The Source

Class of 2009 Haddam-Killingworth High School

2009-07-02T21:02:23Z

David J. Acampora
Michael B. Ahearn
Tyler R. Allen
Jared C. Averill
Joshua R. Bailey
Sarah Bartosiak
Christopher Bova
Nichole V. Brooks
Anna L. Brundage
Jacqueline Buttendorf
Steven C. Condon
Matthew B. Coyle
Kyle M. Cummings
Kevin F. Dahlberg
Daryl DiStefano
Amanda C. Drew
Chelsea A. Durand
Brooke Faircloth
Douglas Fetteroll
Kaitlin Gargiulo
Caitlin Gilhuly
Lindsay K. Gorman
Alison K. Hammell
Molly C. Hammell
Amanda C. Herbert
Anastasia Howell
Richelle Jessey
William T. Jette
Krystina H. Johnson
Matthew A. Johnson
Jani E. Kaszeta
Thomas E. Kennedy
Zachary A. Kumnick
Anthony C. LaRosa
Jocelyn Lindner
Deanna M. Loso
Robert F. Lucas
Brian M. Ludington
Alicia Mala
Celia I. Marcum
Nichole K. Marvin
Timothy Mathiason
Nicholas E. McGlynn
Michael J. Mead
Timothy R. Mertz
Codie L. Miner
David Murray
Christopher T. Nixon
James W. Nixon
Bradley J. Nuhn
Matthew D. O'Brien
Connor J. O'Neill
Michael W. Ossa
Danielle N. Page
Colleen D. Phelan
Daniel B. Pucillo
Johanna E. Regan
Joshua A. Reynolds
Sarah A. Rogers
Matthew L. Rynkowski
Genna R. Samander
Danielle R. Sanso
Michael R. Saunders
Brendan J. Schillberg
Kayla Schroeder
Erin E. Schuster
Justin C. Simmers
Alexa I. Skoulis
Russell Spaeth
Jason P. Stoner
Hannah K. Sturman
Avalon C. Taboada
Ashley R. Taylor
Shelby E. Van Huysen
Matthew A. Venuti
Stephanie A. Venuti
Christine E. Vivero
Paige C. Volpe
Matthew R. Waldman
Lindsey A. Wierbicki
Sarah R. Wilson
Emma R. Wing
Allison E. Winokur
Katelyn C. Zenie
Salvatore D. Zichichi

HK High School Colleges

2009-07-02T21:01:00Z

Members of the graduating Class of 2009 from Haddam-Killingworth High School will be attending the following schools in the fall:

Connecticut
Brio Academy
Central Connecticut State University
Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy
Eastern Connecticut State University
Fairfield University
Gateway Community College
Independent Connecticut Petroleum Association Center
Middlesex Community College
Naugatuck Valley Community College
Paier College of Art
Post University
Quinnipiac University
Sacred Heart University
Southern Connecticut State University
UConn – Avery Point
UConn – Hartford
UConn – Storrs
University of Hartford
University of New Haven
Western Connecticut State University

Massachusetts
Anna Maria College
Boston College
Elms College
Lasell College
Northeastern University
Springfield College
Stonehill College
Suffolk University
UMass – Amherst
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Western New England College

Rhode Island
Bryant University
Johnson & Wales University
New England Institute of Technology
Roger Williams University
University of Rhode Island

Vermont
Champlain College
Lyndon State College

New Hampshire
Keene State College
Rivier College

Maine
Unity College

New York
Culinary Institute of America
Hofstra University
Ithaca College
Pace University
C. W. Post University
Rochester Institute of Technology
SUNY Cobleskill
SUNY Fredonia
Wagner College

Pennsylvania
Marywood College
Muhlenberg College
Villanova University

District of Columbia
George Washington University

Florida
Full Sail University

North Carolina
Elon University
High Point University

Virginia
James Madison University
Old Dominion University

Georgia
Savannah College of Art & Design

Ohio
Ohio State University

Utah
BrighamYoung University

KSA Scholarship Recipients Announced

2009-07-02T20:59:19Z

The Killingworth Scholarship Association is pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s awards:

           Sarah Bartosiak
           Tara Cordner
           Lindsay Gorman
           Victoria Hogan
           Deanna Loso
           Nicholas McGlynn
           Colleen Phelan
           Erin Schuster
           Shelby Van Huysen
           Christine Vivero

Each recipient is a resident of Killingworth and a 2009 graduate of Haddam-Killingworth High School or Sacred Heart Academy. Students will receive their award upon the successful completion of their first college semester.

