Hey, will someone please clobber Anthony Cernera on the head and tell him his students are shitting all over the North End?
That’s what State Sen. Rob Russo and a host of other city officials have tried to convey to the president of Sacred Heart University that maintains a Fairfield address, although its college dorms are located on Park Avenue in the city.
Okay, students will be students and there’s nothing wrong with that, but some of the beered-up boys are creating havoc in a beautiful neighborhood. Apparently, Cernera doesn’t give a shit: I can charge $20k a year for room and board but cannot hire extra security to keep the kids from mauling the neighborhood.
Russo, after urging Cernera and company to show a little interest, has had enough. Russo’s showing some big ones here. Kudos to the senator. As a part time professor at SHU, he could easily duck the issue. See his press release below.
Senator Russo Calls on Sacred Heart University to Revisit Solutions for Student-Resident Relations
Bridgeport, CT – State Senator Robert D. Russo (R-Bridgeport) today called on Sacred Heart University (SHU) to reconsider its refusal to address growing frustration many residents have with university students in the City of Bridgeport.
After hearing a variety of complaints from constituents about SHU students speeding through residential neighborhoods, violating noise ordinances, and vandalizing private property, Senator Russo met with Sacred Heart University Dean of Students Larry Wielk on September 16th to express his concern and outline some suggestions to better manage students’ behavior. Senator Russo received no response after that meeting and then reached out to Sacred Heart President Anthony Cernera. Cernera’s office contacted Senator Russo Tuesday and informed him no action would be taken on any of his suggestions.
“I am extremely disappointed with the university’s careless approach to these serious problems,” said Senator Russo. “As a member of the Bridgeport community, Sacred Heart has a responsibility to work with residents in surrounding neighborhoods, especially when there are some serious safety concerns on the table.”
One point raised by residents was speeding near campus, specifically on Park Avenue, Old Town Road, and Eckart Street. Residents had complained cars were driving well over the speed limit, posing a serious threat to pubic safety. Senator Russo suggested the installation of speed bumps along Eckart Street. Senator Russo then recommended the university pay for the bumps and he offered to personally intervene and take the proposals to the city.
“I am particularly concerned with Eckart Street,” said Senator Russo. “The speed bumps are not a feasible option on Park Avenue and Old Town Road. However, with so many homes, and Winthrop Elementary School on Eckart Street, a speed-related accident is unfortunately a very serious possibility. The speed bumps would help control reckless driving.”
Another complaint from residents was the behavior of students during the weekend and late at night. The university had not determined whether or not it was SHU students responsible for the disruptions. Senator Russo then proposed the university hire off-duty Bridgeport police officers to keep watch and supplement the existing security staff. The university has also dismissed that suggestion.
“As an adjunct professor and employee of Sacred Heart, I am quite frankly embarrassed by the lack of responsiveness from the university,” said Senator Russo. “I am disappointed in President Cernera’s lack of leadership on these issues. Sacred Heart is an excellent community and an asset to this region. I only wish the administration would do more to lessen any potentially negative impact it has on the surrounding neighborhoods.”
Senator Russo has been in contact with State Representative Hennessy, and Councilwoman AmyMarie Vizzo-Paniccia on these matters. “I will continue to work for solutions to these problems but I call on SHU to do the right thing for its students and the people of the city it calls home,” said Senator Russo.
Find A New Job
Have any of you checked out the plummeting poll numbers for our two exquisite U.S. Senators Chris Dodd and Joe Lieberman? You’d think they were Dems polled in Utah. Of course, that’s right, Smokin’ Joe’s no longer a real Dem is he?
Every day he gives Connecticut voters the middle finger for daring to throw him out of office for his blood-splattered war votes and kissy-face sessions with Bushy, McCain and a host of other war loons. Yes, let’s attack a country that didn’t attack us and justify it with lies, demagoguery and embrace of the party that got us into the mess. Why doesn’t he show a real pair of loins and switch to the GOP? Maybe he will. Can’t wait.
As for Dodd, how’s your mortgage payment?
This Chick Scares Me
Here’s a scary thought for Halloween, State Rep. DebraLee Hovey back in the Connecticut Legislature. The Monroe legislator, the Michelle Bachmann of Monroe, is at it again, this time frightening Monroe senior citizens, most of whom were born or lived in Bridgeport, with the hair-raising line: did you know my opponent worked in Bridgeport for “those” people? Now there’s a scary message with Halloween on the horizon, there are actually folks that work, live and love the state’s largest city. This woman is a moron. Oh, I’m sorry, that’s an insult to morons.
Heave Hovey’s Democratic opponent Michele Mount had the audacity to earn her living as legislative liaison for Bridgeport fighting, scratching and kicking for extra dollars from the Connecticut Legislature in an effort to try to keep taxes down.
Amazing, isn’t it, the taxpayers of the city of Bridgeport put food on the table for Hovey (her hubby is a city firefighter) and then she kicks them in the kidneys with the culturally divisive: she worked for “those” people. How to explain all of this? Let me guess, Hovey received a blood transfusion from Karl Marx Rove.
