More Republican Drama Fowler Withdraws From The Ballot

The following quote is from the Connecticut Post and Demonstrates that the marred image of the Republican Party continues with Scandals, withdrawals, place keepers, and a desperation to push unwilling candidates on the ballot in the final hours of election deadlines.

The report given to the CT post states that "

Jack Fowler has also indicated that he will withdraw from the race. Working in New York, he doesn't feel he would be able to give the position the time that would be necessary." Fowler, the publisher of The National Review, is a former Board of Aldermen majority leader and a former chairman of the city's Republican Party.

"I was nominated at the convention as a place-keeper after someone who had agreed to run withdrew a few days prior," Fowler said Monday. "My place-keeper status was well-known at the convention. It was also well known amongst Democrats. I would have agreed to run and campaign if no one else had come forward. For a while it looked very much like that was going to be the case," he said.

Fowlers, escape from the malaise of the Republican Party was probably smart given Rhorhig, who was recently investigated, for criminal activity.

The Democrats have been very silent on the Decline of the Republican Party, they, I believe, are saddened by their unfortunate plight and dwindling support base. Some time ago Richard Smith was asked about the Independent Party and he welcomed it, and has been supportive of the Independent Party.

From a Political Strategy, and in the words of their Mayoral Candidate the Independent Party represents two Titan Republicans to them in a "Face Off." So why would they not support the Independent Party.

The Democrats, I believe, are banking on the party schism, drawing sufficient votes from Richetelli to sink his Re-election bid and I believe there is a good chance this will happen.

The "Cats Out Of The Bag" Yes My Brother-In-Law Is on The Ticket

Well after reading the latest news at the CT Post and the New Haven Register it became clear that the Independent Party scored another victory. My brother-in-law Mark Stapleton succeded in holding out long enough to make the Republicans virtually "get on their knees and beg like a puppy."

Last sunday night, and in a "speechless" way our entire family was less than amused at the fact that we both found it "funny" that we were running against each other. What the Republicans do not know is that Mark was with the Independent Party from the very first meeting.

They also do not know that Mark and I share Harley's together, I taught Mark how to ride a motorcycle, back when he had a scooter Mark wanted to upgrade to the "big time" so after I taught him how to ride my Harley motorcycle, he found it as thrilling as I found it.

One day to both our excitement, Mark graduated to his own bike also just like mine a Sportster but there soon was a problem and we were working on his motorcycle together much like a couple of buddies working on our Mongoose bicycles. That was one of my most memorable days of me and my Brother-In-Law and it was only recently.

Mark has always been my kindred brother, and I will always be proud of the memory we share of me pushing him on his Harley and getting that first Jump Start.

One thing about the cruelty of politics, once the Party announces candidates without knowing who they are its pretty much settled. As for Mark if you are reading this "congrats are in order" at Sunday Dinner.

Rhorig Will Not Seek Re-Election Republicans Face New Challenges

The Thursday night meeting of the Milford Republican Town Committee was in fact an emergency meeting to fill the vacancy left by Board of Education member Rhorig. As many may know the Rhorig's were subjected to a criminal investigation over underage drinking, and on a separate issue were dealing with a sexual assault charge involving her twin sons. Although the police found no wrong doing on the part of Rhorig and school Superintendent Polanski who was at the High School Graduation Party for Chelsea, the pressure, and negative publicity proved too great and in light of these problems her choice to drop out became clear.

Their new choice to replace Rhorig will be announced soon, and is more bizarre than the Republican's opening their Headquarters in the same plaza with the annex to the Independent party Headquarters.

While I plan to comment later on this, I will say that their new candidate to replace Rhorig is unbelievable so check back time to time for details. Sorry to keep you in suspense but I expect that there will be even more backlash toward the Republicans when I reveal what I know.

In the meantime, the Republican Party is still struggling with Defectors, and a dwindling base of support. From the Richetelli Drug Rehab Furlough, to the Rhorigs, to the loss of their former RTC chairman, and many other defectors, it is quite certain that forces within the Republican Party are at work "tearing it apart" and, even when confronted and shown in plain sight they continue to erode their base.

While I wish the best for Milford, I see Richetelli's campaign in real trouble. Last election he barely beat Kerri Rowland in a two way race. This year the Democrats have a much more articulate candidate and the Republicans are in a three way race against their former chairman Peter Spalthoff who is more capable and competent than Richetelli.

Quite sadly the Republicans continue to struggle, mainly because their leadership is weak, their support base fractured, and the greater Republican party as a whole mired in Bush era corruption. But one item really hurting the Richetelli campaign has been its crippling of our schools in Milford. Last year he presided over a panic of 180 teachers being fired, petitions by kids and parents with thousands of signatures and a standing room only protest over the school budget.

This year Richetelli tried to force teachers at Jonathan Law to teach on carts and out of Janitors closets because he refused to support a desperately needed addition. Thankfully the mayor was overruled by a sensible board of Alderman.

In short this mayor has been a menace to public education, and every teacher and student in town should take notice and vote accordingly. When education suffers Milford's kids pay, they pay by failing state tests like the recent embarrassing results of the CAPT test scores putting Milford at the bottom of the state in Math and English.

Milford needs board of education members and a Mayor who believe in building a "world class" school system, not a partisan political machine that puts more "Rich" in Richetelli. As it stands our mayor will cost Milford over Three million dollars in lifelong, pension and family medical benefits if re-elected. Milford cannot afford "Rich"-etelly. Lets remember to vote for our futures this year and not line the pockets of greedy politicians.

Above photo from the Milford Democrats who have a clear plan for the Milford Republicans.

This Weeks Property Transfers

268 Broadway, Maureen Barca to Anna Lamorte, $750,000.

28 Atwood St, Bastarache Properties LLC to Thomas P. and Amy E. Omalley, $264,900.

30 Knobb Hill Rd, Diane M. Collins and Annette M. Bailey to Dale R. and Annette M. Bailey, $325,000.

114 Meadows End Rd, Raymond Jelliffe and Rocco J. Tirozzi to Wells Fargo Bk, $225,000.

156 Meadowside Rd, Thomas J. and Kristen L. Sampson to Andrew Gambus, $263,500.

10 Paddock Pl, Dennis and Laura Hanahan to Thomas J. and Kristen L. Sampson, $352,500.

55 Solomon Hill Rd, JP Morgan Chase Bk to Loay Aljammal, $246,000.

85 Viscount Dr Unit B33, Lois E. Guthridge to Donna Pfrommer, $238,966.

663 West Ave Unit 24, Robert A. and Cheryl J. Forgette to Jeremy Hus, $212,000.

To Research A Property Click Here

Rosa Delauro's HR 875 Will Bring Sweeping Orwellian Police Powers To Milford's Farms.

House Resolution 875, or the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009, was recently introduced by Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn. It is worth noting that DeLauro's husband, Stanley Greenburg, works for Monsanto – the world's leading producer of herbicides and genetically engineered seed.

This legislation looks like a government grab to regulate smaller agri-business at the behest of larger more powerful agri-business interests.

According to this proposed legislation, Government inspectors would be required to visit and examine food production facilities, which is defined as "any farm, ranch, orchard, vineyard, aquaculture facility, or confined animal-feeding operation". Government would review food safety records and conduct surveillance of animals, plants, products or the environment.

The Government would also "provide technical assistance to farmers and food establishments that are small business concerns (meeting the requirements of section 3(a) of the Small Business Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder) to assist with compliance with the requirements of this Act."

Michael Olson, author of "Metro Farm, said, "What the government will do is bring in industry experts to tell them how to manage all this stuff, It's industry that's telling government how to set these things up. What it always boils down to is who can afford to have the most influence over the government. It would be those companies that have sufficient economies of scale to be able to afford the influence – which is, of course, industrial agriculture."

According to the provisions of this bill, farms and other food producers would be forced to submit copies of all records to federal inspectors upon request, and refusal to register, permit inspector access or testing of food or equipment would be prohibited by law and a punishable offense.

