FARMINGTON, Conn. – Ready. Set. School! As summer winds down, and the kids head back to school, you can make back-to-school shopping an adventure for your kids. This year, take part in the “Ready. Set. School! Scavenger Hunt,” enjoying Wellness at Westfarms while having some fun. Parents and students, grades K-5, will have the chance to turn their shopping experience into an adventure and learn how to make healthy choices from the wellness experts at Hartford HealthCare. Children who take part will receive special prizes from Hartford HealthCare and Westfarms retailers. The is part of the “Wellness at Westfarms” program, a strategic partnership between Westfarms and Hartford HealthCare that is designed to improve community wellness by providing health information and resources to mall shoppers. Ready. Set. School! Scavenger Hunt is geared toward teaching healthy lifestyle habits to elementary school students. But parents can join in the fun, too, by taking their children to the Westfarms Customer Service Desk from Aug. 19 through Sept. 14. There, parents can register for the self-guided scavenger hunt. Kids will receive a packet of clues as they search for answers to healthy lifestyle questions found on posters throughout the upper and lower levels of the [...]
↧
Back to school and back to wellness at Westfarms
↧
Back to school and back to wellness at Westfarms
FARMINGTON, Conn. – Ready. Set. School! As summer winds down, and the kids head back to school, you can make back-to-school shopping an adventure for your kids. This year, take part in the “Ready. Set. School! Scavenger Hunt,” enjoying Wellness at Westfarms while having some fun. Parents and students, grades K-5, will have the chance to turn their shopping experience into an adventure and learn how to make healthy choices from the wellness experts at Hartford HealthCare. Children who take part will receive special prizes from Hartford HealthCare and Westfarms retailers. The is part of the “Wellness at Westfarms” program, a strategic partnership between Westfarms and Hartford HealthCare that is designed to improve community wellness by providing health information and resources to mall shoppers. Ready. Set. School! Scavenger Hunt is geared toward teaching healthy lifestyle habits to elementary school students. But parents can join in the fun, too, by taking their children to the Westfarms Customer Service Desk from Aug. 19 through Sept. 14. There, parents can register for the self-guided scavenger hunt. Kids will receive a packet of clues as they search for answers to healthy lifestyle questions found on posters throughout the upper and lower levels of the [...]
↧
↧
Back to school and back to wellness at Westfarms
FARMINGTON, Conn. – Ready. Set. School! As summer winds down, and the kids head back to school, you can make back-to-school shopping an adventure for your kids. This year, take part in the “Ready. Set. School! Scavenger Hunt,” enjoying Wellness at Westfarms while having some fun. Parents and students, grades K-5, will have the chance to turn their shopping experience into an adventure and learn how to make healthy choices from the wellness experts at Hartford HealthCare. Children who take part will receive special prizes from Hartford HealthCare and Westfarms retailers. The is part of the “Wellness at Westfarms” program, a strategic partnership between Westfarms and Hartford HealthCare that is designed to improve community wellness by providing health information and resources to mall shoppers. Ready. Set. School! Scavenger Hunt is geared toward teaching healthy lifestyle habits to elementary school students. But parents can join in the fun, too, by taking their children to the Westfarms Customer Service Desk from Aug. 19 through Sept. 14. There, parents can register for the self-guided scavenger hunt. Kids will receive a packet of clues as they search for answers to healthy lifestyle questions found on posters throughout the upper and lower levels of the [...]
↧
Fashion stylist maintains breakneck pace
by MIKE CHAIKEN EDITIONS EDITOR No one could accuse fashion stylist Brad Goreski of being an idle sort. “I just had an Emmy sitting (with a client),” said Brad, calling from Los Angeles on Aug. 20 as he recounted his current agenda. But, don’t ask him who he is working with for the television awards show. “My lips are sealed,” said Brad, who is probably best known these days for his own Bravo reality television series, “It’s a Brad, Brad World.” “It’s top secret,” said Brad of his client. To keep with the theme of keeping busy, just mere days before his phone interview, Brad had just returned to the states after a trip to Japan. Brad said he traveled overseas to attend a 20th anniversary party for Kate Spade, for which he currently serves as the brand stylist. He also was in Japan for the opening of a pop-up Kate Spade store in Tokyo. While he was in Japan, he did take a breather from work-related duties by taking a vacation in Kyoto. On Aug. 23, he was set to zip from L.A. into Connecticut to have a meet and greet with fans at the Shops at Mohegan Sun [...]
