Fairfield County Business Journal 010118 by Westfair Business Journal

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JANUARY 1, 2018 | VOL. 54, No. 1

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Feeding a state’s fried-dough craze

BY KEVIN ZIMMERMAN kzimmerman@westfairinc.com

» DOUGHNUT

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23 westfaironline.com

All About Books

ENTREPRENEUR FILLS HOLE IN ECLECTIC-DOUGHNUT MARKET

ou may have to be crazy to open a restaurant in today’s crowded field, but Jason Wojnarowski has found his own niche with Donut Crazy — which, as its name suggests, specializes in “crazy” doughnuts. Indeed, the racks at its four Connecticut locations — Shelton, Westport, Stratford and New Haven, with two more on the way — are divided between “dailies,” which include such mainstays as glazed, jelly and Boston cream, and “crazies,” which range from the Peanut Butter Explosion — chocolate cake covered in peanut butter buttercream and Reese’s Puffs cereal, drizzled with dulce de leche and vanilla and topped with a swirl of peanut butter — and Holiday Cheer — a yeast ring dipped in chocolate and topped with Oreos, Peppermint Patties, chocolate-covered pretzels and holiday M&M’s — to Crème Brulee, Apple Pie and…Maple Bacon? “It really is good,” Wojnarowski said of the latter at his store at the Westport train station. “Crazy” could also describe

BUSINESS FORECAST

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Meryl Moss and pooch at her public relations agency in Westport. Photo by Phil Hall.

Owners see perils for small business in net neutrality reversal

BY PHIL HALL phall@westfairinc.com

n April 13, 2015, following a 3-2 vote along party lines, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) published its final rule on net neutrality regulations, effectively changing the federal government’s policy toward cyberspace by placing a new regulatory oversight on internet service providers or ISPs. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, a former lobbyist for the cable and telecommunications industry, at the time said “these enforceable, bright-line rules will ban paid prioritization and the blocking and throttling of lawful content and services.” On Dec. 14, 2017, the FCC under Wheeler’s successor, Ajit Pai, reversed the 2015 ruling in a 3-2 vote. Pai, a former gener-

al counsel for Verizon who was nominated by President Barack Obama in 2011 to fill a Republican vacancy on the FCC, defended the action by claiming the rules served no practical purpose. “This decision was a mistake,” Pai said of the 2015 policy. “For one thing, there was no problem to solve. The internet wasn’t broken in 2015. We weren’t living in a digital dystopia. To the contrary, the internet is perhaps the one thing in American society we can all agree has been a stunning success.” At the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, President and CEO Joseph Brennan predicted a Democratic successor to President Donald Trump could reverse the controversial policy reversal from the Obama to Trump administrations. “We don’t want to get

caught in a regulatory tug of war with every new administration,” he said. “Hopefully, it is much ado about nothing.” Defenders of the 2015 rules said the net neutrality policy prevented ISPs from deliberately speeding up, slowing down or blocking access to content, applications or websites. Net neutrality supporters argue that with the FCC reversal, ISPs will now be able to punish their competitors by slowing down their content and demanding extra fees from companies that want faster internet service, thus forcing those who cannot pay to put up with slower internet speeds. In the Fairfield County tech industry, there are varying degrees of apprehension as to what the revocation of the net neutrality rules will produce. “We’ll be finding out in » NET NEUTRALITY

Building a legacy of care for the disabled SCHWARTZ STEPPING DOWN AT THE KENNEDY CENTER BY KEVIN ZIMMERMAN kzimmerman@westfairinc.com

ollowing 39 years at the helm of the nonprofit Kennedy Center in Trumbull, president and CEO Marty Schwartz will officially retire this month. Even as he prepares to leave behind a legacy of explosive growth in client outreach, budget and branding, Schwartz continues to maintain an apparent unflappability that has served him well throughout his career. Take, for example, the Dec. 18 ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate the center’s headquarters at 2440 Reservoir Ave. as the Martin D. Schwartz Building, an event still in the future when he sat down with the Business Journal last month. “It’s an amazing thing for our board to have done,” he said of the renaming in his honor. He smiled. “I’ll believe it when I see the sign.” While his humility seems genuine, Schwartz has been a tenacious advocate for the populations the center serves — a broad range of children, adults and the elderly with diverse disabilities — as well as for the center and the nonprofit landscape at large. “It’s always hard for nonprofits, but it’s especially hard right now,” he said. “We’ve had our budget cut (by the state) for eight years in a row, to the point where they can’t really cut us anymore.” Even so, he said, the Kennedy Center has not had to cut any jobs, an achievement of which Schwartz is particularly proud. “Our staff doesn’t get paid a lot to begin with,” he noted. “They work here because they have a passion for it. But they still have to put food on the table.” Instead, Schwartz said, the organization has chosen not to fill staff vacancies when they occur and has cut some services such as day programs for disabled persons in Newtown and Southbury. “I think the governor is finally getting the message. He’s starting to realize that we’re part of the solution, not the problem. We can save the state a tremendous amount of money,” Schwartz said, arguing that in the absence of nonprofits like the Kennedy Center, the state would have to pick up those services and costs. Even with the budget cuts, today’s Kennedy Center bears little fiscal resemblance to what it

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Marty Schwartz in his office at The Kennedy Center’s recently renamed Martin D. Schwartz Building in Trumbull. Photo by Kevin Zimmerman.

was when Bridgeport resident Evelyn Kennedy led 12 other parents of children with disabilities to establish an education and support system. The founders raised funds in part by going door to door with cigar boxes to collect donations. On April 11, 1951, the group filed for incorporation as Parents and Friends of Mentally Retarded Children of Bridgeport Inc. Steadily growing and expanding its outreach to include adults and the elderly, while also increasing its programs for those suffering from an ever-widening array of conditions, the organization ultimately decided in 1978 to hire its first president and CEO. Schwartz, who as an undergraduate at Syracuse University had switched from studying biochemistry to psychology, had been persuaded by his college roommate to volunteer at the National Association for Retarded Citizens, now The Arc of the United States. “I felt how what I was doing could make a real difference almost immediately,” he said. Earning his master’s degree in counseling at Syracuse, Schwartz began working at The Children’s Village, a nonprofit in Dobbs Ferry in Westchester County. There he soon decided that when

it came to being in charge, “I’d like that job,” he said. At about that time, a friend showed him the Kennedy Center’s CEO ad in The New York Times. “There were something like 400 applicants,” Schwartz said, “and for some reason they chose me.” Evelyn Kennedy, who died in 2010, clearly thought the hire had worked out. She is quoted on the center’s website: “Marty Schwartz moved the organization to the level of expertise, competency and recognition that made The Kennedy Center name synonymous with excellence.” At the time of his appointment, the agency served fewer than 200 adults with intellectual disabilities, employed 48 staff and operated on an annual budget of $776,000. Today, Schwartz said, the organization — which was renamed after Evelyn Kennedy in 1986 and relocated to Trumbull in 1992 — annually serves more than 2,000 people with various disabilities, employs more than 750 staff and operates on an annual $32 million budget. Along the way it has established 31 community experience programs and 16 group homes; an industries program composed of six businesses providing competitive services in cleaning, scanning and shredding, catering, lawn care and framing; and brain injury support services and mental health services. The center acquired the Maggie Daly Arts Cooperative in

downtown Bridgeport, which offers opportunities for creation and expression in a supportive environment for artists with and without disabilities. Under Schwartz’s stewardship, the center also established itself as a nationally recognized rehabilitation organization. It delivers such program services as travel training, which teaches people with disabilities and seniors how to properly use local bus and rail service on a one-to-one basis, and Caring for the Caregiver, which teaches adults with disabilities to assume caregiving roles for their aging parent. The center also operates The Norma F. Pfriem Foundation Alzheimer’s Center, a day program for disabled people with the incurable disease at Faust Hall in Bridgeport. Schwartz also oversaw two major million-dollar capital campaigns that helped in the Center’s expansion. In December, he was the guest of honor at The Kennedy Center’s 53rd annual Four Seasons Ball, which raised $170,000 for its residential services for people with disabilities. “The board over the years has been extremely f lexible,” said Schwartz, “and has taken the view that whatever the needs are, that’s where we’ll be, as long as we can provide good, quality service. That’s what’s kept me here for 39 years.” So why not go for a nice, round 40? “My wife (Elaine) retired as guidance director at (Westport’s) Staples High School in June,” said Schwartz, who announced his retirement that same month. “My daughter (Allyson Mandelbaum) in Fairfield has a 4- and a 1-year-old, and I have two other grandchildren in Westchester County. The time just felt right.” Besides, “I don’t mind getting out of the cold. We’re going to spend some time in Florida and take a trip to Australia. I thought it was time to finally do some traveling while I still can.” With his exit from the CEO’s office planned for mid-January — no specific retirement date has been set — Schwartz said he was secure with the legacy he leaves. “I think I’ve helped guide the organization in a positive direction and take it to the next level,” he said. “But what’s most important to me is to think of the thousands of lives that I and the organization have touched and helped over the past 39 years.”

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TAX LAW CREATES PROBLEM FOR NEWMAN'S OWN FOUNDATION

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed into law by President Trump on Dec. 22 could have a deleterious impact on the Westport-based Newman’s Own Foundation, which now faces a 200 percent federal excise tax on the value of the for-profit food company it owns due to a provision that was cut. A 1969 tax law was designed to deter foundations from owning more than 35 percent of a for-profit business for more than five years. If it's more than a small stake or longer than the five-year period, the IRS can impose a 200 percent excise tax on the value of the for-profit enter-

prise. The law was designed to block rich people from using foundations as a way to avoid taxes on their for-profit businesses. When Academy Award-winning actor Paul Newman died in 2003, he willed his food company Newman’s Own to the Newman’s Own Foundation. In 2008, the foundation received an extension of the five-year period from the IRS. It was renewed in 2013 and is set to expire in November 2018. The Newman's Own food company gives away all of its profits to charity, and an exemption for Newman’s Own Foundation’s ownership of the food company was included in the original versions of the House and Senate tax bills. It was dropped from the final bill after Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled that the exemption was among several items that violated the so-called Byrd Rule that restricts the types of provisions that can be included in legislative reconciliation measures.

Bob Forrester, president and CEO of the Newman’s Own Foundation, said that it would be extremely difficult to sell the food company to a third party because of its mission of donating all of its profits to charitable works. “Nobody has the authority to say ‘You have to go out of business,’ but they have the authority to make you pay a 200 percent tax rate that in effect makes you go out of business,” he said.

STAMFORD COMPANY PLANS ACTION AFTER TAX CHANGES

Reflecting its approval of the new cuts in corporate taxes, global technology research and advisory firm Information Services Group said it will earmark funds for additional investment in global digital initiatives over the next two years to accelerate growth. The Stamford firm said it will also make an additional contribution of $500 to every U.S. employee's 401(k) retirement account on U.S. Tax Day, April 17, 2018.

"Our people and our clients are the keys to our success and we believe continued investments in their future are the best response to the rationalization of the corporate tax code,” said ISG Chairman and CEO Michael P. Connors. “We applaud Congress and the administration for the leadership they showed in making these changes. We firmly believe they will spur growth and investment across many businesses, including those of our clients in such industries as financial services, manufacturing, health care, energy and retail, among others.” ISG will reinvest a portion of the savings from the lower corporate tax rate to further expand its digital services for clients and increase its digital training for employees, Connors said.

NAVIGATORS GROUP ACQUIRING FIRMS FOR $41.3M

The Navigators Group Inc., a global specialty insurance holding company based

in Stamford, has entered into an agreement to purchase all of the shares of Assurances Continentales — Continentale Verzekeringen NV and Bracht, Deckers & Mackelbert NV. As aggregate consideration for the acquisition of ASCO and BDM, both of which are based in Antwerp, Belgium, Navigators will pay $41.3 million in cash at the closing of the transaction. ASCO is a specialty insurance company offering marine and property and casualty insurance. BDM is an insurance underwriting agency that underwrites risk coverage in niche markets on behalf of ASCO and a number of major international insurers. As part of the transaction, Navigators will also acquire all the shares of Canal Re SA, a Luxembourg reinsurance company that is a wholly owned subsidiary of ASCO. Navigators said that the acquisition will reinforce its presence in the European Union's single market,

enable it to best serve its European clients after Brexit and provide opportunities for BDM and ASCO to broaden their European clientele. Subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approval, the deal is anticipated to close in the first half of 2018.

FOTO MASTER OPENS FACTORY IN STRATFORD

Foto Master, a manufacturer of interactive entertainment and photo booths, is opening its first manufacturing facility in Connecticut by leasing a 9,120-square-foot industrial building at 40 Mead St. in Stratford. The deal was announced by Angel Commercial LLC President Jon Angel, who said the building was recently fully renovated with a new heating system, roof replacement, paving, painting and electrical upgrades. Founded in 2011 in Chicago, Foto Master provides interactive products for parties, entertain» » BRIEFLY

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ment centers, theme parks, museums, and the retail market.

CBIA: 'FULL-BLOWN CRISIS' IN CT JOBS

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Connecticut employers slashed 3,500 jobs in November, contributing to the unemployment rate rising to 4.6 percent, according to the state Department of Labor. It’s the second consecutive month of significant job losses — the Labor Department reported that 6,200 jobs were cut in October — leading Pete Gioia, the economist for the Connecticut Business & Industry Association, to say that “we now have a fullblown crisis in jobs.” Since June, Connecticut has lost about 15,300 jobs. The unemployment rate in November rose one-tenth of a point to reach 4.6 percent; the U.S. jobless rate stands at 4.1 percent. “Job growth in 2017 has slowed significantly since peaking in the second quarter,” Labor Department Research Director Andy Condon said. “However, November’s year-overyear decline of 700 jobs does not necessarily mean Connecticut has produced fewer jobs in 2017 than in 2016. On an annual average basis, Connecticut has grown 5,000 jobs over 2016 in the 12 months ending in November.” However, such math did little to convince Gioia. “It’s difficult to define the glass as half full when we see continued job losses like this,” he said, noting that Connecticut has recovered 70 percent of all jobs lost during the 2008-10 recession, one of just several states yet to reach the expansion point. “We need bold reforms to jumpstart our stalled economy, and we need a retooling of our jobs pipeline,” Gioia said. “We know there are many thousands of jobs in manufacturing, trucking, building trades and certain financial services that are going begging, so it’s important that the administration, the legislature and the private sector work closely together to supply employers with the skilled employees

they need.” Gioia said that the state’s newly formed Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth, charged with developing specific recommendations for promoting economic growth, will report to the legislature on March 1. “Hopefully, this group can amplify the call for the kind of reforms we need to generate much-needed job growth,” he said.

SINGLE-FAMILY HOME SALES DOWN SLIGHTLY

The sale of single-family residential homes in Connecticut in November dropped by 0.9 percent on a year-over-year measurement, according to new data from Connecticut Realtors. There were 2,781 homes sold, compared with 2,805 in November 2016. The single-family residential home median sales price in November 2017 was $247,500, down from $248,750 one year ago. Sales of townhouses and condominiums in Connecticut during November increased by 5.3 percent from November 2016. A total of 679 units were sold compared with 645 in November 2016. The median sales price for Connecticut’s townhouses and condominiums in November was $159,999, up from $150,000 one year ago. Total home sales nationwide — single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops — was up 3.8 percent in November from the previous year, according to the National Association of Realtors, with the median national home sales price at $248,000.

ALPHABRODER ACQUIRES PRIME LINE

Littlejohn & Co. LLC, a Greenwich private investment firm, has announced that its portfolio company alphabroder has closed its acquisition of Prime Line, a Bridgeport-headquartered manufacturer and supplier of promotional products. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 1980, Prime Line offers more than 1,700 products across 16 categories. In 2016, it acquired

Jetline, which was rebranded as Prime Line’s value line. The company will remain at its Bridgeport location. Based in Trevose, Pennsylvania, alphabroder is a North American distributor of imprintable sportswear and accessories. Prime Line is alphabroder’s third strategic acquisition in three years, following the purchase of the promotional apparel companies Ash City in 2014 and Bodek and Rhodes in 2015. “We strongly believe in the evolving mission of alphabroder as a value-added distributor of a complete assortment of imprintable products, both soft and now hard goods,” said Drew Greenwood, principal of Littlejohn & Co.

ICE RINK MANAGER PLEADS GUILTY TO FRAUD

The former general manager of a Stamford ice skating rink has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud for bilking his employer of more than $490,000 in phony expenses. Between October 1999 and August 2014, Mark J. Zito was the general manager of Stamford Twin Rinks on Hope Street, which is owned and operated by RivCan Associates LLC. Zito’s contract with RivCan enabled him to hire third-party vendors to place advertising at the rink, and during this period he created and utilized AAZ Consulting to bill RivCan for these commissions. Zito, a Shelton resident, is accused of submitting fraudulent invoices to RivCan, including charges for services that his employer neither requested nor required. RivCan lost $490,468.81 based on Zito’s actions, which also included payments for his purportedly maintaining and updating the facility’s internet website and for unauthorized benefits tied to overinflated salary payments, vacation pay and cellular telephone reimbursements. Zito was released on bond pending his sentencing on March 19. He faces a maximum term of 20 years in prison. — Phil Hall —Kevin Zimmerman

HERS

BY PHIL HALL phall@westfairinc.com

eryl Moss is entering the 25th year as head of her Westport public relations agency focused on book promotions, and the arrival of a silver anniversary leaves her wondering where the time went. “It is surreal, in a way,” said Moss, who was a publicist at the New York literary public relations firm Hilsinger-Mendelson for three years before opening her business in 1993. “In a way, it feels like we started yesterday. And yet so much has changed in the marketing and PR field over 25 years.” Much has also changed at Meryl Moss Media during that period. Beginning as a one-woman company with a single client — author Robert Fulghum — Moss now runs a 12-person company spanning three business operations from her own two-story headquarters at 99 Saugatuck Ave. One thing that has remained consistent has been her love of the printed word. “Books are a commitment,” she said. “You have to love and be very passionate about them.” To her satisfaction, traditional book publishing has not evaporated in the face of digital technology. “In the disposable world we live in today, books are having a resurgence,” Moss said. “Indie booksellers are cropping up all over. People want to gather, want to see, want to touch, want to experience the printed book.” Moss’s agency currently represents 30 clients, most notably Steve Berry and his upcoming novel

A quarter-century in the book business “The Bishop’s Pawn;” Rick Pullen and his D.C.-focused thriller “The Apprentice;” Charlie Harary’s study of brain functions and self-perceptions, “Unlocking Greatness;” and “On Pluto,” an updated edition of Greg O’Brien’s autobiography of living with Alzheimer’s disease. Previous book projects handled by the agency included Jane Bryant Quinn’s “Smart and Simple Financial Strategies for Busy People;” singing legend Darlene Love’s autobiography “My Name is Love;” and “Extreme Fat Smash Diet” by television personality Dr. Ian K. Smith. For Moss, one of the most rewarding projects she promoted initially seemed to have the most difficult selling potential: journalist Alan Weisman’s 2007 nonfiction book, “The World Without Us,” which offered a scientific speculation on the future of the natural and manmade environment if the human race were to suddenly disappear from the planet. Moss initially feared that the book would be too esoteric for mainstream media interest. “Nobody expected it to do a lot. That book got into Newsweek, Time, Business Week and U.S. News and World Report all in one week. From there, we got “The Daily Show” and “Good Morning America.” That was the power of the press; everywhere you looked, that book was happening.” Getting the word out on her clients has required Moss to keep up with the balkanized state of the media, especially with the severe shrinkage of book reviewing in many daily newspapers and weekly magazines. In response, Moss 10 years ago launched BookTrib as an online resource offering original essays, video interviews and reviews of new books. “At the time, I felt we

needed to be part of the solution and help authors by keeping books alive,” she said. “People want to know where to find the next great read.” “BookTrib gets 80,000 (ad) impressions per month and we have a newsletter list of 20,000,” said Moss. Her agency’s clients are included on BookTrib in interviews and as authors of new articles, but to avoid a conflict of interest, their books are not reviewed there. BookTrib also offers an internship program for aspiring wordsmiths. “Writing is more important than ever,” said Moss. “And you can’t work for a company if you can’t write.” Five years ago, Moss began a third business endeavor with a concierge publishing service that enables clients to self-publish. “It’s a very painstaking process to publish a book correctly,” she said. “We make sure the editing and proofreading is done to a very high level. It is a special service for those clients that really want to be handheld through the process.” The concierge publishing service has only turned out about 20 books. “We do a few because we want to do it very carefully,” Moss said. Moss declined to discuss her agency’s revenues, but said an improving economy and a better appreciation by authors today of what PR promotion can do for them have helped to build business. Getting new publicists to join the agency has been a task, said Moss, who has found that many young college graduates lacking telephone skills. “It takes a while to work that muscle,” she said, holding an imaginary telephone to her ear and simulating a bicep curl. “Not a lot of people are comfortable with it. There is a lot of rejections in this work, too. It’s very difficult and it’s not for everybody.”

Citrin Cooperman Corner Creating value through better business processes BY STEVE RONAN

This is a two-part series on process improvement initiatives. This month we will provide a simple framework for setting goals for process improvement. Next month we will look at how to prioritize and execute the projects. Improving key business STEVE RONAN processes is one of the best areas to focus on if you’re trying to increase your business’ value. As companies grow and change, they gradually become more complex – more people are involved in day-to-day business operations, data is broken up between different systems, and there is more variability in what customers purchase and expect. These factors result in business processes that are often overly complex, variable, and difficult to control. This generally means they are also adding cost and risk to the business. To continue growing, to improve margin, and to create a scalable company, these processes should be evaluated and improved. The challenge for the middle-market is the limited capacity to make dramatic changes all at once, so improving processes needs to be done in bite-sized pieces over time. How do you make sure your limited time and capital is directed towards the highest value improvements? The critical first step of effective process improvement is setting clear, achievable goals that connect your process initiatives to business value. These goals are the foundation of each improvement project – they will be the basis of your communication to the managers and employees working on the projects, make it clear why certain improvements are being prioritized over others, and will provide accountability for hitting specific targets. When deciding which goals to set, consider these four areas where better business processes will add value: 1. REDUCE COSTS When processes are efficient they take less time to execute, can have fewer steps, and make wasteful activities more obvious and therefore easier to eliminate. Making a process efficient will reduce the cost of running the process itself and will likely reduce the cost of quality. For example, take a process to convert a customer quote into an order. If you have high-priced salespeople re-entering orders into your systems, you have an expensive, revenue-generating person performing a task that can be done by someone with less knowledge of the sale itself. Removing or streamlining this process will help the salespeople generate more opportunities and reduce sales operations costs – an average order entry burden can cost a four-person sales team $120k-$150k/year in time. Furthermore, building the process in a disciplined fashion will improve the quality of the data on the orders which reduces mistakes on products that are shipped to the customer, reduces cost of quality, and improves shipping times.

