The Berlin
Cit itiz ize en
Volume 15, Number 13
Berlin’s Only Hometown Newspaper
Museum wakes up this Saturday, offers free admission By Lorraine Stub Special to The Citizen
Often during this past winter season, with thoughts of The Blizzard of 1888 and The Leather Man emerging alive from his Four Rod Road cave, we drew upon our own innate New England survival skills. Despite numerous cancelled work days, we have managed to wake up the museum with new displays just in time for our 18th annual open house on Saturday, April 2. Admission is free and refreshments will be served. The museum, at the corner of Peck and Main streets in Kensington will be open from 1 to 4 p.m., April through December. Visitors will view new displays including “Laundry
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Environmental Commission on the way By Olivia L. Lawrence The Berlin Citizen
Antique rag dolls including Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls are among the new exhibits debuting this weekend at the Berlin Historical Society Museum. Day the Old Way” featuring antique washboards, washing machines, old irons, photos and a clothesline of vintage clothing. The exhibit is timely as people rediscover
the art of line drying clothes as a practical way to save energy. In most of rural New See Museum, page 7
Berlin may soon have an Environmental Commission and Carolyn Wysocki, who posed the idea five years ago, is ready to see the plan put into action. The Town Council unanimously approved the idea at its March 22 meeting and now the recommendation will go to the Ordinance Commission; if approved there, the plan will go to a public hearing. “All good things come to those who wait,” said
Wysocki, who is optimistic the community will embrace the idea and that the plan will move forward. She said the idea of a commission will exceed her earlier push to get some kind of “green council” or environmental concerns committee together. The time is right for this move, Wysocki said, adding that in recent years many other area towns have assembled similar boards or commissions. At the council meeting, Town Clerk See Commission, page 4
Not a pretty picture
E-waste a big side effect of technology we love
Local says litter has to go, seeks like-minded volunteers
By Hannah Jackson Special to The Citizen
By Olivia L. Lawrence The Berlin Citizen
We live in a world of ever improving technology, every year there is a new and better product for all your music, internet and electronic needs. The Environmental Protection Agency estimated that in the year 2005 alone 26 to 36 million computers became outdated resulting in approximately 1.9 to 2.2 million tons of waste nationally. The state of Connecticut realized the need for a change. As of Jan. 1 all covered electronic devices, known a CEDs, are banned from the trash. Ultimately, this law will keep unnecessary items out of land fills and make the earth more enjoyable for everyone. A CED is defined by Berlin’s Recycling Coordinator, Jim Horbal as “televi-
Do you think Berlin has a litter problem and should be a cleaner, neater place? If so, you may want to contact Paul Chester. He’s looking for volunteers to start up a “Berlin Litter Committee”. “The idea behind the committee is to target heavily littered areas around town — and there are plenty of them,” Chester said. “I was hoping to hear from local citizens and get started by having meetings locally.” Chester says he’s a good organizer and put together a similar effort when he lived in Hamden. He was involved with that clean-up crew for four years. Berlin has no lack of targets for cleaning up litter, Chester said, naming locales from Beckley Road to Web-
See E-waste, page 8
Junked electronics at the Berlin recycling facility. Litter along Webster Square Road.
See Litter, page 8