Kennedy Middle School recently announced its honor roll for the fourth marking period. Sixth grade, first honors: David Ackerman, Emma Agli, Ethan Agli, Kristen Angeli, Ashley Anglis, Aparna Athreya, Celia Bajrami, Reilly Baker, Kylin Banks, Abigail Barbour, Connor Baston, Evan Belcourt, Kylie Benton, Domenic Bernard, Mary Bilodeau, Karla Blake, Michaela Blumetti, Seth Bogoslofski, Taylor Borla, McKayla Bowker, Jason Brault, Ally Breen, Elijah Buck, Danielle Cammuso, Jacob Cardozo, Olivia Carpenter, Matthew Carragher, Asami Castellano, Madelyn Chasse, Riley Daly, Lynsey Danko, Alexander Dearborn, Carolyn Del Debbio, Avery DeLong, Natalie Diaz, Nisa Dilaveri, Rebecca Dorzens, Hailey Dow, Jacob Drena, Megan Drivdahl, Julie Duszak, Georgia Falk, Elena Famiglietti, Kaitlyn Feeney, Elizabeth Feest, Ian Fisher, Jacob Flynn, Christopher Gambardella, Ryan Gesnaldo, Kalli Gianacopolos, Katelyn Gilbert, Erica Golia, Vincent Golia, Adam Green, Cory Hemsen, Emma Higley, Hannah Hubeny, Julia Jackman, Grace Jaworowski, Kate Kemnitz, Jessica Kerchis, Caitlyn Kesilewski, Adeline Kilgore, Carlyn Kosienski, Kyle Kraft, William Krom, Alexa Kulas, Justin Kupcho, Jessica Lamb, Jamie Lamson, Alyssa Landrie, Mia Langston, Kyle Leifert, Peter Leppones, Michael Lewicki, Abigail Lo Presti, Emma Lockwood, Juliette Lord, Ryan Loring, Kiana Lowrey, Sarah Mafale, Chrisala Marotto, Heather Martin, Jenna Martin, Sarah Mathew, Sarah Matthews, Daria McCabe, Michael McLaughlin, Lauren Messner, Alexander Mitchell, Jehvanni [...]
By Lisa Capobianco Staff Writer The Barnes Museum has been gearing up for its 12th annual Taste of Southington, an event full of food, live music and a tour of the historical homestead which dates back to 1836. More than a dozen restaurants in Southington including Smokin’ With Chris, Moe’s Southwest Grill and Machiavelli’s will participate in the event, offering two to three of their finest dishes to local residents. Other restaurants include Namaste India, Sixpence Pie Company and Napoli Café Deli & Catering. A new restaurant added to the event this year is CC Carvers Gourmet Sandwiches, which opened nine months ago. Owner Chuck Carlette is looking forward to exposing his grilled chicken pesto and chicken cutlet paninis to local residents there. Carlette said he hopes to “give people some good food and a reason to come back.” Southington Library Director Sue Smayda said the summer event is a great way for local residents to try an assortment of foods from the town’s most popular restaurants. Smayda expects about two thousand people at the Taste, especially since the “Music on the Green” event takes place that same evening. “The taste is one of the coolest things that happen in [...]
On Sunday, July 28, the Southington South All-Stars had a chance to make history, but officials waved off play when the locals fell behind by 10 runs. Newington had rallied to an 11-1 lead before play was called in the fourth inning. There were no Southington players running onto the field with fists pumping wildly. There were no local parents cheering in the stands…but there were no tears either. Southington still has a chance at a state title with a victory in their next contest. Nothing seems to stop this band of local ballers. It’s a group of all-star players from the 9-10 year old division of Southington South Little League, and the loss in the second game of the state finals was their first defeat in 12 postseason contests. The run began in early July with a 5-2 victory over Berlin in the District 5 championship. With a lopsided, 17-6, win over Wallingford in the winner’s bracket and a 14-6 win in the rematch, Southington South came away with a District 5 title. But the boys were just getting started. At sectionals, the team rallied for wins over Prospect (2-0) and Fairfield American (3-2) before besting Wilton (15-4) at [...]
