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Quinnipiac Facilities to take over off campus property management

By Owen Meech

Quinnipiac University Office of Facilities will soon take over day to day facilities management of all University-owned off campus properties.

In a statement Feb. 13, Associate Vice President of Facilities Operations Keith Woodward announced that effective April 1, 2019, management responsibility will transition from Palmer Property Management to Quinnipiac University’s own team.

A Quinnipiac owned off campus home on New Road.

Although the University provided no explanation for the switch, Woodward assured students via email that no complications would arise.

“I am optimistic that this will be a seamless transition as providing excellent service to students remains a top priority for the Office of Facilities Operations and the University as a whole,” Woodward said.

But despite Woodward’s promise of a smooth turnover, students have had mixed reactions to the news. While some students are embracing the change, many remain wary of Quinnipiac’s decision.

Residents of Quinnipiac owned off campus properties have noted a discrepancy in care and maintenance between off campus housing and on campus dorms, such as Julianna Pliskin, who lives on Ives Street.

“When we moved into the house, there was mold on multiple walls in our laundry room,” Pliskin said. “Housing inspections work both ways. Quinnipiac should’ve taken care of that before anyone even moved in.”

Additionally, Pliskin said she has a broken microwave, multiple stove burners that don’t work, and broken kitchen cabinets, including some without knobs. She hopes that the switch from Palmer Properties next month will make things easier, as her and her roommates have had to fix many problems on their own.

“I’m actually happy about the switch because I think by Quinnipiac using their own service, it makes it a little bit easier to put in our work orders,” Pliskin said.

New Road residents Amanda Perelli and Christina Popik concur, and said their home also has no shortage of issues.

“A couple of weeks ago, we noticed that the floor in our downstairs bathroom started to crack, and if you push down on the toilet it starts to push down on the tile and appears to be pushing down into the basement,” said Perelli. “Eventually I have a feeling that our toilet is actually going to fall into the basement.”

A toilet at a New Road home that appears to be sinking into the bathroom floor.

Palmer Properties employees came to Perelli’s house and told her and her roommates that they were very concerned with the situation. They instructed her and housemates not to use the toilet until a new one is installed over spring break.

Although Perelli’s home also has rusted drains, an outdated shower and broken kitchen cabinets, she says she is most upset that she doesn’t have a dishwasher.

“When we moved in we noticed that our dishwasher had been taken out, so there’s just an empty space in our kitchen,” Perelli said. “Other QU owned houses along this road have dishwashers and we pay the same price, so it’s weird that they didn’t replace it or give us an explanation.”

Popik echoed Perelli’s sentiment, and calls her home “pretty gross.”

“We had a moth problem last semester. They were honestly flying from everywhere, they were inside of our food,” Popik said. “Last week I found larva in a cup that I had, there were three little nests.”

A broken cabinet located in one of Quinnipiac’s off campus properties on New Road.

Cameron Silver, another New Road resident, said his home has a major drainage problem.

“The sink hasn’t been working, and when we take a shower the water is up to our ankles,” Silver said. “With all that drainage being stuck in the house, it also affects the basement downstairs. It’s leaked through the ceiling and there’s mold. You can smell it, it’s not safe.”

Silver said he has put in multiple work orders, but the sink was the only problem that was addressed.

“Everything else is still the same. It’s been taking a while,” Silver said. “It’s been happening pretty much the entire school year.

Quinnipiac’s decision comes only a few months after Palmer Properties employees installed deadbolts on all exterior doors of Quinnipiac owned off campus houses. Residential Life informed students in Dec. 2018 of the additional safety measures following a string of burglaries at Quinnipiac owned houses on New Road.

In addition to the management change, students learned Feb. 5 that Danielle Demers, former residence hall director for off campus properties, had accepted a position at another university.

“If you need assistance for the remainder of the year, please contact your CA (community assistant) and they can help you directly or connect you to the proper resource,” Demers wrote in her departing email.

A replacement residence hall director has not been announced.

Quinnipiac will spend estimated $135,000 to replace faulty soccer and lacrosse field

By Ross Lager

Quinnipiac lacrosse and soccer teams haven’t always enjoyed a home-field advantage over the last year — in fact, they haven’t always had a home field to play on at all.

When the university built the $28 million lacrosse and soccer stadium two years ago, it chose to use a crumbly cork material to cushion the field and help the field’s artificial grass to stand up.

According to the Vice President of Facilities and Capital Planning, Sal Filardi, the university chose cork because it thought the material would have less impact on the wetlands bordering the field than the crumb rubber alternative. What it didn’t count on was that the cork would freeze in the wet winter weather, rise above the grass and create a slippery, unplayable surface.

“When the field freezes, the teams are not able to practice,” Filardi said. “Last year they missed roughly two dozen days of practice. Several games have also had to be rescheduled or moved to a different site.”

Quinnipiac Soccer and Lacrosse Stadium turf

The setbacks didn’t affect the soccer teams during their season (which took place in the fall). In October, the men’s soccer team hosted the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) finals on their home field. The issues with the turf are affecting the teams in the spring.

Now, the university wants to replace the cork material with synthetic rubber at a cost of $135,000, Filardi said.

“The cork infill gets wet and freezes,” he said. “The rubber doesn’t absorb water and the black color absorbs the heat of the sun even on below freezing days.”

The work must be approved by Hamden’s Inland Wetlands Commission, which is concerned about the impact of the potentially toxic runoff from the rubber on the wetlands to the south of the facility.

Filardi acknowledged the negative impact the field has had on Quinnipiac’s teams.

“Coaches have clearly expressed their dissatisfaction with the frozen field,” he said.

Sophomore soccer defenseman Simon Hillinger agreed.

He said when the team came to school in January, they practiced for two weeks inside because they couldn’t practice on the turf — it was too icy and slippery.

“I still think it affects us a lot,” Hillinger said. “Now in spring season, you can work on the details but when you practice inside, it is smaller and all we can do is play five on five, we can’t do any tactics.”

The wetlands commission has voted that it will approve the change, but only under three conditions.

First, Quinnipiac must pre-wash the rubber in a way that meets the approval of the commission.

Second, the university must provide an annual inspection report about the level of synthetic rubber particles in the wetlands and to ensure proper drainage from the stadium.

Finally, the university must change its snow plowing procedure so that snow is pushed to the northern side of the field, opposite the wetlands to the south.

Filardi said the biggest condition is that the infill needs to washed before it gets installed.

“The thinking is that washing removes some of the chemicals that may leach out over time,” he said.

In any case, Filardi said he did not think the work could be done until spring at the earliest.

“We are still identifying the process to wash the infill and determining next steps,” he said. “I don’t believe we will address the field until after the current athletic seasons are over in April.”

School of Communications Dean Mark Contreras leaves QU

By Hannah Feakes

Outgoing School of Communications Dean Mark Contreras says he “had no intentions of leaving” the job after only 18 months, but the position offered at Connecticut Public Broadcasting was just too tempting to resist.

“The opportunity to lead Connecticut Public is to me one of the great opportunities in media today,” he said. “It’s both NPR and PBS and there is a lot of opportunity with digital. I am replacing someone who has been there for thirty some years,” he said.

Connecticut Public is a media company creating diverse Internet, TV, radio and print content for the state’s local communities, according to their website.

Contreras is leaving campus only a year and a half after being dean. He says that this is the shortest amount of time he has ever spent at a job.

Terry Bloom will take over as interim Dean for the School of Communications (SoC) at Quinnipiac University in March.

Although journalism professor Richard Hanley has a close professional relationship with Contreras, he says that it would not be productive for the school if a person who is unhappy in a leadership position stuck around just to adhere to the academic calendar.

“There’s a saying that states: once a person decides to leave a leadership position, that person should leave because the focus on the job will be lost even if appearances are maintained,” Hanley said.

Hanley said that when Contreras accepted the dean position he announced that he wanted to raise money for the School of Communications and assemble an advisory board of executives from the communications industry.

According to Hanley, Contreras achieved those goals.

Contreras was able to get the Hearst Foundations to donate half a million dollars for scholarships, to help promote diversity within the school and connect the university to notable executives from top media companies.

This Hearst Foundation scholarship grant will help the School of Communications attract and recruit students who otherwise could not afford to enroll.

“That alone will make for a truer reflection of the national community and serve as a catalyst for continuing efforts to make sure Quinnipiac’s stated goal to diversify its student body is not an empty gesture,” Hanley said. “That will have a lasting effect on students and faculty.”

Contreras and Hanley agree that Contreras’ most important accomplishments include the advisory board and the $500,000 scholarship granted to SoC by the Hearst Foundations.

The advisory board was created to help students and faculty connect with leaders in industry on closer level.

Hanley emphasized that the SoC will continue to grow during the process of hiring a new dean.

“We are fortunate to have a strong administrative team and exceptional faculty department chairs in place to shoulder the additional leadership burdens as the search for a new dean gets underway,” Hanley said.

Communications student Stephanie Ambrosio, a member of the 3+1 program, wishes that Contreras would have made himself more visible to all SoC students.

In her opinion, students would have valued more opportunities to meet with Contreras and get to know him and his connections.

“I hope that the new dean will make it a point to formally introduce his/herself to the students and be a greater presence in their time at QU,” Ambrosio said.

Contreras said that the timing of these things are never convenient and that he has always had a love for public media.

“I wouldn’t say I am running away from anything at Quinnipiac, it’s just that this opportunity to lead Connecticut Public is so compelling,” he said.

As a previous board member for Cincinnati public radio, he says he has gotten to know many people in the public radio world, which he says could benefit Quinnipiac students in the long run.

“I don’t want to say goodbye because I think there are lots and lots of ways that both QU, particularly the School of Communications and Connecticut Public, can continue to work together far more closely than we have in the past,” Contreras said.

Contreras already has plans to bring Connecticut Public and Quinnipiac together. He says spoke of putting together a strategic plan and will deliver that plan to the board of Connecticut Public in November.

Hanley said that Contreras had no experience in higher education leadership roles upon his arrival at Quinnipiac.

Hanley and Contreras had many discussions on both the practical and philosophical levels as to how to approach issues with transparency and a sense of inclusion among faculty, staff and students, according to Hanley.

“It wasn’t an easy transition from corporate executive to academic dean by any stretch,” Hanley said. “Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

Hanley plans to stay in touch with Contreras in order to explore the possibilities of a collaboration between Connecticut Public Broadcasting and Quinnipiac. Hanley believes that such a collaboration would help SoC students achieve their goals.

Contreras said his favorite part of working at Quinnipiac was engaging with students. He expressed how moved he was by the dedication of faculty to their students.

“I am still struck by how most of the faculty have had some experience in their lives in the world of media and I’d say the vast majority of them could be out doing that today,” he said. “The fact that they are dedicating their lives to helping develop the minds of the next generation in media speaks to their character and to me, that is very inspiring.”

Hamden residents welcome plastic bag ban

By Michaela Mendygral

Shoppers leaving ShopRite on Dixwell Avenue in Hamden on one recent Saturday afternoon generally supported Hamden’s new single-use plastic bag ban, saying the reduction in litter and damage to the environment outweighed any inconvenience or expense the new law may impose.

“(Plastic bags) blow all over the place, people throw them around and it is a litter nuisance for sure,” Hamden resident, Jerry Gogliotto said.

In a meeting Tuesday evening, Feb. 19, Hamden’s town legislative council passed an ordinance with two abstentions, introduced in January and to be in effect come fall, banning single use plastic bags at checkout.

The new ordinance “will allow paper checkout bags, but only those that are 100 percent recyclable and are made from at least 40 percent recycled material,” according to the New Haven Independent.

Jerry Gigliotto and his wife Barbaraare just two of several shoppers to leave ShopRite with recyclable bags in hand.

The Gigliottos said that reusable bags have been easily acquired over the years. They are usually a dollar to purchase, but many are often given out for free.

The Gigliottos found out about the plastic bag ban from the news. However, not everyone using recyclable bags is even aware of the ordinance passed by Hamden.

New Haven resident Lydia Santiago uses recycled bags because it makes sense.

“I keep them in the car in a bag and I take the whole thing into the store,” Santiago said.

Santiago was unaware of the new ordinance Hamden recently passed, but welcomes it openly.

“[The plastic bag ban] is so cool,” Santiago said. “I went to Washington [D.C] a few years ago and they have no plastic bags. In Washington D.C. they would ask you if you would want a plastic bag and you would have to pay for it.”

Several shoppers expressed concern over the lightweight plastic bags.

North Haven resident Ellen Perrotti saidd, “I don’t want plastic bags anymore, I never did want them. I was mad when they took paper away and they don’t offer it anymore.”

One Quinnipiac student agrees. “Paper bags are more recyclable and wouldn’t be as much of a harm if it gets into the ocean,” said Destiny De Jesus, 21..

However, the change expected to take place come fall may be an adjustment period for some.

“I think it’ll be a little inconvenient for people that aren’t prepared for it, but I do think it’s a good thing in the long run,” Barbara Gigliotto said.

The ban came as a surprise for 68-year-old Hamden resident, Jack Allen.

“To tell you the truth I use plastic bags for everything,” said Allen. For him, reusing plastic bags within the home has become routine and the plastic bag ban means purchasing more reusable bags.

Mayor Curt Leng asked Hamden residents their thoughts on the ban back in January, posting on Facebook a call for opinions on both a plastic bag and straw ban.

Residents are quick to weigh in on the topic, with the majority in favor of the new ordinance. The post is currently at a total of 455 comments.

Blackbear to headline Quinnipiac’s 2019 Wake the Giant concert

By Marissa Davis

Rapper Blackbear will headline Quinnipiac University’s annual spring concert, Wake the Giant on April 13, the Quinnipiac Student Programming Board announced on Monday afternoon.

Blackbear is known for songs such as “Idfc” and “Do re mi.”

HQ Press asked students on Instagram what their thoughts were on the chosen performers.

One student responded “A big let-down,” while another student wrote, “The artist selection has gotten worse every single year.” In another, a student said, “Not well-known. Seems like a low budget copout compared to past years and other schools.”

The cost for booking an event with Blackbear is around $65-75,000, according to “Events Resources Presents, Inc.”

The University of Massachusetts Amherst had rapper Lil Yachty perform at its spring concert last year, which costs anywhere between $75-125,000. Tory Lanez performed at the University of Connecticut’s 2018 spring concert and cost the university approximately $75-80,000.

Some students said they will not attend Wake the Giant this year because of the selected performers.

“I’m not going. None of my friends are going,” one student said. “I know a lot of people who aren’t going. Very disappointed this year.”

Barstool Quinnipiac tweeted “Classic let down for the Spring Concert once again.”

Bryce Vine, known for his single “Drew Barrymore,” will serve as the opening act.

Wake the Giant 2019 tickets will become available to undergraduate students on March 3.

So he is most known for a song from 2017 that at its peak, was #40 on US billboard charts….GOOD QU!!!! https://t.co/5UokWabdwC

— #5 Barstool Quinnipiac (@BarstoolQU) February 25, 2019

How safe is the town of Hamden?

By Shayla Colon

Recent reports of a Citgo gas station robbery where the victim was pistol whipped and another armed robbery last Sunday, Feb. 17, has left Hamden residents wondering about their safety.

An employee at the Shell gas station on Whitney avenue, Grishma Shah of Hamden, shared her concern for safety in Hamden.

“Gunpoint is scary, I wouldn’t be able to work here if it happened to me,” Shah said.

The most calls for service made to police in January 2019 were for burglaries, according to Hamden Police Department statistics. In January alone, of the 493 emergency calls made to police, 294 were regarding a burglary. The other 199 calls were about holdups, fires or false reports.

Photo via Hamden Police Department statistics

But the amount of calls made to police this January was significantly smaller than the total calls made to police in January of last year. Since last January, some crime rates have risen. Recently, the Hamden police have reported that drug arrests and seizures for weapons or drugs are up, and so are motor vehicle infractions.

While some residents said they were concerned about their safety in light of the recent robberies, others still believe Hamden is a generally safe town. Local small-business owner of the Whitneyville Food Center, Patrice Notarfrancesco, finds Hamden to be a safe town and she is not alone.

“I feel safe here in Whitneyville,” said Notarfrancesco. “I think it’s a pretty safe area and we always have police presence coming back and forth.”

Results from a Twitter poll by HQ Press revealed that of the 36 responses, only half of participants say they feel safe in Hamden. Of the rest who participated, 11 percent said they did not feel safe, while the remaining 39 percent said they only feel safe sometimes.

“I’m not overly concerned, I still feel like Hamden is really safe and still proud to be residents of Hamden,” Hamden resident Jessica Hazan said.

President Olian discusses her strategic plan with students

By Marissa Davis

President Judy Olian held an informal town hall discussion Thursday, Feb. 21, to discuss her strategic plan as well as recent news that Quinnipiac is spending nearly $1 million dollars renovating her new estate.

“…We have to think of the acquisition of this land as something that is a critical investment priority for the future of the University,” Olian said. “This is an investment in the future.”

News of the renovations broke Tuesday, Feb. 19, when the New Haven Register published an article describing the renovation plans. By Wednesday, Quinnipiac student Nicole Giordano had started a petition to ‘Get Quinnipiac President Judy Olian Fired,’ charging that the money for renovations was taken from the pockets of students and that the money could have been used for “dorms, classrooms, dining programs and shuttles.”