The Killingworth Scholarship Association has been recognizing students from Killingworth for more than 30 years and has awarded more than $112,000. Candidates are required to complete an application along with a reflective essay. Candidates are then selected for a personal interview.

“We had an outstanding pool of candidates again this year,” noted President Nancy Dansereau. “The number and quality of the applicants continues to grow each year, making it a difficult task to select finalists.

It’s a tribute to our community, the students and their families, that the Killingworth Scholarship Association continues to be impressed with the caliber and qualifications of the recipients. We would like to thank the community for their continued financial support even under the current economic climate.”

Goldberg Runs for Second Term

2009-07-02T20:58:15Z

By Marianne Sullivan, Source Senior Staff Writer:

First Selectman Al Goldberg made it official late last week. The Democrat announced that he will seek a second two-year term.

“I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to continue to serve as first selectman,” he said.
Goldberg beat incumbent Republican Tom Scarpati to win the office two years ago. This November he will face Republican Fillmore McPherson, a veteran Board of Finance member who announced his intention to run Monday.

Goldberg said, “I will run on my record of leadership, vision and results.”

He said his accomplishments included enhancement to the senior tax relief program, the approval at referendum of the senior center and ambulance facility, improvements to the human resources department and assessor’s office, a refinancing of town bonds to save $1 million over the next 10 years, and the approval of two annual budgets that maintained town and school services while being fiscally responsible.

The Democrat also said that he had worked hard at keeping a campaign promise to seek better communication and cooperation among boards, commissions, and town departments and that many of the accomplishments he cited “are shared with fellow selectmen, all of whom worked in a bi-partisan manner to get things done.”

Goldberg said, “I see myself as a public servant. I don’t want to politicize public policy matters, but sometimes making changes ruffles feathers and is a necessary part of the equation to get things done.”

He added, “This has been an activist administration that has tackled some long-standing problems…I put ethics and an ethics commission back on the front burner, raised the need for open space acquisition planning [and] addressed some problems that have been lingering for 30 years.”

The well-publicized problems within the Police Department have overshadowed much of Goldberg’s past year in office. One of those problems became the ever-increasing legal bills being paid to the former town attorney. Goldberg faced two hostile town meetings to seek additional funding.

“Did I take a beating at times? Yes, but I think we are headed in the right direction,” he stated.

The recently approved agreement with retiring Chief of Police Paul Jakubson will bring new leadership and new vision to the department, he said.

“I believe I’ve kept my campaign promises and the most important, I think, was a promise to get the town talking and working together again. By that, I meant town government. I see more joint meetings, more communication, more collegiality, cordiality, and civility among boards and commissions as we all address the common issues within the community,” Goldberg said.

Two years ago his campaign consisted of a concerted door-to-door effort carried out on his bicycle.

“Starting next week I hop back on my bicycle. It is my intention the visit thousands of voters at their homes. I’ll spend a full day here at my Town Campus office and in the early evening I’ll be on my bike,” Goldberg said.

“I never knew how short a time two years in office can be. There is so much more we need to do. I want to be first selectman to assure that our community gets things done,” he said.
Incumbent selectmen William Gladstone and Kathi Traugh will join Goldberg on the Democratic ticket for Board of Selectmen. Both will be seeking their third terms.

McPherson Steps Forward as First Selectman Candidate

2009-07-02T20:57:11Z

By Marianne Sullivan, Source Senior Staff Writer:

Republican Fillmore McPherson stated his intention emphatically Monday morning. He announced, “I am running for this job.” The job is first selectman.

McPherson is an eight-year veteran of the Board of Finance and a 30-year Madison resident.
“I love this town. It has become increasingly obvious that the town of Madison is adrift. A new hand is needed at the helm. That is why I am announcing my candidacy for the Republican nomination for first selectman,” he said.

He will be running against incumbent First Selectman Al Goldberg, a Democratic who is completing his first two-year term and has announced this week that he will seek re-election.
“I have lived in this town for 30 years and have a solid record of active leadership in both government and civic affairs. I will be able to provide practical, hands-on guidance for the benefit of the town,” McPherson said.

