Volume 20, Number 10
Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall
www.TownTimes.com
Friday, July 31, 2015
Caucuses leave Francis unopposed By Mark Dionne Town Times
and Juliet. Due to renovations currently taking place at EHHS, the company’s performances were moved to Coginchaug. “Coginchaug was really our first choice because we’ve run smaller camps there based on the YPCCA model so they know us and they’ve been great in the past,” said Rachel Mansfield, the show’s director. “We, as a staff, are excited to be able to use the beautiful facility and the beautiful
On the evening of Monday, July 27 at the Durham Public Library, the Democratic and Republican parties in Durham met separately for their nominating meetings to select their candidates for the upcoming municipal elections. The Republicans selected incumbent First Selectman Laura Francis to run for a third four-year term. Francis is currently running unopposed for that office as the Democrats did not select a nominee for First Selectman. The Democrats selected incumbent Selectman Steve Levy to run for a second term as Selectman. According to the election rules, Selectman and First Selectman are different offices and candidates can only win offices that they run for. So even if Levy were to win more votes than Francis, he would win the seat of Selectman and she would remain in the office of First Selectman. Without a surprise candidate or
See ‘Gangs’ / Page 5
See Nominations / Page 10
Members of the Sharks in “West Side Story,” playing at Coginchaug this weekend.
| Nate Brown / Town Times
‘Gangs’ squaring off in Durham By Nate Brown
vided students with an opportunity to pursue the performing arts outside of school since its inception in 1982. This weekend, Coginchaug Re- Since ‘85, the program has offered a gional High School will play host to summer camp that culminates with a an adaptation of the Broadway mu- full musical production. Over the years, YPCCA has persical “West Side Story,” being performed by the Young People’s Center formed such shows as Rent, Jesus Christ Superstar and Chicago at East for Creative Arts. For some involved in the show, this Hampton High School. This summer, with West Side Story, marks an exciting new venture. For others, it’s a wonderful homecoming. the group tackles the tale of rival Based in East Hampton, YPCCA gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, with — pronounced “yipcuh” — has pro- a love story similar to that of Romeo Town Times
Town eager to tackle Lake Beseck’s out-of-control weeds By Mark Dionne Town Times
Seen from Route 147, Lake Beseck may look like it has returned to normal following the lowering of the lake’s water level in October of 2013 to facilitate a dam repair, but two new weeds are choking acres of water and waterfront
since the draw down. Middlefield officials and Mark June-Wells, the limnologist studying the lake, blame the draw down for creating an environment where the new weeds could thrive. Middlefield First Selectman Jon Brayshaw said at the regular Board of Selectmen meeting on July 21 that he has con-
tacted six officials from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection about weed eradication and that two state officials will tour the lake shore. By e-mail, Amy Poturnicki, chair of the Lake Beseck Ad Hoc Committee, wrote, “While everyone waits for CT DEEP to collaborate be-
tween their various departments, I’m receiving a spike in emails from waterfront residents who are becoming more anxious as the plants grow and obstruct navigation to and from boat docks, in addition to their waterfront views of the lake.” Brayshaw has also been in contact with a Massachusetts
company, Aquatic Control Technology, which performs aquatic weed control. “They have a process to chemically kill the cattails and they have a process where they can harvest,” Brayshaw said, describing two options that can be used individually or in See Weeds / Page 4