Community Corner

Alternative Rehabilitation Program Proposed for Juveniles; $150 Million Cleanup Commences; Mayor Represents with Organ Donation; Community Mourns Death of Dog Struck by Car

"The Towns Around Us" takes a look at what's making news in nearby communities.

HAMDEN – As part of its budget deliberations, the Legislative Council will have to decide if it wants to approve $59,000 to fund a new program aimed at rehabilitating juvenile offenders.

Modeled after a program in New Haven, kids under 16 who have been charged with their first misdemeanor crime would be enrolled in a rehabilitation program designed by a Juvenile Review Board comprised of community members, instead of going through the traditional juvenile court system.

The idea, according to proponents, is that the more case-specific approach will increase the youth’s chances of heading down a successful path and not one of a repeat criminal.

Find out what's happening in Stratfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Our children are too valuable a resource to leave in the hands of an overburdened juvenile justice system," said Hamden Mayor Scott Jackson. "By allocating funds for this program we continue to not only show our commitment to the youth of Hamden, but we ask them to become proud and responsible stakeholders in their community."

Some question if this method is akin to coddling, though.

Find out what's happening in Stratfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Check out the story for more details on the program and decide for yourself if it’s worth funding.

 

NORTH HAVEN – A long-awaited $150 million project to cleanup a large swath of contaminated land kicked into gear this week.

Under current plans, the 77-acre property at 41 Stiles Lane that was home to a manufacturing facility for Pharmacia & Upjohn Co. LLC will be converted into a sprawling 60-acre ecological preserve open to the public and a light commercial use.

Pharmacia & Upjohn’s parent company, Pfizer, is footing the bill, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is overseeing the cleanup.

For years the land, which abuts tidal waters connected to the Quinnipiac River, was used to dispose of manufacturing wastes and wastewater treatment residuals containing organic chemicals and metals such as PCBs, volatile organic compounds, and lead. The project aims to put an end to that environmental degradation and usher in a new era of eco-friendly action.

Check out the story for more details on the remediation plan.

 

EAST HAVEN – It was a plea on Facebook that led Mayor April Capone to save a man’s life.

She donated her kidney to East Haven resident Carlos Sanchez, whose own kidneys had failed from type 1 diabetes. That was one year ago.

This week, in recognition of April being National Donate Life Month, Capone and Sanchez gathered outside town hall to bring attention to the need for organ donors. More than 110,000 people are waiting for an organ, including 1,200 in Connecticut.

"Because of her, now I can see my son graduate from school," Sanchez said.

Find out how you can become a donor by clicking here.

 

MILFORD – A 2-year-old chocolate lab’s life came to an abrupt end this week when it was accidentally struck by a car. Milford Patch Editor Denise Buffa, who was in the car behind the one that struck the dog named Max, recalls the heartbreaking scene in which a community’s love for “man’s best friend” shines as clear as day.

Check out the story by clicking here.


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