www.towntimes.com
Volume 26, Number 12
Friday, June 19, 2020
In-person graduation set Middlefield resident running for open 82nd District seat
By Everett Bishop Town Times
Results from a recent survey of Coginchaug seniors will help shape their final school activities, and that includes an in-person graduation for the Class of 2020.
By Everett Bishop Town Times
After moving to Connecticut 20 years ago, Middlefield resident Michael Skelps committed himself to helping his community. Now he’s taking that vision one step further.
On Wednesday, June 10, Principal Brian Falcone told the Board of Education that Coginchaug Regional High School plans to hold an inperson graduation ceremony for all 124 graduates on Friday, July 31. The ceremony will be for students only to attend and will be livestreamed for parents and family members. “The information we have now, with the maximum number of people that starts after July 6, is we can gather 150 people. So it’s kind of fortunate that we have a small high school graduating class in this circumstance,” he said. Falcone said that administration had sent a survey to the senior class in order to determine how students wanted to shape their graduation. “There were two priorities that were crystal clear to the kids: the first is that they all wanted to be together as a class one last time … The second is they wanted the opportunity to say good-
After serving in local community organizations and sitting on both the Middlefield Board of Zoning Appeals and Board of Finance, Skelps is hoping to take his experience to Hartford as he vies for the 82nd District seat in the House of Representatives.
Coginchaug Regional High School commencement will be held on Friday, July 31. Pictured: At last spring’s graduation ceremony, this Coginchaug Class of 2019 member shared the message: “Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” Bailey Wright, Record-Journal
bye to their teachers,” he said.
BOE meeting, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kathryn Serino discussed the disTo meet that second retrict’s plan for reopening. quest, Falcone said, “We Currently, the district is are going to do a reverse working with BlumShapiro, parade with our faculty up an auditing firm that has and down Pickett Lane so created “a very compreour kids will have the hensive return-to-work chance to say goodbye.” document.” Also during the recent
See Graduation, A6
“I was always interested in getting involved in local leadership and local causes, even in high school,” the Republican said. “Of course you get out of school, you work, you have a family, there is only so much time to do these things.” Now with his sons out of the house, Skelps said this was “a good time” to declare his candidacy as a representative of Middlefield, Rockfall and a section of Meriden. The pathway to the 82nd
District has become much smoother with Democratic incumbent Emil “Buddy” Altobello Skelps confirming his retirement in April after 26 years in the General Assembly. Skelps will oppose Democratic candidate Michael Quinn of Meriden, who decided to run after years working behind the scenes in Democratic city politics. “I assumed like everyone else that Buddy would just hold this seat forever,” Quinn said while accepting his party’s nomination. “But all good things do come to an end, and while we are all sorry to see him retire, I want to thank Buddy for everything he has done to represent the citizens of Meriden, Middlefield and Rockfall these many years ... He leaves a huge pair of shoes to fill and I will do my best to be up to this task.” See 82nd District, A28
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A2
Town Times | towntimes.com
Friday, June 19, 2020
Letters Policy
Letters to the Editor Re-elect Geraci Editor : We would like to voice our family’s support for Christine Geraci for the upcoming Board of Education election. It has been a pleasure to know her and learn from her. Christine started Differences Day for the district and has been a fierce supporter of the Special Education Parent Teacher Organization established in fall of 2019. We have seen firsthand how instrumental Christine has been in helping establish support and resources necessary for all children. As a parent, volunteer and a board member, Christine is committed to providing quality education at a reasonable cost. She recognizes the need to compromise, is open to new ideas, and seeks creative ways to solve our educational budget challenges with all children in mind.
We want to thank Christine for her continued leadership on the Board of Education and hope you join us in voting for her on election day, Tuesday, June 30. The Roy Family
Experience matters Editor : I support Christine Geraci, Norm Hicks and Bob Moore for re-election to the RSD13 Board of Education.
www.towntimes.com 500 S. Broad St., Meriden, CT 06450
Please join me in voting for Christine Geraci, Norm Hicks and Bob Moore by absentee ballot before Tuesday, June 30. Bob Donahue, Durham
Orwellian doublespeak? Editor : After reading the Letter to the Editor “Orwellian doublespeak,” one can debate if the phrase “all lives matter” is racist, but it is certainly – at a minimum – tone-deaf. That phrase, which is a counter argument used by white people, is an attempt to diminish or discredit the message of the Black Lives Matter grassroots movement. A few years back, a friend advised me that “Black Lives Matter” really means “Black Lives Matter … Too.” The goal of the movement is not to receive special privileges, but rather to enjoy the same freedoms, security and opportunities as white people. The letter-writer would have one believe that Black Lives Matter is racist because it does not include all other races, but I find it hard to believe that this is really his main concern. This country has never come to grips with the racial inequalities and injustices which have plagued us since our founding. It is especially important for white people to support racial jusSee Letters, A4 Executive VP & Publisher — Liz White Notarangelo News Editor — Nick Carroll Assistant News Editor — Olivia Lawrence News reporter — Everett Bishop Senior VP and Editor — Ralph Tomaselli Vice President of Advertising — Jim Mizener
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Town Times (USPS 021-924) is published weekly by Record-Journal, 500 S. Broad Street, Meriden, CT 06450. Periodicals postage paid at Meriden, CT and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to: Record-Journal 500 S. Broad Street, Meriden, CT 06450
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Each offers a wealth of experience and knowledge that I have seen working with them as Durham’s Board of Finance Chair. Two years consecutively, their budget was incorporated into our
Their continued commitment to the Board of Education offers certainty in an uncertain time.
Email letters to news@towntimes.com; mail to 500 South Broad St., Meriden, CT 06450. Letters are limited to 300 words. Town Times will print only one letter per person each month. We do not list names of people, organizations and businesses being thanked. Letters must be signed and names will appear in print. Include a phone number so Town Times can contact you for verification. Letters must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Monday to be considered for publication the following Friday.
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Christine is very approachable, actively listens to residents, and is willing to make tough decisions.
town budget and the mill rate was reduced – Fiscal year 2019-2020: 35.89 and Fiscal year 2020-2021: 35.78!
Town Times | towntimes.com
Friday, June 19, 2020
A3
Lisa Larsen: ‘Music is who I am’ Sometimes, if I really went nuts, I would tap my outstretched fingers against my leg as I belted out “Jingle Bell Rock” with my peers.
dynamic enthusiasm that audience members allow themselves to forget that If you had Ms. Larsen as a they are not teenagers anychorus teacher, you can skip more. Tapping feet, inspired down to the paragraph with not by impatience, but by the asterisk in front of it. The *Now let’s transport ourthe visceral awareness that selves in time and place to introduction to this piece is whether you are on stage or an auditorium in RSD13, vis- in the audience, you are part for anyone who didn’t. Go iting a concert under the di- of an event, not an obligaahead … it’s okay. rection of Lisa Larsen. (This tion. is a pre-2016 visit, prior to Stop reading, and put the Larsen’s retirement from the If you have experienced a paper down (tablet, laptop, district.) Whether as specta- show choir performance, whatever you have going tor or performer, we are im- you found yourself not only on), stand up, and for 20 gushing gratitude for the fact mersed in the same pheseconds, position yourself that your child connected nomenon: excitement and the way you used to when you were in a school chorus engagement through music. with this amazing teacher, Through that lens we see but also channeling your inconcert. Let me guess: permovement, confidence, joy, ner Liza Minnelli, wondering fectly straight in posture, laughter and an eagerness to if it was too late to get yourbody turned in a 45-degree be present –physically, men- self one of those sparkly angle, eyes straight ahead, pantsuits and some false no expression, too scared to tally, spiritually; all of it. eyelashes. Then you came to move. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed your senses and realized Reindeer” matched to music Yup … me too. and movement with such See Larsen, A25 w w w.linosmar ke t .com
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Jeanette Cooper-Hicks, pastor of United Churches of Durham, speaks following Lisa Larsen’s direction of Accidental Harmony in December 2019.
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By Bronwyn Commins Special to Town Times
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Town Times | towntimes.com
Friday, June 19, 2020
I think it’s time for a long walk I am so mad at my pants right now. As far as I know, I have done nothing to them, but they seem to be taking great delight in shrinking themselves down, and I do not appreciate it. They need to find another pastime. I first noticed a bit of snugness some time ago, when I sat down and the aforementioned pants were so tight in the solar plexus region that I feared my circulation was being cut off. I kept pulling the elastic waistband out a couple of inches, to give me a little breathing room, but sooner or later I had to let go. And feel the constriction once again. What all this means is that I have been spending an inordinate amount of time in my nightie, which is very kind to me as it just hangs loosely off my body and does not pinch anything.
I don’t understand my current situation. My pants and I got along quite amiably throughout the winter, and that is when they are always most likely to act up. But they were good this year. So I was shocked that they are misbehaving now. Why, why, why? Well, alright, I may have an inkling as to why. It’s not because my food consumption has increased, what with all this extra time spent at home. I have always been a voracious eater. I’m guessing that, since these past few weeks I have not been at my job (which, because it is quite physical, softens the effects of the previous night’s pantry raid), that perhaps all that popcorn and pasta had no choice but to settle in around the midriff section. “This really is on you,” my pants hissed. “You gave us no choice. Did you really think that sitting on your
From A2
tice issues, as many of us (myself included) have been too silent over the years. lounge chair was a good workout?” Oh, if only! I fear I now have a muffin top, which is well on its way to becoming the entire bakery. It’s times like these that my humongous shirts come in handy. With their help, I can more or less keep the knowledge of my expanding girth to myself. They keep the lumps and bumps from public view, and they have my undying gratitude. And it’s not only the pants that have gone rogue. Apparently my bathing suit is in cahoots with them. Let’s just say it doesn’t seem to have much “give” to it. There’s that snugness again! I am beginning to suspect a conspiracy here. So I guess the only way for my pants and me to re-establish a friendship is for me to take its advice/nagging and get off my derriere and go for a walk, on a regular basis. Sigh! They drive a hard bargain.
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Letters
We can no longer look the other way. The image of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of one who took an oath “To Protect and To Serve” is seared into our hearts, our minds and our souls.
Norm’s knowledge of, and enthusiasm for, quality education for all children is grounded by a solid background in fiscal management, as he also serves as the Board Chair at ACES, RSD13’s resource for regional educational services. Please join me in voting to keep Norm Hicks on the Board of Education. Pam Hogarth
Outstanding candidates
I pray that we all become part of the solution and Editor : not be part of the problem. Regional District 13 Board of Education candidates Paul Bergenholtz, Robert Moore, NorDurham man Hicks and Christine Geraci bring a combined 33 years of service to the Board Vote Hicks of Education. All three outEditor : standing candidates have been chosen by their peers I am writing in support to fill positions of leadership of Norm Hicks for reon the board. election to the RSD13 Board of Education. I first came to know Norm as a teaching colleague dedicated to both his students and mentoring new teachers. He brings the important perspective of a professional educator to our Board of Education.
Board Chairman Robert Moore has been lauded for his dedication to the students, not only supporting them in their scholarly endeavors, but also attending numerous extra-curricular events. See Letters, A5
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LEGAL NOTICE Town of Durham, CT Notice is hereby given to the taxpayers of the Town of Durham that the Town Tax on the Grand List of October 1, 2019 is due and payable in two installments, July 1, 2020 and January 1, 2021. All Motor Vehicle Taxes and Taxes in the amount of $100 or less are due and payable in full July 1, 2020. Due to the ongoing public health concerns, the tax office is closed to the public. All payments must be made by mail or on-line at the town website.
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Mail payments to: Town of Durham, P.O. Box 428 Durham, CT 06422 or Make on-line payments at: www.townofdurhamct.org. Click on “View & Pay Taxes”. Processing fees apply. If the first payment is not paid on or before August 3, 2020, interest must be charged from July 1, 2020. In accordance with Executive Order 7S the interest will accrue at a rate of 3% per annum (0.25% for each month or fraction thereof) for a period of 3 months. After the three-month period has expired, the interest will revert to a rate of 18% per annum (1.5% for each month or fraction thereof) with a minimum interest charge of $2.00 applied to each delinquent tax bill. No bill will be sent for the January installment. The Tax Collector's office hours are Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30pm Martin French, CCMC - Tax Collector, Town of Durham, CT
LARKIN’S RUN! Town Times | towntimes.com
Friday, June 19, 2020
Letters
man and finished first and fourth grade.
From A4
Besides being a mom, I am a local Realtor and hold a number of positions in the community, including board member of the Middlefield Lions, board member of the Durham/Middlefield Falcons and treasurer and Den Leader for Cub Scout Pack 33.