His announcement, made at the foot of the granite steps of Memorial Town Hall, was greeted with applause from the approximately two dozen Republicans who had assembled there.

McPherson is married, has three grown children—all graduates of Daniel Hand High School—and is a retired executive from Schick Razors. In addition to the finance board, he has served on school building committees, is on the Board of Directors of the Madison Land Conservation Trust, and volunteers with Meals on Wheels, among other activities.

He said there were many reasons why he decided to run for first selectman—“Today I’ll only mention a few.”

For the past eight years on the Board of Finance, McPherson said, he has been “performing due diligence…It gives me a solid background in our financial affairs, and if you don’t think finances matter, wait until you get your tax bill.”

He said, “I have nine years as a board member of the Madison Land Conservation Trust. It speaks to my commitment to preserve our woodlands and coastal areas. I would like to see more land preserved as open space.”

McPherson said he did not want to alter the small town feel of Madison, but did want to encourage greater participation from small businesses as well as a greater variety of downtown retail establishments.

“The empty storefronts downtown do not bode well for local interests or for tax revenue,” he said.

“I do not agree that we made a conscious decision to have homeowners bear 92 percent of our tax burden,” McPherson added in a direct reference to a quote made by Goldberg in a Wall Street Journal article published in May.

The Republican then said, “We need to be prepared to effectively manage the next ‘big problem’ that we do not yet know about. This year it was excessive legal fees. For the past two years it has been police issues. Whatever and whenever the next issue is, I have the leadership experience to keep the ship on a smooth course. I am that leader.”

In introducing McPherson, Republican Selectwoman Noreen Kokoruda called him “the perfect choice…exactly who and what the town needs right now to return honor to Madison.”

Kokoruda and her fellow Republican selectman, Joe MacDougald, will both run for the selectmen seats. Republican Town Chairman Tom Banisch said the party is still seeking candidates for other spots on the ticket.

Teacher by Day, Writer by Night

2009-07-02T20:56:10Z

By Jen Matteis, Source Community Desk Chief

Randy Howe, a resident of Madison since 2001, has enjoyed the ability to combine his two main interests—writing and teaching.

“I’ve had the opportunity to write a lot of books that in some way pertain to education and teaching,” says Randy, who is a special education teacher by day and a writer by night. “It’s a pretty busy, full life—which is how I like it.”

Currently, Randy teaches special education for students in grades 9 and 10 at the Sound School, a vocational high school in the public school system in New Haven.

Randy—who has a master’s degree in special education from Manhattanville College—has also written approximately 25 books, including a number of compilations of quotes, facts, and trivia.

Randy got his start in the publishing industry with the help of his wife Alicia Solis—the executive managing editor at Globe Pequot Press in Guilford. Randy’s first book—Flags of the Fifty States and Their Incredible Histories—was commissioned by Globe Pequot in 2002.
“They were pleased with the work,” says Randy.

This might be an understatement considering the 25 works that he has written since.
His two latest books, A+ Educators: A World-Class Tribute to Our Best Teachers and Here We Stand: 600 Inspiring Messages from the World’s Best Commencement Addresses, have involved a good amount of leg work. The first book involved getting in touch with award-winning teachers nationwide.

“That’s been pretty rewarding,” Randy notes. “It’s been fun emailing them and building this pool of excellent teachers for future works.”

For the commencement addresses, Randy tried to combine the serious with the more lighthearted.

“Some of the material in there is serious, but when you’re sitting at a speech, you like when someone can make you laugh,” says Randy, who included quotes from Andy Rooney, John Stewart, Barbara Bush, and Madeleine Albright. “Some of the most enjoyable are the folks who you wouldn’t necessarily expect to be funny.”

The book necessitated reading almost 250 speeches.

“I would try to skim the speeches, but I’d end up reading the whole thing,” he says. “That was a lot of fun.”

One of his most enjoyable moments in publishing was seeing his books on display at R.J. Julia Booksellers for the first time.

“I was really excited,” he recalls. “I enjoyed it because it was my first one—having always dreamed of being a writer and seeing my name on a book.”

As for the actual writing process, you might have seen Randy in action at his favorite local haunts—the Scranton Library and Starbucks.

“I will usually write for at least an hour a day,” he says. “It’s relaxing, it’s enjoyable—it’s something I like doing. I put the iPod on and get into the zone and next thing I know it’s 9:30 at night and time to go home and go to bed.”

