5-18-2012 Town Times

Page 1

Volume 19, Issue 6

Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall

TownTimes.com

Friday, May 18, 2012

Initiative to prevent underage drinking kicks off May 18 By Christine Foster Special to the Town Times If you live in Durham and Middlefield, it will be hard to miss the message against underage drinking during this next month. Stickers will be slapped on multipacks of alcohol sold in local stores. Billboards will admonish parents not to give kids alcohol. And tangled car wrecks from a mock crash staged at Coginchaug Regional High School will be on public display.

The huge effort, involving 50 people from the two towns, is aimed at preventing kids from drinking during the prom and graduation season, which is prime time for kids to abuse alcohol. “Each event is in the context of a bigger initiative,” said Jane Moen, program director at Durham Middlefield Youth and Family Services. “We hope to find an entry point where something sticks.” The month-long initiative to

prevent underage drinking kicks off May 18 with “Sticker Attack.” Teen and adults will blanket multi-packs of alcoholic beverages in local liquor stores with messages to adults who may consider providing alcohol to teens. The iniSee Underage, page 11

Above right, stickers like this one will be placed on multipacks of alcohol sold in local stores as part of a month-long community-wide initiative to prevent underage drinking. Submitted by Jane Moen

Durham passes $5.93 million budget, joins COG By Elisabeth Kennedy Special to the Town Times On May 14, Durham voted to adopt the net town budget for fiscal year 2012-13 in the amount of $5.93 million. The Durham Annual Budget Meeting opened Monday night with a moment of silence for Laurie Stevens, beloved resident and member of the Board of Finance who contributed to the proposed budget. Before the vote, residents spoke both in support and in opposition of the budget. Members of the public See Durham BOF, page 27

Middlefield $4.42 million budget passes By Stephanie Wilcox Town Times

What came first, the chicken or the egg? Nearly 75 people, interested in learning about raising chickens, attended a Backyard Chicken Open House held April 28. These visitors saw hens, chicks and roosters up close in a variety of chicken coops throughout our towns. In total, nine households welcomed the drop-in visitors. Henry and Catherine St. John hold Tina and Scott Hurlbert’s chickens. Submitted by Claudia O’Connell

It took just 20 minutes for Middlefield to overwhelmingly vote in favor of adopting the 2012-13 town budget of $4.42 million at a town meeting May 14. Before the vote, which received no public comments – in support or opposition – Board of Finance chair Lucy Petrella spoke about the particulars of the budget. “The board worked so dili-

gently, conscientiously and tirelessly,” said Petrella. “We strongly believe we put together a budget that’s making the best use of your money.” Petrella said the town was fortunate that its share of the school budget dropped this year due to declining enrollment, though the overall percentage of the town’s budget for school taxes is still around 78 percent. She also See Mfld BOF, page 25


Town Times Community Briefs

2

Corrections 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) 203-2448, and we’ll do our best to make things right. Jennifer Sheldon and Robert Ronan, Jr., whose wedding announcement was printed in the May 11 issue, reside in Rockfall.

Memorial Day parade The 2012 Durham Memorial Day Parade is scheduled for Monday, May 28, rain or shine. The parade will step off at 9:15 a.m. at the corner

Index of Advertisers

Friday, May 18, 2012

of Haddam Quarter Road and Main Street in Durham and will continue down Main Street to the Town Green. Parade participants should assemble at the corner between 8:15 and 8:30 a.m. A ceremony at the Durham Town Green is

scheduled immediately following the parade. The throwing of candy (or anything else) is no longer allowed. For more information or to participate in the parade, contact parade chairman Bob Francis at (860) 349-0881.

Eagle Scouts pathway project

To advertise in the Town Times, call Joy Boone at 860-349-8026

Colton Gray, of Durham (pictured, right, with brother Tyler), was presented with the Eagle Scout Award, the highest rank in boy scouting. Gray’s Eagle Project was the planning, creation and managing of a church parking lot pathway project at the United Churches of Durham. The project will provide a safe place to walk from the lower lot to the upper church lot. The plan will keep church members off of the slippery road in the winter and out of the parking lot traffic on busy days. Submitted by Paul Gray

J.C. Farm & Greenhouses 385r Wallingford Rd. (Rt. 68) Durham, CT 06422 (860) 349-5649

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Friday, May 18, 2012

3

Town Times

BOE disappointed in voter turnout, addresses technology, bathrooms and field trip matters By Mark Dionne Special to the Town Times

Although it was not officially on the agenda at the May 9 meeting at John Lyman School, the budget received several mentions from obviously relieved Board of Education members. On May 8, voters in Durham and Middlefield approved the 2012-13 school budget, including a net increase of 3.27 percent and a switch to all-day kindergarten. The budget passed by a fi-

nal vote of 865-778. As has happened in recent years, Middlefield voters rejected the budget but by less of a margin than Durham voters approved it. BOE member Nancy Boyle relayed comments she heard about lack of publicity for the vote. In Durham, 21 percent of registered voters showed up at the polls. A similarly small number, 18.3 percent, voted in Middlefield. “I’m thrilled that it passed,” said BOE chair Tom Hennick, “but my frustration with the turnout is

Web Update

as high as it’s ever been.” Superintendent Sue Viccaro noted that a budget proposal with the referendum date is mailed to every postal patron in the school district. Other members discussed the reminder notices, public hearings, coverage in local media and signs. “It was as well publicized as it has ever been,” concluded Hennick. “I don’t know what else we can do. “I suppose when next year comes around, if we See BOE, page 9

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Town Times & Places

4

Friday, May 18, 2012

Reservations are required 24 hours prior, and the monthly menu can be picked up at the center, Town Hall, or at www.middlefieldct.org.

FRIDAY

May 18 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) 346-6611 with bridge questions. Call Durham Recreation at (860) 343-6724 with further questions. Birdhouse Auction A bevy of birdhouses will be auctioned off today from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Lyman Homestead in Middlefield. Created by local resident and artists, proceeds from the auction of these works will benefit the Coginchaug Valley Education Association’s grants program. Tickets for the event can be purchased several ways: contact Renee Edwards at (860) 575-4680; e-mail flightsoffancycvef@gmail.co m; purchase online at www.coginchaugvef.com.

SATURDAY

May 19 Vocal Chords Spring Concert The Middlesex Hospital Vocal Chords have scheduled their spring concert for today at 7:30 p.m. at Portland High School. For tickets, call (860) 347-2787 or (860) 342-3120. Visit www.vocalchores20.org. Catales Wine/ Beer Tasting Catales has scheduled its annual wine/beer tasting fundraiser for today at It’s Only Natural Restaurant, Main Street, Middletown. Proceeds benefit the care of homeless felines awaiting adoption. For more information, cost and tickets, e-mail info@catales.org. Community BBQ The Middlefield Children’s Center has scheduled a community BBQ for today from 4 to 7 p.m. at Peckham Park, Middlefield. Bounce house, fire trucks, games, raffles, food and more. For more information, visit www.middlefieldchildrenscenter.com. Lions Club Tag Sale The Lions Club Tag Sale is today and tomorrow on the family property of Lion Judy

Local artist inspires students Surrealism artist Zahir Abid, of Middletown, met with seventh graders at The Independent Day School in Middlefield to talk about art and to share some of his paintings. With their art teacher Madeline Smith, the students have been entrenched in a surrealism unit. Following his visit, Abid remarked that he was touched by the interest and engagement of the students, as well as impressed with their analysis and the depth of their observations.

Didato, where Main Street and Cherry Hill intersect. Contact Judy at djd1944@aol.com if you have items to donate and for dropoff information. Car Wash and Bake Sale Greater Middletown Relay for Life Team Dolphin Days has scheduled a car wash and bake sale fundraiser for today from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Dolphin Days learning center, 9 Ozick Dr. Proceeds benefit Relay for Life. For more information, contact Kimberly Sansone at Kimberly.m.sansone@gmail. com. Tag and Craft Sale United Churches, 228 Main St., Durham, has scheduled a tag and craft sale for today from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. Proceeds benefit the 10th annual summer mission trip to Kentucky. The event features white elephant, crafts, antiques, bake sale and lunch. Tables are available for rent. For more information, call (860) 349-3683. PALS Book Sale PALS has scheduled it annual book sale for today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Durham Public Library. The event is free of charge, and open to the public. An early bird preview is scheduled from 9 to 10 a.m. for a fee. The event is in conjunction with the library plant sale. Donations of gently used books in good condition may be dropped off at the library. Sale proceeds benefit PALS’ programs including the summer reading programs.

For more information or to volunteer, contact Jane Eriksen at (860) 349-1247 or sign up at the library. Girl Scout Jubilee Girl Scouts of Connecticut has scheduled the 100th anniversary of scouting with a Jubilee today from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Durham Fairgrounds. The event is open to the public. Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman is scheduled to kick off the opening ceremony at 11 a.m. For more information, visit www.gsofct.org. Food Workshop Come to a workshop today from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at Core Club & Gym, 350 Main Street, Durham, on teaching athletes and dancers how to fuel their bodies. You will learn about what foods to eat to help you perform at your best and feel good while doing it. Topics include: the role that carbohydrates, fats and proteins play in the body; the effects of sugar and post-exercise stress on the body; effectively hydrating for practices/rehearsals and games and performances; the best foods to eat before practice begins, during practice and after practice; healthy meal and snack suggestions. For more information, call (860) 349-9100.

TUESDAY

May 22

Reception A reception for students artists, families and friends is scheduled for today from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Durham Public Library. The student art exhibit will be on display through the end of May.

WEDNESDAY Submitted by JoAnn Rider

al Durham Pet Fair today from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more info, please visit www.DurhamPetFair.org. Square Dance The 4C’s Square Dance Club has scheduled a dance for today from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at the Cheshire Community Center, 6559 S. Main St., Cheshire. The caller is Ed Rutty; cuer is Gene King. For more information, call (860) 340-8084 or (203) 2351604. Community supper The Church of the Epiphany has scheduled a free community supper for today from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the church hall, 196 Main St., Durham. The sponsor is Durham Lions Club. All are welcome.

MONDAY

May 21

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 lunch on Monday 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) 349SUNDAY 3153. Middlefield Senior Lunches The Middlefield Senior Durham Pet Fair Café is serving lunch three Help Willy’s Friends is times a week, on Mondays, sponsoring the fourth annu- Wednesdays and Fridays.

May 20

May 23

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

May 24

Durham Farmers’ Market The Durham Farmers’ Market is open today from 3 to 6:30 p.m. on the Town Green.

FRIDAY

May 25

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) 346-6611 with bridge questions. Call Durham Recreation at (860) 343-6724 with further questions. 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.com.


Friday, May 18, 2012

5

Town Times

Compassionate motorcyclists support animal welfare By Stephanie Wilcox Town Times

home,” she said about the ABKA-certified boarding kennel, groomer and training facility. “When we go on rides to raise money, like our Ride to End Dog Fighting, Brenda’s Main Street Feed has been on the list of places to stop. Working with the community to promote animal welfare is what makes me happy to be a member of BAAC.” Based in North Haven, BAAC has members over the state, including Durham, Stafford Springs, Haddam, Meriden and West Haven. Its membership — made up of all volunteers — reaches as far as New Hampshire, Illinois and Florida. “As a group, we help animals all over the country,” said Peregolise. “If it is a case of abuse or neglect anywhere, we want to help.”

