DEEP RIVER & CHESTER— The criminal cases against Charles “Chuck” Della Rocco, the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for first selectman in Chester, and Laura Smith, the wife of Deep River First Selectman Richard Smith, have been continued to next month after scheduled appearances Tuesday at Middlesex Superior Court in Middletown.
Della Rocco’s case, with charges of seond degree forgery and third degree larceny, has been continued to Dec. 23. The charge of first degree larceny against Laura Smith has been continued to Dec. 15.
Della Rocco, 41, was the unsuccessful Democratic challenger to Republican First Selectman Tom Marsh in the Nov. 3 Chester town election. Della Rocco was arrested by state police on Nov. 5 on charges related to the alleged illegal sale of a Ford pick up truck he borrowed earlier this year from neighbors Peter and Cheryl Lynch.
Smith, 46, was arrested and charged with first degree larceny on Nov. 4 for the alleged theft by embezzlement of $47,983 from accounts at the Liberty Bank branch on Main Street. Smith, who had been employed at the bank, is alleged to have taken funds from accounts controlled by Patricia Pytlik of Haddam Neck, the co-owner of an Old Savbrook car wash.
Della Rocco and Smith are each free on bond.
By Charles Stannard
CHESTER— Charles “Chuck” Della Rocco, 41, the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for first selectman, cancelled a scheduled Oct. 22 interview with Trooper Matt Warren at the Westbrook State Police Barracks as his electoral challenge to Republican First Selectman Tom Marsh entered its final days.
It was also the final days of Warren’s investigation of an alleged illegal sale of a motor vehicle that resulted in Della Rocco’s Nov. 5 arrest on charges of second degree forgery and third degree lareceny. Della Rocco’s initial appearance at Middlesex Superior Court Tuesday was postponed to Nov. 24 at the request of his lawyer, Hartford attorney A. Paul Spinella.
An arrest warrant released by court officials shows the police investigation of Della Rocco, a former Old Saybrook police officer who now works as a police officer for the state Judicial Department, began in late July when a neighbor, Cheryl Lynch, told Warren that Della Rocco had not returned a Ford pick-up truck he had borrowed earlier in the year. Della Rocco, who was nominated for first selectman by town Democrats at a July 27 caucus, returned the truck on Aug. 4.
But further investigation revealed that Della Rocco had allegedly advertised the truck on Craigslist.com in early July, and sold the vehicle in July to Paul Toumi of Coventry for $1,200.
Along with the Craigslist ad, police recovered a Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles bill of sale with an alleged forged signature of Peter Lynch, the husband of Cheryl Lynch. Peter Lynch is a Hartford police officer, and the warrant indicates Toumi had contacted Hartford police in late July with questions about the sale.
The Lynches, who had initially indicated that they did not want to have Della Rocco arrested, decided to press charges in the case after learning about the alleged forged bill of sale.
Trooper Warren contacted Della Rocco about the investigation on Oct. 5. According to the warrant, Della Rocco told Warren that he was running for first selectman in Chester and agreed to be interviewed by police at a later date.
Warren attempted to contact Della Rocco on his cell phone twice during October, with Della Rocco agreeing to be interviewed at the Westbrook Barracks on Oct. 22. Della Rocco contacted Warren on October 22, telling the trooper that he had obtained legal counsel and cancelling the scheduled interview. Police applied for an arrest warrant after Della Rocco cancelled the Oct. 22 interview.
By: Charles Stannard
CHESTER— Charles “Chuck” Della Rocco, the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for first selectman in the Nov. 3 town election, was arrested by state police Thursday on forgery and larceny charges.
Della Rocco, 41, was arrested on a court warrant and charged with second degree forgery and third degree larceny/fraud by computer or phone. Della Rocco turned himself in Thursday afternoon at the Troop F barracks in Westbrook and was later released on a $1,000 non-surety bond for a Nov. 17 appearance at Middlesex Superior Court in Middletown.
Della Rocco, a former Old Saybrook police officer who currently serves on the Chester Board of Education and the Chester Democratic Town Committee, was defeated in the election by Republican First Selectman Tom Marsh on a 758-465 vote.
Della Rocco currently works as a police officer for the state Judicial Branch, providing security at the State Library/Supreme Court building in Hartford. Rhonda Stearley-Hebert, a spokeswoman for the Judicial Branch, said Friday Della Rocco would be assigned to desk duty “with no police powers.” when he returns to work next week. She said department officials are currently “gathering information,” on the charges against Della Rocco.
