The Week That Was, That Week That Will Be

1.    The Week That Was: It was busy, with several stories coming out of the Allison Robinson case. Robinson, who is the assistant director of The Friendship School, has been accused of , 24, who is currently serving time at Corrigan Radgowski Correctional Institution. is awaiting trial for allegedly beating up his son’s mother and putting a shotgun in her face, an allegation Harris’ lawyer, Thomas Simones, does not deny. Simones plans to file a on Harris’ behalf against Robinson.

In other news, the interesting case of Lori Hopkins-Cavanagh was examined. Hopkins-Cavanagh filed preliminary paperwork with the New London City Clerk in preparation for running for Mayor of New London. This struck Waterford school officials as odd, , Hopkins-Cavanagh just finished proving she in fact lived in Waterford. Hopkins-Cavanagh later submitted a to Patch confirming that her elementary school child now resides in Waterford, along with her stepdaughter. Patch asked in a email why she would run for Mayor of New London, as opposed to First Selectman of Waterford, where she lives, but Hopkins-Cavanagh responded with “Wow. Very interesting approach!”

Also, Waterford town officials looked at where they . Gov. Dannel Malloy , at least partly, while still doubling Dominion's local tax load. Speaking of Malloy, his alternative plan was met with , students at Quaker Hill Elementary and more than . And sadly, a who died driving on Great Neck Road was released Monday. He was a retired New London police officer.

2.    This Week In Weather: Expect a cloudy, rainy week. Today and Monday are both the same, highs in the low 60s, with rain expected both days and thunderstorms expected both nights. Tuesday will be OK, as it should be partly sunny with a high of 62. Wednesday, it will be gloomy, then Wednesday night thunderstorms are expected. Thursday, rain all day and thunderstorms that night. Friday showers are expected on and off, and clouds are expected throughout the day. Finally, Saturday should be the pot at the end of the rainbow, with a high of 60 and no clouds in the sky. (All information in this report is from the National Weather Service).   

3.    This week in schools: Vacation over, it's a full week. There is a board of education meeting Thursday night at 7, where again the board will deliberate on installing for next year. Also, there is expected to be an update on the hiring of a . And importantly, a report will be given on the amount of health insurance claims though March 2011. The huge cost of health insurance led to layoffs next year, so tracking the figure will be important for next year's budget.

As far as day-to-day school news, Waterford High School opens up on an “A” day Monday (in case you forgot with the week off). On Friday, middle school and high school students will be going to Rhode Island College, where they will get a tour of the school and do hands-on work in the genetics lab. At Great Neck Elementary School, Mrs. Bates’ third-grade class is going on a Kiz-Arts trip Thursday; At Oswegatchie Elementary School, Mr. Gencarelli’s class is going on a field trip Monday; at Quaker Hill Elementary School, Mrs. Shoemaker’s and Mrs. Duarte’s classes are going to Devil's Hopyard on Wednesday. Thursday, Mrs. Duarte’s class will also be going to Grasso Technical High School in Groton.   

4.    This week in government. First off, Malloy looks like to have his budget set in record time, so Patch will find out how it affects Waterford. Planning and zoning meets Monday, so we will see if any new developments are looking to move into town. And speaking of new developments, on Thursday, the conservation commission will rule on a new subdivision proposed at . Many neighbors have protested the new development, so the commission will probably hold a public hearing on the matter, Conservation Commission Chairman Gary Johnson said.

And speaking of planning and zoning and the conservation commission, a piece of information regarding the grand list. As many know, one of the best ways to keep taxes low in a town is to have businesses come in. That’s because businesses don’t cost the town much money as houses. Houses are expensive for town because with houses come children, and each child costs  $10,000 a year to educate. Also, people use more services, such as senior services or youth services or parks and recreation, which costs more money. Businesses do not put children in the schools or use those services, so the town makes money off of them. They do bring more cars on the road, so there are costs for infrastructure maintenance and repairs.

The best thing for a town to have move in is farms, according to the Connecticut Council of Small Towns. That’s because farms are huge areas of taxable property that require no extra services from the town, and bring very little traffic. Anyway, just in case you were curious.   

5.    This week in events. First, Happy Easter. I have a feeling very few people will read the site today (holiday traffic is generally very low), so if you are, thank you. If you get bored this afternoon, there is a magic show at Mohegan Sun for $15 a ticket at 3 p.m. The library has story time at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Saturday, there is a car wash at 10 a.m. at Waterford High School. All proceeds will go to Waterford High School’s New York City trip in the fall.

Also, speaking of events, Patch is proud to announce Renee Parker as a new addition to the staff. She will do the weekend preview (previously done by Caitlin Marquis) for you adults out there. Parker, a Waterford resident, will give you every possible bar special and live concert in the area. With Parker and kids-calendar guru Heather Caulkins, Patch promises to have the best Southeastern Connecticut weekend planners you can possibly find, perfect for both families and adults looking for a night out.

Quote of the Week

“Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession.  I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.”

-Ronald Reagan

Trivia of the Day

Who shot J.R.?

Friday’s Answer: Lowell Weicker was the governor before John Rowland. Under his regime, the state income tax was instituted.