2-17-2012 Town Times by Town Times Newspaper

Volume 18, Issue 45

Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall

Durham approves new 20-year DMIAAB agreement By Trish Dynia Special to the Town Times Approximately 25 Durham voters attended a special town meeting on Feb. 13 and voted to approve the new agreement extending the life of DMIAAB (Durham Middlefield Interlocal Agreement Advisory Board, the operational agency for the two-town transfer station). They also accepted a oneacre parcel of land on Old Wallingford Road and agreed to a $3,200 fund transfer to allow the fire department to install a new air conditioner. The primary issues of concern regarding the DMIAAB agreement were the continuation of equal representation on the board in spite of the fact that Durham, as the larger town, pays 65 percent of the DMIAAB budget, and the withdrawal clause, which states

that either town may opt to withdraw from the agreement via vote of its legislative body prior to June 30 of any year. Regarding equal representation, Donia Viola stated, “This amounts to taxation without representation,” and encouraged the town to table the issue in order to change the makeup of the board. Viola also expressed concerns about the lack of data as to usage of the facility. Said Viola, “Maybe Durham uses it more, but we don’t know because the data is not available.” Other members of the audience expressed similar concerns but generally noted that it wasn’t a deal-breaker for them. Said Steve Levy, “It’s a good agreement. It’s worked for 40 years, and there are other checks and bal-

Friday, Februar y 17, 2012

George Eames III and James McLaughlin honored

State Senator Ed Meyer (left) and US Senator Richard Blumenthal (center right) attended a reception to recognize the efforts and contributions of George Eames (center left) and Jim McLaughlin (right) to the town of Durham on Sunday, Feb. 12, co-hosted by the Durham Democratic and Republican town committees. Photo by Karen Kean

See DMIAAB, page 10

CVEF spelling bee sees great turnout and spirit

The fourth annual Coginchaug Valley Education Foundation Spelling Bee was held on Friday, Feb. 10, after being postponed by the Halloween snowstorm. The delay did nothing to dampen enthusiasm for the community event. Twenty-two teams of mostly three contestants each competed enthusiastically for prizes. Pictured here, in the thick of the contest, the BEEdevils (Laurie Stevens, Kerri Flanagan and Chris Flanagan), sponsored by the Durham Democratic Town Committee, and the Sea BEES (Nicole Maletta, Claire Peterson and Becka Suchy), sponsored by Durham VFW Post 10169. The Sea BEES ended up winning the spirit prize with their snappy salutes. See more spelling bee photos on page 5. Photo by Sue Vanderzee

Durham Selectmen recognize volunteers, hear about water woes By Trish Dynia Special to the Town Times At the Feb. 13 meeting of the Durham Board of Selectmen (BOS), several residents of the Durham Heights neighborhood came to express concerns regarding the polluted well situation that has been an ongoing problem there for more than 25 years. Austin Road resident Sandy Wade noted that area residents feel that the town has forgotten the folks who have been dealing with coliform bacteria in their wells for such a long time. Said Wade, “Receiving bottled water is great, but having polluted wells has brought the values of our homes way down in what is otherwise a wonderful, friendly, middle-class neighborhood and a desirable area to live in.” Partridge Lane resident Donia Viola discussed the history of well testing in the neighborhood and noted that she has been working with the town Health Department on this issue for many years. First Selectman Laura Francis stated that discussions will resume again shortly on a possible link to Middletown’s public water system, but she cautioned that the EPA will only help with funding the system in the superfund area, which does not in-

clude Durham Heights. Once funding is in place for this system, completion and hook-up is still three to five years away. Francis will set up a neighborhood meeting to discuss these issues at length and look at possible solutions. Residents will be notified by mail, and the meeting will include town health officials, herself and hopefully a representative from EPA. The following members of Durham’s newly established Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) were sworn in at the BOS meeting: Patricia Dynia, Brenda Eddy, Kim Garvis, Jody and Paul Griese, Harry and Sharon Hall, Norm Hicks, Wanda Jacques-Gill, Barbara Johnson, Dr. Steven Levy, Dan Murphy,

See Dur BOS, page 31

In this issue ... Calendar........................................4 Devils’ Advocate ....................13-20 Durham Briefs ............................11 Middlefield Briefs.......................12 Obituary .........................................22 Sports ......................................26-30

Town Times Community Briefs

Girl Scouts celebrate 100 years Durham/Middlefield Girl Scouts are preparing to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts this March. To mark this monumental year, they are putting together a display at Levi Coe Library in Middlefield for March (Girl Scout Month) and also would like to invite the oldest local Girl Scout to our annual mother/daughter banquet this spring. If anyone has any Girl Scout photos, books, memorabilia, etc. that they would be willing to lend the local scouts for the display at Levi Coe Library, please e-mail or call Sheryl Pietrzyk Slight at slightes@sbcglobal.net or 860-349-2428. If you think you may be the oldest Girl Scout or think you know someone who is, please email or call Sheryl Pietrzyk Slight. The Durham/Middlefield

Girl Scouts welcome any girl in the community to become part of this organization. For more information please call Lisa Deschnow 860-347-5768, ext. 3751.

Attention, Falcons’ parents The Falcons are now accepting head coaching applications for the 2012 season. If you are interested in being a head coach for either the A, B, C or Mighty Mites teams, please contact Ken Parrilla, president, at kparr@aol.com or Steve Roccapriore, coaching director, at steverocc@att.net no later than Feb. 20. Head coaches will be selected by the board at the March board meeting.

Chili Contest The Church of the Epiphany (196 Main St. in Durham) will hold a Chili Contest and Festival on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 4 to 7 p.m. in the parish hall.

Prizes will be awarded for the top three winners in meatless, mild and hot categories, and entertainment for children will be provided. There is no entry fee, but there is a suggested donation to enjoy a meal (alternative menu for those who don’t like chili) and vote on your favorite recipe. Information is available by calling 860349-6533.

Softball pitching clinic Coginchaug Little League will offer pitching clinics for the softball players’ league ages 8-12 for the 2012 season. Girls must be registered for the 2012 season to participate in the pitching clinic. A parent is required to catch for their daughter. Clinics will be held at the Lake Grove gym in Durham on Sundays, March 11, 18, 25 and April 1, from 9 to 10 a.m. for beginners and 10 to 11 a.m. for experienced. To register your daughter

Friday, February 17, 2012

for this pitching clinic, please go to www.coginchaugll.org and click “Register Online” to begin. Instruction will be provided by Ashley and Nicole Thody, alumni of Middletown High School. Both girls earned allconference and Ashley allstate recognition during their high school careers. Ashley also played for two years at the University of Connecticut.

Marriage seminar “One Love,” a creative seminar, will be an incredible time for you and your spouse (or fiancé) to develop an intimate, passionate, fulfilling and healthy marriage! Some topics that will be covered are effective communications, how to handle tough seasons, deeper intimacy and affair-proofing your marriage. Come join us for this life-changing event at Victory Christian Church (191 Meriden Rd. in Middle-

field) on Friday, March 23, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, March 24, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost is per couple and includes materials, continental breakfast and lunch on March 24. To register, call 860-346-6771.

Ash Wednesday services On Wednesday, Feb. 22, Christians the world over begin the holy season of Lent with the observance of Ash Wednesday. The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in See Briefs, page 21

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.

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Index of Advertisers To advertise in the Town Times, call Joy Boone at 203-317-2313. GRISWOLD PLUMBING SERVICES LLC . . . . .30 HOME WORKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 HUNTERS POOL AND SPAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 IANNIELLO PLUMBING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 JAY LANDSCAPING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 LINO’S MARKET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 LYMAN ORCHARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 MASONICARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 MIDDLEFIELD REMODELING . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 MIDDLESEX DRIVING ACADEMY LLC . . . . . .26 MIDDLESEX HEALTH CARE CENTER . . . . . . . .6 MIMS OIL LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 MOECKEL, JUDY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 MOVADO FARM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 NEIL JONES HOME IMPROVEMENTS . . . . .2, 27 NEW ENGLAND DENTAL HEALTH SERVICE .24 NORTHERN MIDDLESEX YMCA . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 PROFESSIONAL SECURITY SYS . . . . . . . . . . .27 RANEY DMD LLC JASON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 REALTY ASSOCIATES LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 RLI ELECTRIC LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 ROBLEE PLUMBING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 ROCKFALL CO, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 RSDL HOME IMPROVEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 SANS-SOUCI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 SAVAGE, MARK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 SINGLES ALTERNAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 SISTERS CLEANING SERVICE . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 SPICE CATERING GROUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 SUBURBAN CLEANERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 T-N-T HOME & LAWNCARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 TILE RENOVATORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 TONY’S MASONRY LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 TORRISON STONE & GARDEN . . . . . . . . . . . .26 VMB CUSTOM BUILDERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 WHITEHOUSE CONSTRUCTION . . . . . . . . . . .27 WLODKOWSKI, STEVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Trumpet Lessons All Ages Over 27 years of professional experience performing with the Savage Brothers Band! Call: Mark Savage 860-402-6114

Home Improvements

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ACE OIL LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 ALLAN’S TREE SERVICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 APEC ELECTRIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 AUTO SALES SERVICE OF DURHAM . . . . . . . .7 BARILLARO SERVICES, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 BATTERS BOX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 BINGE BRUCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 BLACK DOG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 BOYLIN, DR WILLIAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 CAHILL & SONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 CARLTON INTERIORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 CARMINE’S RESTAURANT LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 CAROLYN ADAMS COUNTRY BARN . . . . . . .10 CCSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 CLASSIC WELDING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 COLDWELL BANKER PREMIER REALTOR . .31 CONROY DMD JOHN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 CORE CLUB LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 COUNTRY LANDSCAPING LLC . . . . . . . . . . . .21 DURHAM AUTO PARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 DURHAM DENTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 DURHAM FAMILY EYECARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 DURHAM NATUROPATHIC HEALTH . . . . . . . .10 DURHAM TOWN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 DURHAM VETERINARY HOSPITAL . . . . . . . . .11 EAMES, ALAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 EASTER SEALS GOODWILL . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 EDIBLE ARRANGEMENTS/NORTH HAVEN . .22 EDWARD ZAVASKI AGENCY, LLC . . . . . . . . . .5 EXCHANGE CLUB OF DURHAM . . . . . . . . . . . .3 EXECUTIVE HONDA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 EXECUTIVE OFFICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 FAMILY PEST CONTROL LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 FUEL & SERVICE, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 FUGGE DAVID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 GLAZER DENTAL ASSOCIATES . . . . . . . . . . .11 GRACE LUTHERAN PRESCHOOL . . . . . . . . . .10

Friday, February 17, 2012

Board of Ed approves two-year calendar By Mark Dionne Special to the Town Times

CORE

The approved calendars will be up on the district website, www.rsd13ct.org. Adding to its own calendar, the BOE has invited Durham and Middlefield’s current representatives — Representative Matt Lesser and senators Ed Meyer and Len Suzio — to the Feb. 22 meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Coginchaug Regional High School (CRHS). Governor Malloy has called on the state legislature to focus on education reform for the current session. BOE members discussed possible questions for the guests, including chair Tom Hennick, who indicated that he would like to talk about educational issues specific to smaller districts. A proposal for concussion management in high school athletes was also put on the calendar for the Feb. 22 BOE meeting. The topic of using computer testing to individualize treatment for students with concussion symptoms had been discussed in previous meetings. Viccaro has been looking into the program, which could start in the fall, with advice from district medical advisor

Dr. Brad Jubilier and Dr. Adam Perrin of the Connecticut Concussion Task Force. Before July 2012, the board has to decide how to comply with state mandates requiring students in grades 6 and up to have Student Success Plans, which set career-planning, academic and social/emotional goals. A company currently used for career planning and transcripts, called Naviance, may be able to handle the Student Success Plans. “I am looking to do this in a very efficient and cost-effective way,” said Viccaro. As in past discussions of the Student Success Plans, board members discussed ideas for involving parents in fulfilling the mandate. The BOE will also hear proposals from website management companies on ways to update and improve the district website. The next BOE meeting is scheduled for Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m. at CRHS. The BOE will meet every Wednesday in March at 7:30 p.m. at Strong School, beginning with a proposed budget on March 7.

CLUB & GYM

Drop the Weight, Restore Your Health Naturopath Supervised Dr. Jason M. Belejack ND 1234819

Health Restoration Program! The results speak for themselves! • I am a diabetic, my blood sugar has never been better and I am even starting to taper off my meds! • I lost 28 lbs. on this program! • My skin is clearer and glowing! • My energy has never been higher and no low points! • My headaches are gone! • I can fit into my skinny jeans again! • My body composition improved so much, I have no risk factors for disease!

What will you say?

Web Update This week, we asked our readers, “What is your idea of the perfect Valentine’s Day gift?” Here are the results: - Chocolates and candies: 0 % - Flowers: 10 % - A romantic getaway: 30 % - Jewelry: 0 % - Just spending time together: 30 % - Don’t celebrate / single: 30 % Be sure to vote in our next poll at www.towntimes.com!

All You Can Eat Spaghetti & Meatball Dinner PLUS Door Prizes & Raffle!

Sunday, February 26th CRHS Cafeteria • 3:30-7:00 pm

$6 each or $20 for a family of 4 or more Spaghetti & Meatballs, Salad, Bread & Butter, Dessert & Beverage

Event Sponsored by the Durham/Middlefield Exchange Club Tickets may be purchased at the door OR from an Exchange Club member.

CRHS musical groups will provide continuous entertainment.

Proceeds from this event benefit CRHS Athletics and the Prevention of Child Abuse.

tional Informa March Meeting PM at 4th at 3 lub Core C

$25 OFF w/Early Bird Special sign up by 3/15

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✔ FREE Core Membership for duration of program! ✔ Eight one hour personal training sessions WORTH $520! ✔ Weekly one on one meetings with Nutritionist Naturopathic Doctor who will keep you on track and answer all questions on your diet concerns ✔ Team Support w/weekly meetings and weigh ins ✔ Team Challenges ✔ One Meditation session ✔ A chef for an evening at Club Chef Patsy Hafher will demonstrate low fat cooking ideas ✔ Catherine O’Rouke is a SWAT Team Nurse and an ICU Nurse at Yale. Catherine is going to talk about prevention. She has seen a trend of young people who experience cardiac and diabetic issues. TESTIMONIAL: “Finished my eight weeks last night with the Core Club ... 30 lbs and a world of difference... I feel healthier, clothes fit, and I have more energy... well worth the time spent... Robin, Sheila and Dr. J are no joke, they are right there for you through all eight weeks .. Like Cheryl said... they will be doing another challenge in January... make it a resolution FOR YOURSELF ... to get FIT ...♥”

Core Club - 350 Main St., Durham, CT • www.coreclubllc.com • 860-349-9100

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In a shorter-than-usual meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at Brewster School, the Board of Education (BOE) voted to approve school calendars for both the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years. This marks the first time that the board has approved the calendar two years in advance and was done, according to Superintendent Sue Viccaro, for the convenience of parents. The calendars are similar to the current school year with a shortened February vacation, snow days added to the end of the year in June and five twohour delayed openings planned for professional development. Both calendars end the school year on June 11 (assuming no snow days are added). “I feel that these are safe calendars to offer people,” said Viccaro. The calendars were up in draft form on Regional School District 13’s (RSD13’s) website, and drew little feedback.