By John Goralski Sports Writer Maybe it was because of a late season slump that former Lady Knight softball coach Joe Piazza sent his prized sophomore to the plate to bat left-handed in the 1990 Class LL championship game. Maybe it was because his team was trailing by one run, and the coach saw something in the defense. It’s been almost a quarter century since Meghan McNicholas-Leggett stood in the batter’s box as a switch hitter, but Piazza still remembers it clearly. She gave him a quizzical look because it had been almost three weeks since the right hander had practiced her lefty stance in practice, but Meghan stepped to the plate without a question …and executed. “Just as the girl was getting ready to pitch I heard their coach start screaming. He realized that she wasn’t left handed, but it was too late,” Piazza said with a laugh. “Meghan dropped the bunt perfectly, and it just rolled down the third base line. By the time their girl got it, Meghan had beat it out. That’s the way she was. She did it just because I asked her to do it. That started a rally, and we ended up winning [...]
By Ed Harris Editor A small group of young ladies has begun brainstorming a mural that will hang in the Southington Library. The mural is possible thanks to a grant from the Community Foundation of New Britain. This is another part of the grant that allowed the library to recently purchase a 3D printer. “We wanted to bring art education into public libraries,” said Southington Library Director Sue Smayda. Southington Community Cultural Arts (SCCA) President Mary DeCroce is leading the program to create the mural. Though SCCA has created multiple murals on buildings across the town, this mural will be a bit different as it will be done on canvas instead of a wall. Smayda said this is to make sure that the mural is portable, incase the library expands. Joining DeCroce on the mural is Laney Rivers, Chloe Smith, Tessa Smith and Casside Knapik. Currently the group is thinking of splitting the mural into two pieces. The theme of the mural is a collage of found objects, similar to the “I Spy” books. The young artists plan to have a recognizable background with books and characters. Various game pieces will be hidden throughout the mural and an “I Spy” [...]
A local man was arrested on Wednesday, July 31 on an assortment of sexual assault charges. , 20, of Southington, was charged with three counts of second degree sexual assault, fourth degree sexual assault and four counts of risk of injury/impairing the morals of a minor. Bond was set at $75,000 with an August 1 court date. Details on the case were order sealed by the court system.
A local man was arrested on charges that he stole a handgun from a parked car in the Stop & Shop Parking lot. On Sunday, August 4, police arrested Artur Kasinski, 21, of Southington, after he allegedly entered an unlocked vehicle that was parked in the parking lot. After stealing the handgun, he was seen fleeing the area in a car, heading west out of the Stop & Shop parking lot. The complaintant was able to obtain a license plate from the vehicle as it was fleeing the scene. Officers responded to the address where the vehicle was registered and found Kasinski inside the vehicle reaching into the back seats. Kasinski exited the vehicle and told officers that he put the handgun in the rear of the vehicle. Kasinski admitted to stealing the handgun and other items from inside the vehicle at Stop & Shop. The handgun, a plastic bag containing an assortment of loose change, two prescription bottles (in the name of the victim), an assortment of car adapters, a digital camera with case and a box of .22 caliber ammunition were recovered from Kasinski’s vehicle and identified as belonging to the victim. The handgun was reportedly being stored [...]
By Lisa Capobianco Staff Writer Simply Sweet has given Queen Street another place to eat on top of its already existing restaurants and bakeries. Located in the T.J. Maxx Plaza, Simply Sweet is a bakeshop and café filled with 10 to 15 different kinds of cupcakes, brownies with a chocolate-ganache topping and an assortment of cookies. Besides sweet treats, the shop also makes foot-long grinders and paninis made from fresh focaccia bread. The bakers behind the oven are mother-daughter duo Vicky and Michelle Cavallo, who officially opened the bakeshop in May. They decided to start their own bakery last summer after Michelle finished culinary school. “We’re committed to making it work and we both love to bake,” Vicky said. Vicky said her grandmother from Italy inspired her passion for baking. She always admired her grandmother’s baking when she grew up on a farm in Italy. “I came from Italy when I was ten years old, and my grandma was a great baker there,” she said. Store hours are Tuesday and Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to noon.
