The Shoreline League of Democratic Women (SLDW) announced that it will host a Women's Economic Summit on Saturday, April 8 at 8:30 am, at the Water's Edge Resort and Spa in Westbrook, CT. The event is designed to help women understand their personal State-of-Economics with a local, national, and world perspective from professionals in finance, political education, economics, and money management.

The Women's Economic Summit will feature a stellar lineup of experts who monitor the pulse of legislation, judicial rulings, and other factors that directly impact women's financial health. The keynote speaker is Denise L. Nappier, Connecticut's State Treasurer. Guest speakers include Lori Pelletier, Connecticut AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer; Joyce Jacobsen - Andrews Professor of Economics, Wesleyan University; and Barbara Arelt, a Financial Planning Specialist at Smith Barney.

The Women's Economic Summit will provide a current snapshot of where Connecticut women stand in the global economy, and outline the forces that profoundly affect their financial health and independence. Women have unique financial planning needs because they tend to step out of the workforce to raise children, make less money than men, accrue far less in pension benefits, and outlive their husbands by 7 years on average. From money management to setting clear goals, a woman's journey to fiscal security and empowerment begins with a serious look at their current state of economics.

A gourmet breakfast will be served. Seating for this event is limited. Pre-registration will guarantee a seat. Admission Day of Event: $35.00. To obtain a Registration Form, please visit the SLDW web site: www.sldw.org , or contact Gloria Star at (860) 664-3590, gloriastar@comcast.net, Belinda Jones at (860) 399-1147, sbjones20@comcast.net, or Laurie Santos at (860) 669-8395, lauriegrun@sbcglobal.net.

The students of Haddam-Killingworth Middle School will be performing the musical, Annie jr, on Friday, April 7 and Saturday, April 8. The play is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on both nights and will be held at the H-K High School Auditorium on Little City Road in Higganum.

Tickets for both performances are $6.00. Children under 5 years of age are free. Tickets for senior citizens, living in Haddam and Killingworth ONLY who have a school district issued Platinum Club card, will also be free.

Tickets can be purchased at the H-K Middle School office on Little City Road, Higganum. Call 347-0537 for further information.

The Killingworth Lions Club will once again sponsor an "Easter Egg Hunt" for the children of Killingworth. The event begins promptly at 11:00 am on Saturday, April 8 at Killingworth Elementary School's rear practice field. Rain date is April 15. All children from Pre-K through 4th grade are welcome. Be sure to bring a basket to collect all the eggs.

Additional prizes will be awarded to some lucky children who find "special" tokens out in the field. Of course there will also be a very special appearance by the Easter Bunny!

Hundreds of teachers and administrators from all around the region including Region 17, rallied yesterday on the Madison Green as part of a state-wide push to get the legislature to mandate the full funding of the teacher's pension program. For the last two years, the state has only put in 66% of its contribution and the state's two teacher's unions are making a big push to have the legislature amend the Connecticut constitutional to require the appropriation of the full amount to the pension fund.

Teachers do not pay into the Social Security system so their pensions are a critical source of retirement income. The teachers have been paying their required contribution, but the state has fallen behind. According to School's Superintendent Gary Mala the state's teacher retirement program is underfunded by more than $5 billion. Mala spoke at the rally in Madison, and said the goal was to encourage the state to follow through on its promise to provide full funding.

The Connecticut Education Association, the larger of the two unions recently launched a public awareness campaign of "Keep the Promise" that is running on television and radio statewide. The teacher rallies took place all over the state yesterday with the largest in Hartford at the Capitol building. Gov. M. Jodi Rell has stated that she does not think a change in the constitution is necessary. She said state legislators need to be consistent about depositing the money each year.

KES teachers Doreen Messier and Katrin Walton at the rally in Madison.

The drapes have been lowered over the signs at the entrances of Lovers Lane. Through traffic is now allowed on the popular cut-through between Routes 148 and 80. The photo shows the water line at the lowest point in the short span of road.

A Town ordinance that would require water supply testing for new residential construction and a sliding scale fee schedule for zoning permits were approved at the Town Meeting on Monday night. The resolution to appropriate $100,000 for the cost of a roll off truck, failed.

The new Private Drinking Water Supply Testing ordinance will require a water quality test be submitted to the Town prior to receiving a building permit. The prospective homeowner will be able to put in a driveway and lay the foundation of the home, but prior to receiving a building permit, a well will have to be drilled and testing done to determine water quality and if the water will need to be treated.

The new fee schedule for permits approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission will provide a sliding scale of fees based on cost of the project. Previously the Town had a set fee for permits regardless of size. The new fee schedule is available for review at the Zoning Office in the Town Offices.

