TownCrier

NEWINGTON

Volume 52, No. 19Free

Friday, May 27, 2011

Alex Syphers

Haiyan Grzelak prepares organic Chinese green tea by pouring warm water directly on loose tea leaves. The warm water “awakens” the leaves, releas-ing their full flavor. The tea will then be strained into a serving pot. See story, photos, Page 6

By Alex SyPherSStAff Writer

The Newington Relay for Life was held last weekend as residents from the community and the sur-rounding areas joined together to raise funds for cancer research and awareness, perhaps more impor-tantly, to remember those who have passed away and the survivors there that day.

More than 510 participants came to the Newington Relay for Life this year, organized into 40 teams or walking on their own, around a track marked around Mill Pond Park.

Through the collaboration of strangers, bonded by a common struggle, the Newington Relay for Life was able to raise over $63,300 for the American Cancer Society and its ongoing research in the pursuit of the cure.

This year the Relay was directed by Amy Lungu. Lungu, a partici-pant of Relays in the past decided to step up and direct the relay this year, something, she said, she was proud to do.

“It’s a wonderful experience. I have met so many people. I have had so many people share their stories with me. It’s an honor to have these people be able to talk to you,” said Lungu. “These stories are personal. Everybody’s story is personal to them, and to have them open their hearts, so you can hear their stories and struggles, it means a lot.”

Lungu recently lost a neighbor and close friend, Mary Pollock, to cancer.

This year the Relay for Life focused ofnthe celebration of birthdays. Each new birthday to a cancer survivor is a victory, said

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Local News NEWINGTON TOWN CRIER2 | Friday, May 27, 2011

Suspect pleads not guilty in stabbing of Newington manBy LIsa BaCkusStaff Writer

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — One of two people wanted in connection with the fatal stabbing of a father of four from Newington, Conn., in Springfield has pleaded not guilty.

Noemy Ramos was ordered held on $150,000 bail at her arraignment Tuesday on a charge of being an accessory after the fact of murder.

Police say the 33-year-old Ramos

surrendered to authori-ties with her lawyer in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant Monday. Police are still search-ing for 37-year-old Luis Manuel Cintron, who they say did the stabbing.

Carlos E. Beslanga, 32, of Homecrest Street in Newington was fatally stabbed in front of his mother, his wife and

three of their children Saturday after he went between two buildings on Cumberland Street in Springfield, Mass., to urinate, police said.

Luis Cintron, 37, of 66 Cumberland St., Springfield, Mass., was offended and allegedly stabbed Beslanga in the

chest with a large knife after the two argued around 4:30 p.m., police

said.Another man, who was not iden-

tified by police, also was stabbed by Citron during the incident, police said. Cintron then handed the weapon to his girlfriend, Noemy Ramos, 33, also of 66 Cumberland St., Springfield, Mass., who dropped the knife in a sewer, police said. The weapon was later recovered by police.

Beslanga’s mother tried to stop Cintron as he was fleeing in a 2006

white Honda with the Massachusetts license plate 187-HH7, but he man-aged to escape with Ramos.

Police are seeking the public’s help in finding Cintron, who like Ramos, has an extensive arrest record. Cintron should be consid-ered armed and dangerous, police said. Anyone with information is asked to call the Springfield Police Detective Bureau at (413) 787-6355.

The AP contributed to this story.

Luis Manuel Cintron

By aLEx syphERsStaff Writer

The Newington Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve the plans for the revitaliza-tion of Market Square, allowing the project to go out to bid.

The Downtown Revitalization Committee has been review-ing plans for the revitalization of Newington’s Market Square for over a year. The project will tie together the improvements made to Main Street and the recent recon-struction of the Constitution Square parking area.

“It really is a nice street, it just needs a little face lift,” said Deputy Mayor Scott McBride. “We didn’t want to reinvent the wheel per say. We wanted to make a little more business friendly and a lot more pedestrian friendly.”

McBride also serves as the Chairman of the Downtown Revitalization Committee.

Renovations to the street-scape will include the expansion of the sidewalk from its current width of 5 feet to 8 feet in width. The side-walks will be laid with rust colored concrete pavers to match those on Main Street.

The expansion of the sidewalks will reduce the street width from 50 feet to 44 feet. This reduction combined with the 8 foot wide parallel parking stalls that will line the street reduces the overall width traffic lane to 26 feet or 13 feet both ways. There will be an estimated 65 marked parallel parking stalls along each side of the street.

According to Milone & MacBroom, the project consult-ing company out of Cheshire, the reduction in travel lanes will have the positive effect of reducing vehi-cle travel speeds down the street, which meets the Revitalization Committees goal of making the street more pedestrian friend-ly. Three pedestrian walkways

constructed from brick pavers will also be added to the street to replace the current painted crossings.

“It’s a very important project in terms of the pedestrian com-ponent of Market Square,” said Gary Fontanella, the Milone & MacBroom project manager.

Milone & MacBroom estimate the construction cost of the project will be $1.19 million; this includes a 10 percent contingency cost, for unforeseen expenditures.

“I think we have value engineered this project to death. Every penny we could squeeze out of this I think we did,” said Mayor Mike Lenares. Mayor Lenares served on the Down Town Revitalization Committee before he became mayor in March.

The project committee currently has $ 1.2 million allocated for the project. This includes $550,000 received from the state grants. The remaining $650,000 was allo-cated through the town’s Capital Improvement Projects fund.

In addition sidewalk improve-ments additional light posts will be added to the street. The light posts will replicate the antique style found on Main Street, but will also include power outlets for vendors who par-ticipate in the many festivals which take place along the road.

Trash receptacles and benches have also been included in the design, along with bike racks and banner posts. The banner posts will be used to hoist festival or event banners across the width street.

Market Square will be open to vehicle and pedestrian traf-fic throughout construction said Fontanella, due to the fact that there will be no construction done to the street, other than the decrease in width and the installation of pedes-trian walkways.

Sidewalk construction may interfere briefly with local business operations, as pavers are replaced in the front of businesses.

The Downtown Revitalization

Committee has welcomed public participation throughout the plan-ning of Market Square and has had large public turnouts in past meetings where business owners expressed their opinions and con-cerns about the redevelopment.

“We really wanted to do this project out in the open with as much public participation as we could,” said Deputy Mayor Scott McBride.

McBride stated that he hopes since the construction coincides with a seasonal lull in retail sales, which usual occurs in August, the project will not have a large impact on the businesses who call the street home.

According to Fontanella, Milone & MacBroom hopes to have accepted a contractor bid by the end of June. Construction is expected begin around July 18 of this summer with construction completion marked for the middle of November.

Market Square revitalization set to move forward, find bids

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Local NewsNEWINGTON TOWN CRIER Friday, May 27, 2011 | 3

What a treasure! Opal is a gentle and affection-

ate 15-year-young cat looking for a spot in the sun. She won’t seek out your attention, but this champion head-butter loves to be pet. Opal enjoys the company of adults, older children, calm dogs and cats. She doesn’t look or act like a senior. Poor Opal is trying to figure out how she landed at the shelter and seems a little depressed. Do you have a warm spot where Opal can enjoy her golden years? Visit with Opal at the Connecticut Humane Society in Newington.

Remember, the Connecticut Humane Society has no time limits.

Inquiries for adoption should be made at the Connecticut Humane Society located at 701 Russell Road in Newington or

by calling (860) 594-4500 or toll free at 1-800-452-0114.

The Connecticut Humane Society is a private organiza-tion with branch shelters in Waterford and Westport. The Connecticut Humane Society operates a cat adoption center in the PetSMART store in New London. It is not affiliated with any other shelters or agencies.

Rob Heyl

Sen. Richard Blumenthal greets the members of the Leathernecks Motorcycle Club who rode Sunday

to raise money for the Iwo Jima Survivors’ scholarship fund.

Rob Heyl

Prior to the Iwo Jima Ceremony Daniel Kelly was sworn in and commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Marines Corps. Above, Debbie and Stephen Kelly pin the Lieutenant’s bar on Dan-iel. The family is from Naugatuck. A recent graduate of UConn, Daniel is leaving soon for training at Quantico, Va. The Marine Corps often uses the Iwo Jima monument as an icon for of-ficial ceremonies.

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Kurt Rynn, 18, of 228 Nicholson St., Newington, was charged May 16 with possession of less than 4 ounces of marijuana and sale of marijuana.

Szymon Dola, 23, of 24 Woodbury Circle, Middletown, was charged May 17 with failure to appear in the second degree.

Leonard Frank, 29, of 116 Robbins Road, Kensington, was charged May 19 with larceny in the fifth degree and conspiracy to commit larceny in the fifth degree.

Nicholas Micale Jr., 49, of 50 Perry Road, Bristol, was charged May 19 with larceny in the sixth degree and posses-sion of narcotics.

Dale Frink, 52, of 253 Maple Hill Ave., Newington, was charged May 19 with violation of probation.

Lloyd Bacote, 44, of 18 Kinnear Ave., Newington, was charged May 20 with criminal mischief in the third degree.

Norberto Colon, 31, of 214 South St., Hartford, was charged May 20 with larceny in the sixth degree by posses-sion, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, driving without insurance, and failure to appear in the second degree.

Monica McCarthy, 80, of 32 Churchill Way, Newington, was charged May 20 with driving under the influence, driv-ing without insurance and following too closely.

Pablo Antonetty, 39, of 482 East St., New Britain, was charged May 21 with violation of probation.

Christine Rodriguez, 40, of 72 Elton Drive, Newington, was charged May 21 with disorderly conduct.

Juan Rodriguez, 40, of 72 Elton Drive, Newington, was charged May 21 with disorderly conduct.

Alfonso Adorno, 25, of 137 Evergreen Ave., Hartford, was charged May 21 with disorderly conduct and robbery in the third degree.

Reynaldo Mercado, 27, of 26 Congress St., Hartford, was charged May 22 with larceny in the sixth degree.

Christopher Cappelletti, 32, of 251 Faith Court, Newington, was charged May 23 with assault in the third degree and disorderly conduct.

Gregory Griffin, 28, of 111 Olney Road, Wethersfield, was charged May 23 with larceny in the sixth degree.

FYI NEWINGTON TOWN CRIER4 | Friday, May 27, 2011

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Attention Newington residents!At the Newington Town Crier, we strive to keep this publica-

tion community-focused. If you have ideas for stories you’d like to see us cover, please email newingtontowncrier@centralctcom-munications.com or call (860) 225-4601 ext.222.

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Police blotters in the Newington Town Crier are released by the respec-tive police departments and are a matter of public record. If you have a concern about the validity of your name or someone else’s appearing in the police column, please address your local police department. The Newington Town Crier is not the source of this information.

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The Wethersfield Post and Newington Town Crier newspapers are each seeking an intern for the summer. Our office is located at The New Britain Herald, 1 Court St., New Britain.

Ideally, interested students will have some tie to or interest in Wethersfield, Newington or Rocky Hill, but this is not a requirement.

