January

Towns in the Region 4 School District saw some school funds returned this year. Following its annual audit, the Board of Education approved a report that reflected a surplus of $157,046 from the 2015-’16 academic year. The surplus was split and distributed to the district’s sinking funds and refunded to the member towns.

State Representative Bob Siegrist (R-36) was sworn in to represent the 36th General Assembly District, which includes the communities of Chester, Deep River, Haddam, and Essex.

The Open Mic Nights at Deep River Town Hall Auditorium debuted and was open to 6th grade through college-aged performers.

In a special meeting, the town decided that the Town Hall would be renamed the Richard H. Smith Town Hall in memory of Dick “Smitty” Smith, who served as first selectman of Deep River for 26 years until his passing in 2016.

February

The Parks & Recreation Commission’s 5th and 6th grade play program put on Big Bad Musical: A Howling Courtroom Comedy at Town Hall on Feb. 4 and 5.

The Valley Regional girls’ basketball team recorded one of its biggest wins and qualified for both the Shoreline Conference Tournament and the Class M State Tournament.

During a winter storm that brought 12 to 13 inches of snow to the area, Deep River had just one small accident and one fire alarm.

The John Winthrop Middle School Math Counts team competed at the annual Eastern Chapter Competition at the Coast Guard Academy. John Winthrop placed fourth overall among the teams.

March

The Valley Regional boys’ basketball team dropped a 62-44 decision at Shoreline Conference foe Coginchaug in its regular season finale and missed qualifying for the Class S State Tournament by one win with a record of 7-13.

Elementary schools in Region 4 celebrated all the ways in which books can bring people together through the works of Dr. Seuss and Read Across America activities.

The Deep River Historical Society held an informal coffee house for people to share their memories and stories of Winthrop.

Four mock trial teams from John Winthrop Middle School competed in a regional competition in Wallingford. John Winthrop did well, but no teams were able to win both their Prosecution and Defense.

The Solarize Chester/Deep River program deadline was extended to the end of March due to interest in the program.

The Parks & Recreation Department held a Senior Bowl basketball tournament following the conclusion of the winter basketball season. The Purple Dragons took home the inaugural trophy.

The Valley 5th-grade girls’ basketball team won the Neil Holack Tournament in Waterford on the weekend of March 4 and 5. The girls finished their season with an overall record of 16-5.

April

A 33 year-old woman died as a result of injuries in an April 1 single-car accident in Deep River. The southbound SUV crossed was on Main Street near Winter Avenue and crossed into the northbound lane, struck the curb, and went down the embankment into the Deep River, where it came to a rest on its roof in several feet of water. Chester, Essex, and Old Saybrook rescue crews were on the scene with assistance.

With enrollment rising, the Regional School District 4 proposed a budget for 2017-’18 of $18,313,368, a $642,819 or 3.3 percent increase over the previous year’s budget of $17,670,549.

State Representative Robert Siegrist hosted a workshop in Deep River to inform residents of ways to lower their electric bills. Rate specialists from Connecticut’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) came down to the library and guide residents through the process of reading and understanding their electric bill.

May

The $20,063,066 Region 4 education budget was passed in light turnout on May 2. Chester and Essex supported the budget—Essex by an almost three to one margin (198 “Yes” to 73 “No”) while Deep River voters opposed the measure with 179 votes against and 128 for.

The Valley Debate Team placed second in the state debate tournament, after winning the negative against Westfield Academy.

Pay4Ward: Veterans Helping Veterans, a local organization dedicated to helping veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), received new sails via a donation through the Middlesex County Community Foundation. These sails are going to help organization founder Ray Hayes get more veterans in need of a day of peace out on the water.

Francesca Daniels and Alex Fortier, seniors at Valley Regional High School (VRHS), were awarded the High School Scholar-Athlete Award from Connecticut Association of Schools and the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference for both their athletic talent and academic excellence.

