SOUT_2011_08_26_p01.qxp (Page 1)

Transcription

SOUT_2011_08_26_p01.qxp (Page 1)
Volume 36, No. 34
Southington’s only locally produced paper
Mary our Queen Church
set to celebrate 50 years, Page 3
Friday, August 26, 2011
Southington private school
bus routes, Page 30
Mike Raczka pitches his way into the
Southington Sports Hall of Fame, Page 20
Middle school plans approved
Getting a little help
School board signs off on renovations
By ROB GLIDDEN
Staff Writer
The Board of Education
gave their final approval to
the revised plan to renovate
Kennedy and DePaolo
Middle Schools, following
the reductions by the Board
of Finance.
While the BOF was
supportive of the plan and
voted to send it to the Town
Council, the officials also
feared the original $100
million cost was asking too
much of the taxpayers and
reduced the project’s budget to $85 million.
The vote was unanimous and the officials said
the architects from Fletcher
Thompson had adapted
well to the new numbers.
“They did a very nice
job in maintaining a good,
solid educational environ-
ment,” said board member
David Derynoski.
Superintendent Dr.
Joseph Erardi had said previously that in order to
reduce the budget, there
would have to be less “new”
construction, which refers
to additional rooms and
areas that were going to be
added as part of the process
See MIDDLE SCHOOLS,
page 17
New United Way committee is set
By ROB GLIDDEN
Staff Writer
TAMMI KNAPIK
Teachers across the district have spent the last several days preparing their classrooms
for an influx of new students.
Above, Kelley School second grade teachers prepare a classroom, with a little help.
Pictured, from left, Taylor Kelly (Lisa's daughter), Jenn Manware, Lindsay Veronneau,
Lynn Potamis, Jared Kelly (Lisa's son), Micaela Potamis (Lynn's daughter) and Lisa
Kelly.
Teachers ready their classrooms
Staff Writer
As another school year
begins, teachers in
Southington are preparing
themselves and their classrooms for their incoming
students. Many adopt
“themes” for their room
and some teachers, especially ones who deal with
younger kids, have to be
prepared for a variety of different reactions when the
school day begins.
Regina Albee, a kindergarten teacher at Strong
School, sees reactions from
her young students that
range from wild excitement
to extreme anxiety.
“Sometimes, they look
like they might have a
“
I’m working
towards a theme
of respect and
development of
social skills.
“
By ROB GLIDDEN
Karin Fortin,
Teacher at Strong School
stroke,” Albee said. “I try to
keep everything happy and
bright. My theme is growing
because they will bloom in
here.”
The “blooming” idea
became literal thanks to a
grant from the Southington
Education Foundation.
Albee plans to guide her
students through a project
involving planting and
composting.
Thalberg School firstgrade teacher Kim Angelillo
authored welcome letters to
each of the kids in her
incoming class, hoping that
would help build some
excitement and calm
nerves.
“First graders are nervous because it’s their first
full day, but there’s some
excitement mixed in there,”
Angelillo said. “I’m going
See SCHOOLS, page 16
Southington’s United
Way has launched a new
youth committee meant
to connect the organization to the town’s teens.
“We wanted to be
more connected with an
age group that we provide
services for,” said United
Way Director Carol Reilly.
“They also are the go-to
people for social media
and we’re starting to look
into that.”
Five teens have been
named to the “UKnighted
Way Committee,” a reference to the Southington
High School mascot.
Advising them is Social
Studies teacher Kevin
Curtiss, also a member of
the United Way’s Board of
Directors.
He passed out information about the committee during his classes to
find out who might be
interested.
“I saw it as a great
opportunity to give back
to the community so I told
Mr. Curtiss that I would
absolutely want to help
out,” said committee
member Stephen
Barmore.
Barmore said he plans
to help make the
Southington United Way a
presence on Facebook,
while fellow committee
See UNITED WAY, page 17
SUBMITTED
School donations
Backpacks that are part of the program set up 10
years ago through the Southington Community
Services Department were given out earlier this
week. The program is directed by Janet Mellon
and produces about 300 backpacks with a value
of about $75 and a voucher to Walmart for clothing. All supplies are obtained by donations.
Above, are Melissa Reid, left, Anna Terrill, center,
Ashley Zerbe.
2
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The Step Saver/ The Observer
Friday, August 26, 2011
WW II vets sought for arrival of planes
World War II veterans
are invited to attend and
participate in a three-day
commemoration of the 70th
anniversary of the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor catapulting the United States of
American into World War II.
This early commemoration will begin on Friday,
Sept. 8 at the Waterbury/
Oxford Airport (exit 16 on I84) with the arrival of three
World War II combat aircrafts, scheduled to arrive
approximately 12:30 to 1
p.m. The aircrafts are a fourengine B-17 Flying Fortress
Bomber, a B-24 Liberator
four-engine bomber and a
P-51 Mustang fighter.
World War II veterans
and air crew members are
invited to attend without
charge and requested to
bring military memorabilia,
photographs, maps and
related mementos.
Veterans are also invited to attend the aircraft
exhibit on Saturday and
Sunday, Sept. 10 and 11 during the hours of 9 a.m. to 5
p.m.
Tables and chairs will
be available for veterans to
be seated. It is expected that
one or two air crew who
bailed out of their damaged
aircraft will be able to
attend.
The public is encouraged to attend with their
children and meet members
of
the
“Greatest
Generation,” now 85 to 92
years old.
Air crew members are
asked to call Walter Hushak,
(860) 276-0749, indicating
their interest.
There is an admission
charge for the public to
attend.
At right, the World War II
planes coming to
Waterbury/ Oxford
Airport in September.
Local businessmen come together to create a PAC
Infinity Home care met
at The New Mill Restaurant
on Tuesday , August 9 to discuss and appoint members
to its (PAC) Professional
Advisory Committee.
Infinity Homecare is
located on Main Street in
Plantsville, and is an affiliate
of The Nurse Network
Companies. According to
David
DiNeno,
the
President and co-founder of
The
Nurse
Network
Companies, the purpose of
this meeting was to invite
professional members of
our community to participate in the development
and implementation of
company policies and procedures . Connecticut regulatory statutes mandate that
any organization that is
licensed to provide medical
care to Connecticut residents in their homes, or
place of residence, must
appoint a PAC, and meet at
least semi-annually to discuss matters of policy, and
operations of the homecare
agency.
Mr. Dineno stated, “I
am particularly pleased
with the professionals who
attended and the quality of
their input. We invited
some very influential and
well respected members of
our healthcare community.
We are delighted that they
would spend their time
assisting us in our efforts to
provide
the
greater
Southington/Cheshire area
with a valuable resource for
care at home.”
Those in attendance
were David DiNeno, Joan
Zukauskas; RN Homecare
Administrator,
Mark
Rakauskas,Vice President,
The Nurse Network, Dr
Steven Hanks; MD executive
VP, Chief Medical Officer, The
Hospital
of
Central
Connecticut,
Robert
Verderame,
Executive
Director, Calendar House,
Southington Senior Services,
Edward Jamele; co-founder
Athena Healthcare, Andy
Annunziata;
lifelong
Southington Resident and
Homecare consumer, Hollis
Hartman; Senior Living
Advisor, A Place for Mom,
Christine Cianciola, RN
Homecare
Supervisor,
Corrine Schwartz, BSN RN;
Nurse Consultant.
Infinity Homecare is the
newest division of The
Nurse Network Companies.
The Nurse Network established in 1996 by David
YOUR VISION, OUR
We look forward to becoming a valuable source for
information and services to
those in need.”
Infinity Homecare is
scheduling a follow up
meeting in the coming
weeks. Anyone interested in
attending can contact Joan
Zukauskas at 628-2990.
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Friday, August 26, 2011
•Controversial Busway...page 4
News
•Teacher Scene........page 15
•Sports...........page 21
Our Town
Mary Our Queen to celebrate 50 years
Staff Writer
Mary Our Queen
Catholic Church will celebrate 50 years in
Southington during an
anniversary event on
Saturday, September 24.
Located on Savage
Street, the church was an
offshoot of the even older St.
Thomas Catholic Church,
which celebrated its 150th
birthday last year.
“The parishioners
began the church mainly
because of the overpopulation at St. Thomas,” said
parishioner Robin Taillie,
who is coordinating the
anniversary celebration.
“They realized they needed a
church closer to the
Southeast part of town.”
The event, starting at
noon, will include a ministry
fair, music performances, a
buffet and a jubilee mass
with the Knights of
Columbus 15 Honor Guard
at 5:00 pm. Commemorative
memorabilia, including T-
Town feels tremors
By ROB GLIDDEN
Staff Writer
Southington residents
briefly felt the earth move on
Tuesday afternoon, as an
earthquake in Virginia was
felt all along the East Coast.
Preliminary reports from
seismologists classified the
magnitude of the earthquake
in Virginia at 5.8 on the
Richter Scale. In
Southington, the activity
began shortly before 2 pm
and continued for about a
minute.
Sergeant Lowell
DePalma, spokesman for the
Southington Police
Department, said that the
department had gotten about
20 calls immediately after the
quake and continued for
some time afterwards.
“They’re calling like
crazy,” he said.
Editor Ed Harris contributed to this story.
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First constructed in
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in 1963. The anniversary celebration is actually coinciding with the first major renovation to the building. The
sanctuary will be under
heavy construction during
the celebration, meaning
that the mass will be held in
a different part of the
church.
Some parishioners are
old enough to remember the
early days of the church.
Interviews with them, conducted by younger church
members, will be showcased
during the celebration. “It’s a
nice project for the youth of
our parish,” Taillie said. “Not
only do they learn about it,
but they get to talk to people
who remember what it was
like.”
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Friday, August 26, 2011
Controversial busway touted as job creator
NEW BRITAIN - The
proposed busway connecting New Britain to Hartford
gained a sudden injection
of support recently as
about
150
unionized
tradesmen rallied outside
an August 11 hearing on the
$567 million, 9.4-mile bus
line.
Several speakers during the rally touted the controversial project as a job
creator, pointing out that
the project is projected to
put 4,100 people to work
building
the
busway
between this fall and 2014,
the date of the project’s
expected completion.
Inside the auditorium
where the hearing was held
on the campus of Central
Connecticut
State
University, opponents who
had attempted to stack the
hall with speakers bent on
criticizing the busway were
met with more supporters many of whom had no
apparent ties to the tradesmen.
The auditorium quickly hit its capacity of 250
people, and many were
turned away at the door.
The busway is planned as a
road that would allow bus
traffic only and would provide a 20-minute travel
time between New Britain
and Hartford. Although
there are just 11 transit stations planned on the
busway
itself,
several
express buses - including
the Cheshire- Southington
express
and
a
new
Waterbury express bus would feed into the line, as
would shuttles from Bristol,
the
University
of
Connecticut Health Center,
Westfarms
Mall
in
Farmington and CCSU.
Opponents like Bob
Guffey railed against the
busway as an expensive
“boondoggle” that will
prove a waste of taxpayer
money that is being “forcefed” on state residents who
will never use the rapid
transit option. But few
opponents raised any other
issues directly related to
the project, such as safety,
environmental impact or
demand for such a busway.
“Please tell me why
taxes from New York and
Ohio should be confiscated
to fund a daily commute for
residents of New Britain,”
said Guffey, explaining that
it did not matter to him
that the federal government was funding 80 percent of the project because
all money expended would
be taxpayer funds. “Just
what about ‘We don’t have
the money’ don’t you
understand?”
Considering the state’s
significant budget problems, it’s the wrong time for
Connecticut
to
throw
money at a $570 million
bus way linking New
Britain to Hartford, state
Rep. Rob Sampson said in a
press release shortly following the hearing.
Sampson, who represents
Wolcott
and
Southington in the General
Assembly, is among the
leading opponents of the
proposed bus route, which
will see Connecticut chip in
roughly
$113
million
toward the overall cost.
Though federal funds will
cover the balance, the state
would be responsible for an
estimated $8 million per
year to maintain the service
once construction is finished, Sampson said.
“It makes little sense to
spend hundreds of millions
of dollars on this project
knowing full well that we’ll
eventually have to rely on
overtaxed residents to keep
the bus way running,”
Sampson said. “It’s time to
act responsibly and use a
bit of common sense. We
can’t continue to spend
money taxpayers don’t
have.”
Southington’s
state
Senator Joe Markely is also
staunchly against the proposed bus route.
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Southington state Rep. Rob Sampson voiced his displeasure with the proposed
busway during a recent hearing.
busway did seek to make
points about economic
development,
however,
saying improving transportation
infrastructure
would help attract businesses, create jobs over the
long term and encourage
commuters to stay off what
Department
of
Transportation
officials
said is an overburdened
Interstate 84.
David Morris, who
identified himself as a
developer, said his company has bought buildings
nearby
the
proposed
busway route because they
knew the transportation
option would prove attractive to potential tenants.
“This will create longterm stable economic
development that will
never go away because the
transit is there,” Morris
said.
Other
supporters
included Carolle Andrews,
the UConn Health Center’s
chief administrative officer,
who said 350,000 visits at
the health center each year
were from people who live
in towns along the route,
and Al Victor, a resident
who said he looks forward
to the bus line because it
would provide easier access
to Hartford.
“To be able to go in and
have a bus to go and get to
where I need to go in the
heart
of
downtown
Hartford and not have to
look for a parking space ...
this is the thing to do,”
Victor said. “I applaud the
state of Connecticut for
doing something for the
people of Connecticut and
not New York or Boston.
We’re in Connecticut. Let’s
do things for Connecticut.”
Meanwhile, supporters
and opponents displayed
dueling signs that read
either “Block the bus” or
“Get
on
the
bus.”
Michael Sanders, the public
transit administrator who
has worked on the project
for nearly 15 years,
acknowledged the high cost
of the busway but argued
the most viable alternative
- widening I-84 - is far more
expensive. He also said the
time saved for the 5,000
new riders the busway
would create, including 400
from
Waterbury
and
Cheshire, makes the project worthwhile.
“The benefit to residents is it will be very effective at managing congestion,” Sanders said “We can
justify the expense because
we’ve compared ourselves
with other projects around
the country and it does
compare very favorably.”
Sanders did not tell the
audience how much the
busway is expected to cost
to operate, but he said the
state is expected to subsidize the project with about
$7 million annually.
Even with that cost,
Sanders argued it was
cheaper than maintaining
added lanes to I-84 or other
mass
transportation
options. Opponents have
argued the project’s cost of
“$1,000 per inch” is too high.
“The cost estimates
have been scrutinized well
beyond the detail we think
they need to be (because of
federal oversight) and they
passed,” Sanders said. “If
you take 5,000 hours of
travel time saved daily multiplied by the lifetime of the
project of 30 years, I think
you’ll find it’s much more
cost effective.”
Editor Ed Harris contributed to this report.
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Friday, August 26, 2011
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To advertise, call (860) 628-9645
Police Blotter
Patricia A. Sullivan,
44, of 141 Falcon Ridge
Road, Torrington, was
charged on August 8 with
failure to respond to an
infraction. She was held on
a $500 bond for an Augsut
22 court date.
Javier E. Arroyo, 19, of
125 Howard Avenue, was
charged on August 11 with
two counts of first degree
robbery, second degree
assault, second degree
breach of peace, interfering with an officer, two
counts of reckless endangerment, sixth degree larceny and second degree
threatening. He was held
on a $500,000 bond for an
August 12 court date.
Joshua Landeen, 28, of
23 Beecher Street, was
charged on August 11 with
second degree failure to
appear. He was held on a
$10,000 bond for an August
12 court date.
Brian Fitzpatrick, 39,
of 28 Division Street,
Danbury, was charged on
August 11 with fifth degree
larceny. He was held on a
$5,000 bond for an August
22 court date.
Kathryn Keri Gilman,
29, of 190 Tomilson
Avenue, Plainville, was
charged on August 12 with
DUI and reckless endangerment. She was held on a
$5,000 bond for an August
22 court date.
Stanley J. Uryga, 53, of
42 Victoria Lane, was
charged on August 13 with
DUI and failure to main-
tain a lane. He was held on
a $500 bond for an August
22 court date.
Travis B. Ranson, 21,
of 890 Poverty Hollow
Road,
Newtown,
was
charged on August 13 with
DUI, having an improper
number of headlights,
driving a wrong way on a
one way road and failure to
maintain a lane. He was
held on a $500 bond for
August 22 court date.
Malwina Jodlowski,
24, of 27 Darling Street,
was charged on August 14
with disorderly conduct.
She was held on a $500
bond for an August 15
court date.
Krzysztof M. Jodlowski,
29, of 27 Darling Street, was
charged on August 14 with
disorderly conduct. He was
held on a $500 bond for an
August 15 court date.
Cezary Paliwoda, 45,
of 20 Jordon Court, was
charged on August 13 with
disorderly conduct. He was
held on a $500 bond for an
August 15 court date.
John Thayer, 56, of 219
Center Street, Manchester,
was charged on August 15
with a probation violation.
He was held on a $10,000
bond for an August 16
court date.
Henri Germain, 51, of
62 Plaza Avenue, was
charged on August 15 with
two counts of second
degree breach of peace. He
was held on a $500 bond
for an August 22 court date.
Patrick L. Valentine,
United Way to kick off campaign
The United Way of
Southington (UWS) will be
holding its official campaign
kick-off on Wednesday,
August 31 at approximately
7:45p.m. on the Southington
town green as a part of the
“Music on the Green” program.
Carol Reilly, executive
director, and Sheila DurantRobinson, honorary chairperson, will be doing a short
presentation during the
musical intermission. The
three most important messages will be: 1) the group’s
unofficial trademark. We are
“Southington People Helping
Southington People.” 2) The
fact that one check touches
17 of the most important
charities that serve in our
town, and 3) When you do
United Way workplace giving, you can direct your tax
deductible donation –
regardless of the town in
which you work – to the
United Way of Southington
to help your local family,
friends and neighbors.
To donate to UWS,
please mail your check to PO
Box 546, Southington, CT
06489.
Calendar House Notes
The following events
will take place at het calendar House in the coming
weeks:
Genealogy Club –
Wednesday, Aug 31 at 1 pm
in the Perry Room
Fall 2011 Session
“Computer Learning
Center @ Calendar House”
Classes begin September 6.
A few seats are available in
Basic Digital Photography,
Email, and Intro to
Computers
For more information
regarding the Computer
Learning Center @
Calendar House please
email CLC@calendarhouse.org.
Calendar House
closed September 5 in
observance of Labor Day
Southington
Remembers 911 - 6:30 pm
on Sunday, September 11,
2011, the people of
Southington will gather, as
one community, on the
grounds of Southington
High School for a patriotic,
memorial service.
Alaska Yukon
Experience Friday,
September 16th presentation by Tours of
Distinction
Pig Roast Wednesday,
September 21 catered by
Smokin’ With Chris Tickets on sale until
September 14
For more about
Calendar House activities
pick up the August
newsletter at 388 Pleasant
Street or visit our website
and sign up for a monthly
email copy of the newsletter www.calendarhouse.org.
Southington
Town
Pools will remain open until
Friday, August 26. Memorial
Park Pool will be closed as of
Saturday,
August
27.
Recreation Park Pool will
remain open on a limited
schedule through Sunday,
September 11, during the
following hours: August 27 August 28: 11 as - 7 pm;
August 29 - September 2:
3:30 pm - 7 pm; September 3
- September 5: 11 am - 7
pm;
September
6
September 9:
closed;
September 10 - September
11: 11 am - 7 pm.
BRI IT’S LI
SPA NGING KE
T
T
HOUO YOU HE
SE! R
RING
OFFE RELESS
SU
PRES OUSE
H
ING
WASH
Visit: thepowerwashingkings.com
Fully Insured
Owner: Paul Gianni
621 Jerome Avenue
Brisol, CT
BARC
860 582-9102
Dogs
All Natural
Love
BITES ext 128 DOG BISCUITS $ 75
lb.
Them
3
The DINING ROOM The GROWING
860-584-0043
Special of the Week
CROCK OF
CHILI
with a grilled
corn muffin.
$ 95
5
SOUPS
Mon. Cream of Tomato
Tues. Oriental Steak
Wed. Green Minestrone
Thur. Creamy Carrot
Fri. Crab Bisque
CENTER ext 133
Come to the
Growing Center on a
hot summer day and
buy yourself a cool houseplant.
Hours: Mon-Fri 9:30-3:30
CANDY KITCHEN
ext 134
We are making fresh Jams and Relishes in August.
Also available are Coconut Shells,
Chocolate Covered Oreos, Caramel Turtles, and Pops.
Just call ahead, and we will make your party favors
for weddings, birthdays, showers, holidays,
parties, baptisms, etc.
SUGAR FREE AVAILABLE
Come
check our
caring
staff at
our new
location
Full time Hygienist on Staff
Implant Placement
Restoration & Maintenance
A local woman was
arrested last week, on allegations that she embezzled
almost
$300,000
from
Plantsville Congregational
Church.
Kelly Saucier, 45, of 48
Blossom Way, turned herself into police on Tuesday,
August 16, after learning
that she was the subject of
an arrest warrant.
The arrest warrant
stems from an investigation
Good Guy Electric, LLC
E1-185608
QUALITY WORK AT LOW PRICES
860-965-0451
www.goodguyelectric.com
TAKEE A HIKE,
And Help Feed Local Families
All Proceeds Donated to BREAD FOR LIFE
Enjoy a leisurely walk and breathtaking views of Southington
from atop ROGERS ORCHARDS - SHUTTLE MEADOW FARM
(Long Bottom Road)
for our 3rd ANNUAL WALK TO END HUNGER
on SATURDAY, AUGUST 27th - from 9:00 am until noon.
Free apple cider and apple cider donuts for all walkers.
$10 per person, $6 per child or $20 for a family.
This week Our Salesrooms Feature
IS NOW HERE!
NO METAL WIRES OR BRACKET
New
w patientss onlyy with
h appointment
FRESH
BAKED
Come check out our state of the art facility
248 N. Main St. Southington • 860 621-2644
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EST. 1997
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Familyy Dentall Practicee off Southington
which revealed that during
a period between August
2005 and December 2010, it
is alleged that Saucier
embezzled
$293,385.15
from Plantsville Congregational Church while holding the position of church
treasurer.
Saucier was charged
with first degree larceny.
She was held on a $100,000
bond for an August 29 court
date.
Residential - Commercial - Industrial
TREE
RIPENED
www.familydentalofsouthington.com
was charged on August 17
with possession of narcotics, possession of narcotics with intent to sell,
possession of drug paraphernalia, weapons in a
motor vehicle and DUI. He
was held on a $50,000
bond for an August 17
court date.
Edward
Thomas
Cooper Jr., 26, of 217
Dunham
Street,
was
charged on August 17 with
second degree breach of
peace and second degree
threatening. He was held
on a $1,000 bond for an
August 17 court date.
Ryan S. Billings, 18, of
16 Fox Road, Plainville,
was charged on August 14
with sixth degree larceny.
He was held on a $500
bond for an August 29
court date.
Woman arrested for
church embezzlement
Final pool hours are set
Quality
y is
s ourr Priority
Locally Owned — Family Operated
50, of 132 Stafford Avenue,
Bristol, was charged on
August 16 with third
degree
larceny,
third
degree conspiracy to commit third larceny and third
degree criminal trespass.