DiVito joined BAAC after meeting an “adorable pit bull puppy” who had been rescued from an animal advocacy group, BAAC. “Just having bought a little Honda Shadow myself, I knew immediately that I had to be a member in this group,” she explained. “My life revolves around animals: I have a bachelor’s in animal biology, I’ve been rescuing animals myself for almost a decade and I run my own pet sitting business right here in Durham. I couldn’t wait to belong to a club like BAAC and surround myself with

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BAAC began when the Peregolises asked their small group of biker friends to bring donations of pet supplies for shelters to one of their parties. The results were very impressive, and the couple noticed that most of their biker friends shared

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Motorcycles and animal welfare may sound like an odd pairing, but for Bikers Against Animal Cruelty, it’s just a natural marriage of the two things the members of this group are most compassionate about. “We always had a love of animals and always believed in rescue and adoption,” said VJ Peregolise, of North Haven, who founded the group with his wife Cindy. Though not a rescue group, BAAC works with many rescue organizations in an effort to improve the lives of abused, neglected and unwanted animals everywhere. “The main mission of the group is to raise money to help pay vet bills for animals that are the victims of abuse or neglect,” said Peregolise. “Our second mission is the education of proper pet ownership.” To help raise funds and spread their message, BAAC holds several events throughout the year, including a Cinco de Mayo party and a motorcycle rodeo in July. Always a fun time, the rodeo features events that must be performed on a motorcycle rather than an animal. “It’s a large event that draws hundreds of bikes,” said Peregolise. One main event is the Pet Toy Run every October — a motorcycle run just for ani-

mals. It consists of five stops, one being Brenda’s Main Street Feed in Durham, for riders to pick up a donation and concludes with a party at the last stop. The registration fee for each rider in this event also goes entirely toward the animals. Peregolise said the group has a great relationship with the community like Brenda’s Main Street Feed whose owner Brenda Eddy is “a believer in our cause.” For Durham resident Samantha DiVito, one particular reason she is proud to be a member of BAAC is because of the close relationship it has with local businesses and organizations. “Larkin’s Run (in Durham) has helped to provide BAACsponsored foster pets with a loving and caring environment until they can find a

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Friday, May 18, 2012

Town Times

Throwing candy thrown out of parade By Mark Dionne Special to the Town Times This year’s Memorial Day Parade on May 28 will be slightly different. Participants riding in floats will not be allowed to throw candy to spectators as they have in years past. According to Bob Francis, who organizes the parade as the commander of Durham’s American Legion post, there were two reasons for the ban — safety and litter. “Last year we had a couple of incidents,” said Francis in an interview with the Town Times. In one incident, a

stroller-bound infant was hit in the eye with candy. Others have observed young children running in the street to retrieve loose candy among the moving vehicles. Nearly all the floats have thrown candy. Last year the Boy Scouts even designed a catapult to hurl candy. “We’re not going to allow people to throw candy from the floats,” said Francis, who adds that parade participants are welcome to hand out candy. “Be a little safer and have a little less litter.” Unclaimed candy in the street and hidden in the grass was another unwelcome side

effect of the thrown candy. “Several people on Main Street have complained about leftover candy.” Francis has been informing various groups of the ban as well as using the paper to announce the new policy. Candy has been thrown from floats for at least 20 years, but he said that no one has seriously complained about the new policy. “I haven’t really heard anything.” As organizer of the parade, he coordinates the participants, the selection of the grand marshal and the military presence. Francis, who has been running the parade for 12 years, will also deliver the address on the town

Floats, such as this one for the Durham Co-op several years ago, can no longer be used as launching platforms for candy at Durham's Memorial Day Parade. Photo by Mark Dionne

green. Although the “candy ban” is the first change for the parade in years, Francis focuses on the reason for the parade.

“Please be mindful of what Memorial Day is all about,” Francis reminds participants and spectators.

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Friday, May 18, 2012

7

Town Times

Animal

Right, Bikers Against Animal Cruelty, a motorcycle group dedicated to animal welfare, holds a “Pet Pics with Santa” event.

(Continued from page 5) the same love for animals. When they reached out to their friends about the idea of forming a non-profit group in 2007, Bikers Against Animal Cruelty was born.

Photo from www.bikersagainstanimalcruelty .org

Stated on their website, the members are “compassionate motorcycle enthusi-

asts who have bonded together in support of animal welfare,” and they are always looking for others like them to join. If you are interested, visit www.bikersagainstanimalcruelty.org for more information. BAAC invited interested folks to come support animals everywhere at the 5th Annual Motorcycle Rodeo, Rally and Adoption event on July 21 at 218 Cheshire Rd in Prospect from noon to 5 p.m.

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Town Times Opinions

8

Friday, May 18, 2012

Letters to the Editor Provide hope Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly cancers. Seventy-four percent of patients die within the first year and 94 percent of patients will die within five years of diagnosis. These statistics have changed little in the last 40 years, and the disease continues to be severely under-researched and under-funded. Unlike many cancers, there are no early detection tools or effective treatments. In my mom’s case, she passed six weeks following the diagnosis. Stunningly, the literature we found when we started researching the disease, simply referred to the disease as the ‘Cancer with No Hope,’ Hope is what we cling to when living becomes the challenge... hope for the patient and hope for those who love him or her. Almost 44,000 Americans were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year. We need to change these statistics. I’m inviting you to join the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s effort to advance research, support patients and patients’ family and create much needed hop. Visit www.pancan.org to learn more about the organization and the disease. Please consider forming your own team or joining and/or donating to my team or another team. ‘Family & More Family’ is our team name, and we will be walking in the PurpleStride on Saturday, June 9, in Bushnell

Park, Hartford. Just Google www.purplestride.org to find the walk and fundraising information. A healthy morning walk can provide hope for this disease; what’s better than that? Carol Magner Mitchell Durham

Fair budget The Durham Fair Association would like to respond to an article that was printed in the Town Times on April 20, titled “Durham Fair Budget Forces Some Entertainment Cuts.” With every new year comes budget time for members of our organization; 2012 was no different. This was a three-month process that commanded a significant amount of time and hard work from our team. The details of all departments were reviewed as we worked to analyze expenses versus revenue and what it takes to deliver a high quality fair. Our number one goal is always to put on the best event possible for our fairgoers. With the budget process now behind us, we are all focused on September and excited to host our 93rd fair. We have several new items that are being planned for this year’s fair and will be sharing those details as they are finalized and the fair rolls closer. Stay tuned. Thank you for your continued support of the Durham Fair. Durham Fair Association Durham

Gracias for Fajita Fiesta The 11th annual Fajita Fiesta at Coginchaug Regional High School was an example of the wonderful volunteer spirit and support that is such an integral part of the Durham-Middlefield community. Thanks to the efforts of the members of the Spanish Honor Society at CRHS, several parents, and my colleagues Kate Martino, Marilyn Horn and Jeannie Gugliemino, we had a very successful and thoroughly enjoyable Fajita Fiesta. The many area businesses who donated items for our silent auction made it a huge success. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

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Town Times is published every Friday by the Record-Journal Publishing Co. and delivered to all homes and businesses in Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall. Stephanie Wilcox, Editor Marsha Pomponio, Office Assistant Olivia L. Lawrence, News Editor-Weeklies Kimberley E. Boath, Advertising Director Joy Boone, Advertising Sales Contributors: Diana Carr, Trish Dynia, Elisabeth Kennedy, Karen Kean, Judy Moeckel, Mark Dionne, Christine Foster and Michelle P. Carter.

Wadsworth family history

The Spanish Honor Society at CRHS raises funds to sponsor two students in Oaxaca, Mexico, who, with our help, will succeed in fulfilling their educational dreams. We also sponsor several students every year in the Summer Program at the Hekab Be Library in Akumal, Mexico. This year we have also become sponsors of the Honduras Children’s Project, a non-profit organization founded by Durham resident Charlie Proctor. Nancy Alberico CRHS Spanish Honor Society Advisor

Letters policy The Town Times intends to present a forum for the lively exchange of ideas and issues. To facilitate the publication of your contributions, several guidelines should be followed. Letters to the editor must be signed, with a phone number included. The writer will be called to confirm authorship. No anonymous letters will be printed, and letters may be edited for grammar or content. Contributions by any individual or group will not be published more frequently than once a month. Every effort will be made to print all letters received. However, the selection and date of publication will be at the discretion of the editor. Finally, the opinions expressed by our letter writers are not necessarily those of this newspaper. Deadline: Monday noon for Friday publication.

Francis Korn, Jr. spoke to members of the Wadsworth Chapter of the Connecticut Daughters of the American Revolution about the proud history of the Wadsworth family in Connecticut and especially in Durham. After the presentation, members visited the Wadsworth family monument, located at the top of the Durham Cemetery. Pictured with Korn at the cemetery is Ellen Halstedt, Regent of the Wadsworth Chapter, CTDAR. Submitted by Judy Moeckel


Friday, May 18, 2012

9

Town Times

Durham tree gets a makeover

Family Tree Care recently donated its time to the United Churches of Durham for what the tree service company considered a “great honor” — pruning the large European copper beech at the Main Street church. Reportedly, the beech originally came as a sapling from England in the late 1800s along with two others, which were shipped to St. John Catholic Church on Main Street in Middletown. St. John lost one shortly after it was planted and it was replaced, which is why the Durham tree is a bit bigger. When last measured, this magnificent specimen in Durham was 184 inches in circumference and had reached a height of 62 feet and a spread of 92.5 feet. It is enormous! Have you stopped and seen this tree? The current Connecticut champion European copper beech is located in Fairfield and measures an amazing 256 inches in circumference, 104 feet tall and a spread of 104 feet. Durham’s tree is supposedly in the top 10 of European copper beeches in Connecticut. Family Tree Care owner David Slade said the root zone of this tree is bare soil that has been heavily trampled, so if you visit the tree, stay off the roots.

Submitted by Family Tree Care. Note: history of the tree came from the United Churches of Durham/Nancy Mancara.

April police statistics Eric Kelly, Middlefield Redsident State Trooper

Trooper Talk Middlefield Calls for Service: 549 Criminal Investigations: 7 Motor Vehicle Accidents w/Injuries: 0 Motor Vehicle Accidents w/o Injuries: 4 Total Motor Vehicle accidents for April 2012: 4 Motor Vehicle Infractions: 136 issued. Motor Vehicle Warnings: 16 issued. Motor Vehicle Accident DWI’s: 0 On-sight DWI’s: 2 Motorist Assists: 6

BOE (Continued from page 3)

come up with any other bright ideas [to publicize the vote] we can try it.” Talking tech Director of Information Technology Rich Fielding referred to the budget during his presentation of the technology plan. With much of the technology plan tied to finances, Fielding said when he heard the budget passed, “I was so relieved.” Part of the technology plan consists of tying technology into the curriculum, including an expansion of the computer labs at Lyman

and Brewster schools. Fielding also explained state-required testing of the district’s readiness for the coming Common Core State Standards. Testing under CCSS will all be done on internet connected computers. “The question is how many of our students... could be taking the test at the same time, and we were fortunate enough to be able to say, ‘All of them and then some,’” reported Fielding. “We’re starting in a good place,” he continued, “and we have a lot of confidence moving forward that we’ll be ready for 2014,” when CCSS testing starts. Fielding also detailed upcoming renovations to the

district’s technology, including replacing the firewall and other security updates, changes to printing for savings and privacy and completing an initiative to get every teacher a laptop. The district is also scheduled to switch to new websites next year for each school, central office and the BOE. The technology plan is not finalized until signed by the superintendent and approved by the BOE. It will be on the agenda at future meetings. Bathroom break A joint committee of BOE members will meet May 23 See BOE, page 12


10

Friday, May 18, 2012

Town Times

Durham-Middlefield Youth and Family Services Babysitter Training Classes Learn to become a safe and responsible babysitter. This American Heart Association program includes basic childcare, First Aid and CPR training as well as information for other emergency situations. Also covered will be responding to an emergency or sudden illness, prevention of accidents and supervision of children from infancy through school age. This course provides practical knowledge while building confidence, self-esteem, leadership and independ-

tion deadline is July 13. First Aid and CPR Course covers CPR, falls, cuts, bleeding, choking and more. Perfect for teens preparing for summer employment. Increase your confidence and ability to save lives. This program is for teens (grade 9 and older) and adults. It takes place Monday, June 25, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at DMYFS A fee is charged and limit to 12 participants. Participants earn a three-year First Aid/CPR certification. To register, download the regis-

ence. Students receive First Aid and CPR certification. DMYFS will also maintain a list of all youth completing the course for use in its Job Bank. This program is for youth in grades 5-9 and takes place Monday and Tuesday, July 16-17, from 9 a.m. to noon at Durham Middlefield Youth and Family Services. A fee is included and there is a limit of 12 participants. To register, download the registration form at DMYFS.org and mail to DMYFS (405 Main Street, Middlefield 06455). Registra-

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The Town Times welcomes submissions regarding upcoming events happening in the community, letters and obituaries. E-mail news@towntimes.com with your submission by Mondays at noon. We do our best to run calendar events and announcements at least one time. However, due to space constraints, we cannot guarantee a submission will be published on a specific date. To ensure your submission runs exactly as you would like it to, contact our sales representative, Joy Boone, at (203) 3172313 or e-mail advertising@towntimes.com for a paid ad. Thank you.

