The Ridgefield Police Department will be promoting two officers Wednesday, April 24, at 10 a.m. at the Lounsbury House.
Sgt. Brian Durling will be promoted to lieutenant and Officer Shawn Murray will be promoted to sergeant.
The public is invited. Lounsbury House is located at 316 Main Street. Call 203-438-6962 or visit lounsburyhouse.org for more information.
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The winged wonders of the woods will still inspire and delight, but Ben Oko’s service as one of dame nature’s dedicated acolytes will not longer include long talk-filled meetings of the Ridgefield Conservation Commission.
“I love to be outdoors. I love to see what’s happening. I love to commune with nature. I enjoy it,” said Ben Oko.
After some two decades of service on the town’s Conservation Commission — one decade as chairman, his final two years as an alternate — Dr. Benjamin Oko has stepped down.
He brushes aside the thought that dedicating his free time to the Conservation Commission — clearing trails, putting together land acquisitions, attending meetings — for, oh, 20 years might be considered public service, or some kind of altruism.
“Being on the Conservation Commission does two things for me: One, it allows me to do what I enjoy; and. two, it allows me to play a role in the community,” said Oko, a retired psychiatrist.
While no longer as a commission member, Oko hopes to continue his active role in a variety of ways. One example is planned Saturday, April 27, at 8:30 a.m. when he’ll lead a bird walk at the Woodcock Nature Center, sharing his love of birds, knowledge about them, and helping folks who join him on the free walk learn to spot and identify songbirds, ducks and egrets and other feathered flying miracles.
“I’m very interested in birds, as well very involved in Audubon Connecticut and bird conservation” Oko said. “That also keeps me out of trouble.”
Oko and his wife, Helen Dimos, moved to town in 1995.
“When I came to Ridgefield from New York City, one of the things I wanted to do was have a feeling that I’m involved in a community. You don’t get that in New York City. I said: I’m coming to small town, I want to get involved,” he said. “… I love to be outdoors. I love nature. I love birds. How about the Conservation Commission?”
He’s comfortable retiring from the commission knowing there are other people ready to step up to take on the work.
“One of the reasons I became an alternate, I thought it was good for the commission to get new members that haven’t been there for 15 years,” he said. “Now I’m stepping off altogether for the same reasons. We already have had three or four candidates that want the alternate spot.”
Since election
Oko is also making more time for new conservation-related volunteer work.
“Since the last federal election I’ve become much more involved in going to work on issues like energy, carbon use, global warming, so I joined the Ridgefield Action Committee for the Environment — RACE —and also got involved in a program called Sustainable CT, which helped shepherd through the bronze certification Ridgefield got last year for its efforts in sustainability.”
He’s also on the relative new Environmental Task Force for the town of Ridgefield.
And Oko works with the Hudson to Housatonic Regional Conservation Partnership.
“It’s a group of land trusts and conservation commissions that meet and look at ways to maximize opportunities for conservation through partnerships. It started with a Fairfield County Conservation Partnership,” said Oko, who was part of the steering group for that organization. “That’s been going on for a long time.”
A variety of groups, but their goals are shared.
“The issue of climate change in today’s world, feeling we have to act locally. The federal government is not going to act on climate change,” Oko said. “…I consider it more important that local land conservation efforts are aimed at combatting climate change.”
Accomplishments
What makes him proud, looking back on two decades in the thick of Ridgefieild’s conservation efforts?
“On the commission, I guess the number one would be shepherding the production of the Natural Resource Inventory,” he said.
The 102-page document, started in 2010 and published in 2012, was done in partnership with the Metropolitan Conservation Alliance and the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. It’s an ambitious effort to document the town’s natural environment, the fields and forests, large lakes and small vernal pools, including the vast variety of living things found there: trees, like hawthorn, hemlock and hickory; birds and beasts — deer, fisher cats, long-tailed weasels; and the beloved butterflies and wildflowers. Full of maps, charts, photos and extensive listings with both common and Latin names, the inventory is available for $20 at the Conservation Commission office in the town hall annex, and at Books on the Common. It may also be viewed by going to the town website, ridgefieldct.org, then clicking on Government then Conservation Commission and finally Natural Resources Inventory.
“It was the most fun,” Oko said of his work on the inventory.
“And since we have a lot of copies left,” he added with a laugh, “I guess it’s going to be a lasting contribution.”
Oko also takes satisfaction in having played a role in adding to the town’s more than 2,500 acres of open space, helping bring in donations and make acquisitions — such as the 38-acre Old Stagecoach Road property, and 20 acres off Old Sib Road.
While some acquisitions are gifts, others are purchases— sometimes with partners. The Old Sib Road parcel is an example.
“We bought that jointly with a developer, they got two lots and we got the rest of the property,” Oko said. “If you don’t have money, you get partners.”
Oko chaired the Conservation Commission for some 10 years, from about 2003 to about 2013. The things that got done then aren’t his accomplishments, Oko said, they’re the accomplishments of all the commissioners.
“A chairman is only as good as his members. We always had great members,” he said.
So, after 20 years, Oko has stepped down from on the Conservation Commission. But he doesn’t think he’s done with conservation work.
“I’m still around,” he said.
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Ridgefield High School student Elizabeth Jasminski has created a website to curb summer learning loss.
The website, Math and Science Summer Learning, has helped Jasminski earn a Girl Scout Gold Award.