This is exactly the reason why I am still considering voting for him. I’m leaning Musto but Russo is a good guy. I wonder if Russo can do the same thing to Fairfield U students that come into Bridgeport and by drinks underage at the Black Rock package. Every day they come and speed down Brewster Wilson. I want a stop to this. The rich kids coming into Bridgeport and acting wild. This must stop. I am pretty sure UB kids do not do this. Black Rock package should be investigated for selling to minors under 21. It seems to be Fairfield U kids hotspot.
donj-
Although I often disagree with your point of view, from one don to another, both Russo and Musto are good guys.
… as for the underage booze purchase, thank the good gracious SHU and FU lord – that college and high school kids spend their dad’s dollars in Bpt – albeit at the packge store or bar.
been part of the tax base for decades.
The dumb blonde from Monroe who thinks she is invincible and better than us “those” Bpt folks and whose standard of living is greatly enhanced from a paycheck signed by the treasurer of the City of Bridgeport and made payable to Mr. Hovey must go! Monroe, be a part of the change, send Michele Mount to Hartford.
If the SHU/FU kids are such a problem, and SHU refuses to even pretend that they want to be a good neighbor, then maybe the City should allow the PD to generate some more revenue by increasing patrols, stepping up speed surveillance and have a zero tolerance for anything that looks remotely stupid in that area. I’m sure a few tickets and >gasp< arrests for these silver-spooners would generate some concern that might get the attention of Cernera. I applaud Russo for his actions.
I used to live near the Fairfield Beach cottages (now McMansions) inhabited largely with UB, SHU and FU students. Actually, when I was a student, I lived there too. Drunken Bacchus was the norm and heightened on weekends. Hootenannies on the beach with fires, big noise, drunk driving and other outrageous actions. (Students will be students???)
You know what? These kids are breaking the law. It is totally up to the Bridgeport Police to enforce the laws that are being broken. They must have a bigger and make a lot of arrests that are going to sting.
Cernera can’t do much to control his students’ off-campus antics. He is actually powerless to do so.
Last Saturday nite I had dinner in downtown New Haven. As we left the restaurant we observed several students being detained by Yale campus police for drunkenness and disturbing the peace. The Yale police were holding the unruly students so the city police could come in and make the arrests. Cernera could have his campus security check out the neighborhoods from which most of the complaints occur. But, they could only act as a neighborhood watch much like the Yale police did as described above.
The solution is more Bridgeport responsibility to control the outrageous behavior. Just like it would be if there were a huge party somewhere on East Main Street or North Avenue or Poplar Place.
The students are breaking our ordinances. It’s our job to control that … not Cernera’s.
What is with school presidents and not caring about their standing in their local community? Fr. Kelly at Fairfield U. took a while, but finally realized he had to deal with the problem of drunk students at the beach. Too little too late and now he’s gone. I know people on Eckart Street and they are real angry. Cernera better address this before he has the same problem Kelly did. Sounds like he doesn’t give a hoot though, only thing he’ll probably do is fire Russo. Students come and go every year, but that community will always be there, he’d be wise to change his tune.
I disagree yahooy. The bottom line is that school is responsible for those kids. If they’re on the actual campus, campus security is all over them if they’re drinking in public or speeding around the university roads. They have RA’s in the dorms to make sure they’re not drinking underage. They lock down the campus, so where do all the underage kids go? They go to off-campus parties and raise hell. Cernera is keeping the problem controlled on campus, but letting it run wild on our residents. Our cops are busy enough with homicides. This could be a great way for them to make some extra cash too. This problem is not going away and the resentment will only build.
Is it Cernera’s problem if one of his best and brightest walks into a 7-11 and sticks up the place?
Of course not. It’s a local law enforcement problem.
Unruly drunken students are not going to go away. The problem can be controlled. But, I reiterate, it must be controlled by aggressive enforcement by local police.
Cernera can hold a mandatory convocation and extoll the virtues of decorum and sobriety. I assure you the attendees will take the time to plan the next party figuring out where the booze and weed are going to come from.
The police have to step up and protect the citizenry. Do you really want that protection left in the hands of a campus cop?
I know I’ll probably offend nearly all of you but so what!
I would like to know the feeling of his excellancy Bishop Lori on this topic. Excessive drinking is a sin (gluttony) and the moral behavior of students attending catholic christian institutions should be of concern to him. Yes, he’s helpless but he could support expanding the campus police to patrol other areas, as suggested, or require mandatory sessions on being a good neighbor.
I’m hearing it’s a school problem or a B’port problem, or an individual problem. What about a community problem with input to solve it from the entire affected community?
Have a kid there, take an interest. Live in the area, help police it. Teach there, work from within to educate. Sell to minors, lose your license.
Most weekend nights in Fairfield, the police force post a patrol car at the intersection of Reef and Fairfield Beach Roads. This is basically the only entrance and exit to where all of the cottages are. The kids go in sober. But if they attempt to leave drunk, they are summarily busted. This practice doesn’t do much for the cottage community but it sure as hell toned things down in the adjacent neighborhood.
