By Marianne Sullivan
Source Senior Staff Writer
For Madison, 2008 was a year of surprising and shocking announcements, a year of twists and turns that brought a score of changes and new faces. Some might say the surprises and changes actually began in early November 2007 when voters elected a new first selectman, a Democrat, who brought changes with him into the new year. And although the Police Department’s issues had begun to brew in 2007, they exploded into the open in January and continued throughout the year. There was a newly appointed superintendent of schools and tests results showing higher than recommended levels of uranium in drinking water at two schools. And 2008 was the year in which the state Department of Environmental Protection granted the long awaited and controversial permit to Leyland Alliance for its proposed wastewater treatment system. And there was much more…
January
The year opened with hearings before the Board of Police Commissioners. Sgt. Timothy Heiden faced departmental charges, among them charges alleging Heiden interfered with a Connecticut State Police investigation of Joseph Gambardella, a police officer on the midnight shift and under Heiden’s direct supervision. Gambardella was charged with theft from local businesses, including seafood from a local restaurant.
The Board of Police Commissioners, in a 3-1 decision, sustains four of five departmental charges brought against Sgt. Timothy Heiden and terminates his 17-year career within the department.
During the course of those hearings, the Police Department made public an internal affairs investigation that alleged another officer, Bernard Durgin, was meeting regularly with prostitutes while on the job and working the midnight shift. Durgin had already been placed on leave, facing other charges. The Police Department contended Durgin and three other, unnamed police officers had met with prostitutes while on duty on the midnight shift.
As the Police Department continued to bring additional charges forward in its continuing internal investigations, the Police Commission spent less than 30 minutes deciding the fate of Officer Bernard Durgin, a seven-year veteran facing 50 charges against him. The commission unanimously voted to terminate him.
The commission also terminated Officer Matthew Sterling, a former advisor to the Police Department’s Explorer Post. Sterling was charged with offering misinformation to officers conducting an investigation, failure to report police misconduct, and a half dozen other charges.
In the midst of all the Police Department’s hearings and terminations, the Police Commission hired two new officers. One was Justin Stysly, a new recruit, and the other was Rebecca Ricciuti, who had previously served four years as a police officer in South Windsor. After 22 weeks training at the Connecticut Police Academy, Stysly began his field training in Madison and then resigned.
Rabbi Howard Sommer celebrated 25 years as the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Tikvah.
After a sometimes emotional debate that seemed to pit two neighborhoods against each other, the town, a cell tower developer, and representatives from both neighborhoods all appeared at a special town meeting to overwhelmingly endorse development of a communication tower at Ridge Road along Route 79.
At the same special town meeting, residents frustrated and angered by the series of events unfolding within the Police Department balked at a request for a special appropriation to pay Police Chief Paul Jakubson $84,227. “Can we fire the chief?” some asked. The payment was a negotiated settlement between Jakubson and town for payment under the state’s heart and hypertension program.
The Board of Police Commissioners also opened hearings disciplinary hearings for Officer Daniel Hedges. Hedges faced charges of conduct unbecoming an officer, repeated violations of department rules and regulations and more. His charges were unconnected to any of the previous hearings underway for other suspended and terminated officers.
Exerting their muscle after gaining control of the first selectman’s office and a majority on the Board of Selectmen, the Democrats named one of their own to the Board of Police Commissioners. Ed Kritzman replaced Republican Thomas Cartledge over the strenuous objections of Republicans.
A controversial proposal to develop 24 units of mixed income housing on property near Exit 62 and the Hammonasset Connector was withdrawn by property owner William Millard.
February
Opponents of Madison Landing, the active adult community proposed for the former Griswold Airport, filed a series of exceptions to the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) decision to grant approval of the development’s wastewater treatment system. It was the next step in a series of appeals, leading to a final decision from the commissioner.
The Board of Education proposed a 2008-2009 school budget that totaled $47 million, a 5.98 percent increase when compared to the 2007-2008 fiscal year.
The E. C. Scranton Library Board of Trustees and the Board of Selectmen took the first steps toward bringing a library expansion request before the voters. The trustees and the selectmen formed a committee to begin drafting an agreement between the town and the private library corporation.