“Summer learning loss, also known as summer slide, is a significant problem that affects students’ performance in school,” she said. “During summer vacation, if kids are not actively learning and reading, they will forget the majority of the information they learned during the previous school year. This causes some kids to fall behind during the next school year.”
To reduce the negative effects of this problem — and because math and science are two subjects that are easy to overlook during the summer months, Jasminski ran a month-long summer school program for elementary aged students at Park Avenue School in Danbury in partnership with the Danbury Learning Center last summer. The focus of each session was to introduce age appropriate math and science lessons that would not only combat summer learning loss, but also be fun and interactive.
“The students were super excited to do the hands-on activities, and their enthusiasm was really inspiring to me,” Jasminski said.
Her website enables all parents to do the same interactive activities with their children. The website also contains other resources as well as recommended math games and brainteasers to encourage students to continue to be exposed to math and science over summer breaks.
“In February, I interviewed with the Girl Scout Gold Award committee and presented my project,” Jasminski said. “At the end of this meeting I learned I had earned the Gold Award, the highest award offered in Girl Scouts.
“I would like thank Carol O’Connell, my Gold Award Mentor, and Mrs. Anne Mead and Ms. Marlene Ho-Yen at the Danbury Learning Center for helping me to achieve my goal of making a positive impact on the community,” she added.
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Ridgefield Chorale presents 21st Century Broadway, featuring the music of Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Wicked and other 21st century musicals.
The concert will be Saturday, April 27, at 7 p.m. at Ridgefield High School.
Tickets ($20 for adults, $15 for seniors and students) can be purchased at Ridgefield Music, 19 Governor Street, or online at eventbrite.com/e/21st-century-broadway-tickets.
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The RVNA Health and Wellness Fair is scheduled Saturday, May 4, from 10 to 2 at East Ridge Middle School.
The free event is open to the public, and no appointments are necessary. Ample parking is available at East Ridge, and additional parking is available at St. Andrew’s Church (6 Ivy Hill Road), Chef’s Warehouse (100 East Ridge Road), RVNA (27 Governor Street), Boys and Girls Club of Ridgefield (41 Governor Street), and Veterans Park Elementary School (8 Governor Street). Complimentary shuttle service will be provided by Bethel Health Care and The Boys and Girls Club of Ridgefield and attendees will be transported from their cars to the Health Fair and from the Health Fair to the Ridgefield Spring Stroll, if desired.
For more information, call 203-438-5555 or visit ridgefieldvna.org for a complete list of exhibitors and sponsors.
The event is made possible through the donations of RVNA’s sponsors, including BMW of Ridgefield, Homecare Homebase, and Boehringer Ingelheim, among others.
Background
RVNA has been in the business of health since 1914 when we were founded with a single nurse delivering care on foot to patients in Ridgefield. Today, RVNA offers a range of health services – in home, at RVNA, and in communities — across 28 towns in Connecticut to help people stay well through all stages and phases of life.
The annual Health & Wellness Fair is RVNA’s gift back to the community — where friends and neighbors can take stock of their health, speak with medical experts, and enjoy health-related activities and demonstrations. Or just have fun!
In addition to hosting the event, the RVNA team – including nurses from all RVNA services (in-home health, hospice, community and travel health), rehabilitative therapists, and staff from all areas — will be in full force, offering screenings (cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure); balance testing and brain games; nutrition and health tips; plus more. (Hint: If you’re an RN, LPN, or CNA looking for work, this is also a great time to see the staff in action!)
Serious and fun
As always, the RVNA Health and Wellness Fair will feature a myriad of free health screenings, from foot exams to carotid artery; medicals experts to answer any and all questions; and community groups and wellness organizations offering information and activities. 2019 will also feature the Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield, hosting activities and fun for kids of all ages, as well as car seat checks conducted by the Ridgefield Police Department.
While the RVNA Health & Wellness Fair is always an enjoyable and enlightening day for the community, for some, it can be life changing.
“The intent of the health screenings,” said Theresa Santoro, President & CEO of RVNA, “is to give people a free, annual opportunity to assess areas of their health that may not have been checked in recent past or may have hidden issues. It is not uncommon for an attendee to discover a condition that requires additional attention. Our goal is to help people uncover and address any health issues sooner rather than later.”
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Battle of the Chefs returns for its seventh year at Founders Hall from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, June 2.
The format of this year’s event will be a first of its kind: six chefs who’ve competed at the event in the past have been paired up in a random drawing. The dueling duos will compete in a fast-paced cooking showdown.
The event has been described as a cross between Food Network’s Chopped and Bravo’s Top Chef. There are three phases to the Battle: appetizer, entrée, and dessert. There will be a panel of three expert judges:
· Brendan Walsh, Dean from The Culinary Institute of America
· Amy Kundrat, CT Bites
· Erik Ofgang, Author and Senior Writer, Connecticut Magazine
Throughout the event, guests will have access to an open bar and will be served a plethora of passed savory and sweet eats – many of which include the secret ingredients from both the appetizer and entrée rounds of the competition. Local vendors will be offering food/drink samples to guests and there will be live music for all to enjoy.
Proceeds from the event will benefit Founders Hall, a donor-supported education and recreation center for people age 60+. The event is being sponsored by Fairfield County Bank and The Chefs Warehouse.
To learn more and to order tickets, please visit founders-hall.org or call 203-431-7000.
