2011 in Review: Projects around Danbury area started that continue through this new year

In September, the federal government announced that it was buying 17 acres in Danbury to build a U.S. Army Reserve training center for $4.3 million. The military plans to construct a regional training center with a 95,000-square-foot building. 

The following month ground was broken on Danbury Hospital's new Patient Tower and Emergency Department.  There will be a new medical-surgical floor, an observation unit for patients who only need to stay in the hospital for a few hours and a new lobby with auditorium.  This will be the largest single addition in it's 126 year history when it's completed in 2014.

Officials also announced that plans are being made to expand and modernize New Milford Hospital's emergency Department. 

In November, Union Savings Bank broke ground at the former site of the Danbury Police Station on their downtown branch replacement project.  They are aiming for opening the new branch by mid-summer. 

Union Savings Bank also sold a portion of the property to the Connecticut Institute for Communities, which will then be building senior housing and a Health Center.

2012 holds meetings about safety issues along White Street in Danbury

For the first time in several years, there were pedestrian-versus-car accidents on White Street in Danbury in 2011.

In October, an adjunct West Conn Professor was found bleeding from the face and suffered a fractured right wrist after he was hit by a car while crossing White Street outside Litchfield Hall.  The 42 year old was in a cross walk when two cars, one in the inside eastbound lane and another headed west, stopped, but he was hit by a third car in the middle lane, also driving east. 

After that incident, the University held safety forums.

Then just before Thanksgiving, a commuter student from Brookfield was struck and killed by a hit and run driver.  The death of 19-year old Dong Lin, who was not in a cross walk, prompted the creation of a task force to study issues along White Street. 

An arrest is yet to be made in that case, but the driver is cooperating with police.

At crosswalks with a traffic light, pedestrians must wait for a signal to cross the street, but where there is no light, they have the right of way in crosswalks.

Story that rocked the Greater Danbury still has many unanswered questions

In late February and early March, a Bethel man was arrested on charges of running large-scale steroids and marijuana distribution rings.  Mark Mansa, the alleged ring leader, just pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana December 30th. 

Federal prosecutors say the steroids were distributed to high school-aged athletes, though school officials say they haven't seen any signs of steroid use. 

Prosecutors also claimed that members of Police Departments in Danbury, New Milford and Wilton tipped off Mansa to the investigation.  

Three other men were arrested for being part of the alleged marijuana ring.  Glenn Wagner of Brookfield, Kevin Lubic of South Salem and Richard Sciacchetano of Florida.  They are accused of selling more than 220 pounds of pot over four years in the area.

Authorities say Lubic is a member of the Hells Angels motorcycle club.  Authorities say Sciacchetano has ties to the Bonanno crime family.

Closure to a story that started 5 years ago and involved mobsters, trash hauling and hockey

In July, the US Marshals Service sold the White Street Transfer Station to Winters Brothers Waste Systems Connecticut.  In March, the Long Island based company also purchased most of the trash hauling routes and companies that had been owned by James Galante. 

The companies were seized by the federal government in 2006 when Galante was charged with 93 counts of racketeering.

He pleaded guilty to three charges and was sentenced to 87 months in jail. 

Joseph Winters signed an agreement with the city that includes a $1 per ton fee paid to Danbury, which City officials say could generate up to $200,000 a year in revenue.

Meanwhile, a $600,000 settlement against Galante was announced in April.  State Attorney General George Jepson says in 2002 and 2004, Automated Waste Disposal and Thomas Refuse Services illegal raised hauling fees. 

About 500 former AWD customers were sharing in the settlement, which stemmed from a 2009 lawsuit against Galante that also involved bid rigging by one of his other companies. 

One wild weather year

It started off with massive amounts of snow from several winter storms.  In June, a funnel cloud touched down in the Woodbury area and the National Weather Service declared it an EF1 tornado. 

In August, a 5-point-8 magnitude earthquake centered near Washington DC, was felt in Connecticut rattling as many nerves as buildings. 

A few days later--Hurricane Irene tore through the state as a Tropical Storm and knocked out power, flooded streets and brought down tree limbs. 

