The Board of Selectmen announced Monday that the Town Clerk's Office has been awarded a $7,000 Historical Documents Preservation Grant from the Connecticut State Library, Public Records Administrator. This is the third year Town Clerk Susan Adinolfo has applied for and received a grant to help organize and restore Town documents.

The grant money this year will be used to complete an indexing process for vital records that are now currently only in print. Current records are all stored on the computer but Asst. Town Clerk Linda Dudek said there is a gap in the indexing, for documents prior to around 1960. She said Cott Systems out of Ohio will computerize the documents so a complete database can be available.

Previous grant monies were used to purchase a map cabinet and the large storage table that now dominates the vault (see lower photo). Dudek said the considerable amount of documents requires a creative use of space. Grant and taxpayer funds pay for the restoration and preservation of historical Town documents and all are kept in the Town Office Building. Dudek said the Town employs Brown's River Bindery in Vermont to deacidify and preserve its oldest records.

One of those records is the original deed for the town land. The deed is signed (see photo inset) by Native American Chief Wonkas and his son Josuah. The land to be known as Killingworth was signed over to George Fenwick in 1669. The deed is included with Killingworth's earliest birth, marriage and death records in the Connecticut State Library's Arnold Barbour Collection which contains vital records from 1667-1850.

The Killingworth Republican Town Committee hosted approximately 60 people last Saturday at the home of party chairman John Amport for a garden party and wine tasting fundraiser, sponsored by Mt. Carmel Wines in Hamden and owner Bob Feinn.

Current republican office holders as well as many of the candidates for the fall elections were in attendance. Funds raised will be used for the upcoming campaigns. Committee Secretary Debby Butler said, "Everyone enjoyed the wine, good food and beautiful Amport gardens". photos courtesy M. Butler

The Haddam-Killingworth Recreation Department is still offering two very special programs this summer. Sign up for tickets to Six Flags New England or Lake Compounce at a discounted price. Avoid waiting in those long lines to buy tickets by purchasing tickets in advance at the HK Recreation Office. What a great deal! Tickets are good for the '05 Season!

Six Flags New England
Check out Six Flag's two new rollercoasters...Mr. Six's Pandemonium is a thrilling new coaster with a twist. The coaster spins like a top, giving you a different experience on each ride. Make a splash on the new Typhoon water coaster. Hit racing speeds as you are propelled by water and conveyer belts through uphill climbs, turns and tunnels. These two amazing coasters join eight other coasters and over 50 wild rides!

Fee: $26.50 per ticket (plus $1.50 handling fee) = $28
Available: May 1 - September 1
Savings: Save $14 from the gate price of $40. Children under 36" are free.

Lake Compounce
Check out the Lake's new thrill ride, 'Downtime' - a 185 foot drop tower as well more fun slides in the water park.

Fee: $22.95 per ticket (plus $1.05 handling fee) = $24
Available: May 1 - September 1
Savings: Save $7.95 from the gate price of $31.95. Children under 3 years are free.
For more information please call HK Rec at 345-8334.

At the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting on Monday, U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd congratulated the 11 recipients of the Middlesex County Substance Abuse Action Council grants, including Haddam-Killingworth 'Youth in Action' Community Service and Prevention Program.

The HKYFS Youth in Action Program received $1500 to support HKYFS's continued efforts to promote positive community activities for local youth. Sen. Dodd is quoted as saying, "These are community-based efforts that make a difference". For more information on the program please contact Cheryl Chander at CChandleratYFS@aol.com

According to the Hartford Courant, thousands of Connecticut Light and Power Co. customers were without power yesterday evening due to the severe thunderstorms. It was reported that nearly 70 percent of Killingworth customers were without power. A power watch was issued, the first of the year, as New England power usage reached a new record high.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell joined CL&P in asking residents to turn off unnecessary lights and appliances until after 8 p.m. to keep energy use down. Today's temperatures are expected to be in the high 70s and much less humid.

The Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism is seeking nominations for the 2005 Governor's Arts Awards. These awards are designed to honor significant artistic achievement and outstanding contribution in the fields of performing arts, visual arts, film, and literary arts. With this award, the Governor recognizes the wealth and depth of creative expression of Connecticut artists and arts groups.

Connecticut arts and cultural organizations, schools, government agencies and citizens may submit nominations. Nominees may be individuals or organizations. Individuals must be current Connecticut residents with a history of significant arts activity in the state. Organizations must be Connecticut-based. Individuals or organizations cannot nominate themselves and previous Governor's Arts Awards recipients are not eligible to apply.

