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Mailed free to requesting homes in Eastford, Pomfret & Woodstock Vol. V, No. 3 Complimentary to homes by request (860) 928-1818/e-mail: [email protected] FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2009 THIS WEEK’S Gun confirmed in accidental shooting Homebuyer QUOTE BELONGED TO ‘Nearly all men can stand PUTNAM POLICE tax credit adversity, but if you want DEPARTMENT to test a man’s power, expiring BY CHRISTOPHER TANGUAY give him power.’ STONEBRIDGE PRESS STAFF WRITER Ballistics tests performed by REAL ESTATE INSIDE the Connecticut State Police have confirmed the bullet that struck AGENTS SAY HOUSE a bystander at the Woodstock A8-9 — OPINION File photo Fairgrounds was fired from a SALES INCREASING A11 — SPORTS Putnam police officer’s gun. A Connecticut State Police vehicle sits outside the Putnam Fish and Game Club property Monday, Aug. 31, on Stonebridge Road, Woodstock. The facility was the B1 — HOT SPOT BY OLIVIA BRAATEN Turn To SHOOTING, page A13 source of a stray bullet that wounded a 66-year-old man in the head as he stood in VILLAGER CORRESONDENT B4 — OBITS the craft fair tent at the nearby Woodstock Fairgrounds. With a federal tax credit for first- B5 — RELIGION time homebuyers about to expire, B6-7 — CALENDAR local real estate agents and mort- gage bankers are rushing to finalize Three running for Board of Education purchases before the deadline. LOCAL The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 gives first- time homebuyers a chance to reclaim a 10 percent credit, up to $8,000, off the purchase price of a new home. Unlike a 2008 measure that required payback over a 15-year period, the 2009 credit does not have to be repaid as long as the property is used as a principal residence for at least three years. To get the credit, buyers must close the deal and move in before Dec. 1 — unless, of course, Congress extends the offer. More than a dozen Murder mystery Courtesy photos bills have been introduced to do just Democrat Sara Harkness Republican Scott Sincerbeaux Republican Anthony Walker that, including one by Congressman comes to Bradley Joe Courtney (D-Conn., 2nd Page A2 District) to shift the deadline to SEATS ARE UNCONTESTED December 2010. U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd BY MATT SANDERSON Francis Corden. partnership, Harkness said she Turn To HOMES, page A12 SPORTS VILLAGER STAFF WRITER “I always look forward to fresh would also like the town get out WOODSTOCK — Three candi- perspectives and new energy,” of “crisis mode” on the school dates are vying for three vacant Paul said about the new mem- budget. seats on the Board of Education bers. “I’m concerned about the for the municipal elections next Sara Harkness, the lone impact of federal and state-man- 911 dispatch month. All three candidates are Democrat campaigning for a dated testing on the process of running uncontested. seat, said she wants to build a education for children,” she According to Chair Lindsay partnership among the different added. “Although I think plans move Paul, the outgoing board mem- constituencies of Woodstock, accountability is important — bers who have served for six namely the public schools, I’ve seen it both here and in years are current Vice Chair Woodstock Academy and the par- Hartford — the education QVEC BUYS OUR William Loftus, member ents. Aside from making Christine Swenson and member progress with a nonpartisan Turn To EDUCATION, page A12 LADY OF PEACE TO USE AS NEW FACILITY Higgins front & BY OLIVIA BRAATEN center VILLAGER CORRESPONDENT Page A11 Girl Scouts catalogue Old Abington Cemetery KILLINGLY — Emergency dis- BY OLIVIA BRAATEN patchers will soon leave a cramped VILLAGER CORRESPONDENT workspace, moving into an area POMFRET — Kelly Huhtanen that’s 40 times larger. OUR BETTER NATURE and Helen Schmidt spend their The Quinebaug Valley Emergency Communications, housed for 35 PAGE A5 free time in a cemetery. “It’s not too creepy,” Schmidt years at the Danielson State Police said. barracks, is purchasing Our Lady of OPINION Actually, it’s historical. Peace Church in East Killingly. Last The two Pomfret teens are cata- summer, the church merged with St. GET YOUR loguing gravestones in Old James Parish, leaving the building POINT ACROSS Abington Cemetery as part of a vacant. 40-hour community service proj- Pending final negotiations and PAGE A8 ect. The two hope to earn a Silver extensive renovations, the dispatch Award, the second highest given center, which handles 911 calls from WHAT TO DO by the Girl Scouts of America and 17 towns in northeastern their highest possible achieve- Connecticut, will move out of a 9-by- CALENDAR OF ment as Cadettes. 