Volume 19, Number 3
Berlin’s Only Hometown Newspaper
www.berlincitizen.com
‘Friends’ take in, heal animals in need By Charles Kreutzkamp The Berlin Citizen
The Friends of Berlin Animal Control spend much time helping homeless animals, and their most recent effort was in trying to help such animals find homes at an adoption event Saturday, March 15 at the Plainville PetSmart. Turnout for the event was surprisingly high, considering kitten season has not yet arrived. “It was crazy,” said FOBAC president Lynn Frigault. “We love it when the adults find homes.” Frigault hopes that one older cat, who the shelter named Eggroll, will soon find a home. Eggroll was rescued from a feral cat colony when someone recognized his friendly attitude, thinking he was an abanSee Animals / Page 2
The Berlin Citizen
“Rock ‘n’ Roll writer” Joe Clifford drew a crowd of more than 100 to the Berlin-Peck Memorial Library March 13. Clifford, a Berlin native writer and musician who draws on his history as a recovered drug addict to inform the gritty texture in his
Tapping sugar maples a delicious hobby By Charles Kreutzkamp The Berlin Citizen
quel,” Clifford said of his latest work. When it came time to negotiate with the publisher for a second book, however, Clifford found the planning process brought new challenges. Though he always thought it was “goofy” when authors talk about caring about their characters, Clifford was surprised
Spring is finally coming, and for some Berlin residents, that means it’s time to tap the trees. Adam Valedaserra developed an interest in tapping trees for homemade maple syrup last year, a hobby he shares with another Berlin resident, MaryBeth Uryga. “It’s definitely a fun hobby,” but one that requires a great deal of patience said Uryga, who shares the fun with her husband, David. Valedaserra realized two months before moving that his then-residence had two sugar maple trees. This year, he has a total of 20 taps spread out between trees owned by his friends in town, and trees at his new residence on Kensington Road where he and his family run a tree farm. Uryga has tapped the trees of her friends as well. “Most people are up for it,” she said. Both syrup enthusiasts offer syrup to their friends and neighbors to thank them for allowing their trees to be tapped. Temperatures must be below
See ‘Lamentation’ / Page 4
See Maples / Page 6
This cat, who the shelter named Eggroll, was temporarily reunited with his owner, who knew him as Jake. | Charles Kreutzkamp / The Berlin Citizen
Locals can’t get enough of ‘Lamentation’ By Charles Kreutzkamp
Thursday, March 19, 2015
writing, read from his new book “Lamentation” and told the audience that the book will be the first of a series, with the working title of his sequel being “December Boys.” So many people attended the event, library staff needed to bring in chairs from the Community Center, Head of Adult Services Carrie Tyszka said. “I left clues in there for a se-
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