Zeke is Clearly Not Right for Derby

Click on the link to read the guest column I will be referencing in this blog. This guest column is written by Rich Dziekan (a candidate for Mayor in the City of Derby) and published in the Valley Independent Sentinel on October 31, 2017.

http://valley.newhavenindependent.org/archives/entry/dziekan_derby_needs_a_leader_who_will_take_action/

With one week to go we've been given a glimpse of Zeke’s plan. Keep in mind, it is by no means detailed, but according to Zeke, "it is multi-faceted with a lot of moving parts." The only thing missing from this plan is perhaps we could get Mexico to pay for it. Oh well, it’s a start. My first impression is Zeke is very naive. Let me explain.

In the article, he references 7 items.

1. Getting real estate holdings back on the tax rolls.
2. Will work with surrounding municipalities and state and federal govt to secure resources
3. Regionalize and consolidate services
4. Full time professional staff
5. Focus on leading and getting maximum productivity
6. 24/7 lifestyle
7. Claims Dugatto lacked foresight and ability to lead

Response to 1. If Zeke had been paying attention these past two years, he would have realized that according to the City Charter, the Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen control all real estate and property within the City of Derby. For him to state the first thing he’s going to do is start making real estate decisions is a sure fire way to alienate the board and show the citizens of Derby how out of touch he is with the Charter. He should have known this fact since he served as an alderman. Then again, Zeke did not distinguish himself as an alderman nor did he demonstrate any leadership qualities. I can’t think of a single piece of legislation, ordinance, or resolution he wrote and pushed through the process while he served. Perhaps he was on the majority side of a sign placement vote or two but I honestly can’t think of anything he contributed to the Board of Aldermen that would distinguish him as a leader.

Response to 2. Will work with other municipalities. Translation, he will work with Ansonia and let them call the shots. After all, he owes them for paying him $50,000 of Ansonia taxpayer money so that he could receive on-the-job training.

Response to 3. Regionalize and consolidate services. Again, he will sell out Derby in a heartbeat to the Ansonia delegation that paid him to observe the Ansonia mayor.

Response to 4. Full time professional staff. Keeping in mind that there is not a lot of money sitting unclaimed and ready to spend. How much will he pay these full-time professional staff people?  What services will he cut to pay these people? Perhaps he has a plan to bring over his pals from Ansonia and get them some Derby taxpayer money in addition to their Ansonia pay checks? Since he’s not clear, one can only speculate.

Response to 5. Focus on leading, etc...Ahh, here we go. He’s going to focus on leading. He doesn’t know how to lead and realizes this is a shortcoming so he’ll focus on it. If anything, Zeke has proved that he is a good follower. He followed his superiors while serving as a military cop. He followed his supervisors as a Hamden police officer. He followed Cassetti for a year. Unfortunately, Rich can’t give too many examples of when he’s actually lead something.

Response to 6. 24/7 lifestyle. Hey, I’m pretty sure he has borrowed this line from Mayor Dugatto. The Mayor used that line during the debate. He was trying to pin her down with how many hours she worked and she said being mayor is a 24/7 lifestyle. Come on, Rich. I’m not sure if you went to college, but English 101 teaches you that it’s okay to use someone’s words as long as there is attribution.

Response to 7. Says Mayor Dugatto lacked the foresight and ability to lead. I hate to disagree with you once again, but her first term was spent clearing all of the problems and law suits left by the previous administration. Her second term was spent developing a plan for downtown both strategically and inclusively. Her third term will be to implement the plan.

Finally, Zeke ended his column with a quote. The quote comes from the 2007 memoir of Jordan Belfort, who was nicknamed the Wolf of Wall Street. Again, the quote was used but not attributed, but to pick a quote from someone who swindled trusting customers out of millions of dollars seems like a poor choice. Kind of like picking someone to run with you as city treasurer when that someone was directly responsible for the city being forced to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal settlements.

Our loyalty our love for thee...

The tagline of my social media presence has been Talk Derby To Me. For those interested in the genesis of that saying, here goes.

I used to take my daughters to Sacred Heart Academy in Hamden each day for high school. During the drive the Jason Derulo song, “Talk Dirty” was a hit on the radio stations.

It seemed that each morning we would hear the song with the familiar sax riff and Derulo singing the famous refrain, “Talk dirty to me.”

During one of our drives to school I changed the words to Talk Derby to Me and the rest is history.

