The Milford Tennis Association will hold its annual open house to register tennis players on Saturday, May 10 at Eisenhower Park from 9 to 11:30 am.

Bring a racquet for organized play. The first 50 members will receive a free gift of two cans of tennis balls. In addition, those who register by May 11 will be in a drawing for two $25 gift certificate from the Sports Authority.

The association organizes league singles, doubles and mixed leagues by NTRP levels from 3.0 to 4.0 for men and women and mixed. Winners and finalists will receive awards. Other levels can be created if there is enough interest.

For additional information or application forms, call Marilyn Kolwicz, 874-6342 or email at milfordtennisassoc@gmail.com.

The Milford Kiwanis Club will host its annual Kiwanis Flower Sale April 18 to 20 at Milford Bank, 33 Broad Street.

The Kiwanis Flower Sale will take place Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to noon, or until sold out.

All proceeds are used in the community for the needs of children, struggling families, student scholarships and senior citizens. Potted plants, including tulips, hydrangeas, lilies, azaleas and hyacinths, will be available for purchase. Hanging baskets will also be on hand.

“Spring is finally in the air and the Kiwanis Club is excited to host the annual Kiwanis Flower Sale,” said Bill Richards, committee chair and member of the Kiwanis Club. “This event raises funds that will be put back into the community through outreach and scholarship programs.”

Kiwanis Club members will be onsite to wrap the flowers/plants and transport purchases to vehicles. For information, contact Bill Richards at 203-671-6661.

If Metro-North was a student and commuters were its teacher, the railroad’s winter report card would be a D+ and the comment would be “needs to improve.”

As new Metro-North President Joseph Giulietti finishes his second month on the job, he’s making the rounds to meet and listen to commuters. But his 100-Day Plan for bringing the railroad back won’t conclude until mid-June, so I thought that now would be a great time to survey riders and get a baseline of their sentiments against which we can measure any gains in the months ahead.

Our unscientific online survey ran for seven days and got 642 responses. Clearly, those who wanted to opine were probably those with gripes, so take the results with a grain of salt.

Asked to give Metro-North a letter grade based on the past months’ performance, the railroad got an average D+.

Asked if service was getting better, 22% said yes, 31% said it was getting worse and 47% said it was “about the same.”

When asked what their biggest complaints were (respondents could list multiple issues); 88% said it was late or delayed trains, 60% said poor communications when things went wrong, and 59% said it was lack of sufficient seating on trains. Another 30% complained about the train cars’ heating/cooling system (or lack thereof), while others (18%), said there was insufficient station parking and 15% said the stations had poor upkeep.

The survey also asked how commuters reported their gripes. 10% said they never had complaints, 46% said they didn’t complain “because it seemed useless,” but 61% said they did complain to conductors or to Metro-North. Of those who did complained almost half of respondents (45%) said their problem was never fixed.

We also asked who commuters thought was to blame for the railroad’s problems. An overwhelming 90% blamed Metro-North management, 48% said they were due to the Department of Transportation, 35% said it was their state legislature’s fault, 28% said it was because of Metro-North employees, 12% blamed the Federal government, and 9% blamed their fellow commuters.

Our last question was most telling: “Do you feel safe riding Metro-North?” 56% said yes, 15% said no and 29% said they weren’t sure.

We designed the survey to be brief, taking maybe two minutes to answer. But we also gave space for commuters to comment, and 267 of them did, some at great length. Here’s a sampling of their opinions:

Sorry to be so harsh … It is 2014, pseudo-modern, wealthy society and the most laughable public transportation system in any advanced country and metropolitan area.

This service is really shameful for the amount that we pay. I have not been on a train in the last six months that has arrived on time.

When I moved here 10 years ago, you could set your watch by Metro-North. Now the timetable is just a suggestion.

The Danbury line is the orphaned stepchild of the system.

The lack of self control of “irate” commuters does not help the situation. Makes us look bad.

The full results of the survey and all of the comments are available online via links from our website, CommuterActionGroup.org.

Jim Cameron has been a Darien resident for 22 years. He is the founder of the Commuter Action Group and also serves on the Darien RTM. The opinions expressed in this column are only his own. You can reach him at CommuterActionGroup@gmail.com.

The Milford Kiwanis Club will host its annual Kiwanis Flower Sale April 18 to 20 at Milford Bank, 33 Broad Street.

The Kiwanis Flower Sale will take place Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to noon, or until sold out.

All proceeds are used in the community for the needs of children, struggling families, student scholarships and senior citizens. Potted plants, including tulips, hydrangeas, lilies, azaleas and hyacinths, will be available for purchase. Hanging baskets will also be on hand.

“Spring is finally in the air and the Kiwanis Club is excited to host the annual Kiwanis Flower Sale,” said Bill Richards, committee chair and member of the Kiwanis Club. “This event raises funds that will be put back into the community through outreach and scholarship programs.”

Kiwanis Club members will be onsite to wrap the flowers/plants and transport purchases to vehicles. For information, contact Bill Richards at 203-671-6661.

The following property transfers are copyrighted material previously published in the Commercial Record, a weekly trade paper. It is reprinted with permission from the publisher, The Warren Group, thewarrengroup.com.

1st Ave, Joseph M. and Joan M. Molloy to Romano Brothers Builders, $80,000.

