Groton Times

FHS Class of 2009 Moves On

Interactive Desk — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:14:42 GMT

On June 19, 348 students graduated from Robert E. Fitch High School. This year’s commencement marked Fitch Principal Robert Bacewicz’s retirement after more than 30 years as a FHS educator.

Fitch High School Honor Roll: Fourth Marking Period

Interactive Desk — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:12:02 GMT

Grade 12

High Honors: Erica Antoine, Jori Arzoumanian, Isia Atkinson,Thomas Balestracci, Ashley Barber, Colton Barber, Jaya Batra, April Beckman, Elizabeth Behr, Justin Benavidez, Kayla Bidstrup, Alexandra Black, Alexandre Bonnassieux, Janice Brewer, Jocelyn Brown, Marissa Brown, Jared Burgess, Kelsey Butta, Kevin Carlow, Chelsea Chamberlain, Benjamin Chin, Gregory Conant, Kyra Conyers, Erik Crouch, Cristito Cruz, Shivani Desai, Alicia DeSena, Rebecca Dowd, Brittany Duclos, Allison Dyakiw,Victoria Elder, Casey Finn, Chelsea Fogarty, Megan Freeman, Ashley Gallagher, Rebecca Harms, David Herod, Shalese Hodges, Luke Hunter, Samantha Innaurato, Rosalina Iott, Matthew Jackson, Mark Jens, Heather Johnson, Ariel Kent, Amber Kisinger, James Kocan, Addison Koelle, Catherine Kolnaski, Kelsey Lee, John Leese, Jeffrey Li, Caroline Littlewood, Ahmed Mansour, Aaron Joseph Manuel, Kristoffer Mapili, Amy Maury, Jason Medeiros, Kaitlin Merrow, Elizabeth Mewha, Zachary Milner, Katelyn Morrell, Zachary Mosch, Drake Myers, Brianna Nadeau, Jonathan Paquette, Jinal Patel, Courtney Penman Jake Perrotta, Alexis Peters, Rebecca Plungis, Joshua Porizky, Victoria Porter, Stacy Pouliot, Emily Powden, Ariana Quinn, Seumas Quinn, William Reed, Megan Robinson, Amanda Sager, Alexander Sanchez, Brenna Sansom Alexia Santana, Christopher Schlimgen, Tiarra Shafer, Kendra Shuck Lindsey Slawson, Syquan Smith, Deanna Stocker, Anthony Tadros, Anthony Tedeschi, Mariah Thomas, Megan Thompson, Anne Thorndike, Jessica Torgersen, Jessica Trejo, Anthony Turgeon, Jose Vega, Veronica Maye Ventura, Jenna Walz, Kristen Wheeler, Philip Williams, Nicole Zebrowski, Jamie Zheng

Honors: Diego Aguilar, Monica Allen, Montana Allen, Temperance Banks, Francis Barlan, Marco Benitez, Melissa Bidstrup, Lucas Bolduc, Hayley Bond, Nichole Bowski, Grover Bressert, Amanda Bright, Brittany Burgess, Michael Burke, Jeffrey Butler, Nicholas Carter, Samuel Cebriwsky, Kaitlin Cedio, Emily Cichon, Patricia Clark, Holly Coleman, Arielle Cooper, Amanda Cordeiro, Bethany Croxton, Jason Dariano, Marc de Labry, Phillip de Labry, Steven Deane-Shinbrot, Michael Densmore, Alicia Domina, Matthew Dragon, Zachary Drake, Whitney Dunning, Kirsten Edwards, Alesha Fahrenholz, Michael Farnsworth, Christine Fisher, Gregory Fitzmorris, Devyn Frank, Christopher Furlong, Peter Ganacoplos, Shanequa Gaston, Kyle Gaudet, Lauren Giles, Tieraney Gist, Fantashia Gordon, Alexander Halperin, Gage Hathaway, Alexandria Hellwig, Janine Henry, Katia Herrera, Ade Heyward, Zachary Houle, Tiffany House, Colton Jenkins, Jade Johnson, Angel Jordan, Erik Kallinen, Amanda Kearns William Kerr, Shan Khan, Kaley Kokomoor, Jennifer Lee, Leah Lopes, Joshua Lopez, Adrianna Lublin, Jeffrey Lyon, Robert Martin, Tyler McCarthy, Cassondra McElroy, Maxx McLaughlin, Samuel Miller, Bryan Mitchell, Iesha Mosley, Michael Muehe, Deral Murrie, Matthew Neigel,Emily Nelson, Bethany Nott, Mhari O’Donnell, Bethany Paige, Bret Pangelinan, Nina Perez, Treavor Phillips, Daniel Quinones, Ashley Rafferty, Mafe Rato, Megan Roberts, Dianna Robinson, Benjamin Rovero, Lauren Rugh, Cayla Sampson, Elizabeth Sandulli, Desirae Santos, Katie Smith, Shelby Smith, Katherine Stack, Samantha Stitz-Galvan, Ryan Stokes, Alexander Teixeira, Louis Venditti, Mallory Voland, Brianna Wallace, Jacob Walters, Hannah Watson, Courtney Weber, Leorah Weiss-Newall, Douglass Whipple, Derrick Whittemore, Olivia Whittle, Joseph Wickham, David Wiglusz, Michael Wisniewski

Grade 11

High Honors: Jessica Arnold, Veronica Bacong, Robert Bitner, Olivia Bonner, Brittany Bousquet, Collin Brown, Sara Burns, Chelsea Cannon, Destinee Carter Jennifer Chan, Kevin Chan, Samuel Chomet, Aaron Clark, Katrina Cordeiro Coleen Cranfill, Morgan Davis, Rachael Dempsey, Emmett Dignan, Lindsay Dion, Joseph Doner, Colton Drain, David Estep, Eleanor Etienne, Marisa Evans, Christopher Ferrand, Stephanie Filippetti, Raysa Florentino Alyssa Gibeault, Sophia Gipstein, Caitlin Haggerty, Amanda Haluga, Kevin Harris, Cassandra Hill, Briana Hodge, Joshua Hohlfelder, David Hooper, Shanelle Houser, Elizabeth Jay, Jessica Johnson, Raquel Johnson, Katelynn Kennison, Henry Kietzman, Nanda Kommineni, Mitchell Lounsbury, Marissa Lowe Abigail Lowry, Raymond Luong, Amelia Lusk, Cassandra Mancini, Ana Lucia Martinez, Kylie Martinod, Jeffrey Matzdorff, Molly McKenna, Janelle Medeiros Amanda Micklus, Evan Mitchell, Karissa Morrissey, Paige Neve, Courtney O’Hara, Robert Okerblom, Jashira Pagan, Nikita Patel, Tushar Patel, Robert Perry-Crawford III, Kathy Philangam, Kathryn Pochal, Gregory Porter, John Pothier, Karley Ray, Sarah Riggins, Alexandra Rogers, Thomas Rowland, Loryn Sauerbrei, Tiffany Shen, James Shirvell, Abby Singer, Kamee Smith, Tyler St. Louis, Emily Story, Adelaide Taylor, Charles Thieme, Leslie Ann Vino, Alexander Vivenzio, William Wang, Paul Wildenhain, Lindsay Wilson, Lauren Windham

