8-13-2009BerlinCitizen

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The Berlin

Cit itiz ize en Volume 13, Number 33

Berlin’s Only Hometown Newspaper

‘Sex shops and swing sets’ don’t belong in same neighborhood By Olivia L. Lawrence Associate Editor Mayor Adam Salina says “sex shops and swing sets” do not belong in the same neighborhood and last week he got support on this stance from the state’s attorney general. Attorney General Richard Blumenthal held a press conference at town hall Aug. 5 to announce he has filed a formal brief asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to overturn a recent U.S. District Court preliminarily ruling. That ruling contends that Berlin’s ordinance defining an adult oriented store is unconstitutionally vague. The ruling allowed VIP of Berlin LLC to open a store at 717 Berlin Turnpike. That site is within 250 feet of the Webster Heights neighborhood that contains almost 200 homes. Berlin is appealing the decision and in the meantime has won a stay from the court forcing the store to close after being open only two days. Flanked by Salina and

Town Manager Denise McNair, Blumenthal said he “strongly disagreed” with Judge Stefan R. Underhill’s decision — a decision that may jeopardize the ability of all towns and cities to regulate sexually oriented businesses. “We will fight as long and hard at Berlin’s side as it takes,” Blumenthal said explaining that the decision goes to the core of towns’ ability to control sexually oriented business within their borders and consequently a town’s ability to protect the health, safety and general welfare of its residents. (To read the attorney general’s statement in its entirety go to The Citizen’s website berlin.ctcitizens.com. For more on the amicus brief see page 16) While not happy that the VIP case has put Berlin in the spotlight, Salina welcomed the attorney general’s support. Blumenthal previously came to town in February 2007 on this issue. “This

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Legion team going to World Series

Photo by Matt Leidemer

Doug Ferraguto is congratulated by teammates after scoring a run for the Berlin American Legion team in a Northeast Regional tournament game. Berlin beat Portland, Maine twice on Monday, 9-4 and 8-5, to earn a berth in the American Legion World Series in Fargo, North Dakota. Ferraguto and teammate Chris Morin will be blogging live daily on www.berlincitizen.com during their trip to the World Series.

See VIP, page 7

Casandra Rivera of East Berlin

Rivera gets her big break in Disney movie By Olivia L. Lawrence Associate Editor Casandra Rivera has gotten her big break. The 22 year-old dancer from East Berlin has a principal role in a new Disney flick that will be out in August 2010. The 2005 Berlin High School graduate currently at-

tends the Art Institute of New York City and uses the stage name Bgirl Defy. A b-girl or b-boy refers to a person who practices break dancing a street dance style that evolved as part of the hip hop movement among African American and Puer-

See Rivera, page 7


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