Sober Southington Celebrates Life with a Kickball Game

Sober Southington and friends gather for a picture at Dunkin' Park in Hartford on September 29. AVERY MARTIN PHOTOS

For Shane Shackleford, getting the Sober Southington kickball game rolling was a long time in the making.

Just over a year after starting the group, which aims to bring substance-free social activities to Southington, Shackleford finally obtained the use of Dunkin’ Park in Hartford for the one-night event on Tuesday that pitted his team against a team from Shay’s Barber Lounge.

“I've always wanted to kind of think outside the box,” said Shackleford. “We could play kickball, but how do we make it interesting? How do we get it to be a celebration of life and sobriety and mental health? I think with the scoreboard and the celebration of an individual accomplishing what they've accomplished, whether it's a day or 20 years, I think it's cool to celebrate that.”

Shackleford, center, with his wife Sara and a friend.

Shackleford started Sober Southington last August, looking to connect with others in the community on similar sobriety journeys. The group has grown to include people in all stages of sobriety, from all ages and walks of life, but the underlying mission remains the same: give back to the community that supports them while hosting events for those in recovery to bond with those undergoing the same things.

“I created Sober Southington on my sobriety date, August 1 last year,” said Shackleford. “I needed some accountability, a way to stay busy and a way to give back.”

Tuesday night was not only a celebration of sobriety and personal recovery, but of the Southington community as well. Event sponsors included local businesses Nonnas Pizza, Groggy Frogg, A Moment Away Spa, Plato’s Closet, Fitlife 24/7 and more.

Miss Southington Vashty Stanley was at Dunkin’ Park in support, as were Radio 104.1 hosts Amy Grey and Vikki Sixx. State Representative Chris Poulos rolled out the first pitch.

“He's always been supportive of what I've done, and I wanted to kind of show him the same love and respect back,” Shackleford said of Poulos. “I wanted to throw in as many aspects of connection as I could. I think a state representative kind of gave me that boost a little bit. Then with Miss Southington here, having a representative from Southington, having Southington businesses as support, having Southington as a team playing against a Southington business. I just wanted Southington pride today, but with the community in mind.”

81st District Rep. Poulos addresses the players.

The kickball game was not only a chance to show off on the field, but to connect players and spectators with local mental health and addiction resources. Several tables were set up in the concourse with representatives from organizations such as LiveWell, The Ridge Recovery Center, Hartford HealthCare and more.

Such connections and dedication to supporting the sober community are what make Sober Southington special, said kickball player and Bread for Life Executive Director Missy Cipriano. A supporter of Shackleford’s ideas since he founded the group, Cipriano said his impact extends far beyond fun activities.

“So many of our folks struggle with addiction, and we want to have as much support available for them locally that we can. So for us, being involved with Sober Southington just connects our guests and the folks that we serve with a deeper resource, and so it's a win-win for us,” said Cipriano.

Another familiar face on the field was Nonna Pizza owner Ace Memeti. Memeti has been involved with Sober Southington over the past year. He met Shackleford, who works at Groggy Frogg next to Nonna Pizza, and was the winner of the first Sober Southington pizza crawl award.

Memeti and Cipriano on the field.

Memeti said supporting Sober Southington goes beyond neighbors helping neighbors. Sober Southington is a welcoming group, he said, and people from any background are welcome to attend their events.

“It's important because I think in the time we are in right now, there's a lot of craziness going on, and I feel like this group finds the balance for that. I think more people need to see that,” said Memeti.

The game ended in a 15-5 loss for Sober Southington, but the score wasn’t the takeaway. Tuesday night was about showing those struggling that they aren’t alone, and remembering those who have been lost to addiction. A pre-game moment of silence was held, and resources were readily available for those seeking support with their addiction journeys. 

“This is Southington on Southington, and showing our community support,” said Cipriano. “The struggle is real for not even just mental health, but also addiction. Having a small town come together and support so many people, that’s grassroots stuff. That's what means a lot.”

Victims Reflect on July 20 Youth Bike Assault, Aftermath

Aerial view centered on the 500-block of Main Street in Southington, where the assault described in the article occurred. BING MAPS SCREENSHOT

This article is part of an occasional series called 'Last Responders' that will look at how the effects of tragic events that have taken place in town play out over time.

Early in the afternoon of July 20^th of this year, a large group of youths and young adults on bicycles and e-bikes made their way down Route 10 from Plainville, taking over the roadway as they went. In addition to blocking traffic and putting themselves at risk, they interacted aggressively with motorists, threatening in at least two cases to ‘pop’ or shoot them. (In the end, no firearms were deployed or found on the person of any cyclist or driver.) Their ‘ride-out’ ended on Main Street just south of CVS, where six of their number surrounded a man riding a motorcycle and beat him.