Honors: Diego Adrianzen Rijavec, Betsy Andramuno, Marcos Andramuno, Mariasabina Arias, Michael Arnold, Gabriella Arroyo, Amanda Atad, Axel Jon Atad Jasmine Barber-Decosta, James Beard, Brianna Behrens, Alivia Berg Cassandra Bertrand, Judy Bolanos, Michael Bond, Dashon Charles, Brandie Chestnut, Alex Clark, Ryland Costello, Christopher Crooker, Elizabeth Cruthers, Aaron Dean, Erica Delage, Tyler Delaporta, Audrey Devaux, Julianne DiCarlo, Lindsay Drake, Tyler Duplin, Al Jerome Duyan, Leecy Espinal, Adam Fletcher, Jordan Fortner, Jamal France, Amanda Furlong Francesca Gaudio, Melanie George, Taylor Gibeault, Elizabeth Gonzales Jonathan Gonzalez, Kevin Grant, Evan Grasser, Dylan Hall, Ellie Hall Christopher Hampton, Tawnie Hespeler, Michael Hunter, Lloyd Jackson, Amanda Jengo, Sarah Johnson, Rannessica Jones, Deepanvith Kanagala, Nicholas Kennedy, Kaitlyn King, Rachael Kokomoor, Alex Korpita, Eden Kuflik, Rachel Kuhn, Jake Lindy, Ryan Ludlam, Arthur Manahan, Ola Mansour, Aryanna Marques, Jivantika Mistry, Barbara Moffett Richard Monroe, Corina Morel, Devon Morris, Tiffany Mosley, Chelsea Murallo, Lauren Nolan, Madelaine O’Brien, Margaret O’Brien, Dixitkumar Patel Rory Petersen, Noelle Pollard, Stefani Pruitt, Angelina Quinn, Jaslyn Reels Kelsey Robinson, Tonisa Robinson, Thomas Russel, Berna Sahin, Adreanna Santana, Krista Scelza, Angel Segarra, Trisha Shah, Kevin Shepherd, Edward Shiffer, Danielle Small, Christopher Smarz, Dimitri Smith, Haley Smith Peter Soeller, Ariel Sullivan, Christopher Summers, Britney Taylor, Kristin Tenety, Jordan Tetlow, Kristy Toledo-Quinones, Tyler Underwood, Krishna Vanswala, Janelin Vasquez, Ashley Vivenzio, Philip Wall, Robert Westhaver, Tiara White, Tymeisha Williams, Bridget Wilson, Darren Young, Olivia Zamzes, Justin Zinewicz

Grade 10

High Honors: Kenneth Aanensen, MacKenzie Antoch, Jaya Bokhiria, Samantha Brodnicki, Meghan Brown, Avery Clark, Jake Clark, Kelsey Conahan, Kelly Czapek Hannah Damon, Cassandra DeCourcey, Keely Dennis, Gabrielle Dimaapi, William Dixon, Alma Doran, Toby-Lian Edovas, Jesse Edwards, Daniel Flynn Kaitlyn Gallagher, Stephanie Gerald, Daniel Gleisinger, Cameron Gonzalez, Kristin Hakenjos, Taryn Haller, Jamie Hallissey, Nathaniel Hohlfelder Matthew Houser, Tyler Jamon, Alexxus Johnson-Miller, Avery Kelley, Samantha Kiely, Abraham Kwok, Qusaun Lea, Kelly LeBlanc, Aisha Lee, Nicoli Macaluso, Venus Nicolas, Jemma O’Donnell, Jessica O’Grady, Griffin O’Neill, Aarsh Patel, Kristina Pombrio, Natasha Reinhart, Alexandra Rogan, Jessica Scarbrough, George Scarles, Jacob Schneider, Ava Sisson, Sydney Souder, Jordan Spellman, Victoria Stevens, Franklyn Stitz-Galvan, Nikola Strakova, Emma Sutphen, Teagan Swanson, Amy Teixeira, Brenna Terry, Caroline Thompson, Emily Thompson, Jack Tompkins, Brianna Turgeon, Megan Turley, Dominick Twitty, Alyssa Uvero, Desiree Vandine, Julia Vitale, Lauren Weaver, Surachat Yavirach

Honors: Matthew Adler, Sandra Albus, Sarah Albus, Sandra Anderson, Jenna Arzoumanian, Richard Aspinwall, Samantha Beebe, Jessica Benavidez, Ashley Bickel, Sarah Blaisdell, Taylor Britt, Taquan Brown, William Ceddia, Marissa Chapman, Breeanna Chesnut, Aylssa Cline, Heather Coleman, James Cook, Jordan Cook, Michael Dane, Tylor Domina, Drew Doyle, Joshua Dull, Jenna Emerson, Annaliisa Erickson, Kelly Evans, Albrianna Farnum, Matthew Francis, Michael Frazzo, Gabriel Gonzales, Christopher Gunning Amanda Hatch, Casey Hietala, Rachel Hume, Briana Hunter, Chase Hutchinson, Neariah Jarvis, Melenda Jean, Richard Johnson, John Joyner, Andrew Kaylor, Scott Kistner, Brooke Knobloch, Ottavia Knox, Liza Lamperelli, Mason Leonard, Anthony Lopez-Otero, Rameldy Lora, Colleen Lunney, Herson Martinez, Lucas McDowell, Lauren McGrade, Sean McKay, Maribel Mejias, Cameron Mills, Emily Milner, Erica Moon, Emily Morgera, Tiara-May Moyer, Matthew Myles, Jean-Claude Nicolas, Taylor Noel, Beau O’Brien, Brianna O’Grady, Byran Pitts, Kaitlyn Powers, Tyler Qualley, Randal Richardson, Jacob Ricker, Samantha Ruma, Stephanie Rush, Matthew Savona, Melissa Scarbrough, Allison Schilling, Brielle Shinn, Jocelyn Smith, Warren Smith, Irene Spanos, Jesse Steele, William Stocker Carla Stoddard, Courtney Tatro, Adante Thornton, Jamie Tobey, Destinee Torres, Ana-Marie Tramont, Megan Trask, Elizabeth Tuazon, Thomas Umrysz, Eryl Kenn Victorino, Joseph Walz, Seamus Ward, Luke Watson, Chance Wilson, Tayler Wohlleben, Heaven Woodhall, Lori Zelvin, Jeffrey Zeppieri, Jessica Zod

