Property of the Watertown Historical Society tlowwatertownhistoricalsociety.orgn Timely Coverage Of News In The Fastest Growing Community In Litchfield County Vol. 32, No. 29 Subscription Price $8.00 Per Year PRICE 20 CENTS July 20, 1978 Atty. Carey Geghan Will Seek 2nd Probate Term Annual Budget Carey Ft, Geghan, Judge of ned judge," he said in his can- Probate for Watertown, has an- didacy statement, nounced he will seek the nomina- Mr, Geghan said he feels he tion from the Democrat Town has shown "compassion and con- Committee to run for reelection cern for the people who have Meeting Scheduled to the office which he took over in used the Court in the past four 1974. years," A practicing attorney in the He lives with his wife, Mary area, Mr, Geghan has been ac- Lou, and children at 40 Cutler tive in the probate court system Knoll, Thursday, July 27 on the state level. He is an elec- ted member of the Executive The Town Council made no first time last week return But none of the other seven Committee of the Connecticut changes in any of the budget intact, Councilmen in attendance Mon- Probate Assembly, representing proposals Monday night, and will Couneilwoman Teresa day spoke In favor of adding the the judges of Litchfield County, send to town meeting fiscal Mitchell, who is a member of the patrolman. and has served on its various packages totalling $10,984,541 for Police Commission, said Police Nevertheless, Mrs. Mitchell committees which deal with the administration and Board of Chief Joseph Cirieilo "made said she believes last week's modernization and reform of the Education. some darn good points" at hear- small hearing turnout is an in- probate system, The town meeting, when eligi- ing when he urged a patrolman's dication not only of people being ble voters can propose additional position be put back into the $4,- away on vacation, but an As a co-author of the first Code monetary cuts but cannot add ex- 178,541 administration budget, assumed consensus the "people of Ethics for Probate Judges in penditures, has been scheduled plus trading six police cruisers feel it is a good budget." Connecticut, Atty, Geghan for Thursday, July 27, at 8 p.m. in instead of five. Councilman Chet Hnbegger presented the new code to the the high school auditorium. The Council did not fill p flatly asked John Salomone. 123-member Probate Assembly assistant town manager, if the and hailed its adoption in 1976. Two efforts to juggle the patrolman's post vacated six figures further failed to muster months ago, and are asking the present 58.5 millnge rate could be The attorney has attended con- any support, and the budgets department to do without it, Sav- held to, tinuing education conferences of presented to the public for the ings art1 expected to be $10,000, "I would say yes. If tax the National College of Probate revenues arc on target," Mr. Judges in Florida (1978) and Salomone replied. Town Georgia (1077) to become a Carey R, Geghan Manager James Troup added he "more knowledgeable and lear- 77-78 Tax Collections agrees, provided the town makes no "significant appropriations" Surpass Budgeted Goal between now and March, when Complaints End Up As the rate is set. The town has surpassed its tax broken down to $358,139 in actual Who Has Control? collection goal of $7,340,893 on taxes, $40,085 For interest, and Countil Vice Chairman Goose Chase For Troup the October Grand List ac- $1,297 for liens, Richard Fusco, chairing the A resident besieged the Town "completely false," a stand also cording to latest figures released meeting in James Mullen's ab- Council Monday with a flurry of taken by Donald Stepanek, park by the tax collector. Town Manager James Troup sence, and colleague Mary Jo questions that caught the govern- and recreation director. The Armand Derouin reported $7,- informed the town Council this Cicchelti became involved in a ing board off guard, and sent the town manager stated "as best we 359,028 has been collected from week that approximately 1,(500 mild dispute over Council power, town manager scurrying for can determine," Mr, Lukos property taxes and supplemental residents paid their tax bills at if any exists, over the School answers the next day. But the probably is referring to lights motor vehicle taxes as of July 14, five bank c-ullection centers, with Hoard budget. verdict of Town Manager James purchased in August, 1977, for The supplement equals $150,700, $1,202,011 being taken in. It was Last Wednesday's education Troup is "incorrect information" use on the basketball courts at with the rest accounted for by recorded as" follows: State budget hearing was attended by was