Katie Crowley has been appointed first-year experience coordinator with the Center for Retention and Transfer. A Portland native, Crowley earned a baccalaureate degree in psychobiology at Wheaton College and a master's degree in community service at Michigan State University.

She worked in the field of early childhood education as a preschool teacher, parent educator and family service worker. Crowley has also served as an adjunct faculty member at Southern Maine Community College, and is a trainer for the Autism Society of Maine and the Cromwell Disability Center.

Michelle Hawley has been appointed as an admissions representative. Hawley, who lives in Mechanic Falls, has worked at CMCC for 12 years, serving most recently as the college receptionist and special projects assistant for the president's office.

Winner-take-all competition set for today

No, it's not true that Antioch High's cheer squad is jumping for joy because it got out of school early on Thursday to get to Bloomington for the IHSA state finals. The Sequoit team is one of the favorites to bring home the gold tonight.
(Marina Samovsky/News-Sun) .

Unabashed pitches, a grand party and where's the water?

Where to start, where to start? ... Give it up for Rob Oneto he of Ruggeri, Jensen, Azar & Associates who is also on our community pulse panel (see opposite page). When responding to this week's question, Rob went "postal" in his patented hilarious way, sending in the accompanying picture (look close) don't worry, Rob, MayorAl is working on delivering a new P.O. which hopefully won't get lost in the shuffle.

Shuffling your feet or dancing your socks off to rock 'n' roll band Shaboom at the world famous Gilroy Garlic Festival may be a thing of the past. It's all in "negotiations," we're told by Entertainment Chair "King" Kurt Chacon. Hmmm ... well, if the deal can't be done, here's an unabashed pitch for a great band, the Groove Kings, who rocked the house at Kirigin Cellars last weekend under warm, blue skies.

Village: Racino, raceway move could cost Monticello millions

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Housing crisis begins to hit suburbs

In April 2007, Connecticut had the third-highest foreclosure rate in the nation and it remained in the top 10 in May and June before falling off the top of the list in July. The difference between Tuesday's RealtyTrac report and those from 2007 is where the foreclosures took place. In 2007, the foreclosures were happening in Bridgeport, New Haven and Hartford. Now, those white-and-black auction signs are popping up more frequently in suburbs like Fairfield and Milford as well as Stamford.

Just two months ago, RealtyTrac data showed that 657 families living in 14 Connecticut municipalities were in preforeclosure, which means they were delinquent and a foreclosure filing was imminent. Those 14 cities and towns represented a cross-section of Fairfield County and other cities and towns in the Bridgeport area.