In his weekly address to residents, First Selectman David Denvir discusses one of the rites of Spring; the annual Town budget process. Denvir reviews how decisions about spending are made and how the budget process works. A special reminder about the Board of Finance public hearing on the budget scheduled for Tuesday, April 27 at KES, 8:00 p.m. Read his complete remarks here.

Cougar Baseball Defeats Middletown
The Haddam-Killingworth baseball team defeated Middletown 3-2 today at the HK Stadium. Tyler Riordan pitched 6 strong innings for the win and Cory Riordan came in to close. Adam Chamberlain tied the game at 2 in the 5th with a double and Matt Finlayson brought home Bob Arrigoni for the winning run on a sacrifice fly in the 6th. The Cougars are up again tomorrow, April 10 at 11:00 a.m. in Old Lyme.

HK Girls Lacrosse Falls to Old Saybrook
The Haddam-Killingworth girl's lacrosse team fell, 15-5 today at Old Saybrook. The Cougars were led by Kaeli Deane with 2 goals and Ali Thomson, Ashley Smith and Lauren Kirkpatrick, each with one goal. Goalies Ashley Page and Megan Piscopiello combined for 6 saves. The 0-2 Cougars will be up again Thursday, April 15 at 4:00 p.m. at home against Farmington.

HK Softball Wins Season Opener
The Haddam-Killingworth softball team started the 2004 season just where they left off last season. The 2003 State Champions defeated Windsor Locks, 1-0, in a non-league game at home yesterday. Rachel Langevin's base hit brought in the game's only run. Meghan Weise went 2-3 on the the day and scored the lone run. Chelsea Griswold tossed a three-hit shutout for HK. The Cougars are up next on Monday, April 12 against Valley Regional at 3:30 p.m. at the HK Stadium.

KES Kindergarten Presents 'Short Tails'
The Killingworth Elementary School kindergarten classes each presented a short dramatization of an animal story yeaterday. There were morning and afternoon session performances. In the morning Mrs. Slowik 's class performed "The Very Busy Spider" and Mrs. Atwood's class did "Katy No-Pocket";In the afternoon performance Mrs. Atwood's class presented "Brown bear, Brown Bear", Mrs. Basewicz's class did "Mrs. Wishy-Washy" and Miss Milardo's class presented "There was an old lady that swallowed a fly" in both sessions.

HK Lacrosse Drops First Contest to West Haven
Its first official contest ended in defeat but the girl's lacrosse team at Haddam-Killingworth showed that the future of girl's lacrosse at HK is bright. The Cougars fell to West Haven, 6-12, this afternoon, but scored more goals than they had ever scored before. Ali Thomson led the Cougars with 3 goals followed by Jessica Bellonio, Kaeli Deane and Samantha Laudano, who each scored a goal. Alicia Bobbie, in goal for HK, had 12 saves. The Cougars are up again Friday, April 9 at 11:00 a.m. when they travel to Old Saybrook.

WPCA Promoting Clean Water Initiatives
Now that Spring has finally arrived and April showers more prevalent, The Killingworth Water Pollution Control Authority is asking residents to be aware that the most common form of water pollution is from stormwater. The EPA celebrated the 30th year of the Clean Water Act in 2003 but there is an ongoing challenge for communities like ours because of our reservoir holdings, aquifers, and town-wide individual on-site wells and septic systems. According to the EPA, stormwater pollution is unlike pollution from industry or sewage treatment facilities, which is caused by a discrete number of sources. Stormwater pollution is caused by the daily activities of people everywhere. Rainwater and snowmelt run off streets, lawns, farms, and construction sites then pick up fertilizers, dirt, pesticides, oil and grease, and many other pollutants on the way to our rivers, lakes, and coastal waters. To learn more about stormwater pollution, go to the EPA Stormwater site.

With Earth Day 2004 just around the corner on April 22, now is the time to educate and act on protecting our natural recourses. An excellent reference to educate kids on the need for conservation and clean water is the Environmental Kids Club site. For residents looking for ways to conserve water at home, the EPA recommends the H20use website.

Jamie Young, chair of the Killingworth WPCA Education Committee and member of the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission encourages residents to look through the EPA information provided here and join other residents in taking positive steps in water conservation and protecting against stormwater pollution. To get involved, the Water Pollution Control Authority meets the first Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm at the Town Office Building. Links to these and other helpful clean water sites will remain available on the town services page.

