved November 2003);
  
• Select Committee on Budget Review submits report, finishes task (Feb. 21, 2002);
• Select Committee septic saga, established to deal with effluent from school project--construction of tertiary treatment plant underway - consultant still checking to see that nothing of stormwater-roof run-off was tied into the septic service lines;
• The Select Team unofficial site, as the LWV of Weston Observer reported (Team now defunct);  WestonSelect" (official site) NOTE:  The Select Team, on a 6-1 vote, tendered an opinion to the Board of Selectmen that no more study is necessary, and that the Town should move ahead with construction...WEBsite defunct.
• Newest (now not so new) water study information requested by P&Z during 8-24 process last (O,R&L) planning phase...second well and new circulation system around campus required for upgrades to old schools.

WOODLANDS COALITION LINK:
Decision on Docket 272...towns to our east protest lack of "total undergrounding" to no avail...DOCKET #217  CT Siting Council finishes with, accepting principle of "underground" path. Norwalk challenges in court and loses.  A place where future leaders of the community learned the importance of getting involved in government!

• C.E.A. "calculator" - http://www.yourpublicschools.org/;
• Yankee Institute (conservative think tank):   http://www.yankeeinstitute.org
• NEW TO US - Read about EDUCATION FOUNDATIONS here.
• ED News from all around CT, USA, the world...and elections enforcement buzz:  New England School Development Council - NESDEC- is another highly reliable resource for those interested in the subject of education...
• Direct link to local ED official WEBsite:  WESTON BOARD OF EDUCATION.
  

• Always there to handle projects for ther town.
  
• Visit the construction if new Weston Intermediate School on new bypass off School Road - follow its progress.
• The full collection-picture story (from this webpage).
  
• Check who is on the Building Committee and the "School Building Committee".
• View the Fletcher-Thompson bonding drawing...

Connecticut State Data Center at UCONN

FINAL REPORT PUBLISHED:  link here - http://ctsdc.uconn.edu/Projections-Towns/groups_5CTs.html

Demographics is an important part of planning.  "The Two Connecticuts" (report before FINAL link above) become "The Five Connecticuts" - either way, Weston is "wealthy" and among the "Westport-like" towns named at the high end of the spectrum of poor-to-rich.
For more: http://popcenter.uconn.edu/

ASSESSMENTS NO LONGER ON LINE:  GUESS WHAT?  Oct. 2012 technical reval coming...

Most recent reassessments no longer on-line (we have them, but they are not "public information" so we do not upload them).

2005 and 2006 sales data:  http://www.weston-ct.com/Assessor%20Sales%20Data.htm

TOWN CLERK DATA ON LINE:  http://www.weston-ct.com/resolution/

PHOTOGRAPHS FOR TOWN PLANNING PURPOSES:

Depending on who's counting, fully 25% of Weston is permanent open space...preserving open space was one of the major implementation goals of the 1987 TOWN PLAN.  Without actually buying the land--only purchasing development rights--Weston has secured conservation easements for 2000 acres, thus implementing the PLAN.  The "New Town Plan 2000" strengthens this element.  Bus garage location  always a question of "is it better to have the bus garage in Town, or is it better to incur the cost of shipping malfunctioning vehicles elsewhere ($$)..."
Check out latest changes at Weston Center.

Past is prologue:  the history of the Weston, Connecticut (published by the link preceding) community is a good thing to know...all planning begins with understanding where a town or region has been, and where it strives to go in the future.

Weston is a small part of the Southwestern Region:

BIG TIME DEVELOPMENT IN STAMFORD AND A CHALLENGE TO THE SKIES (http://www.sensibleairspace.org)
Stamford is rising..again! And redo of the South End is proposed, too.  "The Gold Coast" of Connecticut is Weston's neighborhood, as shown at left;  eight towns make up the South Western Region:
Greenwich, Stamford, Darien, New Canaan, Norwalk, Westport, Wilton and Weston.  Check out Weston's "greenbelt."  In the center, is the 1990 LANDSAT image of CT showing imperviousness estimates.  Cleck HERE for blow-up!  And on the right...

CT Plan of C&D 2013-2018 suject of "About Town" double interview;  up for approval in the 2013 Session;  CT Plan of Conservation and Development (2004-2009) approved in 2005 Long Session along with "Implementer" bill.  Check out our easy-to-read summary of the new Plan of C&D.

