Category: Stratford

Report of a fire at 550 Main Street in Stratford potentially due to a transformer malfunction. Firefighters on scene have extinguished the fire on the roof, and are currently looking for extensions.

https://www.doingitlocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/00-Structure-fire-REEL-1.mp4

Free Monthly Screenings of Popular Films

 The Stratford Library returns with its popular film series through 2024. The series offers free
showings of recent, popular films shown uncut and on widescreen each month.

LOVELL ROOM 12 PM
INFORMATION: 203.385.4162

MAESTRO
June 10
Bradley Cooper directs, co-writes and stars as Leonard Bernstein in this powerful biopic about the legendary
conductor’s complicated relationship with his wife, Felicia (Carey Mulligan). R, 129 minutes
DUNE, PART 2
June 24
Visually thrilling and narratively epic, Dune: Part Two continues Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of the beloved sci-fi
series in spectacular form. PG-13, 166 minutes
 
THE COLOR PURPLE
July 15
A story of love and resilience based on the novel and the Broadway musical, THE COLOR PURPLE is a decades-
spanning tale of one woman’s journey to independence. Celie faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately
finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood. PG-13, 141 minutes
CIVIL WAR
July 29
A stunning journey across a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they
race against time to reach DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House. R, 109 minutes
GODZILLA X KONG
August 12
This latest entry in the Monsterverse franchise follows up the explosive showdown of Godzilla vs. Kong with an
all-new cinematic adventure, pitting the almighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla. PG-13, 115 minutes
MEAN GIRLS
August 26
Preserving the essence of the original while adding a few new wrinkles — not to mention musical numbers —
Mean Girls is a sweet (if slight) update with an outstanding cast. PG-13, 112 minutes.

The Stratford Police Department’s Detective Bureau is investigating a shooting incident which occurred on Bates Street, Stratford on May 22, 2024 at approximately 8:00pm. Michael James has been charged with Assault 1 st degree with a Firearm and Reckless Endangerment 1 st Degree. These charges stem from Michael James firing a round from his registered firearm while arguing with his 36-year-old step-son Rakeem Mack. The round also struck Michael James’ wife whose name is Lolita Mack-James. Both Rakeem Mack and Lolita Mack-James were transported to the hospital after sustaining non-life-threatening wounds. The investigation has thus far determined that Michael James was in the process of protecting Lolita Mack-James while she was engaged in an argument with her son Rakeem Mack.

https://www.doingitlocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/TheStratfordPolice-1.mp4

Senator Herron Keyon Gaston, D-Bridgeport, welcomed Monday the release of nearly $1 million in state grants dedicated to HVAC upgrades at Chapel Street Elementary and Wilcoxson Elementary School in Stratford. 

“For our students to thrive academically and stay healthy, they need clean air and comfortable classrooms,” Senator Gaston said. “These grants will improve learning environments for students at Chapel Street Elementary and Wilcoxson Elementary and by covering more than 60% of these projects, the state has significantly eased the burden on our local taxpayers.”

The grants announced by the Department of Administrative Services include:

• $366,587 for the replacement of boilers at Chapel Street Elementary in Stratford. This grant will cover 61% of the project.
• $632,957 for the replacement of boilers and installation of HVAC units at Wilcoxson Elementary School in Stratford. This grant will also cover 61% of the project.

The state HVAC Indoor Air Quality Grant program was established in 2022 to assist Connecticut school districts with repairs and upgrades to ventilation and indoor air quality systems to support healthy learning environments.

2024-05-23@11:18am–#Stratford CT– A crash with injuries on I-95 southbound near exit 32.

The Stratford Library will return with its annual book sale Thursday, May 30 through Sunday. June 2, 2024.  The sale, which is a major fund-raiser for the library, is being organized this year by the Board of Trustees under Chair Shelley Hall of Stratford. 

