(May 1, 2025) — The Haddam-Killingworth High School Boys tennis team ended the month of April on a high note, beating Old Saybrook-Portland 7-0 to remain undefeated in Shoreline Conference play. Highlights of the match were the sweep of both singles and doubles contests, with the #2 singles match going to H-K’s Tyler Medina, and the #2 doubles team of Joe Lucero and Larson McLaughlin winning their matches 6-0, 6-0. The Cougars play next at Valley Regional on May 1, 2025. 1   Bryce Leiberman (H-K) d. Elliot Rowland (OS-P) 6-1, 6-0 2   Tyler Medina (H-K) d. Drew Demers (OS-P) 6-0, 6-0 3   Matthew Medina (H-K) d. Dylan Cohen (OS-P) 6-1, 6-2 4   Joe Wessinger (H-K) d. Peyton Mazzullo (OS-P) 6-3, 6-7(TB4-7), TB 10-7 1   Chase Smalley/Michael Perry (H-K) d. Carlos Velez/Nico Sokolowski (OS-P) 6-0, 6-1 3   Joe Castelli/Jackson Smith (H-K) by default 1-0 This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Housatonic's Daniela Brennan matched up against Old Saybrook's Breleigh Cooke in round two of the Class S state tournament March 5. FALLS VILLAGE — Housatonic Valley Regional High School got knocked out of the state playoff by Old Saybrook High School March 5 for round two of the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference Class S tournament As the eighth and ninth seeds in the tournament both teams earned byes for the first round of the state postseason Old Saybrook came back from behind to win 54-36 Senior Breleigh Cooke scored a game-high 19 points for the Rams with 14 of those coming in the second half HVRHS played without captain Kylie Leonard combined for 28 points in their final varsity basketball game The Mountaineers started strong and briefly opened up a double-digit lead in the first half The team created momentum through defensive control forcing repeated turnovers in the full-court press Old Saybrook went on an 18-2 scoring run in the third quarter and pulled ahead of HVRHS Cooke hit two 3-pointers in the hot streak Brennan and McClennon each hobbled off the court with injury flare-ups in the second half The Rams finished strong with another 18 points in the fourth quarter and secured a 54-36 win Tessa Dekker played four years of varsity basketball for the Mountaineers and was named to the Berkshire League First Team in 2025.Photo by Riley Klein Old Saybrook coach Steve Woods and Housatonic coach Jake Plitt shook hands after the game Didn’t help that your captain was on the bench," said Woods "Your team played really well," said Plitt "Good luck the rest of the way." Old Saybrook secured a trip to the quarterfinal round against Somers High School Somers beat top-ranked Academy of Science and Innovation 49-44 the same night Plitt praised his team for a successful year entry to the Berkshire League tournament as the third seed and the Class S playoff as the eight seed "This season has been really special to me and I’m proud to be a part of it." said Plitt Sophomore guard Hayden Bachman got a taste of the postseason this year.Photo by Riley Klein A detail of a whorl of hydrilla pulled from the shallow waters at O’Hara’s Landing Marina in fall of 2024 SALISBURY — The Twin Lakes Association is taking an earlier and more aggressive approach to fighting the spread of invasive hydrilla in East Twin Lake by dosing the whole northeast bay with low-level herbicide treatments instead of spot treatments the TLA’s vice president of lake management is to sustain herbicide concentration over the 2025 growing season That plan of attack will continue over a period of 60 to 90 days beginning May 21 Conklin explained during the association’s April 30 membership meeting via Zoom which drew 60 attendees TLA officials were encouraged by the chance to stop the spread and hopefully destroy the thick mats of the unyielding invasive plant hydrilla verticillata referred to as the Connecticut River variant after two years of chasing new growth around the lake’s north bay Dense patches were first discovered in the summer of 2023 in shallow waters around O’Hara’s Landing Marina and the nearby state boat launch and the plant has since migrated further into East Twin Past treatment efforts were hampered by delayed permits from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to treat the hydrilla with herbicides in an area where a rare plant had been identified as any protected plant species in the path of hydrilla would likely not survive anyway but it is going to be if we don’t do something about the hydrilla.” so we spot treated it … and were always chasing it.” is to treat the entire northeast bay with the herbicide Sonar in both liquid and crystal form at a very low levels so that the herbicide’s contact time with hydrilla will be extended for a longer period over 60 to 90 days “We know from past experience that it is much easier to kill the plant when it’s small,” Conklin explained green weed before August when it crowns and splits into numerous growing points that are capable of growing at the rate of an inch a day discussion also focused on a pilot program for enhanced cyanobacteria monitoring at Twin Lakes to be headed by TLA director Jessica Swartz a resident of West Twin Lake and biotech executive with Pfizer “It’s very visibly challenging to identify cyanobacteria blooms,” Swartz explained as it can easily be confused with pollen on the surface of the water dead vegetation or different types of algae important phytoplankton in lake ecosystems occur when there is an abundance of sunlight elevated phosphorus levels and warm temperatures Given the current escalation in overly-nutrient rich waterbodies and rising temperatures due to global climate change the frequency of cyanobacteria blooms is increasing and Twin Lakes has occasionally experienced localized blooms the association