3. REDUCE RISK Consistent processes make for repeatable results. Repeatable results mean less operating risk. An example of this is a manufacturer’s quality control process. A repeatable, predictable quality control process will have the same probability of defining defects in every shift, all the time. A process that varies from shift-to-shift or person-to-person will sometimes find lots of defects and sometimes find very few, increasing cost of quality and making it difficult to find the root cause of problems. Since rigorous processes make it easier to identify root causes, it reduces the risk of issues existing in your operations for very long. 4. MAKE THE BUSINESS EASIER TO MANAGE Predictable processes that can be measured mean that you can put those processes into systems, measure them, and know their outputs without needing to directly observe them. This means that good processes allow executives and managers to manage the business without needing to be involved with every operational detail. It helps leaders get “out of the weeds” to spend their time working on the business itself. GUIDING PRINCIPLES The following principles will maximize your chances of success: 1. Focus on processes that have a disproportionate impact on either the top or bottom line. 2. Process improvement success is ultimately about execution. Choose goals you have a realistically high chance of achieving based on your organization’s ability to execute. 3. Make sure employees can understand the goals. Poor adoption is the top reason process improvement projects fail. It is difficult to get people to change their habits if they don’t understand why. 4. Make sure it’s possible to measure your progress. Aspirational goals are important, but for process improvement projects you need to make sure the metrics you establish can actually be measured on an ongoing basis. 5. Get advice. The business environment is changing quickly and having an independent point of view will help you choose the right goals and execute them in the most effective, cost efficient manner. UP NEXT: PRIORITIZE AND EXECUTE The next challenge is setting priorities – figuring out how far to go with process improvement. No company can change all of its processes at once and mid-sized companies, because of their limited resource capacity, need to be laser-focused on those that will generate the most value. After you know your priorities, how do you ensure you can execute against them? We will cover these topics and more in next month’s edition of Citrin Cooperman Corner.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Steve Ronan is a principal and the leader of Citrin Cooperman’s Strategy & Business Transformation Practice. He is an experienced professional in the theory and execution of 2. IMPROVE CUSTOMER improving business value. Steve has partnered EXPERIENCE AND REVENUE with a range of companies, from the Fortune Effective processes on the revenue side 100 to the middle-market, to develop and of the business — sales, marketing, R&D, implement strategies that improve profitability, etc. — drive sales success, improve pricing create scalable businesses, and strengthen accuracy, and improve product development. customer relationships. His projects have created Structured processes mean you can measure over $100M in value through top-line growth customers throughout their lifecycle and create and bottom-line cost savings. Steve brings a a consistently excellent customer experience practical, holistic perspective to the topic of that the salespeople can use to sell and retain business improvement. His experience includes customers. This allows sales managers to strategic planning, process improvement, actively manage the sales process, improve and organizational transformation. He can sell-through rates, and control pricing and be reached at 203.847.4068 or at sronan@ discounts. It also usually helps reduce the citrincooperman.com. Citrin Cooperman is a cost of customer acquisition, or at least more full-service accounting and consulting firm deliberately targets investment throughout the with 10 locations on the East Coast. Visit us at COOPERMAN sales process. A MESSAGE FROM CITRIN citrincooperman.com.

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the growing chain’s fans, with fried-dough devotees traveling miles from their homes to sample Wojnarowski’s doughnuts. In the two years since he opened his first store at 785 River Road in Shelton, Donut Crazy has picked up more than 24,000 followers on Instagram, the photo-sharing social media site where he alerts doughnut fans to new “crazies,” which are typically rotated in every four to six weeks. Some 45 varieties are available each day, Wojnarowski said. The doughnut entrepreneur came to the business in an unusual way. He had worked at his father’s construction business in Stratford, Wojnarowski & Sons, for a number of years when his father decided to hang up his hammer. When Shelton’s Donut Inc. went out of business, “We bought it to keep our parents busy,” Wojnarowski said. Relying on wholesaler Devore for their supply of doughnuts, the family was stymied when Devore closed its wholesale division. “Howard Saffan, who’s a friend (and developer of Bridgeport’s Harbor Yard Amphitheatre), said to me, ‘Why don’t you do it your-

Net Neutrality—

the coming year,” said Brian Jackson, founder of Danbury. io, a meetup group for web developers, hackers and others. “I think it will definitely have some impact. The rules were a formalization of policy and expectation of what the internet was up to that point. The severity of what could happen depends on how the ISPs handle this. Will they take advantage of small business and force them to pay to get access to consumers? Or will they focus on the Netflixes of the world?” Hugh Seaton, founder and CEO of Aquinas Training, a Stamford company that uses mobile digital devices in workforce training, worried that disparities in internet delivery would

JANUARY 1, 2018

self?’” Wojnarowski recalled. “I thought, why not? But let’s make them cool doughnuts.” Lacking any baking experience, Wojnarowski said he learned his craft through the internet and experimentation. He’s since amassed hundreds of potential recipes suggested by friends, family members and customers. The Shelton store, which is still run by his parents, “was an immediate success, and that’s the really crazy part,” he said. “There are a lot of phenomenal doughnut shops in the area, but we were able to get across that we were doing something a little different.” Part of what sets Donut Crazy apart is its “handforged, crafted with love” approach. “We still mix and cut the dough and finish them by hand,” Wojnarowksi said. “The only automation is with the frying.” Donut Crazy has since opened locations at 3690 Main St. in Stratford, 290 York St. in New Haven and in the Westport train station at 1 Ferry Lane. Its workforce has grown to about 60 employees. This month it exited the space it shared with Vietnamese eatery Nomeez at 2992 Fairfield Ave. in Bridgeport’s Black Rock neigh-

create havoc for smaller software companies. “Software is delivered online, so you can launch a software product very cheaply,” he said. “If the internet runs at different speeds, it will disrupt the digital supply chain.” Patrick O’Donnell, CEO of Post Road Software LLC in Bridgeport, agreed. “Favoritism will be directed to large companies that can pay,” he said. “If I have my own website, I pay very little for it and I am able to have access to people. But small businesses will ultimately be cut out from this. Their websites will be very slow to load. Essentially, it will destroy small business and only large business will be able to serve in that marketplace.” However, options to

FCBJ

Jason Wojnarowski at his Donut Crazy store in Westport.

borhood, having outgrown it, according to Wojnarowski. However, the Westport store continues to sell “grab and go” items from Nom-eez

and South Norwalk’s Match Restaurant and Wojnarowski said a return to Bridgeport could be in the cards. Donut Crazy plans to open two locations in the new year, at 972 Main St. in Branford in January and at 993 Farmington Ave.

nullify the FCC’s decision are limited. Although New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced plans to lead a multistate lawsuit to halt the FCC’s actions, there are no legal precedents for judges to consider if the case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, said Jacqueline Guzdu, an associate professor in the communications and media arts department at Western Connecticut State University. “Is there any former law to rule on? No, there isn’t,” she said. “We would need a change in administration to lift this.” Guzdu said it is difficult to determine whether net neutrality will be a defining issue in the 2018 and 2020 elections. “It depends how awake the populace will be,”

she said. “Consumers that support it (the recent FCC decision) don’t like government interference. That’s the free-trade outlook: it should be free and open. But they are shooting themselves in the foot.” Connecticut Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, a Democrat representing Norwalk and Darien, last month announced plans to introduce a bill in the next General Assembly session that would create a Connecticut net neutrality law. Duff said he would amend Connecticut’s consumer protection laws to include the principles of net neutrality and “establish a process for internet service providers to certify that they will not engage in practices inconsistent with net neutrality principles.”

in West Hartford in the spring. “We try to go where we see demand and from what our customers tell us,” he said. Even with the expansion, Wojnarowksi said he plans to maintain his hand-crafted approach.

Essentially, it will destroy small business and only large business will be able to serve in that marketplace. — Patrick O’Donnell

Donut Crazy’s revenues are up 10 to 20 percentin 2017, he said, though much of that is from increased volume due to the new stores opening. On a yearover-year basis, he said, each store has seen revenue rise about 5 percent.

But tech experts are not convinced Duff’s approach at the state level will work. “It will become very messy for ISPs and small businesses,” said Jackson at Danbury.io. “In each individual state you have to do business with, you will have to make sure you’re abiding by their laws.” “I can definitely see Washington State doing it,” said Seaton at Aquinas Training. “Connecticut may not have the weight to push very much.” Duff’s proposal already has sparked a political response. “We are facing millions of dollars in a (state budget) deficit and Bob Duff wants to make a new regulation?” said J.R. Romano, chairman of the Connecticut Republican Party.

ASK ANDI By Andi Gray

Getting employees to do their jobs We’re getting frustrated with the amount of effort needed to manage some of our employees. If we don’t babysit them, whatever they’re supposed to be doing more often than not falls off the table — either poorly done or not done at all. Feel like it’s becoming the issue du jour around here. They just need to do their job right and on time. Is that asking too much? THOUGHTS OF THE DAY: Manage the assignments effectively. Hire for motivation. Give people a mission. Set up measuring sticks. Don’t tolerate defectors. I recently met with a business owner who complained that when he promoted an employee to supervisor, regardless of how much money went with the promotion, despite promoting someone who had been a great performer previously, the candidate would consistently drop the ball and show less motivation in the new assignment. He wondered why employees wouldn’t jump at the chance to take on all that additional responsibility and new opportunity to perform. When people move from one assignment to another, even if it’s just a step up to a higher level, there’s a lot to be learned. If too much is thrown at them at once, they get overwhelmed and stop trying. Conversely, if they get held back from taking on more when they’re ready to do so, they get so bored they start to not care. There’s a fine balance between too little and too much learning. Evaluating someone’s performance in a new assignment means hanging out with that person regularly to see how they’re doing — which is quite different from letting them fend for themselves as with a new assignment.

Focus on having people around you who demonstrate drive, passion and ambition for the type of work you have to offer. You want people who care about what you’re doing on a gut level. They’ll be willing to put their hearts into their work continuously because doing this kind of work makes them feel good. Avoid people seeking big wins who encounter big setbacks that can be demotivating. Heroes can be exciting to interview, especially when you’re looking at accomplishing big goals. But they tend to be less consistent performers and can create problems for the organization. Seek out people who want to do a reasonably good job all the time and who can show evidence of being consistent reliable performers. They tend to do less self-promotion, and are reluctant to brag about successes. Talk with employees about the importance of the work. Use examples of how doing a great job has made the world a better place for someone. Connect with your employees on a higher level by showing you care about your customers. Create a way that you and your employees can measure and report on success. Get people focused on accomplishing the same end. Even if people take different routes

to get there, the outcome is the thing that everyone celebrates. Stay on top of the “what” and “when,” but not quite so much on the “how.” Give up trying to micromanage. There are a lot of ways to skin a cat, as the saying goes. Let people try in their own way, giving them the freedom to allow their innovations to come forward. Just be clear what has to happen as a result. Ask for regular updates — your steady performers will appreciate the attention. And if something is off track, it gives everyone an opportunity to correct before things get out of hand. If you know you have a problem with an employee, address it right away. Challenge people about the quality of and commitment to their work. Demand that they find and pursue their passions and then find out if these match the work you have to offer.

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LOOKING FOR A GOOD BOOK? Try “On Fire at Work: How Great Companies Ignite Passion in Their People Without Burning Them Out” by Eric Chester and Nido R. Qubein.

starting in 2018.

Andi Gray

Andi Gray is president of Strategy Leaders Inc. in Stamford, a business consulting firm that teaches companies how to double revenue and triple profits in repetitive growth cycles. Call or email for a free consultation and diagnostics: 877-238-3535, AskAndi@ StrategyLeaders.com.

• Get in front of an additional 140,000 Westchester and Fairfield professionals on westfairinc.com from March through May 2018. • Your ad will be seen in the printed version – with a shelf life of 1 to 2 years in both the Westchester and Fairfield County Business Journals – by more than 84,000 readers. • Reach more than 224,000 readers between digital and print. • Position your ad opposite the list of your choice. First-come/First-served basis. For more information visit westfaironline.com Contact Anne Jordan Duffy anne@westfairinc.com or call (914) 694-3600, ext. 3032.

FCBJ

JANUARY 1, 2018

THE LIST: Insurance Companies

FAIRFIELD COUNTY

INSURANCE AGENCIES

FAIRFIELD COUNTY

Ranked by the number of licensed brokers in the county. Listed alphabetically in the event of a tie. Name Address Area code: 203, unless otherwise noted Website

1 2 3 4 5 6

Top local executive(s) Email address Year agency established

Number of licensed brokers in county

Number of employees in the county

Peter Novak, Brendan Naughton and Timothy Ludwig 1886

300 (115 Westchester County, 80 Hudson Valley, N.Y.)

Risk management, life insurance, disability, long-term, business planning and protection, employee benefits program, fringe benefits, retirement planning and investments, college funding programs, financial strategies

Jeffrey L. Rubin jeff.rubin@hubinternational.com 1952

Property, casualty, risk management, life and health, employee benefits and personal insurance

Gary Adams, Tony Cervone, Kathy Piro, Pam Stenger & Vicki Sicilian Senior sales and marketing manager gary.adams@bearingstar.com 1996

Personal auto, home, condo, renters, umbrella liability, flood, recreational vehicles and life

DiMatteo Group Inc.

Robert Lesko and Kim DiMatteo llesko@dimatteogrp.com 1960

Insurance, accounting and financial services for families and small businesses

WM. F. Malloy Agency Inc.

William Malloy wmalloy@malloyins.com 1945

Homeowners and car insurance premiums, individual or family health insurance policies, including disability, long-term care and Medicare supplement insurance; insurance for small businesses, including employee health insurance plans, business liability insurance, business property insurance and workers' compensation insurance; group life insurance plans

Abercrombie Burns McKiernan & Company Insurance Inc.

Kevin P. McKiernan, Christopher K. McKiernan, and Thomas J. McKiernan info@abmck.com 1952

Personal and commercial lines, life, health and disability

Sean M. Carroll and James Benson Edward Buckmir Scarroll@meritinsurance.com Jbenson@meritinsurance.com Ebuckmir@meritinsurance.com 1936

Property and casualty, personal insurance, employee benefits (group life and disability and health)

Mills & Mills Insurance

Robert J. Mills Jr. mills.mills@snet.net 1953

Automobile, boats, motorcycles, bonds and commercial risk

360 Corporate Benefit Advisors

Paul Lambert plambert@360cba.com 1984

Employee benefits, medical, dental, life, disability, long-term care, travel, accident, voluntary benefits

Peter E. Carlson Jr., president; Douglas N. Carlson, executive vice president; and Donald M. “Tripp” Freeman III, executive vice president Pcarlson@carlsonandcarlson.com Dcarlson@carlsonandcarlson.com Tfreeman@carlsonandcarlson.com 1920

All lines of Insurance for individuals, families and small-business owners

Hatfield Insurance Agency Inc.

Guy Hatfield ghatfield@hatfieldinsuranceagency.com 1905

Home, auto, business, marine, life, disability, surety and expert witness services

The Insurance Center

Paul K. Improta Paul.improta@theinsurancectr.com 1925

Commercial and personal property and casualty Insurance, specializing in contractors, restaurants, nonprofits, property managers, professional offices, retailers, manufacturers, wholesale distributors, homeowners associations, errors and omissions insurance, cyber liability and data breach insurance Personal insurance, including homeowner, auto, umbrella, yacht; commercial insurance, including property, casualty, workers' compensation, umbrella, directors and officers bonds; and group health insurance, including life, disability and nonprofits

Charter Oak Insurance and Financial Services Co.

501 Merritt 7 Corporate Park, Fifth floor, Norwalk 06851 359-5300 • charteroakfinancial.com

HUB International Northeast Ltd.

777 Commerce Drive, Fairfield 06825 337-1800 • hubinternational.com/northeast/

Bearingstar Insurance

501 Kings Highway East, Fairfield 06468 254-0875 • bearingstar.com

79 Bridgeport Ave., Shelton 06484 924-4811 • dimatteogrp.com

87 Glenbrook Road, Stamford 06902 351-9898 • malloyins.com

30 Old Kings Highway South, Second floor, Darien 06820 655-7468 • abmck.com

Merit Insurance Inc.

1 Enterprise Drive, Suite 310, Shelton 06484 367-5328 • meritinsurance.com

35 Old Ridgefield Road, Wilton 06897 762-8373 • millsandmillsinsurance.com

1375 Kings Highway East, Fairfield 06824 800-357-1840 • 360corporatebenefitadvisors.com

Carlson & Carlson Inc.

15 Wilmot Lane, Riverside 06878 637-7575 • carlsonandcarlson.com

1735 Post Road, Fairfield 06824 256-5660 • hatfieldinsuranceagency.com

6 Stony Hill Road, Suite 210, Bethel 06801 730-0634 ext. 102 • theinsurancectr.com

The Insurance Exchange Inc. (A division of Cross Financial Corp.) 30 Buxton Farm Road, Suite 120, Stamford 06905 321-0001 • insurexchg.com

2429 North Ave., Bridgeport 06604 335-0851 • ganimfinancial.com

1200 Summer St., Stamford 06905 321-1020 • heinsurance.com

Ganim Financial

Hagendoorn & Emond Insurance Inc.

John H. Wygal & Company LLC 161 East Ave., Suite 103, Norwalk 06851 831-8555 • jwygal.com

Lawley Insurance

22 Thorndal Circle, third floor, Darien 06820 656-0332 • lawleyinsurance.com

Ward Bennett, president ward@insurexchg.com 1985

Lawrence J. Ganim, Valerie S. Koch lganim@ganimgroup.com; vkoch@ganimfinancial.com 1985

Life insurance, disability income insurance, long-term care insurance, group medical, group life insurance, group dental insurance and group disability insurance

Business, professional, home, auto, valuables, umbrella, life, group and individual medical, directors and officers

John H. Wygal, president Debbie Wygal, marketing director and office manager jwygal@jwygal.com 1995

Individual retirement plans, long-term care, Medicare, health, life, long/short-term disability, travel, auto, homeowners, umbrella, renters, business insurance, including dental, disability, health, life and vision

Bill Lawley, Chris Ross and Mike Lawley, principals and Dan Mahoney, branch partner 1955

Bruce Emond bemond@heinsurance.com 2000

This list is a sampling of insurance firms that serve the region. If you would like to include your firm in our next list, please contact Danielle Renda at drenda@westfairinc.com. NA

Not available.

JANUARY 1, 2018

FCBJ

Types of insurance sold

Personal auto, home and umbrella insurance policies; business insurance; risk management consulting; and flood insurance

EDUCATION Special Report

Fiscal reality drives ‘Students First’ consolidation plan BY KEVIN ZIMMERMAN kzimmerman@westfairinc.com

o hear Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CCSU) President Mark Ojakian tell it, consolidating the system’s 12 community colleges into one accredited institution was the only realistic way of continuing to put, as the initiative’s title declares, “Students First.” “This is about, given where we find ourselves as a community college system, what do we do in terms of our financial position?” Ojakian said of the plan, which the CSCU’s Board of Regents approved by a 12-0 vote, with one abstention on Dec. 14. “We could raise tuition to untenable heights, or close campuses,” Ojakian said of the CSCU’s other possible paths. “I have said that I am not going to be in charge of declaring winners and losers: ‘I’m closing two campuses, here they are, and the students that have been going there now have to go somewhere else,’ which means that they are not going to go to school.” He has also long opposed significant tuition hikes, Ojakian said, although he and the regents passed an increase in March, whereby tuition will rise at its universities and Charter Oak State College in New Britain by 4 percent and at its community colleges by 2.5 percent in both 2018 and 2019. In making the case for consolidation to the board of regents, CSCU Chief Financial Officer Erika Steiner said that attempts to balance the system’s budget through tuition and fee increases alone would have more than doubled the cost of tuition by 2022.