Presidential Preference Primary results: Obama for the Democrats, McCain for the Republicans.
Republican Selectman Tom Scarpati, the former first selectman defeated in November by Democrat Al Goldberg, resigned his seat on the Board of Selectmen. Scarpati decided to reopen his consulting business and expand it to government agencies and municipalities. The Republicans search for a replacement.
The Republicans select Joseph MacDougald, chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission, to fill Scarpati’s seat on the Board of Selectmen. He joined fellow Republican Noreen Kokoruda as a minority member of the board.
Governor M. Jodi Rell announced approval of a $500,000 grant to replace light poles at Hammonasset State Park “We continue to invest in our state’s largest and busiest state park,” she said.
David P. Coulombe of Milford stabbed ex-girlfriend, Michelle Wooley to death in a Killingworth cottage she was renting with her boyfriend. Coulombe then fled the scene and hanged himself from a tree in a wooded lot behind Christ Chapel Church in Madison.
Madison’s second voting district was randomly selected by the Secretary of State’s office to conduct a recount of the presidential primary vote. That primary was the first time the state’s municipalities had used new optical scanners to tabulate vote totals. The recount took just about an hour and the totals for each candidate matched perfectly with the totals from primary day.
March
In sharp contract to past years, the Board of Selectmen unanimously recommended a $47 million 2008-2009 education budget to the Board of Finance. The selectmen’s recommendation included no cuts in the requested school budget.
Madison resident Ryan Suerth announced his intention to seek the Republican nomination for state senator from the 12th District. He would oppose Democratic incumbent State Senator Ed Meyer, who was seeking his third term.
The WPA-era mural at the Madison Post Office was restored by a Chicago-based company with expertise in mural conservation and restoration.
The Board of Selectmen unanimously approved and sent to the Board of Finance a proposed 2008-2009 budget for town operations totaling $19.5 million.
David Klein was named superintendent of schools. He replaced Dr. H. Kaye Griffin, who retired. Klein was previously the superintendent of the Lyme-Old Lyme school district.
Through most of March, Meigs Point Nature Center Director Ranger Russ Miller led seal walks at Hammonasset State Park.
DEP Commissioner Gina McCarthy heard oral arguments from both developer Leyland Alliance and its opponents in the long-running controversy over development of the former Griswold Airport. DEP had given Leyland approval to install a Zenon wastewater treatment system. Opponents had raised objections and made their final arguments this month before the commissioner.
Proposed budgets for the 2008-2009 fiscal year–$19.4 million for the town and $47 million for the schools–drew few residents to a public hearing. Town officials were somewhat surprised.
The Madison Foundation and Madison Senior Services joined with their Guilford counterparts to help initiate The Shoreline Institute of Lifelong Learning. The institute offers intellectual courses during daytime hours to retired and semi-retired residents.
A Superior Court judge dismissed all criminal charges against former building inspector Alfred Astorino and Robert Kuchta, the town’s inland wetlands officer. Both had been charged with violations of the state building code after a town investigation found Kuchta had improperly conducted certain building inspections at the request of Astorino.
DEP Commissioner Gina McCarthy postponed her final decision on Leyland Alliance’s request for a permit to install a Zenon wastewater treatment system at the proposed Madison Landing development. McCarthy sent the matter back to a departmental hearing officer for additional consideration.
Jason Dolce, 22, a Stonington native, was sworn in as the newest member of the Madison Police Department.
Madison became one of 19 communities across the state to be recognized with a 2008 Connecticut Clean Energy Communities Award. Approximately 200 households had signed up for the clean energy option on their utility bills, making it possible for the town to receive two free solar panels.
Helen Burland, who held the position of assistant for administration with the selectmen’s office, formally resigned. The decision shocked and surprised fellow town employees and members of boards and commissions who had worked with Burland since her appointment by former First Selectman Tom Scarpati.
The Board of Selectmen named five members and three alternates to the Historic District Commission. Although creation of the commission had gained approval from the selectmen a year previously, no members had been appointed.
