11-25-2011 Town Times by Town Times Newspaper

Volume 18, Issue 33

Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall

Friday, November 25, 2011

Two to four more weeks Durham BOS has special meeting of road clean-up expected for Middlefield By Elisabeth Kennedy Special to the Town Times

Jack Hendley, a member of the Middlefield Public Works Department, is using a clamshell attachment to load brush into one of the trucks. Photo by Cheri Kelley By Cheri Kelley Town Times

See Clean-up, page 18

In this issue ... Calendar............................4 Christmas Trees...........16-17 Obituary..........................27 Sports ..........................28-31 Town Briefs ................10-13

Alfred). Francis is confident that reimbursement will be received for Work Place Alliance, and the town should receive 75 percent reimbursement of storm-related expenses from FEMA. Options for a change in the speed limit on Maiden Lane were discussed and a motion to file an application with the State Traffic Commission for said change was approved. Francis provided updates See BOS, page 7

An “angel among us”

Carol Douglas was named an “Angel Among Us” at the Elk’s Durham Middlefield Night on Saturday, Nov. 12, for her contributions to the Durham Fair, including volunteering her time and donations. Carol is pictured here with her husband, Walter Douglas. Submitted by Karen Kean

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“It’s the mother-load of wood chips,” Middlefield First Selectman Jon Brayshaw said, describing the resulting chips from all the brush that has been cleared up in the aftermath of the two storms that hit Connecticut since August. “One storm blended right into the other, and we have never stopped the clean-up process. At this point, Brayshaw said that the town easily removed 100 or more truckloads. The truckloads are converted into cubic yards because this is how FEMA requires it to be measured. When FEMA pays municipalities, they typically contribute 75 percent of the cost; that cost is based on what they deem appropriate for each expense. According to Brayshaw, they are very careful to not give more money than necessary. Joe Geruch, the finance director for Middlefield, and Terry Parmelee, the emergency management director, are

keeping track of every minute financial detail. Connecticut was declared a disaster area and is capable of getting funding from FEMA, but the process is still underway, and the town is still unsure if they will actually be receiving a contribution. Either way, Brayshaw said that taxpayers should know that there will be a cost to the town; the extent of what that means is still unknown. He met with the Board of Finance (BOF) last week to alert them to possible financial obligations that the town might have. The Public Works Department is made up of five people and has been working very hard to get the town cleared. They have gotten completely out of sync with other public works projects because of all the time dedicated to the clean-up. Brayshaw said that they probably won’t get back on track until the spring. The crew is using a payloader

A special meeting of the Durham Board of Selectmen (BOS) was held on Nov. 21. The board accepted the resignation of health director Brad Wilkinson with gratitude for his service. There were no nominations to the Conservation Commission. First Selectman Laura Francis indicated that the appointment can be handled next month because it is a 2011 appointment. Francis reported there are two vacancies on the Recreation Committee. Selectman Jim McLaughlin nominated Art DiNicholas to fill the 2012 vacancy. Selectman John Szewczyk seconded the nomination, adding that DiNicholas will be a great addition to the committee. The nomination was approved. Discussion of Durham Activity Use Policy was tabled as the policy is not complete. McLaughlin expressed dismay that a recent town-sponsored activity was held on private property and suggested the Recreation Committee be required to obtain approval from the Board of Selectmen for town functions held on private property. Francis will check the liability insurance policy to see what is covered. Francis announced an opportunity to nominate a resident for the American Red Cross Community of Heroes contest, indicating that nominations must be in by Dec. 15.

The board discussed and granted the request from the family of Jane Churchill to serve wine at a memorial service to be held at the Durham Library on Saturday, Dec. 17. Francis read the October fiscal analysis, expressing gratitude that departments are working hard to manage their budgets. Overall expenditures are at 41 percent and revenues at 44 percent despite two unanticipated programs (Work Place Alliance and storms Irene and

Town Times Community Briefs

St. Colman bazaar rescheduled

whole family. Lunch will be served. Please join us in the church hall at the corner of Hubbard St. and Cherry Hill Rd. in Middlefield.

The biannual St. Colman Ladies’ Guild holiday bazaar, originally Nov. 5, has been rescheduled to Saturday, Dec. 3, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year’s Country Christmas booths will feature homemade candy, bake shoppe, crafts, handsewn, knitted and crocheted items, soy candles, festive light bottles, jewelry, strawbooth, a white elephant booth and a kids’ corner for fun for the

NYC bus trip A bus to New York City will leave the Durham Town Green at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10, and will return at 10 p.m. Includes two stops: shopping and then dinner at Forlini’s Restaurant in Little Italy. Fee includes fourcourse dinner, unlimited beer and wine, tax and tip. Please contact Wendy at 860539-7902 for fee info.

Index of Advertisers To advertise in the Town Times, call Joy Boone at 860-349-8026 Lyman Orchards..........................5 Allan’s Tree Service ..................30 Amato’s Toy & Hobby ...............15 Maplewood Farm ......................17 Anderson Lawn Care ..................3 Masonicare..........................23, 24 Anthony Jacks...........................23 Mckinley Tree Farm ..................17 APEC Electric............................29 Michalowski Agency..................21 B & R Construction......................3 Mickey Finn’s.............................21 Baby’s World .............................19 Middlefield Remodeling.............30 Batters Box................................19 Middlefield Republican Town ......5 Berardino Company Realtors......3 Middlesex Chamber Of Commerce.18 Binge, Bruce..............................28 Middlesex Community College ...6 Boylin, William, Dr .......................5 Middlesex Health Care..............12 Brenda’s Main Street Feed .......13 Middlesex Hospital Vocal..........10 Cahill & Sons.............................29 Miller Tree Farm........................16 Carlton Interior...........................14 Mim’s Oil....................................14 Carmine’s Restaurant .................3 Movado Farm ............................29 Conroy, John, DMD...................13 Natureworks ..............................10 Country Landscaping ................28 Neil Jones Home Improvements .....27 CV Enterprises ..........................27 New England Dental Health......20 Dan Tiezzi & Sons Builders ......26 Paint Spot..................................12 Danny’s Unlimited .....................30 Prancing Pony...........................10 Demaria Family Farm................17 Professional Security System ...29 Doc Nutrition Center..................14 Dumas Christmas Tree Farm ...16 Raintree Landscaping ...............30 Durham Auto Parts....................29 Raney, Jason, DMD....................5 Durham Dental ..........................14 Realty Associates......................31 Durham Family Eyecare ...........11 RLI Electric ................................26 Durham/Middlefield Local............7 Roblee Plumbing.......................28 Edible Arrangements.................18 Rockfall Co ................................26 Edward Zavaski Agency .............5 RSDL Home Improvements......27 Executive Kia.............................32 Sisters Cleaning Service...........27 Family Pest Control...................26 Skincare Studio ...........................5 Five Star Performance Horse .....3 Soul Space ................................19 Fosdick, Gordon, MD ................11 St Colman’s Church ..................11 Fuel & Service...........................12 Stonehouse By Temponi.............3 Fugge, David, M........................29 Superior Stone & Fireplace.......22 Glazer Dental Associates..........11 T-N-T Home & Lawncare..........26 Grant Groundscapes.................27 Therapeutic Massage & Body...28 Griswold Plumbing Services .....29 Tile Renovators .........................30 Herzig Family Tree Farm ..........17 Torrison Stone & Garden....13, 26 Home Works..............................28 Uncle Bob’s Flower & Garden...17 Hunters Pool And Spas.............18 VMB Custom Builders...............28 Ianniello Plumbing.....................29 Whitehouse Construction..........28 Jay Landscaping .......................30 Wildwood Lawn Care ................27 Kim’s Cottage Confections..........3 Lino’s Market ...............................2 Windows Plus............................21

Living nativity Hear ye, hear ye! Be it known that on Dec. 16 and 17 from 6 to 8 p.m., the Middlefield Federated Church (402 Main St.) will present a Living Nativity in celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus. Walk alongside Mary and Joseph as they step through this historic birth story. Let live actors, real animals and drama set the tone for your Christmas celebration this year! The entry fee will be a humble can of beans to support our ongoing mission commitment to the Amazing Grace Food Pantry.

Corrections We strive to bring you the most accurate information available each week, but if you see something in Town Times that isn’t quite right, give us a call at 860-349-8000, and we’ll do our best to make things right. Regarding our Nov. 11 election issue, Donna Golub did not win over Kimberly Schmalz for town clerk in Middlefield; Golub won over Vanessa Schmalz. It was Ellen Waff who won over Kimberly Schmalz for Middlefield treasurer.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Everyone is invited!

Durham senior holiday lunch Come and join the Durham Senior Committee on Friday, Dec. 9, from 12 to 2 p.m. Lunch will be provided by our local restaurants. Join in on some holiday games and meet Santa. Holiday desserts are welcome. Bring a friend and join in on the holiday spirit.

Turnout figures from 2011 municipal elections Secretary of the State Denise Merrill released voter turnout numbers from the 2011 municipal elections which showed that overall, the statewide voter turnout among registered voters in Connecticut was 30.67 percent. A complete listing of turnout among towns that held elections on Nov. 8 is available online at www.sots.ct.gov. Middlefield had 1,487

votes cast for the 3,152 registered voters (or 47.18 percent). Durham had 2,229 votes cast for the 4,988 registered voters (or 44.69 percent). “The devastating October snow storm presented some serious challenges to election administrators all over the state of Connecticut, and I think that shows up in the somewhat lower turnout figures compared to past municipal elections,” said Secretary Merrill, Connecticut’s chief elections official. “Despite the difficulties posed by a lack of electricity and mobility and the displacement of many residents into shelters, I am proud of the way local elections official came together to make sure registered voters in Connecticut could cast ballots as scheduled on Nov. 8. Residents of our cities and towns got to see firsthand how the people elected to municipal government can have great impact on their communities — especially in a time of crisis. There were some communities where contested races clearly increased the voter turnout. I hope in the future we can help all of Connecticut’s citizens understand the importance of choosing the right leaders in their communities so we can see more people going to vote.”

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Friday, November 25, 2011

Town Times

We owe much to the Native Americans By Trish Dynia Special to the Town Times

heat or cold or follow seasonal game migration patterns. This ecologically sound use of the land sustained them for thousands of years and often created bumper crops which sustained them through cold winters and summer droughts. European settlers viewed their habits as lack of discipline, leadership and determination and quickly proceeded to attempt to “civilize” these poor natives. Ironically, what the newcomers didn’t see clearly was that See Native, page 14

Esther Beamont, known as “The last Indian in Durham,” poses in front of her Indian Lane home circa 1890. Submitted by Trish Dynia

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While the conquest of the civilized empires of Peru and Mexico was a notorious usurpation, colonies upon the continent of North America might, if done within just limits, have been entirely lawful. The people of those vast tracts of land rather roamed over them than inhabited them. — Emerich Vattel, 18th century theorist on international law. The idea that Native Americans roamed aimlessly about the land, barely subsisting on wild fruits and berries and seasonal game and fish hunts, was a common misconception until very recently. Advocates, or more precisely apologists, for European colonization of the Americas, touted these ideas until the latter years of the 20th century when there was a resurgence of interest in, and respect for, Native American culture. As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week, please re-

member and honor the people who helped prepare that first Thanksgiving feast and taught the newcomers how to survive in a new land, not only in Plymouth, MA, but throughout settlements all along the eastern seaboard. Prior to first contact with European settlers, the Eastern Woodland Tribes from Maine to the Mississippi River lived in large and small, primarily seasonal settlements. The women were expert botanists who systematically combed the fields and forests for fruits, vegetables and herbs for use in their daily diets and for medicinal purposes. They also cultivated vast fields of corn, squash and beans while the men fashioned sophisticated weaponry from rocks and animal bones to hunt game and formed nets from deer sinew to harvest fish from the ocean and inland waterways. They often packed up their portable long house villages to allow fields to regenerate, seek shelter from the

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Town Times & Places

4 FRIDAY

November 25 Toys for Tots Drop-Off Core Club is proud to announce that they are an official drop-off center for Toys for Tots. They will be collecting toys from now until the end of December. Join them and work off that turkey dinner today at 10:30 a.m. (350 Main St. in Durham) for a Zumba party with Deb Cook. Admission is an unwrapped toy. Deck the Mansfield House Step back in time at the General Joseph Mansfield House (151 Main St. in Middletown) and help decorate it for the holidays. From 1 to 4 p.m., children will be able to make ornaments to put on the tree, hear holiday stories and enjoy cookies and hot chocolate at an old-fashioned open house as part of downtown Middletown’s Holiday on Main Street. Adults are welcome to view the exhibits. Tours will be led by costumed guides. Admission to the open house is free, and all are welcome. This event is sponsored by the Middlesex County Historical Society. Call 860-3460746.

longer serviceable — being tattered, soiled or unsuitable for display — at the Middlefield Town Hall or the Middlefield Community Center. Collection boxes will be available at these locations. Today is the last day. Open House The Skin Care Studio will hold an open house from 3 to 7 p.m. at 454 Main St. in Durham. For more info, please call 860-349-2011.

