The Berlin
Cit itiz ize en
Volume 16, Number 2
Berlin’s Only Hometown Newspaper
Thursday, Januar y 12, 2012
Mayor announces major projects to kick off 2012 Olivia L. Lawrence The Berlin Citizen
Mayor Adam Salina rang in the New Year with some significant news for the town. A new manufacturing initiative soon will be launched as well as an ambi-
tious housing project for the old Kensington Grammar School. Salina has indicated over the past couple of months that some big news would break early in 2012. “I said often at the end of last year that 2012 would be a prosper-
ous year for Berlin. In a short time we have been awarded a $500,000 Brownfields Grant, a $500,000 STEAP Grant, introduced the renovation of the KGS building and now we welcome OKAY to Berlin. This has been an outstanding beginning to the year with more announcements on the way.” Last week, Salina issued the following press releases.
OKAY Industries
OKAY Industries of New Britain will expand operations into Berlin this year.
As OKAY Industries, a New Britain Company, is about to celebrate its 100th Anniversary, and along with that milestone, it has announced a major expansion with a new plant in Berlin. “I am extremely excited to welcome OKAY Industries to Berlin,” Salina said. “They See OKAY, page 7
Kensington Grammar School will be senior housing.
Kensington Grammar School The Metro Realty Group LTD., of Farmington has submitted a proposal to the Town of Berlin to consider approval of the adaptive reuse of the former Kensington Grammar School located
on Alling Street in Berlin. Metro envisions an elaborate restoration to senior rental housing in this historic structure. It is working its way through the State of Connecticut’s permitting process to receive approval
See School, page 9
Prepping for mid-terms a family affair
Berlin High School test schedule begins Jan. 17
A parent guide
By Holly Robillard Special to The Citizen
A student guide
(Holly Robillard is a senior at Berlin High School.) The time has come for every student’s worst nightmare: midterms. I warn you, the next few weeks will be difficult and sometimes stressful. Teachers will expect you to not only complete the typical homework load and learn new information for upcoming quizzes, but review the previous material as well. In order to succeed, here are
Photo by Holly Robillard
Hitting the books are, from left: Andres Calle, Andrew Kuper, and Akanksha Singh. just a few tips to get you started: Start studying now: It’s tempting to want to relax in
the weeks leading up to the exams and cram the night See Student, page 13
Your students soon will be preparing themselves for midterm exams. Or they may have already started. The tension in your home will be high and emotions will run rampant from the stress. To be honest, you will start to feel like you are a student again, taking the same classes as your kids. When times are tough, here are a few suggestions as to how to motivate your teenager, within reason: Be understanding: This is a difficult time for students and they have so much to worry about during these couple of weeks. Try to avoid giving your child more work to do: they already have enough to make their head spin. However, do not
let them neglect their obligations. They are still a part of your family and must learn to manage their time. Monitor their study habits: The best way to encourage your student to do well in school is to guide their approach to studying. Note that “guide” is used instead of “control”; your teenager is old enough to establish their routine on their own, but you should still monitor what they are doing. Every once in a while, check up on your child. Offer them a snack break or encourage them to do something they enjoy for ten minutes if they appear to be overly stressed. If they are “goofing off ” when they should be working, politely
See Parent, page 8