Connecticut
Turtles get helping hand from Connecticut business during nesting season
Potholes, racing cars, and reptiles, all things you should be watching out for on the road in the spring.
Environmental stewards are warning about critters as a hazard when you’re driving around this time of year.
“I have to imagine they have been here long before we have been here,” said Matthew Dionne, regional manager of Best Cleaners in Middletown.
His business is subject to an annual march a Middletown turtle must make. Adults crossing from Pameacha Pond on South Main Street across to a marshy area behind the Best Cleaners business.
“It was kind of a passed along story of how the turtles show up every year. In the spring,” said Dionne.
He has been following the turtle’s journey about 6 or 7 years, since he started in this office.
“The adults will come back to the pond in the marsh… midsummer, the babies make the trek back,” he explained from the back of the store.
The turtles are choosing to nest in a marsh a couple hundred feet from the water. Once the eggs hatch, the babies will beeline for the pond. The issue: the building in the way, and a busy street.
“We regularly see them marching on through, and they don’t stop for anyone,” said Dionne.
Best Cleaners will leave the doors open all summer long for air flow, and some of the turtles will choose the most direct route, which is through the building.
When you’re as tiny as they are, a helping hand will go a long way.
“The summertime is always when you have to keep an eye out, you gotta look down, you gotta look where you are walking,” Dionne said.
He and the team offer a lift when they come across a turtle. A faster ride, and safe passage across South Main.
“We do what we can, and whatever we can to help out, it makes the workday fun and interesting,” he said.
That helping hand got the green light from experts.
“It’s really important to preserve the population of our adult turtles,” said Sarah Lawson, a biological science and environmental science professor with Quinnipiac University.
She said you can expect turtles, along with a lot of other wildlife, to be on the move this time of year.
She added, it’s okay to help, offering a nudge or a lift, but keep the turtle moving in the same direction it was headed.
She also made clear; your safety should always come first.
“I think our safety is number one of importance, if you are crossing a busy road, be aware of traffic, put your hazards on,” Lawson said.
Even just slowing down to protect the turtles can go a long way. She noted turtles are “ecosystem engineers” and play a vital role in ponds and lakes around Connecticut.
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental protection agreed as well. If there is a real danger, you can enlist the help of an animal control office or police department, especially in the case of a snapping turtle crossing the roadway.
The idea of helping turtles is a good one according to Jenny Dickson with DEEP, especially the females who are crossing roads to lay eggs.
She explained road mortality typically impacts females the most, because they are crossing roads more often. It takes females years to get to a reproducing age, so if a female turtle is killed on the road, it could impact population for a long time.
Dickson also pointed out, springtime is when a lot of young wildlife is on the move, so she is encouraging drivers to slow down, and pay extra attention to prevent animal strikes.
Back at Best, over the years, Dionne said they have helped tons of turtles cross the road, never asking why.
“Like they say, help your neighbors, and the turtles are our neighbors, that’s what we are here,” he said.
They just consider it the right thing to do because the turtles were here first.
“If we can take a couple minutes to make sure they are here long after we are gone, that’s kind of our obligation, it’s kind of what we do,” he said.
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Five Connecticut towns will collectively receive $10 million in grants for infrastructure upgrades, according to a Monday announcement by Gov. Ned Lamont.
The Connecticut Department of Housing (DOH) is awarding $10.7 million to Coventry, Guilford, Ledyard, Mansfield and Thomaston to modernize and rehabilitate housing for low- and moderate-income residents, the announcement said.
The funds are being released through the DOH’s Community Development Block Grant’s small cities program, with funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. To be eligible, a municipality must have fewer than 50,000 residents.
Cost Breakdown
Coventry: $2 million
Town of Coventry plans to use funds to upgrade, with a focus on making Orchard Hill Estates compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Guilford: $2 million
The Town of Guilford plans to use funds to design and build future affordable housing projects, consisting of up to 16 rental units and 8 homes.
Ledyard: $2 million
The Town of Canton requested funding for the first phase of affordable housing for people in Ledyard and the surrounding area. Habitat for Humanity of Eastern Connecticut is in the pre-development phase of the Colby Drive and plans to create 38 units.
Mansfield: $2.2 million
Funding will be used for upgrades to Wright’s Village, including roof replacements and sidewalk repairs.
Thomaston: $2.5 million
Funds will be used to make Green Manor ADA-compliant, including the installation of a new emergency call aid system.
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Connecticut
Florida High School State Bronze Medalist Dajah German Verbals To Connecticut For Fall 2027
Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.
Florida high school state bronze medalist Dajah German has announced her verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Connecticut beginning in the fall of 2027. She publicized the news on SwimCloud, writing:
I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Connecticut! I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported me throughout this journey, my family, coaches, teammates, and friends who have pushed me to be my best throughout the years. And a very special thank you to Coach Chris and Coach Nicole for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I’m so excited for what’s ahead. GO HUSKIES!
A rising senior at Fort Lauderdale High School in Florida, German trains year-round with Swim Fort Lauderdale and primarily specializes in the sprint and middle-distance freestyle events.
German has improved each year of her high school career, most recently dropping from 23.78, 51.39, and 1:50.56 in the 50/100/200 free to 23.54, 51.35, and 1:49.69 during the 2025-26 short course season.
German’s top meet of the season was the Florida Senior Championships in March, where she recorded her current PBs in both the 50 and 200 free. She finished second in the 500 free (4:55.94) and 1650 free (17:02.78), third in both the 50 free and 200 free, and fifth in the 100 free (51.43). She set her current 100 free PB at a smaller holiday meet in December. In the 500 free, she clocked a season-best 4:55.21 at the Speedo Cup in January, with her lifetime best of 4:53.19 coming at the 2025 Florida Senior Championships.
German has qualified for the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) State Championships for the past three years, with her top performance coming at the 2025 iteration in November. She placed third in the 50 free (23.96), fifth in the 500 free (5:01.12), and helped Fort Lauderdale to fourth place in both the 200 free relay (24.64 leadoff) and 400 free relay (53.08 anchor).
Top SCY Times:
- 50 Freestyle: 23.54
- 100 Freestyle: 51.35
- 200 Freestyle: 1:49.69
- 500 Freestyle: 4:53.19
A Division I Mid-Major program, Connecticut competes in the Big East, with the women’s team placing second out of seven teams at this past season’s conference championships. German’s current lifetime bests would have placed third in the 200 free, fourth in the 500 free, eighth in the 50 free, and ninth in the 100 free, setting her up as an immediate contributor with two full seasons of training still ahead before her first conference meet.
German joins Anna Mumford, Lyla Devlin, Lena Brown, and Louisa Holda in committing to the Huskies’ class of 2031 so far.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].
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