HKHS Project Graduation's committee meetings will be held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00pm in the Lower Media Center of the high school. January 13, February 10, and March 10, are the next three meeting dates. The Project Grad Committee would like to welcome Joan Cizek and Stacey Grimaldi as our new Food Committee Chair people. Please contact Stacey at ssgrimaldi@comcast.net if you are able to volunteer your time to help pick up and deliver food the night of Project Graduation.

The Project Graduation Committee is looking for a person(s) to chair the Fund Raising Committee for next year after the retirement of two dedicated and hard-working women, Lisa Weise and Cathy Cavanaugh. If you are interested in this position, please contact Kaycee Blancaflor at kccallahan@uks.com. Hope to see you at the next meeting!

The Lutheran Nursery School of Madison, 9 Britton Lane, is accepting registrations for the 2009-2010 school year. We are dedicated to providing a warm and nurturing environment for three, four and pre-k classes. It is a place where children love to go to learn. Lunch bunch and extended day program provided. For more information or to request a brochure and/or admissions packet please call Susan Rozelle, Director at 245-8784.

Registration Date is January 16 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and is open to the public. Registration fee and one-month tuition are due upon registration.

Class Schedules:
Three-Year Olds: Tues./ Thurs - 9:00-11:30
Four-Year Olds: Mon./Wed./Fri. - 9:00-11:30
Pre-K: Mon./Wed./Thurs/Fri. - 12:30-3:00

Registration for students who will be entering kindergarten in Regional District #17 schools in 2009 will be held on Thursday, January 22nd, from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Friday, January 23rd, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Children do not need to be present at the time of registration.

Pupils eligible to enter kindergarten in 2009 must reach their fifth birthday by December 31, 2009. Birth certificates must be presented before students start school. Please bring them at the time of registration if possible. Parent orientation and school visitation dates will be provided at registration.

HK Sports: The HKHS Girls Basketball defeated Valley Regional last night, 62-31. Eight different Cougars got on the scoreboard led by Deanna Loso with 16 points, Shelby VanHuysen with 15 and Emily Anderson with 12. Allie Rand chipped in with 7, Lauren Muise and Ashley Cook had 4 each and Carley Mooney and Cloe Savino each scored 2. Loso also made 3 steals and Muise and Anderson had 6 rebounds each. The HK JV won a come from behind thriller 52-49. JV was led by Cook's 16 points and Savino's 14.

Attention all parents of elementary, middle and high school students... You are invited to hear a very special presentation that may save the lives of young children in our communities!

The Courage to Speak Foundation, Inc. is dedicated to fulfilling its mission of "saving lives by empowering youth to be drug free". The organization was founded in 1997, shortly after Ginger and Larry Katz lost their son, Ian, to a drug overdose. Since then, The Courage to Speak Foundation, Inc. has been dedicated to fulfilling a promise Ginger made to Ian: she promised to do everything in her power to prevent this tragedy from happening to another family.

Come learn how all of us together can avoid anymore senseless tragedies. The program will be held TONIGHT, January 8 at 6:30 p.m. at Nathan Hale Ray High School, 15 School Drive, Moodus. The program is sponsored by East Haddam Youth & Family Services. For more information visit www.couragetospeak.org

The Killingworth Foundation announces that it is offering two scholarships. The first is called The Killingworth Foundation Scholarship and is offered to a graduating high school senior who is a permanent resident of Killingworth and who has a cumulative grade average of "B" or higher. If the student is home-schooled, equivalent status must be verified. The applicant must be applying to a post-secondary educational institution.

The scholarship is based on academic achievement, fullness of character, community service, and both school and community extra-curricular activities, or employment.

The second scholarship is the Marjorie Kirk Ullrich Scholarship and is offered with the same requirements for residency and academic achievement, but it is limited to a student who intends to major in one of the fine arts.

The deadline for applications is March 1 for a May 1 decision. Applications can be obtained online at killingworthfoundation.org or from the Guidance Department at Haddam-Killingworth High School. In addition to the written application, a high school transcript is required and there will be a personal interview scheduled.

Please send applications to The Killingworth Foundation, P. O. Box 621, Killingworth, CT 06419.

St James Episcopal Church will be sponsoring a concert by Brian Gillie on Sat, Jan. 17, at 4:00pm in the Parish Hall, Rte 81, Higganum. Concert: Hollywood, Broadway, swing Era & Tin Pan Alley with Piano & vocals. Cost: $12 per person, children - one canned good donation. Refreshments served after the show. The proceeds from the concert and refreshments will be donated to Amazing Grace. For information contact- Anne Aloia 860-267-2740.