The Governor's Arts Awards will be selected based on one or more of the following criteria: Significant achievement and outstanding accomplishment in the performing arts, visual arts, film and video, and literary arts; Dedication of service to the arts in Connecticut; Contribution to the growth and development of Connecticut's cultural life;

Previous award winners have included: visual artist Antonio Frasconi; puppeteer Frank Ballard; architect Cesar Pelli; playwright Arthur Miller; jazz musician Jackie McLean; the Florence Griswold Museum; the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center; New Haven Audubon Arts District; and the New Britain Museum of American Art.

Please send nominations to Governor's Arts Awards, Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism, One Financial Plaza, 755 Main Street, Hartford, CT 06103. If you have any questions, please contact Susan Docker at 860-256-2721 or sdocker@ctarts.org. The postmark deadline for submission is September 2, 2005.

Lisa Voglesong is credited with reviving the 'Women On Wheels' racing series at Waterford Speedbowl and currently leads the point standings with 100. But Killingworth resident Connie Miner is close behind in third with 92 points.

The women race Super X Cars and X Cars in a 15-lap event held on the final Wednesday of the month throughout the season. According to the New Haven Register, male drivers who compete in the Super X Car and X Car divisions let their wives, girlfriends or daughters borrow their cars to compete in the Women On Wheels feature. During the mid-90s there were women only events but the series faded. Voglesong made a proposal to the Waterford Superbowl management to bring it back. Nineteen women raced in the events this season.

The Arts Center at Killingworth, in conjunction with the Haddam-Killingworth Youth & Family Services Summer Program, is offering area teens a well-rounded exposure to the arts this week.

With financial support from an American Savings Foundation Grant, HKYFS is able to provide a positive summer experience to local 7th-12th graders. The four-week program started July 11 with a week of horseback riding; last week the youth experienced outdoor adventures, and this week the teens are immersed in the arts. The program will conclude next week with whitewater rafting and a trip to an amusement park.

This week the teens will be offered a lesson in Japanese Manga cartoon drawing at the Arts Center on North Parker Hill Road; a visit to a recording studio in New Haven; a show and backstage tour at the Goodspeed in East Haddam; A session in environmental arts with New York artist Patty Pippin, and a week-ending trip to Boston for lunch at the Hard Rock Café and a performance of the Blue Man Group.

Director of the Summer Program, Shelly Thompson worked closely with Arts Center Artistic Director Barbara Nair, to develop this week's program to appeal to teens and expose them to many different facets of the arts. The students pay a nominal fee to enroll in the summer program, but the bulk of the expense is paid for with the grant.

The American Savings Foundation is an independent charitable foundation dedicated to strengthening the community by supporting education, human services, and the arts, with a special emphasis on the needs of children, youth and families, through grants to community organizations and college scholarships.

The Arts Center at Killingworth is a nonprofit organization focused on the development and presentation of the visual and performing arts.

This week, Killingworth Democratic Town Committee member Kathleen Amoia comments on the newly-endorsed Democratic slate of candidates for the November elections.

An evolving process that began in the midst of winter has culminated in a slate of candidates unanimously endorsed at this month's regular KDTC meeting. On a sunny Saturday morning last January, members of the Killingworth Democratic Town Committee met at the home of Tim and Mary Withington to do some tough brainstorming, goal setting, and process analyzing. Discussions were honest and thorough, charts developed, and long term town needs assessed. full story.

The slate of candidates nominated and approved at last week's meeting of the Killingworth Democratic Town Committee was unanimously endorsed at Sunday's Democratic Caucus.

The candidates are: First Selectman, Martin Klein; Selectman, Steve Hollander and Ed Sipples; Town Treasurer, Claudette Lagasse; Town Clerk, Linda Dudek; Probate Judge, Jamie Young; Board of Finance, Tim Withington, Arlene Tunney, Gwenne Lally; Board of Assessment Appeals,Lou Annino Sr.; Planning & Zoning Commission, Jere Adametz Sr., James O'Brien, Edward Hayash Jr.; Zoning Board of Appeals, Pamela Ahearn, Carol Pleines, Kathy Amoia (alternate); Fire Commissioner, Fran Dooley; Regional Board of Education, Mary Withington, Jason Cabral and Barbara Klein.

The Killingworth Youth League Baseball and Softball registration is now open for 'Fall ball'. Registration must be completed by August 20, 2005. The fee is $40.00 per Player. Please send check to KYL, PO BOX 714, Killingworth CT 06419. Fall Baseball/Softball starts mid-September and runs through November. Fall Baseball games are played on Saturdays and are double headers. Fall Softball games are played on Sundays. If you have any questions please call Bill Silas at 663-3996.

The age divisions area:
Minor Division: League age 9 -10 By April 30, 2006
Major Division: League age 11-12 By April 30, 2006
Junior Baseball: League age 13-14 By April 30, 2006
(Junior level may have to travel for all games)
NEW THIS YEAR:
Girls Softball: League age 9-12 By April 30, 2006

Registration forms can be downloaded from the KYL website: www.kylbaseball.org