PLEASE NOTE

Please note that this particular website (unwillington.blogspot.com) will no longer be updated.  It will remain live so people can access the archives, but the new website is at unwillington.com

I understand that some people are not able to access unwillington.com at work, due to firewalls and security systems.  Hopefully you will be able to access it at home.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email them to unwillington@gmail.com

Fast Today, For Tomorrow We Feast

Throw your Adkins/Paleo/Raw Food dietary guidelines to the wind tomorrow and come out to unWillington's Spaghetti Dinner & Silent Auction.

Dinner starts at 6pm, at the Willington Hill Fire Department.  Tickets are $8/adults, $5/children.  Tickets are not necessary if you only wish to take part in the Silent Auction.

If you have signed up to help, or if you would like to lend a hand, we need help with the following activities:

Setup: TONIGHT starting at 6pm, Willington Hill FD
Help prepare food or serve: TOMORROW from 4-7pm, Willington Hill FD
Help clean up: TOMORROW from 8-8:30pm, Willington Hill FD

Hope to see you there!

Upcoming Events

Mark your calendar for the following events:

August 29th- Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction @ Willington Hill Fire Department
Tickets available at the door: $8/adults, $5/children
No tickets are needed for the silent auction (which, I've heard, has got some really amazing items)
Want to help volunteer?  Have a donation for the Silent Auction?  Call Maureen @(860)429-5239

August 30th- Bottle Painting Fundraiser @ Wilderness Lake Campground
$35/person, includes all supplies
Must pre-register (774)241-3444

Share This Movie!

Have you tried to explain this whole State Police issue with friends and family but realized the whole mess was too complicated to shrink into a short, tidy speech?

Well fret no longer.  We here at unWillington are putting together a series of short, very sharable videos exploring different aspects of this problematic situation.  The first one is here:


And if you're here for the first time after having seen the video, please get started by clicking "The Story" in the above tab.

If our story has moved you to help, please consider donating to our legal fund by clicking the PayPal button in the sidebar.

Also, please click "The Actions" tab to write to the people who can put a stop to this.  Don't live in Connecticut?  No problem!  If our lawmakers start realizing that the eyes of the nation are on them, maybe common sense will prevail.

Finally, please come join us tonight at Wilderness Lake Campground from 6:30-8:00 as we meet, brainstorm, and keep working together to save Willington.

Daily Action and Meeting Reminder

If you haven't already, make room on your calendar for tomorrow's resident meeting:

Tomorrow, from 6:30-8:00- all are welcome.

Secondly, with all the referendum prep, our daily actions have fallen to the wayside.  Time to fix that.

Today's daily action is write a letter to the Editor day.
Email address for local papers will follow.  Some topics to consider are:

1. location of the proposed training compound and its proximity to houses, churches, and an elementary school.  With parents gearing up to send their children back to school, this last point is important- the children at Center Elementary have the very real possibility of having to be dropped off at school amidst the sound of gunfire.  Of playing on the playground amidst the sound of gunfire.  Of trying to learn amidst the sound of gunfire.  It is unacceptable to ask the children of Willington to endure this, yet that's exactly what the State Police are proposing.

2. cost to the taxpayer.  Considering the fact that the state's deficit has ballooned to $173 million, and GE is threatening to join the stream of businesses fleeing Connecticut's taxes, a brand new, state of the art, laughably massive training complex for the State Police isn't just puzzling- it's reckless.  Particularly when Senator Guglielmo has outlined eight other viable options that would cost the taxpayer far less, the State Police's insistence in continuing this project, and Governor Malloy's refusal to put a stop to it become shockingly counter to the best interests of Connecticut.

3. why has the Simsbury site been completely abandoned?  Why has there never been any talk of making the Simsbury site work?  Yes, as is, the seasonal flooding is damaging and expensive.  Yes, the current layout of the gun ranges prevents simultaneous use.  But these are not insurmountable problems.  Why has there been no exploration of taking the land that is already owned and engineering the buildings and gun ranges to be protected from the Farmington River?  Is this an issue of an affluent town muscling the State Police out, so they need to seek a less wealthy community?  Is this an issue of the land somehow being so contaminated by the current gun range that it's unusable?  Is this an issue of the State Police simply wanting something newer, bigger, and shinier?

