MBI081012

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Prst. Std. U.S. Postage Paid Naugatuck, CT #27

“If a fellow isn’t thankful for what he’s got, he isn’t likely to be thankful for what he’s going to get.” ~ Frank A. Clark

FR EE

Bee Intelligencer Informing the towns of Middlebury, Southbury, Woodbury, Naugatuck, Oxford and Watertown A FREE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

Volume VIII, No. 33

P&Z deals with many matters

Middlebury’s new voting districts are shown on this map. District 1 is in white; the new District 2 is the shaded area. District 1 will vote downstairs at Shepardson Community Center Tuesday. District 2 will vote upstairs. DISTRICT 1

By TERRENCE S. MCAULIFFE

DISTRICT 2

Two districts will vote Tuesday By MARJORIE NEEDHAM Middlebury voters will be sorted by District 1 and District 2 Tuesday, Aug. 14, when they go to the polls to vote for candidates in the Democratic and Republican primaries. This is the first time last year’s redistricting has affected voters. Voters are not split by district when voting on local matters such as town and school district budgets and local referendums. In Tuesday’s vote, ballots will be cast in the Democratic and Republican primaries for contested U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives candidacies. The polls will open at 6 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. The town formerly was entirely in State Sen. Rob Kane’s 32nd district, but last year’s legislative redistricting moved part of the town into State Sen. Joan Hartley’s 15th district. District 1 is now Kane’s district. District 2 is Hartley’s district. Registrar of Voters Tom McCormack said Tuesday the redistricting left 3,200 voters in District 1. The newly created District 2 has 1,800 voters. As can be seen on the accompanying map,

people living along roads such as Upper Whittemore, Middlebury Road (Route 64), Artillery Road, parts of Breakneck Hill Road and Glenwood Avenue are in one district if they are on one side of the road and a different district if they are on the other side of the road. Ordinarily, the state election commission requires separate voting locations for voters in different districts, but Middlebury’s registrars of voters requested the town be allowed to have all voting at Shepardson Community Center, the location where residents have customarily cast their ballots. McCormack said District 1 residents will vote downstairs at Shepardson, and District 2 residents will vote upstairs. Poll workers will verify each voter’s party affiliation before giving them a ballot for their party primary. Democrats will choose between the endorsed candidate for the U.S. Senate, Christopher S. Murphy, and his challenger, Susan Bysiewicz. Murphy is Connecticut’s 5th District representative in the U.S. House of Representatives; Bysiewicz is the former Connecticut secretary of the state. For the U.S. House of Representatives 5th

District seat, Democrats will choose among the endorsed candidate, Chris Donovan, and two challengers, Elizabeth Esty and Dan Roberti. Donovan is the speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives, Esty is a former Connecticut state representative and Roberti is in public relations. Republicans will choose between the endorsed candidate for the U.S. Senate, Linda E. McMahon, and challenger Christopher Shays. McMahon is a former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO; Shays is a former U.S. representative. For the U.S. House of Representatives 5th District seat, Republicans will choose among the endorsed candidate, Andrew Roraback, and three challengers: Justin Bernier, Lisa Wilson-Foley and Mark Greenberg. Roraback is a state senator, Bernier was a member of former Gov. Jodi Rell’s cabinet, Wilson-Foley is a businesswoman, and Greenberg is a businessman. Those who need information about the Tuesday vote can contact Registrars of Voters Nancy Robison and Tom McCormack at 203577-2061.

Selectmen meet briefly By JONATHAN “CHIP”LONGO Middlebury’s Board of Selectmen (BoS) met Monday evening in the Town Hall conference room. The meeting was attended by First Selectman Ed St. John and Selectman Ralph Barra. Selectman Elaine Strobel was on vacation. After opening with the Pledge of Allegiance, the Board approved the minutes of the July 16 meeting. St. John then read a lengthy list of individuals due tax rebates. The rebates were approved without incident. The first item up for discussion was the library construction grant resolution. The resolution would allow St. John sole power to act on behalf of the Town of Middlebury to obtain a state public construction grant. St. John explained it’s customary for the chief executive of a municipality to sign for such grants. The money will be used for renovations to the library on Crest Road.

Friday, August 10, 2012

St. John said the next step for the library renovation project is approval by the Conservation Committee. Final approval will be by the Planning and Zoning Commission, and then the project will go out to bid. The BoS read into the record a resolution made by the Middlebury Public Library Board of Trustees to make the lower level of the library building available for additional library services when needed. The final items on the agenda were two bond reductions for the Ridgewood construction project on Southford Road. The first phase is currently bonded at $276,000. Town Engineer John Calabrese recommended that bond be reduced to $119,900. The second phase of the project is bonded at $1,162,563. Calabrese recommended the bond be reduced to $788,288. Both bond reductions were reduced without discussion. Chris Smith, a repre-

sentative for the builders, said his clients were “very appreciative” of the town’s efforts. During public comments, Barra said Elderly Tax Relief Committee Chairman Paul Babarik would like to be on the agenda for a future meeting to discuss the committee’s efforts. Barra also gave an update on the Richardson Drive/Route 63 upgrade. He said he is waiting on the state to make the final changes to the intersection. St. John reported on the recent four-day emergency drill conducted with other officials from the state. He said the highlight was CL&P’s efforts to improve communications during a disaster. As is usually the case, no town residents attended the meeting. It ended in just over 10 minutes. “A record!” Barra exclaimed. The next scheduled meeting is Monday, Aug. 20, at 6 p.m. in the Town Hall conference room.