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Friday, May 18, 2012

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Town Times

Underage (Continued from page 1) tiative ends on June 24 when a billboard being placed at the corner of routes 17 and 147 will come down. One unique piece of the Durham/Middlefield effort is how involved local students are in the initiatives. For example, members of the EDGE club (Excellent Decisions Guiding Everyday) from both Strong School and Coginchaug High School came up with the idea for “Sticker Attack” at the DMYFS Teen Power Conference held last summer. Moen said the group of students who are involved is eclectic and includes athletes, honor society students and others who have a passion for this work. “When you can get the kids involved, it’s great,” said Lisa Mason, the community health liaison for Middlesex County Substance Abuse Action Council, which has supported the local effort. The biggest push will come during the week before the prom, “EDGE WEEK” which

The High School EDGE group and community Leaders. Back Row (l to r): Brian Bodner, Linda Mone, Alexis Johnson, Jane Moen, Colin Plant, Resident Trooper Peter DiGioia. Middle Row (l to r): Hayley Quirk, Dominique Coppola, Erin Blecha, Zack Stublarek, Betsy Dean, Laura Francis, Becca Anderson. Front Row (l to r): Eva Hanks, Deanna Puchalski, Steven Tyc, Nick Tyc, Bill Malcolm.

“Smarties” candies. Lockers will be festooned with red ribbons for substance abuse awareness. On May 24, students and adults will present a mock crash, so they can see the horror of what happens at an accident scene. The hope is that the images will be fresh in the students’ minds when they attend prom two days later. The outreach also is targeting parents and other adults, since research shows that most kids get their alcohol from those who are of legal age to drink. Connecticut’s strict laws, detailed at www.settherulesct.org, call for fines, prison time, or both for those who serve teens alcohol. “We want to dispel the myth that everyone is serving kids,” Mason said. “We are saying, ‘Come join the

Submitted by Jane Moen

runs from May 21-25. Each day will feature a reminder not to drink or use drugs. One day students will trace their bodies on the sidewalks leading into the high school and fill each body outline

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with a statistic about the dangers of substance abuse. On another day EDGE members will check to see that students driving onto campus are wearing seatbelt — and reward those who are with

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Friday, May 18, 2012

Town Times

BOE (Continued from page 9)

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said Hennick of the Planning and Zoning meeting. BOE member Kerrie Flanagan concluded on the need to finish the project, “We have an obligation... the ball’s in our court.” Field trips CRHS French teacher Donna Cashore appealed to the BOE for permission to take approximately 15 upper level French students on a field trip to France in July of 2013. During public comments, two parents of CRHS students asked the board to alternate years for expensive field trips between the language and music programs. The music trips are competition-based and, if students skip those because of other expensive trips, the rest of the band or choir could show up short-handed. A second issue regarding graduated seniors attending field trips that take place after the school year was not settled. The BOE tabled the field trip request. The next BOE meeting is May 23 at 7:30 p.m. at Memorial School.


Durham Town Briefs

Friday, May 18, 2012

Durham Government Calendar

Mother’s Day quiz

(Unless otherwise indicated, all meetings are held in the Durham Library. Check the town website at www.townofdurhamct.org for updates.) Monday, May 21 7 p.m. — Board of Selectmen at Town Hall Wednesday, May 23 7:30 p.m. — Board of Ed at Memorial School Thursday, May 24 12:30 p.m. — Senior Citizen Board at DAC

During a recent senior luncheon at the Durham Activity Center, mothers were quizzed about Mother’s Day. The light-hearted quiz and top answers follow: How many children do you have? 7 How many grandchildren do you have? 10 How many great-grandchildren do you have? 12 How many pets do you have? One of our seniors commented — Just Joe (her husband). The actual pet owner winner had one dog and 30 chickens How many years have you been a mother? 65 How long was your shortest labor — 10 minutes How long was your longest labor? 41 hours

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Middlefield Town Briefs

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Hikers rescued in Middlefield Two hikers were rescued on Beseck Mountain in Middlefield Friday night after falling about 150 feet down a cliff. EMS and fire personnel rescued Linda Klapatch, 25, and Connor Mullen, 28, both of Wethersfield. They were flown by Life Star helicopter to Hartford Hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The mountain has a history of hiker accidents requiring rescue. Two needed to be rescued in September 2011. One of them, Tiffany Maxfield, of Southington, suf-

fered six broken ribs, broken vertebrae, a skull fracture, a broken collarbone and a tear to an artery leading to her brain after an 80foot fall. Michael Beaudry, of Meriden, died in May 2010 after a fall. (Rich Scinto/Record Journal)

Senior Center news Yarn wanted The Middlefield Senior Center knitting groups are in need of yarn. The group knits and crochets afghans for the Middlesex Cancer Center and the MidState Cancer center. The group

uses only 4 ply worsted weight yarn. Donations may be dropped off at the center during regular business hours or left by the office door. Summer bocce Summer bocce is scheduled for every Tuesday at 6 p.m. beginning June 12. Please call the center if you would like to be included in the mailings. These are drop-in games, just bring a lawn chair. Movie Madness Movie Madness is scheduled for May as follows: Wednesday, May 23 — The Babies Wednesday, May 30 — I Don’t Know How she Does it Movies are scheduled for

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Middlefield Government Calendar (Unless otherwise indicated, all meetings are held in the Community Center.) Monday, May 21 9 a.m. — Housing Authority Tuesday, May 22 7 p.m. — Board of Selectmen 7 p.m. — Zoning Board of Appeals Wednesday, May 23 6:30 p.m. — Planning & Zoning Commission 7:30 p.m. — Board of Ed at Memorial School 1 p.m. Popcorn is provided. Movies are drop-in, no reservations are needed. All are welcome. Free blood pressure screenings Free Blood Pressure screenings are offered every first and third Wednesday at noon. The next screening is scheduled for June 6. No ap-

pointment necessary. Cards Card games are played three times a week at the Senior Center. Set back is played on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. and bridge every Thursday and Friday at 12:45 p.m. on a drop-in basis. No registration or sign up is necessary.

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Freshman Cory Hassmann reveals his doodle to the students and media assembled in the CRHS auditorium. Senator Richard Blumenthal was on hand to congratulate him. Photo by Liz Harlow

%\ .DLWOLQ 0F.HUQDQ There are a number of talents that a person has. Some have a talent for music, others for writing, and others for art. Fourteen-year-old freshman Cory Hassmann has an artistic talent and entered into Google’s contest called “Doodle 4 Google.� Google has been sponsoring “Doodle 4 Google� since 2008 to recognize students in grades k-12 for artistic achievement. Cory entered the contest when he was in sixth grade and made it to the top 250 entries. This year there were over 114,000 entries and fifty state winners. This year Cory’s design made it to the top 50 finalists. All 50 finalists go to New York on May 18 to be recognized. The winner of the overall contest will receive a $50,000 grant for their school to use for technology and a $30,000 college scholarship. The top 250 entries and fifty finalists were voted on by Google volunteers and eight guest judges including Katy Perry, Jeff Marsh, Jordin Sparks, Mo Willems, Holly Black, Tony DiTerlizzi, Brian Nemeckay, and Jack Martin. Each entry was judged on how well the artist followed the theme, their artistic merit, and their

creativity. This year’s theme was, “If I could travel in time I’d visit‌â€? Connecting to the theme, Cory titled his piece “Dawn of a New Ageâ€? and it focused on the Industrial Revolution. “I remember in seventh grade we learned about the Industrial Revolution and it always impressed me,â€? said Cory. “It’s a big aspect of history.â€? When Cory saw that this was the theme for 2012 he began to draw what later became the first “Oâ€? in Google. His design focused on the different inventions of the time like the analog clock. The G is portrayed by a typewriter, the first O is an analog clock which was a common clock of the time, the second O is the classic way an O would be written in that time period, followed by the phonograph which took the shape of the second G. The next letter was shown using the smoke stacks from factories and finally the E was the steam, which was coming from the lower tower of the factory. “I guess after my sixth grade loss, I just wanted to redeem myself,â€? said Cory. The Hassmann family was on vacation in Aruba when the initial call to congratulate Cory came in. Cory’s mom Leslie had

listened to the voicemail that said, “We have some exciting news for you!� The family figured he had just made the top 250 finalists again, but when Leslie called back the following Monday she could hardly contain herself. “I don’t think we appreciate this recognition for what it really is,� said Cory’s father Russ Hassmann. “I mean, with every new encounter about it, it gets more and more exciting,. “To look at that, a person would never expect it to be coming from a fourteenyear-old high school student, it looks so professional,� said Strong School art teacher Mrs. Amy Schafer. Cory sent a scanned copy of his artwork to CRHS art teacher Mrs. Jan Wenzel. “I was in awe,� said Mrs. Wenzel. “It is truly a creative way that Cory took the objects and transformed them into the letters, it’s so unique and incredible!� Senator Richard Blumenthal was present at the assembly and he was very encouraging to Cory. “It’s a remarkable day, and an extraordinary event when someone with such special talents and gifts gets honored,� said Blumenthal. “I am astonished and

overwhelmed by the beauty of this doodle, which is actually a drawing. I urge all of you to go to the website and vote, vote for Cory early and often!� The auditorium erupted with cheers as the Senator presented Cory with a certificate of recognition from the United States Senate. “I helped judge these drawings and out of the thousands I looked at- his really is one of the best ones I’ve seen,� said Google product marketing manager Kathy Cooper. She and her coworker Jennifer Soffen were the representatives from Google at the assembly. “This is my favorite day at work here at Google,� said Ms. Soffen. Cory has been artistically inclined since age three or four years old and hopes to continue his art career and go to an art school hopefully in Connecticut or at least New England. Since the assembly, students have been voting as much as possible and sharing the link to his doodle on facebook and twitter. The school urges all students to vote, and the Google homepage shows up on all the computers when logged into the internet.


2

The Devils’ Advocate

Friday, May 18, 2012

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%\ &ROOLQ %R\OLQ DQG 0LFKDHO 2¡6XOOLYDQ Editors-in-Chief: Adam Twombly and Kaitlin McKernan Editorial board: Alex Kovacs, Kevin Onofreo, Collin Boylin Contributors and Production staff: James Berardino, Michael O’Sullivan, Audrey Biesak, Christopher Crandall, Jen Siena, Kevin Onofreo, Sean Cavanaugh, Dena Branciforte, Martin Malek, Meggie Andrulis , Carli Wallace, Jeremy Brown, Sarah Brady, Melanie Frank, Ross McCain,Carli Wallace, Liz Harlow Advisors: Mr. Nate Fisher, Ms. Stephanie Wilcox The Devils’ Advocate is the Coginchaug Regional High School newspaper.

