Madison News Roundup

In a “Health and Wellness Update” sent to parents Wednesday, Madison Public Schools Superintendent David J. Klein reports that the school district is now experiencing the anticipated increase in student absenteeism from suspected cases of H1N1 flu. The average school district absenteeism percentage for Wednesday was 13%, which is slightly lower than the absenteeism levels on Monday (13.6%) and Tuesday (14.6%). The absenteeism rate in Madison is much less than the significantly elevated levels that caused the closure of schools or districts in the state, including those in neighboring Guilford. So far, Madison’s daily absenteeism rate has not reached or exceeded 20% in any of the district schools, and Klein said that he is hopeful that the improvement seen Wednesday is a positive trend that will continue. The district has also been closely monitoring staff absences, and has not seen an abnormally elevated level of adult absenteeism in any of the district schools. Klein repeated his previous advice to faculty and students to stay home if they are sick. In Guilford, the high school was closed from Friday afternoon through Wednesday because of high absenteeism, and extracurricular activities were cancelled in elementary and middle schools.

The proposal calling for the town to swap beachfront land with the owners of the Madison Beach Hotel failed at referendum Monday by nearly 300 votes. It was the second time taxpayers turned down the swap, under which the town would have traded a 10,700-square-foot property it owns in front of the former Madison Beach Hotel for an 11,648-square-foot property at 91 W. Wharf Road, known as the Fish House and owned by hotel owner Ric Duques. Under the deal, the town would have given away 40 feet of beachfront near the hotel and gained 102 feet of beachfront near the Fish House, which officials said could be used for another town beach. Read Amanda Pinto’s account in the Register.

The Madison Police Department has added two new recruits, sworn in Friday morning in a brief ceremony before friends and family. The two new department members are Alexandra Blackwell and Michael Pugliese, both 23. The hirings bring the department up to its fully authorized staffing for the first time in a long time. Read more at Zip06.

Alicia Betty, project manager for the Trust for Public Land (TPL)said the Trust has two independent appraisals of the Griswold Airport property. The first, from Miner and Silverstein, an appraisal company located in New London, places the “as-is market value” of the 42-acre site at $10.5 million. The second, from Flanagan Associates of Waterford, places it at $9.65 million. TPL, acting as a neutral third party, has negotiated an agreement with owners Leyland Alliance to purchase the property for $9.7 million. Leyland fought for 9 years to win rezoning, special permits, and other necessary approvals to build a 127-unit condominium community at the site of the former airport. The development was to be called Madison Landing. Leyland has said it will go ahead with the project if the sale to the town falls through. Read Marianne Sullivan’s account in Zip06.

Following the installation of a uranium removal system for the water that Connecticut Water Company (CWC) is providing to the Brown and Ryerson schools, the town of Madison reports that the water provided to the two schools has consistently been well below the drinking water standard for several weeks, as indicated in the table below.

Uranium Analyses at Brown & Ryerson Schools (all results in uG/L (Micrograms per Liter))

The Connecticut Water Company will continue to monitor the water they provide to these two schools in accordance with State and Federal regulations. The two schools will continue to rely on bottled water for drinking and cooking purposes until further notice. This information was also shared with the Board of Education at its meeting on Tuesday October 20, 2009.

Director of Health John N. Bowers invites residents to contact him with any questions on the matter at 203-245-5614.

Town of Madison Strategic Planning Study: “Optimizing the Use of Our Facilities”
Public Workshop Workshop 2 of 3

THURSDAY — OCTOBER 29, 2009 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Memorial Town Hall – Upper Level – 8 Meetinghouse Lane

The Town of Madison Joint Facilities Review Committee invites you to participate in a series of community workshops regarding the development of a new strategic plan for our town buildings. The second workshop will be held on Thursday, October 29, 2009 at Memorial Town Hall, Upper Level, 8 Meeting House Lane, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

