Volume 18, Number 16
Berlin’s Only Hometown Newspaper
www.berlincitizen.com
Thursday, May 22, 2014
BOE braces for cuts, awards Bravos By Charles Kreutzkamp The Berlin Citizen
The Board of Education honored three teachers and six students at its May 12 meeting. The board also voted to approve cuts of $32,500 each to the capital and site building accounts during the meeting. This will be the first of many cuts after the budget was reduced by a total of $581,000 from the initial request, with $125,000 in cuts coming after the referendum, in which 53.2 percent voted “no” on the budget. The budget must be finalized before the new fiscal year begins in July. The board will vote on additional cuts at a future meeting. Board President Gary Brochu presented a Berlin Bravo award to educators Cathy D’Amato from Hubbard school, Kristine Jutras from Griswold school, and Maura Sullivan from Willard school. The BOE honored the three teachers for their work in reading recovery interventions with local
first grade students, helping to ensure that kids learned to read. D’Amato, Jutras and Sullivan put in more than 150 hours of their own time into participating in coursework during the summer and on Tuesday nights to learn reading recovery skills. The board also recognized retiring staff. Pamela Hamad, assistant principal at McGee Middle School, will be accepting a position as principal of Canton Middle School. Mary Sulla, math teacher at Willard, will be the new assistant principal at Naubuc Elementary School in Glastonbury. Sulla will “make a great mark in Glastonbury,” Superintendent David Erwin said. Board member Timothy Oakes presented awards to Griswold students Victoria Pietrucha and Jack Salerno. Principal Laurie Gjerpen said fifth grader Victoria was being recognized for winning the D.A.R.E. essay contest, doing “an exceptional job,” Gjerpen said. Second grader Jack was See BOE / Page 13
Participants at Berlin Relay for Life Saturday, May 17. | (Charles Kreutzkamp / The Berlin Citizen)
Thirty-four teams help Berlin Relay reach financial goal By Charles Kreutzkamp The Berlin Citizen
Berlin’s 7th Annual Relay for Life met its financial goal, pulling in over $92,500, according to Lynn Kipphut, Relay for Life specialist for the American Cancer Society. “We’re very excited for our teams that helped us reach our goal,” Kipphut said. Thirty-four teams participated in the relay, held Sat-
night event where communities come together in the fight against cancer,” said Watch a video featuring Kipphut, who explained that the survivor’s lap and the every Relay for Life team has Luminaria ceremony at the at least one member walk7th Annual Berlin Relay ing the track for the entire for life at tinyurl.com/ 24 hour duration of the reBCRelay2014 lay. “Because cancer never sleeps.” Berlin’s own D.A.R.E. and urday, May 17 at the Berlin K-9 Police Officer Aimee Fairgrounds. See Relay / Page 18 “Relay for Life is an over-
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