The Berlin
Cit itiz ize en
Volume 16, Number 5
Berlin’s Only Hometown Newspaper
Thursday, Februar y 2, 2012
New staffing requests in 20122013 schools’ budget proposal By Olivia L. Lawrence The Berlin Citizen Superintendent of Schools David Erwin presented his 2012-2013 budget for the school district to the Board of Education at its Jan. 9 meeting. The document asks for a 3.96 percent increase. The request represents Erwin an increase of 1.56 percent over what was approved for the current year. Erwin said the increase is necessary to “maintain our continuous improvement efforts.” Funding for salary increases represents the most significant driver and increases the budget by 3.27 percent. In this budget year there is no bargaining unit receiving a zero percent increase and the stimulus
money to cover salary increases is no longer available. The remaining .69 percent of the increase is for all other categories. In the past few years, budget drivers have been health care benefits, utilities and transportation costs. “We were lucky with the cost of utilities,” Erwin said, adding these had gone down and that cost-sharing on health care also had helped keep the budget in check. Reallocation of resources and grant funding are factored into the development of the budget. The school board will be reviewing budgets presented by the principals as well as the superintendent’s budget, site and building budgets and capital requests. The Educational Resources Committee meets Jan. 30 for a budget discussion and typically make revisions. Feb. 13 the board See Budget, page 13
Moonlights as therapist Cassie, a three year-old female boxer/pit-bull mix, works a part-time job at Ledgecrest Health Care Center as a therapy dog. She is pictured here with resident Sophie Fagan. Cassie visits residents with her owner, Mike Ranieri. Ranieri found Cassie at the Stamford Animal Control Center and they have been together for the last two years. In addition to being a family pet, Cassie has a full-time job as a search and rescue dog. She understands commands in nine different languages. When Cassie and Ranieri work accident sites, the dog is trained to let him know if she hears distressing sounds. Cassie’s work has not gone unnoticed; she has been made an Honorary Mason and received a letter of recognition from the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office for her outstanding performance as a search and rescue dog.
Former Plainville High School and Purdue University star Niko Koutouvides, now with the New England Patriots, will be playing for a Super Bowl ring Sunday.
Koutouvides hopes ‘wild ride’ ends with Super Bowl ring By Nick Carroll The Berlin Citizen A couple months back, Niko Koutouvides was looking at the very real possibility that his football career may be finished. Released by the New England Patriots, for seven weeks, the 30-year-old found himself without a team, or serious suitors. “I was unemployed, basically,” said Koutouvides, a 1999 graduate of Plainville High School. “I came to the realization that my NFL career could be over.” Koutouvides made sure he stayed fit, just in case. “I kept active. I was working out, training,” he said. “I was just trying to stay up to par with
the conditioning. And if I did happen to get a phone call I’d be ready to go.” That call came in October. The Patriots wanted him back. “I thank Coach (Bill) Belichick and the whole Patriot organization, (owner) Mr. (Robert) Kraft, for giving me the opportunity,” said Koutouvides, a special teams specialist. “It’s just been an awesome, awesome ride.” Now Koutouvides is hoping for a fairy tale ending. The Patriots will face the New York Giants Sunday, Feb. 5 in Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis. “After what happened to me at the beginning of the
See Koutouvides, page 5