Tropical Storm Elsa left her mark
Friday, July 16, 2021
www.towntimes.com
Volume 27, Number 29
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE HONORED
Tropical Storm Elsa carved a destructive and soaking path up the East Coast last week after killing at least one person in Florida and spinning up a tornado at a Georgia Navy base that flipped recreational vehicles upside-down and blew one of them into a lake. Elsa moved through Connecticut Friday, July 9 closing streets, flooding basements and damaging cars. Middlefield took on 3.98 inches of rain, while Durham received 1.86 inches. Nearby, some of the heaviest flooding in 30 years was visited upon downtown Meriden. At its worst the storm almost flooded the Police Department on West Main Street and left up to 2½ feet of water submerging blocks-long sections of Hanover, Pratt and State streets as Hanover Brook overflowed. The floodwaters also took the Quinnipiac River over its banks near Route 15 and the Quinnipiac Street bridge in Wallingford. Eversource said as of 3 p.m. Friday, more than 13,000 customers had their power restored since the storm began, while crews were working to address the remaining 6,000 outages. The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and state Department of Public Health advised Saturday against swimming or having recreational contact with water in areas where sewage systems may have been compromised by the rain. That includes the Quinnipiac River, and bodies of water near the state’s major cites. New Haven Health Director Maritza Bond said Lighthouse Beach would be closed while water samSee Storm, A6
For the 61st consecutive year, the Casey-O'Brien New Haven County Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame recognized young men that play football and excel in the classroom. This year, 26 were honored for their academic excellence, leadership and citizenship, including Coginchaug’s Evan Faiella. An All-State player in 2019, Faiella was elected captain of the Blue Devils for 2020, a season lost to the pandemic. Faiella is pictured with his parents, Nick and Valerie, and scholar-athlete chairman Kevin O'Brien.
Rescue plan funds to be discussed Aug. 9 By Nadya Korytnikova Town Times
Town officials in Durham must decide on a spending plan for the funds received as part of the American Rescue Plan — a $1.9 trillion economic relief package signed by President Joe Biden on March 11. The Town of Durham will receive $0.71 million in municipal aid while Regional School District 13 is set to receive $472,000, according to estimates shared by Congressman John Larson’s office. On Monday night, the Board of Selectmen voted to discuss the matter at a public hearing on Aug. 9 at 8 p.m. “This is money that I believe has the ability to do some good for our community and we should provide as much opportunity for our community to make a choice on how we spend that,” First Selectman Laura Francis said. See Funds, A9
Monday, July 12, the Durham Board of Selectmen set a public hearing date for an ordinance establishing the Town of Durham American Rescue Plan Act fund.