Volume 20, Number 5
Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall
www.TownTimes.com
Friday, May 23, 2014
Middlefield passes adjusted budget By Mark Dionne
debt service, or capital fund expense. Middlefield’s budget for 2014-2015 will total With a unanimous show $17,141,301. The meeting was a conof hands, Middlefield residents at a May 19 town meet- tinuation of the previous ing passed a 2014-2015 town week’s town budget meeting. budget that will set the mill The delay gave the Board of Middlefield Selectman Ed Bailey (at left) served as moderator for the town budget meeting on May 19 attended by members of the Board of Finance and First Selectman rate at 33.92 and contains $3,619,245 of non-education, See Budget / Page 17 Jon Brayshaw (seated at left). | Mark Dionne / Town Times
Town Times
Resident crusades against pesticides
Cephalopods make Top 10 in nation By Charles Kreutzkamp The Town Times
By Charles Kreutzkamp Town Times
Durham resident Terry Bourret has been taking a stand about the use of pesticides on municipal property. “Momentum is building on this issue,” said Durham state Sen. Ed Meyer, who has been a longtime supporter of legislation that would discontinue widespread pesticide use on municipal property. For Bourret, this issue hits close to home. Bourret and her husband, Don, have been vocal advocates against pesticide use ever since their dog, Murphy, died due to complications she stated they believe were See Pesticides / Page 20
Murphy, the late dog owned by Terry Bourret, was the impetus for her antipesticide political efforts. | Terry Bourret / Submitted
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The Coginchaug Cephalopods. From left: Tyler Bjarnason, Ryan Gossart, Abby Eisner, Amelia Bianchi, Deanna Puchalski, Coach Lorrie Martin. | Charles Kreutzkamp / Town Times
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The Coginchaug Cephalopods placed 10th out of 22 in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl teams in the entire nation at their first ever national competition in Seattle, Wash. The team was recognized for this astounding accomplishment by the Region 13 Board of Education at John Lyman School May 14. It all came down to “pulse-stopping five seconds at the end,” according to Cephalopods Coach Lorrie Martin. “Coginchaug had led the entire match and was winning by one point with five seconds left on the clock
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A2 Friday, May 23, 2014
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LeClerc walk honors Memorial School teacher
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The May 9 LeClerc Walkathon honors James LeClerc, a Memorial School teacher who passed away in December of 2007. Students, teachers, and community members participated in the annual event. | Mark Dionne \ Town Times. complete the two mile walk. The walk had a festive atmosphere, with students skipping, cartwheeling and shouting chants about fighting cancer as songs like Stevie Wonder’s “Superstitious� and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’� played over the schoolyard. Students in Martha Swanson’s class followed the color theme by selling colorful duct tape flower pens to benefit the scholarship fund. The seventh walkathon began like the previous ones, with a video tribute to LeClerc narrated by students from his classroom. The students told stories about learning math and picking out a class pet over pictures of their teacher showing a big smile and flashy hats. His illness was part of the See LeClerc / Page 20
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who teaches in LeClerc’s old classroom. “It truly is touching to see these former students, now seniors, come back every year,� Biancardi said. Each year after the walk LeClerc’s family members and former students gather in Room 28 to share stories, and also Twinkies and iced tea. In addition to being a flashy dresser, LeClerc had a sweet tooth. Biancardi said, “It is a testament to just what a wonderful teacher he really was, not only to his students but to me as well. Coming in as a new teacher, I was able to witness first hand his students’ love and respect for him. He truly was an inspiration.� The walkathon usually consists of two loops around the perimeter of the property, but because of the damp fields, the course consisted of three loops closer to the school to
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Morning rain did not cancel the LeClerc Walkathon on Friday, May 9, and the wet weather did nothing to dampen the spirits of students, teachers, and community members who participated in the annual event to honor James LeClerc, a Memorial School teacher who passed away in December of 2007. The walkathon started in spring of 2008, in the same school year LeClerc lost his battle against leukemia. The most recent walkathon was the seventh. “We have a walk to honor Mr. LeClerc,� said P.E./health teacher Greg Morrone, as he set up cones in the school parking lot to control traffic. “The kids donate money to participate to the LeClerc Scholarship Fund to help out his kids down the road.� Money raised from the event also has gone to the American Cancer Society, Morrone said, The simple idea of a walkathon has several fun wrinkles at Memorial School. Each homeroom is assigned a color in advance. Students dress in their colors and walk with their classmates, creating wave after wave of different colors during the outdoor walk. “We have them by colors so it’s like a rainbow,� Morrone said. “Mr. LeClerc was a very vibrant dresser - flashy colors.� The walk has special resonance for Jessica Biancardi,
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(Unless otherwise indicated, all meetings are held in the Durham Library. Check the town website at www.townofdurhamct. org for updates.) Thursday, May 27 Ethic’s Commission, library, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 28 Senior Citizen Board, Durham Activity Center, 1 p.m. Board of Education, Memorial School, 7:30 p.m. Monday, June 2 Clean Energy & Sustainability Task Force, library, 6:30 p.m. Fire Department Trustees, Durham Volunteer firehouse, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, June 4 Planning & Zoning, library, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 5 Durham Animal Response Team, library, 7 p.m. Monday, June 9 Board of Selectman, CRHS, 7 p.m. Inland Wetlands, Town Hall, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 10 Conservation Commission, library, 7 p.m. Library Board of Trustees, library, 7:30 p.m. Durham Volunteer Fire Company, Durham Vol. firehouse, 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 11 Commission meeting, Town Hall,
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Friday, May 23, 2014
A3
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The Associated Builders and Contractors held a twoday Construction Pro Rodeo for both construction professionals and high school students on the Durham Fairgrounds May 14 and 15. Heavy machinery, specialty equipment, trade show displays, and creative competitions filled the cow palace and the grounds. “We use every inch of the place,” said Lelah Campo, executive director of the Associated Builders and Contractors and one of the event organizers. According to Campo, during the day on Wednesday and Thursday, over 1,400 high school students visited the Construction Pro Rodeo to learn about careers in construction. Students from over 60 Connecticut high schools poured concrete, worked with sheet metal, operated excavators and gained insight into potential careers. According to event organizers, Coginchaug Regional High School was not one of the participants. The industry professionals were prepared for the students with some showmanship. Excavators and skid steers were put through dirt obstacle courses. Students sat in the cab with Edward Souza as he maneuvered the grapple from his material handler - think of a giant vending machine claw - to pick up a tennis ball and throw it into a trash barrel. Souza, an employee of Calamari Recycling from Brazil, said, “They loved that thing. I think they had a fun day.” Tom Gardocki, popular on YouTube as the “Bobcat Ninja” and a guest on the Discovery Channel’s “Machines of Glory,” demonstrated his
delicate touch by using thousands of pounds of machinery to balance a golf ball on a glass bottle. Students also witnessed a controlled burn extinguished by fire sprinklers. Hands on projects included building a toolbox, lawn sprinkler, and plastic pipe hula hoop. All of the exhibitions and displays began with a focus on safety. “We stress safety here a lot because safety is a big part of the construction industry,” Campo said. The American Institute of Architects partnered with students to create elaborate structures - the American flag, the Hunger Games’ logo, a John Deere tractor - out of canned goods. This was the third year for the Construction Pro Rodeo on the Durham Fairgrounds. Campo said the Associated Builders and Contractors timed the rodeo for the end of the recession when there would be more work in the industry. On Thursday evening, May 15, the Construction Pro Rodeo became an industry trade show featuring safety training, the graduation of apprentices, industry booths, safety awards, a barbecue and a
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A4 Friday, May 23, 2014
Town Times | towntimes.com
Local experts reveal the wide world of tomatoes Garden Spotlight Pronounce it “to-MAY-toes” or “to-MAH-toes,” there are so many varieties of this fruit. Tomatoes differ in size, shape, color, flavor, texture (how meaty or watery they are), time to maturity, resistance to disease, adaptability (how sensitive they are to different climates), “heritage”
Judy Moeckle
and more. The type of tomatoes you want depends on your taste and also on what they will be used for. Italian or “paste” tomatoes are good for sauce and
for canning. Sweet bite-size tomatoes are great in salads, or to just pop in your mouth. The tomato you grow also depends on what your garden’s climate is like. Is it wet or dry? Sunny or shady? Since it is too late to grow from seed this year, go to one of the many farms or farmers markets in our area that sell plants ready for your garden or planters. Ask what type of tomato works best for your garden. Now that we are well into May, we are approaching the time when you can plant tomatoes in your garden (or in planters, which works very well for the smaller-fruit varieties, such as grape tomatoes). Vivian Caturano of J. C. Farm & Greenhouses, in Durham, recommends that you wait to plant until after the first full moon in May, to reduce the chance of frost damage. Caturano knows her tomatoes: her father grew and sold vegetables for years in Northford;
Rosina D’Aria of Durham, 22 months, holding a “Sweet 100” cherry tomato plant at J. C. Farm. | Photo by Judy Moeckle. her brothers now run that branch of the family business. Her sons help her run the Durham farm and market. The variety of tomatoes that are available boggles the mind (credit here to www. tomatofest.com).
