•Monday, February 28:
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. Westbrook at Old Saybrook basketball game
10:00 a.m. & 9:00 p.m. Short Films by Students
•Tuesday, March 1:
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. Susi Perspectives
10:00 a.m. & 9:00 p.m. Welcome to My Worlds (Short Films by students)
•Wednesday, March 2:
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. Throne and Missing Joe Concert at HK High School
10:00 a.m. & Haddam Killingworth at Old Saybrook Boys basketball game
•Thursday, March 3:
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. Lip Sync X
10:00 a.m.& 9:00 p.m. Girls basketball game at Coginchaug
•Friday, March 4:
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. Youth and Family Parenting Video
10:00 a.m. & 9:00 p.m. Live Shoreline Finals
•Saturday, March 5:
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. Youth and Family Parenting Video
10:00 a.m. & 9:00 p.m. Region 2 Live Shoreline Finals
information provided by HKTV

Agenda
Meeting of the Board of Selectmen
Monday, February 28, 2005 at 7:00 p.m.
Town Office Building

1. Call to Order
2. Approval of Minutes of Regular Meeting held February 14, and Special Meetings of February 12 and 19, 2005
3. Visitors:
4. Tax Abatements & Refunds
5. Appointments/Vacancies:
    1. Fields Study Committee - Gary Mala
6. Old Business:
    1. Charter Revision Committee
    2. General Budget Discussions
    3. Wellpoint Stock; Authorization Resolution
    4. Employee Pension Plan Meeting Dates
7. New Business:
8. DLD Announcements
9. Selectmen's Concerns:
10. Discussion of Land Acquisition
11. Adjournment
Agenda as of 9:45 a.m., Thursday, 2/24/05
Printable version

State Senator Ed Meyer recently responded to Gov. M. Jodi Rell's proposed education budget. You may contact Meyer at Meyer@senatedems.ct.gov .

The Governor has presented her proposed state budget to the legislature, but the budget does very little to relieve the property tax burden of our area. School cost is of course the major part of our property taxes, but the proposed budget provides only a 2 percent increase in state school aid (educational cost sharing) which is less than the annual cost of living. The budget actually proposes a postponement of any solution to the property tax/ school aid issue by requesting the establishment of a commission to study the matter and report back next year.

The Governor's proposed budget thus reflects no interest in my bill, which would provide a $1,000 minimum state stipend per student, at least no interest for this year. The question becomes whether or not the legislature will deal with this priority issue this year. In order to advance that direction, I have talked up our cause with other legislators and have met with the Executive Director of the Coalition of Small Towns. It is the small towns, in lacking a sufficient base of taxable commercial properties, which are the hardest hit by the property tax on homeowners.

Property tax relief notwithstanding, there was some good news in the Governor's proposed budget. She is directly confronting and proposing to finance some of our worst transportation problems in the state. There will be new trains to replace the old, decrepit trains on much of the New Haven line, and there will be new buses and bus lines as well. An attempt will also be made to end the worst traffic congestion spots on I-95 and I-91. The Governor did not attempt to address at this time such other transportation problems as the lack of regular railroad service between New Haven and Hartford and the facilitation of freight from trucks to rail or barge. However, a real beginning was made in achieving a broader transportation policy for Connecticut, and it should be a boost to our state's economy.

Consistent with her pledge last summer, the Governor has also proposed a pilot pre-kindergarten program. It is relatively small but will likely be well targeted to urban and rural areas. It is fully state funded and so does not put any more pressure on the local property tax.

I have appreciated the calls and letters from so many of you, and I invite you to stop by my State Senate office in room 1004 of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. That visit will also give you a chance to meet my legislative aide, John Hollay.

The HK High School Girls Basketball team was defeated, 74-54, by number one seed Old Lyme in the semi-finals of the Shoreline Conference Tournament Tuesday. Senior Kristen Hetsko led the Cougars with 28 points including 5 treys; Jenna Loos scored 13 and Ashley Smith scored 6 points. The pairings for the State Tournament will be announced after the CIAC seeding committee meeting today.
UPDATE: The CIAC Girls Basketball Pairings were announced Thursday evening. The No. 19 seeded Cougars will travel to play the No. 14 seed Tolland on Monday, Feb. 28 at 7:00 p.m.

Notice from the Assessor's Office
The deadline for filing for the Homeowners Tax Relief Program is MAY 16, 2005. Those Homeowners over 65 years old by December 31, 2004, or totally disabled, whose total maximum income, including Social Security, is $27,100 if single or $33,000 if married, may now apply at the Assessor's office.

Please call 663-2002 for an appointment. Applicants must show proof of income.

Veterans may also apply for additional exemptions at this time; qualifying incomes are the same as above. Deadline filing date for the Veterans program only is October 1, 2005.

Applications for Killingworth's local Senior & Disabled Tax Relief Program will also be taken at this time. Residence at current address must be longer than 12 Months and maximum allowable total income (including Social Security etc.) is $40,000 or less for this program only. Filing period deadline for this program is May 16, 2005.

