Milford Matters

Here are the latest arrests as reported by Milford police. And, don't forget to check the  UPDATED  Milford Crime Map:  Milford Crime Map Name: Joshua Morales, 23, Milford Arrest date: Sept. 24, 10:15 a.m. Pending charge(s): Sixth-degree larceny; conspiracy to commit sixth-degree larceny Police say: Morales stole a lottery ticket from Howard's Variety store on Naugatuck Avenue on July 19. Police are accusing Morales of taking 100 $2 "Bonus Ball Bingo" scratch tickets.  Name: John DeLauro, 74, Guilford Arrest date: Sept. 24, 3:40 p.m. Pending charge(s): Third-degree stalking Police say: DeLauro was parked in front of a former companion's house on Lawrence Court and had been warned not to contact the victim.  Name: Donald Judd, 55, Hamden Arrest date: Sept. 23, 3:30 p.m. Pending charge(s): Two counts of public indecency; second-degree breach of peace; risk of injury Police say: On Sept. 19, two women observed a man masturbating while riding in his car down Dar...

Here are the latest arrests as reported by Milford police. And, don't forget to check the  UPDATED  Milford Crime Map:  Milford Crime Map Name: Marshall Maxwell, 20, Easton Arrest date: Sept. 19, 12 a.m.. Pending charge(s): Third-degree assault; second-degree strangulation; second-degree threatening; first-degree criminal trespass; disorderly conduct; possession of marijuana; possession of drug paraphernalia Police say: On a call of a disturbance at an Elaine Road home, police discovered that Maxwell had entered his companion's home and started to choke her. Maxwell fled the home, but police located him nearby and found him in possession of marijuana.  Name: David Weston Jr., 28, Milford Arrest date: Sept. 19, 12:30 a.m. Pending charge(s): Third-degree assault on a pregnant person; second degree threatening; disorderly conduct Police say: On a call of a disturbance at a Darina Place home, police discovered that Weston had pushed his pregnant companion to the ground...

I come across abysmally tragic items like this all the time in the police blotter - there's probably one or two "domestic" incidents in each day's blotter: ARRESTEE: DAVID WESTON JR. (28) 24 DARINA PLACE, MILFORD CHARGE (S): ASSAULT – PREGNANT PERSON 3RD ; THREATENING 2ND DISORDERLY CONDUCT POLICE RECEIVED A COMPLAINT OF A DISTURBANCE AT A DARINA PLACE RESIDENCE. INVESTIGATION LED TO THE ARREST OF WESTON WHO IS ACCUSED OF PUSHING HIS COMPANION TO THE GROUND, THREATENING TO HARM HER AND STRIKING/KICKING HER SEVERAL TIMES . WESTON ALLEGEDLY DAMAGED THE VICTIM’S CELL PHONE DURING THE INCIDENT. THE COMPANION WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL FOR A MEDICAL EVALUATION DUE TO HER PREGNANCY. Who knows what happened here - and of course Weston is innocent until proven guilty. But the allegations are serious.Whenever I read something like this happening in Milford, I get a sick feeling thinking about how a group of people from Woodmont would use zoning laws to stop a domestic s...

Blake (l) and Spalthoff at a pre-debate dinner on Tuesday.  TRUTH SQUAD! Mayor Ben Blake and Republican challenger Peter Spalthoff debated last night – though, “answered questions from the audience” is a more accurate depiction. Many news outlets like to use Pinocchio’s nose, or, in the case of the Seattle Times , the Space Needle, to measure how truthful the candidates’ statements were. I’d like to use a less pointy metaphor. So, I’m measuring the truthfulness (or accuracy) here in distance in Connecticut from Milford. So, if one of the candidates said, “Barack Obama doesn’t have a birth certificate” they would be rated “North Canaan” because that's as far from the truth (Milford) as you can get. Get it? The candidate : Ben Blake The claim : “I passed two lean, bipartisan budgets.” The verdict : West Haven . True, but additional context is necessary. The way the budget process works is the mayor – with much help from the finance director and department heads –...

