Alderman Raymond Vitali R5, May Hold Jonathan Law's Future In His Hands

The future of a $4 million addition to Jonathan Law High School rests in the hands of Alderman Raymond Vitali, R-5, after the Board of Finance rejected authorizing funds for the work Monday night.

The Finance Board’s 3-2 rejection means the request will be sent back to the Board of Aldermen. The aldermen will need a supermajority to approve the addition, and reverse the Finance Board’s decision.

Earlier this month, the aldermen voted 10-5 to approve creating a draft bond authorization, which was a critical first step toward allocating the $4 million for the work.

All nine Democrats and Vitali, a retired longtime school principal, approved creating the draft bond allocation, while the board’s remaining five Republicans voted against the project, saying a recession is not the right time to be borrowing funds.

In order for the aldermen to get a supermajority vote, Vitali would again need to break from his party and vote with the Democrats.

Vitali, who is aware of his role, stood up during the Finance Board meeting held at the Parsons Government Center Monday, and said, “I am the two-thirds vote.” He said the entire process has been “purely political,” but did not elaborate.

After the meeting Vitali declined to say how he’d vote, saying he needed to learn more about the city’s finances and “do some thinking.”

Before the Finance Board’s vote, Republican Mayor James L. Richetelli Jr. again reiterated his strong objection to borrowing any money, while the nation is in a historic recession.

He also said it sends a terrible message to borrow funds many residents are suffering financially.

Finance Board Chairman Jack Skudlarek said he had concerns that the aldermen, and not Richetelli, placed the project on the agenda calling it an “extraordinary” measure. Skudlarek said the mayor as the city’s chief executive officer places items on the agenda, and Richetelli said, while unprecedented, the move was legal according to the bond counsel.

Skudlarek also said he was not convinced there were any immediate health and safety concerns warranting that the project be approved now.

Proponents of the Law addition say the bids came in $1 million less than anticipated, and waiting would likely mean the city would receive less state reimbursement.

Jonathan Law Principal Janet Garagliano said the addition is needed because next year 15 teachers are projected to be using carts, which means they do not have their own classroom.

She said the school is short two science labs, and is looking to convert storage space into reading classrooms. Four classrooms have been converted from storage spaces in the school.

The work includes construction of a 12,234-square-foot addition including seven regular classrooms and two science laboratories in a ninth-grade wing.

Finance Board member Joseph Agro said the project should move forward because it’s likely costs will only increase in the future, but board member Joseph Fitzpatrick argued the bids are too high, and it’s likely the costs will drop.

Aldermanic Chairman Ben Blake, D-5, defended the aldermen’s actions saying typically the city spends $15 million annually on bond projects and by approving only $4 million for the Law addition it’s still “reining back considerably” the amount of money that is borrowed.

ORIGINAL BRIAN MCREADY POST CLICK HERE

Bookworm's Delight Saint Ann Hosts Benefit

Bertha the Bookworm invites all voracious readers to Bookworm’s Delight, a used book sale, on August 1, 2, 8 and 9, at the Saint Ann School Hall, 499 Naugatuck Ave.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. August 1 and 8, and 8:30 a.m. to noon August 2 and 9, organizers said. All proceeds will benefit Relay for Life of Milford. The public is invited.

Bertha, who sources says really loves books but would never really eat one, says the stock is "delightful," including thrillers, military books, best sellers, classics, cookbooks, romance, books for children and more. For more information call (203) 874-0634.

Dennis McBride MD, Milford Health Director Comments on Swine Flu

Until a vaccine of novel H1N1 influenza (H1N1) is made, public health can only try to slow down but not eliminate the spread of the virus. While most people can tolerate H1N1, many with preexisting medical conditions (e.g. asthma, diabetes, etc.)cannot. To those people, H1N1 is not a “mild” flu.

Since the majority of H1N1 cases have occurred in persons under 18 years, schools are the focus of social distancing strategies.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website (www.cdc.gov) is a wealth of information. However, in the beginning of the H1N1 outbreak , CDC issued “Interim Guidance on School Closures” that was perplexing. Most state health departments, including Connecticut, follow CDC guidelines. (Note: NYC Department of Health stated that some actions they took in response to H1N1 were not following the CDC school closure guidelines.)

CDC stated that: “K-12 Schools: School dismissal is not advised for a suspected or confirmed case of novel influenza A (H1N1) and, in general, is not advised unless there is a magnitude of faculty or student absenteeism that interferes with the school’s ability to function.” Yet in other guidance CDC endorses school closure during a pandemic. Public health literature is replete with school closures as strategies to quell an influenza pandemic.

On the other hand, many advocate for school closure during this H1N1 pandemic. I pose a road less travelled—partial school closure. In the face of an outbreak of influenza-like-illness (ILI) at Foran High School, I elected not to close the school but to work with Dr. Harvey Polansky, Superintendent of Schools, to devise a plan to reduce the spread of ILI and yet continue essential education work. If we had been presented with an extremely virulent virus, such as a virus that caused the 1918Influenza pandemic, I would have closed the school. We were not in that situation. The decision to use partial closure of the high school was made to minimize risk of ILI transmission.

