The Killingworth VFW invites any and all veterans from any era to join them in the line of march. Those who can't make the walk may assemble with the other veterans at the Congregational Church lawn for the wreath laying and ceremonies. It is a great parade and the only opportunity many of us have to see our school bands performing. In addition to all town youth and civic groups, the KES and HKHS bands will be offering patriotic tributes. Please help to honor our heroic dead by taking a few minutes to join with your neighbors on Memorial Day morning.

Monday, May 29. Steps off at 9:00 a.m. at Irene Sheldon Park. Parade route is West on Route 80 to town circle then North on Route 81 to Congregational Church. A memorial ceremony will take place following the parade.

The HK High School Baseball will play Old Lyme today at 1:00 p.m. at home for the Shoreline Conference Championship. Old Lyme is the top seed and coming off the program's first undefeated season. Peter Rynkowski will likely be the starting pitcher for the Cougars.

The HK Softball team defeated Hale-Ray, 4-3, Friday to earn a spot in the SLC final today at 11:00 a.m. at Old Lyme. Kelsey Shine's home run in the top of the seventh inning was the deciding run. Read more about the game in today's Middletown Press.

Killingworth Girls Softball League needs umpires for the current season. Please help the future HKMS and HKHS players. Training is available. $20 behind the plate $10 in the field per game. Softball experience a must! Previous umpiring not REQUIRED!!!!! Games played at HK JV and Varsity fields Please call Nicole Burger at 663-0895 or email dburger@comcast.net if interested.

Last night, the Haddam-Killingworth High School Human Relations Club and the Haddam Senior Center held its second annual Spring Senior Fashion Show. Wearing clothes provided by The Dress Barn of Middletown, the elegant ladies of HK and Haddam, walked the runway to raise money for local and national charities.

The event was organized by Fran Oktavec, Director of the Haddam Senior Center, Maude Bing, HK Advisor for the Human Relations Club, Drew Granucci, President of the Human Relations Club and Ryan Bowles, Vice President. Bing said, "Frannie is the fire and energy behind this program". Oktavec praised the student and adult models as well as the escorts and behind the scenes crew. Among the escorts were Haddam First Selectman Tony Bondi, who escorted his wife Barbara and daughter Lynn, and Schools Superintendent Gary Mala, who escorted his wife Sheryl.

The HK High School Girls Track and Field team won the Shoreline Conference Championship on Tuesday. The Cougars were led by the outstanding performance of senior Katelyn Deimel, who won the high jump, long jump and triple jump. H-K won a total of 10 events. Read all about the meet in the Middletown Press.

The HK Boys Track team placed fifth in the championship meet. The Cougars were led by Kevin Bailey, who finished third in the 110 hurdles, fourth in the 300 hurdles and third in the high jump. HK also received a strong outing from Jake Corbett, who took third in the 1,600 and second in the 800.

The Boys Tennis team finished out its regular season with an amazing 18-1 record Wednesday with a, 7-0, win against Old Lyme. Singles scores: Alessio Gallarotti: 6-2, 6-2; Jeff Moskey: 6-4, 6-4; Ryan Hawkins: 6-2, 6-1; Tom Koniuta: 6-1, 6-1; Cody Warren: 6-3, 6-2. In Doubles: Alex Langevin and Alex Waldman: 3-6, 6-0, 6-2; Kyle McGowan and Andy Otis: 6-2, 6-0.

The HK Lacrosse team defeated Old Saybrook, 13-0, on Tuesday. Scoring for HK was: Kaeli Deane (3), Ali Thomson (3), Liz Scovill (2), Ashley Smith, Kat McDermott, Jess Fox, Danielle Page and Kristen Wendt. Nicole Dansereau had one assist and Kim Peterson had four saves in goal. The Cougars improve to 5-9. Coach Lindsey Matteo said, "We played a great game in the midfield, maintaining posession for a majority of the game".

The Cougars Girls Tennis team finished out the regular season with a, 6-1, victory over Westbrook, Tuesday. HK finished with a 13-3 record. In Singles: Michelle Zywica lost 6-1, 6-2; Colleen Phelan 6-2, 6-2; Caitlin Gilhuly won 6-2, 6-0 and Kaitlin Craffey won 4-6, 7-6, 6-4. In Doubles: Julia Sorensen and Christine Griswold won 6-1, 6-0; Cameron Regan and Candice Rountree won 6-4, 5-7, 6-0 and Jess Lindquist and Jess Gallagher won 6-3, 7-5.

HK Baseball defeated Ellington on Wednesday, 9-5. Pete Rynkowski went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and Tim Hedrick went 2-for-3 with three runs scored. On Tuesday, Rynkowski had eight strikeouts to lead the Cougars over Hale-Ray, 6-1.

The Cougar Softball team defeated Hale-Ray, 7-4, Tuesday. Ali Rand had three hits and 3 RBIs.

