Alvin Toffler Builds a Fire (and gets burned)

This is a light week in Norwich, CT for meetings, though the ones I know of and the one I'm hearing murmurs about are all important (actually, I'm being unkind-all of a city or town's meetings are important, to someone, and their impact is often felt by many who aren't in the room when decisions take place) and actually more important than they, at first, seem.

If I may offer an observation that hasn't exactly endeared me to some living in the Rose City, Norwich doesn't suffer from Future Shock; we suffer from Present Shock. We are so consumed by the doing of everyday life we have no energy or inclination to map the direction of our city for the next five to twenty-five years-and Norwich is not alone in this. Perhaps it's the malady of a young nation, and the USA, in comparison to others around the world, is young, but shouldn't that mean we still have the engagement and enthusiasm to look beyond ourselves and our children, to their children and beyond? In Japan, strategic planning is done in five thousand year increments; here, five days is an eternity by which time the bananas are ruined.

Tonight at seven is the first public hearing on Norwich City Manager Alan Bergren's proposed 2009-2010 budget (here's the version he presented last Monday night, as well as his summary of its highlights) in the Norwich Regional Technical School auditorium (the brand-new facility that formerly housed the Mohegan campus of Three Rivers) near the soccer field and Kelly Middle School and across the street from the Senior Center and skateboard park (yeah, that looks goofy when I read it back, too, but it's true). I can't offer you on the line link to the entire budget, which is available as a paper copy in City Hall, because the link doesn't work. Give it a couple of days and it'll be repaired, I'm sure. Besides, the first night might be a good night to go and listen to what others have to say. But, as the TV pitch people say, 'but wait, there's more!'

Later this week, Wednesday at 6 PM in Room 335, is the first installment of the departmental budget hearings, with the paid fire department, each of the volunteer companies (except Taftville who'll talk two weeks from tonight on the 29th), as well as the emergency management and office of the city clerk, outlining their requirements and goals for the next fiscal year with the City Manager, Mayor and members of the City Council. Because, as is so often the case, I don't know what I don't know, I found last year's small group meetings to be very educational and instructional.

And, intending to nudge at least a few from the sidelines a bit closer to the action on the pitch, I'll note the departmental budget meetings last year were very poorly attended by those of us who live here and pay for, and expect, goods and services from 'the city' (we are 'the city' in case you're just joining us). So with the bar as low as it is, surely this year we can exceed the attendance and participation records--at least one can hope. There's another round of departmental hearings I'll mention again next week, because they're next Thursday, the 23rd, also starting at six, and the whole schedule for the budget process is right here.

Tuesday at seven, at 23 Union Street (probably in the conference room (of sorts) in the basement) is a regular meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals, whose plate, based on the agenda, looks more than pretty full.

Thursday, and it's not a municipal meeting but should be a community celebration, it's the fifteenth home opener of the Connecticut Defenders playing the Trenton Thunder at 6:35 PM at Dodd Stadium. There's a concert before the ballgame and fireworks afterwards and it is very probably the last home opener for Double-A baseball in Norwich, so it's a moment to look back since looking forward is not something we do well or often (enough) around here. And feel free to root for the home team-if they don't win, it's a shame.

Last Monday, I attended a meeting on the status of the YMCA in Norwich and tried to listen to plans to "Save the Y!' There weren't any. As I mentioned last week, the deficit that needs to be filled by 30 April is over eight hundred thousand dollars and then the financial situation is merely horrible, as opposed to hopeless. Those programs operated by the YMCA that this community still wants and needs must be identified and a rescue plan developed and implemented now. Arguing over how the financial situation at the YMCA happened, and/or who's to blame for it, is pointless and counter productive. There may, or may not, be a meeting this Tuesday evening so check the newspapers and the Save the Y page.

"There were no signs of a fire to be made, and, besides, never in the dog's experience had it known a man to sit like that in the snow and make no fire. As the twilight drew on, its eager yearning for the fire mastered it, and with a great lifting and shifting of forefeet, it whined softly, then flattened its ears down in anticipation of being chided by the man. But the man remained silent. Later, the dog whined loudly. And still later it crept close to the man and caught the scent of death. This made the animal bristle and back away. A little longer it delayed, howling under the stars that leaped and danced and shone brightly in the cold sky. Then it turned and trotted up the trail in the direction of the camp it knew, where were the other food-providers and fire-providers." Hit the road, Jack (London).
-bill kenny