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Maritime Aquarium looks to ‘new era of conservation science;’ historical event, hospital program

An old, ruined lobster pot pulled up out of Long Island Sound by The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk. As many as 1 million abandoned lobster pots litter the bottom of the Sound. Most continue to attract crustaceans and fish, which die in the untended traps. Sarah Crosby, the Aquarium’s new Director of Conservation and Policy, will oversee their removal in a federally funded project. (Maritime Aquarium)

NORWALK, Conn. — Some Norwalk announcements for you:

  • Maritime Aquarium make a major personnel move
  • Black Civil War soldier to be reenacted at Historical Society event
  • Nuvance offers hybrid telemedicine endocrinology program

Continue reading Maritime Aquarium looks to ‘new era of conservation science;’ historical event, hospital program

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Earth Day, Bird Cruises on the Sound, Art Space

American Oystercatchers survive almost exclusively on shellfish—clams, oysters, and other saltwater molluscs, according to allaboutbirds.org. (Norwalk Seaport Association)

NORWALK, Conn. — Some Norwalk announcements for you:

  • Earth Day events will include drum circle
  • Seaport Association offers bird cruises
  • Art Space offers ‘Inaugural Journey’

Continue reading Earth Day, Bird Cruises on the Sound, Art Space

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P&Z should reject plan for school at LaKota Oaks

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On Sept. 8, a Stamford-based business known as Schoolhouse Academy leased the 66-acre LaKota Oaks property at 32 Weed Ave. in West Norwalk. Their stated aim is to open a K-12 private school with an enrollment of at least 650 students.

Such high intensity use would bring traffic, noise and endless disruption to West Norwalk’s residential community, which is already suffering from increased traffic on local streets from other large recently approved developments. A school would also restrict established access to the property’s woods, trails, ponds and historic Stations of the Cross. Continue reading P&Z should reject plan for school at LaKota Oaks

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Judge tosses Milligan’s lawsuit attacking Redevelopment’s Wall/West plan

Real estate broker Jason Milligan in November, outside one of the approximately 40 properties he owns in the Wall Street area.

NORWALK, Conn. – Real estate broker Jason Milligan’s attempt to invalidate the Redevelopment Agency’s Wall Street/West Avenue area plan hit a significant road bump Wednesday – Judge Sheila Ozalis ruled against him, without a trial.

Milligan lost the motion for summary judgment, a request that the judge rule on the case rather than allow it to go to trial, filed by Redevelopment Agency in October. Ozalis ruled that Milligan’s arguments were invalid, so case closed.

It’s not over for Milligan. “My legal team and I feel very confident on our appeal,” he said. Continue reading Judge tosses Milligan’s lawsuit attacking Redevelopment’s Wall/West plan

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Himes and Blumenthal highlight $15 million for Walk Bridge project

A worker reopens East Avenue Wednesday. The Connecticut Department of Transportation is undergrounding utilities now and will begin replacing the railroad bridge next year, ConnDOT District Engineer Mike Mednick said.

ConnDOT District Engineer Mike Mednick speaks Wednesday in South Norwalk. (Harold F. Cobin)

NORWALK, Conn. – Preparatory work for the Walk Bridge replacement project is underway,  and major construction will begin next year, officials said Wednesday.

“This project is not only going to help the (rail) corridor between Boston, New York and Washington, 197 trains travel over this bridge every day. But it’s also going to help travel around Norwalk. And a lot of the work is being done right now. You don’t see it,” Mayor Harry Rilling said, crediting the engineers hard work and ingenuity for attempting to minimize Norwalk’s pain as the State works to ensure the rail corridor maintains its functionality for decades to come.

