Fairfield Police were dispatched to King Street and Vila Avenue for the report of three individuals, one female wearing a tan coat and two males rummaging through trash cans.
Police located the three subjects matching the above description.
They explained that they were homeless and looking for cans for spare change. A check of the individuals revealed that Davonte Diaz had three active warrants, two out of New Haven, and one out of Hamden.
Davonte Diaz was handcuffed and transported to FPD headquarters for processing on the warrants. The other two were warned and sent on their way.
FAIRFIELD, Conn.—State legislators joined professors at Sacred Heart University recently for a discussion on policy, coinciding with the release of Prof. Gary Rose’s new book, “Connecticut in Crisis: Policy Challenges and the 2018 Contest for Governor.”
The panel discussion, which took place in the Frank and Marisa Martire Center for the Liberal Arts forum, was moderated by Prof. Lesley DeNardis, SHU’s director of the Institute for Public Policy, who also wrote the foreword for Rose’s book. Panelists included Rose, chair of the department of government, and the University’s legislators in residence: state Sen. Tony Hwang (R-28th District), and state Rep. Cristin McCarthy Vahey (D 133rd District). The talk focused on Rose’s book, which was available for purchase at the event.
DeNardis described the book as a “phenomenal analysis” of the “long-simmering fiscal problems in Connecticut that captured national attention and put the state in the bottom ranking in many state comparisons.”
The book aligns with the launch of a year-long policy series delving into various areas, with the text as a guideline, and inaugurates the school’s legislators in residence program, bringing legislators in contact with students to inspire them to pursue public service. Though spanning the period from the state’s glorious manufacturing boom of the 1950s to the darker, modern day marked by urban decay and financial difficulties, the book adopts a hopeful look forward.
“I have lived in Connecticut my whole life and felt it was time to write a book that called attention to the problems besieging this state—a clarion call to action. I wanted policy makers, in particular, to read and recognize we have serious problems,” Rose said.
Providing a topline view of the state’s current predicament, Hwang said, “In 2008, we had the crash, and Connecticut hasn’t been able to recover. The safety valve was stripped away. We had neglected the critical decisions that had to be made.”
Vahey offered, “Every day is an inflection point. People made decisions without thought about impact. I think we’re walking out of the woods, but we still have some trekking to do.”
Rose drew a bullseye on taxes as a problem. “If there’s a root cause of our problems, I thought it was the taxation issue. It had a suppression effect on many aspects. You can’t dismiss the fact that taxes are so high. Young people intend to leave when they get their degree,” he said.
In reply to Rose’s view, Vahey said, “Taxation is certainly a piece that we hear about from voters. But we’re not dissimilar from tax structures elsewhere in the tri-state. You have to look at everything.”
Hwang offered another view. “I’ve always maintained that Connecticut doesn’t have a revenue problem; it has a spending problem. Our population has been flat while the cost of government has risen. We’ve had no discipline with spending. Once you start funding a service, it’s hard to say no. We now have fixed costs that virtually surpass our intake. Budgeting is all about prioritizing—you can’t buy champagne when you’re on a beer budget,” he said.
Rose pointed to pension liabilities as problematic. “It seems the ratio of public employees to non-public has really gotten out of hand. And the influence the public employee unions have had is a serious issue,” he said.
Hwang called out another bane. “Last year, the budget took a long time to approve, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as we worked together. Now we’re back to government as usual, done in a room with the governor and Dem leadership. One party rule doesn’t work. It produces bad documents,” he said, adding that the budget is still “quite incomplete.”
Vahey fell in line with Rose, noting, “It’s easy to mask things when things are going well. Now we’ve got this silver tsunami coming—a lot of state government employees retiring. End-of-life costs impact our decisions.”
So, just what is the government doing about these issues? Vahey said Gov. Ned Lamont has enlisted a business leader to look at modernizing and streamlining government. He has also brought in leaders to work with businesses to provide loans instead of grants.”
Hwang put his finger on other issues. “For 10 years, I have tried to address the dual delivery system for nonprofits. This year, nonprofits got cuts while state employees got more benefits. When we talk about savings, privatizing nonprofits is key. And raising the minimum wage, which raises the ceiling on all employees, is bad policy and bad business,” he said.
Vahey defended Lamont, saying he is “new to all this and still figuring out how to work with legislators. I want our state to thrive; the 300,000-plus people who benefit from the minimum wage increase may provide stimulus.”
