Southington Italian-American Festival Draws 8,000

Another great weekend festival for Southington. If you missed it, see what was happening and who was there. 

Hundreds came and enjoyed a marvelous array of talent performing Italian and American music:  classic pop and show tunes, Italian favorites, operatic areas and more,

Joe LaPorte

“The Southington Italian-American Festival of 2015 was a success.” said festival committee chair, Joe LaPorte. The three-day festival took place on  Center Street decorated with American and Italian flags.  “Visitors numbered about 8,000. many from distances.”

Center Street became an exciting promenade 

Apple Harvest Festival 2015
Hostess, Carson Stifel,
greeting and enjoying the festival 

Srolling along the tented exhibits of two dozen vendors, people  browsed, stopped for a taste of sharp provolone or fresh fruit at the ShopRite booth while reconnecting with friends. There was a sense of honoring the past as folks took in the sights, smells and sounds of the culture and ancestral heritage. 

Children and adults enjoyed the deliciously cool gelato and Italian ices. Many indulged in tasty fried dough treats. Theatre-style seating included chairs in the open and tables under tents. Exciting talent came to the stage Saturday and Sunday entertaining the audience of hundreds with Italian and American music.  Intermissions turned into more festive greetings and foods such as the ever-popular sausage & peppers grinder at the UNICO station and the pasta fagioli and soffrito offered by the Sons of Italy.

The tasty food fest varied along the way with Broccoli rabe & sausage, Paul Gregory’s meatball sliders, pizza, eggplant parmigiana with plenty of hot dogs, burgers and fries, too, plus an ample assortment of cold beverages.  

Sunshine Miss Southington 2015, Madelyn Merryfield, 5 years old,
with sister Alexis (l), 7, and mom Sabrina Merryfield 

Face-painting, balloon sculpting, carnival rides and the Great Leone Magic Show held the attention of kids and adults alike

Southington’s Kelly Nowik captured the audience with her pop show tunes and opera arias. Fourteen year-old Charlie Tiernan, an exciting young talent who took second place in the 2010 Apple Harvest Festival, tugged heart strings with her energetic performance of great show tunes and classic pops, including a powerful rendition of New York, New York.

From South Windsor we heard a half dozen show tunes and operatic selections superbly performed by 17 year-old Gabriel Mellizo. Joining him in a marvelous duet was Megan Eberly,18, also of South Windsor. The stellar young talent delighted audience. The evening’s program closed impressively with New York-based classic baritone, Ross Benoliel, who recently appeared with the Metropolitan Opera, at  Carnegie Hall and the New York Philharmonic.  Connecticut-based tenor, Marcello Sparagna, a winner of the Festival of Songs in Brooklyn, and tenor Teo Ricciardelli, performer in Italian festivals up and down the East Coast and Anna Rita Tornella closed the evening. Entertainment continued on Sunday afternoon.

Sunday morning, Rev. Frederick M. Aniello, celebrated a Mass in Italian in memory of Patrick A. Baker who died on July 4, 2015.  A beautiful altar and furnishings were installed by the Baker family. Michael Baker stated that the statue of the Blessed Mother has been donated to the Italian Ladies Rosary Society so that it may remain the focal point of the Mass and procession which is escorted by the color guard of the Southington Knights of Columbus Assembly 122 and the Sam Vinci Middletown Italian Marching Band.

Driving by the site the next morning, it seemed almost incredible that the street was restored to normal, as though nothing had happened, a credit to hundreds of volunteer man-hours who organized and hosted this major community event.

Southington Awarded for Excellence in Financial Reporting by GFOA

The Town of Southington has been awarded the ‘Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting’ by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) of the U.S. and Canada.

A letter to Southington Town Manager, Garry Brumback, from GFOA’s  Director of the Technical Services Center, Stephen J. Gauthier, stated: “This Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting; its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.”  

Gauthier added: “The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, (CAFR), has been judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program including demonstrating a constructive spirit of full disclosure to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR.” GFOA is a nonprofit professional association with offices in Chicago and Washington, DC, serving approximately 17,500 government finance professionals.  

Photo at right:
Staff of Finance Department, Town of Southington awarded certificate for Excellence in Financial Reporting.

