Montville Times

Budding Rivarly Features Plenty of Emotion: Montville High needs win to clinch CIAC playoff berth

2008-11-26T23:47:15Z

The physical nature of the Montville-St. Bernard pre-Thanksgiving football game borders on ferocious and fierce, even extending a bit into unnecessary roughness.

Last year, a late St. Bernard tackle knocked Montville quarterback J.P. Morales out of the game. Both teams have earned their share of penalties mixed in with clean and devastating hits, symbolic of your typical cross-town rivalry.

As St. Bernard grad Christian Mulcahy, the MVP of the last two rivalry contests, so aptly put it, “There are a bunch of guys full of testosterone banging heads, so something is bound to happen.”

The football teams at Montville and St. Bernard won’t share a Thanksgiving meal together. The way the public school and Catholic school on the hills of Uncasville go at each other, you’d think this rivalry was steeped with decades of tradition and bad blood.

But that’s not the case. When St. Bernard plays host to Montville Nov. 26 at Dellaporta Field at 6:30 (WXLM, 104.7 FM) it will mark just the 10th pre-Thanksgiving game in the series. The in-town schools can’t even agree on a set date for the game. If Montville is home, the game is played on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving because its school system is closed Wednesday. St. Bernard has a half day of school Wednesday and hosts the game Thanksgiving Eve.

“It’s a unique rivalry in the respect that these are two schools from the same town that didn’t play each other until recently,” said Mike McLaughlin, WXLM sportscaster, St. Bernard alum, and current Montville High employee. “St. Bernard always played NFA on Thanksgiving, and Montville played Ledyard the Saturday before Thanksgiving. When the ECC expanded in 1999, Fitch dropped New London on Thanksgiving and started playing Ledyard. NFA played New London, and that left Montville and St. Bernard to find each other.”

McLaughlin, considered one of the informational gurus on southeastern Connecticut football history, conceived the Mayor’s Cup trophy to go to the St. Bernard-Montville winner. St. Bernard has won the trophy in the last two years, clinching the Eastern Connecticut Conference Small title in 2006 and springing a slight upset last year in a 28-26 win, costing Montville an 8-2 season.

“The rivalry is a new thing for us,” Montville coach Tanner Grove said, “but it’s exciting and fun to have two schools in the same town playing for a divisional title. I hope we can have a great game and a great atmosphere.”

St. Bernard can retire the present trophy if it wins for a third straight season. But Grove and the Indians have much more than a Cup at stake in this matchup. Montville (9-1) can clinch a CIAC Class SS state playoff berth with a victory and claim its first ECC Small title in some time. In addition to spoiling Montville’s post-season plans, St. Bernard (6-3 overall at press time with a game Nov. 21) can force a tie with Montville for the ECC Small championship. Montville is 5-0, while St. Bernard is 4-1 in the division.

“The stakes have never been higher for this game,” McLaughlin said. “Any team can win, especially if Ryan Brahm plays for St. Bernard. It’s the only game in the ECC that night, so the crowd should be huge.”

The Saints, who also have a few players from Norwich Tech in a co-op team format, rolled through the first half of the season with a 5-1 record. They lost only a competitive 34-12 game to New London and pounded Fitch and Stonington in impressive fashion.

St. Bernard is led by Brahm, a 5-foot-7 senior quarterback who has thrown for 11 touchdown passes, running back Jordan Rando (896 yards), and a physical set of interior lines. An influx of four East Lyme transfers: lineman Lucas Bowman and receivers Orie Plasse, Sean Kydd, and Rando, have joined Brahm, an East Lyme resident, to beef up the Saints’ roster this year.

Brahm, however, sprained a thumb in a last-minute 14-7 loss to Ledyard Nov. 1 and missed the Saints’ upset loss to Killingly. He’s expected back for the last home game of a fine career.

Montville’s only loss came at the hands of New London, 27-26. Anyone remotely associated with local sports knows what happened. The Whalers scored on the last play of the game on a “Hail Mary” 72-yard pass that was deflected off a Montville defender. Montville believes it should be undefeated, but a win over St. Bernard would cure any wounds, send the Indians into the playoffs, and perhaps set up a rematch with New London in the state semifinals Dec. 2.

“We are not thinking about anyone or anything except St. Bernard right now,” Grove said. “We will let the dust settle after Thanksgiving, and if we are in, great. We will prepare for any opponent.”

Montville has been impressive with its nucleus of underclassmen, led by superlative sophomore running back Tyler Girard-Floyd. The 6-foot, 250-pounder is enjoying a historic season with 1,790 yards rushing, 28 touchdowns, and 176 points after 10 games. Few players of any class have posted numbers to match Girard-Floyd. Former Montville great Jeremy Terni held what is believed to be the ECC record of 200 single-season points in 1999 as a senior.

“One of the things I’m most proud of him for is that he plays with such poise when he makes plays on both sides of the ball,” Grove said. “What more can you say about him, other than he’s a special young man.”

McLaughlin, who has followed local high school football since the 1950s, does not recall any sophomore who has made Tyler-Girard’s impact.

“It is a joy to watch him play football,” McLaughlin said. “He is a gifted player with a huge body and speed, but what sets him apart in my eyes is that he has so much fun playing football. I’m always excited about calling games on the radio, but he has re-energized me.” Underclassmen dominate Montville’s offensive skill positions. Morales, a junior, has played well at quarterback, keeping defenses honest with passes to juniors Jesse Sutherland and Shawn Clang. Sophomore Skyler McNair is effective spelling Girard-Floyd at tailback.

Defensively, junior linebacker Ricky Fort, Sutherland and McNair, safeties, and senior defensive end Nick Sabilia have been season-long stalwarts. Girard-Floyd is also a sack leader when he plays defensive line.

Though Montville’s defense was thought to be a question mark this season, it produced a huge effort in the 27-26 loss to New London. Two Montville turnovers gave New London two short TD drives. If you add the last-play pass on the “once-in-a-lifetime play,” New London only managed one long scoring drive and was held to less than 200 yards of offense.

The Indians followed that effort with a 35-13 win over East Lyme, allowing just one offensive touchdown.

“I am very proud of the entire defensive unit,” Grove said. “We played sound against a great offense [New London]. We gave them a short field for two of their scores, and the other on the last play you already know about. Ricky Fort put on one of the best performances any linebacker in this area has had all season. I am extremely proud of every player and coach in this program, we are trying to establish ourself as an elite program in our area, and we think we took a step in that direction [against New London].”

That emotional loss caused numerous Montville players to writhe on the ground in disbelief and dismay. But the Indians look like they’ve put that sudden setback behind them.

“I am doing well as well as the staff and the team is focused, hungry, and all in all agitated,” Grove said. “We have worked hard all week and believe that this loss will just drive us to finish strong this season.”

Grove, who is 21-9 in three years as head coach, believed the Indians would be one of the state’s best teams next season with the possibility of steamrolling and gaining confidence to become a contender this year. Montville is on the cusp of becoming an elite program a year early, hoping to gain its first CIAC playoff berth since a surprise 7-4 team upset Bloomfield and reached the Class M title game in 2002.

So much is on the line for Montville, but St. Bernard would love nothing more than to shatter those post-season dreams and retire the Mayor’s Trophy.

Should be a few heads banging along the way.

By Larry Kelley
Special to the Times

The School Community: Montville schools participate in American Education Week

2008-11-26T23:45:55Z

When a parent or special person in a student’s life is able to come to school once in a while to have lunch or sit in on a class, it does more than brighten a child’s day.

Adult involvement, formally or informally, in schooling can bridge the gap, particularly for a younger child, between student and teacher.

Recently, the Montville Public School system, along with thousands of other districts nationwide celebrated community involvement and educators’ commitment by hosting American Education Week.

