Friday, August 30, 2019
www.southingtoncitizen.com
Volume 13, Number 35
Southington sees budget surplus
GIVING BACK GIRLS
By Jesse Buchanan Record-Journal staff
Town officials credit investments, increased economic activity and more efficient spending with a $1.4 million surplus from the previous fiscal year’s budget.
Giving Back Girls members Maggie Wernicki, 13, left, and Jenna Vargas, 15, hold backpacks they helped fill with school supplies for Southington children in need at Derynoski School. Photos by Dave Zajac, Record-Journal
Town Manager Mark Sciota said the estimated surplus will be finalized with an audit in December.
The money will go to the town’s undesignated fund, also called the rainy day fund or fund balance. Some of that money may be used to buy the municipal center building on North Main Street if approved by voters during November’s referendum. Sciota said property taxes were $900,000 higher than See Surplus, A12
Youth group comes through Creation of pollinator pathways encouraged for Derynoski students helped with the giveaway that started Monday morning at Derynoski School.
By Jesse Buchanan Record-Journal staff
Students headed for the first day of school this week walked out of Derynoski School Monday with new backpacks full of supplies. The Giving Back Girls, a group of local youth, gathered supplies and filled hundreds of backpacks in preparation for the start of school. Several group members
have been running the backpack giveaway since 2010, filled about 350 this year. They collected donaSouthington Community tions in front of the Walmart Services refer families for the earlier this year. backpacks and a $20 gift card. While some volunteers Maggie Wernicki, who startchecked names off a list as ed with the group in second families came in Monday grade, is now in eighth morning, others retrieved grade. backpacks for the correct “I have a love for helping age and gender. The Giving Back Girls, who
See Backpacks, A11
the Novick property on Flanders Road. During the unveiling this fall, resiTown leaders are looking dents will be encouraged for residents and business- to take similar steps on es to join them in creating their own land, said compollinator pathways — mittee chairwoman Dawn yards and other areas free Miceli. of pesticides that have plants for bees, butterflies Val Guarino, a Planning and Zoning Commisand hummingbirds. sion alternate and open On Aug. 22, the town’s space committee member, open space committee dis- said the pollinator pathcussed the ribbon cutting way designation comes for a pollinator garden at By Jesse Buchanan Record-Journal staff
See Pathways, A12
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