CABO Tequila Grill
4 Water Street, Chester
860-526-8277
www.cabotequilagrill.com

Cuisine: ** Service: **
Ambiance: * Price Range: $$
Wine Menu: Reds & Whites from Argentina, Chile, Spain, California $23-39; also per glass $7-10
Hours Tue-Thu 5-9.30pm; Fri & Sat 5-10pm; Sunday 4-9.00pm

Bobby Flay of Tex-Mex fame should pay attention. Noted absenteeism from his NYC Mesa Grill and his too many other kitchens predict decline in popularity. Promoting Hellmann's mayonnaise with non-descript recipes on late night TV is not helping. But who cares! I found spirited American Southwestern cuisine closer to home. CABO reflects casual no-nonsense stability like its granite facade. Inside, window-trims the color of a Mexican sun shine on bare wood tables. A wrought iron creature I can't identify looms darkly from terra-cotta-cinnamon walls. The beast can't frighten me, especially not after a few expertly blended Tequila cocktails. Read more

Below is a copy of a letter written by the President of the Killingworth Ambulance Association to Gov. Rell. Patricia M. Lirot hopes it might encourage residents to contact legislators to also express their concern.

Dear Governor Rell,

I have never before felt compelled to write to your office, but a proposed budgetary cut has moved me to do so. I understand our state is wrestling with extremely challenging financial deficits, and appreciate that deep cuts are required in many areas to restore fiscal balance. I implore you, however, to look elsewhere than to the LifeStar program at Hartford Hospital for your solutions.

I am an EMT-B (emergency medical technician-basic), and the president of the Killingworth (volunteer) Ambulance Association. Our geographic location in the state places us on average approximately 28 miles from the nearest Level 1 Trauma Center. (Our closest medical facilities, Middlesex Hospital and its satellite in Essex, and the Yale facility in Guilford, are not rated as trauma centers, and cannot accept serious trauma patients. Therefore, our protocols mandate that we must transport such patients to Yale New Haven, Hartford, or perhaps Bridgeport for a burn victim.) While we do not, fortunately, have the need to call on the services of the medical transport helicopter often, when we do, it is truly, by definition, a life threatening emergency. Our patient might not survive to receive advance medical treatment if the service were not available. This might not seem as critical to those lawmakers whose districts lie in metropolitan areas, where a Level 1 trauma center may be only a few miles away at most, but to all of us in more rural areas of the state, it is crucial to have access to rapid medical transport.

Can we put a price tag on the lives of the more than 1,000 patients who require this service each year? I urge you to reconsider your position on this subject.

Sincerely,
Patricia M. Lirot, EMT B
President, Killingworth Ambulance Association

Chatfield Hollow State Park's swimming area is currently closed. The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection monitors swimming areas and updates its list regularly. For updates visit the DEP website.

According the DEP, indicator bacteria are not disease causing pathogens, but are one of the tools used by public health and environmental protection authorities to evaluate potential for contamination of waterbodies.

Killingworth's Probate Court Judge, Holly Darin, updated the Board of Selectmen on Monday night with the latest news on the regionalization of probate courts in Connecticut. Gov. M. Jodi Rell signed into law, June 12th what she called a reform of the state's probate court system.

"Effective January 5, 2011, the old revenue system will be replaced with one based on population and workload in which the judge's compensation will be paid directly from a Probation Court Administration Fund, overseen by the State Treasurer's Office.

Other provisions of the bill include:

• Consolidating courts from 117 to 44 to 50. Redistricting will be recommended by a bi-partisan commission if probate judge cannot agree on final number of courts.
• Centralizing accounting and payroll functions in the Office of the Probate Court Administrator
• Courts to operate 40 hours a week
• All new judges will be attorneys
• Judges would continue to be elected

The Governor said a bipartisan commission, known as the Probate Assembly, will recommend redistricting by September 15, 2009 if probate judges cannot agree on the final number courts. The Probate Assembly will be composed of two gubernatorial appointments, 10 Legislative appointments and the Probate Court Administrator, acting as a nonvoting, ex-officio member. The law requires that the Assembly's redistricting plan be acted on in a special fall Legislative session.

Darin said that she has been meeting with the other area judges as well as with First Selectman Richard Cabral to recommend a solution that would be best for Killingworth.