The town awarded an $86,000 contract to a West Hartford company to replace the playground at Memorial Town Hall. It is one of the most used playgrounds in town, William McMinn, director of facilities said.
April
The Board of Education and its Planning Committee reaffirmed its earlier decisions endorsing a four-school model for elementary grades, a model that includes reopening, renovation, and addition to the Academy School.
The Board of Selectmen named a project committee to review proposals for a senior center and an ambulance facility. Although the projects had been defeated at a May 2007 referendum, the selectmen said they believed the projects were still needed.
The Police Commission made a special plea to the Board of Finance, asking the board to reinstate reductions made in the Police Department budget, including funds for additional officers. The finance board remained unconvinced.
The special town meeting called specifically to approve an $84,227 appropriation to fund Police Chief Paul Jakubson’s heart and hypertension settlement–an issue that had created such a furor in January–was adjourned without a vote. Because a sufficient number of voters did not appear, according to the town charter the request was automatically approved.
The Madison’s Farmer’s Market, established on the Green in 2007, returned this year.
The Board of Finance took a total of $130,000 from the school board’s requested $47 million budget request. No reductions were made in the requested $19.2 million town operating budget.
The Police Commission voted unanimously to place Chief Paul Jakubson on paid administrative leave until the conclusion of several internal affairs investigations underway and pending a Connecticut State Police investigation into his own conduct.
The Police Commission named Robert Nolan, retired chief of the Hamden Police Department, to replace Jakubson until the completion of a state police investigation and further possible action by the commission.
Rita Umile was named manager of human resources. She was previously an administrative and financial manager with the city of New Haven.
May
More than 750 avid fans lined up outside R. J. Julia Booksellers to meet Barbara Walters and have her sign their copy of her autobiography.
Just days after retiring with 20 years as a Connecticut State trooper, Madison resident Scott Pardales joined the Madison Police Department.
The first annual Joe Manganello Regatta was held at the Surf Club. Manganello was instrumental in starting the Sharing the Wind Sailing School at Garvan Point.
The Democrats and the Republicans nominated their candidates for state representative. Democrats nominated incumbent Deb Heinrich, who was seeking her third term in the General Assembly. Republicans nominated Jeanne Stevens as their candidate for the 101st district.
Voters approved both town and school budgets at a referendum and the Board of Finance set a new tax rate at 17.84 mills, a 5.2 percent increase in taxes.
The Chamber of Commerce announced plans to clean up and revitalize Tuxis Pond and committed $2,000 to the effort.
Operation Music Aid, a Madison-based organization, donated its 1,000th instrument, in this case a guitar, to a veteran wounded in combat in Afghanistan. The organization also recognized 10-year-old Meilia Ann Picquet who raised $2,725 by playing her violin on Sundays for shoppers at Stop & Shop.
The Board of Police Commissions, in a special meeting, voted unanimously to terminate Daniel Hedges, a 17-year veteran of the Police Department.
June
Police Lt. Michael J. O’Connor was officially notified that the Board of Police Commissioners set a date for his disciplinary hearing. O’Connor, a veteran with almost 20 years of service, was charged with a series of violations of departmental rules and regulations. Although the letter specifying the charges against him recommended termination, it also recommended he remain on active duty until the commission had concluded its hearing and taken action.
Four veteran teachers retired at the end of the school year. They were Sandra Brand, Raymond Dudley, Patricia McCahill, and William Ostrander.
Opponents of Madison Landing, the proposed development at the former Griswold Airport, presented the Board of Selectmen with a petition seeking a town meeting to be called to enact a new ordinance governing community wastewater treatment systems, such as the one proposed for Madison Landing. The board turned it aside, based on the legal opinion of the town attorney.
The Valley-Shore YMCA Madison Mile, in addition to hosting its annual competition, this year also hosted the U.S. Masters Swimming One-Mile National Competition at the Surf Club.
Of the 320 graduates of Daniel Hand High School, perhaps none was more pleased or proud that Ray Allen, 81, who was awarded his high school diploma after a 60-year delay. Allen was drafted into World War II before completing his senior year at Hand.