  A grave marker for Milford's first doctor, Jasper Gunn.  Hey - do you like local history and/or halls of fame? The Milford Hall of Fame is holding its 2013 induction ceremony on Wednesday at 5 p.m. at the Parsons Center. A committee made up of all the ex-living mayors (Richetelli, Jepson, Jagoe, Baldwin, Kozlowski) selects the inductees (who are all, unfortunately, deceased).  Would you like to know who they're adding to the HoF? - Fannie Elizabeth Beach : Born in May, 1866; was a school teacher in Milford. - Capt. Jehiel Bryan : Born in 1728 in Stamford, he served as a captain in the revolutionary war. He died in Milford in 1853.  - Herbert Israel Mathewson : Former schools superintendent and namesake of Mathewson Elementary.  - Edward R. Lambert : An author who wrote the book "History of the colony of New Haven before and after the union with Connecticut," which included writings on Milford.  - Jasper Gunn : Milford's first doctor, he lived...

Here are the latest arrests as reported by Milford police. And, don't forget to check the  UPDATED  Milford Crime Map:  Milford Crime Map Name: Sara Pressler, 21, Milford Arrest date: Sept. 16, 5 p.m. Pending charge(s): Disorderly conduct; second-degree reckless endangerment Name: Shauna Dymarcik, 29, Milford Arrest date: Sept. 16, 5 p.m. Pending charge(s): Second-degree disorderly conduct Police say: Pressler and Dymarcik are roommates and were involved in a disturbance with each other, which led to their arrests.  Name: Christopher Goings, 35, Milford Arrest date: Sept. 17, 1:45 a.m. Pending charge(s): Possession of narcotics Police say: After arresting Goings for an outstanding warrant out of West Haven, police found Goings in possession of cocaine. 

Here are the latest arrests as reported by Milford police. And, don't forget to check the  UPDATED  Milford Crime Map:  Milford Crime Map Name: Shakara Ingram, 19, New Haven  Arrest date: Sept. 13, 6 p.m. Pending charge(s): Breach of peace, assault on police, interfering with police Name: Matthew Sheffield, 20, Hamden Arrest date: Sept. 13, 6 p.m. Pending charge(s): Breach of peace, violation of a protective order Police say: There was a disturbance at the Westfield Connecticut Post Mall, and during the investigation, Ingram punched a police officer in the face. Sheffield and Ingram were arrested for being involved in a fight, which violated a protective order against Sheffield.  Name: Filipe Coelho, 23, Milford Arrest date: Sept. 14 2:25 a.m. Pending charge(s): Driving while intoxicated, failure to drive right Police say: They stopped Coelho for a motor vehicle violation and discovered he was intoxicated. A test revealed he had an elevated blood-alcohol con...

Are you going to the first Milford mayoral debate on Tuesday night? Mayoral candidates Ben Blake (the incumbent Democrat) and Peter Spalthoff (Republican) will debate Tuesday night at the First United Church of Christ on West River Street. I'm told that this debate typically draws ~50 people - 20 Republicans, 20 Democrats, and 10 genuinely interested citizens. The format of the debate basically just lets people walk in off the street and ask these candidates questions (the moderator does screen questions, just to ensure no on launches personal attacks, etc.). So, what do you want to ask these candidates? What's the biggest issue facing Milford ? No, seriously - I want to know. Leave your thoughts in the comment section. As a reporter who covers Milford, my biggest concern for the future of the city is ensuring that its stays relevant. That is, it finds a way to be affordable; that it fosters cultural activities that don't just involve alcohol and oysters; that embra...

Here are the latest arrests as reported by Milford police. And, don't forget to check the  UPDATED  Milford Crime Map:  Milford Crime Map Name: Willie Brooks, 49, New Haven  Arrest date: Sept. 12, 2:30 a.m. Pending charge(s): DUI; weapons in a motor vehicle; disobeying an officer's signal Police say: Brooks was not driving in the established lane. During a traffic stop, police suspected Brooks of operating under the influence of alcohol, and found two swords and a machete in the vehicle. Brooks refused a breathalyzer. 

There was a very important and very well attended Zoning Board of Appeals meeting in Milford last night. The major issue on the agenda was in regards to the domestic violence shelter that a nonprofit planned to open in Woodmont. Basically, the ZBA struck down a letter written by assistant city planner Emmeline Harrigan in 2012 allowing the nonprofit BH Care to open a domestic violence shelter without any further zoning approvals - that is, BH Care would not have to go in front of a public board and ask to be allowed to operate in a single-family zone. That's an important point - discussing a domestic violence shelter in public undermines its existence . The addresses of these shelters are supposed to be anonymous so abuser don't inflict further harm on their victims. So, if you go putting the address on a public agenda and all the other due diligence that goes with operating a public meeting, you're undermining that anonymity. I haven't talked to City Attorney Jo...

