Haddam-Killingworth High School Principal Charles Macunas has announced the Second Quarter Honor Roll for the 2007-2008 school year. Find the complete list here.

"If everyone does a little......"
Can you contribute just a bit of your time?
Are you looking for a venue for your creative talents?
If that's the case, the Haddam Killingworth High School Project Graduation committee is looking for you!

The Class of 2008 is hoping to have a Graduation night to remember for years, and you can help achieve this. This substance-free night of celebration requires many hands and lots of creative ideas. If you have just a little time to offer, please join us in this endeavor and call Trish or Sue at the number below.

The next three meetings will take place on Tuesday, February 12, 2008, March 11, 2008, and April 8, 2008, at 7:00pm in the Lower Media Center. Please stop in. We need your help! General Comments/Questions: Trish Hatin 663-3451 (trishhatin@sbcglobal.net)or Sue Craffey 3453908 (jcraffey@snet.net)

On Monday, February 11th from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. the Middletown Vocational Agriculture Program will present an adult education program in the Vo-Ag Building at Middletown High School.

Why we can't rely on Fossil Fuels... Going off the grid is the wave of the future! Christine Woodside, local author of The Homeowner's Guide to Energy Independence will speak on the highlights of her book, the current trends in fossil fuel production and energy independence.

The program is free and all are welcome, please call 860-704-4599 or email Courtney Johnson at johnsonc@mps1.org to let us know you are coming!

FYI: If Middletown Public Schools are closed for the day or dismissed early due to weather, the session will be canceled.

HK Sports: The HK Girls Basketball team defeated Hale-Ray, 57-18, last night at the fieldhouse. Deanna Loso led the Cougars with 17 followed by Jordan Schultz with 14. HK is 11-7 on the year.

To meet the growing needs of Killingworth, Lyme and Old Lyme, the Estuary Transit District has revamped its Dial-A-Ride service. Residents in these towns are now given priority in scheduling.

Regardless of age or physical ability, any resident of the nine town region may schedule transportation from their home to any destination within the district. Reservations may be made up to a week in advance and subscription service is available for frequent travelers. There are no limitations to the number of trips taken and rides can be scheduled for any purpose.

Dial-A-Ride is a "curb to curb" service. Our drivers are trained to assist everyone and are sensitive to the special needs of our riders, but they cannot leave passengers alone on the buses or leave the vehicles unattended. Curb to curb service does not mean that individuals must wait outside or along the road. Passengers simply need to wait in a safe location where they can see the bus when it arrives and buses will wait up to five minutes for passengers to board. Those in need of special help may be accompanied by a personal care attendant who may ride free. All of the 9-Town buses are wheelchair accessible. Fares are $2.50 for each one way trip. Seniors over the age of 60 pay $1.25 or 1/2 the price. Riders may purchase multi trip tickets that can be used on all of our buses at $11.50 per ticket; $6.00 for seniors. One bus is available Monday through Friday for six hours daily. Eighty-three percent of the costs for this service are financed by the State and Federal Governments. The ETD currently provides Dial-A-Ride services for an estimated annual cost to the towns of $8,708 or $4.70 per hour of service.

We at ETD wish to raise awareness of access to public transit and introduce the 9 Town Transit services to those who haven't ridden our buses. We will develop the program to meet new demands and provide additional hours at a later date as funding allows. Call us at 860-395-0891 to learn how to get from here to there!

The Killingworth Women's Organization-GFWC, Inc. will host Philip Parda, Founder and President of Zhong Guo Cha (ZGC or Middle Kingdom Tea), a wholesale tea import business, at its February meeting. Parda is a Killingworth resident and has spent over 30 years learning about tea and enjoying its many benefits. In 2004, he launched ZGC, a tea company specializing in the selection, importation and wholesaling of fine loose-leaf tea from China, Japan, Taiwan and Nepal. He is a regular guest speaker and teacher at the Specialty Tea Institute's tea certification courses; a guest lecturer at a wide variety of tea expos and healthy living seminars throughout the country; and an active leader in regional tea tastings. Parda will provide expert information on tea, health benefits and Asian culture.

