Mailed free to requesting homes in Brooklyn, the borough of Danielson, Killingly & its villages Vol. VII, No. 25 Complimentary home delivery (860) 928-1818/email:[email protected] Friday, May 2, 2014 THIS WEEK’S The Last Green Valley receives $5K grant from EPOC QUOTE MONEY WILL EXPAND WATERSHED EDUCATION “When people talk, PROGRAM listen completely. BY JASON BLEAU members of TLGV explore the extent of the Most people never VILLAGER STAFF WRITER Quinebaug River down to Long Island Sound. The Last Green Valley (TLGV) has long “We have developed a 30- to 40-minute, listen.” been an advocate for spreading knowledge hands-on lesson that we can take into a and awareness of issues facing local environ- classroom or that we can take to a library ments and preserving the Quiet Corner as we or fairs and festivals,” said Bruinooge. “We Ernest Hemingway know it. use what’s called an ‘enviroscape,’ which is a Part of that initiative is educating the youth tabletop model that you can spray water on. of society, and with the recent receipt of a It shows how pollutants run over the land- grant from the Environmental Professionals’ scape and how they can turn a stream brown Organization of Connecticut (EPOC), they or blue depending on what food coloring we INSIDE will continue to do just that. are using.” TLGV Deputy Executive Director Lois The 2009 programs led to the production A8 — OPINION Courtesy photo Bruinooge said the $4,710 grant would be of a big watershed map, which is used in B1-4 — SPORTS The Last Green Valley’s School Outreach Coordinator used to expand TLGV’s watershed educa- the lessons with middle schoolers and intro- Christine Armstrong demonstrates how water flows over tion program for middle school students, an B8 — LEGALS TLGV’s landscape. expansion on programs from 2009 that had Turn To GRANT, page A13 B6-7 — REAL ESTATE B12-13— OBITS B9 — CLASSIFIEDS Killingly Killingly debuting new community garden LOCAL High student SEEDS EXPECTED IN THE GROUND BY JUNE arrested BY JASON BLEAU BY JASON BLEAU VILLAGER STAFF WRITER VILLAGER STAFF WRITER KILLINGLY — The concept of community KILLINGLY — Killingly High gardens seems to be a growing theme in the School became the latest school Quiet Corner. in northeastern Connecticut to Putnam has its own community garden, as face a security concern after an does the Thompson Ecumenical Empowerment unrelated investigation eventual- Group (TEEG). Now, Killingly can be added to ly led to the discovery of a bullet that list, as volunteers braved the rainy weath- 4-H ‘Camper in the bag of a sophomore student er on Saturday, April 26, to help clear some of Scamper’ raises allegedly believed to be on drugs. the site for the garden, which is expected to Superintendent Kevin Farr include 10 to 12 plots for organizations or local money for camping said the incident occurred on gardeners to utilize this spring and summer. Jason Bleau photos fund Thursday, April 24, but did not The garden is the result of hard work and Members of the Killingly Community Garden Subcommittee and start as a security issue. Rather, determination by members of the Killingly volunteers pose for a photo in front of the plot of land that will Page A3 the discovery of what was iden- become the Killingly Community Garden. tified as a .22-caliber bullet was Turn To GARDEN, page A18 LEARNING the result of a search associated with suspected drug use by the student, whose identity has not been released due to the fact he or NECCOG approves $1.3M budget she is a minor. Farr revealed that the student BY JASON BLEAU plan for the next fiscal year with which were based on 12 towns, now was taken to the school nurse VILLAGER STAFF WRITER an affirmative vote accepting the need to be based on 16. Everything after being under suspicion of KILLINGLY — Budget season is numbers on April 26. has to. So there’s changes to just using drugs, namely marijuana, heating up, as local municipalities NECCOG Executive Director about everything we do to make and it was discovered that the stu- finalize their numbers and inch John Filchak said the spending it fit.” dent was indeed under the influ- ever closer every day to the votes plan reflects the many changes the The budget totals $1.3 million, ence of a substance. As part of the and referendums that will deter- group has undergone over the past with an increase of around $100,000 investigation into the situation mine if the proposed spending year, adding in several new mem- and a focus of continuing to adapt the students bag and locker were plans pass or if more cuts will be ber towns along the way. to having the new member towns checked, at which point the bullet required to satisfy the taxpayers. “We’ve got added revenue but in