Coventry standoff ends with man taking his own life

The Capital Region Emergency Services Team (CREST), a regional SWAT team, was called when Coventry Police received a call about a despondent man threatening to harm himself. Weapons were registered to the home; police evacuated neighbors as a safety precaution. A four­-wheel tactical robot was used to search the home, and the man was found dead. Photo by Al Malpa

Local police, fire officials and a regional SWAT team were at a Forest Road residence in Coventry, CT mid-day Tuesday (Aug. 14) in response to a call about a 69­year-old man who had barricaded himself inside the house.

The call, which police say came in at 10:53 a.m., said the man was despondent and threatening to harm himself.

The Capital Region Emergency Services Team (CREST), a regional SWAT team, was called in.

Coventry Police Chief Mark Palmer said the man wouldn’t return phone calls to the home.

The SWAT team used a four­wheel tactical robot to enter the home while parking their truck near the home. The robot found the man, who had died from a self- inflicted gunshot wound.

A temporary police headquarters was set up a half mile from the home at the G. H. Robertson Intermediate School.

Team members met at the school, geared up and proceeded to the home with a large, black SWAT truck.

Emergency personnel set up a perimeter around the house that blocked off Forest Road at the Corner Store of Coventry on South Street to Bissell Road off Cross Street.

Neighbors were asked to evacuate their homes as a precautionary measure.

During the incident, the man’s wife was seen at the school being comforted by Corner Store of Coventry co-owner Debra Arnold and police.

The standoff was over just before 1:30 p.m.

The man’s wife was overcome by emotion after she heard the news. Echoes of sobbing were heard across the school’s property.

Arnold, shaken by the events, said she was glad she was there to help. “It was a sad day in the neighborhood yesterday,” Arnold said today. “We would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family.

“We know how scary it was for everyone and we are glad that we could be supportive to our friends, neighbors, police and fire departments.”

Tonya Groves, also a co-owner of the Corner Store, gave emergency crews a case of water during the standoff. “Anything we can do to help out,” she said.

Chief Palmer said there were weapons registered to the home, and measures were taken to ensure everyone was safe.

Chief Palmer said this morning there is no ongoing investigation. He couldn’t comment on the cause of the suicide or if the home had a previous history of violence.

He called the incident “rare” for the town.

Acting Town Manager and Finance Director Beth Bauer said she was updated on the situation and was in contact with Town Manager John Elsesser, who is currently on vacation.

Neighbor James Napolitano, who had been asked to leave his home Tuesday, said he talked to the man “all the time.”

“We were friendly,” Napolitano said. “There was nothing out of the ordinary.”

Napolitano wasn’t told why he had to leave his home, so he went to the Corner Store of Coventry to “wait it out.”

“I didn’t know it was going to turn into this,” he said.

Palmer said he gave the CREST team a briefing of the situation before they arrived. “They make the decision on the assets needed and the number of people required,” Palmer said.

The street was reopened after the SWAT team left.

Formed in 1999, the team consists of members from the Vernon, South Windsor, Manchester, Glastonbury, Enfield, Coventry and Rocky Hill Police Departments.

The CREST team gets involved with incidents such as: barricaded suspects/subjects, hostage situations, high-risk arrests, high- risk search warrants, protective details and active violence incidents.

Posted August 15, 2012

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Coventry man wins Lucky for Life CT Lottery prize

85-year-old Max Cohen of Coventry, CT may not drive anymore, but he’s got enough money for a new car and maybe a driver as a $25,000 winner in the CT Lottery game, Lucky for Life. Photo source: CT Lottery

The youngest of eight children, Max Cohen of Coventry, CT has seen a lot of life in his 85 years.  On July 31, 2012 Cohen experienced a new life first when he came to CT Lottery headquarters in Rocky Hill to claim the second highest prize in the Lucky for Life game – worth  $25,000.

On July 26, Cohen missed matching the Lucky Ball number, which was 5, but matched the other five winning numbers (6 – 8 – 23 – 34 – 38).  “The numbers I played are special, they all relate to my mother,” said Cohen.

Cohen, who served in the First Marines, 1st Marine Division in World War II, was pleasantly surprised with his $25,000 win.  “For now, the money will go in the bank,” Cohen said.

Cohen’s daughter, Lisa Duclos, helps her father play his numbers, “now that he doesn’t drive anymore,” she told Lottery officials.

“When I checked his numbers on the Lottery website (http://www.ctlottery.org), I said to my husband, ‘Oh my God, I think I have five numbers.’  I had my husband check; I checked a couple more times, and then I used a lottery Ticket Checker just to be sure,” Duclos said.