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The following are a list of brief stories that came out of the Planning and Zoning Commission’s April 9 meeting:
Pond dredging wins approval
The Inland Wetlands Board approved an application for pond dredging at 193 South Salem Road at its April 9 meeting.
John Keegan, who was representing applicants Dave and Celeste Ulmer, had previously presented a pond-dredging business called Sacred Waters at his home on Clearview Drive. That application was denied.
Wetlands board Chairwoman Rebecca Mucchetti said that the Ulmers agreed to leave an already existent “geo bag” — a geotextile dewatering tube to dredge a pond area — in place to stabilize the bank of the pond.
“They accepted that condition and the application was approved,” Mucchetti said. “It will go into effect April 19.”
Zoners OK High Ridge subdivision
The Planning and Zoning Commission approved an application that will create an accessway to serve a four-lot subdivision at 167 and 173 High Ridge Avenue.
The application, which had been delayed several times, was first received in January. The site was walked in February.
Planning Chairwoman Rebecca Mucchetti said that the commission did not originally have enough members to vote on the subdivision application. It was finally approved at the commission’s April 9 meeting.
“It came in as three separate applications and we gave them approval on all three parts,” she said. “All three votes were unanimous, 8 to 0.”
The approval goes into effect on April 19.
Restaurant signs get greenlight
Downtown Ridgefield will have two new restaurant signs soon.
Organika Kitchen, located at 424 Main Street, received approval for a new front entry door, three windows and a building sign at the Planning and Zoning Commission’s April 9 meeting.
The business, which takes over the former Johnny Gelato storefront in the village, is expected to open in the late spring.
Also receiving approval was the already-opened Tequila Escape, located at 439 Main Street, which will have a red-colored sign installed outside its business.
The restaurant has replaced 439 Kitchen and Bar.
Land use training presentation set for May 14
Zoning office administrator Aarti Paranjape will host a land use training presentation in front of the Planning and Zoning Commission at its May 14 meeting.
Paranjape recently went to Darien to attend a training course on land use and the commission feels her experience will help the public learn about its procedures.
“It’s a good way for the public to understand the commission’s obligations and what we have to adhere to when we receive applications,” said Chairwoman Rebecca Mucchetti.
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Ridgefield Academy hosted the Ridgefield Board of Realtors’ annual spring meeting in March.
Toni Riordan, president of the Ridgefield Board of Realtors (RBOR), welcomed keynote speaker Cindy Butts, CEO of the CT Association of Realtors.
Butts updated local realtors on the proposed legislation that potentially could impact homeowners, prospective buyers and sellers and real estate practitioners throughout the state. The 17,000-member association is monitoring any proposals that will affect home values, homeowner equity and the real estate industry state wide.
Realtor Margot Ciolino contributed her winning share of the 50/50 raffle to the RBOR donations to the Ridgefield and Redding Social Services.
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Ridgefielder and dedicated community volunteer Brenda Berta will be recognized Thursday, April 25, at Founders Hall.
The nonprofit will present her with its Community Volunteer Award for 2018. The award is being presented at their Celebration of Volunteers Luncheon which begins at noon.
Brenda is retired from JPMorgan Chase where she was VP of Marketing/Sales and Event Planning. Since retiring, she decided to utilize what she’d done for so many years at Chase by helping organizations with event planning and marketing efforts. In addition to Founders Hall, Brenda volunteers at RHS PTA, RVNA, and The Women’s Center.
“Brenda’s many years of service running Founders Halls’ Wreath Festival boutique and volunteering for so many other events is not only greatly appreciated but has been an integral part of raising funds to keep Founders Hall a stimulating and fun place for our members to gather,” explains Grace Weber, Executive Director at Founders Hall. “We are extremely grateful for her efforts and contribution of time and talent.”
“I love what Founders Hall offers our community. It is a blessing to know that there is a place for folks to spend the day with their friends doing things they love, ensuring they’re not being left at home alone. As for the Wreath Festival Boutique, I could never have set out to do this event without the help of my father-in-law, Tom Berta, who has been the best ‘Dad’ to me for the past 29 years. We have a great time shopping and hunting for items for the boutique and then putting it all together to see the final outcome! I enjoy spending time with him and this project gave me that opportunity in spades,” said Brenda Berta.
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Parking and pickleball dominated conversation when two members of the Parks and Recreation Commission, Phil Kearns and David Shofi, were reappointed by the Board of Selectmen.
“I am going to bring up the ‘p-word’ — that’s parking,” said First Selectman Rudy Marconi said as the joint interview began.
“We have had terrible parking problems,” he said.
Marconi recalled attending an event at the complex that includes the Recreation Center and Founders Hall when both venues were busy.
“Anywhere you could park a car, they jumped the curb and parked,” he said.
“Parking has been a problem for a number of years,” said Kearns, the commission’s chairman.
“Some of that is Founders Hall,” he added.
“We do plan to add up to 40 spaces down near Founders Hall,” he said. “Due to our budget issues its been pushed out a couple of years.”.
And more people have been joining the Recreation Center in the last year or so, since the state finally completed the bridge project that tied up traffic on Route 35 right in front of the driveway.
“Membership is up,” Kearns said.
“Have employees park farther away,” suggested Selectwoman Maureen Kozlark.
“Employees have to park down by the field, or in the overflow,” Kearns said.
“The people from Founders Hall, they’re circling looking for spots and they’re not finding them,” Kozlark said.
“It’s a good problem to have. We’re successful,” said Shofi, who’d let chairman Kearns do most of the talking.