Town Times

Town Times & Places

4 FRIDAY

February 17 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 860346-6611 with bridge questions. Call Durham Recreation at 860-343-6724 with further questions. Blood Drive United Churches of Durham is holding a blood drive for the American Red Cross today from 1 to 6 p.m. Potential donors are encouraged to pre-register to ensure quick and efficient processing, but walk-ins are also accepted. Go to www.redcrossblood. org/make-donation and put in the sponsor code 4590 (or zip 06422) to sign up for an appointment, or call 1-800RED-CROSS. Be sure to drink lots of water and bring your blood donor card or any other form of identification.

SATURDAY

February 18 Jazz NightOut New York trumpet master Eddie Allen, who has performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Etta Jones and Joe Henderson, headlines at the Art Center Killingworth’s annual Jazz NightOut, presented at the Ivoryton Playhouse (103 Main St.). Set in a café-style environment, Jazz NightOut opens at 7:30 p.m. with musical prodigy Alma MacBride, a Connecticut jazz pianist and flautist. Complimentary appetizers in orchestra seating only. Free dessert buffet and cash wine bar available to all. For price info and tickets, call 860-663-5593, or purchase online at www.artscenterkillingworth.org. Italian Buffet An all-you-can-eat Italian dinner (chicken parmesan) will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at Third Congregational Church (94 Miner St. in Middletown). For more info, call the church at 860-632-0733. Belly Dance Workshop Come to Core Club & Gym

(350 Main St. in Durham) from 2:30 to 4 p.m. This is your chance to try something new! Dress in layers, wear loose yoga pants, work out clothes or a full skirt, bare feet, socks or ballet shoes. Coin hip belts and veils will be provided to borrow. All skill levels and body types are welcome. This class is perfect for beginners or students who have studied before. Call the gym at 860-349-9100 for more info.

SUNDAY

February 19 Hungry Hearts Info Meeting Middlefield Federated Church is presenting the opportunity for adults to wear their hungry hearts on their sleeves for Haiti. If you would like to be a part of this event March 9-10, you will need to come to the organizational meeting at Middlefield Federated Church (402 Main Street) today at 11:45 a.m. For more info, please call Middlefield Federated Church at 860-349-9984 or email Tammy Burt at tamburt@comcast.net. Create Your Own Workshop Baby showers on the calendar? Come to the Polar Fleece Baby Blankets workshop at Arts Center Killingworth (276 N. Parker Hill Rd.) from 1 to 4 p.m. and design and sew snuggly, upbeat baby blankets! Measure, cut, tie knots and machine stitch satin trim to finish a unique gift. For more info and to register, call 860663-5593 or e-mail artscenterkillingworth@gmail.com. Visit us at www.artscenterkillingworth.org. Create Your Own Workshop The “Delving Deeper into the Mystery of Knitting” workshop at Arts Center Killingworth (276 N. Parker Hill Rd.) will be held from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. The rib pattern, seed stitch, double-seed stitch and grid stitch are introduced — all based on variations of the knit/purl combination. For more info and to register, call 860-663-5593 or e-mail artscenterkillingworth@gmail.com. Visit us at www.artscenterkillingworth.org.

MONDAY

February 20 PRESIDENTS’ DAY Baseball Pitching Clinic Coginchaug Little League will once again be offering a baseball pitching clinic. Starting on Saturday, March 10, the clinic will run for four consecutive Saturdays. Registration opens today to players league age 8. To sign up for this clinic, visit www.coginchaugll.org and click “Register Online” to begin. Contact the Scott Strang at scott_strang@yahoo.com with questions or comments about the pitching clinic. Falcons Head Coach Apps The Falcons are now accepting head coaching applications for the 2012 season. If you are interested in being a head coach for either the A, B, C or Mighty Mites teams, please contact Ken Parrilla, president, at kparr@aol.com or Steve Roccapriore, coaching director, at steverocc@att.net by no later than today. Head coaches will be selected by the board at the March board meeting.

TUESDAY

February 21 Native American Games and Crafts The Meigs Point Nature Center at Hammonassett Beach State Park has a schedule of activities offered by ranger Russ Miller during what is typically February vacation week. Take part in games played long ago by Native American children at 11 a.m. Make your own Native American game to take home at 1 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

February 22 ASH WEDNESDAY Ash Wednesday Services The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in Durham has scheduled two services for the imposition of blessed ashes at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. All are welcome. For more info, please call Fr. Anthony C. Dinoto, interim rector, at 860-349-9644 or visit www.epiphanydurham.org.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Durham Senior Lunches Every Monday and Wednesday (excluding this Feb. 20), hot lunches are available for seniors over 60 and their spouses at the Durham Activity Center (350 Main St.). Bingo starts at 1 p.m. on Wednesdays. 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 (excluding this Feb. 20), Wednesdays and Fridays. Reservations are required 24 hours prior, and their monthly menu can be picked up at the center, Town Hall, or at www.middlefieldct.org. Free Blood Pressure Clinics Every Wednesday, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., the Outpatient Specialty Clinic at Masonicare Health Center in Wallingford (Route 150) is open to the community, with trained staff on hand to check blood pressure readings at no charge. Call the Clinic at 203-679-5902 or the Masonicare Help Line at 1888-679-9997 with questions or for more info. TOPS Meeting TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets every Wednesday at 6 p.m. on the third floor of the Durham Town Hall. Contact Naomi Klotsko at 860-349-9558 or Bonnie Olesen at 860-3499433 for more information. Turtle Program and Crafts Meet the turtles of Connecticut; learn what’s special about our native turtle species, including habitats and natural history with Ranger Russ at 11 a.m. at Hammonassett Nature Center. Then at 1 p.m., make and decorate your own paper turtle. Make him scary, make him funny or make him look just like a real turtle!

THURSDAY

February 23 Native American Stories and Crafts Experience traditional storytelling with stories that taught Native Ameri-

can children about nature and life lessons with Ranger Russ at 11 a.m. at Hammonassett Nature Center. Then at 1 p.m., write and illustrate your own story using Native American symbols.

FRIDAY

February 24 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 860346-6611 with bridge questions. Call Durham Recreation at 860-343-6724 with further questions. Build With LEGOs® Join DMYFS for a family building event on Saturday, March 3, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at DMYFS (405 Main St. in Middlefield). Get ready for a fast-paced, hands-on build using over 60,000 LEGO® building blocks. For the registration form, prices and more info, go to www.dmyfs.org and click on programs and select “Windmill Build.” Registration will be accepted no later than today. Comedy Night Dave Reilly, a comedian, illusionist, escape artist and fire eater, will be performing at Zandris Stillwood Inn (1074 South Colony Rd. in Wallingford) tonight. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., and the show begins at 8 p.m. Includes a hot buffet, cash bar, and a 50/50 raffle. For more info or to reserve tickets, call 203-269-6695 or 203-410-4559. Live Snake Crafts Meet the snakes of Connecticut; learn what’s special about our native snake species, including habitats and natural history with Ranger Russ at 11 a.m. at Hammonassett Nature Center. Then at 1 p.m., make snake crafts. Ranger Russ will provide toy snakes for this project. Decide where your snake would live and create a habitat to provide camouflage for it.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Town Times

Spelling bee brings letters and laughs to a wintry night

By Sue VanDerzee Twenty-two teams of high school and adult spellers competed for fame and fortune (actually, mostly fame and Dunkin’ Donuts gift cards) at the fourth annual Coginchaug Valley Education Foundation (CVEF) Spelling Bee held on Friday, Feb. 10, at the Coginchaug High School auditorium. Teams were sponsored by various groups, organizations and businesses who paid for the privilege of entertaining their fellow citizens. This raises money for CVEF, which is then distributed to individuals and organizations engaged in various educational activities in Durham and Middlefield. At the bee, the spelling champions within Regional District 13 are also recognized and presented with trophies. This year,

Left, the ZomBEES, sponsored by P.A.L.S., Friends of the Durham Library, made it into the final spelldown. From left to right are Diana St. Pierre, library director Valerie Kilmartin and Patti Holden. Below, these ABCs (Already Been Chewed) wore crowns decorated with dabs of already chewed gum! Pictured are Heidi DeFlippo, Kim Stockdale and Denise Brennan. Photos by Sue VanDezee

the elementary winners included: from John Lyman School, Liam Houchin, Liya Simon, Ryan Solomon, Maia Carpentino, Joe D’Agostino and Madeline DeFlippo; and from Korn School, AJ Defilio, Edward Fournier, Ashley Szymaszek, Sean Carroll, Evan Hempel, Ben Howell and Nicholas Morin. Middle school champion spellers recognized were: fifth graders Margaret Fiodella, Charlotte Meigs and Keya Stahl; sixth graders Stefan Marczuk and Tatiana Perez; seventh graders Hannah Amirault, Mary Grace Fiondella and Sam Wilcox; and eighth graders Dan-

ny Gavrilovic, Sadie Leiler, Megan Locascio and Shaun Whitaker. Congratulations, all! Winners of the spelling bee were the Sunday Dreamers — Kathy Meyering, Penny Robiner and Sue VanDerzee — sponsored by the 11-year-old-andcounting Sunday Readers book club. The Dreamers also won the Most Original award, perhaps for their extensive demonstration of an ability to sleep even under the most public conditions! Other winners included Ekspelld, sponsored by Indian Springs Golf Club. Ekspelld (Jen Huddleston, Aleda Freeman

Real judges came out to judge the lively contest. Pictured here, deep in thought, are the Honorable Probate Judge Joseph Marino, Durham First Selectman Laura Francis and the Honorable Judge Richard Adams. Behind them is Garret D’Amato, who acted as timekeeper and purveyor of yellow and red cards for unruly spellers! and Kathy Weber) arrived by skateboard and spent their time blowing spitballs at fellow contestants, which finally earned them a red card from timekeeper Garrett D’Amato. They certainly deserved their Most Entertaining award! The Sea BEES (Nicole Maletta, Claire Peterson and Becka Suchy), sponsored by Durham VFW Post 10169, earned the Spirit award, perhaps because they spent a lot of time snappily saluting the judges who basked in their attention and respect!

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Wordstock (Jen Christenson, Julie Coogan and Dina D’Amato) earned the award for Best Name, and The WannaBEES (Kate Gillespie and Jeanne Mesick), who had to be seen to be believed, rightfully walked away with the Best Costume award.

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Friday, February 17, 2012

Town Times

Valentines for Veterans By Judy Moeckel Special to the Town Times For many years, members of the Wadsworth Chapter of the Connecticut Daughters of the American Revolution (CTDAR) have gathered at the Church of the Epiphany in Durham to make valentines to present to the veterans who live at the home in Rocky Hill. This gesture is one way they honor the men and women who have served our country over the years. Other activities include collecting gift cards and new clothing for the veterans. Even though the event had to be canceled this year, members still made valentines on their own. In addition, the DAR chapter reached out to area school and Girl Scout troops, who made valentines for veterans in large quantities. “We make these valentines for the veterans at the Veterans Home and Hospital in Rocky Hill,” says Ellen Halstedt, regent of the Wadsworth Chapter, “because sometimes

they have no family or no family close by. We hope these cards let them know they are not forgotten, and that we appreciate everything they have done for us and our country. While some

The girls of Troop 62199 proudly show off the many colorful valentines they created; they are in first grade (Daisy Scouts) and fourth grade (Junior Scouts). Submitted photos

Lillian White, a lifelong resident of Durham and member of the Wadsworth Chapter of the CTDAR, holds up one of many valentines to be sent to the Veterans Home and Hospital in Rocky Hill.

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may wonder why we make them instead of buy them, I think it lets the vets know that someone put some thought and effort into the cards, and that someone remembers them. They are definitely in our minds and hearts while we’re doing this.” This year, valentines were made by two very special groups of young people. The Daisy Scouts and Junior Scouts from Troop 62199, un-

der the leadership of Dawn Mendoza and Melissa Marteka, made a large number of colorful valentines, which were delivered to Rocky Hill the day before Valentine’s Day. Mendoza says that the troop does a lot of service projects, including food drives, crafts at sugarloaf Terrace in Middlefield, a pajama collection and letters to veterans, so this project fit right in. She

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Another group of young people — students at Farm Hill Elementary School in Middletown — filled a large box with handmade valentines. Marie Dambrose, who worked there for many years and now volunteers at the school, says that Mark Proffitt, the new principal, involved the whole school in making valentines. Like Mendoza, Dambrose (a former regent of the Wadsworth Chapter) plans to keep up the connection between the school and the DAR.

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Friday, February 17, 2012

Town Times

People and pets taken care of in Durham By Diana Carr Special to the Town Times

continues Eddy. “We want people to know that, when there’s a power outage, they can bring their pets to the (Coginchaug) shelter. DART runs the side with the animals.” O c t o ber’s snows t o r m brought a dozen animals, including dogs, a parrot and a fish, to the shelter at Coginchaug Regional High School, with members of DART staying with them around the clock. The animals are kept separate from the people and must be caged or crated, but their owners can visit them, take

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of in the event of an emergency. Part of the town’s Emergency Management Department, the organization received a grant for CERT training in the spring of 2011, thanks to the efforts of First Selectman Laura Francis, Francis Willett (current director of Emergency Management) and Steven Levy (the deputy director of Emergency Management, the CERT team leader and the former owner of the Durham Veterinary Hospital). Classes were held

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them for walks and bring them their food. “We’re not a kennel, though,” says Eddy. “Pets can’t just be dropped off. Their owners have to stay. One customer told me that she and her poodle lived in the car during the day because the house was so cold. People need to know that, in addition to overnight stays, their pets can stay at the shelter for a couple of hours while they go to the other side and take a shower and get a hot meal. People aren’t going to leave their homes if they can’t bring their pets, who are like their children. They need to know about the alternatives.” With 15 members, all volunteers, the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) sees to it that Durham residents are also taken care 1234720

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It may come as a comfort to know that, should an emergency arise, both you and your pets are in good hands. Dedicated members of our community have gone through the training that will ensure that all members of your family — including Fido and Fluffy — will be safe. The Durham Animal Response Team (DART) is composed of volunteers and is part of the town’s emergency services, says Brenda Eddy, owner of Main Street Feed and one of the organization’s eight members. It was formed under the direction of veterinarian Dr. Steven Levy in 2006 when he was the director of Emergency Management (a department in the town’s emergency services). Eddy says they are the second responders to an emergency and are contacted by the ambulance services and the fire department. They respond to a multitude of emergencies: they help a pet who is involved in a car accident; in the event of carbon monoxide poisoning in the home, they get the animals out; if there is a barn fire, they will get the animals out safely and, if they need to be placed in a facility, transport them; they treat an

animal’s injuries until a vet arrives; and they get fresh water to barns that have lost their well water, such as during our recent power outages. “Some of the members of DART are vet techs,” says Eddy, “so they know how to respond to injuries. And we are always taking courses, like pet CPR, in order to further our knowledge.” The organization is also going to be doing educational programs for the town on barn and stable fire safety. “We want to make the public aware of what we’re doing,”

The Durham Board of Assessment Appeals will meet and hold hearings regarding real property on Thursday, March 8, beginning at 7:00 PM and Saturday, March 10, beginning at 10:00 AM. Meetings will be held in the second floor conference room at the Durham Town Hall, 30 Town House Road, Durham, Connecticut. To petition the board for a hearing, a completed form must be filed at the town hall on or before February 20, 2012 (March 20 if the Grand List is extended one month). Petition forms are available at the town hall and on the town website. Motor vehicle appeals will be heard in September.

