Town Times Sept. 21, 2012

Page 1

Volume 1, Number 24 Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall

www.TownTimes.com

Friday, September 21, 2012

BOE examines test scores By Mark Dionne Special to the Town Times

Photo by Stephanie Wilcox

A tent at the Powder Ridge closing was filled with residents and out-of-towners.

Hundreds show up for Powder Ridge closing By Stephanie Wilcox Town Times

There was food, balloons, a bounce house for kids and lots of smiling faces. Even those who said they did not support the sale of Powder Ridge to Brownstone’s Sean Hayes before the town voted 1,132 to 466 last month to do so were in attendance at the closing on the property Thursday, Sept. 13. In front of nearly 200 people, the warranty deed was signed, and when the document was handed to Hayes, the property then officially transferred to his hands. “With a stroke of this pen, what was once ours is now going to be yours,” Middlefield First Selectman Jon Brayshaw said just before the signing. He took those few minutes to crack some jokes. “Powder Ridge is not just any plot of land, it’s a word of its own,” he said. “It should have its own spot in the Web-

ster dictionary. It’s known far and wide.” In a more serious tone, Brayshaw acknowledged Town Attorney Ken Antin for his involvement in the deal to sell the ski property. After signing their names, Brayshaw presented Hayes with an American flag. “Every new business needs one of these,” Hayes said, thanking him. Hayes told the onlookers he doesn’t see his team as the new owners of Powder Ridge, but rather the custodians. He shared an email from Middlefield native Celia Miller, a top 10 snowboarder in the country. Emailing from Colorado, Miller said the resurrection of Powder Ridge is a “great thing for the community.” “I know for a fact I wouldn’t be where I am in snowboarding if it weren’t for Powder Ridge,” she wrote. “It changed my life.” “That,” Hayes said, “is

what we want to make Powder Ridge again.” Others were excited about the positive effects of the future Powder Ridge Mountain Park & Resort. State Sen. Len Suzio said, “I think this can be the beginning of the turnaround in the local economy,” and pledged to help where he can from the state level. Middlesex Chamber of Commerce President Larry McHugh, who Brayshaw praised for being a part of “saving Powder Ridge from Day 1” with his help in securing a $500,000 Department of Economic and Community Development grant, congratulated Hayes as well as the voters of Middlefield. “This is something we should be so, so excited about.” Hayes and Brayshaw, joined by their respective parties, toasted to “50 more years of Powder Ridge being See Powder Ridge, page 5

On Sept. 12, Dr. Linda Berry, director of curriculum for Regional School District 13, gave a presentation to the Board of Education that focused on results from standardized testing such as SATs, CMTs, CAPT and AP scores. The results were compared to similar school districts, called the District Reference Group, or DRG (pronounced “dirg”), in the hope that a close examination of the data could reveal what RSD13 schools are doing right and what could use improvement. The results showed many students performing well, particularly on AP tests and the SATs. “The district ought to be

very proud of the Advanced Placement scores. It’s stellar in terms of what our teachers are getting them to do,” Berry said. While a school district could accept lower participation in AP courses and the SATs to achieve gaudier scores, Berry endorsed more participation. “The more people taking the SATs the better as far as I’m concerned,” she said. Of AP participation, she added, “I think it’s something that should be expanded.” Students who score well on AP tests can get college credit for their RSD13 courses, in some cases starting in advanced classes and saving tuition money. Berry noted areas for imSee BOE, page 6

Durham Fair one week away

Photo by Stephanie Wilcox

The fair’s first ever roller coaster, the “Super Coaster”, was being installed last week and will take a full two weeks to assemble, according to fair officials. More photos on page 14.


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