Harbor News

The Old Saybrook High School Class of 2009

2009-07-02T17:53:22Z

Administrators avoided a persistent drizzle by staging the Old Saybrook High School June 24 graduation ceremony indoors and the Class of 2009 responded by performing in complete comfort in gymnasium of their former home of four years. With their tale humorously told Iliad- and Odyssey-style by Class Speakers Jordan King and Gerard Ramm, the 118 members of the Class of 2009 celebrated their accomplishments and prepared to set off for their next adventures before full house of family and friends.

The Class of 2009
Valedictorian Address James Deng
Salutatorian Address Christopher Covey
Class Speakers Jordan King, Gerard Ramm

2009 Class Roll
*NHS Member

Katherine Aube
Thomas Bazzano
Lauren Beecher
Benjamin Blair
Brandon Blocker
Matthew Bowes
Michael Britt
Stephen Britt*
Mary Burton*
Michael Carlson
Karla Chacon
Daniel Chamberlain
Meredith Chamberlain*
Sean Charles
Cynthia Chaumette
Alyssa Colquhoun
Jason Connolly
Hayley Cook
Christopher Covey*
Buse Dastan
Nicholas DeDominicis
James Deng*
Tyler Dennison
Derek DiStefano
Peter Dooley
Cameron Dunlap
Jacob Easterly
Julia Eastwood
Shirley Fickinger
Colin Filgate
Mairin Finnegan
Allegra Forte
Adam Gamble
Ashley Glorioso*
Julian Gulliksen
Mason Hall
Thomas Hammerschmidt
Calvin Hargaray
Irene Huang*
Alexandra Jensen
Gregory Johnson
Jack Johnson
Samantha Jones
Christopher Khan
Faria Khan
Jordan King*
Edward Kotulski
Tenzin Kunkyab
Chemi Lama*
Joseph Liberty
Katherine Liggio
Christopher Loader
Thomas Logan
Nicole Lynn
Audra Malaguti
Marissa Mals
Trevor Manuel
Nicholas Marinelli
Christine Marshall*
Lauren Martin*
Nathan Martino
Nikki Mehrtens
Robyn Michaud
Idan Mitchel
Kaila Moonan*
Edward Moore
Kelly Morison*
Frank Navarro
Andrew Nilson
Catherine O'Brien*
Anders Ogren
Andrea Onorato
Jonathan Palmer
Elizabeth Palmieri
Nicholas Paolino
Ariana Pappas
Love Julius Parkes
William Patterson
Nicholas Penrose
Kathryn Price
Gerard Ramm*
William Randall
Colby Redway
Aimee Reynolds*
Amy Richardson*
Blake Roberts
Melissa Rodriguez-Vodak*
Ian Rosser
Michael Rubano
Sofia Sanchez
Kaitlyn Scarlett
James Schondelmeier
Danielle Scott
Eva Segura
Paige Shelto
Christian Shurtleff
Jeffrey Simoni
David Skau
Mackenzie Slane
Hannah Slater
Caroline Smith
Matthew Smith
Vijay Sopariwala
Marissa Souza
Kenneth Stanwix
Daniel Stewart
Alexander Strand
Sarah Sweeney*
Leah Sweet*
Jonathan Sykes
Austin Terreri
Alison Towne
Chime Tsewang*
Nicole Walden
Tsering Wangdu
Brenna Weisslender
Courtney Wells
Hong Yi Zheng

The top 10 graduates from Old Saybrook High School and their post-grad plans are:

2009-07-02T17:52:33Z

James Deng: Harvard University
Christopher Covey: Clemson University
William Randall: Colby College
Lauren Martin: University of Washington
Gerard Ramm: Columbia University
Stephen Britt: University of Delaware
Ashley Glorioso: Connecticut College
Jacob Easterly: UConn
Jordan King: George Washington University
Allegra Forte: UConn

The Morgan School Class of 2009

2009-07-02T16:05:01Z

The 158 members of The Morgan School Class of 2009 received a special present on June 25 when the sun arrived the afternoon of graduation.

