Volume 18, Issue 47
Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall
Friday, March 2, 2012
Public hearing scheduled on Powder Ridge proposal By Sue VanDerzee Special to the Town Times
Senator Ed Meyer and Representative Matt Lesser address the Board of Education about education reform. Photo by Mark Dionne
Meyer and Lesser talk reform with BOE At the Feb. 22 Board of Education meeting, invited guests Senator Ed Meyer and Representative Matt Lesser spoke about the current state of proposed education reform and listened to concerns expressed by
board members and Superintendent Sue Viccaro. Governor Malloy has declared that he wants the current legislative session to focus on education reform. In December, Malloy sent a letter to legislators arguing the need to reform Connecticut education. In the letter, Malloy wrote, “We have lost our edge as a
state” in education. “Our state’s positioning has weakened to the point that we are not competitive in national grant competitions like the recent Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge.” The governor also pointed to the achievement gap. See BOE Reform, page 6
Town of Durham sets public hearing for Right to Farm ordinance By Stephanie Wilcox Town Times There were two items of particular interest at the Feb. 27 Board of Selectmen meeting in Durham. One was a proposed Right to Farm Ordinance and the other a request/discussion with the Registrar of Voters for one polling place for municipal elections. Warren Herzig and Fred Mastele from the Agriculture Commission were in attendance to present a draft of a Right to Farm Ordinance. “The Right to Farm Ordinance encourages the pursuit of agriculture, promotes agriculture-
based economic opportunities and protects farmland within Durham by allowing agricultural uses and related activities to function with minimal conflict with abutters and town agencies,” so says the proposed ordinance. The ordinance defines “agriculture” and “farming” and lays out when agricultural operations may occur — any day or night provided such activities do not violate applicable health, safety, fire, zoning, wetlands, life safety, environmental or building codes and regulations. The draft announces that agricultural operations shall include incidental noise
from livestock or farm equipment, odors from livestock, manure, fertilizer, etc., dust and fumes associated with normally accepted farming practices, the use of agricultural chemicals and irrigation and water management.
See Powder Ridge, page 22
See Dur BOS, page 10
In this issue ... Calendar............................4 Town Briefs ....................19 Design an Ad...................11 Obituary..........................23 Sports ..........................24-28
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By Mark Dionne Special to the Town Times
A public hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, March 6, at 7 p.m., at Memorial School on Hubbard Street to hear the plans of the newest possible buyer for the town-owned Powder Ridge ski area. Sean Hayes, managing director of Brownstone Exploration and Discover Park LLC in Portland, has submitted a Letter of Intent to purchase the property. Hayes’ plans include restoring downhill skiing and emphasizing some of the newer wrinkles in the recreation field with facilities for snowboarding, freestyle skiing and other adventure-type activities. According to First Selectman Jon Brayshaw, he also would not be purchasing the entire property. The town would maintain ownership of approximately 30 acres bordering Powder Hill Road and adjacent to the Nerden Camp property. “Sean doesn’t need this part of the property,” explained Brayshaw, “and it would be good for the town to retain it, though it will affect the price.” Brayshaw noted that he has been working on a subdi-
vision application with town planner Geoff Colegrove to be submitted to the Planning and Zoning Commission which would divide the property into two lots. There has been speculation that the land might be offered to Joe Gouveia, of Gouveia Vineyards in Wallingford. Gouveia had expressed interest in using some of the property to expand his vineyards and wine-making business, but was unable to strike a deal with either Hayes or Alpine Ridge, the potential buyer preceding Hayes. At the March 6 meeting, Hayes will present his plans for the property, and the selectmen will present an agreed-upon Letter of Intent. Hayes has already submitted a $25,000 deposit which assures him of 90 days of due diligence to develop a contract that can be agreed upon by the town. There will be a second public hearing when that contract is finalized and then a town vote on the possible sale. Alpine Ridge sues Middlefield Alpine Ridge LLC filed suit last week in Middlesex Superior Court for the re-
MONDAY, MARCH 5 Thru FRIDAY, MARCH 9 SEE OUR AD INSIDE FOR THE DETAILS!
Town Times Community Briefs
Index of Advertisers To advertise in the Town Times, call Joy Boone at 860-349-8026
gram has proven to be very effective and doable. “So many teens are struggling with their weight and don’t know how to handle it,” says Nevins. “By teaming up with Better Connecticut we will teach teens about how they can make solid, healthy choices using the foods they love to shed the unwanted weight and still allow a kid to be a kid.” Throughout the 12-week process, the teens will work with Nevins on establishing a solid nutritional foundation and exercise routine. Each segment will showcase their weekly progress by checking their weight, body fat and overall measurements. The prize at the end of the 12 weeks is a healthier, leaner body and a shopping spree courtesy of West Farms Mall in Farmington. “Both Kara and myself are clients of the Living Lean program,” says Scot Haney. “Rob’s program has helped me to stay lean and healthy and still eat the foods I love. His enthusiasm is so motivating, and we at Better Connecticut are committed to helping others through their struggles with weight.” To enter the contest, teens are encouraged to submit a three to four-minute DVD explaining why they believe this
Help for teens with weight problems There are approximately 9 million young adults in the United States who are considered overweight or obese. This number only continues to grow each year. With that shocking statistic in mind, Rob Nevins, “America’s Fat Loss Guru” and the creator of the Living Lean Program, is teaming up with Scot Haney and Kara Sundlun from WFSB’s Better Connecticut for a 12-week “Better CT Lean Teens” series that will tackle this real-life problem. From now until March 29, Better Connecticut will be accepting submissions from 14 to 18-year-old overweight teens throughout Connecticut who want to change their eating and health regime. Two winners will be selected (a male and female), and Rob Nevins, or as the teens call him, the “Food Dude,” will work with them one-on-one in learning the secrets to the “Live it, Not Diet” program he has created. With over 47,000 clients in Connecticut alone, Nevins’ pro-
See Briefs, page 22
www.linosmarket.com SUPER MEAT SPECIALS
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USDA Choice Angus Flank Steaks
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SAVE $4.00/lb. USDA Choice Beef Cutlets or Sandwich Steaks $4.49 lb. 5 lbs or more
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ACE OIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 ALLAN’S TREE SERVICE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 ANTHONY JACKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 APEC ELECTRIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 APPLE REHAB MIDDLETOWN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 ASSISTED LIVING OF MERIDEN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 BATTERS BOX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 BINGE, BRUCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 BOYLIN, DR WILLIAM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 CAHILL & SONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 CARLTON INTERIOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 CARMINE’S RESTAURANT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, 10 CAROLYN ADAMS COUNTRY BARN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 CHESHIRE HS BAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 CONROY, DMD, JOHN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 CORE CLUB. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 CUSTOM TRAVEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 DEAN AUTOWORKS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, 16 DURHAM AUTO PARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 DURHAM DENTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, 13 DURHAM FAMILY EYECARE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 14 DURHAM HEALTHMART PHARMACY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 DURHAM KITCHEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 DURHAM MARKET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 DURHAM NATUROPATHIC HEALTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 DURHAM VETERINARY HOSPITAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 EAMES, ALAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 EDIBLE ARRANGEMENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 EXECUTIVE OFFICES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 27 FAMILY PEST CONTROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 FUEL & SERVICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 FUGGE, DAVID, M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 GLAZER DENTAL ASSOCIATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 17 GRACE LUTHERAN PRESCHOOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 GRISWOLD PLUMBING SERVICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 HOME WORKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 IANNIELLO PLUMBING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 INDEPENDENT DAY SCHOOL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 JAY LANDSCAPING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 LEMA, WILLIAM J., D.M.D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 LINO’S MARKET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 15 LYMAN ORCHARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 MASONICARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20, 22 MEADOWS, PATRICIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 MIDDLEFIELD REMODELING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 MIDDLESEX DRIVING ACADEMY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 MIDDLESEX HEALTH CARE CENTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 MIDSTATE TRACTOR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 MIMS OIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 MISS JOANNE’S LEARNING CENTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 MOVADO FARM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 NEIL JONES HOME IMPROVEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, 23 NEW ENGLAND DENTAL HEALTH SERVICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 ORTHODONTIC SPECIALIST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 PEACEFUL HEALING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 PRETE CHIROPRACTIC CENTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 PROFESSIONAL SECURITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 RANEY, DMD, JASON. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 REALTY ASSOCIATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 RLI ELECTRIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 ROBLEE PLUMBING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 ROCKFALL CO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 RSDL HOME IMPROVEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 SISTERS CLEANING SERVICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 SOLUTIONS BY HYPNOSIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 STONEGATE APARTMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE & BODYWORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 TILE RENOVATORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 TONYS MASONRY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 VICTORY TABERNACLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 VMB CUSTOM BUILDERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 WHITEHOUSE CONSTRUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 WILDWOOD PROPERTY MANAGEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 WINDOW MAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
The regional transfer station board would like to announce another composter purchase program slated to begin in late winter/early spring. DMIAAB ran a small pilot purchase program late last summer, with generous help from the Durham Garden Club, of two types of locally-retailed composting units. Encouraged by the response, DMIAAB will again offer essentially the same program with minor changes. The board will initiate a preorder system for either the traditional above-ground unit or the below-ground “digester unit,” hopefully keeping the same price structure as in the pilot program. Pre-ordering of either unit will be handled by the board’s liaison for this project, Chris Flanagan, at cflanagan6520@comcast.net or 860-349-6520. Pre-ordering will begin March 10. First ordered is first served; payment will be due, in full, at time of pick-up by cash or by check. An ongoing database with buyers’ info will be maintained to monitor the success of the program. Additionally, we expect the distribution of the composters will be from Middlefield this spring. Hopefully, if the program is popular enough, the communi-
ty will be served from sites in both Durham and Middlefield. Please take advantage of the great pricing on these composters and stay tuned as the program takes shape over the next few weeks.
$2.99 lb.
SAVE $.60/lb.
7
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. The “One Love” marriage seminar at Victory Christian Church, 191 Meriden Road in Middlefield, will take place on Friday, March 23, from 7 to 9:30 p.m., and Saturday, March 24, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Composter program
et
Corrections
Friday, March 2, 2012
71
2
3 lbs or more
C T • (86 0) 3
$2.49 lb.
SAVE $1.10/lb. USDA Choice Store Made Chuck Hamburger Patties
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SAVE $4.00 Chicken Legs
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5 lb. Box $14.95 99¢ lb.
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Thin Sliced Pork Cutlets
$2.99 lb.
SAVE $1.00/lb. USDA Choice Loin Lamb Chops
$10.99 lb.
SAVE $2.00/lb.
