The Haddam-Killingworth Recreation Department still has openings in children's swim lessons. Each session has a limited number of spots available for all levels of swimmers. Classes are conducted at the HK High School Pool and are for kids ages 4 and up (must be able to participate in a group instructional setting. Levels offered are Pre-Beginner, Beginner, Advanced Beginner, Intermediate, and Swimmer. Daytime lessons meet Monday through Friday. Dates and times are as follows:

Sessions 7 - 9: 7/21 – 8/1 9:00-9:40 am AND 9:50-10:30 am
Sessions 10- 12: 8/4 - 8/8 9:00-9:40 am AND 9:50-10:30 am

The fee is $70 ($60 with new pool membership) and $80 for non-residents for sessions 7 - 9. Sessions 10 - 12 are $35 ($30 with new pool membership) and $45 for non-residents.

Please call 345-8334 for more information, availability, and to register.

According to the Hartford Courant, the office of the A.A. Zanardi Paving and Excavating Co. in Chester was destroyed late Wednesday afternoon by a fire of undetermined origin.

Dan and Dean Zanardi, the brothers who co-own the 77-year-old company, were at the scene Thursday afternoon. Dan Zanardi said the company lost six computers, and records dating back to the 1920s.

The fire, in a former barn that the company converted to an office a decade ago, was reported at 5:15 p.m by a neighbor across the street. James Grzybowski, deputy chief of the Chester Hose Company, said the structure was fully involved "with fire blowing through a hole in the front," when firefighters arrived.

Grzybowski said Chester volunteers received mutual aid from firefighters from Deep River, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Old Saybrook and Middletown's South District fire departments. He said about 45 firefighters were on the scene for nearly three hours.

To the Editor:
As I write this letter, I am saddened and outraged that the "Freedom Bell" at Burr District Elementary School, Higganum was stolen recently. The bell was donated by Burr PTO in honor of Flag Day 2002. The individuals who stole this bell should be ashamed of themselves. The bell represents freedom for our students, staff, and families. The PTO worked hard to raise the money to purchase the bell that was rung at different times during the year. It has been there for 6 years and not touched.

If the individuals who took the bell still have it in their possession, please return it. I know it is a long shot but, do the right thing. This world is upside down at the moment with theft, violence and the threat of terrorism. It deeply saddens me that the bell was taken to get money for it because of what metal the bell was made from. I hope the bell is found and returned but that is probably highly unlikely. We try to teach our children right from wrong and teach traditions for them to remember. That was what the bell for Flag Day 2002 was about: traditions and teaching our children about Flag Day and what it means for all of us.

We need everyone's help in hopefully finding the bell and getting it back to the bell house. If anyone knows anything about the recent disappearance of the "Freedom Bell", please contact the authorities.
Elaine Jackson
Higganum

Rev. Daniel F. McGrath, 83, retired pastor of St. John Roman Catholic Church in Cromwell, died peacefully Tuesday, (July 8, 2008) at St. Francis Hospital, Hartford. Father McGrath was born in Hartford, January 8, 1925, son of the late Daniel F. Sr. and Mary Katherine (McHugh) McGrath. Father McGrath attended St. Augustine School, Hartford, and was a Graduate of Bulkeley High School, Hartford, and Villanova University. He attended Holy Apostle Seminary, Cromwell, and Christ the King Seminary, St. Bonaventure, Olean, NY. Father McGrath began his appointments at St. Joseph Church, Chester, and then went on to become the Principal at Mercy High School, Middletown. After Mercy High, he became the Chaplain at Cenacle Retreat House, Middletown, then went on to be the Pastor of St. Lawrence Church in Killingworth, and in 1984, Pastor of St. John Church in Cromwell until his retirement. He was an avid golfer and long time member of the Wethersfield Country Club. He was a Navy Veteran of World War II serving in the Pacific Theatre. Father McGrath is survived by a sister, Mary McGrath, of Rocky Hill; and many cousins. Relatives, friends, and parishioners may pay their respects to Father McGrath Friday, July 11, from 3-6 p.m. in the Farley Sullivan Funeral Home, 34 Beaver Road, Wethersfield. His body will be received in St. John Church, at 7 p.m. and will lie in state until a Parish Mass is celebrated at 7:30 p.m., Friday evening. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday July 12, at 10:30 a.m. at St. John Church, 5 St. John Court, Cromwell - by Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, Bishop of Norwich. Interment will follow in the family plot in Section T of Mount St. Benedict Cemetery, 1 Cottage Grove Road, Bloomfield. Donations may be made in honor of Father McGrath to: Mercy High School Endowment Trust Fund, 201 Broadway, Norwich, CT 06360 or Holy Apostle Seminary, 33 Prospect Hill Road, Cromwell, CT 06416. For information and to leave online condolences please visit www.farleysullivan.com

