Haddam-Killingworth High School Principal Charles Macunas has announced the Second Period Honor Roll for the 2005-2006 school year. Find the complete list here.

•Monday, March 20:
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. Board of Education Meeting Region 17(taped 3/14/06)
10:00 a.m. & 9:00 p.m. My Story: a child's perspective on childhood depression
•Tuesday, March 21:
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. Board of Education Meeting Region 17(taped 3/14/06)
10:00 a.m. & 9:00 p.m. My Story: a child's perspective on childhood depression
•Wednesday, March 22:
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. Adolescent Drugs and Alcohol Use with Andy Baccaro
10:00 a.m. & 9:00 p.m. KES Spring Concert
•Thursday , March 23:
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. Adolescent Drugs and Alcohol Use with Andy Baccaro
10:00 a.m. & 9:00 p.m. KES Spring Concert
•Friday, March 24:
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. Teen Talk: Media and Violence
10:00 a.m. & 9:00 p.m. Shoreline Idol Auditions
•Saturday, March 25:
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. Teen Talk: Media and Violence
10:00 a.m. & 9:00 p.m. TBA
•Sunday, March 26:
8:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. Teen Talk: Media and Violence
10:00 a.m. & 9:00 p.m. Shoreline Idol Auditions
information provided by HKTV

Killingworth Evergreen Garden Club presents "Awakening Your Garden - A homeowner's task schedule for your perennial gardens." Our guest speaker for the evening is Diane Hartlin perennial manager from Wilbur & King Nursery. Diane's extensive knowledge & background of perennials in coastal areas will answer some of your most often asked questions such as; when to prune, fertilize, and divide for a spectacular garden. The presentation will be held on March 30, 2006 at 7:00 p.m. at the Killingworth Congregational Church, Route 81, in Killingworth. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets will be sold at the door. Ticket price $2.00. There will be a raffle as well as refreshments. Contact Elisabeth Verderame at 860-663-8023 for more information.

Tri-Town Football will hold open registration for new Tackle and Flag Football players on Wednesday, March 22 from 6-7:00 p.m. at the Killingworth Library. (Location change) All returning players can download forms from the web site and mail them in before May 1st. Information regarding Tri-Town Football can be found at their web site. www.eteamz.com/tritownfootball. Please visit the website to learn more about eligibility, practice, game schedules and committees.

Haddam-Killingworth junior Kevin Peterson led the HK Swim team to a 13th place finish at the CIAC Class S Swim Championships at Southern Connecticut State University on Tuesday. Peterson finished fifth in the 200-yard individual medley and a ninth in the 100-yard backstroke. Read more about the meet in today's Middletown Press.

The Board of Selectmen voted last month to proceed with an appraisal of the Bosco property in order to offer the historic farmhouse and surrounding 14.22 acres up for sale. They disagree however with what, if anything, to do with the remaining 118 acres.

First Selectman Martin Klein said it would be in the best interest of the town to put the remaining parcel into a conservation easement to be overseen by the Killingworth Land Trust. Selectman Ed Sipples said restricting the land would devalue it and close the window on Department of Environmental Protection money. He also said in the distant future, the town may need to expand the middle school into a high school, with more need for fields. Selectman Fred Dudek said he would be in favor of the easement only after the sale of the house and adjacent land. He said if there is no buyer and we put the remaining land into a conservation easement, we make never sell the house.

According to Land Trust President, John Himmelman, a conservation easement would "protect the land in perpetuity". No future administration would be able to develop the land or sell it to a developer for a subdivision. He said a great deal of the support for the purchase of the property in 2000 was to preserve it for open space.

Klein said, the town would still own the land, but the easement would stop a future administration from abusing it. He said the easement would still allow the town to sell a certain number of buildable acres to the Regional School District if needed. The District could not develop the land but could use it for zoning purposes.

Himmelman said the easement adds another entity to oversee that the land stays as open space. He said the mutual agreement of the town and the Land Trust as well as approval at a Town Meeting could alter the restrictions in the future. This type of mutual agreement was used to develop the Bethke ballfield. The Land Trust agreed to donate the land back to the town while still upholding the open space restrictions that allowed the simple ball field.