What's doing in Westchester?  Westchester County government site:  http://www.co.westchester.ny.us/

---

VIEWS FROM OUR WESTON TOWN PLAN PROJECT:

LINK TO FULL SERIES OF E-TOWN PLAN PHOTOGRAPHS: series of photographs located above show AREAS OF CHANGE
since the Town Plan 1987 appeared.  Check the rest of this link out!

• At the left, the Lachat Farm on Godfrey West  now reconsidered for its role as a Conservation Education Center;
• New since the last Town Plan...the Community Room at Weston Library...
• Administrative Offices of the Board of Education and...
• Hurlbutt "Core" Building including library and media center.
• Purchased was the Jarvis Military Academy buildings and land at the intersection of Norfield and Weston Roads and...
• "Opportunity area" better known as the former landfill.  Special Town Meeting approved construction of second tower here (in an area of berock close to surface).
  

Photo essay on sights in central part of town...

Link to FLETCHER-THOMPSON graphic sent to all residents prior to Nov. 15--overall Town-School Plan that the voters said "YES, YES, YES" to at Referendum (Nov. 15, 2001).  Planning and Zoning Commission gave it unanimous 8-24 OK (with condidions).
LINK TO CT STATE PLAN OF CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT (1998-2003) ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY (click below):

• Connecticut State Plan of C&D 2004-2009
• Link to waste water treatment company, makers of CT approved tertiary treatment plant.
• NEMO Map online:  land cover
• CLEAR website (outgrowth of NEMO).

GOVERNOR & LT. GOVERNOR:  Hon. Dannel Malloy at right above, with  Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman, who presides over the Senate and gets to say "Let's try your minds...";


President Pro-Tempore of the Senate Don Williams (l);  Majority Leader of the Senate Martin Looney. 


Minority Leader of the Senate John McKinney;


Speaker of the House, Brendon Sharkey;  Majority Leader of the House, Joe Aresimowicz;  Former Speaker Chris Donovan retired.

 Minority Leader of the House Larry Cafero,  

Revived arts interest statewide (CT Commission on Culture & Tourism)?  May be on hold in 2011.  For "About Town" monitoring of  what goes on at C.G.A., click here...

We leave this chronology up for reference...
Reverse Chronology 2002-2004:

• Second act of Governor Rell:  demand resignations from all Commissioners by August 1, 2004.
• First act of Governor Rell:  appoints "Ethics Czar" (first witness for CT Inquiry Panel - Rachel Rubin, Esq.);
• Changes at the top...after July 1, 2004, it will be Governor Jodi Rell of Brookfield, Lt. Governor Kevin Sullivan of West Hartford;  many Commissioners and other political appointees in important jobs subject to "house cleaning?"
• Select Committee of Inquiry established Jan. 26, 2004 - Impeachment of Governor Rowland over "cottage-gate" etc. a distinct possibility, if the Federal investigation into corruption in his administration doesn't make anything else moot...BUT, Governor Rowland resigned on June 21st, after CT Supreme Court ruled he had to testify before Impeachment Panel ("Select Committee of Inquiry");  Former Governor Rowland now out of jail.
• State of CT Union demonstration at Capitol (from budget crunch issue proposals for renegotiating benefits)...favor "millionaire's tax" instead?
• Special Session Wednesday December 18, 2002 ("lame duck")--only about budget issues..."dead duck" (as in NOBODY WINS) session summer of 2003!
• "Las Vegas Night" legislation makes it through!  As one of Weston's State Senators (John McKinney (R-28) remarked in the Norwalk HOUR:  "...Let's be honest, in Connecticut federal recognition is all about casinos."  Last session Rep. Jefferson Davis (D-Pomfret) introduced such legislation...but it dies in Committee twice, Davis trying from the floor of the House and again being rebuffed, remarked (at the same press conferrence) "Better late than never, but I welcome them all...I just could have used their support last session."
• All KELDA land had been saved in 2001...an unbelievable success for grassroots Coalition--2001 Long Session brought victory!  After September 11 attack on World Trade Center, CT budget surplus disappears, and Special Session held in November kicks the remaining funding of purchase into bonding...but there was a happy ending and the land is forever ours again.
• Affordable Housing Appeals Law Amended in 2002 "Short Session."  (Deed restrictions on apartments now count as ways to gain affordable units...also moratorium period extended from 3 to 4 years if community is drafting ordinance, we think.)
• Affordable Housing Appeals review by Office of Legislative Research super staff person (prior to the above noted change)!

CAMPAIGN 2006

RESEARCH ON THIS WEBSITE IS ALWAYS A WORK IN PROGRESS...