The resolution to appropriate $100,000 for the roll off truck would have allowed the First Selectman and Town Treasurer to issue temporary notes to finish paying off the previously approved purchase of a $139,000 truck that will be used to haul trash from the Transfer Station.

The Town will still receive the truck, but will use short term financing instead of rolling the purchase in with the 2.65 million bonding for the Wettish Property. The Town has already paid $50,000 towards the truck and will budget $50,000 for the next two years to pay it off.

First Selectman Marty Klein had hoped to roll in, not only the truck but, the $700,000+ in short-term notes still carried by the Town for the 2001 purchase of the Bosco property. The issuing of bonds for the purchase of the Wettish property has been delayed until it can be determined if the farmhouse and 14.2 acres of the Bosco property can be sold. Klein said he will issue temporary notes to pay the Wettish Family in April and expects to be able to issue bonds in August. At that time he will determine if the Bosco property notes will be rolled into the bond issue.

On Thursday, March 30, at 7:00 p.m., Higganum resident Howard McAuliffe will talk about one of Haddam's most notorious residents and the horrific events he was accused, convicted and hung for in the early 20th century. Long considered one the Haddam's most legendary stories, McAuliffe has extensively researched former town constable and tax collector Emil Schutte, whose family once lived in Killingworth. Schutte was convicted in 1921 of murdering three members of the Ball Family under horrendous circumstances. He is also believed to have been responsible for the death of a farmhand and disposing his body on Cremation or "Dead Man's" Hill.

To learn more about the "Shailorville Horror" and the family tragedies revolving around this story join the Haddam Historical Society at the Higganum Fire House Community Hall, 439 Saybrook Road, Higganum, 06441. Admission for HHS members is free, for non-members $3. For further information please call 860-345-2400.

•Wednesday, March 29:
8:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m. Community Night "Underage Drinking" Taped 3/28/06
7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m. Region 17 Budget Proposal
•Thursday , March 30:
8:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m. Community Night "Underage Drinking" 3/28/06
7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m. Region 17 Budget Proposal
•Friday, March 31:
8:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m. HKHS Lip Sync Taped 3/24/06
7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m. How to talk to your kids about Substance Abuse
•Saturday & Sunday April 1 & 2:
8:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m. HKHS Lip Sync Taped 3/24/06
7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m. How to talk to your kids about Substance Abuse
information provided by HKTV

According to reports, Pharmedica Communications fired 30 of its 120 workers last week and told employees that the business may close by the end of the month. The medical services and education company, founded by Lawrence and Carolyn Timmerman, is now owned by Boston-based Parthenon. Read more about this in today's New Haven Register.

Town residents showed up in force last night at the Board of Selectmen's meeting to find out the status of Lovers Lane and Reservoir Road. Both roads are currently closed and residents came looking for answers about when and if they would be re-opened. First Selectman Marty Klein is out of the country for a few weeks, so Selectman Fred Dudek and Acting First Selectman Ed Sipples listened to the concerns.

The residents looking to re-open Lovers Lane received good news from the Board during the discussion. Dudek said, "it is not a voting issue". "If the road is dry, it should be re-opened." If there are heavy rains and it floods, it can just be closed again." Dudek said he was on Lovers Lane last Saturday and the road was "bone dry" with the waterline 18 inches below the road surface. He saw no reason why Highway Foreman Jim Ward should not re-open it immediately. Sipples agreed, but reluctantly admitted that according to Ward, Klein had left instructions that under no circumstances should Lovers Lane be re-opened." Following the meeting, Sipples said he would discuss the issue with Ward and get the road opened.

The residents who live near or on Reservoir Road were not so lucky. The bridge project, that has been a frequent topic at BOS meetings for over two years, came to a head last month when State inspectors told Klein to close the bridge. The Town has been planning to use a State-provided bailey bridge to span the small crossing until the new bridge could be funded, designed and constructed. The timeline for the project could be several years. The State however is not pleased with the years of delay and will not release the bailey bridge until the Town makes a firm commitment to replace the bridge. The actions necessary to show this commitment include establishing a five-member committee to select the engineering and construction firm using the Quality Based Selection process.

Last month Klein said the bailey bridge could be in place by the end of April. Sipples said last night however, that the earliest the bridge could be in place was June. Clearly disappointed with the prospect of several more months of navigating around the bridge to home, school and work, residents inquired about scaling back the project so the bridge could be replaced sooner. Several residents asked that at the very least detour signs be put up to direct visitors and delivery trucks. Dudek and Sipples said the project would be discussed again at the next BOS meeting and that Ward would be contacted about signage.

Resident John Himmelman, a noted author and illustrator of nature books, was consulted for a Sunday's New York Times article on the annual migration of frogs and salamanders from their winter hibernation places to vernal pools created by Spring rains and snow melt. Himmelman says, "vernal pools are important because they are the sole breeding habitat for a number of species of frogs and amphibians".