Seeds from open-pollinated varieties produce plants and fruit that are identical to their parent. An heirloom variety is genetically unaltered See Tomatoes / Page 5
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Friday, May 23, 2014
etry; some are very descriptive and even amusing, for example, Mortgage Lifter, an heirloom cultivar. And don’t forget Boxcar Willie… Longtime Durham resident and grower Phyllis Naples-Valenti says her favorite tomato (grown at Naples Farm since her parents began running the farm in 1923) is the Roma Plum. “It is the most-used tomato to make sauce, and is great for tomato cucumber salad, with a little onion and oregano. I also grow and sell JetStar tomatoes, which are large, with bright red skin and a nice round shape. Over the years we have planted many different varieties of tomatoes, including, heirlooms.” Her recommendation: “Be sure your plants are strong, and have a healthy green color to them before planting.”
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Coginchaug National Honor Society has scheduled its spring cleanup fundraiser. NHS members will clean Durham and Middlefield yards and gardens of leaves and twigs, spread mulch, paint and more. An hourly donation help support NHS charities. For more information in hiring an NHS team, call CRHS at (860) 349-7215 or email ajacques-purdy@rsd13. org. Briefly describe the needed work with your contact information.
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for at least 50 years because of its valued characteristics; all heirloom varieties are open-pollinated but not all open-pollinated varieties are heirloom varieties. Hybrid types have been cross-pollinated (using two tomato types to create a new type). Indeterminate tomato plants will keep growing and producing new blossoms even after the fruit is first set. This means your harvest may last for several months. Staking will be needed. Determinate plants have “terminal” buds, meaning when they set fruit, plant growth stops. Plant needs little or no staking; think of these as “bushy” plants. The harvest period is short, a week to ten days. Semi-determinate plants are larger than determinate but smaller than indeterminate plants. These plants usually require staking. Caturano suggests choosing three different types of plants, so you have a harvest all summer long. “For early harvest, try Early Girl, JetStar, or cherry tomatoes. For mid-season, go for Big Boy, Big Girl, Big Beef or SuperSonic. And for late season harvest, try Beefsteak and plum toma-
toes. This way, you will avoid having an overabundance of tomatoes, if there is such a thing.” She advises putting fertilizer into the ground 10 days before you set the plants out; otherwise, it may burn the plants’ roots. Also, she says, “water the soil, not the plant.” Tomato plants are more likely to get diseases if their leaves are wet. David Zemelsky’s farm, StarLight Gardens, offers CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares of their produce, and is USDA-certified organic. Zemelsky sells to some of the state’s best restaurants as well as at the City Seed Farmer’s Market in New Haven. He and his wife Ty also have a stand at his home on Fowler Avenue in Durham. Their “hoop houses,” which collapsed under heavy shows a couple of years ago, have been totally rebuilt, stronger than ever. They are “greenhouses without heat” which use the warmth of the sun to promote growth. The structures also protect plants from rain (which can been deadly for tomatoes) and hail. For heirloom varieties (for next year’s seed-growing), he recommends the Johnny’s Selected Seeds and Baker Creek catalogs. To him, the names of tomato varieties read like po-
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From Page 4
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A6 Friday, May 23, 2014
Town Times | towntimes.com
Hamma selected as grand marshal
Family Day at Rock Cats fit ongoing improvements to Coginchaug Little League. The little league team that buys the most tickets will visit the Rock Cats dugout prior to the start of the game and take the field with the New Britain Rock Cats players during the playing of the National Anthem. In addition, one boy and one girl from the Spring 2014 little league players will be randomly chosen to throw out the first pitch. All players can take part in a pre-game parade with other little league organizations approximately 30 minutes prior to game time. For more information, contact Michele Wenchell at mgwenchell@comcast.net.
Durham resident and former Air Force and Army Sergeant William Hamma is the 2014 Memorial Day Parade Grand Marshal. Born in Mount Clemens, Mich., Hamma’s family moved when he was just 10-daysold to the Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia, where his father worked as a machinist in a navy yard just outside of Washington, D.C. In 1945 the family re-located again, this time to the Canal Zone in Panama, where his father worked at what was at the time the largest diesel power plant in the Western Hemisphere. In 1948, while still living in Panama, Hamma joined the Army Air Corps, and one year later was automatically marshaled into the Air Force when the Army Air Corps was transferred to the
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Air Force. After completing basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, he was sent back to the Canal Zone where he was attached to the 6th Air Force, all prop planes at the time. Later, he transferred to Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Ill. where he served as a medic and ambulance driver until his departure from the service as a Sergeant/E5 in 1953. Shortly after receiving his discharge, Hamma re-enlisted in the Army, his original service. After receiving Advanced Signal Corp training at Camp Gordon in Augusta, Ga., he was assigned to Fort Buchanan in Puerto Rico, where he served out his career repairing underground telephone lines. He again departed from the Army in 1957 with the rank of Staff Sergeant/E6. After retiring from the Veteran’s Hospital, where he worked as a building mechanic, Hamma then worked for the Durham-Middlefield Transfer Station for many years. William Hamma’s military service in three separate services (Army Air Corp, Air Force, Army), combined with his civilian service at the Veterans Hospital in West Haven equals nearly 40 years of service to his country.