HOURS: Mon. - Fri. 7 am - 7 pm, Sat. 7 am - 6 pm
SUPER DELI SPECIALS
BONUS BUY 2012¢ 3 lbs. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts Cooked Smoked Ham (Avg. wgt. 7 lbs.)
Land O’Lakes American Cheese
$3.69 lb.
SAVE $3.00/lb. Lorraine Swiss Cheese
$5.99 lb.
SAVE $2.00/lb. Sharp Provolone
$5.99 lb.
SAVE $1.00/lb.
$10.00 minimum purchase of non-sale items required or 2312¢
Boar’s Head Black Forest Ham
$7.49 lb.
SAVE $1.50/lb. Speck Smoked Prosciutto
$12.99 lb.
SAVE $2.00/lb. Hot Capicola
FISH SPECIALS Dry Sea Scallops $13.99 lb. SAVE $3.00/lb. Prince Edward Island Mussels $2.29 lb. SAVE $1.00/lb. Fresh Tilapia $5.99 lb. SAVE $3.00/lb.
$5.99 lb.
SAVE $1.00/lb. Mother Goose Liverwurst
$4.49 lb.
SAVE $1.20/lb. Boar’s Head BBQ Chicken Breast
$7.49 lb.
SAVE $1.50/lb. Italian Pancetta
$9.99 lb.
SAVE $2.00/lb.
We reserve the right to limit quantities. We are not responsible for typographical errors. Expires 3/7/12.
Friday, March 2, 2012
3
Town Times
Durham romance author Kristan Higgins talks about writing, success and true love By Diana Carr Special to the Town Times Durhamite Kristan Higgins is living her dream. She’s a bestselling author, a two-time winner of the coveted Romance Writers of America RITA (Romance is Treasured Always) Award and has been on the “best of” lists from a variety of magazines and websites. Here she gives us a glimpse into her life as a writer. How did you get started as a writer? I started writing romance novels when my kids, who are now in the seventh and tenth grades, were little. I had always been a writer of some type — public relations, advertising, research — but I wanted to stay home with my son and daughter. I’d always loved romance novels, and it occurred to me that I could write one myself. So every afternoon when my kids were napping, I wrote.
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your husband? Yes, he is perfect in every way, except the ways in which he irritates and annoys me. That being said, we’ve been very happily married for 20 years and counting. We met while standing in line. He was adorable. What can I say? My grandparents were married for 67 years and just adored each other. That’s what Terence and I are shooting for. How does your family feel about your success as an author? They’re very proud and entertained, but they still See Higgins, page 6
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have a really strong feeling for the characters and the main turning points of the story before I start. I write in my office while the kids are in school, and I write almost every day. It’s my job, and I can’t get it done if I don’t show up.” Do you get completely immersed in the characters? Yes, all the time. Sometimes I think I know a character in my head, but as I write the story, they morph, as if they know better than I do how things are supposed to be. They’re always right, too. Are you living your own “happily ever after” with
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How many books have you Have you had any training as a writer? written? Nope. I was an English maI’ve had eight books pubjor in college lished. An(Holy Cross) other one is but we never coming out did any crein April, and ative writI’m under ing. Such a contract for shame. four more. Did you alWhy do you ways want write in to be a this genre? writer? Romance No. I wantnovels make ed to be a pepeople feel diatrician hopeful, hapuntil I was py and fulKristan Higgins 19. Being a filled. They make their authors feel that writer didn’t occur to me unway, too. I love to write til I was in my mid-thirties. books about relationships, Do you have a process for since the search for love and writing? I do have a process, but it’s security is one of the driving not carved in stone. I like to forces of life.
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Town Times & Places
4 FRIDAY
March 2 Bridge Night Come join in at the Durham Activity Center every Friday night at 6:30 p.m. for a fun night of bridge with great people. If you are not sure how to play, Jim will teach you. You may call Jim at 860-3466611 with bridge questions. Call Durham Recreation at 860-343-6724 with further questions. Senior Watercolor Class Watercolor classes for seniors with well-known local artist Aleta Gudelski will be held in the Durham Activity Center (Main Street). Classes will begin today 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 and intermediates may attend. 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. Anything Goes Mercy and Xavier high schools present the fast passed and entertaining play Anything Goes with a full orchestra today, tomorrow and Sunday at the Mercy High School auditorium on Randolph Road in Middletown. Today’s performance is at 7:30 p.m. and is followed by the Saturday performance at 7:30 p.m. and the Sunday matinee performance at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at the door or at www.mercyhigh.com.
SATURDAY
March 3 Dudley Farmers’ Market The Dudley Farm winter farmers’ market will be held the first Saturday of the month from February through May from 9 a.m. to noon in the Munger Barn. Goods for sale include: homegrown or handmade baked goods, crafts, eggs, fiber, honey and maple syrup, jams and jellies, naturally raised meats, pickles, soap and vegetables. In case of inclement weather,
Korn School Store opens
Friday, March 2, 2012
Korn School student senators began School Store last week. Throughout the year, senators have been raising money by hosting after school movie events. The senators used the money raised to purchase items for the school store. Some of the items sold included bookmarks, pencils and slap bracelets. This money will be used for an after school event at the end of the school year. Submitted by Eileen Chupron
please visit www.dudleyfarm.com or call 203-4570770 for update. Awakening the Dreamer This symposium will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Durham Public Library. Refreshments, and lunch on Saturday, will be available. The event is open to all those interested in the future of our planet and its inhabitants. For more details or to register, contact Sue VanDerzee at bvanderzee1234@comcast.net, Tina Hurlbert at thurlbert@rsd13.org or Carol Bufithis at carolbufithis@gmail.com. Honors Night Middletown Elks is hosting their Annual Honors Night at 6:30 p.m. Cocktail hour begins at 6:30 p.m., and buffet dinner begins at 7 p.m. Awards will begin at 8 p.m. There will be music by Hans Pederson. Tickets are available by calling 860346-9771. Corned Beef Dinner An all you can eat Corned Beef Dinner sponsored by Partnership for Sharing will take place today from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Third Congregational Church, 94 Miner Street in Middletown. There is a fee for this even.
MONDAY
March 5 Durham Senior Lunches Every Monday and Wednesday, hot lunches are available for seniors
over 60 and their spouses at the Durham Activity Center (350 Main St.). Following the lunches on Mondays is game time which includes billiards, Wii and cards. 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, 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.
TUESDAY
March 6 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 from 6 to 7 p.m. Alumni registration will be held today from 7 to 8 p.m. Open public registration will be held tomorrow 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. Call 860-349-9885 for more infor-
mation.
WEDNESDAY
March 7 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.
Thursday
March 8 The War of 1812 The Middlesex County Historical Society presents Rick Spencer and his program, “Songs of the War of 1812,” tonight at 7 p.m. in the Hubbard Room at Russell Library, 123 Broad Street in Middletown. He will include a discussion of the antecedents, causes and significant events of the war, which began 200 years ago this year. The highlight of this program is his presentation of 12 songs which were popular during the period or which were written about some aspect of the war. For further information, contact the Historical Society at 860-346-0746.
their hungry hearts on their sleeves for Haiti. Similar to the Youth event, adults are challenging themselves to go without food for 30 hours and come together in prayers and fellowship. They are asking friends and family to support this famine by donating money to the HELO Orphanage in Haiti (helohaiti.org). Join us at the church from 6 p.m. today to 6 p.m. tomorrow. For more info, please call Middlefield Federated Church at 860-349-9984 or email Tammy Burt at tamburt@comcast.net. TOT Time Bring your babies, toddlers and preschoolers to join other moms and children in your community. Event hosted every Friday by MOMS (MOMS Offering Moms Support) Club of Durham/Middlefield at the Middlefield Community Center at 10 a.m. Tot Time is only open to residents of Durham and Middlefield. For more information, contact momsdurhammiddlefield@gmail.c om.
Saturday
March 10 Chili Tasting Party Come to Indian Springs Golf Club on Mack Road in Middlefield from 6 to 9 p.m. for music by Middlefield Ukulele Players Club, a 50/50 raffle, chili judging and prizes and local celebrities. Sponsored by Middlefield Democratic Town Committee. Free Dental Exams and Fluoride In recognition of Give Kids a Smile!, the Central Connecticut Pediatric Dentistry office in Middletown will offer free dental screenings and fluoride varnish for children age 2 years old and younger today from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The office is located at 828 Newfield Street (Route 3). Children will be examined on a first come, first served basis.
FRIDAY
SUNDAY
March 9
March 11
Hungry Hearts Middlefield Federated Church is presenting the opportunity for adults to wear
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Friday, March 2, 2012
5
Town Times
Middletown Elks name Bob Chadd ‘Irish Person of the Year’
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Guard in 1967 and was stationed at Governor’s Island in New York City for four years as a Shore Patrolman (Security Police). During that time, he married Kathleen in 1969. Their daughter Lucinda was born in 1970 and their son Robert was born in 1973. After leaving the Coast Guard in 1971, he once again joined the work force at Pratt and Whitney in Middletown. Shortly after, he was promoted to leadman. He was then
captain. While a member, he took on the task of refurbishing their original 1930 fire truck. After over a year, the truck made its debut and is still shown to this day. He retired from the DVFD after 20 years. He still occasionally volunteers for the DVFD when a need arises. This is
promoted to manufacturing analyst in 1974 and department foreman in 1975. Chadd retired in 2007 after 40 years of employment. Chadd and his wife Kathleen built their present home in Durham and have lived there since 1976. He joined the Durham Volunteer Fire Department in 1976, obtaining the rank of
See Elks, page 22
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Each group has selected someone to be honored as its Irish Person of the Year. The Ancient Order of Hibernians Middletown – Portland Division #1 in January announced the selection of Anne Glynn Murray as 2012 Irish Person of the Year. Sadly, Anne, of Middletown, passed away unexpectedly on Feb. 3 and so the honor of 2012 Hibernian Irish Person of the Year will be given to
her posthumously. Middletown Lodge #771 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks has announced the selection of Robert A. Chadd, of Durham, as 2012 Irish Person of the Year. Bob has been an active member of Middletown Lodge #771 for more than 30 years. Chadd’s great-grandmother was born and raised in Ireland but ended up marrying an English gentleman. Their son Arthur ventured to the US and, thus, the family began. Chadd was born in Hartford in 1948. After a short time of residence in Wethersfield, his family moved to the Westfield Section of Middletown where he was raised. He attended Middletown Schools until high school, graduating from Vinal Tech in 1966, and was hired at Pratt and Whitney as a machinist. He joined the US Coast
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The Ancient Order of Hibernians Middletown Division #1 and Middletown Lodge #771 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks have announced plans for a joint Irish Night/St. Patrick’s Day Dinner Dance celebration to be held Saturday, March 17, at the Middletown Elks Lodge on Maynard Street. The cocktail hour will begin at 6 p.m., with Irish step dancers from the Griffith Academy of Irish Dance performing at 7 p.m. A traditional Irish corned beef dinner will follow at 7:30 p.m. with music and dancing until 11 p.m. Tickets are available at the Elks Lodge or from Dennis Murray at 860347-5122 or Gerry Daley 860347-9315.