Opinion in Town Times

Friday, February 17, 2012

We’ve moved! As of yesterday, Thursday, Feb. 16, Town Times staff have officially moved to our new office! Don’t worry — our telephone number, postal address, e-mail addresses, and website will all remain the same as before. Our new fax number (203-235-4048) accepts faxes for the other newspapers in our team as well, so be sure to indicate that your fax is for the Town Times when sending it to us. Many of you have inquired about our bright yellow box where you have been picking up extra copies of the paper for years. That’s not going anywhere! If not at its current location, we will find a new home for it somewhere around town. We’ll be sure to let you know where it ends up either way so you can continue to have access to our newspaper at a convenient local site. See you around town!

Letters to the Editor Thanks for a great Taste of Durham! I am so thankful for the generosity of the many people who contributed to the success of our library fundraiser. First and foremost, what would the Taste of Durham be without all the wonderful culinary treats donated by the local businesses that are so giving in their support? We are fortunate to have a core group of extremely popular restaurants and caterers return every year, and it’s always fun to welcome a couple of new ones. Many thanks to all the volunteers: to PALS members who start organizing this event in November; to the dozens of volunteers who help with setup, decorating and clean-up; and to even more volunteers who served food or manned the bars during the event and pay to do so! Additional thanks go to the Durham Volunteer Fire Co. and fire marshals who help with safety coverage; to the town crew for help with

set-up (no snow removal this year!); to wonderful pianist Bruce Schmottlach and musical duo Jon Swift and Rich Johnson; to the Printing Dept., Inc. for our programs; to RSD13 for their loan of our popular shuttle van; and to our volunteer driver. Special thanks to all the patrons who were lucky enough to get tickets to this sold-out event. Because of this tremendous outpouring of support, PALS is able to fund programs, events and start-up collections for the entire community at the Durham Library. Laurie Stevens, PALS President

puter or TV that you thought you had just stolen turned out to be a set of custom-designed hockey jerseys for my men’s league team. I can’t imagine that you woke up that morning just wondering how you could get your hands on 20 hockey jerseys! What could you possibly need them for? Please just put them back on my deck. If you really think you need to keep them, at least swing by so I can autograph the #30 jersey for you. Thank you. Tim Fisher, Durham

To the person Zumbathon a success who stole a you to everyone that package off my wasThank at Core Club on Sunday for the Zumbathon (pictured bedeck low). It was very moving that the To whomever stole my UPS delivery on Maiden Lane in Durham on Monday, Feb. 13 — I would appreciate it if the package could be returned. No questions asked. I am sure you were very disappointed when you got home and realized the com-

community pulled together to support LLS (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society®). We can all make a difference, and we have just begun! Thank you Deb, Mary, Shelly and Janice for pulling this event together. Cheryl Salva, Core Club & Gym

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Paws Place: French Fry This Fench Bulldog/Staffoshire Terrier mix is approximately one year old and weighs 35 pounds. He is little guy who loves to be active; he loves to fetch and is obedient and well-mannered when he plays. He would be ideal for someone who wanted to train a dog for agility or Frisbee. He would make a wonderful running, hiking or walking partner. He is full grown at his small stature and is absolutely adorable in person. He is decent on the leash and knows basic commands like sit, stay and paw. He has shown no forms of aggression and is friendly to all. French Fry is an eager and smart dog; he looks to his person for commands. He is a dog who needs an active person. Will you rescue him? For more information about this dog, please e-mail paw364@yahoo.com, call 203-235-4179 or go to Petfinder.com. The Meriden CT Animal Control, located at 311 Murdock Ave. in Meriden (right off East Main St. exit on 691), has public viewing hours every day from 3 to 4 p.m., or you can call for an appointment.

Town Times Columns

Friday, February 17, 2012

Memorial School happenings identify areas of As we enter the secBy Kevin J. Brough, strengths and weakond half of the school Memorial Principal nesses. Once these aryear, I am always eas have been identiamazed at how quickly fied, teachers work towe have gotten to this gether to establish an point. The eager faces instructional priority unaccustomed to our relating to literacy or building and the expectations of fifth and sixth grade now mathematics. When these areas of appear quite comfortable in their sur- need are identified, teachers then roundings. It has been a very busy six work to develop a common formative months for all of us at Memorial assessment or short test that focuses School. Students have grown in a vari- on the identified skill. The test is then ety of ways and our teachers and staff given to all students and is later have worked extremely hard to focus scored and analyzed to determine speinstruction and provide opportunities cific skill levels of students. Teachers then meet collaboratively for students to increase their knowlto create teaching strategies that will edge in all subject areas. In this article, I would like to high- be implemented in each class. Once folight some of the initiatives that have cused instruction has taken place, stutaken place at our school this year. dents are again assessed to determine These initiatives are designed to help academic growth in the content area. Each of these cycles takes six to students to become better learners and our staff to become better able to eight weeks to complete and focuses on specific skills found on the Conmeet the needs of our students. Our biggest initiative this past year necticut Mastery Test (CMT). In the has been the implementation of Scien- data team cycle, teaching is consistent tific Research Based Interventions. In and developed collaboratively. Indithis process, teams of teachers collaboratively analyze student data and See RSD13, page 23

A View From RSD13

2012 Academy Award predictions This time of year alTanya ways brings out the movie nerd in me. The glamour and glitz of celebrity fashion is fun to watch, and the return of host Billy Crystal will rejuvenate the long-lost sparkle of recent telecasts. Still, the heart of the Academy Awards is the movies themselves. Knowing I’ve seen many of the films, I feel as if, in some oddball way, I too have something at stake with the reading of each folded envelope. Oscar predictions are a dime a dozen. Anyone can make predictions without seeing a single film. It is easy enough to read popular magazines or to run analyses of winners from other award shows this season. However, who will win and who should win are two completely different things. The only way to make an educated opinion is to actually see the films. Not counting documentaries, short films and foreign films (since these are nearly impossible for the average theater-goer to find), the Academy placed 94 nominations this year in 19 categories. Of these 94 nominations, 52 of them are associated with Best Picture nominees. Additionally, 28 other films are recognized, and eight of these have multiple nominations — The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo having the highest

tally at five, followed by Albert Nobbs, Tinker Tailor Solider Spy and, yes, Transformers: Dark of the Moon with three each. Popular films Bridesmaids and Harry Potter also snagged two nods apiece. Of course it is fun to root for your favorite celebrity or film, but it is more fun when you know that they actually deserve it. There is a lot of voting on popularity, and, in the background, Hollywood politicking for votes gets as ugly as presidential elections. In the grand scheme, we must remember that an award is only a conglomerate of an opinion, and it is always “an honor to be nominated.” That said, here are my predictions. BEST PICTURE: Nominees: The Artist, The Descendants, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Help, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life and War Horse. Number of nominees seen: 9 of 9. Who will win: The Artist. Who should win: The Descendants. Commentary: The Artist is enchanting and nostalgic but overall gimmicky. In contrast, The Descendants showcases true heart in its

Help cap a ‘hidden’ tax and restore fiscal discipline and the audited numThe Governor, in his bers is more than $1.75 annual address to the billion! Legislature, sounded Magnifying this fitwo main themes: 1) nancial sleight-of-hand fiscal discipline and 2) was the state’s refusal education reform. I to adequately fund its strongly support both retirement obligations, concepts. pension benefits and Next month, I will retirement health care tackle the education benefits for state emreform issue as it unployees, which are now folds at the Capitol. Tounderfunded by almost day, let’s take a look at $40 billion. This does “fiscal discipline” a little more in-depth. State Senator Len Suzio not include teacher benefits or debt obligaFiscal discipline has tions, which add more been lacking at the than $30 billion of addiState Capitol for many tional debt to our debt years. In fact, the state burden. Connecticut literally has maintained “two sets of books” for taxpayers now have more debt per decades. One set of books, the “Bud- person than any other state in the getary basis,” on which the state country. Clearly, the system has budget has been based and reported, been dishonest and undisciplined. As the governor took office last has used an accounting system that allowed accounting gimmicks to dis- year, he signed executive orders to tort revenues and expenditures, cre- transition to a more honest and acating the illusion that the budget curate accounting system. Unfortuwas balanced. The other set of books, nately, the implementation of that the audited books, was based on real new accounting system was postrevenues and expenses. The difference between the budget numbers See Hidden Tax, page 23

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Biggest Loser Pro Challenge update

Join our next Anne has lost 13.2 Biggest Loser Pro pounds in only four Cheryl Salva, Core Club Challenge from April weeks. She shares, 15 to June 9 — ask “Halfway through about our early bird the program, and I specials! am proud of myself Health tip: for how far I have Outside shape starts on the inside come in such a short time. I now look forward to my workouts. I have — we are all so quick to say what we more energy and strength to push hate about ourselves, but what about myself harder each time. The friend- the qualities we like? You can teach ly support from Sheila and Robin as yourself to be more positive just as well as the other members has you taught yourself to be negative helped me stay on track and motivat- about your body image. You are ed. It is great knowing that I am not beautiful from the inside out; tell alone in this journey, that there are yourself this every day, many times. others who are facing the same chal- When you stop being so hard on yourself, you will get results. Make a lenges as I am!” Lino has lost 15.8 pounds in four list of all your good qualities; include weeks and is going strong. He is chal- things like “I have really thick hair,” lenged every week in his personal “I make people laugh,” “I am a good training session with Clinton. His friend,” “I have great eyes” and so energy and strength have greatly im- on. Make the list long, and read it often! Now start eating better, and get proved. The battle to stay in the top two moving! You will start to develop spots for the pedometer challenge self-acceptance and body confidence. continues. Tina is now taking the Remember the people who will be lead with 174,047 steps in one week; the most successful at losing weight way to go for it, Tina! Pam is in sec- and keeping it off are the ones who ond place with 143,606 steps; great are ready and willing to do what it job, Pam! We are waiting for Lino to takes. Is that you? We know you can do it! Don’t sit, get fit! reclaim his title!

Healthy Living

Friday, February 17, 2012

Town Times

DMIAAB (Continued from page 1) ances.” Town planner Geoff Colegrove noted that the recent installation of the scale will be instrumental in gathering data on town usage. Said Colegrove, “The DMIAAB Task Force will continue to meet, and one of their tasks may be to review that data and make recommendations.” He also noted that the revised agreement contains provi-

sions that allow adjustments to the agreement. Regarding the withdrawal clause, Bob Fulton stated, “The easy out is this document’s fatal flaw and renders the value of the assets worthless.” Several residents expressed similar concerns, with some noting that the original agreement had no provisions regarding a timeline, whereas the revised agreement provides a timeline of between one and two years. DMIAAB Task Force chair-

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Attorney Bob Poliner added, “There’s no such thing as a perfect contract,” and added, “My reading of the document indicates that the warning would be a minimum of about a year, with a maximum of about two years, depending on when the intention of either town was made public.”

After further discussion, the motion to approve the contract was approved by the majority. Regarding the acceptance of a one-acre parcel on Old Wallingford Road, First Selectman Laura Francis stated that, after developing the Clementel Drive area, two lots were unbuildable due to flooding issues. The lots are designated as open space, taxes paid by the Clementel family are under $20 per year for each lot and the town currently has a drainage easement. Several residents expressed concerns regarding what additional liabilities the town may incur by accepting these lots and asked what the specific advantages to obtaining them

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The motion to approve the acquisition of this property was passed by the majority. The final item on the agenda, a $3,200 fund transfer to install a new air conditioner for the fire department, passed unanimously with little comment.

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would be. Public Works director Kurt Bober explained that the advantages would include the ability to create a detention basin and possibly a fire pond, thus further alleviating flooding in the area and providing an additional water source for putting out fires. As to liability, it was noted by Bober, Francis and Poliner that the liability, which already lies with the town, will not change.

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man Chad Spooner noted that the task force had met many times over 18 months, often weekly, and meticulously reviewed all aspects of the original contract and current operations. He stated, “There has to be an exit strategy if something better comes along for either town. We created a timeline where none existed before. If not this one, then what?”

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Durham Town Briefs

Friday, February 17, 2012

Paving project on Pent Road The town of Durham has proposed a project for Pavement Preservation on Pent Road. The project is in the concept stage and may be recommended for construction under the Surface Transportation Program administered by the Connecticut Department of Transportation. This project, if supported by the community and Durham officials, will be designed by the town’s consulting engineer, Nathan L. Jacobson & Associates, Inc. It is the town’s and the state’s policy to keep persons informed and involved when such projects are undertaken. It is important the community share its concerns to assist in the projects development. It is planned to resurface Pent Road with rubberized chip seal over its entire 4,750foot length from Parmelee Hill Road to Route 68. The project will include upgrade of seven drainage cross culverts with associated road shoulder drainage, signage and road center line striping. Limited tree-clearing safety improvements will also be included.

Based upon preliminary assessment, the construction cost will be approximately $339,000. It is anticipated that the project will be funded through the STP URBAN Program, in which the town will be reimbursed by the Federal Highway Administration for 80 percent of the construction cost with the remaining 20 percent provided by the town. Anyone interested in obtaining further information or providing input may do so by contact the Office of the First Selectman at 860-3493625. (Submitted by Beth Moncata)

Durham Nursery School registration The Durham Cooperative Nursery school has announced its registration dates for the 2012-13 school year: Current, active member

registration will be held Tuesday, March 6, from 6 to 7 p.m. Alumni registration will be held on Tuesday, March 6, from 7 to 8 p.m. Open public registration will be held on Wednesday, March 7, from 6 to 8 p.m. All registration will take place at the Durham Co-Op Nursery School, located in the Durham Village (16 Main St. Suite 307, lower level). Registration and other fees will be due at the time of enrollment. The three-year-old program meets Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8:45 a.m. to noon. The fouryear-old program meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:30 to 11:45 a.m. The Durham Co-Op Nursery School is non-discriminatory. Enrollment is on a first come, first served basis. If you have any questions about enrollment or would like to set up an appointment to visit the school, please call 860-349-9885.

Durham Government Calendar (Unless otherwise indicated, all meetings are held in the Durham Library. Check the town website at www.townofdurhamct.org for updates.) Wednesday, February 22 6 p.m. — Board of Education Finance Committee at Central Office 7:30 p.m. — Board of Ed at CRHS Thursday, February 23 12:30 p.m. — Senior Citizen Board at Durham Activity Center

Senior watercolor class

Intermediates are also invited to attend. Students will work at their own pace and receive individual instruction and critiques from Aleta.

Watercolor classes for seniors with well-known local artist Aleta Gudelski will be held in the Durham Activity Center (Main Street). Classes will begin on March 2 and end on April 13. They will meet on Friday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon. There will be no class on Good Friday (April 6). Beginners are encouraged to come and explore the art of watercolor.

Ten students will be allowed in the class. The fee for Durham seniors is $60, and the fee for out-of-town residents is $75. Please call Sherry Hill at 860-343-6724 to reserve a spot. Checks must be made out to “The Town of Durham” and brought to the Town Clerk’s office to register. No checks will be accepted at the activity center the day of the class.

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Middlefield Town Briefs

Middlefield Government Calendar

Powder Ridge events snowballing

(Unless otherwise indicated, all meetings are held in the Community Center.) Tuesday, February 21 6:30 p.m. — Conservation Commission 7 p.m. — Board of Selectmen Wednesday, February 22 6:30 p.m. — Planning & Zoning 7 p.m. — Inland Wetlands Commission special meeting 7:30 p.m. — Board of Ed at CRHS

Tax help at the Senior Center

AARP Free Tax Preparation for seniors with low and moderate income will be available at the Senior Center every Tuesday by appointment during the months of February, March and April (until April 17). Please call the center once you have received all your documents that need to be filed. We also ask that you bring last year’s return. The Middlefield Senior

Café is open and serving lunch on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at noon. Next week on Wednesday, Feb. 22, we will be serving up macaroni and cheese with a tossed salad; on Friday, Feb. 24, turkey vegetable soup and roasted turkey breast with sweet potatoes will be served. We will be closed this Monday, Feb. 20, in observance of Presidents’ Day. Please call in your reservation at least 24 hours prior to a lunch day. Antoinette Astle, the director, can be reached at 860-3497121.