The Middlebury Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) at its Aug. 2 meeting approved a zone line revision for the former Vinnie’s Pizza and Johnny’s Dairy Bar, tabled a decision on the library addition, accepted applications for zone changes behind Junipers Restaurant and at Lake Quassapaug, recommended a Ridgewood bond reduction, confirmed a Benson Woods permit extension, addressed inconsistencies in the zoning regulations and reduced the hours of the Zoning Enforcement Officer (ZEO). A zone line revision at the site of the former Vinnie’s Pizza and Johnny’s Dairy Bar at 504 Middlebury Road was unanimously approved. The revision involving the swap of about a quarter acre between Wesson Energy and St. John of the Cross Church gave St. John of the Cross 10 additional feet of driveway between Vinnie’s and the Mobil Station for a 50-foot frontage onto Route 64 and better access to its 50-acre R-40 zoned holding. In exchange, Wesson Energy got a strip of R-40 zoned land behind Vinnie’s and Johnny’s that was revised to CA-40 for commercial use. During the public hearing, in which no objections were heard, a letter from Town Planner Brian Miller said the zone change would enhance the goals of the evolving Middlebury Center business district. Action on an application by the Town of Middlebury for a 3,800-square-foot addition to the existing 16,300-square-foot library was tabled until Sept. 6 because necessary Conservation Commission approvals were not voted due to lack of quorums at recent meetings. A zone change application by Tara Perrotti to revise properties behind Junipers restaurant to CA-40 from R-40 was unanimously accepted for public hearing Sept. 6. A petition by Joseph L. Molder of 19 West Lake Road to amend

zoning regulations for lots in the Lake Quassapaug West Side Association was scheduled for public hearing Oct. 6. Attorney Curtis Titus said Molder wanted to rebuild a cottage and expand its footprint to 1,060 square feet from 784 with assurance a building permit would be issued. P&Z Chairman Curtis Bosco said the lots were part of a condominium association and did not conform to zoning regulations. He said building permits for reconstruction had been granted so long as the footprint was not increased, citing septic and water constraints. Titus argued sewers and water service were recently added, but Commissioner Terry Smith said the lots were nonconforming in the R-80 district unless a zone change application was submitted and approved. Bosco said the application could not be heard until Oct. 6 to give surrounding towns adequate notification of the proposed change. The board voted unanimously to recommend to the Board of Selectmen a bond reduction for Ridgewood at Middlebury. The amount of the reduction was to be determined by Town Engineer John Calabrese. In other matters, commissioners confirmed the Benson Woods subdivision permit would be extended to September 2016 as a result of Connecticut Public Act 11-5. They also voted to resolve inconsistencies in the outdoor dining sections of the zoning regulations and set a public hearing to review the changes Oct. 6. In budgetary matters, the hours of ZEO Jean Donegan were reduced as a result of the Board of Finance line-item reduction to $13,198 from $16,200. Bosco said P&Z controlled the time allocated for the ZEO’s zoning enforcement and Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) duties. Donegan’s hours will be limited to 33 per month for P&Z and eight for ZBA. The next regular P&Z meeting will be Thursday, Sept. 6, at Shepardson Community Center.

Cutting the Ribbon

Pies & Pints co-owners Theo Anastasiadis, left, and Chris Gogas, right, flank Middlebury First Selectman Edward B. St. John as he cuts the ceremonial ribbon at the grand opening of their ice cream factory last Thursday. It is on the lower level of Pies & Pints in Middlebury. (Marjorie Needham photo)

Book Review.....................2 Adoptable Pets..................8 Classifieds.........................7 Community Calendar.........2 Computer Tip....................8 Fire Log.............................2 In Brief..............................4

Library Happenings............2 Nuggets for Life................6 Obituaries.........................5 Parks & Rec.......................6 Puzzles.............................7 Senior Center News...........3 Watertown Events.............3

Editorial Office: Email: mbisubmit@gmail.com Phone: 203-577-6800 Mail: P.O. Box 10, Middlebury, CT 06762 Advertising Sales: Email: mbiadvertising@gmail.com

Upcoming Events

Inside this Issue

SUNday Aug. 12

tUEsday

Aug. 14

Fourth Annual VJ Day Candlelight Ceremony of Remembrance When: What: Where:

5:30 p.m. Iwo Jima Memorial Historical Foundation ceremony to remember deceased veterans. Meet at Newington Memorial Funeral Home; travel by bus to Iwo Jima Memorial Monument, both in Newington. Call 860-291-9666 for bus reservation.

Democratic and Republican Primaries When: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. What: Voting for U.S. congressional candidates Where: Shepardson Community Center

Savarese ordained as deacon of St. John of the Cross Church

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Our office is at

2030 Straits Turnpike, Suite 1

203-577-6800

Mail: P.O. Box 10, Middlebury, CT 06762 Published weekly by The Middlebury Bee Intelligencer Society, LLC - 2030 Straits Turnpike, Middlebury, CT 06762 - Copyright 2012


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