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Mailed free to requesting homes in Thompson Vol. V, No. 14 Complimentary to homes by request (860) 928-1818/e-mail: [email protected] FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2010 THIS WEEK’S QUOTE AGvocate funded through June 2011 Probate ‘Every man regards SECOND GRANT RECEIVED LAST MONTH court his own life as BY MATT SANDERSON The newly received $50,000 agri- mittee. the New Year’s Eve VILLAGER STAFF WRITER culture viability grant from the “It is your commitment and hard of time.’ The AGvocate program, a pilot Department of Agriculture will work that has made the program a initiative formed last June to pro- keep AGvocate running from June success so far,” said Kaufman. location mote and create action plans for 2010 to June 2011. The original AGvocate is comprised of six farm and agricultural viability in $46,000 grant keeps AGvocate run- towns: Ashford, Brooklyn, Connecticut towns, received its sec- ning until this June. Canterbury, Franklin, Sterling and INSIDE ond round of funding last month. AGvocate Program Coordinator Thompson. Kaufman said the new discussed Now, individual AGvocate program Jennifer Kaufman said the second goals of the Phase II funding are to A8-9 — OPINION structures established last year round of funding would not be pos- will move into Phase II of develop- sible without the hard work of var- BY MATT SANDERSON A11 — SPORTS Turn To AGVOCATE, page A15 VILLAGER STAFF WRITER ment, according to officials. ious people from the steering com- B1 — HOT SPOT BROOKLYN — Area leaders com- B2 — CALENDAR prised within the new Connecticut regional probate court district will B4-6 — OBITS descend on the Pomfret Senior B6 — RELIGION Center next Friday, Jan. 15, to con- From co-op farms to Cabot tinue discussions of the best possi- ble location for a centralized facili- ty. LOCAL The towns of Brooklyn, Eastford, VALLEYSIDE PART Pomfret, Putnam, Thompson, Woodstock, Ashford and Union are OF VERMONT- contained within the northeast’s regional probate district. The BASED Probate Court Redistricting Commission, organized last sum- DAIRY GROUP mer, developed the new probate dis- trict boundaries and provisions to go along with Connecticut’s pro- BY STEPHANIE JARVIS bate court consolidation efforts, VILLAGER STAFF WRITER which originated last winter when WOODSTOCK — Once, resi- Gov. M. Jodi Rell made the dents looked to their local farm- announcement of the state’s dire ers to provide fresh milk, financial situation. cheese and eggs, until times Some leaders and probate judges changed and people wanted from those respective towns went one-stop shopping — a place Students shine at where they could buy not just Turn To COURT, page A14 Christmas Program their dairy products, but every- thing else. Now, the focus is Page A7 again on growing local and SPORTS buying local, and Valleyside Farm is helping consumers do Stephanie Jarvis photos Ordinance that every day by being part of Valleyside Farm owner Tim Young stands in one of his barns with the cows. The the Cabot Creamery coopera- farm is part of the Cabot Creamery cooperative, based in Vermont and owned by tive. 1,200 dairy farms. proposals Owned by dairy farms for 90 years, Vermont-based Cabot builds on the principle of buy- ing local while helping to keep reviewed dairy farms — a struggling industry — in business. One hundred percent of the compa- TOWN MEETING IS ny’s profits is returned to its 1,200 member farmer-owners JAN. 27 throughout New England and upstate New York, while allow- BY OLIVIA BRAATEN ing consumers to purchase VILLAGER CORRESPONDENT Cabot’s products in their gro- THOMPSON — A town meeting, Tigers’ first win of year cery stores. scheduled for Jan. 27, will deter- At Valleyside Farm, owner mine the fate of three proposed comes at rival’s expense Tim Young starts his day milk- ordinances and an upgrade to the Page A11 ing cows at 3:30 a.m. After a sec- Air Line Trail. Residents will meet ond milking at 2:30 in the after- at the Thompson Library noon, his workday is usually Community Center at 7 p.m. OUR BETTER NATURE The Board of Selectmen worked Turn To VALLEYSIDE, page A13 to finalize proposed language for WHAT’S IN A NAME? A calf peeks out from her pen. the ordinances during its Jan. 5 PAGE A5 meeting. Two ordinances involve litter OPINION issues: one to clarify and update School districts to analyze Race to the Top program language from the garbage, rub- GET YOUR bish, refuse and recycling regula- POINT ACROSS BY MATT SANDERSON understanding (MOU) with the significant areas of education tions written in 2002, and the sec- VILLAGER STAFF WRITER PAGE A8-9 Connecticut Department of reform strategies: turning around ond to institute an abandoned Boards of Education all over the Education’s Commissioner Mark the lowest performing schools; motor vehicle policy. WHAT TO DO region, state and country are con- McQuillan in order to be committed building data systems that measure The latter received the bulk of A CALENDAR sulting their state education leaders to the possibility of implemented student success and communicate attention, and editing, during the meeting. OF AREA EVENTS in taking