All donated items will be on sale for half-price during August at the Friends Bookstore located on the lower level of the Southington Library. The store hours are Monday and Thursday 2 to 5 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday 2 to 9 p.m. and Friday 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Food drive
on town green

State Reps. Bruce "Zeke" Zalaski and Joseph Aresimowicz will be on the Town Green collecting non-perishable food items on Saturday, Aug. 14.

The shelves of the town's food pantry at Community Services have been running low throughout the summer and organizers of the drive are hoping to replenish the supplies.

Specific items needed include cereal, peanut butter, jelly, tuna fish, snacks including lunch box items i.e fruit rolls ups, peanut butter crackers, cookies and juice boxes.

The drive will run from 9 a.m. to noon on the town green in the vicinity of 76 Main St.

Singers needed
for benefit

Singers are being encouraged to attend the Southington Sings “A Karaoke Contest” to help raise money for Community Services and also compete for a four-night vacation in Antigua. The contest will continue Wednesday, Aug. 18 starting at 8:30 p.m., at Machiavelli’s Restaurant, located at 75 Center St., in Southington. It is open to any contestant over the age of 16 who lives in the Southington and surrounding areas. There is a fee and in the past weeks, donations have been made.

To sign up, contact Bill Lynch at The Vacation Center by calling (860) 621-4777.

Yoga benefit
for food pantry

On Sunday, Aug. 22, from 4 to 5:15 p.m., there will be a yoga class with live drumming at Tony Penna's Extreme Karate, 1 Factory Square, 37 W. Center St., Suite 209, Southington, to benefit the Southington Community Food Pantry.

Crystal Sullivan is organizing the benefit. Class is free but participants must bring a non-perishable food item or personal care item. Sullivan will lead live drumming to Vinyasa, which is a series of postures intended to strengthen the body, challenge the cardiovascular system, calm the mind and detoxify. Participants will also need a yoga mat and a water bottle.

Charity
tag sale

The Miceli family will hold its annual charity tag sale on Saturday, Aug. 28, from 8 to 11 a.m. The rain date is Sunday, Aug. 29, from 8 to 11 a.m. The tag sale will be held at 209 Hilltop Drive in Southington. All proceeds will go to Every Dollar Feeds Kids, an organization that supports children in the city of Cuernavaca, Mexico, several nearby villages, and villages in Ecuador. EDFK provides regular meals and vitamin supplements to youngsters who would otherwise have to survive on occasional meals from their poverty-stricken families. This food assistance enables these kids to have the strength to attend school.

For more information, visit www.everydollarfeedskids.org and for information on the tag sale, contact Jolene Miceli, (860) 620-0241.

Camera
lost in park

A camera was lost in Recreation Park playground. If you have any information on the camera, call Linda Gordon, (860) 628-8682.

Grange presents
60th annual fair

The 60th Annual Southington Grange Community Fair will be held Saturday, Aug. 14 at the Grange Hall grounds located at the corner of Summit Street and Knowles Avenue in Plantsville. The 2010 fair will feature entertainment throughout the day and exhibits in needlework, baking, photography, flowers, vegetables, crafts and canning and an outdoor community flea market/vendors. A pancake breakfast will be served from 9 to 11 a.m. and a snack bar will be open during the afternoon and a Chicken Barbeque will be served from 4 to 6 p.m. Animal and educational exhibits from the Hungerford Nature Center, an appearance by investigators from the New England Ghost Hunters Guild, and representatives from Our Companions Domestic Animal Sanctuary who will be collecting pet supplies, food and monetary donations for their organization.

Admission is free and the public is welcome. Please call Lisa at 203-238-1510 for further information, tickets or a schedule of events.

‘Oliver!’ auditions
for October shows

Auditions for Southington Community Theatre’s October production of “Oliver!” will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 20 and Sunday, Aug. 22 at Southington Community Theatre Hall, 1237 Marion Ave., the old Marion Firehouse. Callbacks will be held Monday, Aug. 23. Parts are available for ages 8 to 80. Those who audition should come prepared to sing a song of their choice, with either back up music on a CD or sheet music. Participants should also come prepared to do some movement and line reading. An accompanist will be provided.

