THE SUNDAY REPUBLICAN JULY 24, 2011

Local News
DAILY DIGEST
WAT E R B U R Y

SECTION

Woman, 81, rescues daughter from fire in N. Main home

An 81-year-old woman saved her daughter from a fire at about 7:30 a.m. Saturday at 2578 N. Main St., which is their home. The 81-year-old, Viana Petit, rescued her 56year-old daughter, who is disabled, and took her outside to safety. They were the only two people inside the single-family home. The daughter, Mary Petit, suffered critical injuries and was taken by helicopter to Bridgeport Hospitals burn center. Nearly half of her body was reported burned, Fire Chief Dave Martin said. Firefighters quickly put out the fire, which was confined to Mary Petits bedroom, where she had been smoking in bed, Martin said. Late Saturday, she remained in critical condition at the Bridgeport Hospital burn center. Viana Petit was taken to Waterbury Hospital and is being treated for smoke inhalation. Martin said this incident serves as an example of why people shouldnt smoke in their beds. He applauded the effort by Viana Petit to save her daughter. To her credit, Mom did a great job, doing everything right under very difficult circumstances, Martin said. WAT E R B U R Y

Jarjura stands firm on veto

Permanent private school maintenance blocked
BY MICHAEL PUFFER
REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

WATERBURY Mayor Michael J. Jarjura is standing by his veto of a proposed $440,000, 18-month, contract to have a Bridgeport firm manage the school maintenance department. For several years, the school

system has been wracked by repeated scandals in its 200-person maintenance department. There have been cases of stolen overtime, many missing tools, false safety inspections and other problems. At the height of the scandals last year, longtime maintenance head Herbert Greengas agreed to retire. Officials chose to re-

place him with John Cross, a building expert on loan from O&G Industries. School Intake Center Director George DAgostino was assigned to back him up. So far, most education officials have been pleased with the results. But it was only a stopgap measure, with Cross roughly $19,000-per-month

salary covered as an emergency expenditure. Bids were solicited for a firm to permanently privatize the leadership of the department. AFB was selected to provide two top managers. The plan was supported by majorities of the Board of Education and Board of Aldermen, but Jarjura vetoed it in June, saying he was worried about shaky state finances.

See VETO, Page 7B

FUTURE DARK FOR A PARK

Metro-North to run buses again today on Waterbury line

The Waterbury line of Metro-North Railroad will replace trains with bus service for the second day in a row Sunday. Due to weather-related problems, there is not enough track space in Bridgeport to support the Waterbury line. Buses will mirror the train schedule as closely as possible, a spokesman said. WAT E R T O W N

Finance Department reports savings on bond refinancing

The towns Finance Department is reporting better than expected savings from a plan to refinance several million in town bonds. Finance Director Frank Nardelli said the town was able to save $286,000 by refinancing about $4.2 million in bonds earlier this week. The town also went to market with a $1.5 million bond for the communications upgrade approved by voters last year, and was able to secure a 2.2 percent interest rate on the debt, he said. Nardelli had expected only to save about $200,000 through the plan. We had a good rating by (Moodys Investor Services) and we hit the market at the right time, Nardelli said. We were surprised. The bulk of the savings, roughly $230,000, will come in the 2012-13 fiscal year, he said. The rest will be spread out, Nardelli said, with some savings all the way into 2026. WOODBURY

JUNFU HAN REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

Community leader Victoria Incarnacion at the Rivera-Hughes Memorial Park in Waterbury.

Risk Management Agency pays town $13,134 in equity

The Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency has given the town $13,134, its prorated share of equity distribution for its insurance risk pool, the group announced Friday. The distribution comes after CIRMAs nineyear capitalization effort to build its members equity, growing 150 percent to $80 million since 2002. Total assets have grown 160 percent to $290 million. The Members Equity distribution is an extraordinary accomplishment built on CIRMAs sound financial management and its members successful risk management efforts, said Frank J. Chiaramonte, CIRMA chairman of the board and first selectman of Harwinton, in a press release. When so many towns are faced with reduced sources of funding, were pleased that CIRMA is able to make this distribution.

