Madison News Roundup

Madison voters turned thumbs down Tuesday on the municipal and education budgets proposed by the Board of Finance.

The proposed municipal budget of $20,585,999 was defeated 1,927 to 1,101. The budget reflected a 5 percent increase over the current budget, much of which was attributable to capital expenses related to the purchase of the former Griswold Airport property and the new senior center and and ambulance garage.

The proposed education budget of $50.5 million, a 3.5 percent increase, was defeated by a narrower margin, with 1,539 voting no and 1,490 voting in favor.

First Selectman Fillmore McPherson told the New Haven Register he thought that many people who opposed the town’s purchase of the airport earlier this year voted against the budget in the mistaken belief that it would derail the purchase, which has been finalized.

The budgets will now go back to the Board of Finance for further consideration and cost cutting.

Today (Tuesday, May 18) is the day that Madison, CT residents have the chance to vote yea or nay on the proposed 2010-2011 town and education budgets as approved by the Board of Finance.

Voters are being asked specifically:

SHALL THE TOWN GOVERNMENT BUDGET OF THE TOWN OF MADISON FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING JULY 1, 2010 AND ENDING JUNE 30, 2011 IN THE AMOUNT OF $20,585,999 BE APPROVED?

and

SHALL THE EDUCATION BUDGET OF THE TOWN OF MADISON FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING JULY 1, 2010 AND ENDING JUNE 30, 2011 1IN THE AMOUNT OF$50,472,164 BE APPROVED?

The Board of Finance approved the 2010-2011 Education Budget as submitted.

Voting machines will be available from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on today. Voters residing in the First Voting District will vote at the Surf Club, 87 Surf Club Road, and voters residing in the Second Voting District will vote at the Brown Middle School, 980 Durham Road. Absentee ballots were available from the Town Clerk’s office at the Madison Town Campus, and will be counted centrally at the Madison Town Campus. Voters approving a resolution will vote “Yes” and those opposing said resolution will vote “No.”

The Country School, 341 Opening Hill Road, Madison CT , is having an open house on May 21. Located on a 23-acre campus flanked by nature trails, The Country School enrolls 250 students in preschool through grade 8. An independent, co-educational day school, The Country School was founded in 1955 to meet the educational, social, and emotional needs of growing children. At The Country School, the traditional disciplines of reading, writing, mathematics, science, social studies, and world languages are balanced by rich offerings in the Arts, physical education, service learning, and experiential education. The Country School: Where education lasts a lifetime. Questions: Call 203-421-3113 or admission@thecountryschool.org.

The Shoreline Spring Festival, sponsored by the Shoreline Unitarian Universalist Society of Madison, CT, is taking place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 15, on the town green. The fair features:

• Artists & Artisans & Crafters
• Fair Trade Vendors
• Locally Grown Farms & Gardens
• Prepared Food Vendors
• Non-Profit and Community Organizations

Another fun Madison weekend (pardon our tardiness):

FRIDAY:

• Annual Spring Plant & Shrub Sale, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Post Road just east of Hammonasset Beach State Park: The Friends of Hammonasset will hold its annual spring plant and shrub sale from May 5—just in time for Mother’s Day—to May 30. The sale, which offers plants and shrubs at prices that range from highly competitive to well below wholesale, is the nonprofit organization’s largest annual fundraiser. All money raised benefits the Friends’ mission of supporting Hammonasset Beach State Park and the park’s Meigs Point Nature Center.
• Free Wine Tasting, noon-7:30 p.m., the Madison Wine Shop, 734 Boston Post Road: Wine tastings geared to educate over time, by providing an opportunity to sample and discuss a wide variety of wines, mostly outside of the mainstream, mostly affordable, and sometimes not. It’s free, informal, informative, face-to-face with Rick Lewis and your fellow participants, and its fun.
• Madison Farmers Market, 3-6 p.m. Madison Town Green – 26 Meetinghouse Rd. Madison: The Madison Farmers Market was established in 2007, and will commence May 7th-October 22nd every Friday from 3-6pm in the 2010 season. This beautiful and diverse market is centrally located in Madison, CT, on the Historic Madison Green. The farmers/vendors who make up this bustling market offer a wide array of CT Grown/produced items, which are beautifully presented.
• Candace Bushnell, author, 7 p.m., Hubley Hall @ The Congregational Church on the Madison Green: Ever wonder what Carrie Bradshaw was like before she met Samantha Jones and became the legendary fashionista of “Sex in the City?” Candace Bushnell’s The Carrie Diaries is the coming of age story of one of the most iconic characters of this generation. Join us as we dish with the creator of our favorite gal pals. Tickets for this event are $5.00, which may be used toward the purchase of the book.
• The Convertibles, 9:30 p.m., Donahue’s Madison Beach Grille, 1320 Boston Post Road, Madison, CT: Live Music.