Cohen’s winning ticket was purchased at CV Mart, at 1237 Hartford Turnpike in Vernon, CT.

Across New England, 77,649 winning Lucky for Life tickets were purchased on that date; 24,129 were sold in CT alone with prizes ranging from $2 to $25,000.

Since the “first” Lucky for Life drawing on March 15, 2012, there have been 1,076,799 “lucky” winning tickets sold in CT alone.

Posted Aug. 2, 2012

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Hum along… with Singin’ in the Rain at the Capitol Theater Arts Academy

The students at Capitol Theater Arts Academy (CTAA) in Willimantic, CT will present public performances of the award-winning musical, Singin’ in the Rain on Thursday-Saturday, Aug. 9, 10 and 11, at 7 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee on Aug. 11.

The students at Capitol Theater Arts Academy (CTAA) will present public performances of the award-winning musical, Singin’ in the Rain on Thursday-Saturday, Aug. 9, 10 and 11, at 7 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee on Aug. 11.

The Academy – an arts magnet school – is located in downtown Willimantic at the beautifully renovated, air-conditioned Capitol Theater, 896 Main St.

Featuring 43 students, ages 8-15, CTAA’s Summer Musical Theater Program includes students from Amston (in Hebron), Chaplin, Columbia, Colchester, Coventry, Hampton, Manchester, Mansfield (including Storrs, Mansfield Center), Norwich, Scotland, South Windsor, Tolland and Windham (including North Windham and Willimantic).

Regular tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for seniors and children under 12.

To order your tickets now, please call EASTCONN’s Capitol Theater Box Office between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, at 860-465-5636.

The box office window is also open 45 minutes before show time for walk-up ticket sales if still available.

This production is sponsored by the Savings Institute.

Posted August 1, 2012

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Your neighbors, training to help your community during a disaster

Roberta Dwyer and her husband Tim Dwyer, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers from Coventry, pour water into a MRE (Meals Ready to Eat) heating device during a training session at Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic on July 28, 2012. Photo by Marie Brennan

Some of your friends and neighbors – training as regional emergency volunteers – took part in a statewide emergency training drill over the weekend at Eastern Connecticut State University to learn about how to respond to a Category 3 hurricane.

ECSU’s Student Center is an officially-designated emergency shelter.

The training was part of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program, whose purpose is to train a large number of volunteers who can help respond to disasters within their own communities.

On Saturday (July 28), volunteers were trained on various aspects of preparing an emergency shelter, including setting up cots, preparing food, dealing with people’s pets and becoming familiar with various medical equipment that might be brought by people seeking shelter.

A common issue during Katrina in 2005 was people not understanding how to use the MRE (emergency food known as Meals Ready to Eat) and burning themselves, so volunteers also were trained in preparation of this item.

Karen Williams, a Red Cross Volunteer from Gales Ferry, CT assembles a special-needs cot at a CERT training session July 28, 2012 at ECSU. With her are (L-R) Larry Spencer, instructor Peter Diaon of the Waterford American Red Cross, Scott Trueb of Willington and Barbara Winslow of Mansfield. Photo by Marie Brennan

To learn more about CERT, click on this link http://www.citizencorps.gov/cert

Posted July 30, 2012

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Surprise drill simulates explosion at Coventry High School

(L-R) Junior Firefighters Rich Gokey, Dylan Morris and Coventry Firefighter Ashley Burger carry out ‘burn victim’ Rob Levesque during a training program at the Coventry High School July 28, 2012. Also waiting to help move the patient is Andrew Dimock of North Coventry. Photo by Marie Brennan

When local Junior Firefighters and Explorers arrived on the scene, they found victims with multiple open fractures, head lacerations and eviscerations across their bodies – the result of a science classroom accident.

With blood flowing from open wounds, the responders had to sort the patients, get them on ambulances and treat them after the explosion.

There was no one there to help them get through the incident. They were on their own.

Thankfully, what happened Saturday wasn’t real. The “victims” were actually EMT students with fake blood and wounds

The drama unfolded during a simulated exercise at Coventry High School, a surprise drill for the 20 Junior Firefighters and Explorers on Saturday morning (July 28).

Unbeknownst to them, it was planned three months ago.

Junior Firefighters from the Coventry Volunteer Fire Association and the North Coventry Volunteer Fire Department joined Mansfield Fire Explorers.

“When they first came in, they were very shocked,” Coventry Volunteer Fire Association Chief Joseph Carilli said. “They did very well, though, and it went a lot smoother for them than we thought.”

The simulated explosion, part of a “multiple-casualty incident,” put all of the junior members in charge, with department firefighters standing by to supervise and provide advice.