Talk Derby To Me works on so many levels and has gained a bit of a following. I’m the only alderman in Derby (maybe worldwide) who has his own theme song.

This is why listening to Zeke go on and on last night at the debate about the virtues of Ansonia was so distressing to me.

Zeke’s mentor and new found Ansonia pals were in attendance last night. He paid homage to them time and time again.

Our beloved DHS stage and auditorium (the scene of so many pep rallies) seemed as if it were being violated as Zeke knocked Derby with his doomsday tales of misery and scare tactics while promoting Ansonia.

Don't get me wrong...the people and the friendly rivalries we've had with Ansonia are great. I am good friends with former rivals from my high school days who I admire and respect. I just don't recall a time in my lifetime when a group of politicians from Ansonia seemed so interested in the affairs of Derby.

It makes me wonder, if Zeke got into office and there was a difference of opinion with his Ansonia mentor, where would Zeke's allegiance be?

Talk Ansonia To Me just doesn’t work. It doesn’t fit.

A Success Story

I received a complaint through my Alderman Art's Talk Derby To Me Facebook page about 1-month ago concerning flooding on B Street. Apparently, whenever there was a heavy rain, the neighborhood flooded. Not only did I receive a written complaint, but I received an actual video that demonstrated the water rushing down from Hawthorne Ave was causing the B Street area to flood.

Water flowing from Hawthorne

I asked the person to give me some time to talk to the right people and see if we could get the situation rectified.

The next morning, I stopped at the Public Works garage and showed the video to the Director. He asked for 2-weeks so that he could finish some other projects. Next, I informed the Mayor that I had made a request of the Director of Public Works and she did what any good chief executive does, she let her people do their job without micro-managing them.

Exiting the hill onto B Street

I assured the citizen we would be on top of this but we needed a couple of weeks.

He said thanks and I realized the clock was ticking.

Now, I've been around long enough to know that when a contractor asks for 2-weeks, it does not necessarily mean 2-weeks. I was formulating a strategy that would allow me to save face with the citizen while trying to motivate DPW but all the while being mindful of not pushing too hard to get the project going.

The aftermath

I can honestly say there was no need for running all of these scenarios in my mind. At the 2-week period, I called DPW to inquire about the project. I was informed that they had already started moving their equipment to the site.

Next, I was told the project was moving along but had been hampered a bit by some heavy rains we had experienced last week in the region.

At the beginning of this past week, I received a photo showing that a lot of work had been done and that DPW was nearly finished. I was excited and wanted to share their photos, but Director DeFala asked that I hold off until the project was completed.






Below are some pictures while the Public Works crew were on site this past week.

Water rushing down this week

Beginning of week with sewage drain cleared

The completed project

I am extremely proud of our City of Derby Public Works team. Their Director, Anthony DeFala is top-notch and has never failed to deliver when I've asked him to do something for the citizens of Derby.

I'd also like to thank Mayor Dugatto. While she has been focused on the big picture items like securing 5-million dollar grants for redevelopment, bringing in new businesses, and selling parcels that have for too long been unproductive, she's recognized the talented people running her departments and has allowed them to use their skills to make Derby a better place.

A final thought. I would say this is a success story. An issue was communicated to someone who represents them at the city level. The issue was brought to the attention of the people who could resolve the issue and through communication, respect, and pure good old-fashioned hard work, mission accomplished.

Not all complaints can be resolved as quickly as in this example, but I guarantee to listen. I guarantee I'll do everything in my power to move items forward. Derby has some great people working for them. The next time you have a gripe, a complaint, or even a compliment (yes, we do accept compliments), do yourself a favor and Talk Derby To Me.

Congratulations to the new principal of St. Mary-St. Michael School

(L-R) Chris Clark, Donna Carloni, Sue Goncalves,Linda Coppola, Patsy Gerckens, and Grace Torres

I would like to give a huge welcome to the newly announced principal of St. Mary-St. Michael School…Grace Torres.

Father Tiano, the pastor of St. Mary parish appointed a search committee for the next principal once current principal, Linda Coppola announced she was retiring at the end of the school year. The committee was chaired by Patti Tiezzi, the principal of St. Rita’s in Hamden and consisted of members of both St. Mary and St. Michael parishes.

I was fortunate to be a member of the original principal search committee seven years ago that selected Mrs. Coppola. At that time, I told the committee, "this is a no-brainer, cancel the rest of the candidate interviews because we have our principal."