↧
Fashion stylist maintains breakneck pace
by MIKE CHAIKEN EDITIONS EDITOR No one could accuse fashion stylist Brad Goreski of being an idle sort. “I just had an Emmy sitting (with a client),” said Brad, calling from Los Angeles on Aug. 20 as he recounted his current agenda. But, don’t ask him who he is working with for the television awards show. “My lips are sealed,” said Brad, who is probably best known these days for his own Bravo reality television series, “It’s a Brad, Brad World.” “It’s top secret,” said Brad of his client. To keep with the theme of keeping busy, just mere days before his phone interview, Brad had just returned to the states after a trip to Japan. Brad said he traveled overseas to attend a 20th anniversary party for Kate Spade, for which he currently serves as the brand stylist. He also was in Japan for the opening of a pop-up Kate Spade store in Tokyo. While he was in Japan, he did take a breather from work-related duties by taking a vacation in Kyoto. On Aug. 23, he was set to zip from L.A. into Connecticut to have a meet and greet with fans at the Shops at Mohegan Sun [...]
↧
↧
Fashion stylist maintains breakneck pace
by MIKE CHAIKEN EDITIONS EDITOR No one could accuse fashion stylist Brad Goreski of being an idle sort. “I just had an Emmy sitting (with a client),” said Brad, calling from Los Angeles on Aug. 20 as he recounted his current agenda. But, don’t ask him who he is working with for the television awards show. “My lips are sealed,” said Brad, who is probably best known these days for his own Bravo reality television series, “It’s a Brad, Brad World.” “It’s top secret,” said Brad of his client. To keep with the theme of keeping busy, just mere days before his phone interview, Brad had just returned to the states after a trip to Japan. Brad said he traveled overseas to attend a 20th anniversary party for Kate Spade, for which he currently serves as the brand stylist. He also was in Japan for the opening of a pop-up Kate Spade store in Tokyo. While he was in Japan, he did take a breather from work-related duties by taking a vacation in Kyoto. On Aug. 23, he was set to zip from L.A. into Connecticut to have a meet and greet with fans at the Shops at Mohegan Sun [...]
↧
Stellar pitching effort wasted
By MICHAEL LETENDRE STAFF WRITER TORRINGTON – When your baseball squad is out of pitching against the top team in the playoffs, prayer could be an option to turn to. Or, another method would be to simply dig down deep into the vault of “pitchers from days past” and you’re bound to find a chucker or two, ready for action. That’s what the Bristol Greeners of the Tri-State League did on Saturday, Aug. 17 in game two of its three-game series against Tri-Town to determine a North Division Champion. The Greeners turned to former Bristol Eastern and Trinity College ace David Casanova and for 6.1 innings, he was nearly untouchable. But the Trojans were one pitcher better as Jordie Scheiner threw a four-hit, complete game gem to help tie up the series at 1-1 with a 2-0 shutout victory over Bristol from Fuessenich Park in Torrington. In over six innings of work, Casanova – in his first and only appearance on the mound this season – he gave up just one run off five hits but absorbed a tough loss as he was nearly flawless into the middle of the fray. “Casanova did more than we expected tonight,” said Bristol [...]
↧
The Lady Knight volleyball team earns academic honors for 11th straight year
LEXINGTON, KY—It might be the longest sports dynasty in the long history of Southington High School. It has spanned more than a decade. It has almost crossed generations. Girls basketball won four state titles in a row in the late 1980s, and the team rallied for six titles in eight years. Lady Knight gymnasts claimed five titles in six years, and softball teams scored nine titles in 10 years. But an 11 year winning streak? It’s almost unheard of…almost. On Aug. 17, the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) released their list of academic awards for the 2012-2013 high school seasons, and the Lady Knight volleyball team topped a list of just 229 girls varsity teams across the nation to receive the award. It’s the 11th year in a row that Southington High School has won the award which was initiated in the 1992-93 academic year. “Excellence doesn’t happen by accident, either on the court or in the classroom,” said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. “It takes consistent preparation, relentless effort, and determined leadership. A full year of academic achievement, by an entire team of individual students, is a remarkable achievement. What better way to start a new season than with [...]
