Date: Fri 27-Oct-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDREA

Quick Words:

council-election-Blawie

Full Text:

Council PRofles, KAREN BLAWIE

As mother of young children, Karen Blawie says she brings a different

perspective to issues. The incumbant Republican candidate for District 2

representation on the Legislative Council has lived in Newtown for 12 years.

Mrs Blawie has earned undergraduate and graduate business degrees, has worked

in administration at the University of Hartford, and now is a developmental

consultant working with a private school in Greece. She has done a lot of

educational budget work, and feels the school projects are a priority for

Newtown - especially the high school.

"Any town citizen who has taken a tour of the High School would be shocked.

There is not adequate space, and the library is appalling... The high school

expansion, renovation, and on-going maintenance needs to be accomplished," she

says. "But we should look very closely that we are getting the biggest bang

for our buck for education in this town."

Town Hall South, another capital project, should be addressed as far as

building maintenance goes, Mrs Blawie says. "You can't have a leaking roof.

But given the other projects critical to the town, I don't know if we can

afford to fix an eyesore," she says, referring to the appearance of the

building.

The candidate does not think the town "should waste time and money to get a

little part of [Fairfield Hills] when that's not the governor's agenda - I

don't think he's not going to let it go piecemeal," says Mrs Blawie, who

advocates using the property for agricultural and other open space purposes.

"We need to work vigorously with Planning and Zoning so the land is zoned in

the way we want it to be in case it goes into private hands."

Economical Development is doing it's best to find "good, clean, quiet industry

that will positively affect the tax base of the town," says Mrs Blawie.

Studies have shown Hawleyville is a prime area for such development, she adds.

But until the sewers are in place, there isn't much that can be done besides

"getting our ducks in a row."