Being a teacher, Randy is planning to use his summer vacation to write—but not exclusively. He’s looking forward to spending a bit more time with his two kids, six-year-old Noelle and four-year-old David.

“It’s really a nice break for everybody in the family,” says Randy, who adds that the family enjoys spending time at soccer camps and the Surf Club. “We spend the summer in our flip flops and a lot more relaxed.”

While David is mostly interested in baseball, Noelle has definitely felt the influence of having two parents in the publishing industry.

“Noelle says she wants to be an author and an illustrator when she grows up,” says Randy, who also coached his daughter’s soccer team this spring.

As for the teaching side of his life, Randy enjoys working in special education and plans to continue in the field.

“I like that you have to think on your feet,” he explains. “These kids are especially interesting and I’m especially proud of them.

“They are young adults who want to be treated like adults,” he continues. “They want the responsibility and the trust—that’s pretty challenging—to be supportive without being overly supportive.”

For someone who initially wanted to publish fiction, Randy has no regrets about finding his niche in the nonfiction world. Despite rejected efforts at the great American novel, the success that he has found is more than enough.

“This was an opportunity to do something I loved and get paid for it,” he says. “At the end it’s great because a couple times a year I get to see a package by the door and in it is a book I’ve worked on.”

As for his rejection letters?

“I kept all the rejection letters,” he notes. “They’re down in the basement along with all the stuff that got published.”

Randy’s books are available through R.J. Julia Booksellers, 768 Boston Post Road, Madison. For more information, visit www.randyhowe.net.

To nominate a Person of the Week, call 203-245-1877, ext. 6119 or email j.matteis@shorepublishing.com.

Pictured: Randy Howe of Madison is a special education teacher by day, writer by night.

Photo by Jen Matteis

Water Filtration System Proposed for Ryerson, Brown

2009-07-02T20:54:47Z

By Marianne Sullivan, Source Senior Staff Writer:

The Board of Education and the town are moving forward with a proposal from the Connecticut Water Company (CWC) that, if approved, will remove uranium from the water supply at the Ryerson and Brown schools. Since November, tests have shown higher than recommended levels of uranium in the well water at the two schools.

The proposal put forward by the water company will serve the schools from the Legend Hill condominium complex, which borders the school property. The water company has entered into an agreement to purchase the Legend Hill water system, which also has tested with high levels of uranium in its water. The water company will install a uranium removal system at Legend Hill, supply that condominium complex with treated water, and will supply the schools as well.

CWC has submitted a plan to the state Department of Public Health to permit installation of a treatment system, the first of its kind in the state. State Rep. Deb Heinrich, working with the water company and the town, succeeded in having enabling legislation passed recently in the legislature.

Under the water company’s proposal, CWC would assume all responsibility for providing a safe, reliable source of potable water to the schools. The company will assume the costs of providing and installing a water line from the Legend Hill treatment system to a metered connection point at Ryerson School.

The two schools would then become customers of the CWC, just as the other schools in Madison are. Until now, only Ryerson and Brown, the two northernmost schools, have been receiving water from wells drilled on the property. As water company customers, the two schools will pay the same metered rate as the other schools pay.

CWC would be responsible for the future maintenance of the water line. The town will be required to approve some easements to allow for installation and operation of the water lines and will be asked to allow the water company access to use of its well at Ryerson, should that be necessary to insure an adequate water supply.

“It is the company’s goal to have the uranium removal system and service connection for the schools in place by the first day of school this fall,” Craig Plata of CWC said.

The Board of Education, in a special meeting last week, authorized Superintendent of Schools David Klein to enter into agreements with the water company as necessary, and the Board of Selectmen has set a July 15 date for a town meeting to approve easements for access to school property.

It’s Another Glorious Fourth

2009-07-02T20:53:49Z

By Marianne Sullivan, Source Senior Staff Writer:

Once again this year, Madison is prepared for an exciting July 4 weekend—from fireworks on Friday evening to the Saturday morning parade, which this year is marking its 30th anniversary, to Saturday evening’s concert on the Green. All events are free and open to the public.

First, the fireworks. They are scheduled for Friday approximately 9 p.m. They will be visible from the Surf Club, West Wharf, and East Wharf. Admission to these public beaches is regulated by the Beach and Recreation Department.