The Class of 2009
*Honors Diploma
+National Honor Society
^January Graduate
~Junior CAPT Scholar

Richie James Agudelo
Christopher M. Alfano~
Toni M. Alfiero
Lauren Catherine Allen
Benjamin Alvarado^
Christofer B. Anderson ~
Amber Joene Arsenault +~
Andrea Grace Battipaglia
Tod M. Beckwith
Michael Loren Begor~
Joseph Bergers
Katherine O. Berke ~
Brittany Lee Bernier~
Peter Blencowe
Paige K. Bogucki*+~
Collin Gary Joseph Brady
Andrew James Brooks
Geoffrey Alexander Bruskin~
Jeremy Calini
Timothy R. Campanaro
Samuel Peter Carlson
Kevin Patrick Carpentier
Marissa Leigh Casucci~
Kile Patrick Chaisson^
Caroline Ada Chalker
Scott Childs
Edward Clarke
Tyler Shaw Collins
Lainey Marie Congdon~
Kane Michael Cozzolino
Tyler Ross Crease
Jeffrey Morris Crumpton
Amber L. Cunningham
Roger E. Cunningham Jr.
Brittany Nicole Dahlberg
Sean Patrick Dahlberg~
Carl J. DeFranco
Ariana Juliet Dehestani~
Mitchell S. DeMazza~
Hollie Nichol Diaz~
Samantha Lee Diaz+~
Daniella M. Donati*+~
Meghan Leigh Donovan
Andrew John Driscoll
Eliott Reece Eimutus~
Kimberly Mary Eininger+~
Christopher L. Fagan
Kara Fillion+~
Kyle Francis Fillion
Kristin Fitzgerald
Samantha Michelle Fox-Cogar
Alexandra Dagmar Franz
Michael E. Frisbie~
Jacob K. Gibson
Megan Anne Gilbert~
Kevin Andrew Gilcher~
Anna Elise Giordano
Marissa Girardi
Melanie Girardi
Katie Guidone+~
Cori Ann Gulliford
Alexander George Hagstrom~
Ashley Patricia Hames+~
Kerry L. Hayes~
Justine Elyse Hazuka
Christopher Hennessy
Brian Christopher Hicks
Jennifer A. Horwitz*+~
Leah M. Houde+~
Kathryn N. Hozian
Ronald Craig Hurst III
Maria Elizabeth Ierardi
Devon Isaacson
Jesse K. Joy~
Anna K. Kadlof+~
Michael Kienle
Julia Eve Klausen
Brechin C. Knapp~
Robert Edward Komola, Jr.
Daniel C. Laird
Emily Lane+~
Danielle Laudano
Justin Little
Wesley Mahon~
Michelle Manguilli~
Robert Mansfield*+~
Johanna Crystle Mari
Angela Nicole Martone
Jennifer C. Melaccio~
Brea Anne Millette
Brian Edward Mitko~
Jonathan Mizger
Jordan C. Molina
Benjamin R. Morrison~
Brittany Lynn Mullally
Esteban E. Munoz~
Stephen A. Nadeau~
Rebecca Leigh Nash
Thomas Naughton
Hugh Dexter Neri+
Sean M. Nunan
Michael O’Rourke
Julian Jelani Ortiz
Robert Parise
Matthew Robert Patch
Kyle Patten
Carlos Eduardo Peralta~
Juliana Marie Perrotti~
Josephine Phillips
Samrach Phon
Jessica Pierpont
Elissa Marie Pinette
Jessica Valerie Power^~
Bryan Robert Raleigh
Matthew Ramsdell
Tyler S. Redes~
Kevin Daniel Richetelli
Leo Lindenauer Rode
Jeneczka S. Roman+~
Jocelyn Alexis Rose
Ashley M. Ruggiero
Michelle Rose Santamaria+~
Mauricio Santiago
Edmund J. Santomasso^
Erica Carmella Sapper
Jessica Margaret Sarkisian+~
Olivia Beatrice Schiess
Naomi Brianne Serrano
Tasha Sherman~
Jessie B. Short
Benjamin Tyler Sisk~
Kevin J. Smith
Amy Kathryn Stellato
Rachel Lynn Steponkus
Michael Anthony Suraci~
Sarah Gloria Synott*~
Jeana Marie Tardieu
Sobeida J. Tenesaca
Brian Carey Thompson+~
Daniel Topping~
Patrick Russell Tucker
Abigail Valletta~
Casey Rebecca Vickerman
Thuy Diem Vo
Allison Voitans
Lauren Kristine Voss
Jacey Nicole Votto
Courtney Grace Wachter
Melanie Barbara Walker~
Ryan Michael Walsh~
Kelsey Maureen Welch
Patrick Anthony Wendt
Cooper L. Westerkamp~
Heather Marie White~
Zoe Rebecca Rose Wichman~
Aaron Woods
Stephanie Mary-Alysé Zimerle

Post-Secondary Acceptances for The Morgan Class of 2009

2009-07-02T16:03:52Z

Numbers in parenthesis indicate more than one student will be attending that school.

