Volunteers Sought

Published March 11, 2009 at 6:53 p.m.

Too bad this idea was attributed to a call put out by Barack Obama. In fact, Council member Joe Visconti (love him or hate him) has been advocating this idea for years. It has long been suggested that people step up and volunteer in Town Hall, in our schools, and anywhere else in town that town union contracts won't forbid.

This notice was circulated on the Town Listserv:

RESPONDING TO PRESIDENT OBAMA’S CALL TO SERVICE
Monday, March 23, 7 PM, Town Hall, Room 314

On a cold January day President Obama called our nation into action...In his address to our nation, the President highlighted the need for a new era of responsibility in which every American recognizes that we have a duty to ourselves, our nation and the world to serve, to lead and to be personally accountable for our actions and for the well being of our local communities and our nation...Thousands of Americans have answered the call to service but many are not sure how they can contribute...To this end, the Kiwanis Club of West Hartford is sponsoring a conversation that will include Mayor Scott Slifka, Senator Jonathan Harris and other elected officials who will outline the needs and opportunities for service in our schools, neighborhoods, non-profits and civic organizations.

The purpose of this event is to engage residents to become involved in service opportunities here in our local community...There are literally hundreds of opportunities to help our neighbors in need...Our hope is that we will come together to help build a stronger community...There are many existing organizations that need your help and many new opportunities that need the energy and focus of a few residents to get the job done...Please consider joining us on March 23rd at 7 pm at Town Hall in Room 314 for an engaging discussion and a call to service.

"We need your service, right now, at this moment - our moment - in history. I'm not going to tell you what your role should be; that's for you to discover. But I am going to ask you to play your part; ask you to stand up; ask you to put your foot firmly into the current of history. I am asking you to change history's course." President Barack Obama.

For more information about this event or to find out more about the Kiwanis Club of West Hartford, please contact Claudia Bowles at 860-313-0101 or KiwanisWH@comcast.net or visit http://www.westhartfordkiwanis.org.

Sounds good - but just a reminder that when the local gardeners (perhaps it was the garden club) asked to volunteer to take care of town planters they were told NO because it was against union contracts that hire people to water and tend the planters. That is too bad - maybe it's our own version of collateral damage of such provisions.

We could certainly benefit by having towns people step up and help us to save some money.
The question is will the unions let us?


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