18 Chapel St Unit H, John B. and Patricia A. Hart to Joan S. Edwards, $217,500.

25 Forest Rd Unit C, Passerini Nicholas C Est and Brian Passerini to Priscilla J. Meade, $241,000.

133 Harvest Ln, Jordan Realty LLC to Harvest Lane Builders LLC, $130,000.

202 Mariners Walk Unit 202, Jason Codespoti to William D. Hinkson, $114,900.

148 Orange Ave, Dupont Felisbela Est and Dennis G. Teixeira to David J. and Andrea M. Chupcavich, $200,000.

25 Springdale St, Edward H. Edelmann and OCWEN Loan Servicing LLC to OCWEN Loan Servicing LLC, $279,455.

31 W Orland St, Janice Delong and Deborah Savoca to Philip J. and Pamela D. Georgas, $165,000.

616 West Ave, Marteen K. Hanania to David Plaskon, $109,000.

6 Westland Ave, Mark V. Jurzyk to Danielle Curtis and Stephen Dailey, $425,000.

A discussion on the Common Core educational standards and an interview with a journalist better known as the CT News Junkie will be featured on Behind the News, HAN Radio’s weekly news talk show.

The show, hosted by three veteran newspaper editors, Kate Czaplinski, Joshua Fisher and John Kovach airs live Friday, April 18, at noon, on HANRadio.com

The adoption of Common Core has been the topic of heated debate lately — not just in Connecticut but throughout the country. Friday’s show will feature a discussion from two sides of the Common Core argument. Discussing the pros and cons of the new educational standards will be Stephen P. Wright, a Trumbull resident and former chairman of the Trumbull Board of Education, along with Maria Naughton of New Canaan, a former teacher, educational consultant and newspaper columnist.

Wright, an attorney with Goldman Gruder & Woods, serves on the Connecticut state Board of Education and is a member of the Government Affairs Committee for the National State Boards of Education. He is a staunch supporter of the common core standards.

Naughton, a mother of four, writes a column, Education Matters, for the New Canaan Advertiser. She has recently written extensively about her concerns with the new education standards.

Later in Friday’s show, Christine Stuart, better known throughout the state as the journalist behind CTNewsJunkie.com, will discuss her coverage of the Connecticut political scene, including the recent indictment former Gov. John G. Rowland.

Listen to Behind the News, Fridays at noon, at HANRadio.com or TrumbullTimes.com. Read about all the HAN Radio programming at HANRadio.com.

To the Editor:

Prom and graduation season means a lot of milestones for high schoolers and their parents. With talk of celebrations and excitement in the air, now is a window of opportunity to talk to your teen about making safe, smart decisions about alcohol.

Parents play an important role in helping teens make smart decisions when it comes to alcohol. In fact, the GfK Roper Youth Report reaffirms that parents continue to be the strongest influence on youth decisions about drinking and have been for more than twenty years. Parents who want to take advantage of this chance to positively influence their teens can start by downloading a free copy of the Anheuser-Busch Family Talk About Drinking parent guide at Facebook.com/ABFamilyTalk. The guide and other available resources aim to help prevent underage drinking by encouraging parents to start and have ongoing conversations about alcohol with their children.

We at Dichello Distributors, Inc. would like to thank the parents, educators, law enforcement and many others who are making progress in reducing underage drinking. Let’s continue this positive trend by talking with our teens this prom and graduation season.

Tony Lota

Alcohol Awareness Coordinator

Wildermere Church

The Rev. Kenneth Fellenbaum, pastor, Wildermere Beach Congregational Church, 133 Broadway, Milford, announces Holy Week schedule:

April 17, Maundy Thursday Communion Service at 7:30 p.m.

April 18, Good Friday Prayer and Meditation, noon to 3 p.m.

April 20, Easter Sunday Sunrise Service, Waterbury Avenue at 6 a.m.; communion at 6:45 a.m. and breakfast at 7:30 a.m.

Easter Sunday service at 10 a.m.; nursery for infants and children’s activity.

For information, leave a message at 203-874-9289.

United Presbyterian

United Presbyterian Church, 109 Seaside Avenue, will hold its 7:30 a.m. Seaside Easter Service at Ft. Trumbull Beach at the end of Seaside Avenue. Hot chocolate and coffee will be served at the beach right after the service.

United Church of Christ, Devon

Thursday, April 17, Maundy Thursday Worship of Holy Communion with Service of the Tenebrae 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 20, Easter Sunday Family Worship and Holy Communion with special music and brass accompaniment at 10 a.m.

Mary Taylor Church

Mary Taylor United Methodist Church, 176 Broad Street; The Rev. Dr. Brian R. Bodt

April 17, 7:30 p.m., Maundy Thursday, worship service/communion-sanctuary.

April 18, community worship service, 12-1:30 p.m.; church is open for prayer 1:30-3 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. Good Friday Worship Service, sanctuary, 7:30 p.m.

April 20, 7 a.m., Easter Sunday, sunrise service at Gulf Beach; 8:30 and 10 a.m., Celebration of the Resurrection

According to the city’s Public Works schedule, there is no change in the trash or recycling pickup schedule due to Good Friday. Residents should put out their trash as usual.

The ball field fencing is rolled out Friday at Fowler Field.

A long-awaited ball field fence was being put up at the fields behind the Milford Public Library this weekend, and officials said Milford is the first to get the ground-breaking, one-of-a-kind fence.

It’s actually two removable fences that now separate two fields at Fowler Field. The Milford Junior Major League had been working to get the fences for safety reasons — to separate two fields — but came up against some concerns about the need to remove the fencing for the annual Milford Oyster Festival.