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Prom, tests, AP exams, SATs, homework, quizzes, extracurriculars, work, newspaper deadlines, AAAAAHHHH! I ask my fellow students, where does the stress end? Unfortunately, my dear friends, it doesn’t. In a world of competitive everything, the stress just doesn’t let up. I’m afraid that while junior and senior year of high school are likely one of the most prolonged stressful periods of one’s lifetime, they certainly aren’t the most stressful overall, yet perhaps it just seems that way because of the pressure that we students feel from everywhere: the media, our friends, our family, even ourselves. As high schoolers, we have to balance

school work, a social life, sleep, and did I mention that we have to decide what we want to do for the rest of our lives? Well, I can’t offer up any Great Solution for how to end the stress, and I don’t think I should. Stress can be good to some degree- it motivates us to be more than what we are. However, we can only handle so much before we crack under the pressure, something that I wish on nobody. And so, my only solution is thiswhen the pressure becomes too much to handle, take a deep breath. Go for a short walk. Take a nap. Talk with some friends. Because even if the stress never ends, nobody says you can’t take a little break. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to study for a chemistry test.

7DONLQJ ZLWK 7ZRPEOHV 7KH <HDUO\ (SLGHPLF E\ $GDP 7ZRPEO\ As the school year draws to a close, it is not uncommon for senior students to contract the disease “senioritis,� most commonly known as “the senior slide.� Symptoms of the disease often include laziness, drowsiness, boredom, and an excess of sleep, particularly on weekends. In severe cases, a student will not do their homework, if anything at all. The disease has many different forms, from mild to severe. Few students are immune. If you think your senior has this disease, do not panic. Do not bother to yell at your student or try to coerce them, for their actions are beyond

their control. While there is of yet no known cure, the symptoms usually disappear at some point soon after your student graduates from high school. You may allow your senior to drive or operate heavy machinery even if you think he or she is infected with the disease‌ however, allowing a teenage high school student to operate heavy machinery in the first place may not be the best idea. THE DISEASE IS NOT FATAL. And in case you were wondering: yes, I have been fully infected‌hopefully it will go away before college.

One essential question for the students taking junior health at CRHS, as prescribed by the Board-approved curriculum, is as follows: “Why is learning about sexually transmitted infections and the spread of HIV/AIDS essential for my health and well-being?� In order to address that question, a group known as ASHA (AIDS and Sexual Health Awareness), which is operated by graduate students as a part of the Wesleyan University’s Office of Community Service, arrived in a junior health class on April 13 to help students answer that very question. The group spreads awareness of how young people can avoid sexually transmitted diseases. After the group visited one of the junior health classes, an unnamed parent complained to the Board of Education (BOE) that her daughter came home upset about some of the topics that the students discussed. In reaction to the complaint, the BOE discussed the workshop at an April 25 meeting. A few members expressed their concern for the open format that ASHA used for the lesson. “I was concerned over the discussion raised by students,� said BOE member Mrs. Elizabeth Gara. “Students were asking questions for shock value, and with a young organization of students trying to steer the conversation, things could quickly make someone feel uncomfortable.� But students who participated in the workshop expressed that the program conveyed critical information about sexual health by allowing the students to address subjects that would make them feel uncomfortable or embarrassed in a more traditional academic format. According to students who participated in the program, students were allowed to ask any questions they chose about sexual practices. If students chose not to ask a question there was an “opt-out�

policy in place to ensure that students didn’t feel awkward. In other words, not everyone was required to participate. Students who chose to share their input in the class discussion did so at their own discretion. Mrs. Gara expressed concern that the “opt-out� policy may result in a student feeling even more awkward than if they had asked an uncomfortable question. But should one student’s discomfort outweigh the need for students to be safe? “What happens if questions could make a student feel uncomfortable, but they’re also important to the students’ sexual health?� asked senior Kyle Hoyt. Other students felt similarly to Kyle. “I feel this was a program that was beneficial for students to have,� said junior Liz Harlow. “I do not feel like they crossed the line,� said junior Garrett Judson. “In my opinion they were nothing but informative. I was upset about how the presentation was misinterpreted by some people through the comments made on Patch.� “The extent of their presentation did not make me feel uncomfortable,� said junior Jake Abbott. “I can see why the conversation could make certain people feel uncomfortable, but for the most part the topics mentioned in the discussion were pretty much things that we brought up as a class.� “The program was really informative for students,� said junior Christine French. Principal Mr. Andre Hauser also affirmed the importance of teaching sexual health to students in an age when the information is quite literally of life or death importance. “I would be very worried if a student graduated high school not knowing how to avoid risky behavior,� said Mr. Hauser. “I do not feel we would be doing our job if we were teaching you how to read and write and not how to keep yourself safe.�

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In the April 13 edition of The Devils’ Advocate, the story entitled “RSD 13’s Annual Budget Cuts� by James Berardino stated that the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) club will “definitely be terminated� due to budget cuts. This is not true.

The error came from a misinterpretation of the budget revisions by our reporter. FBLA will remain a part of the CRHS community for the remainder of this school year and next. We apologize for the error.

Math, Science and Technology students toured the Jet Engine overhaul facility of the Connecticut Air National Guard. The field trip was funded by a grant from the Carl D. Perkins Fund. Photo by Mr. Jack Fairburn


Friday, May 18, 2012

3

The Devils’ Advocate

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The melody of the mariachi band entertained the teachers, students, parents, friends and family who supported the Fajita Fiesta on Friday, April 27 in the CRHS cafeteria. This year organizers were able to cut some overhead costs in order to donate more money to programs that Spanish Honor Society (SHS) sponsors. Spanish teacher Mrs. Kate Germond contributed with a money saving idea. She had her brother, Mr. John Martino, who has been a chef for about five years in a restaurant called La Piastra in Cromwell, cook for the Fajita Fiesta. He worked for the pasta dinner for the Spain trip. “Everyone loved the food and complimented the cooking,” said Mrs. Germond. Mrs. Alberico and Mrs. Germond had the idea of having him come back for the Fajita Fiesta. “So now we keep recruiting him,” said Mrs. Germond. Mr. Martino cooked all the same food as Jalepeno Heaven had cooked in past years. In the past, SHS would have to pay the restaurant Jalapeno Heaven for their restaurant services, and then volunteer parents to cook. “Although the fajita fiesta still needed some volunteer parents, [Mr. Martino] was here to actually cook the food,” said Mrs. Germond. “We saved

upwards of $1,000 on food costs.” “There were a lot of compliments about the food [at the Fajita Fiesta],” said Mrs. Alberico. Last year, and in past years, the ticket sales have been for paying the mariachi band, caterer, and the cafeteria help. There has never been a profit on ticket sales for these reasons, but this year more sales were made for tickets than ever before and there is more of a chance for profit. This extra profit made on the tickets and money saved on food allows the SHS to fund more projects and make more donations. The SHS used to sponsor five kids for the Akumal summer program in Akumal, Mexico. Due to the success of the Fajita Fiesta, SHS can double the amount of kids they sponsor for this year to ten kids. SHS is also sponsoring twelve students in Oaxaca, Mexico through the Streetchildren Grassroots Program. “Fees have increased, so it will be helpful to have more profit to help cover these sponsorships,” said Mrs. Alberico. The SHS is also donating money to the Honduras Children’s Project. “The profit allows us to continue to support this as well. We are always looking for new proects to support,” said. Mrs. Alberico.

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On Tuesday, May 8, RSD13’s proposed 2012-13 education budget of $35,981,819 passed by 87 votes. Full-day kindergarten is included in the budget, along with funding for certain programs to support the implementation of the state’s common core standards. “In this year’s budget, the Board of Education’s top priority was supporting programs that would help students achieve high academic levels,” said BOE member Elizabeth Gara. “The state is requiring schools to implement common core standards that are aimed at ensuring that all students graduate with strong math, science, reading and writing skills.” “The standards outline what is expected of students at each grade level and establish benchmarks that students and teachers should achieve,” said Mrs. Gara. “To help ensure that students develop strong reading and writing skills, the Board of Education included funding for new literacy tutors.” 70 percent of Connecticut’s school districts have incorporated full-day kindergarten into their programs. “We’ve needed full day Kindergarten for a while now,” said Super Intendant Susan Viccaro. “It will help to advantage our kids in the district.”

“Full day kindergarten will help provide all students with a strong foundation for academic success. Under the common core standards, students will be expected to develop certain academic skills in kindergarten,” said Ms. Gara. “Half-day kindergarten doesn’t provide sufficient time to help students develop the cognitive learning and problem-solving skills necessary for success in first grade.” Mrs. Gara said that there wasn’t enough money in the budget this year to finish the restrooms for the athletic complex. “The board is committed to developing a plan to secure funding to complete the project within two years,” said Ms. Gara. “The board worked very hard to craft a budget that would help to improve student achievement levels without significantly increasing the burden on taxpayers,” said Ms. Gara. “We are thankful that people came out to support the budget.” “I was pleasantly surprised when the budget passed,” said Ms. Viccaro. “However, I was disappointed with the low voter turnout. It impacts all tax payers in town, yet so few came out to vote.” BOE member Elizabeth Gara is the mother of Devils’ Advocate reporter James Berardino.

Seniors Emily Carria and Sean Rogers hand out tickets at the Fajita Fiesta. Photo by Meggie Andrulis

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Last year marked the beginning of a promising annual tradition: a field day called Cogfest. The idea originated in students’ advisory blocks when students from last year’s senior class lobbied for the idea to have both a field day and a talent show. The two ideas were combined to form Cogfest. The success of last year’s festival sparked the reincarnation of it this year. Cogfest is expected to be May 31st this year. “It will be similar to last year’s event, but with some improvements based on student and teacher feedback,” said Principal Mr. Andre Hauser. Because the students who came up with the idea of Cogfest graduated last year, the Principal’s Advisory Board, a group of four students from each grade who work with Mr. Hauser on projects and who give him input into a variety of topics, have taken over planning this year. Senior Rachel Viccaro, one of the key members of the planning committee, commented about an important plan-

ning meeting on Wednesday, May 9. “The meeting went well. We mainly talked about which games received good feedback and if we can improve or get rid of ones that did not,” Said Rachel. As of now it is unknown whether or not the talent show stage will return this year. The planned activities so far are volleyball in the gym, ultimate Frisbee on the athletic fields, bucket brigade on the basketball courts, kickball on the baseball field, shipwreck, capture the flag on the lower soccer fields, soccer on the other lower soccer fields, dodge ball on tennis courts, and tug of war on the hill between the soccer fields. The location of shipwreck is currently unknown because they will no longer take place on the tennis courts to prevent the game from scratching the courts. Teachers will chaperone the games and be the referee’s. “It was fun experience for the whole school, and I can’t wait for it this year!” said Junior Adrian Tubis.


