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Bee Intelligencer AN INDEPENDENTLY OWNED FREE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Informing the towns of Middlebury, Southbury, Woodbury, Naugatuck, Oxford and Watertown
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Volume XI, No. 13
December 2015
Republicans take all By MARJORIE NEEDHAM Middlebury Republicans on Nov. 3 won all the seats in town government they were seeking, led by incumbent First Selectman Edward B. St. John, who got 1,230 votes to the 941 cast for his Democratic challenger, Middlebury Board of Finance (BoF) Chairman Michael McCormack. Selectman Elaine Strobel got 1,227 votes, only three fewer than St. John. Then things got interesting. Democratic incumbent Selectman Ralph Barra got 899 votes. But state statute says McCormack, with his 941 votes, can take the minority selectman position if he so chooses. On election night, McCormack said he would postpone his decision about the selectman position until the next BoF meeting, which was Nov. 12. McCormack was absent from that meeting. On Nov. 23, he told this newspaper he still had not made a decision on whether he would or would not take the selectman’s position. He said, “I’m just trying to make the best decision for the taxpayers.” It appears he can wait until Dec. 8, the day newly elected officials will be sworn in, to make his decision. Because McCormack can’t serve as selectman and also serve on the BoF, he must choose between the two. He has been serving as chair of the BoF, but changes in the composition of that board may mean he will not be chosen to continue as chair. Republican David Cappelletti, who ran for re-election to the BoF as a candidate endorsed by the Democratic party, lost to Republicans Rita Smith and Dawn Calabrese. They got 1,203 and 1,355 votes, respectively, to Cappelletti’s 889 votes. Democrat Joseph Drauss got 639 votes.
Ever since election day, Barra has said he believes McCormack will take the selectman spot. At first, that seemed unlikely, but now it seems McCormack probably will choose the selectman position as the slot in which he can do the best job for the taxpayers. For Board of Assessment Appeals, Republican Robert Flanagan defeated incumbent Stephen Ferrucci 1,221 votes to 807 votes. Republicans Robert Smith (1,377), Ted Mannello (1,375) and Paul Phillips (1,413) handily defeated Democratic challengers Punyada Bhaduri (620) and Anastasia Persico (642) for the three Water Pollution Control Authority spots. Republican candidate Robin Stanziale (1,384) defeated Democrat Anastasia Persico (678) for the town treasurer position. The current treasurer, John Calabrese, chose not to run for re-election. Tax Collector Jean Dawes, Police Commissioners Fran Barton and Frank Cipriano, and 2-year term Library Trustee Robert Desmarais were unopposed. For the two full-term library trustee positions, Republicans Peter Vaccarelli (1,366) and Bill Stowell (1,405) defeated Democrats Noa Miller (602) and Anastasia Persico (548). For the 4-year library trustee position, Republican Ron Clark (1,302) defeated Democrat Sharon Bosco (694). For Pomperaug Valley Water Authority, Democrat Ann Merriam Feinberg (674) was defeated by Republican Michael B. Dayton (1,323). For the two spots on the Regional School District 15 Board of Education, Republican incumbent John Cookson (1,387) and newcomer Brenda Carter (1,419) defeated the Democratic challenger, Lois Yager (856).
Grocery store coming? By TERRENCE S. MCAULIFFE The Middlebury Conservation Commission (CC) at its Oct. 27 meeting heard plans for a grocery store to be built on Southford Road across from the former Golden Age of Trucking Museum. It also approved an oversize patio that had been constructed without approval, and accepted an application for a holding tank at Tyler Cove. When Attorney Michael McVerry was discussing Joseph Desantis and Richard Brown’s plans for the Southford Road building, he said it would have loading docks and dumpsters in the rear with parking around the perimeter of the building and had been specifically designed for what he called a “country grocery store.” When asked about the tenant, the developers said they didn’t want to comment, other than to point out the location was perfect for a small store with much commuter traffic and several nearby housing developments. DeSantis later told the Bee-Intelligencer the grocer is not LaBonne’s or Dinovas. We will report the grocer’s name as soon as we have it.
