AmericanWarrior.org invites public to welcome WWII Vets home from Washington

For many of the WWII veterans making the trip to Washington DC, who are in their 80s and often in poor health, this may be their last opportunity, as it was for the late James S. Peters II, pictured here being welcomed home after one of AmericanWarrior's first trips. Photo courtesy of AmericanWarrior.org

The public is welcome to join an estimated 1,000 people expected to gather for a Welcome Home celebration at 8 p.m. in the U.S. Air terminal of Bradley International Airport on Saturday, May 1.

WWII veterans will be returning from a one-day trip to visit to Washington DC to view their memorial – which was completed 60 years after the end of the war.

Known as the “AmericanWarrior Day of Honor,” this is the fifth trip coordinated by AmericanWarrior.org since September 2007.

A majority of the more than 1,300 World War II Veterans who have applied for the trips are over 85 years old, live on a limited income, have poor health and are unable to travel long distances.

To make the trip possible, sponsors across Connecticut donate the $250 per veteran cost for a first-class chartered flight. And more than 150 volunteers provide support, some of whom act as “guardians” assigned to the more frail veterans. These volunteers pay their own $300 air fare and are expected to donate at least 30 hours for the trip.

For more information, visit the AmericanWarrior.org Web site at http://www.americanwarrior.us

Received and posted on April 30, 2010

Related link:

“Dr. Peters made his mark in the history of civil rights in America,” published in Mansfield Today, on Jan. 1, 2009

http://mansfield.htnp.com/news/010109_james_s_peters_story.html

[Editor's note: This represents the 1,000th story published in Mansfield Today.]

Several accidents in Mansfield, including a fatal crash

A school bus dropping off children from Southeast School on April 29 was hit by a driver pulling out of a driveway and onto Hanks Hill Road. The 14 students onboard, including 10-year-old Anthony Tafoya pictured here, were examined by emergency personnel after the crash. Photo by Marie Brennan

State Police report that a Tolland woman is dead this morning, after the car she was driving veered off the road and struck several trees near Southeast Elementary School in Mansfield.

Sgt. Shawn Corey of the State Police Public Information Office said today [April 30] that 21-year-old Elizabeth Bilodeau was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

The accident happened at 1:34 a.m. Bilodeau was pronounced dead at 1:51 a.m. at the scene by a Windham Community Memorial Hospital paramedic.

Her mother was notified at 6:30 a.m., Sgt. Corey said.

Bilodeau, of 44 Fox Ridge Lane in Tolland, was driving a red 2000 Volkswagen Jetta north on Route 89 when she crossed into the southbound lane and struck several trees, Sgt. Corey said.

Television news footage of the accident showed a badly mangled vehicle that ended up deep in the woods.

Corey said Bilodeau was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash and that the accident is under investigation.

Five state troopers and a sergeant from Troop C in Tolland and firefighters from Mansfield responded to the crash.

Mansfield Fire Chief David Dagon said this morning that emergency personnel extricated the victim from the vehicle.

According to her Facebook page, Bilodeau was a student at the Brio Academy of Cosmetology, which has several locations statewide, including Willimantic.

Bus hits basketball pole

Also today, parents received an email alert at 10:16 a.m. from Mansfield Middle School Principal Jeff Cryan about a school bus accident.

Cryan writes: “You may hear from your child about an unusual occurrence at school this morning.”

“After having dropped off students at the school entrance, one of the buses hit a basketball pole in the parking lot, damaging the bus and the basketball pole.  There were no students in or near the bus when this happened, and the driver appears to be OK.”

“We have removed the pole and its base from the parking lot.”

Car crashes into school bus

And yesterday [April 29], a car struck a school bus on Hanks Hill Road in Mansfield.

Fortunately, none of the 14 students on the bus – which was completing its afternoon drop-off run from Southeast Elementary School – were injured in the crash, according to Mansfield Superintendent Fred Baruzzi. The accident occurred at approximately 4:50 p.m.

According to Baruzzi, a driver pulled out of a driveway on Hanks Hill Road in front of the bus.

Baruzzi said that although accidents like this are infrequent, school officials have a policy for responding to such incidents that includes a district administrator responding to the scene and all students evaluated by emergency personnel.