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Friday, March 2, 2012
Town Times
“We’re not even in the top 25 in math and sciences.” Lesser, who serves on the (Continued from page 1) House’s Education Committee, noted the significant “Connecticut’s poor and mi- work ahead. The summary of nority students are less pre- the legislation runs 60 pages pared for success than their long. “As it is right now, I peers in the vast majority of don’t think anyone is going to other states...our state has vote for it,” Lesser said. the largest achievement gap While the reform is largely in the nation.” intended to lift underperMeyer told the Board of Ed forming districts, board (BOE) that he believes there members expressed concern are three significant achieve- that it could negatively imment gaps. In addition to the pact well performing disgap between poor and better tricts like Regional School off schools, there is a gap be- District 13 (RSD13). “There’s tween Connecticut and the unintended consequences to top states in the country - a lot of this legislation that’s “Connecticut has fallen,” applied across the state,” said Meyer said - and also a gap member Kerrie Flanagan. between the country and the For better performing disrest of the world. tricts, Malloy’s initial proAs a country, Meyer said, posal mentioned a reduction
BOE Reform
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in “red tape and other barriers to success,” but those incentives are not yet clear. Addressing the BOE, Lesser noted that the legislation refers to “rewards” for exemplary school districts but not what those rewards might be. The definition of an exemplary district, according to Lesser, is also vague. It could mean districts that perform well, which might include RSD13, or districts that moved themselves across the gap, which would not include RSD13. Lesser added that he would like to see exemptions from red tape and mandates for well-performing schools. Meyer concurred. After hearing a description of the time and effort put in to complying with recent anti-bullying legislation, Meyer responded, “Let’s exempt you.” “My struggle is that we have all of these [mandates] and then we have to teach the kids,” Viccaro told the legislators. Tenure reform has gotten the most attention so far. “The word is out that we’re abolishing tenure. We’re not abolishing tenure,” said Mey-
er, who added that there might be an annual tenure review and a system for evaluating teachers consisting of 60 percent peer evaluation and 40 percent student results. Meyer said the focus should be more on curriculum and less on evaluation. Both legislators also expressed reservations of increased spending on charter or magnet schools. According to Meyer, the bill’s focus on charter schools “appears to be creating a new school system...I think that’s a dangerous direction to take.” Charter schools should be a laboratory, Meyer said, not a “put down” of the public schools. Lesser said, “I’m skeptical of taking resources away from public schools that are strapped to give to charter schools.” Both legislators thanked the BOE for inviting them and vowed to remain in contact with districts and superintendents. “This is less confrontational than Hartford right now,” Lesser joked.
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Higgins (Continued from page 3) love me for the dorky person I’ve always been - the one who cries during sports movies and forces them to do Michael Jackson dance moves on the Wii. Who has been your favorite character in your books? My favorite characters tend to be the senior citizens or the teenagers. They’re the easiest to write, for some reason. But you know, they’re all my favorites. It’s like asking who’s my favorite relative. It depends on the day, or the hour. Do you consider yourself a hopeless romantic? Nope. I think I’m an optimistic realist. What are some of your other career-oriented activities? My other “writerly” activities include the occasional workshop, guest-blogging at writing websites, writing my own blog and keeping up a Facebook page and website. I travel a fair bit to book expos and conferences and to research settings for future books. I like being busy. I’m a Connecticut Yankee, after all. And I’m a very involved mom. I’m at almost all of the track meets and concerts, I drive the kids to their afterschool activities and I help them with their homework (except in math; they’re on their own there). Can you give us a sneak preview of your next book? It will be set in a familyowned vineyard in the Finger Lakes region (in New York). It’s such a beautiful part of the country that I fell in love with it the minute we visited. Are you surprised by your success? Yes, I am. Writing is such a personal and solitary experience. We write the books we love but really have no idea how they’ll be received. The first few times someone said, “You’re my favorite author,” I turned around to see who was behind me. But regardless of how the books are received or how many sales are or aren’t made, I still do the same thing — write the best book I can.
Friday, March 2, 2012
7
Town Times
Details of all-day kindergarten emerge more opportunity for imaginative play and personal skills. “Not only do we need to get the academics in, we need to get the social-emotional growth in.” The principal noted that most preschools in the area meet for longer than the kindergarten day. The change would increase kindergarten time from 170 to 390 minutes a day. Among the cons listed by Adams were potential cost, parents who may not want it and lack of readiness for some children. Viccaro said that with the principals and other members of the administrative team, she has studied potential issues such as space, teachers, furniture, supplies,
assistants and the lunch program. “We have the rooms...we think it would be a pretty simple transition,” said Heckler. With the investigations mostly taking place among the administrative team and a committee, several BOE members expressed hesitation at the timing of the discussion. Because all-day kindergarten would change where the money goes, if not the amount, it would have to be a part of the budget presentation at the next BOE meeting. “There are more implications than just being budget neutral,” said member Kerrie Flanagan. “This is a big enough deci-
sion that we owe it to the townspeople to have a separate presentation to the public,” said member Bob Fulton. “I don’t want to have a gun put to my head,” said member Jeremy Renninghoff, regarding the budget schedule. BOE chair Tom Hennick introduced the topic by noting that it was part of an ongo-
ing discussion. “We’re approaching this in the right way,” he said. The discussion was not a vote on all-day kindergarten. The BOE meets every Wednesday in March at 7:30 p.m. at Strong School. The first meeting of the month, on March 7, will include a budget presentation.
Web Update This week, we asked our online readers, “What do you think about all-day kindergarten in RSD13?” Here are the results: -Bad idea: 40 % -Good idea: 55 % -Indifferent: 5 % Be sure to vote in our next poll at www.towntimes.com!
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By Mark Dionne Special to the Town Times At the Feb. 22 meeting of the Board of Education, Superintendent Sue Viccaro and board member Merrill Adams discussed their study of the possibility of changing to all-day kindergarten. The conversation took up a large portion of the lengthy meeting, which began with an update from Sen. Ed Meyer and Rep. Matt Lesser. Viccaro, who has consistently endorsed all-day kindergarten at past meetings, said, “For the first time...I think the stars are aligned.” Using retirement and positions eliminated due to demographics, Viccaro predicted, “We would be able to do this and keep it cost neutral.” Board of Ed (BOE) members and administrative team members consistently referred to the changing expectations and the changing curriculum brought on by the new Common Core State Standards as a central reason for the potential switch. “The state’s expectation for kids is that by the end of kindergarten they’ll be reading with good comprehension,” said Adams, who serves on the BOE’s Achievement Committee. “I believe that we need allday kindergarten to give them the foundation that they will need moving forward,” added Viccaro. Nancy Heckler, principal of Brewster Elementary School, said that in a half day “we cannot get the Common Core done.” Director of Curriculum Linda Berry told the BOE, “To delay this...would put the students at a great disadvantage. I’m hoping that the board will support all-day kindergarten.” In addition to meeting state standards, speakers pointed to other benefits of extended time. Adams said that increased opportunity for remediation and earlier interventions were among the “pros” of all-day kindergarten. Heckler said that the extra time would give students
Town Times Opinions
8
Friday, March 2, 2012
Letters to the Editor
Warm Hands are thankful I would like to thank all those who supported DMYFS’s Warm Hands…Warm Hearts Mitten Collection. A total of 70 handmade pairs of mittens (and even a few hats and scarves) were dropped off as part of the collection in January and February. The mittens will all find new hands to warm right here in Durham and Middlefield. It is the closeness and generosity of this community that makes it a very special place to live, work and play, and we are thankful to those who gave their time to knit and crochet so many beautiful mittens for the children we serve. We also appreciate the support of the Durham and Levi E. Coe libraries and the Social Services departments of the towns of Durham and Middlefield who supported the Warm Hands… Warm Hearts Collection in many ways. A big thank you again to all who took the time to knit and crochet or donate supplies. Your generous support for our newest annual collection for the families of Durham and Middlefield was greatly appreciated. Betsy Dean, executive director Durham-Middlefield Youth and Family Services
Just start thinking... I would like to sincerely thank the Coginchaug Valley Education Foundation (CVEF) for the generous financial support issued yearly to spark the development of so many creative and innovative ideas promoting lifelong learning opportunities here in Durham and
Middlefield. We are presently approaching a new CVEF grants cycle, and applications for these funds must be submitted by May 1, 2012. Honestly, I can personally vouch for the fact that you need not fill a wheelbarrow with the paperwork that most grants require. Give your “brilliant idea” some thought and show up for the newly-available CVEF Grant Writing Question and Answer session to be held on Monday, April 2, at the Durham Library from 3 to 5 p.m. and again from 6 to 8 p.m. For an early peak at the paperwork, pick up an application at either of the town libraries or on the website at www.coginchaugvef.com. I understand that Nancy Earls, cvefgrants@gmail.com, is also standing by to field any of your questions. My students here at Coginchaug Regional High School are surrounded by aquariums full of fish and underwater Sea Perch robots plus the unique instructional and research opportunities that have sprouted from these due to former CVEF seed money. It’s almost too good to be true, but, yes, the dedicated members of this organization want to “give money away” to individuals, schools and community organizations in exchange for great ideas that have the potential to make our communities even greater places in which to live. Just start thinking… Lorrie Martin, Oceanography Teacher Coginchaug Regional High School
Why should Middlefield provide an interest free loan? The town of Middlefield has signed a Letter of Intent for the sale of Powder Ridge Ski Area to the operator of the Brownstone Exploration and Discovery Park in Port-
land. The Letter of Intent (LOI) contains the major terms and conditions of the sale. This letter is the basis of a final Contract of Sale that will be presented to the voters of Middlefield for approval. At the recent Board of Selectmen meeting, the terms of this LOI were discussed including the interest free mortgage provided by the town to the purchaser. You may ask: “Why should the town provide an interest free loan?” Well let’s consider some points: We as a town have a vested interested in the success of the proposed skiing enterprise. That success is directly related to the investment that Brownstone will make into the property. When the buyer puts as much of their investment funds into actual construction, jobs and taxable property are created. Tax abatement (relief) was discussed with the buyer but both the town and buyer preferred the interest free mortgage. It is more efficient and less complicated. The buyer stated at the Board of Selectmen meeting that if interest is charged, it will require changes to the terms of the agreement. It is clear that the buyer’s investment equation does not include the payment of interest. Previous deals to sell Powder Ridge also contained the interest free provisions. The last deal was approved by voters 10 to one. Bottom line: The sale of Powder Ridge will return the property to the tax roll. The property taxes along with savings to the town having to maintain the property (and paying taxes to Meriden and Wallingford), will result in an immediate economic benefit to the town. This benefit will be repeated year after year long after the mortgage is paid. We can then comfortably consider the jobs, the skiing, the fun and the satisfaction of having such a great asset in our very own town. Edward P. Bailey Selectman, Town of Middlefield