Superintendent of Schools David Erwin said the event supports a district philosophy: community involvement strengthens the educational system.

Since 1919, various educational and veteran-based organizations have made an effort to stress the importance of education. The program, sponsored by the National Education Association, among others, has evolved since it was first held in 1921, but the emphasis remains that public education is a “basic right and our responsibility,” according to the NEA.

In Montville, in an effort to include the greater community in the educational process, the district invited parents and interested residents to come into the system’s six schools and visit.

Erwin and others said the invitation is extended throughout the year, but a concerted effort is made during the week to remind people that they are welcome. They are just asked to call first, for safety reasons.

At the Mohegan Elementary School, the district’s most ethnically and socioeconomically diverse school, parents and community members took advantage by having lunch, playing at recess, or shadowing their student during class.

Principal Lorilyn V. Caron keeps a list of community-based events on her office calendar. A Veterans’ Day Breakfast; student concerts and movie nights; and holiday bazaars are just a few of the events scheduled this year. Caron meets monthly with a parent advisory group and said it helps that the school’s parent-teacher organization, a separate group, is very active.

In addition to American Education Week, the school hosts a “first week” celebration that gives parents a chance to look at the curriculum and familiarize themselves with the new grade level’s requirements. One night in September, the students get a chance to show their families around during Back to School Night.

“We’re all working on behalf of children, so if we work together we’ll make the job easier,” Caron said.

For parent Corinne Mooney, it makes sense for parents to be involved, in some manner, with their children’s education. Parents help bridge the gap between a student, particularly a young one, and the teacher.

“Even 20 minutes is well worth it,” Mooney, a mother of two, said recently as she sorted and distributed mail in the Mohegan School office.

As she explained it, to some children, teachers and administrators can appear unapproachable. A parent helps bridge the gap for the child and creates a stronger connection between the two.

Mooney, a lunch monitor at Mohegan who also works in the office, said when her son Chad was in the school, administrators encouraged her to be active in supporting his classroom. Chad is now 13 years old and in seventh grade at Tyl Middle School.

Now and again, more so at the elementary school level, parents will come in for lunch, recess, or sit in the back of the classroom, school officials said.

Mooney and paraprofessional Michele Anderson said just their parental presence can be enough to lift any child’s spirits, not necessarily their own.

While Caron said at times some students can be saddened by a peer’s parent coming to school when their own parent is not able, Mooney said more often than not all of the students think it’s cool when a father, for example, comes to shoot hoops on the playground during recess.

Although now an employee at the school working with a special needs student, Anderson began volunteering in the classrooms of her three children: Mohegan students Ian and Joshua Anderson, 7 and 11, respectively, and high school student Nicolas Bellerose, 15.

Help with crafts, reading and math lessons, and general support can be priceless for teachers, if asked first. Getting involved with lessons also makes it easier for parents to help out with homework or to reinforce what was taught that week, Anderson said.

It also helps if a behavioral problem arises. Caron said it makes it easier, and less stressful for all involved, if the child, parent, and administrator are familiar with each other.

By MEGAN BARD
Staff Writer

History of American Education Week

Celebrated annually the week before Thanksgiving, American Education Week was first considered in 1919 in response to the country’s concern that “25 percent of World War I draftees were illiterate and 9 percent were physically unfit.” Members of the National Education Association and the American Legion met that year to plan how to raise awareness “of the importance of education.”

In 1921, the NEA approved this resolution, designating one week to focus on education: “An educational week...observed in all communities annually for the purpose of informing the public of the accomplishments and needs of the public schools and to secure the cooperation and support of the public in meeting those needs.”

Since that time, several educational and veteran-based organizations have become sponsors of the effort to spotlight education.

Source: National Education Association Web site

Smith Makes Montville Basketball History: First Indian to land Division I hoop scholarship

2008-11-26T23:41:41Z

When Montville’s Nikkia Smith scored 28 points against Stonington High’s 6-foot, 4-inch center Heather Buck as a sophomore two years ago, many eyes were opened.

Buck was the state’s two-time Player of the Year, ultimately earning a scholarship to play at UConn this year. She usually nullified an opposing center with her shot-blocking ability. Smith, however, served notice that she could someday deserve a Division I scholarship as well.

And last week, that day came. Smith became the first Montville High basketball player to earn a Division I scholarship, signing a national letter of intent to attend the University of Hartford next fall.

“She played Heather seven or eight times and put up great numbers,” Montville coach Derek Wainwright said. “She’s a great kid who has worked hard for four years. She has 900 points and 600 rebounds now, and if everything goes well she should leave here as the school’s all-time leading scorer.”

A powerfully-built 6 feet, 2 inches, Smith believes she will shuttle between power forward and center at Hartford, which is coached by former UConn All-America Jen Rizzotti, the point guard on the Huskies’ 35-0 national champions in 1995.

“I’ve always wanted to play Division I but wondered if I could handle the commitment,” Smith said. “As I gained maturity, I knew I could. It’s wonderful to go into my senior year stress-free as far as my college choice is concerned. I just can’t believe it. It will be an honor to play for Jen Rizzotti, who was such a great player and a great coach.”

Hartford’s program is on the rise, much like Montville’s. The Hawks have posted 27-4, 25-9, and 28-6 records in the last three seasons. Hartford won an NCAA Tournament game last season. The Hawks have an ECC connection. Former NFA standout guard Courtney Gomez was a Hartford co-captain last year. Former Wheeler High All-State pick Keyokah Mars-Garrick is a 6-foot-1 freshman forward.

Smith, who averaged 18 points a game last year, is an All-America nominee after helping Montville set a school record with 20 wins en route to a Class M state semifinal berth—the program’s best finish ever. Wainwright expects another strong season despite the graduation of guards Lindsey Stergio and Caitlyn Quinn. Both earned Division II scholarships last season.

Hartford does not have a player taller than 6 feet, 2 inches on its current roster.

“It’s been mentioned that I’ll play different spots—power forward and center,” Smith said. “I’m a little undersized for center, but I’m strong in the lower body. I’ll definitely play a lot of center.”

As far as her historic signing, Smith said, “Montville is an up-and-coming town. The football team is doing great and has some talented players. I’m sure they’ll be more Division I signings coming up.”

By Larry Kelley
Special to the Times

Montville Soccer Teams Enjoy Historic Seasons: Boys, girls set school records for victories

2008-11-26T23:38:27Z

Football has received a lot of attention at Montville High this season and deservedly so because of its 8-1 record and near upset of undefeated New London. The Indians’ boys’ and girls’ soccer teams, however, completed newsworthy campaigns. Boys’ coach Colin Delaney and wife, Allison Delaney, the girls’ coach, put the wrap on historic seasons of their own.

“It was another memorable run for the two programs for sure,” Colin said. “The boys and girls combined to win 25 games, which is something that Montville can be proud of. From a historical perspective both of these teams rank up there as some of the best that Montville has ever produced. Each team is definitely a top-five team in program history.”

That’s a conservative rating. For the boys, this was only the third time in school history that the boys have advanced to the state quarterfinals—the 2005 team made the semis. Montville (13-5-1) tied the school record for single-season victories. This marks the second straight season Montville won 13 games. Highlights included a 3-2 win over ECC Large power Norwich Free Academy, a 2-1 win over St. Bernard, and two wins over Stonington.

Senior goalkeeper Anthony Occhialini, an All-State junior and a Senior Bowl selection, was the glue that held Montville together all season. He holds Montville records in career wins (32), career shutouts (23), single-season shutouts (10), career saves (409), single-season saves (125), single-season goals against (16), and career goals against average (1.24).

“Anthony has definitely taken his game to the next level,” Delaney said. “Anthony has yet to determine where he will play next year, but he is currently entertaining offers from various universities at the Division I, II, and III levels.”