“It really is two wonderful facilities,” added Kearns.
Pickleball
Pickleball — and players’ complaints about paying $240 a year to play — eventually came up.
Pickleballers paid $120 for memberships last year and the commission had originally looked at raise the price in steps — $240, $360 up to $480 —but that had been dropped, Kearns said.
The $240 pickleball players were being asked to pay for a year’s membership worked out to $20 a month, Kearns said. Playing twice a week, for two hours each session, that amounted to paying $5 for four hours of pickleball, he said.
“It’s still a lot,” Selectwoman Barbara Manners said.
Single day drop-in prices for pickleball had been raised from $5 last year to $10 in 2019 — the same $10 drop-in fee paid for facilities like the indoor swimming pool and the Spray Bay outdoor sprinkler park, Kearns said.
And there’s a lot of pickleball scheduled each week, for players to choose from`.
“We started at six or seven hours. We’re up to thirty-nine hours,” Kearns said.
He dismissed the notion that the Parks and Recreation Commission was focused on serving young people and indifferent to the needs of the mostly senior pickleball players.
“We give a 10% seniors discount,” said Kearns. “…Four of the seven commissioners are seniors, including me.”
Kearns has been on the commission 14 years, and served as its chairman for seven. “I am passionate about the Town of Ridgefield and appreciative of all the community has provided to my family and myself,” Kearns wrote to the selectmen. “I strongly believe those of us who are so blessed to live here should give back. My membership on the commission is one of the ways I do so.”
Shofi has served on the commission five years. “My background in engineering, sales and the law has helped me contribute in a meaningful way to discussion and to analyze issues for the commission and town,” his letter to the selectmen said.
The two were unanimously reappointed to the Parks and Recreation Commission by the selectmen on April 2.
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“Fun and zippy” to drive, they cost about $1.40 to fill up for the day, and some models accelerate as fast as a twin-turbo BMW sedan.
Just don’t be surprised if a quarter of the “gas tank” disappears on a cold night.
Meet the latest crop of electric cars — or EVs.
“The fact that the town has a charging station right outside (Town Hall) was a huge factor,” said Social Services Director Tony Philips when asked why he made the switch.
Phillips uses his 2017 Chevrolet Volt to commute 40 miles round-trip every day. He decided to lease the car after calculating that he was spending around $120 each month on gas, and applying that money to the lease for the Chevy made him feel like he got the car for $50 a month.
Phillips said keeping the car’s battery charged has given him “a nerdy engagement with the car.”
He gets up several times a day to find an electric vehicle parking spot to charge up, or move to another space so other EV drivers can use the space.
EV charging stations are located at the Bailey Avenue parking lot behind town hall, the Branchville train station, and the parking lot in front of the Playhouse.
Chargers are also listed at the Bruce Bennett Nissan dealership and the BMW dealership — both on Route 7, as well as in the parking lot of the Danbury Fair mall.
How many?
Despite the enthusiasm of their owners, electric cars have not totally caught on with Ridgefield drivers.
Of the 15,019 passenger vehicles registered in town, 77 are battery-powered or plug-in electric cars — fewer than the number of motorcycles registered in town, according to 2018 data provided by the tax assessor’s office.
That does not account for hybrid cars which rely on fossil fuels to generate electricity.
Of Ridgefield’s electric cars, more than half are made by Tesla, the California-based automaker whose four car models are popular.
The tax assessor data shows 29 Model S registered in town, along with 11 Model X (Tesla’s SUV), and five Model 3s.
No Tesla Roadsters are registered in Ridgefield, according to the assessor’s data.
The rest of Ridgefield’s electric car fleet is made up of Chevy Volts, 15 of which are registered in town, Nissan LEAF (5), Toyotas Prius Prime (4), Chevy Bolt (3), BMW i3 (3), and Honda’s plug-in Clarity (2).
The state has issued rebates for some 4,267 battery-powered electric cars and plug-in hybrids (cars that use both an electric and internal-combustion engine drivetrain with a plug to charge the batteries) since May 2015, according to statistics from the Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automobile Purchase Rebate.
The program gives money back to consumers who buy or lease a qualifying electric car or plug-in hybrid, to incentivize drivers to purchase more eco-friendly rides.
Fifty-seven Ridgefielders have taken advantage of the program since 2015.
The program excludes vehicles with a base price of $50,000 or more, which immediately rules out several of Tesla’s models, including the Model S ($75,750) and Model X ($80,450).
The program applies only to cars, so electric scooters and motorcycles are also out.
Not every electric car buyer takes advantage of the program, the CHEAPR website said.
According to the rebate data, the most popular model among EV drivers in Ridgefield is the Chevy Volt, at 14 cars. The Volt is followed by BMW’s i3 (11), Chevy’s Bolt (10), the Tesla Model 3 (6), and the Nissan LEAF (5).
Range and maintenance
The maximum distance an EV can travel — one of the most-commonly cited concerns about electric cars — is a problem that can be fixed with enough preparation, according to several owners in Ridgefield.
Geoffrey Morris, president of TownVibe, charges his 2015 BMW i3 at his home overnight.
“You can fuel your car when you sleep,” he said.
He said range anxiety is not an issue for him, because the car has a generator on board with a small fuel tank, which can give him an extra boost of about 40 miles.
Phillips, whose Volt also has a small gas motor to extend his range, said he sometimes will plan ahead on longer trips to find places to charge up.
