CHESHIRE — State Rep. Lezlye Zupkus on Thursday joined the Connecticut Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in promoting the annual “Tie One On For Safety” campaign, the organization’s longest running and most visible public awareness project. Zupkus was among the state legislators and municipal officials who stood alongside Mary Ellen and Richard Schena, whose son, Greg, was killed by a drunken driver. Read more about the campaign’s kick-off in this story published by the Record Journal:

MADD urges people to drink responsibly during holidays

Published: December 13, 2013
By Eve Britton Record-Journal staff

CHESHIRE — Politicians, police officers, and relatives of drunken driving victims gathered Thursday for the Mothers Against Drunk Driving event to discuss ways to decrease the incidence of drunken driving in Connecticut this holiday season.

“We are not politicians. But, we have been involved with MADD since May 2010, when our son Greg was taken from us,” said Mary Ellen Schena, whose 27-year-old son, Greg Schena, a Wallingford teacher and assistant Cheshire High football coach, was hit and killed by a drunken driver. That driver is still in jail, Schena said.

“We’re grieving with strength and dignity,” Schena said. “We’re getting by, by keeping Greg’s memory alive. We look at pictures of him and talk about him.”

Schena and her husband of nearly 50 years, Richard Schena, lived in Cheshire for 38 years until seven years ago when they moved to Southington, on the Cheshire/Southington town line.

Janice Heggie Margolis, executive director of the Connecticut chapter of MADD, urged people to tie a red ribbon somewhere on their car, or stick a magnetic red ribbon on their vehicle, as a reminder to drive sober, completely without any drinking.

“We’re talking about non-drinking designated drivers,” she said.

While drunken driving statistics have gone down in the state since for the last two years, Margolis and others said they want to see it decline further.

In 2011, 94 people were killed in drunken driving accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics. In 2012 that number fell to 85.

“But that’s 85 too many, Margolis said.

“Each of us has the difficult obligation if we see something to say something,” said Town Manager Michael Milone.

Legislators at the event said they have been pushing to make ignition locks passed into law for people convicted of drunken driving.

The ignition locks require a person to blow into a device that can read their blood-alcohol level. If it detects alcohol, the engine won’t start.

“We’ve been working for years to get the device passed. Last year we got it through the House, but not the Senate,” said state Rep. Al Adinolfi, R-Cheshire.

“We have been working on this for years and haven’t reached home plate yet,” said state Rep. Mary Fritz, D-Wallingford. “By stopping drunk driving you’re protecting yourself, as well as someone else.”

“Drunken driving is not something you think about every day,” said state Sen. Dante Bartolomeo, D-Meriden, whose husband is a police officer. “If you see someone driving recklessly, maybe they’re texting, maybe drunk, it’s not our place to decide. Call someone in.”

And, this holiday season, Cheshire Police will be out in force, said Chief Neil Dryfe.

“If you’re thinking about doing it any time over the holidays, we are going to find you,” Dryfe said. “And we’re going to video the traffic stop, properly document everything to make sure you’re prosecuted.”

Dryfe said another thing people need to keep in mind is if they’re hosting a party and someone drives out of it drunk and causes an accident, they can be held liable.

“We’re not asking you to wrestle your guests for the keys in the front yard. Call us,” he said. “Help us get the person off the road before they can hurt somebody or kill somebody.”