Folks,
Forgot to mention that the North Haven Fire Department and Connecticut Firefighters Association Convention at 8 tonight are hosting a comedy show starring John Valby, opening with WPLR's Billy Winn. Tickets are available at the door. For more info visit www.nohfdconvention2012.com. A huge firefighters' parade goes through the center of North Haven starting at noon Sunday, Sept. 16. See you there!

The following press release is from the North Haven Fire Department.

The department is celebrating its 100th anniversary in conjunction with the 129th annual Connecticut Firefighters Association Convention and Parade. The parade starts at noon Sunday, from Bailey Road to the North Haven Fairgrounds. Below is road closure information.

  

On Sunday September 16, 2012 North Haven Fire Department is hosting the annual Connecticut State Firefighters Association Parade. The Parade will begin at 12:00 noon. The parade route will require the closing of several roadways. The parade will begin at 55 Bailey Road, at the entrance to the North Haven Middle School, and travel east on Bailey Road then turn left onto Shawmut Avenue and travel north to Church Street continue north onto Washington Avenue and end at the North Haven Fairgrounds, 300 Washington Avenue. The roads that will be closed are Washington Avenue Church Street, Shawmut Avenue and Bailey Road. All roads that intersect with these roads will be closed to through traffic. That route will be Washington Avenue, at Temple Street to Pool Road. to Maple Avenue  to Sackett Point Road to State Street  to Upper State Street to Hartford Turnpike to Toelles Road to Washington Avenue.

Also, Interstate 91, Exit 11 and Exit 12 Northbound and Exit 12 Southbound will be closed during the parade. Exits 10 and 13 will remain open and detour signs will direct traffic. The Interstate exits will be closed for approximately three  hours beginning at 12 p.m.

The following local roads affected will be Bailey Road, Elm Street, Arthur Street, Samoset Avenue, William Street, Manomet Avenue, Maple Avenue, Priscilla Street, Levere Road, Shawmut Avenue, Church Street, Trumbull Place, Linsley Street, St. John Street, Broadway, Clintonville Road, Pool Road, Franklin Street, George Street, Lincoln Street, Monroe Street, Blakeslee Avenue, Wadsworth Street, and Temple Street.

A detour route has been established around all road and exit closures.

Questions may be addressed to Chief Vincent Landisio at 203-239-5321, ext. 100.

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, folks.
Things have been hectic, to say the least. And emotional.
As of Tuesday, Sept. 4, I will no longer officially be the Hamden-North Haven reporter for the New Haven Register.You may see me around for a while longer until the Register finds a replacement for me.
Why?
I am the new managing editor of a Register sister paper, The Middletown Press.
Quite a jump from reporter to managing editor. Yes and no. I was the Wallingford bureau chief for the Register from 2000 to 2004, and have held many leadership positions in my volunteer life.
With my passion for local news and my experience as a facilitator and motivator, I believe I will be successful in this new position. Believe me, I could have covered Hamden and North Haven for the rest of my life, but the Journal Register Co.'s New England regional editor, Matt DeRienzo, offered me this job. Being the editor of a small daily paper is something I've always wanted to do, so I'm going to do it now.
And for those of you concerned about my Sunday column, Inspirations, I still will be writing it. The column has become so much a part of my life -- and yours -- that I couldn't fathom giving it up. It has been running in the Middletown paper already, as those readers get the Sunday Register. Soon, it also will run in the Torrington Register-Citizen, our other daily paper in Connecticut.
How do you summarize years and years of stories upon stories of two communities you love? I think it's impossible, so I'll just say so long in a simple way.
To the people of North Haven, know that I've always felt a part of your special town. I've always appreciated how all of you pitch in to help when fellow residents are in need. Your compassion is outstanding.
And to the people of Hamden, my hometown. I will truly miss being your reporter, and I am very sad to leave. Know that I will always keep tabs on what's going on because, after all, Hamden is, and will always be, my heart.