The Police Department reminds residents of the following parking, road closure, and public transportation issues:

There will be no parking in posted areas along West Wharf Road, and Surf Club Road. Permanent and temporary parking areas will be enforced and vehicles found in a hazardous location will be subject to towing at the owner’s expense.

West Wharf will be cleared of vehicles beginning at 5 p.m. and vehicles parked there after that time will be towed at the owner’s expense. Any vehicles parked at East Wharf will not be allowed to leave the lot until all pedestrian traffic has cleared the area.
The following roads will be closed to inbound vehicular traffic at approximately 8 p.m., but may be closed earlier if vehicular and pedestrian traffic levels are greater than normal: West Wharf Road, Surf Club Road, Middle Beach West, Island Avenue, and Middle Beach Road from East Wharf to Island Avenue.

Public transportation will be available. Buses will depart and return to the following locations beginning at 5:30 p.m.: Samson Rock Drive at Stop & Shop, the railroad station at Bradley Road, and the commuter parking lot on Route 79. Buses will drop off riders at the intersection of West Wharf Road and Surf Club Road. At the conclusion of the fireworks, all buses will return to all locations.

At the fireworks, drivers are advised to follow the instructions of the police officers who will attempt to move traffic as efficiently as possible. Officers assigned at the Surf Club will form traffic into two outgoing lanes. No inbound traffic will be allowed. All traffic will exit onto West Wharf Road, which will also be designated as one-way (northbound). No southbound traffic will be allowed on West Wharf Road until authorized by police officers. Leaving the fireworks, vehicles traveling in the right hand lane of West Wharf Road will only be allowed to turn right onto Route 1, and vehicles in the left hand lane on West Wharf Road will only be allowed to turn left onto Route 1.

The Police Department asks all drivers to be mindful of the increased pedestrian traffic on all surrounding roads both before and after the fireworks display.

The Parade

This year marks the 30-year anniversary of the town’s July 4 parade, originated and organized under the auspices of the Madison Exchange Club (see story on page XX). The parade will be Saturday at 11 a.m.

This year’s theme is “Health & Wellness,” inspired by the Chamber of Commerce’s Madison Challenge, a program introduced to engage citizens in healthy lifestyles and choices. The parade’s grand master will be Dr. John Mastrobattisto, the initiator of Madison Challenge.
Marching units are asked to organize in the parking lots off Samson Rock Road. The parade will step off at 11 a.m. and travel down Main Street and the Boston Post Road to the Surf Club, where it will disband.

The Concert

One of Madison’s most popular events is the July 4 Concert on the Green presented by Madison Cultural Arts (MCA). Saturday will mark this event’s 27th year. It is sponsored this year by Guilford Savings Bank.

The concert starts at 5 p.m. with the Shoreline Youth Symphony Orchestra. At 7 p.m. the Wallingford Symphony Orchestra will take the stage with its “Program Americana” selections, which include music composed by Bernstein, Copland, and Williams and tunes of Broadway and the Swing Era.

As always, the concert concludes with everyone’s favorite finale, Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, John Philip Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever, and You’re a Grand Old Flag.

Admission is free. There are limited reserved seating areas closer to the stage for concert patrons who donate $60 or more. MCA’s lease with the First Congregational Church of Madison for use of the Green stipulates that the concert be an alcohol-free event and that space cannot be reserved on the Green prior to 6 a.m. on July 4. For reserved seating or for those who would like to volunteer to help with the concert, call Richard Evans at 203-215-4362.

Fourth of July Parade Celebrates Its 30 Year Anniversary

2009-07-02T20:52:34Z

When you’ve lived in an active community like Madison for more than just a few years, you begin to assume (or not even think about) that the important events on the town calendar “just happened.” So, as years go by, many annual events seem to neither have had a definitive beginning nor seem to have been placed on the town calendar by persons representing any specific organizations.

So that doesn’t happen to our great Fourth of July Parade, the town records should now more properly reflect that 2009 is the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Fourth of July Parade by forward-thinking members of the Madison Exchange Club. In celebration of that moment, five of its founders, headed up by the key originator Carlo DiGirolamo, are assembling this year to commemorate its historic beginnings.

Original Madison Exchange Club organizers attending this year’s 30th anniversary parade include Jim Mezzanti, organizer par excellence; Charlie Corso, CHairman of the Games (in ’79, played all day at the Surf Club); Tom Rhinelander, in charge of safety; and Bob Wiggum, chairman of food & beverage (in 1979, more than 675 lobster dinners).