Here are the post-election calculations for voter turnout at Tuesday's board of education primary. The turnout was ... low. 203 voters + 9 absentee voters = 212 total voters. As of Thursday there were 1,726 registered voters in Milford's fightin' second district. 212 voters/1,726 registered = 0.1228, or 12%. The last primary held in Milford was in 2010 and was for big-name races - governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. Congress, secretary of state, etc. - 22% of Democrats turned out and 24% of Republicans.

Here are the latest arrests as reported by Milford police. And, don't forget to check the  UPDATED  Milford Crime Map:  Milford Crime Map Name: Robert Larsen, 44, Monroe Arrest date: Sept. 9, 11:55 a.m. Pending charge(s): Third-degree larceny Police say: On May 31, they got a complaint that an electrical contractor had promised to do work, but failed to actually do it. The victim, an Elizabeth Street resident, says she hired Larsen to install an electrical generator and gave him a $6,400 deposit for the job, but he never did it.  Name: Latasha Reed, 27, New Haven; Kia Williams, 31, New Haven Arrest date: Sept. 9, 7:21 p.m. Pending charge(s): Fifth-degree larceny; two counts of conspiracy to commit fifth-degree larceny; risk of injury Police say: Responding to the Sears at the Connecticut Post Mall on a larceny complaint, an investigation revealed that Williams and Reed tried to take $686.92 worth of merchandise without paying for it, hiding some of it inside a chil...

Here are the latest arrests as reported by Milford police. And, don't forget to check the UPDATED Milford Crime Map:  Milford Crime Map Name: Kevin Lee, 20, Milford Arrest date: Sept. 6, 5 p.m. Pending charge(s): Assault on emergency personnel; second-degree threatening; second-degree breach of peace Police say: Stemming from an incident at Milford Hospital on Aug. 2, police arrested Lee on a warrant for spitting on and threatening hospital staff.  Name: Cody Chizmadia, 18, Milford Arrest date: Sept. 7, 12:50 p.m. Pending charge(s): Using a vehicle without the owner's permission Police say: Chizmadia took a relative's car without asking from 64 Hazelwood Ave.  Name: Andrew Dion, 23, Milford Arrest date: Sept. 8, 2:30 a.m. Pending charge(s): DUI; operating a vehicle without a license; driving the wrong way on a one-way street Police say: An officer saw a car driving the wrong way on West River Street. When he stopped the vehicle, he suspected the driver, Dion, was unde...

Here are the latest arrests as reported by Milford police. And, don't forget to check the UPDATED Milford Crime Map:  Milford Crime Map Name: Nancy Peters, 38, Milford Arrest date: Sept. 3, 7:35 p.m. Pending charge(s): Three counts of disorderly conduct Police say: Responding to a complaint of a disturbance at a Meadows End Road home, a police investigation revealed that Peters got into a physical fight with three relatives.  Name: Breanna Paquette-Crisant, 21, Oxford Arrest date: Sept. 3, 9:15 p.m. Pending charge(s): Failure to respond to an infraction Police say: Police arrested Paquette-Crisant on a warrant because she failed to respond to an infraction issued on March 14 for possession of marijuana.  Name: Jesus Rivera, 40, West Haven Arrest date: Sept. 4, 2:30 a.m. Pending charge(s): Possession of narcotics Police say: After stopping car near Exit 40 off of Interstate 95, police say they found Rivera, the passenger, in possession of heroin.

Milford watch, Parson's Center, 3:43 p.m., 9/5/2013.

A person (who shall remain anonymous) once showed me an outrageous cell phone video of some very drunk men relieving their bladders all over a business in downtown Milford. I suspect this sort of behavior - and worse - probably happens all the time in the vicinity of bars in Milford (and in the vicinity of most every bar in the world).   In an effort curb this kind of stuff, the Milford Prevention Council is offering a program called TIPS that teaches bartenders and waitstaff how to respectfully "prevent their customers from becoming intoxicated [and urinating on things]." (That bracketed part is my add.) The Prevention Council touts that TIPS training can reduce property damage, limit liability, aid in bars complying with state laws, and, on a serious note, preventing drunk driving incidents.  Interested? Contact the Prevention Council at (203) 786-6676. 