The internship will run through the end of the school summer break. If need be, this can be extended to accommodate fall semester intern-ship requirements for your classes. Reviews will be given on all work

done and sign-offs will be provided on timesheets as needed.

These positions ESPECIALLY apply to creative writing, journalism, social/new media, graphic design and photography. We will also consider students with experience working for school newspapers /yearbooks /literary magazines, etc.

The time requirements will vary each week, but will usually take about 10 hours of your time. You will learn about newspaper editing and lay-out, writing (if that’s your interest), photography, community outreach and customer service. This is not a “run-and-get-coffee position.” You will be actively involved in putting together weekly newspapers.

Please note that this is an UNPAID internship. While this may dissuade some, it’s important to know how crucial an internship can be to your curriculum as well as your

future job search. The experience of working in a fully-functioning newsroom is not something that you can put a price on in an econo-my where jobs are hard to come by.

A day trip to our printer in Northampton, Mass. will be arranged so the full process of exe-cuting a weekly newspaper can be seen.

Please, only those serious and dedicated students need apply. While the job is fun and interesting, it can also be demanding. Any previ-ous experience is a plus. Please email your resume and a letter explaining why this internship would benefit your future to: sjohnson@centralct-communications.com

You can call (860) 225-4601 ext. 222 (Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or Friday through-Sunday, 3 to 11 p.m.) for more information.

Calling those interested in internships!Newspaper internship June 2011 – Fall 2011 semester

NEWINGTON TOWN CRIER Friday, May 27, 2011 | 5

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Local News NEWINGTON TOWN CRIER6 | Friday, May 27, 2011

By ALEX SYPHERSSTAFF WRITER

Since its first documented use over 5,000 years ago, the delicate tea leaf has remained an essential block of Chinese culture. It has survived through dynasties, war, and reformation, to now find itself as one of the most commonly consumed beverages throughout the world.

In an effort to keep the ancient Chinese art of brewing tea alive, Newington resident Haiyan Grzelak has enveloped herself in

the practice of brewing tea and now offers this knowledge to the community.

Grzelak was born and raised in Beijing, China, where she worked as an international mar-keting consultant. Now, eight years after moving to the United States, Grzelak finds herself half way across the globe in a quiet Newington suburb.

The distance from her home-land has not diminished Grzelak’s passion for her culture. Just over a year ago she returned to China to study to become a master of tea. Upon her returning, she opened a small business, Lotus Leaf Tea, and began to sell 100 percent organic whole leaf tea from her home. The tea is specially import-ed from the Fujian province in China.

The tea Grzelak imports from China is classified as Level 1, the highest grade tea available, mean-ing an increase in flavor as well as the potency for potential health benefits. Most teas found in the U.S., she said, are not even classi-fied because they are the remnants of other teas, which have been ground up and mixed together.

While she does sell her tea for a profit, Grzelak says her main purpose is to expose the American culture to the healing wonders of tea; to bring happiness to, and

peace to, her American counter-parts, she said.

“It’s important to deliver that feeling and energy to other peo-ple,” she says. “It is my mission — my destiny — to deliver posi-tive energy to other people.”

Through brewing tea Grzelak says one can reach a state of harmony, in which both the body and mind are healed. Brewing tea, she says, is related to Buddhism in that through tea, one can find peace, purity, truthfulness, and joy. This is an important aspect in the Chinese tea culture, she says. Brewing tea is a “moving medi-tation.” Watching the tea leaves dance through the warm water and “awaken” delivers her to a state of enlightenment.

“By drinking tea and experienc-ing the peace, you heal your own mind, it is kind of a self-healing,” explained Grzelak. “You heal your mind, your body, and your soul. Once you have reached that level, you have reached the Buddhist level; it’s called enlightenment.”

During a demonstration last week, Grzelak displayed how a traditional Chinese tea ceremony is performed. While never fully lost, the tradition of enjoying tea through a meditative ceremony has seen a resurgence in main-land China in recent years, said Grzelak. It is seen as a peaceful

and relaxing way to enjoy the company of friends and family.

Upon sitting, the table guests are immediately welcomed and shown the tools which will be used to brew the tea, including the types of teapots, teacups, and brewing utensils. As Grzelak continues her explanation, a pot of water begins to a simmer at 175 degrees, just warm enough to extract the flavor of the tea, but not hot enough to scold the tea leaves and make them bitter.

While to process of brewing tea may seem routine, it is an appreciation of the intricacies of the brewing process which distin-guish the Chinese tea ceremony. After pouring the warm water into a glass containing loose leaf green tea leaves, Grzelak gently agitates the water by rotating it in a circular motion. Inside tea leaves dance through the warm water in what Grzelak calls the waking process.

“Looking at the dry tea leaf, people think they have no life, but add water and they bloom into life,” said Grzelak. “Tea leaves are very gentle,” she said, “and I like to see the tea leaves danc-ing inside. It is also part of the meditation.”

The art of tea tasting is very similar to that of wine tasting. An appreciation must be held for the smell, the taste and even the warmth of the tea in order to determine the individual flavors that compose the overall taste.

In addition to the meditative properties, enjoying a warm cup

of tea is also healing to the body. Of the six types of organic tea Grzelak offers all have various degrees of benefit to the body.

“When you drink tea you keep your system balanced and you have a happy and healthy life,” said Grzelak.

The spicy, yet, sweet-flavored organic red tea has the potential to prevent cardiovascular disease, says Grzelak, as well as potentially lower the risk of cancer and bal-ance the system.

According to Grzelak the smoky flavored oolong tea will help you lose weight and enhance skin beauty.

The most potentially beneficial of the teas is the spring green tea. Green tea contains the most vitamins within its sweet herbal taste and has an antioxidant index that is 100 times more powerful than Vitamin C. It also has the potential to stop bacteria growth in the gums, reduce the risk of skin cancer and reduce the risk of heart disease.

In addition to organic whole leaf tea, Lotus Leaf Tea offers all the tea pots, cups, and strain-ers needed to brew traditional Chinese whole leaf tea. All flavors are also available in tea satchels, for those looking to brew in a more contemporary fashion.

For more information about Lotus Leaf Tea, the traditional Chinese tea ceremony, and the benefits of drinking tea, visit the Lotus Leaf Tea Website at: www.lotusleaftea.com

Bringing Chinese tea to Newington keeps ancient art alive

Alex Syphers

Tea leaves, arranged in the shape of a flower blossom, bloom in the warm water of the tea pot. This artisian tea arrangment is one of the newest addi-tions to the Lotus Leaf Tea selections.

Alex Syphers

Haiyan Grzelak performs the tradi-tonal Chinese tea ceremony for cus-tomers wishing to experience a taste of Chinese culture.

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NEWINGTON TOWN CRIER Friday, May 27, 2011 | 7

Local News NEWINGTON TOWN CRIER8 | Friday, May 27, 2011

April Adorno, a senior at CCSU was recently inducted May 4 into Kappa Delta Pi, an internation-al honor society in education. By accepting membership into Kappa Delta Pi, April is recognized for her scholarly achievements and dedica-tion to the education profession.

Jessica Lee Bruno of Newington graduated from the University of Connecticut, Storrs, May 7 with a Master of Science in biomedical engineering.

Abigail Benner, Grade 9, received General Honors in the third quar-ter honor roll for Newington High School.

The Annual Awards Ceremony at Saint Joseph College took place on April 27. Family and friends joined together, proudly supporting undergraduate students who were honored for their academic achieve-ments, leadership and service to the community. Christine Tetreault of Newington received the Honors Program Award.

The Alpha Iota Alpha

Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at Tunxis Community College in Farmington announced its most recent membership inductees at an induction ceremony on April 29. Joseph Cuomo of Newington was among the inductees. Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) is recognized by the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges as the official honor fraternity of two-year colleges. To achieve eligibility for PTK, a student must complete at least 12 hours of associate’s degree course work and earn a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher. Throughout their enrollment, they must maintain high academic stand-ing, generally a 3.25 GPA. About 100,000 students are inducted into Phi Theta Kappa each year.

New England Institute of Technology (NEIT) held its 70th Commencement ceremony on May 1 at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, R.I. More than 1,300 students received an Associate in Science or Bachelor of Science degree from approximately 30 technology-based programs. Joshua Rivera and Andrew Urbanski of Newington received A.S. degrees.

Amber Hirsch of Newington received the Liberty Bank Foundation Scholarship from the Middlesex Community College Foundation, Inc. Hirsch received the award during the annual Scholarship Reception at MxCC, when 28 different awards valued at more than $40,000 were given to 77 students total.

Tunxis Community College will hold its 40th Commencement on Wednesday, June 1 at 6:30 p.m. Approximately 409 students are expected to receive associate’s degrees and certificates, represent-ing the largest graduating class in Tunxis history. Salutatorian is Anna Karpiej of Newington, who will receive an associate in science degree in business administration: accounting.

Over 100 Tunxis students received awards and scholarships at the 28th annual “Student Recognition Ceremony,” held on May 6 at Tunxis Community College, Farmington.

Hartford Foundation for Public Giving Scholarships: Punum Tohan-Santos (Newington)

Student American Dental

Hygiene Association (SADHA) Awards: Meagan Montano (Newington)

The following Newington residents received degrees dur-ing Quinnipiac University’s 80th Undergraduate Commencement Exercises May 22. Bliss C. Da Silva, Bachelor of Science in nursing; Tiffany C. Diorio Bachelor of Arts in journalism Alicia K. Henderson, Bachelor of Science in nursing. Randi Alexandra Iaco received a Master of Science degree in public relations during the 2011 Graduate Commencement at Quinnipiac University May 15.

Bogdan S. Kanar of Newington has earned an Associate in Applied Science in Nursing from Excelsior College.

Leah Gallicchio of Newington received a Bachelor of Science degree in applied mathematics from Bryant University, Smithfield, R.I.

Lindsie Simpson of Newington was recognized for participation in campus activities recently at a cer-emony in the Griswold Theatre at American International College, Springfield, Mass. More than 75 students received awards at the Co-Curricular Awards night program, as students, parents, fac-ulty and administrators gathered to honor the student leaders.

Paul Schiller of Newington received the New Era Award at Curry College, Milton, Mass. Each year, the New Era award is present-ed to a graduating senior who, by virtue of his or her academic excel-lence, participation in curricular and co-curricular activities, leadership, accomplishments, and the potential for future achievement is deter-mined to have contributed most to the enrichment of the Class and the College at large.

The following residents gradu-ated from Keene State College: Stephen Gomes with a B.A. and Andrew Reynolds with a B.A.

Christian Philip Waller of Newington was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engi-neering with high distinction at the 143rd Commencement exercises at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) on May 14.

AcAdemic Achievements

On Friday, May 13, Columbian students Miguel Angel Gutierrez and Sebastian Ramirez graduated f rom Hanger Orthopedic Group’s Newington Certificate Program for Prosthetics.

As part of a humanitarian effort by Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. and Hanger Orthopedic Group Inc. to help the people of Colombia, Guierrez and Ramirez completed an inten-sive nine-month course and internship, which prepared them as qualified clinicians trained in patient assessment, prosthetics fitting, and socket/limb fabrication.

