PRSRT STD POSTAL U.S. POSTAGE PAID CUSTOMER PERMIT #231 ECR WSS SOUTHBRIDGE, MA 01550 Mailed to every home in Brooklyn, the borough of Danielson, Killingly & its villages Vol. II, No. 17 Complimentary (860) 928-1818/email:[email protected] ‘If you don't risk anything you risk even more.’ Friday, April 4, 2008 School Brooklyn Selectmen reopen library issue sion to go to referendum was based Association has pledged to raise budget WILL GO TO APRIL 10 REFERENDUM on the fact that the board was pro- $200,000. vided with more accurate financial The new library would be 15,000 BY JOSH SAYLES zens. figures. square feet, seven-and-a-half times VILLAGER STAFF WRITER First Selectman Roger Engle said “We just wanted to get the truth- larger than the current building. It BROOKLYN — The Board of the change of heart came because ful numbers and not paint a rosy would contain updated technology discussion the board “wanted to determine Selectmen decided to send the picture,” he said. “We didn’t want and a number of community issue of a new Brooklyn public our own destiny.” Brooklyn only the cost to end up double what rooms, as well as more space for library to referendum at a special needed 20 signatures to call a town everyone accepted.” books. meeting March 26. Members ini- meeting and 200 to send it to refer- To build the library, Brooklyn The referendum will be from 6 continues tially chose not to move the project endum; given the contentiousness will have to obtain a $5.7 million a.m. to 8 p.m. April 10 in the gymna- to the Board of Finance at a March of the issue, most town officials bond, of which $4.5 million is the BY JOSH SAYLES 6 meeting, which effectively expected a petition, but citizens did taxpayers’ responsibility. The town VILLAGER STAFF WRITER quashed the proposal, provided the not submit one. will receive a $1 million state grant Turn To LIBRARY, page A13 DANIELSON — The Killingly town was not petitioned by its citi- Engle said that part of the deci- and the Brooklyn Town Library Town Council and the Board of Education held a joint meeting Monday, March 31, to discuss the education budget. The education budget is approxi- Danielson Airport improvements discussed mately $35.1 million, up 5.35 per- cent, or $1.78 million from last year. The budget must increase 2.92 per- MEETING HELD FOR PUBLIC FEEDBACK ON DRAFT MASTER cent, or just under $1 million, from BY CHENOA PIERCE even needed. The newsletter goes on to say that the Federal 2007-’08 to maintain all programs VILLAGER STAFF WRITER from the current school year and The purpose of the meeting, held Thursday, Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport offer no improvements. DANIELSON — When Danielson Airport, one March 27, was to present residents in the area Improvement program and the Connecticut Approximately 84 percent of the of six state-owned airports, was first opened for with the 20-year plan to improve the current Department of Transportation (ConnDot) are additional $1 million can be attrib- business, one of the main uses was for the engi- facility. According to a newsletter given to all in funding the master plan. uted to three items: employee neering program at H.H. Ellis Technical High attendance at the meeting, “The Danielson The presentation, which began at 7:15 p.m., salaries and benefits; purchased School. Airport Master Plan provides short and long was given by Paul McDonnell, senior associate services such as phone equipment, Now, the program has been moved to Brainard range recommendations for the safety, improve- airport planning manager for Clough Harbour magnet school and special educa- Airport in Hartford and there are proposals to ment and development of the Airport. The and Associates LLP (CHA). tion tuition; and supplies and change, expand and update the airport — Master Plan includes a detailed repot and set of According to McDonnell, the presentation was changes that left many who attended last week’s drawings that identify, schedule and illustrate informational meeting on the proposed master the projects recommended for Danielson Turn To AIRPORT, page A14 Turn To BUDGET, page A14 plan for the airport wondering why they are Airport over a 20-year planning period.” URGENT MESSAGE ! to our Readers.... Dear Reader, We hope you are enjoying FREE mail delivery of the Killingly Villager each week. To qualify for the most timely mailing permit, the U.S. Post Office requires us to have a signed card on file for our records. Please fill out the card below IMMEDIATELY and mail to us. If you do not return this card, your FREE mail delivery will stop in late Spring. - Thank you! PLEASE