MONDAY

November 28

SUNDAY

Durham Senior Lunches Every Monday and Wednesday, hot lunches are available for seniors over 60 and their spouses at the Durham Activity Center (350 Main St.). Following the lunches on Mondays is game time, which includes billiards, Wii and cards. For pricing info and to make a reservation, call Amanda Astarita, senior café manager, at 860-349-3153. Middlefield Senior Lunches The Middlefield Senior Café is serving lunch three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Reservations are required 24 hours prior, and the monthly menu can be picked up at the center, Town Hall or at www.middlefieldct.org. Durham Men’s Basketball In-person registration will take place today and Dec. 5 at Memorial School and tomorrow and Dec. 1 and 6 at Strong School from 7 to 7:30 p.m. each night during open gym. The league is open to men 18 and older who are residents of Durham or Middlefield. Registration forms are online at the town of Durham website or on the “Durham Men’s League” page on Facebook. E-mail scott_strang@yahoo.com for more info or to register. Registration closes Dec. 7.

November 27

TUESDAY

Saturday

November 26 Santa and Snow Pony Join Santa and Snow Pony at Five Star Performance Horses (280 Old Pent Road in North Guilford) today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Dec. 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fee includes pony rides, picture with Santa and Snow Pony, coffee, hot cocoa and snacks. Everyone will be entered in a raffle for free riding lessons. Call 860-638-7421 or visit www.fivestarperformancehorsesllc.com.

Flag Burning Ceremony Members of the Middlefield/Rockfall VFW will be conducting a flag-burning ceremony at 10 a.m. Rain date will be the following week. Residents of Middlefield may drop off used American flags that are no

November 29 Destination Durham Every Tuesday at 1 and 7 p.m. on Comcast Channel 19, Destination Durham will be aired for those living in Durham. DVDs are also available at the Levi Coe and

Durham libraries. College Admissions Forum Juniors and their parents/guardians are invited to attend the annual College Admissions Forum from 7 to 9 p.m. in the CRHS auditorium. College admissions officers will present an overview of the entire college admissions process. The guidance department will present the procedures and format for CRHS students in the application process. Following the presentations, there will also be a Q&A. Please call the guidance office at 860-349-7221 if you have any questions. Free Computer Clinic If you find yourself banging your keyboard or slapping the side of your CPU, your computer may be telling you something. Fortunately, help is here. The students in the MxCC Computer Club, along with students of the Introduction to Operating Systems course, are hosting a free computer clinic where they will diagnose and, if possible, repair your laptop or desktop computer. The annual clinic will be held from 4:30 to 7 p.m. in the student lounge on the MxCC Middletown campus.

WEDNESDAY

November 30 Middletown Flu Clinic A seasonal flu clinic is scheduled for today from 12 to 8 p.m. at Westfield Fire Department in Middletown. The vaccine shots are free and will be administered on a first come, first served basis. Supplies are limited. Anyone over age two and in good health is encouraged to receive the vaccine. The clinics are sponsored by MDA (Mass Dispensing Area) 36. Call 860-344-3482. Healing Eucharist Come to the Church of the Epiphany, Main Street in Durham, at 10 a.m. for the weekly Holy Eucharist with healing. Holiday Shopping Spree The Middlefield Lions Club will be presenting a Holiday Shopping Spree from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Indian Springs Golf Course (132 Mack Rd.). There will be holiday greens and ornaments,

Friday, November 25, 2011

handmade craft items, jewelry and much more. Come and enjoy wine tasting from the Little Rooster and holiday camaraderie! For more info, contact Jean Gay 860638-8833.

THURSDAY

December 1 Weight Loss Seminar Living Lean, featuring America’s fat-loss guru Rob Nevins, will host a free weight loss seminar at 6 p.m. at 850 North Main St. Ext., Building #2, Suite 3B in Wallingford. Feel free to bring a friend or family member. For more info, call 203-294-9346, e-mail robfatloss@aol.com or visit www.robnevinslivinglean.com.

FRIDAY

December 2 Tot Time The MOMS Club of Durham and Middlefield sponsors a weekly Tot Time every Friday from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Peckham Park, or, if it’s rainy, at the Middlefield Community Center. This open-age playgroup is available for all residents and their children of Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall. No RSVP is required. For more info, please contact Ann at momsdurhammiddlefield@yahoo.com. Bridge Night Come join in at the Durham Activity Center every Friday night at 6:30 p.m. for a fun night of bridge with great people. If you are not sure how to play, Jim will teach you. You may call Jim at 860-3466611 with bridge questions. Call Durham Rec at 860-3436724 with questions.

SATURDAY

December 3 Breakfast with Santa Partnership for Sharing is sponsoring a Breakfast with Santa from 8 to 10:30 a.m. at Third Congregational Church (94 Miner St. in Middletown). Photos with Santa will be available at a minimum fee. For more info, call Ruth Kramer at 860-267-6580

or 860-301-5622. Awakening the Dreamer This program includes video presentations, discussions and ways to become “part of the solution” for the 21st century. Refreshments will be provided by raw food authors Bill and Megan Paglia-Scheff. Donations will offset expenses, but no one will be turned away for lack of payment. Attendees are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to donate to a local food pantry following this fall’s storms. Register online at AwakeningTheDreamer.org. For more details, contact Michael Harris at info@earthcharterct.org or 860-873-8989. Dudley Holiday Market The Dudley Farm Farmers’ Market will hold its 16th annual holiday market from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Munger Barn. Holiday treats and treasures feature baked goods, crafts, eggs, fibers, fresh holiday greens and trees, honey and maple syrup, jams and jellies, naturally raised meats, pickles and soap. Contact 860-3493917 or visit www.dudleyfarm.com for more info and last-minute updates. Holiday Bazaar The Ladies’ Guild of St. Colman’s Church holiday bazaar, originally scheduled for Nov. 5, has been rescheduled to today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be crafts, a bake shop, gift baskets, wreaths, jewelry, a white elephant table and kids’ corner. Lunch will also be served. For more info, call the rectory in the mornings at 860-349-3868. Community Round-Up From 9 a.m. to noon today, teams of students, teachers, parents and community members will be roving the town in a scavenger-like fashion. Students will travel in teams of three or four following assigned routes to collect non-perishable items, canned goods and gift cards that will be distributed to the needy. If you won’t be home, leave a bag by your front door. Those who prefer to remain at the high school can assist by sorting, counting and packing. For more info, please contact Beth Galligan at 860-349-7221.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Town Times

Being Ms. Kuehnle riet Tubman It’s 6:45 Alex Kuehnle C h a r t e r a.m. Amidst School. the blinding One year morning sunago, I happily light, I casually sip my hickory coffee accepted an offer to be a 2011 and listen to weekend ac- Teach for America Corps counts from the eighth grade Member in New Orleans, student in the passenger Louisiana. Six months later, seat. Making sure that every I graduated from the Universtudent has a ride to school is sity of Connecticut, packed just one of the ways my the car with all of my belongschool embodies our values ings and moved my life of unity, excellence, respon- across the country, leaving sibility and courage. As we behind my family, friends arrive, I wave good morning and a rural Connecticut colto my co-workers and pro- lege town full of great memoceed down the elementary ries. After spending one school hallway to room 108 week in the Big Easy, I marked “Special Educa- trekked off to Atlanta, GA, tion.” Inside my room, I read where I spent five weeks over the week’s lesson plans teaching fifth grade reading and make some mental notes — Aubrynesha has a red See Teach, next page team meeting this morning; Destiny needs more nonverbal communication methods and I need to remind Raheem that he is not allowed to call Call Christine today at me “Ms. Ice Cream” again this week. Welcome to a typical Monday morning at Har-

Alex with some of her students on Halloween in her classroom, called “Loyola” because each of the classrooms in the Harriet Tubman Charter School is named after a college or university throughout the nation to accompany their mission of getting every student to college.

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Dear Neighbors, We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support in the recent election. Serving our community is something we take to heart.We look forward to continuing our work for and with all the citizens of Middlefield and Rockfall.

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Friday, November 25, 2011

Town Times

Teach (Continued from page 5)

Middle school and elementary special education students worked together to make a banner with an excerpt from Harriet Tubman Charter School’s Unity Cheer as a symbol that all students, no matter what, will learn.

at Teach For America’s summer institute. Three days after institute concluded, I found myself surrounded by 65 strangers, which made up the new staff of Harriet Tubman Charter School. Harriet Tubman was about to become the first charter takeover school in the history of Louisiana, and, through the next six weeks of professional development, I found myself in the middle of an educational

movement that has taken the city — and the country — by storm. Since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the charter school movement exploded in New Orleans, notably under the direction of the Recovery School District (RSD). Previously, while part of the RSD, Harriet Tubman operated under Algiers Charter School Association. This year, the state board voted not to renew the charter, which means, in New Orleans, charter schools that do not meet their annual performance benchmarks are closed after five years. That is how I found myself to be a

BIOTECHNOLOGY

Middlesex Community College Classes start January 20th How to register:

1. Apply for admission New students must first apply for admission to the college. You can apply online at www.mxcc.commnet.edu. Under “Quick Links,” on the homepage, select “Registration 2012” and then click on the link for “Registration Information for New Students.” You can also apply in person at the Admissions Office, room 153 Founders Hall on the main campus in Middletown. Submit application with: • $20 Application Fee • Copy of your high school transcript, diploma, or GED. • Proof of Measles/Mumps/Rubella and Varicella (Chicken Pox) immunity CT law requires all full-time and part-time matriculated students attending Connecticut college, and born after 12/31/56, to provide proof of immunization against measles/mumps, rubella, and varicella (chicken pox). Some exemptions may apply; call Admissions Office for additional information 860-343-5719.

2. Take the free basic skills assessment Call the College Learning Center on the Middletown campus for an appointment at 860-343-5770, or call the Meriden Center at 203-2386202. Exemptions may apply.

3. Register for your courses Come to campus and register for your courses on one the following dates at these convenient locations. • • •

Tuesday, December 6 from 2-6pm, Main Campus at 100 Training Hill Road, Middletown Tuesday, December 13 from 2-6pm, Main Campus at 100 Training Hill Road, Middletown Wednesday, December 14 from 1-5pm, Meriden Center at 55 West Main Street, Meriden

Biotechnology Prepare for scientific research jobs, or transfer into a four-year program in biology, chemistry or forensic science.

