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Westfield News July 2018 "1

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Westfield News

WRA Annual Picnic is Monday, July 9 at 6pmArline K. Rich Pavilion at Smith Park

300 Country Club Road, Middletown

It’s our favorite time of the year - the Annual Picnic at Smith Park! We’ll provide the BBQ from Wood & Smoke, drinks and paper goods, and you bring a side or dessert to share (crowd favorites include salad, fruit salad, baked beans, mac&cheese, potato salad, apple pie, cupcakes, brownies, and so on). Bring your friends and neighbors too - all are welcome. The weather looks great for Monday night, so we’ll see you there. You can also renew your membership, and it will be good through October 2019!!

Westfield Residents Association, Inc. Established 1981

Updated Recycling Guidelines - What’s In. What’s Out.

Do you know what belongs in the blue bin?Page 2

Westfield News

Annual Meeting, Westfield FD blood drive, Community meeting for firing rangePage 3

Municipal Matters

P&Z Commission, Inland Wetland and Watercourses Agency updatesPage 3

No Waste Oil Middletown’s recycling center no longer accepts waste oilPage 4

Volunteer Opportunity

Public Works is looking for Repair Cafe volunteersPage 4

New Membership form

Yearly membership renews in October, but pay at the picnic and get 16 monthsPage 5

A Quarterly Newsletter 37th Edition - Volume 3 - July 2018

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" Westfield News July 20182

Connecticut Updates Recycling Guidelines

Photo credit: Ed McKeon, The Middletown EYE

Aerosol containers (food grade only)

Aluminum foil

Cans & bottles

Foil containers

Metal lids from cans & bottles

Plastic bottles (with or without caps attached)

Plastic containers, tubs & lids

Plastic one-use cups (no lids, no straws)

Loose bottle caps

Plastic bags & wrap

Plastic plates, bowls & utensils

Prescription bottles

Single-use coffee containers

Styrofoam cups, containers & packaging peanuts

Water fi lters

Aerosol containers (deodorizers, cleaners, pesticides, etc.)

Foil tops from yogurt containers

Paint cans

Pots & pans

Small pieces of scrap metal

Spiral wound containers

PLA

STIC

MET

AL

Beverage bottles & jars

Food bottles & jars

Ceramic mugs & plates

Drinking glasses

GLA

SS

Cardboard & boxboard

Food & beverage cartons

Junk mail

Magazines & newspaper inserts

Newsprint

Offi ce paper

Pizza boxes

Gift wrap & gift bags

Ice cream containers

Paper cups (hot & cold)

Shredded paper

Take-out food containers

Tissue paper

PAP

ER

What’s IN? What’s OUT? X

A Guide to RecyclingConnecticut now has a universal list of what belongs in your recycling bin and what doesn’t. All items should be empty, rinsed, clean and open. Do not shred, box, bag or bundle. To learn more, go to RecycleCT.com

© 2017 RecycleCT Foundation

Do you know what can go in your blue recycling bin on garbage day? Did you know that just because an item is recyclable, it still may not be allowed in the blue bin? When in doubt, check the chart or ask the RecycleCT Wizard at http://www.recyclect.com.

According to NBC Connecticut, DEEP estimates that 14%-19% of materials received by Connecticut’s recycling facilities contain contaminants. “If contamination levels within a load are too high, the entire load will get thrown out.” (Read the full article at https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Rethinking-How-Connecticut-Recycles-487444851.html)

The greatest contamination culprits are plastic grocery bags (you should take those back to the grocery store). Also not allowed is shredded paper and plastic bottle tops (without their corresponding bottles). Putting recyclables in plastic bags in the blue bin doesn’t work either.