It should be a great reunion centered on what has become a fantastic part of how Madison celebrates America’s birthday.

Submitted by Ashton Edwards for the Madison Exchange Club

Police Increasing Parking Enforcement

2009-07-02T20:50:13Z

As the summer season approaches, the Madison Police Department will be stepping up its efforts to patrol the downtown business district as well as school and beach areas to enforce parking regulations.

These efforts could result in increased enforcement actions to the point of the possible issuance of a State of Connecticut infraction ticket, the department said.
Simply put, you could get a ticket and have to pay a fine.

In accordance with Madison Town Ordinance Article II, Section 12-26, Parking Violations (G) “If payment is not received in full within thirty (30) days of the date of issue of the citation, an infraction ticket shall be issued to the last registered owner of the motor vehicle by first class mail. The owner of record shall be that individual, firm, or corporation according to the Department of Motor Vehicles. The Town infraction will charge the registered owner with violation of a Town Ordinance subject to a fine of not less than Fifty Dollars ($50.00) and not more than One Hundred Dollars ($100). This shall be deemed an additional violation of this section. A letter explaining the fines, penalties, cost and fees due shall accompany the infraction ticket.”

Therefore, if payment of a parking violation isn’t received within 30 days of the issue date, an infraction will be issued, resulting in payment of the fine which is double the original fine plus the infraction fine which could be up to an additional $77, payable to the State of Connecticut Infraction Bureau.

To appeal a parking ticket, the Police Department asks that you follow this procedure: Ticket appeals must be sent in writing to the Madison Police Department, 9 Campus Drive, Madison, CT 06443, and an appeal date with the independent parking appeals officer of the Town of Madison will be assigned.

Ten Students Receive Awards for Citizenship

2009-07-02T20:48:14Z

On May 13, 108 tutors, students, families and friends of Literacy Volunteers Valley Shore (LVVS) gathered at St. Mary’s Church of the Visitation Hall in Clinton for the LVVS 18th annual Student Awards Ceremony and International Potluck Dinner. The dinner was organized by Ann Lander and her committee. The diners enjoyed delicacies from such countries as Peru, Brazil, Tibet, Mexico, and Afghanistan. The crowning glory of the evening was the awarding of Certificates of Achievement to 10 students who passed the American Citizenship test this year.

Awards were presented to Shahbibi Qurban Ali (Westbrook); Samad Ali Qurban Ali (Westbrook); Fatima Arhday (Guilford); Raul Jara (Westbrook); Hang Lam (Clinton); Ruth Peterson (Clinton); Aracelly Ramirez (Killingworth); Latifa Ghulan Rasool (Westbrook); Gloria Robison (Westbrook); and Juana “Silvia” Tuttle (Deep River). The Essex Garden Club presented each student with a patriotically wrapped herb plant so that they could plant their roots in their adopted country.
Awards were given out to 56 students for Outstanding Student Participation. Certificates were presented to students who set goals that they wanted to achieve at the beginning of the year and attained those goals. Goals achieved included long-term goals such as gaining U.S. citizenship to short-term ones such as getting a library card. Many of these students improved their employment status because of their increased English-speaking skills; others can now communicate in English with their children’s teachers or with doctors. The skills attained are many times those skills that we take for granted but the non-English speaking person finds them a challenge.

The Book Sale Committee awarded prizes for its annual Essay Contest. The essay contest presents an opportunity for students to practice their writing skills. Essays were judged in several different categories according to their language proficiency. Prizes were awarded in both Basic Reading and English as a Second Language. First place in basic reading was awarded to Mary Rubino (Old Saybrook). First place awards in English as a Second Language (ESL) were given to: Beginning: Nohemi Ramirez (Clinton); High Beginning: Niru Keshwala (Clinton); Low Intermediate: Aracelly Ramirez (Killingworth); High Intermediate: Claudia Hernandez (Lopez) (Guilford); Low Advanced: Giemar Rivera (Clinton); and High Advanced: Debora Franca (Old Saybrook).

LVVS is a nonprofit educational program dedicated to helping adults of all ages improve their lives and their communities by learning reading, writing, math and problem-solving skills. Serving 13 towns in the lower valley area, LVVS helps adults overcome barriers and improve employment opportunities by teaching them to communicate in English and basic reading skills.

