Milford Matters

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.