Keep your letter brief, and focused.  Avoid personal attacks.  Urge readers of your editorial to delve deeper. 

Click here to send a letter to the Courant.  Or copy and paste this address: http://www.courant.com/opinion/hc-send-us-a-letter-20140911-htmlstory.html

Click here to send a letter to the Chronicle.  Or copy and paste this address: letters@thechronicle.com

Click here to send a letter to the Connecticut Post.  Or copy and paste this address: http://www.ctpost.com/faq/#letterToEditor

Click here to send a letter to the New Haven Register.  Or copy and paste this address: letters@nhregister.com

Click here to send a letter to the Journal Inquirer.  Or copy and paste this address:  letters@journalinquirer.com

Click here to send a letter to the Stamford Advocate.  Or copy and paste this address: john.breunig@scni.com

When you write your letter, send a copy to unwillington@gmail.com and it will be posted on the Facebook page.

Third Thursday in Willimantic

Looking for something to do tonight?  Head out to Third Thursday in Willimantic.
There will be an unWillington booth in the "Way Downtown" section (by the Frog Bridge), with unWillington t-shirts, bracelets, and tickets for the Spaghetti Dinner.

Here's the festival's website.  Hope to see you there.

WE DID IT!!

We did it!  The appropriation of $100,000 to help fund our fight against the state's massive training complex passed in a landslide!
Final numbers: 878 YES 194 NO

Thank you to everyone who voted, volunteered, and helped educate neighbors about this referendum.

VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE

All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent

-Thomas Jefferson

I know it seems like we're fighting an uphill battle- because we are.  But we can do hard things and we can come together as a town and show Hartford that we are not a bunch of powerless nobodies from the backwoods of Connecticut.

So go and vote today.  Vote YES to appropriate $100,000 to help fund the legal battle.

See you at the polls.

Sample Referendum Ballot- VOTE TOMORROW

Today is the deadline to return absentee ballots!

Those going to the polls tomorrow (that's YOU, right?) can expect the ballot to look like this:

Please vote YES for Willington.

Don't forget to send in your referendum day pictures for a chance to win a "Clean, Green, & Serene" unWillington t-shirt.

YES WILLINGTON!

Stand With Our Elected Officials- Vote YES

On May 28th, the Connecticut State Police dropped a bombshell on our laps in the form of their proposed weapons complex.

One week later, our Board of Selectmen had drafted and sent a letter of protest to all the pertinent parties- standing with us from the very beginning.

You can read the letter here.

On Tuesday, stand with our elected officials and vote YES on the referendum.

Referendum Day Contest

Are you following unWillington on Instagram yet?  On Tuesday, we'll be featuring pictures from the referendum, and we want YOUR shots.

Send your picture of Referendum Day, and you could not only be featured on the account, but you'll be entered for the drawing for one of Hickster Tees' amazing "Clean, Green, Serene" unWillington t-shirts.

email pictures to unwillington@gmail.com or use hashtag #yeswillington

See you at the polls!

Daily Action: Tell A Friend

Today's daily action is this:

Tell as many friends and neighbors about Tuesday's referendum as possible.  Remind them that absentee ballots must be dropped off at the Town Office by Monday.  Ask elderly friends if they need a ride to the polls.  Basically, just spread the word about this vote to as many people as possible.

FAQ files about the referendum to help friends understand what's going on and what's at stake:

Referendum FAQ
A Tale of Two Lawyers

And as always, if you have any questions about the upcoming referendum, please send them to unwillingotn@gmail.com. 

A Tale of Two Laywers

As we get closer to the August 18th referendum date, a number of people have wondered why two lawyers are being retained for this fight.

Stephanie Summers, president of unWillington, Inc., put together this FAQ file to help answer those important questions.