The meeting, which will be held Wednesday, February 13 at 7:15 p.m. at the Killingworth Library, is open to the public, but space is limited and reservations are necessary to ensure that there is enough for everyone to enjoy. Anyone interested in attending should call Heather Temple at (860) 663-2458 or by email at fringe62@comcast.net.

The KWO is a local group of philanthropic women volunteers dedicated to helping others in our town and to maintaining a network of women to build a stronger sense of community for ourselves and others. For more information on joining the KWO, please e-mail membership@killingworthwomensorg.org or visit our website at www.killingworthwomensorg.org.

The Haddam-Killingworth Recreation Department is offering Acting Classes for children grades K - 6. This program will be held on Tuesdays, February 12th - April 1 (No 2/19) at the HK High School Cafeteria. Children in grades K-2 will meet from 4:15 - 5:00 pm and children in grades 3 - 6 will meet from 5:05 - 6 pm. The fee is $90 (non-residents add $10). This multi-faceted program includes theatre games, concentration exercises, creative movement, imagination play, sense work, and basic stage skills. This workshop will focus on developing each child's creativity and self-confidence.

HK Rec is also offering Broadway Jazz for children in grades K - 6. This program will be held on Thursdays, February 14th - April 3rd (No 2/19) at the HK High School Cafeteria. Children in grades K - 2 will meet from 4:00 - 4:55 pm and children in grades 3 - 6 will meet from 5 - 5:55 pm. The fee is $90 (non-residents add $10). Students in this class will be introduced to basic styles of jazz dance and movement. Participants will learn dance combinations to "Broadway" musical theater songs and also work on "acting" while they dance! This will be an exciting, fun, and highly charged class; which will have an informal showing on the last day! Please wear jazz shoes or sneakers.

Two Haddam-Killingworth Cheerleaders were selected to be a part of the All Shoreline Conference Cheer team. The team is made up of twenty cheerleaders chosen from the Shoreline Basketball Conference. The girls tried out in five elements: cheer, chant, dance, jumps and interview. Based on the top scores the top ten are chosen for the First Team and the second ten chosen for the Second Team. The All Conference Cheer Squad will perform at the girls basketball shoreline final on Friday February 22nd., then at the boys basketball shoreline final on Friday February 29th. At the boy's final they will be recognized with plaques for the First Team and with certificates for the Second Team. Congratulations to H-K Cougar cheer captains Kelcey Bartolotta and Camille Kostek both sophomores who were chosen for First Team.

State Sen. Ed Meyer who has been vice-chairman of the Environment Committee for the past three years, was appointed earlier this week as Senate Chairman of the Environment Committee upon the retirement of former state Sen. Bill Finch of Bridgeport.

Overlooking the beach and Long Island Sound at the Meigs' Point Pavilion at Hammonasset State Park, surrounded by representatives from over a dozen state environmental organizations and flanked by Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. and Kiki Kennedy of the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, Sen. Meyer called for "a new day for the environment of Connecticut" and issued a 5-point plan that he said he will pursue as Senate chairman of the Environment Committee.

"I pledge to work tirelessly on behalf of Connecticut's environment, from the Massachusetts border to Long Island Sound and everywhere in-between," Sen. Meyer said. "Living on the shore, I have a great respect for Connecticut's natural beauty. But that beauty and the quality of life that it provides are under attack on several fronts. I want a new day for the environment of Connecticut."

Sen. Meyer called for:

• Doing a better job of balancing business and economic growth with protecting Connecticut's environment. "Economic growth, as important as it is, should always consistent with a sound environment," he said.


• Performing an immediate review of the approximately 108 state companies that have permits to discharge into Connecticut's waterways. "We need to get serious about this pollution. We need desperately to strengthen the state Department of Environmental Protection," Sen. Meyer said. "I don't think there's anything more important that the Environment Committee of the General Assembly of Connecticut can do than to bring about stronger enforcement by the DEP. I'm very concerned about this being a dysfunctional agency. We need to build it, strengthen it, and reorganize it if necessary."