Darin said the judges have already narrowed the districts to 84. The criteria is to have no less than 40,000 residents represented in any one district. Some cities are large enough to be their own district, but the smaller towns must consolidate. Darin said they looked at joining with Madison, but Madison would likely join Guilford and since Guilford dominates in size, the court would be located there. Cabral said he was not in favor of migrating that way. He favors joining a 9-Town District (Lyme, Chester, Clinton, Killingworth, Essex, Deep River, Haddam, Westbrook, Old Saybrook) mirroring several existing multi-town collaborations. Darin said the 9-town district would cover 60,000 residents and she was proposing a smaller district that would include Killingworth, Westbrook, Chester, Deep River, Haddam and Lyme. Cabral said, "breaking off into a smaller district would be divisive". He said Old Saybrook has an office suite already set up for a larger court.

Darin said the judges will submit their recommendation to the Probate Assembly and "they can either take it or reject it". On Sept. 15th the Assembly's recommendations will be passed on to the legislature. Darin said she "honestly doesn't know what is going to happen". "The decision to consolidate the courts was not well thought out." She said there has been little discussion on the issue of court records and the judges' clerks. "It was supposed to be a financial issue but I don't really see it addressing that."

Selectman Fred Dudek said, just like the regional health districts, the smaller towns end up paying for the larger with the smaller not having the power to fight it. Cabral said probate proceedings will probably end up costing Killingworth more in the future.

Darin, Dudek and Cabral discussed the problems with elderly residents having to travel to other towns to do business. They also worried that elections for judges would be very costly because they may have to be several levels of primaries to determine which judges run for the district position. The State's 107 Probate Judges and the Probate Court administrator met yesterday to further develop a plan to present in September.

TOWN OF KILLINGWORTH
Office of the Tax Collector

LEGAL NOTICE
For July 2009 Collection

Notice is hereby given to the taxpayers of the town of Killingworth, that the first installment of Real Estate and Personal Property taxes on the Grand List of October 1, 2008, is due and payable on July 1, 2009. Motor Vehicle taxes are also due on July 1, 2009, in one installment.

If not paid on or before August 3, 2009 the installment becomes delinquent and subject to interest at a rate of 18% per annum (1½% for each month or fraction thereof) dating back to the original due date of the bill. Two months of interest will be due on August 4, 2009. A minimum interest charge of $2.00 is applicable to each delinquent tax bill.

You may pay by mail. Please return payment coupon(s) with your payment. Checks should be made payable to: Tax Collector. Mailing address is: 323 Route 81, Killingworth, CT 06419. Mail postmarked on or before August 3, 2009 will be considered an on time payment. (US Postal Service postmark only) If you would like a receipt returned to you, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope.

As a matter of law, the taxpayer is liable to the town for the tax installment(s) as they become due and payable. Liability is not created by, nor dependent upon receipt of a tax bill. Therefore, failure to receive a bill does not relieve the taxpayer of the requirement to pay the statutorily required interest when a late payment is made.

Michele B. Nuhn
Tax Collector

To the Editor:
By Gerald Lucas
Because of my past service as First Selectman, for three terms, I was invited by a member of the Charter Revision Commission (CRC) to attend a meeting and express my views on the Town Manager proposal. I am against it.

Following that meeting I began to investigate just what was being asked by the Bd. of Selectmen for them to consider and what re-structuring was actually being put together.

What I discovered was a total re-write of the Charter, especially that which applies to the administration of Killingworth's town government. This consists of 3 new administrators being proposed (Executive Secretary), (Director of Finance) and a (Director of Public Works) which has 5 employees plus a Road Foreman, all with detailed duties and responsibilities which is generally not part of a governing charter. Read more.

Killingworth Elementary School has made its largest-ever donation of new books to the Hospital of Saint Raphael's Department of Pediatrics Reading Room project. The 422 brand-new children's books will also be used in the hospital's Reach Out and Read Program and the Children's Psychiatric Emergency Services department.

Staff members at Killingworth Elementary School organize an annual book drive for the hospital in memory of a former colleague, Sandy Higgins. They ask children, parents and other staff members to donate books during the school year and this year's donation was the largest ever. The books were formally presented to hospital representatives on June 15.

"This generous donation helps us reach out to both children and parents here at the hospital," said Annette Cameron, M.D., a Saint Raphael's pediatrician. "We sincerely appreciate the efforts of Killingworth Elementary School librarians, parents, children and other community members."

(l-r)Lordes Hosking, KES librarian; Marie Hoynack, library assistant; Annette Cameron, M.D., pediatrician, Hospital of Saint Raphael; Jamie DeRosa, library assistant, and Lynelle Abel, director of volunteer services at the Hospital of Saint Raphael.

