As previously reported, a committee of town and school officials from Hampton and Scotland was appointed earlier this year to discuss possible collaborations between the towns’ schools  in response to the escalating costs of education while student enrollment  continues to decline. Approximately 90 students attend Scotland’s elementary school while Hampton’s student population is approximately 70, for a combined total of 160 students.

Though collaborative possibilities include measures such as sharing administrative services — superintendent, principal, business coordinator and special education director, and certified staff for art, music and physical education, operating a single school under a cooperative agreement between the two schools is not out of the question. For the past several years, Scotland and Hampton’s joint venture, the School Readiness Council, has successfully collaborated to provide early childhood experiences in the towns and the schools.

The Ad Hoc Committee for Inter-district Education Cost Sharing recently extended its membership to include parents and community members from the two towns to conduct research with a two-pronged approach: mission and programming; and governance and finance.  According to the Minutes of the July 29 Meeting, the Educational Program Committee is “charged with studying the delivery of educational services equivalent to the services students are currently receiving from each of the two schools.”  The following members were appointed to this committee: Hampton Elementary School Board of Education Chairman Rose Bisson and member Juan Arriola, Scotland Elementary School Board of Education Chairman Brynn Lipstreau, and two Scotland residents, former official Clare D’Appollonio and parent Angela Maschka. The Governance Committee is “charged with financial and governance matters, including budgeting.” Members appointed to this committee include: Bisson, First Selectmen Allan Cahill of Hampton and Gary Greenburg of Scotland, Hampton Board of Finance Chairman Kathy Donahue, and Scotland resident and former official Tom McAvoy.

The Educational Program Committee expects to complete its task by Thanksgiving; the Governance Committee anticipates a spring, 2022 completion. Meetings, noticed on the websites of both towns, are open to the public, and time is allotted for public comment.

The Science Fair at Hampton Elementary was a big deal, a chance to wow and amaze others with one’s industry and imagination. I am in the 7th grade and a new kid in town that year, although I’ve managed to settle into the comfortable rhythm of life in Hampton by the time this annual event comes around on the Spring calendar. I don’t remember any adults erupting into overt laughter but there were many not-quite-contained bemused looks at the original idea for my science fair submission.

My project idea? I was going to put one of my father’s lab rats into suspended animation and then bring it back to life. It was a humble enough ambition, I thought, despite the reality that none of the world’s greatest scientists up to then – or even in the decades since – had come even close to achieving such a lofty outcome. To my way of thinking, though, I had the essential ingredient – a ready supply of hooded rats that my father used in his basic brain research at UConn – and, heck, the rest of it should be easy enough. “Does anyone have a spare cylinder of liquid nitrogen,” I can hear myself thinking, “and maybe one of those thingys you need to bring a rat back to life after being frozen?”

Fortunately for the rats, my project idea was rejected. Instead, I partnered with Bob Neborsky on a demonstration of how solar cells work and we won some sort of recognition for that. I can’t remember whether Bob and I won 1st prize – that probably went to the kid who attached himself to a large round board and drank a glass of milk while inverted to demonstrate how astronauts could feed themselves in space (I know I was pretty amazed). But our project was exciting enough that Bob and I were chosen to be on some TV show from Providence, along with other kids who had winning Science Fair entries. I can’t quite fetch much about the event from my greying memory banks other than our return trip to Hampton in the Neborsky’s station wagon when some kid threw up (I swear it wasn’t me!) and we all suffered the long journey home immersed in that horror.

These days, my ambitions are a little less lofty. Honestly, I’m pretty certain that I wouldn’t want to wake up in some future world after being in suspended animation. It’s difficult enough to adapt to the ever-evolving technologies that assault us with every new iteration of a cell phone or a TV or the newest car features. I definitely don’t want to learn how to live on the latest Mars colony – my earthbound 21st century existence is complicated enough, thank you very much. Take me back to Hampton in 1966, please – simpler times when people, not gadgets, captured our imaginations, reanimated rats notwithstanding.

Kit Crowne

The school’s reopening follows last year’s with only minor changes in CDC guidelines for schools, including: 3’ social distancing instead of 6’; whole cohorts may not need to quarantine; outdoor classes are encouraged and generally masks are not required for outdoor recess. Since all of our students are not vaccinated, masks will be required of all people working in our building. All of the staff  reportedly are fully vaccinated. We will also continue to offer distance learning as an option for parents who remain concerned about their child attending school.