Information courtesy of Mary Ellen Jewett

Police Incident Report June 17 to 23

2009-07-02T20:47:03Z

The Source publishes a Police Incident Report to inform residents of incidents, criminal activities, and police responses occurring in Madison and Killingworth. As those charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty, the report does not include names. The report may be edited for size and content.

Madison

Wednesday, June 17
• A 35-year-old woman of Opening Hill Road was charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and failure to drive in the proper lane of a multiple lane highway.
• A 41-year-old Guilford woman was charged with larceny in the first degree, credit card theft, and illegal use of credit card.
• Police investigated criminal mischief on public property on Scotland Road near Horse Pond Road, criminal mischief on private property at 65 Old Route 79 and at 43 West Wharf Road, and a burglary at 27 Parker Avenue.

Thursday, June 18
• A 20-year-old man of East Wharf Road was charged with reckless driving, engaging police in pursuit, and failure to obey a control signal.
• A 26-year-old man of Duck Hole Road was charged with cruelty to animals, assault in the second degree, threatening, and strangulation in the second degree.
• Police investigated a report of aggravated assault on Lake Drive.

Friday, June 19
• A 20-year-old man of Bartlett Drive charged with disorderly conduct.
• Entrapment in a non-motor vehicle fire was reported at 1301 Boston Post Road.
• Police investigated a criminal trespass incident at 32 Waterbury Avenue.

Saturday, June 20
• A 20-year-old man of Durham Road was charged with evading responsibility in the operation of a motor vehicle following an accident in which there was property damage or bodily injury (fleeing the scene) and failure to drive in the proper lane of a multiple lane highway.
• A 27-year-old Meriden man was charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, failure to carry insurance identification card, and failure to drive in the proper lane of a multiple lane highway.
• Police investigated a breach of peace on Puritan Lane.

Sunday, June 21
• A 43-year-old man of River Road was charged with disorderly conduct.
• Police investigated an unlawful discharge of a firearm on Beekman Place.

Monday, June 22
No arrests were made.
• Police investigated vandalism at 87 Surf Club Road, a burglary at 27 Parker Avenue, and neighbor trouble on Old Route 79.

Tuesday, June 23
No arrests were made.
• Police investigated a burglary attempt at 122 Winding Road and criminal mischief on private property at 61 Oak Avenue.

Killingworth

Wednesday, June 17 to Friday, June 19
No arrests were made and no significant incidents were reported.

Saturday, June 20
• A missing person report was filed at 1:16 a.m. and investigated by Trooper Daniel Hoffner. No details of the case were made available.

Sunday, June 21 to Tuesday, June 23
No arrests were made and no significant incidents were reported.

Police correspondent Jason J. Marchi compiles the Police Incident Report.

Clam Up!

2009-07-01T15:29:45Z

Nicholas Straka (in blue) and triplets Rebe, Tessie, and Charlie Wahl show off the clams they collected last weekend off West Wharf Beach as part of the Madison Community Clam Dig. Despite the iffy weather, more than 100 clammers came out to continue a shoreline tradition. The shellfishing bed, which is stocked by the Shellfish Commission, still holds a bounty of clams—licenses are available at Town Hall or Captain Morgan’s Bait and Tackle. Shellfishing information can be found at www.madisonct.org/Health_Dept/hlthshellfish.htm.

Photo by Adam Coppola

A (Different) Grand Old Flag

2009-07-01T15:24:34Z

By Jen Matteis, Community Desk Chief:

What does lacrosse have to do with the military? In Madison, the answer is, believe it or not: quite a lot.

The story begins with an unusual flag that you may have seen displayed in the past at Memorial Town Hall. The flag—a 10-foot long, red and white banner with a star in the center—is a Service Flag, or Blue Star Flag, commissioned to honor Madison residents who served in World War I.

The flag caught the attention of a few families with deep roots in Madison—the Marvin-Smiths (George and Lisa), the Husteks (Tom and Debbie), and the Russells (Bob and Katy).

With the help of Nancy Bastian, the town’s archivist at the Charlotte L. Evarts Memorial Archives, the group learned the history of Madison’s Service Flags and decided to commission its own as well as start a local chapter of the national group, Blue Star Mothers, in an effort to find other Madison families who have sons or daughters in the military.