• Increasing Connecticut's recycling efforts. "Only 30 percent of our waste is recycled," Sen. Meyer said, noting he would support expanding Connecticut's bottle bill and looking at so-called single-stream recycling.


• Increasing state investments in clean energy technology, such as fuel cells.


• Publicly declaring as state policy that there is such an event as global warming. "Connecticut needs to publicly recognize that there is indeed climate change on this planet and in this state, and that we are going to have to have a plan to deal with that," Sen. Meyer said.

In the Presidential Primary held yesterday, Killingworth's registered Democrats narrowly chose Sen. Barack Obama (345) over Sen. Hillary Clinton (325) and registered Republicans chose Sen. John McCain (238) overwhelmingly over former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney (140). Obama received 51.5 percent of the vote to Clinton's 47.6 percent. McCain received 55 percent to Romney's 32.3 percent.

It was a strong turnout for both parties with 64.4 percent of the 1060 registered Democrats voting and 40.5 percent of the 1069 registered Republicans. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee came in a distant third with 38 votes on the Republican side and Democrat John Edwards who announced last week his withdrawal from the race received 8 votes to place third.

Gary Yohe, professor of economics at Wesleyan University and a co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his work on Climate Change, will speak at the Haddam-Killingworth Middle School (HKMS) auditorium on Wednesday, February 27, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. The other co-recipient was former U.S. Vice President Al Gore.

In his presentation "Stories from the Climate Wars," Mr. Yohe will describe his experiences as a lead author of a major United Nations Climate Change report including his experiences with turf wars across scientific disciplines and extraordinary behaviors of certain countries during the governmental approval process. In addition, Mr. Yohe will speak about the anticipated global impacts of climate change, including impacts likely to be experienced in New England, and ongoing policy discussions on global, national, and regional levels.

Mr. Yohe's appearance is presented by the Regional School District 17 Alternative Energy Task Force and is free and open to the public.

Regional School District 17 will hold public inputs sessions tonight and Thursday to solicit thoughts, comments and input to the 2008-2009 school budget.

The school board and school superintendent will listen to public concerns tonight at 7:00 p.m. in the library at Haddam-Killingworth Middle School and at 7 p.m. on Thursday in the central office board room. The central office is in the former middle school building.

To the Editor:
I can't believe all those signs on Green Hill Road. As a 38 year resident, I too have noticed the increase in those information signs, like, stop, watch for children, slow, curve ahead, blind driveway, speed limit, etc. Actually the stop sign coming out of old Chittenden Rd at Green Hill was long overdue as it was one of the most dangerous in town due to the speed of drivers going all the way to Madison.

Mrs. Perry, drive slow, START looking at the road ahead instead of safety signs.

Jerry Lucas

The Haddam-Killingworth Recreation Department sponsored a local Hotshot Contest on Sunday, January 13th. There were 15 participants. The results of the contest are as follows:
Claire Dougherty was the winner of the Girls 9-10 year old division with 61 points.
Lizzy Anderson was the winner of the Girls 11-12 year old division with 60 points.
Patrick O'Leary was the winner of the Boys 9-10 year old division with 94 points.
Torren Callender was the winner of the Boys 11-12 year old division with 97 points.
Patrick Doughery was the winner of the Boys 13-15 year old division with 88 points.

These players advanced to the county level held at Culter Middle School in Groton Friday, February 1st. They competed against other local winners from surrounding towns (East Hampton, Colchester, East Haddam and Groton). HK had two winners (Patrick O'Leary and Claire Dougherty) who will advance to the State level of the Contest on February 9th in East Hampton. Torren Callender and Lizzie Anderson both came in 2nd for the 11-12 year olds.