The Haddam-Killingworth Indoor Track & Field team recently held its end of the season banquet and announced its 2005-2006 award recipients.
• MVP: This year two athletes from each team were chosen: Girls: Kimber Stannard and Meghan Scanlon; Boys: Kevin Bailey and Jake Corbett
• Cougar Award: Girl: Colleen Kavanagh; Boy: Chris Anselmo
• Best in Track: Girl: Gabby Haynosch; Boy: Bill Kolodziej
• Best in Field: Girls: Katelyn Deimel and Courtney Hannen; Boy: Andrew Bolduc
• Most Improved: Girl: Julia Deming; Boy: Paul Massicott
• School Records: Girls Long Jump: Meghan Scanlon 17'5"; Girls Pole Vault: Colleen Kavanagh 6'6"; Boys 800m run: Jake Corbett 2:00.02.

Corbett recently finished 31st in the 800-meter run at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships at The Armory in New York City.

HK's senior track and field athletes. photo courtesy. C. Dupuis

Did you know that March is the best time to do renovative pruning of all your deciduous trees and shrubs? However, you should note, that for shrubs that flower in the spring (up until June) - pruning in March will sacrifice the blooms this season. While pruning your spring bloomers may be unusual, the overall benefit of pruning now before the new buds emerge will outweigh fewer blooms at flowering time.

March is also the time to start to water and fertilize house plants that you had summered outside and that were brought in last fall to rest for the winter. These would include clivia, spider plant, begonia, ferns and philodendron

We all have plenty of granite boulders here in Killingworth, but have you ever thought of using them as part of the hard scape or as a focal point in your garden? March is a wonderful time to take a walk around your property looking for nice boulder specimens that you can incorporate into your garden design. This is the one time of the year when you can really get a good look at what you have...last year's leaves are all tamped down and this spring's foliage has not yet emerged.

Connecticut is listed having zones 5 and 6 and Killingworth can be can be both. South of Route 80 can be Zone 6, while north of Route 80 can be Zone 5. Your yard can have pockets of each.

Now is the time to clean out old raspberry and blackberry canes. As the weather gets better, you an also start to do some weeding.

Happy Gardening

Editor's note: The Killingworth Evergreen Garden Club has generously offered a monthly column filled with timely advice about gardening in Killingworth. If you have questions or comments, please submit them through the editor@killingworthtoday.com. These columns as well as meeting and event reminders are available from the Garden Club's web page at www.Killingworthtoday.com/EGC

Youth and Family Services and the Towns of Haddam and Killingworth are sponsoring a Community Night in the form of a Town Hearing on the consequences of Under Age Drinking. Far too many children are beginning to drink at a dangerously early age. Please join us in an informational evening where you will have the chance to ask a panel made up of Law Enforcement Officials, Local Dignitaries, and other experts in the field questions and voice your concerns on this issue in our community. Research indicates that children and teens are less likely to abuse alcohol if parents are involved in their children's lives.

Please come to the Haddam-Killingworth High School Auditorium on March 28, 2006 at 7:00 pm where a door prize will be awarded to a lucky audience member! Babysitting is available; please call Youth and Family Services at 345-7498.

This week, Killingworth Democratic Town Committee member Gwenne Lally writes about Emergency Management and Homeland Security.

When Killingworth First Selectman Marty Klein received a visit from Paul Passarelli, the region's coordinator for Emergency Management and Homeland Security, he shared his concerns about safety and security at the Connecticut Yankee nuclear power plant in Haddam Neck. The plant was permanently shut down in 1996 and is now being decommissioned.

Decommissioning is a step-by-step, methodical deconstruction process that takes several years to complete. It involves removing and disposing of, at licensed facilities, all radioactive materials such as piping, tanks, valves, pumps and components. It also involves reducing radioactivity and hazardous materials that may remain in the buildings and on the site after everything is removed. The purpose of decommissioning is to reduce the amount of the plant related radioactivity on the site to a level that allows the site to be released for future use. The major benefit of decommissioning will be the restoration of the site for other purposes.
full story.

Amber Gode accepts a 2005 KSA Scholarship from committee member Richard Cabral

The Killingworth Scholarship Association is offering scholarships to graduating seniors who are residents of Killingworth. Scholarships are awarded from the Killingworth Scholarship Fund, the Kent T. Healy Scholarship Fund for Political Science majors, and the Kathy Weiss Scholarship Fund for Education majors.