4

The Devils’ Advocate

Juniors Play Hyde and Seek By Kaitlin McKernan

On April 24, 2012 the junior class took their annual field trip to upstate New York to Hyde Park. The class was broken up into three different groups and explored Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s home, the Vanderbilt Mansion, and FDR’s presidential library. The class left the school at 7:30am and returned to the school at 5:30pm. “I thought it was a great opportunity to learn more about FDR first hand. It was fun to see the Vanderbilt mansion and the portrayed a lot of information in a fun and educational style,” said junior Kendra Pashley. The students went to different museums at different times during the day. There were a lot of interesting facts at the different places. For instance, the Vanderbilt mansion was the smallest of forty of them. It is a total of 500,000 square feet and has 54 rooms and it generally took up to twenty servants to maintain the house. Mrs. Vanderbilt’s bedchambers are fit for a queen and based off of Marie Antoinette’s bedroom in France, with a gate around the bed. The students got the opportunity to explore the grounds of the mansion where they saw the flower garden that fresh flowers were picked from everyday. In fact, at one point in time there were 2000 fresh flowers on the dining room table at a time. The students learned that the Vanderbilt’s had to maintain a high social

status, and often hosted many parties. Single women were allowed to stay the night in the house, where as the bachelors were housed in a separate building. At FDR’s home, students learned all about the adjustments that were made to the house after FDR was diagnosed with polio disease. They learned how Hyde Park came to have ownership over the home, and even saw where FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt are buried. Around 11:30am it was nearing lunch time and the class found their way to a nearby McDonalds restaurant. “I think the overall trip was nice, but I felt I got ripped off at McDonalds when I found out I paid more than I had to for a 20 piece! Also, I felt like the park wasn’t as hidden as they say it is,” said Jeremy Brown. At lunch, the groups came together and students got to discuss what they saw throughout the morning. Each group also went to Roosevelt’s Presidential Library and did a document analysis on various topics. “I loved it! I’ve never been up there before so I found it very interesting. I thought it was a very worthwhile trip,” said homeec teacher Mrs. Candace Brickley. “You can always read about things and see pictures, but visiting a place like that first hand is an authentic experience that really brings the time period to life.”

On April 24, Destiny Africa Children’s Choir came and preformed at Middlesex Community College. In the photo above two Ugandan children are doing a cultural dance to show all the different cultures in Uganda, Africa. Destiny Africa Children’s Choir are here from Uganda to raise money to take back to Africa and use in their Children’s Center to house more children. Two years ago, Destiny Africa went to Strong and had a community concert at CRHS. This year, the choir is coming back in June to have a school concert at Strong and Memorial, and they’re having a community concert at CRHS on June 7 at 7:30 PM. They also have concerts all throughout New England until the end of July. Photos by Catherine Brennan

Friday, May 18, 2012

Do the Pink Slips Work? By Adam Twombly

From the day freshmen students set foot inside Coginchaug they are constantly reminded of their requirement to obtain their nine graduation competencies. These one-half sheets of pink paper are one of several necessities that a student needs in order to graduate. Of late, a number of students and teachers have begun to question whether the current system is actually a viable way of examining a student’s skills. Before we investigate this, we must first learn exactly what the competencies are supposed to do. “Around the year 2000, the state passed a law that said in addition to earning the required number of credits, all students had to meet some sort of graduation requirement demonstrating skill in certain areas,” said CRHS principal Mr. Andre Hauser. “They didn’t tell us what that would mean other than we had to somehow incorporate the CAPT test into it. Then they left schools to come up with their own system.” “We decided that in addition to scoring a level three or higher on each of the three CAPT tests, there were certain things we thought students needed to know or be able to do to be successful life-long learners,” he continued. “Those included collaborating and cooperating, the ability to do quality work, and the one that has changed the most over time: the ‘technology one,’ which is actually accessing and processing information from a variety of media. The whole idea was that these are the skills that don’t really line up with a [particular] subject area, but they are skills that all successful adults need.” However, some have recently questioned the system, especially after rumors circulated that said one senior collected five competencies in one day.

“I sometimes feel like they don’t really do anything,” said sophomore Alex Preneta. “I have had teachers give us assignments and offer a competency in all three areas, but then it turns out to be a really simple assignment.” “Honestly, I think that we should require more than just three competencies [in each area] over four years of high school,” said math department chair Ms. Kathy Zygmont. “It has been my experience that when I’ve had freshman classes, the students haven’t really shown me quality work, but as they go up in years, I tend to get quality work from my juniors and seniors. I think most everybody does a good job with collaborating and cooperating, but it’s the accessing and processing information that can be the most difficult because of the fact that it’s tied to a research-based project.” “I think that you should not be allowed to collect a competency from previous years,” she said. “If you collected your competency but didn’t hand in the paperwork, then shame on you. I don’t think you should be able to go back and say ‘can I have that competency? I forgot to hand it in.’” “The likelihood that we will get absolute consistency in the way that we assess students is next to none,” said social studies department chair Mrs. Julie Selberg. “Yet, both because it’s good practice and because it’s required of us, we have to push ourselves toward that and although the competencies are of yet an imperfect instrument, we need something. I think they are a workable solution but there might be ways to improve it.” In response to this, Mr. Hauser said, “If I didn’t think they were a viable way of measuring a student’s abilities, I’d be working on changing them.”


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Vamos a la España! A group of 27 students and four teachers went on a ten-day experience like no other. A trip full of paella, tapas, queso and more, this group of students and teachers had the opportunity to travel to four incredible cities in Spain. Madrid was the first stop. In this large city, students got the chance to explore the culture in shops, restaurants, and museums. Not only that, but students had the chance to go to a Real Madrid soccer game. “The highlight of the trip for me was the soccer game,” said history teacher and chaperone Mr. Anthony Pulino. “You really got to see how important the game of soccer is to the Spanish culture. Also, we got to see one of best players in the world [Christiano Ronaldo] score the winning goal of the game. I got to share the experience with the students which was also really cool and unforgettable.” After three days in Madrid the next stop was Salamanca, a city known for the University of Salamanca. Students saw breathtaking buildings and campus of this cultural university. Spanish teacher Mrs. Kate Germond actually attended this university for two summers, so she was very familiar with the area. “I spent two summers for my master’s in Salamanca,” said Senora Germond. “It is a city that is very close to my heart, and I wanted to share the city with the students.” The group only spent one night in Salamanca but still enjoyed it very much. “I loved the Plaza Mayor in Salamanca. It was gorgeous, and being in the same place that the movie Vantage Point was filmed was awesome,” said senior Emily Romanoff. Following Salamanca, they took a five-hour bus ride to a city called San Sebastián. San Sebastián is known for the beautiful beaches. Unfortunately, the

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The Devils’ Advocate

skies above were full of clouds and rain while there, which made the students miss out on the opportunity to spend time on the beach. The next day, the group had the chance to go to France for a few hours because the weather was so poor in San Sebastián. Not only did the students get to say they went to Spain, but now they could say they went to France as well. “When we heard that we were going to be able to go to France for a few hours the next morning, I was very excited,” said sophomore Carolyn Fetchel. “It was definitely a very good surprise. The only thing was that the shops were very expensive.” For the final three days we visited the city of Barcelona. Barcelona was always busy and filled with a lot of excitement; there were streets full of street performers and all different types of food. “My favorite city was Barcelona because it was very beautiful and pretty,” said senior Andrea Braga. ”It was full of people. The atmosphere was exciting. Also, they had some really cool street performers that were really interesting. I learned a lot from this trip. I saw how the people in Spain live, and I really enjoyed seeing how they all act and there different life style. Their sleeping and eating schedules are much different from ours, so that was a big adjustment to get used to.” “I think that we saw places Senora Germond really loved and wanted to share with us,” said school psychologist and chaperone Stacy DellaCamera. “ I think that because we had 18 seniors on the trip, it really ties everything together because they’ve been in Spanish class for the past four years,” said Senora Germond. “Not only that but the students went to four large cities that used three of the four national languages in Spain and not many people get to experience that. “

%\ 'HQD %UDQFLIRUWH The contrasting music types varied from serene and soothing to loud and vibrant. The music echoed off the auditorium walls as all of the RSD 13’s bands played at Instrumental Night on Thursday, April 26. The entire auditorium was packed with pleased parents, teachers, and siblings watching their children, students, brothers, and sisters get up on the stage and perform. “I enjoy watching the [Coginchaug] band perform. I’m amazed by the quality of the music they’re able to create,” said teachers’ aide Mrs. Janet Yura. First, the fifth and sixth graders

from Memorial School showed off their musical ability. Conducted by Mr. Tim Fisher, the fifth graders played “Safari” and “Aztec Dance.” The sixth graders performed “Primordium” and “Stampede.” Following those bands, Mr. Steven Fitzgerald conducted the seventh grade band through “The Quest” and “Colliding Visions.” The eighth grade band, also conducted by Mr. FitzGerald, played “Conquest” and “Jungle Dance.” After the performances by the other schools, Mr. Dean Coutsouridis conducted the concert band and chose the upbeat

songs: “The Thunderer,” “Africa: Ceremony, Song and Ritual,” and “Rhythm of the Spheres.” “I choose the music selection based on their strong points,” said band director Mr. Coutsouridis. At the end of the concert, the five bands joined together to create the Regional School District 13 “Monster Band.” The group, which had never played as a single band before this point, pulled together a rousing rendition of “Anchors Aweigh.” “I was amazed by the quality of music they’re able to create,” said Mrs. Yura.

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Friday, May 18, 2012


6

The Devils’ Advocate

Senior Play M*A*S*H is Just Around the Corner By Ross McCain

After a hiatus of a few years, English teacher Mr. Nathan Fisher is back teaching the theater arts class which is responsible for the production and performance of the annual senior class play. Every year the senior play has gotten bigger and better. “Since I started teaching the class, I’ve really fallen in love with theater and gotten involved with a number of productions,” said Mr. Fisher. This year, the senior class will be performing a modernized version of M*A*S*H, a comedy about the Korean War in 1951. “It’s a comedy about the military, and the military has changed a lot since 1951,” said Mr. Fisher, “We wanted to modernize the setting to reflect the modern military.” Assistant director and senior Rachel Viccaro, who helps out with staging the show, props, lighting and cues, and is the director’s “right hand man,” feels that the play is going to turn out really well. “When we started practicing, I was surprised at how good people were who had never acted before,” said Rachel. “At first I was really uncertain because I didn’t want to offend anyone,” Rachel said. “But the way that we modernized it,

I think we did it in a good way so that it’s not too specific to our time.” Senior Calvin Alderete plays the character Trapper John McIntyre. “It has a lot of potential and I can’t wait to see how it turns out,” Calvin said. “It’s a good concept with a lot of potential,” said senior Kevin Ruffino. “It will take a lot of work to achieve,” “One of the reasons we decided as a class to modernize M*A*S*H were the similarities between the ways the two wars were seen at home,” said Mr. Fisher. “The Korean War is known now as the invisible war, and I think our current conflicts are equally unseen by the public.” He also wants to demystify the military experience to the students in the class. “I want all the kids to explore what the day to day life is of someone in the military rather than engage in one romanticized view,” said Mr. Fisher. Half of the proceeds that come from the production will go to charitable veterans’ organizations. The play will be performed on Friday, June 8. Theater arts teacher Mr. Nathan Fisher also teaches senior journalism and is the adviser of The Devils’ Advocate.