Healthy Communities Healthy Kids coalition of Haddam and Killingworth, (which operates under the auspices of Youth and Family Services of Haddam Killingworth) have been invited by RSD 17's Sister School Coordinator Ernest Nagler to co-host a unique, community-wide, "arranged pot luck" Banquet at Haddam Killingworth Middle School on Wednesday, January 14th at 6 p.m. for our Chinese visitors.

Educators from Haddam-Killingworth's Regional School District's "Sister Schools" in Shandong Province, a coastal region on the east coast of the People's Republic of China, will be visiting us, as part of their 10 day tour. They will be visiting all five of our HK Schools, meeting with local school officials, students and residents of Haddam and Killingworth. The visitors include two school principals, Mr. Liu Zhixiao of the Dongying Experimental School and Mr. Shi Zhaohai of the Liaocheng Shuicheng Middle School, and Senior Teacher Ms. Yuan Fengying with the Weihai No.7 Middle School of Shandong.

A light cheese and cracker reception starting at 6 p.m. will be followed by New England "comfort foods" (homemade casseroles, breads, salads, desserts) at 6:30 and proceeded by entertainment at 7 p.m. We need delicious donations of homemade dishes for the Banquet from our community. We are looking for a balance of homemade casseroles (chicken, lasagna, macaroni & cheese, etc.), tossed green salad, homemade bread or rolls, or homemade desserts. Please contact HCHK co-chair Tanja Moriarty at tanjam@comcast.net, 345-8063 to sign up for a specific dish as soon as possible.

If it's January, then it's time again for the Relay For Life of Haddam & Killingworth Kickoff Party!!

Our 3rd annual Relay For Life is already up and running and everyone in the community, young or old is invited to come learn about Relay For Life to see how you can become involved.

Mark your calendars for Thursday, January 22, 6:30 PM in the HK High School Auditorium, and join us for coffee, desserts, games and prizes! Volunteers are needed to organize and recruit teams, seek community support, coordinate logistics, plan entertainment, and lend their support in any way. Relay For Life is the signature event of the American Cancer Society. It is a fun-filled, overnight event that mobilizes communities throughout the country to celebrate survivors (anyone who has ever been diagnosed with cancer), remember loved ones, and raise money for the fight against cancer.

For more information on the kickoff, or if you would like to volunteer on the Relay For Life Planning committee, please contact Karen Graham and Jim Schaefer at hkrelayforlife@gmail.com or Alexis Begin, Staff partner at Alexis.Begin@cancer.org. For more information on cancer, call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or visit www.cancer.org.

HK Sports: The HKMS Girls Basketball team defeated rival North Branford at home on Tuesday, 51-28. HK led at the half 25-16 and never looked back. Beth Riedy led all scorers with 18 points (9 rebounds and 1 blocked shot). Sam Waskowitz followed with 13 points, 7 steals and 1 blocked shot. Tori Peterson added 10 points, 16 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. Maya Savino followed with 6 points, 6 steals and 1 blocked shot. Anna Fetteroll (5 rebounds) and Marissa Moncata each chipped in with 2 points a piece. The girls are 2-1, and would like to thank the HKMS boys basketball team for creating the "HKMS Cougar Den" and for their added support at the game!

The JV girls team dropped their game 10-19. Erin Kane scored 4 pionts, followed by Autumn Spinner, Lauren McCann and Casey Jackson with 2 points each.

Beth Riedy at the foul line as Sam Waskowitz looks on. Photo courtesy D. Savino

The Madison Wrestling Club fared well at the Southington Duals on January 4th. This is a very competitive tournament with many teams from New York and New Jersey participating. Placing first were Matthew Elias, Ben Onofrio, Kevin Wivell and Jack Bertolini. John Ruggiero and Killingworth's Zack Roth both earned bronze medals for their respective weight classes. Wrestling well but falling just short of the medal rounds were Peter Elias, Nate Rogers, Andrew Hook and Ryan Vuolo.

HK Sports: The HK Travel Girls 13U Basketball team defeated Branford in the first game of the second session at Branford, 39-33. Tori Peterson had a game high 16 points and 15 rebounds, followed by Beth Riedy with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Sam Waskowitz added 3 points and 7 steals, while Kirsten Carlson added 2 points and 5 steals. Maya Savino added 2 points and 1 steal. Autumn Spinner (2 points, 1 rebound), Lauren McCann (2 rebounds, 1 steal) Kiley Anderson (2 rebounds) Ciara Samuel (4 rebounds) added to the HK team win. The HK girls are now 3-4 on the season.

