Volume 18, Issue 22
Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall
Friday, September 9, 2011
School year 2011-12 begins Storm update on selectmen’s agenda By Stephanie Wilcox Town Times A rainy day didn’t damper the back-to-school vibes that were felt around Durham and Middlefield on Sept. 6 as students in Regional School District 13 headed into their first day of the 2011-12 school year. Superintendent of Schools Sue Viccaro agreed. “Despite the rain, I think we had a good opening.” But forget the rain — how about the fact that a hurricane delayed the opening of school, which was supposed to be Sept. 1? Viccaro responded, “It set us back, but we coped well. We were fortunate to get the power back after a couple days.” At the next Board of Education meeting on Sept. 14, it will be determined if the delayed opening will have any affect on the school calendar. Viccaro had the opportu-
nity to visit all the buildings on Day 1, and she noted that everyone was quite positive. The school bus route changes that took place at the start of this school year may have “made some folks unhappy,” Viccaro said, “but we’re looking at every situation from a safety standpoint, and we asked parents to follow a procedure if they have concerns. Parents have put (their thoughts) into writing, and we’ve made some changes. Every year at the beginning of school, it takes a few days to settle down. It’s a little more involved this year beSee School, page 11
In this issue ... Calendar ...........................4 Durham Briefs................13 Middlefield Briefs ..........12 Sports..........................26-27 Spotlight.........................24
Monday, Aug. 29, Emergency Management met with Durham’s First Selectman, Laura Francis, to discuss the The last two weeks have shelter. The decision to have been a bit unusual with the the one shelter bestorm, clean-up and tween the two towns Labor Day holiday; was made because therefore, the major Coginchaug Regiontopic on the agenda al High School at the Middlefield (CRHS) has better Board of Selectmen and more appropri(BOS) meeting on ate shower facilities Tuesday, Sept. 6, than Memorial was a Hurricane School. There was Irene update by Teralso a cost savings; ry Parmelee, MidParmelee said that it dlefield’s emertakes about $1,300 gency management per day to open a director. shelter. Before the storm, Submitted by Jennifer DeFlippo Emergency ManParmelee contacted agement met with Antoinette Astle, These CL&P trucks lined up at Brewster town agent for the School at 11 a.m. on Sept. 2 restoring power. Connecticut Light and Power (CL&P) elderly, to inform der to make sure everything on a daily basis during the her of the town’s need for was ready to go. seniors to be contacted and “During the storm and af- clean-up, sometimes multito have enough food and wa- ter, the Lake Beseck dam ple times a day, according to ter for 72 hours on their own, was monitored,” Parmelee Parmelee. “They were workin case people couldn’t be stated, “to make sure we didreached after the storm due n’t have a catastrophe.” On See Storm, page 5 By Cheri Kelley Town Times
to power outages. On Friday before the storm, there was a meeting with Emergency Management and First Selectman Jon Brayshaw in or-
Bring on the sights, sounds and faces of a new school year
Photos by Cheri Kelley; taken at Lyman School on Tuesday, Sept. 6.