The Berlin
Cit itiz ize en
Volume 16, Number 4
Berlin’s Only Hometown Newspaper
By way of the Chamberlain
Thursday, Januar y 26, 2012
Spotlight on the schools The Citizen kicks-off a new series highlighting the status of and activities of schools throughout town. Through interviews with administrators, the spotlight gives each of the schools a chance to show what’s new, what’s challenging and what’s great about its people, programs and facility. Look for your school in an upcoming spotlight; this week the focus is on:
Griswold Elementary School “It is truly a collaborative environment.”
Citizen photo by Olivia L. Lawrence
Just a few days after this photo was taken, the weather changed quickly and in the course of a few days we went from open fields to snowy scenes, then a bout of rain, and back to mostly open fields again. It’s been an unusual winter so far. After Mother Nature’s dirty trick over Halloween weekend last fall, local weather has remained remarkably mild and snow was scarce, giving us an open winter deep into the middle of January. While not providing the photographic opportunities some winters do, this season has its own kind of beauty as fields and woods remain bare and stark against the sky, creating shapes and scenes seldom observed in January. Above is a scene from the Chamberlain Highway, a stretch of road that many have called one of Connecticut’s most scenic, even comparing it to Vermont’s prettier sections. Despite some new developments that have slightly changed vistas, the Chamberlain still does a good job showing off Berlin’s farmlands and waysides. Throughout today’s edition, look for several scenes from Berlin’s beautiful Chamberlain Highway countryside.
Griswold Elementary School educates children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Present enrollment is 584 students. Laurie Gjerpin, is the school’s principal. The newest administrator is Assistant Principal Christian Strickland, who is in his
second year. Previously, Strickland taught grades 3 and 4 at Griswold and then was the math instructional support teacher at Griswold and Willard schools. He also taught intermediate grades in Maryland prior to reSee Griswold, page 11
Council hears neighbors’ concerns about KGS project By Amy Prescher Special to The Citizen
During the audience of citizens, at the Jan. 17 Town Council meeting, the panel heard concerns from some residents about the proposed development of Kensington Grammar School. Peck Street residents, Christina Othon and Kyle Lana, expressed their concern about the proposal.
Othon said that she feared the character of the quiet neighborhood would be changed with 67 new units of apartments and that increased traffic would cause congestion. Lana also criticized the scale of the project and stated he did not want to see this corner of Berlin turn into West Hartford. Carolyn Wysocki expressed her opposition to developing one of the town lots which is now a bird sanctuary main-
tained by the Kensington Garden Club. Mayor Adam Salina explained that the plans for development are in the early stages and would need to be approved by Planning and Zoning, and that there would be an opportunity for a public hearing down the line. The mayor also congratulated Anthony Walentukonis for having achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.
Walentukonis raised money to provide 150 health and hygiene kits to the needy at First Lutheran Church in New Britain. Salina said the town is fortunate to have so many Eagle Scouts. “Berlin has up to 15 Eagle Scouts per year, compared to some other towns with only one every three years,” he said. In other business, the council vot-
See Council, page 10