March 2011 North Central News

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Town Will Lose Veteran Employees to Retirement

By Linda Tishler Levinson STAFFORD — The face of Town Hall is about to have a few changes.

Beginning March 31, the first of three town officials will be retiring. Treasurer Darlene Dion will leave her position that day. Tax Collector Cheryl Vail and Town Clerk Carol Davis are not seeking re-election and will retire when their successors take office. A new tax collector will take office after the November elections. A new town clerk will take office on Jan. 2, 2012. “They’ve been the pillars of our Town Hall administration for years,� First Selectman Michael Krol said. “There’s no replacing all their years of experience and hard work.�

Krol added that each has trained their staffs well, and he is confident things will

continue to run smoothly. These three, however, have been the people the town has relied on to keep everything together for years, he said.

Vail has been tax collector for 25 years.

She began working for the town as a parttime employee for the Water Pollution Control Authority. “It was a bittersweet decision,â€? Vail said of her choice to retire after this election. “We’re all pleased that the people in town have faith in us ‌ I think being a public servant is an honorable profession.â€?

Vail has lived in town all her life. She is the treasurer and a past president of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Italian Benefit Society and is involved in local sporting events. She and her husband, Brian, who is

TOWN/page 27

Citizen of the Year Nominations Sought EAST WINDSOR - The East Windsor Rotary Club is accepting nominations from all East Windsor residents for the annual Citizen of the Year Award.

Nominees must be residents of East Windsor.

The award is given for service to the community.

In past years, awards have been given to persons who have made significant contributions to the youth of the town including

scouting, sports 4H programs, public safety, public services, service to citizens , and contributions to the general welfare of the entire community. The Citizen of the Year Celebration Dinner will be held on April 21.

Nominations letters should be mailed to Dale Nelson, 51 Omelia Rd, Broad Brook, CT 06016 or e-mail dalenelson1@cox.net.

Letters must be received by Friday, March 11.

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Retiring from Town Hall in the next several months are, from left, Town Clerk Carol Davis, Tax Collector Cheryl Vail and Treasurer Darlene Dion.

Photo by Linda Tishler Levinson

In This Issue â&#x20AC;˘ PEOPLE: 5-year-old honored for work for March of Dimes ............p. 3 â&#x20AC;˘ REGIONAL: St. Martha School names honor roll students..............................p. 4 â&#x20AC;˘ BUSINESS: Course can help small businesses decipher the Web ......p. 5 â&#x20AC;˘ EAST WINDSOR: Departments are submitting tight budgets ............p. 6 â&#x20AC;˘ EAST WINDSOR: Senior center offers extensive programs ..........p. 8 â&#x20AC;˘ ELLINGTON: Grand list changes could mean higher taxes............................p. 9

â&#x20AC;˘ ELLINGTON: EMS tackles tough issue of school bullying ............p. 13 â&#x20AC;˘ ELLINGTON: Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s club bringing â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Elvisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to town......................p. 14 â&#x20AC;˘ SOMERS: Motor vehicles drive growth of townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grand list ........................p. 15 â&#x20AC;˘ SOMERS: Somers Academy - The Grammar School Is 30....................p. 22 â&#x20AC;˘ STAFFORD: Top 10 announced on townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest grand list ................p. 30 â&#x20AC;˘ STAFFORD: Baseball legends come to Stafford to raise funds....................p. 31 â&#x20AC;˘ AUTO: Hyundai turns 25............p. 33 â&#x20AC;˘ CLASSIFIEDS:....................pp. 34-35

â&#x20AC;˘ NEXT ISSUE â&#x20AC;˘ DEADLINE: March 25, 2011 Spring Spectacular/School Break

(860) 698-0020 www.thenorthcentralnews.com

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North Central Publishing, LLC dba

The North Central News P.O. Box 427 Somers, CT 06071 PHONE: 860.698.0020 FAX: 860.394.4262 E-MAIL: NorthCentralNews@aol.com WEBSITE: www.thenorthcentralnews.com

PUBLISHER/EDITOR Gary Carra CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Barbara Bresnahan Keith Griffin Linda Tishler-Levinson Deborah Stauffer PHOTOGRAPHERS David Butler II Stacey Lyn McDonald ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Gary Carra Sr. Amy Hartenstein Joan Hornbuckle CIRCULATION

Georgia Michalec PUBLISHERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S POLICY: The information presented in the North Central News is presented for your consideration and does not necessarily represent the views of the publisher or its advertisers.

All information is checked for accuracy but cannot be guaranteed. Liability for errors in advertising is limited to rerun of the ad. Errors in advertising should be brought to the attention of the publisher, in writing, within seven days of publication for appropriate credit.

Page 3

People Five-Year-Old Named â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Top Youth Walkerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; SOMERS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Cooper Anthony Schechterle of Somers was honored with the 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Trevor Palonen Top Youth Walker Awardâ&#x20AC;? by the March of Dimes Connecticut Chapter at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Spirit of Giving Celebration at the New Haven Lawn Club. The evening celebrated the Chapterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s volunteers, donors and sponsors, and honored eight individuals as â&#x20AC;&#x153;2010 Volunteers of Excellence.â&#x20AC;?

Cooper, born three months early and now a happy and healthy 5-year-old, led his March for Babies team, Cooperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mission, in 2010 and became the top youth walker in the state for his efforts.

With support from his parents, events like â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cooperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Crop,â&#x20AC;? a scrapbooking event, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cooperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Classic,â&#x20AC;? an annual golf tournament, help raise awareness and funds for the March of Dimes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cooper was destined to be a March of Dimes volunteer and walker before he was even born. His mother, Melissa, as owner of a child early-learning center, for years participated in WalkAmerica, now March for Babies. Little did she know the mission would come to impact her and her husband so personally,â&#x20AC;? said Carrie Fuller, State Director of the March of Dimes Connecticut Chapter. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As soon as he could talk he could say â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;March of Dimesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and as soon as he learned to write he was writing â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;March of Dimes.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; He has understood from a very young age the importance of giving back and wants to help give other babies the healthy start that he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have,â&#x20AC;? said Michael Botelho, chair, March of Dimes Connecticut Chapter Board of Directors.

The Top Youth Walker Award was established in 2006 to honor a special young man in Plainfield - Trevor Palonen. For 12 years Trevor, with his family by his side, participated in March for Babies, then WalkAmerica, and since 1995 had been the top youth walker in the state. Sadly, Trevor passed away at age 16 in May 2006. Trevorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spirit and will to live continue to serve as an inspiration to all who knew him, and the March of Dimes will always remember Trevor as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;hero for babies.â&#x20AC;?

Ayer makes Deansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; List at Gettysburg College GETTYSBURG, PA - Peter Ayer of Vernon, a senior at Gettysburg College, has been placed on the Deansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Commendation List for outstanding academic achievement in the Fall 2010.

Gettysburg College students with a quality point average of 3.33 or higher for a semesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work are placed on the Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Deansâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; Commendation List.

The volunteer celebration was held on Jan. 30, the birthday of March of Dimes founder President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. â&#x20AC;&#x153;March of Dimes was founded on the principal that by all Americans joining together to raise money and awareness for a cause, the seemingly impossible â&#x20AC;&#x201C; curing the dreaded disease of polio â&#x20AC;&#x201C; became possible,â&#x20AC;? said Botelho. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Today, volunteers in Connecticut and around the nation are just as passionate â&#x20AC;&#x201C; passionate about the health of our babies, and how working together we will see the day when all babies have a healthy start.â&#x20AC;?

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org. Find it on Facebook and follow it on Twitter.

Cooper Schechterle is presented the 2010 March of Dimes Connecticut Chapter â&#x20AC;&#x153;Top Youth Walker Awardâ&#x20AC;? by Carrie Fuller, Connecticut Chapter State Director.

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March 2011 North Central News

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Student News Saint Martha School Announces Second Quarter Honor Roll ENFIELD - The following students were named to the second quarter honor roll at Saint Martha School.

Grade 8 High Honors Maria Bernier Olivia Caronna Lindsay Hayden Gina Holmes Rebecca Kaliff Angela Keene Megan Phillips Laura Scanlon Lindsay Veilleux Grade 7 High Honors Mary Baumann Maeve Fearon Madeline Laramee Bridget Logan Grade 6 High Honors Leanna Beaulieu Ethan Clarke Apurva Gangakhedkar Sarah McGuinness Kennedy O’Hara Noah Veilleux Grade 5 High Honors Nicholas Good Elijah Smyth Grade 4 High Honors Joseph DeVito Tabitha Hinkle Isabella Laramee

Amy Mistri Melissa Scanlon Christopher Sniffin Grade 8 Honors David Barbalich Bailee Crisinati Aileen Fearon Dylan Mazzarella John Tittarelli Grade 7 Honors Thomas Angell Peter Barbalich Spencer Lizotte James McKinney Jonathan Viveiros Grade 6 Honors Christine Becher Tabetha Benjamin Rachel Briggs James Cartsounis Diego Claudio Enrique Claudio Natasha Claudio Ellen Lambert Veronica Moore Katherine Phillips Maansi Aghera Colin Wright Grade 5 Honors William Carlander Rachel Cutter

Scantic River Watershed Association Scholarships ENFIELD - The Scantic River Watershed will be offering a $500 scholarship to graduating seniors from the following towns: Somers, Enfield and East Windsor.

In keeping with the association’s mission to protect and preserve the natural resources of the river the student must have selected one of the following majors: environmental studies/conservation, wildlife conservation or wildlife biology, entomology, fisheries, or forestry. Further information can be obtained from the various high schools’ guidance departments, on the SRWA website www.srwa.org or by contacting the Scholarship Chairman

Serving Corned Beef, Cabbage and Green Beer Thursday, March 17 Monday-Fri HAPPY HOUR 4 pm-6 pm 1/2 price appetizers, $2 Bud Light and Coors Light

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Elizabeth Lagasse Grade 7 Iva Sinai Grade 6 Jordan Corriveau Allison Hayden Anthony Wondoloski Grade 5 John Guzie Megan Rooney Grade 4 Alyona Angell Shelby Arcouette Jasmine Yard

Grade 4 Honors Nihal Baiju Joseph Bishop Nikolis Ford Michael Kaliff Rachel Lagasse Ciara Logan Erin McGuinness Sophie Veilleux Principal’s Outstanding Effort Grade 8 Mary Jablow Terence McNair Haley Soltys

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Judith Snyder at judith.gs10@gmail.com.