Himmelman is the President of the Killingworth Land Conservation Trust and a member of the Inland Wetlands Commission. His recently published book, Discovering Amphibians: Frogs and Salamanders of the Northeast, is a comprehensive guide to the history, safe care and handling, and protection of our slimy friends and their habitat.

A recent article in the New Haven Register also chronicled the work of volunteers in Branford who plan to act as crossing guards for thousands of migrating spotted salamanders to save them from being squished by motorists.

Want to find out more? This Wednesday, March 29, the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center in Mystic will host, "Searching for Salamanders" at 7:00 p.m. The program about "salamanders, wood frogs, fairy shrimp and the other unique creatures that inhabit Connecticut's vernal pools", will be led by naturalist and author Bruce Fellman.

The Killingworth Nursery School Association commemorated its 50th anniversary on Saturday with a party to celebrate its current families and welcome back alumni. Current Director Eileen Fries and teacher Mary Angus arranged a party filled with treats, a raffle and lots of catching up.

The Killingworth Kindergarten Association started out in 1955 as a nursery and kindergarten program for Killingworth children in a building owned by Lydia Dreyman on Roast Meat Hill Road. The seed money was raised by a small group of parents who put on two plays, Outward Bound and Night Must Fall, in the local community. The productions were directed by New York theatre actress Helen Beal who resided in Killingworth during the summer.

In 1963, when Killingworth Elementary School began offering kindergarten, the nursery school took a short break and then returned in 1966 under its new name, the Killingworth Nursery School Association, in classrooms in the Congregational Church. The first KNSA president was Joanne Liberatore Hine.

In the early years, parents worked with the Association's first teacher Sybille DeCarlo teaching, as well as keeping the school clean. Though continuing to be a partnership of education between teachers, students and their families, the nursery school no longer requires that level of commitment. In addition to its regular nursery school offerings, over the years the Association has added a parent and toddler program, and since 1970, has held its Annual Tiny Tots Fair in early May.
Pictured: Top clockwise: KNSA alum Davina Miller chats with alum Sarah Ferjak, her mother Jo Ferjak and Miller's daughter Jaden. Bottom: The Filandro family enjoys decorating cupcakes.

All-Star first baseman Jeff Bagwell acknowledged recently that shoulder injuries may force him to retire. The former Killingworth resident is the Houston Astros' franchise leader in home runs (449), RBIs (1,529) and runs (1,517).

Bagwell has played 15 years for the Astros' organization and questions arose prior to spring training this season about his ability to play another year. Last week he was placed on the disabled list. According to press reports, he will look into having a surgical procedure to remove bone spurs from his shoulder, as a last-ditch effort to play baseball again. Read more about Bagwell's decision at MLB.com: Bagwell on 15-day DL, Bagwell opts for surgery, teammmate Biggio comments. Learn more about Bagwell's career with the Astros.

To the Editor:
The committee for the "Festival of the Arts & Sciences" would like to thank Joan Reed Wilson and the Killingworth Woman's Organization for their contribution to this years' festival. We are sincerely grateful for their contribution and their efforts to help make this important KES event so special for all of its students. It is yet another example of the KWO's caring and dedication to our community. We are proud to accept their contribution, and truly appreciate all that KWO does for our town all year round.

The committee would also like to remind parents that we will be looking for volunteers to help out on that day, Friday, May 19. Look for a note to come home in your child's backpack in late April with further details. As the 'festival' is an event strictly for our students, volunteering to help on that day (setting up, cleaning up, serving lunch for our scientists and artisans, helping our presenters in the classroom) is a great way to experience this special event.

Cindy Fetteroll
Chair, Festival of the Arts & Sciences

Agenda
Meeting of the Board of Selectmen
Monday, March 27, 2006 at 7:00 p.m.
Town Office Building

1. Call to Order
2. Approval of Minutes of Meeting held on March 13, 2006
3. Visitors: N. Dansereau, M. Wells, D. Colonia, a. Perry (PAYT)
4. Tax Abatements & Refunds
5. Appointments/Vacancies:
    1. Charter Revision Vacancy
    2. Reservoir Road Bridge Committee - Update
6. Old Business:
    1. Park & Recreation Ordinance request (Town Charter)
    2. Establishment of Ethics Commission
    3. Re-opening of Lovers Lane
7. New Business:
    1. Municipal Improvements of Rocco Reale Field
    2. Proposed Development of Fields on Wettish Property
    3. Middlesex County "Generations Together" Retreat/Workshop
8. ES - Acting First Selectman Announcements:
9. Selectmen's Concerns
10. Adjournment
Agenda as of 10:15.a.m. Friday, 3/24/06
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