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: 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...

Some have said that the article I wrote today about declining enrollment  in Milford schools is unclear. I apologize if you feel that way because I always try to state things as plainly as possible. So, here’s the raw data on the enrollment situation in Milford. According to state figures, here’s a decade of Milford enrollment: 2001-02…………………………………………………………7,368 2002-03…………………………………………………………7,455 2003-04…………………………………………………………7,525 2004-05…………………………………………………………7,525 2005-06…………………………………………………………7,569 2006-07…………………………………………………………7,504 2007-08…………………………………………………………7,384 2008-09…………………………………………………………7,303 2009-10…………………………………………………………7,135 2010-11…………………………………………………………6,958 2011-12…………………………………………………………6,794 2012-13…………………………………………………………6,560 2013-14…………………………………………………………6,364 (projected) As you can see, the downward trend began in the 2006-07. If you do the arithmetic, here are the total gains/losses: 2001-02………………………………………………………… 2002-03...

Here are the latest Milford arrests as reported by Milford police. And, don't forget to check the UPDATED Milford Crime Map:  Milford Crime Map Name: Ramona McDuffie-Tyson, 28, Milford Arrest date: Aug. 26, 1 p.m. Pending charge(s): First-degree failure to appear Police say: McDuffie did not appear in court on June 28 to face charges of criminal impersonation stemming from an incident that occurred on Feb. 24.  Name: Derek Hill, 24, Hamden Arrest date: Aug. 26, 5:30 p.m. Pending charge(s): First-degree forgery, sixth-degree larceny, fifth-degree larceny Police say: Hill tried to cash a $350 check stolen from a vehicle at Foran High School on May 17, 2007. 

Spalthoff Republican mayoral candidate Peter Spalthoff, 68, picked up an endorsement from the Milford Independent Party over the weekend. Those of you who were around in 2009 might remember that Spalthoff ran as an Independent for mayor that year, a move that some - but certainly not all - in the 2013 Republican party see as a bit of a problem .  Here's Spalthoff's letter to the Register regarding the Independent endorsement: "On Saturday,  August 26th I attended the Milford Independent Party's convention and I am honored to say that I was officially and unanimously endorsed by them as the candidate for Mayor. I know many of the Independent Party members personally and they are all hard working individuals who have the same love for this City as I do. I commit myself to working on behalf of all my neighbors in Milford and once again, I am truly honored to have been endorsed by the Independent Party." And just so we're all up to speed, Spalthoff is...

Officer Michael Compare I'm happy to report that Milford Officer Michael Compare raised over $4,000 for the Chase Kowalski Memorial Fund set up in the name of the 7-year-old who was killed in the Sandy Hook shooting in December.  Compare had a goal of raising $3,000 by competing in a half-triathlon in June. Compare decided to run the triathlon in Kowalski's name because both of them love running - Kowalski, though very young, had competed in a triathlon at age 6, and ran in road races around Newtown.  Here's a link to the Kowalski fund , which has a goal of being "a positive force to inspire community healing through family and children-focused initiatives and programs. By focusing on emotional healing and physical health and wellness, we will positively change the lives of children and their families." 

Here are the latest Milford arrests as reported by Milford police. And, don't forget to check the UPDATED Milford Crime Map:  Milford Crime Map Name: Jeffrey Brauner, 56, Milford Arrest date: Aug. 24, 4:48 a.m. Pending charge(s): First-degree burglary; third-degree criminal mischief Police say: The homeowner at 10 Dixon Ave. heard a noise coming from downstairs. When he went to check it out, he found his neighbor - Brauner - had broken a window screen and was trying to get in to the house. Police say it was unclear why Brauner was trying to get into the home.

Here's more Milford data, visualized on a map. This includes all the addresses of registered sex offenders (not all are registered for offenses against a minor) and all the locations of schools, preschools, and daycare centers.  Schools are blue stars, offenders are red pins. Milford Sex Offender-School Relationship Map Some sex offenders live pretty close to schools. By state statute, any sex offender who lives within 1,000 feet of the "real property" of a school et. al. can be prohibited from doing so by their risk assessment factor managed by a state board.   "The board shall use the risk assessment scale to determine which offenders should be prohibited from residing within one thousand feet of the real property comprising a public or private elementary or secondary school or a facility providing child day care service," reads the state statute. 

