cheshirecitizen.com
Volume 6, Number 46
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Town Council approves five-year, $58.6M capital plan By Michael Gagne Record-Journal staff
The Town Council, by a margin of 8-1, voted in a special meeting Aug. 27, to approve a more than $58.6 million five-year capital budget. During the current fiscal year, the budget would fund 40 projects totaling $11.5 million. More than $10.8 million would be bondfunded. Those projects include im-
provements at the police station, the purchase of police and public works vehicles, firefighting equipment, various park improvements, and a $150,000 school modernization plan. Outgoing council member Thomas Ruocco cast the lone dissenting vote. Seven of the projects listed in the capital budget request still need voter approval. The first referendum question will ask voters to ap-
prove a $310,000 bond authorization toward a town and school building security upgrade project. The second question asks voters to authorize borrowing $100,000 for land acquisition. The third question will ask voters to authorize $1.7 million for the town’s road improvement program. Meanwhile, the fourth question seeks voter approval for $1.8 million to fund repairs to the West Johnson Avenue Bridge.
Voters will also be asked to authorize a $250,000 window replacement project at Cheshire High School, a $600,000 boiler replacement project at Doolittle School and $450,000 to improve the Highland Elementary School’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. Council member Peter Talbot said the items on the November ballot are all “things that need to be addressed.” Council colleague Silvia
Nichols said she was encouraged by the amount of input she and other council members received prior to their vote Tuesday night. “I’m encouraged we’re getting quite a bit of feedback from residents,” Nichols said. Council Chairman Rob Oris Jr. described the requested budget as being “fiscally prudent, forward looking and bipartisan.” mgagne@record-journal.com 203-317-2231 Twitter:@MikeGagneRJ
Work begins on new phase of Ball & Socket restoration project
Trivia night celebrates town’s history
By Michael Gagne Record-Journal staff
By Joy VanderLek The Cheshire Citizen
A nonprofit group’s efforts to restore the former Ball & Socket Factory are slowly bearing fruit.
How spot-on is your Cheshire trivia? Players who came to an Aug. 28 trivia session at the Cheshire Public Library to test their knowledge about the town soon found out how solid their facts and figures were.
Last week, contractors wearing safety masks and protective clothing pried off the wooden boards that had long lined the property’s Willow Street-facing building. The building is referred to as “Building 2” in the group’s overall plans. The hope is to fully renovate it while the group raises funds for the larger “Building 1” project. Building 2, when completed is expected to house a gallery, multipurpose room, office, studio space and a commercial tenant. Kevin Daly, one of the founders of Ball & Socket Arts, the volunteer group pushing to revitalize the former factory, hopes to have that building open in 18 months.
Crews pick at the exterior of the Ball & Socket Arts building along Willow Street last week as asbestos remediation continues at the site. Photos by Dave Zajac, Record-Journal
“I expect that remediation portion opment, donations and other of it will be done within six months,” fundraising. The cost to renovate he said. the entire complex will probably be around $15 million, Simogyi said. This current phase of the project, including the planning, will cost While the group is planning to hold about $2 million, said Ilona Simofuture fundraising events, Simogyi gyi, treasurer and a co-founder of said they also are seeking gifts from the Ball & Socket Arts group. large donors. The group has relied on grant funding from the state Department of Economic and Community Devel-
“We do need to raise capital, so See Ball & Socket Factory, A5
The library hosted the special town trivia night in recognition of Cheshire’s 325th anniversary of incorporation as a town. As participants faced the challenge, some were tentative, coming to the game unsure of their skills; others strutted confidently into the library loft ready to do battle. In the time that followed, each of the 11 players picked up interesting Cheshire-centric trivia tidbits. CPL’s Kathleen Larkin hosted See Trivia, A4