As always, any further questions can be directed to unwillington@gmail.com

********

The town referendum on Aug. 18 seeks approval of $100,000 to spend on legal, environmental and other expertise to evaluate the risks of the state proposal to site a paramilitary police training compound in the center of our town. UnWillington also has a fundraising goal of $100,000 to work side by side with the town in this effort and on its own strategies.

The town has chosen Mark Branse, a long-time expert land use attorney who consults with Willington and many other towns. UnWillington has retained Tim Hollister of Shipman & Goodwin, a highly successful litigator in land use, environmental and civil rights conflicts at the state and federal levels.

Readers may wonder why we need two lawyers to assist us. Here is a Q&A addressing those questions.

Q. Why do both the town and unWillington need their own attorneys in the struggle against the state police paramilitary compound? Isn’t this duplicating efforts?

A. No. UnWillington is working in close collaboration with the town. While the attorney for unWillington and the town's attorney are both highly experienced, each has some specific strengths and contacts that are complementary. UnWillington's attorney, Tim Hollister, has an overall strategy that he thinks will prevail. He and the town’s attorney, Mark Branse, are in direct consultation to avoid duplicating work and to pursue our common goals. Mr. Hollister also has connections to the best environmental and scientific experts and to decision makers at high levels in the state. UnWillington also needed legal help to incorporate as a non-profit entity in order to collect donations and pursue our mission formally.

Q. What if the referendum to allow the town to spend up to $100,000 to study the site and weigh the state's proposal doesn't pass?

A. Even without the town's help, our attorney has arranged for experts to represent us. We have been able to mobilize more quickly and it’s a legal strategy to act now in anticipation of what will come in the state’s Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) because we will have only 45 days to respond. We are raising money to prepare for it, keep on top of things and maintain momentum.

Q. But, if the referendum passes, why would unWillington need to come up with $100,000 in addition to the town money?

A. It is very possible that the $100,000 the town raises may not be enough, especially if this goes out for many more months. We also will need to share costs for outside experts we are using. In addition, there may be strategies that are specific to residents that we would need to pursue on our own.

Q. How do we know we won't have out-of-control legal bills for this struggle?

A. First, our attorney is sensitive to our circumstances, being thrust into a public dispute without warning or much recourse. So, we are getting the firm’s public sector billing rates, and our attorney is having lower-cost partners and associates help on certain tasks to keep billing down. Our group’s legal liaison also is streamlining our consultations to keep billable hours at a minimum. 

Q. Is all the money for paying the lawyer?

A. No. We are spending some money now and getting results, such as the state's having to prepare a more in-depth EIE to address our residents’ concerns. And we have spent money to raise awareness of our issue (state Capitol rally, young adult event, wings cook-off, tabling events, brochures and referendum cards). UnWillington is a fully volunteer organization that relies on, not only monetary donations, but generous in-kind services.

Q. What happens to the money if we raise more than we need?

A. If we [unWillington] have any excess funds at the end, they will go to a cause that donors agree to. [If the town has any of the $100,000 unspent at the end, it will revert back to the General Fund.]

Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction

One of the best things about the flaming monkey of chaos that the State Police dropped in Willington's lap is that fact that all this grassroots activism has helped us get to know our neighbors.

And there's nothing like sharing a meal with someone to help foster those relationships.  So mark your calendar for unWillington's spaghetti dinner and silent auction:

Please call Maureen Parizek 860-429-5239 for tickets, silent auction donations, or to help volunteer.

Resident Meeting Tonight: Wilderness Lake Campground

Don't forget tonight's resident meeting at Wilderness Lake.  6:30-8:00 p.m.

Come and see how you can help with the referendum, the upcoming spaghetti dinner fundraiser, and more.

Click here to download your copy of the agenda.

Referendum FAQ

This weekend, flyers about the August 18th referendum were posted on every mailbox in Willington.  Since space was limited, there are a couple Frequently Asked Questions about the issue that need to be addressed here:

Q: Where is this $100,000 coming from?  Is it pulling from other budgets?

