Volume 20, Number 14
Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall
www.TownTimes.com
Friday, August 28, 2015
Future of Korn building looms over discussions By Mark Dionne Town Times
The future of the actual Korn school building has been the subject of some discussion and much speculation. | Mark Dionne / Town Times
While the idea of closing Korn Elementary School after the 2015-2016 school year is examined, members of the public as well as members of the Board of Education continue to raise the question of what to do with the building if it is no longer a school. The question is so complex and has so many unknown factors, members of the BOE’s Utilization Com-
mittee routinely stress that the disposition of the Korn building needs to be considered separately from the question of whether to stop using Korn as a school. At the Utilization Committee’s Aug. 20 meeting, BOE chair Kerrie Flanagan referred to rumors and suggestions about the future of the building if it is closed as a school, saying “It just takes us off course.” The disposition of Korn’s building came up several
times at the Utilization Committee’s meeting, although it was not formally on the agenda. The future of the building came up when committee members, BOE members, and Superintendent of Schools Kathryn Veronesi prepared a Frequently Asked Questions document, because residents frequently ask about it. The question also came up during a discussion of potenSee Korn / Page 10
Middlefield’s DMYFS holding ‘chair-ity’ auction revised charter moved forward By Mark Dionne Town Times
By Mark Dionne Town Times
Middlefield’s Charter Revision Commission held its last meeting Tuesday, Aug. 25 and voted unanimously to move its revised version of the town charter to the Board of Selectmen and then the voters of Middlefield. The town charter is the document that legally creates the town and details its governance. The Charter Revision Commission took shape at the Board of Selectmen meeting on Sept. 2, 2014 and began its work on Jan. 21, 2015. The BOS sought and found nine members for the commission, divided among Republicans, Democrats, and unaffiliated residents. Middlefield First Selectman Jon Brayshaw has cited messiness, contradictions, and vagueness in the charter as reasons for its revision. Brayshaw has also previously pointed to the charter revision as one of his goals for his final term as first selectman. Brayshaw is running for selectman but not first selectman in the upcoming election. The commission was chaired by Brayshaw’s See Charter / Page 11
The Durham and Middlefield Youth and Family Services and the Coginchaug Regional High School’s Art Club are preparing for a silent auction “chair-ity,” where chairs painted by local artists will be auctioned off for the benefit of both organizations. According to DMYFS Director Betsy Dean, the event is more about showcasing local artists, and especially young artists, than raising money. “I like the community component,” Dean said. DMYFS conducted a community survey in 2013. Among other results, the survey reported a feeling among students that they were not valued by the community. “That struck a chord with me,” Dean said. See Auction / Page 12
Chairs painted by, from left, CRHS students Adriana Wimler and Aubrey Figoras are among those to be auctioned off at a silent auction to benefit DMYFS and CRHS’ Art Club. | Mark Dionne / Town Times