The 2nd Annual WISE Wellness Block Party

Sunday, May 17, 2026 from 1PM to 4PM

Rain Date: May 31, 2026

Downtown Southington

Free Admission

A Day of Fun, Connection, and Community Care

The 2nd Annual WISE Wellness Block Party returns to downtown Southington on May 17, 2026, building on the success of last year’s well-attended and inspiring event. Designed for all ages, this town-wide celebration brings together families, community organizations, and local resources for a day filled with fun, connection, and support.

Following the Mental Health Sunday Service at the First Congregational Church of Southington, the Block Party invites everyone—whether attending the service or simply passing by—to join in the festivities.

What Is WISE?

WISE stands for Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive, and Engaged for Mental Health.

Originally started by the United Church of Christ, WISE has grown to include many congregations, synagogues, and community organizations committed to supporting mental health in meaningful ways. WISE partners work to create welcoming spaces for people with lived mental health experiences, support advocacy and justice efforts, and help reduce stigma through education, inclusion, and engagement.

What to Expect

The WISE Wellness Block Party is designed to be informative, engaging, and fun for all ages. Activities and attractions will include:

●      Bounce houses and children’s activities

●      Music and entertainment

●      Face painting, balloons, and crafts

●      Snow cones, cotton candy, popcorn, and free hotdogs

●      Food trucks offering additional options

●      Information booths from local health and mental health organizations

Children will have plenty of space to play, explore, and release energy in a safe, welcoming environment, while adults can connect directly with organizations that provide vital services in our community.

And yes—we’ve put in a special request for cool, pleasant weather!

Community Impact

At the heart of the WISE Wellness Block Party is a simple but powerful goal: to connect people with the resources they need.

Many individuals and families face challenges related to health, mental health, and daily life—and often don’t know where to turn. This event shines a spotlight on the abundance of local organizations ready to help, offering an opportunity to ask questions, gather information, and build connections in a relaxed, supportive setting.

Last year, attendees traveled from across Connecticut—including Storrs, Old Saybrook, and Bethany—and left inspired by the sense of community and care. We look forward to welcoming both familiar faces and new visitors again this year.

Participating Organizations

Organizations that participated in last year’s Block Party included:

Bread for Life; SOOCA; Early Childhood Collaborative of Southington; UConn Health Child and Family Development Program; Veterans Affairs (VA); Hartford HealthCare; NAFI; Waterbury Family Intervention and Addiction Recovery Services; Wheeler Health; Prudence Crandall Center; NAMI Farmington Valley; LiveWell; FCC Stephen Ministry; Family Intervention Center; First Congregational Church of Southington; Village Green Nursery; and WISE.

Additional organizations will be joining us for 2026.

Save the Date

Mark your calendar, invite your family and friends, and join us for a day of connection, celebration, and community care at the 2nd Annual WISE Wellness Block Party.

We look forward to seeing you in downtown Southington on May 17, 2026—and we’re confident you and your family will leave feeling informed, supported, and uplifted.

Rare Spanish Coin Unearthed

The 'tails' side of a Spanish piece-of-eight PHILIP THIBODEAU PHOTOS

It was not the first time, Val Guarino, president of the Southington Conservation Land Trust, had taken his metal detector out on Land Trust properties to see what he could find. Often enough he came home empty-handed; occasionally he would find a something interesting, like an old tool. "I once found a metal file," he remarked. "That was about it."

Two weeks ago, however, his search led to the discovery of something special. He was sweeping an area that had recently been exposed by mowing. The detector made its characteristic ping, indicating that it sensed metal underground. Digging down a few inches, Guarino found a silvery disc about the size of a poker chip. He rubbed off some of the dirt and realized that he had found a coin.

Removing the rest of the dirt revealed lettering. Circling a worn and damaged silhouette on the 'heads' side of the coin were the letters DEI GRATIA 1800 CAROLVS IIII, which is Latin for 'By the grace of God, 1800, Charles/Carlos the Fourth."