Once the league found a removable fence, its next hurdle was money. This wasn’t going to be a cheap fence: But then the Norma F. Pfriem Foundation popped up with an unexpected grant for $75,000 to help pay for the roughly $100,000 project, and the fence was a go.

Bob Lyndaker of Grand Slam Safety, a removable sport fencing company, was at the field Friday with league members putting up the fence. He said the fence is unique because players can’t run into a solid object if they accidentally run into the fence.

The mesh fence hangs from a metal post, but it hangs in front of the post, not directly against it. If a player runs into the fence, he will meet resistance before the netting reaches the metal post.

“It’s like a giant trampoline,” Lyndaker said.

According to the company’s website, the new design was just patented in November.

“The Safety Fence is now patented,” the website states. “We’ve got a one of a kind safe, removable outfield fence.”

The two fences separate the Bernard and Francis fields behind the library.

Bob Lyndaker, president of Grand Slam Safety, points to the base of the fence post, which can be removed so the entire fence can be taken down and stored.

The project proved extra costly because the land is fill area, built atop what was once part of Milford Harbor, and threaded posts had to be drilled about 43 feet into the ground to provide a secure base for the fence posts.

Fence for safety

Baseball league officials believe the ball field fence is very important and had been trying to build it for more than a year. First they had to get city approval, then they had to start whittling away at the price tag.

Youths ages 4 to 12 play on the Bernard and Francis fields, which are back to back, and there’s a chance of balls being hit into one field from the other, league officials said. There’s also a chance that two players on different fields might run into each other running for fly balls.

“We were trying to be proactive in terms of safety,” League President George Spescha said several months ago.

The league initially wanted to put up permanent fencing at the fields, but met with resistance from the Milford Oyster Festival Committee, which uses the area for its summertime festival. So the league proposed a temporary fence that could be dismantled before and after the Oyster Festival.

League volunteers will be responsible for putting up the fence, taking it down and storing it, so there won’t be any cost or burden to the city.

Lyndaker said when it’s time to take the fence down, the league has to remove the fencing, roll it up, and then remove the metal posts. A “turf plug” will be placed into the ground to cover the end of the poles where the posts had been inserted.

Chris McEnerney of Milford, representing Milford Junior Major League, holds up a “turf plug” that can be inserted into the base of the fence posts when the ball field fence is removed.

“It will look like just one open field again,” Lyndaker said.

The Sixth Annual Sharon Teresa Thomas Flag Football Tournament for Cystic Fibrosis will take place on Saturday, May 31, at Jonathan Law High School.

There will be two divisions — competitive and non-competitive — and trophies will be awarded to the championship teams.

It will be a day-long event, full of entertaining flag football games, raffles, food and entertainment. There will also be a post-tournament party hosted by the Orange Ale House at 517 Boston Post Rd, Orange.

“Team Cher Bear is thankful for all of the community support. Each year the tournament continues to expand and enhance the experience,” said William Buckman, member of Team Cher Bear. “The event is a favorite of Team Cher Bear and our supporters, friends and families. It will be a day full of competition and fun for all, benefiting a great cause.”

The tournament begins at 8 a.m. for team check-in with tournament play beginning at 10:30 a.m. Friends, supporters and the general public are welcome. Raffles and food will be available for purchase throughout the day.

Teams must field at least seven players: There is no member maximum. Each team member must be 18 years or older. Team entry fee is $100 per team. To register a team, visit teamcherbear.com or contact: William Buckman at wbuckman22@gmail.com. For more information, visit teamcherbear.com

The Sixth Annual Sharon Teresa Thomas Flag Football Tournament for Cystic Fibrosis is proudly sponsored by: Café Atlantique, Crossfit of Milford, Orange Ale House.

There are lots of opportunities to get involved — donate time, raffle items or even products for the snack bar. Visit teamcherbear.com or contact William Buckman: wbuckman22@gmail.com.

Visit teamcherbear.com or contact William Buckman: wbuckman22@gmail.com.

Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States. More than 10 million Americans are unknowing, symptomless carriers of a defective CF gene.

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is committed to finding new therapies and ultimately a cure for CF. The mission of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, a nonprofit donor-supported organization, is to assure the development of the means to cure and control cystic fibrosis and to improve the quality of life for those with the disease.

For more information, visit connecticut.cff.org.

About Team Cher Bear

Team Cher Bear is a non-profit organization that honors the memory of Milford resident Sharon Teresa Thomas. The team hosts a multitude of fundraisers to raise awareness and support efforts to find a cure for cystic fibrosis. For more information, visit teamcherbear.com

Upcoming Events:

May 18: Great Strides Walk

May 31: 6th Annual Sharon Teresa Thomas Flag Football Tournament for Cystic Fibrosis

September 28: 2nd Annual Sharon Thomas Memorial 5K Run/Walk For Cystic Fibrosis, Walnut Beach, 113 East Broadway, Milford, CT 06460

The following students were named to the second trimester honor roll at Harborside Middle School:

High honors

Grade 6 — Justin Amaro, Lillian Baldieri, Emma Bell, Jaden Bonfietti-Csvihinka, Joshua Brewer, Sean Costello, Ciara DeMott, Kathryn DePeano, Miriam Dupree, Leandra Fernandez, Caroline Galaburri, Benjamin Grunow, Justine Junga, Arbesa Koleci, Allison Kross, Katie Linn, Maxine Lynch, Jordan Macdonald, Theodore Mauro, Clea O’Neil, Zoe O’Neil, Riley Pastir, Nicholas Piselli, Samuel Poffenberger, Nicholas Porrello, Luca Richo, Theresa Rosato, Finnian Sawitsky, John Shannon, Shreya Simhadri, Morgan Taylor, Louis Tuccio, Jonathan Vitale, Ally Wang, Carly Weber, Michael Young.

