'Education is our way out'

Michelle Warren, The Chronicle, Willimantic, Conn.
·2 min read

Aug. 13—W I L L I M A N T I C WINDHAM — After Forbes designated Windham County as the poorest county in the state, Windham Mayor Thomas DeVivo chose to be positive.

At a time when significant progress is being made in town, he said, the designation is not something to be ashamed of.

"We should hold our heads up high and continue working hard," DeVivo said. " We're making strong investments."

Windham is one of several towns in the county.

The county also includes Canterbury, Thompson, Scotland, Ashford, Woodstock, Pomfret, Brooklyn, Hampton, Sterling, Chaplin, Eastford, Putnam, Plainfield and Killingly.

According to Forbes, the median household income in WIndham is $66,550.

Forbes said Connecticut ranks fifth overall in quality of life, thanks to low crime and poverty rates, a healthy populus and good schools.

However, the state ranked among the worst in the nation for its regulatory climate and fiscal health.

There are several large development projects currently underway in Windham, including renovations to the Hurley and Foster buildings, both of which are on Main Street, and the development of a parcel in front of the VFW building on West Main St.

A Dollar General store is being built in front of the VFW on land owned by Garrett Homes LLC. The Hurley and Foster buildings will eventually have retail units and apartments.

" We're going to find a way out of poverty, one way or another," DeVivo said. " We don't need to be ashamed because we're poor."

He said investments in the school system are key.

" Education is our way out of poverty," DeVivo said.

One major investment the town has made recently is in the renovation of Windham High School, which was built in 1970. The project, which is currently underway, is designed to modernize the facility.

Taxpayers approved $112.3 million for the project in Nov. 2017.

DeVivo said State Sen. Mae Flexer, D- Mansfield, and State Rep. Susan Johnson, D- Willimantic, are working with town officials to keep Windham Technical High School in Willimantic.

There has been some talk about possibly moving the school to the UConn Depot campus in Mansfield, which is in Tolland County.

" We need to keep these investments in our community," DeVivo said.

He said transportation would be more challenging for students if the school was moved out of Windham. DeVivo said the town is fortunate to have the leadership that it has had, speaking about the support from Sen. Joe Courtney, D-2nd district, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D- Conn., and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. All three of those federal politicians have helped Windham get federal funding.

Windham Town Manager Jim Rivers and Windham E c o n o m i c / C o m m u n i t y Development Director Jim Bellano could not be reached for comment.

Follow Michelle Warren on Twitter — @mwarrentc.