The Southington
Cit itii zen
Volume 7, Number 7
Southington’s Only Hometown Newspaper
Friday, Februar y 12, 2010
And now for a taste of something completely different By Zachary Janowski The Southington Citizen
Mike Gibney left the restaurant business 20 years ago for corporate America. Now he is back, bringing a style of grilling from Uruguay to 142 Center St. with his restaurant, Asado. Gibney met Asado chef Kurt Miller in Colorado where a friend’s introduction created the seed for their restaurant. “I was looking for a restaurant that was a little bit different from what we are used to seeing,” Gibney said. “This fit right in with that objective.” “I thought it was that different that it was worthy of bringing back to Southington,” he explained. Gibney, along with his wife and co-
Asado serves entrees of just about anything grilled. Everything is served with chimichurri, a mixture of oil and herbs chef Kurt Miller said “replaced A1” on his dinner table. owner Trish, is a longtime Southington resident. Miller explained that in South America, particularly See Taste, page 46
School officials look for opinions on redistricting
Citizen photos by Zachary Janowski
By Zachary Janowski The Southington Citizen
The Southington Board of Education and school officials will host a series of public hearings to gather public input from families expected to be impacted by redistricting plans. According to school officials, the redistricting plan
Inside Faith ................................10 Health..............................37 Marketplace ....................46 Obituaries ........................11 Opinion............................18 Real Estate .....................45 Schools ...........................27 Seniors............................36 Sports..............................29
will affect four elementary schools: Plantsville, South End, Derynoski and Strong. “The redistricting proposal is necessary due to the expansion and renovation of Plantsville Elementary School and the new construction of South End Elementary School,” the board of education said in a statement. Letters sent to parents cite overcrowding at Strong and Derynoski. There will be a hearing Monday, Feb. 22, at Plantsville Elementary, Wednesday, Feb. 24, at South End Elementary, Tuesday, March 2, at Strong Elementary and Tuesday March 9 at Derynoski Elementary. All hearings will be held at 7
See Redistricting, page 12
The wood fire at Asado creates a pleasant ambience. It also makes the hot embers that cook all the food at the new restaurant on Center Street.
Rumors confirmed: Shop Rite coming to Queen Street By Mary Ellen Godin Special to The Citizen A family-owned Meriden supermarket is expanding its reach in central Connecticut by opening a second store, at 750 Queen St. The Drust family is opening its second Shop Rite in the former Shaw’s plaza, where town officials hope the 60,000-square-foot supermarket can pump some
new life into the property. Shaw’s closed in 2006 and Bernie’s electronics and appliances dealt a heavy blow when it closed last month. Rumors about Shop Rite coming to town have spread throughout town for the past month, with town and business representatives hopeful the store could help revive the plaza. “This is very good news,” said Arthur Secondo, presi-
dent of the Southington Chamber of Commerce. “We’ve been awaiting confirmation of this for some time. We’re happy to see that this plaza will still have life. It’s good for this town and it’s good for the businesses still located in the plaza.” Secondo said Queen
See Shop Rite, page 4