Valley Junior Max Klin was the student honored by VRHS at the Shoreline Conference for excellence in social studies.

The Warriors’ boys’ lacrosse squad recorded a 10-6 victory versus Haddam-Killingworth in the Shoreline Conference Tournament final. The victory marks the first conference tourney title for Valley Regional.

The Deep River Horseshoe League started its new season on April 27. The league meets on Thursday nights and includes 60 horseshoe players competing on 10 courts.

June

The Deep River Public Library (DRPL) debuted a new, digital, interactive summer reading program called Wandoo Reader. It is an interactive program that will lets readers log their books online, and for students, the logs can be printed out at the end of the summer and turned in to the schools for the governor’s Summer Reading Challenge.

The Chester, Deep River, Essex, and Region 4 Public Schools announced the appointment of Kimberly Allen to the position of business manager. Allen replaced Garth Sawyer, who was the business manager for the Chester, Deep River, Essex, and Region 4 Schools for 10 years.

The Deep River Parks & Recreation Carnival returned to Devitt Field from June 15 to 17, and this time included a food truck festival and craft vendors, as well as family-focused musical entertainment.

First Selectman Angus McDonald officially proclaimed June 4, 2017 as Deep River Postal Day. The proclamation notes the convergence of the date and the Deep River postal code, 06417.

After months of research and planning, trial and error, John Winthrop Middle School Lego Robotics club successfully installed a pollinator garden at Deep River Farms on June 8.

VRHS was recognized by U.S. News and World Report as a school of excellence. VRHS received a Silver Award and ranked 21 out of 288 public high schools in Connecticut.

The Deep River Historical Society held a Strawberry Social on June 11 at the Carriage House.

The three top-ranking seniors in the VRHS graduating class of 2017 were Caitlin Lent of Deep River, Charlotte Boland of Ivoryton, and Monique Johnson of Chester. The three top seniors were the featured speakers at commencement exercises on June 19.

July

More than 50 marching corps participated in the annual Deep River Ancient Muster (DRAM) and Tattoo on July 14 and 15.

August

More than 30 area residents turned out for an impromptu vigil, Stand Against White Supremacy, on Aug. 13 in front of Deep River Town Hall. The event was organized in the wake of the Charlottesville, Virginia, Unite the Right rally.

Region 4 purchased the Mislick Property, 12 lots adjacent to Valley Regional High School. The $350,000 sale was completed on Aug. 31.

September

Chip Goodrich and the Marlins claimed the playoff Championship in the Deep River Horseshoe League. The season-ending victory came after winning a best-of-seven series against the Giants.

Deep River Family Day & Fireworks was held Sept. 16. The fun started early with a 5K, continued with events throughout the day, culminating with a fireworks show.

Teams from Deep River, Chester, and Essex played in the fourth annual Tri-Town Vintage Baseball game using 1857 rules. This year, Deep River took the title from the round-robin Tournament.

Chris and Lori Hebert retired from the Deep River Post Office on Sept. 29 after completing a combined 71 years of service for the U.S. Postal Service.

October

The Whistle Stop Café in Deep River raised more than $2,500 at its sold-out charity dinner, with donations continuing to come in, for Puerto Rico relief. These funds will be matched 100 percent and used immediately by the Rotary Club.

Deep River Rotary hosted its annual Oktoberfest, raising more than $10,000.

November

Deep River Historical Society kicked off the holiday season with a Bourbon and Bubbles fundraiser on Nov. 3.

To celebrate the life and service of Dick “Smitty” Smith, the town’s main civic building was renamed the Richard H. Smith Town Hall at a dedication service and reception attended by more than 100 people on Nov. 28.

December

Deep River Housing Authority and Kirtland Commons are all set to receive the 22 new residents who will begin to move into the new addition on the new and improved apartments.

Troop 13—Boy Scouts of America has announced that Deep River residents Nathaniel Hooker Luscomb and Francis T. Stino have earned the rank of eagle scout.