Anna Quinn
The Middletown Press
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Past articles by Anna:
Ridgefield artist’s statues of women headed to New York City’s Central Park
RIDGEFIELD - In two years, Meredith Bergmann's statues of women suffragists will become a permanent piece of Central Park's history, but until then, they will call Ridgefield home. Bergmann will work on smaller replicas and eventually the final 50-foot monument of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton in her Ridgefield art studio before they are unveiled on Central Park's Literary Walk in… → Read More
Habitat: Ridgefield artist’s ‘whimsical’ home
RIDGEFIELD - At the time, building the home at 68 Bloomer Road out of reclaimed materials was more of a practical decision than an aesthetic one. The home, built by an artist in the 1940s, was constructed using antique bricks and wood and wrought iron hardware from a barn in Bedford, N.Y., because newer materials were scarce during World War II. But decades later, it is this practical decision… → Read More
School districts to dismiss early for expected afternoon snow
With a winter weather advisory starting this afternoon, several Danbury-area school districts have scheduled an early dismissal or canceled afternoon activities. A winter weather advisory will start at 2 p.m. Thursday for Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex and New London counties in Connecticut, ending at 11 p.m. for the southern areas and not until 4 a.m. Friday for the northern sections,… → Read More
Applications open for Ridgefield Planning and Zoning, Inland Wetland vacancy
RIDGEFIELD - The Planning and Zoning Commission and Inland Wetlands Board is accepting applications to fill a vacancy. The new member will replace Tim Dunphy, a Democrat, who recently resigned from the commission and board, which are made up of the same nine members. The applicants should be registered as Democratic voters and would hold the position for the remainder of Dunphy's term, which… → Read More
New Fairfield takes stock of ‘lock box’ for docks
NEW FAIRFIELD - The town hopes a new "lock box" fund will not only set aside enough money to replace its deteriorating docks over the next few years, but ensure there is a mechanism in place for the next time around. The new agreement - between the Parks and Recreation Commission, selectmen and finance officials - will use some parks and recreation money and part of the town's surplus from last… → Read More
New Danbury Hospital program helps joint surgery patients
DANBURY - A new program at Danbury Hospital's Joint and Spine Institute has increased patient satisfaction scores. The Total Joint Program has increased satisfaction scores by 12 percent in the first two months, increased the number of patients discharged to their home instead of a nursing facility and decreased the length of hospital stays after total joint replacement (TJR) surgery. "Through… → Read More
Storm-damaged cemetery restoration is under way
NEW FAIRFIELD - The long-awaited restoration of a cemetery damaged in the this year's macro-burst began Monday, finally removing trees that had fallen on some of the town's oldest graves. The New Fairfield Cemetery Association, which oversees the one-acre gravesite across from Town Hall, recently raised the $14,000 it needed to fix the damage caused by the May 15 macroburst that tore through the… → Read More
Vote coming up on New Fairfield’s fourth try at an anti-blight ordinance
NEW FAIRFIELD - Voters will get the final say on whether the town's fourth attempt at an anti-blight ordinance - to control properties that have become health or safety hazards - will be the one to stick. The proposed rules faced their final public hearing this week and will likely head to a machine vote sometime after Thanksgiving, First Selectman Pat Del Monaco said. New Fairfield is one of… → Read More
Resident survey to help update Ridgefield Plan of Conservation and Development
RIDGEFIELD - A survey to help the town update its Plan of Conservation and Development is available to residents. An online survey will be available online until Dec. 3on the town website. The survey is conducted by the Planning and Zoning Commission and aims to learn about what isues should be given increased attention in the updated plan. It is available to all people over 18 years old who… → Read More
Two barns equal one $3.95 million Ridgefield home
RIDGEFIELD - It seems only fitting that the home at 129 Spring Valley Road is made from two antique barns given the reason it was built in the 1960s. The homeowners, a couple living in Manhattan, bought the then-empty property as a reprieve from city life for their six children, said Sally Slater, one of their daughters who is now the listing agent for the home. Slater and her siblings had… → Read More