Playing into CSCU’s favor when it comes to tuition, Ojakian said, is the success of a policy, now in place at seven of its community colleges, that allows out-of-state residents to pay in-state tuition at colleges that are geographically nearby. As a result, Asnuntuck Community College in Enfield has seen a 34 percent increase in students from Massachusetts, whose state border is less than a mile from its campus. Western Connecticut State University in Danbury has also seen “a great increase in its number of New York students coming to Connecticut,” Ojakian said, although data confirming that was not immediately available. In October, the regents approved a plan to extend the in-state tuition policy at Western Connecticut to students from New Jersey. “We need to be competitive with other states, because they’re doing exactly what we’re doing,” Ojakian said. “We have to go out and compete for a limited number of students by taking a thoughtful and creative approach." Even with the consolidation, which Ojakian estimates will save nearly $28 million a year in administrative costs, the system still faces a $13.2 million deficit in the next fiscal year. Provided enrollment remains strong, however, the following two fiscal years are projected to be profitable. The consolidation, which must be approved by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, continues to be a source of controversy among some students and faculty. “The plan offers no real evidence or overall

balance sheet to support claims of saving millions of dollars for a system that has been bled dry by continued state funding cuts,” said Elena Tapia, president of the Connecticut State University- American Association of University Professors, prior to the regents’ vote. “Combined with the centralization of control for each college and threats to their accreditation, it is stunning to see the Board of Regents throwing caution to the wind and moving forward on implementing such a nebulous restructuring plan.” The CSU-AAUP represents faculty, counselors, coaches, trainers and librarians at the four Connecticut state universities. That much of the consolidation’s savings is predicated on the cutting of administrative jobs — about 190 by 2021 — is of particular concern to the association, Tapia said. “Consolidations like the one being planned rarely result in long-term cost savings,” she said. “What’s worse is it stands to jeopardize the very public higher education institutions tasked with educating Connecticut’s future leaders. Instead of cuts and consolidation, the powers that be should turn their efforts to raising revenue for our state’s public higher education system.” Ojakian said he agreed with Tapia in principle, but fiscal realities preclude simply hoping for help from the state government in the near term. He said the CSCU will continue to lobby lawmakers alongside Connecticut’s private universities, “which are facing the same dilemmas. These are issues that affect higher education as a whole in the state of Connecticut.” Ojakian said he’s also concerned about the recently enacted Republican tax legislation, which by doubling the standard deduction for tax filers would presumably cut the number of people who would itemize their charitable deductions. Some critics have maintained that would remove an incentive for taxpayers to make donations to colleges. “There are pieces of the Republican tax plan that

Connecticut State Colleges and Universities President Mark Ojakian meets last fall with student government members at Three Rivers Community College in Norwich to discuss the CSCU consolidation plan.

will have an impact on our students, student loans and student borrowing,” he said. “It’s important (for us) to work with leaders on both sides of the aisle. Education is not a partisan issue.” While Ojakian maintains that no faculty members will be cut as a result of consolidating, the same is not true of college presidents. Integrating administrative staff into one accredited institution with 12 campuses will result in one leader, “which we’re calling vice chancellor,” he said, as well as the creation of three regional presidents who would report to that leader. Norwalk Community College President David Levinson said he supported the Students First plan for both the cost savings and reduction in bureaucracy, but admitted that the prospect losing his job within the next two years was “difficult.” Still, Levinson expressed hope that he could “find another place within the system.” “The (community college) presidents are free to do whatever they want to do,” Ojakian said. “There will be an open process to

compete for those positions. They can apply for a regional president or the vice chancellor position, or to be a campus vice president.” CSCU officials hope to receive accreditation for the consolidated institution from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges by June, “which will allow us to hit our initial implementation date of July 1, 2019,” said Ojakian. Although he expressed confidence that the association would give its approval, the association’s president has indicated the proposal will be closely examined to make sure that it will truly benefit students. One objection — that Norwalk Community College and Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury could lose their designations as Hispanic-serving institutions under the U.S. Department of Education’s Title V program if consolidation is approved — has been in error, Ojakian said Under Title V, a Hispanic-serving institution is defined as one that has an enrollment of undergraduate, full-time-equiv-

FCBJ

alent students that is at least 25 percent Hispanic at the end of the award year immediately preceding the date of application for federal funds. Ojakian said the consolidation would result in “more than the 25 percent” Hispanic population required under Title V. “That additional money will be available to all 12 of our campuses.” The CSCU president knew the Students First plan would come under withering criticism from some quarters. “Since I first announced this as a strategy back in April,” Ojakian said, “I’ve made many efforts to communicate with the community at large through town halls, webinars and me and my team coming to the campuses to address any misinformation or misrepresentations that were out there. “I continued to hear pretty much the same comments and criticisms, but it’s important to note that this consolidation does not impact faculty at all. There is no workforce reduction when it comes to teaching and learning, which remains my priority.”

JANUARY 1, 2018

Holistic health coach promotes ‘the big picture’ on Danbury campus BY PHIL HALL

Holistic Health Sciences is part of the university’s Department of Health Promotion and phall@westfairinc.com Exercise Sciences and had previously coordinated a health fair with the now-defunct Connecticut Holistic Health Association and hen Christel Autuori was sponsored certification programs for reflexinvited to become the direcology and shamanic practitioners that have tor of the Institute for Holistic been discontinued. Its staff consisted solely Health Studies at Western Connecticut State of its director and it did not have an office on University in Danbury in 2015, she was somecampus until Autuori accepted that position. what puzzled by the scope of her responsibilAutuori, a health and wellness professionities. “When I asked, ‘What’s my job descripal who began her career as a dental hygienist tion?’, I was told, ‘Well, there really isn’t one,’” and later refocused to become a registered she recalled. yoga teacher, Reiki master and integrative In retrospect, Autuori recognized that health coach, also operates her own part-time the vagueness of her new duties reflected business, Integrative Health CT, which she the institute’s unusual place within the uniSCSU_Fairfield_CompSci_7.375x7.125.qxp_Layout 1 12/13/17 3:39 PM 1 founded in 2012. She Page has been an adjunct versity. Launched in 2001, the Institute for

Christel Autuori, director of the Institute for Holistic Health Studies at Western Connecticut State University. Photo by Phil Hall.

faculty member at the college since 2014, teaching a course on holistic and integrative health principles. “When I came on, one of my goals was to let people know about this (institute) because I had been teaching here and never really saw much that was going on,” she said. “Maybe I wasn’t looking in the right places.” Eager to make the Institute more visible on the Danbury campus, the new director in her first semester on the job created a Wellness Wednesday series of six free onehour workshops for students and university employees that she scheduled during a lunch hour. “I found out that I could get students if they were incentivized with extra credits,” she said. “And the difficulty in getting staff to come is that they have a half-hour to lunch. People are welcome to bring their food to these workshops, but the staff would only get to stay for half of the presentation.” Workshop participants instead were “mostly people from the community,” said Autuori, “which is great because my personal goals are to become a resource for the greater Danbury community and for practitioners in the area. It would appear the majority of people who have time in the middle of the day are retirees.” Through word-of-mouth marketing, university press releases and Autuori’s own promotion of the Institute to students in her private work as a yoga teacher, awareness has slowly begun to grow, she said. Looking to boost the institute’s credibility, she has brought in nationally prominent guest speakers, including surgeon and best-selling author Dr. Bernie Siegel and holistic stress management expert Brian Luke Seaward. “We partnered with Danbury Hospital to bring Seaward here and the next day he did a presentation up at the caregiver center at the hospital,” Autuori said, adding that televi» HEALTH

JANUARY 1, 2018

FCBJ

Six practical tips for digital and social marketing success in 2018 BY ROBIN COLNER Contributing writer

and conversions to purchase. Expect to promote influencer content with paid advertising.

EXPERIMENT WITH CHATBOTS AND MESSAGING APPS THE NEW FRONTIER FOR CUSTOMER COMMUNICATION

alerts on offers and deals. Pro Tip: Invite customers to interact with your business through Facebook Messenger before you create a bot.

them as a custom audience for Facebook and Instagram advertising. Remarketing to website visitors through ads in social media home feeds is an extremely effective strategy.

INCREASE PAID ADVERTISING ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

PRODUCE MORE VIDEO CONTENT

The term “chatbot” refers to a computer program that simulates human conversaSocial media marketing now requires paid tion through voice commands or text chat. media buys for most content from businessChatbots can be embedded for use in any es to be seen on Facebook, Instagram and major messaging application. Marketers Twitter. Advertising platforms change their are experimenting with ways to use bots to features frequently. Therefore, I recommend reduce the cost and friction of providing hiring a specialist to manage your social service to customers online. Facebook intromedia advertising when your monthly budget duced bots on Messenger in April 2016 for reaches several thousand dollars. Be sure to brands to customize and interact with custest audience segments, offers and creative tomers on their Facebook pages. executions frequently when developing social Despite the fact that chatbots are still in media advertising campaigns. The test results early stages of development, their substantial will yield valuable data to improve your promise lies in their ability to easily deliver entire marketing plan. interactive messaging that answers frequently Pro Tip: Businesses drive more traffic and SCSU_Fairfield_MBA_7.375x7.125.qxp_Layout 1revenue 12/13/17by3:38 PM Page asked questions and enables users to receive growing their 1email lists and using

According to Mark Zuckerberg, all content will be in a video format by 2020. Human beings process images over 60,000 times faster than text. Clearly, your New Year’s resolutions should include hiring a videographer or skilled video editor along with obtaining basic training in the use of video editing software and easy-to-use video apps such as Animoto and Adobe Spark. Most Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat stories are shot on mobile phones. They are designed to convey excitement and information so work on engaging the audience. Pro Tip: Keep your videos short and be sure to add text overlays that relate a » MARKETING

Robin Colner

igital and social media marketing evolves rapidly. I have identified the top six digital strategies B2C and B2B marketers should focus on to grow their businesses.

LEVERAGE INFLUENCERS

“Influencer marketing” refers to brands and businesses contracting with individuals who have large, engaged followings on social media to create content that improves the visibility of the brand’s products and services among the influencers’ followers. There are four categories of social media influencers: mega-celebrities and platform stars (1 million-plus followers), macro-influencers (10,000 to 1 million followers), micro-influencers who are popular with a niche market of 5,000 to 10,000 followers and nano-influencers who are alpha-fans of a brand and are active on social media but have less than 5,000 followers. Most consumer brands have worked with macro-influencers. A post or series of branded posts from a macro-influencer may cost $5,000 to $100,000. Talent agents represent many of them. Micro-influencers are often bloggers whose followers represent specific demographic audiences. They can be found through influencer platforms such as Mention, BuzzSumo, TapFusion, Revfluencer, Neoreach, and Traackr. Small businesses find great success in partnering with micro- and nano-influencers. These are popular individuals in a local market or industry niche who often reach a highly engaged, small group of followers. They work for lower rates and can help a company generate and test content ideas. Pro tip: Companies should identify influencers who have obtained strong engagement

FCBJ

JANUARY 1, 2018

Health—

sion broadcaster Joan Lunden, who penned the foreword to Seaward’s book “Stressed is Desserts Spelled Backwards,” appeared at Seaward’s events. In promoting both the institute and the concepts of holistic and integrative health, Autuori emphasizes their diversity. The subjects of last semester’s Wellness Wednesday workshops ranged from acupuncture for stress management to decoding the ingredients on food labels to using poetry and journaling as a mental health exercise. “Health is multidimensional,” said Autuori. “I don’t like the term ‘holistic’ because people think of us as old hippies. But holistic really means the big picture, the multidimensions involved in health: your family, your community affiliations, your affiliations. It it is mind-body, it is many different things.” For the spring semester, Autuori is planning a series of Tuesday workshops focused on meditation tied to Sahaja Yoga, a practice that does not require a mat. Within the Western Connecticut community, the Institute for Holistic Health Studies hosts stress-buster workshops at the end of each

semester, with visiting participants that include shamanic drummers and therapy dogs. And the Health Promotion and Exercise Sciences curriculum has students working with Institute resources to develop and implement needs assessment projects. “In the last couple of years, those projects have been on stress management, which seems to be a perennial problem,” Autuori said. “They look to the Institute for guidance and ideas and any healing modalities they can interpret with that.” Autuori said the institute is the only endeavor of its kind among Connecticut’s higher education institutions. She expressed concern that tomorrow’s health and wellness practitioners will lack holistic skills because of an obsession with digital technology. “The more we are connected electronically, the less we are connected interpersonally,” she warned. “I have a friend at the University of Bridgeport in a professional program that is teaching practitioners, and she told me one day, ‘My students told me they don’t know how to talk to their patients.’ If they can’t talk to their patients, they can’t read body language because they only know how to type.”

Marketing—

story if the audio is muted. Also, you need at least two staff members with cameras or mobile devices to shoot effective video for social media.

MAKE EMAIL MARKETING MORE PERSONAL

By now all of us have received those templated email messages with our name inserted after the salutation, “Dear” ___. On the other hand, B2C and B2B brands that understand the value of “relationship marketing” actually adjust the content of emails to reflect essential personal details about our purchase behavior or professional positions. This customization requires a company to have a system capture relevant data. They use the information to personalize communications designed to effectively build trust rather than to sell. Marketing automation platforms offer many functions that can improve the communications in each sales funnel. Automation alone however, can lead to stiff, robotic communication rather than human interactions. People want to feel as though they are communicating with other people. This is why live-streaming video content and even podcasting is so popu-

lar. They allow us to interact with the producer in real time. Pro Tip: Most companies use software platforms to manage email communications aligned with behavior triggers and to create sales funnels with lead magnets. Many digital marketers use Infusionsoft or Ontraport to manage the email sales funnels. I recommend trying the platform Drip as a first step when you are ready to move beyond MailChimp or Constant Contact.

EXPAND SOCIAL SELLING ACTIVITIES — THEY WORK BETTER THAN COLD CALLING

Professional service providers should ramp up their production of useful premium content to provide prospects with valuable insights rather than blatant sales pitches. A case study or e-book can be repurposed in numerous ways and distributed through social media platforms and employee ambassadors. Pro Tip: 2018 will be known as the year of the customer. Successful businesses will collect and analyze data from digital channels to create authentic, personal messaging aimed at enhancing relationships with customers, clients and prospects. Robin Colner is CEO of Digistar Media, a social media and digital marketing agency in Harrison, and director of the Digital and Social Media Professional Certificate Program at Fordham University’s School of Professional and Continuing Studies in West Harrison. She can be reached at 914-826-5512 or at Rcolner@DigiStarMedia. com and on Twitter: @RobinColner.

EDUCATION OMNIKAL TO OFFER TARGETED SCHOLARSHIPS

Make it Meaningful. Our Analytics and Systems M.S. provides a hybrid approach to teaching, ensuring you emerge with both the IT and professional business expertise to make sound business data decisions.

Learn more at bridgeport.edu

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Omnikal, a Southport-headquartered organization promoting inclusivity in business, has teamed with Norwalk Community College to create a scholarship program to encourage African-American males to pursue studies in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) field. The Omnikal and Norwalk Community College African-American STEM Scholarship will award scholarships to qualified students majoring in STEM-related pursuits at the Norwalk-based school. Ten students per year will be awarded the scholarships, although the amount of funding has yet to be finalized. Omnikal founder and CEO Kenton Clarke defined the scholarship as an effort to address the low number of African-American males in the STEM industries. “There is a shortage of building a strong pool of talent within this community,” said Clarke, an alumnus of Norwalk Community College. “The formation of this scholarship is just one step forward in building the pipeline for diverse talent in the technology industry. At the heart of STEM is entrepreneurship, as majority of STEM majors become entrepreneurs and account for a huge percentage of the small business workforce.” — Phil Hall

Facts & Figures BUILDING PERMITS COMMERCIAL 1000 Hope Street LLC, Stamford, contractor for self. Acquire a permit for a storage container in a commercial parking lot at 1000 Hope St., Stamford. Undisclosed cost. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. A Pappajohn Co., contractor for 484 Pacific Street Owner LLC. Perform an interior fit-up in an existing commercial space for a new tenant at 484 Pacific St., Stamford. Estimated cost: $454,570. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. All Trade Industries LLC, contractor for Hartman Fowler. Alter the office area and garage for a commercial truck rental company at 11 Brown House Road, Stamford. Estimated cost: $400,000. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. Bank Interest LLC, contractor for self. Remove three hair stations and two washing sinks in an existing commercial salon space at 41 Bank St., Stamford. Estimated cost: $11,385. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. Bella Pizzeria, contractor for self. Perform an interior fit-up in an existing commercial space for a new tenant at 15 Huntington Plaza, Shelton. Estimated cost: $200. Filed Dec. 5. Bishop Development, Weston, contractor for self. Add a sign to the exterior of an existing commercial space at 760 River Road, Shelton. Estimated cost: $25,000. Filed Nov. 30. BLT Management LLC, Stamford, contractor for Strand/BRC Group LLC. Perform load testing on a future commercial space at Washington Boulevard, Unit P-4 and P-5, Stamford. Estimated cost: $17,094. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15.

Items appearing in the Westchester County Business Journal’s On The Record section are compiled from various sources, including public records made available to the media by federal, state and municipal agencies and the court system. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of this information, no liability is assumed for errors or omissions. In the case of legal action, the records cited are open to public scrutiny and should be inspected before any action is taken. Questions and comments regarding this section should be directed to: John Golden c/o Westfair Communications Inc. 3 Westchester Park Drive, Suite G7 White Plains, N.Y. 10604-3407 Phone: 694-3600 • Fax: 694-3680

ON THE RECORD

Complete Dismantling Services LLC, contractor for the city of Stamford. Demolish city-owned commercial property at 740 Atlantic St., Stamford. Estimated cost: $25,000. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15.

M. Gottfried Inc., contractor for Macari Real Estate LLC. Install new roofs on an existing commercial space at 8 Schuyler Ave., Stamford. Estimated cost: $53,302. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15.

Tsikos, Antonio, contractor for Dana V. Barnes. Remodel the bathroom in a condominium unit at 166 Belltown Road, Unit D7, Stamford. Estimated cost: $9,600. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15.

Demott, Glenn W., contractor for ESRT First Stamford Place SPE LLC. Add a sign to the exterior of an existing commercial space at 151 Greenwich Ave., Unit 300, Stamford. Estimated cost: $25,000. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15.

Machado, Michael C., contractor for the city of Stamford. Renovate the lighting poles on the property of an existing commercial space at 45 Merrell Ave., Stamford. Estimated cost: $190,000. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15.

West Winds Contracting, contractor for Danbury Mall LLC. Modify the front of an existing commercial space and renovate the interior at 7 Backus Ave. Main, Danbury. Estimated cost: $110,000. Filed Nov. 27.

Enterprise Shelton Lot 4 LLC, Shelton, contractor for Enzo Clinical Labs. Perform an interior fit-up in an existing commercial space for a new tenant at 4 Corporate Drive, Shelton. Estimated cost: $35,000. Filed Dec. 1.

Magna Construction Limited LLC, contractor for BDCM Real Estate Holdings LLC. Perform an interior fit-up in an existing commercial space for a new tenant at 2187 Atlantic St., Stamford. Estimated cost: $800,500. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15.

Four Harbor Point Square LLC, Stamford, contractor for self. Construct a new screen on the roof of an existing commercial space at 100 Washington Blvd., Unit S2, Stamford. Estimated cost: $57,255. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. Frohling Sign Co., contractor for McDonald’s Corp. Renovate the roof on an existing commercial space at 3 Padanaram Road, Danbury. Estimated cost: $6,000. Filed Nov. 29. Galeano, Alejandro, contractor for Sovran Acquisition Limited Partnership. Add a sign to the exterior of an existing commercial space at 280 Fairfield Ave., Stamford. Estimated cost: $5,000. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. Galeano, Alejandro, contractor for Sovran Acquisition Limited Partnership. Add a sign and a canopy to the exterior of an existing commercial space at 649 Hope St., Stamford. Estimated cost: $15,500. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. Gas Renovations LLC, Stamford, contractor for Fountainhead Properties LLC. Renovate the office space in the interior of an existing commercial space at 1111 E. Putnam Ave., Greenwich. Estimated cost: $25,000. Filed November 2017. Katblan Inc., Stamford, contractor for self. Add a sign to the exterior of an existing commercial space at 225 Atlantic St., Unit 3, Stamford. Estimated cost: $900. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. Landmark Square 1-6 LLC, Stamford, contractor for self. Renovate the interior of an existing commercial space at 101 Broad St., Stamford. Estimated cost: $44,000. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. Leonard, Kelly Joseph, Danbury, contractor for self. Remove the kitchen and shower in an existing commercial space at 213 White St., Danbury. Estimated cost: $130,000. Filed Nov. 30.

NAC Industries Inc., contractor for the city of Danbury. Repair the structure of an existing commercial space at 23 Plumbtrees Road, Danbury. Estimated cost: $25,000. Filed Dec. 7. NAC Industries Inc., contractor for the city of Danbury. Repair the slab underneath an existing commercial space at 23 Plumbtrees Road, Danbury. Estimated cost: $25,000. Filed Dec 7. National Sign Co., contractor for Rich-Taubman Associates. Add a sign to the exterior of an existing commercial space at 100 Greyrock Place, Stamford. Estimated cost: $1,200. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. Paniccia Construction Corp LLC, contractor for Summer Street Equity LLC. Fill in the stairs on the fourth floor of an existing commercial space at 1640 Summer St., Stamford. Estimated cost: $160,000. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. Patriot National Bank, Stamford, contractor for self. Add a sign and a canopy to the exterior of an existing commercial space at 999 Bedford St., Stamford. Estimated cost: $21,664. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. Petrie Construction LLC, contractor for TR Park Place Corp. Add to the parking garage of an existing commercial space at 101 Washington Blvd., Unit C7, Stamford. Estimated cost: $111,667. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. Sign Pro, contractor for Berkshire Shopping Center LLC. Add a sign to the exterior of an existing commercial space at 67 Newtown, Danbury. Estimated cost: $18,000. Filed Nov. 27.

Woodgreen Shelton LLC, Trumbull, contractor for self. Construct new walls in an existing commercial space and add posts at 375 Bridgeport Ave., Shelton. Estimated cost: $35,000. Filed Dec. 1.

RESIDENTIAL Abarzua, Sonia M., Stamford, contractor for self. Add a bathroom to the first floor in an existing single-family residence at 49 Penzance Road, Stamford. Estimated cost: $8,520. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. Anspach, David R., contractor for Anna Geca, et al. Renovate the kitchen and bathrooms in an existing single-family residence at 21 Barmore Drive, Stamford. Estimated cost: $150,000. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. Aristizabal, Gonzalo, et al., Stamford, contractor for self. Add to the back and side of an existing two-family dwelling and enlarge the bathroom, bedroom and deck on the first and second floors at 209 Wardwell St., Stamford. Estimated cost: $155,160. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. Borrell Construction Services LLC, Scranton, Pennsylvania, contractor for Joyce Houston. Replace the windows on the exterior of an existing single-family residence at 273 Black Rock Ave., Bridgeport. Estimated cost: $5,400. Filed Dec. 1. Building By Design LLC, contractor for Tomas Carmine. Construct a new master-suite addition to an existing single-family residence at 14 Holbrook Drive, Stamford. Estimated cost: $60,000. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. Cappiello, Luciano, Shelton, contractor for self. Enclose a porch and move three bedrooms in an existing single-family residence at 4 Douglas Court, Shelton. Estimated cost: $10,000. Filed Nov. 30. Carpentry Unlimited Inc., Stamford, contractor for Scott Van Dusen, et al. Remodel the laundry room, two bathrooms and kitchen in an existing single-family residence at 54 W. Hill Circle, Stamford. Estimated cost: $90,000. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15.