American Musical & Dramatic Academy
Arizona State University
Art Institute of Philadelphia
Baran Institute of Technology
Boston College
Boston University
Central Connecticut State University (8)
Clark University
Coastal Carolina University (2)
Coconino Community College
College of Holy Cross
Drexel University
Eastern Connecticut State University (2)
Endicott College
Fairfield University (2)
Fashion Institute of Technology
Fitchburg State College
Flagler College
Hofstra University (3)
Iona College
Ithaca College
ITT Technical
Johnson State College
Johnson & Wales University
Keene State College
Keystone College
Lasell College (5)
LaSalle University
Long Island University – C.W. Post
Manatee Community College (2)
Middlesex Community Technical College (15)
New England Institute of Technology
NIT Nascar Technical Institute
Northeastern University
North Haven Beauty Academy
Paier College of Art
Penn State University
Porter & Chester Institute (2)
Pratt Institute
Providence College
Quinnipiac University (6)
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2)
Sacred Heart University
Santa Fe College
Skidmore College
Southern Connecticut State University (6)
Springfield College (2)
Stevens Institute of Technology
Stratford School for Aviation Maintenance
SUNY Maritime
SUNY New Paltz
University of Connecticut (10)
University of Connecticut at Avery Point (3)
University of Delaware
University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Massachusetts at Amherst (3)
University of New Hampshire
University of New Haven
University of Rhode Island (2)
University of Vermont
Vermont Technical College
Western Connecticut State University (4)
Western New England College (3)
West Virginia University
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (2)

Westbrook High School Class of 2009

2009-07-02T15:18:04Z

On June 23, the 67 members of the Westbrook High School Class of 2009, each escorted by a teacher who had made an impact on their education and their life, took the stage for Commencement. The graduates are listed below.

Salma Akhter, Valedictorian
Ian Santagata, Salutatorian
Dylan Twigg, Class President

The Class of 2009
Highest Honors   ‡
High Honors   †
Honors   *

Salma Akhter‡
Nicholas Matthew Alaimo
Cori Amber Bagley
Alyssa Lauren Bernstein*
Michelle L. Biegaj†
Christine Page Blomberg*
Michael Eugene Blomberg
Logan A. Bridgewater*
Samantha Briggs
Rebekah M. Brown*
Christopher Reiter Bushy
Jason Scott Cane*
Merima Cecunjanin*
Devyn Nicole Chiarito
Jessica Ann Clark*
Liana Sue Conklin*
Matthew Andrew Corda
John Crawford
Kelsey Elaine Crawford*
Rachel Ann Crowley
Dan Cummins*
Alexandra Noel DeLorenze†
Adonia Koren Doane-Lianos*
Cemre Dogan
Alex Dyer
Rachael Leigh Forsman*
Elle Freudenthal
Christina Marie Gamble
Shannon Elizabeth Godiksen†
Caitlyn Alexandra Graham*
Patrick C. Hamilton*
William Thomas Harris III*
Kyrsten Anne Hooper
Jennifer Ann Labbadia†
Julie Ann Labbadia†
Jeremy T. Larkin
Zachary Michael Lawrie
Patrick F. E. Loftus*
Michael Lynch
Kyler Micheil Davis MacDonald
Ryan C. MacDonald*
Britney Ann Malhotra*
Mark Edward Massini
Jonathon W. McKenna
Alyssa L. Molinares
Abigail Neale*
Katherine Ordonez*
Mary Panico†
Katy Lin Persutti†
Richard Rae
Nicole Marie Riggio
Maria Victoria Risatti*
Ian Santagata †
Brian R. Schenck, Jr.†
Jessie Schreck
Catherine Marie Schuler
Cameron Shea
Hayley Christine Smith
Caitlon Mary Stedman*
Tara Ashley Szakal†
Ian Spencer Trasacco
Dylan Twigg *
Angela Rae Uihlein*
Amy Valiante
Adam T. Welch
David Robert Wilkerson
Elizabeth L. Wininger†