It is commonly accepted by public health and medical authorities that, for the most part, influenza transmission relies on close contact (less than 6ft)with symptomatic persons and length of time spent in with that person. The more close contacts a person has with symptomatic persons (through coughing, sneezing, or talking) and the longer the time spent with that person, the greater the risk of contracting the disease.

Dr. Polansky proposed 1/2 day of classes and no lunch in the cafeteria. The proposal met the public health criteria to decrease the time of the students exposure to a potentially infected student and the number of personal contacts that each student would have.

In public health and medicine, sometimes decisions have to be made before all of the data are in. The scientific literature on partial school closure for flu outbreaks is lacking, but “absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.” Using modeling research data from Glass’ 2008 study “Social contact networks for the spread of pandemic influenza in children and teenagers,” we have determined that contact hours can be reduced significantly with a partial closure schedule. With the two measures (decreasing class time and eliminating cafeteria lunches), we estimate a decrease in student contact exposure hours of about 40%.

In addition, school staff and teachers are on full alert to refer symptomatic students to the school nurse. The school building was cleaned and sanitized using CDC guidelines for H1N1.

After the partial closure was implemented, some positive things happened:

1. Those students that were ill with ILI stayed home.

2. The number of students presenting to the nurses with ILI symptoms decreased to
less than 3 per day.

3. School custodians report increased use of hand soaps and students report using
more hand sanitizers.

4. The absenteeism rose on the first day (by worried parents and sick students) but dropped significantly on the second day to moderately above absenteeism rates for this time of year.

5. School nurses contacted families of students known to have serious underlying
medical conditions and advised them to consult their doctors about antiviral medications.

6. Students are still on track to finish out the school year as scheduled.

In Milford, each school has a school nurse and they have been tracking school absenteeism and ILI for five years. When H1N1 cases were confirmed in the U.S., I requested that the ILI and absenteeism reporting efforts be shifted from weekly to daily reports. Thus we were able to detect approximately 20 students with ILI over a
24-hour period. This was the only school in Milford with an ILI outbreak. Partial school closure may not work everywhere, but should not be dismissed as an option to stem the pandemic.

The battle against H1N1 is far from over. Only thru strong community partnerships can we meet future challenges.

Original Letter Posted HERE

Jonathan Law High School Renovations Boast Student Healthy Environment

With Construction and Asbestos abatement nearing completion, parents of the incoming freshman class at Jonathan Law have endured orientation cancellations and delays. These encumbrances, however annoying are welcomed and praised by many who now are excited that Milford's school is being upgraded and abated of its 60's era asbestos toxins.

With that said this years incoming students will enjoy not only a safe school but also a fully updated and upgraded computer program. This monumental IT task was achieved in tandem with the help and support of the Milford Board of Education employees and the tireless work of the ComputerFox on New Haven Avenue in Milford.

Paul Wydra, a 2008 Foran graduate and ComputerFox Employee during the this renovation, said that the "task was monumental, messy and not surprised there were delays. There was serious concerns over the cleanup and abatement of the asbestos particles and every precaution had to be taken to ensure the absolute safety and cleanup of any residual particles."

My youngest step daughter, who will be an incoming freshman at Jonathan Law this year, chimed in and said she "is very excited to know her high school is improved." She is also looking forward to reuniting with all her friends from last year. On a sad note she was a bit disappointed to have missed orientation but still remains upbeat and positive that so much care and hard work was given to her high school.

The School is expected to open on schedule to kick off the new year.

(Stock Photo of typical workers removing asbestos, these are not those at the school.)

Alcohol Testing For Students?! "Brilliant" or "Batty"

Kids appear to have changed very little since the day I was young, just like today there are good ones, bad ones and those you wonder about. For the most part underage drinking did go on then as it does today. This is just part of the youth culture and common everyday peer pressure.

Now here is the off the wall idea that Harvey Polanski has... imposing a Breathalyzer test at school functions. Although this idea has not yet been approved, Polanski intends to ask the school board to approve it. Adults working at school events will be the ones required to administer these tests to students.

When I personally asked students how they felt about this idea, many outright laughed and those that did not felt it was a violation of their privacy. One student called it extreme and characteristic of a "police state" mentality.

Should Polanski succeed in getting this mandatory test approved, students indicated that he better start patting down students as well. One student, who does not want his name mentioned, indicated that if he chooses to get drunk at prom night he will just show up sober, and drink inside the event after he is tested.

Knowing the will and resolve of kids, I can agree that this will agitate a "cat and mouse" game with authorities. This program will also cost the taxpayers money that is in short supply. Adults will need training, and police will be involved in prosecuting kids at school events who may have tested positive for alcohol, when in reality they could be under the influence of an alcohol based medication like cough syrup.