“I was surprised at how good people were who had never acted before.” -MASH Assistant Director Rachel Viccaro

Friday, May 18, 2012

Will You Go To Prom With Me? By Jen Siena

Talk of prom is filling the hallways, but not with what you might think. When prom is brought up in conversations, it’s usually about the glamour of the night, the dresses, and the limos, but this year, it’s all about the invitation. Elaborate invitations to prom are now called prom-posals and are appearing in many different forms such as songs, cards, and other clever ideas. All over the United States “prom-posals” are occurring within high schools, such as Alex Chichkov from Tampa, Florida, that paid $600 to have a plane pull a banner saying “come to prom with me?” This story was mentioned on NBC 2 out of Florida and has made a big impact across the United States. This new trend has made its way to Durham, in less expensive yet still elaborate ways. Some of the memorable prom-posals that students were doing this year included a performance of a prom version of Pink’s song “Perfect,” giant posters spelling out prom, a message in a bottle, a homemade magic card, and prom spelled out in flower petals or sticky notes. Most of the guys that asked said they didn’t really have any inspiration behind their ideas; they just randomly thought of the idea. Senior Billy Malcolm used an idea that made headlines last year when a teen was arrested for asking a girl to prom by taping up posters that spelt out “prom” on the school. Billy talked to Principal Mr. Andre Hauser before proceeding to make posters that spelt out “prom” and taped them to the windows of the press box on top of the bleachers. “I figured the new stadium had to be christened, and I wanted to be the one

2012 Senior Arts Showcase

who did it,” said Billy. “I guess the rest is history.” Senior Nick Bartholomew asked junior Katie McKernan to prom by making a Magic card with his face on it and the information about prom. His friend placed the card on top of the deck, so while they were playing, his date would turn it over and see the invitation. “I went on the internet to see how to make a card,” said Nick. “I was teaching her to play Magic and I kind of just came up with it. There was no inspiration behind it.” Senior Andrew Paxton went to his girlfriends’ work at Grace Lutheran Preschool to ask her to prom. When junior Mary Yale went upstairs with a friend to make copies, Andrew gave signs to some of the little kids and when she came downstairs all the kids held up signs saying “will you go to prom with me?” and he held the last sign. “I had talked to some friends about it, and I knew I had to step it up from the way I asked her last year,” said Andrew. Junior Christine French went outside of her house to see her boyfriend standing at his car holding ice cream and a card that asked to her to prom. He also sticky noted her car because of a prank that her and her friend had pulled. Junior Kelly Donovan went back to a friend’s house when she saw her date with a tulip and “Prom?” written on his car. “I really wasn’t expecting it at all, so I was extremely surprised,” said Kelly. Prom is one memory that nobody will ever forget, but it seems that this year the biggest thing isn’t going to be the dance itself. Its going to be the way that people were asked.

Every year, seniors are presented with the opportunity to display their talents in the viual and performing arts. This year’s Senior Arts Showcase featured a wide variety of drawings, pottery, singing, and instrument playing. Above left, artists and musicians who participated in the showcase pose in the cafeteria. Above right, parents, relatives, and friends browse the art displays. Photos by Mr. David Wenzel


The Devils’ Advocate

Friday, May 18, 2012

Recruiting New MUNchkins By Melanie Frank

With the end of the year approaching many clubs are winding down but not the Model United Nations club, which is still in full force. After completing four conferences this year, the club still isn’t done. Model UN is a simulation of the United Nations that allows kids from all over the world to come together and discuss current world issues while representing a particular country. The club, directed by social studies teacher Mrs. Julie Selberg and math teacher Mrs. Kathy Zygmont, aims to enlighten kids on relevant topics occuring around the world. This year alone the team has brought home many awards including Samantha Turley with best Delegate at the Fairfield conference, Sam Gossner and Richard Chi with Outstanding Delegates at the Yale conference, and Billy Malcolm receiving Best Position Paper at the Boston conference. This year, the third annual Munchkins conference for incoming 8th graders interested in MUN will be held on May 30th

in the Coginchaug Reference room from 1:15 to 5:30. Munchkins is a mock conference where kids get a feel of what the actual conferences are like, and this year the topic is Iranian Relations. The goal of the Munchkins conference is to inform kids about what Model United Nations is all about and that the after school activity filled with talking out problems and arguing a certain point is quite fun. “I love the MUN meetings because we are always having mini debates on little issues, and we always have fun cracking punny MUN jokes like ‘Uganda be kidding’ or ‘I Ecuador you’. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a meeting where I didn’t laugh about something,” said sophomore and award winning delegate Richard Chi. All Strong school students interested in a fun club and a chance to meet some CRHS students before even starting school there should come to the Munchkins conference.

Coach Kav Brings the Wins By Sarah Brady

After coaching for six years, math teacher Ms. Megan Kavanaugh has achieved the unprecedented. She coached not one, but two school sports teams to a championship title. In the beginning of the year, Ms. Kav, or Coach K as her students affectionately know her, led the Girls’ soccer team to win the Shoreline Championship for the first time in Coginchaug history. During basketball season, Coach K coached the girls’ basketball team to win the Class S State Championship. When she was in high school, she thought she wanted to become a surgeon. She had a basketball coach in high school who was a math teacher and her mentor and inspired her to become a coach. In college, she coached elementary school students, but she found the change to coaching high school teams was nice because she didn’t have to reteach the basic skills like dribbling or free throws. Coaching is also about forming the ideal winning strategy. A lot of players worked hard outside of the team to hone their personal skills, so when they got together, they were able to do a lot of work with a focus on collective skills. For soccer, they played on their individual

players’ strengths. The team had a lot of speed and versatility, as well as two All State players: senior Lauren Esposito and sophomore Victoria Buonanni. Speed was the key again for basketball. They had an all guard team and a lot of endurance, but they weren’t confined to a certain set of plays. The strategy was to run their opponents into the ground and tire them out. Another major motivator for both of the teams was the support of the community. Students, parents, and extended family were always coming down to cheer the teams on. “One of the best parts about this year was that the community really rallied around the girls’ sports teams,” said Ms. Kav. The support spurred the team to work even harder and live up to the community’s expectations. Next year, Ms. Kav believes the teams will have the potential for greatness again, but with the loss of seniors, the coaches and players will have to step up their game. The girls have already had a taste of winning, and they’re going to want the titles even more. They’ll be willing to work harder to achieve another championship title.

Check out the next issue of the Devils’ Advocate in mid-June!

Kevin’s Komics: Final Crisis

7

By Kevin Onofreo

I promised something about The Avengers, but instead i’m going to talk about some comics. The first series on my reading list was DC’s Final Crisis series. With my box of comic books in town I walked right down the rabbit hole. Whether or not that’s a good thing, I have yet to find out. For those looking to get started in the comic book world, this is not the series for you. Throughout the over ten separate volumes there are a lot of things that you need to assume about characters, a lot of characters to keep track of, and quite a bit of mystery. I, being a fool of a Took, decided I’ve never read comics before; I’ll start with the craziest series. I have Wolfgang Wallach to thank for loaning me all the books, although I have to confess I feel like he knowingly sent me into the belly of the beast. “Final Crisis is not a comic book for beginners. It should not be read unless the reader has first read at least the countdown saga,” said Wolfgang. “Even if you do this, do not attempt to fully understand it. You can’t.” Thankfully my knowledge of abstract space and time allowed me to better comprehend most of it. Right? The reason the series is in an ‘advanced’ category is because most of the people who’ve read all the books have no idea what happened. In one panel of the final book a person in the corner of a room solves a Rubik’s cube, says “17…” and then becomes a god. Never explained, it just happened. Another character that hadn’t been seen in a comic since the sixties was in multiple places in the last book, but wasn’t addressed until nearly the end. To that Wolfgang said: “I am in a running argument with my friend about what happened in this com-

ic book.” If Wolfgang is unsure as to what happened, the rest of us have got some problems. The books of the series that I read, which included the books that were considered to not suck and the books that were key to the plot line, were ‘Identity Crisis,’ ‘The OMAC Project,’ ‘Infinite Crisis,’ ‘52,’ ‘Countdown to Final Crisis,’ then finally, ‘Final Crisis.’ This series follows the ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ book which was released in 1985. The first book, ‘Identity Crisis,’ and the rest of the series, is a massive crossover of almost every character in the DCU attempting the find a murderer who’s targeting super hero families. That’s followed by ‘The OMAC Project’ which introduces a corrupt government organization and a sentient satellite called Brother Eye, bent on wiping out all metahumans on Earth, good or bad. The Third installment is ‘Infinite Crisis’ which recollects the DCU after the OMAC crisis. Then comes ‘52’ which is the year after the crisis. After that is Countdown to Final Crisis in which the Multiverse is back and the “anomalies” of the 52 Earths must try to find a way to prevent the Final Crisis. And last and probably best, is ‘Final Crisis’, for which there aren’t words. “While something can be said for the lack of creativity in the way DC names its comics (‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’, ‘Identity Crisis’, ‘Infinite Crisis’, and ‘Final Crisis’), the names do not accurately reflect the intensity of the comic or the awesomeness of the understandable plot,” said Wolfgang It’s a must read series, but it’s definitely not for beginners. Once you’re submerged in the comic book world and have accepted that you won’t know what’s going on half the time, then you’re ready for the Final Crisis series.

“One of the best parts about this year was that the community really rallied around the girls’ sports teams.” -Ms. Kav Championship winning Coach K and athlete senior Audrey Biesak celebrate their victories for the basketball and soccer season. Photo by Sarah Brady


The Devils’ Advocate

8

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Coming into the year head coach of the baseball team, Mr. Ted Lombardo, knew his team was going to be young and have little experience. “We have three seniors [Yuri Morin, Frank Posca, and Kevin Gawron], and although we have strong pitching, our infield is mainly made up of underclassmen,” said Coach Lombardo. The Blue Devils got off to a hot start. They managed a record of 4-1 with a win over Hyde before dropping the next three games. “We really need to close out games and get big hits in late innings, “ said center fielder and senior Yuri Morin. “We have a lot of young talent on this team and a bright future,” said Morin. “Jack Granger has been extremely consistent throughout the year on defense and

in the batter’s box. He is batting .420 right now, and that is huge for us.” The Blue Devils are now .500 with a record of six and six. “We need to focus on defense. As a team, I think that we’ve been hitting better lately and that needs to continue, but most importantly we need to take advantages of late opportunities,” said Sophomore shortstop Jack Granger. “Our pitching is solid and could be a lot better if we were able to add Steve Thody to our rotation,” said Mr. Kaminski. ”Unfortunately, due to his arm being injured, we have him at first base where he’ll stay until we see him throwing hard again,” The Blue Devils will cap off their home season at four p.m. on Monday, May 21 against SMSA.

Friday, May 18, 2012

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Mrs. Diane Walsh’s geometry class completed a project that combined art and math. They used different styles of art from around the world including Islamic and Chinese art forms. “At first, I dreaded the project, but when I started to do it, I felt like I wanted to do a really good job with the project, and it turned out to be fun,” said freshman John McLaughlin. The students started by using a compass and a straight edge to create different shapes for the Islamic part of the project. For the Chinese part of the project, they had to create images using tangrams.

The students using tangrams came up with creative designs such as sharks, fish, and people. They also made amazing patterns with the Islamic method. Some of the pictures the students made are hanging in the hallway on the first floor in front of Mrs. Walsh’s room. Mrs. Walsh wanted to create a more creative project then she used in the past. “I did a similar project in past years and the students said it was very repetitive, so I listened to them and changed it to make the project more creative,” said Mrs. Walsh. “The students really went above and beyond, and we got some great things.”

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The season is looking good for the Blue Devils. As of now, they have 12 wins and three losses. The team effort the girls show has been outstanding, and the results are just what the softball team is looking for. The girls, with amazing games such as a 26-2 win on May 8, against Cromwell are in eighth place for

the top ten of the area. This season is a good one for girls softball. “We have a really strong team this year and I believe that we will do really well, we have a few really key and strong players that can make this happen,” Said junior Jackie Benson.

Above, junior Jackson Doyle prepares to launch a ball toward the other team during the annual school Dodgeball Tournament on April 9. Photo Credit: Tara Dandelski

The picture above is an example of Chinese tangrams and the picture below is an example of an Islamic art form. Photo by Sean Cavanaugh.


Friday, May 18, 2012

23

Town Times

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the state working with the Department of Economic and Community Development to get these funds out into the business community to increase jobs and increase the economy of the region and the state. In partnering with the DECD, MCRC is able to better meet the needs of the small business community by enhancing the ability to offer sizable loans. At the same time, businesses have the convenience and comfort of working with a local entity. Small Business Express is

“We’re in business and servicing loans,” Brayshaw said, encouraging local businesses to take advantage of the program. MCRC was created in 1993 by a special act of the Connecticut General Assembly. In 2011, the Connecticut General Assembly approved a program of incentives for small business in Connecticut, the largest component being Small Business Express with $100,000,000 for loans and job creating grants. The MCRC is one of seven non-bank lenders in

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Friday, May 18, 2012

Town Times

coat. So, throw those gently used, unwanted winter coats in your dusty, pollen covered car and come to Middlefield Federated Church on Saturday, May 19, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Proceeds benefit the Youth Group’s summer mission work.