The same week that Rick Sabatino, of Apollo Consulting, sent a letter indicating his continuing willingness to talk to First Selectman Jon Brayshaw about buying, redeveloping and reopening Powder Ridge ski area, the Middlefield Board of Selectmen (BOS) scheduled a special meeting for Wednesday, Feb. 15, to discuss accepting a Letter of Intent from Sean Hayes, managing director of Brownstone Exploration and Discovery Park LLC, of Portland. Sabatino was part of the Alpine Ridge team that withdrew their participation late last year. Sabatino stated his willingness to continue the process alone, and he and Brayshaw have been communicating since then. In his letter of Feb. 13, Sabatino notes that he and his investors have prepared a business plan with both summer and winter activities and 100-150 time share condos. “I have shared this with a select few within your town, and the response has been overwhelming. I have been asked to present this to the town,” Sabatino wrote. Meanwhile, the BOS met after press time on Wednesday, Feb. 15, with Sean Hayes at a public meeting in the Community Center. Hayes has proposed a plan to reopen the ski area with an emphasis on the “newer” winter activities of snowboarding and tubing as well as “learning to ski” opportunities. He told Town Times two weeks ago that he feels this will complement his summer business at the Brownstone park in Portland, which emphasizes water activities, including scuba diving in the old quarry, wake boarding, swimming, and various in-water attractions, as well as zip lines and other adventure activities on site. By Sue VanDerzee

Sprint into Spring The Middlefield Lions club is proud to be hosting the “Sprint into Spring” 5K/10K race this April 15. This will be our inaugural race. This event promises to be fun for all ages and in-

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cludes local merchants lending their support. This race will start at Peckham Park at 8 a.m. Medals will be given for the age-group winners (both men and women) for both the 5K and the 10K. There will also be a DJ for music throughout the morning, and there will be a kids’ fun

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Friday, February 17, 2012

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Survey Says... What Do CRHS Students, Parents, and Staff Really Think About Our School? %\ &ROOLQ %R\OLQ Last November, 534 students, 112 parents, 54 teachers, two administrators, and eight non-teaching professionals took time out of their schedules to sit down at computers and participate in the CRHS Endicott survey. Principal Mr. Andre Hauser has released its results. As part of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) accreditation process, all those who responded to the survey were asked to rate various aspects of the school environment such as its core values, curriculum, culture, or learning resources. While students were required to take the survey, all of the parents who participated were responding to Mr. Hauserâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s requests. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The school did generally well in most of the standards,â&#x20AC;? said Mr. Hauser. So while the survey did dem-

onstrate a few spots of concern, the results were mostly positive. According to the work copy of the standard results produced by Mr. Hauser, one of the major weak points for CRHS that the survey highlighted was the fact that only 68.8 percent of staff and 67.9 percent of parents believe the school provides adequate information to families about the support services the school offers. On the other hand, 83 percent of students say they know who to ask if they have a personal problem. In a meeting with The Devilsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Advocate staff, Mr. Hauser attributed this difference in opinion between staff, parents, and the students to the struggle for lucid communication between the administration and the community. While Mr. Hauser said he has made various attempts to involve more parents and students with the school, he also mentioned that a lot

of presentations and appeals he has made have not worked. Mr. Hauser stated that he would continue to send e-mails to parents and make daily announcements to help facilitate communication between the school and the community. Overall, the Endicott survey, conducted through Endicott College, revealed that students, parents, and staff are generally in agreement that CRHS is â&#x20AC;&#x153;clean and well maintained.â&#x20AC;? The Endicott survey is only one piece of the larger accreditation process that CRHS will continue to deal with in the coming months and into next year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In March of school year 2012-13, NEASC will have unlimited access to the school so that they can prove and validate the results of the survey,â&#x20AC;? said Mr. Hauser. When that process is over, NEASC will make certain recommendations to the administration on how best to move

forward in improving the quality of the educational experience for everyone. For more coverage of the Endicott Survey results, see page 4.

Endicott Survey Highlights Respondant groups scored the following aspects and areas of CRHS significantly higher or lower the average scores of all schools in New England that have taken the survey. The commendations and concerns are identified in the work copy of the Endicott Survey results released by the CRHS administration.

Commendations Core ethical values (all) Curriculum design and delivery (staff ) Custodial, maintenance, and facilities (all) Library and resources (students, staff ) Positive school climate (all)

Concerns Communicating with parents (parents) Formal advisory program (parents) Guidance meetings (students, parents)

Friday, February 17, 2012

The Devils’ Advocate

Editors-in-Chief: Adam Twombly and Kaitlin McKernan Editorial board: Alex Kovacs, Kevin Onofreo, Collin Boylin, and Mike McShane Contributors and Production staff: Ross McCain, Adam Twombly, Michael O’Sullivan, Alex Kovacs, Collin Boylin, Audrey Biesak, Christopher Crandall, Jen Siena, James Berardino, Kevin Onofreo, Sean Cavanaugh, Dena Branciforte, Dominique Coppolla, Leandra Hylton Advisors: Mr. Nate Fisher, Ms. Stephanie Wilcox The Devils’ Advocate is the Coginchaug High School newspaper. Hey Town Times, we’re coming for your wax machine!

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After taking a language for four years, when the opportunity to explore the culture of that country first hand knocks, you go for it. Since around May of last year Madame Donna Cashore decided to explore the options of taking a trip to Quebec City in Canada. After months of e-mails, planning, and piles of paperwork, a trip with Jumpstreet tour groups was organized. 29 students and three chaperones went on this trip from February 2-5. After a bunch of x-block meetings discussing last minute details and handing in birth certificates or passports along with the original packet of paperwork, we were finally ready to go. Packing consisted of layers upon layers of clothing, coats, scarves, hats, gloves, and any other winter materials you could think of. I originally tried to pack everything into my smallest suitcase, but I couldn’t get it closed. The nine-hour bus ride wasn’t as bad as you would think. When I looked around the bus everyone was sleeping, eating, or doing homework so they didn’t have to in the hotel at night. Ultimately we really didn’t have that much downtime while we were there. I expected that going through customs would be a challenge but it was quite the opposite. The attendant at the counter was really nice and held up conversation with each of the students that passed through. Once we arrived in Quebec we met our tour guide Louis. He kept the tour fun and interesting for all of us. We made friends with Louis very quickly. It’s nearly impossible to capture his personality in just a few words, but I can guarantee that if you ask anybody who went on this trip, he was quite a unique character. We went to our hotel and got organized in

our rooms with just enough time to get to dinner. We went to a restaurant and ordered our meals in French (of course) and after dinner we went to a play on the history of Quebec. Many of us didn’t know what to expect from this play, or the trip in general, but we were pleasantly surprised when WE were the actors in the play in addition to the two actors on stage. Every day we were there was full of various events. On Friday we went to a Native Indian reservation and ate breakfast there in addition to getting a tour. We also got to explore greater Quebec and experienced the way of life. Some of the activities that we participated in consisted of dog sledding, we made maple butter, we made taffy on snow, we went to the Carnival, we visited the hotel de glace (the ice castle), we went to tubing for four hours, and we went to the mall that had an amusement park in the building itself. All in all I found this trip to be a cultural experience and it helped to grow as a student learning the language. Believe it or not, it enhanced not only my interest but my understanding of the language as well. I found myself speaking French for a few days after we returned. It was strange when we got back into the states and had to order in English rather than French. Many students that traveled over the Canadian border wish that we could go back. We opened up a shutterfly page to share all of our pictures with one another and have them all in one location. Our tour guide Louis really made the trip the trip of a lifetime. It’s not necessarily the normal thing for students to get to travel to a foreign country at such a young age and really appreciate it. I know that I would go back to Quebec in a heartbeat.

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Being a railroad enthusiast, I love and appreciate a beautiful day when I can go out and shoot photos. However, dark clouds are slowly beginning to pop up on the horizon: security cameras. Security cameras are being utilized more commonly all over the country, particularly in big cities. Obviously, they are installed for the protection of the general public. However, sometimes an innocent act can be noticed and assumed to be something it isn’t. Allow me to set up a hypothetical situation---but honestly, this is happening more and more all over the country. Let’s say a rail buff happens to be standing on a sidewalk near a railroad crossing. As the next train passes, he snaps a few photos and then waits for another one. Alright, great. But now, let’s also say that there happens to be a security camera nearby. And it just so hap-

pens that someone from a government agency is monitoring this one particular camera. Sadly, the person monitoring the security camera assumes the worst and calls the police. Personally, I have not yet had a negative incident with a police officer. Occasionally, when I am out railfanning, one will drive past. He or she might stop and politely ask what I’m doing, then nod, wave, and drive on. Sometimes, this isn’t always the case. The railfan in the situation I outlined could be chased away or told to hand over his camera (which he doesn’t have to do unless the police have a search warrant). Is this really what the world is coming to? Extreme paranoia? What happened to the good old days when one could enjoy a simple hobby? Does the United States Postal Service go around calling the police on stamp collectors? I don’t think so.

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As a society we constantly change. Essentially all aspects of our culture continually develop based on opinion, technology, and overall sentiment. This in itself is fine, it’s normal and healthy for a society to develop. But with our life expectancy increasing, the development of new technologies, and the continued dominance of the world, there’s only one problem: everything is changing except us. Today in our country we are creating new and innovative ways to increase the standard of living. A new phone with features we “all need” comes out every day and the idea of the next big thing has everyone caught up in this technology craze. Like I said, the developments are not the problem, and attempts to try to slow them are simply not going to happen. It’s not even the most dangerous weapons in the world, which are the problem, it’s our inability to use them right. We can’t keep up, and that’s what’s becoming a serious issue. When we aren’t responsible enough to handle our own creations, disaster is sure to follow. When we are so divided between science and religion, yet neither shows any sign of decline, we have a huge problem. When we have the have the capability to wipe each other completely out with a push of a button, we have to be careful and at least be on the same page more or less about how we

use our technology. So what is the real problem then? Why can’t we just all seem to get on the same page about the way we work? Some may point to religion; others to irreligion, and the fingers go in all directions. There are already about 30,000 nuclear warheads on this planet, both active and inactive, and we point them at each other the same way we point fingers. Do the math. We cannot afford to press our beliefs on each other with the vain idea that one day we’re all suddenly going to agree on how we live on this world together. Our Earth’s resources are being depleted and we don’t put a big enough emphasis on preserving them. I’m terri-

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Friday, February 17, 2012

The Devilsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Advocate

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623$ &DXVHV 8SURDU $PRQJ 6WXGHQWV DQG )DFXOW\ %\ 5RVV 0F&DLQ Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve all heard of it at some point or another during recent weeks, and it has either brought up feelings of confusion, uncertainty or even outright panic. SOPA, also known as the Stop Online Piracy Act, is a bill that, if passed, threatens to drastically change the way faculty and students use the Internet for both research and leisure alike. If the bill were to pass, websites that allow people to download copyrighted files such as movies, music and other media would be shut down. While this is the intention of the bill, another effect of it would be that many legitimate sites that host copyrightable material would then become vulnerable to the bill. Technology Integration Specialist William Kurtz isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t too concerned, as he believes that â&#x20AC;&#x153;most of the respected academic institutions would be in line with the bill,â&#x20AC;? and thus would be safe from the threat SOPA poses. Concerning plagiarism and students stealing copyrighted information, â&#x20AC;&#x153;it would be just as easy to

plagiarize,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I like that the conversation is starting about plagiarism, thoughâ&#x20AC;? he followed up. Business Teacher Ms. Susan Wagemaker believes that, were the bill to be passed, it would take away the ability of people, both students and adults alike, to make their own decisions of what websites are legitimate or valuable. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of my jobs is to teach students ethical use of technology and information,â&#x20AC;? she explained, â&#x20AC;&#x153;If Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m supposed to teach students to ethically use online resources, SOPA removes the choice to decide for themselves.â&#x20AC;? The way Ms. Wagemaker teachers her classes could be in jeopardy as well, as many of her classes incorporate frequent use of internet resources. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As often as I can, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sending students online. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m all for finding out information online,â&#x20AC;? she said. One of her final concerns on the issue of SOPA was, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to monitor it? Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be the judge?â&#x20AC;?

Above, Ms. Milardo moves from one room to another as she gets ready for her next class. Photo by Dominique Coppola

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Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a new teacher in our school that many students are growing familiar with. You might have seen her roaming the halls pushing her mobile classroom (her cart) or on hall duty. She is a short, little lady with black curly hair, but prefers the term â&#x20AC;&#x153;petite.â&#x20AC;? Her name is Ms. Sandra Milardo and she teaches algebra II, elements, and geometry. Although her current classroom is a cart, she hopes that she will have an actual room as soon as possible. Although she is married, she kept her maiden name because she doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe in changing last names when getting married. She has two sons and two cats. The eldest son is a senior at Vinyl and the younger is an eighth grader at Had-

BY PAT DANIELS

said Sarah. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At first they seemed intimidated by the size of the horses, but after a few minutes it was really amazing to see their connection with them,â&#x20AC;? said Marissa. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I thought it was a great experience for both the participants and the NHS members, and I hope it becomes a yearly thing,â&#x20AC;? said senior Jesse Siegel. Along with the National Honor Society members, social worker Mrs. Kathy Bottini and school psychologist Ms. Stacy DellaCamera also attended the field trip. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The kids loved it, the animals really interested them. The girls stepped up and planned it all and it went really well,â&#x20AC;? said Mrs. Bottini. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We really hope to do it again in the spring so that way the kids get a chance to actually ride the horses this time,â&#x20AC;? said Marissa. Since this field trip was a success they are anticipating having another one in months to come and possibly next school year.

Patty Cake

Sometimes, to be disabled is to be excluded. Two members of the National Honor Society (NHS) wanted to change that. In December, seniors Sarah Ertle and Marissa Puchalski came up with an idea to bring some of the students in the life skills class on an exciting, outdoor field trip. They proposed the idea to their fellow NHS members. Marissaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family was asked if it would be okay if their farm, Laurel Brook, which is full of horses, chickens and goats, would be available for this field trip to give the life skills class a great opportunity to interact with the animals face to face. Before hand, they werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really sure how the students would react â&#x20AC;&#x153;My family thought it would be a great idea,â&#x20AC;? said Marissa. The students got the chance to brush the horses, walk the goats, and hold the chickens, something theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d never done before. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I really liked how the kids opened up with us, I was really impressed with the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to share their knowledge,â&#x20AC;?

dam-Killingworth. Her previous job was at ING. But she realized that she had completed her job there and wanted to make a difference. She believed that if she brought math in to studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lives, they would be better off. So she went back to school and became a teacher. While student teaching, she met a young lady who said she enjoyed the math that Ms. Milardo was teaching her so much that it inspired her to do something with math when she grows up. Ms. Milardo is very nice and welcoming. She enjoys teaching all of her students. If you happen to see Ms. Milardo in the halls, remember to say hello and welcome her to the CRHS community!

