Michael Seri 189 Leadership 2006 Eileen Coladarci 187 United Danbury Democrats Eugene McNamara 186 United Danbury Democrats Helena Abrantes 180 United Danbury Democrats Bernard Gallo 176 United Danbury Democrats Chris Cerda 158 Leadship 2006 Paul McAllister 158 Leadership 2006 Susan Ward 142 Leadership 2006
Only the top four make the cut. In other words, Gallo is out and no longer head of the Democratic Town Committee.
"I’ve been doing this since 1979," Gallo said today. "I’m going to relax."
A recount was held today because Helena Abrantes led Gallo by three votes in Tuesday’s primary, a narrow margin with more than 350 people voting. The recount was held at the Pembroke school and at City Hall, where absentee votes were tallied. Gallo was the only incumbent on the Democratic Committee to be unseated.
[...]
"We called a meeting for Monday night," Gallo said after the recount. "That’s my last official act as chairman."
This wasn't a big surprise to Gallo, after the Democrats last the last two elections, he saw the writing on the wall.
Mamy rumors are circulating on who is to replace Gallo. I have the big scoop on the whole thing but I don't want to drop anything just yet. I'll keep everyone informed as things develop.
I'm going to start a new thing on this site but first, a little background into my wacky life.
Anyone who knows me understands that I'm a diehard photographer and I’ve freelanced for various publications over the years (oh, the good ol' days). Since digital photography became the norm in publishing and I couldn’t afford a good digital SLR camera, I’ve stopped taking pictures (well, not really, it’s just that it’s hard to get a good photo with a point and shoot digital camera and for the most part, I’m finished with using film).
Recently, I was able to purchased a SLR digital camera (for the geeks, I bought a Canon 10D for under 450 dollars...and yes, that's one hell of a deal) and since I can use my old lenses and flash, I’m back on the photo scene. I've been going around town taking pictures of anything and everything with the intention of updating my portfolio and possibly getting back into the freelancing business.
Now what does that have to do with this blog? Well, I think this site will be the best place to show off my work (since I’m taking photos in Danbury anyway). Once a week, I’ll show off some of my work and you can judge for yourself if I’m any good or not.
On that note, the first photo I’m posting is one of my favorites. It’s a picture of the 9-11 memorial on Main Street. If you look closely at the photo, there seems to be streaks of light coming out of the memorial into the street. Those are actually cars passing; to create that effect, I used a tripod and took a long exposure (45 seconds).
FYI: To enlarge the photo, just click on it.
Enjoy! If you like what you see, drop a comment. If there is something in Danbury that you think I should photograph, feel free to also drop a comment (or email me).
It's a bad idea to turn your back on a judge. That's what Philippe Patricio found out at his sentencing on Wednesday.
The Bethel man was accused of breaking into Danbury Municipal Airport one night last June, firing up a single-engine airplane and taking a drunken, middle-of-the-night joyride to Westchester County Airport.
He pleaded guilty in January to several New York state charges and was sentenced to time already served in prison – about nine months – on Wednesday.
But not before he got a severe tongue-lashing.
It all started when Westchester County Judge Rory Bellantoni began lecturing Patricio at his sentencing hearing. The judge said the first thing people thought was "terrorist" when they heard someone stole an airplane in greater metropolitan New York.
At that Patricio seemed to lose interest.
He had been standing with his handcuffed wrists behind his back next to Danbury attorney Ed Camacho. The paperwork for his case was in front of them on the table.
Once the judge mentioned the word terrorist, Patricio turned his back and picked up the papers. He started to move toward the door. Camacho stopped him.
Patricio's move wasn't missed by Bellantoni.
"You seem to have a problem with stupidity," Bellantoni said. "Have you been paying attention to all of my proceedings? From what I've seen, you're guilty of everything except for possibly criminal possession of an airplane."
[...]
"You seem to have a bad attitude. You're angry at society for punishing you for a crime you admit you committed," Bellantoni told Patricio. "You came here today a different person than the one who came in for his first arraignment in October."
Patricio arrived at his October arraignment afraid and embarrassed, Camacho said. Bellantoni observed that Patricio was angry and resentful Wednesday after nearly nine months in jail.
"An arrest like this has got to be a wake-up call for you," Bellantoni said. "The next time you could end up with 10 or 15 years in prison, and you could get someone killed."
"What the judge said was correct," said Assistant District Attorney Robert Prisco about Patricio. "He has a massive chip on his shoulder."