Occhialini headed a foursome of MHS All-ECC first team selections. Senior center midfielder Taylor Seacor (six goals), sophomore Tyler Leeman (12 goals, six assists), and junior Brett Sinica (10 goals, six assists) also made it. Seacor joined his keeper as a Senior Bowl selection. Senior Joe Brennan scored eight goals and added a school-record 13 assists. Senior center sweeper back Ed Zubritsky also made All-ECC second team.

Montville’s girls set a school single-season record of 12 wins and won their first state tournament game, advancing to the Class M second round. The Indians’ key wins included an upset of ECC Large champ Woodstock and wins over NFA and St. Bernard, a Class S semifinalist (at press time).

Blair Church (11 goals, four assists), Nina Giansanti, and Courtney Stefano (11 goals, 10 assists) made All-ECC First Team. All-ECC 2nd team were Ashley Sgandurra and Kelsey Barlow (seven assists).

In goal, Kelsey MacCracken had eight shutouts, and Catrina Cecchini combined on five of those shutouts.

“Both Allison and I are very pleased with our seasons,” Colin said. “Obviously it never feels good to have it come to an end, but to be one of the last eight teams playing in Class M for the boys and one of the last 16 teams playing in Class M for the girls is always a good thing.”

By Larry Kelley
Special to the Times

Spotlight on a Hero: Uncasville’s Daniel Mabesoone receives Purple Heart medal nearly 40 years after service

2008-11-20T20:49:24Z

As he stood in front of nearly a dozen still and video cameras last week, Vietnam veteran Daniel Mabesoone said he did so with mixed emotions.

“I feel awkward by the attention,” said the humble 60-year-old. “But I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be here.”

The opportunity Mabesoone, an Uncasville resident, spoke of was when he was invited to stand the day before Veterans’ Day in Congressman Joseph Courtney’s Norwich office and accept his elusive Purple Heart medal.

“I was stunned to realize I’d never received the medal,” Mabesoone said.

Mabesoone was 18 years old when in August 1967 he went to the “Benning School for Boys,” the nickname he and his friends gave Fort Benning in Georgia, home of the Army Infantry School, among other specialties. He graduated when he was 19 years old.

Two years later he was deployed to Saigon and later Long Binh. Mabesoone, a rifle battalion leader, was in Vietnam for one year, 1969 through 1970.

In 1969, as a 21-year-old Army 1st Lieutenant with the 199th Light Infantry Brigade, Mabesoone and his unit were in search of enemy troops near Saigon when a booby-trap exploded within feet of him. Shrapnel from the device pierced his left eye. He was treated and released back to his unit to finish his deployment. He never questioned whether his injury was recorded appropriately by the federal government.

It wasn’t until years later, in 2007, when Mabesoone sought help from the VA to treat his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, that the veteran discovered the medical notation regarding his combat injury never made it to his discharge papers.

Mabesoone said he still has night sweats as a result of what he experienced in Vietnam. He’s gaining control over them with help from PTSD treatment and support he’s received from the VA and the veterans’ center, he said.

“I suffered for years,” Mabesoone said last week. “They’ve been an enormous help.”

It is as a result of his time at the veterans’ center that he discovered he had never received his Purple Heart.

In August, Mabesoone found himself in Herbert L. Mitchell’s Norwich office asking for advice and assistance with rectifying the issue, in addition to other processing other claims.

“He came into the office with unique cases that needed attention,” said Mitchell, a veterans’ service officer with the state’s second district within the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. “I wanted, and I could, help him.”

With everything Mabesoone and his family had gone through, not having his medal took on a greater significance.

“I was disappointed,” Mabesoone said.

Mitchell had Mabesoone’s claim folder transferred to his office and began to meticulously go through its contents. There, he found an obscure medical record, listing Mabesoone’s eye injury.

Three months later, on Nov. 10, in front of friends, family, and fellow veterans Mabesoone received his medal.

“It’s nice to put a spotlight on a hero,” Congressman Courtney said of Mabesoone. “It’s been an honor to help with the process to get this man the recognition he deserves.”

This significance of the moment did not escape Mabesoone’s grandchildren.

“It’s huge,” Gaynor Parker said, as he and his sisters, Alexis Parker, 9, and Alyssa Parker, 8, watched their grandfather open and close the black leather case housing the gold and purple honor. “A lot of people don’t realize what people like my grandfather have done for the country or what it takes to be a soldier.”

By Megan Bard
Day Staff Writer

Veterans Visit Murphy School

2008-11-20T20:33:26Z

Students host breakfast for local vets. To see corresponding photo album, click on the photo.

Montville Plans Holiday Parade Festivities: Sign up for parade entries before Thanksgiving

2008-11-20T20:31:13Z

Montville is making plans for the town’s 11th annual Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting. The event on Sunday, Dec. 7, continues to be a wholesome hometown affair, according to Montville Parks and Recreation Department Director Jim Butler.

Parks and Rec has decided to continue holding the parade on the same day as the Norwich Winter Festival, Butler said. The Norwich event, which starts at 1 p.m., pays bands to populate the festival. The Montville parade, which will kick off at 5 p.m., will stay with the tradition of an all-volunteer event with the help and support of town departments and services.

Individuals, organizations, and businesses that want to be in the parade—a float, musical performance, costumes, or some sort of presence—should get their completed registration forms turned in before Thanksgiving Day on Thursday, Nov. 27. These can be downloaded from the Town of Montville Web site or picked up at the Parks and Recreation Department, 310 Norwich New London Turnpike.

The town festivities on Dec. 7 will start at 3 p.m. with a holiday music concert by The Illusions. Weather permitting, this will be outdoors at the old Town Hall, or moved indoors to the Uncasville Gym in the new Town Hall.

Several area businesses and organizations are planning activities throughout the afternoon. Butler provided a quick rundown of plans so far:

Montville Youth Service Bureau will hold its annual book fair and sale and have free hot cocoa and cider at its center at 289 Route 32.

Café 32 will hold a gingerbread house decorating. Montville Florists will have a crafts project for kids to make their own fresh holiday decorations. Friendly Pizza House on Route 32 will be offering a special that afternoon, too.

The parade will start at Montville Church and Allen Funeral Home, Route 32. It will end at Town Hall for the annual tree-lighting ceremony, where the Montville High School chorus will perform and people can join along in carols. Awards will be presented for parade floats and participants.

And of course, Santa Claus will make his appearance, Butler said. Santa also will hang out with the kids at the Montville Youth Center to hear what they want for the holidays.

“It’s a pretty big day. With this economy, we hope everybody plans to come out,” Butler said.

Also new this year is a town food drive. Everyone who comes to take in the festivities is asked to bring a non-perishable food item. The Montville Youth Service Bureau has teamed up with Montville Social Services to help stock the town’s food bank, maintained for town residents with emergency food needs. Uncas Health District is donating the use of its truck to transport the collection.

“If everyone who comes to watch the parade and activities brings one food item, we should meet our goal of over 1,000 items,” Butler said. “We want to fill up the truck.”

By Suzanne Thompson
Special to the Times

For more information about the parade and the afternoon’s activities, call Montville Parks and Recreation, 860-858-3030, ext. 321 or 322, or go to the town Web site, www.townofmontville.org. For Montville Youth Service Bureau activities, see www.montvilleyouth.org. To sign up for the Café 32 gingerbread house-making, go to www.cafe32.net.

New London-Montville Football Rematch Strong Possibility: Minus two top players, Whalers miraculously remain unbeaten

2008-11-20T20:29:11Z

Amidst the hugs, chest bumps, and chants of “Whaler Pride” during a delirious post-game celebration of New London’s 27-26 last-play miracle victory over Montville, Whaler captain Rich Vitale took on a serious tone.

