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Saturday, February 14, 2009The Middletown Press quotes Assessor Donna Shanoff as saying the 0.25 percent increase in the Town's grand list is the smallest she has seen in her 23 years as assessor. The decline is attributed to a significant reduction in the value of personal property and motor vehicles. At the town's current tax rate of 21 mills, the increased value of the grand list will generate about $43,000 more in tax dollars.
The net taxable grand list totaled $808,268,270, which is $2.04 million more than the list registered for 2007, despite a $5.2 million increase in real estate values. Net real estate assessments, after deducting exemptions, totaled $749,524,300. Shanoff said Killingworth saw some new home construction, but the majority of that gain came from the added value of new decks, garages and other property improvements. The town's top 10 taxpayers are led by Jensens Residential Communities, with $4.6 million in assessed value, followed by: Connecticut Water Co., $3.7 million; Connecticut Light & Power Co., $3.03 million; M&M Realty Holdings, $3.01 million; Deer Lake II LLC, $2.3 million; Eugene and Catherine Gargiulo, $1.4 million; Michael and Nancy Reznik, $1.2 million; Cranberry Meadows Development LLC, $1.2 million; Southport Holdings I LLC, $1.16 million and Roy and Deborah Moore, $1.12 million. ![]() HK Early Childhood Council Chairperson Deb Dondzik and HK Helping Kids Early Childhood Council Coordinator Heather Conti. We all know that babies and children don't come with manuals and that parenting is learned through hands-on experience. When faced with challenging behaviors, parents look for guidance from other parents in similar situations, the family doctor and other professionals. Now, parents in Killingworth and Haddam can also turn to the HK Helping Kids Early Childhood Council as a resource for their child-rearing questions. Established two years ago with a $20,000 grant from United Way of Middlesex County the HK Helping Kids Early Childhood Council aims to bring together parents, childcare providers, educators, social services and healthcare providers to help children succeed in their early years and be well prepared for kindergarten. The organization is funded this year with a $17,500 United Way grant and will receive a third and final grant next year. Once the grant is exhausted, the goal is to have local businesses and other organizations subsidize the work of the Council. The group's goals are to provide parent education through workshops; purchase community resources for parents and create a resource area; provide professional development for early childcare providers and teachers; provide an easy transition between pre-school and kindergarten; and create awareness of community activities and events. With the recent addition of Heather Conti, a former Killingworth Elementary School first grade teacher, the Council is well on its way to achieving its goals. Next month the group will host the second in an on-going series of workshops for parents and professionals. Conti has also worked closely with Killingworth Library Children's Librarian Gayle Byrne in establishing a parent/professional resource center in the children's room at the Killingworth Library. A similar resource area is also in the planning stages at Brainerd Library in Haddam. The Council itself meets once a month and is currently comprised of 23 stakeholders from both Haddam and Killingworth. Representatives include pre-school and elementary school teachers, day care providers and directors, children's librarians, the director of HK Youth and Family Services, special education teachers, pediatricians, psychologists, school counselors, social workers and parents. Anyone interested in joining the Council should contact Dondzik or Conti. You can register with the HK Early Childhood Council to receive information about their workshops, programs, resources etc. Registration is free and confidential. Registration also helps the Council meet the specific needs of the community. If interested, please complete the registration form and mail to: HK Helping Kids: Early Childhood Council, PO Box 694, Killingworth, CT 06419. More information may also be obtained by emailing: hkhelpingkids@yahoo.com A website is currently under construction but will be available at www.hkhelpingkids.org Friday, February 13, 2009Region 17 Schools Superintendent Gary Mala reports that yesterday, February 12, a HKMS bus carrying 15 students southbound on Route 81 in the vicinity of Lover's Lane had an unfortunate encounter with a falling power line. Just as the bus was passing the location of the incident, a power line fell on top of the bus. The bus continued to travel and stopped approximately 100 feet from the base of the pole where the line was severed. The bus driver called in to receive the necessary support and emergency personnel and CL&P arrived on the scene within minutes. The driver was transported to the Shoreline Clinic after she reported having "tingling in her arm." She was seen and released with no injuries. The 15 students were taken back to the HKMS, examined and then returned to their homes using a different bus. Both the HKMS and BES nurses placed calls to the parents of each student who was on the bus at the time of the incident. All emergency response systems worked well and we concluded the event without further incident.
