To the Editor: Things are repeated so often, we all begin to accept them as gospel truths. “We are an arts destination. They are flocking to our beautiful downtown. The economic development is everywhere.” Let’s look at that one. We opened the Playhouse. Restaurants opened. Restaurants closed. We opened The Prospector. Restaurants opened. Restaurants closed. We opened ACT. We now … read more
Thanks to a series of hilarious angry-man rants on YouTube, including the viral “Bread & Milk” video, comedian Vic DiBitetto has hundreds of thousands of internet followers, which has upped his profile considerably from his early days in the comedy ranks. The self-proclaimed “Working Class Zero,” the Brooklyn-born comic first started doing stand-up in 1981, and 10 years later, took … read more
The February edition of Connecticut magazine has a four-page spread featuring Ridgefield’s historic downtown and its booming cultural scene. The profile, titled “Ridgefield Offers Cosmopolitan Culture in a Country Setting,” includes pictures from The Ridgefield Playhouse, The Prospector Theater, Nod Hill Brewery, The Keeler Tavern Museum, and The Aldrich Museum. “Ridgefield residents describe their town as a best-of-both worlds destination,” … read more
With salary increases costing the town 2.73%, 2.98% and 2.99% over the next three fiscal years, a new contract will govern the employment of Ridgefield’s roughly 460 teachers. The three-year cost to the town of the salary increases is projected at $129.6 million, based on the assumption the school system maintains the same teaching workforce. “…The board is pleased with … read more
Branch line commuters will start the new year on safer trains. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s office announced on Dec. 19 that every passenger rail line in Connecticut will have positive train control (PTC) installed on their systems by Dec. 31, fulfilling a recently enacted requirement by the Federal Railroad Administration for every passenger rail line in the country to implement … read more
Emailed bomb threats have created a disturbance across the country Thursday, Dec. 13, and Ridgefield is no exception. The Ridgefield Police Department has announced that its currently investigating bomb threat reports in town. “Members of our uniform and detective divisions are following up on these incidents,” the department posted on its Facebook. “The emails are similar to ones received across … read more
State Sen.-elect Will Haskell acknowledged that while he received 53% of the vote in the November election to represent Connecticut’s 26th District, 47% of electors voted for his opponent. “I want to be their state senator, too,” the Democrat said in an interview in Wilton last week. He recognized they are “intelligent, honest and compassionate members of this community.” “I’m … read more
Raking, trimming, cutting back encroaching overgrowth, some 40 volunteers from St. Mary’s Project Heart youth group and the Knights of Columbus devoted most of Sunday, Nov. 11, to cleanup and repairs at a North Salem Road property that had gotten beyond the owners’ ability to handle. “A great day,” said Brenner LeCompte, leader of Project Heart. “We finished most of … read more
With thoughtful words, patriotic songs, taps and gun salute, Ridgefielders led by two American Legion Commanders — former Commander Bob Tulipani and current Commander George Besse — marked veterans day 2018, making the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I “on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918. About 150 people … read more
State Republican Party Chairman J.R. Romano has filed an election complaint against Democrat Will Haskell, the 22-year-old challenging Republican Toni Boucher for her state Senate seat representing the 26th District, alleging Haskell has misused campaign funds by paying his roommate. “There’s a simple answer that may not have occurred to Mr. Romano, and that is that my roommate, Jack Lynch, … read more