The man in question was out on an errand with his wife, who was following behind him on a motorized trike. Both were traumatized by the incident and left with lingering questions about the response. They approached the Outsider to share their story and their concerns, but requested anonymity, which was granted after they presented credible evidence of threats from persons who participated in the ride-out. They are referred to below as ‘John’ and ‘Jane.'

The Southington Outsider is not in a position to corroborate all of the details of their account. However, what they said is broadly consistent with our earlier reporting, and with an official timeline of the police response that was shared with the Outsider by the Southington Police Department, which can be read below.

The interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

Narrative of Events

John: I believe she got the worst of it, because she saw it all happen - someone that she loves on the ground being stabbed.

Jane: This whole thing has been extremely difficult, and it’s been particularly difficult for me because I’ve been on long-term disability for six years.

John: We were at the doctor's office on Queen Street. She was on her trike, I was on my motorcycle. We were going to get corn at Carmody’s. We came around the corner and there were four cars in front of us. One turned into Derynoski, one turned into Walgreens, just to get away from the group. One car stops right in the middle of the road. I go around the car.

Jane: At this point I’m still stuck like an eighth of an mile behind him.

John: There was a kid on the yellow line, all masked up. There was a kid in the center doing a wheelie.

I went up to the kid doing the wheelie and said, “Why don’t you get the f- out of the road and let people get by? This is ridiculous.”

At this point they started circling around me saying ‘F- you old man, mind your own business, why don’t you get the f- out of here?”

I started revving my engine for them to get out of the way. I got up to the 500 block on Route 10. There was a landscaping truck in the middle of the road, so I couldn’t go anywhere. Now I’m looking back for her. There’s six cars between us now, and she has pulled over calling 9-1-1.

The kid rolls up, puts his hand in his backpack, and says “I’m going to pop you, old man.” At that point I can’t go anywhere. They’re saying "push him over, push him over!" I shut my bike off, I get off my bike. They say “grab his keys!” but there’s no keys, it’s a switch start. They say, “grab his phone!” and they grab my phone. I spun around to grab the kid who grabbed my phone, and he drops it.

Next thing I know six of them are on top of me, stabbing me with a screwdriver, beating me with an air pump. I fell on the ground, they start stomping on me. I’ve got four broken ribs, a bruised kidney. By that point she’s rolling up, screaming “get the f- off him!”

At that time people started coming to offer help. One gentleman jumped out of his car and showed his badge.

Jane: We still don't know who he was.

John: The adult who was stabbing me and another person were still on me. A neighbor started to intervene, saying to the kids “haven’t you done enough damage?” My wife was being taken care of by his wife and a woman in the front car. I was just all rage.

The cop showed up, pulled out his gun, and told the guy to get on the ground.

I asked the officer after all this happened, “Did I do anything wrong besides ask them to get the f- out of the road?” He said, “You could have asked him a little nicer.” A little nicer.

My motorcycle is registered, I wasn’t doing anything wrong. I was the fourth person assaulted that day.

Two Earlier Confrontations

John: Another gentleman was assaulted that day. It started in Norton Park in Plainville. They had an officer who had to escort them out of Plainville. As soon as they got out of Strawberry Fields [industrial park] there, they were all lined right up. We were told that Plainville notified Southington that 45 to 75 rowdy juveniles were coming into their town.

Another gentleman we've talked to was driving down the street. They kicked his mirror and spit in his car. When he went to pull over, the only reason they didn’t pull him out of the car is that he has a large dog.

It started before 1pm. He called the cops. They didn’t send anyone. He was still on 9-1-1 when he saw a cop pull in front of him. He told 9-1-1 to tell the officer that he was going to approach the vehicle. He told the officer what happened.

They continued down Route 10. All sorts of people were complaining. They stopped at the 7-11. The kids were swarming there. There was another gentleman named Jose. He told them to get the f- out of the road when they circled up on him coming out of Walmart. They threatened him: “We’re going to pop you.” He called the cops, but they didn’t respond. We were victims three and four.

Victim Services Hard to Come By

Jane: After the attack, I had called around to find out what happens when you’ve been assaulted. What do you do? I called a few different lawyers, and finally I called Martocchio and Oliveira. Martocchio got on the phone. He asked me a million questions. I told him the whole story. He said let me do some research and call you back.

He called me the next day and told me, very polite but firmly, I would have no case against the town because of governmental immunity. And I hung up. I was stunned. I wasn’t calling to sue the town, I was looking for help.

Who helps us now? I called the Town Manager’s office, but nobody answered. So I call the Town Attorney’s office. There’s got to be services available through them, I thought. I call the number, and what do I hear? “Martocchio and Oliveira, how can I help you?” I never knew [Martocchio and the Town Attorney] were the same person.

We turned to victim services at the court in Waterbury. Again, nothing. It’s a closet where they give you a fidget spinner and a box of tissues. They printed out 40 pages of Psychology Today and gave it to me.