“I think every new EV owner has range anxiety when you first get the car,” said Ridgefield’s Chris Sierakowski, who waited two years to take delivery of his 2018 Tesla Model 3, after putting down a deposit the day the car was announced.
Since then, he’s used the car for commuting to Stamford, and a few longer trips up to Cape Cod.
“If I drive to the Cape, I usually stop once in Rhode Island for 20-30 minutes to top off the charge. By the time I grab a drink and a bathroom break, it’s ready to go,” he said, noting the car feels like it accelerates faster than his last car — a twin-turbo BMW sedan.
Morris said he occasionally wakes up on cold mornings to find less juice in his car’s battery than he expected.
Sometimes, there’s as much as a 25 to 30 percent drain, he said.
Similar to Phillips, Morris said he’s saving around $120 each month in fuel compared to his previous car.
“The maintenance costs are less, too,” he added, “and that’s because there’s so few moving parts. … Even the brakes you use less.”
Regular, premium chargers
Much like quick chargers for smartphones, what type of charger drivers use on their electric car determines how long it will take the electrical “tank” to fill up.
Morris said that on a normal 110-volt charger from a home outlet, his car gets about three miles of range per hour of charging. A 220-volt charger — the outlets that usually power home dryers and other large appliances — yields about 25 miles per hour of charging.
Fast chargers give about 100 miles of range per hour, but often come with a cost of around $15 an hour, Morris said.
Phillips said he’s occasionally experienced other EV drivers pulling the plug on his car while it charges — though he said it may be due to other drivers mistaking the green-flashing charge indicator as an indication that his car was finished charging.
“They’re just so fun and zippy to drive,” Morris said. “I just think that they are the technology of the future, and I’d just rather get in now.”
Sierkowski has no plans to go back to a gas-powered car for commuting.
“I don’t think I’ll ever buy a gas-powered vehicle again for a commuter car,” he said.
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To the Editor:
Daily Bread Food Pantry in Danbury is thrilled and honored to be included among the Ridgefield Thrift Shop’s many 2019 grant recipients. RTS’ wonderful generosity will allow the pantry to purchase new commercial-grade shelving and refrigeration units to better serve thousands of hungry families from the greater Danbury area including Ridgefield. The pantry is deeply grateful to Ridgefield Thrift Shop for funding these critical improvements and preparing Daily Bread for the future. On behalf of our clients and dedicated volunteers, we extend a heartfelt thank you to Ridgefield Thrift Shop.
Debbie Landzberg
Board President, Daily Bread Food Pantry
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The Planning and Zoning Commission has a new member.
The eight-member commission, which serves as the town’s Inland Wetlands Board until the upcoming November election, voted to appoint Rich Vazzana at its April 16 meeting.
Vazzana will replace commissioner Bob Cascella who resigned March 26.
“My reason for resigning had to do with conflict between what I do for a living and the large number of property owners who I represent, who also come before the commission,” Cascella told The Press in March.
Cascella, who replaced commissioner Peter Chipouras in February 2017, is a partner at Grove Street Realty.
“I enjoyed the people that I worked with, and I enjoyed the technical aspects of the role,” he added. “I like to think that I added common sense and that my experience was helpful to the commission.”
Cascella, a Republican, was up for re-election in November. Vazzana will take over his seat, with plans to run for re-election in seven months.
Vazzana was interviewed by Hope Wise, chair of the Republican Town Committee, and received her endorsement. He was the only candidate interviewed. The vote was 5-1 in support of his appointment.
The new zoning commissioner has a background in education and was at IBM for 30 years as a sales executive, according to Chairwoman Rebecca Mucchetti. He has lived in Ridgefield for 20 years and was the vice chair of the 2014 Charter Revision Commission.
Vazzana has also worked on boards for the Ridgefield Chamber of Commerce, the Lounsbury House, and Rotary Club of Ridgefield. He is the current President of the Board of Directors for the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra and is a member of inRidgefield.
In 2018, he was named the Rotary Club’s Citizen of the Year.
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UPDATE, 3:35 p.m. — The Ridgefield Police Department has closed its investigation into who started the field fire at Governor Park without revealing any names of who was responsible for pouring gasoline and lighting it in attempt to make the field playable for the Ridgefield High School baseball team.
“The Ridgefield Police Department has closed its investigation into this incident due to the fact that compensation has been made for the damages,” Capt. Shawn Platt said Thursday in a release. “Town Officials no longer wish to press criminal charges. Anyone seeking further information may contact the Ridgefield Town Hall.”
Earlier in the day, The Press had reported that the $40,000 repair bill would not be covered by insurance. First Selectman Rudy Marconi said that the damage would be covered by private donations.
The donations were anonymous, and were coming to the town through a trustee account overseen by an attorney, Marconi told the Board of Selectmen Wednesday night.
“That’s all I’m at liberty to say,” he said.
Stephen J. Sedensky III, state’s attorney for the Judicial District of Danbury, told The Press Thursday morning that he believed the town was not pursuing criminal action claims because restitution had been made.
“From my understanding, the town is not interested in pursuing criminal action because there was a restitution,” he said.
The state’s attorney said restitution was a common practice in situations like the field fire in Ridgefield.
“We see restitutions made all the time,” he said.
When determining whether to prosecute somebody, he said his office looks at intent and behavior on a “case to case basis.”
“Our primary concern is that the victim is made whole,” Sedensky said. “The victim, in this case being the town, feels the necessary restitution was made…
“Sometimes restitutions come from the person involved in the behavior, sometimes it comes from other sources,” he added.
