August 20, 2015

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IN SPORTS
Catching
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PAGE 25
AVON • BURLINGTON • CANTON • FARMINGTON • GRANBY • SIMSBURY
Vol. 7, Edition 34
Thursday
August 20, 2015
in the press
Bozzuto’s buys
polo grounds
The Farmington Polo Grounds,
which had been in foreclosure
proceedings for six years, was purchased by the company owned by
the organizer of the Connecticut
Dream Ride. Town Farm Road LLC
purchased the 59.5-acre property
located at 152 Town Farm Road
for $1.682 million July 24 from Village Management Corp., which finalized its foreclosure on the property June 8. PAGE 17
Peggy Farrar
says farewell
It’s not goodbye, but see you later.
That was the sentiment during the
Aug. 14 celebration of Margaret
“Peggy” Farrar’s 11 years as the café
manager at the Canton Community Café. PAGE 17
A hands-on experience
Photo by Abigail Albair
The Granby Public Library held a Touch a Truck event Aug. 12 at Salmon Brook Park as a big finale to a summer series of programs in conjunction with
the summer reading theme “Every Hero Has a Story.” Pictured above: Mason Skaret was more interested in the wheels of trucks than the driver’s seats
and was happy to show off his smile as he ran through the vehicles while exploring. See more on page 6.
YOUR SALAD
IS READY
Peaberry’s Cafe
712 Hopmeadow St. | Simsbury, CT
www.peaberryscafect.com
NEWS
Wild about animals
THIS WEEK
A&E
4
Kids
7
Education
9
The Buzz
12
Editorial
13
Business
14
Town News
17
Calendar 23
Sports
25
Classifieds
28
“It’s a beautiful piece of
property. It’s going to
make a lot of people
happy with the way it
looks [after the
renovations are done].
... There will be things
during the course of the
year, but nothing specific
as of yet.”
-Kevin Daly in “Bozzuto’s buys,
working to renovate...” on page 17
“It was a labor of love
to be with the elders of
our town to know them,
share with them and to
add enjoyment to their
senior years. I’m having
trouble detaching with
something that has kept
me connected for so
many years.”
Courtesy photo
9
Quotes
of Note
Avon reader Christine Quinn said these two
turkeys have been hanging around the
Rosewood Road neighborhood for over a month
and are always spotted together.
She said they hide out under trees during
thunderstorms. If you have a photo of a critter
that you’ve spotted locally, submit it for this
segment to Abigail at [email protected].
Include “Wild About Animals” and the animal
spotted in the subject line, as well as your town
of residence. All submissions will be considered
for inclusion in a future edition.
-Margaret “Peggy” Farrar in
“Farrar says farewell” on page 17
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August 20, 2015
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September 9th
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The
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3
PRESSARTS&ENTERTAINMENT
Limited tickets left for Taste in Simsbury
The KC Sisters are one of many acts scheduled for the Hike to the Mic event.
Courtesy photo
Hike to the Mic rescheduled for Aug. 29
O
P
O
I
E
T
N
A
ery will have three types of cake and Cake
Gypsy will serve several items including its
gourmet cupcakes, both regular and gluten
free.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. at The Riverview, Simsbury’s 14,800-square-foot
custom-designed wedding and banquet
facility. Tickets can be purchased at all
Simsbury Bank branch locations (Simsbury, Avon, Granby and Bloomfield), as well
as Fitzgerald’s Foods, Horan’s Flowers &
Gifts, Welden Hardware, The Wine House
and The Simsbury Inn. They can also be
purchased online at www.ShopSimsbury.
com/A-Taste-In-Simsbury.
Special thanks to presenting sponsor,
Simsbury Bank. Joining them are corporate sponsors Coburn & Meredith, Inc. and
Dornenburg Kallenbach Advertising, as
well as numerous promotional sponsors
that make this happen.
This event reminds people that Simsbury is the ultimate destination for dining,
shopping, arts and entertainment. This
event draws not only residents, but visitors from all over the state. For a complete
list of participating vendors and sponsors,
visit www.ShopSimsbury.com/A-Taste-InSimsbury.
Chilling ghost tours at the Mark Twain House
Tours will entertain,
educate and perhaps frighten guests Friday and Saturday, Aug. 28 and 29. Tours
step off at 6 p.m., 7 p.m., 8
p.m., and 9 p.m.
After three eventful investigations by TAPS for SyFy’s “Ghost Hunters” and an
episode of “My Ghost Story,” The Mark Twain House
creeeeeeaks open its front
door for nocturnal tours.
On the Graveyard Shift
Ghost Tour participants
will hear about these investigations – and learn about
Mark Twain’s own interest
in the supernatural. Spiritualism and ghostly tales were
a big part of the Gilded Age,
an age of uncertainty, materialism and spectacular credulity much like today.
Don’t believe in ghosts?
Decide for yourself on these
evening visits to the Clemens mansion. An hour-long
guided tour takes visitors
through the main house,
the servants’ wing, and
down into the basement,
normally off-limits to visitors.
Filled with haunted history, dark tales and
Victorian traditions surrounding séances and spiritualism, these tours are
as educational as they are
goosebump-inducing.
Tickets are $22 for
adults, $17 for members
and $15 for children age 16
and under. Tours are recommended for ages 10 and
up. Call 860-280-3130 or visit marktwainhouse.org and
click on events to purchase
tickets online.
Tours are sponsored by
Tsunami Tsolutions.
The Mark Twain House
& Museum has restored the
author’s Hartford home,
where Samuel L. Clemens
and his family lived from
1874 to 1891.
The house and museum at 351 Farmington Ave.
are open daily 9:30 a.m.-5:30
p.m. They are closed Tuesdays during March.
!
P
The Friends of Heublein Tower, Inc. Friends of Heublein Tower, Inc, the 501(c)
has announced the rescheduled date for (3) dedicated to enhancing and preserving
the inaugural Hike to the Mic – Music and the iconic Heublein Tower and surroundArts Happening Aug. 29 from noon to sun- ing grounds, working in tandem with corset, with a rain date of Aug. 30. This “do- porate sponsors and the State DEEP.
nation suggested” event will reward hikers
Key sponsors for Hike to the Mic to
to the Heublein Tower with great musical date, include Telefunken – a world-wide
entertainment, food vendors and the “roy- leader in microphone technology, the
al view” from one of Connecticut’s premier law firm of Mayo Crowe, accounting firm
hiking destinations.
Saslow, Lufkin & Buggy and DW Burr
The talented Will Evans, from the Landscape & Design, Fitzgerald’s Foods
band Barefoot Truth, will be there shar- grocery store in Simsbury, and the United
ing the stage with dazzling sounds of At- Bank Foundation.
las Gray, local kid phenomenons Kais and
Contact the Friends of the Heublein
Dollz, along with the sweet harmonies of Tower board member William Case at
The KC Sisters. Additional performers are 860-678-1434, ext. 12 or bcase@friendsofbeing added to the lineup so check in with heubleintower.org for additional details
www.hiketothemic.com to find out all the and possibilities.
details.
The Friends of Heublein Tower, Inc
Harry’s Bishop Corner Pizzeria has is a nonprofit preservation society, estabjust been added to the food lineup, along lished in 1984, for the purpose of restoring
with the folks from KC Dubliner Pub & for public use the state-owned Heublein
Grill in Burlington who will be grilling Tower landmark to its original and auburgers and dogs. Noodles & Co and Ben thentic 1914 splendor.
& Jerry’s Ice Cream will be on hand, proBy providing time, talent and finanviding a healthy selection of locally pre- cial assistance, the Friends of Heublein
pared food, along with ice cream for all to Tower supplement the state of Connectienjoy.
cut’s efforts in restoring, improving and
The Heublein Tower is unquestion- interpreting the Heublein Tower and its
ably one of the most unique settings in surrounding grounds. The restored tower
New England and will provide the perfect serves as a museum and a place of learnbackdrop for what will be fantastic “hike ing, gathering and exploration for the edto” familyVALLEY
fun. PRESS AD-final.pdf 1 8/10/15ucational
3:09 PM and social benefit of those who
Hike to the Mic is organized by The visit.
Tickets are going quickly quickly for
the 7th Annual Taste in Simsbury Presented by Simsbury Bank, which will be Thursday, Aug. 27. A limited number of tickets
are available for this gourmet dining event,
and they go quickly each year.
Tickets are $50, and are all-inclusive.
Guests will enjoy gourmet samples, such
as a Cajun shrimp with a summer vegetable cous cous from Majorca, grilled Korean
beef from Republic, and a pancetta-crusted
lobster mac and cheese from Evergreens
Restaurant at The Simsbury Inn. These are
just some of the outstanding menu choices
that guests will be able sample from.
Along with the amazing food created
by some of the best restaurants in Greater
Hartford, craft beer will be provided by Red
Stone Pub, Thomas Hooker Brewery and
Back East Brewing Company. Select fine
wines will be served by The Wine House
and M&R Liquors, and RIPE Craft Bar Juice
will feature fresh, handcrafted cocktails.
Wild Moon, Hartford Flavor Company and
Waypoint Spirits will round the amazing
beverage providers.
Ice cream, gelato and sorbet will be
served by award-winning J. Foster’s Select
Batch Ice Cream, A Little Something Bak-
C
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Let’s meet at the
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The
Valley Press
August 20, 2015
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PRESSARTS&ENTERTAINMENT
Granby mother authors book about raising a child with autism
By Sloan Brewster
Senior Staff Writer
When Martha Griffin-Weis learned her
son had autism she felt isolated and alone.
It was the early 1990s and the diagnosis
was very rare, the Granby author explained.
Griffin-Weis recently released a book on
the experience; titled “Set Apart: A Mother’s
Steps to Peace,” the book is about raising a
child with autism.
“The reason I wrote the book is that I
have raised a son with autism,” Griffin-Weis
said. “He’s now 29 years old. He was diagnosed at a time when no one ever heard of it.”
One day, her son was healthy and behaving fine. Suddenly, his behavior changed, she
said. People wanted to blame her.
“People thought, ‘Oh you’re a terrible
mother,’” she said.
For her part, she could not accept the
diagnosis.
What was worse is that institutionalization was the conventional treatment in that
time, and she deemed that to be unacceptable for her son.
“You looked in these old text books and
they had these horrible definitions of what
[autism] was,” she said.
Using fictional names – Maggie and Ben
– the book is based on what she and her son
went through on a daily basis.
“The story about Maggie and Ben is
based on a true story, but due to the sensitivity of the topic and to offer my son some
privacy, I chose to create the characters of
Maggie and Ben,” Griffin-Weis explained.
Like her real life counterpart, Maggie is
completely alone.
“Nowadays everybody you know
knows someone who has [autism],”
Griffin-Weis said.
Not Maggie.
“She’s isolated. No one wants to play
with her kid. No one wants to be around her,”
Griffin-Weis said.
Another thing Maggie has in common
with Griffin-Weis is the suspicion that the
cause of the autism is somehow connected
with vaccines.
Despite believing in that connection,
Griffin-Weis is not opposed to vaccinations.
Rather, she believes there may be an additive,
a preservative, or something in the vaccine
that is causing an adverse reaction.
The book also looks at another concern
for Griffin-Weis: that of the potential loss of
medical and religious freedom, she said.
“The legislation that’s currently going on
is about removing medical freedom,” she said
with regard to laws that could mandate vaccines and remove clauses that allow people
to refuse them for religious reasons, or simply
to gain additional time to research vaccines
and their ingredients.
“That is in danger of being eliminated
and that’s a problem,” Griffin-Weis said. “I am
not anti-vaccine but I am concerned with
losing this freedom.”
The book is also about the daily travails
of the people in it: those things that transcend the story of a mother and a son with
autism.
Such things include love and marriage
and divorce.
“It’s about how having a special needs
child affects the marriage,” the writer said.
“‘Set Apart’ touches on lost love, female
fortitude, insightful research and, above all,
lighthearted humor regarding a sometimes
overlooked population of incredibly lovable
individuals,” according to a write up. “In-
sightful and well researched, this story is full
of emotion and humor.”
The book is also about ups and downs
and, like Griffin-Weis’ own life,
there are happy times, moments of joy and laughter, and
sad times. Interwoven in the
story is information about how
to deal with these challenges.
“I had a couple people tell
me, ‘Boy you’re really learning a
lot and you don’t even know it,’” Griffin-Weis
said of the writing process.
Other readers told her that they were
laughing one minute, and crying the next.
“We did a lot of that,” she said.
The book also has a faith element, as
Griffin-Weis turned to her Christian faith to
help her get through many of the challenges
she faced.
“It is a book that is inspirational for
mothers and families,” she said. “When you’re
isolated like that, you need some place to go.”
Griffin-Weis started writing “Set Apart”
about seven years ago, when her daughter
went to college and her son was in a transitional post-high school program. She worked
on it for a while, then set it aside to get her
master’s degree in health sciences.
“I felt l like I needed more credibility,”
she said. “I don’t feel like that now, but I did
then.”
After graduating, she forgot about the
book for a time, or at least she tried to, but
she kept thinking that it was important.
She ultimately returned to writing.
“It was very scary. It’s a very personal story. ... I really resisted it quite a bit, but I had
a lot of encouragement,” Griffin-Weis said. “I
had people say, ‘Thank you for writing this.’”
Griffin-Weis wrote while seated near a
Courtesy photos
Martha Griffin-Weis (inset) authored “Set
Apart: A Mother’s Steps to Peace.”
window. Although the words often came of
their own accord and she would have to grab
whatever paper she could find to put them
down, many of these incidents took place at
night when she would awaken from sleep.
“I had this urgency that would come
to me and, sometimes in the night, full sentences would come to me and I would jot it
down,” she said, adding that the process was
very healing. “It was amazing what came out.
It was just sort of channeled through me. ... It
was sort of out of your power, all of a sudden.
You have to go with it.”
Griffin-Weis self-published “Set Apart”
through the Westbow Press. It is available on
Amazon, The Westbow Press Bookstore and
barnesandnoble.com
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August 20, 2015
The
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5
Jack Proctor gets behind
the wheel of a tractor.
Makena Guglielmone was
much more interested in
the loader of this backhoe
than the vehicle itself.
Time to ‘touch a truck’
T
he Granby Public Library held several
programs this summer in conjunction
with the summer reading theme “Every Hero
Has a Story.” The big finale was a Touch a
Truck event Aug. 12 at Salmon Brook Park
in Granby. All Granby First Responders were
present along with five vehicles, including department of public works trucks, a police car,
fire truck and ambulance. The event served to
bring community members together and honor local heroes, according to children’s librarian Joan Beatson.
Above: Elena
Vanase gets
behind the wheel
of a backhoe.
Above: Dylan and Cody Sandora explore a public works vehicle.
Below: Brycen Fera was all smiles and sunglasses as he posed in a fire truck’s driver’s seat.
On vacation? Don’t let a problem ruin your relaxation.
Above, right: Kaya
Wyzik checks out
the buttons in a
firetruck.
Right: Chase
Warnke examines
a fire truck with
the help of his
grandfather, Jim.
Photos by Abigail Albair
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The
Valley Press
August 20, 2015
This is to give notice that I,
PHILLIP J. CHABOT
718 CAMP ST
FARMINGTON, CT 06032-3059
Have filed an application
placarded on 08/8/2015 with
the Department of Consumer
Protection for a
RESTAURANT
LIQUOR PERMIT
for the sale of alcoholic liquor
on the premises at
280 AVON MOUNTAIN RD.
AVON, CT 06001-3943
The business will be owned by:
THE NORTH HOUSE INC.
Entertainment will consist of:
Acoustics (Not Amplified), Disc
Jockeys, Live Bands, Comedians,
Magicians
Objections must be filed by:
9/19/2015
PHILLIP J. CHABOT
Read
Valley
PRESS
AVON • BURLINGTON • CANTON • FARMINGTON • GRANBY • SIMSBURY
online at
www.TurleyCT.com
PRESSKIDS
Farmington girls are finalists in Google robotics competition
By Ted Glanzer
Staff Writer
Three rising eighth-grade girls from
Farmington are spending a good chunk of
their summer vacation as one of 30 finalist teams in a Google robotics competition
called Xprize Moonbots Challenge.
Irving A. Robbins Middle School students Hannah Zink, Sanmati Choudhary and
Olivia Hofmann comprise To the Moon and
Beyond, the only junior-finalist team in the
competition from Connecticut.
Hannah said they got involved in the
competition through the recommendation
of a former robotics coach who said it was a
good thing to get involved in.
“In sixth grade we were all involved in a
robotics competition … and that’s where we
got inspired by robotics,” Sanmati said. The Moonbots competition is divided
into two phases. The first called for teams
to create a video about what inspires them
about the moon. The girls did theirs based on
a Native American legend regarding a rabbit
that convinced a crane to fly it to the moon.
“We wanted something from America,
because there are teams from all over the
world,” Olivia said. “The crane flew the bunny to the moon, but the bunny was so heavy,
he stretched out the crane’s feet. When he
jumped off, he hit the crane on the head,
which is why cranes have a red patch on their
heads. Now the bunny is sometimes seen on
the face of the moon.”
