Killingworth Babe Ruth Team Wins Opener
The inaugural season of the Killingworth Babe Ruth Baseball program started with a, 9-8, win in extra innings over Branford 3. Alex Pollack broke a, 7-7, tie with an RBI double in the 8th inning and eventually scored the winning run on a wild pitch. Starting Pitcher Dan Ward scattered 5 hits over 6 innings and Matt Cartoceti picked up the win with 2 strong innings in relief. The offense was paced by Eric Auer's RBI triple and Todd Tyburski's RBI double. Matt Cartoceti also contributed on the offensive side with an RBI single. The defensive play of the game was turned in by Matt Ward with a sensational catch in right field with the bases loaded to end a Branford rally. Killingworth's entry in the Shoreline Babe Ruth program is in the 14-15 age division and is coached by Mel Cartoceti and Larry Pollack.

Girls Track Wins Shoreline Title
The Haddam-Killingworth girls track and field team scored 162.5 points to win the Shoreline Conference Championship, Thursday. Cougars winners were: Meghan Scanlon in the 200 meter dash, Kimber Stannard in the 100 meter dash, Lauren Padula in the 3,200 meter run; Padula finished in a meet-record time of 11:54.30; Danielle Funaro, won both the 1,600 meter run and the 800 meter run; Taryn Allegra in the long jump; the 4x800 meter relay with Funaro, Maygan Salzano, Padula and Meghan Wilson; the 4x100 meter relay with Stannard, Allegra, Scanlon and Katelyn Deimel.

The boys track team came in third place with 82 points behind Coginchaug and Hyde Leadership School.

Darkness Halts Killingworth Red Sox in the Sixth
An exciting night in 'K Sox Nation!' The Killingworth Juniors Red Sox baseball team played to a 5-5 tie against a tough and stunned Portland team Wednesday night. The game was called after six innings due to darkness. The K Sox pitching outing started with three strong innings by Paul "Z" Zanardi and was followed up by solid middle-relief and closing pitching by Brendan Hatin and Willy Tobelman. The offensive attack was fueled by Ryan Taylor who laced a line drive to left to spark a middle-game rally. Paul Gambardella, Mike Theriault, Taylor and Zanardi put in solid defensive performances in the field. Following the game, Manager Jody Loso said, "This team really showed me something tonight. I was concerned that with several of my players missing, we might struggle. Not a chance! What a team performance. I'm really proud of all of them. GO K SOX! "

Middle School Baseball Romps
The Haddam-Killingworth Middle School baseball team defeated Hale-Ray yesterday, 8-2 at the Brickyard Field. Chris Bova was the winning pitcher for the Cougars.

Baseball Earns Conference Finals
The Haddam-Killingworth High School baseball team defeated Morgan of Clinton yesterday ,4-2, at the HK Stadium in the semi-finals of the Shoreline Conference Championships. Cory Riordan went the distance with seven strike-outs for the win. Matt Finlayson hit 2 for 3. Read more about the game in the Middletown Press. The Cougars play North Branford in the Championship game on Saturday, May 29 at 2:00 p.m. at the high school.

The HK Softball team lost to Coginchaug in their semi-final SLC game, 3-1. Jenna Webber went 2 for 3 and Chelsea Griswold was on the mound for the loss.

Tax Collector Suspension Questioned
According to the Hartford Courant, Killingworth Tax Collector Ruth Patrick was suspended for a day and a half by First Selectman David Denvir for "gross insubordination" after the two exchanged words regarding the procedure of notice for vacation and personal time. The April 13 incident and subsequent suspension raised questions on whether one elected official has the legal right to suspend another.

Public Notice
Town of Killingworth
May 27, 2004

Pharmedica Building Open to the Public on Memorial Day
The Board of Selectmen have announced that the Pharmedica Building located at 255 Route 80, site of last Monday's Town Meeting, will be open to the public between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on Monday, May 31. Residents may use the parking areas to park for the parade, and may enter the building to tour the site and use any public facilities therein.