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part of a new, high-performing charter school, where 100 percent of our population receives free or reduced breakfast and lunch, and where each of our 550 students is at least two to five grade levels behind in every academic subject. In my classroom, I instruct elementary students with severe-profound disabilities, such as Autism, Down syndrome and intellectual disabilities, in grades kindergarten through third grade. For my students, the stakes are even higher as they face additional challenges on their path to college or the equivalence of excellence that college implies. Every minute of my students’ eight-hour school day is spent celebrating small wins, holding expectations high and instilling a culture of achievement within my classroom. Six months after arriving in NOLA, I know that closing the achievement gap takes a tremendous amount of work, dedication and willpower — but I also know that closing the achievement gap is entirely possible. I know that, when Devin, who came to me in August not understanding the concept of letters, mastered 23 out of 26 letters three months later, the achievement gap stems not from low income communities or lazy parents but from lazy teachers. This Thanksgiving week, I am thankful to work at a school that is paving the path of excellence for our students. I am thankful to have grown up in a community that provided me with opportunities that my students will never have. But most of all, I am thankful to have seized an opportunity that has allowed me to explore educational disparities throughout America and to be part of the solution. Every morning, as I hear a chorus of our school song “Lean on Me” or “black team, black team, goin’ to college!” drifting down the hallway, I am reminded that we make the path in light of this incredible challenge. We make the path by walking.

Friday, November 25, 2011

BOS

(From page 1)

Alfred. Asked if there would be a graduation or ceremony, Levy indicated they will have a ceremony but a date has not been decided. Francis expressed pride in these trainees as well as all town departments — emergency management, first responders and all volunteers who did a great job during the storm. “I am proud to live in Durham,” Francis proclaimed. Levy shared her sentiment, adding “there have also been a lot of professionals who volunteer in Durham; now we have a certified team.”

Francis reminded all that the swearing-in ceremony for elected officials will take place on Dec. 4 at 1 p.m. at the Durham Library. Francis thanked McLaughlin for his years of service: two years as first selectman and four years on the board. Szewczyk thanked McLaughlin for his knowledge and support. Francis presented McLaughlin with a cake, and he moved to adjourn the meeting, exclaiming, “Let them eat cake!”

Dudley holiday market The Dudley Farm Farmers’ Market will hold its 16th annual holiday market on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Munger Barn. Holiday treats and treasures feature baked goods, crafts, eggs, fibers, fresh holiday greens and trees, honey and maple syrup, jams and jellies, naturally raised meats, pickles and soap. At 11 a.m., Buster Scranton presents a Maple candy demonstration in the Munger Barn. Also, visit the Farmhouse for the chancre to see St. Nicholas. The Dudley Farm is located on the northeast corner of routes 77 and 80 in North Guilford. Contact 860-349-3917 or visit www.dudleyfarm.com for more information and lastminute updates.

Community Round-Up Food Drive When: Saturday, December 3rd Time: 9:00 A.M.-12:00 P.M. Teams of students with adults will visit your neighborhood to collect food, grocery gift cards, or cash for turkeys. Leave food by the front door if you will not be home.

Join the “CRU” Food Drive It’s a Neighborhood Thing!

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on the Public Works building and White’s Farm mitigation efforts; both projects are in good shape. Francis continues to work on a hazard mitigation grant, which is due at the end of December. She is very hopeful but will put the Board of Finance on notice in case the grant is not received. She reported that the state bid for brush removal was won by a Florida company, AshBritt, and she has received an estimate of $400,000 to pick up and cart away the debris caused by Storm Alfred. She further indicated that she will not be asking for approval on that contract but may go out to bid as the Town’s Public Works Department is already stretched to complete road projects before asphalt companies shut down in December and is hampered by two employees out due to workrelated injuries. She will meet with the Board of Finance to discuss options as “it won’t be cheap.” She is seeking advice from the Department of Transportation and the governor and, acknowledging the urgency, hopes to start pick up by Dec. 1. Francis further indicated that, with the president’s declaration last week, she will also begin the FEMA process to secure reimbursement of some of these expenses and has asked that RSD13 and DMIAAB submit separate applications for their expenses, hoping it will make the process easier. Francis expressed pride at the level of volunteerism and cooperation during the storm and successful partnerships with the school district and the town of Middlefield. Francis reported on the clean-up of the Merriam site, finding it a very impressive operation. The clean-up is slated to be complete by the end of December although Francis is not convinced they can meet that deadline. A flu clinic was held, vaccinating nearly 200 people. Francis congratulated Steve Levy, reporting that CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) completed their training despite being interrupted by Storm

Town Times

For information or to volunteer Contact: Ms. Beth Galligan, Director of Guidance Coginchaug Reg. High School (860) 349-7221

Sponsored by: District #13 and the Durham/Middlefield Local Wellness Council

Town Times Opinions

Friday, November 25, 2011

Help make a fourth graders day Town Times 488 Main St., P.O. Box 265, Middlefield, CT 06455 http://www.towntimes.com News Advertising Fax Marketplace

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Town Times is published every Friday by the Record-Journal Publishing Co. and delivered to all homes and businesses in Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall. Stephanie Wilcox, Editor Cheri Kelley, Reporter Kimberley E. Boath, Advertising Manager Joy Boone, Advertising Sales Michelle P. Carter, Office Manager Contributors: Diana Carr, Elisabeth Kennedy, Trish Dynia, Tanya Feke and Sue VanDerzee.

We love receiving mail at Town Times. Usually we get items intended for publication, like birth and wedding announcements and letters to the editor, and we definitely get our fair share of “junk mail” like everyone else — being a newspaper, we accumulate press releases like you wouldn’t believe! But occasionally we open our post office box to find a thank you card or compliment from residents or things that make for interesting reading material. One letter came to us from Aviston, IL, recently, with UCONN HUSKIES dramatically colored across the back of the envelope in crayon. Fourth graders at Aviston Elementary in southern Illinois are learning about the United States and the different environments, climates, resources and highlights found in each region. “The kids in the class think it would be fun to receive postcards, souvenirs, resources or any information

about our great country from each of the 50 states,” the letter read. “We hope that people who read this letter will be interested in mailing our class items pertaining to their state.” 4th Grade @ Aviston Elementary 350 South Hull Street Aviston, IL 62216 The card is signed by the kids in the classroom, their actual signatures photocopied onto the letter! We thought the folks in our communities might support a mission like this and feel inclined to send something their way. It is, after all, the start of the holiday season where we’re in the spirit of giving and helping. Your contribution might add to their excitement about this learning process. And who knows, maybe they’ll learn a thing or two about Durham, Middlefield or Rockfall that could change their lives in some way! Stephanie Wilcox, editor

Letters to the Editor Grateful for our neighbors There is much to be thankful for this year, but the kindness of our neighbor Denise Furano during the recent winter storm stands out. As the owner of Building Blocks Learning Center in Wallingford, Denise invited the children and their families to stay at the center after closing to keep warm and provided dinner to those without power for the duration of the outage. As it was Halloween, Denise and her staff threw an impromptu Halloween dinner party and allowed the kids to trick-ortreat room-to-room so that Halloween was not ruined! The kids were thrilled to wear

their costumes and receive treats from their teachers. We all became one big family over the course of the week with neighbors helping neighbors. So this year, we are indeed thankful that we have such caring small business owners in our community. Ken and Lynn Boy, Durham

Thank you, neighbors What an exciting past three weeks! As we neared the end of October, I was in the home stretch of my first foray in campaigning for an elected office in town. The next thing I knew, I took up temporary residence in the Emergency Operations Cen-

Letters policy The Town Times intends to present a forum for the lively exchange of ideas and issues. To facilitate the publication of your contributions, several guidelines should be followed. Letters to the editor must be signed, with a phone number included. The writer will be called to confirm authorship. No anonymous letters will be printed, and letters may be edited for grammar and content. Contributions by any individual or group will not be published more frequently than once a month. Every effort will be made to print all letters received. However, the selection and date of publication will be at the discretion of the editor. Finally, the opinions expressed by our letter writers are not necessarily those of this newspaper. Deadline: Tuesday noon for Friday publication.

ter along with other members of the Durham Department of Emergency Management as we worked together to recover from the recordbreaking October snow storm and power outage. And then election day was here, and, before I knew it, I was back in class completing training with Durham’s first members of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). So please understand that I meant for this letter to appear in last week’s edition. I want to thank everyone who supported me in my run for a seat on the Board of Selectmen. I am so very happy to have been elected. Campaigning was a new experience, and it was great to see old friends and even some of my old patients as I went door-to door. Durham is a great place to live, and the opportunity to serve the community is an honor. As I say thank you to the Durham electorate, I also want to urge everyone to look for a way to give back to our community. There are town boards with vacancies to fill, service organizations that will welcome new members and, as snow Storm Alfred showed us, there is always a place for a neighbor to help a neighbor. Thank you for your support and

confidence. I am eager to start my tenure on the Board of Selectmen and will do my best for our community. Dr. Steve Levy, Durham

Occupy what for? I am writing in response to the letters concerning the “Occupy” movement and to hopefully provide some insight into what it’s really about. So what is the 99 percent movement really about? Well, I went to lower Manhattan to the source to see for myself, to talk to them and find out. It was inspiring; this protest is calling attention to a number of issues under a broad banner. In reality, it’s a lot like the Tea Party but without the hate speech, racism, xenophobia and guns. The Occupy I saw is peaceful, democratic and inclusive. It’s a backlash against our illegal financial and political practices of the last 30 years. It’s not about wealth but about unbridled greed, illgotten gains and blatant fraud. It’s about the attack on people’s pensions, 401Ks and retirement in general. It’s about wars that never end and aren’t paid for. It’s about peace being more pa-

triotic than war. It’s about not bigger but rather better government. It’s about social inequity, inequality, morality and justice. It’s about legalized bribery and a bought-and-paid-for government. It’s about both political parties being pretty much the same and those two political parties being pretty much the only ones allowed. It’s also about an unfair and regressive tax system, and most of all, it’s a long overdue challenge to economic supremacy and hypocrisy. There is nothing un-American about it. As BusinessWeek magazine noted this week: “Census data shows that, since 1980, five percent of our national income has shifted from the middle-class to the nation’s richest households. This means that the wealthiest households, just 6,000 of them in total, accumulated an additional $650 billion beyond what they would have, had the economic pie been divided as it was in 1980.” The Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest just pushed things even further, and anti-tax pledging politicians and their phony debt crises protect this unfair system and an economy that is rigged to favor the rich, and

See Occupy, page 23

Town Times Columns

Friday, November 25, 2011

In Time a mixed offering In Time breaks Tanya boundaries with a thought-provoking premise and an ingenious hook that rivals most sci-fi films. How would the world function if time — not money — were used as currency? Think about it. What do you value more? In this brave new world, you are born with a guaranteed 25 years to live. When you hit your 25th birthday, you no longer physically age, but you only have one more year to go. Each month, week, day, hour, minute and second ticks off on a genetically-engineered clock that glows neon green from your arm. The only hope to extend your life is to earn extra time through work, criminal activity or otherwise hope for a charitable donation. As if that were not stressful enough, you must now start to pay for everything in temporal units. A cup of coffee costs four minutes, a bus ride two hours. Imagine paying for rent, utilities and (gasp!) gasoline with time. With the cost of living on the rise, how long will it take before your time runs out? What does it take to survive? Justin Timberlake plays Will Salas, a hard-working 28-year-old living in the ghetto. He barely survives day-to-day — literally — until a wealthy man from another Time Zone hands him a hundred years before running down his own clock. With time a precious commodity and suicide unheard of in this dystopian future, the police, called “time keepers,” suspect Will has stolen the time. Enter Cillian Murphy who takes the reigns as time keeper Raymond Leon, a man who lives by black-and-white laws despite a distinctly grey past. He delivers his type-cast bad guy performance with verve, though you actually grow to appreciate and understand his char-

acter’s moral stance…for a while at least. Reminiscent in parts of Casino Royale and Blade Runner, In Time shows Timberlake in his prime, a true superstar, believable and honest. His Will becomes a hero for the masses even as he becomes a fugitive from the law. It is when he learns the truth about “time” — wealthy men have genetically-engineered humanity this way as a means of population control — that he uses his own time to right that wrong. With Amanda Seyfried as an unlikely sidekick, In Time evolves into an elaborate cat-andmouse game. Unfortunately, Timberlake and Seyfried have minimal chemistry together, mainly due to Seyfried’s bland performance. Perhaps an argument could be made that she effectively channeled the elitist boring life her character so often complained about, but I suspect that silly wig on her head had something to do with her acting more like a robot than a warm-blooded woman on the lam. A sci-fi Robin Hood tale, In Time found a clever time for cinematic release. Without making any commentary regarding the Occupy movement, Americans are more alerted to disparities in wealth. I am both surprised and not surprised that the film has not reached a more critical success. Surprised because the principles are so haunting and engaging; not surprised because the film plays a bit flat in its delivery. The opening 30 minutes are jam-packed with images and concepts that had me in deep thought. Unfortunately, the rest of the screenplay could have used more “time” in development. My rating: 2 stethoscopes