Casden, Ellis A., Stamford, contractor for self. Replace the interior damaged from a flood in an existing single-family residence at 181 Larkspur Road, Stamford. Estimated cost: $410,602. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. City of Danbury, contractor for self. Renovate the sink and cabinets on municipal property at 63 Beaver Brook Road, Danbury. Estimated cost: $600. Filed Nov. 27. Copp, Bonita, Stamford, contractor for self. Renovate the kitchen and bathrooms in an existing single-family residence at 240 Sycamore Terrace, Stamford. Estimated cost: $51,400. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. CT House Buy LLC, Shelton, contractor for self. Replace the roof, windows, laundry room, basement and reframe a deck on an existing single-family residence at 62 Autumn Ridge Road, Shelton. Estimated cost: $120,000. Filed Dec. 6.

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DaSilva, Domingosa A., Danbury, contractor for self. Renovate the hallway and reduce the bath area in an existing single-family residence at 84 Merrimac St., Danbury. Estimated cost: $8,000. Filed Nov. 27.

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Dunn, Kim, Shelton, contractor for self. Add solar panels to the roof of an existing single-family residence at 84 Booth Hill Road, Shelton. Estimated cost: $44,800. Filed Dec. 6. Eben, Alix Field, et al., Stamford, contractor for self. Renovate the basement in an existing single-family residence at 12 Sunset Court, Stamford. Estimated cost: $10,000. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. Ehrhard, Robert, Danbury, contractor for self. Alter residential area and the bathroom at 12 Edgewood St., Danbury. Estimated cost: $16,000. Filed Nov. 30.

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Eppley, Todd S., contractor for self. Install a generator in an existing single-family residence at 7 Hartcroft Road, Stamford. Estimated cost: $10,000. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. Established Contractors LLC, contractor for Robert R. Collis and Susan Tully. Remodel the kitchen in an existing single-family residence at 135 Middle River Road, Danbury. Estimated cost: $80,000. Filed Dec. 4. Forlenzo, Karen M. and John P. Forlenzo, Shelton, contractor for self. Add solar panels to the roof of an existing single-family residence at 19 Haverhill Drive, Shelton. Estimated cost: $34,800. Filed Dec. 6.

FCBJ

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JANUARY 1, 2018

GOOD THINGS Staff members and guests at ribbon cutting. Between the dogs in the center of the photo, from left, Philip Putter, David Martin and Fred Camillo. Photo by Bob Capazzo.

A POSH PLACE FOR PETS The ribbon cutting and opening of the Spot On Veterinary Hospital & Hotel took place Dec. 20 at 184 Selleck St. in Stamford. Mayor David Martin, state Rep. Fred Camillo and Gary Dell’Abate, an animal advocate and executive producer of “The Howard Stern Show,” were among those attending. Veterinarian Philip Putter founded the 16,000-square-foot facility. In addition to a veterinary hospital, there’s an all-suite pet hotel, a dog day care center and a grooming spa. There are plans to add a pet adoption center. The building was designed with the environment in mind and is equipped with 151 solar panels providing the majority of its electrical needs, LED lighting, tempered windows and an advanced HVAC and air filtration system. Putter said, “We hope that the entire experience at Spot On breaks the mold of the traditional animal care model and encourages a new standard of pet care that caters to clients and their furry family members.”

GOUDY JOINS WEBSTER

Alice Rusk and Kunal Desai.

NEUROLOGY CENTER OPENS IN GREENWICH Alice Rusk, a doctor specializing in movement disorders, is leading Yale Medicine Neurology at Greenwich, which recently opened at 55 Holly Hill Lane. The center is designed to make more widely available a broad range of neurological subspecialties at a time of growing demand from an aging population. “This neurology center with expanded neurological specialties is a collaboration between Greenwich Hospital and Yale Medicine that will make it easier for patients to see a neurologist close to home,” said Norman

Roth, the hospital’s president and CEO. Also at the Greenwich location is Kunal Desai, a neurologist with a subspecialty in neuromuscular disorders. Rusk, who is chief of neurology at Greenwich Hospital, said “There’s been an explosion in the need for neurological services because people are easily living into their 80s and 90s. As people age, their nervous system is more likely to develop problems. Many of these problems are treatable. We want to help these individuals to function at their highest possible level.”

LIFTING WEIGHTS TO LIFT PAWS

In front holding the check, Mary Grande, left, and Christie Stewart, both of New Reach. Middle row from left, all from IDS, Kathleen Bivona, Holly Sutton-Darr and Shirley Mitchell. Top row, from left, all from IDS, Diane Rivera, Diana Hall and Julie Albrecht.

THEY SPELL CHARITY ‘CHAIR-ITY’ Designers and members of the Interior Design Society’s Connecticut chapter and artisans who work with the I.M. Smitten company in Trumbull came together to redesign chairs for charity. The furniture was auctioned to raise funds for the New Reach Organization, which has locations in Norwalk, Bridgeport and West Haven. Smitten hosted the event for more than 100 guests. Each year the designers gather to create a new “CHAIR-ity” event and identify a special cause. The latest event raised $8,000 to help build a community room for New Reach’s Life Haven Shelter, a homeless cen-

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ter for families. More than a dozen interior designers and artists repurposed chairs with their custom designs for the silent auction. The catered event also included a raffle and music by Rick Reyes. I.M. Smitten manufactures custom furnishings such as case goods and cabinets, wall panels, partitions, unique doors, tables and benches. The Interior Design Society is an independent national organization with more than 2,000 members. New Reach is involved in helping provide housing for all those in Connecticut who are in need of a safe, secure and affordable place to live.

Patrick Goudy

Patrick Goudy has been named senior vice president and director of financial planning and analysis for Webster Bank. He reports to Glenn MacInnes, executive vice president and chief financial officer. Goudy, a Bethel resident, previously served as a financial planning and analysis executive at GE Capital’s headquarters in Norwalk. He has worked in financial planning and analysis for about 17 years. “Patrick’s deep experience in leading financial planning and analysis initiatives, as well as his accounting, retail and commercial finance expertise will benefit our strong team,” MacInnes said.

PAWS of Greenwich, a nonprofit and a collective of dog lovers working to make the community even more pet friendly, will benefit from an event being staged Jan. 5 at 6:30 p.m. by the Iron Camp at 55 Old Post Road in Greenwich. LaRoy Warner, a certified personal trainer and nutritionist and owner of Iron Camp, is hosting a Deadlift Party, which many people will recognize as a weightlifting competition. Proceeds from the $25 registration fees will go to PAWS. PAWS is raising funds to support revitalization of Grass Island Dog Park, promotion and partnerships with local animal rescues and pet care companies, launch of pet therapy programs and more. Weightlifters will compete for cash prizes. They must be 18 or older and experienced; the competition is not for beginners. Online registration is limited to the first 30 experienced participants. The event is open to spectators, including anyone interested in learning more about the art of powerlifting.

KONOVER WINS AWARDS TRIFECTA Konover Residential Corp. received awards in three categories at the Connecticut Apartment Association Nutmeg Awards and Holiday Dinner held at Bill Miller’s Castle in Branford. A project in which Konover Residential is involved, The Sound at Gateway Commons in East Lyme, was recognized as the Community of the Year. Konover was recognized for the Best Overall Marketing Property for its marketing efforts at Trademark Fairfield, a 101-unit luxury community built in Fairfield in 2017. Christopher Crampton, regional manager for Konover, was named Regional Manager of the Year. Konover Residential Corp. is a division of The Simon Konover Co. The company and its related entities own and manage more than 10,000 apartment units, 3.5 million square feet of office and industrial space, 2.8 million square feet of retail space and hospitality assets.

HAPPENING CALAMARI TO JOIN LAW FIRM

At the forum, from left, Dan Fox, Carlo Leone, David Martin and Juanita James. Photo by fotosbyfailla.com.

FOUNDATION HOSTS FORUMS Fairfield County’s Community Foundation in December launched its advocacy series with two events: the Stamford 2017/2018 Legislative Forum and the Norwalk 2017/2018 Legislative Forum. The events are designed to bring together nonprofit leaders and government officials while helping nonprofit leaders build the relationships, knowledge and skills to make them better advocates for their organizations and the communities they serve. The Stamford forum was held at UConn Stamford and was attended by Stamford

Mayor David Martin, state Sen. Carlo Leone, and state Reps. Dan Fox and William Tong along with representatives from local nonprofits. The Norwalk Legislative Forum was held at the foundation’s headquarters. Upcoming are forums in Bridgeport and Danbury. The series ends May 31 with the Fairfield County Advocacy Day. “Opening the dialogue and starting the conversation is key to successfully implementing our efforts of cross collaboration across all sectors,” said Juanita James, foundation president and CEO.

Finn Dixon & Herling LLP, a 55-member law firm in Stamford, has announced that Andrew M. Calamari, who served as director of the New York regional office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for the past five years, will join the firm as a partner, effective Jan. 15. “The breadth and depth of the firm’s practice in both regulatory and white-collar matters provide the perfect fit for my background in securities enforcement and broker-dealer and investment adviser compliance,” Calamari said. Calamari, a Fairfield resident, began his SEC tenure in 2000 as an enforcement attorney and rose through the ranks to ultimately lead the SEC’s New York office of approximately 400 enforcement attorneys, accountants, investigators and compliance examiners. The New York office has responsibility for the largest concentration of SEC-registered financial institutions, including more than 4,000 investment banks, investment advisers, broker-dealers, mutual funds and hedge funds.

NCL Ridgefield volunteers Marguerite Bellotti, left, and Katherine Breen at the Danbury Mall.

A BIT OF STICK-TO-IT-IVENESS If you’re with a nonprofit seeking to raise funds by offering to wrap holiday packages in exchange for a modest donation, you’re going to need a way to secure the wrapping paper around those gifts. If you can do it without cutting into the funds you’ll be raising, that’s a plus. So it was that the Ridgefield Chapter of the National Charity League held an adhesive tape drive to support Housatonic Habitat for Humanity’s “Wrapping for Habitat.” At the Danbury Fall Mall from Dec. 1 through Dec. 24, Housatonic Habitat’s volunteers ran a wrapping station just outside of Macy’s on the second floor. With a suggested donation of $5 per gift, shoppers could get their gifts wrapped while supporting Housatonic Habitat at the same time. Ridgefield chapter volunteers collected tape for use by Housatonic Habitat’s wrapping volunteers. The chapter has about 250 members. It serves more than 30 local philanthropies and donates approximately 5,000 hours of service to the community each year.

HAZLETT JOINS POSITIVE DIRECTIONS

Cathy Hazlett

Children at the Cardinal Shehan Center in Bridgeport received toys collected by University of Bridgeport athletic teams.

TEAMING UP TO BRING JOY TO CHILDREN University of Bridgeport athletics teams helped ensure that Christmas was merry for children at the Cardinal Shehan Center in Bridgeport. The center serves 4,500 low-income young people in lower Fairfield County annually through various recreational, sports, social and educational programs. The student athletes collected about 100 games, trucks, puzzles and stuffed animals at men’s and women’s home basketball games and delivered them to the center in time for its annual Christmas party. “Our department as a whole thought it would be important to give back to the community; everyone pitched in,” said college Assistant Athletics Director Sara Richwine. Terry O’Connor, executive director of the Cardinal Shehan Center, said, “We’re very grateful to UB, its students and the coaches who got involved.” The toy drive was just one community service activity by the student athletes in the fourth quarter of the year. They tutored students at Roosevelt School in Bridgeport, hosted a Halloween party for area children, ran free after-school sports clinics at Wakeman Boys & Girls Club,and participated in other outreach campaigns.

Positive Directions, a nonprofit in Westport that provides treatment and prevention programs for mental health issues and addictive behaviors, has hired Cathy Hazlett. She will be the prevention coordinator for Westport, Weston and Wilton. “Cathy came to us after having founded and successfully run an agency that focused on youth substance misuse prevention in Vermont’s rural White River Valley area,” said Jennifer Hrbek, the organization’s executive director. Hazlett will work on ways to reduce and prevent alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, prescription and other drug use among young people. She is a tobacco treatment specialist and is particularly passionate about preventing tobacco use, including vaping. Hazlett is a member of the American Public Health Association, Connecticut Public Health Association, and the Connecticut Association of Prevention Professionals.

SLEEP SOLUTIONS If your child has trouble sleeping, there’s a lecture coming up for which you’ll surely want to stay awake. The Fairfield Chamber of Commerce and The Norma Pfriem Breast Center will host an “Evening of Wellness” event on Jan. 10. The subject is “Help Your Child Become a Great Sleeper.” It takes place at the Norma Pfriem facility, 111 Beach Road in Fairfield starting at 6 p.m. Admission is free. The lecture will be led by Lynelle M. Schneeberg. She is a licensed clinical psychologist who recently joined the Division of Sleep Medicine at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. Schneeberg is the director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at Connecticut Children’s Sleep Center. Among the subjects expected to be covered are childhood insomnia, solutions to help your children sleep and implementation of those solutions. Schneeberg is one of only 200 clinical psychologists in the country who is board certified in sleep medicine. To reserve a seat, call the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce at 203-255-1011.

Information for these features has been submitted by the subjects or their delegates.

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JANUARY 1, 2018

Facts & Figures Gardella, Al, Shelton, contractor for self. Strip and reroof an existing single-family residence at 31 Long Hill Ave., Shelton. Estimated cost: $9,500. Filed Nov. 29. Grosso, Nancy, Shelton, contractor for self. Build and replace a deck and French door at an existing single-family residence at 14 Country Place, Shelton. Estimated cost: $5,200. Filed Dec. 7. Hefferon, Brenda and Ernest Hefferon, contractor for self. Add a garage onto the property of an existing single-family residence at 120A Great Plain Road, Danbury. Estimated cost: $80,000. Filed Nov. 30. The Home Depot USA Inc., Rocky Hill, contractor for Hazel Curran, et al. Strip and reroof an existing single-family residence at 108 Sawmill Road, Stamford. Estimated cost: $3,543. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. Integral Projects LLC, contractor for Howard Berg, et al. Expand the master bedroom in an existing single-family residence at 126 Wire Mill Road, Stamford. Estimated cost: $193,200. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. James, Martin, Greenwich, contractor for Old Mill Developments LLC. Construct a new family room, four bedrooms, a four-car garage, kitchen and a sport court in the basement at 212 Old Mill Road, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $485,000. Filed November 2017. Jensen’s Inc., contractor for self. Rebuild a lot to replace a mobile home at West Kenosia Avenue, Danbury. Estimated cost: $82,000. Filed Dec. 5. Jensen’s Inc., contractor for Elaine L. Dandrea and Wachter Dandrea. Add a shed to the property of an existing single-family residence at West Kenosia Avenue, Danbury. Estimated cost: $3,000. Filed Dec. 5. Jensen’s Inc., contractor for self. Add a shed to the property of an existing single-family residence at West Kenosia Avenue, Danbury. Estimated cost: $2,500. Filed Dec. 5. Kay, David J., contractor for Azhar Hafeez. Install a generator in an existing single-family residence at 5 Wescott Road, Stamford. Estimated cost: $8,750. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. Knapp, Marie A. and Richard F. Knapp, Danbury, contractor for self. Add a shed to the property of an existing single-family residence at 13 DePalma Lane, Danbury. Estimated cost: $12,000. Filed Dec. 6.

Leonard, Kelly Joseph, Danbury, contractor for self. Remove the kitchen and shower in an existing commercial space at 213 White St., Danbury. Estimated cost: $500. Filed Nov. 30.

Posigen, contractor for Gilvano Amaral and Elizabeth Amaral. Add solar panels to the roof of an existing single-family residence at 6 Ridgeview Drive, Danbury. Estimated cost: $26,100. Filed Nov. 28.

Solar City Corp., Rocky Hill, contractor for Pablo Osornio. Add solar panels to the roof of an existing single-family residence at 13 Crescent Drive, Danbury. Estimated cost: $7,638. Filed Dec. 4.

Toll CT III Ltd Partnership, Newtown, contractor for Toll CT III Limited. Finish the basement in an existing single-family residence at 83 Winding Ridge, Danbury. Estimated cost: $36,000. Filed Nov. 30.

Lukac, Anthony, Orange, contractor for self. Alter the interior and exterior of an existing single-family residence and add a new deck at 89 Hillside Ave., Shelton. Estimated cost: $14,000. Filed Dec. 5.

Power Home Remodeling Group, Chester, Pennsylvania, contractor for Sarah Rand. Replace the windows on the exterior of an existing single-family residence at 127 Carol St., Danbury. Estimated cost: $12,815. Filed Nov. 29.

Stamford Tent Co., Stamford, contractor for Benjamin Carpenter. Add temporary tents to the property of an existing single-family residence for a special event at 22 Round Hill Road, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $16,000. Filed November 2017.

Torphy, Valerie R. and Walter B. Torphy, Shelton, contractor for self. Strip and reroof an existing single-family residence at 2 Basking Ridge Road, Shelton. Estimated cost: $7,165. Filed Dec. 1.

Power Home Remodeling Group, Chester, Pennsylvania, contractor for David Locke and Joyce Locke. Replace the windows on the exterior of an existing single-family residence at 2 Kimberly Trail, Danbury. Estimated cost: $10,379. Filed Nov. 29.

Stefan, Mildred and John E. Stefan, Shelton, contractor for self. Install a new master bathroom in an existing single-family residence at 166 Isinglass Road, Shelton. Estimated cost: $3,200. Filed Dec. 6.

Mathews, Shirley and Ashok Mathews, Shelton, contractor for self. Strip and reroof an existing single-family residence at 5 Ripton Road, Shelton. Estimated cost: $1,000. Filed Dec. 5. McCarthy Contracting LLC, contractor for Westford Real Estate Management. Strip and reroof an existing single-family residence at 97 Park Ave., Building 1, Danbury. Estimated cost: $9,711. Filed Nov. 27. McCarthy Contracting LLC, contractor for Westford Real Estate Management. Strip and reroof an existing single-family residence at 97 Park Ave., Building 2, Danbury. Estimated cost: $9,711. Filed Nov. 27. McCarthy Contracting LLC, contractor for Westford Real Estate Management. Strip and reroof an existing single-family residence at 97 Park Ave., Building 3, Danbury. Estimated cost: $9,711. Filed Nov. 27. McCarthy Contracting LLC, contractor for Westford Real Estate Management. Strip and reroof an existing single-family residence at 97 Park Ave., Building 8, Danbury. Estimated cost: $9,711. Filed Nov. 28. McCormack, Lauren and Brian McCormack, Shelton, contractor for self. Finish the basement in an existing single-family residence at 92 Old Dairy Lane, Shelton. Estimated cost: $20,000. Filed Dec. 6. Moseley, Sheila A. and Robert L. Moseley, Shelton, contractor for self. Strip and reroof an existing single-family residence at 235 Huntington St., Shelton. Estimated cost: $10,000. Filed Dec. 8. MRM Home Improvement LLC, contractor for Amber Andaleeb. Strip and reroof an existing single-family residence at 29 Hillandale Ave., Stamford. Estimated cost: $5,000. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. Pacheco, Jose Silva, Danbury, contractor for self. Add solar panels to the roof of an existing single-family residence at 29 Great Plain Road, Danbury. Estimated cost: $28,072. Filed Nov. 30. Pani, Manuel, Danbury, contractor for self. Expand the deck on an existing single-family residence at 18 Grove St., Danbury. Estimated cost: $8,500. Filed Nov. 29.

JANUARY 1, 2018

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Richter, Ronald F., contractor for Carza LLC. Strip and reroof an existing single-family residence and add new siding at 20 Hayestown Ave., Danbury. Estimated cost: $8,000. Filed Nov. 28. Rook Investments LLC, Shelton, contractor for self. Build a deck, shed and porch on the property of an existing single-family residence at 101 Hillside Ave., Shelton. Estimated cost: $16,650. Filed Nov. 30. Rubin, Richard, contractor for Fairview Condominium Association. Remove and replace the deck on an existing single-family residence at Fairview Drive, Danbury. Estimated cost: $28,000. Filed Dec. 4. Rylo, Rafal, Shelton, contractor for self. Add solar panels to the roof of an existing single-family residence at 21 New St., Shelton. Estimated cost: $18,560. Filed Dec. 1. Schif, Lorraine and Richard Schif, Shelton, contractor for self. Replace a bathroom in an existing single-family residence at 492 Wolf Run, Shelton. Estimated cost: $20,000. Filed Dec. 6. Schloss, Kimberly J. and Gary H. Schloss, Danbury, contractor for self. Renovate the dormers, bathroom, doors and windows in an existing single-family residence at 1 Park Road, Danbury. Estimated cost: $80,000. Filed Dec. 7. Shoreline Pools Inc., contractor for Lion Group Development LLC. Construct an in-ground swimming pool with a spa on the property of an existing single-family residence at 88 Blueberry Drive, Stamford. Estimated cost: $55,742. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. Solar City Corp., Rocky Hill, contractor for Paul E. Landerville. Add solar panels to the roof of an existing single-family residence at 12 Huntington Drive, Danbury. Estimated cost: $30,878. Filed Nov. 4.

Still, Nancy, Shelton, contractor for self. Add solar panels to the roof of an existing single-family residence at 47 Patricia Drive, Shelton. Estimated cost: $25,520. Filed Dec. 6. Sunset Holdings LLC, Stamford, contractor for self. Renovate the first floor in an existing single-family residence and add a second floor at 74 Brookhollow Lane, Stamford. Estimated cost: $433,400. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. THD at Home Services Inc., Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, contractor for Cheryl Stefani. Replace the windows on the exterior of an existing single-family residence at 136 Pembroke Road, Unit 8-72, Danbury. Estimated cost: $8,145. Filed Nov. 28. THD at Home Services Inc., Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, contractor for Michael J. Basso. Replace the windows on the exterior of an existing single-family residence at 18 Olympic Drive, Danbury. Estimated cost: $3,709. Filed Nov. 28. THD at Home Services Inc., Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, contractor for Antonio P. Oliveira and Maria C. Oliveira. Replace the windows on the exterior of an existing single-family residence at 18A Triangle St., Unit A-4, Danbury. Estimated cost: $3,558. Filed Nov. 28. THD at Home Services Inc., Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, contractor for Florindo Da Costra Almeida. Replace the windows on the exterior of an existing single-family residence at 34 Padanaram Road, Unit 323, Danbury. Estimated cost: $2,817. Filed Nov. 28. THD at Home Services Inc., Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, contractor for Robin Grubard and Robert Wallace. Replace the windows on the exterior of an existing single-family residence at 38 Harrison St., Danbury. Estimated cost: $3,559. Filed Nov. 28.