Based on the strength of the video - in
which Sanmati starred as “Luna” - the girls’
team was one of 30 selected for phase 2 of the
competition. The girls selected a Vex IQ robot, which they are required to construct and
program. The robot they chose must autono-
mously complete five missions on a six foot
by six foot moon-like surface that the team
also had to construct.
To the Moon and Beyond named their
robot “Stanley” and created their moon surface out of foam. The challenges that the girls
came up with include having Stanley pick up
an astronaut stranded in a crater and have
her placed back in front of her lunar home.
Stanley also has to place a waste-water container on top of a water purifier and activate
it, and he also must lower an asteroid shield
on the lunar home.
“It’s all related to living on the moon
somehow,” Olivia said. In a nod to the Native American legend
that advanced the girls to the second phase,
Stanley must also activate a gyrocopter that
has a toy rabbit attached to it.
“We based our missions on what our
robot would scientifically have to do on the
moon,” Hannah said. “The adult competition
of Moonbots is trying to get an actual rover
on the moon.”
The girls completed the first phase in
June and they received their robotics kit from
Google in July. They have until Aug. 31 to finish phase 2, which they are working feverishly
to accomplish. On Aug. 31, they will show off
their final product via Skype to the judges.
When the girls received their robotics
kit, they also received four additional robots.
Julie Zink, Hannah’s mother, said that there
was some confusion as to why they received
the extra robots and software. As part of the
competition, Google is requiring the entrants
to find an underserved community and donate the additional hardware and software.
The girls decided to donate the four extra
robots, and Stanley when they are finished,
to the Hartford Public Library to help start a
Photos by Ted Glanzer
Hannah Zink, Olivia Hofmann and Sanmati Choudhary comprise team “To the Moon and
Beyond” in the Google Moonbots competition. In front of them is Stanley, their robot.
robotics program in the city.
The dynamic trio has been meeting
three or four times a week for up to three
hours each session to work on their project,
program, tinker and troubleshoot. Each of
them said that they love what they are doing,
which is encouraging considering that robotics has in decades past been viewed as more
of an endeavor for boys. The members of To the Moon and Beyond don’t see it that way, however.
“It’s really nice to be in something
and have it be all girls, because you kind of
stand out,” Olivia said. “In robotics, the majority is boys. It’s nice to be inspiring to girls
that they can do that, too. It doesn’t have
to be boys.”
Sanmati and Hannah agreed.
“I don’t think that gender matters in this
country,” Sanmati said. “My parents didn’t
want me to get involved in this. … But now
that I’ve been exposed to this, it’s fun. It’s interactive. Most girls don’t get to do that.”
“I think it’s just a stereotype that only
boys can do it,” Hannah said. “I definitely
think it’s better that both genders can do it.
There’s no disadvantage to being a girl.”
The girls also gave a presentation at the
Farmington Public Library’s main branch
Monday, Aug. 17 as part of an outreach effort.
More than 50 children and adults signed up
for the event, which included a demonstration of Stanley in action as well as provided
an opportunity for children to get hands-on
experience with LEGO Mindstorm Robotics.
Visit moonbots.org to learn more.
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August 20, 2015
The
Valley8/6/15
Press
4:16 PM7
PRESSKIDS
Scout seeks Eagle rank through sand court project
By Sloan Brewster
Senior Staff Writer
Kevin Kryzwick has
been a Scout since he was 5
years old.
When Kevin, a 16-yearold member of Boy Scout
Troop 23 who will be entering his junior year at Lewis
Mills High School, was featured in The Valley Press in
2009, he was a 9-year-old
Cub Scout.
He had won first place
in the Father-Son Bakeoff
with a cake resembling the
U.S. Capitol.
His mother, Christine
Kryzwick, had the photo handy last week as her
son was inteviewed about
his more recent Scouting
achievements.
“It just shows the progression. It’s just interesting,”
she said.
Kevin recalled how he
built the house and senate
buildings from sheet cakes
and made the columns out
of white chocolate pretzels.
He shaped the dome with a
mixing ball, and even crafted the famous cherry blossom trees from pretzels and
popcorn.
Seven years later, Kevin
is working on a new project.
Though it’s a few years
before his 18th birthday, he
has already started his Eagle
Photo by Sloan Brewster
Kevin Kryzwick stands near the spot at Malerbo Field where
he plans to construct a sand volleyball court for his Eagle
Scout project. Behind him is a swing set, which, he said,
was also an Eagle project by another Scout a few years ago.
Scout project and plans to
complete it this fall, assuming he gets all the money he
needs to do it.
He wants to install a
sand volleyball court beside the pavilion at Malerbo Field. He already started
fundraising and has $2,500
of the $6,300 he will need to
complete the court.
Kevin sent letters to
friends and family and some
businesses for donations
and also set up a fund for
the project through the
Main Street Foundation. He
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The
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also got the town to agree to
do the excavation.
Kevin, who has been
playing volleyball for two
years, is on the Lewis Mill
boys volleyball team. His
interest in the sport was
sparked by his sister, Tori
Kryzwick, who has been
playing for about six years.
The closest sand court
is in Bristol, Kevin said.
“Sand’s more fun,”
Kevin said. “When you’re
playing, you want to dive
and stuff. It gives you a nice
cushion.”
To install the court,
Kevin and volunteers from
his troop need to have
gravel and sand delivered
and haul it into the hole
the town’s Public Works
Department will excavate.
Then, they will pour cement
for the poles that will hold
up the net.
While some Boy Scouts
do not make Eagle Scout until they are almost 18, Kevin
will still be 16 when he hits
that mark. He attributes his
success to his mentor and
troop leader, Andy Klimkoski, who, he said, has a lot of
experience as a Scout himself. He also had two sons
rise through the Scouting
ranks including his son Alex
Klimkoski, who is Kevin’s
best friend.
To make Eagle Scout,
Kevin must acquire at least
21 merit badges. Of those, 12
are required and the rest are
by choice.
Included in the badges
he could chose himself, Kevin opted for the school and
cooking badges.
For the school merit
badge, he had to maintain
an average of 85 or better
and improve over the course
of the school year. As far
as the cooking badge was
concerned, he remembered
having to cook bacon over
and open fire, which he
enjoyed.
Kevin has to get four
more badges before he will
be finished.
To donate to the volleyball court, log onto mainstreetfoundation.org, click
on “Donate Now,” scroll
down to “Designated and
Project Funds” and from
there click on “Malerbo
Volleyball Court Fund.”
August 20, 2015
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Saturday, September 5th 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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or email [email protected]
Photo by Ted Glanzer
Rico Biggart gives his father, Ame, a hug while his mother,
Francesca, looks on.
Teen returns home to Canton
to celebrate high honor
By Ted Glanzer
Staff Writer
Colleen Brown was
called upon by former Canton resident Rico Biggart to
write a letter of recommendation on his behalf so that
Biggart could achieve the
rank of Eagle Scout.
It was, Brown said, the
easiest letter that she’s ever
had to write. “These recommendations were based on our
observations of how he exemplifies the Boy Scout oath
and Boy Scout law,” Brown
said at a Biggart’s Eagle Scout
Court of Honor at La Trattoria in Canton Saturday, Aug.
15. “From the time Rico was
a little boy, he has had all of
the attributes of a Boy Scout.”
Brown, who has known
Biggart for 12 years and was
one of his teachers, said that
Biggart is kind, generous, loyal to his friends and family
and true to his beliefs.
“He is one of those kids
that teachers call upon to
mentor a new student or to
help a student who might be
struggling or to help someone who might just need a
friend,” Brown said.
Just 5 percent of Boy
Scouts ever achieve the highest rank of the Boy Scouts of
America.
“It takes a whole lot of
planning. It takes a great deal
of leadership, dedication and
a ton of heart,” Brown said.
Biggart had to earn 21
badges and plan and execute
a service project that benefitted the entire community to
earn the rank.
His project was to construct a welcome sign at
the William Goodrich Jones
State Forest in Texas.
“A lot of work went into
that project,” Brown said.
“Rico had to work with state
park officials to have his
plan approved. Once it was
approved, the site had to be
prepped for the sign. A steel
frame had to be welded, the
sign had to be commissioned
and installed and, finally, the
site had to be landscaped. It
was quite a project.”
Brown also noted that
Biggart, who will be a high
school senior in the fall, was
a member of student government and founded and ran
an origami club in Canton.
Biggart and his family
moved to The Woodlands,
Texas in April 2014, where he
completed his requirements
for the rank of Eagle with
BSA Troop 89. Prior to that, he grew up
in Canton and was a member
of BSA Troop 77. More than 70 people
showed up for Biggart’s
Court of Honor, which was
held in Canton specifically
so family and friends in and
around Connecticut could
attend. Videos of Biggart’s
troop in Texas were played
congratulating him on his
achievement.
Texas
Scoutmaster
Keith Landau explained
the value of Biggart’s Eagle
badge.
“In dollars and cents it
is worth $75,” Landau said.
“Probably $35 in silver, $2
worth of ribbon and the rest
of it in manufacturing and
handling costs. … Is your
Eagle badge worth $75? Of
course not. Your Eagle badge
is priceless.”
Biggart also received
words of reflection from
Shaylyn Hauswirth, his former nanny, and Peter Fortier,
the director of religious education at St. Patrick’s Church.
Hauswirth said that
Biggart showed maturity beyond his years, choosing to
do what was right over what
was popular.
“He doesn’t care what
others think of him, so long
as he knows he’s doing the
right thing,” Hauswirth said.
Biggart was presented
with his Eagle plaque, scarf
and badge by his mother and
father, Francesca and Ame
Biggart.
PRESSEDUCATION
Student traces soldier’s steps in Normandy, tells man’s story
By Sloan Brewster
Senior Staff Writer
Standing at a World War
II gravesite in Normandy,
France, Connor Lisle delivered a eulogy for a man he
had never known, a soldier he
could never have known, as
the man died decades before
the high school student was
even born.
“I had chills,” said Lisa-Brit Wahlberg, who was
graveside listening to the
moving tribute.
Lisle, a 17-year-old rising
senior at The Master’s School
in Simsbury, researched the
soldier’s life, wrote the eulogy
and traveled to France with
Wahlberg, his teacher, as part
of the Silent Hero Project of
the Normandy Institute.
Once Lisle and Wahlberg were accepted into the
program, which, according to
Wahlberg is funded by a Albert H. Small, a veteran who
wants today’s youth to fully
understand the sacrifice of
those who gave their lives in
the war, the work began.
The idea of the project is
to give a voice to the soldiers
who died so far away from
home, she said.
According to a press release, the program, which is
in its fifth year, is coordinated
by National History Day and
is funded by a generous donation from Small, a veteran
himself. The program brings
students and teachers from
around the world to Washington, D.C. for visits to the
National Archives, Arlington National Cemetery, and
lectures from World War II
veterans and historians. The
final stage was the trip to
Normandy.
First, Lisle had to choose
a soldier from Connecticut
who died during the Invasion
of Normandy on D-Day.
Something about Harlan E Rugg, who was from
Fairfield, resonated with
Lisle, Wahlberg said. Lisle
found Rugg’s picture in his
high school yearbook.
The deeper research
took Lisle, Wahlberg and the
15 student-teacher teams
from all over the country, to
the National Archives in College Park, Md., where they
pieced together what they
could find.
“We got so connected
with our soldier,” Wahlberg
said. “First of all, there was
not a lot of information so
we were on this historical
treasure hunt. ... It was really
neat to go through these old
documents, pictures, death
records.”
Wahlberg saw the project as a scholarly venture.
“The students became
historians,” she said, “I felt like
they started to realize how
preserving things into the
past will help into the future.”
Lisle learned that Rugg,
a Glider trooper, was a second lieutenant in the 81st
Anti-Aircraft Battalion of the
101st Airborne AAA Division
and landed behind enemy
lines June 6, 1944.
One thing Lisle noticed
right away when he was
looking at Rugg’s yearbook
photo was an identical boy in
the picture next to him. “Our
soldier, he was a twin and his
brother served in North Africa,” Wahlberg said.
Rugg’s brother died in
2000. Rugg, who received a
purple heart, was 22 when he
was killed.
Military service was
not new to the Rugg family,
Rugg’s father and grandfather both served. His father
fought in World War I and his
grandfather was a soldier in
the Civil War.
Rugg’s grandfather kept
a journal while he was in
the war and it is now in the
library at the University of
Connecticut.
Lisle was even able to
connect with a memorabilia collector online who had
Rugg’s hat and uniform and
some family pictures.
As Lisle dug deeper and
deeper into Rugg’s history,
he learned the man and his
twin enlisted together Dec.
17, 1941.
“It was right after Pearl
Harbor,” he said. “They enlisted in the aftermath of a patriotic rush.”
Rugg landed in a covert
mission behind enemy lines
and died there as well.
One challenge was finding living relatives, and Wahlberg and Lisle are still looking
for them. The research project and trip were learning
experiences for student and
teacher.
“It will be something
that I bring to my classroom,”
Wahlberg said. “I learned so
much as a teacher.”
The
other
student-teacher pairs in the
group had equivalent successes and one research
project culminated with a
reunion between a U.S. and
French family.
The local newspaper in
the town where the boy lived
did a story on his research
and a family member of the
soldier he was learning about
contacted him and gave him
photographs. The family also
had relatives in France, so
they planned a trip and met
up with the students and
teachers there.
PBS, which also followed
the group on the journey, was
there to tape the encounter
and included it with a broadcast of the trip in segments
called “Following in the Footsteps of History.”
The 10-day trip included
visits to museums, visits with
historians and a walk along
the beach where the Invasion
of Normandy took place,
“To put my feet on that
beach where all of that happened was very overwhelming,” Wahlberg said. “It’s
something I’ll never forget.”
The students also went
to the graves of the soldiers
they researched and delivered eulogies they wrote
based on all they learned.
In crafting a eulogy for
Rugg, Lisle added the personal details he learned and the
information about the man’s
father’s and grandfather’s
service, he said. He also talked about the rural Connecticut town in which he lived
and the myriad activities in
which he participated during
high school.
Rugg was in the glee
Courtesy photo
Connor Lisle and Lisa-Brit Wahlberg, a student and teacher
team, stand beside the Normandy, France grave of World War
II hero Harlan E. Rugg, a Fairfield man who died at the Invasion of Normandy. This summer, Lisle researched Rugg and
delivered a eulogy at his graveside.
club, performed in the school
play and was a dedicated
photographer.
“It was overwhelming
because you feel grateful.
You feel just overwhelmed
with sadness about the sacrifices that not only these soldiers made, but their families
made and I think for me it
made me want to be a better
American in a way, just to
be worthy of their sacrifice,”
Wahlberg said. “It was very
solemn.”
Lisle felt the same way.
“It was very moving. I
mean, I feel like I do know
him,” he said. “It almost gives
you chills when you’re there.
... It makes you feel quite
small. It’s very sobering.”
Wahlberg asks that
anyone with any connection
Rugg, be it family members
or friends that might have
known him or his family,
contact her at The Master’s
School. She is particularly interested in contacting
Harlan’s sister, Frenette Rugg
Parker, or anyone who knows
or knew her. Wahlberg’s
email is [email protected] and her phone
number is 860-651-9361.
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The
Valley Press
9
Swimmer medals at Special Olympics World Games
By Ted Glanzer
Staff Writer
Simsbury resident Selina Derungs
couldn’t have predicted when she first
stepped in a pool 22 years ago that it would
lead to her receiving three medals – a gold,
silver and bronze – at the Special Olympic
World Games.
The games were held in Los Angeles
from July 25 to Aug. 2.
But there Derungs was, on the medal
stand three times, winning gold in the 4 x100
freestyle relay, silver in the 100-meter individual medley and bronze in the 200-meter
freestyle event.
“It was awesome,” Derungs, who was
one of four athletes from Connecticut to
compete in the World Games, said in a telephone interview. “I’ve always been a good
swimmer.”
Perhaps, but her three-medal haul was a
bit surprising, considering that Derungs, 33,
hadn’t ever participated in a World Games
before and only took part in her first national
competition last year, where she earned two
gold medals and one bronze.
Prior to those experiences, Derungs
only competed in local Special Olympics
events.
She joined 6,500 athletes from 165
countries at the world competition, which
was covered extensively by ESPN. More than
500,000 spectators took in the two-week
event.
“[The World Games] are very different
compared to local events,” Derungs said,
noting “the [sheer] amount of people.”
She was also not used to competing
first in preliminary rounds, then final rounds
next day.
She could have had an even more suc-
Courtesy photo
Selina poses with her medals with her coach of the USA team, Amy Bristoll Clark, and the Special Olympics of Connecticut president Beau
Doherty. She earned a gold medal in the 4x100 freestyle relay, silver medal in the 100-meter individual medley and a bronze medal in the
200-meter freestyle event at the Special Olympics World Games.
cessful World Games, but for a disqualification in the 100 breaststroke.