The new Service Flag honors residents who have served in the military from August 1990 through the present—including the group’s own sons—Gregory Marvin-Smith, Jameson Hustek, and Matthew Russell. Two of the sons serve in the Marines and one (Marvin-Smith) is in the Navy.
The trio became friends in elementary school through Madison Youth Lacrosse (MYL).

“All three kids played lacrosse from the time they were probably eight years old and all the way through high school,” said Tom Hustek.

The lacrosse connection rekindled through the recent effort to bring the Service Flag to Madison. The project came about through the efforts of the current MYL team, which has been sending care packages to soldiers for the past few years—despite expensive shipping costs—and funding them through a series of bake sales.

A bake sale held the day before Easter raised almost $900—covering their shipping costs, with enough left over to fund the Blue Star Flag and honor the former MYL players now overseas. The boys in the lacrosse team remember Russell—now stationed in Iraq—as the famous All-American lacrosse goalie who went on to play lacrosse at the Naval Academy. Joanne Reynolds, a volunteer with MYL, is the main organizer of the bake sales.

“The focus should really be on Joanne Reynolds who raised all the money for both the flag and shipping of all the food to Iraq,” emphasized Bob Russell, who noted that the team has sent about 500 pounds of food and supplies over to his garage for care packages to be sent overseas. “She is a rock star.”

Coordinated with the help of Ray Hanley at the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Madison Post 2096 and Bob Girard, the Madison fire chief, the flag was made by Bettina Braisted (The Sailbag Lady), a sailmaker in Madison and a former Marine, and flown from a ladder truck at Hose Company One the Fire Department at the Memorial Day Parade.

“It’s a beautiful flag,” said Tom Hustek. “It’s 9 by 20—it’s huge.”

Plans are also underway to create a service flag to honor Madison’s Korean War and Vietnam War veterans.

Want to catch a glimpse of the Service Flag?

“They will fly it again in front of the fire station on the fourth of July,” said Bob Russell.

The History of the Service Flag

Each blue star on a service flag, the unofficial symbol of a child in service, represents an individual serviceman and was sown onto the flag by family members. The tradition began during World War I—this was also when Madison’s first service flag was born.

When World War II occurred, another flag was made by Madison families. So many residents were enlisted that the flag soon became full, and a larger, 20-foot flag was made to accommodate all of Madison’s World War II soldiers and sailors. Due to the flags’ age and fragility (and the disappearance of the World War II banner), those on display currently at patriotic occasions and available for viewing at the Evarts Archives are replicas of the original flags.

BOX: Madison Blue Star Mothers is still seeking information about residents who have served in the military anytime from Aug. 1, 1990 to the present. The newly formed group needs names, branch of military, and dates of service for a banner that will recognize Madison veterans and residents serving in the military. To provide information, call the Evarts Archive at 203-245-5667. For more info, email dhustek@aol.com.

To view additional photos of Madison’s Service Flags, past and present, visit www.zip06.com and select Madison.

Pictured: On the morning of Memorial Day, families of past and present military servicemen gathered with members of Madison Youth Lacrosse in front of the Service Flag at the Fire Department. Pictured are Bob and Katy Russell, George and Lisa Marvin-Smith, Debbie and Tom Hustek, Commander Ray Hanley of the Madison VFW, and (front, left to right) members of Madison Youth Lacrosse Will Reynolds, Connor Carroll, Matt Sullivan, and Jason Raleigh.

Photo by Chris Jennings Penders

Oklahoma! Comes to Town

2009-07-01T15:20:05Z

The Grove School of Madison recently performed a production of Rogers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! About 25 students from the school were involved in the musical, which was coordinated by Jason King—one of two directors.
“We have a lot of energy, a lot of people—we are really dedicated to the show,” said Amanda Blumenstin, one of the performers. “I think people will be in for a treat.”
“The show definitely has by far some of the best energy of the school productions I’ve been involved in,” added Alex Levine.
The performance offered the students a chance to try on different characters for size—such as Jud Fry, the antagonist played by student Ethan Brill.
“It’s been a big step forward for me in terms of being able to play different characters,” Brill said.
The performances were held June 18 and 19 at Clinton Town Hall.

—Jen Matteis

Pictured: Grove School students (left to right) Miles Greenberg (playing Will Parker), Elizabeth Lloyd (playing Ado Annie), and William Sullivan (playing Ali Hakim) pose at an open dress rehearsal the day before opening night.