www.northhavencitizen.com
Volume 16, Number 45
Friday, November 5, 2021
ELECTION 2021 / BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Voters put faith in incumbents North Haven voters on Tuesday indicated they're happy with the direction of the town. Republican Michael Freda earned a seventh term as first selectman, and incumbents William Pieper, a Republican, and Sally Buemi, a Democrat, maintained their seats on the three-member Board of Selectmen. The unofficial totals showed Freda with 5,095 votes, followed by Pieper with 4,003 and Buemi with 1,811.
Freda's Democratic challenger Carl Kordek had the backing of 870 residents. Leading up to the election, Freda told voters that much has been accomplished during his time in office.
Freda
A recent commentary by Freda which ran in The Citizen states:
"Our accomplishments include bringing in new businesses, balancing budgets, earning the coveted Triple A bond rating gold star designation, building a middle school, building a new police station, building new fire houses, paving over 120 miles of roadway, improving and investing in updated technology, reinforcing our cyber security defense systems, developing an emergency management center, increasing resources in our 911 dispatch center,
— Citizen report
This past May, the North Haven Board of Education voted to retire the school district’s Native American mascot. And in July, the board agreed to do away with the “Indians” nickname as well.
Richie Rathsack, Record-Journal
Tests show ‘higher than acceptable’ levels of bacteria in area rivers Recent river testing revealed higher than acceptable levels of bacteria, and a dramatic contrast between test results from samples taken on dry and rainy days.
"We accomplished all of this together," Freda wrote, "and in six of the last 10 years, have had no tax increases. The past two years, we reduced the mill rate and added services."
Ideas sought for next school district mascot
Mary Mushinsky, executive director of River Advocates of South Central Connecticut, shows a map of water testing sites during dry conditions at Wharton Brook State Park in North Haven. The group released results after testing waters for bacteria throughout the lower Quinnipiac, West and Mill rivers.
By Lauren Takores Record-Journal staff
and developing an emergency broadcast message system enabling me to communicate with our citizens in emergency situations."
River Advocates of South Central Connecticut conducted two days of bacteria testing along the lower Quinnipiac River, West River and Mill River. The monitoring efforts can indicate whether sections of the rivers
are impaired for recreational use, including swimming. Urban rivers in south central Connecticut have been listed as impaired for recreation and aquatic life, according to a 2020 integrated water quality See Bacteria, A2
School officials may have felt compelled to make the changes after Connecticut lawmakers included in the latest state budget a provision that would withhold aid from tribal gaming revenues from municipalities where a school uses a mascot, name or image associated with Native American tribes. The Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes said they oppose “the use of any and all Native American-related nicknames, mascots, and imagery,” with few exceptions, because they “promote stereotypes” and cause harm. With the “Indian” name and caricature now gone from North Haven schools, a campaign is underway to choose a new mascot to represent the district. The North Haven Mascot Committee is See Mascot, A2