At its August 3, meeting, the Killingworth Republican Town Committee unanimously voted to withdraw its endorsement of Alan Schlesinger as the Republican candidate for the United States Senate. Schlesinger, former Mayor of Derby and state representative has received strong criticism for his gambling habits at Connecticut casinos in the early 1990s.

KRTC Past Chairman John McMahon said, "We took this position due to recent information coming to light that has caused us to question the candidate's veracity, character and overall suitability for this high office. The damage done to our party by our previous governor and many of his associates will take years to repair, and the message we send by supporting Mr. Schlesinger is that the leadership of the Connecticut Republican Party is not listening to the voters and citizens of Connecticut and is willing to turn a blind eye to the past felonious transgressions of trusted officeholders."

McMahon said the committee questioned how the party was going to attract "suitable candidates" and raise campaign funds if party nominations continue to demonstrate that the "quality of a candidate's character, honesty and reputation mean so little". Such behavior, he said, "encourages voter apathy and increases the difficulty in attracting qualified candidates especially at the local level."

McMahon asked that the procedure in place to vet candidates should be thoroughly reviewed. "We in Killingworth feel that strength of character should be the first quality required of a Republican, or any, candidate, and certainly hope this is as important to the leadership as it is to us."

Gov. M. Jodi Rell and Republican State Chairman George Gallo both publicly urged Schlesinger to reconsider his candidacy in July. However, Gallo according to the Greenwich Time recently said "the party was standing by its man despite calls from some to make a change". According to CBSNews, The state GOP cannot strip Schlesinger of its nomination, only pressure him to quit.

It doesn't seem possible, but the Project Graduation Committee will soon start planning an alcohol and drug free Graduation Party for the Class of 2007!

Businesses, Parents, Interested Citizens are all needed to make this event a success.

The biggest fundraiser that the Project Graduation Committee conducts is the Wrapping Paper Fundraiser. Students will be receiving packets concerning this at the beginning of the school year, if not before. Don't panic...only the oldest child in each family will receive a packet. NO FAMILY WILL RECEIVE MORE THAN ONE PACKET. Also, this year, you may choose to make a donation to Project Graduation, instead of buying any of the products.

Project Graduation committee members will be available at the HKHS Open House this year on September 7th. If you'd like to purchase wrapping paper or a bumper sticker, make a donation, or volunteer your services, STOP BY THE TABLE!

Let's start early to make this a memorable evening for our Seniors. General Comments/Questions: Laura Dowd 345-3109; Nancy Bradley 663-2485; Trish Hatin 663-3451.

Property transfers as reported by the Killingworth Town Clerk's office for the period July 1- July 31, 2006:
• Mary E. Webber to Kevin & Sandra Rankin, Route 81 for $254,925.00.
• Erin J & Tanya K Flynn to James J Rizzo Sr & Heather L Temple, Lot 11 Rachbauer Woods for $495,300.00.
• John D II & Barbara E Henderson to Robert A Slover, 2 Parcels Parker Hill Road for $624,500.00.
• Wayne W Jr & Christy LaSalle to Amy M Cass D Burrell, Lot 1 Farm Crest Estates Rt. 79 for $396,250.00.
• Daniel P & Anne M Wilson to Ronald J Freitas, Lot #2 Cow Hill Road for $195,000.00.
• John J Janet M Cosenza to Keith W & Alexia Kelsey, Lot #5 Chestnut Hills for $459,000.00.
• Melissa H Smith to Lee Ann Molenaar, Parcel A Stevens & Roast Meat for $428,000.00.
• C B S - II LLC to Paul M & Jean W Coady, Lot #9 Clarkson Crossing for $210,000.00.
• Matthew W Reynolds to Sandra Pellitier, Lot #28 Hemlock Heights. for 329,500.00.
• Richard T. Carll & Christine Kusiak to Vincent L & Mandy J Ruggiero, Lot #16 Blueberry Hill Reserve for 545,000.00.
• L Maxwell Jr & Amy St John & W Norton to Sharon Raudat & Bernard W Crowley, Lot #4 Venwood Burr Hill Road for 277,500.00.
• Peter J. & Erin Terensio AKA to Joseph J Karban, Lot 3 Doolittle Est River Rd for 625,000.00.
• Michael & Amy Nixon to Richard H Kramer, 3 Parcels for 330,000.00.
• Felipe & Katherina Molina AKA to John A & Deborah McCarty Samperi, Schnoor Road for 345,000.00.
• Joan D Pesapane By ADM to NE Properties Inc, Parcel A Route 81 for 86,330.00.
• Gary Bellard & So New England Telephone to Gary Bellard & So New England Telephone, Route 81 for 15,000.00.
• Marilyn D Breister to Daniel A Woods, 1987 Mobile Home 6 Beechwood for 110,000.00.
For previous property reports, click here.