The association hosts a variety of activities throughout the year, including the Scantic Spring Splash, hikes along the newly established greenways, moonlight paddles during the summer months along with a trip down a portion of the Connecticut River.

In April the Conservation Committee will be holding a Streamwalk Program that will be open to volunteers for collecting data from the different sections of the river. Please consult its website for further details or watch your local newspaper for updates on this program.

Woman’s Club of Enfield Offers Scholarships ENFIELD - The Woman’s Club of Enfield is offering scholarships to graduating senior girls from both Enfield High School and Fermi High School. To qualify for these scholarships, a girl must have attended one of these high schools for her entire senior year, be in the upper 20 percent of her class, and been accepted at a four-year college or university.

The Phyllis Berger Memorial Scholarship is offered to business students

only. The qualifications are the same as above, except that she must have been accepted at either a two-year or four-year business school.

Scholarship applications may be obtained from the guidance office at either high school and must be returned to that office by April 7.

If further information is needed, please contact Linda Scavotto at 860-749-3872.

DINNER

With purchase of $30 or more Dine-In Only • 1 coupon per visit.

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Enfield/Scitico, CT

(860) 763-1909 Bloomfield, CT • (860) 286-9801 East Hartford, CT • (860) 291-8484 Enfield, CT • (860) 253-9521 *24 Hours Bristol, CT • (860) 585-6400

4 North Central News March 2011

Windsor, CT • (860) 688-4200 Chicopee, MA • (413) 533-6167 West Springfield, MA • (413) 746-2677

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Business Course Available to Help Businesses Create a Web Presence ENFIELD - When it comes to having a presence on the Web, does your business really know where to start or do you just think you do?

In this ultra-competitive economy your business needs to have a Web presence even more than you need a phone number.

Asnuntuck Community College is offering a four-session course intended to give businesses a thorough understanding of everything they need to create a complete Web presence. It covers registering a domain name, using free

Web templates and free WYSIWYG software to quickly and easily get your website built, learning about different hosting options, making your site visible to search engines like Google, embedding streaming video and presentations, incorporating Acrobat PDFs, and creating and maintaining blogs.

The only prerequisite is that students need to be literate with Windows or Macintosh platforms and Internet browsing, as well as possess familiarity with MSOffice and have an e-mail account.

Villariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Martial Arts Center Fundraiser Benefits Network Against Domestic Abuse ENFIELD â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Andrew Schlechtweg, Chief Instructor at Villariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Martial Arts, believes that the ability to defend oneself against an attack is a basic human right.

With that philosophy in mind, the studio offered a seminar on Feb. 12 that taught participants basic self-defense skills, and then donated 100 percent of the registration fee to the Network Against Domestic Abuse.

Schlechtweg said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Villariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Martial Arts Center is eager to serve the community and help a good cause. We feel that martial arts can help anyone discover their full potential. Our students learn selfdefense and build confidence. They learn

to feel confident in any situation. This is the best way to prevent violence.â&#x20AC;?

The participants walked away feeling confident, empowered and energized. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel much safer now,â&#x20AC;? remarked participant Stephanie Bourbeau. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure I would know what to do if someone attacked me, and I think I have a much better chance of getting away. Just having that confidence might make an attacker think twice!â&#x20AC;?

The group was also pleased to have helped out the Network Against Domestic Abuse, an organization that believes every person has the right to live in a safe, unthreatening environment.

The instructor will be Don Berry M.S., who has more than a decade of experience with a variety of Internet technologies. This course is limited to 17 students so please register early to be assured of a spot.

The collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s workforce development and continuing education department is offering this course on Mondays from April 4 through April 25. The fee is $75 for each session.

For more information about registering visit the website at www.acc.commnet.edu or call 860-253-3034.

Conley Joins Kahan Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill Realty VERNON - Kahan Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill Realty, 54 Hartford Turnpike, Vernon, has announced Pat Conley has joined its team. A longtime resident of East Granby, Conley has been a successful full-time realtor in Connecticut, serving Hartford and Tolland counties for 25 years.

Prior to real estate, Conley served in the

military for eight years, which provided him with the experience and knowledge that serves him well in his real estate practice today and that is to value customer service above all.

Call Conley for your next real estate adventure at 860-643-6363 or e-mail him at PatWorks4U@aol.com.

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March 2011 North Central News

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East Windsor Departments Submitting Conservative Budget Increases

By Linda Tishler Levinson EAST WINDSOR — A slight increase in the town’s 2010 grand list may help the town as it goes into a difficult budget season.

“Most of the budgets that came in were very conservative,” First Selectman Denise Menard said, adding that the Board of Finance appeared pleased with the requests.

The net grand list, the list of all taxable property in town, came in at $1.08 billion, an increase of $4.3 million or 0.4 percent over the 2009 grand list.

“It will hopefully keep our head above water,” Menard

said of the increase, adding that a lot will depend on the state budget. Real estate rose to $929.6 million, an increase of $2 million or 0.2 percent. Personal property came in at $70 million, a decrease of $434,377 or 0.6 percent. Motor vehicles rose to $82.8 million, an increase of $2.7 million or 3.4 percent.

The town’s top 10 taxpayers and their assessments are: Southern Auto Sales, Inc. & Related Entities, $25,607,560.

The Mansions at Canyon Ridge LLC, $17,434,010.

Connecticut Water Co., $15,070,300.

Musical Fundraiser For Opera House Players

Lions Farmers Breakfast Aids Local Charities EAST WINDSOR - The annual Farmers Breakfast sponsored by the East Windsor Lions Club will take place on Sunday, March 20, from 8 a.m. to noon at East Windsor High School on South Main Street, Route 5, East Windsor.

The menu consists of pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, hash browns, Dee’s famous biscuits, apple pie and beverages.

The cost will be $7 for adults, $6 for seniors, $3 for children ages 3-12 and free to children under 3. Tickets can be purchased at the door.

The proceeds of the breakfast will enable the East Windsor Lions Club to

fund high school scholarships, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts projects, Visiting Nurse projects, Fidelco guide dogs, the CT Lions Eye Research Center at Yale, the research center at UConn, the CT Lions Low Vision Center, the East Windsor Five Corner Cupboard Food Pantry and many more charities too numerous to mention.

The Farmers Breakfast has been held for many years and it is through the continued support of the community that it has proven to be successful every year.

For more information, call 860-6277871 or 860-623-0669.

online .... all the time www.thenorthcentralnews.com

Millpond Limited Partnership, $13,733,070.

Balch Bridge Street Corp. & Related Entities, $11,170,642.

Blue Dog Properties Trust, $11,140,280.

East Windsor Properties Limited Partnership, $9,450,380.

Fremont Prospect Hill Road LLC, $9,269,320.

Wyndwood Apartments Connecticut Ltd Partnership, $9,104,030.

Connecticut Light & Power Co. & Related Entities, $8,767,900.

EAST WINDSOR - A special, oneweekend-only fundraiser will be presented on Friday, March 11, and Saturday, March 12, at 8 p.m. at the Broad Brook Opera House, 107 Main St., Broad Brook. “Heart & Music” is an original musical revue about the pain of loss and learning to let go. See this unique story unfold with songs from shows like “Next to Normal,” “Spamalot,” “Grease,” and more. All tickets are $20 (rush seating) and will benefit the Opera House Players, a non-profit community theater group, and The Jimmy Fund. Tickets are available by calling the box office at 860-292-6068 or can be purchased online at www.operahouseplayers.org.

The Opera House Players’ 2010-2011 season will conclude with the huge musical “Ragtime” from May 6 to 22. The his-

toric Broad Brook Opera House is an intimate venue with seating for 170 where patrons enjoy air-conditioned comfort, a new professional sound system and floor lighting, and a variety of concessions.

Final Day for Fuel Delivery Assistance EAST WINDSOR - Town of East Windsor-Department of Human ServicesEnergy Assistance participants for the 2010/2011 winter season need to request their final delivery of fuel by March 15.

Community Renewal Team (CRT) will not honor and/or pay for any fuel authorizations after March 15. Requests can be placed with CRT at 860-560-5800. Check with your vendor on the minimum delivery required.

ED’s Rare Coin and Jewelry Trader Buying and Selling in 2 Locations.

42 Bridge St., East Windsor, CT (860)654-0188 • (860)966-9064 174 North Main St., East Longmeadow, MA (413)525-2299 We buy and sell Old Coins, US, Canadian dian and and Fo Foreign. oreign.

Stamp Collections, Silver Flatware, Jewelry, welry, Watches Watcchess aand nd have been been n Pocket Watches and other collectables.. We have buying for 35 years and have a large collector ollecttor base base which allows us to pay a much higher price.

Some Prices Paid (based on current market) $21 per US Dollar for Pre 1964 US Coins $300 - $2000 for Sterling Flatware Up to $1200 for pocket watches $1400 and Up for $20 gold coins.

6 North Central News March 2011

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East Windsor Parks and Recreation Offers Zumba, Yoga and Limericks in March gram information for our spring and summer programs. Please visit our website at www.eastwindsor-ct.gov for up-to-date information.

ZUMBA CLASSES: New from the EW Parks and Recreation Department is Zumba with Kim Goulet. This session will run for eight weeks. Classes are being held at the Town Hall Annex, 25 School St., from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Participants should bring a water bottle, towel and wear sneakers. Monday classes:

Couple Donate Pet Saving Equipment The Broad Brook and Warehouse Point Fire Departments recently received a potential lifesaving tool for homeowners' pets. It is called "O2 Fur Life" pet oxygen masks and is made by Wag'N Enterprises LLC. The fire departments were approached by Larry and Kathy Tauro of Broad Brook and asked if they had this type of emergency equipment for pets. After learning the departments didn't carry such equipment, they said that they were animal lovers and wanted to donate these pet oxygen masks, one to each department in case of such emergencies where the department needed to help save someone's pets. From left to right are Asst. Chief Tom Arcari, Chief Jim Barton, firefighter Tony Dimastrantonio, Kathy and Larry Tauro, Chief Dave Lockwood, and Deputy Chief Jerry Bancroft.