It is not too late to sign up for Summer Programs at HK Rec. Dept. Please call the HK Rec. Dept. at 345-8334 or visit our website at www.hkrec.com

We have openings in many programs including:
Summer Soccer Fun
Morning Swim Lessons
Summer Camp
Archery
Mad Science Camps
All Sport Camps
Performing Arts Camp
Curious Campers Pre-School Camp
Curious Creatures
Karate
Horseback Riding Camp
Tennis Lessons and more!

Feel great about yourself this summer.
Get 2 personal training sessions a week for less than $14/hour by working with a small group. Compared to $75-$100/hour private training, this is the smart way to go. You get the same personal attention as in a private session and you will change your appearance in just 6 weeks while experiencing an amazing increase in strength at the same time. You'll train with great women whose goals are similar, you'll have fun, learn how to live a healthier lifestyle and your whole outlook will improve. Fitness Trainer, Joey Morman at The Fitness Connection will lead you through your transformation and the Summer session starts June 29th!

There are still a few spots open so for details on the group training classes or to reserve a spot, call 860-663-0326. Get connected with The Fitness Connection and start feeling great about yourself!

The spirit of Mercury, a messenger of the gods in Roman mythology, shone on Alison Karam as she was named outstanding public relations practitioner of the year at the 2009 Mercury Awards hosted by the Public Relations Society of America's (PRSA) Southern New England Chapters on June 11 at Anthony's Ocean View in New Haven. The Practitioner of the Year Award has become a tradition for PRSA in Connecticut and Southern New England, and is given to recognize the individual who exemplifies personal and professional involvement, a high level of excellence, and has contributed significantly to the field of public relations.

Killingworth resident and President of the Killingworth Library Association, Alison Karam, is director of public relations, marketing and research at First Experience Communications in Glastonbury, where she partners with agency clients in healthcare, aerospace, technology, and education. The award was presented by Diane Dawson-Brown, president of All the Best People, who praised Karam for her professionalism, pro bono work within the community, and her volunteer leadership efforts. Karam currently serves as president of the Killingworth Library Association's board of directors, was a reading tutor at her son's elementary school, and spent 5-years volunteering with CRIS Radio for the blind and print handicapped, as both broadcaster and producer.

FEC President and CEO Ira Yellen said, "Everything about Alison is professional and compassionate at the same time. Clients love her because she is a great listener. And great listeners make great teachers." In her introductory remarks, Dawson-Brown, highlighted Alison's 2008 leadership of a nationwide media relations effort for TEAM VINAY- "a movement that registered 25,000 new bone marrow donors in the South Asian American community and has already given more than 100 people a new chance for life."

Karam is an accredited public relations practitioner who served in nearly every capacity on PRSA's Connecticut Valley Chapter board of directors - including president, 3 years as national assembly delegate, APR coach, and ethics officer. In 2000, she co-chaired a PRSA community service project to plan and handle public relations for the launch of the Freedom Schooner Amistad, and continued to handle AMISTAD America's public relations as a pro bono service in the year that followed.

Karam credits working in public relations with achieving her childhood dreams to learn and experience as many new things as possible and to see the world from different perspectives. "My work in public relations has taken me from the deck of the Freedom Schooner Amistad to the floor of the American Stock Exchange," Karam said. "I've learned about jet engines, pandemic flu, lasers, patents and garbage collection... As for seeing the world from different perspectives, there's no limit in public relations."

Alison lives in town with her husband Chris and their son Paul.
Story and photo courtesy K. Amoia

HK Sports: Players on the 2009 HK Lacrosse team garnered multiple post-season honors over the past week. The Cougars placed the most players on the All-Shoreline Conference teams with 7 total honorees. First Team Members are senior co-captains Lindsay Gorman and Kristen Wendt and sophomore Emily Anderson. The Second Team includes junior Mikayla Litevich and sophomores Teagan Ferguson and Emily Pollack. Sophomore Sarah Muise was named Honorable Mention All Shoreline as well. Gorman, Wendt and Anderson were also named Shoreline Conference Scholar Athletes for their "outstanding academic record and high achievement in athletic competition." On Tuesday, June 9th, the Connecticut High School Girls Lacrosse Coaches Association named Wendt to the Academic All-State Team, Anderson to the All-State Second Team, and Gorman All-State Honorable Mention. The New Haven Register has placed Gorman and Anderson on its All-Area Team. Congratulations to the entire team on a great season.

Kneeling (L-R): Mikayla Litevich, Sarah Muise, Emily Pollack. Standing (L-R): Teagan Ferguson, Emily Anderson, Kristen Wendt, Lindsay Gorman.