So basically our local agricultural business, family farms and especially organic farmers and perhaps even small weekend farm-stand farmers will suffer under the weight of more government control and have to adhere to burdensome and onerous rules and regulations that are designed for bigger agri-business. In essence it is a means by which large industrial agriculture along with government will manage local agriculture.

Under this act, every food producer must have a written food safety plan and must adhere to standards related to fertilizer use, nutrients, hygiene, packaging, temperature controls, animal encroachment, and water. And guess who sets those standards?

The government is going to bring in big industry to establish the protocols which could very well help to eliminate their competition by establishing expensive reporting and other expensive associated guidelines for growing food. This could cripple small American farms.

The penalties are also stiff and each offense is considered a separate offense - "Any person that commits an act that violates the food safety law … may be assessed a civil penalty by the Administrator of not more than $1,000,000 for each such act."

Another "food safety" bill that has organic and small farmers worried is Senate Bill 425, or the Food Safety and Tracking Improvement Act, sponsored by Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.

The government wants to establish a "food database" and to track everything grown, prepared, handled, manufactured, processed, distributed, shipped, warehoused, imported, and conveyed under the premise that they want to ensure the safety of the food. Never mind the poisonous additives and crap that the FDA already allows in most food products in American grocery stores. Now it seems more important for government to hassle organic farmers and small food growers.

As this seems to be a knee jerk reaction to recent salmonella outbreak among consumers of peanut products, and since of course no crisis should go to waste - it is a great opportunity for more government control with the help of companies like Monsanto.

Really all that is necessary to ensure food safety is to update a few outdated regulations and add some more inspectors. The peanut debacle would not have happened if inspectors would have done their job properly and saw the filth in that peanut plant to begin with.

In Conclusion A Parody Of What Delauro Finds Safe.

Mayoral Candidates Address Downtown Challenges

Two mayoral hopefuls in recent weeks had their eyes on downtown Milford, offering suggestions about how to address a dangerous sidewalk and excessive pigeon droppings.

Peter Spalthoff, the Independent Party candidate, said he planned to fix what he described as a dangerous lip in a sidewalk near his Broad Street office himself because the situation has not been addressed.

Spalthoff said several people have fallen because of about an inch rise between two five-by-six-foot concrete pads that make up the sidewalk.

“I’m gong to have it taken care of so no one else falls,” Spalthoff said, explaining that his builder plans to give him a price on digging up and replacing one of the pads.

Spalthoff, whose Shoreline Mortgage office faces Broad Street, said he recently saw an older woman fall. And Ed Esposito, who was walking down the sidewalk last week with his dog, said he’s tripped on the lip three times.

He said he called the city about the problem, but according to Public Works Director Bruce Kolwicz, it’s the property owner’s job to keep the sidewalk in a safe condition.

In some situations, sidewalk repairs fall to the city, but in this case, it falls to property owner Joseph Voll.

“I talked to Joseph Voll,” Kolwicz said. “I told him he had to fix it, and he said, ‘No problem,’” Kolwicz said.

At the same time, petition candidate Tim Chaucer, a Democrat, said he called the city’s health department about excessive pigeon droppings on a sidewalk area just beyond that lip.

“Why is it that in the heart of downtown Milford, i.e. on the sidewalk in front of Harrison’s Hardware, we have an ongoing pigeon poop and feather health hazard,” Chaucer stated in a letter to the local papers.

“Pigeons sit in an area between the gutter and canopy of the building,” he wrote. “Has the owner been notified by the health department? The Heberts have been complaining about this for many months. The health department could notify the owner that this is a health hazard and insist the canopy be removed and even the gutter where the pigeons sit.”

Chaucer also expressed concern about the lip in the sidewalk and suggested the city correct the problem.

Jill Dion Original Story

Arrest Made In Zion Hill Murder

An arrest has been made in the murder of a New Haven man here Sunday night, police said this morning.

Police plan to announce details of the arrest at an 11 a.m. today press conference at Police Department headquarters.

The victim, of Jose Chevere, 28 of Putnam Street in New Haven, was fatally shot in a wooded area off Zion Hill Road, near Wheelers Farm Road, not far from Interstate 95.

Bridgeport police found the car the victim was believed to have been driving, a 2000 tan Honda Accord, with Connecticut license plate 797 XNT, in the 400 block of Newfield Avenue of that city.

The car was then "forensically reviewed as evidence," according to Offier Vaughan Dumas, the police spokesman.

The fatal shooting was the first homicide in Milford since July 12, 2007, when James Street killed a roommate in a local motel. The South Carolina man was sentenced in June to 10 years in prison.

Some residents in the Zion Hill Road area said the murder scene has been a hangout for teens and that trash, including liquor bottles, is routinely strewn around.

Packaging from a decongestant used to manufacture crystal meth, a hallucinogenic drug, has also been found there, neighbors said.


ORIGINAL FRANK JULIANO STORY


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Update 2:00 P.M

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Police today arrested a 22-year-old West Haven man in the murder of a New Haven man who was gunned down on Zion Hill Road Sunday evening.

Police said they expect to make additional arrests, and would reveal very few details about the arrest or a motive except to say it was a “drug related incident.”

Eusebio Melendez-Ventura, of 162 Spring St., was arrested Thursday morning and held on $1 million for the murder of Jose Chevere, 28, of Putnam Street, on Sunday.

Melendez-Ventura was charged with felony murder, first-degree kidnapping with a firearm, and conspiracy on both charges.

Police spokesman Officer Vaughan Dumas said at a press conference at police headquarters this morning that the incident is drug related, and Chevere knew his attackers. Police learned that Chevere went to Melendez-Ventura’s home Sunday evening and was taken at gunpoint by Melendez-Ventura and another individual to Milford, Dumas said.

He added there is evidence that Chevere was physically assaulted prior to being shot to death on Zion Hill Road. Dumas declined to reveal anymore specifics of the crime because additional arrests are expected.

Local Banks Prey On The Poor & Financially Strapped

The financial world today has changed greatly over the years, with seven day banking and faster than ever clearing times of transactions our finances have moved into the realm of light speed.

Big banks and their banking policies have also changed greatly with the changing times. After the Real Estate bubble popped, big banks became victims of their own greed. Staggering foreclosures and evaporating collateral in real estate forced hundreds of small and large banks to go out of business.

However, some select banks were deemed “too big to fail” and reckless and greedy banking institutions like AIG, Citibank, Fannie Mae, Freddy Mac, Bank of America, etc.. etc.. were given Trillions of dollars in taxpayer bailout money.

This money was created by the Federal Reserve System, a corrupt institution run by the banking elite themselves and led by Ben Bernake. While many have recently congratulated Ben Bernake for fending off a Depression globally, Americans have seen no relief, no growth, and ever increasing unemployment.

The Trillions in fake money that has been given to so many un-named institutions are still a mystery to the average American but fortunately our leaders have taken notice and two bills H.R 1207 and SB 604 are demanding an audit of the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve has fought back by hiring a high priced PR firm to lobby Congress and make sure the recipients of the Trillions in tax dollars are kept secret.

According to Peter Schiff of Euro Pacific Capital, every one of us will be paying the price even harder in the coming years. “When the fake money hits the streets Congress will be confronted with two horrible choices. Raise interest rates to stop runaway inflation and further collapse the real estate market and stock market or leave interest rates low and force the Dollar down against other currencies. This second choice also brings the risk of forcing our debtors to cut their losses, to induce the sale of U.S. treasuries and debt and spawn hyper inflation, or worse hyper stagflation.”

“The stage we are at now with banks is one where banks are trying to make it through the challenging environment in the next two years, and they are doing a great job of making huge profits off all the economically challenged people who live on minimal fixed incomes. This practice is one the banking industry refers to as their “Fee Income” and their “Fee Income” is expected to produce a whopping 38.5 Billion in revenue for the big banks. This figure is so large that it will now be the single largest revenue source for all banks.”