Both were scheduled to return home to Colombia May 25 where they will care for amputees at the Central Military Hospital Prosthetics Laboratory.

The Newington training pro-gram Gutierrez and Ramirez participated in is the result of a partnership between hanger

Orthopedic Group Inc. and Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a sub-sidiary of United Technologies Corp, to improve the provi-sion of prosthetic care to amputees in Colombia. Due to decades of conflict, Colombia has experienced a large number of landmine victims, and with more than 7,700 landmire sur-vivors registered since 2002, the need for accessible prosthetic care is high.

The collaboration includes two initiatives — the clini-cal education and training of Colombians interested in becoming prosthetists and tech-nicians, and the implementation of a comprehensive in-coun-try clinic to help alleviate the backlog of amputees needing prosthetic intervention.

For more informa-tion, visit http://bit.ly/HangerSikorskyPartnership. New students from Colombia are expected to begin the same program in August 2011.

Columbian students graduate from prosthetics program

NEWINGTON TOWN CRIER Friday, May 27, 2011 | 9

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Local News NEWINGTON TOWN CRIER10 | Friday, May 27, 2011

Teams decorated their tents, which sprung up around the track, with balloons and birthday-themed streamers. Some entrepreneurial teams sold pieces of cake or cup-cakes to raise additional funds for the Relay.

“We are thankful for the survivors we have and the fight that they fought. They didn’t give up they are our heroes so this is for them it’s all about celebrating their life,” said Lungu.

Rachel Lutzker, of FOX 61news, spoke to the crowd during the opening ceremony thanking the participants for their support. She lost her father to lung cancer in 1990.

The American Cancer Society also recognized the Newington Volunteer Fire Department for their continued commitment to the Relay for Life by hosting meet-ings and helping organize the event and providing emergency services throughout the night.

The Relay for Life kicked off with a lap by the cancer survivors. Dressed in purple, the survivors stretched around half the track. As they reached the last bend they were

met by their families and caregivers who helped support them through turbulent times. The caregivers lit a candle held by the survivors, sym-bolizing the flame of life, and joined their loved ones on another lap around the track.

A heavy rain had drenched the field two hours before the Relay was set to step off. Yet there was nothing that could deter the participants from the track.

Many of the walkers traded sneakers for galoshes, or as many of the children did, decided to go barefoot through the water-soaked field.

The participants walked the track through the night until 10 a.m. Saturday, each team kept one mem-ber on the field at all times.

“The idea is cancer never sleeps,” said Lungu.

As night settled over the field, friends and family gathered among their teams and mingled. Many had fires going to keep the misty chill rising from the soaked field at bay. Laughter and stories could be heard coming from these areas as the Relay participants on deck walked by. Among this camaraderie and fel-lowship, the memories of those who

passed never faded. Their stories and exploits in life were carried on in the age old tradition of the camp fire story.

Lori Ryan of Avon was at one of those camp fires. She lost her moth-er, Jean Peszko, in 2010 to colon cancer. Peszko was a guidance coun-selor at Newington High School. She fought her cancer for more than 10 years. Lori and her brother, Scott Peszko of Wethersfield participate in the Relay For Life each year in memory of their mother.

“My mother was a strong sup-porter herself and of the people around her… ,” said Scott.

“Certain things you just do…,” he continued, “Once you are in you see how many people are affected all around you, and you realize how wide spread it is.”

One sobering reminder of the malicious effects of the cancer was prevalent among many that night. It was the fact that a friend made last year, or over the course of years, was not at the relay this year.

“I have been coming here years and you see the difference in people who aren’t here anymore, young or old, year after year…,” said Ryan. “But it’s great to come, to see the

people.”For many of the supporters the

Relay for lLfe is a way to connect with those they may not see on a regular basis and is a time to show support and have a good laugh. It is a time to celebrate life.

“This event is not meant to be sadness and sorrow,” said Lungu. “It’s about enjoyment and cel-ebrating our lives. Yes, we do take a moment to remember those we have lost and the battles they have fought, but we want to enjoy the fact that we are alive due to the fact that

we have cancer research.”Sandy Perlini of Newington sur-

vived a three-year attack including breast cancer, brain cancer, and lung cancer. Taking a walk around the track with a pink and blue birthday cake top hat complete with felt candles, Perlini held an aura of tran-quility, smiling as she passed friends and family. When asked what the Relay for Life meant to her Perlini responded: “it means I have survived another year and so has everyone else here.”

Relay for Life is not just an event, it’s a celebration of lifeContinued from Page 1

Alex Syphers

Cancer survivor Harvey Desruisseaux, of Hebron, receives the flame of life from his caregivers at the Newington Relay for Life.

By AlEx SyPhERSStAff Writer

The Newington Historical Society held a dedication ceremo-ny at the historic Kelsey House Saturday afternoon, in honor of the late Elizabeth “Betty” Baxter,

a Charter member of the his-torical society and an individual dedicated to the preservation of Newington’s history.

Baxter dedicated her efforts to the preservation of Newington’s history through the years, and is most notably recognized for her organization of the successful effort to save the Kelsey House from demolition in 1979. She also worked as the Town Historian and is the compiler and editor of The Centennial History of

Newington, known as “the Bible of Newington history,” which was published in 1971.

“Mom had this passion for his-tory, and I think it was more than a love for old things, it was alive for her, she felt her roots in colonial America. It was about finding out about the roots of Newington,” said her son the Rev. Ledyard Baxter.

The Newington Historical Society decided to memori-alize Betty’s commitment to

history after her passing in April of 2010.

On Saturday afternoon the society dedicated a stone bench to Elizabeth Baxter. The bench sits in the Kelsey House herb garden. It’s a brown stone bench, which fittingly faces the home Betty Baxter worked so hard to preserve.

There will be a brass plaque, which will also be added to the bench, memorializing Betty’s dedication to the preservation

of Newington town history for future generations.

Sunlight broke through the rain clouds as 30 guests and friends of Betty, including Sen. Paul Doyle and state Rep. Sandy Nafis, gath-ered at the Kelsey House to listen to stories of Betty’s experiences in the preservation of the Kelsey house in 1979.

Charter Member Eileen Cormier recalled the day she and Betty entered the Kelsey House

Historical Society honors Charter member, holds meeting

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for the first time, armed with spray bottles and blunt knives to scrape away the wall paper inside the home’s front parlor.

At the time the state highway department was slated to demolish the Kelsey House for a high-way project. Betty, being the Town Historian, had heard rumors from the previous owners of the Kelsey House that the walls of the home con-tained hand-painted murals including a ship. Betty was interested in finding out for herself what the historical signifi-cance of these paintings could be, so one day in March of 1978, she and Cormier entered the home and started to work.

“We started scraping and, indeed, we were find-ing things on three of the walls,” said Cormier as she spoke to the audience. “Well all of a sudden, we thought, ‘we don’t know what we are doing,’ we were a bunch of amateurs.”

Betty contacted several art restorers and preservation societies in order to better understand what had been found. As it turned out, the Kelsey House is the only histor-ic house in New England to have four hand-painted frescos in one room. The frescos are landscape scenes from around New England. The landscapes are painted within an oval, which have square frames painted around them to simulate a picture frame, complete with hand-painted hooks.

According to Jim Late, presi-dent of the Newington Historical Society, hand-painting walls were seen as an economical way to dec-orate the inside of a home at the time of the Kelsey House’s con-struction in 1799, as wallpaper was manufactured in France and was expensive to ship to the United States.

Betty started a fundraiser in town to save the Kelsey House from demolition. And in 1979 the house was moved from its former location on Kelsey Street to its cur-rent location at 1702 Main St.

“Through Betty’s perseverance

and persistence and efforts money was raised and the house was moved to this location,” continued Cormier. “This is another remark-able tale led by Betty and I really think that without Betty this house would not have been saved.”

Today the Kelsey House stands as a prime example of early American history and, more importantly, as a testament to the history of Newington. Inside, more walls were found which contained fragments of hand painted borders around door frames and ceilings, all of which have been restored.

Today the Newington Historical Society maintains two historical homes in the town of Newington, including the Kelsey House and the Kellogg-Eddy House at 679 Willard Ave., in an effort to per-petuate the history of the town of Newington.

“This house cannot be replaced,” said Town Councilor David Nagel, also a member of the historical society. “The Kellogg-Eddy House cannot be replaced. Many of the artifacts found in both buildings are irreplaceable, because not only are they history, in general, but they are priceless because they are specific to this town; and indeed Betty Baxter was priceless to this town and to this community.”

Local NewsNEWINGTON TOWN CRIER Friday, May 27, 2011 | 11

Elizabeth Baxter did justice to Newington’s historyContinued from Page 10

Elizabeth Baxter’s son the Rev. Ledyard Bax-ter, bottom right, sits on a bench dedicated to his mother Elizabeth Baxter by the Newing-ton Historical Society. Beside him sits society Charter Member Eileen Cormier. Standing are, from left, society President Jim Late, state Rep. Sandy Nafis, Sen. Paul Doyle, and society Director Dorothy Abbott.

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Local News NEWINGTON TOWN CRIER12 | Friday, May 27, 2011

By MIKE BRADLEYNEWINGTON H.S. STUDENT CONTRIBUTOR

“It’s all about that ‘S’ word… that word is survival. You’ll be surprised what you would do to keep that ‘S’ word.” Vietnam War veteran and author of “Vietnam: No Regrets: One Soldier’s “Tour of Duty”” Richard Watkins visited NHS to discuss his involvement in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Students from several history classes, including AP U.S. history and economics, eagerly listened as

Watkins discussed the true nature of war including the real fear and adrenaline a soldier feels while patrolling the narrow brush of Vietnam.

Imagine yourself walking a nar-row, beaten path in South Vietnam, overgrown brush on either side of you, knowing that the enemy at any point could jump out and ambush your entire troop and that you may not make it home. How about deep in an entangled jungle, where the grass is as sharp as razor blades, you can only see as far as the next tree in

front of you, and there’s a man with a rifle who wants to kill you some-where in your general vicinity.

Watkins told the class that the soldiers always had to be on guard. Not only did you have to be aware of other men in uniform, but also of civilians walking around towns. He made note of the local children they had to be wary of. You also never want to be close to a child in town or take any sort of picture with them, Watkins told the class, “You never know if a child walking up to you to say ‘Hi!’ doesn’t have a live grenade dropped in his pants

pocket.”As his presentation to the engaged

classroom continued, Watkins pro-ceeded to tell about his camp life. Shelter consisted of as many boxes and sand bags you found around camp, meals all were often nothing more than canned peaches, and any place you could find to bathe you took it (even if unknown animals could be lurking). He remembers walking into Vietnam weighing 280 pounds, and leaving it weigh-ing 160 pounds.

During his presentation, a dis-play case was present showing all of Watkin’s medals and badges he earned while in combat. He notes his most prized medal is his blue Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) awarded to infantrymen who are involved in close combat. About one in 20 men were awarded this badge in Vietnam. Watkins remembers wanting the badge when he was initially deployed in combat and was truly honored when he was awarded it.