Urgiles, Marcia and Samuel Suarez, Danbury, contractor for self. Add solar panels to the roof of an existing single-family residence at 15 Bergh St., Danbury. Estimated cost: $18,810. Filed Nov. 28. Vivint Solar, contractor for Marisa M. Mancini. Add solar panels to the roof of an existing single-family residence at 23 Cherokee Drive, Danbury. Estimated cost: $46,574. Filed Nov. 30. Vivint Solar, contractor for Joseph R. Knudsen. Add solar panels to the roof of an existing single-family residence at 12 Alan Ave., Danbury. Estimated cost: $22,999. Filed Nov. 30. Weatherite Systems LLC, contractor for Karen J. Dolan. Strip and re-side an existing single-family residence with new vinyl siding at 5 Palmer St., Stamford. Estimated cost: $29,999. Filed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. Westchester Modular Homes, contractor for Holy Trinity Orthodox Church. Construct a new single-family residence with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a two-car garage and an attached deck at 66 Joe’s Hill Road, Danbury. Estimated cost: $450,000. Filed Dec. 5. Wilson, Scott, Bridgeport, contractor for self. Add a walk-in closet, replace the doors, windows and renovate the basement and insulation in an existing single-family residence at 7 Eastwood Road, Bridgeport. Estimated cost: $8,931. Filed Dec. 1. Withington, Allan J., Danbury, contractor for self. Renovate an existing single-family residence at 68 King St., Danbury. Estimated cost: $9,500. Filed Nov. 30. Young, Jamie and Matthew Young, Shelton, contractor for self. Build an addition in an existing single-family residence at 43 Autumn Ridge Road, Shelton. Estimated cost: $3,000. Filed Dec. 1.

COURT CASES The following court cases represent the allegations made by plaintiffs in the initial filings of civil lawsuits, and do not represent legally binding judgments made by the courts.

Bridgeport Superior Court 99 Restaurants LLC, et al., Wilmington, Delaware. Filed by Linda Paul, Stratford. Plaintiff’s attorney: Rosemarie Paine, Jacobs & Dow LLC, New Haven. Action: The plaintiff has brought this product liability suit against the defendants alleging that she bit into a stuffed clam sold by the defendants and sustained damages when she choked on a broken shell in the food. The defendants allegedly failed to inspect their products to determine if they were safe to eat. The plaintiff seeks monetary damages in excess of $15,000, punitive and exemplary charges and such other relief as this court may deem proper. Case no. FBT-CV17-6069295-S. Filed Dec. 12. Athens Inc., Southport. Filed by Sprague Operating Resources LLC, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Plaintiff’s attorney: Sugarmann & Sugarmann, New Haven. Action: The plaintiff has brought this breach of contract suit against the defendant alleging that it had failed to make timely payments to the plaintiff for natural gas provided to it. The plaintiff has declared the entire outstanding principal balance of $11,737 due and has made a demand for the balance, yet has not received payment. The plaintiff claims money damages, court costs, post-judgement interest and such other and further relief as may be deemed appropriate by the court. Case no. FBT-CV17-6069351-S. Filed Dec. 13. Begum Kaya Corp., et al., Hartford. Filed by People’s United Bank, Bridgeport. Plaintiff’s attorney: Cohen Burns Hard & Paul, West Hartford. Action: The plaintiff has brought this breach of contract suit against the defendants alleging that they had failed to make timely payments to the plaintiff for a credit account. The plaintiff has declared the entire outstanding principal balance of $7,521 due and has made a demand for the balance, yet has not received payment. The plaintiff claims money damages and court costs. Case no. FBT-CV17-6069310-S. Filed Dec. 12. Orthopaedic Specialty Group PC, Fairfield. Filed by Rachael Buchanan, Milford. Plaintiff’s attorney: Thomas M. Yuditski, Bridgeport. Action: The plaintiff has brought this medical malpractice suit against the defendant alleging that it failed to properly provide the plaintiff copies of her medical bill when requested. The plaintiff claims monetary damages less than $2,500 exclusive of interests and costs. Case no. FBT-CV17-6069270-S. Filed Dec. 12.

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JANUARY 1, 2018

Facts & Figures The Greens at Cannondale, et al., Wilton. Filed by Andrea Reid, Bridgeport. Plaintiff’s attorney: McEnery Price Messey & Sullivan LLC, Milford. Action: The plaintiff has brought this personal injury suit against the defendants alleging that she slipped on a slippery surface owned by the defendants and sustained injury. This slippery condition was allegedly allowed to exist due to the negligence of the defendants and their employees in that they permitted their floor to remain in a defective condition. The plaintiff claims monetary damages within the jurisdiction of the court. Case no. FBT-CV17-6069331-S. Filed Dec. 13.

Stamford Superior Court A. Vitti Excavators LLC, Stamford. Filed by Crum & Forster, Morristown, New Jersey. Plaintiff’s attorney: Rosenthal Law Firm LLC, West Hartford. Action: The plaintiff has brought this property damage suit against the defendant alleging that its building was hit by an excavator owned by the defendant and driven by an employee of the defendant during the course of its work. The defendant was allegedly negligent in that it failed to apply its brakes in time to prevent a collision. The plaintiff claims monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interests and costs and such other relief as the court deems just and proper. Case no. FST-CV176034346-S. Filed Dec. 14. Geico General Insurance Co., et al., Hartford. Filed by Brianna Kouri, Stamford. Plaintiff’s attorney: Louis Rubano, Lynch, Traub, Keefe & Errante, New Haven. Action: The plaintiff has brought this motor vehicle suit against the defendants alleging that she collided with an underinsured motorist and suffered injury. The insurance policy carried by the underinsured motorist is inadequate to fully compensate for the damages. The plaintiff alleges that her injuries are the legal responsibilities of her insurance company and related parties, the defendants. The plaintiff claims money damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interests and costs and such other relief as in law or equity may apply. Case no. FSTCV17-6034340-S. Filed Dec. 13. IPARK LLC, et al., Greenwich. Filed by Scott Spector MD, Westport. Plaintiff’s attorney: Walter A. Shalvoy Jr., Newtown. Action: The plaintiff has brought this personal injury suit against the defendants alleging that he was hit by a car owned by the defendants and driven by an employee of the defendants during the course of their work. The defendants were allegedly negligent in that they operated their motor vehicle at an unreasonable rate of speed. The plaintiff claims monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interests and costs and such other relief as the court deems just and proper. Case no. FST-CV17-6034303-S. Filed Dec. 12.

JANUARY 1, 2018

J.B. Hunt Transport Inc., et al., Hartford. Filed by Joel Lusman, Greenwich. Plaintiff’s attorney: O’Brien, Moore, O’Brien & Foti, Middlebury. Action: The plaintiff has brought this personal injury suit against the defendants alleging that he was hit by a car owned by the defendants and driven by an employee of the defendants during the course of their work. The defendants were allegedly negligent in that they operated their motor vehicle at an unreasonable rate of speed. The plaintiff claims monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interests and costs, and such other relief as the court deems just and proper. Case no. FST-CV176034333-S. Filed Dec. 13. Petro Holdings Inc., Stamford. Filed by Jayson Hall, Norwalk. Plaintiff’s attorney: Daly, Weihing & Bochanis, Bridgeport. Action: The plaintiff has brought this employment discrimination suit against the defendant alleging that he was injured during the course of his work. The plaintiff was allegedly allowed to return to work with restrictions, yet discharged despite his ability to perform his job. The defendant was allegedly negligent in exposing its employee to a hazardous condition. The plaintiff claims monetary damages, attorney’s fees and such other and further relief as in law and equity may pertain. Case no. FST-CV176034316-S. Filed Dec. 13. Safeco Insurance Company of Illinois, Hartford. Filed by Roger Ratzenberger and Catherine Ratzenberger, Milford. Plaintiffs’ attorney: Lynch, Traub, Keefe & Errante, New Haven. Action: The plaintiffs have brought this motor vehicle suit against the defendant alleging that they collided with an underinsured motorist and suffered injury. The insurance policy carried by the underinsured motorist is inadequate to fully compensate for the damages. The plaintiffs allege that their injuries are the legal responsibilities of their insurance company, the defendants. The plaintiffs claim money damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interests and costs and such other relief as in law or equity may apply. Case no. FSTCV17-6034341-S. Filed Dec. 13.

FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT British Motorworks LLC, et al. Filed by Lisa Whidbae, Waterbury. Plaintiff’s attorney: Consumer Law Group, Rocky Hill. Action: The plaintiff has brought this warranty suit against the defendants alleging that they fraudulently sold a 2012 Land Rover to the plaintiff as a certified pre-owned, although it had suffered flood damage and was in disrepair. The defendants allegedly made misrepresentations to the plaintiff. The plaintiff claims damages, costs, attorney’s fees or such other and further relief as the court deems just and equitable. Case no. 3:17-cv-02081-AWT. Filed Dec. 14.

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Rajo Capital Management, Paradise Valley, Arizona. Filed by Jed Horwitt, Receiver for Sentinel Growth Fund Management LLC. Plaintiff’s attorney: Zeisler & Zeisler PC, Bridgeport. Action: The plaintiff has brought this fraud suit against the defendant alleging that it operated a Ponzie scheme misrepresented as a legitimate investment firm. The plaintiff, acting as receiver for certain funds, seeks to avoid a fraudulent transfer to the defendant’s fund. The plaintiff claims an injunction restraining the defendant, attorney’s fees, prejudgment interest, post-judgment interest, costs and such other and further relief as the court deems just and equitable. Case no. 3:17-cv-02077JCH. Filed Dec. 13. Sandy Alexander Inc., Clifton, New Jersey. Filed by Paul Joseph Izzo, Newtown. Plaintiff’s attorney: Berlingieri Law PLLC, New York, New York. Action: The plaintiff has brought this age-discrimination suit against the defendant alleging that it gave the commissions from his account to a younger employee, in breach of contract. The defendant allegedly went to length to hide its misdirection of the commission. The plaintiff claims compensatory damages, punitive damages, costs, disbursements, attorney’s fees, expert fees, costs, prejudgment interest, post-judgment interest and such other and further relief as the court deems just and equitable. Case no. 3:17-cv-02060VLB. Filed Dec. 11. Westport Capital Markets LLC, et al. Filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Plaintiff’s attorney: Michael Christopher Moran, Boston, Mass. Action: The plaintiff has brought this SEC suit against the defendants alleging that they purchased securities in client accounts, which generated undisclosed markups and fees for themselves, on top of the advisory fees, which the clients had paid them to manage their investments. Certain securities purchased allegedly caused losses for their clients. The defendants allegedly failed to tell their clients they sold securities from their own proprietary brokerage account to client accounts, in breach of law. The plaintiff claims an injunction enjoining the defendants, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains and such other and further relief as the court deems just and equitable. Case no. 3:17-cv-02064JAM. Filed Dec. 11.

DEEDS COMMITTEE DEEDS Baytar, Donna, et al., Shelton. Appointed committee: Joseph P. Rigoglioso, Fairfield. Property: 19 Tuckahoe Drive, Shelton. Amount: $110,000. Docket no. AAN-cv146017376S. Filed Nov. 29.

Johnson, Marvel, et al., Shelton. Appointed committee: Alan J. Tyma, Shelton. Property: 47 Middle Ave., Shelton. Amount: $214,200. Docket no. AAN-cv-13-6014425-S. Filed Nov. 27. Pereira, Elias L., et al., Danbury. Appointed committee: Edward J. Hannafin, Danbury. Property: 110 Stadley Rough Road, Danbury. Amount: $225,000. Docket no. DBD-cv-13-6013178-S. Filed Dec. 7. US Bank NA, Salt Lake City, Utah. Appointed committee: Daniel F. Schipick, Trumbull. Property: 236 Sterling Road, Trumbull. Amount: $401,400. Docket no. FBT-cv156047591-S. Filed Nov. 13.

COMMERCIAL 2870 Fairfield Avenue LLC, Easton. Seller: Stoligan Properties LLC, Norwalk. Property: 2870-2872 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport. Amount: $335,000. Filed Dec. 8. 3 Stonington LLC, Greenwich. Seller: 51 Dearfield LLC, Greenwich. Property: 69 Dearfield Drive, Greenwich. Amount: $1.7 million. Filed Dec. 11.

Madison Village LLC, Norwalk. Seller: Theresa T. Sabo, Trumbull. Property: 4232 Madison Ave., Trumbull. Amount: $330,000. Filed Nov. 17.

Ali, Syed, Astoria, New York. Seller: Noble Estates LLC, Brooklyn, New York. Property: 751-753 Norman St., Bridgeport. Amount: $240,000. Filed Dec. 5.

Melo K. Holdings C LLC, Bridgeport. Seller: Wilmington Savings Fund Society, Greenville, S.C. Property: 76 Dande St., Bridgeport. Amount: $150,619. Filed Dec. 5.

Ambrosio, Kimberly and Kenneth Ambrosio, Trumbull. Seller: Paul S. Lavoie and Cynthia R. Lavoie, Trumbull. Property: 117 Meadow View Drive, Trumbull. Amount: $652,500. Filed Nov. 29.

Oliveira Realty LLC, Stratford. Seller: The Bank of New York Mellon, trustee, Coppell, Texas. Property: 156-158 Hanover St., Bridgeport. Amount: $17,500. Filed Dec. 6. Oliveira Realty LLC, Trumbull. Seller: Deutsche Bank National Trust Co., Salt Lake City, Utah. Property: 640 Shelton Road, Trumbull. Amount: $210,000. Filed Nov. 7. On the River LLC, Shelton. Seller: EG Investment LLC, Shelton. Property: 425 River Road, Shelton. Amount: $269,000. Filed Nov. 17. Real Estate Investments IV LLC, Danbury. Seller: Patricia Anne Dawley, Newtown. Property: 18 Cobblers Hill Road, Trumbull. Amount: $291,000. Filed Nov. 15.

330 Bridgeport Avenue LLC, Hamden. Seller: G.H. Ventures Inc., Derby. Property: 330 Bridgeport Ave., Shelton. For an unknown amount paid. Filed Dec. 1.

Second Wind Homes LLC, Greenwich. Seller: Robert P. Intrieri and Annette M. Intrieri, Greenwich. Property: Lots 58 and 59 in Valleywood Road, Greenwich. Amount: $984,960. Filed Dec. 13.

Benchmark Trading Ltd., Bridgeport. Seller: LNV Corp., Plano, Texas. Property: 120 Huntington Turnpike,, Unit 901, Bridgeport. Amount: $39,500. Filed Dec. 4.

SS Enterprise LLC, Bridgeport. Seller: PNC Bank NA, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Property: 95 Northfield St., Bridgeport. Amount: $169,174. Filed Dec. 7.

Cardoso Enterprises 1 LLC, Fairfield. Seller: Deutsche Bank National Trust Co., Salt Lake City, Utah. Property: 14 Turney Place,. Trumbull. Amount: $231,500. Filed Nov. 27.

T&J Realty Inc., Stratford. Seller: Vivian C. Lounsbury, Bridgeport. Property: 325 Lafayette Ave., Unit 4005, Bridgeport. Amount: $47,000. Filed Dec. 13.

Diverse Builders LLC, Fairfield. Seller: Blessed Assurance Inc., Trumbull. Property: 175 White Plains Road, Trumbull. Amount: $140,000. Filed Dec. 6.

The AF-SF 2015 Family Trust, Greenwich. Seller: Juergen Bartels and Rachel Bartels, Greenwich. Property: 88 Conyers Farm Drive, Greenwich. Amount: $7.4 million. Filed Dec. 8.

Federal National Mortgage Association, Dallas, Texas. Seller: PHH Mortgage Corp., Mt. Laurel, New Jersey. Property: 27 Pinewood Trail, Trumbull. For no consideration paid. Filed Nov. 20. Flip This LLC, Orange. Seller: Leslie H. Rogers, Shelton. Property: 89 Hillside Ave., Shelton. Amount: $70,000. Filed Dec. 5. Licari Properties LLC, Norwalk. Seller: Daniel E. Bednarsky, Oxford. Property: 235 Henry Ave., Unit 31M, Stratford. Amount: $73,000. Filed Dec. 8. LIPP Properties LLC, Branford. Seller: Florence C. Lipnickas, Branford. Property: 217 Pinewood Trail, Trumbull. Amount: $260,500. Filed Nov. 27.

Town of Trumbull. Seller: David M. Lawrence and Karina Lawrence, Trumbull. Property: 99 Moose Hill Road, Trumbull. For an unknown amount paid. Filed Nov. 8.

RESIDENTIAL Adinolfi, Dori A., Shelton. Seller: Alfonso Valecillos Parra and Nora Monsalve Rodriguez, Shelton. Property: 61 Country Walk, Shelton. Amount: $262,500. Filed Dec. 15. Alfonso, Lisa S., Trumbull. Seller: Louis M. Mercaldo and Melissa A. Mercaldo, Shelton. Property: 12 Tuxedo Ave., Shelton. Amount: $295,000. Filed Nov. 15.

Amis, Anne S. and Edward S. Amis Jr., Ardsley-on-Hudson, New York. Seller: Herman Wong, Greenwich. Property: 101 Lewis St., Unit M, Greenwich. Amount: $1.2 million. Filed Dec. 11. Armstrong, Pamela B., trustee, Hobe Sound, Florida. Seller: Pamela B. Armstrong, Hobe Sound, Florida. Property: 1 Old Church Road, Unit 6, Greenwich. For no consideration paid. Filed Dec. 6. Azary, Dennis Michael, Drive Daly City, California. Seller: Stephen J. Herman and Jen Chief, Shelton. Property: 33 Wake Robin Lane, Shelton. Amount: $470,000. Filed Nov. 13. Baldino, Zdravka and Tod Baldino, Trumbull. Seller: Juan Carlos Gomez and Helga M. Gomez, Trumbull. Property: 64 Palisade Ave., Trumbull. Amount: $425,000. Filed Nov. 28. Bandyopadhyay, Joyita and Shashi Raghunandan, Greenwich. Seller: Brendan Burke, Greenwich. Property: 51 Forest Ave., Unit 22, Greenwich. Amount: $1.2 million. Filed Dec. 12. Benson, Anne and Joseph Griffin, Trumbull. Seller: Thomas Slate LLC, Trumbull. Property: 115 Twitchgrass Road, Trumbull. Amount: $479,000. Filed Dec. 15. Blanchette, Lauren and Scott Blanchette, Norwalk. Seller: Balaji Chellappa, Trumbull. Property: 14 Salem Road, Trumbull. Amount: $490,000. Filed Dec. 6. Boutagy, Ashley and Salim Boutagy, Trumbull. Seller: Christopher Prokop and Charles P. Prokop III, Trumbull. Property: 17 Manor Drive, Trumbull. Amount: $275,000. Filed Dec. 1. Bradford, Steven, Bridgeport. Seller: Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, D.C. Property: 317 Lincoln Ave., Unit 319, Bridgeport. Amount: $165,000. Filed Dec. 4. Brodacki, Amanda and Matthew Brodacki, Trumbull. Seller: Jeffrey P. Yance and Karen Yance, Trumbull. Property: 75 Roosevelt Drive, Trumbull. Amount: $419,900. Filed Dec. 11.

Facts & Figures Burgos, Solee F. and Stacey F. Epps, Stratford. Seller: Viade Development LLC, Bridgeport. Property: 18 Rosa Lane, Shelton. Amount: $545,000. Filed Nov. 30. Burke, Kaitlin and Ryan Burke, Shelton. Seller: S and G of Shelton LLC, Shelton. Property: 15 Sylvester’s Way, Shelton. Amount: $479,900. Filed Nov. 13. Caprici, Contessa and Bryan Clarke, Shelton. Seller: Laurie Anne Picariello, Seymour. Property: 86 Nichols Ave., Shelton. Amount: $270,000. Filed Nov. 28. Castro, Alexandra and Brian Spitzmacher, Trumbull. Seller: Donald T. Farrelly and Michele L. Farrelly, Trumbull. Property: 4731 Madison Ave., Trumbull. Amount: $500,000. Filed Nov. 1. Cerminara, Julia and Christopher Cerminara, Danbury. Seller: John L. Tomascak and Patricia A. Tomascak, Brookfield. Property: 31 Deer Run Road, Brookfield. Amount: $369,000. Filed Dec. 8. Ciardi, Molly and Carlo Ciardi, Fairfield. Seller: Eileen McManus, Fairfield. Property: Lot 1, Map 861, Fairfield. Amount: $475,000. Filed Dec. 8. Constantino, Julisa and Van Constantino, Norwalk. Seller: John G. Tuttle and Cathy E. Tuttle, Trumbull. Property: 39 Plymouth Ave., Trumbull. Amount: $392,000. Filed Nov. 13. Cordova, Adrian, Bridgeport. Seller: Robert DeLibro and Clare DeLibro, Easton. Property: 7 Cayer Circle, Shelton. Amount: $330,000. Filed Nov. 20. Correa, Ruben L., Trumbull. Seller: Luna May Korponay, Trumbull. Property: 36 Greenfield Drive, Trumbull. Amount: $275,000. Filed Dec. 7. Crosby, Sherry Dangelo and Jonathan Andrew Crosby, Trumbull. Seller: Donald E. Nelson and Agnes E. Nelson, Trumbull. Property: 10 Fawn Meadow Drive, Trumbull. Amount: $475,900. Filed Nov. 6. Cunningham, Maria Isabel and Brooks Cunningham, Fairfield. Seller: Robert A. Swift Jr. and Theresa Ebron-Swift, Fayetteville, Georgia. Property: 23 Unity Drive, Trumbull. Amount: $360,000. Filed Nov. 6. D’Amore, Adriana and Emmanuel D’Amore, White Plains, New York. Seller: Coleman Business Holdings LLC, Greenwich. Property: Lots 31 and 32, Map 1161, Greenwich. Amount: $760,000. Filed Dec. 8.

Dancho, Elizabeth and Alexander R. Dancho, Stratford. Seller: William C. Franzon and Jill K. Franzon, Trumbull. Property: 645 Booth Hill Road, Trumbull. Amount: $507,000. Filed Nov. 13.