The 'heads' side

On the 'tails' side (see the headline photo) was an elaborate coat of arms flanked by two pillars and surrounded by the letters HISPAN ET IND REX M 8R FM.

The first four words are short for Hispaniarum et Indiarum Rex, which means 'King of Spain and the Indies' in Latin. In other words, this was a Spanish coin. Finally, the 8R clinched the identification of the piece: it stands for 'eight Reales', and indicates that the coin was what characters in pirate movies refer to when they mention 'pieces of eight.'

The significance of the number 1800 is thus obvious: it is the year when the coin was minted - over two centuries ago, when Southington was a mere 21 years old.

But what do the other letters stand for? And what was this coin doing in Southington in the first place? For more information on the piece, the Outsider reached out to Dave Wnuck. Wnuck is a coin dealer with an expertise in early American coins, and the founder of Dave Wnuck Numismatics in Wallingford. He graciously shared the following information on Guarino's find.

"What you found is an 1800-Mo FM 8 Reales. The 'M' stands for Mexico City, where the coin was minted."

"'FM' are the initials of the assayer at the Mexico City mint. This is the person ultimately responsible to make sure the coins made at the mint under his direction had the proper amount of silver in each coin."

"The coin was legal tender in Southington (and the rest of America) and circulated alongside the US coins being minted at the Philadelphia mint. In fact, all foreign coins were legal tender in the US until 1857."

"We were not a wealthy nation in 1800 by any means, so we didn't/couldn't make enough coins for daily transactions throughout the young nation. So, a Southington resident in 1800 was much more likely to have a foreign coin in their pocket than a coin made in the USA, especially coins from Mexico. The Mexican 8 reales was the US Dollar of its day, and preferred by most countries in the world for trade purposes."

"In 1800, a Mexican 8 reales coin - commonly known as a Spanish dollar or 'piece of eight' - had a spending power equivalent to one United States dollar. A single 8 reales coin represented significant value, as a dollar in 1800 was equivalent to about $20 to $30 in 2026 purchasing power. In the US around 1800, one Spanish dollar could buy either 6 pounds of butter, 1 bushel of wheat, 4 quarts of whiskey, 2.5 bushels of corn, or 300 pounds of hay."

"The 8 reales coin was equal to eight 'bits' or reals, and was often split into smaller pieces to make change, which is the origin of the term "two bits" for a quarter."

"The US Dollar was directly based on this Spanish coin, and the Spanish dollar was the primary currency for trade. The '$' symbol is believed to be derived from the S-shaped banner wrapped around the Pillars of Hercules on the coin's design."

As for the location of the discovery, Guarino is keeping that confidential in order to prevent a swarm of treasure-seekers from descending on the property. In fact, this coin was an isolated find, which means that it probably slipped out of someone's purse two-centuries ago, rather than being part of a buried horde.

After all those years in the cold dirt, the coin will now have a nicer home - though Guarino has not yet decided whether that will be the Land Trust office or the Southington Historical Society.

Val Guarino on a Land Trust property with brush trimmers

Big Turnout for School Advocates at Budget Hearing

A full house in the Assembly Room PETER PROHASKA PHOTOS

By 6:45pm Monday night, drivers were running out of places to park near Southington’s John Weichsel Municipal Center. Inside the assembly room, it was already standing room only. Once the public hearing got underway, Town Council Chair Paul Chaplinsky announced that the fire marshal had been notified about the crowd. A few people moved into the vestibule, while others stood aside to keep fire exits clear.

The crowd, which appeared to be close to the 140 people the room is allowed to hold, was mostly present to send a message: a reduction of the proposed schools budget was not going to be accepted quietly. About thirty students, educators, parents and other community members stepped to the podium to argue against a $1.6 million reduction recommended by the Board of Finance; only two spoke about the effect of higher taxes on residents who would struggle to pay. Recognizing the strong feelings of the attendees, the Council voted in favor of Chaplinsky’s suggestion that the hearing be kept open while they consider how best to address what he called a “difficult” budget season.

