Schools Superintendent Gary Mala hopes the Career Fair on March 4 at HK High School will attract the area's top candidates for his growing list of vacancies. The District will host the fair from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. in the HK Cafeteria.

The District is looking to get a jump on the hiring market by meeting with interested candidates before the traditional hiring season begins. The District offered an attractive one-time-only early retirement incentive package this year and Mala said he has approximately 18 vacancies to fill.

Interested individuals seeking employment as teachers, substitute teachers, bus drivers, paraprofessionals, pupil services specialists, cafeteria workers or custodians are encouraged to attend. Read more about the fair in the Hartford Courant.

The HK High School Boys Basketball team needed to win two more games this season to qualify for the state tournament. Last night's, 59-62, loss to Morgan of Clinton sealed the Cougars' fate. HK finishes the season 6-13. Tyler Riordan led all scorers with 22 points and Perry Pratt added 18. Read all about the game in today's Middletown Press.

•Monday, February 20:
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. Wake-Up HK & Penguin Plunge
10:00 a.m. & 9:00 p.m. HKHS Band/Chorus Disney Concert
•Tuesday, February 21:
8:00 a.m. Wake-Up HK & Penguin Plunge
10:00 a.m. HKHS Band/Chorus Disney Concert
7:00 p.m. HKTV Magazine Show
9:00 p.m. Shoreline Idol
•Wednesday, February 22:
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. HKTV Magazine Show
10:00 a.m. & 9:00 p.m. Shoreline Idol
•Thursday, February 23:
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. HKTV Magazine Show
10:00 a.m. & 9:00 p.m. Shoreline Idol
•Friday, February 24:
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. HKTV Magazine Show
10:00 a.m. & 9:00 p.m. Shoreline Idol
•Saturday, February 25:
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. HKTV Magazine Show
10:00 a.m. & 9:00 p.m. Shoreline Idol
•Sunday, February 26:
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. HKTV Magazine Show
10:00 a.m. & 9:00 p.m. Shoreline Idol
information provided by HKTV

The HK High School Girls Basketball team finished out its regular season last night with a, 61-42, win over Valley Regional. Megan Murray led the Cougars with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Read all about the game in the Middletown Press.

First Selectman Marty Klein announced Tuesday, that the Town will close the sludge lagoons, used to dispose of residential waste, on April 3. Klein said he contacted the Deep River Wastewater Treatment Plant and was told it has plenty of capacity and that the cost would be approximately 9 cents per gallon. He estimated that residents would be charged $75 more to pump their septic tanks.

The Town is required to remediate the lagoons and will begin the process this summer. The 2-acre site, located on North Tower Hill Road has been leased to the Town from Rose Dudek for several decades. Highway foreman Jim Ward said the lagoons will have to be pumped out and then left to dry out. Klein said he hoped for a dry summer so the process could be accelerated. The State Department of Environmental Protection has been notified the Town intends to close the lagoons and it will ultimately tell the Town what needs to be done to remediate the site and when the Town can walk away.

The lease agreement with Dudek ends on June 22, but there is some question as to what the Town will have to pay during the clean up process. Klein said he found a 1990 agreement drafted by then First Selectman Gerry Lucas that set the cost following the closing at $150 per month. However, the agreement is unsigned. Klein said it is up to Dudek to produce another agreement to dispute it. Read more about this in today's Hartford Courant.

The Haddam-Killingworth Middle School Baseball Coaches will hold a baseball clinic on Tuesday, February 21 at the high school fieldhouse.

Session I is for ages 5-9 and will run from 9:00-11:30 a.m.

Session II is for ages 10-15 and will run from 12:30-3:30 p.m.

The cost of the clinic is $25.00 with all proceeds going to the HK Baseball Team.

The clinic will cover throwing, fielding, hitting, catching and base running. Please register early: the clinic will fill up quickly. First come, first serve. To request a registration form, call Kirk Morgan at 860-663-3975 or 860-663-3343 or email him at npcpartsrollers@msn.com

Just 705 residents cast their vote in yesterday's referendum, but it was a big victory for First Selectman Martin Klein in his first major decision in office. The Town will now look to secure bonding in the amount of $2.65 million towards the purchase of the 143-acre Wettish Property on Parker Hill Road Extension. The official tally was 562 in favor and 143 against. Of the 4557 registered voters, 15.4 percent turned out to vote, with almost 80 percent voting in favor of the purchase.