Floremond Whitey DeToro, 83, husband of Mary (Faccinto) DeToro of Boca Raton, Fla., and Killingworth, died Tuesday at the Middlesex Hospital. He was born Nov. 2, 1922, in Middletown, son of the late Fiore and Viola (Mylick) DeToro. He was a member of the Italian American Civic Order and the Elks Lodge #771. Prior to his retirement, he was the owner of DeToro Electric, Middletown Electric Supply and the Grog Shop. He was a Veteran of World War II, serving with the U.S. Army.

Besides his wife, he is survived by a son, Donald F., and his wife, Elsie DeToro of Middletown; three daughters and their spouses, Donna and K. James Malady III of North Bennington, Vt., Debra and Robert E. Langer of Killingworth and Judith and Thomas Rayno of New Hampshire; a sister, Dolores Scrivano of Middletown; six grandchildren, Donald M, Emily and Ann DeToro and Heidi, Thomas and Amy Rayno; two great-grandchildren, Katie and Derrick Ives; and also several nieces and nephews.
A Memorial mass will be celebrated Friday morning at 10 a.m. at St Pius X Church, Westfield St. Burial will be private and at the convenience of the family. Relatives and friends may call at the D'Angelo Funeral Home, 22 South Main St., Thursday from 6-8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Middlesex Hospital Hospice Unit, care of Dept. of Philanthropy, 28 Crescent St.

The Annual Town Picnic will take place Sunday, September 3, rain or shine from noon to 8:00 p.m. at the Deer Lake Scout Camp off River Road. Directions

*Food available for purchase all day or bring your own
*Activities for children of all ages (many free!)
*Rock climbing wall, pony rides, moon bounce
*Volleyball, horseshoes, fishing derby for kids under 12
*Raffles: Tea Cup & 50/50
*D.J. entertainment all day with contests and prizes
*Local business/organization displays

Premier Entertainment: Country rock band "To Dye For" will be on the main stage from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm

$5.00 per vehicle parking fee. For more information, call Liz Santamaria at 860-663-1673 Bring your family and friends and we'll see you there!!

The Haddam-Killingworth Girls Soccer Team is requesting HK Girls Soccer Alumnus to attend the 1st Annual Post-Turkey Day Alumni Game on Friday, November 24, 2006. This event will only take place if we receive enough participants. All who wish to dust off their cleats please call Coach – Eric Grant ASAP (860)729-1792

Well here we are - enjoying those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. Hopefully we have seen the last of those awful triple digit temperatures. You should all be enjoying those nice mornings in your garden.

As you browse through your garden you will want to be deadheading (cutting off dead blossoms) of your annuals and perennials. This will not only prevent re-seeding but your plants will look much nicer. Also in many plants this will promote re-flowering. You will also want to be cutting back all of the unattractive foliage on plants that are past their prime.(Brown stalks and leaves, etc.)

Do not prune landscape plants in August. Pruning encourages new growth which will not harden off before the first frost. It is always OK to prune off dead or diseased branches. Always make sure that you dispose of diseased branches somewhere other than your compost. There's more!

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

The national publicity of the Lamont-Lieberman Senate race brought out 58.3% of the 924 registered Democrats in today's primary races. Ned Lamont, the Greenwich businessman defeated incumbent Sen. Joseph Lieberman, 334 to 202 votes.

In the Democratic race for Governor, Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy and his running mate Mary Messina Glassman defeated New Haven's Mayor John DeStefano and his running mate Scott Silfka, 261 to 247. Glassman received 243 votes to 164 for Silfka.

Democratic Election Moderator Richard Albrecht said he was very pleased with the turnout. He said by 11:00 a.m. they had already surpassed the 2004 numbers. He also said that 50 unaffiliated voters and 6 Republicans turned out to vote but were turned away because it was not an open primary. Only registered Democrats were eligible to vote.

Statewide results are still pending.

Agenda
Special Meeting of the Board of Selectmen
Wednesday, August 9, 2006 at 7:00 p.m.
Town Office Building

1. Call to Order
2. Visitors: W. Adametz, Jr. - Public Works
3. Review of Charter
4. Authorization of Town Meeting
     Property Conveyance Green Hill Rd. & Route 81
5. Emergency Management/Tank Purchase Estimate
6. Purchase Order/All Committees
7. Executive Session: Discussion w/Walter Adametz, Jr.
     Re: Working as Interim Public Works Foreman
8. Adjournment
Agenda as of 11:20 a.m. Wednesday, 8/02/06
Printable version

The Pay As You Throw Committee has been conducting a trial program to test whether on-site compacting of newspaper and cardboard can save on trips to the regional processing center in Essex and therefore save the town money. The results from the first week are very encouraging and the PAYT Committee hopes that residents will continue to support the program.

This is the final week of the test. Newspaper and cardboard usually accepted in the collection bin will be crushed in the large 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 with the assistance of the PAYT Committee will redirect the cardboard and newspaper to the compactor for crushing. The PAYT Committee will present its results to the Board of Selectmen for its consideration to keep this as an ongoing program.