12-foot office and into the 4,890- AREA EVENTS A fifth-grade field trip to the square-foot building. cemetery coupled with years of “We’re excited. It’s a great reuse of PAGE B6-7 participating in the town’s an existing building,” Manager Memorial Day ceremonies John DonFrancisco said. inspired the girls, now freshmen After negotiations to build on VILLAGE TRIVIA at Woodstock Academy, to begin leased property in Brooklyn came to What famous American the project. a stalemate this summer, QVEC writer was granted a patent “The girls started to realize President Jeff Otto began looking for a best-selling book that things are going to happen and for other options. Within a week of contained no words? Courtesy photos nobody’s going to know what this the Hartford Pike church being put Answer on page 2 Helen Schmidt, of Pomfret, writes down information on a headstone in Old Abington looked like anymore,” Troop 65156 on sale, Otto snatched it up. Cemetery. Schmidt and classmate Kelly Huhtanen are cataloguing all of the ceme- tery’s gravestones as part of a Girl Scouts of America community service project. Turn To CEMETERY, page A16 Turn To QVEC, page A12 2 • Friday, October 16, 2009 WOODSTOCK VILLAGER Murder mystery comes to Bradley Playhouse VILLAGER ALMANAC BY OLIVIA BRAATEN QUOTATION OF THE WEEK VILLAGER CORRESPONDENT PUTNAM — The cast and crew of the Theatre of Northeastern “We always do projects that Connecticut’s A Murder is Announced are so confident audi- help our town. This is a way to ence members won’t solve the Agatha Christie murder mystery, get people informed that there’s they’re dropping clues around town just to prove it. this old cemetery here and we Armed with a few hints — Switzerland, a scarf, a lamp, vase want to preserve it.” of violets, scissors and money — observers at any of the six per- formances scheduled for Oct. 16 — Helen Schmidt, a Girl Scout from though Oct. 25 at the Bradley Pomfret, who is working with fellow Playhouse are expected to find, in Scout Kelly Huhtanen to catalogue grave- true whodunit fashion, that no one is as he or she seems. stones in the Old Abington Cemetery One of the first Christie novels to feature amateur detective Miss Marple, the mystery opens with OPEN TO CLOSE residents of a small English vil- lage reading a notice in the local POMFRET TOWN HALL newspaper that a murder will Olivia Braaten photos Monday, Tuesday, Thursday . 8:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. take place at 6:30 that evening. The 10-member cast of this month’s Theatre of Northeastern Connecticut production, “A From there, the story takes Wednesday. 8:30 a.m.- 6:00 p.m. Murder is Announced,” includes (from left) Valerie Coleman of Rhode Island; Sheila Friday . 8:30 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. comedic, dramatic and, of course, Harrington-Hughes of Danielson; Mary Norris of Norwich; Kathy Parker of North Oxford, LIBRARIES mysterious turns. Mass.; Ryan Colwell of Putnam and Sarah Hart of Woodstock. “It’s really a show that nobody Abington Social Library will know the answer until the Monday, Wednesday, Thursday. 5-8p.m. Drood and High School Musical. Saturday . 10 a.m.-noon end,” Ryan Colwell said. The They are also no strangers to Putnam man plays the part of a Pomfret Public Library director Carol Alderson, who, last Tuesday . 10 a.m.-7 p.m. plausible, but flawed, visitor to year, presented another Christie the town. Thursday. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. classic, The Mousetrap. Friday . 2 p.m.-7 p.m. Colwell and 10 fellow cast mem- This summer, Bradley’s plan- bers have gathered for 18 Saturday. 10 a.m.-1 p.m ning committee asked Alderson to POST OFFICES rehearsals over just six weeks’ work her magic once more. time. Most worked together on Pomfret “Of course I said ‘yes.’ I’m a Monday-Friday . 7 a.m.-5 p.m. huge fan of Agatha Christie,” she Saturday . 7 a.m.-noon said. Pomfret Center (Murdock Road) A native of England, Alderson Monday-Friday . 8 a.m.-1 p.m., 2-4:45 p.m. adds an authentic touch to the Saturday . 8 a.m.-noon production, said actress Kathy Parker of North Oxford, Mass. EASTFORD Parker portrays the “befuddled TOWN HALL but laughable” Bunny. Tuesday and Wednesday ........................ 10 a.m.-noon, 1-4 p.m. “Some might say I’m not act- Second and fourth Tuesday .................................. 5:30-7:30 p.m. ing,” she said, grinning. EASTFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY With characters that are “very Monday,Thursday ........................................................... 3-8 p.m. well-detailed and developed,” part Tuesday ................................................................... 10 a.m.-8 p.m. of Alderson’s vision for the cast Saturday ................................................................... 9 a.m.-1 p.m. is to see them take idiosyncrasies POST OFFICE to a whole new level. Monday-Friday ............................................... 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sarah Hart, of Woodstock, play- Miss Marple, portrayed by Norwich Saturday ...............................................................