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Coginchaug Little League has scheduled a family day at the New Britain Rock Cats for Sunday, June 1, at 1:35 p.m. The Rock Cats are scheduled to play the Binghamton Mets. A fee is charged. Tickets are available for purchase at www.coginchaugll.org, through Sunday, May 18. Online ticket orders will be available for pick up between May 19 to May 23 at the CLL Concession Stand in Durham during evening game times. The Rock Cats have scheduled a players and coaches clinic for ages 6-12, 10:30 a.m. to noon before the game on the field at New Britain Stadium. No preregistration is required for the clinic. Proceeds bene-
Town Times | towntimes.com
Friday, May 23, 2014
A7
Schools CoginChaug Regional high SChool honoR Roll ald, Sasha Michnevitz, Jacob Ober, Christian Perez-Waldo, Megan Quinley, Hayley Quirk, Caelyn Radziunas, Joshua Smith, Meghan St. Amand, Katherine Stevens, Connor Stewart, Tiffany Tang, Bailey Thayer, Nathaniel Weir, Daniel Wilson, Mikayla Wyskiel. Sophomores - Kyle Adams, Carlie Annecchino, Katelynn Branciforte, Larissa Cade, Karen DeFilippo, Michelle DeFilippo, Johann Dennermaier, Jessica Drop, Samantha Drop, Emily Foreman, Daniel Gavrilovic, Olivia Haglund, Emma Hintz, Kyle Judson, Caitlyn Kranich, Sadie Leiler, Michael O’Keefe, Mary Oblon, Jordan Olivieri, Charley Pietrzyk, Hannah Rea, Christina Rizzo, Matthew Sawicki, Caitlyn Sibiskie,
Jordan Solis, Sam Temple, Yanai Velazquez, Gunther Wallach, Connor Wenchell, Shaun Whitaker, Lilian Zhou. Freshmen - Hannah Amirault, Seth Azevedo, Olivia Bentley, Lily Bournival, Emily Carroll, Alexa DeFilio, MaryGrace Fiondella, Jack French, Will Gavin, Joshua Genest, Faraz Heravi, Dawson Hettrick, Brian Jubelirer, Declan Keenan, Nora Khalil, RaAnna Kurek, Natalie Labasi, Emily Leibiger, Samuel Marteka, Nathan McDonald, Rowan O’Connell, Garrett Puchalski, Danielle Quinley, Scott Romeyn, Lucas Schleicher, Emily Stanwood, Jillian Taber, Madison Terrill, Kayla Therrien, Chase Thompson, Bridget Turecek. Honors
Seniors - Christian Adams, Chelsea Blackwood, Brian Blake, Olivia Corazzini, Jeffrey Cummings, Mikaela Dumont, Lucas Fowler, Kristopher Kuchinski, Gabriel Oshana, Jeffrey Roblee, Taylor Sapia, Ian Stewart, Grant Willis. Juniors - Audrey Arcari, Vincent Bellacicco, Julia Bowles, Catherine Brennan, Marguerite Busey, Kayleigh Crocetto, Kevin Crompton, Jared DeFlippo, Chloe French, Kelly Halligan, Emily Harlow, Cory Hassmann, Elena Huntington, Monica LaRosa, Katrena MacFarlene, Max Marino, Diana Martinez, Michael O’Sullivan, Matthew Quick, Devin Rodrigue, Erin Smith, Alexander Staddon, Zachary Taylor, Zachary Terrill, Olivia Tubis, Zachary Vallone,
Courtney Votto. Sophomores - Ava Altschuler, Christopher Andrews, Amy Arcari, Saige Avery, Lauren Badin, Brennan Bates, Alec Bogen, Michael Brady, Kristin Chanthinith, Kevin Clark, Isabella Coviello, Joshua Dalo, Timothy DeBaise, Krista DeFilio, Isabelle DeFlippo, Kyle DeGennaro, Leonid Funaro, Kathleen Hennessy, Dana Hoffman, Raya Huto, Gilia Jose, Angela Koerber, Abigail LaVigne, Andrew Light, Taylor Marino, Joshua Martowski, Jesse Nelson, Jeremiah Palmisano, Melissa Parsons, Alexander Peterson, Christopher Piotrowski, Cameron Powers, Jacob Sapia, Zoe Strothers,
See Coginchaug / Page 12
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A8 Friday, May 23, 2014
Town Times | towntimes.com
Opinion Veterans History Project a Library of Congress treasure It’s easy to spend hours perusing the Library of Congress website at loc.gov. The collections of American life are amazing and include audio, video, photograph and document archives. There are files that range from Look magazine to World War II Military Situation Maps. There’s Stars and Stripes: The American Soldiers’ Newspaper of World War I, 1918-1919. There are topics from technology to art, to history to immigration and native peoples. This Memorial Day, as we take a moment to reflect, we’d like to draw your attention to several selections in the American Memory project which are available online. One recent audio presentation is the Sept. 11, 2001 Documentary Project. The library notes that: more than 60 years ago, the American Folklife Center mounted a similar effort to document national sentiment in 1941 following the attack on Pearl Harbor: After the Day of Infamy: “Man-on-the-Street” Interviews Following the Attack on Pearl Harbor. (This audio tape also is available online.) The Sept. 11 documentary “captures the heartfelt reactions, eyewitness accounts,
and diverse opinions of Americans and others in the months that followed the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93. Patriotism and unity mixed with sadness, anger, and insecurity are common themes expressed in this online presentation of almost 200 audio and video interviews, 45 graphic items, and 21 written narratives. The day after the attacks, the American Folklife Center called upon the nation’s folklorists and ethnographers to collect, record, and document America’s reaction. A sampling of the material collected through this effort was used to create the Sept. 11, 2001, Documentary Project. This collection captures the voices of a diverse ethnic, socioeconomic, and political cross-section of America during trying times and serves as a historical and cultural resource for future generations. The Veterans History Project of the American Folklife Center collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from
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Town Times is published every Friday by the Record-Journal Publishing Co. and delivered to all homes and businesses in Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall. Executive Vice President and Assistant Publisher – Liz White Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer – Shawn E. Palmer Senior Vice President and Editor – Ralph Tomaselli News Editor – Olivia L. Lawrence Assistant News Editor – Nick Carroll Reporter – Mark Dionne Advertising Sales – Joy Boone Advertising Director – Kimberley E. Boath Office Assistant, Press Releases – Marsha Pomponio
veterans and better understand the realities of war. The Project collects first-hand accounts of U.S. Veterans from the following wars: World War I (1914-1920); World War II (1939-1946); Korean War (1950-1955); Vietnam War (1961-1975); Persian Gulf War (1990-1995); Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts (2001-present). In addition, those U.S. citizen civilians who were actively involved in supporting war efforts (such as war industry workers, USO workers, flight instructors, medical volunteers, etcetera) are also invited to share their valuable stories. The United States Congress created the Veterans History Project in 2000 and it is an ongoing project.
Its mission is to collect, preserve and make accessible the first-hand remembrances of America’s war veterans from WWI through the current conflicts, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war. The Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center is primarily an oral history program that collects and preserves the firsthand interviews of America’s wartime veterans. VHP relies on volunteers, both individuals and organizations, throughout the nation to contribute veterans’ stories to VHP. In addition to audio- and video-recorded interviews, VHP accepts memoirs and collections of original photographs, letters, diaries, maps and other historical documents from World War I through current conflicts. Many of our participants choose to interview friends or family members that have served in the military. However, local veterans service organizations, a local or regional Department of Veterans Affairs facility, a
senior center or a retirement community are good places to locate veterans who might be interested in sharing their story. To learn more email vohp@ loc.gov or call (888) 371-5848. The library also encourages visits to VHP’s Information Center, which is located in Room LM-109 of the Madison Building (101 Independence Ave, SE, Washington, DC 20540). It is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (EST), Monday through Friday. The Library of Congress is closed on all federal holidays. Please contact VHP prior to your visit to ensure VHP staff are available (email vohp@loc.gov or telephone (888) 371-5848). Currently, the Veterans History Project is highlighting the Aleutian Campaign, the “unknown campaign” of World War II. The following is from a March 18 press release from the VHP: The history of World War II is populated with battles and place names that have become legendary: Omaha Beach, Guadalcanal and See Veterans / Page 9
Letters to the editor Passing the buck on budget mistake To the editor: The town of Middlefield made a budget error to the deficit of $144,000. To recap Town Times’ report as I read it, someone or someones used an Excel spreadsheet that must’ve calculated the number of students from Middlefield according to last year’s data and did not account for new students this year; and that discrepancy somehow (?) created this sizeable deficit. Apparently no one realized this until after the town vote on the total budget amount. According to Town Times, Central Office and BOE “took responsibility for the mistake” while Kerrie Flanagan and Kathryn Veronesi reportedly offered apologies. Meanwhile, one of three options suggested to remedy this deficit is to raise our mil rate. I think it’s offensive to suggest arbitrarily raising our taxes ex post facto to rectify this mistake; or to raise them arbitrarily -period. If Middlefield raises the mil rate, then it is not the Central Office and the BOE taking responsibility but rather, passing the buck onto us.