After the Storm: Provides a broad overview of stormwater pollution, including runoff from residential and commercial properties, farms, construction sites, automotive facilities, forestry operations, and others.

Make Your Home the Solution to Stormwater Pollution Brochure:This short brochure is targeted directly to homeowners and provides tips on a wide variety of simple things that homeowner's can do to prevent stormwater pollution.

Water Efficient Landscaping: This booklet describes the benefits of water-efficient, low-impact landscaping. It includes examples of successful projects, programs, and contacts.

Baseball Opens 2004 Season with a Win
The Haddam-Killingworth baseball team started its 2004 campaign with a 8-2 non-league win over Darien yesterday. Starting pitcher Cory Riordan, fresh off a successful basketball season that also included several weeks out for knee surgery, showed he was ready for the spring by striking out 8 batters and hitting a three-run home run in the third inning. Riordan, who will pitch for Fordham University next year, was backed up by younger brother Tyler, who had two hits and two runs. The Cougars had 8 hits in the game but also a shaky 4 errors on the field. They will play Middletown on Friday, April 9 at 1:00 p.m. at the HK field.

Middle School Spring Instrumental Concert
The Haddam-Killingworth Middle School Concert Band held its annual spring concert tonight under the direction of Nancy Tozzo. The 7th grade band played two selections from the Italian Masters Suite, Swan Lake, Spooky Hollow Saga , Baritone Saga featuring soloist Molly Hammell and concluded with the Magnificent Seven. The 8th grade band played three selections from the American Portrait, Over the Rainbow featuring a trumpet solo by Victoria Herbst, Brazil, Sheep May Safely Graze; a flute duet by Alyssa Guarino and Emma Cizek, and Orpheus Overture featuring a clarinet solo by Kristy Zera. The Jazz Band played Chattanooga Choo Choo, Miss Mango featuring Victoria Herbst on trumpet and Kristy Zera on alto sax, Yesterday, Soul Bossa Nova featuring tenor sax Ken Roberts and Sarah Bartosiak, Electric Lady with Josh Hidson on the synthesizer, Kayla Pfrommer on piano and Derrick Nilsson and Stephen Hawksley on drums.

In a new feature to KillingworthToday.com, the Killingworth Democratic Town Committee has asked to publish its weekly letter on this site. This week, KDTC member Rick Berson comments on the Board of Education's 2004-2005 Regional School budget and the need for leadership in meeting the educational needs of our children. Read his complete remarks here.

Town Minutes Updated
The minutes of the Killingworth Board of Selectmen and Planning and Zoning Commission meetings have been updated on this site. Minutes are accessible from the left navigation bar and are posted as soon as available.

Selectmen, Planning & Zoning.

Killingworth Teens Among Those Drinking at Clinton House Party
The Clinton Police reported that Haddam and Killingworth teenagers were among the 50-60 underage drinkers at a Clinton house party Friday night on Killingworth Turnpike. According to the Middletown Press, 22 teenagers were eventually confined to the property, all of them from Haddam and Killingworth. Devin Gannon, 19, of Haddam, became the first person to be charged under Clinton's underage drinking ordinance adopted last fall. Sarah Manning, the 17-year-old who threw the party, was charged with delivery of alcohol to minors. Another Haddam teen, Briggs Smith was charged with delivery of alcohol to minors and underage possession of alcohol. The remaining teens were not charged but were identified. The Killingworth community will be presented with its own version of an underage drinking ordinance in a May town meeting.

HK Baseball and Softball Ready for Opening Day
The 2004 Haddam-Killingworth Baseball and Softball seasons kick off this week. For a preview of returning starters and season predictions, read the Clinton Recorder articles here. Baseball and Softball.

Woman Dies in Route 148 Motorcycle Accident
Clinton resident, Barbara E. Maione, died Sunday when the motorcycle that she was riding on crossed Route 148 and hit a guard rail. The accident happened around 2:30 p.m. in Killingworth near the Chester town line according to the Hartford Courant. The driver of the motorcycle, Philip Maione, was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Good Friday Services at Haddam Congregational
The Churches of Killingworth, Haddam and Higganum invite all to join together for the traditional Good Friday "Way of the Cross" beginning at 12 noon at the Haddam Congregational Church at 905 Saybrook Road. This is a chance for the community churches to come together to rehear the words of the Passion account. The event will conclude in the Memorial Garden in the rear of the Killingworth Congregational Church. The Way of the Cross takes about 2 hours and car pools will be available. For information contact the church at reved@rcn.com or call 663-1789.