will be implementing a pilot testing program with greater frequency and at more locations than currently conducted by the TLA’s limnologist The goal of the pilot program is to work out the process of collecting reliable data over time that helps inform whether cyanobacteria blooms are occurring Sample test kits have been ordered for five or six testing sites across East and West Twin TLA president Gant Bogle invited Swartz to give an update at the association’s upcoming June 14 membership meeting at Camp Isola Bella Despite rising lake management costs projected at $500,000 this year Bogle reported that the TLA is in strong shape financially heading into the 2025 season as it received another $75,000 grant from DEEP and $25,000 from the Bates Foundation to support the Watershed Study the town of Salisbury has earmarked $75,000 for Twin Lakes this season and the TLA membership has “responded generously” contributing more than $300,000 since August 2024 when the group started its 2025 fundraising campaign Bogle also encouraged members to attend the May 12 public meeting of the Salisbury Inland Wetlands & Watercourses Commission which is expected to address proposed changes to the Upland Review Area encompassing the town’s lakes Download directly KENT — Frederick Wright Hosterman passed away peacefully in his home in Kent on April 16 He attended a one-room schoolhouse just outside of Brownville The little brick schoolhouse is still standing Fred attended the University of Nebraska (Lincoln) eventually earning a master’s degree in agronomy where the company was a pioneer in applying biotechnology to agricultural sciences Fred and Dorothy moved to New York City for several years in the early 1960s and Fred bought a large tract of land on Carter Road in Kent which he maintained until his death at age 95 he spent the following decades working on his property and spending time with his children and grandchildren Fred had a jovial and close relationship with many of his neighbors all willing to share a cup of coffee or receive various bits of wisdom from Fred on any number of projects Fred was predeceased by his parents; Helen and Arch Hosterman He is survived by his three children and their spouses; John and his husband Eric of Northfield He is also survived by his five grandchildren; Nicky doing a little “dance” for almost anyone he met Another of Fred’s favorite hobbies was chopping down trees on his land this started out as a necessity for fueling his wood stoves tree-clearing projects were aimed at enhancing the magnificent view from his house high atop Carter Road Fred was frequently on his excavator moving boulders or building a retaining wall passed away peacefully in her sleep at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington She was the second youngest of five children where she graduated from Northwestern Regional 7 High School Nancy is predeceased by her husband and the love of her life Often nicknamed “the love birds,” they were true soulmates and shared many wonderful years together filled with love Nancy is also survived by 11 nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly — Lori She was a special aunt leaving behind so many happy and joyful memories She never missed attending her nieces’ and nephews’ special events Nancy worked for over 20 years at Raynard and Pierce in Canaan There she made many friendships and brightened the day of everyone who went through the door greeted by her smile and jovial spirit aunt and friend and will be missed by all who’s lives she touched A graveside service will be held at Collinsville Cemetery on Huckleberry Hill Road in Canton on Saturday followed by a reception at 5 Cherry Brook Road Memorial donations may be made in Nancy’s name to the Berkshire Humane Society where Nancy adopted her loving cat and faithful companion This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInOLD SAYBROOK (WFSB) - Old Saybrook’s police chief has announced his retirement who is currently serving in his sixteenth year as Chief of Police This comes after a year-long investigation into the Old Saybrook Police Department revealed an “unpleasant work environment.” A report cited that as the reason officers left at a high rate around 54 staff members have either resigned He will keep his pension and be paid out unused PTO He will be paid in installments by the town Old Saybrook has also agreed to an additional six years to the chief’s pension now allowing him to draw close to $146,000 a year compared to the roughly $121,000 if he retired today without the agreement “If he’s going to be retiring then I think that is a good thing,” said Helen Helen from Old Saybrook has been keeping up on the investigation when the Police Executive Research Forum made 31 recommendations to the police commission to create a better work environment “I was disappointed we spent so much taxpayer money for nothing to really happen I wasn’t sure anything was going to happen in the end,” Helen said Spera has been with police department for nearly 30 years He will stay on the payroll per diem through September 1 “If staff or an interim chief that needs assistance the Chief will be available to us for advice,” said Carl Fortuna But many people in town weren’t happy with the chief the police commission will work on finding a replacement or interim and someone who doesn’t cause that type of negative environment,” Helen said First Selectman Carl Fortuna says this agreement is a cheaper alternative to potential arbitrations and the costs are manageable for the town Spera is also the emergency management director in town He will stay in that role until his term is up in November “Serving my hometown of Old Saybrook as both a Law Enforcement Officer and Police Chief has been