The town should re-allocate the budget using existing funds. If the mil rate was calculated properly to begin with, then the funds should theoretically be sufficient for the community’s needs. Did we really gain, in Middlefield alone, $144,000 worth of new students this year? I don’t believe Middlefield residents should be used as a go-to piggy bank. Something about this story seems either odd or incomplete. Carolyn Salzano Middlefield Turbine trouble To the editor: About 35 years ago, Block Island had extremely high electricity rates. Hence, a community wind turbine was installed. The generator supposedly killed TV reception. The turbine was then removed. Beware. Howard B. Field III Durham
Town Times | towntimes.com
Friday, May 23, 2014
Property tax structure may hurt older folks of up to $1,250 per year, but unOur state and town governments der Rep. Kokoruda’s bill the towns have long been fixated on property will be able to deny the credit and taxes. We collect more property impose the full property tax. The taxes than any other state in the bill leaves it to the discretion of country, partly because we impose the towns to determine the value these taxes not only on real propof a senior’s property before denyerty but also on personal property. ing the property tax credit. In the Property taxes were an underwaning hours of the recent sesstandable revenue collector when sion, I debated against Rep. Kokowe were an agricultural society State Sen. ruda’s bill and voted against it as because the wealth of our ancesEd Meyer well. Unfortunately, I was unsuctors was property and not income. cessful and the bill passed both For at least the last hundred years, houses and is on the governor’s however, our wealth has become our income and yet we persist in a focus desk. I have written to him urging a veto. As a result of Connecticut’s heavy relion property taxes more than income taxes. Increasingly, that focus poses a challenge ance on the local property tax, our towns to elderly people whose property value with strong grand lists get richer and our regularly increases but whose income is state gets poorer. The sad effect is that the state government under finances pubeither fixed or decreases. The most recent example of this misdi- lic education. On the average, the state rection is a bill introduced this past legis- pays about 35 percent of our school costs lative session by Rep. Noreen Kokoruda whereas in most other states, the state (R – Madison) at the request of Madison’s contribution approximates 50 percent. As First Selectman. The bill allows our towns we go into a new election cycle, tax reform to deny the property tax credit given to in Connecticut should be a priority. I reseniors with incomes below $42,000, if gret that in my years as your state senator those seniors own homes with substan- I have not been able to effectuate change tial value, as for example, $400,000. Our of this long-established practice. seniors have enjoyed a property tax credit
A9
Veterans From Page 8
Okinawa. Less familiar are Adak, Attu and Kiska. They are part of the story of the Aleutian Campaign, in which thousands of American soldiers fought against Japanese forces that had invaded islands off the coast of Alaska, which was then an American territory. It is these battlegrounds – and the stories of those who served there – that the Veterans History Project brings to light in the latest installment of the “Experiencing War” web series, available at www.loc.gov/vets. Beginning in June 1942 and lasting through July 1943, American forces struggled to take control of Attu and Kiska. Not only did they confront the Japanese, but they also battled another enemy: the unforgiving climate of the islands. Despite the dramatic environment in which they served, and their successful defense of American soil, these soldiers’ stories have largely disappeared
from the collective memory of the war. Currently, the Veterans History Project holds more than 500 stories of veterans of the Aleutian Campaign and hopes to add many more to the collection in order to best tell the story of World War II’s “unknown campaign.” With this feature, VHP highlights the stories of a handful of veterans who took part in the Aleutian Campaign. They include Dean Galles, who sustained bayonet injuries during handto-hand combat with the Japanese, and Clifton Davis, who describes the unique blizzards known as “willowaws” that were common in the Aleutians. Also featured are the stories of Seabee Earl Long, who discovered a love of reading while on the long journey to the Aleutians, and Howard Bernstein, a pilot who flew bombing missions out of Attu Island. — Compiled from information from the Library of Congress
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A10 Friday, May 23, 2014
Town Times | towntimes.com
Commentary
Recalling good times at the Town Times 20th Anniversary By Betsy White Booz Special to Town Times
Working at the Town Times introduced me to our community, both individually and collectively. Although I had lived in Durham for a decade, I worked most of that time in Farmington, so I wasn’t around much. When I was laid off in 1997, I immediately jumped into consulting, which involved a lot of travel. When my dad died in 1998, I finally decided to take some time off to “smell the roses.” That lasted about a year, until my friend, who worked at the Town Times, told me they were looking for reporters. I decided to give it a try. So glad I did.
I got to know a special group of people who then owned and ran the newspaper – I still count them as great friends. I got to know how our two towns’ boards and commissions worked and the issues they faced. Regional School District 13 became more than just where my kids went to school. Local politics and elections became more than head shots and bios. I became familiar with the amazing network of service organizations that support our community. I interviewed a lot of fascinating figures, took a lot of photos, helped the high school kids with their school newspaper, learned how to put together a newspaper from start to finish, even won a couple of journalism awards. I went from reporter to Middlefield edi-
VETERANS WANTED to march, or ride on the float, in the Durham Memorial Day Parade.
tor to associate editor. It was, at times, interesting, challenging, frustrating, exhausting and exhilarating. My most amusing recollection? That has to do with my first Middlefield Planning and Zoning meeting. Taking notes fast and furiously – and not knowing the cast of characters at all – my story included a number of references to “Tom Planner.” This guy seemed to have a lot to say when it came to
P&Z. While checking my story, Sue VanDerzee said, “Who is Tom Planner?” I described the guy, and Sue started laughing. Seems the guy’s real name was Geoff Colegrove, and he was the Town Planner – oops. (I only recently told Geoff that true story.) My husband and kids say that, while I was working at the Town Times, everyone knew me. I would argue that it was really the other way around. I
Looking to party with ‘Rio 2’ or ‘Neighbors’ Diagnosis: Movies By Tanya Feke M.D. Special to Town Times
Now that the weather has warmed up, everyone is in a party mood. Dust off the grills, boys and girls, it is time for summer — if New England does not go fickle on us, that is. Let’s look at an unlikely pairing of this year’s spring films to
see how well they heat up the silver screen. First on the docket is Blue Sky Studio’s animated sequel to their 2011 hit. Rio 2 should be a show stopping spectacle. After all, that is what Carnival is all about. Vibrant color and energy ablaze with music and wonder. Instead the flick is full of desperate one-liner gags and lackluster songs. Where is the imagination?
ALL veterans from Durham and Middlefield are invited to participate. Meet at the corner of Main Street and Haddam Quarter Road at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, May 26th.
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got to know everyone! Whether it was the candidate running for local office, the quiet couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, the (sometimes contentious) town meetings and hearings, new babies, interesting hobbies, you name it… this community is full of wonderful people. I wouldn’t have gotten to know a fraction of them if not for the years I spent working at the Town Times. It was a great experience.