Smith, Sredzinski re-elected for State House
Two uncontested legislators were reelected on Tuesday to represent the 108th and 112th districts in the state House of Representatives. Rep. Richard Smith, a Republican incumbent, won his fifth term representing the 108th District, which includes parts of New Fairfield, Sherman, New Milford and Danbury. He is an assistant Republican leader and ranking member of the Government and Elections… → Read More
Gucker upsets incumbent Michael Ferguson for State House 138th
Democratic challenger Ken Gucker narrowly defeated Republican incumbent Michael Ferguson to represent the State House's 138th District. The race, called just before midnight, showed Gucker winning by 196 votes, with 4,793 votes for Gucker and 4,597 for Ferguson. Gucker, a small business owner and community activist, credited his win to his outreach with voters throughout the campaign. He knocked… → Read More
Rep. Frey wins 11th term for Ridgefield’s State House seat
RIDGEFIELD - Republican incumbent John Frey will serve his 11th term in the state House of Representatives, beating out first-time Democratic challenger Aimee Berger-Girvalo. Frey, 55, said around 11 p.m. that Berger-Girvalo had called him to concede. Unofficial results from the town's four polling districts show Frey with 5,732 votes to Berger-Girvalo's 5,214, according to The Ridgefield Press.… → Read More
State Sen. Eric Berthel wins first full term in 32nd District
Republican incumbent Eric Berthel will serve his first full term representing the 32nd district, voters decided Tuesday. The numbers were still preliminary and unofficial results, Berthel said just after 9:30 p.m., but showed that he was up by about 10,000 votes. "We're still waiting on results...but it looks like we have won," he said. "I think it speaks to what we've held true here in this… → Read More
Community policing a priority for Ridgefield’s new chief
RIDGEFIELD - Jeff Kreitz may be new to the role of police chief, but he is no stranger to Ridgefield's 49-member department - and certainly not the community it serves. Kreitz, who was chosen as chief late last month, has been with the department for 15 years, most recently as a captain running the Division of Professional Standards, which oversees community programs. He also acts as the… → Read More
Danbury-area sees dramatic increase in absentee ballot count prior to Election Day
Bethel Town Clerk Lisa Bergh and her staff began preparing absentee ballot applications in May, putting together 300 packets that, by their guess, would be enough to get through a gubernatorial and midterm election year. But they soon realized, Bergh said, that this year was different. The office has issued 489 absentee ballots - 376 of which had come in by Friday - as compared to the 243… → Read More
Police need help identifying pedestrian killed in Danbury
DANBURY - Police are asking for the public's help to identify a woman who was killed when she was hit by a car Thursday morning. Around 6:30 a.m., Danbury Police received a call for a serious motor vehicle collision near 48 Franklin Street. They discovered that 38-year-old Angel Cambizaca, of Danbury, had been traveling west in his Honda Civic when he hit a woman in the roadway. The woman was… → Read More
‘Stagnation,’ affordable housing and tolls top District 111 issues in Ridgefield
RIDGEFIELD - Voters in the state House District 111 will choose next week between a first-time challenger advocating for term limits and a 10-term incumbent who touts experience in his campaign slogan. Democrat Aimee Berger-Girvalo, an activist and special education therapist, will face off against Republican John Frey, a local realtor who first won a seat in 1999. And aside from varying stances… → Read More
Presence of New England cottontails confirmed in Washington
WASHINGTON - At least a few of the once nearly-endangered New England cottontail rabbits have found a home at Steep Rock Association's Macricostas Preserve, recent tests show. The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has released a "pellet analysis" of several rabbit droppings it tested from the 500-acre preserve, which were collected by a group of volunteers last winter. The… → Read More
Ridgefield school board discusses possible delay to school start time changes
RIDGEFIELD - After a year of budget problems and turnover of its top administrators, the school district has entered a "crunch point" in its plan to change school start times next year. Board of Education members spent most of a meeting this week struggling with whether they should again put off the plan, which they have been exploring for several years to better align the school day with… → Read More