David Sulkis, Land Use Director, Waiting For Answers.

Last week David Sulkis, our land use director was abruptly put on paid leave after the conclusion of the town P & Z Meeting at 11:30 last Tuesday. The suspension of his duties came as a surprise to Ms. Shaw the P & Z Chairwoman as well as to Mr. Sulkis himself who is quoted in the local papers as "having no idea why he was put on leave."

City authorities, including his manager City Attorney Winthrop Smith, Jocelyn Mathiasen and Mayor Jim Richetelli called the allegations against Mr. Sulkis as "Serious" and it will take "two weeks to investigate them." However, Richetelli claims he has "no idea what Sulkis did" that only his manager knows that Ms. Mathiasen and the city Attorney. The Independent Party has been reserving judgement on this issue because we do not know the facts, nor do we trust the leadership in our city when it comes to the responsible handling of personnel issues.

Without casting a "shadow" against or in favor of Mr. Sulkis I would like to remind our readers of how the city dealt with past personnel issues:

Just in the last 24 Months a brief sample.

* Cynthia Anger was fired as insubordinate only to have the city proven wrong, and Ms. Anger was the beneficiary of a legal settlement.

* Bob Adams was let go from MGAT without any good cause. Even though Bob should have sued.

*  Genvieve Salvatore was asked to leave as chair of the Economic Development Commission for no good reason.

* Judy Doneiko who has been our city Finance Director since 1997 abruptly quit for alleged "personal reasons."

* This is not to mention the mistreatment of their own, including Former Alderwoman Barbara Genovese, Kevin Lyddy, and Tom Byrne.

The record of employee and personnel abuses in Milford leaves much to be suspicious about, and if Mr. Sulkis did in-fact do anything wrong it better well be criminal. Should this outcome prove little more than "crooked developers" conspiring to have him terminated so they could develop our farms, destroy our heritage and enforce the very laws the P & Z Passes, or his complaints against the land use department, then I believe there will be more cause to rally against the irresponsible and presumptuous judgement of the key decision makers in Milford.

We are waiting for answers.

Milfords Schools In A Leadership Crisis

The New Republican dominated board of education is being sworn in today, and their first day on the job will be a nightmare. The crisis in leadership however is nothing new to some legacy board members who expunged the last Milford Superintendent in a similar swarm of controversy.

Harvey Polanski our Current Milford School Superintendent who won high and lavish praises from our mayor Jim Richetelli is now mired in a second wave of controversy. This time the Richetelli favorite is accused of lewd and lascivious acts toward two female Principals who made the allegations against our superintendent.

This is the second time this year that Mr. Polanski found himself in the news, for those who may have forgot last August he was investigated along with Republican Board of Education member Joanne Rhorig.

Rhorig resigned from the Board of Education after a firestorm of controversy occurred surrounding her household and numerous allegations of illegal activity. Charges were made that Polanski attended a party where known sexual predators lived, and underage drinking was ongoing in his presence.

Harvey Polanski is currently put on administrative leave. This occurred after an emergency closed door session of the Board of Education voted on an emergency response to the two principals allegations.

According to local sources an outside investigative agency will be hired at an undisclosed sum of taxpayer money. The investigators are expected to conduct a fact finding inquiry into the allegations made by the two Milford principals.

The Milford School System, will temporarily be under the direction of Michael Cummings the Assistant Superintendent. Larry Schaeffer previously took the post once before after our former Superintendent of Schools Gregory A. Firn "exercised poor judgment" and undermined confidence in his leadership by his handling of a situation involving a coach accused of sexual assault.

The board said "Firn's actions regarding a letter of recommendation for former coach Robert Dulin would be considered in the Superintendent's contract negotiations in June." Firn later Resigned of his own recognisance.

This years case may be much more egregious and prove to be an even poorer choice of a candidate for Milford's top paying job should these allegations be proven true. Aggregate factors already overshadowing our current Superintendents administration has also been the terrible results of the CAPT test scores, a test vital to the graduation of Milford's High School students.

The Republican dominated administration holds a majority on every board in the city of Milford except the Planning and Zoning board of which they hold an even stake. The rebuilding of our schools leadership will be at the helm of the incoming administration.

Most onlookers in the know, however, have been less than impressed with the Richetelli record on education of which now includes the towns second Superintendent being mired in troubles, failing CAPT test scores, standing room protests over 180 teachers having their employment threatened, objections over the Jonathan the Law additions, and controversy over media aides being let go and then rehired.

Milford's Boardwalk Project Suspended Indefinitely

The long-delayed boardwalk to connect Silver Sands State Park and Walnut Beach has been indefinitely suspended, state officials said Monday.

About $1.5 million for the roughly $2 million project had been approved by the state Bond Commission, according to city officials.

But the work never made it past the planning stage before being suspended by the state departments of Environmental Protection and Public Works in the latest round of cost-saving measures.

At this point, due to budgetary constraints on the two agencies, work on the proposed boardwalk has been indefinitely suspended,” DEP spokesman Dennis Schain said in an e-mail message.

The news was a shock to city officials Monday, who were last told construction would occur in autumn.

“This really comes as a surprise,” said Mayor James L. Richetelli Jr. “They gave us no clue that they were considering this. I have not heard anything more since months ago, when it was a go.”

The project has been mired in years of delays with repeated announcements that funding had been secured and work was about to begin, only to have a projected start date pushed back.

About a year ago, the project was delayed when piping plovers were found nesting where the boardwalk was proposed to be built.

Plans were altered to avoid the federally and state protected species of birds, but in the meantime the economy turned sour and the plans for the boardwalk were put on hold by the DPW and DEP.

“Money was approved for this project, but before any action was taken with regards with the funds that were allocated, a decision has been made to suspend the project,” said Kevin Kopetz, managing attorney for the DPW.

“We began, unfortunately, to experience the economic circumstance that everyone is aware of.”

The latest news was frustrating to Walnut Beach Association President Joe Garbus, who has long worked to revitalize the Walnut Beach area.

The boardwalk was expected to draw foot traffic to Walnut Beach to breathe new life into the businesses in the area.

“It’s extremely disappointing,” he said. “They made a plan, made a second plan for the piping plovers and each time we were told the money was in hand. It was OK then, but we wait a year and now we can’t continue with the project? I don’t think it’s fair.”

Kopetz said there is a chance the project will be revisited if the state’s fiscal situation improves.

By James Tinley, Register Staff

ORIGINAL STORY POSTED HERE