In just her first term on the board, Christine Geraci was elected board treasurer. Christine works in finances for a major non-profit and is the parent of twins who are in the school system. Join me in voting for these seasoned candidates for reelection on Tuesday, June 30. Ona McLaughlin, Durham
New insight needed
My position as a Realtor gives me a real pulse on the transition within our community. In my former career, I was an accountant/CPA and have over 16 years of financial experience, which included working with a number of non-profit organizations. It is this knowledge and experience that I can lean on during the budgeting process.
I am looking for the support of Durham residents to elect me because I am running as a concerned parent and local taxpayer in a very uncertain time.
LURE COURSING LURE AT COURSING AT See Letters, A28 LARKIN’S RUN! LARKIN’S RUN!
LURE COURSING LURE COURSING AT LURE COURSING ATAT LARKIN’S RUN! LARKIN’S RUN! LARKIN’S RUN! WhatIs Is It: What It:
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LURE COURSING IS A FUN ACTIVITY TOLURE STIMULATE YOUR DOG BY CHASING A MECHANICAL LURE IN LURE COURSING IS A FUN ACTIVITY TO STIMULATE YOUR DOG BY CHASING A MECHANICAL IN
OUR BIG PLAY YARD! NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED.. OUR BIG PLAY YARD! NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED.. LURE COURSING IS A FUN ACTIVITY TO STIMULATE YOUR DOG BY CHASING A MECHANICAL LURE IN IF YOUR DOG LIKES TO RUN AND CHASE THIS IS FOR YOU! IF YOUR DOG LIKES TO RUN AND CHASE THIS IS FOR YOU! OUR BIG PLAY YARD! NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED.. When: November 17th 12-3pm When: November 17th 12-3pm How Much:
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IF YOUR DOG LIKES TOWhere: RUN ANDLarkin’s CHASE THIS IS FOR YOU! Where: Run How Much:
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Sundays 12-3 pm How Much: $3 a run Where: Larkin’s Run Where: Larkin’s Run 591 Madison Road 591 Madison RoadDurham, Durham, CT CT
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(860)349-8493 How Much: $3 a run Dogs will be running by themselves not with other dogs. Dogs will be running by themselves not with other dogs.
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What Is It: What Is It: Dogs must be fully vaccinated and on leash when outside of play yard. No Flex leashes. Dogs must fully vaccinated and on IN leash when of CHASING play yard. A No Flex leashes. LURE IN LURE COURSING IS A FUN ACTIVITY TO STIMULATE YOUR DOG BY CHASING A MECHANICAL LURE LURE COURSING ISbe A FUN ACTIVITY TO STIMULATE YOURoutside DOG BY MECHANICAL Thank you! Can’t wait to see you there! OUR BIG PLAY YARD! NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED.. Thank you! Can’t wait NO to see you there! NEEDED.. OUR BIG PLAY YARD! EXPERIENCE
Editor :
IF YOUR DOG LIKES TO RUN AND CHASE THIS IS FOR YOU! IF YOUR DOG LIKES TO RUN AND CHASE THIS IS FOR YOU! When:
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591 Madison Road Durham, CT
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(860)349-8493 (860) 349-8493 or (860) 839-0106 591 Madison Road Durham, CT
(860)349-8493 (860)349-8493 Dogs will be running by What themselves not with other dogs. Is It:
Dogs will be running by themselves not with other dogs.Dogs will be running by themselves not with other dogs.
LUREleashes. IN Dogs must be fully vaccinated and on leash when outside of play yard. No Flex
LUREand COURSING A FUN ACTIVITY TOleashes. STIMULATE YOUR DOGofBY MECHANICAL Dogs must be fully vaccinated on leash whenIS outside of play yard. No Flex Dogs must be fully vaccinated and on leash when outside playCHASING yard. No Flex A leashes. OUR BIGThank PLAY YARD! NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED.. you! Can’t wait to see you there!
Thank you! Can’t wait to see you there!
Thank you! wait see THIS youISthere! IF YOUR DOG LIKESCan’t TO RUN ANDto CHASE FOR YOU! November 17th 12-3pm
When:
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Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kirstin Olszewski and I have been nominated for the RSD13 Board of Education. I am a resident of Durham for eight years and married to David Olszewski, a lifelong resident of Middlefield, former RSD13 student and local firefighter. We have two boys that have attended John Ly-
arts, music and physical education. Having a son in the special education program, I have first-hand experience in how vital these services are, and will be a huge advocate for this program.
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Board Secretary Norman Hicks has served on the board for 24 years and brings a wealth of experience as a retired teacher and community volunteer.
As a taxpayer in town I believe it is extremely important that the board be fiscally responsible, and as I parent I know how important it is that those funds be used to create a well-rounded student, exposing them to the
A5
Town Times | towntimes.com
Friday, June 19, 2020
Phyllis Naples Valenti DURHAM- Phyllis Naples Valenti died on May 21, 2020 of complications from Covid 19. She was the tenth of eleven children and a lifelong resident of Durham. She was employed by Pratt and Whitney for over 25 years and she was very active in her community. She was a 4-H leader, a superintendent in canning at the Durham Fair, a Sunday School teacher at the United Churches of Durham and a member of the Democratic Town committee. She was also the market master at both the Durham farmers market and the Dudley farmers market in Guilford. She is survived by her sister, Antoinette White of St Louis, one brother in law, two sisters in law and 24 nieces and nephews, thirty grand nieces and nephews and 11 great grandnieces and nephews. She is also survived by her foster daughter, two grandchildren and two great grandchildren. She was predeceased by her
parents, her husband and nine of her siblings. She loved to garden and can, and be surrounded by family and friends. The holiday picnics were legendary in the family. There was always room for one more at the table. Her legacy lies in the lives of the family and friends she leaves behind. Due to the circumstances in our country, the family will announce a time for the Memorial service in the future. To share memories or express condolences online please visit www. biegafuneralhome.com.
Frederick Julius Mackowitz, Jr.
Graduation
DURHAM- Frederick J. Mackowitz, 83 years old, from Mauro Meadows in Durham, CT, passed away peacefully on June 12th, 2020. The family would like to extend special thanks to the town of Durham for their support. To share memories or send condolences to the family, please visit www. doolit tlefuneralser vice. com.
From A1
WE SALUTE OUR LOCAL
TAMMY GULLO ALYSSA RAJCULA
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Obituaries
331 Main St., Durham (860) 349-1550 Like us on Facebook
Tammy Gullo, owner of Wild Wisteria, a floral and gift boutique in Durham, has been a floral designer for over 25 years. Her passion for designing and owning her own business started while growing up at her family’s store, The Garden Shoppe in Wallingford. In 1996, Tammy started a floral home demonstration business called Creative Floral Designs. For over 12 years, she brought her creative touch into the homes of people interested in her unique designs. Tammy’s floral work has also been featured at the New York Gift shows. Today, Wild Wisteria is a home away from home where custom floral designs and home decorating ideas are offered in a friendly and personal manner. As you walk through the doors of Wild Wisteria you will feel like you are transformed into another world with the wonderful fragrances, the soothing music and beautiful decor. Tammy and Alyssa have many unique gifts for all occasions complete with gift-wrapping. There is something here for everyone from floral arrangements, home decor, fragrant candles & potpourri to inspirational frames & books, aromatherapy, bath & body, chocolate truffles, Stonewall Kitchen and women’s accessories. A visit to Wild Wisteria is a feast for the eyes... a solution for that perfect gift... and an experience of polite friendliness.
JESSIE CHRISTOPHER A Touch of Country 354 Main Street Durham, CT 06422 (860) 788-2365
Follow us on facebook @ A Touch of Country CT
2020
Jessie Christopher is a long time resident of Durham and the owner of A Touch of Country. It had been a dream of hers for a long time to open a country inspired home decor and furnishings store. In June 2019 that dream came true. The store features handmade Amish furniture as well as farmhouse and country decor. She has beautiful pictures, braided rugs, candles, barn stars, bird houses, and many more great gift ideas. A little something for everyone! Jessie travels to the Amish Country in Pennsylvania to hand pick many unique items that have been designed and hand crafted by the Amish. There is always something new to find as she updates her inventory often. When Jessie is away from the store she enjoys time with her husband, Matt, and two daughters, Aubrey and Alivia, who also love to accompany her on her trips to find new items. Come visit and discover a little bit of the Amish Country right here on 354 Main Street in Durham! R231276
According to Serino, the district and a consultant will “fine tune” that plan specifically for the needs of local schools.
WE SALUTE YOU
“They anticipate by the middle of July that they would be able to give us a finished product for reopening and return-to-work process which includes some training videos for staff,” she said.
LOCAL
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As clinical psychologists we understand that throughout life there are times when we, or those we love, may struggle with family or peer relationships, jobs, school, health, stress, or life transitions. Sometimes these challenges are manageable, but at other times they can be overwhelming and one can feel helpless and alone. We understand and respect how difficult it can be to realize you need help to manage these problems. Our goal is to offer a safe, confidential and non-judgmental environment where you will work closely and collaboratively with your psychologist to better understand what is getting in the way of reaching your goals. We believe that we can help you access your strengths and resources to make your life and relationships better. We offer a wide range of services to children, adolescents and adults including, individual, couples and family therapy. We also provide consultation services to schools and organizations as well as assessment services. Please feel free to give us a call or explore our website for more information. Both Debra and Stacia are life-long Connecticut residence and are so pleased to be a part of the Durham community. We chose the name “Brownstone” because of the history of brownstones being used for the foundation of many community buildings. We liked the imagery and metaphor of the solid foundation of the brownstone and how we hope to be an important part of the community with our work helping to build stronger foundations of strength and support in our client’s lives.
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5 things to know about gyms reopening By Kristen Dearborn Special to the Record-Journal
WALLINGFORD — Erika Hurst, of Durham, is the owner of Strongher Fitness in Wallingford. Her business, formerly known as Hurst Strength, reopened this week. Hurst’s garage style gym has been a haven for those who prefer a more personalized fitness approach. I met with her recently to get an idea of what gyms will look like
when they reopen. Joan Goodman, membership and marketing director of the Meriden, New Britain, and Berlin YMCAs, emailed a statement detailing plans for the Y’s reopening. 1. Sanitization measures “I just completed the selfcertification for the government’s compliance for reopening safely” said Hurst. See Gyms, A9
Erika Hurst, owner of StrongHer Fitness, does a few ring row reps at the business located at 168 North Plains Industrial Road Suite #46, Wallingford. StrongHer Fitness reopened Wednesday, June 17.
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Gyms From A8
Throughout Strongher Fitness, 168 North Plains Industrial Road, there are signs detailing the state’s COVID19 prevention efforts, including staying home when ill, frequent hand washing, wearing masks, and keeping at least 6 feet from others.
Hurst said each client that enters the gym will receive their own cleaning products. Commonly touched surfaces will be cleaned throughout the day and there will be a deep clean each night. The Meriden, New Britain, and Berlin YMCA’s safety procedures include temperature checks and stringent sanitization measures including an electrostatic sprayer.
2. Personal training Due to the nature of Hurst’s personalized fitness business she is accustomed to working with only a few clients at a time. “Everything has always been appointment only,” said Hurst.
5. Less equipment
Hurst said she has transitioned much of her client base online to accommodate them during the shutdown.
Hurst has been devising workouts which require less equipment for her clients so there are not as many frequent touchpoints.
She added that Strongher Fitness will continue offering online training sessions for those who do not feel comfortable heading into the gym just yet. Goodman said local YMCA members have access to virtual training sessions as well. Erika Hurst, owner of StrongHer Fitness, talks about reopening the business at 168 North Plains Industrial Road Suite #46, Wallingford.
Fred S. Siegel, M.D. Sally J. Irons, M.D.
Many gym-goers will be restarting their workout rouStrongher fitness offers small tine after months of no group, semi-private training. structured physical activity. “It’s never been more than three people in here per appointment time” said Hurst.
Hurst said that a lot of people get stuck in the all or nothing mindset.
Hurst will be further limiting her sessions to two people per hour.
“One of our favorite phrases here is, all or something...just take that one little step” said Hurst.
The Meriden, New Britain, and Berlin Y’s stated that reservations will be required in the fitness center, pool and group exercise areas to ensure that social distancing and capacity guidelines are met.
Hurst said that she will be scaling back her clients’ workout programs to adjust for the three months spent away from the gym.
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Hurst said that you can reach your fitness goals with minimal or no equipment by using your body weight to The Y is asking that members exercise and controlling the leave gym bags and personal tempo. belongings at home. “A really great way to make any exercise harder without
4. Starting from scratch
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The Meriden, New Britain, and Berlin Y’s statement included a section advising members to enter the facility ready to exercise in order to limit the amount of time spent in locker rooms.