Sophomore Emily Anderson and Senior Captain Kristen Wendt pose with Coach Heather Ferrer at the CIAC Girls Lacrosse All-State Banquet on Monday evening at the Aqua Turf in Southington. Photos courtesy C. Kostek and E. Anderson

School for HK students ended Friday; the HK U11 Capitals ended their spring soccer season on Saturday: The Kids Say Summer Has Begun!

The HK U11 Capitals are coached by Diane Walsh and Beth Wood. Photo courtesy M.Irwin.

The Killingworth Republican Town Committee is pleased to sponsor an exciting evening of major league baseball at the all-new home of the New York Mets, CITIFIELD, in Flushing, New York. Friday, July 10, when the Mets host the Cincinnati Reds.

The cost is $75.00 per person, and includes round trip motor coach transportation, a reserved (promenade) ticket to the game, and select refreshments on the bus. The bus departs Killingworth at 2:30 p.m. and returns just after 12:00 p.m.

This is the inaugural season for CITIFIELD. Come see the new fan-friendly home of the Mets. The KRTC has made every effort to keep ticket prices low to encourage families to come and experience an unforgettable evening viewing America's pastime.

Last year's baseball trip sold out early. To reserve your seat or ask any question Telephone: (203) 318 - 1200, Email: denv827@aol.com

There are still openings left in Killingworth Arts Center's July Art Weeks, which feature three weeks of different themes for kids over 11 and a week where adults can participate too.

Offer your child or teen a unique camp experience this Summer? Or have one yourself? Journalism Week (July 27-31) participants ages 12-17 will meet with Shoreline media professionals who will teach the nuts and bolts of creating a newspaper. Conduct an interview, perform research, and write and edit a press piece. Learn to blog and upload video. From July 20-24, A Trip to India for teens and adults. Dance like a Bollywood star and learn to apply hip and contemporary henna designs. End the week with a fashion show and Indian wedding ceremony. Adults can register for the entire week or for individual Workshops. Fashion Week (July 13-17) for ages 11-16. Learn about the world of fashion through illustration, designing and creating patterns, and sewing your own creations. To register call (860) 663-5593. Visit us online at www.artscenterkillingworth.org.

The Killingworth Road Race 4 miler will be run this year on Saturday, August 1st at 8:30 am. at the Killingworth Congregational Church to kick off the 50th annual Church Fair. Since last year, the course distance has been certified as 4 miles. The course starts on Rte. 81 in front of the church, goes up to Wolf Hollow Rd. and down to Roast Meat Hill Rd, down Reservoir Rd and back to Rte 80 continuing back to Rte 81 and the finish at the church. There will be timed splits, water stops, and lots of shade along the course! We will also have the popular blueberry pies donated by Robert's Food Center again this year for top category finishers. After the race, take a walk around the Fair with plenty of food, a silent auction, a plant booth, bake sale, and lots of fun for the kids! Get in shape and run with your friends in this great community event! Go to www.killingworthchurch.org/roadrace to sign up and reserve a t-shirt or sign up the day of the race.

At its annual meeting on July 17, at 7 p.m., at the Westbrook Library, Literacy Volunteers Valley Shore (LVVS) will present "Extraordinary Service Awards" to two Shoreline resident tutors for their long-standing dedication to the cause of literacy.

Ann Lander, a retired teacher and a resident of Old Lyme, has been an active LVVS volunteer for 20 years. She not only tutors four students, but assists in training other tutors. She has worked diligently to update the 18-hour tutor training program, which trains 25 to 30 new tutors annually.

Judy Levesque, a Clinton resident, has been a volunteer for 22 years. She is tutoring eight students, five of whom work at National Sintered Alloys in Clinton.

The meeting will also feature retired FBI Special Agent Susan Walton Wynkoop as guest speaker. Ms. Wynkoop has investigated bank robberies, terrorism, organized crime and drug violations and was involved in undercover operations. She is currently Assistant Project Director for the Oral History Project which is part of the Former Agents of the FBI Foundation.

Literacy Volunteers Valley Shore trains volunteer tutors to teach Basic Reading and English as a Second Language (ESL) to adults who cannot read, write or speak English, or who would like to improve their basic skills. LVVS tutors provide confidential one-to-one instruction without charge to any shoreline resident in need. Nearly 200 volunteers currently provide language instruction to 200 students in the 11 shoreline towns of Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Essex, Guilford, Killingworth, Lyme, Madison, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, and Westbrook.

To meet the growing demand for literacy training, the LVVS Board of Directors is seeking to raise $20,000 during the next twelve months. The English language tutoring program's objective is to increase its base of members from 200 to 1,000 so that the organization can increase its ability to recruit and train new volunteers. A tiered membership structure is being introduced, which enables individuals and businesses to provide support. For more information visit www.vsliteracy.org or call 860-767-1202.

