Volume 17, Issue 1
Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall
Board of Education approves budget By Stephanie Wilcox Town Times
Late in the evening of April 7, the District 13 Board of Education (BOE) unanimously approved taking the proposed 2010-11 gross education budget of $34,826,872 to a district meeting on Monday, May 3, at 8 p.m. in the CRHS auditorium. The budget meeting will adjourn to a referendum on Tuesday, May 4, from 6 a.m.-8 p.m. This decision came immediately after the budget was presented at a public hearing, where the board heard both support and opposition from many fervent parents and taxpayers. “This is ridiculous with where it’s all going,” said Durham resident Roger Kleeman of the budget, which is a net increase of 2.5 percent over this year’s budget. “Cut it way down and let parents then come out and say what they want.” Middlefield resident Kathleen Kokoszka added, “There seems to be a belief in the community that we can’t get quality education unless we see an increase (in the budget) year after year…Yes, chil-
dren are important, but we’re all important and shouldn’t have to sacrifice.” According to the board, almost all of the increases in the budget are due to salaries and benefits. Fiftysix percent of total expenses comes from salaries, and some spoke up about this, like Durham resident Joan Zito, who said, “I think teachers should be giving something back.” On the other hand, Durham parent Phuong Oanh Stephan was thankful the board refrained from proposing teacher/staff cuts. “I felt you listened to us as parents … and teachers give a lot more back than they need to,” she said. Durham resident Melissa Liampo also supported the teachers and the budget as proposed. She said teachers these days do far more than was expected of them years ago, and “they deserve our support 100 percent.” During the hearing, board member Kerrie Flanagan explained the district’s fiveyear Capital Reserve Plan that was designed to be a “timely, reasonably accurate schedule of maintenance and
improvements to security, technology infrastructure, repairs and maintenance of athletic facilities, etc.” Some of the significant projects slated for fiscal year 2010-11 are the athletic facilities at Coginchaug, classroom lock down system at Lyman and Memorial, cafeteria equipment (for operating efficiency) in all schools and oil tanks at Memorial and Brewster. Board member Mary Jane Parsons explained the district’s fund balance, which will be $1,189,348 plus a carryover of $600,000 on June 30. Durham resident Rick Parmelee had concerns with the fund balance being way too large, and he thought the five-year capital plan was “a big surprise.” He was also not fond of athletic expenses. “You pay to play basketball, then you pay to watch your kids play basketball? That’s morally wrong,” he said. But after it was all said and done and the board reconvened to finalize the budget, there were no changes made in response to these issues. “No one really came through with ideas,” said board member Norm Hicks. “I
Friday, April 16, 2010
Helping hands in our towns
Town Times photos by Stephanie Wilcox
Adopt-a-Road chair Babby Nuhn hands out bags last Saturday at Allyn Brook Park to a road clean-up volunteer. More photos on page 7. didn’t get any meat tonight.” The $34.8 million budget will go to a district meeting on May 3. The next board meeting will take place April 28 at 7:30 p.m. at Korn School. Viccaro briefly mentioned topics that were to be discussed at the April 28 meeting, including Race to the Top Funds, Scientific Research Based Initiatives (SRBI) and the strate-
gic plan, which the board will vote on at the same meeting. Viccaro asked the board to suggest meeting topics for the last four meetings of the school year, and technology, standardized test scores and Naviance were all proposed. Graduation was set for Friday, June 18, and the meeting ended after reports from the Finance and Policy committees.
Habitat for Humanity working on first Middlefield house By Judy Moeckel Special to the Town Times
Photo by Stephanie Wilcox
Habitat volunteers inside the home last Saturday.
Renovations have begun on the first Habitat for Humanity house in Middlefield, located at 7 Ballfall Road. It is expected to be ready for its new owners — a mother and her six-year-old son — to move in by fall. The house was declared “surplus state property” when the state undertook to widen Route 66 in Middlefield and Middletown several years ago. After two-anda-half years of negotiations with the State Department of Economic and Community Development, Middlesex Habitat for Humanity of Ct.,
Inc. (MHFH) was able to purchase the property from the state for the modest price of $1. By state law, the surplus property was first offered to the town of Middlefield, which chose instead to support MHFH’s application to purchase it for a renovation project. “Applause to Middlefield for endorsing our application,” exclaimed Joyce Yarrow, executive director of the Middlesex Habitat affiliate. “Not only is this the first Habitat home in that town, but its deed stipulates that it remain affordable housing in perpetuity. No matter who owns it in the future, they’ll have to meet income
guidelines.” The family who will be moving in next fall will have a nointerest mortgage through Habitat for Humanity. As with all Habitat projects, the mortgage recipient contributes “sweat equity” to their new
See Habitat, page 7
In this issue ... Calendar ...........................4 Durham Briefs ...........14-15 Middlefield Briefs......16-18 Obituary..........................23 Sports..........................24-27 Spring Fix Up.............10-13