Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall
Volume 16, Issue 5
A reporter’s notebook
Durham annual town budget meeting draws a large crowd By Sue VanDerzee Town Times Used to a few dozen stalwart citizens at town budget meetings, particularly when that budget has decreased from the current year, it was a surprise to see the auditorium at Coginchaug High School filling with people on Monday, May 11. What exactly were people coming to vote on? Oh yes, of course, there was that matter of a net town budget of $3.7 million (gross $5.1 million minus approximately $1.5 million in non-tax income – fees, grants, state and federal aid, etc.), but still... The first item on the agenda made the interest abundantly clear as Fred Raley rose to nominate Peter Cascini for the Region 13 Board of Education, a challenge to incumbent board president and avowed re-election candidate Tom Hennick. Raley
DMIAAB burglary There was a break-in at DMIAAB (Durham Middlefield Interlocal Agreement Advisory Board) on Cherry Hill Road in Middlefield last week and a certain amount of monetary receipts were taken. Durham First Selectman Laura Francis and Middlefield First Selectman Jon Brayshaw will meet to discuss security measures. At this time, the burglary is under investigation, and if you have any information call Troop F at (860) 3992100. Stephanie Wilcox
noted that Cascini is a past president and active member of the local Exchange Club, chairman of the town’s Economic Development Commission and a person with a strong academic (MBA) and business background. Former First Selectman and State Representative Ray Kalinowski rose to add his nod of approval. “We are fortunate to have such a candidate with a background in cost management and a discerning eye,” he said. “He (Cascini) is a great asset to the town.” Board of Finance member and realtor Jay Berardino noted that “Cascini’s goal to provide a world class education for competition at a world class level and stretch dollars while doing so” matched his own goal as a Board of Finance member. “As a realtor, I watch people move to town for the educational system and leave town because of high taxes,” he concluded.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Touch-A-Truck, Ride-A-Truck, kids of all ages enjoy Middlefield Volunteer Fire event
Above, from left, Brian Dumas, probationary firefighter, and firefighter Israel Cuellar, show visitors a Middlefield fire truck and how they use their radios. They were participating in the May 9 Touch-a-Truck event at Peckham Park sponsored by the Middlefield Volunteer Fire Company. More photos on page 31. Photo by Sue VanDerzee
See Durham budget, page 14
District 13 Strategic Plan:Where are we going? In this issue ... ents, community members kind of like a blueprint for By Stephanie Wilcox Town Times Suppose you’re going on a vacation. Would you go without a map (or your trusty GPS system)? Probably not, and that’s one reason why District 13 is embarking on their fourth Strategic Plan. It helps them know where they’re going. Every five years, District 13 gathers teachers, administrators, support staff, Board of Education members, par-
and students to produce a Strategic Plan. You may have read or heard that as a member of the community, you are encouraged to sign up for an action team to help develop the plans that will implement the new strategies, but what is a strategic plan anyway? To quote Superintendent Susan Viccaro, “The Strategic Plan is what guides the district to what needs to get done in a five year period —
where we’re going, but very broad,” she explained. “It highlights the areas we think we need to focus on and also the real specifics of what to focus on.” It is the blueprint for making reallife decisions. If the Strategic Plan emphasizes that students learn about the latest technologies, then, in a budget crunch, buying new computers might trump See Strategic, page 29
Calendar ........................4-5 Libraries.........................32 Mini Pages .................33-34 Obituaries ......................26 People News ...................27 Schools on Camera ...16-20 Scouts .............................37 Sports..............................35 Town Briefs ...............11-15