↧
Listings for Aug. 23
Miscellaneous listings FRIDAY, AUG. 23 BRISTOL FALCON 5K RUN/ WALK. 6:30 p.m. Register from 5 to 6:15 p.m. Includes electronic chip timing, snacks, entertainment, awards. $20 for adults and $15 for students in grades 12 and under. Proceeds support the Rev. Edmund O’Brien Scholarship. St. Paul Catholic High School, 1001 Stafford Ave., Bristol. Online registration, www.signmeup.com/94050. spchs.net. (860) 584-0911, ext. 34, mcrowley@spchs.net BRAD GORESKY. Star of Bravo’s “It’s A Brad, Brad World.” 8:30 p.m., live discussion. 9 p.m., free signing. Part of Diva Fridays. The Shops at Mohegan Sun, Uncasville. Participation is first-come, first-served. MoheganSun.com SATURDAY, AUG. 24 OTHER NEW BRITAIN HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1977 REUNION. If interested, contact nbhsclassof77@yahoo.com PLAINVILLE THE PLAINVILLE HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1963 50TH REUNION. 6 to 8 p.m. Country Club of Farmington, 806 Farmington Ave., Farmington. Anne Brown (860) 805-4952. Friday, Aug. 23, PHS Baby Boomer Party, (860) 621-5859. INFORMATIONAL SESSION FOR PROSPECTIVE FOSTER PARENTS. 12 to 2 p.m. Wheeler Clinic, 88 East St., Plainville. (860) 793-7277, fostercareprograms@wheelerclinic.org AUG. 23-25 PLAINVILLE PLAINVILLE FIRE COMPANY’S HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL. Begins 5 p.m., Friday. Music starts at 7 p.m. Fireworks, 9:15 p.m. Opens 5 a.m., Saturday with 6 a.m., [...]
↧
↧
Fund raiser Saturday to help young girl with cancer
by MIKE CHAIKEN Editions Editor The 2 1/2 year old granddaughter of a Bristol resident is the focus of a fund raiser in Cheshire Saturday to help her family as the young girl battles cancer. The event “Band Together 4 Kylie” is intended to help Kylie Edwards, who was diagnosed in June with Stage 2 Burkitt’s Lymphoma, a type of cancer. “My Kylie and her parents sure need help to battle this cancer,” said Kylie’s grandmother Pauline Edward of Bristol in a note to the Observer. “For the past two months since June 4 (when she was diagnosed), they have been at the (Connecticut Children’s MedicalCenter) in Hartford.” Pauline Edwards said the fund raiser, which will be at the PAWs Pet Resort Recreation Room in Cheshire, has been organized by Kylie’s aunt, Cheryl Thomas. “Today all her pretty curls are gone,” said Pauline Edwards of her granddaughter. “To make the loss of hair easier to cope with my son shaved Kylie’s head and he had Kylie cut his. So brave, so hard to do.” “I can only hold my heart when I think what Eric (Kylie’s father) must have been feeling and holding tight inside his own heart,” said Pauline [...]
↧
City waives fees for new club facility
By KAITLYN NAPLES STAFF WRITER The new Boys and Girls Club and Family Center facility is getting closer and closer to breaking ground on West Street, and at last week’s council meeting the councilors and mayor unanimously approved to save the non-profit the cost of permit and building fees. “This will alleviate the club of the burden (of paying these fees),” Mayor Art Ward said, so it is able to construct its 38,000 square foot facility that will serve “the youth of the entire city.” The last time the city waived fees for any project was over 20 years ago for the Giamatti Little League facility on Mix Street. “This bipartisan support is commendable,” said Michael Suchopar, executive director for the Bristol Boys and Girls Club. The fees being waived would include any permit fee that is necessary for building, and will save the club approximately $62,000 on the project. This estimate, the city’s Chief Building Official Guy Morin said, is based upon a “40,000 square foot building, with an estimated cost to construct (not including any interior furniture or equipment) of $10 million.” By this time next year the corner of West Street and Gaylord Street will be the [...]