Likewise, I was appointed to this most recent principal search committee and as soon as Grace expressed interest in the position, I thought back to my youth when "Dandy Don Meredith" would sing on Monday Night Football, "...turn out the lights, the party's over" when the outcome of the game was in hand.

Grace's story is a testament to her faith and her parents.

Her parents search for the American Dream led them from Equador to Derby, to a small house on the corner of 6th and Anson Street. Both parents believed in faith-based education and worked countless hours in order to send Grace and her siblings to St. Mary-St. Michael School. Interestingly, Grace graduated from St. Mary-St. Michael School in 1989 and was a member of the first graduating class of the newly merged St. Mary's and St. Michael's schools.

Grace graduated from Derby High School in 1993 and as class president led her class onto the Ryan Athletic Complex at DeFilippo Field for commencement.

After high school, Grace started her own family. She and her husband (Eduardo) have two daughters (Makayla and Adrianna). Makayla graduated from St. Mary-St. Michael School and is currently attending Sacred Heart Academy in Hamden. Adrianna is currently enrolled in St. Mary-St. Michael School.

I'm sure I ran into Grace a time or two while my daughters attended the school, but it wasn't until the school found itself in financial trouble in 2010, that I really took notice of her and became intrigued with her seemingly unending source of energy and positivity.

Grace was part of a group of parents who created a financial plan that was accepted by the Archbishop of Hartford that ultimately saved the school.

It's a shame to say she was a part of a group...she was a leader and one of the driving forces behind the plan to save the school. She spent countless hours developing and communicating the plan to the other parents. She number crunched and pitched different types of fundraising efforts (including our now famous Housy River Duck Race) to keep the school afloat.

It wasn't until the school was given a reprieve that Grace really came into her own. She ran most fundraisers, and helped compile lists of alumni from the old school records. She ate, slept, and breathed St. Mary-St. Michael School often with her two young daughters in tow.

She worked in the school office for a period of time and was able to witness first-hand the wonderfulness that is our current principal, Linda Coppola.

While working at the school, she decided to go back to college and she received a B.A. in Spanish from Sacred Heart University.

She received her M.A.T (Master of Arts in Teaching) in May of 2015 from Sacred Heart University and is currently pursuing her 6th Year Reading and Language Development certification from Fairfield University while teaching at Derby's Irving School.

Again, let's not forget that while getting these advanced degrees, she continued to raise her family and stay involved with the school.

I can't put my finger on it, but there is something about Grace that makes one want to give even more of themselves than they thought possible. I suppose if she could overcome all the obstacles placed in front of her (including the sudden loss of her beloved father) and still be so optimistic and driven to succeed then surely we all can.

I am glad to have worked so closely with Mrs. Coppola these past seven years. During the school's time of need, Mrs. Coppola stepped up big time and turned the school around. I am sad to see Mrs. Coppola leave, but happy and wish her nothing but the best during her retirement. I am sure she has satisfaction knowing her efforts have resulted in the revival of the school.

I believe the committee got it right by selecting Grace to lead the school for the next generation. I know she can count on the support of the community to keep her head held high as she takes over the reigns of this magical place we call St. Mary-St. Michael School.

After awhile, the community will regard her as I do...Amazing Grace.

Grace will assume her new responsibilities on July 1st.

Good luck and best wishes.

The TDTM podcast

I'm trying something new this month.  This is the first of Alderman Art's Talk Derby To Me Podcasts. This sort of thing interests me, and hopefully I could find the time to do more.

Last month, I travelled to Oakland, California to talk about a program in the USPS called "PCC Boot Camp."

While I was out west, I was able to spend a few days with my pal, Scott Snyder.  Scott is a Derby guy and someone I've known all my life.

We talked about growing up in Derby, wrestling, characters in the neighborhood, and just got plain goofy.  Near the end of the podcast, Scott got focused on the word chicken and I think he was implying I was a chicken.  Alderman Art has been called many things, but chicken is not one of them.

In any case, I hope you enjoy what is essentially two friends talking Derby while cooped up in a house during a rainstorm.

http://tinyurl.com/j5d3z9k

Derby Girl

"Wow, you have a Derby girl." I can remember the words like they were spoken yesterday.

I was at a conference at Bowdoin College in Maine with other college and university managers. A colleague who I had known and served with on different boards asked if I had any pictures of my daughters. I looked through my wallet and the first picture I pulled out was a picture of one of my girls in her cheerleading uniform. The woman instantly said, "Wow, you have a Derby girl."