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Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) and his family literally fly, wings and all, from America to Rio de Janeiro. In Brazil, not only do they meet the long lost family of his wife Jewel (Anne Hathaway) but they also save the Amazon rain forest from a profit-hungry logger. It is essentially Fern Gully with birds instead of fairies and without the heart. Oh, and toss in the evil Nigel (Jemaine Clement) for comic relief. Sometimes I wonder if I am spoiled by the modern advancement and sophistication of today’s animated films. Movies like Frozen show that you can have quality artwork and heartfelt songs and meaningful story lines. My children laughed at parts of Rio 2 but otherwise squirmed in their seats. Never a good sign. Children’s movies aren’t what they used to be. Audiences of all ages expect more. Moving from the children to the big boys, Neighbors asks what you would do if a frat house moved in next door. The trailer for Neighbors had me anticipating a feisty battle between a new family and a beer chugging frat but the movie did not kindle its potential. Again, imagination was at a stand still. What could have been Animal House reincarnate, this time with family vs. frat instead of frat vs. frat, fell flat but for an impromptu frat house fundraiser. Think handmade goods with lots of innuendo. You may never see a bake sale in the same way. See Movies / Page 11
Town Times | towntimes.com
Friday, May 23, 2014
A11
Parents reminded to ‘set the rules’ Press Release During this prom and graduation season, The Governor’s Prevention Partnership urges parents to open lines of communication and to talk with their teens about the dangers of underage drinking and substance abuse. Underage drinking as well as binge drinking — defined as five or more drinks in a two-hour period for males, and four or more drinks in a two-hour period for females — occurs at significant rates in Connecticut. In the most recent survey conducted by the Connecticut School Health Survey, high school students from around the state in regards to alcohol consumption. 41.5-percent of high school students reported having at least one drink of alcohol, while 22.3-percent reported they had taken part in binge drinking. 6.9-percent of those surveyed admitted to driving after drinking alcohol while 25.2-percent said they rode in a car in which the driver had been drinking prior to getting behind the wheel. “We are offering parents and caregivers a plan of action to help engage their teenagers in healthy conversations about underage drinking and drug abuse,” said Jill Spineti, the president and CEO of the Governor’s Prevention Partnership. “Our teens need to be reminded frequently about the serious consequences associated with underage drinking and drug abuse. “Our children are especially vulnerable during prom and graduation season, when
parties are frequent and summer vacation is just around the corner.” Spineti also aired caution to teens and parents, saying that both state and local police are on high alert for underage drinking parties and driving under the influence, particularly during this time of year. It is a priority of the Connecticut State Police to remain active in ensuring public safety on all public roads and highways. Now in its 25th year, The Governor’s Prevention Partnership is a statewide nonprofit public-private alliance, building a strong, healthy future workforce through leadership in mentoring and prevention of youth violence and bullying, underage drinking, and substance abuse. The Governor’s Prevention Partnership has developed a seven-step plan of action to help remind parents about what to do as prom and graduation parties are held throughout the state, and the risk for underage drinking and drug abuse is increased: 1. Parents must not serve alcohol. Serving alcohol to minors is a serious, criminal offense. Even allowing underage youth access to alcohol (without directly providing it) violates Connecticut’s social hosting law. In addition, parents who provide or allow underage youth access to alcohol open themselves up to significant financial liability. Beyond legal ramifications, it’s important to remember that young people who start using alcohol before age 15 are five times more likely to have
alcohol-related problems later in life (U.S. Surgeon General, 2007). 2. Trust, but verify. Know your son or daughter’s itinerary for the evening and check in with other adults or your child. In this day of cell phones, it’s not unreasonable to “check in” with your child to confirm that they are where they say they are. Establish a curfew with your teenager based on past behavior and trustworthiness. Discuss your expectations and involve him or her in these decisions. 3. #DontForgetSocialMedia. Check your teenager’s Facebook, Twitter or Instagram account. If you don’t know what something means – ask. There are lots of slang terms used as code to cover drinking and drug use, so if you’re unsure as to what is being said, check out teenchatdecoder.com or decoder. drugfree.org. 4. Throw an alcohol-free party. One strategy to keep teens safe is to host an alcohol-free party. This too requires vigilance, as everyone entering must be checked at the door and nobody should be allowed to leave and then return. Parents should also consider banning backpacks and outside beverages. Water bottles and other containers should not be allowed, as it’s very easy to substitute alcohol for the original contents. 5. No hotel rooms. Do not rent teens a hotel room or let them go off to a remote location (like someone’s vacation home) without proper adult supervision. Teenagers and unsupervised seclusion can
be a recipe for disaster. 6. Talk to your teen (listen carefully, too) Even if you have talked previously with your son or daughter, prom and graduation nights are good times to reinforce your expectations. Don’t just talk—listen and be reasonable. Specifically, talk about the dangers of getting into a car with someone who has been drinking. 7. Be available. Agree that your son or daughter can call you at any time for help or
advice and that you will pick him/her up if needed, no questions asked that night. Create a code word that your son or daughter can use to indicate that help is needed. For more tips and resources on staying safe during the prom and graduation season, visit the Governor’s Prevention Partnership’s Parent Resource Center at www.preventionworksct.org or “Set the Rules CT” at www.settherulesct.org.
Movies From Page 10
It does not fall into character that Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne as married couple Mac and Kelly would so easily saunter over to the frat house to party and cause mischief, leaving their newborn unattended or with random baby sitters. Not when the whole premise of the movie is to keep their little baby out of harm’s way. That’s not the only thing that doesn’t flow. Rogen and Effron have such an on-again off-again bromance in the movie that it is hard to know what is going on. The highlight of the movie comes at the end where the actors take center stage in front of a popular clothing store. A
topless Effron with chiseled abs smiles over at the “relaxed fit” Rogen. Yes, we nearly destroyed each other’s lives but let’s hang out. What? These two spring movies try to put on a show but do little to entice me to their party . I would rather fire up the grill at home and catch a flick on Netflix. Neighbors: 2 Stethoscopes Rio 2: 1 Stethoscope Dr. Tanya Feke is a family physician and guest columnist for the Town Times and Record Journal. She has been press credentialed to the LA Film Festival and continues to pursue a love of film. Her reviews are rated on a five stethoscope scale.
Rockfall Foundation awards grants Department of Public Health initiative called, Tools for Schools. These are the first major grants to be awarded by Rockfall. The goal of these grants – given either as single-year or multi-year disbursements – is to provide worthy groups with the resources to launch or complete a major project or program, and to be more effective in the community. A list of past grant recipients and project descriptions is available at www.rockfallfoundation.org. Grants are awarded by the foundation annually. Application information and schedules are available by calling Claire Rusowicz at (860) 347-0340.
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The Rockfall Foundation has awarded its 2014 major grant awards to two environmental projects, focused in Middletown, the lower Connecticut River, and along the Middlesex County shoreline. Rockfall is distributing a total of $25,000 in grants for environmental programs benefitting Middlesex County. The grants will go to SoundWaters for expansion of its highly successful Coastal Explorers program into the county, and to the Connecticut Forest and Park Association to bring the Project Learning Tree, GreenSchools! Program into the Middletown school system. CFPA’s grant will help build on the current
A12 Friday, May 23, 2014
Town Times | towntimes.com
Coginchaug
School Briefs
From Page 7 Stephanie Tang, Parker Tregoning, Nicole Woznyk, Megan Yale. Freshmen - Alexandra Alsup, Katrina Anderson, Marissa Bizzario, Chelsea Cassidy, Samar Chater, Benjamin Choplick-Ward, Paige Copeland, Jessica Coughlin, Calista Dills, Lauren Donnelly, Lauren Fairchild, Taylon Fay, Kyle Fontaine, Melissa Grenier, Jenna Isleib,
“Learn from the Professionals”
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Coginchaug Regional High School has scheduled its senior awards ceremony for Wednesday, June 4, 7 p.m., at the school auditorium. The junior, sophomore, and freshman classes awards assembly is scheduled for Thursday, June 5, 7:30 a.m., in the auditorium. Guest parking for the events is available in the students parking lot.
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field has been named to the Connecticut State Rifle & Revolver 2014 All-State Team. Benjamin Shoudy of Durham received a Duke of Edinburgh award at McDaniel College, Maryland. The award is a four-step self-development program for achievement in community service, physical fitness, special skills and adventurous journey. Bonnie Ryder, Tabatha Merrill of Durham were inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at Middlesex Community College. Taylor DelVecchio of Durham has been inducted into the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, for academic disciplines at Villanova University.
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CRHS Project Grad CRHS Project Grad has scheduled a car wash for Saturday, May 31, at Carolyn Adams parking lot, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date is June 1. Proceeds benefit Project Graduation.
Records to be destroyed The Pupil Services Office of Regional School District 13 is scheduled to destroy the confidential special education records of all former students from the class of 2007. The action is allowed by State Regulations per authority of the State of Connecticut Office of Public Records Administration and Federal Regulation 34 CFR 300.573. Copies of these special education confidential records of all former students are available following submission of a written request by the students before June 12. Send letters of request to Amy Emory, Director of Pupil Personnel Services, Regional School District 13, P.O. Box 135A Pickett Lane, Durham, CT 06422.
Summer stock youth theater Durham Middlefield Youth and Family Services has scheduled a production of “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” for its youth summer stock theater. Students entering grades 5 through 9 are welcome to register to participate. A fee is charged. Deadline to register is July 1. Summer stock dates are July 7 through 11 and July 14 through 19, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Performance dates are scheduled for July 18, 7 p.m. and July 19 and 1 and 7 p.m. A parent information meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 11 at 6 p.m. at the Middlefield Community center, 405 Main St. Auditions are scheduled for Monday, June 16. For more information, call (860) 349-0258 or email bdean.dmyfs@ comcast.net.
