Mailed free to requesting homes in Eastford, Pomfret & Woodstock Vol. V, No. 51 Complimentary to homes by request (860) 928-1818/e-mail: [email protected] FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2010 THIS WEEK’S KEEPING HIS COOL QUOTE Rell announces “The present is the point at housing grants which time WOODSTOCK RECEIVES $300K; touches eternity.” KILLINGLY GETS $610K BY CLARE HOPKINS development, affordable housing, INSIDE VILLAGER STAFF WRITER community facilities and other Gov. M. Jodi Rell announced last renewal projects. week that 35 Connecticut towns, “In a time when local budgets are A8-9 — OPINION including Woodstock and Killingly, tight and towns have little, if any, A12 — SPORTS would be awarded Small Cities funding available for community Grants from the state. projects, we want to help in any way B1 — HOT SPOT The grants are given through the we can,” said Rell. “These grants are B3-4 — OBITS U.S. Department of Housing and an essential tool — a lifeline — for Urban Development’s Small Cities our communities. With the collabo- B5 — RELIGION Community Development Block ration of the federal and state gov- B6 — CALENDAR Grant Program and administered in ernments, towns and cities can Connecticut by the Department of build and improve senior centers, Economic and Community housing and other municipal proj- Development. The grants are given LOCAL to towns to be used for economic Turn To GRANTS, page A14 Shawn Kelley photo SOUTHBRIDGE, Mass. — Henry Johnson, 3, of Woodstock, refreshes himself by pouring water from a bubbler on his head during the recent heat wave. French Canadian Matt Sanderson photo The Eastford Transfer Station, located at 246 Westford Road, received major renova- Fest tions this year, including a new facility and solar-powered trash compactor. The work was completed this month. Page A3 ‘Walktober’ celebrates SPORTS Transfer station finishes 20th year next month BY CLARE HOPKINS realize that what we have here, a renovation work VILLAGER STAFF WRITER rural island in a densely populated The Last Green Valley’s annual area, is unique, and it’s our respon- BY MATT SANDERSON “We’re making two-thirds less “Walktober” event has become an sibility to preserve it,” said VILLAGER STAFF WRITER hauls,” said First Selectman Allan essential part of the fall season in Bourgeois. EASTFORD — Renovations to the Platt. “Grant or no grant, I’d do this the Quiet Corner — as it celebrates The rural island is the 695,000 Westford Road transfer station were with our own money. It works eco- its 20th year this coming month. acres of the Quinebaug and completed this month, highlighting nomically.This will pay for itself.” Walktober is a collection of hikes, Shetucket Rivers Valley National a bevy of work projects over the last The upgraded site, with a large walks, strolls, bikes and hikes Heritage Corridor, which is still 78 several months, which included the salt and sand storage shed, now throughout the entire month of percent farmland and forest despite installation of a solar-powered trash includes additional storage space, a October, which The Last Green being only an hour away from three compactor. space for electronic recycling and a Valley has organized for the past two of New England’s largest urban Town officials say the additional cardboard compactor. Platt added he decades. This year will be no differ- areas. trash compactor, coupled with the is putting a bid in to do leaf com- ent, with 99 walks planned through- “We would just like to get people expansion of space on site, is lower- posting on site. out the towns of The Last Green to join in and take ownership and ing the number of trash hauls for Finishing touches were put to the Valley in northeastern Connecticut responsibility for this area. We’d the Department of Public Works. 26-foot by 36-foot facility last week, and south central Massachusetts. like more people to have a vested The work was approved last win- which includes a two-floor facility Michelle Bourgeois, tourism coor- interest in his area and to help pro- ter, totaling $30,000, which came adjacent to the solar-powered trash dinator at The Last Green Valley, tect, preserve, and enjoy it,” said from a Small Town Economic compactor and the original com- said Walktober is meant as a way for Bourgeois Assistance Program grant during pactor. The shed is on the opposite locals to enjoy and learn more about Walktober started 20 years ago as Area Gridiron the 2007-08 fiscal year. All work at end of the building. the historical, agricultural and sce- one weekend in October, with 25 the transfer station will be reim- nic parts of the region. Preview bursed by the approved grant funds. Turn To STATION, page A15 “We’d like for people to get out and Turn