on the ambitious task of state funds via Race to the Top. better practices to teachers; recruit, preparing grant applications for the Obama and Duncan made the develop, reward and retain effective In short, property owners will be PAGE B2 highly competitive Race to the Top announcement last year that states teachers and principals; and adopt liable for self-propelled vehicles — including cars, boats, aircraft and VILLAGE TRIVIA Fund, which was announced by leading the way on school reform internationally benchmarked stan- President Barack Obama and U.S. would be eligible to compete for dards and assessments that prepare other equipment — that sit in an abandoned condition with no What is a group of owls Secretary of Education Arne $4.35 billion in Race to the Top com- students for success in college and Duncan last July. petitive grants to support education the workplace. intention for acceptable use or called? Area superintendents worked reform and innovation in class- Within Race to the Top, $350 mil- maintenance of the surrounding Answer on page 2. quickly this week to decide on rooms. lion has been set aside to help fund area. whether to sign a memorandum of Race to the Top is aimed at four Turn To EDUCATION, page A13 Turn To SELECTMEN, page A14 A2 • Friday, January 8, 2010 THOMPSON VILLAGER Speedway releases 2010 schedule VILLAGER ALMANAC BY MATT SANDERSON QUOTATION OF THE WEEK VILLAGER STAFF WRITER “We think we have an exciting mixture of brand-new THOMPSON — The 2010 race race programs along with events that have been popular schedule for Thompson International Speedway was with fans for many years. Putting all of this together in released last Wednesday, Dec. 30, one season’s race schedule should make for a great line up and includes four new events. for competitors and fans alike.” According to Speedway officials, — THOMPSON SPEEDWAY OWNER DON HOENIG, ON THE TRACK’S the schedule opens the New 2010 SCHEDULE England racing season with the traditional Icebreaker on the OPEN TO CLOSE weekend of April 10 and 11, and the season closes with the tradi- THOMPSON tional World Series of Speedway racing, slated for the weekend of TOWN HALL Oct. 15 through Oct. 17. Monday through Friday ..................................8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. “We feel that this could be one of ........................................................(Hours will vary by office.) the most exciting yeas of racing in LIBRARIES our history,” Don Hoenig, track Thompson Public Library/Community Center owner, said in a statement. Monday..................................................................10 a.m.-5 p.m. The four new additions to the Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday ........................10 a.m.-8 p.m. schedule feature tour-type modi- Friday ..................................................................10 a.m.– 5 p.m. Saturday ................................................................10 a.m.-2 p.m. fied racecars competing in a File photos sprint-style, 35-lap events on June POST OFFICES 3, July 1, Aug. 5 and Sept. 2. The In a Limited Sportsman race last summer, 73 Larry Barnett, 57 Joe Campbell, 96 Randy 366 Thompson Hill Road popular Thursday Night Jurcik and 81 Jesse Gleason battle it out. Monday-Friday ............................P.O. Boxes: 7:45 a.m.-5 p.m., Window: ........................................8 a.m.-1:30 p.m., 3-4:45 p.m. Thompson Thunder series begins At left: Saturday..........................................P.O. Boxes: 7:45 a.m.-noon, May 20 and runs through Sept. 16, Here, some Window ....................................................................8 a.m.-noon according to officials. Sunoco modi- The NASCAR Whelen Modified fied cars round Quinebaug Tour will visit Thompson again the final turn of Monday-Friday ..................................P.O. Boxes: 8 a.m.-5 p.m., three times, including those four, Thompson Window: ......................................8:30 a.m.-1 p.m ., 2-4:30 p.m. brand-new tour-type modified, 35- International Saturday...............................................P.O. Boxes: 8 a.m.-noon, lap shoot-outs. This tour includes Speedway dur- Window, ..............................................................8:30 a.m.-noon two stops for the Modified Racing ing a Thursday North Grosvenordale Series (formerly the True Value nigh event. Monday-Friday ........................... P.O. Boxes: 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Series), which is to make for some Window: ............................................................8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday ......................................P.O. Boxes: 7 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Window: ....................................................................8 a.m.-noon exciting Grosvenordale changes from previous years. Monday-Friday .. ..............................P.O. Boxes: 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Also, Speedway officials said the Window: ..............................................8 a.m.-noon, 1-4:45 p.m. PASS super late models will make Saturday ..................P.O.