OK, the name of this store really irks me - the refusal to capitalize the first "word" in the name and the conspicuous allusion to spending money, especially - but it's the first location in Connecticut and that name stuff may not bother people who have babies and need to buy things for those babies. Here's all you need to know about the first buybuy Baby store in Connecticut, which is in Milford: "buybuy BABY is pleased to announce the opening of its new 30,489 square-foot superstore in Milford, CT featuring an exceptional selection of merchandise for newborns to toddlers including furniture, strollers, clothing, and much more. The store is located at 1201 Boston Post Road and is open Monday to Saturday from 9:00 AM to 9:30 PM and Sunday from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The Milford store is the first buybuy BABY store in the state of Connecticut. “We are excited to have opened our first store in Connecticut and look forward to sharing our long standing traditio...

Here are the arrests from today's Milford police press release: Arrest date: Aug. 21, 6 p.m. Pending charge: Breach of peace Police say: Police responded to a disturbance and an investigation revealed that the trio had allegedly gotten into an argument and shoved each other.  Editor's note: Names have been redacted from this blog because the case was dismissed

I was fooling around with Google Maps this morning and re-discovered that I can upload data. So, I decided to create a Milford crime incidents map. Check back daily - I'll add crimes as police release them on the blotter. Here's the link:  Milford Crime Map

Officer Jeffrey Nielsen, who usually does the Milford police press daily blotter, is on vacation this week. In his place is Lt. Vaughan Dumas (who actually used to do the same job as Nielsen, which is probably why he fills in when Nielsen is away). I'm not sure if Dumas is going to do the typical police blotter, but he sure has a flair for picking out interesting arrests. Here's what we got today:  Police say a man stole a cell phone while brandishing a stun gun in the Devon section Monday night, and are asking for anyone with information to contact them.   The theft happened around 8:30 p.m. Monday at the intersection of Naugatuck and Bridgeport avenues. A man described as being white, 6 feet tall, thin, and having long, dark hair approached another man and asked to borrow his cell phone.   After making a couple of calls, the longhaired white man booked it eastbound on Bridgeport Avenue. The victim chased, but when the pair reached Avon Street, the longhaired man a...

Can you guess what links all of these incidents together? I'll give you a hint: It runs from Florida to Maine. Send me an email at nmcnamara@nhregister.com with the answer and I will personally deliver a free copy of the New Haven Register to your house!  Name: Jeryl Gray, 57, Statford Arrest date: Aug. 16, 1:30 p.m. Pending charge: violation of a protective order Police say: Gray harassed a relative who has a protective order against him at 1500 Boston Post Road.  Name: Ralph Moody, 43, New Haven Arrest date: Aug. 15, 6 p.m. Pending charge: sixth-degree larceny Police say: Moody tried to take $435.12 worth of DVDs from the Wal-Mart along the Boston Post Road without paying for them.  Name: Anthony Farrell, 38, Milford Arrest date: Aug. 15, 9 p.m. Pending charge: possession of narcotics, possession of narcotics with intent to sell Police say: The tactical unit observed a suspicious vehicle in a parking lot at 1700 Boston Post Road. They investigated with the help of ...

Want to watch Klaus Kinski in Cobra Verde tonight? Good luck finding a copy.  After an informal survey, I have discovered that in New Haven County it’s easier to rent pornography than regular movies. I came up with this theory while discussing with some people how hard it is to rent an actual movie in New Haven. I’m not talking about RedBox – that’s more akin to Netflix or downloading a movie; it’s too sterile and robotic of a service for me to count it as an actual video rental experience; and they don’t have old movies. So, here’s a list of all the places in New Haven County (Milford to Madison, Waterbury to New Haven) you can rent regular, non-pornographic movies: - Best Video , Hamden That’s it. The only one. And though I love its enormous collection, coffee bar, and unique categorizations, it’s a 20-minute, gas-draining trek through the back roads of New Haven and Hamden from my house. It’s an even longer trek from Branford or Milford or, god forbid, Merid...

The 39th annual Milford Oyster Festival happens this Saturday (weather report: partly cloudy, 79 degrees )  whether you like seafood or not. The headliner this year is Blues Traveler with renowned harmonica shredding front man John Popper . How hard can Popper shred on the mouth harp? Harder than renowned Long Island guitar shredder Stevie Vai can shred on a custom Ibanez JEM (w/handle) guitar.

