The Madison Public Schools will follow their normal dismissal schedule today (Thursday, September 30), however due to inclement weather all afternoon and evening activities are cancelled.
The Back-to-School night at Daniel Hand High School has been rescheduled to Thursday October 7, 2010.
The Madison Beach and Recreation After School program is operating, however parents are requested to pick-up their children as early as possible.
The Madison, CT Chamber of Commerce is inviting people to assemble creative scarecrows for the Chamber’s “Sea Shop Scare” event, benefiting the Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation.
The Chamber is calling on artists, civic organizations, families, students, and merchants to create scarecrows for downtown Madison.
“Nothing too gory, but something that represents Madison, your business, or organization,” according to the Chamber’s promotional materials.
All scarecrows will be up for town-wide judging throughout the month of October. The registration fee is $25 per scarecrow.
If you are interested in participating, you need to email chamber@madisonct.com by October 1 or pick up a registration form from local businesses.
Rumors have been flying around town for weeks, and on Tuesday police released details of the September 12 bomb threat that disrupted a Madison, CT Republican Town Committee fundraiser attended by Senate candidate Linda McMahon.
Police say that at 4:30 p.m. On September 12 a call was received by Madison police from a man with a New York accent. The caller stated “Yes, there’s a bomb about to go off at five five four Boston Post Road,” according to the arrest warrant affidavit.
Police went to the address, the home of Tom and Eileen Banisch, and evacuated attendees at the Republican Town Committee fundraiser, including McMahon.
Police were able to trace the call to a pay phone in the vestibule of the Walmart in Guilford. They obtained surveillence tape from the store which showed a man arriving at the store and putting on gloves as he approached the pay phone. The man pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and placed a call. The man left after about 3 minutes and the surveillence footage showed him leaving the parking lot in a silver Toyota Rav 4.
The suspect was identified as attorney James Byrne, 70, of 34 Hotchkiss Lane in Madison. Byrne was formerly a member of the Republican Town Committee and the Madison Planning and Zoning Commission.
Byrne was arrested and charged with first-degree threatening, falsely reporting an incident, and breach of peace. He was arraigned Tuesday in Superior Court in New Haven. Judge Karen N. Sequino ordered Byrne to have no contact with Banisch. The matter was continued until October 13, when the judge will address Byrne’s criminal charges and the seizure of his car.
Lawyers.com lists Byrne as a member of the law firm of Byrne & Storm, P.C. in Hartford. He graduated from Fordham Law School and was admitted to the bar in New York in 1966 and in Connecticut in 1974. He received a peer review rating of 5.0 out of 5 on the Lawyer.com website, with the statement, “Meets very high criteria of general ethical standards? Yes.” There currently is no mention of Byrne on the Byrne & Storm website or on the firm’s Facebook page.
The Madison Drug & Alcohol Education Coalition (M.A.D.E) is holding a workshop on “Positive Family Communication: Creating an Environment for Raising Healthy Kids” from 7-9 p.m. on Tuesday, October 5.
This is a companion workshop to the asset building workshops offered last spring, and the discussion will focus on parenting situations with an emphasis on providing tools to help parents effectively communicate and build a healthy family environment. The workshop is free and will be held in Hubley Hall at the First Congregational Church.
Topics will include:
This is a workshop for parents, grandparents and guardians of kids of all ages and will include some interactive activities and time for questions and answers. RSVP to Lou Anne Castrilli at Madison Youth Services 245-5645 or madeinmadison@madisonct.org.
The faculty and administration of Daniel Hand High School are inviting parents to attend the annual Back to School Night on Thursday evening, September 30. Parents will have the opportunity to attend short classes to learn about expectations in each course. Parents are asked to assemble in the dining and assembly hall at 6:45 p.m. Following a short welcome and orientation, parents will go to a homeroom where a copy of each student’s schedule will be available.
The student council will also be sponsoring a food drive at that time. Items will be collected at the doors of the dining & assembly hall. The following items are needed: Canned fruit, cereal, cereal bars, jelly, fruit juice and boxes, pancake/waffle mix, pancake syrup, pasta sauce, protein meals (canned ravioli, stews, chili), tuna, and condiments.
Tonight (Thursday, September 23) Madison Arts Night will provide a special evening of fine food and drink with Master Chef Jacques Pepin. Starting at 6 p.m., the event will kick off with a silent auction and the finest food on the shoreline hosted by a world renowned chef. And, and as always, the event will feature the Mo Johnson Band and a movie.
Tickets are $40, and all proceeds will benefit the Madison Exchange Club’s service programs and Child Abuse Prevention centers. For tickets and information, call 203-318-0110.
New this year — 15 fine food restaurants from Old Saybrook to New Haven have been invited to participate in making this night an elegant affair.
