Political
debate

A political debate, sponsored by the Greater Southington Chamber of Commerce, will be held Thursday, Oct. 20, 7 p.m., at the Calendar House senior center, 388 Pleasant St. Candidates for Southington’s municipal boards will be there. The public is invited.

Soup Nite
on Oct. 19

Plans have been made for Bread For Life’s Annual Community Soup Nite, which will be held Wednesday, Oct. 19, from 4:30 to 7 p.m., at Southington High School, 720 Pleasant St. A variety of savory soups, breads, desserts and beverages are served. Everything served is being generously donated from many local establishments. Volunteers, including high school students, donate their time to serve the meal and give their tips to Bread for Life.

There is an admission charge in addition to a canned food donation. A limited number of handmade ceramic bowls, created by Walter Derynoski Elementary School students, will be available for purchase.

For tickets, call Gloria Colonero, at (860) 276-0654, Amy King-Fontaine, at (860) 983-9700, or Bread for Life, at (860) 276-8389. Ticket requests can be mailed to gloeworm@aol.com, Kingqueenamy@aol.com or info@southingtonbreadforlife.com. Tickets can be purchased at the door.

Missing
sunglasses

A pair of tortoise brown, wide rim, prescription sunglasses are missing. The glasses were lost during the Apple Harvest Festival. If anyone finds them, call Carol, at (860) 621-8574 or Brenda, at (860) 863-5608.

Bus trip
to casino

The Southington Red Men, Wonx Tribe No. 28, is sponsoring a bus trip to Mohegan Sun Casino on Sunday, Oct. 16. The bus will leave from downtown Southington, Riccio Way, at 1 p.m. and leave Mohegan Sun at 7:30 p.m. for the return trip to Southington arriving back at Riccio Way at 9 p.m. There is a ticket price to attend which includes the cost of the bus ride, food voucher and gaming voucher.

For more information call (860) 628-7534 or (860) 628-7535 or contact any member of the Red Men.

Social services
bus

The State of Connecticut Department of Social Services bus will be at the Southington Community Services Department, 91 Norton St., to screen applicants wishing to apply for Snap, Saga and Husky programs on Thursday, Oct. 20, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Appointments are necessary. Qualified residents will have their application approved at this time.

For more information or to schedule an appointment for the interview contact Becky at (860) 628-3761.

Community
safety forum

Parents are encouraged to attend the Community Safety Forum that will address bullying. This community conversation will include a brief overview of bullying, an update of the Connecticut bullying legislation, and then an opportunity for those in attendance to share their thoughts on school safety and bullying. The Safety Forum will be held on Monday, Oct. 17, at Strong Elementary School starting at 7 p.m. Any community member in need of additional information should call the Superintendent of Schools, Joseph V. Erardi Jr., at (860) 628-3202.

Chamber
breakfast

Jeff Butler, president and chief operating officer for Connecticut Light & Power will be the guest speaker at the Southington Chamber of Commerce's Celebrity Breakfast on Wednesday, Oct. 19, at the Manor Inn in Milldale. Butler joined CL&P in 2009 after 27 years at Pacific Gas & Electric in San Francisco. Butler will talk to members and guests about developments relating to the recent hurricane. The event will begin with registration at 8 a.m. followed by breakfast and Butler's talk. There is a charge to attend.

Call the chamber office to register at (860) 628-8036. The breakfast is co-sponsored by CL&P and the Southington Chamber of Commerce.

Community
school forum

Community members are invited and encouraged to attend one of two informational forums that will take place to further define the $85 million middle school proposed project. The informal setting will include a brief presentation starting at 7 p.m. followed by questions and will end with an optional tour of the building. The tour for DePaolo Middle School will be held on Thursday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m., and the tour for Kennedy Middle School will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m. Any Southington resident in need of additional information should contact the Superintendent of Schools, Joseph V. Erardi Jr., at (860) 628-3202.

Crop Walk
on Oct. 23

Crop Walk 2011 will be held Sunday, Oct. 23, noon to 1 p.m., registration, 1 to 3 p.m. walk, beginning and ending at Zion Lutheran Church, 531 Woodruff St. A portion of the proceeds of this Church World Service event supports local hunger efforts. Those who cannot participate are encouraged to sponsor a walker. The public is welcome.

