Community Corner

Daily Five: The Spicer Property And A New Maritime Collection

Five Things To Know, Wednesday, Jan. 18

1.  Today is Wednesday, Jan. 18.  It'll be clear, breezy and cold. The National Weather Service predicts sunny skies, a temperature falling to 30 degrees by 5 p.m. and a west wind of 21 to 25 mph.  The low will drop to 19 degrees tonight.

2. The Town Council voted 8-0 Tuesday to authorize Town Manager Mark Oefinger to prepare and execute a purchase and sales agreement for three Spicer properties on Thomas Road. The town was awarded a $650,000 grant in Oct. 2010 to acquire the properties, and additional money is available in the open space fund. The property had been appraised at $1.4 million as of November, 2010.

3.  has a new collection of books, DVDs and other material about sailing and boating in honor of its former library director, Gretchen Hammerstein. Hammerstein served as director from 1974 until 1986 and advocated for the building on Route 117.  In 1986, she left for the Far East, sailed the Pacific and started a consulting business helping libraries in developing countries.  She died in 2010.  Material from the collection in her name is available for check out at the library.

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4.  On Thursday, the Board of Regents for Higher Education will consider increasing tuition and fees for 16 out of its 17 schools, including the 12 community colleges and four Connecticut State Universities.  The recommended changes would increase tuition in the 2012-13 academic year by 3.8 percent, or $315 for in-state undergraduate commuters to Connecticut state universities; 3.7 percent, or $676, for in-state residential students at Connecticut state universities; and 3.1 percent, or $108, for students at Connecticut community colleges.

5.  Andrew Parella, chairman of Friends for Affordable Education, met with Superintendent Paul Kadri and Board Chairwoman Kirsten Hoyt Tuesday afternoon to . "We want to monitor and check that the project was brought forth correctly," he said. The two sides are discussing what documents they need.

Find out what's happening in Grotonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


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