Volume 20, Number 22
Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall
www.TownTimes.com
Friday, October 23, 2015
Korn School to close in June 2016 By Mark Dionne
surprise to the more than 30 members of the public and local officials in the audience or A process to reconfigure to longtime observers of the the District 13 schools that board. The Utilization Commitbegan in 2011 with a demographic study took its most tee, with four members of the dramatic step on Oct. 14 as BOE, including Chair Kerrie the full Board of Education Flanagan, had unanimously voted unanimously to close passed a report with the Korn Korn Elementary School af- recommendation to the full board. In previous meetings, ter the current school year. The vote to close was not a multiple BOE members apTown Times
Chairs for charity
peared supportive of the idea. At a public “Information Session” on Oct. 6, Utilization Committee members and Superintendent of Schools Kathryn Veronesi took turns presenting data that they said made the educational and economic case for closing Korn. Speaking before the vote, Flanagan summarized, “I have complete confidence
that this is the right thing to do. This is the right time to do it.” The vote was held at the end of a regular BOE meeting. The BOE anticipated the audience the vote would bring and held the meeting in Lyman’s combined cafeteria-gym instead of its regular Lyman location, the smaller music room. The vote was discussed for
about 20 minutes at the meeting itself. Most of the board members acknowledged that questions raised by parents about the next school year remained but also expressed confidence in the team of administrators to answer them. Member Raffaela Fronc proposed to vote to close Korn but move the closing See Korn / Page 2
QUIET UP THERE, IT’S THE LIBRARY!
By Mark Dionne Town Times
The Durham and Middlefield Youth and Family Services held a “Chair-ity Auction” on Oct. 16 to benefit DMYFS and Coginchaug Regional High School’s Art Club. Thirty-five chairs painted and creatively decorated by local artists were auctioned off at the event. The display far surpassed DMYFS Director Betsy Dean’s original goal for the event of 25 chairs. Dean said that some chairs were still arriving on the day of the event, with almost-dry paint. About half of the artists were CRHS students and DMYFS Director Betsy Dean said that was part of the point of the event. “It’s a chance for these really talented kids to do something for the community. If we could look to our kids for more of those opportunities I think we would be surprised at the talent and energy they See Chairs / Page 13
Workers at the Durham Public Library on Oct. 8 replace part of the building’s roof to keep up with its regular maintenance. According to Library Director Trish Connolly, the work was projected to last about one week and not disrupt library hours. Connolly said, “the constant pounding from dawn to dusk is seen as a ‘great rhythm’ to some, and ‘relentless’ to others.” | Mark Dionne / Town Times