Klein said last tonight that "it shows that the people of Killingworth have a positive vision for the community and want to continue to maintain the quality of the community they live in".

He said, "now we can proceed with the development of the ball fields and secure a portion for open space". Klein said several committees will be involved in the development decisions.

According to Town Attorney Michael Wells, the purchase is contingent on several factors including a satisfactory environmental survey. The negotiations for the land included an April 2006 closing date.

Come out and 'munch' in March with the Killingworth Library's Readers & Eaters Book discussion group for children. The next book in the series is a Nutmeg Award nominee, Granny Torelli Makes Soup, by Sharon Creech. Multiple copies are available at the Library, so read up and then come munch out on Tuscana Pizza, March 14 from 6- 7:30 p.m. Please call 663-2000 to sign-up or for more information.

The 2005 Town Grand List filed by Assessor Donna Shanoff, showed a 1.7 percent increase over the 2004 Grand List. The top 5 taxpayers include Connecticut Light & Power; M & M Realty Holdings; Jensens Residential Communities, Connecticut Water Company and Deer Lake II. Last year's top taxpayer, Timmerman and Timmerman LLC, fell out of the top 10 following the break up of the three-building complex at Route 80/81. Read more about the Grand List in the Hartford Courant.

Dear Killingworth Residents,
I recently attended the Town Meeting in Killingworth to hear people's views and express my support for the purchase of the 143-acre Wettish property. It was heartening to hear "recreation people" talk about the need for open space and "open space people" talk about the need for playing fields. This piece of land truly fits the bill as a venue for both.

It is evident that some have been disappointed with the outcome of previous attempts to secure land for our needs. However, let's look to the present. A large piece of land is for sale. If we buy it, there is much we can to do meet our obligations to preserve the rural character of our town. If we buy it, we can meet our recreation needs. If ever there was the landscape to put down playing fields - unencumbered by ledge, hills or wetlands, this is it! These were problems we faced with other parcels in the past. These problems do not exist on the Wettish parcel. Read more.

The Killingworth Library will hold a Book Sale on Saturday, February 18, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Used books, hardback, paperback, fiction, non-fiction, children's videos and puzzles will be offered.

•Tuesday, February 14:
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. Regional 17 Schools Board Meeting (2/7/06)
10:00 a.m. & 9:00 p.m. Winter HKHS & HKMS Choral Concert
•Wednesday, February 15:
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. Andy Buccaro Health Talk
10:00 a.m. & 9:00 p.m. HES Winter Concert /Day in the life’s
•Thursday, February 16:
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. Andy Buccaro Health Talk
10:00 a.m. & 9:00 p.m. HES Winter Concert /Day in the life’s
•Friday, February 17:
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. HKTV News Magazine Show
10:00 a.m. & 9:00 p.m. Regional 17 Schools Board Meeting (2/7/06)
•Saturday, February 18:
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. HKTV News Magazine Show
10:00 a.m. & 9:00 p.m. Regional 17 Schools Board Meeting (2/7/06)
•Sunday, February 19:
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. HKTV News Magazine Show
10:00 a.m. & 9:00 p.m. Regional 17 Schools Board Meeting (2/7/06)
information provided by HKTV

To the Editor:
The Killingworth P&R Commission supports the purchase of the Wettish Property. By acquiring this parcel, the town of Killingworth will be taking a logical step to provide land that is appropriate for athletic fields and trails for passive recreation. The groups, organizations, and commissions that support the purchase of the property have all agreed that part of this land should be used for multipurpose fields. Members of the Commission and concerned citizens have questioned the lack of a definitive/concrete plan to build fields and have questioned why monies have not been appropriated for this purpose.

With the strong consensus that has been shown for the purchase of the Wettish Property for active recreation, our elected officials should heed this feeling and work expediently to make athletic fields a reality. Pending the results of the referendum, the Killingworth Park and Recreation Commission recommends that planning of the fields should start immediately and resources should be appropriated in the upcoming budget for field planning.