SATURDAY:

• Birdwalk at Hammonasset State Park, 8 a.m., Hammonasset Beach State Park: See returning songbirds, shorebirds, waders, and birds of prey. Meet at Audubon Shop at 7:50 am. Binocular rentals available. Dress for weather. Beginners welcome. $4. Hammonassett State Park in Madison, is widely regarded as the premier birding area in Connecticut. Approximately 240 species of birds occur there annually, in its diverse habitats of marsh, open water, woodland, grassland and shoreline. No need to pre-register. Dress for the weather. Bring binoculars, rentals are available. Meet at the shop at 7:50a.m. 203-245-9056
• Annual Spring Plant & Shrub Sale, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Post Road just east of Hammonasset Beach State Park: The Friends of Hammonasset will hold its annual spring plant and shrub sale from May 5—just in time for Mother’s Day—to May 30. The sale, which offers plants and shrubs at prices that range from highly competitive to well below wholesale, is the nonprofit organization’s largest annual fundraiser. All money raised benefits the Friends’ mission of supporting Hammonasset Beach State Park and the park’s Meigs Point Nature Center.
• Overeaters Anonymous Open Meeting, 9 a.m., Memorial Town Hall – Route 1 on the Green Madison Center: Overeaters Anonymous Open Meeting Saturdays at the Memorial Hall, Route 1 on the Green, Madison 1-800-824-8650 www.oa.org
• Ryerson’s Wild West Fun Fair, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Kathleen H. Ryerson Elementary School – 982 Durham Road Madison, CT: Spring Fair
• Free Wine Tasting, noon-7:30 p.m., the Madison Wine Shop, 734 Boston Post Road: Wine tastings geared to educate over time, by providing an opportunity to sample and discuss a wide variety of wines, mostly outside of the mainstream, mostly affordable, and sometimes not. It’s free, informal, informative, face-to-face with Rick Lewis and your fellow participants, and its fun.
• Kathie Lee Gifford, 3 p.m., Hubley Hall at The First Congregational Church on the Madison Green: Actress, singer/songwriter and co-host of the fourth hour of the Today Show, Kathie Lee Gifford will appear to debut Party Animals, a colorfully illustrated picture book based on the lyrics of her 2001 audio collection of children’s music. Party Animals includes a fun sing-along CD with lyrics written and performed by Kathie Lee. RJ Julia invites you to join them for an entertaining Q & A and book signing.
• Mike Crandall, 9:30 p.m., Donahue’s Madison Beach Grille, 1320 Boston Post Road, Madison, CT: Live Music

SUNDAY:

• Annual Spring Plant & Shrub Sale, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Post Road just east of Hammonasset Beach State Park: The Friends of Hammonasset will hold its annual spring plant and shrub sale from May 5—just in time for Mother’s Day—to May 30. The sale, which offers plants and shrubs at prices that range from highly competitive to well below wholesale, is the nonprofit organization’s largest annual fundraiser. All money raised benefits the Friends’ mission of supporting Hammonasset Beach State Park and the park’s Meigs Point Nature Center.

Four people have been indicted on charges that they stole at least $182,000 from banks in three states — including People’s United Bank in Madison, CT.

The indictment alleges that Dragos Osanu, 29; Ion Preda, 22, Nelut Ady Oana, 32; and Marius Olustean, 36, all citizens of Romania, and others, conspired to install “skimming” devices on automated teller machines (“ATMs”), and on card swipe access devices used by banks to control access to ATM lobby doors, in Connecticut, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The indictment alleges that, on several occasions in September 2009, Preda and Olustean installed a pin-capturing device at an ATM located at a branch of People’s United Bank in Madison, Connecticut.  Preda and/or Olustean then used stolen bank account information to conduct unauthorized ATM withdrawals in Madison, Greenwich, Connecticut, and Queens, New York.

It is alleged that, through this scheme, the four defendants victimized individuals and financial institutions of at least $182,000.

Responsible disposal of hazardous household waste doesn’t come cheaply. Fortunately, residents of Madison have already paid the bill to dispose of the hazardous waste in their homes. Please remember that this service is seasonal and hazardous waste removal at other times of the year is expensive, so residents are urged to act seasonally. Each year Madison participates in HOUSEHOLD HAZWASTE CENTRAL located at the Regional Water Authority in New Haven. Residents of participating towns are invited to bring most hazardous wastes to the site at 90 Sargent Drive (Long Wharf exit) on Saturday mornings between 9 a.m. and noon. 2010 collections begin on May 15 and continue to October 30.

No collections will be made on major holiday weekends (Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day). Additionally Madison will host a satellite collection at Hammonasset State Park from 9:00 a.m. to Noon on Saturday, September 25th.

For more information on what to bring or not bring, refer to brochures at Town Campus, Scranton Library, and The Depot or visit the Water Authority web site at www.rwater.com/hazwaste If you have questions, please call (203) 401-2712 or email ask.hazwaste@rwater.com

Each year on Graduation Night, graduating seniors attend “Nite in Hand” for a safe evening of fun, food, games and give-a-ways.  Traditionally, a collage of pictures for every senior is placed on a memory board which follows the theme for “Nite in Hand” and is displayed in the “picture hall”.

Parent of Daniel Hand seniors are reminded to please send in color copies of pictures that will bring a smile, laugh, or memory of your child. These pictures can be from grade school, sporting events, proms, homecoming dances, fun with friends and family, class pictures, etc., and can be from any time in their lives. Pictures should be sent to Lori Lodge, 104 Devonshire Lane, Madison, CT  06443  203-421-1939. Please follow these instructions.

WTNH News 8 is reporting that four Romanian nationals have been charged in a bank ATM skimming scam at People’s United Bank in Madison, CT. They’re working on the story.