Carilli said the exercise helped firefighters use new first-aid techniques in “real-time” on 12 mock patients. Many of the junior members are already certified Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs).

“Some of them are just stepping up from being Emergency Medical Responders,” Carilli said. “We tested their skills and gave them the opportunity to prove what they can do.”

The Junior Firefighters, with Junior Captain Ryan Boutin and Junior Training Officer Allyssa Caron taking the lead, sorted patients, assigned personnel to different areas and controlled the scene, Carilli said.

The junior members had to do splints, stop “open” wounds and care for burns from the explosion, he said.

The exercise at the high school utilized the entire school, Carilli said, with a mock hospital set up at the other end of the facility with a rotation of three ambulances.

The Junior Firefighters stabilized the patients, put them on stretchers and continued to treat them at the mock hospital.

Carilli said everything about the drill was done as in a real-life situation.

“The original call over our radio system for them was for 10 patients and it was paged out and dispatched directly to them,” he said.

Junior Firefighter Taylor Dimock of Coventry (and Jessica Davis of Mansfield, not shown) wait for help lifting their “patient,” Kenny Dautrich, to a stretcher. The Coventry Fire Department hosted a mock disaster at Coventry High School on July 28, 2012 as a training exercise. Photo by Marie Brennan

“We stayed out of their way and let them do their jobs… A lot of things were going on at the same time,” Carilli said. “There was a lot of learning going on, too. There’s a lot of learning by mistakes.”

“They got to do things they normally wouldn’t be able to,” he said. “Their skills and talents are amazing. We want them to retain and utilize what they’ve learned, that’s our goal.”

The entire operation took place over a couple of hours, Carilli said.

Afterwards, they were critiqued. “To be honest, they did fantastic,” Carilli said. “We are going to do more exercises like this in the future.”

Coventry High School Principal Michele Mullaly said the town is “so fortunate” to have such an extensive junior program “that supports leadership skills.”

She said it’s encouraging to see students so engaged. “We are all very proud,” Mullaly said. “These are outstanding young people.”

The exercise comes less than a year after three major disasters in town: the freak October snowstorm, tropical storm Irene and a home explosion late last year.

“Mass casualty incidents don’t happen that often in town,” Carilli said. “We are prepping these firefighters for the future. They are our future.”

Posted July 30, 2012 as edited by HTNP.com Editor Brenda Sullivan

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St. George’s Episcopal Church helps Coventry Food Bank

St. George’s Episcopal Church Parishioners (Bolton, CT), left to right: Ella, food drive coordinator Beth Michel, Rebecca, The Rev. Chris Rose, Erin and Aiden. Courtesy photo.

Parishioners of St. George’s Episcopal Church in Bolton, CT concluded their two-week Food Drive Collection on Sunday, July 22, 2012, with more than 8 cartons of contributions to the Coventry Food Bank.

The donations ranged from peanut butter, tuna fish, cake mixes and pasta to personal care products such as shampoo, soap, tooth paste and toothbrushes.

Drive coordinator Beth Michel said, “When we found out the Food Bank in Coventry was running low, we organized a food drive.  We’re happy to know this food will help so many families in need.”

The parish is planning other outreach programs to benefit the community.  If you’d like to know more or to volunteer, please call the church at 860-643-9203 and leave a message for Beth Michel, or send an e-mail to st.georges.bolton@sbcglobal.net

Posted July 29, 2012

Editor’s note: Donations to the Coventry Food Bank or the Special Needs account are welcome year-round to help Coventry residents with food, medical, utilities and housing emergencies. Donations of nonperishable food, personal hygiene and paper products may be dropped off at Coventry Town Hall during office hours. Please call ahead if donating more than four bags or if you need assistance. Checks also may be sent to the Special Needs Fund, Coventry Human Services, 1712 Main Street, Coventry, CT  06238. For more information call Town Hall at (860) 742-7966.

Have a news item, event or Letter to the Editor you’d like posted on this news site? Simply send your information to editor@htnp.com and include your town in the subject line of your email. Please also include a phone number where you can be reached if there are questions. For daily updates on local and Connecticut news, “like” us on Facebook at HTNP News. https://www.facebook.com/HTNPnews and find us on our NEW Twitter page at HTNP News (@HTNPNews )

Coming up at Coventry Regional Farmers Market, Blues and Brews

Knights of the Mashing Fork brewers at the 2007 Blues and Brews day at the Coventry Regional Farmers Market. Photo source: CRFM Facebook post

Looking ahead, at the Coventry Regional Farmers Market, Blues & Brews day is Sept 2… that will include several breweries, including the Knights of the Mashing Fork, CT’s largest homebrew group.