Giordano subsequently closed the petition Thursday. In a statement on the petition’s webpage she said, “I was brought into a meeting with President Judy Olian and the Student Government. My questions were taken openly and I was given answers. This investment to renovate the house is for good cause.”

Quinnipiac Student Government Association emailed the academic community inviting them to the informal town hall discussion “in response to the confusion and frustration among some students regarding the recent news about Quinnipiac.”

At the discussion students expressed concerns about the lack of air conditioning in dorms while the school is seemingly spending money elsewhere.

“Every year we invest $30-$40 million in facilities improvements on an ongoing basis,” said Olian.

As for the renovations on the estate Olian said, “It needs to be renovated if someone is going to live there and the board wants the president – whether its Judy Olian, or the next president, or the next president after her or him – that’s where the president is going to live and be expected to conduct the work of the university.”

During the meeting, student Lauren Mcgrath said that the expected renovations, including smart lighting and a catering kitchen, seemed superfluous.

“I don’t know what the lighting is,” said Olian. “The catering kitchen is in there because we expect to have donor events in there, student events, parent events of 200 people, you cannot do that out of a regular kitchen.

Olian told those in attendance that the president’s house is not an unnecessary investment and will be beneficial to the university.

“This is planned space for the uses of a president’s house, this is not my house, this is the president’s house today, in 10 years, in 20 years, in 30 years, in 80 years,” Olian said. “This is an investment that represents the future expectations of how presidents will be occupying their role and serving the future of the institution.”

Ulta Beauty and Orangetheory Fitness coming to Hamden

By Hannah Feakes

The Marketplace at Hamden will be adding two new stores this coming fall.

Ulta Beauty is moving its location from North Haven, replacing the current Modell’s, and Orangetheory Fitness is moving into a vacant space between T.J Maxx and Plato’s Closet, according to Dale Kroop, Hamden’s director of economic and neighborhood development.

Mayor Curt Leng said that new stores moving into Hamden plazas are a great sign for the Hamden economy in a recent article published by the New Haven Independent.

Quinnipiac University graduate student Kimmie Ellsworth is looking forward to buy makeup in town.

“It’ll be great to have Ulta because there is no place to buy quality makeup around here,” she said.

Along with the arrival of Orangetheory Fitness, there are two other private gyms in the immediate area, Edge Fitness and LA Fitness.

Professor David Cadden teaches in the entrepreneurship and strategy at QU. He says that Hamden’s economic and community development organization has been proactive and successful in attracting businesses to Hamden.

“Today’s retail market is highly competitive and new businesses are always looking for areas of growth,” Cadden said. “One of the things they look out for as where are all the businesses going. Bringing several businesses into a community in a short period of time as a multiplier effect.

Cadden says that when businesses open up multiple locations in a community it extends the tax base and offers more job opportunities to the residents of that community.

“Hamden seems to have been very successful on both counts,” he said. “I am sure that (they) are happy to welcome businesses that would be used by Quinnipiac students.”

QU student Peter Labbe thinks that Ulta Beauty will do better than Orangetheory in the area.

“There are already a lot of gyms and Ulta doesn’t really have much competition,” he said. “Retro Fitness and one of the Planet Fitnesses closed last year because they couldn’t compete with Edge fitness and and LA Fitness, I don’t know how Orangetheory is going to be able to do it.”

Cadden does not think that the arrival of Ulta Beauty and Orangetheory Fitness will hurt the business of other stores in the area.

“It’s difficult to ascertain the extent to which these two enterprises would ‘damage’ any other existing stores or exercise facilities,” Cadden said. “It seems to me that orange theory and offers a unique service that may not be competitive with the other large gyms in Hamden.”

QU students expressed interest in the new additions to the town of Hamden.

Senior Meghan Thorogood could hardly contain her excitement when she found out Ulta Beauty would be moving closer to campus.

“Ulta and Orangetheory will be awesome additions to Hamden!” she said. “Quinnipiac students will frequent these locations because of their close proximity to campus and student owned housing. I honestly think having more than one option for a gym is nice for us, we get a choice in which gym we want to pay for.”

Quinnipiac facilities workers prepare for the snow

By Ross Lager

With another snow squall predicted for Wednesday evening, the Facilities Department at Quinnipiac University is gearing up to ensure the safety and accessibility of all three campuses for students and faculty.