He was held on a $500
bond for an August 29
court date.
Kelly Cole Saucier, 45,
of 48 Blossom Way, was
charged on August 16 with
first degree larceny and
embezzlement. She was
held on a $100,000 bond
for an August 29 court
date.
Tiffany Marie Motta,
20, of 16 Peters Circle, was
charged on August 17 with
sixth degree larceny. She
was held on a $500 bond
for an August 17 court date.
Jeffrey Bowman, 35, of
821 Old Turnpike Road,
FRESH
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PIES
APPLE CIDER DONUTS
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OUR
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WORTH THE DRIVE FROM ANYWHERE!!
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Rogers Orchards
Shuttle Meadow Salesroom Sunnymount Salesroom
Long Bottom Rd (Off Flanders Rd)
Southington • (860) 229-4240
Open Daily 8 A.M. - 6 P.M.
www.rogersorchards.com
One mi. west of I-84Rt. 322 Meriden-Wtby Rd.,
Southington (203) 879-1206
Open Daily 9 A.M. - 6 P.M.
SS
6
Friday, August 26, 2011
To advertise, call (860) 628-9645
•Milestones.......page 10
Commentary
•Neighbors.........page 11
•Good Times........page 13
Our Views
Sweetness of new businesses
ED HARRIS editor
Established in 1975
Published weekly by The Step Saver, Inc.
213 Spring St., Southington, CT 06489
editorial: 860-621-6751
advertising: 860-628-9645
circulation: 860-628-9438
fax 860-621-1841
e-mail eharris@southingtonobserver.com
All editorials are intended to reflect the position of the publisher and
not that of any individual editorial writer. Signed columns, on the other hand,
reflect the position of the author and not necessarily those of the publisher.
www.SouthingtonObserver.com
www.StepSaver.com
Feeling nostalgic
won’t the pay bills
Nostalgia can be a strong human emotion.
Many of us tend to look at the past with rose-colored
glasses, longing for the way things used to be—and glossing
over the aspects of the memory that don’t fit the fantasy.
And, as nostalgia takes hold, we become saddened over
the way things change.
Currently, there’s a lot of nostalgia among book lovers
of central Connecticut.
Borders, the mega-bookstore, is shutting down.
The funeral for Borders is kind of ironic because it
comes decades after the big box bookstores initiated their
efforts to kill off the independent bookstores. And for the
most part, the big boxes won by giving consumers wider
selection and discounted prices… as well as amenities such
as coffee shops and CD listening stations inside. For a
while, the small guys died off and the big boys romped.
But Borders—and its chief competitor Barnes and
Noble— found itself floundering when shoppers flocked to
the internet to buy their books. Why leave the house when
you can find everything you want on Amazon? Then technology added a further blow with advent of the Kindle and
iPad. Why even have a physical book or personal library
when anything you could ever want fits in the palm of your
hand?
However, now that consumers helped put bookstores
out of business, they want their bookstores back. They don’t
necessarily want to buy more books. But they’re nostalgic
for what those bookstores meant… a place to hang out and
browse (and not buy books) and the opportunity to hold a
physical book to buy, if they wanted to.
But it’s bad business to operate on the philosophy that
something has to exist because consumers “might” need it
at some unclear moment in the future. And it’s an unmanageable business model.
The United States Post Office is in the same position as
Borders was and has been in that position even longer.
Companies such as UPS and FedEx did the same thing
as the Post Office… delivered packages… and did it cheaper, faster and with more nimble marketing skills. Suddenly,
consumers used the private companies—cutting the revenue of the Post Office, driving the quasi-governmental
agency further into a deficit.
If the competition for the delivery of consumer packages wasn’t bad enough, the Post Office lost the world of
correspondence and billing invoices. Few people write
actual, hard copy, letters any more. Consumers found
email, IMs, Twitter, and Facebook to be preferable to actually putting pen to paper. Banks and businesses did a
runaround past the UPS when they instituted on-line bill
payment.
The Post Office still has the periodical business (thanks
to publications like The Observer and just about every
other magazine). And old-timers are still fond of the Post
Office and distrust the internet. But the revenue is down at
the USPS and it needs to cut expenses.
Hence, the Post Office is looking at eliminating some of
its smaller locations across the country.
Things change, the past is the past. We all have to
accept responsibility for the consequences of our actions.
Nostalgia is comforting. But it doesn’t pay the bills.
A couple new and potential
businesses in town are hitting our
sweet tooth and appealing to our
taste buds.
Fresh off an appearance at the
recent Taste of Southington, Frosted
Couture Cupcakes will be opening
for business next month.
Sometime within the next few
weeks, the Cork & Brew store, on
North Main Street, will give residents
the necessary ingredients needed to
brew their own beer or wine.
Early last month, Southington’s
Economic Development Strike
Committee met with Carmen
Romeo, of Waterbury, to discuss the
possibility of moving his sweets
company, Fascia’s Chocolates to
town. Though the potential move is
still a year or so away, officials are
already in preliminary talks about
the move.
These new businesses not only
promise to add a little more taste to
Southington, but they also help
showcase how the town has been
able to weather the economic
calamity that is plaguing other
towns, while all the while attracting
new businesses.
Frosted Couture Cupcakes is
teaming up with Christina’s Gourmet
Cookies in a storefront on North
Main Street. Though each business
will keep their own brand name, the
storefront itself will be called The
Ed Harris
Thoughts around town
Shops at Sweet Boutique.
For more on Frosted Couture
Cupcakes, see the Business Profile in
last week’s Observer. It is on the
Neighbors page.
According to Kristin Michalski,
who owns Cork & Brew with her husband, the business is the only of its
kind in Connecticut. The business
offers patrons the ability to purchase
the ingredients needed to brew
homemade wine or beer.
Those interested in making their
own beer, with custom labels available through the business, should
take note that it takes a few weeks to
brew the beer.
Michalski, who calls home brewing a hobby, is hoping that the business will inspire others to indulge in
the niche market.
The Cork & Brew is slated to
open in late August or early
September.
Fascia’s Chocolates is a more of
a wait and see game, but it too will
allow for a one of its kind store in
Southington, should everything go
through. All of the chocolate at the
Waterbury store is made in-house.
This little twist has made the store a
popular destination for many
tourists.
If Fascia’s Chocolates does come
to town, it will move into the building currently occupied by iDeals
Surplus Outlets furniture store. Per a
deal with iDeals owner Dave Cayer,
the furniture store will move to a
new location.
These new, or potentially new,
businesses follow on the heals of
newer businesses such as Target,
Lowes and BJ’s, which opened
branches in Southington over the
last year or so.
Given the uneasiness that is our
current economy, I am heartened to
see several companies investing in
and building new homes in
Southington.
These new businesses, and others in the community, are stimulating the local economy. This is a big
plus for Southington and its residents.
Comments? Email
eharris@southingtonobserver.com.
A bucket list has quite a kick
A few years ago Jack Nicholson
and Morgan Freeman starred in a
movie called “The Bucket List.” It
was a story of two guys suffering
from cancer who decided to do all
the things they always wanted to do
before they “kicked the bucket.”
Fortunately, Nicholson’s character just happened to be a wealthy
businessman, who was able to fund
their adventures. The pair went skydiving, flew over the North Pole,
climbed the pyramids in Egypt, visited the Taj Mahal, went on a lion
safari in Africa, and rode motorcycles on the Great Wall of China.
If Nicholson’s character had
been lower middle class, like
Freeman’s character, then it would
have been a really boring movie.
Even with exciting adventures, the
movie still managed to annoy a lot a
people, particularly Roger Ebert, the
well-known film critic and cancer
survivor.
Ebert was not impressed that
the movie “thinks dying of cancer is
a laugh riot followed by a dimestore epiphany.” Oh well, I guess
you can’t always please everyone.
The first time I heard about the
concept of a “bucket list” was many
years earlier. Long before he
became famous, football coach Lou
Holtz made a list of “100 things to
do” during his lifetime. A few of the
items on his list included: become
head coach at Notre Dame, win a
national championship, and speak
with a manly voice. Well, Coach,
Bill Dunn
Laugh or Death
two out of three isn’t bad.
My personal bucket list is much
more modest, since I’m neither a
movie star, a wealthy character in a
movie, nor a major college football
coach. But, on the other hand, even
though I have no coaching experience, decades of watching football
on TV has convinced me I can call
plays more creatively than anything
that’s been going on at UConn in
recent years. So if you guys in Storrs
need an offensive coordinator, I’m
in the phone book.
As a young man, the two primary items on my bucket list were:
1) marry the most beautiful woman
in the world, and 2) see the Red Sox
win the World Series.
Amazingly, both occurred during my lifetime. One was the consummation of a passionate love
affair, and the other was my wedding day.
I used to have more ambitious
items on my bucket list, such as go
bungee jumping, climb the Eiffel
Tower, bungee jump from the top of
the Eiffel Tower, and see the
Chicago Cubs win the World Series.
Not that I’m a big Cubs fan. Just
rooting for the underdog.
But now I’m much older and a
little bit wiser, and I finally realized
these are silly goals, since I’m afraid
of heights, I don’t particularly like
France (because they don’t like me),
and the Cubs are much worse than
the Red Sox ever were. So those
goals are simply unrealistic.
Now my bucket list has goals
that are much more doable, like
avoiding an IRS audit, keeping my
job, and taking a nap once in a
while.
I showed this list to my wife
(you remember her, right? The most
beautiful woman in the world?), and
she was not impressed. She said I
need to think on a much grander
scale. I need to think outside the
box.
OK, fair enough. So here’s my
new “outside the box” bucket list,
which has only two items on it: 1)
watch Ted Williams hit a baseball,
and 2) go to a Beatles concert.
Actually, I think I have a better
chance of doing those two things
than the Cubs have of winning the
World Series.
Bill Dunn is a freelance writer
who resides in Torrington. He can be
reached via his website at:
www.boomertrek.com.
Friday, August 26, 2011
The Step Saver/ The Observer
7
To advertise, call (860) 628-9645
Your Views
Southington says
School starts on
Monday, August
29.
We recently
asked people
what they are
looking forward
to as the new
school year
begins?
Photos by
Tammi Knapik
"Seeing the kids
again. I miss them.
This will be my 35th
year teaching here
in town."
Madonna Lemay
Southington
"A new adventure
with a new group of
people."
Linda Wrobel
Prospect
"Meeting the new students.
This year I switched from
teaching fourth grade to
third grade so I don't know a
lot of the students that well
yet."
Ruthann Drogosek
Southington
"This year I am starting Pre K. I look forward to reading lots
of books. Princess
stories are my
favorite."
"Recess and gym."
Maya Coviello
Terryville
Evan Coviello
Terryville
Letters
Lure of 50 percent sale Death was preventable
To the Editor,
I am writing regarding
the much-needed and longoverdue expansion and renovation of our town’s two
middle schools, Kennedy
and DePaolo.
Unfortunately, much of
the reporting, to date, of the
estimated $85 million project costs underplays the
crucial fact that approximately one-half of these
expenditures or $42.5 million will be covered by a
state of Connecticut school
building infrastructure
grant program that encourages local school construc-
tion, expansion and renovation.
The public should not
lose sight of this fact when
they vote on the referendum question regarding
this vital capital improvement project on Election
Day, November 8.
Even in the tough economic times that we are
currently mired in, we must
not stop investing in our
most precious future
resource-our children.
Please keep in mind that
each of the six to eight elementary schools that feed
students into Kennedy and
DePaolo are each separate-
ly, nearly as large as the
aging, decrepit Kennedy
and DePaolo campuses that
they will be jammed into.
Please note that the
resource poor (compared to
Southington) city of New
Haven, has over the last ten
years taken advantage of
this state of Connecticut
matching grant program to
rebuild and renovate nearly
all of its much larger number of schools at 50 local
cents on the dollar. Who,
among us, can resist the
lure of a 50 percent off sale?
Joseph Shurkus
Plantsville
To the Editor,
My father, Frank Orsini,
a 57-year-old man, died on
July 23, 2011. My name is
Marie Orsini and I am his 24
year old daughter.
My dad will not see me
graduate from Central
Connecticut State University.
I will not be able to call him
when I get my first job to
officially start my career as a
teacher. My dad will not
walk me down the aisle
when I get married. He will
never meet the children that
I plan to have someday, the
children that would have
called him Grandpa.
He also left behind my
brother, Anthony, who is 21
years old. Anthony will not
have the guidance and support that our father would
have given him as he goes
about his journey of adulthood.
My father was born in
Waterbury, on March 10,
1954 to Antonio and Maria
Orsini, Italian immigrants,
who had recently made the
trip over to America. They
still reside in Waterbury, at
my father’s childhood home,
at their respective 84 and 82
years of age. My dad will not
be visiting for Sunday dinners any longer. My grandparents had to bury their first
born child, their only son.
My dad’s only sister
Antoinette will no longer
have the big brother who
had always been there when
she needed him.
My mom Eileen and my
dad were married on August
24, 1974 and they would
have celebrated their 37
wedding anniversary together if he was here. Instead of
going out to dinner, my
mom will visit her husband’s
grave and bring the bottle of
wine they saved from their
wedding all these years. My
mom lost the love of her life,
the man she was supposed
to spend her golden years
with, and what for?
My dad worked hard all
of his life, starting in manufacturing at the age of 18
until he became a full time
security guard a few years
ago. He always made sure
there was food on the table
and a roof over our heads.
My childhood was happy
and I had everything I could
ask for. As time went on, the
economy became worse and
we’ve been struggling every
since. Now it’s harder than
we could have ever imagined. The question we are
asking now is why has our
family been destroyed? The
answer is because of a stroke
that could have been prevented.
For months, my father
was under the care of a doctor who was treating him for
vertigo. He would have spells
that would cause him to fall
down and become nauseous
for a short period of time
before returning to his normal functioning. My father
also suffered from high blood
pressure for years but he
took several medications to
try and keep it under control.
The mini strokes that he
had over the months turned
into a major stroke this past
July. This stroke occurred in
the brainstem which cut off
all oxygen to the rest of his
brain. We watched him get
worse and worse over three
days and three different hospitals before we lost him on
that Saturday morning.
This has been the most
heart wrenching experience
of my life and it hurts so
much to think it could have
been prevented if he had
received better care. I urge
anyone to who suffers from
high blood pressure or has a
loved one that does, to
understand the symptoms
and signs of a stroke.
If the doctor says it’s not
the case, then get a second
opinion. My dad deserves to
be here today and if I can
save another person’s life by
sharing this information
than hopefully this will all
make sense one day.
Marie Orsini
Southington
SUBMITTED
Scouting camping trip
Twenty-one Boy Scouts from Troop 45 in Southington, along with their leaders
and families, spent two days, August 12-13, touring Washington, DC. The scouts
visited the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam and Korean Memorials, and several
of the Smithsonian museums as well as other attractions. They also enjoyed a
tour of Ford’s Theater, where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. One of the
highlights of the trip was a tour of The White House. They ended their trip with
a solemn tour of Arlington National Cemetery. One of the most memorable
moments of the trip was a Troop 45 Scout salute to World War II veterans who
where honored that day at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The trip to
Washington, DC was part of Troop 45’s annual summer family camping trip.
American Legion is collecting books and DVDs
The American Legion
Auxiliary is looking for your
old books, CDs and DVDs.
The groups Got Books
donation containers are
located at the back parking
lot of the YMCA and are
accessible anytime for
donations. Encyclopedias,
magazines and damaged
items cannot be accepted.
The American Legion
Auxiliary will earn money
each time the donation
containers fill up.
Send us your letters!
We welcome letters to the editor from all of our readers. Send your letter to editor Ed
Harris at eharris@SouthingtonObserver.com, or mail them to The Observer, 213 Spring St.,
Southington, CT 06489. Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday for the following week’s edition.
8
The Step Saver/ The Observer
To advertise, call (860) 628-9645
Friday, August 26, 2011
There is still time to go green with your business
More and more industries are getting serious
about increasing their sustainability. If your business
has done the basics like
improving insulation, recycling and educating
employees about increasing
energy efficiency and you’re
interested in taking “going
green” to the next level,
now is the time to consider
installing renewables.
Starting September 1,
2011, a final round of
incentives will be available
from the state of
Connecticut for businesses, non-profits and municipalities. This is known as
the On-site distributed
generation program or
OSDG.
The OSDG Program
Sharon Vocke
Green Yet?
helps finance the installation of systems that generate electricity from the
sun, wind, fuel cells, biomass, landfill gas and river
flows. The program also
supports the installation of
waste heat recovery/power
generation equipment.
The amount of the grant
depends on the economics
of the installation.
This program is competitive. The Clean Energy
Finance and Investment
Authority (CEFIA), formerly
the Connecticut Clean Energy
Fund (CCEF), will select and
recommend the strongest
projects for funding.
These grants are under
a Best of Class and Public
Buildings Request for
Proposals (RFP). CEFIA will
be offering this additional
RFP round to bridge the
time between the launch of
the Zero-Emission and
Low-Emission Renewable
Energy Credit (REC) programs available to the market. Although the round
will offer grant incentives,
the RFP will include a
methodology to develop
incentive requests on a
REC-based program model
basis. The RFP will be split
into two separate solicitations. There will be a competitive RFP for PV and a
rolling submission RFP for
wind turbines and other
eligible technologies. Both
solicitations are expected
to be released on
September 1, 2011 and will
close on February 29, 2012.
Public Act 11-80, An
Act Concerning The
Establishment Of The
Department Of Energy And
Environmental Protection
(DEEP) And Planning For
Connecticut’s Energy
Future, recently signed into
law by Governor Malloy,
Op/Ed
Looking forward to the school year
By Dr. JOSEPH ERARDI
Special to The Observer
Thank you to so many
of you who stopped in during the summer to share
your thoughts, family, and
future school plans.
I found this summer to
be unique as it was filled
with great hope, and perhaps, even greater uncertainty. Within the same
conversation, it appeared
that mention would be
made of guarded optimism
concerning our economy
and then, moments later,
the discourse would
include the potential for a
double-dip recession.
It is my belief that
local, regional, and national challenges towards our
work will be continuous
throughout the year. The
ability to lose sight of what
we do will be challenged
throughout 2011-2012. Our
critical friends will question need, resources,
expenditures, and the difference we make with children. This conversation
will increase in volume
until federal decision-makers articulate a clear and
concise plan of support for
local schools.
National confidence in
public schools may be at
an all-time low. This is
extremely troubling as the
percentage of students
graduating from high
school has never been
higher, the nation’s dropout
rate has never been lower,
and the performance by
students, as defined
through NAEP (National
Assessment of Educational
Progress), has never been
stronger.
In July, I was, once
again, privileged to tell our
Southington Public School
story on a national platform. I shared our many
successes that took place
because caring, thoughtful,
hard-working staff members consciously chose to
do only exceptional work. I
further shared with federal
officials that, at times, it is
less about dollars and more
about the soul of a local
school board and its
employees that truly is the
difference. Your work, in
partnership with your colleagues, has become the
compelling story that
makes our schools unique.
I ask every staff member to stay focused on children. They need you and
your positive influence now
more than ever before.
Carry on professional conversations about children,
offer your guidance and
assistance to children, and
work to our credo that we
will, and can, make a difference with every child.
There is terrific sense
of excitement that I feel
about this school year: I,
like you, love a challenge.
We will be challenged on
all fronts. I, like you, will
embrace the challenge, and
continue to do all that we
can for children.
I, like you, have
watched for a very long
time a middle school plan
unfolding that has been
discussed for over a
decade. I am excited that
we have the opportunity to
bring our plan to the electorate on November 8.
I, like you, have
watched our kindergarten
students enter school with
See ERARDI, page 16
Ceiling Surgeon
control
Bob Semrow Jr.
Lic. # B-1714
2000
Mice, Bees, Ants,
other creepy insects
and termites
Specializing in:
*Spray Textures
*Repairs of stains, cracks,
holes, etc.
*New replacement ceilings
*Mold & mildew treatment
(860)
Over 25 years
of ceiling experience
Bristol & Surrounding
Communities (860) 261-4071
Reg. No. 544128
628-8783 -------Ask For Jim ------Quality Estate Furniture
Without the HIGH Prices!
At McCabe’s, we’re proud to say
that we sell quality furniture for
pennies on the dollar
Choose from:
• Drexel
HECK
COME C T!
• Heritage
US OU lamp
• Kindell
a FREE
Receive purchase
• Broyhill
with any $50
• Hitchcock
over
• Thomasville
And so much more!
McCabe’s Used Furniture
112 Lazy Lane, Southington, CT
(860) 621-3270 • www.mccabesusedfurniture.com
Do-it-Yourself
Welcome
Serving
the Community
for over 25 years
Now offering same
day service Mon-Fri
Installation - Service - Repair
• Water heater replacements - Gas, Oil, Electric
24 HR.
• High-efficiency tankless water heaters installed
EMERGENCY
• Faucet and fixture replacement and repair
SERVICE
• Water filter installation
• Complete kitchen and bathroom remodel services available
• Gas pipe for - Fireplace log kits - Gas grills - Pool heaters
“One call for all your plumbing needs”
(860) 621-6987
- FREE ESTIMATES -
Licensed & Insured
CT LIC # - P1 279241
Fax # (860) 628-2358 • Email - mirandoplumbing@cox.net
creates Zero-Emission and
Low-Emission REC programs to provide incentive
funding for commercial
clean energy generating
projects. Beginning in
2012 the Zero-Emission
REC program will be the
primary incentive funding
mechanism for commercial
solar PV, wind, hydro and
other non-emitting Class 1
technologies. LowEmission RECs will be
awarded to technologies
such as biomass, fuel cells
and other Class 1 fuel
sources and technologies
meeting the statutory
emissions definition.
I strongly encourage
any business, non-profit or
municipality interested in
developing renewables to
investigate this program.
It’s a great opportunity to
save on the up-front costs
of installing this technology and this funding won’t
be around for long.
In addition to the
monies available from the
state, businesses are eligible for a federal tax credit
of 30 percent, which can
be amortized for several
years if tax liability is low.
The first step is to
contact an eligible installer
who will help you get
started. A list of contractors can be found here:
http://www.ctcleanenergy.com/Portals/0/8_15_11
%20Solar%20PV%20Progra
m%20Contractors.pdf
You can also learn
more at info@ctcleanenergy.com.
Also, please feel free to
contact me with any questions. Although this plan
may at first seem complicated, its well-worth wading through the information to discover that renewables are within your reach.
Sharon Vocke is the coowner of the local company
Evergreen Energy, which
installs geothermal, solar
and wind systems. You can
reach her at
sharon@greenyet.net.
26TH Annual
Sock Hop &
Car Sh
ow
Sho
...on the Green in Prospect, CT
SUN, AUG 28TH 1-7 PM
Raindate - September 18, 2011
TROPHIES! TROPHIES! TROPHIES!
Trophies presented at 5:30 PM
Gre a t
Food &s
D rink
..........