To WALKTOBER, page A14 Page A12 Villager welcomes new additions to editorial staff WICKEDICKED COOL DEALS SAVE HUNDREDS MINOR COMES FULL CIRCLE, RETURNS TO HOPKINS DEBUTS AS NEWEST VILLAGER PAGE A5 HOMETOWN PAPER AS EDITOR STAFF WRITER LEARNING STAFF REPORT November 2005 to June STAFF REPORT “I hope to make the Sometimes, the race of 2007. “I’m excited to be A longtime resident of most of the opportunity,” SCHOOL MENUS life brings you back to back.” the Quiet Corner, she said. PAGE A6 where you began. Minor, a resident of Villager Newspapers’ A resident of Such is the case for Eastford nearly all his life, newest staff writer is Quinebaug since she was new Villager is a product of Eastford ready to get going. six years old, Hopkins is a OPINION Newspapers editor Elementary School (1997) “I am so excited,” said product of Marianapolis Preparatory School, GET YOUR Adam Minor, 26, who and Woodstock Academy Clare Hopkins, 21, of returned to his home- (Class of 2001). He gradu- Quinebaug, who started where she graduated in POINT ACROSS ated from Eastern 2006. She later graduated PAGE A8-9 town newspaper as edi- at the Villager last week. tor last week. Connecticut State “On a scale of one to 10, I from Stonehill College in “It’s great to be back University in 2005 with a am definitely an 11.” Easton, Mass., in May, WHAT TO DO with the paper a started Bachelor of Science in Hopkins, whose work with a Bachelor of Arts with,” Minor said, refer- Communications with a debuts in this week’s edi- degree in psychology. A CALENDAR minor in English. At Stonehill, she sam- ring to his tenure as a Adam Minor tions of the Villager,said Clare Hopkins OF AREA EVENTS staff writer for the Fresh out of college, he she was excited about the pled world culture, taking a PAGE B6 Thompson Villager and opportunity to write for Turn To MINOR, page A15 Turn To HOPKINS, page A15 Putnam Villager from her local newspaper. 2 • Friday, September 17, 2010 WOODSTOCK VILLAGER Brooklyn approves regional ‘reval’ plan VILLAGER ALMANAC NECCOG TO SUBMIT PLAN TO OPM; QUOTATION OF THE WEEK SAVINGS ESTIMATES RELEASED “We’re very young and inexperienced at the varsity level right now … Without a BY MATT SANDERSON inspection of 50 percent of a town’s inflation in 2010 and 2011 should VILLAGER STAFF WRITER total parcels every five years. remain between 1 and 1.8 percent. doubt it’s the youngest, but at the same time BROOKLYN — With a 9 to 2 “We’re doing this different than Using “no inflation,” “inflation at the group with the most potential that I’ve approval vote last Wednesday night, what is typically done,” said Filchak. 1.25 percent,” and “inflation at 1.75 Sept. 8, in Brooklyn Middle School, “Every 10 years you have to examine percent” in a regional revaluation had.” the town became the second to last of and inspect every property in town. A chart comparing CLT’s work versus - Woodstock Academy girls volleyball Head Coach Adam all the towns comprised in the full revaluation is the real expensive individual town’s contracting a reval- Bottone, commenting on his team’s outlook this season. Northeast Connecticut Council of one. In between, they do a statistical uation company, Filchak said NEC- Governments to sign onto the region- update, not an inspection.” COG has managed a conservative al revaluation program. Filchak said NECCOG’s plan approach to projecting the cost sav- OPEN TO CLOSE The regional planning office has should give a better representation of ings for the 12 municipalities. been working for over a year to estab- a municipality’s true value of its For Brooklyn, their projected cost lish the program in the northeast, properties. savings is $37,764 at no inflation, while POMFRET which would be a first of its kind in On Monday, Filchak released a new Killingly’s projected cost savings is TOWN HALL Connecticut. set of estimates on projected savings $79,310 at no inflation. Putnam’s pro- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday . 8:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. The regional revaluation is an that will result from the program, jected cost savings is $42,537 at no Wednesday. 8:30 a.m.- 6:00 p.m. agreement by the towns involved with ranging in total from $477,000 to inflation, while Pomfret’s is $23,529 at Friday . CLOSED NECCOG — Ashford, Brooklyn, $586,000. no inflation. Thompson’s projected LIBRARIES Canterbury, Eastford, Killingly, In the estimation, he said NECCOG cost savings is $61,160 at no inflation, Abington Social Library Plainfield, Pomfret, Putnam, Sterling, used three towns — Pomfret, Eastford’s is $12,474 at no inflation Monday, Wednesday, Thursday. 5-8p.m. Thompson, Union and Woodstock — Canterbury and Malborough — as a and Woodstock’s is $71,532 at no infla- Saturday .