RepublicanAmerican

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2012 FINAL 75

REP-AM.COM

DONT WORRY
PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK TOM BRADY SAYS ROUGH STRETCH SHOWS THE TEAM IS GOOD, PAGE 1C

Cops not ready to return

Sick time running out for officers affected by school tragedy
BY LAURESHA XHIHANI
REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

HUSKIES ON A ROLE
TWO STARS OF UCONN MENS TEAM HELPING HUSKIES BY FILLING MULTIPLE, KEY ROLES THIS SEASON, PAGE 1C

NEWTOWN Some of the police officers who first responded to the scene of the Dec. 14 school shooting have been so affected by what they saw and experienced they have been unable to return to work. Officers are using up their sick time and could soon run out completely and be unable to collect a paycheck, according

to an attorney for the towns police union. The union representing 47 Newtown officers is asking town officials to extend the number of sick days theyre allowed and has asked state and federal officials for additional help to officers who are and will be dealing with mental and emotional issues related to the tragedy. Some are unsure when theyre going to return. Some

are talking about retiring, said Eric Brown, a Waterbury attorney with Council 15 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents some 4,000 officers around the state. Brown said the union, which he has represented for nearly six years, is asking that sick time be extended to more than 10 days for these responders. See POLICE, Page 7A

MORE INSIDE
>> Newtown officials say toys, flowers and thousands of other mementos left at memorials will be used for soil or a future memorial. Page 7A. >> Please do not send anymore gifts, say overburdened town officials. Page 7A. >> Head of shooting range that became center of controversy says Lanzas didnt shoot there and werent members, Page 1B.

STEALING AN EDUCATION?
Mother wants school residency laws softened

Winsted official addresses fees

Winsteds town manager says charging more in fees, an alternative to raising taxes, will not bring in enough revenue to satisfy budget needs for 2013-14. PAGE 1B

AP

Hollywood has strong 2012

The massive success of Disneys The Avengers helped Hollywood to a record $10.8 billion in ticket sales in 2012, plus a rare increase in tickets sold. PAGE 8C

No progress on fiscal cliff deal

Theres no good news from congressional officials concerning the fiscal cliff. They say there were no recent significant strides toward a deal or talks scheduled. PAGE 3A

Weather expert is newsmaker

The crazy weather of 2012 made John Bagioni a regular name in the news. The Burlington resident runs Fax Alert Weather Service for businesses and schools. PAGE 1B
Gwen Samuel, founder of Connecticut Parents Union, is lobbying legislators to decriminalize the practice of sending students to school outside of their districts without paying tuition. BY ALIA MALIK
REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

ALIA MALIK REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

OPINION OF THE DAY: Members of the House and Senate, and President Obama, need to think of the country, not their partys agenda. Stop the bickering and fix the problem, thats what they get paid for. David L. Pasko, Beacon Falls
READ THE FULL LETTER ON PAGE 6A

WEB EXTRAS
TO DAY AT R E P -A M .CO M >> WIN DINNER Visit the online Dining Guide for your chance to win a $50 gift card to either the Black Rock Tavern and Restaurant in Thomaston or @ the Corner Restaurant and Bar in Litchfield. >> BIG TREE The dawn redwood was once thought to be extinct but explodes in fall colors and popularity. Read more in the Gardening blog. >> WEATHER NEWS Watch Recent News at rep-am.com for updates on travel- or weather-related stories all day. >> TELL YOUR FRIENDS Look for the Share button on stories at rep-am.com to send them to friends via Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, Digg, and more services.

MERIDEN Six years ago, Gwen Samuel said, she was an accidental criminal. The mother of two, now 46 years old, had just moved from Middletown to Meriden, where she found out the local elementary school did not offer full-day kindergarten to her son. So she continued sending him to his old school, using her previous address, where her mother still lived.

Middletown school officials found out Samuel had moved after she organized a televised candlelight vigil following a shooting in Meriden. They told her to stop sending her son to Middletown schools immediately, and she complied, she said. I couldve been arrested and I didnt know that, Samuel said. It was just a natural thing to do. Samuel last year founded Connecticut Parents Union, an association that encourages parents to advocate for their

childrens education. The states residency laws, which require parents or guardians to enroll their public school children in their municipality or district unless they pay tuition, are one of the first targets the organization is tackling. Samuel said she thinks the taxes parents pay should allow them to enroll their children wherever they wish. Parents arent stealing cars and robbing banks, Samuel See SCHOOL, Page 7A

PARENTS ARENT STEALING CARS AND ROBBING BANKS. THEYRE JUST TRYING TO GET A GOOD EDUCATION FOR THEIR CHILDREN. ... YOU CANT MAKE PARENTS PUT THEIR KIDS IN FAILING OR EVEN UNSAFE SCHOOLS.
GWEN SAMUEL

Ex-governors car taken for spirited ride

BY MATTHEW OROURKE AND JONATHAN SHUGARTS
REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

35 Low 22
High

Rain or snow in the morning, followed by more later at night. Page 10B

AnniesMailbox 16D Business 8C Classified 7B Comics 14-15D Crossword 13D Editorials 6A

Horoscope 16D Jumble 13D Lottery 2A Movie theaters 7D Obituaries 3B, 5-6B People 17D

Public record 2A Sports 1C Stocks 7C Sudoku 13D Television 18-19D Weekend 1D

46 pages. 2012 Republican-American Established 1881, Waterbury, Connecticut All rights reserved

34373 12494

Read todays editions online at rep-am.com

SOUTHBURY Twas the night before Christmas when a Massachusetts man took an exgovernors car for a slow joyride across town. Chase Baron, who claims to be a Boston University student, told police he stole former Gov. John Rowlands car because he believed he needed to rid it of evil spirits. Rowland parked his leased 2013 Ford Taurus outside of a condo unit in the Heritage Village retirement community on Christmas Eve. He told police he was picking up his mother. Rowland left the Ford unlocked and running in front of his mothers unit as he was See ROWLAND, Page 7A

DARLENE DOUTY REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

Sen. Joseph Lieberman talks with Ashley Burroughs, center, and her parents, Anna and Mike Burroughs, at Dotties 2 Diner on Grand Street in Waterbury on Wednesday.

Longtime public servants last hurrah

BY PENELOPE OVERTON
REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

WATERBURY For most of the last 40 years, Joseph Lieberman has been a public servant, first as a state lawmaker, then a state attorney general and finally one of the states two U.S. senators. But in a few days, when a

new Congress is sworn in, that will all change, and Lieberman, who decided in 2011 to retire from the Senate at the end of the current term, can finally sleep in. Except that he probably wont. After all these years of early rising, I would actually have to work at that, Lieber-

man said Wednesday over a cup of coffee at Dotties II Diner on Grand Street. Theres too much to do. I might take more walks, but me sleep in? I cant see it. He hasnt decided exactly what his future will hold he said retired lawmakers have

See FUTURE, Page 7A