Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut • Page H16

3 iTOWNS www.courant.comfarmingtonvalley WAY TO GO: PETER MARTEKA Look Out Above You: Take A Saintly Walk In The Woods the Madison Land Conservation Trust. And could there be a better name for a nature trail than one after the patron saint of animals and the environment? A short trail at the end of St. Francis Woods Road connects visitors to the cemetery The cemetery is situated high on a hill with a mixture of old and newer grave stones that speak to the past. Visitors can travel along the northwest side of the cemetery to a memorial bench and nice view of the surrounding area. The bench is dedicated to Richard Donnelly, a founding member and first vice-president of the land trust.

The large field to the south of the cemetery offer some good birding with its high grass. From the cul-de-sac, visitors can walk south along St. Francis Woods Road to the main preserve. Those looking for an easy time along the loop trail should take the first trailhead. A blue dot on the curb marks the en- you are deep in the woods.

The neatest feature of the preserve is walking from the moist lowland mesic forest filled with vernal pools and swamps up to a pretty imposing ridge-line. A stream running low in the middle of a hot, dry summer is lined with boulders and seems like it would be an impressive waterway during the wetter months. The aptly-named "zigzag" trail brings visitors back to the swampy lowlands and the second trailhead. The visit to St. Francis Woods is a short, but fun trip through the forest.

Just be on the lookout for falling limbs. From the Route 79 80 rotary, travel west on Route 80. Take a left on Race Hill Road and a right on Bradley Corners Road followed by another right on St. Francis Woods Road. Follow to the end of the road and park at the cud-de-sac.

Visit www.madi-sonlandtrust.org StFrancis.pdf for a map of St. Francis Woods. PETER MARTEKA NORTH MADISON'S West Side Cemetery was founded in 1754. The cemetery is home to Demetrius Crampton, the first person interred after being killed by a falling limb. PETER MARTEKA PMARTEKACOURANT.COM What a way to go.

No, I am not talking about a hike. I am talking about THE way to go. As in poor Demitrius Crampton who was killed by a falling tree branch and became the first person interred in North Madison's West Side Cemetery founded in 1754. For me, the cemetery is a great starting point for a visit to St. Francis Woods, a mile-long loop trail in North Madison owned by trance.

This will take visitors clockwise along the trail blazed with blue circles and down the lone strenuous hill instead of up it. The second trailhead will take visitors counterclockwise along the loop trail and up the strenu ous hill. Since I always seem to go counterclockwise when faced with a loop trail, I enter the forest at the second trailhead. The development surrounding the loop trail immediately disappears and except for a few houses right on the trail, you really feel GOVERNMENT EVENTS IT) District Representative, Democrat Annie Hornish, has not yet responded. The 61st District includes portions of East Granby and Windsor as well as the entire town of Suffield.

The 62nd District includes all of Granby, most of East Granby, a portion of Barkhamsted and all of New Hartford. CTEG is a non-partisan organization that provides a forum for East Granby taxpayers to discuss issues affecting them. The major focus of the groupisa balance of quality and affordability of services. CTEG promotes open government and involvement of taxpayers in government decision-making. All meetings are open to the public, with no reservations or signup required.

For more information, call 860-658-0268 or visit the CTEG website at www.egtaxpayers.org. Compiled from reader submissions Aug. 21, Hartford Public Library, 500 Main Hartford. Free. Registration preferred, in-person, online, or by calling 860-695-6295.

WEST HARTFORD Jets Workshop: Jets, a program of Jewish Family Services specifically for job seekers, is offering a free workshop, "How to Decode a Job Description Before Sending in your Resume." Presenter Melanie Szlucha is a career and interview coach, site author of REDINC and member of the improve comedy group, World Class Indifference. Registration and networking, 8-9 a.m. Workshop runs 9-11 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 18, Mandell Jewish Community Center, 335 Bloomfield West Hartford. Free.

To register, e-mail jetsjfshartford.org or call Lynn Premingerat 860-236-1927, Ext 37. A Taste Of Social Entrepreneurship Workshop: This workshop is designed as an overview of how entrepreneurs can convert their passions and energies into sustainable businesses that help solve vexing social problems. The fee for this workshop is $99. Time: 8:30 a.m. 3 p.m., Thursday, Aug.

19, Saint Joseph College: Mercy Hall (Crystal Room), 1678 Asylum West Hartford. EAST GRANBY Candidates To Meet With Taxpayers Group: Malvi Lennon, Republican candidate for the 61st District, Connecticut House of Representatives, will be the first in a series of candidates to meet with Concerned Taxpayers of East Granby (CTEG) this fall. The meeting will take place on Monday, Aug. 16, at the East Granby Public Library, beginning at 7 p.m. CTEG has invited all four candidates running for the General Assembly House of Representatives in the 61st and 62nd Districts to introduce themselves and share their views for the upcoming legislative term.

Lennon, a small business owner living in Windsor, emigrated from Cuba with her parents in the 1960s. She is a self-described true conservative who believes in small government, low taxes and in the encouragement of entrepreneurship. Her website is www.malvilennon2010.com. Future guests include Elaine O'Brien, Democratic candidate for the 61st District, on Sept. 20; and Bill Simanski, Republican candidate for the 62nd District, on Oct.

18. Incumbent 62nd AVON NAMI Family Support Group: A support group for families and friends of those living with a mental illness. The group meets the third Monday of every month. Time: 7 p.m., Monday, Aug. 16, Valley Community Baptist Church, 590 W.

Avon Road, Avon. Free. For additional information, call 860-620-7717 orvisitwww.namifv.org. HARTFORD Foreclosure Prevention Clinic: For homeowners currently facing foreclosure. Clinics are held every third Tuesday of the month from p.m., Tuesday, Aug.

17, Handel Performing Arts Center, 35 Westbourne Parkway, Hartford. Free. For additional information, call 860-643-8769. Learn To Type: This is an ongoing class, walk-ins welcome. Time: 10:30 a.m., Thursday, Aug.

19, Hartford Public Library, 500 Main Hartford. Free. Call 860-695-6295 for additional information. Word 2007 Mail Merge: Address a document to a variety of contacts in a database, merge documents, distribute, and track changes. Some keyboarding and basic Word skills required.

Time: 3 5 p.m., Saturday, (M E-W ID a ID ID DJ PL. E- E- vO I 4 To list your event online, visit TV www.courant.comlistevent to submit your local calendar item..