42nd Annual

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Planning * Preparation * Representation for: Individuals * Partnerships * Corporations * Estates & Trust For an Appointment call: 860-623-4682 Have your taxes prepared by an â&#x20AC;&#x153;Enrolled Agentâ&#x20AC;?.

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$7.50 each. The unrestricted ticket is good for one box office admission with no expiration date.

Tickets must be used at a Rave motion picture theater. Please call the Parks and Rec. Dept. with any questions at 860-6276662.

Limerick Contest: The East Windsor Parks and Recreation Department is once again sponsoring a Limerick Contest. This contest is open to East Windsor Residents only!

Create a limerick about springtime in East Windsor. The limerick must be five lines. Lines 1, 2, and 5 must rhyme with one another; lines 3 and 4 must rhyme with each other as well.

Age groups: Grades K-1, Grades 2-4, Grades 5-8, Grades 9-12. Adults ages 18 and up. Prizes awarded to each age group.

Entries must be received by March 11.

Winning entries will be displayed at Town Hall.

Drop entries in the Parks & Recreation drop boxes at each school, the Town Hall, the Town Hall Annex at 25 School St., and outside the Parks & Recreation Office, East Windsor High School, 76 South Main St./Route 5.

Please call the Parks & Recreation Office at 860-627-6662 with any questions.

Think Spring!

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March 14 to May 2; Wednesday classes: March 16 to May 4.

Please register through the Parks and Recreation by mail: 11 Rye St., Broad Brook, CT 06016, or using one of our drop boxes at Town Hall, Town Hall Annex and all East Windsor schools. Checks should be made payable to Kim Goulet. Space is limited; early sign-up is encouraged.

FINAL SIGN-UP is due by March 8.

Cost for the eight-week session: $35 for once a week or $60 for twice a week. Daily walk-ins are $5 per class. Please call the Parks and Recreation Dept. at 860-627-6662 with any questions.

Yoga with Diane and Maria: Parks and Recreation Department will offer an eightweek session of yoga classes at EW High School, Room D4. All classes will be held from 6:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday classes: March 14 to May 9, with no class April 18. Thursday classes: March 16 to May 11, with no class April 20.

Cost is $25 for one class per week, $40 for both classes each week. Checks should be made payable to Diane LeMay. Please register through the Parks and Recreation Office.

Discount Movie Tickets: Parks and Recreation will once again be selling Directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Club discount movie tickets for

NEW LOW Admission Price

EAST WINDSOR - The East Windsor Parks and Recreation Department will be offering a number of programs for all to enjoy.

To ensure that we can continue to offer these programs please register EARLY as we have to cancel the program if there is not sufficient enrollment. Please donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hesitate to offer suggestions on programs you would like to see implemented in our town.

We will also be sending out fliers on other programs not listed and specific pro-

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East Windsor Senior Services Offers Law Program, Eye Care and Trips EAST WINDSOR - The East Windsor Senior Center is the focal point for East Windsor residents, 60 years of age or older, who seek out Recreational, Social and Educational programs as well as Transportation and Nutritional services.

We strive to promote the socialization, independence, self-sufficiency, and community involvement of our senior citizens.

If you have any comments or questions please call 860-292-8262 or e-mail mprior@eastwindsorct.com You can download the center’s monthly Senior Services Events & Activities calendar and lunch menu by going to www.eastwindsorct.com – select town departments & agencies and then scroll down to Senior Services.

Looking for a good book to read or a movie to watch? How about a puzzle to keep you busy on these cold days? Stop in the center to check out our extensive collection of books, movies and puzzles, all of which are available for the borrowing.

The East Windsor Senior Center in conjunction with AARP is now offering FREE tax assistance. This service is available to anyone 60 years of age or older. We are able to do simple returns only and everything is done electronically. We can accommodate the homebound.

Appointments are available on Thursdays

from 9 a.m.-noon now through the first week of April. Please call the office if you are interested in this free service.

UPCOMING EVENTS Join us for our new monthly Elder Law program held on the second Tuesday of every month. We will have an attorney from the law office of Kraner & Hess here for private one-on-one consultations on Tuesday, March 8, from 12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m. If you would like an appointment, please call the office.

On Wednesday, March 9, we will have Primary Eye Care at the center to play Eye Care Bingo. Learn about cataracts, glaucoma, eye lid surgery, dry eyes, and macular degeneration. We will have optical coupons, snacks, prizes, and free giveaways! Complimentary eyeglass adjustments will be available that day.

On Monday, March 14, we will have Melissa Green from the East Windsor Parks & Recreation Department at the center for her monthly craft program from 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m. This month our craft theme will be St. Patrick’s Day. You can sign up early for this very popular program by calling the center.

Join us on Tuesday, March 15, as we have Margaret Hale of ITN North Central Transportation at the center for a seminar on what ITN has to offer the seniors of

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East Windsor. Margaret will be at the center from 11 a.m. to noon.

Join us at the center on Tuesday, March 22, from 11 a.m. to noon as Ann Marie Kebschull from the Warehouse Point Library gives us a presentation on what new programs and activities the library has to offer.

Come out and support our team at the East Windsor Education Foundation’s third annual Community Spelling Bee Fundraiser. This year the Spelling Bee will be held on Thursday, March 24, at La Notte Restaurant. We still have openings for team members and for members of our cheering team. Call the center to sign up or if you have any questions.

Join us on Thursday, March 24, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for our monthly Birthday Social. This month we will be entertained

by Perfect Partners. This husband and wife duo promises a good time with good oldfashioned fun. Please call Janet at 860292-8279 to make your reservation.

Join us as for a morning movie and muffin on Tuesday, March 29, at 9:45 a.m.

We will be showing “Get Smart,” starring Anne Hathaway and Steve Carrell.

American Maxwell Smart (Carell) works for a government spy agency in an administrative capacity. When the agency’s head office is attacked, the chief decides to

assign Maxwell as a spy and partners him with sexy Agent 99 (Hathaway), much to her chagrin. The duo nevertheless sets off to combat their attackers by first parachuting off an airplane and landing in Russian territory, followed closely by an over 7foot-tall, 400-pound goon known simply as Dalip. The duo, handicapped by Maxwell’s antics, will eventually have their identities compromised, and may be chalked up as casualties, while back in America their attackers have already planted a bomb that is set up to explode at a concert.

The center will host the AARP Safety Driving Program on Wednesday, April 6, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This course focuses on up-to-date rules of the road and other pertinent information. The cost is $12 for AARP members and $14 for non-members to cover program materials.

Most insurance companies do offer a discount to seniors who complete the program. If you are interested, please call the office to sign up. Make checks payable to AARP. TRIPS We will be taking a trip to HollyBerry Gift Shop and Belvedere Polish Deli located right here in East Windsor on Friday, March 4. We will leave the center at 10:45 a.m. and return at 1:30 p.m.

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Individual Taxes Business Taxes IRS Representation Accounting & Auditing Bookkeeping Payroll 8 North Central News March 2011

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Ellington Revaluation of Grand List Could Mean Higher Taxes

By Linda Tishler Levinson ELLINGTON — It is no surprise to many that property values have fallen during the recession. Town taxpayers, however, may be surprised when they realize the effect that could have on their property tax assessments and possibly their tax bills this summer.

The 2010 grand list, the total of all taxable property in town, came in at $1.24 billion, a decrease of $21 million or 1.67 percent compared to the 2009 grand list.

“Most of the decrease is because of the revaluation itself,” First Selectman Maurice Blanchette said.

Revaluation is the process of updating the fair market value of each parcel of real estate in town and adjusting tax assessments accordingly. The town was required by state statute to perform the revaluation.

“The values used for the 2009 grand list were based on the prior revaluation, which was implemented for the 2005 grand list. The real estate market went through some changes in the five-year period between our revaluations,” Assessor Rhonda McCarty said in a memo to the boards

of Selectmen and Finance.

“The Board of Finance will have to take that into account when setting rates,” Blanchette said. He said that for property tax revenues to even remain the same as the current fiscal year, the mill rate would have to increase for the 2011-2012 fiscal year.

A mill rate increase would not necessarily mean a tax hike, since those are figured based on property assessments, the majority of which have been reduced by the revaluation. A mill equals $1 of property tax for each $1,000 of assessed property value.

The real estate portion of the grand list is $1.09 billion, down $26.1 million, a 2.33 percent decrease.

The personal property list is $38.6 million, a decrease of $1.56 million or 3.88 percent.

The motor vehicle list, at $109.9 million, increased by $6.6 million or 6.39 percent.

The town’s top 10 taxpayers and their assessments are: Deer Valley LLC, $22,039,640.

Autumn Chase LLC, $18,035,270.

Ellington Community Scholarship Association Phone-a-Thon ELLINGTON - The Ellington Community Scholarship Association will be conducting its 29th annual Phone-athon on March 21, 28 and 29 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Gathered at the Ellington High School guidance department or the Board of Education offices, dozens of students and adults will be calling residents seeking taxdeductible contributions to help high school seniors in Ellington continue their education.

Established in 1959, ECSA is a chapter of Dollars for

Scholars (a four star Charity Navigator organization) and oversees many permanent funds as well as the general funds raised each year from hundreds of alumni, residents and businesses who offer financial support for education.

Anyone who is not contacted during the phone-a-thon, but who wishes to contribute, can send a donation to ESCA, P.O. Box 54, Ellington, CT 06029. Those interested in establishing a permanent fund may inquire at the same address.

Cornerstone Ellington LLC, $10,236,380.

The Connecticut Water Co., $8,384,330.

The Connecticut Light and Power Co., $7,939,760.

Cornfield Associates Limited Partnership, $6,711,890.

Johnny Appleseed LLC, $4,553,150.

GPT-High Meadow LLC, $4,402,500.

Meadowbrook Apartments LLC, $4,268,730.

Quantum of Ellington II LLC, $3,819,380.

Friends of Library Seek Books ELLINGTON - The Ellington Friends of Hall Memorial Library are seeking donations of books in good condition for their Spring Bag of Books Sale and for the Book Cellar. The library is located at 93 Main St. in Ellington Center. Donations of good used books, CDs, DVDs, puzzles and audio books are accepted at the library whenever the library is open. It cannot accept textbooks, magazines, condensed books, books with smoke odors or other books unsuitable for resale.

Membership in the Friends of the Library is open to all and offers opportunities to support the library. The proceeds of the sale will provide programs and materials to the library that would not otherwise be available.