Friday, February 17, 2012

The Devils’ Advocate

Endicott Survey Coverage

Custodian Mr. Jeff Siena goes about his afternoon business after the students have left for the night. Congratulations to the custodial staff for the extremely positive results of the Endicott Survey! Photo by Adam Twombly

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The CRHS custodians are cleaning up--and apparently they’re doing a very good job. According to the recently released results of the Endicott survey, the custodial staff is keeping the building impeccably tidy. A full 100 percent of the parents and staff who were surveyed said the school is clean and well maintained. In fact, this was the only place in the entire survey in which there was a total consensus. The students also agreed, with just below 90 percent of the student body saying the school is well kept; this number was 35 points above the average. “I’ve always known that we’ve had a great custodial staff,” said Principal Mr. Andre Hauser. “But it was nice to hear other people are saying the same thing. “Honestly, I couldn’t believe [the results],” he continued. “I’ve never seen a survey

where everyone picked the exact same answer. I immediately tracked down Mr. Kaminski, our head custodian, to tell him.” “I’m very pleased with the results and how people seem to feel,” said custodian Mr. Jeff Siena. “Every day is not always the same, but we do what we can. It was very rewarding to hear what everyone thinks. We try our best to keep a clean and safe environment for our staff and students.” The only blemish in that portion of the survey came when the staff was given the statement, “Needed repairs are completed in a timely manner.” Only 43.8% of the staff agreed, but this number is only 2.5 points below the New England average. It is important to note that the numbers contained within the Endicott Survey are not facts. Rather, they are the opinion of the CRHS student body, staff, and parents.

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One of the many requirements for being an accredited high school is that the school has to have an advisory program. In fall 2011, the students, parents, and teachers of CRHS participated in the Endicott survey. The results revealed that only 24.1 percent of CRHS parents answered “yes” to the prompt, “The school has a program which provides my son/daughter with an adult in the school, in addition to his/her guidance counselor, with whom he/she meets regularly and who knows him/her well.” This statistic was identified as a concern by the CRHS administration in a recently released copy of the survey results, as it is 22 percentage points lower than the average of other

schools in New England. However, on nearly the same prompt, the survey shows that 59.2 percent of students agree that the student’s advisory program provides them with an adult who knows them well. This is 14.7 percent higher than average. These results have prompted the administration to take a second look at advisory in preparation for the NEASC accreditation next year. But what exactly do the survey results mean? Is the advisory program providing students with meaningful mentors? And if so, are we communicating that mentorship to parents? “I think it’s always a good idea to reflect,” said Mrs. Beth Galligan, head of the

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Coginchaug has excelled in several areas of the Endicott survey compared with other accredited high schools in New England. However, the administration has also identified aspects of our school of which our parents, staff, and students have a lower than average opinion. The work report of the Endicott survey results identifies these specific results as concerns that the school will address as the accreditation process moves forward. It is important to note that the Endicott survey is not based on facts. It is based on the opinions of the students, staff and parents who took the survey. A noticeable detail in the results of the survey is that there was more negative feedback from parents than from students or faculty. When parents were asked if they felt that their child was provided with an adult in the school whom they met with regularly, Coginchaug’s parents rated twenty-two percent lower than the survey’s aggregate. On the other hand, when students and faculty were asked the same question, they rated slightly above the Endicott survey’s aggregate for high schools in New England. The advisory program is another name for homeroom. Each student is assigned a homeroom teacher and forms a bond with that teacher over their four years in high school. The overall trend of seeing more negative feedback from parents than any other group may point to a need to improve communication between the school and parents. E-mails and letters from the school are sent out periodically to these households, which is one of the few sources of communication between the school and households. Besides the e-mails and letters, the only other formal source of

communication are phone calls and conferences between parents and teachers, which usually don’t reflect on activities in the school such as the homeroom/advisory program. In fact, parents would only hear about what happened in their son or daughter’s advisory block if they read the morning announcements on the school website or had a detailed discussion with their son or daughter about the subject. Because of this lack of communication the parents assume that the school is less efficient in some of these areas than it actually is. “Communication between parents and the school has definitely improved in the past couple of years,” said Spanish teacher and parent Mrs. Nancy Alberico. “Parents only receive information from the school that pertains to them or their children specifically.” Mrs. Nancy Alberico commended the school for how much it has improved in the area of communication over the past few years. However, she noted that some parents have an underdeveloped opinion about things such as the advisory program. “Most of the parents that I know don’t go on the school’s website looking for information about things like the advisory program,” said Mrs. Alberico. “Also, there was no question on the survey asking parents how often they are on the school’s website or Power School researching these kind of things about the school.” Principal Mr. Andre Hauser is well aware of these concerns. He plans to continue to send out e-mails with the morning announcements and updates about the school’s affairs. He hopes for parents to see how efficient the school’s advisory program is and to get feedback from the parents to further improve it and other programs like it.

guidance department. Advisory is made to allow students to grow academically, socially, and emotionally. Students meet weekly in a small group with students from their grade and their advisory teacher. The topics that are covered every Wednesday are academics, career options, and student growth. Teachers are responsible for writing their own lesson plans for each class they teach, but the guidance department is responsible for writing the lesson plans for advisory. Each teacher has a class of about fifteen to twenty students after second block on Wednesdays that they go over the activities presented to them. “I believe that the advisory program

can be good if it is run well,” said Mrs. Galligan. Advisory so far this year has featured a variety of presentations. In one instance, CRHS alumni came in and spoke to the senior class about college. During another week, juniors and seniors spoke to underclassmen on the topic of “What I know now that I wish I knew then.” One other time, students learned about becoming an organ donor. Most recently, the town selectmen came in and spoke to the student body, which happens every year. There is a panel of students and teachers that will be meeting to that can be added to the program.

Friday, February 17, 2012

The Devilsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Advocate

<081 :K\ 1RW" Six students in the Model UN Club had the extraordinary opportunity to attend the 38th annual Yale Model United Nations conference held on the campus of Yale University in New Haven. The event took place over a period of four days, January 19-22. About 1400 high school students from all over the world attended the conference. The Model UN is a club in which students will get together and debate some of the modern issues from the point of view of a country they are given. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Model UN is a lot about different opinions trying to come together, even though many times they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t,â&#x20AC;? said sophomore Samantha Turley. The Yale students in the Model UN put on the Yale Model UN conference for the high school students. Some organizations host Model UN conferences for the college groups, and high school groups occasionally host conferences for middle school groups. In May the high school Model UN will be hosting a conference for the middle school called the MUN-chkins conference. Prior to the trip the students attending the conference were assigned a country that they would represent and were placed into a committee to debate topics relevant to their assigned country. Once they found out what committees they were on, they researched their countries to decide what the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s position would be toward certain topics. They then had to write a position paper, which they submitted to the moderator who is a Yale student. On January 19 the students in

Model UN went to Yale for the conference to debate their positions. The Model UN delegates tried to persuade the other delegates in their groups to vote for the position that would most benefit their countries. At the end of the debate they voted on whichever policy they thought would be most beneficial overall. During the conference the Model UN members got to meet with some of the delegates from around the world, including those celebrating Chinese New Year, which was going on at the time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was really fortunate that Chinese New Year coincided with the conference,â&#x20AC;? said junior Sam Gossner. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some of the people from China actually handed out neat little trinkets.â&#x20AC;? On the Saturday of the conference there was a dance and movie night for all of the delegates. The closing ceremonies were on Sunday at noon. CRHS students Sam Gossner and Richard Chi received Outstanding Delegates awards for their persuasive abilities during the conference. Social studies and model UN advisor Mrs. Julie Selberg loves hearing her students talk about their experiences. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of the things that is so exciting from the view point of an advisor is when a student comes out of a committee and self reports â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I spoke, people listened to me, I felt like I was more successful then I was in the past, I negotiated with other people and made friends with people from other schools,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;?said Mrs. Selberg. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That sort of growth that they report to me is very exciting.â&#x20AC;?

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Undefeated No More: The CRHS Quizbowl team lost its first match of the season on February 2. The hotly contested match took place against Valley at Valley Regional High School in Deep River. Coach Mike Klimas began the match with a different strategy, as he adjusted the starting lineup to feature seniors Zach LaVigne and Adam Twombly and juniors Lauren Trombetta and Leah Slawinowski. The match came down to the final seconds as the Valley team answered the final few questions correctly to surge into the lead as the buzzer rang to signal the end of the match. All was not lost, however, as

the only other undefeated team, Lyme-Old Lyme (5-1), lost mightily in their match against Old Saybook (4-2). ---Adam Twombly A Wicked Day in the Big City: On Wednesday, January 8, the CRHS music department journeyed into New York City to participate in a Wicked The Musical workshop, and a viewing of the chart topping Broadway hit, Wicked. Students were emotionally wowed by the brilliant complexion of the entire show and the way at which it was presented. For those of us who were viewing the show for the first time, it is an experience that will last a lifetime. ---Michael Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Sullivan

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The Devils’ Advocate

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Course selections are coming up soon, so The Devils’ Advocate staff decided to write a little bit about some of the electives we’ve taken. If you are looking for some useful, interesting, and fun electives to fill up some space in your schedule, we recommend... Concert Choir Although I’ve had limited experience here at Coginchaug, an elective I particularly enjoyed was concert choir. Directed and lead by chorus teacher Ms. Lisa Larsen, this semester course is all about music and performing the pieces you work on during class in concert in the winter or spring. What takes place in this class is somewhat self-explanatory, and most of the grades you receive are singing related and include many laughs and good times! If you enjoy singing and working with others, chorus is definitely a class to consider taking next school year. -Michael O’Sullivan College Writing College writing is a great choice for students looking to develop advanced writing skills. Expanding your vocabulary and developing grammar skills are extremely valuable for college and later on in life. These are two ways that this course directly helped me. I feel that this class definitely prepared me for college and gave me a good understanding of what writing essays at a higher academic level is going to consist of. -Christopher Crandall

Oceanography Oceanography is a hands-on science class that is designed for students who wish to broaden their understanding of the ocean, its impact on humans, and several concerns for marine life. It is perfect for students who enjoy being near the ocean or for those who have an interest in marine biology. This course also offers fantastic laboratory activities that allow students to interact with materials and specimens that wouldn’t normally be available to them. Plus this course offers several field trips all of which are amazing experiences in their own way. One of the more notable field trips is the day trip to Block Island which gives students a chance to explore marine habitats and learn more about Block Island’s history. The trip is a very memorable experience and I would definitely recommend this class to any student who thought about taking it. -James Berardino Current Issues I recommend this class. It is fun, and you get to learn about and discuss many of the challenges in the world today. The students in the class get to pick what subjects they want to go over in the beginning of the year. This class encouraged me to be passionate about issues that I didn’t previously fully understand. -Sean Cavanaugh Forensic Science Forensic science is a new class being offered to students. We all have heard of the television show CSI, and this class gives you the chance to test myths this show creates about crime. You get to try many exciting experiments with hair, fibers, fingerprints, glass, blood, drugs,

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Comparative Religions For any students interested in metaphysics, ethics, culture, or theology, comparative religions is a must-take course that will enrich your understanding of the world in which you live. For one semester, the primary focus of the class is on some of the major world religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Buddhism. Students immerse themselves in a variety of religious texts, and they also spend time examining the lives of several religious leaders. Since the course addresses material directly at the center of many people’s core values, all beliefs and opinions are respected. social studies teacher Mrs. Julie Selberg said in an interview that the

course “tends to deepen people’s appreciation for their own faith and others.” -Collin Boylin

Above: Seniors Justine Plourde, Shawn Donovan, and Katelyn Hill are hard at work making maple butter in the sugar shack on Friday night. Right: the French students enjoy their visit to Old Québec. Photos by Madame Donna Cashore

Friday, February 17, 2012

Change to Choosing Courses Every spring students go through the course selection process to chooose their classes for the next school year. In the past, students have had an eight period day in which they attended all of their classes and met with their teachers to get placed for the following year. This year, students will be going through the course selection process on Power School. there will no longer be an eight period day and the students will no longer have to fill out the colorful teacher recmmendation forms.

and how to analyze a crime scene. This hands-on science course is a fun way to learn about the criminal justice system. If you have a strong stomach and a passion for criminal justice, then this class is for you! -Meggie Andrulis Journalism Journalism is a full year class, and it has been a lot of fun for me so far. We get to write for The Devils’ Advocate, which is published once a month in The Town Times and distributed at our school. We write about interesting events at our school. Mr. Nathan Fisher, the journalism teacher, has a lot of experience as he used to be a journalist. If you enjoy writing or want to improve on your writing skills, you should think about taking this class. -Dena Branciforte Martial Arts During the third quarter of my freshman year, I took martial arts. I’m not the most athletic person, and I was dreading taking a gym elective. Thankfully martial arts was nothing like I expected. The semester was filled with kicks, punches, and dive rolls. Although I fell a lot and got kicked in the face, martial arts made me feel empowered and tough. If you want to learn to protect yourself and are willing to give the class your effort, take martial arts. -Sarah Brady

Music Theory Being an avid musician, I was looking forward to taking music theory for my entire high school career. When I finally took the course, I learned more about music than I knew existed. From chord construction to the different types of modes, we covered a ton of musical material. On to music theory II! -Adam Twombly

Painting and Printmaking When it comes to looking for a relaxing elective, painting and printmaking with Mrs. Wenzel is definitely the way to go. In this class the students explore the different types of paint like oil, watercolors, and acrylic. We also worked with printmaking skills by doing linoleum prints and glass etchings. This class allows the students to de-stress and explore their sense of creativity. -Kaitlin McKernan Touch Football Touch football is an elective offered to all students. It gives you the chance to get outside, get some fresh air, and play some easy-going games of football. Now with the new athletic field complete, touch football is definitely a great choice to pick. Taught by Mr. Robert Nemphos, I looked forward to going to this class every day. His positive thoughts always brought great fun to the class. If you’re athletic and like getting outdoors, this class is perfect for you. -Audrey Biesak Choices and Consequences Choices and Consequences is a semester class created by Mrs. Catherine Musnson. It is typically a seniors-only class that deals with mature topics regarding the decisions, both big and small, that people have to make every day. “The reason I teach the class is so seniors who are leaving this small, sheltered community and are going off into the world will be able to be able to think rationally and independently,” said Mrs. Munson. She also stresses the importance of learning how to use the values of democracy for good within the class by examining, for example, Nazi Germany. The class is useful to all seniors, especially those interested in thinking critically. -Alex Kovacs

The Devils’ Advocate

Friday, February 17, 2012

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%\ 0LFKDHO 2·6XOOLYDQ Recently, the sophomore class council has decided to move the location of the semi- formal dance from its old venue, Memorial Middle School, to the CRHS gym. The sophomores submitted a proposal to principal Mr. Andre Hauser that he approved. Coginchaug upperclassmen that have migrated to Memorial each year for the dance brought up many interesting points in regards to the semi-formal. “Having semi at Coginchaug, in my opinion, would definitely be more comfortable because having the dance at your own school makes you feel like you are more at home,” said Junior Kendra Pashley. “In years past, while dancing at Memorial, I remember feeling so crowded and having limited space to dance and have fun,” said junior Christine French. Sarah Brady, President of the sophomore class council, proposed that the semi-formal dance, held in March, be moved to Coginchaug after receiving constructive criticism from the peers of her class along with those

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from many upperclassmen as well. “I received many requests from the voters about bringing the semi-formal to the Coginchaug gym instead of Memorial’s. Space, chaperone needs, and the overall want by students for semi to be here at Coginchuag were all topics for discussion in my proposal to Mr. Hauser,” said Sarah. In further discussion with Sarah, the reason whyCoginchaugoriginallybeganhaving their dances at Memorial was in order to establish one dance in Durham, homecoming, and one in Middlefield, semi. “The biggest concern for Mr. Hauser when taking my proposal into consideration was the losing of that one dance in Middlefield so my job was to convince him that that would not be a discrepancy among the students,” Sarah added. The semi-formal is scheduled to take place sometime at the beginning of March. Although the date is not yet finalized, one thing is for sure, the location will be Coginchaug.