Become a
tutor

English tutors needed. No experience is necessary – training, observations and support are provided. Literacy Volunteers of Central Connecticut Inc. has many adult students waiting for tutors to help them with reading, writing and speaking English.

The group is offering a.m. tutor training on all of the following dates: Oct. 28, Nov. 1, 4, 8 at Bethany Covenant Church, 785 Mill St., Berlin, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; and p.m. tutor training will take place on all of the following dates: Nov. 3, 7, 10, 14 at ARC, 201 W. Main St., Plantsville, 6 to 8:30 p.m.

To register or for more information call (860) 229-7323, e-mail Sue @ lvccoffice@gmail.com or visit www.literacycentral.org.

Fire department’s
autism training

The Southington Fire Department Training Division will sponsor a free Autism Awareness class on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011 starting at 6:30 p.m. The class, “Autism Awareness for Emergency Responders,” will be held at Joseph DePaolo Middle School Auditorium, 385 Pleasant St in Southington, and will be presented by Firefighter Jason Dorval, of the Whatley, Mass., Fire Department.

Although the program centers on police, fire and EMS workers, it also can benefit teachers, social workers and families living with autism. The program will run about two to three hours and will provide information on the challenges of autistic individuals and how best to cope with those challenges.

Autism is one of the most rapidly growing disorder affecting more than 1.5 million individuals nationwide, 85 percent of these are under the age of 18. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control estimates that the number of cases is growing at between 10 to 17 percent per year.

For more information, contact the Southington Fire Department Training Officer Scott DiBattista, at (860) 621-3202, ext. 139 or online information is available at www.firerescueautism.com.

Mission Wolf
comes to town

Mission Wolf of Colorado “Education verses Extinction” ambassador wolf program will be held Thursday, Oct. 20, at 6 and 8 p.m., at the Kennedy Middle School, 1071 S. Main St., Plantsville. The program features live gray wolves, ambassadors Magpie, Abraham and Zeab, a slide show, “The Wolves of Mission Wolf, ”discussion of wild wolf issues and current status of wild wolves in North America. This program is sponsored by Storybook Barn Wildlife Education. There is a fee to attend and this program is not recommended for children younger than 4. For more information, call Betty Stanley, at (860) 628-6187 or wolfcentral@yahoo.com

Elks Public
Safety Night

Southington Elks 1669 will hold Public Safety Nigh recognition Dinner on Thursday, Oct. 20, at the Lodge, 114 Main St., Southington.

Each year, the Elks honor a local firefighter and police officer, and a state trooper. The 2011 award recipients are firefighter Lt. Bill Higgins, police officer Mark DiBattista and state trooper First Class Steve Chapman.

Lt. J. Paul Vance, of the Connecticut State Police, will be the guest speaker.

The event will begin with a social hour from 6 to 7 p.m. followed by dinner and the awards ceremony. Tickets must be purchased in advance, none will be sold at the door.

To purchase tickets or for more information, call the lodge at (860) 628-6682.

Lady Knights
fundraisers

The Southington Lady Knights basketball team will be holding a “Shake the Can” fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 22 and Sunday, Oct. 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Wal-Mart in Southington, 235 Queen St. The team is also having a car wash on Sunday, Oct. 16, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Southington Auto Wash, 254 Queen St. Rain date is the following Sunday, Oct. 23.

Household waste
collection

The last HHW collection for this fall will be held Saturday, Oct. 22, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., in New Britain at Chelsey Park, Route 176 and Wildwood Street.

Residents may bring their household hazardous waste to the collection site free of charge. Identification will be required as proof of residency. No waste from businesses will be accepted.

For more information, contact the TROC office at (860) 585-0419 or (860) 225-9811 or www.brrfoc.org.

Halloween at
the drive-in

The Southington Drive-In, 935 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike, will be a “Halloween Movies and Fun” event on Saturday, Oct. 29. Patrons are invited to dress up in a costume and stick around for two spooky movies and “trunk or treating,” where car trunks can be decorated and candy given out to kids as they go from vehicle to vehicle. Gates will open at 4:30 p.m. with trunk or treating beginning at 5 p.m. There will be a costume parade at 5:45 p.m., and the first movie, “Hocus Pocus,” will begin at 6 p.m. This is a family movie. The second movie, “Halloween,” rated R, will begin at 8 p.m. There is a charge to attend.

