The Berlin
Cit itiz ize en Volume 13, Number 18
Berlin’s Only Hometown Newspaper
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Arbor Day the original Earth Day By Olivia L. Lawrence Associate Editor
Citizen photo by Olivia Lawrence
Earth Day is great, but remember Arbor Day was the original consciousness-raising event for the environment. And to celebrate, all fourth graders in Berlin received an Australian pine seedling courtesy of an Arbor Day program sponsored by the Berlin Kiwanis. “We’ve done it for over 40 years,” said Morgan Seelye, secretary. “At least 6,000 trees are out there growing” as a result of the program. He along with club President Richard Rease, his wife Carol Rease, Abby Napier and Norman Margnelli distributed the trees April 24. “I’m going to plant it in my back yard,” said Corinne Blanchette, a fourth grader. She’d never planted a tree before, only flowers, but she was enthusiastic about the task. Arbor Day is the last Fri-
Norman Margnelli, a member of the Kiwanis, gives tree seedlings to fourth graders at Griswold School.
See Trees, page 13
Team celebrates an amazing life, not ‘horrific’ death By Robert Mayer Managing Editor The reasons to participate in Relay for Life are many. The ones touted by the American Cancer Society are to: Celebrate, Remember and Fight Back. Team Mary Ellen, who will participate in the Berlin Relay for the first time this year, is choosing to do all of those things. Team caption Carol Reed got together a team for the Southington Relay last year but will move to Berlin this year. Reed formed the team
after a “horrific” end to one of her best friend’s life. Mary Ellen Welsh, 62, was killed after a violent home invasion in 2008 in New Britain. Welsh was visiting Carol Larese, 65, on Woodhaven Drive in New Britain when Leslie Williams, 31, a convicted sex offender, admittedly entered the home and shot Larese in the head and hand, according to a police report. Larese ran across the street to call police about an hour later. By that time Williams, Welsh and Welsh’s
car had disappeared. Police later caught Williams in
Countdown to Berlin Relay 4 Weeks
Welsh’s 1996 Honda Passport after a chase from Plymouth to Watertown but Welsh wasn’t in the vehicle. Welsh’s body was found the next day after she suffered a violent death at the hands of Williams. “Last year a few months after her death we decided to do something,” said Reed, who herself was diagnosed with breast cancer Dec. 30, 2008 and underwent a double mastectomy. “Mary Ellen had cancer for two years and still had it when she was killed in See Team, page 9
Budget Vote The results of the town budget referendum were counted after our deadline. Go to www. berlincitizen.com
for vote totals