CT Dept of Motor Vehicles closings

The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will be closed Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 11 and 12 in observance of Lincoln’s Birthday, which is a legal State holiday.

Update – The CT Department of Motor Vehicles has cancelled road skills testing at all offices Wednesday, Feb.13 as a safety precaution, due to snow piles/snow banks that can create hazards for pedestrians and blind spots for motorists at intersections. Road tests are expected to resume Thursday, Feb. 14.

The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will be closed Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 11 and 12 in observance of Lincoln’s Birthday, which is a legal State holiday.

The DMV will re-open for business at 7:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 13.

Also, on Friday, Feb. 15, DMV major customer service offices will close at 12:30 p.m. to observe President Washington’s Birthday; offices will reopen Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 7:45 a.m.

Some AAA offices will be open for processing license renewals on Monday and Tuesday, including Manchester, 1500 G Pleasant Valley Road.

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Gov Malloy lifts travel ban, asks President to declare emergency

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has asked President Obama to declare an emergency in Connecticut in the wake of the blizzard that hit the Northeast Feb. 8 and 9, 2013.

Gov. Malloy has submitted a request that President Obama declare an emergency in the state of Connecticut in the wake of the blizzard that hit this state Feb. 8 and 9.

“As we continue with the recovery from this historic winter storm, I am asking the federal government to provide us assistance with this process,” said Gov. Malloy.  “If granted, this declaration would provide much needed help to our state.”

An emergency declaration allows for direct federal assistance, including possible snow removal equipment and personnel, power generation, and commodities but does not provide federal disaster funding.

However, since most, if not all, counties in Connecticut are digging out from record or near record snow fall, a preliminary damage assessment will be conducted to determine which counties may be eligible for disaster funding.

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Gov Malloy – travel ban remains in effect

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, in a press conference held at 11 a.m. today (Feb. 9) advised residents that a travel ban remains in effect today, until further notice, so that roads can be cleared for emergency vehicles.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, in a press conference held at 11 a.m. today (Feb. 9) advised residents that a travel ban remains in effect today, until further notice, so that roads can be cleared for emergency vehicles.

Many roads in the state are impassable because of stalled cars and/or record-breaking accumulations of snow.

Gov. Malloy also warned that clearing roads is likely to “go on for a number of days.”

He also warned residents about the dangers of carbon-monoxide poisoning since snowfall and snow drifts can block ventilation.

Meanwhile, weather forecasters say the blizzard warning has been lifted in the following counties: Middlesex, New London and New Haven.

However, light snow continues to fall and chilly temperatures are still a concern. The wind-chill factor means the temperatures are effectively in the single-digits to the 20s. The wind-chill temperature in Storrs-Mansfield, for example, was 6 degrees as of 11 a.m.

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East Hampton Council members object to interim-chief process

East Hampton CT Town Council members say they’ve worked hard to put the turmoil over the Police Chief’s position behind them. File photo July 13, 2010 copyright by Brenda Sullivan.

To The Editor,

As residents of East Hampton for many years, we have come to expect that our appointed, elected and paid town officials will consider the correct process when making decisions and most of all, consider the residents and their level of comfort.

Since the election of 2011, the level of comfort throughout our community has leveled off and the residents are again putting their trust in those who make decisions for them.

We began our term on the Town Council as the minority members and made steps to work with all members of the council to make decisions that were positive and right for our community.  This level of comfort was not achieved overnight, but we began to feel hopeful,  following many controversial meetings and discussions.

We worked together to hire a Town Manager and helped him as he settled into a new home and a very important job.  We desperately needed a person who would consider all that we had been through and help us to move forward.

We all agreed that this goal should be our focus and that we were steadily moving forward.

We believed that the retirement package that was accepted by our Chief of Police was acceptable to him and his family as well as the residents of our community.  This was a giant step forward for everyone.

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East Hampton Town Manager explains interim-chief decision

Dear Citizens,

Many of you have heard about my recent decision to temporarily appoint Matthew Reimondo to the position of Interim Police Chief in accordance with Town code 109-2. I am writing you in an effort to explain my decision and provide you with the details.

The job of the Town Manager is not to be involved with politics, but to ensure the Town as an organization continues to deliver services to the community in the most efficient and effective manner possible.