To The Editor:
By Catherine Iino I would like to clear up a basic misconception that has become evident in the correspondence over the Venuti Property Planning Committee. The Board of Selectmen did not appoint the committee to "determine if this was worth pursuing." The charge to the committee explicitly states that it is to "research possible uses and sources of funding for the Venuti property" and is to report back on feasible configurations for uses of the land; economic impacts on the town of alternative scenarios; ways to mitigate the cost to the town of acquiring the property; the long-term interests of the town with regard to the property. The selectmen and the members of the committee are working hard not to block the acquisition of the property but to look for a politically and economically feasible way to move forward with that acquisition. Read more Each year, the local post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars offers our students the chance to participate in the VFW's national patriotic writing contest; one of their scholarship opportunities for young people. This year, 90 eighth graders from HK Middle School wrote essays to tell "Why We Should Honor America's Veterans". All the student writers and their parents were invited to a banquet given by the VFW Ladies' Auxiliary on Sunday, February 1, at the Haddam Firehouse.
The top three HKMS writers were given United States Savings Bonds: Rachael Whiteley (1st place), Sarah Massicott (2nd place), and Luke Gersz (3rd place). To read the national 1st place essay, go to www.vfw.org. ![]() (l-r) Rachael Whiteley (1st place winner), Sarah Massicott (2nd place), and Luke Gersz (3rd place) pose at the banquet for the VFW Patriot's Pen essay contest participants with Betty Devlin, eighth grade English teacher. Contributed photo Several towns represented Madison Youth Wrestling with distinction at the Stamford Tournament February 8th. Despite competing against powerhouses from New York and New Jersey, the wrestlers from Madison were seen on the medal podium often. Gold medal winners were Bryce Leckey, Matthew and Michael Elias, and Luke Bernardo. Many of the golds were well earned that saw talented wrestlers throughout the weight brackets. Silver went to Joey Ciotti, Brett Leckey and John Ruggerio. Zack Roth battled his way to a three way tie for the silver that was ultimately determined by points. Roth ended the night with a bronze, missing a second place finish by a margin of only two points on the day. Other bronze medal winners were James DeGrasse, Ryan Vuolo and Peter Elias. Although Sam and Van Docker and Austin Buchetto missed the medal rounds, they wrestled hard and represented the club well. The wrestlers will be in Wethersfield on February 15th which is the last regular season competition prior to the State Qualifiers.
![]() ![]() Thursday, February 12, 2009![]() ![]() ![]() The HKHS Boys Indoor Track team placed 4th in the team standings with 68 pts at the Shoreline Track and Field Championship Meet held last Saturday at the New Haven Athletic Center. Leading the way for H-K was senior Matt O'Brien who tallied 22 pts. for the team. O'Brien placed 1st in the 300 meter dash with a time of 36.90 to earn first team All-Conference, placed 2nd in the 55 meter dash in a time of 6.92 and finished the day by placing 4th in the long jump with a leap of 19'9". The highlight of the meet for the boys team occurred in the high jump where juniors Jeff Hall and Chris Pfrommer had an unbelievable day and placed an unexpected 1st and 2nd in the event. Winning the high jump with a jump of 5'10" was Hall who not only earned first team All-Conference but narrowly edged out teammate Chris Pfrommer who placed 2nd with a jump of 5'8" and earned second team All-Conference. Pfrommer also placed 4th in the 55 meter hurdles in a time of 8.81. Junior Jason Funaro also had a tremendous meet and added points to the team by placing 2nd in the 3200 meter run in a time of 10:33 thus earning 2nd team All-Conference and 3rd in the 1600 meter run in a time of 4:51. Funaro then teamed with fellow juniors Brandon Page, Jeff Waterbury and Dan Hollenbeck to place 5th in the 4x800 relay in a time of 8:53. Waterbury then returned in the 1000 meter run and placed 4th with a time of 2:56. Rounding out the team scoring on the boys side was junior Robbie Sheehan who threw a personal best in the shot put (36'11.50") to