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3 Questions for Police Chief Matthew Canelli: Aug. 16

Matthew Canelli, chief of the North Branford Police Department, shares some important back-to-school safety tips and gives us a glimpse of his school days.

In addition to the regular questions of 'What's new in your department?' and 'What's something residents should know?,' this week North Branford Patch is already thinking about  (sorry kids!) and asks our town officials, including Matthew Canelli, chief of the , about their favorite subject to study growing up.

North Branford Patch: What’s new in your department?
Canelli: The sidewalks in front of the police department were recently repaired to provide a safe and handicapped accessible entrance to the building.  

North Branford Patch: What's something residents should know?
Canelli: With the here are some important school bus safety tips to review with your kids:

  • Always walk on the sidewalk to the bus stop, never run. If there is no sidewalk, walk on the far left side, facing traffic.
  • Go to the bus stop about five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive. While at the bus stop, wait quietly in a safe place well away from the road. Do not run and play while waiting.
  • Hands should be kept to yourself at all times while riding on the bus. Fighting and picking on others creates a dangerous bus ride.
  • Never throw things on the bus or out the windows. Keep the aisles clear at all times. Feet should be directly in front of you on the floor and book bags should be kept on your lap. Large instruments or sports equipment should not block the aisle or emergency exits.
  • Never play with the emergency exits; listen to the driver and follow instructions.
  • Always cross the street in front of the bus. Never go behind the bus. If you drop something near the bus, tell the bus driver before you attempt to pick it up, so they will know where you are.
  • Never speak to strangers at the bus stop and never get into the car with a stranger. Always go straight home and tell you parents if a stranger tries to talk to you or pick you up.
  • Always Respect the area which surrounds all sides of the bus. The "Danger Zone" is ten feet wide on all sides of the bus. Always remain 10 steps away from the bus to be out of the "Danger Zone" and where the driver can see you. 

North Branford Patch: What was your favorite subject in school growing up?
Canelli: Math was always my favorite.

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Stay tuned for more responses from other officials throughout the week. Want to check out more '3 Questions' topics and see what other officials had to say? Scroll down for more!

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Russ Best May 4, 2013 at 05:09 pm
Vincent: first..let me commend you for doing an excellent job! I have a couple thoughts I wouldRead More like to bounce off of you: 1. How about a proposal for property tax breaks for seniors? Pick an age..62 or 65. The majority of retirees are on fixed incomes, some of which are on the razors edge right now and are looking at having to move from the area even though they don't want to. Its a shame that people who have lived their whole lives here cannot afford to stay on for retirement. 2. The current property tax credit for veterans is $1000 and has been stuck there since the '60s if I'm not mistaken. It really doesn't amount to a hill of beans given current property values and needs a serious upgrade/higher value. As a combat veteran (Viet Nam) I would be really grateful if this could be improved.
Tom Scelfo April 29, 2013 at 09:40 pm
Vinny - you obviously understand both the problem and the solution. As a general rule, all ourRead More elected officials are intelligent people, so I just don't understand why the Majority party doesn't seem to "get it." Please keep focusing on the problem AND the solution. At some point in time, perhaps other elected officials will finally understand the problem we are in, and realize that we really need to get serious about fixing it. Thanks for your service to the Connecticut's tax payers!
Russ Best May 4, 2013 at 12:42 pm
Audrey: welcome to the world of state and town contracts, unions and piddly regs that must beRead More quibbled over. There are power plays between city and state civil engineers,etc.All this is done in the name of "progress"..something I had hoped to see slow down when I moved to Northford. Progess nearly always means ever escalating taxes and rules that eventually push out folks of lower income, turning it into yet another elitist Connecticut town. It's sad the town managers and council can't seem to put their foot down and reign in spending.
Audrey Fitting May 2, 2013 at 11:08 am
I agree, it seems as though they are more worried about putting in fake grass, and spindly trees,Read More and are not working fast at all. The beautiful center of our town has been ruined. I cannot see it ever looking good again. I think it is a bigger bottleneck than we had. Whoever they hired as an engineer should be ashamed to take any money. Very poor planning...or may be plans in the works. The two ugly houses we have to pass when we go from 139 towards RT 80, its sure ugly, and that dentist office should be to torn down. Give it up. We now have an ugly town center. The shopping center at Dairy Queen, is dying for stores, but who would move in? I wish I could move out of town. This is atrocious.
John Fontenault May 2, 2013 at 10:03 am
Other than some work being performed at the Notch Hill Road and Rte 80 intersection and some workRead More under the Tilcon Overpass there has been little to no activity for months. Other than the equipment needed in these two areas there is no longer any large equipment in the area. Clearly crews have picked up and moved on. Is there a funding issue? An updated schedule should be posted to the Town's Website so we can all understand what progress will be made this spring. Please comment if you have details.