Bless this car When the Youth Fellowship of the Middlefield Federated Church has a car wash, members don’t just stop at wash and dry. Your car receives a hands-on blessing to send you on your way with a little “extra power.” This year, in cooperation with www.RethinkChurch.org, the event is also a winter coat drive to gather coats for the needy. The national United Methodist Church is challenging members everywhere to make a difference in their community. The kids invite people to remember how cold it can be in January when you don’t have a

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Friday, May 18, 2012

25

Town Times

Mfld BOF

Tea time

(Continued from page 1)

On April 28 there was a tea event at the Lyman Homestead to benefit Coe Library.

noted that more accurate reporting of the actual tax collection rate resulted in the town netting almost $400,000. Of the Capital expenditures, $250,000 of the $400,000 Capital account increase is a grant to fix the Miller Road Bridge. Other big ticket items in the budget include a police cruiser, a new dump/plow truck for Public

Works, Fire Department pumper truck replacement, library parking lot repairs and Everbridge system (emergency notification).

“The Board of Finance did a great job this year,” said First Selectman Jon Brayshaw. “They had many, many public hearings.”

Also during the meeting, Katie Hughes and Frank Petrella were elected to the Durham-Middlefield Interlocal Agreement Advisory Board.

Levi E. Coe Library Summer Paperback Book Sale: Above: From left: Mary Forenian, Ann Rau and Barb Kiesel. They are all retired Brewster School teachers.

Saturday, May 19, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

1236150

Left: Amy Kestenbaum with her daughter Taylor, of Durham. Alma Elder of Middlefield is in the background. Photos by Judy Moeckel Custom System “R” Installation ADDS Thermal Value Home Improvements Since “1971” Lic. #509785

Behavioral Health M asonicare Helping you cope. Masonicare has been providing behavioral health services to the community for many years. Our professionals have a depth and an array of experience that may be the answer should you or a loved one need help. We evaluate the full range of adult and geriatric psychiatric presentations, and treat them with appropriate therapies.

The Masonicare Behavioral Health Team (l to r:) Andrea Joseph, LCSW; Richard Kull, MD; Bonnie Piascyk, APRN

Typical diagnoses include depression, anxiety, adjustment disorders, panic disorder, schizophrenia and psychotic disorders, and dementia including Alzheimer’s disease.

Our offices are conveniently located in the Masonicare Medical Office Building off Route 150 in Wallingford. Most insurances accepted.

Therapies include psychopharmacologic, supportive, insight-oriented, and cognitive therapies, as well as individual, couple, family and group.

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Consultations are by appointment, Monday through Friday. Strict confidentiality is maintained at all times.

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26

Friday, May 18, 2012

Town Times

Russell Library Russell Library, located at 123 Broad St. in Middletown, is open from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

Durham Library

1245171

PALS book sale PALS annual book sale is scheduled for Saturday, May 19, at the Durham Public Library. The sale opens to the public free of charge at 10 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m. An Early Bird Preview will take place from 9 to 10 a.m. for a fee. An extra bonus for patrons this year is that the library plant sale also takes place May 19. PALS is grateful for donations of gently used books and asks that donations be dropped off in the front hall of the library after May 1. PALS reminds everyone that obsolete and damaged books can’t be sold or accepted. However difficult it is to not value every book as a treasure — please don’t contribute your old textbooks, VHS and cassette tapes, obsolete how-to and medical books, encyclopedias, reference sets or mildewed, damaged and soiled books. If you would like to help with setting up and sorting or working the day of the sale, please contact Jane Eriksen at (860) 349-1247 or sign up at the circulation desk at the library. All proceeds from the book sale will go toward PALS’ sponsored programs at the Durham Library, including the Summer Reading Programs coming up soon.

Don’t miss out Check the events in Town Times & Places to see what’s happening in Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall Town Times (860) 349-8000


Friday, May 18, 2012

Durham BOF (Continued from page 1) asked the board to stop waiving fees for RSD13 (if RSD13 considers itself a separate entity, it should be treated as such). Another resident expressed anger at the burden that budgets place on elderly residents.

Forester, who was unable to be in attendance due to a prior commitment. Elected to the Durham-Middlefield Interlocal Agreement Advisory Board were Ronald Capozzi and Dominic DelVecchio. First Selectman Laura Francis spoke in support of joining the Connecticut River Valley Council of Elected Officials, explaining that the state is restructuring to limit the number of state agencies. The Connecticut River Valley Council is a new entity, but similar to the old county system. Fran-

Thinking about

cis said she would rather the town be in control of its destiny and stay with towns with similar interests, explaining that if the state is allowed to draw boundaries, Durham could be paired with New Haven versus Middletown. Town Planner Geoff Colegrove encouraged support for the motion, sharing that since 1995, Durham has received $1.5 million in federal highway funds. Francis explained that if the town does not join a council, it will be ineligible for federal highway funds, which help pay for roads, culverts and bridges. The motion to ratify the action of the Connecticut River Valley Council of Elected Officials to become a council of governments, called the Lower Connecticut River Valley Council of Governments (COG), passed unanimously.

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(Continued from page 11) majority of parents who aren’t serving and are keeping kids safe.’” Moen and Mason are both convinced this work will start to change norms so parents will have conversations about their expectations

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At the meeting, Tom Hennick was voted in for a three-year term on the Board of Education. Hennick, who has sat on the Board of Education for 10 years, had more votes than nominee Dr. Joseph

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around alcohol with their children and with other parents. “We have learned a lot about adolescent brain development,” Mason said. “Regular use of alcohol changes the brain and makes teens more vulnerable to addiction.” Both women, and the scores of others involved in this work, hope to change that trajectory for local students.

CROSSWORD ANSWER

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Board of Finance chair Fran Korn answered questions on the proposed budget. Resident Jim McLaughlin requested an explanation for Line 4019 “Emergency Expenditures,” asking what the $25,000 would be spent on, why the Emergency Contingency Fund would not be used as in the past, and moved that Line 4019 be removed. Korn explained that it is a new line item this year, largely in part because of the two significant storm events in the last year, indicating the town cannot continue to tap into the fund balance without being forced to borrow money to pay bills. Public Works Director Kurt Bober spoke in support of the new line item, sharing that currently the selectmen do not have access to emergency funds to quickly purchase things like gasoline for vehicles and generators, and food for emergency shelters. A motion to remove Line 4019 from the budget was defeated. Also defeated was a motion to reduce non-union salary increases to 2 percent.

27

Town Times


28

Friday, May 18, 2012

Town Times

Something’s fishy James Helmedach, of Middlefield, recently caught this female bass weighing 10 pounds and measuring 22 ¾ inches long.

Submitted by Lori Helmedach

Volunteers needed for Coginchaug River water quality study Get your feet wet! The Connecticut River Watch Program is looking for water sampling volunteers to assist with a water quality study focused on the Coginchaug River. The study will assist in efforts to identify sources of bacteria to the Coginchaug, a river that has been designated by the state as impaired due to poor water quality. Water samplers are needed for selected sites on streams in Durham, Middlefield, North Guilford and Middletown. Responsibilities include collecting water samples before 8 a.m. on 10 sample days (all Wednesdays), and delivering them to a nearby drop-off location.

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Sampling will begin on Wednesday, June 13, and continue every other week until Oct. 17. No experience is necessary — you will be trained. To volunteer or for more information, contact the Conservation District office at (860) 346-3282. CRWP is a nationally recognized, EPA award-winning citizen monitoring program for the Connecticut River and tributaries directed by the Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District. CRWP provides a unique opportunity for citizens to take an active role in assessing and protecting their rivers and streams. Information collected by volunteers has been used by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection in water quality reports, at the local level to identify and address pollution problems and in developing regional plans to restore local rivers. The Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Middletown, works to conserve the natural resources of towns in the lower Connecticut River watershed and coastal areas. For more information about district technical and educational programs and services, visit www.conservect.org/ctriver coastal. Submitted by Jane Brawerman

Plant Exchange/Sale: The Annual Plant Exchange/Sale will be held on Saturday, May 19, at 10 a.m., rain or shine. Plants may be dropped off at the library on Thursday or Friday or before 9:30 a.m. on Saturday. Plants must be in pots and labeled. We accept houseplants, perennials, herbs, annuals and shrubs.


Seniors in Town Times

Friday, May 18, 2012

29

Senior Appreciation Day

The Ladies Guild of St. Colman Church welcomed about 70 seniors from Middlefield and Rockfall to the guild’s first Senior Appreciation Day held April 19 in the parish hall. It was a day to extend gratitude for the contributions these women and men have made over the years to make the two communities better places for Landscape & Garden Center their families and future Full Service Florist: Funerals, generations. Cheryl Pizzo Special Occasions or Just Because... and Bonnie Callan, copresidents of the guild, 191 Meriden Road (Rte. 66) Middlefield welcomed the guests. 860-704-8414 • unclebobsgarden.com They and other guild members served the meal while the Humble Bees Band provided entertain~ professional care at its best ~ ing music and fun. Chefs • Pruning • Cabling Chris Hetzer and Deacon • Tree & Stump Removal Peter prepared a meal • Spraying & Disease Control that featured homemade • Bucket Truck soups, breads, salads Ct.LIC#61798 and desserts. Above, Allan Poole, Licensed Arborist Phone 349-8029 Cheryl Pizzo, left, and Established 1976 • Fully Insured • Work Guaranteed in Writing Bonnie Callan, co-presidents of St. Colman’s Ladies Guild, serve soup to guests at Senior Appreciation Day. Top right, members of the St. ColPlaneta Electric LLC man Ladies Guild are introduced during welcome ceremonies at Senior Ap65R Johnson Lane preciation Day. Durham, CT 06422

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30

Friday, May 18, 2012

Town Times

Lessons in leadership and listening:

Tiny dancer Piper Forbush, 7, of Durham, recently competed as a soloist with the Dancer’s Studio as well as with the dance team in tap, jazz and production routines. She also won a gold medal both at Headliners competition in West Springfield, Mass., and the International Dance Challenge competition at the Palace Theater in Waterbury. Piper is a second grader at Brewster Elementary School. Submitted by Cheri Forbush

By Christopher Moeckel IDS eighth grader/ School President Over 50 years ago, 93 children clustered in their small classrooms, huddling to protect themselves from the rain pouring in through the unfinished roof. When members from the Wesleyan and Choate communities came together to create our school, they had one goal in mind. They both wanted to make their community a better place. It was this same mission, initiated by the Independent Day School founders, that continues to motivate students to run for student government. This year, more than one third of the middle school ran for student government by writing campaign speeches, eagerly creating posters and convincing those around

them that they had the greatest desire to make IDS the best it could possibly be. If you did not witness it yourself, the halls were filled with posters as well as campaigning students promising to make the most significant improvements to the school. In the end, nine of these students came together to represent the voices of the school. Each member of the studentgovernment represents the entire school from the most rambunctious eighth grader to the most timid beginner. Even if you did not get elected or did not choose to run, every student has the ability to propose ideas, offer their input and attend meetings open to the entire community. You can talk to your class representatives, who are more than willing to bring up your idea

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at the next Student Government meeting. You can truly make a difference in our community. Richard Blumenthal, our state senator, echoes this message in a letter he wrote to our student government. I feel that it is a necessity to share with all of you, as his letter reflects our purpose. Fifty years later, we continue to remain loyal to the goal that the school’s founders had in mind when creating IDS. We can do it, as we heed Richard Blumenthal’s advice, and respectfully work together to make IDS the best it can be. Excerpt from Richard Blumenthal Letter: Blumenthal gives support to the Student Council Throughout my life as a public servant, I have found listening to be a skill critical to effective leadership. Whether running for office, meeting with constituents or discussing policy and legislation with my colleagues, I believe that it is always critical to keep an open mind and work collaboratively with others to achieve the best results for Connecticut and the nation. As you all serve on your student council, always remember to listen to your fellow students, teachers, your principal and other administrators. As you move forward with this endeavor, keep everyone’s views in mind, work to build consensus and treat others with respect. I have no doubt you will find success and I wish you the best.