Future Plans for Westbrook High School’s Top 10

2009-07-02T15:16:57Z

Salma Akhter : Franklin and Marshall
Ian Santagata : Boston University
Shannon Godiksen : University of Connecticut
Katy Persutti : UConn
Alexandra DeLorenze : UConn
Brian Schenck : Rensselaer Polytech
Julie Labbadia : Fairfield University
Dylan Twigg : Pennsylvania State University
Michelle Biegaj : University of Delaware
Jason Cane : University of South Carolina

What the State Thinks: The Effects of Vote on Reval Schedule

2009-07-02T15:12:36Z

By Becky Coffey, Harbor News Senior Staff Writer:

OLD SAYBROOK - One question that many people, from residents to elected officials, have asked is: If today’s referendum to set aside the Oct. 1, 2008 property revaluation and return town properties’ values to the Oct. 1, 2007 values is passed, would the town need to move an expensive, full reval up by two years from its current 2013 required date?

According to the Legislative Commissioner’s Office, in a response to State Senator Andrea Stillman’s question, “if all real estate was not inspected in the 10-year period preceding Oct. 1, 2011, inspections of property would be part of that revaluation.” Since all Old Saybrook properties had a full physical inspection in 2003, does this mean that the new 2011 revaluation–if the town votes to set aside the 2008 revaluation results–would be just a statistical revaluation? Or would it be a full physical revaluation?

According to the Office of Policy and Management’s General Counsel’s office response to Old Saybrook Town Attorney Michael Cronin, a full physical revaluation–not just a statistical one–would be required in 2011 if the town on July 9 votes yes and throws out the 2008 property revaluations.

The reason is because the new 2009 law, PA 09-60, didn’t exempt towns from a requirement that towns that stretch the time between revaluations beyond five years must conduct a full physical revaluation for their next revaluation. Since it has been eight years since the town’s last full reval, Old Saybrook would be mandated to conduct a full physical revaluation in 2011 if the town votes on July 9 to set aside the 2008 revaluation. The approximately $150,000 2008 statistical revaluation process could not be reused.
A full physical revaluation of all town properties in 2011 would cost Old Saybrook about $550,000 to $600,000 to conduct.

Should the referendum pass, the town would need to include the anticipated $550,000 to $600,000 to conduct a full physical revaluation in next year’s budget, the budget for July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011. (Had the new state law allowed Old Saybrook to conduct a statistical revaluation in 2011, town leaders would have had to include instead about $150,000 to $175,000 in the 2010-2011 fiscal year budget to cover the costs of a statistical revaluation).

If the referendum passes and the 2008 revaluation is rejected, the new law also requires that the town assessor make certain adjustments to the 2007 Grand List before taxes are calculated. The assessor must adjust the 2007 list by: adding values of newly-built or renovated properties; updating the ownership files and reflect the market values for any properties sold or whose titles were changed since Oct. 1, 2007; and making adjustments for demolished properties, according to a June 9 response by the Connecticut General Assembly’s Office of Legislative Research to Stillman’s questions about the effect on the town of a revaluation delay to 2011.

Effects of Today’s Vote

2009-07-02T15:11:16Z

OLD SAYBROOK

A Yes Vote on July 9 Referendum

Returns the town to the Oct. 1, 2007 town Grand List values for real estate and personal property; the law allowing the setting aside of the 2008 revaluation also requires the Assessor adjust the 2007 list as follows:

Assessor must adjust the 2007 list by:
• Adding values of newly built or renovated properties
• Update the ownership files for properties sold or whose titles were changed since Oct. 1, 2007
• Adjustments for demolished properties

Would require town’s Board of Finance to set new mill rate at around 17.2 mills in order to collect revenue needed to support 2009-2010 budget the town passed in June.

Town is required (by the new state law that authorized the setting aside of 2008 revaluations by town referendum vote) to conduct a revaluation of all town real estate and personal properties in 2011. Because more than five years would have elapsed between town revaluations (from 2003 to 2011), another state law requires the next town revaluation conducted to be a full physical revaluation, not a statistical revaluation.