50’s & 60’s Music provided by a DJ
and 2
LIVE BANDS
THE ROCKIN HEARTBEATS
& THE SHARADES
Dash Plaques to first 500 Cars • Event T-Shirts
Emergency Vehicle & Military Vehicle Class
Classic & Special Interest Cars Welcome NO Tuner Cars
Please - No Dogs! No Bicycles! No Skateboards!
Organized by the Office of the Mayor & the Prospect Car Owners Association
SAVE GAS ~ COME TO PROSPECT!
Friday, August 26, 2011
The Step Saver/ The Observer
To advertise, call (860) 628-9645
9
Our Healthy Lifestyles
Don’t take our word-take it from the kids
Every year, summer
seems to buzz by with barely
the opportunity to enjoy the
warm days at the beach,
BBQ’s and vacations. We are
busy enjoying days at YMCA
Camp Sloper and Naciwonki
Summer Adventures, however with August upon us, our
thoughts begin to linger
towards school.
At the Y, we are preparing for another exciting year
of School Age Childcare. Our
school age program focuses
on safety, health, social
growth, and academic
achievement. Our Y’s before
and after school programs
service Kindergarten
through middle school students with a variety of programmatic and activity
options designed to help
explore and develop their
talents and interests.
Katie Sherman
Southington
YMCA
Rather than listing the
many benefits of Y after care,
I would like to give our children an opportunity to
express their thoughts, feelings and experiences about
the Y. So, please take a
moment to indulge in the
perspectives of our children
and parents.
Marlee Susca from
Derynoski After Care-“You
get to go to the gym and play
games and sometimes you
go to the cafeteria. In the
café, we make fuse beads, art
projects, and play board
games, make necklaces and
get snack. I really like after
care. We also have a homework club where the counselors and older kids help
with homework. The counselors are really nice.”
Kayla Nguyen from
Derynoski After Care “It is
really fun. My favorite part
about after care is playing
games in the gym.
Sometimes I get to play with
cards, connect four and
other stuff. The counselors
are all really nice.”
Jonathan Jenkins from
Flanders After Care-“After
care is really good. It gives
me something to do after
school. I get to play a lot of
games. My favorite is UNO.
The counselors are all really
great. I like playing tag outside when the weather is
nice.”
Toby Uhlman from
Strong After Care-“It is fun to
go to after care. I get to play
games with my friends and
go outside. My favorite part
of after care is going to the
gym. My favorite game is
pickle. The counselors are
nice and a lot of fun to play
with.”
Carter Uhlman from
Strong After Care-“After care
is a lot of fun, I like it there. I
like playing in the gym. My
favorite game is basketball. I
get a chance to play with my
friends after school. The
counselors are a lot of fun
and they’re nice. I also like
the talent shows that we get
to put on. I got to sing and
dance in it.”
If the children have not
yet convinced you, our parents also have had a positive
experience they would like to
share. Donna Russell stated,
“The children get to play with
other kids and the program is
structured. Counselors are
helpful, nurturing and work
to understand each child’s
individual needs.”
Ashleigh Uhlman noted,
“I feel good about leaving my
children at the Y. They are
happy, engaged and participate in a variety of adventures such as walking to
Pralines.”
The Southington
Community YMCA serves all
elementary and middle
schools in Southington offering both before and after
school care. Derynoski,
Flanders, Hatton, Kelley,
Strong and Thalberg offer
after care on site at each
school. Plantsville, South
End, St. Thomas and St.
Dominic are transported to
the main Y building. Middle
school participants attend
the Club Y program and are
also transported to the main
Y building.
We are currently accepting registrations for the 20112012 school year.
Registrations are available
online and at the Learning
Center.
Please feel free to visit
our website at
www.southingtoncheshireymca.org or contact
us 860-621-8130.
Backpacks 101: Take the weight off of your shoulders
Well, it is happening
already. I am seeing more
children with back pain.
Back pain is pervasive
among American adults, but
a new and disturbing trend is
emerging. Young children are
suffering from back pain
much earlier than previous
generations, and the use of
overweight backpacks is a
contributing factor, according to the American
Chiropractic Association
(ACA). In fact, according to
the U.S. Consumer Product
Safety Commission, the use
of book bags or back carriers
resulted in over 6,500 injuries
in 2000 alone.
Over the past ten years,
the chiropractic profession is
noticing a marked increase in
the number of young children who are complaining
about back, neck and shoulder pain. This new back pain
Dr. Carol Grant
Alternatively
Speaking
trend among youngsters isn’t
surprising when you consider the disproportionate
amounts of weight they carry
in their backpacks— often
slung over just one shoulder.
A 2002 study conducted
in Italy found that the average child carries a backpack
that would be the equivalent
of a 39-pound burden for a
176-pound man, or a 29pound load for a 132-pound
woman. Of those children
carrying heavy backpacks to
school, 60 percent had experienced back pain as a result.
Other studies have
shown that slinging a backpack over one shoulder could
exacerbate the curvature of
the spine in scoliosis
patients.
According to the ACA,
preliminary results of studies
being conducted show that
the longer a child wears a
backpack, the longer it takes
for a curvature or deformity
of the spine to correct itself.
The question that needs to
be addressed next is, does it
ever return to normal?
The results of these
types of studies are especially
important as more and more
school districts— many of
them in urban areas—
remove lockers from the
premises, forcing students to
carry their books with them
all day long. So, what can
you do?
Make sure your child’s
backpack weighs no more
than five to ten percent of his
or her body weight. A heavier
backpack will cause your
child to bend forward in an
attempt to support the
weight on his or her back,
rather than on the shoulders,
by the straps.
The backpack should
never hang more than four
inches below the waistline. A
backpack that hangs too low
increases the weight on the
shoulders, causing your child
to lean forward when walking.
A backpack with individualized compartments helps
in positioning the contents
most effectively. Make sure
that pointy or bulky objects
are packed away from the
area that will rest on your
child’s back. And don’t forget
bigger is not necessarily better. The more room there is
in a backpack, the more your
child will carry— and the
heavier the backpack will be.
Urge your child to wear
both shoulder straps.
Lugging the backpack
around by one strap can
cause the disproportionate
shift of weight to one side,
leading to neck and muscle
spasms, as well as low-back
pain. Wide, padded straps are
very important. Non-padded
straps are uncomfortable,
and can dig into your child’s
shoulders.
The shoulder straps
should be adjustable so the
backpack can be fitted to
your child’s body. Straps that
are too loose can cause the
backpack to dangle uncomfortably and cause spinal
misalignment and pain.
If the backpack is still
too heavy, talk to your child’s
teacher. Ask if your child
could leave the heaviest
books at school, and bring
home only lighter hand-out
materials or workbooks.
If you or your child
experiences any pain or discomfort resulting from backpack use, call our office. I
have offered to evaluate
backpack at no charge and
we also do free scoliosis
screening as well.
Dr. Carol Grant, a local
chiropractor, does not intend
this column to substitute for
medical advice. She urges you
to always consult with your
personal physician before
changing any current program.
As a person ages, the support of loved ones declines
As a person ages, social
support of relatives and
friends decline due to death
or illness of loved ones, and
children moving far away.
Most people do not choose
isolation over the pleasure of
being with those they love or
enjoy. Support from others
can be important in reducing
stress, retaining physical
health and keeping at bay
feelings of depression and
anxiety.
Most people think first
of their family when considering where to get social support. Often this is limited due
to distance, illness, their own
family obligations or work.
This is also true for friends.
Community-based events or
services then become more
important.
Support for elderly persons can be found in service
centers, adult care centers,
Stephen Allaire
Elder Security
assisted living facilities, religious groups, or simply coffee hours in an apartment
building. Taking part in activities in these settings can
help deflect loneliness and
isolation. Sometimes just
being in the setting and talking with people is enough.
But studies have shown that
social support services
should include quality activities to promote positive self
awareness.
Self-awareness is a key
to a person’s overall quality of
life and satisfaction. Leisure
social activities such as reminiscence groups, journal
writing, readings of favorite
book passages, group exercise, singing groups, etc.,
help increase an individual’s
self awareness. If the elder
person can be a part of the
planning of those activities,
he or she will feel much more
satisfied.
There are estimated to
be about 15,000 senior citizen centers in the United
States. These centers act as a
focal point for older
Americans to receive many
aging services. The most
common services offered at a
senior center include heath
programs, including Zumba
and Yoga, arts/humanities
activities, intergenerational
programs, community action
opportunities, transportation
services, volunteer opportunities, education programs,
financial assistance, senior
rights/legal services counseling, travel programs and
meal programs. It was quite a
sight seeing my 82-year-old
mother in-law demonstrate
to her grandchildren how
yoga enabled her to stand on
her head. Not only did she
shock the younger generation, but she pleased herself
immensely. And of course,
she is in very good physical
condition.
Adult day care centers
can be very helpful for people who are less agile and
alert than my mother in-law.
According to the National
Adult Day Services
Association (NADSA), there
are currently more than 4,600
adult day care centers
nationwide. Adult day care is
a program in which activities
are provided to promote
social support and health
services to an older adult
during the daytime. Most
centers operate Monday
through Friday during daytime hours. Social support
series at an adult day care
can consist of musical entertainment and singing groups,
group games such as cards,
gentle exercise, discussion
groups (books, films, current
events), holiday/birthday celebrations and local outings.
Not only are these social
activities provided, but participants of the program can
also develop lasting relationships with staff and other
participants. Adult day care
centers also provide meals
and health services. Adult
day care centers differ from
other programs for elderly
individuals, because they
allow the participants to
develop and increase selfawareness by encouraging
independence.
Amanda describes her
experience as a volunteer at
her local adult day care center. She stated, “I was
involved in planning the
activities for Thursday afternoons. I wasn’t sure what
kind of activities my older
friends would enjoy so I had
them share their favorite
activities they participated in
when they were my age (23).
I soon realized that I was
hearing the most fascinating
stories of hopping trains, college dances, swimming in the
lake, etc. We decided
Thursday afternoons would
See ELDER LAW, page 10
10
To advertise, call (860) 628-9645
The Step Saver/ The Observer
Friday, August 26, 2011
Group looks to tackle social anxiety
By KAITLYN NAPLES
Staff Writer
Getting up in front of a
group, giving a presentation, reading aloud, any
kind of public speaking
may come easy to some
individuals.
However, there are a
number of people who do
everything and anything
they can to avoid these
kinds of situations; the kind
of situations that include
talking in front of others,
meeting new people and
attending staff meetings,
which may seem to be
minor, everyday encounters to some.
Individuals, who try to
avoid group settings or
public speaking, such as
Bristol resident Marla
Genova, would have constant thoughts running
through her mind each
morning,
about
what
obstacles she may have had
to face that day. Whether it
was a staff meeting, giving
a presentation at work or
reading a speech at school,
she would experience her
heart racing and her body
sweating and shaking.
Genova said it all
began in the seventh grade,
when she had to give a
speech on a book she had
written a report on.
“That’s
when
my
vicious cycle of avoiding
any kind of performing in
public began,” she said.
After going through
high school and college,
dreading class discussions,
group work classes and
avoiding professors and
classes requiring presentations, Genova had discovered that she had Social
Anxiety Disorder in 1997.
She participated in a
research study at Yale
University, which she said
changed her life.
Genova decided on a
career in clinical psychological
research
and
worked on a substance
abuse
research
study
through Yale University for
almost seven years, earning
her master’s degree in psychology in the process.
During her time there, she
participated in a weekly
support group devoted to
social anxiety in New
Haven, called the New
Haven
Social
Anxiety
Institute program. Genova
eventually started the
Social Anxiety and Public
Speaking Phobia Support
Group in 2009, which
meets place in Plainville,
Bristol and Southington.
While spending time to
find a support group for her
disorder, she decided that
she should start up her own
support group because if
others were going through
the same thing and looking
for help, “They need to
know that it (help) is available.”
Genova holds her support group meet-ups about
three times each month at
several
of
the
local
libraries. She said there
aren’t many support groups
devoted to social anxiety in
the area, and has known
individuals from Rhode
Island and New Jersey to
take the time to drive to
New Haven to attend the
weekly support group
meetings.
“Through my experience, I have found that the
group element is the most
effective way to overcome
this type of anxiety,”
Genova said, adding that
she has made an extensive
amount of progress, however she said she still would
rate her social anxiety has
high when participating in
formal presentations and
meetings requiring her to
speak aloud. She added
that even though individual
help can prove to be successful, group support provides the individual with
opportunities to complete
exercises with others who
encounter the same obstacles. “You have an actual
audience also and have
feedback, which can’t be
achieved by yourself,” she
said.
Tara
Gooley,
of
Seymour began attending
the social anxiety group
meet-ups after her son,
now 9-years-old, used to
ask her why they never
went to playgrounds or
participated in play groups.
“Children are so observant and I realized that I
wasn’t just being ‘shy,’ I was
avoiding places like the
park or other settings with
unfamiliar situations and
people, because I was
afraid,” Gooley said, adding
that after participating in
the support group she
started using the techniques she had learned. “It
was hard at first because I
didn’t know what to expect
but after about a year or so
I started noticing huge
improvements,” she said.
Gooley is in the
process of starting another
support group, which will
focus on helping others
“push themselves out of
their comfort zones and
help them get used to real
life situations,” she said.
“I have taken back the
control of myself and am
able to overcome a lot more,”
Gooley said, adding that she
has more interaction with
other individuals now. “You
feel a sense of empowerment. Having this disorder
was crippling for me, now it
is a thrill to see just how
much I can accomplish.”
Genova said that interpersonal relationships also
are affected by individuals
with a Social Anxiety
Disorder. She said that person may be passive in a discussion and say they want
to do something, like go to
a movie for example,
because someone else
wants to; but in reality, they
would rather go shopping.
Genova added the individual may ask multiple questions when asked to go to
an event or to a function so
they are able to prepare
themselves and know what
to expect; in addition, she
said, that the individual
may eventually back out at
the last minute when plans
have been made.
“A lot of people don’t
understand what this is,
and I think more individu-
als need to be aware of it,”
Genova said, adding that
sometimes, people may not
even think of their fear of
public speaking or avoidance of various social settings could be a Social
Anxiety Disorder.
“Sometimes individuals will be ashamed of their
fear, but with groups like
these, they need to know
that it is okay, they are not
alone,” Gooley said.
Genova said that she is
able to run the support
groups because of her own
personal experiences with
a Social Anxiety Disorder,
as well as her education in
psychology, “a professional
background in the mental
health field for 12 years,
and, more importantly, I
have the passion, dedication and motivation to
guide others.”
The meetings that are
held in Plainville, Bristol
and Southington, are informal, Genova said, adding
that no one is forced to
speak. She added there is
no commitment involved,
however she said many
return to each meeting
held. Stories are usually
shared she said, what is
going on in each others
lives regarding social anxiety, what kind of treatments
individuals have gone
through, and what thoughts
and feelings are being had
regarding social anxiety.
One individual who
has attended the support
groups, who wished to
remain anonymous, said
Genova “has an extraordinary gift to be non-judgmental. She has a rare combination of psychology
education as well as experience with personal social
anxiety.” The individual
added the group is enjoyed
because of its diversity and
authenticity.
For more information
on the support group visit
www.supportforsocialanxiety.com, where there is also
a link to register for an
upcoming Social Anxiety
and
Public
Speaking
Phobia Support Group
meet-up. The next support
group meeting will be held
on Wednesday Sept. 7 at
2:30 p.m. at the Plainville
Public Library.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
in
SOUTHINGTON
2 Lucky Birthday
Winners Each Week
Births
Elder law:
From page 9
be spotlights of each individual’s lives as a 20-something.
One of the participants told
me that Thursday became a
highlight for her week.”
For those who are caring
for their spouse or parent, the
time away gives a vital break
from the daily stress of providing care. Adult Day Care
Centers and Senior Citizen
Centers help to provide an
elderly individual the opportunity to participate in social
support activities. These can
be beneficial to a person’s
quality of life and overall satisfaction. With a higher selfawareness and quality of life,
an individual can reduce the
risks of mental and physical
health problems as they age.
Attorney Stephen O.
Allaire is a partner in the law
firm of Ruggiero, Ziogas, and
Allaire, members of the
National Academy of Elder
Law Attorneys, Inc., with
offices at 271 Farmington
Ave., Bristol, (860) 584-2384).
If you have a question,
send a written note to
Attorney Allaire at Ruggiero,
Ziogas, and Allaire, 271
Farmington Avenue, Bristol,
CT 06010, and he may use
your question in a future column.
CONGRATULATIONS:
BIRTHDAY CAKE
WINNER!
HAIR SALON
WINNER!
Megan Paige Smith
Carol Rider
August 25, age 5
Elton
Hill
Kailey
Schmarr
Sabrina
Morelli
Alexandrea
“Lexy”
Schmidt
August 31
August 24, age 75
August 26, age 10
courtesy of
Miraclee Creative
Hairr Design
Believee inn Miracles
A son, Brayden James
Lowell, was born on May 11
to Jamie and Ken Lowell.
The maternal grandparents are James and
Karin Scarfo of Southi-
ngton.
The maternal greatgrandparents are Alice and
Paul Seguin of Southington,
Jeanne and Nick Scarfo of
Southington.
The paternal grandparents are Joan Lowell of
Southington and Frederick
Lowell of Rowe, MA.
He has a brother, Jacob
Lowell, 7.
Birth announcements run for free in The Observer.
Tom
O’Leary
August 31
August 31, age 16
$25 Gift Certificate
Brayden James Lowell
August 31
26 Bristol St., Southington, CT
(860) 426-9890
Cake
(Value up to $10)
courtesy of
213 Spring St., Southington, CT
(860) 628-9645
www.stepsaver.com
To enter, call, email, fax or mail name, age and birth date of your special person from Southington to:
Southington Observer • 213 Spring St., Southington, CT
Phone: (860) 628-9645 • Fax: (860) 621-1841
Email: nthompson@stepsaver.com
Entries must be received prior to birth date. 2 winners will be drawn at random from
all entries. All birthday entries will be listed. Winners will be contacted by phone.
Friday, August 26, 2011
To advertise, call (860) 628-9645
11
•Good Times.........page 13
Neighbors
•Southington Scene...page 15
•Sports............Page 21
Our Friends
Faces in the Crowd
New pavilion at Camp Sloper
The YMCA Camp
Sloper Outdoor Center has
a new pavilion and it has
been recently named after
the Marek Family of Marek
Brothers Construction in
Southington.
“We are pleased to
publicly announce that the
newly constructed 30’x50’
pavilion located near the
Sloper Sports Fields will be
called the Marek Family
Pavilion” stated Mark
Pooler, Outdoor Center
Director. “Both Brian Marek
Sr and Brain Marek Jr. have
been very generous over the
years with the amount of
in-kind donations they have
provided YMCA Camp
Sloper. They have provided
the excavation services for
all of our pavilions during
the recent pavilion camTammi Knapik paign, assisted in several
other small projects around
Steve Nyerick
the facility and also constructed the sports fields
back in the 1990s that the
Each week we interview a ‘regular person’ like you for pavilion sits on.”
Marek Brother
our Faces in the Crowd. This week we meet DePaolo
Construction has been a
School Councilor Steve Nyerick.
reputable business in
University this fall.
How long have you
Southington for many
What is the best piece
been connected to
decades and has worked on
of advice you have ever
Southington?
many town, private and resreceived?
My parents are from
idential projects during
My dad used to always
town. I have been here my
their tenure.
tell me to do my best. If at
whole life.
The Marek Family
What do you like about the end of the day you can
Pavilion was funded in part
honestly say you tried with
the town?
by the YMCA Camp Sloper
all you can, then you have
Many friendly people
Pavilion Campaign that
accomplished a good day.
that will make you feel
started in 2008. The camp
Who would you like to
comfortable wherever you
had been experiencing great
meet?
go in the community.
difficulty during rainy days
Fred Rogers. He had
What is your favorite
due to lack of enclosed prosuch a caring personality of gram areas.
movie?
bringing out the best in
“Hoosiers.” I like basAt that time, the YMCA
everyone. He was a really
ketball. I also have a son
Camp Sloper staff and volgenuine human being.
who is going to Indiana
unteers began a fundraising
effort to construct several
pavilions for the camp.
Since 2008, there has been
five new pavilions constructed including the
Alumni Pavilion, funded by
the Sloper alumni; the
Denorfia Builders Pavilion,
Do your best
SUBMITTED
The Marek family gathers at their namesake pavilion.
funded by the Denorfia
family and their local
builders; the Meade
Pavilion, funded by the
Meade family; the Pooler
Pavilion, funded by an
anonymous donor in honor
of current Camp Director
Mark Pooler and finally the
Marek Family Pavilion,
funded in part by the Sloper
alumni, the annual camp
improvement fee and support from the Marek family.
“These new pavilions
have been a huge help and
a big improvement to the
camp” stated Pooler. “They
provided us with rainy day
space during inclement
weather days, shaded space
during really hot days and
allow for additional programming opportunities in
the off-season.”
The Marek Pavilion has
been a very popular place
already this year with birthday parties, sports programs, family picnics and
other programs already taking advantage of the facility.
The Marek family had a
small gathering July 13th at
the pavilion to officially
thank them and dedicate
the pavilion to the family.
“We are happy to give back
to the YMCA and help the
kids of Southington” stated
Brain Marek Sr. “This is a
great honor. The pavilion
will be a very special place
that our grandkids can see
when they get older and
come to camp” stated Brian.
The final structure of
this fundraising effort is
scheduled to begin construction this fall when the
YMCA plans to build a yearround program building in
honor of Melanie Rossini
who passed away suddenly
on July 28, 2010. The YMCA
has been working with the
Rossini family on the
fundraising efforts over the
last year.
There was a huge Kickoff Event at Murphy and
Scarlett’s in May and a Road
Race at Lake Compounce in
June. To date, there has
been $75k raised for the
project with hopes that the
final fundraising total will
come in around $100k.
Anyone interested in making a donation for this project can contact, Mark
Pooler at YMCA Camp
Sloper at 860-621-8194 x304
/ mpooler@southingtoncheshireymca.org.
Local to walk in support of Jimmy Fund
SUBMITTED
Jersey Shore comes to town
Club 24 hosted a “GTL” table at an event held inside
the Aqua Turf with MTV’s Jersey Shore cast member
Ronnie on Saturday, August 13.
Left to right is fitness facility staff members, Jon
Andrade, Brittany Jordan, Barbara Ralston, Ronnie,
Elise Piper, Christine Galvin, Bruce Carpenter with a
raffle winner who won a gift card to “As You Like It”
dry cleaners and a one week gym membership with
complimentary tanning and product.
On Sept. 18, 35 residents from Hartford
County, including
Southington resident
Matthew Adams, will walk
up to 26.2 miles along the
historic route of the Boston
Marathon in the 23rd
annual Boston Marathon
Jimmy Fund Walk presented by Hyundai. They will
be among the nearly 9,000
walkers expected to participate with the collective
goal of raising more than
$7.5 million for lifesaving
adult and pediatric patient
care and cancer research at
Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute through its Jimmy
Fund.
The Boston Marathon
Jimmy Fund Walk presented by Hyundai is the only
event, other than the
Boston Marathon itself
that is sanctioned by the
Boston Athletic
Association to use the official course from
Hopkinton to Boston.
