Nov. 29: Board of Ed Dems can't agree on VP

[Carolyn]

By Amanda Falcone, Record-Journal staff

BERLIN -- Meriden Democrats met Wednesday to select the Board of Education's new leadership team, but disagreed on who should fill the positions and no decisions were made.

"It took us 2 hours, 40 minutes to decide nothing," said Mark A. Hughes, a board member who recently won re-election.

The heated roundtable discussion at the Hawthorne Inn ended shortly after board member Barbara R. Sokol walked out.

Mildred Torres-Ferguson, chairwoman of the city's Democratic Town Committee, stressed the significance of a Democratic majority.

There are six Democrats on the board and three Republicans.

"We control everything right here," she said. "That's what kills me. . . . What you guys do here is a done deal."

But the six Democrats who will make up the new board could not agree on its leadership.

Talk focused on the vice presidency.

Torres-Ferguson said she wants the position filled by a Democrat, because one needs to be trained to succeed board President Frank J. Kogut. Kogut, 69, has not decided whether he will seek re-election in 2009.

Republican Robert E. Kosienski Jr., the vice president, has been on the board for 16 years. He was re-elected this month and said he wants to retain his leadership position.

[collie]

The story in its entirety should be posted but having read the entire story in today's paper, I say good for Mark Hughes! I hope he does up the ante and run for board president against Kogut. He is correct - perhaps there is a Republican who would rather have Mark Hughes as BOE president than Frank Kogut but I think the Republicans on the board to a man will support Kosienski in his bid for veep. What is going on with the dems on the BOE mirrors the split in the town party during the Patsy Papandrea "Proud to be White" email controversy. It is a split of young guard, Christian soldiers versus the old boy network. I hope this spells the end of both Frank Kogut and Barbara Sokol's chances of running for the BOE again. The Meriden BOE needs progressive, open-minded, fair and just voices like Mark Hughes in leadership roles. Out with the old boy network already!

[collie]

I should have put quote marks around the words Christian soldiers - people are going to think I meant Christian soldiers literally. What I was thinking of does not mean Christians in the literal sense but in a civil rights sense referring to gospel songs that reference being a Soldier marching for the Lord. One does not have to be Christian to be a soldier in the cause.