Grade 9

High Honors: Ryley Alger-Hempstead, Miguel Asuncion, Oliver Auerbach, Kelsey Berry, Jayesh Bokhiria, Elizabeth Brayman, Catarina Broccoli, Erik Brown, Allison Burke, Merisha Burton, Katherine Chirillo, Amanda Clarke, Katie Cole, John Coleman, Johnathan Conley, Alyssa Delaporta, Benjamin Dinovelli, Michael Donnel, Conor Doyle, Samantha Elliott, Timothy Entwistle, Stephanie Filosa, Randall Fitzmorris, Madison Fortner, Matthew Gentry, Nicholas Graning, Joseph Grant, Joan Haling, Michael Hammond, Michael Han, Renee Harms, Natasha Hart, Anna Hermann, Amy Hernandez, Alison Herod, Garrett Hodgdon, Andrew Johnson, Savanna Johnson, Katelyn Kelly, Tiffany Kernen, Tiera Lanford, Alyssa Lewis, Andrew Lewis, Matthew Lewis, Marissa Little, Craig Manahan, Cheyenne Manchester, Emily Mansfield, Bryan Mattison, Julia McKenna, Grayson Merriman, Dorothy Miller, Mitchell Miller, Tabitha Miller, Zachary Nado, Elizabeth Nolan, Alison Nowak, Seamus O’Brien, Fiona O’Donnell, Lauren Pernestti, Nicholas Perrotta, Joshua Poirier, Sarah Pruitt, Renato Ramos, Sydney Roper, Nishant Sahoo, Cali Salvatore, Kelsie Sampson, Tulsa Scott, Anthony Sisson, Zachary Slagle, Christopher Small, Kieron Smith, Rebecca Stark, Brooke Startz, Marissa Steel, Erica Strickland, Maria Tompkins, Kristin Valdez, Samuel Watson, Jacob Westervelt, Joshua Whitney, Zachary Wolfgang, Zoe Yopp, Charles Young

Honors: Anthony Ah-mu, Erika Ahern, Jay Alvaran, Kelsey Armstrong, Stephanie Ayala, Jody Beckford, Melissa Beglau, Collin Bennett, Ashley Benoit, Bianca Marie Bolado, Erin Bridgman, Maura Brown, Marissa Buckley, Samuel Chapple, Dominique Chojnowski, Valasity Cintron, Kailee Clarke, Amanda Collins, J Correira, Olivia Cortese, Christopher Corum-Giles, Rafael Crisostomo, Drew Denno, Aunisha Dillon, Zachary Dunn, Aileene Duyan, Hunter Edwards, Sarah Ellery, Katherine Farnsworth, Corey Fournier, Felicia Francalangia, Ryan Frank, Robert Furlotte, Karlie Gaston, Shelby Gregson, Genesis Guzman Martinez, Stephanie Hahn, David Hall, Ryan Halperin, Sapphire Hanif, Gregory Hnat, Constance Hobbs, Eric Hughes Patrick Jackson, Jacob Jimenez, Patrick Kearns, Sarosh Khatib, Jennifer Kocan, Rachel Lastes, Brandy LeClair, Taylor Lewerk, Chloe Liston Courtney Littlewood, Jacqueline Lockett, Alexandra Lublin, Michael Lussier, Khristina Malloy, Tyler Martin, Jordan Maynard, Jordan McCoy, Kyle Mcleod, Jason Melendez, Jacob Merrow, Lindsey Merrow, Jonathan Mewha Shane Miller, Leyanna Minnis, Rebecca Morrell, Shawn Nadeau, Kevin Nicolas, Alexander Olendorf, Elizabeth Osborn, Gareth Pacis, Deep Patel, Niral Patel, Vishal Patel, Olivia Pentell, Leona Phlegar, Samantha Pickard, Charles Pollard, Jennifer Purdon, Torin Quinn, Harrison Reichard, Rebecca Reinhard, Alivia Royal, Erick Sauerbrei, Stefani Segura, Rina Shah, Stephanie Shirvell, Caitlin Shroyer, Douglas Singer, Katie Sizer, Nicholas Smith, Ellen Springsteel,
Matthew Stevens, Toria Strickland, Colin Strunk, Samuel Sutton, Charlene Swink, Adam Teixeira, LaShawna Thompson, Bridget Thomson, Jennifer Walsh, Sarah Walters, Richard Westhaver,
Cody Wheeler, Meredith Zamzes, Benny Zheng

LETTER TO THE EDITOR ~ A Great Night for High School Theater

Interactive Desk — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:15:29 GMT

To the Editor:

It was an honor to serve as ceremony awards hostess for the first annual Connecticut High School Music Theater Awards. The great effort and time put into the making of this gala event sponsored by The Spirit of Broadway Theater in Norwich, under the direction of Brett Bernardini and hosted by the prestigious Garde Art’s Center in New London, was extraordinary! All actors, singers, and dancers worked really hard to make their own production shine. Each performance had a unique twist, whether it was humor, costume design, or story-line.

Fourteen Connecticut area schools participated in this event. The evening was filled with nominees performing their school’s productions of Broadway shows, such as “Mame,” “Hello Dolly,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “My Favorite Year,” “Smile,” “Fiddler On the Roof,” “Into the Woods,” “Guys and Dolls,” and “The Wiz.”

This evening was, in essence, the Tony Awards for Connecticut high school drama departments. It was wonderful to see all the talent we have in our high schools. There were many opportunities to receive awards, and many different categories in which to earn them. In the end “Thoroughly Modern Millie” of Ridgefield High School took home the prize with outstanding male and female actor, as well as Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical. This event was history in the making!

Olivia Pentell,
Groton

With a Little Help from her Friends: Three households later, Groton teen beats the odds

Interactive Desk — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:16:39 GMT

By Katie Warchut, Staff Writer:

It's a fleeting fantasy of many teenagers to be able to live without parents’ rules.

But when Robert E. Fitch High School senior Amy Maury found herself living on her own, she learned that freedom can be much harder than it may seem.

Maury grew up in Groton, living with her family in her grandmother’s house. When she turned 14, her grandfather got sick and her grandmother had to sell the house, she said.

Her parents moved to New London and struggled a bit, living on their own for the first time, she said.

Maury didn’t want to go to New London High School, so she decided to live with friends. The only problem was, she didn’t always make it to school.

“I didn’t get credit for the first semester because I was absent too much,” Maury said.

The friend she was living with then got suspended and Maury had to leave the house. The next girl she lived with was out of school, and would tell her, “You don’t need to go to school. Come to the beach!” Maury said.

She missed the whole month of May and didn’t get credit for the second semester either.

