The HK High School Boys Tennis Team continues to roll over its competition. State runners up last year, the team is currently ranked 9th. The Cougars upped their record to 11-0 with a 6-1, win over Portland on Thursday. HK's top singles player, Alessio Gallarotti defeated Portland's Pat Pozetti, 6-2, 6-1; HK's Jeff Moskey defeated Cory Tobler, 6-1, 6-3; HK's Ryan Hawkins defeated Greg Steele, 6-2, 6-0; HK's Tyler Bradley fell to Mark Milleville, 4-6, 7-6, 3-6; HK's top doubles team, Alex Waldman and Tucker Cumpstone defeated Portland's Dave Yabrough and Steve Yarbrough, 6-1, 6-0, and the #2 doubles team of Andy Otis and Kyle McGowan won, 6-3, 7-5. Earlier in the week, HK defeated Valley Regional 5-2.

Pictured:(l-r, t-b) Alessio Gallarotti, Jeff Moskey, Tucker Cumpstone and Alex Waldman.

In Girls Tennis, the Cougars defeated Old Saybrook, 7-0, on Thursday. In singles, HK's Jen La Chance def. Caitlin Meyer, 6-0, 6-0; Colleen Phelan (HK) def. Justine Pastore, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2; Caitlin Gilhuly (HK) def. Jenna Shaw, 6-0, 6-0; Sabina Wozniak (HK) def. Ali Lefebvre, 6-2, 6-2. In doubles, Julia Sorensen and Christine Griswold (HK) def. Kaitlyn Nazgrewicz and Stephanie Turi, 6-2, 6-1; Heidi Roy and Kaitlin Craffey (HK) def. Pam Felie and Jessica Kotulski, 6-3, 6-1 and Jess Gallagher and Jess Lindquist (HK) def. Megan Cronin and Emily Wininger,6-1, 6-1. The Cougars fell to Old Lyme Friday, 5-2. The double teams of Roy and Craffey and Regan and Rountree were winners for HK. The team is now 9-3.

In other sports action, the Baseball team fell to Valley Regional, 4-2, on Thursday despite 11 strikeouts by pitcher Tyler Riordan. The Cougars bounced back on Friday with a, 22-6, trouncing of Westbrook. Peter Rynkowski was on the mound. The Cougars record stands at 9-4.

The Softball team defeated Valley Regional, 7-1 on Thursday and blanked Westbrook , 11-0, on Friday. Chelsea Griswold was on the mound for the Cougars and helped her own cause with a two-run triple. The Boys Golf team lost to Valley Regional 177-191 and the Girls Golf team defeated Suffield 203-334. Medalist: Lauren Chapman, H-K, 49 on the Airways Course.

Property transfers as reported by the Killingworth Town Clerk's office for the period April 1- April 30, 2006:
• Carol Ann Davis to John J. Jr. & Robin D. M. Freeman, Lot# 23 Alders Bridge Rd. for $287,000.00.
• Les F. & Cheryl A. Burns to James F. & Dawn M. McGoey, Lot#9 Autumn Ridge Beech Tree for $610,000.00.
• Donald B. & Antoinette B. Hayden to Mary Lou Marinelli, 1974 Mobile Home 24 Lower Boul for $83,000.00.
• Mark D. Worrall to Weichert Relocation Resources Inc., Lot #4 Parkside Patrick Drive for $484,000.00.
• Weichert Relocation Resources Inc. to Jerri Golia, Lot #4 Parkside for $484,000.00.
• Edward G. & Joanne L. Power to James & Donna Cole, Lot#5 Graceland Farms Running for $530,000.00.
• John Y Mamula et als to Killingworth, Town of, Parker Hill Road 143A for $2,450,000.00.
• Jensens Inc. to James A. & Gayle C. Skelly, 2006 Mobile Home 30 Whitewood for $161,026.00.
For previous property reports, click here.

The Killingworth Lions Club Kids' Night Out originally scheduled on Friday, May 5 has been changed to Friday, May 12, from 7:00-10:00 at KES due to the 8th Grade class trip to Washington D.C. this week. The dance is open to 7th and 8th graders from Haddam and Killingworth. Any questions, please call Hilary Kumnick, KNO Chairman at 663-3624.