For more information, contact Heidi at (860) 877-2842.

Tea time
at Legion

An informal tea is being held on Sunday, Aug. 15 at the American Legion Hall, 66 Main St. Any young women between the ages of 13 to 24, interested in participating in the Miss Southington Scholarship Pageant and Southington’s Outstanding Teen Pageant, are invited to attend. This is an open pageant to any young women living, working or attending school in Connecticut. The areas of competition are interview skills, evening wear, talent and fitness. The pageant is being held at Testa’s Banquet Facility, 20 S. Center St., Southington, on Oct. 23. The group is also seeking volunteers to join the pageant team.

For more information, contact JoAnne Salerno at (860) 620-3221 or Victoria Burns at (203) 879-1587. Entry deadlines are Sept. 12.

Newcomers,
neighbors

The Newcomers and Neighbors Club of Southington is a women's social club open to both new and to lifelong residents of Southington. Monthly events include Ladies' Night Out, Moms and Tots' Playgroup, Couples' Social, and Book Club. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 1, at 7:30 p.m., in the dining room at the Southington Care Center.

The Family Open House will be held Friday, Sept. 24, 4 p.m., at Panthorn Park, featuring popsicles and family fun.

All women are welcome. For more information, contact Kathleen at (720) 281-5420, or Southington_Newcomers@yahoo.com.

School supplies
drive at store

Price Chopper Supermarkets re partnering with Salvation Army to conduct a school supplies drive through Sept. 18. Items will be collected at the Southington Price Chopper, located at 410 Queen St., or any of the locations.

Tournament for
Franciscan center

The 15th Annual Franciscan Golf Classic, sponsored in-part by Webster Bank, will be held Monday, Aug. 23, at Tunxis Plantation Golf Club, Farmington. The day includes golf, food and prizes. There is a charge to attend this fundraiser to benefit the Franciscan Life Center and Franciscan Home Care and Hospice Care. For information, reservations or sponsorship opportunities, call (203) 237-8084 or visit www.flcenter.org.

Barnes free
for military

The Barnes Museum, 85 N. Main St., is participating in the Blue Star Museums program, which allows free admission to active military and up to five family members. This is a partnership between Blue Star Families, the National Endowment for the Arts, and more than 600 museums across America. For more information, visit the Web site www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums. To contact the Barnes Museum, call (860) 628-5426.

S.T.E.P.S.
program

S.T.E.P.S., Southington’s Town-wide Effort to Promote Success, is inviting businesses, civic and student organizations to participate in Community Day 2010 to be held Sunday, Sept. 19, by hosting informational kiosks to promote the positive things these groups have to offer the youth of our community.

Last year, more than 1,000 children and family members attended this community event held at YMCA Camp Sloper featuring free food, informational kiosks, and entertainment.

If anyone is interested in showcasing their business, civic group or youth organization at S.T.E.P.S. Community Day 2010, contact Kelly Berkmoes, S.T.E.P.S. liaison, at the Southington Youth Services Department, (860) 276-6281 or berkmoesk@southington.org.

Library closes
on Saturdays

The Southington Library and Museum will be closed Saturdays from through Labor Day. In addition the library and museum will be closed Monday, July 5 and Monday, Sept. 6.

Government
data available

The Yankee Institute announced that it has expanded the popular CTSunlight.org site to include payroll data for government workers and included in this data are municipal workers in Southington. The Yankee Institute obtained the data through Freedom of Information Act requests that have been made of every town and school district in the state. Yankee Institute personnel are formatting data for other towns and expect to add more data to the site on a rolling basis throughout the coming months. To see salary information for municipal and school district employees, visitors should visit CTSunlight.org, click on payroll, choose “schools” or “towns” from the menu and click on “department” to access a drop-down menu listing towns or districts available.