“We also have a library of virtual workouts for our members” said Goodman.
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adding weight or using weight is to slow it down” said Hurst.
1. Japanese classical theater 4. Chess pieces 9. Pieces of writing 14. Doctors’ group 15. Capital of Guam 16. Type of turtle 17. Swiss river 18. MLB Hall of Famer 20. Places to sit 22. Fancy rides 23. One of Washington’s Tri-Cities 24. Without class 28. Male child 29. Keeps you cool 30. Biblical place 31. Italian city 33. District in central Turkey 37. Job for a grad student 38. Central nervous system 39. Arrange in steps
41. Witch 42. Promotional material 43. Having certain appendages 44. Approaches 46. One who did it (slang) 49. Of I 50. Blood relation 51. Works out 55. Female given name 58. Isaac’s mother (Bib.) 59. Makes someone happy 60. Creative 64. Small, faint constellation 65. S. American trees 66. Makes simpler 67. Neither 68. We all need it 69. Unique plastic utensil 70. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (abbr.)
1. Civil Rights group 2. Metropolis 3. Badgers 4. Regular business given to a store 5. Gets older 6. A bundle of banknotes 7. Midway between north and northwest 8. Takes to the sea 9. Prestigious film prize: __ d’or 10. Baltimore ballplayer 11. Removed 12. Term of respect 13. Genus containing pigs 19. Illumined 21. One who symbolizes something 24. Member of a Turkic people 25. The academic world 26. “Key to the Highway” bluesman 27. Hang-ups
31. Long, leafless flower stalk 32. Categorize 34. Loads 35. Indicates position 36. Unreasonable 40. Dorm worker 41. Dweller 45. Welsh female name meaning “snow” 47. Offering again 48. National capital 52. Firm, dry and brittle 53. 007’s creator 54. Allied H.Q. 56. Mackerels 57. Month of the Hindu year 59. Not odd 60. Belonging to a thing 61. “Boardwalk Empire” actress Gretchen 62. Religion 63. Equal, prefix
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“We have the big garage door that we open for extra ventilation” said Hurst.
3. Virtual training
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Friday, June 19, 2020
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Celebrate with us! Whether it is your Senior Class Pix, Virtual Prom, Graduation Pix or that special Home Schooling Selfie, please share your best 2020 picture with us!
Submit your photos at: www.myrecordjournal.com/seniorpictures
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High School Relationships: Are They Worth It?
Friday, June 19, 2020
June 19, 2020
A11
Volume 26, Issue 4
Thousands Protest at Hartford Capitol
On Saturday, June 6, By Zach Infeld 2020 at 10 a.m., thousands Walking around long distances, with 5.9% of people began marchCoginchaug, in the hordes (five students) saying that ing from Pope Park to the of students, you can spot they’ve had a long-disstudents holding hands, tance relationship (from a Capitol building. The very large crowd almost took cuddling, and talking. High state that’s not Connectischool is normally when cut). People may only want up a mile of space. While walking, they relationships start, with a relationship to make chanted statements like, most people beginning connections with others. dating and becoming intiWhether the relationships “I can’t breathe,” and “Get off my neck,” refermate with partners at this are within Coginchaug ring to the tragic death of age. A survey done by The or one of these longGeorge Floyd. They also Devil’s Advocate shows distance connections, yelled powerful statements that out of 90 students, homosexual relationships like, “Say her name- Bri51 respondents (56.7%) also happen during high anna Taylor, say his namecurrently want a formal school. Multiple couples dating relationship with a at Coginchaug in the past, George Floyd,” and “No justice, no peace, no racist peer. Relationships in high or currently, have been police.” school can be positive or same-sex, and the school Once the crowd arrived negative; however, the community has been at the Capitol, numerous costs and ruined connecmostly supportive. The black female representations with friends make survey showed that 97.8% tives of the state were high school relationships of respondents would there to support the crowd not worth it. support their friend if A major positive of havthey came out as LGBTQ+ ing a relationship in high [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, school is the ability to Transgender, Queer], and connect with other people. 95.6% of students would During relationships, support their friend while connections with others in a homosexual relationA huge topic people are develop, creating bonds ship. This is interesting, that people wouldn’t due to the communities of discussing is social media’s effects on people’s expect to occur. AccordDurham and Middlefield body image and what they ing to the survey, 58.7% voting more conservathink about themselves, of respondents said they tively in local and federal but have you ever thought are currently in a relation- elections. However, the ship with a partner from results show that students that these feelings may not necessarily be from social another grade, and 59.1% would support LGBTQ+ media, but what you are of respondents said they people, which could show choosing to look at? are currently in a relation- a change in the politiIf you go on Instagram, ship with a partner at a cal shift in Durham and Facebook, or any other different school. Connecsocial media platform, you Continued on page 2 tions can occur even from choose who you follow Visit CRHSnews.com for Inside This Issue... and what you want your easy recipes while staying feed to look like. Filling Durham Walk & Vigil -- 3 at home; featured pieces inCOVID-19 Articles ----- 4 clude Julia Harris’s crockpot your feed with peers, you know that they’re Pixel Buds 2 Review --- 5 chili and three-ingredient “Onward” Review ------ 6 cookies, Gabrielle Caporossi’s just showing their best pictures, but those ran“Mama Mia” Seniors --- 6 healthy but delicious snacks, dom accounts you follow Sydney Fowler’s sweet & Prison System Opinion 7 who show these beautiful Women in Hollywood - 7 sour chicken, and more. people who are exercising
By Sophie Molkenthin
and say a few words. They held signs that stated, “The evidence speaks for itself.” This was followed by a very powerful moment of silence during which the whole crowd stayed quiet and put their fists in the PHOTO BY SOPHIE MOLKENTHIN air for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the world are making histo commemorate George tory. Many people agree Floyd. that this civil rights moveThis protest and many ment is very necessary in others occurring around Continued on page 3
Is Social Media the Real Blame for People’s Thoughts on their Body Image? By Gabrielle Caporossi
and eating these healthy meals can make you harsher on yourself. They can make you harsher on yourself because these are strangers or acquaintances who you don’t know, so you don’t truly know what they look and act like. A 2017 study by Amy Slator, an associate professor at the University of West England, Bristol had 160 females look at fitspo images, inspirational quotes or a mix of both, which were all from real accounts on Instagram. After the girls looked at these images those who only viewed fitspo images scored lower on self compassion, and those who
viewed the inspirational quotes were nicer to themselves as well as felt better about their body. People who post fitspo images on social media do so to motivate and encourage people to exercise and eat healthy. These images do help some people, but for others it changes their mood and thoughts about their body seeing these in-shape women. Many women feel this insecurity about their bodies when they view someone on social media they believe is prettier than them. Studies have shown a link between viewing skinny and fit
Continued on page 2
A12 Friday, June 19, 2020 2
people comparing their bodies unfavorably, 50% of women and 37% of men do feel insecurities from looking at social media fit pictures. Fitness and mental health experts say that men are taught that they should be losing weight, but at the same time building up muscle because they are told their look matters. Abe Oloko; a body builder and an avid Instagrammer said, “Now more than ever men are pressured to be the ideal man
Relationships
Continued from page 1
Middlefield, although moderate conservatives and very religious liberals have been known to scrutinize the LGBTQ+ community. The members of HERO, Coginchaug’s Gender-Sexuality alliance, had their own opinions on this. A group of four HERO students from grades 9, 11, and 12 said, “Attitudes towards same gender relationships honestly vary a lot by group in Coginchaug. On average and in our experiences, cisgender girls are the most accepting of LGBTQ+ people, and LGB [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual] girls are often the most accepted while cisgender boys are (again, in our experiences and on average) less accepting and more likely to be less accepted if they were to come out. People’s reactions to same gender relationships vary by what group the people are in as well; if the people in the relationship are already
Volume 26, Issue 4
Social Media Pressures
Continued from page 1 women on social media have led some women to eating disorders. Not just women are affected by what they look at on social media. One survey conducted by Florida House Experience asked 1,000 men and women about their confidence, body image and media. This survey found that not only are women affected, but so are men: 87% of women and 65% of men compare their bodies to images they look at on social media. Looking into
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June 19, 2020
popular, many groups don’t see it as an issue at all, while more unpopular kids have a harder time being accepted and subsequently become more unpopular. Generally, the school is more accepting towards LGB people than transgender people.” The survey result around homophobia was also contradicted by HERO members. They said, “The common experiences include hearing homophobic and transphobic slurs yelled in the hallway, cafeteria, and bus (both targeted and not targeted) and transphobic jokes made against nonbinary people (most often of the ‘There are only two genders,’ or ‘I identify as an attack helicopter’ variety) in any area, especially when gender is mentioned during class or conversation.” Aside from possible scrutiny from peers, other negatives of having a high school relationship are
and body image is obviously attached to it, back in the day it didn’t really matter aman was looked at for what he can do and provide as a man, but now it’s more about what you look like”. Oloko is just one example of how men feel about their body image because of social media. Oloko began working out freshman year of college and said that he felt inadequate when he saw bigger, stronger men in magazines and on social media.
Now that you read how social media is affecting body image, here are some tips to help yourself from feeling this way if you are. The first tip is to stop following the accounts that are only promoting fitness and healthy diets who don’t show the fun things in life. From unfollowing these accounts start following accounts that are inspirational and that show life’s great qualities, some accounts are humansofny; a great account for inspirational stories,
actingonadream; a great account for inspirational pictures, _hi_anxiety_; a great account for inspirational quotes. No one can fix how you feel about your body but you. Slowly filling your feed with quotes and peers rather than random fitness accounts could help improve your confidence and how you view your body. Only change your body image if you feel you need to, not just because that’s what these big Instagrammers are doing.
more prominent. One of those is the cost. However, the survey respondents agreed. Out of the respondents, 36.8% said that they don’t spend money on their partner; however, the highest amount people spend on partners is $2550 with 31.6%. High school is when people get their first jobs and their driver’s licenses; the money they earn can be spent on getting and maintaining cars, buying food, and saving for the impending major investment of college, which shows how spending money on a relationship may not be the best use of financial resources for a student to spend at this time. Time is another negative about having a relationship. Students normally spend 0-1 classes (67.7%) and x-block (45.2%) with their partner during the school day. Spending time with a partner could take away from hanging out with friends, doing activities that only they enjoy, and time with family. Most
respondents stated that they spend 1-2 hours with their partner on social media or in after school activities. This shows that even though they are with their partner, in these cases, people can still be enjoying times with their friends. The biggest con for me is breakups. People could break-up from a relationship for multiple reasons. The highest number of respondents from the survey (62%) said that the main reason they broke up was because they (or their partner) did not want to be in a relationship. Breakups can severely ruin your relationships with your expartner. A change in lifestyle could occur for some people; however, 54.2% of students said that their lifestyle didn’t change. Yet, people may have to reshape their entire lives. Friendships may be ruined, activities may need to be altered, and lives could be changed. Going through my only break-up, we were both naturally
ready to break up, due to being in a long-distance relationship, and we decided we’d still be friends. An anonymous sophomore explained, “After my first break-up, I was more focused on homework and assignments, and I didn’t really engage in social activities. I wasn’t depressed; however, I was sad for a time, but then I got more active again.” Having a relationship in high school is both good and bad; however, there are more negatives than there are positives. The cost and time are valuable resources which can possibly disappear, and breakups can force someone to reshape their entire life. I personally am still on the fence about having a relationship in school. I’ve had interests in various people; however, I don’t want to risk connections I´ve made with them. I also want to build up strong relationships with my peers before I venture into the depths of the dating abyss.
2019-2020 Devil’s Advocate Staff Gabrielle Caporossi Adam Copeland Max Czellecz Ava Dell’Orfano
Sydney Fowler Julia Harris Zachary Infeld Mark Laudano
Sophie Molkenthin Jared Munro McKayla Murphy Thomas Peters
Luke Piquol Ava Pitruzzello Molly Shields Kerry Turecek
Contact Us Jenna Ulizio Lynna Vo Spencer Wondolowski
The Devil’s Advocate is the official student newspaper of Coginchaug Regional High School, located in Durham, CT, representing the towns of Durham, Middlefield, and Rockfall. The DA is a proud representative of Regional School District 13; however, this publication is student-run and does not assume to reflect the views of RSD13 administration or staff.
Email: crhsdevilsad@gmail.com Twitter: @crhsdevilsadv Facebook: Devil’s Advocate Coginchaug Phone: 860-349-7215 Adviser: Ms. Rebecca Suchy rsuchy@rsd13.org
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Hartford Capitol
Continued from page 1 order to push for more changes. Jordan Moore, a senior at Coginchaug Regional High School, was present at the Hartford protest along with many others. She states, “I feel that if this movement wasn’t happening now, it would have been bound to happen some time in the future. We need total reform because these government systems have been filled with racism for too long.” People around the world and nearby are ready for change and are taking many steps such as trying to educate people on issues they might not even know existed and holding many protests to bring awareness to systemic racism across America.