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An ounce of prevention The complete anThe state is still reswer will have to covering from the await the findings of worst disaster to ever an investigation by happen to our electricthe state. In the ity distribution sysmeantime, however, tem. More than 85 perit is apparent that a cent of all households woeful lack of mainin the 13th Senate Distenance of the righttrict, including Midof-way around transdlefield and Rockfall, mission, distribulost electric power for tion and service as many as eight days. Sen. Len Suzio lines was definitely a In fact, I did not have contributing factor. I electricity restored to observed this firstmy house until Sunhand, not only day night, Nov. 6, throughout the dismore than eight days trict but in my own after we lost power! Now that the disaster is over, we backyard as well! Several distribuneed to focus on two big issues: (1) tion lines run along the back of my compensating people for lost servic- home property. During the 1980s and es and hardship and (2) preventing a 1990s, every few years a tree trimdisaster on such a scale from recur- ming crew would walk through our yard and prune back any growth ring again. My office has had communication around the lines. However, for perwith Cox Communications, Comcast haps the last 10 years, no one showed and AT&T regarding extending up anymore. When I awoke on the credit for service lost or unavailable Sunday morning after the storm, I due to power loss. We have been as- couldn’t believe how stretched the sured that all these service lines were to almost the breaking providers will extend credit to peo- point. As the old saying goes, “An ounce ple who lost their electricity. You will have to contact your service of prevention is worth a pound of provider and provide information to cure.” Simply maintaining a prunthem regarding the availability of ing program could have prevented their services in your home. My of- much of the damage. This was reinfice has prepared e-mails with in- forced by the experience in Wallingstructions that we have been send- ford, which lost service to only about ing out to the more than 2,000 con- 22 percent of its households. The mustituents already on my e-mail list. nicipal utility pays for an ongoing We have received dozens of e-mails tree trimming program that prunes from constituents who have happily branches every fourth year. The confirmed their receipt of credit payoff was the relatively low incifrom these companies! If you would dence of lost power, which affected like to get on the e-mail list for that fewer than one quarter of Wallingcommunication and others like it ford households while the power from my Senate office, please visit loss experience in the immediately www.SenatorSuzio.com or call 860- surrounding towns was near 90 per240-8800 and ask to be put on the e- cent of all households. After the state investigation is complete, I will remail list. Having endured the worst disas- port to you the results. In the meantime, if you want to ter to ever befall our electricity distribution system, the question is, hear more frequent and direct news “What can we do to avoid such wide- from me, remember to visit spread and prolonged disaster from www.SenatorSuzio.com and sign up for our regular e-mail news. ever happening again?”

From The State Capitol

Web update Our most recent poll question asked, “How will you do your holiday shopping this year?” There were 27 votes by press time, and we were disappointed to see that nobody will be shopping locally, unless the 52 percent who said “A combination” are including local retailers in their shopping plans. Big box stores: 4% Local retailers: 0% Online shopping: 37% Other: 7% A combination of the above: 52%

Middlefield Town Briefs

Middlefield Government Calendar (Unless otherwise indicated, all meetings are held in the Community Center.) Monday, November 28 11 a.m. — Middlefield Housing Authority Tuesday, November 29 7 p.m. — Zoning Board of Appeals Thursday, December 1 7-10 p.m. — Economic Development Commission Monday, December 5 7 p.m. — Board of Selectmen, with annual town meeting Tuesday, December 6 6:30 p.m. — Parks & Recreation Commission 7:30 p.m. — Midstate Regional Planning Agency at 100 DeKoven Dr., Middletown

Middlefield BOF The agenda for the Nov. 17 Board of Finance (BOF) meeting in Middlefield was amended to table the audit presentation until the next meeting. First Selectman Jon Brayshaw and emergency management director Terry Parmelee reported on damage, costs and reimbursements resulting from storms Irene and Alfred. Parmelee

Friday, November 25, 2011

explained that the first selectman must declare a state of emergency to afford him the opportunity to pay emergency expenses necessary to get through a severe storm. After the heavy snow storms early this year, the town submitted $15,000 in expenses to FEMA but was denied reimbursement. After Irene, expenses of $58,000 were submitted, and this time FEMA approved 75 percent reimbursement of those expenses. Parmelee explained that, in order to be eligible for reimbursement, the first selectman, governor and the president must each declare a disaster. However, FEMA eligibility is determined by county, not by town, and although Middletown, Middlefield and Durham were hard hit by Alfred, other towns in the county were not. Brayshaw expressed confidence that the town will be eligible for 75 percent reim-

bursement “because FEMA officials would not waste so much of their time driving around town, collecting data and working on numbers.” Parmelee cautioned that there is no guarantee, but he continues to gather data for submission. Fortunately, news that the president had declared the state of Connecticut a disaster area was received while this meeting was taking place. Parmelee reported that FEMA calculates brush removal by cubic yards — $20 per eight cubic yards. Based on that calculation, Parmelee will submit expenses of $168,000 for brush removal related to Alfred. In addition, the brush will need to be chipped (at an estimated cost of $5,000 to $6,000 per day for four to five days). He added snow removal costs of approximately $4,000 and See BOF, next page

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Town Briefs

Friday, November 25, 2011

BOF

handling the emergency so well, with care and concern for residents.

(From page 10)

shared expenses for the emergency shelter at Coginchaug. If approved, FEMA will also reimburse for generators used to run the warming center, sewer pumps, etc. Parmelee did not have final numbers but wanted to alert the BOF to the high cost of this storm in anticipation of a significant impact on the budget. Parmelee expressed pride in the town’s response to the storms, thanked all who volunteered their time at the shelter or warming center and thanked Regional School District 13 staff who prepared meals and kept the building clean and warm. He indicated that 2,300 meals were served, 1,400 showers provided and 80 people spent at least one night at the shelter. He was pleased with the cooperation and felt having one shelter worked well and is more cost-effective than opening two.

With regard to Storm Alfred, there are insufficient funds in the contingency fund to cover the expenses. A motion was made to create a new line item under Emergency Management for storm-related expenses (esti-

The board thanked Brayshaw and Parmelee for the information and gave them a round of applause for

thanked fellow board members: “It’s been a pleasure to serve the town of Middlefield and a privilege to serve with this board.” Jeremy Renninghoff was presented with a dog bowl filled with his favorite candy; Adams jokingly referred to him as their “junkyard dog.” Renninghoff also thanked board members: “It’s been a lot of fun; it’s nice to see the acrimony end. I hope it stays this way.” Remaining board members were presented with life savers, a calculator (because Jeremy was taking his with him), plastic swords “to soldier on” and a calendar with the board’s meeting dates. Renninghoff moved to adjourn, picked up a plastic sword and declared, “May the force be with you!” (Elisabeth Kennedy/In attendance)

Durham P&Z The Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) returned to BSD Real Estate’s site plan review for construction of an industrial building on Com-

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A lengthy discussion ensued about ways to handle these expenses, both to allow Brayshaw to continue to pay bills on an emergent basis, and the many expenses yet to be paid as FEMA reimbursement may take months, if it comes at all. Motions were made, revised and ultimately approved to pay emergent bills out of the contingency fund with the condition that those funds be replaced when and if FEMA funds arrive. Most of Irene expenses ($50,000-$60,000), were attributable to line items and paid accordingly. The board approved payment of approximately $1,900 not attributable to a line item out of the contingency fund, to be refunded when reimbursement is received from FEMA.

mated $168,000 transfer from the fund balance), contingent on any reimbursement received from FEMA being put into this line item for accurate tracking of these expenses. Because any transfer out of the fund balance must go to a town meeting for approval, accurate numbers will be collected and a town meeting scheduled when figures are finalized. Brayshaw took advantage of public comment to alert new and old members of the board of a joint meeting of the boards of selectmen and boards of finance of both towns and the Board of Education to be held on Dec. 7 at Strong School. Brayshaw also updated the board on Powder Ridge developments. There were no transfers and no new business. Rebecca Adams thanked board members for their service and presented gifts to all: Frank St. John was presented with a baseball signed by the “team” for being a “pintch hitter” in accepting an appointment midstream due to a resignation. St. John

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Durham Town Briefs

Durham Government Calendar

P&Z

(Unless otherwise indicated, all meetings are held in the Durham Library. Check the town website at www.townofdurhamct.org for updates.) Monday, November 28 7 p.m. — Board of Selectmen in Town Hall third floor meeting room Tuesday, November 29 7 p.m. — Ethics Committee 7 p.m. — Economic Development Commission Thursday, December 1 7 p.m. — Public Safety Facility Renovations Planning Committee at Durham Volunteer Firehouse 7 p.m. — Durham Animal Response Team (D.A.R.T.)

conjunction with the town engineer. Benjamin reported that all setback and lot coverage requirements are met. Jan Melnik read a letter detailing the town engineer’s review and recommendations to members (drainage easement to the town, maintenance program for the drainage system, curbing to direct surface runoff). Benjamin confirmed that he had addressed the town engineer’s recommendations and answered questions of other members. Town planner Geoff Colegrove reported that cost sharing for drainage

(From page 11)

Friday, November 25, 2011

changes and maintenance continues to be discussed with the town; Corona confirmed that he has been negotiating with Halloran & Sage (representing the town of Durham) on the easement and maintenance issues. BSD’s site plan was approved, with the condition that the final document be submitted to town counsel.