The Killingworth Land Conservation Trust and Killingworth Evergreen Garden Club are sponsoring: Gardens the Deer Don't Want You To Plant, Presented by Dr. Jeffrey Ward on Wednesday, May 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the Old Town Hall on the grounds of the Congregational Church in Killingworth.

There are two things in a Killingworth garden we would prefer to see less of; rocks and deer. If deer ate rocks, then both of our problems would be solved. Unfortunately, it would appear that a rock is about the only thing a deer won't eat. However, there really are plants they do tend to steer away from. And there are other strategies to deter deer from your gardens.

Dr. Jeffrey Ward is the Chief Scientist of the Department of Forestry &
Horticulture at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven. He has been investigating browse damage in Connecticut's forests since 1989. As an avid gardener (with plenty of deer in his neighborhood) he became interested browse resistant gardening. This lead to a survey of Connecticut gardeners to rate the resistance of a wide range of species to damage from deer browsing. He will share some of the results with us tonight.

Dr. Ward is the President of the Connecticut Tree Protection Association and a member of the Connecticut Urban Forest Council, the Society of American Foresters, and the Natural Areas Association.

Come join us for this informative, and free, program!

The Killingworth Youth League celebrated Opening Day on Saturday with special recognition for the late Rocco M. Reale, who played an instrumental role in the growth of youth sports in Killingworth. The Little League field on Route 81 is named after the long-time resident.

Reale's wife, Alice Reale and their daughter Pamela Reale attended the ceremony at request of the Killingworth Park & Recreation Commission and community leaders to unveil the new sign honoring Reale. Mrs. Reale requested that Eric Auer throw out the first pitch in honor of the family.

Rocco M. Reale moved to Killingworth CT in 1966. He had two grown children but saw a need for an organized recreation program for the town's young folks. Reale organized and officiated Little League Baseball, midget football, roller skating, dances, a horseshoe league, summer playground program and more. He found the land for Sheldon Field and had it all donated to the town. He could often be found raking and seeding fields on his own as well as building playscapes and picnic tables. There are many successful grown men still in town or who have moved away who fondly remember playing for or being supported by Reale. He was the genesis of the Regionalized Recreation Department, foreseeing the advantages offered by both towns. He was also a founding member of the Killingworth Youth League. For years, Reale was the District Administrator for Little League Baseball and could be heard reciting "The Little League Pledge" at opening days all over Connecticut. At the time of his death in 1981, Reale was working with the state to design and enhance programs for the region's senior citizens as he saw this as the town's next recreational challenge.

Somewhere, someday, someone would have brought organized recreation to Killingworth but thanks to the vision and generosity of Rocco M. Reale, thousands of Killingworth children have benefited over the years.

(top-bot) Eric Auer, Pamela Reale and Alice Reale listen to comments by Bill Silas. Members of the St. Lawrence Church Youth Choir sing the National Anthem. Players line the base paths during the anthem. Photos courtesy Mike Irwin.

The Tuesday Book Discussion Group will meet on May 9th to discuss the novel, White Rabbit by Kate Phillips and the Alice Munro book of short stories, Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage. The group meets in the Library meeting room at 1:00 p.m. and newcomers are always welcome.

To the Editor:
On the morning of Tuesday, May 2, the secretary of Killingworth's Pay As You Throw Committee (PAYT) received a letter from the First Selectman effectively stopping a Transfer Station cardboard crushing trial program intended to save the town tens of thousands of dollars a year. First Selectman Marty Klein's letter stated that "after much investigation and consideration, we have decided to ask your committee not to use the MSW (mixed solid waste) compactor for the cardboard and newspaper for the foreseeable future".

This took us by complete surprise! We have been planning for the last 4 months to use the 3rd compactor for cardboard & newspapers. We have been before the Board of Selectmen numerous times with our research, facts and figure....and the board agreed with the trial program. Now at the eleventh hour, without consulting other selectmen, Mr. Klein decided to stop the experiment before it even started. Read more.

Following a disaster or public emergency, Public Safety Personnel may not be able to meet all the demands. What can the average citizen do? CERT, Community Emergency Response Teams.