“I don’t care what anyone says, everything went against us,” Vitale said. “We were without our quarterback and tight end. Everything was against us, and the game should not have went like that. Yes, we hurt ourselves by fumbling a kickoff and the fumbled snap, but I’m not happy with how things went.”

Vitale, an All-State running back-safety candidate, did his part, gaining 120 yards on 31 carries and scoring two touchdowns. Ultimately, Whaler Nation got the win and a legendary moment to last a lifetime when receiver Garrick McQueen’s catch of a Montville-deflected interception bid and subsequent 55-yard TD on the game’s last play.

So why was Vitale venting? Because he forecasted that Monday morning bloggers would say the Whalers were lucky to leave Canamella Field Nov. 7 as the area’s only unbeaten team. Some blogs and comments said Montville botched its time management unsuccessfully trying to run out the clock. That McQueen’s catch from freshman quarterback Casey Cochran should have been knocked down instead of sophomore Skyler McNair, sooner or later to be an All-Area player or better, trying to make his second interception of the game.

Both coaches agree McQueen’s catch was a gift on par with Franco Harris’ Immaculate Reception or a basketball half-court heave going in. Cochran called it a “one-in-a-million play.” Montville coach Tanner Grove said the Indians got beat “on a play you see once every 50 years.”

Down deep, Vitale feels under normal circumstances, New London would have been the team taking a knee to run out the clock. With a healthy Jordan Reed and Anthony Schiavone, or just Reed playing quarterback, New London would have handled the unbeaten Indians, Vitale believes.

Visualing a full-strength New London against Montville, it’s hard to argue that point. Hopefully, we may not have to speculate. The 3,000 in attendance and countless more ECC football fans may get another opportunity to see if that opinion pans out.

The Whalers and Indians stood first and fourth, respectively, in CIAC Class SS playoff rankings. If both teams win out—New London faces tough games against Ledyard Nov. 20 and NFA on Thanksgiving and Montville needs to beat St. Bernard with the Small Division title on the line Nov. 27—it’s quite likely they’ll return to Canamella for the state semifinals.

It’s impossible to expect Cochran, a freshman, to perform and attack defenses with the precision and talent of Reed, the Florida Gator-bound senior. Montville held NL to less than 200 total yards of offense. Reed’s presence would put triple the pressure on Montville’s secondary. The prospect of Montville single-covering Phil Singleton, McQueen, Schiavone, and Jeremy Dubose in the four-wide set would open up running lanes for Vitale, who is approaching 1,000 yards, and Reed, a dangerous runner himself at 6-3, 230 pounds.

Montville brought all of its thoroughbreds and still needed to force turnovers to ignite a furious fourth-quarter comeback, 19 points in less than seven minutes, against the Reed-less Whalers.

Conversely, Montville can gain confidence that its defense played very well against what was still a quality unit that blew out Windham the prior week. New London also received three major breaks to score: a Montville fumble inside the 10-yard line, recovering a kickoff that Montville failed to recover, and McQueen’s miracle catch.

Plus, Indian sophomore back Tyler Girard-Floyd was never fully exploited for various reasons. He served mostly as a decoy in the first half as Montville encountered blocking problems and center snap miscues. The area’s leading rusher (more than 1,600 yards) and scorer (21 touchdowns in nine games) carried just 10 times for 60 yards and still scored two touchdowns. If there is a rematch, everyone would expect Montville to make it a point to establish dominance early.

If the teams don’t meet again or play in opposite semifinals and either fails to advance, then at least we’ll have the privilege of “Lightning” McQueen’s game-winning play and the surreal atmosphere of the game’s final moments.

About 200 Montville students and fans were poised to charge Canamella Field after the game, walking out to the track behind the Indian bench. Chants of “9-0! 9-0!” grew louder and louder as Cochran (4 of 17, 79 yards) threw two incompletions and a 10-yarder to McQueen to set up a last play with four seconds left.

“I thought they had no time-outs, but when I knew they had one, I wanted to run the clock all the way down as far as I could, punt and make them go 80 yards in 12 seconds,” Grove said. “Those aren’t very good odds for them.”

But McNair and Montville safety Jesse Sutherland converged on Cochran’s heave, collided, and the ball somehow dropped in the hands of McQueen in full stride with open field ahead. In the matter of seconds, Montville’s magical moment of euphoria was kicked in the teeth by the sudden jolt of reality that the victory was snatched away. Montville’s fans froze and eventually dejectedly retreated to their cars instead of charging the field. Indian players dropped to the turf, some crying hysterically as if they had been shot. New London’s bench ran to the end zone to mob McQueen. Whaler fans emptied the bleachers and charged the field, rejoicing at the miracle play. Coach Cochran gave an audition for “Dancing with the Stars” prancing around the field while offering condolences and reassurance to Montville’s distraught players.

Vitale didn’t see the play, fearing the worst.

“I was blocking, saw the pass heaved in the air, saw the bobble, and then closed my eyes,” Vitale said. “I heard Montville’s fans scream and then ours scream. It was like Rudy or some other sports movie with an ending you’d never believe. Just an unbelievable ending. I’m not happy it came down to that, but we can take one thing out of it, never give up.”

By Larry Kelley
Special to the Times

And the Bands Played On: Marching Madness at Montville High

2008-11-13T20:23:42Z

Montville High School’s marching band has officially broken in the school’s new athletic field, hosting nine area high school bands at the 17th annual Marching Madness Band Festival.

The competition on Saturday night, Nov. 1, drew schools from as far away as Cranston, R.I., to neighboring rivals Fitch High of Groton and New London High School.

The schools vied to for top honors in their class, based on school size, and Montville School District schools got to strut their stuff as hosts.

The show began with a performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by members of the MHS Marching Band, Concert Band, and Tyl Middle School Concert Band.

Montville High also got to close out the night with its 2008 field show, set to music from the Batman series, plus original music by the band’s percussion instructor, Ned Smith, and a ninja fight between members of the color guard and percussion sections.

The field show has been a hit with audiences, said MHS Music Director Ashley Crawford. She rated the band’s performance Saturday night as the best of the season. The large and enthusiastic group of band alumni who led the band onto the field may have been a factor, she said.

Behind every successful high school marching band is the Booster Club of parents, family members, and fans, who do a lot of the behind-the-scenes grunt work as well as figure out ways to raise money for band trips and performances.

Crawford credited the MHS Music Boosters for putting in countless hours preparing for and running the show. Selina Moriarty is Booster president this year.

The Marching Madness marked the end of the bands’ competition season. Top honors went to Putnam in Class 1, Fitch in Class 2, and Rockville and Cranston East in Class 3, according to Crawford.

Fans can catch the next Montville High Marching Band performance at the Senior Night Football game on Nov. 14 and the Thanksgiving game on Nov. 26. The band also will march in the Montville Holiday Parade on Sunday, Dec. 7.

By Suzanne Thompson
Special to the Times

Helping One of Its Own: Oakdale School plans pasta dinner for Politowicz family

2008-11-13T20:20:49Z

The Oakdale School and community are coming together to help Leslie and Paul Politowicz.

Leslie, 33, was diagnosed with colon cancer last spring. She has survived two major surgeries since then, including removal of her colon and gall bladder and is on 12 sessions of chemotherapy for tumors in her liver and lymph nodes. The family has two young daughters, Taylor, 8, who attends third grade at Oakdale School, and Mackenzie, 3.

The school has scheduled two fund-raisers to help the family deal with medical expenses. Paul, a union laborer, works for Manafort Bros. The family has medical insurance through Paul’s employer, but is approaching coverage caps. Prior to her diagnosis and treatment, Leslie worked as a vet technician at Veterinary Emergency Treatment Services on Route 85 in Oakdale.

