The Daily Five: School Security, Student Drug Use, And Votes To Sign Off On Town Spending

1. We should see some sun today. Weather.com is predicting partly cloudy weather with just a 10 percent chance of rain, a high temperature of 41 degrees and an overnight low of 27 degrees.

2. A Special Town Meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at East Lyme Town Hall to ask voters to consider approving the following:

• To appropriate $221,564 to purchase or lease a Simulcast System to expand the town's communications system, as described in the town's Fiscal Year 2012-2013 Capital Improvement Plan. The total price of the new system is $213,131, plus interest at 1.59 percent per year, payable in annual installments of $44,313 ($3,693 per month) over the next five years.
• To appropriate $59,118 for the purpose of repairing, renovating, and installing improvements to the town's parking lot at Cini Park. 
• To appropriate $29,000 to purchase three ATVs, one Jet Ski with a trailer and safety gear as requested by East Lyme Police Department to be used to patrol the beaches. This money will be reimbursed through a Port Security grant. 

3. A public hearing is also scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight at East Lyme Town Hall to consider the Niantic Sportsmen's Club, Inc.'s option to buy a portion of the property at 82 Plants Dam Road from the town. If you recall, this is part of the deal the town struck with the club to facilitate the purchase of the Samuel Smith House in order to offset the cost of the property and to preserve the land around the historic house as open space. 

4. East Lyme School District will hold a School Safety and Security Forum tonight at 6 p.m. at East Lyme High School Commons. This is the second forum on the topic that the district has held since the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School brought the issue to the fore.

Since that time, the school district has reviewed and revised security procedures and held a number of drills, including one based on a shooting scenario. Tonight's forum will provide an update of changes made to school security and give the public a chance to ask questions and voice concerns. 

5. There will be a Community Forum on Marijuana tonight at 7 p.m. at Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School. Guest speaker Dr. Alicia Farrell, who specializes in treating substance abusing youth, will give a presentation about marijuana and how it affects youth who use it.