The HK Travel Basketball League will hold its 2005-2006 season tryouts on Wednesday, August 17 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the HK High School Field House and Wednesday, September 7 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the HK High School Field House. Any child wanting to play HK Travel Basketball must attend ONE of the above tryouts.

The league strives to provide our student athletes with instruction, a competitive schedule, and fun. Boys and girls entering grades 4-8 are in 2005 are eligible to play (4th graders must be 9 years old by 09/01/05 and 8th graders must be 13 years old by 09/01/05). An informational meeting for parents will be held immediately following the tryouts.

The number of players per team and the age groups will be determined at the time of the last tryout. This will be based on the ages and number of children wanting to play. If your child is interested in playing and/or you are interested in coaching, please send an e-mail to teamhoops@comcast.net.

The Regional School District No. 17 Board of Education and Superintendent are pleased to announce that they have appointed Karen Ockasi as Assistant Principal of Killingworth Elementary School effective immediately.

Ockasi was selected by a committee comprised of parents, teachers and administrators after an exhaustive search process lasting approximately twelve months.

Schools Superintendent Gary Mala said of Ockasi:

She may best be characterized as an individual who is knowledgeable about elementary education, having spent the past 17 years as an elementary teacher in Killingworth and in two districts in Fairfield County. She is compassionate, organized, methodical in her approach to her work and focused on ensuring that the needs of all children are met in the most appropriate way. Throughout the selection process and beyond, she has articulated a philosophy that seeks to engender the support of parents by continuing to make them an integral part of the Killingworth Elementary School environment. Karen has modeled characteristics associated with effective leadership and has applied herself as a perpetual learner. In the words of one of her most recent instructors at Sacred Heart University (not Maureen Fitzpatrick I might add, but I am sure she would agree with them), Karen possesses the unique skills, talents, knowledge and character to become one of the leaders so necessary in public education today.

Karen has stepped forward in times of need and has always placed the needs of students, parents and staff above her own. Karen cares deeply for children. She understands children's need for high quality instruction and has committed herself toward the betterment of such instruction. She has also committed to making a positive difference in our district by applying her talents and contributing to all that we set out to accomplish.

Prior to her appointment, Ockasi was a teacher in both the Westport and Stamford Public Schools. Since 2002, she has served as a first-grade teacher at Killingworth Elementary School.

The Under-11 Southeast Boys District Select Soccer Team won the gold medal last Sunday at the 2005 Nutmeg State Games held in Bridgeport. Killingworth's Bryce Colonia-Hughes, who played halfback and striker for the gold winning team, contributed with two assists.

The District Select team, coached by Dan Colonia, Russ Shine, and Bob Kurzawa qualified for the gold medal game with a record of two wins and one loss. The gold medal game pitted the Southeast team against a tough North team. The game ended in a 1-1 tie forcing a 10-minute overtime. Each team scored once during the extra period forcing the gold medal decision to penalty kicks. The Southeast team clinched the gold medal with three saves from goalie Garrett Becker and goals by Dan Shine, Rowan Lucey and Nick Kurzawa.

The Nutmeg State Games are Connecticut's largest multi-sport festival. Over 6,000 athletes in twenty-four different sports participated in these Olympic-style games, primarily for ages 8 to 18 years old.
photos courtesy M. Blackwell and M. Hughes

The WFSB-TV Channel 3 special series "Every Town Has A Story" will feature Killingworth on Friday Aug. 12 during the 5:00-6:00 p.m. news hour and will be replayed again on Saturday morning. The weekly feature highlighting Connecticut's history is hosted by WFSB weather personality Scot Haney.

Haney and his crew were in Town last Wednesday and met with former First Selectman and Town Historian David LeVasseur; toured the Killingworth Inn, which was a speak easy during the Prohibition; visited with Harriet, the newly-restored Town hearse; toured the cranberry bog with Land Trust President John Himmelman and former President Bruce Dodson and visited the historic Union School House on Roast Meat Hill Road.