The CERT Training Program enables YOU to prepare for, respond to and recover from a large scale emergency. Participants receive training on: Light Search and Rescue Operations Damage Assessment, Emergency Shelter Operations, Basic First Aid/CPR and Animal Care, Training classes are being formed for June 2006.

The classes will be held on Saturday mornings from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Community Policing Center in the Old Saybrook Shopping Center, 665 Boston Post Road Old Saybrook. The dates are: June 3, 10, 17, 24 and July 8, 2006.

Attendance is limited to twenty volunteers. All graduates will receive disaster preparedness kits and all materials at no cost. Please register by May 8. Download registration form.

CERT Training is sponsored by Sponsored by the Emergency Management Department & Valley Shore Emergency Management Association. For more information contact Emergency Management Director Donald McDougal at 663-1355.

The Connecticut State Senate unanimously passed HB 5211 AAC, Underage Drinking, 35-0, Tuesday night. The passage caps a five year campaign by the Connecticut Coalition to Stop Underage Drinking which has sought to close a loophole in Connecticut law that allows underage youth to possess and drink alcohol on private property. The bill now awaits the Governor's signature who has said she would sign it. It would become law effective October 1.

According to the Middlesex County Substance Abuse Action Council, present Connecticut law allows anyone to host an underage drinking party in their house or on their property. Also, Connecticut law prohibits minors from possessing alcohol in public places, but does not prohibit them from possessing alcohol on private property. HB 5211 An Act Concerning Underage Drinking addresses this loophole in Connecticut's underage drinking laws by holding both teens and adults accountable for the problem of underage drinking. This bill provides legislative support to parents, who don't expect that their children will be allowed to drink alcohol at another child's home. It sends a consistent message to everyone that underage drinking is unhealthy, unsafe, and unacceptable everywhere.

The Region 17 School Budget referendum held yesterday in Killingworth and Haddam passed in both towns by a considerable margin. The total vote count was 1206 in favor and 786 against; a 420 vote difference. The $32.7 million budget reflects a 7.85 percent increase over last year. Absentee ballots from Haddam and the vote count from Haddam Neck were not available, but Schools Superintendent Gary Mala said there were only a 100 or so votes in question and the overall count would carry it.

Mala said this was 'huge'. He said he was very pleased with the support the communities have expressed. He said the residents are aware of the economic challenges facing the school district. He sends his appreciation out to all the people who stepped out and supported the schools.

The voting participation in Killingworth was 22.4 percent, down slightly from last year's 22.7 percent. The Killingworth count was 660 in favor and 341 against with 4473 registered and eligible voters. Last year the Killingworth voters passed the budget by 152 votes compared to this year's 319 votes.

The voters of Haddam came close to passing the budget last year, but the Haddam Neck votes made the overall tally 3 votes short. This is the first budget to pass in Haddam since 1999. Haddam has passed the budget only five times in the last sixteen years.

The Killingworth Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting and Spring Social will be held this Thursday, May 4 at 7:00 p.m. at the Inn and Vineyard at Chester, Route 148, Chester, Connecticut.

Region 17 Schools Superintendent Gary Mala will be present, just to say "hello". The Chamber will also have a couple of officers who must say "good-bye", but new officers will take on some fabulous opportunities and responsibilities. The Chamber would like to encourage any members interested in getting more involved. Chamber events are always wonderful for business interaction and no one leaves without some sort of new information or great ideas, or referrals to new business.

This week, Killingworth Democratic Town Committee member Kathleen Amoia writes about meeting Ned Lamont.

Area Democratic Town Committees were recently given the opportunity to meet Ned Lamont, the Democratic challenger for Joe Lieberman's Senate seat. Forty people braved heavy rains to listen to Mr. Lamont share his views on national and state issues and field a variety of related questions. The meeting was hosted by the Haddam Democratic Town Committee in Town Hall.

Lamont, a cable television entrepreneur from Greenwich, is introducing himself to Democratic organizations throughout the state in preparation for an August primary which would pit him against incumbent Democrat, Joseph Lieberman. He sees his mission as one of refocusing attention on our state and country and reinvesting capital in both. full story.

The Killingworth Board of Finance will establish the new Town budget on Tuesday, May 2 at its regular meeting. The meeting coincides with the final hours of the Regional School District Budget Referendum, which will be held Tuesday from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Killingworth Elementary School All-Purpose room.

