New Haven Register

A Home for Learning

Lower Voting Age Urged for Primaries

Changing Connecticut's constitution to allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries would be one way to encourage rather than discourage political participation by young people, according to John Giammatteo. Giammatteo is president of the Millard Fillmore Political Action Club at Notre Dame High School in West Haven, and he joined other student activists Thursday to urge legislative support for the proposed constitutional change.

Pediatric Group Blasts State's Managed Care System; Lawmakers Hear Support for New Programs

One of the few pediatric groups to serve poor children on the Shoreline Thursday said the decade-long use of managed care companies to oversee health delivery has been a failure that is wasting state resources. Dr. Patrick Alvino of Branford Pediatrics and Allergy was among a list of doctors and advocates to submit testimony to the Legislature's Human Services Committee in support of bills that would open up access to care for the poor, while also offering an alternative pilot program to MCO ...

Coach Accused in Assault Sues League After Being Banned

A local youth hockey coach who is accused of assaulting the father of an opposing player has filed a civil lawsuit against hockey league officials who banned him from all of his son's practices and games. The coach, Frank Ruocco of Cheshire, also is seeking monetary damages and punitive damages for "malicious" and "libelous" statements allegedly made about him by league representatives.

Ahead of the Game

Loud & Clear

Residents Ok State Street Tire Pond Settlement

Taxpayers at a town meeting this week approved North Haven's portion of a settlement that is being discussed for the tire pond on State Street. State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and Town Attorney Jeffrey Donofrio explained the situation to residents who gathered for a special town meeting in North Haven High School.

Late School Starts Extended

Late starts for the city's high schools will continue next school year, but may be changed to a different day and be scaled back. This year, the schools are slated to open late on 20 Mondays sprinkled throughout the year, with three such openings remaining. The consensus among administrators is that 15 late openings for the next school year will be sufficient. Principals of the high schools praised the late openings, saying it provided valuable time for teachers to hone their craft.

'Time Warp' Fashion Show Postponed

The weather has forced the postponement of the Time Warp Trunk Fashion Show presented by IMANI Magazine/Fashion Models Institute. The new date is 1 p.m. March 24. The show had originally been scheduled for Saturday. The Time Warp Trunk Fashion Show will celebrate fashions since the 1920s.

Controversial Zoning Vote Delayed

Dozens of residents showed up at the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting Thursday night only to discover that a decision on a controversial zoning proposal they planned to protest was delayed for at least a month. Many of the residents planned to speak out against a plan to create a new commercial zoning designation near the Exit 62 ramps off Interstate 95.

'Bali Ha'i'

Can a girl from Little Rock find happiness with a mature French planter she got to know one enchanted evening away from the military hospital where she is a nurse? Or should she just wash that man out of her hair? Find out when the theater group at Guilford High School performs "South Pacific" at 7 tonight, Saturday, Thursday, March 23 and 24 and at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Elderly Seeking Tax Relief

Elderly homeowners turned out by the dozens Thursday to urge the aldermanic Finance Committee to pass a proposed tax freeze for seniors on fixed incomes, but suggested tweaking some of the provisions. As submitted by Mayor John DeStefano Jr., the proposal would freeze taxes for all seniors age 70 or older, in accordance with state statutes, and who earn less than $50,000 per year. For those above the mayor's recommended income cap, taxes could still be frozen, with the difference from each ye...

3 Officers Joining Hamden Force

The Police Commission has hired three new officers who are already trained and will start work April 2, Police Chief Thomas J. Wydra said Thursday. Mayor Craig B. Henrici said that though he has instituted a hiring freeze, these hires were needed or the new police contract would have been violated.

How Low Are We Willing to Go to Put a Few Bucks in the State's Treasury?

My daily commute takes me through downtown New Haven, past the remnants of the New Haven Coliseum, then the New Haven police station (lately under siege by TV satellite truck crews in the wake of the unfolding scandal), and after that, the stately bricks of Union Station. The Coliseum's guts are departing, and the Police Department mess will eventually get sorted out by the courts. And yet the old train station, beautifully restored during the 1980s, will remain there for us, a public servant.

Web Site Makes Your Pet the Star

Does your cat jump from the refrigerator to the floor? Does your dog do back flips? Or maybe your ferret can figure out a maze in record time. If you can capture the feat on video, you can show it to the world in minutes through the new Web site, MyPetVideo.TV, which was launched in January by Noble Avenue resident Gene Giannotta.

Madison Police Asking for 4 New Cars

The Police Department's $2.7 million requested budget for next year includes $80,000 to replace four patrol cars and money to buy new digital recording equipment for all the cars. Police and other town departments are meeting with selectmen and Finance Board members for budget hearings this month. The final recommended town and school budgets will be presented at a public hearing March 28. The budgets then go to the Board of Finance for review.

Quinnipiac Taps Sciences Dean

Quinnipiac University has named a Cheshire man as dean of the School of Health Sciences. Edward O'Connor had been interim dean of the school since 2005, when Joseph Woods of Wallingford, returned to teaching biology, said John Morgan, a Quinnipiac spokesman. O'Connor's promotion was announced Thursday by Kathleen McCourt, senior vice president for academic and student affairs, who praised O'Connor's record at the school, which dates back more than a decade.

Wallingford Town Council Candidate Gets Early Start

A leader of last year's successful referendum to overturn the Town Council's decision to award a development contract to a politically connected developer said Thursday he is looking to run for the council this fall. John Bradley said he has informed the Democratic Town Committee that he wants to be a part of the party's slate of Town Council candidates. He becomes the first person to formally announce his intention to seek a spot on the ticket, as local Democrats try to recapture the majorit...

Teens Face Charges After Chase

Two city teens were arrested Wednesday evening after allegedly leading police on a pursuit in a stolen car. The teens were spotted by an officer on Star Street about 6 p.m. getting into a Dodge Intrepid reported stolen in West Haven, according to Lt. Wayne Williams. The officer signaled to the 17- year-old driver to pull over, and at first, Williams said the driver complied.

W. Haven Estimates Deficit at $13.4m

Mayor John M. Picard unveiled a proposed $141.5 million budget for 2007-08 Thursday, and announced that last year's projected deficit is now at $13.4 million. Picard reiterated to a small, but attentive crowd the same dim, yet hopeful, financial news he discussed with state Office of Policy and Management officials earlier in the day.