↧
Classrooms burst with life with new themes
By LISA CAPOBIANCO STAFF WRITER As the new school year approaches, teachers of all eight elementary schools have brought their classrooms to life with distinct themes and decorations. Third grade teacher Sarah Turci from South End Elementary School knew without a doubt that “the beach” would be her classroom theme. Every year, her family stays at a beach house in Maine, so she wanted to incorporate her love for water and sand into her classroom. Between seashells, starfish, and pictures of the waves, Turci brought a variety of decorations from her favorite vacation spot. She also set up beach chairs in the reading corner surrounded by nonfiction and fiction books and displayed a sign on the bulletin board titled, “By the Sea.” Turci said she is excited for the new school year, especially since this is her first year of teaching. “I can’t wait to start,” Turci said. “I’ve been waiting for this experience forever.” Claire DiCenzo from Thalberg Elementary School also has a similar theme in her first grade classroom: “under the sea.” Between labeling name tags on the desks and displaying classroom job charts, DiCenzo wanted the classroom to have a “beach-like” style. She even created a sign [...]
↧
Solving the search for the perfect skirt with the perfect fit
By MIKE CHAIKEN EDITIONS EDITOR Kristen O’Connell noticed a problem she and other women have when shopping for clothes. As good as the pieces looked on the rack, and in fashion magazine and catalogues, the fit just wasn’t right for them. And if the garments fit, they didn’t come in a fabric print or color they liked. Rather than suck it up, deal with the ill-fit and the wrong color palette, or take the clothes to a tailor to retool them or even to custom-make one, she created her own solution and her own company, No. 2 Skirts (www.no2skirts.com). No. 2 Skirts allows women to design a skirt for their measurements and color and silhouette preferences via www.no2skirts.com. We caught up with The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising-trained O’Connell via email to talk to her about No. 2 Skirts and the process to “Design It Yourself.” Observer: How did the idea come about for this? Kristen O’Connell: I was working in sales at a department store while putting myself through design school when I noticed a constant problem: Women couldn’t find what they were shopping for, and when they did, nine times out of 10 it didn’t fit. I [...]
↧
↧
Woman dies after Stevens Street crash
A woman has died as a result of a serious motor vehicle crash on Stevens Street that happened on Saturday morning. Just before 8:30 a.m. Saturday Aug. 24, 21-year-old Elvis Caban of Bristol was heading west on Stevens Street when he crossed the center line in the area of Cherry Hill Drive, a press release said. Caban, who was the lone occupant in his car, struck a vehicle head on that was being operated by 70-year-old Penelope Sobolewski, who had four other passengers in her car. All five involved in the crash were injured, and on Saturday afternoon police said Sophie White, 83, died at Hartford Hospital as a result of the injuries received in the crash. All five occupants in Sobolewski’s car were trapped and were extricated by Bristol firefighters. The investigation is being conducted by the Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction Team (START) of the police department. As of Monday morning, no enforcement had been taken. Anyone with information about this crash is urged to contact the police department at (860) 584-3035.
↧
Town announces Labor Day closures
The Municipal Center, Library and Senior Center will be closed Monday, Sept. 2 in observance of Labor Day. All municipal offices will open again on Tuesday, Sept. 3. The weekly refuse collection be delayed one day for the entire week.
↧
Downtown McD’s grand opening Thursday; meal specials to celebrate
The McDonald’s of Bristol is inviting the community to celebrate the Grand Opening of its new restaurant located at 150 North Main St. in Bristol on Thursday, Aug. 29. As part of the celebration, McDonald’s Owner/Operator Joe Rodriguez and the mayor of Bristol, Arthur Ward, will conduct a ribbon cutting ceremony at 5 p.m. Enjoy food, fun, and music all day with Ronald McDonald in attendance from 4 to to 6 p.m., as well as a balloon artist for the children; 99 cent Big Mac sandwich specials; and radio stations La Bomba and La Puertoriquenisima in house at lunch and dinner times, respectively. The first 100 guests to arrive between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. will receive a free Big Mac each month, for a year. Through August 31, menu specials include (at this location only): Tuesdays: 99 cent Filet-O-Fish Sandwich Wednesdays: 79 cent Cheeseburger Thursdays: 99 cent Big Mac® Sandwich Fridays: 99 cent Small Cherry Berry Chiller or Frozen Strawberry Lemonade Saturdays: 99 cent Hotcakes (breakfast hours only) McFamily Nights, Sunday to Wednesday, 5 to 7 p.m.: $2.99 Happy Meal® & Free Kids Activities $5 Super Deal: Choose from Big Mac, Filet-O-Fish, Quarter Pounder with Cheese or Premium McWrap. [...]