The Friends of the Library operate a bookstore at the library four times week. They offer new and gently used books and other media. The hours are Monday 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to noon and Sunday 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, please call the library at 860870-3160.

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Regional Full Of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Good Cheerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ELLINTON - The Ellington Knights (immediate left) and six other local cheerleading squads, including Somers Spartans (Page 10), participated in the yearly North Central Connecticut Conference championship competition, which was held and sponsored by Elllington High School on Feb. 12.

The small competition features squads from East Windsor, Avon, Ellington, Coventry, Enfield, Somers and Granby fighting to hang the 2011 championship flag in their gymnasium.

Ellington Knights Cheerleading team took first place, Enfield Raiders Cheerleaders came in a close second and the Granby Bears cheerleading team tied with East Windsor Panthers for third prize at the NCCC championships.

- Barbra Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Boyle

Cheney Tech Multi-Year Reunion Planned MANCHESTER â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A multi-year reunion will be held for Cheney Tech on Friday, March 11, from 6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at Hartford Marrriott Downtown, Hartford.

The evening kicks off with bagpipe entertainment and a nacho station. Dinner includes turkey and ham carving stations as well as a pasta station. Entertainment

will be provided by DJ-Licious. There will also be door prizes.

All graduating years are invited, but you must be over 21. For tickets go to www.FireEyesPhotos.com. Tickets must be purchased by March 8. Participants can book hotel rooms at the Hartford Marriott Downtown. Use the Cheney Tech group rate.

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Regional Four Win Annual DAR Good Citizen Award The Enfield Penelope Terry Abbey Chapter of the DAR is pleased to announce the winners of its chapter area. The chapter presented the Annual Good Citizen Awards to the following selected students: Enfield High School: Brittany Daggs, daughter of James and Erline Daggs; Somers High School: Elizabeth Poitras, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Poitras; Enrico Fermi High School: Faye Koenigsmark, daughter of Christine Koenigsmark; and East Windsor High School: Stephanie L. Bernardi, daughter of John and Donna Bernardi.

Pictured from left are Northern Connecticut Land Trustâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jim Gage and Culver Modissette with Bill McGurk, president of Rockville Bank.

Photo by Gay Marie Lehrer

Land Trust Offers Special Valentine

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VERNON - The Northern Connecticut Land Trust unveiled a special valentine on Monday, Feb. 14, when it celebrated the donation of a 26-acre park by the Talcott Family to the land trust and the people of Connecticut. Formerly known as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Talcott Gorge,â&#x20AC;? the property has been renamed the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Talcott Ravine,â&#x20AC;? a name that harkens back to the original cotton mill, the Ravine Mills, built on the site in 1811.

Although a private holding, the Talcott Family historically has opened the property to Vernon residents. And with the transfer of ownership from the family to NCLT, public use is assured into the future. NCLT officials emphasized that the Talcott Family could have released the land for development, but preferred to preserve the scenic area for coming generations.

At the meeting, Bill McGurk, president

of Rockville Bank, presented a check for $2,000 to NCLT President Culver Modisette, capping a fund drive by NCLT to cover acquisition expenses. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rockville Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s generosity will help NCLT protect this beautiful area,â&#x20AC;?

Modisette said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are grateful to the Vernon citizens who have volunteered to join with us in maintaining the natural beauty of the Ravine.â&#x20AC;? The meeting was held at the historic Talcottville Congregational Church, a significant part of Vernonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s past.

An all-volunteer organization, NCLT is known for diligent stewardship of its properties. NCLT welcomes residents of Vernon to join in its preservation efforts.

Those interested can learn more about NCLT programs on its website: northernctlandtrust.org.

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Ellington Ellington Middle School Tackles Hot Topic of Bullying ELLINGTON - These days bullying has many facets and with the onset of modern technology the forms of bullying have become more creative and effective at inflicting harm. A group of students at Ellington Middle School has decided to take a stand against the age-old behavior and has set into motion a series of events in the school that may very well make N THE a difference. School Counselor Joyce Agnew explains that two groups at the school, Peer Mediators and Positive Leaders, have begun a campaign to change the school climate. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop with them, however, and according to Agnew, is a school-wide initiative.

The Diversity Committee at the school, made up of teachers, decided last year it would address bullying in the school this year after hearing concerns from students.

School principal David Pearson contacted the Anti-Defamation League and the organization visited the school in the fall to address the entire student population on the subject of bullying. Health teachers Paula Dargan and John Hostetler joined the forces within their health classes as well.

This in turn prompted the creation of a committee of students who now meet once a week. Free 2B was born from this committee. The studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; message is a simple one â&#x20AC;&#x201C; everyone should be free to be who they are and accept one anotherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s differences. Pearson is pleased. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be happier with the way our school has responded to the anti-bullying initiative

I

we started this fall with the help of the Anti-Defamation League,â&#x20AC;? said Pearson.

Each day at Ellington Middle School begins with announcements and a positive message about treating each other kindly is broadcast over the intercom system.

Recently the committee introduced the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pole of Shameâ&#x20AC;? and students stapled words they hear in the classrooms and CHOOLS hallways â&#x20AC;&#x201C; words that hurt. The symbolism of stapling the words is that even if you try to take back the mean word, there is still a hole or wound created that remains there. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are things adults remember as a kid that still hurt today,â&#x20AC;? said Hostetler. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You may think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a joke, but that person may carry it with them for the rest of their life.â&#x20AC;? The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pole of Shameâ&#x20AC;? has opened the eyes of many and has created a high level of awareness among the students of what bullying really means. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Because we have raised awareness, more students have come in and have had confidential discussions and we have been able to intervene,â&#x20AC;? said Agnew.

It is their hope this attitude will carry with them as they enter high school and beyond. A group at Ellington High School, Rise Above, which encourages positive choices, emphasized the Be Yourself theme at a dodge ball tournament sponsored in December by the group especially for the middle school students. Their message was a similar one to Free 2B and that is donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let anyone else tell you who to be â&#x20AC;Ś be yourself. They also handed out green

S

Deborah Stauffer

EMS student Jonathan Bailey-Francois with Social Studies teacher Scott Raiola on Ally Weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Twin Day. wristbands that said Be Yourself on them.

The Free 2B committee will soon introduce the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ally Pole.â&#x20AC;? Once the words that hurt have been identified, the next step of

awareness is for kids to know they need to be an ally to someone who is being

BULLYING/page 14

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Ellington Women’s Club Bringing ‘Elvis’ To Town ELLINGTON - Celebrity impersonator, Rick Virga, renown for his “Elvis Tribute” shows in both New York and Las Vegas, will be making his first appearance in north central Connecticut, along with his “All the King’s Men” band, on Saturday, April 30, 2011, at 7 p.m. at the Ellington High School Auditorium, 37 Maple St. (Rt. 140) in Ellington.

The two-hour show, featuring a wide medley of Elvis’ music, is being sponsored by the Ellington Women’s Club as their Spring fundraiser. Virga’s performance as ‘Elvis’ is considered a don’t miss show and tickets are being sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Advance tickets are $20 per person, and $25 at the door the night of the performance.

Purchase of advance tickets is encouraged by sending a check, made out to “Ellington Women’s Club” along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope, to: EWC Treasurer, P.O. Box 282, Ellington, CT 06029. Tickets can also be purchased at the Ellington Senior Center, 16 Church St., Ellington and at Express Verizon Retailer, 175 West Rd. (Meadowview Plaza, Rt. 83), during their open hours.

For further information, please call 860-

(continued from page 13)

871-8122 or email Ellingtonwomensclub @yahoo.com.

The Ellington Women’s Club is a notfor-profit organization dedicated to community improvement through volunteer service. Proceeds from this fund-raising event will be used to support local charities.

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Bullying Addressed at EMS

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harassed. Even the person harassing needs help to eliminate this behavior, so to be an ally to someone is important. For every ally that steps forward, a paw print is attached to the pole. (The mascot of the school is a wildcat – thus the paw print.)

The week of Feb. 14 was Ally Week and each day had a theme ranging from Neon Color Day to School Spirit Day to Twin Day. They are doing a T-shirt logo contest and are also producing a public service announcement. They plan to have a schoolwide assembly to introduce the video and some activities are planned to foster cooperation and acceptance of one another’s differences.

In the spring, 8th-grade health classes will cover drugs and alcohol with a unit called Natural Highs. Dargan and Hostetler plan to work with Rise Above students to create a Find Your Passion poster campaign. The group ran a similar campaign for the middle school last year showing Rise Above students and their passions. This year’s campaign will highlight the middle school students themselves.

The health curriculum at the school is fairly new. Pearson was able to add the additional staffing that it needed two years ago and a federal grant for the prevention of underage drinking funded a lot of the textbooks and supplies.

Pearson is very proud of the way the entire school has become involved in this campaign of kindness.

“Quite honestly, I knew EMS has a long history of being a school where the culture is a positive one and the kids are safe,” said Pearson. “However, the work of our

EMS student Bailey Bassett posing on School Spirit Day during Ally Week. student and faculty committees this year promoting tolerance and acceptance has been impressive. Their message has been loud and clear – being mean isn’t cool and being an ally to someone who needs your help IS.” The school would like to keep this focus in the school for the future. Agnew and Pearson are not sure exactly what they will do next year.

“We will definitely continue raising awareness to some degree,” said Agnew.

You can get more information on the school by visiting the Ellington Schools website at www.ellingtonschools.org and click on Ellington Middle School.

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Somers Motor Vehicle Values Drive Grand List Increase in Somers

By Linda Tishler Levinson SOMERS — Motor vehicle values drove a slight increase in the town’s 2010 grand list.

The grand list, the list of all taxable property in town, came in at $821.8 million, an increase of 0.69 percent over the 2009 grand list. According to Assessor

Patricia Juda, the additional assessment of $5.59 million would bring in an additional $118,089 in tax revenue at the current mill rate of 21.12.

A mill represents $1 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

Real estate came in at $732.2 million, an increase of $1.28 million or 0.17 per-

Democratic Town Committee Seeks New Members SOMERS - The Somers Democratic Town Committee has openings on the committee for registered Democrats living in Somers to join the committee in support of endorsing and electing candidates for municipal offices in the Nov. 8, 2011, general election.