Our basic Internet research protocol attempts to tie together the traditional forms with the "changing news of the day" dynamic--reports come in from news services (I-BBC our favorite) and we update our "Top Story" serveral times in a 24-hour cycle.  There is a whole other "style" of documentation for scholarly texts on the Internet--here are two examples:

• Modern Language Association of America ("MLA") link: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/instruct/guides/citations.html
• Please note that attribution for Internet sources has its own style, and different professions may do things differently--an example:

SEARCHING (AS IN LOOKING FOR SOMEONE):  Want to locate someone anywhere in the world?  Click HERE

CURIOUS AS WHEN A WORD OR PHRASE CAME INTO USE?  THANKS, GOOGLE!  http://books.google.com/ngrams

National--and international (including the #1 Internet Search Engine and the best education site for research):National Public Radiko- http://www.wnpr.org/

• GOOGLE;
• University of Michigan;
• CNN;
• C-SPAN: Watch And Listen Now;
• THOMAS homepage;
• http://www.house.gov/;
• http://www.senate.gov/;
• Daily Digest: Congressional Record;
• U.S. SUPREME COURT on the Internet;
  
• "How the Supreme Court works" (according to the I-BBC):  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/americas/04/us_election/govt_system/html/supreme_court.stm
  
• U.S. Census Bureau;
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security - http://www.ready.gov/.
• Political humor:  http://www.theonion.com/
  
• Polling, non-Partisan:   http://www.pollingreport.com/
• Polling function, etc., decidedly BLUE.

• HOMECT:  http://pschousing.org/
  
• ConneCT -- State of Connecticut Website;
• Municipal Fiscal Indicators 2001-2005, published November 2006, CT OPM.
• Connecticut Economic Resource Center:  http://www.cerc.com/TownProfiles/Customer-Images/weston2009.pdf
  
• Connecticut State Library
  
• CT Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (ACIR) (the part of OPM which researches issues that have impact at different levels of government);
• Department of Public Utility Control
  
• DIRECT LINK TO - CONNECICUT GENERAL STATUTES;
• Connecticut Siting Council;
• Office of Legislative Research Internet for best research about issues and whatever happening at Capitol.
• Department of Social Services:  http://www.dss.state.ct.us/SVCS/energy/
  
• Population studies: http://popcenter.uconn.edu/;
• South Western Regional Planning Agency ("SWRPA") - for Census 2000;
• CTN Home Page Connecticut's version of C-Span--INTERNET VERSION-it was here that "About Town" first learned of the the sale of BHC to Yorkshire Water (during DPUC hearings)...check below for "Public Utilities Control, Department" on the State of CT WEBsite...International Water Company - KELDA (aka BHC).
• Northeast Utilities:  http://www.nu.com/
• Fairfield County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
• Westport Weston Health District Home Page:  Weston's days for building inspections: Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10am to 3pm.
• TOWN OF WESTON - and for direct link...
• Weston Historical Society:  http://westonhistoricalsociety.org/
  
• http://www.westonct.gov/media/file/westontowncharter.pdf
  
• to the Library collection,
• Weston Volunteer Fire Department.

WTIC
http://player.radio.com/player/RadioPlayer.php?version=1.2.10624&station=80

 

CT-N link above;  OUR FAVORITE CONNECTICUT NEWSPAPERS AND SUPER LOCAL; PLUS BLOGS WITHOUT NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION;  FOR TV news:  http://connecticut.news12.com/

• Our favorite CT paper - The New London DAY;
• http://www.norwichbulletin.com
• The Hartford COURANT:
• "Newspaper of record in CT" - courant.com;
• Political spin from the Courant (now 1/2 of the writing duo is working at online source): http://www.courant.com/news/politics/
• other than hard news - ctnow.com;
• The Stamford ADVOCATE - The Advocate Online;
• Greenwich TIME - http://www.greenwichtime.com;
• Manchester Journal-Inquirer:  http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?brd=985
  
• Danbury News-Times:  http://www.newstimes.com/
  
• The Connecticut POST - http://www.connpost.com;
• The Waterbury Republican-American
• Norwalk HOUR.
• Yale Daily News
• New Haven REGISTER

• Our favoriter online newspaper: http://www.ctmirror.org/home
  
• CT NEWS JUNKIE:  http://ctnewsjunkie.com/
• ANYTHING NEW?  INDEED, AS KEVIN RENNIE AT THE COURANT SAYS, NOW WE KNOW!  WHAT? WAIT!:  http://jonpelto.wordpress.com/

• WestportNow:  http://www.westportnow.com/
  
• Westport NEWS;
• Write to Weston Forum.
• And now, the advent of "media only on the web."  First "The Daily Weston" and now, "Patch.com" - which is soon top have a paper online for Weston-Easton-Redding.  Google it yourself!
  