Sandy Kulterman and Caroline Whittaker, friends of Leslie’s, contacted Mark Johnson, Oakdale School principal, to see if the school could help out. All three families have young children; Sandy and Leslie used to work together.

“We sat down and said we want to do some things for Leslie, and let’s figure out what is manageable and give people something for their support,” Johnson said.

A pasta dinner in the Tyl Middle School cafeteria on Thursday, Nov. 20, will feature pasta, sauces, and salads provided by the Olive Garden, bread and homemade cookies and brownies for dessert, and donated Pepsi-Cola beverages. Volunteers will serve the meal. Between the two seatings, one at 5 p.m. and one at 6:30 p.m., organizers hope to serve up to 400 pasta dinners.

Politowicz grew up in Stonington and Mystic, graduating from Stonington High School. Her mother, Valerie, who still lives in the area, has been driving her to and from treatments at Miriam Hospital in Providence. Her older sister, Jennifer, who lives in Pawcatuck, has also been helping out.

With two young daughters, Politowicz is focused on being strong for them. She hopes to return to her work as a vet technician.

The Oakdale students are planning to hold a Miles for Leslie walkathon on Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 24 and 25. They will collect pledges to raise funds for her and, weather permitting, walk around the outside of the building on her behalf.

Oakdale School has a strong history of helping families in the community as they deal with cancer and other medical challenges, Johnson said. Last year, students raised money for Bob Ferendo, their now-retired custodian. There are upward of 300 families in the school community.

Johnson, who has lived in Montville for several years, said he is continually amazed by how the community comes together to care for each other.

“In most cases, you might feel like there’s not much happening here, but when someone is in crisis and they need support, it’s unbelievable how this community comes together,” he said. “Montville has a core of really fine people who see a connectedness between each other. When people really need something, they respond to it.”

By Suzanne Thompson
Special to the Times

Tickets to the pasta dinner at Tyl Middle School are $10 for adults and $6 for children. Purchase in advance by calling Kulterman at 625-8451 and Whittaker at 848-8480, or pay at the door.

St. Bernard High School honors 2008 Athletic Hall of Fame inductees

2008-11-06T14:43:00Z

By Larry Kelley

St. Bernard High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2008 features 13 inductees who were not only champions for Saint teams, but winners in the arena of life during their postgraduate years.

The 13 inductees include two attorneys, a doctor, business owners, politicians, championship coaches, and community leaders. Many attributed their success in the professional world to the foundation of education, values, and friendships they made as teenagers while attending St. Bernard.

The 2008 Hall of Fame class was inducted at a ceremony and dinner Oct. 25 at St. Bernard. They join previous classes from 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1999, and 2006.

The following is a capsulized summary of each inductee.

Michael E. Satti, Esquire ’79

Satti made his mark as a wrestler, earning All-American in 1979. He placed ninth and 13th, respectively, in junior national tournaments in 1977 and 1978. In CIAC tournaments, he won the State Open in 1978 and 1979, finished second in Class M in 1978 and won Class M in 1979 when he was 26-0.

“My three most memorable moments were eclipsing my brother John’s record for number of wins in a single season [26-0], winning a State Open Championship at the Coast Guard Academy, where I began wrestling as a kid, and convincing my teammate to introduce me to my [future] wife and convincing her to date me.”

Satti graduated from Columbia University in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. After Columbia he attended Suffolk University School of Law and received a law degree in 1986. He currently practices law in New London.

“It is incredibly humbling to be inducted as a member of the Hall of Fame,” Satti said. “I would have never imagined as a 98-pound-soaking-wet freshman that I could have achieved what I did in four years. It is not a cliché to say that hard work and determination can take you far.”

Satti’s brother John (’74) is a previous inductee.

Joseph Peters, M.D., ’74

Joseph Peters distinguished himself as a baseball and basketball standout and in the classroom, where he was valedictorian and a Merit Scholar. After St. Bernard, he earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics at Wesleyan University, a master’s degree in engineering at Princeton, and his M.D. at University of Connecticut Medical School.

Today, Peters is a member of the Department of Rehabilitation at Lawrence & Memorial Hospital. He completed his residency at the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey/Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation.

Tom Hayes, a SB Hall of Famer and former baseball coach and AD, recalled Peters was a deceptive left-handed pitcher on the Saints’ outstanding 17-4 team in 1974.

“Left-handed pitchers were a rare breed back in the 1970s,” Hayes said. “Joe was never overpowering, but he always seemed to be able to be around the plate with his pitches. He was a very coachable young man back then, and was very intelligent out on the mound. He outsmarted many of the hitters he faced. He well deserves to be inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame.”

Pricilla L. Lutz ’67

Pricilla Lutz was a member of one of the school’s first cheerleading squads, captaining the 1967 team that won the Varsity Division at the Eastern Connecticut Conference Competition.

Lutz received a bachelor’s from Bryant University, where she

was a cheerleading captain, and a master’s in business administration from Central Connecticut. Much of Lutz’s post-education life has been dedicated to teaching at Ledyard High and Montville Alternative High School, running small businesses and cheerleading.

For the past 30 years, she has been part owner of Claudio’s Men’s Formal Wear in Montville. Since 1979, she has been owner and director of the New England Cheerleaders Association, Inc. (NECA). NECA has operated hundreds of summer overnight cheerleading camps, private camps, and one-day clinics at different colleges and high schools all over New England, and from 1990 to the present, NECA has given hundreds of cheerleaders and NECA staff members the opportunity to cheer at the Pro Bowl in Hawaii.

“My experiences at St. Bernard have had a huge impact on my cheerleading career,” she said. “The deep passion and intense spirit I have for cheerleading developed when I was in high school. I am very proud that St. Bernard recognizes cheerleading as a sport, and I am sincerely touched at being inducted.”

Michael Buscetto III ’89

Mike Buscetto became the second St. Bernard grad to attend college on a full basketball scholarship after former Villanova national champ and NBA player Harold Pressley. After being named All-State and All-Area in 1988-89, Buscetto, a 5-11 guard, enjoyed a standout career at Division II Quinnipiac University, where he majored in business and graduated in 1993. Buscetto is still the program’s all-time assist leader and No. 2 in career steals.

Buscetto returned to coach basketball at St. Bernard briefly, but has made his mark in the business world as past owner and vice president of Michael’s Dairy in New London and as a self-employed property developer.

In recent years, Buscetto has emerged as a leader in the world of politics, becoming a first-term New London city councilor running on the Democratic ticket with the highest number of votes given any elected city official. Buscetto has remained a community leader as well, donating time and money to many causes, serving as a guest auctioneer at many fund-raising events and assisting his wife, Heather, in coaching Little League softball. He is also one of the founders of the City of New London Athletic Hall of Fame.

Karolyn Welsh Busconi ’81

At St. Bernard, Welsh earned 10 varsity letters in a spectacular career that included many team championships and an individual Junior Olympic National Championship in the javelin throw in 1981.

Few Saint athletes can list as many accomplishments on their resume as Welsh. She made All Conference in cross country from 1977 to 1979, was a member of two State Open championship teams in 1977 and 1978, and three undefeated state class championship squads from 1977 to 1979 under coach Mike Doyle.

In track and field during her Junior Olympic national championship season in 1981, she was listed in Track & Field News as being one of the top five javelin throwers in the nation and was the Connecticut Interscholastic Track Coaches Athlete of the Year. Welsh was a state javelin champ from 1979 to 1981 and still holds records at St. Bernard and Class M in that event.

In basketball, Welsh was selected an All Conference player in 1980 and ’81 and selected to play in the Big Brother, Big Sister Tournament in 1981. She won the Most Valuable Player award. In tennis she won the Conference championship in 1981.