place 6th in that event. The H-K Girls Track squad came in 5th place as a team with 37 pts. Led by their relays, the girls won both the Sprint Medley Relay and the 4x400 Meter Relay which earned 5 girls first team All-Conference honors. The sprint medley relay team consisted of senior Siobhan Blancaflor, sophomores Kara Burdett and Jess Moore along with freshman Cailtin Blancaflor who won the event in a time of 4:34. The Blancaflors along with Moore then teamed with junior Ali Armstrong to win the 4x400 relay at the end of the meet in a time of 4:24. Moore capped off her impressive meet with a 2nd place finish in the 1000 meter run in a time of 3:13. Adding points to the team scoring was freshman Anna Shultz who came in 3rd in the 600 meter run in a time of 1:49. The boys and girls track team will next be in action on Saturday February 14th at the Class S State Championship Meet held in New Haven ![]() (clockwise from top left) Matt O'Brien; the 4x880 relay team of Dan Hollenbeck, Jeff Waterbury, Jason Funaro, Brandon Page; Jeff Hall and the 4x800 relay team of Ali Armstrong, Kara Burdett, Anna Shultz, Megan Tischbein. Photos courtesy M. Diglio ![]() Wednesday, February 11, 2009![]() ![]() Need to call the town hall? Just dial (860) 663-1765 and follow the prompts. Our new Samsung system from Stevens Communications is simpler to use; allows us greater flexibility to change messages and menus as our needs change; remains operational even when the power goes out; and most importantly will require significantly fewer phone lines resulting in a lower monthly AT&T phone bill. The listings on the Town Services page have also been updated with the list in full posted under Town Offices. Animal Control: ext 219 Assessor: ext 506 Building Official: ext 504 Civil Preparedness: ext 501 Elections: Registrar of Voters: Republican ext 511 Elections: Registrar of Voters: Democrat ext 511 Helping Hands: ext. 401 Inland Wetlands: ext 505 Municipal Agent: ext 510 Police Chief: ext 501 Probate Judge: ext 507 Public Health Agency: ext 402 Public Works: ext 501 Selectman: ext 501 Tax Collector: ext 508 Town Clerk: ext 502 Transfer Station: ext 501 Tree Warden: ext 501 Youth & Family Services: ext. 512 Zoning Enforcement Officer: ext 505 ![]() ![]() #4 Sam Barbuto and #33 Wes Nuhn grapple for a rebound and senior Steve Landell drives the lane. Curves of Killingworth is offering free weight management classes to teach its method for losing weight and raising metabolism based on the research findings of the Exercise & Sport Nutrition Laboratory at Texas A&M University. Classes are open to members and non-members. All classes are free to members and non-members, but participants will be able to take advantage of special pricing on tools that will enhance their success. No purchase is required to attend classes.
Classes include: Start-Up Class (90 minutes) for first-time participants.Classes will be taught by Curves' Registered Dietitian, Nadia Rodman, and facilitated by weight management coaches from Curves of Killingworth, through a series of DVDs that will alternate teaching with hands-on activities. Participants will be encouraged to make a weekly appointment to weigh in with their weight management coach, who will provide accountability. "We're excited to be offering free weight management classes," said Jade Papageorge, owner of Curves of Killingworth. "This dynamic program and the book are brand-new, and packed with cutting-edge information and lots of practical advice that women can use immediately. Every woman who is even thinking about losing weight should definitely check out the free classes." Curves of Killingworth will be offering classes the first Thursday of each month at 7 PM. The next start-up class is March 5, 2009. For more information, contact Papageorge at 860-663-2477. Tuesday, February 10, 2009First Selectman Richard Cabral announced last night that the Reservoir Road Bridge will be open to traffic in November of this year. Cabral said he recently spoke to Rob Bearcat, the State DOT official in charge of the bridge program, who confirmed the timeline and said the Town may be reimbursed additional funds towards the project. The Town is currently responsible for 20 percent of estimated $1 million bridge. Cabral said the newly proposed stimulus package may reimburse the Town for 100 percent of the costs expended toward the project from now until completion.
