Friday, June 25, 2021
www.towntimes.com
Volume 27, Number 26
Best friends found theater company Kelly Boylin Surette and Teddy Hall grew up in Durham and attended Coginchaug Regional High School and The Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts. They have shared their love of musicals Surette since they met in fifth grade at Memorial Middle School. After almost 25 years of friendship, Surette and Hall are still best friends – who have now co-founded their own theater production company, Surette Hall & Hall Theatricals, LLC. Their first endeavor? An investor workshop of Surette’s “Moms: The Musical” set to launch in New York City. The creative team behind “Moms : The Musical” hope the workshop will be a first step towards an Off-Broadway or Broadway run. “Moms” is a fast and furious ride through the uproarious and heartfelt journey of becoming a new mom. It follows two first-time mothers who, from an unlikely friendship, discover how strong they are as they take on their role as mothers while unapologetically preserving who they are as individual women. The show honestly addresses the long overdue representation of motherhood and women in the theater through female empowerment. Additionally, it positively normalizes LGBTQ+ representation in family structure while challenging cultural and gender norms. “Moms” originated from Surette’s personal experiences as a mother of two little girls as well as her desire to illuminate the voices of the women See Theater, A9
Marijuana legalized in Conn. This week, Connecticut became the 19th state to legalize adult, recreational use of cannabis. Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont signed the bill into law Tuesday, June 22.
The Board of Selectmen in Durham are considering making an exception to the town’s herbicide application prohibition to address invasive Japanese knotweed. In this photo, a bicyclist in Southington passes an area overrun with invasive plant species, including Japanese knotweed and garlic mustard, near the train depot along the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail on April 20. Dave Zajac, Record-Journal
Officials work to weed out invasive species By Nadya Korytnikova Town Times
Durham officials are considering using herbicide to combat a Japanese knotweed infestation. Earlier in May, the town Conservation Commission asked the Board of Selectmen to lift its moratorium on using herbicides for town property and roadside maintenance. The commission requested an exception in order to eradicate spreading Japanese knotweed since the invasive species doesn’t respond well to organic treatment. The commission reviewed instances of Japanese knotweed throughout the town before concluding it poses a significant problem. The knotweed is spreading near a storm drain on Parmelee Hill Road near Wildwood Lane; along the guardrail on the east side of TriMountain Road, and along Seward Road to the east of Saw Mill Brook. Knotweed is also spreading on the
east side of Howd Road and extends into the town-owned parcel there. Conservation Commission member Lorrie Martin noted that there are towns that have been taken over by knotweed. During a recent Board of Selectmen meeting, Luke Johnson, owner at Johnson Environmental LLC, advised using thin invert emulsion herbicides to treat an infestation of Japanese knotweed. The herbicide breaks down the waxy cuticles of the plants faster than just water-based formulations. That allows using a much lower percentage of the herbicide over a larger area. “Using that thin invert emulsion, you are using at most five gallons an acre,” said Johnson. “You can go as low as one gallon an acre, depending on the mixture that works best for that particular site.” See Knotweed, A10
The Senate approved the legislation – An Act Concerning Responsible and Equitable Regulation of AdultUse Cannabis – Thursday, June 17 on a 16 to 11 vote. Four Democrats joined all the Republicans in attendance in opposition, including Christine Cohen, whose district includes Branford, Durham, Guilford, Killingworth, Madison and North Branford. Another local Democratic senator, Mary Daugherty Abrams, was a yes vote. She represents the communities of Cheshire, Meriden, Middletown, Middlefield and Rockfall. Nine senators were absent for the June 17 vote, including Republican Paul Cicarella, who represents the towns of Durham, East Haven, North Haven and Wallingford. Beginning July 1, people age 21 and older will be allowed to possess and consume marijuana. Also, the law lays the groundwork for a new cannabis industry in the state and attempts to address racial inequities stemming from the nation’s war on drugs. “We had a chance to learn from others, and I think we’ve got it right here in the state of Connecticut,” said Lamont, referring to the See Marijuana, A17