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Examine the Powder Ridge deal Recent Board of Selectmen meetings concerned the rise and fall and then rise again of Powder Ridge deals. Although the selectmen worked dedicatedly to come up with opportunities for Powder Ridge, it’s time to slow down and consider the present new deal. Here are our observations. More citizen participation is needed. The selectmen were urged to hold town meetings, review potential bidders through local boards, such as the P&Z and EDC, and seek an appraisal from an experienced real estate agent. Why haven’t these suggestions been met? Perhaps the EDC will ask different questions of a bidder. Perhaps a marketing analysis would provide a clearer vision of the potential of the “five parcels of land in the towns of Middlefield, Meriden and Wallingford.” We are talking about 233 acres of land! Perhaps Middlefield taxpayers will modify their vote to include other businesses, but they should have a say. Perhaps the front lot should remain a lovely pasture. During the years of payment for purchase, the successful bidder should pay interest on the unpaid balance. In the letter of intent, Middlefield will allow the buyer to pay $1 million over eight
years. As selectman David Burgess stated on Feb. 15, “If someone buys my house and has to prolong the payments over several years, I would expect receipt of interest during that time.” If a person borrows money on credit to make a purchase, they should expect to pay interest. If the seller is the town instead of a bank, why shouldn’t the town collect interest? Middlefield taxpayers should make more money in this deal. The town, not the buyer, should own “between 20 and 40 acres” with frontage on Powder Hill Road “for use as an interior lot.” The quotations are from the letter of intent signed on Feb. 15, but the proposed plan is to give this land to Brownstone as separate from the ski area. In one former deal, that gem of a lot was exempt from negotiations and was to have a conservation easement placed on it. The town should own that lot and, if there is a sale, the money should go toward the more than $5 million of total town debt. There will be a public hearing on March 6, and we all should examine the Power Ridge deal. Middlefielders want a snow playground, and Brownstone Exploration and Discovery Park has fresh perspectives on how to make Powder Ridge viable. But the financial details should benefit taxpayers. We don’t need a deal at any cost. Alma and Bob Elder, Middlefield
Friday, March 2, 2012
Town Times Columns
Getting healthy with the “Go You” walking program also reduces the risk of You may be wondering why you are seeing Laurie Sinder, principal diabetes, lowers stress so many bright orange Korn Elementary School levels, relieves arthritis, helps prevent osteoGO YOU pedometers porosis, boosts energy on Regional School Dislevels and improves trict 13 staff and town memory. employees in both Walking is easy to do Durham and Middlefield. For the next 10 weeks, Cigna In- (doesn’t require any special skill or surance is promoting “GO YOU,” a practice), requires no equipment (exwalking program funded through a cept a comfortable pair of shoes) and, wellness grant. Over 250 employees like many other activities, it is alsigned up and each building was re- ways more fun with friends. Some of sponsible for creating randomly se- the suggestions to help promote addilected teams consisting of six partici- tional steps each day include: take pants. Each member of the team the stairs instead of the elevator, wears a pedometer every day to track park your car in the farthest spot, their steps and then record the num- walk after meals when possible and ber of steps on a daily log sheet. At walk with a friend. Did you know that an eight-year the end of the 10 weeks, the team with the highest total of steps will be study of 13,000 people found that awarded a prize. The primary goal of those who walked 30 minutes a day the program is to increase fitness, had a significantly lower risk of prebut an additional benefit is the team mature death than those who rarely camaraderie as members encourage exercised. Experts recommend that each other to wear their pedometer to get the greatest benefit from walking, you should walk for at least 30 and increase their steps every day. Numerous studies have been done minutes five times a week. Your on walking and they confirmed the walking speed is also important and many powerful benefits of walking you should be able to maintain a conwhich include: helps control weight versation while walking briskly. “GO YOU” participants were also and successfully manage it, helps control blood pressure, decreases the given a chart which converts other risk of a heart attack, boosts the lev- exercise activities to steps per els of HDL (good cholesterol) and re- minute. If you are at the gym and you duces the levels of LDL (bad choles- use the elliptical trainer, each terol), decreases the risk of stroke, re- minute is 203 steps, using the stair duces the risk of breast cancer and helps promote longevity. Walking See “Go You”, page 21
A View from District 13
I had a dream... nests. The Great I was gifted with a dream. The Susan K. Heuberger, Middlefield Creator then giftregistered nurse, Reiki master, ed the birds with dream began with energy researcher the seeds of trees some trees taking which they cultime on a journey, exvated with care, plaining about the and the great storms of 2011, esforests of the pecially the October snow storm. Many trees were Earth were created. The great winds wounded or sacrificed. Why did we of the earth were created by the birds have such a storm? The storm was not flapping their wings at the trees. The only a cleansing for humankind but it bird population at the time was milwas a mirror reflecting to us the dam- lions and millions more than now. To age we have caused to the environ- this day, birds continue to create their own gardens. The birds and all animent. I was shown that the story began mals have wisdom that we usually are millions of years ago when, collective- not aware of. Since birds can fly, they ly, the dinosaurs asked the Great Cre- are able to access many different ator, of all that is, to change their bod- plants for their nourishment and healies from heaviness to light — flying ing. Other animals learned of the safe life forms called birds. Their wish was and healing plants by watching the granted and they kept their traditions birds eat, and humankind learned the of migration, living in flocks and lay- same by watching the animals. Now, millions of years later, we are ing of eggs into nests. However, since they were now flying and smaller, they needed safe places to make their See Dream, page 21
Guest Column
9
Environmental issues abound inent domain to proThe Durham Exmote such a construcchange Club hosted a tion retreat. A very difdelightful winter ferent bill seeks to spaghetti dinner last “harden” the shoreline week, complete with by permitting, without high quality music regulatory intervenfrom the district’s tion, the use of more school bands. This is and larger seawalls to an annual event that block water invasion should not be missed. during harsh storms Much of my legislaand hurricanes. The tive responsibilities, Environment Commitat the beginning of a tee is wrestling with legislative session, focus on bills intro- State Senator Ed Meyer those alternatives and will seek a reasonable duced by the Environcompromise. ment Committee of Other environmenwhich I am Senate tal legislation involves chair. Perhaps the tree trimming proposmost controversial bills this year relate to the effect of als, realizing that the falling of trees weather on our shoreline. Tropical during weather emergencies has Storm Irene did extreme damage to been a major cause of power outthe coastline of East Haven, Bran- ages. One creative proposal puts ford, Guilford and Madison. Some homeowner insurance companies environmental organizations like in charge of tree trimming. These the Nature Conservancy have intro- insurance carriers would coordiduced initiatives to encourage con- nate with town tree wardens to esstruction farther back from the tablish a tree trimming project for shoreline, and indeed one bill im- each town, and the insurance complies that the state or local communities might exercise a power of emSee Environment, page 20
From The State Capitol
Hang in there — and come to the Powder Ridge public hearing
and a source of great It’s not that often that pride…not to mention towns (or people) get a jobs. So, we bought PR chance to orchestrate in order to have a say in their future in a meanits destiny. We did not ingful way. The citizens buy it to just sit on it of Middlefield and Rockwaiting for Mr. Perfect. fall did such and took In the next few possession of a dream months this town will on Dec. 30, 2008, when have an opportunity to Powder Ridge Ski Area get out of the way and let (PR), through a number private enterprise do its of ups and downs, bething. Holding on for came ours. The ownerthree years has been a ship took place following a lengthy, painful Jon Brayshaw, Middlefield drain in many ways. “Get it done” “I’m sick foreclosure process. Enof reading about it” trepreneurs argue that “Turn the page” has we (government) should been the resounding cry not be involved in the of all but a handful. private sector. Instead it Those holdouts must should get out of the like higher taxes, not way so private enterprise can do its thing. However, even have kids, don’t like hot chocolate or though I am a certified member of a don’t have teens looking for jobs. Let free market society, in my opinion, to me remind those new to the subject lose PR would not have been in the that in light of PR and its potential town’s best interest…now or in the fu- use, there is no question that we are the recipient of something very speture. If you recall, our town planner cal- cial. Now it is up to us to pass on the culated that 70+ single family homes keys. On Feb. 15, the Board of Selectcould be constructed legally on the PR men conducted a meeting wherein our site. Overnight, the character of the town attorney presented to the board town would have changed and we See Brayshaw, page 21 would have lost a piece of our identity
From the desk of the First Selectman
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Friday, March 2, 2012
Town Times
Dur BOS
Preschool screening Regional School District 13 has scheduled a play-based screening for children ages three and four. The screening allows parents the opportunity to have their child observed by district professionals in an informal, fun setting to ensure their child’s development is progressing at an age-appropriate level. Participation is also a pre-requisite for a child to be considered as a role model for the preschool program. The screenings are scheduled for Friday, March 9, at 9 and 11 a.m. at Brewster Elementary School. All district fouryear-olds and children turning three by March 9 are welcome. Parental permission and involvement is required. Children will be separate from parents during the screening. After completing a questionnaire, parents will have the opportunity to discuss questions and concerns about their children with the school psychologist during the screenings. For more information, contact Crystal at 860-349-7208.
Oil demo On March 8, from 7 to 9 p.m., there will be an Art Guild of Middletown program featuring guest artist David Lussier, a plein air painter whose landscapes of sparkling autumn hillsides, muted spring days of melting snow or fishing boats under a hazy summer sky convey his passion for New England and for fine art. He has won numerous awards and accolades for his work as a fine artist. Lussier will do an oil demo at Middlefield Federated Church, 390 Main Street in Middlefield. Refreshments served; donation appreciated for non-Art Guild members. For more info, please call 860-358-9212.
(Continued from page 1) With this ordinance, The Right to Farm is recognized to exit within the town of Durham, and, therefore, “no present or future agricultural operation conducted or maintained in a manner consistent with accepted agricultural practices...shall become or be considered a nuisance solely because such activity resulted or results in any changed condition of the use of adjacent land.” The ordinance also states that nothing contained within it shall restrict the powers of the town’s Inland Wetlands Commission, Planning and Zoning Commission and Building or Health Departments under Connecticut General Statutes.