She’s not sure where it came from, but Maury soon decided, “This is serious now.”

She said she didn’t want to follow in the footsteps of her older brother, who never finished high school. She looked up to her aunt who had gone to college and still plays an important role in her life.

“I didn’t have the parents to be, like, ‘You’re grounded,’” Maury said. “I could be such a bad kid right now.”

But fortunately for her future, she met the Barkers.

She became close with Melissa Barker and began to spend a lot of time at her house.

“They knew the situation and said I could stay there,” Maury said. “It was amazing.”

She’s been there three years now. She has her own room and considers Melissa and Melissa’s three sisters her own sisters. She refers to Jackie and Glen Barker as “mom” and “dad.”

“We have four daughters anyway, so what was one more?” Jackie said. “She didn’t take long to become part of the family.”

“She’s so driven,” Jackie said. “My kids have learned a lot from her. A lot of kids have a lot to learn from her.”

Despite missing a year of school, Maury was still able to earn enough high school credits to graduate later this month.

She works five days a week at Stop & Shop to pay for her gym membership and phone bill.

“Budgeting is hard,” she said. “Some weeks you just don’t have money.”

She was accepted into a medical assistant program at New England Tech, where she will receive the maximum amount allowed for financial aid. She took out two loans and earned another $5,000 scholarship from Liberty Bank.

She’s not so into the “blood and guts,” but Jackie Barker is a nurse and Maury said there’s always a need for medical positions.

Maury sees her own parents on occasion. However, experience has taught her to support herself.

“I don’t have to go to school, I just do,” she said. “I make my own decisions.”

She said she’s lucky that she’s “always been accepted everywhere.”

”I can’t thank people enough,” Maury said.

The Grasso Technical High School Class of 2009

Interactive Desk — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:15:47 GMT

Jonathan Joseph Adcock, Ivan Alcantara, Brittani Mitchele Algarin, Robert W. Allen, Alexandra Natalie Alves, Chad Vincent Baker, Giovanni Banks, Dylan Hadley Barnhill, Manousca Beausejour, Samantha Lynn Berthod, Jazzmin Alyzabeth Best, Justin Daniel Blanchette, Chelsea Elaine Boudah, Sade Rose Boyd, Lorena Bracamonte, Eric Austin Brodin, Jazmin Monique Brown, Lindsey Brown, Brenton Noel Brozyna, Michael James Burgess, Rodrigo Andres Cabello, Joel Charles Cardona, Karissa Ruiz Carrion, Matthew Robert Casella, Melissa Maria Castillo, Raven Ashley Clarke, Joseph Anthony Claudio, Jesse Timothy Corcoran, Daniel A. Cornish, Amy M. Cruz, Jessica Lynn Culbusky, Juan Carlos Davis, Shauna Estelle Delmage, Shawn Niles Deveau, Katie Elizabeth Dimaggio, James DiPaola, Jordan Elaine Dipollina, Naudy Emmanuel Disla, Patrick Anthony Donovan, David Michael Dove, Wilfredis Duartes, Zachary Fabre, Kyle Christopher Farrell, Rosalin Fernandez, Brian Newton Forsyth, Kendra Leigh-Ann Fournier, Kaitlyn Fouse, Abimael Garcia Rosado, Chad Anthony Gardiner, Robert Thomas Giangrasso, Joseph Keegan Godin, Maria Eugenia Gonzalez, Alexandra Guzman, Jose Angel Guzman, Michael Timothy Hall, Daniel Vernon Harris III, Eric Christopher Haskins, Kristy Lee Haslip, Eric Hunter Hayden, Thaler Joseph Hefel, Kyrsten Mae Heffernan, James William Heikkinen, Deidre Lyn Herdman, Eiryn Lisabeth Hernandez, Felicia Helena Herren, Raymond Robert Houle, Michael William Irvin, Lukas Jay Jaglowski, Christopher G. James, Abdul Johnson, Mahogany Vera Johnson, Aykurt John Kalican, Dustin Michael Klein, Morgan Brittany Klewin, Joseph Knapp, Jesse Thomas Konakowitz, William Thomas Kotecki, Joshua Jordan Krepcio, Alan Everett Ladd, Adam Daniel Lagace, Marc Steven Lamoureux, Chris Langella, Maggie Jane Lanphere, Jeremy Michael Larson, Justin Micheal Lawton, Steven E. Luce, Branden Nelson Lyon, Megan Marie Maldonado, Charles Richard Malloy, Jasper Robert Marshall III, Seth Andrew Matteson, Jessica Rose McArdle, Christopher Ryan McMechen, Ryan Michael Meakem, Wyatt James Metayer, Paul Arthur Mineau Jr., Brandon Richard Miner, Travis Noel Joseph Moody, Denise Marie Morales, Lucas Ryan-Cooper Mordick, Benjamin Justin Morris, James Nevada Nelson, Morgan Angela Newlin, Cristina Oliver-Garcia, Ian Michael Ouellette, Christopher Pancaro, Claudia Vee Papadopoulos, Matthew Ryan Paul, Nickelous George Pauly, Danielle Quann Permenter, Jonathan Daniel Perry, Jason James Poirier, Collin E. Potter, Kyle M. Purcell, Gesset Ramirez, Dwight Steven Ramos, Brandon Michael Rezendes, Tina Riddick, Amanda Iris Rios, Jasmine Simone Rivera, Armando Javier Rodriguez, Jennifer Marie Rogers, Ethan Mark Rohrberg, Anthony C. Rollins, Zachary Jordan Rouisse, Taylor Michael Salva, Todd James Sanquedolce, Sabrina Jade Santiago, Nicholas Aaron Sautter, Jose Miguel Serrano, Mohini Rakesh Shah, Bryant William Shea, Jeffrey James Smith, Joseph Anthony Smith, Rebecca S. Smith, Justin Michael Stanley, Andrew James Storen, Katherine Renee Strickland, Gregory Paul Sugar, Kramer Ryan Sullivan, Jaleesa Marie Sutton, Aisha Kamae Taylor, Domonique Du’shon Taylor, Isaiah W. Terry, Michelle Marie Torres, Tatiana Marie Torres, Leslie Ann Torruella, Luisa Magdalena Vasquez, Isaac Todd Watson, Jessica Lin Watson, Charles Williams, Shayla LaCole Williams, Raymond Joseph Woodward

Graduate list courtesy of Grasso Tech.