the honor of a lifetime” “I have so many people to thank for their support and assistance that have helped yield a very successful career and Police Department At the top of that list are the dedicated Men and Women of the Department of Police Services the three leaders who have served as my Second in Command during my tenure as Chief many community members and businesses that have partnered with me and most importantly my family - my amazing children Kendall and Kaden and my incredible and extremely supportive best friend and wife Heather I simply could not have done it without their unwavering support and unconditional love I look forward to starting my next chapter with them by my side” “I truly love the Town of Old Saybrook and the Old Saybrook Police Department and its personnel the best of luck and tremendous future success The Executive Board of the Old Saybrook Democratic Town Committee has prepared a statement in response to the town’s announcement of Spera’s retirement and a Democratic majority have worked to address the serious concerns our community had about the leadership of the Old Saybrook Police Department bringing greater transparency and accountability to its work This culminated in a call for an independent study and its implementation After receiving what can only be described as a deeply concerning report (PERF) members of the Police Commission have met no fewer than a dozen times to constructively address the recommendations They have sought community input and legal counsel the people of Old Saybrook have the opportunity to move past some of the concerns implement the best of the recommendations and put in place the police leadership our town deserves the Old Saybrook Democratic Town Committee wishes to thank First Selectman Carl Fortuna and the brave men and women of the OSPD who guard the public’s safety CT (WFSB) – A year-long investigation into the Old Saybrook Police Department revealed an “unpleasant work environment.” A report cited that as the reason officers left at a high rate the findings were set to be laid out during a public meeting the town overwhelmingly voted to use tax dollars to fund the independent investigation It wanted to know why its officers were leaving Since 2009 when current Old Saybrook police Chief Michael Spera took over the department investigators with the Police Executive Research Forum and told the town that officers left for better pay and benefits the money wasn’t why most officers said they left it was because of an unpleasant work environment employees described an unhealthy work environment filled with stress and paranoia,” said Old Saybrook First Selectman Carl Fortuna Investigators said that officers complained of excessive overtime “This is a report that was overwhelmingly supported by the public and rather than now operate by rumor or innuendo our residents are now fully informed of recommendations from an independent consultant that they feel will be helpful to our police department,” Fortuna said The report also included 31 recommendations for improvements which oversees the police department will look at all of them “My reaction is that the police commission needs to delve into this report look at the recommendations and see if in fact those recommendations help us continue to attract and retain,” he said Spera told Channel 3 that he reviewed the report and awaited the presentation on Thursday night “It would be premature to make any comment about their work prior to the conclusion of PERF’s contractual obligation to the citizens of Old Saybrook,” Spera said The meeting was set for 5 p.m. Due to limited space, it was made available online. A Zoom link can be found here finds officers are leaving the Old Saybrook Police Department at a high rate because of what investigators call an “unpleasant work environment.” people living in Old Saybrook overwhelmingly voted to use taxpayer dollars for this investigation looking into officer turnover Investigators with the Police Executive Research Forum asking the question: why do officers leave the Old Saybrook Police Department Since current Police Chief Michael Spera took over in 2009 “That is one more than the equivalent of the department’s entire full-time staff of 25 hours That is extra extraordinary turnover in a three year period,” said Martin Bartness PERF called the turnover “a troubling trend” - citing that “unlike national staffing trends Chief Spera expressed concern about turnover as well telling the town that officers are leaving for better pay and benefits elsewhere But PERF concluded that officers have not typically departed from the OSPD for better pay and benefits elsewhere they have left the department because of an unpleasant work environment “Old Saybrook’s pay and benefits aren’t the best “PERF found most officers leave OSPD because of an unpleasant work environment and the organizational culture The report says “current and former OSPD employees complained of excessive overtime a concentration of decision-making authority double standards on expectations of what is expected of officers and what is expected of department leaders a heavy-handed approach to enforcement and fear of retaliation.” Investigators say “In interview after interview employees described an unhealthy work environment filled with stress and paranoia concurred that the department’s “abrasive” leadership style and paramilitary culture may not align with the workplace expectations of the newest generation of police officers.” The report says Spera sent a 27 page response when PERF first sent their draft report to the department and the town “formal employee grievances in Old Saybrook are very rare indicating a positive and collaborate workplace culture where issue[s] when identified