Half a year ago, Colorado and Washington voters approved ballot measures to make marijuana legal in their states. But ending the pot prohibition can’t happen overnight, even after electoral wins like that. Just ask Gil Kerlikowske, the nation’s “drug czar.”

“Neither a state nor the executive branch can nullify a statute passed by Congress,” he declared in a mid-April appearance at the National Press Club. Well, help could be on the way — thanks to a California Republican.

The deadly influenza virus H7N9 (www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/h7n9-virus.htm) was first detected in China this March. “When we look at influenza viruses, this is an unusually dangerous virus for humans,” said Keiji Fukuda, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) assistant director-general for health security.

A new citizens’ committee being organized by friends and associates of Winsted native Ralph Nader has the right idea regarding making improvements to the town, and it is hoped the group’s efforts are successful in getting others interested in improving the state of this municipality.

The Emergency Citizens Committee to Repair Our Town enjoys a rich collection of talented and intelligent individuals ranging from local historians to seasoned engineers who will focus on one specific issue the town has continually failed to address — its decaying and crumbling infrastructure.

Selectman behaving poorly

Continuing his relentless micromanaging of town government, Selectman Kenneth Fracasso attended a meeting of the Municipal Finance Advisory Commission (MFAC) in Hartford on May 9. 

Mr. Fracasso brought a bunch of micromanagers with him, including Jay Budahazy, Marcia Sterling and James Roberts. It is unlikely that they were able to shed light on the town’s situation.

Just a potpourri of various issues:

The Civil Service Commission provided to me a list of 11 applicants for the vacant public works director position. All of the applicants have strong backgrounds, especially in the facets of the critical needs facing the town. I have briefly interviewed all 11 and expect to invite several back for a more formal interview and tour of town facilities. I hope to have the new director join town staff in July.

Two Republican Senate candidates not named McMahon were back in the news the other day.

The first one, Alan Schlesinger, announced he was trying to run for office in another state and the other, Philip Giordano, was trying to get out of prison in still another state.

Scandal mongers are feeding heavily off Connecticut’s power couple, U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-5th District, and her husband, the commissioner of the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Daniel C. Esty. But the supposed offenses of the Estys are actually only the norms of political life that could be held against most officeholders.

Cartoon by Bill Lee of Sharon and New York City