Meeting postponed due to the weather
The Regular Meeting of the Charter Revision Commission will be held on
Wednesday, January 7 , 2009 at 7:00 P.M. in the Town Office Building
Agenda
1. Call to order
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. Approval of 12/18/08 minutes
4. Discussion of the following:

a. Town Manager
b. Town Engineer
c. Responses from boards, commissions, elected and appointed officials
d. Open questions
e. Current Charter

5. Visitors
6. Adjourn

Chocolate to the Rescue! is an annual fundraising event that benefits the American Red Cross Family Shelter, the only shelter in Middlesex County serving families who are homeless. The gala event will take place on Sunday, January 25, at Water's Edge Resort and Spa in Westbrook from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Established in 1988, the American Red Cross Family Shelter has taken in families who have become homeless from every town in Middlesex County. The Shelter has one of the highest success rates in the state for moving homeless families into permanent housing. Every year over 90% of the families with dependent children who stay at the Shelter are able to access permanent housing and a chance to the break the cycle of poverty that made them homeless. We do not just give them a roof over their heads. We teach them the skills that they will need to succeed. The upcoming event is the seventh year that people along the shoreline have joined together to support the Shelter while having a wonderful afternoon of chocolate, champagne and prizes!

The Water's Edge's largest function room is filled with huge varieties of sweets and tables full of raffle prizes worth thousands of dollars! There will be massages, dinners, wine, jewelry, clothing, cookware, gym memberships and many, many more prizes to try for in the raffles. Each package is sure to have a value of $250, and tickets are $1.00 each or 15 for $10.00.

This year there will be a special Grand Raffle which has a First Prize of a 100% Wool Hand-hooked Rug donated by Kaoud Oriental Rugs, Second Prize of a Lady's Burberry Gold Plated Watch donated by Bernie Field Jeweler, Third Prize of an Overnight Stay for two and a Spa Rejuvenator Package for one donated by Water's Edge Resort & Spa, and Fourth prize of a Weekend stay in a Queen Bed Guestroom with full breakfast donated by Tidewater Inn. Tickets for the Grand Raffle can be purchased for $10.00 either before the event or that day. One does not need to be present to win.

The two new features in 2009 are a Candy Corner where the finest candy makers from the area will be in competition to win the award in their very own category and a competition between area high school's culinary classes.

Tickets for the event are $30 if prepurchased and $35 if purchased at the door on the day of the event. For more information please contact David Shumway, American Red Cross Family Shelter Director, at 860 347-8686 or via e-mail at dshumway@midctredcross.org. One can also contact the Red Cross Chapter office at (860) 347-2577 or e-mail chocolate@midctredcross.org.

Tuesday: December 30:
• 16:15:05 Medical Call, Roast Meat Hill Road.
• 18:50:50 Medical Call, Rebecca Lane.
Wednesday: December 31:
• 12:01:05 Chimney Fire, Roast Meat Hill Road.
• 08:17:49 MVA, Route 148 & Roast Meat Hill Road.
Thursday: January 1:
• 03:16:36 Structure Fire, Old Mill Road, Clinton.
• 20:07:08 Fire Alarm, Route 148.
Saturday: January 3:
• 11:49:49 Medical Call, Deer Ridge Road.

The Killingworth Volunteer Fire Company responded to 475 incidents in 2008.

Property transfers as reported by the Killingworth Town Clerk's office for the period December 1 - December 31, 2008:
• Rosaline Marvin By Atty to Kyle J. & Jennifer L. Eastman, Route 148 3.0A for $265,000.00.
• Edward S. Kornak Sr to Wayne T & Helene M. Denny, 1988 Ritzcraft Mobile Home for $140,000.00.
For previous property reports, click here.

HK Sports: The HKHS Boys Basketball team fell to Morgan of Clinton, 52-54, last night at the fieldhouse. The teams were tied at 38 at the end of the third quarter, but turnovers and last second missed foul shots ended the Cougars' hopes of a win. Steve Landell led HK with 15 points followed by Sam Barbuto with 13, Rob Flynn with 9 and Freshman Wes Nuhn with 6. Nuhn came up with a big basket and strong defense late that kept the Cougars in the game. HK IS 1-5 on the year. The Junior Varsity team lost, 50-60, to the Morgan Huskies.

HK senior Steve Landell brings the ball up court after a steal.

The Cougar Crazies and Cheerleaders came out in force to cheer on the team