Grade 7 — Abigail Bernstein, Erica Boehm, Myles Boyd, Haley Brinkerhoff, Janella Briones, Patrick Brogan, Kaitlin Capobianco, Shahzaib Chaudhry, Maggie Cummings, Alyssa Decker, Ryan DeMarco, Laura Dennigan, Yash Deshmukh, Katherine Eighmy, Delia Eisenman, Hayden Falk, Gabrielle Foster, Samantha Franzman, Sarah Galaburri;

Also, Michael Giordano, Tyler Goodwin, Kruttika Gopal, Vienna Goskowski, Daisy Green, Jessica Guy, Timothy Hanna, Kayley Henderson, Grace Hiza, Ming-May Hu, Alexis Jennings, Barbara Kefalas, Gina Keller, Gavin Krois, Elizabeth Lombardi, Danielle Faith Lomi, Olivia Loo, Cristina Ludwig, Britney Lynch, Anna Malin, Jeunne Corrie Mariano, Elisabeth McKenna, Molly McKenna, Tyler McKenna-Hansen, Ehlana McRanor, Thomas Minar, Rewas Muhajir;

Also, Kaitlyn Navarro, Samantha O’Neill, Sydney O’Neill, Alondra Ortiz, Isabella Preneta, Makenna Prete, Monica Pydipati, Christopher Ricci, Abigail Richards, Amanda Schuld, Isabella Secchiaroli, Patrick Semana, Raghav Sharma, Ania Simoncek, Jenna Stash, Lauren Stewart, Cora Sula, Praneeth Sundararajan, Samara Thacker, Olivia Tiberio, Annie-jorden Tomaszek, Caleb Tondora, Christine Tong, Daniel Wasserman, Bell West, Mya Wheeler, Jocelyn Wirth, Susan Wischow, Grace Wootton, Rachel Wywoda, Logan Zahariades.

Grade 8 — Margaux Acorda, Emilie Alber, Madeline Baldieri, Kailyn Ball, Ryan Bartone, Christopher Becker, Lia Bonfietti-Csvihinka, Ciara Boyd, James Boyle, Holly Caldwell, Emma Caserta, Christopher Cesare, Maxfield Chang, Zahra Chaudhry, Arianna Chen, Matthew Cheng, Bonnie Chin, Kiersten Conner, Lauren Conner, Shane Connolly, Seth-Riane Dalmacio, Geroan DeGuzman;

Also, Victoria DiPietro, Dana Edmondson, Carla Faura, Louise Fernandez, Robert Fisk, John Fowler, Alexis Furst, Brianna Gardner, Natalie Gonzalez, Colleen Goodwin, Rhea Grant, Priya Gupta, Jacob Gwirtz, Tracy Hoey, Meredith Janik, Olivia Keator, Bryan Keefe, Eva Knudsen, Julia Kopstein, Brianna Laggis, Kevin Lanese, Robert Ludwig, William Mauro, Chloe McCullough, Madeline Mitchell, Alexandria Morales;

Also, Naydu Nunno, Liam Nuttall, Sierra O’Keefe, Oreoluwa Opayemi, Gladen Jhay Orpiano, Rebecca Paine, Jillian Parsons, Cameron Pastir, Molly Paulis, Anthony Perna, Paul Pierelli, Addison Poffenberger, Nora Raccio, Sean Rescsanski, Ryan Scagliarini, Jason Schuld, Audrey Seyfried, Michael Shannon, Richard Shrestha, Lauren Smith, Makano Takeuchi, Dennis Teixeira, Christopher Thomas, Matthew Urquia, Kenneth Wright, Lauren Yuliawan.

First honors

Grade 6 — Tasbita Ahmed, Ruhail Akhtar, Kareem Alzubi, John Barile, Jack Bassett, Michael Becker, Julia Bolcer, Kevin Bretthauer, Richard Carino, Caroline Chesson, Zachary Chesson, Daniel Cronin, Alexander DeLorio, Neal DiBlase, Connor DiMuro, Jacob Eairheart, Sean Fisher, Shawn Gaul, Jason Giambra, Nicole Jalaf, Czxherr Jamias, Andre Jin, Aidan Kiley, Emily Kopstein, Olivia Kowalski, Victoria Kowalski, Hannah Kupson, Pranav Kuraganti;

Also, Dylan Kyek, Gavin Lermayer, Brendan Liu, Meghan Loftus, Makayla Mai, Rohin Manohar, Madison Marcy, Kaitlyn McNellis, Zachary Merchant, Jean-Luc Montaudy, Emily Morey, Eryn Mower, Sabrina Murray, Joanna Nelson, Benjamin Nuttall, Hannah Penkacik, Jay Rajani, Elisabeth Schuler, Dylan Schwartz, Aryaman Sharma, Skylar Sosa.