The charges were filed after an investigation of a complaint from a neighbor, Peter and Cheryl Lynch of Turkey Hill Road. The investigation that began in July focused on allegations that Della Rocco had allegedly borrowed a pick up truck from the couple, and later sold the vehicle to another person using the Craigslist website.
Della Rocco, contacted Friday, referred questions to his attorney, Hartford lawyer Paul Spinella. Spinella could not be reached Friday for comment.
Marsh said Friday he is “surprised and disappointed” to learn of Della Rocco’s arrest. Marsh said he learned of the allegations involving Della Rocco during the summer from the Lynches, adding that town Republicans never raised the subject during the fall campaign because they did not have complete information on the situation.
Marsh also contended that various members of the Chester Democratic Town Committee were aware of the allegations involving Della Rocco when he was nominated for first selectman at a July 27 caucus. Top town committee members could not be reached Friday for comment about the situation involving Della Rocco.
Mario Gioco, chairman of the Chester Republican Town Committee, has sent a letter to three Democratic state elected officials who endorsed Della Rocco at appearances in Chester during the fall election campaign. In the letter, Gioco asks state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, Comptroller Nancy Wyman, and Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewciz whether they were aware of the investigation of Della Rocco when they made the endorsement and appeared at local fundraisers for his campaign.
By: Charles Stannard
CHESTER— Republican First Selectman Tom Marsh was re-elected for a third term Tuesday, defeating Democratic challenger Chuck Della Rocco on a vote of 757-465.
Marsh’s running-mate, Republican Tom Englert and Democrat Lawrence Sypher also won seats on the board. Englert received 653 votes, with 549 votes for Sypher. Englert replaces six-term Republican Selectman Bruce Watrous, who did not seek re-election. Sypher replaces Democratic Selectman Martin Heft, who also stepped aside this year. The new board takes office on Nov. 17.
Marsh had unseated Heft, who had held the top job since 1993, by a narrow 30-vote margin in 2005. Marsh won a second term in 2007, defeating Democrat Justin Good on an 858-493 vote. Check Localonlinenews.tv Wednesday for results of other races on the Chester ballot.
By Charles Stannard
CHESTER— Republican First Selectman Tom Marsh is defending his four-year record against sometimes sharp criticism from Democratic challenger Chuck Della Rocco in the Nov. 3 town election contest.
Marsh, 50, was first elected in 2005, defeating six-term incumbent Democrat Martin Heft by 30 votes. He was re-elected in 2007 on an 858-493 vote over Democrat Justin Good. Marsh had run unsuccessfully against Heft in 2001. The owner of a cleaning services company, Marsh is a married father of three has lived in Chester for the past 20 years.
Della Rocco, 41, is an Old Saybrook native who became a police officer in that town after serving previously as a military policeman in the U.S. Army, including service during the 1989 Panama Intervention. He left the Old Saybrook force in 2007 and currently works as a police officer for the state Judicial Branch, providing security at the State Library/Supreme Court building in Hartford. The married father of two elementary school children has lived Chester since 2002.
Tom Marsh
Della Rocco said economic development and building the town’s commercial and industrial tax base would be the major issue facing Chester over the next two years. He criticized Marsh for transferring a $500,000 state Small Town Economic Assistance Program grant that was awarded to help fund construction of a Route 148 public water line to the Inspiration Lane Industrial Park to help pay for the sewer expansion project that was completed last year. “Taking care of the sewer project is fine but he has not tried to get money for the water service that is needed at the industrial park,” Della Rocco said.
Marsh said the $500,000 in state funds would not have covered the entire cost of the water main project, which is on hold because property owners at the industrial park are currently unwilling to contribute to help fund the full cost of the project.
Della Rocco said Marsh made no effort to locate a regional probate court that is scheduled to open in 2011 at the Chester Town Hall. “You’re just giving it away,” he said, rejecting Marsh’s position that there is not space for a nine-town court in the Route 154 town hall building. Marsh said first selectmen from the nine towns that would be included in the regional court, including the larger towns of Clinton, Old Saybrook, and Westbrook, favored locating the court in Old Saybrook, where the town has offered rent-free space. Marsh said the Chester Town Hall would have been “overwhelmed” by the activity generated by a nine-town court.
Marsh said controlling and reducing town budget expenditures has been the major accomplishment of his two terms, noting the current town budget is lower than the spending plan he inherited in 2005. Della Rocco maintains Marsh has “moved money around,” to reduce the budget total, particulartly by shifting money budgeted for road projects to a capital projects fund.
Chuck Della Rocco
“We pay attention to it but we don’t want to spend any more money on it than we have to at this time,” Marsh said. Della Rocco said the town should consider closing the community center if it is not planning to maintain the building.
Della Rocco said he remains undecided on the proposed town purchase of 4.6-acres of riverfront land on Parker’s Point Road that goes to the voters in a Nov. 10 bonding referendum. While agreeing the parcel is “a beautiful piece of property,” Della Rocco said the $948,000 purchase price is too high and suggests delaying the referendum in an effort to negotiate a lower price.
Marsh, who supports the open space acquisition, said the owners are not willing to lower the price. Marsh added the net expense for the town, now at about $400,000 plus bonding expenses, would not be a changed by a lower price because state grant funding, now at $484,520, would be reduced if the sale price was lowered.
The make-up of the three-member board of selectmen will change, regardless of the outcome of the contest between Marsh and Della Rocco. Both Democrat Heft, who has served on the board since losing the top job in 2005, and six-term Republican Selectman Bruce Watrous are stepping aside this year. Marsh is running with Tom Englert, a Whelen Engineering employee who serves on the water pollution control authority and the zoning board of appeals. Della Rocco is running with Lawrence Sypher, the owner of a local internet technology business who serves on the planning and zoning commission.
Video is courtesy of the Chester Common Ground Party.
By: Charles Stannard
CHESTER— Republican First Selectman Tom Marsh and Democratic challenger Chuck Della Rocco sparred over economic development and other issues during the single public debate of the campaign for the Nov. 3 town election.
About 70 residents turned out for the session Tuesday that was co-sponsored by the town’s Democratic and Republican town committees and Chester Common Ground, a group that is running candidates for some board and commission seats on the ballot. The videotaped debate, moderated by former state Rep. Claire Sauer of Lyme, will be broadcast at various times next week on the Comcast public access channel.
The 90-minute session, which included questions from reporters and members of the audience, was cordial, despite occasional sharp criticism of Marsh from Della Rocco, a former Old Saybrook police officer who currently serves on the local board of education.
Marsh, who unseated six-term Democratic First Selectman Martin Heft in 2005, said his record over the past four years merits a third term. Marsh said the current town budget is lower than the budget he inherited in 2005, with no major reduction in services. Marsh said ten new businesses have opened at two industrial parks and other locations in Chester over the past four years.
Della Rocco contended Marsh has become aloof from residents and has acted unilaterally on several issues, including a decision not to take advantage of a new state law that would have allowed the town to defer a property revaluation update completed last year that resulted in sharply higher assessments for some homeowners. “He’s listening but he doesn’t hear you,” Della Rocco said.
Della Rocco also claimed Marsh failed to prevent the relocation of a new regional probate court from Chester to Old Saybrook, and has failed to maintain some town buildings, particularly the Chester Comminity Center property on Route 154.
Marsh said delaying the revaluation was “a sword that cut both ways,” and would not have helped more than a third of the town’s residential property owners who experienced no major jump in assessments from the update. He said the town would have “wasted” the $80,000 spent on the update while still being required to complete a revaluation by 2011. Marsh said the decision on the location of a regional probate court was driven by the larger municipalities, such as Old Saybrook and Clinton, and suggested Chester Town Hall would have had difficulty accommodating the staff for a larger probate court serving nine area towns.
On the proposed Parker’s Point riverfront land purchase, Della Rocco claimed Marsh has not provided residents with all information on the purchase. Marsh said all information on proposed bonding and grant funding for the purchase would be available before a scheduled Nov. 10 referendum, adding “you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.”
The two rivals agreed on some issues, rejecting the idea of a four-year term for first selectman and board of selectmen, and opposing Chester participation in a regional health district that is now comprised of Clinton, Old Saybrook, and Deep River.
The candidates each expressed some support for a developing plan for a full regionalization of Region 4 schools, while avoiding making a firm commitment until a detailed proposal is presented by the Region 4 Board of Education. Marsh said the district’s current governing structure, including four separate school boards and a Supervision District Committee managing shared services, “is too cumbersome.” But he expressed some concern about how the district’s budget preparation process would function under a single elected regional school board made up of representatives from Chester, Deep River, and Essex.
Della Rocco said residents will have to weigh the possibility of cost savings against a possible loss of control over the local elementary school when a regionalization plan is presented to voters of the three district towns in a referendum expected sometime next year.