Figueroa, Tarika and Andre Figueroa, New York, New York. Seller: Juan Remus Jr. and Danielle K. Remus, Trumbull. Property: 105 Grove St., Trumbull. Amount: $360,000. Filed Nov. 15.

Defilippo, Gary, Shelton. Seller: Marjorie Chulak, Old Orchard Beach, Maine. Property: Lot 15, Assessor’s Map 21.C, Shelton. Amount: $50,000. Filed Nov. 13.

Finoccchio, Karen and Robert Finocchio Sr., Shelton. Seller: Barounis Properties LLC, Shelton. Property: 127-129 Center St., Shelton. Amount: $500,000. Filed Nov. 29.

Dellacacagna, Susan D’Angelo and Louis Dellacacagna, Greenwich. Seller: Louis Dellacagna, Greenwich. Property: 40 High St., Greenwich. For no consideration paid. Filed Dec. 4.

Franco, Eric, Bridgeport. Seller: Phu On and Linh On, Trumbull. Property: 3200 Madison Ave., Unit C-8, Bridgeport. Amount: $140,000. Filed Dec. 7.

Demunnynck, Natalie and Yoav Wiegenfeld, Greenwich. Seller: Jeremy P. Judge and Jenny E. Judge, Greenwich. Property: 45 Husted Lane, Greenwich. Amount: $3.3 million . Filed Dec. 4. Donnelly, Jane K., Stratford. Seller: Christopher C. Castaldi, Shelton. Property: Unit 90 in Country Walk Condominium, Shelton. Amount: $244,900. Filed Nov. 16. Donnelly, Maryanne L. and Christian P. Frisberg, Trumbull. Seller: Dana Lynn Nuzzo, Trumbull. Property: 227 Stonehouse Road, Trumbull. Amount: $462,500. Filed Dec. 7. Dusevic, Branko, Greenwich. Seller: Ivo Mrdelja, Greenwich. Property: 11-A Mead Ave., Greenwich. For no consideration paid. Filed Dec. 6. Dusevic, Branko, Greenwich. Seller: Ivo Mrdelja, Greenwich. Property: 38-A Orchard St., Greenwich. For no consideration paid. Filed Dec. 6. Elkodsi, Susan L., Malverne, New York. Seller: Karen Cohen, Steeplechase Court, Wayne, New Jersey. Property: 153 Mayfield Drive, Trumbull. Amount: $138,500. Filed Nov. 21. Elliott III, William F., Fairfield. Seller: Margaret C. Crossin, Bridgeport. Property: 331 Lake Ave., Bridgeport. Amount: $360,000. Filed Dec. 4. Evans, Rosa R. and Robert A. Evans, Shelton. Seller: Robert A. Evans and Rosa R. Evans, Shelton. Property: 16 Adams Drive, Shelton. For an unknown amount paid. Filed Nov. 13. Ferrante, Robert, Shelton. Seller: Patricia A. Anthony and Robert Anthony, Shelton. Property: 38A Birchbank Road, Shelton. Amount: $410,000. Filed Nov. 21. Ferrie, Maria and Luan Zeko, Shelton. Seller: John Miranda, Shelton. Property: 243 Thompson St. and 27 Todd Drive, Shelton. Amount: $280,000. Filed Nov. 13.

Frank, Julia, Easton. Seller: Joshua Wilbur and Sara Wilbur, Bridgeport. Property: 3250 Fairfield Ave., Unit 329, Bridgeport. Amount: $165,000. Filed Dec. 4. Fretes, Nubia Alida Silva, Norwalk. Seller: Gloria Reveron, Bridgeport. Property: 2655 Madison Ave., Bridgeport. Amount: $139,000. Filed Dec. 5. Galemba, Tiffany and Dustin Galemba, Fairfield. Seller: Kenneth M. Ambrosio and Kimberly J. Ambrosio, Trumbull. Property: 36 Deerfield Drive, Trumbull. Amount: $420,000. Filed Dec. 11. Garcia, Eliu, Bridgeport. Seller: Laura P. Delucia, Milford. Property: 230 Walnut Tree Hill Road, Shelton. Amount: $345,000. Filed Dec. 1. Giammattel, Alyssa M., Stratford. Seller: Armindo M. Rodrigues, Shelton. Property: 18 Heather Ridge, Shelton. Amount: $164,900. Filed Nov. 15. Green, Antonette, Bridgeport. Seller: Indira Narain, Bridgeport. Property: 25 Cartright St., Unit 7-D, Bridgeport. Amount: $112,500. Filed Dec. 13. Greto, Jill, Trumbull. Seller: KRZ Remodeling LLC, Shelton. Property: 26 Rocky Ridge Drive, Trumbull. Amount: $350,000. Filed Nov. 13. Guzman, Gladys, Bridgeport. Seller: Dean J. Yusi, Bridgeport. Property: 36 Oxbrook Road, Bridgeport. Amount: $220,000. Filed Dec. 5. Hammack, Dana and Jonathan Hammack, Greenwich. Seller: Indian River Head LLC, Greenwich. Property: Indian Head Road, Greenwich. Amount: $4.7 million . Filed Dec. 8. Hanover, Pamela I. and Stanley I. Hanover, Trumbull. Seller: Gary A. Mastronardi and Teresa L. Mastronardi, Trumbull. Property: 7 Regency Circle, Trumbull. Amount: $465,000. Filed Dec. 1. Herman, Alexandra C. and Marc J. Herman, Trumbull. Seller: Mary P. Wade, Trumbull. Property: 30 Wildwood Drive, Trumbull. Amount: $486,000. Filed Dec. 1.

Heyer, Helay B. and James L. Heyer, Greenwich. Seller: Bruce F. Cohen, Greenwich. Property: Cedar Wood Drive, Map 1701, Greenwich. Amount: $5.4 million. Filed Dec. 8.

Knights, Ray, Brooklyn, New York. Seller: Sandoinvestments LLC, Brooklyn, New York. Property: 51 Lee Ave., Bridgeport. Amount: $50,000. Filed Dec. 11.

Hutchinson, Gina, Shelton. Seller: Joseph Diker and Linda Diker, Monroe. Property: 364 Papere Ridge, Shelton. Amount: $220,000. Filed Nov. 13.

Knuth, Stephanie and Thomas Knuth, Greenwich. Seller: Sathish M. Sampath and Vidhya Varadarajan Rukmani, Greenwich. Property: 53 Bible St., Unit 1, Greenwich. Amount: $560,000. Filed Dec. 7.

Iannucci, Christopher, Shelton. Seller: Ronald L. Harris and Richard A. Harris, Newtown. Property: 58A Wheeler St., Shelton. Amount: $77,500. Filed Dec. 4. Iniavan, Revathy Saravanya and Iniavan Rajapandi, Norwalk. Seller: Amy Wiley, Trumbull. Property: 115 Deerfield Drive, Trumbull. Amount: $336,000. Filed Nov. 21. James, Julia and Jibin James, Norwalk. Seller: Richard Ward and Barbara Ward, Trumbull. Property: 5 Nichols Farm Road, Trumbull. Amount: $650,000. Filed Nov. 14. Jarques, Nadjeda and Osmann Jarques, Norwalk. Seller: Geraldine Giglio and Albert A. Giglio, Bridgeport. Property: 420 Cleveland Ave., Bridgeport. Amount: $238,000. Filed Dec. 6.

Kohorn, Elizabeth Von and Jeffrey Von Kohorn, Shelton. Seller: Water’s Edge of Shelton LLC, Shelton. Property: 500 River Road, Unit 15, Shelton. Amount: $641,250. Filed Nov. 27. Kwon, Hee Joo and Jaejoon Jung, Hamden. Seller: Jennifer DeFranco, Trumbull. Property: 81 Skyview Drive, Trumbull. Amount: $338,000. Filed Dec. 5. Lavoie, Cynthia R. and Paul. S. Lavoie, Trumbull. Seller: Laurie A. Wilczynski, Trumbull. Property: 130 Oldfield Road, Trumbull. Amount: $479,900. Filed Nov. 28. Lewis, Wayne, Stratford. Seller: Gertha Adolphe and Jean Meme, Bridgeport. Property: 196 Pennsylvania Ave., Bridgeport. Amount: $117,000. Filed Dec. 4.

Johnson, Larome and Hugh Johnson, Bronx, New York. Seller: Charles R. Dimbo and Calencia D. Carter, Bridgeport. Property: 190 Judson Place, Bridgeport. Amount: $199,000. Filed Dec. 12.

Lin, Jin Bing, Naugatuck. Seller: Giuseppe Santaguida, Greenwich. Property: 25 Orchard St., Greenwich. Amount: $610,000. Filed Dec. 4.

Judy, Bryan, Shelton. Seller: Robert J. Shepard and Brigitte Shepard, Shelton. Property: 23 Cynthia Lane, Shelton. Amount: $312,000. Filed Nov. 22.

Lloyd, Rhiannon C., Westport. Seller: Carol M. Dieringer, Trumbull. Property: 100 Paugussett Circle, Unit 28, Trumbull. Amount: $254,500. Filed Nov. 30.

Juliani, Roselaine, Bridgeport. Seller: U.S Bank NA, trustee, Salt Lake City, Utah. Property: 49 Harvey St., Bridgeport. Amount: $125,000. Filed Dec. 4.

Longon, Noelle and Jack W. Muller, Stamford. Seller: Scott M. Dianis and Nicole M. Dianis and Lawrence C. Pignatoro Jr., Greenwich. Property: 6 Stone Ave., Greenwich. Amount: $630,500. Filed Dec. 4.

Kabwaya, Charly N., Bridgeport. Seller: Benito Urgiles, Bridgeport. Property: 80 Edwin St., Bridgeport. Amount: $220,000. Filed Dec. 11. Kaplan, Kathryn and Stephen A. Kaplan, Trumbull. Seller: Rishi Razdan and Breanna Razdan, Trumbull. Property: 4 Vail Court, Trumbull. Amount: $860,000. Filed Dec. 1. Khala, Utkareash, Shelton. Seller: Joseph Biancanelli and Anna Calafiore, Trumbull. Property: 92 Salem Road, Trumbull. Amount: $630,000. Filed Dec. 8. King, Courtney and Christopher King, New York, New York. Seller: David A. Rogers, Greenwich. Property: 219 Glenville Road, Greenwich. Amount: $1.1 million. Filed Dec. 5.

Magovern, Katherine and John Magovern, Greenwich. Seller: Erin M. Murphy and John T. Murphy, Greenwich. Property: 32 Edgewood Drive, Greenwich. Amount: $1.5 million. Filed Dec. 5. Malecki, Jacqueline and Costas Costanta, Bridgeport. Seller: Joshua A. Katz and Geraldine Katz, Trumbull. Property: 58 Plum Tree Lane, Trumbull. Amount: $345,000. Filed Nov. 9. Mancini, Joseph H., Shelton. Seller: Joseph H. Mancini, Shelton. Property: 36 Applewood Drive, Shelton. For an unknown amount paid. Filed Nov. 20. Medoff, Kristen E., Diane S. Medoff and Kenneth R. Medoff, Trumbull. Seller: Sharon E. Van Stone, Shelton. Property: 25 Meadow Lake Drive, Shelton. Amount: $209,000. Filed Nov. 17.

FCBJ

Meisner, Julie C., Norwalk. Seller: Joseph A. Gravino, Trumbull. Property: 24 Sunnycrest Road, Trumbull. Amount: $240,000. Filed Nov. 3. Mejia, Amilcar Velasquez, Port Chester, New York. Seller: Ana Robles, Fairfield. Property: 15 Edwards St., Bridgeport. Amount: $198,000. Filed Dec. 11. Messias, Dean, Norwalk. Seller: Luciano Rezende, Bridgeport. Property: 262 Adams St., Bridgeport. Amount: $179,000. Filed Dec. 4. Miranda, Bruce R., Bridgeport. Seller: Brian Spitzmacher and Alexandra Castro, Trumbull. Property: 37 Twitchgrass Road, Trumbull. Amount: $317,500. Filed Nov. 2. Mongillo, Jennifer, Shelton. Seller: Sandy Alves-Rodrigues, Shelton. Property: 105 Longfellow Road, Shelton. Amount: $330,750. Filed Nov. 14. Muniz, Armando C., Stratford. Seller: Jane Harwood, Shelton. Property: 64 Mulberry Lane, Shelton. Amount: $553,000. Filed Dec. 8. Napolitano, Barbara, Trumbull. Seller: Barbara Napolitano and Philip L. Napolitano, Trumbull. Property: 87 Meadow Road West, Trumbull. For an unknown amount paid. Filed Nov. 22. Naulaguario, Ana, Port Chester, New York. Seller: AG Investments LLC, Trumbull. Property: 39 Jane St., Bridgeport. Amount: $129,900. Filed Dec. 6. Nigro, Celeste, Greenwich. Seller: Gail K. Satterly, Trumbull. Property: 104 Mayfield Drive, Trumbull. Amount: $295,000. Filed Nov. 16. Nucifora, Brooke and Andrew Nucifora, Trumbull. Seller: Daniel W. Baker and Nancy M. Baker, Trumbull. Property: 60 Dogwood Lane, Trumbull. Amount: $390,000. Filed Nov. 30. O’Halloran, Mark, Easton. Seller: Diplomat Property Manager LLC, New York, New York. Property: 99 Seaver Circle, Bridgeport. Amount: $190,160. Filed Dec. 8. Palmieri, Luigi, Shelton. Seller: Federal National Mortgage Association, Dallas, Texas. Property: 17 Arrowhead Road, Trumbull. Amount: $236,000. Filed Nov. 28. Palmieri, Luigi, Shelton. Seller: Michael V. Fedell Jr. and Eleanor J. Fedell, Trumbull. Property: 21 Tashua Parkway, Trumbull. Amount: $291,000. Filed Nov. 3. Parkis, Edith and Donald Parkis, Trumbull. Seller: Angelina DeFilippo, Trumbull. Property: 16 Lily Circle, Trumbull. Amount: $522,000. Filed Dec. 6.

JANUARY 1, 2018

Facts & Figures Patchel, Kristen, Shelton. Seller: Americo Simeone, Shelton. Property: 71 New St., Shelton. Amount: $215,000. Filed Nov. 14. Pavone, Sayo and Gregory Pavone, Stamford. Seller: Margaret R. Boshes, Greenwich. Property: 10 Cross Ridge Road, Greenwich. Amount: $890,000. Filed Dec. 12. Payero, Gloria, Bronx, New York. Seller: Serge Fabre, Bridgeport. Property: 331-333 Poplar St., Bridgeport. Amount: $279,900. Filed Dec. 8. Pension, Teanell Daneica, Shelton. Seller: Dustin F. Page and Carla B. Page, Shelton. Property: Edgewood Avenue, Shelton. Amount: $230,000. Filed Nov. 30. Rainho, Rui, Bridgeport. Seller: Isabella Lauro, Bridgeport. Property: 400 Dexter Drive, Bridgeport. Amount: $165,000. Filed Dec. 4. Reda, Tracie and Robert Reda, Trumbull. Seller: Sanjay Dalal and Dipali Dalal, Trumbull. Property: 216 Beacon Hill Road, Trumbull. Amount: $400,000. Filed Nov. 29. Rivera, Angel, Ridgewood, N.Y. Seller: Mahalia Ruffin, Bridgeport. Property: 324 Fairview Ave., Bridgeport. Amount: $160,000. Filed Dec. 7. Safo, Samuel Aferi, Bronx, New York. Seller: Michael N. Grant and Sarah K. Grant, Shelton. Property: 24 Poe Place, Shelton. Amount: $498,000. Filed Dec. 1. Samaroo, Kevin A., Trumbull. Seller: William Johnson Jr. and Emily Rose Johnson-Russo, Trumbull. Property: 48 Hillston Road, Trumbull. Amount: $369,000. Filed Nov. 21. Santaniello, Jenna R. and Nicholas S. Santaniello, Trumbull. Seller: Oliver St-Onge and Nicole E. St-Onge, Trumbull. Property: 68 Arden Road, Trumbull. Amount: $425,000. Filed Dec. 7. Sayaphon, Lamphine and Khamfan Khantikone, Stratford. Seller: Brian L. McCann and Lauren M. Autore, Trumbull. Property: 21 Hyde Terrace, Trumbull. Amount: $387,500. Filed Nov. 30. Sciarra, Geraldine and Michael Sciarra, Fairfield. Seller: Anthony G. Ferrigno, Trumbull. Property: 44 Bailey St., Trumbull. Amount: $264,000. Filed Nov. 13. Sersun, Elaine J., Brookfield. Seller: William S. Pendersen III, New Canaan. Property: Lot 3, Map of Property of Henry Krakow, Brookfield. Amount: $225,000. Filed Dec. 5.

JANUARY 1, 2018

Shah, Sagar Atul and Erika Jaman Altan, Trumbull. Seller: Giacobbe Construction LLC, Shelton. Property: 106 Moose Hill Road, Trumbull. Amount: $585,000. Filed Dec. 8. Shea, Rose C., East Haven. Seller: Isaac Hernandez, Bridgeport. Property: 55 Brookside Ave., Bridgeport. Amount: $179,900. Filed Dec. 13. Sheehan, Kristine and Stephen T. Sheehan, Trumbull. Seller: Stephen T. Sheehan and Kristine L. Sheehan, Trumbull. Property: 72 Ridgeview Ave., Trumbull. For no consideration paid. Filed Dec. 11. Sherwood, William, Newtown. Seller: Christopher S. Hildebrand, Shelton. Property: 48 Birchbank Road, Shelton. Amount: $340,000. Filed Nov. 28. Simon, Jed S., Greenwich. Seller: Patricia Ann Riedy, Greenwich. Property: 53 Bible St., Unit 4, Greenwich. Amount: $580,000. Filed Dec. 4. Slatky, Cheryl and James Slatky, Fairfield. Seller: Charles J. Mazzoni and Wayne A. Mazzoni, Northport, New York. Property: 90 Long Hill Place, Unit 251, Trumbull. Amount: $305,000. Filed Nov. 21. Smith, Karen, Bridgeport. Seller: Noble Estates LLC, Brooklyn, New York. Property: 1360 Kossuth St., Bridgeport. Amount: $219,000. Filed Dec. 11. Sousa, Gilson Ferreira, Norwalk. Seller: Daniel R. Martins, Bridgeport. Property: 84 E. Thorme St., Bridgeport. Amount: $150,000. Filed Dec. 12. Strelcova-Henriquez, Julia and Ruddy A. Henriquez, Hartsdale, New York. Seller: John C. Monroe and Jill S. Monroe, Trumbull. Property: 20 Locust St., Trumbull. Amount: $347,000. Filed Nov. 9. Takata, Yoko and Namgyun Kim, Greenwich. Seller: Blake Zizzi, Greenwich. Property: 13 DeLuca Drive, Greenwich. Amount: $1.1 million. Filed Dec. 11. Tas, Mikail, Fairfield. Seller: Doreen Laucella, Shelton. Property: 568 Booth Hill Road, Shelton. Amount: $675,000. Filed Nov. 17. Teichner, Rita and Matthew Teichner, New York, New York. Seller: Benson Page Wilson, Greenwich. Property: Wesskum Wood, Owenoke Way, Greenwich. For an unknown amount paid. Filed Dec. 5. Teixeira, Glenys, Fairfield. Seller: Scott Yurdin and Rachel M. Yurdin, Trumbull. Property: 4 Allan Drive, Trumbull. Amount: $305,000. Filed Nov. 20.

FCBJ

Theolin, Johnson, Bridgeport. Seller: East Coast Property Solutions LLC, Bridgeport. Property: 25 Sunshine Circle, Bridgeport. Amount: $215,000. Filed Dec. 6. Thompson, Lissa M. and Lawrence H. Thompson, Fairfield. Seller: Jason M. Graf and Valerie E. Graf, Fairfield. Property: 31 Cambridge St., Fairfield. Amount: $550,000. Filed Dec. 8. Torres, Lileana and Gerald Torres, Bridgeport. Seller: Darlene Houston, Stratford. Property: 154 Garibaldi Ave., Stratford. Amount: $17,500. Filed Dec. 8. Trainor, Tina L. and Brian J. Traino, Yorktown Heights, New York. Seller: John Cunningham, Greenwich. Property: 1015 North St., Greenwich. For an unknown amount paid. Filed Dec. 8. Turczak, Dana and Andrew Turczak, Trumbull. Seller: David James Comins, Susan Jane Comins and Marybeth Woods, Trumbull. Property: 2041 Huntington Turnpike, Trumbull. Amount: $305,000. Filed Nov. 8. Uriguen, Jennifer and Aitor uriguen, Trumbull. Seller: Francesca DeCarli and Massimo DeCarli, Trumbull. Property: 235 Tashua Road, Trumbull. Amount: $515,000. Filed Nov. 3. Vargas, Luz Carime and Fernando Gomez, Fairfield. Seller: William A. DeFazio and Maryann DeFazio, Fairfield. Property: 328 Nepas Road, Fairfield. Amount: $466,000. Filed Dec. 8. Wagner, Adam C., Bridgeport. Seller: Sloane Milstein, Bryan, Texas. Property: 2955 Madison Ave., Unit 39, Bridgeport. Amount: $100,000. Filed Dec. 5. Wang, Yongdeng, Shelton. Seller: Earl D. Wheway Jr., Newtown. Property: 130 Long Hill Ave., Shelton. Amount: $300,000. Filed Nov. 17. Wiley, Amy, Trumbull. Seller: Brian J. Watson and Tabassom Nancy Watson, Trumbull. Property: 82 Old Dike Road, Trumbull. Amount: $800,000. Filed Nov. 13. Withrow, Marisa and Jeffrey Withrow, Trumbull. Seller: Robert B. Clark, Trumbull. Property: 150 Merrimac Drive, Trumbull. Amount: $540,000. Filed Dec. 11. Woulfe, Cynthia and Joseph Woulfe, Milford, New Jersey. Seller: Ellina Beletskaya, Trumbull. Property: 10 Lantern Hill Road, Trumbull. Amount: $665,000. Filed Nov. 3. Zalinger, Ashley H. and Douglas J. Ackley, Derby. Seller: Loraine L. North, Susan N. Taupier and Lindsley R. Sullivan, Wilmington, North Carolina. Property: Lot 3, Map 1176, Shelton. Amount: $342,500. Filed Nov. 16.