The featured movie is Tortilla Soup, which tells the story of retired Mexican-American chef Martin Naranjo, who shares an L.A. home with his three gorgeous, but single, adult daughters. Though he long ago lost his ability to taste, Martin still lives to cook incredibly lavish dinners for his loved ones and to serve them in a family-style ritual at traditional sit-down meals. Although the women humor their father’s old-fashioned ways, each of them is searching for fulfillment outside the family circle.
Madison’s Dr. Robert H. Brown Middle School has been named a 2010 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.
Brown was one of 304 schools — 254 public and 50 private — to receive the award. The schools will be honored at an awards ceremony Nov. 15-16 in Washington, D.C. In the past 28 years, more than 6,000 of America’s schools have received the award.
The award honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools whose students achieve at very high levels or have made significant progress and helped close gaps in achievement especially among disadvantaged and minority students. Each year since 1982, the U.S. Department of Education has sought out schools where students attain and maintain high academic goals, including those that beat the odds.
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private schools based on one of two criteria:
Brown was selected in the high performing schools category.
“Our nation has a responsibility to help all children realize their full potential,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. “Schools honored with the Blue Ribbon Schools award are committed to achievement and to ensuring that students learn and succeed. Their work reflects the conviction that every child has promise and must receive a quality education.”
A list of the 2010 Blue Ribbon Schools is available at http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/awards.html.
A Madison man was arrested Tuesday in connection with a bomb threat Sunday afternoon that disrupted a town Republican fundraiser featuring Senate candidate Linda McMahon.
James Byrne, 70, of 34 Hotchkiss Lane, was charged with first-degree threatening, falsely reporting an incident, and second-degree breach of peace. He was released on a written promise to appear in court in New Haven on September 28.
Police say they received a call at about 4:35 p.m. Sunday saying their was a bomb in the 554 Boston Post Road home of Republican Town Committee Chairman Tom Banish where the fundraiser was being held. Madison Police and the Connecticut State Police bomb Squad responded to the scene, and the approximately 50 attendees were evacuated to the town green, where the event continued.
The Post Road was blocked off at both ends of the green for several hours, until the bomb threat was determined to be false.
On Thursday, September 23, Madison Arts Night will provide a special evening of fine food and drink with Master Chef Jacques Pepin. Starting at 6 p.m., the event will kick off with a silent auction and the finest food on the shoreline hosted by a world renowned chef. And, and as always, the event will feature the Mo Johnson Band and a movie.
Tickets are $35 before September 16 and $40 afterward. All proceeds will benefit the Madison Exchange Club’s service programs and Child Abuse Prevention centers. For tickets and information, call 203-318-0110.
New this year — 15 fine food restaurants from Old Saybrook to New Haven have been invited to participate in making this night an elegant affair.
The featured movie is Tortilla Soup, which tells the story of retired Mexican-American chef Martin Naranjo, who shares an L.A. home with his three gorgeous, but single, adult daughters. Though he long ago lost his ability to taste, Martin still lives to cook incredibly lavish dinners for his loved ones and to serve them in a family-style ritual at traditional sit-down meals. Although the women humor their father’s old-fashioned ways, each of them is searching for fulfillment outside the family circle.
Parrots, shorebirds, pooches, and boomerangs — Oh my!
FRIDAY:
Author Jenny Gardiner, 7 p.m., RJ Julia: “Parrothood is harder than parenthood!” Or so says Jenny Gardiner, author of Winging It and mom to Graycie, a misbehaving African gray parrot. A lethal beak and the ability to impersonate a smoke detector make for a hazardous pet, yet one who teaches the family a lot about tolerance and going with the flow. Tickets for this event are $5 and may be used toward the purchase of the book.SATURDAY:
Fall Bird Walk at Hammonasset Beach State Park, 8-11 a.m., Hammonasset Beach State Park: The Audubon Shop, 907 Boston Post Rd. in Madison CT, kicks off its Annual Fall Bird Walk Series on Saturday, September 11th. The guided walk at Hammonasset Beach State Park takes place from 8-10:30 am. Migrating hawks, eagles, owls, shorebirds, waterbirds, and songbirds can all be seen at one of Connecticut’s premier birding “hot spots”. Walks at Hammonasset will be held each Saturday 9/11 through Nov. 20, 2010. Participants will meet at The Audubon Shop parking lot at 7:50 am. $4.00 charge per person. Beginners are welcome. Binocular rentals available. For further information, call Jerry or Janet at the shop at (203) 245-9056.
9/11 Remembrance Service, 6 p.m., First Congregational Church, Madison, CT: A service to remember the members of the Madison Community who were lost on September 11, 2001 in the World Trade Center tragedy, and to honor the men and women who have served, and continue to serve, in the armed forces to protect our freedom.SUNDAY:
Boomerang Demonstration, noon, Hammonasset State Park behind campgrounds: The Wandering Nutmeg Boomerang Society would like to announce that our small group of boomerang enthusiasts are getting together at Hammonasset State park for a throwing session and get together. We would welcome anyone with an interest in learning how to throw a boomerang to come on down and join in. There will be boomerangs enough to go around.
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