Tax bills will be delayed by four to six weeks while town’s computerized records are updated.

A No Vote on July 9 Referendum

Keeps the Oct. 1, 2008 town-wide statistical revaluations of real estate and personal property as adjusted by the Assessment Appeals Board process.

The Board of Finance would set a new mill rate based on the adjusted Grand List at around 13.2 to collect revenue needed to support the 2009-2010 budget the town passed in June.

Town must perform the next town-wide property revaluation five years after 2008 in the year 2013. This revaluation would be a full physical revaluation with inspections of each property. Each Connecticut town must conduct a full physical revaluation every 10 years.

Town Approves More Funds for Legal, Landfill Bills

2009-07-02T15:07:28Z

By Becky Coffey, Harbor News Senior Staff Writer:

WESTBROOK - Westbrook’s electors at town meeting voted to add $71,000 to two town departments’ budget accounts that would otherwise have been in deficit on June 30, the end of the fiscal year. The vote means the town’s finance office now will be able to pay bills for work already done and expenses incurred by these departments.

Under state statutes, if an account in a town department’s budget is projected to be more than $20,000 higher than was approved in the annual budget referendum, the town meeting must vote to approve the new higher spending level before bills can be paid.

The two town votes late last month transferred $71,000 from the town’s unappropriated fund balance–an account similar to a town savings account–into two department accounts with projected shortfalls: one account that pays for the services of a labor lawyer and the other a Health Department account that pays for water testing associated with the town landfill closure.

The first proposed transfer of $30,000 bolstered the Sanitarian, Landfill Well Testing, account. The added funding was needed to pay for the costs of an expanded groundwater testing program required as part of the state-ordered closure of the town’s bulky waste landfill. The funds were needed to cover unexpected higher expenses associated with more testing and analysis and for consulting services.

This spring, the town’s selectmen approved hiring Jim Dziuba, a hydrogeologist with GeoInsight, to review the effectiveness of the town’s testing program. This review was required by a condition of the state Department of Environmental Protection’s landfill closure order. Next year’s town budget already includes $8,000 to drill three new bedrock wells at the landfill to add bedrock monitoring sites to the town’s quarterly groundwater monitoring program.

The second vote approved transferring $41,000 to increase funding for the Legal Services, Labor Counsel account. According to First Selectman Noel Bishop, the extra funds were needed to cover higher than budgeted town labor legal expenses for the fiscal year that ends June 30. The selectman’s office has employed the labor counsel this year to assist with two union contract negotiations—for the town constables and town hall employees unions—and to support the town in several ongoing labor legal disputes and in particular those related to employee terminations and to contract non-renewals.

The selectmen’s original 2008-2009 budget set the budget for this year’s services for outside labor legal counsel at $10,000. This amount was increased by $30,000 at a town meeting in December 2008. After the June 2009 vote to increase the account further by adding another $41,000, the selectmen’s budget for labor legal counsel for the fiscal year ending June 30 will total $81,000. These labor legal charges are separate from charges of Town Counsel Michael Wells for handling routine legal matters for the selectmen and Board of Finance. The budget for routine town counsel advising is set in the selectmen’s budget this year at $20,000 and by June 17, 2009, a total of $15,872 had been committed to town counsel legal services.”

In other action at the town meeting late last month, electors voted to disband the Daisy School Alarm Building Committee and reclaim those leftover project funds for the town’s general fund. Electors also voted to change the nomination process for member of the town’s Traffic Authority and Harbor Commission. Members of these bodies will now be chosen through the Board of Selectmen’s typical process for appointing volunteers to openings on town boards, ad hoc committees, and commissions.

Committee Votes to Rush Job Posting

2009-07-02T15:06:12Z

By Becky Coffey, Harbor News Senior Staff Writer:

WESTBROOK - Last week was supposed to be the first meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee on Development of a Finance Director Job Description–but instead it became both the committee’s first and last meeting.

In just 25 minutes–and before Selectman Marie Farrell’s scheduled 8 p.m. arrival at the meeting–the group had already reviewed a sample job description from the Town of Durham and voted to adopt it with minor amendments as the Westbrook job description; it further voted to set the salary of the post in a range from $60,000 to $75,000 and to recommend to the town boards of Selectmen and Finance that the opening be immediately posted for three weeks with the Government Finance Office Association.

