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01/04/2023 10:35 AM2022 was a year that brought a bit of everything to Old Saybrook. There were good stories and moments of triumph and, unfortunately, there were sad stories and moments of frustrations. The highlights from the year are below.
January
On Jan. 7, the Old Saybrook Police Commission narrowly votes to fire Old Saybrook police officer Austin Harris for falsifying a police report, lying to his superiors, and breaking department property. Democrats Alfred Wilcox and Jill Notar–Francesco, as well as Republicans Carl Von Dassel and Joseph Maselli, vote to fire the officer, while Democrats Renee Root Shippee, Jessica Calle, and Carol Manning vote against the motion. Harris appeals the decision.
February
The 25th annual Chili Fest returns to Main Street on Feb. 26.
Susan Beckman, Old Saybrook’s Economic Development Director since 2013, resigns.
March
On March 3, Old Saybrook police officer Tyler Schulz is charged with breach of peace in the second degree after witnesses say he choked a man while off duty at Scotch Plains Tavern in Essex in February. Schulz is placed on administrative leave.
Representatives from Smoke on the Water, a proposed outdoor barbecue restaurant to be built at the Dock and Dine property, meet with the zoning commission to have preliminary conversations about the idea.
April
State Representative Devin Carney (R-23) announces that he is running for re-election for the 23rd District, which includes Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, and Westbrook.
The Police Commission controversially approves changes to its bylaws.
The town proposes a new town budget of $20,904,357 (a 2.39 percent increase) and a proposed education budget of 27,473,341 (a 2.62 percent increase).The total budget is proposed at $48,377,698.
May
The Zoning Commission votes on May 2 to approve new regulations that limits retail cannabis shops in town. The new regulations effectively ban retail marijuana stores everywhere except for the B-4 district, and the new regulations also restrict it to businesses that received approval from the town before January 2022, effectively limiting potential future cannabis sales to only two potential sites.
Voters overwhelmingly approve the proposed budgets. The town budget is approved with 179 votes in favor and 17 against. The education budget passes by a margin of 183 in favor to 13 opposed. The mill rate is set at 20.08, up 0.03 mils or 0.15 percent.
After the state declines to prosecute the case against him, the Police Commission unanimously votes to offer a last-chance agreement to officer Schulz. According to the agreement between the Police Commission and union, Schulz will serve a 90-day unpaid suspension and undergo a psychological assessment.
An Old Saybrook Middle School student is arrested on May 25 after an anonymous tip leads investigators to a student who had threatened to shoot a staff member and blow up the school. Police do not believe the threat is genuine or that the student has the means.
Colin Heffernan is unanimously endorsed for the 23rd House District by Democratic delegates to challenge Carney in the November election.
June
A special exception application is filed by Fine Fettle Dispensary to open a cannabis dispensary at 233 Boston Post Road.
International mural artist Rafael Blanco comes to town to work on a mural on the side of RiverMart that honors the diversity of the students found in town. The mural is called Just a Piece of Freedom.
Old Saybrook High School’s class of 2022 celebrates commencement on an overcast June 16.
First Selectman Carl Fortuna, Jr., on advice of legal counsel, writes a letter directing the Police Commission to undo new bylaws the commission had approved earlier in the year. Against the wishes of most speakers, at a highly attended June 27 meeting, the commission votes to rescind the bylaws while promising to continue to work on proposing new bylaws that will be acceptable to all parties.
A brand-new Katharine Hepburn Museum is opened at The Kate.
July
New brewery Myrcene Ale Co. starts pouring the good times at its taproom located at 39 Ragged Rock Road.
The town opens an application process for organizations, nonprofits, businesses, and town departments to apply for the $2.9 million the town was awarded from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Police Chief Michael Spera informs the Police Commission at its July 25 meeting that officer Schulz has been cleared to resume patrol duty following his suspension.
August
The Zoning Commission opens a public hearing over Fine Fettles application to open a retail marijuana dispensary. The hearing is continued to September.
$769,500 in grant funding is awarded to Old Saybrook from the State Bond Commission for help with the town’s sidewalk project.
Governor Ned Lamont spends about 90 minutes on Aug. 1 on a walking tour of Old Saybrook, visiting the Katharine Hepburn Memorial Museum at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, meeting briefly with various offices in Town Hall, and strolling the sidewalks on Main Street.