Town Times | towntimes.com
Friday, May 23, 2014
A13
Faith
St. Sebastian festival begins its pilgrimage in Middlefield biggest years,” mainly because it was the 600th anniversary of the original St. Sebastian’s Church in Melilli, Sicily where many residents of Middletown and the area went there in early May for the celebration Mellili. Why do the “Nuri” do this? There are several reasons such
By Frank Logiudice Special to Town Times
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the “Nuri” still chanted “E Chiamamulu Paisanu! Primu Diu E Sammastianu!” They continued with this phrase until the statue was returned inside the church where flowers were placed at the base of the statue. A total of 400 people participated in the “I Nuri” Run. Not only did they come from Connecticut but also from Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Bronx, New York according to Dr. Gene Nocera, general chairperson of the festival. Nocera said, “It was one of the
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Notre Dame Church, 280 Main St., has scheduled its monthly flea market and tag sale for the first Saturday of each month, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., through Oct. 4. The tag sale will be located in the church hall, rectory garage, parking lot and lawn, rain or shine. Breakfast and lunch will be available. Vendor space is available for purchase. For more information, call Bob Smith at (860) 349-0356.
and women, boys and girls participated in the annual “I Nuri” Run. Before the “Nuri” started on their trek to the church they said prayers to their departed relatives, to God and St. Sebastian. The people who participated in the “I Nuri” Run leave the cemetery in small groups between 10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. so they could arrive at the church by 12:15 p.m. for the conclusion of the High Mass in honor of St. Sebastian. When the mass was over both groups of “I Nuri” converged with each other and ran into the church still chanting “E Chiamamulu Paisanu! Primu Diu E Sammastianu! Then, the statue of St. Sebastian was carried out of the church by the parishioners who then transferred the statue over to the “I Nuri” to parade it through downtown Middletown for everyone to see. During the processional
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The “Nuri” parade a statue of St. Sebastian in Middletown May 18. | Photo by Frank Logiudice.
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The “I Nuri” Run took place Sunday, May 18, for the 93rd Celebration of the St. Sebastian’s Church Festival in Middletown. Parishioners of the Italian church proclaimed their love of God and St. Sebastian by making their annual pilgrimage from the St. Sebastian’s Cemetery in Middlefield along with another contingent of “Nuri” stationed at the former Sons of Italy Hall, on Court Street in Middletown, to the Saint Sebastian’s Church in Middletown on Washington Street. The “Nuri” showed their devotion of their patron saint, St. Sebastian by making loud declarations as they moved through the streets of Middlefield and Middletown. The runners recite the Italian phrase “E Chiamamulu Paisanu! Primu Diu E Sammastianu!” Translated to English it means “He’s one of our own! First God and then St. Sebastian.” The “Nuri” were dressed in white clothing, wore red sashes with a picture of St. Sebastian pinned on their clothes, they held flowers in their hands and ran either barefoot or in stocking feet through the streets of Middlefield and Middletown. All ages of men
as preserving tradition, to thank Saint Sebastian for his help throughout the year, to honor relatives, for health reasons, personal sacrifice to honor the saint, family reasons and hoping for a miracle of some kind to be granted. The “I Nuri” never participate for monetary reasons.
A14 Friday, May 23, 2014
Town Times | towntimes.com
Sports Baseball: Spartans improve to 8-0 The Strong baseball team won four more games recently, in dominant fashion. First, they faced Portland at home. Macguire O’Sullivan went to the mound for the Spartans and had a slow start, allowing a lead-off hit and a walk. He then settled in and got the next batter to pop up to the infield and retired the next two batters on a groundout to short and a fly out to left. In the home half of the first, the Spartans struck quickly with base hits by Luke Garofalo and Danny Turecyk. Two stolen bases would put the runners at second and third with Griffen Saks at the plate. Saks would hit a ground ball to second, allowing Turecyk to score. O’Sullivan would get the Portland hitters in order in the second, bringing the home team to bat again. The
2014
locals wasted no time and scored two quick runs on a double by Eric Debrum, a single by James Salemme and two f ielders choice ground balls, bringing the score to 3-0. O’Sullivan would cruise through the third and give up one run in the fourth, bringing the score to 3-1. Ryan Genest would come on in relief in the top of the fifth, recording two strike outs and a ground out to Garofalo at short. The bottom of the fifth proved to be the gamechanger. Garofalo led off with a walk, Saks tripled him home, Peter Onofrio would then triple home Saks and Portland would go to the bull pen. Things didn’t change for the Portland pitcher as he was greeted with a line drive base hit up the middle by T.J
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Vallone scoring Onofrio. A.J. Kleczkowski was hit by a pitch and Connor Rulnick would walk and both would eventually score. When it was all said and done, the Spartans plated seven runs to take a 10-1 lead. Genest would close out the Portland hitters in the sixth and seventh to secure the victory. From there, the Spartans traveled to Suny Crest field to face Rocky Hill. It didn’t take long to see the direction this game was going to go. The Spartans scored nine runs in the first three innings and added seven more in the fifth on their way to an 18-2 romp. James Salemme and Dan Munro teamed up to pitch an outstanding game, limiting Rocky Hill to just three hits and four walks.
Strong (6-0) was led at the plate by Griffen Saks, who generated three hits and three RBI. Danny Turecyk, Luke Garofalo and Cole Niedmann had two hits apiece, and just about every Spartan recorded a base hit. The visitors recorded 15 hits on the day. From there, Cromwell came to Durham and ran into the Spartan buzz saw, falling 8-0. MacGuire O’Sullivan took the hill and pitched a dominating six innings, giving up no runs, three hits and only one walk, with four strikeouts. Connor Rulnick pitched a scoreless seventh to close out the game. The Spartan offense struck quickly. Cole Niedmann led off the first with a hot shot to third that the Cromwell third baseman couldn’t handle. Niedmann stole second and moved to third on Danny
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Turecyk’s base hit putting runners at the corners. After Turecyk stole second, Luke Garofalo hit a sacrifice fly to left scoring Niedmann, and the Spartans were on the board. Griffen Saks lined a base hit to right scoring Turecyk. Two stolen bases later and a sacrifice fly to left by Peter Onofrio scored Saks, making it 3-0 at the end of the first. The Spartans kept the pressure on Cromwell in the home half of the second, scoring four more runs. Base hits by Dan Munro, Cole Niedmann, Luke Garofalo and Griffen Saks would put the score to 7-0. The Spartans added another run in the third on a hit by James Salemme, a walk by O’Sullivan and another hit by Munro.
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Friday, May 23, 2014
Baseball
Memorial Day parade
out the next batter, recording out number two. RHAM sent up their No. 5 hitter with a man at third and two outs. Garofalo went right after him with a pitch high in the zone, but the hitter got a good piece of it and steered it into short right center field. It looked like it was going to be a tie game, but Eric Debrum came scorching in from center field to make a one hand, running catch to end the game. --Submitted
The 2014 Durham Memorial Day Parade is scheduled for Monday, May 26, rain or shine. The parade will step off at 9:15 a.m. at the corner of Haddam Quarter Road and Main Street, and continue down Main Street to the Durham Town Green. Participants should assemble at the corner between 8:15 and 8:30 a.m. A ceremony honoring our nation’s servicemen and servicewomen is scheduled to immediately follow the parade. Organizations wishing to participate in the parade and for those who know of a Durham or Middlefield resident who is currently serving in the military, are asked to contact Bob Francis at (860) 349-0881 or rfranwp80@ yahoo.com.