The Committee is responsible for the long-term capital projects program (LOCAP) and oversees the town’s planned and cycled maintenance program. The Committee has selected Drummey Rosane Anderson, Inc. (“DRA”) to develop the strategic planning study. DRA is already meeting with school and town staff to conduct programming and facility evaluations prior to meeting with town residents at the community workshops. The first workshop has been held and focused on gathering community input. This workshop will focus on identifying possible alternatives for the town-wide plan and will then shape specific recommendations for the town’s consideration. The workshop schedule is:

Thursday, September 24 – LISTENING: Gathering community input
Thursday, October 29 – ALTERNATIVES: Understanding the options
Wednesday, December 9 – SHAPING RECOMMENDATIONS for town consideration
DRA’s study will consider the broadest range of options and possibilities to address the town building needs of Madison.

At this workshop, we are seeking your attendance and participation. You are invited to join us, along with your thoughts, ideas and suggestions.

WORKSHOP AGENDA

7:00 – 7:10 Informational Displays
7:10 – 7:15 Welcome
7:15 – 7:30 Strategic Planning Overview
7:30 – 7:40 Workshop Overview
7:40 – 8:10 Breakout Sessions
8:10 – 8:25 Re-Group / Re-Cap
8:25 – 8:30 Concluding Comments

Age-appropriate activities for children age three and above will be provided. Current or former elementary students are encouraged to attend and participate in workshop activities.

The Executive Boards of the PTOs of the Madison Public Schools invite you to join them for a Candidates Forum. All candidates for the offices of Selectmen and Board of Finance have been asked to speak and field questions regarding issues of importance to the parents of students in the Madison Public Schools. This event should be an excellent opportunity for you to get to know these people and to become better informed before you vote on November 3. The forum is slated for 7 p.m. in the Polson Middle School Auditorium.

Events for Wednesday, October 21:
The Madison Athletic Program Advisory Council (MAPAC) invites interested parents and athletes to its October 21 meeting. The full Advisory Council is made up of coaches, athletes, and parents, and provides support to athletes through the continued development of the athletic program. There are volunteer members and a board to aid in the review of ideas and issues related to the athletic program. Our monthly meetings are open to the public. This evening’s meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. in the Town Campus Hammonasset Room.

Today is also the deadline to register for “College Bowl Sunday” on October 25 from 1-4 p.m. There will be 10 workshops about the college application process. Click here for the brochure. Registrations will be accepted through today (Wednesday, October 21 — different from brochure date).

The Connecticut Association of Schools has selected Madison’s J. Milton Jeffrey Elementary School as Connecticut’s 2009-2010 CAS Elementary School of the Year. The announcement characterized the school as a dynamic and lively community that serves approximately 550 children from kindergarten through the fourth grade. When notified of the award, Jeffrey School Principal Mona Goodman was ecstatic. “Jeffrey School is honored by this prestigious recognition for all that we do as educators. This is a reflection of the skilled staff, committed students, caring parents, and collaborative efforts that happen each and every day to make Jeffrey School such a successful learning community. There are so many schools that deserve this recognition for their hard work. Being singled out as unique and exemplary for the programming we provide is humbling and rewarding. This acknowledgement truly supports our school motto of ‘The place to be!’”

The criteria used to judge the school included the following:

1. Providing an educational program conducive to meeting the needs of all of its students
2. Providing student opportunities that go beyond those that are part of the typical school day
3. Providing educational programs that are consistently reviewed and improved
4. Providing an atmosphere that welcomes participation from all constituencies
5. Playing an active role in the community
6. Encouraging strong parent-school involvement.

[From the editor: On a personal note, I'd like to add that Milt Jeffrey taught me how to plug for striped bass when I was 12 years old. He was patient and kind -- a good man. He would be proud.]

Registration for Ski Bus 2010 for Madison Public Schools Grades 6-12 is now available at the Madison Beach and Recreation Department, 8 Campus Drive. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Space is limited. You are urged to register early. For more information, please call (203) 245-5622 or e-mail Carrie Gazda at gazdac@madisonct.org