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Volume 23, Number 45
Friday, February 7, 2020
Vote Coginchaug gymnast has Tuesday sights set on State Open A referendum vote will be held Tuesday, Feb. 11 with two questions related to Regional School District 13. In Middlefield, voting will be held at the Middlefield Community Center, 405 Main St. In Durham, voting will take place at Korn School, 144 Pickett Lane. In both towns, the polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The first question on the ballot regards the Board of Education’s authority for certain decisions and how it is to proceed. The need to amend the district’s Plan of Regionalization came about with the proposed closing of John Lyman Elementary School and the related need to reconfigure grades and facility use. The district wants to seek state funding for various improvements that will be needed for its plans. The district’s bond counsel advised the board to amend the regionalization plan before moving forward.
The town’s official explanatory text states that the school board is proposing that the Plan of Regionalization for the District be amended in order that the district maintain at least one active school in both towns and that the board holds at least one public hearing before determining the programs and facilities required for the district, including the alteration, expansion or closure of school buildings. See Vote, A7
By Everett Bishop Town Times
Ali Albanese has been participating in gymnastics since she was 2, beginning her career at the Connecticut Gymnastics Academy in Wallingford. During her time there, Albanese won states four years in a row, participating in every event.
Kids make cards for vets By Everett Bishop Town Times
While Valentine’s Day might look like a heart shaped box of chocolates and a bouquet of roses to some, kids at the Levi E. Coe Library are showing their love and appreciation with a little bit of paper and a lot of creativity.
Last year, during eighth grade, the Durham resident decided to take time away from the sport to explore other interests. Now the Coginchaug High School freshman, with the support of the Daniel Hand High School gymnastics squad, is rebooting her gymnastics career and setting new goals for herself. Albanese practices and travels to meets with the Daniel Hand team. Her scores, however, accrue only to her. Ali Albanese, a Coginchaug freshman, competes alongside She’s a team of one. the Daniel Hand High School gymnastics squad as a team of one. Photos courtesy of Casey Davern “I just started working with Ali this year. Her mom Smith. “By leaving her prireached out to me last But Coach Smith said this vate club – which made her spring with the interest in was not an issue for the driva great gymnast but also lim- en freshman athlete. “She’s high school gymnastics,” ited her time to engage in said DHHS coach Kelly extremely competitive – she other activities – she was has been increasing her difable to play volleyball in the ficulty level in her routines fall and now compete in all season long as she’s gothigh school gymnastics.” ten accustomed to high school gymnastics and seen According to Albanese, the talent level out there. working with DHHS gymnastics immediately felt like She holds herself to a high standard and so far she has a perfect fit. “The first day I started I felt like I was a part been very successful,” she said. of the team,” she said. After her time off from gymnastics, Albanese had concerns about getting back into the sport. “Since I stopped, I didn’t think that I would get a lot of my skills back,” she said.
Right now, Smith says Albanese’s strongest event is the beam, where she is doing a “difficult routine and completing it with consistency.” See Gymnast, A7
On Saturday, Feb. 1, for the third consecutive year, the Levi E. Coe Library hosted Valentine’s for Veterans where local children could go in and craft Valentine’s Day cards for local veterans. “The care and support of our veterans is very important to me,” said Head Children’s Librarian Vicki Berry.
Berry said the event began when the Wadsworth Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, based in Middletown, held an event at the library. “The DAR came in and they mentioned this program and how they collect Valentine’s cards for veterans and we said ‘Oh, we can make Valentines!,’” said Berry. See Cards, A7