Attempts to finalize a plan to renovate Stratford High School are underway again, and a subcommittee of the Town Council asked this week for cost estimates on three different scenarios.

The new scenarios that are being explored in some detail are a) renovate the entire school as new, with additions of new space, including a relatively small structure on the west side of King Street, which is now mostly athletic fields; b) replace the school with all new structures at the current location, adding a larger building on the west side of King Street; c) cut King Street into two parts, so it becomes a cul-de-sac from the north and a cul-de-sac from the south, no longer a thoroughfare, and develop a renovation-with-additions plan that includes building directly onto what is now King Street.

Permits to use King Street for school buildings have not yet been requested. There are wetlands issues with that property that would have to be addressed, requiring additional permit requests and planning.
Time tables loosely mentioned at the meeting included 2018 as a possible completion date, regardless of the selected project.

A fourth scenario for SHS, the original plan developed four years ago, which is viewed now as an inadequate, largely cosmetic upgrade, is in the files with an updated, estimated price tag of $90 million.

George Perham of Antinozzi architects, Councilman Jason Santi, Alvin O’Neal, Councilman Chris Barnaby, and SHS Principal Joe Corso as Architect Paul Antinozzi reviews two renovation options for SHS renovation at the June 23 committee meeting. Greg Reilly photo.

The SHS Renovation Subcommittee, chaired by Alan Llewelyn, reports to the Town Council’s Building Needs Committee, chaired by Paul Hoydick. The renovation group met on June 23 with Antinozzi Associates architects and education planning consultants of CREC, Capital Region Education Council.

CREC and Antinozzi told the group that they will work together to have estimated costs for the three new scenarios for the renovation group to consider at its next meeting July 21.

Attending the meeting with the architects and consultants were Llewelyn, Board of Education members Chris Barnaby, Bob Chaloux and Len Petruccelli; Town Councilmen Jason Santi, Stephanie Philips and Ken Poisson; and Alvin O’Neal.

Also present were SHS Principal Joe Corso, Board of Education Chief Operating Officer Clarence Zachery and Town Engineer John Casey.

Original photography by Stratford native Donna Rae Henault Caporaso will be on display at the Stratford Library through July 31. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

Caporaso is a Stratford based photographer specializing in the beauty of nature. She discovered her love and gift for photography during a time of crisis and challenge in her life. Seeking to regain her balance, she grabbed her camera and went exploring around Stratford.

Her photos capture a sense of tranquility and sadness, a soul seeking solace which can swiftly draw one in. While her love of sunrises and sunsets is evident in her portfolio, she also enjoys photographing birds, plants and scenery. One of Caporaso’s photos, a Snowy Owl at Long Beach, was recently selected for the front page of the New Haven Register.

Caproraso graduated from Stratford High School and the Connecticut Business Institute and is a mother of three and grandmother of one. She dedicates her first Stratford Library exhibit to Kim, Robin and Rose for their encouragement to publicly share her photography.

Information is available at stratfordlibrary.org or 203-385-4162.

“Sunrise & Sunset,” original photography by Stratford’s Donna Caporaso will be on display for the month of July at the Library.

To get students involved in marking the 375th anniversary of Stratford’s establishment in 1639 the town’s celebration committee and the Chamber of Commerce organized an art contest for elementary, middle and high school students with the theme ‘My Stratford Neighborhood.’

The contest was coordinated with Brian Frazier of Stratford public schools and Sara Voccola, an art teacher at Stratford High. Winners have been selected and the artwork from the contest is now hanging in Town Hall outside the town clerk’s office.

Drawings, paintings, mixed media collages and photography were accepted. The winners are:

Grades K-2

1st prize — Lauryn Wright, Chapel Street, age 8, grade 2

2nd prize — Abigail Bonoff, Second Hill Lane, age 6, kindergarten

Honorable Mention — Laura Micu, Nichols, age 6, grade 1; Megan Stack, Second Hill Lane, age 6, grade 1; Emilia Hevenstone, Stratford Academy, age 6, grade 1, Bella Meneo

Grades 3-4

1st prize — Faith Sanfratello, Chapel Street School, age 9, grade 3

2nd prize — Faith Cushing, Second Hill Lane, age 9, grade 4

Honorable Mention — Julia Karwacki, Nichols, age 10, grade 4; Thomas Micu, Nichols, age 9, grade 4; Gabriella M. Sannino, Chapel, age 9, grade 3

Grades 5-6

1st prize — Jessica Maldonado, Lordship School, age 11, grade 6

2nd prize — Amandine Sime, Second Hill Lane, age 10, grade 5

Honorable Mention — Tyree Hall, Stratford Academy, age 12, grade 6; Riley Matto, Stratford Academy, age 11, grade 6; Helen Lefever, Stratford Academy, age 11, grade 6

Grades 9-12

1st prize — Samantha Feliciano, Stratford High School

2nd prize — Maggie DeCapua, Stratford High School

Honorable Mention — Destiny Acevedo, Stratford High School; Tiffany Carofano, Stratford High School

Seventy-seven members of the community volunteered as mentors for a student in the Stratford Public Schools during this past year, and they were recognized at the Board of Education’s monthly meeting June 21.

