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12/26/2018 06:00 AMIn 2018, the Guilford community celebrated some great victories and gathered to cope with gut-wrenching tragedies. This is the Guilford 2018 Year in Review:
January
The year begins with freezing temperatures and Shore Line East (SLE) riders suffering through frequent train cancellations and delays.
In mid January, the Guilford Police Department announces it participated in a three-day operation called “Not My Town,” a concentrated effort to catch sexual predators, that results in five arrests.
On Jan. 25, parents of Our Lady of Mercy (OLM), located in Madison, receive an email from school officials informing them the school will close at its current location after this year and join with Branford’s St. Mary School SMS to form a new East Shoreline Catholic Academy (ESCA) at the current SMS location.
On Jan. 31, Guilford Police respond to reports of a shooting on Seaside Avenue. (See “The Loss and Legacy of Ethan Song” on page 3.)
February
On Feb. 6, the Board of Selectmen (BOS) approves the proposed, combined town and BOE operating budget for fiscal year 2018-’19. The budget comes to $97,960,807, an increase of $2,772,638 or 2.91 percent.
The Guilford Land Conservation Trust (GLCT) announces the acquisition of another 30-acre parcel in Westwoods. The land, often referred to as “The Missing Piece,” is the final central holding in the forest.
Residents come out in droves to a special BOS meeting to oppose a disc golf proposal at Peddler’s Park.
Throughout the month, news breaks that the new artificial turf field at Guilford High School (GHS) is coming apart at the seams. Town officials close the field and begin investigating the issue.
On Feb. 28, State Senator Ted Kennedy, Jr. (D-12) announces he will not seek a third term.
March
March roars in with a nor’easter that knocks out power to much of the town.
On March 3, with winds and rough tides still lingering, a 32-year-old man dies in the waters off the Guilford Yacht Club after a barge flips.
On March 12, the Board of Finance (BOF) reduces the overall proposed town budget by $500,000, bringing the total budget to $97,460,807, a budget increase of 2.39 percent.
On March 14, hundreds of students at GHS get up from their desks, leave their classrooms, and walk out to the front of the school to participate in the National School Walkout. The demonstration grows on March 24 when more than 2,000 shoreline residents converge on the Guilford Green for a local March for Our Lives demonstration.
April
On April 4, U-Haul returns to the Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC) seeking approval for a special permit and site plan application to build a storage and rental space to replace its current facility on the Boston Post Road.
On April 10, Guilford voters approve the 2018-’19 budget at referendum with 1,749 “Yes” votes to 1,434 “No” votes. Voter turnout is just over 21 percent.
After many heated debates over the Shoreline Greenway Trail (SGT), the Nut Plains Pathway, and pedestrian safety in general, on April 16 the BOS formally establishes the Guilford Safe Streets Mobility Task Force.
The third annual Earth Day event is held on April 21 at the Guilford Fair Grounds.
May
The legislative session closes on May 9 and the General Assembly has a bipartisan budget approved by its deadline, squashing any lingering fears of a repeat performance of the prior year when the legislature was still debating a budget four months after the start of the fiscal year.
The Republican and Democratic conventions for the 12th District Senate seat are held and the candidates are set. Guilford Democrat Christine Cohen will face Branford Republican Adam Greenberg at the ballot box in November.
On May 23, residents discuss changing school start times and, while everyone at the meeting is united behind the sleep science, opinions are divided on how to move the start time back and if the benefits of such a move would outweigh the costs.
The Guilford Memorial Day parade is held May 28.
June
Nearly a year after vandalism destroyed the planned sensory garden at Roses for Autism, residents and volunteers gather on June 3 for the official ribbon cutting.
Following heated meetings and fierce debate among residents, PZC approves the U-Haul application by a 5-2 vote on June 6.
The case of Simon the dog begins to gain traction at BOS meetings and on social media. The dog previously bit a child trespassing on the property of owner David Young, and Young makes frequent appearances before the BOS, asking the board to reverse a kill order. Young asserts the town can reverse the decision, while the town says the decision lies with the state Department of Agriculture.
On June 22, 298 members of the GHS Class of 2018 graduate, crossing the stage and receiving their diplomas before a crowd of cheering family, friends, and classmates.
July
The annual Guilford Fireworks display lights up the night sky on July 7. Thousands of residents and visitors make their way down to the fairgrounds to see the show.
The BOE votes to move the GHS start time back 15 minutes for the next academic year, back 10 minutes for the middle schools, and five minutes for the elementary schools.
On July 19, some work in the area of downtown Guilford takes a terrible turn, resulting in the death of a 46-year-old male employee of a private company who sustains fatal injuries during a worksite incident.
The Guilford Art Center’s annual Craft Expo takes over the Green July 13 to 15 and the annual Concert on the Green summer series begins July 22.
August
The Shoreline Arts Alliance presents the 17th annual Shakespeare on the Shoreline featuring Hamlet from Aug. 1 to 5.
The debate over Simon, a mixed-breed dog currently held at the Guilford Animal Shelter and slated to be euthanized following an incident between the dog and a minor in August 2017, continues. No resolution is reached at a Department of Agriculture hearing on Aug. 15.
On Aug. 30, more than 3,200 Guilford students get up, grab their backpacks, and head out the door for the first day of the new school year.
Volunteers, members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and local and state officials gather on Aug. 25 for the official ribbon cutting of the new Guilford VFW Post 7666 building on Mill Road.
September
The new school year begins but the artificial turf field at the high school is still closed. Officials report extreme temperatures and drainage issues as the cause of the field’s damage, and the fix may require pulling the whole field up.
Guilford Police participate in the popular Lip Sync Challenge. Residents participate in the filming on Sept. 12 and 13.
With a new location, plan, and recorded public support, the project to put an 18-hole disc golf course at Bittner Park gets the green light to move forward.
The Guilford Fair returns to town Sept. 21 to 23, and the annual Friends of the Guilford Free Library (FGFL) Book Sale returns Sept. 28 to 30.
The water main extension project for the residents of Mulberry Point, Tuttles Point, and Long Cove hits a significant funding snag.
Guilford Special Education Parent Teacher Organization (SEPTO) is presented with the Spirit of SEPTO award by the Connecticut Special Education PTO Alliance at the September Board of Education meeting.
October
The Hyland House Museum celebrates 100 years as a museum with a gala event to honor the history of the museum and with the goal of raising a few dollars to keep the museum going well into the future.
The town looks to legal options with the goal of resolving the issue of the damaged artificial turf field at the high school.
November
Democrat Christine Cohen defeats Republican Adam Greenberg to win the District 12 State Senate seat on Election Day, Nov. 6. Democrat Sean Scanlon wins a third term as the state representative for the 98th District representing Guilford and part of Branford, and Republican Vincent J. Candelora wins a seventh consecutive term as the state representative for the 86th District representing North Branford/Northford and sections of Guilford, Durham, and Wallingford. Voter turnout across the state, despite pouring rain, is 67 percent and Democrats see big wins—the governor’s office, the senate, and the house are now firmly under Democratic control.
On Nov. 15, students, residents, and local and state leaders gather at Adams Middle School and on the Guilford Green for the second installation of witness stones that recognize and commemorate the lives of those enslaved individuals who lived in town.
The annual Tree lighting is Nov. 30.
December
Residents approve a $3.1 million special appropriation for the water main extension project on Dec. 13.
On Dec. 17, the Guilford Land Trust is awarded $162,500 from the state to support the purchase of the final unprotected parcel in Guilford’s Westwoods.
The year ends with some good news. After a long wait, a restaurant will take space at the Guilford Commons in 2019. To the delight of many residents, the restaurant is Panera Bread.