As the U.S. history class has been taught, the United States didn’t gain much of anything after Vietnam was over. When asked if the soldiers knew what they were fighting for, Watkins was very clear and decisive with his answer. He told the story of recently going out to buy a pair of boots and seeing a tag that read, “Made in Vietnam”. “Not one drop of blood was worth it,” he says “not one drop.” Of course being a soldier of this time period, you weren’t wel-comed home either. When asked if he would enlist all over again knowing the final outcome of all of his experiences, Watkins jokes, “I would need to think about it … and a six-pack.”

Watkins not only took physical memories of Vietnam back with him, but he reminisces jumping out of helicopters with a loaded backpack of survival gear. “I miss it. I miss the adrenaline,” he said. When he talks about jumping out of the attack copter, he says, “Boy, at that point you’re going 110 per-cent.” Watkins shared a lesson that he took away from the war: value human life. Never has he, since the day of his departure of the Asian nation, hurt another human emo-tionally or physically.

Visit www.vietnamnoregrets.com to learn more about the author and to purchase his book.

‘No Regrets’: Vietnam veteran visits Newington High School

Richard Watkins shows photos from the war

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OpinionNEWINGTON TOWN CRIER Friday, May 27, 2011 | 13

To the Editor:

The Teacher Appreciation Day breakfast at Anna Reynolds School was a success again this year thanks to all of the local businesses who so generously supported the event!

We had over 50 donations of merchandise and gift cards which were raffled off to our hard working, committed teachers.

The local businesses that donated include: Art of Touch, Brickhouse Bar and Grill, Carmen

Anthony, Carvel, Chef ’s Dog House, Damato Chiropractic Center, Doogies, Flowers Etc., Gabriella’s Hair Studio, GoldBurgers, Jewelry Warehouse, Lake Compounce, Mindy Porell with Tastefully Simple, New Britain Rock Cats, Outback Steakhouse, Panera Bread, PF Changs, Price Chopper, Puerto Vallarta, Red Robin, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Steve’s Place, Stew Leonards, T.G.I. Fridays, The Corner Pug, Trader Joes, Turgeon Jewelers, Venus Nails, Whole Foods, and Wings Over Newington.

We would like to thank these businesses for their gener-osity and for supporting the teachers and their dedication to our children and community.

Cindy Barron, Colleen Corriveau, Michelle Jackson, Michelle Saindon

Teacher Appreciation Committee MembersAnna Reynolds School

A thank you for helping to honor our teachers To the Editor:

The proposed development of approximately 78, two and a half-story townhouses on what’s known as the Marcap Property on Cedar Mountain coupled with 70 — three to four-bedroom homes proposed for what is known as the Balf prop-erty on Cedar Mountain will have a detrimental effect on our community. There are other residential develop-ments already approved that add to these numbers as well, bringing the total above 220.

Our town’s infrastructure has already reached critical mass. Traffic is already an issue, what will the impact be if these developments are approved?

An independent traffic study should be done immediately. The effects on wildlife in the area will be catastrophic, I feel that an environ-mental impact analysis must be done as well.

In the Sunday (5/15) edition of the Hartford Courant iTowns section there was an article titled “Bigger Class Sizes” that mentioned Newington’s budget woes and how the Board of Education is forced to increase class sizes. Our student to

teacher ratios are already high, will this development push them to limits we have never seen before?

Other town services will be stressed as well. I’ve heard argument that these developments will provide much needed tax revenue.

The question remains, will the tax revenue support the cost of expand-ing our towns infrastructure or will our town council be forced to increase taxes? I believe there was an editorial in a recent edition of the Newington Town Crier that was very informa-tive regarding the purchase of the Eddy Farm property in order to protect it from development of 150 homes. It mentioned that fact that a study showed it would cost more in the long run if the development went through as opposed to the town purchasing the property.

I’ve had a chance to review some of the plans submitted by the Toll Brothers and to be honest I do not understand most of what has been submitted.

Our commissioners are mostly residents who volunteer their time to serve our community on various commissions and I thank them for that. Do all of them understand these plans? I honestly hope that

they have a clear understanding of what is being proposed and what the ramifications are.

Our conservation commission is being asked to make a decision on allowing the Toll Brothers to fill in a wetland in order to fit two additional homes on the Balf property.

Due to the sensitivity of this issue as well as the complexity of the sub-mitted plans it is imperative that the Connecticut Environmental Review Team be brought in to review the property being affected as well as performing a careful review of the plans recently submitted.

I for one am opposed to ANY development up on Cedar Mountain. Please let your voices be heard either by presenting arguments to the com-missions or simply by showing up at the meetings.

Together we the residents of Newington can have a positive impact on these sensitive issues if we let our town government know that we are concerned.

Let your voices be heard — SAVE CEDAR MOUNTAIN!

Rick SpringNewington

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Local News NEWINGTON TOWN CRIER14 | Friday, May 27, 2011

The Level 7 Connecticut State USA Gymnastics Championship meet was held April 2 at St. Paul’s High School in Bristol. It was Cassidy Girolamo’s first State Meet at this Level and she was hoping for a top 3 finish in the all around. In what turned out to be a very close meet in the 10 and under age group, Cassidy earned her career high score of 36.575, which gave her the State

All Around Title by .025 points. Cassidy also earned second place on beam (9.25) and Floor (9.225) and she finished fourth on Vault (9.25) and fifth on Bars (8.85). Cassidy was joined on the podium by her teammate and best friend, Hannah Barry (third All Around) and her teammate and friend, Samantha Luke who finished sec-ond All Around in the 12-year-old age division. The Express Level 7

Team placed third in the state.Cassidy has previously earned

the Level 5 All Around State title (7 to 8-year-old age divi-sion), Level 5 Floor State Title (7 to 8 year old age division) and tied for the Level 6 Beam State Title (8-9 year old division). She trains at Gymnastics Express Too in Glastonbury with her coaches Maureen Chagnon and Blane Jefferson.

Flipping out over a big gymnastics win!

GLASTONBURY — Bankers’ Bank Northeast, a correspondent bank serving community banks and credit unions throughout New England and New York State, has promoted Monique Angell of Newington to opera-tions specialist.

Angell has been with the bank since 2003 as an administrative assistant. In her new position as operations specialist, she will be involved with the daily operational activities associated with processing domestic and US and Non-US dollar inter-national wires, as well as the processing of Federal Reserve and STARS settlement transac-tions for clients.

Additionally, she will be one of the point persons handling the exchange for foreign curren-cies, and processing end of day work for the bank’s core system applications.

“The bank has benefited from Monique’s organizational skills and her ability to manage mul-tiple tasks at the same time,”

says Lisa Reynolds, senior vice president/operations manager. “We are confident she will do an equally fine job in her new position.”

Before joining Bankers’ Bank Northeast, Monique has previous-ly worked as a teacher’s assistant at the Central Connecticut Music Academy in Newington.

Monique Angell promoted at Bankers’ Bank Northeast

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NEWINGTON TOWN CRIER Friday, May 27, 2011 | 15

A SPECIAL EVENT FOR OUR LOYAL READERSFOR OUR LOYAL READERSFOR OUR LOYAL READERS

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Local News NEWINGTON TOWN CRIER16 | Friday, May 27, 2011

The May Superintendent’s Outstanding Student Award Ceremony was held May 16. Students in the Newington Public Schools who have served as good examples to other students are selected monthly.

Students of the Month for May are as follows:

High School — Ryan Swenor;

Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Scott Swenor

John Wallace — Brandon Grenier; Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Troy Grenier

Martin Kellogg — Sarah Stepak; Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Jozef Stepak

Anna Reynolds — Samantha Gorski; Parents: Mr. and Mrs.

Josef GorskiElizabeth Green — Jenna

Scanlon; Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Scanlon

John Paterson — Serhiy Demyanov; Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Serhiy Demyanov

Ruth Chaffee — Brianna Kennedy; Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Brian Kennedy

Newington Students of the Month

From left: Standing: Brianna Kennedy, Brandon Grenier, Ryan Swenor, Sarah Stepak.Sitting: Jenna Scanlon, Serhiy Demyanov, Jenna Scanlon.

Agnes Pireh, former Mrs. Connecticut, and Greg Polk, owner of Market Square Studios were two of the judges at the second Art Show sponsored by the studio.

There were two categories of art judging: Painting and Photography. Winners for pho-tography (judged by Pireh) were Deanna Troy Henry, First Place for her photo entitled “Door into Summer” (shown with rib-bon above), and Greg Polk,

Honorable Mention. Winners for painting (judged by John Kelly, Mikki Zabrowski, and Greg Polk) were Pat Tanger, first place; Phyllis Small, second place, and Barbara Blain, third place. All are members of the Newington Art League.

The studio is on Main Street i next to Finn Bques Irish restau-rant, and plans to have art shows throughout the year. The shows will be every three months or so, Thursdays from 5 to 7 p.m.

Art is alive in Newington

Agnes Pireh and Greg Polk

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CommunityNEWINGTON TOWN CRIER Friday, May 27, 2011 | 17

ART EXHIBIT AT LUCY ROBBINS WELLES LIBRARY: Throughout the month of May, Ann J. Jones will ex-hibit her multi-media artwork in the Community Room of the Lucy Rob-bins Welles Library, 95 Cedar St. The exhibit, entitled “Flowering: A Celebra-tion of Nature, Color and Spirit” will be hanging until May 31. The exhibit may be viewed during regular library hours when there is not a scheduled program in the Community Room. Library hours are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, May 15 ONLY, 1 to 5 p.m. In addition, Jones will host an Artist’s Reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 21 at which refreshments will be served. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public and all are welcome to attend.

MEMORIAL DAY PARADE Saturday May 28, 10 a.m. Join the Lucy Robbins Welles Library staff in marching as a group in Newington’s Memorial Day parade! Call the Children’s Depart-ment at (860) 665-8720 for details.

TEEN ANIME CLUB Tuesday, May 31, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. For grades 6 to 12. The Anime Club meets once a month to watch anime and snack on pocky. For more information, email Bailey at bortiz@newingtonct.gov or call 860-665-8700 to register. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

FRIENDS’ ANNUAL MEETING The Friends’ Annual Meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 1 at 7 p.m. in the Community Room. Everyone is invited to attend. Author Jan Mann of Cruis-ing Connecticut with a Picnic Basket will be the evening’s speaker. Her book combines a selection of 42 day trip places to visit, each accompanied by a made-to-order picnic; from hunt-ing spring wildflowers to wine tasting, from hiking and biking on miles of trails to tubing and kayaking on our water-ways, from city walking tour to country drives from old homesteads, to unique museums. Copies of her books will be available for purchase and signing. Desserts and coffee will be served.