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Richard Eriksen explained that, due to the proximity of the loading dock to wetlands, the Inland Wetlands Commission requested a catch basin to collect oil from trucks at the loading dock. Eriksen further explained that the site plan cannot be approved without the town engineer’s review and approval of the plan. Site plan approval was Louis Sasso also returned tabled to the next meeting, before the commission for pending a report from the site plan approval for a two- town engineer. story addition to Graphite Under zoning enforceDie Mold, located at 18 Airment, Colegrove reported on line Drive. Sasso reported that he obtained approval his on-going work on photonon-compliant from Inland Wetlands contin- graphing signs which are sent with gent on placement of an oil separating catch basin. letters to property owners, indicating he is making progress. He has investigated complaints of a chop shop on Maple Avenue, a paving company on Route 79 and a report of hazardous materials on a Higganum Road Heating Oil property. & Cooling

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Durham Town Briefs

Friday, November 25, 2011

P&Z

(From page 12)

Under miscellaneous, Eriksen asked members and the public to note George Eames’ years of service on P&Z, emphasizing that most in attendance were not born when Eames began his tenure on the commission. Eames was presented with a cake, a gift and certificate of recognition for over a half century of dedicated service. Eames thanked members: “It’s been great,” he exclaimed, thanking members for their hard work and wishing them well, assuring them that “things will go on, and probably be even better! I love the town of Durham; it’s been very rewarding.” First Selectman Laura Francis thanked Eames for being a “good example of what we need in town: an excellent public servant and role model.” Second Select-

man John Szewczyk also thanked Eames for always treating him well: “As a kid until today, thank you; you taught me so much!” Colegrove took members down memory lane, sharing stories of the many years of service and friendship. Eames was assured that his legacy of respect for residents and members alike will long be remembered. Eames declared his last meeting adjourned to resounding applause. (Elisabeth Kennedy/In attendance)

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Town Times P.O. Box 265 Middlefield, CT 06455 Fax: 860-349-8027 E-mail: news@towntimes.com

Superfund site update Material is finally being hauled out of the superfund site on Main Street in Durham. There was a large delay in the project, according to First Selectman Laura Francis, because site approval was needed for the space where they are bringing the material to. Because of this major delay, crews will be working on Saturdays to try to get back on track. Francis said, “If it turns out to be too disruptive to neighbors, we might reconsider this.” So far there has only been one complaint throughout the time of the project, and it was taken care of. “Other than the delays, it is going well. We are still hoping to complete everything by the end of the year,” Francis shared. Photo by Cheri Kelley

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Town Times

Native

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they had come to this country in search of natural resources that had been depleted in Europe through nonsustainable use and abuse, and although they viewed native farming techniques as ancient, those techniques are what kept a good portion of white settlers from starving during their first years here. In Connecticut, the average person today would tell you that there are very few signs that indigenous people lived here before the English began settling in earnest during the 1600s. And they would be right. Archaeological evidence obtained over the last 100 years indicates that small bands of humans arrived in Connecticut about 11,000 years ago. They lived prima-

rily along the shoreline and inland waterways such as the Connecticut, Quinnipiac, Housatonic and Thames rivers. The Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington, CT, has many artifacts on display that were found in Middlefield and Durham. The items on display, such as arrow heads and ceramic shards, indicate that there were no “permanent” settlements here, but rather, Durham and Middlefield, especially in the Beseck Mountain, Lyman Meadows, Coginchaug River and Haddam Quarter Road areas, were used as seasonal hunting and fishing grounds by the Wangunks who lived along the Connecticut River in present-day Middletown and Portland. In 1672, prominent natives of the Wangunk tribe signed a treaty giving the land

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Map of CT Tribes. Durham and Middlefield fall within the Wangunk section. Submitted by Trish Dynia

known as Mattabesett (meaning: the land between two rivers) to early English settlers of Middletown. A monument at the north end of Middletown near the Route 9 overpass, behind O’Rourke’s Diner, commemorates this event. It is interesting to note that the plaque

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indicates that several female members of the Wangunks signed the pact and their names appear on the plaque. The English settler’s plaque only shows the names of male settlers.

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“at the water place,” and according to Middlefield Centennial, 1866 to 1966, “The area appears to have been used for hunting and battle grounds.” The Lyman meadows area at the south end of town was used by the natives for hunting large and small game and harvesting fish from the Coginchaug River. (Coginchaug is an Algonquian term for “at the place where they cure fish.”) When the first settlers came to Durham in the late 1600s, they signed a treaty with Middletown’s Mattabesett Indians, who claimed ownership of the land because they used it for hunting and farming. A History of Middlesex County, CT, published in 1884, states, “There is a piece of land on the north end of Tibbals Hill, just east of the town proper, and known also as Old Field, said to have been so called because of its former use by the Indians as a corn field.” According to local resident and civil land surveyor Bob Bascom, he has heard only of Tibbals Swamp, which was located on the south side of Haddam Quarter Road not far from its intersection with Main Street. So it seems reasonable to presume that the corn field was located in this general area. Arrowheads and pottery shards have also been found in the White’s Farm area, See Native, next page

Friday, November 25, 2011

Town Times

an Lane and was a basket (From page 14) weaver who walked to Middletown to sell her goods. She which indicates that this died in 1893 at age 86. Many early roadways in was a popular seasonal huntpresent day Connecticut ing and fishing ground. were well-worn ancient History of Durham, 1662 to paths utilized by Native 1866, by William Chauncey Americans for commerce Fowler, also makes refer- and seasonal travel. Today, ence to the land agreement those paths are Route 95 on signed by early settlers with the coast, Route 44, through the Wangunks of Middle- northern Connecticut and town. Durhamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heritage, by present day routes 79, 77 and Milton Whited, was pub- 17, which converge at the lished in 1976 and is primari- south end of Durham. ly an architectural history of An obvious question you Durham. The book contains might ask, and I did also a picture of a tombstone ded- while researching this artiicated to Ann Cornelius, â&#x20AC;&#x153;an cle, is, â&#x20AC;&#x153;How many were Indian girl who died on De- there?â&#x20AC;? There are no definicember 9th, 1776, aged 19 tive answers. Many local years.â&#x20AC;? No other informa- town histories begin with tion is known about the English settlement and all young woman. Two Durham but ignore the people who history books, Durham Con- lived here before. Native necticut 1866 to 1980, and Im- propensity to move around ages of America, Durham as the seasons changed also Connecticut, have a picture made it difficult for Euroof Esther Beamont, circa pean bean counters to pin1890, â&#x20AC;&#x153;who was known as the point their numbers, as did last Indian living in the fact that the borders of Durham.â&#x20AC;? Appropriately their tribes did not end at the enough, she resided on Indi- state line with Rhode Island,

Massachusetts or New York, nor with the border between the United States and Canada. Suffice it to say that Connecticut, before European contact, was home to several thousands of Wangunks, Pequots, Quinnipiacs, Mohegans, Nipmucks, etc. On a national level, estimates range from 1.5 million to 5 million. Counting the natives in present day United States before contact is also exacerbated by the fact that, soon after initial contact, natives died in droves from diseases, such as Small Pox, brought here from Europe. Many of those deaths happened before permanent settlements in Connecticut and were due to earlier contact with Dutch and French fur traders. As you celebrate Thanksgiving, a time when Native Americans saved early settlers from starvation, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look for a corner stone on a large building or even a historic sign stating, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Wangunks Were Here.â&#x20AC;? Their legacy is a whisper in the

Native

Ann Corneliusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gravestone at the southwest corner of the old Durham Cemetery. Non-Christians were buried at the edge of the cemetery. Submitted by Trish Dynia

wind, a gentle touch on the land, a chance meeting with wild berry bushes at full harvest and the seasonal migrations of land and sea creatures. We had much to learn from Native Americans but dismissed them as uncivilized heathens. Maybe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to pay attention again by learning to utilize our land in sustainable ways.

Got news? Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d love to print it â&#x20AC;&#x201D; photos, too! Send it: P.O. Box 265 Middlefield, CT 06455 Fax it: (860) 349-8027 E-mail it: news@towntimes.com

Town Times Your source for local news and events

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Christmas Trees in Town

Dumas Tree Farm, 190 Little Ln., Durham Find your Christmas tree on more than 35 acres of Tom Dumas’ farm, open the day after Thanksgiving up until Christmas. The Dumas farm offers Fraser, Canaan and Douglas firs and blue and white spruce, all for $15 and up. There are some pre-cut trees and table top trees for $10 and up. Wreaths, garlands and swags, as well as hot cider and cookies, are all available for sale. Saws and rope are provided, and trees are bundled. Dumas said he tries to discourage tagging but reluctantly allows it. No dogs or chainsaws are allowed. The farm is open weekdays from 12 to 5 p.m.

Durham Tree Lighting Please join the Durham Recreation Committee on the town green for the annual tree lighting on Saturday, Dec. 3, at 4 p.m. Rain or shine. Hot chocolate, cookies and Santa will be there. Sing along with the CRHS brass band.

Middlefield Tree Lighting Help light the town tree on Sunday, Dec. 4, with the Middlefield Women’s Club at the town green at 5 p.m. Enjoy refreshments, caroling, kiddie goodie bags and a visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. The Coginchaug High School brass ensemble will be performing. Extra help is needed this year to ensure the event runs smoothly. The Community Center needs to be decorated in full holiday regalia, song books must be stapled and goody bags are to be assembled. If you have some time to spare, contact Maureen at 860-349-1211.

DURHAM

and weekends from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 860-349-3636. Uncle Bob’s, 191 Meriden Rd. (Route 66), Middlefield This year the full-service florist offers fresh-cut balsam trees from three to 12 feet tall, starting at $20. Cemetery boxes, decorative roping, boughs, kissing balls, swags and poinsettias are just some other holidayinspired items Uncle Bob’s offers. You can also find plain and decorated wreaths from 10 to 48 inches. Call 860704-8414. Maplewood Farm, 175R Tuttle Rd., Durham Using a tag and cut system, Charlie Leigus’ 70-acre farm will be open from the days after Thanksgiving through Christmas. The farm is open during daylight hours and offers Fraser fir

and white spruce. All trees are cut-your-own, and you can bring a saw or use one that is provided. Be sure to bring rope to bundle and tie your tree. No chainsaws are allowed. Call 860-349-8267. Miller Tri-Mountain Tree Growers, 301 TriMountain Rd., Durham This farm, owned by brothers Seth and Bob Miller, offers over 40 acres of Christmas trees. The Miller Farm opens the day after Thanksgiving and will be open seven days a week from 8 a.m. until dusk. The farm offers many different species of Christmas trees including: white, Colorado blue and Norway spruce, Canaan, balsam, Fraser and con-color fir, as well as assorted exotic varieties. Saws, twine See Trees, next page

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Christmas Trees in Town

Friday, November 25, 2011

Holiday Bulletin

Trees continued

and a bailing service are provided at this cut-your-own farm. All trees are $45. Wreaths, swags and garland are available in the farm’s Christmas shop, and hot chocolate, cider and butter cookies are complementary. Miller Farm allows tagging and dogs but does not permit chainsaws. Call 860-349-9511. Herzig Family Tree Farm, 310 Maiden Ln., Durham

Delivery Available

Have you heard of the cupcake wars? There is a Cupcake Blizzard coming to town! Join the Recreation Committee and Santa Clause at the activity center on Saturday, Dec. 17, from 12 to 2 p.m. for a holiday afternoon with music and a Cupcake Blizzard contest. Take pictures with Santa and enjoy a homemade cupcake and hot chocolate. Make a dozen cupcakes to be judged by Santa’s elves. Children’s division: 12 and under. Adult division: 13 and up. There will be a variety of cupcake awards. Call Durham Recreation at 860-343-6724 to register. Cupcakes may be dropped off at the center on Saturday, Dec. 17, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

This holiday season, the Middlefield Social Services Department and the Middlefield Community Services Council will be collecting holiday gift cards for families in need in Middlefield and Rockfall. Gift cards from Walmart, Target, Destinta Movie Theatre, Wendy’s and Friendly’s are needed. Those wishing to donate can drop the cards off Mondays through Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Fridays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (by Thursday, Dec. 15) at the office that is located in the Middlefield Community Center. Also, to help with the food baskets, grocery gift cards are needed from Stop & Shop and Price Chopper in any denomination. Please contact Antoinette if you have any questions at 860-349-7121.

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The Middlefield Lions Club will be presenting a Holiday Shopping Spree on Wednesday, Nov. 30, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Indian Springs Golf Course (132 Mack Rd.). A portion of every sale goes toward our community. There will be holiday greens and ornaments, handmade craft items, jewelry and more. Enjoy wine tasting from the Little Rooster and holiday camaraderie! Call Jean Gay 860 638-8833 for info.

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Join Sue Cummings at the Durham Activity Center in making gingerbread houses. This craft is open for grades 47. Two sessions will be offered on Saturday, Dec. 17. Session one will meet from 10 a.m. to noon. and session two will meet from 1 to 3 p.m. Fee for this program is $10. Registration forms may be found at the Durham Town Hall or at www.townofdurhamct.org.

