Volume 17, Issue 46
Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall
Friday, Februar y 25, 2011
Public service announcement and forum coming your way on teen dating violence By Stephanie Wilcox Town Times February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness month, but the issues that go along with it are relevant every day of the year. On March 2, the community invited to a very important forum on teen dating safety called Love is Not Violent. At the event, a Public Service Announcement (PSA) will be released for the first time, and it’s expected to move the audience. The PSA was produced by Art 4 Films and Samdog Films. Liz Cippolina, of Durham, who is with Art 4 Films, and her daughter Jessamin, a Coginchaug High School senior, were con-
tracted by Durham Middlefield Youth and Family Services (DMYFS) to complete the PSA. It was shot and edited by Dan Nocera of Samdog Films at Coginchaug High School and featured kids
from District 13 and actors from around Middlesex County. It also featured the logo (above) designed by the Safe Dates Team, whose mission is to educate about teen dating violence. Destination Durham, the new cable show featuring happenings around Durham, will be doing a special episode featur-
ing the PSA and students and adults from the Safe Dates group that will air in early March. Art 4 Films and Samdog Films will also seek out further distribution for the PSA on public TV and local cable stations. In addition to the PSA, the Love is Not Violent: Keeping Teen Dating Relationships Safe forum will feature a panel of speakers, including two teens from the Safe Dates Team. Other community forum panelist include: Michele Waldner, who has worked for victims within the court, community and shelter, providing a 24-hour hotline, safety planning, emergency shelter, counseling, advocacy and community education services to vic-
Troop 62836 helps local pets in need
Filming of the Public Service Announcement on teen dating violence took place at Coginchaug High School and featured many District 13 students. tims of domestic violence; Rebecca Sinusas, who is currently a guidance counselor at Strong School and served as a special education teacher at Strong previously for six years; Kathy Bottini, a social worker at both
See Teen Dating, page 21
Suzio defeats Bruenn in special election By Cheri Kelley and Record-Journal staff
Brenda’s Main Street Feed and Girl Scout Troop 62836 are collecting animal food and supplies to donate to the Durham Human Services Department for families in town who have pets in need. The troop is also having a rollerskating party for the same purpose later this year. The Girl Scouts require 15 hours of planning and working on the project combined to earn the Bronze Badge as a Junior Cadette. Stop by as soon as you can! Photo submitted by Lynn Stanwood
Strong and Coginchaug whose past experiences include being the program director for a Women’s Center in Lake Tahoe and executive director of the Rape Crisis
Republican Len Suzio finally won what eluded him three times prior — he is going to Hartford to represent the 13th District in the state Senate after defeating Democrat Tom Bruenn in a special election Tuesday, Feb. 22. Suzio, a former school board member who runs a bank consulting firm, will fill the seat vacated by Thomas P. Gaffey, who resigned in January after pleading guilty to larceny for double-billing the state and his political action committee for travel and other expenses. Suzio had lost to Gaffey twice in the 1990s and in November’s general election but ran again after Gaffey resigned before starting his next term.
This was the first run for state office for Bruenn, a school board member and retired high school teacher and teacher union president.
The district includes Meriden, Middlefield and parts of Middletown and Cheshire.
Only 25.8 percent of Middlefield voters showed up at the polls Tuesday, and 307 voted for Bruenn while 503 voted for Suzio.
In this issue ... Calendar............................4 Columns............................9 Durham Briefs................14 Letters...............................8 Middlefield Briefs...........13 Sports ..........................22-24 Spotlight..........................17