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Strong’s next game, at RHAM, would prove to be the Spartans toughest test yet. Cole Niedmann led off the game with a base hit and then stole second. Dan Turecyk drew a walk and Luke Garofalo hit a ground ball to short forcing Turecyk out at second. Griffen Saks would then pop out to first and it looked like RHAM was going to get out of the inning, but not so fast. Two costly errors by RHAM fielders on balls hit by Peter Onofrio and James Salemme allowed the Spartans to take a 2-0 lead. Eric Debrum was on the mound for the Spartans and retired the first seven RHAM hitters in order before hitting RHAM’s No. 8 batter. But Debrum settled in and got the next two batters, and at the end of three innings the score stood 3-0 Spartans. The score stayed the same until the sixth. The RHAM pitcher kept the Spartans off balance most of the game. Debrum would reach his pitch limit in the sixth and was relieved by Luke Garofalo with no outs and runners on first and second. RHAM executed a perfect sacrifice bunt, moving the runners up with one out. A very rare Spartan error allowed the runners to score and tie the game, still with only one out. A base hit and walk would load the bases. The RHAM coach called a suicide squeeze play but it backfired, as catcher Danny Turecyk fielded the bunt, tagged home and threw to first for an inning-ending double play. The Spartans struck back in the seventh. Saks reached on an error and Peter Onofrio singled to put runners on first and second. Coach Vallone gave James Salemme the bunt signal and he executed it to perfection and beat the throw to first, loading the bases with no outs. Eric Debrum popped up to second and the RHAM fielder attempted to double Salemme off at first, but his throw went wide allowing Saks to score the go-ahead run. Cal Pitruzello then hit a RBI sacrifice fly to right, scoring Onofrio and giving
the Spartans a much-needed insurance run going into the bottom of the seventh. In the RHAM seventh, the lead off hitter ripped a first pitch strike to center and a wild pitch moved him to second. The next batter drew a walk and RHAM was in business. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third with one out. A passed ball allowed RHAM to score a run and cut their deficit to one. Garofalo settled in and struck
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Town Times | towntimes.com
Cephalopods and Florida. Coginchaug lost to Virginia, which placed when Alaska just hit the but- fourth overall. One of the members of the ton without even hearing the question, guessed and guessed Virginia team said “Your team scared us like no other team correctly!” Alaska won by only two has done so far,” according to points, before going on to take Martin. In double elimination, third place overall. Boise High School from Boise, Idaho took Coginchaug defeated Wiscontop honors at the bowl which sin before their second loss to is hosted by Washington Sea Virginia, and the final game Grant and the University of against Alaska. CRHS seniors Deanna PuWashington. Coginchaug won three out chalski, the team captain, and of four round robin matches, Abby Eisner “provided the indefeating California, Texas, dispensable skilled leadership From Page 1
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and cheerful confidence that glued the team together,” Martin said. Both served as captain during the competition, where each round featured four of the five team members. Every member of the Cephalopods specialized in an area of knowledge, with Amelia Biachi, the “cool, calculating team biology specialist to whom the others look for answers,” Martin said. Ryan Gossart’s lightning-fast “buzzer-finger, grasp of strategy, and extensive knowledge of physical oceanography kept us right up there running with the “big dogs” the whole time.” Tyler Bjaranson “was singled out twice on the larger stage,” Martin said. A judge praised Tyler’s “honest and terribly witty” answer to a question during the Scientific Expert Briefing challenge. Nationals featured a unique challenge for competitors: a mock congressional hearing on the topic of Ocean Acidification. “We were prepared for the topic, considering ocean acidification was the focus of the competition,” Tyler said. According to parent Damien Bianchi, the head of the NOSB said that due to ocean acidification, coral reefs are expected to disappear by 2050. A judge “told Tyler that at times he wished he could have had the bravado to answer with such humor and honesty when confronted by so many inane questions taken during his lobbying efforts,” Martin said. Tyler was also commended for offering the idea that a prize could be offered for a clean-up solution to the micro-plastics in the ocean. “They did very, very well,” said Diana Payne, Education Coordinator with the Connecticut Sea Grant and former head of the National Marine Educators Association. In 17 years of competition, this is only the third time a team from Connecticut has gone to nationals, and the first time a CT team has done so well. “I have a background in biology and [Cephalopod Amelia] answered some questions even I didn’t know the answer to,” Payne said. Coginchaug’s strategy, as published in promotional maSee Cephalopods / Page 17
Town Times | towntimes.com
Friday, May 23, 2014
terial for the event, was to “buzz in first and get the right answer.” The team credited their sense of humor and fun to what made them such effective competitors. By having fun, the team entered competition with a more relaxed, focused attitude. “It was an experience I’ll never forget,” said team captain Deanna. “I couldn’t be prouder of this team,” Abby said, thanking Coach Martin for her dedication in preparing practice questions for the team every week. “We couldn’t have done it without her.” “I had so much adrenaline our first match,” Ryan said. He explained that the Cephalopods were chosen as the team’s mascot for the alliteration, and because they are known as the smartest invertebrates. When asked by a member of the Board of Education why an invertebrate was chosen, Ryan said “it’s also a bit of a metaphor for being the underdog.” “Also, the literal translation of Cephalopod from Latin is ‘head foot,’” quipped Tyler. Amelia, who transferred to Coginchaug last year, said “It’s amazing… The stuff I’ve learned is more than four times what I knew before. I’ve had so many great experiences and it’s all thanks to this amazing team.” The team visited the Space Needle, Puget Sound, Pike’s Fish Market, and the Seattle Aquarium during their trip, but perhaps the strangest thing they witnessed was Seattle’s Gum Wall, a brick alleyway covered in used gum. “It smelled like a candy store gone wrong,” Tyler said. “Overall, though 10th place sometimes doesn’t sound like a spectacular number in a basketball tournament scheme of things, the fact that this was only the second time in history that a Connecticut team has made it to Nationals and that two years ago, the only other CT team to reach Nationals never even won a match, I can’t even contain the pride I feel for these exceptional Coginchaug students,” Coach Martin said. “It will take many years for me to come down off this oceanic tidal wave!”
Finance time to make adjustments to the budget after learning, on May 9, that an outdated figure in the education budget led to a miscalculation of Middlefield’s allocation. At its May 15 meeting, the Board of Finance made up the $144,000 difference with multiple adjustments, which were presented by BOF chair Bob Yamartino before the vote.
Yamartino described the situation as “all hands on deck” and thanked the BOF, Middlefield Finance Director Joe Geruch, and town employees for their work. Including the addition of $144,000 to the Regional District 13 line, there were 26 different adjustments to the originally proposed budget. The capital funding of a pumper truck was the largest other single adjustment, with the line dropping by $28,000 to $6, 500. The
pumper truck is new, but Middlefield has attempted to fund scheduled replacement of big ticket items. Yamartino described that cut as setting up a catch up situation. “It will result in next year us having to restore the $34,500 for that truck and then an additional $1,500 to $1,700 so that by the time that equipment is used up we have the replacement dollars available.” Middlefield also learned more about the state’s bud-
get during the week-long delay. Over $14,000 more will be coming from the state than expected. Middlefield will also pull $10,000 more than originally planned from its fund balance. Other adjustments to make up the $144,000 difference include lower than expected health and life insurance payments, over $24,000 removed from building and bridge improvements, $5,000 See Budget / Page 18
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Town Times | towntimes.com
Budget the fund balance left above handle emergencies were all Yamartino said. meeting was attended by 8 percent, and the contin- goals. “With this budget, we Similar to the previous less than 20 members of the removed from expenses for gency fund strong enough to hit all three of those targets,” week’s meeting, the May 19 public. the playscape and Middlefield’s 150th celebration, and an elimination of the $5,000 proposed for a consultant to clean up Middlefield’s job descriptions. Expected property tax revenue was adjusted by only Professional Service $2,187, from $13,696,215 to Since 1976 sales@gradeact.com For more information contact: $13,698,402. Yamartino said, www.gradeahomeimprovement.com 860-874-4848 “That’s a reflection of the Durham, CT (860) 349-1131 Board of Finance holding Complimentary in-home estimates Pick-up & Delivery the mill rate pretty much MILITARY DISCOUNTS HIC. 0636072 constant” in the face of the $144,000 adjustment. • Lawn Repair • Thatching Before the vote, BOF • Overseeding member Jim Irish said, “The • Hydroseeding • Deck Building budget that’s represented • Land Clearing tonight has a 0.68 mill in• Excavation & Bobcat Services • Home Improvement Contractor crease. That’s the lowest mill • Lawn Mowing increase the taxpayers have • Decorative Patios and Walks faced in the last five years.” • Block Retaining Walls Rob Est. 1965 • Outdoor Living Spaces Yamartino said that the Durham Grant • Mulch, Stone, Soil • Septic tank cleaning finished budget met the goals Delivered/Installed www.grantgroundscapes.com • Septic systems installed & repaired • Tree Cutting & Chipping originally set by the BOF. • Sewer drain cleaning • Portable restroom rentals “Total yard renovation and much, much more” Yamartino said that the mill 270 Main St., Middlefield 860-349-8551 increase of about 2 percent, Fully Insured HIC #0630530 860-301-7722 90009R
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Vinal Technical High School, 60 Daniels St., Middeletown, has scheduled TECHNO Camp for July 8 through 26, 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. TECHNO Camp is free of charge, for seven and eighth students interested in automotive, manufacturing, carpentry, culinary arts, collision repair, HVAC, CADD, computers, hairdressing and cosmetology, electrical and electromechanical trades. For more information, call Lyn Caliendo at (860) 344-7100, ext. 406.