The state’s new paid family leave is another problem, as Hwang sees it. “We’ve created a new bureaucracy to administer the plan. It will continue to grow and put tax burdens on the state. The numbers don’t add up,” he said.
And how are the state government and local municipalities getting along? “Municipal aid is about 20% of the budget. Interplay between town and state is critical. We have a large range in mill rates across towns—that’s a tough issue, but then you’re talking about major structural reform,” Vahey said.
Hwang agreed about mill rates, calling them “absolutely uneven and unfair.” With frustration, he asked, “Where are we having spending reform? I don’t think anything has changed in the future prospects of Connecticut.”
If you are thinking of moving, make sure to call our sponsor!
Our annual 5K Run for Home and Workboot Challenge on Saturday, October 12th is going to be lots of fun! The 5K run is the perfect opportunity for serious runners to set personal records and all abilities to enjoy the scenic course. The Workboot Challenge is a one-mile event prior to the 5K and offers participants the challenge of wearing workboots (or ANY boots) on the shorter course!
JUST ANNOUNCED…
Screamin Eagle Band will be playing our post-run celebration! Their modern southern rock sound with a twist will keep everyone entertained along with free food and drinks for participants.
All participants will get a RAFFLE TICKET for a chance to receive great items including… Rio Bravo Tacos & Tequila $150 gift card; Birdman Juke Joint $50 gift card; 3 separate Trattoria ‘A Vucchella $40 gift cards; Two Roads Brewery certificate for a tour for 10; Brewport Brewing Co. $25 gift card; 2 separate Centro To-Go gift cards, Little Goose $25 gift card; 3 separate Stress Factory Comedy Club vouchers for up to 10 guests each and more (check here for full list).
There is still time to register!
$27 – register online through October 9 – all events are the same price
$20 – register online (for ages 13 and under) through October 9
$35 – register at the race (and at the packet pickup location SoundRunner in Fairfield the day before the race).
Boys between the ages of 11 and 18 who have any interest in camping, hiking, kayaking, and other outdoor activities are encouraged to attend. The event will take place during Troop 82’s normal weekly Thursday meeting hours, from 7:30 pm to 9, at Scout Hall in First Church Congregational in Fairfield across from Town Hall. The open house will include a tour of Scout Hall, meeting other Scouts and the adult leaders, a campfire cooking demonstration and tasting, rope making, and other activities and games. No prior experience in scouting is required. Troop 82 has been an active Boy Scout Troop since the 1920's at The First Church Congregational in Fairfield across from Town Hall, where it meets every Thursday evening. Troop 82 believes in learning while having fun. Scouts learn to be better American citizens, to develop the mental and physical skills needed for growth, and to follow a set of Scouting principles which build character and nurture personal values. We’re an active troop and camp out once a month. There are a multitude of fun opportunities for rank advancement and earning merit badges. To date, over 130 boys have earned the Eagle Scout rank. It’s Fun, With a Purpose! Contact Scoutmaster Bryan LeClerc at scoutmastertroop82@gmail.com or call 203- 376-2982.
#Bridgeport CT—Mayor Joe Ganim was joined by representatives of our state delegation and the CT Boxing Commission for a joint announcement with Webster Bank Arena, Bellator, and Mohegan Sun Entertainment officials formally welcoming Bellator MMA to Bridgeport Connecticut. Webster Bank Arena’s website says “Matt Mitrione will once again lace up the gloves in a main event against Kharitonov after an inadvertent shot put an abrupt end to their first matchup at Bellator 215 this past February”. For event details visit: https://www.websterbankarena.com/events/detail/bellator-mma
What does Fairfield’s K-9 Jake have in common with LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, P. Diddy, Jeff Gordon, 50 Cent and Donald Trump? They all had their vehicles customized by Will Castro. Will Castro’s Designs and Unique are synonymous with the highest quality customizations and craftsmanship all over the world. Will Castro also has a TV show, Unique Rides on Speed Channel. The custom Ford F-150 was designed by Nu-age Warning from Seymour, Connecticut.The customized ride was paid for from private donations. Sergeant Hector Irizarry is Jake’s handler and chauffeur. K-9 Jake is named in honor of Marine Corp veteran Jake Pettit from Fairfield, Connecticut. K-9 Jake and Sergeant Irizarry use the truck to bring awareness of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at public events.
