According to published reports, Madison police arrested four men Thursday night at a Madison residence in connection with a burglary precipitated by an earlier dispute at a Killingworth party.

The following were arrested and charged individually:

Thomas Berchulski, 27, of Higganum, charged with burglary and breach of peace, held on $5,000 bond.
Walker Jamison, 21, of Killingworth, charged with criminal trespass and breach of peace, held on $2,000 bond.
Matthew Giannini, 21, of Durham, charged with criminal trespass and breach of peace, held on $2,000 bond.
Thijis Stoop, 19, of Killingworth, charged with criminal trespass and breach of peace, held on $2,000 bond.

All were arraigned on Friday, July 24.

As gas prices remain unstable, many people are looking at travel alternative. While most are aware of the bus services available in Connecticut's larger cities, many shoreline residents aren't aware that there is convenient and affordable public bus service throughout the shoreline and estuary area. Estuary Transit District's 9 Town Transit serves Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Essex, Lyme, Killingworth, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, and Westbrook.

9 Town Transit offers two types of transit service, all of which are open to the general public with no age or disability restrictions. The first is shuttle bus service on three deviated routes, all originating at the Old Saybrook train station. The routes run to Madison, Chester, and Niantic. The Shoreline Shuttle route even provides service to all four area train stations. The other service is door to door service through Transit-On-Call. This service picks-up and drops-off anywhere within the nine town area with 24 hour advance reservation. This means anyone of any age can even travel to and from Killingworth using 9 Town Transit.

In March of 2008, ETD began a new route between Old Saybrook and Niantic. This route was created to provide a link to South East Area Transit, the public transit system of the New London/Norwich region. Passengers are now able to travel from Old Saybrook to New London/Norwich for just $1.25.

Although all services are open to the general public, Estuary Transit District (ETD) began offering free bus tickets to persons age 60 or older in January. The tickets can be used on any 9 Town Transit service and are made possible by a grant from the Senior Resources Agency on Aging. Any senior wishing to get these free tickets can call ETD at 860-510-0429 weekdays between 8am and 12pm. Callers will be asked a few short questions to confirm eligibility.

In June 2009, ETD began operating public bus service to Middletown through the Mid-Shore Express. The route begins at the Old Saybrook train station and ends at the Middletown bus terminal on Main St in Middletown. The route also includes stops at the exit 4 and exit 6 park and ride lots along Route 9. The route will provide connections to Middletown Area Transit as well as CTTransit of Hartford, and is open to the general public for a fare of just $1.25.

With the exceptional value and convenience of ETD's 9 Town Transit, it's a great time to try the shoreline’s public transit system. Information and route schedules are available online at www.9towntransit.com or by calling 860-510-0429.

UPDATE: Dan Colonia, Chairman of the Park and Recreation Commission, reports that the stolen car was driven on to the construction site at the Wettish Property. The photo below was provided by Commission member Glenn Johnson.

On Wednesday, July 22 at approximately 7:49 am the Connecticut State Police, at Troop F in Westbrook, received information that a vehicle was located, completely burned on Parker Hill Road Extension in Killingworth. Killingworth's Resident Trooper Matthew Ward responded and learned that the antique vehicle, a 1969 Chevrolet Camero, was stolen from Chester sometime the evening before.

K-9 Track led troopers to 50 Parker Hill Road where one of the accused parties was located. Further investigation led to the arrest of two males.

Shane Lonergan, 25 of Route 148, Killingworth was charged with operating under suspension, burglary 3rd degree, arson 2nd degree, criminal mischief 1st degree, criminal mischief 3rd degree, larceny 1st degree, larceny 6th degree and criminal trover. Isaiah Ammermann, 25 of Chester, was charged with burglary 3rd degree, arson 2nd degree, criminal mischief 1st degree, using a motor vehicle without the owners permission, larceny 1st degree and larceny 6th degree.

Both men were held on $150,000 case/surety bonds and were scheduled to appear in Middletown Court yesterday.

Helen (Nosal) Kozlowski, 78, of Little City Road, Killingworth, formerly of West Sandalwood Court, Daytona Beach, Fla., wife of the late Stephen A. Kozlowski, died Wednesday, July 22, 2009, at Connecticut Hospice in Branford.

She was born in Middletown, the daughter of the late Stanley and Mary (Wilczak) Nosal. Prior to her retirement, she was employed with Goodyear Manufacturing and later Pratt & Whitney. Helen loved being with her grandchildren. She will always be remembered for her love of cryptograms, crocheting and UConn women's basketball.