Voting in favor of the motion, according to meeting minutes written by First Selectman Noel Bishop, were Bishop, Board of Finance member Gary Gavigan, and–by speakerphone–Jane Butterworth, also on the Board of Finance.

The minutes do not record Treasurer Darlene Jones’s vote or that committee member Farrell was absent during deliberations and during the vote.

Jones said she questioned the speed with which the committee reviewed the job description and voted to send it on to the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance for approval. Jones was particularly concerned that Durham’s finance director job description might not be applicable to Westbrook since Durham has a town charter and Westbrook does not.

When told of the Ad Hoc Committee’s proposed recommendation, Selectman Jim Crawford said, “I would suggest that the motion be tabled because we don’t know enough. We don’t know whether Durham’s particulars are applicable to Westbrook. Second, we’re in the process of creating a new position and we haven’t discussed who this person reports to, who this person would supervise, and what specific experience the position would require.”

Crawford suggested that it may be necessary for the town to hire a consultant to help the town walk through the process to have a good shot at success in addressing the problems identified by town auditors and consultant Linda Savitsky.

Savitsky herself, an experienced municipal finance consultant, recently informed the town leaders that she declined to provide the town with additional consulting services.

Is Durham’s Finance Structure a Model for Westbrook?

2009-07-02T15:04:32Z

By Becky Coffey, Harbor News Senior Staff Writer:

WESTBROOK – The Ad Hoc Committee formed to create a job description for a new Town Finance Director has voted to recommend the town’s Selectmen adopt a job description for the proposed Finance Director post. The description is nearly identical to the one used by the Town of Durham except for an extra line that notes the Westbrook director would supervise an accounting staff.

Is the structure of Durham’s financial operations similar enough for the Durham job description to work in Westbrook? One way to determine the answer is to examine the differences in assignment of duties and responsibilities for financial oversight in Durham versus Westbrook.

Unlike Westbrook – which operates under more general state statutes and some local ordinances – Durham’s town charter explicitly lists and defines the duties and responsibilities of the Board of Selectmen, the First Selectmen and the Town Treasurer in managing the financial affairs of the Town.

To the Board of Selectmen, the Durham Town Charter assigns the authority to “pay all town bills and record all town expenditures against appropriations.” Charter Section 4.3.5, states “The Board of Selectmen shall be responsible for reviewing the current and projected administrative and fiscal need of the town.”

To the First Selectman, the Durham Town Charter assigns the responsibility in Section 4.9 of “…keeping or causing to be kept complete books of account showing the financial transactions of the town.” It further states that the First Selectman is the Chief Executive Officer of the town.

The Durham Town Charter also describes the duties of the Town Treasurer as follows:
“The Treasurer shall receive all money belonging to the town, pay it out on the order of proper authority, keep accurately the records required by law and shall have such other powers and such other duties as are in accordance with General Statutes. The Treasurer shall act as agent of the Town’s Deposit Fund. The procedures of the Treasurer’s office shall conform to the regulations of the Board of Finance as adopted in conformance with this Charter.”

Without a town charter that explicitly assigns specific financial management duties to the Selectmen, to the Treasurer, or to the First Selectman or others – or written procedures defining fiscal practices – Town Counsel Michael Wells wrote in an April 2009 analysis that Westbrook must adopt an ordinance that assigns specific duties and responsibilities to a new full-time finance director.

A Capital Plan Approved

2009-07-02T15:03:25Z

By Becky Coffey, Harbor News Senior Staff Writer:

WESTBROOK – In tight fiscal times, town governments rely on every dollar in state reimbursement to help them offset project costs that would otherwise have to be paid for through property taxes revenue. But last year, Westbrook could not access any of the $292,000 the state reserved for it because the town hadn’t adopted a revised Long Term Capital Improvement Plan. This was corrected late last month, however, when the town meeting voted to adopt a newly-revised plan for this year.

With the adoption of the revised LOCIP document, the town is again able to ask that state to return money the town spent on eligible town capital projects. One town request that’s already been submitted, a request for $50,000 to reimburse the town for landfill closure work, was approved by the State but could not be funded until the revised LOCIP Plan was approved by the town and the town’s Selectmen had voted to approve the project for LOCIP funding.