Earlier version: 1:21 p.m., Thursday, April 18 — Costs estimated at about $40,000 from the field fire at Governor Park won’t be covered by insurance, but anonymous donations already coming in are expected to provide enough to handle the town’s expenses, according to First Selectman Rudy Marconi.
“No taxpayer dollars are being used,” Marconi told the Board of Selectmen Wednesday night, April 17.
“We’ve completed restoration,” he said. “Fresh clay was brought in.”
Over 60 yards of material contaminated earth and clay was removed from the infield — between first and second base, and second and third base — of the high school baseball field, he said, to repair damage done when people attempted to use fire to dry out the wet field so a game could be played on Saturday, April 6.
“All test result are in — clear of contaminants,” he said.
“According to Moran Environmental it is $30,000, plus the cost of restoration,” Marconi said of the clean-up. “I think a maximum of another $10,000.”
Marconi said he’d read online that high school coaches at the scene of the fire that day — who’d been suspended — were now back coaching.
Neither the police nor the first selectman’s office had been consulted or informed of that decision, he said later.
“They must have felt suspension for a week was adequate — I’m not disagreeing with that,” he said.
Marconi said the town’s insurance agents and carrier had looked into the situation and said if the incident had take place inside a building, it would likely have been covered — but not outside on a ball field.
“Relative to insurance, it looks as through we will not receive any insurance money,” Marconi told the selectmen.
Anonymous?
Marconi said that “four or five” donations were expected to cover the anticipated cost of about $40,000. The town had already received two checks, he said, and another was expected Thursday.
The donations were anonymous, and were coming to the town through a trustee account overseen by an attorney, Marconi told the selectmen.
“That’s all I’m at liberty to say,” he added.
Field maintainers from the Parks and Recreation Department’s crew had helped finish the field restoration after the environmental company’s work was done, Marconi said.
Selectman Steve Zemo wondered what message the anonymous nature of the donations sent.
“The learning lesson, for kids, of an adult taking responsibility for a bad decision — not a malicious decision — is the part that’s missing,” Zemo said.
“We don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes,” said Selectman Bob Hebert. “… Social media, they crucify you.”
“I think the players know they were without coaches for a week,” Marconi said, “and the reason for that was that incident.”
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“Stop and Shop is on strike. Your neighbors have been out of work for eight days. Honor our picket line,” said the voice on a bullhorn.
Striking workers marched with signs in front of Stop and Shop supermarket in Ridgefield’s Copps Hill Plaza earlier today — marking a week since the store was left closed for two-plus hours on April 11.
“There are other stores open,” the striker with the bullhorn continued. “Your neighbors need your support.”
There have been no incidents or trouble at the Ridgefield store said Lt. Tim Raines of the Ridgefield Police Department, who was on duty Thursday in the parking lot not far from the store — as arranged by Stop and Shop with the Ridgefield Police Department.
“They’re out here, doing their thing,” he said of the strikers.
“It’s open. It’s all managers inside,” Rains said.
Shoppers who wanted to get into the store were able to.
Strikers said they had no idea how much longer they’d be out of work.
“Still negotiating,” one said.
“No way of knowing when it’s going to end,” said another. “There’s updates every day, but no timeline.”
None of the strikers were comfortable giving their names to a reporter.
A manager inside the store Thursday morning, after checking with higher-ups on the phone, said a reporter wouldn’t be allowed to roam the store, or interview customers inside. He also also corporate management said a reporter couldn’t talk to “associates” — including striking workers outside the store.
But another reporter who visited the store early Thursday afternoon and went inside for a look said the Ridgefield store and most of its shelves were nearly empty — the bakery completely empty, pre-made foods nearly empty, fruit dwindling, meat dwindling, and paper goods dwindling. Dairy products were available but many had “sell by” dates for this weekend. The vegetable and fruit displays were also close to barren.
The store itself was silent and nearly empty, with about half a dozen customers inside.
One striker said the raises the company was offering would be outweighed by the increased share of health benefits’ costs that workers were being asked to pay.
The company disputes this, with a “myth” versus “fact” new release saying the company “would pay 92% of premiums for family coverage and at least 88% for individual coverage” and that employees share is “well below the national average for health premiums.”
“I’ve been working at this company 29 years,” said one workers outside the Ridgefield Stop and Shop, and her pay is “a couple of dollars over half of that” — not close to $20 a hour, she said.
The company issued a media statement on the strike Thursday in connection with former Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to strikers in Massachusetts.
“There is nothing we want more than having our associates back in the stores, taking care of customers and our communities,” said Jennifer Bogan, the company’s director of external communications. “We have offered fair and responsible contracts and remain in active negotiations to reach new agreements as quickly as possible that keep our associates among the highest paid grocery retail workers in New England, while also providing excellent health care and increased contributions to a defined benefit pension plan.”
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To the Editor:
I am disappointed at the town’s decision to not press charges or to disclose the names of the people responsible for lighting the town’s baseball field on fire.
Restitution between two private parties? Yes, I can see how this could be a solution. But when public property, town employees, and school sports teams are involved —not to mention while the international press is reporting? No, restitution is not adequate.
Allowing a handful of privileged people to set a baseball field on fire, and then pay the bill speaks to the worst stereotypes of “Rich Field” privilege that so many of us work every day to dispel through hard work, community and honesty.