Once the ordinance has been publicized for 15 days, it will become effective. A public hearing on the proposed ordinance is set for Monday, March 26, at 8 p.m. The board also heard from Registrars of Voters Pam Lucashu and Karen Cheyney who were seeking the selectmen’s approval for Korn School to be the one and only polling place for municipal election events, despite the town being divided by the redistricting and talk of a need for multiple polling places. “It’s a little complicated putting three districts in one polling place,” said Democratic Registrar Karen Cheyney, “but we went over different scenarios and we think we can do it... Being able to combine the districts into one polling place makes running elections so much cheaper.” Cheyney and Lucashu explained that with the board’s
Framing workshop Learn proper framing and matting for your artwork on March 10 from 9 a.m. to noon at the 390 Main Street Middlefield classroom. This program is free to Middletown Art Guild members. Materials are not included, but bring up to two pieces of art and any framing material you intend to use. Call 860-358-9212 to sign up or for fee information to non-members.
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approval, voters’ experiences during municipal election events will be much more simple as everyone will proceed to the same location and from there will be directed where to go within the building. The selectmen are putting off their decision on the request until the next regular meeting as Selectman John Szewczyk was not in attendance. The selectmen approved two requests for road use, one for the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure Bicycle Run on June 10 and the other for Dorothy’s Ride Motorcycle Ride on July 15. Francis reported that a request to change the Maiden Lane speed limit to 25 mph went to the state Traffic Commission in February and was approved. The necessary signage will be put up and the change will be publicized before it takes place. Under old/new business, First Selectman Laura Francis said she will attend a preconstruction meeting with DEEP for the White’s Farm project on Feb. 29. Also attending are Brian Curtis, Bill Milardo, Warren Herzig and Bob Melvin. Francis said she is hoping to learn at this meeting what permitting is needed to complete the rechannelization of Allyn Brook. It was also reported that MAT will no longer administer the Dial-A-Ride Senior Bus program as of June 30. Officials from the towns of Durham and Middlefield will meet to determine the next step. Bill Smith was appointed to the Clean Energy Task Force.
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Town Times
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Town Times
Friday, March 2, 2012
Design an Ad 2012 The Town Times wishes to thank all our local ad designers who participated in our 2012 Design an Ad promotion. We wish to acknowledge all our designers and participating businesses below. Four designers were selected to receive a Savings Bond for their efforts.
1st Place................Devin Geoghegan .......... Glazer Dental 2nd Place...............Erica Fontanella.............Durham Kitchen 3rd Place (Tie) ..... David Holahan................Lyman Orchards 3rd Place (Tie) ..... Gage Rovelli ................... Durham Dental Student Business Kayla Nophsker..........................Carolyn Adams Country Barn Cameron Neville.........................Core Club Andrew Nizen.............................Dean Auto Works Madison Nophsker.....................Durham Family Eye Care Jordan Sinclair...........................Durham Market Duncan Bates.............................Durham Pharmacy Rachel Testa ............................... Lino’s Market Justin Patenaude ....................... Midstate Tractor Angelina Laudano......................Miss Joanne’s Learning Center 1236230
Enjoy their designs!
Friday, March 2, 2012
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Town Times
Gage Rovelli, Grade 2 Brewster Elementary School
Duncan Bates, Grade 5 Memorial Middle School
Jordan Sinclair, Grade 4 Korn Elementary School
Cameron Neville, Grade 3 Korn Elementary School
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Town Times
Devin Geoghegan, Grade 4 Korn Elementary School
David Holahan, Grade 3 Lyman Elementary School
Friday, March 2, 2012
Madison Nophsker, Grade 3 Lyman Elementary School
Justin Patenaude, Grade 2 Brewster Elementary School
Friday, March 2, 2012
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Town Times
Angelina Laudano, Grade 4 Lyman Elementary School
Erica Fontanella, Grade 6 Memorial Middle School
Rachel Testa, Grade 5 Memorial Middle School
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Town Times
Friday, March 2, 2012
IDS students experience the thrill of “LocoMotion”
Kayla Nophsker, Grade 1 Lyman Elementary School
Oohs! Ahhs! Laughter and clapping echoed throughout the gymnasium at the Independent Day School in Middlefield as students experienced the thrill of “LocoMotion.” By combining science, theater, music and dance, Adam Battelstein and Rebecca Moore taught threeyear-olds to eighth graders about friction, balance, stability and Newton’s principles of momentum and inertia. The children were mesmerized as they learned about the inner ear and gyroscopes and watched Battelstein and Moore do a dance while balancing on a Segway. It was definitely a performance and learning experience the IDS community will not soon forget. Adam Battelstein is a master teaching artist for the state of Connecticut and has been involved in educational outreach around the United States for many years. Submitted by JoAnn Rider
Andrew Nizen, Grade 5 Memorial Middle School
Schools in Town Times
Friday, March 2, 2012
Strong School Reads
17
Education is ‘electrifying’ for these students
Fourth graders at Korn began their study of electricity by having Mr. Czarnecki of CL&P facilitate safety workshops.
At this year’s Strong School Reads, a PTO-sponsored event held Feb. 7, approximately 50 students, parents, teachers and community leaders attended the 60minute discussion of Neal Shusterman’s Unwind. There was a raffle for gift certificates to Carmine’s Pizza and Perk on Main. At right, the students who won are (l-r): Mirah Watson (eighth grade, Carmine’s); Sadie Leiler (eighth grade, Perk on Main); Brooke Troutman (eighth grade, Perk on Main); and Reagan Olmsted (not pictured; eighth grade, Carmine’s).
Mr. Czarnecki discussed the following: what can happen in an electrical accident, electrical safety at home/school and indoor/outdoor safety. Fourth graders had an electrifying start to the school Submitted by Eileen Chupron week.
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Schools in Town Times
Friday, March 2, 2012
Brewster GoFar achievers Brewster School’s first and second graders were awarded medals and certificates for their participation in the GoFar program. Students ran a total of five miles. Left: Taylor Milardo, Rachel Kosienski and Jenny King are pictured holding their medals.
Above: Janine Kozik and Becky Kalinowski, members of the BKPTA and coordinators of the Go Far program at Brewster, are pictured handing out medals to students during lunchtime. Left: Jenna Ulizio, Kelly Viski and Piper Forbush hold their certificates. Submitted by Patti Checko
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Town Briefs
Friday, March 2, 2012
19
Middlefield Government Calendar
Durham Government Calendar
(Unless otherwise indicated, all meetings are held in the Community Center.) Monday, March 5 7 p.m. — Board of Selectmen Tuesday, March 6 7 p.m. — Public Hearing on Powder Ridge proposal Wednesday, March 7 7:30 p.m. — Board of Ed at Strong School
(Unless otherwise indicated, all meetings are held in the Durham Library. Check the town website at www.townofdurhamct.org for updates.) Monday, March 5 6:15 p.m. — Board of Finance at Town Hall 7 p.m. — Historic District Commission 7 p.m. — Fire Department Trustees at Durham Volunteer Fire Department Tuesday, March 6 7 p.m. — Compensation Review/Personnel Policy Board at Town Hall 7:30 p.m. Midstate Regional Planning Agency at 100 DeKoven Drive, Middletown Wednesday, March 7 6:15 p.m. — Board of Finance at Town Hall 7:30 — Planning and Zoning 7:30 p.m. — Board of Education at Strong School Thursday, March 8 7 p.m. — Board of Assessment Appeals, 2nd floor of Town Hall 7:30 p.m. — Zoning Board of Appeals at Town Hall
New districts for Durham
After system testing and a few adjustments, the Town Hall generator has the ability to run all of the essential town departments, data center and building mechanical systems for successful operation of an Emergency Operations Center located at Town Hall. The following is from Francis Willett, director of emergency management: I am very pleased with the outcome. First I need to thank Richard McManus, our build-
Secondly, I wish to thank our Durham Electrical Contractors, A&S Electrical Services and Planeta Electric, who worked seamlessly on the install. Also the cutover and reconfiguration of the generator was performed by Atlantic Detroit Diesel. All of these people made this project go so smoothly. Lastly, the town of Durham and the Department of Emergency Management wish to extend a big thank you to the Durham Fair Association for the generous use of space at the Fairgrounds Medical
Building for our EOC for the last 11 years. We appreciate the continued partnership we share with the hundreds of dedicated volunteers and the use of the medical building these past years. The recent storms forced us to evaluate improvements to our emergency manage-
ment plans, Emergency Operations Center and the need for the town government services to be able to operate regardless if we have power. I am looking forward to our team completing the remaining items in the EOC in the coming weeks.
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Durham has both good news and bad news in the recent statewide redistricting. The redrawing of state assembly and senate districts announcement on Dec. 1, 2011, has drastically changed Durham’s state legislative representation. The good news is that Durham has been combined into Congressional District 3, currently represented by Rosa De Lauro. The bad news is that Durham has been split into two separate state senate districts and two separate state assembly districts. The Coginchaug River serves as a divider for the northern portion of the assembly districts, while Route 17 serves as a southern divider for much of the senate districts, leaving some odd shaped overlapping segments. Durham is now split into Assembly District 86, mostly left of the Coginchaug River, currently represented by Vin Candelora and Assembly District 101, mostly right of the Coginchaug River, currently represented by Noreen Kokoruda. Residents west of Route 17 now are in Senate District 34, represented by Len Fasano, while those east of Route 17 are the only residents left with the same state district, currently represented by Ed Meyer. Your current representatives will serve until January 2013. Maps of the new districts may be seen on the CT General Assembly website at www.cga.ct.gov/red2011. Redistricting information for voters will be available no later than March 26, 2012, from the Secretary of State’s website at www.sots.ct.gov, “Elections and Voting”, “Where do I vote?” Another map is currently available on the bulletin board at the Durham Public Library. It is anticipated that Durham will be able to keep Korn School as the single polling place for all voters in all districts.
Town Hall/EOC emergency generator is online
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Town Times Columns Continued
20
children of grades kindergarten through eight, the recycling or disposal of phar(Continued from page 9) maceutical waste and the decontamination of the unpany would advance the derground storage tanks lofunds to pay for the projects. cated at our gas stations. The cost would be passed on With respect to pesticides, to the homeowner insur- the case has been made that ance policyholders. they are highly toxic to Other environmental young children, and we are bills of interest include an encouraging our elemeneffort (which I oppose) to re- tary and middle schools to peal the pesticide ban on the go organic on their school school grounds of younger grounds.
