www.plainvillecitizen.com
Volume 19, Number 29
Thursday, August 27, 2020
Teachers unions disagree ‘Rising Star’ is new Food Services Director on delaying start of school Ashley Onion, formerly the Food Services Director for Watertown Public Schools, has been named Food Services Director for Plainville Community Schools, Superintendent of Schools Steven LePage announced.
By Matthew Zabierek Record-Journal staff
The state’s largest teachers union is calling for Connecticut to follow other neighboring states by pushing the start of school back two weeks until midSeptember, but the union representing Meriden teachers is taking a differing stance.
Onion’s first day on the job was Monday, Aug. 24. “I am extremely excited to transition to Plainville Community Schools. I look forward to continuing and expanding health and wellness initiatives within school nutrition and districtwide,” said Onion.
The Connecticut Education Association, which boasts more than 160 local affiliates, released its own school reopening guidelines last week. It recommended delaying the start of school by two weeks or until mid-September to “to improve and expand remote learning.”
Ashley Onion, Plainville
“Starting school in August with very high temperatures and humidity, no air conditioning in most classrooms, and trying to enforce mask-wearing for five or more hours in those conditions is not practicable. Instead, use the time to refine and provide training for enhanced distance learning,” CEA’s Safe Learning Plan reads. Rhode Island and Massachusetts recently decided to push the start of school back a couple of weeks, the plan notes. CEA affiliates around the state include unions in Wallingford, Southington, Cheshire, Berlin, Plainville, North Haven, Middlefield and Durham. See Unions, A11
Onion served as Food SerCommunity Schools’ new Food vices Director in Watertown Services Director. since 2019. Previous to that, she served as a Registered Dietitian for the Meriden school system.
Aug. 31: Overdose Awareness Day
Onion holds a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Saint Joseph and completed a dietetic internship at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The Connecticut State Medical Examiner confirms there were 1,200 accidental drug intoxication deaths in 2019. This figure is up from 1,017 fatalities in 2018.
Onion is a member of the Academy of Nutrition, the Connecticut Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the School Nutrition Association and the School Nutrition Association of Connecticut. Additionally, she received the School of Nutrition Association of Connecticut’s Rising Star Award in 2018, and was recently named Secretary of the School Nutrition Association of Connecticut for the 2020-21 school year. See Director, A16
By Terry Sutton Special to The Citizen
Of the 1,200 drug overdose deaths in 2019, 1,127 of the victims had opioids in their system. Of those, 970 had ingested the synthetic drug fentanyl. OD deaths have risen significantly in recent years. In 2012, 357 people in Connecticut died from drug overdoses.
Berlin Police Lt. Steve Solek said in 2019 law enforcement and emergency medical services responded to 17 drug overdoses in town. “Five resulted in death,” Solek said. “Four of the deaths were related to opioids; (such as) heroin, fentanyl. The other one was related to cocaine. “Overall the majority of overdoses we respond to are related to opioids … heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, or any combination of them.” See Overdose, A14
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