This year’s group brings to 355 the total number of mentors who have helped more than 500 students since the school-based program began here.

Diane Christiano, coordinator of career and technology education, describes the program, which runs in each Stratford public school, as arranging a structured relationship between a caring adult who listens attentively and a student who would benefit from positive support and encouragement from an adult role model.

Stratford High School rising junior Chynna Sherrod and her brother Brandon Sherrod, SHS 2010 and Yale undergraduate, sang Lean on Me, by Bill Withers, as a tribute to mentors during the Board of Education meeting. It includes the lyrics, ‘We all need someone to lean on …. When you’re not strong, I’ll be your friend.’

According to program organizers youths benefit from mentoring often with improved academic performance, self-esteem and peer / family relationships.

Benefits for the mentor are described as, among other things, feeling good about influencing a child’s life and getting along better with their own spouse, children, and significant others.

To apply to be a mentor call 203-385-4281 or go to stratfordk12.org/Content/Mentoring.

Stratford High School rising junior Chynna Sherrod and her brother Brandon Sherrod, SHS 2010 and Yale undergraduate, sing Bill Withers’ Lean on Me as part of the recognition of those who mentored a student in the Stratford Public School system this past year. The recognition was during the June 21 meeting of the Board of Education. Greg Reilly photos.

Board of Education Chairman Andrea Vielleux and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Janet Robinson recognize Trecia Ashman who completed her second year as a mentor for a Stratford schools’ student.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Driving Miss Daisy took center stage at Stratford High School as the final Square One Theatre in-school presentation of the academic year. Alfred Uhry’s play deals with the relationship between an elderly Jewish woman (Daisy), and her African-American chauffeur (Hoke).

The thematic importance of Driving Miss Daisy lies in the impact on the characters of historical events during the years from 1948 to 1973, which include some of the most important developments in the civil rights movement.

Director Tom Holehan adapted the play to fit the length of the student class periods.

This is the 12th year Square One Theater has taken a stage production into the Stratford schools. Earlier this year, Square One Theatre presented Irena’s Vow.

For each production, Square One provides study guides for the teachers to use in the classrooms and invites the students and faculty to participate in post-performance discussions with the actors and the director.

These educational programs are subsidized by People’s United Bank.

Stratford High School students Destiny Jefferson, Idalis Torres, Square One Theatre actors, Alice McMahon Bonvenuto (as Miss Daisy) (Ridgefield actor), Greg Mouning (as Hoke, New Haven actor), Stratford High School students Marlene Abouaassi and Samantha Breaz.

Stratford Visiting Nurse Association awarded nursing scholarships to three recent high school graduates at a reception in their honor on June 11.

This year’s recipient of a $500 award for the Rudolph & Barbara Mastroianni Memorial Nursing Scholarship is Courtney Riordan. Courtney, who graduated from Bunnell High School, will be attending St. Vincent’s College in the nursing program.

Recipients of $500 awards for the Donna Curran Memorial Nursing Scholarships are Alicia Buynovsky, a recent graduate of Stratford High School, and Kaitlyn Giangregorio, a Shelton High School graduate. Alicia will be attending Sacred Heart University and is interested in maternity nursing. Kaitlyn will be attending Fairfield University and is looking to work in pediatric nursing.

“I am so pleased to have the honor of presenting the Stratford VNA nursing scholarships this year. We are happy to be able to help promote the future of nursing in this way,” said Angela Leonzi, Vice President of Patient Care Services.

The scholarship fund was formed by the Stratford VNA staff in response to the nursing shortage seven years ago.

The non-profit Stratford Visiting Nurse Association is a home health care organization that has served Stratford and other area towns in Fairfield and New Haven counties since 1919. Services include nursing, homemaker/home health aide support, physical, occupational and speech therapies, medical social worker support, psychiatric nursing, advanced wound care/wound vac, maternal-newborn care, oncology care, IV therapy, PT/INR testing, cardiac/high risk program, home telemonitoring, and more. A nurse is available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. The community-based VNA is governed by a voluntary board of directors, is Medicare-certified and licensed by the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health.