One bank in particular has a $39.00 fee; legally they can charge their customers a maximum of ten such fees in a day for a total of $390.00 to a single consumer. Other banks have fees for deposited but uncleared checks (UAF) or their credit cards have Over Limit Fees and Late Fees. There is also the ATM fee game where it is now possible to pay multiple fees on a single cash withdrawal. Adding insult to injury banks are charging up to 39% interest on these late fees. Mortgage companies have also got into the fee churning game. Many mortgage companies using (ACH) or the electronic payment system are running multiple transactions through to the banks that draw on payment accounts.

Anyone who has had experience with this will see that there are two separate transactions posted to their checking account. One transaction is for a $5-$10 “A Convenience Fee” and the other the larger mortgage payment. While banks could easily combine both these transactions into one payment they refuse. Instead they learned that this practice will generate twice the $39.00 fees for their banking partners who will overdraw the account by clearing the larger check first and the smaller check next.

At Peoples bank here in Milford, CT bank managers are under duress by their higher bosses not to refund any overdraft fees. They are training their employees to engage an angry public and give answers and solutions that guarantee they keep these very profitable fees. The manager also said that managers will deduct the refunds from their bottom line and punish employees who engage in Overdraft refunds.

The bank manager I spoke with wishes to remain anonymous, but has personally told me that these fees are being paid by the towns financially strapped, the poor who live paycheck to paycheck. Sadly their cowardly bosses who never see a bank customer are instructed to tell fee victims to fill out an overdraft protection loan form. However, she said this is a waste of time because management has made it nearly impossible to qualify for this type of loan. It is not in the banks financial interest to be giving away their fee income to people who wish to opt out.

Congress and the CT Banking Commissioner have heard so many complaints about this fee issue, that there has been talk of reforming the practice under an ethics rule. Some suggestions have been made to limit banks to charging one fee per day, other suggestions have been to force banks to lend the overdrawn money or not issue the fee, and other proposals have been to limit fees to reasonable amounts.

For obvious reasons the banking industry is fighting this at the highest levels and lobbying hard to keep “extorting the poor.” Banks argue that in these troubled times they “need the money” more than the people they take it from. They argue that banks can’t fail but individuals who can’t manage their finances can and should.

While banks know that there is little money to be made in this era of low interest rates their core business have been criminally “retooled” to strip the general public “one fee at a time.” This money comes from people “young and old” living on the “edge.”

The best way to fight these fees for now is to use low fee Credit Unions like McKesson and get rid of your high interest credit cards, or just pay them off altogether.

Local Residents "Shook Up" Over Neighborhood Murder

Zion Hill Road residents said Monday the gunshots that rang out Sunday night, marking the city’s first apparent killing this year, and the grisly discovery of a body that followed, have disturbed the calm of the secluded neighborhood in the city’s north end.

“I knew it wasn’t fireworks. It was just the sound, and the way they were fired. The deliberate way they were fired,” said the Zion Hill Road resident who placed the lone call alerting police to the slaying Sunday night.

“There were two shots, then a pause, then several more in quick succession.”

Police were still waiting Monday night for the state medical examiner to confirm the identity of the man who was found dead Sunday night on the side of Zion Hill Road with multiple gunshot wounds.

Police have tentatively identified the victim as a 28-year-old New Haven resident, but are waiting for confirmation from the medical examiner and notification of the victim’s family before releasing his identity.

A 2000 Honda Accord police believe was used by the victim was found on Newfield Avenue in Bridgeport Monday afternoon and is being forensically reviewed, police spokesman Officer Vaughan Dumas said.

Police were called to the area of Zion Hill and Wheeler’s Farms roads at about 7:30 p.m. Sunday after receiving a report of gunshots.

The man who called police after hearing eight to 10 gunshots said the discovery on the edge of his property was unsettling.

“You don’t want stray bullets flying around you,” said the Zion Hill Road resident, who declined to give his name.

The man said he called 911 after hearing loud noises that he was sure were gunshots.

He said he thought someone was taking shots at a deer and went to investigate after calling police. The Zion Hill Road resident wasn’t able to find anything.

The police who showed up quickly discovered a body about 5 feet off the road in a wooded area near the 911 caller’s property.

“It is a little nerve-racking finding a body basically on your property; this is not one of those things to take lightly. It really brings you up to modern times. It could happen anywhere and now it’s happened here,” the man said.

“Forensic evidence” was found near the body leading police to believe that the man was killed at or near where the body was found, police said.

Francis D. Amico, another Zion Hill Road resident, said he didn’t hear the gunshots and was unaware of the shooting until told by a reporter Monday.

He said young people sometimes drink on the street because it is so secluded with so few houses.

“But that’s been going on for the last 80 years,” Amico said.

He said he wasn’t fazed or made nervous at all by the apparent killing.

“The cops will take care of it and it’s none of my business,” Amico said.

The victim was not carrying identification, which contributed to the delay in making a positive identification.

He is described as a Hispanic male with a “chin-strap” style beard and short hair, police said.

He was 5 feet 7 inches tall and about 165 pounds, police said.

He was wearing a two-tone brown and beige long-sleeved shirt, denim jeans, a wide black belt, white Nike sneakers, and a two-tone hat, blue with a brown brim, Boston Red Sox hat.

His left hand had long fingernails, with an exceptionally long fingernail on his pinky, police said.

Police expect to release the victim’s name today.

ORIGINAL J. Tinley Story

Dead Mans Body Found On Zion Hill Rd. Milford

Police have tentatively identified a man shot to death in a wooded area by Zion Hill Road yesterday evening as a 28 year-old New Haven resident.

The man's name has not yet been released pending notification of his next-of-kin, police said this morning.

Investigators are asking the public for information about the shooting, including the car the victim was believed to have been driving, a 2000 tan Honda Accord, with Connecticut license plates 797 XNT.

The body of the Hispanic man was found shortly before 7:30 p.m. yesterday in a wooded area about 1,000 feet from the intersection with Wheeler's Farms Road. The site is not far from the High Street exit of Interstate 95. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS personnel.

The fatal shooting is the first murder in Milford this year.

Police found the victim lying in a pool of blood after neighbors reported hearing numerous gun shots.

"There were a lot of shots," said Dee Anderson, who was visiting her best friend, Stacey Cerreta, on Century Lane, which fronts Zion Hill Road. "It sounded like firecrackers and I thought to myself, 'July 4 is over.' "

ORIGINAL FRANK JULIANO STORY

NEW HAVEN REGISTER STORY

More Video At THE HARTFORD COURANT

This Weeks Property Transfers

247 Broadway, Wener Thiessen to Daniel J. Mahaney, $567,812.

85 Branca Ct Unit 85, Angela Fusarelli to Emilia Fusarelli, $74,500.

4 Henry Albert Dr, Leora Davis and JP Morgan Chase Bank NA to JP Morgan Chase Bank NA, $1.

162 Hillside Ave, Charlene M. Desiena and JP Morgan Chase Bank NA to JP Morgan Chase Bank NA, $1.

38 Indian River Rd, Diana R. Carry to Melissa A. Goulden, $300,000.

30 Olive St, Christopher D. Zak and Deutsche Bank Natl T Co to Deutsche Bank Natl T Co, $247,296.

28 Page St, Jonathan R. and Nancy M. Howard to Diana B. Carey, $225,000.

25 Point Beach Dr, Edward H. Mcgann to Edward H. and Edward H. Mcgann, $48,000.

Thompson St, Shirley A. Saleman to Standish Construction LLC, $75,000.


CLICK HERE TO SEARCH MILFORD DATABASES

Richetelli Opens New Head Quarters In "Odd" Place

Currently under construction is the Jim Richetelli Head Quarters on New Haven Ave. The location, formerly a exotic fish and coral store, once boasted exotic creatures and animals from all over the world.

Jim Richetelli's HQ is also in the same plaza with the Computerfox, owned and operated by the Milford Independent Parties very own Rocco Frank the First District candidate for the board of education.

