Having secured a return to the General Assembly in November by edging incumbent Elizabeth Esty, State Representative Elect Al Adinolfi recently got his legislative committee assignments.

The Republican lawmaker from Cheshire - who begins his fifth non-consecutive two-year term serving the 103rd General Assembly District - will be the Ranking Member of the legislature's Select Committee on Veterans Affairs'. He will also serve on the Public Safety, Judiciary, and Human Services committees

The 103rd District covers parts of Cheshire, Wallingford and Hamden.

A Chinese company that makes solar panels for the utility, residential and commercial markets will open its second North American office in Cheshire.

It was not immediately clear Friday where in town Solarfun Power Holdings plans to open its office, when that opening might occur or how many employees would staff the facility. The company, which is headquartered in Shanghai, announced its plans in a press release put out on Friday.

Jerry Sitko, the town's economic development coordinator (shown above), was not available for comment, on the company's plans. And members of the community's Economic Development Commission said they had not been briefed on the company's plans, although an agenda item on Solarfun Power is on the agenda for the group's next meeting on Tuesday.

"Supporting the growing North American market remains one of our top priorities," said Bruce Ludemann, Vice President and General Manager of Solarfun North America. "As the demands of the utility, commercial and residential markets continue to expand, we're working to provide customers additional access to Solarfun's high-quality and reliable products and project development support."

Solarfun also has a facility in Costa Mesa, Ca. To see a brochure on the company, click here.

The joint will be jumpin' Thursday night at Gaetano's on Main in Wallingford as Holly Lafond and Jim Fitzsimmons host the 20th annual Toys for Tots party.

There will be music by Arlene Wow, appetizers and a cash bar for those who attend the event, which Lafond said she's been told attracts "the most toys per any single event for the US Marine Corps in New Haven County." Those who attend the party are asked to bring an unwrapped toy appropriate for a girl or boy 16 years of age or younger.

The party starts at 5:30 p.m. at the restaurant, which is located at 40 N. Main St. Call 203-494-7399 for more information.

One of the state's largest business groups has named a Cheshire woman as its new chairwoman.

Ramona Carlow, vice president of public policy and strategy for AT&T, was elected last week as the chairwoman of the Connecticut Business & Industry Association's (CBIA) board of directors. Carlow will serve a one-year term,; she is replacing Peter B. Kent, chairman and chief executive officer of Bicron Electronics in Canaan.

"We are very pleased to have Ramona lead our board into the new year," said John R. Rathgeber, CBIA president and chief executive officer.

Carlow began her career in the telecommunication business at the Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control. She joined AT&T as a policy consultant in 1996 and became part of the regulatory group the following year.

Carlow became AT&T's vice president of regulatory and external affairs in 2003 and was named state president in Jan. 2007. She took a new position earlier this year with national responsibility for AT&T, focusing on issues of public policy and strategy.

In addition to work at AT&T, Carlow serves on the board of the Connecticut Science Center, and is actively involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Trinity College, with a B.S. in political science, Carlow is also an honors graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Law. Her earlier legal experience includes serving as a law clerk at the Connecticut Supreme Court and as an associate at the Hartford law firm of Robinson & Cole.

Carlow and her husband, Brian, who is an attorney, have two teenage daughters.

CHESHIRE — The Cheshire United Methodist Church will stage its annual “Road to Bethlehem” drive-thru Nativity on Saturday, for the benefit of area food and fuel banks.


The event includes music, luminaries and live animals portraying 10 scenes from the Bible’s Christmas story. Organizers estimate about 900 people viewed the outdoor Nativity last year.

“This is the 21st year our church family will be presenting this special Christmas gift to our surrounding community,” said the Rev. Stephen Volpe, pastor (shown above). “We look forward to sharing our gift with many visitors again this year.”

For a brief history of the “Road to Bethlehem” drive-thru, click here.

“Road to Bethlehem” will take place on from 5 to 8 p.m. in the church parking lot, 205 Academy Road. It’s free to attend, but monetary and non-perishable food donations will be accepted.

For more information, directions or in case of bad weather, call the church office at (203) 272-4626.

Having spent nearly all of my adult life working in the news gathering business, I can tell you that it takes something pretty powerful to bring a newsroom to a complete stop.

Usually, the places where journalists work are loud and bustling, as reporters, editors and photographers scramble to meet deadlines, or in the case of broadcast newsrooms, go live on the air. But even the most jaded and cynical journalists are sometimes stopped dead in their tracks as something plays out on national television.

As a younger reporter, I remember the staff of the New Jersey newspaper I worked for at the time huddled around a television set as Earvin "Magic" Johnson told the world he had AIDS.

Today was another one of those moments, albeit in a different time, a different place and a different subject.

Today, it was Dr. William Petit and his interview with Oprah Winfrey that brought the Register newsroom to a standstill as he talked about the July 2007 murders in Cheshire and what his life has been like since then.

Most of my colleagues hadn't been in the courtroom the way that Randy Beach, Chris March, Ed Stannard and I had during the trial of Steven Hayes, who was convicted and sentenced to death this fall for the murders of Petit's wife and daughters. But even for those us who saw the Hayes' trial in person, Petit's interview with Oprah was riveting.

"I think that's the first time I've ever seen him smile," Stannard said as we watched Petit talk with Oprah.

American composer Gwyneth Walker will premiere a new work at the annual Service of Lessons and Carols at the First Congregational Church in Cheshire on Dec. 19th at 4 p.m.

The piece, “Alpha and Omega,” is based on three familiar Christmas carols, and is arranged for brass quintet, percussion, and chorus. The church, shown at right, is located on the Town Green.

The traditional candlelight service tells the story of Christ’s birth through song and word. In addition to the debut of Walker’s work, scripture and poetry will be read, and the congregation will sing familiar Christmas carols.

Walker is a graduate of the Hartt School of Music and has written more than 200 works. A former member of the Oberlin College Conservatory, she has pursued composing full-time for nearly 30 years, and is one of the most-performed living American composers.

But the Wallingford Public Library is offering a program on strategies for organizing home and office files.

Organzing expert Elaine Turek will offer tips on getting rid of the clutter in your files during a Jan. 6th program at 7 p.m. at the library.

For more information, call the library at 203-265-6754.