Grade 7 — Marco Acorda, Joshua Alber, Cameron Asmussen, Elena Ball, Nolan Bannon, Tyler Bernard, Charles Carrera, Tanya Chiaraluce, William Contaxis, Jack Dillman, Alexandra Edelmann, Nathan Foley, Kyle Goglia, Erin Goodwin, Nicholas Granito, Eric Hallstrom, Kapish Joshi, Jacob Karas, Hannah Kresen, Lavinia Labrias, Ross LaRiviere, Mackenzie Leszko, Emily Mager, Elizabeth Mascarin, Natalie Massa, Giuseppe Mavuli, Grace McCarl, Shayne McCourt;

Also, Jillian McElligott, Amanda McGeehan, Mark McGeehan, Russell Miller, Daniella Milovanov, Alexander Mingrone, Ryan Money, Sofia Nazeer, Lilly Pavlick, Juan Perez, Jessica Postighone, Kevin Preneta, Jayden Profetto, Sana Rana, Kathryn Richetelli, Jenica Riley, John Rossetti, Bridget Sanchez, Rhane Scott-Purdy, Marco Secchiaroli, Andrew Sementilli, Tyler Snyder, Alexandra Stein, Regan Taylor, Sean Theisen, Garrett Tutlis, Zachary Vinhais, Sai Vipparla, Ryan Zarnoch.

Grade 8 — Gregory Anderson, Morgan Bartholomew, Safina Bibi, Dylan Brelsford, Ben Cerreta, Hailey Dudding, Mikayla Duhaime, Alex Fisk, Ronald Gaul, Elizabeth Harrison, Sem Jans, Grace Laychak, Alicia Leger, Quinn Lofthouse, Nicholas Lombardo, John Lott, Alexandra Lucke, Connor Lynch, Maxwell Mai, David Marquez, Molly Mercaldo, Nathan Merchant, Juliana Milewski, Karson Mingo, Natasha Mora, Kacy O’Connor, Andrew Paulus, Mikayla Perry, Zachary Prompovitch, Julia Renz, Matthew Rodrigues, Heather Shea, Andre Singer, Carlos Texidor, Nicholas Vitale, Jensen Wilson, Ryan Zhao.

Second honors

Grade 6 — Michael Adams, Nolan Adams, Leslie Akuffo, Briana Brassell, Bridget Collins, Ikechukwu Dikko, Anthony DiPietro, Vincent Eairheart, Gia Edwards, Dylan Fortier, Alexia Gonzalez, Drew Izzo, Corey James, Grace Jordan, Tanish Joshi, Eric Kelly, Christian Lombardo, Mackenzie Maher, Nicole Manley, Ethan McVoy, Nicola Milovanov, Brooke Nabors, Timothy Padilla, Christopher Pereira-Ramos, Mia Powers, Patrick Rescsanski, Megan Ruzbarsky, Blaize Scott-Purdy, Kylee Troy, Roma Ubaldi.

Grade 7 — Charlotte Ardrey, Hunter Besse, Justin Brunetti, Killian Byrne, Patrick Cleary, Tyler Cook, Alexander Davis, Justin DeEll, Thomas Dempsey, Tyler Edwards, Alyssa Franchi, Alyssa Holden, Lilah Khan, Max Leavitt, Bridget Magyar, Shane McCone, Michael McKlosky, Abby McVoy, Thomas Meireles, Joseph Novotny, Sophia Rivera, Taelor Rose, Douglas Tancredi, Eric Texidor, Daniel Tobin, Isaiah Torres, Jacob Troy, Alexandra Whaley, Scott Wright.

Grade 8 — Jonathan Anderson, Justin Bachman, Bryan Begley, Vincenza Castagnetto, Nicholas Cerreta, Ashley Chiaraluce, David Cocks, Evan Fratello, Jared Gallbronner, Timothy Ganser, Michael Guerrero, Colin Haase, Joseph Hock, Jonathan Kim, Ryan Leary, Stephanie Lopez, Alexander Lorenzo, Lena Maarouf, Gunner Malin, Ava Masliuk;

Also, Jared Milewski, Matthew Miller, Kassandra Morales, Airam Mundo, Ashley Novak, Joseph O’Grady, Michael Pacheco, Jack Pincus-Coyle, Alex Pratcher, Jacob Rooney, Alyssa Saccone, Wilson Santos, Bonnie Shek, Abigail Smith, Jason Smith, Destiny Thomas-Grailich, Ava Tompkins, Daniel Torres, Brenna Williams.

News footage from Channel 8 featuring U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Mayor Ben Blake and others at the train station in Milford is getting lots of attention.

The footage shows a train coming dangerously close to Blumenthal as he and Blake begin a press conference concerning safety at Metro-North.

Milford’s Veterans, Ceremony and Parade Commission will tackle some concerns raised recently by local veterans and study some of their other requests.

A group of veterans recently spoke before Milford’s aldermen, asking for help on a number of fronts, from helping them in their efforts to have the Parsons Government Center auditorium officially recognized, with signs, as the Veterans Memorial Auditorium, to rewriting an ordinance overseeing veterans issues.

Among other changes, a new ordinance recommended by veteran Joseph Viscount suggests that veterans be called upon to help other city departments during times of trouble, helping the “fire and police commission as a reserve augmentation source of volunteers to help during natural disasters and civil unrest.”

Viscount has made a number of suggestions regarding Milford veterans. He wants to see the Veterans, Ceremony and Parade Commission name changed to the Veterans Commission because he believes the current name is too restrictive.

He also wants the board to consist of 10 members rather than seven, including two representatives from the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, and Vietnam Veterans of America.