While Frank had planned on heavily promoting the Independent Party from this location, including attaching Peter Spalthoff Banners on the side of his Computerfox van, the Richetelli presence will be challenging.

Rocco Frank said that members of the Republican party were very aware that he occupied the Computerfox, and placing their Headquarters in the same plaza is a classic case of "Squatting" on the turf of the Independent Party.

Mr. Frank said, that he finds their choice of a location rather "odd" and somewhat of a "passive aggressive rub" on the part of the Republican party. While they are free to rent where ever they wish, without a doubt the Republicans can expect to be "Rubbing Elbows" with the Independent Party, who also, in the past, has had meetings in that same plaza.

The bigger "Rub" however, has been to ComputerFox.Inc, who for years was contracted with the city to engage in summer computerwork. This year, and after forming the Independent Party, the ComputerFox contract was "mysteriously" cancelled.

Independent Party Candidate Concerned Over Milford's Business Audits

Regrettably for Milford’s Business community, the opportunity for Milford’s Board of Aldermen to rescind their approval to hire the North Carolina based firm named Tax Management Associates has lapsed. Milford’s Government Administrators who have the responsibility to assess and levy taxes have convinced the Board of Aldermen unanimously that this new process is fair and not business unfriendly.

Tax Management Associates are now implementing this new doctrine as an agent of the city and some of our businesses should be hearing from them soon. The adoption of this new process may be one of the best single reasons so far for every taxpayer and elector in Milford to consider seeking some new replacements for the Board of Aldermen and Mayor. As a taxpayer and elector you may be asking yourself why it is important to elect new members.

Their actions don’t seem to be directed towards us and it even seems to be a nice financial benefit for us residential taxpayers. So, why you may ask? Here’s why…. Milford’s business community contributes most of the funds paying for all the good municipal jobs and their benefits, quality education, and services that we expect and enjoy. It’s not good business for the city to start deciding which business group can and should pay more in taxes than another. Especially since it’s based on an arbitrary amount of assessed value derived from previous federal profit and loss statements. I would not consider this business friendly and it brings discrimination to our business community.

Their discretion in the implementation of this new process is just the start of the discrimination phase. Everybody should want this discriminatory practice to go away because if not, you never know who the next victim will be when they again decide to process other groups in this manner.

Milford should be more business friendly than all of its surrounding communities. That would be the key to our financial security. When every Alderman agrees to allow one segment of the business community to be discriminated against, that’s a problem. People should elect public officials that are not strangled by major political parties and their contributors. Arrogance veiled with a smile and courtesy can not be tolerated anymore in Milford.

Stephen Borer

Milford Firefighters Engage In A Safety Drill

In full gear on a hot day, Firefighter Anthony Vitale crawled through a narrow opening between wall studs and across a slab of plywood in a vacant motel room.

Suddenly, the plywood gave way, spilling Vitale onto his side on the floor.

Luckily, for Vitale, it was not the real thing. It was a simulation of what it would feel like if the floor of a burning building collapsed beneath him, part of a department-wide training exercise Thursday morning in the vacant, single-story motel rooms behind the Howard Johnson Hotel on Boston Post Road.

The "Mayday Training" was designed to prepare city firefighters how to react if trapped while battling a fire, whether they're dropped into a basement, caught in an attic with nowhere to go, or buried under a fallen ceiling, said Capt. Christopher Zak, training officer and fire spokesman.

Thursday marked the first of three phases, which will include training other firefighters how to rescue a comrade in trouble, as well as to prepare commanding officers and dispatchers how to do their parts in orchestrating a "Mayday" response, said Assistant Chief Robert Healey.

"The idea is to save lives, and that's what we're looking at," he said, adding that department officials are grateful to hotel management for allowing the training, which even brought dispatchers to the scene.

Vitale said he and other firefighters were rotated through different challenges during the roughly three-hour training, "so it's kind of a surprise when you get in there."

"Any time you train, if you can get the conditions as close to what we would see in the field, it's helpful," he said. "You never plan on falling through a floor. You think you have it -- you have a plan -- and then there's a curveball. We train for the curveballs, essentially. Train for the worst, hope for the best."

Firefighters have been known to delay calls for help and try to get out of a sticky situation on their own to avoid being the brunt of teasing the next day, Zak said.

He'd like to see protocols so clearly defined that there's no room for personal interpretation, hence drills on how to request help -- a firefighter in trouble should call "Mayday" and offer location, unit, surrounding conditions, actions taken and those needed -- and how to give it.

"We're trying to put them in a situation where they react automatically," he said. "Like muscle memory." The field training was followed by classroom training later in the day, he added.

The last time a Milford firefighter lost contact and got disoriented in a building was Sept. 9, 1989, when a massive inferno consumed Sante's Manor banquet hall on Naugatuck Avenue. The lost man called for help, and firefighters came through the back of the building and found him quickly, Zak said.

The last time a floor collapsed under city firefighters was during last December's fatal Brookdale Avenue fire. The burning house didn't have a full basement in that spot, so firefighters fell only about three feet, he said.


ORIGINAL STORY

Hurricane Bill Threatens Milford & New England

Hurricane Bill weakened slightly to a Category 3 early Thursday -- packing 125 winds -- but forecasters warned the powerful storm could grow stronger by day's end.

The season's first major hurricane posed the most serious and immediate threat to Bermuda. The storm could morph into a Category 4 storm by the end of Thursday or early Friday.

By week's end, a weaker but still formidable Bill also could move close to New England, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.

Though most of the large and dangerous core of the storm was likely to track hundreds of miles from Florida and the Southeast coast, the National Hurricane Center said Bill's impacts will be felt at beaches over the next few days in the form of dangerous surf and rip tides.

At 5 a.m., Bill was churning northwest at 18 mph, about 790 miles south-southeast of Bermuda.

It was expected to stay well away from the Leeward Islands as it begins a more northerly track by late Friday.

Computer models still predicted Bill would veer away from the U.S. coast into a break in a high-pressure system -- a track that could put it close to Bermuda. There is a question of when that will happen, with the key being the timing of the jet stream, an upper-level trough digging east expected to steer Bill more sharply north.

With warm water in its path, forecasters said Bill could gain more strength in the next few days, but wind shear from the approaching troughs could offset that, knocking the storm down a notch.

Bill's large wind field continued to expand, with hurricane-force winds extending 85 miles and tropical storm-force winds reaching out 230 miles, the hurricane center said.

By early Saturday, forecasters expect the storm to be somewhere between Bermuda and the North Carolina coast. By Sunday, depending on the timing of its turn, it could still be a hurricane as it brushes or bears down on New England -- but likely weaker as it hits cooler northern waters.

ORIGINAL CURTIS MORGAN STORY

Fundraising Results, Put Republicans in Lead

If the municipal election were about money, the Republicans would be poised to regain majorities on the city’s three elected boards and commissions.

According to early fundraising totals, the Republican Party has raised $34,300, compared to the $18,700 raised by Democrats, for the races for aldermen, Board of Education and planning and zoning. The newly formed Milford Independent Party has not officially raised any money for its under ticket candidates. The fundraising totals to date do not include what each party has raised for the mayoral races.

Republican Town Chairman Thomas Jagodinski said he knows an election is the quality of candidates, not money, but the party’s spirits are definitely on the upswing.

LIST: See who is running for office in Milford this November
More than 30 new members have joined the town committee, and two years ago the Republican had raised just $18,300 as of this date.

“Morale is high,” Jagodinski said. “The Milford Republican Party is strong and united.

“This reflects the enthusiasm in the party and people are excited about the campaign and are coming to fundraisers in greater numbers,” Jagodinski added.

Two years ago, Democrats stunned the local GOP by winning a 9 to 6 majority on the aldermen board, 7 to 3 margin on the school board, and a 6 to 4 advantage on the zoning board.

Just two years prior, Democrats were the minority on all three boards, and previously had been out of the majority for more than two decades.

