Thursday, April 16, 2020
www.berlincitizen.com
Volume 22, Number 7
Budgets passed unanimously; Local pet therapy team deliver joy state of emergency declared to the infirmed The Town Council voted recently to pass both town and education budgets for the next fiscal year. The municipal budget is $45 million and the school budget is $46 million, an increase of 3.2 percent over this year’s education budget. The municipal budget represents a .3 percent decrease
from this year. The mill rate should not increase for residents. Both budgets were passed unanimously.
“This, I believe, is a responsible budget that will allow the town to maintain the level of services it provides to the community and will also allow the Board of Education to deliver an outstanding education to our students,” Town Manager Arosha Jayawickrema said during the April 7 meeting.
Mayor Mark Kaczynski said the zero mill rate increase was “wonderful” for the town, particularly with the outbreak of coronavirus affecting day to day life.
In response to the pandemic, the council also voted on April 7 to declare a state of emergency for the town. The declaration will give Berlin access to more federal resources and reimbursements.
Car break-ins, thefts on the rise By Everett Bishop The Citizen
“Keep your cars locked and your guards up.”
Despite residents spending more time at home than ever, the town has seen a spike in car break-ins and thefts.
The post received over 100 comments, some by others who had experienced car break-ins recently.
Residents have taken to community Facebook pages to share their experiences, warning neighbors to be proactive and vigilant.
According to Lt. Shawn Solek, police have also noticed an increase that began last month.
“Both mine and my husband’s cars were gone through last night on Meadow Lane,” said Berlin resident Jenn Dube in a post.
“These types of crimes we’ve seen throughout the entire state for several years now, but there’s definitely an increase we’ve seen in Berlin, I believe in other communities
as well,” Solek said. “I’ve been talking to other agencies around the area and they all seem to have the same increase lately.”
Ryder is a 4-year-old Golden Retriever who earned his Canine Good Citizen registration when he was just 1. At age 2, Ryder passed his evaluation through Tails of Joy, Inc. and began making pet therapy visits. Ryder visits patient units and the Emergency Room at The Hospital of Central CT, as well as nursing home patients at Miller Memorial and Jerome Home. He also visits the Arbor Rose assisted living facility and the UConn Health Library for “Doggo Fridays.”
Ryder
Due to the coronavirus outbreak, visits are on hold at this time. See Therapy, A21
Solek said break-ins typically happen between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. For those looking for extra protection, he advised installing motion activated floodlights and exterior security cameras. It’s also important to remove valuables and not leave keys in the car. See Thefts, A21
Ryder, Race and Rally.
R229345
By Everett Bishop The Citizen