This recreational program is designed to promote basketball enthusiasm as much as basketball skill, fun, physical fitness, friendship and good sportsmanship. Each player has three one-minute rounds to shoot from "hotspots" placed on one half of the court. The contest challenges a player's speed, shooting, dribbling, and rebounding ability. The Hotshot Contest is sponsored by the Connecticut Recreation and Parks Association (CRPA), Mr. Trophy, the East Hampton Parks and Recreation Department, and the Haddam-Killingworth Recreation Department.

The Killingworth Scholarship Association is offering scholarships to graduating high school seniors who are residents of Killingworth. Applications must be submitted by e-mail and are available through our webpage at www.KillingworthToday.com/KSA. The application deadline is March 31st.

The application process involves completion of a questionnaire and an essay, followed by an interview for promising candidates. Interviews will be held in late April and early May.

The Killingworth Scholarship Association has awarded over $85,000 to many outstanding students over the last two decades. Each year, the committee, which consists of community volunteers, reviews applications from an impressive group of young men and women. Based on their academic achievement, character, leadership skills, and participation in school and community activities, the committee selects several students for the scholarships. Income is not a consideration. The amount of each scholarship varies depending on both the number of successful applicants and the amount of money contributed.

If you are interested in supporting our students, please send your tax-deductible contribution to: The Killingworth Scholarship Association, Inc., c/o Robin Chasse, Treasurer, PO Box 653, Killingworth, CT 06419.

To the Editor:
In the past I have read and responded to the concerns of our local "traffic committee". Some concerns of course are justified, others seem excessive, and in my opinion, upset the rural flavor of our town.

On Saturday, I needed to travel to Route 1 in Madison. I decided to take Green Hill Road all the way to Copse Road in Madison. As I was driving along, I realized that I was seeing many more "traffic" signs than usual and I was disturbed by the unsightly condition of our country road as a result. It was very obvious to me as I drove into Madison, that there were significantly less traffic signs along their portion of Green Hill Road. On the return trip I decided that I would make an effort to count the signs on both sides of the road and keep track of the miles I traveled. I would like to share with the Killingworth community my findings. Read more

HK Sports: In a tightly contested meet, the H-K Boys Track and Field team came in 2nd place at the Shoreline Championship Track and Field meet. Entering the last few events of the meet several points behind Old Saybrook, the Cougars suffered a disqualification and a dropped baton and ultimately lost to Old Saybrook, 93-75. Although disappointed with the final score, Coach Matt Diglio said the boys had an outstanding all around team performance and were proud of their effort and determination. Leading the meet off was the 4x800 relay team of Kevin Allison, Jason Funaro, Paul Massicott and Wyatt Haynosch who placed 2nd in a time of 8:44. Sophomore Chris Pfrommer then continued his season long improvement in the 55 hurdles to place 6th in a time of 9.30. In the 600 meter run, Mike Waterbury placed 2nd in a time of 1:27.17- just missing the school record. Kevin Allison! then ran a personal best time of 4:43 in the 1600 to place 3rd in that event. In the Sprint Medley Relay, the team of Dave Bartllata, Ray Cerino, Brad Boulay and Waterbury ran a gutsy race to place 2nd with a 3:52. Junior Matt O'Brien contributed 16 points to the team total by placing 2nd in the 300 in 37.20 and 2nd in the long jump with a jump of 19'10". In the 3200, Jason Funaro picked up another 2nd place running a time of 10:21. Capping off the scoring for the boys team was Derrick Weiss in the Shot Put who threw a seasonal best of 45'4" to place 2nd and Dave Bartollata in the Pole Vault who cleared 9'6" to also place 2nd and score 8 points for the team.

