Madison News Roundup

On Friday, Madison, CT Police reported that they arrested three juveniles caught burglarizing a local school. At about 6:30 p.m. Friday, Madison police responded to a burglar alarm at the Academy Street School. Upon arrival, officers discovered footprints in fresh snow around the building. While conducting a check of the perimeter, officers observed subjects fleeing on foot from the building. A foot pursuit ensued, which resulted in the apprehension of three juveniles (one from Madison and two from Guilford). All were charged with:

• Burglary 3rd: 53a103
• Criminal Mischief: 53a117
• Interfering w/Police: 53a167a
• Conspiracy to Commit Burglary 3rd: 53a48/53a103

All were released into the custody of their parents pending a court date of March 9 in New Haven Juvenile Court.

A Madison teen surrendered to police Wednesday night after a warrant was issued for his arrest in connection with the highly publicized case of the alleged sexual sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl at a local New Year’s Eve party.

The juvenile is the fifth boy arrested in connection with the case. He is charged with first-degree sexual assault, conspiracy to commit sexual assault, risk of injury to a minor, and conspiracy to commit unlawful restraint. Following processing, the boy was taken to the juvenile detention center in New Haven.

Three of the other boys arrested in the case have been released from the detention center and are now on home detention, according to the New Haven Register. One other boy is still being detained. He faces sexual assault charges in Superior Court because he is 14 years old, his attorney has said. The rest of the charges against the boy remain in juvenile court. The three other boys who were released all are 13, the Register reports.

Under state law, children 14 or older charged with first-degree sexual assault must be transferred to adult court, which then has 10 days to decide whether to refer the case back to juvenile court.

The Register has cited sources who have said that that the boys, some of whom were the victim’s “best friends,” assaulted her after she had consumed alcohol, when she was in and out of consciousness. According to the source, five boys took part in the assault, and a sixth took pictures on a cell phone camera. The pictures were then circulated among students at Walter C. Polson Middle School, where all of the involved teens are in the eighth grade.

Additional details in the Register.

Another weekend of interesting and diverse activities in Madison, CT.

FRIDAY:

• Free Wine Tasting, noon-7:30 p.m., the Madison Wine Shop, 734 Boston Post Road: Wine tastings geared to educate over time, by providing an opportunity to sample and discuss a wide variety of wines, mostly outside of the mainstream, mostly affordable, and sometimes not. It’s free, informal, informative, face-to-face with Rick Lewis and your fellow participants, and its fun.
• Pajama Storytime – Ages 5 – 7 , 7 p.m., RJ Julia: Wear your jammies and bring your stuffed friend. They’re popping popcorn, reading stories and learning about some fun activities for your next sleepover! Play Bingo and win “Smencils”!  Space is limited and parents are expected to stay on site. Call early to reserve a spot for your pillow!

SATURDAY:

• Eagle Watches on the Connecticut River, 7:45 a.m., meet at the Audubon Shop, 907 Boston Post Rd: Winter’s cold brings dozens of Bald Eagles down the Connecticut River from Canada in search of ice – free fishing. The Audubon Shop in Madison presents its Twenty-second Annual Eagle Watches on the Connecticut River. Leader Jerry Connolly of The Audubon Shop will help participants spot eagles from a variety of locations on the river, and will discuss the bird’s natural history on this land-based trip. Tickets are $20.00, and include a soup & sandwich lunch at Oliver’s Taverne in Essex. Pre-registration is required. Binoculars are recommended and available for rental. Call the shop at 203-245-9056 for tickets and information. Space is limited.
• Bears in Connecticut, 10 a.m., at Hammonasset Beach State Park: “Bears in Connecticut” PowerPoint presentation given by Master Wildlife Conservationist and bear enthusiast, Felicia Ortner from CT DEP. A guided walk at 1 p.m. at Bauer Park on Copse Road in Madison will showcase the numerous features of the Park including the barn restoration program, tours of the farmhouse, a guided trail walk and a scavenger hunt.



• Seal Walk, 3 p.m. at Hammonasset beach State Park: Seal Walk — Come stroll the beautiful paths of Hammonasset Beach State Park and see if you can spot the seals. A guided walk for all skill levels. Please bring a pair of binoculars.
• Tavern Night at the Grave House, 7 p.m. at Deacon John Grave House, 581 Boston Post Road: Food, Grog, and Music. $15 per person. Space is limited. Pay at the door. For reservations call 203-245-4798.

SUNDAY:

• CT Archaeology Open House, 10 a.m. at the Meigs Point Nature Center, Hammonasset: Learn about a cache of recently discovered 4,000 year-old Native American Mansion Inn spear points from Madison and artifacts that include a replica of a 9,000-year-old fluted spear point uncovered at shoreline sites. One of the largest privately owned Atlatl collections in the United States and a stone axe-head collection will be on view.

“We had a fire in the bathroom; luckily, it did not spread to the house!” Ah, you just don’t hear humor like that anymore. But you still can find outhouses in Connecticut, vestiges of a simpler, if less comfortable time. At 7 p.m. tonight at RJ Julia, Leslie Strauss will present Outhouses of Connecticut , a journey back into time and yards. You are invited to this free presentation to laugh and learn about why these little buildings are still preserved by Nutmeggers throughout state. Reserve a seat (in the main building, of course).