On June 15th at Old Saybrook High School 118 athletes from the Shoreline Conference received the prestigious Scholar Athlete Award, including 18 from Haddam-Killingworth High School. H-K Athletic Director Dick Dupuis was Master of ceremonies of the 20th Annual event.

A Shoreline Scholar Athlete must have first achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better on a scale of 4.0 and be at least a sophomore in high school. The athlete must not have received a failing grade for the marking period when the Athletic achievement was attained.

Secondly, the individual must have been selected to an All-Shoreline Conference First team by the league's coaches; or may qualify athletically by winning an individual state championship, being selected first team All-State or being selected first team All-Conference in a league in which Shoreline schools participate.

Combining these very exacting standards is what makes the young men and women being honored so particularly special. They were congratulated for all the contributions they have made and the honor they have brought to their schools, communities, families and themselves. Additionally Senior Lindsey Griswold was one of six seniors who accomplished this honor for 3 years.

1st row: ( Jr.) Camille Kostek, (Jr.) Jess Moore, (Jr.) Kara Burdett, (Jr.) Mary Kate Murray, (Jr.) Kellie Moskey, (Sr.) Kristen Wendt, (Sr.) Shelby Van Huysen. 2nd row: (Sr.) Kevin Allison, (Soph.) Emily Anderson, (Jr.) Allison Armstrong, (Sr.) Lindsey Gorman, (Jr.) Jason Funaro, (Jr.) Patrick Gilhuly, (Sr.) Caitlin Gilhuly, (Sr.) Lindsey Griswold, (Jr.) Kyle Kelsey, Dick Dupuis. not pictured: Siobhan Blancaflor and Erin Moriarty. Photo and story courtesy C. Kostek

Sunday: June 14:
• 19:24:54 Medical Call, Route 81
Monday: June 15:
• 09:01:30 Medical Call, Roast Meat Hill Road.
• 16:17:46 Wires Down, Chittenden Road & Town Clerk Lane.
Tuesday: June 16:
• 23:08:58 Medical Call, Route 80.
• 15:52:43 Medical Call, North Roast Meat Hill Road.
Thursday: June 18:
• 18:35:18 Wires Down, North Roast Meat Hill Road.
Friday: June 19:
• 17:54:54 Electrical Fire, Kenilworth Drive.
Saturday: June 20:
• 11:07:28 Brush Fire, 381 Route 80.

Agenda
Regular Meeting of the Board of Selectmen
Monday, June 22, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.
Town Office Building

1. Call to Order
2. Pledge Of Allegiance
3. Approval of Minutes of Special Meeting held June 9 & 10 and Special Meeting and Public Hearing held on June 3, 2009
4. Visitors: Concerning Items on the Agenda
5. Tax Abatements & Refunds:
6. Vacancies:
    (A) IWWC - 1, (B) OEM - 1, (C) Housing Partnership - 4 (D) Public Health Agency - 1 (E) Estuary Council of Seniors - 2 (F) Municipal Land Use - 2 (G) Open Space Sub Committee - 1 (H) Water Pollution Control -1
7. Appointments:
8. Old Business:
9. New Business:
    A. Probate Redistricting - Judge Holly Darin
    B. Housing Partnership Committee - Present 2nd Interim Report
    C. BOS Authorization for First Selectman to sign a contract between Cardinal Engineering and the Town of Killingworth for inspection services for the Reservoir Road Bridge Project in an amount not to exceed $155,100.00.
    D. Award of Bid for "Wettish Property Multi-Purpose Fields" to Venuti Enterprises, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $758,751.27
10. RJC Announcements
11. Selectmen's Concerns
12. Visitor Comments: General
13. Adjournment
Printable version

The Haddam Historical Society announces its fourth annual "Week in the Life of an Early American Child." The program will run Monday, June 29th to Thursday, July 2nd, 2009. Students will travel back in time to the year 1830 and spend the week with Mrs. Thankful Arnold. All activities take place at the Thankful Arnold House museum in Haddam and will include caring for farm animals; sewing a copy book; carding, spinning and weaving wool; making butter; baking bread; playing games, and even dancing! This program is for girls and boys ages 8-12. The fee is $130 for three half day sessions (M,T,W) and one full day session on Thursday. For more information see www.haddamhistory.org where you can find a brochure and application. For questions, contact Sarah Neal, Education Coordinator, at education@haddamhistory.org or call The Haddam Historical Society at 345-2400.