Although LOCIP project funds are set aside in the town’s name each year, the state requires that, to get the funds, towns annually must approve a LOCIP plan that lists eligible projects. In addition, the town’s Board of Selectmen must vote to ask for LOCIP fund reimbursement once an approved project is completed.

The State wrote to First Selectman Noel Bishop recently that though the landfill closure costs are approved for LOCIP reimbursement, the check won’t be in the mail anytime soon. That’s because the state Bonding Commission still has to vote to approve a LOCIP funding package for all towns. With the Commission’s June meeting canceled and a July meeting date uncertain, and the state telling the town it will be four to six weeks later until the state can cut a check, the town’s money won’t arrive before September.

The town’s landfill closure work is just one of many capital projects listed in the spreadsheet that is the town’s long-term capital improvement plan. Examples of projects or purchases on the ten-year list are road repavings, sidewalk construction, jetty replacement, as well as fire truck and boiler replacements.

The plan’s revised spreadsheet – prepared through the work of Board of Finance member George Pytlik - is a planning tool for the town rather than a budget. It lists for each known future project or capital purchase the amount of savings the town should set aside each year to pay cash to replace or rebuild it when it reaches the end of its useful life. Adoption of the plan and the projects it lists does not, however, appropriate the funds to pay for all the items. An appropriation to fund each project is a separate action taken through the annual town budget process or through a special appropriation request during the year.

Of Sports, Fantasy, and Real-Life Stories: Michele Van Epps Guides Young Adult Readers

2009-07-02T14:59:29Z

By Becky Coffey, Harbor News Senior Staff Writer:

OLD SAYBROOK - It’s a summer Friday afternoon at Acton Public Library and eager adult, teen, and children readers are hoping theirs will be the ticket drawn in the weekly library readers’ contest. To encourage summer reading, any adult or student can come to the Acton Library desk and submit the list of the books they’ve read that week. For each book read, one ticket is earned. Each ticket is then entered in a weekly drawing that awards weekly prizes, one to an adult reader and one to a student reader. Planned prizes for this summer include certificates for free pizza, for movie tickets, and for credits towards purchases at the July Friends of the Library book sale.

According to Young Adult Librarian Michele Van Epps, the unstructured summer reading program is the best way to encourage young adults to read.

“If teens see their parents reading and participating in the summer reading program, it encourages them to participate. Healthy competition helps,” says Michele.

A resident of North Guilford, Michele knew she wanted to be a librarian at an early age. Her father, a high school librarian and a professor of library science, was her model. For 16 years, she was the full-time library director at public library in Rocky Hill.

Moving to the shoreline nine years ago when she married John Van Epps, the pastor of the North Guilford Congregational Church, she decided to take part-time library posts to free up time for other activities like volunteering in the Guilford Public Schools and in support of activities in which her teens participated. She also devotes time to volunteer for the church by chairing the annual Church Fair fundraising event, organizing a sewing and quilting group, being a member of the Bell Choir, and helping with the church book group.
She joined the Acton Public Library as its young adult and reference librarian five years ago. Of the other hat she wears as reference librarian, she’s enthusiastic about the work she does helping patrons search through subscription databases, books, and the Internet to find the answers to their questions or full text copies of sources they need for their research.

“It’s very rewarding but you have to like puzzles to be a reference librarian and enjoy it,” says Michele.

One of her puzzles involves finding ways to attract teens to the many possibilities available for them at Acton. She hopes teens will share their views of the books they read by writing a review; review forms are available at the circulation desk. Michele plans a rotating library display of books students are reading with posted nearby, the reviews of those books written by the students themselves. The high school summer reading list books–with extra copies of each borrowed from the Old Saybrook High School library–are also on display for lending.

“What amazes me about this community is that its students really embrace the summer reading list,” says Michele.

Among the books popular with teens this year are the Twilight book series by Stephenie Meyer for teen girls, for teen boys its sports books written by Mike Lupica and Bucking the Sarge by Christopher Curtis, and, for both genders, fantasy titles like Eragon by Paolini, books by Philip Pullman (The Golden Compass), and books by J.K. Rowling from the Harry Potter series. Also popular with teens are books that convey teens facing difficult real-life issues.

“A lot of young adult literature is issue-oriented and it hits all of the hot buttons in society,” she notes.

