Breakfast

From A10 will help other states make this goal possible as well.

“The U.S. Congress absolutely should have free school breakfasts and free school to formally begin a search by assigning the task to its executive committee.

“The lottery obviously had a very difficult few years going back a little bit. And I have to say that things seemed to stabilize for a while,” said House Speaker Matt Ritter, D-Hartford. Now, he said, the confluence of issues prompts a question: “Was it really as stable as we thought?”

Rob Simmelkjaer, the chair of the board, clarified in a brief interview after the meeting’s conclusion Thursday that Smith remains the CEO and the vote did not signal an imminent departure.

“He’s going to retire at the end of 2024. It’s a planned retirement,” Simmelkjaer said Thursday. On Friday, Simmelkjaer said he had not seen a need for further public explanation at the meeting. “It was a technical thing. We had to make the executive committee be the search committee.” breakfasts for every child no matter where in the country they live,” Jakubowski said. rwachman@record-journal.com

Ritter said he intends to ask a legislative committee to seek further information about the ticket verification issue, but he was happy to hear that Smith is not departing immediately.

To access the free and reduced-price meal application for your town, visit your school district’s food services website.

“It makes me feel better if it’s a planned transition than sort of an abrupt resignation or something like that,” Ritter said. “Yes, we need to understand what happened with this terminal thing, and it’s not good. But I give Greg credit. I think he’s done a pretty good job here the last couple of years.”

Smith declined comment, and Simmelkjaer referred further questions to Chris Davis, the former state representative who is the lottery’s government affairs director and acts as its spokesman. Davis said the vote Thursday might have seemed abrupt but came as no surprise to staff.

“It’s been a few months in the making,” Davis said. “So at this point, the board has been in discussions about the potential retirement of Greg Smith, and he did notify the board a few months ago of his intention to do so.”

The lottery recently acknowledged that a few tickets, perhaps as few as 18 out of millions sold, had been incorrectly read as invalid by the point-of-sale terminal system launched on May 21 by its new vendor, IGT. The vendor bills itself as “trusted partner to the world’s most successful lotteries.”

On July 31, the lottery wrote the first of two public notices it would not be posted until the next day on the lottery’s web site –to gamblers about potential problems validating winning tickets:

“The Connecticut Lottery Corporation (CLC) is advising players that there is an issue with the lottery terminal response when Retailers are manually validating

See Lotto, A53

Obituaries

Vivian KaceyVivian Kacey

WEST CHESTER, PA where shemeticulously cared for thebeautiful gardenssurroundingherhome andin-ground pool.Viv wasarecipientofthe“Garden of theMonth” award fromCheshireGardenClub twice. Awardsthat she treasured. After retirement, she became an active memberof theCheshire Garden Club, a community shehelddearly,anenthusiasticadvocate tothesayingbyAudreyHepburn,“To plant a gardenis to believe in tomorrow.” things in life:reading, a game of Scrabble with Jim, movies,anddiningoutwith friends. One traitthat her friends rememberfondly was hercontagious laugh, her vibrantspirit bringing joy to those around her.

VivianEloise ClarkKacey, 88, peacefullypassed awayonJuly 20,2023in West Chester,PA. Born March 9, 1935, in Berlin, NH, to the late Clarence Bernard andMyrtle Pearl (MacFarlane) Clark,Vivian movedtoBathattheageof 2 years,along withher late siblings ClarenceBernard Clark, Jr., Ruth Janet (Clark)Collins, andShirley Ann (Clark) McPhail.

WEST CHESTER, PAVivian Eloise Clark Kacey, 88, peacefully passed away on July 20, 2023 in West Chester, PA. Born March 9, 1935, in Berlin, NH, to the late Clarence Bernard and Myrtle Pearl (MacFarlane) Clark, Vivian moved to Bath at the age of 2 years, along with her late siblings Clarence Bernard Clark, Jr., Ruth Janet (Clark) Collins, and Shirley Ann (Clark) McPhail.

Vivian attended Bath schools, graduating from Morse High School, 1953, and went to Gorham State Teachers College, earning a Bachelors of Science in Education, 1957. Further earning a master’s in Education from University of Maine-Orono, 1967.

Vivian attendedBath schools, graduating from Morse HighSchool, 1953, andwent toGorhamState Teachers College, earning a Bachelors of Science in Education, 1957. Further earning a master’sin Education fromUniversity of Maine-Orono, 1967.

Witha commitmentto helping young minds bloom,Vivian taught1st grade in Mainefrom 19571959.Moving toCheshire,

With a commitment to helping young minds bloom, Vivian taught 1st grade in Maine from 19571959. Moving to Cheshire, CT, in 1959 to teach 2nd grade eventually moving to 3rd grade, 1964 until retirement, 1995. Her love for teaching was evident in her ability to remember her students’ names even after retirement.

Vivian’s passion for nurturing extended beyond the classroom and into her home in Cheshire, CT, where she meticulously cared for the beautiful gardens surrounding her home and inground pool.

Viv was a recipient of the “Garden of the Month” award from Cheshire Garden Club twice. Awards that she treasured. After retirement, she became an active member of the Cheshire Garden Club, a community she held dearly, an enthusiastic advocate to the saying by Audrey Hepburn, “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”

Viv’s sense of adventure fueled a love for travel, from trips to her beloved Maine, Pennsylvania, Canada, Texas, and Bermuda, just to name a few. All done with the love of her life, late husband, James Matthew Kacey of 53 years. She during the game but would always call you back.

CT,in 1959to teach2nd grade eventuallymoving to 3rd grade, 1964until retirement,1995. Herlovefor teaching was evident in her abilitytorememberherstudents’namesevenafterretirement.