“I got a disqualification, but I beat my
best time by five seconds,” said Derungs,
who works at Goodwill and Old Navy when
she’s not swimming.
Derungs trained twice a week for an
hour in preparation for the World Games.
She and her mother and father, Janette and
Walter Derungs, spent two weeks in the Los
Angeles area, taking in the sights and adjusting for the time difference with her fellow
athletes.
“It was overwhelming, but it was also
exciting to see all the different countries
represented, like New Zealand and Canada,”
Derungs said.
Walter Derungs agreed that it was an
amazing experience.
“Obviously it was very exciting to be
a part of it,” he said. “We saw the Opening
Ceremony with Michelle Obama and Stevie
Wonder, with the stadium filled with 50,000
people and 7,000 athletes.”
Walter Derungs, who emigrated with
his family from Switzerland to Simsbury in
1990, said it was particularly meaningful for
him to see the Swiss contingent.
He said he was “very proud” of what his
daughter accomplished in the pool.
Derungs, for her part, said that she
would love to participate on the world level
again.
“If I have another chance, I definitely
would do it again,” she said.
The 2015 Dream Ride Experience to benefit the Special Olympics will be held this weekend, Aug. 21-23. The event will include a motorcycle rally, twilight car cruise and car show,
the Dream Concert Country Music Festival,
and food and activities for the entire family.
See details and register at www.dreamride.org.
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The
Valley Press
August 20, 2015
Haley Huelsman and
Jade Cloud cast members
on Dance Moms!
FREE TRIAL CLASSES
EVERY THURSDAY
IN AUGUST!
Three local students
earn scholarships
Courtesy photo
Pictured left to right: Kim Dessert, principal of F.M. Kearns Primary School; store manager Bob Pont; PTO President Tammy
Littles; Jim Nilsson, president of Geissler’s Supermarkets and Geissler’s Supermarkets owner Robert Rybick.
PTO thanks Geissler’s Supermarkets for ongoing support
In June, the Granby
PTO hosted its final meeting of the school year at
the Cambridge Brew House
and honored Geissler’s Supermarkets for their ongoing support of the Granby
primary and intermediate
schools. In March 2007,
Geissler’s started a ‘give
back’ program that returned 5 percent of all pretax receipts of more than
$35, not including alcohol,
tobacco or lottery ticket
sales, to the Granby PTO.
Parents are asked to
submit receipts to F.M. Kearns, Kelly Lane and Wells
Road schools, and as of
May 26, 2015, more than
$100,000 has been donated
because of the program.
Funds collected have
helped to purchase classroom and playground
equipment, visits by local
authors and artists and other PTO initiatives during
the last eight years.
Geissler’s celebrated 92
years in business in April
and has operated in Granby since 1987. Jim Nilsson,
president, is a third-generation member of the family-owned business, and
the company is currently
transitioning to its fourth
generation.
St. Mary Star of the Sea to hold charity golf tournament
St. Mary Star of the Sea
Church in Unionville will
host a charity golf tournament to benefit the House
of Bread in Hartford and the
children of the Haitian parish of Ste. Thèrése de L’Enfant Jésus in Lilavois, Haiti,
Tuesday, Sept. 29 at Blue Fox
Run, 65 Nod Road in Avon.
Registration begins at 11
a.m. with a shotgun scramble at noon. Fees, which
include 18 holes of golf, box
lunch on the course, cocktails and dinner, are $125
per person or $500 per foursome. A dinner-only option
is available for $40 per person.
Many members of the
St. Mary Star of the Sea parish community support the
two beneficiary charities
through financial contributions and donations of time
and talent.The House of
Bread provides food, shelter,
housing and education to the
Hartford urban community,
serving nearly 2,000 people
every day. Ste. Thèrése de
L’Enfant Jésus, located in a
country ravaged by earthquakes, epidemics and political instability, struggles to
sustain its parish school and
nurture its students. Funds
raised at the tournament will
be earmarked to provide a
daily meal for the students of
Ste. Thèrése.
For more information
or to sign up as an individual or foursome, or for dinner
only, contact George Crow-
ley at 860-463-2069 or 860674-0844 or [email protected].
Jacob Tilton of Canton,
Lucy Tomasso of Farmington and Sarah Fayerweather of Simsbury each received a $1,000 scholarship
from Connecticut Dunkin’
Donuts franchisees at the
11th annual Dunkin’ Donuts Scholarship Breakfast
July 14 at the Toyota Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford. They were three of
50 qualified Connecticut
high school seniors to receive a $1,000 scholarship
this year. Recipients were granted scholarships based on
academic
performance
and community service. They also had to be high
school graduates and planning to enroll as full time
undergraduate students at
an accredited two-year or
four-year college, university or vocational-technical
school for the upcoming
academic year.
As college costs con-
August 20, 2015
tinue to rapidly increase,
local Dunkin’ Donuts franchisees are proud to help
recipients pursue higher
education by providing
scholarships to students
living in the communities
they serve. In the past 11
years, local Dunkin’ Donuts
franchisees have awarded more than $825,000 in
scholarships to deserving
students in Connecticut.
Dunkin’ Donuts franchisee Scott Fanning, who
spoke at the Scholarship
Breakfast event, said, “We
are excited to give back to
our local community and
assist with the education
of future generations by
acknowledging hard work
and understanding the
high cost of college tuition.”
Mike Abramson, vice
president of the Hartford
Yard Goats, also spoke to
the recipients to recognize
their achievements and applaud their success.
The
Valley Press
11
Historical Society
preps for new exhibit
The Avon Historical Society is pleased to announce
a new exhibit “A Canal Runs
Through It: Faith, Commerce
and Education in Old Avon
Center.” It will be open September through October in
the display cases outside the
Local History Room of the
Avon Free Public Library.
The
exhibit
highlights the restoration of the
20-foot-tall Cupola that is
now standing on the front
lawn of the Avon Board of
Education building on Simsbury Road.
The cupola once stood
on top of the second Towpath School which was built
in 1949 and demolished in
2006. The cupola stands as
a reminder of the original
Avon Town Center that was
at the crossroads of routes
44 and 10 today, hence the
origins of this exhibit by the
Avon Historical Society.
This exhibit will showcase the historic center of
the Avon Congregational
Church (1819), Farmington
Canal (1827-1847), Farmington Canal Railroad (18501991) and three schools.
This area saw business-
es start and grow such as
O’Neill’s
Chevrolet-Buick,
which has its origins on a
barn still standing on Simsbury Road. There was also
the Avon Congregational
Church (1819), the Avon
Baptist Church (1818), both
Towpath Schools (the first
built in 1879 and the second
in 1949), and the very early
District Center School. The
town center was the main
stop on the Farmington Canal and later the Farmington
Canal Railroad.
This exhibit will feature
photographs, textbooks and
yearbooks; there will be artifacts and records of commerce, religion and business
that occupied the center at
various times. Scrapbooks
from the former Towpath
Schools include graduation
booklets, drawings, and even
photos of a 1960s Teen Club.
The Avon Historical
Society welcomes any additions to its collection of Avon
Center entities or for the archives of the Local History
Room at the Avon Free Public Library. For more information on both, visit www.
avonhistoricalsociety.org.
Courtesy photo
Premier Energy of Canton presented a $500 check to the Granby American Legion Riders Group Post 182 as a donation
toward the Rider’s Legacy Fund. Pictured above are Joe Hukill, Bill Simanski, Dean Martel, Staci Demers, Steven Martell,
Ken Rafoss, Jackie Evonsion and Ed Evonsion.
Check presented to American Legion Riders Group
Premier Energy of
Canton presented a $500
check to the Granby American Legion Riders Group
Post 182, as a donation toward the American Legion
Rider’s Legacy Fund.
Dean Martel, owner of
Premier, said he is proud to
assist veterans whenever
possible.
All his oil trucks display decals of each military
service branch.
“I’m pleased to donate to such a worthy
cause,” Martel said when
he learned that the Legacy
Fund provides a college education stipend to children
of service members who
died on active duty.
Kenny Rafos, director
of the Rider’s Group, accepted the check on behalf
of the Legacy Fund.
“We can never repay
the debt owed to those
who gave their life for our
freedom; however, assisting their children is an honorable way to recognize the
family’s loss,” he said.
The Granby American
Legion Riders Group, an
adjunct of the Shannon
Shattuck American Legion
Post 182 in Granby, was recently formed.
It is part of the state
and national American Legion Riders organization.
American Legion Riders
chapters are well known
for their charitable work,
which have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local children’s hos-
pitals, schools, veterans’
homes, severely wounded service members and
scholarships.
Since 2006, riders nationwide have raised money for the Legacy Scholarship Fund, established
to provide scholarships to
children of U.S. military
personnel killed since Sept.
11, 2001.
For more information
about GALRG, visit its
Facebook page, American
Legion Riders Post 182.
read the
paper
or visit us
online...
Valley
PRESS
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12
The
Valley Press
August 20, 2015
PRESSOPINION
Letter to the
EDITOR
Overreaction
in Avon
To the editor:
Diane Carney
Avon resident
Letters
policy
Letters to the editor should be
400 words or less in length. Political letters should be 250 words
or less. Guest columns will be
published at the discretion of
the editor and should be no
more than 650 words in length.
No unsigned or anonymous
opinions will be published. We
require that the person submitting the opinion also include his
or her town of residence and a
phone number where they can
be reached. We authenticate
authorship prior to publication. We reserve the right to
edit or withold any submissions
deemed to be libelous, unsubstantiated allegations, personal
attacks or defamation of character. Send opinion submissions
to: our editor, Abigail, via email
at [email protected] or via
mail to 540 Hopmeadow St.,
Simsbury, 06070. Deadline for
submissions is Friday at noon for
the following week’s edition. Call
our office, 860-651-4700, with
questions.
PRESS
VALLEY
I have been following the
controversy in Avon concerning replacing high school social
workers with psychologists.
As usual, Avon parents react
to any change that might affect
their children with hysteria.
Instead of acting like responsible, caring adults by approaching the issue calmly with respect
for others, nasty letters are written, no-confidence petitions are
circulated and irate parents and
those who support them rant and
rave at Board of Education meetings. Personal accusations are
made against the superintendent
and the board chair.
This behavior is typical of so
many parents in Avon.
Superintendent Mala has
stated that he is “disappointed
that this is the venue that people
chose to continue the discussion
about this matter.”
Get used to it, Mr. Mala. Avon
parents are on the attack, again,
and you are the target this time.
540 Hopmeadow St.
Simsbury, CT 06070
Phone: 860-651-4700
Fax: 860 606-9599
www.TurleyCT.com
Beyond the desk of the EDITOR
When friends have kids
end.
A baby was born last week-
I’m sure many babies were
born last weekend but there is
one of particular importance to
me at this time.
He is the son of one of my
Abigail Albair,
oldest and dearest friends.
Editor
His name is John – my
friend, not the baby – and he welcomed his first child Sunday night, more than 30
hours after he and his wife arrived at the hospital.
He called me at 12:24 p.m. Saturday as I left
Fernridge Park in West Hartford where I had, appropriately, been surrounded by children for an
hour while I took end of summer photographs on
the splash pad there.
“We’re at the hospital. She’s having some darn
painful contractions, so I think I should probably
go,” he said with equal parts excitement and nervousness in his voice.
“You should definitely go,” I said. “Hug her for
me. I love you.”
I’ve been accused more than once in my life
of throwing the word “love” around. I had a friend
in college whose face would twist into a strange
expression whenever he heard me tell a friend I
loved them, arguing that I offered it up so frequently it was beginning to lose meaning.
I’ve always subscribed to the Greek’s approach to love: they have multiple words for different types of the emotion, including the love of
deep friendship and a selfless love for everyone.
It’s always been important to me to tell those
I love that I do so, because love can only make the
world a better place, in my opinion.
John and I have had this type of philia, as the
Greek’s would say, the love of deep friendship, for
more years of my life than we have not. Friends
since we were just kids, we’ve always been there
for one another.
He took me to my ring dance my sophomore
year of high school. The first time I had my heart
broken, he arrived on my doorstep with a carrot
cake in hand. He insisted that I cut the exact center from the dessert, complete with a giant carrot
made of frosting, and drown my sorrows with a
lasting sugar high. Years later, to return the favor,
I spent the day after a girl let him down watching
movies with him while he laid on his couch wearing the shirt and tie he’d slept in from the night
before.
He spent four hours on a train, a subway and
then a ferry to surprise me on my 22nd birthday. He insisted I take calculated risks, such as
sliding down a modest but slippery waterfall in
a river in which we spent many summer days. I
wound up with a five inch long bruise on my leg,
but I laughed a lot and committed a good story to
memory that day.
On my wedding day, he served as an usher
and held open the door to the church sanctuary
while my dad and I prepared to walk down the
aisle. I sang the Ave Maria at his wedding and –
for the sake of the performance – saved the tears
for their first dance.
Of the two of us, he was always more reckless.
He often lacked direction and completed more
jokes than homework assignments. He also grew
up into one of the finest men I’ve ever met.
I’m not at all surprised that he became a parent first. He’s honest, hardworking and conscientious. He has a lot of love to give. He’s going to be
an incredible father.
Part of the reason I believe I’ve always felt so
strongly about telling my friends that I love them
is because I was an only child. Friends are the siblings you choose for yourself and I’ve never wanted to take for granted the fact that they chose me
as well.
John’s wife was nearly a week late when she
delivered their baby. Just a day before she went
into labor, I texted him to check in on the progress. “What’s the status of my nephew?” I asked
him. “I can’t wait to meet him.”
I have so many things I want to tell this little
guy about how fortunate he is to have his parents.
I want to spoil him, as aunties do, and savor the
precious, fleeting moments of his infancy. There
is a whole big world waiting for every new baby,
and I have very important words to share with
this kid repeatedly until I know the message has
taken hold.
“If you find a friend half as good as your dad,”
I’ll tell him, “remember every day how lucky you
are.”
The Valley Press
is a publication of
TurleyCT
Community Publications
Delivering local news,
sports, entertainment
and more to the
Farmington Valley
community
Keith Turley
Publisher
Abigail Albair
Editor
[email protected]
David Heuschkel
Sports Editor
Melissa Friedman
Advertising Director
860-978-1345
[email protected]
Barbara Ouellette
Classified Sales
[email protected]
August 20, 2015
FIND US ON
The
Valley Press
13
PRESSBUSINESS
New Montessori school opens Farmington doors to children
By Ted Glanzer
Staff Writer
Farmington Montessori Children’s Room is
scheduled to open its doors
for its first classes Aug. 31.
Located at 315 Plainville Ave., the Montessori
school will cater to children
ages 1 to 6.
The new business takes
the place of the Farmington Early Learning Center,
which closed two years ago.
Owner and teacher Tinasha Amunugama said in
a telephone interview that
the school will run from 9
a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with before- and after-school care
that runs from 7:30 a.m. to
5:30 p.m. There are options
for half-day programs as
well, Amunugama said.
“For the kids signed
up for the after-school program, we will have special
theme days - like yoga or
dance,” she said. “We will
have classes that will be at
the school.”
Amunugama said she
is “a Montessori kid,” as her
mother was a Montessori
teacher for 26 years.
“I was introduced to
it through my mom,” she
said. “I actually worked in
the same school with her in
Armonk, N.Y. I’d been with
them for five years. Then I
got married and moved to
Windsor last year. I worked
at the Ellington Montessori
school last year. Now I’m
ready to move on to my own
school. … I think I’m ready
for it right now. I gained a lot
will be flooring, where children learn various skills
such as buttoning shirts
and using zippers. “They learn to do it
through the use of materials,” Amunugama said. “It’s
all to help with fine-motor
skills and to have hand-eye
“It’s all to help with fine-motor skills and to have
hand-eye coordination. There are practical life
and basic living skills.”
–Tinasha Amunugama
of experience through the
years with different-aged
kids. My passion is to work
with preschoolers. I’ve done
it for the past six years. I
enjoy what I do. I think I’m
ready to go.”
The Montessori philosophy, according to alfredmontessori.com, is characterized by “an emphasis
on independence, freedom
within limits, and respect
for a child’s natural psychological, physical and social
development.”
Amunugama said the
school will be divided into
two separate classes. She said there will be
math and language taught
during the day, with “a lot of
classical daily skills.” There
coordination. There are
practical life and basic living skills.”
There will also be a
sensory area with colors
and shape, and materials
that teach that philosophy,
Amunugama said.
For example, there
could be 10 blocks of different sizes that she or another teacher will stack from
biggest to smallest. When
a child picks up the blocks,
the teachers will let him or
her figure out how to do the
arrangement. “We don’t say they
are doing it wrong; there
won’t be negative feedback,”
Amunugama said. “Once
they realize the tower doesn’t
balance, they learn the con-
Photos by Ted Glanzer
Owner and teacher Tinasha Amunugama has started the Farmington Montessori Children’s
Room located on Route 177. cept a few times over.”
There will be stations
set up in similar fashion,
she said.
“There will be things
that go together, and opposites, and rhyming,” she
said. “Things that teach
science and geography,
learning about different
countries and cultures. We
also let them learn lessons
through feeling stuff in their
own way to understand the
activity itself.”