Dan Colonia
Killingworth Park and Recreation Commission

To the Editor:
As I have searched for land to build playing fields in Killingworth, I have found no better piece of land than the Wettish parcel on Parker Hill Road. It can solve many of the problems that arise for Killingworth recreation programs from the scarcity of sports fields. The amount of space the Wettish property would provide is 3 to 4 times the size of Sheldon Field. This piece of land can easily provide space for 3 or 4 soccer fields with a private roadway to a parking area at the back of the property. This would allow for cars to be hidden from view leaving the frontage on Parker Hill Road intact. The cost to build playing fields will be significantly less than for other parcels that have been considered because of the condition of the land. In many past proposals, much of the money went to costly design and engineering fees but no tangible results. As the Bethke Field has demonstrated, the talent needed to design and build quality fields can be found in town. The Wettish project can be completed in a short period of time, at reasonable cost and produce results pleasing to everyone. Maintaining the rural character of the town while adding services for the increasing numbers of new residents is always a challenge. Many volunteers, past and present, have worked diligently in the interest of the town to maintain the small town charm of Killingworth. This is an opportunity that addresses the immediate need for playing fields, avoids the additional costs to the town associated with additional housing development and preserves a valuable "green zone" for the future. Let's be pro-active and encourage the Town to act now. I hope you give this your consideration and vote in the referendum February 15th, as I will, in favor of the Town's acquisition of this fine piece of land.

Eric Auer

Agenda
Meeting of the Board of Selectmen
Tuesday, February 14, 2006 at 7:00 p.m.
Town Office Building

1. Call to Order
2. Approval of Minutes of Meeting held on Jan. 21, and Special Meetings of Jan. 25, and Feb 7.
3. Visitors: J. Ward, PAYT, L.Crowley-YFS, T.Brewer-TLB, D.Schull-Land Use
4. Tax Abatements & Refunds
5. Appointments/Vacancies: Field Study Committee - Alec Martin, Matthew Link, James Lally
6. Old Business:
    1. Reservoir Road Bridge/Budget Numbers
    2. Public Health District
    3. Resolution for sale of Anthem Stock
    4. Sludge Lagoons/Deep River Water Pollution Control Facility
7. New Business:
    1. Project Review/Relocation of Transfer Station
    2. Review of P&Z Fee Schedule & Authorization of Town Meeting
    3. Bosco - Authorization of Sale/Soil Testing/Conservation Easement 15 acres+
    4. BOS Budget Meetings
    5. Route 81/Green Hill Rd. Re-alignment
    BOS request of appropriation and approval of land acquisition
8. MK Announcements:
9. Selectmen's Concerns
10. Executive Session: KMEA Grievance - D. Zukowski
11. Adjournment
Agenda as of 12:30 p.m., Thursday, 2/9/06
Printable version

At the Class S Indoor Track Championships in New Haven Saturday, the HK boys team finished seventh behind top finishing Griswold and the girls team finished 15th behind winner Bloomfield.

Jake Corbett led the boys with a second place finish in the 1000 meters with a time of 2:36.86. Kevin Bailey finished fourth in both the 55 meter hurdles and the high jump. HK was fourth in the 1600 meter Sprint Medley relay; eighth in the 4x400 meter relay; 9th in the 4x800, and 10th in the 4x200 meter relay.

In the girls' meet, the Cougars were led by Sarah Brooks, who finished fifth in the high jump; Courtney Hannen, who finished fifth in the shot put, and Katelyn Deimel, Meghan Scanlon and Kimber Stannard, who finished fifth, sixth and seventh in the long jump. HK finished fifth in the 4x400 meter relay; seventh in the 1600 meter Sprint Medley and 9th in the 4x800. Complete results are available at MySportsResults.com

The second in the series of book discussions "Voyages: Stories of Men, Women and the Sea" will be held in the Killingworth Library this Thursday, February 16, at 7:30 p.m. (Snow date: Feb. 23). The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger is the selection for the evening. Copies are available in the Library and newcomers are welcome. You may register by phone at 860.663-2000, or in person.

The Congregational Church in Killingworth's Interim Minister, Rev. Donna Cassity is profiled today in the New Haven Register's Health & Science section. Cassity, who teaches nursing at Southern Connecticut State University, helps her students incorporate spirituality into their nursing care.

To the Editor:
BUYING THE WETTISH PROPERTY WILL SAVE MONEY!It is still surprising to me that many people do not understand that most new homes cost the town more than they provide in tax revenue.

Question: if new homes provide a tax benefit to our town, why haven’t our taxes decreased or been stabilized? Over 400 homes have been built in Killingworth over the past 20 years. If new homes reduce taxes, WHY HAVE OUR TAXES DOUBLED?

There is no example of any town in CT where taxes have been reduced or stabilized by new home developments. Read more.

Bruce Dodson (4th from left) with a group of residents at Saturday's site walk. Photo by J. Young