Cabral said the bridge will be open to traffic in November, but depending on the weather, it may need to be paved the next spring. Does your child struggle with behavioral challenges? Is he or she easily frustrated and chronically inflexible? Join our support group which meets once a month at the Killingworth Library. The Collaborative Problem Solving model, articulated in the book The Explosive Child by Dr. Ross Greene of Mass General Hospital, is highly effective in helping these children and their families. CPS has been implemented in inpatient child and adolescent psychiatry units, residential treatment facilities, group homes, juvenile justice centers, day treatment programs, therapeutic day schools, and general education schools and classrooms.
The group is led by a former teacher who is trained in CPS and welcomes anyone who could benefit from the support and encouragement of others experiencing similar challenges. We meet the third Wednesday of every month at the Killingworth Library from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Please call Divinna at 860 876 0236 to learn more and to register. We WILL be meeting during the school break...so we hope you can join us on February 18. ![]() ![]() On Thursday evening, February 12th at 7 p.m. the Cougars will host Cromwell in the Coaches vs. Cancer game. HK sophomore Lauren Muise drives by a Morgan defender Monday evening. Photo courtesy E. Anderson ![]() ![]() Kirsten Carlson holding against a JWJH player attempting to score, with Maya Savino looking on. Photo courtesy D. Savino The HK Girls Travel Basketball team completed its season last Sunday at home, defeating a previously undefeated East Haven team, 37-29. HK held a commanding 23-8 lead at halftime, led by game high scorer Beth Riedy with 18 points (10 in the first half) and Maya Savino with 10 points (7 in the first half). It was HK's tenacious defense that made the difference in the second half to hold East Haven at bay. The combined 7-8th grade girls team, in an 8th grade division, made tremendous strides this season to finish with 6 straight wins to finish 6-4. Kudos to the girls for their desire and dedication. Eighth graders who will graduate to the high school program are; Tori Peterson, Beth Riedy, Kirsten Carlson, Samantha Waskowitz, Autumn Spinner. Seventh graders to play above their division this year are; Maya Savino, Kiley Anderson, Ciara Samuel and Lauren McCann. The Project Graduation Committee will meet tonight, February 10, at 7:00pm in the lower media center at HKHS. Please join us if you are able.
The Decoration Committee is meeting this Thursday, February 12, at 6:30pm in rooms B116 and/or A133(Photography Room). For the remainder of the month of February, they will be meeting on Tuesday nights. Beginning in March, they will meet twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays same time/same place to create the wonderful decorations that will adorn the HKHS gym on the evening of the alcohol and drug free graduation celebration in June. If you have any artistic talent or want to become involved in this rewarding event, please contact Suzanne Mazzotta at (860) 345-9225 suzmazzotta@snet.net or Maryanne Larosa at malarosa@comcast.net. The decorations committee is also looking for a female mannequin that has movable arms. Please contact Suzanne or Maryanne if you are able to lend one. Project Graduation is seeking volunteers to sign up to chaperone the night of Project Graduation. Also, help is needed picking up and delivering food donations. Please contact Kaycee Blancaflor at KCCallahan@uks.com if you are able to help. Monday, February 09, 2009Dan Colonia and Eric Auer of the Wettish Fields Sub-Committee recently presented its latest numbers to the Board of Selectmen as the committee prepares to send the project out for bids. The athletic field project on Parker Hill Road Extension, will initially have two large and two small multi-purpose fields, one entrance, parking and irrigation infrastructure, and will cost approximately $1,026,000. The project originally received a $500,000 STEAP (Small Town Economic Assistance Program) grant, and the committee will wait for the final numbers from the bid process before putting the project before the town for final fund approval. An additional STEAP grant of $400,000, garnered through the hard work of committee member Chris Kelly, will be used in the future for a full-sized baseball field and second entrance, as well as improvements to Irene Sheldon park.
