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SHERMAN — Rumor has it that in 1802, the same year the town was incorporated, an 18-year-old built a colonial house in the middle of town.

Doctors successfully removed a benign tumor from Mayor Mark Boughton’s brain during a complex procedure Tuesday at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Mayor Mark Boughton delivers remarks from the City of Danbury during Immaculate High Schools Graduation Excercises at Western Connecticut State Universities O'Neill Center on Wednesday May, 31, 2017.

For more than three decades, Lt. Albert Mion has driven to work at the Danbury Fire Department, aware that he could be tasked with saving someone’s life.

Summertime in the Greater Danbury area means lazy lake days for many. From boating to tubing, wakeboarding, swimming and general partying, Candlewood Lake is a playground for area residents in the summer.

Danbury native Oscar Bordoy scored a win in his second career boxing match, defeating Felip Nazario at Uptown Live in Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday. Bordoy is now 2-0 as a lightweight fighter.

July 19 is National Hot Dog Day! If you're in the mood for a good dog tonight, seems you should head to Fairfield. Three of the top 10 most Yelp-reviewed hot dog spots in southwestern Connecticut are found in Fairfield.

The spirit of “buy local” is as strong as ever. It’s the practice that often falls short.

DANBURY — Hidden gems produced by local companies and grown on local farms lurk among the shelves of even the largest supermarkets in the area.

Millennials aren’t the only ones who want to live in downtowns, where restaurants, shops and other amenities are only a walking distance away. So do Baby Boomers.

New Milford football played its spring game, the Green and White game, Thursday, June 15, 2017. 

Site names Newtown's Ferris Acres the best ice cream in Connecticut

DANBURY - The $50 million expansion of the state’s largest high school is in high gear, with only 70 more days of summer for workers to complete key upgrades before classes resume in September.

Homelessness in Danbury has dropped 12 percent since 2016

Kyle Lyra receives his diploma during Danbury High Schools Commencement Exercises that were held on Tuesday June 20, 2017.

DANBURY — Andrea Gartner has a lot of passions, and many of them are embodied in her new restaurant, Pour Me Coffee and Wine Café, which opened this month at 274 Main St.


Bob's Stores is closing at 114 Federal Rd. in Danbury, Conn., one of three locations in southwestern Connecticut getting the ax by bankrupt parent company Eastern Outfitters of Meriden.

"Batman" TV star Adam West has died

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New Milford sees success with new behavioral program

At this point last year, one group of 16 high school students spent more time wandering the halls or meeting with nurses and guidance counselors than actually learning in a classroom.

“They were here physically, but not reaping the benefit academically, and didn’t have the credits to show for it,” said Principal Greg Shugrue.

But with Effective School Solutions, a new program aimed at helping students with social, emotional and behavioral problems, teachers and administrators have seen a drastic turnaround. The students’ attendance has improved, and so have their GPAs, from an average of 1.87 to an average 2.35 in the first two marking periods this year.

ESS is run by a private education company that provides clinical services for students recommended by their parents or by staff members who interact with them regularly. New Milford’s program serves up to 18 students — 16 are now taking part — and Shugrue is pleased with the results so far.

“It’s not a magic bullet,” he said. “It takes a lot of hard work. But the ones that should be celebrated are the kids; they’re the ones opening up, talking and pushing through the system.”

The program started in New Jersey in 2009 and is now offered in eight districts in Connecticut, including Greenwich, Fairfield and Weston.

“We want to see (the students’) social and emotional health improve,” said Paul Cancro, the regional ESS director. “We want them to enjoy their school environment and their New Milford community.”

Once a day, ESS students gather in a conference room just off the main entrance to the high school. There’s no sign that marks the room as part of the program, but black couches and chairs fill the space instead of typical classroom desks. Large pictures of flowers line the wall and positive messages are handwritten on a white board — an idea suggested by one of the students.

The students are split into two groups, with each group meeting 45 minutes a day. The sessions are devoted to discussions about challenges they face as well as structured learning time to focus on academics.

Students also meet one-on-one with the ESS clinicians at scheduled times each day and at other times if needed.

Debbie Leone, the school’s ESS program coordinator, said students tend to visit the clinicians less frequently once they become more comfortable in their mainstream classes.

The clinicians also speak with the students’ parents at least twice a month, in person and on the phone, and all the parents meet once a month. These interactions have helped parents encourage their kids to stay in class instead of, say, asking to be picked up from school in the middle the day, Leone said.

The monthly meetings also serve as a support group, where parents can learn that they aren’t alone in dealing with a child’s behavior problems and hear how other parents have overcome similar challenges.

“They’ve said to us that it’s nice to not feel alone,” Leone said. “It gives them hope.”

Leone said the district’s ESS program also works with outpatient therapists and medical providers.

Laura Olson, the district’s director of special services and pupil personnel, said the program has helped change the approach to students from reactive to preventive. It also reduces the need to send students out of the district to get help and lessens the risk of their dropping out.