On the girls side, the HK team performed extremely well in an extremely close meet with Old Saybrook, East Hampton and Morgan. When the final points were tallied, the girls team ended up in 3rd place with 76 pts. just 13 behind the winning team of Old Saybrook. Placing first for the girls and earning All-Conference accolades was Hannah Donadio in the 600 with a time of 1:43 and setting a school record in that event; Courtney Hannen in the Shot Put with a throw of 33'9" and the Sprint Medley Relay team of Siobhan Blancaflor, Mary Dornfeld, Caroline McManus and Jess Moore who placed first with a time of 4:40. Other girls contributing points to the team were: McManus who placed 5th in the 55 hurdles in 9.68, Blancaflor coming in 4th in the 55 dash (7.83), Gaby Haynosch placing 2nd in the 600 in a time of 1:46, Moore running a time of 3:15 to take 2nd in the 1000 and Amy Chamberlain taking 4th in the 3200 (12:32). Besides winning the 600, senior Hannah Donadio also placed 5th in the long jump (15'4") and 4th in the 300 meters in a time of 44.64. Finally, the girls 4x400 relay team of Moore, Dornfeld, McManus and Haynosch placed second running 4:24.

The Killingworth Lions Club has donated $10,000 to the Killingworth Foundation to help start this important new organization. According to Lions Club president Dan Civiello, the Board of Directors and membership voted unanimously to make the largest single contribution in its 37-year history. The Lions Club, according to Civiello, is proud of its history of helping start new service organizations in town, including Youth and Family Services and the Friendly Fund, and continues to contribute to these and many other local organizations, and this gift is in that tradition.

The Killingworth Foundation was incorporation in 2007 as a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation, organized to provide continuity and flexibility in philanthropic support for the citizens and community of Killingworth. Donors can make unrestricted gifts, like the Lions Club donation, or restricted gifts, ranging from endowments for scholarships to funds for the advancement of particular interests or organizations. All gifts are fully tax-deductible.

The Foundation will provide seed money for new services and will fill needs not being met by other organizations or sources. Any tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization recognized by the Internal Revenue Service may apply for support from the Foundation for specific projects. Likewise, Killingworth high school seniors may apply for scholarship funds which will be made to the institution in which the student enrolls.

For more information or donations, please contact The Killingworth Foundation at P. O. Box 621, Killingworth, CT 06419 or thekillingworthfoundation@live.com.

Sunday January 27:
• 8:16 AM: Medical emergency, Boulder Trl
• 9:08 PM: Inside smoke investigation / Structure fire, Victoria Dr
Tuesday January 29:
• 1:37 AM: Fire alarm, Route 81
• 2:42 PM: Medical emergency, Route 81
• 4:37 PM: Medical emergency, Swan Lake Trl
Thursday January 31:
• 2:39 PM: Medical emergency, North Roast Meat Hill Rd
• 2:51 PM: Outside fire, Chestnut Hill Rd
Friday February 1:
• 12:06 PM: Mutual aid to Chester, Structure fire, Wig Hill Rd
• 12:30 PM: Fire alarm, Roast Meat Hill Rd
• 1:45 PM: Carbon monoxide investigation, Chestnut Hill Rd
• 10:56 PM: Structure fire, Pond Meadow Rd

The Killingworth Volunteer Fire Company Auxiliary invites you to join us. We meet the second Tuesday night of each month at the Fire House and support the Fire Company in a variety of ways. Primarily, we remain available to assist the firefighters by being prepared to provide appropriate refreshments during fires. In addition, we assist at the annual auction by donating time and baked goods. Among other social gatherings, we also organize the annual Christmas party for the children of the KVFC and auxiliary members. For more information, please contact Gloria Manware at 663-3858 or Jamie Young at 663-5466.

Town of Killingworth
Notice of Special Town Meeting

The Electors of the Town of Killingworth and all those qualified to vote in meetings of said Town are hereby notified and warned that a Special Town Meeting will be held at the Killingworth Fire House, 333 Route 81, Killingworth, on Thursday, February 7, 2008 at 8 p.m., to consider and act upon the following items of business:

1. To consider and act upon a request in the amount of $254,156 to cover the balance of the purchase price for the Fire Department's Attack Pumper. Funds to come from the Undesignated Capital Reserve Balance, for the Killingworth Volunteer Fire Department's Attack Pumper Fire Truck.

2. To approve and accept the Annual Report of the Board of Finance for fiscal year 2006 - 2007.

Dated at Killingworth, Connecticut this 28th day of January, 2008.