One major change has been the decision by the school board to reduce the number of buses from three to two and this will directly impact the length of our daily rides to and from school. With that in mind, we will continue to offer morning drop off and afternoon pick-up service. We anticipate more parents will chose this option. The buses will arrive at school at 8:45 with instruction starting at 8:55. School is dismissed at 3:30 and buses will arrive at 3:45.

Our staff and the school board have reviewed the ESSER 3 (Covid funding grant) developed by the superintendent, principal and school nurse. The major items being purchased will provide enhancement opportunities for students in after school programing and an enrichment summer experience for the summer of 2022 as well as new playscape units and air conditioning units for all  classrooms.

We are looking forward to an exciting and safe new school year. Our goal remains as it was last year: Every Child, Every Day for 183 days.

Frank Olah, Superintendent

Parish Hill returned to fully in-person learning on August 25.  Masks are required for all students and staff indoors.  Masks are not required outdoors.  High school Boys’ and Girls’ soccer and cross country began on August 26. We are continuing emphasis on Social Emotional Learning and reducing learning gaps by adding an interventionist, using grant monies. We are training staff on using the IXL online platform to monitor and assess student academic growth.

Parish Hill was very fortunate to have a very successful, full in-person graduation ceremony this year. Advanced Placement (AP) scores were the best with 80% scoring at a “4” or “5” level in AP Environmental Science, 75% and 50% at a “4” or “5” level in AP Statistics and AP Computer Science Principles, respectively. Student enrollment at Parish Hill has for school year 21-22 increased approximately 4%.  There has been a notable decrease in state school enrollment this year.  We welcomed the following new teachers who replaced retiring teachers: Ashley Stavens, Special Education; Kevin Hurley, Chorus; Korrie Ford, Counselor; Bethany Duval, School Nurse; and Marshall Hudon, Technology Support Coordinator.

The school also tackled several capital projects, replacing the boiler chimney, installing a new fire panel, removing the in-ground oil tank and replacing it with an above ground tank, and re-paving the student parking lot.

Lastly, and importantly, Parish Hill will host both a first and second dose vaccination clinic on September 14 from 3 to 7PM in the gymnasium.

Kenneth Henrici, RD#11 Superintendent

One of the best things about returning to school in September was returning home to the classic after-school treat of homemade cookies and a glass of cold milk. Your children deserve these, and so do you!

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

6 ounces good-quality white chocolate bar, chopped (not “white chocolate” chips)

1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt (for sprinkling on top)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and table salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then add egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Scrape down bowl again. Add flour mixture gradually and mix until just incorporated and smooth. Gradually add oats and white chocolate and mix until well incorporated. Divide dough into 24 equal portions, each about 2 tablespoons. Roll between palms into balls, then place on lined baking sheets about 2 1/2 inches apart. Using fingertips, gently press down each ball to about 3/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle a flake or two of sea salt on each cookie. Bake until cookies are deep golden brown, about 13 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack to cool.

Hampton Congregational Church celebrated the last day of Reverend Virginia (Jinny) Smanik’s pastoral leadership with a release ceremony and a farewell brunch outside the church on June 13, 2021. Fourteen years earlier, Jinny had heard God’s call to a ministry of faith formation when she was serving as a Director of Christian Education at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Knowing she needed to learn more, Jinny headed off to Hartford Seminary and then transferred to Yale Divinity School to finish her work. She was installed as pastor at HCC in June 2014. Reach, love, weave: these words mark the story of Jinny’s ministry.

Reach.

Jinny sought to widen HCC’s reach and make visible the good works within the church. Reach is defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as follows: “to have an effect on” or “to arrive”.  Not stated but important is knowledge of the starting point, as it informs one of both the nature or place from which you begin and the direction you choose. Jinny skillfully sought to understand both and made a practice of asking questions. During Jinny’s tenure, HCC clarified its mission — “Welcoming, Seeking, Serving”— and did widen its reach. With the support of a gifted administrative assistant (a newly created position), communications improved with the creation of a newsletter and an expanded digital presence — the HCC website, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.  Outreach grew through a digital worship presence and with new feeding ministries. Significant upgrades were made to the church, including the installation of an elevator, the repair and repainting of the steeple, WiFi, a computer serving as the church’s archival memory, and many other building repairs.

Jinny took extra care to reach people. On Easter morning, I found a small loaf of bread on my doorstep. It was from a larger batch that Jinny made for the congregation, which had been delivered to many doorsteps for communion on Zoom during Covid. It would remind us of our connection, despite our separation. This was one of many handmade spiritual tokens she gave to us: quiet invitations for contemplation and reminders for space and spiritual practice in real time. Church member Debby Barton said, “I was especially touched by her efforts during the pandemic to have various supportive materials delivered, and to personally visit as many of us as she could.”