Applications are available in the Guidance Departments at the following schools: Haddam-Killingworth High School, Xavier High School, Mercy High School and Vinal Regional Vocational Tech, or apply online through our website at www.KillingworthToday.com/KSA. Income is not a consideration for awarding these scholarships. The application process involves completion of a questionnaire and an essay, followed by an interview for select candidates. All interested students are encouraged to apply. The application deadline is Monday, May 1st and interviews will be held during late May and early June. Read more.

The Arts Center at Killingworth hosted an evening of instrumental Jazz and Jazz vocalists on Saturday night at its second annual Jazz Night Out. The sold-out crowd was treated to original music and Jazz favorites by the Russ Becker Quartet and headliner vocalist Giacomo Gates.

The Russ Becker Quartet, featuring saxophonist Russ Baker, guitarist Chris Leigh, drummer Rich Dart and upright bassist Menno Marringa, performed several of its own pieces and was then joined by award winning vocalist Josi Wails for several popular Jazz songs including Come Rain or Come Shine and an up-tempo arrangement by Chris Leigh of Rodgers & Hart's My Funny Valentine. The audience enjoyed café-style food and refreshments, while viewing the performances live and seeing them projected on a large screen for emphasis on the individual artists.

Headliner Giacomo Gates and his ensemble played the second set following a brief intermission and sumptuous desserts. Gates, a recent nominee for "Best Male Jazz Vocalist" by the Jazz Journalists Society of America, performed his relaxed style of song and conversation to a very appreciative audience. His spontaneous selections included works by Cole Porter, Duke Ellington and other Jazz legends. He was joined by upright bassist Lou Bocciarelli, guitarist Tony Lombardozzi and drummer Bob Haray.

The Arts Center's Artist Director, Barbara Nair said she was very pleased with the turnout. She said many people enjoyed last year's evening with Jazz pianist Mike LeDonne and looked forward to this year's event. She was particularly pleased to be able to present a male and a female vocalist with such great talent and ties to the shoreline area. The event was again held at the Living Rock Church on Route 81.

The Arts Center, founded in 2003, is concluding its 2005-06 fundraising campaign at the end of the month. Money raised not only brings Jazz to Killingworth but year-round classes for children and adults in painting, music, photography and other fine art and craft arts. For more information on the schedule of Spring class offerings please visit the website at www.artscenterkillingworth.org or call 663-5593.
Pictured: Giacomo Gates performs Cole Porter. The Russ Becker Quartet with guest vocalist Josi Wails.

The Board of Selectmen voted recently to put an ordinance before a Town Meeting that would require new home builders to install the homeowner's well and have the water tested prior to receiving a building permit. The Connecticut General Statutes allow that a certificate of occupancy for new residential construction may be withheld on the basis of a water quality test.

Building Inspector Richard Leighton said the water would be tested for contamination but also would reveal if the water needs to be treated with softeners. Leighton said the use of softeners that backwash into the septic tank is not allowed under the current health code. He said a separate dry well is needed for discharge. Knowing ahead of time will save a homeowner from having to dig up a lawn or landscaping to put in the well. He said Old Lyme has a similar ordinance.

First Selectman Marty Klein said he proposed the ordinance, rather than relying on State Statutes, so it can be put right in a subdivision's contract. Leighton said a driveway can go in, but no building permit would be issued without the well test. Read the complete ordinance proposal here.

Agenda
Meeting of the Board of Selectmen
Monday, March 13, 2006 at 7:00 p.m.
Town Office Building

1. Call to Order
2. Approval of Minutes of Meeting held on February 27, and Special Meeting of March 6, 2006
3. Visitors:
4. Tax Abatements & Refunds
5. Appointments/Vacancies:
    1. OEM Vacancy
    2. Field Study Committee
6. Old Business:
7. New Business:
    1. Green Hill Road Re-alignment - BOS Authorize Purchase of Property. Green Hill Road and Route 81 in the amount of $1,000.
    2. Conservation Easement - Bosco
    3. Historic Document Preservation Grant
8. MK Announcements: Town Meeting, March 27, 2006
9. Selectmen's Concerns
10. Adjournment
Agenda as of 3:15 p.m., Friday, 3/10/06
Printable version