Office the Tax Collector to be Closed on June 30
The Selectmen also announce that the Office of the Tax Collector will not be open to the public on Wednesday, June 30, to permit the Tax Collector to "close the books" for the current fiscal year, which ends on that date.

Middle School Assistant Principal Appointed
The Regional School District No. 17 Board of Education and Superintendent Gary Mala announced the appointment of Michael Susi as Assistant Principal of Haddam-Killingworth Middle School effective immediately. Prior to his appointment, Susi was a Dean of Studies at The Oxford Academy in Westbrook, for eight years, and a Dean of Students in East Haddam for one year. He has been serving the district as the Interim Assistant Principal at Haddam-Killingworth Middle School since January. On announcing his appointment, Mala said Susi is "an active learner who has dedicated his career to education". "He will most assuredly perpetuate all that is good in our district and will apply his skills and talents to benefit our school in the middle. His desire to do what is right for students is apparent in all that he does. The strength of his convictions and task orientation make him a formidable leader that will complement the administrative structure of the middle school in a positive way."

Soldiers Welcomed Back to School
The Haddam and Killingworth communities recently celebrated the safe return of two teachers who spent the last 12 months serving in the U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq. Army Sergeant Tom Grasso returned to the Middle School and his position as eighth grade special education teacher and Navy SEAL Lieutenant Joe Corso returned to his job as a physical education teacher at Burr Elementary School. The Middle School celebrated Grasso's return with a short ceremony and the school now flies an American flag that flew over Grasso's base in Baghdad. The BES-PTO, students and staff honored Corso and teacher Mike Corona, who filled in for Corso, with a school reception.

Softball Heads Into Playoffs With a Win
The Haddam-Killingworth high school softball team defeated Windsor Locks, 4-0, yesterday in Windsor Locks. Chelsea Anderson and Chelsea Griswold combined to pitch a two-hitter, with Anderson tallying the win. Candice Webber had two RBIs and two hits to help the cause. The Cougars end the regular season at 14-5 and are matched up against Coginchaug in the Shoreline Conference playoff game on Thursday.

The HK baseball team is scheduled to play Morgan of Clinton at the HK Stadium on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in the Shoreline Conference semi-finals. The Championship game will be held at HK on Saturday, May 29 at 2:00 p.m.

Negotiations For Venuti Property Hit a Snag
The Town of Killingworth may officially withdraw its $3.88 million offer July 1 if negotiations with the Venuti family for its 260 acre property do not move forward. The Town recently commissioned an appraisal of the property by Valuation Services and offered Venuti Enterprises the full $3.88 million appraisal price: The Venuti family offer is $8 million. Attorney Harry Heller, representing Venuti Enterprises, responded by asking for the internal documents of the appraisal. On advice from town counsel Michael Wells, the Town declined. At Monday's Board of Selectmen's meeting, Michael Venuti discussed the recent exchange of letters from town officials and the parties' lawyers. At the end of Venuti's presentation, he said he was rejecting the Town's offer on behalf of his family. Venuti presented a letter from Heller to Wells dated May 24, in which Heller said Venuti Enterprises would consider circulating a petition seeking a referendum on a bond issue for the acquisition of the property. First Selectman David Denvir has said that a referendum would have to be approved by the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Finance. For more information and background read today's Hartford Courant.

Killingworth Juniors Baseball Update
The KYL Red Sox defeated Cromwell Saturday, 12-10, at the high school. Matt Rynkowski, Evan Bruen and Paul Gambardella sparked the offensive charge for the Red Sox with Rynkowski providing a hard line-drive single to start the momentum in the third. The Killingworth pitching struggled in the final inning but strong defense from Brendan Hatin and clutch pitching from Jody Loso Jr. brought a halt to the fierce Cromwell rally. Managers Jody Loso and Lou Annino said they were both pleased with the "balanced attack and great team effort".

