Mailed free to requesting homes in Brooklyn, the borough of Danielson, Killingly & its villages Vol. IV No. 12 Complimentary home delivery (860) 928-1818/email:[email protected] Friday, January 8, 2010 THIS WEEK’S QUOTE Town Councilor LaGarde dies Probate ‘Every man regards BY MATT SANDERSON the Town Council and was directors for the fire district. VILLAGER STAFF WRITER always a fixture in town pol- LaGarde served for more than 20 his own life as KILLINGLY — After an itics. He served on the Board years on the Democratic Town court the New Year’s Eve intrepid battle with colon of Education for 12 years, as Committee, as well as was its former of time.’ cancer, longtime Killingly well as was its chairman, chairman. Town Councilman John W. and the Planning and According to his wife Lorraine “Jack” LaGarde, 69, passed Zoning Commission. He LaGarde, they were married for 46 was a liaison to the Public years, but had been together for 52. location away late Sunday night, Dec. 27, at the University of Safety Commission and was “We were high school sweet- INSIDE Massachusetts Medical a member of the South hearts,” she said. “He was from File photo Center in Worcester, Mass. Killingly Fire Department Providence and I was from A8-9 — OPINION LaGarde had just John W. “Jack” for several years. He also discussed LaGarde. served on the board of Turn To LAGARDE, page A3 A10 — SPORTS entered his fifth term on B1 — HOT SPOT BY MATT SANDERSON B3-5 — OBITS VILLAGER STAFF WRITER B5 — RELIGION BROOKLYN — Area leaders com- prised within the new Connecticut B6 — CALENDAR Snowfall sets stage for Frostival regional probate court district will descend on the Pomfret Senior Center next Friday, Jan. 15, to con- LOCAL BY OLIVIA BRAATEN tinue discussions of the best possi- VILLAGER CORRESPONDENT ble location for a centralized facility. KILLINGLY — For those The towns of Brooklyn, Eastford, spending the last day of 2009 Pomfret, Putnam, Thompson, in downtown Killingly, there Woodstock, Ashford and Union are was “something for every- contained within the northeast’s one,” Parks and Recreation regional probate district. The Department (KPRD) Director Probate Court Redistricting Tom Dooley said. Commission, organized last sum- In its seventh year, mer, developed the new probate dis- Frostival, the town’s free New trict boundaries and provisions to Years Eve celebration, go along with Connecticut’s probate spanned more than 20 loca- court consolidation efforts, which tions, offering games, crafts, originated last winter when Gov. M. concerts and demonstrations. Jodi Rell made the announcement Snowfall earlier in the day of the state’s dire financial situa- Temple set the mood for the winter tion. transferred festivities, but some, Dooley Some leaders and probate judges suggested, may have stayed Page A3 home, presuming that the Turn To COURT, page A11 event would be canceled due to the weather, much like last SPORTS year. As it turned out, the weath- er was beautiful, even if mild AGvocate temperatures days before left the Maple Street Park ice skating rink far too soft to skate on. Only that and a hay funded wagon shuttle were removed from the event schedule. Instead, a KPRB van shut- tled partygoers along Main Street and Broad Street. through Behind the wheel sat Dooley, getting passing looks at each venue throughout the night. His estimate of attendance: June 2011 Semmelrock 2,500. Of course, with crowds brings it flocking in and out of so many buildings, it’s hard to know Page A10 for sure. SECOND GRANT “You just can’t tell,” he said RECEIVED of the challenge. Still, the pop- OUR BETTER NATURE ularity of the event remained Olivia Braaten photo Jerry Suprenant, drummer for ’60’s and ’70’s rock-and-roll band Re-Wind, LAST MONTH WHAT’SINANAME? readily apparent. rehearses for the evening concert inside the Killingly Parks and Recreation PAGE A5 Turn To FROSTIVAL, page A11 Department building. BY MATT SANDERSON VILLAGER STAFF WRITER OPINION The AGvocate program, a pilot initiative formed last June to pro- GET YOUR mote and create action plans for POINT ACROSS School districts analyze Race to the Top program farm and agricultural viability in PAGE A8-9 Connecticut towns, received its second round of funding last WHAT TO DO BY MATT SANDERSON whether to sign a memorandum of classrooms. month. Now, individual AGvocate VILLAGER STAFF WRITER A CALENDAR understanding (MOU) with the Race to the Top is aimed at four program structures established OF AREA EVENTS Boards of Education all over the Connecticut Department of significant areas of education last year will move into Phase II of region, state and country are con- Education’s Commissioner Mark reform strategies: turning around development, according to