Jinny worked to grow our thinking about ourselves, our connection to each other and to communities near and far, especially those different from our own. In the vignettes of her sermons, she explored and celebrated the under-recognized and marginalized. I appreciated her voice, passionate and empathetic, a vibrant advocate for equity.  Jinny created a faith formation class for adults built on that spirit. Church member and participant Bonnie Cardwell said, “(It) focused on building connections and community. The topics chosen were geared to make participants uncomfortable. She provided a process and a language to disagree with civility.”

Jinny believed in the power of people’s stories and made time for them. Michelle Mlyniec, an HCC member, shared, “One thing that I especially loved about Pastor Jinny’s leadership was that she initiated a practice of starting every Board or Committee meeting with an opportunity for those gathered to share a moment when they have felt God’s presence or Spirit in their lives. This practice not only re-centered us on the important purpose behind the work we had to do, but also provided a way to strengthen our ties. By hearing about one another’s joys and struggles, we were a more faith-filled and better-connected church community, and I deeply appreciate this experience.”

Love.

1 Corinthians 16:14 reads, “Let all that you do be done in love.” Jinny believed that kids developed and kept their faith more fully in the community of the whole church rather than apart. On Sunday mornings, during the children’s sermon, Jinny invited the youngest of our congregation to sit with her on the altar steps as she often held a picture book in her lap and read a story.  Jinny knew kids. She made them feel good. She respected their intellect and celebrated their zest. In truth, we were all drawn into the huddle. Those stories invited us to see love within and the power of its (our) potential.

Jinny traveled often and sometimes far to be present for people and to provide comfort when it mattered the most. Referring to his late wife, Morris Burr shared, “The two of them were very good friends and Arlene got a lot of comfort from Jinny that last year.” With corresponding affection, Jinny crafted sermons. Jinny paired scripture with our present time and lyrically wove history, literature, and song into story. Her distinctive honesty and laughter called us to remember the reality of God’s presence (love) in the ordinary.

Weave.

To weave is “to make something by intertwining” (Merriam-Webster).  Jinny, a quilter, is well acquainted with the art of joining pieces, and she did this naturally in her ministry. Weave is also the way the warp and weft yarns are interlaced. The art in the weave lies in the choices. Jinny’s unique artistry enlivened the rituals of our faith community, in everchanging compositions that included imaginative altarscapes, contemplative worship, prayer stations, and liturgical dance.  I remember the feeling as I sat in the sanctuary, listening to the sermon, as colored forms moved above me. The names written upon them, some unfamiliar, others I recognized from across the aisle, brought me deeper into thinking.

Jinny knew when to pull “the stitches” out and re-invent. Bonnie Cardwell said, “In our music worship as in so many other ways, Jinny advocated for mixing it up. We sang familiar and new and challenging songs. These added color and diversity to an already dynamic service, and I enjoyed stretching to learn them.”

During many sermons, Jinny shared that, in her sewing room, she held space for listening and dreaming. In dreams, there are more colors and meandering lines. In dreams, the beginning fibers of tomorrow emerge. HCC member Greg Stillman’s words speak to the harvest of dreams. “Jinny’s ministry was a huge blessing for HCC and she took us to places we couldn’t have imagined ourselves going.”

At the heart of many accomplishments is the support and sacrifice of family. HCC acknowledges the support of the entire Smanik family throughout Jinny’s tenure. Deserving of special recognition are Jinny’s daughter Meg Walker and Jinny’s husband Bob Smanik. Integral to the youth ministry, both Meg and Bob met with youth on selected Sundays for faith formation. Meg served on the Board of Faith Formation, the Board of Mission and Outreach, and played a pivotal role as head of operations for Sunday worship on Zoom and Facebook. As a youth leader, Meg played a central role in fundraising, mission trips, and as a soup kitchen volunteer. Bob served a key role as co-chair of the Uplift capital campaign which funded the steeple restoration and new elevator, was chair of the Stewardship Committee, served on the Board of Trustees and helped at HCC’s numerous community dinners. HCC also recognizes the talent and generosity of Jinny’s daughter Rev. Kate Smanik and daughter-in-law Rev. Kate Kozinski for leading worship on occasion.