A: No.  This money is unbudgeted.  School funds, road funds, etc. will not be affected at all by this appropriation.  This is money that has already been collected, is not budgeted, and is sitting in the town's reserves- The General Fund.

Q: Will we see a tax increase due to this appropriation of funds?

A: No.  Since this money is already collected, there will be no tax increase to raise the funds.  

Q: This training complex is a done deal.  Why are we spending money on something the state is going to do anyway?

A: As Governor Malloy himself said, the final location of this project has not yet been decided.  While this is truly a David vs. Goliath moment, it is by no means a lost cause.  With good legal representation and excellent experts to help pull apart the Environmental Impact Evaluation when it is published, we have a fighting chance.  

Further questions about the August 18th referendum?  Please email them to unwillington@gmail.com

Daily Action: Let's Keep the Media on Us

If you've been following unWillington's struggle in the media, you may have noticed an interesting, and hugely positive thing: the tone the news outlets are taking in covering our story has shifted. 

Where we were once painted as an ignorant group of NIMBYs,  without an intelligent leg to stand on, reporters are now realizing that this story goes so much deeper than a bunch of hicks doing their best Chicken Little impersonation.

Now that we have the unbiased, investigative attention of the media on us, it is so important to cultivate it and keep it here.  The more news stories we can get about this little town in the Quiet Corner doing battle with the Goliath of state overreach, the better it is for us.

After all, we here in Willington know that this proposed training complex wouldn't just effect us.  We know that the fiscal and environmental ramifications would effect ALL of Connecticut, and we need to do our part to help get that word out.

So, today's Daily Action will help nurture the relationship we're fostering with the media.  One of the biggest things news outlets use to determine what stories to cover is social media engagement.  They look at which stories got the most comments online, the most shares on Facebook, and the most mentions on Twitter.  They look at those metrics, and plan their stories around them.

The following links are to recent media coverage of Willington.  If you could take a moment to do the following for each link, it would be hugely helpful:

1.  Leave a comment.  It doesn't have to be any more in depth than, "Thank you for covering this important story".  If you're reading this from somewhere outside of Willington, making mention of that would be enormous- "We here in Waterbury are rooting for you, Willington", that type of thing.

2. "Like", or "up arrow" other people's favorable comments.  It looks like this:

or

3.  DO NOT ENGAGE THE CRAZIES.  It will be tempting.  But don't do it.  Right now, we're cultivating a relationship with the media, not correcting those less informed about the issue.

If you could take 15 minutes and do item 1 and 2 (while making sure to follow 3), you would be doing a tremendous service to our fight.

Recent Articles About unWillington:

WNPR's piece
NBC CT's coverage of our recent Town Meeting
CT Mirror's coverage of the rally
The Harford Courant's comment section on the article covering the rally.  This piece particularly needs favorable comments.  The registration process to be able to comment is cumbersome, but if we could show the Courant that there is huge opposition to this project, it would help us greatly.  (The original story is here)
CT News Junkie's coverage of the rally.  This one also needs an account to comment.  It's a couple more minutes, but helpful.

BONUS ROUND:

If you have a Facebook account, the following are links to the news media reports about unWillington on their Facebook pages.  The same protocol as above: leave a quick comment, "like" favorable comments, and ignore the crazies.

NBC CT's Facebook page- a quick, "Thanks for covering Willington's fight against fiscal and environmental disaster" would work here.
Fox CT's Facebook page- same as above.  A quick note, thanking them for coverage.
Hartford Courant's Facebook page- same as above.

As more news stories are written about us, this action will be repeated, but for now, if you could take a part of your weekend for some social media warrior-ing, it'll put us in a good spot.

And don't forget to hit up the Stafford Springs Blues Fest tomorrow!

Weekend Plans!

It is supposed to be GORGEOUS this weekend.  Like, the kind of weekend that you just know is a reward for surviving that stint of days and days in the 90s.

So if you're looking for a great way to spend some of this beautiful weekend, look no further than the Stafford Springs Blues Fest.