FRIENDS OF LUCY ROBBINS WELLES LIBRARY GOLDEN GALA DINNER & SILENT AUCTION It’s a Party! It’s an Auction! Come and cel-ebrate with your Friends! Help the Friends celebrate 50 years of service to the Lucy Robbins Welles Library. Join us on Saturday, June 18 at the Sphinx Shriner Center on Deming Road. The doors open at 6 p.m. A cash bar will be available. The evening begins with hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction, followed by dinner and special guest speaker, former Sports Illustrated col-umnist, Steve Rushin, author of “The Pint Man” and currently writing a new column called “Rushin Lit” for SI.Com. Tickets are $45 per person and are available at the Lucy Robbins Welles Library information desk. Tickets may also be purchased by mail before June 3 using the order form in the Friends’ May newsletter or on the Web site at www.newingtonct.gov/library. Your tick-ets will be mailed upon receipt of pay-ment. For information, call the library at (860) 665-8700.

EVENING BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP Thursday, June 2, 7 p.m. This month’s reading is “Cooking with Fer-net Branca” by James Hamilton-Pater-son. All interested readers are invited to attend.

GET OUTDOORS! Saturday, June 4, 8 a.m. Young Farm town resident and naturalist Roy Zartarian will lead a nature walk at the Young Farm. Reg-ister in person at the Adult Information Desk or call (860) 665-8700. Families are welcome. Children 14 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Rain date is June 5. Co-sponsored by the Newington Department of Human Services.

PROGRAMS FOR JOB SEEKERS Arrive at 6:30 p.m. so you can enjoy some light refreshments and meet with your fellow job seekers. Registra-tion is required. Call the Adult Informa-tion Desk at (860) 665-8700. Spon-sored by the Friends of the Library. The Other Side of the HR Desk: How You Can Stand Out From the Crowd Monday, June 6, 7 p.m. Andrea Eselu-nas, Manager of Talent Acquisition at UnitedHealth Group, will be the speak-er. Discover how to stand out from other applicants by the way you write your resume, look for jobs and utilize social networking sites.

TEEN VOLUNTEER NETWORK Tuesday, June 7, 6:30 p.m. For grades 7 to 12. Interested in volunteering? Attend this program to sign up for up-coming library volunteer opportunities for the summer. Earn community ser-vice hours or just volunteer for the fun of it! For more information email Karen at kbenner@newingtonct.gov or call (860) 665-8700.

THE HEALING POWER OF MEDITA-TION Tuesday, June 7, 7 p.m. Raider will present the latest clinical research on how meditation can improve your physical and mental health. This eve-ning you will have a chance to prac-tice this simple technique that can reduce stress, enhance relaxation and promote inner growth. Register at the Adult Information Desk or call (860) 665-8700. Admission is free.

“THE KING’S SPEECH” Tuesday, June 14, 6:30 p.m. Join us for a screening of this multiple Oscar winner starring Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. The all star cast also includes Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Gambon and Derek Jacobi. Running time is 118 minutes and the film is rated R. We expect this to be very popular so please pick up your FREE ticket at the Adult Informa-tion Desk. Popcorn and lemonade will be served.

SUMMER READING PROGRAMS FOR EVERYONE You are invited to the all-ages kick-off for this year’s summer reading programs on Satur-day, June 18 at 10 a.m. at the Town Hall parking lot. Children, teens and adults will enjoy two hours of fun-filled activities for the whole family. Register for one of the three reading programs the library is offering again this year. In case of rain, the event will be held at the Mortensen Community Center gym.

NOVEL DESTINATIONS Adult read-ers will earn a prize giveaway ticket for each book they read or listen to, which will be entered into weekly drawings for special gift baskets. All tickets col-lected throughout the summer will be entered into the grand prize drawings to be held Aug.19. An adult kick-off will be held on June 16 prior to the all-ages kick-off.

YOU ARE HERE @ YOUR LIBRARY Teens in grades 7 to 12 will earn prizes and prize tickets for every 5 books (up to 15) they read throughout the sum-mer to use in the grand prize drawings at the teen finale on Aug. 26. Teens will earn one extra prize ticket at every program they attend!

ONE WORLD, MANY STORIES! Help us kick off a global summer of read-ing for children! Sign up for this year’s online summer reading program and earn prizes for reading 20 minutes a day.

HANDS-ON COMPUTER CLASSES

Class size is limited to 10 and reser-vations are required. Registration be-gins two weeks before each class is scheduled. Basic keyboarding skills, familiarity with Windows and proficien-cy using a mouse are required for all classes, except the Basic Computer class. Call 860-665-8700 to register. If you register for a class and do not attend or fail to give 24 hours notice,

you must wait 60 days before you may register for another class. All classes are two hours. All Excel, PowerPoint and Word programs are the Microsoft Office 2003 version. Sponsored by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and the Friends of the Library.

Basic Computers Thursday, June 2, 10a.m. This class is for those with little or no experience using a computer. Learn the basics of computer terminol-ogy, how to maneuver in Windows and use a mouse.

Basic Word Wednesday, June 8, 6:30 p.m. Topics include creating and open-ing documents, basic formatting of text, printing and saving documents.

Picasa Thursdays, June 9 and June 23, 10 a.m. Get acquainted with Pi-casa, a free and easy to use photo editing software from Google. Learn how to manage photos, improve and retouch photos, use facial recognition to locate photos, create collages and more. This is a two-part class.

Basic LinkedIn Monday, June 13, 6:30 p.m. Learn how to establish a user profile, improve your visibility with key words and best practices for inviting and contacting other users and more.

Intermediate Word Wednesday, June 22, 6:30 p.m. Topics include page setup, margins, advanced formatting, table and column creation, as well as managing tabs and indents. Experi-

ence with Word is required.

FAMILY STORYTIME Thursdays, June 2,9,16,23 and 30 at 6:30 p.m. Join us for stories and songs for the whole family. No registration necessary.

HOOKED ON LLAMAS Saturday, June 4 at 10:30 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. Come hear a story and learn all about llamas. Then we’ll be introduced to a live llama! Remember to bring your cameras. Call the Children’s Depart-ment at 860-665-8720 to register for the 10:30 or 11:30 program.

READ, RATTLE AND ROLL! (NOTE NEW TIME) Tuesday, June 7 at noon.Welcome to a music and movement program for 3 and 4 year-olds featur-ing books that “sing” and lots of music! Call the Children’s Department at 665-8720 to register.

BALLOON TWISTING WORKSHOP Saturday, June 11 at 10:30 a.m.. In a one hour class you’ll learn how to safely prepare and twist balloons into little animals. Call the Children’s De-partment at 860-665-8720 to register children ages 7 and up.

THE AMAZING MAGIC SHOW Sat-urday, June 11 at 1 p.m. Christina the Magician will amaze and delight us with her sleight of hand and incredible tricks! Call the Children’s Department at (860) 665-8720 to register children ages 5 and up.

at the library

Presenting Sponsors

Ride or Walk with Coach Calhoun on June 11th in Simsbury andhelp in the fight against cancer!

Register or donate today atwww.calhounridewalk.com

Gold, Orluk and Partners, LLC are paid solicitors who assist The UConn Foundation, Inc. in the creation, management and fundraising around this event.

This cycling and walking event will benefit The Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center at the UConn Health Center and Coaches vs. Cancer. There will be rides of 10, 25, 50, 75 miles and a 5K walk/run.

Local News NEWINGTON TOWN CRIER18 | Friday, May 27, 2011

The Central Connecticut Health District (CCHD) has announced June 2011 as its 15-year anniversary as a Health District. CCHD began in 1996 when Rocky Hill and Wethersfield came together to form the Rocky Hill/Wethersfield Health District. In 1998, Berlin joined and the name was changed to the Central Connecticut Health District.

The town of Newington joined in 2006. Serving a popula-tion of over 94,000, the District employs eight full-time and four part-time staff members including: a director of health; four registered sanitarians; a chief of environmental health services; a community health coordinator; a health educator; two administrative assistants; an emergency preparedness coor-dinator; and a board secretary. The Central Connecticut Health District strives to provide the best local public health services within its four communities.

Sanitarians routinely inspect food service establishments, motels, septic systems, public swimming pools, daycares, salons and private wells. They investigate complaints and reported cases of childhood lead poisoning.

The District plans and imple-ments a variety of programs including annual influenza and pneumonia immunization clinics, Smiles for Life Senior Dental Program, Blood Glucose Screenings, Diabetes: Taking Charge classes, along with others.

One of the District’s current

projects is the Putting on Airs Program, which is a three-year program from the Connecticut Department of Public Health to target the reduction of environ-mental asthma triggers in the home. This service is provided free of charge to residents in the 18 participating towns who suf-fer from asthma and/or have a child who suffers from asthma. Another current project is the Woman to Woman Program. This is a one year project funded by a grant from the CT Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure to provide free mammograms to women who meet eligibility requirements.

The Health District is partner-ing with the Hospital of Central Connecticut to provide mammo-grams for those women identified as uninsured, underinsured or who have not received a mam-mogram in the past two years.

The Central Connecticut Health District would like to thank the elected officials and town managers in its four towns for their continued support.

We would also like to thank our many volunteers for their help in making our programs successful.

And finally, we would like to thank our program participants and customers for their partici-pation. We look forward to the future and the projects forthcom-ing. For more information, visit the Web site, www.ccthd.org or contact our Central office at (860) 721-2822.

CCHD celebrates 15th anniversary in June

7AM Network Every Wednesday Morning 7 a.m. Chamber Office, 1046 Main St., Newington

Thursday, May 19 — 8 a.m. Women’s Networking Group Chamber Office, 1046 Main St. Speaker: CSO Jamie Cipolla of Newington Police Department

Thursday, May 19 — 6:30 p.m. 66th Annual Meeting and Awards Presentation Hartford Saengerbund, 719 N. Mountain Road, Newington

Monday, May 23 — 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. In The Mix Networking Group Balboni Custom Jewel-ers, 154 Market Square, New-ington

Monday, April 25 — 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. In The Mix Networking Group Balboni Custom Jewel-ers, 154 Market Square, New-ington

June 9 — 5th Annual Cruising Newington Classic Car Show Market Square, Newington

Thursday, June 1 — 8 a.m. Women’s Networking Group Chamber Office, 1046 Main St., Newington Speaker: Jackie Goodwin of TWIC Boutique

Thursday, June 23 — 5 to 7 p.m. Drinks on the Deck - Cedar Mountain Commons, 3 John H. Stewart Drive, Newington

Saturday, Sept. 24 — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. WaterFall Festival — Market Square, Newington

Newington Chamber upcoming eventsCentro Properties Group

(ASX:CNP) announced a 1,542 square foot lease has been executed with Yogurt Madness at Turnpike Plaza, located west of Interstate 91, on Berlin Turnpike south of Main Street in Newington. Centro Properties Group is the owner of Turnpike Plaza and was represented by Charles Davis with Centro Properties Group.

For leasing information at Turnpike Plaza, contact Centro Properties Group, Charles Davis

(203) 256-1901 or charles.davis@centroprop.com.

Centro Properties Group is the third largest owner of commu-nity and neighborhood shopping centers in the United States. Its portfolio of 588 properties is stra-tegically located across 39 states and aggregates approximately 96 million square feet of gross leas-able area.

For more information on Centro Properties Group in the U.S., visit www.centroprop.com.