My decision to fill the interim position posed many challenges because of the State Statutes, lack of an internal succession plan, lack of managerial experience available and the political climate of this position.

Due to the state statutory requirements, fiscal restraints and the quick timeline to get the position filled, an external applicant was unattainable.

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East Hampton Welcome Home CANCELED

You are invited to join with the East Hampton Welcome Home Veterans Committee as they welcome will home U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Nicholas Pawlak, who has completed his second tour in Afghanistan, and Lance Corporal David Jensen, who is also returning from Afghanistan.

Editor’s Note: HTNP received notice today (Feb. 9) that this event has now been cancelled due to the aftermath of the blizzard.

You are invited to join with the East Hampton Welcome Home Veterans Committee as they welcome will home U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Nicholas Pawlak, who has completed his second tour in Afghanistan, and Lance Corporal David Jensen, who is also returning from Afghanistan.

The celebration is at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 9 in the Village Center by the Yellow Ribbon Tree.

Everyone is encouraged to join family and friends and welcome these servicemen home as they cut their yellow ribbons from the tree.

Posted February 6, 2013; updated Feb. 7 with date change

Have a news item, event or Letter to the Editor you’d like posted on this news site? Simply send your information to editor@htnp.com and include your town in the subject line of your email. Please also include a phone number where you can be reached if there are questions. For daily updates on local and Connecticut news, “like” us on Facebook at HTNP News. https://www.facebook.com/HTNPnews and find us on our NEW  Twitter page at HTNP News (@HTNPNews )

Sen Linares meets with Spanish American Merchants Association

State Sen. Art Linares on Feb. 4 met with former Hartford State Rep. Art Feltman (center) and Spanish American Merchants Association (SAMA) Executive Director Julio Mendoza (at right) to discuss policies to help Connecticut small businesses grow jobs. Submitted photo.

State Sen. Art Linares on Feb. 4 met at the State Capitol complex with former Hartford State Rep. Art Feltman and Spanish American Merchants Association (SAMA) Executive Director Julio Mendoza to discuss policies that can help Connecticut small businesses grow jobs.

Sen. Linares is trying to make Connecticut more business-friendly by eliminating the state’s business entity tax, which is currently paid by more than 118,000 Connecticut businesses.

The Spanish American Merchants Association (www.samact.org), is a Connecticut non-profit organization created to assist business people, in particular Latinos, to acquire a better understanding of economic principles.

The organization seeks to promote business expansion, job creation, economic growth and entrepreneurship.

The group now boasts a membership of more than 500 Latino business owners and organizations statewide.

Sen. Linares  (www.senatorlinares.com) can be reached at Art.Linares@cga.ct.gov or at 800-842-1421.

He represents Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Deep River, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Lyme, Old Saybrook, Portland and Westbrook.

Posted February 4, 2013 based on a press release

Have a news item, event or Letter to the Editor you’d like posted on this news site? Simply send your information to editor@htnp.com and include your town in the subject line of your email. Please also include a phone number where you can be reached if there are questions. For daily updates on local and Connecticut news, “like” us on Facebook at HTNP News. https://www.facebook.com/HTNPnews and find us on our NEW  Twitter page at HTNP News (@HTNPNews )

East Hampton Education Kudos

The University of Hartford is pleased to announce the following East Hampton, CT students have been named to the Dean’s List for Fall 2012…

Ryan Adams

Claire Crouch

Caroline Jackson

Elizabeth Joyce

Shelley Livingston

Nathan MacDonald

Carissa Marsiglio

Geoffrey Maynard

Erin McKinney

Robert Hilton Jr.

Zachary Clark

The University of Hartford’s student body of 7,200 represents 48 states and more than 60 countries. For more information, visit http://www.hartford.edu

Fairfield University has announced that the following East Hampton, CT residents have been named to the Dean’s List for the Fall 2012 semester…

Alec Lamo,

Sarah Markham

Fairfield University, a comprehensive Jesuit university in Fairfield, CT challenges its students to lead inspired lives of leadership and service. To be selected for the Dean’s List, a student must attain a grade point average of at least 3.5, of a possible 4.0

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