Amunugama said it is
important for children to
learn about different countries and cultures, which
will be discussed during
“circle time.” Science will
center on different activities like recycling. “Each month will have
a couple of themes that we
incorporate in circle time
for a half an hour for both
classes,” she said.
Amunugama said she
is starting to gain her footing in Farmington; she held
an open house last Saturday
for people to learn more
about the school.
She said that a significant amount of work went
into renovating the inside
and outside of the building.
For more information,
email Amunugama at info@
montessorichildrensroom.
com or call 914-907-9670.
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14
The
Valley Press
August 20, 2015
Valley
PRESS
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or visit us online...
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PRESSBUSINESS
In the House through the Garden sees success in Simsbury
By Sloan Brewster
Senior Staff Writer
A new consignment
and antique store in Simsbury that has been open for
just one month is already expanding.
On Wednesday, Aug. 12,
In the House through the
Garden, located on Jim Gallagher Way, was flocked with
customers.
As they made their way
into the little shop, owner
Thomas Mach congenially
welcomed them in and apologized to each one about the
mess, explaining that the
store was expanding already
and would be taking over a
couple of empty rooms upstairs to offer studio space
to local artists and to hold
classes and workshops.
One woman said she
was very excited about the
workshops and smiled as she
gazed around the store, despite the temporary clutter.
As each one politely
congratulated him for the
expansion, expressed excitement over the prospect
of workshops and told him
how quaint and lovely the
shop was, Mach offered
them a glass of wine or
champagne.
For those who declined,
he suggested other refreshments.
“I have everything,”
Mach said.
The list included cappuccino, espresso, bottled
water, a variety of sodas,
beer, wine and champagne.
Mach plans to offer a beverage to every customer that
enters the store.
At the workshops, the
beverages will also be on
hand as will hors d'oeuvres
and other treats.
“I wanted to create a
shop that’s totally different
than anything else that you
can experience,” he said.
In June, Mach found the
available space, rented it and
quit his job as the vice president and store manager at
Macy’s.
“I knew someday I
would want to open up
my own shop and this spot
opened,” he said. “It had to
be in Simsbury.”
On July 10, one month
after he left his job, he
opened the store.
Mach, who previously
lived on Long Island, had
always wanted to move to
New England “for the New
England lifestyle,” he said.
He had very specific wishes.
“I wanted a white house
with a red front door,” he
said. “It had to have the red
front door.”
Five years ago, he
bought a colonial house just
like that in Simsbury. He’s
been restoring it ever since.
“I love it,” he said. “I love
this town so much.”
An avid antique collector for 30 years, Mach has
filled the house with special
pieces, he said, but when he
was opening the store, he
had a mover bring many of
them into the store, thinking that was the only way he
would be able to open.
Before opening, however, he also launched an ad
campaign, specifically using
Facebook to inform potential consignment sellers of
his plans to sell antiques.
Much to his great surprise, he had to send all his
own antiques back home so
he could make room for the
many, many pieces people
wanted to sell in the store.
He even had to put some
folks on a waiting list, but
pieces seem to be going
rather quickly, which he told
customers as they looked
around.
One big appeal for the
store is the Annie Sloan
chalk paint sold there.
Annie Sloan, an English
company with limited distribution, is very particular
about where its products are
sold, Mach said. The nearest dealer is in Norwalk and
Mach said it was a privilege
to be able to sell it in Simsbury.
Once he was approved
to sell the products, Mach
went to training in New
Orleans.
Chalk paint is not actually chalk, Mach explained.
Annie Sloan invented
the product when she was
looking for paint to create
the right finish for distressed
furniture she wanted to
paint.
“It’s called chalk [paint]
for the finish and colors,”
Mach said. “It is known as
the world’s best paint ... you
can paint on anything –
wood, fabric, metal.”
Sloan also has a line of
books that Mach will sell
in the store. “Annie Sloan’s
Workbook for Colour &
Paint Ideas & Inspiration”
contains hints scrolled along
the edges of the blank pages
where sketches and notes
are meant to be added by
the books’ readers.
The hints say such
things as “Paint free hand
borders – they always look
best, even if you make mistakes” or “Know your complementary colours – red
and green, blue and orange,
purple and yellow” and then
“Mix a colour with its complementary and add white
to make it a grey.”
Sloan also gives suggestions on how to make a
piece look unique.
“Paint over metal handles, wipe them while the
paint is still wet so just a little of the metal is showing.
After they are dry, wax,” she
wrote. “For a project, why
not paint a concrete floor
and finish it with lacquer?
Photo by Sloan Brewster
Thomas Mach, owner of In the House through the Garden on Jim Gallagher Way in Simsbury,
makes his own potpourri from self-created recipes out of hand-picked items. Customers can
make their own as well, sifting through the products and choosing aromas that best suit their
needs and desires.
Apply the paint thickly then
use a hairdryer to make it
crackle. Do this on just a
few places, not all over the
furniture.”
Sloan repeatedly invites
the book’s readers to visit
her boards on Pintrest.
Among Sloan’s products are chalk, paint, wax,
stencils, brushes, fabric and
varnish.
Mach plans to offer
workshops on how to use
Annie Sloan paints to do
such things as decoupage,
gilding, rehabbing lamps
and other projects.
He will also offer other
workshops in a series he has
dubbed Creative Living. Creative Living will include wine
tastings, cooking classes,
gardening classes, potpourri
making and art history.
One of the Creative Living classes he has planned
will take place at the Simsbury Public Library and will
be on bow making during
the holiday season.
“That sounds like a
great girl’s night out because
we’re always trying to think
of what can we do to go out
instead of hosting one,” cus-
tomer Amy Dillan said when
Mach told her about the
workshops. “That’s fantastic. I can’t wait to have the
classes.”
He will also offer one of
the upstairs rooms as studio
space on a rolling basis to local artists and will sell products by local artists.
Mach also sells pet
treats from Brownstone
Bakery and, as a dog lover,
he brings his dogs to work,
though he did not have them
there while he was doing the
expansion project.
Mach also offers potpourri in the store, and it
has been a big draw since
he opened, he said. The jar
of Orange Grove aroma has
sold out three times already.
Mach makes his own
potpourri from recipes he
has created and also offers
individual ingredients so
customers can create their
own scents. The store has
more than 50 different dry
ingredients that he has hand
selected.
“I wanted something
so unique and something
that people would enjoy,”
Mach said of the assortment
of products he sells, including the antiques, artisans
products, jewelry and Annie
Sloan paints.
He also has his own
stationary, designed by Lady
Pym of Manhattan and exclusively sold at In the House
through the Garden.
“It’s like having Brimfield right here in Simsbury,”
Dillan said.
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August 20, 2015
The
Valley Press
15
PRESSBUSINESS
People
on the move
Girard, a lifelong resident of Simsbury,
brings her 20 years of collective banking experience and service to local communities.
Over the past six years she has helped
people realize their dreams of homeownership, as well as achieving their long- and shortterm financial goals through home refinance.
“I look forward to working with the Windsor
Federal Savings team to meet the mortgage
needs of our market area while providing the
bank’s recognized quality customer service,”
she said.
Girard is a 2015 graduate of the Connecticut School of Finance and Management
and currently serves on the Granby Chamber
Simsbury’s Mary Girard named
new mortgage loan originator
at Windsor Federal Savings
Ray Halsted, senior vice president of
lending and Lori LePauloue, vice president of
residential and consumer lending of Windsor Federal, recently announced that Mary
Girard has recently joined the association as
a mortgage loan originator.
of Commerce Annual Memorial Golf Tournament Committee.
An accomplished knitter, she also enjoys baking, the Connecticut shoreline and
spending time with her three children and
extended family.
Girard will work out of the Granby office located at 21 Hartford Ave. and can be
reached at 860-298-1448.
Taste by Spellbound opening
second location
Miriam Rieder, the owner of Taste By
Spellbound, will open a shop at the Prom-
enade Shops at Evergreen Walk in South
Windsor.
The first location of Taste by Spellbound is located at 5 Ensign Dr. in Avon.
“We are so excited about this next big
step in Taste’s by Spellbound’s journey,” Ruth
Harvey, Reider’s mother who works with her
daughter in the business, said.
A grand opening iss scheduled for Aug.
21 from 6-9 p.m.
Taste by Spellbound was also recently featured on Food Network’s new show
“Great American Food Finds.”
For more information, visit shop.spellboundgirl.com.
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16
The
Valley Press
August 20, 2015
Valley PRESS
West Hartford PRESS
Glastonbury LIFE
Newington LIFE
Rocky Hill LIFE
West Hartford LIFE
Wethersfield LIFE
Valley LIFE
the e&m group
david mozeleski, CFP®, CrPs®, CrPC®
PRESSNews
Taking a snooze while
the shelter clears
Bozzuto’s buys, working
to renovate polo grounds
By Ted Glanzer
Staff Writer
FARMINGTON — The Farmington Polo Grounds, which had
been in foreclosure proceedings
for six years, was purchased by the
company owned by the organizer
of the Connecticut Dream Ride.
According to records filed
at Farmington Town Hall, Town
Farm Road LLC purchased the
59.5-acre property located at
152 Town Farm Road for $1.682
million July 24 from Village Man-
agement Corp., which finalized
its foreclosure on the property June 8 after more than half
a decade.
According
to
records
filed with the secretary of the
state, Town Farm Road LLC is
owned by Bozzuto’s Inc. The
chairman, president and CEO
of Bozzuto’s, Michael P. Bozzuto, is the organizer of the Connecticut Dream Ride, a massive
fundraiser for The Hometown
See GROUNDS on page 22
Farrar says farewell
Community Café manager retires after 11 years
Photo by Ted Glanzer
Cupcake the cat catches a cat nap during the Clear the Shelters event at Mary’s Kitty Korner Saturday, Aug.
15. Many adoption stories to come out of MKK that day when numerous animal shelters across the state
had special adoption deals to spur additional adoptions; Mary’s Kitty Korner dropped the adoption fee for
cats over the age of 3 from $95 to $50. Read more on page 20.
New firehouse construction underway
By Sloan Brewster
Senior Staff Writer
BURLINGTON — Work has
started on Burlington’s new Lake
Garda firehouse.
The old firehouse on Monce
Road, which was built in the
late 1960s, was demolished last
month, according to acting Fire
Marshal Tim Tharau, who is also
chairman of the department’s
Building Committee.
The new firehouse will be
built by Enfield Builders, whose
$1.8 million offer was the lowest
of 11 bids for the job and, according to Tharau, was $250,000 below
projection.
The department signed the
contract with the builders in June,
he said. The project should be
Photo by Sloan Brewster
The site where the old firehouse once stood is now a construction zone
as the new firehouse is built. It is slated for completion in May 2016.
completed by May of next year.
In the meantime, the station’s
fire trucks are being stored at the
nearest station, the Whigville Sta-
tion, on Jerome Avenue, approximately two miles away.
See FIREHOUSE on page 21
By Alison Jalbert
Assistant Editor
CANTON — It’s not goodbye, but see you later.
That was the sentiment
during the Aug. 14 celebration
of Margaret “Peggy” Farrar’s 11
years as the café manager at the
Canton Community Café.
Farrar worked at the café
since 2004 as an employee of the
Community Renewal Team, as
more time is required in her job
as a remedial reading tutor at
Cherry Brook Primary School, a
position she has held for 21 years.
Senior and Social Services
staff, café volunteers and seniors
gathered during the senior center’s regularly scheduled lunch to
thank the retiring Farrar for her
time and dedication.
Claire Cote, director of senior and social services, said the
town is lucky to have had Farrar
as part of the team.
“Peggy has felt connected,
she’s felt loved, she’s felt frustrated, she’s felt overwhelmed, she’s
felt proud. … She is, and I feel I
can speak for her, so proud to
Photo by Alison Jalbert
Peggy Farrar retired last week
from the Canton Community Cafe.
have been here,” she said.
Cote explained that there is
a lot of behind-the-scenes and
off-the-clock work necessary to
run the café, and that Farrar has
been the constant, the energy
and the glue that has held the
program together.
“It’s not just the knowledge
she brings of this town and her
love of her neighbors and all you
folks, but it’s her determination
to see this program flourish,
See FARRAR on page 22
Home by bridge will be torn down, park with river access to be built in place
By Sloan Brewster
Senior Staff Writer
SIMSBURY — Betty Hudson’s
house in Simsbury will be torn
down and a park will be developed
on the property.
At its Aug. 10 meeting, the
Board of Selectmen decided to raze
the house where the former state
senator, feminist champion and
special assistant to Gov. Ella Gras-
so lived from 1978 until 2014, when
she could no longer care for herself.
Hudson said she loved the
house, which she bought after divorcing her husband Don Hudson,
and proudly showed off its architectural features during a tour in
January 2014.
She pointed out aspects designed by the home’s original owners who had designed and built it.
She liked the shelving built into the
walls and the room with an Asianstyle divider that she said matched
her style.
Her favorite room was the sunroom, where she enjoyed sitting under the window and looking at the
view of the river and Old Drake Hill
Flower Bridge. She also loved the
south facing window from her bedroom, where she could see a different view of the river and felt the rays
of the sun in the afternoon.
In a phone call shortly after she
moved to an assisted living facility
in Branford, Hudson reiterated how
much she wished she were back at
her home in Simsbury.
“I miss the place a lot,” she said.
“It’s a great spot and I loved it.”
While the town plans to demolish the entire house, it may
retain parts of the foundation
in order to use it later to build a pavilion.
While two volunteer organizations – the Audubon Society and
the Farmington River Watershed
Association – have said they would
like to reside in the house and some
folks at a public hearing in April
suggested using it as a spot to give
local classes, the board opted to demolish it due to its condition and
the cost to complete repairs.
August 20, 2015
See PARK on page 22
The
Valley Press
17
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18
The
Valley Press
August 20, 2015

West Woods has new assistant principal this school year
By Ted Glanzer
Staff Writer
FARMINGTON — West Woods Upper
Elementary School will have a new assistant principal to start the 2015-16 school
year, according to the top school official.
Superintendent of Schools Kathleen
Greider announced the hiring of Michael
Wilson as assistant principal “after a comprehensive national search.”
“The assistant principal search committee and our District Leadership Council worked diligently to find a leader with
the knowledge, skills and leadership qualities that matched West Woods School’s
culture of collaboration, high expectations
and a deep care for all students,” Greider
said in a press release. “Mr. Wilson was selected from a strong and experienced pool
of candidates.”
Wilson joins the Farmington school
district from Region School District No. 6,
where he taught for 10 years: seven years
in grade six at the Goshen Center School
and three years in grade seven at Wamogo
Regional Middle School in Litchfield.
He was the grade seven team leader
until he was appointed to the position of
math department chair.
Wilson earned his master’s degree in
science from University of Bridgeport and
his bachelor’s degree from Trinity College.
He received his middle grades math certificate from Quinnipiac University.
In addition, he attended the University of Bridgeport to acquire his educational
leadership certification. “I am extremely honored to have been
selected as the new assistant principal of
West Woods Upper Elementary School,”
Wilson said.
“I am eager to get to know the students, their families, faculty and staff
members. I look forward to supporting
the Farmington public school’s vision,
mission, and beliefs, as we enable students to become self-directed leaders of
their own learning. I am excited to work
collaboratively with my fellow colleagues
as we keep student learning and achievement at the forefront of all of our actions.”
Wilson replaces Teresa Giolito, who
was appointed the principal of the Florence E. Smith STEM School in West Hartford. The school district had been searching for a new assistant principal since July.
Farmington Board of Education Chair
Mary Grace Reed said she was pleased
with the appointment.
“Mr. Wilson is a highly effective administrator who embraces all aspects of
Farmington’s mission, vision and core beliefs,” Reed said.
“He is committed to building strong
relationships with all stakeholders while
continuing West Wood’s focus on innovative and strategic improvement.
The Board of Education enthusiastically welcomes Michael to the Farmington
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she said. “He shares a passion for the middle-level learner and commitment to ensuring that all students have the opportunity to achieve high levels of success.”
Wilson’s first day on the job was Aug. 13.
“I’ve seen everything.
I chose McLean.”
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McLean is a not-for-profit senior living community
in Simsbury, CT offering a continuum of services
including independent living, assisted living and
memory care assisted living, an adult day program,
short- and long-term skilled nursing, outpatient
rehabilitation and wellness, post-acute
care and home care and hospice.
www.TheNewMcLeanVillage.org
75 Great Pond Road | Simsbury, CT 06070
August 20, 2015
The
Valley Press
19
McLean seeking memory care
volunteers for fall training session
SIMSBURY — McLean’s memory care volunteers are a close-knit group
of caring individuals who
provide a range of nonmedical services to those with
memory impairment and
their families.
Services for clients
may include one-to-one
social interaction, sharing
a passion for hobby, music or art therapy, writing
someone’s life history with
them, reading aloud, or just
simply engaging in a much
needed conversation.
Visits may take place
in the client’s home, an
assisted living community, or a skilled nursing
environment.
