Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Naming topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cheshire public hearing collects proposals to name new North End elementary school
Summary
At a Jan. 16 public hearing, residents urged the Town Council to consider several names for the new North End Elementary School, with many speakers endorsing Medal of Honor recipient Colonel Harvey C. "Barney" Barnum and others proposing local farming and civic leaders.
The Town of Cheshire held a public hearing on Jan. 16 to gather community proposals for naming the new North End Elementary School, currently under construction at 804 South Main Street.
The hearing drew about a dozen residents who offered a slate of suggested names and explained their reasons. Several speakers urged the council and Board of Education to name the school for Colonel Harvey C. “Barney” Barnum, a Cheshire native and Medal of Honor recipient; others proposed names tied to the site’s agricultural history or to long-serving local residents.
Tim Pelton, a Plantsville resident with nearly 40 years of service in the Cheshire Fire Department, urged the council to “seriously consider Colonel Harvey C. Barnum” and described Barnum as “a very humble hero.” Multiple other residents voiced support for Barnum during the hearing, saying his military honors, local ties and education-related outreach make him an appropriate namesake.
Catherine Ardesha, a nurse at Norton School, and Deborah Manky and other family members asked the council to consider Frank J. Papandrea, a longtime North End farmer, business owner and town volunteer. Ardesha described Papandrea’s community service, his role in founding the Cheshire Linear Trail and his involvement with local schools, saying his “quiet leadership” and dedication to education make him worthy of recognition.
Several speakers recommended names drawn from the property’s agricultural past. Darlene Smith and Barbara Hedden said the school site sits on or adjacent to the historic Sheaffer (also spelled Shaffer/Schaefer in public submissions) farm and suggested Shaffer (Schaefer), Tuttle or Edgewood/Edgeview Farm as options that would reflect the school’s farm-themed design elements.
Other proposals mentioned to the council included a submission to name the building Darcy Chapman Elementary School and a suggestion to honor a recently deceased speech-and-hearing teacher identified in submitted materials as Ms. Richards. The clerk told attendees those and the names heard at the hearing were among the nominations on file.
Speakers addressed why particular names mattered. Don Falk, identifying himself as American Legion commander and chairman of the council’s Veterans Advisory Committee, emphasized the educational outreach of the Medal of Honor community and described Barnum’s role in veteran and youth programs. Haley Folk, a nonprofit leader, quoted Barnum’s remark that “the future of our country lies in the hands of our youth” to illustrate the civic values supporters say the name would convey.
The chair and town clerk clarified next steps: the Town Council will meet with the Board of Education (as a planning committee) to review nominations and the council will make the final decision. No vote or formal naming decision was taken at the hearing; the clerk said additional information will be posted and the council will reconvene to consider the nominations.
The public hearing lasted roughly 40–45 minutes and focused exclusively on naming proposals and public comment; there were no agenda votes during the session. The hearing record includes letters and nominations submitted in advance as well as statements delivered at the podium.
A timeline and any formal action by the Town Council will be posted alongside Board of Education materials, the clerk said. The council closed the public hearing at the meeting’s end.