She is survived by two sons, Stephen Kozlowski and his wife, Jackie, of Middletown, and James Kozlowski and his wife, Lee, of Killingworth; a daughter, Cori Peracchio and her husband, Michael, of Middletown; one brother, Paul Nosal of Middletown; two sisters, Josephine Kostek of Wethersfield, Theresa Rustek of Middletown; six grandchildren, Elizabeth Kozlowski, Kristin Kozlowski, Erin Peracchio, Kim Peracchio, Amy Kozlowski, Caitlin Kozlowski; several nieces and nephews; best friend, Shirley Cerrone; and Helen's faithful dog, Ginger. She was predeceased by three brothers, Joseph, George, John Nosal, and four sisters, Catherine Guida, Stella Dombrowski, Veronica DeProto and Anna Uneegar.

Funeral services will be held Saturday at 8:15 a.m. at Biega Funeral Home, 3 Silver St., Middletown, followed by a 9 a.m. funeral liturgy at St. Mary of Czestochowa Church. Burial will be in the State Veterans Cemetery at the convenience of the family. Friends may call at Biega Funeral Home Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to Save the Sound CT Fund for the Environment, 205 Whitney Ave., 1st Floor, New Haven, CT 06511.

Directed by ARTFARM Core Ensemble Member Joni Weisfeld, The Taming of the Shrew promises to deliver ARTFARM's signature physical style to the beautiful Cedar Grove at Middlesex Community College. Arrive before 6:00 pm with your family and friends, and enjoy a picnic while listening to fabulous music provided by some of Connecticut's top musical artists. The show starts at 7:00 pm. Performances Thursday, July 23 though Sunday 26.

Performance will be held indoors in the case of rain. Shakespeare in the Grove is supported by Middlesex Community College Division of Humanities and Arts, City of Middletown, Pratt & Whitney, Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, Aetna Foundation, Middletown Commission on the Arts, Middlesex County Community Foundation and many generous donors.

Admission is "Pay If You Can" -- the suggested donation is $20 for adults.

According to the State Division of Criminal Justice, Michael J. Petriccione, age 52, formerly of North Branford, was arrested Friday, July 17, 2009, and charged with four counts of Larceny in the First Degree, two counts of Larceny in the Second Degree, and one count of Larceny in the Third Degree. A convicted felon, Petriccione is charged with allegedly collecting thousands of dollars in fees to arrange million-dollar plus loans he never provided.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Mr. Petriccione offered to lend capital under the name of Mediations, Inc. or Innovations NE, LLC, to companies and individuals seeking financing for commercial ventures.

Mr. Petriccione allegedly collected a total of $95,500 in "appraisal fees," "interest reserve," "prepaid interest deposits," "lender reserve" or "due diligence fees" from would-be clients, but never arranged any actual financing, the warrant alleges.

In some instances, the warrant states, Mr. Petriccione claimed to be an attorney and offered to handle legal aspects of the transactions, many of which involved ventures in other states.

A series of complaints to the Connecticut Attorney General, the F.B.I., the Better Business Bureau, and the Statewide Grievance Committee were consolidated in the Statewide Prosecution Bureau of the Office of the Chief State's Attorney, which conducted the investigation that resulted in Mr. Petriccione's arrest.

In 1999, Mr. Petriccione pled guilty to multiple counts of forgery and larceny and was sentenced to serve three years in prison in a mortgage-related scam, the warrant states.

Larceny in the First Degree is a class B felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $15,000 fine. Larceny in the Second Degree is a class C felony carrying up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Larceny in the Third Degree is a class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine on each count.

Mr. Petriccione was arraigned Monday, July 20, 2009, in Hartford Superior Court, G.A. No. 14, before the Honorable Julia D. Dewey, who set bond at $100,000 cash or surety and continued the case until July 30, 2009.

The charges at this point are allegations only and Michael Petriccione is presumed innocent until the crimes are proved in court.

The cases will be prosecuted by the Statewide Prosecution Bureau of the Chief State's Attorney's Office in Rocky Hill.

Enrolled members of the Democratic Party of Killingworth: The Killingworth Democratic Party will caucus on Sunday, July 26, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at the Killingworth Library 301 Route 81 to endorse candidates for municipal offices to be elected on November 3, 2009.

Should the meeting room at the library be filled beyond capacity the caucus will reconvene at the Firehouse at 335 Route 81, just up the road.

Killingworth residents Amanda Johannes and MaryKate Murray played in the Cape Cod Classic Field Hockey Tournament for Team Connecticut July 18th and 19th at the Dennis-Yarmouth High School. Team Connecticut made it to the semi-finals only losing to tournament winner, Team Cape Cod, 1-0 after a penalty stroke. HKMS eighth grader Samantha Benevelli played for Team Connecticut in the Super Sophs Division for grades 8-10 the weekend before. The tournament offers an opportunity for its participants to receive high level coaching and compete against many of the top field hockey players in the New England area.