The KYL Yankees came away with two wins. They defeated Portland Saturday, 3-2, and Cromwell Monday night, 3-1. The Portland game came down to the bottom half of the 7th inning with Joe Van Huysen driving in the winning run with a walk-off single. Josh Reynolds, Mike Ossa and Dan Brough crossed the plate for the runs. Manager Hilary Kumnick said the Yankees received a "sparkling pitching effort" from Chris Bova, Brian Ludington and Brough. He said it was backed up by a "phenomenal defensive effort" in the field. Kumnick said, "a few of the coaches had goosebumps after witnessing the wonderfully exciting comeback!" The Cromwell game was shortened by rain, but not before Ludington, Bova and Dan Pucillo each scored. All three also had stolen bases in the effort. Ludington went the distance on the mound, giving up only one run, and according to Kumnick, " had excellent control of his curve ball".

Both teams are up again Friday, May 28 at 6:00 p.m. The KYL Juniors Red Sox, now 3-0, visit Haddam II at the Brickyard in Haddam, while the KYL Juniors Yankees, now 2-1, visit Portland II at Rose Hill.

Selectmen Announce First Round of Road Striping
Selectmen Louis Annino Sr. and Charles Morgan announced, at last night's Board of Selectmen's meeting, the eight town roads to be included in the first round of center line painting. Morgan said, after consultation with Highway Foreman Jim Ward, certain roads were not included because they still needed to be swept or were going to be chip-sealed. He said another round of striping would occur after road work was completed. Approximately 55 residents of Roast Meat Hill Road signed and submitted a letter to the Board expressing their opposition to the striping. Morgan, however, said Roast Meat Hill Road was not on the initial list and the Board would not consider the letter because it was not a legal petition. The roads to be striped are: River Road, Green Hill Road, Cow Hill Road, Stevens Road, Ironworks Road, Pond Meadow Road, Emanuel Church Road and Little City Road.

FOI Commission Hears Selectman's Case
The Freedom of Information Commission heard the complaint brought by Selectman Louis Annino Sr. against the Board of Selectmen in Hartford on Monday May 17. The complaint alleges that First Selectman David Denvir held an illegal meeting on November 21, 2003 when he invited Reg. 17 Building Committee Chairman Kjell Tollefsen and Interim Schools Superintendent Robert Goldman to meet with town building official Richard Leighton. Selectman Charles Morgan was also at the meeting. Denvir contends that the meeting was not illegal because the Board of Selectmen have no authority or influence over the Board of Education or its Building Committee. Read more about the hearing in the Clinton Recorder.

This week, Catherine Iino of the Killingworth Democratic Town Committee focuses her commentary on several recent issues that should be viewed from both sides of the debate. Read her complete remarks here.

High School Announces Honor Roll
Haddam-Killingworth High School released its list of students qualifying for high honors and honors for the third quarter 2003-2004. The complete list is available here.

Town Minutes Updated
The minutes of the Killingworth Board of Selectmen's May 10 meeting, and the Planning and Zoning Commission's May 4 meeting are now available on this site. Minutes are accessible from the left navigation bar and are updated as soon as available.

Selectmen, Planning & Zoning.

Republicans Nominate Aniskovich For Eighth Term
Citing his commitment to protecting the environment and promoting education and economic growth, state Sen. William A. Aniskovich, accepted the unanimous nomination of delegates to the 12th Senatorial District last week, and will run for an eighth term this fall. The Republican representative was nominated by his 11-year-old daughter at the Blackstone Memorial Library in Branford, Wednesday. First elected to the State Senate in 1990, Aniskovich is serving his seventh term; is the Republican Minority Leader Pro Tempore, and is the ranking member of the Transportation Committee. He also sits on the Appropriations and Legislative Management committees. In his acceptance speech he said, "Excellent schools and healthy environments make for strong communities. But strong communities are also places where our children can build their own future. There are hundreds of small businesses across the 12th District that employ thousands of people. In fact, most of the people who work here are either self-employed or work for a small business. Our children depend on a strong economy where small business and industry can thrive." He later quoted President Ronald Reagan: "Stronger schools, a clean environment and a tax policy that promotes small business are the keys to building an opportunity society".