According to www.wtnh.com, the Coast Guard has suspended its search for a Clinton sailor that fell overboard in Rhode Island waters Monday night. It happened near the junction of the Sakonnet River and Mount Hope Bay around 5 p.m.

Bernard Mochan, 65, apparently was knocked out of the 32-foot sailboat when a wave hit it. His wife Melinda reported the accident and says he was not wearing a life jacket. Mochan is a deacon and choir member at the Killingworth Congregational Church.

A search by air and by sea has only turned up Mochan's shoe and hat.
Click here to watch wtnh.com video report. UPDATE 7/11: According to reports, firefighters in Rhode Island have retrieved the body of a man found floating in the Sakonnet River not far from where Mochan fell overboard this week and went missing. The state medical examiner and police from the Department of Environmental Management are trying to identify the man.

HK Middle School seventh grade student Zack Roth recently returned from a five day New England Patriots / Matt Light football camp in Norton, MA. Roth earned the Outstanding Linebacker Award for the 2008 camp. This award is given to the top linebacker in each age group based on hard work and outstanding ability demonstrated during the week. Roth was chosen from a field of more than fifty potential candidates and was presented the award by Matt Light, 2008 Pro Bowl OT for the New England Patriots.

Registration for Fall Baseball and Softball will begin tonight, July 10 and run through August 1. The teams will be limited to a MAXIMUM of 12 players each. Teams will be formed based on the enrollment as of the close of registration. Registration can be made in person tonight, July 10 from 5 - 9:00 pm at the Killingworth Firehouse or by mailing the registration form (available at KYLbaseball.org). The cost is $50 per player. Please make checks payable to KYL. Please check our website for more information.

The Fall Ball season for 8 - 11 year-olds will start on August 18th with games commencing at the beginning of September and running through October. Each team will generally play two games a weekend and practice two nights a week. There is some travel involved to surrounding towns.

Killingworth Library and Brainerd Library celebrate the Summer Reading Program "Catch the Reading Bug" tonight with Stuart Woronecki, owner of Stonewall Apiary.

Woronecki will introduce children ages 5 and older to the exciting world of bee keeping. The program takes place tonight, July 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the Brainerd Library in Haddam. Come meet the queen, see a real live beehive, beekeeping tools, an actual child-size bee suit and of course free samples of honey!

Community theater returns to Killingworth again this summer with Artful Living's production of BIG - The Musical. Coming off of two outstanding productions with the middle school students and the community production of Oliver! last summer, Chris Solimene is certainly on a roll. Cast with area adults, teens and children this musical is sure to delight all audiences. The performances will be held at HK Middle School on July 24, 25 and 26 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday July 27 at 3:00 p.m. Advanced tickets and information are available at www.KillingworthToday.com/big. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children under 12.

Big - The Musical, a story made famous by the Tom Hanks movie is about a child who makes a wish to be grown, and upon fulfillment of this wish, sees first-hand the pressures of the adult world while offering us the rare glimpse of adulthood through the eyes of a child, reminding us that some of our "childlike" qualities are best to keep.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of BIG, the movie we all remember with pre-Forrest Gump Tom Hanks playing on a giant piano at FAO Schwartz.

With upbeat musical numbers, a full orchestra, a funny and witty script and cast of more than 100 actors (young and old), Artful Living Productions is counting on another smash hit. Plan on being amazed at the level of talent this community theatre has to offer.