While the town may have rested its case, I urge those people who are responsible to come forward. Accept responsibility for your actions, feel the sting of public disappointment, and know that forgiveness does eventually follow.
Your money may have repaired the town’s fields, but you have damaged the town’s reputation and your money hasn’t fixed that yet.
Amy Freidenrich
Owner Ross Bread and Coffee, April 19
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Warm-weather paving season beckons like a stripe of smooth oily blacktop, and the Ridgefield Highway Department has a list of 14 roads it’s hoping to repair and repave this year.
Ridgefield’s roads are traveled by commuters, shoppers, school buses and soccer parents — the quality of driving surfaces is important to people.
“If I was to rank the number of emails I get,” First Selectman Rudy Marconi said during this year’s budget deliberations, “the biggest number is ‘the curb in front of my house,’ ‘the pothole,’ ‘my house isn’t selling because of the cracks in the road.’ ”
The budget being sent to voters in May by the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance allocates $1,840,000 for roads and infrastructure work. Of that, $1,765,000 is slated specifically for roads and repaving — $1,425,000 for road and infrastructure maintenance, $250,000 for drainage work, and $90,000 for rock crushing related to the road work. The remaining $75,000 is set aside for projects to address accessibility projects driven by the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).
A list of road reconstruction and paving projects as sent out by the Highway Department in April includes: Barrack Hill Road (partial); Florida Hill Road (partial); Grandview Drive; Mimosa Circle; Oscaleta Road; Peaceable Hill Road; Peaceable Ridge (partial); Pumping Station Road; Revere Place; Rising Ridge Road; Standish Drive; Stony Hill Terrace; Stonecrest Road; and Thunder Hill Lane.
Two processes are going to be tried this year in an effort to make road repaving more efficient, Public Works Director Peter Hill told the selectmen and Board of Finance.
Many roads will be repaved with the traditional methods using the contractor Tilcon, which operates a big paving plant off Route 84 between Waterbury and Hartford.
On some other roads — which aren’t in the most serious condition — the resurfacing will be done with a new process from Gorman Roads that uses “fiberglass they bind up with aggregate and oil,” Hill said.
An initial plan to address some roads with a “micro-surfacing” process was projected to cost about $348,000. But that plan was scrapped in favor of the Gorman Roads process that uses fiberglass as part of the mix. That is expected to cost about $147,000 — less than half the earlier proposal.
“This year we’re going to be trying a new process,” Hill told the Board of Finance. “We’re trying to get the most bang for out buck, do our share to keep the budget down.”
The new process is expected to be faster. “Once it’s in place, and rolled, a car can drive on it,” Hill said.
He’s been watching the success some other towns have had with the process.
“I’ve spoken to a number of towns. We’ve looked at this process over in Redding,” Hill said. “… Newtown’s been using it a number of years and they’re very pleased with it.
“It’s lasting,” he said. “Again, it’s going to last depending on the weather.”
How long a repaving job lasts is subject to a number of variables.
“They used to tell us we’d get 12 years out of a paving,” Hill said. “Twelve years ago we didn’t have the traffic we have now. Twelve years ago we didn’t have the weather we have now.”
Having a couple of contractors lined up, using different processes, may also help get all the work done — always a concern.
“One of the biggest problems is getting the contractor into town,” Hill said. “They’ll promise you a date and between that time they’re working in another town, and it starts to rain and it gets pushed back.”
With some 420 roads covering about 170 miles, there’s always more to do.
Even with contractors doing much of the milling and repaving, Hill’s 16-worker crew installs or upgrades the road drainage systems before repaving, as well as handling a lot of more routine preparation work.
“I keep telling the selectmen: We need more people,” Hill told the finance board.
Marconi said much of logic behind hiring contractors to repave roads was to get jobs done while holding down personnel costs.
“Farm it out. Outsource it. Get it all done,” Marconi said.
“I’ll never come here and tell you I don’t have any roads to pave,” Hill told the finance board.
“I feel like you guys are doing a good job,” said finance board member Jessica Mancini.
“We feel that way,” said Hill.
“For the amount of money we spend, they do a good job,” Marconi agreed.
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Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center will be hosting its annual Cannonball Gala on Saturday, May 18, in the Garden House.
The Cannonball Gala is a major fundraiser for the museum, supporting its general operating budget. This evening fundraiser will feature cocktails in the garden, live music by local high school musicians, The Ridgefield Jazz Giants, a silent auction, a live auction with auctioneer Ira Joe Fisher, and a sit-down dinner by Tom Devine from Ciao! Catering and Events/Two Steps Downtown Grille.
The Keeler Tavern will honor Gaetana and Ed McGill, long-time supporters and volunteers of the museum, with a presentation of the Cannonball Award.
Gaetana has been a museum docent, and has volunteered at museum events, such as the annual Christmas Luncheons. She also served as co-chair of the planning committee for the Cannonball Gala, which was held twice at the BMW of Ridgefield showroom. Ed was a trustee on the history center’s reserve fund for seven years and was a key member of its capital campaign cabinet. In line with their interest in preserving local history, in 2011, the McGills donated the James Seymour House, an early-18th century Ridgefield building, to the museum.
Through BMW of Ridgefield and personally, the McGills also support many other organizations in Ridgefield and neighboring towns, including the RVNA, Aldrich Museum, Run Like a Mother, Boys and Girls Club, ROAR, Danbury Hospital, Ability Beyond, and the Ridgefield Playhouse.