At the Police Commission meeting on Aug. 22, it is announced that Officer Schulz has resigned from the Old Saybrook Police Department following an internal report which shows he had admitted to participating in sexual acts while on duty and intentionally damaged department property.
Governor Ned Lamont spends about 90 minutes on Aug. 1 on a walking tour of Old Saybrook, visiting the Katharine Hepburn Memorial Museum at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, meeting briefly with various offices in Town Hall, and strolling the sidewalks on Main Street.
At the Police Commission meeting on Aug. 22, it is announced that Officer Schulz has resigned from the Old Saybrook Police Department following an internal report which shows he had admitted to participating in sexual acts while on duty and intentionally damaged department property.
September
The continuation of the Fine Fettle public hearing draws a multitude of speakers, many of whom are concerned with the proposed location of the business near the intersection of Boston Post Road and Springbrook Road. The meeting is continued again to Oct. 3.
Old Saybrook High School holds a ceremony before its he girls’ soccer game against Morgan on Sept. 30 to celebrate the installation of lights on their ball fields. The ceremony marks the end of a years-long campaign to bring lights to the fields and the beginning of the Rams finally getting to play under the lights.
Fortuna announces that the Smoke on the Water application has been withdrawn, but the property owner and town have joined in jointly applying for a $7 million grant that would allow for an indoor restaurant to be built on the site. The grant, if awarded, will allow for reconstruction of the sea wall in the area, an easement allowing for pedestrian access, and the rebuilding of a deck along the river. A permanent year-round indoor restaurant would then be built there.
Juliet Manalan, the Communications Director for the Connecticut Department of Labor, tells the Harbor News that officer Harris’s appeal has been withdrawn, thus ending the appeal of his firing by the Police Commission earlier in the year.
In an effort to safely remove unwanted guns from people’s houses, the Board of Finance and Board of Selectmen decline to host a gun buyback program in town but do move head with a gun giveback program.
October
The Carpionato Group, owners of the plaza where the former Benny’s was located at 1654 Boston Post Road, meet with the Zoning Commission on Oct. 3 and announce that Whole Foods has signed a lease to open an Old Saybrook location in the plaza. Group member Dave Taglianetti explains that the plaza expects to house a 40,000-square-foot Whole Foods location and that an additional 30,000 to 31,000 square feet will be allocated for other tenants. NAPA Auto parts and Alforno Trattoria, both current plaza tenants, will be retained, but may be moved into the 30,000-square-foot subdivision.
Following yet another round of public hearings, the Zoning Commission votes to deny Fine Fettle’s application by a close vote. In denying the motion, the Commission points to reasons including inadequate parking for employees and a potential high number of visitors that the Commission said would be too much for the driveway and local roads to handle.
On Oct. 28, Public Works Director Lawrence Bonin is arrested and charged with sexual assault in the fourth degree and breach of peace in the second degree. Bonin is placed on administrative leave and an internal investigation is opened into the matter.
November
On Election Day, Nov. 8, 5,840 voters cast ballots representing 65 percent of the electorate. A majority of Old Saybrook voters favor Lamont, who goes on to win re-election. In the local races, voters favor Democrat Norm Needleman over Republican Brandon Goff in the race for the 33rd State Senate District and Carney over Heffernan in the 23rd House District race. Carney and Needleman both win their races.
The Old Saybrook Police Department arrests New Britain resident Jose A. Malave on Nov. 11 following an extensive investigation into the 2021 theft of an ATM from a Henny Penny Convenience Store, as well as nine similar thefts throughout the state.
The Old Saybrook boys’ soccer team defeats the East Hampton Bellringers on Nov. 20 at Trinity Health Stadium in Hartford to win its fourth-consecutive state title.
December
Veterans buried in the town’s cemeteries are honored with wreaths placed at their graves as part of National Wreaths Across America Day on Dec. 17.
Patrolman Josh Zarbo is arrested on Dec. 14 and placed on administrative leave. Zarbo is charged with computer crimes in the third degree after he allegedly he abused department equipment to determine the name of a woman with the intent to follow her on the social media site Instagram. An internal investigation is opened.