The Walk is the largest
single-day participatory
event benefiting the Jimmy
Fund and Dana-Farber
Cancer Institute. Since its
1989 inception, the Walk
has raised more than $73
million.
“We are thankful to
everyone involved in the
Walk who is committed to
raising funds for cancer
care and research at DanaFarber,” says Ann Beach,
director of the Boston
Marathon Jimmy Fund
Walk. “Through the event,
walkers are united by the
common goal of funding
cures for all cancers.”
Participants may
choose to walk one of four
routes: the entire 26.2-mile
Hopkinton to Boston route,
the 13.1-mile Babson to
Boston route, the 5-mile
Boston College route, or
the 3-mile route starting at
Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute. Those unable to
participate on Walk Day
can become “virtual walkers” and still fundraise for
the Jimmy Fund.
To register for the 23rd
annual Boston Marathon
Jimmy Fund Walk, to support a walker, or to volunteer, visit
www.JimmyFundWalk.org
or call (866) 531-9255.
12
To advertise, call (860) 628-9645
The Step Saver/ The Observer
Friday, August 26, 2011
Obituaries
Helen Kasper, loved to travel and cook
Helen A. (Klepacki)
Kasper, 93, passed away on
Aug.18, at Apple Valley Rehab
Center in Plainville. She was
wife of the late Joseph T.
Kasper.
She was born in New
Britain on Dec. 19 1917, the
daughter of the late John and
Veronica Klepacki.
Kasper raised her family
with her husband in Beacon
Falls, prior to living in
Southington. She loved to
travel, cook and do rug hooking.
She devoted her life to
her family.
She is survived by her
loving children, Eileen and
husband Franklin Fumal of
FL, Kathleen and husband
Allan Toubman, Janice
Kasper and partner Robert
Brooks all of ME, a brother
Joseph Klepacki and sister
Sue and husband Ed Sterniak
all of Southington, four grand
children Christopher Fumal,
Elizabeth Burnham, William
Toubman and Jessica
Toubman, two great grandchildren Sarah and Mark
Burnham and several nieces
and nephews.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Fidelco
Guide Dogs Foundation, 103
Old Iron Ore Rd. Bloomfield,
CT 06002.
Timothy Mullaney, Plainville Police sergeant
Timothy C. Mullaney,
44, of Bristol, died suddenly
on Tuesday Aug. 16.
He was born on Feb.
25, 1967 in Bristol, son of
Richard L. Mullaney, Jr. and
the late Helene (Lavoie)
Mullaney.
A graduate of Bristol
Eastern High School, he was
a sergeant with the
Plainville Police
Department. He received
his bachelor’s degree in
criminal studies and was
currently working on his
master’s degree from
Quinnipiac University. He
was active in coaching various boys’ football and baseball teams and was a gifted
artist and photographer,
In addition to his father
of Farmington, he is sur-
vived by his wife, Charlene
“Cheri” (York) Mullaney of
Bristol and their children,
Alisha Mullaney of Bethel,
Conn., and Kyle, Sean and
Alec Mullaney, all of Bristol;
his brothers and sisters,
Richard Mullaney III of
Bristol, Lennie Mullaney of
Portsmouth, N.H., Kathy
Williams of Southington,
Michael Mullaney of
Southington, Martha
Pellegrino of Terryville, Liz
Mullaney of Albuquerque,
N.M., James Mullaney of
Seymour, Gene Mullaney of
Chittenden, Vt. and Mary
Jones of Ridgefield; and
many nieces, nephews and
in-laws.
He was predeceased by
his brother, Sean V.
Mullaney.
Raymond Stimpson, served in Army and Navy
Raymond Bruce
Stimpson, 74, passed away
peacefully at CT Hospice in
Branford. He was the husband of Carolyn (Grenier)
Stimpson.
He was born in New
Britain on Feb. 23 1937, the
son of the late Raymond
Henry Stimpson and Lillian
(Bacon) Stimpson
Sokolowski.
He was a U.S Navy and
Army
Veteran. Ray
was a
plumbing
and heating
contractor
and had
taught at Kaynor Tech in
Waterbury from 1980-1986.
He was a Southington
Volunteer Firefighter for
Company 2 and a member
of the American Legion
Kiltonic Post #72.
In addition to his wife
he is survived by a son
Kenneth and wife Jane
Stimpson of Camden, NY a
daughter Cathy and husband Wayne Lewis of
Meriden, two sisters
Lorraine Hendricks of
Rocky Hill and Lois Ewald
of North Madison, grandchildren, Anson Chastain
Stimpson, Raymond and
Becky Stimpson, Zachary,
Bryeanna, Jason and
Preston Lewis, Joshua
Stimpson, Joshua, Ryan,
James and Justin Finn.
He was predeceased by
a son, Brian Stimpson and a
sister, Dorothy Peterson.
In lieu of flowers donations maybe made in his
memory to CT Hospice, 100
Doublebeach Road,
Branford, CT 06405.
Anne Taglia, was an avid bowler and golfer
Mrs. Anne G. Taglia,
wife of Nicholas Taglia,
daughter of the late Lena
Diorio DeChicchio and
James DeChicchio, passed
away peacefully on July 26,
2011, surrounded by her
loving family.
She was born in
Waterbury on May 19,
1924. She was a homemaker and dedicated wife and
mother. She graduated
from Duggan School in
1937 and Waterbury
Catholic High School in
1941.
Taglia enjoyed gardening, crocheting, knitting,
golfing and bowling. She
was a member of the
Wednesday morning
Mixers Bowling League at
Perillos. She was also a
member of the Monday
morning Western Hills
Ladies Golf League and the
Thursday morning East
Mountain Ladies Sunshine
Golf League. And most
importantly, she was a former member of the
Wednesday night Knitting
Club with her close girlfriends.
She is survived by her
children, Jack Taglia and
his wife, Sandi, from
Middlebury, Nancy Chiero
and her husband, John,
from Southington and Bill
Taglia and his wife, Pam,
from Southington, her
three grandchildren, John
Chiero, Jennifer Chiero and
Joseph Taglia ; and a
nephew, Thomas Allegrini.
She was predeceased
by her sister, Jacqueline
Allegrini.
In lieu of flowers,
donations can be made to
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
School Scholarship Fund
in the name of Anne G.
Taglia.
Mary Ward, worked at Greater Hartford Association of Realtors
Mary Jayne (Philipse)
Ward passed away August
13, at Hartford Hospital following a lengthy illness. She
was the wife of the late
David R. Ward for 32 years
and both were longtime
residents of Southington.
She was born on
November 26, 1950, in
Stamford, to the late
Anthony and Catherine
Philipse.
Ward was a graduate of
the University of CT and
also earned a Masters
Degree in Accounting from
the University of Hartford.
She was a Vice President of
Finance for the Greater
Hartford Association of
Realtors in West Hartford
for many years.
Survivors include
Steven and MaryAnn Ward
of Trumbull, Sally and
Morgan Kousser of
Altadena, CA, Pam and
Cary Leerkamp of Sidney
Ill, three nephews, three
nieces, three great nephews
and three great nieces.
Private services will be
held at a later time.
Memorial donations
may be made to the
American Cancer
Society,825 Brook St. I-91
Tech Ctr., Rocky Hill, CT
06067-3045.
How to contact The Observer
News
Do you have news you want to see in The Observer? Send
the information to The Observer, care of the editor Ed Harris,
at eharris@SouthingtonObserver.com, mail it to The Observer,
213 Spring St., Southington, CT 06489, or fax it to The Observer
at (860)621-1841.
Sports
Send us your Southington sports news.
Do you want to see your youth league results published?
How about recreation league teams? You can send it to The
Observer care of the sports writer John Goralski at
jgoralski@SouthingtonObserver.com, mail it to The Observer,
213 Spring St., Southington, CT 06489, or fax it to The Observer
at (860)621-1841.
Milestones
Have you had a baby? Are you recently engaged? Have
you just gotten married? Send us the information and we’ll
share it with the community. Forms are available on-line at
www.stepsaver .com.
You can send your information to The Observer care of
the editor Ed Harris at eharris@SouthingtonObserver.com,
mail it to The Observer, 213 Spring St., Southington, CT 06489,
or fax it to The Observer at (860)621-1841.
Advertising
Don’t just read The Observer, advertise in The Observer.
To reach an advertising representative, give us a call (860) 6289645.
Joseph Cocchiaro, owned
several area restaurants
Joseph Cocchiaro, of
Southington Avenue,
Southington, passed away
recently. He was 84.
Cocchiaro was the
owner of M+M Restaurant
in Meriden, Sunset Strip
Café in Plantsville, Kandy
Kane Lounge Café in
Plainville and Spirit Shop
Package Store in
Southington.
He was also very active
in karate for many years.
He leaves his wife of 47
years, two sons in Florida, a
daughter in California and
many nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by
two sons.
At his request, there
was no calling hours.
Thomas Costello, served in the
US Navy during Korean Conflict
Thomas F. Costello, 78,
passed away peacefully on
Sunday, July 31, at home,
surrounded by family. He
was the husband of Lil
(Dudzik) Costello for 53
years.
Born May 16, 1933 in
Waterbury, he was the son
of the late Thomas F. and
RoseAnn (Mulkern)
Costello.
Costello served for
four years with the U.S.
Navy during the Korean
Conflict. He retired from
AT&T with 38 years of service. He was a parishioner
and usher of Mary Our
Queen Church for many
years.
He was a member of
the American Legion and a
3rd degree member of the
Knights of Columbus. He
was an avid golfer and
fisherman. He spent many
years on Lake
Winnipesaukee during the
summer and Florida during the winter months.
Tom was always quick to
laugh and joke and quicker
to help others.
He will
be sadly
missed by
his wife Lil
and four
children, Thomas F.
Costello III of Indiana,
Nancy Smith of
Southington, Laurie Bentz
of Glastonbury, Michael
Costello and wife Laurie of
New Hampshire; five
grandchildren, Danielle
Bentz, Jennifer and
Mackenzie Costello, Tyler
Smith and Veejay Costello,
a sister Mary Jane
Hennesey of Naugatuck, a
brother Patrick and many
nieces and nephews. .
He was predeceased
by two sisters Barbara
Grant and Rosie Barratt
and two brothers Jack and
James Costello.
In lieu of flowers
donations may be made to
Vitas Hospice Charitable
Fund, 1579 Straits
Turnpike, Middlebury, CT
06762.
Germaine Thomas, will be
missed by those who knew her
Germaine (Dudeck)
Thomas, 68, wife of John
Thomas, passed away at her
home in Plantsville, on
August 11.
Services for Germaine
were held on Saturday
August 20 at the Zion
Lutheran Church 531
•
•
•
•
Woodruff St. , Southington.
Burial will be at the convenience of the family.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made in her
memory to the Zion
Lutheran Church Memorial
Fund 531 Woodruff St.
Southington Ct. 06489.
Rubbish • Appliances
Furniture • Junk
Basements • Garages
Estate Move Outs
SOUTHINGTON
(860) 628-1013
www.SouthingtonObserver.com
Point & Click
Read it all on the Web.
www.SouthingtonObserver.com
Friday, August 26, 2011
The Step Saver/ The Observer
To advertise, call (860) 628-9645
13
•Observing the Arts...........page 14
Good Times
•Southington Listings........page 16
•Sports............page 21
Our Night on the Town
The blues earned a place in Walter Trout’s heart
By MIKE CHAIKEN
EDITIONS EDITOR
Walter Trout’s lifelong
love affair with the blues
began as an evolution of his
love for music in general.
Trout, who comes to
Collinsville’s Bridge Street
Live on Aug. 26, said when
he was growing up he
would listen to all kinds of
music. His parents introduced him to a lot of jazz,
including the efforts of Ella
Fitzgerald and Duke
Ellington.
But in 1965, the guitarist’s brother came home
with a blues album by the
Paul Butterfield Blues Band.
“I was amazed at the
simplicity of the form,” said
Trout, “and it’s potential to
really express an emotion.”
With some music, said
Trout-- calling from
Huntington Beach, Calif.-the emotion rises from the
music. But with the blues,
he said, the music rises out
of the emotion.
And ever since Trout
picked up the phonograph
needle and put it down on
that Paul Butterfield album,
he has been on a journey
through the blues.
Initially, Trout played
blues guitar with local
bands. Then in 1973, he
moved to Los Angeles
where he was asked to play
support for blues artists
such as John Lee Hooker,
Big Mama Thornton, Finis
Tasby, Pee Wee Crayton,
Lowell Fulsom, Percy
Mayfield and Joe Tex. In
1981, he joined the remaining members of the ‘60s
blues-rock group Canned
Heat. Then he was asked to
take up the lead guitar slot
for John Mayall’s
Bluesbreakers, the British
band that can count legendary guitarists Eric
Clapton, Peter Green (early
Fleetwood Mac) and Mick
Taylor (mid-period Rolling
Stones) among its alumni.
Trout said when he
joined the Bluesbreakers he
was very conscious of
whose musical shoes he
was filling. “I thought about
it every night.”
As a member of John
Mayall’s Bluesbreakers,
Trout had to play the same
songs that Clapton, Green,
and Taylor had once
played.
When he joined the
band, Trout asked Mayall if
he wanted him to play the
leads as laid down by his
predecessors. Mayall told
him, “If I wanted Clapton to
play the same solo on the
record, I’d get Clapton.”
Guitarist Walter Trout plays in Collinsville Friday night.
Mayall told Trout to
make the leads his own.
Although Trout’s
resume is packed with
blues experience, he said “a
lot of critics don’t feel like I
really play the blues.”
This became especially
true when he decided to
become a solo artist. (He
has 20 solo albums to his
credit.) In the 1990s, Trout
had a megahit in Europe
with a power ballad. He
said critics accused him of
becoming Bon Jovi and
turning his back on the
blues.
But Trout said,
although he loves blues, he
loves other music as well.
When he was growing up,
he also listened to Beatles,
the Rolling Stones, Jimi
Hendrix and Crosby Stills
Nash and Young.
“I didn’t just listen to
one category of music,”
said Trout. “It was either
good or it was bad.”
When he went solo,
Trout said he wanted to
explore other sides of
music. And that’s what he
did.
But no matter what he
did with music, Trout said it
was always rooted in the
blues, especially in the way
he played guitar.
“I tried to stay true to
music that was honest.”
Over 20 years as a solo
artist, Trout has been amazingly productive, releasing
20 solo albums, Some
artists only may release a
handful of albums in that
period.
Trout said he can’t
understand musicians who
take years between new
albums. “If you want to be a
musician, you have to make
music.” For him, music is
therapeutic. Trout said he
has to keep working. If he
didn’t release new material
regularly, “I’d start going
nuts.”
For the artists who take
so long between albums, he
asked, “Don’t they go nuts?
Don’t they have music
inside them they need to
get out?”
To the artists who go
years without recording
new music, Trout said,
“Good luck with your mental state.”
Trout’s most recent
album is “Common
Ground,” which was
released in July 2010. Trout
said he will begin his follow
up in October.
“I haven’t told anybody
yet,” said Trout, “but it’s
going to be an actual blues
album. There will be no
ballads… We’re going to do
‘Walter’s Blues Album.’”
Even though he has
plenty of experience with
the blues as a sideman,
Trout said, “I’ve never really
done a stone blues album
(as a solo act),” said Trout.
“It’s time to do just that.”
Unlike some artists
who opt to do a blues
album, where they fill out
the sides with traditional
blues songs, Trout said he is
writing his own blues songs
for the album.
If he does any covers of
traditional blues songs,
Trout said he is going to
pick something obscure
and not something everyone seems to record.
“I’m not going to be
jukebox of the songs everyone records.” Trout said the
world doesn’t need another
version of, “Got My Mojo
Working.”
When Trout comes to
Collinsville, he said he
intends to perform some
songs from his early
albums, Then he intends to
do a little jamming. And
then he’ll hit up some
songs from “Common
Ground” along with a few
cover songs.
Walter Trout plays
Bridge Street Live at 41
Bridge St., Collinsville on
Friday Aug. 26 at 8 p.m. For
more information, go to
WalterTrout.com or
41BridgeStreet.com
Comments? Email
mchaiken@bristolobserver.
com.
14
The Step Saver/ The Observer
To advertise, call (860) 628-9645
Friday, August 26, 2011
‘Hedwig...’ rocks Playhouse; Local artist featured
.
Kellie Lambert
McGuire
Observing
The Arts
The notable rock and
roll musical “Hedwig and
the Angry Inch” will be at
Playhouse on Park in West
Hartford this weekend for
a very limited run.
Performances are at 8
p.m. tonight and Saturday.
The show, which premiered in 1998, tells the
story of a rock and roll
band fronted by Hedwig
Schmidt, a transgendered
East German rock goddess.
The production features Gene Dante and Lisa
van Oosterum, stars of the
2002-2003 criticallyacclaimed production at
the Institute for
Contemporary Art Theatre
and Axis Nightclub in
Boston.
Performances are
B.Y.O.B., and there will be a
free dance party with the
cast after Saturday’s performance at Real Art Ways
in Hartford.
Tickets are $25 for
reserved seating. Call (860)
525-5900 or visit
www.PlayhouseOnPark.org
LOCAL ARTIST
SHOW: Terryville resident
Jordan Deschene will be
featured in a special exhibit at Farmington Valley
Arts Center in Avon next
month.
Deschene, who is part
of the Paris in Plantsville
collective, is finishing his
tenure as an artist-in-residence at the Farmington
Valley Arts Center. An
opening reception for an
exhibit featuring his fantasy illustrations and oil
paintings will be from 6 to
11 p.m. Sept. 9.
Deschene’s drawings
and paintings are inspired
by artists from Dr. Suess to
Salvador Dali. His threemonth residency has
enabled him to focus on
creating “an entirely new
body of work using elements of realism and
drawing fundamentals,
created in harmony with
imaginative fantasy,” he
said.
Visitors can observe
Deschene at work in his
studio through Sept. 30.
Hours are 5 to 10 p.m.
Wednesdays and
Thursdays, as well as by
appointment. Deschene
also has joined the faculty
at FVAC and will lead a
class in “Storytelling
Through Illustration” from
6 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays
starting Sept. 14.
Admission to the
opening is free. FVAC is
located at 25 Arts Center
Lane in Avon Park North,
Avon. For more information, visit www.artsfvac.org
or call (860) 678-1867.
LIBRARY NEWS:
Artist Jordan Deschene will be featured in an exhibit
at the Farmington Valley Arts Center. Deschene, a
Treryville resident and a member of the Paris in
Plantsville collective, was resident artist at the FVAC.
Southington Public
Library will finish its
“Reads that Refresh” program with its final weekly
drawing today, followed by
the grand prize drawing for
an e-reader on Monday.
Good luck, readers!
ARTISTS NEEDED:
The Farmington Valley
Arts Center is seeking
artist-in-residence applicants for the fall residency
program.
The program provides
free studio space for fine
artists to explore their
medium and new directions in their work, as well
as enhance their creative
vision with support from
the center’s studio artists,
teachers and professional
staff. Applicants must be
“emerging,” dedicated to
their craft and in need of
space to work and create.
The program runs from
Oct. 1 to Dec. 31.
The deadline for applications is Aug. 31.
Applications are available
online at www.artsfvac.org.
The center is also inviting area arts enthusiasts to
provide financial support to
sustain the program. Taxdeductible donations in
any amount can be sent to
FVAC at 25 Arts Center
Lane, Avon 06001 or via
phone at (800) 678-1867.
FREE CONCERT: The
Bristol Federal Hill
Association will present a
concert by Cajun Ray and
the Steamers at 6 p.m.
Sunday on The Green.
Bring a chair and a picnic;
watermelon and cookies
will be provided.
In the event of rain,
the concert will be canceled.
DISCOUNT ‘WICKED’
TIX: A day-of-performance
lottery for a limited num-
ber of discounted orchestra seats will be held daily
for “Wicked,” at the
Bushnell Center for
Performing Arts in
Hartford now through
Sept. 11. The special tickets
are $25 each, cash only,
with a limit of two tickets
per person.
Each day, two-andone-half hours prior to
show time, patrons may put
their names in lottery at the
Box Office. The lottery will
be 30 minutes later.
For more information,
call (860) 987-5900 or visit
www.bushnell.org.
FREE TUNES: The
Dyno-O-Myte Disco
Review will headline
Southington’s summer
music series on The Green
Wednesday night. This will
the last concert in the 2011
season.
The concert begins at
7 p.m. Rain date is
Thursday. Call (860) 2766219 for more information.
MOVIE OF THE WEEK:
This week’s Southington
Drive-In schedule is “The
Sandlot,” which is set for
the big screen on Saturday.
Gates open at 6 p.m.
and the movie starts at
sunset. Southington residents pay $10 per carload;
non-residents pay $13 per
carload. Walk-ins are welcome at $2 a person.
Please bring lawn chairs.
Food vendors on site and a
pavilion picnic area.
Send arts and entertainment news and listings,
including information on
local musicians, artists,
theater, film, books and
more, to
kellmcguire@yahoo.com.
OTHER
TheSpace.tk
Music listings
FRIDAY, AUG. 26
BRISTOL
SLACKERS UNION.
Downtown Café, 118 Main St.,
Bristol.
OTHER
ZZ TOP. 8 p.m. MGM Grand at
Foxwoods, Foxwoods Resort
Casino, Mashantucket. $50,
$60, and $70. Foxwoods.com,
1-866-646-0609, 1-800-7453000.
OPUSPALOOZA 2011. Two
stages. Dead by Wednesday,
Bound for Pain, Kayotik,
Cyperna, Continuum,
Wounded Remains, Ceschi, Ira
Lee, Virtue and DJ Emoh, The
Intercepterz, 5:AM. Toad’s
Place, 300 York St., New
Haven. ToadsPlace.com
1800 BAND. Illusions Dance
Club and Restaurant, 1639
Wolcott Rd., Wolcott.
IllusionsDanceClub.com
BREAK THRU MUSIC ROCK
AND SHOCK SERIES
ROUND 1. Impuria, I Came, I
Saw, I Conquered, Maniac,
Calling All Creeps, Death In
The Eyes Of The Beholder,
Flesheater, After Ail , Road To
Forever, Currents, Here Lies
The Traitor, 60 Grit. 6 p.m.,
The WebsterUnderground,
Hartford. WebsterTheater.com
SATURDAY, AUG. 27
BRISTOL
MILESTONE. Downtown Café,
118 Main St., Bristol.
OTHER
NASHVILLE DRIVE BAND.
Illusions Dance Club and
Restaurant, 1639 Wolcott Rd.,
Wolcott.
IllusionsDanceClub.com
BATTLE OF THE BANDS.
Condemned Forever, Beyond
Boundaries, The Human
Creation, River Walk, Socially
Awkward, She Walks Without
Legs, Blabpipe, Live.Love.Die,
Tears Of Shadows, The
Elements Around Me. 4 p.m.
The WebsterUnderground,
Hartford. WebsterTheater.com
SUNDAY, AUG. 28
BRISTOL
CAJUN RAY AND THE
STAMERS. 5 p.m. Bring your
chair and a picnic. In event of
rain, cancelled. Federal Hill
Green, Bristol.
RED JUNE. 5 p.m. Firebox
Restaurant, 539 Broad St.,
Hartford.