Browsers at this year’s sale will find thousands of books, CDs, LPs, DVDs, autographed books and much more in over 50 categories at bargain prices covering every conceivable subject from religion, business, music and art to philosophy, science fiction, biography, non-fiction and best-sellers.  The sale will commence with a “Preview” on Thursday, May 30 from 5:30-8:30 pm. The evening is open to everyone with no entry fee and books are double the marked price. Visitors can pick up a number for entry on that day beginning at 3:30 pm.  The general book sale with prices as marked will continue on Friday, May 31 from 9 am-7 pm and Saturday, June 1 from 9 am-6 pm.  Saturday’s sale will be held in conjunction with Stratford’s annual Main Street Festival.  On Sunday, June 2 the library will offer a “Half-Price Sale” on all remaining books from 9 am-2 pm and $10 a bag from 2:30-4 pm (bags provided). 

 For further information, call the Stratford Library at 203.385.4161 or visit: www.stratfordlibrary.org.

Saturday, June 1st
10am – 4pm

STRATFORD, CT – Rain or shine, the Stratford Main Street Festival is back! Join us on Saturday, June 1st, from
10am to 4pm, on Main Street from Stratford Center to Stratford Avenue. Many thanks to The Milford Bank and
the Rotary Club of Stratford for presenting the festival as a community service.
The Main Street Festival is an annual town-wide event celebrating the many organizations, programs, and
services the Town of Stratford has to offer, bringing together over 150 local vendors, including
entertainment, food trucks, booths, and artists. The event also provides an opportunity for Stratford’s diverse
organizations to educate the public about their functions and support fundraising efforts. Vendor booths and
trucks will line Main Street, allowing residents to stroll through Stratford Center, embracing the beauty of the
town. A DJ and various entertainers will be performing throughout the day.
Please anticipate street closures on Main Street from Church Street to Stratford Avenue.
To learn more about the festival please visit:
www.celebratestratford.com or www.stratfordmainstreetfestival.com.

REVENUE SOURCES ALLOW FOR NO TAX INCREASE AND MILL RATE TO REMAIN FLAT

BOARD OF EDUCATION BUDGET FULLY FUNDED

STRATFORD, CT – The Stratford Town Council voted to approve an amended 2024-2025 budget with a 6-4 vote last night. After numerous discussions between the Council, Mayor Laura R. Hoydick, and Chief Administrative Officer Chris Tymniak, the Town Council presented and approved a budget of $260,014,370. This includes an allocation of an additional $500,000 to the Board of Education, along with a $2 million BOE surplus from the 2023 fiscal year (allowed per state statute). This puts the Board of Education budget at $127,502,725 from the general fund, plus the aforementioned $2 million provided by the surplus.

Mayor Laura R. Hoydick expressed her sincerest thanks to Town Council members for their collaboration on this budget, and holds gratitude towards the taxpayers of Stratford for their patience during the process. “The budget process is not easy, but I am deeply appreciative of the time put in by Council members to look at every department within our Town’s operations and see this proposed budget is an appropriate way to support our community’s needs while being considerate to our taxpayers. This sentiment was prevalent in the Council’s ability in sourcing and providing an increase to the Board of Education budget without placing additional strain on our taxpayers nor our Town services. The Town is providing $2 million dollars of surplus funds for the BOE, without any constraints, and through the Council’s reallocation, an additional $500,000 was added to the BOE budget. I appreciate the Council’s acknowledgement and consideration that the BOE has had an operating surplus at the end of each fiscal year since I have been in office. This recurring practice by the BOE indicates the school district could not spend all the funding they had available to them for that year and the Council’s consideration of this management practice is reflected in the approved budget wherein Town department budgets are lean, making up 46% of the Town’s operating budget and BOE making up 54%. Those surplus amounts were never deducted from the funding request for the following year.

