2008 was a year of growth and change for community

KENT —It was a year of new beginnings in Kent. The long-awaited firehouse was completed, Kent Center School got a new principal, the Kent Market changed owners.

It was also a year of contentious relations in town government. The state police investigated possible financial improprieties involving the selectmen’s former administrative assistant; there were debates over the location of a proposed cell phone tower and debates over the role and pay of the town treasurer.

Every year, some event seems to throw Kent into the national limelight. This year, it was a fundraiser at the home of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger that was attended by President George W. Bush.

January: The Connecticut Siting Council held two rounds of public hearings on a proposed Verizon cell phone tower at 38 Maple St. Some town residents said they feared the tower would ruin the town’s rural ambience.

The Northern Exposure Photography Gallery announced it was leaving Main Street and moving to West Cornwall. The gallery opened in Kent in December 2006. Gallery publicist Abby Ripley said the move was an effort to “pinch some pennies.�

February: In the early morning hours of Feb. 25, flames engulfed a house on Schaghticoke Road. Sixty firefighters from departments in New York and Connecticut arrived at the scene to battle the blaze. No one was injured but the house was not saved.

March: A citizens group calling itself “Citizens for a Better Tower� submitted a petition with 560 signatures to the selectmen requesting a change of location for the proposed cell tower on Maple Street. Members of the group said they were concerned with possible health effects of the tower, as well as the tower’s impact on the town’s viewsheds. The Connecticut Siting Council went ahead and approved the Maple Street locatio in April.

In the middle of March, at a special town meeting, residents unanimously approved the renewal of a Small Town Economic Assistance Program grant of $450,000 to construct a new transfer station.

On March 29, the town was host to the third annual Kent Film Festival. Films included “The Oranges,� “The Doughboys� and “Vaccine Nation.� The event also included a master class with documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles, who produced the Rolling Stones concert film “Gimme Shelter� — including live footage of a member of the Hell’s Angels knifing an audience member.

April: On April 25, President George W. Bush attended a lunch at the home of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, a fundraising event for state Sen. David Cappiello (R-24), who was running against incumbent Democrat Chris Murphy in the November election.

About 450 guests paid $1,000 each to have lunch with Bush; some paid $10,000 to have a picture taken with him. The event raised $750,000 for Cappiello’s campaign. However, even with the money raised at the event, Cappiello still lost to Murphy in November.

May: The annual budget meeting was held May 16. About 56 residents attended the two-hour long meeting, packing the meeting room in Town Hall to capacity.

Questions were raised about the salaries in the Park and Recreation budget, the building inspector’s supply budget, the tax collector’s health benefits and the maintenance budget for the local ball field.

Toward the end of the meeting, Selectman Vince LaFontan spoke out against the town budget and said he objected to it because cuts could have been made, but no one on the board would  listen to him.

The budget eventually passed by a vote of 43 for and 13 against.

June: On June 6, Rafael E. Morquecho, 56, of Dover Plains, N.Y., drowned in the Housatonic River while trying to save his 17-year-old niece. The girl was being swept downstream by a strong current; Morquecho jumped in to try and save her. She made her way to a small island about 200 feet from where she had fallen in and was eventually saved by rescue workers.

At the beginning of the June 16 eighth-grade graduation at Kent Center School, Principal Ron Viafore said: “I have never had to make this announcement at a graduation before, but we have a tornado watch.�

This was the last graduation ceremony for Viafore, 54, who retired after six years of serving as principal and 29 years at the school. He and his family  have moved to Arizona. “It has been a wonderful time here in the Northwest Corner,â€� he said, “but I am done with winter!â€�

Rima Zelvis was hired to replace Viafore and began in September.

The selectmen met in executive session on June 24 to discuss the abrupt departure of Tina Agard, who had served as the selectmen’s administrative assistant and assistant treasurer until  May. The state police at Troop L in Litchfield were looking into charges of financial improprieties by her.

First Selectman Ruth Epstein said the town’s credit card seemed to have been used, and that payments had apparently been made to Agard before she had actually started at the job.

July: The Board of Finance met July 15 and, at the suggestion of the town’s attorney, Jeff Sienkiewicz, voted to do an audit of town finances.

August: A federal court reaffirmed the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ 2005 decision that the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation does not merit official recognition as an Indian tribe. So far, no appeals have been filed by the Tribal Nation.

September: School started again, with 280 students at Kent Center School showing up for the first day of classes on Tuesday, Sept. 2.

The Marvelwood School announced plans for a wind turbine farm on its campus. The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund selected the school’s Skiff Mountain location, along with sites in New Haven and Stonington, for testing the potential that wind turbines might have for generating electricity.

October: At a special town meeting  on Oct. 1, residents approved an ordinance that made the town’s treasurer an appointed position.

The vote was 90 for and 36 against, with an overflow crowd in the meeting room at Town Hall debating the plan.

One week after the vote, Town Treasurer Fremont Besmer resigned. In stepping down, he cited the vote, and wrote in his resignation letter that he was “absolutely disappointed� with Kent residents.

On Oct. 18, the fire department celebrated the completion of its new firehouse with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Gov. M.  Jodi Rell, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, Congressman Chris Murphy and other state and local officials.

At the end of the month, the Kent Market on Main Street closed its doors after 21 months in business.

November: The Kent Market reopens, with new owners Theresa Drentwett and Caralee Rochovansky —and a new name, the Kent Grocery Store. In addition to deli items, the shop now offers health products and fresh breads.

Also changing hands was Kent Pharmacy, which was purchased by pharmacist Peter D’Aprile from owner Elaine LaRoche. LaRoche owns several pharmacies in the Salisbury Pharmacy Group.

December: At a selectmen’s meeting on Dec. 2, members of the Bridgeport-based Schaghticoke Tribal Nation (STN) filed complaints against Michael Rost, executive coordinator of the Schaghticoke Indian Tribe (SIT), which is based in the Northwest Corner. Rost, a Sharon resident, is a stonemason and has been constructing a Great American Freedom Pyramid on the tribal lands. He said eventually there would be a hotel, spa and stores at the site, and he insisted that construction would continue, despite protests from the rival faction within the tribe.

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