“We’re trying to keep our students in their home school and community,” Shugrue said. “They are part of our community and we want them here.”

Students earn points and progress at their own pace through three levels of achievement by passing classes, avoiding disciplinary action and being respectful.

A student must be nominated by someone who has worked with him or her to graduate from the program. A teacher or administrator who knows the student well also comes in during the last phase of the program to talk about the student’s progress and the challenges he or she overcame.

“Students don’t always see the growth,” Leone said. “They don’t always give themselves credit and they have to remember how far they’ve come.”

Of New Milford’s 16 students, Cancro expects eight to 10 students will return next year and the rest will graduate from the program.

ESS keeps statistics on attendance, GPA and disciplinary actions as benchmarks to measure the program’s success at various schools.

In New Milford, absenteeism and behavior problems weren’t significant issues with the students now in ESS, but their anxieties often led them to spend much of the school day visiting with counselors or the school nurse. Now, teachers report that ESS students are attending class and participating more.

“Some of the stuff we do is not seen in the numbers, but we see the difference,” Leone said. “We’ve had little successes, too. One student said they would never talk to a teacher or stay after, and they do that now.”

Like any new program, ESS was viewed with some skepticism at first by some staff members and by students in the program. But that wariness disappeared as the program progressed and the clinicians gained the students’ trust. Leone said teachers were excited to hear that ESS clinicians would be returning next year.

Administrators find that students who buy into the program are having the most success, and Leone said the students hold each other accountable and suggest ways to improve.

Shugrue said the program doesn’t just help the ESS kids but other students as well because it frees up social workers, school psychiatrists and other professionals to work with others.

Many credit the success so far to the support from all facets of the school community, including teachers, parents, administrators, guidance counselors and the Board of Education.

Even as the school system faces a possible $755,000 cut to its initial budget proposal, Olson said, the $225,000 program was seen as too valuable to eliminate.

“It wasn’t even a question about whether it would continue next year,” she said.

Shugrue said the program has been a team effort.

“It’s all hands on deck,” Shugrue said. “People are buying into it because they see the results in the students

2 Milford woman arrested after street flight

 Two women have been arrested after a fight that allegedly started after one of them tried to steal the other’s car.

At around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a report of two females fighting in the street on Roses Mill Road, near Woodmont Road.

Police identified the two Milford women in the fight as Tianna Feliciano, 20, and Leyshack Roman-Lopez, 24, both from Avalon Drive.

Officer Joseph Dempsey said in a release, “the investigation led to the arrest of Feliciano, who is accused of engaging in a physical altercation with Roman-Lopez after reportedly stealing her car on May 1 in Bridgeport.

“Feliciano attempted to drive the vehicle away from the scene while Roman-Lopez was on the hood attempting to stop Feliciano from driving away.”

The investigation also led to the arrest of Roman-Lopez, who is accused of engaging in a physical altercation with Feliciano and another female inside their residence, Dempsey said.

“Feliciano and Roman-Lopez are in a dating relationship with each other,” Dempsey said in a statement.

Feliciano was charged with disorderly conduct, third-degree assault, second-degree breach of peace, third-degree larceny, third-degree robbery, reckless driving and operating a motor vehicle without a license.

Roman-Lopez was charged with third-degree assault and disorderly conduct.

Irish restaurant The Abbey opens in New Milford

The owner of The Abbey, a new Irish restaurant and bar on Danbury Road, is not as picky about what people call him as he is about the quality of food he serves.

“Francis, Frank, Frankie, any of those. Frank, I guess,” Frank McCabe said when asked of his preference.

Customers at the restaurant have plenty of food and drink options, as well, with 14 beers on tap, wide cocktail and wine selection, and a menu that includes traditional Irish as well as American fare.

“The idea was to have a place where parents can bring their kids. It’s affordable, has a nice bar and wide menu with sandwiches, hamburgers and nice entrees,” McCabe said, adding The Abbey features a proprietary blend for its burgers.

The Irish selections include fish and chips, bangers and mash, shepherd’s pie and stuffed potatoes, but McCabe raves mostly about the lobster rolls and lobster mac & cheese, made “New England style.” The dessert menu at The Abbey includes a line of gelato flavors from Ridgefield’s Johnny Gelato.

Jose Arias is the head chef at The Abbey.

“I try to stay in the front of the house. Jose doesn’t like me in there,” McCabe joked. “You need someone in there who will take care of it like they own it. Jose was there throughout the whole renovation.”

McCabe said The Abbey will feature 14 beers on tap, 10 permanent and four rotating. There will always be at least two beer selections from Connecticut breweries.

“The Connecticut breweries have come a long way,” he said, adding that Irish brands Guinness, Smithwick’s and Harp will always be available.

House fire in New Milford started at the home’s fence

A fence that caught on fire caused a house fire Thursday morning on Housatonic Avenue.