Muskrat Crossing Near Highland Pond One of the things I really love about living in Westfield is the wildlife I see on a regular basis. Earlier this spring, I was walking my dog and we ran across this young muskrat. According to DEEP, muskrats are semi-aquatic rodents that live along waterways in Connecticut. They are considered an important furbearer resource, though the harvest has dropped to 2,000 - 4,000 animals per year down from 20,000 per year more than 40 years ago. Muskrats are much smaller than beavers, measuring 18-25 in long with a skinny rat-like tail that can be 8-11 in long. They generally live near wetlands with lots of aquatic vegetation (swamps, coastal and freshwater marshes, lakes, ponds, and slow-moving streams). Muskrats feed mostly on plants such as cattails, water lilies, and duckweed, but will occasionally eat crayfish, snails, mussels, frogs, insects and slow fish. Read the full DEEP fact sheet at http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2723&q=326048

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Westfield News July 2018 "3

Municipal Matters P&Z Commission: NOTICE OF DECISION BY THE MIDDLETOWN PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AT ITS REGULAR MEETING OF JUNE 27, 2018

1)  Continued to the July 11th meeting: Public hearing for a proposed fourteen (14) lot subdivision at Ridgewood Road and Mile Lane. Applicant/agent Sunwood Development Corp./Joan C. Molloy, Esq. S2018-1 2)  Continued to the July 11th meeting: Public hearing for a request for Special Exception with regard to Sections 44.08.08 and 60.02.08 to utilize parcel for professional and business offices at 184-186 Washington Street in an ID Zone. Applicant/agent B.A.R.C., LLC/Rachel F. Flood SE2018-4 3)  Continued to the July 25th meeting: Proposed text change regarding Section 40 of the Zoning Regulations for review of the parking requirements. Applicant/agent City of Middletown PCD Dept. Z2018-5 4)  Gave a favorable review for a C.G.S. § 8-24 Review for the transfer of a portion of North Main Street that is owned by the City of Middletown to the abutting

property at 180 Johnson Street, which is also owned by the City of Middletown. Applicant/agent City of Middletown PCD Dept. G.S. 8-24 2018-5 5)  Approved a request for final approval for the two-lot subdivision located at 297 Ballfall Road. Applicant/agent Joseph Mazzotta S2017-1

Inland Wetland and Watercourses Agency:

July 3, 2018 meeting addressed two items of concern in Westfield (meeting minutes are not yet available):

• Public Hearing - Proposed subdivision including grading and installation of lawn in the Upland Review Area (Map 10, Lot 0028) on Ridgewood Road. Applicant/agent Sunwood Development Corp. c/o Joan C. Molloy, Esq. 18-06

• Old Business Continued - Proposed installation of two (2) hoop houses (28’ x 88’ each) and a carport (22’ x 30’) to be used for storage of farm equipment, vehicles and accessories within the upland review area at 1340 Country Club Road. Applicant/agent Jason & Jennifer Blakeslee 18-02

Westfield News The WRA Annual Meeting and Meet the Candidates Night will held be on Monday, October 22, 2018, in Fellowship Hall at the Third Congregational Church on Miner Street. The WRA is one of the few local groups to host this kind of event. It will be a busy mid-term election season, so save the date and tell your friends and neighbors! It will also be time to elect a new Executive Board. If you have any interest in serving for a year, please let one of the current board members know.

The Westfield Fire Department is partnering with the American Red Cross to host a 9-11 Memorial Blood Drive to be held on September 11th, 2018 from 11am to 4pm at the Westfield Station. The drive is being held in honor of the 343 FDNY members who lost their lives trying to rescue occupants of the twin towers when they collapsed. For information please contact Lt. Phil Coco at 203-410-0003.

See next page, column 3 for details on an important Community Meeting regarding the Middletown PD gun range scheduled for July 17 at 7pm.

