The Berlin
Cit itiz ize en
Volume 14, Number 15
Berlin’s Only Hometown Newspaper
Teen’s quick thinking helps police snag two burglars By Olivia L. Lawrence The Berlin Citizen
A Berlin teen was honored, April 6, by police Chief Paul Fitzgerald, for quick thinking and actions that helped police apprehend a couple of serial burglars. Berlin High School student Taylor Bosse, 17, received the “Chief ’s Achievement Award” during the Town Council meeting for “quick action…and providing invaluable information leading to the apprehension of two career serial burglars.” “Unlike many people, he did something,” Fitzgerald said. The award was given in acknowledgement of Taylor’s actions, Jan. 5, when he called 911 to report a suspicious person who’d knocked at the front door of the Bosses’ house. A junior at Berlin High
Citizen photo by Olivia L. Lawrence
See Teen, page 16
Berlin police Chief Paul Fitzgerald presents the Chief’s Achievement Award to Taylor Bosse.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Council approves $83M high school renovation plan Petition for referendum initiated, must be filed by April 21 By Olivia L. Lawrence The Berlin Citizen
A whale of a time Berlin Girl Scout Troop 66339 attended a camp-in at Mystic Aquarium recently. The girls dissected a squid, learned about ocean exploration, and toured the facility. The troop is pictured in front of one of the aquarium’s beluga whale viewing windows. Acording to aquarium information, the whales are kept in a oneacre outdoor habitat consisting of three interconnected pools holding more than 750,000 gallons of water; making it one of the largest outdoor beluga whale exhibits in the United States. Visitors can experience an eye-to-eye encounter with the belugas through a series of three 20-foot-long underwater windows. Caves feature bubble-shaped windows and are built into the rockwork to give children a different perspective on the belugas’ underwater world. Troop members pictured are: Caylie Whiteside, Sarah Daddario, Samantha Bengiovanni, Amanda Cohen, Julia Swiatek, Caitlee McNamara, Shannon Gallagher, Stephanie Sanders, Maegan Lentini, Lauren Nguyen, Paulina Chorzepa, Kelly Gianna and Rachel Gianna.
After more than three hours of discussion, April 6, the Town Council voted unanimously to authorize bond funding for an $83 million “renovate as new” plan for Berlin High School. The proceedings included two hours of public hearing during which numerous residents and officials offered their ideas on the project. Everyone seemed to be in agreement that something must be done to address the facility’s inadequacies. The school has numerous code
violations as well as “educational inadequacies” in regards to accredidation standards. The main focus was on pursuing the most cost-effective solution. Architects Silver Petrucelli+Associates gave a presentation on the proposed preliminary plan. A final design will come later. “Is this all ‘must do’?” asked George Millerd posing a question that was at the core of the night’s discussion. John Kilian, a resident who regularly promotes a fiscally conservative ap-
See Approves, page 26