Adventure
packs

This summer, the Southington Library, 255 Main St., is encouraging patrons to go on an adventure. In co-operation with the Connecticut Forest and Park Association and Connecticut Library Consortium, Southington Library received two themed Family Adventure Packs available for loan. Each backpack contains Connecticut Walk Books East and West, general information on Connecticut parks and trails, a notebook for recording experiences and a first aid kit with safety items. The Family Adventure Packs may be borrowed for up to two weeks on a first-come first-serve basis.

The Hiker Family Adventure theme pack also contains Fundanas — how to identify animal tracks and trees, mats, mini binoculars, National Audubon Field Guide to New England and a plastic bug viewing container.

The Clue Detectives/Letterboxing Family Theme Pack contains general information on letterboxing, clues on locations in Southington and state parks and forest, various stamps, inkpads and a sample letter box with sample contents.

Adventurers are encouraged to take along a camera to record their experiences then share one with the library. They will post users’ 3 x 5 photo on the “Adventures In Reading” gallery wall.

For more information and to borrow the Family Adventure Packs, visit the reference/information desk.

Elks dispose
of old flags

As a community service, the Elks Lodge, 114 Main St., Southington, accepts old U.S. and other flags for proper disposal. There is a large red, white and blue container on the front steps of the lodge. Put the old flags in this container and the Elks will properly dispose of them.

American Legion
meets monthly

The American Legion Kiltonic Post 72, 66 Main St., Southington, is scheduled to meet on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the upper lounge of the Post Home just off the Town Green. Members, and veterans who would like to be members are welcome to come to a meeting and become familiar with the good work the American Legion is doing for and in the community, for God and country, and for those who have served the country and are presently in need of help.

Karaoke contest benefits community services

“Southington Sings, A Karaoke Contest” to benefit Southington Community Services proved to be a great success last year, according to organizers, and raised more than $6,000 to help feed many needy citizens.

The contest began July 21 and will continue with two final nights on Aug. 18 and 25, at 8:30 p.m., Machiavelli’s Restaurant, 75 Center St. Citizens from Southington and the surrounding area are invited to compete to win a grand prize of a vacation to the St. James Club Antigua. Bill Lynch of The Vacation Center, the owners of Machiavelli’s Restaurant, Farmington Savings Bank and Greater Southington Chamber of Commerce officials are sponsoring this year’s contest. A meal special will be offered each one of the event nights.

Judges said the this year’s karaoke contest started off slowly with few contestants and viewers. Ages of those contestants that did attend ranged from 17 to 35, each with their own style and singing ability.

Organizers are hoping more singers and fans will come out for the final two performances.

Contestants — who must be at least 16 years old — can show off their singing talents while also helping to support the community. The cover charge and contestant entry fees will benefit community services. Each person attending will receive a Machiavelli chip for their donation that in turn will be used to receive a free drink. Winners from each week will be asked to come back for the semi-finals and finals.

“What’s better then having a chance to show off your talents and support the community?” Lynch said.

Charlie Cocuzza, of Omega Communications, Sue Smayda, executive director of the Southington Public Library, and Melissa Ericksen, of A Balanced Life, are volunteering as judges. They each expressed excitement listening to the contestants and looked forward to seeing the talent the final two weeks will bring. Cocuzza said it was difficult to judge the talent and wished all participants could receive a prize.

Lynch said he urges local businesses to let their employees know about the event and encourage others to attend. “Let’s all make this another successful season and exceed the $6,000 raised in 2009. It’s fun, and it helps others in need put food on their table,” he said.

Janet Mellon, director of Southington Community Services, said that summer is a time for much needed assistance because the food pantry is at its lowest. She said she is appreciative of the community’s support of the karaoke contest.

To register, call Lynch at (860) 621-4777 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. There will be a limited number of performers each Wednesday.

Half-price
book sale