Emergency medical technicians examined all 14 children and they were to be evaluated by the school nurse again on Friday. The driver of the car that struck the bus also was assessed.

Mansfield Fire Chief David Dagon said an ambulance and two firefighters responded to the scene as a precaution.

Once evaluated, the children were released to their parents or guardians, or they had the option of going home by another school bus.

“The bus [in the accident] was okay,” Baruzzi said this morning. “Nothing happened to the bus.” However, following school policy, a second bus and driver were called in to complete the run.

“We always bring a second vehicle,” said Baruzzi. “We want another driver. The driver [in the accident] is certainly shaken up.”

According to Baruzzi, the students were patient during the 30-minute wait while they were evaluated.

Baruzzi said the motorist was given a ticket, however State Police could not confirm that information or provide the name of the driver this morning.

Posted April 30, 2010 as edited and contributed to by HTNP.com Editor Brenda Sullivan

New parking rules called unfair to UConn's off-campus students

Rental property owners, town residents and UConn students spoke out against a proposed parking ordinance that would affect about 290 rental units in Mansfield.

The “Ordinance Regarding Off Street Parking on Residential Rental Property” was up for public comment a second time at the April 26 Town Council meeting.

The ordinance was first reviewed in January 2010.

The hearing drew about 30 people, including representatives from UConn’s Undergraduate Student Government who submitted a statement opposing the new parking rules because they believe new fees will be passed on to renters.

The ordinance is meant to reduce blight and eliminate unsafe parking/traffic situations.

Some at the meeting said they favored the new parking rules because they would address safety and blight problems in their neighborhood.

“I feel that as time has gone on, [town leaders] have been a little delinquent taking care of my town and my environment,” said resident Jim Knox.

He referred to the condition of Hunting Lodge Road where there are several major apartment complexes and student-rented properties. Knox said the parking situation “sickens” him.

It is common for several students to go in together to rent a single-family residential home on this road and for there to be more cars than can be accommodated in a normal driveway.

The new rules would require the owners of one-, two- and three-unit rental properties to create and adhere to a parking plan that would include at least two parking spaces per unit, with a limit of no more than six spaces.

Spaces also must be clearly defined, be on site and not be situated so that the driver would have to back out onto a road.

The ordinance also includes new fees such as a $35 application fee and a potential $90 enforcement fine, said Mansfield Director of Planning Gregory Padick.

USG member Thomas Knecht said he objects to the ordinance, especially the fee because it would be passed on to students and other renters.

Knecht said the combination of application fees, potential fines and costs associated with building new parking spots would directly go to renters.

“If I was the landlord, I would just try to raise the rent and pass it onto the tenant,” he said. “That’s just smart business practice.”

Others opposed to the ordinance said the Town Council would be overstepping its authority.

“This draft would set a new precedent for ticketing on private property,” said Mansfield resident Jake Friedman, who is not a landlord. “I find encroachment on private property rights rather spooky.”

Friedman said the requirements in the ordinance are “extreme.”

The purpose of the ordinance is to control parking in town, said Town Council member Peter Kochenburger

“This proposal is a very modest one,” he said.

The Town Council did not vote on the ordinance. It will be included on a future meeting agenda for more discussion.

Posted April 27, 2010 as edited by HTNP.com Editor Brenda Sullivan

UConn names 2010-2011 football captains

Co-captain Zach Hurd (78) with offensive guard Mathieu Olivier (66) and defensive tackle Twyon Martin. Photo © 2010 by Vito J. Leo for HTNP.com Sports

Even though the University of Connecticut football program continues to attract top-rated athletes from around the country, the four players named to captain the 2010 season all hail from New England.

Redshirt senior offensive lineman Zach Hurd (Waterford, CT), redshirt senior linebacker Scott Lutrus (Brookfield, CT), redshirt junior defensive lineman Kendall Reyes (Nashua, NH) and senior fullback Anthony Sherman (North Attleboro, MA) will be the captains of the 2010 University of Connecticut football team, as announced by head coach Randy Edsall last week.

Jasper Howard, the UConn football player who was killed on Oct. 18, 2009, and would have been a senior in 2010, was named an honorary captain for the season.

have been a senior in 2010, was named an honorary captain for the season.

Lutrus and Sherman are both two-time captains for the Huskies, they both served during the 2009 season.