Friday, June 19, 2020
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3
Black Lives Matter: Community Walk & Vigil By Sadie Marosz
On Saturday, June 6, members of the DurhamMiddlefield community gathered to march from Strong School to the town green to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement and to honor the lives of the all people of color who have been wrongfully killed by police. Protestors kneeled for eight minutes and fortysix seconds on the Durham Town Green for a silent vigil. After the vigil, people gathered around the road-side edge of the green, holding signs and participating in chants such as, “White silence is violence!,” “Black lives matter!,” “No justice, no peace! No racist police!,” and other Black Lives Matter messages. Many cars driving by showed signs of support, waving and
Dark Side of Social Media By Adam Copeland
No matter what age bracket you’re in, you are most likely on social media, and what’s great about social media is you can connect with people from all over the world and be able to share news about your town and cities. You can share, post, snap every little thing that happens in your life. I personally like to see posts about people’s families and friends who are doing things together. I also like to see posts about skiing or the outdoors because that interests me. Recently social media has taken a dark turn and become a tool to spread hate rather than move our country forward. Social media has turned to hatred and disgust for people who support certain political parties and their opinions on people who support those political parties. Claiming a political figure or a political party to be racist and then saying anyone else who is
June 19, 2020
a member of that party is racist is a generalization. Republicans and Democrats on social media seem to be more focused on bashing each other back and forth than having productive conversations. Furthermore, social media allows someone to make a claim without evidence which then gets blown out of proportion by people continuing to share the invalid or generalized claim. Peaceful protest groups are standing up for the right thing, but other people are causing riots and looting which is turning into violence against innocent civilians across the nation. Social media is spreading videos of people destroying stores, killing people, and stealing items from hard working business owners. In Dallas, Texas May 31, 2020 a business owner was trying to defend his store with a sword from looters and rioters. They attacked him with rocks until he was
cheering and some even holding up protest signs of their own. After the protest dispersed around 1 p.m., a small group including myself walked from the town green to the Strong School parking lot displaying our signs and continuing these chants. The amount of community Community members walk from Strong School to the Durham Town involvement in Green to bring awareness to racial injustice and police brutality. this protest was PHOTO BY CHRIS BALAY amazing, and the justice in the past, but also make the changes necesamount of support I have seen for this protest new allies, which gives me sary for this community and the Black Lives Matter hope for the progress this to be a safe and welcomtown can make in improv- ing place for all people of movement in this coming our community. color. We must also listen munity is uplifting. I saw As a majority white com- to the black voices in this many familiar faces who munity, it is our responcommunity as we address I hoped and expected to the racism so prevalent in see, as they have outward- sibility to improve and educate ourselves and our towns. ly advocated for social unconscious. Social media has the power to showcase videos of violence which empowers other people to do the same because they believe that they are doing a service because of what happened to George Floyd. Truthfully, they are just breaking the law and causing unnecessary violence in their communities. If a group of people want to make a change violence is not the answer, just look at Martin Luther King and his peaceful protests. If you want something to change you should have peaceful protests and talk to your local, state, and national government officials to make a change. Social media has capitalized on the negatives of police officers and these riots leading to more people getting angry and more riots in other cities. I don’t think peaceful protests are unjustifiable, but burning down cities and rioting is not the right way to raise awareness about the memory of George Floyd. Even if these peaceful protests keep recurring
hopefully the peaceful protestors will stop blocking highways and roads. In Connecticut, a woman was in labor and because of a peaceful protest that blocked Route 34, the EMTs had to perform an emergency medical procedure. Imagine if that person was in cardiac arrest or if they just had a serious accident and died due to a protest. Protests started with an innocent man dying, and more innocent people might die because of these protests. That’s why social media isn’t always the best, it’s great for sharing things about families and friends and staying connected, but sometimes it only shows the negative in situations instead of both sides. Plus anyone can post something on social media whether it be true or not and no one facts check these sources which leads to anger and irritation of speeches and events that sometimes aren’t even true. As someone who is normally active on social
media keeping up with my family and friends who live in other towns or other states, I have gone absent from social media because of everything that’s going on. I’m not saying you should do the same, but next time you see a post about an event or a quote from a person or something that’s going on in the world, fact check it, before you share it, or share your opinions on it. You never know if it’s true or if it’s a fake post created by someone who does not support that person or that opinion. Now I’m not saying social media is bad there are some positives to it because in our town of Durham, Connecticut there was a peaceful gathering on the town green that was spread through social media and people posting about it. Social media is a great tool to spread awareness and keep in contact with distant family and friends, but it should not be used to share violence and hatred to other people who don’t share the same views as you do.
A14 Friday, June 19, 2020 4
Town Times | towntimes.com
June 19, 2020
Volume 26, Issue 4
Online Concerts Help During Post-Quarantine Schools Discussed by BOE By Thomas Peters Stay-At-Home Orders while in school? It is hard Wearing masks in school? reducing the number of By Jared Munro
During these unprecedented times, media outlets are finding many ways to get people connected and to entertain people while they are home and possibly worried. One of the biggest events is Global Citizen, which has been running for the last eight years and is a festival dedicated to trying to end the world’s biggest issues, like poverty. During the quarantine, they have been organizing an event called Together at Home, where if you take a pledge to stay home and social distance, you will get access to online concerts of artists performing in their homes. This time is rough for everyone not only because we have to isolate ourselves but also because of the little things, such as plans being cancelled and not being able to hang out with friends and family. As most in-person events have been cancelled, live streamed concerts such as Global Citizen and many others have been vital in how our modern society needs to connect. Last month, the World Health Organization and Global Citizen arranged an online concert hosted by Jimmy Fallon, featuring performers such as Lady Gaga, John Legend, Billie Eilish, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, and more. All of these artists performed in the comfort of their own homes while millions of people watched from their homes. While these performances were not the same as seeing an artist live, it felt surprisingly more intimate. Without hundreds of thousands of people surrounding a stage and only being able to see the artist as a tiny dot on the stage, clearly seeing the performer on your computer screen unobstructed is a welcome change.
While Global Citizens concerts garnered the most interest, other artists have found similar ways to host their own personal live events. Elton John hosted a benefit concert to support the frontline workers and those who have been affected by COVID-19 with iHeartRadio. Smaller performers such as the indie artist Clairo have performed new, unheard music over YouTube livestream. One of the most visually stunning takes on the stayat-home concert genre was most definitely the Travis Scott event in the video game Fortnite. This was a 10-minute event that took place in Fortnite where players were in a virtual concert event while Travis Scott songs such as “SICKO MODE,” “Goosebumps,” and “HIGHEST IN THE ROOM” were playing. This concert was not limited to the digital medium of live video, as this was a preplanned event in a video game. As such, this was undoubtedly the most visually stunning of all of these examples. This event is debatably not an actual concert in the same sense as the others, but I believe it was achieving the same goal, which was to bring people together in these difficult times using music that brings people together. These uncertain times have been difficult for everyone, including those who work in the music industry. As people have stopped paying for music through streaming services, artists rely on revenue from other assets, such as tours. Now that all live events have been cancelled, artists have been getting their money from people donating through their live streams, while the artists are providing a needed service during difficult times.
School on a bi-weekly schedule? Small class sizes? Welcome to possible post-quarantine education. On Wednesday night, May 27, the RSD13 Board of Education discussed unofficial plans and scenarios on how the reopening of schools for the fall semester might appear. In doing so, Superintendent of Schools Kathryn Serino presented challenges that the district would face during the reopening of the public schools. These challenges included
students attending school each day, having social distancing on buses, class sizes, number of teachers, and prioritizing the mental health and well-being of students. The Board cautioned that if the schools are to reopen, the virus will still be in existence. This would mean schools would have to mandate the wearing of appropriate PPE while in school, along with other sanitary actions. How would students maintain social distancing
to fathom the total complexity of social distance while in school. There is much that would need to be done on a daily basis. District buildings would have to continually follow CDC guidelines in order to stay in operation. The CDC has yet to present clear guidelines for the opening of schools; however, it will most likely entail strict sanitization--anything and everything that comes in contact with anyone must be cleaned. Bathrooms,
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Healthcare Workers Deserve More Pay By Adam Copeland Healthcare workers are courageous adults who take care of us when we are in the worst situation of our lives. They don’t ask for much; some are fathers or mothers who come home after a long day of work to their families. But during Covid-19, many of those healthcare workers come home, and they can’t see their family; then they wake up and go back the next day and the day after that. So why is it that a CT registered nurse means pay is only $81,220 a year? Why isn’t it more? They risk their lives for us, and they can’t make as much as superstars or lawyers? An average lawyer makes around $120,000 a year. That’s not to say that lawyers should be mak-
ing less. But healthcare workers have to deal with high levels of stress and sometimes PTSD or other mental health problems because of what they have to do and deal with. So how come a superstar football player can make millions of dollars a year? For example, Bryce Harper makes 10 million dollars a year playing baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies, but a Patient Care Technician in Connecticut only makes $30,150 a year. So why do we put so much money into our entertainment but not into healthcare and safety? I think we need to put more money into our healthcare systems. I think this pandemic is a wake up call, showing that we
need to treat our healthcare workers better, and we need to prepare for pandemics like this for the future. According to USA Today, the United States stockpile of medical supplies and masks was depleted from the H1N1 outbreak in 2009 and was never replenished from the Obama administration, despite calls to do so. As someone who wants to go into the healthcare field, I know nurses and other healthcare workers through my life as a ski patroller, and they can’t go home and can’t see their families every day. So while you’re suffering through this quarantine, just imagine what a healthcare worker is going through with their family.
2020: The Year Without a Durham Fair By Luke Piquol
For many of us longtime Durham and Middlefield residents, we have grown up with the Durham Fair. Some of our fondest memories might be riding the ferris wheel, seeing performances on the big hill, or even getting a big donut. Some of us have never missed a fair; this will be the first time the fair has closed in 76 years. On May 14, Durham Fair
President Daniel Mirament took to social media to announce the news to the public. In the post, Mirament says, “Given these challenging and changing times, we have been faced with making a very difficult decision regarding our historic fair.” Prior to this, the fair has only been closed four times. Three of those
times were due to World War II (1942-1944) and another due to the hurricane of 1938. Even though many are heartbroken about the situation, Mirament feels it is the right decision to make in these uncertain times. The fair is rescheduled for 2021, and even though people will miss it this year, it will make next year’s fair sweeter.
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books, chairs and desks, computers, door handles, handrails, printers, and water fountains are only a fraction of the hotspots that would need to be cleaned regularly. Students, and especially staff, will maintain the six feet apart from one another, i.e. chairs and desks would be spaced out six feet apart from one another. As of now, the board believes there is not enough space in classrooms to do that. One suggestion was to cut class sizes in order to maintain a six-foot distance from one another. This would mean administrators would have to initiate a schedule in which half of the students would attend schools on a rotating basis with possibilities of an every-other-day school schedule or everyother-week schedule. The majority of students rely on school bus transportation to get to and
from school. Thought being six feet apart in a classroom was hard? Think about maintaining six feet apart on buses… This would mean more buses would have to be used by the district. Not only will the buses become more expensive to operate but the undertaking of operations in schools will also be subjected to higher expenses. The district is also worried about teachers. The COVID-19 virus shows that the older a person is, the more susceptible they are to the negative effects the virus brings. Some teachers may be high-risk or live with someone who is high-risk, so they may not feel comfortable going to work. The district is expecting some teachers to stay out of school until there is a vaccine. A teacher shortage in schools can make for an even more problematic situation. Students who are considered high-risk due to pre-existing condi-
Review: Pixel Buds 2 By Spencer Wondolowski
Apple Airpods have dominated the wireless earbuds space ever since they were initially released in 2016. As an Android user, I never got the Airpods because I like to keep in the same family of products and also I thought the Airpods looked really stupid. When Google announced their next gen Pixel Buds back in October 2019, I was so excited because I, along with many others, thought that they could be the “Airpods of Android”. The Google Pixel Buds 2 offer five hours of battery life when listening to music or watching videos and close to two-and-ahalf hours of battery life when using the phone. The charging case holds an extra 24 hours of charge, and it also has wireless charging capabilities, or they come with a new USB Type-C charging cable. The earbuds have fast charging: with just 10 minutes
in the case you get two hours of listening time. The earbuds have a sweat and water resistance of IPX4. This means that they are resistant to splashing water from any direction and they offer no dust resistance. I ordered my Pixel Buds 2 back in early May, and due to the pandemic, they took a little over three weeks to arrive in the mail. When I opened the box, all you see is the charging case, and that is it. The case is modeled to look like a river stone and has such a nice weight to it, and the feel of the plastic of the case is so smooth and feels really premium in the hand. My initial response to the setup was impressed since I have an Android device. The pairing was fast and easy. From the time I opened the lid of the charging case, I was listening to music through the earbuds
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tions will most likely stay at home as well. To make sure that students and staff are well protected, it is possible for there to be temperature check-points before entering school buildings. There may also be quarantine rooms for students who come down with expected symptoms of COVID-19. If that were to happen, the school will most likely need to close down for cleaning. As more and more experts are predicting a second wave to occur, it is most likely that the district will move back to at-home learning. The original purpose of the May 27 Board of Education meeting was to adopt the annual budget. The board unanimously voted to approve the budget; however, they assume the total costs of this upcoming school year will change due to the COVID-19 modifications. Like with most budgets presented, some members of the community were upset
about the cost; however, this time was different, due to the executive order executed by Governor Ned Lamont (Executive-OrderNo-7HH-Section-13): “Any requirement for a vote on such budgets or mill rates by residents, electors, or property owners, including, but not limited to, any vote by annual town meeting or referendum. All conditions precedent to any such adoption, including without limitation, public notices, hearings, or presentations, shall proceed in a manner as closely consistent with the applicable statutes, special acts, town charters, municipal ordinances, resolutions or procedures as possible, and in compliance with the open meeting provisions set forth in Executive Order No. 7B. Nothing in this order shall invalidate or repeal the results of any vote on a budget or tax rate held by annual town meeting or referendum before the effective date of this order.”