The Hand graduation was also delayed. On June 18, just as the ceremonies were about to begin, the skies opened up. The graduation was rescheduled for the following morning, when the sun shone brightly.
The Scranton Library Board of Trustees convinced the Board of Selectmen to place the library’s request for $13.1 million before voters on the Nov. 4 ballot at the presidential election date.
The first selectmen from the towns of Madison, Guilford, and Durham gathered on a promontory in Rockland Preserve to mark the spot where the three towns meet. They revived the historic practice of “perambulating.”
Gina Tracy of Guilford succeeded in gaining sufficient signatures to call a Democratic party primary for the state representative seat. She challenged incumbent State Rep. Deborah Heinrich for the party nomination.
July
Paul C. Lirot Jewelers on Wall Street was robbed. Two armed men entered the store around 12:30 p.m., tied up the employees and stole an estimated $100,000 in merchandise. No one was injured. The case remains open.
Democrats and Republicans sparred over appointments to boards and commissions, including a seat on the Planning and Zoning Commission.
The Madison Police Department arrested one of its own officers, Ernest J. Boggs, Jr., on three motor vehicle charges related to his failure to properly register a recently purchased car.
Friends of the Scranton Library collected, sorted, displayed, and sold literally thousands of books at its annual used book sale.
Ten-year-old resident Kyle Ericson traveled to Washington, D.C. to speak about life threatening food allergies to members of Congress.
Scott Harrington, a member of the Police Department’s Explorer Post, became the town’s new community service officer walking the beat in downtown Madison. The position was funded in part by a $2,400 contribution from the Chamber of Commerce.
Police Chief Paul Jakubson, placed on paid administrative leave at the end of April, presented the town and the Police Commission with a retirement offer. He is a 34-year veteran of the department.
The new, improved and relocated $6 million Shoreline East Train Station opened with a total of 199 new parking spaces.
The Police Commission requested the Connecticut State Police and federal agencies step in to complete investigations into open internal affairs investigations within the Police Department. It included an internal investigation of the chief.
The Madison Historical Society opened its exhibit marking the 50th anniversary of the construction of Interstate 95. Called A Road Runs Through It: How the Turnpike Transformed Madison, the popular exhibit drew visitors from near and far, including Governor M. Jodi Rell.
The town became the backdrop for an independent film titled Once More With Feeling and starring Chazz Palminteri, Drea de Matteo, and Linda Fiorentino.
The ad hoc committee appointed by the Board of Selectmen to look into a tax freeze for seniors told the selectmen that such a plan seemed “problematic” and was no longer under consideration.
August
The project committee reviewing plans for a future senior center and ambulance headquarters told the Board of Selectmen it needed additional time to complete its work and announced that it would not be prepared to place a recommendation on the Nov. 4 ballot.
Rachel S. Weiss was named assistant principal of the J. Milton Jeffrey Elementary School.
At a public hearing prior to a planned referendum vote, several residents stepped forward to raise concerns about the cost of the planned library expansion. Most were seniors who said tax increases were making it difficult for them to remain living in Madison.
The Police Commission tabled the retirement offer put forward by Police Chief Paul Jakubson, saying it was inappropriate to discuss “at this time.” The commission said it would wait until the close of the Connecticut State Police investigation of Jakubson before taking any action.
In a Democratic primary for state representative, incumbent Deborah Heinrich won easily–858 to 78–over her opponent, Guilford resident Gina Tracy.
The Madison Land Conservation Trust “burned the mortgage” in recognition of a final loan payment to purchase 69.7 acres of open space known as the Neck River Uplands northern parcel.
Stew MacMillan, Madison’s first town engineer, announced his retirement after almost 36 years in the Town Hall. “I have had a great time,” he said.
The project committee studying the future senior center and ambulance facility asked for more time and the services of an architect; the Board of Selectmen agreed.
The Madison Police Department hired Patricia Smith, a U.S. Army veteran. She became the fourth female officer in the department. She headed to the Connecticut Police Academy for 22 weeks of training.