By John Goralski Sports Writer Two days after Southington’s Cinderella run came to an end on the Stamford baseball field, Coach Marc Verderame was found sitting by himself in the bleachers looking out at the high school field. What could he have been done differently? What more could he have asked for from his players? How does Southington finally break through next season? These are all questions that seemed more like a fairy tale than a possibility when Verderame took over the floundering American Legion baseball team just a few seasons ago. Now, they are the thoughts that haunt him in the off-season. “It’s very hard to win a championship because a lot of things have to go your way,” he said. “I think our run is a testament to this program because we’ve gone to three straight state tournaments. We’ve gone to three state finals in the last three years between our Legion program and our high school program. This run has really gone a long way to restore that Southington name. It’s been fantastic, and I’m glad to be a part of it. I told the players that they should be proud of it, too.” But can Southington [...]
By John Goralski Sports Writer More than three decades have passed since Gary Solomon sat at the head of his kitchen table to celebrate his second state title in wrestling, and the story of that party has become a sort of legend in the Solomon family. The high school senior had finally arrived. He’d finally stepped out from under his older brother’s shadow. He’d finally proven that he was a better wrestler than Brian Solomon could ever hope to be. Suddenly, there was a commotion at the front door… “I heard this rustling. I didn’t know who or what it was, but through the darkness comes Brian with all this hardware,” Gary said. “He had his duffle bag and all these trophies. When my parents left him at the college championships the day before, they didn’t know if he would place or how well he would do. Not only did he do well. He ran the table. He won the New England championship. He won the most outstanding wrestler and the most pins in the least amount of time. Listen. If my party is going to get rained on, there’s no better way for that to happen.” Brian Solomon had [...]
By Lisa Capobianco Staff Writer Since the age of seven, Southington resident Alessandro Gaudio has always had a needle and thread in his hand. By the age of 14, Alessandro, who goes by the nickname “Alex,” knew how to make pants from scratch. When he turned 18 years old, Alex opened his own tailor shop in his hometown Amorosi, Italy, where he started to make suits from scratch. “I love everything about tailoring,” Alex said. Alex’s love for sewing began at age seven when his uncle, Rudolph Gaudio, introduced him to the tailoring business. Rudolph Gaudio taught his nephew the ins and outs of sewing in his own tailor shop before immigrating to America in 1952. As time passed by, Alex decided to take his passion to New Haven, in 1965 where he made suits for Arthur M. Rosenberg Co. In 1980 he worked at Riccio’s Clothing Store in downtown Southington, until the business closed nine years later. Although he came to America with only a suitcase filled with clothes, Alex was determined to become a successful tailor. Since 1989, Alex has served countless clients in his own tailor shop called, “Gaudio’s Custom Tailoring,” located in his house on Oak [...]
By Lisa Capobianco Staff Writer About 50 families in need walk through the doors of Southington Community Services on a daily basis to receive bags of food and other donations, according to Assistant Mark Fasarrelli. In response to this growing need, The Giving Back Girls, a local community involvement group, decided to lend more than a dozen hands. Created in 2010 by soon-to-be high school freshman Erin Gibney, The Giving Back Girls took over the Southington Smart Start Program last year, giving more than 350 backpacks to children in need throughout the town. Each backpack has school supplies, gift cards to Walmart and gift certificates for a haircut. With the mentorship of The Arc of Southington, a nonprofit organization that supports people with disabilities, The Giving Back Girls now collect back-to-school supplies to fill each backpack they donate. This year the back-to-school program will take place August 20 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and August 21 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Derynoski Elementary School. The girls’ commitment brings a smile to everyone who works at Southington Community Services. “We wouldn’t be able to do this on our own,” Fasarelli said. “We’d be lost without all the help [...]