For more information, visit stratfordvna.org.

Courtney Riordan, Alicia Buynovsky and Kaitlyn Giangregorio have been awarded nursing scholarships by Stratford Visiting Nurse Association.

There is a Democratic primary election for state Senate District 23, which includes part of Stratford, on Tuesday, Aug. 12.

The endorsed candidate is Andres Ayala, Jr., the incumbent state senator. He is being challenged by Scott Hughes.

Polling locations for Stratford Democrats in District 23 are Stratford High School, Johnson House school and Franklin school.

The winner will get the Democratic spot on the ballot for the general election in November.

Contact the Stratford registrars office for polling location.

“I’m nervous,” said one Stratford High School student to another as the two approached the front door on opening day, Aug. 28. The word ‘nervous’ was heard from a few other students too.

“It’s all about the fashion,” said one mom to The Star photographer capturing the start of the school year.

“I don’t know where to go. I’m confused,” said a first-day freshman.
There was no school staff greeter at the front door of the high school, facing Victoria Soto Way and the Town Hall lawn, and the doors were locked, as for normal security purposes, requiring groups of students to be buzzed in for Day One.

But they made it.

[photos by Greg Reilly]

A Stratford High School alumnus is trying to locate a copy of the SHS yearbook 1956 edition and 1958 edition, so he can buy them.

Anyone who can help him obtain those copies or has the copies to sell are asked to call Bob at 860-230-4834.

Stratford High School classes of 1968 and 1969 reunion will be held Friday-Sunday, Oct. 10-12.

Events include a Friday evening happy hour at Knapps Landing; Saturday morning golf, Saturday evening reunion and Sunday brunch all at the Mill River Country Club.

For more information visit Facebook/shsreunion69 or contact Linda Kazmierski Desrosiers (‘68) at lmkazmierski@gmail.com or Betty Pastor Waterman (‘69) at bettyboopwon@att.net.

Stratford High School, class of 1964 is planning its 50th reunion during the weekend of Sept. 19, 20 and 21.

Classmates will be part of the Stratford 375th parade on Saturday morning, Sept. 20. In the evening, all will meet at the Mill River Country Club on Main Street.

For more information, contact Lynnette Zeffiro-Baroni at aplorchd@sbcglobal.net or Joan Cholko-Penders at jphomeplate@sbcglobal.net.

Stratford Sister Cities Chorus is accepting new members; men and women from high school students to retirement who love to sing. The new season begins on Monday evenings, which started Sept. 15. Rehearsals from 6-7:30 p.m., at Stratford High School, room 104.

Registration for new members will be at 5:30 p.m., in the cafeteria on Sept. 22 and 29. No auditions are required.

Adults, $35; students $20 (payable by check).

For questions or more information, contact Geralene at 203-268-8306, or geraleneval@yahoo.com.

The Stratford Library Teen Summer Reading program awarded its first prize of a free limo ride on the first day of school to Zane Carey, a senior at Stratford High School who read 29 books over the summer. Limousine was courtesy of Carriage Limousine Service of Oxford, Connecticut. Eighty teens read and reported to the Stratford Library this summer on over 350 books.

Zane Carey (center) with his brother, Christopher (left) and Stratford High School principal Joseph Corso.

The Stratford High School Post Prom Committee is conducting a clothing drive on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., in the Stratford High School student parking lot on King Street. The drive will help raise funds for this year’s Post Prom event.

Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Southwest CT is providing SHS with this fundraising opportunity.

Only gently used clothing, shoes, purses and linens, including sheets, blankets, towels and curtains, are being collected; no houseware items. Donations are greatly appreciated.

To get students involved in marking the 375th anniversary of Stratford’s establishment in 1639 the town’s celebration committee and the Chamber of Commerce organized an art contest for elementary, middle and high school students with the theme ‘My Stratford Neighborhood.’

The contest was coordinated with Brian Frazier of Stratford public schools and Sara Voccola, an art teacher at Stratford High. Winners have been selected and the artwork from the contest is now hanging in Town Hall outside the town clerk’s office.