First Selectman Al Goldberg asked the Board of Selectmen for an additional $250,000 to cover additional anticipated legal fees for the fiscal year just begun. Investigations in the Police Department and legal challenges filed following the property reassessment created the additional need for funds, he said.
The town was awarded a $125,000 Drug Free Communities Grant from the Office of National Drug Policy Control to address problems of alcohol and drug abuse among Madison youth.
The first day of school was Aug. 28.
September
The Police Department donated two sets of pet rescue oxygen masks to the town’s fire companies. Animal Control Officer Fran Fellows, after receiving a check from a grateful dog owner, decided to put the funds to good use for the welfare of animals.
Ric and Dawn Duques, owners of the Madison Beach Hotel, appeared before the Zoning Board of Appeals seeking approval of plans to raze the present hotel and restaurant on West Wharf and to build a new complex on the same site.
Harvest, a film written in part about Madison and with scenes specific to Madison, began filming in town. The writer, director, and co-producer, Marc Meyers, spent his summers on the shoreline as a child.
The Shoreline Unitarian Universalist Society installed its new minister, Rev. Claudia Elferdink.
Human Services Director David Melillo asked the Board of Selectmen to earmark a $38,000 refund check to finance a special energy assistance fund to help residents in need meet heating bill costs this winter.
On the Green and throughout a weekend plagued with fierce rain, Madison Cares started and completed its framing for its latest Habitat for Humanity project.
Heather Castrilli, the town’s municipal agent for the elderly, put out an urgent call for volunteers to deliver Meals on Wheels to homebound residents.
Joseph Gambardella, the former Madison police officer charged with stealing frozen seafood, equipment from a marina, and town gasoline, pled guilty to third-degree burglary and fourth-degree larceny in Superior Court. He was given two years of a suspended sentence and two years probation and ordered to pay restitution of $4,529.30.
The ad hoc committee studying senior tax relief recommended against a senior tax freeze and instead offered an enhanced tax abatement program to the Board of Selectmen.
Reaching appropriate staffing levels within the Police Department remained a problem after a new recruit resigned and a veteran detective, James Daniels, retired.
The town and the Board of Education announced plans to begin a joint study of all school and municipal space utilization and future needs. They said they would hire a consultant to begin the analysis by the end of the year.
Three members of Madison’s Boy Scout Troop 491 received their Eagle badges. They were Eric Curtis, Alex Liccussi, and David Royston.
Leyland Alliance received a final decision from DEP Commissioner Gina McCarthy, who granted the developer the water discharge permit it sought for Madison Landing, the controversial 127-unit adult condominium community proposed for Griswold Airport.
Madison Land Conservation Trust accepted a GreenCircle Award from DEP Commissioner Gina McCarthy, honoring the trust for its land preservation efforts.
October
The Madison Historical Society’s program In Their Own Words: Tales from West Cemetery featured re-enactors recounting real life tales of earlier Madison residents.
The Board of Police Commissioners, after three hours a closed door discussions, recommended a proposed settlement between the town and Timothy Heiden, the former police sergeant terminated by the commission in January. Heiden appealed his termination to the State Labor Board and the state Board of Mediation and Arbitration. The terms of the proposal were not disclosed.
Daniel Hand High School students Christopher Chen, Ruiqi Li, Luke Taylor, and Ryan Thomas were all named semi-finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program.
Mark Hershnik, Polson Middle School English teacher and the school district’s 2009 Teacher of the Year, died at his home. Two generations of students mourned his loss.
Just 3 1/2 months into the fiscal year, the boards of finance and selectmen worried publicly about budget pressures and cost savings. It’s the economy.
The Board of Selectmen requested an additional $250,000 to cover legal fees for the eight months remaining in the fiscal year. The special appropriation was in addition to the $165,000 in the budget. Lawsuits filed after the revaluation and continuing issues within the Police Department were cited as the reasons for the request.
Madison introduced new and improved polling places and procedures in preparation for what was expected to be a record voter turnout for the Nov. 4 presidential election. Town Clerk Dorothy Bean reported higher-than-ever absentee ballot requests.