Video by Harold F. Cobin at end of story Continue reading Himes and Blumenthal highlight $15 million for Walk Bridge project

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POKO Frustration: Some basic facts & some questions

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Facts:

  1. The POKO project has been in the works since 2004.
  2. It is a complicated deal and it has changed many times over the years
  3. Phase I construction started in 2015. It did not go smoothly and stopped after about a year and a half.
  4. POKO ran out of money and defaulted on its Citibank loan, which Citibank foreclosed upon.
  5. POKO defaulted on the agreements with the city numerous times. (POKO claims the city also defaulted.)
  6. Norwalk gave two city owned parking lots to POKO, albeit with some conditions.
  7. In 2015, the City amended the “Loan Recognition Agreement” (LRA) which allowed POKO to cash out refinance the Leonard Street parking lot that they got for free. The LRA-A made the cost for the city to get the FREE parking lot back now become $3 million.
  8. A short time later this cash out loan went into foreclosure.
  9. POKO president Ken Olson passed away in November 2017.

Continue reading POKO Frustration: Some basic facts & some questions

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Norwalk Republicans choose Meek to replace Keegan

Norwalk Republican Town Committee member Bryan Meek speaks directly to his competition, Oak Hills Park Authority Vice Chairman Carl Dickens, Tuesday in the Norwalk Inn.

NORWALK, Conn. – Bryan Meek promised Tuesday to “put a fork in the Mayor’s eye,” should he be appointed to replace Tom Keegan on the Common Council in July. Norwalk District D Republicans then did just that, giving Meek the nod over Carl Dickens, who had emphasized the importance of getting along with other people in government in order to get things done.

Matthew Merluzzi had sought the seat but withdrew, saying he loves being on the Conservation Commission and that work is more important to him. The vote in favor of Meek wasn’t close; though Republicans didn’t announce the tally, former Council member Doug Hempstead sat across from NancyOnNorwalk as he put hashmarks on paper while counting the 15 ballots and it was obvious that Meek won by a substantial margin. Continue reading Norwalk Republicans choose Meek to replace Keegan

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Norwalk parents say NPS program damaged son, they will sue

Penn-Williams: NAOP should be shut down

The George Washington Carver Center at 7 Academy St. houses the Norwalk Alternative Opportunities Program (NAOP).

NORWALK, Conn. – A pair of Norwalk parents say their 13-year-old son was forced out of Norwalk Alternative Opportunities Program (NAOP) for violating a bathroom rule and made to wait outside for several hours before they could come get him.

David Portillo and Elda Mas filed a notice in the Town Clerk’s Office, announcing their intent to sue Norwalk Public Schools, the Norwalk Board of Education, the City, NAOP and various employees due to the March 16 incident. Continue reading Norwalk parents say NPS program damaged son, they will sue

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Saving trees for Earth, and its day of importance

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I’m unnerved when I hear that morbid sound of trees being dismembered, limb by limb, until they’re pulverized into sawdust.

It’s a racket outside my office window in Darien this morning. In the backyard of a home that abuts our parking lot, I can see a red band tied around the trunk of the huge tree, which a tree cutter in a cherry picker kills, branch by branch, without ceremony. Continue reading Saving trees for Earth, and its day of importance

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Norwalk school bathroom talk shifts from ‘get it done’ to pleas for ‘gender-neutral’

Center for Global Studies (CGS) junior Elliot Schultz speaks to the Norwalk Board of Education on March 15. The quotes presented were gathered in a survey of high school students district-wide.

NORWALK, Conn. —  A year ago, Norwalk parents won a promise from City leaders to fix up middle school bathrooms at a cost of $1.5 million. Now, with students campaigning for gender neutral bathrooms, most of the work is on hold.

About $180,000 was spent last summer to make improvements at Roton, Nathan Hale and West Rocks middle schools and preparations were being made to continue about $800,000 of work in the coming months, but a presentation made recently by Center for Global Studies (CGS) students made to the Board of Education derailed that for now, said Building and Facilities Manager Alan Lo to Common Council members recently. Continue reading Norwalk school bathroom talk shifts from ‘get it done’ to pleas for ‘gender-neutral’

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