The frequency may
vary depending upon client needs and volunteer
availability.
McLean will provide
an orientation and training
session to get volunteers
started.
This includes an
in-person interview, eighthour class featuring a curriculum handbook and
presentations from expert
guest speakers covering
a wide range of relevant
topics.
Volunteers also gain a
practical understanding of
the work through a mentoring program and are
encouraged to participate
in valuable monthly in-ser-
vice training on timely and
useful subjects.
Sign ups are now
available for the Sept. 22
training.
Call Gao Vang, McLean volunteer coordinator for memory care, at
860-658-3941 for details.
McLean is a notfor-profit senior living
community in Simsbury
offering a continuum of
services including independent living, assisted
living and memory care assisted living; an adult day
program, short- and longterm skilled nursing, outpatient rehabilitation and
wellness; post-acute care,
home care and hospice.
Lobster Loop 5K road race and walk
coming up this weekend
CANTON — An annual event that allows residents to enjoy the company of friends and neighbors
while helping students get
a richer learning experience is scheduled for this
Sunday.
The 24th annual Lobster Loop 5k road race and
noncompetitive
health
walk will be held on the
Canton Town Green, at
the corner of Route 44 and
Dowd Avenue, Sunday,
Aug. 23. Registration will
open at 7:30 a.m.; the race
will start at 8:30 a.m.
This event is hosted by
the Canton Middle School
PTO and all fundraising
proceeds will benefit technology updates for the
middle school. Especially now, as states are cutting budgets, the Canton
PTO fills in gaps for students that aren’t available
through any other source.
The traditional gold,
silver and bronze medals
in 18 categories will be
awarded, along with four
first place trophies. Registration fee day of the race
is $25.
Bikes, strollers, roller-blades, etc. and animals
are not allowed.
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Judy Catzman didn’t choose Diamond the cat; Diamond chose Catzman during the Clear the
Shelters event at Mary’s Kitty Korner Aug. 15.
‘Clear the shelters’ event a success
at Mary’s Kitty Korner
By Ted Glanzer
Staff Writer
GRANBY — Judy Catzman is a self-proclaimed dog person.
Catzman can’t own a dog in the condominium complex in which she resides. So,
she found herself at Mary’s Kitty Korner in
Granby Saturday, Aug. 15 to see if she could
adopt a cat.
No long after she arrived, Catzman was
eyeing Diamond, a cute, female, grey tabby
that has been at the shelter for a little while.
Known for her coy personality, Diamond
had no problem sauntering up to Catzman,
almost demanding to be taken home.
There were 16 adoption stories to come
out of MKK Aug. 15, which was “Clear the
Shelters Pet Adoption Day,” sponsored by
NBC Connecticut. Numerous animal shelters across the state had special adoption
deals to spur additional adoptions; Mary’s
Kitty Korner dropped the adoption fee for
cats over the age of 3 from $95 to $50.
The event went extremely well, according to Cathy Gonyer, Mary’s Kitty Korner
vice president and treasurer.
“We’ve had 12 adoptions by 1 p.m.,” Gonyer said, noting that Mary’s Kitty Korner
was open for three more hours. “It’s going
fantastic.”
Gonyer said July and August are slow
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months for animal shelters, so the Clear the
Shelters event provided a huge boost for
Mary’s Kitty Korner.
“It’s hard to keep saving [cats] when
you don’t have any room,” Gonyer said.
“Now we’re making some room for new
cats. This has been huge for us.”
Mary’s Kitty Korner plays host to about
50 cats, now down to about 35, and another
50 that are in a foster program. The event also provided a huge boost
for the cats and prospective owners like Michael and Alison Bogatay of Canton, who
decided to adopt Misty, a gorgeous grayhaired female tabby.
“We had a cat for 20 years who picked
us,” Michael Bogatay said. “She died a few
years ago, so now we felt like it was time to
give a cat a home.”
The Bogatays specifically cited the
Empty the Shelters event as having spurred
them into action. Mary’s Kitty Korner is a 501(c)(3) organization that is located at 281 Salmon
Brook St. in Granby. Its hours of operation
are Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sundays, noon to 3 p.m. Adoption fees are $95
for adult cats, $150 for kittens and special breed adults such as Himalayan and
Persians.
For more information, visit www.
maryskittykorner.org.
Groundbreaking for new library slated for spring
By Sloan Brewster
Senior Staff Writer
BURLINGTON — Ground should be
broken for the Burlington Public Library expansion sometime next spring, and a year
later, it should be ready to open its doors.
At the Aug. 10 Board of Selectmen
meeting, Craig Winter and Sandy Mazeau,
co-chairs of the Library Board of Director’s
Building Committee apprised selectmen of
the status of the expansion project, stating
that they anticipate a ground breaking in the
spring.
In a phone call Friday, Aug. 24, Library
Director Marie Spratlin Hasskarl said paperwork was stalling the process.
Specifically, she was referring to the contracts with the Connecticut State Library,
which provided a $1 million grant toward the
project and the contract with the architect.
“We can’t do anything until the contract[s] [are] signed,” she said.
Once the contracts are signed, Barbara
Joslin, architect and project manager, will
create an in-depth design of the planned library.
“They have to do the project, the plan,
the nitty-gritty of the design,” Hasskarl said.
She estimated that that part would take
about five months to complete. Once it’s
FIREHOUSE
from page 17
The department also has an immediate mutual aid agreement for emergencies
with the Tunxis Hose Company No. 1 in
Unionville.
The foundation of the new building
should be put in at the end of August or the
beginning of September, Tharau said.
While crews get the necessary permits
and dig out the soil, the engineers are taking the time to review the drawings for the
6,000-square-foot building.
The new building will be about half the
size of the main firehouse on the George
Washington Turnpike, Tharau said.
It will have two bays, like its predecessor, but they will be double the depth to
fit the trucks, which have increased in size
since the 1960s. The doors to the bays will
be 14 feet wide.
Inside, there will be bathrooms, showers, a small kitchen and a 200-square-foot
multipurpose room.
Though there will not be any sleeping quarters, the building will be built to
accommodate a future expansion with
sleeping space.
done, it’ll be time for the ground breaking
and then the real work will begin.
“I’m thinking [it will take] a year,” Hasskarl said. “It just depends how fast everything moves along.”
During the construction phase, library staff and all the books and other
better layout.”
There will also be a Community Room
that will have space for up to 100 people and
will be useable at night and after hours, when
the rest of the building will be closed.
“They’ll be able to come in and out when
we’re not open,” Hasskarl said.
“It’s like a 42 percent increase in the size of the library. ... Nowhere near
what we wanted, but you can always compromise.”
–Sandy Mazeau of the library board’s building committee
items will remain in the building but will
be shifted from space to space as needed,
Hasskarl said.
The library board had considered moving everything to another location, but that’s
an expensive endeavor as the library’s Internet and computers would have to be moved
as well.
Hasskarl is looking most forward to having more space when the project is finished.
The teen area, which currently consists
of books, audio books and a beanbag chair,
will grow to 500 to 600 square feet.
“[It will be] roughly a whole room,”
Hasskarl said. “The other thing is the Local
History Room will be bigger and will have a
“It’s really designed to last 50 years,”
Tharau said.
The building will also have modernized
technology and lighting and with a new furnace promises to be energy efficient.
The inclusion of showers are a big perk
for the firefighters, Tharau said.
“The building that we had before didn’t
have any showers, so if they came back with
contamination they had to actually bring it
home [to clean up] or go the firehouse in the
center of town,” he said. “That’s huge.”
The new station will also have a generator.
“The building will act as another emergency facility in that part of town, so if
there’s no power [people in the area] be able
to get water,” Tharau said.
The building will also have an area for
training.
At the May referendum, voters approved the replacement of the fire station,
which was estimated to cost the town $1.6
million with an additional $1 million toward
the project coming from the State Bond
Commission, First Selectman Ted Shafer
has said.
Voters also approved a 3,000 square
There will also be a couple of small
meeting rooms.
“So, we’re just looking for more and flexible space in ongoing years,” she said.
The expansion will be built on the acre of
town-owned land in the back of the building,
that, according to Hasskarl, was purchased
10 years ago for that purpose. The shape of
the building will remain much the same, only
bigger.
“We’re a ‘square U’ now and we’ll continue to be a ‘square U,’” Hasskarl said. “It’s
just going to go out in the back toward the
cemetery.”
The Center Cemetery is located behind the library and next to the First
Congregational Church.
Voters approved the library expansion
project at a referendum in May.
The design for the library expansion has
shrunk since its original inception.
The latest drawings call for a
3,000-square-foot expansion to be added to
the 9,000-square-foot building at a $2.6 million cost, with $1 million of that coming from
the state grant.
“It’s like a 42 percent increase in the size
of the library,” Mazeau has said. “Nowhere
near what we wanted, but you can always
compromise.”
An earlier plan called for a 6,500-squarefoot expansion that would have cost between
$3.6 and $4.7 million. That, too, was a scaledback version with previous plans slated to
cost between $5 and $7 million.
At the May referendum, voters also approved the replacement of the Lake Garda
Fire Station, which will cost the town $1.6
million with $1 million toward the project
coming from the State Bond Commission,
First Selectman Ted Shafer has said.
Acting Fire Marshal Tim Tharau has
said the new station would have 14-foot bays
and will be able to accommodate current
and future equipment needs.
Ground has already broken on that
project – see the below story for details.
File photo
A rendering of the new firehouse that is currently under construction
foot expansion project for the local library,
at a $2.6 million cost, with $1 million of that
coming from a state grant.
Ground should be broken on that project
sometime next spring – see the above story for
details.
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The
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21
GROUNDS
File photo
The Board of Selectmen decided last week to demolish this
home to make way for a park with river access.
PARK
from page 17
“Too much work needs
to be done on the building,”
said First Selectman Lisa
Heavner.
The recommendation
to tear down the house came
from the Open Space Committee, which was tasked
with creating a development
plan for the half-acre parcel
and the adjoining 1.8 acres
of town owned land beside
the Old Drake Hill Flower
Bridge. The committee held
numerous public sessions
including one with the Parks
& Recreation Commission,
according to the recommendation document, which was
included in the Board of Selectmen’s meeting packet.
“Our recommendation
incorporates the idea that
‘less is more’ with this property,” the committee stated.
“Careful consideration was
given to operational costs,
erosion and invasive species
management, landscaping
with native plants, passive
use recreation with access to
the river, and incorporating
current Flower Bridge uses
and needs.”
The recommendation
included demolishing the
house, building a “simple
open air structure,” providing
canoe and kayak access via
Hop Brook, which runs into
the Farmington River from
behind the house and planting native plants to stabilize
the riverbank and enhance
the landscape.
In addition, it suggested
adding park infrastructure
such as a water source, garbage cans, portable toilets,
picnic tables or benches, and
bicycle racks. The committee
also suggested keeping an
existing shed to be used for
storage.
The Old Drake Hill
Flower Bridge Committee,
the nonprofit that cares for
and maintains the flower
bridge, also endorsed the
proposal, Heavner said.
Selectmen unanimously approved the plan and
said they thought it was a
good idea.
“I think in the end it’s
going to be a great town asset,” said Selectman Cheryl
Cook.
The town set aside
$48,000 when it bought the
house to be used for developing the property and, at its
Aug. 5 meeting, applied for a
grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency
to cover 75 percent of the estimated $40,000 cost to raze
the house.
from page 17
Foundation, which in turn
funds Special Olympics programs in many international
communities.
The charity also supports pet rescues, U.S. Military veterans and organizations that fight diseases and
support children and those
with disabilities. Kevin Daly, vice president and general counsel of
Bozzuto’s Inc., said that, in
the short term, the property will be used for this year’s
Dream Ride, which is scheduled for Aug. 21-23.
Crews could be seen
working on the property
last week to prepare for the
event that is expected to
draw thousands of motorcyclists from all over the country. The 15th annual Dream
Ride weekend also includes
the Dream Cruise, which is
a parade of antique cars that
chauffeur Special Olympics
athletes from Papa’s Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in New
Britain to the Farmington
Club, where a gala will be
held with delicious barbecue, music and a raffle from
from page 17 what sustained me.”
She said her position
recognizing its importance enabled her to understand
in so many people’s lives,” the importance of the café
and how it brings people
Cote said.
She commended Far- together. She recalled those
rar for going above and who came in with friends,
beyond at the café in many as well as those who came
in alone and made new
ways.
On behalf of First Se- friends at lunch.
“It’s not about the food;
lectman Richard Barlow,
who was unable to attend, it’s about what’s next,” FarCote presented Farrar with rar said. “I’m very grateful to
a proclamation from the all of you.”
Ernesto Rios, coordinaBoard of Selectmen.
A visibly emotional tor of operation/nutrition
Farrar said her work at the department at CRT, said
café has been “a labor of when it comes to a person
love.”
like Farrar, words are not
“I hope you felt that. It’s enough.
“On behalf of CRT,
we’re honored and glad to
be able to have worked with
you, had us as part of your
team and seen the hard
work you put in,” he said.
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22
The
Valley Press
August 20, 2015
6:30 to 10 p.m. Friday, Aug.
21, as well as the Dream
Show, a car show, which is
held Aug. 22 and 23. The Dream Ride, which
is the brainchild of Michael
A. Bozzuto of Bozzuto’s,
Inc., started with about 500
riders in its first year and
morphed into thousands of
participants over the years,
according to Farmington
Police Chief Paul Melanson.
The polo grounds is
more suitable to handling
the ever-growing traffic that
the event generates.
“It’s a beautiful piece of
property,” Daly said of the
polo grounds. “It’s going to
make a lot of people happy
with the way it looks [after
the renovations are done].”
Daly said that there
were no long-term plans
for the property, though
he speculated that the site
would play host to additional Special Olympics events.
“There will be things
during the course of the
year, but nothing specific
as of yet,” Daly said, noting
that Bozzuto made the decision to purchase the property quickly once it became
available when the foreclosure was finalized. The Farmington Club,
which is next door to the
polo grounds, was originally going to host the Dream
Ride. Daly said that the
Farmington Club will still
cater the event.
“The two properties
complement each other
very well,” Daly said.
Through the years, the
polo grounds had played
host to various events, such
as a large antiques expo and
equestrian competitions.
In 2009, the then-owners of the property, Stephen
Jenkins and his two sons
Jon and Jason Jenkins, fell
behind on the mortgage
and foreclosure proceedings
were started.
FARRAR
Make Your Marble Shine Again!
ZIGGY OSKWAREK
Photo by Ted Glanzer
The Farmington Polo Grounds will be the site of The Dream Ride this weekend and likely
more Special Olympics events in the future.
Photo by Alison Jalbert
Peggy Farrar, left, chats with a regular attendee of the
Canton Community Café during her farewell luncheon held
Aug. 7.
He told the crowd that
in searching for a new café
manager, they were not replacing Farrar, but simply
finding someone else to
hold that position.
“It was a labor of love
to be with the elders of our
town to know them, share
with them and to add enjoyment to their senior
years,” she told The Valley
Press. “I’m having trouble
detaching with something
that has kept me connected
for so many years. It’s important for me personally;
it’s enriched my life.”
check it out
AVON––––––––––––
Boy Scout Troop 274’s Eagle
Court of Honor Ceremony for
Jack Kostal and Frank Campanelli Friday, Aug. 21, 7 p.m., West
Avon Congregational Church,
280 Country Club Road, public
welcome
Avon Newcomer’s Club meeting Sunday, Aug. 30, 2:30-4
p.m., Pine Grove Elementary
School, 151 Scoville Road, ice
cream treat for kids, learn about
club’s interest groups, www.
avonnewcomers.com for more
information
Summer worship at Avon congregations: in August worship at
the Avon Congregational Church,
6 West Main St., with the ministers, the Rev. Martha Chenault
and the Rev. Brian Hardee, alternating leading the worship
Avon historic sites open every
Sunday through September from
2-4 p.m. for tourist season – Pine
Grove Schoolhouse, 3 Harris St.,
and Derrin Farmhouse, 249 West
Avon Road
Tuesday Crafters meeting
weekly on Tuesdays at 10 a.m.
at Avon Congregational Church, 6
West Main St., on drop-in basis
to do simple sewing and knitting
projects
BURLINGTON–––––––
Burlington Parks & Rec pro-
grams at www.burlingtonctparksandrec.com: Kickbox Combo
Mondays and Wednesdays thru
Aug. 26, 6:30-7:30 p.m., walkins $10 per class; Fitness Mix
– evenings Tuesdays and Thursdays, thru Aug. 27, 6:15-7:15
p.m., fee $10
CANTON––––––––––
At the Canton Senior Center, 40
Dyer Ave., 860-693-5811:
• Canton Community Café open
every Wednesday and Friday,
suggested donation for 60+
$2.50, $4.50 for others, pre-register by noon the day before at
860-693-5811
• Learn How to Self-Manage Your
Diabetes workshop Thursdays
thru Sept. 24, 10 a.m.-12:30
p.m., register
• Commodity Supplemental Food
Program for residents age 60+, if
interested in program and fit income guidelines call Claire Cote
35th annual Lobsterfest celebration Friday, Aug. 21, 6-9:30
p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 22, noon9:30 p.m.; Sunday, Aug. 23,
noon-4 p.m. or until sold out;
music on Friday from The Johnny Larson Band with Carolyn
Rae, Saturday includes music
by Mighty Soul Drivers, Touch-aTruck, face painting and balloon
animals, $20 includes one full
lobster and sides
Farmers Market vouchers for
Canton residents either 60
years or older, or younger than 60
and permanently disabled, living
in subsidized housing – informational sessions Tuesdays and
Wednesdays from 11 a.m.-noon
thru Aug. 26 at the Community
Center with Claire Cote to qualify
for vouchers (860-693-5811)
Mills Pond Pool open thru Labor
Day, Sept. 7, pool memberships
and daily passes available at the
pool, daily fees $5 residents/$7
non-residents
Calling all crafters for the Canton Holiday Craft Fair Nov. 21
at Canton High School, contact
Tammie Coffey at dremkr@aol.
com
FARMINGTON––––––
Events at Farmington Senior
Center, 321 New Britain Ave.,
Unionville, 850-675-2490, ext.