Front-L to R:  Deborah Landry; Emilia Portelinha, Director; Joyce Williams: Back – Jackie Santos-Villegas; Carol Ladd; Christina Sivigny-Smith. Assistant Director. Not in photo: Susan Mesinger 

Brumback commented: "The award is a tribute to Emilia Portelinha, (Director of Finance), for her skills of leadership, and to her staff.  They illustrate the teamwork and interdependency with all our department heads who meet regularly, synergizing their collective efforts.”                                   

Portelinha said: “We are all most grateful for this award which is due to the combined efforts of the staff in every way, especially in the preparation of the detailed and complex CAFR.”

Board of Finance Chairman, John Leary, said: “The entire town should take pride in the accomplishments of our Finance Department.  For 24 consecutive years the Southington Finance Department has gone beyond the minimum requirements and provided the town with comprehensive annual financial reports that evidence transparency and full disclosure of our finances. Excellence has become the standard for Southington.”

Finance Deapartment's Wall of Plaques covering 24 years for excellence in Financial Reporting.  Twenty-one individual plaques on the wall and three more placed on the plaque on the table including the annual diamonds. 

As published in the Southington Citizen, August 14, 2015

Prayer Vigil this evening at St. Dominic Church for Two Southington Teens

e-BULLETIN

Wednesday, July 30, 2015  at  10:15 am

Prayer Vigil this evening at St. Dominic Church for Two Southington Teens  

The St. Dominic Youth Group is offering an evening of prayer and fellowship for all interested youth from 6:00-7:30 tonight at St. Dominic Church this evening.

St. Dominic is located at 1050 Flanders Road at the corner of Flanders Road and Laning Street

Scroll down for previous post to Southington Heartbeat for more information about the tragic deaths Tuesday of Annmarie Olander, 16, a Southington H.S. sophomore and Olivia Fusco, 14, J.F. Kennedy Middle School in an auto accident on I-84.

All are welcome to join this community vigil. 

Two Southington Students in Fatal Auto Crash on I-84

Connecticut State Police have identified the victims of a fatal auto crash on I-84 near Exit 32  on Tuesday, July 28, 2015. Annmarie Olander, 16, and Olivia Fusco, 14, both from Southington were pronounced dead at the scene. Olander was driving the vehicle, a Hyundai Accent, traveling eastbound in the left lane on I-84.  Both were wearing seat belts, according to State Police. The airbag did not deploy when the vehicle veered on the roadway, struck a wire rope guide in the left shoulder, rolled over into an embankment area before striking a tree, police said.

Anyone who witnessed the accident is asked to contact Trooper William Bevans at 860-534-1000 ext 6136.

The Southington community is organizing a vigil after two students were killed in a crash on I-84 Tuesday. Southington Superintendent Timothy Connellan sent a message to members of the Southington Public Schools community informing them that two students were killed in Tuesday’s I-84 accident.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of these two students and we grieve with them for their loss,” he said.

Support services will be offered at the high school and the municipal center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting Wednesday and continuing through Friday.

Students are organizing a vigil for both students that will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. at the high school softball field.

Olander was a sophomore at Southington High School and a proud member of the softball team, according to the Hartford Courant.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation and no other vehicles were involved. Multiple lanes were closed for several hours as police investigated.

Charleston, SC tragic shooting deaths to be memorialized by CT Sikh in Southington July 3rd

In response to the horrendous shooting murders of nine innocent people at the Emanuael Affrican Methodist  Episcopal Church in Charleston,.SC last Thursday, the CT Sikh Association will hold a candlelight vigil service at their temple, Gurdwara Guru Nanak Darbar,at 1610 West Street in Southington, CT at 8:30 pm on Friday, July 3rd . 

Sikh spokesperson, Kulwant Samra said, in an official statement,  "This tragedy has affected each person in our community and thus we must come together in remembrance of the lives lost and offer our blessings and prayers to the families of the victims."

Candles and head coverings will be provided. Questions will be answered by reaching out to the Sikh at (860) 621-3015. The service is planned outdoors in front of the Sikh Gurdwara. In case of rain, it will be held indoors. 

"We look forward to your joining us on Friday", Samra said. 

Sikh Gurdwara Guru Nanak Darbar - 1610 West St. Southington, CT

Guy and Kathryne Boissonneault celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary

Congratulations Kathryne and Guy...

Guy and Kathryne Boissonneault celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary on Sunday, June 28, 2015.