Zavala, Edy D. Gomez De and Juan A. Zavala Alvarado, Bridgeport. Seller: Linden Higgins, Stratford. Property: 1185 Sylvan Ave., Bridgeport. Amount: $199,900. Filed Dec. 4.

Smith, Michael R., et al. Creditor: Capital One NA, Melville, New York. Property: 168 Far Mill St., Shelton. Mortgage default. Filed Nov. 27.

JUDGMENTS FORECLOSURES Andujar, Javier, et al. Creditor: Bayview Loan Servicing LLC, Coral Gables, Fla. Property: 75-77 Wooster St., Shelton. Mortgage default. Filed Nov. 14.

Amador, Joyce P., Stratford. $1,952 in favor of Unifund Corp., Cincinnati, Ohio, by Tobin Melien & Marohn, New Haven. Property: 113 Winter St., Stratford. Filed Dec. 7.

Pignataro, John, Shelton. $6,584 in favor of The Utica Mutual Insurance Co., Wellesley, Massachusetts, by William J. Melley III, Hartford. Property: 14 Sachem Drive, Shelton. Filed Dec. 7. Rivers, Albertha and Cynthia Green, Bridgeport. $13,577 in favor of Danbury Cyamid Employees Credit Union, Danbury, by Fiore & Fiore PC, Norwalk. Property: 866 Reservoir Ave., Bridgeport. Filed Dec. 6.

Camacho, Magda, Trumbull. $1,408 in favor of Midland Funding LLC, San Diego, California, by theLaw Offices of Howard Lee Schiff PC, East Hartford. Property: 1840 Old Town Road, Trumbull. Filed Nov. 20.

Smith, Steven, Trumbull. $2,889 in favor of Midland Funding LLC, San Diego, Calif., by Schreiber/Cohen LLC, Salem, New Hampshire. Property: 60 Oxen Hill Road, Trumbull. Filed Dec. 11.

Black, Launia, et al. Creditor: Benchmark Municipal Tax Services Ltd., Bridgeport. Property: 359 Valley Ave., Bridgeport. Foreclosure of tax liens. Filed Dec. 12.

Capra, Joseph, Trumbull. $7,152 in favor of Sterling Jewelers Inc., Akron, Ohio, by Mark Sank & Associates LLC, Stamford. Property: 10 Merrill Road, Trumbull. Filed Oct. 30.

Spencer, Tiffany, Bridgeport. $2,315 in favor of Bridgeport Anesthesia Associates PC, Bridgeport, by the Law Offices of Philip H. Monagan, Waterbury. Property: 386 Anton Drive, Unit 8, Bridgeport. Filed Dec. 6.

Bolivar, Amanda, et al. Creditor: Success Village Apartments Inc., Bridgeport. Property: 239 Success Ave., Building 17, Bridgeport. Delinquent common charges. Filed Dec. 7.

Cellini, Edmond Louis, Trumbull. $6,104 in favor of Midland Funding LLC, San Diego, California, by Law Offices of Howard Lee Schiff PC, East Hartford. Property: 49 Sunrise Ave., Trumbull. Filed Nov. 20.

Stewart, Alecia, Bridgeport. $2,730 in favor of Bridgeport Anesthesia Associates PC, Bridgeport, by the Law Offices of Philip H. Monagan, Waterbury. Property: 96 Carlson Ave., Bridgeport. Filed Dec. 6.

Bolling, Albertha, et al. Creditor: Success Village Apartments Inc., Bridgeport. Property: 39 Court A, Building 17, Apt. 39, Bridgeport. Delinquent common charges. Filed Dec. 6.

Cellini, Edmond Louis, Trumbull. $3,291 in favor of Midland Funding LLC, San Diego, California, by the Law Offices of Howard Lee Schiff PC, East Hartford. Property: 49 Sunrise Ave., Trumbull. Filed Nov. 22.

Tosado, Josephine, Trumbull. $3,990 in favor of Midland Funding LLC, San Diego, California, by Law Offices of Howard Lee Schiff PC, East Hartford. Property: 3 Kaechele St., Trumbull. Filed Nov. 20.

Barazorda, Martin, et al. Creditor: U.S. Bank NA, trustee, Houston, Texas. Property: 325 Lafayette St., Unit 9104, Bridgeport. Delinquent common charges. Filed Dec. 12.

Capece, William M., et al. Creditor: MTGLQ Investors LP, Farmington. Property: 234 Myrtle St., Shelton. Mortgage default. Filed Nov. 27. Datcher, Brian D., et al., Creditor: Stonybrook Gardens Cooperative Inc., Bridgeport. Property: 43 Underwood Court, Stratford. Mortgage default. Filed Dec. 7. Embry, Sandra L., et al. Creditor: M&T Bank, Buffalo, New York. Property: 55 Heather Ridge, Unit 55, Shelton. Delinquent common charges. Filed Nov. 14. Fonseca, Antonio, et al. Creditor: The Bank of New York Mellon, New York, New Yprk. Property: 17 Indian Road, Trumbull. Mortgage default. Filed Nov. 1.

Cellini, Edmond Louis, Trumbull. $2,819 in favor of Midland Funding LLC, San Diego, California, by Law Offices of Howard Lee Schiff PC, East Hartford. Property: 49 Sunrise Ave., Trumbull. Filed Nov. 22. Gabriele, Marian, Shelton. $28,579 in favor of Sikorsky Financial Credit Union Inc., Stratford, for Tobin Melien & Marohn, New Haven. Property: 556 Mohave Circle, Shelton. Filed Nov. 20. Lojko, Kathleen, Trumbull. $10,044 in favor of Portfolio Recovery Associates LLC, Norfolk, Va., by the Law Offices of Howard Lee Schiff PC, East Hartford. Property: 93 Greenfield Drive, Trumbull. Filed Nov. 22.

Francois, Beagy, et al. Creditor: Deutsche Bank National Trust Co., West Palm Beach, Florda. Property: 329 Shelton Road, Trumbull. Mortgage default. Filed Dec. 7.

Mizzoni, Alex J., Trumbull. $6,474 in favor of Midland Funding LLC, San Diego, California, by Law Offices of Howard Lee Schiff PC, East Hartford. Property: 29 Arliss Drive, Trumbull. Filed Nov. 22.

Mackiewicz, John, et al. Creditor: Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, Rocky Hill. Property: Unit 17 of Lake Lillinonah Shores Condominium 1, Brookfield. Delinquent common charges. Filed Dec. 6.

Nguyen, Kristen, Brookfield. $4,853 in favor of Danbury Hospital, Danbury, by Flanagan & Peat, Danbury. Property: 11B Vale Road, Brookfield. Filed Dec. 6.

Paris, Daniel, et al. Creditor: Ocwen Loan Servicing LLC, Houston, Texas. Property: 23 Forest Ave., Shelton. Mortgage default. Filed Nov. 30.

Visci, Elaine, Shelton. $1,338 in favor of Midland Funding LLC, San Diego, California, by Schreiber/Cohen LLC, Salem, New Hampshire. Property: 52 Timberlane Drive, Shelton. Filed Dec. 11. Windsor, Donna S. and Edward G. Windsor, Shelton. $1,486 in favor of Griffin Hospital, Derby, by the Law Offices of Philip H. Monagan, Waterbury. Property: 19 Strawberry Lane, Shelton. Filed Dec. 15. Wolterstorff, Robert, Greenwich. $5,075 in favor of Resolute Credit LLC, Madison, by Michael A. Sexton, Madison. Property: 54 N. Old Stone Bridge Road, Greenwich. Filed Nov. 27.

LEASES Connecticut Renaissance Inc., by Kathleen Desdido. Landlord: One Waterview LLC, Woodland Park, New Jersey. Property: Lot C, Map 4615, Shelton. Term: 5 years, commencing Dec.16, 2017. Filed Dec. 4. Lynch, Michael W., by self. Landlord: Antal L. Bencze and Mariene B. Bencze, Fairfield. Property: 220 Judith Terrace, Stratford. Term: 3 years, commenced Nov. 28, 2017. Filed Dec. 7.

Facts & Figures M&J Liquors LLC, by John J. Hillgen IV. Landlord: 714 LLC, Shelton. Property: 405 Bridgeport Ave., Shelton. Term: 15 years, commenced May 1, 2017. Filed Nov. 22. Petty, Elizabeth, by self. Landlord: Putnam Park Apartments Inc., Stamford. Property: Apt. 192 of the Putnam Park Apartment, Greenwich. Term: 33 years, commenced Nov. 29, 2017. Filed Nov. 29. Yale-New Haven Health Services Corp., by David F. D’Addaro. Landlord: Fairfield Commons LLC, Fairfield. Property: Fairfield. Term: 12 years. Filed Dec. 7.

LIENS

Sclafani, Augustus T., 304 Main Ave., Unit 238, Norwalk. $545,930, a tax debt on income earned. Filed Nov. 7. Taylor, Kevin A., 30 Patricia Drive, Shelton. $42,651, a tax debt on income earned. Filed Dec. 12.

FEDERAL TAX LIENS-RELEASED Bargas, Rose and Chris Bargas, 19 Old Dairy Road, Trumbull. $20,754, a tax debt on income earned. Filed Nov. 7. Brown, Keith W., 4 Brookdale Lane, Brookfield. $16,524, a tax debt on income earned. Filed Dec. 6.

FEDERAL TAX LIENS-FILED

Cummings, Robin W., 4 Daniels Farm Road, Apt. 160, Trumbull. $9,694, a tax debt on income earned. Filed Dec. 5.

Akinloye, Tanisha E. and Charles Segun, 3 Burton Ave., Trumbull. $16,067, a tax debt on income earned. Filed Nov. 16.

Del-Zio, Deborah E., 61 Maler Ave., Shelton. $24,958, a tax debt on income earned. Filed Dec. 12.

Berkshire Security Services LLC, 525 Bridgeport Ave., Suite 104, Shelton. $32,993, U.S. return of partnership income and quarterly payroll taxes. Filed Dec. 5. Cammarota, Luigi, 97 Church Hill Road, Trumbull. $47,063, a tax debt on income earned. Filed Dec. 11. Devita, Connie and David Devita, 11 Cross St., Greenwich. $27,643, a tax debt on income earned. Filed Dec. 11. Gregory, Jason A., 184A Great Plain Road, Danbury. $35,419, a tax debt on income earned. Filed Dec. 5. Labhaus Construction Services LLC, 34 E. Putnam Ave., Suite 111, Greenwich. $6,630, U.S. return of partnership income. Filed Nov. 27. Monaco, John, 1 Plante Lane, Shelton. $4,029, a tax debt on income earned. Filed Dec. 5. Morrison, Michelle A., 280 Luanne Road, Stratford. $14,898, a tax debt on income earned. Filed Dec. 6. Nichols Methodist Church, 59 Mustang Drive, Shelton. $16,216, quarterly payroll taxes. Filed Nov. 21. Pernek, Otto J., 94 Teeter Rock Road, Trumbull. $17,475, a tax debt on income earned. Filed Dec. 11. Purificato, Carole, 44 Lorma Ave., Trumbull. $37,101, a tax debt on income earned. Filed Nov. 7.

Farasciano, Vincent, 45 Yorktown Circle, Trumbull. $60,314, a tax debt on income earned. Filed Nov. 27. Massaro, Christine and Cal A. Massaro, 88 Towerview Drive, Trumbull. $20,330, a tax debt on income earned. Filed Dec. 11.

Massaro, Christine and Cal A. Massaro, 88 Towerview Drive, Trumbull. $32,484, a tax debt on income earned. Filed Dec. 11. Mieczakowski, Caserta and Albert Mieczakowski Jr., 49 Cedarwood Lane, Shelton. $28,393, a tax debt on income earned. Filed Nov. 27. Moreau, Michel, 2208 Avalon Drive, Shelton. $21,168, a tax debt on income earned. Filed Nov. 14. Simms, Shelly and Ralph Lynch, 504 Indian Field Road, Greenwich. $43,074, a tax debt on income earned. Filed Nov. 29.

MECHANIC’S LIENS-FILED 25 Fairview Terrace LLC, Greenwich. Filed by Monsey Lumber & Building Supply Corp., Spring Valley, New York, by Moses Goldberger. Property: 25 Fairview Terrace, Greenwich. Amount: $44,285. Filed Dec. 4.

Home For Good LLC, Trumbull. Filed by Pablo Alexander Apolo Cordova, Jean M. Andujar, Wilfredo Guzman, Emmanuel Corniel-Alvarez and Winder Jesus Jimenez, Lawrence, Masschusetts. Property: 33 Rocky Hill Road, Trumbull. Amount: $8,076. Filed Oct. 30. Indian Head Partners LLC, Greenwich. Filed by Roccie’s Asphalt & Landscape Company Inc., Stamford, by Vincent Engongoro. Property: 15 Indian Head Road, Greenwich. Amount: $7,500. Filed Dec. 11.

MECHANIC’S LIENS-RELEASED Bevis, Norma A. and Jason T. Bevis, Greenwich. Released by Branford Building Supplies Inc., Branford, by Sarah Giordano. Property: 178 Weaver St., Greenwich. Amount: $19,996. Filed Dec. 1. Old Track Properties LLC, Danbury. Released by Connecticut Fire Protection and Sprinkler Services Company Inc., Milford, by Richard A. Russo Sr. Property: 16 Old Track Road, Greenwich. Amount: $65,911. Filed Dec. 8. Stone Harbor Land Company XI LLC, Greenwich. Released by JCH Construction LLC, Weston, by Jamusz Chomik. Property: 36 Rockwild Lane, Greenwich. Amount: $17,928. Filed Dec. 8. The Gateway Development Group Inc., Greenwich. Released by Connecticut Fire Protection and Sprinkler Services Company Inc., Milford, by Richard A. Russo Sr. Property: 2 Oneida Drive, Greenwich. Amount: $52,200. Filed Dec. 8.

LIS PENDENS Adorno, Jose, et al., Stratford. Filed by Welch Teodosio & Stanek LLC, Shelton, for Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, Rocky Hill. Property: 740 Nichols Ave., Stratford. Action: to foreclose on a delinquent mortgage in the original principal amount of $172,500, dated September 2012. Filed Dec. 7. Amaral, Herculano, et al., Bridgeport. Filed by The Law Office of Juda J. Epstein, Bridgeport, for the Water Pollution Control Authority For the city of Bridgeport. Property: 164-170 Lewis St., Bridgeport. Action: to foreclose on a sewer-use lien for nonpayment of sewer-use charges levied by the plaintiff against the defendants. Filed Dec. 6. Baloff, Marcelle D., et al., Shelton. Filed by Hastings, Cohan Walsh LLP, Ridgefield, for Ridgefield Bank Mortgage Corp., Ridgefield. Property: 26 Gray St., Shelton. Action: to foreclose on a delinquent mortgage in the original principal amount of $220,500, dated July 2004. Filed Nov. 15.

Burke Jr., Thomas C., et al., Greenwich. Filed by Kapusta, Otzel & Averaimo, Milford, for U.S. Bank NA, Salt Lake City, Utah. Property: 24 Licata Terrace, Greenwich. Action: to foreclose on a delinquent mortgage in the original principal amount of $707,000, dated August 2005. Filed Dec. 12.

Frazier, Mavis H., et al., Bridgeport. Filed by McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce LLC, Hartford, for Wells Fargo Bank NA, Frederick, Maryland. Property: 68-70 Worth St., Bridgeport. Action: to foreclose on a delinquent mortgage in the original principal amount of $182,000, dated August 2004. Filed Dec. 6.

Byles, Shawn A., et al., Greenwich. Filed by Bendett and McHugh PC, Farmington, for HSBC Bank USA NA, Buffalo, New York. Property: 114 Cat Rock Road, Greenwich. Action: to foreclose on a delinquent mortgage in the original principal amount of $1.4 million, dated April 2007. Filed Dec. 5.

Gleen, Harris R., et al., Shelton. Filed by Kapusta, Otzel & Averaimo, Milford, for U.S. Bank NA, Salt Lake City, Utah. Property: 179 Kneen St., Shelton. Action: to foreclose on a delinquent mortgage in the original principal amount of $256,000, dated September 2006. Filed Dec. 4.

Cimmino, Sandra G., et al., Trumbull. Filed by Benanti & Associates, Stamford, for People’s United Bank NA, Bridgeport. Property: 4453 Madison Ave., Trumbull. Action: to foreclose on a delinquent mortgage in the original principal amount of $85,000, dated April 2007. Filed Dec. 6. Colabella, Michael A., et al., Trumbull. Filed by Kapusta, Otzel & Averaimo, Milford, for The Bank of New York Mellon, New York, New York. Property: 56 Inwood Road, Trumbull. Action: to foreclose on a delinquent mortgage in the original principal amount of $403,100, dated November 2004. Filed Nov. 28. Colon, Ramon, et al., Bridgeport. Filed by The Law Office of Juda J. Epstein, Bridgeport, for the Water Pollution Control Authority For the city of Bridgeport. Property: 742-748 Hancock Ave., Bridgeport. Action: to foreclose on a sewer-use lien for nonpayment of sewer-use charges levied by the plaintiff against the defendants. Filed Dec. 6. Desiero, Jeffrey B., et al., Bridgeport. Filed by The Law Office of Juda J. Epstein, Bridgeport, for the Water Pollution Control Authority For the city of Bridgeport. Property: 699 W. Jackson Ave., Bridgeport. Action: to foreclose on a sewer-use lien for nonpayment of sewer-use charges levied by the plaintiff against the defendants. Filed Dec. 6. Deutsche Bank National Trust, Salt Lake City, Utah. Filed by The Law Office of Juda J. Epstein, Bridgeport, for the Water Pollution Control Authority for the city of Bridgeport. Property: 288-290 Marion St., Bridgeport. Action: to foreclose on a sewer-use lien for nonpayment of sewer-use charges levied by the plaintiff against the defendants. Filed Dec. 6. Francilme, Gerol, et al., Bridgeport. Filed by The Law Office of Juda J. Epstein, Bridgeport, for the Water Pollution Control Authority for the city of Bridgeport. Property: 680 Fairview Ave., Bridgeport. Action: to foreclose on a sewer-use lien for nonpayment of sewer-use charges levied by the plaintiff against the defendants. Filed Dec. 6.

Goyette, Marc E., et al., Trumbull. Filed by Bendett and McHugh PC, Farmington, for Wells Fargo Bank NA, Frederick, Maryland. Property: 14 Towerview Circle, Trumbull. Action: to foreclose on a delinquent mortgage in the original principal amount of $317,600, dated June 2003. Filed Nov. 14. Grasso, Matthew D., et al., Shelton. Filed by McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce LLC, Hartford, for CIT Bank NA. Property: 128 Indian Well Road, Shelton. Action: to foreclose on a delinquent mortgage in the original principal amount of $279,000, dated February 2006. Filed Nov. 13. Gurdon Property Partners Inc., et al., Bridgeport. Filed by The Law Office of Juda J. Epstein, Bridgeport, for the Water Pollution Control Authority For the city of Bridgeport. Property: 661 Lindley St., Bridgeport. Action: to foreclose on a sewer-use lien for nonpayment of sewer-use charges levied by the plaintiff against the defendants. Filed Dec. 8. Habib, Sylvia, et al., Greenwich. Filed by Bendett and McHugh PC, Farmington, for Bank of America NA, Charlotte, North Carolina. Property: 54 Bedford Road, Greenwich. Action: to foreclose on a delinquent mortgage in the original principal amount of $600,000, dated September 2006. Filed Nov. 28. Heaven, Marshall H., et al., Greenwich. Filed by Kapusta, Otzel & Averaimo, Milford, for Wilmington Trust Co., trustee, Wilmington, Delaware. Property: 15 Doubling Road, Greenwich. Action: to foreclose on a delinquent mortgage in the original principal amount of $1.5 million, dated July 2003. Filed Nov. 27. Joyce, Christopher J., et al., Trumbull. Filed by Bendett and McHugh PC, Farmington, for U.S. Bank NA, Salt Lake City, Utah. Property: 26 Koger Road, Trumbull. Action: to foreclose on a delinquent mortgage in the original principal amount of $197,600, dated August 2007. Filed Nov. 13.

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Jules, Andre, et al., Bridgeport. Filed by The Law Office of Juda J. Epstein, Bridgeport, for the Water Pollution Control Authority For the city of Bridgeport. Property: 266268 Maplewood Ave., Bridgeport. Action: to foreclose on a sewer-use lien for nonpayment of sewer-use charges levied by the plaintiff against the defendants. Filed Dec. 6. Komah, Nagmouma, et al., Bridgeport. Filed by Bender, Anderson and Barba PC, North Haven, for 234-240 Brooks Street Condominium Association Inc., North Haven. Property: 234-240 Brooks St., Unit 238, Bridgeport. Action: to foreclose on condominium lien for delinquent common charges and assessments and take immediate possession of the premises. Filed Dec. 7. Livingston, Jessica, et al., Greenwich. Filed by Bendett and McHugh PC, Farmington, for Wells Fargo Bank NA, Frederick, Maryland. Property: 20 Summit Road, Greenwich. Action: to foreclose on a delinquent mortgage in the original principal amount of $557,812, dated February 2002. Filed Dec. 6. Manginelli, Michael J., et al., Bridgeport. Filed by The Law Office of Juda J. Epstein, Bridgeport, for the Water Pollution Control Authority for the city of Bridgeport. Property: 450 Ezra St., Bridgeport. Action: to foreclose on a sewer-use lien for nonpayment of sewer-use charges levied by the plaintiff against the defendants. Filed Dec. 6. Martinov, Michael, et al., Greenwich. Filed by Bendett and McHugh PC, Farmington, for HSBC Bank USA NA, Buffalo, New York. Property: 98 Valley Road, Unit 1, Greenwich. Action: to foreclose on a delinquent mortgage in the original principal amount of $416,000, dated October 2004. Filed Nov. 28. McGurk, Joseph T., et al., Trumbull. Filed by Bendett and McHugh PC, Farmington, for Nationstar Mortgage LLC. Property: 49 Meadow Road, Trumbull. Action: to foreclose on a delinquent mortgage in the original principal amount of $264,000, dated November 2007. Filed Nov. 8. Mitchell, Inez S., et al., Bridgeport. Filed by McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce LLC, Hartford, for CIT Bank NA. Property: 295 Remington St., Bridgeport. Action: to foreclose on a delinquent mortgage in the original principal amount of $252,000, dated March 2008. Filed Dec. 4. Mitchell, Richard, et al., Brookfield. Filed by Bendett and McHugh PC, Farmington, for Ditech Financial LLC. Property: 57 Old Middle Road, Brookfield. Action: to foreclose on a delinquent mortgage in the original principal amount of $304,000, dated April 2008. Filed Dec. 8.

