Volume 19, Number 1
www.southingtoncitizen.com
Friday, January 7, 2022
Public hearing on farm solar panels delayed By Jesse Buchanan Record-Journal staff
Rogers Orchards owners are looking to install a solar panel array that’ll offset the farm’s energy usage.
Members of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Southington Health Department and town officials distribute COVID-19 test kits and N95 masks to Southington residents on Monday at the pavilion at the Southington Drive-In. Dave Zajac, Record-Journal
Local distribution of free, at-home test kits begins By Jesse Buchanan and Lauren Sellew Record-Journal staff
Local distribution of free, at-home COVID-19 test kits and masks began Monday with a drive-through event in Southington, where residents lined up hours in advance in some cases, and supplies were quickly exhausted.
Separate distribution events were announced in Meriden, Wallingford and Cheshire. The Meriden event is set for Saturday, Jan. 8 and the Wallingford and Cheshire events were scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 4.
limited quantity of supplies from the state and began distributing them at the Southington Drive-In on Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike Monday. The event was scheduled to begin at 4 p.m., however the parking lot was full by 2, and the crews started distrubuting the kits
Southington officials received a
See Tests, A2
Peter Rogers, the eighth generation of the family to farm the Long Bottom Road land, said it’s the next step in sustainability efforts he’s been taking. “It’s important to our business, it’s important to our family,” Rogers said Tuesday. “It’s just another step in that direction to make our operation more sustainable for generation nine and beyond.” Rogers and his family are applying for town approval to construct the solar panel array. He attended Tuesday night’s Planning and Zoning Commission meeting but no action was taken. Commission Chairman Robert Hammersley said he wanted Rogers to continue talking to town planning staff about the best way to site the solar panels. Had he started the public See PZC, A15
Athletic programs grapple with latest COVID-19 spike By Sean Krofssik Record-Journal staff
The holiday break was not an an easy one for area athletic directors, coaches and athletes. With COVID cases spiking, practice and game schedules have been ravaged with postponements.
“I spent much of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day telling athletes and their families that their child may have been exposed,” Cheshire Athletic Director Steve Trifone said. Not the news anyone wants to hear any time, especially during the holidays.
Cheshire athletics has been hit particularly hard in recent weeks, and they haven’t been alone.
In Cheshire, the girls basketball team was put on a pause due to COVID exposure.
Every other area school had at least one event postponed by the viral resurgence, some due to COVID issues with opposing teams, some due to COVID issues of their own.
The Cheshire boys basketball team had a game postponed, but hasn’t been hit as hard as the girls. See Sports, A3