Based upon improved recycling and other steps during the past nine months, PAYT says its recommendations should result in a projected annual cost savings exceeding $10,000 at the Killingworth Transfer Station during the first year alone.

The Democratic Primary will take place on Tuesday, August 8. Every registered Democrat is eligible to vote. Anyone who is an unaffiliated voter, that is a voter not registered with a party, who wishes to participate on August 8, has until noon of Monday, August 7, at Town Hall, to affiliate with the Democratic Party and vote in the Primary.

On Tuesday, August 8 the polls will be open at the all-purpose room at KES from 6:00 am until 8:00 pm.

The Killingworth Scholarship Association, a committee of the Killingworth Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization, is pleased to announce the recipients of this year's awards: Chelsea Anderson, Jeffrey Chambers, Christopher DiStefano - (Kent T. Healy Scholarship, Christine Griswold (Kathy Weiss Scholarship),Alexandria Martindale, Mary McGrath, Patricia O'Sullivan - (Kathy Weiss Scholarship), Candice Rountree and Grant Salzano.

Each recipient is a resident of Killingworth. O'Sullivan and McGrath, graduated from Mercy High School. The other recipients are 2006 graduates of Haddam-Killingworth High School. Students will receive their award upon the successful completion of their first college semester. Prizes ranged from $500 to $1,000.

The Killingworth Scholarship Association has been recognizing students from Killingworth for more than 20 years and has awarded more than $50,000 in scholarships. Candidates are required to complete an application along with a handwritten essay. Candidates are then selected for a personal interview.

The Kathy Weiss Scholarship was established this past year in memory of Mrs. Weiss who was a teacher for many years in the Region 17 school District. The Scholarship is awarded to a student to students pursuing a degree in Education.

The Kent T. Healy Scholarship is awarded to a student pursuing a degree in political science or related area. Other recipients received scholarships from the general scholarship fund.

"We had an outstanding pool of candidates this year," notes President Nancy Dansereau. "It's a tribute to our school district, the students and their families, that the Killingworth Scholarship Association continues to be impressed with the caliber and qualifications of the recipients. "We are very grateful for the outstanding support from the community," Dansereau said. "The success of our fund-raising campaign really determines how many students we can recognize."

Community residents and local businesses contributed more than $5,700 to this year's scholarship fund. More than 70% of the tax-deductible donations came from individuals.

8.4.2006: Jeremy Rodgers, 23, of Durham lost control of his vehicle for unknown reason, rolled over and struck a utility pole on Rte 80. He was transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital for minor injuries.

8.3.2006: Scott Panzera, 36, of Ironworks Road was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and threatening. Bail was set at $2500.00 with a court date of 08.03.2006.

7.30.2006: Melissa Mclveen, 27, of Clinton was charged with DWI and failure to drive in the established lane. She was observed driving erratically on Rte. 81. When stopped, a field sobriety test was conducted in which she failed. She was placed into custody without further incident. Bail was set at $500.00 with a 08.07.2006 court date.

All reports are public record and available from the F Troop State Police Barracks. KillingworthToday.com is not responsible for errors or omissions.

After a year's hiatus, the Killingworth Road Race, sponsored by the Congregational Church in Killingworth, returned in full force. Eighty-eight runners competed in Saturday morning's race that looped the Killingworth countryside. State representative Brian O'Connor sent off the runners to the sound of the church's bells. To keep to the country tradition, the winners of each division won a blueberry pie.

Geoff Nelson, a 21-year-old New Fairfield resident and a senior on the cross country team at Syracuse University, won the race in 20:34.4. The top finishing woman was 39-year-old Daria Vander Veer from Middlefield who finished 11th overall in a time of 27:22.7. Nelson said he had a week off from his training and decided to look for a race. He said he thought the course was fast, especially the first two miles. Vander Veer said she occasionally looks for a race within 20 miles of her home in Middlefield so she can ride her bike to the race and then ride home.

Complete race results are available on the church website.

Women's Open winner Daria Vander Veer and Men's Open winner Geoff Nelson

To the Editor:
I wanted to take a moment and recognize a few people who recently devoted their time and efforts to help me resolve a tax overpayment issue. I would like to thank John Amport, Mike Board, Marty Klein, and Ruth Patrick, without their understanding and efforts I would not have been able to solve the issue and ultimately get a refund. All mentioned above were professional, timely, and responsive.

I felt compelled to write to you regarding an exhausting and painful experience I went through with the Killingworth Tax Accessor Donna Shanoff. I am a Killingworth resident and In May of 2006 I discovered I was being overcharged on my property tax bill, I contacted the tax accessor's office by mail requesting they look into my claim. When I received no response I sent a second letter one week later, again I received no response. I decided to send an email communication with return receipt request attaching my original document sent via the mail to ensure they were being received by Donna. Read more