Environment
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Biggest Loser update many camping food faBiggest Loser Pro ChalCheryl Salva, Core Club vorites, it was a little disaplenge at Core Club & Gym pointing to have reached a is in its last weeks. Team plateau. I have to keep in Buff and Blue Strong Team mind that I am getting all agree that the new way of eating healthy and consistent exercising healthier and stronger every week!” Lino is having great success with this prois paying off for them and their families. Team Buff, as a team, lost another 15.1 lbs (61 gram: “Down 15 lbs and pants now fit! I am percent body fat) with Blue Strong Team los- excited about the healthy meal plan.” Health Tip: ing 10.3 lbs (38 percent). Healthy Mouth — Health Body! Our Pedometer Challenge winners are You already know that in order to avoid Pam with 185,132 steps and Tina with 143,468 steps. The winners of the Pedometer Chal- cavities and more serious dental problems, lenge will receive one free week at Core you have to take good care of your teeth. But consistent brushing and flossing habits do Gym. Anne has this to say thus far about her ex- more than just protect your oral health, they perience with the Biggest Loser Pro Chal- also help keep a host of other serious condilenge: “I love my trainer, Sheila, who has tions at bay. Heart disease and stroke, for inhelped me through a two-week plateau with stance, have both been linked to poor dental words of encouragement and support. After hygiene. Keep your smile and take care of camping this weekend and passing up on your teeth!
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Friday, March 2, 2012
Dream
(from page 9)
Construct as little asphalt as possible. We are making great strides in decreasing our use of plastic bags, but we still need to put pressure on grocery stores, department stores and restaurants to have available environmentally-friendly packaging even if it costs more. Plastic is disrupting our endocrine and immune systems as well as the entire biosphere we call Earth. And that is no way to live in harmony.
Brayshaw (Continued from page 9) a “Letter of Intent” (LOI) initiated by Sean Hayes (Brownstone Exploration & Discovery Park LLC) of Portland. The LOI took its cues from the signed agreement we had with Alpine (Dennis Abplanalp) last fall. That Alpine Agreement met with a 10-1 voter approval. The LOI followed a 90day “exclusive” dealing period with another suitor (Rick Sabatino). At the selectmen’s meeting, the LOI was at a point where it was sufficiently clear (not perfect) and detailed that it could now go public.
The LOI was reviewed and garnered sufficient support to then be voted on by the Board of Selectmen. It must be noted that the four page LOI is not and was never intended to be the final sales agreement on which the closing and sale will be based. Following the vote to accept the LOI, a check for $25,000 was received and a date set (March 6, 2012) for what would be the first of two public hearings. The second will take place before we vote to sell PR, which hopefully will be within 90 days. The LOI having been formed was an economical place to start (meaning little legal cost) while containing sufficient detail for understanding the deal. Copies of the LOI are available in hard copy at the clerk’s office, town website, Town Times and other media outlets. Following the public hearing, it is the administration’s intentions to follow up on such items needed to move forward toward a sale to Brownstone. Things are starting to line up. Why not embrace the concept of restoring this most valued “non-performing asset?” Please do plan to attend one or both of the
hearings to have your questions answered and to see what Brownstone has planned. In closing, as always, I am available to answer any question you may have. And finally, finally, I can perhaps look forward to not writing about Powder Ridge ever again until opening day several winters from now when I see our grandchildren, with drippy noses, become a new generation of skiers on Powder Ridge for the next 50 years. Hang in.
“Go You”(from page 9) climbing machine is 260 steps and a stationary bike is the equivalent of 203 steps per minute. For the past several years, students at the elementary level have participated in the “Go Far” running/walking program which is held during recess. Students have a designated course and tally their laps until they earn the equivalent of a marathon. Many students run whenever the program is available and actually run the equivalent
of multiple marathons throughout the school year. As spring is rapidly approaching, this would be a great time for families to develop their own “Go You” program. The cost of a pedometer is inexpensive and families can set a goal for the number of steps they would like to achieve as a family. Not only is it a great way for the whole family to exercise together, it is also a practical way to use math skills as you add up your steps.
To quote Thomas Jefferson, “Of all exercises walking is the best”. So if you are in one of the schools or town offices and see an orange GO YOU pedometer, be sure to ask, “How many steps have you taken today?” I am sure any of the 250 participants will quickly let you know how they are doing.
Something going on? Send your info to news@towntimes.com
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not connected to nature as we once were. Our lifestyle is not as in-tune with the seasons and the sun and moon cycles. We live artificially, a somewhat robotic life, focused on clocks, deadlines and repetitive actions. We have harmed the environment and ourselves by using poisonous manufacturing, lawn and garden chemicals. These chemicals are deadly to the trees, and as the trees die and fall to the ground, dead wood builds up which can spread disease to healthy trees. We have forgotten our brothers and sisters in the plant and animal kingdoms. Now is the time to honor them, to thank them for all that they do; without them we couldn’t survive. Now the dream continued and I saw a bright future for humankind — of cars which basically flew above the ground powered by magnets of metal and solar energy from living plant cells. The asphalt roads were gone, changed into grassy lanes. The houses were different construction of various geometric shapes which were much more energy efficient. And the forests were restored to health. We are now having a series of earthquakes and storms throughout the world to release pent-up energy so that we will not have a world-wide disaster in 2012. The pent-up energy is coming from several sources, cosmic rays from the sun, photons from the photon belt, global warming and fear energy from humankind. This fear energy can be measured by the Global Coherence Study being conducted by the Institute of Heart Math (Heart Math.com). Have we all noticed that we basically have not had snow this winter and we probably will not have any? Why? This is not a coincidence. We, as a collective consciousness, have put out the thoughts and prayers into the universe that we don’t wish to have any snow this winter. We have manifested that wish since the power of our thoughts is so great. To live in harmony with nature, there are things we can do. For those who need a perfect lawn, there are now organic lawn care companies.
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Town Times
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Friday, March 2, 2012
Town Times
Powder Ridge (Continued from page 1) turn of a $25,000 deposit on a sales contract with the town for purchase of the 246-acre Powder Ridge ski area property. The contract specified a closing by Aug. 1, 2011. According to Alpine Ridge attorney John Corona, the town was not ready to close at that point and unilaterally pushed forward the closing date. In November 2011, Alpine Ridge principal Dennis Abplanalp withdrew the offer to purchase. Shortly thereafter, Rick Sabatino, who had been a part of the Alpine Ridge LLC
team, informed Middlefield First Selectman Jon Brayshaw of his continuing interest in the property, and Brayshaw and the Board of Selectmen set a date of Jan. 31, 2012 for a proposal from Sabatino. Meanwhile, Sean Hayes, of Brownstone Exploration and Discovery Park, approached Brayshaw with his interest in the property. Toward the end of January, Brayshaw sent Sabatino an e-mail that said, in part: “Since the town does not have any proposal or deposit from you, we have recently been starting to shift gears and have been turning our attention to the ‘next in line’ developer.” On Jan. 31,
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Sabatino withdrew from the process, citing his feeling that Brayshaw preferred other potential buyers. When Ablanalp asked for the return of his deposit because the closing was not scheduled by Aug. 1, 2011, Brayshaw sent a list of expenses that the town had incurred relative to the sale of the property to Alpine Ridge and offered to return $5,000. That offer was refused and the suit was filed last week. According to Brayshaw, the insurance company and the town attorney have been notified. He refused further comment. State grant lives on In a related development, a $500,000 grant from the state Department of Economic and Community Development has been officially approved for use up until Dec. 31, 2014. This will allow the
town to make infrastructure improvements to the property that will enhance its ability to support a successful business. This ends the uncertainty concerning when this grant must be used by. It had originally been approved in December of 2010, and its expiration had been unclear until Brayshaw received a letter this week.
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special series will help them and how their weight has affected their daily lives. For more information, visit the Better Connecticut website: www.wfsb.com. To learn more about the Living Lean program visit: www.robnevinslivinglean.com. Submitted by Jennifer Grady
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mainly due to his son who is the fire chief. Chadd joined the Middletown Elks, BPOE 771 in 1980. Bob has remained an active member since he joined and is presently an officer of the Lodge. He was instrumental in starting the Cruise nights at the lodge which remain popular through today. Chadd has three grandchildren and enjoys his parttime jobs driving for Roberts Dodge and St. Luke’s Eldercare. He also enjoys driving and maintaining his 1957 Chevrolet which he restored starting in 1988 and finally finishing in 1992. In his spare time, he enjoys buying and selling antiques, bird watching and trips to the Casino. Submitted by Gerry Daley
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December 10, 1972— March 3, 2002 The years have passed. The days are gone. Some are short, but most are long. With memories still that fill my heart Even though we’ve been apart. But in my soul, I feel your love And know you’re with me from above To dry my tears and comfort me To tell me that one day I’ll see My lovely angel, wings spread wide To take me close and near your side Keep dancing with the angels, Joey. Mommy loves you. Donna Joslyn, Durham
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Friday, March 2, 2012
Richard D. Kennedy
DPL Book Talk: Favorite book or movie? Let us know by writing a message on our Facebook page or fill out one of our Patron Picks forms when you’re at the library! Next week, we’ll list all your favorites on our book blog, DPL Book Talk: Participate in the library’s new blog about all things book! Just follow the link from the library website Teen Blog: Get the latest on new books, graphic novels, programs and more! www.durhamteen.blogspot.c om FAMILY PROGRAMS PARANORMAL PHENOMENA: On Saturday, March 3, at 2 p.m., Connecticut Ghost Hunters will be your guide in exploring this fascinating subject. Paranormal is defined as experiences that lie outside “the range of normal experience or scientific explanation.” Are people really experiencing encounters with shadow people in increasing numbers? Or have these entities always been around? You’d have a hard time convincing the people who experience paranormal phenomena that what they saw and felt — and what terrified them—- wasn’t real. KOREAN CULTURAL ARTS: Back by popular de-
mand, the Durham Library will present a Korean Cultural Arts program on Saturday, March 10, at 11 a.m. An introduction to Korea’s rich history and culture, the event features films, presenters in native costume, a traditional wedding ceremony and a sampling of Korean cuisine. Informative and fun for the entire family, age 5 and up. Registration is required; please call 860 349-9544 YOUNG ADULT PROGRAMS Teen Cuisine — Irish Food: On Wednesday, March 7, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., youth ages 12-18 are invited to learn cooking safety and skills while cooking a traditional Irish meal. ADULT BOOK DISCUSSIONS Book Lover’s Circle: Wednesday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m., Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood; copies are available at the library
Levi E. Coe Library The library will be closed on the following dates for staff training on a new circulation system: Monday, March 26, and Tuesday, March 27. Call the library at 860.349.3857 or visit www.leviecoe.com. Quilt How-to Program (Registration Preferred) —
Saturday, March 24, 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. Mary Lachman, president of the Heritage Quilters of Wallingford, will introduce you to the art of quilting. Artist Carol Eaton, of the Connecticut Fiber Arts Collective, will also be joining Mary Lachman for this morning’s event! Carol Eaton will be available to answer questions on dyeing fabric and will bring some handdyed cottons and silks that will be available for sale. Additionally, for those who are interested, there will be 100 percent cotton fabric samples for sale. Levi E. Coe Library Annual Spring Clean-Up — Saturday, April 14, 9 a.m. to noon (Rain Date: April 21). Do you like to garden and work outside? Do you have a “green” thumb or even a “brown thumb” and just want to help us spruce up our outside landscape? All are welcome to help out in getting the Levi E. Coe Library ready for the spring, summer and fall! Please feel free to bring your gardening tools, such as wheelbarrows, rakes and shovels. We’re excited to start the growing season off right with a fun morning for all at the library! Spring Gardening Program: “Elements of Garden Design” (Registration Preferred) —Wednesday, April 18, 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. Levi
E. Coe Library presents a Spring Gardening Program: “Elements of Garden Design” presented by Becca Golnick, owner of Rooted Design, LLC. Becca Golnick will speak on gardening, landscaping and floral designs. Join us for a wonderful evening with a gardening and landscaping design professional. Bring your ideas and questions to this great program, as spring is here and summer is just around the corner! Children’s April Vacation Programs Registration Required for the following programs: Monday, April 16: Spring Tea: 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 17: It’s a Hoot Felt Owls (ages 9 & up): 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 18: Audubon Story Time: 10:30 a.m. Thursday, April 19: Star Wars Snow Globe: 10:30 a.m.