Many speakers returned to a common set of points. Several spoke of the ways in which a budget reflects the “values” held by a community. Several echoed the Superintendent's warning that budget cuts would mean personnel reductions for as many as 22 people, especially in positions like literacy specialists and para-educators. They said that cuts would lead to larger class sizes, more stress for teachers, and worse outcomes for students, especially those in need of extra help. Lack of class options, including career-oriented vocational learning, would also negatively impact students.

One consequence of these changes, several residents said, would be a teacher exodus caused by burnout or the lure of better conditions elsewhere; fewer people might choose Southington as a place to live and raise families, which would lower property values. Such a cycle, it was suggested, could create a spiral from which a community might struggle to exit.

Other speakers warned that cuts might cause schools to fall out of compliance with state mandates. Cuts would impact students who qualify for Individualized Education Programs or other assistance and could lead to loss of grants. Failure to comply could mean even less state funding in the future - an especially important consideration as Southington voters decide this fall whether to fund the elementary schools project.

Colleen Clark, who sits on the Board of Education, kicked off the comment session by calling Superintendent Steve Madancy’s budget "as lean and transparent as can be,” and argued for fully funding the budget that her Board approved. A fellow Board member, Joseph Baczewski, echoed that, saying that the proposed reduction would send a message that his organization’s work is “worthless in your eyes.”

Though the crowd clapped after each speaker finished, the loudest applause of the evening was reserved for Ryan King, a student at John F. Kennedy Middle School. He had gone from needing extra literacy support earlier in his school career to carrying an A in Language Arts, he said. King spoke of the need to “disagree respectfully,” as he made a case against proposed cuts to staff members who help students like him. As for the suggestion of “pay-to-play” that could offset some of the athletics budget, he pointed out that not every family could afford those extra fees. Middle school athletics, King argued, is where students begin to make life-long friends in addition to learning skills. The most important reason for the Town to invest in the education budget, said King, is that “we’re the future generation of Southington.”

Students help lead the Pledge of Allegiance

Once the public hearing section of the meeting ended and the room had nearly emptied out, the Council still had its regular business to consider. Councilor Tony Morrison reported from the Ordinance Committee that it was still considering what to do about a noise ordinance, since it has come to light that the existing one is not enforceable because it lacks approval from the state. Another ordinance that would target the many small signs that Morrison said “litter” Southington’s landscape is also being considered. Town Manager Alex Ricciardone said he personally picks up many of them for disposal.

The Ordinance Committee also moved to consider cost recovery for fire services by bringing the issue to the full Council.

School finances appeared on the agenda again when Ricciardone reported on a recent meeting in Hartford involving legislators and the School and State Finance Project, a non-profit that seeks to address educational funding shortfalls in the state. The issue of ECS, education cost sharing, affects most districts in Connecticut, since the formula used to disperse funds for education hasn’t changed since 2013, per Ricciardone. This might be changing soon, he said, to help communities like Southington that are in the midst of hard budget decisions regarding school expenses. As Councilman David Zoni remarked, “It’s an election year, so I think that we got a good shot.”

Ricciardone also addressed a comment made earlier in the meeting regarding the Manager’s contingency fund, usually $1 million. That has dwindled this year to around $20,000, primarily due to ice and snow removal expenses during a tough winter. He pointed out that having money that can be shifted as needed — usually with Board of Finance and Town Council approval — without affecting departmental budgets is standard practice for towns like Southington.

A tax abatement was also unanimously approved for American General Investors, a company putting in a new building on a vacant parcel in the economic development zone. Town Manager Alex Ricciardone said the company would be creating around 26 jobs. Though the seven-year abatement is 100% for two years, that drops off to 50% in year three.

After more than three hours the night was not yet over for Council members and other officials, who entered executive session to discuss litigation matters.

The next meeting of Town Council is scheduled for May 11, when a final vote on the budget is expected.