NOTE* o YES, Please continue to deliver the Killingly IF YOU DO NOT MAIL Villager to my address below every week! IN THE FORM BELOW TO I understand that it is free of charge. Name: KILLINGLY VILLAGER Mailing Address: 25 ELM ST. Town: Zip: SOUTHBRIDGE, MA 01550, Signature: (Required by U.S. Post Office) YOUR FREE HOME DELIVERY OF THE Date: KILLINGLY VILLAGER Please Mail to: Killingly Villager, 25 Elm St., WILL STOP IN LATE SPRING! Southbridge, MA 01550 Your address will remain confidential. Under no circumstances will your address be made available to outside organizations, other than the U.S. Postal Service. A10-11 — OPINION LOCAL LEARNING VILLAGER TRIVIA! A 12— SPORTS EAGAL LANGUAGE WHAT 20TH-CENTURY DECADE B1 — HOT SPOT SAW THE INTRODUCTION OF THE B4-5 — OBITUARIES SCOUT WEEK FELT-TIP PEN? B1 — CALENDAR PAGE A3 PAGE A6 ANSWER ON PAGE 2 INSIDE A2 • Friday, April 4, 2008 KILLINGLY VILLAGER Gold fever rushed to Quiet Corner area VILLAGER ALMANAC am always searching for unusual more plenty than the stones in the and interesting topics for this col- streets.” In many instances it was Iumn, so I was delighted to have the merchants who supplied those UOTATION OF THE WEEK Marilyn Labbe, director of the KILLINGLY headed for the gold field that really Q Killingly Historical Center, show me AT 300 “struck it rich” by demanding exces- newspaper extracts of letters by sively high prices for the most neces- “I try to look at it scientifically. The people George W. Spalding of the sary staples. Spalding noted that “Quinebaug Gold Company” that pork was $50 per bushel; beef, $25; who I train today will be sticking needles in appeared in the Windham County MARGARET hams, 75 cents per pound; flour, $40 me tomorrow or opening up my grandmoth- Telegraph. Organized by A. Joyce WEAVER per bushel; butter, $1 per pound; er’s chest cavity. I hope the first time they see Desruisseau, the extracts are part of “apples of small size 12 1/2 cents a wealth of material available for apiece, pears, 25 cents apiece, pota- a human heart, it’s not mine.” research at the center. company are to be divided equally toes, 75 cents per pound. A first rate — QVCC chemistry professor John Lewis on the academic and Spalding was a schoolteacher who among its members. … They go by horse cost $500 to $1000. Long boots ethical implications of Premier Exhibitions “Bodies Revealed” died at Danielsonville in 1874. way of Cape Horn and will make the were $80 per pair; common boots exhibit in Hartford Following are some of these extracts. passage to San Francisco in about from $12 to $20 per pair.” (WCT, Jan. However, first a short background four months.” 17, 1850.) paragraph on the discovery of gold It was March before the adventur- The Company disbanded into is in order. ers actually set sail. “The Schooner smaller groups and sold the During the late fall and early win- Alfred of New London, bound for schooner Alfre for $4,750 and quickly FRONT-PAGE QUOTE ter of 1847-1948, James Marshall had California, having on board the disposed of the remaining cargo. At been busy with the construction of a ‘Quinebaug Gold Company,’ most of that time there were 300 vessels in “This week’s page one quote is attributed sawmill for John Sutter in the valley the members of which were from the harbor. (WCT, Jan. 17, 1850.) to...” called Coloma by the Native this place, sailed on Saturday morn- Leaving Sacramento about Dec. 20, Americans on the American River in ing last. …The company consists of Spalding traveled to Georgetown, California, which was still under J. L. Harris, of New London, where he lived in a log cabin that — Erica Jong Mexican control. In the process of Captain; E. Avery of Groton, 1st helped enable him to survive a “cold, letting nature help in the carving out mate; and E. E. Comstock, 2nd, ditto; snowy,and dreary winter.” “We went of a tailrace for the new mill, each S. M. Cady, of Killingly, President; down to Sutter’s Sawmill, and com- TRIVIA night water was left out of the George Spalding of Pomfret, menced mining about the middle of millpond so that it could erode the Treasurer; Wm. H. Pray, of Killingly, February. My partners were bed. Each morning the gate was Secretary; and the following mem- Alexander Buck and his father John, Answer: The 1960s. closed so the men could continue bers: David Turner, Jared Turner, both of Pomfret; in addition to these, work on the mill. James Graves, W.W. Mathewson, were two that built the cabin and On a date generally given as Jan. George Dorrance, W. C. Allen, lived with us during the winter, 24, 1848, James Marshall noticed that George C. Allen, Alexander Buck, Edward E.