JANUARY 1, 2018

Facts & Figures Montalvo, Tatiana, et al., Bridgeport. Filed by McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce LLC, Hartford, for Pennymac Loan Services LLC. Property: 95-97 Berkeley Place, Bridgeport. Action: to foreclose on a delinquent mortgage in the original principal amount of $264,127, dated February 2014. Filed Dec. 12. Munoz, Adriana J., et al., Bridgeport. Filed by The Law Office of Juda J. Epstein, Bridgeport, for the Water Pollution Control Authority For the city of Bridgeport. Property: 151-153 Ruth St., Bridgeport. Action: to foreclose on a sewer-use lien for non-payment of sewer-use charges levied by the plaintiff against the defendants. Filed Dec. 6. Ocasio, Ricardo, et al., Bridgeport. Filed by Bendett and McHugh PC, Farmington, for Caliber Home Loans Inc. Property: 190-192 Whitney Ave., Bridgeport. Action: to foreclose on a delinquent mortgage in the original principal amount of $274,928, dated December 2014. Filed Dec. 12. Perez, Nancy, Bridgeport. Filed by Zeldes, Needle & Cooper PC, Bridgeport, for Roberto Clemente Home Condominium Association Inc. Property: 90 Hamilton St., Unit 2, Bridgeport. Action: to foreclose on a condominium lien for delinquent common charges and assessments and take immediate possession of the premises. Filed Dec. 11. Sapienza, Anthony, et al., Trumbull. Filed by Kapusta, Otzel & Averaimo, Milford, for U.S. Bank NA, Salt Lake City, Utah. Property: 74 Partridge Lane, Trumbull. Action: to foreclose on a delinquent mortgage in the original principal amount of $313,600, dated April 2004. Filed Nov. 2. Tierney, Susan M., Trumbull. Filed by Shechtman Halperin Savage LLP, Pawtucket, Rhode Island, for MTGLQ Investors LP. Property: 12 Merwin St., Trumbull. Action: to foreclose on a delinquent mortgage in the original principal amount of $200,000, dated June 2003. Filed Nov. 8. Williams, Danyelle L., et al., Trumbull. Filed by McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce LLC, Hartford, for U.S. Bank NA, Salt Lake City, Utah. Property: 12 Ridgebury Drive, Trumbull. Action: to foreclose on a delinquent mortgage in the original principal amount of $335,600, dated July 2007. Filed Nov. 8.

MORTGAGES 272-278 Sound Beach LLC, Greenwich by Bryan A. Stephanian. Lender: The First Bank of Greenwich, Greenwich. Property: 272278 Sound Beach Ave., Greenwich. Amount: $1.4 million. Filed Dec. 5.

JANUARY 1, 2018

330 Bridgeport Avenue LLC, Hamden, by Halloran & Sage LLP, Hartford. Lender: Keybank National Association, New Haven. Property: 330 Bridgeport Ave., Shelton. Amount: $1.2 million. Filed Dec. 1.

Lucky Four Realty LLC, New Haven, by John J. Esposito Jr. Lender: Lucky Charitable Trust Fund, New Haven. Property: 954 Fairfield Beach Road, Fairfield. Amount: $1.4 million. Filed Dec. 8.

596 Indian Field Road LLC, Greenwich, by Robert P. McGraw. Lender: UBS Bank USA, Salt Lake City, Utah. Property: 596 Indian Field Road, Greenwich. Amount: $6.2 million. Filed Dec. 13.

Pinnacle East LLC, by Lovejoy Baltazar. Lender: FTF Lending LLC, Cleveland, Ohio. Property: 123 Burbank Ave., Stratford. Amount: $170,000. Filed Dec. 4.

BP Green Valley LLC and Perbar Associates LLC, Greenwich, by Joseph Baratta. Lender: Sterling National Bank, Yonkers, New York. Property: 252-264 Greenwich Avenue Condominium, Greenwich. Amount: $3.2 million. Filed Dec. 11. C & W Associates II LLP, Bridgeport, by David A. Ball. Lender: State of Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, Hartford. Property: 1115 Broad St., Bridgeport. Amount: $300,000. Filed Dec. 7. Cardoso Enterprises 1 LLC, Fairfield, by Marcos Cardoso. Lender: Secure Capital Group LLC, Stratford. Property: 14 Turney Place, Trumbull. Amount: $320,000. Filed Nov. 27. CH Commerce Drive Associates LLC and City Park Commerce Drive LLC, New Canaan, by Jonathan P. Garrity. Lender: Washington Trust Co., Westerly, Rhode Island. Property: 60 Commerce Drive, Trumbull. Amount: $6.6 million. Filed Dec. 1. Cross Saw-Mill LLC, Greenwich, by Joseph Baratta. Lender: Sterling National Bank, Yonkers, New York. Property: East Putnam Avenue and Riverside Lane, Map 7366, Greenwich. Amount: $2 million. Filed Dec. 11. Famillie Nautic Haus LLC, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by S. Philomena Winter. Lender: National Exchange Bank and Trust. Property: 35 West Way, Greenwich. Amount: $3.7 million. Filed Dec. 15. Flip This LLC, Orange, by Anthony Lukac. Lender: Secure Capital Group LLC, Stratford. Property: 89 Hillside Ave., Shelton. Amount: $130,000. Filed Dec. 5. High Adventure LLC, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida., by Roger H. Dawson. Lender: Corevest American Finance Lender LLC, Irvine, California. Property: 204 Long Hill Ave., Shelton. Amount: $5 million. Filed Dec. 1. Home Ventures Trust, Stratford, by Nancy Geils. Lender: Provost Capital LLC, Weston. Property: 18 Jog Hill Road, Trumbull. Amount: $296,525. Filed Nov. 21.

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Putnam 600 Acquisition LLC, Greenwich, by John J. Fareri. Lender: First Republic Bank, San Francisco, California. Property: 581 W. Putnam Ave., Greenwich. Amount: $3.5 million. Filed Dec. 7. RHP-Nexus LLC, Newtown, by Michael P. Majeski. Lender: Union Savings Bank, Danbury. Property: 388 Brooklawn Ave., Bridgeport. Amount: $230,000. Filed Dec. 4. SS Enterprise LLC, Bridgeport, by Rossi Souza. Lender: D2X LLC, Kiawah Island, South Carolina. Property: 95 Northfield St., Bridgeport. Amount: $437,000. Filed Dec. 7. SS Enterprise LLC, Bridgeport, by Sidney Santos De Souza. Lender: D2X LLC, Kiawah Island, South Carolina. Property: 31 Melrose Ave., Trumbull. Amount: $437,000. Filed Dec. 7. Storage Portfolio II Subsidiary LLC, by P. Scott Stubbs. Lender: Morgan Stanley Bank NA, New York, New York. Property: 578 Federal Road, Route 202, Brookfield. Amount: $194.4 million. Filed Dec. 6.

NEW BUSINESSES A Little Byrd Company LLC, 142 Chatham Terrace, Bridgeport 06606, c/o Chelsea N. Byrd. Filed Dec. 5. ADK Enterprise LLC, 100 Yale St., Bridgeport 06605, c/o Eibisay Rosario. Filed Dec. 6. AM/PM Truck Repair, 44 Doreen Drive, Bridgeport 06604, c/o Courtney Wills. Filed Dec. 6. Anascaul Counseling, 4270 Main St., Unit 200, Bridgeport 06606, c/o Soffia Jonscottir. Filed Dec. 8. Barra Italian Street Kitchen, 389 Bridgeport Ave., Shelton 06484, c/o Kurt Popick. Filed Nov. 28. Briguslandscare Design LLC, P.O. Box 4722, Greenwich 06831, c/o Katherine Briggs. Filed Dec. 1. Casabella Furniture, 248-250 Mill St., Greenwich 06830, c/o Ana Maria Valdivia and Jorge I. Valdivia. Filed Dec. 6.

Catamount International Inc., 25 Lewis St., Greenwich 06830, c/o Tamara K. Shakarjian and Charles M. Hon. Filed Dec. 6. Chris Property Solutions, 37 Mist Hill Drive, Brookfield 06804, c/o Christopher Ryan Ostergard. Filed Dec. 5. Corner Harvest, 68 Northfield St., Unit 2, Greenwich 06830, c/o Erin McKeever. Filed Nov. 30. DeLoux 2000 Nails Salon, 100 Boston Ave., Bridgeport 06610, c/o Le Thanh Huyen. Filed Dec. 7. Family Spice, 330 Pequonnock St., Bridgeport 06604, c/o Rohan A. Christie. Filed Dec. 11. G.C. Cleaning, 26 Ferris Drive, Greenwich 06870, c/o Georgios Drossakis. Filed Nov. 30. Gala Foods, 1050 E. Main St., Bridgeport 06608, c/o Carlos A. Pena. Filed Dec. 6. Greenwich Pizzeria, 1072 E. Putnam Ave., Greenwich 06878, c/o Leonita Marleky. Filed Nov. 29. Guilherme’s Painting & Tile LLC, 278 Vincellette St., Bridgeport 06606, c/o Guilherme L. DaSilveira. Filed Dec. 11. Harlow Road Media, 20 Mooreland Road, Greenwich 06831, c/o Brian Landi. Filed Dec. 6. Innovative Styles Barber Shop, 995 Maplewood Ave., Bridgeport 06605, c/o Ronal Perez Astacio. Filed Dec. 6. J.C. Tire Center LLC, 946 Noble Ave., Bridgeport 06608, c/o Juan Fernandez. Filed Dec. 4. Krysomart, 51 Part Terrace, Bridgeport 06604, c/o Enoch Oladejo. Filed Dec. 12. Lamburt Corp., 1980 Main St., Stratford 06615, c/o Roseann P. Lambros. Filed Dec. 8. Los Basilio Mini Market LLC, 822 Madison Ave., Bridgeport 06606, c/o Jacqueline Ortega. Filed Dec. 4. Loyal Care LLC, 208 Priscilla St., Bridgeport 06610, c/o Enid Arroyo. Filed Dec. 4. Michi Voss, 212 Long Hill Cross Road, Shelton 06484, c/o Michi Voss. Filed Nov. 30. Missionarios de S Joao Baptista, 134 Deer Hill Ave., Danbury 06810, c/o Maria Mimoso. Filed Dec. 7.

N&G Home Improvements, 141 Isinglass Road, Shelton 06484, c/o Nicolae Chiaila. Filed Nov. 29. New Country Motor Cars of Greenwich Inc., 241 W. Putnam Ave., Greenwich 06830, c/o Jennifer E. Bolton. Filed Dec. 8. Pena Automotive Repair LLC, 170 Ripton Road, Shelton 06484, c/o Hector R. Pena. Filed Nov. 16. Qualified Training Institute, 800 Union Ave., Bridgeport 06607, c/o Aaron Charles. Filed Dec. 5. RB Design & Print, 176 Orchard St., Bridgeport 06608, c/o Richard A. Brown. Filed Dec. 8. Seven Stars USA LLC, 4175 Main St., Bridgeport 06606, c/o Yan Juan Lin. Filed Dec. 6. Seven Stars, 4175 Main St., Bridgeport 06606, c/o Tony Chang. Filed Dec. 6. SW Signature Creations, 33 Birch St., Shelton 06484, c/o Stephanie Wynter. Filed Nov. 28. The Wondermark, 20D Allen O’Neill Drive, Darien 06820, c/o Albian Gagica. Filed Nov. 29. Toucan’s Painting LLC, 6 Hunting St., Bridgeport 06606, c/o Joelia Fonseca Monteiro. Filed Dec. 8. Toucan’s Painting LLC, 517 Old Town Road, Bridgeport 06606, c/o Joelia Fonseca Monteiro. Filed Dec. 8. Veli Unlimited, 947 Hancock Ave., Bridgeport 06605, c/o Danilo Veliz. Filed Dec. 12. Viz New York, 435 Water St., Greenwich 06830, c/o Xuying Zhu. Filed Dec. 6.

PATENTS Apparatus for labeling inputs of an audio mixing console system. Patent no. 9,838,146 issued to Paul Michael Chavez, Chatsworth, Calif.; and Adam James Edward Holladay, Salt Lake City, Utah. Assigned to Harman International Industries Inc., Stamford. Image capture and earpiece sizing system and method. Patent no. 9,843,855 issued to Seth Burgett, Glen Carbon, Ill.; Richard J. Daniels, St. Louis, Mo.; Bharat Rajaram, St. Louis, Mo.; Michael D. Wetle, St. Louis, Mo.; and Tonya An, Grand Rapids, Mich. Assigned to Harman International Industries Inc., Stamford.

Ion-generating device enclosure. Patent no. 9,847,623 issued to Lawrence T. Sunshine, Rye Brook, N.Y. Assigned to Plasma Air International Inc., Stamford. Limp-home operation of audio video bridging networks. Patent no. 9,854,325 issued to Craig Gunther, Salt Lake City, Utah. Assigned to Harman International Industries Inc., Stamford. Loudspeaker motor and suspension system. Patent no. 9,854,365 issued to Brian Sterling, Farmington Hills, Mich. Assigned to Harman International Industries Inc., Stamford. Multiple distant musician audio loop recording apparatus and listening method. Patent no. 9,852,216 issued to Christopher M. Belcher, Lehi, Utah; and James D. Pennock, Salt Lake City, Utah. Assigned to Harman International Industries Inc., Stamford. Portable chemical oxygen generator. Patent no. 9,849,312 issued to Richard P. Imbruce, Westport; and David Cowan, Cornwall. Assigned to Rapid Oxygen Company Inc., Stamford. Systems and methods for treating an opioid-induced adverse pharmacodynamic response. Patent no. 9,849,124 issued to Michele Hummel, Marlton, N.J.; Donald J. Kyle, Yardley, Pa.; and Garth Whiteside, Yardley, Pa. Assigned to Purdue Pharma LP, Stamford.

Systems and methods for vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Patent no. 9,852,554 issued to Azel Nix, Birmingham, Mich. Assigned to Harman International Industries Inc., Stamford. Techniques for turning the distortion response of a loudspeaker. Patent no. 9,848,262 issued to Ajay Iyer, Murray, Utah; Jeffrey Hutchings, Lehi, Utah; and Richard Allen Kreifeldt, South Jordan, Utah. Assigned to Harman International Industries Inc., Stamford. Vice President (AQR Capital Management, LLC - Greenwich, CT) Monitor, analyze & mng mkt risks across all asset classes & portfolios mngd by the Firm. Bld & validate risk mdls & rprts w/ prevail’g techs such as SQL, Excel, Bloomberg & high lvl script’g langs & stat pkgs. F/T. Resumes: AQR Capital Management, LLC, ATTN: S. Rao, 2 Greenwich Plaza, 3rd Flr, Greenwich, CT 06830. Job Code AQR-265.

Business leaders: Uncertainty, unsettled issues cloud 2018 forecast BY KEVIN ZIMMERMAN kzimmerman@westfairinc.com

ven with the headl i ne s - d om i n at i n g state budget talks finally at an end, business leaders throughout Fairfield County and the state are collectively viewing 2018’s prospects with bated breath. When they’ll feel free to exhale very much remains to be seen. State Comptroller Kevin Lembo on Dec. 1 announced that Connecticut was on course to end the 2017-18 fiscal year with a $207.8 million deficit. Connecticut in recent years “has not fully participated in the nation’s economic recovery,” he said, instead experiencing “much more mixed results across a variety of key economic indicators." Compounding concerns over the deficit-ridden state’s short-term and long-term fiscal health is uncertainty over how the recently signed federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will affect businesses and business owners. Those have made for an unsettled, if not unsettling, business forecast for 2018. “What it comes down to is, we (in Fairfield County) are responsible for our own future,” said Christopher Bruhl, president and CEO of The Business Council of Fairfield County. “It’s up to us to close the achievement gap, which is completely within our control. Context matters, both at the federal level and in Hartford, but the immediate need is to look at our local problems and try to fix them.” Economic growth and educational equality remain major Business Council priorities, said Bruhl. Connecticut needs to work harder to retain state residents who go off to college and never return.

Joseph Brennan, president and CEO of the Connecticut Business & Industry Association in Hartford, said the new state budget on balance “is better than what we’ve had in the past.” However, the CBIA remained concerned about the state still being so deeply in debt. “We just haven’t seen the level of investment and economic growth that we have in most of the region and throughout most of the country,” Brennan said. Connecticut has lost 15,300 jobs since June, according to the latest data from the state Department of Labor, and has recovered 70 percent of jobs lost during the Great Recession, statistics that recently prompted CBIA economist Peter Gioia to declare that “we now have a full-blown crisis in jobs.” Brennan noted that many published reports have indicated that the national economy will grow by 2 percent to 3 percent in 2018. However, he said, Connecticut "will struggle to grow by zero to 1 percent. Job growth will hopefully be better, but still won’t be robust.”

BANKS, HOSPITALS SHOW STRENGTH

Fairfield County’s banks apparently have thrived this past year despite the state’s gloomy financial landscape. Top executives at People’s United, KeyBank and Newtown Savings Bank all said that commercial lending was up at their institutions in 2017. “There’s been a little negative overhang because of the state of the state,” said Kenneth Weinstein, president and CEO of Newtown Savings Bank, “but in general we’ve seen very strong and growing businesses looking for loans. In greater Danbury especially, the economy has held up really well.”

Jeff Hubbard, KeyBank’s Connecticut and Western Massachusetts Market president, said that while Fairfield County has seen strong business activity, statewide activity “is not as strong as it is in the other New England states.” The KeyBank executive laid some of the blame on the state’s transportation system. “Transportation here can be difficult, expensive and time-consuming. Being able to take advantage of an improved rail system would help take not just Fairfield County but also New Haven and Hartford to another level.” In the health care industry, the Connecticut Hospital Association and 20 hospitals in 2017 filed a lawsuit seeking to end the state’s controversial hospital tax. The hospitals in the lawsuit claim the special tax and poor Medicaid funding have resulted in 1,390 layoffs and more than 1,700 open positions eliminated at Connecticut hospitals since 2013, with more cuts likely to come. Still, most hospitals in Fairfield County had a healthy fiscal 2016, the most recent year for which data is available, according to a report last September from the state Department of Public Health’s Office of Health Care Access. When calculating revenues over expenses, Bridgeport Hospital generated $46.6 million in 2016; Danbury Hospital, $24.7 million; Greenwich Hospital, $34.7 million; Norwalk Hospital, $38.6 million; and Stamford Hospital, $39.8 million. Saint Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport eked out $100,000 in revenues over expenses. At Stamford Health, “2017 was a pretty good year for us,” said Kevin Gage, CFO and senior vice

those who have insurance. It becomes a hidden tax for them.” Jennings noted the Bridgeport Hospital’s Park Avenue Medical Center, a 200,000-square-foot medical office building and outpatient campus that opened in Trumbull in 2016, is “growing like crazy,” with a number of new doctors expected to join it in 2018. “It’s been a relatively positive year, especially given the economic headwinds facing us,” he said.

THE NEXT GOVERNOR

Jeff Hubbard, president of KeyBank’s Connecticut and Western Massachusetts Market.

Kenneth Weinstein, president and CEO of Newtown Savings Bank.

president for finance. He noted that Stamford's collaboration with the Hospital for Special Surgery has been “a tremendous success,” with the addition of a 40,000-square-foot orthopedic inpatient surgical unit announced last fall. However, the hospital tax and the elimination of the Affordable Care Act’s individual health care mandate in Republicans’ recently enacted Tax Cuts and Jobs Act continue to loom, he said. “Without the mandate,

there’s a real concern that people will not get insured and get the health care that they need,” Gage said. “And that could lead to significant increases in premiums for those who do have coverage.” William Jennings, president and CEO of Bridgeport Hospital, agreed. “It is inarguable that more people with health insurance is a good thing,” he said. “We are not in the business of withholding care” to those without insurance coverage, “so the burden then shifts to

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Asked what they’d like to see from the state’s next governor following the November election, business leaders were adamant that steps must be taken to improve the economic landscape. “The next governor is going to have to be engaged in the actual management of the state,” said Bruhl at the Business Council. “And we need our state commissioners to be more competent, to wring everything out that we can.” Bruhl is a proponent of home rule, whereby municipalities “whose borders were drawn 100, 200 years ago and are not necessarily the most efficient for the 21st century” would combine resources for regional, rather than town-by-town, services like fire and police departments and school districts. “Having 150 police departments with 150 police chiefs is not the way to go,” he said. “The new governor is going to have his or her hands full,” said Gage at Stamford Health. “It’s going to be an uphill battle.” Gage said that efforts need to be made to attract younger people to come to Connecticut and stay here, He noted the state lost 29,880 people between July 2015 and July 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The Census Bureau estimates that the population will have declined by about another 12,000 residents at the end of 2017. “There’s a lot of competition out there,” Gage said. “We need to look to our legislators to be creative with coming up ways to make us more competitive.”

JANUARY 1, 2018

ROOT FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF WINNERS ! w o n e t a Nomin

For the fifth year, Westfair Communications is honoring the leaders who built businesses in Westchester and Fairfield counties and kept them in the community — and in the family. Tell us about your own business or a family-owned business you think deserves recognition.

Business Requirements:

Owned by two or more relatives Located in Fairﬁeld County or Westchester County or the Hudson Valley • At least ﬁve years old • •

Nominate at:

westfaironline.com/events Deadline: January 15

For more information or sponsorship inquiries, contact Rebecca Freeman, rfreeman@westfairinc.com or 914-358-0757 PRESENTED BY:

BRONZE SPONSORS:

SUPPORTERS: