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The legendary singer-songwriter and record producer revealed she took a train to Yale University in New Haven and visited a nearby museum.

RJ Scofield, Patch Staff

NEW HAVEN, CT — New Haven must feel like a "lucky star" after receiving a visit from the Queen of Pop herself, Madonna, earlier this month.

The legendary singer-songwriter revealed in an Instagram post Thursday she took a train to New Haven, specifically to Yale University, last week to see a new exhibit currently on display at the Yale Center for British Art on Chapel Street.

The post noted she had visited the museum to see "Tracey Emin: I Loved You Until The Morning," a new exhibit featuring contemporary artist Emin's work as a painter.

In addition to noting her love for trains, Madonna spoke highly of Emin as an artist and person.

"I love Tracey," Madonna said on Instagram. "I've known her since [her daughter] Lola [Ciccone Leon] was 4 years old. I have enormous respect and admiration for her. She's the 21st century Frida Kahlo."

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The pop star also noted she loved being "surrounded by so many great minds" at Yale.

"I didn't want to leave," she wrote. "I wanted to stay and get my PhD. Can you guess in what subject?"

According to the Yale Center for British Art, "Tracey Emin: I Loved You Until The Morning" is the first presentation of Emin's work in a North American museum and the first ever solo museum exhibition to focus on her work as a painter.

A legendary singer, songwriter and record producer, Madonna is a cultural icon whose many hits include famous songs such as "Like a Prayer," "Material Girl," "La Isla Bonita," "Like a Virgin," "Lucky Star" and "Vogue" among many others.

In addition to her stamp on music, Madonna has also starred in a number of famous films as an actress, including "A League of their Own," "Dick Tracy," "Desperately Seeking Susan" and "Evita."

Tom Brockett, one of the most successful high school football coaches in Connecticut history, announced his resignation Thursday, bringing the curtain down on a remarkable, 19-year run at the small Naugatuck Valley school.

Winner of 215 games against just 18 losses over 18 seasons, Brockett retires as the most efficient winner in state history with a .922 career winning percentage, which is also the third-highest in the history of high school football in the United States.

Perhaps more important to his city and school, Brockett also won a school-record eight state championships — which is one more than his mentor and predecessor, Jack Hunt, for whom Brockett took over as head coach in 2006. Overall, Brockett's program played in 13 state finals.

He made what he called a "gut-wrenching" decision for family reasons, namely a promise to himself that he would step down when his daughter, Taylor, reached high school. She's currently a freshman lacrosse player at Lyman Hall of Wallingford. His younger son, Michael, is a hockey and lacrosse player in 6th grade.

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"I was able push it and make it work for one more year," Brockett said, referring to Ansonia's 2024 Class S championship season. "But you don't want to miss these moments with your kids. ...I know everybody always says that. It's not so much spending time with them, it's being present for your kids. And it's real hard now to be present for them."

With the support of his wife, Nicole — "Who's done everything anyone could possibly do for our kids and for myself," Brockett said — he finalized the decision this week. He informed the coaching staff on Wednesday before what was described as a "tearful and emotional" meeting with his players at school on Thursday.

"It's the hardest decision I've ever made in my life," said Brockett, 47, who will remain in his role as athletic director and a school administrator. "We've lost just 18 games in my career and they were all hard, but this was harder than any one of those losses.

"I've been so fortunate and it has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as the head coach of this program alongside some unbelievable administrators, assistant coaches, and players," he continued. "It was a storybook career for me, from the way I was treated and supported by the community and the school. I've never been in trouble with my board of education, I've never had any parent complaints... I just can't thank the people of Ansonia enough. I mean, I've had great support from the mayor, to the superintendent and principals and teachers and coaches.

"No coach in America is luckier than me."

In a letter to the school district, Ansonia Superintendent Joseph DiBacco, lamented Brockett's decision to leave, if only of what he's meant to the community.

"I truly wish Tom well...yet, I don't want him to retire from coaching," DiBacco wrote. "I know that is wrong and selfish to feel that way. In life, you should appreciate the time you have with people — tell them what they mean to you and wish them well.

"I need to take that advice and thank Coach Brockett for his years of dedication to Ansonia. On behalf of the entire Ansonia community, I want to express our deepest gratitude for his years of dedication, leadership, and excellence as the head coach of the Ansonia Chargers. His retirement marks the end of an incredible era — one defined by championships, tradition, and most importantly, the positive impact he has had on generations of young men."