The Board of Finance projected a tax shortfall of 1.23 mills at the budget hearing last week. The proposed tax rate of 26.6 mil is based on a shortfall of $712,137. Town revenues in the proposed budget are $18,478,097; total expenditures are $19,190,234, including Killingworth's share of the District school budget at $14,853,727. Read more about the budget in today's New Haven Register.

During the first two weeks of May, Killingworth's Transfer Station will conduct a trial program in which cardboard and newspaper for recycling will be crushed on-site. Newspaper and cardboard usually accepted in the collection bin will be crushed in the large and currently unused blue compactor in the center of the Transfer Station, just past the entrance.

Town residents with cardboard and newspaper for recycling should bring it to the Transfer Station as they always have done. No special home separation process is necessary. Once at the waste collection facility, Transfer Station staffers Don, Sal, Lou and Owen with the assistance of the town's Pay As You Throw (PAYT) Committee will redirect the cardboard and newspaper to the compactor for crushing. The trial program results from the PAYT Committee's urging and endorsement from town selectmen as a way of improving efficiency and saving tax dollars at the town waste collection facility.

Currently, Killingworth's full bin of uncrushed newspaper and cardboard weighs about one and three quarter tons, usually requiring two loads per week to be taken to the regional processing center in Essex. The town truck hauling the bin is capable of carrying 20 tons. PAYT believes only one load every two weeks would be necessary by compacting on-site, with the projected annual savings of over $5000. Therefore PAYT, as the town committee studying and making improvement recommendations for the Transfer Station, has urged the two week program, with which selectmen have agreed.

The highly-popular and very successful mixed paper recycling collection and processing program will continue as usual, unaffected by the temporary newspaper and corrugated cardboard crushing experiment.

Based upon improved recycling and other steps during the past six months, PAYT says its recommendations should result in a projected annual cost savings exceeding $10,000 during the first year alone. Noting there are other cost savings steps and improvements planned, PAYT members say they are optimistic that town residents will continue to enthusiastically participate as they have to date.

The Fitness Connection is offering a Beginner/Intermediate Weight Training Program, Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 9:30 from May 16 through June 22. The classes will be held at The Fitness Connection studio and will meet for 1 hour. It's affordable, you will learn to perform a total body workout and most importantly, you will love the results. PLUS - you will learn everything you need to know in order to weight train on your own. There are also still openings in the Monday/Wednesday evening class that starts up again on May 3 and the morning class that re-convenes on May 22 on Mondays and Fridays. For details or to reserve a spot, call 860-663-0326. So get connected with The Fitness Connection and spend the best summer of your life...feeling great about yourself.

The Killingworth Library's new e-newsletter is now available online on the library website and here on KillingworthToday.

Read about the First Annual John P. Hine, Jr. Golf Tournament to benefit the library, as well as news about programs and events.

It was reported that resident Ralph Marrone has passed away. He is survived by his wife Florence Marrone, his three daughters and their spouses, Michelle Paton of North Attleboro, Mass., Allison Maltese of Guilford, and Dr. Pamela Marrone of Davis, Calif. He also leaves two sons, Ralph H. Marrone of Westford, Mass. and David Marrone of Eads, Tenn. He also leaves four grandchildren, Maggie Marrone, Perry Maltese, Regina Paton, and Brigette Paton. Marone also leaves three sisters, Mary Fresco of Branford, Rose Kerr of Farmington, and Francis Fields of Oxford, Mass. and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by one sister, Angeline Camarota and three brothers, Dominic, Joseph and Louis Marrone.

Marrone was active in community affairs for more than fifty years in Killingworth. He was a patriotic Veteran who loved his country and reading about its history, appreciated nature and the woodlands, and most of all loved his family.

Friends and family are invited to visit the Swan Funeral Home, 80 E. Main St., Clinton, Sunday from 4:00p.m. to 8:00 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Monday at 10 a.m. at St. Lawrence Church in Killingworth.

Interment will follow at St. Agnes Cemetery in Branford with full military honors. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation for research on this disease at 1332 North Halstead St. Suite 201, Chicago, Ill. 60622 www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org

Read more about Marrone and his many contributions to the Killingworth community in the Middletown Press.