The narrative that everything will normalize itself once school starts again is irrational. The effect of this pandemic will be felt for years to come, and the old way of doing things will be diminished-especially in education. The economic impact of this pandemic will most likely cause students to go to cheaper universities, take on more student loans, and be financially unstable when entering the workforce. Recent data released from the US Department of Labor shows that Millennials are experiencing the worst GDP growth in United States history and is expecting Gen-Z’s growth to be similar or even worse off. These small growths in income are delaying life achievements like buying a car, buying a home, getting married, or having children. These issues will impact generations to come, and it will be up to us to solve them.
in less than 10 seconds. All you had to do was flip open the lid of the case, and your phone (Android only) instantly recognized and paired the device and also immediately downloaded the companion app. Once the initial pairing of the earbuds was complete, they were ready to be used as is, but the beauty of the Pixel Buds 2 is not just that you have a pair of wireless earbuds, but you also have a personal assistant in your ear. The Pixel Buds 2 are highly integrated with the Google Assistant. Setup for the assistant is simple, and the Pixel Buds 2 companion app walks you through it step by step, and you can be talking to your earbuds within two minutes. They also will only respond to your voice through voice match, so if you are wearing them and someone says “Ok Google ‘’ around you, they won’t begin to listen. The Pixel Buds 2 host a load of features such
as in-ear detection. This detects if the earbuds are in your ear, and they will either turn on or off to conserve battery life. The earbuds are not active noise canceling, such as the Apple Airpods Pro, but they have a similar feature called adaptive sound that will adjust the volume of the earbuds in accordance to your environmental sounds. This means if you are listening to music in a quiet room and then you walk outside and mow your lawn, your music will adjust to appear to be the same volume as it was in the quiet room. Both of these features are able to be turned on or off in the companion app. One other feature that I truly love about the Pixel Buds 2 is the touch control on both of the buds. On either one of the buds, you have the touch surface which you can interact with. One tap to this surface will answer calls or pause music. Two taps will skip songs or hang up
if you are on a phone call. Three taps will actually go to the previous song or video that you were watching or listening to. If you swipe forward, the volume goes up, and if you swipe backwards, the volume lowers. I really enjoy the touch controls, and I have found myself using them constantly; however, the only drawback to me is that the small size of the touch surface takes some getting used to. My first day or so, I found myself tapping my ear just as much as the earbuds. After using them every day for home and work use, the Pixel Buds 2 are great, but as any new tech product that was just released, there are some noticeable glitches. The biggest one to me is bluetooth connectivity. The buds are advertised to be able to connect from 60 feet away, and I found that I can go about 40 feet or so, and then the signal
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gets pretty noticeably choppy. Also on occasion, they will just cut out for me in the middle of watching YouTube videos, and I have to re-pair them to my phone to get them to work again. Also, I have a Surface Laptop 3, and they do not really like to pair with my laptop all that well. This is really the only glitch, but for wireless earbuds, bluetooth connectivity is literally everything. I first thought I had gotten a defective unit, but I did a simple Google search and found that a lot of people are experiencing identical scenarios just as I am. I also found that Google is already planning on releasing firmware updates to fix these problems as soon as possible. As I said, these earbuds have only been available for a month
now, and I was in the second wave of people to get these, and every new tech device released has bugs that arise in the first fews weeks to months of availability. With the Pixel Buds 2 being priced at $180 dollars, they are on the mid to upper end of the spectrum when it comes to wireless earbuds. With this price, you get so many other features than you would just get in a pair of, say, regular Airpods. With all of this being said, I would recommend the Pixel Buds if you are an Android user and you want more than just a pair of earbuds; however, I would say to wait a month or two until Google fixes their bluetooth issue so this way you can get the optimum experience from your Pixel Buds.
“Onward” on Disney+ By Ava Dell’Orfano
Since its run in theaters was cut short by the start of quarantine, “Onward,” a Disney film released in early March, has been unfortunately overlooked. The film was sent straight to Disney+, Disney’s streaming platform, so anyone hoping to see the film but without a Disney+ account has been left bitterly disappointed. That reaction is not without reason, either, because this film is honestly one of the best movies Disney has produced in a while. Without relying on any pre-established universes or characters or tropes that would have people flocking to the box offices, “Onward” built an interesting, wholesome, and entirely original story. Its unpredictable, moving plotline and brilliant character development prove it deserving of the same, if not higher, level of excitement and praise of other recent Disney releases. “Onward” is genuinely a genius way to spread important messages to
Pixar’s young audience through fun characters, beautiful animation, and incredible writing that deserves more attention than it got. “Onward” is the tale of two elf brothers living in a world whose magical roots have been long forgotten. It used to be a land of quests and spells, but, because those required hard work and discipline, many turned to a simpler way to get by: technology. The protagonist, Ian, is perfectly comfortable in this world lacking magic and is just trying to fit in. He spends his time dealing with the issues of a typical teenager, not a wizard from the times of yore. His older brother, Barley, on the other hand, loves the magical history of his home. What the boys do have in common is the loss of their father. Barley was very young when their father passed, and Ian never even met him. It is not until Ian’s sixteenth birthday that he has the chance to see his father
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Volume 26, Issue 4
Seniors Say, “Thanks for the Music!” By Ava Pitruzzello
The Coginchaug Theater Department was scheduled to perform “Mamma Mia!,” and for seniors, this would have been their last show at CRHS. The senior leads worked hard rehearsing to put on a great show before school was closed due to COVID-19. Hook in Peter Pan, and Sophie in Mamma Mia!, Conner Byrne has been Lumiere in Beauty and the a dedicated member of and Marty in Grease. Not Beast. only does Claire have the music department experience on stage but Sam Castiglia was excited since his freshman year to play his first lead role in she also shines as a stage and started doing plays manager, which she wants a CRHS production. Some in middle school. He has of Sam’s past roles have played his favorite roles to pursue as a career. been The White Rabbit in Luke Piquol has been a from Billy Arnold in Back Alice in Wonderland and to the 80s to Cogsworth in major contributor to the George from Schoolhouse theater department in Beauty and the Beast. Rock. Sam got involved in Jordan Moore has enjoyed the last four years. For Luke, theater was a way to theater to spend time with musical theater since she friends doing something was little. Her favorite break out of his shell and fun after school. roles have been Morticia in get more involved in the Pierce Stephan has been The Addams Family, Rizzo Coginchaug community. dedicated to music and His favorite role has been in Grease, and Dorothy in theater since a young age. Doody in Grease. The Wizard of Oz. “I love Pierce has always wanted excelling at something,” Dylan Sartor has a pasto tell stories, and his fasion for acting and plans says Jordan. to pursue a career onstage. vorite roles have been The Claire Linden-Dionne has Dylan has been involved in Baker in Into the Woods, been involved in theater Gomez Addams in The a variety of productions, since she was in third but his favorite roles have Addams Family, and The grade. Her favorite roles Beast in Beauty and the been Michael Feldman in have been the Beggar Beast. Back to the ‘80s, Captain Woman in Sweeney Todd, for the very first time in the form of a “Visitation Spell” he left behind for his sons. After the initial spell goes wrong, Ian and Barley have to go on a real fantasy quest if they want to bring their father back before time runs out. Ian must learn to face his fears and trust his brother as they ride off in Barley’s eccentrically customized van, Guinevere, to retrieve a magical relic, the Phoenix gem, so they can cast the spell and see their dad. This movie is truly one of the most well done kids movies I have seen in a while. The animation is gorgeous, the character development is thorough and poignant, and the performances by Tom Holland as Ian and Chris Pratt as Barley were amazing, especially because neither of these stars is known for voice acting. Above all else, however, “Onward” offered us something different. Without a magical princess or cape-wearing superhero in sight, this film was able to build a whole universe from the ground up. New char-
acters, new rules, new themes; it gave us everything we never knew we needed from Disney. Sure, Disney has done the importance of familial love, and yes, Disney has given us colorful fantasy creatures, but I cannot pinpoint a single time until this film when they have made so many important statements. Not only was there blatant commentary on how technology sometimes causes us to lose touch with what is important in life but there were also messages of self-confidence, grief, and independence. They even made clear efforts to include different kinds of relationships like the boys’ mother’s new partner or the several LGBTQ+ relationships represented. This may be the first Disney movie in which basically every child can look at the screen and see something that looks like their real life. Not only did they manage to do all of that but they did it without sacrificing any plot elements. The writing for this film was stellar. From
the incredibly moving sequences to the hilarious bouts of comedy, “Onward” nailed every aspect. The true injustice surrounding this movie is that it lost its chance at the success it deserves. Due to the unfortunate closing of movie theaters all over the world, “Onward” did not have access to a huge portion of its target audience. Not everyone who would have seen it in theaters has access to Disney+, which is why it could not truly shine like the gem it is. It deserved the attention that movies like “Frozen II” or “Toy Story 4” got, but it was regretfully stripped of that opportunity. If you have access to Disney+, I implore you to give this film a chance; do not overlook “Onward” as just another Disney film because I promise it is not. As one of the most moving, well written, and beautifully animated Disney films available to stream, “Onward” definitely deserves a place on your quarantine watchlist.