As for Brockett's future, he says this is it. "I'm not coaching anywhere else," he said. "This is the place that I love. This is home."

As for his successor, Brockett said he will be involved in the hiring process, but declined to say if he had someone in mind. "We have an unbelievable staff at Ansonia that's going to do great things going forward."

Brockett leaves a profound legacy of success for his successor.

Twenty-seven-years old when he was promoted from defensive coordinator to head football coach in 2006, Ansonia's football fans might have wondered if this kid, who stood about 5-foot-6, could ever measure up to towering presence of the 6-foot-7 Hunt, who'd set the bar for Ansonia greatness with 193 victories and seven titles in 19 seasons.

Despite the enormous pressure to live up to both Hunt's record and his enthusiastic endorsement, Brockett said it wasn't any worse than the pressure he put on himself -- especially as Ansonia continued to win. He described sleepless hours mapping out Ansonia's strategies and coaching up his players, 23 of whom became New Haven Register All-State First Team selections. "You became obsessed with it," Brockett said. "It was my drug. I was obsessed with it. I gave it my all."

In his first-two seasons, Ansonia won back-to-back, unbeaten Class S championship seasons and the Register's final No. 1 ranking. He presided over seven undefeated seasons and his teams finished No. 1 in the New Haven Register's Top 10 football poll three times.

Behind a tight-knit staff of longtime Ansonia natives, including decades-long stalwarts Bob Lisi and John Sponheimer, Brockett coached Ansonia to 34-consecutive victories before losing his first, to Crosby, 18-14, on Nov. 7, 2008. Ansonia later lost to Cromwell, 14-12, in that year's Class S final and, the following season, failed to reach a final for the first time in Brockett's tenure.

However, the Chargers went on to reach the finals in each of the next eight seasons, winning four titles.

After losing to St. Joseph in a 2010 Class S shootout, Ansonia — behind Parade All-American back Arkeel Newsome — embarked on one of the most dominant runs in Connecticut sports history. The Chargers won 48-consecutive games and three-consecutive state championships (including a No. 1 ranking in 2013) and came within one game of tying Cheshire's all-time mark of 49-consecutive wins.

But on Oct. 17, 2014, in front of a packed house at Blue and Gold Stadium, the Chargers came up short against Newtown, 14-8. Ansonia also lost that year's state final to Valley Regional/Old Lyme, 21-20, and to Bloomfield in 2015.

Ansonia returned to the pinnacle in 2016, defeating Rocky Hill for the championship. The program's next great milestone was a 103-game win streak against opponents from the Naugatuck Valley League, which began at the start of the 2011 season and ended more than 10 years later: when Ansonia lost to Naugatuck, 14-7, on Thanksgiving Day, 2021.

Ansonia went on to play in two more state finals from 2021 onward, winning twice, in 2022 and — finally — in 2024, making him the first coach in Connecticut to win a title in his first and last season. "You couldn't write a better script for a coach," he said.

Brockett wasn't quite sure what he would do on game nights in autumn except be "as far away from everybody else, possibly,"

"I don't have any hobbies. My wife will tell you I can't fix a thing. Sports has been everything to me," Brockett said. "I don't know what I'll do next, I do worry about having to reinvent yourself. But I'll definitely find things to do. I'm still an administrator and athletic director, so I have plenty on my plate."

April 10, 2025|Updated April 10, 2025 5:03 p.m.

Sean Patrick Bowley

Assistant Sports Editor

Sean -- or SPB -- is a Woodbridge native and an alumnus of Amity Regional and Syracuse University who has covered high school sports in Connecticut for over two decades, beginning at Elm City Newspapers and Connecticut Post, now as editor of GameTimeCT.com. Sean has won numerous national and regional honors and is best known for his innovative and comprehensive coverage of Connecticut high school football. A ski and movie aficionado during off-seasons, he still calls Greater New Haven home.

A fishing boat rescued the three people on the "Hot Chocolate" sailboat that was found Tuesday hundreds of miles from its destination and four days after departing from New Haven, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The 32-foot recreational sailboat, "Hot Chocolate," departed New Haven on April 4 intending to sail to Ocracoke in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, the Coast Guard's public affairs office in New York said.