We here in Willington know about singing the blues lately, don't we?  In fact, unWillington, Inc. will be there, slinging Hosmer Mountain root beer and selling some of those wildly popular unWillington t-shirts.

Also, please note that a PayPal button is now over there on the right hand side of the page.  Donations to unWillington, Inc. can be made securely online.  Please share this with your friends and family, so they can help us fund our fight to save Willington.

Town Meeting Tonight- Please Attend

Just a handy reminder that there is no residents' meeting at Wilderness Lake tonight.  Instead, please make plans to attend the Town Meeting tonight, at the HMS gymnasium, starting at 6:30.  

There will be time for public comments before the Board of Selectmen set the official date for the referendum.  Outside the building, representatives from unWillington, Inc. will be manning a booth to sell fundraising t-shirts, provide information about the referendum, and answer questions.

See you there.

Get Ready for the Long Haul & Pats on the Back When They Are Due

In a grassroots, long-haul fight like ours, it's important to remember to celebrate victories, lest we burn out and let the state just steamroll over our ashes.

And we've got some victories to celebrate!

Pat yourself on the back.  Just like a professional wrestler.

After our successful rally on the capitol, Scott Devico (yes, the same Scott Devico who falsely told Senator Guglielmo "We [the State Police's training complex] won't go where we're not wanted"), felt it necessary to do a little damage control in the form of new documents about the proposed training complex.

Those documents are listed HERE and HERE.  Please note that the highlighted points and commentary was done by Stephanie Summers of unWillington, Inc.

Also, please note a couple of things- and get ready to pat yourself on the back:

1. The helipad, which was never part of the official presentation, and only existed in off-the-record comments, has been addressed, and soundly removed.
This means that yes, there are plans for this site that exist beyond the official records, and that through our efforts, one of those plans have been scrapped.

2.  The specter of unnamed, mysterious "international" agencies using the proposed training complex has been dropped from the language.  
To be sure, we still have federal, state, and local agencies on the docket for off-hours (read: weekend) use of the facility, but at least we no longer have to wonder what international groups will be firing weapons one mile from our children's schools.

Add these two points to the rumors that the Environmental Impact Evaluation has been pushed back from an October release to a late winter 2016 release, due entirely to our pressure to fully catalog the unique flora and fauna of the Ruby Road site, and we've got cause to celebrate.  Our voice is being heard in Hartford.

However, we can't rest now.  Indeed, the two new documents from Devico contain a number of troubling aspects that we as a town, no--as a state--need to demand answers for.  So in the upcoming weeks, the Daily Actions will focus on getting the folks in Hartford to be true servants of the people, and give us answers for their actions.  Gird your loins, folks, we're in for a long, bumpy ride.

But for today, give yourself that pat on the back.

Referendum, Signatures, and Meeting Change

We did it!  We collected 313 verified signatures, which means once the Board of Selectmen officially set the date, the referendum to vote on appropriating $100,000 to use for legal representation and to retain experts will be held as soon as legally possible (August 18th).

Since it's important we as a town attend this Town Meeting, the resident meeting at Wilderness Lake Campground is cancelled for August 4th.  

Instead, please make plans to attend the Town Meeting meeting- 7:00 pm, August 4th, at the HMS gymnasium.

See the rest of the notice here.

EDITED AUGUST 3 for typos and clarity.

First Selectwoman Mailhos and Willington Resident on Pan American Express

First Selectwoman Mailhos and Cari Donaldson, the unWillington.com web designer, were interviewed by John Murphy on the Pan American Express last week.  In case you missed it, you can hear it in its entirety below:

Wednesday Rally Roundup

Pictures and news links from yesterday's rally keep coming in.  This post will be updated throughout the day.

 From the CT Mirror's coverage:

"It's not just a firing range.  This is not a relocation.  This is a huge paramilitary complex," Summers said.