Centro Properties Group announces lease execution with Yogurt Madness

A new regional daycare center for older adults opened May 23, offer-ing a safe and comfortable haven for seniors, including people with medical conditions that may pose challenges for their caregivers at home.

The Center celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon cutting and open house May 19. Caregivers were encouraged to stop by to find out more about the facility and ser-vices. Family Adult Daycare Center is located at 445A Willard Ave. in Newington, in the Fountain Pointe Professional Park, just north of the VA hospital.

The Center is the vision of a West Hartford nurse and her husband, a local physician. Dale Hume-Rimai, RN, RDH. is the Center’s director. She has served as a registered dental hygienist at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center for many years. She has also served as a registered nurse at various long-term care facilities.

She is married to internal medi-cine specialist Mervyn Rimai, M.D., who maintains a private practice in Bloomfield. They first envisioned the Center five years ago and have been developing the concept since then.

“Our vision was to create a safe, home-like and socially-engaging environment for older adults who need a little support during the day,” explains Hume-Rimai. “With more seniors continuing to live at home or with relatives, families often need some assistance to make this a happy and enriching time for everyone.”

The Center’s medically trained staff allows them to welcome peo-ple living with stroke, Parkinson’s, memory loss, special diets, feed-ing tubes, wheelchairs and other physical challenges. They offer daily bathing services for those who have difficulty bathing at home.

The Center provides a range of activities and offering for all interests,

and meals planned by a registered dietician to meet the nutritional needs of each individual. Seniors can attend the Center anywhere from one to six days a week depend-ing on their needs and budget. It is open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. They also offer extended hours from 7 to 8 a.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. to accommodate caregiv-ers’ works schedules.

For those who need transportation, the Center’s handicapped accessible vans travel to 13 towns, includ-ing Avon, Bloomfield, Cromwell, East Hartford, Farmington, Glastonbury, Newington, Plainville, South Windsor, West Hartford and Wethersfield. Transportation is also provided to scheduled medical appointments for those spending the day at the Center.

For more information, call Dale Hume-Rimai, RN, RDH., at (860) 436-2013 or visit www.ctfamilycare.net.

New family adult day care center gives caregivers peace of mind

On May 17, Dr. Matthew Warshauer, who currently serves as the co-chair of the CT Civil War Commemoration Commission delivered an informative and entertaining lecture at Bel-Air on the significance of Civil War monuments in Connecticut.

He described in great detail the role of Connecticut in the Civil War and the memorials dedicated to Connecticut veterans in its aftermath. He implored the 40 people in attendance to pay closer attention to the monuments they see everyday in passing and to take the time to read the inscriptions located on them to discover their true meaning. Civil War period refreshments were served and Warshauer personally signed copies of his new book, “Ct In The American Civil War.

Dr. Matthew Warshauer

Bel-Air seniors keep things civil

CommunityNEWINGTON TOWN CRIER Friday, May 27, 2011 | 19

HOLIDAY CLOSINGS: Newington Town Hall, Lucy Robbins Welles Li-brary and other municipal facilities will be closed Monday, May 30, in ob-servance of Memorial Day. Curbside refuse and recyclables collections scheduled for the week of May 30 will be made one day later than the regu-larly scheduled day. The town’s land-fill/recycling area is open Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

CONGRESSMAN JOHN LARSON TO SPEAK TO SENIORS: Congressman John Larson (CT-01) will hold a town hall meeting this Friday at the New-ington Senior and Disabled Center to discuss how the Republican Budget will affect senior citizens throughout the state and country. Under the Re-publican Budget, which was passed over unanimous Democratic opposi-tion last month, Medicare and Medic-aid would see major changes. Among those changes is an end to Medicare as it currently exists, which will result in seniors paying over $6,000 more in out-of-pocket medical expenses per year. At the same time the GOP budget provides billionaires and cor-porations with even larger tax breaks at the expense of key programs that assist working families.

MILITARY FAMILIES RECEIVE DIS-COUNT DURING MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND AT LAKE COMPOUNCE: Lake Compounce proudly offers military members and their families showing valid ID 50 percent off regu-lar admission May 28, 29 and 30, in honor of the Memorial Day holiday. Any member who shows proof of be-ing in a military family is eligible, and all tickets must be purchased at the gate.“We at Lake Compounce deeply appreciate what those in the military, both retired and current members, as well as their families do and sacri-fice for our country,” said Jerry Brick, the park’s general manager. “And we would like to express our grati-tude by honoring them on Memorial Day weekend.” Regular admission is $35.99, and discounted tickets will be $17.99 each. The park will be open May 28 and 29 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and May 30 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

KARAOKE NIGHT: The Newington Knights of Columbus, Council 3884 will hold a Karaoke Night Friday, June 3, from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. at their council home, 171 Pascone Place (Entrance in Rear). There is no admis-sion charge, open to everyone and new singers are welcome. Bring your own snacks or come early and bring a take-out meal from your favorite local restaurant. For additional information visit www.kofcnewington.com.

SCOUT WEEKEND AT MILL POND (SWAMP): Boy Scout Troop 347 and Cub Scout Pack 347 will hold their annual Scout Weekend at Mill Pond (SWAMP) Saturday, June 4. From 9 a.m. to noon the scouts community service project will entail building five picnic tables for the disabled. Then from 4 to 10 p.m. there will be a fish-ing derby sponsored by Connecticut Outfitters in Wethersfield, a ham ra-dio communication put on by New-ington’s own American Radio Relay League (ARRL), a cookout, bonfire and flag retirement ceremony. Con-tact Mitch Page at (860) 667-1835 if you have any old or damaged flags you would like retired. Flags may also be dropped off at 46 Olive St.

VFW POST 9836 15TH ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT: The VFW Post 9836, Newington, will host its 15th annual Golf Tournament for the benefit of the Post and its commit-ment to veterans at the Goodwin Golf Course, Hartford June 11. Tee off time is 1 p.m. with a Shotgun Scramble for-mat. Donation of $100 includes cart, lunch, prizes with dinner afterwards at the Post, 85 Kitts Lane, Newing-ton. Any person or business wanting to sponsor a hole for $100 or if you would like to play in the tournament my do so at the Post any day after 3 p m. or call (860) 666-9036 for more information.

GUEST PASTORS The Rev. Dan-iel and Aristia Partiss will serve the Church of the Infinite Spirit located in The Masonic Hall, 80 Walsh Ave., at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, June 12. The Par-tiss’ are from First Church of Divine Light, Hartford. For more information, call (860) 646-5976.

HISTORICAL SOCIETY TAG SALE: The Newington Historical Society is accepting donations for its annual Tag Sale. Jewelry, small kitchen and elec-tronic appliances, all in good work-ing condition. glassware, dishes and other treasures that you would like to donate will be gratefully accepted with the exception of large furniture, books or clothing. As in past years, items not sold will be donated to Hart-ford area homeless shelters. A note of interest: Start right now cleaning that attic or garage, and bringing those treasures to us during regular office hours, Monday and Friday, 8 to 11 a.m. and Wednesday 2 to 4 p.m. Call to arrange a drop-off time. Someone will be available at the Kellogg-Eddy House to accept your donations Sat-urday, May 28 between the hours 9 a.m. and noon. If you are not able to drop off your items, arrangements for pick-up can be made by calling the of-

fice and scheduling a time.

NEWINGTON ART LEAGUE MEET-ING: The Newington Art League will hold its last meeting until September with a catered picnic at 6 p.m. June 8, for members and their guests. In-stallation of officers for 2011-2012 will take place. For information about the picnic, call (860) 667-4361 before June 1. Workshops for members will continure through the summer Mon-days from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and Tuesdays, from 6 to 9 p.m.at the Art League, located in Newington Town Hall.

VFW POST 9836 15TH ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT: The VFW Post 9836 Newington, will host its 15th annual Golf Tournament Sat-urday, June 11 for the benefit of the Post and its commitment to veter-ans at the Goodwin Golf Course in Hartford. Tee off time is 1 p.m. with a Shotgun Scramble format. Donation is $100 includes cart, lunch, prizes with dinner afterwards at the Post, 85 Kitts Lane. Any person or business wanting to sponsor a hole for $100 or if you would like to play in the tourna-ment may do so at the Post any day after 3 p.m. or call (860) 666-9036 for more information.

NEWINGTON MS SUPPORT GROUP: The Newington MS Support Group meets at the Newington Senior and Disabled Center, 120 Cedar St., at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. There are more than 6,000 Connecticut residents diag-nosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), an oftentimes debilitating disease affect-ing the central nervous system. The

National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Connecticut Chapter offers more than 30 support groups throughout Con-necticut. These groups bring together people who share a common life ex-perience as it relates to MS and its effects. For more information, contact Charlie at (860) 667-1314. For more information on multiple sclerosis and the many ways you can help make a difference, visit www.ctfightsMS.org or call the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Connecticut Chapter at (800) FIGHT MS.

ANNUAL TAG SALE: The Newington Historical Society is accepting dona-tons to its Annual Tag Sale, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 4. at the Kellogg-Eddy House, 679 Willard Ave. Jewelry, small kitch-en and electronic appliances. all in good working condition. glassware. dishes and other treasures that you would like to donate will be gratefully accepted with the exception of large furniture, books or clothing. As in past years, items not sold will be donated to Hartford area homeless shelters. Start right now cleaning that attic or garage, and bringing those treasures to us during regular office hours, Monday and Friday, 8 to 11 a.m. and Wednesday, 2 to 4 p.m. Call to arrange a drop off time. Someone will be avail-able at the Kellogg-Eddy House to ac-cept your donations May 28 between the hours 9 a.m. and noon. If you are not able to drop off your items, ar-rangements for pick up can be made by calling the office and scheduling a time. For information regarding deliv-ery or pickup of your items. call the Newington Historical Society Office at 666-7118 or email:NGTNHeritage@

aol.com.

12TH ANNUAL NEWINGTON HIGH SCHOOL GOLF TOURNAMENT: On Saturday, June 4 the 12th Annual Newington High School Golf Tour-nament will be held at Stanley Golf Course in New Britain.The proceeds from this “key” fundraising event helps fund the Newington High School Class of 2011 “All Night” Gradua-tion Celebration Party for Newington Seniors. The “All Night” Graduation Party provides a drug and alcohol free celebration for the Class of 2011 and they are counting on your sup-port to make this year’s party a great success. Highlights of this years tour-nament include: * 18 Holes of Golf at Stanley Golf Course (12:30 pm Shot-gun Start).* Your golfing fee includes dinner at the conclusion of the tourna-ment. Tee sponsor donations instruc-tions are included in the flyer. There is an optional “Dinner Only” fee for those that want to join in the celebra-tion after golf. Dinner items Include: Signature salad, penne with marinara sauce, grilled 12 oz. NY sirloin steak, baked potato, green beans Almon-dine, carrot cake and includes rolls, butter, coffee, tea, iced tea, soda, *beer, wine, and cocktails can also be purchased separately The Gradu-ation Committee needs your support to make this year’s celebration for the seniors a memory that will last life-time. We need your commitment as early as possible for the event. The NHS 2011 Graduation Committee ap-preciate’s your consideration and your support and looks forward to seeing you June 4. For a Golf Tournament Flyer or if you have any questions, contact Bill Jones at (860) 490-2129.

