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Rell greets public, learns of concerns during HCC session

Published: Connecticut Post Saturday July 31, 2004

Jill Kelly and Carol Leighton from Fairfield came to ask for tougher traffic enforcement on Interstate 95.

Morgan Kaolian of Stratford came to ask the state to arrange for a way for motorists to get to Pleasure Beach.

And Ervin Dixon of Bridgeport just wanted to tell Gov. M. Jodi Rell how pleased he was to see a woman once again in the state’s highest office.

“They’re more compassionate,” he said.

About 125 people turned out to meet Connecticut’s new governor Friday evening as she continued a series of visits around the state to meet people might not have paid attention to her during the years she was Gov. John G. Rowland’s second-in-command.

“A lot of people have issues,” Rell said, after spending nearly 1 1/2 hours greeting people in the lobby of state-owned Housatonic Community College.

But, she added, she was touched that many citizens came out in support of the way she has handled the job that was thrust on her July 1 when Rowland stepped down under an ethical cloud and the threat of impeachment.

“That really pleases me,” she said.

“It’s good she’s come around to the city,” said state Sen. Ernest E. Newton II, D-Bridgeport, one of several public officials on hand to welcome the Republican chief executive.

“Hopefully, we’ll get a good relationship going with her.”

Rell said that she always tells municipal development officials that they have to have a plan and unity among branches of local government to effectively push for big projects.

But some locals didn’t come to meet Rell with any particular agenda.

“We just came out to show the colors – literally and figuratively,” quipped Adrienne Farrar-Houel, who with Deputy GOP Registrar of Voters Joseph Borges are among the city’s more prominent black Republicans.

Though most of Rell’s visitors were from Bridgeport and the immediate area, those in the small but orderly crowd hailed from more distant communities, including Wolcott, New Haven and Guilford.

Linda Lindner, vice chairwoman of Derby’s Democratic Town Committee, said she thought Rell might appreciate “some nice Democratic faces” to wish her well.

And some of the faces Rell said she was most pleased to see were those like 9-year old Chris Kwoka of Stratford, who prevailed on his grandmother to bring him about Rell’s impending visit.

“I wanted to meet the governor in person,” he said.

And the fact the he’s too young to be a voter didn’t seem to matter. “I love the kids,” Rell said.