Hurd was a First Team All-BIG EAST selection in 2009. He played and started in all 13 games that season at left guard. He has started in 26-straight games as he enters his senior season:13 at right guard during his sophomore year and 13 at left guard in his junior season.

He was awarded the offensive game ball, along with his fellow offensive lineman, after the Notre Dame game on Nov. 21 in recognition of an outstanding job in leading the way for Andre Dixon and Jordan Todman to rush for a combined 244 yards and two touchdowns, including the game winner in double overtime.

Hurd, who has an individualized major at UConn, is 6-foot-7 and weighs 323 pounds.

Co-captains Scott Lutrus (32) and Kendall Reyes (99)with UConn's only first-team All-American, Colts running back Donald Brown. Photo © 2010 by Vito J. Leo for HTNP.com Sports

Lutrus, a freshman All-American and a Second Team All-BIG EAST performer during his time at UConn, will return to captain the Huskies for his second-straight season. Lutrus finished 2009, third on the team, with 69 tackles despite missing some of the season with a stinger.

He had 5.5 tackles for a loss of 28 yards and finished with 3.5 sacks for 23 yards, two pass breakups and two forced fumbles.

Lutrus, an economics major, is 6-foot-3 and weighs 240 pounds.

Reyes is a new addition to the Husky captain ranks and is the lone junior captain for UConn.

He has started 16 games in his first two years with the team on the defensive line, including 12 in 2009.

The New Hampshire native finished 2009 with 37 tackles, six TFL and three sacks for 14 yards. Six of his 37 tackles came in a win against Syracuse.

Of the four co-captains, fullback Anthony Sherman is the only true senior. Photo © 2010 by Vito J. Leo for HTNP.com Sports

Kendall, a communication sciences major, is 6-foot-4 and weighs 287 pounds.

The fourth captain for the Huskies in 2010 is Sherman who, like Lutrus, will return for his second year as a team leader.

Sherman, the lone true senior in the captain ranks, earned a starting role in his sophomore season and has played in each and every game for UConn since he stepped foot on campus, starting in 20 of them.

A fullback, Sherman has totaled 60 rushing yards and 350 receiving yards in his career. He is also an outstanding player on special teams, notching 49 career tackles, 33 unassisted.

Sherman, a pre-kinesiology major, is 5-foot-11 and weighs 242 pounds.

Hurd, Lutrus, Reyes, Sherman and the 2010 Huskies will begin their season on September 4 on center stage when they head to Ann Arbor to take on the Michigan Wolverines.

Posted April 26, 2010

'Earth Month' calendar has events, volunteer opportunities

The Last Green Valley is dedicating the entire month of April to cleaning up the region and raising awareness of the local environment.

The Last Green Valley has launched a special events calendar on its Web site www.thelastgreenvalley.org to promote Earth Month activities.

The Earth Month Calendar includes clean ups, volunteer opportunities, festivals, educational programs and more.

Programs will be added all through the month.

“This is a great way to attract volunteers needed for clean ups or audiences to events like Earth Fest and other celebrations,” the group’s press release states.

According to the Last Green Valley, the region remains 78 percent forest and farmland and creates the third largest watershed draining into Long Island Sound.

The Last Green Valley encompasses 35 towns in northeastern Connecticut and south central Massachusetts and includes more than 100 clean lakes, ponds, rivers and streams, seven state forests, five state parks, 16 wildlife management areas, hundreds of miles of hiking and water trails, and thousands of acres of preserved open space.

Anyone who would like to post an event or program on the Earth Month Calendar or who needs more information can contact Michelle Bourgeois at (860) 774-3300 or email her at Michelle@tlgv.org.

The Web site is hosted by The Last Green Valley, Inc., the nonprofit management entity for the congressionally-designated Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor.

Posted April 23, 2010

Funeral for Dolly H. R. Whitham is Saturday

Dolly H. R. Whitham died April 21, 2010 at Windham Hospital. She was born March 21, 1922 in Longmeadow MA, the daughter of the late Ernest W. and Evelene McGuill Rogers.

As a young girl her family relocated to Norwich, CT. After graduating from Norwich Free Academy in 1940 she went on to attend the University of Connecticut where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in English and met her husband of 57 years, George Erwin Whitham, who would serve two terms as Mayor of Mansfield.

