The Berlin
Cit itiz ize en Berlin’s Only Hometown Newspaper
Volume 14, Number 16
Thursday, April 22, 2010
There’s a new wave of interest in old-time rain barrels By David Huck Special to The Citizen April showers are here and one local florist, couldn’t wait for the rain to begin falling. Sebastian and Sharon Malespini, who own Sharon Elizabeth’s on Mill Street, recently purchased 10 60gallon plastic barrels from e-bay. The barrels originally were used as olive oil storage containers in Greece. The new use? Rain collection. “It’s something that we feel really strongly about,” Malespini said. “It’s not about the money. It’s really about seeing buckets of water getting dumped.” It’s a simple concept that, in rural communities and olden times, people took advantage of for decades. Now, according to University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension Educator Carl Salsedo, more and more homeowners are look-
ing at rain barrels as an option. More and more people ae willing to make the effort to conserve water, especially in arid regions. “Some people are concerned with water usage, so collecting rainwater is a natural progression to water conservation,” Salsedo said. Collecting rainwater from the roof of your home is a simple feature that can potentially save homeowners hundreds of gallons of water during the dry summer months. It’s not only a cost-saver, but diverting rainwater to your garden keeps storm water runoff from overburdening municipal septic treatment as well, Salsedo said.
Resident seeks to send $83M high school plan to a vote By Olivia L. Lawrence The Berlin Citizen
Citizen photo by Olivia L. Lawrence
Sebastian Malespini, owner of Sharon Elizabeth’s floSee Barrels, page 19 ral shop, is ready to install a rain collection system.
John Kilian took out a petition for referendum from the Town Clerk’s office April 9 in an effort to send the $83 million high school renovation plan to a vote. April 20 he returned the document with the required 395 signatures. Those signatures now must be certified by the Town Clerk — and if all goes well, there will be a referendum vote, likely in early June. “People are confused, they don’t know what’s going on,” Kilian said, explaining why he pulled the petition. He believes many residents are under the impression that the project is essentially a “done deal”. He said there’s confusion regarding the different options presented for the school and whether or not a new high school is still a possibility in the future. Previously, Kilian’s been
See Vote, page 27
Every day is Earth Day Citizen photo by Olivia L. Lawrence
The rolling farmland of Cold Brook Spring Farm on Deming Road is once again dressed in spring green. In the background, the tower at the Connecticut Light and Power campus is visible. The farm’s owners are celebrating the centennial anniversary of their taking ownership. The property has been in the Nielson-Bengston family for 100 years, since they purchased it in 1910. The farm was accepted into the Connecticut Farmland Trust in 2004. The trust works with Connecticut farmers to permanently protect Connecticut’s working farmland. Cold Brook Spring Farm operates a farmstand and sells seasonal plants and produce to the public.