Bristol police reported the following arrests:
•Gregory J. Jackson, 32, of 275 Lyman Rd., Apt. No. 1, Wolcott was arrested on July 28 and charged with disorderly conduct and interfering with an officer.
•Elizabeth S. Loggins, 38, of 74 Wooding St., Bristol was arrested on July 28 and charged with assault on a peace officer and interfering with an officer.
•Lori Joyce Hawksley, 51, of 187 Blakeslee St., Bristol was arrested on July 28 and charged with sixth degree larceny.
•Kenneth H. Gagnon, 49, of 187 Morningside Dr., Bristol was arrested on July 27 and charged with operation while under the influence, operation with registration/license suspended/ revoked, and restricted turns fail signal.
•Hector Maldonado, 37, of 22 High St., Apt. No. B5, Bristol was arrested on July 27 and charged with sixth degree larceny.
•Kenneth Worrell, 39, of 33 Condon Rd., Bristol was arrested on July 31 and charged with illegal possession of narcotics. He was arrested in another incident and charged with second degree failure to appear.
•Tyrese Mobley, 32, of 2300 Phillips Highway, Apt. No. 213, Jacksonville, Fla., was arrested on July 31 and charged with second degree failure to appear.
•Andrea N. Culmone, 30, no address provided, was arrested on July 30 and charged with violation of probation. She was arrested in another incident and charged with second degree failure to appear. She then was arrested in another incident and charged with sixth degree larceny.
•Ashley D. Colon, 22, of 218 Middlesex Ave., Chester was arrested on July 30 and charged with third degree assault and second degree breach of peace.
•Shane Edward Herold, 32, of 100 Queen St., Bristol was arrested on July 30 and charged with operation with registration/license suspended/revoked, operation while under the influence and restricted turns fail signal.
•Emanuel Lopez, 20, of 111 Gridley St., Bristol was arrested on July 29 and charged with second degree burglary and fourth degree larceny. He was arrested in another incident and charged with sixth degree larceny.
•Brandon M. Martin, 23, of 113 East Rd., Bristol was arrested on July 29 and charged with first degree failure to appear. He was arrested in another incident and charged with first degree failure to appear. He then was arrested in another incident and charged with third degree burglary, first degree criminal mischief, interfering with an officer, third degree larceny, and manufacturing/possession of burglar’s tools.
•Michelle T. Gross, 47, of 36 Willis St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 1 and charged with sixth degree larceny.
•Danielle Martinez, 32, of 130 Davis Dr., Bristol was arrested on July 31 and charged with second degree breach of peace and third degree assault.
•Kevin D. Morin, 29, of 19 Prince St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 2 and charged with second degree breach of peace and third degree assault.
•Isla River, 43, of 200 Davis Dr., Apt. No. R, Bristol was arrested on July 31 and charged with second degree breach of peace and third degree assault.
•Luis Javier Rojas, 25, no address provided, was arrested on Aug. 1 and charged with illegal possession and failure to comply fingerprint request.
•Kenneth Worrell, 39, of 33 Condon Rd., Bristol was arrested on July 31 and charged with second degree failure to appear. He was arrested in another incident and charged with illegal possession.

By MICHAEL LETENDRE
STAFF WRITER
BRISTOL – The 2013 Connecticut Tri-State Baseball League playoffs are upon us and the Bristol Greeners plan to make a very long appearance in the fray.
The Greeners are always a perennial playoff contender. But this year, the squad has reached new heights in terms of victories and earned a first round bye off its outstanding 16-5 record.
That record is the second best ledger in not just the Northern Division but overall in league play.
The Terryville Black Sox ended their season at 15-5 and was one of the few squads to drop a loss on the crafty Bristol squad.
For the fifth straight campaign, Greeners’ head coach Shawn Mirmina has done a masterful job mixing and matching talent and the 2013 club is certainly the best team Bristol has ever produced.
Due to that fast finish, Bristol has earned a bye in first round of the Tri-State Tournament.
“We came in second place and that gave us a first round bye,” in the playoffs said Bristol coach Shawn Mirmina. “That’s big for us.”
Several of the players aren’t just veterans on the Greeners but have seen action in other leagues like the Greater Hartford Twilight League, Bristol American Legion baseball and the like.
This is as experienced a crew as the Greeners have ever assembled and going into league play, Bristol has to be one of the favorites in the fray.
The Tri-Town Trojans, who defeated Bristol 3-0 from Community Field, easily won the Northern Division with a 20-1 ledger and led the league with 113 runs scored.
Tri-Town was Tri-State tournament runner-up in 2010 and 2011 and would like nothing better than to win it all this year.
The squad is loaded with talent and earned the number one overall seed in postseason play.
Terryville, the Wolcott Scrappers (14-6), and Naugatuck Dogs (14-5) also were top teams in Tri-State play as were the Waterbury Wild and Watertown Blaze, who each finished at 13-6 on the year.
But Bristol won’t be seeing any of those big boys in second round play.
Thanks to the bye, the Greeners earned a date with the Litchfield Cowboys starting on Sunday, Aug. 11 in a best of three series in which Bristol will have the home field advantage.
Litchfield was 11-7 in regular season play and actually hung a 6-1 loss on Bristol back on June 20 from Litchfield High School.
It was one of Bristol’s worst defeats of the campaign.
But defeating the Greeners again will be a tough assignment, let alone trying to do it twice in a three-game set.
Bristol scored 91 runs during the regular season – good for fourth in the league – while posting 4.33 runs-per-game, the sixth best clip in Tri-State.
The Greeners allowed just 45 runs per game for the season (coming out to only 2.14 runs-per-game by the opponent which was the third best mark) and that was good enough to be only the fourth most allowed in league play.
Litchfield, and every other opponent for that matter, will have trouble with Greeners’ veterans and pitching studs Mat Ziedzwiecki and Geoff Pierce while Joey Randall is a fresh, young arm and has proven he can throw with the best of them in the Tri-State League.
Bryan Wyrebek and Tyler Bush will be tough to tangle with out of the bullpen or in starting assignments and that gives Bristol versatility few teams in the Tri-State League enjoy on the mound.
Defensively, the Greeners will employ Tyler McIntyre (third base), John Pastyrnak and Nick Palmisano (short stop) along with David Casanova in centerfield (or second base if needed) along with Bush and Jimmy Hahn in the outfield.
With T.J. Wyrebek and Mirmina behind the plate to catch, it’s a tough duo to top.
Then, having to deal with the hot bats of Marco Ross, McIntyre, Casanova, Bush, and the like can be overwhelming – and daunting – for any and all opponents.
So whatever the case may be, the Greeners are ready for battle in postseason play.
The only unfortunate part of this first round bye is that the team won’t be playing together for nearly a two week stretch.
Some of Mirmina’s players played in the state tournament while he planned to gather the squad together for a little practice and the like before second round action commended.
Bush, Bryan Wyrebek, and Pierce all played in the state tournament.
“We have a little break but some of our guys (played in) the state tournament,” said Mirmina. “Those guys will stay fresh while the others will get a little batting practice and get their reps in.”

By KAITLYN NAPLES
STAFF WRITER
Out of 125 nominations around the state, Bristol’s own Heather Lombardi has been selected as one of the recipients of the Hartford Business Journal’s “40 under Forty” Award. She isn’t 40 yet, but is already married with two children, and is a certified trade broker and co-founder of Barter Business Unlimited, right here in Bristol.
“I was very surprised, but I am incredibly proud and grateful for the recognition,” Lombardi said in an email.
Lombardi was born in Bristol, but moved away when she was in elementary school. When it was time to find a home and a place to set up her business, Lombardi said Bristol was the spot since “Bristol is where my roots lie.”
Every year, since 1998, the Hartford Business Journal has been recognizing 40 outstanding individuals in the state, who are under the age of 40, and have made their presence known in the business world.
Barter Business Unlimited is a family-owned and operated barter exchange, Lombardi said, adding that the company works with businesses “and brings them new sales and increased market share, to move available inventory and to minimize cash outlay for everyday business expenses.”
In her job, Lombardi gets to work with entrepreneur’s right in her own community, and said she enjoys everything about that. She said they not only make her job “incredibly rewarding, but they are the reason I love what I do. They give me the opportunity to make a difference each & every day, it is incredibly rewarding personally and professionally.”
On the list of her proudest accomplishments in her life so far, are the success of her company, being chosen as one of the recipients of the 40 Under Forty Award, and her two children.
When she isn’t at the office, Lombardi spends her time with her family, and also enjoys photography and has an interest in tattoos.
Her goals for the future are to bring her business “to the next level,” and she also wants to inspire her friends and family to “be the best they can be, not only in their careers, but in their personal lives.”
For the professionals who are either just starting out, or who are in the midst of their professional lives, Lombardi would remind them of this: “With hard work and desire, anything is possible. Your attitude determines your altitude.”
Each year, the 40 Under Forty recipients are determined by an independent panel of judges, who are all 40 Under Forty alumni.
“This year’s honorees were chosen from more than 125 nominations. They are leaders in their respective fields and committed to bettering the communities in which they live and work,” Gail Lebert, publisher of the Hartford Business Journal, said in a press release. “We are delighted to recognize their accomplishments and wish them continued growth and success.
The 17th annual 40 Under Forty Awards Gala will feature networking and dinner, and will be held on Monday, Sept. 23 at the Connecticut Convention Center from 5 to 9 p.m. Admission to the event is $85 per ticket and $750 for a table of 10 ($95/$850 after Sept. 17).
To register or for more information, contact Brian Baum at BBaum@ HartfordBusiness.com or (860)236-9998 ext 134, or register online at www.hartfordbusiness.com.  
For more information about the winners and the event, visit www.hartfordbusiness.com.

Heather Lombardi is a wife, mother, Bristol business owner, and now has a new title of as a ‘40 Under Forty’ award recipient from Hartford Business Journal.

The Bristol Police Department reported the following arrests:
•Gary E. McCabe, 35, of 11 Roosevelt Ave., Terryville was arrested on Aug. 5 and charged with failure to bring motor vehicle to stop, operation with registration/ license suspended/revoked, reckless driving and first degree reckless endangerment.
•Mark A. Horner, 49, of 73 Race St., Apt. No. 6, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 5 and charged with disorderly conduct.
•Michelle Piche, 32, of 220 Greene St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 4 and charged with injury/ risk/ impairing morals, and fourth degree larceny.
•Aaron Thompson, 24, of 200 Blakeslee St., Apt. No. 36, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 4 and charged with failure to have lights lit/devices illuminated, failure to drive right, and operation while under the influence.
•Fred Kelly, 56, of 102 South St., Apt. No. 4, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 3 and charged with third degree assault and second degree breach of peace.
•Cynthia W. Santana, 60, of 102 South St., Apt. No. 4, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 3 and charged with third degree assault and second degree breach of peace.
•Jonathan E. Caputo, 22, no address provided, was arrested on Aug. 3 and charged with second degree breach of peace, failure to keep drug in original container, illegal possession of marijuana less than four ounces, illegal possession of narcotics, interfering with an officer, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
•Domenik D. Losacano, 36, of 22 Prospect St., Terryville was arrested on Aug. 3 and charged with criminal impersonation, failure to have lights lit/ devices illuminated, interfering with an officer, operation with registration/license suspended/revoked, and operation while under the influence.
•Jennifer Marie Labbe, 28, of 465 Redstone Hill Rd., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 6 and charged with operation while under the influence.
•Joseph Czarnecki, 47, of 93 Goodwin St., Apt. No. 2, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 6 and charged with misuse of plate, no insurance, operation/ tow of unregistered motor vehicle, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of less than 0.5 ounces of marijuana first offense.
•James Eric Clark, 20, of 228 Prospect St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 6 and charged with illegal possession of marijuana, illegal tinted glass, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession with intent to sell/dispense.
•Marc R. Lafountain, 38, of 179 Divinity St., Apt. No. 2, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 6 and charged with second degree breach of peace.
•Spencer J. Lafountain, 20, of 179 Divinity St., second floor, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 6 and charged with second degree breach of peace.
•Joshua Stephen Handy, 22, of 15 Chestnut St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 6 and charged with third degree criminal trespass and sixth degree larceny.
•Frank J. Mitte, 20, of 322 Park St., Apt. No. 1W, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 6 and charged with third degree burglary and third degree larceny.
•Angel R. Machiavelo, 36, of 57 Shultas Place., Hartford was arrested on Aug. 5 and charged with second degree failure to appear.
•Jordan Cistulli, 28, of 78 Constance Lane., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 8 and charged with sixth degree larceny.
•Jessi Cyrulik, 31, of 9 Nicholas Dr., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 7 and charged with interfering with an officer and second degree breach of peace.
•William J. Decker, 19, of 86 Columbia St., New Britain was arrested on Aug. 8 and charged with third degree criminal trespass and sixth degree larceny.
•Devin Dipace, 26, of 322 South St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 7 and charged with disorderly conduct.
•Rebecca Falcon, 26, of 56 Ingraham Place., Apt. No. 2, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 7 and charged with injury/ risk/ impairing morals, second degree breach of peace, third degree assault and threatening.
•Victor Karl Lehtinen, 33, no address provided, was arrested on Aug. 7 and charged with third degree larceny.
•Gregory S. Pierce, 26, of 71 Foxwood Rd., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 8 and charged with illegal possession of narcotics and illegal possession near school.
•Vonnie Samson, 52, of 106 Prospect Place., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 8 and charged with sixth degree larceny.
•Gary Shank, 65, of 106 Prospect Place., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 8 and charged with sixth degree larceny.
•Michael R. Shepard, 26, of 200 Blakeslee St., Apt. No. 198, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 8 and charged with illegal manufacturing, distribution, sale of prescription of narcotics and distribution of controlled substances less than 1500 feet from school.
•Marcus A. Solis, 23, of 124 North St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 8 and charged with illegal manufacturing, distribution, sale of prescription of narcotics and distribution of controlled substances less than 1,500 feet from school.
•John Stephens, 29, of 61 Gridley St., first floor, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 8 and charged with third degree larceny and second degree forgery.
•Robin Witkowski, 22, of 72 Williams St., Plainville was arrested on Aug. 7 and charged with second degree breach of peace.

By KAITLYN NAPLES
STAFF WRITER
There shouldn’t be any complaints on Saturday of there being nothing to do in Bristol, especially since the West End Association’s second annual festival will be taking over Rockwell Park to bring crafts, food, entertainment, games and more.
In addition to all of that, Bare Bones will be hosting the fine arts aspect of the festival where many local artists will put their work out, and will also be producing artwork, live, as the festival goes on.
Bristol resident Amy Ozga graduated from Bristol Eastern High School this year, and will be attending the Hartford Art School at the University of Hartford in the fall to work towards a degree in Drawing/Painting and Media Arts. The 18-year-old will be participating in this year’s Rockwell Park Summer Festival because she hopes to have an opportunity to showcase her work to the general public. This year’s art event will feature more than 30 artists offering a mix of live art and art for sale.
“I’m very excited about participating in the year’s West End Festival because as a young artist who still has much to improve on, I often find it difficult to showcase my work to the public,” Ozga said, adding she believes working with “Bare Bones and the West End Association allows more artistic culture to flourish in Bristol.”
She said she has primarily focused on drawing and painting, and enjoys using pencil, acrylic and oil for her artwork.
“Ever since I was a child, I was surrounded by artists— my father paints in his free time and my mother used to enjoy sculpting,” she said, adding her family has encouraged her talents, “and I really owe a lot of my success to them. With the support of my family and art instructors, I continue to work to improve my talent.” She added she is working on practicing her skills in preparation for college in the fall.
She uses her artwork to express her “inner thoughts and emotions,” which is what she said she enjoys so much.
“When I don’t feel like explaining my thoughts in words, picking up a paintbrush really helps me get across what I feel. I believe visual representations often say much more, too,” she said.
At this year’s summer festival, Ozga said she would encourage the public to come out to the free event “because I believe it showcases a positive, artistic side that Bristol often is not known for. Whether it (is) music, food, or art, there are a lot of improvements going on within our community that many people are still unaware of.”
Cindy Witter, owner of 24 Peace from Cobalt, will be at the festival as well, showcasing her products and the work of the artists that she works with. Witter worked in retail, and when she was laid off she said she’d never go back to the “corporate world” ever again. The 52-year-old mother of three, grandmother of 6, and wife of 34 years started her journey into the art world after being inspired by her late sister who passed away from a brain tumor. Her sister developed the tumor in her 30s and was only given 6 months to live. However, Witter said, her sister was a “true natural hippy artist” who didn’t want chemotherapy or chemicals, so she used meditation, tea, herbs and art as her own medication.
“She lived for 14 years, shocking the doctors and was able to raise her son and send him off to college. She used the power of nature, her art, and love for her family to live her life the way she wanted, to the end,” Witter said in an email.
Her shop, 24 Peace, is a vehicle for artists to get their work out into the community, and Witter said everything she does for the artists she works with all started with her sister. A percentage of every purchase made from 24 Peace goes toward the artists and also a charity.
“I do have to say that I have been the luckiest gal on the planet to have the most talented and giving group of artists who have agreed to take this journey with me…they are awesome and are the heart and soul of this business,” Witter said.
She added that she would encourage the public to attend the festival on Saturday to see people from all different ages and backgrounds “who just want to get together as a community and have fun and support each other.”
Kate Stephen, who has a studio in Bethlehem, is the owner of Kate Stephen Jewelry and has been making jewelry for the last 15 years. She will be attending the festival and will be displaying her artwork.
“I love the work that they (Bare Bones) have done to foster and encourage the arts in Bristol and I like the idea of joining with fellow artists to provide an engaging atmosphere for festival goers to view and purchase fine arts and crafts from local designers,” she said in an email.
Stephen said her jewelry is “sculptural copper and brass designs that feature upcycled materials, found natural objects and semi-precious stones.”
“I love creating unique wearable art that plays with different texture and colors, I come up with a new design every day,” she added.
The festival will kick off at 10 a.m. at Rockwell Park on Saturday, Aug. 17, and is free. The rain date is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 18.
For an updated listing of events and activities online, visit www.westendbristol.org. Anyone interested in participating as a vendor, or have other services to offer should contact David Hamelin at (860)583-3292.
Rockwell Park is located off of Park Street in Bristol.

Amy Ozga is among the artists participating in the Rockwell Park Summer Festival on Saturday.

By MICHAEL LETENDRE
STAFF WRITER
TORRINGTON – If the Litchfield Cowboys had any chance of taking the best of three series against Bristol in the Connecticut State Twilight League playoffs, then it had to defeat the Greeners in the opening contest between the two squads in Sunday, Aug. 12.
And with an early 2-0 lead in hand, Litchfield had the makings of a victory against Bristol.
But it would not come to pass as relief pitcher Geoff Pierce came in to just about completely shut down the Cowboys’ offense and Bristol outscored Litchfield 4-1 the rest of the way as the Greeners racked up a 4-3 come-from-behind victory in second round action from Fuessenich Park in Torrington.
Pierce was near brilliant as he pitched the final six innings of the showdown and gave up just one hit – an RBI tally to Adam Claire – and when push came to shove, the masterful chucker was on the money.
“Pierce was huge today because Joey (Randall) started and he got a little stiff in the third inning,” said Bristol coach Shawn Mirmina. “Pierce was our long relief guy today. He came in and pitched his (butt) off.”
Over his six innings of work, Pierce yielded just the one hit, walked two, and struck out three in a very even performance.
Randall started the game and gave up just four hits in his three innings of work, striking out two, and not giving up a single walk.
His only real gaffe came in the first frame of play when Litchfield (13-9) did its most damage on the afternoon.
With two outs, Mike Odenwalder (1-for-4, run) sent the first pitch he saw into left for a base hit, which was followed by a plate appearance by big Chris Beach.
Beach smashed a ball over the fence in left as his two-run homer propelled Litchfield – the home team in the affair – to a quick 2-0 push.
Bristol (17-5) managed only six hits in the game but each one led to something bigger as the game wore on.
That hitting wasn’t more evident than in the third tilt as Bristol came back to tie up the game at 2-2.
A little luck was necessary as well and the Cowboys were more than happy to comply.
First, Matt Godbout reached first base off an error as his infield pop-up was dropped and Tyler Bush also made it to first via a gaff as his grounder wasn’t cleanly fielded by third baseman Ben Murphy.
With one out and runners on first and third, Tyler McIntyre (2-for-5, RBI, run) roped a double to right-centerfield – scoring Godbout – and cutting the deficit in half at 2-1.
“Little things win games,” said Mirmina. “T-Mac (McIntyre) had two hits for us. Whenever he gets up, he can make things happen.”
With Bush now at third base, Marco Ross (2-for-5, RBI, run) grounded out to second but the lead runner crossed the plate and the game was quickly knotted at 2-2.
Litchfield struggled to get runners across the plate against Pierce but in the fifth, the Cowboys once again assumed control of the game.
Colin Dickinson walked to open the fifth and Drew Gauvain moved him over to second base off a sacrifice bunt.
Ed Dequignot flew out to center but Claire (2-for-4, RBI, stolen base) singled home Dickinson as Litchfield edged in front 3-2.
But the Cowboys were threatening again one inning later.
In the sixth, as quick as Pierce got himself into trouble, he got himself right out.
Pierce hit Beach with a pitch and walked two others as the Cowboys had the bases juiced with one out.
From there, he struck out Dickinson and got Gauvain to groundout as Litchfield’s lead remained at 3-2.
“This game was all (about) Pierce,” said Mirmina. “That’s the biggest game of the year for Geoff right now.”
Up until the seventh inning, Litchfield pitcher Joey Serafin was cruising along but he got tired late into the game.
In the seventh, Serafin finally faltered and the Greeners took the lead for good – all off a two-out jaunt.
McIntyre slammed a ball into right for a hit and Ross zipped out a bloop single to short centerfield to put two runners on.
Serafin then walked the next three Bristol batters as his control went out the window.
First, the base-on-balls to T.J. Wyrebek (1-for-2) loaded things up and off consecutive walks to Stephen Clout and Nick Palmisanno (three walks, RBI), two runs were forced in and off the second tally – scoring Ross – the Greeners’ lead was 4-3.
“We had a few hits here and there but two runs were walked in,” said Mirmina. “We were patient at the plate and our defense was solid today. We had a couple of guys playing out of position just to make the line-up a little better.”
“It worked out well.”
Pierce then retired six straight, leading into the ninth inning.
Litchfield’s Karl Quist reached base off a ground-ball error to open the ninth. But three quick outs later, the contest was over and Bristol came away with a tremendous one-run victory.
The Cowboys needed to steal this one. But off the loss, Litchfield now will have to win twice at Muzzy Field as the Greeners can close out the fray with either a victory on Monday, Aug. 11 or Tuesday, Aug. 12.
It’s a tall order either way to matter how you slice it for Litchfield.
“That’s a huge win for us,” said Mirmina. “Now we have Ziedzwiecki (for game two). We really have two aces and he’s one of them. He’s going (to pitch) on Monday. Hopefully, we can close out the series Monday and then face the winner of Tri-Town and Bethlehem.”

West_Bristol_OOAWest_BristolStafford Bristol_Central_High_School Bristol_Eastern_High_School BTECH_Transfer Chippens_Hill_Middle_School Downtown_Parochial Edgewood Goodwin_Tech Greene_Hills_K-8 Hubbell Ivy_Drive Mt._View NorthEast_Middle_School Southington_VOAG SouthSide St_Matthews

Click the links for a pdf of your school bus route for the upcoming year. Bristol students return to class on Aug. 29.

Veterans’ Services announces the deadline for the Veterans’ Exemptions Eligibility. 
Veterans who may be entitled to a tax exemption must have their DD214 discharge papers on file with the City Clerk’s Office on or before Sept. 30 to receive an exemption for the Oct. 1, 2013 Grand List. Veterans who have previously recorded their discharge papers and are already receiving an exemption, need not refile.
Additionally, any veteran who has recently been honorably discharged, or moved to Bristol, and has 90 days or more of wartime service, must record his/her DD214 discharge papers with the City Clerk’s Office and the Assessor’s Office on or before Sept. 30.
Any person having served anywhere after Aug. 2, 1990 for 90 days or more of active service and has been honorably discharged, or is a member of the military who is currently serving honorably, are now eligible for a veteran exemption. Members who are actively serving should contact the Bristol Assessor’s Office at (860)584-6240 for details on needed documentation. Veterans discharged after Aug. 2, 1990, and who previously filed his/her DD214, must contact the Bristol Assessor’s Office in order to activate this exemption. 
Effective Oct. 1, 2009, the dates for Operation Earnest Will have been changed to the period of July 24, 1987 to Aug. 1, 1990.
Veterans or their surviving spouse with an income less than $40,900 (married) or $33,500 (single) may qualify for additional benefits. Qualifying income means adjusted gross income as determined for the purpose of the Federal Income Tax, plus Social Security and any other income not included in such adjusted gross income. Application for the additional veteran exemption must be completed at the assessor’s office no later than Oct. 1.
Spouses of deceased veterans, who have not remarried, are also eligible for the same exemption for which the veteran was qualified.

Active duty service members
As of July 1, 2008, any active member of the armed forces is entitled to the full exemption of one motor vehicle, regardless of the location of his or her vehicle. The definition of armed forces is the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force and any reserve component thereof, including the Connecticut National Guard performing duty. Members who are actively serving should contact the Bristol assessor’s office at (860)584-6240 for details on needed documentation.

Disabled veterans
Connecticut disabled veterans who receive eligibility notices directly from the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs may be entitled to property tax assessment exemptions ranging from 2,250 to 4,500 for service-related disabilities depending upon disability rating. In order to receive this exemption, the veteran must file form 20-5455 with the Assessor’s Office prior to the Board of Assessment Appeals completion of duties.
New legislation only requires the disabled veteran to file the initial form 20-5455 to activate any applicable exemptions. It is no longer required to be filed every year (except in the event that the disability rating changes). Disabled veterans who have reached the age of 65 should notify their local Assessor’s Office of there date of birth.
Veterans in need of a tax exemption notice from the VA may call the Newington Regional Office at 1-800-827-1000 for a replacement form. 
For further information, call the Bristol Veterans’ Service at (860) 584-6299.

The Bristol Police Department reported the following arrests:
•Walter John Slekis, 66, of 3 Cardinal Dr., Farmington was arrested on Aug. 11 and charged with operation while under the influence.
•Shawn Stephen Blanchard, 36, of 111 Greene St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 11 and charged with sixth degree larceny.
•Kalia C. Jones, 21, of 151 Moody St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 11 and charged with sixth degree larceny.
•Marjorie S. Higgins, 50, of 40 Pardee St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 11 and charged with third degree larceny.
•Jose G. Martinez, 31, of 203 Davis Dr., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 11 and charged with third degree assault and second degree breach of peace.
•Justin R. Mankus, 31, of 385 Camp St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 10 and charged with third degree assault and second degree breach of peace.
•Adam M. Nelms, 26, of 210 Park St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 10 and charged with sixth degree larceny.
•Samuel Olson, 21, of 155 Redstone Hill Rd., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 10 and charged with second degree breach of peace, second degree harassment, and threatening.
•Shadd Layton, 31, of 18 Steele Rd., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 10 and charged with operation while under the influence and traveling unreasonably fast.
•Denise E. Daly, 33, of 83 James Ave., New Britain was arrested on Aug. 9 and charged with third degree assault, second degree breach of peace, carry and sale of dangerous weapon, and interfering with an officer.
•Sheena C. Betsey, 27, of 257 Main St., Apt. No. 8, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 12 and charged with injury/risk/impairing morals.
•John Colon, 26, of 50 Ebert Dr., Apt. No. 68, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 13 and charged with disorderly conduct and third degree assault.
•Allen Drost, 27, of 290 Louisiana Ave., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 13 and charged with third degree sexual assault.
•Pauline E. Martin, 28, of 290 Louisiana Ave., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 13 and charged with third degree sexual assault.
•Pasquale J. Mastroianni, 63, of 46 Fourth St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 13 and charged with criminal violation of protective order threatening.
•William A. Paige, 20, of 49 Nicholas Dr., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 13 and charged with second degree criminal mischief and second degree breach of peace.
•Jeffrey L. Blaise, 27, of 88 Shawn Dr., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 14 and charged with illegal manufacturing, distribution, sale of prescription. He was arrested in another incident and charged with illegal manufacturing, distribution, sale of prescription of narcotics. He then was arrested in another incident and charged with illegal manufacturing, distribution, sale of prescription, possession of drug paraphernalia in a drug factory situation, illegal possession of hallucinogen, and illegal possession of marijuana less than 4 ounces.
•Richard E. Cote, 38, of 572 East Rd., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 15 and charged with second degree breach of peace.
•Jay T. Dick, 24, of 205 Jerome Ave., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 15 and charged with second degree larceny.
•Matthew J. Dudley, 27, of 18 Cassidy Dr., Plainville was arrested on Aug. 15 and charged with third degree burglary, sixth degree larceny and second degree breach of peace.
•Joseph B. Legeyt, 30, of 25 Glenwood Dr., Plainville was arrested on Aug. 16 and charged with second degree failure to appear.
•Terrie Lyne, 42, of 50 Beechwood Lane., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 16 and charged with disorderly conduct.
•Tina M. Mason, 44, of 19 Earl St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 15 and charged with sixth degree larceny.
•Reginald J. Moll, 40, of 21 Lincoln Place, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 15 and charged with sixth degree larceny.
•Christopher M. Olson, 25, of 369 Jerome Ave., Burlington was arrested on Aug. 15 and charged with second degree larceny.
•Melissa K. Ouellette, 24, of 13 Cassidy Dr., Plainville was arrested on Aug. 15 and charged with third degree burglary, sixth degree larceny and second degree breach of peace. She was arrested in another incident and charged with violation of probation.
•Kevin C. Thomas, 22, of 56 Pheasant Run., Southington was arrested on Aug. 15 and charged with operation while under the influence and restricted turns fail signal.
•Sheri Woodin, 42, of 21 Lincoln St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 15 and charged with sixth degree larceny.

By MICHAEL LETENDRE
STAFF WRITER
TORRINGTON – When it came to the third and final game of the Connecticut Tri-State Baseball North Divisional Championship, it wasn’t the pitching that failed the Bristol Greeners’ squad that led to the loss.
In fact, with most of its stellar pitching rotation out of the state, Bristol did remarkably well off the mound with its remaining staff onsite.
But in its rubber match against top seeded Tri-Town, errors did-in the Greeners squad as the Trojans wrapped it up in a series-ending 7-3 win from Fuessenich Park in Torrington on Sunday, August 18.
Tri-Town (24-3) moved on to the Tri-State World Series to square off against Naugatuck to determine the ultimate victor of the league.
Bristol finished off an impressive campaign at 19-7 but lost its final two games to the best outfit the Tri-State League had to offer.
In its final challenge of the season, the squads locked horns in a 2-2 stalemate going into the bottom of the sixth inning when starter Geoff Pierce (seven hits, two strikeouts, no earned runs) gave up back-to-back singles to Kyle Osolin (1-for-3, two runs) and Joel Judson (2-for-4, two runs) to end his stint on the mound.
Macro Ross, who hasn’t pitched since the Stone Age, came in to replace Pierce on the mound and gave up a quick infield hit to Casey McDonald to load up the bases with no outs on the board.
Ross then tallied two quick strikeouts and was just about to pitch his way out of the jam.
But two errors and three unearned runs later, the Trojans rode up a 5-2 edge in the game and never looked back.
In all, four errors led the Greeners to doom and demise on the evening.
“Defense is usually our strength, and today, we were let down by our defense,” said Bristol coach Shawn Mirmina. “We thought going into this series, our pitching would be our question mark but really, our pitching was pretty good.”
Pierce was brilliant and Ross was too and it appeared that the latter ended the sixth frame off a ground-ball by John Callahan that was heading right at second basemen John Pastyrnak.
But the ball took a misleading hop and bounced away from the second basemen as he attempted to field it.
Osolin quickly crossed the plate to give Tri-Town a 3-2 push.
Connor Murray followed by smashing a ball to Tyler Bush at third base but his throw went wild to first – leading to two additional runs – as the Trojans zipped up a 5-2 lead after six.
“Geoff comes back on one day’s rest and gave us six quality innings,” said Mirmina. “Marco comes in and he gets a big ground ball that…the ball took a funky hop on (Pastyrnak) but that play was a big play right there.”
Tri-Town starting pitcher Jordie Scheiner – who won game two off a four hit shutout – was rocked for seven hits and two runs as Bristol made some excellent adjustments on the chucker to knock him out of the fray early.
Bristol scored a run right off the bat in the first inning as Nick Palmisano (2-for-5) doubled to centerfield and then scored off an RBI single by Ross as the Greeners went in front 1-0.
A sacrifice fly by Mike Fabiaschi (1-for-2, RBI) in the third inning tied things up a 1-1 but Bristol responded in the fourth frame.
In the fourth, Pastyrnak scored via a single by Matt Godbout (2-for-5, RBI) that bounced off the third base bag and took a funny roll away from everyone as the Greeners went ahead 2-1.
But in the bottom of the tilt, a base hit by Joe Bunnell (2-for-5) scored Judson and once again made it a tied affair, this time at 2-2.
Once Tri-Town took the lead off the miscues in the sixth, Bristol went right back at it, loading the bases right up with two outs as Ross represented the go-ahead run in the ballgame.
But Ross was struck-out by eventual victor Sam Shurberg (2.1 innings, one hit, three strikeouts) as Bristol still trailed by three runs.
In the bottom of the seventh, McDonald’s two-out, two-RBI double increased the Trojans lead to 7-2 with time running out on the Greeners.
In the eighth, with the spread still at five, Tri-Town ace pitcher Miles Scribner came in to throw but one frame later, Bristol roughed him up a bit.
David Casanova (2-for-5) started the ninth with a single, stole second, and advanced to third off a bad throw by the catcher trying to gun-down him down.
Palmisano then hit a single to left field to score Casanova as Bristol cut the deficit to 7-3.
Ross later zipped a single to center but with two runners on, Scribner tallied two quick outs as Tri-Town won it by four and advanced to World Series play with the win.

By MICHAEL LETENDRE
STAFF WRITER
In a few weeks, the fall scholastic sports season will be upon us and all of its teams – including football – will take the fields for the 2013 campaign.
In fact, some of our fine athletes are already getting into preseason form and a football team or three has hit the fields in Bristol.
But I want to go back to something I’ve touched upon over recent years in writing sports for the Bristol Observer.
It’s about Bristol Eastern getting lights for its football fields, an endeavor that still has a full head of steam and, truly is so important to sports in our city.
And that fact is something people don’t – or can’t – understand.
The most common question is why do they need lights at Bristol Eastern when they have them at Muzzy Field?
Can’t you just keep playing football down there and forget about this issue?
What about the money…it’s not cheap. (Next week, we’ll find out how close Eastern is in getting those lights and how the fundraising efforts are proceeding.)
Sure, the Lancers can keep playing down at Muzzy and there’s no problem with that.
But there’s a bigger picture here and with the addition with sports such as lacrosse and the like, field usage is at an all-time high in the Mum City.
And if you’re going to use valuable property in town for doggy walking (and doggy pooping), time to make the fields we have useable right now not just in the afternoon but during evening hours as well.
Hence, lights on the main Eastern field.
I endorse it, not just because I am aproduct of Bristol Eastern, but our athletes deserve to be in the spotlight on its own campus.
Plus, the sports command such a venue like most of the other towns has that are not named Terryville.
As stated before, the venue at Eastern is tailor made for football, soccer, and the like with a concession stand, bathrooms, fenced in field, etc.
Sure, you somehow have to add more seating (by the way, when Berlin comes to town for its football game on Sept. 13 against Eastern, I hope all those fans – and there’s going to be a TON of fans – bring their blankets for their “hillside viewing” pleasure) but the additions, outside of the lights, won’t be that extreme. 
And that lit field wouldn’t just be used for football.
Wouldn’t it be cool to see lacrosse play a little night time game?
The program certain deserves it.
How about a night track meet between Bristol Eastern and Central?
That would be cool.
I’m still disappointed we can’t have a night softball game on the Central or Eastern campus (that’s a whole other story and a whole other bank of lights needed for one of the schools to make that a reality…).
That would also be an outstanding possibility.
Plus the school spirit, the school pride…it all factors into a home field advantage the Eastern football, soccer, track, and lacrosse programs could all use and enjoy.
It’s an advantage the football team has only been able to enjoy three times in its collective history and that simply isn’t enough.
Look, we have too much going on as it is on vastly overworked fields and some of the conditions of them are not very good to begin with.
That situation has to improve and quickly.
How about looking at the job the Catholic high school is doing in town in terms of fields and the like?
You can point at St. Paul – yes, that’s another situation entirely – and look at how its sports complex is slowly changing.
And for that school, those upgrades are going to improve that whole sports situation down on that campus 10-fold.
It takes time to implement changes but in Bristol, it really seems that we’re at a snail’s pace here.
And I’m not attacking anyone…I just know that we could just do so much better than we’ve shown to date.
We have so many sports now in town and the growth of lacrosse has proven the fact that we need to make some changes and grow a little more quickly.
I know there are some plans in the works to look at the field problems in our town and some viable recommendations to have better conditions for usage will soon be made.
A committee like that would be welcomed in Bristol, that’s for sure.
And with Chris Cassin coming in as the new athletic director in town that’s a big boost for Bristol right off the bat.
Cassin, a former coach at Bristol Eastern, is a take charge kind of guy who will probably have some pretty good ideas about things that need changing and the like.
I sound like a broken record here but I’m so sick and tired of going to venues like Wethersfield, Conard, Rocky Hill, or Hall and saying to myself, “Why doesn’t Bristol have this” or “What are we doing wrong?”
Middletown’s field, behind its school, is simply outstanding as well.
Hopefully, new changes are coming down the pike and with a new blood in place in terms of “athletic leadership” at the top, I feel Bristol can get right back on track with some of those other towns.
We don’t need wholesale changes in town because Bristol has all the tools.
But getting our athletic programs back on track – in terms of facilities – isn’t too much too ask, is it?
NOTES…Don’t forget that the Bristol Eastern soccer teams will also play at home for the first time ever under the lights on Tuesday, Sept. 10 as the teams battle Farmington in a CCC Interdivisional tilt. The girls game gets underway at 5:30 pm with the boys to follow at 7:15 p.m.

The Bristol Police Department reported the following arrests:
•Claire E. Crussana, 62, of 267 Main St., Apt. No. 12, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 19 and charged with second degree failure to appear.
•Tremayne Nigel Brown, 31, of 309 Park St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 18 and charged with operation without license, operation while under the influence and restricted turns fail signal.
•Melissa Causcut, 43, of 1736 Farmington Ave., Unionville was arrested on Aug. 18 and charged with sixth degree larceny.
•Michael L. Thayer, 36, of 257 Main St., Apt. No. 4, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 18 and charged with third degree criminal mischief.
•Roman Jimenez, 45, of 41 Peck Lane., Apt. No. 2, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 18 and charged with following too close, no insurance, operation without license, and operation while under the influence. He was arrested in another incident and charged with second degree assault, second degree breach of peace and second degree criminal mischief.
•Edward L. White, 44, of 39 Nicholas Dr., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 18 and charged with second degree breach of peace and threatening.
•Junior McGarrah, 21, of 6 Fourth St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 17 and charged with second degree assault, second degree breach of peace, and carry and sale of dangerous weapon.
•Michael D. Wilkins, 46, of 60 Rhoda Lane., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 17 and charged with interfering with an officer. He was arrested in another incident and charged with sixth degree larceny.
•Stephen J. Labonte, 33, of 88 Hotchkiss Dr., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 17 and charged with interfering with a search and interfering with an officer.
•Jonathan Baez, 21, of 30 Darling St., Apt. No. S, Southington was arrested on Aug. 17 and charged with first degree criminal mischief.
•Fred Kelly, 56, of 102 South St., Apt. No. 4, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 16 and charged with second degree breach of peace and criminal violation of protective order non-threatening.
•Cynthia W. Santana, 60, of 102 South St., Apt. No. 4, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 16 and charged with second degree breach of peace and criminal violation of protective order non-threatening.
•Michael J. Ropiak, 39, no address provided, was arrested on Aug. 16 and charged with fifth degree larceny.
•Gary L. Weigold, 58, of 47 Stearns St., Apt. No. 9, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 16 and charged with operation while under the influence.
•Terrie Lyne, 42, of 50 Beechwood Lane., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 16 and charged with disorderly conduct.
•Wilfredo V. Castro, 25, of 28 Collier Ave., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 16 and charged with second degree failure to appear.
•Joseph B. Legeyt, 30, of 25 Glenwood Dr., Plainville was arrested on Aug. 16 and charged with second degree failure to appear.
•Ethel P. Brazeau, 71, of 55 Gaylord St., Apt. No. 512, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 20 and charged with third degree criminal mischief.
•Claire E. Crussana, 62, of 267 Main St., Apt. No. 12, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 19 and charged with second degree failure to appear.
•Anastasia M. Gallup, 28, of 58 Prospect St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 20 and charged with violation of probation.
•Joseph C. Johnson, 32, no address provided, was arrested on Aug. 19 and charged with first degree criminal trespass, third degree criminal mischief, second degree breach of peace, criminal violation of protective order threatening and third degree assault.
•Ashley Paskov, 22, of 118 Willow St., New Britain was arrested on Aug. 21 and charged with illegal operation of motor vehicle under the influence second offense.
•Andrew J. Churchill, 23, of 27 East View Rd., Terryville was arrested on Aug. 23 and charged with operation while under the influence and driving the wrong way.
•Mark A. Horner, 49, of 73 Race St., Apt. No. 6, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 23 and charged with disorderly conduct.
•Stephanie A. Jones, 23, no address provided was arrested on Aug. 22 and charged with second degree false statement.
•Peter R. Langlois, 49, of 728 Farmington Ave., Apt. No. 7, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 22 and charged with operation of unregistered motor vehicle, misuse of plate, theft of plate number/insert, operation with registration/license suspended/revoked, distribution of controlled substances less than 1,500 feet from school, illegal possession near school, and no insurance.
•Kimberly A. Letizia, 27, of 88 Collins Rd., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 21 and charged with illegal possession of narcotics.
•Emily S. Michaud, 21, of 752 Farmington Ave., Apt. No. 6, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 21 and charged with second degree breach of peace.
•Dayna R. Oldham, 43, of 46 Kennedy Dr., Thomaston was arrested on Aug. 22 and charged with failure to keep drug in original container and illegal possession near school.
•Lechey E. Partin, 20, no address provided, was arrested on Aug. 22 and charged with second degree failure to appear.
•William P. Prentiss, 25, of 83 Gridley St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 21 and charged with second degree breach of peace.
•Attone A. Wilson, 44, of 89 South Washington St., Plainville was arrested on Aug. 21 and charged with operation of unregistered motor vehicle, operation while under the influence, failure to have lights lit, no insurance, and illegal carry of firearm while under the influence of drugs/alcohol.
•Kenneth Worrell, 39, no address provided, was arrested on Aug. 21 and charged with second degree failure to appear.

The Bristol Board of Education has slated a special meeting for Thursday at 6 p.m., in Room 36 of the Board of Education Administrative Building, 129 Church St., Bristol. The board is expected to convene in executive session to discuss its negotiations with AFSCME Local #2267.

The Bristol Police Department reported the following arrests:
•Alex Aponte, 21, of 36 Park St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 23 and charged with third degree larceny and criminal possession of firearm.
•Damase Caron, 46, of 956 Farmington Ave., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 23 and charged with injury/ risk/ impairing morals, interfering with an officer, second degree breach of peace, criminal use of firearm, threatening and first degree reckless endangerment.
•Andrew J. Churchill, 23, of 27 East View Rd., Terryville was arrested on Aug. 23 and charged with operation while under the influence and driving wrong way.
•Michael Garcia, 18, of 27 Braeburn Rd., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 25 and charged with illegal possession.
•Dagoberto Germosen, 19, of 12 Park St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 24 and charged with third degree assault, first degree threatening and first degree reckless endangerment.
•Jovanni A. Germosen, 20, of 12 Park St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 24 and charged with third degree assault, first degree threatening, and first degree reckless endangerment.
•Nicole Jean Gohar, 38, of 84 Rowe Place., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 23 and charged with third degree larceny and second degree false statement.
•Fernando Gonzalez, 59, of 306 Hart St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 25 and charged with second degree breach of peace and third degree assault.
•Donna Gregory, 27, of 178 Woodland St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 24 and charged with second degree failure to appear.
•Mark A. Horner, 49, of 73 Race St., Apt. No. 6, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 23 and charged with disorderly conduct.
•Melissa R. Manna-Swain, 33, of 50 Litchfield Rd., Thomaston was arrested on Aug. 25 and charged with second degree breach of peace and third degree assault.
•Javier Mojica, 41, of 12 Park St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 24 and charged with illegal manufacturing, distribution, sale of prescription and illegal possession.
•Angel Pastor, 28, of 269 Main St., Apt. No. 14, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 25 and charged with third degree burglary, second degree criminal mischief, and sixth degree larceny.
•Kevin J. Peterson, 27, of 72 Kimberly Lane., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 24 and charged with operation while under the influence, restricted turns fail signal and operation of motor vehicle while using a cell phone.
•Kimberly Stark, 38, of 32 Twining St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 25 and charged with second degree breach of peace.
•Debra I. Zanardi, 45, of 51 Prospect St., Burlington was arrested on Aug. 25 and charged with second degree breach of peace.
•Marlene M. Desmarais, 50, of 73 Field St., Apt. No. 3, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 29 and charged with third degree assault, and second degree breach of peace.
•David A. Simone, 53, of 73 Field St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 29 and charged with second degree breach of peace.
•Wesley F. Slaughter, 44, of 13 Chestnut St., Apt. No. 1, Bristol was arrested on Aug. 29 and charged with second degree assault, disorderly conduct and threatening.
•Andrea N. Culmone, 30, no address provided, was arrested on Aug. 28 and charged with violate conditional discharge.
•Jose L. Virola, 31, of 102 Brook St., Hartford was arrested on Aug. 28 and charged with operation while under the influence.
•Jeremy T. Fortin, 35, of 60 High St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 28 and charged with third degree assault, second degree breach of peace and failure to comply fingerprint request.
•Larry Mixon, 64, no address provided, was arrested on Aug. 27 and charged with third degree assault, second degree breach of peace, and third degree strangulation.
•Bryana L. Morgan, 20, of 37 Divinity St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 27 and charged with third degree assault, second degree breach of peace, and injury/risk/impairing morals.
•Tyler P. Hebert, 23, of 38 Curtiss St., Bristol was arrested on Aug. 26 and charged with third degree assault, second degree breach of peace, third degree criminal mischief, injury/risk/impairing morals, second degree larceny, third degree robbery, and second degree unlawful restraint.
•Jackie Madore, 43, no address provided, was arrested on Aug. 26 and charged with sixth degree larceny.
•Julio Zambrana, 27, of 570 Main St., Naugatuck was arrested on Aug. 26 and charged with third degree assault, second degree breach of peace, first degree burglary, and failure to comply with fingerprint request.
•Antonio D. Cruz, 47, no address provided, was arrested on Aug. 26 and charged with third degree larceny. He was arrested in another incident and charged with second degree failure to appear.

By KAITLYN NAPLES
STAFF WRITER
Just three weeks before a vote takes place, the two candidates running for the city’s top job faced off in a debate that covered a variety of issues the city is facing.
Republican mayoral candidate Ken Cockayne and Democrat mayoral candidate Chris Wilson spent about 75 minutes last Monday evening at St. Paul Catholic High School, discussing various topics and telling the public why they are the best choice to be mayor of the city.
“I bring the skills and experiences needed for leadership,” Wilson said, adding that he understands what is required to be mayor of the city, and will lead by creating a culture of transparency. He said the city has a public relations problem, and he said “our challenge is to create an environment” where the city feels safe and successful.
Cockayne said he has what it takes to be mayor, since he has held the position of “acting mayor” before and currently holds it as well. Also, he has been a councilman for the last six years, and said he has the knowledge and experience to “hit the ground running” without lag time.
“We need a leader who has a proven track record,” Cockayne said, “and that leader is me.”
While the two candidates agreed on some issues, like promoting the city of Bristol in a positive light and that the city is not defined by one person and that the residents only want the best for their families, they disagreed on other issues, like the status of the West End neighborhood of Bristol.
West End
The West End “has come a long way over the last six years,” Cockayne said, adding that realigning the intersection in the West End is critical, and he also commended the “thriving” West End Association. He said funding from the state and federal level would be necessary for a project like aligning the intersection, and if elected he would pursue that.
Wilson disagreed, and said the neighborhood is still full of blight and vacant or shell businesses, and has not come a long way over the last six years. He said code enforcement is necessary in the area, and if elected he will make that a focus.
Downtown Develop-ment, Branding, Bristol Development Authority
Another issue that was brought up at last week’s debate was the downtown development of Depot Square, and where the candidates saw its progress after their first term as mayor, if elected.
Cockayne said he sees “phase 1” of the project as completed, and that would include mixed-use buildings. He also said he sees the city holding onto its tax base and continuing the consolidation efforts among departments and services.
Wilson said he wants to focus on things “we can really accomplish” like working with unions, and properly funding the city’s education, as he said it has been level funded for several years. While he said he wants to see the development of the downtown lot succeed, the marketplace has to support it, or the city needs to take another look at the plan for that space. On the topic of the downtown project, Wilson said he is “cautiously optimistic” the project will come to fruition.
Education and Schools
When it comes to the vision of the city’s education and how to keep the system competitive, Wilson said “we need to remain diligent and undergird the board’s finances” and keep a high quality level of education.
Cockayne said his opponent “believes education starts with administration” but he believes education starts with teachers and students.
“We need to get resources to the people who are teaching our students,” Cockayne said, adding that he has a son in the Bristol School District and is marrying a teacher.
Regarding the four closed schools that have been vacant, Jennings School is the only one that has been purchased for redevelopment. Wilson said the city needs to have a “large planning meeting” to see what the best fit is for all of the vacant schools. He said the schools should be sold to entrepreneurs, with the exception of Memorial Boulevard School, which he said should be used for an incubation facility for small businesses, or find other uses.
Cockayne said the real estate committee has had several meetings to figure out what to do with the schools, have put the schools out to bid, and now the issue is being taken up by the city planner.
The next opportunity to watch the full mayoral debate on Nutmeg Television will be on Sunday, Oct. 27 at 8 p.m., on Government Channel 96.
Comments? Email knaples@BristolObserver.com.

As Bristol residents prepare this year’s municipal elections on Nov. 5, the Observer asked the council candidates for the city three districts a series of questions that will help voters make their choices when they turn out to cast their ballots.

Calvin Brown
Democratic
candidate
for District 2
As a challenger, what is an issue that has come up to the council in which you would have handled differently? How?
I would have handled the police union contract negotiations differently. The deal was turned down by the city after extensive negotiations because of a small salary increase. Consequently, the matter was sent to binding arbitration. Ultimately, the city lost, and spent far more in arbitration and attorneys’ fees than what they would have spent agreeing to the salary increase. I would have voted to accept the contract because I believe it was fair to begin with.

What do you believe are the biggest issues Bristol faces in the next two years and, if elected, how will you contribute to address them?
I think it’s highly important to continue with downtown development in such a way that people can see it in progress. I will advocate that the city council work closer with the Bristol Downtown Development Committee, as well as hire a new economic development director.
In combination with development efforts, the city needs to do all in its power to attack blight. All candidates agree on stricter code enforcement, but I will also advocate for stronger ordinances that hold landlords accountable for the maintenance and appearance of properties they own in this city.
The city needs to work with its state elected officials to make sure that the legislature stops level funding our schools. I have a good relationship with all of the city’s state representatives, and I know they’re eager to help our schools. I will be their partner.

What can you do, if elected, to attract more business to the city?
In order to attract new businesses, they will need some place to locate. If elected, I will work with all of our officials to remediate brownfield properties and get those sites usable again. Likewise, I will work with our state delegation to aggressively seek bio-medical companies to fill our new bio-tech industrial zone.
Also, as a city councilor, I will work with the mayor and the council to actively seek a new economic development director. I will support tax breaks for businesses looking to expand, as well as provide resources and incentives to revive and nourish Bristol’s manufacturing sector.
Finally, I believe it is important to work with the city’s greatest businesses to try and cultivate an atmosphere that is conducive to the growth of new businesses that can support, sustain, and enhance some of Bristol’s top employers.

If elected, what will you do to make sure taxes are low without city services being cut?
If we expand industry, streamline administration of services, and return properties back to the grand list, the city will be able to raise revenue without continuously increasing taxes or cutting city services.
Bio:
Running for City Council in first district.
Junior at Central Connecticut State University studying political science in the honors program
Intern, Education and Workforce Development at the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology
Active in the community as an executive member of the Bristol Exchange Club and as a lector and volunteer CCD teacher at St. Gregory’s Church. Exemplified leadership as founding member of Congressman John Larson’s Congressional Youth Cabinet and as alternate member of the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Henri Martin
Republican candidate District 2
As an incumbent, what is an accomplishment you are most proud of during the time you have served?
The accomplishment I feel I most contributed to is increasing sufficient oversight on the city’s budget. I believe, since being elected, more city employees are more accountable, and are now better monitoring how the city is allocating and spending tax payers’ dollars. Simply, Bristol citizens want its elected officials, including city department heads, staff and employees, to be transparent and upright overseers of city expenditures. Moreover, regardless of difficult or good economic times, it’s vital to continually monitor and weigh spending, and evaluate inefficiencies, while maintaining a high level of city services acceptable to taxpayers.
What do you believe are the biggest issues Bristol faces in the next two years and, if elected how you will contribute to address them?
The biggest challenge will be turning the West End around into a desirable destination for business owners and be a place where people will want to live and raise their children. You can be certain the process in handling the turnaround has begun. The 2011 West End Study is a great plan with many outstanding short and long term goals, which are being implemented by the area stake holders and the city leaders. But there is still a lot to do. Its success will require an unwavering commitment of time, attention, effort and resources by the city Council, Board of Finance, various city departments, neighborhood residents, and businesses and the entire city. 
I am also concerned about advancing the progress of downtown development. I’m fortunate, because of my construction and land development background and land use knowledge, I can bring an invaluable set of skills and experience that will provide me the information to make informed and positive decisions during the downtown development process. The entire community has been patient and, understandably, is anxious for a shovel to get into the ground. However factors such as demographic information, zoning change, site plan approval, and current market conditions and financing all have to come into place for the project to proceed and for it to be successful. I’m cautiously optimistic phase one will begin sometime within the next year.
What can you do, if elected, to attract more business to the city?
The most effective way to attract business into Bristol is to position Bristol for success. We do this by fiscal policy and appropriate resource allocation. Understand fiscal policy is the use of government budget to influence economic activity. If the right policies are in place and resources are distributed to match them, then the foundation is in place to generate sustained and robust revenues for business and the city. Further, we must continue the work to brand Bristol and devise a formal strategy to “sell” the many fine aspects of the city to companies who are considering re-locating to our region. Resource allocation and a good strategy plan can help.
If elected, what will you do to make sure taxes are low without city services being cut?
Prior to adopting the current city budget because of a possible $7.5M deficit, the mayor assembled a Task Force on Fiscal Efficiency early in the year to come up with ideas and ways to mitigate the deficit. What came out of the Task Force were cost saving ideas along with short and long term goals. Some of the ideas helped immediately, but most required time for policy and contractual changes such as renegotiating the worker’s compensation benefit to compensate injured workers to 2/3 of the base pay not 100 percent of base pay. Therefore, I’d like to see the task force stay in place, so it can continue to find ways the city can operate more efficiently and keep an eye on the budget details. More importantly, so it can implement the long term plans it suggested.
Bio: Henri Martin, 56, holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Anselm College; completed additional graduate classes at the University of Hartford. He is a real estate broker and owner of Henri Martin Real estate. He has experience in city government, as he has been on the city council since 2011, and also in other community organizations. He holds positions on the St. Ann Church Board of Finance, the Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce Board of Directors, and is a past parish council member of St. Ann Church and St. Matthew Church. He is also a founding member of the Bristol Soccer Club.

Bob Vojtek
Democrat candidate District 2
As a challenger, what is an issue that has come up to the council in which you would have handled differently? How?
Selling the schools that have been closed. The process was not well thought out or executed. You need a plan and vision for the city and then you need to use the plan to determine broadly what you are looking for. It is inconceivable that we would entertain an offer that didn’t fully articulate what the city was going to get. At present, Bristol is in a reactive mode. We are making decisions about things, events, and proposals that are coming to us. We need to be proactive and create the future we want to see.
The city needs to have a long-range plan… some would call it a strategic plan. Without a plan, how can we determine if we are making progress? The plan would act as a guide as we proactively solicit new businesses and create roadmap for Bristol to be the best place to live, work, and play.

What do you believe are the biggest issues Bristol faces in the next two years and, if elected, how will you contribute to address them?
The problems Bristol faces are systemic problems. The West End will require more than a can of paint and a crossing guard. We need to look at the underlying issues and create a plan and commitment to honor the value and history of the West End. The West End Study gives a starting point. This can’t be a situation where we propose throwing $250,000 at the problem and ignore it for another two years in time for the next election.

What can you do, if elected, to attract more business to the city?
Bristol needs to be an affordable place to run a business. We need an infrastructure that can support technology startups as well as dining, lodging, and entertainment venues. If we want visitors to come to Bristol, we need to have sufficient places to eat and stay.

If elected, what will you do to make sure taxes are low without city services being cut?
If we have more business and residents sharing the tax burden we can hold taxes down. That would require making Bristol to be an even better place to live work and play. Finding efficiencies that are so significant that they would keep taxes at bay are pretty unrealistic. That doesn’t mean we do not make every effort to find them,

Bio: Bob Vojtek was born and raised in the heart of the Redwoods in California. He earned his undergraduate degree from California Polytechnic State University and his Ph.D. from the University of Oregon. He has held administrative leadership positions in K-12 education, the community college level, and at several universities. He has presented on issues of leadership and technology regionally and nationally. Vojtek co-authored a book on leadership, “Motivate! Inspire! Lead! Ten Strategies for Building Collegial Learning Communities” with his wife Rosie Vojtek, principal of Ivy Drive Elementary School. Vojtek currently serves as a commissioner on the Bristol Board of Finance and is the director of technology for Avon Public Schools.

Rich Miecznikowski
Republican candidate District 2
As a challenger, what is an issue that has come up to the council in which you would have handled differently? How?
One issue that has come up is the West End problems. We just recently appropriated $250,000 to control blight. Also, there is more police presence there. Perhaps a police substation could be set up in the empty O’Connell School building.
What do you believe are the biggest issues Bristol faces in the next two years and, if elected, how will you contribute to address them?
One of the issues is the development of the mall property. We have to address this because we need a vibrant downtown. Also, we have the issue of what is the best possible use of the Memorial Boulevard School.
What can you do, if elected, to attract more business to the city?
We must continue to use Economic Development money to attract more businesses to our city. We should offer tax abatements to lure businesses to our city.
If elected, what will you do to make sure taxes are low without city services being cut?
We have excellent city services. We must continue to look at ways to keep the mill rate affordable for our taxpayers. One solution might be to combine public works, parks, and recreation to share different duties.
Bio: Rich Miecznikowski has served on the Board of Finance for 27 years, and was the chairman for the last 12 years. He is vice-chairman of the city’s retirement board and has been married for 37 years to his wife Mary Ann.

Frank Kramer
Independent candidate
District 2
As a challenger, what is an issue that has come up to the council in which you would have handled differently? How?
The imminent acquisition of the non-profit, community based Bristol Hospital by the for profit Hospital chain, Tenet Healthcare … is apparently a non-issue for this current administration and those currently running for election…. As most Democrats and some Republicans, throughout the state, rail against the likes of such acquisitions by predatory Wall Street proxies, this crop of councilmen/women are uniquely silent. The Republicans I can understand; free market at any price. But those Bristol Democrats? It’s like the cat’s got their tongue…. If elected councilman, I would be calling for a Code Blue on this take under over by Tenet….

What can you do, if elected, to attract more business to the city?
Attracting the right kinds of businesses to Bristol is a huge component to Bristol’s sustainability as a community and it’s viability regarding quality of life issues. Informed decisions on what businesses to support and what businesses not to is a tricky prospect. These days, though, it’s imperative few mistakes are made in our efforts to court businesses that will not only thrive but commit to staying in Bristol. Clearly, the complacency that has plagued Bristol in the past merits no place in its future. Government needs to be supremely pro-active to be competitive with not just other towns but other states…
Having had careers as both a seasoned salesman battling it out in the competitive trenches of cheaply-produced foreign products, as well as an officer in a high tech start up, I can speak to how important having the right people with the right tools are….
Another lesson one quickly learns in business is to keep your hands off what works. As a councilman going forward, I would lend all the support I could to build on the (Bristol Development Authority’s) recent successes…

If elected, what will you do to make sure taxes are low without city services being cut?
I’m going to make an off-the-wall observation on this subject of taxes. And that is: high or low taxes are a relative thing. In other words, what might seem like high, even outrageously high, taxes to a wealthy person who could well afford their share for keeping the community, as a whole, functioning reasonably well, might seem reasonable to someone of more moderate means who is struggling with their own tax burden…
And let’s all be clear on one thing. One thing which might require a dose of honest self appraisal; if it weren’t for the presence of ESPN, we’d all be paying considerably more… than we currently do. Substantially so… Bristol is reasonably fortunate in that department… And… I’ve never known low taxes to put out a fire, educate a classroom or efficiently respond to an emergency police call…
That said, do I see areas where we can save money and consequently keep higher taxes at bay? … As councilman, I would work tenaciously at eliminating them… If the city were in for a shortfall of unprecedentedly dangerous proportions—-where vital services might be threatened—- I would be in favor of crafting a mechanism where the managers of every city department would be required to bear the burden of 10 to 15 percent salary cut until the emergency was resolved. I would also lobby our state legislature to enable that kind of mechanism to take place on the administrative side in our education system…
Bio: Frank Kramer graduated Central Connecticut State University with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. He has worked as a psychiatric aide at the Institute of Living in Hartford, while pursuing a degree, and worked as a taxi driver in Los Angeles and Hartford. He was an officer in a high tech start up (wearing many hats including shareholder reporting, auditing, purchasing, personnel; sales and marketing); worked in the wholesale building products industry as a sales manager and as a group home supervisor for young adults transitioning out of state facilities.
As a volunteer, he has worked with the Connecticut Fund for Animals; as a crisis counselor for victims of domestic violence/sexual abuse (requiring yearly state certification), hosted two music oriented radio shows (community radio stations ) for 12 years between Rockland, Maine, and Torrington, Conn.
His daughter, Sara, graduated Hall High School (cum laude) and Barnard College (magna cum laude). She is currently managing editor of the New York Review of Books, Book Publishing division and lives in Brooklyn.
Kramer is currently self-employed on a part-time basis. Year-round spends time writing a graphic novel and hiking; kayaking, gardening this and that in the spring and summer.

As Bristol residents prepare this year’s municipal elections on Nov. 5, the Observer asked the council candidates for the city three districts a series of questions that will help voters make their choices when they turn out to cast their ballots.
Eric Carlson
Republican candidate District 1
As an incumbent, what is an accomplishment you are most proud of during the time you have served?
The biggest accomplishment was the change in direction with city labor contracts. We have kept wage increases at more reasonable levels. Having the city work with Plymouth and Plainville to deal with the flooding issues is another plus for the city.

What do you believe are the biggest issues Bristol faces in the next two years and, if elected, how will you contribute to address them?
Our biggest issue will continue to be downtown development, along with the West End and blight issues. They are closely linked and need to be handled together.

What can you do, if elected, to attract more business to the city?
Our city is attractive due to a more reasonable tax structure and incentives for expansion and hiring.

If elected, what will you do to make sure taxes are low without city services being cut?
Continuing to closely watch where money is spent and looking for efficiency where possible.

Bio: I am a self-employed electrician and have lived in Bristol most of my life. I have volunteered in Little League and Boy Scouts along with occasional Habitat for Humanity projects around the area. I am a member of Gloria Dei Church and served on the Church Council and Property Committee. I am a member of Bristol Choral Society and served on the board. My wife Tracy and I have been married 27 years, we have two children, April and Michael, who both live in Florida.

Thomas Hick
Republican candidate District 1
As a challenger, what is an issue that has come up to the council in which you would have handled differently? How?
Most of the issues I have seen in front of the council have been handled in a professional manner. No one is going to agree on every issue, but they are listening to their constituents and making the most responsible decisions.

What do you believe are the biggest issues Bristol faces in the next two years and, if elected, how will you contribute to address them?
I think one of the biggest issues facing Bristol over the next two years will be the downtown revitalization; we need to make sure the citizens of Bristol are kept informed on what is happening with this project and the city council has experienced people who will know what questions need to be asked and when to ask them.

What can you do, if elected, to attract more business to the city?
I think we need to continue to market the city as open for business. I know first hand that we have some of the most highly skilled craftsmen in the country living right here in Bristol and our surrounding towns, as many of my friends and relatives including my father have made very successful careers working in our city factories. We also must not forget the company’s that are already here in Bristol, they need to know we are here for them to assist in any needs they may have.

If elected, what will you do to make sure taxes are low without city services being cut?
First, we need to bring all the different teams to the table and see where we are duplicating efforts within the city. After that has been completed, we then have each team submit formal suggestions on where they can reduce costs.

Bio: Born and raised in Bristol, and I married my wife Michelle in 2008 and we have a daughter Emily, who is 19 months old. I have worked at Aetna since December 1999, I have held multiple positions since joining Aetna as a temporary employee in 1999 including claim error correction analyst, trainer, team leader and I am currently a project leader. Prior to working at Aetna, I was employed at Connecticut Spring and Stamping in the maintenance department from 1994 to 1999.

Stephen Jeffries
Democrat candidate District 1
As a challenger, what is an issue that has come up to the council in which you would have handled differently? How?
As a candidate for City Council in the 1st District, one of the concerns that I have is the accessibility the children close to Jennings School have available to them as they are no longer able to utilize the basketball courts and playgrounds. This area of Bristol happens to have the most densely populated section of children, which now forces these kids to travel long distances to Page Park and/or Rockwell Park in order to have some fun and recreation. My opponent, Eric Carlson refuses to see and fails to understand that this is not only a major inconvenience to the families and children, but has gone back on his word to preserve these grounds for the children to utilize in their spare time.

What do you believe are the biggest issues Bristol faces in the next two years and, if elected, how will you contribute to address them?
The two biggest issues Bristol faces is fairness with city workers (unions) and a better development plan to breathe life back in the downtown space once occupied by the Center Mall. Our children’s education is vital and it starts at all levels including the workers at each facility. The attempt to privatize the cafeteria workers in my opinion is a major slap in the face to all of the workers. These workers are not only reliable, but are dedicated to our students and give their all in everything they do. Privatizing and bringing outsiders to run some of these facilities only demonstrates that the Republican faction is only concerned about profit and not people. These workers are familiar with our children, know them well and will serve them better, rather than an outside firm and group of people who couldn’t care less and only care about getting paid. The other issue is the downtown development plan, which is a bad plan in my opinion. We don’t need more apartments and certainly don’t need a hotel. During my campaign, many people want to see a sports facility that could house indoor soccer and other sports that will cater to our children’s interest as well as bring in additional revenue from other towns and cities. 

What can you do, if elected, to attract more business to the city?
First, always keep an open mind to ideas and suggestions that are being floated. Many people here in Bristol have awesome ideas however the current council just isn’t listening. For my part, I will actively look for new businesses that would want to be part of something special. As mentioned above, I think the idea of having an indoor year round sports complex would be a good idea and would definitely pump needed dollars back into our city.

If elected, what will you do to make sure taxes are low without city services being cut?
Being able to look at and understand a budget spreadsheet is key to knowing what is being spent as opposed to what is being brought in. Unfortunately, there are several currently serving on the council who can’t do this and it shows. The numbers don’t lie, therefore looking at the data and coming up with reasonable plan to get spending and taxes under control is critical. I have both the knowledge and experience to help do this however unless and until we are elected and see the damage that has been done, it is hard to provide specifics.

As Bristol residents prepare this year’s municipal elections on Nov. 5, the Observer asked the council candidates for the city three districts a series of questions that will help voters make their choices when they turn out to cast their ballots.
Derek Czenczelewski
Republican candidate for District 3

As an incumbent, what is an accomplishment you are most proud of during the time you have served?
I’m most proud of the progress that has been made on the Pine Lake Area Study Committee and the Commission on Persons with Disabilities. Both committees have provided valuable service to the community, from finalizing plans for the Pine Lake Handicapped Fishing Pier and Parking lot to the CPD’s organization of the “Get Ready Capitol Region” training and focus on ADA improvements around the city. Both boards have worked with other community groups, and together, to produce efficient results. Although they often go overlooked, I could not be more proud of the dedication and perseverance both boards have shown.

What do you believe are the biggest issues Bristol faces in the next two years and, if elected, how will you contribute to address them?
The issues I’m most focused on are attracting more industry to the city, continuing to implement the myriad recommendations from past completed studies, seeing downtown begin the first phase of redevelopment, and keeping our budget in check. To address these items, in short, we will continue working with the Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce and our marketing consultant to get the message out on why Bristol is the perfect place for business. We will continue working with our state legislators and city staff to secure funding to implement study recommendations, monitoring the efforts of Renaissance Downtowns, and continuing to explore efficiencies in our city operations.

What can you do, if elected, to attract more business to the city?
What we have done, and will continue to do, is to make the business community across the region aware of the incentives Bristol offers, and the benefits of relocating and expanding here in Bristol. The council’s focus on marketing, as well as the continued collaboration with commercial brokers, the Bristol Development Authority, and the Chamber of Commerce will ensure we differentiate ourselves and attract top employers and new jobs to the City

If elected, what will you do to make sure taxes are low without city services being cut?
After being named the top municipality for 2013 in the Greater Hartford region by Hartford Magazine for “Best Bang for the Buck,” I think a lot has already been done to maintain city services at an affordable rate here in Bristol. If re-elected, we will continue to look for better efficiencies, increased buying power through regionalization efforts, and maintaining a conservative approach to city financing. In my opinion, the best way to keep taxes low is to grow the grand list, and with a continued focus on luring business to Bristol, we can accomplish this.

Bio: I’m a life-long resident of Bristol, the son of Bruno and Maureen Czenczelewski, and the brother of Breanna Czenczelewski. I grew up in Forestville, played baseball at Forestville Little League, and attended Bristol Public Schools. I’m a proud University of Connecticut alumnus, and have worked for ESPN and consulting firms in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry since graduating. I’m currently employed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative, a Glastonbury-headquartered architecture firm as a marketing coordinator. In 2011, my fiancé and I bought our newly built home in the Stafford School neighborhood of Bristol, and we couldn’t be happier. We are getting married in February, 2014 and look forward to many years of fun ahead, and raising a family here in Bristol.

Ellen Zoppo-Sassu
Democratic candidate for District 3

As a challenger, what is an issue that has come up to the council in which you would have handled differently? How?
I think that the Republican tactic of making the city employees a “target” and “the problem” in terms of budget issues was a way for them to avoid responsibility in coming up with the needed solutions needed to balance the budget. City employees are on the front line of delivering services and know where improvements can be made and savings found. We did this very successfully years ago when I served on Council with the Task Force on Government Efficiency. Employees had a seat at the table and helped find over $500,000 in savings and improved ways of conducting city business. Putting code enforcement back on track as a substantive policy instead of the window dressing it has been up until this past summer is another matter. The mayor and current Council members rarely attended any of the meetings so there was no priority given or leadership offered. Council members need to be hands-on and provide that leadership, working collaboratively with the departments.

What do you believe are the biggest issues Bristol faces in the next two years and, if elected, how will you contribute to address them?
The most important issue is to carefully balance all the factors to make Bristol a well-rounded community – aggressive economic development efforts to attract new businesses and help existing ones grow; a strong education system that attracts families and stabilizes the middle class and property values, and quality of life enhancements such as recreational opportunities, and arts and culture. It is also important to deliver the services that residents need such as Dial-A-Ride, so that we help our older citizens stay independent as long as they can; pre-K programs for children to get them ready, and enough extracurricular activities for students to have a well-rounded school experience and prepare them for future. Every policy and program should be evaluated as to how it impacts these priorities.

What can you do, if elected, to attract more business to the city?
It is critical to showcase Bristol’s assets: infrastructure and services, central location, and the affordable nature of available housing, quality schools, etc. for potential employees. I support the program that started during the (Mayor Frank) Nicastro administration to offer incentive grants to businesses that gives Bristol an edge in attracting businesses. It is also critical, in this technological age, that public officials conduct themselves in a civil and professional manner since many companies, residents and others are likely to “Google” or do media research on an area to get a feel for it. These past two years with the high level of political bickering has not benefited Bristol.

If elected, what will you do to make sure taxes are low without city services being cut?
This is always a balance of growing the tax base so there is more revenue to work with, as well as ensuring that every dollar is spent efficiently. Sharing resources among departments and on a regional basis is one area that should be explored as well as managing health care costs and ensuring we have the best plans in place for the employees, especially in the area of preventative care that saves money in the long-run; and also that the city’s health care vendors stay transparent and deliver the best products, rebates, and services for the city’s investment.

Bio: Ellen Zoppo-Sassu is a lifelong Bristol resident, attended local schools, and graduated from Providence College with a degree in political science and public Administration. She then went on to earn a master’s degree in public administration with a concentration in local and urban government from the University of Connecticut. Zoppo currently works for the Connecticut Pharmacists Association as the director of communications and marketing. Previously, she had worked as development director at the Boys & Girls Club and Family Center, and at the New Britain Chamber of Commerce where she still works on special projects. She also currently serves as the part-time director of development and grants for the Bristol Historical Society. She also previously served on the City Council, representing District 2, from 2001-2007.
Zoppo is married to Peter Sassu who is the police school resource Officer at Bristol Eastern High School. They have three children, Michaela, 16; Zachary, 14, and Carson, 12, all of whom attend Bristol schools. Zoppo is active in the community, serving on a number of boards and committees.
In both her previous elected service as well as the time spent volunteering in the community, Ellen has focused on quality of life issues. As a candidate for City Council in the Third District, she will continue her efforts to create a community that is attractive to families and those enjoying their golden years, strong schools, and vibrant neighborhoods.

James Albert
Republican candidate for
District 3

Q: As a challenger, what is an issue that has come up to the council in which you would have handled differently? How?
I would have voted to discontinue the search for food service alternatives in our schools once the city negotiated a contract with the food service union and entered formal arbitration. The time to look at options and alternatives is before you enter arbitration, not after. Continuing to search for options after a negotiated contract was brought to a vote of union members and the parties entered formal arbitration, can be interpreted as acting in bad faith and creates mistrust.

Q: What do you believe are the biggest issues Bristol faces in the next two years and, if elected, how will you contribute to address them?
The biggest issue has been, and will continue to be, eliminating waste in the city budget. Bristol residents, including many city workers and managers, are frustrated with how much inefficiency and waste exists in the way Bristol spends money and manages its budget. Most people I speak with are fed up with “business as usual” stagnation in city government. Others are worried they will not be able to afford to live in Bristol when they retire, or that their children cannot find work here after school. Bristol is an expensive city in the most expensive state in the country. As a result, we are losing too many good people, young and old.
How did this happen? For years, city departments were allowed to overspend with little action taken to correct it. Over the past two years, the Republican-led City Council has been asking detailed questions about the spending habits of city departments and programs, which has made many people in city government very uncomfortable. The result, however, was lowering of property taxes for most people and discovery of many areas of inefficiency and waste in city operations. If elected, I will watch city spending closely, ask a lot of questions, and insist each department and program look for ways to get more out of current investments before asking for more tax dollars. I will also ensure the city adopts better planning, management and oversight policies and procedures to get the most out of our current tax dollars.

Q: What can you do, if elected, to attract more business to the city?
Certainly keeping a close eye on city budgets and spending habits will improve the financial stability and reputation of Bristol. In addition, Bristol is blessed with hundreds of civic, social, fraternal, religious, neighborhood, sports and community-based grass roots organizations. The efforts, talents, and resources of these citizen-led groups form the backbone of our quality of life and should be better communicated, coordinated and supported by city government and the resources of the business community. Together we are stronger than the sum of our individual parts. Closer ties between the residents and City government and businesses will serve to energize and breathe life back to our City in ways we used to enjoy, but no longer exist.

Q: If elected, what will you do to make sure taxes are low without city services being cut?
As mentioned earlier, I believe the current city budget is large enough to meet our needs and provide a high quality of life for all. I don’t favor adding or cutting current investments at this time. Rather, I believe strongly there is waste and inefficiency in the current budget that, if found and corrected, will provide millions of dollars to fund priorities that were reduced, eliminated, or delayed in recent years. Bristol is a city of about 60,000 people and budget of about $180 million. That is roughly $3,000 per person – and that is enough, for now, to meet our needs. We should focus on eliminating waste first, then take those dollars and add them to improve and enhance the quality of life for our citizens and businesses.

Bio: James Albert retired as a lieutenant colonel from the U.S. Air Force in 1998 after managing and directing several of the largest data and telecommunications centers and systems in the world. While serving in the Air Force, he led technology projects and programs worth over a billion dollars and was awarded IT Project Manager of the Year for supporting space shuttle missions, Strategic Defense Initiative research, regional and worldwide military operations, high-speed global networking and large-scale supercomputing software application development. His last role in the Air Force was as special assistant for research and engineering in the office of the Secretary of Defense developing legislation, speeches, papers and presentations for senior Pentagon and White House officials and helping manage the $9 billion defense research budget.
Since his retirement from the Air Force, Albert has served as vice-president and chief information officer for four healthcare systems: Bristol Hospital in Bristol; Masonicare in Wallingford; Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington; and Jordan Hospital in Plymouth, Mass. Albert also owns and operates a private consulting firm specializing in executive-level strategic planning and project management for leading edge healthcare systems and technologies. He also teaches graduate courses in healthcare technology for the University of Connecticut and Boston University.
Albert is a decorated military officer with degrees from the University of Connecticut and The American University in Washington, D.C. He currently resides in Bristol.

Mary Fortier
Democrat Candidate District 3

As a challenger, what is an issue that has come up to the council which you would have handled differently? How?
The future of the schools that were closed, when the new schools opened, is something I would have handled differently. First, I would have started the planning for their future use earlier, prior to their closing, so they would not have been vacant as long. Secondly, the CCRPA (Central Connecticut Regional Planning Agency) should have been involved in the initial planning, particularly because multiple buildings were being closed at the same time, and CCRPA has the resources to help all parties involved see the big picture and fit in with other plans already in existence, or in the planning stages, such as Renaissance Downtowns among others. The public should have been informed and invited to participate at all stages. Last, but not least, the Memorial Boulevard School should never have been considered a commodity for sale.

What do you believe are the biggest issues Bristol faces in the next two years and, if elected, how will you contribute to address them?
I think the biggest issue Bristol faces in the next two years is seeing that the 17-acre downtown parcel development actually breaks ground and continues in a timely manner as soon as possible. As a city, we need the businesses and jobs, but as a community we need the energy, the optimism, the rejuvenation this will bring to all of us who have been waiting. Renaissance Downtowns and Bristol Rising need our continued support and the council should work with any entity needed for efficient facilitation of their efforts. Tangentially, both literally and figuratively, the neighborhoods surrounding the downtown center need our time and attention. Renewed efforts in code enforcement with cooperation among various city departments should be a priority and will contribute to making our entire downtown a showpiece.

What can you do, if elected, to attract more business to the city?
Certainly, the development of downtown will be the biggest contribution to business growth in the near future. Jobs will be created in the building and maintaining of the development as well as in the businesses that occupy the space. While facilitating development is important, the city also needs to focus on what the city does best, educating young people, developing and maintaining our beautiful parks, and providing the services necessary to any community, such as, fire, police and sanitation. When our city is attractive to families, then businesses become attracted by those families. Bristol is also home to one of the state’s vocational technical high schools, and this should be highlighted since high-tech education is another key to attracting the business of the future.

If elected, what will you do to make sure taxes are low without city services being cut?
Obviously, the expansion of the tax base helps maintain lower taxes, but there is always room for increased efficiency in how tax revenues are spent. One area I will advocate for is reducing rising health care costs for city employees. The Board of Education and city employees combined make the city the third largest employer in Bristol. Pooling these employees together with other municipal and state employees could save significant money and even improve their health care. The savings would provide more money for more direct services for residents.

Bio: Mary Fortier has lived in Bristol her whole life. She is a lawyer who works for the State of Connecticut Judicial Branch, currently in complex litigation at the Waterbury courthouse. She and her husband David (he writes a column for this publication) have raised six adult children.

The Bristol Police Department reported the following arrests:
•Denise Perez, 43, of 12 Park St., Apt. No. 1, Bristol was arrested on Oct. 24 and charged with second degree breach of peace.
•Douglas Horner, 53, of 174 Hoover Ave., Bristol was arrested on Oct. 24 and charged with second degree failure to appear.
•David G. Gonzalez, 35, of 36 Ward St., Hartford was arrested on Oct. 24 and charged with second degree failure to appear.
•Edward Gonzalez, 31, of 247 Oakland St., Bristol was arrested on Oct. 24 and charged with criminal violation of a protective order threatening.
•Ian Skelskey, 20, of 79 Tufts St., Bristol was arrested on Oct. 24 and charged with second degree breach of peace.
•Paul Skelskey, 51, of 79 Tufts St., Bristol was arrested on Oct. 24 and charged with second degree breach of peace.
•Bryan S. Goris, 18, of 330 East Rd., Bristol was arrested on Oct. 23 and charged with illegal manufacturing, distribution, sale of prescription and possession of less than 0.5 ounces of marijuana.
•Richard J. Cova, 63, of 11 Third St., Bristol was arrested on Oct. 23 and charged with second degree failure to appear.
•Desiree Bruce, 26, of 19 Earl St., Bristol was arrested on Oct. 22 and charged with second degree failure to appear.
•Ashley V. Cannon, 26, of 368 New Britain was arrested on Oct. 22 and charged with second degree failure to appear.
•Rebecca Levesque, 33, of 37 West St., Bristol was arrested on Oct. 22 and charged with second degree breach of peace.
•Jamie L. Cronin, 21, of 100 Lewis Rd., Bristol was arrested on Oct. 22 and charged with third degree assault and second degree breach of peace.
•Jason Andrew Viel, 19, of 31 Addison St., Apt. No. 1F, Bristol was arrested on Oct. 22 and charged with third degree burglary, third degree conspiracy to commit burglary, sixth degree conspiracy to commit larceny, and sixth degree larceny.
•Jonathan Joseph Viel, 21, of 14 Surrey Lane., Brookfield, Mass. was arrested on Oct. 22 and charged with third degree burglary, third degree conspiracy to commit burglary, sixth degree conspiracy to commit larceny, and sixth degree larceny.
•Ann Cyr, 41, of 425 Main St., Apt. No. 13, Bristol was arrested on Oct. 21 and charged with second degree breach of peace.
•Anthony T. Cyr, 47, of 425 Main St., Apt. No. 13, Bristol was arrested on Oct. 21 and charged with second degree breach of peace.
•Ashley D. Colon, 22, of 312 Farmington Ave., Bristol was arrested on Oct. 21 and charged with first degree burglary, first degree conspiracy to commit burglary, third degree criminal mischief, third degree conspiracy to commit criminal mischief, illegal manufacturing, distribution, sale of prescriptions, illegal possession of less than 4 ounces of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
•Jahquan R. Tutein, 19, no address provided, was arrested on Oct. 21 and charged with first degree conspiracy to commit burglary, first degree burglary, third degree conspiracy to commit criminal mischief, illegal manufacturing, distribution, sale of prescription of narcotics, illegal possession of narcotics, and interfering with an officer.
•Derrick S. Kulesa, 39, of 69 Orleans Dr., Bristol was arrested on Oct. 19 and charged with sixth degree larceny and third degree robbery.
•Maria Rodriguez, 42, of 297 Summer St., Bristol was arrested on Oct. 19 and charged with criminal impersonation, third degree identity theft, and sixth degree larceny. She was arrested in another incident and charged with sixth degree larceny.
•Christopher M. Gwara, 24, of 269 Main St., Apt. No. 15, Bristol was arrested on Oct. 19 and charged with second degree breach of peace.
•Amanda M. Nelson, 27, of 269 Main St., Apt. No. 15, Bristol was arrested on Oct. 19 and charged with second degree breach of peace.
•Michael Annelli, 18, of 36 Michael St., Bristol was arrested on Oct. 19 and charged with operation of motor vehicle by minor having elevated blood alcohol content and restricted turns fail signal.
•Patricia Scaife, 56, of 820 Matthews St., Apt. No. 27, Bristol was arrested on Oct. 19 and charged with third degree assault and second degree breach of peace.
•Dale Quereux, 42, of 97 New Britain Ave., Plainville was arrested on Oct. 18 and charged with sixth degree larceny.
•Peter Laviero, 46, of 22 Ingraham Place., Bristol was arrested on Oct. 18 and charged with second degree breach of peace, first degree criminal mischief, failure to comply fingerprint request, interfering with an officer, second degree reckless endangerment and threatening.
•Ronald P. Savage, 59, of 41 Miller Rd., Apt. No. 14, Bristol was arrested on Oct. 18 and charged with second degree failure to appear. He was arrested in another incident and charged with criminal violation of protective order threatening and first degree criminal trespass.
•Justin C. Cullen, 32, of 41 Miller Rd., Apt. No. 14, Bristol was arrested on Oct. 18 and charged with third degree burglary, third degree conspiracy to commit burglary, second degree criminal mischief, second degree conspiracy to commit criminal mischief, fifth degree larceny, and fifth degree conspiracy to commit larceny. He was arrested in another incident and charged with second degree failure to appear.
•Christina Savage, 29, of 41 Miller Rd., Bristol was arrested on Oct 18 and charged with third degree burglary, third degree conspiracy to commit burglary, second degree criminal mischief, second degree conspiracy to commit criminal mischief, fifth degree larceny, and fifth degree conspiracy to commit larceny.
•Carleton Plummer, 45, of 406 Washington St., Bristol was arrested on Oct. 18 and charged with sixth degree larceny.
•Joseph Samuel Vigo, 21, of 219 Frederick St., Bristol was arrested on Oct. 18 and charged with second degree failure to appear. He was arrested in another incident and charged with first degree failure to appear. He was arrested in another incident and charged with criminal violation of protective order threatening.
•Brook Davis, 42, of 149 Horseshoe Dr., Waterbury was arrested on Oct. 18 and charged with disorderly conduct.
•Mark A. Horner, 49, of 73 Race St., Apt. No. 6, Bristol was arrested on Oct. 17 and charged with disorderly conduct.

By KAITLYN NAPLES
STAFF WRITER
While Deb Van Steenbergen was attending cancer treatments with her husband, she noticed many patients receiving treatment were there by themselves.
“It gets lonely, and I just felt so bad for those patients who were by themselves, I really wanted to do something,” Van Steenbergen said, adding that she has always sewn and quilted and decided she wanted to make quilts for the cancer patients.
That is when Quilts that Care was born last April at The Harold Leever Regional Cancer Center in Waterbury.
Van Steenbergen, who lost her husband to cancer last year, asked the Leever Center if she could quilt there and give the quilts to the patients. She advertised for her first meeting, and 25 people showed up.
“I couldn’t believe it,” she said, adding that by last December the group had already made 107 quilts, and as of last week the group was at 181 quilts that have been handmade by local citizens.
In September, Van Steenbergen branched out the group and started offering meetings in Bristol at the main library, in addition to meeting at the Leever Center, and another facility in Naugatuck.
About 95 percent of all the fabric that is used has been donated, Van Steenbergen said, adding sometimes people will stop by a meeting just to drop off fabric or other materials needed. The group purchases backings for the quilt, so they have one solid piece of material. Van Steenbergen also said many times she will receive quilts from individuals who aren’t part of the group, but heard about it and wanted to donate.
Every quilt comes with a label, and is donated to area cancer centers, like the Leever Center, Bristol Hospital, Saint Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington, Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven, and the Lawrence & Memorial Hospital in New London.
“We are trying to move out this way (Bristol area) and eventually want to cover as much of Connecticut as possible,”  Van Steenbergen said. “It’s just amazing,” she said, adding that the letters she receives from patients who have the quilts make it all worth it.
Bristol resident Jan Kowalec has been friends with Van Steenbergen for 35 years, and said she has been involved in Quilts that Care since the beginning, even though she is re-learning the craft.
“It is a fabulous group, and I’m proud to help out,” she said, adding that she and her daughter, Jenna, help out with various tasks like ironing or cutting fabric.
Kowalec said she is trying to make the group better well known in Bristol, and her daughter has been spreading the word at her school to encourage students to help out.
“It is amazing to see,” she said, adding she has come to realize that quilting the basics “really isn’t that hard.”
Donna Leclerc of Plainville lost her husband to cancer last year and said she saw a segment about Quilts that Care on a television news station.
“I was looking for somewhere to volunteer and to give back and it really caught my heart,” Leclerc said, adding that even though she doesn’t quilt, she helps in other areas of the process. “I felt I wanted to be a part of something to help comfort cancer patients,” she said, adding that by helping make these quilts, she knows she is helping bring peace and comfort to those battling cancer, and is proud to be a part of something that lets the patients know “someone is thinking of them.”
Leclerc added being a part of the group has been a part of her healing and reaching out to others who are going through similar situations that she went through.
“I know there are people out there who need comfort and won’t lose the battle, and I want to be a part of that,” Leclerc added.
Quilts that Care meets at the Bristol Public Library, 5 High St., Bristol, on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Volunteers are being sought, as well as donations of 100 percent fabric cotton, quilting materials, ziplock bags, and gift cards to fabric stores.
For more information, call Deb Van Steenbergen at (860) 945-0184, or email at QuiltsThatCare.Deb@gmail.com or visit Quilts that Care on Facebook.
Comments? Email knaples@BristolObserver. com.

Quilts that Care began last year, and has already donated nearly 200 quilts to local hospital’s cancer centers.