A recent Facebook post from KofMF member Bryan Peretto: “Brewing the third batch of my Coventry TriCentennial ale for the Coventry Regional Farmers Market Brew day on Sept. 2. Three additions of Centennial hops for Coventry Connecticut’s 300th birthday.”

And the market continues to grow.

On Sunday (July 29, 2012) there was something new – as part of an impromptu Pickle Palooza – the debut of Farm to Hearth’s pickles, made in small batches with local produce and organic ingredients, including:

Brown Sugar Allspice Golden Beets,

Old Fashioned Bread & Butter,

Dilly Beans,

Bread & Butter Radish Chips,

Spicy Dill,

Sweet & Spicy Zucchini Relish,

Pickled Purple Beets,

and two types of pickled garlic scapes, a sweet and a sour.

The market is open every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Nathan Hale Homestead, 2299 South St., Coventry, CT.

Posted July 29, 2012 – based on info posted by CRFM on HTNP News Facebook page

Related links –

Knights of the Mashing Fork on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/KotMF

Coventry Regional Farmers Market on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CoventryFarmersMarket

CRFM web site http://coventryfarmersmarket.com

Information about Coventry’s 300th events, including the September parade (in PDF format, requires Adobe Reader to open – can be downloaded for free) http://www.coventryct.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={6E63457A-FDA7-4049-AD97-8DAD263DE9C8}

Have a news item, event or Letter to the Editor you’d like posted on this news site? Simply send your information to editor@htnp.com and include your town in the subject line of your email. Please also include a phone number where you can be reached if there are questions. For daily updates on local and Connecticut news, “like” us on Facebook at HTNP News. https://www.facebook.com/HTNPnews and find us on our NEW Twitter page at HTNP News (@HTNPNews )

Deadline extended to enter Coventry photo contest

The deadline to enter the photo contest sponsored by the Coventry Tercentenary Committee has been extended to Sept. 30, 2012.

There’s still time! The Coventry 300th Anniversary Committee is sponsoring a photo contest as part of the commemoration of the town’s Tercentenary celebration in 2012.

The theme of the contest is “Coventry through the Seasons,” and the deadline for mailing your entries has been extended to Sep. 30.

Entries from amateur photographers [you do not have to be a Coventry resident] will be judged in two categories: Youth Amateur, grade 1 through high school senior and Adult Amateur.

In addition, there are five categories of competition within each age category:

• Best Springtime View of Coventry

• Best Summertime View of Coventry

• Best Autumn View of Coventry

• Best Wintertime View of Coventry

• Best Overall Seasonal View of Coventry

The rules

You may send only one photo per seasonal category.

Photographs cannot be larger than 8×10 inches. Please do not submit slides or negatives or framed photographs.

All photos become the property of the town committee and will be used as it sees fit; they will not be returned.

Also important, please affix the following information to the back of each photo:

• Your full name, address, and phone number (whether youth or adult photographer);

• The season of the photo and the location in Coventry where it was taken.

Note: Do not print directly on the photograph because this will damage the image.

Photos received without this information – or if the committee cannot read it, so please type it or print it clearly – will be disqualified.

Send your photo entries to 300th Anniversary Committee, Coventry Town Hall, 1712 Main St., Coventry, CT 06238 by Sept. 30.

Please send your photos in a protective envelope with a “Do Not Bend” written on it.

Posted July 29, 2012, based on a press release, with links added by HTNP.com Editor Brenda Sullivan

Related link: A Tercentenary Commemorative Booklet on the Town of Coventry web site – chock full of historic facts, interesting photos, a list of the Tercentenary events, and much more in PDF format (note: you will need Adobe Reader, which can be downloaded for free, to open the documents) http://www.coventryct.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={6E63457A-FDA7-4049-AD97-8DAD263DE9C8}

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In Coventry, Siting Council gives AT&T and Verizon OK for 4G upgrade

Both AT&T and Verizon Wireless have notified the town of Coventry they have permits from the Connecticut Siting Council for upgrades of cell towers to 4G LTE capabilities in that town.

Faster wireless capabilities in Coventry and surrounding areas are on the horizon.

Both AT&T and Verizon Wireless have notified the town of Coventry they have permits from the Connecticut Siting Council for upgrades of cell towers to 4G LTE capabilities in that town.

Coventry’s towers are located at the town hall, on Riley Mountain Road, and on Bread and Milk Street.

“AT&T customers in surrounding towns have access to our 4G HSPA+ network right now,” said AT&T Public Relations Executive Katie Goudey.

4G, a wireless technology term meaning “Fourth Generation,” follows 3G as the “ latest addition” to the mobile broadband network, Goudey said.

