My condolences to Mrs. Cerulli, the entire family which includes his brothers and sisters of the Norwalk Police Department. No one knows the pain and turmoil and stress one suffers in their own way. We should say a prayer for those he has left behind that they find answers they are looking for and May Officer Ken Cerulli rest in peace by the grace of God! View Comment

AMEN! View Comment

It is so refreshing to see Bruce stand up independantly against the outrageousness of some on the council. Their mind set is and always has been "my way or the highway" mentality. I truly believe it is only a few trying to make a name for themselves but the name they are making isn't one they should covet. Anyone who believes Bruce to be the culprit here should probably go back to Politics 101 and take a refresher course on why people elect you! They elect you to represent them, not your political party and agendas but for what is best for the entire community! So Good for you Bruce! You can caucus with whomever you like but as long as you stay true to your beliefs and do what is best for your constituents don't worry about the petiness and name calling. Perhaps a few can learn from you going forward!. View Comment

Private citizens as well as various professionals such as government officials, investigators and journalists record telephone and in-person conversations. Regardless of the reasons for the recordings, federal and state laws apply to taped conversations. Improperly taping someone can result in civil and criminal action being taken against you. According to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, federal law permits you to tape record a conversation if at least one person agrees to the taping. States have additional laws connected to conversation taping. For example, in Michigan you can receive up to two years of jail time and a maximum fine of $2,000 if convicted of illegally eavesdropping and recording a conversation prior to gaining the consent of all parties in a communication. More than half of the states allow people to file civil lawsuits if there is consent from at least one person involved in the communication. Twelve states allow you to file a civil lawsuit if all parties involved in the communication have not given their consent prior to the taping. Additionally, recording conversations without permission of at least one person, whether the recording happens over the telephone on in person, is a criminal misdemeanor or felony in many states. Rhode Island has some of the strictest laws concerning recording conversations without consent. The state mandates that any person who intercepts or who gets another person to intercept a non-consensual conversation via wire, electronic or oral communications or makes public such communications can be sentenced to up to five years in prison. Privacy is the key factor. Taping a person without their consent might be a violation of his/her privacy. Making the information public via venues like a television, radio, newspaper or Internet program can carry additional penalties. All but nine states assess additional penalties for publishing the conversation. Even if you did not tape a conversation illegaly, you could be punished for making the conversation public. However, states like Tennessee allow you to record and disclose the contents a conversation after you gain the consent of the other party on the call as long as the intent of the recording is not illegal. View Comment

The truth is that this is getting so boring and tedious and some of us have a life which obviously you don't...you seem to know so much about the comings and goings at city hall, could it be because you are a one termer who couldn't even come close to getting elected again when people realized how narrow minded you are? I'm sure you do realize that I must have done something right since I got elected 3X and it was my choice to leave because of equally narrow minded views and nastiness, rudeness and disrespect such as yours! Obviously there's a pattern here...hopefully others will learn from their mistakes because obviously you never will! View Comment

@ Lhendersn :Just to clarify. I was the one who said I know/I believe I know, as do others who Tim T is...but he won't allow his identity to be known because then he couldn't trash everyone anonymously.Unlike him, I'm not afraid nor need to hide my identity..but your points are well recieved by those of us who understand right from wrong..perhaps someone should record him without his knowledge and then we would see a whole different side of things! I'm willing to bet there'd be a big hoopla with that! View Comment

Hey T: You are very condecending and rude...Mr. Murray knows what he is talking about and you don't... Re: Tim T: Hummm "You sit on your high perch and dictate what should be done," Sounds to me more like the great OZ are speaking of yourself perhaps? Why are you so nasty? Republicans are no different than Democrats except they don't dog and pony everyone to death ...your agenda is so obvious!. Why don't you do something constructive? Perhaps Mr. Murray can help you learn the laws and you can get a real job since that is his profession and you seem to think you know it all! Perhaps a job might keep you busy for a while? Lets not forget that I do know who you are and why you write the way you do , so you do not intimidate me nor do I care what your opinion of me is! Or anyone else for that matter. You can trash me all you want but I am wiling to bet I have done a hel lof alot more for this city than you ever hope to accomplish. If you plan on running for office again perhaps you may want to be a bit more civil? View Comment

Not when a recess or executive session is called...get your facts straight before you preach! All audio/video is turned off at those times! Apparently the Einstein in you and while you served public office taught you nothing...I guess wiretaping is legal as well???? Please!!! View Comment