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Remember the survey that everyone had to take after the Super Bowl? It was for the EDGE Club, and the results are in! The club was interested in discovering what advertisements were most memorable to students because many people just watch the Super Bowl for them. The results are as follows: Super Bowl Survey Question: What was your favorite commercial? Durham and Middlefield teens voted: 1. M&M’s (Naked Brown M&M) 2. Doritos: (Dog Buries Cat)

3. Doritos: Back-to-life(Sling Shot Baby) 4. Sketchers (Mr.Quiggley’s Dog Race) 5. Chevy Silverado (Apocalypse) 6. Anheuser-Bush Beer (Rescue Dog) Super Bowl Survey Question: What brand name products do you remember being advertised? Durham and Middlefield teens answered: 1. Anheuser-Busch Beer 2. Doritos 3. M&M’s 4. Coca-Cola 5. Chevy 6. Pepsi

V W Q *LD Final Score: New York Giants: 21 New England Patriots: 17

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The Devils’ Advocate

Friday, February 17,2012

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Freshman Kelly Halligan is running her 4-by-400 meter relay. Photo by Liz Harlow

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The girls’ indoor track season is almost over but is still going strong. Five girls went to states on Friday, February 10: senior captain Emily Halligan, senior Monika Malek, junior Liz Harlow, sophomore Bailey Maus, and freshman Bailey Thayer. “The team is doing very well,” said senior Emily Halligan who does long jump, 600 meters, and a few other indoor track events. “We are a lot more competitive than we have been in the past and everyone is working really hard”. The girl’s indoor track team is really close and is always cheering and supporting each other at their different events. “I like how we are really spirited, and act like a family,” said junior Melissa Handy, who participates in shot put. “I

also like how it’s an individuality sport”. “The thing I like most about indoor track is the support from my team and competing,” said freshman Bailey Thayer who competes in the 300-meter dash. “I like how when I’m running an event, when I come to a certain point on the course my teammates cheer really loud,” said freshman Kelly Halligan who runs the 1600 meters and participates in 4 by 400, which is when four people run 400 meters each. Overall, this season has been really productive for the girls’ indoor track team. They hope to improve in following years as they take even bigger strides towards the finish line.

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Last Saturday, February 4, marked the start of the championship meet series for the Blue Devils indoor track teams. Starting with the Shoreline Conference Championships, it continues to the Class S State Championships, and then the State Open Championships. Qualifiers compete in as many as three events throughout these meets. Needless to say this is what all of these athletes have worked for, so the competition will be stiff. It requires an extreme amount of focus and sacrifice to continue on to the next level. Saturday’s meet started off slow for the boy’s indoor team but quickly picked up the pace as the events continued. The 4 -by-200 meter relay team led the boys off with a sixth place finish allowing them to medal, scoring the first of the 46 total points scored by the Blue Devils that day. Next up was the 4-by-800 meter relay team placed fifth and medaled. In the 1000 meter run junior Ben Taber placed sicth, followed by classmate Jeremy Brown placing fourth in the 1600meter run, both contributing solid points. The Blue Devil boys produced two all-

shoreline athletes that day, senior Yuri Morin is now the shoreline champion in the long jump as well as third in the high jump, and junior Wolfgang Wallach placed second in the 300 meter dash earning him his first all-shoreline honors. long jump was a major strength for the team this season, with Yuri Morin taking first place, senior Alec Giacco placing fifth, and classmate Zach Callan placing eighth, taking the boys in for a fifth place finish. The Lady Devils started off the meet finishing eighth in the 4 by 200meter relay, followed by 5th in the 4-by-800 meter relay. Sophomore Bailey Maus made it to the finals of the 55 meter Hurdles and finished third overall, racking up a lot of points for the girls team. Next the ladies premier 4-by-400 meter relay team took fourth overall allowing them to medal, then senior Emily Halligan took fith place in the Long Jump, as well as senior Monika Malek taking sixth in the Pole Vault. Overall the ladies took nineth place in the Conference.

It’s been a good winter for CRHS sports. The boys’ basketball team is near the top of the class S standings, the girls are one loss away from being undefeated, and the track team has a number of runners who qualified for the state meet. However, one athlete has been working hard under the radar all by himself. He is senior wrestler Zev Kartiganer. Zev, who also plays running back for the football team, is CRHS’s one and only wrestler this winter. “It is discouraging. I am proud to say I am the one and only wrestler from CRHS, don’t get me wrong. I am the only wrestler that represents the school, and that is a lot of weight on my shoulders but I wish more students would step up and take the intuitive to join. On the positive side of things, this gave me the captain position uncontested,” said Zev. Zev, who started wrestling during his sophomore year, was encouraged to wrestle by his teammates who wrestle for Vinal Technical High School. CRhS and Vinal combined wrestling teams in 2010 due to fact that not too many kids from both school were interested. Since then, the team has improved greatly, including Zev.

This season, Zev has got off to a great start with a 7-3-1 record. The improvement throughout the years is quite evident. His first year wrestling he had a rough year winning only four matches. Although he doesn’t plan to wrestle for a college team, wrestling for a club team in college is definitely on his agenda. “My sophomore year, practices were extremely difficult because I really pushed my muscles to the limit, but now I feel I know my limit therefore it is much easier to get through the workouts both mentally and physically,” Zev said. This is the second consecutive year that Zev has represented the CHRS by his lonesome. “I was inspired to wrestle by my friends at Vinal, Zev concluded seniors Steven Hall and Nick Anderson are the two that persuaded me the most. They have been buddies of mine since I was in middle school and really pushed me to wrestle. I also wanted to stay in shape during the offseason and the hard workouts that I heard the wrestling team went through daily, I thought would do the trick.”

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When you define the aspects of a team, you need to have leaders, talent, skill, chemistry, and enthusiasm. For the Lady Devils, they don’t lack in these key assets for a team and that is what makes them a successful team. “Coach Rett (Mancinelli) always had his iPod playing during practices which usually brings up the energy while were playing,” said freshman Audrey Arcari. “The seniors do a great job of keeping us positive and are always motivating during our games cheering on everyone and giving high gives, which gets the rest of the team up beat.” The team as you can see benefits from the enjoyable, but intense practices by putting up a 17-1 record throughout the first 18 regular season games. The only loss of the year has been to the Cromwell Lady Panthers. “One goal that our team has for the rest

of the season is to continue to ‘Play the way we play’ in order to finish the season in first place of the Shoreline Conference,” said junior Jessica Solomon. “The other two goals our team has is to play hard in order to make it our furthest in the shoreline and state tournaments.” Jessica also mentioned that communication is another key component to the team’s success. “When we communicate effectively with each other and truly play together as a team,thefinalscoresofgamesreflectthat.” The mindset of this team is very strong as a whole. Senior captains Sam Mancinelli and Audrey Biesak lead this years 2011-2012 Girls’ Basketball team. The team has the goals set high and haven’t settled on winning the Shoreline Conference title last year. They want to bring the trophy back to Coginchaug and repeat the special accomplishment.

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Friday, February 17, 2012

Briefs

(From page 2)

Durham has scheduled two services for the imposition of blessed ashes at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. The season of Lent is observed from Ash Wednesday until the Great Vigil of Easter and is a season of penitence and fasting, prayer and self-denial. All are welcome. For information, please call Fr. Anthony C. Dinoto, interim rector, at 860-349-9644 or email him at www.epiphanydurham.org.

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Durham Resident State Trooper’s report During the Feb. 13 Durham Board of Selectmen’s (BOS) meeting, First Selectman Laura Francis submitted the following Resident State Trooper’s report for the month of January: There were 437 calls for service, nine criminal investigations, and 15 motor vehicle accidents, three with injuries. State Troopers issued 132 motor vehicle infractions and 15 motor vehicle warnings. She further reported that three residential burglaries were investigated: one on Madison Road, one on Lexington Place South and one on Parmelee Hill Road. A car was broken into on Haddam Quarter Road, and copper and aluminum were stolen from a property on Airline Drive. Thus far, no suspects have been identified in the aforementioned incidents. However, an arrest was made in the theft of equipment from Durham Power Equipment on Route 77/Guilford Road. Traffic enforcement was conducted on the following streets: Route 157 near the Middlefield line, Pent Road near Route 68, Tuttle Road near Brewster School, Route 68 near Greenbacker Farm, Route 17 near Route 147, Route 17 near Strong School, Route 17 near Little Lane and Maple Avenue north of Route 68. Resident Donia Viola asked who pays for state police presence at the Merriam Manufacturing site. Francis responded that the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection pays for this service and noted that complaints regarding troopers not directing traffic as trucks enter and exit the property have been addressed. Selectman Steve Levy noted that troopers are only required to be present on days when trucks are entering and exiting the property. All agreed that their presence will be missed once the project is done because it has served to slow down traffic on Main Street. Trish Dynia/In attendance ferent high school, are cordially invited to attend. If you wish to attend but have not received information from the reunion committee, please contact Susan Ismail Larson at 203-528-3552 or Bill Weidner at 203-271-0212 for details and costs. The committee is still seeking information on the

following class members: Joy Bayne Carr, Victor Benedettini, Emily Bryant Rancier, Sharon Hyde, Roger Kennedy, Linda Prostano and Karen Roberts. If you have any information on any of the above classmates, please contact Grace Seeley Lange-Way at 207-737-8547 or gracenken@roadrunner.com.

Levi Coe Library Wish List Books: Donate one or both of the following wish list books or audio books to our library: books — Stay Close by Harlan Coben or Fall From Grace by Richard North Patterson; audio — Hotel Vendome by Danielle Steel or Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts. If you donate, you can be the first one to check it out! We will also add a bookplate to acknowledge your kind donation. Call or stop in for details.

Help Wanted Local landscape company looking for motivated, hardworking individual with knowledge of the landscape field. Experience with pavers, retaining walls, planting and mulching required. Must have valid Connecticut driver’s license. Experience with masonry, plowing, skid steers and excavators a plus. Part-time hours this winter changing to full-time hours with overtime potential in spring.

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Meriden High School reunion The Meriden High School class of 1944 Reunion Committee is planning a luncheon gathering in the spring. For information, any interested area classmates may call Wally Miramant at 203639-9661, Arlene Dunlop at 203-235-1858 or Betty Hogan Ferreti at 860-349-9864.

Call 860-349-1918

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The Cheshire High School class of 1962 will hold its 50year class reunion on June 8, 9 and 10. Venues will include the Waverly Inn on Friday evening, Cheshire High School itself on Saturday morning, the Manor Inn on Saturday evening and breakfast on Sunday morning in Wallingford. All classmates who graduated from Cheshire High School in 1962 or were members of that class but attended and graduated from a dif-

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Diego Francesco “Jim” Candela Diego Francesco “Jim” Candela, of Middlefield, passed away on Dec. 2, 2011. He and his wife, Yvonne, had been residents at Lake Beseck for over 45 years. There will be a Memorial Mass on Saturday, March 3, at noon at St. Colman’s Church in Middlefield. His grandson, Daniel James McCabe, writes the following: Early this past September, Jim sat in a waiting room at Yale University Hospital in New Haven. We know that, through these past years, he was no stranger to hospitals, though this time he wasn’t there due to his own health. His beloved Yvonne had suffered a stroke on the eve of their 57th wedding anniversary. She got a bit better and

then much worse. At the time, her doctors had a fairly dark outlook, and Diego (Jim) and his family had been called to the hospital under the impression that she was not likely to survive the next 24 hours. We waited for him to speak, and after long silence he said, “They say that if they take the tubes out, she may die.” Then he said, “If she’s gone, who’s gonna yell at me?” In my life, I have few recollections of my grandparents as individuals. It seems that, in every memory of one, the other is nearby, at least within shouting distance — though, in our family, shouting distance seems to cover a slightly greater radius than most others I’ve known. But through all the noise of a birthday, holiday or any other day, the one thing that rang clear was Diego and Yvonne’s endur-

ing devotion to one another. He was the second youngest of nine children born in Brooklyn, NY, to parents from Palermo, Sicily and she was an only child raised on the outskirts of the Australian city of Brisbane. He shined shoes and played on Knickerbocker Avenue, and she kept her mother’s house and swam in Bramble Bay. At 18, she boarded a ship and sailed to New York, eventually falling in love with Diego in the employee cafeteria of the A&P supermarket where they both worked. She told me that it was his food that got her, and it just might have been his food that kept her. For their entire relationship, barring one incident involving a mashed potato sandwich, Diego did all the cooking. It was acknowledged by both parties as a mutually beneficial arrangement. Theirs was not a likely

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convergence, but converge they did. From them, a wonderful family, of which I am honored to be a part, continues to unfold as it connects with others and proliferates. Their story is one of many testaments to the potential inherent in their city — a city of immigrants and inclusion where a poor boy from one side of the world can meet a poor girl from the other begin a family, working hard until, one day, they can look around themselves to find that they are not so poor anymore. Yvonne lived through her doctors’ appointed 24 hours and then through the next 24. As befits a woman of her mettle, she made a miraculous coalescence, though, as fate would have it, Diego’s body failed as her own recovered. He loved his children, he loved his family and friends, but above all, he loved his wife. When my mother and I went to

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see her Friday night to give her the news that he had passed, she was not surprised. She knew how he had suffered and that he was ready to leave this world and the constant pain of these past few years. She told us that when they had taken him away to the hospital earlier that night, she had prayed he be delivered from his sufferings and that God might treat him kindly when he was received. She said. “I won’t cry now. I’ll cry when I go downstairs tomorrow to physical therapy and the boss asks me for him. He always asks me, ‘How’s Big Jim?’ I’ll say to him, ‘He won’t be down today.’” Diego Francesco Candela was a simple man with a good heart — a man aware of his own imperfections and tolerant of the imperfections of those around him. He lived a good life and will be missed. Before every meal, after the prayer, he would offer a simple blessing of his own. I’ve heard him say it many times and will miss hearing his voice speak those words this Christmas. In Diego’s words: “God bless my wife, my children, my children’s children and all my friends and relations.”

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Town Times Columns Continued

tion of the world around them.

Speaking of related arts, I (Continued from page 9) would like to commend all of our participants for an outstanding winter concert last vidual student growth is month and congratulate Mr. measured and aligned with Allan Schulenburg and Mr. specific CMT content areas. Timothy Fisher for the choral The second major area of and instrumental performemphasis this year has been ances of our students. The perin the implementation of formance reflects many hours Common Core State Stan- of preparation and manifests dards (CCSS). These stan- the value of these programs. dards are the “what” that stuIn conclusion, our work dents should know in each grade level in the areas of lan- with students is clearly a colguage arts and mathematics. laborative effort involving the These standards have been “science” of careful preparadeveloped and embraced by tion and focused instruction virtually every state in the with the “arts” of enthusiasm, country and represent specif- creativity and a commitment ic skills that students should to students. Enjoy the month, know and be able to do at each and let’s hope for an early spring! grade level (K-12).

tributable to the agreement with the state employee unions, which contained many bogus savings that were not a reliable basis on which to build a budget. Consider this: The state’s non-partisan budget office said that it could not substantiate more than threequarters of a billion dollars of “savings,” which was part of the governor’s budget. Items like the “State Employee Suggestion Box” — a box which was supposed to save us all $170 million — have not materialized. The box is nowhere to be found. As a result, the governor is now scrambling to find other real cost cuts to offset those unrealistic estimates in his budget.