In case the area was lacking in extreme weather, an autumn nor'easter forced towns to cancel Halloween because of 13-inches of snow that took down trees and electric wires, again plunging the state into the dark. 

The downed tree limbs and wires coupled with massive power outages made it unsafe for pedestrians.

It was the 2nd storm of the year that saw a week of school cancellations

October 2011 saw three small plane crashes with Danbury connections

On Saturday October 1st, a small plane took off from Danbury airport but crashed a short distance away on Briar Ridge Road and landed upside down.  The pilot, Robert Baldwin reported losing power in his single-engine Mooney moments before.  He walked away from the crash.  

Four days later, a Danbury man died when his small plane crashed into a West Virginia home.  70-year-old Harry Weber veered off the runway as it prepared to take off from a private airfield.  Officials there said Weber had extensive flight experience, "probably close to 100,000 hours of flight time".  

Less than two weeks after the Danbury crash, a small aircraft on approach to Danbury clipped a beacon and smashed into a house.  64-year old Peter Woodsmall of Kansas died from blunt trauma to the head and neck.

Danbury residents saddened by the loss of two former Mayors

James Dyer died suddenly on July 26th of natural causes.  The 64 year old served four terms as Mayor from 1979 to 1987. 

During the Democrat's time in office, the Danbury Fair Mall was built as was Union Carbide.  Registrar of Voters Mary Ann Doran recalled the man who also led the preservation of Tarrywile Park and Bear Mountain Reserve. 

Dyer was accused of accepting kickbacks from mall developers, but he was found not guilty of all but one charge, which he appealed and had reversed maintaining his innocence.

Donald Boughton died November 1st after a long illness. The 76-year old is the father of the current Mayor Mark Boughton.  City Hall secretary Joan Soderstrum says the Republican served just one term from 1977 to 1979.  Mark Boughton, who called his father his best friend and mentor.

Prior to being elected Mayor, each man served in the Connecticut General Assembly. 

2nd trial in the Cheshire home invasion case takes the spotlight in 2011

Joshua Komisarjevsky was convicted of capital felony, sexual assault and other charges stemming from the killings of Jennifer Hawke-Petit and daughters, 17-year-old Hayley and 11-year-old Michaela, at their home. 

A jury decided earlier this month to send him to death row where he joins co-defendant Steven Hayes.  The sole survivor of the attack, Dr William Petit, had been beaten and tied up in the basement but managed to escape.

Hayes and Komjisarjevsky blamed each other for escalating the crime, but prosecutors say it took both men to carry out the killings.  Komisarjevsky's attorney told the jury he was repeatedly raped as a child by his foster brother and suffered a mood disorder that increased his risk of committing crime.

Petit, says this trial was harder because of the focus on his daughter.

Jurors were shown a videotaped interview of Komisarjevsky's 9-year-old daughter over his objections. Prosecutors reminded jurors that Komisarjevsky was convicted of sexually assaulting and killing a girl less than two years older than his daughter.

The crime so unsettled the state that it bolstered efforts to retain the death penalty and led to a newly defined crime of home invasion.

Fewer murders than 2010 in Danbury, year marred by domestic violence killing

In August a Danbury man was arraigned on murder charges for the stabbing death of his 23-year old girlfriend in what police say was a domestic violence incident.  31-year old Arturo Dota is accused of stabbing Natalie Ramirez to death at their Duck Street apartment in front of one of their 2 children.

Some noteable court cases wrapped up this year as well including Bethel resident James O'Neil being sentenced last month to 14 years in prison for the hit-and-run death of Danbury police officer Donald Hassiak.  Hassiak was biking to work along Route 7 in New Milford last June.

Earlier this year, Greenwich resident Marash Gojcaj was sentenced to 50 years in jail for the 2004 murder and dismemberment of his uncle and business partner Zef Vulevic, also known as Joe Vuli, in their Main Street restaurant.

Also in March, Danbury settled the Danbury 11 case by agreeing to pay $400,000 in the civil rights case.  The 11 day laborers claimed they were victims of racial profiling in a 2006 sting at Kennedy Park.  The case led to the City's participation in the Immigration and Custom's Enforcement Agency's 287-G program.