WTNH News Channel 8 / News / 1999

	More escapes from Long Lane, Residents concern about location of new facility (Middletown-WTNH) _ State officials say the escape of 3 teens yesterday from long lane shows the need for a new facility to be built quickly. Lawmakers made the controversial decision this week to move Long Lane uphill to Connecticut Valley Hospital. Opponents say they plan to fight that tooth and nail. News Channel 8's Judy Chong reports. Frances Muraca: "'Til the end. I'm not not giving up hon. I don't give up on things." Frances Muraca says it ain't over yet. The Middletown resident and other neighbors know it'll be an uphill battle against both the state and the city to prevent a new Long Lane school from going up at Connecticut Valley Hospital. Muraca believes it's a better idea to build 3 regional schools so that the trouble youths can be closer to home rather than isolated in Middletown. Muraca: "The parents can't always come here. They live in Hartford or Bridgeport or Waterbury. If you have regional facilities parents can be close to the boys those in those places." Three juveniles, two of them from Hartford, escaped from Long Lane this week. One was found a day later in the capital city. Officials say breakouts are not uncommon. Indeed, News Channel 8 captured an escape in progress 4 years ago. Officials say regional facilities are not feasible because of the 'not in my backyard' problem, and cost. Instead, a 240 bed building is planned at a spot right on top of a public well supply. Ralph Wilson, Middletown: "You don't have a trash energy plant there because city fathers didn't want to take a chance to pollute the well. That was back in '86." DCF spokesperson John Wilste says he's suspicious of environmental claims by the neighbors who will do anything to stop this project. Wilste says the new facility will environmentally safe. But, opponents show a document as proof of their claim. An environmental consulting firm called 'GZA' wrote "we believe such a facility should not be located within a public supply well field." Neighbors worry that the state will not stop at 240 beds. "Who's gonna say it won't get bigger and there'll be more kids there?" DCF admits there's always a need for more beds and more programs. Environmental testing is taking place right now at CVH. The agency hopes to start construction at the end of summer. But you'll likely see a big battle, perhaps in court, on the environmental front depending on the outcome of the testing. Today's News Page. WTNH Home Page. ©1999 WTNH/WTNH-DT A LIN station.

More escapes from Long Lane, Residents concern about location of new facility
(Middletown-WTNH) _ State officials say the escape of 3 teens yesterday from long lane shows the need for a new facility to be built quickly. Lawmakers made the controversial decision this week to move Long Lane uphill to Connecticut Valley Hospital. Opponents say they plan to fight that tooth and nail.
News Channel 8's Judy Chong reports.

Frances Muraca: "'Til the end. I'm not not giving up hon. I don't give up on things."

Frances Muraca says it ain't over yet. The Middletown resident and other neighbors know it'll be an uphill battle against both the state and the city to prevent a new Long Lane school from going up at Connecticut Valley Hospital. Muraca believes it's a better idea to build 3 regional schools so that the trouble youths can be closer to home rather than isolated in Middletown.

Muraca: "The parents can't always come here. They live in Hartford or Bridgeport or Waterbury. If you have regional facilities parents can be close to the boys those in those places."

Three juveniles, two of them from Hartford, escaped from Long Lane this week. One was found a day later in the capital city. Officials say breakouts are not uncommon. Indeed, News Channel 8 captured an escape in progress 4 years ago.

Officials say regional facilities are not feasible because of the 'not in my backyard' problem, and cost. Instead, a 240 bed building is planned at a spot right on top of a public well supply.

Ralph Wilson, Middletown: "You don't have a trash energy plant there because city fathers didn't want to take a chance to pollute the well. That was back in '86."

DCF spokesperson John Wilste says he's suspicious of environmental claims by the neighbors who will do anything to stop this project. Wilste says the new facility will environmentally safe.

But, opponents show a document as proof of their claim. An environmental consulting firm called 'GZA' wrote "we believe such a facility should not be located within a public supply well field." Neighbors worry that the state will not stop at 240 beds.

"Who's gonna say it won't get bigger and there'll be more kids there?"

DCF admits there's always a need for more beds and more programs. Environmental testing is taking place right now at CVH. The agency hopes to start construction at the end of summer. But you'll likely see a big battle, perhaps in court, on the environmental front depending on the outcome of the testing.

Today's News Page.

WTNH Home Page.