3: Pickleball Tuesdays and Fridays, 1:30 p.m.; Bridge Tuesdays
1-3 p.m., Co-Ed Pool Mondays
10 a.m., Bible Study: Tuesdays
10:30 a.m., Salon Discussion
Group Wednesdays, 1p.m., Pinochle Thursdays 1p.m.
At the UConn Health Center:
• New Stroke Survivor Group
Wednesday, Aug. 26, noon-1
p.m., Outpatient Pavilion, third
floor, 860-679-4846
• Childbirth Preparation Class
Saturday, Aug. 29, 8:30 a.m.5 p.m., Onyiuke Dining room,
$100, 860-679-7692
Five Corners Thrift Shop at First
To submit an event for the calendar,
e-mail Sally at
[email protected]
Church of Christ, 61 Main St.,
Unionville, super summer clothing sale, most summer clothing
$1, hours: Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2
p.m.
GRANBY––––––––––
Granby Senior Center, 15 North
Granby Road, 860-844-5352
• Trip to Nathan Hale Homestead
Friday, Aug. 21, departing at 10
a.m., cost $9
• Trip to Burgundy Brook Farm in
Palmer, Mass., Wednesday, Aug.
26, departing at 8:30 a.m., $5
At Lost Acres Vineyard, 80 Lost
Acres Road, North Granby, 860324-9481:
• Elizabeth Rhoades and Shauna
Shane art show Aug. 21-Sept. 13,
artist reception Aug. 21, 5:30-8
p.m.
• Music by Zoe Berman Friday,
Aug. 28, 7 p.m., $7
Dog Park fundraiser: canine
swims at Salmon Brook Park
Sunday, Aug. 30, noon-3 p.m.,
$10 per dog
SIMSBURY––––––––
At the Simsbury Senior Center,
Eno Memorial Hall, 754 Hopmeadow St., 860-658-3273:
• Lunch at Eno Wednesday, Aug.
26, noon, register – chicken parmesan with pasta
• Lunch Café at Eno Friday, Aug.
21, 11 a.m.-noon, $2 each for
soup and sandwich – garden
vegetable soup, chicken or tuna
salad sandwich
• Bocce on the new bocce court
Tuesdays at 10 a.m. (weather
permitting)
• Pickleball at Simsbury Farms
Ice Rink Mondays, Wednesdays
and Fridays, 4-5:30 p.m., thru
October
At the Simsbury Free Library,
749 Hopmeadow St., 860-4081336:
• Geneaology Road Show Saturday, Aug. 22, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., free
to members, $5 for non-members, RSVP by calling museum or
emailing simsburyfreelibrary@
gmail.com
• Art on the Hill series featuring the work of visual storyteller
Devin Febbroriello on display thru
Aug. 31
The Second Chance Shop of
Simsbury, 12 Station Street is
having a storewide 50 percent
off sale Aug. 24 through 31. The
shop is open Monday through
Saturday 10a.m.-2 p.m.
Chamber of Commerce Fun
Run/Walk of 3-5 miles at 5:30
p.m. every Tuesday, meeting and
ending at Red Stone Pub, 10 Jim
Gallagher Way
VALLEY & BEYOND––
Tunxis Community College
“Super Saturday Registration
Blitz” Saturday, Aug. 22, 10
a.m.-3 p.m., junction of Routes 6
and 177, Farmington, 100 Building, call 860-773-1490 for more
information
At the Library
Avon Public Library,
281 Country Club Road, 860-6739712, www.avonctlibrary.info:
• Ready for School Storytime
Tuesday, Aug. 25, 10:30-11:15
a.m., ages 5-7, register
• Tinker Tuesdays Tuesday, Aug.
25, 1:30-4:30 p.m., drop in
• Learning to Move and Moving
to Learn Through a Rainbow of
Gymnastics Thursday, Aug. 27,
10:30-11:15 a.m., for toddlers,
register
• Avon Police Department:
Women’s Situational Awareness
and Personal Safety Thursday,
Aug. 27, 6-8 p.m., with Lt. Kelly
Walsh
Burlington Library,
34 Library Lane, 860-673-3331,
www.Burlingtonctlibrary.info:
• Read to Crosby Tuesday, Aug.
25, 3-4 p.m., ages 4 and up,
read to Labradoodle Crosby,
register
Canton Public Library,
40 Dyer Ave., 860-693-5800: www.
cantonpubliclibrary.org, beginning
Saturday, July 11, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.,
closed Sundays
• Adult Film Series: “The Theory
of Everything” Friday, Aug. 21,
1 p.m.
• Books/DVD donations for book
sale in September during library
hours thru Aug. 29
Farmington Library,
6 Monteith Drive, 860-673-6791,
ext. 1, www.farmingtonlibraries.org:
• Afternoon at the Bijou Thursdays, 2 p.m.: “Woman on the
Run” Aug. 27
• Farmers Market Friday, Aug.
21, 2-5 p.m.
• Superhero Super Engineers
Saturday, Aug. 22, 10 a.m.noon, ages 5 and up, register
• Back to School Craft Buffet
Aug. 24-27, 3-4:30 p.m., ages 7
and up, drop in
• An Evening with the Dog Listener Monday, Aug. 24, 6:308:30 p.m., with Dog Listener Pat
Wright, register
• Social Media 101 Tuesday, Aug. 25, 7-8:30 p.m. and
Wednesday, Aug. 26, 10-11:30
a.m., focus on social media
marketing with Facebook and
Twitter, register
Barney Library, 71 Main St.,
860-673-6791, ext. 2
• Novel Ideas Book Group Tuesday, Aug. 25, 1:15-2:30 p.m.,
copies of current book available
at service desk
Granby Library,
15 North Granby Rd., 860-844-5275:
• We Love LEGOS Tuesdays,
1 p.m.
• Craft Week begins Monday,
Aug. 24
• Crafternoon for Kids Thursday,
Aug. 27, 1 p.m.
Simsbury Library,
725 Hopmeadow St., 860-658-7663:
• Download to Kindle – Small
Group Instruction Tuesday, Aug.
23, or Wednesday, Aug. 26, 1-2
or 2-3 p.m., register.
• Blogging with WordPress
Tuesday, Aug. 25, 10 a.m.-
noon, part 2 Thursday, Aug. 27,
10 a.m.-noon
• Achieve Peak Sales Performance:
Business
Acumen – Business Knowledge
and Insight, Tuesday, Aug. 25,
6-8 p.m., with Duane Cashin,
register
• Leveraging LinkedIn: Beyond
the Basics Wednesday, Aug. 26,
10 a.m.-noon, register
• Spanish Conversation Group
Wednesday, Aug. 26, 10:3011:30 a.m., drop in
• Books wanted for September
Used Book Sale, collection site
at library thru Aug. 29
Children’s programs
• Once Upon a Story Time with
Mrs. Moody Monday, Aug. 24,
10:30-11 a.m., ages 2 and up,
drop in
August 20, 2015
The
Valley Press
23
Arts & Events
At the Wadsworth Atheneum, 600 Main St., Hartford:
• Gallery Talk: “Analyzing
Abstraction” Thursday, Aug.
27, noon
• Mark Bradford / MATRIX
172 thru Sept. 6, site-specific wall drawing
• Peter Blume: Nature and
Metamorphosis thru Sept.
20, exhibition on influential
modernist painter
• Aspects of Portraiture:
Photographs from the Wadsworth Atheneum thru Nov.
15, featuring nearly 50 examples of photographic portraits in a variety of styles
At the Mark Twain House
& Museum, 351 Farmington
Ave., Hartford, 860-2803130:
• Graveyard Shift Ghost
Tours Friday, Aug. 28 and
Saturday, Aug. 29, hourly
tours 6-9 p.m., $22
• Writing Nature Poetry
workshop Saturday, Aug. 29,
10 a.m.-2 p.m., $40, with
poet and essayist David K.
Leff
At Bridge Street Live, 41
Bridge St., Collinsville: Aug.
22, 8 p.m., Comedy Night:
Steve Guilmette and Christine Hurley; Aug. 23, 7 p.m.,
Muscle Shoals Music Revue
feat. Amy Black and Sarah
Borges; Aug. 28, 8 p.m., Lipbone Redding with The Lipbone Orchestra
At Infinity Music Hall and
Bistro
20 Greenwoods Road
North, Norfolk, 860-5425531: Aug. 22, 8 p.m.,
Kashmir – The Ultimate Led
Zeppelin Tribute Band; Aug.
27, 8 p.m., Free Film Festival
presents “Tommy”
32 Front St., Hartford: Aug.
22, 8 p.m., Justin Hayward of “Antiques Roadshow” to
with special guest Mike appraise items on Sunday,
Dawes; Aug. 28, 8 p.m., The www.papermaniaplus.com
BoDeans
At the Crown and Hammer
2015 Virtuosi Summer Mu- Pub, 3 Depot St., Collinsville:
Snuffbox and friends Friday,
sic Institute and Festival
860-325-2826, www.insti- Aug. 28 starting at 9:30 p.m.
tute.thevirtuosi.org
• Young Division Orchestra Work by Summer Arts AdPerformance Friday Aug. 21, ventures Camp students
1:30 p.m., Tunxis Communi- on display at Drezner Visitors’ Gallery in the Farmty College
• Brandenburg Concerti, ington Valley Arts Center, 25
part 2, Friday, Aug. 21, 7:00 Arts Center Lane, Avon, Aug.
p.m., Tunxis Community 26-29, noon-4 p.m., closing
reception Saturday, Aug. 29,
College
2-4 p.m.
68th annual Papermania
antique paper show Sat- Auditions for “The King
urday, Aug. 22, 10 a.m.-5 and I” to be performed by
p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 23, The Theatre Guild of Sims10 a.m.-4 p.m. XL Center, bury, auditions for ages 8-14
Hartford, $8 admission, se- Wednesday, Aug. 26, 6:30-9
nior citizens and college p.m., Eno Memorial Hall,
students admitted for half Hopmeadow St., audition
price Sunday, Gary Sohmers preparation info at www.
theatreguildsimsbury.org
Auditions for “Fiddler on
the Roof” to be performed
at the Mandell JCC, 333
Bloomfield Ave., West Hartford, Sept. 1 and 2 by appointment only, shows will
be Dec. 3-12, book an audition time at www.mandelljcc.org or 860-236-4571
Open string auditions for
Farmington Valley Symphony Orchestra for its
35th season, contact music
director Jonathan Brennand
at [email protected] if
interested
Dog-related art sought for
“Best in Show” exhibition
at Drezner Visitors’ Gallery
at the Farmington Valley Arts
Center, 25 Arts Center Lane,
Avon, submit online before
Wednesday, Sept. 2.
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PRESSSports
Gray
Simsbury’s
Titans
Matters
By Scott Gray
Photo by David Heuschkel
Simsbury native Kyle Decker, left, took his first swing at being a head baseball coach this summer with the Torrington Titans, while Simsbury’s
Chris Myslow, right, ran the team in his first year as president and general manager.
Myslow and Decker lead
Futures Collegiate Baseball League team
By David Heuschkel
Sports Editor
Being the highest-ranking team official of the Torrington Titans doesn’t preclude Chris Myslow from duties usually
done by interns.
The Simsbury resident, who took over
as general manager this year and recently
added team president to his title, handed
out free tickets at the Memorial Day parade in Torrington in the spring. He has
emptied garbage cans at Fuessenich Park
and ran to the store to buy hot dogs when
the concession stand ran out.
Whatever it takes to make the Futures
Collegiate Baseball League team a success,
Myslow is willing to do it.
“I do it all. It’s literally the chef, cook
and bottle washer,” he said before Torrington’s season ended with a 3-1 loss to
the Bristol Blues in the first round of the
playoffs last week at Muzzy Field.
Myslow isn’t Simsbury’s only link to
the Titans. Kyle Decker, who played for
the FCBL team from 2012-14, was named
interim head coach in late June after Dan
McNamara resigned.
Decker and Myslow have known each
other for years. Prior to joining the team
this season, Myslow would attend games
to watch Decker. Simsbury natives Mike
Gibbons and Matt Quintana also played
for Torrington in recent years.
“It’s a great opportunity,” said Decker, who finished up his collegiate baseball
career at Oberlin College in May. “I wasn’t
about to leave Mr. Myslow hanging at
all. He’s a guy I’ve known for a while and
have a lot of respect for. I know he joined
this organization partially because of me.
I remember when I was a player here, he
would drive up and watch me play.”
The transition from Titans player last
year to assistant coach this spring to the
head guy in the middle of the season was
See LEADERS on page 26
Crispino and Doyle catch on together in FCBL
By Matt Monitto
Correspondent
Cody Doyle and Mac Crispino have
been baseball buddies for several years,
starting when both played on a travel team
in their early teens.
Two years ago, Crispino joined Doyle
on the American Legion team in Avon. The
two were reunited this summer as teammates on the Torrington Titans of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League.
It was fitting that Doyle and Crispino
hit back-to-back in the Titans batting order
for the FCBL playoffs against the Bristol
Blues last week. As fate would have it, they
were the last two hitters in a season-ending
3-1 loss Aug. 12 at Muzzy Field.
With two on and two out
in the ninth, the inning was
extended, as Doyle got hit by a
pitch to load the bases. Crispino got an opportunity to
atone for his mistakes on
the bases in the eighth inning when he was picked
off to stymie a rally, but he
grounded into a fielder’s
choice to end the
Photo by
game.
David Heuschkel
“Obviously,
coming up in the
end with the bases loaded,
everyone wants to get a hit right
there,” Crispino said. “I’m upset about it, but you’ve got to
learn from stuff like that.
That’s going to sit in my
mind in the offseason,
and hopefully that’ll
fuel me.”
In a couple weeks,
Crispino will be heading back to Fairfield
University for his
junior year. Doyle, a
sophomore catcher at
Sacred Heart University, will be on the other
side of town.
Avon’s Cody Doyle
See TEAMMATES on page 27
The book is still out on Anne Donovan’s future as head coach of the Connecticut Sun.
On paper, the final year of her three-year deal
with the WNBA team isn’t going well. The
Sun finished last week’s action two and a
half games out of playoff position in the East
after falling back to .500 (12-12) with backto-back losses to the New York Liberty at
home Friday night and to the Dream in Atlanta
on Sunday. On course for a third straight season out of the playoffs, Sun General Manager
Chris Sienko may have reason to put a “help
wanted” sign on his coach’s office door.
Donovan may be the most snake-bitten
coach in WNBA history. She was never able
to coach the team she had on paper. That
team rarely made it to the floor. This season,
no team in the WNBA suffered greater losses
than the Sun, whose star player, Chiney Ogwumike, was lost at the outset with a knee
injury that claimed her entire sophomore season. Also lost for the season was team sparkplug Allie Hightower, and last week, two more
key players fell: first round pick Elizabeth Williams with a bruised knee and forward Alyssa
Thomas, who left last Wednesday’s home win
over the Tulsa Shock with a shoulder injury.
Both are expected to miss two weeks, roughly
half the remainder of the season.
Donovan won’t use injuries as an excuse
or an argument for continued employment.
Perhaps her best argument was provided last
week by ESPN Magazine, in a column about
WNBA teams “tanking” the season in hopes
of improving themselves via the draft. It
points out that while the WNBA, like the NBA,
has a lottery that limits the chances of the
team with the worst record getting the first
pick, unlike the NBA, with 13 lottery teams,
only four WNBA teams make the lottery with
the number of balls in the drawing for the
team with the worst record, giving that team
a 45 percent chance of landing the first pick.
For the Sun, that first pick would have particular significance at the gate as well as on the
floor. UConn senior forward Breanna Stewart
is the hands-down number one pick, roundly considered by scouts to be the top talent
ever to come out of the college ranks. No one
could blame the Sun for playing for draft position. It would be their only chance of landing
“Stewie,” one pick no one will trade away.