I say again … the local police stepped up and enforced the laws the kids are breaking.
A Call To Arms!!
One way to disarm Hovey, as Lennie has suggested is to call or e-mail any friends or relatives in Monroe in support of Michele Mount.
yahooy: I hear back in the day you were in Brews Who at U.B.!
Ah, Yes! An Ale Man, indeed.
Pissed off more than a few of my Fairfield Beach neighbors in the early ’60s.
Worried more about getting caught by the Fairfield police than campus security. That’s why we moved OFF CAMPUS.
Anybody going to the debate tonight at 7 at Black Rock Arts Center between Russo and Musto? Hope to see a good number of people there for what is basically their only debate.
Are there any firemen scheduled for layoff? The mayor might think about one named “Hovey” who does not appreciate his city employment and excellent benefits. He and his wife have labeled us “those” people. You know, the scumbags! They only come to Bpt for the paycheck! Monroe residents vote for change – cast your ballot for Michele Mount – she cares and she knows how to be EFFECTIVE!
yahooy, some of those cops at the beach are off duty. The on-duty cops are there really just for when the bars get out. And even with the cops there, did you see what happened a couple weeks ago? A drunk Fairfield U student was speeding down by the beach and hit a kid. The community there tried to put these planters in the middle of the road to slow them down and another kid hit one. They could probably use speed bumps down there. I think the kid will be OK, but that’s definitely something I could see happening at Sacred Heart, god forbid.
Good point independent soul. The students living down in Fairfield formed their own student association to work with the beach association there and apparently that really helped. Hopefully, it’s something that can happen at Sacred Heart before something bad does.
I live in Black Rock, and I’m one of many B.R. residents that is fed up with the neighborhood being treated like a playground by the spoiled and privileged students of Sacred Heart and Fairfield University. If a busload of Bridgeport residents went to the hometowns of these students to get drunk, fight, and piss and/or puke on their lawns, they’d be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Everyone has a right to a higher education but not at the expense of the people living near the school. The moneyed classes have an unfounded sense of entitlement. I would suggest that any of these F.U. or S.H.U. students, when caught by local law enforcement authorities, should be made to perform community service in the neighborhoods they’ve despoiled. Walking on Fairfield Avenue in Black Rock on a Saturday or Sunday Morning can be a nauseating experience: the sidewalk is littered with empty cigarette packs, liquor bottles and beer cans, stray patches of vomit, etc. If that sort of behavior is not allowed on campus why do the students think it is acceptable here in Bridgeport?
I love Bridgeport and have really reached the limit when it comes to outsiders treating MY city as if it were an open sewer.
Bridgeport’s image as a dump is perpetuated by the “silver spooners” (thanx for the handle, Here We Go). Someone has to clean up after them, and we’re tired of it being us.
Dodd could get bailed out again with an Obama cabinet position. Rell could appoint herself to fill the vacancy.
I betcha Chris Shays doesn’t want Lieberman around endorsing him this time. Shays crossed party lines two years ago and endorsed Lieberman in Lamont primary and general election against republican candidate Schlesinger.
It’s been 40 years since a Democrat has held the 4th CD seat. That’s when Don Irwin was defeated by Lowell Weicker.
I drive on Park Ave past SHU frequently. I wait with dread for the day one of these morons walks in front of me. Just because you are in a crosswalk doesn’t give you the right to cross against the light, especially at night.
I am not in the Russo district, I am in the Gomes district but I have to give Russo his props on this. Hate to say it but I see a lot of times these rich white kids come to Bridgeport to buy drugs and everything. And like the Bridgeport Kid said if this were a Bridgeport student doing this in Fairfield and surrounding areas they would be punished to the maximum extent. This is an issue I have not seen Bridgeport officials talk about and I am happy to hear Russo talk about it. I hate seeing them come here and buy drugs. Finch needs to clamp down on this. I urge residents to report anything fishy you see with these out-of-town kids. Because it is sure not UB kids doing this it is kids outside of the city.
Hi Lennie, I wanted to check in again and thank you for your support. My opponent’s latest mailer again says I was a big bad lobbyist from Bridgeport who wants to “Bridgeportize” Monroe. I wonder if she distrusts all people who work on behalf of Bridgeport? Again like her husband. But more important than that I don’t think she even realizes her attacks work against Rob Russo who is from Bridgeport. I wonder if Rob approves of her tactics. Because if you follow her logic anyone who has been a voice for Bridgeport must be bad and that would include her fellow Republican Rob Russo. Hey, Rob you should call her up and say … “gee thanks DebraLee for trying to demonize people who worked on behalf of Bridgeport.” Do you really want to be colleagues with such a small-minded person?
MCAT:
For years, you were a colleague to a bunch of small-minded persons.
I agree with Russo even though he ran against my employee Bill Finch.
Come on over to Obama’s least favorite Black church.
www .atlah.org/broadcast/ndnr10-17-08.html