Advertise Your Business or Service

Call 860-229-8687 To Find Out How*certain conditions apply

LESS THAN $5.00 PER DAY!*

REGISTER ONLINE TODAY!!!The Newington Knights, a Pop Warner, youth, Football and Cheerleading organization,

Is accepting player registration, for the Fall 2011 season, for all age levels. We are especially seeking football players for our Midget Level (age/weight 12-13-14/105-160lbs, or age 15 be-

tween 105 and 140lbs). League age determined as of July 31, 2011. Weights greater than 160lbs may be eligible IF a Patriot Level is developed. For ANY eligibility questions PLEASE contact us!

Contact information and registration information can be found online at www.newingtonknights.com. Online registration link is under “registration forms” tab.

013424

We are also hosting registration on:Monday, June 13, from 6-7:30 p.m. and

Tuesday, June 14, from 6-8 p.m. at Clem Lemire Field, 150 New Britain Ave

(Balducci Way), Newington, CT 06111.

Community NEWINGTON TOWN CRIER20 | Friday, May 27, 2011

NEWINGTON MAINSTAGE AN-NOUNCES INAUGURAL PRODUC-TION, “[TITLE OF SHOW]”: It is with great pleasure that we announce the inaugural production of Newington Mainstage: the Tony Award nomi-nated musical “[title of show].” That’s right, the name of the show is “[title of show],” brackets and all! Newing-ton Mainstage is delighted to be the first theatre in the CT area to perform this musical comedy that is called “the perfect show for anyone who has ever followed a dream.” A love letter to musical theatre and to the joy of collaboration, “[title of show]” is a charming new musical about two struggling young writers writing a new musical about two struggling young writers writing a new musical. In the span of 90 minutes, the pair, along with the help of two friends, write and perform their show-within-a-show at a musical theatre festival, and along the way learn lessons about them-selves as people, friends and artists. Newington Mainstage is a fresh new theatre company run in partnership with NCTC Performing Arts Theatre (home of the Newington Children’s Theatre Company – (NCTC), CT’s oldest operating children’s theatre). Newington Mainstage offers a “grown up” season, featuring adult perform-ers and shows geared toward enter-taining the community’s “big kids.” Newington Mainstage is thrilled to be kicking off its season with the irrever-ent hilarity of “[title of show].” “[title of show]’s” cast will include some of the areas most versatile and cele-brated performers: Kelly Boucher, Ian Galligan, Cindy Lesser and Randy Ronco. Don’t miss the show that the New York Times called “Hilarious! A fresh new musical worth cheering!” “[title of show]” will run June 10 to 18 (Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 pm) at the NCTC Performing Arts Theatre, 743 North Mountain Road, Newing-ton. Tickets and more info can be obtained at www.NCTCArts.org or by calling (860) 666-NCTC (6282). Due to some mature language, “[title of show]” may not be suitable for chil-dren under the age of 15.

SOAP FOR HOPE: John Wallace Middle School will sponsor “Soap For Hope” at the school. Students are do-nating soap and washcloths for Haiti. The school is in competition with Mar-tin Kellogg to see who can collect the most. This will be an on-going project. If anyone would like to donate soap and/or washcloths for Haiti contact Maria Parker, John Wallace School and community coordinator at (860) 306-6040 to make arrangements for drop-off.

5TH ANNUAL CRUISING NEWING-TON CLASSIC CAR SHOW will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 9 (raindates: June 16 and June 23) Market Square, Newington. Any-one interested in being a sponsor, food vendor, booth, ad book contact the Newington Chamber office (860) 666-2089.

THE NEWINGTON WATERFALL FESTIVAL: The festival committees are in need of crafters, food ven-dors, vendors, Sponsors, Chalkwalk artists. Event date is Sept. 24, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Market Square (raindate 10 a.m to 1 p.m.) Contact Val Ginn at (860) 571-0084 for further

information.

NEWINGTON STUDENT ASSIS-TANCE FUND DEADLINE AP-PROACHING: For the past 45 years, the non-profit Newington Student As-sistance Fund (NSAF) has provided interest-free loans to any Newington resident seeking financial assistance in obtaining post-secondary educa-tion or training. In recent years NSAF has been able to fulfill loans for all eligible applicants. If the number of applicants exceeds the available funding, assistance is awarded on the basis of need without regard to race, gender, creed or national origin. Individual loans are limited to a maxi-mum amount of $1,000 in any one school year. Applications are due in the Counseling Office at Newington High School before noon June 3. Ap-plications for the loans are available at our Website, www.nsafinfo.org, or can be picked up at the following lo-cations: Lucy Robbins Welles Library, Newington High School Counseling Office, the Newington branch of TD Bank. NSAF has granted nearly 900 interest-free loans totaling almost $750,000 to eligible Newington appli-cants for all types of post-secondary education or training. The money flows in a continuous cycle because when students pay us back, we loan that money out again. Recipients pay their interest-free loans back on a monthly basis following graduation or termination of studies. Let NSAF help ease your cost of pursuing higher education!

20TH ANNUAL TOUR DE CURE CY-CLING EVENT TO CURE DIABETES — FOR RIDERS OF ALL LEVELS: Now in our 13th year in Connecticut and 20th nationally, we need your help to reach our goal of $250,000! Gate-way Community College — North Haven Campus. Sunday, June 12. First start time 6:30 a.m. All proceeds benefit the mission of the American Diabetes Association, which is to pre-vent and cure diabetes, and improve the lives of ALL people affected by diabetes. Today, there are nearly 26 million Americans who have diabe-tes. If current trends continue, one in three American adults will have diabetes by 2050. The Tour features manageable courses for every par-ticipant. This scenic and well sup-ported routes feature quaint country roads, with majestic views of Central Connecticut, including historic sites, rolling hills, and picturesque vine-yards. Routes include: 100 mile cen-tury ride, 100K Metric century ride, 50k (for avid cyclists), 25k (Casual cyclists), 12k (Family friendly). Rest stops are located every 12-15 miles, celebrating different themes, and plenty of nourishment. All route maps are available on MapMyRide.com. To find out more information on the Con-necticut Tour de Cure or to register, please call 1-888-DIABETES or visit www.diabetes.org/tour to search for your local tour.

“HOOTENANNY”: Grace Episco-pal Church, 124 Maple Hill Ave. will hold its secondd annual Food Bank “Hootenanny” Can Drive from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 17. All are invited to roast marshmallows, sing songs and enjoy a warm summer evening with refreshments. Admission to the Hootenanny is a nonperishable food

item (or two) to be contributed to the Newington Food Bank. Help us help those Newington residents in need. Call Mitch Page at (860) 667-1835 with any questions.

TOUCH-A-TRUCK:A Touch-a-Truck event will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 18 in the li-brary/town hall parking lots. Held in conjunction with the Lucy Robbins Welles Library Kickoff to Summer Reading, this is a free event for the whole family. Sponsors include the Friends of the Newington Library, Newington Parks & Recreation, New-ington Police Department, GFWC Newington/Wethersfield Women’s Club and St. Mary’s School. This is a hands-on event and kids young and old can touch, honk horns and climb on the vehicles that will be on dis-play. Vehicles may include a concrete pump truck, fire truck, Army Hummer, Dunkin Donuts truck, deck mower, police cruiser, medical ambulance and more! No registration is required. For more information, call (860) 665-8666.

GIVING BACK YOGA STYLE: Yoga studios throughout the country are joining Beryl Bender Birch, spiritual teacher, yoga therapist, and author of Power Yoga, Beyond Power Yoga, and the newly released Boomer Yoga, for a Give Back Yoga Day on the Summer Solstice this June 21 to raise funds for the Give Back Yoga Foundation (www.givebackyoga.org). Newington Yoga Center www.new-ingtonyogacenter.com will be joining in this nationwide fundraiser at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 21. Newington Yoga Center’s Director Suzanne Manafort is on the Board of Directors for The Give Back Yoga Foundation. The mis-sion of the Give Back Yoga Founda-tion is to support and fund certified yoga teachers in all traditions to offer the teachings of yoga to underserved and under- resourced socio-econom-ic segments of the community. These are groups of individuals who might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience the transformational ben-efits of this powerful practice, in all its aspects — from asana and stress reduction, through breath-work and meditation, to general service to oth-ers. Applications for grants can be found on the Give Back Website. The event will observe the tradition with-in yoga, of the practice of 108 Sun Salutations or Surya Namaskar on the Summer Solstice. In the Sanskrit language surya namaskar means “acting respectfully toward sun”. Practicing Sun Salutations is a way of reconnecting to our own source, and honoring the radiance of Surya. The Summer Solstice, as the longest day of the year and the day of greatest light, is the perfect opportunity to ex-press gratitude for the life, light, and breath it brings to each of us and this planet, Earth. For further information please go to www.givebackyoga.org or www.newingtonyogacenter.com.

NEWINGTON FARMERS MARKET: The Newington Farmers Market will begin Thursday, June 23 and will be open Thursdays until Oct. 15 from 3 to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the green located in the municipal parking lot behind Market Square. Rain or shine.

BASEBALL GAME: St. Mary Wom-en’s Club will sponsor a bus trip to the Boston Red Sox-Tampa Bay Rays game at Fenway Park Sunday, Sept. 18. The cost is $105 per person. For further information and to make res-ervations, contact Kim Breton at bret-on2@cox.net or by calling her after 5 p.m. at (860) 666-8873.

EXTRAVAGANZA AT MILL POND PARK: Join Newington Parks & Rec-reation Department for its week-long summertime Extravaganza at Mill Pond Park. The Newington Family Pool Party will be Monday, July 11, from 6 to 8 p.m. This event is sponsored in conjunction with the Lucy Robbins Welles Library. This event is free and only open to Newington residents. Escape the Heat at Newington Arena on Tuesday, July 12, from 7 to 9 p.m. Skate rentals will be available for free on a first-come, first-served basis; quantities are limited. Fee is $5 per person. The Summer Carnival will be Thurs-day, July 14, (5 to 10 p.m.); Friday, July 15 (5 to 10 p.m.); Saturday, July 16, (9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) at Mill Pond Park. Purchase a wristband and en-joy unlimited rides all day! The wrist-band price is as follows: Thursday $15, Friday $20 and Saturday $20. The Concert in the Park will take place Friday, July 15, at 6 pm. This is one night you won’t want to miss! Local bands will perform on the eve of Extravaganza at Mill Pond Park. Admission to the concert is freeand open to all ages! All attendees in the beverage garden must be 21 or older. Join us at Mill Pond Park Saturday, July 1, to celebrate Newington and all it has to offer at the 30th Annual Extravaganza! Enjoy food games, rides, arts and crafts exhibits an. Admission and parking are free, so bring the whole family to this all-day event. The event will conclude with a spectacular evening fireworks display over Mill Pond Park. Visit the Web at http://www.newingtonct.gov or call the Parks and Recreation office at (860) 665-8666 if you are interested in making a donation or becoming a sponsor, vendor or for more informa-tion.

