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Showing posts from August, 2025

Election day outlook for school bond, local races

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A strong turnout — and that seems likely — may bode well for the $89 million school bond. The JFK bond provides some insights. In 2017, the JFK bond failed during a municipal election. The town reduced the project cost, and it returned to the ballot in the 2018 election. But 2018 was a gubernatorial race, with a much stronger turnout. The turnout in the 2017 race was less than half of the 2018 overall election turnout. The rest of the ticket: Without local polling, it’s hard to predict how any local race will turn out. But comparing the races to 2024 does provide some insights. — State Sen. John Kissel won 54% of the vote in 2024. He won in every town but Windsor. He is facing Democrat challenger Davide Kiner. For what it is worth, in my Southwood Acres neighborhood, Kiner signs are abundant. But even if Kiner wins Enfield, the problem will be in more Republican leaning towns that make up this district. Somers, for instance, has 2,100 registered Republicans, 1,218 registered Democrats...

Town Leaders and Historical Society Face Off Amid Deep Budget Cuts

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  Peter Sorenson, president of the Enfield Historical Society, examines a historic glass slide in the museum’s archive room. The Society’s collection includes thousands of items documenting Enfield’s past. An 80% cut in town funding may force the Enfield Historical Society to do what town leaders most want to prevent: sell historic properties. The Society expected about $26,000 from the town budget that began July 1, but President Peter Sorenson received just $6,000. There was no explanation for the reduction. The town has tied its future funding to new financial disclosure requirements. Mayor Ken Nelson also called for a full meeting with the Society's board—not just Sorenson. Nelson’s demand reveals a deep mistrust and suggests that personal tensions are fueling the dispute as much as policy differences. The Society , founded in 1960, is a private, nonprofit organization that operates the museum in the Old Town Hall and owns the Martha Parsons House at 1387 Enfield St. and W...

Enfield’s Trash Outsourcing Report: Keep It In-House

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This table is from a consultant’s report prepared for the town of Enfield by Mercer Group Associates and BridgeGroup. RRM refers to the town’s Refuse and Resource Management division. The table also notes that 2025 is an election year, hinting at possible political considerations. Enfield has released the final consulting report on the possibility of outsourcing trash hauling — and it recommends keeping the service in-house. The report by Mercer Group Associates and BridgeGroup LLC says the town would see only “limited” cost savings by outsourcing its Refuse and Resource Management (RRM) services. But the town also provides a level of service that many other municipalities don’t necessarily offer. It describes RRM as having an “experienced, committed staff” with a “strong work ethic,” and warns that outsourcing could mean losing that expertise. At the same time, the consultants say the town could improve efficiency and productivity through better management, equipment replacement, and ...

PZC Member: Park & Ride Move Contradicts Town's Transit Goals, Creates Safety Risk

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Phoenix Avenue may soon host the state’s new Park & Ride bus stop—but the road remains hostile to pedestrians. There’s no sidewalk on the east side, and the west side sidewalk (pictured) ends just short of Hazard Avenue—with no safe crossing in sight. On that same side, it also fails to reach South Road. I’m thankful for Enfield’s pedestrian crosswalks and walk signals, and for its efforts to create bike lanes and trails. But that doesn’t change one immutable fact about Enfield: This town is unsafe for bike riders and pedestrians. Phoenix Avenue is a perfect example—a road that’s about to take on new importance for our community. The state is apparently planning to relocate its Park & Ride to 90 Phoenix Avenue, near South Road, where there’s evidently a lot large enough to support this service. The Park & Ride connects residents to the state’s bus transit system. It has to move from Enfield Square because of the planned development project. It’s always been difficult to r...