Planning and Zoning Commission Revises Proposal
During its regular meeting, following the public hearing Tuesday night, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted to add a definition of public schools to the current regulations, but didn't make the proposed zoning changes that would have set a minimum of 25 buildable acres for new public schools built in Killingworth. Chairman Charles Martens said his impressions from the hearing were that the public felt the Commission was "enabling the Building Committee to put the school at that site", and the public wanted to see any new regulations stay consistent with the rest of the zoning regulations. He said by leaving the existing regulations and adding the public school definition, the Building Committee would have to "sink or swim" if they had the net buildable acres for the new Intermediate/Middle School. The current regulations require five acres per 100 students. Martens said it was up to the Building Committee to decide if they would apply under those standards. The Hartford Courant reported late last week that the Reg. 17 Building Committee had decided to submit its application later this week for review in early June. Martens said by its actions, the Planning and Zoning Commission could not be seen as relaxing its standards for this specific project. During the public hearing, several residents voiced support for the school and the work of the Building Committee, but the majority of residents voiced opposition to the school on the Route 81 Pavelka/Secondino property.

The Commission also voted to table two other controversial changes in the planning and zoning regulations. After hearing from the public, commission members voted not to include the new requirements for upland review areas in the amendments, or the amendment requiring subdivision developers to share in the cost of road improvements, other than at intersections.

During the public hearing, Attorney Harry Heller, representing Venuti Enterprises; members of the Venuti family, and several other large parcel land owners voiced their concern that the new soil-based zoning regulations would devalue their land. They said the regulations would reduce their development potential. The Commission later voted to leave in the definition and requirements for vernal pools, but omit the more restrictive upland area regulation. Martens said he was disappointed that the vernal pool requirement did not get more support given the public's previous support for soil-based zoning.

First Selectman David Denvir spoke in support of the regulation requiring subdivisions to pay a share of the cost in maintaining town roads. He said the town spent over $700,000 making repairs and improvements to Cow Hill Road because of the 60 new homes built with direct access. He said "new owners, through the developers, should foot the bill" for access road repairs. Heller pointed out that regulations requiring off-site improvements were illegal and would not stand up to court challenge. He said that Connecticut Statues state,"the town is responsible for maintaining its highways". He also said the proposed clarification in the regulations that mandated 200 feet of contiguous frontage on a public street for each parcel as well as the road serving the subdivision, was "not good for the town". The Commission, however, voted to include the proposed clarification with the new package of regulations.

The Coast: A Journey Down the Atlantic Shore
by Joseph J. Thorndike
ISBN: 0312109539

From Quoddy Head, Maine to Key West, Florida, Joseph Thorndike takes us along the Atlantic coast, revealing the wildlife and people who inhabit this strip of shoreline. His fascination for the water began when he moved to Cape Cod and was inspired to try to walk the shoreline of the Cape. He was unable to complete his quest, but developed a strong love for and interest in the area where the water meets the land.

Through Thorndike's fascinating tales we learn interesting facts about various points on the East Coast. We learn that the term "fish-tailed Paumanok" is the Native American name for Long Island. We learn that the Shingle Style design of architecture was made famous in early nineteenth-century Newport by the firm of McKim, Mead & White. And we also learn a great deal of information about the natural habitat of the Atlantic coast, the weight of the issues of over-development, pollution, and overfishing, and the many measures being taken to save this treasured portion of our environment.

Thorndike's writing style is both informative and anecdotal. No matter where your seaboard destination, The Coast is a good choice for reading either before or during your summer beach trip.

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