Don’t miss out Check the events in Town Times & Places to see what’s happening in Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall

Town Times (860) 349-8000


Schools in Town Times

Friday, May 18, 2012

School News

Young scientists and engineers

John Lyman School receives award

Inspired by their science teacher, Paula Mansfield, third grade students at The Independent Day School in Middlefield were excited to use an educational tool called “WeDo”, created by the LEGO® Corporation. While engaging the emotional and rational parts of their minds, WeDo enabled the children to work as young scientists, engineers, mathematicians and creative writers by providing them with the settings, tools and tasks for completing cross-curricular projects. The students built and programmed working models and used them for various purposes. In collaboration with the third grade teachers, JoAnn Rider and Jen Bergin, the children wrote a suspenseful writing piece that focused on their LEGO character. The children also enjoyed sharing their creations, as well as their excitement of the process, with their parents during Math and Science Night. Devin Anderson of Durham, and Ethan Cook or Wallingford.

John Lyman Elementary School is one of five schools selected to receive the 2012 Thomas Flanagan Student Activities Memorial Grant, according to the Connecticut Association of Schools. These grants are awarded annually to exemplary school-based student activity programs that have made a significant positive impact in both the students and their school communities. The award is named after the late Thomas Flanagan, former longtime principal of Waterford High School, who was an integral member of the Student Activities Board of Control at CAS. John Lyman Elementary School won for its “Go Far” program — an ongoing, noncompetitive fitness and wellness program that encourages students to exercise and currently involves 92 percent of the student body.

Submitted by JoAnn Rider

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The following local students were named to the second semester honor roll at Vinal Technical School. High honors Grade 11: Lisa Bradley, Thomas D’Orvilliers, Brittany Gervais, William Mazo, Samantha Misenti, Shane Phenicie, Ashleigh Schmaltz and Stephen Wyskiel. Grade 9: Wilson Nickel. Honors Grade 12: Matthew Amendola and Jason Snipes. Grade 11: Carter Dahlman, Robin Erskine, Mark Pavlinko and Amanda Rogers. Grade 9: Gage Herrington, Emery Mazo and Francis Snipes.

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Alexander Carras, of Middlefield, and Brittany Lane, of Durham, graduated from Keene State College, New Hampshire.

31


Schools in Town Times

32

Friday, May 18, 2012

Lunch dates The sun was shining at John Lyman Elementary School recently as dozens of special guests arrived to have lunch with first and second graders and to spend the afternoon together for Special Person’s Day. Left, Zoe Carpentino and her aunt. Right, Evan Poggio and his grandfather. Submitted by Elizabeth Hadlock

School News Cont.

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Vinal Technical High School has scheduled its DEMO Camp 2012 schedule for students going into seventh and eighth grade who want to explore the following trades: automotive, manufacturing, carpentry, culinary arts, collision repair, computers, hairdressing and cosmetology, electrical and electromechanical. Each student will spend 12 days exploring some of the technologies and will receive hands-on experience. The students will be exposed to other enrichment activities such as hands on science, peace quilting and photojournalism. There is no cost to attend Demo Camp. The camp will be held at the Vinal Tech High School campus, 60 Daniels St., Middletown, from July 9-26, Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. For more information, contact camp Supervisor, Lyn Caliendo at (860) 3447100 EXT. 406 or your local middle school guidance office after May 25.


Town Times Sports

Friday, May 18, 2012

33

CRHS football stars to play in college

It’s a win-win Lauren Esposito and Ryan Murphy pose with their fathers at Coginchaug Little League Opening Day on Saturday, April 28. They each received a $500 scholarship for college and spoke during the opening day ceremonies about how CLL has had a positive impact on their lives. Submitted by Michele Wenchell

Submitted by Laurie Corazzini

Town Times Service Directory 1236830

Local athletes recognized

Three Coginchaug High School football players will continue their careers in the fall. Pictured, from left: Alec Corazzini plans to attend Wesleyan University in Middletown; Andrew Paxton plans to attend Plymouth State University in New Hampshire; and Luke Bogdanski plans to attend Nichols College in Massachusetts.

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Coginchaug basketball player Ethan Donecker (pictured) was chosen by the CIAC for Academic All-State. He was chosen based on his GPA and basketball statistics. Erikson Wasyl was also chosen for Academic AllState and All-State. There was an awards banquet at the Aqua Turf. Wasyl was unable to attend.

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Town Times Sports

34

Friday, May 18, 2012

Local athletes win top awards at Special Olympics-CT Eastern Regional Games Frank LoGiudice Special to the Town Times The Greater Middletown Special Olympics athletes competed in track and field events at the Special Olympics Connecticut-Eastern Regional Games hosted by the University of Hartford and Hartford Public High School on Saturday, May 12. They won first, second, third, fourth and fifth place awards. When asked how they liked the Special Olympics CTEastern Regional Games, GMSO athletes Melissa Carta, of Cromwell, and Indiana McCormick, of Middlefield, exclaimed, “It was fun!” They are looking forward to the Special Olympics CT State Summer Games at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven June 8-10. The following are the local athletes’ results from the Special Olympics CT-Eastern Regional Games (complete list of results are incomplete): Durham: Chris Naples: 200 M walk (fourth place); 100 M walk (fourth place); softball throw (second place). Richard Steele: softball throw (second place). Middlefield:

David Crovo: mini javelin (first place); shot put (second place); standing long jump (fourth place). Indiana McCormick: shot put (first place.); 400 M run (first place); 200 M run (fifth place).

Left, GMSO athlete Indiana McCormick, of Middlefield, releases the shot put at the SOCT-ER Games. Center photo, GMSO athlete David Crovo, of Middlefield, throws the mini javelin at the SOCT-ER Games. Above, GMSO athlete Chris Naples, of Durham, competes in the softball throw at the SOCT-ER Games.

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Town Times


Town Times Sports

Friday, May 18, 2012

35

Students from John Lyman Elementary School were challenged to Share the Love of Reading with others recently. Each child was asked to donate a gently used book to the New Haven Reads Program, a nonprofit organization that gives free tutoring and free books to children in the New Haven area. The program also has a book room for anyone in the community to pick free books. The students’ goal was to collect 300 books. Between March and April, students collected over 800 books. Pictured are Maia Carpentino, Harrison Starr, Ryan Gerry and Brian Kim as they help load up Christine Davis’s car with 17 boxes of books for the delivery to the New Haven Reads Program. Submitted by Christine Davis

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Early deadline

Very Private Durham Apartment For Rent

Now leasing 1 bedroom apartments Heat and hot water included Call now: 860-346-1292 Email: astonegate@sbcglobal.net Web: stonegateapartmentsct.com 1160-1150 South Main St., Middletown Located Rt. 17 South of Randolph Road

HADDAM

SEEKING COUNTRY HOME FOR SALE in Middlefield, Durham, Middletown or Rockfall area. Must have 2-3 bedrooms, one plus baths and room for potential 4-stall horse barn. Extra acreage a plus.

860-481-9148 Fran

1244872

1243317

One BR, open floor plan, laundry room & bath, kitchen & living room area. Appliances included. Central Air/Propane Heat. Call Alan 860-966-0301

1243504

Due to the Memorial Day holiday and the Town Times/Record Journal office being closed, deadline for submissions to the Town Times are Friday, May 25, at noon, for the Jun 1 issue. E-mail submissions to news@towntimes.com or mail to P.O. Box 265 in Middlefield.

WELCOME HOME! 2,331 sf Cape! Beautifully landscaped 1.07 ac lot! Covered frt porch, huge sunken Grt Rm w/cath ceilings, exposed beams, flr-to-ceiling stone chimney & wood stove! Frch drs to 14x24 deck! 3 BRs, 2 Full Bths! MBR ste. w/cath ceilings, walkin closet & bath w/whirlpool tub! C/air! Tiled kitch w/stainless steel Wolf gas stove! 2-car gar w/loft! $343,900. Call Patrick @ 203-671-0983.

EXQUISITE ANTIQUE FARMHOUSE set on 2 acres! Remodeled country kitchen! Wide brd flrs thru-out! Sunfilled fam rm w/cath ceiling! 2nd lot w/2 barns! 3-4 Car garage! Great location near Rte. 154 (Saybrook Rd)! $349,900. Call Ken @ 860-349-8112.

1230676

INDUSTRIAL SPACE TO SHARE Call: 203-317-2330 for more information or search our listing on LoopNet.com (11 Crown Street, Meriden, CT)

1187263

Real Estate Page


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Friday, May 18, 2012

Town Times

1244765 1234405 863556

EXECUTIVE OFFICES

Professionals

860-349-7000

6 Way Road in Middlefield www.execoff.com

William J. Lema, D.M.D. General Family Dentistry • Children & Adults State of the Art Dentistry in a Caring, Small Office Atmosphere Saturday & Evening Appointments Available

Regular Hours: Tues.-Fri. 9 am-6 pm

1244778

1244766

Cosmetic Bonding • Gum Therapy • Crowns & Bridges Dentures & Repairs • Emergencies • Fillings • Root Canals

(860) 349-7006 6 Way Road, Middlefield (Near Powder Ridge Ski Area)

William J. Lema, D.M.D. 1244776

20% OFF all Gift Certificates

David E. Rosenberg, Esq. 1244773

6 Way Road, Middlefield, CT 06455 Tel: (203) 404-7287 • Fax: (203) 413-5777 david@rosenbergattorneys.com www.rosenbergattorneys.com

6 Way Road BA LMT CIMI CMC SWEDISH MASSAGE Suite 110 License #004365 REIKI Middlefield, CT 06455 DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE 860-349-7063 CHAIR MASSAGE Major Credit Cards Accepted PREGNANCY MASSAGE GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE INFANT/CHILD MASSAGE CLASSES

VISITING ANGELS

Lyman Insurance Agency, LLC

Personable & Compassionate Live-in and Hourly Caregivers are needed for in-home non-medical care for elderly in the area.

Home• Auto • Life • Disability Business • Farm • Contractors Special Needs Trusts

Flexible schedules, supportive staff, one-on-one care

Our caregivers are as valuable to us as our clients. Call us at 860-349-7016

NANCY C. FERRERO, LMFT, LLC

P: (860) 349-7003 FAX: (860) 349-7032 CT LICENSE #000932

CLINICAL MEMBER OF AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MARRIAGE & FAMILY THERAPY

SOLUTIONS BY HYPNOSIS with Mary Ellen Moneymaker, CHt

860-349-7039 6 Way Road, Middlefield, CT

1244777

Behavior Modification, Weight Control, Smoking Cessation, Anxiety/Stress Relief, Pre and Post Surgery, ADHD Management, Pain Management, Immune Disorder Management, Certified Life Coach SolutionsByHypnosis.com

CORE INSURANCE SERVICES Commercial Insurance Brokers 1244769

6 WAY ROAD MIDDLEFIELD, CT 06455 nferrero.lmft@gmail.com

1244767

INDIVIDUAL MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY

We are capable of providing all types of insurance for your business, home & auto. Call us for competitive quotes from our list of multiple Insurance companies.

Phone: 860-349-7071 Fax: 860-499-5034 e-mail: paulm_core@sbcglobal.net

1244772

1244774

Phone: 860-349-7064 Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM Great Rates, Personal Service


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