At Springfield, she continued her record-setting pace, earning Division I and II All-America in the javelin. Her 1982 record remains the women’s best toss in all New England divisions. She said her most memorable moment was winning the prestigious Penn Relays in 1984, when she showed up to the meet late because of a scheduling mistake but still won and set a new meet record.

Coach Robert Mondani

Bob Mondani has seemingly served several coaching stints wrapped up into one long, esteemed career.

A ’73 Xavier High and ’77 Eastern Connecticut State University grad, Mondani’s Saints’ girls’ cross-country and girls’ track-and-field teams won several state championships and he won numerous coaching honors from 1981 to 1992.

Mondani was named the Connecticut High School Coaches Association (CHSCA) Coach of the Year in 1989, the Connecticut High School Track Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 1988 and in 1991, New London Day Coach of the Year six times, and the Norwich Bulletin Coach of the Year five times. In girls’ cross country, Mondani’s teams compiled an 82-6 dual meet record and won eight state championships, including two consecutive State Open titles. In girls’ track, his teams won a state championship and showcased a dual meet record of 33-1.

Presently, Mondani coaches boys’ cross country at Woodstock Academy where he has won four state championships since 1992. Mondani was named Connecticut High School Boys Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1999, making him the only coach in Connecticut cross country history to be named a Coach of the Year for girls and boys, while at two different schools.

“My most memorable moment occurred in 1991, my last season of coaching at St. Bernard,” he said. “I was not able to be with my team at the state class championship meet because my sister was getting married. My friend and mentor, Hall of Famer Mike Doyle, coached the team in my absence. Our team won, and the team crashed the wedding reception in Mystic. The girls showed up in their uniforms, and we all danced to ‘When the Saints Come Marching In.’”

Anthony Desmond ’62

As one of the first 100 boys in the first freshman coed class in 1958, Desmond stands out as one of the first great athletes in school history.

Desmond pitched in a 3-2 victory over Norwich Tech for the first varsity baseball win in baseball history. Hall of Famer Art Lamoureaux was the catcher, and Hall of Famers Ronan Lacey and Bud Abbott were also members of coach Jim Powers Sr.’s team, which had only sophomores and freshmen. Desmond became the first St. Bernard All-Conference athlete as a junior and led the team in batting for all four years. As a basketball player, Desmond was a defensive specialist on the Saints’ first conference championship team. His primary function was to stop the best offensive player on the opposing team and coach Jim Powers Sr. called him the best defensive player in Eastern Connecticut.

After St. Bernard, Desmond graduated from UConn and later opened an insurance office in South Windsor with his wife, Tina. Desmond served as the vice president of the South Windsor Little League and as president of the South Windsor Youth Hockey League. In 1979, he co-founded the South Windsor American Legion Baseball Team and coached it for 15 years. In 2006, the Legion started a yearly college scholarship in his honor.

Roger Street, Booster

Street, a 1978 graduate of Montville High School, was never able to play sports due to having poor hips from birth. However, he helped coach football, baseball, and wrestling, winning three varsity letters during his high school career and winning the prestigious Warren St. John Award upon his graduation, signifying his exemplary service to Montville High School.

Street worked in St. Bernard’s maintenance department for 18 years before moving to Backus Hospital. Former athletic director Art Lamoureux said Street immediately made his mark as a Saints Booster.

“There were two people I could always count on to get things done for me in the athletic locker rooms or on the athletic fields: Eddie Deparche and Roger Street,” Lamoureux said. “Roger was always my ‘go to’ guy whenever I needed someone to fill in on any sport, be it a basketball scorer, timer, football/basketball/wrestling ticket seller, football/basketball/wrestling ticket taker, you name it, Roger was able to do it.”

“It means a great deal to me.” Street said. “I have so many fond memories of St. Bernard and I made so many great friends like Mr. Lamoureux, Mr. Pesapane, Mr. Pagliuca, Mr. Hayes, and Mr. Powers. I spent 18 good years at St. Bernard and I saw two people go into professional sports: Harold Pressley in basketball and Brooke Fordyce in baseball. I would like to thank everyone for picking me to go into the St. Bernard Hall of Fame.”

Scott W. Sawyer, Esquire ’84

Scott Sawyer was an All-State and All-Area basketball selection as a shooting guard for coach Rich Pagliuca in 1983 and 1984.

After St. Bernard, he graduated from Connecticut College, where he was a 1,000-point basketball scorer and team record holder in free throw shooting. He went on to earn a master’s from Wesleyan University and received his Juris Doctorate degree from Seton Hall University School of Law. He currently practices law in New London.

“This satisfaction is shared with so many people such as my wife, Corinne, the most important person in my life, as well as my children, Collin and Cora. It is also shared with my parents, Meg and George, who provided all of the love, support, and guidance a child could ever need, and it is also shared with all my coaches, teammates, and friends.”

James and Doris Shutt, Boosters

The East Lyme residents, who were parents of St. Bernard students from 1978 to 1983, officiated many SBHS swim meets when Art Callahan was the coach and helped Rich Pagliuca with his basketball teams. One of their most memorable moments was meeting Patrick Ewing when St. Bernard played an exhibition game pitting Harold Pressley against Patrick Ewing. Doris volunteered as the athletic department secretary for Art Lamoureux.

“Daisy Shutt was the real backbone of the athletic department in the early days of my athletic administration,” Lamoureux said. “She organized all our files, made all our deposits, made sure that I returned all my phone calls, ordered all my buses, confirmed all my officials, and in general served as much as my assistant athletic director as my secretary.”

James was president of the St. Bernard Athletic Booster Club and was responsible for developing what became the original set of bylaws that guided the organization. He started the Southeastern Connecticut Swimming and Diving Officials organization, and he and Daisy officiated at all the high school swim meets in southeastern Connecticut.

Robert Walsh ’75

Walsh compiled a four-year record of 105-7-3 in wrestling, which included a Class M championship, State Open championship and All-America distinction during the ’74-’75 season.

In football, he was an All-Conference linebacker in 1973, in 1974 was named St. Bernard High School Offensive Player of the Year, and in 1975 received the Class of 1975 “Best Athlete” award. He earned a rare distinction being named team captain in three sports (football, wrestling, and track).

After getting his bachelor’s at Springfield College and a master’s in physical education at Eastern Connecticut State University, Walsh became a physical education teacher in the Groton School System where he has worked for the past 28 years.

Walsh returned to St. Bernard as wrestling coach from 1992-2001, compiling 101 wins, placing third in a Class M tournament, and producing nine individual champions. In his post-coaching career, Walsh has become involved in marathon running, qualifying for seven Boston Marathons.

Edward Deparche, Benefactor

Deparche was a fixture at St. Bernard for nearly half a century, working in the maintenance department from 1975 through retirement in 2007.

Deparche was credited for saving the school thousands of dollars in maintenance fees over the years. He donated time, money, and equipment to St. Bernard. He purchased his own tools while working at St. Bernard and then used them on the job, used his own truck to haul material, plow snow, and carry tables for school functions.

“Eddie was a jack of all trades and a master of many,” former coach Tom Hayes said. “He could just about fix anything. He was also a workaholic all the years he was at St. Bernard.”

Jean Finnegan contributed greatly to this report.

Undefeated Montville Football Braces for Playoff Run: Showdowns with New London, St. Bernard loom

2008-11-06T14:41:00Z

By Larry Kelley

There’s no reason for Montville football coach Tanner Grove and the rest of the Indians to deny it.

The Indians are thinking CIAC football playoffs.

After an impressive 49-20 blowout of Stonington and an obligatory walkthrough against undermanned Tourtellotte, Montville stood 8-0 with three games remaining, including Clash-of-the-Titans-like tilts at undefeated New London Nov. 7 and at rival St. Bernard/Norwich Tech with the ECC Small title on Thanksgiving eve.

