Volume 20, Number 11
Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall
www.TownTimes.com
Friday, August 7, 2015
Students lead charge for park smoking ban By Charles Kreutzkamp Town Times
Coginchaug Regional High School students are leading the charge to ban smoking at Middlefield and Durham parks. The group is also considering the details of a proposal to reduce smoking at the Durham Fair, possibly by implementing a ban near child-friendly areas such as the midway, where the rides are, and the youth exhibitions. Students in the Youth Advisory Council and the EDGE club – “excellent decisions guiding every day,” a club that focuses on leadership skills, safe decisions, and prevention of substance use and violence – have
teamed up with the Durham and Middlefield Wellness Coalition to run to surveys to gauge community support for the proposal. For Coginchaug Junior Sarah Collins, part of the advisory council, it’s about making “Durham a healthier place.” Collins said that “Second-hand smoke causes a lot of health issues, and is more harmful than first-hand smoking. There are a lot of children at the Durham Fair that could be affected by that.” “It’s really driven by the youth,” said Coginchaug Junior and EDGE member Erin Hassmann, with the role of adults being mainly adviSee Students / Page 4
Middlefield GOP nominates Bailey and Brayshaw to BOS By Mark Dionne Town Times
With Middlefield First Selectman Jon Brayshaw’s long-standing pledge not to run again for first selectman, the Middlefield Republicans needed to field a different candidate for the office for the first time in five elections. The party did not need to look far and has announced that Ed Bailey, currently serving as a selectman, will run for first selectman. Brayshaw will run to be a selectman. If both candidates win, they will essentially switch positions on the Board of Selectmen. The Middlefield Democrats nominated Peter Neidhart for first selectman and
Sam Drop of Durham watched over the cattle in the Cow Palace during the 4-H Fair. The fan in the foreground helped keep the animals cool in the heat. | Mark Dionne / Town Times
Hot weekend for 4-H Fair By Mark Dionne Town Times
Taryn Ruffino for selectman. Robert Johnson, Chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission, will run as an independent for first selectman. Those candidates will be profiled in future Town Times articles. Current Democratic Selectman Dave Burgess is not a candidate for selectman. In a press release Bailey said, “The past six years have allowed me to work with the citizens of the Middlefield and Rockfall community and make our town the best it can be. My experience on the Board of Selectmen has served the town well and I look forward to continuing to meet the needs of our town and its residents.”
The annual 4-H Fair was held at the Durham Fairgrounds in hot and muggy weather over the weekend of July 31 - Aug. 1, marking the 89th anniversary of the traditional fair. The 4-H Fair is distinctive because it combines the Middlesex and New Haven county 4-H programs and also because it is run by the young 4-H members. Emily Alger, Program Coordinator for the Middlesex County 4-H and an adult, said, “We are committed to the philosophy that the kids run their fair and we support them.” Kids make the decisions about the planning, schedules, content, money, and other fair matters along with mentors. Sometimes in the modern era, according to Alger, kids
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Alden Halfinger and Baxter after participating in the 4-H Fair dog show. | Mark Dionne / Town Times