Congregational Church Easter Services
The Congregational Church in Killingworth announces upcoming Passion week and Easter worship services. The Taize Service of "quite music and reflection" will be available each Thursday morning at 7:30 a.m. The Maundy - Thursday Service of Communion and Tenebrae will be held on Thursday, April 8 at 7:30 p.m. Easter Sunrise Service will be held in the Congregational Church Memorial Garden on April 11 at 6:00 a.m. and Easter Service of Communion and Word will be held on April 11 at 10 a.m.

HK Recreation Offers Two Excursions
Contact the HK Recreation department for more information or to register for these two trips. Call 345-8334 or email them at hkrec@snet.net
BOSTON DUCK TOUR & QUINCY MARKET
Enjoy a narrated tour on an authentic, renovated World War II amphibious landing vehicle called a 'Duck". The tour includes the Boston Common, the Gold Domed State House, the Old North Church, Hancock Tower, and many more historical sites. The tour concludes with a water-side view of Boston from the Charles River. See Boston by both land and water without changing vehicles. Lunch is included and there will be time to shop at Quincy Market and Fanueil Hall or visit the New England Aquarium. The fee includes Deluxe Motorcoach Transportation, Duck Tour of Boston and lunch at Vinny Testa's. The trip is Saturday, May 15 and departs from KES at 7:00 a.m. and HKHS at 7:15 a.m. The fee is $84 for adults and $75 for children 12 & under.

PLANETS & SPACE
This New York City trip begins with lunch at Planet Hollywood. After lunch, visit the American Museum of Natural History, featuring the Rose Center for Earth and Space. The centerpiece of the Rose Center is an 87-foot sphere housed in a cubic, glass-walled structure. Inside the sphere you will fly an unforgettable journey through a re-creation of our Galaxy and beyond. The package also includes the IMAX film Volcanoes of the Sea. There will be time to explore the museum exhibits such as the world famous dinosaur halls and the brand new Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth where you can stand at the lip of an exploding volcano, feel an earthquake and ride out tornadoes and hurricanes. Fee includes admission to the Rose Center for Earth and Space, IMAX film, Museum of Natural History, lunch at planet Hollywood, tour director and deluxe motorcoach transportation. The trip date is Saturday, June 26 and the fee is $86 per person. The coach departs from HKHS at 8:00 a.m. and KES at 8:15 a.m.

Easter Egg Hunt Rescheduled
The Killingworth Lions Club annual Easter Egg Hunt has been rescheduled to Saturday, April 10 at 11:00 a.m. at Sheldon Park. The event, postponed due to yesterday's rain, is open to Killingworth children pre-K to 4th Grade. Please bring a bag or a basket to collect all the eggs! Additional prizes will be awarded to some lucky children. A special appearance by the Easter Bunny has also been arranged.

Skellig
by David Almond
ISBN: 0440416027

Michael's mother and father have moved their family - Michael, and their very ill newborn daughter- to a different house. The house is somewhat rundown and needs a lot of cleaning and painting to begin to make it feel like home. But the baby is sick, and needs to go back to the hospital, taking Michael's mother away with her. In the midst of this unsettled time, Michael and his dad begin to work on the house. As Michael explores the grounds and the abandoned garage out back, he startles himself by finding some sort of creature existing in that dark, filthy, falling down structure. Is it a man, a bird, or possibly an angel?

Michael tries to maintain a normal life. He has moved, but is able to attend the same school. He meets the neighbor next door, Mina, a strange girl his age who spends part of her time sitting in trees, sketching birds, and reciting facts about owls. Mina is home-schooled, and makes fun of Michael for attending public school. In spite of these differences, they become good friends, and Michael shares with her the deep concerns he is feeling for his baby sister. He even takes Mina into the garage, where she meets the creature that calls himself Skellig.

In the children's book Skellig, a sad young boy, the odd young girl who understands him, a strange otherworldly creature, and a sick baby all intertwine in an uplifting adventure of true friendship, healing, and love.

David Almond's first children's book is an American Library Association - Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature Honor Book.

Susan Miller is the Associate Director of the Arnold Bernhard Library at Quinnipiac University. She holds a Bachelor and Master of Music from Ohio State University and a M.S. in Library Science from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Contact Susan at covertocover@killingworthtoday.com