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Mailed free to requesting homes in Thompson Vol. V, No. 49 Complimentary to homes by request (860) 928-1818/e-mail: [email protected] FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 THIS WEEK’S QUOTE Tourism image in “Truth is northeast needs a more of a stranger than fiction.” plan, say officials MEETING NEXT WEEK WITH ERTD INSIDE TO DISCUSS MARKETING, FUNDING A8-9 — OPINION Courtesy photo BY MATT SANDERSON “We’re not for everyone A12 — SPORTS An aerial shot of the Fort Hill Farm Corn Maze in Thompson. The maze will be open VILLAGER STAFF WRITER until Sunday, Nov. 7, at Fort Hill Farms at 260 Quaddick Road, Thompson. B1 — HOT SPOT Reinventing the market- and we’re not trying to ing strategy to bring visi- be Disneyland, but we’re B3-4 — OBITS tors to the Quiet Corner B5 — RELIGION has been a tireless task. trying to fairly represent For the last several years, the resources we have B6 — CALENDAR An a-maze-ing treat when providing access to the public on places of here.” interest in eastern FORT HILL FARMS Connecticut, the majority - The Last Green Valley Executive Director LOCAL of visitors are directed to Charlene Cutler CORN MAZE AIMS TO EDUCATE destinations in the south- east. 411 Main St., Willimantic. Advocates for Quiet Corner The first joint meeting of the tourism are looking to change two entities was held in July at BY RICH HOSFORD chip flavor, for example, is white that. Celebrations gallery and shop in VILLAGER STAFF WRITER instead of the familiar green. It is The second joint meeting of The Pomfret. THOMPSON — Everyone is different than what most expect, Last Green Valley’s Heritage & It has been stated that roughly invited to come and get lost in the but is better because it is free of Community Resources $30,000 will be on the discussion Fort Hill Farms Corn Maze, and chemicals, Orr explained. Committee and The Eastern table for potential future tourism then, once they find their way out, There are two corn mazes at the Regional Tourism District’s investments. to enjoy some locally produced ice Fort Hill Farms. The main maze Northeast Committee will be held “We’re not for everyone and cream and, this Saturday only, lis- covers seven acres and has about next Wednesday, Sept. 8, at the we’re not trying to be Disneyland, ten to stories from around the three miles of trail. Orr said that Windham Textile and History but we’re trying to fairly repre- area. if someone undertakes the maze Museum in Willimantic. sent the resources we have here,” The 9th annual Fort Hill Farms and tries to find all of the clues, It takes place from 4 to 6 p.m., said Charlene Cutler, executive Corn Maze is now open and ready the entire experience can last with an optional 3 p.m. walking director of The Last Green Valley, for adventurous spirits to come about 90 minutes. tour of downtown Willimantic and try and find their way There is also a smaller maze for and the museum. It is located at Turn To TOURISM, page A10 through, all while learning some- people who do not wish to walk thing about agriculture and the the length of the larger one. This history of ice cream as they do so. maze only takes about 30 minutes The maze is open Sunday to complete. through Thursday from 10 a.m. to In each maze, both children and BACK TO SCHOOL Blumenthal visits 5 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday adults will feel the potential of Quiet Corner from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The maze getting lost. Orr said the corn has will be open through Sunday, Nov. grown up to 10 feet high, or “as 7. The price of entry into the main high as an elephant’s eye,” suffi- Page A3 maze is $12 for adults and $10 for ciently high to let everyone jump children under 12 years of age. into the maze experience. There is also a smaller maze that Orr said the maze is supposed to SPORTS is only $7 per person. Fort Hill be educational. Before entering Farms is located at 260 Quaddick the maze each person is given a Road, Thompson. two-page workbook filled with The theme of this year’s corn questions and spaces for clues. As maze is the “History of Ice a person moves through the maze, Cream.” The farm recently start- he or she can find clues that ed selling “Farmer’s Cow” super answer the questions and find pic- premium ice cream. The treat, tures to copy to unveil a hidden made in Manchester, is made with message. As one does so, a person milk from Fort Hill Farms. Farm will