Democratic Town Chairman Richard Smith said he’s not surprised by the fundraising totals, contending Republicans are backed by “big developers and a lot of the business interests.”

“We’re more of the party of the people, as evidenced by Democrats shepherding the first tax decrease in the city’s history,” Smith said. “At the end of the day it’s about the issues we stand for. Money won’t buy this election despite the Republicans attempts to do so.”

Smith said Democrats will get their message out by pounding the pavement and “sweat equity.”

But Jagodinski said he believes the Democrats seem to have more “politicians” in their ranks. He said GOP candidates share a similar philosophy: that local government should be about “neighbors getting together to make the city better.”

Milford Independent Party founder and mayoral candidate Peter Spalthoff said his underticket hopes to raise $5,000, but $3,000 is more likely. Concerning the mayoral race, Spalthoff said he has already raised $15,000 without conducting a fundraiser, and hopes to raise a total of $18,000.

ORIGINAL BRIAN MCREADY ARTICLE

Milford's Jim Amann On TV

Connectiut Newsmakers Jim Amann
by ctblogger

The following clip was found on www.myleftnutmeg.com, a liberal Democratic site that has developed a reputation for Lampooning Amann. Without a doubt Milford's former speaker is making a valiant effort in getting his name out.

Recently, this comment from a patron of the Milford Oyster festival came in regarding Amann. (Comment Re-Posted Un-Edited)

"I ventured out on Saturday to take in the excitement of the Oyster Fest. My family and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and spent money, but not a fortune. Love the firefighters-always loud and obnoxious to get you to throw the ball and knock them into the water! I heard some mild disappointment coming from people who couldn't walk outside the designated area with their beers. I also heard people lamenting the lack of shaded areas to eat down on Fowler. I walked around and ran into all kinds of people I know including the illustrious mayor of Milford, Jim Richetelli. Did not see Jimmy Amann anywhere, but did see his signs everywhere. He's gonna have a tough battle with Mama Rell! Overall, it was a fun day filled with popcorn, bubbles, family and friends. Thanks for the opportunity to have a relaxing day! See you next year! BTW how's that funding going?"

Rell Offers Hope To Those Without Insurance, And With Pre-Existing Conditions

It’s been a year since Gov. M. Jodi Rell initiated enrollment in the Charter Oak Health Plan, a state-subsidized health insurance program for the uninsured.

For $75 to 259 per month, the plan will accept any individual, including those with pre-existing medical conditions, as long as the individual has been without insurance for six-months or more.

In press release last week Rell hailed the one-year anniversary by touting its enrollment.

“Today that program is covering 10,257 individuals and another 5,884 applicants are eligible for coverage as soon as they select from one of three contracted health plans and begin paying monthly premiums,” she said in a press release. “That means more than 10,000 people who - a year ago - had no health coverage or could not afford the coverage they had now have affordable health care.”

The Department of Social Services which helps administer the program says that over the past year it has approved 19,943 applications and has denied 24,452 applications—mostly because those applicants hadn’t been without insurance for six months.

Another 4,457 individuals have dropped out of the program due to changing health benefit situations such as employment, moving out of state, not paying premiums, and various other factors, David Dearborn, a spokesman for the Department of Social Services, said.

But even with more than 10,000 individuals enrolled in the plan, some lawmakers still wonder what kind of coverage and medical care those residents are receiving.

“The jury is still out on what kind of health care is being provided,” Sen. Jonathan Harris, D-West Hartford, said Monday.

As co-chairman of the legislature’s Public Health Committee Harris said based on enrollment numbers alone he’s not sure he can judge the success of the program. He said he wants to know how many of these enrollees were able to schedule doctors visits and get the medical attention they need.

Public Health Committee Co-Chairwoman, Rep. Besty Ritter, D-Montville, said she was also concerned about “what kind of health care they’re getting or not getting as part of the Charter Oak Plan.” She said getting the number up to 10,000 is impressive, but it doesn’t give you the entire picture.

As of last August only two of the hospitals, St. Raphael’s in New Haven and St. Mary’s in Waterbury, had signed up to participate in the plan. And as few as four or five family doctors had signed up to participate in the Charter Oak Health Plan in all of Hartford County, during its first week last August.

Since last year the insurance companies that administer the Charter Oak Health Plan for the state have made progress in increasing the number of doctors and hospitals that participate in the plan.

According to Dearborn participation by primary care physicians as grown from 3,039 to 6,322 and the number of specialists participating has grown from 4,949 to 8,465. Also the number of hospitals accepting Charter Oak enrollees has increased from two to 16.

“The bottom line is that Charter Oak enrollees are getting access to health care,” Dearborn said Monday. He said it’s even helped individuals with cancer get coverage that they couldn’t get anywhere else.

Here are a few statistics from the Charter Oak program and the three insurance carriers Community Health Network, AmeriChoice, and Aetna:

·Community Health Network of CT (CHNCT) reports paying claims for 3,707 inpatient services, 16,392 outpatient services, 15,318 medical/office services and 28,921 other (lab, durable medical equipment, home care, etc.) over the past year.

·CHNCT reports that it has been case-managing for cancers of all types, heart disease, liver disease, respiratory conditions, diabetes, high-risk pregnancies, etc. Four members have over $50,000 in claims. The health plan reports that it has paid medical claims for about 88% of its members so far.

· Aetna Better Health reports a medical expenses breakdown of about 31% for hospital outpatient; 27% for hospital inpatient; including chemotherapy and dialysis; 27% for physician services; and 15% for other practitioner. The plan reports that about 67% of its members have already accessed health care services.

·AmeriChoice by UnitedHealthcare, as an example of access to services, reports paying 182 claims so far for dialysis treatment and other services for one enrollee’s care since January.

·In any health coverage program or product, not everyone accesses services immediately, as membership grows and new people come on. However, the above information affirms that Charter Oak enrollees do have access to health care services paid for by the program, and are using the services as needed.

READ FULL STORY BY CHRISTINE STUART

Milford Oyster Festival Boasts Success

In the summer of the “staycation,” the 35th annual Milford Oyster Festival offered tens of thousands some old-fashioned family fun, with rides, games and lots of tasty food.

And, of course, oysters.

Festival-goers waited in long, winding lines for a taste of the fried and raw oysters and clams, and — a new addition this year — grilled topped oyster varieties.

Ed Rhodes, a Milford native who lives in Baltimore, and the past executive director of the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association, which provided the shellfish, estimated they had served more than 20,000 clams Saturday. The group also held a shucking competition, where the winner, William “Chopper” Young of Wellfleet, Mass., shucked 24 oysters in about 1 minute 50 seconds. Young, an oyster grower, was the past champion from two years ago, and came in second place last year, said Rhodes.

For those who don’t enjoy oysters, the festival offered much more. Marines hosted a booth selling strawberry shortcake; the Milford Elks sold lobster. There was also plenty of fried dough, crab cakes, French fries, ice cream, hotdogs and beer.

Katherine Ayala, 6, loved the rides at the Oyster Festival, especially the dragon ride and the Ferris wheel. Her mother, Lidia Ayala, said she comes to the festival to “just relax and watch everybody else walk around.”

“We usually go home and cook,” she admitted.

Bailey Pierce, 3, of Fairfield came to the festival for the first time Saturday, and immediately dragged her parents over to the rides. Bailey’s mom, Brenda Pierce, was pleasantly surprised by the festival, and enjoyed its waterfront setting.

“I like the fact that it’s all spread out,” she said. Next year, she and her husband, Michael, plan to come earlier and spend more time walking around. “I think it’s a great thing for the community.”

But Pierce thought the rides, at $3 each, were too expensive, especially since parents are required to buy an extra ticket to ride with their children.

For some, the convenience of the event drew them.

“It’s close to home. We usually walk down from the house,” said Jaime Johnson of Milford. Her 3 1/2-year-old daughter, Jaiden, likes the merry-go-round and having her face painted.