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May 15, 2018 storm over Westfield

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" Westfield News July 20184

Waste Oil Disposal

Update from Public Works: Middletown no longer accepts waste oil at the Recycling Center. The tank was contaminated with PCBs, the area had to be cleaned up, and the tank itself had to be disposed as hazardous waste. To date, it has not been replaced. Middletown residents can bring waste oil to the Household Hazardous Waste Collection on Saturday, October 13, 2018 at Middlesex Community College (100 Training Hill Road, Middletown) or to one of these locations: Auto Zone926 Washington St, Middletown 860-346-0564

Advanced Auto Parts 856 Washington St or 373 E Main StMiddletown 860-398-6855

Walmart Tire and Lube 3164 Berlin Turnpike, Newington 860-667-1485

Firestone136 Berlin Road, Cromwell 860-316-2545

Pep Boys Auto44 Berlin Turnpike,Newington 860-829-6800

Middletown Repair Café

Volunteer Opportunity -

The Middletown Recycling Division and The Rockfall Foundation are looking to host a Repair Café in the Fall 2018. A Repair Café is an event where people can bring things to be fixed – instead of throwing them in the garbage.

Organizers are looking for handy volunteers to act as repair experts.

They are especially looking for people who are handy with:

• clothing/textiles • electrical appliances • bicycles • furniture/wooden objects • knife sharpening

Finally, there is frequently a demand for people who have a knack for computers and phones.

If you like to tinker and have a knack for fixing things, contact Kim O’Rourke at 860-638-4855 or kim.orourke@middletownct.gov to be part of this exciting event!

Dingwall-Horan Firearms Facility

The purpose of the meeting is to share your concerns with the Acoustical Engineer hired by the Firing Range Building Committee to conduct a new sound study and to develop a noise abatement plan for the Middletown PD gun range.

Visit Erich Thalheimer’s website here to see his qualifications and previous work on firing ranges. (http://erichthalheimer.com/12.html)

Members of the public can pass along questions or concerns to the Building Committee Chair, Carl Chisem, at Carl.Chisem@MiddletownCT.Gov

Future Building Committee Meetings will be held in the Middletown Police Department’s Community Room at 6pm on the following dates: August 21, 2018 September 18, 2018 October 16, 2018 November 20, 2018 December 18, 2018 January 15, 2019

Photo credit: The Middletown Press File Photo

There will be a Community Meeting on Tuesday, July 17 at 7pm in the Middletown High School Cafeteria

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Westfield News July 2018 "5

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2018-2019 Membership FormDues: $15 per household covers various facility use fees for quarterly meetings, newsletter costs, food costs, website fees, and a Secretary of State filing fee. When you pay at the annual July picnic, your membership is good for the remainder of this year and all of next year (membership renews in October). Make checks payable to WRA and mail membership form to Treasurer, Westfield Residents Association, P.O. Box 373, Middletown, CT 06457. We would love to email you the newsletter and other important updates - your email will be used only for that purpose.

Name(s): _________________________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

Email: ______________________________________________________

Phone: ______________________________________________________

_______ $15 Annual Membership Fee

_______ Donation amount: $ _____________

Executive CommitteeJennifer Mahr — Chair Brian Biales — Vice-Chair Tim Mahr — Treasurer Leah Meyer — Secretary Doug Turner — Member

Contact UsChair Jennifer Mahr (h) 860-344-8647

(c) 860-538-1974

Westfield Residents Association P.O. Box 373 Middletown, CT 06457 westfieldresidents@gmail.com www.wramiddletown.org www.facebook.com/WestfieldResidentsAssoc/

Westfield Residents AssociationThe Executive Committee monitors municipal decisions that impact Westfield. This includes land use decisions by the Inland Wetlands Agency and the Planning and Zoning Commission, as well as the Parks Department, Public Works, and the Police.

We host an annual potluck picnic in Smith Park in early July, a “meet the candidates” night during election season, and other public meetings in January and April.

If you are concerned or curious about something in Westfield, let us know.

If you would like to become more involved, please speak to any of us, we are always looking for more volunteers.

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Westfield Residents Association 37th Edition - Volume 3 - July 2018

P.O. Box 373Middletown, CT 06457

Annual Meeting & Meet the Candidates ForumMonday, October 22, 2018 at 7pmThird Congregational Church94 Miner Street