Auer reported that the well dug on the Wettish property was measured at 25+ gallons and should be sufficient to irrigate all the fields. The infrastructure will be laid to supply all the fields, but only the first and possibly the second field will initially be set up for irrigation. Colonia said it costs approximately $25,000 to irrigate each field. Depending on the bids, they may be able to irrigate the second in the first phase of the project. Auer said they may use a water cannon to irrigate the additional fields in the first phase. Colonia said the committee hopes to have all the bids out by the end of February. He was not able to estimate when it would be brought before a Town Meeting. Casey Szeligowski and Ben Chasse, 4th graders from Killingworth Elementary School, were recognized as outstanding students in the areas of Art and Music respectively at the 10th Annual Connecticut Association of Schools' Celebration of the Arts Awards Banquet held at the Aqua Turf in Southington on February 2nd. The honorees were joined by Rita Peretto, KES Principal; Alexis Kelsey, KES Art Teacher; Julie Duggan, KES Music Teacher and their families. The objective of this program is to recognize students with outstanding citizenship, cooperative skills, and artistic ability in performing or visual arts at the elementary level. At the banquet, they enjoyed South American dancing by Ginga Brasileira, face painting, caricaturists and balloon sculpting, plus a wonderful buffet featuring pizza, pasta and tacos!
![]() Alexis Kelsey, Casey Szeligowski, Ben Chasse and Julie Duggan Photo courtesy S. Chasse. ![]() The Killingworth Volunteer Fire Company responded to the following incidents during the week beginning Sunday, February 1, 2009: Tuesday: February 3: 15:34:40 MVA, Route 81 & Route 148. Wednesday: February 4: 19:54:46 Automatic Alarm, Linnea Lane. 20:48:33 Automatic Alarm, Goldfield Road. 21:20:11 Medical Call, North Roast Meat Hill Road. 23:00:21 Structure Fire, Clinton, Route 81 Thursday: February 5: 02:00:53 Medical Call, Kenilworth Drive. 03:39:54 Structure Fire, Little City Road. 15:40:28 Medical Call, Route 81. Friday: February 6: 23:41:56 Structure Fire, River Road. Saturday: February 7: 18:14:20 Automatic Alarm, Roast Meat Hill Road. The Regional School District 17 Board of Education and Superintendent Gary Mala seek public input from the Haddam and Killingworth communities in preparation for the 2009-2010 operating budget. Community members are invited to attend the Budget Input Session to be held on Tuesday, February 10th, at 6:30 p.m., in the Board Meeting Room of the Central Office Building (former Middle School), 57 Little City Road.
A sign-up sheet will be available for those wishing to address the board. Anyone who is unable to attend this forum is encouraged to send written comments by e-mail to boe@rsd17.org. A timeline for all budget-related meetings can be found on the Regional School District 17 website www.rsd17.org. All meetings are open to the public. This meeting was originally scheduled for Feb. 3rd. Sunday, February 08, 2009![]() ![]() Thanks to the dedicated efforts of college and high school coaches across the country, Coaches vs Cancer participants have raised nearly $45 million since 1993 to help the Society save lives by educating and empowering people to avoid cancer or find it early, helping people facing cancer make decisions and overcome obstacles in their personal fight, investing in research that yields groundbreaking discoveries into cancer's causes and cures and helping pass laws that fight cancer and keep our communities healthy. Exhibitors include HCHK, HK Recreation, HK Relay for Life and HKYFS. Information will be available and questions can be answered by representatives of these organizations at both games. ![]() ![]() ![]() Casey Jackson fights for a rebound surrounded by Hale Ray defenders. Photo courtesy D. Savino ![]() Regular Meeting of the Board of Selectmen Monday, February 9, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. Town Office Building 1. Call to Order 2. Pledge Of Allegiance 3. Approval of Minutes of Regular Meeting held January 26 and Special Meetings of January 29, February 4 and 5, 2009 4. Visitors: Concerning Items on the Agenda 5. Tax Abatements & Refunds: 6. Vacancies: (A) IWWC - 1, (B) OEM - 1, (C) Public Health Agency-5 (D) Recreation (E) Housing Partnership - 4 (F) Estuary Council of Seniors - 2 (G) Municipal Land Use - 1 (H) Open Space Sub Committee - 2 7. Appointments: 8. Old Business: 9. New Business: A. Board of Finance - J. McMahon B. Traffic Safety Committee - F. Dudek C. Facility Use Agreement Discussion - Indemnification & hold Harmless - R. Cabral 10. RJC Announcements 11. Selectmen's Concerns 12. Visitor Comments: General 13. Adjournment Printable version |






