(From 9)

poned for two years. Nonetheless, it is a beginning, and I applaud the Governor for initiating the transition. However, when it comes to the current budget and the proposed changes to next year’s budget, fiscal discipline appears to have been cast aside by the administration. The budget was built on a foundation of sand. That foundation is now rapidly eroding, and the budget structure is collapsing. As I have repeatedly said since the budget’s adoption last June, many of the expenditures have been drastically underestimated. This is at-

Exacerbating the underestimated budget expenses were pie-in-the-sky estimates of tax collections based on the biggest tax increase ever imposed on Connecticut taxpayers. You remember that huge tax hike, don’t you, Middlefield? As the first six months of the current budget came to a close, the administration announced that tax collections were falling short of expectations. The proposed budget surplus was beginning to turn into a budget deficit. Lost in the political spin was the fact that actual tax collections on a year-to-year basis actually did increase dramatically, by a total of 17.6 See Hidden Tax, page 25

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As our district transitions to the CCSS, we must first examine what we are teaching and compare our mathematics and language arts content with the new standards. Once this is completed, we need to align our teaching and content to reflect these new standards. This initiative will be ongoing throughout the school year and will continue into the future. In working hard at each of these initiatives, we must be mindful that teaching is far more than a “science” of instruction. Teaching and learning is also most certainly an “art” that involves enthusiasm, creativity and a joy of exploration and understanding. As we move ahead in both of these initiatives, we need to remain student-centered and focused on developing each individual as an ethical, lifelong learner who will be able to thrive in an everchanging global world. In addition to the core academic subjects, our related arts program also plays a key role in the development of our students in both fifth and sixth grade. Art, music, physical education, technology/library skills and health are also critical areas that our students need to explore and gain an appreciation of. With the combined efforts of our entire school community, we work hard to provide a comprehensive and well-rounded program that meets the needs of our students and provides a stepping stone to further knowledge and an apprecia-

Hidden Tax

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Friday, February 17, 2012

Town Times

Scouts of Troop 27 explore historical sites in Durham By Will Witecki Troop 27 December’s campout for Boy Scout Troop 27 was close to home and a combination of service, town history and fun on Mount Pisgah in Durham. We went on a short five-mile hike with our backpacks to learn about early Durham history. We learned that there was a “pest house” in the woods where the town used to send people if they had a contagious disease like small pox. The pest house was used during the time period of the 1700s when they couldn’t cure a

disease or give them medicine to help, so they sent them to the house to be quarantined until, most likely, their death. The pest house is only ruins now, but it is located on the Mattabassett Trail on the Mica Ledges of Durham. We also went to the selectman stones at a threeway intersection of the towns of Durham, Guilford and Madison. These are a part of our history because, every year, the first

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make sure other towns were not intruding on their land. Every year they would carve the date in a rock and put it in a pile along the Mattabassett Trail where the three towns meet. Also, while we hiked, we cleared the damage caused by the recent

winter storm and the hurricane. After this informative hike, we arrived at our campsite, just below the top of Mount Pisgah. We reached camp a few hours before dark, with enough time to set up camp and gather firewood. After cooking a great steak dinner on our skillets over the fire, we headed to the top of the mountain to overlook the town of Durham. You could see for miles around from the highest point in the town — from Hartford to Long Island Sound. We stayed atop the mountain at sunset, enjoying the view and soon after returned to our site. After a good night’s sleep

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Submission reminder The Town Times welcomes submissions regarding upcoming events happening in the community (e-mail news@towntimes.com by Mondays at noon). We do our best to run submissions at least one time. 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 it to, contact our sales representative, Joy Boone, by calling 203317-2313 or e-mailing advertising@towntimes.com for a paid ad. Thank you.

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Town Times Columns Continued

Friday, February 17, 2012

Movies

(From page 9)

Hidden Tax

Who should win: Alexander Payne.

(Continued from page 23)

Commentary: Hazanavicus orchestrates a sincere tribute to the silent era, borrowing from films of the past with reverence and good humor. It is Payne’s direction, however, that stands out most. His vision captures the essence of every American with its nuance and easy identifiability, making The Descendants an instant classic.

percent — more than threequarters of a billion dollars more in taxes than had been collected for the same time period the previous year. Here’s a peek at some of the tax collection increases for the first half of the fiscal year: • State income taxes collected: increased by 18.1 percent, • State sales taxes collected: up by 13.6 percent, and • Petroleum gross receipts taxes (hidden gas tax) collected:increased by 41.4 percent. Please note that shocking 41.4 percent increase in the hidden gas tax collections. Yes, the number is correct. You have paid 41.4 percent more in hidden gas taxes in addition to the official record tax increase approved by the Democratic-controlled legislature. You know you have a

I encourage you to step out and catch some of the nominated films in your local theater or, in some cases, in your own home. Be your own expert! It makes the Oscar experience much more riveting. For a complete list of my 2012 Academy Award predictions in all categories, please check out my blog at www.tanyafeke.com. I’ll be keeping my score card on Oscar night.

spending problem when tax collections actually increase by almost 18 percent, and you don’t have enough to cover increased expenses. This underscores the real cause of Connecticut’s financial problems, and that’s outof-control spending. Middlefield taxpayers: You have an opportunity to stop further tax increases. Please join me in my effort to provide tax relief by signing my petition to cap the hidden

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everyman subtlety. With campaigning behind the scenes fiercely funded and heavy-handed, an unfair advantage may be given to The Artist this year. BEST ACTOR: Nominees: Demian Bichir (A Better Life), George Clooney (The Descendants), Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and Brad Pitt (Moneyball). Number of nominees seen: 4 of 5. Who will win: Jean Dujardin. Who should win: George Clooney. Commentary: Dujardin brings new meaning to “expressive” with his expansive mannerisms and his seemingly choreographed movements. With equal fervor, Clooney delivers a performance outside of his norm as a broken-hearted soul that breaks your heart while he grapples with the unexpected. This should be his year. BEST ACTRESS: Nominees: Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs), Viola Davis (The Help), Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) and Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn). Number of nominees seen: 3 of 5. Who will win: Viola Davis. Who should win: Viola Davis. Commentary: Meryl Streep is a fan favorite, but since her Sophie’s Choice win in 1983, she has become the Susan Lucci of the Oscars, losing 12 of her last nominations. Despite a stellar turn as former Prime Minister Margarett Thatcher, Streep’s losing trend will continue in light of Davis’ portrayal of soulsearching maid Aibileen. She simply shines with a maternal majesty that cannot be touched. BEST DIRECTOR: Nominees: Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris), Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist), Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life), Alexander Payne (The Descendants) and Martin Scorsese (Hugo). Number of nominees seen: 5 of 5.

Who will win: Michel Hazanavicius.

25 gas tax. Help me cut the cost of gasoline in Connecticut by visiting www.SenatorSuzio.com and clicking on the gas tax petition icon. If we don’t cap the increases in gas tax collections, we will be encouraging a continuation of the undisciplined spending that has gotten us into this financial mess. Let’s help the Governor restore fiscal discipline by stopping the continued increase in the hidden gas tax.

Town Times Sports

Friday, February 17, 2012

Durham Marauders travel basketball game By Starr Murphy Special to the Town Times

Everyone in town was excited about Super Bowl Sunday two weeks ago. Little Durham, Connecticut, became famous once again as the Patriots and Giants brought us nationwide attention for our location midway between the two rival football teams. But, before the big kickoff, dedicated athletes of all ages on our town’s youth basketball teams competed to win in their own rivalries. The Durham Marauders, a seventh grade boys’ travel team, was no exception. In their third match-up with the Madison travel team, the Marauders went into the game with great determination and will. Since their startup this year as a new team, they have shown each week that their hard work and discipline have made them better, and, each game they play, the score gets

closer. The boys have had their last two games end in heartbreaking “almost wins,” and they were itching for the real thing. It is unusual for two teams to have so many matchups in a season, and Coach Murphy wasn’t sure his team wanted to play again against a rival that had beaten them twice already. When he a s k e d them, to his delight, they took on the c h a l l e n g e willingly. Patrick Piscatelli helped fuel his teammates’ enthusiasm when he said, “I want a win against them!” The spirit of the team proved to be magical, because that is exactly what they did.

The Marauders’ determination was in full force with the first tip-off. Jack Murphy, standing a good three inches taller than any player on either team, easily tapped the ball to his brother, Griffin Murphy. Within seconds, Jack got his hands on the ball again and made an easy bounce pass t o Patrick Hocking, who made a perfectly executed l e f t handed lay-up to give the Marauders their first score of the game. JB Baba and Brandon Johnson kept the Madison team from getting any points with their aggressive defense. Piscatelli and Griffin kept up the pressure with their quick

moves and steals. Piscatelli’s steal and lead pass to Griffin for an easy lay-up gave the Marauders an early 4-0 lead. The second quarter of the game brought in Josh King and Michael Doyle off the bench. Both boys gave their best efforts on defense, with Doyle out-hustling Madison with a great dive for the ball that earned him a trip to the foul line. With a powerful rebound by Jack Murphy, the Marauders were in control again. In the last few seconds of the second quarter, Baba and Johnson performed NBAstyle entertainment for the audience with Baba’s “alley-oop” lay-up to Johnson for two more points! The Marauders went to half time up 24-22. By the third quarter, the Marauders had gained some much-needed confidence. Unfortunately, Madison came off the bench with a decidedly more aggressive nature. They

played tough defense and decided to press. Durham took a while to adjust to the new tempo and had several turnovers. The boys were frustrated by the fouls that were rampant due to Madison’s aggressive attacks on defense. Coach Murphy called a timeout, and the boys took a breather. Reminding them of their motto, “discipline and no complaining,” he went over their press break play. The team quickly executed this skill and was

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able to defuse Madison’s strategy. With great defensive plays by Baba, Hocking and Johnson, continued dominance on the boards by Jack, smart picks and steals by Piscatelli and hard driving layups and scoring by Griffin, the Marauders took their lead at 31-29 into the fourth quarter. At the opening of the fourth quarter, King increased the team’s lead with a “swish” from just inside the threepoint line. The final minute of the game left the fans on the edge of their seats; the end could go either way. The last three games that the Marauders played were lost due to poor foul shooting. The team worked hard on fixing this problem, and again their perseverance paid off. The Madison team decided to foul Jack Murphy and put him on the line. The big guy showed his poise by sinking them both. Then Madison tried again by fouling Griffin Murphy, who showed his marked shooting improvement by scoring another basket. In the final seconds, Baba kept up the pressure with a steal to seal the game. Great effort, boys!

Town Times Sports

Friday, February 17, 2012

Durham gets better of Southington in inter-league play most of the early scoring for Torrison. Poturnicki and Matt Lynch (16 points each) both got more involved in the second half before Matt left the game with a knee injury. In the end, it was foul shooting that did Torrison in, going just 8-14 while SPNE went 17-19 on free throws. Dukes alone was 1112 from the line. Snowservices, 59; The Fireplace, 47: Snowservices (3-1) shot lights-out for much of the first half and coasted to a fairly easy win. No doubt their best shooting day of the season, Dave Torres, Ryan Cove and Frank DeFlippo hit on just about everything they tried for the first 12 minutes of the game. Torres scored 16, and Joe Davis added 15 in the win. Jeff Kelly picked up 21, and Middlefield’s Rick Mach also finished with three for The Fireplace.

Around the Clock (ATC), 63; Southington Generals, 32: ATC (3-1) held the Southington Generals to just 14 first-half points and 0 points for the first seven minutes of the second half,

cruising the entire way in a lopsided contest. Steve Markowski led ATC with 18, Rick Ryan had 12 and Cody Donecker scored 10 for the winners. Scott Mondo’s 11 points led the Generals.

Baseball pitching clinic Coginchaug Little League will once again be offering a baseball pitching clinic. Starting on Saturday, March 10, the clinic will run for four consecutive Saturdays. Registration and payment can be made on the website at www.coginchaugll.org where you will select your preferred timeslot, which will remain the same for each Saturday of the program. Each player is required to have an adult catcher during each session, and it is recommended to arrive a few minutes early to warm-up. The clinic is open to players league age 9; registration will open to players league age 8 on Feb. 20. All eligible players must be registered for the 2012 baseball season. To sign up for this clinic, visit www.coginchaugll.org and click “Register Online” to begin. Questions or comments about the pitching clinic should be directed to the VP of Baseball, Scott Strang, at scott_strang@yahoo.com. Submitted by Michele Wenchell, Director of Information, Coginchaug Little League

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For the second year, Durham and Southington Men’s Leagues met for a set of mid-season games. The goal was to pair up teams of relatively equal skill, and the results included three exciting games that went down to the wire and three games that were not quite so competitive. In the end, Durham took four out of the first six (two more to follow) to ensure at least a tie in the eightgame series and gain some respect after our 4-8 showing last season. Games Monday at Southington Time Out Taverne (TOT), 58; Thomson Financial, 56: Jay Connelly put back his own missed lay-up as time expired to propel TOT (2-3) to an exciting win. TOT trailed 25-23 at halftime, but Pete Doering put them ahead with 15 second-half points. Thomson trailed by as much as five with under two minutes but tied the score on foul shots with just six seconds left. Connelly got the inbound pass and drove the length of the court, but his frantic lay-up hit the bottom of the rim before bouncing back into his hands, allowing him to lean back in to take the game winning shot. Doering finished with 30, and Tim Rhone had nine. Todd Martin was the leading Thomson scorer with 14. Durham Dental, 54; Brennan Pool Boys, 52: In another exciting game with over a dozen lead changes, including a 27-27 tie at the half, Durham Dental (4-2) held on to defeat Brennan. Mark Hodges had 16, and Mark Crayton scored 12 in the win. Brian Brennan was excellent from the field with 19 points for the losing team. Brennan had the ball with five seconds left but was unable to get it past half court for a final shot as Durham Dental played a great press defense on the final inbound play. Southington Police (SPD), 66; Scott Tax Group, 34: Scott Tax held it together early, trailing 16-14 midway through the first half, but the exceptional passing and fast

break offense of SPD was too much for them. Mike Malcolm scored 11 as three other Scott Tax (1-4) players finished with six. Art Veveris was deadly from three-point land for SPD and picked up 22 in the win. Games Tuesday at Durham SPNE, 74; Torrison Stone, 69: If you enjoy basketball, there was no game more fun to watch this week than the battle between Torrison and visiting SPNE. Joe Wilson was fantastic for SPNE, hitting six threepointers and finishing with 28. Most of the night, Torrison was able to shut down the top SPNE shooter, Mike Dukes. Dukes had scored 51 in a game against Allstate last season but was held to just 21 this night. Likewise, SPNE worked hard to contain Adam Poturnicki, and Pete Lynch (18 points) did

By Scott Strang Special to the Town Times

Town Times Sports

Coginchaug boys win, key games coming

Strong School sports scoop By Kevin Larson Strong P.E. Instructor PHYSICAL EDUCATION Mr. Larson’s webpage is up and running, notifying students and parents of important information regarding curriculum, grading and class expectations. Upcoming activities for spring 2012 are posted under Curriculum. Mr. Larson completed three workshops with the math department to further develop student knowledge of percentages. Fitness test scores from last fall were used in question form to highlight percentage completion based on number of students taking the fitness test and those who qualified. As of late January through mid-March, students are engaged in volleyball skill review practice

Friday, February 17, 2012

game set-up and eventual inclass tournament play. Results of tournament play will determine play-off and championship format. Championship games will be designed as a grade level assembly to be determined at a later date. Champions from each grade will be recognized. INTRAMURALS Volleyball is taking center stage from early February through mid-March. Practices/matches will round out the five-week program. Interest amongst the girls is outstanding with two teams of varsity girls and two teams of J.V. girls. Unfortunately the interest amongst the boys is not as strong. One team of seventh and eighth grade boys will participate. Special thanks to Coach See Scoop, next page

