The Plainville
Cit itiz ize en Plainville’s Only Weekly Newspaper
Volume 10, Number 42
Thursday, October 20, 2011
New officer joins police force
Navratri celebration
By Julie Sopchak The Plainville Citizen
Photo courtesy of Robyn Luczkow/Chris Pallato
Heena Jadav, member of the YMCA Board of Directors, joins in a group dance in which participants use dandiya, decorated sticks. Oct. 15 was the second annual Navratri celebration — a Hindu observance — held at the Wheeler Regional Family YMCA and hundreds of people danced, ate, played games and participated in a special ceremony.
Plainville Republicans look to get ‘back to basics’ this year By Julie Sopchak The Plainville Citizen
For this election cycle, the Plainville Republican Town Committee is promising that if elected, candidates will get “back to basics.” Campaign committee co-chair-
Andrea Saunders, Helen Bergenty.
left,
and
women Helen Bergenty and Andrea Saunders are hoping Republicans can capture the majority on town council and the board of education to impose a bit of “common sense” for the town’s affairs. “It’s been Democrat control for quite a few years,” said Bergenty, who also acts as the vice chairwoman for the RTC. “So it’s time to get back to basics and have some common sense.” Saunders, a BOE incumbent whose term is not up yet, said the biggest issue seems to be the spending. “I think it’s a hard time and I think people, like with the federal government and the state government, they want us to control spending, and we need people that are going to be in See Republicans, page 5
The Plainville Town Council appointed two members of the police department at Monday night’s meeting. Liam O’Brien was appointed to police officer, and Sgt. Eric Peterson was promoted to lieutenant. Peterson has been with the department since 1997 and finished first out of five officers who tested for the position. “This is a very big step, not only for Eric but for the police department,” said Chief Matthew Catania. “I have every confidence that Eric Peterson will be an excellent police lieutenant for the Town of Plainville.” “I’m eager to work in the position,” Peterson said. “It’s
a big jump and I’m ready to learn and move the department into the future.” O’Brien, a police officer in Avon, is a resident of Plainville. “He is interested in our policing initiatives and looks forward to developing his career here in Plainville,” Catania said. “I’m confident that Liam O’Brien will make an excellent police officer for the Town of Plainville.” “I’m looking forward to getting started and I’m grateful for the position,” O’Brien said. Residents voiced a few concerns during the open forum about the new school administrators contract, that if approved would be effective from 2012-15. John Kisluk
See Officer, page 30
Plainville Democrats’ campaign focuses on personalities By Julie Sopchak The Plainville Citizen This election cycle, the Plainville Democratic Town Committee is looking to put the right personalities in office. “I think that’s what we focus on when looking at candidates is more personality than someone who’s going to toe the party lines, Warzorko so-to-speak,” said DTC chairman Christopher Wazorko. Wazorko, also vice-chairman on the town council, said some of the new candidates running for town council and the board of education
can offer new perspectives and ideas. “I believe it was FDR [Franklin Delano Roosevelt] who said it, but something to the extent that there’s no Democratic or Republican way to pick up garbage, or to provide police and fire safety,” Wazorko said. “Our issues are much more local and they’re much more personality-based and I think the challenge to any council is finding the personalities that work best.” For town council, four incumbents are running for a spot: Wazorko, Lynn Szach, Jason Rupaka and Robert Ciotto Sr.. Quinn Wazorko Christopher is the lone new candidate running for council as a Democrat. For the BOE, incumbents Charlotte Koskoff and Patrick Ringrose
See Democrats, page 6