“Additionally, as an Alliance District, the Stratford Public School System receives the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grant directly from the State and this year will receive $3,060,626 million dollars more than last year. This is in conjunction with the previous year’s ESC allocation which goes to the BOE, meaning they will receive at least $5.1 million in total from the State.  Also, there are additional Title 1 grant funds coming from Congress that will add to their operating budget.”

The final approved budget, with the support of Council members O’Connor, O’Neal, Whitham, Glad, Llewelyn, and Aurelia, equals the Mayor’s proposed FY 2024-2025 budget, with the total dollar amount being $260,014,370. A number of line-item expenditures were adjusted through an amendment put forth by Councilman Llewelyn, including an additional $500,000 for the Board of Education. The Mill Rate was not impacted by the amendment and remains at 40.20 for the 2023 Grand List, excluding the Mill Rate for Motor Vehicles, which is capped per state statute at 32.46. With this budget, there is no increase in taxes for the Stratford community due to the diligence within the Mayor’s proposed budget and the reallocation of funds to support the Board of Education’s budget request.

Mike Henrick, Chairman of the Board of Education, offered his gratitude to the Town Council, the Mayor, and the Town administration for their hard work and dedication in approving the final budget that he believes will provide ample pathways of success for students and families in the coming school year under proper management by the internal office. “I’d like to thank the Town Council for designating the $2 million surplus from fiscal year ‘23 back to the Board of Education without any strings attached, as well as the Mayor increasing the Board’s budget by $100,000, and for the Council adding an additional $500,000 in reallocations of Town funds. I appreciate the Mayor and the Council in their commitment to properly support our school district with this budget. Now it is our time, as the Board of Education, to get to work to ensure proper management of this funding and transparency of its allocations. Thank you again and I look forward to continued collaboration with the Mayor and the Council as we continue to seek ways to improve our town.”

Carl Glad, Chairman of the Town Council, noted, “Perseverance shows with this budget. We worked, as one entity, to get to this moment. Both sides were in agreement that this budget was the leanest it could possibly be across all departments. We also agreed on our priorities for any available additional funding. This budget reflects Stratford’s financial reality and is a fiscally responsible roadmap for the successful future for Stratford.”

Mayor Hoydick stated, “This budget reflects the Town Council and my administration’s commitment to funding the core initiatives that define the essence of Stratford. It ensures residents will benefit from well-maintained infrastructure, a more than sufficiently funded school district, and an incredible range of services from all our departments. This grants us the ability to look towards the future while continuing to foster a sense of belonging throughout and within our diverse population. Thank you, again, to the Town Council for the dedication and determination shown in navigating this process for the best interests and future of Stratford.”

“Billy Bones” Campaign Is Honored by CLA

            The Stratford Library won top honors recently in the 2024 Connecticut Library Association Publication Awards.  The Library won the Designer’s Choice Publicity Award for its “Billy Bones” campaign which utilized a 12-foot skeleton at the Library entrance last fall to promote the agency and its many services.

What began as a fanciful idea from Assistant Director Geri Diorio, “Billy Bones” became a full-fledged tour de force on social media for the Stratford Library in October 2023. While libraries always provide vital services, “Billy Bones” was a delightful reminder to the community that they could have fun with their library. Once Billy (named for Shakespeare, a nod to Stratford’s English namesake) was assembled, his tag line was born: “It’s Never Too Late To Get Your Library Card”.  The Library invited people to take a “skelfie” with Billy and share what they were reading on social media platforms. Classes visiting the library, Girl Scout Troops and the Library’s own teen volunteers often gathered in front of Billy for group photos.

Patrons responded by posting about Billy, bragging to their friends about their “cool library”, and sharing their own skelfies. As a result, the “Billy Bones” campaign on Facebook garnered a total of 430 likes, resulted in 84 shares, and reached a total of 18,850 Facebook users. Instagram views were 2309 and patrons shared on X as well.  “Billy Bones” was recently a popular addition to the silent auction at the Library’s annual gala and has now found a good home in Stratford.