Volume 17, Number 41
Berlin’s Only Hometown Newspaper
www.berlincitizen.com
Thursday,October 10, 2013
Town receives grants to develop vacant lots By Monica Szakacs
both grant applications in order to receive the state finance assistance. Once the town receives The state has offered the Town of Berlin two brown- the state aid, demolition will field grants in a total amount begin. The 889 Farmington Ave. of $882,500 to assist in the building demolition site reme- property is the site of an indiation related to property lo- dustrial factory, formerly cated at 889 Farmington Ave., owned by Pioneer Precision according to Town Manager Products. The town foreclosed on the property, which Denise McNair. In April, McNair applied for spans 1.6 acres of land bethese grants, but there have tween two buildings, back in been delays in the execution 2010. Earlier this year, Economic of the grant agreements because additional information Development Director James Mahoney said the town plans was required. At its Oct. 1 meeting, the to demolition both buildings Town Council approved a new and conduct an environmenauthorization resolution for tal remediation of the site. The Berlin Citizen
The majority of the property, Mahoney said, will be sold for development. The remaining land will be used for the police station project as a boulevard connector to the train station. The state plans to spend more than $500 million to install the high speed New Haven-Hartford-Springfield rail, which includes track and cable upgrades to Berlin’s train station, as well as a new parking lot to accommodate expected increases in ridership. The proposed boulevard will curve past the police station (once constructed), continue behind businesses on See Grants / Page 25
‘ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS’
Fundraiser barks up the right tree By Julie Sopchak and Monica Szakacs
Fortunately for dogs, that hasn’t been overlooked. Record-Journal weeklies staff Since many consider their furry friends to be just as Relay for Life is a important to their well-bemuch-decorated fundraiser ing as any human relative for the American Cancer or friend, American Cancer Society. The event com- Society’s Bark for Life was memorates the memories of created as a quasi-Relay all who have died from can- for Life, focused solely on cer, and honors the will and those four-legged balls of fluff who demonstrate unstrength of survivors. The relay also pays trib- conditional love no matter ute to the caregivers who the cancer survivor’s abiligive endless love and sup- ties or appearances. “The premise behind the port to patients going whole thing is we’re celethrough treatment. Berlin has had much brating care-giving qualisuccess over the past six ties of our canine friends,” years with its annual Relay Robin Guzauckas, Bark for for Life. But dogs aren’t allowed. See Fundaiser / Page 7
Rainy weather on Sunday kept the Berlin Lions Fair from breaking attendance records. Still, fair president Andy Blasco feels great about the 65th installment of the event. He said the weekend was ‘absolutely fabulous.’ More fair coverage inside. | Photo by Lee Roski |