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Gatekeeping in Hollywood has Pervasive Ramifications for Women in Society By Ava Pitruzzello When a novel like Little Women, written in 1868, has pointed messages about femininity that are relevant enough today to inspire a film adaptation, it becomes clear that women still have a long way to go before being truly equal in society. Despite a record number of movies directed by women released in 2019, no female directors were nominated for Best Director for both the Golden Globes and the Oscars, and only one film directed by a woman was nominated for the Oscar Best Picture category. When the elite groups in Hollywood refuse to acknowledge the fantastic work of women in film, they are affirming women don’t deserve to be included among the
great filmmakers. They are affirming women do not get to tell the story of the world; men do. Movies are such an influential medium through which to tell stories because they act as mirrors being held up to society, and they can offer a perspective never seen before. The finest movies give their audience a newfound perspective of their world and the people in it. Movies also let people follow a character and their journey. One can experience a world they never would have lived in and learn from the characters in that universe. For two hours, more or less, one can abandon their life and live in the world of someone else, growing from their mistakes and reveling in their achievements. Everyone is susceptible
to the influential nature of film, regardless if you are a movie buff or not. Our world is shaped by the media we consume and the characters we glorify or villainize. During awards season, the elite groups in Hollywood take this influence one step further; they tell the rest of the world which stories are worth telling. So when only white men are getting Oscar nominations, only white male stories matter. Many of the 2020 Oscar nominees (Ford v. Ferrari, The Irishman, Joker, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, 1917) have something in common: they are stories about men, told by men. Furthermore, most of the greatest movies, according to American culture, follow the narrative of a man or a group of men. This includes The God-
A Different Perspective on Punishment By Sydney Fowler
The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. According to Bustle Digital Group’s publication Mic, America “has only 5% of the world’s population but one-quarter of its prisoners.” Our prisons are “dangerously overcrowded” and hold nearly 10 times as many mentally unstable people as state hospitals. The American prison system was established in 1891 and has been developing ever since. The first prisons in the US were established to create an alternative to the conditions present in the previous dungeon prisons. This newer system originated to create a less brutal environment and allow inmates to do activities such as read; however, current trends in American prisons remain controversial. Kevin Rashid Johnson, co-founder of the New African Black Panther Party, is serving a life sentence in prison. He wrote an article with The Guardian in an attempt to expose the
wrongdoings of the American prison system. He expresses his perspective with examples of firsthand experience. Johnson says, “I see prison labor as slave labor that still exists in the United States in 2018. In fact, slavery never ended in this country.” In prisons in Texas and Florida, inmates were put into chains, taken into fields, and forced to grow all the food for the inmates to eat. They were watched by guards on horses carrying firearms. Prisoners all across America are kept in-line through violence and coercion. When these prisoners refuse to participate in labor, they are put in solitary confinement. Johnson has spoken out against the prison system many times before, and it hasn’t gone without punishment: “In the past three decades, I have endured every level of abuse they have to offer: I have been starved, beaten, dehydrated, put in freezing cold cells, attacked with attack
dogs, rendered unconscious, chained to a wall for weeks. There’s nothing left to fear.” American prisoners are treated like animals. Some current and former guards are card-carrying members of the KKK. With a job that puts you in a position of authority over people of the race that you are hateful toward, there is often abuse that comes with it. Aside from the racial component, almost all inmates are beaten by guards, starved, and demoralized, according to Johnson. The treatment of inmates has become a topic many Americans are dissatisfied with. According to The Week, the majority of Americans agree on three fundamental moral norms of punishment: punishments should be proportional to crimes; like cases should be treated alike; criminal punishments should not do more harm than good. While it’s difficult to identify a precise formula to accomplish the three norms in every prisoner’s case, it’s quite easy
father, Citizen Kane, The Shawshank Redemption, and the list goes on. The women, if there are any present, are secondary characters, usually only there to help the man or seduce the man. This issue is not specific to this movie season either; rather it is a reflection of the history of women being consistently shut out of Hollywood. According to the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, in 2009, 7% of the 250 top-grossing films were directed by women and in 2019 12% of the 100 top-grossing films were directed by women. It may seem like the lack of women being nominated for Oscars and Golden Globes is rather trivial, but the ramifications on society are more perva-
sive than one may think. The title “Oscar nominee” comes with ethos. So when an overwhelming number of the nominated films are stories told for and by white men, the themes of those movies are believed to be representative of the most important values in society. As a result, people of color and women are left out, and their values appear to be inferior. Stories about brotherhood are “inspiring” while stories about sisterhood are “chick-flicks”. The history of the film Little Women perfectly captures the effect of the male gatekeeping in Hollywood. When this classic novel was adapted for film in 1994, it was a struggle to get this tale to the big screen.
to spot that these are not being adequately achieved within our system. Other countries seem to have a better idea of how to punish criminals without violence and trepidation. Sweden, for example, has far lower incarceration and crime rates than America. While these statistics have many factors that influence the numbers, their different way of viewing criminals and the methods with which they punish people is eye-opening. The Nordic Model of the prison system is designed to minimize the number of people who enter and re-enter, according to The Mic. With, “inclusive societies, wildly shared prosperity and low degree of racial tension,” this model was created to treat all the inmates as “humans with psychosocial needs.” This system includes prison guards who double as social workers. Many countries in the Nordic region value mental health far more than America does, which can explain our very different approaches to the matter. This model
places priority on the well-being of these people and provides resources that help them get better from a variety of mental illnesses that caused their unlawful behavior. The general of Sweden prison and probation service Nils öberg tells The Mic, “Some people have to be incarcerated, but it has to be a goal to get them back out into society in better shape than they were when they came in.” In America, there is a stigma around people who have been to prison. This label changes the image you have created for yourself, and you are shown very little mercy when put back in the real world. The Nordic Model comes from a perspective of rehabilitation. This takes away the stigma and makes the outside population more forgiving and understanding of their mistakes, allowing them to grow. The idea of open prisons is very prevalent in the Nordic system. If the crime fits the appropriate classifications, criminals are put into these prisons. In
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In this system, prisoners stay in housing that is a lot like college dorms. They have access to tv and sound systems. They are even able to commute to a job and to see family, all while being electronically monitored with an ankle device. They aren’t expected to wear any type of uniform, and they even eat with the staff in community spaces. Now this may sound like a very far-fetched version of punishment, but within the appropriate range of severity of a crime, these prisoners’ punishments are simply removing the inmates’ freedom. This can be more effective than a closed prison system because it doesn’t distract the prisoner from the behavior that brought them there. Doran Larson, journalist for The Atlantic, researched these systems and puts this idea into perspective by saying, “Imagine living on ... knowing every minute of every day, that this is not your home, these people are not your family, your friends, your children, and you are always one misstep from a cell in a closed prison. You have strict curfews. In town, you carry an electronic anklet. Yet nothing here feels unfair or unreasonable. You have, after all, committed a crime serious enough to make a range of other remedies untenable. Nothing you can see or touch or smell or taste, and no interaction with staff, gives you anything to blame or resent about the system that brought you here.” Being new to this idea, a typical American’s perspective might see this system as naive, to assume that prisoners can be treated as normal people who have the potential to improve their character. But when you tell someone they cannot do something and don’t provide them
with any type of support in doing so for long enough, odds are they never will. But, telling someone they can get better and granting them the rehabilitation they need is a far more effective way to prevent inmates from returning to the prison system. The world’s countries are formed from different beliefs, making it foolish to think that adapting this system would fix everything. While there are many different political, social, and economic differences that make this system effective in Sweden and other countries, there is a lot to learn from their approach to the issue. The whole idea of treating inmates as people with mental health issues, no matter how minor, can affect how guards treat them. Working to create a system that can put criminals back into society with a high potential to be successful in this country would significantly help our incarceration rates-providing an environment that helps strengthen the mental stability of prisoners rather than breaking it down. Prisons should punish the criminal for their behavior by taking away their freedom and then allowing them to improve their character in order to give them a chance at having a life after prison. Keeping prisoners in the cycle of re-entering prison doesn’t benefit our country economically or socially--without mention of how it affects all of their lives. Reducing incarceration rates would allow America to close some of our 1,719 state prisons which would cause fewer expenses as well. Allowing incarcerated people to return to regular civilization with an opportunity to give back would improve our society.
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Volume 26, Issue 4
Gatekeeping in Hollywood Continued from page 7 “At that time, it was almost impossible to get female-driven films made,” said producer Denise Di Novi. “They called them ‘needle in the eye’ movies, where a guy would say to his wife, ‘I’d rather have a needle in the eye than go to that movie.’” 25 years later, not much progress had been made. Movies that tell the stories of women and are directed by women still barely achieve critical acclaim. Some notable examples of female-directed films being snubbed in 2019 include The Farewell, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Booksmart, Hustlers-- to name a few. It is no surprise these films were snubbed; these stories focused around values and themes that are either specific to women or are perceived to be feminine. For example, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, directed by Marielle Heller, may be a story about two men, but the main theme is the importance of forgiveness and compassion, traits often associated with femininity. Considering the film had a star-studded cast and 96% Rotten Tomatoes critic score (to put that into perspective, Joker received a 68%), it would seem it would be an Oscar Nomination for Best Picture, yet it was snubbed. Both Ford vs. Ferrari and Booksmart are similar in that they tell a story about friendship, but they have two key differences. The first difference is one tells the story of friendship between two ambitious men (cars and male violence included of course) while the other tells the story of two ambitious women. The other difference is one is considered to be “Oscar material” while the other is not. When women aren’t the
At the 2020 Oscars, Natalie Portman wore a dress that featured names of female film directors who have been snubbed by award shows.
ones writing the female roles in the most prominent movies, the female characters that do get portrayed are not authentic. This is how female tropes were born and why they persist. Female characters more often than not are caricatures, gross magnifications of female stereotypes. One common example is the “dumb blonde” stereotype that plagues American pop culture. These topes fuel misogyny in our society because it creates a hatred of women who only exist in films, not in real life. And when you are watching these movies as a young girl, you start to believe that these stereotypes are what it means to be a girl. As a result, there is now a culture of women not wanting to associate with other women. When male-created characters dominate the media, it makes sense women want to emphasize that they “aren’t like other girls”, because who would want to be ditzy and one-dimensional? Moreover, when male filmmakers get to dictate who the love interest for the protagonist is going to be, they have the power to dictate what the most desirable characteristics of a woman are. This concept of the “perfect girl” serves to shame all the “annoying” qualities of women and propagates all the qualities that benefit men. This trope is quite
recognizable, she likes beer, sports, and cars. She is drop-dead gorgeous but she does not put any effort or care into her appearance. One prominent example is Mary in Something About Mary. Spoiler, that “something” about her is the fact that she is “not like other girls” but still beautiful. She plays golf, watches sports, and likes to eat meat on a stick. Young girls are conditioned to base their appearance and lifestyle on what is most desirable to men because that is what all the women in the movies they watch do. The most dangerous ramification is that when women strive to be this “perfect girl”, they must first sacrifice their womanhood and submit to the notion that being a girl is shameful. Simply put, the lack of authentic female characters makes it much harder for women to succeed because it propagates the belief that we live in a man’s world. Movies are such an integral part of American society; therefore, they are integral to the fight against sexism. It is time for the elite groups of Hollywood to make room for the many incredibly talented female filmmakers. When the stories of women told by women start to be recognized at the very top, the value of women’s lives will trickle down and permeate every facet of American society.
Town Times | towntimes.com
Friday, June 19, 2020
In Brief
Library p.m. Join Michelle “Shel” Griffis on Zoom as she offers tips on how to explore the wine trail. Register at durhamlibrary.org.
Imagine Your Story: Using the U.S. Census in Family Heart display. Make a heart Research. Wednesday, July to display in the library win- 8, 7 p.m. Join professional dows. Bring your creations genealogist Bryna O’Sullivan to the library and drop in the on Zoom. Register at collection box. durhamlibrary.org. Programs for Book drop: kids and teens: The library book drops are Summer Reading 2020. now open. Summer Reading officially Curbside pickup: begins Monday, June 22. Reading logs will be availCurbside pickup has started. able for pick-up outside the You may place holds on library, the summer proitems available at the gramming page will go live and Jester Jim will perform a Durham Public Library only. live show on YouTube for the Holds will be ready the day kick-off event. Visit durham- after the request is made. Visit durhamlilibrary.org for details. brary.org for more information. Crafts. If you’re looking for activities to do with your Digital resources: kids, check out the Crafting Corner on durhamliDurham Public Library ofbrary.org. Click on the fers a wide array of digital “Kids” tab. resources, Visit durhamlibrary.org. Social Distancing All ages:
Bingo. Print out bingo cards at durhamlibrary.org and start filling in the squares by performing tasks that encourage learning, family interaction, helpfulness and creative play.
STUFF TO SELL?
Programs for adults:
203-238-1953
Stuff-A-Cruiser
monitor all CDC and State of Connecticut guidelines, rules and policies as related to youth and adult activities. Visit durhamct.recdesk.com/ Community/Home. For more information, contact Sherry Hill at 860-343-6724; shill@townofdurhamct.org.
Troop F and Durham-Middlefield Youth and Family Services will sponsor a StuffA-Cruiser food drive Saturday, June 20, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 405 Main St., Middlefield. Non-perishable items will be collected to benefit area families who are in need of generosity due Cat Tales challenge to the pandemic. Throughout June, Cat Tales is holding the "(Way before End of Summer ChalSummer programs the) lenge." Check out cattalesct.org and help Cat Durham Recreation will be Tales support its mission of holding summer programs protecting homeless cats. and will closely follow and
Girl Scouts The newly formed "Friends of the Durham-Middlefield Girl Scouts" community group is open to former Girl Scout volunteers, parents and alum who would like to continue supporting the mission of Girl Scouting in our community. Involvement can include anything from simply buying Girl Scout cookies to attending fundraising events or other activities to sharing stories and skills with the girls. See Briefs, A24
Quality Homecare for Seniors
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Durham Public Library, 7 Maple Ave. 860-3499544, durhamlibrary.org. Follow the library on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
A19
Call Us.
Exploring the CT Wine Trail. Wednesday, June 24, 7
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A20
Town Times | towntimes.com
Friday, June 19, 2020
Your Local Chambers...
