The Southington
Cit itii zen Southington’s Only Hometown Newspaper
Volume 7, Number 18
Friday, May 6, 2011
Family gives back to community in wake of tragedy By Julie Sopchak The Southington Citizen
Melanie Rossini’s family had two choices: wallow in self-pity, or create something positive out of a tragic event. Rossini was 20 years old when she died last July of a pulmonary embolism that took her life within 36 hours, according to her mother, Lynn. Melanie was at that time going to Central Connecticut State University, studying to become a teacher, since she loved kids. After Melanie’s death, her best friend, Lauren Rousseau, ran a marathon in Melanie’s honor, and from that spawned the idea of Miles for Melanie, a
5K run in which all money raised would go towards the construction of a program center at YMCA Camp Sloper that would be dedicated in Melanie’s name. “It would be significant to us because the camp is huge to the community,” Lynn said. “Knowing Mel loved children so much, it means a lot.” Camp Sloper Outdoor Center Director Mark Pooler said at minimum the structure will be a 30-by-50 foot pavilion, but the ultimate goal is to build a yearround program building that would be enclosed with heating so the camp can have programs during the winter. “We didn’t want to make any promises on anything until we
Citizen photo by Julie Sopchak
From left, Melanie Rossini’s sister, Katie, mother, Lynn, and Camp Sloper Outdoor Center Director Mark Pooler stand with a poster for the Miles for Melanie event, which is aiming to raise money for a program building for Camp Sloper. really figured out exactly how much we raised,” Pooler said. “Once we have that number, we’ll sit down after and make decisions.” The family, which lives in Southington, has already startSee Family, page 4
Tonnotti whistles while they work
‘The Sound of Music’
By Julie Sopchak The Southington Citizen The trucks lined up on the street, and workers in white shirts with “Pay it Forward” written on them swarmed the Dziob family’s property on Meeker Road. It was JC Tonnotti Window Company’s first Pay it Forward celebration, and they chose one Southington
Photo by Stacey McCarthy
The Steeple Players of First Congregational Church of Southington, 37 Main St., will present “The Sound of Music,” a beloved musical. In this photo, Maria, played by Lori Holm-Cipollini, left, meets the family for the first time. Performances are Friday and Saturday, May 6 and 7, and Thursday and Saturday, May 12 and 14, 7 p.m. There is an admission fee. There is also a 2 p.m. matinee on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8. A freewill donation will be collected at that show.
homeowner to receive brand new windows, as well as other home improvement upgrades. Chris Dziob, 35, and his wife Tricia, 33, with their two children, Joshua, 9, and Emily, 11, enjoyed a sunny Saturday of free home improvement work, completed
See Whistling, page 9
Boy Scout boldly goes where no Scout has gone before in Eagle project By Julie Sopchak The Southington Citizen Damien Prescott didn’t just want to do his Eagle Scout project, he wanted to do something different. Setting a precedent for Boy Scouts, after 11 months,
Prescott got his project idea approved, not a typical project that can be built, but rather taught. Prescott wants to teach disadvantaged, high-risk youths how
See Scout, page 8