Adults also have a wide range of programs. Zumba, Pilates, Yoga, Cycling, Nordic Walking, Bellydance Fusion, Ballroom Dance, and many adult aquatic programs. This YMCA has the largest offering of programs within its 14 town service area.

Members and Community residents, have you ever wondered what exactly the VSYMCA does for you and your community? Did you know that the Valley-Shore YMCA is not just a place that provides services to its own "members"? The YMCA gives a substantial amount of services back to the community including all American Red Cross Health and Safety classes. Both members and community residents are given the opportunity to take advantage of over 75 youth and family programs that range from music lessons, acting lessons, soccer, karate, dance, gymnastics, swimming, tennis, fashion, culinary arts, and so much more. Additionally, VSY encourages you to take advantage of their 26 acre facility that is strategically located to meet the needs of all 14 towns in their service area.

For more information on how the Valley-Shore YMCA can accommodate you, please feel free to visit them via web at www.vsymca.org or call them at 860-399-9622. All roads lead to Valley-Shore YMCA this spring.

The bill proposed by Sen. Meyer and Rep. Lesser would:
Exempt towns (including Durham) from the statutory, daily licensing procedure for mass gatherings which typically costs $100 per day.
Codify the Durham Fair's existing cooperative planning relationship with the town, with reporting requirements by the Fair to the town.
Allow towns to waive the mandatory bond requirements ($4 per attendee, an estimated $1 million bond for the Durham Fair.)
Change the statutory requirement that one security guard be hired for every 750 attendees (an estimated 300 security guards per day for the Durham Fair) to a number arrived at in consultation with local police.

"Cultural institutions and local economic engines like the Durham Fair should never be hamstrung by outdated and vague state statutes like this mass gathering law," Sen. Meyer said. "As soon as Durham town officials alerted me to the problem, Rep. Lesser and I began crafting a remedy that I believe balances public health and safety with the financial concerns of the Fair."

"Fixing this continues to be a top priority. The Durham Fair is more than a key heritage feature of our area; it's also a leading part of our economy. Businesses and nonprofits depend on the Fair and I'm excited about being able to save it," said Rep. Lesser, who sits on the legislature's Public Health Committee and who serves as a director of the Durham Fair Association.

At a public hearing on HB 5446 held Friday, March 12, Durham First Selectman Laura L. Francis spoke in favor of the bill, saying she has worked closely with state and local officials to correct the statute which is "somewhat outdated and inapplicable to the operation of agricultural fairs as well as difficult for the town to enforce."

"The Durham Fair Association, the Town of Durham, the Connecticut State Police and local emergency responders meet every year to create a responsible health and safety plan to ensure compliance with all state and local statutes and regulations," Francis said. "I have worked closely with the Department of Public Health, Senator Meyer, Representative Lesser, representatives of the Durham Fair Agricultural Association and Chiefs of Service to craft an amendment ... We have reached an agreement that the proposed changes are acceptable and, in fact, would make compliance achievable while creating higher standards for the safety planning process."

Durham Fair Association President Eugene Chiappetta also spoke in favor of the bill, characterizing the changes as "responsible and effective" and saying that the Durham Fair would be "imperiled" without them.

"Our Fair is a source of pride for its supporting communities, and for the hundreds of volunteers who come together every year to perpetuate the traditions of our agricultural heritage," Chiappetta said. "Our Fair is also the largest source of revenue for most of the community nonprofit organizations who operate food booths and conduct other fund-raising activities as part of the Fair."

This new legislation to assist the Durham Fair comes two years after Sen. Meyer helped pass bipartisan legislation which saved the Fair and Durham taxpayers an estimated $200,000 by allowing the Fair to withdraw up to 100,000 gallons of water per day without the typically required water diversion permits and hydrogeological studies.

The Durham Fair, located on Route 17 in Durham Center, is the largest agricultural fair in Connecticut and the largest fair in North America without a paid manager or staff. Nearly a quarter-million people attend the Durham Fair every year. Established in 1916, the Durham Fair is traditionally held the last full weekend of September. It is owned and operated by the Durham Agricultural Fair Association, Inc., a private, not-for-profit organization.

This year, the Durham Fair will be held September 23, 24, 25, and 26. For more information, please visit: www.durhamfair.com

The Committee elected the following officers: David L. Denvir, Chairman; Nancy Gorski, Vice Chairman; Kathy Prieto, Secretary; Lauren Blaha, Treasurer. Outgoing Secretary Deborah Butler, who did not seek re-election, was thanked for her many years of outstanding work as Committee Secretary.

A caucus of Republican electors will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 25, at a location to be determined, for the purpose of selecting delegates for the nominating conventions to be held in May. The convention dates are: Probate Judge, May 6; State Assembly, May 11; State Senate, May 13. The State Convention, to select candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of the State, Treasurer, Comptroller, United Congress (each district) and United States Senate, will be held in Hartford on May 21 and 22.

For further information on any of these matters, please contact David L. Denvir at (860) 663-2132 (eves.) or (203) 318-1200; or, visit the Town Committee websie, www.killingworthrepublicans.org.