Who says puppets are for kids? Not The Arts Center at Killingworth. On June 16 from 7-9:00pm, The Arts Center will host Puppet Speak at The Chester Meeting House in Chester, CT (4 Liberty Drive). Puppet Speak consists of short finished vignettes (15-20 minutes) featuring several mask and puppetry styles with themes for adults and older children (ages 11+).

"Look at the enormous popularity of Broadway's Avenue Q," says Barbara Nair Artistic Director of the Arts Center. "It shows that with well-crafted puppets, which are free to speak their 'minds,' creative artists can build a cool, exciting evening."

Puppet Speak will showcase several well-known performers, many of whom have developed their work at the Puppetry Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. Performers include shadow puppeteer Jim "Nappy" Napolitano, a native of Milford who has entertained audiences throughout the U.S. and around the world. His most recent work can be seen on the new PBS show, Between the Lions. Other programs include works for Scholastic Home Video and HBO Pictures.

Lindsey "Z" Briggs, puppeteer, puppet builder and wrangler is currently on the PBS kids show It's a Big Big World and will be a puppeteer and voice on "Seemore's Playhouse" premiering on PBS this Fall. Her well-received piece, This Will Only Hurt a Little, is a funny and macabre true account of her visit to the dentist.

Marilyn O'Connor Miller, multimedia storyteller and performer on ABC's syndicated classic children's TV show Hot Fudge, has two signature hand-built foam puppets, Tiffany and Piccolo. Tiffany, a sometimes shy, sometimes outspoken girl with street smarts, wears a mask of bravado to cover up her insecurities. Piccolo, a precocious, Italian-speaking bambino flirts with girls and shows off his charming, but often, self-centered personality.

Larry Hunt is an actor, director and mask-maker. Over the past 30 years, he has performed in the U.S. and internationally with the theatre company MASQUE. Using mask and pantomime, Larry will perform a number of vignettes including his signature piece on the development of Gandhi's thoughts and actions on nonviolence.

After the performances, the performers will take questions from the audience and demonstrate how their puppets and masks work. The Arts Center looks forward to Puppet Speak becoming a yearly, not to be missed, event.

Tickets are $15. To order call (860) 663-5593. All major credit cards accepted. For more information about The Arts Center, visit www.artscenterkillingworth.org

The Killingworth Ambulance Association held its annual recognition banquet Sunday at Oliver's Taverne in Essex. One of the highlights of this event is the free raffle held for the technicians and their guests. The response from the business community in and around Killingworth has always been very generous and this year was no exception. According to KAA Board member Pat Lirot, "It certainly gives the volunteers of the organization a sense that we are appreciated by the people we serve". The KAA would like to thank the local supporters of this event for their generosity.

Killingworth Girls Softball and USA Elite Training LLC, present their 1st Annual Spring Softball Clinic on Thursday, May 25 and Friday, May 26. The clinic is open to girls age 8-12 and will be held at Sheldon Park. The clinic times will vary depending on age. Please contact Nicole Burger 663-0895 or email at dburger2@comcast.net to sign up. Space is limited. Please sign up prior to clinic to ensure a slot.

At the Annual Town Meeting held at the elementary school last night, residents unanimously approved the $4,351,575.73 Operating Budget and $188,500.00 Capital Budget for fiscal year 2006-2007.

Board of Finance Chairman John McMahon said it was a "frugal budget" with "minimal impact on the mil rate". The new mil rate was set at 26.63; an increase of 1.42 mils. For every $1,000 of assessed value, a taxpayer will pay $26.63.

Including the Town's obligation to the Regional School District, the year's expenditures are $19,393,802. The Town's revenues total $18,570,097; a shortfall of $823,705. The Town's share of the Region 17 budget is $14,853,727.

The majority of the Capital Budget is earmarked for road and bridge projects. The Town can be reimbursed for these expenditures through the state's Local Capital Improvement Program (LoCIP). Some of the projects eligible are the Alder's Bridge Road intersection, the reconfiguration of the intersection at Green Hill Road and Route 81, and the Reservoir Road Bridge.

The election of a Killingworth resident to serve as a member of the Regional 17 Board of Education in place of Board member Mary Withington was removed from the call of the meeting. Selectman Ed Sipples said the vote was delayed to give both political parties a chance to put forward a candidate. Withington, who recently stepped down, is a Democrat and was elected to the seat in November 2005.
UPDATE: The Board of Finance convened a Special Meeting on Thursday, May 25 to set the mil rate for the 2006-2007 fiscal year. The rate was set at 27.63. The number reported above was for the 2005-2006 year.