Oh, this is rich. This drunk idiot steals a plane, flys around at night risking the lives of the other drunk idiots who jumped in the plane with him as well as the people who lived in the area, and he has the nerve to act out in front of the judge because he has "a chip on his shoulder."
Oh, I wish I could have been at the courthouse on to see this dummy do his thing firsthand. It would of been better than watching an episode of Judge Joe Brown.
Democrats supported their incumbent town committee members for the most part Tuesday, but they may have ousted Town Committee Chairman Bernie Gallo.
Gallo finished fifth in the second ward, three votes behind former City Clerk Helena Abrantes. The top four candidates make it and there will be a recount in the second ward.
A challenger slate ran against the incumbent slate in two wards. The opposition slate had argued the Democrats lost the last mayoral three elections and that it was time for a change.
Under the party's existing rules, the chairman must come from sitting members of the 28-member committee. If Gallo doesn't gain votes in the recount, he can't be chairman.
Okay, I must be crazy because it's TOO DAMN COLD to be live blogging tonight.
I just came from Danbury High and Pembroke School where the Democratic primary for the 1st and 2nd wards took place. The turnout at the high school seemed to be larger than at Pembroke but since I was at each location for only 30 minutes, I have no idea how the turnoutwas for the entire day.
Although it was cold, I was able to conduct interviews with some of the candidates as well as interview people who voted. When I'm finish converting the audio clips, I'll post everything online and offer my views on the primary and where the Democrats go from here.
Registered Democrats in the 1st and 2nd wards are voting on competing slates for Town Committee seats today. Members of the Democratic Party in the 1st Ward will vote at Danbury High School at 43 Clapboard Ridge Road. Democrats in the 2nd Ward will vote at Pembroke School at 34 1/2 Pembroke Road. Polls are open until 8 p.m. The existing Town Committee put together one slate. An opposition group, which is unhappy with the Democrats’ losses in the last two elections, put together a competing slate with the goal of eliminating the existing party leaders. The United Danbury Democrats, the group most closely allied with the existing Town Committee, is running Linda DaSilva, Tina Merante, Barbara Anders and Kevin Morgan in the 1st Ward, and Bernard Gallo, Eileen Coladarci, Helena Abrantes and Eugene McNamara in the 2nd Ward. The Leadership 2006 ticket is running Warren Levy, Nick Nero, Beth Hawley and Manny Furtado in the 1st Ward, and Michael Seri, Chris Cerda, Paul McAllister and Susan Ward in the 2nd Ward.
I'm going to be out and about between the two polling places and hopefully, doing video interviews.
Seems like all hell is breaking loose among the Democrats in the area. The big primary is this Tuesday which means I'll have to add my two cents in before the elections.
I'm attending a Ned Lamont meet and greet in Ridgefield today so my day is pretty packed but I have some video footage from some of the local talking head shows in which they talk about the Democratic infighting. We'll see if any of the major players want to be interviewed also.
BTW: Stop freaking out, I'll get the anti-immigration post up. Yeah, yeah, it's been a week but I'm working on a story which could get ugly.
04.25.22 (RADIO): WSHU Latino group call on Connecticut lawmakers to open a Danbury charter school
06.03.22 (OP-ED): KUSHNER: "Career Academy ‘a great deal for Danbury"
On September 26, 2007, ten plaintiffs filed suit in response to an arrest of aday laborers at a public park in Danbury, Connecticut. Plaintiffs amended their complaint on November 26, 2007.
The amended complaint states that plaintiffs sought to remedy the continued discriminatory and unauthorized enforcement of federal immigration laws against the Latino residents of the City of Danbury by Danbury's mayor and its police department.
Plaintiffs allege that the arrests violated their Fourth Amendment rights and the Connecticut Constitution because defendants conducted the arrests without valid warrants, in the absence of exigent circumstances, and without probable cause to believe that plaintiffs were engaged in unlawful activity. In addition, plaintiffs allege that defendants improperly stopped, detained, investigated, searched and arrested plaintiffs. Plaintiffs also allege that defendants violated their Fourteenth Amendment rights when they intentionally targeted plaintiffs, and arrested and detained them on the basis of their race, ethnicity and perceived national origin. Plaintiffs raise First Amendment, Due Process and tort claims.
Plaintiffs request declaratory relief, damages and attorneys fees.
On September 26, 2007, ten plaintiffs filed suit in response to an arrest of aday laborers at a public park in Danbury, Connecticut. Plaintiffs amended their complaint on November 26, 2007.