To create a parcel for the grocery store, Desantis and Brown of Middlebury, D/B/A Southford Road LLC will take a 2½ acre parcel at 1000 Southford Road and combine it with an acre from the adjoining lot at 984 Southford Road owned by Francis Cipriano of Watertown D/B/A Southford Park, LLC for the new 14,000square-foot commercial building. The plans were reviewed by civil engineer Paul Szymanski. Szymanski said the combined 3½ acres had about 1½ acres of wetlands, providing room for a centrally located commercial building on the remaining property. Using a set of maps and drawings, he described a mitigation plan to deal with a Connecticut drainage discharge as well as groundwater flowing into the existing wetlands. In other matters, commissioners unanimously approved a 20-by-40-foot patio with stairs and a retaining wall for the new office building at 891 Straits Turnpike with the stipulation additional winterberry and blueberry bushes be planted. The originally approved plans called for a smaller 20-by-20-foot patio and Wetlands
– See Store on page 2
Inside this Issue Classifieds...................7 Puzzles.......................7 Diversified Tax Tidbits...5 School Daze................3 Featured Pet................8 Senior Center Events....4 Library Lines................2 Veterans Post..............5 Now Here’s a Tip.........7 Winning Ways.............5
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Middlebury Police Department honored; chief to leave By MARJORIE NEEDHAM In the second of two ceremonies honoring Middlebury police officers, Officer Ed Demers was cited as a Traffic Safety Hero when the AAA honored the Middlebury Police Department for traffic safety achievements recently at its 6th Annual Community Traffic Safety Awards lunch at Testo’s in Bridgeport. Earlier, on Nov. 3, Officers Kathy Blick, William Kalvaitis, and Ronald Pruchnicki were honored at the Exchange Club of Waterbury’s Annual First Responders Breakfast. Middlebury Police Chief James Viadero congratulated all four officers and said they are a testament to their profession and the community they are sworn to serve. Viadero recently announced he will be leaving Middlebury Jan. 1, 2016, to take the position of police chief in Newtown, where Chief Michael Kehoe is retiring. AAA Northeast also honored the Middlebury Police Department with a Bronze
Award for the department’s traffic safety programs. It recognized Demers as a department-nominated Traffic Safety Hero for his efforts involving the number of motor vehicle stops for texting, seatbelts and other safety violations. Demers, the department’s K9 officer, also is recognized by the community as one of the most friendly and proactive officers of the department. Blick, Kalvaitis and Pruchnicki are credited with saving two lives in January and June 2015 by providing lifesaving CPR and administering Narcan for drug overdoses. They were issued Narcan in January 2015, and Sgt. Christopher Wihbey of the Wolcott Police Department trained them to administer the drug. The officers’ rapid response to the scene, combined with training and experience, demonstrated a continued dedication to the law enforcement profession and providing first responder treatment in life-saving incidents. Middlebury Police Chief James Viadero, 56, said Nov. 4, “I’m not going anywhere
right now.” But that doesn’t mean he will stay in Middlebury. On Nov. 3, the Newtown Board of Police Commissioners voted to hire Viadero as Newtown’s new police chief. He will take over the position being vacated by Chief Michael Kehoe, who is retiring. Viadero became Middlebury’s police chief just a year and four months ago, on July 1, 2014, so Middlebury Police Commission Chairman Frank Cipriano said the commission plans to offer the job to a candidate who was among the top four during the search that ended with Viadero accepting the position as Middlebury’s chief. Newtown has been home to Viadero and his wife, Jill, since 1992. He said, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a police chief in your home town.” But he said the decision to leave Middlebury was bittersweet. “The people in this town are phenomenal,” he said, “and we have a great group of officers.”
P&Z approves crematorium regulation By TERRENCE S. MCAULIFFE The Middlebury Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) on Nov. 5 unanimously approved a zoning regulations update allowing crematoriums. It also approved an in-law apartment on Watertown Road and a permit renewal for excavation and grading at Benson Woods, and it informally discussed reconstruction of Ford’s gas station and parking changes at Ridgewood. A second public hearing for Raymond and Panagiota (Penny) Albini to amend the zoning regulations to allow a crematory, undertaker facility, nondenominational chapel, columbarium (storage vault for funeral ash urns), and a cremation garden cemetery as permitted uses in the LI-200 zone was closed with no public comments for or against and then unanimously approved. The amendment allows the Albini family, who purchased a 33-acre commercial lot on Benson Road, to proceed with their development plans for the land.
The family owns the Albini Funeral Home in Waterbury. Attorney Michael McVerry, representing the Albinis, submitted a revision deleting the nondenominational chapel because funeral homes already have the ability to perform services and adding cemetery monument sales and fabrication as an accessory use. McVerry said the Albinis understood they need to come back with a special exception application so the specific details of the project can be addressed. A special exception application by Lou Persico to remodel a house at 642 Watertown Road for an accessory apartment was unanimously approved. Building contractor Eric Strachan told commissioners Persico bought the house with an existing downstairs in-law setup that had never been approved. Persico’s application relocated the in-law apartment to the second floor and converted the downstairs area into a recreation room. No bedrooms were added. Strachan said all utilities would be shared, and there would be no separate entrance.
The application by Middlebury Land Development LLC for renewal of an excavation and grading permit for Benson Woods, a project started in 2002 at North Benson Road, was approved for another year. Commissioners also agreed to waive the requirement for a traffic report and use a report from 2007. An informal discussion with the new owners of the former Sunoco station on the corner of Middlebury Road and Glenwood Avenue led to a recommendation from Chairman Terry Smith that they apply for a site plan approval with a change in use. The new owners, Nadeem Khalid and his partner, Mir Sabbir Ahmed, purchased the long-closed Sunoco gas and service station from Robert and Kerrie Ford Oct. 28 and plan to open a Citgo gas station/convenience store on the same footprint as the former gas station. Khalid and Ahmed are renovating a closed gas station in Torrington, and Khalid
– See P&Z on page 4
Annual Tree Lighting on the Green
Upcoming Events
Adopt a Rescue Pet........... 8 Obituaries...................5
AAA Public Affairs Manager Fran Mayko, right, presents a Bronze Award to Middlebury Police Chief Jim Viadero, center, and a Traffic Safety Hero Award to Officer Ed Demers, left. (Submitted photo)
SATURday
Dec. 5
What: When: Where:
St. George’s Church Annual Gingerbread Village (Runs through Saturday, Dec. 12) What: When: Where:
SUNday
Dec. 6
Tree lighting, entertainment by Middlebury Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts and carol singing. Enjoy hot chocolate at the Middlebury Congregational Church. 4 p.m. Town green on Whittemore Road
See the gingerbread village and purchase gingerbread delights. Dec. 5, 10 am – 7 p.m.; Dec. 6, 12 – 8 p.m.; Monday, Dec. 7, to Friday, Dec. 11, 2 – 4 p.m. and 6 – 8 p.m.; Dec. 12, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. St. George’s Episcopal Church on Tucker Hill Road.
Menorah lighting for Hanukkah What: When: Where:
The first light on the menorah on the town green will be lit and blessings sung. Refreshments will follow in Westover’s Red Hall. 3:30 p.m. Middlebury town green on Whittemore Road.
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