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01/02/2024 01:30 PMJanuary
The owners of the beloved Clapboard Hill School House donated the structure to the Guilford Keeping Society (GKS). Stephen B. Dudley and David C. Griswold, the current co-owners, said it was simply time for the historic building to have a permanent home and fixed destiny.
Local wildlife rehabbers and elected officials bring their concerns to Hartford in an effort to completely ban a specific form of rodenticide or SGARS (Second Generation Anti-coagulant Rodenticides). This poison kills rodents but is so toxic it kills a number of other species, including birds of prey, foxes, coyotes, and bobcats, who feed on the poisoned rodents.
The Board of Selectmen (BOS) authorized approximately $159,000 to purchase equipment that will help reduce noise coming from two “chillers” utilized at Guilford High School (GHS), which had some neighbors frustrated by the sound levels that disrupted their quality of life.
February
The Guilford Land and Conservation Trust announced they had completed the acquisition and met their fundraising goal to purchase the 25-acre field and wooded area on Great Hill Road across from the North Guilford churches and Melissa Jones School.
Home goods retailer Bed Bath & Beyond announced that it would close an additional 150 stores nationwide, including Guilford’s store. The Guilford establishment survived the first round of store closings in 2022, and the space remains unoccupied.
After three long years, the Guilford Police Department announced they would reinstitute its Citizen’s Police Academy program. The popular course is designed to instruct residents in police procedures, foster community dialog, and train residents on how they can best help the department protect and promote safety.
A massive multi-use development project dubbed the Ben Callahan Community Complex, which would include a 165,000-square-foot sports complex, a 53,000-square-foot stand-alone medical building, and 120 condo townhomes, sought approval from the Inland Wetlands Commission.
March
The American Legion Post 48 installed a long-planned Freedom Monument at the Town Marina dedicated to those lost in the 9/11 attacks. A formal dedication of the marker took place on Sept. 11 at the memorial.
In one of the final steps of the town’s outreach process, the Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) moved toward adopting a new Zoning Draft Plan, including a series of zoning regulations. The effort was focused on streamlining and updating the processes and accessibility of the town’s eventual permanent Zoning Plan.
The national debate over what is or isn’t appropriate reading for school students was front and center at the March 13 Board of Education (BOE( meeting. Community members, administrators, and parents spoke about whether books containing sexually explicit language, adult subject matter, and LGBTQ+ themes were appropriate material for Guilford students.
Chief of Police Butch Hyatt announced his retirement after more than six years with the force, three as head of the department. Hyatt served more than 30 years in law enforcement, and his tenure in Guilford was marked by a progressive and community-focused style.
April
It took the efforts of neighbors, volunteers, town officials, and a compassionate local business, but a damaged and difficult-to-reach osprey nest at Daniel Avenue Beach in Mulberry Point was repaired and ready for the osprey nesting season. Resident Carol Bascom-Slack got the effort underway when she saw the sorry condition of the nest, and John Witkowsky, owner and operator of North Branford company J Witkowsky & Sons Tree Service, LLC, donated his time and equipment to reach the nest and allow for the repairs.
Town Historian Joel Helander delivered a comprehensive report to the BOS regarding his findings on the recently purchased Ham Primus House in North Guilford that was set for demolition. Helander’s research revealed that it is a critical piece of the town’s Black history, concluding it is likely to have been the home of a formerly enslaved person, Ham Primus.
The town announced that it would hold its First Annual Pride Day and Parade on Saturday, May 20, on the Guilford Green. Chair of the Event Committee, Sarah Celotto, said the Guilford community has a long tradition of being inclusive and accepting to all its residents. The day will focus on celebrating that history and pride.
May
The town’s professional firefighting personnel completed a rigorous 80-hour Structural Collapse Technician Course that provided hands-on practical training for the department. Department Captain and Deputy Fire Marshal Clint Haverkampf said the course provided the knowledge and skill development necessary to perform rescues at building collapse scenes due to natural disasters and other major emergency incidents.
The tennis courts at Adams Middle School were completely refurbished and included new benches and accommodations for pickleballers.
Governor Ned Lamont announced the awarding of approximately $3.7 million in state funding to aid in the purchase and protection of more than 1,025 acres of open space, including 26.8 acres in Guilford. The Town received more than $174,000 toward the $325,000 purchase price paid in Nov. 2022 for a critical linking parcel located between the East River Preserve and the Eastwoods properties.
Many Guilford commuters were frustrated with Gov. Lamont's announcement that service cuts would be coming to Shoreline East railway. The move came as other state rails received generous state funding to upgrade their lines.
June
The Town announced it was seeking to sell or transfer an approximately 11-acre parcel on Saw Mill Road to a nonprofit developer to construct an affordable housing project. According to town officials, the ultimate plan for the parcel, located just north of the West River Bridge, is still in the early planning stages.
GPD reminded residents to lock their vehicles after a rash of car thefts and break-ins that occurred on the evening of June 6.
Rumors about what, if any, entity would finally pull the trigger and move into the former Walmart space were rampant across the summer. A temporary indoor pickleball facility moved in, but the Town has since announced that a Target store will move into the space, possibly in late 2024.
The BOS approved funding for a new soil disposal program to remove contaminated material from Guilford to a specialized facility in Portland. According to town officials, the current plan is to remove the stored soil from its present site at the end of Sullivan Drive for remediation to the third-party reclamation company, Red Technologies.
July
A parcel of land along Route 146, though legally permissible to develop, raised the ire of residents opposed to a development proposal by the owner. The proposed three-dwelling project is adjacent to a popular crabbing and fishing site along Rte. 146, and after several meetings and postponements, the owners eventually withdrew their application to that specific proposal.