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Richard D. Kennedy, 62, of Middlefield, CT, beloved husband of Elisabeth (Field) Kennedy, passed away peacefully on February 26, 2012 with his cherished children at his side. Born in Pittsfield, MA, he was the son of Sammy and Emma (Manzi) Kennedy. Richard was a proud member of the Middlefield Federated Church where he served as deacon, Sunday School teacher, mentor and friend. Richard was an avid sports fan, lover of music and walks on the beach, and especially loved playing card and board games. Above all else, Richard was a family man. Along with his wife, he is survived by his beloved mother; brothers Tymothy, twin Reginald, Marvin and Mark; his cherished children Brian, Trina and Sara; and his treasured grandchildren Brianna, Jade, Jazlyn and Mason. Richard was deeply loved and respected by his in-laws and will be greatly missed by many nieces, nephews and cousins throughout the United States. A service of celebration and memory will be held on Saturday, March 3, 2012 at 11 a.m. at the Middlefield Federated Church, 402 Main Street in Middlefield. In lieu of flowers, friends may make donations to the Middlefield Federated Church Scholarship Fund. To share memories or express condolences online, please visit ww.biegafuneralhome.com.
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Town Times Sports
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Friday, March 2, 2012
Boys win out against Valley and Rams, start strong in tournament By Alan Pease Special to the Town Times Valley The Coginchaug boys had a good week. They started by hosting Valley Regional on Feb. 20. Valley is one of the top four teams in the conference, and Coginchaug sent them home with a solid, workman-like 69-58 defeat. The Devils either won or tied every quarter, taking leads of 16-9 after one, 32-25 at the half, 52-42 after three periods and finishing with the 69-58 victory. This was a very good win for the boys and assured them of two home games in the Shoreline tournament. Both Erikson Wasyl and Ethan Donecker had some spectacular plays in this game, with Erikson scoring late in the first period on an in-the-air catch and lay-in
from the right after a steal and feed from Brock Hoyt, and again in the third period on a hard-charging lay-in from the right. Donecker finished the game with a couple of thunderous blocks on jump shots, where both times he elevated and swatted the ball away with authority to the screaming delight of the Coginchaug fans. I had Donecker down for 16 points, along with eight assists and three blocks, both of which topped the team. He also had six rebounds and a steal. Wasyl led the team in scoring with 25 points, also adding five rebounds and three assists. I had Hoyt for 16 points and 10 rebounds for the double-double. The 10 rebounds led the team. Hoyt also had 2two assists, two steals and a block. Alec Corazzini had three each of points, rebounds and steals,
and also assisted once. Jake Tietlebaum had five points, three assists and a steal. Off the bench, Sam Baker had four points, two rebounds and an assist, and Kevin Gawron had a rebound. Old Saybrook On Feb. 22, the boys traveled to the Rams of Old Saybrook, which happened, in this case, to be a non-conference game, being the second game with an out-of-division opponent. Old Saybrook is always tough in their own building, and with the additional emotion of senior night for the Rams, they did not make it easy for Coginchaug. It was very nice to see the Old Saybrook coach recognize the Coginchaug seniors before the Rams had their own recognition — it took a while, there being so many
senior Devils, but it was a class gesture. The game see-sawed a bit in the first period, but with Donecker scoring eight and Wasyl six, the Devils surged to a 18-14 lead. After fairly strong offensive production in the first, the second period was pretty anemic, as each team managed only six points, Tietlebaum getting three of those for Coginchaug. About mid-way through the third period, the Rams put up an 8-0 run, briefly taking a lead of 30-28, but a Wasyl three put the Devils on top for good, and Coginchaug finished with an 11-0 run including the Wasyl three to enter the final period with a 39-30 advantage. In the final period, the Devils managed to keep the lead in the low double digits until the final minute, when Old
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Saybrook hit on both a two and a three to get to the final nine-point margin, with Coginchaug getting the 52-43 victory. Donecker was a monster for the Devils, scoring 21 points, grabbing seven rebounds and three steals, and also contributing two assists and a block. Hoyt had 14 points, and led the team on the boards with eight rebounds. He also blocked a shot. Wasyl, despite playing only 18 minutes with foul issues, almost all of the fouls being away from the ball from a guy who does not foul much, still managed nine points and three rebounds. Tietlebaum led the team in assists with four, adding three points, two rebounds and a steal. Corazzini had three points, two rebounds and two steals. Off the bench, Baker had three steals, two rebounds and an assist, Luke Bogdanski had two points, and Gawron had a rebound. While this game had no impact on the Shoreline tournament picture, it did get the Devils the sixth seed in the state class S tournament and assured them of a first round bye. Tournament Time — Hyde On Saturday, Feb. 25, the boys hosted the Howling Wolves of Hyde in the first round of the Shoreline tournament. Having a previous obligation to go to the UConn – Syracuse game up in Storrs with my son Dan, I didn’t get to see this one, so no detailed descriptions or stats are available. The UConn game was definitely worth seeing, even if the result was ultimately a disappointment. Dan is actually the reason why I started writing these stories. I started keeping stats for Coach Salva when Dan was a junior back in the 03-04 season, and I added doing these stories for the 04-05 season, during Dan’s senior year, the year of the thousand-point man Dave DeSanti, twin towers Jim Veronick and Dan Pease, plus Joe Bongiorno (Mike’s older brother) and Ryan Cove. And I’ve been doing it ever since — there must See Boys, next page
Town Times Sports
Friday, March 2, 2012
25
Durham Demons win last game of 2011-12 season By Melissa Marteka Special to the Town Times The Durham Demons’ final game of the 2011-12 season against Valley Regional began the way many of them started— with a sluggish team coming out of the gate. But by the time the game ended — a 38-29 win — like all the games this year, no one could ever question the heart and determination of this team of seventh graders. “They never gave up all year, no matter how far down they were,” Coach Mike Grenier said. “It was a good way to finish. We drew a really tough schedule, and I felt like
Boys (Continued from page 24)
we competed at a high level. We faced strong teams all season long and they never packed it in and they never gave up.” And Sunday was another example of that as the Demons fell behind Valley Regional by as many as six points in the second quarter — 17-11 — despite a strong effort by Ryan Vynalek (13 points) who scored seven of the team’s first 11 points. The comeback started in the waning minutes of the second quarter as Sam Marteka (eight points) hit a shot from the corner to cut it to 17-13 and Adam Doolittle made one of two free throws to cut Valley’s lead in half 17-14 going into the third quarter. After Valley scored the first two points of the third quarter, the Demons went on a 7-0 run to take the lead be-
be a little bit of insanity in my family. I do get to watch a lot of basketball, especially since two years ago when I started doing the girls’ team also — sometimes, five games a week. I guess I like basketball.
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By the time you read this, Coginchaug will have hosted Valley in a semi-final match, where they can hopefully match or better their showing earlier this week against Valley. If they can pull that off, they will travel to New Haven to play the winner of the H-K/Cromwell game at Hillhouse High School. The girls are also playing that night in round two of the state tournament at home, so hopefully fans will need to make a choice on which game to get to.
“We had a fun season,” Coach Grenier said. “We competed with all 10 players getting substantial minutes.” Those 10 players included
Adam Doolittle, Aidan Doyle, Kyle Fontaine, Owen Gonzalez, Kyle Grenier, Sam Marteka, Trevor Morris, Patrick Piscatelli, Camden Stockdale and Ryan Vynalek. The team was coached by Mike Grenier, Ted Morris and Rick Vynalek. Looking forward to the 2012-13 season in nine months.
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Donecker led Coginchaug with 18 points, and Wasyl came in with 12 points. Hoyt scored eight, Tietlebaum netted six and Corazzini scored five points.
Including the Valley game, the Demons were 1-2 over the final three games of the sea-
son, but shot the ball well and were competitive in each game. The team fell to Woodbridge 54-48 on Feb. 12 and were led by Marteka(14 points, five rebounds), Vynalek (10 points, five rebounds), Doyle (nine points) and Morris (seven points). The team lost to Clinton 46-36 on Feb. 5 and was paced by Marteka (nine points) and Morris (seven points). Vynalek and Kyle Grenier added six points each. Morris was the leading rebounder with eight rebounds. Over the last three games of the season, the team shot the ball well going 38 percent; 42 percent and 41 percent respectively from the floor.
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Back to the game. Coginchaug led 12-8 after the first period and 25-17 at the half. Hyde staged a bit of a comeback in the third to trail by only five at 33-28, but the Devils closed strong, ending with a solid 54-41 victory.
hind a balanced scoring attack with four points from Trevor Morris (five points), a free throw from Owen Gonzalez (seven points, six steals) and the lead basket from Marteka — the team’s first lead since 8-6. The teams traded leads before the Demons took the lead for good at 25-24 with a basket by Vynalek on a great pass from Gonzalez. Baskets by Kyle Fontaine, Vynalek and Aidan Doyle gave the team a 31-24 lead before a threepointer by Valley at the end of the third cut it to 31-27. Valley opened up the fourth quarter cutting it to 31-29, but that is as close as they would get as the Demons scored the final seven points of the game.