The Killingworth Boys Minor League All-Star team completed divisional play last weekend with a, 8-2, victory against the Cromwell All-Stars to advance to the District 9 semifinals. The team consisting of 9 and 10-year-old players advanced from divisional play with a 3-1 overall record. After a tough, 2-1, loss in the first game, the team rebounded with three straight wins against the Haddam, Madison (American) and Cromwell All-Stars. The games have been typified by strong pitching, crisp fielding and an overall complete team effort. Of the 17 towns that make up District 9, only teams from Killingworth, Essex, Guilford, and Madison (National) have moved on to the semi-finals to be played tonight, Wednesday at 5:30 pm at Durham's Strong School/Coginchaug High School.

Photo courtesy J. Figurelli

Middlesex Community College (MxCC) is pleased to announce that 13 students from Killingworth qualified for placement on the spring 2008 Dean's List. MxCC congratulates Patricia Brown, Joan Darling, Jessica Jackson, Michael Kisner, Iwona Libicka, Corinne Molsberry-Foss, Jeffrey Novak, Christopher Salafia, Stacy Sodergren, Stephen Tentinger, Elise Thomson, Daniel Ward and Adam Wing for their outstanding academic accomplishments.

To qualify for the Dean's List students must have successfully completed 12 credits and maintained a 3.4 grade point average or better for the semester.

The Haddam Lions Club will hold its annual "ROLLIN' ON THE RIVER" CAR SHOW on Sunday, July 13, from 9:-- a.m.-2:00 p.m. Car Classes start with 1932 and the "Showcase" Class this year features Firebirds and Trans-Ams. Also on display will be pre '84 Military,Police, Fire and Ambulance vehicles.

Rollin' on the River takes place at Haddam Meadows State Park, Rte.154 (Saybrook Road) Haddam CT. Food and soft drinks will be available, music will be provided and a swap meet will be held on the grounds.. This is a great family destination!
Spectator donation is $3.00. For further information on entry/vendor/swap meet fees call Paul at 345-2615 or Kevin at 345.3949

Take this opportunity to free yourself from some of the things that you are not really using and at the same time help us to make the 49th Country Fair at the Congregational Church in Killingworth a success.

We are in need of items for our Silent Auction as well as for our White Elephant Sale that will take place on August 2, 2008 on the Church Grounds.

Please contact the Church Office on phone (860) 663-1789 for drop-offs or pick-ups.

Looking for motivation to get into better physical condition? Start training for the August 2nd Killingworth Road Race now! You have just enough time to get in shape for the beautiful, mostly flat 4-mile run through Killingworth. The race begins at the Congregational Church and loops through some scenic roads. There will be timed miles, water stops, and the ever popular blueberry pies for category winners! T-shirts for the first 130 runners to register. For more information or to register visit www.killingworthchurch.org/roadrace.html

Cheryl Chandler, Executive Director of Youth & Family Services of Haddam-Killingworth, would like to recognize the 51 Volunteers who helped facilitate the 51 prevention activities the Healthy Communities Healthy Kids Coalition promoted this year.

The volunteers were: Andy Buccaro, Richard Cabral, Betsy Chadwick, Cheryl Chandler, Jim Connelly, Tara Cordner, Laura Crowley, Ashley Cunningham, Mary Drexler, Carol Dupuis, Peter Ettinger, Tammy Eustis, Steve Ferjack, Doris Fraser, MaryAnn Grimaldi, Cathering Iino, Linda Kauffman, Mary Keithan, Hilary Kumnick, Larry Leone, Catherine LeVasseur, Gary Mala, Dave Matthews, Jeff Mazzetta, Matt McEwen, Catherine McGuire, Donna Montelle, Tanja Moriarty, Amy Mueller, Ernie Nagler, John O'Leary, Ann O'Mara, Nichole Pedonti, Gail Rosenberg-Powell, Wanda Sass, Divinna Schmitt, Andrea Schull, Peg Scofield, Kerry Smith, Frank Sparks, Diane Stock, Kaitlin Sullivan-Freimuth, Doug Sumner, Meghan Sumner, Michael Susi, Judy Tripodi, Chad Vanderburgh, Matt Ward, Stephanie Warren, John Westerholm & Joan Wilson.