Drawings, paintings, mixed media collages and photography were accepted. The winners are:

Grades K-2

1st prize — Lauryn Wright, Chapel Street, age 8, grade 2

2nd prize — Abigail Bonoff, Second Hill Lane, age 6, kindergarten

Honorable Mention — Laura Micu, Nichols, age 6, grade 1; Megan Stack, Second Hill Lane, age 6, grade 1; Emilia Hevenstone, Stratford Academy, age 6, grade 1, Bella Meneo

Grades 3-4

1st prize — Faith Sanfratello, Chapel Street School, age 9, grade 3

2nd prize — Faith Cushing, Second Hill Lane, age 9, grade 4

Honorable Mention — Julia Karwacki, Nichols, age 10, grade 4; Thomas Micu, Nichols, age 9, grade 4; Gabriella M. Sannino, Chapel, age 9, grade 3

Grades 5-6

1st prize — Jessica Maldonado, Lordship School, age 11, grade 6

2nd prize — Amandine Sime, Second Hill Lane, age 10, grade 5

Honorable Mention — Tyree Hall, Stratford Academy, age 12, grade 6; Riley Matto, Stratford Academy, age 11, grade 6; Helen Lefever, Stratford Academy, age 11, grade 6

Grades 9-12

1st prize — Samantha Feliciano, Stratford High School

2nd prize — Maggie DeCapua, Stratford High School

Honorable Mention — Destiny Acevedo, Stratford High School; Tiffany Carofano, Stratford High School

Attempts to finalize a plan to renovate Stratford High School are underway again, and a subcommittee of the Town Council asked this week for cost estimates on three different scenarios.

The new scenarios that are being explored in some detail are a) renovate the entire school as new, with additions of new space, including a relatively small structure on the west side of King Street, which is now mostly athletic fields; b) replace the school with all new structures at the current location, adding a larger building on the west side of King Street; c) cut King Street into two parts, so it becomes a cul-de-sac from the north and a cul-de-sac from the south, no longer a thoroughfare, and develop a renovation-with-additions plan that includes building directly onto what is now King Street.

Permits to use King Street for school buildings have not yet been requested. There are wetlands issues with that property that would have to be addressed, requiring additional permit requests and planning.
Time tables loosely mentioned at the meeting included 2018 as a possible completion date, regardless of the selected project.

A fourth scenario for SHS, the original plan developed four years ago, which is viewed now as an inadequate, largely cosmetic upgrade, is in the files with an updated, estimated price tag of $90 million.

George Perham of Antinozzi architects, Councilman Jason Santi, Alvin O’Neal, Councilman Chris Barnaby, and SHS Principal Joe Corso as Architect Paul Antinozzi reviews two renovation options for SHS renovation at the June 23 committee meeting. Greg Reilly photo.

The SHS Renovation Subcommittee, chaired by Alan Llewelyn, reports to the Town Council’s Building Needs Committee, chaired by Paul Hoydick. The renovation group met on June 23 with Antinozzi Associates architects and education planning consultants of CREC, Capital Region Education Council.

CREC and Antinozzi told the group that they will work together to have estimated costs for the three new scenarios for the renovation group to consider at its next meeting July 21.

Attending the meeting with the architects and consultants were Llewelyn, Board of Education members Chris Barnaby, Bob Chaloux and Len Petruccelli; Town Councilmen Jason Santi, Stephanie Philips and Ken Poisson; and Alvin O’Neal.

Also present were SHS Principal Joe Corso, Board of Education Chief Operating Officer Clarence Zachery and Town Engineer John Casey.

Stratford native and independent filmmaker Louis Spetrino is set to release his locally produced high school drama Incomplete on Friday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m., at Flood Middle School. A second screening will be shown on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m., also at Flood Middle School.

Incomplete was filmed at Stratford High School, and stars current and former students from Bunnell and Stratford High. It was filmed last summer and is now ready to be screened.

Incomplete is about a video production teacher who devises a plan to get famous by creating a high school based “found footage” docudrama. Six students, with varying degrees of drama between them are selected to take part in the video project. They are unaware of the hidden cameras that have been placed in the room.

What the hidden cameras capture changes all of their lives.

Spetrino, a Bunnell High School alum, was very excited to work with students from Stratford. Since this is a high school based film, I thought it would be a great opportunity to involve the local students in the filmmaking process. People are going to be blown away by their performances. I couldn’t be more proud of them or the work that they did,” said Spetrino.

All screenings, including the premiere are open to the public. Tickets are available now. There will be a question and answer session with the director and cast members after each screening.

The target audience is high school aged kids and teachers, but Spetrino feels the film has a much broader appeal. Incomplete takes place in High School, but the themes of loss, feeling alone, inadequacy, not appreciating what you have and where you are, and even bullying, are issues that people of any age can relate to.

With this being an entirely Stratford based production, we are hoping for a large turn out of the Stratford community, not just those with kids in one of the schools.

Spetrino is planning to travel to other high schools in the area to screen the film as well. I’d like to go into different schools and talk about the movie, and then hold screenings at varying schools all around Conn.