She suggests that parents may want to read some of these books first before suggesting them as an appropriate book for their young teens.

A more structured summer option for teens is the Library’s Nutmeg Book Discussion group geared for 7th and 8th graders.

Pictured: With four teens of her own, Acton Young Adult Librarian Michele Van Epps, has become committed to finding ways to engage youth in reading. Van Epps also serves as Acton Library’s Reference Librarian.

Photo by Becky Coffey

Ten Students Receive Awards for Citizenship

2009-07-02T14:54:00Z

On May 13, 108 tutors, students, families and friends of Literacy Volunteers Valley Shore (LVVS) gathered at St. Mary’s Church of the Visitation Hall in Clinton for the LVVS 18th annual Student Awards Ceremony and International Potluck Dinner. The dinner was organized by Ann Lander and her committee. The diners enjoyed delicacies from such countries as Peru, Brazil, Tibet, Mexico, and Afghanistan. The crowning glory of the evening was the awarding of Certificates of Achievement to 10 students who passed the American Citizenship test this year.

Awards were presented to Shahbibi Qurban Ali (Westbrook); Samad Ali Qurban Ali (Westbrook); Fatima Arhday (Guilford); Raul Jara (Westbrook); Hang Lam (Clinton); Ruth Peterson (Clinton); Aracelly Ramirez (Killingworth); Latifa Ghulan Rasool (Westbrook); Gloria Robison (Westbrook); and Juana “Silvia” Tuttle (Deep River). The Essex Garden Club presented each student with a patriotically wrapped herb plant so that they could plant their roots in their adopted country.

Awards were given out to 56 students for Outstanding Student Participation. Certificates were presented to students who set goals that they wanted to achieve at the beginning of the year and attained those goals. Goals achieved included long-term goals such as gaining U.S. citizenship to short-term ones such as getting a library card. Many of these students improved their employment status because of their increased English-speaking skills; others can now communicate in English with their children’s teachers or with doctors. The skills attained are many times those skills that we take for granted but the non-English speaking person finds them a challenge.

The Book Sale Committee awarded prizes for its annual Essay Contest. The essay contest presents an opportunity for students to practice their writing skills. Essays were judged in several different categories according to their language proficiency. Prizes were awarded in both Basic Reading and English as a Second Language. First place in basic reading was awarded to Mary Rubino (Old Saybrook). First place awards in English as a Second Language (ESL) were given to: Beginning: Nohemi Ramirez (Clinton); High Beginning: Niru Keshwala (Clinton); Low Intermediate: Aracelly Ramirez (Killingworth); High Intermediate: Claudia Hernandez (Lopez) (Guilford); Low Advanced: Giemar Rivera (Clinton); and High Advanced: Debora Franca (Old Saybrook).

LVVS is a nonprofit educational program dedicated to helping adults of all ages improve their lives and their communities by learning reading, writing, math and problem-solving skills. Serving 13 towns in the lower valley area, LVVS helps adults overcome barriers and improve employment opportunities by teaching them to communicate in English and basic reading skills.

Better Start Reading!: Governor’s One Million Books Challenge

2009-07-02T14:45:32Z

By Fay Abrahamsson, Harbor News Senior Staff Writer:

CLINTON - A challenge was posed to the 4th and 5th graders at the Abraham Pierson School in Clinton last week: Can you and all the other students in Connecticut read a total of one million books this summer?
“Yes we can!” said the more than 300 students assembled at the school.
Lieutenant Governor Michael Fedele made a special visit to the school June 12 to promote Governor M. Jodi Rell’s “Summer Reading Challenge.”
“Last summer, more than 95,000 students read 800,000 books,” said Fedele to Pierson School students and staff. “You are all part of my team and I want us to read one million books this summer.”
Reading over the summer is important, said Fedele, who had visited more than 15 schools over the course of three days.
“You learn and at the same time can have fun,” he said. “But the best part of summer reading is you can read exactly what you want!”
As a gift to the school’s library, Fedele brought with him two books, both of which he signed: N is for Nutmeg, written by Elissa Grodin, is an alphabetized history lesson of Connecticut. Little Prickles, about a porcupine who wants to make friends, was written and illustrated by 7th grade students from the Montessori Middle School in Norwalk.