Vivian loved the simple things in life: reading, a game of Scrabble with Jim, movies, and dining out with friends. One trait that her friends remember fondly was her contagious laugh, her vibrant spirit bringing joy to those around her.

Vivian’spassion fornurturing extendedbeyond the classroomand intoher homein Cheshire,CT,

Vivian’s life was a journey that inspired, like Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children... to know even one life has breathed easier because you had live. This is to have succeeded.”

Vivian Eloise Clark Kacey was an exceptional woman whose life was marked by love, laughter, and adventure. Vivian’s legacy is etched into the hearts and minds of her family: nieces, nephews, greatnieces, and nephews all held a special place in her heart. Vivian also leaves behind many great friends from teaching and garden club communities, as well as neighbors. Vivian will always be remembered and deeply missed.

Funeral arrangements were handled by Logan Funeral Home in Exton, PA and the Desmond Funeral Home in Bath. A Graveside service was held at Oak Grove Cemetery, Bath, Aug. 9.

Vivian loved flowers but she also loved children, so in lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude

Viv’s senseof adventure fueledalovefortravel,from trips to her beloved Maine, Pennsylvania, Canada, Texas,and Bermuda,just to namea few.All done withthelove ofherlife,late husband, JamesMatthew Kaceyof53years.Shewas an avid UCONN Girls Basketball and Red Sox fan and wouldn’t take calls duringthe gamebutwould always call youback. Vivian lovedthe simple

Vivian’slifewasajourney that inspired,like Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “To laughoften andmuch;to win therespect ofintelligent people and the affection ofchildren... toknow even one lifehas breathed easier becauseyou had live.This isto havesucceeded.”

Vivian Eloise Clark Kacey was an exceptional woman whose life was marked by love, laughter,and adventure. Vivian’slegacy is etchedinto theheartsand minds of her family: nieces, nephews, greatnieces,and nephews all helda special placeinherheart.Vivianalso leavesbehind many greatfriends fromteaching and garden club communities, aswell asneighbors.

Vivian willalways beremembered anddeeply missed.

Funeral arrangements werehandledbyLoganFuneral Home in Exton, PA and theDesmond Funeral Home in Bath. Graveside service washeld atOak Grove Cemetery,Bath, Aug. 9.

Vivian loved flowers but she also lovedchildren, so in lieu of flowers memorial contributionsmaybemade toSt. JudeChildren’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 scratch tickets by keying in the ticket number. The lottery terminal response may say the ticket has been Previously Paid.”

Whether it is a lost ring, wallet or a Parrot named Oliver, a Classified ad can help track it down.

On August 2, they broadened the warning by advising players to double check if they believe an uncashed winning lottery ticket in any game might have been invalidated as paid. Retailers manually validate tickets when the scanner cannot read them, Davis said.

Sen. Cathy Osten, DSprague, whose district is home to both of the state’s tribal casinos and closely monitors gambling issues, said Davis assured her the problem was limited.

“Relative to the tickets that were not read correctly, out of 18 million, there were 18 that were not read correctly, is my understanding,” Osten said.

That ticket snafu came two months after the lottery’s split with its sports-betting vendor.

Rush Street Interactive, the Illinois company chosen to operate the lottery’s online sport book, PlaySugarHouse.com, and the Connecticut Lottery jointly announced an end to their partnership on March 27, offering little reason for the split.

In an earnings call in May, the Hartford Business Journal reported, the company said it was not seeing “ appropriate return on investment.”

The company, known as RSI, continues to run the sports book online and at nine retail locations. A 10th is scheduled to open next month at the XL Center in downtown Hartford, with a bar and views into the arena on game days.

The legislature authorized 15 locations. In April, the lottery reported that revenues were 29% below what had been anticipated had all 15 been open.

Davis said a successor had been tentatively chosen in June.

“We’re currently in negotiations with that vendor,” Davis said. “Unfortunately, I can’t really comment much more beyond that because of the procurement process. But we are moving along with finding a new vendor. And RSI has agreed to stay on through that transition.”

Penn National, which was among the bidders in 2021, has since established a Connecticut connection: a sports betting partnership with ESPN, the network based in Bristol. Davis would not comment on who is seeking to replace RSI. MGM Resorts, which competes with Connecticut casinos, also was a bidder in 2021.

Connecticut legalized sports betting in 2021 after negotiating new gambling compacts with the state’s two federally recognized tribes, Mashantucket Pequots and Mohegans, which operate Foxwoods Resort and Mohegan Sun. The tribes and lottery were the only entities allowed to operate sports books.

The lottery is by far the biggest gambling money maker for Connecticut, providing the state’s general fund with more than $410 million a year in each of the past three years.

By comparison, the tribes now produce less than $250 million a year, primarily under a longstanding slots-revenue sharing deal that outpaced lottery revenues be- monthly take from sports bookmaking is less than $1 million.

In June, the state’s cut of sports betting: $501,970 from Mohegan, $329,091 from Foxwoods and $84,631 from the lottery.

The tribes’ sport books are run by two top sports gambling companies: DraftKings for Foxwoods and FanDuel for Mohegan. Osten said the tribal casinos had lined up DraftKings and FanDuel even before the legalization law was passed.

“They knew what they were doing,” Osten said of her constituents, the two tribes. “They knew what they needed. And they got it done.” fore competing casinos opened in New York, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. But the lottery has badly trailed the tribes in grabbing market share of sports betting, which produces relatively little for the state. On a monthly basis, the traditional lottery games produce about $34 million for the state, while the state’s

Under the terms of the deal negotiated by the tribes, no casino-based sports book could do business under their brand name in Connecticut, a condition intended to keep the MGM brand out of the state, had they been selected.

MGM Resorts operates casinos in Springfield, Mass., and Yonkers, N.Y.

This story originally appeared on the website of The Connecticut Mirror, www.ctmirror.org.