Jay Pinto of Milford, vice-president of the Milford Oyster Festival Committee, called the turnout this year “phenomenal.” He estimated that about 2,000 to 4,000 people came out on Friday night, and between 50,000 and 60,000 people on Saturday, the final day. “People want to come to an event that doesn’t break the bank,” especially this year, he said. “There’s something for everyone here.”

Pinto said all the vendors —there were more than 80 Saturday — are nonprofits, and “when you spend money here, you’re going to help further their causes,” he said, including several local churches, Little League teams, homeless shelters, centers for medical research and animal shelters.

ORIGINAL LAUREN GARRISON STORY

Meet The Independent Party Today

The following post is taken from the Milford Independent Party website. The invitation is an open invitation aimed at soliciting your support. The Independent party neeeds your help in establishing itself as a permanent party here in town. The majority of registered voters in Milford are Unaffiliated, a defacto decree of Independence from the two party monopoly here in our town. Stop by, donate, get on our candidate list, and offer your help to assure this fledgling party greater success in the future.

"Please join us in front of Shoreline Mortgage at 26 Broad St. on the Milford Green during the Oyster Festival from 10AM to 6PM. Come by to meet your candidates, and show your support at our refreshment stand where you can find bottled water, popcorn, slushies, and more!"

Rosetti Bros. Hold "Rally 4 Charity" At Milford Indoor Tennis Club

The world-record-breaking Rossetti brothers will be running the third annual “Rally 4 Charity” Saturday at the Milford Indoor Tennis Club.

But unlike in past years, the Rossetti brothers won’t be the ones rallying this time.

Consequently, Isidro Martinez and Paul Coorssen, teachers at the Milford Tennis Club, will be competing for a new world record. If they are able to beat the Rossettis’ “longest tennis rally” world record of 25,944 continuous strokes, set Aug. 9, 2008, they will win $1 million from the Odds On Promotions Co.

“They’ve had the dedication and stamina to come in first,” says Angelo Rossetti about Martinez and Coorssen.

On Aug. 1, teams were able to compete until midnight in one-hour tennis rallies, to try to accumulate the most continuous strokes. In order to qualify to win $1 million, each team made a minimum donation of $100.

The teams were from Milford Indoor Tennis, Trumbull Racquet Club, Kings Highway Tennis, Shippan Racquet Club, Fairfield Indoor Tennis and Oak Hills Tennis. Martinez and Coorssen came in first by amassing 5,916 consecutive shots in a mere hour. With much perseverance, they were able to surpass the other teams of William Boe-Wiegaard and Peter George; Michael McManus and Adam Mirsky; Chris Gaudrea and Jim Malesko; Jackie Visinski and Shelley Visinski; and Devon Jerome and Tom Boe-Wiegaard.

In preparation for Saturday, they have been practicing their rallying technique.

The $1 million challenge is only one part of the Rally 4 Charity Event, which will be taking place from 9 a.m. until midnight. The main goal of Rally 4 Charity is to raise money for four charities, including Save the Children, The ALS Association, Susan G. Komen Rally for the Cure, and the Tim & Tom Gullikson Foundation.

The Rossetti brothers’ goal is to raise $25,944 for charity to match their world record number of volleys.

As of Tuesday, they had raised between $13,000 and $14,000.

“Our goal to raise $25,944 became a symbolic cause,” says Ettore Rossetti. “So many children die of curable diseases, and we want to reach a symbolic mark.”

Thus all day long there will be different activities to raise money for charity. For instance, from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. there will be a silent auction, including items from professional tennis players Maria Sharapova and Andre Agassi. There will also be a car wash, starting at 10 a.m., from which the profits will be donated to the charity funds.

Throughout the day, there will be free hour-long tennis clinics, cardio tennis classes, and grassroots clinics offered; people will be encouraged to make a donation for the cause.

If individuals donate a minimum of $10, they will receive either signed tennis balls or a signed poster.

Moreover, if the donation is a minimum of $30, they will receive a copy of the DVD “Tennis Begins with Love,” which the Rossetti brothers created.

It tells their story and aims to inspire others to follow their goals.

It is available at www.rossettibrotherstennis.com/movie.

Divorcing Unemployed Dads Face Contempt Of Court

The loss of a job, or a serious decline in personal income can put a great deal of stress on a family. When a family breaks up or divorces the most common reasons are are Infidelity, claims of abuse, or financial circumstances.

With the economy tanking courts must address how divorcing parents will care for their kids. This is a challenging task, especially for Dads who are now trying to build their lives anew again, and moms who once relied on a husband to pay for the needs of children and the household.

The law gets sticky when unemployment comes into play, courts often require Dads to show proof that they are looking for work, and if those Dads are self employed than things get even more complex.

A divorced Dad with a business can have an "earning capacity order" that earning capacity is based on the testimony of witnesses and business records produced to the court as evidence of income potential. Once an order is established, and a weekly payment is set failure to pay can result in incarceration by way of contempt of court.

While there officially is no such thing as Debtors prison in America, "Contempt of court" is the equivalent of imprisonment at the will and discretion of any judge. Recently a man was sentenced to jail for six months under this rule, for yawning in court.

Once a court puts an order in place it expects that order to be obeyed. Even though an order based on an "Earning Capacity" is theoretical and not indicative of any present day facts, the court does not take the position of hearing excuses after the fact. The rule is simple, your business is expected to earn "X$" a month and if "X$" is not paid than a deadline is usually issued on Dad who must find the money or face being jailed.

With the time it takes to get things corrected, often having to hire an attorney and file hardship motions months can go by without any meaningful results. When hard times hit a family, and the economy and job opportunities dry up in tandem kids, dads, and broken families pay the price harder than anyone.

Milford's courts are no exception, at any given time there are scores of people in family court arguing this very issue. Attorney's at the courthouse indicated that the "threat of incarceration" is a "good rule" because this is an effective way to produce money for the custodial parents and the kids who need it.

There are no guarantees that the legal system can always help a distressed parent. There are many non-custodial parents who served their time in jail, and had their earning capacity reset.

However, all is not lost for kids because CT offers help for single moms. This help comes in the form of a Support Enforcement Office, a Victims Advocate and some social programs to financially assist the children of the custodial parent with health care, food stamps, and counseling. Unfortunately little help exists for dad especially in cases where parental alienation exists due to the animosity of a relationship.

Photo of Essex Family Court Judge James B. Convery

Polanski Displeased With Milford Kids CAPT Test Scores

Superintendent of Schools Harvey B. Polansky says he is “displeased” with the scores city high school students achieved on the Connecticut Aptitude Performance Test.

That displeasure will manifest itself in a road show of sorts as select school officials travel to high schools across the state to see what those districts are doing to ensure good test results, Polansky said.

“I want to see what the best high schools are doing,” Polansky said. “I am displeased with the high school results (here).”

At Monday’s school board meeting, there was a somber mood as officials pored through CAPT results, which have been on a downward trend since 2007. Milford ranks near or at the bottom in several categories when compared to communities of similar size. School officials were a little more upbeat over the Connecticut Mastery Test scores. The CMTs are administered to students in third through eighth grade.

For the CAPTs, in Milford’s District Reference Group, the 450 tenth-grade students who took the test ranked second to last when compared to 25 other similar communities in math, fourth from the bottom in science, and second to last in reading and writing.

“As you can see, there has been a decline in Milford test scores this year,” said Michael Cummings, who is assistant superintendent of schools for curriculum and instruction. “We’re especially concerned about writing, which has been Milford’s strong point.”

School board member Tracy Casey, D-2, noted this year’s scores are lower in every category except science. Cummings said staff has done an “excellent job” realigning that curriculum. But, he said, since 2007 the science numbers have still dipped.

“Taking a look at this, I’m sure you are not impressed,” Majority Leader Greta Stanford, D-1, said to administrators. “What is administration’s plan to remediate this?”

Cummings said the administration is “not impressed,” and plans to study the numbers in depth. He said the administration will study who has been teaching ninth- and tenth-graders. He also said students may need more time to take the test.