Here for you before. Here for you now. We’re here to help our local businesses during this crisis and beyond. We would love to partner with you to help your business too. Rosanne P. Ford President r.ford@midstatechamber.com 203-235-7901
Dee Prior-Nesti Executive Director dee@quinncham.com 203-269-9891
midstatechamber.com
quinncham.com
FACEBOOK:
FACEBOOK:
Midstate Chamber of Commerce
Quinnipiac Chamber of Commerce
■ Helping businesses secure critical PPP and other loans and grant funding ■ Providing free services, webinars and advice ■ Publicizing businesses and restaurants that are open and/or have offers and specials ■ Communicating quickly about state business assistance tools, programs and key information
Barbara Hekeler Executive Director barbara@southingtonchamber.com 860-628-8036
Yetta Augur President yetta@cheshirechamber.org 203-272-2345
southingtonchamber.com
cheshirechamber.org
FACEBOOK:
FACEBOOK:
Southington Chamber
Cheshire Chamber of Commerce
You’re helping your local businesses AND you’re helping your local chamber.
■ Launching collection programs for non-profits ■ And much more!
How can you help? We are funded by our members, so here’s how to support your local chambers so we can continue to help our business community:
Become a Chamber Member Today
Visit your local Chamber’s website and click on Membership
Gift or Sponsor a Chamber Membership Contact the Chamber Presidents above
Town Times | towntimes.com
Friday, June 19, 2020
A21
Seniors The Middlefield Senior & Social Services Department hours have changed. The new hours are: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Individuals who are in need of assistance should call 860-349-7121.
Senior Meal Program. Frozen meals are being delivered each Monday and are available for pick-up after 12 p.m. at the Middlefield Community Center. Call 860-349-7121 by Wednesday of each week to register. Food bank. Call 860-3497121 to make arrangements for pick-up or drop-off. Need a mask? Masks are available at the Senior & Social Services office. Call 860349-7121. Wellness checks. The Middlefield Senior Center staff will be doing wellness check-in phone calls during this time to ensure that members of our community are safe. Call 860-349-7121.
Let us help you find the perfect place to eat.
Whether it’s a celebration, date night, or just grabbing a bite to eat, this list of local restaurants is sure to satisfy your taste buds.
Find great local eats - MenusCT.com Adelphia Café 476 Washington Avenue North Haven, CT 06473 203-535-0149 Family owned/operated. Former proprietors of the Neptune Diner in Wallingford. Extensive menu for all tastes. Breakfasts, luncheons and special dinners. All baking on premises.
Colony Diner
611 N Colony Road Wallingford, CT 06492 (203) 269-9507 colonydiner.com Wallingford’s place to go for oldfashioned breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Proudly serving up delicious and hearty meals daily. Voted Best Diner 4 years running by Record Journal. Open seven days. Breakfast served all day.
Athena II Diner
320 Washington Ave, North Haven, CT 06473 203.239.0663 www.athena2diner.com Open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Serving breakfast, lunch, & dinner. Accept Q Cards. Serving North Haven for 30 years. Daily specials and full liquor available.
Duchess of Wallingford 124 Church St. Wallingford, CT 06492 (203) 265-9431 www.facebook.com/pages/ Duchess -of-Wallingford/119682821380599 Celebrating Over 25 Years in Wallingford! Our Success comes from dedication to quality,freshness & variety! Breakfast cooked to order. Open 7 days for breakfast lunch & dinner.
Take time to smell the flowers This is Masonicare.
#AgelessBeauty Discover the beauty, safety and security of our community. Call Today!
Call 860.852.4564 R228520v2
Zoom exercise classes. Classes are held Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Call 860-3497121 to register.
Welcome to On The Menu.
317 West Main Street . Chester, CT 06412
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Town Times | towntimes.com
Friday, June 19, 2020
Tax relief options available to residents
YES! WE’RE OPEN! CALL NOW: (203) 888-5560
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Meanwhile, the lower interest program will charge residents 3 percent interest per month on taxes instead of the typical 18 percent rate. All state residents qualify for this program.
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Now EVERY DAY we completely sanitize all our equipment when it returns to the shop, all equipment is also treated with our Microbe Shield Protectant which keeps our equipment Germ-Free for up to 30 days. Equipment is also treated with a disinfectant in between jobs as a precaution.
www.brilliantbasementwaterproofing.com HIC. 0653192 • CALL US SU LLAC • 2913560 .CIH
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This program is for anyone who has been “significantly impacted” by COVID-19. Interested parties must fill out an application to be considered for the tax deferment. According to the application, residents qualify if they have “suffered at least a 20% reduction” in household income.
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Right now, I’m sitting in my home office wondering how our small family-owned, local business can survive this, and how you folks in our area are faring as well.
The tax deferment program allows eligible taxpayers to defer taxes on real estate or personal property for 90 days. This means that the deadline to pay property taxes would change from Aug. 3, 2020 to Oct. 1, 2020.
CONNECT WITH US SOCIALLY
Why is NOW the Best Time to Book Your Carpet, Rug, Floor & Upholstery Cleaning? Dear Neighbor,
Both municipal boards voted unanimously to adopt the programs.
Durham and Middlefield leaders voted to adopt both the deferred and lowered interest rate tax programs introduced in an executive order by Governor Ned Lamont. The order states that “each municipality … shall participate in one or both programs.”
Town Times | towntimes.com
Friday, June 19, 2020
SERVICE DIRECTORY
Locals in College
Specializing in Removing Large Trees in Small Spaces
Assumption College, Worcester, Mass., has awarded Nicholas DiDato a bachelor’s degree in graphic design.
Siena College, Loudonville, N.Y., has named Makayla Cesario and Sara Smith to its dean’s list for the spring semester.
Insured Arborist Service Lic. #S-5428
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Pressure Treated • Composite Decking Hidden Fasteners • Vinyl Railing Systems Licensed and Insured. Lic #0640050
Local Classified Listings.
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University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Mass., has awarded Justin Saks a bachelor’s degree (cum laude) in kinesiology.
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Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, has awarded Katherine Chi a bachelor’s degree.
IT’S ALL HERE!
A23
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Thomas Chiari | 203-915-8037 | thomasbchiari@gmail.com
CELEBRATE OUR LOCAL ATHLETES ONLINE!
Thursday, June 18th the Record-Journal will celebrate local athletes with our 5th Annual Best of the Bunch event! We will be streaming it via OUR FACEBOOK PAGE starting at 6:30 PM. WIN AN iPad - Enter once a day now through Sunday, June 21st.
to enter go to:
myrecordjournal.com/iPad
A24
Town Times | towntimes.com
Friday, June 19, 2020
Briefs
Also, alum are invited to join the online group facebook.com/groups/friendsofdmfgirlscouts and to “like” facebook.com/dmfgirlscouts.
From A19
Email Kristy King at DMFGirlScouts@gmail.com.
“Fantastic Fungi”
kooky vision of the mycelium beneath our feet that According to a New York is nothing less than a model Times film review, “Fantastic for planetary survival.” Fungi,” a documentary by If you would like to join Louie Schwartzberg, “offers Coginchaug Area Transition an informative, delightfully
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• Is your contractor registered with Secretary of State? • Does your contractor have Workman’s Comp? • Has he changed his company name? • Does CT Registration # match company name? • Does your contractor use a sub-contractor? • Always ask these questions before signing.
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270 MAIN STREET, MIDDLEFIELD • 860-349-8551
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Wallingford: (203) 265-7328
The Town of Durham would like to make homeowners aware that the state-mandated revaluation project for the Oct. 1, 2020 Grand List is underway. The first phase of the revaluation process is collecting current information on all properties within the town. Durham had contracted to conduct a full inspection effort, including on-site visits to all properties. Due to COVID-19, an executive order issued by the governor allows for the substitution of physical inspections with written verification of the accuracy of existing town records. In June, data mailers containing specific physical descriptions of each property will be mailed to each property owner. Property owners will be asked to review the information and make any necessary adjustments before returning the form. Detailed instructions will be included in the mailing.
Registrars sought
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for a showing of the documentary, send your email address to Jen at jennifer.kleindienst@ gmail.com. She will email participants the Zoom link on Monday, June 29. The online screening will start at 7 p.m. The film is 80 minutes and will be followed by a discussion.
Durham Democratic and Republican Registrars of Voters are sought. These are part-time, positions for community-minded persons with administrative, organizational and basic computer skills. Registrars are responsible for voter registration and election administration and must be registered voters. For more details, call 860-343-6719, or email Karen Cheyney, Democratic registrar, kcheyney@ townofdurhamct.org; or Lou Battipaglia, Republican registrar, lbattipaglia@townofdurhamct.org.
Town Times | towntimes.com
From A3
that the shower-inspired singing borne from this experience was just as good. The energy was still there. No top hat needed. This was for the kids after all, not you … right?
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Looking back on her career, she sums up the best part of her work as, “the music, the kids, and her colleagues.” Not just music colleagues either; Lisa knew early on that everyone fit that description: teachers, administrators, secretaries and custodians.
See Larsen, A28
Ahearn Builders
...serving Durham, Middlefield & Rockfall
1289925 79167-01
Larsen was RSD13’s Teacher of the Year in 1987. While the rest of us were watching reruns of “The Monkees” on TV, Lisa was entering her tenth year of teaching young people to turn notes on a page into song.
ence member over vocalist, I attended a concert presented by Accidental Harmony at United Churches last December. From the balcony, I
Preferring my role as audi-
Town Times
Q
Following college in Kentucky, Lisa was hired as a chorus teacher in Regional District 13. In true modest Lisa fashion, she talked more of her colleagues than she did of her achievements in the district. She credits band director Bruce Schmottlach with giving her the advice to “start where kids are in order to take them somewhere else.” Lisa notes that the suggestion was foundational to her teaching, but it was her talent that added to that foundation year after year with each group of fortunate students.
but that moment of feeling that I could learn, that there was room for me in this group of talented musicians … don’t get me started.
SERVICE DIRECTORY
In speaking of her love for music, Larsen says, “… music is who I am, and is integral to my life.” What gave Lisa this passion and connection for music? Like all good things, it came from her parents. Lisa comes from a family of music teachers. Not only was her home filled with music, her immersion in the “real world” of music was comprehensive: at church (where her mom was organist and choir director for 20 years), in visits to her dad’s college classes, and during trips to NYC to experience everything from opera to symphonies.
from the Coginchaug Valley Educational Foundation. I joined on one occasion, not because I am good at music, but because Lisa made me feel as though I could be. I’m still not good at singing,
Good news: Lisa’s gifts in teaching music have not been limited to students. Some lucky adults have participated in Accidental Harmony, a group that met at United Churches via a grant
A25
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Larsen
Friday, June 19, 2020
A26
Town Times | towntimes.com
Friday, June 19, 2020
Legal Notices & Classifieds
Reach over 310,000 readers. Call us today 203-238-1953
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Miscellaneous For Sale
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before 11 a.m. and start tomorrow BE YOUR OWN BOSS Wanted To Rent Established surveying firm seeking someone to be Director of Surveying. Send resume to 72 YEAR OLD FEMALE Clean, quiet, exc. credinfo@kratzertjones.com it, seeking 1 BR or sm. 2 BR apt., W/D hkp, Medical Help WantSouthington area only 860.479.9214. ed PART TIME LPN OR RN - For busy pediatric office. Duties include but are not limited to phone triage, vaccination and sick patient intake. Flexibility and strong interpersonal skills essential. Please fax resume to 203-265-3321.
Lawn and Garden
Motorcyles and ATVs WILL PAY CASH - For old motorcycles, mini bikes & go carts. Gary, (860) 558-5430.
Apartments For Rent WALLINGFORD - 1 BR, LR, KIT, cable TV, all utilities, furnished. Available 7/1. Call 203265-1990.