are resolved achieving employee satisfaction.” The report makes 31 recommendations to improve including exit interviews and additional limits on overtime First Selectman Carl Fortuna says the police commission “We want to have a stable Police Department with 25 cops My reaction is that the police commission needs to delve into this report look at the recommendations and see if in fact those recommendations help us continue to attract and retain,” says Selectman Fortuna “As this plays out over the course of the next few weeks some of these recommendations will hopefully be taken up by the police commission The report also says that current and former members of the police commission praised the work of officers and dispatchers the department and Chief’s engagement with the community but “on a negative note commissioners said Chief Spera can be a “bully,” “vindictive,” “arrogant,” and “disrespectful.” They told PERF they struggled to provide oversight “characterizing the chief as an obstructionist who frequently threatens legal action when the Commission seeks change or asserts its authority PERF suggested the commission provide stronger oversight the police commission has demonstrated a reluctance to examine Chief Spera’s conduct.” PERF also found a gray area in work Spera has done for Maverick Auto Group They recommended the town should seek a legal opinion if this is approved by the chief’s contract Chief Spera told us he reviewed the report and awaits a presentation by PERF Thursday evening adding “It would be premature to make any comment about their work prior to the conclusion of PERF’s contractual obligation to the citizens of Old Saybrook It is important to respect the process.” In the report he notes some changes have been made since PERF first began investigating Channel 3 also learned that a letter was sent from Chief Spera’s lawyer to the town asking them to remove parts of the report they say are false and defamatory That did not happen and the report went out in full yesterday The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) said this is one of the most challenging management studies it has ever conducted and that issues that are “typically handled without complication … and occasional disagreements.” PERF said it spent an “inordinate amount of time” assuring those who participated that their identities would remain anonymous” and that interviewees expressed a level of anxiety they had not seen before PERF presented the report at a special joint meeting of the Board of Selectman and Police Commission at 5 PM in the first floor conference room at Old Saybrook Town Hall Hundreds of residents joined the police commission to hear the findings People were standing in the hallway to listen and about 460 people tuned in virtually to hear what PERF had to say “I’m very interested to see what is in the real report itself,” said Phyllis Alesio and the turnover is incredible for a town like this I think they should take action based on the findings for sure I understand there are a series of recommendations and hopefully we will hear that tonight too.” including Frank Glowski who served as vice chairman of the police commission in 2018 “Once I read that report and saw all of that information in there it came as no surprise to me,” Glowski said The meeting did not include public comment The commission said they will start lining up meetings to address some of these recommendations starting next week CT (WFSB) - Crews responded to an extreme case of animal cruelty on River Road in Old Saybrook Wednesday morning Officials said they removed at least 102 animal carcasses from the home and still have more to go Police and the cleanup crews arrived around 7 a.m we couldn’t even walk more than a couple of feet because it was just stacked feet high we just started shoveling our way in and started making some headway,” said Tanner Orlowski The house was deemed uninhabitable and unsafe because of the hoarding situation Several members of the cleanup crew commented on the scene Neighbors say that the issue has been present for years in the area “I walked by here every day and I just thought the house was abandoned because I kept seeing garbage piling up,” said neighbor Nicole Phaneuf but never expected dozens of dead animals to be inside I’ve never even seen people,” she continued Channel 3 found that there’s a civil court case between the owners of the home and the tenants who haven’t paid rent since May 2024 Crews are expected to be cleaning until sundown and will come back in the morning everything we can do to protect ourselves,” Orlowski said Police said they plan to charge the tenant with one count of animal cruelty for each carcass Stay with Channel 3 and refresh this page for updates CT (WFSB) - The Old Saybrook police commission voted Wednesday night to retain a lawyer to move forward in dealing with the controversial report of a tough work environment and unfair treatment at the police department There was plenty of support to go around for not only Chief Michael Spera he continues to avoid the tough question: how does he feel about the Police Executive Research Forum report “I think the police commission should at least take a symbolic vote to call for the resignation of officer Spera today,” said Eric Him and more than a dozen community members and police employees detailed their feelings about him and the report which found that officers left the department due to an unpleasant work environment “If you read the *** contract that the commission wrote and followed it We would’ve had reviews before he got a raise You’re the fault of how it got to this depth,” said Michael Looney The report even called the environment at the department “paramilitary.” some who work there said