School board candidate and parent Jack Fowler, R-1, said he has researched the test scores, and what is equally disturbing is that, of the communities in its reference group, Milford has the third highest per-pupil expenditure, at $12,354.

“We spent more, the kids got less, and the taxpayers have the privilege of footing the bill for this travesty,” Fowler said. “We are paying for champagne but getting dishwater.”

Cummings said the number of students scoring at below basic and basic levels is climbing, and the reading scores are of “great concern.”

Board member James Santa Barbara, D-5, questioned whether the district is losing some of its more talented younger students to private schools as Milford continues its trend of doing “reasonably well” on the CMTs, while not as well on the CAPT.

ORIGINAL BRIAN MCREADY POST

Spalthoff Demands Action On Eisenhower Park

It has been over six years since the Mayor appointed the Eisenhower Park Study Committee and over two years since he received the report and he has done nothing with it. It is this type of indecision that he has continually displayed that has prompted me to formally ask him to place the acceptance of the report on the agenda for the next Board of Aldermen meeting in order for them to at least take the next step and adopt the plan as proposed by the committee, otherwise the entire process was a waste of time, money and community effort.

The committee has done an outstanding job in putting together a concise and forward thinking plan of just what might be in the park and how we should go about implementing the steps over many years and to have the report sit in the hands of the Mayor is just another example of him not making the necessary decisions on behalf of the community to move the plan along.

I am not asking that we spend money for the Park renovations at this time, I am only asking that we follow through with what was asked of the committee years ago and at least give them and the citizens of Milford the courtesy of having the plans at least be accepted by the Alderman as a template for what could be done at the Park.

The vision of what is to happen in the Park has already been developed and the proposed plans have been presented to the Mayor many months ago and here we sit having done nothing to make the park a reality. And please do not tell me that “these are hard times” and we need to do this and such. I realize more than anyone that we are in trying times however, without a plan, a goal and a sense of getting something done, Eisenhower Park will languish and we will have accomplished nothing for future generations.

We continually read in the press about various groups who are proposing or doing things in the park that are either; not proper to be doing or have not been approved by the citizens of this community... With better leadership, Eisenhower Park will become yet another jewel in the City as is our Marina at Lyman Landing.

We need to have the plan brought before the Aldermen formally for a vote to be accepted as the Eisenhower Park Study Plan and then the Aldermen can take action on the plan as they see fit. The implementation of this plan can and will only enhance our overall community image and the Mayor needs to step up to the plate today to take a stand on getting the ball rolling with this project.

Peter L. Spalthoff R11;MilfordR17;s Independent Party Candidate

Milford's Joe Di Canero Upset With Fowler And RTC

Unbelievable! Milford GOP leader Jack Fowler sure has got some nerve. In his letter to the editor published June 25 he is furious at Rocco Frank for even mentioning Mayor Jim Richetelli's Milford taxpayer funded pension, the one he will get if he wins the upcoming election. He raves like a mad man who's trying to protect his last chicken from an inquisitive fox.

Fowler gets all bent out of shape, choking on a fur ball of anger, all because someone mentions the pension. You know, the pension Mayor Richetelli will get at aged 50 whether he is sitting at the beach sipping an iced tea or happens to get another high paying senior position, most likely within the GOP. A pension that will be paid for by all of us here in Milford, whether we have a job or are being
crushed by the current economic circumstances and the ridiculously high property taxes. You know, the pension he will get despite the consequences of the economic hole he is digging for us right now, so regardless of how good or bad his legacy is we'll just keep paying it like good little sheep. You know which pension I'm referring to. I'm sure you do.

But you can't stop Fowler. He is a man of passion. Of telling it the way it is. A man of principle.

Strange, then, was his and RTC Chairman Tom Jagodzinski's silence concerning my letter about the internal rot that is devouring the Milford GOP. Maybe they hope that if they bury their head in the sand it will just go away. Or by attacking Rocco Frank it will distract us from this greater issue facing our party. The issue of irrelevance.

Both Fowler and Jagodzinski know I am speaking the truth, and the accuracy of my letter left them both dumbfounded. The email Jagodzinski circulated within the party concerning my letter soon after its publication proves it. Jagodzinski effectively stated to everyone in the GOP that 'all is good, don't read the letter, don't panic, we are financially ok'.

What have finances got to do with the slow death and growing irrelevance of the Milford GOP?

Why have Collins, Munk, Marshall, Spalthoff and numerous other former GOP leaders abandoned the party if everything is so fantastic? Why are so many senior figures in the GOP so sick of you, Jagodzinski, Mayor Jimmy and all your inner-circle buddies doing self-serving deals, that they not only left the party but are now actively campaigning against the GOP to get rid of all of you before the party dies?

Why not get upset about this Fowler, something that should concern you more than Jimmy's pension? Or has Jimmy taken another mysterious 6 hiatus and so is not able to address this issue on his own?

It saddens me, really saddens me to see the party I love, yes love, being left in the hands of these morticians that are waiting for its final breath. Maybe Fowler and his friends should stop worrying about Spalthoff, Rocco Frank and the Milford Independent Party and start worrying about our Milford GOP. Even better, maybe they could do us a favor and leave the GOP, and go join the Democrats to suck the life out of their party instead.

Joe Di Canenero

Truck Spills Fuel On High Street

High Street at the intersection of West Main Street is closed this afternoon as crews clean up 200 gallons of waste oil that spilled from a truck.

The Fire Department's hazardous materials unit and workers from Clean Harbors Inc. are on the scene.

Officials said a tank carrying the oil fell off the back of a truck and ruptured about 3:40 p.m.

Some of the oil has flowed onto private property, and firefighters are working to keep the material from reaching the Wepawaug River which flows behind High Street.

Story At CT Post, and WTNH.

Milford Set To Recieve $556,000.00 To Conserve Energy

The city will receive $556,000 in federal funds to reduce energy consumption in public buildings.

The grant from the U.S. Department of Energy could be made available within a month, Thomas Ivers, the city's block grant coordinator, said Friday.

Among the programs that the grant will cover is a wireless Internet connection to network all of the municipal facilities within a 1.5-mile radius of the Parsons Government Center, according to the grant application.

The wireless network would allow energy consumption data from each location to be gathered in "real time,'' under changing circumstances.

"One thing we'd do first is benchmarking, establishing the baseline energy usage for each building so that we can measure progress,'' said Ivers, who also chairs the city's Clean Energy Task Force.

Recreation Director William McCarthy said the broadband connection will link 20 community centers and other facilities managed by his department.

"The data would be sent to a central location and it will allow us to see how much we are spending on energy in any one of our buildings at any minute,'' McCarthy said.

That information, in turn, will be used to plan efficiencies to reduce consumption, according to the plan.

Also included in the federal grant is money for technical assistance with a fuel cell for the Housatonic Wastewater Treatment plant that could provide most of the power to run the plant.

The Board of Aldermen last week accepted the task force's "Energy Road Map,'' calling for a 10 percent reduction in the city's consumption by 2015. "That is about $600,000, which is not an insignificant sum,'' Ivers said.

The city's electric bill in 2005 was nearly $3.4 million, and 21.1 million kilowatt hours were used, according to task force data.