Firefighters from the Northville Volunteer Fire Department arrived around 11:30 a.m. to find the house on fire, a New Milford dispatcher said. The flames had started on the residence’s fence and spread to the side of the house.

By 12:30 p.m. the fire had been put out.

The department is still investigating the cause of the fire.

Forum held to address New Milford drug problem

Representatives from schools, the police department, the state and rehabilitation facilities gathered with the community Wednesday to discuss how the town can address a growing drug problem.

More than 40 people attended the town’s first community forum to ask questions, learn about existing programs and discover what they can do to help. The forum focused on education, enforcement and care and support for drug users and their families.

“We’re moving beyond recognizing we have a problem in the community, and moving toward a plan of action,” Mayor David Gronbach said before the event.

Gronbach came up with the idea for the forum, and reached out to the New Milford Youth Agency, which helped gather resources and made the event happen.

New Milford had four heroin overdose deaths in 2013, five in 2014 and six in 2015. New Milford’s first heroin overdose death of 2016 was reported last week, according to the panel discussion.

All of the town’s first responders carry naloxone, an antidote for opioid overdoses. First responders have used it nine times since being trained in October and were able to save the patient every time, Police Chief Shawn Boyne said.

Dr. Carl D’Andrea, who works in New Milford Hospital’s emergency department, said naloxone should be easily accessible and cheap. More pharmacies, including two in New Milford, carry it, but he said two milliliters can cost $150 without insurance.

Limits of hospitalization

D’Andrea said the hospital isn’t allowed to keep patients for detox, and it’s important to increase education to prevent the drug addiction from starting.

Rehabilitation facilities try to fill the gap, offering a limited number of beds for those detoxing, providing rehabilitation programs, group sessions and other therapy or counseling. People can call the stateDepartment of Mental Health and Addiction Services to be connected to services.

“We try to do what we can in the emergency department, but we’re very limited, and the problem is much bigger than people realize,” D’Andrea said.

As of March, Connecticut has had 208 accidental drug intoxication deaths in 2016 and the state is projected to reach 832 by the end of year, which is 103 more than last year, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Of those deaths, heroin, morphine and/or codeine were detected in 119 cases.

Gronbach, Boyne and Superintendent of Schools Joshua Smithsaid the town couldn’t “arrest their way out of this,” and should instead focus on treating the root of the drug problem.

Boyne said the police are using this idea to reduce the amount of drugs purchased in Danbury or Waterbury and brought into New Milford. The department uses unmarked vehicles to do motor vehicle stops and help cut down on trafficking. The department has a drug take-back box where people can return prescription drugs anytime.

Educating the young

The schools are starting to teach young students about drugs and their associated dangers, as well as addiction and other harmful behaviors. In additional to the normal classroom instruction, these lessons are taught with speakers, research projects, hands-on activities and model conversations where students offer or are offered drugs or alcohol.

New Milford High School will pilot a new program next year as part of the governor’s prevention partnership, in which students will teach their peers about refusing drugs and how it’s cool to be sober.

“We look at it, really, starting at 5 years old and building the skills they need,” Smith said, “so as they mature, they have the skill set they need to not use drugs and stay away.”

School officials said it’s important to understand why students seek drugs or alcohol, and to work with them on those issues, which could stem from stress, the home life or other emotional factors. Troubled students are able to speak with counselors, social workers or in group settings. A new therapeutic program is starting at the high school which will allow the clinical staff to meet with the families outside of school.

“If we don’t work on the pressures, we’re just putting our finger in the dike,” Smith said.

The owner of New Milford Sports Clubsaid the fitness center is “back on target” after being closed over the weekend and the landlord’s filing of eviction papers in Litchfield Superior Court in March.

“As long as I’m here, we’re moving forward,” Dominick Donofrio Jr. said from his office at New Milford Sports Club on Monday.

Donofrio said there was “nothing firm” regarding the Summary Process Complaint filed on March 21 by building owner Rose-Wein, LLC. A Notice to Quit was filed by Rose-Wein on March 13, citing several lease violations.

Jeffrey Tinley, the attorney representing Rose-Wein, disputed Donofrio’s claim and said the original complaint is still valid. He is waiting for attorneys representing New Milford Sports Club to respond to the complaint.

“We wish this would move faster,” said Tinley, a partner at the Waterbury firm Tinley, Renehan & Dost. “They (Rose-Wein) have owned the building for many years and have developed a good reputation and following. That is being harmed at present.”

New Milford Sports Club is represented by Danbury firm Cohen & Wolf.

Donofrio said the fitness center was closed Saturday because of staffing issues, several sources said employees did not show up for work because they had not been paid.

New Milford Police said they received a call at 8:48 a.m. on Saturday from a “concerned patron” regarding a lack of staff at the facility. Police responded and closed down the center for the “safety of the public,” citing an open pool hazard.

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