Sacred Heart School Honor Roll

Interactive Desk — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:34:40 GMT

Third marking period:

Grade 6

High Honors: Megan Bosetti, Briana Kleiner, Joseph Warmus, Martin Wolk

Honors: Michelle Chapman, Sofie Clark, Shannon Forrester, Celine Harris, Elizabeth Jennerwein, Francesca Matira, Elizabeth McCarthy

Grade 7

Honors: Bea Asuncion, Justin Bell, Brigid Horan, Xavier Mills, Andy Thomasco

RISEN Program Honors: Mark O’Friel

Grade 8

High Honors: Justin Cavitt, Julia Scott

Honors: Kaitlin Bosetti, Claire Bowdy, Victor Calle, Joseph Granatosky, Meredith Haluga, Dominic Jengo, Katherine McCarthy, Iesha Preston

Stonington Historical Society Launches Music at The Lighthouse

Interactive Desk — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:11:47 GMT

By Amy J. Barry, Special to the Times:

Local history and local music meld in Music at The Lighthouse, a new series of outdoor concerts produced by the Stonington Historical Society (SHS). The concerts will take place at the Old Lighthouse Museum overlooking Fishers Island Sound in Stonington Borough.

This summer’s concerts will kick off on July 5 with “Broadway Favorites” by Salt Marsh Opera and continue on Aug. 9 with Ross Tucker’s Hot Cat Jazz Band performing as part of the town’s annual Battle of Stonington Celebration (commemorating the Battle of 1814).

“The mission of the historical society is to try and communicate something about the history of Stonington to residents and visitors,” says Meredith Brown, president of SHS. “We’re always excited to have a chance to work with other organizations in the community like Salt Marsh Opera and do music at the Old Lighthouse Museum.”

Brown says he hopes this will be the first of many such seasons and that the series grows to three concerts in subsequent summers.

“It should be fun for people attending in the neighborhood and will also attract people in Southern Rhode Island and New London County in the summertime,” says Brown. “How bad is it to sit outside at a historic lighthouse and look at three states and have something to eat and drink while hearing spectacular music?”

Salt Marsh Opera Sings Broadway

The July 5 performance will feature star singers chosen by audition and accompanied on piano by Simon Holt, Salt Marsh Opera’s artistic director.

The opera company will sing a variety of favorite Broadway show music, performed as arias, duets, and trios by soprano Sarah Callinan, tenor Brian Cheney, and baritone Douglas Jabara—all professional singers with opera companies throughout the U.S.

“I love the fact that two non-profits in the same town are doing this event,” says Holt. “It’s unusual for a historical society to have a performing arts group, and Salt Marsh Opera was the first organization to be approached to help SHS launch the series, which is great.”

Holt is enthusiastic about the singers who will perform in the concert.

He explains that Callinan is new to Salt Marsh Opera although she has sung quite a bit in the local area.

“She’s a wonderful singer,” Holt says. “We found her this spring in auditions in New York. She sang with Connecticut Opera and she’s been involved in Opera Express—educating students about opera.”

Cheney sang with Salt Marsh Opera in “Mikado,” “La Traviata,” and, more recently, “Lucia di Lammermoor” at Ivoryton Playhouse. Jabara, who has also sung with the company, has crossed over, Holt says, from classical music, including opera, to musical theater. He’s currently in “Les Miserables” on Broadway.

“One thing I’m pleased about,” Holt says, “is Salt Marsh ourselves is crossing over—showing our singers can do all genres, whether it’s classical or not.”

Hot Cat Jazz Sings Standards and More

The Aug. 9 concert stars Ross Tuckers’ Hot Cat Jazz Band of Wethersfield, which performs locally and all over Connecticut. The band’s repertoire includes swing standards of George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Duke Ellington; big band hits of Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, and Tommy Dorsey; popular songs from the 1920s; and New Orleans and Dixieland favorites. The band also performs classic rock and blues tunes from the 1950s to the present.

Tying in the Battle of Stonington Celebration, the event will include a viewing of items at the Old Lighthouse Museum, such as the coat worn by John Miner, a 19-year-old Stonington defender, and a Congreve rocket fired by the British attackers that was fished out of Stonington Harbor.

Tertius de Kay, a prolific writer of maritime history and a director of SHS, is slated to speak at the event.

Both concerts begin at 6 p.m. at the Old Lighthouse Museum on Water Street in Stonington Borough. Concertgoers are encouraged to come early and bring a blanket. Food and beverages by Coastal Gourmet will be for sale. Tickets are $12 at the Lighthouse gate. Advance tickets are $10 by calling 860-535-3456 or 860-535-8445, at the museum or at Tom’s News on Water Street. In event of rain, concerts will be held at Stonington Meadows, 769 Stonington Rd. (Route 1).

Gilmartin’s Sailing Passion Touches Many: Mystic River Mudhead skipper raises funds for hospice

Interactive Desk — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:01:16 GMT

By Larry Kelley, Special to the Times:

Though his resume suggests he’s a renaissance man, Greg Gilmartin prefers to label himself as a storyteller.

“I’m not sure what a renaissance man is,” Gilmartin said with a tinge of amusement. The Waterford resident currently owns MYS-TV Studios. His primary product is a promotional video of Mystic-area attractions available on local access channels in Mystic area hotel televisions.

“My profession is a creative one. I’ve been a storyteller, as a radio broadcaster, writing books, and now capturing and telling stories with the camera.”

He boasts experience in a wide range of subjects from theater to radio broadcasting to public address announcing for professional sports teams like the Hartford Whalers to magazine writing to television production to racing sailboats. The latter is the one passion, Gilmartin writes in his MYS-TV bio, in which he has yet to figure out how to make a great deal of money.

Gilmartin’s summer racing may not have coated his pockets, but as skipper at the Mystic River Mudheads Association sailing team, he has helped to raise nearly three quarters of a million dollars for various charities in the last 10 years. His latest charitable sailing endeavor was as skipper of Team Long Island at the 10th Annual Hospice National Championship Regatta on Lake Ontario in Rochester, N.Y., June 5 to 7. Team Long Island Sound finished 13th among 21 boats—23-foot sonars. Gilmartin was skipper with Frank Murphy, Ken Lane, and Skip Hoffman on board.

“It was great competition, tremendous fun, and we were treated royally,” Gilmartin said. “Teams from San Diego, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, and New York competed. It was top-notch sailing, nine races in all, and I was very impressed with the organization of the regatta.”

Gilmartin took mental notes on the organization because he will be in a leadership role at the 20th Annual Southeastern Connecticut Hospice Regatta July 18. The Mystic River Mudhead Association spearheads the regatta, which began as a one-day race out of Niantic Bay but has grown to a number of races throughout the area, including events at Stonington Dinghy Club, Niantic Bay, and Thames Yacht Club, allowing boats of all sizes and sailors of all ages to help raise money for Hospice of Southeastern CT.

Last year, more than 120 boats participated with at least 500 sailors in regattas ranging from Stonington to Niantic.

“It’s a great cause,” Gilmartin said. “I have many friends who have benefited from Hospice services. It’s amazing the quality of work that they do to provide care for human beings in their final days of life and help families deal with bereavement in the worst times of their lives.”