Killingworth does need us all! The Killingworth Democratic Town Committee is encouraging registered Democrats to think about joining appointed Boards and Commissions and/or participating in the upcoming campaign and election process. We are also seeking to persuade Independents with like-minded perspectives to get to know us, work with us and perhaps accept our "modest proposal" to join the Democratic Party. For those interested in being on a Board or Commission or joining us for the upcoming campaign season, please contact Mike Sanders, Chair, at 663-1231, or Ed Sipples, Vice Chair of the KDTC, at 663-2785.

The HK High School Boys Basketball team honored its three seniors last night at the team's final home game of the regular season. Brett Zanardi and Ryan Murray, who was also recognized for breaking the 1000 point mark in Friday's game against Morgan, thanked their parents and presented their mothers with bouquets. Senior Anthony Andeen was unable to attend last night's ceremonies, but his parents were recognized for their support. The Cougars ended the regular season with a decisive, 73-62, win over Westbrook. Murray scored 38 points, Perry Pratt had 16 and Zanardi finished with 13. HK finishes the regular season 13-7 and heads into the Shoreline Conference Championships on Saturday, Feb. 26.

The Killingworth Library Association would like to acknowledge the generous $10,000 donation by a couple who wish to remain anonymous, for an upgrade to the Killingworth Library computer system. The Library now has nine new computers, five flat screen monitors, five jump drives for staff use and updated software.

All Library computers are now operating with Windows XP and there are three word processing stations are available that have Word and Excel. There is also wireless access so patrons can bring in their laptops and use their wireless network card to log onto our Internet connection. The T1 line is provided by the Connecticut Education Network through the Department of Information Technology.

Thanks for researching, purchasing and setting up the new equipment go to volunteer, John Byrne, and Library Board members, Vince Bongiovanni and Nate Dudek. This story of the computer upgrade contains two elements on which the Library depends for growth and relevancy: a combination of generous financial support from community members and many hours of volunteer effort, in this case by the Killingworth Library Computer Committee.

Remember, you can access the Library's computer resources from your home as well as at the Library. The first step is logging on to www.killingworthlibrary.org. Depending on the resources you are using, you may need your fourteen digit bar code number on the back of your library card. Spend some time investigating the site to find out just what it offers you. Among other things, you will be able to check your patron status, use www.iconn.org for all sorts of resource information, and access the Connecticut reQuest Inter-Library Loan Catalog.

This week, Killingworth Democratic Town Committee member, Ray Celmer addresses the unaffiliated voter in Killingworth, whose voice he says, "is only heard when our town is confronted with major issues". Celmer says, "we need to understand more about what the constituency of our town deems both important and prudent". "Many unaffiliated voters feel that joining a party means a loss of individuality." Celmer extends an invitation to unaffiliated voters to learn more about the Democratic party. Read his complete remarks here.

The Conservation Commission Open Space Planning Presentation scheduled for this evening has been cancelled. A new date will be posted when available. For more information on the presentation refer to the Conservation Commission Notice.

A 16-year-old Haddam-Killingworth High School student was charged with breach of peace and threatening after an altercation Friday morning at the high school. James Demoranville, of Haddam, was released on a $500 non-surety bond and is scheduled to be arraigned March 4 in Middlesex Superior Court in Middletown. Read more about this in today's Middletown Press.

The Regional School District #17 will hold a meeting to discuss the District's Drug and Alcohol Policy on February 28 at 6:30 p.m. in the lower media center of Haddam-Killingworth High School. Board of education Members will be present. All are welcome to attend.

The HK High School Girls Basketball team defeated Coginchaug, 55-44, Saturday night in the quarter-finals of the Shoreline Conference tournament. This is second win over the Blue Devils in the last three days. Kristen Hetsko led the Cougars with 22 points; Ashley Smith had 13 and 10 assists and Megan Murray had 8 points. HK will play top-seeded Old Lyme in the semi-finals of the SLC on Tuesday.

The Confessions of Max Tivoli
by Andrew Sean Greer
ISBN: 0374128715

Max Tivoli is born with a very unusual physical disorder; he has the appearance of a seventy year-old man and the mind of an infant. Throughout his childhood he looks like an elderly man, but has the thoughts and actions of a small child. Somewhere around the age of ten, he begins to look a bit younger. This process of appearing younger as the years go by continues throughout the rest of his life, as Max's inner being develops.

The Confessions of Max Tivoli provides a fascinating and unique look at life in various ages and stages, gently and insightfully rendered by author Andrew Sean Greer. The book is also a love story, as Max meets his true love, first when he is 17 (looking fifty-three); again in his thirties; and finally when he is sixty (but appearing to be ten). Set in San Francisco at the turn of the twentieth century, the book also gives the reader a glimpse of what day-to-day life was like before and after the devastating 1906 earthquake.

Reading The Confessions of Max Tivoli will alter how one looks at friendship, life-long love, and both the superficial and deeply personal aspects of the aging process. Andrew Sean Greer is also the author of a short story collection, How It Was for Me, and a novel, The Path of Minor Planets.

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