Top 10 Stories on South Windsor Patch from 2013

It was quite a year, South Windsor, with triumphs, tragedies and everything in between. South Windsor Patch takes a look back at the top stories of 2013.

As always, a reminder: It’s fine to look in the rearview mirror of the past, but it’s not OK to stare.

10. The Curious Case of CT Studios - A lot of behind-the-scenes maneuvering hasn’t led to any new construction on the much-discussed/anticipated/maligned project. The developer has obtained a framework for financing and an OK from PURA on its fuel cell plan to sell electricity back to the grid, which will pay for the infrastructure such as roads. But there still are plenty of questions surrounding the project, which has seen the reverter clause extended eight times.

9. Three Arrested in Marijuana Bust - Medical marijuana may be on its way in Connecticut, but its still illegal to sell, as three people in South Windsor learned in December. The East Central Narcotics Task Force seized 11.75 pounds of marijuana and 21 marijuana plants in the drug bust.

8. Serious Assault at January - The new year started violently, when Robert Lareau, 28, of Enfield, and Ryan Kelleher, 21, of Windsor, were seriously injured by four men, including Nathaniel Chambers, who allegedly assaulted them at Forced Induction Motorsports in South Windsor. All four men were apprehended and their cases are still pending.

7. February Snowstorm - A record-setting storm dumped 3 feet of snow on the area. The storm also brought out the best in people, with residents offering to dig out those who were physically unable to do so.

6. The Delnicki/Republican Town Committee Saga - It’s been said frequently that politics in South Windsor is a bloodsport. Consider the Delnicki saga. To summarize: several disagreements (over fields, recreation complexes and other budgetary matters) led then-Mayor Tom Delnicki to resign from the Republican Town Committee in April. In July, Delnicki, who was the party’s top vote recipient on the town council in the previous two municipal elections, failed to secure a spot on the ballot for the 2013 election. Delnicki petitioned for a primary and won, with Deputy Mayor Gary Bazzano being knocked off the ballot. Many attribute the acrimony with why the Republicans to lose its 6-3 majority on the council. The Democrats now hold the majority 5-4. As for Delnicki? He was again the top vote recipient in November.

5. The Fields Project - One of the last acts by the Republican-led Town Council in October was to pass the $900,000 Nevers Road fields project. But the project - as passed by the council - requires the receipt of a $500,000 STEAP grant. The town is concurrently applying for a $500,000 STEAP grant for an emergency operations center at the old post office, meaning the two projects are in competition with one another.

4. Schools Project Unveiled - A 10-year school facilities plan was unveiled in the fall that calls for, among other things, the construction of a new school, the renovation of three others and the shutting down of the Wapping School. The plan also calls for three separate referenda.

3. Democrats Reclaim Majority on the Council - The November municipal election saw a shift from a 6-3 Republican majority on the Town Council to favor the Democrats 5-4. The results came down to just four votes - the number that separated McCann and Pendleton before absentee ballots were tabulated.

2. Dr. Saud Anwar becomes first Muslim mayor in New England - November’s election brought a bit of history to South Windsor, as Dr. Saud Anwar became the first-ever Muslim elected mayor of a town in New England.