If you are interested in hosting a screening, contact Louis at lspetrino@yahoo.com. He hopes to continue this effort in what he is billing as the CT Film Project. “I would love to be able to keep this project going and expand it into other towns to give more kids the opportunity to work on a movie and to help it go from script to screen.”

Contact Spetrino Pictures, for more information at lspetrino@yahoo.com Oor call 203-283-4238. Additional information is also available at facebook.com/incompletethemovie?ref=hl or spetrinopictures.webconnex.com/Incomplete.

The Stratford High School renovation subcommittee is working to get a construction plan to the Town Council in the next few months.

The renovation group has received proposals from four companies that would like to be selected as the construction manager, and those proposals include descriptions of how they would handle each of four different construction schemes that are going to be considered by the committee.

Chairman Alan Llewelyn said at the group’s meeting on Oct. 20 that if the committee members can each get the proposals evaluated and conduct interviews with the four companies by Nov. 6, then scores of the interviews would be tallied with the help of a consultant by Nov. 13.

At that time the prices from each construction management (CM) company for each construction scheme would be revealed to the committee. The intention is to keep prices under cover until the committee has first made decisions on the merits of the proposals and schemes alone.

Traffic study and timing
While the committee evaluates the CM proposals, Antinozzi Associates architects, which has been retained for the high school project, will undertake a traffic study of the area, according to Paul Antinozzi.
A traffic study is critical since one of the construction schemes being explored is closing King Street to through traffic.

It was not determined when the renovation subcommittee would be able to get its formal recommendation to the Town Council’s building needs committee and then to the full Town Council. If and when the council approves a plan for Stratford High School, it would then take a year to prepare all construction plans and then approximately two years for construction.

The renovation or reconstruction project that was formally discussed starting in 2010 might then have an expected completion date of 2018.
For a description of the four construction schemes being explored, visit StratfordStar.com.

Plodding
The Oct. 20 meeting started without a quorum, with Len Petruccelli, Bob Chaloux and Llewelyn the only committee members in attendance.
Jason Santi and Stephanie Philips arrived during the meeting, making a quorum.

Dan Senft, Alan O’Neal and Christian Barnaby were absent.
There was difficulty among attending committee members in determining when the next meetings of the committee could be, and there was a question whether a committee recommendation could make it to the Town Council before the end of the year.

Board of Education Chairman Andrea Veilleux, attending the meeting as an observer, spoke up and said she was concerned about the timeline of the project.

Chaloux suggested that it would help the group if there was a timeline written down with key target dates for decisions and work.

Stratford High School

The 35th Cavalcade of Bands Show, presented by the Bunnell/Stratford High Marching Band and Guard Parents Association, will be held on Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Bunnell High School Field, 1 Bulldog Blvd.

The doors open at 2 p.m., and the show starts at 3.

Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students (K-12), and children under 5 are free. Tickets will be available at the gate.

Food will be available for purchase.

Bunnell High School Marching Band

Seventy-seven members of the community volunteered as mentors for a student in the Stratford Public Schools during this past year, and they were recognized at the Board of Education’s monthly meeting June 21.

This year’s group brings to 355 the total number of mentors who have helped more than 500 students since the school-based program began here.

Diane Christiano, coordinator of career and technology education, describes the program, which runs in each Stratford public school, as arranging a structured relationship between a caring adult who listens attentively and a student who would benefit from positive support and encouragement from an adult role model.

Stratford High School rising junior Chynna Sherrod and her brother Brandon Sherrod, SHS 2010 and Yale undergraduate, sang Lean on Me, by Bill Withers, as a tribute to mentors during the Board of Education meeting. It includes the lyrics, ‘We all need someone to lean on …. When you’re not strong, I’ll be your friend.’

According to program organizers youths benefit from mentoring often with improved academic performance, self-esteem and peer / family relationships.

Benefits for the mentor are described as, among other things, feeling good about influencing a child’s life and getting along better with their own spouse, children, and significant others.

To apply to be a mentor call 203-385-4281 or go to stratfordk12.org/Content/Mentoring.

Stratford High School rising junior Chynna Sherrod and her brother Brandon Sherrod, SHS 2010 and Yale undergraduate, sing Bill Withers’ Lean on Me as part of the recognition of those who mentored a student in the Stratford Public School system this past year. The recognition was during the June 21 meeting of the Board of Education. Greg Reilly photos.

Board of Education Chairman Andrea Vielleux and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Janet Robinson recognize Trecia Ashman who completed her second year as a mentor for a Stratford schools’ student.