The committee is also interested in hearing from individuals living in Somers, whether registered as a Democrat or not, who would be interested in being endorsed by the committee for any of the positions

that will be on the November ballot, including: First Selectman, Selectman, Board of Education, Board of Finance, Library Board, Board of Assessors and Constables.

The goal of the Democratic Town Committee is to recruit and elect those individuals who are best qualified to serve all of the people of Somers.

Interested individuals should contact the chairman, Francis Devlin, Jr., at 860749-6066, or budjudge@yahoo.com.

Historical Society Annual Business Meeting SOMERS - The Somers Historical Society invites you to its 49th annual business meeting on Tuesday, March 22, at 7 p.m. at the Somers Senior Center, 19 Battle St., Somers. While at the meeting, view recent donations to the Somers Historical Museum.

Have questions? Join the discussion and bring along an artifact to share. You can also participate in the review of 2010, and contribute ideas for museum events in 2011 and learn how you can become involved.

Refreshments will be served.

cent over the 2009 grand list. Personal property came in at $19.2 million, an increase of $406,482 or 2.11 percent.

Motor vehicles increased to $70.4 million, a difference of $3.9 million or 5.55 percent.

Juda said 70 percent of the increase was due to the rise in motor vehicle values, with personal property bringing in 7 percent of the increase and real estate 23 percent.

The town’s top 10 taxpayers are their assessments are: Connecticut Light & Power Company,

$6,270,890.

Specialized Technology Resources Inc., $5,877,680.

Grower Direct Farms Inc., $2,582,320.

Conval Inc., $2,403,260.

The Connecticut Water Co., $2,057,600.

Somers Crossing LLC, $1,873,200.

Somers Recreation Inc., $1,777,160.

David Birkenshaw, $1,660,680.

Gingras Development LLC, $1,536,800.

Forty Scitico Road LLC, $1,348,200.

Church Presents Celtic Folk Group in Concert SOMERS - The Jolly Beggars, a sixpiece Celtic folk group, will present a concert at the Somers Congregational Church on Saturday, March 27, at 4 p.m. Made up of graduates from the Hartt School of Music in West Hartford, their traditional songs and musical arrangements have exposed many music lovers to the joys of Celtic music.

Characterized by tight harmonies and their use of mandolin, pennywhistle, guitar, bass, bodhran, spoons, and more, The Jolly Beggars have quickly built a solid following and continue to spread their

music through New England and the tristate area. In December they released their first album, “Sunshine and Shadow.”

Further information is on their website, www.thejollybeggarsmusic.com.

The blue grass band the Scantic Valley Ramblers, featuring Congregational Church member Sheryl Stanton, will open the concert. The concert is free to the public.

A free will offering will be taken, and there will be a reception following the concert. For more information, call the Church Office at 860-763-4021.

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Events from the Children’s Room

SOMERS PUBLIC LIBRARY

Dads & Donuts Saturday, March 12, 10:30 a.m.

For children ages 2 & up with their Dads and/or Granddads. Join us for stories, songs and a craft. Donuts, juice and coffee will be provided.

Sign up now!

2 Vision Boulevard, Somers, CT 06071 (Same building, new address) (860) 763-3501 / Fax: (860) 763-1718 Email: somerspl@biblio.org Website: www.SomersNow.com/library SUNDAY OPERA FEATURE An opera movie adventure, Rossini's The Barber of Seville, will be shown in the library’s Blake Community Room on Sunday, March 6 beginning at 1:00 p.m. Opera enthusiast Michael Cascia will provide an introduction and commentary on this funny and entertaining work which includes beautiful arias and melodies. The opera is sung in Italian with English subtitles. There will be one intermission with light refreshments. This program is free and open to the public.

MONDAY MATINEES We will be showing a selection of Academy Award nominated films for Best Picture each Monday afternoon during the month of March. On March 7 the selection will be The Kids Are All Right followed by Social Network on March 14, 127 Hours on March 21 and the series ends on March 28 with The Fighter. The movies will be shown with Closed Captioning in the Blake multipurpose room beginning at 1 p.m. The free Monday Matinees do not require a ticket.

BOOK DISCUSSION The next book discussion at the library will be Chocolat by Joanne Harris on Wednesday, March 30 at 7 p.m. Denise Stankovics is the discussion leader.

Copies of the book are available for loan. Please call 860-763-3501 to register or for further information.

NEW SERVICE AT THE LIBRARY A new state-of-the-art copy machine will soon be available for public use. The coin-operated copier is equipped for either black and white copies at $.15 per page or color copies at $.50 per page and can either reduce or enlarge from the original. Prints from the computer workstations will also be sent to the public copier for the convenience of users.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Thursday, March 17, 3:30 -4:15 p.m. We will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with an earth-friendly craft. For children in grades 1-5. A green snack will be served. Sign up now!

Family Movie Matinee We will show the new movie Megamind on Friday, Mar. 18 at 3 p.m. - a half day of school. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Rated PG; 95 min.

The Nook is Here!

Thanks to the generosity of the Friends of the Somers Library we now have a Nook ebook reader for loan to Somers residents. The Nook will have titles preloaded, or borrowers may request a particular title which we will consider for purchase. For more information, or to reserve the Nook reader, please contact Francine Aloisa, Director, at 860-763-3501.

Spring Cleaning?

Library Hours: Monday - Thursday: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Friday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Sleepytime Storytime Tuesday, March 15, 6:45-7:15 p.m.

For children ages 3-6. Stories, songs and a craft. Wear your pajamas and bring a stuffed friend. No registration required.

Saturday: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Sunday: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Library Closed

April 22 Good Friday Closed Sundays beginning April 24

We are looking for donations of LEGO pieces to be used for upcoming literacy based LEGO programs. If you have any basic building sets that you no longer need, please contact Marie Stromwall, Children’s Librarian.

Lego Club Sunday, March 20, 1:30-2:30 p.m.

For children in grades 1-5. This is a new program that combines literature with creativity, imagination, and beginning engineering skills. After hearing a story children will have time to construct a Lego project related to the theme of the book.

Completed creations will remain on display in the children’s room until our next Lego Club meeting. Sign up now. Space is limited.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Party Thursday, March 24, 4:15-5:00.

For children in grades 3-5. We will host a party for the release of the new movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules. Don’t be a wimp!

Come and play the “cheese touch” game, make a craft, have a snack and win prizes! Sign up now.

Spring Session I Storytimes Registration for our next session will take place beginning Monday, March 21 for Somers residents and Tuesday, March 22 for non-residents. Storytime will run for five weeks beginning April 4.

Registration is required for all storytimes. To register for storytime or for more information, please call the library at 860-763-3501.

Children 12 through 24 months, accompanied by a caretaker, will attend storytime on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. or Thursdays at 10:30 a.m.

Children ages 2-3 years, also accompanied by a parent or caretaker, will meet on Mondays at 10:00 or 11:00 a.m.

Children ages 3 - 5 years, accompanied by a parent or caretaker, will meet on Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. or Fridays at 10:30 a.m.

Techno Tips & Tricks!

Develop computer skills for free at your library! Classes will be held on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. or Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Most classes will last 1 ? hours. Participants should have basic keyboard skills and know how to use a computer mouse. Registration is limited; please call 860-763-3501.

Keyboard & Mouse Basics Mar. 29 & 30 Computer Basics Apr. 5 & 6 Email Basics Apr. 12 & 13 Google Apr. 19 & 20 Facebook Apr. 26 & 27 Twitter May 3 & 4 Photos Online May 10 & 11 Word 2007 May 17 & 18 Excel 2007 May 24 & 25 Job Searching May 31 & June 1

Friends of the Library Used Book Sale Drop off donated books on Saturday, April 2, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at the library. The book sale will be held in the Blake Community Room at the library.

Preview: Friday, April 8, 6:30 – 8 p.m.

Book Sale: Saturday, April 9, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Sunday, April 10, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

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www.facebook.com/northcentralnews 16 North Central News March 2011

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Somers Old Materials Turned Into New Decor For Somers Store

By Barbra Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Boyle SOMERS - Nationally known primitive fiber folk artist Denise Davis of Sassafras Hill Primitives displays her works of art at Crossroads Gifts and Greetings located at 588 Main St., Somers.

Davis, a primitive fiber folk artists, pattern designer and proprietor of Sassafras Hill Primitives, designs her own one-of-a-kind patterns and brews her own recipes of colors from flowers, herbs, teas, and other organic sources.

Davis has been featured in numerous publications of Country Sampler Magazine and Mercantile Gatherings Magazine along with several newspaper articles. Davis has won many awards, including most recently first place for her â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lady Libertyâ&#x20AC;&#x153; doll in the Cloth Doll Artistry Primitive Patriotic Doll challenge for 2010, competing against many well-known doll artists.

Generally, Davisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; works of art are only found through her website at www.sassafrashillprimitives.com or at one of the American Artists juried shows, until now. Davisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; hand-stitched items are now being featured at Crossroads

Gifts & Greetings. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To have someone of Denise Davisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; talent and stature display her works of art in my store is more than exciting,â&#x20AC;? said store owner Judy Cooley. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is amazing and I am thrilled that she has chosen Crossroads Gifts and Greeting to be the first store to do so. The response has been overwhelming and it is nice to see new customers walk through the door along with the positive outpouring from the old.â&#x20AC;?

Davis currently has items from her spring and Easter collection at Crossroads. She plans, however, to let her collection grow from week to week. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All of these items will be one-of-a-kind and will not be duplicated on my website or through my show series.

I like the way this is set up. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to take pictures and post them on my website, which takes so much of my time,â&#x20AC;? Davis said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now I can simply stop by the store on a weekly or biweekly basis and add my newest creations,â&#x20AC;? she added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This will give me more time to spend doing what I do best, the creating part.â&#x20AC;?

Nationally known primitive fiber folk artist Denise Davis of Sassafras Hill Primitives displays her works of art at Crossroads Gifts and Greetings.