CHESTER — Republican First Selectman Tom Marsh, first elected in 2005, will face Democratic challenger Charles Della Rocco in this fall’s election. LocalOnlineNews.TV’s Danica Pecirep sat down with both candidates recently and filed these profile pieces.
Later this weekend LocalOnlineNews.TV will post the full, extended length interviews with both candidates. Extended length videos will be added to the bottom of this post when they are available.
Profile of Republican First Selectman Tom Marsh:
Profile of Democratic Candidate Charles Della Rocco
By: Charles Stannard
CHESTER— Town Democrats Tuesday nominated Chuck Della Rocco for First Selectman on a ticket with former finance board and planning and zoning commission member Lawrence Sypher as the candidate for Board of Selectman.
Della Rocco, a former Old Saybrook police officer and current member of the local school board, was nominated on a unanimous voice vote of about 30 Democrats gathered at the Chester Meeting House. Sypher, a lifelong resident, runs a local internet technology consulting business called Sydell Associates. He replaces former First Selectman and incumbent Selectman Martin Heft as the party’s candidate for Board of Selectmen.
Della Rocco and Sypher will face off in the Nov. 3 town election against two term Republican First Selectman Tom Marsh and Tom Englert, the new Republican nominee for board of selectmen. Marsh and Englert were nominated at the Republican caucus last week.
Della Rocco, an Old Saybrook native who moved to Chester in 2002, said he began considering a run for the town’s top office last year. Della Rocco, a former U.S. Army military police officer during the 1989 Panama intervention and the 1991 Persian Gulf War, served on the Old Saybrook Police Department from 1994 to 2007 and currently works as a Judicial Branch police officer at the state Library/Supreme Court building in Hartford. Della Rocco said his campaign theme would be “respect the past-build the future.”
Democrats joined Republicans in cross-endorsing three town hall incumbents for new terms, Town Clerk Debra Germini Calamari, Town Treasurer Elizabeth Netsch, and Tax Collector Madaline Meyer. Netsch is a Democrat, Calamari and Meyer are unaffiliated voters.
Democrats nominated Lori Ann Clymas, the party’s unsuccessful 2005 candidate for board of selectmen, for the Region 4 Board of Education . Democrats nominated Jennifer Rannestad and Gary Clark for six-year terms on the Board of Finance, with incumbents David Cohen nominated for a four-year term and Virginia Carmany nominated for a two-year term on the finance board. Incumbent Edward Meehan, a former member and chairman of the finance board, was nominated for a new term as board of finance alternate.
Incumbent Errol Horner, Charles Vaccaro, and Keith Scherber were nominated for six-year terms on the Planning and Zoning Commission. Incumbent Sally Murray was nominated for a two year term on the planning and zoning commission, with Stephen Sepowski and Louis DesJardins, both unaffiliated voters, nominated for Planning and Zoning Commission alternates.
Amy Safran, Lianne Rutty, and Marjorie Della Rocco were nominated for the local Board of Education that supervises the operation of Chester Elementary School. Eileen Sypher was nominated for a two-year term on the local Board of Education.
Incumbent John DeLaura and Michael Desnoyers were nominated for Zoning Board of Appeals. Incumbent Justin Kronholm and Robert Gorman were nominated for ZBA alternates.
John Bellows and Elizabeth Gourlay were nominated for full four-year terms on the inland-wetlands commission. Incumbent Peter DeLisa and Caryl Horner were nominated for two-year terms on the IWC.
Incumbent Edward Ward, Samuel Chorches, and Albert Armington were nominated for four-year terms on the water pollution control authority, with incumbent James Pease nominated for a two-year term on the WPCA. Ward, a Democrat who currentlly serves as WPCA chairman, and Pease, a Republican, were also endorsed for new terms last week by town Republicans.
Incumbents Sandy Senior Dauer and Barbara Standke were nominated for new terms on the library board of trustees, with incumbent Dudley Clark Jr. nominated for a new term on the Board of Assessment Appeals.
Heft noted that Democrats had nominated a full slate for all positions on the town’s lengthy ballot, “for the first time in anyone’s memory.” He also announced that Clymas and former Selectman Peter Zanardi would serve as co-chairs of the Democratic campaign.
Clymas and Zanardi, at the time a two-term incumbent, had competed at the party’s 2005 caucus for the nomination for board of selectmen. Clymas defeated Zanardi at the contested caucus that may have set the stage for six-term incumbent Heft’s narrow 30-vote loss to Marsh in the 2005 town election. Marsh defeated Democrat Justin Good to win a second term in 2007.