I was intrigued. "How did you know," I asked. She replied, "everybody knows Derby girls. They are one of the top cheerleading programs in the country." I was amazed that a simple wallet photo of my daughter from her Derby cheerleading days made her instantly recognizable to someone from the outer reaches of New England.

I hadn't thought of that conversation in years, but believe we all should take a moment to reflect on how lucky we are to have a world class cheerleading program right here in our community.

Think about it...from their Pop Warner years, right through their varsity high school years, our "Derby girls", coaches, and parents compete and win at the highest levels.

The Operations & Procedures subcommittee of the Board of Aldermen has started discussing the creation of a formal process for recognizing accomplishments that bring so much pride to our town.

When we met last week, we realized that some championship teams such as wrestling, cheerleading, and perhaps others, may not have received the formal recognition due them from the city at the time of their accomplishments.

The words "due them" are the problem.  We could not find a formal, written process that discusses what should be done for championship teams and/or other noteworthy accomplishments.  As a result, some teams have received championship rings, others have received jackets, still others received commemorative signs, and some accomplishments were missed entirely.

As we move our great city forward, we will create and ensure a policy is in place that is fair to all and which gives our community a chance to display our civic pride.

We had some great dialogue at the last meeting and will continue the conversation next month.

In the meantime, this former wrestler, dad and husband of a “Derby girl” salutes all of you for making me proud to say, “I'm from Derby, there isn’t any prouder, and if you don’t believe me, I'll yell a little louder.”

Vote "No" on Question 2

Below is the section Derby voters will be asked to consider deleting from the City Charter.

Section 14.  Dual office holding, etc.

No officer of said city shall be at the same time a member of the Board of Aldermen. Neither the Mayor, Street Commissioner, Fire Commissioner nor any other officer of said city, either elected or appointed, including members of the Board of Aldermen, members of the Board of Apportionment and Taxation, members of the Finance Committee and members of the Board of Education, shall directly or indirectly furnish any materials to said city, or be directly or indirectly employed to do any work for said city except his/her official duty.  The provisions of this section may be waived by a unanimous vote of the Board of Aldermen.

Let's break down Section 14 into three simple sentences and speak plain English.

Sentence 1 (translation).

Any officer of Derby is not allowed to also be a member of the Board of Aldermen.

In other words, the Corporation Counsel, Tax Collector, Chief of Staff, Chief Administrative Officer, Police Commissioners, Building Official, and Town Clerk (and more) cannot also be members of the Board of Aldermen.

Subsequently, if we remove Section 14 from the Charter (and the person is a Derby resident) all those people would be permitted to also be members of the Board of Aldermen while collecting their city paychecks.

Does anybody have a problem with Sentence 1?

Sentence 2 (translation).

Nobody on this list is allowed to furnish goods or materials or do work for Derby whether they were elected or appointed.

If Section 14 is removed, any of these people could use their influence to divert city jobs to their private business or their friends or relatives business.

 Is it unreasonable to think this wouldn’t happen? The Valley Independent Sentinel listed examples of this occurring in the past, so it would be foolish to think it wouldn't present itself in the future.

Does anybody have a problem with Sentence 2?

Sentence 3 (translation).

Section 14 can be waived by a unanimous vote of the Board of Aldermen.

This is the sentence that causes concern for a small but vocal minority in the city.  The argument is that a single individual should not be able to overturn the vote of the people.

Despite the fact that no elected official has ever been denied a waiver, those in favor of removing Section 14, claim that one man or woman with a grudge could deny the vote of the people.

If someone did deny a waiver over a grudge it would be tantamount to political suicide. The person would likely never hold political office again and it's very likely the person would be ostracized within the community.

We live in a country that recognizes a representative form of government. Every day those who hold office make decisions that affect all of us. Some decisions are good, some are bad, but it’s the form of democracy this country has embraced.

Those in favor of removing Section 14, claim that when they go door knocking, the people know they work for the city based on the bios they hand out.  Not true.  Many citizens claim they don't read the bios or really only care about the top of the ticket.

Finally, if the proponents of removing Section 14 wanted a single sentence edited, then that is the question they should have placed on the ballot.  It would be irresponsible to delete an entire section that has served our city well.

On Election Day, vote "NO" on question 2.