Volume 18, Issue 1
Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall
Girls Scouts clean up for spring
DAC, books and wages: Web update Durham residents sound off By Cheri Kelley Town Times
Willow, Megan, Makayla, Jenna, Stephanie, Jaylin, Margaret and Olivia of Girl Scout Troop #62650, and little sisters Morgan and Alyssa, celebrated spring by cleaning up Allyn Brook Park in Durham. The girls picked up trash and sticks, raked leaves, shoveled dirt from the brick path and swept a portion of the path. The hours of community service will be put toward the GSofCT goal of 100,000 community service hours by next March to celebrate 100 years of girl scouting. Submitted photo
Board of Ed reinstates nurse, sets budget at 4.16 percent By Mark Dionne Special to Town Times After nurses and parents voiced concerns at the April 6 public hearing about the plan to cut a school nurse from the district, the Board of Education (BOE) added the position back into its proposed 2011-12 budget. The move changes the budget’s net increase from 3.98 percent to 4.16 percent. At the March 23 meeting, the BOE adopted a plan to have two nurses cover three buildings — Strong, Korn
and Coginchaug. Talk about the danger of removing a nurse from one of the buildings dominated the public comment portion of the evening, which lasted less See BOE, page 31
In this issue ... Calendar............................4 Devil’s Advocate........15-22 Durham Briefs................26 Middlefield Briefs...........24 Obituaries. ...................32 Sports ..........................34-35
Friday, April 15, 2011
Durham residents came prepared to the annual budget hearing on Monday, April 11. Board of Finance (BOF) chairman Francis Korn directed the presentation of the 2011-2012 proposed budget, to which he said was “certainly another difficult budget.” The proposed budget is $5,468,034, an increase of $157,051 or 2.96 percent over the current year’s budget. According to the slideshow presented, this would mean an additional $413 in taxes for every $100,000 of assessed value, including both town and education budgets. The proposed budget calls for an increase in the mill rate of 20.47 percent or 1.05 mills, with the education numbers
the increase is 4.13 mills. Some cost saving initiatives came from reduction of employee hours, joint town bids and bidding consortiums and consolidation of contracts. One area of contention was the Durham Activity Center (DAC). George Eames IV questioned the way funds are being spent, saying, “I have issue with what are the true costs of maintaining the DAC.” He felt that the town should not be providing snow removal of the parking lot and walkways and even stated that he thought there might have been a town employee clearing the roof after one of the many heavy snowfalls this winter. First Selectman Laura Francis told
Town Times turns 17 years old this week! In honor of our birthday, our most recent poll asked “What do you look forward to the most in each week's paper?” By press time, 49 people responded. Here were the results: Photos: 33 percent News: 41 percent Features: 4 percent Letters/Columns: 22 percent In this issue, we have hidden a few birthday candles throughout the entire paper. The first two people to email us (news@towntimes.com) with the correct number of birthday candles will get a prize.
See Durham Hearing, page 7
Unknown assailants target students with paintball guns By Erin Holden and Melissa Ober Devil’s Advocate reporters Students standing at the main entrance of Coginchaug received an unwelcomed surprise on March 16. According to witnesses, unknown assailants pulled up to the front of the school around 3:40 and fired several paintball rounds in the direction of the students. “They drove by us three times,” said sophomore Derek Matcheski. “The first time they yelled at one of the girls standing with us.” “They came back five minutes later with a paintball gun and fired seven shots,” said junior Jimmy Malcolm. “No one was hit, but the school and Derek’s guitar case were. After the
second time, junior Adam Pilarski called the police.” The car came back a third time, before the police arrived, but no one was shot. “This case is under investigation,” said Trooper Paul Piper. “We took a copy of the video,” said Trooper Piper. “There were approximately seven shots in total,” said assistant principle Mr. Brian Bodner. “The car was a newer model of a white Nissan Altima with a sunroof and tinted windows, but the students had difficulty reading the plate numbers. We don’t think it was someone from the school because there was a broad array of students outside and none of them recognized the people in the car.” The same afternoon, a student was running up Bear
Rock Road when a white car pulled up beside him. “I was running when I heard things hitting the trees,” said sophomore Jeremy Brown. “I turned around and there was a guy wearing a ski mask shooting at me with a paintball gun.” Jeremy was running alone for track practice around 4:05. “I tried to get back to the school as fast as I could,” said Jeremy. According to the criminal information summary, which was filed by Trooper Piper, “The vehicle was occupied by two white males and the passenger was described as having short dark hair and a goatee.” If you have any information about this incident or the vehicle please contact the Westbrook Police Barracks at 860-399-2100.