This rant made absolutely no sense! You are kidding right? You sit on your high perch and dictate what should be done, who should be fired and how to run the city! May I ask that we see your name on the ballot in November because surely you will win because you seem to have all the answers and solutions! You lambast Carvin, you lambast the mayor and anyone who doesn't have your point of view. Why not lambast the so called dedicated councilman who started this whole mess? Freedom of press goes just so far and whether Nancy left her recorder on by accident or on purpose, the bottom line is, the meeting was in recess, all cameras and sound track was turned off in the room just like they are in any recess/executive session and as is the norm, if you want to record a conversation you walk up to the people speaking and let them know you are doing it! The press tilts the stories to their point of view anyway so why not just tell someone they are being recorded. I must however come to Nancy's defense in that any conversations I have had with her privately and have told her that our conversations were not for publication, she never once went against her word ....so I am a bit befudled as to why all of this transpired but, it is not and i repeat not an issue that should have taken up the better part of a 3.5hr meeting when the City of Norwalk has much bigger issues and while I am no longer a councilperson, I believe that those who are have bigger fish to fry and need to buckle down and learn to get along and stick to the issues that they were elected to handle. This includes attending committee meetings as well as council meetings because should I need to remind anyone, decisions and discussions happen in the committee meetings and shouldn't have to be replayed on the council floor! So, now that I got that off my chest, for all the Monday night quarterbacks, arm chair leaders or whatever other moniker fits, instead of sitting on a blog, making false accusations, thinking you have all the answers and playing partyline politics...get your names on the ballot in November and show us what you've got big guys! :/ View Comment

Thank you! I am hopeful that this situation will be remedied soon and I am keeping on top of it... View Comment

Amazing how you can't even do a good thing without negativity popping up in every corner! The Norwalk Police dept. and its officers should be commended for their generosity (Thanks Ladies and Gentleman for all you do). Nowhere did the article say anything about the mayor, the fireboat or anything else. It was a generous and kind gift and I am sure appreciated event for all those who attended. Get off the humbug train and try seeing some good for a change! Christmas is about giving and about trying to brighten the lives of others, it is about caring and sharing and not about negative politically motivated rhetoric...there's plenty of time for that after the holidays. Perhaps take a moment of your time and do something special for someone less fortunate, ill or a recluse, Imagine how much better you will feel! View Comment

Thank you Norwalk Native but I do believe I left at the right time. I do not see the civilty improving any time soon and I don't feel I need to be subjected to such disgusting antics because I chose many years ago to do for the city and my fellow Norwalkers. I do feel that I am much more suited to my volunteering and fundraising as there you are doing fom the heart and you are doing for those in need and it gives me time to take a deep breath and get a bit of me time. Don't think for one moment that because I left that anything will change, I was just one on a totem pole of those others wish to eliminate. Hope they make it to the next round! Maybe by then they will have learned respect and dignity rather than self promotion and disrespect! View Comment

Today is my official last day as a council person! Ok all, First and foremost, thank you to those who understand why I resigned and were kind enough to inquire as to my reasons and explanation. To those who feel my leaving is a God send, I respect your opinion. To those whom I have served with on various committees, commissions etc. thank you all for the years I learned and grew because of your guidance. But most of all thank you to the citizens of Norwalk who showed their support through thick and thin and kept my feet to the fire when needed and understood that my only agenda was to make the City of Norwalk a better place to live and to assure that all citizens were equally represented. My hope for the upcoming year is that my former council members, even though there were disagreements and sometimes lost track of respect, I wish them all the best and I am hoping against hope that each one take a moment to realize you are there for a reason and that reason is those who had the foresight to believe you would be the best you could be. Please remember, Norwalk is a wonderful city and you represent everyone, not just those in your district or those you choose to represent. Put party politics aside and look at the whole picture. There's alot of work yet to do and I'm counting on everyone to do the right thing! To my fellow caucus members, I will miss you all...fight the good fight for all the right reasons. I am planning on staying very involved and I will continue to do what I have always done for anyone who may need my help. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays and a very Happy and Prosperous New Year to all! Please don't forget "Stockings from Santa" tomorrow at the American Legion 1-5pm ..Lets give our men and women serving overseas a little bit of home for the holidays! View Comment