Gilmartin caught the sailing bug while working as an announcer for the Tampa Bay Rowdies North American Soccer League team in 1975.

“Friends had boats and I fooled around with small sunfish, started racing, and got my competitive spirit going,” Gilmartin said. “I moved back to New England and wanted to live in Mystic to be close to sailing, but I had the Hartford Whalers gig and a Hartford radio job for 17 years and lived in West Hartford.”

Gilmartin established himself in radio broadcasting, landing on WTIC in Hartford in 1977 with the legendary Bob Steele and Arnold Dean. He later embarked on a national sports talk show in the ’80s, where he said he lost the overnight audience ratings battle with Larry King, and worked promoting Ski Sundown among other creative communications jobs.

After summers of sailing with friends on Long Island Sound, Gilmartin knew his love of boats would eventually draw him to southeastern Connecticut. He loved the area so much he commuted from Mystic to Hartford for the Whalers’ last two seasons. He finally settled here in 1997 to co-found, with Larry Yakaitis, the MYS-TV Studios tourism hotel network. Now living in Waterford, Gilmartin begins his second year as sole MYS-TV owner and is branching out his video work to include sailing.

“I did a video promoting Off Soundings’ 75th anniversary,” Gilmartin said. “I made a few dollars mixing my passions of making movies and sailing.”

But few endeavors have rewarded Gilmartin as much as his sailing-driven charitable fundraising. This year, the Mudheads announced they will waive the traditional $75 entry fee for the Southeastern CT Hospice Regatta in a quest to draw more participants.

“The event comes from the heart,” Gilmartin said. “We’re in a position to waive the entry fee. The payoff is that we hope to increase the number of boats and give the participants the thought of, instead of paying the fee, perhaps they can raise funds to support Hospice.”

To make donations to hospice, e-mail Sally Halsey at shalsey@hospicesect.org.

Here’s a Scoop: Car Show at DQ

Interactive Desk — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:09:36 GMT

By Larry Kelley, Special to the Times:

Mike Mann works 40 hours at Groton Dairy Queen to earn a living. The 20-year-old’s real passion, however, is dabbling with classic cars either as a mechanic or simply as a fan.

“I drive a ’91 Toyota Supra,” said Mann, a Grasso Tech graduate whose trade was electronics. “I’m constantly working on performance upgrades. I just love being around older cars. I travel around to see a lot of classic car shows and really get into it.”

Matt Botchis, Dairy Queen’s manager, also shares a love of cars. Every three weeks, he hosts a classic car “meet” in Dairy Queen’s parking lot. Mann and fellow DQ employee Matt Salva, 19, eventually conceived an idea to produce a full-fledged car show and soon asked their boss for permission to promote first Groton Car Show June 28 from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Johnson’s True Value Hardware parking lot next to Dairy Queen.

“The ‘meets,’ which are like a miniature car show, have been successful, so I asked the boss if we could step it up and do something a little bigger,” Mann said. “He liked the idea, so I went for it.”

Mann has secured sponsorship from Dairy Queen, Swift Motorsports in Norwich, and Computer Gaming Arena in Groton. There is a $2 entry fee for spectators, and all proceeds will benefit the Groton Animal Shelter. Mann says plans for a local radio station to a live remote and provide music are in the works. Hot dogs, hamburgers, and, of course, Blizzards and traditional Dairy Queen fare will be available.

Cars will line up at 1 p.m. and gates will open at 2. Awards will be presented around 4 p.m. There will also be raffle prizes for the public.

“We have room for 35 cars, and it’s open to all cars, which should make for a pretty nice show,” Mann said. “We’ll have trophies and gift certificates for winners in Best Overall Car, Best Tuner, Best Muscle Car, Best Import, Best Restoration, and Best Hot Rod. The public also will be part of the judging panel, so everyone in attendance can have a say in the awards.”

Mann is optimistic the car show will turn into an annual event. Perhaps one year the event will rival the size and popularity of the Groton Business Association’s Classic Car show at Grasso Tech during the Groton Fall Festival (Oct. 10 this fall).

“If everything goes like it should for this first car show, we should be even bigger next year,” Mann said.

Take the Challenge: Charity bike ride to raise funds for local cancer center

Interactive Desk — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:50:23 GMT

By Chonel LaPorte, Times Intern:

In an effort to create a support system for cancer survivors across the state of Connecticut, the Connecticut Challenge is seeking volunteers from the region to ride their bikes to raise money.

The Connecticut Challenge is a charity bike ride that helps hospitals across the state create special programs to help cancer survivors. The organization, now in its fifth year, has raised more than $2 million since 2005 to improve the care of the 120,000 cancer survivors living in Connecticut. It helped open the first cancer survivor clinic at the Yale Cancer Center and supports similar programs at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford, St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, and Stamford Hospital.

“Now we need them established at other hospitals across the state,” said Bob Mazzone, Connecticut Challenge executive director. “There is no reason we can’t have these everywhere because they treat cancer patients everywhere.”

He said cancer survivors from the New London area have to drive long distances to get the support they need following treatment. The volunteers at the Connecticut Challenge hope to build a cancer survivor clinic at Lawrence & Memorial Hospital to make the transition from cancer patient to cancer survivor an easier one.

According to Mazzone, the survivorship programs improve the quality of life of cancer survivors through screenings for long-term health and psychological health effects from the disease and treatments.

Anyone able to ride a bike can help raise money to support cancer survivors by taking part in the challenge,which will be held on July 25 in Fairfield. Riders can register for a 12-, 25-, 50-, 75-, or 100-mile ride and raise funds from personal sponsors to support their efforts.

“It is really for anybody,” Mazzone said. “We’ve had kids as young as 8 and people as old as 72.”

Because there are cancer survivors everywhere, Mazzone wants volunteers from any community to help.

“We want people to get involved to support cancer survivors from every community,” he said.

To learn more about the event, visit www.ctchallenge.org.

A Star on and off the Court: Jonathan Barstow wins student essay contest

Interactive Desk — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:42:57 GMT

By Katie Warchut, Staff Writer:

When the Connecticut Sun put out the call for students to write an essay about who their favorite female athlete is and why, they may have expected to hear about women like Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman.

Hyman, who worked to achieve equality in women’s sports, was the inspiration for National Girls and Women in Sports Day, which in turn inspired the essay contest.

But contest winner Jonathan Barstow did not pick a famous female athlete, he chose his sister, Becky Barstow.

The Cutler Middle School student set the scene on a cold night in the Griswold High School gym, as the Fitch girls’ volleyball team battled for the ECC title.

“She would give it her all on the floor, for every ball that even seemed unreachable,” Barstow wrote. “Always trying to give her team the edge, she would focus on the good and never on the bad.”