place. Overall, Filchak says Tourtellotte music was discovered. While the individual towns we’ve got four more towns too,” NECCOG is right where it needs Farr said the school handled group brings tunes to that are represented in the Filchak said. “That will allow us to be. the situation in a calm and care- Northeastern Connecticut Council to add one and a half positions, so “We’re solid,” he said. “We’re senior café ful manner, releasing details after of Governments (NECCOG) are we’re not adding a lot more pro- always conservative as far as how learning police would be releas- Page A6 each working out their own indi- grams, but we’ve got a variety of we approach it, and it’s not one ing a press release. vidual town budgets, the group as things we need to fill in. Because Turn To a whole has solidified its spending we’re changing the regional con- ARRESTED, page A13 Turn To BUDGET, page A13 figuration of some of our plans, FINANCIAL FOCUS PAGE A9 TEEG honors volunteers at dinner event TAKE THE HINT RGANIZATION THANKS CONTRIBUTORS FOR SERVING LOCAL TOWNS PAGE A12 O BY JASON BLEAU TEEG brought together individuals, organiza- VILLAGER STAFF WRITER tions and social groups that have all played a THOMPSON — Over the last five years, more part in keeping the group up and running and than 500 individuals have volunteered their time helping them build on the services they offer to to the Thompson Ecumenical Empowerment local communities. Executive Director Donna Group (TEEG) to serve their community. Grant said she is always amazed to see the out- On Sunday, April 27, TEEG held an event to pouring of volunteerism to help the organiza- tion year-in and year-out and that it’s because of recognize 300 of those volunteers that have given Jason Bleau photo their time over the past 18 months to help the the many volunteers that TEEG has been able to organization serve those in need. TEEG Executive Director Donna Grant reads a citation from the General Assembly recognizing TEEG and its As part of National Volunteerism Month, Turn To VOLUNTEERS, page A10 Visit our website with volunteers for their hard work. your smart phone or tablet device! Just scan the “QR code” Honors and opportunities make for busy month for PHS below with your device and instantly be linked to our MUSIC STUDENTS PERFORM AT CAPITOL, SENIORS HONORED FOR ACHIEVEMENTS website, www.villagernews- BY JASON BLEAU To put it lightly, it’s been a busy tive schools. papers.com, where you can VILLAGER STAFF WRITER read the PDF versions of April for these students. Putnam Art Teacher Deb Dunn our newspapers! It’s as easy PUTNAM — The students of According to Angelica recommended Connor McNulty as that! Putnam High School’s extensive Fadrowski, director of Music at for the honor, due to his work with art program have been quite busy Putnam High School, two grad- visual arts, such as photography over the last month. uating seniors were honored and video production. With six Two graduating seniors that at a banquet for the 19th annu- years of personal experience prac- specialize in musical and visual al Connecticut High School ticing his craft, McNulty noted art were recently honored at a Outstanding Arts Awards in he was honored to be nominated statewide awards banquet while Plantsville on April 8. Students and developed an interest in his the entirety of the school’s musical from schools all across the state, art form through his interactions program recently made an appear- including Putnam, Killingly, with friends. Courtesy photos ance in the nation’s capitol for a Woodstock Academy and “I really started getting into the Putnam music students stand in front special performance in front of Plainfield, were nominated for cameras when my friends and I of the White House during their trip to one of the many monuments in their individual works for recogni- Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. tion by teachers from their respec- Turn To MUSIC, page A10 A2 • Friday, May 2, 2014 KILLINGLY VILLAGER Businesses in the 1960’s, and the legend of Rexford Traylor As I read through the clippings in the block. Gary Wrobel remem- his horse ‘Gold Rush’ moved to disabilities … insisted on includ- in the Bernie Dupont collection, I bered that the dentist Dr. Salanda Philadelphia and hosted a num- ing children with disabilities in began to get a picture of just how was located in an upstairs office ber of television shows from 1950 his show, and is said to have been many changes were taking place KILLINGLY (conversations 4/23/14). until 1956. ‘Ridin’ the Trail with one of the first to do so.” in the Danielson business district AT When I moved to Killingly Rex Trailer’ featured him as For photos of Rex Trailer and in the 1960’s.