“We want to play football after Thanksgiving,” Grove said after Montville gained nearly 20 yards a play for 49 points in 15 minutes of possession against Stonington Oct. 24. “We have a pretty young team, but we’ve set ourselves up with some opportunities to land a playoff spot.”

Montville answered some critics who said it played a weak early schedule by routing two winning programs in Griswold and Stonington. After six games, Montville was No. 3 in the Class SS power ratings behind New London and Seymour. Judging by schedules, Montville would likely make one of the four slots if it beats East Lyme and 5-1 St. Bernard, which was No. 8 in SS but would receive big points if it beat Ledyard and Montville in its stretch run.

Not a bad position for Montville, which was thought to be a year away from contention because of its junior- and sophomore-dominated team.

“We realize we have a lot of players who will be back, and we do occasionally think about the special things we should do in the future,” Indian sophomore running back-defensive lineman Tyler Girard-Floyd said. “But we don’t want to think about next year to get beat this year. The team is really jacked up now because nobody thought we’d do this, this year.”

Girard-Floyd is on pace to earn area Player of the Year as well as All-State honors. His 16-carry, 237-yard, 4-touchdown effort against Stonington gave him more than 1,400 yards and 19 TDs after six games. Considering New London’s Jordan Reed may miss games with a foot injury, if Girard-Floyd finishes strong, he could be the area’s most outstanding player as a sophomore—a previously unthinkable feat in football.

If Girard-Floyd’s power and speed—he had a 78-yard run against the Bears—isn’t enough, he added three sacks on successive plays to stall a Stonington potential scoring drive with the Bears trying to cut the gap to a one-score game.

He played like LT—Ladanian Tomlinson in his prime on offense and Lawrence Taylor on defense.

“I don’t like playing Stonington’s Double Wing, but I like playing defense and getting after the passer,” Girard-Floyd said.

Montville’s overall defense, however, gives Grove an area of concern. Stonington gained 400 yards on 66 plays. Penalties stopped the Bears as much as Montville. Only the Indians’ dominance on special teams—Jesse Sutherland returned a kickoff 86 yards for a TD—and overwhelming rushing out of the spread set (23 rushes for 343 yards) covered up the defensive lapses.

“We made too many mental mistakes, so we’ll have to bring the kids into the film room and fix things,” Grove said. “On three occasions, their end was wide open. We played 2 1/2 quarters of poor defensive football.”

Grove should have the team’s attention during practice, although you wouldn’t blame the players for gloating about what has transpired. Montville’s production, including 23 rushes for 343 yards, has been prolific, and it’s not all Girard-Floyd. Backup sophomore Skyler McNair ran 49 yards for a TD, and blocking-back Dave MacCracken made the most of his rare carries for a 37-yard TD. Junior quarterback P.J. Morales has been dangerous all season as well, keeping defenses honest with scoring strikes to Sutherland, a junior, and Shawn Clang.

“The team is responding, and Tyler is a very big factor both offensively and defensively,” Grove said. “One of the things I’m most proud of him for is that he plays with such poise when he makes plays on both sides of the ball. What more can you say about him other than he’s a special young man.”

Does Montville Want a Skateboard Park? Parks & Rec Commission seeks public input on Nov. 19

2008-11-06T14:38:00Z

It seemed like a good idea at the time, some years back, as Montville Parks and Recreation commissioners and some town volunteers proposed to put in a skateboard park in town. The idea was to give youth a safe place, off town roads, parking lots, and other paved surfaces, to skateboard.

Although the commission has had a line item of $15,000 in funds set aside for a skate park, starting with the 2003-04 town budget cycle, according to Terry Fafard, Montville’s finance director, the funds haven’t been spent. These funds were not enough to cover the total project costs, though. “No Skateboarding” is still the policy at

Camp Oakdale, one of the sites that has been under consideration for a skate park. The closest town-sanctioned skateboard parks are in Norwich and Groton, according to Jim Butler, Parks and Recreation Department director.

The commission wants to know if there is still enough interest by town residents to proceed with a skateboard park, so it has put the topic on the agenda for its monthly meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers, first floor, at Montville Town Hall.

“Safety is the main concern,” Butler said. “Kids shouldn’t be skateboarding on the road, but a lot of them are. We want to get them into a safe environment.”

There are two sites under consideration, according to Butler. The old tennis courts in the rear of Camp Oakdale would provide lighting for extended evening hours and access to the existing bathrooms, but the old asphalt needs to be taken out and proper drainage put in. He said there currently aren’t other plans for that space.

It would cost roughly $80,000 to rip out the asphalt, install an underpipe for the drain, and rock over the drainage area, according to Donald W. Bourdeau, Jr., Public Works director. That doesn’t include installing the skating surface.

Fair Oaks School is another possibility, Butler said, but no determination has been made yet as to exactly where on the grounds.

Although Connecticut does not mandate that skateboarders wear helmets, as required by bicyclers, helmets and protective gear are recommended.

Butler said he and Mayor Joe Jaskiewicz had attended a state workshop put on with an insurance company where questions regarding safety, insurance, and liability were addressed. The town would be covered by insurance, he said, as long as signs addressing safety were posted.

“We hope a lot of people come out to the meeting and voice their concern, if they are in favor or against a skate park, so the commission can move forward one way or the other and make decisions on it. It’s been on the table for quite a while and we’ve got to get moving with it,” Butler said.

Following town finance guidance not to let old line items in the town’s budget linger past three years, the commission voted at its October meeting to combine and reallocate three separate line items, totaling $54,519, that had been earmarked for the skateboard park, handicapped bathrooms, and a playground at Camp Oakdale to complete the handicapped-accessible bathrooms project.

However, the ultimate decision to divert and reallocate capital improvements such as that rests with the Town Finance Committee, which is made up of Town Council members, Fafard explained. First, the Capital Planning Committee, which is responsible for developing a long-range plan of town capital expenses greater than $10,000, will need to consider the changes, she said. So, in effect, none of the $54,519 in the Parks and Recreation capital plan will be spent this fiscal year, she said.

The Parks and Recreation Commission also has scheduled a special meeting at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 12, to hold an open discussion with the town attorney on the functions of the Parks and Recreation Commission, as well as the specific functions and duties of the Parks and Recreation director, a paid town staff position. Notice of the meeting, in Room 203 of the Town Hall, is posted under the Parks and Recreation Commission meetings, agendas, and minutes on the town Web site, www.townofmontville.org.

Watch next week’s Montville Times for an update on the Montville Holiday Parade, set for Sunday, Dec. 7 at 5 p.m.

Montville Increases Funds for New London Homeless Shelter

2008-10-31T12:08:00Z

It’s a grim reality most people don’t care to talk about. Just because a town doesn’t have its own shelter for people who are in need of a home doesn’t mean there isn’t a homelessness problem there.

New London Homeless Hospitality Center, a not-for-profit (501 (c) 3) coalition of citizens, faith communities and service organizations serves people in all communities in the region. It runs the 50-bed overnight shelter at St. James Episcopal Church at 76 Federal Street, as well as a daytime center at the All Souls Church, 19 Jay Street, for homeless clients.

The overnight shelter has been in the news much in recent months as members of the New London Town Council earlier this year voted to implement a policy that required every guest who wanted to stay the night to pass an alcohol breath test. Last week, The Day reported that members of that town council voted 7-0 to suspend the policy during “extreme weather conditions,” including cold temperatures.

According to the center’s website, in the past year it provided hospitality and support to over 500 homeless individuals. That includes at least 30 adults who have ties to Montville, according to John Spinnato, Montville, an advocate for the homeless. Spinnato, 59, retired from General Dynamics four years ago, works 30 hours a week at the hospitality center.

“From 2007 to last month, we have housed 31 people who are affiliated with Montville. They either have lived here, were born here, they have ties here, or stay with family here,” he said. “If there wasn’t this service in New London, they would have to stay in Montville.”