Hopefully this terrible idea will not pass as it sends a clear and compelling message to our town kids that they must all lose their liberty and trust because of a few kids with an alcohol problem. School staff, and teachers for the most part already know what kids pose the greatest risks of drug abuse and alcoholism without a needed test. It is not hard to recognize a drunken youth, faculty senses do not need to be replaced with costly digital machines.

This news is also preceded by automakers exploring the introduction of the Alcokey system. This system will require that the driver blow into a tube, passing this sobriety test will result in the reward of your car starting. Some fear that onstar will also get in on this "nanny state" technology and actually call the police if the Alcokey system fails the driver.

Gas Prices Force Milford Boaters to Reinvent The Sport

The price of gasoline purchased at the dock is somewhat of a monopoly, and the price is usually 10%-20% higher than what you and I pay at the gas station. A modest size 25 foot power boat can hold up to 100 gallons of gasoline and at $5.00 a gallon a day trip out on the sound can get very expensive real fast.

Milford's die hard boaters have reinvented the sport and now practice sound conservation of gas consumption. Some just enjoy their boat at the dock take shorter trips and anchor longer at popular spots. Many people who enjoy fishing are now finding their friends asking for gas money to share in the daily cost of getting far out to the good fishing spots. Many are just putting their gas guzzlers for sale and are willing to accept lower prices for their boats.

This Fourth of July, however is expected to be the biggest boater day of the year as countless boat owners will take to the dawn sky in the hope of a spectacular view of the many fireworks shows peppered along the Long Island Sound.

For some boaters out there who just can't get enough of the sound and its associated fun it has been suggested to me by friends of mine who are boaters, to try and take up eco-friendly sailing. However not all people like sailing despite its gas saving appeal, some friends of mine who are die hard boaters have just downsized to smaller boats they can afford.

The good news is that boaters have sent their message loud and clear to the boating manufacturers and they have heard the "cry" as their sales plummeted. The boating industry has responded with a new breed of hybrid boats, one model by Craigcat boast a whopping 8rs. of entertainment on a gallon of gas, however the boat is very small and you probably will not be pulling a water skier.

Milford Faring Well Amid Tepid Times

The paper was a pleasure to read this week as the schools recieved a partial victory with one million dollars restored to the school budget. The yearly address by our town mayor indicated the city is doing well despite the difficult economy, but warned that if things did not improve there remained a chance that those problems could catch up with us.

It is always good to read great news, or as some of my friends put it news that appears to be a compromise in which the needs of the taxpayers are balanced with that of the schools system.

Schools are very important to many here in Milford and Connecticut, and funding is the "grease" that makes it all work. This victory, although it had what appears to be a positive outcome may be a pyrric victory as some local disenfranchised taxpayers feel betrayed by by the very alderman they voted to elect.

One such taxpayer indicated that "they were elected to do one thing, and now they did the opposite. I really feel bad for the teachers but I have to chose between food and medicine, I could barely pay my taxes now what do they expect me to do? Does anyone feel bad for me?"

The budget may be in order for 2008 but the reality of this situation is that absent some real economic improvement Milford only managed to "dodge the bullet."

Amann Wants to "Buy Your Vote!"

This is a quote taken from the movie Brewster's Millions, the movie is very apropos in lieu of the billions in bonding. There is one exception however, that the Millions Brewster was squandering was his inheritance, this made the movie rather funny. Amann on the other hand is squandering millions of your and my money, not even money that we have but rather money he has charged to our tax payer "credit cards."


Amann has yet to miss a photo opportunity to hand out a fat check. Just today in the CT Post he is brandishing a big fat check for a catholic school, last month he was charging up the largest boardwalk in CT, and the limelight surrounding his spending spree continues.

Meanwhile he swears on his latest Youtube video that all this money secured through bonding was because of Jody Rell that he has no control over the money issued, and yet he is going from charity to charity handing out money like a "drunken sailor."

Just yesterday, an old timer, and Korean War Veteran from Devon came in to my headquarters and said that there was a time when Milford really benefited from Amann's "liberal" spending approach to government. He, like many others in his circle of friends believe that such an approach is no longer good for Milford or CT.

The true issues of bonding are being neglected, and to take today's CT Post article to heart one must read on about the crisis in our prisons, a crisis that can only be resolved by more bonding debt. This debt however, is already critical due to special pet projects that Amann has so deliberately mis-prioritized to buy your vote. Continued spending leaves CT Citizens at risk for a repeat of horrible crimes commited in Cheshire by early parolees.

Additionally, an increasingly desperate situation is culminating in the next few years because of "Peak Oil," already now being debated by legislators in Hartford and presented on CT T.V. This coming energy crisis is serious, and addressing the problem is urgent. Unattainably high energy prices, are expectet to leave our schools hotter in the summer, colder in the winter, and stress out every tax payer with unconscionably high property taxes in a time of high forclosures. Mr. Amann's "Robin Hood" era will soon come to an end.

Once this occurs, the truth shall prevail about his true popularity when he is unable to use the state credit card to "Buy Your Votes."