In 1955 they returned to Storrs/Mansfield with their young family and established themselves firmly in the Mansfield community.

Dolly worked as a reporter for the Hartford Courant from 1967 until her retirement in the late 1970′s.

She became the Republican Registrar of Voters for the Town of Mansfield, a position she held for 25 years of which she was very proud, and which eventually led her to serve as the President of the Registrar of Voters Association of Connecticut (ROVAC).

Her civic activities included the Mansfield League of Women Voters, the Women’s Club of Storrs, and the Mansfield Historical Society.

She also served as a member of the Mansfield Board of Education from1989 through 1995. She also served as a town constable for many years.

As a long time member of the St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Storrs she was active as a lay reader and a member of the Round Table.

She was predeceased by her husband, George and her son-in-law, W. Clay Jordan of Noank, CT.

She is survived by her ten children, Patricia Whitham Brown and her husband Frederick of Storrs/Mansfield, CT, Michele Whitham and her husband Jesse Keefe of Medford, MA, Theresa Whitham Jordan of Noank, CT, G. Mark Whitham and his wife Yleana Sanchez of Coventry, CT, Leslie Whitham Maddocks and her husband Peter of Ashford, CT, Peter Whitham and his wife Nancy of Woodstock, CT, Alison Whitham Blair and her husband Edward of Mansfield Center, CT, Roger Whitham and his wife Gaye of South Windsor, CT, Damian Whitham and his wife Lydia of Falls Church, VA, and Kate Whitham Starkey and her husband Robert of Columbia, CT. She is also survived by 25 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.

Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, April 24 at 11 a.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel, on the UConn Campus on North Eagleville Road in Storrs/Mansfield, with interment following in Storrs Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the George E. and Dolly H. Whitham Memorial Fund, c/o Windham Hospital, 112 Mansfield Ave., Willimantic, CT 06226.

Arrangements were handled by at Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson St. (Rte. 195), Willimantic.

Posted April 23, 2010

UConn Spring Weekend 2010: usual mayhem at Carriage House Apts

Despite several small fires, more than a dozen arrests and several party-goers who required trips to the emergency room, opening Spring Weekend festivities at Carriage House apartments were relatively calm Thursday night, said public safety officials.

The three-night party kicked off with a little fire and ice, with firefighters quickly extinguishing several small fires and partygoers being chilled by an icy breeze. But cold temperatures did not stop nearly 15,000 students and non-students from descending on Hunting Lodge Road to be part of the annual party weekend.

Despite the large turnout, state and local police said the evening went well overall.

“We’re very pleased,” said Connecticut State Police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance, who added that party-goers began clearing out around 12:15 this morning.

Spring Weekend is usually the last weekend for decompressing before final exams. It is a combination of parties, school-sponsored events and a massive state police presence scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Lt. Vance said he thought this year’s relatively calm behavior was the result of multiple groups – including the university – reminding students it’s OK to have fun, but it’s not OK to act stupid.

Carriage House remained relatively empty until about 9:45 p.m. When students did arrive, they were ready to party.

“It’s always a big deal,” said UConn senior Adam Freedman from Brookfield, who planned to make his last Spring Weekend the best yet.

Freedman said he thought Spring Weekend drew such large crowds, including party crashers from other towns, because “it’s the only place people can drink in the open without getting arrested whether you’re of age or not.”

Police do not typically card people at the event. In previous years, police asked attendees to dump open containers before entering the party site, but did not on Thursday night.

Jameson Irvine, a UConn senior from Southbury, said he thought Spring Weekend was a little “overrated,” but was still a good time.

“I try to enjoy it to the fullest,” said Irvine. He added that it is important for both party-goers and police to keep the neighborhood safe.

Police from Troop C in Tolland, the Mansfield Resident Trooper’s office and UConn were out in full force Thursday night.

Police patrolled the apartment complex on foot and on bicycle, and conducted sobriety checkpoints at various locations outside the campus.

A command post was set-up across the street from Thursday’s party and at least 50 firefighters and EMTs from area departments were on-site all evening.

Given UConn’s Spring Weekend notoriety, reporters and TV news crews also swarmed Hunting Lodge Road. What they saw was at least four fires – some using couches as fuel – outside apartments in the complex.