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Starting the day after Thanksgiving, the Herzig farm, owned by Warren and Carol Herzig, and father Walter, will be open Thursdays and Fridays from 1 to 5 p.m. and on weekends from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for tree cutting. Blue and white spruce are available, with some standing 14 feet tall and plenty between eight and 10 feet tall. All trees are $40, and help is available for cutting the trees and bringing them down the hill. There are precut trees available also. Netting and bundling is provided for free, and tagging is allowed. Delivery within 20 miles is available for a fee. The farm has some undecorated wreaths tied with a red bow. Candy canes and stickers are given to children of all ages. Dogs are allowed but must be on a leash. Call 860-349-1275 or 860-301-0901.

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Seasons Greetings Open Weekends 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Open Thurs. & Fri. Afternoon 1-5 p.m. 310 Maiden Lane, Durham Warren Herzig 860-349-1275

Friday, November 25, 2011

Town Times

Clean-up

(From 1)

with a clamshell attachment to pick up very large volumes of brush at one time. The truck loads of brush are brought to a staging area, and the town will later go out to bid on a massive chipping project, which will result in a mountain of chips. Many folks have brought in pick-up trucks filled with brush to the transfer station, which is appreciated. The station has a tub grinder that works for smaller amounts but is not large enough for the huge amount of brush left after the two storms. Brayshaw encour-

ages folks, who have the means, to bring their brush to the transfer station to help speed the process along. He also encourages residents to take wood chips for free as the town would like to get the chips out of its possession to avoid combustion problems that other towns and cities are facing. A reminder from Brayshaw is that the clean-up is only for brush, not logs and trees. One of the problems that the road crew is encountering is that they clear a street of all the brush and then a few days later there is more piled up, so they need to repeat the streets that have already been done. “The good news,” accord-

ing to Brayshaw, “is that Middlefield is way ahead of other comparable towns in dealing with the aftermath. This is attributed to the Public Works Department, Terry Parmelee and Joe Geruch.”

Santa Claus is coming to Wadsworth Glen Santa Claus will arrive at Wadsworth Glen Health Care and Rehabilitation Center (30 Boston Rd. in Middletown) on Saturday, Dec. 17, at 10:30 a.m. Free and open to the public. Call 860-346-9299 for more info.

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Town Times Spotlight

Friday, November 25, 2011 The following students have made the first term honor roll at Xavier High School for the 2011-12 school year. From Durham: high honors went to Gregory D. Brown, Matthew J. DeKoeyer, Geoffrey M. DeVille, Andrew P. Gonzalez, Akshay Vig, Victor C. Wu, Joseph A. Braun, Ryan J. DeVille, James R. Rosborough, Eric S. Lee, Connor M. Marszalek and Timothy S. Morris; honors went to Connor J. Landers, Michael F. Mastroianni, Ryan P. Murphy, Jake T. Whalen, Christopher D. Fusco, Tushar Vig, Sean P. Doyle, Laurence J. Hill, Lawrence H. Bourland, Patrick McCann, Christopher J. Peach and Joseph F. Prifitera. From Middlefield, high honors went to Michael R. Scherer; honors went to Robert Cocchiola, Patrick A. Booth and Justin P. Legere. Three students either tied or beat the school records for the one-mile run: Alec Bogen (grade 8) tied the school record at 5:18; he is now the proud owner of the new seventh grade record estab-

lished last year (old 5:29; new 5:24). Jessica Drop (grade 8) beat the old record of 6:18 with a new record of 6:04. Marissa Poulin (grade 7) beat the old record of 6:20 with a new record of 6:09. The Middletown branch of Washin-ryu Karate-do performed exceptionally at the 45th annual Washin-ryu Invitational Karate Tournament and Festival held in Endicott, NY, on Saturday, Nov. 5. Lead by instructor Mike Moan (seventh degree black belt), the Middletown students competed against 100 competitors from around the country and captured 24 medals including six first place medals. JUNIORS â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 11- to 12-year-old advanced (brown and black) division: Matthew Malek, of Durham, fifth Kata/first Kumite; 13- to 14-year-old advanced division: Nate Graichen, of Durham, fourth Kata/fourth weapons. ADULTS â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Brown Belt Women: Sarah Marie Graichen, of Durham, third Kata/second Kumite/first weapons; Black Belt Men: Patrick McCann, of Durham, executive second

Kata/second Kumite and Michael Haines, of Durham, open fourth Kata/fifth Kumite; Black Belt Women: Michele Haines, of Durham, fourth Kumite; Team Kumite (brown/black): second place, Connecticut Killers (Steve Ballachino, of Essex; Michael Haines, of Durham; and Patrick McCann, of Durham). Meghan St. Amand, of Rockfall, was awarded a scholarship to attend the Tradition in Tap workshop honoring Sarah Petronio in New York City on Nov. 12-13. Meghan was extremely honored to be one of the few students selected to perform in the Showcase presentation on Saturday night, Nov. 12, at the Manhattan Movement and Arts Center where she shared the same stage and billing with many professional dancers. Here,

Friday, November 25th thru Sunday, November 27th Metro

Peyton

Meghan is pictured with Ms. Petronio after class. Penelope Wickwire, a six-year-old dancer at the Middlesex Dance Center, has been cast in the Connecticut Balletâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2011 production of The Nutcracker, dancing the part of a baker. This will be Pennyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second appearance in The Nutcracker, directed by Brett Raphael. Performances will be Dec. 11 at the UConn Jorgensen Theater. Penny will also be perform-

ing in the Youth Theatre of Connecticut production of To the Glory of the King, where she has been cast with a solo dance part. This performance will be Dec. 3 and 4 at the Thomas Edison School in Meriden.

Send us your spotlight items

Town Times P.O. Box 265 Middlefield, CT 06455 Fax: 860-349-8027 E-mail: news@towntimes.com

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Schools in Town Times

Friday, November 25, 2011

IDS middle schoolers debate major issues

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Left, the IDS Debate Club began last year to teach middle school students to speak in public and argue important issues. This year, its 25 members are preparing to compete in a Moot Court program at Kingswood-Oxford School, and to compete in several parliamentary-style spontaneous debates. Students learn to think on their feet, argue cases based on facts and evidence, speak in reasoned tones, and develop a case for or against the major issues of the day. Brian Farrell, a Middletown resident, lawyer and current parent of two IDS middle school students, started the program last year to help students experience the challenges and risks of argument in a safe environment and to overcome their fears about speaking before an audience. IDS head of school Dr. John Barrengos and history teacher Andrew Watt provide additional support and teach rhetorical process, while Mr. Farrell offers his legal expertise and years of experience arguing in court before actual juries. All three are experienced public speakers and offer real-world-tested advice to the team. Submitted by JoAnn Rider

John Lyman School harvest celebration Left, Mrs. Klattenberg, outdoor education specialist for RSD13, shows the kindergarteners at John Lyman School how to make a paintbrush out of twigs as part of their harvest celebration.

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Korn School celebrated their second Spirit Day on Monday, Nov. 14. Student Senate members voted on a MisMatch Day where students would be mismatched from head to toe. Korn students will be celebrating a Spirit Day once a month, so be on the lookout for our next spirited day. Submitted by Eileen Chupron

Friday, November 25, 2011

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days. Resume Review and Critique: The library offers confidential resume critiquing and in-depth interview coaching appointments two Saturdays each month with Jeff Thierfeld, Business Professional and Consultant. Please call 860-347-2520 to sign up for a 45-minute appointment. If you need to cancel, please give at least 48 hours notice. Career Coaching: James Kubat, an associate director of the Wesleyan Career Center, gives private, confidential career coaching through appointments. Please bring a resume (if you have one) to the appointment. You must register and/or cancel at the Information Desk or by calling 860-347-2520. You will receive a reminder call prior to the appointment.

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Hours: The library is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and closed Fridays. The library is closed for the Thanksgiving holidy until Nov. 26 at 10 a.m. Visit www.leviecoe.com or call the library at 860-349-3857 for information or to register for any program. Speaker: Donald Hubbard, author of 100 Things Patriots Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die, will be discussing and signing copies of his book at the Levi E. Coe Library on Saturday, Dec. 10, at 1 p.m.

days and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Visit www.durhamlibrary.org to search the catalog, review your account, register for a program or renew your materials online. For information or to register for a program, call 860-349-9544. Facebook: Receive daily updates on library news and events by becoming a fan on Facebook. Click on the Facebook link on the library’s website. DPL Book Talk: Participate in the library’s new blog about all things book! Click on the DPL Book Talk link on the library’s website.

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Town Times

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Service awards Pictured at left are Bill Fowler, past Chief Bruce Villwock and past Chief Joe Skultety. They recieved an award for 40 years of active service to the Fire Company at the Middlefield Fire Departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Appreciation Night Dinner. A total of 270 years collectivly were presented that night. Awards are presented for every five years of active service. Submitted by Chief Peter Tyc

Friday, November 25, 2011 Submission reminder The Town Times welcomes submissions for upcoming events (e-mail news@towntimes.com by Mondays at noon). However, due to space constraints, we cannot guarantee a submission will be published on a specific date. To ensure your submission runs exactly as you would like, contact our sales representative, Joy Boone, at 860349-8026 or advertising@towntimes.com for a paid-for ad.

Propane drill Pictured at right are the Middlefield firefighters who participated in a live propane drill. Rockfall resident Ralph Zanellin has constructed a propane simulator that enables firefighters to practice fighting a live propane fire all while being safely controlled from a distance away. The simulator uses a tank with burners and valves installed to control a propane leak, propane fires and relief valve activations. Also included in the class were many cut-aways of actual propane cylinders and various types of valves to shut off the supply of propane gas. With the heating season just beginning, this training is a valuable resource showing real-life conditions that may be encountered. The department wishes to thank Mr. Zannelli for his instructions and also Propane GasServices of South Windsor for this presSubmitted by Chief Peter Tyc entation.

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Town Times

struggle. I don’t want a To advertise your “Clockwork Orange” future. I am proud to see young peobusiness, call the (Continued from page 8) ple and others speaking up for change and a better futhe insiders have pushed it ture. 860-349-8000 to the brink. Power without honor The 99 percent movement needs to be rejected. Basicalis about changing the conTail Wagging Pet versation, and amazingly ly, we are all in this together, Sitting they have no leader. It’s not and most of us want the same things — we just have to Call Michele Johnson at about “something for noth860-346-3595. Visit ing.” It’s about the future, work out the details. What www.tailwagging.org for not the past. It’s about Amer- about solidarity? more info. icans looking to change James Davis, Durham things for the better. It’s about the super banks being too big and powerful. Our current economy isn’t the result of the actions of the poor or the unemployed or the old and the sick. It’s about the rich and powerful; it’s about accountability, opportunity and patriotism. I had a 72-year-old man near Zuccotti Park tell me that it’s been so long that Americans don’t know how to protest anymore. We are soft and unTo show our sincere appreciation, beginning willing to challenge the staDeadline: November 29th Friday, November 25th, we will be giving tus quo, and we care more away a TEN DOLLAR Gift Card FREE about the Kardashians than Contact your Sales Representative for every $50 Gift Card purchased!!! we do about our government or and economy! I talked to vetCome in and enjoy our erans hoping to end our deCall 203-317-2312 ANNIVERSARY MENU & BAR SPECIALS!! structive wars. I talked to a for more information. priest who said he was there to be a buffer between police and demonstrators. He told STILL TIME TO BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY PARTY me that greed is sin, and do30 Center Street, Southington minionism is blasphemy. Maybe we should look to Canada. They actually reguwww.anthonyjacksrestaurant.com lated their banks and have survived quite well. Their banks didn’t screw their people over. In fact, their banks are here buying up our banks, and their people are here buying American real estate for pennies on the dollar! But they do things differCome to our Acute Care Hospital Unit, where ently there. They provide healthcare, they keep reliseniors can focus on getting well and returning home. gion and government sepa~ Direct admission to a room rate and they don’t fight endless wars. And, yes, they are ~ No waiting in an ER socialists. ~ Physicians can refer 24/7 We need to stop believing the bull served up by corrupt politicians. Billionaires don’t create jobs. Corporations are not people. Money doesn’t trickle down. And the biggest myth I discovered is that the people can’t change things. Yes, they can; I saw it with my own eyes! Inequality hurts our economy and dooms us to a future of stalled growth, high employment and continued

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Friday, November 25, 2011

Town Times

Ridge plans ‘putting along’

Middlefield swearing-in

According to Middlefield First Selectman Jon Brayshaw, his office is in frequent contact with David Perry, who is working with Rick Sabatino to line up investors to purchase the town-owned 246-acre former ski area. Sabatino, who was involved with a proposal put together by Dennis Abplanalp, decided after Abplanalp pulled out to go forward on his own with the help of Perry and new investors. “We’re in the due diligence phase and moving ahead,” said Sabatino. “We expect to make a second visit to the site in the next several weeks.” By Sue VanDerzee

Photo by Cheri Kelley

A swearing-in of newly-elected town officials, above, took place on Sunday, Nov. 20, at the Middlefield Community Center. A ceremony followed, and members of the public came to show support.