Photographer/Knitter Gale Zucker’s presentation will take you behind the scenes of creating her book Shear Spirit and share images of her visits to ten fiber farms across the U.S. inspired by her passion for knitting. This brown bag lunch will be held at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, in the Scranton Memorial Library Community Room and is free and open to the public. Bring your lunch, your knitting, and a friend to meet Gale and enjoy her lively photo presentation. Pre-registration is encouraged by calling Scranton Library 203-245-7365, signing up at the Circulation Desk, or going here.

The Madison, CT Police Department would hire four additional officers and restructure the upper echelon of the force under a 5-year plan crafted by Police Chief Jack Drumm. The 11-page plan, presented to the Board of Police Commissioners, calls for two new officers to be hired this fiscal year, with one additional officer to be hired in 2011-2012 and another in 2012-2013.

The report says the manpower increase is necessary to maintain a “minimally acceptable public safety level of 3 officers and one supervisor per shift.” Madison currently has 1.4 full-time officers per 1,000 residents. The state average is 2.2 per 1,000, and the national average is 2.4, according to the report. The additional officer’s would bring Madison’s average to 1.7 per 1,000 residents.

Drumm is proposing to reduce the department’s number of lieutenants from four to two (through attrition), and to add new positions for captain and deputy chief.

Other highlights of the plan, under review by the police commission, include:

• Actively seeking out and increasing attendance at community activities.
• Increasing the use of foot and bicycle patrol where possible to enhance interaction with the community.
• Re-implementing structured summer youth activities.
• Enhancing community partnerships with neighborhood associations, Neighborhood Watch, and businesses by improving communications between and among these organizations.

You can read the full text of the report here.

History buffs are invited to a brown bag lunch program presented by Madison resident Ellen Svea Swanson from 1-2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22, in the Community Room of Scranton Memorial Library. Swanson’s recent job teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) in South Korea provided her with a unique opportunity to experience the impact that “the other” Mary Scranton’s life and lasting accomplishments had in Korea and Japan at the turn of the 20th century to today. Mary and her son William’s missionary work built schools, hospitals, and churches, and opened the doors to Korea’s first school for girls, one of which, EWHA, is today not only a highly respected university but is among the largest all-female universities in the world. Register here.

Madison, CT Superintendent of Schools David J. Klein said he is unable to issue a statement in the highly publicized case of four juveniles charged with sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl at a New Year’s Eve party.

“As you are well aware, our Madison community is dealing with a very disturbing situation related to an alleged incident at a New Year’s Eve house party,” Klein said in a Feb. 19 email to parents and residents. “To date, my public comments regarding this issue have been limited and will continue to be limited due to Federal Privacy Laws. The school district staff and the Board of Education are unable to share information regarding this matter with you or the media.

“I thank you in advance for your continued sensitivity and support regarding this troubling situation,” Klein wrote. “Please be assured that the safety and well being of our students is the school district’s top priority.”

Four local teens were arrested Feb. 11 and taken to the Whalley Avenue detention center. The boys have been charged with sexual assault in the first degree, conspiracy to commit sexual assault in the first degree and risk of injury to a minor. Two of the juveniles also were charged with unlawful restraint, one juvenile was charged with conspiracy to commit unlawful restraint and one faces both of those charges.

The juveniles are still being detained pending a Feb. 25 hearing. One of the boys faces sexual assault charges in Superior Court because he is 14 years old, his attorney said. The rest of the charges against the boy remain in juvenile court. Under state law, children 14 or older charged with first-degree sexual assault must be transferred to adult court, which then has 10 days to decide whether to refer the case back to juvenile court.

The New Haven Register reports that sources have said that that the boys, some of whom were the victim’s “best friends,” assaulted her after she had consumed alcohol, when she was in and out of consciousness. According to the source, five boys took part in the assault, and a sixth took pictures on a cell phone camera. The pictures were then circulated among students at Walter C. Polson Middle School, where all of the involved teens are in the eighth grade. Read Amanda Pinto’s account in the Register.

It’s all about food and drink today (2/19) in Madison, CT. Consider:

• From from noon to 7:30 p.m., The Madison Wine Shop at 734 Boston Post Road has its weekly Free Wine Tasting
• At noon the Scranton Memorial Library has its weekly Lunch Bag Movie
• From 5-7 p.m. at the VFW at 85 Lovers Lane, there is a Pot Roast Dinner
• And at 7 p.m. at RJ Julia, Paula Butturini will talk about her new book, Keeping the Feast, a story of food and love, injury and healing.

And, to top it off, Madison now has a new restaurant in town with the opening last week of Donahue’s Madison Beach Grille. The beautiful new restaurant complements the usual Madison stalwarts, including:

• Cafe Allegre
• The Dolly Madison Inn
• Elizabeth’s Cafe
• Friends & Co.
• L L Lowrie’s
• Lenny & Joe’s, and 
• Malone’s, 

to name a few.