Quotes of the Week, Jan. 9 - 13

"It's not one of the more popular positions in town."

Speaker: Councilman Craig Budnick

Background: Budnick -- a lifetime Stratford resident save for two years in Washington, DC -- took his first plunge into politics when he was elected last November to represent the town's seventh district on the Stratford Town Council.

In a recent interview with Stratford Patch, he said he's only recieved a few calls related to his Council business. "What I've been warned about is wait till the first snow and you get calls at two in the morning, 'Why isn't my street plowed?'"

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"I like people who don't look ordinary."

Speaker: Photographer Debbie Gilbert

Background: Stratford artist Debbie Gilbert fell in love with the people and sites of Italy during a recent two-week trip to the country. She snapped more than 3,000 photos and now about 40 of them are on display at the .

The exhibit includes an array of landscapes, village scenes, religious sites, foods and people from Florence, Rome, Naples, Venice and Pompeii.

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"I see a tragedy waiting to happen."

Speaker: Hilltop Drive resident Sonja Devitt

Background: A proposal to allow golf carts to drive on town roads was largely supported by a group of Lordship residents during a public forum Monday at . One Jefferson Street resident said it would "add another dimension to the Lordship community."

However, others said the proposed ordinance would not benefit the whole town. Sonja Devitt, quoted above, argued that narrow streets such as Whippoorwill Lane would be dangerous for golf carts to travel on.

, which was referred to the town's ordinance committee for further discussion.

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"When the hell you going to let people up here to talk?"

Speaker: Second Avenue resident Walter Rimkunas

Background: The Stratford Town Council is thinking about moving up its meeting time 45 minutes to 7:15 p.m. Under town rules, that would mean the preceding public forum would have to begin at 6 p.m.

A handful of residents, including Walter Rimkunas, believe the proposed start time would be too early for most of the public -- especially the transit community.