Madison News Roundup

The police chief of Groton Long Point, a North Haven deputy police chief, and a police captain from Amherst, Mass., are the three remaining candidates for the post of Madison, CT police chief, according to Amanda Pinto’s story in the New Haven Register. The search committee is expected to narrow the field to two finalists next week, and the Groton Long Point chief is the leading candidate, according to the Register.

Come to Cook’s Kitchen, at 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, November 24, at 620 Boston Post Road, Guilford, to hear Madison residents Kim Castaldo and Diane Gardner talk about their new book, “What’s Cooking in New England?” which they’ll be sharing with everyone. The book is full of healthful recipes as well as lots of tips to help you with holiday entertaining. Find out more.

You may recall seeing a movie being shot in Madison, CT last September (2008) at venues that included West Wharf, Madison Art Cinemas, and a home on Grove Avenue. “Harvest,” which was written and directed by Marc Meyers and produced by Meyers and Jody Girgenti, is just now starting to make the rounds of independent film festivals. The movie stars Academy Award-nominated Robert Loggia, Jack Carpenter, Arye Gross, Tony-winner Victoria Clark, and Academy Award-nominated Barbara Barrie, with Peter Friedman, Adriana Sevan, Kel O’Neill, Christine Evangelista, and Daniel Eric Gold. Harvest tells the story of three generations of a family coming together one summer, around the eventual passing of the patriarch of the family, a WWII veteran. Gathered at the family home and in and around their beautiful shoreline town, years of resentment and betrayal surface, and the grandson does his part to hold them all together. Read more about Harvest.

Last week the Madison, CT Police Chief Personnel Search Committee conducted interviews with five finalists for the position of police chief. The candidates are from both in state and out of state, and all are either police chiefs or officers holding major command positions within their departments, Zip06 reports. None of the five is with the Madison Police Department. The Police Commission advertised for candidates with “excellent management skills, a proven ability to inspire confidence, and a strong record of achievement in public safety, security, community policing, and drug enforcement.”

It wouldn’t be hard to come up with some humorous lines about vultures in Madison, but the Metz family is finding nothing funny about the vultures that have taken up residence on and around their property on Winding Road. For more than 3 weeks, the vultures have started roosting around Winding Road and Wheatstone Road, and residents are concerned for the safety of their children and pets, and they are put off by the odor of the birds’ droppings. State Department of Environmental Protection officials have said the birds (which have been identified as either black vultures or immature turkey vultures) are harmless, and that they feed only on dead animals. But that doesn’t make affected residents feel any better about the situation. Read Amanda Pinto’s account in the Register.

If you missed last week’s flu vaccination clinic at Daniel Hand High School, and if you are a member of an eligible group, you’ll get another chance to get vaccinated this Thursday. The East Shore District Health Department will be holding the nasal mist flu clinic from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday, November 19, at 21 Business Park Drive, Branford, CT. To register, call the East Shore District Health Department at (203) 481-4235 between the hours of 9 a.m.–noon Tuesday (11/17)or Wednesday (11/18). A form must be completed for each person to be vaccinated. You can save considerable time at the clinic site by filling it out before you arrive. You can fill out most of the form on your screen and print it. Your changes will not be saved (Please use all upper case letters). Walk-ins will not be accepted. The vaccine is available only to the following groups: Healthy children aged 24 months (2 years) through 24 years, healthy household contacts and caregivers of infants less than 6 months of age who are 50 years old or younger, and healthy healthcare workers and Emergency Medical Services personnel who have direct contact with patients or infectious material who are 50 years old or younger.

The Madison Beach and Recreation Department invites you to “A Day on Your Own in New York City,” Saturday, November 28, 2009. The bus leaves the Route 79 Commuter Lot at 8 a.m. and will make a brief stop in Hamden to get more patrons. You will be dropped off near Rockefeller Center and picked you up in the same location. You plan the day and the Rec Dept. will get you there by motor coach bus. Children 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult or guardian. The cost is $35 and includes transportation and driver gratuity. Register at the Beach and Recreation Office or call Carrie at 203-245-5623 if you need more information.

A belated thumbs up to the Daniel Hand High School Girls’ Soccer team, which earned a share of the Southern Connecticut Conference (SCC) soccer title following a lightening-shortened scoreless tie with Cheshire on November 5. The game was halted with 54 seconds left in the second overtime after a lightening flash, and after a heavy downpour ensued, the teams were declared co-champions. Read Jennifer Small’s account in Zip06.

The Madison, CT Town Campus will soon be home to an American flag that flew July 4 in the skies over Baghdad. The flag was flown on behalf of the town and Madison Youth Lacrosse in recognition of 2,000 pounds of food they donated to the Marine Corps unit of Madison native Lt. Matthew Russell. He requested the flying of the flag, which soon will be displayed along with a proclamation from Army Lt. Gen. Frank Helmick. Read Amanda Pinto’s account in the Register.

At 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Daniel Hand High School held a lockdown drill. According to Principal Barbara Britton, it was the “first of three state mandated drills in conjunction with monthly fire drills.” Britton reported that the building was completely secured within a very short period of time, and that the students and staff were outstanding in following all lockdown procedures in assuring everyone was in a safe location.