Woo, Woo. Ridgefield #1 > CT Magazine

Rating the Towns 2011: 15,000-25,000

The top finishers in this population group enjoy the best educational test results in Connecticut, the most robust local economies, the greatest number of cultural and social amenities per capita, and most likely a wonderful feeling of security. The top 10 finishers, from Ridgefield through East Lyme, have a combined population of just under 200,000 and a minuscule average crime rate of 1.9 crimes a year per 1,000 residents. Of course, if you check out the median house price, you’ll see that they pay dearly for all that.

The Numbers We Used

EDUCATION: This category combines five elements: the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Mastery Test results for 4th, 6th and 7th grades; results of the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT); local SAT scores for 2008, 2009 and 2010, and the percentage of 2010 public high school graduates who went on to two- or four-year colleges. Test scores are weighted more heavily.

ECONOMY: The strength of the local economy was determined by the 2011 Public Investment Community score, compiled by the Office of Policy and Management, which rates all Connecticut towns under a formula based on population, per capita income, the adjusted equalized grand list per capita, the unemployment rate, the equalized mill rate and per capita aid to children.

COST OF LIVING: This category weighs most heavily the median price of a single-family house purchased in the first six months of 2011, a figure that predicts many other local expenses. The sales figures are provided by The Warren Group.

CRIME: This category is based on major crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor-vehicle theft) committed in 2007, 2008 and 2009 per 1,000 population, the most recent figures available from the state Department of Public Safety.

LEISURE/CULTURE: Includes local library expenditures per capita in 2010, the number of theaters, museums, festivals, concert venues, historic sites, colleges and universities, golf courses, local newspapers, radio stations, state parks and forests, voter turnout in the 2008 election and good local restaurants.

Several towns shifted position in and out of the Top 10. East Lyme leapfrogged both Guilford and Brookfield to grab No. 10. Farmington disappeared into the next most populous group, making way for Stonington to move all the way from No. 14 last time to No. 9. Stonington’s numbers for its schools and library were below par, but the classic coastal town makes up for that in a lot of other ways.

Town	Education	Crime	Economy	Cost	Leisure	Total
1. RIDGEFIELD	4	1	4	29	2	40
2. NEW CANAAN	1	4	1	31	4	41
3. AVON	5	2	5	27	3	42
4. WILTON	2	3	3	30	5	43
5. DARIEN	3	6	2	32	1	44
6. SIMSBURY	6	7	10	23	6	52
7. MADISON	7	13	6	28	7	61
8. SOUTHBURY	9.5	5	11	24	17	66.5
9. STONINGTON	21	9	9	20	8	67
10. EAST LYME	9.5	17	13	18	10	67.5
11. GUILFORD	8	19	7	25	9	68
12. TOLLAND	14	11	18	12	13	68
13. BROOKFIELD	12	10	8	26	18	74
14. ROCKY HILL	18	12	16	17	14	77
15. ELLINGTON	15	14	21	14	15	79
16. BETHEL	16	8	15	21	21	81
17. WATERFORD	19	29	14	8	12	82
18. MONROE	11	15	12	22	24	84
19.COLCHESTER	24	16	23	13	16	92
20. LEDYARD	20	18	24	9	22	93
21. SUFFIELD	13	24	19	19	20	95
22. BERLIN	17	26	20	16	19	98
23. N HAVEN	22	25	17	15	23	102
24. WATERTOWN	28	23	22	7	25	105
25.BLOOMFIELD	32	32	29	4	11	108
26. MONTVILLE	27	22	25	3	31	108
27. PLAINFIELD	29	20	31	2	28	110
28. WOLCOTT	23	21	26	11	32	113
29. PLAINVILLE	25	31	28	6	27	117
30. KILLINGLY	30	30	30	1	26	117
31. SEYMOUR	26	27	27	10	29	119
32. ANSONIA	31	28	32	5	30	126

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Clipped from: http://www.connecticutmag.com/Connecticut-Magazine/November-2011/Rating-the-Towns-2011-15000-25000/ On: 10/26/2011 10:27:15 AM By: Jan Rifkinson

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A day in the life of my campaign for Board of Selectmen

Campaign Hdqts open Sat Oct 22, 9:30 > 11:00. Same Place: The Marketplace @ Copps Hill. Wanna lawn sign? Soon it will be a collector's item. Stop by to get one absolutely free w my thanks.

So it was a fun day. People stopped by to say hi, to pick up a lawn sign or two, to take some palm cards to spread out to their neighborhoods. Met some new people, had some substantive conversations. It's amazing how lots of different people are coming to the same conclusion -- well, all except one guy -- more on him later -- that we need some different thinking.

I'm not sure I'm the answer but a lot of folks simply seem dissatisfied w the status quo; not just about the BoS but leadership in gen'l. Maybe it's just standard griping that I'm not used to hearing but these were thoughtful people who just didn't understand the direction in which we seem headed.

One insightful comment: this person moved his/her family to Ridgefield, not because the schools were so good (since all the schools in the DRG are good) but because the house prices & taxes were lower, i.e. one could get more bang for their buck in Ridgefield but this person observed the disparity seems to be disappearing. Example: the doubling of taxes over the last 8-10 yrs.

After Campaign Hdqtrs, I took Stella home to rest because she wasn't feeling well, had my my car washed & went to Stop 'n Shop where I met & handed out about 100 cards. Most people were very receptive -- not necessarily to my candidacy -- but to the fact that I had simply decided to run for office. Very nice but two guys typified the range of reactions:

Guy #1 said to me "Oh, you're the anti-govt' guy. I recognize you. That's good I'm voting for you. My psychiatrist told me that if one is dogmatic one is also catatonic."

Guy #2 asked me why I was running as an un-affiliated candidate. "Because I don't like politics" I replied. With that he returned my palm card with the following "If you don't like politics, you shouldn't be running for office." and marched in to do his grocery shopping. However, he couldn't look me straight in the face when he walked out with a full shopping cart 10 minutes later.

I thought about his comment for a while & tried to understand why politics was mandatory for serving as a volunteer on the board of selectmen. I thought shouldn't reason, logic, common decency & common sense count for more? Maybe I'm naive. 

Oh, well. I'm taking the day off tomorrow.