lwitherspoon, let me explain, without consulting with anyone about what we can/cannot as council persons be involved with the resolution showed up in our packets, we were not, or at least I was not made aware of its existance until I received it on Friday before the meeting. I like others inquired as to whether or not it was a valid stance we could take and was advised that the council has no juridiction over the hiring, firing/promotions of any fire or police officials. I was actually not present at that particular council meeting when it was originally presented and voted tabled due to another obligation...I was not asked to present it until my HWPS meeting which took place on October 25th .No matter how anyone puts a spin on this, it is not under council jurisdiction and no matter who people want to blame it is just one of many instances when this was all for political grandstanding and I might add, I feel that had we been able to be involved, I personally would have chosen to support the Captains positions, not against the decision of the Police Commission or the Police departments decision back in 2007 to do away with Captains but because I'm someone who believes in chain of command and having grown up seeing Captains as part of that command it is just in my nature to believe they belong there and those who work hard and are eligible have the right to apply. But on that note, I urged my fellow council persons to seek advice from the commission and former chief and inquire as to why the positions were eliminated and come back to the other council members with their findings. I was however appalled when I read articles/blogs depicting the elimination as a racial bias because one of the officers in question was latino and the other of another minority group. Let me tell you something, these officers are not looking for promotion due to race color or ethnicity, they are looking for it because they have worked hard and have dedicated themselves to the City of Norwalk and deserve promotions. I personally feel this was disrespectful to those fine officers who do their job each and every day and don't pick and choose who they protect based on race, color or ethnicity. While everyone has weighed in on my decision to resign, and some understand and some don't, I want to say this...Since 1995 when first appointed to the Human Relations Commision which I served 3 terms and was infact vice chair for one term to being elected in 2005 to the council, I have never once made a decision based on my own personal gain nor for anything other than what I believed was in the best interest of ALL Norwalk Citizens, not a chosen few...and on that note, I do believe my resignation to be old news and those on the council need to learn to get along and work together for the residents of the city and get over the personal attacks and personal agendas. Elections are coming up once again next year and those who wish to run and win can then play their dialogues to the public but the council floor is not and never has been the place for campaigning! View Comment

offdahook06850's- it isn't about the grandson's although spending time with them will be a bonus. It's about disrespect, agenda and using the council floor for granstanding and dog and pony shows about things that are not under the council jurisdiction. Believe me, I have talked plenty about crime and whether anyone wants to hear me I do speak my mind and I do get my point across. I'm 60 years old and believe me I have been outspoken every last one of those years! So David and Warren can puff up their chests about how they made sure I didn't get elected, but they should also know, it won't stop me, expect me to be very vocal when I see anything untoward! I, unlike them do not need a tiltle to do what is right for Norwalk! This is all getting tiresome and petty and my resignation is effective tomorrow so I do believe we've hashed, rehashed, chewed this up and spit it out more times than its actually worth. They and their buddies can continue to trash me but it is what it is as they say and there is nothing I can do about it. Bullies on the playground hardly ever learn their lesson until its too late. View Comment

Funny David that you would have those minutes when you chose not to attend a single HWPS meeting since MAY 24, 2012, when I became chair and chose not to do so until October 25th...(because as you have told me time and again, I stole the chairmanship from you) so how important was this to you up until I was running for State Rep and as you said in another online news article, “She paid the price,” Watts said. “It had to be demoralizing for her. It wasn’t even close. She was down about that. Warren and I were out there making sure she would lose. That’s politics. Both Warren and I like her personally, we just don’t like her politics.” Too bad you don't really know me David and too bad you never will! Nice David, you should be very proud of yourself, I hope you reached the goal you were looking for and I hope your constituents see just what kind of person you are and what lengths you will go to just to rule the roost! and with that, this conversation is over. Perhaps look back at your nastiness and your antics and you will understand why so many of your own party have backed away! Hopefully the rest will wake up and realize its your agenda or no agenda! Enjoy your holidays and enjoy the rest of your term and perhaps take some time in all of this and figure out why you got elected and who you represent! View Comment

No Diane, it was never requested of me until October 25th meeting and anyone who says it was is incorrect, the only discussion we had was after the meeting as to whether or not we should/would hold a special meeting. Whether or not it was requested under Personnel or the Police Commission is not known to me and I guess things should be done in writing so there is a paper trail. I have looked at all my HWPS correspondence since I took over and not once was a request made to the committee. View Comment

By wallflower I meant now that I am not on the council, meaning I won't just sit back with my feet up and do nothing...why does everyone assume that everything is my party's fault? My problem and the reason I left the council is because there is a faction who has visions of grandeur that they will soon rule the world and to hell with who gets in their way! They have no idea about what can and cannot be brought to the council floor, they feel as though because they believe in something it should be agreed upon by all no matter what and like bullies on the playground they will do anything to get what they want even if it is humiliating and degrading others in the process. Please don't for a minute believe that everything is under council jurisdiction because its not. If they want it to be that way by all means change the city charter but until they manage to do that they must conform to city protocol. The police Captains is just one of many items they have tried to shove down others throats. I for one have my own opinion on the matter but like someone who knows the rules, I chose not to go against council rules and act upon it. say what you might but some things just don't belonlg on the council floor. Perhaps watch some of the video's from past meetings to see just how disrespectful some individuals can be. View Comment

Old Timer, the problem does not lie in debate it lies in lack of respect for the office held and those who count on us to make the right choices. We may not always make a decision that everyone agrees with but as I learned from my former colleague and someone I consider my friend, Phyliss Bolden showed how easy it was to agree to disagree with dignity and respect! Unfortunately some have not learned this lesson. I will truly miss the Council but I won't be a wallflower, will continue to volunteer, raise funds for worthy causes and hope to see everyone saturday at my fundraiser "Stockings from Santa for Our Troops" check the events calendar for more info! View Comment