One week before the presidential election, students at the Brown Middle School held their own election complete with voter registration, voter check-in, balloting, and ballot counting. The winner was Barack Obama with 57 percent of the vote.
The Board of Selectman unanimously turned aside a proposed settlement with former Madison police officer Timothy Heiden, who was terminated in January. The proposal, never made public, was termed “inconsistent” with the requirements of the town’s police pension plan.
Eric S. Anderson, son of Carol and Steve Anderson, attained the rank of Eagle Scout.
November
The Connecticut Horse Council, a volunteer horse patrol unit, joined walkers and hikers for a trek through the trails at Rockland Preserve. The council will help the Beach and Recreation Commission with patrols of the 600-plus acre preserve and its Share the Trails program.
Voters turned aside a $13 million bond request from the Scranton Library Board of Trustees. Board Chair Ted Mallory said, “The economic fears were too great and we failed to convince enough people of our reasoning.”
David Youngerman resigned from the Board of Finance. The Democrat’s family moved to Colorado and there was a “For Sale” sign on his front lawn. The Democrats nominated and the Board of Selectmen approved his replacement, Margaret Lyons, who holds a MBA from The Wharton School.
The Zoning Board of Appeals approved plans for the new Madison Beach Hotel and Restaurant. The new facility will rise on the same property as the present series of structures, which will be razed at the end of the 2009 summer season.
With 80 percent of registered voters turning out to the polls, Madison cast 6,097 votes for Obama; 4,727 for McCain; and 106 for Nader.
Tests of the drinking water at the Ryerson Elementary School and the Brown Middle School showed levels of uranium higher than the standard set by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Bottled water was brought into the schools. Town and school officials brought in state agencies to help determine next steps and to talk with concerned residents.
Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz hosted the State of Connecticut World War II Veteran Public Service Awards at a ceremony at Polson School. More than 100 veterans and their families attended.
An electrical fire damaged a guest building at the Dolly Madison Inn & Restaurant. No one was injured. The building, which contained five guest rooms, was a total loss. The restaurant remains open for business.
The Board of Education and the district’s 14 school administrators agreed to a three-year contract that grants the administrators 3.25 percent increases in each of the three years.
The Shoreline Greenway Trail accepted a donation of $100,000 from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation. The grant, the largest corporate donation received in the trail’s history, will be used to build the Hammonasset Beach section of the trail.
The Board of Selectmen named seven residents to an Ad Hoc Ethics Program Committee.
The state Department of Transportation officially designated a 2.3-mile section of the Boston Post Road from Neck Road east to Lovers Lane as a scenic road.
After waging a quiet legal battle for more than a decade, the town took possession of 85.54 acres of open space in the neighborhood around Bartlett Drive.
The New Alliance Bank branch at 724 Boston Post Road was robbed. A lone male entered the branch, handed over a note and fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.
December
The Madison Community Services Food Pantry moved to new quarters at the First Congregational Church’s Franklin Bower Church House, expanded its offerings to include perishables and opened on a new day, Wednesdays, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Board of Education named Cynthia Schneider as Daniel Hand High School’s new assistant principal. She was the school’s library media specialist. She replaced Fran Thompson who left to become principal of Derby High School.
Former police officer Daniel Hedges filed a complaint with the Connecticut Commission of Human Rights and Opportunities alleging discrimination on the part of the Police Department. Hedges’s attorney also filed a notice of intent to sue in a letter to First Selectman Al Goldberg. The 17-year police veteran was terminated by the Police Commission at the end of May.
The Environmental Club at Daniel Hand High School filmed a video, 19 Bathrooms, and entered it in CL&P’s “Live Green – Win Green” contest. The winning school will receive $20,000. The club wants to replace paper towels with energy efficient hand dryers in the school bathrooms.
The Police Department hired a new officer, Thomas Bull, a local resident who served for 22 years as a conservation officer with DEP, the last three as the sergeant with an administrative command at Hammonasset State Park.
A group of private citizens announced a plan to renovate and upgrade Strong Field at the Surf Club. As presented, the estimated $3.4 million project will be funded through private donations.
Source Correspondent Jason J. Marchi contributed to this story.