The activities were: NYC Student Trip (YIA), Scare Tactics Seminar, "Chronically Inflexible Children" Program (Parent), Drinking Age Debate Broadcast, Dance (SADD), CADCA Conference, Strategic Plan Development, Project Courage Presentation (Marijuana Info.), Monthly Outreach Committee Meetings, Stress Management Workshop (MCSAAC), Bake Sale (GLASS), DFC Grant Application, Asset Mapping Participant, Relay for Life, MADD Youth Power Camp (SADD), HC-HK Logo, Oliver! Community Theatre Support, Web Page Updates, Pumpkin Run, "What is the House Party Law" Presentation, Habitat for Humanity, Dodge Ball (YIA), Skate Park Initiative Support, Problem Gambling Presentation (CCPG), Parent-Child Dance Chaperones (KWO), Bake Sale (SADD), Mini Grants, United Way Workshops, HC-HK Mission Statement, True Colors Conference Support (GLASS), KES Playground Fundraising (KWO & PTO), Mentoring Program Support, Hunger Banquet (YIA), Frisbee Golf Course Pre-Planning (Parent), KW Community Gardens at Parmelee Farm, Dance (YIA), 3, 2, 1 Community Read, Mock Car Crash (SADD), Advisor-Advisee Program Support, "Alcohol", "Violence" & "Time Alone at Home" Sub-Committees, Underage Drinking Conference, Prevention Council Name Change (HC-HK), Internet Safety Program Support, National Mentoring Month Gathering, Community Night & Underage Drinking Skit, "Message for the Holidays" Bag Project (SADD), Community Information Sign (KWO), Search Workshop, Non-Alcoholic Recipe Distribution, & "Kick-Butts/National Smoke-Out" (SADD).

Sunday June 29:
• 10:42 AM: Medical emergency, Route 81
Wednesday July 2:
• 7:31 AM: Medical emergency, Route 81
• 10:53 AM: Outside smoke investigation, North Parker Hill Rd
• 4:59 PM: Fire alarm, Route 148
• 6:50 PM: Medical emergency, Parker Hill Rd
Thursday July 3:
• 2:44 PM: Mutual aid to Clinton, Structure fire, Glenwood Rd
• 4:36 PM: Motor vehicle accident, Route 148
Saturday July 5:
• 4:50 PM: Medical emergency, Green Hill Rd

Through the generosity of parishioners Carolyn & Norman Picard, the St. Lawrence Parish now has level surface and kneeler for prayer before the church's monument to the unborn. One day while praying in the roadway before the monument, Norman was inspired to create a kneeler. He ordered granite from China to compliment the monument and colorful plants to surround the setting. With the aid of a few friends, Norman constructed a beautiful addition to St. Lawrence Parish.

There was a dedication ceremony for the kneeler on June 29. Fr. Bob Buongirno and Deacon Bob Ferraro officiated.

Carolyn and Norman Picard with Pastor Fr. Bob Buongirno. Photo courtesy M. Russo

Governor M. Jodi Rell announced that the state is now accepting applications for the Charter Oak Health Plan. The plan provides affordable health care for Connecticut's uninsured adults who are too old for HUSKY but too young for Medicare. It is the first health plan in the nation for the uninsured that does not require income limits, employer mandates or individual mandates.

"For employees of small businesses, people between jobs, young graduates and early retirees, affordable health care has been out of reach," Governor Rell said. "The Charter Oak Health Plan changes that dynamic. People have been crying out for this plan with calls and emails to my office asking when Charter Oak will become available. I am pleased to say that day has finally come.

"For the first time, Connecticut residents who are not able to get health insurance through their jobs will have access to decent, affordable coverage. In the absence of a national health policy, Connecticut is stepping up in a big way to cover our uninsured. Charter Oak is cost effective for both enrollees and taxpayers and meets a critical need for state residents. I urge all eligible residents to apply as soon as possible."

The Governor announced that a new toll free hotline, 1-877-77-CTOAK (1-877-772-8625), has been set up for the public to get more information about Charter Oak. The line will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. More information and applications can be found at www.charteroakhealthplan.com.