Amanda Johannes and MaryKate Murray and Samantha Benevelli in action on the Cape

State Sen. Ed Meyer, the Senate Chairman of the Environment Committee, yesterday joined in a Senate override of two of Gov. M. Jodi Rell's recent vetoes, including, first, the governor's killing of a proposed bi-state Long Island Sound commission to control industrial development in the Sound and, secondly, a fiscally responsible bill designed to accurately estimate the size of the biennial budget deficit.

"For people living on the shoreline of Connecticut, Long Island Sound is our most significant quality of life issue," Sen. Meyer said with regard to Senate Bill 1078, An Act Establishing a Bi-State Long Island Sound Commission, which would have Connecticut and New York State jointly review and act upon such controversial Long Island Sound projects as the Broadwater floating liquefied natural gas terminal or the Islander East pipeline.

"This bill - which the governor vetoed - brings Connecticut and New York together to deal with Long Island Sound issues of environment, ecology and energy," Sen. Meyer said. "It's a good bill for the shoreline, the state, and for our future generations. I am pleased that the override passed on a bipartisan by a vote of 31-5 in the Senate."

Sen. Meyer also joined in a Senate override of Governor Rell's killing of Senate Bill 1162, which requires the governor's budget secretary and the head of the non-partisan state Office of Fiscal Analysis to agree by October 15 of each year on a state budget deficit estimate for the coming three years. If they cannot, that deficit forecast will be made by the state comptroller.

"This bill better informs the legislature and Connecticut residents about the true size of our state budget deficit. A disagreement over the size of the 2010-2011 biennial state budget deficit is one reason why we have been unable to come to an agreement on a state budget. The proposed budgets as submitted by the governor and Republican legislators have been about $2 billion short of our latest deficit estimate. This bill, which Governor Rell and her Republican colleagues so fiercely opposed, is a perfect example of the kind of fiscal responsibility that the public expects and deserves from its state government."

Monday: July 13:
• 17:56:53 Medical Call, Lower Boulder Trail.
Friday: July 17:
• 09:27:47 Medical Call, Pond Meadow Road.
• 11:29:40 Wires Down, Alders Bridge Road.
Saturday: July 18:
• 15:12:18 MVA, Route 81.
• 23:05:21 Medical Call, Iron Works Road.

A Message to Residents from U.S. Representative Joe Courtney

On June 26, the House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), legislation that will revitalize our economy by creating new green jobs, increase our national security by reducing our dependence on foreign oil, and preserve our planet by reducing the pollution that causes global warming

In a recent newsletter to his constituents, U.S. Representative Joe Courtney explains the act and its impact on taxpayers if passed by the Senate.

Courtney said, if passed by the Senate, ACES will:

Enact strong renewable energy and energy efficiency standards. ACES requires utilities to meet a combined 20% renewable (15%) and efficiency (5%) rate by 2020, and requires states to meet a 15% renewable rate by 2020. It requires new building efficiency standards that will ensure residential buildings are 30% more efficient by 2014 and commercial buildings are 50% more efficient by 2015, as well as increased efficiency standards for lights, appliances, and commercial furnaces.

Tackle the threat of global climate change. ACES establishes a market-based cap and trade system to reduce carbon emissions 17% by 2020, and 80% by 2050. The caps are based on 2005 emissions as the benchmark, and would begin in 2012. Credits, or allowances, will be sold in a market based approach to emitters of greenhouse gases, and will give them a choice between purchasing the credits that will let them continue to pollute - or invest in the clean energy technologies that will reduce emissions, create jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. This system is modeled off the proven and effective Clean Air Act of 1990 that addressed acid rain, which allowed the market to set the price of allowances for acid. In addition to purchasing allowances, polluters will be able to offset their emission cap if they can prove they are reducing emissions of uncapped sources at a lower cost.

Invest in consumer relief and energy technology. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that ACES will raise $846 billion over ten years from the sale of carbon credits. Over half of the revenues (55%) will be invested towards relief to consumers - lowering the cost to power, heat and cool their homes and businesses. 19% would be used to help energy intensive industries, like steel, iron and paper, transition to cleaner operations and protect American jobs, and 13% would be invested in clean energy technology development and deployment.

Read more about ACES and some frequently asked questions on Courtney's website.

Help Willy's Friends is having a food and supply drive to benefit dogs and cats in local animal shelters at Agway of North Haven on Saturday, August 1st from 9:00am-4:00pm. Food, toys, blankets, and towels will be collected.

Help Willy's Friends is an organization dedicated to collecting supplies to distribute among local animal shelters. This in turn assists shelter workers with providing proper, required, and additional care to animals in need. Ultimately, this results in additional time with hope of finding a new home for loving dogs and cats.

Agway is located at 66 State St., North Haven.

For questions, please contact Mark Paturzo at (203) 988-1718 or you can email him at willy@helpwillysfriends.org. For more information about Willy's cause, please visit Willy's website at www.helpwillysfriends.org.