Letters to the editor - March 27 2014

Understanding the 1957 Region One legislation

The Lakeville Journal is a vital link to Northwest Corner roots for this transplanted Falls Villager, living in southeastern Connnecticut for nearly half a century now. The March 20 article on Region One School District organizational issues was of particular interest.

Attorney Gary Brochu’s take on the 1957 Special Act 405 is partially correct. I believe an important aspect of the act was authorization for regional provision of  “services beyond the sixth grade.” There was considerable sentiment at that time for moving to a 6-3-3 system, with grades seven to nine at a new regional junior high school. As I recall from dinner table conversations, it was partly a “progressive” measure, as regionalization had been nearly 20 years earlier, but also a means of coping with increasing enrollments at HVRHS (we didn’t call it “Housy” then, and I still don’t) without an expansion. In the end, the idea fizzled, not so much from a demonstration of Connecticut as the “Land of Steady Habits” or even New England parochialism. It was parental concern over a long school day and lengthy bus rides for 11- to 13-year-olds, particularly from Kent. A location in the Lime Rock area was contemplated, as I recall. And of course ground was broken at the high school for its second expansion during the 1961-62 school year.

However, I suspect the “special educational programs” indeed concerned special education as we now understand it. In the fall of 1959, the district hired a teacher for that express purpose, and with that designation. Apart from his classroom role he was also my sophomore homeroom teacher. 

Christopher “Kit” Foster

Gales Ferry, Conn.

You should be aware of the EMSI

The Emergency Medical Services Institute is one of the best-kept secrets in the Tri-State area. Founded in 1994 with funds from the Sharon Hospital Annual Fund, today support is provided through an endowment established with funds from the sale of Sharon Hospital and a grant from the Foundation for Community Health. Its mission is to ensure exceptional quality of pre-hospital emergency care by promoting, facilitating and providing training opportunities and support to all volunteer squads that serve Sharon Hospital. The Institute also serves as the approved American Heart Association Training Center for the Hospital catchment area. It sponsors CPR training throughout the region and in area schools. 

There is no better example of the EMS Institute’s contribution to our volunteer EMS squads than its annual symposium, which was held this year at The Hotchkiss School on March 15. The symposium provided learning opportunities and continuing education credits for EMTs throughout Connecticut and neighboring towns in New York. The keynote speaker was Jonathan Best, the director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response for the CT Department of Public Health. Workshop topics included active shooter situations, acute mental illness and substance abuse emergencies, and childbirth emergencies, among many others. This year Hartford Hospital’s LifeStar and Albany Med’s LifeNet aircraft were available for attendees to inspect and to learn from their professional providers. Closing Remarks were offered by Kim Lumia, the CEO of Sharon Hospital, a partner and supporter of the institute.

Not only am I proud to be a member of the institute’s board of directors, but I recently benefitted from the outstanding care provided by the Cornwall EMTs. My husband experienced a serious heart attack in the early hours of the morning and would not have survived without the rapid and skilled care provided by our EMS team and the ER at Sharon Hospital. I am deeply grateful to live in the Northwest Corner where our neighbors continue to reach out to care for one another. Organizations like the EMS Institute provide outstanding support for the volunteer community.

Molly Hinchman, Ph.D.

EMSI Board of Directors

West Cornwall

Wrong way for All Boards Chairs

Re: Front page article in the March 20 Lakeville Journal, “Attorney to ABC.”

Who would ask the fox to count the chickens in the hen house? Only another fox — so be it. 

Is Attorney Brochu working pro bono on behalf of the ABC committee? If not, who pays his fees?

The paragraph about Region One 1937 creation by special act is immaterial except perhaps to add some credibility to the creation of ABC just a few short years ago, not very historical.

The current arrangement does not seem to have been legitimate. Therefore, can the procedure for determining the administrators’ salaries have been legitimate? You might say the ABC committee doesn’t exist or should not exist. There is the 1961 law that two school boards may agree to establish those provisions listed, but, the article doesn’t tell who picks up the tab and what portion.

Brochu suggesting that perhaps the first change, should come from the ABC committee regarding the superintendent, would not make last year’s problem go away. It would only create another layer of circumstances, just as distasteful. Did we not learn anything from seven referendums?

Priscilla Belcher

Falls Village

Willis defends Connecticut from toxic ‘fracking’ waste

In state after state, a semi-secretive, anti-environment, special interest group that calls itself the “American Legislative Council” (ALEC) is moving in to try to imbed preemptive anti-environmental legislation, rules and regulations — sometimes even before the issue has arisen in that state.

In Florida, ALEC is trying to exempt water impoundments from environmental regulation for the next several decades — after which most of the damage will already have been done. ALEC wants to preserve the “right” for Big Sugar and other industries to continue to dump fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides into Florida’s lakes, rivers and estuaries. 

Nationwide, ALEC is putting pressure on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of the Interior to exempt the wind industry for the next 30 years from regulation to prevent mass killings of migratory birds and bats, even though technology exists to make such energy sources safer for wildlife. We already lose over half a million migratory birds from this each year. How many will be left in 30 years?

Here in Connecticut, ALEC has quietly opened offices, with secret membership (just try to find out who’s involved), to prepare the way in advance of the issue actually arising in practice, for unregulated “fracking” and storage of toxic toxic waste in our state. But they are running into unexpected opposition.

Fortunately, we have a defender of a clean environment in the person of 64th District Assemblyman Roberta Willis who is co-sponsoring SB 237, “An Act Prohibiting ‘Fracking’ Waste in Connecticut.” The way to beat ALEC is to get there first. The recipe: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” You can reach Roberta at Roberta.Willis@cga.ct.gov.

Tony and Liz Piel

Sharon

Job well done on ‘Hello, Dolly!’

On Friday, March 14, I had the honor of attending the outstanding production of “Hello, Dolly!” that was put on the by the Housatonic Musical Theatre Society. I want to commend and congratulate all of the immensely talented actors and actresses, production staff, directors and musicians. 

For many years, I worked as a security agent for singer/actress and former American Idol, Ms. Jordin Sparks. In 2010, she played the role of Nina Rosario in the Broadway hit “In The Heights.” I witnessed firsthand as she dedicated countless days and nights to learning every word of her songs, every line in her dialogues and every step in her choreography. This was my first experience with the world of theatrical acting. 

It was so clearly evident that the drama students of Housatonic Valley Regional High School possessed the very same drive and commitment as they brought each of their roles to life with perfection and grace. For two hours they captivated the audience with their hilarious one-liners and sass-filled scenes. Every song was in key. Every step was on cue. 

Congratulations to all of those who had their hand in the production of “Hello, Dolly!”  Outstanding job. Well done. 

Brian Ohler 

North Canaan

Good decision time

Let’s help Washington make the right decisions

First remove their healthcare with precision

Then on them, the minimum wage impose

So they can feel the poor’s real lows

If their ancestors were not American native

Remove their citizenship, make them creative

In finding jobs as immigrants

After all, they created the dissonance 

And while we are at it, 

remove private education from their progeny

So they can concentrate on improving public education honestly

A few steps like these

Might help us squeeze

Good decisions for the citizenry

And make them better politically

Humbly submitted 

With bias admitted.

Michael Kahler

Lakeville