offi- PAGE B6 sulting their state education lead- McQuillan in order to be commit- the lowest performing schools; cials. VILLAGE TRIVIA ers in taking on the ambitious task ted to the possibility of implement- building data systems that mea- The newly received $50,000 agri- of preparing grant applications for ed state funds via Race to the Top. sure student success and commu- culture viability grant from the What is a group of owls the highly competitive Race to the Obama and Duncan made the nicate better practices to teachers; Department of Agriculture will Top Fund, which was announced announcement last year that states recruit, develop, reward and retain keep AGvocate running from June called? by President Barack Obama and leading the way on school reform effective teachers and principals; 2010 to June 2011. The original U.S. Secretary of Education Arne would be eligible to compete for and adopt internationally bench- $46,000 grant keeps AGvocate run- Answer on page 2. Duncan last July. $4.35 billion in Race to the Top com- marked standards and assessments ning until this June. Area superintendents worked petitive grants to support educa- quickly this week to decide on tion reform and innovation in Turn To EDUCATION, page A12 Turn To AGVOCATE, page A13 A2 • Friday, January 8, 2010 KILLINGLY VILLAGER Killingly has ties to renowned artist VILLAGER ALMANAC QUOTATION OF THE WEEK ince this is my first column rose time of life remember Miss of the new year, and a new Carpenter, daughter of Oliver “Jack, Dr. Robbie and Ed [Allard] used to decade, happy New Year to KILLINGLY Carpenter. Some recall vividly the have Friday lunches. So when Dr. Robbie Severyone! It’s hard to believe girl of artistic ideals. This dreamy, passed away, Jack and Ed would have lunch. that it is now 2010. One of my reso- AT 300 poetical girl who loved all things lutions is to remember to frequent- beautiful and good, never wavered Now we’re saying all three men are probably ly give thanks for all those who help in her struggle after the higher having lunch [again] on a Friday. They were me in so many ways. So, to those MARGARET things. She seized the flying all sick. You don’t want to see any one suffer, so who have shared memories, thank moments of youth and converted that’s why I see this the way I do.” you again. WEAVER them into gold. While managing a I’ll start with several memories millinery store in Worcester she — Lorraine LaGarde, wife of Killingly Town Councilman John W. about farms. Jeanette Desmarais took her first lesson in art. Through bases the center has, Marilyn came “Jack” LaGarde, 69, who passed away Sunday night, Dec. 27, at the sent the following about dairies in her patient, untiring industry she University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester,Mass. Dayville. “There were two Ferland across the following: “24 Mar. 1904 was able to visit the greater part of brothers that were dairy farmers. Literary Salad. There is a lady liv- her own country and Europe, stud- Philippe Ferland, father of Viola ing in our village, an octogenarian, ied art in Paris and Germany. From and Maurice. His brother, Godfrey Mrs. Huldah Carpenter Doty. At her generous heart and hands our Ferland was also a dairy farmer. He Mrs. Doty’s home is a picture of the new library has received its first AT THE AUDUBON had two daughters. The two broth- old farm house where she was born picture, an old painting of the and lived so many years, also a rear Week of Dec. 28: ers lived across the street from each Alhambra, painted by her during Bird sightings this week at Connecticut Audubon and other on Maple Street, then known view showing the farm yard with one of her visits to this incompara- geese and chickens, so natural that Wyndham Land Trust properties in the northeast corner of as the back road to Danielson. On ble spot. Proud, indeed, may Connecticut: Northern Harrier, Flicker, Bald Eagle, Black Route 101 in front of the middle it seems they would run at a simple Killingly be of her daughter, who in ‘shoo!’ These are the work of Miss Duck, Mallard, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Red-tailed Hawk, school [KIS] was a farm owned by all her wandering never forgot the Cedar Waxwing and Hermit Thrush. the Kenyon family” (Dec. 15, 2009 e- Ellen Carpenter, the artist relative, land of her birth, and today has mail). who gave our library the beautiful brought, not the first fruits of her Dave Doiron also sent an e-mail view of the Alhambra.” That short hands, but the richest, as a love gift about the Ferlands. “Milk was reference provided the documenta- to her childhood home. Marinda delivered to the house by a farmer tion for the artist of one painting, Butler Robinson” (“WCT,” Dec.