Children Meet Author of Newly Written Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Book at Crossroads

By Barbra Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Boyle SOMERS - Local childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s book author Cindy Ruvolo Lurie made a special appearance at Crossroads Gifts & Greetings on Feb. 12 to introduce her newly published childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s book, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Carolyn and Her Tiny Red House,â&#x20AC;? a whimsical

story of a young girlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s journey to find space from her over-the-top, packed-in-so-tightly, no-room-for-a-sneeze, tiny red house. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It has been my life-long desire to publish a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s book,â&#x20AC;? said Lurie. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The inspiration of the book came from when my husband and I moved from a very large

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home in Barkhamstead to a quite a bit smaller home in Enfield. During the whole â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;movingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience of being surrounded by the many boxes that consumed my smaller home, I thought that it really did not matter where I lived, but that I was happy in my new little home in Enfield.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;After reading the book, I noted that Cindy was a local author,â&#x20AC;? said Crossroads store owner Judy Cooley. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Since I like to promote the surrounding area talented people, and I loved the story, I thought it would be great to have her at the store to promote her book. This gave the children a rare opportunity to actually meet the person who wrote the story, talk to her and have her inspire the next author of our area.â&#x20AC;? said Cooley. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What people should take from this book is that bigger is not always better, but it is whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in your heart that matters most.â&#x20AC;?

The book will be released to the stores and Amazon.com in June, but can be purchased at Crossroads or at www.bigtentbooks.com.

Enfield author Cindy Ruvolo Lurie reads her newly published book to Enfield grade-school students.

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How To Choose A Martial Arts School - By Jonathan Metcalf As the chief instructor of Integrity Martial Arts, it is a bit awkward for me to be writing an article on how to choose the best school because, of course, I want you to come to my school. That is because I know my school has the most to offer; but how can you decide for yourself what the best martial arts school for your child is?

“Since starting classes at IMA, we have noticed growth in self confidence in both of our children. They are both much more comfortable speaking and performing in front of others.”

Who is karate for?

Karen Raina, 2nd Grade TeacherMother of Delani,

Martial arts are for anyone. There are martial arts students who are underweight and there are students who are overweight. Some martial artists are very athletic and some start out as real klutzes, some are flexible and some are not. I have seen good martial artists as young as 4 and as old as 82. Both men and women, girls and boys all participate in martial arts classes around the world. While practically anyone can do it (consult your physician if you have medical concerns), not everyone can teach it.

age 6 and Halle, age 4

Why do I think Integrity Martial Arts is the best?

Can my kid do it?

Research has shown that children derive tremendous benefits from doing karate such as: focus, self-esteem, discipline, increased responsibility and an ability to set and accomplish goals. It has also been proven that children who are hyperactive or attention deficit often get breakthrough results through their participation in the right karate classes for them. With a welltrained instructor, they can also develop a sense of self-determination and a thirst for excellence. On the other hand, if the instructor is abusive or obnoxious, it can stress your kid out and cripple their self esteem.

Not all martial arts schools are the same…

All our students feel that Integrity Martial Arts’ programs are great for them. For some of our students however, the program has become absolutely central to their life. The martial arts and their participation at our school have become intrinsic to who they are and how they see themselves. They have gained a personal confidence and power that they live with every day. You don’t know whether or not the martial arts will affect you or your child this way, but in case it does, it is worth finding the right school.

Doesn’t that make sense?

People ask me all the time about the martial arts.

They ask how to find the best school in their area for themselves or their child. Let me share with you what I tell my friends; this is also the advice I gave to my own brother: First off, all martial artists think that their style is the best and most of them think that other styles aren’t nearly as good. As a seventeen-year Kempo stylist who has studied many different styles (Tae Kwon Do in China, Shito Ryu Karate and Wu Shu with an Asian National Team, Shotokan, Shorin Ryu, Choy 18 North Central News March 2011

Li Fut Kung Fu, Jujutsu and Taichi), I like Kempo the best. For you or your child, you can pretty much ignore the style a school teaches. Do you care whether the style came from Northern Korea in the 18th century or from Okinawa, Japan in the early 20th century? If you are like most people, the answer is probably ‘no’.

Second off, don’t pay careful attention to who has the highest black belt. Unfortunately, there is no universal standard for what a black belt is. In fact, if you wanted to, you could go get a black belt through a martial arts supply catalog, pay five bucks, put four rows of tape on it, and you could be a fourth degree black belt in Bob-Fu! Furthermore, you could have your friend start a club in which you and she are the only members, give it an important sounding name like “The World Martial Arts Association” and have her print a certificate on her computer and then you would be a fourth degree black belt certified by “The World Martial Arts Association”. Does this sound ridiculous? It is. My point is that unless you really know a lot about the martial arts, you can’t tell who is really good or not just by looking at their belt or diploma.

Integrity Martial Arts, LLC (IMA) is a company committed to the positive development of the mind and body through innovative and educational programs.

We have taken the time to expertly develop curricula and staff that will make a difference for you. Whether you are interested in getting in shape or learning effective self-defense or getting your child involved in an activity that is active, fun, and promotes respect, self discipline, and self-control, we have the right program for you.

“Casey has learned and continues to learn lessons she will carry with her for the rest of her life. Integrity is indeed a very special place.”

Scott Coen, TV Sportscaster, ABC Channel 40, Father of Casey Coen, age 11

Come join us, confirm your next appointment TODAY! Call 860-698-9226 or email contact@integritymartialarts.com

“Integrity Martial Arts has been exactly what my son was missing. It is the first and only

to ask any questions or to get any additional support.

group activity he has truly enjoyed, but more than that his respect and self-control have improved by leaps and bounds.” Mike deBidart, father of Daemian, age 10

585 Hazard Ave., Scitico Plaza, Enfield www.integritymartialarts.com

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Somers

Snow Daddy Little Ava, 4, found a funny surprise in the snow when she got home from school. Daddy put a pair of pants and some old work boots in the snowbank, which was taller than her.

Photo submitted by Jim Zuccalo, Somers

9th March March 17th, 17th,2011 2011

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Is It Time to Take a Closer Look at Your Financial Picture?

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Somers Somers Resident Inducted into Athletics Hall of Fame

‘The Eagle Has Landed ... In Somers’ In Somers a pair of mature American Bald Eagles were spotted in a field on Hangdog Lane off of Cooksville.

Photos by Nelson Rouette

KINGSTON, R.I. - Julia Chilicki-Beasley was inducted into the University of Rhode Island Athletics Hall of Fame as a member of its class of 2011.

Chilicki-Beasley was a standout student-athlete and head coach at the University of Rhode Island. A four-year letterwinner as a swimmer, she was a two-year team captain and school record holder in the 100 and 200 yard breaststroke, as well as the medley relay. Chilicki-Beasley also made her mark on the URI rowing program, as it transitioned from club to varsity status. As a competitor, she rowed to silver medals in the Varsity 4 and 8 at the 1992 New England Championship.

A 1996 Olympian, she finished eighth in the quadruple sculls. She was a member of the U.S. national rowing team every year from 1993-96. As URI's rowing coach from 2000-05, she transformed a struggling program into one of the best in the Atlantic 10 - guiding the Rams to a second-place finish at the conference championship in 2002.

"I am honored to be in the ranks of my fellow URI Athletics Hall of Fame alums," ChilickiBeasley said. "I treasure my days training at our beautiful university - on and in the water. This makes the memories all the more special. It was because of the supportive coaches and the URI community that I was able to reach my fullest potential and it is a proud moment to be able to say you had the chance to represent something so much bigger than yourself."

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Dr. Fitzgerald graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine. He completed a residency in General Dentistry at Danbury Hospital and then returned to the UConn School of Dental Medicine for a Fellowship in Periodontics.

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Somers Somers Academy – The Grammar School Marks 30 Years

By Deb Stauffer SOMERS – Somers Academy - The Grammar School, formerly The Grammar School at Somersville, is celebrating its 30th birthday this year. The school may have a brand new name, but the core values remain constant. A recent visit to the school revealed a tight-knit community of small class sizes, strong learning environment and enthusiastic staff. Their core values are apparent as you walk the halls - empathy, global perspective, collaborative thinking, creative thinking and respect. It was also Hat Day! The school started in Wilbraham, Mass., in 1981 and moved to Somers in 1998. The former name, according to Head of School Susan Superson, was a bit old-fashioned and not reflecting the changes in technology the school has made. In addition, the school was difficult to find and the public was at times confusing the school with the town’s school system. “The word Academy speaks that we are an independent school,” said Superson. Children from 32 communities in Massachusetts and Connecticut attend the school with about 70 percent from Connecticut.

Currently there are 68 pre-K through 6th

Mr. Toomey’s pre-K and Kindergarten Art students getting ready for class to begin. grade students at Somers Academy with a projected 80 students for next year. There is a half-day and full-day pre-K program as well as an after-school program. They hope to further increase enrollment and Superson

and her staff invite interested parents and students to visit the school on March 19 for a “Lunch and Learn” open house. A typical day at Somers Academy begins in the gymnasium for approximately 10 minutes with all students present, and includes saluting the flag. “This fosters whole school com-

munity,” said Superson. “It also sets the tone for the day, which immediately continues in each class with circle time.”

Superson takes great pride in the Somers Academy core curriculum, which consists of integrated technology, a differentiated curriculum and commitment to the arts.

Technology plays a big role at the school and technology integration teacher Laura Giuggio works very closely with every teacher. The computer lab was dismantled and computer technology was integrated right into every class. They currently have 12 iPads that are used by pre-K and 1st grade students and 40 Mac Books for the upper grades. There are also four SMART Boards in the school. By the time students reach 6th grade at the school, their work is done strictly on the computer.

Through the differentiated curriculum program, every student is assessed and instructed at his or her own pace. The school is committed to enhancing every student’s educational experience and so from age 3 all students have Art, Spanish, Music, Science along with Computer Technology and Physical Education. “At Somers Academy, we understand that with a child’s education, you only have one chance to get

SOMERS/page 25

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Somers

Students in Mrs. Rosenman’s 2nd grade class work on a computer project.

Somers Academy Celebrates 30th Birthday (continued from page 23) it right,” said Superson. She reports 98% of the students read at or above grade level.

Every class is expected to do some type of community service during the school year. For Hat Day, students were required to pay $1 if they wanted to wear a hat. There were some very creative hats! All Hat Day proceeds go to Pennies for Peace, an organization that helps students in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Being an independent school means no state funding so the school must depend on tuition and fundraising. Parents play an important role with the school’s PTO pro-

viding cultural and family activities.

Parents also donated time and money for a new roof, new lower level flooring, and carpeting. A playscape was added as well and deeded to the town of Somers for use by residents. A 5K road race is planned for May 7 and will benefit their scholarship fund.

