Volume 16, Issue 16
Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall
Sweating for a good cause ...
Friday, July 31, 2009
Final three slates for November local elections approved While the Durham Democrats last week fielded a contentious set of nominees and filled the meeting room of the Durham Library even though only town committee members could vote, the other slates for the November elections were handled without public controversy. All of the other slates – Durham Republicans, and Middlefield Democrats and
In this issue ... Calendar.........................4-5 Durham Briefs................14 Libraries .........................16 Middlefield Briefs...........13 Obituaries .......................26 Road trip memories ...11-12 Sports ..........................28-30 Spotlight..........................24
Republicans – use the caucus model, which means that any registered voters of the applicable party and town can vote on who their candidates will be.
Middlefield Republicans At a cozy caucus on July 27, about 20 Middlefield Republicans gathered in the Community Center to re-nominate two-term First Selectman Jon Brayshaw for the town’s top spot. Brayshaw, a Middlefield native, is an architect and engineer who had also previously served as a member of the Board of Selectmen. Running with Brayshaw for a seat on the Board of Selectmen is Ed Bailey, a 23-year resident of Sylvan Ridge, a former marine engineer and cur-
rent consulting engineer. Bailey, who was not present due to a slow train from NYC, is also currently the chair of the Water Pollution Control Authority and a member of the Rural Waste and Water Association. Speaking for Bailey, Brayshaw noted, “Ed worked on the original sewer project and has been a leader in his neighborhood since he moved here. He gets involved, he’s a worker and he’s not afraid to stand up and be counted.”
Nominated for seats on the Board of Finance were incumbent Rebecca Adams, an attorney, and Robert Yamartino, an unaffiliated voter endorsed by the Republican nominating committee. Yamartino has been a Middlefield resident for over 20 years, and
See Elections, page 19
First Wii tournament at Middlefield Senior Center
Scott Genest, of Durham, hauls construction materials on a mission trip in June to the Dominican Republic. More on pages 20-21.
Seniors at the Middlefield Senior Center have played Wii before, but on July 23 they had their first Wii tournament — teams of two battling for the highest score in bowling. Director Antoinette Astle was happy to see everyone off the couch and actively participating. Above, Ruth Kowalski and Fran Francesco cheer on Louie Francesco. See more photos on page 3. Photo by Stephanie Wilcox