• Streaming radio from WCBS (commercials, too):  http://cbsplayer.streamtheworld.com/index.php?CALLSIGN=WCBSAMHIN
• Link other newspapers in the U.S.A.: 
  
• http://www.azcentral.com/
• New Hampshire Union-Leader: http://www.unionleader.com/
  
• Las Vegas SUN:  http://www.lasvegassun.com/
  
• Whidbey Island, WA, NEWS-TIMES  http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/whidbey/wnt/news
• South Whidbey Island, WA, RECORD:  http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/whidbey/swr/
• Anchorage Daily News;- http://www.adn.com/
• Everett, WA Herald: http://www.heraldnet.com/
• Los Angeles TIMES: http://www.latimes.com/
• San Francisco Chronicle: http://www.sfgate.com/
• St. Louis Post-Dispatch: http://www.stltoday.com/
• Miami Herald: http://www.miamiherald.com/
• http://www.missoulian.com/
  
• and don't forget quality reading material...best cartoons:  THE NEW YORKER.

• Environmental/nature
• Private planning/historical/political
• Basic needs department

Environmental/nature/global warming

• New from NEMO:  http://www.reducerunoff.org/
  
• ORGANIC FARMING:  http://www.organicfarmingct.com/organicfarmingct.com/About.html
  
• BEACHES:  Natural Resources Defence Council: http://www.nrdc.org/water/oceans/ttw/default.asp
  
• Think tank on global warming:  http://www.ucsusa.org/
  
• World Data Base on Protected Areas (2005 - interactive):  http://maps.tnc.org/data/IMS/WDPA_viewer/viewer.php
  
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: http://www.ipcc.ch/
  
• Alaska and dog-mushing (just like politics - vote for SP Kennels): http://www.aliyzirkle.com/
  
• U.S.G.S. on volcanic and seismic hazards on the island of Hawai, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory: http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/hazards/contents.html
• Are the lights on in CT? http://www.cl-p.com/stormcenter/map.asp
  
• National weather service:  http://www.nws.noaa.gov/
  
• Tons of great info here:  http://www.ctweather.com/
  
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission:  http://www.ferc.gov/
  
• So what is a wetland?
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (North East);
• USGS on the Web - homepage of the 150 year old geologic survey department.  For more local USGS...
• USGS in New England;
• http://ct.water.usgs.gov/.
• Connecticut Nature Conservancy;
• The Nature Conservancy "Costal Resilliance" project: http://coastalresilience.org/
  
• About Devil's Den:  http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/connecticut/preserves/art17963.html
  
• Multi-town preservation-of-the-land group:  Aspetuck Land Trust.
• National Geographic--great maps from this online version of venerable source.
• This is the State of Connecticut's attempt to provide all the links you will ever need... www.iconn.org.
• CFE is the Connecticut Fund For the Environment--one of our favorite sources for saving water company lands, creative thinking on open space preservation...now taken over Save the Sound in a friendly arrangement;
• NEMO (our favorite environmental science source) and CLEAR;
• RIVERS ALLIANCE  OF CT:  http://www.riversalliance.org/
• Norwalk River Watershed Association:  http://www.norwalkriver.org.
• Another source:  cool map of major drainage basins in CT - http://www.riversalliance.org/9-CT_Map.htm
• Should the State be responsible for all environmental matters?  MDC example. Another:   http://www.aboutweston.com/torrentVol14Iss1Autumn06.pdf
  
• Solar Energy source...click HERE.   Any relation to Weston resident?  Green architect:  http://www.mcdonough.com/.
• SOUND CYCLING BICYCLE CLUB:  http://www.soundcyclists.com/.