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Friday, May 23, 2014
A19
Calendar
Saturday, May 24 Meeting - The Durham American Legion Post 184 is scheduled to meet Saturday, May 24, 10 a.m., at the Durham Library. For more information, call Bob Francis at (860) 349-0881.
Thursday, May 29
Library Briefs
Boys golf - CRHS vs. East Hampton at Banner Lodge CC, 3 p.m.
Saturday, May 31 E.J.K. car show - The 9th annual E.J.K. car show is scheduled for Saturday, May 31, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Xavier High School, 181 Randolph Road. A donation charged. Proceeds benefit Eric J. Kalber Xavier High School Memorial Scholarship Fund. Entertainment by Champions Karate School Demo Team and music by Volume Entertainment. Food, raffles, trophies. For more information and entries, call (860) 780-8590 or ejkcarshow@gmail.com.
Tuesday, May 27 Reception - A closing reception for the grades 5 through 12 student art show is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27, 5 to 7 p.m. at the Durham Public Library. Softball - CRHS vs. Middletown at CRHS, 3:45 p.m. Boys golf - CRHS vs. Westbrook, away, 2 p.m. Track and field - CRHS at Marty Roberts Invitational at CRHS, 2 p.m.
Durham Public Library
Library hours are: Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; closed Fridays. The library is scheduled to be closed Saturday, May 24 and Monday, May 26 for Memorial Day weekend. Levi E. Coe Library plans to close Saturdays for the summer on May 24.
Movies
Gardening program
Levi E. Coe Library has scheduled a gardening program for Thursday, June 5, 5:30. Discussion includes plants that attract butterflies and how to identify butterflies in gardens. For more information and to register, call (860) 349-3857.
Monday, May 26 Ceremony - The Middlefield/Rockfall VWF Post 10362 has scheduled a Memorial Day celebration for Monday, May 26, 8 a.m., at the Town Green. Town officials are scheduled to speak. A wreath will be placed honoring the nation’s fallen heroes. Wreaths will also be placed at the Middlefield cemetery and at the North Burial Grounds Ceremony.
Levi E. Coe Library
The Durham Public Library schedules Classic Movie Matinee for Thursdays, 1:30 p.m. The film series is free and open to the public. May 29 - “To Kill A Mockingbird” (1962) starring Gregory Peck. June 5 - “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961) starring Audrey Hepburn. June 12 - “A Fistful of Dollars” (1964) starring Clint Eastwood. June 19 - “Stage Door” (1938) starring Katharine Hepburn.
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Programs for young adults
Teen Book Club (ages 12 to 18). Wednesday, May 28, 6 to 7 p.m. “Wicked Lovely” by Melissa Marr.
Programs for adults
Book Lovers’ Circle Wednesday, June 4, 7:30 p.m. “The Art Forger” by B.A. Shapiro. All are welcome.
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Farmer’s Market Storytime, Thursdays at 5 p.m. (all ages). Come to the Durham Green for stories, songs and activities. Weather permitting.
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June 26 - “His Girl Friday” (1940) starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell.
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Friday, May 23 Casual bridge - The Durham Activity Center, 350 Main St., schedules casual bridge every Friday at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome. For more information, call Jim Martinelli at (860) 346-6611. Softball - CRHS vs. Waterford at Veterans Field, 4 p.m. Boys tennis - CRHS vs. Morgan at CRHS, 3:45 p.m. Girls tennis - CRHS vs. Morgan at Morgan, 3:45 p.m.
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Boys golf - CRHS vs. Valley Regional at Fox Hopyard CC, 3 p.m.
A20 Friday, May 23, 2014
Town Times | towntimes.com
Pesticides From Page 1
LeClerc From Page 2
story as well, as students related how he visited the classroom and let them decorate his walker. LeClerc’s former students sat with his daughter Alex and son Caleb for the video and the group completed the walk together. “They lead the procession,” said Morrone. “LeClercians.” LeClerc’s parents David and Charlene and his wife Melissa also attended. After the walk, family members thanked the students and told family stories.
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caused by pesticide exposure. Bourret does not use pesticides in her yard, but after three veterinarians suggested that her dog’s illness may be related to pesticide exposure, she realized that the issue may have been caused by “pesticide drift” from neighboring property. “We did not really appreciate the fact that our dog had been put at such high risk from pesticide and herbicide drift,” Bourret said. “Murphy worked as a therapy dog in hospice etcetera and gave great comfort,” she added. Bourret has written articles and letters to legislators, and is trying to convince others to do the same. “We posted an article when Murphy died and it got hundreds of hits,” Bourret said. People are busy, and using pesticides is an easy way to get a weed and bug free lawn, Bourret said. She said she believes that “there will be a day when people will look, as my husband and I do, at perfect weed and bug-free astroturf-like lawns as odious, even heinous.” The National Pesticide Information Center argues that “pesticides can be beneficial” but acknowledges that they “have the potential to hurt your pet if they are not stored and used properly.” According to NPIC, pets need to be kept away from fresh pesticide applications, and exposure can be dangerous if the pesticides get in food bowls or on beds or toys. Pets may even dig up poisoned bait intended for moles, NPIC stated. Bourret has sought to organize involvement to get a law passed to prevent pesticide use by municipalities. The bill in question – Connecticut State Senate Bill 46 – would have extended an existing ban on pesticide on playgrounds and school grounds from kindergarten to eighth grade to include all schools, including athletic fields used by high school students. “There is increasing scientific evidence of pesticides being harmful, particularly to young children,” Meyer said. He added that he supported a prior bill that would have
banned pesticide on all public grounds, including parks. “That was not acceptable to the majority so we drew up a more narrow bill,” Meyer said. “It would not apply to flowers, bushes, and sidewalks, but it would still apply to athletic fields.” The bill faces “strong opposition,” Meyer said, but he believes a groundswell of “grassroots support” is building for a reduction in municipal pesticide use. Durham’s other state senator, Len Fasano, was unavailable to state his opinion on the issue when his office was reached. “The opposition first comes from the pesticide industry that wants to sell their products and feel this bill would hurt their profits,” Meyer said. “There is also some opposition from groundskeepers that have not yet tried to go organic.” The bill may also face opposition from municipal officials who want to keep budgets down and believe going pesticide-free would be more expensive. Meyer said that there have been studies done that have shown that although organic grounds keeping is more expensive in the first two years, it is estimated that costs are later reduced by 30 percent. “You build a stronger lawn and thereafter you don’t have the cost of the expensive pesticides,” Meyer said. Although the bill did not come up for a vote this session, Meyer is optimistic about the future of this kind of legislation, which he expected will be re-filed next session.
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