By Alan Pease Special to the Town Times The Coginchaug boys played two games this week, both pretty solid wins over second tier teams in the Shoreline Conference, the Morgan Huskies and the North Branford Thunderbirds. This was a prelude to some big upcoming games, against third place HaddamKillingworth (HK) on Tuesday the 14th, and at home this coming Monday versus fourth place Valley Regional. After their second loss to Cromwell, also being their second loss in the conference schedule, these two games could determine the outcome of the regular season conference championship, and the all-important seedings for the conference tournament. Morgan On Tuesday, Feb. 7, the

Devils jumped out to an early lead against Morgan, with Erikson Wasyl netting the first five points of the game. Morgan kept it close, trailing by only two at the end of the first period (13-11) and again drawing within two points midway through the second period at 21-19. But Coginchaug closed the half with a rebound put-back by Ethan Donecker, followed by a down-the-middle bank shot by Jake Tietlebaum off of a Brock Hoyt feed to take a 2519 lead into halftime. Seven points from Wasyl keyed the third period for Coginchaug as they stretched their lead to 12 at 43-31, enabling a sub-par final period by the Devils to be of little consequence, at least to the outcome of the game, as they secured a 53-45 win in a game that they never trailed but failed to domi-

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nate. The biggest disappointment in the game for Coginchaug was that Tyler Anglin of Morgan racked up 25 points to lead all scorers. He had nine points from the free throw line, and two hits from beyond the arc. Donecker led the Devils on the statistical side, securing a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds, rounding out a nice line with five assists, two blocks and two steals. However, according to coach Salva, Donecker also had primary responsibility for Anglin on defense, so it was less than a perfect game. Wasyl scored 20 points, adding four rebounds and two assists. Hoyt scored 10, grabbed six rebounds, blocked two shots and had an assist. Tietlebaum had four rebounds, two steals, two points and an assist. Alec Corazzini had four assists, two points, two rebounds and a steal. Off the bench, Luke Bogdanski scored four and had two rebounds. Sam Baker had two rebounds, two steals and an assist. Mike Bongiorno had a point, a rebound and an assist, and Kevin Gawron pulled down one rebound. North Branford On Thursday, Feb. 9, the boys traveled to North Branford and again played a bit of an uneven game against a clearly overmatched team and still managed a 54-39 win. The North Branford Thunderbirds scored the first two buckets, and it was almost four minutes into the game before Wasyl finally put the Devils on the scoreboard by nailing a three-pointer. The home team scored again to go ahead 6-3, but two successful charity tries by Donecker got the Devils close, and a repeat performance by Donecker — two from the line — put the Devils ahead for good at 7-6. Two more free throws, this time from Hoyt, plus twopoint baskets from Wasyl and Tietlebaum, more than offset a couple of buckets from North Branford, allowing Coginchaug to end the first period with a 13-10 lead. See Boys, next page

Town Times Sports

Friday, February 17, 2012

grabbed two rebounds. includes: East Hampton, As I write this, the boys are Cromwell, Rocky Hill and 13-3, 13-2 in the Shoreline Thomas Edison (girls’ program Kevin Gawron got the Dev- Conference. They will have only). Team jerseys have been ils out to a good start in the played a tough game at HK on ordered and are due to arrive second period, scoring the Tuesday, Feb. 14, and hope- prior to the first scheduled first two baskets, both on re- fully will have a routine win match (Feb. 23). bound put-backs. Wasyl, tonight, Friday, Feb. 17, at Matches are limited to Corazzini and Bongiorno home against East Hampton. players only (no student each converted from beyond The last conference game of spectators) due to limited the arc, and Hoyt hit a two- the season (and senior night) space in the gymnasium. pointer, allowing the visiting will be Monday, Feb. 20. SeeParents/grandparents are Devils to lead 28-17 going into ing that all of the starters and encouraged to attend. halftime. three of the reserves on this Upcoming spring proThe third period was pret- team are seniors, this would ty ugly as the Thunderbirds be a great night to get out and grams include golf, tennis, won the period 13-10. Wasyl show them your support. cross country (training prostarted things well, hitting a Plus, given the importance of gram) and mini-hockey or kickball. two-pointer and, following a this to the playoff picture, it’s indoor/outdoor Continue referring to Mr. couple of North Branford not a game to miss. Larson’s webpage to stay up baskets, a three-pointer. Two to date with future happenTietlebaum free throws put (From page 28) ings regarding intramural Coginchaug up 37-21, but opportunities. then the wheels came off. Over the remainder of the pe- Matasavage (former Cogin- ATHLETICS riod, the Devils had five chaug volleyball coach) and nuBoys’ basketball: Coached turnovers and hit on no shots merous high school players for by Steve Anderson (varsity) from the field as North Bran- volunteering their time to help and Jeff Miller (J.V.); 27 ford want on a 9-0 run. Only a develop the skills of many sev- players comprised the teams single free throw from enth and eighth grade girls. competing against schools Corazzini near the end of the Competition from area schools within our Mid-State Middle period stopped the run, allowing Coginchaug to go into the final period still with a 3830 lead. The Devils regrouped for the final period and, paced by six points from Donecker, won the period 16-9 and the game by a 54-39 score. Donecker again paced the Devils overall, pulling down 14 rebounds and adding 10 points for the double-double. The rest of his stats weren’t too shabby either as he had five steals, three blocks and (203) 907-5236 three assists. Wasyl led the team in scoring with 15 points, adding four steals, three rebounds and two assists. Hoyt rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points, just missing the double-double with nine rebounds. Hoyt also contributed two blocks and an assist. Corazzini had six points, a rebound and a steal. 860-349-8868 Tietlebaum scored four points, adding three rebounds and a steal. Off the bench, Gawron scored four points and grabbed two rebounds. Bongiorno had three points, a rebound and a steal (a nifty play that involved diving to the floor for a loose ball and somehow squeezing the ball to a teammate before it rolled out of bounds). Baker had two points, a rebound and a steal, while Bogdanski

Boys

(From page 28)

Scoop

29 League. Girls’ basketball: Coached by Amy Schaefer (varsity) and Dan Dietz (J.V.); 23 players comprised the teams competing against schools within our Mid-State Middle School League. Special thanks to our volunteers who graciously gave their time for the benefit of our basketball program — singers Olivia Haglund and Charley Pietrzyk; scoreboard operators Shaun Whitaker and Cassie Kovacs; announcer Lauren Badin; and scorekeeper Isabelle DeFlippo. Cheerleading: Coached by Jeanne Myers and Keri Salva; 24 girls comprised the two squads (J.V. and varsity). Our two squads cheered all home basketball games (boys and girls). The process of purchasing new uniforms began this year and will hopefully conclude next year. Pep Band: Under the di-

rection of Mr. Fitz, our pep band made its debut, performing at one boys’ game and two girls’ games. Special thanks to our student musicians. With further recruiting and incentives in place, our pep band will continue to grow and perform. Continued efforts will be made to give our student athletes opportunities to further enhance their athletic experiences. Baseball/softball sign-ups will take place later in February or early March. Try-outs to begin by late March (weather permitting). Games to begin by mid to late April. PARENTS/ATHLETES Make sure physicals are up-to-date prior to first practice/try-out. Players will not be permitted to practice until physical is valid. See the school nurse with any questions. Refer to Mr. Larson’s webpage under Athletics to have up-to-date information.

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Town Times Sports

Girls win two, prepare for tournament

The Pride finish victorious By Meryl Vallone Special to the Town Times

The fifth grade boys’ travel team “The Pride” finished their season with a victory over HaddamKillingworth (HK) with the score 35-15 at the Strong School gym last Sunday. The boys played like a welloiled machine, running the fast break and making some Magic Johnson-type passes for lay-ups. HK had no answer for the offense of Connor Rulick, TJ Vallone and Tanner Jameson. The game started out with a quick 10-0 run for the Pride with some great defense and steals by Tyler Woodward that led to some easy baskets for the Pride. With Ethan Bates and Dominic Pascarelli grabbing loose ball after loose ball, the Pride did not slow down and took a 18-5 lead into the half. The second half began with HK scoring the first six points off a couple of Pride turnovers. Coach Vallone called a time out, and the boys responded with a perfect press break play that saw EJ Dzialo make a perfect lay-up, sending the Pride on a 9-0 run to finish

Friday, February 17, 2012

the third quarter with a 2711 lead. The fourth quarter saw the Pride play their “Syracuse” match-up zone defense that has been awesome all season long. Ryan Hocking and Eric Lipka made steal after steal, with the inside play of Vallone, Jameson and Bates not allowing HK to get a rebound. The hustle by Pascarelli and Dzialo in the fourth quarter exemplifies the way the team has played all year. With Ryan Genest unable to play, the team stepped up and finished the season with a well-fought victory. It has been an incredible season for the Pride. They finished with a 10-4 league record and 11-6 overall. The boys played with determination, confidence and, most of all, pride in each and every game. After winning their first game against Valley, the Pride then lost their next two to Madison and Clinton. They battled hard in those two games and never lost their confidence, responding by ripping off wins over Hamden, Branford, Old Lyme and North Branford before See Pride, next page

By Alan Pease Special to the Town Times This week, the Coginchaug girls played at HaddamKillingworth (HK) on Monday, Feb. 6, and hosted East Hampton on Thursday, Feb. 9. Both were solid wins — 65-40 over HK, and 60-19 getting past an overmatched East Hampton. By the time you read this, they will have had their final game, senior night at home against Valley on Monday, Feb. 13, and, unless there’s a major surprise, the Lady Devils will be the number one seed for the Shoreline Conference tournament. More on that later. Haddam-Killingworth The Lady Cougars did have a couple of early leads at 2-0 and 5-2, but Kim Romanoff had that first bucket for the Devils, and an old-fashioned threepoint play from Sam Mancinelli tied the game at five apiece. Audrey Biesak scored the next five to put the visitors on top for good, first with a Lauren Esposito-assisted trey, following with a two-pointer started by a Romanoff steal and assist. Biesak ended with eight points in the period to highlight the first quarter lead of 17-10. The second period was a real exercise in frustration for the Lady Cougars as they could manage only three early connections from the charity

stripe. Esposito led the Devils’ effort for the period with seven points, but the highlight came as the clock wound down — Olivia Corazzini grabbed a defensive rebound and took the ball down the court, hitting a driving lay-up from the left side just before the buzzer sounded, topping off a 17-0 run for the Devils and making the score 37-13. With the final outcome of the game fairly well in hand at that point, the team may have let up a bit, and Coach Rett Mancinelli did mix in the reserve players, allowing HK to win the period by a 13-12 count but still leaving Coginchaug on top by a 49-26 score. Mancinelli had seven points in the period. Mancinelli again led the way in the last quarter, scoring six as Coginchaug coasted home to the final score of 65-40. She led the Devils with 23 points, adding seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. Esposito scored 11 points, adding seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Biesak and Romanoff each scored 10 points, with Biesak adding five rebounds and two steals and Romanoff contributing three steals, two rebounds and two assists. Jessica Solomon pulled down three rebounds. Off the bench, Audrey Ar-

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cari had a very nice game with six points, four rebounds and a steal. Corazzini scored three points, adding three rebounds, a steal and an assist. Andrea Braga had two rebounds, a steal and an assist. Katelyn Williams scored two points, and Caryn Sibiski and Mikayla Wyskiel each grabbed one rebound. East Hampton As Coach Mancinelli wrote to me: “East Hampton came in injured and sick. They were unable to bring enough players to play a JV game. Their deteriorated team had a 4-3 lead (at the start of the game) but not much more after that.” The Devils took leads of 17-6, 39-9, 49-15 and finished with a 60-19 final domination. Esposito led the team in scoring with 17 and steals with seven, adding four assists and a rebound. Mancinelli led the team in both rebounds and assists, with nine of each, adding three steals, two points and a block. Biesak was the second leading scorer with 16, adding a rebound, an assist, a steal and a block. Romanoff had eight points, three steals, two rebounds and an assist. Solomon had three points, three steals and a rebound. Off the bench, Arcari had six points, three rebounds, two steals and a block. Braga contributed three steals, two points, a rebound and an assist. Kasi Whitaker had two points, two steals, a rebound and an assist. Wyskiel pulled down five rebounds and stole the ball once. Corazzini and Sidney Trusty each had two points, a rebound and a steal, and Williams had two rebounds and two steals. With these wins, the girls are 18-1, 16-1 in the Shoreline Conference. Assuming they successfully get past the 2-15 Valley Regional team, the Devils will enter the conference tournament as the number one seed, hosting the number eight seed on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m. If they do advance past that game, the semi-finals will be played on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at either 6 or 7:30 p.m. I believe that, if Coginchaug makes it to the semi-finals, they would host both games as the highest seed, but I am not certain. In any event, try to get out to these tournament games and urge the Devils on!

Friday, February 17, 2012

Dart

(From page 7)

(Continued from page 30)

Dur BOS

(From 1)

Jim Murray, Susan White and Alicia Fonash-Willett. Emergency Management Director Francis Willett thanked the team for their dedication and noted that members had recently completed a 20-hour course, which included training in disaster preparedness, team organization, fire safety and suppression, basic first aid and light search-and-rescue. While still training, many team members aided town emergency personnel during the October snow storm. Willett stated, “CERT prepares Durham residents to help themselves, their families, their neighbors and their community in the event of a disaster or emergency.” Willett noted that Deputy Director Dr. Steve Levy will serve as CERT team leader, and he thanked the instructors, George Dunn and Ronald Lee (CERT team

meeting up with powerhouse Guilford.

colon cancer awareness. In other business, the BOS approved the appointment of Linda Bertelsen as a regular (rather than alternate) member of the Historic District Commission and received a report from Willett on relocation of the generator and propane tank to the town hall area as part of the overall relocation of the Emergency Operations Center.

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The Guilford game was an epic battle. The Pride once again came out strong and took a 14-6 first quarter and a 26-11 halftime lead. The second half proved to be a battle to the end with the Pride falling short of the victory 3734 while Guilford remained unbeaten. After a close loss at Wallingford, the Pride won their last five games and looked like a team to be reckoned with for years to come.

leaders in Middletown and Portland respectively), for training the team. Dunn and Lee were also in attendance. The board signed a proclamation congratulating Durham resident Brent Beckert on becoming an Eagle Scout and another proclamation designating March 2, 2012, as National “Dress in Blue” Day in conjunction with a nationwide effort to promote

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vision CERT members working in distribution centers, if we have to distribute food or water, or taking on clerical duties at a vaccination clinic in the event of a pandemic outbreak.” Durham’s first trainees were put to work even before they had finished their training when the snowstorm hit in October. “The snowstorm was so big,” says Levy, “that we needed more staff, and so we turned to some of our CERT trainees to work in the shelter and the Emergency Operation Center.” (The Emergency Operation Center relayed information about downed wires and blocked roads to CL&P and public works.) The CERT members will be sworn in on Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall during the Board of Selectman meeting. Four of them, including Eddy, are also members of DART.

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in the fall of 2011, with 20 hours spread out over four days. Says Levy, “CERT is comprised of individuals who are committed to working as part of emergency management in whatever way the director feels they can help. Francis Willett decides what he wants CERT to do, and I make sure they do it. The training covers the basic introduction to emergency management organization. Trainees learn what to expect at emergency scenes with fires, a building collapse or medical emergencies. The training stresses that the CERT member’s role is not the same as that of a firefighter or an EMT. They are not performing the duties of specially trained emergency responders, but are providing extra assistance. I en-

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