Volume 12, Number 33
Plainville’s Only Weekly Newspaper
www.plainvillecitizen.com
Colts working to revitalize football in town By Nate Brown
The Plainville Citizen
At this time of year, in most places, football trumps all, as kids strap on their cleats and hit the field looking for some gridiron glory. But it’s a much different story in Plainville, as fall baseball takes precedent over tossing around the pigskin. The Plainville Colts Pop Warner football program is working to change that. “If it wasn’t for fall baseball, we’d have two teams at every level. But the kids have to choose one or the other,” Colts President Philip Cox said, lamenting that, often, Plainville kids decide on fall baseball. The Colts find themselves in a difficult situation, to say the least. Over the past six seasons, the Plainville High School football program has compiled a record of 17-41 (a win percentage of .293) and had just one winning season (8-4 in 2010). Meanwhile, during that same stretch, the PHS baseball program posted a combined record of 84-
Thursday, August 15, 2013
A true feel-good story Local seniors deliver cheer to the sick, bereaved By Erin K. Butler Special to The Citizen
Photo by Patrick Matthews
Plainville Colts football players are hard at work preparing for their 2013 opener. 52 (a .618 win percentage) and won two state championships. The Colts aren’t sitting by idly, however, while baseball continues to draw
some of the town’s top talent in the fall. In fact, the Colts are pulling out all the stops to increase interest See Colts / Page 20
The technological age may have taken over most of our day-to-day communication, but the Plainville Senior Center is still using, the sometimes forgotten, pen and paper to bring a little sunshine to those in need. A special program called the Cheer Report, established nearly 40 years ago, sends cheer, sympathy and get-well cards to those who are ill, in the hospital, in a convalescent home or who have lost a loved one. The program extends cheer to current and former senior center members as well as to their families and loved ones. “People really appreciate this effort. There is nothing like getting a personal card when you are sick and to know someone is thinking of you,” said Ronda Guberman, assistant director of the senior center. In 2012, the Cheer Report sent out 300 cheer and sympathy cards. Currently spearheading the
program is 90-year old Ceal DiFrancesco, a Plainville citizen of 50 years. “I joined the center 40 years ago and had free time on my hands, so started volunteering, and later working at the front desk. Eventually, they needed someone to take over the Cheer Report, so I volunteered,” DiFrancesco said. Guberman said the Cheer Report relies on word of mouth of members to determine who could use a little note. A little detective work on the part of DiFrancesco, which includes reading the obituaries, contacting nursing homes and following up with family members, also is required. “She is very diligent and does excellent record keeping. She keeps track of all the addresses we send cards to, and all by date, so we can post it in our newsletter. This is a wonderful commitment she has made and we are very lucky to have her,” Guberman said. In addition to the cheer and sympathy cards, the Cheer Report sends out Christmas cards to past members now See Story / Page 14
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