Eastford News

Chuck Adams, of Eastford, poses with the electric ray he caught about a half-mile offshore from the Misquimacut beaches in Westerly on Sunday.

“The list of projects funded is a compendium of many important initiatives and partnerships, all started at the grassroots level. We know this has made a difference to our region.”

A new source of funding is available for municipal and nonprofit projects in the towns of The Last Green Valley. via Worcester Telegram & Gazette

“It's in the early stages, but we're on the path for a regional YMCA that would include a wellness center, aquatic center, youth and teen centers and community space for the towns”

The YMCA of Greater Hartford will build a regional Y in Putnam in partnership with the Newell D. Hale Foundation, Day Kimball Hospital and area communities. via Worcester Telegram & Gazette

While Easter's primary food of the day is anything chocolate, a festive meal is usually a part of the celebration. Area restaurants will be open for Easter dinner; some are planning special menus. Here is a sampling: J Michaels Tavern at 222 Main St. in old Wethersfield will serve brunch and dinner on Easter Sunday. The brunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dinner service, including menu specials of rack of lamb, filet mignon and roasted duck, will begin at 2 p.m. Reservations: 860-257-0700. Read more

“There are certain things we believe in: organic, local and sustainable agriculture”

Spring arrives early at North Ashford Farm. By mid-February, Robert Brooks removes the winter cover that protects the plants and ground from freezing in the solar-heated greenhouse. via Hartford Courant

“I could come here and sit in a locked building on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but why?”

A town too small to support a funeral parlor or gas station has had its own probate court since before the Civil War.

Although Hampton residents must venture miles to attend a funeral or fill up their tank with gas, estate papers may be filed conveniently at town hall. But, as the court struggles to meet a new mandate for extended hours, its days may be numbered.

On a recent afternoon, Judge Stuart Case waited for someone to show up at his closet-sized office. A blank legal pad rested on his desk and a single window looked out on a deserted, rain-covered Main Street. Read more

“Emily Westbrook is the living definition of community theater”

The American Association of Community Theatre and The Theatre of Northeastern Connecticut at the Bradley Playhouse honored longtime theatre member Emily Westbrook, center, with the American Association of ... via Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Two state police detectives who were transporting a prisoner from Maine back to Connecticut suffered minor injuries Wednesday when their cruiser was struck from behind by a tractor trailer truck on the Maine Turnpike in York, state police said today.

Dets. Priscilla Vining and David Lamoureux, both of the Eastern District Major Crime Squad, were sent to the York Prison in Maine to extradite Laura Benjamin, 24, of Orchard Beach, Maine. She was wanted in Eastford, Connecticut, on charges of larceny and criminal mischief, police said. Read more

“And that hasn't happened. Now, we're paying the price.”

The rising price of hay is making it tougher to make ends meet, some Connecticut farmers say. via Hartford Courant

The Supreme Court says legal precedent required it to vacate the conviction of 53-year-old James Richitelli formerly of Eastford, Connecticut, because he had an appeal pending when he committed suicide in ... via WTNH

“The new optical scan machines performed well across the state, with only minor glitches reported”

Just received this from the Secretary of State's office regarding the new optical scanning machines, recounts, and audits. via Hat City Blog

“It was difficult to discriminate.”

Anthony V. Savino, an honorary grand marshal of the Connecticut Veterans' Day Parade in Hartford this Sunday, watched his only son leave to fight in Afghanistan four years ago. He worried day and night for 15 months whether his son would make it home safely. 'We'll never forget the day he came back,' Savino said. 'It was the first time in months we had a good night's sleep.' Savino, of Bristol, is a military man, from a military family. The 71-year-old veteran served for three years in the Army in Germany, Korea and Japan during the Cold War and 37 in Connecticut's National Guard. His eldest brother was a P-38 pilot in World War II. The second eldest went to Germany during the Korean War. Read more

“They're duller, not as sparkly, if you know what I mean”

Every fall, Marilyn Krom tries to make a trip to Vermont to see its famously beautiful fall foliage. via Shooting The Messenger

“They're duller, not as sparkly, if you know what I mean”

Every fall, Marilyn Krom tries to make a trip to Vermont to see its famously beautiful fall foliage. via Free Republic

“The leaves fall off without ever becoming orange or yellow or red. They just go from green to brown”

Every fall, Marilyn Krom tries to make a trip to Vermont to see its famously beautiful fall foliage. via WJLA-TV Arlington

“I have more friends that I had before”

For two weeks no one knew who bought the winning $15 million Powerball ticket at a convenience store in Ashford earlier this month.

The winner kept the news to himself until Wednesday when he showed up at the Connecticut State Lottery headquarters in New Britain to claim his prize.

John Lorusso, a regular at the Squaw Hollow X-tra Mart, said at the lottery headquarters today that he had been waiting for his business partner to return from vacation before telling people he was the state's newest millionaire. Read more

An inmate serving a life sentence for a 2005 double murder in Vermont apparently committed suicide at the Federal Correctional Complex, according to prison officials. via The Orlando Sentinel