INSIDE:
Wethersfield resident Carmen Cid to be inducted into Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame, Page 2 Rocky Hill joins C-PACE energy initiative, Page 5 Wethersfield Elementary Schools to take part in International Walk to School Day, Page 11
Friday, October 4, 2013
The world of Gypsies
Wethersfield native discusses her novel ‘City of Sorrows’ By ERICA SCHMITT STAFF WRITER
Imagine skipping off to Old Wethersfield’s mysterious Ancient Burying Grounds after school to read “The Witch of Blackbird Pond” among the tombstones of witches it was inspired by. That was a typical afternoon in the childhood of Wethersfield native Susan Lostocco Nadathur, who just released her debut novel, “City of Sorrows.” Nadathur will share her story and sign books at the Volume 53, No. 5
50 Cents
Wethersfield Public Library on Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. Described as “an up-close look into the enigmatic world of Gypsy Spain,” the book is a fictional story of the challenges faced by a marginal population that Nadathur has grown to understand well during trips to Seville, Spain. But it also delves into the emotional struggles of outsiders in general — a theme Nadathur is all too familiar with. Although Wethersfield’s historic village was the perfect setting for a day-dreaming writer to grow up, her childhood was not a happy one. “I was a bookworm, with cokebottle glasses since the fourth See AUTHOR, Page 3
An artist’s rendering of the Discovery Academy being built in Wethersfield.
Discovery Academy breaks ground CREC school will have robotics lab, state-of-the-art facilities
By ERICA SCHMITT STAFF WRITER
The groundbreaking of a new facility to house the Capitol Region Education Council’s Discovery Academy began Thursday. Construction on the school, which serves Pre-K through fifth grade, was expected to begin early in the spring, but was delayed by a review and approval process with several regulatory agencies. It’s currently housing students in a temporary location on Franklin Avenue in Hartford. Their
move into the state-of-the-art facility, now being built on the former site of Northeast Utilities at 176 Cumberland Avenue in Wethersfield, will enhance student opportunities, according to CREC officials. “For the past two years, our building committee has diligently met with the architects to design a state-of-the-art STEM elementary school,” said Dr. Lynn Toper, Principal of the CREC Discovery Academy. “Our students, families, and staff are so excited to formally start
the construction process. When complete, the building will house a robotics lab, rooftop garden, and outdoor nature areas to support science exploration.” The Science, Technology, Engineering and Math curriculum will be complimented by the site’s natural rolling topography and extensive vegetation. Nature trails, discovery areas, planting beds, fields and play areas will accompany classroom instruction. When completed, the school
See DISCOVERY, Page 2
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