Some of the other towns Haney recently visited were Kent, Ashford and Essex. If you would like to contact Haney regarding the segment you can email him at shaney@wfsb.com

The Board of Selectmen, last night, approved moving forward on a contract with Willimantic Waste Paper Company, to provide a receptacle at the Town Transfer Station for mixed-paper recycling. The contract also covers hauling the recyclables and a rebate to the Town of $40 per ton. Mixed paper is currently disposed of in the municipal solid waste (MSW) containers that cost the Town $70 per ton for disposal.

The effort will essentially be a financial wash during the initial months because the Town will temporarily lease the container. The Selectman however also awarded the bid last night to Rudco Products, Inc. in New Jersey for three new 50-yard containers. The containers, at a cost of $17,280, will arrive in approximately six weeks. Once in place, one of the new containers will be used specifically for mixed-paper.

As one of the recommendations by the Pay As You Throw Committee, the mixed-paper recycling effort will reduce the financial and environmental costs associated with the disposal of the Town's MSW. The Town recently added a white-paper only receptacle, a 'reusable area' and adjusted Transfer Station hours to avoid recyclable materials being tossed in with the MSW when bins are full.

According to PAYT Vice Chairman Jeff Reisman, the mixed-paper container should be in place within a week. Acceptable items for this container are junk mail, magazines, catalogues, cereal boxes, beer cartons, hardcover and paperback books, phone books, notebooks and non-corrugated cardboard.

The PAYT also received approval for the issuance of new Transfer Station stickers starting October 1. Registration cards will handed out at the Transfer Station starting the last week in September. Residents may fill out the form a head of time and simply present registration information to volunteers from PAYT during Transfer Station hours during the month of October. The new stickers will be required starting November 1.

Haddam-Killingworth Middle School Principal, Miriam Furey-Wagner, has released the honor roll listing for the fourth marking period of the 2004-2005 school year. Middle School Honor Roll

The Yale-New Haven Shoreline Medical Center celebrated its first year anniversary Saturday, July 30 with a children's health and safety day. Over 250 shoreline residents turned out on a hot summer day for some fun as well as education about kids' safety.

The most dramatic demonstration was the Guilford Fire Department's exercise in how they use the "jaws of life" equipment to extract accident victims from compacted cars and lectured about fire safety. Parents and children also enjoyed mini-lectures on nutrition, poison control, stranger danger, first aid, CPR and how to child-proof a home.

The Yale-New Haven Shoreline Medical Center opened to the public on July 1, 2004 with a community open house for shoreline residents who are finding it very convenient. Its emergency department, open Monday-Friday 4 p.m.-midnight, weekends and holidays noon-midnight, is a major asset for shoreline residents. They are also finding the blood-drawing laboratory, open six days a week (Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. and 8 a.m.-12 p.m. on Saturday) extremely convenient. SMC Laboratory Medicine will do blood work for anyone who has a prescription from a physician.

In addition to emergency services and the blood-drawing station, the Shoreline Medical Center provides one-day surgery services, digital mammography, bone-density testing, and general X-ray, CT scan, MRI, fluoroscopy and endoscopy services, radiation oncology, pre-admission services and nutrition counseling.

Shown below are Steven (left) and Drew Zichichi of Killingworth. The twins are snacking on free popcorn and cookies as well as keeping cool with free water that was handed out at the day's events. photo courtesy Y-NH-Shoreline Medical

The HK 2005-2006 Travel Basketball League pre-registration is now open! The league strives to provide student athletes with instruction, a competitive schedule, and fun. Tryouts will take place the week of August 15, 2005 and the week of September 5, 2005. Specific dates, times, and locations are yet to be determined. Boys and girls entering grades 4-8 are in 2005 are eligible to play (4th graders must be 9 years old by 09/01/05 and 8th graders must be 13 years old by 09/01/05). An informational meeting for parents will be held immediately following the tryouts.

The number of players per team and the age groups will be determined at the time of the last tryout. This will be based on the ages and number of children wanting to play. If your child is interested in playing and/or you are interested in coaching, please send an e-mail to teamhoops@comcast.net.

The Congregational Church in Killingworth's Annual Summer Fair attracted residents Friday and Saturday out for some mid-summer fun, bargains, great food, crafts and community information. It was fun for all ages with the silent auction, kids games, petting zoo, area crafters, and local sports and community groups selling food, plants, gifts and the church's own white elephant sale.