Though meteorologists predicted another large storm earlier in the week, a wintry mix of snow, sleet and rain blanketed the Hamden area Sunday evening into Monday morning. This messy mix caused Quinnipiac University to delay classes until 10 a.m.

Regardless of the amount of snow, the Quinnipiac Facilities Department has to be prepared to meet any challenge.

Associate Vice President of Facilities Operations, Keith Woodward finds the key to storm preparation is equipment management.

“We talk, prepare and communicate well in advance of any storm, and trying to be prepared for anything that happens. As an example, a day after the storm we are checking our supplies, evaluating our equipment and (making) sure we are ready for the next one,” said Woodward.

The morning following a snowstorm, students and faculty find roads and lots “magically” clear and free of snow. Yet, it is the preparation of the Facilities Department that makes that magic happen. Last week, a sudden drop in temperature caused dangerous sub-zero conditions that forced the cancellation of all classes on Tuesday, Feb 12. The following morning, roads and lots were cleared so that students and faculty could proceed with business as usual.

Woodward understands the responsibility the Facilities Department has in keeping all Quinnipiac campuses safe for everyone, regardless of the weather.

“We are fortunate to have a group of dedicated employees and making sure they are prepared as best as they can be for when winter conditions arrive.

“We have our groundskeepers and mechanics working to make the campus safe for the community… (members of the facilities department) combined with some contractors are roughly 50-60 people,” Woodward said.

Woodward also said that one of Hamden’s top priorities is to clear the roads surrounding the university for the safety of commuting students and Hamden residents.

“The Town of Hamden does great work and has a dedicated staff in their Public Works area,” Woodward said. “I’m sure we help a little… but between the State of Connecticut trucks and the town, they do a great job.”

Even with the drastic changes in weather, Quinnipiac students seem to be pleased with the job the facilities department has done to clear up remnants of past storms. Senior psychology and sociology major Destiny DeJesus watched the clean-up efforts last Tuesday at the York Hill campus from the comfort of her dorm room and was impressed.

“My room’s window on York gives me a clear view of the Eastview parking lot and the path to the parking garage,” she said. “I saw custodians cleaning out there before, during and after the snow, so I think they did a good job.”

Quinnipiac needs to be ready to thoroughly clear the snow from roads, walkways and parking lots, and is a task the department is ready well in advance.

“The preparation is a year-round process, from equipment evaluation at the end of the season, to the time spent in August or September when we are purchasing magnesium chloride (salts that help with traction) to help with sidewalks and roads,” Woodward said.

The university keeps students, faculty and staff informed via email, phone calls and texts about delays, early closings and cancellations.

Last week, members of the Quinnipiac community received a notification the night before the impending storm, sparking excitement and surprise. Unlike the usual notifications that have typically gone out in the early morning hours. The day after the storm had passed through the Hamden area, students received an alert around the expected time (5:39 a.m.) announcing a delayed opening due to inclement conditions.

Junior marketing major Luke Ahearn getting to class in inclement weather causes problems for more than just those working with the Facilities Department.

“The weather has been rough for students, faculty and staff,” Ahearn said. “Other than the obvious inconveniences that come with weather like this, students’ commute and even the walks to class become dangerous.”

Ahearn said he thinks facilities personnel do the best they can working through the night to clear the snow.

“Facilities have done a wonderful job clearing snow,” he said. “Their job is under-appreciated as they are out in the cold in the middle of the night making sure the campus is as safe as it can be. They are always well prepared for inclement weather.”

Winter Weather Advisory for New Haven County

By Sam Bashaw

Hamden and its surrounding neighbors are once again at the mercy of Mother Nature.

Starting at 9 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17, New Haven County is expecting a mix of snow, sleet and rain as temperatures drop down to just under freezing, according to the Weather Channel. Ice is expected to follow, making roads dangerous until Monday morning when temperatures will still be hovering below 32 degrees. A Winter Weather Advisory, issued by the National Weather Service, is in effect during the hours of 9 p.m. Sunday night and 10 a.m. Monday morning.

The morning of President’s Day could see some hazardous conditions impacting the morning commute and those going to school despite the federal holiday. Be cautious of slippery roads and limited visibility and check your local Department of Transportation services for the most up-to-date road conditions.

Contact Hamden’s Department of Traffic at 203-287-2636 or visit the Weather Channel’s interactive Hamden weather map for more updates.