Fireboxrestaurant.com
TREES ABOVE MANDALAY,
The Awakening, The Mega
Mega, Lakshmi. 6 p.m.,
Webster Underground,
Hartford. WebsterTheater.com
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 31
OTHER
OPEN MIC NIGHT. 7 p.m.
Featuring Shawn Taylor. 7 p.m.
The Outer Space, 295
Treadwell St., Hamden.
THE DANGEROUS SUMMER,
I CALL FIVES, THE PAPER
TRAIL, CINEMA 24. 7 p.m.
The Space, 295 Treadwell St.,
Hamden. TheSpace.tk
THURSDAY, SEPT. 1
OTHER
CLAUDIA HUGHES, Bob
Hughes and the Mark
Templeton Trio. Evening of
jazz. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Mattatuck Museum, 144 West
Main St., Waterbury. (203)
753-0381.
MattatuckMuseum.org
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Friday, August 26, 2011
The Step Saver/ The Observer
To advertise, call (860) 628-9645
15
Southington Scene
New Kelley School first grade teacher Jessica Fletcher
Hatton School first grade Joyce Frederick and her student teacher Kati Valenti of show off quilts made 14
goes through some supplies. Fletcher previously
years ago by students that will be displayed through the school.
taught at Strong School.
Getting ready
for school
Southington students return to school on Monday, August 29. The Observer recently
visited some of the schools to chat with teachers and see how they were setting up their
rooms for the new year.
Photos by
TAMMI KNAPIK
Sixth grade Depaolo School teachers Heather Valentine and Chris Ryder go
through team lists togther.
Hatton School third grade teacher Lori Coviello preHatton third grade teacher Brett Rioual hangs up a sign meant to remind stu- pares her classroom early last week. She has taught
at the school for close to 13 years.
dents not to forget their homework.
16
The Step Saver/ The Observer
To advertise, call (860) 628-9645
Friday, August 26, 2011
Miscellaneous listings
SATURDAY, AUGUST 27
SOUTHINGTON
SUNDAY, SEPT. 11
SOUTHINGTON
PIG ROAST AND CLAM BAKE.
12-6 p.m. at the Southington
Elks Lodge. $30 for adults, $15
for kids. Tickets include draft
beer, soda, clam chowder, hot
dogs, hamburgers, pig and other
food. Open to the public. For
tickets, stop by the Lodge Tap
Room or call 628-6682.
911 DAY OF SERVICE 2011.
Southington community will join
with other efforts nationwide to
make this the single largest day
of charitable service in U.S. history as a tribute to the 10th
anniversary of Sept. 11. Produce
a memorial ribbon or card
inscribed with the name of a
person who perished in the
attacks. During July and August,
individuals are asked to perform
an act of kindness, act or charity, good deed or say a prayer.
(860) 919-1479,
SouthingtonRemembers911@ya
hoo.com.
SOUTHINGTON
COUNTY FAIR AND SILENT
AUCTION. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at
Grace United Mehodist Church.
Rain or shine. Various vendors.
For info, call the church at 6286996.
SOUTHINGTON
CHURCH TAG SALE. 9 a.m. to
2 p.m. at First Congregational
Church, Memorial Hall.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 2
SOUTHINGTON
LOCAL YOUTH BAND PERFORMANCE. 6-11 p.m. at the
American Legion Hall. Public is
invited to attend.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 8
SOUTHINGTON
WELLNESS CLINIC FREE
LECTURE. 6:30 p.m. at the
Raya Clinic on Queen Street.
Topic is fibromyalgia. Gourmet
food served compliments of
Kess Cafe. For info, call 6212225.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 17
SOUTHINGTON
NEW BRITAIN HIGH SCHOOL,
CLASS OF 1956 REUNION.
New Britain High School, class
of 1956 reunion at the Aqua
Turf. For more information, contact Harry Winnberg, 276-9199.
SOUTHINGTON
JANE HAZE MEMORIAL DOG
EVENT. 10 a.m. to noon at the
Southington Care Center. In
cooperation with the Jane Hase
Memorial Pet Therapy Fund.
Various dog activities and wares
available. Admission is free. For
more info, 621-9559.
SOUTHINGTON
CRUZ’IN TO THE BIG E. Go to
the CT Big E Day with the
Cruz’in Congos. Cost includes
bus and addmission. For more
information, contact Meredith
Mann at 628-8982.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 21
SOUTHINGTON
10TH ANNUAL SUSAN G.
KOMEN RALLY FOR THE
CURE. Held by the Hawk’s
Landing Ladies Golf League.
Golf tournament dedicated to
life and memory of Gail
DePaolo Buktus who lost her
battle with breach cancer and
was a long-time member of
the league. Funds will go to
breast cancer research and
Breast cancer Outreach programs in Connecticut. 9 hole
tournament is a scramble format. Continental breakfast at 8
a.m. and shot gun tee at 8:30
a.m. Luncheon will follow. $75.
Non-golfers can attend the
luncheon for $30.
Opportunities for sponsors.
(860) 628-5761,
rterry14@cox.net, (860) 7474384.
SOUTHINGTON
REPUBLICAN DINNER. 6 p.m.
at the Aqua Turf. Sponosred by
the Southington Republican
Town Committee. Featured
speaker is Dan Lovallo, host of
radio’s Talk of Connecticut.
Tickets are $40 per person without raffle tickets, $50 with. For
more information, contact
Juanita Champagne at 621-9449
or Brian Callahan at 681-2357.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 22
SOUTHINGTON
PARENT INFORMATION
SERIES. 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the
Southington Youth Services.
Series to promote Youth
Bullying: An Overview.
Registration required, contact
276-6281.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 24
SOUTHINGTON
TOWN WIDE TAG SALE.
Sponsored by The Arc of
Southington. Open to all residents and business organizations in town. Maps are availalbe
for $1 on the day of the tag sale.
To participate contact The Arc of
Southington at 628/-9220.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 25
SOUTHINGTON
LEWIS HIGH SCHOOL CLASS
OF 1941 70th REUNION. Noon.
at Manor Inn. For further info,
contact Gertrude Bafuma at
628-7852.
MONDAY, SEPT. 26
SOUTHINGTON
HOSPITAL ANNUAL FASHION
SHOW. 6:30 p.m. at the Aqua
Turf. The Hopsital of Central
Connecticut Bradley Memorial
Hospital Auxiliary will present its
Annual Fashion Show "Passion
for Fashion.” There is a charge
for this affair, for tickets you can
contact the Bradley Memorial
Hospital Gift Shop, Joan at 860-
628-8365, Fran at 860-621-0932
or Jean at 860-276-5380 or 860628-7913. Dinner will be served
at 6:30 p.m. and the fashion
show will immediately follow
dinner. Fashions are from Cold
Water Creek, Kathy Faber and
Modern Formal for men.
SATURDAY, OCT. 15
SOUTHINGTON
SHS FALL CRAFT FAIR. 10
a.m. to 3 p.m. at Southington
High School. Items to include
purses, jewelry, clothing and
sporting items. Admission is $1
and will benefit the school.
THROUGH, OCT. 6
SOUTHINGTON
TAI CHI FOR OSTEOPORSIS
AND FALL PREVENTION.
Southington Care Center. $35
for Alliance Advantage and
CCHA members, $40 for nonmembers. For more info call
378-1258.
SOUTHINGTON
PARENT SUPPORT GROUP.
Are you tired of your kids running your life? Call us, Pat and
Dick, 621-4889 or Bill and
Marriette, 276-9734.
SOUTHINGTON
DISCOVERY/CHALLENGER
BASKETBALL. Mondays
through Dec. 20, 6 p.m.-7 p.m.
(younger players) or 7 p.m.-8
p.m. (older players), at Bristol
Boys Club, 105 Laurel St.,
Bristol. Open to athletes aged 5
and up. This program introduces
the game of basketball to the
players and teaches them various phases of the game as the
child advances in their dribbling,
passing and shooting of the
basketball. Cost is $20 per child,
$25 for 2 or more; scholarships
are available. Volunteers are
also needed to buddy with the
children. Contact: Dee ValerioMatyka, (860) 584-1828.
SOUTHINGTON
ONGOING
SOUTHINGTON
PARKS AND REC TRIPS. May
28 and 29, Gettysburg and
Lancaster. Departs TBA, $365/
PP, $465 single, $285 child. April
16, Statue of Liberty, departure,
TBA, $65 per adult $52 for child.
April 30, New York City-do your
own thing, departs TBA, $45 PP.
June 18, Gloucester and
Rockport, Lobseter Bake,
Departs TBA. $95 PP.
BOWLING WITH A BUDDY.
Last Saturday of the month during the school year, 9:15 a.m. at
Brunswick Super Bowl Lanes,
Plantsville. Open to any
Southington elementary school
students with special needs.
Peer volunteers from
Southington High School’s Best
Buddies program. will be participating in helping the elementary
students with their bowling
game! Cost is $2.05, which
includes shoe rental.
Erardi: Looking forward Schools: Teachers are preparing their classrooms
the original thirteen
she said. “You can do a bit
going to talk about what
to the new school year From page 1
colonies.
of everything that way. If I
respect means.”
From page 8
a wide range of skills. I am
pleased that we will be
offering an extended day
kindergarten experience to
60 youngsters throughout
the year.
I, like you, have looked
to create authentic learning
experiences for children in
all grades. I am pleased
that all Grade 4 students
will experience the emerging environmental science
opportunities in partnership with the Southington
Education Foundation at
Camp Sloper.
I, like you, have read
for years the State
Department of Education’s
High School Reform Plan. I
am pleased that
Southington High School
will take a lead in this initiative with precedential
work taking place in how
we level students with
course offerings.
Annually, I have ended
your back-to-school letter
with me telling you how
privileged I am to lead this
organization. This will be
my fifth opportunity to
speak at convocation. Over
the past four school years, I
have witnessed extraordinary people doing special
work with children. So
much of what you do is
without fanfare or celebration. I have come to respect
our workforce as the finest I
have ever been associated
with in my 35 years of service. I am deeply proud of
who you are, what you do,
and your commitment to
the most meaningful work
in this country
We will make a difference!
Dr. Joseph V. Erardi, Jr.
is Southington’s superintendent of schools.
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for a welcoming, colorful
environment.”
Third-grade teacher
Karin Fortin, at Strong,
works with kids who have
become used to school in
the years since kindergarten, but may need
some guidance when it
comes to how they treat
their peers.
“I’m working towards
a theme of respect and
development of social
skills,” she said. “For the
first few weeks, we’re
At Derynoski
Elementary School, which
is beginning the school
year with several administrative changes (see story
on page 17), special education teacher Erin Reilly
has been planning for
another year of helping
fourth and fifth grade students learn the material in
their regular classrooms.
“This year, I’m hoping
to do a lot of stuff based
around learning centers,”
Advertise here! You’re reading it.
Your customers are too!
Call The Observer/Step Saver
(860) 628-9645
know what they’re working on, we can pre-teach
some of the vocabulary
and concepts.”
Fifth-grade teacher
Keith Tomlinson deals
with the oldest kids who
are educated at
Southington’s elementary
schools, and his classroom reflects that.
Instead of colorful
posters of fruit or animals,
the room sports more
detailed information
about historical topics like
The desks for the students are also personalized.
“It’s good for them to
come in and see their
names on their desks
along with some work,” he
said. “I like it to be friendly, but I also want them to
know that when the bell
rings, it’s go time.”
The first day of school
is Monday, August 29.
Comments? Email
rglidden@southingtonobserver.com.
Friday, August 26, 2011
The Step Saver/ The Observer
To advertise, call (860) 628-9645
17
New assistant principal at Derynoski
By ROB GLIDDEN
Staff Writer
The Board of Education
appointed Cheshire teacher
Marilyn Kahl as the new
assistant principal at
Derynoski Elementary, the
latest in a series of changes
for the school.
“I’m truly honored to
accept this position,” Kahl
said. “It’s been a dream of
mine.”
Former Derynoski
Principal Karen Smith is
now the district’s Assistant
Superintendent, and was
replaced by the previous
assistant principal Jan
Verderame.
Officials said there was
a great deal of interest in
the job.
“We were told that 81
candidates applied for this
position,” said BOE
Chairman Brian Goralski,
shortly before the vote. “I’m
pleased with the motion
that we have before us.”
Kahl, a Southington
resident, said she has children in the local school system and was pleased to
become part of an educational community she
admired.
Since 1995, she has
been a teacher at Highland
Elementary School in
Cheshire.
The appointment was
made on the Board of
Education’s meeting on
Thursday, August 18 and
she started the job on the
following Monday with a
salary of $105,400.
When school begins on
Monday, August 29,
Southington’s largest elementary school will have
different leaders but officials said the enthusiasm
will remain.
“I couldn’t be more
excited,” Verderame said. “I
get the same butterflies as
the kids for the first day of
school.”
Middle Schools: BOE signs off on new plans
From page 1
of renovating the two
schools. The updated proposal removes a planned
addition to the physical
education areas of the
schools, and reduces an
addition to the music area.
Architect Joe Costa said
that some of the planned
additions could still be possible within existing space
at the school.
“The bulk of the
changes are very minimal,”
he said.
The architects also
reduced contingency funds
by a large amount. This had
made BOE members nervous
at a previous meeting, but the
cuts were ultimately left in
place.
Though the taxpayers
will be asked to vote on an
$80 million project this
November, the town is anticipating that at least half of
the costs will be reimbursed
by the state of Connecticut.
Now that the expected
size of the renovated
schools is smaller, the district is entitled to additional
state funding. Originally the
state was set to reimburse
49.6 percent of the project’s
cost. Now the expected
reimbursement is 52.5 percent. This amounts to a
total of about $44.6 million,
meaning the net cost to the
town is $40.4 million.
The school board
agreed that even though it
was not their ideal plan,
there had been good cooperation between the various
municipal boards.
“The Board of Finance
really made us delve deep,”
Apple Harvest Festival seeks sponsors
Planning has begun for
the forty-third annual Apple
Harvest Festival in
Southington.
This event is one of the
biggest events held in the
state, with an expected
attendance of over 100,000
people. Many local non-
profit organizations utilize
the festival as a main
fundraiser; however attendance at the festival is from
local communities and
across New England.
The Southington Apple
Harvest Festival will be held
September 30 – Oct. 2 and
Oct. 7– 9. The festival offers
six days of spectacular fun,
delicious food, crafts, a
parade, and live entertainment.
In addition, there is children’s play area and Carnival
offering great family fun.
Festival organizers are
looking for sponsors for specific events, such as the
parade and Family Night to
name a few, or the overall
Apple Harvest Festival.
If you are interested in
becoming a sponsor contact
Melissa Ericksen at 860-2761966.
said Chairman Brian
Goralski. “We weren’t happy
to cut from what we felt was
needed, but the process has
helped the community to
develop a real understanding of this project.”
Comments? Email
rglidden@southingtonobserver.com.
Bands sought for
the AHF road race
The Race Committee for
the upcoming Apple Harvest
Festival is looking for local
musicians to play music
along the 5 mile and 5K race
routes for the upcoming
Apple Harvest Festival Road
Races on Sunday October 2.
“We are always continuing to look for ways to
enhance the atmosphere
and spirit of our races,” John
Myers, race director said.
“Nothing like a little ‘live’
music to get runners
pumped up.”
If interested, local musicians should contact John
Myers (860-621-8737) by
September 9 for more
details.
As a small gesture of
appreciation, Musicians performing would get their
names on the back of the
runner’s t-shirts.
United Way: Organization looks to connect with local teens
From page 1
member Rebecca Allard
intends to maintain a blog
about the group’s activities.
“I would like to blog
about what is going on
with UKnighted Way and
also about our achievements,” Allard said. “I also
can see myself helping to
fundraise with the com-
mittee.”
Other students on the
committee include Alex
Queen, Austin Cooley and
Tyler Nichols.
In addition to helping
United Way develop a
presence on the internet,
the group also hopes to
launch its own version of
the organization’s signature “Day of Caring”
43 School Street
Bristol, CT
(860) 589-7135
6:30am-5:00pm
339 West Street
Bristol, CT
(860) 314-0597
6:30am-6:00pm
event, centered on goodwill projects at the high
school.
The committee will be
formally introduced to the
public during the Music on
the Green concert on
Wednesday, August 31,
scheduled for about 7:45 pm.
Comments? Email
rglidden@southingtonobserver.com.
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The Step Saver/ The Observer
Friday, August 26, 2011
New horror flick uses Connecticut as its backdrop
By MIKE CHAIKEN
EDITIONS EDITOR
If you were on the east
side of the state, somewhere near UConn or
Eastern Connecticut State
University, you may have
seen some hot young film
stars hard at
work as the
horror film
“House of
Dust” took
up residence
for two
weeks of
filming.
Calvo
The new
film, which
was produced by
Alex (A.D.)
Calvo and
Todd Slater,
and directed
by Calvo,
Slater
used the
Connecticut scenery as the
backdrop to tell its story.
Press materials for
“House of Dust” explains
the film follows a group of
college students who are
exploring an abandoned
mental asylum. During
their adventurey, they
“accidentally shatter canisters holding the cremains of former mental
patients; inhaling the
dusty ash filling the air,
they’re soon possessed by
the souls once held within
them. One, is a convicted
serial killer from 1950.”
The cast of “House of
Dust” features several hot,
young actors just getting
their names out there
including Holland Roden
(MTV’s “Teen Wolf ), Steven
Grayhm (“The First Ride of
Wyatt Earp”), Stephen
Spinella (“Angels in
America”) Inbar Levi
(MTV’s “Underemployed),
Nicole Travolta (“The
Middle”), Joy Lauren
(“Desperate Housewives”),
Eddie Hassell (“The Kids
are All Right”), John Lee
Ames (“Days of Darkness”)
and Alesandra Assante
(“Looking for an Echo”).
“We did an extensive
search” for the cast that
eventually was slated for
the film, said Slater. The
producer of “House of
Dust” said he looked at
hundreds of audition reels
and saw hundreds of
actors read for the four
lead characters in “House
of Dust”: Emma, Dylan,
Kolt and Gabby.
In the end, Slater and
Calvo selected Lavi to play
Emma; Hassel to play
Dylan; Grayhm to play
Kolt; and Gabby to play
Roden.
When choosing who
would be coming to
Connecticut to film the
project, Slater said, “It was
all about pulling together
an ensemble cast that
jelled.”
And Slater said, “All of
these kids, all of them in
their own particular audition, really gelled from day
one.”
Slater said “House of
Dust” especially lucked
out in securing Holland
Roden, who is part of the
really hot “Teen Wolf” on
MTV. But Slater explained
he does what he can to
keep on top of who is new
and hot.
From top to bottom,
Slater said of the cast,
when the project starting
filming in Connecticut late
last month, the actors did
“tremendous work. They’re
young and talented.”
When Slater signed on
board as producer of
“House of Dust,” he said
he did so because he had a
prior creative relationship
with Calvo. Slater, along
with his brothers Grant
and Todd, are the principles of Slater Brothers
Entertainment. Slater was
SUBMITTED
Steven Grayhm, left, and Holland Roden in a still from the film, ‘House of Dust,’
which recently completed filming in Connecticut.
executive director for
Calvo’s first film, “Other
Side of the Tracks” and
Slater Brothers was on
board for Calvo’s sophomore effort, “Melancholy
Fantastic.”
When Calvo started
talking about a third effort,
Slater said he wanted to
take on a more hand’s on
role with the film.
Slater said when he
first heard the concept for
“House of Dust,” he was
sold. “It’s so commercial.”
And it was a project, he
knew he could sell to distributors.
Initially, said Slater,
Calvo came to him with six
different scripts for consideration. But when Slater
saw “House of Dust” from
writers Nevada Grey and
Alyssa Alexandria, he said,
“This is the one that hit
me over the head.”
Slater said he reads
hundreds of scripts
because that’s his job. And
he said it’s usually tough to
find a good script. But
“House of Dust” was an
incredible find. “It’s something I’ve never read
before. It’s an original in
the college thriller genre.”
Slater said “House of
Dust” fits right alongside
such financially successful
horror films as “Insidious,”
“Paranormal Activity” and
“Prom Night.”
“This was a real
opportunity,” said Slater of
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the initial “House of Dust”
script.
Slater also wanted to
be part of Calvo’s late production as well because
“Alex has grown as a director…Alex is really kind of
hitting his stride.”
As for why
Connecticut was selected
for the production site,
Slater said he and Calvo
had used Connecticut for
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the previous two films.
Many of the crew members they used on those
films lived in
Connecticut— who they
wanted to work with
again—were from
Connecticut.
Additionally, Slater
said the state of
Connecticut offers great
tax incentives for filmmakers who want to work here.
“From a financial,
budget point of view, there
was a lot of upside to filming in Connecticut,” said
Slater.
Besides that, Slater
said, the people of
Connecticut were “unbelievably nice and helpful”
in making the film a reality.
Filming of “House of
Dust” wrapped in
Connecticut earlier this
month after 24 days. Slater
said the film will now head
into post-production. He
said there are plans to seek
out a world wide distribution for the film. There
already have been some
interest expressed in the
film even before it’s completed.
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19
Our Fashions
Payless teams up with VersaEmerge singer to get Brash
By MIKE CHAIKEN
EDITIONS EDITOR
The lead singer of the
alt-rock band VersaEmerge,
Sierra Kusterbeck, has been
tapped as the new
spokesperson for Payless
Shoes’ latest line—Brash.
Sierra Kusterbeck will
serve as the iconic Brash Girl
of the new brand at Payless.
Brash was launched this
month at Payless stores
across the country including
the outlets on Queen Street
in Southington and
Farmington Avenue in
Bristol. The brand also is
available at Payless.com
Brash will feature 120
on-trend shoe and accessory
items for teens including
footwear in women’s and
youth girls’ sizing, handbags,
jewelry, hair accessories and
beauty products including
fragrances and makeup that
can be styled and collaged
together to create a unique
and edgy look.
LuAnn Via, CEO of
Payless, said in a press
release, “Sierra is a Brash Girl
and she embodies the
brand’s personality — she
ATLANTIC RECORDS
Sierra Kusterbeck of VersaEmerge.
has a unique tough-yet-girlie
style, is tremendously creative with her music and
fashion and is a perfect picture of Brash style.
“I am thrilled to team up
with Payless on Brash,” said
Kusterbeck in a press release
from her label, Atlantic. “I
personify a Brash Girl both
on and off the stage, and I am
excited to inspire others with
my role as the face and voice
of Brash. I often have girls
approach me and ask ‘Where
did you get that?’ and now I
can say ‘at Payless,’ which for
me is really powerful because
the Brash brand can help
them achieve the bold style
they are after because of its
affordability and accessibility.
Kusterbeck added in the
release, “My favorites in the
fall line are the Ollie combat
boots and the Josie peep-toe
wedges — they are sick styles
and I wear them a lot and
with many different outfits.
The beauty items like the eye
shadow roller-ball and the lip
stain are also amazing.”
From the top left clockwise, Bristol’s Vanessa Lawrence,
Kayla Tilton, and Dominique Campos wear Brash
shoes and Brash bracelets from Payless.
