First Selectman's Report - April 22, 2013
FIRST SELECTMAN’S REPORT
April 22, 2013
Moment of Silence for the Victims of the Boston Marathon Bombers
One week ago today two bombs detonated at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring countless others, in what turned out to be the beginning of a week-long nightmare for the City of Boston. With the pain of the Newtown tragedy still fresh, we all watched in horror as two young men went on a killing spree, tearing apart lives for reasons we may never know – reasons we will never understand.
Throughout it all, we also witnessed acts of compassion, bravery and profound selflessness from the victims, from safety and medical personnel and from average citizens – people who put themselves in harm’s way to help when help was needed.
I ask that we hold a moment of silence to remember those who lost their lives, to hold in our hearts those who were injured, and to give thanks for the many, many heroes who stepped forward to treat victims, comfort families, and restore safety to Boston and its suburbs.
Sign Up for CTAlert!
The recent events in Boston underscore just how important it is that we be able to contact residents in the event of an emergency. With the bombing suspects on the loose in the Town of Watertown, Massachusetts residents received a reverse-911 call instructing them to stay in their houses and off the streets, giving the police an opportunity to apprehend the suspects.
I want to remind all of our residents to sign up for CT-Alert, which is our reverse-911 in the Town of Simsbury. It is not hard to do and it will allow us to contact you by telephone, text message or e-mail in the event of an emergency. To sign up, please visit the Town’s website at www.simsbury-ct.gov. On the front page, there is a link to “Community Alerts.” Click on the link and you will be able to sign up for CTAlert, the Town’s Community Alerts and our regular News and Announcements.
If you have any questions or concerns about CTAlert and the other alert services we provide, please contact my office at (860) 658-3230 or the Police Department at (860) 658-3100. Your safety is our primary concern – help us to keep you safe in the event of an emergency.
One Final Safety Message – Don’t Use Your Cell Phone While Driving!
Over the next month, the Simsbury Police Department, in partnership with the Simsbury Social Services Department and the Simsbury Youth Advisory Board, will be conducting a concentrated enforcement effort for distracted driving on Simsbury roads. This effort is part of a continued education and awareness campaign against cell phone use while driving.
According to the National Safety Council, so far this year there have been 347,000 crashes involving drivers using cell phones and texting. 49% of all commuters have admitted to texting while driving even though 98% know it is dangerous, a new AT&T poll shows.
A No Phone Zone event was recently held at the Simsbury High School in which over 200 students signed the “Promise” not to text and drive. The Simsbury Police Department also met with a High School media class and commended a student on a distracted driving public service announcement that she created and submitted to the CT Department of Transportation. More events are planned for the High School as well.
Thanks to a grant from Social Services, our police department is also stepping up enforcement efforts, including two days when a group of highly visible officers and marked cruisers will be stationed in designated higher traffic volume areas (Directed Traffic Enforcement). These officers will monitor traffic for cell phone use and will take enforcement action. Variable message signs and media will be used to promote compliance as well.
The statistics are troubling, and I would like to thank our Social Services Department, the Police Department, the Youth Advisory Board and the students of Simsbury High School for helping in this effort to promote safe driving behavior.
Daughters of the American Revolution Honor Town Employee Theodore Daniels
I am pleased to report that one of our Town of Simsbury employees, Teddy Daniels, was honored by the Daughters of the American Revolution with a Community Service Award for contributing to the community in an outstanding manner through voluntary heroic, civic or benevolent service. Teddy has participated in clothing drives for organizations such as the Battered Women’s Shelter, The Men’s Shelter, The Salvation Army, Boys and Girls Clubs, Bay State Medical Center and many others. He works to help young men and women prepare for job interviews and succeeding in the professional world. The list of his good works for the community is very impressive, and the Town of Simsbury is lucky to be able to count him as one of its employees.
Once again, our congratulations to Mr. Daniels and our thanks to the Daughters of the American Revolution for recognizing his incredible work for those in the greater community who are in need.