ORIGINAL FRANK JULIANO STORY CT POST

This Weeks Property Transfers

64 Hillside Ave, Claudia Rutkowski to Benjamin Ross, $807,000. (Featured Photo)

5 Bridgewater Ave, Edvard Khond Karyan to National City Bank, $1.

28 Bristol Ter, Thomas N. Shea to Paule Joksovic, $340,000.

32 Chevelle Pl, Robert J. Esposito to Mawtthew E. and Michele Haramis, $390,000.

20 Clinton St, Jody Mead to Gina Magaudda, $307,200.

39 Coram Ct, Michael R. and Donnam Harrison to Edward G. and Karen M. Frawley, $369,000.

51 Elder St, Patricia A. Stockdale to Barbara W. Carroll, $237,500.

28 Fern St, Edward G. and Karen M. Frawley to Thank Y. Cao and Phyong T. Nguyen, $265,000.

312 Foxwood Ln Unit 312, Christian and Jennifer Gregory to Michael Aronoff, $180,000.

11 Knoll Ave, Amy Foote to Piane Liuzzo, $195,000.

21 Kohary Dr, Stanton Agnes M Est and Joseph E. Meuser to Christopher D. Sonsini, $115,000.

23 Lilac Ln, John and Hellen E. Stardellis to Mohini Ranganathan and Sudhir Perincheri, $330,000.

68 Live Oaks Rd, FNMA to Anthony Verderame, $300,000.

196 Lookout Hill Rd Unit, Christopherp Orlando to Andrew Robbins, $447,000.

36 Lyda Dr, Elizabeth L. Seno and Edward G. Gibson to Susan F. Mastrianni, $360,000.

48 Mcdermott St, Craig A. and Melanie Poppa to Ryan Swaller and Diandra Phontek, $244,000.

160 Meadow Park Dr, Jacobson Dagmar R Est and Linda Jacobson to Patrick J. Delillo, $265,000.

1070 New Haven Ave Unit 73, Deutsche Bk Natl T Co Tr to Ehab Abd Elsalam, $90,000.

44 Randolph Farm Rd, Mark T. and Banetta D. Johnson to Pankaj N. and Shilpa P. Patel, $619,000.

16 Rock Rd, Tyra Rabel to Howard Feldman, $620,000.

32 South St, Benjamin H M. Ross to Lara M. Arlideson and Anna Uirika Taube, $400,000.

10 Utica St, Antonio Alves Possantos and Wells Fargo Bank NA to Wells Fargo Bank NA, $1.

133 Welchs Point Rd, William V. and Cheryl C. Mingione to Julianna Greggos, $299,690.


For More information on any Property listed, including photos, previus purchase prices and sales figures ClICK HERE.

Dick Roy Will "Resign" If Successful In Bid For City Clerk

If state Rep. Richard F. Roy, D-Milford, is successful in his bid for city clerk, aldermanic Chairman Ben Blake, D-5, has been targeted by party leaders to run for the open seat.

Roy, D-119, said if he defeats his Republican challenger, Linda Stock, to succeed longtime City Clerk Alan Jepson, who is retiring in November, then he would resign his state House seat.

Jepson, a Democrat, has held the position since 1987. Democratic Party Chairman Richard Smith said several people have expressed interest in running for Roy’s seat. Smith said he’d like to see Blake “step up” if the seat becomes available.

“I have all the confidence in the world in (Blake) and know he would make an exceptional state legislator,” Smith said.

A special election would be called in the fall if Roy’s seat is vacated. The position would also be up in the regular 2010 election.

Blake said right now he’s focused on his seat on the Board of Aldermen, which is up for election in November.

However, Blake said he would consider running for state representative.

“It would be something I would consider, but it’s not a focus right now,” he said.

Blake said following Roy would be a difficult task, noting Roy’s seniority as a 17-year veteran of the General Assembly and his chairmanship of the Environment Committee.

Blake will seek his fourth term on the aldermanic board. He became chairman in 2007, when Democrats took control of the board for the first time in 24 years.

The 119th District includes the Woodmont and Morningside sections and areas directly north of downtown.

As for a Republican seeking to capture the seat, Republican Town Chairman Tom Jagodinski said the party would have no trouble coming up with candidates.

“Obviously, open seats are good for us as there is a reasonable chance for us to take those seats,” he said.

Planning and Zoning Board member Kevin Liddy, a Republican, ran unsuccessfully against Roy in 2006 and 2008.

Roy has said if victorious he will miss being a state representative, but is looking forward to the chance to work more directly with the public as city clerk.

Roy defeated PZB Vice Chairwoman Kim Rose at the Democrats’ nominating convention for the city clerk post.

Rose has said she will not run against Roy in a primary.

Original Story Chris Rhatigan

Milford's Rhorig & Polansky Questioned In Criminal Investigation

Police are investigating an alleged sex assault and a separate incident of underage drinking at the home of Board of Education minority leader Joanne Rohrig.

Rohrig, a Republican running for re-election, declined to comment Thursday on either investigation.

Police Chief Keith Mello on Thursday confirmed that the department's detective division received a complaint on July 22 of a sexual assault that allegedly occurred at Rohrig's Flax Mill Lane home about 3 a.m. July 19.

Meanwhile, Orange Police Chief Robert Gagne said Thursday that Jared Rohrig, the school board member's son and a probationary officer with the Orange police force, was placed on paid administrative leave July 23. "He remains on leave pending an internal investigation," Gagne said.

Neither chief would comment on whether Jared Rohrig may be involved in the investigation into the assault complaint.

The complaint of underage drinking apparently stems from a July 12 party for Rohrig's daughter Chelsea, who graduated from Jonathan Law High in June.

Photos from a Facebook album show Rohrig, her sons and daughter in their backyard with many guests, including Supt. of Schools Harvey Polansky and his wife Harriet. There are rows of beer cups on a table in one photo, but no photos of anyone drinking.

Harriet Polansky had written on Rorhig's Facebook page on July 14:

"STILL drying out!! Can't wait to see the pics!" Polansky said that his wife was referring to using the Rohrigs' hot tub, not to drinking. The superintendent said he attended many local graduation parties this summer and that no illegal drinking went on.

Rohrig said earlier that a bar was set up in a separate area for adults. Her family owns Lasses Restaurant and catering here, and Rohrig said that they have knowledge and experience with the laws serving alcohol.

Mello said that the youth division is investigating the anonymous complaint about underage drinking at the party. "They are absolutely separate incidents," the chief said.

A separate set of photos, showing several people playing beer pong, has been circulating anonymously, but officials have determined that those were not taken at the school board member's home.

ORIGINAL FRANK JULIANO POST

STORY ALSO AT NH REGISTER

Polanski Recently was named in this article regarding underage drinking.

http://my.hsj.org/Schools/Newspaper/tabid/100/view/frontpage/schoolid/363/articleid/263205/newspaperid/339/Breathalyzers_Need_To_Be_Embraced.aspx

*********************************************Latest Update 8/8/2009 Police Find No Evidence Of Wrongdoing At Rhorig Party Photo submitted from Facebook also added.
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Milford Unemployment Fares Better Than Nation

This morning there was some good news, the news was that the Nations unemployment figures were less than expected with 247,000 jobs cut. The unemployment rate also slipped nationally to 9.4%. While these numbers in no way indicate that our nation is out of the Recession they are none the less encouraging.

Milford, on the other hand, should be proud that our local employment opportunities have not been as dire as the rest of America. According to the Connecticut Department of Labor Milford as of June 2009, had an unemployment rate of 7.5% compared to 9.5% nationally for that same period.

Milford's total labor force is 33,147 with 30,668 people employed.

For entertainment purposes only I added the CERC data into this equation of which lists Milford's total 2007 population at 53,874. deduct everyone under the age of 18 (11,546) and the new labor force figure 42,328.

This adjusted labor force figure assumes an even exchange of working 16 & 17 year olds in lieu of those living in town working past the age of 70. It is also fair to assume, that elderly losses in pension and retirement accounts have caused more of them to work into their "Golden Years."

By no means am I an expert but by my calculation, and by combining the CERC statistics with the CDL statistics true un-employment in Milford is more like %16. But in all fairness this figure does not encompass those individuals who are undocumented, are part of a cash economy and do not report income to Uncle Sam.

In all cases, unemployment is a terrible thing especially when many people who relied on a single "breadwinner" no longer has that to rely on. Thankfully, even with the adjusted figure our town is doing dramatically well when compared to the nation.

The best town in CT is Colebrook with 3.5% Unemployment and Hartford the worst impacted City with 14% unemployment. Full report available at www.ctdol.state.ct.us/lmi

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON EMPLOYMENT IN CT CLICK HERE