Stephanie Summers, courtesy office of Rep. Belsito

"Somebody sitting in an office in Hartford might think that [Willington is] in the middle of nowhere, but to us it's everything and everywhere," First Selectwoman Christina Mailhos said.

Fox CT news coverage of the rally.

First Selectwoman Christine Mailhos, courtesy office of Rep. Belsito

From The Courant's coverage:

[Horowitz-Benoit] said that she is concerned about her future education as a prospective college student, since her parents are counting on their home equity to finance her college education.

Rachael Horowitz-Benoit, courtesy office of Rep. Belsito

From CT News Junkie's coverage:

"There are so many ranges- wouldn't it make more sense to qualify at a range near their own area?" Guglielmo asked.

Senator Tony Guglielmo, courtesy office of Rep. Belsito 

From the Office of Representative Sam Belsito:

"Why pour much-needed state funds into this project when there is an alternative that is not only cheaper, but won’t cause the plethora of problems that this site will bring to the hard-working residents of Willington?"

Representative Sam Belsito, courtesy office of Rep. Belsito 

“I think local concerns have to be heard,” Malloy said. “Absolutely no decision has been made with respect to where this facility will go. Nowhere near a decision, quite frankly.”

News 8 coverage of the rally.

Rosa Chinchila (speaking), courtesy Mark Kemp

Recent visitor traffic, last 24 hours

In the last 24 hours, people across the state (and across the country), have visited our website.  News is spreading, and the myth that this is a "Not In My Backyard" issue is dispelling.  People are realizing that what happens in a quiet corner of the Quiet Corner effects the whole state.  Our governor doesn't just have to answer to the residents of Willington- the entire state is asking questions now.

Rally Pictures

About 65 people showed up in person, and many more of us were there in spirit, at the Legislative Office Building in the capitol today.

If you have video/pictures to share, email them to unwillington@gmail.com

Rally at the Capitol

It's Monday.  Maybe you're sitting at your desk at work.  Maybe you're at home.  Wherever you are, the week is brand new and shiny.

Please take a moment to finalize your plans to come to the rally tomorrow at the state capitol.  I can't promise that it'll help us take over the world, but it WILL send a strong message to the power players in our government.  

But it will only work if we can get people there.  If our numbers are paltry, it will send a message- but probably not one we want the State to form:

Whoops.

So please, make plans to come to the rally.  Even if it's only from 9-10a.m.  Though if you stick around, Senator Guglielmo is looking into giving a tour of the Capitol Building, and I hear that downtown Hartford has some fierce food trucks.

It's here that the rubber meets the road.  It's in the donation of money and the donation of time that movements are made or broken.

Can't wait to see you Tuesday!

Also- "we are unWillington" and "Clean, Green, Serene, Just the Way We Like It" t-shirts will be for sale tomorrow at the rally.

Prices range from $15-$20

Directions to the Legislative Office Building:

IMPORTANT DATE CHANGE- PLEASE NOTE

The rally at the Capitol has been moved up.  It is now scheduled to take place Tuesday, July 28th.  The schedule is as follows:

8am- carpools meet at Center School
9am- rally participants meet outside Legislative Office Building (LOB), 300 Capitol Ave, Hartford
10:30am- Bond Commission meeting, Rm 1E, LOB
11am- Governor's press conference, outside Rm 1E

Please make plans to attend.

Petition Update

Interrupting our normally scheduled Daily Action to bring an update on the referendum petition, in the form of Q & A.

What is this petition?
The petition is to get a referendum about the appropriation of $100,000 to use for legal representation and to retain experts.  The actual wording is this:

"Shall the Town of Willington appropriate $100,000 from the General Fund Balance to 0503 Capital Projects, as requested by the Board of Selectmen and recommended by the Board of Finance, for the purpose of hiring legal and environmental professionals to assist the Town of Willington in the evaluation of the State Police Firearms Training Facility Relocation project in Willington, Connecticut?"

Why do we need to retain experts?
When the Environmental Impact Evaluation comes out, we will have only 45 days to comment on it.  If we can secure a team of environmental, archeological, engineering, land use, and other experts, they can tear through the EIE, finding every single weak spot or inaccuracy in ways the layperson couldn't.