All photos by Mike Chaiken
20
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Tasty Bites
The Firehouse Bar and Grille
Photos and text by
Stacey McCarthy
Nachos at The Firehouse Bar and Grille.
Grilled chicken salad at The Firehouse Bar and Grille.
Each week, The
Observer hits up the local
restaurant scene, offering
you an inside look at the
culinary delights in central Connecticut.
The Basics
The Firehouse Bar
and Grille
Open seven days a
week. Sunday through
Thursday from 11 a.m. to
1 a.m. and Friday and
Saturday from 11 a.m. to
2 a.m.. Dine-in and takeout available.
54 West Main St.,
Plainville
Phone (860)747-2277
www.firehouse-
grille.com
The Buzz
The Firehouse Bar
and Grille won Best
Wings Overall and
Hottest Wings at the
annual Wing Ding contest. They have a newly
renovated banquet room
that can accommodate
up to 60 people and can
be used for: business
meetings, bridal and
baby showers, bachelor
and bachelorette parties,
birthdays, sports team
parties, and other celebrations. The Firehouse
Bar and Grille has lunch
and dinner specials
Friday, August 26, 2011
Monday through Friday.
They have Happy Hour
specials from 2 p.m. to 7
p.m. on Monday through
Friday featuring domestic
beer for $2, imported
beer for $3, and well
drinks for $2. Night time
events and specials
include: Karaoke and
$100 Pong contest on
Tuesday and Thursday
night, Ladies Night on
Wednesday, and live
bands on Friday and
Saturday night.
The Scene
Relaxed and friendly
atmosphere. As the name
suggests, The Firehouse
Bar and Grille has lots of
firehouse memorabilia
and photos around the
restaurant and lounge
area. Guests can dine at
the outdoor patio, in the
bar/lounge area, or at one
of the tables or booths in
the dining room.
In Your Glass
Full service bar with
a large selection of
Martinis, frozen drinks,
and beer on tap including: City Steam’s Naughty
Nurse, Blue Moon, and
Guinness.
On your plate
The Wallet
vors of wings. Firehouse
Bar and Grille also serves:
steak seafood, pasta,
burgers, chicken, salads,
wraps, and Panini’s.
Popular dishes include:
grilled chicken salad
(spicy Cajun or plain
grilled chicken over
mixed garden greens with
shredded cheddar jack
cheese), the Tuesday
lunch/dinner special
(roasted half chicken with
potato and vegetable),
and the Friday lunch/dinner special (Captain’s
Platter- fried clams,
shrimp, scallops, and fish
filet over a bed of fries).
Appetizers run from
$6.50 for jalapeno poppers to $9.50 for chicken
or chili nachos.
Lunch prices start at
$6.95 for a buffalo chicken wrap to $8.95 for a
Philly cheese steak wrap.
Dinner prices run
from $10.75 for fish and
chips to $16.75 for an
Angus New York strip
steak with a side salad
and fries.
If you’re interested in
being featured in a future
“Tasty Bites,” email
mchaiken@BristolObserve
r.com.
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•Sports Scene Page.........page 22
Sports
•ESPN in the News...page 26
•Sports Calendar......page 27
Hall of Fame
It all comes down to fundamentals
Mike Raczka wouldn’t quit and played his way to the major leagues
Southington Sports
Hall of Fame
Inside the Numbers
Southington High School
•Played varsity baseball and football.
•Went 9-1 as a senior pitcher (1980).
•All Conference in baseball (1980).
•Inducted into the Southington Baseball Hall of Fame
(1991).
University of New Haven
•All-American (1982, 1984).
•All Region (1982, 1983, 1984).
•All conference (1984).
•Captain (1984).
•UNH Male Athlete of the Year (1984).
•Inaugurated into the UNH Hall of Fame (1998).
•Holds school record for strikeouts (312).
•Ranked 2nd in single season strikeouts (145).
•Ranked 3rd in innings pitched (235.1).
•Ranked 6th in appearances (55).
•Ranked 6th in career victories (29).
•Ranked 8th in single season innings pitched (115.1).
PITCHING STATISTICS
FILE PHOTO
Mike Raczka throws a strike during a 9-1 season with the Blue Knights in 1981.
SPORTS WRITER
T
o stare down a Mike
Raczka fastball his
freshman year at
Southington High School was a
little like playing a game of
Russian roulette. The lanky lefty
could throw fast. He had great
form, but nobody knew where his
pitch would cross the plate...not
even Raczka.
When it comes to Major
League hurlers, Raczka was an
unlikely prospect.
Hall of Fame
“
I was fundamentally coached
since I was a little kid.
If the fundamentals are there,
you’re going to win.
And you can’t win without it.
“
By JOHN GORALSKI
Mike Raczka,
Former Major League Baseball pitcher
Year
1981
1982
1983
1984
Career
G
7
17
17
14
55
IP
W
12
0
102.3 9
95.7 9
115.1 11
325.3 29
L ShO H
0
0
12
3
2
80
3
2
84
NA NA NA
6
4 176
R
8
40
34
NA
82
ER
6
27
31
NA
64
BB
6
28
35
NA
69
SO
14
63
90
145
312
ERA
4.50
2.37
2.92
NA
2.74
Professional Baseball (MLB)
•Drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 1984.
•Debuted on Aug. 15 1992 with
the Oakland A’s.
•Final game was Sept. 23, 1992
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHING STATISTICS
Year
Team/Level W
1984
Bal-Min A
1
1985
Bal-Min A
3
1986
Bal-Min AA
8
1987 Bal-Min AAA,AA 6
1988 Bal-Min AAA,AA 1
1989
Bal-Min AAA 1
1990 Oak-SDP-Min AAA7
1992 Oak-Min AAA,A+ 1
1993
Oak-Min AAA 2
1994 Bos-Min AA,AAA 4
1995
STL-Min AAA 5
L
5
2
7
11
5
6
5
2
1
2
3
ERA
8.1
3.32
5.92
7.19
5.45
5.13
4.28
4.03
5.37
2.9
3.86
G
8
35
32
35
47
44
46
37
55
58
55
SV
IP
H R
0 36.2 44 35
3 97.2 101 55
1 155 170 114
0 112.2145 96
10 66 74 46
2 66.2 75 47
2 67.1 59 37
1
58 51 31
0 60.1 65 39
0 68.1 53 27
1
49 49 23
ER BB SO
33 35 36
36 48 93
102 92 107
90 62 86
40 34 51
38 31 50
32 44 61
26 27 31
36 30 40
22 30 39
21 20 43
MAJOR LEAGUE PITCHING STATISTICS
Sometimes, his cool, silky
attitude frustrated his high school
coaches. The word “potential”
seemed to be peppered throughout conversations. His college
coach actually cut him from the
team in his freshman year, and he
came close to doing it again the
following year.
It took what it took, but that
was the spark Raczka needed. He
returned to his dorm with tears in
his eyes until that old fierce
resolve came back.
“It’s about not quitting but
doing it the right way,” he said.
“I’ve seen kids want to just pack
things in because they don’t feel
like they’re getting a fair shake.
There are a lot of unfair shakes in
life. You know? You’ve just got to
reach in and believe in what
you’re doing.”
Raczka didn’t set out to make
the major leagues. He didn’t set
out to dominate a storied college
franchise. He didn’t even set out
to be a Blue Knight pitcher.
Raczka was just one of the gang
growing up on Foley Street in the
1970s. He’d roam the streets with
his glove dangling from his handlebars, looking for someone to
play against.
He’d play pick-up games at
Hatton Elementary School. He’d
play neighborhood rivalries in
whatever sport was being offered.
In the winter, they’d play hockey
on frozen ponds. In the summer,
they’d play hit-the-bat or makeshift games with a tennis ball.
When the sun was shining,
Raczka was outdoors.
“There were kids everywhere.
It wasn’t like it is today,” he said.
“We were always playing something, whether it was baseball,
basketball, or football…I wasn’t
always the best. I was in the middle, playing against everybody
else. I was nothing spectacular,
but we didn’t think about it like
they do now. Everybody just
wanted to play.”
So Raczka threw himself into
the competition. He joined
Year
Team
1992
Oakland A’s
Career - 1 season
W L ERA
0 0 8.53
0 0 8.53
midget football and little league,
and he talks about his coaches
hammering him about fundamentals. He was a likeable kid. He
listened and practiced. Raczka
credits their foundation for his
later success.
“I see what’s happening in
Little League. I see the kids here
and there. They just don’t seem to
be getting the fundamentals,” he
said. “I was fortunate. I was fundamentally coached since I was a
little kid. If the fundamentals are
G SV
8 0
8 0
IP
6.1
6.1
H
8
8
R
7
7
ER BB SO
6 5
2
6 5
2
there, you’re going to win. And
you can’t win without it.”
Raczka still carries an old,
tattered book that his father gave
him that’s entitled, The Basic
Fundamentals and Mechanics of
Successful Pitching, written by
Bob Shaw. It was recommended
by a former Southington High
School pitcher Bill Dickman, and
it has become a sort of Bible for
Raczka over the years. When he
See RACZKA, page 23
22
The Step Saver/ The Observer
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Friday, August 26, 2011
Southington Sports Scene
Keep up if you can
Nobody beats the heat better than Southington
athletes. Everywhere you look this summer, there’s
somebody competing at something. It can be tough
trying to get all of the local happenings into the
paper when there’s so much happening, but here’s a
few pictures in a look back at a sample of summer
sports.
SUBMITTED Photos
In late July, Southington siblings
Caleigh Waskowicz, above, and
Zachary Waskowicz, left, took to
the water at the USA Water Ski
Regionals in Canajoharie, NY. The
pair have been waterskiing since
the age of two and have been
competing since 2009. Both qualified for the USA Water Ski Easern
Regionals in early August for a
chance to advance to the USA
Nationals.
Summer doesn’t start until the Grace's Diner
women, above, make their annual rally to a softball
league title. This year, the locals swept through the
regular season with a 14-1 record before dispatching
the FirePlace in the championship game of the
tournament. The team went on to represent the
town in the annual Tri-Town game against league
champions from Wallingford and Meriden. Front,
from left, Heather Dancsak, Lauren Gerencser,
Lindsay Lempicki, Kristina Tolles, Michele Lucas,
Steph Kowalec, and Chris Robarge. Back, Liz Collins,
Maggie Moniz, Denise Henninger, Laura Barnard,
Danielle Cranin, and Donna Theriaults.
Zachary placed fourth overall in
the boys 9-and-under division for
the second straight year and is
currently ranked 56 in the nation,
6th in the Eastern Region & 4th in
CT. Caleigh improved two places
to finish 5th overall in the girls
10-13 division and is currently
ranked 83rd in the US & 7th in
the East.
Here were the final regular season standings:
1, Grace's Diner; 2, Blue Moon; 3, The FirePlace; 4,
Southington Urologic; 5, Hawk's Landing; 6,
Showcase Automotive.
The Western Baseball League
15U Babe Ruth All-Stars, left,
finished with a 4-2 record in
District 8 competition,
eliminating, Vernon, Torrington
and West Hartford before being
eliminated in the finals. Front,
from left, Evan Chialastri, Ethan
Min, Kyle Defrancesco, Brendan
Donahue, David Shaughnessy,
Nick Calabrese, and Sean
Danko. Back, Coach Kelly
Donahue, Austin Cormier, Alex
Martin, Tim Langland, Jake
Zimmerman, and manager TJ
Calabrese. Not pictured is Josh
Irizarry, Jeff Kroeber
Once again, the Southington Lightning, above, thundered through the softball world. One week
after hosting thier annual Summer Scorcher PONY tournament, the Southington Lightning blue
team edged the red team in the final game of their next weekend bracket.
At right, The Southington Western All-Stars advanced to the pool championship game at the New
Britain Little League Summer Classic. The team consisted of Ryan Case, Josh Cofrancesco, Jared
Curtis, Bryce Fournier, John Griffin, Cole Huang-Savino, Keegan Jarvis, Ethan McDonough, Ryan
Monte, Erik Olson, D.J. Pestillo, Caleb Richert, Josh Vitti, Matt Weir, manager Jim Richert, and
coaches Joe Cofrancesco and Skip Griffin.
Above, the 16U Southington Lightning took home
the runner up trophies after winning two hard
fought games in the Central Valley Fastpitch League
Tournament. The team finished the season with an
18-14-3 record, and finished second in two tournaments. Front, from left, Meredith Maynard, Brittany
Martel, Kierstyn Bourdeau, and Meghan Parks.
Middle, Sarah Hurley, Rachel Lyles, and Karen Falk.
Back, Simone Morin, Katie Pistilli, Courtney Smith,
Anna Lowe. Back, Coach Dean Hurley, Coach Dan
Pistilli, Manager Ralph Parks, Coach Paul Falk.
Missing are Coach Jon Potter and Molly Potter.
Friday, August 26, 2011
The Step Saver/ The Observer
23
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Hall of Fame
Mike Raczka: 2011 Sports Hall of Fame
From page 21
JB
ack
eaulieu
• Roofing • Siding
• Decks • Additions
OVER 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE
“
Mike Raczka was the best left hander in the history of University of
New Haven baseball—
without a question.
He’s the greatest left handed
pitcher that I’ve ever coached.
“
offers instruction to young
pitchers, he still flips
through pages of the book
to study the photographed
mechanics from hall of
fame pitchers.
It’s a fundamental
approach that Raczka
believes to be critical, and
it was one reason why high
school coaches suffered
through his junior varsity
years despite his lack of
control.
“I think that Mike
Raczka was a major league
pitcher, and I don’t throw
that around lightly,” said
Fontana. “He could pick
guys off. He had that
smooth delivery with his
arm up. He had a good leg
kick. He could spot the
ball. He went from being
so wild to being able to
put the ball where he
wanted to. It was amazing
how good he became.”
After two years of
struggling through starts
on the junior varsity field,
Raczka got his chance on
the varsity mound in 1980,
and he made the most of
it. The Knights finished 223. losing to Fitch in the
state semifinals. Raczka
finished the year with a 91 record, and he met
University of New Haven
(UNH) coach Frank
“Porky” Vieira. The storied
coach approached him
after a postseason victory
and asked if he wanted to
play for UNH. Raczka leapt
at the chance.
“He said, ‘OK. Then
you’ve got a full ride.’
Then, he turned and
walked away,” Raczka
remembered. “It had never
even crossed my mind
before that.”
College, on the other
hand, was a culture shock
to Raczka. With no freshman or JV team, coaches
didn’t have the luxury of
waiting for him to get up
to speed. After a number
of slow starts, Vieira kicked
the young Raczka off his
team in a flurry of obscenities that Raczka said he’ll
never forget.
“I did it because I’m a
jerk. I probably had too
much to drink that day,”
Vieira said with a laugh.
“The fact that he came
back says a lot. I think
that’s what it’s all about.
Maybe that was the
Frank “Porky” Vieira,
Former University of New Haven baseball coach
answer for him to become
a major league pitcher. He
just came on and came on.
He wasn’t great the first
few years with me. He was
sort of awed by the scene.
We had great teams then,
but he came on by the
time he was a junior or a
senior, and he was the best
that I ever coached.”
Raczka refused to quit,
so he returned to practice
the next day. He watched
teammates practicing in
uniforms as he worked out
on the sidelines in practice
gear. Captains ran him
past fatigue. Coaches criticized his every move, but
Raczka wouldn’t quit. After
a few days, Vieira offered
him a second chance.
“I told him that I
wanted to play for him,”
said Raczka. “It was an
honor to play for the
University of New Haven,
for Coach V. It was a mind
set, and I didn’t learn it
until I was a sophomore.
After the first couple of
games, I finally got it.
Then, I went off on a tear.”
Raczka wasn’t satisfied
with making the team, he
set out to be the best. He is
still ranked in the top 10 of
six pitching categeories at
UNH and still holds the
school record for strikeouts (312). He’s ranked
second in single season
strikeouts (145), third in
innings pitched (235.1),
sixth in appearances (55)
and victories (29), and
eighth in single season
innings pitched (115.1).
Raczka was named as
the school’s male athlete
of the year in 1984. He was
inducted into the UNH
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Hall of Fame in 1998, and
he was selected to the ‘AllPorky’ team as one of the
best players in his coach’s
45 years on the diamond.
“Mike Raczka was the
best left hander in the history of University of New
Haven baseball—without a
question. He’s the greatest
left handed pitcher that
I’ve ever coached,” said
Vieira. “Mike Raczka
struck out 17 against
Quinnipiac to take us to
the World Series. To me, he
was the closest thing to
Sandy Koufax that I’ve ever
seen. His mechanics were
outstanding.”
Of course, his success
drew the attention of
major league scouts, and
Raczka was drafted in the
11th round by the Toronto
Blue Jaysafter his junior
season. He returned to
school and was drafted by
the Orioles the following
year. Upon graduation, he
was signed to a minor
league contract.
Over the next eight
seasons, Raczka would
battle his way through the
minor leagues. Once
again, he refused to give
up. He played the political
game, listened to his
coaches, and threw strikeouts.
“They dump you in a
city with a bunch of guys
you’ve never met before,
and you have to figure it
all out. It’s life in the fast
lane,” said Raczka. “There
were times when I was on
a roll, and guys were saying things like, ‘I taught
him that,’ or ‘I showed him
that curveball.’ Then, you’d
get on a bad streak, and
GLENN PIERCE
they’d say they didn’t want
anything to do with you.
It’s tough.”
In 1992, he finally got
his chance at the big
leagues. Bob Boone called
him into his office in
Tacoma, and told him to
pack his bags for Oakland.
On Aug. 15, 1992, Raczka
stepped onto the field
against the Angels with a
5-0 deficit in the seventh
inning. He faced four batters in a scoreless inning
to spark a two-inning
come-from-behind rally
and a 9-5 Oakland victory.
“It’s very hard to
describe that feeling. You
walk out of the dugout,
and you look up to all
these cheers going up in
the stadium,” he said.
“Around you there’s all
these guys just going
about their business. It’s a
business up there. They
don’t fool around.”
Raczka didn’t become
a journeyman. His time in
the majors was brief, but it
was memorable. He
remembers walking into
the locker room to see his
name posted above a locker. He remembers his family’s faces as they watched
him face Mel Hall and
Matt Nokes at Yankee
Stadium. He remembers
having to warm up on the
field in Oakland after a
teammate’s injury and
hearing the crowd boo and
hiss because of the delay.
Raczka was offered
another chance at a AAA
contract the following
year. His pregnant wife
supported him. His friends
supported him, but Raczka
stepped away from the
game with no regrets.
“I had my daughter.
She was pregnant with the
twins at the time. We had
just bought a house on
Carter Lane,” he said. “It
was just time to put it
down. I made that decision. I had kids to be a
father. I didn’t want that
kind of life for them. The
decision wasn’t hard. It
was hard the following
spring during spring training.”
Raczka still stays close
to the game. He coached
his daughter in softball. He
works with young pitchers
at the Ultimate Baseball &
Sports Academy (UBSA) on
Spring Street. His twin
boys are battling their way
JOHN GORALSKI
He was cut as a freshman but had worked his
way onto the cover of the University of New
Haven’s baseball yearbook by 1984. From left,
SHS graduate Mike Raczka with teammates
Tony Buglione and Roberto Giansiracusa.
through the junior varsity
ranks. Raczka still stresses
fundamentals, and he still
studies the tattered book
and its pictures.
For members of the
Southington Sports Hall of
Fame selection committee,
Raczka was an easy choice.
“It’s truly an honor to
be mentioned with some
of the people that are in
there or are going to be in
there,” he said. “It’s just
amazing that I can be
mentioned in the same
breath with them. A lot of
those people helped me in
my career and in my life.”
On Wednesday, Nov. 9,
he will be inducted into
the Southington Sports
Hall of Fame at the Aqua
Turf Club in Plantsville.
For tickets, contact Jim
Verderame, (860) 6287335.
To comment on this
story or to contact sports
writer John Goralski, email
him at jgoralski@southington observer.com.
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25
26
To advertise, call (860) 628-9645
The Step Saver/ The Observer
Friday, August 26, 2011
ESPN to expand again, and will get state funds for new jobs
By KAITLYN NAPLES
STAFF WRITER
In addition to its
groundbreaking of a new
digital center, ESPN is the
third recipient of the governor’s new economic development program, “First
Five.”
Under the new program,
the
Department
of
Economic and Community
Development (DECD), has
the ability to award financial
assistance to the first five
companies that pledge to
add at least 200 full-time jobs
in Connecticut within the
next two years.
Recently, Gov. Dannel
Malloy announced ESPN as
number three in the series of
five, joining TicketNetwork,
based in South Windsor, and
Cigna Corp., which is moving
its
headquarters
to
Bloomfield. Being the third
recipient, ESPN has a $17.5
million loan coming its way
from the DECD for construction of the new facility.
Adjacent to its existing
digital center, ESPN plans to
create its 19th building,
which will be a 193,000
square foot digital center.
“This is a milestone
event for ESPN,” said Ed
Durso, ESPN’s executive vice
president, who added that
the first digital center was
launched in 2004.
Durso said the new digital center will have the “most
advanced” audio and video
equipment available and will
be the largest building on the
Middle Street campus. He
added that ESPN will continue to keep the state “at the
forefront of development
and technology.”
Gov. Dannel
Malloy
speaks at a groundbreaking ceremony at ESPN.
Malloy announced the
sports network giant will
receive state funding for
pledging to add 200 new
jobs.
“We are demonstrating
our commitment to growth
in Connecticut, our home,”
Durso said, adding that the
commitment will create at
least 200 new full-time jobs,
with incentives for up to 800.
Durso said not all of the jobs
will be technical jobs, but
also other areas like research
and administrative support.
Chuck Pagano, executive vice president and chief
technology officer at the
sports broadcasting network,
said the new digital center
will house four studios, six
control rooms and 26 editing
studios, in four levels. He
said the new digital center
will be able to create the best
programming delivered to
ESPN’s viewers. He added
that Digital Center 2 will
eventually be the home of
the network’s program,
SportsCenter.
Malloy said ESPN is a
leader in technology and in
media. He said it is important for Connecticut “to keep
an eye on the homegrown
success story” that ESPN is.
ESPN, he said, continues to
“reinvest and reinvent,”
adding that its commitment
to Connecticut “assures that
other businesses will be joining Connecticut.”
Mayor Art Ward called
ESPN “a phenomenal asset
to the city,” adding that the
sports network has always
been committed to the city.
In regards to being able
to build up the company in
other states, Durso said it is
preferred that ESPN tries to
stay in Connecticut to be “as
equal as we can.” The company has recently expanded
in California and Texas, with
two new production facilities.
In addition to the $17.5
million loan, the state will
provide up to $1.2 million for
a job training grant program,
which is costing the company $300,000 just for 200 jobs.
KAITLYN NAPLES
Gov. Dannel Malloy announced ESPN as the third recipient of the First Five initiative. ESPN also held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new digital center.
Every additional 100 jobs will
cost the company another
$150,000.
Also,
the
Connecticut Development
Authority may assist with
cost of capital equipment
and construction materials,
providing up to $6 million in
sales use tax exemptions.
ESPN also plans to invest
more than $100 million into
the new building.