He vividly describes Becky’s final serve for the title: “The serve was up, as the crowd was ready to swarm the players like vultures on mice. Griswold’s bump looked long, it landed out of bounds and the place went crazy! They had done it.”

“On the court Rebecca was fierce, but off the court she was something more important, caring,” Barstow wrote. “Not only did Becky have two younger siblings, she had a mother with lung cancer.”

Becky, the team’s co-captain, also known as BB, passed up opportunities to have fun with her friends to stay home and watch Jonathan and Christopher, and worked at Mystic Pizza to contribute income to the
family.

Sadly, Barstow’s mother passed away a short time after the Falcons’ big win. Becky, who now has two kids of her own, has stepped in as a mother figure to Jonathan.

“She is my favorite female athlete because she not only gives it her all on the court but also in life,” he wrote.

For the grand prize, Cutler received a visit from Sun player Lindsay Whalen at a schoolwide assembly honoring Jonathan. Whalen spoke about her favorite female athlete, Jennifer Capriati.

“An illness in the family has given her a ton of responsibility at a young age and I commend [Becky Barstow] for stepping up in a time of need,” Whalen said. “Jonathan was able to convey the kind of person his sister was throughout the entire essay.”

Teacher Leslie Forbes said the essay contest was a timely assignment for her class because they were discussing gender equality at the time.

The winner also was recognized at a Sun pre-season game, received four tickets to a pre-season game, received a basketball autographed by Sun players and coaches, and had the essay posted on connecticutsun.com.

Visit the ‘City of Thieves’ This Summer

Interactive Desk — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:41:19 GMT

By Katie Warchut, Staff Writer:

Groton Public Library’s “One Book, One Region” programs for 2009, based on the book “City of Thieves” by David Benioff, will begin July 8 and continue on Wednesday evenings throughout the summer.

The book is described as a coming of age story told against the backdrop of the siege of Leningrad during World War II.

All programs, which feature special speakers, films, book discussions, and a family scavenger hunt, begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

On July 8, Jane Seney, director of education at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum, will present an interactive lecture focusing on major Russian artists including Marc Chagall, El Lissitzky, and Kazimir Malevich. The lecture will include aspects of the artists’ biographies and will show how contemporary social and political events helped to shape their work.

Seney has taught art History at Emmanuel College and the University of New Hampshire and is currently a visiting lecturer at Connecticut College.

On July 15, Michael Spellmon, professional genealogist, will guide participants through the steps to reveal their family history in his presentation, “Immigration Genealogy.” The session will reveal ways to discover the story of ancestors through ship passenger lists, naturalization records, census records, and family correspondence.

On July 22, the film, “The Kite Runner” will be shown. Benioff also wrote the movie’s screenplay. Rated PG-13.

On July 29, families or other groups are invited to register a team of no more than five members for a library scavenger hunt. In “City of Thieves,” Kolya and Lev are searching for a dozen eggs; what will your team be asked to find? Refreshments and prizes will be provided for all participants. This program begins at 6:30 p.m.

On Aug. 5, the film “25th Hour,” based on one of Benioff’s earlier novels, will be shown. The movie is directed by Spike Lee and stars Edward Norton. Rated R.

On Aug. 12, local resident Nika Trumbull shares her love of modern-day St. Petersburg through photographs and memories of her hometown.

On Aug. 19, Marina Forbes presents “Personal Reflections: Surviving the Siege of Leningrad.” In this unique illustrated presentation, Forbes will offer a powerful and personal look at this unprecedented episode in Russian history. Forbes’ own mother was a teenager in Leningrad during the siege and worked to remove unexploded shells from the roof of one of the city’s major hospitals. She was a survivor of the siege, and for her heroism she was awarded the Medal for the Defense of Leningrad.

Over the past several years, Forbes has gathered a unique oral history from her mother and other siege survivors, detailing numerous personal anecdotes and observations about what life was like in Leningrad during the siege.

The final program on Aug. 26 is Susan Topping, instructor of humanities at Three Rivers Community College, leading a discussion of the book.

All programs are free and open to the public. Call the library at 441-6750 for more information.

Troop Outreach: Local Daisy troop donates girl scout cookies to military

Interactive Desk — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:40:08 GMT

By Jennifer Grogan, Staff Writer:

When Daisy troops sell cookies, they can choose a community organization and ask their customers if they want to purchase an additional box of cookies as a gift for that organization.

Senior centers, shelters, and local food pantries are typical benefactors of the cookie donations.

The girls in Daisy Troop 63128 gave their donated cookies to the U.S. military.

The seven girls involved in the troop’s inaugural year live in Navy housing in Groton. All are daughters of active-duty service members.

Madison’s father, Navy Lt. Larry Arbuckle, is one of the thousands of Navy officers and sailors who are aiding the Army and Marines by temporarily leaving their regular roles on ships and with shore commands to serve on the ground as “individual augmentees” in places like Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

When Arbuckle was home on leave, the girls gave him two cases of Girl Scout cookies to take back to Kuwait with him, to share with service members also stationed in Kuwait. Arbuckle is assigned to the Naval Submarine School.

“So they all can taste them,” Madison explained. “He really liked them, and I really love him. He’s my favorite dad.”

The Girl Scout Daisy program is for girls in kindergarten and first grade. The troops go on trips, learn about science and nature, and explore the arts and their communities.

When some of the mothers in Navy housing realized there was no nearby troop for their children to join, they decided to establish one.

“Girl Scouts is an important experience for girls,” said Paula Cabrera, the troop leader.

Word spread and girls began signing up.

Cabrera’s daughter, Maya, said she joined because “my mom was going to be the leader.”

“I like it because all my friends from school are in my troop,” said Maya, who goes to Charles Barnum Elementary School with the rest of the troop members.

Troop 63128 met in the community center at the Navy housing from September until early June, in keeping with the school year schedule, and plans to reconvene in the fall.

At the last meeting, the seven girls, Maya, Lylian, Emma, Haley, Savannah, Madison, and Molly, molded clay into portraits of themselves, and of their fellow troop members. Some were slightly more abstract, or Picasso-esque.

“It’s so much fun,” Molly said. “You get to decorate your own little person.”

“It’s really fun,” Emma said, of her Daisies experience. “I like my leader. I like everything.”

Immersed in Education: The Aqua Kids focus on protecting aquatic environments

Interactive Desk — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:38:37 GMT

By Katie Warchut, Staff Writer:

The group gathered on Project Oceanology’s EnviroLab boat are actors in a television show, but more importantly, they’re kids with a natural curiosity about marine life.

They asked how to tell a male from a female lobster, how females carry the eggs, and why lobsters from the ocean aren’t so red—all without following a script.

“If you have questions on camera, kids at home probably have the same questions,” explained host and associate producer Molly McKinney.