learn about the history of ice owner Kristin Orr said she want- cream and some fun facts about ed the maze to be focused on ice farming. cream to highlight what a local “The maze is not about speed, farm can produce. about getting through in a certain “We wanted to do something amount of time,” Orr said. “We with what we make,” she said. want people to do the game sheet “The milk is local, and you can and learn about farming and the meet the family that feeds and history of ice cream. We want milks the cows. When you buy them to come out of the maze with local, you are one step from the a better understanding of agricul- producer. You can get to know and ture.” trust them.” What the maze is not, Orr said, Courtesy photo The Farmer’s Cow Ice Cream is is a Halloween theme. She said THOMPSON — The first bell rang on a new school year at Thompson also more natural than most mass- there are many Halloween corn Middle School Tuesday, Aug. 31. Pictured, eighth graders Sheridan Sports from produced brands, Orr said. There mazes in the area and at Fort Hill Murphy and Jack O’Connell stand in front of a new mural painted last are no dyes or colorings, which week by local artist Dave Laabs of “The Airbrush Shack” in Thompson. Turn To MAZE, A12 around the region means that the mint chocolate page The project was funded by the PTO. Page A12 Your hometown newspaper since 2005 WICKED COOL DEALS COUPON CLIPPING PAGE A5 THE VILLAGER CELEBRATING 5TH ANNIVERSARY LEARNING BY RICH HOSFORD In that time, the papers have news our readers want and VILLAGER STAFF WRITER covered events both big and need to know. When others SCHOOL MENUS The Villager Newspapers small. Our pages have been cannot or will not sit PAGE A6 will turn five years old later filled with coverage of grad- through meetings or pour this month, and the editors, uations, school events, chari- over development plans, we ty drives and many stories have done so to fill our read- OPINION writers, staff and managers O would like to thank our on the interesting things ers in on what is happening GET YOUR readers for half a decade of people in the Quiet Corner in their towns and how it support and loyalty. have been up to in the last may affect them. POINT ACROSS The first editions of the half decade. Some of the stories in our PAGE A8-9 Putnam Villager, Thompson The Villager has also been a pages have been controver- Villager and Woodstock watchdog on local politics, sial, or focused on issues WHAT TO DO Villager, were launched bringing people news of the with two strongly opposing Adam Minor photo Friday, Sept. 23, 2005. The town governments, school sides. From the crisis of the committees and develop- area dairy farms, to the A CALENDAR The Villager Newspapers office exterior, pictured, at the Fair Place Killingly Villager, the baby OF AREA EVENTS plaza in Woodstock. The Villager, a division of Stonebridge Press, of the family, was launched ment projects. We have striv- Brooklyn Wal-Mart, the five months later on Friday, en to be the eyes and ears of PAGE B6 got its start at the Belding Mill in Putnam in September 2005. Turn To VILLAGER, page A14 Later this month, we will celebrate our five-year anniversary. March 24, 2006. a community, brining the A2 • Friday, September 3, 2010 THOMPSON VILLAGER Homicide cases continued VILLAGER ALMANAC QUOTATION OF THE WEEK BY MATT SANDERSON He is being held on more Department of Public VILLAGER STAFF WRITER than $1.5 million in bonds. Safety, a 911 call was DANIELSON — Two Quail has an extensive received on April 15 about “We wanted to do something with what Windham County homicide criminal history, totaling an unresponsive infant we make … The milk is local, and you can cases received continu- almost 30 arrests, in located at O’Connor’s resi- ances last month in Plainfield, Norwich, dence. State Police, fire meet the family that feeds and milks the Danielson Superior Court. Hartford, Montville and service and EMS arrived at Timothy Quail, 46, made a New London. He also has the scene, and O’Connor’s cows. When you buy local, you are one step brief appearance in court several pending cases, 20-month-old son was trans- from the producer. You can get to know and last Friday morning, Aug. which include narcotics ported to Day Kimball 27, where his case was con- possession and drunken Hospital. trust them.” tinued to Friday,Sept. 24. driving arrests. Quail was Upon arrival, the infant Quail has been charged also an unregistered sex was pronounced dead.