The gala is from 6 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $175 per person; sponsorship opportunities are also available. Tickets and sponsorships may be purchased online at keelertavernmuseum.org, or by calling the business office at 203-438-5485. Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center is located at 132 Main Street, Ridgefield.
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As its artist-in-residence for the month of April, Steffen Pollock is enjoying the natural surroundings of historic Weir Farm in Wilton and Ridgefield.
The setting has inspired him to work on a photography project involving deer and deer migration. He has also created some designs for a series of ceramic plates.
The public will have the opportunity to meet Pollock and view samples of his work at a reception at Wilton Library on Monday, April 22, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Pollock, 25, likes crossing and combining different media with works in photography, sculpture, collage, poetry, essays, even tattoos. “I like to try new things. I’ve never been introduced to a medium I didn’t enjoy,” Pollock told The Bulletin.
Born in Baltimore in 1993, Pollock moved to China with his family when he was 9, settling in Jinan, a city about a four- hour drive south of Beijing. After graduating from high school, his family moved back to the States. “Initially, I didn’t want to leave the U.S., but after living in China for nine years, I became attached and didn’t want to leave,” he said.
While in Jinan, he noticed a lot of change in the community. Heavily industrial, Jinan is considered one of the most polluted cities in the world. “I experienced a lot of culture shock moving there from green Maryland,” he said.
During his time in Jinan, Pollock saw the city undergo a major transition. Initially, he said, bicycles were the city’s major form of transportation. But in a two-week period, a major thruway was constructed in his neighborhood. “It changed rapidly, and the bicycles transitioned into cars,” he said.
As a result of his experience overseas, Pollock considers both China and America home.
A design he created in Jinan is distinctly Chinese in nature, depicting swirls of smoke and people on gold fabric. “The style of this piece is directly from a traditional way of painting Chinese landscapes, but reinterpreted through my eyes of a place I liked to go in my neighborhood,” Pollock said.
Another Chinese-inspired work is a carving of an Inuit death mask in French marble. The carving features a cicada insect above the mask. Cicadas are popular in Chinese art dating from the Shang dynasty (1700 to 1027 B.C.), representing carefree living and immortality.
“This piece is about my life process, dying, and being born, and the desire to be born. Sometimes I wonder if people are given the chance to be born more than once. I wonder if we will have the chance to come up out of the ground, and fill the trees,” Pollock wrote about this piece.
A number of his works draw from literary sources, (Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Hunger Mountain, and Spell of the Sensuous), exploring the lack of distinction in “subject” and “object.”
At Weir Farm, Pollock has been taken with the site’s many stone walls. “I appreciate art that doesn’t exclusively live in museums. The stone walls were made by humans and I consider them art. They’ve become part of the landscape that they inhabit,” he said.
Pollock’s experience at Weir Farm has also encouraged him to take a deeper look at national parks in general. “I’ve been following and thinking about outdoor space. Not as something separate from daily political economics, not as something we escape to, but as something we relate to in our daily lives,” he said.
The reception for Pollock at Wilton Library is co-sponsored by Weir Farm Art Center and Weir Farm National Historic Site and presented by the library. Admission is free and registration is suggested at wiltionlibrary.org., or call 203-762-6334.
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As of Sunday night, the Stop & Shop strike has ended.
According to a statement from Shop & Shop, the grocery chain “has reached fair new tentative agreements with UFCW Locals 328, 371, 919, 1445 and 1459, which represent our 31,000 associates in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.”
The company said it will be happy to see its employees return to work “as the strike has ended.”
Stop & Shop said they are three-year agreements, subject to ratification votes by members of each local union.
These agreements include: increased pay for all associates and continued health coverage for eligible associates. They also include pension benefits for all eligible associates.
“Our associates’ top priority will be restocking our stores so we can return to taking care of our customers and communities and providing them with the service they deserve,” the statement said. “We deeply appreciate the patience and understanding of our customers during this time, and we look forward to welcoming them back to Stop & Shop.”
Employees went on strike 11 days ago.
The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) issued a statement, calling the end of the strike that began on April 11 a “powerful victory.”
“We are incredibly grateful to our customers and everyone who proudly stood together with us every day for a contract that invests in the communities we serve,” the statement said.
The UFCW statement said under the proposed contract, health care and retirement benefits are preserved, wage increases are provided and time-and-a-half pay on Sunday for current members will be maintain.
“Today is a powerful victory for the 31,000 hardworking men and women of Stop & Shop who courageously stood up to fight for what all New Englanders want — good jobs, affordable health care, a better wage and to be treated right by the company they made a success,” the UFCW statement said.
David Cadden, a retired professor of entreprenurship and strategy at Quinnipiac University’s School of Businesss, said he was curious to see the details of the agreements.
“It will be interesting to see the exact nature of the agreement,” he said in a prepared statement. “It’s hoped the results will create a harmonious working environment that will enable Stop & Shop to recover its customer base.”
He said data seemed to show Stop & Shop customers respected the picket line and shopped elsewhere.
“The question now becomes whether they will return to Stop & Shop,” Cadden said.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal called the tentative contract agreement a win for all American workers in a statement later Sunday night.
“I was proud to stand with Stop & Shop workers all around Connecticut, visiting more than two dozen stores and seeing their fortitude and courage,” Blumenthal said. “Fairness triumphed. They had strong support from communities across Connecticut who recognize that they are the face and voice of customer service.”
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