Friday, January 20, 2023
www.towntimes.com
Volume 29, Number 3
Stolen truck pulled from Black Pond By Nicole Zappone Town Times
At approximately 11:05 p.m. on Tuesday, the Middlefield Volunteer Fire Company responded to 677 Meriden Road — the Black Pond boat launch — where a pickup truck was found partially submerged in the water. Firefighters entered the water and searched the area for occupants. Officials said, per protocol, the Middletown area dive team was activated but canceled on- A stolen pickup truck was found partially submerged in scene. Black Pond in Middlefield on Tuesday. It was determined that there were no occupants in the truck, which was identified as being stolen. The vehicle was removed from
Photo courtesy of the Middlefield Volunteer Fire Company
the pond, and no fluids were released into the water. The Environmental Conservation Police and
Connecticut State Police are investigating the incident. nzappone@record-journal.com
Ski slopes grapple with Scout beats the warmer winter season clock, completes service project
Ben Pitruzzello has earned the rank of Eagle Scout.
By Christian Metzger Record-Journal staff
Submitted
BSA Troop 33 would like to congratulate Ben Pitruzzello of Middlefield for earning his Eagle Scout rank. Pitruzzello’s Eagle Scout Service Project was completed in support of the Go-Far GoFast program, which utilizes the Memorial School field for students and other residents. The scout proposed adding
wooden markers labeled with incremental distances to allow Go-Far Go-Fast participants to more easily identify how far they had run. Pitruzzello’s biggest challenge was to wrap up the Eagle Scout Service Project before he headed off to the University of Connecticut this past August. And he rose to the challenge. See Scout, A6
Rain and higher-than-average temperatures have made for a challenging start to the local skiing and snowboarding season. Mount Southington and Powder Ridge have recently had to close for several days to let the snow settle before layering fresh snow on the hills. Powder Ridge in Middlefield had to close its tubing lanes due to conditions being too wet to keep them properly maintained. Confidence remains high, however, as both hills have been seeing high attendance.
“These past couple of weeks have been very difficult for us. But even last night, the conditions weren’t great, but it is about the community coming out,” said Sean Hayes, owner of Powder Ridge. “And I gotta tell you, I was absolutely amazed last night looking at this mountain. The first school groups came out, the community parents came out and spent the time indoors, dining and being a community. It was a fantastic outing, even though the conditions weren’t great. It’s about coming together as a community.” Local snowfall totals have been reported just over seven inches so far this season, which 50% lower than average, according to Gary Lessor, a meteorologist at Western See Slopes, A9