Emily Dickinson’s poem “I dwell in Possibility” captures the spirit of the dreamer.  Dickinson’s title especially makes me think of Jinny and of her parting nudge that we see ourselves as dreamers too.  Sew. Stop. Restart. When I asked Jinny about her next steps, she said “I’m curious about where God will invite me to serve next, and I’ll be listening for that call.”

Melissa Telford

 I dwell in Possibility –

 A fairer House than Prose –

 More numerous of Windows –

Superior – for Doors –

Of Chambers as the Cedars –

Impregnable of eye –

And for an everlasting Roof

The Gambrels of the Sky –

Of Visitors – the fairest –

For Occupation – This –

The spreading wide my narrow Hands

To gather Paradise –

                                 -Emily Dickinson

Dr. John T. Flynn, retired UConn professor, 88, born May 29, 1932 in Corning, New York, died May 11, 2021, having lived for many years in Hampton. He is survived by six children, four grandchildren, nine nieces and nephews, two former wives and Marny Lawton, also of Hampton.

Dr. Flynn served in the U.S. Air Force where he was a tail gunner in the Korean War. After the service he received his MA at SUNY, Cortland, NY (1959) and completed his EdD in the School of Education at Indiana University (1962).  Upon receiving his doctorate Dr. Flynn joined the University of Connecticut, where he was a tenured professor in the NEAG School of Education and Chair of the Department of Education Psychology retiring as Emeriti Faculty. During this time he published numerous texts in his field including his specialty of psychological statistical measurement. During summers John won awards showing thorough bred horses in East Coast hunter-jumper class horse shows.

Following his retirement from UConn Dr. Flynn served as consultant with the Federal Department of Justice in Maryland and California.  He worked with law enforcement and fire departments in Connecticut developing hiring tests. He continued teaching online until recently as professor at Walden and Capella Universities. He also provided assistance in academic grants offices at the University of Rhode Island and Eastern Connecticut State University and locating funding opportunities for the Town of Hampton. In 1995 Dr. Flynn served as an expert witness offering statistical data analysis for the State in the Sheff v O’Neill 1996 Connecticut Supreme Court case resulting in a landmark decision regarding civil rights and the right to education.

Bertrand R. Vaillancourt, 97, of Hampton, passed away on June 18, 2021. Predeceased by his wife, Patricia, and their infant son, Alan, Bert is survived by his son, Brian, his daughter, Paula, and several grandchildren. Born in Manchester, New Hampshire, Bert lived in Hampton for 58 years and built many lasting relationships.

A Master barber by trade, Bert owned Sportsman’s Barber Shop in Willimantic for many years. The shop was a combination barber shop and retail fishing-hunting supply. Bert loved camping and hiking, and over the years his family climbed 19 mountains, including Mt. Washington. He was also an expert fly fisherman.

Bert had many passions and hobbies, and as he would say, “always got wrapped up in each and every one”. In the 60’s, he took up photography and turned a bathroom into a darkroom, much to his wife’s dismay. He spoke fluent Canadian French and in his retirement years, studied European French at ECSU and UCONN. He loved music and the violin, starting lessons at age ten, and was a violinist in the Willimantic and Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestras.  He often played at Our Lady of Lourdes Church and was the “Fiddler” in the Hampton Community Players’ “Fiddler on the Roof”. A veteran, during WWII and beyond he was a Staff Sargent and Platoon Leader in the 43rd division of the National Guard and became a rifle marksman, target and skeet shooting in the back yard with the ‘guys’ later in life and belonging to many local outdoor shooting clubs. A master storyteller, he was extremely knowledgeable in military aircraft, guns and world history, especially WWI and WWII.

First Selectman: Kate Donnelly

Selectmen: Bob Grindle & John Tillinghast

Town Clerk: Shannon Haddad

Treasurer: Ellen Rodriguez

Board of Finance: Joan Fox

Board of Education: Jackie Agnone, Anne Gruenberg & Shannon Haddad

Planning & Zoning: Kevin Grindle

Constables: Chris Bayne & Jeff Smith

First Selectman: Kathy Donahue

Selectmen: Jessica Loew Samios & Dayna McDermott

Town Clerk: Kathi Newcombe

Treasurer: Dan Postemski

Board of Finance: Judy Buell & Kathi Newcombe

Board of Education: Juan Arriola, David Halbach, India McDermott-Arriola, Dan Postemski & Mark Samios

Planning & Zoning: Stan Crawfor & Ron Ellis

Board of Assessment Appeals: John Berard

Zoning Board of Appeals: Susan Crawford & Jo Freeman

Constables: Matt LaFontaine & Dan Postemski