↧
Looking ahead, weather-wise, to the three-day weekend
As plans are made for the upcoming Labor Day weekend, the traditional end of summer, Accuweather says the weather will be conducive to a slew of activities but thunderstorms could pop up here and there. Northeast Labor Day Weekend: Warmth, Storms State College, Pa. — 28 August 2013 – AccuWeather.com reports the weather this Labor Day weekend in the Northeast will feel warmer than some days during the first part of the summer, but it won’t be as hot or as sunny as the middle of July. High temperatures will be well into the 80s from New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New Jersey. Temperatures will peak close to 90 in parts of Ohio, Maryland, Virginia and Delaware. In much of New England, highs will be in the 70s to lower 80s. During the middle of July, high temperatures in many areas soared well into the 90s. The weather most of the time this weekend will be fine for outdoor plans ranging from swimming, camping and boating to amusement parks, ball games and outings. However, with the warm and humid conditions will come cloudy intervals and the risk of a few thunderstorms. There [...]
↧
↧
Looking ahead, weather-wise, to the three-day weekend
As plans are made for the upcoming Labor Day weekend, the traditional end of summer, Accuweather says the weather will be conducive to a slew of activities but thunderstorms could pop up here and there. Northeast Labor Day Weekend: Warmth, Storms State College, Pa. — 28 August 2013 – AccuWeather.com reports the weather this Labor Day weekend in the Northeast will feel warmer than some days during the first part of the summer, but it won’t be as hot or as sunny as the middle of July. High temperatures will be well into the 80s from New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New Jersey. Temperatures will peak close to 90 in parts of Ohio, Maryland, Virginia and Delaware. In much of New England, highs will be in the 70s to lower 80s. During the middle of July, high temperatures in many areas soared well into the 90s. The weather most of the time this weekend will be fine for outdoor plans ranging from swimming, camping and boating to amusement parks, ball games and outings. However, with the warm and humid conditions will come cloudy intervals and the risk of a few thunderstorms. There [...]
↧
Teachers prep for the new school year
By Lisa Capobianco Staff Writer Faculty and staff members of the Southington school district kicked off the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year with a theme of “many firsts” and “change” on Monday. Assistant Superintendent Karen Smith, along with board members and other educators, recognized this theme throughout the celebration by welcoming more than 50 new staff members and recognizing the first full-day kindergarten program along with the implementation of the new Smarter Balanced Assessment tests that are aligned with the new Common Core State Standards. “It is the year of many firsts,” Smith said. “For some this is the first year teaching… [and] it is the first year for many new initiatives.” Board of Education Chairman Brian Goralski expressed his appreciation for the role that educators play in these new initiatives. “Year after year, change is a real part of education,” Goralski said. “Change is what prepares our kids for the future.” This year’s event also featured a video that highlighted a new initiative: Virtual STEM University, a web-based educational resource that focuses on science, technology, engineering and math. Southington Education Foundation (SEF) Chair Dawn Miceli, along with faculty members and students, played different roles in the video, explaining [...]
↧
First rule: Have fun; Kenny Hill Jr Memorial Tennis Tourney has become a summer staple
By John Goralski Sports Writer For more than three hours, Lady Knight tennis coach Robin Thompson proved that her lessons at varsity practices are more than just words. On Sunday, Aug. 25, the high school coach partnered with a friend to push a pair of high school players to three sets and a tie breaker before losing in the finals of the women’s doubles brackets at the Kenny Hill Jr Memorial Tennis Tournament. She was finally toppled, but the coach out-lasted at least four of her former and present players. How would you like to answer for that during next spring’s preseason practices? “She really went toe-to-toe with some young ladies, and they really came close to winning it,” said tournament director Ken Hill Sr. “Every point was a long point because the ball just kept going back and forth. There were a lot of great shots, and it seemed like they just didn’t want the game to end.” For Hill, the varsity coach’s run to the finals was a perfect example of what the annual tournament is designed to accomplish. As one of the final tennis events before classes begin this fall, it is designed to be competitive. But [...]
↧