Explaining the state posting law Based on a complaint by a Middlefield resident concerning posting of signs, we offer the following clarification from state law: Sec. 23-65. Posting or distributing advertisements. Removing, pruning, injuring or defacing certain trees or shrubs. Restoration. Damages. Regulations. Permit for cutting or removal. (a) Any person, firm or corporation which affixes to a telegraph, telephone, electric light or power pole, or to a tree, shrub, rock or other natural object in any public way or grounds, a playbill, picture, notice, advertisement or other similar thing, or cuts, paints or marks such tree,

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shrub, rock or other natural object, except for the purpose of protecting it or the public and under a written permit from the town tree warden, the borough tree warden, city forester or Commissioner of Transportation, as the case may be, or, without the consent of the tree warden or of the officer with similar duties, uses climbing spurs for the purpose of climbing any ornamental or shade tree within the limits of any public highway or grounds, shall be fined not more than fifty dollars for each offense. (d) The removal, pruning or willful injury of any shrub or ornamental or shade tree, or the use of climbing spurs upon any ornamental or shade tree without the consent of the tree warden or of the officer with similar duties or the affixing of any playbill, picture, notice, advertisement or other similar thing concerning the business or affairs of any person, firm or corporation, to a pole, shrub, tree, rock or other natural object, within the limits of any public way or grounds in violation of the provisions of this section by an agent or employee of such person, firm or corporation, shall be deemed to be the act of such person, firm or corporation, and such person, or any member of such firm or any officer of such corporation, as the case may be, shall be subject to the penalty herein provided, unless such act is shown to have been done without his knowledge or consent. Matt Lesser weighs in: “The only exception I’m aware of is if the notice is for the purpose of protecting the pole or the public, and then it has to be under license from either the town or the state. For example, the pole could be about to fall over, and in that circumstance a notice on the pole to warn people to stay away would be legal.” The law has been in effect since 1949.

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Town Times 860-349-8026

Friday, November 25, 2011

Scouts in Town Times

Let the pie-making begin! Girl Scout troop #62199’s third annual pie-making event took place recently where 36 pumpkin pies were provided to area families through the Middlefield Social Services Department as well as the Middletown Community Thanksgiving Project. Pizza Pie or Pumpkin Pie — DaVinci’s Pizza in Middlefield can be counted on to provide the best! A special “thanks” for their support in providing the transportation boxes again this year! Top and left, scouts and trooper leaders; bottom photos, the pizza boxes and pies! Submitted by Dawn Mendoza

Girl Scout project Left, Junior Girl Scout Troop #62199 presenting their projects on “Her Story — Role Models — Agents of Change, Famous or Both?” on Nov. 15. The troop members’ projects will be on display at the Levi Coe Library during the month of January 2012. Submitted by Dawn Mendoza

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Friday, November 25, 2011

Town Times

Churchill saw the sunny side to everything By Diana Carr Special to the Town Times “There’s a huge hole here,” says Melissa Alvin, referring to the recent passing of her colleague, Jane Churchill. “We all feel such a loss, and so do our patrons. She was such a special person.” Certain words keep cropping up when people speak of Churchill, who worked at the Durham Public Library for 30 years — optimism, selflessness, cheerfulness, empathy, dedication, calmness and kindness. A person who only saw the light in life, never the dark. “This has affected the whole staff,” continues Alvin. “She was so gracious with the patrons, and modest. She never wanted to draw attention to herself. “She saw the beauty in

life. It was the simple things in life that mattered to her,” recalls Alvin. “We’d walk out at night, after closing the library, and I’d be thinking of a million things, and she would make me take the time to look at the stars. ‘Isn’t it a beautiful evening?’ she would say. “She was always calm, and she was always very kind to everyone who walked through these doors. When someone asked for a book, she could go right to the shelf and find it and never even look at the computer. “She was always smiling, and she was radiant with happiness when she was talking about her children and grandchildren. She was so happy and proud to be a mother and grandmother. She would read what her grandchildren were reading in order to keep up with

their interests.” Another colleague, Cyndi Shirshac, echoes Alvin’s sentiments. “Everyone who came in knew her. She would always greet people with, ‘Isn’t it a beautiful day?’ Even if it was raining or snowing, it was a beautiful day if someone came into the library. “Whenever you needed help, she gave you her individual attention. And she was tenacious. She didn’t give up. She’d call people a week later and say, ‘I just thought of this. Do you think you could use this?’ She wanted you to leave with something, even if it wasn’t the exact thing you were looking for. She’d find you something.” She loved walking on the beach, and she loved nature. Continues Shirshac, “We both drove in from Middle-

town, and she would say, ‘Did you see the swans on Dooley Pond?’” She is remembered for her love of the arts. “She loved going to museums, art galleries, concerts and plays. She was very independent and went to these things by herself.” Shirshac also feels “the hole.” “She had accumulated a lot of knowledge about the library. She was our ‘go-to’ person. We lost a great person and a great resource, and we miss her so much. We’re grieving, but we’re also consoling our patrons. People are coming in crying. She was such a visible part of the library.” First Selectman Laura Francis also remembers her cheery disposition, her kindness and her dedication to her job. “She was always pleasant, never angry or irri-

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tated. She had such an even disposition. “She took the time to know her patrons, and if she heard that someone needed help, she would pop up and say, I can help with that.’ And she never forgot anything. She knew what you liked, and she would help you find it.” She was always extending her heart to others. Says Francis, “She had an uncanny way, if you tried to help her, of turning it around so that she was helping you. You’d be concerned for her, and she would turn it around and be concerned about you. For instance, last winter I asked her how she was doing with all the snow, and she was saying how tough it must be for me.” Jane Eriksen, the chairman of the Library Board, knew Churchill for 30 years and also remembers her smile, her concern for others, her dedication, her love of the arts and her selflessness. “She was always ready with a smile. She was extremely empathic and concerned for others. She was a dedicated employee and was a role model for people because of her work ethic. She would come to the library early and stay late. We’ll miss her sense of selflessness. “She was a very cultured lady and was one of the strongest promoters of the arts that our community will ever see. When there was a program that had to do with music or literature, she would promote it on her own. When someone came up to the desk, she would say, ‘You need to see this.’ If something was going on at the library, she would put a marker in the books that people checked out so that they would know about it. “She loved the library and she loved the people she worked with. You’d go into the library and she would ask you, ‘How are you doing?’ and you’d say, ‘Well, you know, it’s raining,’ and she’d say, ‘Isn’t it gorgeous, the raindrops on the window?’ She turned things See Churchill, next page

Town Times Obituaries

Friday, November 25, 2011

(Continued from page 26) around. Things we’d complain about, she would see the beauty in them. She always looked at the positive.” Patti Holden worked with her at the library for the past two years and, like so many others, cherished her positive outlook. “I loved that she was always so cheerful and positive about everything. Even during the winter, when it was so awful outside, she always tried to find something nice about the day, and it made you feel better. “She really loved art, and she loved hearing about everyone’s kids and would always ask me about mine. “When I first started here, she was very helpful when I didn’t understand how to do something. I could always ask her anything.”

Shirley Connors Habel Shirley Connors Habel, age 84, of Durham, formerly of Bridgeport, widow of Steven Habel, passed away on Sunday, Nov. 13, at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown. Mrs. Habel, a retired bookkeeper for Laidlaw Bus Company, was born in Tulsa, OK, to the late Frank and Dorene (Barnes) Connors and has been a lifelong area resident. Survivors include her sons, Steven A. Habel and his wife Beverly of Trumbull and Gregory Habel and his wife Sherry of Texas; son-inlaw Michael Koritko of Durham; five grandchildren, Tammy Socci and her husband Joseph, Jennifer Penney and her husband Scott, Jill Chesmar, Katie Nash and her husband John and Stevee Habel; six great-

grandchildren, Joseph, Hunter, Justin, Jayson, Roman and Ryelyon; and two nieces. In addition to her beloved husband and parents, she was pre-deceased by her daughter Kathlene Koritko. Funeral services and interment were private and entrusted to the Adzima Funeral Home (50 Paradise Green Place in Stratford). In lieu of flowers, those desiring may make donations to the Kathlene Koritko Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 120, Durham, CT 06422. For more information or to make an online condolence, please visit www.adzimafuneralhome.com.

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Carl and Myrtle (Brooks) Isaacson, Sr. He died Nov. 15 in Inverness, FL. Mr. Isaacson was the previous owner of Isaacson Construction, Isaacson Excavating, D.E.I. and M/D Isaacson and was most recently employed as a driver for F.D.S. He moved to Citrus County from New Port Richey in 1979. He was preceded in death by his parents and a grandson, William. Survivors include his wife Maureen R. Isaacson of Floral City, FL; two sons, Michael Shane (Angela) Isaacson and Donald E. (Lee) Isaacson, Jr.; two daughters, Mary Elizabeth (Michael) Shawhan and Kathie Mae Isaacson; brother, Carl R. Isaacson, Jr.; two sisters, Donna Marie Johnson and Diane Mae Surkamer; eight grandchildren, Hannah-Jo, Kayla, Kendra, Nora, Brittany, Taylor, Gina, and Danielle; great-granddaughter, Lilyan; niece, Terri; and ex-

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And Valerie Kilmartin, the director of the library, says it all. “What impressed me the most was her intelligence, her compassion and her discernment. She knew what was good and beautiful and she kept fast to that. She was never condescending in any way, but you knew she had this extraordinary knowledge, all combined in a sweet, kind, thoughtful, patient and cheerful person. It was a really amazing mix of qualities. She was quite exceptional and of the more memorable people that I have ever known.”

T h e Service of Remembrance for Mr. Donald E. Isaacson, Sr., age 63, of Floral City, FL, was held on Saturday, Nov. 19, at the Inverness Chapel of Hooper Funeral Homes with Rev. Brian Baggs officiating. Interment followed at Oak Ridge Cemetery, Inverness, FL. The family received friends at the chapel. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.HooperFuneralHome.com. Mr. Isaacson was born Dec. 20, 1947, in Middlefield, son of the late

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Diana St. Pierre, another co-worker, remembers Churchill most of all for her good heart. “She never thought badly about anyone. She always had a good thing to say about you, no matter what, and she always stuck up for people. If a patron turned in a book really late, she’d say that maybe it was because they were sick. She was a kind soul.”

