www.southingtoncitizen.com
Volume 13, Number 34
Friday, August 23, 2019
Town native to lead Oshana elementary
CAMPUS FOR SALE
Rogala grew up in Southington and started her education career in town as A Meriden assistant prin- a student teacher at cipal and Southington res- Plantsville. She then beident will begin the new came a teacher at Kelley school year leading OsSchool and a teacher leadhana Elementary School. er at the middle schools before leaving for an adThe Board of Education ministrative position in appointed Josephine RoMeriden. gala as principal of Oshana School, formerly She said her teacher leadPlantsville School, last er position had prepared week. her for helping lead a school. “I knew the timing “I’m so honored to be here and I’m so grateful to was right and I felt prepared,” Rogala said. be coming back to the town I love to continue to She was an assistant prinserve the students of cipal at Nathan Hale and Southington public most recently at Thomas schools,” she said after her Hooker schools in Meriunanimous appointment den. Aug. 15. By Jesse Buchanan Record-Journal staff
Lincoln College of New England in Southington, Aug. 21, 2018. Dave Zajac, Record-Journal
‘We’re in closing now’ By Jesse Buchanan Record-Journal staff
The former Lincoln College of New England campus could have a buyer following an auction. “We’re working through an offer on the property right now,” said Fontana Fitzwilson, sales executive vice president with auction house Williams & Williams “We’re in closing now.”
Hartford to transition students to programs to finish their studies. Students who hadn’t already moved to East Hartford finished their final semester at Lincoln in the spring.
place, the uses moving forward, it limits some of the opportunity on a quick sale as an option,” he said. With the auction “you don’t get a lot of time to do your due diligence.”
Town records show Briarwood Real Estate owns the property. State records show the company with a Florida address. The college was formerly Briarwood College.
Perillo, who followed the bid online during Friday’s auction, said the top bidder was from New York.
Town Planner Rob Philips said it’s possible that a new Lou Perillo, the town’s ecoowner could tear the campus Fitzwilson said she couldn’t nomic development director, down and build single-family reveal how much the winsaid he got calls prior to the homes. Other allowed uses ning bid was or the name of auction about how the land would be a corporate training the top bidder. There were a could be used. It’s zoned center or private school, dozen in-person bidders at residential. which would require a spethe auction Friday and a few cial permit from the Planning more online, Fitzwilson said. “It’s phenomenally beautiand Zoning Commission. ful. It’d make a great corpoThe auction for the 32-acre rate training center,” Perillo Philips said the creation of a campus started at $5 million. said. “We’d like to see it rebusiness zone would be unmain a taxable use rather likely, since there are no Lincoln announced it was than a not-for-profit.” nearby business districts. An closing at the end of 2018, industrial use might be posciting enrollment and finan- The property also had its sible if the commission excial difficulties. The for-profit challenges. panded nearby commercial college group partnered with zones to include the campus “Given the lack of sewers, Goodwin College in East property. the structures already in
See School, A6
Group continues push for school sports By Jesse Buchanan Record-Journal staff
A group created two years ago to raise money for middle schools sports is looking for volunteers and board members to continue its work. Southington Middle School Athletics Association was created after the school board cut $120,000 in funding for Kennedy and DePaolo middle school sports two years ago. Through the creation of an activity fee and the association’s fundraising, the school district was able to continue sports at
the middle school level. Casie Messina, one of two association vice presidents, said the group has several fundraisers in place and was confident that it would again raise the roughly $40,000 needed to continue sports. Those fundraisers include an Apple Harvest festival race team, a dinner, Hoop It Up night in December and more. Messina said volunteers with the group have departed as their children moved to the high school. “If we can’t get the volunteers we need, we can’t See Sports, A7