In addition to suggesting the commission muster volunteers in the case of a natural disaster, his recommended ordinance adds oversight of the city war monuments, “insuring that each has the names of the fallen embedded on their respective monument.”

The commission also would oversee the Hall of Honor in the Veterans Auditorium Lobby of the Parsons Complex “to insure regular accessibility to the citizens of Milford to view mounted name plaques, insure that they are current for WW I, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War. To add the Persian Gulf Wars I & II, Afghanistan War and any future or earlier wars,” he wrote in his proposed ordinance.

Tom Flowers, chairman of the city’s Veterans, Ceremony and Parade Commission, said Viscount’s proposed ordinance is “well intentioned” but some of it needs to be researched.

“I don’t think we can support it as written,” Flowers said about the proposed ordinance. “It would need further research.”

For example, the proposal calls for veterans getting more involved with the city schools, helping them come up with speakers for veterans observances and the like.

Flowers thinks the commission needs to talk to school officials before putting that into an ordinance to see if they want assistance. He also thinks the group should talk to police and fire officials about Viscount’s proposal that veterans be called up during times of emergency.

“There are items in his proposal that we can take on,” Flowers said. “But we don’t need to change the ordinance to do that.”

One effort commission members are already addressing is getting new signs for the Veterans Auditorium at the Parsons Complex.

George Gensure

George Gensure, a Democrat, was sworn in as a Milford Board of Education member Monday night, taking over the seat of Chris Saley, who resigned because he was hired as the city’s new director of public works.

Gensure had been on the school board, representing District 3, but was not reelected in the last election.

In District 3, the winners in November were Republican Anthony Piselli and Saley.

During a pre-election debate, Gensure said the whole community benefits when its children are well-educated because they may end up becoming the people who work in the community and keep it running.

“Services would be impossible to manage without educated people,” he said, noting that he has long been passionate about education.

Girl Scouts of Connecticut will host an open house at Camp Katoya in Milford on Sunday, May 4 from 1 to 4 p.m.

The camp will be open for girls and families to attend and discover the summer camp programs designed for all girls entering grades 1-12. The open house will allow families to tour the facilities, meet with camp directors and staff members, and learn about camp life.

The camp is located at 71 Country Lane in Milford. The camp features 57 acres of woodlands, two small ponds, a swimming pool, a nature hut, and a 40-station nature trail. Programs in horseback riding and cooking are available.

This summer also includes Guard Start, a program for girls to learn water safety skills in a preparatory life-guarding course. The new pool and shower house will be ready by early June. Sue Stevens and Sally Onofrio are returning as camp directors.

Free bus service is included for day campers. Stops and times, as well as a complete listing of individual camp programs, may be found on Girl Scouts of Connecticut’s website at gsofct.org.

For more information about the open houses and for directions to the camp sites, call 800-922-2770 ext. 3313, or email camp@gsofct.org.

John Ratzenberger at an earlier area event. The actor will be at West Shore Middle School Wednesday. (Photo by Ralph Petitti)

John Ratzenberger, famous TV and film personality, will be visiting West Shore’s sixth grade students on Wednesday morning.

The purpose of Ratzenberger’s visit is to talk about the importance of the skills the children will need in the future.  Ratzenberger has had a long and notable interest in working and teaching children about the world of manufacturing, engineering, and the world of skilled trades.

Most of us will instantly remember Ratzenberger for the character of Cliff Claven that he played in the long-running sit-com, Cheers.  Following his successes there, Ratzenberger was involved in several other TV shows, including John Ratzenberger’s Made in America (an ‘on the road’ type of show where John visits various manufacturing companies with cameras and shows viewers how common products are made); as well as Dancing With the Stars (4th season).

For the children attending tomorrow’s visit, the more recognizable part of Ratzenberger’s career will be his voice parts in all of the Pixar films that have been created, to date.  Some of the more recognizable parts John has played are Hamm, The Piggy Bank in the Toy Story series of films, P.T. Flea in A Bug’s Life, The Abominable Snowman in the Monsters, Inc. series of films, and Mack the Truck in the Cars film series.

His passion, however, is with ‘how things work.’  The owner of several patents, Ratzenberger created a company that produced an eco-friendly alternative to ‘styrofoam packing peanuts’ used to ship items around the world.

Most notably is his co-founding of the Nuts, Bolts, and Thingamajigs Foundation, an organization dedicated to raising awareness of skilled trades and engineering disciplines among young people.

Ratzenberger was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and graduated from Sacred Heart University.

The following students were named to the second trimester honor roll at East Shore Middle School:

High honors

Grade 8 — Tristan D. Acosta-Pecina, Arisha Bakhtiyar, Victoria Ereza Benedicto, Alexis Mary Berard, Mikaela Annette Bravo, Dominick Carl Buccitti, Lindsaylee Marie Buskey-Maud, Madison Jeanne Butts, Magdaline Maria Cao, Mary Catherine Castello, Abhinav Chalasani, Irmina Maria Chrzastek, Jaelyn Milan Cooley, Tarla Grace Visperas Costes, Conor Creane, Nicholas John Deveny, Abigail Morgan Dew, Nicolas Dostal;

Also, Courtney Lee Dzialo, Rosalie Donatella Filippone, Scotland Elizabeth Fitch, David Edward Flynn, Storm Joseph Furtado, Mark Anthony Germanese, Ashlee Marie Gillespie, Kathryn Rose Goldin, Nelson Christopher Gomes, Erin Mackenzie Harrigan, Colleen Elizabeth Hugo, Jacob Curtis Iwanicki, Meghana Jaladanki, Taylor Shayne Kandrach;

