Hinsdale PTO welcomes 800 families back to school

WINSTED — Members of the Hinsdale Elementary School PTO hosted their fourth annual Welcome Back BBQ last month with a new twist: including new students and families from Batcheller Elementary School.

Under the town’s reconstructed school system, students in grades one through four who would have gone to Batcheller are now part of the Hinsdale community. In turn, the annual Welcome Back BBQ went from serving 500 families to more than 800 this year.

“We had face painting by the Gilbert Leo Club and several Pearson volunteers,� said organizer Lisa Weber, who has been active with the PTO for several years. “The Gilbert boys baseball team volunteered to man our bounce houses and keep them safe. We had 10 grills going, one of which was run by Mr. Blaise Salerno, superintendent of schools, hiding under his hat.�

Students from Gilbert and Pearson schools assisted the PTO with setting up the Welcome Back BBQ, and the band Mike & Co. performed for the event. For the hundreds of families in attendance, it was a pleasant way to kick off the school year.

Latest News

Water main cleaning in North Canaan

NORTH CANAAN – Aquarion Water Company today announced a water main cleaning project in the company’s North Canaan system. The project is scheduled to take place from Monday, April 1 through Tuesday, April 16, and is being undertaken to ensure customers in North Canaan continue to receive the highest quality water.

The cleaning for April 1 and April 4 (subject to change) will take place on the following streets:

Keep ReadingShow less
Tuning up two passions under one roof

The Webb Family in the workshop. From left: Phyllis, Dale, Ben and Josh Webb, and project manager Hannah Schiffer.

Natalia Zukerman

Magic Fluke Ukulele Shop and True Wheels Bicycle Shop are not only under the same roof in a beautiful solar powered building on Route 7 in Sheffield, but they are also both run by the Webb family, telling a tale of familial passion, innovation and a steadfast commitment to sustainability.

In the late ‘90s, Dale Webb was working in engineering and product design at a corporate job. “I took up instrument manufacturing as a fun challenge,” said Dale. After an exhibit at The National Association of Music Merchants in Anaheim, California, in 1999, The Magic Fluke company was born. “We were casting finger boards and gluing these things together in our basement in New Hartford and it just took off,” Dale explained. “It was really a wild ride, it kind of had a life of its own.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Robert Cray’s soulful blues coming to Infinity Hall

Robert Cray

Photo provided

Blues legend Robert Cray will be bringing his stinging, funky guitar and soulful singing to Infinity Hall Norfolk on Friday, March 29.

A five-time Grammy winner, Cray has been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and earned The Americana Music Awards Lifetime Achievement for Performance. He has played with blues and rock icons including Albert Collins, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, The Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton and many more.

Keep ReadingShow less