Wanted To Buy
WASHER & DRYER - 3 HILL AUCyears old, $300;Victrola GRASSY TIONS, - an Estate w/records, $100; CarSale, Liquidation, Attic ousel horse, $75. 860& Basement Cleanout 919-0309. Company is Always Buying and providing Wood Fuel Heating services all over ConEquipment necticut. These are just a FEW of the things we are looking for: AnTREE LENGTH WANTED Individual tiques, Collectibles, firearms, collections & FIREWOOD Old/ Vintage Toys, MuCALL FOR DETAILS sical Instruments (Sax- estates including military ophones, Trumpets, Vi- & related items.Federally 203-238-2149 olins, Flutes, Clarinets, licensed firearms dealer. Trombone & SO MUCH Gunsmith, appraisals, MORE) Advertising Richard Pleines, (860) Wanted To Buy Items, Wristwatches 663-2214. (Broken or Not), Pocket Watches, Tools (Ma1,2,3 Items or an Estate chinist, Woodworking, $$$ CASH $$$ & MORE) Doorstops, Todd Shamock /Classified Clocks, Oil Paintings, Estate Sale Service Old Signs, Old PhoLocal listings online! Costume Jewelry, tographs, Old PostAntiques, Dolls, Toys, cards, Brewery Items, Hunting & Fishing, PEZ Paintings,Meriden Items Dispensers, Costume 203-494-1695 Jewelry, Broken Jewelry, Gold & Silver Jewelry, Gold & Silver Coins, Military Items, Swords & Bayonets, Helmets & Patches, Medals & Uniforms, Pocket Knives, Lighters & Pipes, Fountain Pens, Mechanical Pencils, Fraternal Order Items, Religious Items, Industrial Items, Winchester Items, Sikorsky Items, Pratt & Whitney Items, Colt Items, Native American Items, Vintage Electronics, Slot Cars, Toy Trucks, Matchbox & Hotwheels, Barbie’s, Folk Art, Statues, Bronzes, Trains, Cameras, Mid Century Modern Furniture, Straight Razors, AARON’S BUYING Shaving Items, Political Old Machinist Tools, Items, Comic Books, Lathes, BenchTools, Sports Cards & AutoHand Tools & more. graphs…& THE LIST GOES ON! So please (203) 525-0608. give us a call at your earliest convenience. Grassy Hill Auctions ALWAYS BUYING 203-868-1816 - Grassy CASH PAID HillAuctions.com Vintage Electronics, Musical Instruments, Amps, Ham Equipment, HiFi, Radios, CB, Guitars, Audio Equipment, Antiques. 860-707-9350
Wanted To Buy
Tag Sales
WANTED TO BUY Old guitar magazines, scrapbooks, sheet music, publicity photos of music performers. 630.852.1110
Classified Advertising Call 203-238-1953
Pets For Sale
NEIGHBORHOOD YARD SALE Oak Terrace, Durham, Over a dozen families! June 20-21, 9-1 p.m. Wear masks.
IT’S ALL HERE!
MALE MALTESE PUPPY 12 weeks. $1,000. 860-329-5623.
Local Classified Listings.
Looking for a friend? Find litters of critters in Classifieds.
Sign up for breaking news and promotions email newsletters! Myrecordjournal.com/
Autos Wanted
CASH PAID For any Toyota any condition, running or not, crashed okay. Will take other makes and models. (203) 600-4431.
Wanted To Buy
MATERIALS DISTRIBUTION Screened Topsoil $25/ per yd; Sand-$15 per yd; Millings-$10 per yd; Screened Millings $30 per yd; Clean Fill $8 per yd: $100 minimum delivery. No pickup truck service. Minimum 16 yd pickup at our yard. Call Jim @ 860-982-4819 for delivery
PREMIUM SCREENED TOPSOIL
$25/yard delivered, 3 yd, $100 min. delivery Call Jim 860-982-4819 Top Soil, Compost FOR SALE. Catering to small deliveries. Call Bob (203) 415-0723
USED CRAFTSMAN RIDING MOWER - Some parts needed. FREE. If you can haul it away, it’s yours! 203-4998162.
NEWSLETTERS
ANTIQUES - Always buying old; Toys, military, jewelry, art, watches, musical instruments, signs, arcade games, cameras, pre 1970 sports memorabilia, plus more. One item or entire estate contents. Call 860718-5132. BUYING MACHINIST TOOLBOXES - Tools & tooling, contents of machine shops, home workshops and small lathes. Call anytime 860-985-5760
Town Times | towntimes.com
Friday, June 19, 2020
Businesses & Services Attics and Basements Cleaned
Home Improvements
Landscaping
Landscaping
203-238-1953
Get Listed. Get Calls. Get Results. Masonry
TEC ELECTRICAL
Service LLC All Phases of Electrical Work. 24 hr. Emergency Service. Small Jobs Welcome. 203.237.2122
Whether it is a lost ring, wallet or a Parrot named Oliver, a Classified ad can help track it down.
If they’re dirty! For gutter cleaning, Call Kevin (203) 440-3279 Fully ins. CT# 569127
GUTTERS PLUS 25+yrs. Exp. Call today for Free estimate. 203-440-3535 Ct. Reg. #578887
Specializing in roofing, siding, kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, basement remodeling. Senior citizen discount Insured. Free est. 203-265-5200 HIC#0631937
Junk Removal
GET 20% OFF! If you sign for the year w/ Affordable Lawncare. Reasonable. Reliable. 860.406.2771. FACEBOOK.COM/ RECORDJOURNAL NEWSPAPER TWITTER.COM/ RECORD_JOURNAL INSTAGRAM.COM/ RECORDJOURNAL
CLEAN & REMOVE Furniture, appliances, entire contents of: homes, sheds, estates, attics, basements, garages & more. *SPRING YARD Clean-ups* FREE ESTIMATES. LIC & INS. 203-535-9817 or 860-575-8218.
GROW YOUR BUSINESS
Advertise with us. 203-317-2312
Handyperson HOME DOCTOR - 48 years exp. in all trades, we do small odd jobs to remodeling, former US Navy, 15 years, Senior discount. Ins. #640689, 203.427.7828.
Home Improvements AHEARN BUILDERS Additions, Decks, Siding, Doors, Windows, Remodeling. 860.346.0409
Roofing
15% off Houses.Decks. Sheetrock.Popcorn Repair. Wallpaper removal. 25 yrs exp. Free est. Sr. disc. #0656136. Ins. 860.538.5520
Gutters
GUTTERS DON’T WORK
Painting Wallpapering #1 PAINTER’S EDGE
GARY WODATCH
Demolition Svs Sheds, pools, decks, garages, debris removal. Quick, courteous svc. All calls returned. Ins. #566326. Cell, 860-558-5430
Electrical Services
A27
HAVE DUMP TRUCK. Reg. Ins. Free on-site est. Attics, basements, garages, appliances & more. Any questions?
HEDGE TRIMMING Mowing, mulch, gutter cleaning, brush removal, dump runs, comm./ res. HIC0622783.
IF YOU Mention This Ad SPRING Yard Clean-Ups Brush, branches, leaves, storm damage **JUNK REMOVAL** Appl’s, Furniture, Junk, Debris, etc WE CAN REMOVE ANYTHING Entire house to 1 item removed! FREE ESTIMATES Sr. Citizen Discount LIC & INS. 203-535-9817 or 860-575-8218
JT’S LANDSCAPING LLC - Spring CleanUps, we specialize in weeding all types of beds, mulching, top soil work, pruning, hedges & trees, & all your landscape needs. Residential & commercial. Lic. #616311. Call today, 203 213-6528.
Plumbing
JIMMY’S MASONRY GEORGE J MACK & Over 28 years of exp. SONS - Servicing the Stonewalls, patios, Meriden area since sidewalks, chimneys, 1922. Toilet, faucet, pool areas, fireplaces, sink & drain repairs. fire pit steps, all types of Water heater replacemasonry work. Free est. ments. 15% Sr citizen (860) 274-4893. disc. Member of BBB. 203-238-2820. W. BOOBER MASONRY Over 35 Years Experience All Types of Masonry Power Washing CT License #626708 (203) 235-4139 #1 PAINTER’S EDGE
Moving and Storage
MOBILE WASH
Chemicals safe for house & plants. House wash + roof cleaning. 25 yrs. exp. Sr Disc. #0656136 Ins. 860.538.5520
ROOFING, SIDING, WINDOWS, DECKS & REMODELING. 203-639-0032 email: info@ gonzalezconstruction llc.com Fully Licensed & Insured Reg #577319
LOOKING FOR A NEW RIDE? Best Selection of Used Vehicles! Classified Section
RT RELOCATION Your moving and storage specialists. Call for a free estimate. 833-668-3978.
RECYCLE YOUR OLD NEWSPAPERS Please & Thank you.
Classified ads are the best way to find what you need.
POWER WASHING
They are also the best way to sell your services, goods or items.
Roofing
Call Monday thru Friday 8:30am - 5pm 203-238-1953
Is Spring Cleaning on THE OUTSIDE FREE Estimates #569127 Call Kevin 203-440-3279
Roofing.Siding.Gutters. Skylights. Chimney Repair. Flashing. #0649808 203.510.3830. lmmasonryconstruction.com
Yalesville Construction Specializing in all phases of residential & commercial roofing. Senior citizen discount Insured Free est. 203-265-5200 HIC#0631937
Tree Services
Specializing in tree removal, trimming, chipping & grinding. Call for free estimate. 203-945-1808.
Town Times | towntimes.com
Friday, June 19, 2020
82nd District
Larsen
From A1
From A25
Quinn served as the city’s corporation counsel from May 2007 to December 2014, and again from 2015 to now. As such, he has led the city’s law department and serves as legal advisor to the City Council. If elected, he will no longer represent the city, Quinn said.
absorbed the seraphic tones of those who were transformed by Lisa’s gift with music and people. Have you ever heard of near death experiencers who were affected by something so majestic and moving that they did not want to return to the real world? Even that doesn’t do it justice.
Skelps, the GOP nominee, says there is “a lot of ground to cover” in the state, and his campaign is seeking to
EXECUTIVE OFFICES
William J. Lema, D.M.D. Serving Durham & Middlefield for 26 Years
William J. Lema, D.M.D. General Family Dentistry & Adults Accepting New• Children Patients
Personable & Compassionate Live-in and Hourly Caregivers are needed for in-home non-medical care for elderly in the area.
From A5
Our district was in a major transition period before the trials of 2020 hit and I believe I can provide some new insight.
State of the Art Dentistry in a Caring, Small Office Atmosphere
General Family Dentistry • Children & Adults Saturday & Art Evening Appointments Available State of the Dentistry in a Caring, Small Office Atmosphere Cosmetic & Bonding Saturday Evening Appointments Available Regular Hours:
Flexible schedules, supportive staff, one-on-one care
Gum Therapy Bonding • Gum Therapy • Cosmetic
Tues.-Fri. 9 am-6 pm
Crowns & Bridges • Crowns & Bridges • Dentures & Repairs
Our caregivers are as valuable as our customers R231080
Kirstin Olszewski, Durham
First Month Rent Free!
860-349-7000 WayMiddlefield Road in Middlefield www.execoff.com 860-349-7000 6 Way 6Road, executiveofficesmsld.com
Letters
I look forward to being the eyes and ears of the parent community.
If elected, Quinn plans to work to steady the state’s fiscal position, which was precarious even before the most recent COVID-19 pandemic, he said. He wants to ensure that any cuts in spending are balanced by opportunities to increase revenue.
R231082
Professionals
technical training. He is also looking to introduce legislation that would create “adequate patent laws” protecting small businesses.
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There are so many metaphors I could consider here. Working in harmony with others, making beautiful music, hitting the high notes. Lisa deserves better than that. In a world in which young people often feel as though they will never fit in, Lisa has made it her mission to remind them that their presence among others is where their gifts are. That’s where they start, and where they end up is a place I will never experience, other than in the sheer joy I have seen in the faces of those who were taught by this phenomenal teacher and musician.
As proof of his conservative approach to budgets, “The biggest thing that is Skelps cited the work acfacing all of us in Connecti- complished by the Middlecut is our ever increasing field Board of Finance in budget, ever increasing tax- creating the 2021 budget, es. Connecticut has some which included a reduced of the highest tax burdens mill rate, reduction in town on its citizens of any state expenses and an increase and it seems like our legis- in the town’s rainy day lature has never met a tax fund. that they didn’t like,” he said. Additionally, Skelps is seeking to promote investment Skelps says that he is look- in infrastructure and emering to challenge what he gency services while also calls the “blank check men- encouraging businesses to tality” among legislators. invest in the state and in do just that.
R231079
A28
Call us at 860-349-7016
• Emergencies Dentures & Repairs• Fillings • Root Canals
(860) 349-7006
EmergenciesHours: Tues–Fri 9am–6pm Regular William J. Lema, D.M.D. Fillings 6 Way Road, Middlefield William J. Lema, D.M.D.
Root Canals (Near Powder Ridge Ski Area) 6 Way Road, Middlefield (near Blackbird Tavern) 860-349-7006
Dr. William Dr. WilliamBoylin, Boylin, Ph.D. Ph.D
Thanks for the laugh Editor :
Family Therapist
Family Therapist
Specializing in: in: Specializing
R231081
A big thank you to a few people for your commentary on one of my letters. Thanks for the good laugh! It reminds me of something I learned a long, long, time ago: If you really want to insult people, simply state the obvious.
Substance Abuse • Teenagers Substance Abuse Grief &Teenagers Loss Grief & Loss
R231083 R212900
Now offering daytime hours
206423
6 WayMiddlefield Road, Middlefield 6 Way Road, 860-349-7033 Tel. Now 349-7033 Mark J. Czaja, Middletown offering daytime hours