From 1911: School Meeting In Middletown Tonight

The following article is from 100 years ago today, published in the Hartford Courant on May 8, 1911.
An additional wing was built on the High School in 1912, and another one in 1931. The building was used as a school until 1972.
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Tax to be laid
The Middletown city school district, at its adjourned meeting to be held this morning in the town hall, will be confronted with several important problems--those of increasing the salaries of the teachers in the grammar schools, erecting fire escapes on the Central School, and buying land so that it will be possible to enlarge the high school building at some future date.The annual tax will also be laid, and in all probability the recommendation of 2.5 mills made by the board of education, will be adopted.

When the Middletown High School was erected in 1896, it was estimated that it would be large enough to accommodate all for twenty years, but for the past few years it has been over crowded. This year it became necessary to house the entire freshman class of over 100 members in rooms in the Central School. The land that the board contemplates buying is immediately adjoining the high school building on Pearl street, being owed by the Fagan estate. This piece of land can be obtained for about $3,500.
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Question of Salary Increase
When it comes to increasing the salaries of the grammar school teachers, there will probably be a lively debate. The teachers feel that they are justified in asking for an increase in teh maximum wage scale of $600 per annum. The board of education is favorable to the increase, but would prefer to have the sanction of the city meeting before taking any steps.
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Police Locate Missing Girl.
The police on Saturday located Miss Bessie Stevens of Durham, who had been missing from her home in Durham since the Monday previous. She told the police that she had been in New York some of the time. It is understood that the girl does not get along well with her step mother, and she said conditions finally became so unbearable that she was forced to leave home. She was returned to her home yesterday.

Italian Doctor Sues for $10,000
Dr. Geraldo Gaetano Petrocelli, a well known Middletown Italian Doctor, has brought a suit for $10,000 damages against Angelo Calazzo of this city and Pasqualo Cobinuchi of New Haven, alleging that false and malicious words were printed about him in an Italian newspaper published in New Haven, under the name of “Gazetta di Middletown.” Property of the defendants in New Haven and Middletown has been attached. The suit is brought through Lawyer Phillip Pond of New Haven. The article in question refers to the methods of Dr. Petrocelli in attending a local case of sickness, and the doctor was criticized.

Middletown Loses to Bristol
The Middletown High School lost another league baseball game Saturday on Andrus Field, Bristol, winning 10 to 8. The local team had a bad case of stage fright in the first two innings and by making nine errors Bristol was able to gain a commanding lead. [Two the most confusing sentences I have come across--SHD.] The battery for Bristol was Spiehnan and Carpenter, and for Middletown, Zoeb and Scranton.