Mansfield firefighters were kept busy controlling the multiple blazes, while being booed by partiers.

Police anticipate other events, including parties at Celeron apartments on Hunting Lodge Road and UConn’s X-lot, to be busy.

Chief Hudd predicted, “It’s only going to get bigger.”

Residents are advised that DUI checkpoints and road closures will continue throughout the weekend and so there may be delays when driving near the UConn campus.

Posted April 23, 2010 as edited by HTNP.com Editor Brenda Sullivan

UConn's Spring Weekend off to a violent start

Police activity during the first night of UConn’s Spring Weekend was down compared to last year, but one student was in critical condition this morning [April 23] after a fight.

State police said they found University of Connecticut student Jafar B. Korzoun, 20, unconscious when they responded around 1:18 a.m. to a call about a fight near a pizza restaurant on campus.

Police said Korzoun was rushed to Windham Community Memorial Hospital and from there, he was taken to Hartford Hospital via Life Star helicopter.

An emergency alert service said Karzoun suffered a serious head injury, but state police did not disclose the nature of his injuries.

State police interviewed witnesses and charged Edi Rapo, 19, of East Hartford with second-degree assault, breach of peace, issuing a false statement and third-degree forgery.

Rapo, who police said is not a UConn student, was held on a $250,000 bond and was scheduled to appear in Rockville Superior Court today. State police said no other arrests are expected in the incident.

State police arrested seven people last night, including Rapo. Two arrests were for drunken driving and the other five were for various criminal charges.

State police also said five of the seven people arrested were not UConn students.

State Police and UConn police made a total of 19 arrests, down from the 22 during the first night of Spring Weekend partying last year.

In 2009, they made a total of 111 arrests over the weekend-long event. All but two arrests were for criminal charges; two were for drunken driving. Thirteen of those arrested were not students at the university.

The 12 arrests made by UConn police Thursday night [April 22] and early this morning are:

• Syed Mustafa, 22, of Karachi, Pakistan, second-degree breach of peace. Bond: $500. Court: May 5 in Rockville Superior Court.
• Jaunetta Jeanine Hill, 20, of 453 Bayonet St., New London, third-degree assault and disorderly conduct. Bond: $500. Court: today in Rockville Superior Court.
• David Dwight Knighton, 21, of 78 Madison Ave., Hartford, third-degree assault, third-degree criminal mischief and disorderly conduct. Bond: $1,000. Court: today in Rockville Superior Court.
• Victor Allen Ricks, 20, of 189 Deacon St., Bridgeport, possession of drug paraphernalia, illegal distribution drugs, possession of less than 4 ounces of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia in a drug factory. Bond: $5,000. Court: May 4 in Rockville Superior Court.Dominque Jerome Smith, 22, of 2C Frost St., Norwalk, second-degree breach of peace. Bond: $500. Court: May 4 in Rockville Superior Court.
• Keith John Dugan, 20, of 28 Delwood Ave., Clinton, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of less than four ounces of marijuana. Bond: $1,000. Court: May 4 in Rockville Superior Court.
• Nicholas Joseph Criscuolo, 20, of 95 Hoyt St., Danielson, second-degree breach of peace. Bond: $500. Court: today in Rockville Superior Court.
• Stokes Adam Watson, 19, of 21 Selden St., Willimantic, possession of drug paraphernalia, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of less than 4 ounces of marijuana. Bond: $1,500. Court: May 5 in Rockville Superior Court.
• Melissa Dolores McAuley, 19, of 82, Oleeta Road, Mt. Sinai, N.Y., interfering with an officer. Bond: $5,000. Court: May 5 in Rockville Superior Court.
• Matthew Michael Inzitari, 22, of 2437 Bedford St., Apt. A4, Stamford, second-degree breach of peace. Bond: $500. Court: May 4 in Danielson.
• Tyrell Jerron Moore, 19, of 23 N. Spring St., Ansonia, carrying a dangerous weapon and first-degree criminal trespass. Bond: $1,500. Court: May 5 in Danielson.
• Robert Henry Zuffelato, 20, of 83 Highland Ave., Torrington, interfering with an officer and possession of alcohol by a minor. Bond: $1,000. Court: May 5 in Rockville Superior Court.

Posted April 23, 2010