Volume 19, Number 45
www.TownTimes.com
Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall
Members of the seventh grade Strong school band warm up under the direction of Steve Fitzgerald. | Mark Dionne / Town Times
Friday, March 20, 2015
Nathan Strang, a Strong school seventh grader, takes a saxophone solo during the Spaghetti Dinner. | Mark Dionne / Town Times
Pasta and music for Coginchaug Regional H.S. By Mark Dionne
2015 Spaghetti Dinner on March 15 at Coginchaug Regional High School. The Durham/Middlefield School bands from MeExchange Club hosted the morial, Strong, and CRHS Town Times
played for guests under the direction of Tim Fisher, Steve Fitzgerald and Dean Coutsouridis. Among other songs, din-
ers enjoyed Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” and music from the movie “The Blues Brothers.” Proceeds from the an-
nual event benefited the CRHS music and athletic departments. See more photos from the Spaghetti Dinner on Page 21.
Durham Town Green New Brewster roof goes to hearing makeover planned By Mark Dionne Town Times
By Mark Dionne Town Times
Tina Gossner presented the Durham Board of Selectmen with the Town Green Revitalization Project’s final report and plan for improving the Town Green at their March 9 meeting. The Town Green Revitalization Project, a committee of Durham residents with an interest in the planting, care, and history of the Town Green, was formed as a temporary task force in July of 2013 to create a beautification and maintenance plan for the
Town Green. Durham First Selectman Laura Francis said of the group’s formation, “We thought that it was a good idea if we had a comprehensive plan for tree planting and other uses on the Town Green.” As stated in the final report, “The goal will be to beautify the Green and create a renewed sense of pride for generations to come. The Durham Green is a vital part of our rich history, and this initiative will establish See Makeover / Page 3
At its regular meeting on Wednesday, March 11, the Regional School District 13 Board of Education voted to move forward with a $2,085,000 roof replacement project for Brewster Elementary School and scheduled a public hearing for Wednesday, March 25 at 7 p.m. at Coginchaug Regional High School. The project has two components and was broken into two separate motions, which both passed unanimously. The Brewster roof, which is leaking and at the end of its projected life, will be
replaced at a cost of $1.3 million. The BOE also approved adding solar panels to the Brewster roof at a cost of $785,000. This solar panel project is similar to existing projects at John Lyman Elementary School and Memorial Middle School and not related to the solar farm project recently voted down by the Durham Board of Selectmen. Responding to a question from Middlefield Board of Finance member Dave Lowry, BOE members said the solar panels had a payback time frame of 18 years, with a 30year life expectancy. The project will use
bonds, which require a public hearing. At the Nov. 12, 2014 BOE meeting, Business Manager Ron Melnik told the BOE that all sections of the Brewster roof are older than 20 years, making the project eligible for some state reimbursement. According to the resolution, the $1.3 million can go towards “design, construction, and implementation of roof replacement and related improvements,” including asbestos and hazardous material disposal. According to Melnik at the Nov. 12 meeting, tests for hazardous materials have so far come back negative.