Spooky
Kingdom

The Burke Family announces its seventh year of supporting the Alzheimer’s Association with the opening of Spooky Kingdom on the evenings of Oct. 22, 23, 29, 30 and 31, from 7 to 9 p.m. The event is free but donations will be accepted for the Alzheimer’s Association of Connecticut. The haunted walk-thru offers more than 15 motion activated animatronic attractions at the 14 Lovley Drive in Plantsville.

Last year more than $2,100 was raised and this year, $2,500 is the goal. For more information, visit www.spookykingdom.com, Facebook or Twitter for information and to see photos of previous years.

MOMS Club’s
Halloween

MOMS Club of Southington is a non-profit organization that supports stay-at-home moms in the Bristol, Southington, Plainville, New Britain, Farmington and Kensington areas. The group is having a Halloween-themed open house on Friday, Oct. 28, 10 a.m. to noon, at Bristol Library. Children are welcome to come dressed in costume. For more information or to RSVP, call (860) 385-1331 or southingtonmomsclub@gmail.com.

Music of
the Knight

The Southington High School Marching Band’s 19th annual “Music of the Knight” marching band competition will be held Saturday, Oct. 29, rain or shine, from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. The competition will be held on Fontana Field at SHS, 720 Pleasant St. There is a cost to attend. There will be 21 competing high school bands, along with performances from the Central Connecticut State University, University of Connecticut and SHS marching bands. For more information, visit www.shsbands.com or call (860) 628-3229 ext. 250.

Literacy tutor
training

Literacy Volunteers of Central Connecticut need English tutors. No experience is necessary — training, observations and support are provided. There are many adult students waiting for tutors to help them with reading, writing and speaking English.

Morning tutor training will be held Oct. 28, Nov. 1, 4 and 8, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Bethany Covenant Church, Berlin. P.M. training will be held 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 3, 7, 10, 14, at ARC of Southington, 201 W. Main St., Plantsville.

To register or for more information, call (860) 229-7323, e-mail Sue @ lvccoffice@gmail.com or visit www.literacycentral.org.

Wine tasting
event

Reservation are being accepted for the first Wine Tasting Event hosted by Joseph DePaolo Parent Teacher Organization on Friday, Nov. 4, from 7 to 9 p.m., at Hawk's Landing Country Club, 201 Pattonwood Drive, Southington. Fundraiser includes wine, hors d'oeuvres, dessert and music. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Proceeds are slated to benefit DePaolo Cultural Arts Programs. A reservation form available on the Southington Schools DePaolo PTO website. Visit www.southingtonschools.org, click on DePaolo Middle School and go to PTO tab.

For more information, contact Liz Francis at(860) 839-0817 or e-mail e.francis@cox.net.

Appreciation
dinner

Military Appreciation Dinner will be held Saturday, Nov. 5, from 4 to 8 p.m., at the Southington Elks Lodge No. 1669, 114 Main St. The dinner is free to military members and veterans; other guests have a ticket price to pay. There will be a buffet dinner which includes appetizers, sausage and peppers, chicken, roasted potatoes, vegetables, green salad, rolls, butter and dessert. This is open to the public.

For more information or to purchase tickets by Wednesday, Oct. 28, call Denise Johnson at (860) 707-6838.

Absentee
ballots

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill announced that absentee ballots are now available for any registered Connecticut voters who will be out of town or otherwise unable to go to their polling place and cast a ballot in Municipal Elections on Tuesday, Nov. 8. To obtain an absentee ballot, registered Connecticut voters can download an application from the Secretary of the State’s website, www.sots.ct.gov, or local town websites; Southington’s is www.southington.org, or they can contact their local town clerk’s office, 75 Main St., to pick up an application in-person or receive one through the mail. Absentee ballots must be signed and can be returned through the mail or in-person. In order to be counted for the general election, absentee ballots must be received by town clerks no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 8.

Girl Scouts
need volunteers

Girl Scouts of Connecticut are looking for adult volunteers to enable more girls to be able to participate in Girl Scout programs. Volunteering can be tailored to each person’s skill set and available time. This year the organization is celebration 100 years of Girl Scouting; it was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912.

Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age or older, be a positive role model, have a flexible attitude and sense of humor, and must become a member of the Girl Scouts for a fee. Support, training and guidance for all adult volunteers is provided by Girl Scouts of Connecticut.

For more information about volunteering, e-mail the Membership Department at membership@gsofct.org. For more information about Girl Scouts of Connecticut, visit www.gsofct.org.

STEPS
board

New members of the STEPS Advisory Board are Evelyn Ciaburri, John Dobbins, E. Richard Fortunato, Jim Garstang, Aisha Hamid,

Referendum
question

The following referendum question is to be submitted to the electors in Southington at the Nov. 8 election.

“Shall the Town of Southington appropriate $85,000,000 for renovations, improvements and additions to DePaolo and Kennedy Middle Schools; and authorize the issue of bonds and notes not to exceed $85,000,000 to finance the appropriation, the amount of such bonds and notes to be reduced by the amount of project grants received?”

The Bond Ordinance was approved by the Southington Town Council on July 25, 2011. The ordinance is subject to a mandatory referendum under Section 746(b) of the Southington Town Charter.

Ring found
downtown

A diamond ring was found on Main Street, Southington; must describe to claim it. Call (860) 426-1801.

Italian fest
video available

Video highlights of the 2011 Italian-American Festival is now available to the general public. The video was recorded over the three day event, July 29 to 31, and features the opening ceremonies, entertainment, vendors, Sunday mass, and the procession parade. For those interested, the 150-minute DVD video is available at Serafino’s Pharmacy, 35 N. Main St.

Ring lost
at concert

A woman who attended the Aug. 31 Music on the Green disco concert lost a mother’s ring, gold with two stones — blue and green. It holds much sentimental value. Call Mattie at (203) 757-0679. Small reward.

Southington
Mosaic opens

Southington Mosaic — Our Collections, opened to the public Sept. 25, at the Southington Historical Society museum, 239 Main St. The exhibit was put together from the organization’s extensive archives. The smaller collections, like a mosaic, were combined to show what life was like up to 150 years ago. There is also be a display honoring Mel Schneidermeyer, a president of the historical society.

The museum is open on the first Saturday and Sunday of most months from noon to 3 p.m. For more information, visit www.southingtonhistory.org .

Grants
available

The Community Foundation of Greater New Britain invites proposals from area organizations with programs or services that improve the quality of life for the residents of Berlin, Plainville, New Britain or Southington.

CFGNB discretionary grant making is done in the winter, spring and fall. The next deadline for submission of Grant Proposals is Saturday, Oct. 15. Proposals received will be considered by the foundation board in December. Interested organizations can review the foundation’s grant guidelines and proposal forms by visiting the grants page of the foundation’s website, www.cfgnb.org.

For more information, contact Joeline Wruck, director of programs, at (860) 229-6018, ext. 307 or e-mail her: jwruck@cfgnb.org.

Fundraiser
for family

John Sunbury was a member of American Legion Post 72 SAL Squadron. He was also the SAL Detachment (State) Commander who died this summer following a motorcycle accident. The American Legion is having a benefit for his family Saturday, Nov. 19, from 6 p.m. to midnight, in the post hall. There will be music by the six-piece band, Blues Talkers, food and a cash bar. There is a charge to attend. Tickets can be purchased at the legion, 66 Main St., or by calling Bob Abbott, American Legion junior vice commander, (860) 276-8794.

Food pantry
needs items

Bread for Life, the community soup kitchen and pantry, needs items including cereal, pasta sauce, jelly, tuna fish, snacks and juice boxes.

Food donations may be made Monday through Friday at Bread for Life, Fellowship Hall (in back of the Masons building), 76 Main St., Southington, between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., or at the Southington Community Food Pantry, Southington Community Services, 91 Norton St., Plantsville, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Friends’ bookstore
seeks volunteers

Friends of the Southington Library Bookstore, 255 Main St., has openings for volunteers for 2 to 5 p.m. or 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays. For information or an application call Doris LeRese, at (860) 628-0947, ext. 116.

The bookstore is on the lower level of the library. Hours of operation are 2 to 5 p.m. Monday and Thursday and Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday.