Connecticut Postings

Cash for clunkers was a program everyone knew about: trade in your bomb for a new vehicle in an effort to stimulate the economy.

But did you know you can do something similar with your old appliances?

Connecticut officials say clothes washers and refrigerators are the most popular items purchased so far under a rebate program for energy-efficient appliances.

You can get up to $500 in federal stimulus money when you buy a new qualifying appliance. More than $137,000 in rebates have been paid out so far in Connecticut, the Associated Press reports.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell says more than 1,600 consumers have bought energy-efficient washers, refrigerators, air conditioners and other items since the rebate program started in January.

Connecticut is among 14 states offering the  program, which runs through April 30, provided funding doesn’t run out before then.

According to police reports, shortly after 10 p.m., a woman reported that she had been driving around on Trumbull Avenue with a friend, when a woman, identified only as “Danyell,” jumped into the car while it was parked. “Danyell” was the ex-girlfriend of the woman’s friend, and immediately began yelling at the woman, and calling her profane names.

While the two were fighting, Danyell reportedly grabbed a box cutter that the woman had in her coat and allegedly swung it at the woman, slashing her on her face, arms, legs, and back. Danyell then got out of the car and left the scene. Danyell was described as a Brazilian female, with a light complexion and red hair. She is about 5 feet 2 inches tall and had a heavy build.

The woman was treated for her injuries at St. Vincent’s Medical Center.

Those air passengers frustrated with the lack of direct flights from Bradley International Airport should be cheered by the announcement that Delta will be operating a nonstop flight to Los Angeles International Airport.

The new service begins June 10 and continues through August 16 on a Sunday through Friday basis  (no Saturday service). After August 16, service is reduced to Monday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday flights, although that is subject to change. You’ll remember that this is the resumption of service that Delta canceled more than a year ago.

The Bradley-LAX service announcement comes after word that Bradley would offer direct flights to Denver.

With Stratford officials indicating Friday it has “uncovered new evidence” involving Police Officer Justin LoSchiavo –  who crashed his patrol cruiser into four cars while having a seizure last June — the son of former Deputy Police Chief Joseph LoSchiavo and Human Resources Assistant Linda LoSchiavo may have only a few days left on the force.

Town officials warned the 31-year-old officer Friday it has schueduled a federally mandated disciplinary session known as a “Loudermill hearing” for March 25 at 10 a.m. in Town Hall.

The hearing could result in firing LoSchiavo, for “medical reasons,” as well as for providing false and misleading information during his hiring process in 2005-06.

“Based on the entire review of his personnel file, including new information that has surfaced, I am amazed this individual was ever hired in the first place,” says Town Attorney Tim Bishop. LoSchiavo was hired by former Mayor James R. Miron in June 2006, despite warnings from doctors, police officials and the former CAO that he not be hired and would present a risk to the public, the department and himself.

For more information on the new developments, check out the Connecticut Post’s online story, or Saturday’s print edition.

NEW HAVEN — FBI Special Agent Chris Halpin testified Thursday that his agency received a court order to wire-tap a cell phone issued to Mayor Mark A. Lauretti by the city of Shelton.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale said the prosecution is expected to play at least several of the conversations between Shelton developer James Botti and Lauretti. Botti is accused of bribing the mayor. He is also charged with conspiracy and mail fraud.
Earlier in the day, a Shelton restauranteur who served as a member of the city’s Planning & Zoning Commission testified Thursday afternoon he was pressured by another commission member to attend the June 20, 2006 meeting and vote in favor of James Botti’s development at 828 Bridgeport Ave.
But Daniel Orazietti said it wasn’t Allan Cribbins, then-commission chairman, who previously testified he met with Orazietti.
It was Leon Sylvester, Orazietti said, Shelton’s former superintendent of schools and a man, Orazietti said, he respected.
“He was adamant I go to the meeting,” Orazietti told the 16-member jury in Botti’s federal corruption trial. “I told him ‘I can’t, I had a graduation party that night.’”
The party was at one of Orazietti’s three restaurants.
He said Sylvester told him he would do anything, if Orazietti attended the meeting. Sylvester said he’d “do the dishes” for him. “I need you to go. This is good for the city,” Orazietti testified Sylvester told him.
As Sylvester was leaving the restaurant after meeting with Orazietti for about 10 minutes, Orazietti said he shouted out, “Tell Botti I’m booking Christmas parties now.”
Six months later, Botti booked a Christmas party at Orazietti’s River Road restaurant that cost the developer $2,300, Orazietti said.
Earlier Thursday, a Shelton mason testified this morning that he was twice paid large sums of cash for doing brick and concrete block work on two carriage houses on James Botti’s Maple Avenue, Shelton, property.
Albert Papa, owner of Maral Construction in Shelton, said he received $25,000, in mostly $100 bills, as partial payment for a $45,000 job and later $40,000 in cash as partial payment for a $65,000 job, both on the carriage houses.
Papa also testified that in September 2008, after receiving the $40,000 cash payment, Botti told him not to say anything about the cash deals because “feds are snooping around.”
Still Papa didn’t deposit the cash into any of his bank accounts, and, instead, used the money to pay for “personal expenses.” If he had deposited more than $10,000 at any one time, the bank would have reported Papa’s transactions to the IRS.
Assistant U.S. attorneys, Richard Schechter and Kale spent much of Thursday morning attempting to show, through bank records, that Botti had access to large sums of cash. The 16-member jury already heard that Botti kept a box containing nearly $1 million in $100 bills in his Bridgeport Avenue office.
Botti has been on trial before U.S. District Judge Charles S. Haight, Jr.

HARTFORD – Dozens of Trumbull residents on Thursday asked state lawmakers to protect the Nichols neighborhood from a planned fuel-cell facility that would depend on high-pressure natural gas flowing through 50-year-old pipes.
Wearing “Fragile Handle With Care” lapel stickers, the Trumbulites, led by their legislative delegation and First Selectman Timothy Herbst, told the Energy & Technology Committee that state regulators should be able to consider public safety issues when reviewing applications.
Although Danbury-based DFC ERG CT has not yet applied for approval with the state Siting Council, town residents fear excessive carbon emissions and other possible hazards from its 3.4-megawatt gas-fired fuel cell electricity generator.
“We need to require a greater standard for having public hearings, letting residents be heard, allowing those that might object to an application the opportunity to present evidence, to make their case, to build a strong administrative record,” Herbst said during an afternoon news conference prior to the public hearing.
—By Ken Dixon

There will be an informational meeting on the opening of the new Discovery Interdistrict Magnet School at 3:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 30 at the Geraldine Johnson School, 475 Lexington Avenue, Bridgeport.

 The school _ which will be a free public school _ will draw elementary school students from Bridgeport, Easton and Redding, Fairfield, Milford, Monroe, Shelton, Stratford and Trumbull. It will have a science theme. Along with details on the school, there will be a presentation from Michael Kletschy who has done extensive research on using science to improve overall learning.

 The school is being built adjacent to the Discovery Museum on Park Avenue in Bridgeport. In addition to the museum, the school will partner with Sacred Heart University, the Beardsley Park Zoo and the General Electric Corporation.

Plans are to open the school with a kindergarten in rented space in the fall until the new building is finished next spring. Entry will be by lottery. For more information, call the Bridgeport Public Schools at 203-275-1015.

This is a new one: This morning police were called to help the owner of a habitually-roaming cat, who claims someone shot at the pet with a BB gun.

The cat may have wandered into a sewer near the the PT Barnum housing complex, where the owner lives, a city animal control officer said.

The owner is waiting  — with a tray of food police placed by the sewer – in hopes that the vanished feline will be found. Animal control reported an officer will be checking back periodically throughout the day.