Parks decline reflects neighborhoods

BY MIKE PATRICK
REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

WATERBURY Nisha Alves remembers that day when the sun went down on the basketball court at the Rivera-Hughes Memorial Park, but the lights around the park never went on. Families of the mostly minority members of the parks thriving basketball league got in their cars, pointed them at the court and turned on their headlights so the kids could continue to play. That was the beginning of a steep and rapid decline for a small park that was once so dear to the community that thousands would gath-

er there annually for a festival in honor of two firefighters who last their lives, men for whom the park is named. Today, the Rivera-Hughes Memorial Park off West Dover Street is a shambles. The basketball court is missing a hoop. Theres a rusted-away swing set with no swings, a slide with missing steps, and a fountain with exposed pipes. Even the parks shady pavilion has no picnic tables under it, just bare concrete and the occasional homeless person. I would love to see it refurbished and just be a vibrant park again, like it once was, See PARK, Page 7B

I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT REFURBISHED AND JUST BE A VIBRANT PARK AGAIN, LIKE IT ONCE WAS. ITS A TINY PARK, BUT IT PACKED SUCH A PUNCH.
NISHA ALVES
ABOUT RIVERA-HUGHES MEMORIAL PARK IN WATERBURY

MORE NEWS INSIDE

House wont be burned
An 18th century home will not be burned by the Middlebury Volunteer Fire Department because the house may have historical significance. PAGE 2B

REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN ARCHIVE

Garden Homes submits plans

Garden Homes has finally submitted plans to the Oxford Planning and Zoning Commission after a court overturned the commissions denial in 2007. PAGE 2B

Jonathan Hutter, 19, throws some overgrown brush he picked up from Orenaug Park into a pile. Eight members of Woodbury's Summer Youth Workforce picked up trash, dug up old bottles and removed tall weeds on Thursday. The six-week program is designed to employ area young people.

Patients turn to walk out

The doctor is in after absence
BY ALIA MALIK
REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

ERIN COVEY REPUBLICAN AMERICAN

Young crew cleaning up town parks

BY RICK HARRISON
REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

Watertown ponders chickens

Officials in Watertown are considering an ordinance that would allow more residents to own chickens. Some say its a good way to reduce the tick population. PAGE 2B

>>> DEATHS ON PAGE 2B

WOODBURY Sweat drenched Ryan Bakers Youth Workforce T-shirt Thursday. But the 15-year-old wore it proudly while whacking weeds and trimming the growth near the entrance to Orenaug Park. This keeps me out of trouble, he said of the privately

funded town program offering work to high school and college students. And I wanted to get in with the town. Be part of the town. First Selectman Gerald D. Stomski introduced the sixweek program this summer, recruiting eight workers to help improve and maintain the towns parks and trails. Since the beginning of the month, theyve cleared underbrush at

Three Rivers Park, re-seeded grass damaged by storms at the Strong Meadow Preserve, and removed invasive weeds and hazardous branches at Orenaug Park. What a great group of kids, Stomski said, supervising them at the park Thursday morning. Poison ivy, bees, heat, sweat. And theyre workSee PROGRAM, Page 7B

NAUGATUCK After a three-week disappearance, Dr. Carl Schiano, who operates Associated Health Care on Rubber Avenue, started seeing patients again last week. Many of them, however, have stopped seeing him. Patients, who declined to comment, could be seen last week walking out of Schianos office with their medical files in their hands. For the past few weeks while Schiano was absent, patients in need of prescriptions called pharmacies asking what to do, said Dan Vindetti, a pharmacist at Ford Pharmacy & Medical Supply, which operates next door to Schianos office. Last

See DOCTOR, Page 7B