Also, Maggie Katherine Kelly, Jack Bear Lawless, Brianna Lee Lenotti, Morgan Marilyn Macey, Jennipher Jayakumari Maddela, Matthew Christopher Mainieri, Zoya Manzar, Carl Thomas Maxwell, Michael John McCarvill, Dominika Anna Michnik, Brendan James Murphy, Samuel Fahmi Nassar, Santiago Andres Palacio, Stella Joan Patrick, Anna Lia Marie Pierce, Elizabeth TabithaRose Pierce;

Also, GraceAnn Kimberly Piselli, Amber Lynn Polk, Colleen Marie Provenzano, Salma Samih, Maher Sasaoglu, Hannah Tracy Savoie, Lauren Elizabeth Schroeder, Kayla Marie Sharpe, Jeremiah Christopher Shea, Cassandra Summer Soda, Chloe May Soto, Briana Yvette Torento, Andria Leigh Torres, Matthew George Tournas, Richard Ung, Allyson Rose Voytek, Shawna Ashley Winters, Calvin J. Wright, Tricia Lee Yazdzik.

Grade 7 — Kristin Santos Alesna, Sarh Musaed Alyazeedi, Michael Angelo Bagdasarian, Ryan Charles Bedell, Natalia Antonia Brooks, Isabella Rose Carroll, James Thomas Coleman, Joshua Thomas DeVera, Sofija Djordjevic, Francesca Rose Fidaleo, Joseph Dylan Fletcher, Giovanni Fretes, William Christopher Grzywacz, Ashley Rose Hallengren, Nicholas Ilyas Hanna, Elizabeth A Hayden, Lola Hazarika;

Also, Madison Elizabeth Heine, Jacob Vladimir Herr, Cali Marie Jolley, Jenny Nicole Kozek, David Jr. Liptak, Richard Patrick McGrath, Suhayla Millington, Hasher Antisham Mirza, Michelle Yvonne Montes, Zachary Robert Pagnani, Christina Marie Paredes, Shivangi Sanjay Patel, Sydney Grace Rossi, Molly Ida Sakowicz, Michael Alexander Sansur, Jayda Alexis Tobin, Colin James White.

Grade 6 — Thomas Patrick Acri, Eman Ahmed, Gaileen Meg Andal, Aarti Arasada, Jagger Gerald Art, Isabella Elena Basic, Justin Peter Bendlak, Maha Nayyer Butt, Sandra Chalghin, Alexander Thomas Cruz, Daniel Devaraju, Oviereya Betty-Maria Ekeh, Mackenzie Rose Evans, Ethan Robert Feldman, Josel-Marco Mamba Galendez, Matthew Daniel Germanese, Meghan Claire Gorman, Jane Christine Iwanicki;

Also, Amanda Jennifer Kandrach, Simon Keating, Bridget Elana Kinross, Benaiah Andrew Knoth, Matthew C. Lacadie, Samantha Marie Lambiase, Amanda Marie Mainieri, Laxman Mohanarajan, Amelia Grace Mower, Cameron Russell Neely, Madeline Elizabeth Papcun, Samantha Lynn Papcun, Arunika Shee, Nandan SureshKumar, Angelina M. Wargo, Kristina Rose Wynnick.

First honors

Grade 8 — Justin Taylor Abe, Hannah M. Acosta, Megan Theresa Alves, Dylan Joseph Arpino, Skyler Alexis Bender, Madison Rose Bucko, Marina Jean Callahan, Emma Layne Carollo, Jennifer Alexandra Contreras, Haylee Ann Crowle, Joseph Anthony Fonck, Alexi Giantomidis, Marcelo Giantomidis, Emily Sarah Hannon, Emma Claire Hudd, Noah James Johnson, Joshua Christopher Keller, Ryan Bray Lapadula, Haley Corrinne Lippard;

Also, Victoria Paige Maher, Jessica Maldonado, Derrick L McLaughlin, Christina Suzannah Mohammed, Evan Alan Murray, Sean Thomas Nelson, Sean Michael Patterson, Ashley Marie Petruccelli, Hailey Megan Sabol, Jessica Rae Saffiotti, Nina Alexa Safyre, Samuel Alexander Serbin, Frankie Elizabeth Terres, Emily Kathy Tournas, Amelia G Trapp, Kenny Robert Woznick, Natalie Rose Wright.

Grade 7 — Troy Matthew Anderson, Isabelle L. Andronaco, Chantal Andria Boyd, Eugenia Brewer, Patrick Daniel Caron, Justin A. DaCosta, Austin Joseph Danville, Ethan Isaiah Fancher, Joseph Santino Federico, Sabrina Elizabeth Feher, Mariah Ashley Ferraiolo, Melissa Erin Flanagan, Amber Christine Furce, Katherine Helen Garlock, Bailey Charles Gattert, Isha Gupta, Patrick Donovan Hall, Margot Olivia Hill;

Also, Margaret Elizabeth Hope, Alexander John Lazar, Michael E. Melillo, Grace J. Mizzoni, Julie Lynn Myers, Suhailey Anne Ortiz, Olivia Nicole Ott, Ashley Nicole Paladino, Emily Eunice Perez, Clara Lucia Prulletti, Dominic Anthony Romano, Ashley Lynn Russell, Mackenzie Luciani Saad, Alexa Saley, Ethan Timothy Saley, Kasey Santos, Ann Kathleen Sember, Zachary Todd Smith, Sydney Morgan Snow, Matthew Enrique Texidor, Isabella G Valentin.