The entire design including the wrap is to commemorate our armed forces and our military veterans. The interior is designed like most police cars but the comfort for the dog is foremost importance. If the air conditioning fails, the windows open and the fans kick in while Sergeant Irizanny gets an alert on his cell phone. The truck also has a remote door popper so in case Irizanny needs help he can remotely open the door and Jake comes out to assist.
The truck is a pursuit rated F-150 K-9 truck and is the only one in the world like it making it a Unique Ride. The truck is also Kevlar tires to prevent puncturing of the sidewalls if the vehicle is required to go off the road. The Kevlar does NOT make the tires bullet proof.
Sergeant Irizanny and Jake work the night shift in Fairfield and also provide mutual K-9 aid to surround towns.
Special thanks to Eric and Patrick of Forza Ristorante, located at 3171 Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport, for an outstanding party for my daughter’s Graduation and 18th birthday party. We invited about 20 of our closest friends and family for the celebration. So of course wanted things to run smoothly which Patrick ensure it did. I knew the food would be good from our previous review. As the guest were leaving they all said they had a good time and enjoyed themselves, sort of expected. What blew us away was everyone texting us that night to say they had a great time and really enjoyed the food.
So if you want to impress your date or your in-laws this is the place to take them. Really good food at a reasonable price. See their website at http://forzaristorante.com/ You can see the menu and the pricing.
Let Patrick will spoil you! Oh yea, mention DoingItLocal and you’ll get 10% off your bill.
STRATFORD – The annual “Blues on the Beach” summer music festival is about to take place this Saturday, July 20, and this year a designated drop-off and pick-up zone has been established for the event located at Wayne’s Walk at the intersection of Riverdale Drive and Lighthouse Ave. This will serve as a designated drop-off or pick-up area for Uber, Lyft or taxis and other passenger services to accommodate their customers.
Those who are dropping off their children, seniors or the disabled can drop passengers at a designated location at the concession stand location.
The event opens to the public at 9:30 a.m., and performances begin at noon. The festivities will go until 9:30 p.m.
A police officer will be stationed at the location of Wayne’s Walk until 11:00 p.m. There will be temporary posted no parking extending approximately 75 feet from both sides of Wayne’s Walk.
In addition, residents attending “Blues on the Beach” are asked to note the following:
Beach access will be closed on Friday, July 19th at 7:00 pm, so preparations can be made.
Bicycles are allowed but must be walked in the park area per Stratford Police Department.
Parking is also available at the Army Engine Plant – South Parking Lot directly off of Main Street.
No golf carts or other motorized equipment is allowed on the beach per Stratford Police Department.
Residents must have a valid beach sticker to park at the beach. Non-residents will be charged $20 to park.
No dogs or pets are allowed at the beach.
Extreme heat is being forecast for Saturday and temperatures could exceed 100 degrees. The Stratford Health Department has issued an advisory for the day. In consideration of the conditions residents are urged to exercise caution. The Police Activities League (P.A.L.) will be selling ice at “Blues on the Beach” to help combat the heat and raise funds for their fall programming. Ice will be available for $5 per bag until the supply runs out.
Night Owl Studios is a strictly only podcast recording studio in Connecticut. They focus strictly on podcasting and podcast culture. With the only studios of it’s kind in CT with that emphasis they have two studio locations and growing. One in Shelton and the second location in Bridgeport. As a part of the studios there is also an internal branch within the company; the Guerrilla Podcast Network where the studio has a roster of podcasts on their team that they produce, help grow, market and promote. The GPN is unlike many businesses that promote and market in a standardize way. With the name giving it away they use creative guerrilla tactics and formats and approaches to promote and reach their audience and clients.
If you are looking to start and launch your podcast these are the guys to call!
DoingIt Night Owl!
Night Owl Studios es un estudio de grabación de podcasts estrictamente solo en Connecticut. Se centran estrictamente en “podcasting” y la cultura de podcast. Con los únicos estudios de su tipo en CT con ese énfasis que tienen dos lugares de estudio y en crecimiento. Uno en Shelton y el segundo lugar en Bridgeport. Como parte de los estudios también hay una sucursal interna dentro de la empresa; la Guerrilla Podcast Network donde el estudio tiene una lista de podcasts en su equipo que producen, ayudan a crecer, comercializar y promover. El GPN es diferente a muchas empresas que promueven y comercializan de una manera estandarizada. Con el nombre regalándolo utilizan tácticas y formatos creativos de guerrilla y enfoques para promover y llegar a su audiencia y clientes.
Si usted está buscando para iniciar y lanzar su podcast estos son los chicos a llamar!