Selected home offerings from:
Southington, Bristol, Plainville
Hot Properties
41 Deerfield Trace
Burlington, CT
Price: $449,900
Agency: Country Manor Realty
Contact: Karen at 860-589-2100
Features: Call now and see this lovely
8 room Contemporary/
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w/fireplaces and sliders onto a large deck, hardwood floors, extensive
decking, and a fantastic set up with inground pool, finished walkout
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SOUTHINGTON
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SOUTHINGTON
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comfort. Features 3 nicely-sized BRs, formal dining
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BRISTOL
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REALTY 3’S QR CODE OF THE WEEK
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Southington, CT
1 Cedar Grove Road
Southington, CT
Price: $479,900
Agency: Century 21-Lil
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Price: $194,900
Agency: Jensen Communities 55+
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Features: Custom designed open floor plan and all on one
baths, in Meadow View Farms, is perfect blend of beauty and
practical design and Energy Star savings and unfinished walk up
attic. Over 2600 sq ft with large kitchen/dining and family room
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Brought to you by:
213 Spring St., Southington, CT
To feature a home in Hot Properties, call our Advertising Dept., 860-628-9645
www.SouthingtonObserver.com • www.StepSaver.com • www.BristolObserver.com
8-26-11
Friday, August 26, 2011
The Step Saver/ The Observer
To advertise, call (860) 628-9645
27
Sports Calendar
FUNDRAISERS
BLUE KNIGHTS
AT TD
HOMERS—
Wednesdays at
TD Homer’s
Sports Grill,
Queen Street. Mention that you
would like to support Southington
Athletics. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the entire
Southington High School Athletic
Program.
LADY KNIGHT SWIMMING
SHAKE-A-CAN—Saturday, Aug.
27-Sunday, Aug. 28, at Stop &
Shop. Proceeds benefit the SHS
girls swimming and diving team
booster club.
LADY KNIGHT SWIMMING
CAR WASH—Sunday, Sept. 25,
at Southington Auto Wash.
Proceeds benefit the SHS girls
swimming and diving team
booster club.
LADY KNIGHT SWIMMING
PANCAKE BREAKFAST—
Sunday, Oct. 16 at Applebee’s
Restaurant, Plainville, CT.
Proceeds benefit the SHS girls
swimming and diving team
booster club.
TOURNAMENTS
18th ANNUAL SOUTHINGTON
CHAMBER CELEBRITY CLASSIC—Wednesday, Sept. 28,
shotgun start at 10:30 a.m., at
Hawk's Landing CC. Tournament
features food before, during, and
after with two hole-in-one challenges ($10,000 and a 2011
Chevy Cruze) and features
celebrity emcee Rich Coppola
(Fox 61) and eight former Red
Manage a men’s
softball league team
Any manager interested in participating in the
Southington Men’s Fall
Softball League should
register their team in the
Southington Parks and
Recreation office as soon
as possible.
You must pick up a
roster sheet and sign in.
The league is for town
residents only.
Bring you roster,
along with a check for
$400 for registration fee,
made out to Town of
Southington.
League play will begin
shortly. Questions, call the
Parks and Recreation
Department at 276-6219.
NEW BRITAIN
6 ROOM 1ST FLOOR
CAPE FOR SALE
Sox players, including Luis Tiant,
Rick Miller, Bill Campbell, Steve
Renko, Steve Braun, Lee
Stange, Dick McAuliffe, and Gary
Waslewski. Cost is $450 for a
foursome. Proceeds benefit the
Southington Chamber of
Commerce. Contact: (860) 6288036.
GAIL DEPAOLO BUTKUS
MEMORIAL GOLF
TOURNAMENT—Wednesday,
Sept. 21, 8:30 a.m. shotgun start,
at Hawk’s Landing CC. The
Hawk’s Landing Ladies Golf
League will hold their 11th annual golf tournament. The 9-hole
scramble tournament benefits
the Susan G. Komen Rally for
the Cure foundation. Cost is $75
and includes greens fees, cart,
and luncheon. Contact: Pauline
DiNello, (860) 747-4384 or Grace
Terry, (860) 628-5761 or email
rterry14@cox.net.
KENNY HILL JR MEMORIAL
TENNIS TOURNAMENT—
Saturday, Aug. 27-Sunday, Aug.
28 at the Bob Garry tennis facility
at Southington High School.
Open format in 12 divisions for
all ages and skill levels. Cost is
$35 per person ($20 for juniors
and $15 for additional events).
Proceeds benefit the Kenny Hill
Jr Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Registration deadline is Aug. 19.
Contact: Ken Hill, (860) 276-8179
or at Ken.Hill@hp.com.
REGISTRATION
DEPAOLO VOLLEYBALL
TRYOUTS—Thursday, Sept. 1,
Friday, Sept. 2, and Monday,
Sept. 6, after school in the gym.
SOUTHINGTON
YMCA
Registration for
the following
classes and programs, unless
otherwise noted,
can be made at
the Southington Community
YMCA Member-ship Services
Desk at (860) 628-5597 or online at www.southingtoncheshireymca.org.
8 WEEKS TO A BETTER YOU
(OPEN TO NON-MEMBERS)—
Registration is underway.
Program meets Mondays,
Wednesdays, and Fridays from
Aug. 29-Oct. 21, 10:30 a.m.11:30 a.m. This free fitness program is offered by the
Southington Community YMCA
through collaboration with the
Southington Health Department.
Participants must be Southington
residents aged 18 years and
See CALENDAR, page 28
Northfield Condominiums
Plainville
Joanne Alfieri Joins Southington Office
Of Prudential Connecticut Realty
OPEN SUNDAY
1-3pm
$264,900 • 1417 sq ft
Joanne Alfieri has recently joined Prudential Connecticut
Realty as a Sales Executive. The announcement was made
by Sandy Failing, Office Leader.
23 Free Standing Units
Joanne will be responsible for residential sales, including
single and multi family homes, condos, and land. Joanne’s
background in leadership and lending complements her years
of experience in the real estate industry. She has demonstrated
expertise in the Southington market and surrounding towns.
Active Adult Community
Capes & Ranches
“Joanne shares Prudential Connecticut Realty’s commitment to quality and
customer service,” said Sandy Failing, Office Leader. “She is exactly the type of
sales professional we are seeking, as we continue to find the best people to
service our clients.”
3BR, living room, dining room,
kitchen, 1 bath, 3 season porch, 1 car
garage, freshly painted refinished
HDWD floors, new roof & heat.
Move in condition $160,000
CALL 860.747.2876
860.518.0041
Tryouts will be done by 5:30 p.m.
each day. A sports physical form
and emergency form must be
completed prior to trying out, and
a yellow card obtained from the
school nurse. See the
Southington schools website for
more information. Contact: Robin
Thompson at
robinthompson@cox.net.
“Prudential Connecticut Realty’s focus on the customer and its goal to provide the
best products and services for its sales professionals are what make affiliating with
the company the best choice possible,” said Joanne. “I work with both buyers
and sellers, delivering outstanding service. Your goal is my goal.” This makes her
a perfect fit for Prudential Connecticut Realty, whose vision statement is to be the
best service provider.
Prudential Connecticut Realty is consistently ranked #1 in Connecticut as the
largest, full service real estate company in the state and the 19th largest in the
United States. For more information, visit www.prudentialCT.com.
Introducing
Our New Model!
1012 sq ft
$274,900 • 1548 sq ft
$249,900
Dircetions: Rt 177 (Plainville Ave)
to Bradley Street
$289,900 • 1825 sq ft
894 South Main Street,
Plantsville, CT 06479
860-621-7130
SOUTHINGTON • 860-621-6821 • 441 North Main St
SOUTHINGTON
NEW TO THE MARKET
$496,000
Beautiful home, built in 2004,
has all the genuine feel and
essence of an original 1800s
Victorian-style house. Full of
vintage charm. 3 bedrooms; 2
1/2 baths. As unique as they
come. Please contact Henri
Martin to schedule a showing.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GIBSON
TEAM AND CARRIE KORENKIEWICZ
TOP LIST & TOP SALES EXECUTIVES
FOR THE MONTH OF JULY
Call Henri Martin today (860) 589-0101 for details
or visit our website www.henrimartinrealestate.com
Carrie Korenkiewicz
860-378-3220
Top List
BRISTOL-A GORGEOUS 2400 sq. ft Colonial at
end of cul de sac, w/ nice open floor plan dream
kitchen w/granite, SS appliances, center island,
pantry and opens to the FR w/FP & door to large
deck, FDR/LR combo with vaulted ceiling & French
doors to another deck w/views of Cedar Lake,2.5
BAs,1st floor MBR suite,4 BRs, finished walkout LL
& 3 car garage. A GREAT PRICE OF $399,000.
BRISTOL-BEAUTIFULLY REMODELED this
6 room, 3 Bedroom Victorian Colonial w/new
addition,new bath on 2nd floor & kitchen w/SS
appliances, cabinets, tile floors, HW floors in LR
& FDR, over 1300 sq. ft situated on a nice lot
with a barn that can be used as a garage. A lot
of house for $185,000.
BRISTOL-A UNIQUE SPLIT LEVEL with all
new appliances, newer 1st floor laundry & half
bath, 2nd level step up into the huge LR and dining
room w/full wall stone fireplace , stone FP, 2
double sliders to a 15x18 Florida room, c/air,
professionally landscaped gardens & stone walls
with a babbling brook in the backyard to enjoy, 2
car garage and a lot of house for $259,900
For all your real estate needs
CALL Mike & Joyce and Carrie
at 860-621-6821
SOUTHINGTON • OPEN SUN 1-3 PM
134 SUN VALLEY DRIVE • $214,900
SOUTHINGTON • OPEN SAT & SUN 1-3 PM
2118 MERIDEN WATERBURY RD #12 • $222,900
SOUTHINGTON • OPEN SUN 12-2 PM
120 WONX SPRING RD • $227,500
Remodeled 3 Bedroom, 1 bath Ranch with 2-car garage, fully
applianced remodeled kitchen, HW floors, finished LL and
more. GREAT NEW PRICE TOO! DIR: Pleasant St to Sun Valley.
New Construction... 2 BR Townhome w/ loft, 2.5 BAs, SS appliances, HW flrs,
conveniently located. Prices starting at $209,900. $5000 credit to buyers for closing
costs. DIR: I84 exit 28 (west towards Wolcott) look for Winterberry Woods sign.
Updated Cape featuring 3 bedrooms, remodeled kitchen &
baths, HW floors, new furnace, electrical, roof, etc. Nice level
yard & more! DIR: Marion Ave to Wonx Spring
CARRIE • 860-378-3220
GIBSON TEAM 203-213-4141
CARRIE • 860-378-3220
SOUTHINGTON • $269,900
NEW TO THE MARKET
THINKING
OF SELLING?
CALL 860-621-6821
FOR A FREE MARKET
ANALYSIS!
SOUTHINGTON • $162,000
GREAT NEW PRICE
BRISTOL-WALK TO SHOPPING from this
well cared for ful dormered Cape with eat-in
kitchen, FDR or 4th BRs, 2 full baths, newer
windows & roof. A great yard with big deck &
carport. JUST $154,900.
Well maintained Bi-level featuring 3 bedrooms, 2
baths, beautiful 3 season room off kitchen, FP, 2-car
garage & more, set on a cul-de-sac.
THE BEST AT
WHAT WE DO!
860-589-2100
cmrbristol.com
SANDRA 860-378-3230
BRISTOL-A NICE CLEAN RANCH HOME w/
FR addition,, newer windows & siding, remodeled
eat-in kitchen, 3 BRs, 1.5 baths, HW floors, 1st
floor laundry, LR, rec. rm, and garage on a nice
lot. ASKING $229,900.
Mike & Joyce Gibson
203-213-4141
Top Sales
Picture perfect 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath Condo in Spring Lake Village (an adult
community) featuring new bamboo flooring, new lighting & window
treatments, new paint, garage, full basement & more. Rental is $1,150/MO.
SANDRA 860-378-3230
SOUTHINGTON • 860-621-6821 • 441 North Main Street
28
The Step Saver/ The Observer
To advertise, call (860) 628-9645
Friday, August 26, 2011
Sports Calendar
From page 27
older. This program is open to
non-YMCA members.
Participants will be guided
through a fitness consultation
and equipment orientation by
certified staff and progress will
be charted. Women have the
option of using the Women’s
Health and Wellness Center for
this program. Babysitting service
is available for a fee. Enrollment
is limited to one session per participant and must be made in
person at the membership services desk.
No hiding for champs
Call Now For A Free Market Analysis
http://www.c21agold.com
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HOW MUCH IS YOUR HOME WORTH?
Call one of our real estate professionals for a market evaluation of your property.
BRISTOL
The charm of yesteryear mixes w/modern flair, many
updates to this three bedroom, two bath home, new
and fabulous master bedroom suite with walk in closet,
full bath beautiful original woodwork, newer roof, siding,
most windows, enclosed 21' x 8' front porch for
relaxing. $199,900
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BRISTOL
Contemporary style 4 room condo, featuring 2
bedrooms, large main level bedroom with
sliders to rear deck, living room w/cathedral
ceiling, 18x15 loft adds 270 sq., ft., of living
space not included in sq., ft., close highway and
ESPN. Call Susan Gorski-$95,000
BRISTOL
Many possibilities with this 5 RM ranch,
featuring 3 BRs, spacious EIK with breakfast
bar,FP’d living room, new roof, open porch,
garage is a mechanic’s dream-2 car garage
with large workshop behind and a 21’ x21’ room
above garage. Call Bruce LeBeau- $155,000
PARKS & REC TRIPS
Payment is due at registration. All
trips are non-smoking and nonalcoholic. Insurance is available.
Most trips depart from the commuter parking lot in Plantsville.
Groups smaller than 15 will
depart from the Bee Street
Commuter Parking Lot in
Meriden.
Checks should be made payable
to Town of Southington. Contact
the Parks & Rec Dept at (860)
276-6219.
Thank You to our Loyal Clients and Customers for voting us one of the
“Best Top 3 Agency’s” in Southington, Plainville and Bristol for 2010!
The Hydeaway Café, recently (8/12) won the C1 Division Town Championship.
The team beat Billy O’s in a best two out of three series 2-0 to capture the championship. Pictured, front row (kneeling): J.D. Musto, Paul Camire, player/manager Scott DePaolo, Mark Port, and Scott Harves. Middle row: Mike June, Dave
Rodriguez, Bob Bruton, Rob Yard, and Pete D’Agostino. Back row: Bob Bruno,
Kevin Miller, Scott Schmid, and Walter Kustra.
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PRESCHOOL & YOUTH
GYMNASTICS—For children
ages 16 months and up in a
state-of-the-art facility located at
26 Putnam Place, Plantsville.
The programs are designed to
enhance the child’s strength,
flexibility, hand eye coordination,
and social and listening skills.
The YMCA also offers a competitive gymnastics program where
participants compete in YMCA
and USAG meets.YMCA instructors encourage and support children and serve as positive role
models. Contact: Nancy
Bauman, (203) 272-7688.
BRISTOL
Move right in to this immaculate well maintained
ranch located on a dead end street. 5RMs 2-3
BRs, FR w/ FP, 3 season sunroom overlooking
private manicured yard. House has vinyl siding,
updated windows and roof. Newer oil fired furnace
and separate hot water heater. Beautiful hardwood
floors and tastefully painted walls. Won’t last.
$139,900 Call Paula Ray for more details.
A-Gold Action Realty, Inc.
89 North Street • Rt. 6 • Bristol
(860) 589-1111
E-mail c21agold@c21agold.com
PLANTSVILLE
This Ranch would be perfect for the retiree or 1st time
buyer, featuring two bedrooms, fully applianced
kitchen, newer windows, two car detached 24' x 24'
heated garage in addition to 10' x 10' stick built shed,
chain link fence, set on a cul-de-sac. $174,000
BRISTOL
Come view this Donald Gardner built home, unique in
a class by itself with spectacular décor thru out this
four bedroom, 5.5 bath home, a custom designed
kitchen with Corian counter tops, and oak paneled
appliances, two story entrance with pillars, possible 1st
floor in law suite. $575,000
PLAINVILLE
This perfect maintenance free Ranch has newer
windows, furnace & roof, air conditioning, hot water
heater and more, a great kitchen with plenty of
cabinets, the living room with built ins, finished lower
level great addition with bar area, one car detached
garage. $169,900
SOUTHINGTON • RENTAL / LEASE
Lovely Colonial home for lease with 1st floor family
room with fireplace, formal living and dining room,
three bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 1st floor laundry.
$2,200/month
2
451 WATERBURY ROAD • BRISTOL
This newly built 2000' Colonial with three bedrooms,
2.5 baths, the master bedroom with huge walk in
closet, 1st floor family room, eat in kitchen with
granite counter tops, living room with fireplace,
central air, two car attached garage. $289,900 Dir: Rt
372 to 451 Waterbury Rd
PUTNAM AGENCY REAL ESTATE, LLC
Southington Commons, 943 Queen Street, Southington
Paula Ray
Owner/Broker
Eachh officee is
independentlyy owned
andd operated
860-628-5691 • Serving Your Real Estate Needs for Over 47 Years • Fax 621-7054
email: putnamagcy@aol.com Visit our Website putnamagencyrealestate.com
BAY-MAR REALTY
860-582-7404
OPEN EVENINGS & WEEKENDS
BRISTOL ~ Lovely 6 RM Ranch. 3
bedrooms, 2 baths. Set on a large level
lot. Living room w/ FP, updated kitchen,
roof, siding, furnace. Three seasons
porch overlooking large rear yard.
$235,900
BRISTOL ~ Sunny and bright
Raised Ranch, with 6 rooms, 3
bedrooms, 2 baths, eat-inkitchen, FDR, family room, C/Air,
1 car garage, quiet setting.
ASKING $229,900
BRISTOL ~ Colonial with plenty
of vintage charm, newer
windows, walk up attic, a car
garage, front and rear porches.
SOUTHINGTON ~ Spectacular
Vicotian Colonial. This house is
completely renovated. 8 RMs, 4
BRs, 2 BAs, large kitchen, dining
area, FR, LR w/stone FP, whirlpool
tub, C/A, 3 car garage, workshop
and plenty more to look at.
TERRYVILLE ~ MUST SEE!
Picture perfect Townhouse style
Condo. This unit features 4 rooms,
2 bedrooms, 1 1⁄2 baths, eat-inkitchen, full basement. End unit,
walk to Lake Winifred and park.
Fully applianced.
PRICED TO SELL $89,900
BRISTOL ~ Great starter home. 6
room Cape with 4 bedrooms, EIK,
hardwood floors, level lot, located
near the park, and best of all its
ONLY $127,900
BRISTOL ~ Brick front Colonial. 3
BRs & 2.5 BAs. Front to back
master suite w/gas FP & master
bath. Gourmet kitchen. Front to
back FR w/gas fireplace &
window seats. Arched doorways
& crown molding. A Must see!
OFFERED AT $479,900
BRISTOL ~ Federal Hill Colonial!
A little restoration is all that this
home needs. 10 rooms, 5 BRs, 2
BAs, sunroom, FDR, living room
with FP, first flr MBR, wrap around
front porch, 1 car garage.
REDUCED $169,900
BRISTOL~ Victorian Colonial on
.35 acres. Hardwood floors,
remodeled kitchen, 3-4 BRs with
2 full baths. Beautiful stained
glass. New gas boiler, 200 amp
electrical. Move in condition.
OFFERED AT $212,000
BRISTOL ~ JUST LISTED Two
family with over a thousand sq ft
per unit. Each apartment has 4
rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath.
Separate utilities, 1 car garage,
plenty of parking.
BRISTOL ~ Super clean two
family home. Each unit has 5
rooms, 2 bedrooms, eat-in-kitchen,
dining room, enclosed porch,
seperate utilities, 2 car garage,
located near park.
$159,900
BRISTOL ~ JUST LISTED
Picture perfect Townhouse style
Condo located in a small quiet
complex. This unit has 4 rooms,
2 BRs, 1.5 BAs, finished rec
room, full basement, EIK with
sliders that lead to rear deck.
$121,900
$229,900
ASKING $169,900
ONLY $109,900
Friday, August 26, 2011
The Step Saver/ The Observer
To advertise, call (860) 628-9645
29
Southington, CT • For people 55 and over.
860-793-0281 / 1-800-458-6832
visit our website: jensencommunitites.com
SOUTHINGTON: $189,900
SOUTHINGTON: $194,900
Private Setting surrounds this unique
3 BR, 2 full BA home. Spacious
kitchen features island with all
appliances remaining with the home
plus washer/dryer. 12’x14’ Four
Season Sunroom to enjoy for all the
seasons of New England. 12’x12’
utility building and 14’x24’ Carport.
Enjoy comfort and energy efficiency
year round with natural gas utility
service and central air conditioning.
Now is the time to get in on the Good Life. Custom designed open floor. This
1,654 sq. ft. home features 3 BRs, 2 full BAs, oak cabinets and pantry in
kitchen with breakfast counter. DR w/slider to 10’x16’ deck. Laminate
flooring accents spacious LR. All closets have been custom built. Bonus
feature 22’x22’ carport with added storage. 12x12 utility building with
electricity. Enjoy comfort and energy efficiency year round with natural gas
utility service and central a/c.
SOUTHINGTON: $142,500
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PLAINVILLE: $116,200
Ready to make a change? If so then
this 2 BR, 2 full BAhome is waiting
for you. Large EIK featuring Atrium
door to a 10’x16’ deck. Pantry in
kitchen, walk in closets in both BRs.
In the LR there is an electric FP for
those cool nights. Great feature is a
separate laundry RM. All appliances
remain with home. Washer/dryer
included. Central air. 10’x12’ utility
building and 16’x24’ carport.
Surround yourself with the peaceful
setting of this 2 BR, 2 full BA home.
The kitchen is open to dining and
LR. All appliances remain with the
home. Separate laundry room.
Enjoy comfort and energy efficiency
year round with gas utility service
and central air conditioning.
SOUTHINGTON: $75,000
Just listed! Great price move in
condition home! Split bedrooms,
large eat in kitchen & living room.
Many cabinets. All appliances
remain with the home including
washer/dryer. Back yard features
peaceful setting overlooking brook
Central air.
8’x22’deck with
9’x24’ awning and 10’x10’ utility
building with electricity. Ready for
immediate occupancy
SOUTHINGTON: $79,900
SOUTHINGTON: $108,000
A must see. Move in condition! This
home features 2 BRs, 2 full BAs,
fully applianced kitchen w/ open
floor plan to DR and LR. The kitchen
has plenty of cabinets including a
pantry. The MBR has a large walkin closet. Ceiling fans living room
and both BRs. C/air, 10x12 utility
building, 15’x22’ carport. Ready
for immediate occupancy.
SOUTHINGTON: $98,900
SOUTHINGTON: $87,000
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Move in condition! New Listing,
great location, immaculate home.
Split bedrooms, large eat in
kitchen open to spacious living
room. Alloc flooring in kitchen,
living room and hall.
All
appliances remain with the home.
Central air. 8’x24’ deck with
9’x26’awning. 10’x10’ utility
building with electricity. Ready for
immediate occupancy
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Ready for Immediate Occupancy!