Grade 6 — Austin Kisco Art, Lars Norton Art, Maaz Bakhtiyar, Lucille Doris Beloin, Jordan Wayne Benoit, Brendan Thomas Canevari, Hailey Sienna Caro, John Benjamin Chizmazia, Jacob Peter Ciolkosz, Jacob David Colin, Alyssa N DeBiaso, Mitchell Dominick DeCesare, Alyssa Marie DeNomme, Lillia Snezhana Downing, Noah Graham Eldering, Noah Galen Feher, Aubrey Marie Feldman, Jack Joseph Finnegan, Madison Rae Herb;

Also, Ricardo Hernandez, Katrina Theresa Jakab, Sadik Can Korkmaz, Nathan Lee Kreighbaum, Justin Daniel LaBanca, Abigail Amber Lonergan, Nicholas John Manganiello, Rune McCallum, Aaron KiJi McKay, Meghan Erin Muldowney, Nyamdemberel Munkhbat, Robert Anthony Murro, Emma Rose Naiburg, Haleigh Lynn Neely, Dylan Tyler Ouellette, Dana Heidi Paponette, Emma Laurel Pasuth, Nirali Kiran Patel;

Also, Shanna Marie Ramos, Isabella Melissa Ray, Sara Julia Salej, Garrett Michael Schwarz, Bruno Moises Sequera, Tyler Guy Simon, Alexander Vitaly Smith, Kylie Irene Smith, Walker Jameson Stebbins, Nya La Wray Vereen, Brianna Gabrielle Woznick, Andrew Zagazeta, Cole Daniel Zamora.

Second honors

Grade 8 — Daniel Joseph Beck, Anna Lynn Betz, Serena Denise Bibb, Matthew Stuart Boath, Tori Marie Burnside, Kaileb Belony Cadet, Lydia Christiansen Charron, Ryan Daniel Craft, Olivia Rose Egersheim, Morgan Lesley Fletcher, Alexander Robert Foerster, Tyler John Geanacopoulos, Gabriella Zoja Gjuraj, Ryan Patrick Gorman, Jafet-Eli Granados, Eleanor Rebecca Kelly, Jeremy Daniel Labbe;

Also, Ryan Mitchell Lawless, Daniel Joseph Luperella, Mackenzie Lee Lynch, Matthew James Marino, Pamela Olmos, Neil Andrew Pastir, Dean Austin Pettway, Julia Katherin Rodriguez, Alexandro Xavier Saenz, Michael John Shomsky, Joseph Edward Smith, Roza Marie Terew, Jack Tyler Wagner, Bailey Owen Warzel.

Grade 7 — Aaron Greggory Accarino, Carlos Enrique Acosta, Amber Rose Anderson, Sarah-Maude Brigitte Bellegarde, Rija Nayyer Butt, Allyson Cano, Geovani Delvalle, Candace R Evans, Katelyn Elizabeth Griffin, Anthony Jason Lomax, Kirstyn Rebecca Manes, Ryan T Mola, Ronan Liam O’Reilly, Samantha Ashley Plona;

Also, Colby Thomas Primavera, Emily Ann Rednak, Bryan Shawn Reed, Amira Samih, Vanouphon Damien Sirisouk, Alexandra Marie Smith, Christopher James Smith, Carlton L Streete, Hannah Rose Swenning, Dante Valerio Talamelli, Alex William Thomas, Jason Arthur Turner, Srishti Rajiv Vemula.

Grade 6 — Marly Regan Ackley, Wafa Musaed Alyazeedi, Rassica Subhash Bakane, Brandon Charles Benson, Erik Norman Borgersen, John Martin Brannigan, Brian Burris, Cole N. daSilva, Jacob Steven Downs, Felicia Pauline Fanning, Andrew Frenzel, Jamie Bassam Jaser;

Also, Isabelle Claire Jean-Louis, Emmy Rita Labak, Ryan Cody Lockwood, Michael A. Loschiavo, Thomas James Nelson, Finnegan Patrick O’Reilly, Zackary Passaro, Isabella A Piccirillo, Joshua Donald Pisacane, Antonio Carmen Rosado, Dylan Vadim Smith, Ryan James Tyimok, Nia Lynell Vereen, Ashley Rose Zupo.

Teens, some in prom attire, have gathered at Walnut Beach around 7 p.m. Friday, April 25, to honor Maren Sanchez, slain at Jonathan Law High School Friday morning.

Sanchez, a 16-year-old sophomore, was stabbed by a fellow student inside the school.

The prom, scheduled for tonight, was postponed.

More details on the vigil will be published shortly

Alexis Hoey of Milford is serving as the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America’s (CCFA) Honored Hero for the upcoming Connecticut Take Steps Walk.

Alexis is a 13-year-old ulcerative colitis patient, diagnosed in January 2013. As Honored Hero, she will be leading the fight against Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, collectively known as inflammatory bowel diseases.

Her Take Steps team, Team WonderTwins, is striving to raise $2,000 to support CCFA’s research and patient support programs.

Connecticut Take Steps Walk is Saturday, May 10 at Great River Park in East Hartford. Registration begins at 9 a.m., the walk kicks off at 10 a.m.