The Berlin
Cit itiz ize en
Volume 14, Number 45
Berlin’s Only Hometown Newspaper
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Silver Ridge vets enjoy a special event in their honor By Maura Gaffney Special to The Citizen
Berlin’s Silver Ridge community held a special ceremony to honor its military veterans Oct. 30. The ceremony began at 11:11 a.m. as members of the Marine Corps League, Hardware City Detachment, raised the colors and conducted a rifle volley salute. Taps was played by Silver Ridge resident and Army veteran, David Kennedy. “Here at Silver Ridge we have 53 of 125 households who have a veteran, surviving spouse or child currently serving in the armed forces,” said John Nigro, master of ceremonies. “Collectively,
they have served in most of the wars in which the U.S. has been involved.” John Lynch, commandant of the Marine Corps League, Hardware City Detachment, and guest speaker for the event said, “I think this is a terrific program when the friends and neigh-
bors of veterans get together to honor them.” Speaking in particular about the World War II veterans, and noting that many of them were barely out of their teens when they served, he said, “These men and women did extraordinary things. It’s my feeling that the war was a big part of their lives. It shaped them. What they saw and what they did shaped the
WAVES helped pave way for today’s women in uniform By Maura Gaffney Special to The Citizen When Mary Ann Goodell decided to join the Navy in 1948, at age 20, her friends tried to talk her out of it. “Mary Ann, nice girls don’t join the service,” they said. Goodell and many women like her disregarded such views and proudly went on to serve their country. Today, Goodell, an 81 year-old Berlin resident, is a member of WAVES National, an organization for women who have served or are currently serving in the nation’s sea services (Navy, Marines and Coast Guard). Goodell and her fellow WAVES share a unique experience that deserves
Photo by Maura Gaffney
Marine Corps League, Hardware City Detachment, offers a rifle volley salute in honor of veterans who reSee Event, page 11 side at Silver Ridge.
Hollywood career seemed inevitable for this BHS grad By Olivia L. Lawrence The Berlin Citizen
Photo by Maura Gaffney
WAVES reunite at Berlin’s 2010 Memorial Day parade. From left: Shirley Noel of Wethersfield, Mary Ann Goodell of Berlin, Barbara Crede of Newington. recognition on Veterans Day. Women were first allowed to enlist in the Navy
in 1917 during World War I. They served mostly in clerSee WAVES, page 7
While the Tinsel Town press may call him a “Hollywood Hottie” and a “ H o l l y h u n k ” , Austin Stow- Stowell ell just laughs. He knows his acting chops are legitimate and his career goals solid. Stowell grew up in Berlin and went to Berlin High School, graduating in 2003. These days he stars as Jesse on ABC Family’s The Secret Life of an American Teenager, a “teen soap opera” that recently had Bristol Palin as a guest. Even more exciting
is “a really big break” Stowell got when he landed a pivotal role in a feature film set for a September 2011 release: a Dolphin’s Tale with Ashley Judd, Morgan Freeman and Harry Connick Jr. And according to industry buzz, this is just the beginning for Stowell who is being compared to established heartthrobs such as Robert Pattison and Zac Effron. Although he has dazzled more than one producer during his young career, in a recent interview with The Citizen, Stowell fondly recalled his humble beginnings. “I got my first big role playing Santa Claus in my secondgrade class with Mrs. Salina. We still chat around holi-
See Hollywood, page 26