Blessing and renewal of wedding vows
officiated by Fr. A. Waine Kargul at
Mary Our Queen Church

Members of the Boissonneault family, friends, a Color Guard representing Guy's 4th Degree Knights of Columbus Isabella Assembly 122 of Southington, CT., and those attending the 11:00 am Mass at Mary Our Queen Church in Plantsville, CT joined the happy couple in a blessing and renewal of wedding vows officiated by Mary Our Queen Pastor, Rev. A. Waine Kargul.  

A long time member of the Knights of Columbus and past Grand  Knight and Faithful Navigator, Guy and his wife Kathryne, long with Fr. A. Waine Kargul are surrounded by fellow Knights of the Southington Isabella Assembly 122 Color Guard.

Guy was born and raised in Biddeford, ME.  Kathryne was born in Bermuda.

Guy served in the U.S. Air Force for four years in the 1950s.  While stationed at Kinney Air Force Base in Bermuda, Guy met Kathy on a blind date arranged by a friend of hers. They were married in Bermuda on June 28, 1955, on his twenty-second birthday, moving in December 20 Connecticut. Guy worked in retail, moving to Southington in 1962 and remained here until his retirement from  Pratt Whitney in 1993. 

They have five children, Daniel, Marie (Westbrook), Michael, Denise Lopez and Robert and have eleven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. 

Asked how they felt after sixty years of marriage, Guy said,
"It feels great. It's been a blessing and a gift."

Kathy said, the Lord's been good to us."

Indeed, a loving marriage of 60 years is a blessing and rare gift. 

Strong Elementary School Celebrates Flag Day and Surprises Principal with send off

As published in the Southington Citizen June 26, 2015

Principal Linda Lacker welcomes veterans
Bob Klezun, Walt Hushak, Dick Fortunato
and John DeMello, Sr. at Strong School.

Joining Strong Elementary School in a celebration fo Flag Day were several local veterans who had been invited to the program.  While Flag Day is officially June 14, the school event took place on June 15, with Principal Linda Lackner and her staff holding an assembly of the entire school. Lackner did not know that there would be a jubilant celebration in her honor by the entire school following the patriotic Flag Day ceremonies.  Veterans representing American Legion Post 72 of Southington included those who had served in WWII, Korea and the Vietnam War.

Rain had moved the planned outdoor
event into the school cafeteria where students led the assembly in saluting the flag with the Pledge of Allegiance and the musically accompanied singing a of George M. Cohan’s  “It’s a Grand Ole Flag”. 

Expressing the personal meaning of the flag to him, retired Lt. Col. gathered about his presence and treasured memory of his experience in the WWII Battle of Iwo Jima in the Pacific. This led up to the famous photograph of the moment of the raising of the American flag on Mt. Suribachi, signifying the victory of the Marine invasion of Iwo Jima.  “I can’t tell you how much that sight meant to all of us who saw it.

Five Marines and one Navy man raised the U.S. Flag
at the top of Mt. Surabachi in the WWII Battle of
Iwo Jima - photo by Joe Rosenthal

That one photo, taken by Joe Rosenthal on February 23, 1945 was in newspapers throughout the world the next day. It has also been replicated in the form of a national monument to World War II in Washington DC. The image of the hoisting of the flag by five Marines and one Navy man is, to this day, a great symbol of American patriotism.“  Hushak told students that there is a  smaller version of the Iwo Jima memorial near CCSU in New Britain that they want to visit with their parents.   

Retired school principal Mark Proffitt then told the children how he remembers learning the pledge of allegiance as a boy in elementary school. Proffitt repeated the pledge to the students slowly, phrase by phrase. “To me, that last phrase, ‘with liberty and justice for all’ is the most important“, Proffitt said.”

The assembly then turned to a complete surprise for Lackner as the assembly burst into a special celebration of her retirement before the entire school, including   Board of Education members Terri C. Carmody and Jill Notar-Francesco who entered the room from a side door to proclaim the day as Linda Lackner Day on behalf of the Board and in recognition of her decades of service to Southington education. Students and teachers had prepared songs, presentations and surprises to the delight of all and the especially appreciative joy of Lacker as she was honored by students, faculty, staff, PTO and the B.O.E.   

Strong Elementary School Assembly - June 15, 2015