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Volume 26, Number 16
EDUCATOR SPOTLIGHT: ROBIN FOX
Inspiring lifelong learning By Bronwyn Commins Special to Town Times
Broker talks about the changing real estate market By John Rook Record-Journal staff
Robin Fox, you can never retire. That’s right; I said it: NE-V-E-R!
Antonio Liguori remembers leaving his meeting in Guilford in mid-March when word began to circulate that the state was essentially going to be shut down in a matter of hours.
For those who assume I am being a little too harsh with this former RSD13 special education teacher, when you learn more about what she is doing now to change the lives of young people, I am certain you will join me in blocking the door when she tries to leave the field of education. Fox came to RSD13 in 1989, and worked at both Memorial Middle School and Coginchaug Regional High School, the bulk of her time at the latter. Robin described CRHS as a “great place to work” with a “fun staff.” There, she did what all good teachers do: she found ways to reach students to support their success. She recognized individual needs, scaffolded lessons and modified content when necessary, but then Robin did what extraordinary teachers do: she found ways to keep connecting with students, even when the school day ended.
Friday, July 17, 2020
Robin Fox developed a unique curriculum allowing students to discover their strengths in a rapidly-changing world.
For Fox, that came through the TV production class she taught at the end of the school day. With regard to student growth, she said that the class “allowed them to shine” by “incorporating their right brain strengths in a tangible way.” Pardon the editorial comment here: it sounds to me as though it was the teacher who allowed them to shine;
the class just gave them another opportunity to do so. Carrying her academic goals into the program, Robin reminded students to “tell a story” with close-ups and a first person perspective. Great advice. So great that it landed Fox and her students several awards for their PSAs. See Fox, A9
It was unsettling news for everyone, especially Liguori, the president and broker of Calcagni Real Estate, which has offices in Cheshire, Southington, Guilford, North Haven and Wallingford. He knew things were about to change. But while everything was shutting down around the state and country due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the housing market was actually about to heat up, according to Liguori. “(The pandemic) created such a sense of urgency, with people saying, ‘I need to get a home right now,’ or ‘I need to get out of my home right now,’ ” he said.
Several factors are driving the new interest. One is an influx of out-of-state interest in moving here, Liguori said. In New York, for instance, the virus has been much more widespread and deadly than what has been experienced in Connecticut. Another thing driving the housing market is a new interest in home ownership being shown by millennials. “They have been in apartment buildings, (with) all the amenities, no lawn, close to (retail and restaurants),” he said. “But now, since they have been isolated for (a few months), we are beginning to see a bit of an exodus. It’s creating a buying unit that wasn’t there previously.” One of the biggest changes has been introducing future home owners to properties. Previously, the best way to do that was to have an open house and encourage as many people as See Real estate, A8
Bears entering homes at unprecedented rate this summer By Devin Leith-Yessian Record-Journal staff
Wildlife encounters have been spiking thus far this year, including as many bears entering peoples’ homes in June as all of 2019 combined. “Some of these interactions have been serious, including
bears entering homes and gravely injuring both leashed and unleashed dogs,” says a statement from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. “Already in 2020 (through July 8) DEEP has received more reports of bears entering homes (25) than in any previous year
and we are on track to triple the average number of home entries of 2018 and 2019.” Bears rarely harm humans and most local interactions with them involve damaged bird feeders and tipped over garbage containers and grills, said Cheshire Animal Control Officer April Leiler. When she does respond to a
call, it’s usually to ensure that the bear doesn’t make it onto a major road like Route 10, where it can be struck by a vehicle. “We haven't had any real issues with bears. We do sometimes have them getting into unsecured trash and we do have them ripping down bird feeders,” she said.
Cheshire only has a few bears living in the area, Leiler said, but since it’s a more densely populated region they tend to be spotted more often. Residents should still be taking precautions to deter bears from approaching residential areas, however, and she walks callers See Bears, A10