At its October 15 meeting, Montville’s Town Council voted unanimously to increase the town’s contribution to the center from $1,000 to $3,000. Funds for the increase were available in a contingency account. Spinnato spoke at the town council meeting, as a town resident.

“Everybody says ‘that’s New London’s problem,’ but it’s not. This is everyone’s problem,” he said, providing the comparison that since 2006 the shelter has taken care of 118 people that have ties to the City of Norwich.
Without this support, he said, Montville would have to come up with a center, including overnight facility, a food center, transportation for the homeless to go back and forth to New London for Social Security benefits and community health services.

Town Councilman Bill Caron introduced the resolution to increase the town’s donation, based on a plea from the Council of Governments (COGs), which Montville Mayor Joe Jaskiewicz currently chairs.

“The Council recognized that this is a regional misfortune; that area towns do need to step up to the plate and do our part,” said Caron. “There are residents of Montville who have the misfortune of being homeless and do go to the New London center.”

The emergency center recently lost 25 percent of its overall funding as a result of state budget cuts, according to Catherine Zall, executive director. Montville’s contribution will help to keep it open.

“Homelessness is a regional issue,” she said. “Only about half the people served at the shelter are natives of New London. Homelessness strikes people in every town in our region. Emergency shelter is one part of the overall response we need.”

Montville is one of five towns that have responded so far to the COG plea for each town increase its support she said. Others towns are still in process of considering the request.

“Our budget is pieced together from a wide variety of sources, so every dollar matters to us,” she said. “If we were to get the full $60,000 that would be generated by every town in the region putting in $3,000 that would represent about 15 percent of our budget.”

Spinnato said he first got involved as a volunteer at the soup kitchen, reflecting that he, his wife and daughter have been very fortunate with their careers and jobs. The center has a staff of about ten, plus volunteers from all walks, including students at Connecticut College and UConn.

“People should help people,” he said. “If you stick your head in the sand, everything really looks nice.”

When he first went there four years ago, he admitted that he was afraid of some of the clients. Now he considers many of them his friends.

“These are people; they fall into the category of homeless. Some are addicted and some are mentally disturbed. They are just like you and I, but they have problems. Some may go back to childhood,” he said. “People with problems fall between the cracks because they don’t have the patience, the proper channels. I speak for them and my group speaks for them to get them housing, food stamps, because they can’t function in a work environment.”

Some of the center’s patrons do seek work, he said, but working 25 hours or more at a fast food restaurant or other minimum wage jobs doesn’t cut it when monthly apartment rents start at $1,000. Without a permanent address, it is hard to apply for a job, receive mail or apply for social services.

“In today’s society, if someone goes to prison, his life is shot,” he said. “If you put in any hard time, a couple of years in prison, you will not get a job. If you are a felon, you can’t even get an apartment. These are things most people don’t realize. It’s very difficult to get back on the right path because no one wants you.”

On an average day, 60 people will come in for assistance at the day center, he said. It provides them access to computers, the Internet, a phone and an address. Staff also help them get medical assistance and handle other aspects of daily life.

“From a cup of coffee to a clean pair of socks,” he said. On a daily basis as a monitor he can handle any number of needs and requests. He also is in charge of a work detail group that cleans up the building at the end of the day.

Fifty to 60 people, age 18 to 65, stay each night. The center does not take in children, so if a parent or family comes in, Spinnato and other staff work with them to see what other shelters can help them.

The center reports that it has helped over 70 individuals to secure public benefits including cash, health insurance and food stamps, and provided practical support that allowed at least 34 to return to paid employment. It has supported over 20 successful applications to Social Security disability programs.

From October 2006 to 2007, the center reported that it helped 22 people return to their families, either in the state or outside of it. They helped another 33 people find their own apartments, most of these at unsubsidized rates, and linked a dozen with roommates. They helped seven homeless clients in specialized housing, ranging from elderly/disabled housing to supervised group homes, skilled nursing facilities and public housing.

“Montville has been very responsive. We are very grateful for the support,” said Zall. For more information about the center, go to www.nlhhc.org

Undefeated Montville Football Braces for Playoff Run

2008-10-29T18:50:34Z

By Larry Kelley

Special to the Times

There’s no reason for Montville football coach Tanner Grove and the rest of the Indians to deny it.
The Indians are thinking CIAC football playoffs.
After an impressive 49-20 blowout of Stonington and an obligatory walkthrough against undermanned Tourtellotte, Montville stood 8-0 with three games remaining, including Clash-of-the-Titans-like tilts at undefeated New London Nov. 7 and at rival St. Bernard/Norwich Tech with the ECC Small title on Thanksgiving eve.
“We want to play football after Thanksgiving,” Grove said after Montville gained nearly 20 yards a play for 49 points in 15 minutes of possession against Stonington Oct. 24. “We have a pretty young team, but we’ve set ourselves up with some opportunities to land a playoff spot.”
Montville answered some critics who said it played a weak early schedule by routing two winning programs in Griswold and Stonington. After six games, Montville was No. 3 in the Class SS power ratings behind New London and Seymour. Judging by schedules, Montville would likely make one of the four slots if it beats East Lyme and 5-1 St. Bernard, which was No. 8 in SS but would receive big points if it beat Ledyard and Montville in its stretch run.
Not a bad position for Montville, which was thought to be a year away from contention because of its junior- and sophomore-dominated team.
“We realize we have a lot of players who will be back, and we do occasionally think about the special things we should do in the future,” Indian sophomore running back-defensive lineman Tyler Girard-Floyd said. “But we don’t want to think about next year to get beat this year. The team is really jacked up now because nobody thought we’d do this, this year.”
Girard-Floyd is on pace to earn area Player of the Year as well as All-State honors. His 16-carry, 237-yard, 4-touchdown effort against Stonington gave him more than 1,400 yards and 19 TDs after six games. Considering New London’s Jordan Reed may miss games with a foot injury, if Girard-Floyd finishes strong, he could be the area’s most outstanding player as a sophomore—a previously unthinkable feat in football.
If Girard-Floyd’s power and speed—he had a 78-yard run against the Bears—isn’t enough, he added three sacks on successive plays to stall a Stonington potential scoring drive with the Bears trying to cut the gap to a one-score game.
He played like LT—Ladanian Tomlinson-in his prime on offense and Lawrence Taylor on defense.
“I don’t like playing Stonington’s Double Wing, but I like playing defense and getting after the passer,” Girard-Floyd said.
Montville’s overall defense, however, gives Grove an area of concern. Stonington gained 400 yards on 66 plays. Penalties stopped the Bears as much as Montville. Only the Indians’ dominance on special teams—Jesse Sutherland returned a kickoff 86 yards for a TD—and overwhelming rushing out of the spread set (23 rushes for 343 yards) covered up the defensive lapses.
“We made too many mental mistakes, so we’ll have to bring the kids into the film room and fix things,” Grove said. “On three occasions, their end was wide open. We played 2 1/2 quarters of poor defensive football.”
Grove should have the team’s attention during practice, although you wouldn’t blame the players for gloating about what has transpired. Montville’s production, including 23 rushes for 343 yards, has been prolific, and it’s not all Girard-Floyd. Backup sophomore Skyler McNair ran 49 yards for a TD, and blocking-back Dave MacCracken made the most of his rare carries for a 37-yard TD. Junior quarterback P.J. Morales has been dangerous all season as well, keeping defenses honest with scoring strikes to Sutherland, a junior, and Shawn Clang.
“The team is responding, and Tyler is a very big factor both offensively and defensively,” Grove said. “One of the things I’m most proud of him for is that he plays with such poise when he makes plays on both sides of the ball. What more can you say about him other than he’s a special young man.”