being used by the petitioner, Swift Junior High, and taxes ($7,205,689) and interest National, $27,178; Banking Cen- about a dozen people, and turned Simon Lukos, who owns the elsewhere. Two poles were ($3,539) charges. ter, $319,612; Mattatuek Bank, out to be little more than a Eastern Curtain k Drapery Cen- donated by the Connecticut Light The revenue on the current $94,605; Citytrust, $78,849; and venting of budget philosophies by ter on Porter Street, told the & Power Company. year is about a 93 per cent collec- Colonial, $681,767. Frank Sabis, a stern tax increase opponent, and William Moran, Council he heard from a "very No purchases ever were made, tion, Mr. Derouin said, Futher- good source" $2,300 worth of more, back taxes have totalled The town manager said he who approached the budget he asserted, of tennis lights In an- philosophically. tennis court lights were ticipation courts someday would $309,521, bringing the tax revenue hopes the town will continue to purchased by Crestbrook Park, be installed at Crestbrook Park. to $7,759,480 in all. use the collection centers next The only concrete suggestions along with aluminum poles, The Mr. Troup said he doesn't know Taxes on prior years were year. for cuts were in the area of park falls under the jurisdiction if Alex Satmary did Indeed athletics, salaries, utilities, arid of the Park and Recreation declare bankruptcy, but the for- OSHA funding. The Board Department, mer Crestbrok Inn lessee is "out package is $6,805,612, Mr. Lukos alleged the lights of the picture" now at Photographer To Protest "Would we hesitate to give and poles' expenditure was kept (Continued on Page 6) them (Board) more teachers?" under $5,000, so it would not have Yearbook Award Tactics Mr. Fusco tossed out to the Coun- to go to a public vote at town cil, if the education officials felt meeting. State Road A local photographer is going bidder on five of six picture there were 150 more students in At the Council meeting, Mr, to jot off a letter to the Board of packages the students may the school system than projec- Troup said he is "as certain as I Aid Funds Education protesting the "tac- choose from, by an average of $6 ted, can be" the purchases never tics" involved in selecting next less than Loring, Mr, Charbon- "I'm not only going to grit my were made, and no appropria- Hiked $6,000 year's Watertown High School neau was consistently higher teeth, I'm going to make them tions approved for them, yearbook photographer, than both. work!" retorted Mrs, Cicchetti, Watertown will receive ap- Mr. Lukos also asked the Coun- Stuart Rabinowitz, A.A.S., who Low prices for additional, objecting to any discussion by the cil if the former lessee of proximately $6,000 more in town operates a studio in Watertown, Council of Board pollcymaklng. aid grants from the state for the single poses were divided among Crestbrook Inn, unnamed but said he will inform the Board bid two of the photographers, Mr, She said the Council "doesn't believed to be Alex Satmary, was 1978-79 fiscal year than it did last prices for the yearbook contract have the right" to tell the Board year. Charbonneau would charge $2,75 involved with the present inn are not the sole factors being for a sitting, Loring $3, and Mr, where it can make cuts, management; if the park was Gov. Ella Grasso announced considered in the hiring of a Rabinowitz, $4, Mr. Charbon- Mr. Fusco, who thinks an ad- operating In the red; and why the $20,2 million in grants for road photographer. The high school neau's prices for 11-by 14 and 8- ditional $80,000 worth of teachers town was "wasting thousands of Improvements and public issued formal bids for the first by-10 pictures were lower, while can be lopped off because of a dollars" at the sanitary landfill transportation services will be time the past school year. Loring offered better deals on 5- declining school enrollment, in a leveling operation that is allocated to 177 towns, uncon- by-7, 3-by-5, and wallet-sized pic- asserted he is "going to the town solidated cities, and boroughs. An eight-person student com- against state law in the first mittee of WHS juniors un- tures, meeting with it" in mind, and place, Watertown will get $120,443, a will speak as a citizen and not a boost up from $114,383. animously voted in June to hire Mr, Rabinowitz would charge "I'm not hiding it," remarked Loring Studios, the firm that has $4,75 for two 5-by-7 and four Council representative. But he a bewildered Richard Fusco, "It is most gratifying that this handled WHS senior picture tak- wallet prom pictures, while Lor- disagreed with Mrs, Cicchetti's Council vice chairman, to Mr.