SHARE

Letter: Norwalk Made Itself Proud

NORWALK, Conn. — Norwalk.DailyVoice.com accepts signed, original letters to the editor. Letters may be emailed to letters@dailyvoice.com.

To the Editor,

Were your ears burning Thursday night, fellow Norwalkers? At Thursday's Educational Cost Sharing Task Force meeting in Bridgeport, we received a compliment that made me deeply proud of my hometown. A Stamford woman joked that, upon witnessing so many people advocating for Norwalk, she felt "embarrassed" by Stamford's low turnout.

Norwalk's impact wasn't simply a function of attendance; something about our community resonated with our Fairfield County neighbors. Speakers from other towns started recounting their connections to Norwalk, such as having been born here, or having friends who live here. Some commiserated with our plight. Others, intent on advocating for their own communities, somehow found themselves talking about Norwalk. In Hollywood parlance, Norwalk was Thursday's "It Girl."

By 6:30 p.m., everybody in the room knew Norwalk's superintendent and Board of Education members would be leaving early to attend the BOE meeting in Norwalk. Well after 9 p.m., everybody in the room learned the results of that BOE meeting, via a text read by a Wolfpit parent. During the intervening hours, Norwalk parents, teachers, principals, and seniors described the challenges facing Norwalk's schoolchildren.

As Common Council Minority Leader, I am proud that Norwalk's elected officials expressed bipartisan solidarity. Three of our state representatives stood together to address the ECS Task Force; they submitted a letter signed by our state senator and all our Norwalk state reps. We squeezed half the Common Council in front of that podium – Democrats, Republicans, and Unaffiliated.

Like several others, I urged task force members to hold a meeting in Norwalk. Based on the turnout at public hearings and rallies, they can expect a packed house. To request an ECS Task Force meeting in Norwalk or learn about the education cost-sharing formula, please visit http://www.cga.ct.gov/ed/CostSharing/taskforce.asp or call 860-240-0420. Let's keep this momentum going!

to follow Daily Voice Norwalk and receive free news updates.

SCROLL TO NEXT ARTICLE