Here's what police are reporting for notable arrests from over the weekend (all from a Milford PD press release).  Name: Benjamin Ruszkowski, 32, Milford Arrest date: Aug. 9, 5:30 p.m. Pending charge: second-degree criminal mischief Police say: Ruszkowski damaged a window of a downtown business at 59 North Broad Street. Police arrested him on a warrant on Friday.  Name: Joshua Downs, 22, Oxford Arrest date: Aug. 10, 2 a.m. Pending charge: third-degree criminal mischief Police say: An officer on bike patrol downtown saw Downs damage a flower pot at a River Street business. When asked, police say Downs told them that he damaged the pot because he was mad about an argument he had with an acquaintance earlier in the day. Police say the value of the flower pot was $50.  Name: Alexander Sandel, 28, Norwalk Arrest date: Aug. 10, 2: 31 a.m. Pending charge: DUI, failure to illuminate headlamps Police say: They stopped Sandel while he was driving down the Boston Post Road with ...

Here's what police are reporting for notable arrests from yesterday (all from a Milford PD press release).  Name: Michelle Brady, 20, Milford Arrest date: Aug. 6, 3:23 p.m. Pending charge: third-degree larceny, five counts of third-degree forgery, third-degree conspiracy to commit larceny, five counts of conspiracy to commit third-degree larceny Police say: An investigation revealed that Brady had taken a few personal checks from a person whose home she was staying at and cashed them in the amount of $3,195.  Name: Robert Washington, 46, New Haven Arrest date: Aug. 6, 11:39 p.m. Pending charge: third-degree assault, violation of a protective order, two counts of violation of probation Police say: they responded to a home along Bridgeport Avenue and discovered that Washington had hit his spouse. After doing a computer check, they found there was a protective order barring Washington from having contact with his spouse. They also found that Washington had two outstandi...

You might remember a couple of weeks ago a story we did about Joe Della Monica, a retired Milford cop, performing a mind-blowingly brave rescue of a guy from a car crash on the NJ turnpike.  On Monday, Mayor Ben Blake honored Della Monica with a proclamation at a Board of Aldermen meeting.  In a speech after getting the proclamation, Della Monica revealed a few facts about the rescue that make it even more amazing. Just a short recap: The Della Monica family was driving down the turnpike and this guy goes whizzing past them, driving awfully. A little farther down the highway, he crashes. Della Monica leaps out of his car and rescues the guy seconds before the car bursts into flame. The car, after the rescue.  With that in mind, here are more facts that prove that basically a miracle happened: -Della Monica, an ex-cop, was first on scene. The other three people that happened to be there? An off-duty firefighter, an off-duty New York City cop, and an off-duty E...

What I saw at last night's Board of Aldermen meeting was a group of residents trying to oppose a domestic violence shelter without opposing domestic violence victims.  That is, they stuck to the line that they're opposed to the shelter because it is, in their opinion, in violation of the zoning in their neighborhood. It's an inappropriate use, they say.  Here's a video of a woman testifying to that point, complete with a silent show of solidarity from some 30 or so people at the end: (sorry for the poor quality - you might have to turn your volume waaaay up)  Thing is, in talking with some neighbors, they've told me that they're opposed to the shelter for other reasons - that it would be dangerous for the neighborhood, that it would take a building off the tax rolls, and that it would lower property values.  The property values/dangerous argument seems less palpable to me, since it essentially maligns battered women and children as undesir...

Here's what police are reporting for notable arrests from yesterday (all from a Milford PD press release).  Name:Frank Palumbo III, 28, Milford Arrest date: July 31, 8:15 p.m. Pending charge: first-degree failure to appear Police say: Arrested Palumbo on a warrant for failing to appear in court on July 25 for prior incidents from March involving drugs, failing to appear in court, and probation violation Name: Nathaniel McDuffie, 27, West Haven Arrest date: July 31, 810:40 p.m. Pending charge: possession of marijuana (less than 4 oz.) Police say: They stopped McDuffie along Anderson Avenue because he didn't have a front license plate. During the traffic stop, they say they found 30 grams of marijuana in his car.  Name: Tommy Asbury, 58, Bellingham, Wash.  Arrest date: July 31, 11:45 p.m. Pending charge: disorderly conduct Police say: Asbury hit and pulled the hair of his spouse during an argument that took place at the Pilot Travel Center along Old Gate Lane.