To Donovan’s credit, the Sun aren’t playing that game. The ESPN article specifically
mentioned three teams that appear to be
playing for draft, not playoff, position. The Sun
was not one of them. To the contrary, and to
Donovan’s credit, the shorthanded and undertalented Sun have played a number of recent
games as if their season depended on each
outcome, which, by the way, it does. Down
19 points to the Indiana Fever in the fourth
quarter, the Sun pulled the streak to three
with a minute to play. After the All Star break,
the Sun again trailed the Fever, this time by
nine points, and battled back to lose by two
in overtime. Last Wednesday, they trailed
the Shock by nine at the half and, after losing Thomas, battled back to take a four point
lead after three quarters on the way to the
See GRAY MATTERS on page 27
August 20, 2015
The
Valley Press
25
Photos by David Heuschkel
Left: Kyle Decker offers pointers to players on the Torrington Titans before a playoff game against Bristol last week at Muzzy Field. Right: Decker, standing at attention during the
Star-Spangled Banner, finished up his eligibility to play for the Titans last summer, but the 22-year-old looks like he can still be in the lineup.
LEADERS
from page 25
fairly seamless for Decker.
He has a good baseball IQ
and a strong pedigree. His
father, Bill, just completed
his third season as head
coach at Harvard following
a 22-year stint at Trinity.
“Growing up, being a
coach’s kid, you know what
to do [as a coach],” said
Kyle, who has worked at
baseball clinics run by his
father. “Just being a player,
you know what to do.”
Since his parents recently moved to Massachusetts Kyle has been
staying in Farmington with
the Schweighoffer family.
Kyle and Jeff Schweighoffer
were teammates at Oberlin
and Mike Schweighoffer,
Jeff ’s father, is a former minor league player. There’s
plenty of hardball talk in
the house.
Decker doesn’t know
where he’ll be next summer. He has one semester
left to graduate. His major
is politics, but he sees himself in baseball. Ultimately,
his goal is to be a college
baseball coach. He has inherited the teaching gene
from his father.
“As an older player, you
find yourself trying to help
younger guys,” Kyle said.
“Even this year as a senior
[in college], I was trying to
help some of the younger
guys.”
Some of the players on the Titans weren’t
much younger. Decker was
teammates with some last
summer. The FCBL is comprised of 10 teams throughout New England with college players.
“I’m not stupid. It’s not
easy playing for a kid who’s
22 years old, only a year old-
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Cannot be combined with previously
signed jobs. Expires 8-31-15.
er than you,” Decker said.
“But for the most part, a
lot of these guys, especially
the returning players, have
done a good job. I haven’t
tried to be [overly demanding]. I probably should have
been. That’s something I
should change moving forward.
“I can coach third
base all day long, giving
signs. Obviously I’m learning there, too. There really
hasn’t been one particular
aspect that’s been a challenge. Ultimately, you’re the
guy in charge.”
Decker hasn’t abandoned the idea of playing
professionally. He’s looked
into playing in Europe and
Australia. If those opportunities don’t come to fruition, he wouldn’t mind returning to the Titans next
year.
“I want to play as long
as I can,” he said.
Decker is happy to see
his former Titans teammate – and former neighbor – playing in the minors.
Mike Gibbons signed as an
undrafted free agent with
the New York Mets last August and is having a decent
season in the low minors,
going 3-4 with a 3.54 ERA
in nine starts this summer.
Meanwhile, Myslow
anticipates resuming his
duties with the Titans next
spring.
“I will be the first returning GM in five years,”
he says.
Myslow was encouraged to see more than
1,400 fans for the team’s
home opener in early June,
though many were from
the tickets he handed out
the previous week at the
parade.
But attendance took
a steep dip. According
to the FCBL website, the
Titans averaged 340 and
were ninth in the 10-team
league.
“I really have to try to
do a better job of getting
the community engaged
in knowing what we are,”
Myslow said. “People may
not know a specific date
we have a game, but I need
to let them know we play
baseball games at the park
from the first week of June
to the first week of August.
It’s more brand awareness.”
Myslow, who has a
sports marketing background, is already planning
his 2016 strategy. The immediate goal is to build a
fan base. He wants to retain
the families – kids 10 and
under get free admission –
and target senior citizens,
knowing many grew up in a
time when baseball was the
most popular sport in the
country. He is working with
a local writer on the history of Torrington baseball,
which dates back to 1865.
Don’t expect any
gimmicks or zany promotions to attract fans to the
park.
“I tend to be a traditionalist and don’t want to
distract people from the
game,” Myslow said. “Some
people like that stuff and
some don’t. Just putting it
in there of the purpose of
putting in there, I’m not a
big fan of.”
Trenchard’s preparation pays off
By Matt Monitto
Correspondent
Submitted photo
A two-sport athlete at the Salisbury School, Ian Trenchard of
Avon had some big hits on the baseball diamond and made a
huge defensive player on the football field.
TEAMMATES
from page 25
“I was able to get some
opportunities to play and
make the most of it,” said
Doyle, who hit .275 in 35
games and was third on the
team with a .362 on-base
average. “We won the conference this year. Our goal
every year is to win the conference championship.”
As a sophomore at
Fairfield, Crispino started
40 games, hit .259 and led
the team with 22 walks. In
one 11-game stretch, he
hit .450 (18-for-40) with
GRAY MATTERS from page 25
the win. Against all odds,
with an incentive to lose,
Donovan has the Sun
playing with an eye to the
playoffs. She’d have a
better chance of pulling it
off if she had the talent to
match up better with the
opposition.
Speaking of ESPN, there
was an interesting note two
weeks ago on, of all places,
CNBC, the cable financial
network, which said Disney
stocks were the main drag
on the Dow on a recent
down day, citing Disney
media properties, primarily
ESPN, which was bleeding
viewer subscriptions, as
the main culprit.
This led to an interesting question by one analyst,
who wondered if sports
media, the primary source
of revenue for major league
sports, goes stagnant, does
that mean we’ve reached
the limit on player salaries?
By the way, there was
seven multi-hit games. He
had a career-high four hits
against Sacred Heart in the
first of two games between
the crosstown rivals. When
the teams met a week later,
Crispino had two hits, including a RBI single that tied
the game in the eighth.
Crispino joined the Titans in midseason and hit
.195 in 35 games. He played
two outfield spots and saw
action at the corner infield
positions. Doyle hit .234 in
31 games behind the plate.
It was the first season
in the FCBL for both players,
an interesting tie to the
final major of the golf
season and our local PGA
Tour event, other than the
appearance by Farmington’s Suzy Whaley, the new
secretary of the PGA, as
the announcer introducing
Saturday’s pairings on the
first tee.
The tie was PGA Championship winner Jason
Day, who was committed
to play in the Travelers
Championship.
Among the first notices to go up in the media
facility on the Monday of
Travelers’ week was one
announcing that Day had
withdrawn after suffering
a vertigo-related fainting
spell at the U.S. Open the
previous Saturday. Hartford Healthcare arrived at
the TPC River Highlands
specially equipped to treat
Day’s condition in the event
he did come to Cromwell,
but no one could blame him
for not hopping on a cross
country flight from Seattle.
Ian Trenchard was not
the biggest player on his high
school teams at the Salisbury School. The Avon native
wasn’t always on the field –
baseball or football – during
his first two years at the allboys private school located
in the northwest corner of
the state.
When the time came to
contribute, the 5-foot-5-inch
Trenchard had a knack for
making the most of his opportunities.
Trenchard, a middle infielder, was part of
Salisbury’s run to the 2015
Western New England Prep
Baseball League championship, as a walk-off 4-3 victory
over Wilbraham & Monson
gave Salisbury their fourth
straight WNEPBL title in
the spring.
“Throughout the season
I wasn’t a starter, but I was
given a lot of opportunity to
play,” said Trenchard, who
started as the designated
hitter in the championship
game.
This summer, Trenchard
got an opportunity to play in
U.S. Baseball Championships
with the Team Connecticut
Baseball (TCB) 17-U squad in
Richmond, Va. TCB was the
lowest seed in the 20-team
bracket and went 1-2 in pool
play, finishing ninth overall.
“We knew we had to get
down to business because we
knew we had a lot of baseball
ahead of us,” Trenchard said.
“I’ve been playing with some
of these kids since I was 13.
I knew from the beginning
of the season that we had
something special.”
In his best individual
but it wasn’t the first time
they played at historic Muzzy
Field, where Babe Ruth is
said to have hit the first homer in the park in 1919.
“You play at Muzzy
growing up a lot of the time,
and this is kind of like home,”
Crispino said.
Torrington and Bristol are the only Connecticut teams in the FCBL. Six
teams are in Massachusetts
and two in New Hampshire,
making for some lengthy bus
rides and late-night journeys, including one across a
body of water at night.
A road game against the
Martha’s Vineyard Sharks includes a ferry ride onto the
island. Getting back to the
mainland is a little adventurous, though.
“Every time you go to
Martha’s Vineyard, you take
a commercial boat there,”
Crispino said. “But, at the
end of the game, no commercial ferries are running.
The league has a 15-passenger boat, and the whole
team and the umpires get
on it, and we take a 35-minute ride across the ocean at
night.”
game, Trenchard went 2-for4 with a double and drove
in three runs. TCB won
three playoff games before
being eliminated in the double-elimination pool play.
“Ian was our leadoff hitter, got on base many times,
stole bases and scored runs,”
TCB coach John Susi said.
“He was also stellar at second
base playing defense.”
John Toffey, who was
Trenchard’s baseball coach
at Salisbury, said, “[Ian] is a
gamer who seems to make
big plays in big moments.
He has a tremendous work
ethic and gets the most out
of his ability.”
Toffey’s quote is not
only true of Trenchard’s play
on the diamond. In a 63-28
victory over Taft on the football field, Trenchard made
the most of his brief appearance.
“When our starting
safety got a leg cramp, Ian
had to come on,” said Tom
Trenchard, Ian’s father. “The
coach said, ‘Trench, don’t let
this guy get past you, because
they’ll be coming after you.’”
Sure enough, Taft’s
quarterback launched a
pass his way. Trenchard
made a leaping interception
at the goal line and nearly
returned it for a touchdown.
The play reminded
Tom Trenchard of a quote
from his high school football
coach: Preparation meets
opportunity.
“Ian was only in for one
play,” his father said, “and the
Salisbury headmaster called
it the best interception he’s
ever seen.”
As he prepares for his
junior year at the prep school,
more opportunities are sure
to arise for Ian Trenchard.
Photo by David Heuschkel
Mac Crispino is another player from the Farmington Valley
who was a regular in the Torrington Titans lineup.
The Valley’s only Full Service Hand Car Wash
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Full Service
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1949
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Russell
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Full Service Hand Wash Hours:
Monday Thru Saturday
8am til 6pm
Sunday 9am till 5pm
August 20, 2015
The
Valley Press
27
Classifieds
Help Wanted
Help Wanted
School Nurse – Per Diem
The Farmington Valley VNA is seeking CT-licensed RN’s for per diem
School Nursing coverage in the Granby School System during the school
year. Experience with pediatric or
school nursing preferred. For more
information, please contact Jodi
French, RN at [email protected].
ct.us.
Farmington Valley VNA
8 Old Mill Lane, Simsbury, CT 06070
www.farmingtonvalleyvna.org EOE
STORE MANAGER - Consignment
Originals with 4 stores and 32 years
in business is opening a location in
Avon, CT. We are looking for the right
person to come on board and join our
management team! We are looking for
career minded applicants. Must have
minimum 2 years Management experience and plenty of passion. Salary
negotiable depending on experience.
Please send resume to: [email protected]
Licensed Medical
Social Worker
PER DIEM
Help us make a difference in
our community! The Farmington
Valley VNA is seeking an experienced, compassionate Licensed
Clinical Social Worker to assist in
our Home Care and Hospice program 1-2 days a week. For more
information, please email Karen
Bignelli at [email protected].
Farmington Valley VNA
8 Old Mill Lane,
Simsbury, CT 06070
www.farmingtonvalleyvna.org
EOE
FASHION MERCHANDISER/CUSTOMER SERVICE - Do you have an
eye for fashion? Are you talented, energetic, and love dealing with people?
Consignment Originals with 4 stores
and 32 years in business is opening
a location in Avon, CT. We are looking
for the right people to staff our new
location in Avon!. Salary negotiable
depending on experience. Must have
minimum 1 year Retail/Merchandising
experience. Please send resume to:
[email protected]
Farmington Valley based landscape
and excavation company looking to
hire experienced people in various aspects of the field such as landscape
maintenance, patio stone work, trucking etc. Offer paid holidays and vacation, plus bonuses. Must have clean
driving record and Class A or B CDL
license is a plus. Serious inquiries
only! 860-573-3125.
Help Wanted
At Your Service
Does Health Insurance confuse you?
CAREGIVERS WANTED
THROUGHOUT CT
We are looking for mature,
responsible individuals.
• Choose your own hours
• FT/PT positions available
• Live-in positions available
• 80% medical/401k
Apply Online Today at
www.caregiverjobsct.com
or call 888-844-4442
DCP HCA 0000101
Pet Services
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Affordable Care Act plans
Medicare Supplement Insurance plans
Medicare Advantage Plans
Prescription Drug Plans
CT Exchange plans
Dental/Hospital/Cancer plans
And more!
SCHOOL BUS
DRIVERS - AVON
Free no obligation no pressure consultation at my office in
West Hartford or home visits available upon request! 860-922-2005
Call Dylan Cowen at 860-922-2005 today, to make the confusion go away!
Your local licensed independent Health Insurance Broker. [email protected]
There is no extra cost when purchasing insurance through a Servicing Agent
PIANO LESSONS for all!
Take lessons from a patient and experienced teacher, all ages and levels
welcome. Private instruction with a
classically-trained pianist, graduate
of McGill University (B.Mus and
M.Mus). Studio located in Tariffville.
Please contact Claire for more information: 201-213-6645, claire.paik@
gmail.com
MUSIC LESSONS
Experienced private instruction
in Piano, Voice, and Guitar.
Please call Aimee Allen at
(860) 990-5184.
Hiring and training for
September 2015. Four hour
minimum daily guaranteed,
other hours available.
$17.20/hour to start
For details contact
Kim Bush 860-470-7200
END OF SUMMER SPECIAL
One time offer:
Buy 3 hours of cleaning for $110.00.
Bonded & Insured, Gift Certificates Available.
MORAWSKI CLEANING LLC
A Super Service Award Winner
Call Sandy at 860-651-4601 • MORAWSKICLEANING.COM
[email protected]
28 The Valley Press August 20, 2015
“Where your memories are cherished forever”
We make house calls and service from all veterinarians
Robert L. Sagarino
Licensed Funeral Director and Aftercare Provider
860-306-5853
24/7 Service
www.forevercompanions.com
[email protected]
For Sale
Kayak For Sale: Current Designs, Sirocco Gulf Stream, 16.5 ft., Orange.
New $1549, Barely used, asking
$1,000. Call 860-841-1455.
36
TRAVELING MUSIC
TEACHER
Music lessons in the comfort of
your own home. Musician Billy
Romanos offers piano and guitar lessons for all levels, ages,
and styles of music. Over 40 years
experience.
Graduate of Berklee College of
Music in Boston.
Billy 860-978-3333
Wanted
I BUY houses
AS-IS. Cash.
Forever Companions
Cremation, Burial,
Advanced Planning
“We do Obama care and
the Affordable care act
plans!” Call us to make
it easy! 860-922-2005
Come see why people say “I have my health insurance with Dylan!”
Pet Loss Services, LLC
Union Eye Works, a family eye care
practice, seeks full-time enthusiastic
Front Desk Manager. Duties include
phone and email correspondence,
patient scheduling and intake, health
insurance assistance and other
front-office administrative tasks. Professional demeanor, outstanding
interpersonal skills and interest in
combined health care/retail setting
essential. Serious candidates contact: [email protected].
At Your Service
GUITAR LESSONS
in your home. I am a Hartt School of
Music graduate with thirty years of
teaching and recording experience.
I have helped many students prepare
for Jazz Band music auditions,
improvise, and learn to play their
favorite songs. All styles, levels, and
ages with references available.
Tom Tribuzio, 860-673-1210.
[email protected]
Call TODAY
860-674-9498 or
Email:
john@boucherbuilding.
com.
CT.REG.# 530518.
PUBLISHER’S
NOTICE
All real estate advertised in this
newspaper is subject to the Federal
Fair Housing Act of 1968, revised
March 12, 1989, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on
race, color, religion, national origin,
sex, sexual orientation, handicap, or
familial status or intention to make
any such preference, limitation or
discrimination; and is also subject to
the State of Connecticut General
Statutes Sections 46a-64c which
makes it illegal to advertise any
preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, creed, color,
national original, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age,
lawful sources of income, familial
status, or physical or mental disability, or an intention to make any such
preference,
limitation,
or
discrimination.
This newspaper will not knowingly
accept any advertising for real
estate or for the sale or rental of
residential property which is in violation of these laws.