The Lunch and Learn Open House begins at 11 a.m. on March 19 and goes until 1 p.m. There will be hands-on workshops available.

For more information on Somers Academy – The Grammar School, visit their website at www.somersacademy.org or call them at 860-749-5933.

Somers Kids Celebrate Valentine’s Day Children in Somers celebrated Valentine’s Day a bit early this year, as they attended an activity-packed day at the Somers Elementary School cafeteria for the Department of Recreation’s and PTA-sponsored annual Valentine’s Day Party on Feb. 12. Dancing and turning around on his head is what made people notice Evan, 11, who won the Dance Contest at the Somers sixth annual Valentine’s Day Party. Working together, brother and sister team, Maddie, 5, and Brant, 2, colored and pasted Valentines together for their mom.

Photos by Barbra O’Boyle

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Stafford

Aftermath of Roof Collapse A roof collapsed from the extra weight of snow at 44 Main St., Stafford. At right, Congressmam Joe Courtney and First Selectman Mike Krol talking to Middle Ground Cafe owner Kathy Aspelin about her lost revenue due to the street being closed off after the collapse.

Krol Praised for Exemplary Actions During Record Snowfall To the Editor: Thank you, Michael P. Krol!

The actions of First Selectman Michael P. Krol during this record snow event have been exemplary. Not only has the snow been effectively and swiftly removed and all public buildings kept safe, but the cost has also been limited.

As part of his pro-active stance, First Selectman Krol contacted federal officials and FEMA to apply for funding to defray the necessary emergency response costs.

Additionally, through good management, the inevitable overtime costs have been

kept as low as possible.

While Stafford received the record in snow accumulation for the area, Stafford streets were made passable faster than surrounding towns. Roadways were opened quickly resulting in fewer school-day closings. Main Street was efficiently cleared for parking, thus reducing the negative impact on Main Street businesses.

Additionally, public and school buildings were kept safe and potential catastrophes prevented.

First Selectman Krol took a keen personal interest in taking care of our com-

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munity. It is noteworthy that when the Main Street building collapsed, he spent the night directing traffic. I am grateful for his decisiveness, commitment and dedication, not to mention the savings of tax

payer dollars.

The town is in good hands!

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Stafford Town Losing Veteran Staff (continued from page 1) already retired, have two daughters and seven grandchildren.

Vail plans to relax for a while and enjoy time with her grandchildren, as well as having more time to help her mother and mother-in-law.

Dion started working for the town in 1978 in the WPCA and the Highway, Park and Land departments, and was first elected treasurer in 1995.

A town resident for 50 years, her fellow retirees tease that she is the â&#x20AC;&#x153;newcomer,â&#x20AC;? having lived in Tolland until she was 11.

She lived at the old Tolland jail until that time. Her father was the warden until it closed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For me it was nothing,â&#x20AC;? she said of living at the jail. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had our Brownie meetings there.â&#x20AC;?

She and Vail have been best friends since grade school.

She is a member of the American

Legion Ladies Auxiliary and is a former treasurer of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary. She also is a past president of the Womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Club. She and her husband, Edward, who is already retired, have two sons and three granddaughters.

Dion plans to â&#x20AC;&#x153;just enjoy it for a while,â&#x20AC;? she said of retirement.

Davis worked as a substitute teacher at Stafford High School and in her husbandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business before being hired as assistant town clerk in 1983. She was elected town clerk in August 2000.

Like Vail, she has lived in town all her life.

She and her husband, Burt, who is semi-retired as the owner of Monson Road Garage, have three children and four grandchildren. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We plan to do a little bit of traveling,â&#x20AC;? she said, as well as spending more time with family. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The decision to retire is a difficult one, because I fell I have the best job in the world,â&#x20AC;? Davis said.

Free Zentangle and Hip Hop Workshops STAFFORD - The Stafford Arts Commission is offering two free workshops in March.

Hip Hop for Kids is open to children ages 6 years and up and will be from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on March 12. It is fun and healthy exercise, led by master Hip Hop instructor Austin Dailey. Students will learn basic Hip Hop freestyle skills, break dancing, waving, robotics and also learn some of the history and culture of Hip Hop. No previous dance experience is necessary.

On March 19 there will be a Zentangle workshop, from 9:30 a.m. to noon. This will be an opportunity to experience a new art form, sometimes described as a structured and contained doodling technique, where images are created from repetitive patterns. All supplies will be provided.

Location for both workshops is Ben Muzio Town House (Old Town Hall) 221 East St., (Rt. 19) Stafford Springs.

Additional parking at the town garage (Rt. 19) or Memorial Hall (Rt. 319).

To register, call 860-684-5211.

Zumbathon Benefits American Heart Association STAFFORD - A Zumbathon fundraiser benefiting The American Heart Association will be held at Johnson Memorial Medical Center - Community Medical Education Center, located at 201 Chestnut Hill Rd., Rte. 190, Stafford Springs, on Friday, March 11, from 7 p.m.

to 8:30 p.m. Join the movement to live a heart-healthy life! Ticket price is $20 per person with 75 percent of ticket fee to benefit the American Heart Association.

Please contact Sheri Henderson at 860306-1626 or sheriah@cox.net for more information.

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Stafford

UConn volunteers came out on the evening of Friday, Jan. 28, to party with the teens and help out Teen Center Director Laura Panciera at Stafford Teen Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 14th Year Anniversary Party. Approximately 200 kids attended. At right, Kristen and Katie relaxed as teens danced to music provided by WKSS 95.7

Pond House Bed & B re a k f a s t Georgia Michalec â&#x20AC;˘ Monty Michalec

Teen Center Anniversary Julia Peirolo (left) poses with her friend at the Stafford Teen Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 14th Year Anniversary Party. Radio station WKSS 95.7 was on hand, and there was food, lots of dancing and contests where kids received T-shirts, posters, movie tickets and more.

Photos by Barbara Bresnahan

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(860) 684-5700 28 North Central News March 2011

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Stafford Winterfest 2011 At left, Anthony had the unique opportunity to go on a goat ride at Winterfest 2011 at Sun Valley in Stafford that was a benefit for the Channel 3 Kids Camp. At right, Isaac brings the bass he just caught to the weighing/measuring station during the Ice Fishing Derby.

The fish weighed in at 3 lbs, 14 oz! Bottom right, Ava enjoyed a ride on a beautiful quarter-horse.

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Stafford Current Year Budget Proving Challenging Thanks to Snow

By Linda Tishler Levinson STAFFORD â&#x20AC;&#x201D; As the town enters budget season, the 2010 grand list has been released, showing less than a 1 percent increase for the values of all taxable property in town. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we keep our budget even, that will be fine,â&#x20AC;? First Selectman Michael Krol said of the grand list figures.

Still, he added, the current yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s budget is proving challenging, since the town is struggling with the added costs of cleaning up after this winterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unusually high

snowfall amounts.

The total grand list for 2010 is $928.5 million, an increase of $6.61 million or 0.84 percent. Real estate is valued at $779 million, an increase of $3.4 million or 0.5 percent. Personal property is valued at $70.9 million, an increase of $547,364 or 1.7 percent. Motor vehicles are valued at $78.5 million, an increase of $2.66 million or 3.58 percent.

The townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top 10 taxpayers and their assessments are: The Connecticut Light and Power Co., $8,346,160.

Warren Corp., $4,803,670, The Connecticut Water Co., $4,692,950.

TTM Printed Circuit Group Inc., $4,197,290.

Gerald E., Jeanne E. and Paul H. Damour, $3,911,740.

3M Cuno, $2,573,100.

Cuno Inc., $2,100,840.

David Bacchiochi, $1,680,970.

Roaring Brook Campground Association Inc., $1,577,000.

40 Stafford Road LLC, $1,418,960.

Students Named To Second Quarter Honor Roll at Stafford High STAFFORD - Francis Kennedy, principal of Stafford High School, announced that the following students of Stafford High School have made the honor roll for the second quarter of the 2010-2011 school year. These students have completed all of their class work as of Jan. 21 and have not received a grade lower than a 77 in any course. Students who have a 90 average or better have earned High Honors recognition. Students who have earned an 85 average or better have earned Honors recognition.

Senior High Honors Karolina Bladek Olivia Briggs Allison Bruce Leonhard Campo Melina Conrad Nikki DeMichael Julie Dillon Sarah Donor Daniel Duffee Kenneth Everin Megan Kelly Jiamei Liang Mary Lo Sarah Longmore Tyson Maynard Thomas Szymanski

Junior High Honors Charles Cormier Olivia Crable Thomas Maynard Melissa McCloskey Noom Mongkolkul Vivian Ojeda Victoria Utter Sophomore High Honors Angelique Bacha Jennifer Bourque Sara Fogarty Ryan Gelinas Joshua Gluck Kelsey Heavener Amanda Jacobsen Megan Watkinson Freshman High Honors Lindsy Burns Morgan Emmons Kristen Finch Erin Gelinas Elizabeth Girard Jake Kalette Conor Keleher Taylor Merrick Jesse Reeves Matthew Roy Jai Sumeersarnauth Senior Honors

Audrey Benoit Christopher Black Wesley Boucher Kelly Butler Stephen Dusza Bernard Estey Ciarra Gagne Everett Palozej Laurel Payzant Michelle Royce Benjamin Smith Brandan Sumeersarnauth Michelle Wood Junior Honors Hailee Campanaro Tucker Carlson Bridget Deskus Erin Drouin Mallery Finch Alexandra Garnelis Brent Kalette Kyle Pallanck Merisah Silvay Sophomore Honors Taylor Bain Marisa Brink Marita Brothers Allison Bruce Evan Cummins Natalie Finch

Marissa Gagne Alexander Huffman Vanessa Knowlton Jonathan Lerch Suzhaunna Lerch Jessica McGuire Alicia Morgan Shelbey Prucker Jaime Sierra Michaela Vaughn-Kuehl Kianna Woods Freshman Honors Scott Avery Morgan Bagley Megan Barnett Sara Bizilj Samantha DeGennaro Lisa Direnzo Austin Elliott Megan Foley Logan Frassinelli Jeffrey Garnelis Benjamin Gluck Jordan Hosey Theresa Nosel Amber Payzant Mykala Perrier Dylan Seekins Zachary Thayer

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Stafford Former Red Sox and Yankees to attend Legends Night Dinner

By Barbara Bresnahan STAFFORD - In what is now a tradition in Stafford, the annual Legends Night Dinner will once again showcase famous baseball players in an extravaganza for fans young and old. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This event features two rivals, Bill â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Spacemanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Lee and Graig Nettles, who both duked it out in Fenway Park during the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Beantown Brawlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in 1976,â&#x20AC;? said Stafford Little League (SLL) President Bosco Fowler. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They will be accompanied

by Bob â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Steamerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Stanley, who was a member of the 1986 Red Sox World Series team who fell victim of the curse.â&#x20AC;?