I'm working on a larger story about this, but I wanted to put it out there that the city is holding a workshop on Sept. 9 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at City Hall to disseminate information about the various funds available for Sandy victims. It'll be Mayor Ben Blake, state Housing Commissioner Evonne Klein, and DOH program manager Hermia Delaire. They will apparently discuss a variety of aid programs for Sandy victims, especially the (they couldn't come up with a shorter name) " Department of Housing's owner-occupied Rehabilitation and Rebuilding Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program ." But, the larger story is about what Milford residents describe as a nightmare pit of bureaucracy is applying for and getting aid. They tell me that they don't understand how to apply for aid, they never know how much aid they will get, and that when they do get ...

Here are the latest arrests as reported by Milford police. And, don't forget to check the UPDATED Milford Crime Map:  Milford Crime Map Name: Mark Blum, 35, Milford Arrest date: Sept. 2, 6:35 a.m. Pending charge(s): Second-degree threatening; criminal attempt at second-degree assault; second-degree breach of peace Police say: Blum had asked the victim for a ride, and after the victim refused, Blum began hitting him with a hammer and screaming. The incident took place in the parking lot at 1391 New Haven Ave.  Name:  Arrest date: Aug. 31, 2013 Pending charge(s): Second-degree assault Police say: Police found a bleeding man walking along Melba Street, and after an investigation discovered that he bleeding man had been in an altercation inside a home along Atwater Street. Police found that  had lunged at the bleeding man during an argument; the victim put his hand up to block the attack, and sustained a hand injury.  Name: Debbie Markley, 49, Milford ...

Here are the latest arrests as reported by Milford police. And, don't forget to check the UPDATED Milford Crime Map:  Milford Crime Map Name: Gary Yackel, 61, Milford Arrest date: Aug. 29, 9:30 a.m. Pending charge(s): Violation of a protective order Police say: Yackel contacted his wife by phone, who had a court-issued protective order barring him from doing so.  Name: James Marino, 21, Stratford Arrest date: Aug. 29, 11:29 a.m. Pending charge(s):  Sixth-degree larceny Police say: Marino tried to take 17 cases of Red Bull from the Stop and Shop along East Towne Road.  Name: Scott Morgan, 24 Milford Arrest date: Aug. 29, 10:30 p.m. Pending charge(s):  Second-degree failure to appear Police say: Morgan failed to appear in court on Aug. 5 to face a charge of having improper insurance coverage (and incident that occurred on Feb. 17).   

Here are the latest arrests as reported by Milford police. And, don't forget to check the UPDATED Milford Crime Map:  Milford Crime Map Name: James Page, 67, Milford Arrest date: Aug. 28, 11 a.m. Pending charge(s): Evading responsibility; failure to drive right Police say: Page left the scene of an accident that occurred on Roses Mill Road.  Name: Albert Cicarelli, 55, Milford Arrest date: Aug. 28, 12:50 p.m. Pending charge(s): Illegally obtaining prescription drugs Police say: Cicarelli tried to use a fake prescription at the Walgreen's along Bridgeport Avenue.  Name: Frank Palumbo, 28, Milford Arrest date: Aug. 28, 5 p.m. Pending charge(s): Disorderly conduct Police say: Palumbo threatened to damage the personal property of a relative who lives along Wheeler's Farms Road. 

Woodmont Borough Hall I've written a couple of Woodmont-centric stories recently, and it got me wondering: why does Woodmont even exist? Woodmont is a borough inside the city of Milford located (roughly) along between Long Island Sound and New Haven Avenue east of Abigail Street. The state recognizes it as an independent municipality, but look on any Woodmont resident’s license and it says they live in Milford. The borough has a board of burgesses, which doesn’t have any real statutory authority – they can’t change zoning or pass laws or anything like that. Every Woodmont resident is a subject of both Milford city government – the mayor, the police, the board of aldermen, the school district, etc - and the borough. That means: double government (quadruple if you count state/federal). Woodmont residents pay a separate (small) tax that pays for a part-time police officer (actually a Milford cop working on overtime), a library, parks and recreation, and general opera...