www.southingtoncitizen.com
Volume 20, Number
Southington veterans recognized at last in Washington honor flight
Learning the ropes of fatherhood ‘Bootcamp for New Dads’ held at PHS By Joy VanderLek Special to The Citizen
It’s a typical Wednesday night at Plainville High School with the exception of one classroom. Dad Shamar Marion is in the room, seated and smiling, holding his equally smiley three-month-old son, Kyson.
By Jesse Buchanan Record-Journal staff
Together they are the “stars of the show,” as they hold court for a classroom of dads-to-be. The men in the room are all here for a reason: Bootcamp for New Dads. The program was founded more than three decades ago by Greg Bishop, a dad and grandfather himself, who saw that new dads could use an assist. After teaching his program for many years at a local hospital, he created a non-profit, New Fathers Foundation, and took the program to a national platform. In the U.S., there are an estimated 75 million fathers. The importance of having a father involved in childrearing cannot be understated. According to the National
Friday, December 1, 2023
Veterans who took part in an honor flight to Washington, D.C. this fall described the send-off and thanks they never got after leaving the service. Those veterans included five members of the same family, all of whom were at a veterans’ coffee hour held on Nov. 17 at the Calendar House senior center.
Dawn Miceli and mother Pauline Woodeshick, a U.S. Air Force Veteran of Southington, converse during the John E. Demello Sr. Veterans Coffee Hour at the Calendar House Senior Center in Southington on Friday, Nov. 17. Matt Sparks, from Honor Flight Connecticut, gave a presentation to seniors and veterans at the center. Honor Flight Connecticut honors veterans by transporting them to Washington, D.C., to visit and reflect at their memorials. Dave Zajac, Record-Journal
See Fathers, A11
Matt Sparks, Honor Flight Connecticut president, spoke about his organization during the coffee hour. Originally organized in 2004 to bring World War II veterans to the newly opened World War II memorial in Washington, the group has since expanded to include veterans of other wars such as the Korean War and Vietnam. The flight from Bradley International Airport starts with a ceremony, honor guard and brass band. In D.C., the veterans visit memorials and are treated to a VIP experiSee Veterans, A6
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