The BOS approved funding for a sophisticated line painting device that officials say will transform how Parks and Recreation personnel lay down the hundreds of lines at the more than 40 playing fields they manage. The new device, called a “Swozi,” significantly reduces the time required to paint field lines and does so more accurately, drastically reducing the man-hours for this task.
GPD issued an arrest warrant for a retired Guilford police officer and former school resource officer who was accused of misdemeanor breach of peace after emailing school officials to say there would be “hell to pay” if a specific teacher displayed “Pride colors” in her hair at the June high school graduation.
There was much chatter online and on the ground as a large mystery jet was seen flying at low altitude over sections of Guilford during July and August. According to NASA’ on July 26, a four-engine DC-8, traveling at an altitude of only a few thousand feet, was a NASA research mission in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to study urban air quality.
August
Former Deputy Chief of Police Chris Massey was named GPD's police chief, and officer Salvatore Nesci was promoted to deputy chief.
There was much speculation about the piles of dirt, machinery, and construction observed at Chittenden Park during late summer. According to town officials, the work was part of a long-term state-mandated wetlands restoration project that Guilford must perform.
Faulkner’s Island Light Brigade reconstituted itself after a long hiatus and sponsored an open house of the Island, the first in more than 15 years. This special event was a joint venture of Faulkner’s Light Brigade, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the United States Coast Guard.
An ongoing zoning dispute between local wildlife rehabber Eunice DeMond, who was forced to shut down her home raccoon rescue operation, Little Rascals Rescue, in 2022 after complaints from neighbors and interdiction by the Town, inched toward a mutual resolution. Word came the parties were close to consolidating a plan that would permit the construction of a new shelter on Guilford town property that would allow Demond to resume operations.
September
GHS educators Keri Climie and Tara Beatty opened a new facility focused on community interactions to provide training and experience for young adults with disabilities. Their new facility at 116 Whitfield Street, Sound Life Connections, is now open and assisting young adults wishing to transition into the workforce with the hope of turning the site into a working business in the near future.
A nonprofit clinic focused on addiction services and mental health care received initial approval from town departments to open a facility on Boston Post Road. APT Foundation, established in 1970 by members of the Yale School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, provides a range of addiction services, mental health care, and vocational training for those residents in need of treatment for substance use disorders.
The Town purchased portable light towers for local athletic fields. With more than 40 in total, Parks and Recreation often struggle to keep up with the ever-increasing demand.
A critical section of coastal marshland along Route 146 in Leete’s Island was set to be restored as part of a state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) program administered through the Town. The project area is between Route 146 and Shell Beach Road, which has become a stagnant swamp due to trapped tidal waters caught behind an aging culvert, which the project aims to address.
October
GPD “hired” a new station dog, Miller, who will not only be an ambassador for the department but also provide emotional support for both officers and the public.
October was Domestic Violence Awareness month, and the harsh realities are deeply personal to Deputy Chief of Police Salvatore Nesci and his family, as they can attest to just how ubiquitous both perpetrators and victims can be. His sister, Loredana Nesci, was murdered in Redondo Beach, California, on July 22, 2015, by her domestic partner. Nesci, 47, was a former LA police officer and had just begun starring in a Sundance TV show called Loredana, Esq., which chronicled her life as an attorney.
The 3rd Annual Keep Kids Safe Statewide Gun Buyback program was held at the Police Department. Cash and gifts were exchanged for firearms, and a limited number of pin code gun safes were also given away to anyone with a CT pistol permit.
A newly constructed affordable housing project on State Street had its formal opening earlier in November. The Great Hill Cottage Community of seven new eco-friendly homes was designed and constructed by the Green Planet Company, a non-profit development company focused on affordable housing and its president, Chris Widmer, said the project is proof that affordable development is a viable solution to an increasing problem along the Connecticut shoreline.
November
Parks and Recreation Director Rick Maynard stepped away from his position after 32 years with the Town.
Word came from Town Hall that the BOS applied to DEEP for permission to move the Grass Island shack, the almost century-old symbol of Guilford, from the clutches of Mother Nature. First Selectman Matt Hoey said the application is the first step in what will likely be an extended process to ensure that one of the shoreline’s most recognizable cultural touchstones won’t be engulfed by a shifting coastline.
GPD and GHS partnered with the International Save a Life Tour to instill safe driving habits for Guilford students. In the program’s second year, hands-on driving simulators and presentations helped reinforce the hazards of even slight distraction or impairment behind the wheel.
As was dictated by the number of candidates on the ballot, all eight candidates were elected to office in the November election. In this off-year cycle, the Republican Town Committee chose not to run any candidates, ensuring that by a weird quirk of open seats and number of candidates, all who ran were elected.
December
Massey announced that a Guilford man, Gregory McHugh, of Driftwood Lane, was arrested for two separate shootings directed at dwellings that occurred approximately 10 months apart. The first incident occurred in December 2022 at a residence on Fernwood Drive; the second occurred on the evening of Oct. 24 of this year at a residence on New England Road across from the high school.
The BOS voted unanimously to set a date on which they will vote to extend the temporary moratorium on cannabis sales and production. The previous moratorium was set to expire at the end of December, and another moratorium was enacted until the board can gather a citizen consensus as to what, if any, cannabis-related businesses will be allowed in town.
The BOS approved funding for Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) for placement around the downtown area and other critical sections of town. The roughly $16,000 appropriation will be paid for by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds the town has already been allotted.
The Connecticut Freedom Trail has officially designated the Ham Primus House on Durham Road in North Guilford as a recognized stop on their program. The designation, according to town officials and members of local historical organizations, is an important realization of the site’s historical significance, specifically its African American history, but one that may potentially complicate the issue regarding the planned Lake Quonnipaug dam repair and road reconfiguration project set to start next year.