that that is not the proper term to use and supported Spera I would say morale is good,” said Police Officer Allyson Tanner declining to say anything directly about the investigation But he did speak with reporters afterwards “We’re gonna continue to do what we do every day and that’s me supporting our team and making sure we deliver superior traditional and non-traditional services to the citizens of the town of Old Saybrook,” he said While the police commission made the decision to move forward with a lawyer residents are now imploring them to make a speedy decision “All I hear every day is why aren’t you doing something I literally have to bring a charger to work because I get so many messages That’s why we’re sitting here,” said Police Commission Vice President Renee Shippee There was not a decision made on when the commission will meet with a lawyer to discuss how to go about next steps CT (WFSB) - A man accused of causing a deadly boat crash in Old Saybrook was on the docket Tuesday to face a judge in New London Clayton Hackling’s case was transferred to New London after a Middletown judge said he already faced a DUI arrest there in March 2024 Police said Hackling was drunk while he operated the boat too fast in an area and crashed into a break wall on Sept He was charged with manslaughter and reckless operation when he was arrested last month Following a high-profile boat crash in Old Saybrook last year, legislators in the Connecticut General Assembly are considering a bill that would link roadway and waterway DUI convictions with license suspension for both driving and boating “I think this concept certainly makes sense,” said state Rep an Old Saybrook Republican who co-sponsored the legislation at a Monday public hearing of the Transportation Committee “We want to make our roadways and waterways as safe as humanly possible this legislation did come as a result of a tragedy and we want to just make sure something like that never happens again.” Last Labor Day weekend three passengers died when the driver of the boat they were riding in allegedly slammed into a breakwater at high speed while drunk Jessica Britagna’s 24-year-old son Ryan was among those killed she testified before legislators in support of the bill “A person convicted of a DUI on the road can still operate a boat without restriction,” Britagna said I am here today despite the grief that will always weigh on me to urge you to take action.” “Passing this legislation will not bring my son back but it will ensure that his death was not in vain,” she said so that other mothers never have to stand where I am standing today.” Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Tony Guerrera testified that linking suspensions between boating and driving licenses would require cooperation over multiple agencies we just handle motor vehicles,” Guerrera said “[The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection] handles vessels.” “We would hope that the judiciary needs to be involved in this pretty much from the get-go to make sure that they send information not only to the Department of Motor Vehicles but also to DEEP,” Guerrera said “We have to make sure the court system is allowing some type of communication to both agencies so we can correspond to make sure that if legislation was to ever pass that we have the data and the information to suspend their motor vehicle license,” he said Hackling faces 12 criminal counts stemming from the September crash and the deaths of Britagna He is next due to appear in court in April We rely on readers like you to support the local and international coverage on this website Your support makes this news available to everyone A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInOLD SAYBROOK, CT (WFSB) - DEEP Police arrested a man who was connected to a fatal boat accident in Old Saybrook from last September Officials identified Clayton Hackling of Lyme Police said Hackling was twice the legal limit when the boat he was driving crashed into a break wall on Sept nine people were on board at the time of the crash The remaining three bodies were recovered over the following days: 34-year-old Christopher Hallahan of Westbrook and 24-year-old Ryan Britagna of Waterford the CT Superior Court in New London issued an arrest warrant for Hackling Police said he turned himself in the following day the nine boaters spent the day on Block Island and Hackling got drunk EnCon Police believe he took the wheel over shortly before the crash They all told police that Hackling was behind the wheel of the boat The boat’s GPS indicated Hackling was driving at 49 miles per hour and was outside of the channel designed to enter the river The iPhone’s crash detection system is what tipped off first responders to the crash The warrant said a friend of one of the victims received a Snapchat video from him with the caption This friend also said the victim had expressed concerns to him in the past about Hackling driving the boat too fast at night Both him and Britagna took turns driving throughout the night One of the victims also said that when the vessel approached the mouth of the river Hackling pushed Britagna out of the way and insisted on driving GPS history onboard told investigators that he had cheated the channel before They also found that there were lights on board that would have interfered with keeping a proper lookout and would have contributed to the collision at the breakwall Hackling is being charged with 3 counts of second degree manslaughter and 3 counts of reckless operation He was released on a $350,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Middletown Superior Court on Jan petitions have been signed and shirts have been made to push for lights being installed in the area