Volume 20, Number 22
www.plainvillecitizen.com
Thursday, June 3, 2021
GOP officials blast ‘Clean Slate’ proposal
Paula Podzunas, of Wolcott, walks dog "Theo" as a bicyclist pedals south past a Snoopy themed Little Free Library along the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail in Southington. A plaque in honor of Toby Kimm, a local veterinarian who died in January, was to be placed on the back of the little library last Saturday. Dave Zajac, Record-Journal
Pet owners honor beloved veterinarian with plaque By Jesse Buchanan Record-Journal staff
SOUTHINGTON — Pet owners will honor a local veterinarian with a granite plaque near the town’s dog park. Toby Kimm, a veterinarian who opened Ragged Mountain Animal Hospital in Plainville, died in January at the age of 63. Owners of the animals he’s helped over the decades planned to gather near the dog park last weekend to install the granite plaque with his likeness on it.
In addition to being a skilled veterinarian, pet owners said Kimm, a Southington resident, was a kind and generous man who would do anything for his clients “It’s like losing a member of our family,” Mary Sargent said of his death. She’s a dog owner and along with Heide Kapral and others is organizing Saturday’s tribute. “Hundreds and hundreds of people feel the same way.” See Veterinarian, A27
(AP) – An estimated 300,000 people in Connecticut with misdemeanor and low-level felony records could ultimately have those convictions automatically erased under legislation that cleared the House of RepreMartin Petit sentatives on Thursday, May 27. The bill passed 9156 and now heads to Demo- While he urged his colleagues to vote for the bill, Stafstrom cratic Governor Ned Lamacknowledged he wished it ont’s desk. went further. The bill was The bill’s passage followed pared back during negotiaan emotional day-long detions and now no longer apbate where opponents plies to some more serious spoke about crime victims felonies. But critics of the bill who are still suffering from said it goes too far. what happened to them and won’t have a say in whether “There are many violent crimes that are being erased a perpetrator’s crime is expunged. Yet proponents re- in this legislation,” said Rep. Craig Fishbein, R-Wallingford, called stories of friends, the committee’s ranking Reloved ones and associates who have struggled with the publican. He ticked off a list of crimes, ranging from inter“scarlet letter” of having a fering with a police officer to criminal record. carjacking. “We will help over 300,000 In a press release, state Sen. of our residents find more stable housing, obtain high- Henri Martin (R-Bristol) stater income and get better ac- ed: “This so-called ‘Fix’ took place because the Senate cess to education and unDemocratic-majority chose lock opportunities which not to heed the warnings laid they previously did not out by Senate Republicans via have,” said state Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, co- a series of amendments to the chair of the General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee. See Clean Slate, A27
36 Whiting St, Plainville
833.4BHDOCS
240546
Primary & Specialty Care