Middlefield Lawmakers to Meet with Residents on Wadsworth State Park

It's been a little over a month since the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection instituted a list of new rules at Wadsworth State Park.

And, fulfilling on their remarks in July, two Middlefield lawmakers are following up how things are going since the rules — including no picnicking or swimming in the waterfall area — went into effect.


State Sen. Danté Bartolomeo (D-Meriden) and Rep. Emil “Buddy” Altobello will talk with area residents about the status of the park at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 11, in the auditorium of the Middlefield Community Center, 405 Main Street in Middlefield.

The public is invited to attend, and the focus is on getting residents' feedback on the new rules.

"Recently, Middlefield residents contacted Sen. Bartolomeo and Rep. Altobello to voice their concerns about the conditions at Wadsworth Falls State Park," spokesman Lawrence Cook said in a press release. "Concerns varied from littering, drinking and swimming to illegal parking and speeding."

The lawmakers asked the state to address the concerns and to evaluate the permitted uses at the park. 

"As a result, DEEP has made changes to park policy that will not only help to improve the conditions of the park but also the quality of life for its neighbors," Cook wrote.

Patch had begun reporting on issues at the park in July when officials handed out 77 tickets during the Independence Day holiday weekend for violations of vandalism and parking illegally. Since then, concerns had escalated with residents complaining to both Bartolmeo and Altobello regarding garbage scattered around the park.

Altobello took several pictures of the trash, which he gave to Durham-Middlefield Patch for a story in late July. 

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• Report: Trooper Saves Distraught Man at Wadsworth Falls
• Resident Starts Petition Over Wadsworth Falls Vandalism, Overcrowding
• Middlefield to Issue Letters Over Wadsworth Falls Parking
• Letter to the Editor: First Selectman Working to Address Issues at Wadsworth Falls