Daily Five: Big Decision By The School Board Tonight

1. Scattered showers are expected today, and the high should be 66, according to the National Weather Service. Tonight, more showers are expected, with a low around 50, according to the service.

2. The board of education votes tonight to approve a three-year contract for the teachers union. If the contract is approved, it becomes public, and then requires final approval from the Representative Town Meeting.

In many ways, this is a decisive vote for the school district. In the last budget, programs and 24 positions were eliminated in the school district largely because of a $1.6 million increase in health insurance and a $1.2 million increase in employee salaries.

This contract can address both those issues. The administration will look for no to low salary increases (this year teachers received a 4.25 percent increase) and concessions in health insurance. If the administration and the union agree to a contract that does both, further cuts will likely be avoided.

But if no concessions in , it's likely Waterford will continue to have to make tough decisions in its budget. Compounding the issue, Superintendent Jerome Belair has said the teachers contract will likely serve as a strong precedent for other union contracts. Additionally, First Selectman Dan Steward said the contracts will serve as a precedent for his salary negotiations as well. So this decision will have ripple effects throughoutWaterford’s budget, the general government and the school district.

Patch will have full details tomorrow morning about the vote.

3. Sunday is at Harkness Memorial State Park. People are encouraged to bring their dogs for a walk to raise money and awareness for the American Cancer Society. The event starts at 9 a.m. and costs $10 per person.

4. Some quick hits:

-First off, here’s the two winning dances. I'd might as well milk one more day out of it.

-Tonight’s Waterford High School sporting events: Junior varsity football, junior varsity girls volleyball and varsity girls volleyball.

-The Representative Town Meeting meets tonight at 7:30, and the animal shelter ad-hoc committee meets at 5:30 p.m.

5. On this date in 1995, O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. And on this day in 2003, Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy is brutally attacked by one of the show's tigers.

Quote of the Day

“These are the times that try men’s souls.”

-Thomas Paine

Trivia of the Day

On this date in 1932, which Middle Eastern nation gains independence from the United Kingdom?

Friday’s Answer: The drawing of Mohammad in a Danish newspaper on Sept. 30, 2005, caused riots throughout the world.

Editor's Note: The proposed contract with the teachers union is three years, not four years as originally reported.