Daily Five: Teachers' Union, School Board Committee Meet Today

1.  Today is Wednesday, March 28.  The National Weather Service predicts a 40 percent chance of rain, mainly after noon, and a high temperature of 51 degrees. Tonight will be mostly cloudy, with a low of 44 degrees.

2.  The Groton Education Association and Groton Board of Education’s Liaison committee meet at 4:30 p.m. today in the school administration building to talk about a climate survey of teachers. The survey asked about topics like whether teachers believe they are part of the decision making process, whether they have adequate training and whether they can openly express their views. More than 400 completed the survey.

3.  The town police department reported last month they have seen an increase in loitering vagrants in part of town. Officers have noticed camps in the woods behind Sneekers, land owned by the town of Groton, according to the February report on police activity. On one occasion, a small camp fire was found smoldering, but no one was around, the report said.

4.  An energy conservation company called ConServe is replacing lighting fixtures in all of the town buildings served by Connecticut Light & Power.  ConServe is prequalified by CL&P to use a program that offers interest-free loans and rebates to help cover the labor and equipment needed to install energy-efficient lighting and bulbs.

The company has worked with at least 40 municipalities, according to a report by the Groton town manager’s office. Costs are typically paid off through energy savings in two to three years. Once loans are paid, the change would save Groton at least $15,000 per year, the town manager’s report said.

5.  The annual breakfast meeting of the Southeastern Connecticut’s Military/Superintendents’ Liaison Committee is scheduled for 7 a.m. on April 5 at the Officers’ Club at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London. The group focuses on ways to improve education for families moving in and out of the area. Groton has 800 to 900 students moving through the district each year.