High Speed Packet Access or HSPA+ provides extended and improved network speeds, Goudey said.

“AT&T’s already fast mobile broadband network delivers even faster 4G speeds. It’s fast and it’s only getting faster as we expand our 4G LTE network across the country,” she said.

AT&T’s 4G network in Connecticut is four times faster than any 3G network offered by any other service, Goudey said.

Goudey said AT& T is “building out” its 4G network with LTE or “long term evolution” – which refers to the ongoing process of improving wireless standards – for its customers.

Goudey said AT&T expects to have LTE upgrades to be completed nationwide by 2013.

AT& T and Verizon Wireless LTE customers often see download speeds (how long it takes a user to retrieve something from the Internet) that exceed 15 megabytes per second, and upload speeds (how long it takes to send something on the Internet) in the 10 Mbps range.

The Connecticut Siting Council is made up of nine members from various state departments. It reviews applications for siting (location) of cell towers, power plants, power lines and other energy and telecommunications infrastructure.

Council staff attorney Melanie Bachman said the approved upgrades require “no significant change to the site(s)” physically.

Goudey said there is a huge demand from customers today for faster services.

“Wireless data usage has risen nearly 10,000 percent in the past four years,” Goudey said. “ It’s clear that folks are using their smart-phones for more than just phone calls; they want to watch mobile video, play online mobile games, download presentations, stream music and more.”

Coventry Town Manager John Elsesser said the upgrades will not involve any cost to the town.

Posted July 8, 2012 as edited by HTNP.com Editor Brenda Sullivan

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Coventry police score free Humvee

Coventry CT Police Sgt. Christopher Fiore sits in the department’s new Humvee, acquired as surplus from the U.S. military, which the department plans to use under weather and/or terrain conditions where regular police vehicles cannot operate. Photo by Al Malpa.

Coventry Police have a new vehicle that should make short work of any kind of weather New England cares to throw our way.

It’s a military surplus Humvee or High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV).

And the town got it for free.

Town officials say they have been trying to get one for a while.

“It will be a nice supplemental vehicle,” said Coventry Town Manager John Elsesser.

Coventry took advantage of Section 1033 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 1997, which authorizes the Department of Defense to transfer excess military property to state and local law enforcement agencies.

Government agencies whose primary function is the enforcement of federal, state and local laws, and whose compensated full-time law enforcement officers have powers of arrest and apprehension are eligible to receive this property.

The vehicle, which Coventry Police Chief Mark Palmer said won’t be used often, came from a military base in Pennsylvania.

Chief Palmer said the vehicle has a little more than 17,000 miles on it and appears to be ready to put on the road as is.

When the town saw a couple feet of snow in the winter of 2010, Chief Palmer recalled that there were a number of times police cruisers couldn’t get through the town’s roadways and driveways.

The department’s 4-wheel drive Ford Expedition also had “severe difficulties,” during that period of heavy snow, he said.

“We ended up having to borrow a heavy-duty truck from the fire department,” Chief Palmer said.

All Humvee’s have an automatic transmission and a 6.5-liter diesel engine.

The Humvee has been in production since 1985; it was designed to meet military requirements to replace many types of aged vehicles and keep up with swift moving tanks.

The Humvee was designed for durability, mobility and reliability.

With the wars in both Afghanistan and Iraq winding down, Humvees are becoming more and more available, Chief Palmer said.

He noted the town needed approval from the state coordinator of the National Guard before picking it up.

“It’s a very utilitarian vehicle and it is great for off-road activities,” Chief Palmer said. “We might have to go out in the middle of a cornfield or wooded area. This can do anything and go anywhere.”

The Humvee is only 6-feet tall, 7-feet wide and is 15-feet long, which helps make it difficult to roll over.

Chief Palmer and Elsesser said they want to quell any residents’ concerns regarding the cost to the town. “We believe that it won’t cost us that much,” Elsesser said. The vehicle will not be used on a daily basis by the police department, he said.

Chief Palmer confirmed the Humvee will only be used for “extreme” weather and other unusual circumstances.

Plans are to give it a new coat of paint, so the Humvee is currently at the new public works facility, he said. It’s currently a sandy brown. Chief Palmer said he hopes to have the work donated to the department.

Coventry Police Sgt. Christopher Fiore said his hope for the Humvee is to have it done in time for the town’s 300th Anniversary Parade on Sept. 29, 2012

“That’s a nice timeline,” said Sgt. Fiore, a 15- year veteran with the department.

“This will be crucial to have for hurricane season,” he added.

Posted July 8, 2012 as edited by HTNP.com Editor Brenda Sullivan

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