Who can sign the petition?
Any voter registered in the town of Willington OR any person who pays taxes to Willington on property with assessed value of $1,000 or above, appearing on the grand list as of 10/1/14. Property can be a house, car, motorcycle, boat, camper, etc

When will the referendum be?
If the needed signatures are secured, the referendum could be held as early as August 18th.  More details in the coming days will be posted here.

Great.  You've utterly convinced me.  Where can I sign the petition?
Ms. Salisbury, a Willington resident, will be at the transfer station this Saturday, from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.  You can sign the petition there.  If you're unable to make it to the transfer station, the petition will be at the Tuesday meeting- Wilderness Lake Campground, July 28th, at 6:30 p.m.  If you're unable to make either time/place, please email Dave by clicking here (or copying this address: ddecelles1@comcast.net  ) and he will make sure you get a chance to sign.

Daily Action: Tell A Friend

If it's Wednesday, it must be Tell-A-Friend Day.

Three things this week to pass along:

1.  The meetup for 16-22 year olds happens this Sunday, July 26, at River Road Sports Complex.  Come join like-minded young adults to learn more about the proposed weapons compound, take part in a letter writing campaign, and get registered to vote.

2. Want to help blanket Willington with areas on the National biodiversity data base?  Need to sharpen your identification skills?  Consider stopping by Bioblitz at UConn this Friday or Saturday.  Details can be found here.

3. And the last tidbit for today to share with a friend:

Daily Action and the Pan American Express

Today is Tuesday, which means the daily action is Attend A Meeting.

The meeting at Wilderness Lake Campground (150 Village Hill Rd) goes from 6:30-8:00.  You can download a copy of the agenda here.

EDIT:  The Board of Selectmen voted to go to Town Meeting on Aug. 4 and will need a petition with 200 signatures to call a referendum for Aug. 18. We need 200 registered voters' signatures on this petition, ASAP.  The referendum wording will be as follows:

"Shall the Town of Willington appropriate $100,000 from the General Fund Balance to 0503 Capital Projects, as requested by the Board of Selectmen and recommended by the Board of Finance, for the purpose of hiring legal and environmental professionals to assist the Town of Willington in the evaluation of the State Police Firearms Training Facility Relocation project in Willington, Connecticut?"

If you're at the meeting tonight and are a registered voting, please make sure to sign the petition.

The Historical Society at the Glazier Tavern (1 Common Road), at 7pm.
Planning and Zoning meets at the Town Offices at 7:30 (agenda can be found here).  Neither of these committees have formally spoken against the proposed weapons compound, and getting them to do so would only strengthen our message to the Governor.

Secondly, First Selectwoman Mailhos and Cari Donaldson (who is the person running this website and typing right now) will be on the Pan American Express this afternoon, talking about our opposition to the weapons compound.  Tune in to 90.1 FM at 1:30 to catch us.

Fundraiser Successes, Daily Action, and PO Boxes

(I don't know.  The title alone smells like another serving of sweet and sour peasant soup)

Despite a soggy sort of afternoon, the fundraiser at Wilderness Lake Campground had a great showing.  We raised around $1600, the music was good, the food was good, and it was great to see neighbors getting together.

Boys at the burger bar.

Waterslide, bouncy house, games, face painting, bingo and burgers were on tap at the unWillington fundraiser at Wilderness Lake Campground in Willington Saturday, July 18. The group raised $1600 in the course of a soggy afternoon.

Morphus of Mansfield played nonstop, rain or shine, to support unWillington at Wilderness Lake Campground in Willington on Saturday.

Thanks to everyone who showed up, set up, and volunteered.  And a huge thank you to our hosts, Ray and Joan Crossen!

unWillington is now officially unWillington, Inc.  If you would like to mail in a donation, we have a P.O. Box.  It is:

unWillington Inc.