• George Orwell's diaries - always a good read, now on the Internet!  Click here: http://orwelldiaries.wordpress.com/
  
• Dick Morris' blog:  http://www.dickmorris.com/blog/
• Weston High School graduate's website: http://keithhennessey.com
• Link to a commercial source of surveys, used by P&Z (NOTE:  "About Town" does not recommend this method - in Weston you can do it yourself and get 79% response): http://www.surveymonkey.com
  
• Ross Perot is back!  http://perotcharts.com/
  
• Regional Plan Association ("RPA");
• Among other dynamic groups, this one comes from RPA:  http://www.merrittalliance.org/
  
• CPEC (Connecticut Policy and Economic Council--no longer a good public expenditure data source, but still is of interest).
• CERC:  http://www.cerc.com  CERC's site says it "... is a nonprofit corporation specializing in economic development and marketing for local, regional, state and utility economic development entities."
• University of Connecticut's Public Policy Collaborative: http://ccea.uconn.edu/links.htm
• The Yankee Institute (conservative slant on things):  http://www.yankeeinstitute.org/
  
• All you ever wanted to know about scandal in elected office (national scale) from Washinton POST.
• Hear it again (or for the very first time) - great rhetoric from the left wing:  http://www.americanrhetoric.com/
  
• http://www.newday.com/films/Taken_for_a_Ride.html
• REDISTRICTING (2000 - 2010):  and speaking of being taken for a ride...
  
• Weston now in the 4th Congressional District.
• State House of Representatives new districts:  All of Weston is in the 135th District.
• State Senate new districts: http://www.cga.ct.gov/red/2001senate.htm;

• ANOTHER RELATED ASPECT:  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/guides/456900/456958/html/nn1page1.stm

• EDUCATION WRITERS OF AMERICA - http://edmoney.org/
  
• Global Debt Clock
• Basic needs - opera synopses.
• Shaksperian synopses (1902).
  
• Need economic data for the U.S.?  http://www.bea.gov/
  
• Landscape painting link here;
  
• CONGRESS - the sausage makers supreme!
  
• Revolving door company:  http://www.revolvingdoorcompany.co.uk/
  
• So you think you need to lose weight?  http://www.nytimes.com/ref/health/bmi.html
  
• Primer on land use colors: http://www.landwateruse.water.ca.gov/basicdata/landuse/standards.cfm
• What's on TV tonight?  http://tvlistings.optonline.net/epg.do
  
• A link to the yearly calendar can be found here:  http://www.timeanddate.com/
  
• On-line dictionary: http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/algorithm
  
• http://www.britannica.com/
  
• Across the pond department:
• Royal website:  http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page1.asp
  
• Redistricting for the English:  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6309185.stm
  
• Conform to our society, says PM  Mr Blair urged the public to embrace multiculturalism;
  
• So you want to be an urban planner?  Click on A.P.A. here to find out about the profession.
• The first thing a planner needs is a map.  Did someone say they needed an aerial view?

• AVALON BAY:  http://www.avalonbay.com/splash/splash.cfm
  
• Building community...http://cityrepair.org./
• American Architecture:  http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/fa267/contents.html#urban%20plan
• Architecture site (great buildings);
• Map of the world (detailed by continent, oceans):  http://go.hrw.com/atlas/norm_htm/world.htm
• Weather, complicated version;  type in "DANBURY, CT" here and you've got the forecast from the horses-mouth source!
  
• How about a guide to locating houses by address and what they are supposedly worth?  Click here:  http://www.zillow.com/
  
• Get a map for driving anywhere...HERE.
• SOURCE FOR NATIONAL ANTHEM: http://www.bcpl.net/~etowner/anthem.html
  
• Silvermine Art School (link to Guild here, as well):  http://www.silvermineart.org/
  
• OUR OTHER "ART" SOURCES:  In the past we used: http://www.aaabackgrounds.com/.
• "Know Your Town" listing of all elected and many appointed Weston, CT Boards and Commissions, as well as names and telephone numbers of Town Hall staff and Internet links to State and National office holders is found on the LWVWeston's Home Page.
• Remember which animals were most superior in Orwell's eyes (in Animal Farm)?  George Orwell's diary - always a good read!  http://orwelldiaries.wordpress.com/
  
• Did someone say Seattle?  Why are all the best things there?  http://www.daedalusaudio.com/whiteoak%20option.html
• Forest Hills memories, for "About Town," - world-wide champ's website here...http://www.mariabueno.org/
                  
  
  
  

"Before Becoming Cat Woman..."  she was a dinner guest in my house in the Bronx, late 1950's.  Click  to hear a White House version of Santa Baby!

"About Town" is the name of our television program on Channel 77 Cablevision of South Western CT (shown Fridays and Saturdays from 5:30 to 6 pm).  It mirrors the "About Weston" website interests.  On-line video of current "About Town" TV show just a mouse-click or two away!  (A friend encourages WEB video --see her work here).

This WEBPAGE tries to accomodate visitors whose computers are set to other than "normal" font sizes, etc. or otherwise unconventionally configured (intentionally or otherwise).

Check out this link for terrific art!