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Town Times Sports

Friday, November 25, 2011

Durham Defenders The fifth grade Durham Defenders girls’ basketball team is off to a great start. The girls are 2-0 in league play and recently participated in the Devon Rotary Knights basketball tournament at Laurelton Hall in Milford. The Defenders took home second place in a hard-fought loss to Amity in triple overtime. Top row: Coach Scott King, Hayley Esparo and Coach Stacy Toriano. Missing from picture: Coach Mike Grenier. Middle row: Jess King, Kailey Lipka, Sara Smith, Alex Grenier, Michaela Grenier and Raina DeFrance. Bottom row: Ali Durand, Alessandra Fronc, Sarah Gavin, Bailey Zettergren and Lindsey Lipka. Submitted by Stacey Durand

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Bruce Binge

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Durham men’s basketball registration Durham men’s league basketball returns to action in December, and it’s time to get registered to play. In-person registration will take place on Mondays, Nov. 28 and Dec. 5, at Memorial School and Tuesdays and Thursdays, Nov. 29, Dec. 1 and Dec. 6, at Strong School from 7 to 7:30 p.m. each night during open gym. The league is open to men 18 and older who are residents of Durham or Middlefield. Games are held either Tuesday or Thursday evenings each week at Strong School gym and run from Dec. 20 through the end of March. You can register as an individual ($100) or as a team of eight to 10 players ($900). Registration forms can be found online at the town of Durham website or on the “Durham Men’s League” page on Facebook. E-mail scott_strang@yahoo.co m for more info or to register. Registration closes Dec. 7. Games begin Dec. 20. We are also looking for team sponsors for the 2012 season.

Dietary Manager Needed

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Set our table, plan our menus and lead our team! Apple Rehab Middletown, a 70-bed skilled center, has an immediate opening for a full-time dietary manager to lead the dietary team in creating home-like, enjoyable and scrumptious meals for residents. Qualified candidates will be energetic and knowledgeable of long-term care regulations, with an out-ofthe-box approach. Apply in confidence to Sandra Vassallo, HR Coord, at 600 Highland Ave. in Middletown, or 860-347-3315. (EOE)

Town Times Sports

Friday, November 25, 2011

Time Out Taverne softball round-up for the 2011 season By Bob Dynia Special to the Town Times

Rookie Steve DeMartino was the primary shortstop, though he missed several games due to personal and professional commitments. Ken Judson manned the “hot corner,” also filling in at short. Wills Evers spent most of his time in left field, with a game at shortstop. Fighting through nagging injuries, Charlie Mather only missed one game as he patrolled left-center and left field. Daryl Edwards was the primary right-center fielder, also

getting some starts in left-center. Dynia was the only player to play one position for the season, stationed in right field. Steve Ackerman, last year’s team MVP George Miller and Chris Flanagan alternated as utility men in the field as well as designated hitter. “Boston” Mike Mills did a great job in his role as DH. TOT acquired Dave Oldham late in the season to fill in at right-center. See Time Out, next page

Town Times Service Directory

Tim Griswold

860-554-5219

Senior Discounts

Locally owned & operated for 23 years

Any Service $150-$550

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There’s a chill in the air. We have been anxiously following the exploits of Coginchaug football and volleyball, as well as the various travel squad teams. Durham and Middlefield have gone through the ringer with not one but two major power outages due to a hurricane and snow storm within two months. We look forward to greeting family and friends during the upcoming holiday season. What better time to talk about “old man’s softball.” The Time Out Taverne’s (TOT) mens’ 40 and over softball team suffered through their own version of Irene and Albert during the 2011 season. The team ended the year with a record of three wins and 11 losses; however, two of the wins were forfeits over a newly-formed team that quickly disbanded early in the season. TOT struggled out of the gate, generating little offense against most of their opponents. The Coginchaug Elders lost their first nine games on the field, most under the mercy rule, where they were down by at least 15 runs after seven innings. The team finally scored a dramatic, ninth-inning comeback win over Killingworth late in the year to avoid a winless campaign (discounting the forfeit wins). Manager Bob Dynia’s early optimism of a competitive team was quickly diminished, having to deal with undermanned squads for many games. “We have quality players at each position but couldn’t get them to show up as much as I would have liked,” Dynia said in a recent up-closeand-personal interview. “Once again, work and other personal commitments have taken precedence over our games. While it’s frustrating, I understand that softball takes a back seat to other, more important things.” A full team probably would not have made a difference in some games, however. Dynia continued, “You’ve got three teams in this league that are stacked. They have ‘young’ guys (if that is possible in a 40 and over league) who drive the ball pretty much wherever they want. We got a lot of exer-

team’s pitching, taking over for longtime stalwart Wayne Hubbard, hobbled by off-season surgery. Hubbard was able to make three appearances. Russ Harrison returned from a several-year hiatus to catch and take a few turns at third base. Bruce Bisson also toiled behind the plate and filled in at second base. Jack Carr played much of the year at first, with a short stint in the outfield. Bill “Doc” Lema and Jon Cote did the yeoman’s work at second.

cise chasing down liners to and through the gaps.” Mad Murphy’s of Middletown finished on top of the regular season standings. Due to the destruction caused by Hurricane Irene, playoff games could not be scheduled in a reasonable time frame, so the Forrest City squad was named league champion for 2011. Through the losses, however, the team kept their heads high and played hard. Bob Edwards did the majority of the

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Town Times Sports

Friday, November 25, 2011

Durham Demons weekend game summary By Melissa Marteka Special to the Town Times A 3-1 record to start the season would be a pretty good accomplishment. If you have that record after a weekend of basketball and get a trophy, that’s an even better accomplishment. Although the Durham Demons would have been ecstatic with a 4-0 record and first-place trophy in the Devon Rotary/Devon Knights pre-season basketball tournament, the team took home a second-place trophy after losing to Wilton 32-27 in a close final game. Prior to that game, the seventh grade travel team defeated Stratford 37-18 in a tournament game Saturday and a Milford team 31-13 in a Sunday tournament game to advance to the champi-

onship with Wilton. In between those two games, the Demons raised its regular season record to 2-0 after defeating Wolcott 42-21 at Strong Middle School. “The boys had a great weekend, playing four games in 24 hours,” coach Mike Grenier said. “Kyle Fontaine set the tone for us against Wolcott, with great defense and a solid game on the offensive end.” Fontaine helped the Demons preserve its unblemished regular season record as Durham took control of a tightly contested game in the second half with some great teamwork and passing. Patrick Piscatelli led all scorers with seven points. Fontaine added six points and led the team with three steals. Sam Marteka and Cam Stockdale also added six points each, with

Time Out (Continued from page 29)

Ryan Vynalek and Trevor Morris adding seven and six rebounds respectively. During Sunday’s semi-final tournament game, it was Kyle Grenier’s turn to lead the team as he pumped in eight points to defeat a Stratford team. Vynalek added six points and led the team with six rebounds. Owen Gonza-

lez added five points to pace the team. During the final tournament game, Wilton pulled away from a 21-21 fourth-quarter tie to win the championship. Trevor Morris led the team with seven points with Aidan Doyle and Gonzalez added six points each. Vynalek and Morris added five rebounds each.

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Offensively, the team could only record a .416 batting average. Judson led fulltime players with a .583 average, with Evers (.528) and Harrison (.500) the only others hitting .500 or above. Oldham and Mills each went five for eight for the season, while Bisson went five for nine. Evers led the team in hits with 19, followed by Dynia, Mather, Judson and Harrison with 14 each. TOT hit four home runs in 2011; one each by Evers, Judson, Oldham and Mills. Harrison and Flanagan led the team with two doubles each, with Judson’s two triples topping that stat. Dynia made the most of his hits, leading the Gray Wonders with nine runs batted in; Judson was next with eight, with Harrison and Oldham driving in five apiece. Evers (nine), Dynia (eight) and Judson (seven) led the team in runs scored. As always, the team wishes to thank their generous sponsor, Time Out Taverne, and owners Gary Carmichael and Jack and Karen Castiglione for their support. Thanks to our rabid fans, especially Charlotte, Nina, Carrie, Carolyn, Mary Beth and Molly, for providing support and consolation. Personally, I want to thank my wife Trish; while not making it to as many games as in past years (due to other commitments), she provided psychological services as losses mounted and helped in finding ways to write about them. I also need to mention the rest of my family for their support: my daughter Lauren and her fiancée Ken Morello, my stepdaughter Samantha and her fiancée Lee Sawyer, granddaughters Sadie, Natalie, grand-son Ben and my stepson David. I look forward to a huge rooting section next year. Finally, I wish to express my gratitude to the Town Times and all the readers of this column. I hope you all had fun perusing the articles as much as I did bringing them to you. Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, happy Chanukah and a healthy 2012 to all.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Town Times Sports

Coginchaug Little League Fall Ball 2011 season Michele Wenchell Information Officer for Coginchaug Little League

season. Despite the bitter cold and wind, several players from each team braved the elements to show their love of playing the game of baseball.

Players and coaches from both Connecticut Sign and Jose Dental at their Nov. 19 end-of-season scrimmage. Photo by Michele Wenchell

Experience makes the difference.

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The Coginchaug Little League served as host for the District 9 Fall Ball season this year due to our wellmaintained fields, our new concessions stand and the hard work of our parent and little league board volunteers. Board members Scott Strang and Dan Munro took lead roles in organizing and running a successful and enjoyable tournament for both players and family members. All six teams had a great Fall Ball season and â&#x20AC;&#x153;were very competitive with the other towns,â&#x20AC;? according to Scott Strang. In addition, the concessions stand which is located in the Atcherson building behind home plate of the boys majors field in Durham, made approximately $4,000 in revenue throughout the entire Fall Ball season. The concession opened in the spring of 2011 and will continue to serve a wide variety of food and beverages to the little league and overall community in the seasons to come.

360 Main Street Durham, CT 06455 Phone: (860) 349-5300 Pamela Sawicki-Beaudoin

Lisa Golebiewski, ABR, GRI

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Cell: (203) 623-9959

Cell: (203) 631-7912

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The Coginchaug Little League District 9 Fall Ball season began in September with 72 players making up a total of six teams. The four teams in the Majors division included Jose Dental managed by Tom Wenchell, Futurecom managed by Lou Garofalo, New Haven Dental managed by Steve Huveldt and Connecticut Sign managed by Scott Strang. The two teams in the Minors division included Hampton Inn and Suites managed by Bill Biro and Personal Auto Care managed by Jason Sokol. These six Coginchaug teams began practice prior to the start of the school year in August and played a total of 10 games during the regular season. Other teams competing in the District 9 Fall Ball season included Killingworth, Cromwell, Old Saybrook, Westbrook, Deep River, Middletown, Chester and Essex. Following the regular season, both minors teams competed in the first round of tournament play on Sunday, Oct. 16. Hampton Inn and Suites beat Deep River and Personal Auto Care beat Westbrook for both teams to advance to the second round of the District 9 minors tournament. Hampton Inn and Suites came up with a big win in the second round of the minors tournament

against Old Saybrook to guarantee them a spot in one of the semi-final games. Unfortunately, they came up short, losing to Middletown knocking them out of the District 9 minors championship game. Both teams and their coaches showed a great deal of talent throughout the tournament and we look forward to watching these boys as they advance into the majors division of Coginchaug Little League in the future. Three of the four Majors teams advanced following the first round of District 9 tournament play on Saturday, Oct. 22. New Haven Dental beat Westbrook, Connecticut Sign beat Killingworth and Jose Dental beat Cromwell to advance into the second round. The following day, both Connecticut Sign and Jose Dental continued to advance into the quarterfinals of the District nine majors tournament. Due to the unexpected snow storm during the last weekend of October, the remainder of the District 9 tournament was postponed and ultimately canceled. Despite the cancellation of the tournament, these players and coaches showed amazing talent and a willingness to work together as a team. In an effort to make up for the canceled tournament, both Connecticut Sign and Jose Dental met on Saturday, Nov. 19, to play one final scrimmage to end the

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Town Times

Friday, November 25, 2011

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