Ledge Light Vote, Pine Wood Derby, Amistad Club

Patch’s parent company, AOL, made headlines this week by announcing it has acquired the Huffington Post. Ariana Huffington, co-founder and editor-in-chief, will oversee all of the company’s media projects. What will that mean for Patch? Time will tell.

The town has come full circle in its efforts to save money on its state-mandated public health services. Since 2001, Ledyard has been a member of the Ledge Light Health District. But faced with escalating costs, the town has explored joining other towns in creating a new health district, and even heard a lengthy presentation this week from Uncas Health District Director of Health Patrick McCormack before voting to stay with Ledge Light.

In other news, Patch reported that the federally sponsored solar panel program has been extended another year, and has been expanded to include flat roofs. The Board of Education’s Finance Committee voted to present a $29.6 million budget to the full board on Feb. 16. Ledyard High School students finished third last at Saturday's Quahog Bowl at UConn Avery Point. And a 9-year-old boy was hospitalized after being struck by a rolling car in a driveway accident on Long Cove Road.

Patch introduced a number of new “moms” features this week, including a live “Moms Chat” on Wednesday that drew nearly 90 comments in less than an hour. (We are still looking for a topic for next week.) Michelle Tracy debuted a new column this week, Without A Manual, and Austin Sabo was our first Whiz Kid.

We also featured the Amistad Club, the Pack 16 Pine Wood Derby, and meteorologist Terry Henkel, a retired Navy meteorologist who give a morning weather heads-up to officials in several towns in the region.

Ledyard runner (and intrepid reporter) Tom Fagin advised us to trash our treadmills, and Huskies Nation columnist Mark Osborne decried the spectacle of National Signing Day.

We published Deans List students from Ledyard this week. Congratulations to some great kids.