A "be on the lookout" message published on boatwatch.org said the three people onboard the sailboat were in their 30s. The trip to North Carolina was expected to take five days and cover some 575 miles.

During the period of time that the boat was missing April 4-8, a series of fronts brought unsettled weather to the area. Gusty winds and rapid changes in weather conditions led to rough seas and decreased visibility, especially on Saturday, April 5. The conditions the survivors experienced likely were rough.

At the time of their rescue, a Gale Warning was in effect for the waters off Long Island and New Jersey for wind gusting to 30 knots (35 mph) and seas up to 11 feet. The water temperature was roughly 45 degrees Fahrenheit in those waters.

A person reported the boat didn't arrive on time on Tuesday, the Coast Guard said. In an alert posted to X, the agency said the boat was sailing off the continental shelf, an area well offshore of the coast.

The Coast Guard said its New York, Long Island Sound, Delaware Bay and North Carolina sectors issued broadcasts in their areas. Around 1:55 p.m. Tuesday, the Coast Guard in New York heard radio communications from the "Hot Chocolate," which confirmed "the vessel was disabled and adrift," the Coast Guard said.

It was unclear exactly how the vessel became disabled. The BOLO message said the boat's outboard motor failed on the first day.

A Coast Guard HC-144 airplane out of Cape Cod was able to establish communication with the boat, the Coast Guard said. A larger Coast Guard aircraft then helped to locate the missing boat, which was found around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday about 46 miles south of Fire Island.

The Melissa K, a fishing boat that was in the area, picked up the three people onboard. The Coast Guard said there were no injuries reported.

A Coast Guard Cutter arrived to pick up the three people "however, due to reported 30-knot winds and 10-foot seas, it was deemed unsafe to conduct the transfer," the Coast Guard said.

The three people rescued off the "Hot Chocolate" agreed to stay aboard the Melissa K fishing vessel, which was due to return Wednesday to Point Pleasant, N.J., the Coast Guard said.

The agency said it had no "further involvement" in the incident. It was unclear from the Coast Guard statement what happened to the sailboat after the rescue.

Meteorologist Dan Amarante contributed to this report

Partnership provides guaranteed admissions to the University of New Haven for graduates of CT State Community College who meet certain academic requirements.

University of New Haven and Connecticut State Community College (CT State) leaders gathered today to sign a partnership that will offer guaranteed admissions and merit-based scholarships to graduates of CT State Community College who meet certain academic requirements.

“As a private university with a public mission, we are deeply committed to increasing access to college for deserving students,” said Jens Frederiksen, Ph.D., president of the University of New Haven. “We embrace the responsibility we have to maximize the investment of our students and create transformative outcomes for our graduates. We look forward to helping graduates of CT State as they pursue their goals and dreams.”

“This agreement represents an incredible opportunity for our students to continue their academic journeys with greater ease and support,” said CT State President John Maduko, M.D. “By streamlining the transfer process and providing access to meaningful scholarships, we're opening new doors for our students to pursue their goals and achieve long-term success. We’re proud to partner with University of New Haven in creating pathways that empower students and strengthen our communities."

Graduates of CT State who earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 will be guaranteed by UNewHaven entry into its transfer program and a consistent and smooth transfer of up to 90 credits, provided they satisfy degree requirements.

Merit-based transfer scholarships will be provided, up to $30,000 annually, for CT State graduates who meet certain academic requirements.

CT State students whose ultimate interest is in transferring to the University of New Haven through the new articulation agreement are encouraged to enroll in the UNewHaven/CT State Dual Enrollment program, which enables participants to take one UNewHaven on-campus course per year tuition-free while enrolled as a student at CT State. Students in this dual enrollment program will also receive UNewHaven student IDs and have access to campus events and the university’s Peterson Library.

The University of New Haven is one of just more than 200 colleges and universities in the country, and the only one in Connecticut to earn a spot on Phi Theta Kappa’s 2024 Transfer Honor Roll, which recognizes institutions for creating pathways that lead to success for community college transfer students.

CT State was launched in 2023, following the consolidation of Connecticut’s 12 community colleges. It features campuses and satellite locations in 17 cities and towns across Connecticut.