Gene Ruocco is the East Haven Democratic Town Committee Chairman. This column will be about the many accomplishments of the Democratic Administration of Mayor April Capone—detailing each district.

Voting District 3 encompasses the very northern section of town. One can still see cornfields growing on the farms there. We also have a beautiful horse-boarding and training facility where people enjoy the companionship of these great animals.

Borelli Road will lead you through a dairy farm where milking cows are grazing, I know when my wife and I were young parents we would take our children for a ride and always stop to watch the cows. We continued this practice with our grandchildren.

In this part of town the zoning allows for bigger lot sizes so the homes are further apart, and being a country setting the overgrowth of trees is a major concern. There are only a few major throughways and the drainage and condition of these roads have always been a great concern to the people who call the third district home.

Tree Trimming, Drainage, Road and Sidewalk Maintenance:

In this area, the trees will grow over the roads. Our Public Works crews have been all over the district with the bucket truck, woodchipper and other vehicles that help in the removal of obstructions that cause dangerous situations as we drive to our

homes.

This work has taken an extraordinary amount of time and effort due to the fact that it had not been done over the past years. Many roads have now been paved and sidewalks repaired that have not had any attention for many years. The drainage problems have also been resolved along Thompson Street, which has plagued the residents for too many years.

The new complex on Thompson Street created drainage problems that became the town's problem because the construction was signed off by town officials before Mayor April got into office. This problem left the town with no other option but to rebuild the road to resolve this oversight. On Glenhaven Road new catch basins were installed to resolve drainage problems and the road was paved.

Traffic Control for Safety:

The control of vehicle traffic has always been a concern at the intersection of Bennett Road and Thompson Street. Accidents were too frequent at this spot. Not only were stop signs added but a traffic island was painted on the road surface. Everyone who must drive through this intersection feels a lot safer now, but caution must still be used for those drivers who do not follow the rules of the road.

Stop signs have been added whenever a request for one has come before the Police Commission under this Democratic administration. As a parishioner of the Lady of Pompeii Church, it was always dangerous to cross Route 80 to get to the parking lot at the Foxon Firehouse. A "Stop For People Crossing Sign" is now in place and it does help, but again caution must be used.

Work at Farraro and Deer Run schools:

The district has two grammar schools. At Farraro School, new walkways and trees were added to beautify the campus. The roof was leaking but this was not one of the schools that got on the list for replacement, so patching had to be done for now. Deer Run School did make the list and a new roof was installed over the summer months, so it was ready for school opening this past September.

Right after the roof was completed, the next phase was to add the energy-saving solar panels. Both the roof and panels received 70 percent and 47 percent funding respectively from the state of Connecticut School Reimbursement and Clean Energy Fund. The electricity generated by the panels will pay for this installation in approximately five years.

After that, this installation will save the town of East Haven thousands of tax dollars that will be spent on our children and grandchildren to help make their education the best it can be. Again, the vision of Mayor April is ahead of the state mandate to go "GREEN" or lose state funding.

The panels on the roof are very impressive, so when you are at the school take a few moments to look up. East Haven has entered the 21st century.

So once again, much has been done to keep the quality of life high in this and all the other districts over the past three years.

So in the meantime enjoy this great town. Visit the stores and restaurants during these economically hard times. They will appreciate your business.