Known as the Aqua Kids, the group is featured in a television show by the same name, an educational series that airs locally on Saturday mornings.

In the Groton episode, Project O Director Thaxter Tewksbury explained that one can determine the sex of a lobster by the first pair of “swimmerettes” on its underside: females’ are soft and feathery and males’ are hard and bony.

The group hauled lobster traps up from the boat off the coast of Avery Point. They contained a female carrying eggs, attached to her swimmerettes. Tewskbury said lobsters are only red after they’re cooked, when proteins have been destroyed by the heat.

UConn-Avery Point professor David Avery also taught them about zooplankton.

Three cameramen and a sound technician recorded the lesson, interrupting periodically.

“I want somebody else to answer that,” said George A. Stover III, the show’s creator and producer, giving the other kids—James, Isabelle, Jillian, and Katie—a chance to have a line.

They have to cut when someone mentions Red Lobster— “We can’t say that,” Stover warns—and sometimes do a couple takes.

The group later filmed segments on horseshoe crabs and light in the ocean.

The idea for the show started in the 1990s, when Stover said he decided, “If we’re going to save the environment, we have to do it through children.”

The pilot, however, didn’t take off, nor did another attempt in 2000.

Five years later, interest suddenly surfaced, and Stover had to make seven episodes in eight days. With the help of a syndicator, the show can now be seen in most states.

Stover said he and his wife funded the show and spent a long time in debt, but are now starting to make money.

“It’s growing by leaps and bounds,” he said.

McKinney was just 9 years old when she first auditioned and is still with the show 13 years later, also serving as associate producer.

They film 26 episodes each year in various locations, with a varying cast of kids. They try to do the majority of their work during the summer so kids don’t have to miss much school. They always try to get one local kid to be an Aqua Kid.

“I feel most kids don’t know what’s in their own backyard,” Stover said.

In Groton, that kid was Katie Mulligan of Ivoryton, who had written an essay about the show. The local show was done in conjunction with Connecticut Sea Grant, Project Oceanology, and the UConn Department of Marine Sciences.

Kids who e-mail in their story about what they’re doing to preserve and protect the waters and the wildlife that lives there can be featured on the show.

McKinney also does presentations about the Aqua Kids and their efforts at schools.

For more information, visit www.aquakids.tv and www.planetaryresearch.org. Aqua Kids is locally shown at 8:30 a.m. on MyTV9.

Fitch High School Poet Scores in Connecticut Young Writer’s Competition

Interactive Desk — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:37:01 GMT

By Amy J. Barry, Special to the Times:

Writing is a lonely profession and one that comes without a lot of fanfare—unless you’re a best-selling author. And if you’re still a high school student, there aren’t a lot of venues that recognize your hard work and
creativity.

That’s why the annual Connecticut Young Writers Competition, sponsored by IMPAC and the Connecticut State University System—which has awarded teenage writers across the state with thousands of dollars in prizes for the past 12 years—is such an important program for aspiring young writers.

Jhyde Ryals, a senior at Groton’s Fitch Senior High School, was among 16 students selected as county winners out of 580 entries in the prose and poetry categories from Connecticut’s eight counties for her poem “To: Jhyde From: Daddy.”

Ryals and other county winners attended the annual awards celebration on May 31 at the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford.

Franz Douskey, a poet, essayist, and college professor, who judged the New London and Windham County poetry submissions, says Ryals’ poem “was above and beyond” the other entries he read.

Even though she didn’t win the top state prize, Douskey points out, “To survive the county competition in itself is totally remarkable. It’s not just one or two schools—it’s a whole county and we had a lot of submissions.

“I thought it was a really great piece and had its own vitality,” Douskey says. “Any writer would aspire to write a poem like that, and although it seemed spontaneous, she probably thought about it a lot, working on a subconscious/unconscious level.”

Ryals confirms that she put a lot of work into her poem.

“I wrote the poem when I went to a summer camp last summer at the Center for Creative Youth (CCY),” Ryals says. “It took me the whole session to complete it—and nine drafts.”

Ryals says she was surprised to learn that she was a finalist.

“When I found out I was a county champion I was shocked that I even made it that far in the competition,” she says. “But I was proud of myself.”

Ryals’ relationship with her father is what she says inspired her to write the poem.

“A lot of my work is based on or around our relationship,” she explains. “He left when I was 6 and when I was 13 he passed away. So I have a lot of unresolved issues and questions.”

Ryals says she writes poetry because it’s hard for her to express herself.

“I’m very emotional and I tend to bottle it all up inside…so writing helps me release it all,” she says.

In the fall Ryals will attend St. Johns University in New York for journalism, but she says poetry will always be a part of her life.

“I don’t think I will be satisfied and happy without it.”

She is grateful there is a program like this for young writers.

“It gives us a chance to meet other writers and teachers and professionals working in this craft who show us that we can make our passion into a profession and be happy,” she says.

Ryals’ teacher, Donald Motzko, nominated her for the award after she came to him with her poem and told him about the competition.

“After reading her poem, I came to see Jhyde a little differently,” he says. “The emotion she placed within her poem was extraordinary and I was impressed by the fact that she was so willing to share it with others. I also knew she was an aspiring poet and hoped this would be an opportunity for her to show her talent. Jhyde is truly where she is right now because of her hard work and dedication as a poet.”

Motzko says he’s very happy that there are programs like this for young writers.

“I think these programs give the students an outlet to explore their own feelings and ideas regarding literature and poetry, and hopefully, add to their becoming lifelong readers and writers.”

“This is the most significant writing competition in Connecticut,” Douskey adds. “Often students end up getting published in ‘The Connecticut Review’—a superb literary magazine—and other publications. It’s a wonderful entrée into the writing world.”

To: Jhyde
From: Daddy

By Jhyde Ryals

On my ninth birthday,

My mother bought me

A dress, indigo like

Early winter dawn

When the sun rises and the cold steams

And a purple light shines through the mist.

I dressed for my party. The zipper was stuck.

I reached over my shoulder, pulled at it-

It broke off in my hand.

The bodice was tight,

I tugged at it;

Nicked a seam,

The dress unraveled.

Sequins fell to the floor like icicles breaking.

Opening presents, I sat alone

In that pitiful indigo dress, my hands

Moving through boxes.

Pushing aside gifts,
ribbons + bows.

My eyes darted from tag to tag,

Searching for “To Jhyde from
Daddy.”

Never found.

On my 19th Birthday,

My eyes are still

And I don’t clutch

Around that indigo dress
anymore.

I don’t expect a box or anything from you.

On my 19th birthday

I’ll wear the new indigo dress that I bought,

The silk will wrap around my body,

Seams press into my curves;

Each year the ice will

Hold me, like ice over a lake

Freezing, layer by layer.