www.southingtoncitizen.com
Volume 13, Number 30
Friday, July 26, 2019
Parties choose candidate slates for November By Jesse Buchanan Record-Journal staff
Valerie DePaolo, a local attorney, and Anthony Mazzarella, a local coach, will Democrats and Republicans join the Democratic incumchose slates of candidates bents running for council. for November’s election dur- Democrats Chris Palmieri, ing two recent nominating Chris Poulos, John Barry and conventions. Kelly Morrissey will be looking to maintain their seats. Most incumbents in both parties plan to run again.
Dawn Miceli, the council vice chairwoman, announced last week that she wouldn’t be running for reelection after 10 years on the council. Republican incumbents Tom Lombardi, William Dziedzic and Victoria Triano will run again in November. Three
More local political news inside Republican Planning and Zoning Commission members, Michael DelSanto, Paul Chaplinsky Jr. and Jim Morelli will be looking to take seats on the council. Michael Riccio, a former council chairman, won’t be running for reelection. James Sinclair, co-chair of the Democratic party’s nominating committee, said this year’s slate includes both new faces as well as experienced town leaders.
“I’m thrilled with the team we’ve built,” he said. “We have a good mixture.” “We also have an age demographic that goes from the late 20s to the 70s,” Sinclair said. “I really think we’ve incorporated the spectrum of Southington.” Democrats hold a majority on the council with five of nine seats. Minority representation rules prevent any party from holding more than six seats. DelSanto, planning and zoning commission chairman for the past 10 years, said Republicans need a majority on the council and need to See Slates, A9
Queen St. commercial building approved By Jesse Buchanan Record-Journal staff
The crew prepares to lower the signal mast, July 9, at the Milldale Depot. Clockwise from lower left: Russell Jennings of Cheshire, Bruce Greene of Southington, and Bill Voorvaart, of Town planners approved a Coventry, all Milldale Depot Museum volunteers; along with Larry Sima of Sima Drilling. commercial building on
Milldale depot signal to be restored By Joy VanderLek The Southington Citizen
Milldale Train Depot volunteers recently took another important step in the ongoing renovations of the historic depot on Canal Street, in the Milldale section of Southington. The depot’s 80year-old signal mast was taken down on Tuesday, July 9. This signal restoration work is being accomplished with a donation of time and materials from volunteers and
friends of the Milldale Train Depot, and is part of the long-term goal to restore the depot to a time when it was operational, said Bob Belletzkie, assistant stationmaster, and a volunteer at the depot. “It will be a great day and bring life back into the 137year-old station and to the Canal line which saw its last train in 1997,” said Belletzkie, adding that he hopes the work might be done by August. “That will
be a real celebration.” Volunteers for the signal mast work include Bruce Greene of Southington, Russell Jennings of Cheshire, Bill Voorvaart of Coventry, all Milldale Depot Museum volunteers, and Larry Sima of Sima Drilling in Cheshire. The Milldale Train Depot was an instrumental part of the New Haven/Northampton Rail Line beginning in
Queen Street that will include offices and space to expand the nearby Kitchen Cabinet Outlet.
The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved the 6,000-squarefoot building for 919 Queen St., a property that sits behind other Queen Street buildings and runs along Camp Ground Road. Lewis Realty LLC owns the land, as well as the nearby Kitchen Cabinet Outlet location at 931 Queen St.
James Clarke Jr., a manager of the LLC and Kitchen CabSee Depot, A9 inet Outlet, couldn’t be
reached for comment Monday. Sev Bovino, a planner representing Clarke at the commission meeting last week, said the new building will house offices as well as retail and preparation space for the cabinet business. The planned building doesn’t have frontage on Queen Street, but Bovino said there’ll be access through the existing Kitchen Cabinet Outlet property. The company’s plaza will also connect to nearby businesses. Town planners encourage business and building owners to connect parking lots and driveways when possible. Customers can See Building, A10