Bill Lee is a return guest to this event and has attracted fans from all over New England with his witty interaction with the audience. Lee played for the Boston Red Sox from 1969-1978 and the Montreal Expos from 1979-1982 and was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2008. He is known for his controversial remarks, both on and off the field, and as an author of several books.

Graig Nettles is a former Major League third baseman. During his 22-year career he played for several teams, but is best known for his years with the Yankees, where he was part of four pennant-winning teams and has been a recipient of the Gold Glove Award.

Bob Stanley was a Major League relief pitcher for the Red Sox for his entire 13year career, which spanned 1977-1989.

Stanley has been a member of the Red Sox Hall of Fame since 2000. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The attendance has always been great,â&#x20AC;? said Fowler. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When you bring the likes of Pete Rose, Goose Gossage, Steve Garvey, Bill Lee and many more, we are proud to put our little New England town on the map.â&#x20AC;?

The Legends Night Dinner has typically been a fundraiser for the SLL organization, but this year, the ballplayers come courtesy of both SLL and Paradiso Insurance, who plan to split the proceeds between the league and Connecticut Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Medical Center.

Coffee House Features Jazz Comedy, Songwriter STAFFORD â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Stafford Arts Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next free Coffee House is on March 27. From 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., Studio Stu will entertain with his unique Brooklyn brand humor, while playing his state of the art â&#x20AC;&#x153;Studivariousâ&#x20AC;? - a single string washtub bass. He takes the best from classic jazz and turns it into his own version of progressive jazz, or, as he describes it, evocative jazz.

From 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., singer/songwriter Jen Lowe will play her distinctive Indi/American/Folk music. She has been described as a true, natural performer, whose poetic verses and catchy choruses will remain in the minds of her audiences long after her performance is over.

The Coffee House location is at the Ben Muzio Town House (Old Town Hall), 221 East St. (Rt. 19), Stafford Springs.

Refreshments are available.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget the Arts Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s free Open Mike nights on the third Thursday of the month â&#x20AC;&#x201C; next is March 17, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.: an invitation to musicians, singers and spoken word artists to perform in front of an appreciative audience.

Additional parking for the Old Town Hall is at the Town Garage, (Rt. 19) and Memorial Hall (Rt. 319).

Please consider donating a non-perishable food item for Staffordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Food Bank.

For more information, call 860-6859500

Owner of Paradiso Insurance, Chris Paradiso regularly supports the Connecticut Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Medical Center, due to his experience with the hospital. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My daughter was rushed to the hospital and spent four days there (diagnosed with Serum Sickness]. During those long four days, there were three other children from Stafford there, and one of those was in the hospital for over seven months,â&#x20AC;?

Paradiso explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What hit me most was that these children were alone all day, so I made a promise to myself that I would get involved and make a difference.

Since then, Paradiso Insurance has had major roles in Miles for Smiles, Wings of Hope, Reverse Trick or Treat and a

Radiothon. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My goal is to not only raise $100,000, but bring another $50,000 of crafts and kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; gifts to bring smiles to very sick children,â&#x20AC;? Paradiso said.

Legends Night Dinner tickets are now on sale for $45. The event will take place on Thursday, April 7, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Stafford Motor Speedway Banquet Facility on West Street in Stafford. The event includes raffles, memorabilia for sale, photographs with the players, dinner, a Q&A presentation and more.

To purchase tickets, contact Boscoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Market & Deli at 860-851-9902 or Paradiso Insurance at 860-684-5270.

Spot Elvis to Win Tickets to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Elvis Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; STAFFORD â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Stafford Arts Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next Community Theater production will be â&#x20AC;&#x153;Elvis Peopleâ&#x20AC;? by Doug Grissom.

Coincidentally, there have been recent sightings of Elvis around town. If you do sight Elvis, have someone take your picture standing beside him. Make sure you display an item that will verify the location where the picture is taken.

Whoever submits the most pictures that include evidence of location will win two free tickets to a performance of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Elvis People.â&#x20AC;? Submit photographs to the Stafford Arts Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Facebook page (name and contact information must be included).

Performances will be April 8, 9, 15 and 16 at 8 p.m. at Old Town Hall, 221 East St., Stafford Springs.

Community Farm Prepares For 5th Season STAFFORD - The Down To Earth Community Supported Agriculture Farm will grow approximately 30 kinds of organic vegetables in 2011, with members helping to grow its vegetable crops. The farm is located at 5 Michelec Rd. in Stafford Springs.

Down to Earth is a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Farm. Over the last 20 years, CSA has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal, and usually organic food directly from a local farm. Here are the basics: The farm offers a certain number of â&#x20AC;&#x153;sharesâ&#x20AC;? to the

Connecticut Wood Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

public. Typically, the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included.

Interested consumers purchase a share (a.k.a. a â&#x20AC;&#x153;membershipâ&#x20AC;? or a â&#x20AC;&#x153;subscriptionâ&#x20AC;?) and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.

Applications are available at the Stafford Library or on its website (www.getdowntoearth.org).

Contact the farm with questions at info@getdowntoearth.org or call Caroline Brown at 860-684-3460.

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Auto Hyundai Marks 25th Anniversary Selling in the United States An interesting article in the N.Y. Times out top competitors like Nissan. about Hyundai's effect on Alabama since it Hyundai helped that turnaround by opened a manufacturing plant there throws offering the now famous 10-year, 100,000 out this little tidbit almost as an aside: mile warranty in 1999. At first, people Today marks 25 years of Hyundai selling thought it was a desperate move on the cars in the United States. company's part but savvy consumers soon It's an anniversary worth realized it wasn't. No company noting because Hyundai has can afford to offer a strong come a long way in this counwarranty like that if its prodtry in the last quarter century. ucts are going to fail.

Its first 20 years in this Bodacious claims like a BEHIND country, frankly, were less than 100,000-mile warranty can The Wheel auspicious. But in 2010, for only be made with confidence. the first time, Hyundai sold Otherwise, warranty costs more than 500,000 vehicles in would bankrupt a manufacturKEITH GRIFFIN the United States. er.

That doesn't mean Hyundai No article on Hyundai didn't get off to a huge start when it sold its would be complete without a quotation first car in the United States on Feb. 20, from John Krafcik, its American president 1986. At the time Hyundai sold one car: and CEO: “As far as we’ve come since the Hyundai Excel. Sales were amazingly 1986, we still feel we’re in the early stages strong the first year and Hyundai set a of connecting the Hyundai brand to the record with total sales of more than U.S. consumer. We’ve always challenged 168,000. convention – from our powertrain strateBut then something happened – gies, to our consumer partnership proAmerican consumers caught on to the fact grams, to our unique Genesis and Equus that the cars were not only cheap in price, retail approach. It’s authentically Hyundai but they were lacking in quality. Cheap as to question the status quo and pursue our a negative connotation firmly attached own vision of how things should be in itself to Hyundai until at least 2006, when order to best serve our customers. This its vehicles started to turn around and willingness to challenge convention will became a vehicle that people considered to continue to guide us these next 25 years.” buy instead of having to settle because J.D. Power and Associates announced they could afford nothing else. in June 2010 that the Hyundai Accent That was demonstrated by its recogni- topped the sub-compact segment in its tion by Kelley Blue Book in August 2010. 2010 Initial Quality Study (IQS). Owners Its Brand Watch reported then that for the of the economical and fun-to-drive 2010 first time ever, Hyundai made the list of Accent reported the fewest problems per top five most-considered brands. In the 100 vehicles in its segment. Elantra also second quarter of 2010 Hyundai brand finished in the top three in the compact car consideration surged nearly six percentage segment. points in the non-luxury coupe/sedan/ The Elantra is Hyundai’s newest model hatchback segment. Hyundai now garners on the road as the company celebrates its 29 percent of the total consideration 25th anniversary. The fifth-generation among shoppers of this segment, beating model figures to do well in the compact

The 1986 Hyundai Excel was the car that started it all and almost got the company run out of the U.S. market because it achieves 40-mpg on the highway in all trim levels.

Hyundai also had the greatest improvement of all mass market brands from 2009, moving from No. 16 to seven in 2010. The SSI study is a comprehensive analysis of the new-vehicle purchase experience.

Overall customer satisfaction is measured across four factors: working out the deal, salesperson, delivery process, and dealership facility. This year’s study concluded that the manner in which customers are treated by the dealership is more important to overall new-vehicle buyer satisfaction than the actual transaction price.

In the near-term, Hyundai has some exciting products coming including the Veloster, a Tiburon-like compact in terms of looks if not necessarily performance; the 2012 Genesis Spec R, the most powerful Hyundai ever, with a new 5.0-liter direct injection V8 engine that produces 429 horsepower. The new Hyundai flagship, the Equus, which gets 385 horsepower from its Tau V8 engine.

Also coming from Hyundai are electric vehicles and more hybrids (featuring the

world-first use of a lithium polymer battery). The Sonata Hybrid can be driven in zero emissions, fully electric drive mode at speeds up to 62 miles per hour or in blended gas-electric mode at any speed. When the car comes to a stop and the electrical load is low, the engine is shut down to completely eliminate idle fuel consumption and emissions.

One should not be surprised that Hyundai is finally doing well in the United States. Hyundai Motor Company is the 188th leading company in the world, and third among automakers, according to an annual list of the top 2000 leading global companies published by Forbesmagazine.

Hyundai has gained ground in the past two rankings, rising from 245 in 2008 and 196 in 2009. Ford Motor Company (58) and Honda Motor (86) are the only automakers ahead of Hyundai in the 2010 rankings.

(For the latest new car news, follow me on Twitter at aboutusedcars. You can also read the latest automotive news at TorqueNews.com, where I am a contributor, or learn about buying and selling a used car at UsedCars.About.com.)

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March 2011 North Central News

35

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Page 36

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36 North Central News March 2011