WATERFALL FESTIVAL VENDORS NEEDED: The Waterfall Festival will be held Sept. 24 (raindate: Oct. 1) vendors, crafters, food vendors are needed. Contact Val Ginn at (860) 716-9086 (c) or (860) 571-0084 (h)for further information.

RENTER’S REBATE: Karen Halpert, from the Newington Senior and Dis-abled Center, is currently processing applications for the Renter’s Rebate program. The last day to apply is Thursday, Sept. 15. First time ap-plicants to the program must be 65 years old (as of Dec. 31, 2010) or 18+ years old and disabled according to Social Security guidelines. Maximum income limits for married couples are $39,500 and for single applicants $32,300. Proof of income must be provided. Examples of income 2010 Federal Tax Return, 2010 Social See-curity, 2010 Pension Income, 2010 Interest Income, etc. To schedule an appointment, contact the main office at (860) 665-8778. A list of neces-sary items for the appointment will be mailed to you.

CREATIVE PLAYTIME PRESCHOOL PROGRAM

– Register Now for the 2011-2012 School Year! Give your child a head start! Effective preschool programs lay a foundation of social skills, knowledge and self confidence that paves the way for success in kindergarten and beyond. Many studies have shown the importance of preschool and the long-lasting benefits a preschool program provides.

Newington Parks and Recreation Department’s fully-licensed and affordable preschool program is open to children ages 3 to 5. Our child-friendly and welcom-ing classroom facilities are located at 1075 Main St. in the lower level. The profes-sional, mature, engaging staff will be happy to care for your child.

The flexible program gives you the option to register for morning, afternoon or full-day programs and the choice to send your child one day per week, or up to all five. Nonresidents wel-come. Registration is now open. For more information, call Newington Parks and Recreation Department at (860) 665-8666.

DISCOUNT SIX FLAGS AND LAKE COMPOUNCE TICKETS:

Newington Parks and Recreation Department is now offering discount tick-ets to Six Flags and Lake Compounce! Tickets to Lake Compounce are $27.00 per person and are valid for any day during the 2011 season.

Tickets to Six Flags are $30.00 per person and are also valid for any day during the 2011 season.

Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis until Friday, Aug. 19 or until tickets run out. Purchase early to avoid disappointment. No refunds will be given for lost, stolen or unused tickets. For more information, please call (860) 665-8666.

Parks & Rec

Local | ClassifiedNEWINGTON TOWN CRIER Friday, May 27, 2011 | 21

LEGALSLEGAL NOTICE

West Hartford Public Schools,

Department of Pupil Services announces that it will begin on June 27, 2011 disposing of all Special Education records of those individuals who were in attendance in West Hartford Public Schools and graduated or would have graduated in 2005. Any stu-dent who would have gradu-ated in 2005 wishing to claim his/her Special Education record before it is disposed of may do so by calling Anne Morais in the Pupil Services Office at (860) 561-6601.

Having a tag sale? Don’t forget to advertise

it with a fast-acting Classified

to let everyone know! Call 231-2444

LEGALSTo all persons claiming

an interest in: 1983, 16’ Thundercraft

TROY A. BOEDICKER will ap-ply to SCDNR for title on wa-tercraft/outboard motor. If you have any claim to the wa-tercraft/outboard motor, con-tact SCDNR at (803) 734-3858. Upon thirty days after the date of the last advertise-ment if no claim of interest is made and the watercraft/out-board motor has not been reported stolen, SCDNR shall issue clear title. Case No: 20110406950285

Every week, we bring buyers and sellers,

employers and employees, landlords and tenants

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265 VACATIONPROPERTY RENT

WESTBROOK, CT - Middle Beach. Summer cottage. 3 BR. (860) 233-8411.

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645 GENERALHELP WANTED

GROUNDSKEEPER I TOWN OF NEWINGTON

Performs semi-skilled/manual labor in construction, installa-tion, repair & maintenance of

parks, recreational areas & fa-cilities. Responsible for snow removal, removal of trees and debris, operates dump trucks,

powered mowers & related equipment. Valid CT driver’s li-cense & one or more years of experience within previous 5 years in landscape mainte-

nance required. Applications available at

Town Manager’s Office, 131 Cedar Street, Newington, CT

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$21.91-$24.74/hr. Apply by June 3, 2011.

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BED: All new, still in plastic. Extra, extra thick queen pil-low-top mattress set & frame. Can deliver. $400.

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q ySequence of photos by Pamela Redmond

Look out below! The tower comes down around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday.

By Sarah JohnSonStaff WRiteR

The water tower standing above the VA Connecticut Healthcare System’s Newington campus has become something of a landmark over the years. The white tower emblazoned with a blue VA logo was an easy guide for navi-gating to the sprawling Willard Road location.

However, early Wednesday morning, the clear weather held as forecast and the tower had a set date to come down.

Robert Palazzi and Gary Boucher, two of the VA’s engineers on the job, and Pamela Redmond, Public Affairs Officer for the sys-tem, shared some of the history of the tower and talked about the project of tearing it down.

The Newington campus VA hospital

admitted its first patient May 14, 1931 and was officially dedicated July 12, 1931, according to Redmond’s research.

The water tower was erected shortly after in 1932. It was used as a water supply until the mid-90s, then taken out of service as the town’s water supply was eventually used.

Age began to take its toll on the empty tower, raising safety and blight concerns. Priority was placed on more pressing mainte-nance on the hospital grounds. Two years ago, the decision was finally made to tear down the vintage structure.

Palazzi said that the VA engineers did their due diligence to make sure they weren’t going to be demolishing a historic place in town.

After research, the tower proved to be well-known, but not a salvageable treasure.

Prep work for the drop began around 7 a.m. Wednesday. Engineers and contractors secured

the area for safety and the final collapse occurred by 11:30 a.m.

On a tour around the fallen monolith afterward, Wes Lang-Rodean of KMK Construction, general con-tractor for the job, a veteran

himself, described the structure. “It’s almost all steel with the exception of some rubber seals and, of course, concrete, which weighed the tower down,” he said.

All the steel will be recycled after being torn apart by Costello dismantling of Middleboro, Mass.

VA hospital water tower sees its final day at 80 years old

Sarah Johnson | Staff

Gary Boucher, a VA engineer, shows off the bolt he collected (that once fastened sheets of tower steel) as “a little trophy” from the job well-done.

All the steel from the water tower will be recycled.

NEWINGTON TOWN CRIER22 | Friday, May 27, 2011

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License #0607969

CONSTRUCTION

NEWINGTON TOWN CRIER Friday, May 27, 2011 | 23

Tree Removals • Pruning • Storm DamageStump Removals • Shrub Pruning

860-563-6581Wethersfield

GRAVER’S TREE CARE

Systemic Micro-InjectionFertilization

SprayingB-0567

Bruce Graver – Licensed Tree Surgeon – Certified Arborist

TREE SERVICE

75 foot Bucket Truck

Registration #608808 Fully Insured

860-529-8389 • 860-538-0980

CHIPPER • FIREWOOD • LAND CLEARINGSTUMP GRINDING • TREE REMOVAL

FREEESTIMATESSPRING Cleanup &

Lawn Maintenance

Commercial &Residential

Total Tree Service & Landscaping, LLC

TREE SERVICE

HOME IMPROVEMENT DIRECTORYAIR CONDITIONING & HEATINGMull Bros, Inc. - We are a family business that’s been catering to your cooling & heating needs since 1945. We proudly install Lennox, American Standard, Weil McLain & other quality equipment (oil, gas & electric). We also service most makes & models. We are located next to the Wethersfield Post Office (behind the penguins and polar bears) at 61 Beaver Rd. 860- 529-8255

BASEMENT WATERPROOFINGJP Bachand Basement Waterproofing - Reliable local contractor. Hatchway leaks, foundation cracks, sub-floor drainage systems, sump pumps & yard drainage. Fully insured, free estimates, written guarantee. Our 27th year registered with CT Dept of Consumer Protection (Reg #511842). Call 860-666-9737

CERAMIC TILELen and Jeff Schaller - Fix leaky showers. Regrouting in tubs. Bath, kitchen tile installed. 37 years experience. Neat, expert workmanship. Repairs a specialty. Call 242-5805

CLEANING SERVICESPolish/English speaking woman can clean your house with care. 2nd cleaning 50% off for new

clients only. Satisfaction guaranteed. Insurance Bonded. Call Kasia 860-538-4885

HOUSE, CONDO, OFFICE CLEANING - Polish/English speaking lady with many years of experience. References upon request. Please call Ela at 860-348-0234

PAINTINGTop Job Painting - Complete prep work, interior and exterior painting, insured, free estimates. CT LIC: #HIC0621244. 23 Fern St., Rocky Hill. 860-978-0190, 860-721-7274.

PLUMBINGPositano Plumbing, Inc. - 31 years of serving Bristol and the surrounding areas. Specializing in all repairs. Plumbing & heating. Water heater replacement, boiler replacement. CT Lic #202691, 308931. For the best repair work in the area, please call 860-584-0012, 186 West St., Bristol.

REMODELINGFull Service Remodeling - Windows, bathrooms and kitchens. All interior and exterior home or business remodeling and handyman service. You name it - I’ve done it! Excellent references and

competitive rates with over 10 years experience. BBB Accredited. Call Mike 860-690-6505 or Kris 860-348-076 today for your free estimate. Fully insured and licensed. Lic #565969.

ROOFINGLA Rich, LLC - Master Elite Roofing Contractor with over 500 satisfied customers. Our workmanship is warranteed for 20 years by shingle manufacturer. Best warranty in writing. “Quality you can count on for years.” We do roof repairs, vinyl siding, windows, seamless gutters. Honest, competitive pricing. No hidden costs. Free estimates. Fully insured. Written warranties. Clean and courteous installers. CT Lic #565709. GAFELK ME #11852. 860-622-9800 or 860-747-4427. www.larichroofing.com

TREE SERVICETotal Tree Service & Landscaping, LLCFall Cleanup & Lawn Maintenenace. Commerical & Residential. 75 ft. bucket truck. Chipper, firewood, land clearing, stump grinding, tree removal. Registration #608808. Fully insured. 860-529-8389 or 860-538-0980.

to advertise call 860-231-2444

HERE’S MY CARDRETAIL

Mon. - Fri. 9:00 to 8:00 Sat. 9:00 to 7:00 Mon. - Fri. 9:00 to 8:00 Sat. 9:00 to 7:00 Mon. - Fri. 9:00 to 8:00 Sat. 9:00 to 7:00 Sun 10:00 to 6:00Sun 10:00 to 6:00Sun 10:00 to 6:00

NEWINGTON TOWN CRIER24 | Friday, May 27, 2011

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                    

  NEWINGTON MEMORIAL 20 Bonair Ave. ▪ Newington, CT 06111

860-666-0600

BURRITT HILL 332 Burritt St. ▪ New Britain, CT 06053

860-229-9021