Ready to make that move, this 2 BR,
1.5 bath home is just what you’re
looking for. arge eat in kitchen
open to living room. Oak cabinets
and pantry. All appliances remain
with home including Washer/dryer
included. Central air, 12’x12’ utility
building and 14’x20’ carport.
10’x24’deck with 11’x26’awning.
Ready for immediate occupancy.
TERRYVILLE: NEW SELLING PRICE - $45,000
TERRYVILLE: NEW SELLING PRICE - $45,000
Priced to Sell! This home features 2
BRs, 1.5 BAs, EIK and a large LR.
The following appliances remain
with the home: refrigerator, smooth
top stove, dishwasher, microwave,
garbage disposal, washer and
dryer. Plenty of closet space.
12x12 utility building. Central air.
Don’t delay. Call today! Ready for
immediate occupancy.
Affordable updated home. 2 BRs,
1 BA, EIK with all appliances
included (refrigerator, gas stove,
dishwasher, microwave, washer/
dryer.) Pergo flooring throughout.
Features cheery LR w/ slider to
10x18 open deck to enjoy your
morning breakfast in upcoming
spring and summer months. Don’t
delay call today.
Brand new home! Complete with
2 bedrooms and 1.5 baths. The
following appliances are included,
stove, dishwasher & microwave.
10x12 vinyl storage shed. Central
air and beautiful patio setting in
backyard. Updated maple cabinets
in kitchen and breakfast bar.
CENTURY 21® AGENTS ARE FAST. WE’RE TALKING LIGHTNING - FAST. FAST LIKE FIND YOUR
DREAM HOME - BLINK - YOU’RE LIVING THERE. OKAY, MAYBE NOT THAT FAST, BUT CLOSE.
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SOUTH GLASTONBURY
New Construction....4 BR 2 1⁄2 BA Colonial on 1.5
acre lot with view of Connecticut Valley located on quiet
cul-de-sac. Open floor plan. Custom kitchen with cherry
cabinets, center island, skylight, cherry/mahogany floor,
granite counters and flooring thruout. Architectural
custom woodwork detail. $650,000. Adrianna
Kolodziejzcyk x367. MLS# G600883. c21lil1@aol.com.
SOUTHINGTON
Come Out Now and See What Value Is All
About...In this 3 BR L-shaped ranch. Large EIK
with skylight and lots of cabinets. Formal dining
room, living room has skylight and fireplace. Roof
is 5 years old. 3 season porch. Hardwood floors.
Close to schools and shopping. $292,500. Linda
Voisine x366. MLS# G601436. c21lil1@aol.com.
SOUTHINGTON
Unique Ranch…With 4 bedrooms, oversized
kitchen with new stainless steel appliances. Dining
with pellet stove, 2 full bathrooms, new hot water
heater, large yard. Conveniently located. $237,000.
Call Linda Voisine x366. MLS# G599056.
c21lil1@aol.com
320 EDGEWOOD CIRCLE • SOUTHINGTON
Ranch...Super cute ranch. Perfect for 1st time or
downsizing. Central air, hardwood, partially finished
basement, remodeled kitchen. $210,000. Cheryl
Hilton x385. MLS# G585054. c21lil1@aol.com. Dir:
Mt Vernon Rd to Pennywise to Sunnyslope, right onto
Edgewood Circle
222 ALEXANDER RD • NEW BRITAIN
Price Reduced!...Roomy 4 BR Cape with new
siding, updated kitchen with granite counters, new
windows and carpeting. Huge family room with lots
of windows. $132,900. Linda Voisine x366. MLS
G594673. c21lil1@aol.com. Dir: Farmington Ave
to Alexander Rd, or Stanley St to Alexander Rd
990 SOUTH END RD • SOUTHINGTON
Colonial...Fabulous colonial, light and bright with open
floor plan on approximately 1.5 acre lot. FR, den with
skylights, slider to large deck, surround sound
throughout, FR, kitchen and outside deck and
electronic awnings. $369,500. Adriano Gheorghiu
x325. MLS# G586567. c21lil1@aol.com. Dir:
Meriden Waterbury Rd (322) to South End Road
38 HOMESDALE AVE SOUTHINGTON
Ranch...2 BR 1 BA Ranch in great location. 2
additional bedrooms and family room in LL, 95% finished,
w/ slider to rear adds approximately 500+ sq ft not listed.
Large deck, large backyard, great location, close to
schools, shopping and more. Price to sell!
$154,000. MLS# G581728. c21lil1@aol.com. Dir:
Berlin Street to Homesdale Avenue
SOUTHINGTON
Tucked Away on Southington’s East End...Is
this priceless gem with 6000 sq ft, 4 BRs, and 3.5
BAs. Additionally there is a butler’s pantry with full
kitchen, 3 sitting rooms, office, bonus room and 2
laundry rooms, basketball court and two spacious
stone patios, plus 2 FRs and home theater. Perfect
location for those who consider privacy more of a
necessity than luxury. $895,000. Lil Polak x310.
MLS# G560130. c21lil1@aol.com.
WATERTOWN
Raised Ranch...Totally updated over sized
raised ranch, hardwood floors, new windows, roof,
gutters, siding, hot water heater, c-air, bathrooms,
wet bar in finished lower level as well as full bath,
wood stove, security system. Nothing to do but
move in. $329,900. Linda Kaverud (agent
related). MLS #597058. c21lil1@aol.com.
SOUTHINGTON
30 Lot Subdivision… Homesites starting
at $195,000. Colonials, Ranches, Capes,
Contemporary. Call and reserve your homesite today or
pick a plan to build your dream home. Many plans
available. Call Lil Polak x310. c21lil1@aol.com
WOLCOTT
Classic Ranch..Country Setting....For this 3
1
BR, 1 ⁄2 BA w/ country kitchen, 1st floor laundry,
MBR with bath, sliders to sundeck, LR with FP,
wood floor, .56 acre lightly wooded lot plus barn
and many updates. Only $204,900. Dick
Rubino x319. MLS# G595802. c21lil1@aol.com.
SOUTHINGTON
Pristine Condition...Wonderful 2 BR unit w/ newer
kitchen. Living room/dining room combo. Small office on
top level. Master bath completely remodeled. Large
closets. Partially finished lower level and small workshop.
Newer rugs plus hot water heater. $119,900. Jeanne
Pedroncelli x360. MLS# G594500. c21lil1@aol.com.
TOLLAND
Turn Key Condition...Fabulous 9 RM Santini
built Colonial w/ 9’ ceilings, hardwood floors, 4 BRs,
2 1⁄2 BAs. Estate like grounds with irrigation system
on cul-de-sac. Convenient location. House has 5
zone heating, security system, 2 FPs and finished
LL w/ walkout. Must see! $459,900. Linda
Kaverud x328. MLS# G595525. c21lil1@aol.com.
BRISTOL
Move-In Condition...Great bright and sunny
unit with garage. New hot water heater, new
carpet. Plenty of storage, low condo fees. Near
ESPN and highway. Central air. Slider to patio, new
roof. $144,900. Linda Kaverud x328. MLS#
G598809. c21lil1@aol.com.
SOUTHINGTON
Raised Ranch…Wonderful raised ranch features
large deck to look out over your 3.3 acres of land. The
3 car garage is also just another reason to see this 3
BR 2 BA home. Fenced in rear wooded area and barn
are great for animal lovers. New furnace and C/Air
2010. $339,000. Ron Appelle x394. MLS#
G598623. c21lil1@aol.com.
SOUTH MERIDEN
Condo...This beautiful 2 bedroom, 1 1⁄2 bath
townhouse with garage and rear deck is just a
short walk from the village of South Meriden.
$115,000. John Klimczak x372. MLS# G582826.
c21lil1@aol.com.
WATERBURY
Ranch...Great 3 bedroom ranch. Large rooms,
level fenced yard. FP, new windows, roof and
carpet. Hardwood floors under carpets. Screened
in porch. Huge kitchen with dining, lots of cabinets.
$167,900. Linda Kaverud x328. MLS#
G599814. c21lil1@aol.com.
PLYMOUTH
New Construction...This is a model home.
High Colonial with 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, attached
double garage. Energy Star Qualifier with 35%
energy savings. $274,900. Lil Polak x310. MLS#
G568791. c21lil1@aol.com
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y Servicee Officee 2010 Southington • (860) 628-8180 • www.c21lill1.com
Calll us
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a FREE
E Market
Evaluation!
Lil-1 Associates, Inc.
INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED
30
To advertise, call (860) 628-9645
The Step Saver/ The Observer
Friday, August 26, 2011
Southington Private School Bus Routes
Bristol Tech Am
6:50 Am
Start Time
Location
1 174 Belleview Ave
2 Bristol St & George St
3 Bristol Tech (34)
Same In Pm
CCA 1 Am
7:35 Am
Start Time
Location
1 101 School Street
2 22 Zwicks Farm Rd
3 Old Turnpike Rd &
Southington Ave
4 67 Darling Street
5 39 Elizabeth Drive
6 Central Christain
Academy (150)
CCA 1 Pm
2:45 Pm
Start Time
Location
1 Central Christain
Academy (150)
2 Elizabeth Dr &
Westwood Dr
3 976 Flanders Rd
4 67 Darling Street
5 Old Turnpike Rd &
Southington Ave
6 101 School Street
CCA 2 Am
7:40 Am
Start Time
Location
1 976 Flanders Road
2 215 Lazy Lane
3 65 Churchill St
4 175 Mountain Pond Rd
5 Central Christain
Academy (150)
CCA 2 Pm
2:45 Pm
Start Time
Location
1 Central Christain
Academy (150)
2 175 Mountain Pond Rd
3 65 Churchill St
4 215 Lazy Lane
5 541 Jude Ln
6 22 Zwicks Farm Road
E. C. Goodwin 1 Am
Start Time
6:41 Am
Location
1 Nbt Yard
2 925 Meriden Ave
3 Berkley Ave & Berlin St
4 Deepwood Dr (Slv) &
Pleasant St & Spring Lake Rd
5 Hobart St & Pleasant St
6 Harness Dr &
Tanglewood Dr
7 Baron Ct & Queen St
8 E.C Goodwinn (180)
E. C. Goodwin 1 Pm
2:10 Pm
Start Time
Location
1 E.C Goodwinn (180)
2 Laning St & Queen St
3 Flanders Rd & Harness
Dr
4 Baron Ct & Queen St
5 Juniper Rd & Meander
Ln
6 Hart St & Maplewood
Rd
7 Hilltop Dr &
Maplewood Rd
8 South Center St & West
Center St
9 Greenwood Dr &
Meriden Ave
10 Berlin St & Wheeler Vlg
11 Pleasant St & Spring
Lake Rd
12 Hobart St & Pleasant St
E. C. Goodwin 2 Am
6:39 Am
Start Time
Location
1 Nbt Yard
2 Burritt St & Georgetown
Condo Dr
3 168 Farmingberry
4 81 Old Mountain Rd
5 2194 MerWtby
6 Marion Ave & Tunxis
Path
7 65 Manor Rd
8 920 Mount Vernon Rd
9 Welch Rd & Westover Ln
10 E.C Goodwinn (180)
E. C. Goodwin 3 Am
Start Time
6:51 Am
Location
1 Nbt Yard
2 45 Elm Street
3 Prospect St & Summer
St
4 Cornerstone Ct & Main
St & Maple St
5 South Center St & West
Center St
6 Farmstead Rd & Hilltop
Dr
7 Hart St & Ridgewood Rd
8 Juniper Rd & Meander
Ln
9 79 Interstate Park Dr
10 Advent Camp Grounds
& Queen St & West Queen St
11 E.C Goodwinn (180)
E. C. Goodwin 2 Pm
2:15 Pm
Start Time
Location
1 E.C Goodwinn (180)
2 Interstate Park Dr &
Condo’s
3 Advent Camp Grounds
& Queen St & West Queen St
4 Welch Rd & Westover Ln
5 920 Mount Vernon Rd
6 Marion Ave & Tunxis
Path
7 Frost St & Manor Rd
8 168 Farmingberry
9 81 Old Mountain Rd
10 2194 MerWtby
11 Burritt St & Canal St
12 Grove St & Hillside Av
13 Prospect St & Summer
St
14 45 Elm Street
St Dominic’s 1 Am
7:10 Am
Start Time
Location
1 Nbt Yard
2 182 Budding Ridge
3 Savage St & Shweky Ln
4 676 Savage Street
5 92 Blue Hills Drive
6 306 Rockwwod Drive
7 635 Meriden Ave & East
St
8 Stonegate Rd & Windsor
Way
9 Foley Dr & Pepperidge
Dr
10 344 Andrews Street
11 912 Woodruff St
12 304 Flanders Road
13 St Dominic School (130)
St St Dominic’s 2 Am
7:11 Am
Start Time
Location
1 Nbt Yard
2 707 Prospect Street
3 535 Prospect Street
4 Vernondale Dr & West
Center St Ext
5 Valley Forge Ct &
Yorktown Rd
6 York Town Rd &
Deerbrooke Circle
7 Deerbrooke Cr &
Huckleberry Ln
8 Alder Ln & Huckleberry
Ln
9 Alder Ln & Dayton Dr
10 1920 Mount Vernon
Road
11 Brothers Way & Lady
Slipper Ln
12 257 Flanders St
13 Annelise Av & Olson Dr
14 St Dominic School (130)
St St Dominic’s 3 Am
Start Time
7:23 Am
Location
1 Nbt Yard
2 Buckland St & Nunzio
Dr
3 118 Milldale Avenue
4 164 Summitt Street
5 185 Berlin Avenue
6 284 Woodruff Street
7 46 Flanders Street
8 Fenwood Rd & Flanders
St
9 160 Flanders Street
10 Darling St &
Summerbrooke
11 February Dr & Pleasant
St
12 651 Flanders St
13 Flanders St & Hitching
Post Dr
14 320 Harness Drive
15 St Dominic School (130)
St Dominic’s 4 Am
7:14 Am
Start Time
Location
1 Nbt Yard
2 235 Shuttle Meadow Rd
3 Sherry Dr &
Wedgewood Rd
4 71 Wedgewood Road
5 192 Crest Rd
6 Fairway Rd & Highridge
Rd
7 Sheffield Pl &
Windermere Ridge Dr
8 Chesterwood Terr &
Windermere Ridge Dr
9 Chesterwood Terr &
Sheffield Pl
10 St Dominic School (130)
St Dominic’s 5 Am
7:14 Am
Start Time
Location
1 Nbt Yard
2 1022 Old Turnpike Road
3 60 Burritt St
4 356 Marion Avenue
5 Marion Ave & Tunxis
Path
6 Hart St & Holly Hill Dr
7 Hart St & Russet Ln
8 Hilltop Dr &
Maplewood Rd
9 Macintosh Way &
Pleasant St
10 Macintosh Way &
Pleasant St
11 David Dr & Johanna Cr
12 St Dominic School (130)
St Thomas 1 Am
7:01 Am
Start Time
Location
1 Nbt Yard
2 372 Kensington Ave.
3 Berlin St & Butternut Ln
4 Chesterwood Terr &
Windermere Ridge Dr
5 230 Pilgrim Ln
9/2/09db
6 Flanders St & Hitching
Post Dr
7 240 Flanders Street
8 36 Flanders Stree
9 St Thomas School (140)
St Thomas 2 Am
6:49 Am
Start Time
Location
1 Nbt Yard
2 1413 West St
3 Brothers Way &
Churchill St
4 Autumn Dr & Jude Ln
5 Deerbrooke Cr &
Foxcroft Ct
6 Valley Forge Ct &
Yorktown Rd
7 Meeker Rd & Merriman
Cr
8 Hitchcock Rd & Walkley
Dr
9 1015 Mt. Vernon
10 1138 West Center Street
Ext
11 86 Bishop Avenue
12 Mill St & North Summit
St
13 St Thomas School (140)
St Thomas 3 Am
Start Time
7:06 Am
Location
1 Nbt Yard
2 Shetland Dr & South
End Rd
3 Meriden Ave & Scenic
Dr
4 1112 Meriden Av
5 Savage St & Weiss Way
6 Rockwood Dr & Savage
St
7 Panorama Dr &
Rockwood Dr
8 Copper Ridge &
Ferncliff Dr
9 Rockwood Ct &
Rockwood Dr
10 Rockwood Dr &
Undermountain Xing
11 Metacomet View &
Valley View Ct
12 Meriden Ave &
Strawberry Ln
13 St Thomas School (140)
St Thomas 4 Am
6:59 Am
Start Time
Location
1 Nbt Yard
2 Clark St & Jennifer Lynn
Dr
3 Marion Ave & Tunxis
Path
4 590 Marion Avenu
5 Marion Ave & Pacer Ln
6 27 Roseanna Rd
7 315 Defashion St
8 96 Farmingberry Dr
9 Lagana Ave &
Mariondale Dr
10 246 Mt. Vernon R
11 Edgewood Cr &
Woodridge Ct
12 Kathryn Ln & Prospect
St
13 480 Prospect Str
14 St Thomas School (140)
St Thomas 5 Am
7:07 Am
Start Time
Location
1 Nbt Yard
2 214 Pratt St
3 Beechwood Dr & Glenn
Dr
4 Savage St & Sunset
Ridge Dr
5 South Plains Rd & Stuart
Dr
6 Buckland St & Nunzio
Dr
7 St Thomas School (140)
St Thomas 6 Am
6:51 Am
Start Time
Location
1 Nbt Yard
2 Laurel St & Rethal St
3 Masters Dr &
Pattonwood Dr
4 Brookwood Dr & Laning
St
5 Brookwood Dr &
Tanglewood Dr
6 Loper St & Pleasant St
7 78 Laning Street
8 Juniper Rd & Little Fawn
Rd
9 Hart St & West Ridge Rd
10 Ymca
11 Saint Thomas School
(140)
Wilcox 1 Am
Start Time
6:30 Am
Location
1 Nbt Yard
2 Dunham St & Laurel St
3 Flanders Rd & Malcein
Dr
4 Flanders Rd &
Hawthorne Dr
5 Wedgewood Rd & Wild
Oak Dr
6 Friar Ln & Woodruff St
7 Mooreland Dr &
Orchard Hill Dr
8 Savage St & Woodland
Dr
9 209 Merwtby Tpk
10 Wilcox Tech School
(190)
Wilcox 1 Pm
2:15 Am
Start Time
Location
1 Wilcox Tech School
(190)
2 Andrews St & Orchard
Hill Dr
3 Friar Ln & Woodruff St
4 East St & Foley Dr
5 Fox Run & Old State Rd
6 Arlington Dr & Cathy Dr
7 Cathy Dr & Spring Lake
Rd
8 Flanders Rd & Wild Oak
Dr
9 Flanders Rd &
Hawthorne Dr
10 Flanders Rd & Malcein
Dr
Wilcox 2 Am
6:34 Am
Start Time
Location
1 Nbt Yard
2 691 West Street
3 1616 Mount Vernon Rd
4 Mount Vernon Rd &
Winding Ridge Rd
5 Mount Vernon Rd &
Pennywise Ln
6 Mount Vernon Rd &
Prospect St
7 Mount Vernon Rd &
Sandra Ln
8 Frost St & Mount
Vernon Rd
9 200 Mount Vernon Rd
10 Clark St & Longo Dr
11 Old Turnpike Rd & Page
Farm Rd
12 Dorio Dr & Mulberry St
13 Evan Rd & Meriden
Waterbury Rd
14 Wilcox Tech School
(190)
Wilcox 2 Pm
2:15 Pm
Start Time
Location
1 Wilcox Tech School
(190)
2 740 East Johnson Ave
3 848 S End Rd
4 Mulberry St & South
End Rd
5 Carter Ln & Round Hill
Rd
6 173 Carter Lane
7 Old Turnpike Rd &
Southington Ave
8 Bristol St & Chestnut St
9 879 South Main St
(Ashton Woods Apt)
10 Old Turnpike Rd & Page
Farm Rd
11 Clark St & Longo Dr
12 169 Atwaterst#B
13 Marion Ave & Tunxis
Path
14 Frost St & Robindale Dr
15 Frost St & Mount
Vernon Rd
16 Mount Vernon Rd &
Sandra Ln
17 Mount Vernon Rd &
Prospect St
18 Mount Vernon Rd &
Pennywise Ln
19 Mount Vernon Rd &
Winding Ridge Rd
20 1616 Mount Vernon Rd
Wilcox 3 Am
Start Time
6:42 Am
Location
1 Nbt Yard
2 169 Atwaterst#B
3 Marion Ave & Tunxis
Path
4 Diana Rd & Marion Ave
& Wonx Spring Rd
5 Grove St & Main St
6 Bristol St & Brooks St
7 Old Turnpike Rd &
Southington Ave
8 173 Carter Lane
9 Carter Ln & Round Hill
Rd
10 Meriden Ave &
Strawberry Ln
11 Savage St & South End
Rd
12 South End Rd &
Meriden Waterbury Tpk
13 740 East Johnson Ave
14 Wilcox Tech (190)
Wilcox 3 Pm
2:15 Pm
Start Time
Location
1 Wilcox Tech (190)
2 209 Merwtby Tpk
3 Evan Rd & Meriden
Waterbury Tpk
4 Chapel Hill & Savage St
5 1139 Meriden
6 Savage St & Woodland
Dr
7 Meriden Ave &
Strawberry Ln
8 Berlin St & Celella Dr
9 Berlin St & Pleasant St
10 370 Woodruff St
11 Cedar Dr & Reussner Rd
12 Raynor St & West Center
St
13 Morningside Ln & West
St
14 691 West Street
15 Dunham St & Butler St
Wilcox 4 Am
6:35 Am
Start Time
Location
1 Nbt Yard
2 Morningside Ln & West
St
3 Raynor St & W Center St
4 Cedar Dr & Reussner Rd
5 370 Woodruff St
6 Cathy Dr & Spring Lake
Rd
7 Foley Dr & Pepperidge
Dr
8 Fox Run & Old State Rd
9 Arlington Dr & Berlin St
10 Berlin St & Butternut Ln
11 Berlin St & Celella Dr
12 1139 Meriden
13 Wilcox Tech (190)
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The Step Saver/ The Observer
Friday, August 26, 2011
TENTH ANNIVERSARY
REMEMBRANCE OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001
HONORING THE MEMORY OF THE
2,976 WHO DIED IN THE ATTACKS ON AMERICA
How YOU Participate
1. Pick up a 911 Memorial Star at any of
55 participating locations.*
2. Choose the name of a victim of September 11, 2001
whose memory you’ll honor.
3. Do an Act of Kindness. Charity, Prayer, or Good Deed
in that person’s memory.
4. Write the name of the victim on your star and
your good deed on the other side.
5. Return the STAR by August 31st to any drop off box
or participating location.*
* 911 Memorial Stars, Drop off Boxes and a list of
2,976 who died on 911
are located at many places of worship and at
participating organizations such as:
Southington Public Library, Town Hall,
Calendar House and Southington Community YMCA.
Brought To You By:
213 Spring Street, Southington, CT 06489 • 860-628-9645
www.Southington Observer.com • www.Bristol Observer.com
www.StepSaver.com
&
The Southington Remembers 911 Committee
consisting of
55 organizations and businesses.