Our readers are hereby informed
that all dwellings advertised are
available on an equal opportunity
basis.
Home Improvement
$29-1 week
BUSINESS & SERVICE DIRECTORY
$150- 6 weeks $300-13 weeks Add WEST HARTFORD Press for 1/2 Price!
AIR COND. & HEATING
BATHROOMS
BATHROOMS
BATHROOM
Bathroom
Pros
Baths & Tiling Our Specialty
Full & Partial Remodels
Also...Kitchens, Floors, Painting,
General Repairs & more
Support local business
tune-up your system
$125 for AC or heat Schedule
both and save 10%*
Suffield
668-8000
West Hartford
232-8002
HIC #613103
CHIMNEYS
$20 OFF
L
I
C
E
N
S
E
D
&
VALLEY CHIMNEY SWEEP LLC
220 Albany Tpke., Rte. 44, Canton Village, Canton, CT 06019
A+
860-693-3404
HIC License #0674006
WWW.VALLEYCHIMNEYSWEEPLLC.COM
28 years experience. Free Estimates. Insured.
Call Robert
Call For Free Estimates
EQUIPMENT REPAIR
Home of the
CHAMPS
CHIMNEY SWEEP!
With Full Safety Inspection
F R E E E S T I M AT E S
HIGH QUALITY WORK
G R E AT P R I C E
CALL TODAY 860-594-8607 www.chimneychamps.com
DRIVEWAYS
DRIVEWAYS
RENEW ASPHALT
MAINTENANCE
Call for
Free Estimates
CPA REG. #593039
ELECTRICAL
Residential * Commercial * Industrial
860-242-6486
advancedequipmentct.com
CT Lic. 575422
ELECTRICAL
Call today
for your
FREE, no
obligation
consultation
& estimate.
Pick up
and Delivery
Available
860-269-3103
www.renew-asphalt.com
Brannack Electric Inc.
155 Brickyard Road, Farmington, CT 06032
35 Peters Road
Bloomfield
Kyle
HOME IMPROVEMENT
AVALLONE
CONTRACTORS
HOME IMPROVEMENT
24 Hour Emergency Service
• Generator installations
• Interior & Exterior Lighting
• Remodeling & Additions
• Service Upgrades
• Telephone, Cable TV, &
Computer Network Wiring
• Repair & Upgrades
• Pool & Spa Wiring
License #103858 & 103859 • Fully insured
www.brannackelectric.com
HOME IMPROVEMENT
www.JPCountryBuilders.com
Old Fashioned Quality You Can Live With
J
C
Remodeling
RY BUILDERS
O UN T
•Additions • Bath • Kitchens
LL
C
P
Replacement
Since 1988
In business for a blessed 29 years
(860) 582-0712 •Windows & Doors • Siding • Decks
Lic#0621710
Fax: (860)410-1190 or (860) 583-2183
PO Box 9656, Bristol, CT •
860-738-1502 John T.Yacawych 860-589-2267 Pat Collin
Email: [email protected]
ROOFING
SIDING
REPLACEMENT WINDOWS
GUTTERS
ADDITIONS
TOTAL REMODELING
INTERIOR & EXTERIOR
Lic.#514976
LLC
NEW CONSTRUCTION • REBUILDING • REPAIRS
CAPS • CHIMNEY LINERS • WATER PROOFING
Leaf Blowers • Snow Blowers • Tuneups & Repairs
HOME IMPROVEMENT
CEILINGS
$99
EQUIPMENT SERVICE REPAIR
for
FREE estimate
860-749-8383 • 860-930-7722
860.953.6519
Pre-Season Tune-Ups
Darrell
Insured • Prompt Service
SPRAY-TEX
Call
• Sealcoating
• Hot Crack Filling
• Line Striping
EQUIPMENT REPAIR
ADVANCED
EQUIPMENT INC.
CT License #557873
the Competition
860-521-6942
Senior Citizen Discounts • Insured & Guaranteed
860-890-6704
6
2
8
0
5
4
We knock out
G
Texture Spray ~ Painting
I
N
S
U
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CHIMNEY
ER PA
EWSince 1958 VI
COMMERCIAL &
RESIDENTIAL
✔ Driveways
✔ Parking Lots
✔ Excavating
• Textured Ceilings • Drywall & Plaster Repair
• Ceiling Painting • Interior & Exterior Painting
& Refinishing
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CT LIC #0673079
N
Water Damage
Repair • Plaster
Sheetrock
DRIVEWAYS
BR
CEILINGS
Specializing In: Cracked And Water
Damaged Ceilings
CEILINGS
F
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ONE CHIMNEY FLUE CLEANING PELLET
CLEANING
Offer Expires 9/30/15
& SERVICING Offer Expires 9/30/15
CEILING EXPERT
860.515.8265
CT’s Bathroom Remodeling Experts
CHIMNEYS
Since 1984
REMODELING
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*Must present this advertisement at service
$20 OFF
CEILINGS
Remodeling Your Bathroom?
Install - Service - Repair
(800) 975-5495
www.BridgeWorks-llc.com
CEILINGS
Fully Ins. Worker’s Comp & Liability
August 20, 2015
The
Valley Press
29
HOME IMPROVEMENT
HOME IMPROVEMENT
HOME IMPROVEMENT
HOME IMPROVEMENT
BARRETT ENTERPRISES LLC
Home Improvement Contractor
So Many Amateurs . . . So Few Professionals!!
• Complete Basement Renovations
• Kitchen & Bathrooms Updated
• Windows/Doors Installed
• Pre-Finished Floorings • Custom Ceramic Tile
• Maintenance-Free Decks • Finish Carpentry
• Complete Painting Service • Custom Countertops
- COMPLETE MAINTENANCE & REPAIR • Siding
• Decks
• Kitchens
• Bathrooms
• Remodeling
• Improvements
Jim Barrett, Owner
SMALL OR LARGE • WE DO IT ALL!
CT. LIC. #602130 • Office (860) 796-0131
www.berkshirewoodsmiths.com
Licensed & Insured
860.738.4931 or 203.232.9114
Lic. #HIC0625936
HOME IMPROVEMENT
HOME IMPROVEMENT
HOME IMPROVEMENT
HOME IMPROVEMENT
Visit us at www.dhradomski.com
NICK
LOW
PRICES
CONSTRUCTION
CT REG.
Serving the Farmington Valley
for over 10 years
ROOFING
#509749
SIDING • WINDOWS
DOORS • GUTTERS • DECKS • AWNINGS
* Concrete * Stone Walls * Patios
* Bricks * Belgium Blocks * Chimneys
* Wood Fencing
D.H. RADOMSKI, INC.
HOME IMPROVEMENTS
203-206-2839
JUNK REMOVAL
LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Junk Removal
Price includes dump fees,
labor and fuel cost. We will
remove junk from basements,
attics, and garages
Mattress & Box Springs
$50 extra.
“Building Trust By Doing Jobs Right!”
P.O. Box 791
[email protected] Farmington, CT 06034
www.pinnaclemaintenancellc.com T 860-284-8975 Fax: 860-255-7900
LANDSCAPING
LANDSCAPING
Arboretum
LANDSCAPE & DESIGN, LLC
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Sidewalks • Fire Pits • Pruning • Plantings Tree Removals
CT LIC# 0630444
FULLY INSURED
860-906-6736
Expert Tree Climbers & Crane Service
Land Clearing • Brush Clearing
Shrub Removal • Hardscaping
New Lawn Installations
MASONRY
ALLSTAR MASONRY
Specializing in all types of jobs.
• stone work • stucco • chimneys
• repairs • patios • walls • steps
• concrete work and much more.
Fully licensed and insured. HIC #0563329.
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guaranteed at a great price.
860-417-9355 (work) 860-567-3342
MASONRY
Stonewalls • Brick Walls
Bluestone • Steps
Fireplaces • Chimneys
Patios • Sidewalks
We can also do all
Masonry Repairs!
Fully Insured
Quality Workmanship
Free Estimates • Lic#0604514
Ken (203) 558-4951
30
The
Valley Press August 20, 2015
860-296-3405
LANDSCAPING
FallMowing
Clean-ups
Weekly
• Mulching
Aerating
• Overseeding
Hedge
Trimming
& Pruning
• Mulching • Weekly Mowing
Powerwashing
•
Stump
Grinding
Pruning • Hedge Trimming
Complete Landscape
• Powerwashing
• StumpServices
Grinding
• Complete
Landscaping
Services
SENIOR
DISCOUNTS
MASONRY
F&R MASONRY
All work done by Father
and Son
• Stonewalls • Sidewalks
• Steps • Chimneys • Patios
• Repairs & more
Serving the Farmington Valley
Lic #0637257
Insured
Free Estimates
203-805-9114
MASONRY MASONRY
Dennis Volpe
STONE MASON CONTRACTOR
860.225.3077
cell 860.839.8971
30 Years Experience • License #0630165 • New Britain, CT
SPECIALIZING IN:
Stone Wall Patios & Veneers • Patio Walls - Walk Ways
Chimney Rebuilding - Brick & Block Additions - Partition Walls
Basement Waterproofing - Drainage Work - Pre-Cast Retainer Walls
Pre-Cast Artificial Stone Veneers - Ceramic Tile Installed
Bobcat Service - Snow Plowing - Trucking
MASONRY
AD MASONRY
Stone Walls • Veneer Stone
Brick Walls • Blue Stone
Steps • Fireplaces
Chimneys • Patios • Sidewalks
Pavers • Retaining Walls
All type of Masonry Work
• Patios
• Walls
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& Pavers
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All Masonry Repairs
Satisfaction Guaranteed ~Free Estimates ~ Lic#0637095
Andi’s Masonry
Buki -
MASONRY
KC MASONRY
LANDSCAPING
• Pool Patios
• Poolscapes
• Lawn Installation
• Tree & Shrub
HYDROSEEDING
Planting
EROSION CONTROL
• Pruning
Based In & Serving The Farmington Valley • Walkways
For Over 18 Years
& Patios
Fully Licensed & Insured
• Walls & Steps
• Yard Drains
• Excavating
• Grading
cell: 860-250-2908
• Snowplowing
• Bucket Loading
For single truck load up to 1 Ton
Spring Cleanups • Mulching • Mulch Deliveries
FREE ESTIMATES
LANDSCAPE
CONTRACTORS
$149
PINNACLE
MAINTENANCE,
LLC.
High in Quality and Dependability
CT #0628836
Email: [email protected]
CT License #HIC0616677
Serving the Farmington Valley
for over 17 years!
FREE ESTIMATES
860-417-9968
MASONRY
ALEX EUROPEAN MASON
Over 30 years experience
Retaining Walls, Chimney Repair,
Steps, All Masonry Services
CT Lic# 602717
PAINTING
HIC#0629057
Pro Quality
Painting & Home
Repair, LLC
860-201-7788
www.pqpainting4u.com
Free Estimates • Fully Insured
203-232-0257 Lic. #0580443
860-810-4196
• High Quality interior/exterior painting
• Remodeling • Interior/exterior restorations
• All home repair • Fully licensed and insured
The best decision you’ll ever make
860-368-9486
PAINTING
ZB PAINTING
Interior & Exterior
Aluminum, Vinyl & Wood
Siding & Shingles
• Good painting preparation
• Trim, Window Painting & Glazing
• Shingle Repair • Power Washing
INTERIOR WORK: repair ceilings, walls, trim,
moldings, baseboards, doors, windows
EXTERIOR WORK: Small Masonry Repair
Free estimates. You can count on us for a precise & excellent job!
20 year experience. HIC #0575928
Call: Zenon 860-518-0630
Bodgan 860-518-2625
Home Improvement
$29-1 week
BUSINESS & SERVICE DIRECTORY
$150- 6 weeks $300-13 weeks Add WEST HARTFORD Press for 1/2 Price!
PAINTING
WALLPAPERING
& PAINTING
Hanging • Removal
Interior Painting
Wall Prep • Skim Coating
Guaranteed Quality
PAINTING
PAINTING
DON’T RELY ON AN INTERNET SERVICE TO FIND YOU A
PAINTER WHEN YOU CAN HIRE A LOCAL PROFESSIONAL
Let
Speedy Pride Painting
beautify the inside of your home.
Scheduling interiors as well as exteriors.
If you sign within the next 2 months, receive $25 gift card to Starbuck’s
860-459-6705
28 years experience. Free Estimates. Insured.
[email protected]
lic. #0623272
We also offer general handyman/repair services.
860-890-6704
Our success is based on your satisfaction. Since 1986.
PAINTING
PAINTING
PAINTING &
CEILING REPAIR
Small renovations,
home repair, carpentry
& painting.
Complete prep.
T.C. Home Improvement
Cell 860-916-6287
Free
Estimates Home 860-523-4151
POWER WASHING
POWER WASHING
RAINBOW
HYDRA-BLAST
WHY JUST POWERWASH
Specializing in high pressure
house detailing since 1988.
Fully Insured/Free Estimates
860-649-4953
860-402-7672
ROOFING
ROB’S
GUTTER CLEANING
POWER WASHING
ROOF CLEANING
860-982-3300
RobPolo.com
ROOFING
ROOFING • SIDING
STUMPS?
G OT
• WINDOWS • & more...
Call
HARMONY
Call now.
VALLEY STUMP
Roofing
& Siding
GRINDING, LLC
Sale!
860-614-1173
Fully Insured
FREE Estimates
Lic. #604200
Lic. #0639246
TREES
INTERIOR SPECIALS FOR
THE NEXT TWO MONTHS
2 rooms plus a 1/2 bath
$
includes materials
Any 3 rooms plus a 1/2 bath
$
includes materials
785
978.67
Refer a friend, you both receive 10% OFF
PAINTING
PAINTING Walter’s Pest Control
PROFESSIONAL HOME
IMPROVEMENT-REMODELING
ZIBBY DRZAZGOWSKI
(860) 675-4025
KITCHENS - BATHROOMS - WALLPAPER
TILES- BASEMENTS - ATTICS
ALUMINUM SIDING
WINDOW WASHING
I’ll take care of any pest...
four legs or more!
License # B-3000
PLUMBING
ROOFING
ANDY WOTTON
PLUMBING &
HEATING, LLC
(860) 833-8153
Old fashion, honest, reliable
service at a reasonable price.
All residential plumbing, repairs
done from leaky faucets to
snaking your main drain.
Lic #:HIC0607969
Call today and we will
show you quality still
makes a difference!
STUMP GRINDING
STUMPS?
G OT
Call
VALLEY STUMP
GRINDING, LLC
860-614-1173
Lic. #0639246
SIDING
VINYL SIDING SUMMER SPECIAL
SAVE 35% OFF NOW
Free estimates. Absolute lowest prices possible!
Deal direct with owner.
Ct Lic. #547581. Fully licensed & Insured.
Hann’s On Home Improvement
860-563-2001
WINDOW WASHING
Grimshaw Tree Service
and Nursery Company
68
19
rv
10 OFF
WITH THIS AD
WaltersPestLLC.com
CONN. LICENSE NO. 536406 COMPLETE INSURANCE
Commercial & Residential
TREE CARE OR TREE REMOVAL
Se
$
(860) 689-6867
[email protected]
WE CLEAN WINDOWS!
grimshawtreeco.com
• General Pests
• Termites
• Mice
RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL
DAY, EVENING OR WEEKEND SERVICE
Farmington
When It Comes To Tree Service
We Run Rings Around The Competition.
Call 860-658-4420 for a
SMARTWOOD
free estimate or for more
AVAILABLE
C
l
o
a
n
r
t
necti
information
Cen
cut
r th
o
sin
on how we can
ce
gN
in
help your trees.
PESTS
REPAIRS/GARAGES
Home Improvement (860) 645-8899
Creating HARMONY
between customer,
contractor & community
PAINTING
WINDOWS
(SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO)
• Free estimates • Fully Insured & Bonded • Uniformed • Reliable
“Residential”
WINDOWS & DOORS
*Sales * Service * Installation*
A BETTER VIEW
WINDOW CLEANING, PLUS
(203) 284-8836
860-249-1558
www.fishwindowcleaning.com/3053
860-747-8875
thewindowmanofct.com * [email protected]
*Bill Morrell Contractor * Ct Lic.#0509785 * Insured*
August 20, 2015
The
Valley Press
31
Let Us
RENEW
YOUR DRIVEWAY
Our Saw, Cut & Patch Service offers nearly
permanent repairs to heavily damaged areas.
We specialize in:
• Seal Coating
• Asphalt Cut & Patch
• Hot Crack Filling
• Line Stripping
RENEWLLC
ASPHALT MAINTENANCE
Owner
operated
family business
with owner
on every
job site.
860-953-6519
HAVE YOUR
DRIVEWAY
SCHEDULED
WHILE YOU’RE
ON VACATION
VISIT WWW.RENEW-ASPHALT.COM
FOR A FREE EVALUATION OF YOUR DRIVEWAY
LIC. #575422 • FREE ESTIMATES • FULLY INSURED • SERVING THE HARTORD AREA FOR OVER 18 YEARS
32
The
Valley Press
August 20, 2015