PO Box 451

Willington CT 06279

Also, please note two changes to the layout of the blog.  In the right hand margin, the date of the next resident meeting will be posted.  Also, if you look at the tabs above, you will see one marked "Upcoming Events".  Check that tab often to see what's coming up for unWillington.

Lastly, today's Daily Action:

Today's lucky email recipient is Governor Dannel Malloy himself.  Please take a moment, even if you've already done so, and email the governor.  Our senator, Tony Guglielmo, asked a number of insightful questions in the Journal Inquirer.  Maybe ask the governor for some answers:

You can email the governor by clicking here (or copy and paste this address:  governor.malloy@ct.gov )

Results from the Board of Finance Meeting

From First Selectwoman Mailhos:
""I am happy to report that our Board of Finance unanimously voted to recommend that the Board of Selectmen call a Town Meeting to appropriate $100K for the purpose of hiring legal and environmental professionals to assist the Town of Willington in the opposition of the State Police Firearms Training Facility in Willington.
Many thanks to our Board members and also to the many people who came out on this beautiful night to support the request!"

Stay tuned for more information about the upcoming referendum.  

Sweet and Sour Peasant Soup Day

Around here, Friday is "sweet and sour peasant soup" day.  Some people call it "Chef's surprise".  My friend called it "COR day"- Clean Out Refrigerator day.

Whatever you call it, it's those odds-and-ends you don't want to forget.
That's today's post.  It's Sweet and Sour Peasant Soup day.

First off, the Daily Action:

Today is an email day, so if you could take a few moments to email Lt. Gov Nancy Wyman, we'll follow up Monday's phone blitz with some emails.

You can email her by clicking here (or by copying and pasting this address: ltgovernor.wyman@ct.gov ).

Even if you've already emailed her, please consider doing it again.  Sheer volume helps us, and the fact that there may have been new developments since last you wrote (the State Police having to ask the Bond Commission for MORE money for the Environmental Impact Evaluation because they've already burnt through $100,000 comes to mind.  Also, Senator Guglielmo emailed the Lt. Gov. asking for $105,000 for Willington's legal fund.  After all, if the State Police are going to tap into taxpayer money, we should be able to have recourse to the same).

If you think about it, copy in First Selectwoman Mailhos on the email, because I believe she's keeping a file of emails sent to our elected officials.  Just to have a duplicate of our opposition in case the state accidentally loses them or mysteriously doesn't get them or something.  First Selectwoman Mailhos can be copied in at: cmailhos@willingtonct.org

Secondly, please know that your emails are working.  After last week's email campaign to the neighboring towns, and number of officials contacted Mailhos to learn more about the issue.  The First Selectwoman has sent a letter to the surrounding areas, to help them get caught up with the details and to urge them to support us in opposition.  You can see a copy of the letter here.

Thirdly, don't forget tomorrow's fundraiser for Unwillington at Wilderness Lake.

Fourthly, and, I think, finally, if you know any 16-22 year olds, let them know about this upcoming event for them:

And if you can organize your commute home pasts Jared Sparks Road tonight between 5:00-5:30, you may be lucky enough to catch "The Show":

Daily Actions: Tell A Friend to Come to the Board of Finance Meeting

Today at 7 pm, at the upstairs of the Town Office building, the Board of Finance meets.  They will be deciding whether or not to allow the appropriation of $100,000 for use as legal fees in our fight against this paramilitary complex.

Please come and show your support.  Tell a friend to come and show his or her support.  Let's fill the meeting room with residents of Willington and surrounding towns, and show our support.

Here's a handy graphic to share on you social media outlets.  Pass it along.

Daily Action: Email

Today's an email day, and this one will be easy.  Our first fundraiser will be held this Saturday, July 18th at Wilderness Lake Campground.  We need lots of people coming out to enjoy some time with neighbors, listen to some great bands, and eat some delicious wings.  All donations raised during this event will go directly to the "war chest" we're raising to stop this weapons compound.

So today, email a friend.  Make plans to come out to Wilderness Lake on Saturday, have a good time, and help raise money for our cause.