Week in Review: Blizzard, School Budget

Well this weekend’s storm proved that Connecticut’s Groundhog, Chuckles VIII, was right. She predicted six more weeks of winter and it does seem like it’ll take six weeks to uncover our cars and see the sides of the roads.

People submitted tons of blizzard photos to the photo gallery. Patch kept the Town up to date on developments and closings throughout the storm, if you care to relive the experience, check here.

People in Ledyard are still without power and in these cold temperatures, please be sure to check on your neighbors. The two fire stations in town are open to residents who need to warm up and are willing to pick up and shuttle residents if needed.

The Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Graner presented a zero increase budget to the Board of Education. This year’s budget conversation should go a lot smoother than last year’s thanks to a handful of retirements and all-day kindergarten.

The budget actually increased $735,175 and more than half of that is a contractual increase for teachers. But a variety of decreases – big and small – offset the teachers’ salaries and rendered a zero increase budget.

The Municipal Building Committee continued discussion on the feasibility of the proposed sites for the proposed police station Monday.

Of the locations under discussion one is next to the town hall and the other is on J. Alfred Clarke Way by the town transfer station although the committee made passing mention of the old Gales Ferry School and the complications involved in building there.

All sites have their pros and cons, the mayor kept saying and the committee reviewed floor plans but nothing has been decided yet. The architect will return with a costa analysis at the next meeting.

This week marks the beginning of Black History Month and in town, the gallery at i5 Teaching Network located in the Gales Ferry Community Center is hosting an exhibition of artists who celebrate the history and culture of African Americans in their own artwork.

The exhibit opened Saturday but we were all buried under a pile of snow and may not have been thinking of seeing hand crafted art. In any case, the exhibit will be up through the month and includes artwork on fabric and of fabric. There will be hand-sewn quilts, hand-sewn fabrics and hand made dolls by local artists Casandra L. Allen and Marie Collins.

Later this month there will be an artist reception where people are invited to meet the artists and hear about their inspiration and how they work. The artist will present their work, after which there will be a hip hop dance class, “which is a big hit with the kids,”

Meanwhile, family and friends of Pack 12 cub scouts celebrated the crossing over of five cubs into boy scouts Saturday at the United Methodist Church in Gales Ferry. The boys received the arrow of light award, which is the highest award you can receive in cub scouting. They crossed over to Troop 12 (also sponsored by United Methodist Church) and they attended their first boy scout meeting Monday night. Here’s a great photo gallery of the boys’ transition.

And, on Friday after the blizzard had rolled in and made itself comfortable in the region, two people were transported to L+M Hospital after the car they were riding in was involved in a rollover accident on Route 117 near the Groton town line according to a press release.

Driver David E. Doucette, 64, of 13 Marla Avenue, was transported to L + M Hospital for injuries. Passenger Betty J. Doucette, 63, of the same address, was transported to L + M Hospital for serious injuries.