Local heating oil companies have been passing on taxes they pay to the schools they service even though Connecticut schools are exempt from paying state sales taxes. According to today's New Haven Register, "No one would have known about the payment of the tax if Gary Shettle, Region 17's director of finance and operations, had not asked the district's petroleum vendor for a breakdown of his fuel bill". The General Assembly provided some relief last month, granting towns and school districts an extra $33 million in property tax relief to offset the expense of the tax, according to state Rep. Brian O'Connor. Sarah Kaufman, spokeswoman for the state Department of Revenue Services, said the gross receipts tax is applied at the "first point of purchase" of the fuels. She said, "Region 17 and other public institutions can apply for a state refund of the tax, except possibly for No. 4 heating oil". Region 17 paid more than $17,000 in state gross receipts taxes on fuels in 2004-05.

The KES-PTO sponsored Festival of the Arts & Sciences took place at Killingworth Elementary School on Friday. Festival Chair Cindy Fetteroll and her committee of volunteers put together a fabulous day of hands-on learning and fun. From the opening act of hip-hop dancing to the closing improvisational workshops, not to mention an up-close look at a helicopter in between, the children had their minds stretched as wide as their smiles. The children got to learn along side their talented parents and teachers as well as professional craftspeople, artisans and scientists.

The Festival is the largest one-day event that the PTO funds and organizes. Throughout the year, the PTO also sponsors Cultural Arts min-programs, Book Fairs, a Drama Club and Family Nights. The funding for these programs comes from the annual Fall Gift Wrap Sale, several smaller fund raising efforts and donations from individuals and community groups as well as grants from the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism. The PTO would like to especially thank the Killingworth Women's Organization for its generous donation towards the Festival.

Pictured top to bottom: Channel 8 helicopter with Mrs. Phelan's 1st grade class; Hands on Hand Bells with Joel Spinetti and Mrs. Ventres' 4th grade class; Connie Bombaci with her American Sign Language Dogs in Mrs. Atwood's AM kindergarten class and Papermaking with Mr. Cusson's 3rd grade class. photos courtesy K. Milano.

Jo-Ellen Morman of Fitness Connection will discuss fitness and weight loss at the Business Focus Showcase at noon on Wednesday, May 24 at The Country Squire, 243 Route 80 in Killingworth. The event is $15, including a snack and a glass of wine. There will be a cash bar. For details or to make a reservations, call The Country Squire at 663-3228.

The HKHS JV Baseball team comfortably won their final two games of the season to finish with a successful 13-1 record in the Shoreline League. The Cougars defeated North Branford, 17-1, on Thursday and Old Saybrook, 9-1, on Saturday.

Killingworth lefty veteran Lou Annino pitched a complete-game gem against North Branford by mixing up his pitches and baffling batters with his breaking stuff. Killingworth sophomores, Annino, Alex Pollack and Joe Van Huysen all had big days with the gloves and lumber, and, each had at least one RBI. Freshmen Zach Kumnick (two hits) and Mike Ossa (2-RBI double) also helped break the game open.

Old Saybrook proved to be a tougher opponent under breezy conditions Saturday. Killingworth's Pollack, Van Huysen, Kumnick and Ossa again had big offensive days while local players Paul Zanardi (So), Chris Bova (Fr) and Brian Ludington (Fr) contributed to the win by moving or driving in runners. Pictured: Lou Annino on the mound. photo courtesy H. Kumnick

Agenda
Meeting of the Board of Selectmen
Monday, May 22, 2006 at 7:00 p.m.
Town Office Building

1. Call to Order
2. Approval of Minutes of Meeting held on May 8, 2006 and Special Meeting held on May 15, 2006
3. Executive Session: Lagoon Contract - Mike Wells
4. Tax Abatements & Refunds
5. Visitors: Eric Auer
6. Appointments/Vacancies:
    1. H-K Recreation Authority: Colonia, Cumpstone, Machold
7. Old Business:
    1. Affordable Housing - Appointments of John Amport, Michael Board
8. New Business:
    1. Bid Opening - Bethke Field Fencing
    2. Reservoir Road Bridge Committee - Appointment of Paul McGuiness
9. MK Announcements: Memorial Day Parade
10. Selectmen's Concerns
11. Adjournment
Agenda as of 11:30 a.m. Friday, 5/19/06
Printable version

On Thursday night the Haddam-Killingworth High School Choir and Concert Band took the audience on an international tour of music. The Concert Choir under the direction of Marcy Webster and accompanied by Kathleen Bartkowski opened with "Walls of Zion" then proceeded to sing "May it Be", "Lean on Me" and a haunting "Banks of Loch Erin". The Choir concluded by donning masks to wow the crowd with "Masquerade" from Andrew Lloyd-Webber's Phantom of the Opera.

After a brief intermission the Concert Band, under the direction of Tim D'Amato, continued the trans-Atlantic tour with "El Relicario" from Spain and then back with "The Symphonic Gershwin". The Band's rendition of "Inchon" featured helicopter-like drums and wonderful individual performances from the soloists. This song alone is worth tracking down the performance on HKTV next week. The Band followed by bringing the crowd back to the U.S. with a rousing "Stars and Stripes Forever" and concluded the evening with "An Irish Party in Third Class". Both the Choir and Band recognized their seniors for their contributions.