The Berlin
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Volume 16, Number 1
Berlin’s Only Hometown Newspaper
Thursday, Januar y 5, 2012
People who made headlines in 2011 Here are some of Berlin’s top newsmakers during the past year - many of whom reached newsworthy status far beyond the town line.
Eric Murphy He grew up in a small town, but this former Berlin High School class president thinks big. An astronomer with the Carnegie Observatories in Pasedena Calif., Class of 1998 graduate, Eric Murphy’s discovery of a black hole that contains the universe’s most massive water cloud received a lot of attention in the halls of science last year. (Murphy’s research team included scientists from the Jet Propulsion Laboration, Caltech, University of Maryland, University of Colorado, University of Pennsylvania, and the Institute for Space and Astronautical Science in Japan.) The study he coauthored was published in Astrophysical Journal Letters and covered by the National Geographic. Murphy specializes in research of star formation; how that affects galaxies, and particularly the role played by cosmic rays. His latest work, centers on quasars also known as black holes at the center of galaxies. These quasars consume surrounding disks of material and then spew out powerful energy jets. Arthur B. Powers The 10 term mayor was recognized when the municipal complex was renamed in his honor May 14. The Arthur B. Powers Municipal Complex was dedicated after brief opposition from a few who didn’t want to see the change. Powers held the office of Berlin’s First Selectman or mayor for 20 years from 1959 to 1979. “It’s nice to have this happen while you’re still around to enjoy it,” said Powers, who also served as a state legislature and state commissioner.
Dave Bosso The popular Berlin High School social studies teacher was named as the school district’s 2012 teacher of the year, but that was just for starters. On Oct. 18, during an event at BHS, Department of Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor awarded Bosso the distinction of being the state’s 2012 Teacher of the Year. Bosso was recognized for his work importing ideas from around the world and bringing these to the classroom where he puts life in Berlin “all within a global context,” according to the commissioner. In the spring he will travel to Washington D.C. as a finalist for the National Teacher of the Year award.
Francis Kennedy Kennedy, principal at Stafford High School for 15 years, took over those duties at Berlin High School over the summer. Kennedy replaced Matthew Harnett who had been in the job for one year. Harnett moved on to the principal’s position at Region One School District’s Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village. Harnett was in place when the high school renovate-asnew project was approved. Kennedy will be part of the team implementing that plan.
Austin Stowell This 2003 Berlin High School graduate made a big splash in Hollywood and across the country with a starring role in the high-grossing family flick Dolphin Tale. Holding his own next to Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Kris Kristofferson, Morgan Freeman, the Berlin kid brought a small-town appeal to his character. He came home to Berlin for the movie’s premier last September. Also known for his role as Jesse on the TV show The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Stowell’s career is just getting started. In post-production is AWOL, scheduled for release in 2012.
See People, next page
Inside Calendar.................22 Marketplace............25 Faith .......................12 Health.....................17 Letters ....................14 Obituaries...............13 Opinion...................14 Real Estate ............23 Schools ..................18 Seniors ...................16 Sports.....................19