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Town Times Sports
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Friday, March 2, 2012
Lady Devils advance to finals, but fall short
Shadow Room gets badly needed Men’s League win By Scott Strang Special to the Town Times Shadow Room 52, Allstate Fire Equipment 44 At risk of falling to last place in the Men’s League, Shadow Room (2-3) fended off a strong effort by Allstate. Shadow Room led 19-16 at halftime, following a first half filled with turnovers and missed shots. Alex Schade hit a pair of threepointers in the half, but otherwise neither team offered much consistent offense. Jason Williams and Greg Bereski both stepped up for Shadow Room in the second period, using fast break layups to generate baskets and create foul-shot opportunities. Allstate (1-5) got even scoring from Mike Bertrand, Dave DeRosa and Matt Thompson, all finishing
with 12 points on the night. Trailing by five to seven most of the half, Allstate held it together with an impressive 9-14 at the foul line down the stretch. Bereski led Shadow Room with 12 and Williams and Schade also added 10 each. Around the Clock Heating 59, Snowservices 48 Around the Clock (ATC) (41) got the better of Snowservices (3-2) in this battle of the second and third place Men’s League teams. Ryan Donecker and Rick Ryan had big contributions for ATC. Donecker scored 14, including 6-8 at the foul line and Ryan hit on three three-pointers to finish with 13 overall. ATC led almost the entire way through this one. Joe Davis and Ryan Cove both had solid performances for Snowservices with 17 and 14 each. Brandon McGoldrick also finished with 13, but the rest of the Snowservices team
added just four points total. Torrison Stone and Garden-55, Scott Tax Group 27 Leading 22-21 at halftime, Torrison Stone held Scott Tax to a league record low six second-half points, to cruise to a win and stay undefeated in league play (5-0). Jordan Barton hit a pair of shots in the first four minutes for Scott Tax (1-4), and John Mazarella added nine first-half points to keep them in the game early. But Pete Lynch and Jeremy Lobo took over the scoring in the second frame for Torrison. Lynch led all scorers with 15 had 13 of those after the break, Lobo finished with 14 and Adam Poturnicki helped out with 11. Mazarella was held scoreless in the second half and finished with nine while Wes Ulbrich ended with eight for Scott Tax.
By Alan Pease Special to the Town Times The Coginchaug girls had an interesting but ultimately disappointing week. They achieved their goal of getting to the Shoreline conference championship game by soundly defeating the Lady Wolves of Hyde by 25 points on Tuesday, but then fell to the Cromwell Panthers, the only team they’ve lost to this season, by three points to end their conference season just short of where they really wanted to be. Semis — Hyde The Hyde game was played at Valley Regional as the second game in a double header, with Cromwell defeating Old Saybrook in the 5 p.m. game, while the Devils played Hyde at 7:30 p.m. only after the
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rather small gym was cleared out after the first game. I’ll have more on the choice of venue with the Championship game story. Hyde actually got out of the gate first, getting early leads of 2-0 on a converted offensive rebound, then after an Audrey Biesak threepointer, going ahead again 43 not quite three minutes into the game. That would be the last thing the lady Wolves had to celebrate all night as the Devils held them scoreless for the remainder of the period. Coginchaug didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard themselves, but their 8-0 run, with three more points from Biesak, and two each from Lauren Esposito and Morgan Kuehnle, gave them an 11-5 lead at the end of the first period. Hyde again threatened to make things interesting to start the second period, scoring the first four points to draw within three points at 11-8, but a Biesak three started a 6-0 Devils run that Biesak also finished with two from the charity stripe, putting the Devils ahead 17-8. After a bit of a scoring hiatus in the middle of the period, the baskets came fairly quickly in the final three minutes, but with Coginchaug holding a 14-9 advantage, to take a 3117 lead into the half. Both teams scored 10 in the third period, with Biesak notching six of those on two treys, giving the Devils a 41-7 lead after three periods. I do want to note here that Kim Romanoff couldn’t breathe on defense without getting called for a foul. She was called for two in the first four minutes of the first period, then sat, got another two minutes into the second period, and again went to the bench, and almost as soon as the second half started. I’m not saying that she didn’t commit any of the fouls, but some of them seemed to be relatively “phantom” to me, and only twice in 20 regular season games did she accrue more than two fouls. Just an See Lady Devils, next page
Town Times Sports
Friday, March 2, 2012
Lady Devils (Continued from page 26)
Fortunately, after about 10 minutes, the doors did open again, and the site manager did let some of us in — as far as I know, I was the very last person to get in the door, an it’s possible that my Town Times Press Pass, given to me by the boys a couple of years ago, helped ensure that I made the cut. But there were at least 15 and probably quite a few more people who drove all the way to Deep River hoping to see some good basketball,
who ended up being frustrated. I understand why neither Coginchaug nor Cromwell was used — there should be no home court for something like this. Why not use H-K? It’s fairly centrally located, and although the acoustics are terrible and the rubberized floor is not a player’s or coach’s dream, you’re not likely to run into an overcrowding situation. The girls’ game is growing in popularity, thanks in part to the UConn women, but also due to the growing excellence of teams like Cromwell and Coginchaug. The folks who arrange for these games need to come to grips with that reality, and ensure that no fan gets left out in the cold. As for the game, I can say that it was an exciting game (thank God I got in), I can say it was a close game, I can say it was a back and forth game, as each team seemed to have their minutes of dominance.
Unfortunately, for Coginchaug fans, it was a disappointing game, as, ultimately, the Devils could not contain the inside presence of Janelle Harrison and Lindsay Langanauer, and fell to the Panthers by three points. In the first period, the devils looked like they would never give Cromwell a chance, as they streaked to a 23-11 lead, Biesak scored 14 of the 23, at least half of those on fast breaks. Biesak herself had two steals, Esposito had one, and both Romanoff and Kuehnle had rebounds that I believe were converted to fast break buckets. The Panthers could not seem to keep up with the hustling Devils. The second period saw things even out, as Cromwell crept a single point closer to trail by 11. Mancinelli had six of the Devils’ 10 points, but in contrast to the first period, I didn’t note any fast break points for Coginchaug in the period.
The third period is where things really went sour for Coginchaug. They started ok with a couple Mancinelli hoops to offset a couple of baskets by Cromwell, and a Romanoff-assisted bucket by Jessica Solomon put the Devils up by 13 at 39-27. But the number one seeded Devils would not score again in the period, as the Panthers racked up a 15-0 run over the last five plus minutes of the period. In that time, Coginchaug had four turnovers, they missed five shots from the field and they missed their only two foul shots in the period. Meanwhile, Cromwell went five of eight from the line, grabbed 11 rebounds and connected on five of 11 shots from the field — every time they missed, it seemed like they (Cromwell) got the rebound, and one of the big girls (Harrison or Langanauer) got the put-
See Lady Devils, next page
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observation. Esposito scored from both inside and outside the arc in the first minute of the final period, keying a 15-4 period, and resulting in the final score of 56-31, with Coginchaug on top, advancing them to the finals on Saturday. Sam Mancinelli led the way for the Devils, doing a little bit of everything. She scored 12, led the team in rebounding with 12, and in assists with eight and in steals with three. Biesak led the team in scoring with 19, also adding six rebounds, a steal and an assist. Esposito had 13 points, six rebounds, a steal and an assist. Jessica Solomon had six rebounds, two points, a steal and an assist. Romanoff, playing limited minutes due to her “breathing” problem (aka fouls), still managed four rebounds, two assists, two points and a steal. Off the bench, Kuehnle matched Mancinelli’s rebounding production with 12, adding four points, two blocks and an assist. Audrey Arcari had two steals and an assist. Katelyn Williams had two rebounds, Andrea Braga had a point and a rebound and Olivia Corazzini had one point. Championship — Cromwell That brings us to Saturday night — the championship game between Cromwell and Coginchaug, held for some unfathomable reason at Valley Regional High School. Not that there is anything wrong with Valley, but the gymnasium is clearly not among the larger venues in the Shoreline conference. I was surprised that there were no problems at all for the semi-final games, but interest is just not as high for a semi-final as it is for a championship. Game time was 7 p.m., and I arrived at the school around 6:45. There were about 30 folks clustered around the door waiting to get in, when a man who was clearly in charge of the location informed those waiting that they were approaching a
sell-out, and had to close the doors to assess whether any more people could be let in. Probably 15 or 20 more people showed up after the doors were closed to join the group of anxious fans. There were people from Middlefield and Durham, there were people from Cromwell, there were people from other Shoreline conference towns who just wanted to get in to see a good and exciting basketball game.
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Lady Devils (Continued from page 27)
back. The game went from a 39-26 lead for the Devils to a 39-41 deficit. Biesak drained a three to give the Devils another lead, and after Cromwell has still another rebound put-back, Biesak repeated the feat to put Coginchaug up by two. After a Romanoff steal, Biesak hit one of two from the line, and the Devils had a 46-43 lead. The Panthers went on a 6-0 mini run, and the Devils would not see the lead again. A single free throw by Romanoff broke the run, but Cromwell scored twice more
to take a 53-47 lead into the final minute. The Devils tried valiantly to get back in the game, with two’s by Biesak and Mancinelli more than offsetting two free throws for Cromwell, and a big threepointer by Esposito had Coginchaug within one point at 55-54, but the Panthers hit four more from the charity stripe making Kuehnle’s last second put-back meaningless, and giving Cromwell an exciting 59-56 championship. There are two things that stand out in this game for me. The first is the disparity in rebounding — Coginchaug had 23, Cromwell had 39. A 16 rebound differential is difficult to overcome. The other was the free throw disparity
— Cromwell hit 20 out of 28 from the line, while Coginchaug converted only four of 12. In a three-point game, they were outscored by 16 from the line, and a more typical performance for the Devils would be at least eight of 12 – enough to potentially change the outcome. The bottom line was, given the conditions and the way the game was called (any contact called inside, full-fledged whacks on the perimeter sometimes ignored), Cromwell was the better team and deserved the championship. Thank goodness they’re not in class S for the state tournament. The girls still do have the potential for a lot of basket-
Friday, March 2, 2012
ball to come. Being the number one seed in class S, they have a bye for the first round on Tuesday and will host the winner of the St. Bernard/Wilcox Tech game tonight, Friday, March 2. Hopefully fans of both the boys and the girls will need to make a decision on which game to go to tonight, since the boys Shoreline Championship game is scheduled for tonight at Hillhouse High School in New Haven. I doubt that any fans will get turned away from that venue. The strength of the girls is their speed ability to finish the break and overall athleticism, but no one can claim they’re a big team. The size of Cromwell put a stopper on
the Shoreline Championship aspirations — I hope they don’t run into anything similar in the State tournament. If they do get by their second round game, they would go to a neutral site on Thursday, March 8, for a quarter final game, with the possibility of the semis (March 12) and finals (March 16 or 17) still to come.
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