What the victim’s advocate said to me was, "It’s called the criminal justice system, it’s not called the victim’s justice system." At that point I realized she was right. The state pays the judge, the advocate, the prosecutor, the corrections system. Meanwhile we’re drowning in debt from bills.

The 13-year old was from Cheshire, the 20-year old was from Waterbury. But there were six of them. To only get two?

The thing that got us was they put the 20-year old on a $500,000 cash bond. They lowered that to $50,000. We did not get a phone call from the prosecutor that they lowered the bail. We’ve been told nothing and we have nothing to do with it.

Identifying the Root Issues

Jane: The town isn’t looking at it the right way. This isn’t about an ordinance. I know for me personally, when I finally got out of the house [after a period of disability], we got an electric bike and I was able to go out on the rail trail for a while. They need to separate the issue of adults who truly utilize these as a tool, because they helped me. They need to deal with these kids separately.

John: It's not just e-bikes. There were scooters, there were bicycles, and there were e-bikes.

The whole reason this happened is because they wanted Tiktok views. Apparently my assault has over a million views. It was covered in California on biker sites.

Jane: They posted my picture on Tiktok on my bike saying I’m easy to find.

John: I’ve been married twice, I’ve been divorced, I’m a recovering addict. The one thing I’ve taught my kids is to have respect. These kids, they have respect for nothing, nothing at all. It makes me sad that these kids have no repercussions for anything.

And if I could change one thing, I would have had the police do a better job. Because this didn’t have to happen. The first call, it was incumbent on the police department to intervene.

[End of Interview]

The Southington Police Department Dispatch Record

The Southington Police Department declined to speak on the record about the events in question. However, they shared a copy of the dispatch log for July 20 detailing where and when the Department received various reports and took various actions. It is included here as another detailed piece of testimony to what happened that day.

1:09pm. Phone call received by Southington Police Department [SPD] Dispatch from caller reporting a group of juveniles on E-Bikes operating erratically in the area of 750 Queen Street. Caller reported they were traveling towards Plainville.

1:10pm. A CAD [report] was created by Dispatch for the above call for service. First responding officers reported the group was observed traveling westbound onto Townline Road and northbound onto South Washington Street in Plainville.

1:12: A responding officer reports they received a walk-up complaint of a group of bicycles and E-Bikes traveling northbound into Plainville on Route 10. Dispatch was advised to contact Plainville. A dispatcher was still on the telephone with the original caller gathering details when this Officer provided this report.

1:12: SPD Dispatch received another 9-1-1 call reporting the group of juveniles on bikes deliberately holding up traffic in Plainville. Caller reported the group is now in Plainville as she was following.

1:12: Plainville PD was attempted to be contacted three times by Southington Police Department Dispatch but there appeared to be an issue with the Plainville PD phone lines.

1:14: Southington PD contacted Plainville PD over the police radio hotline and advised Plainville PD of the group of cyclists heading into their town.

1:29: Southington PD Dispatch receives a 9-1-1 call reporting that there were juveniles on E-Bikes blocking the roadway and creating hazards. Caller reported the kids struck his mirror. Caller reported he was unsure where he was, but believed the juveniles were now on Queen Street and were possibly going onto the bicycle trail.

1:31: Another call is received that the group is traveling southbound on Queen Street passing BJ’s/Spring Street. The Queen Street officer radioed that they were aware and last saw them near Aircraft.

1:33: SPD Dispatch advises Queen Street Officer that the caller from 1329 hours is flashing his high beams in an attempt to speak with him. The officer meets with the complainant and investigates.

1:36: Another call was received about the group traveling southbound on Queen Street by Smashburger, but the caller was unaware where the group went.

1:47: Call is received by SPD Dispatch of the group traveling on Route 10.

1:50: Another call is received regarding the group traveling southbound on Queen Street. Caller reported the group “pump faked” having a fake firearm but did not see any weapons. Caller reported one of the riders reported to having a firearm, but reported the group continued to travel.

1:53: Dispatch sends an Officer to check the area of Stop & Shop on North Main for the group of bicyclists.

1:54: Another officer is dispatched to Dunkin Donuts to meet with the complainant from the 1:50 call regarding the group of bicyclists. (Three officers are now checking area and meeting with various callers.)

1:58: 9-1-1 call received that the group of bicyclists were now traveling towards Gasman and Plantsville Center being disruptive.

1:59: Another 9-1-1 call reporting that a motorcyclist and the group were fighting.

1:59: All available patrol units were dispatched to Main Street on the reported fight involving the group of bicyclists and a motorcycle operator. It was reported that a potential firearm was involved.

2:00: Sergeant DiBattista requested drone deployment.

2:01: Officers advise over the radio that they are beginning to arrive on scene (4 officers arrive to the area at approximately the same time).

2:02: Other Officers en route are reporting seeing a group going south from Factory Square, and were now seen by Railroad Ave.

2:04: Officer advises he is already out with the victim on Main Street. Officers stopped and detained a suspect that was located away from the scene. They were arrested after an investigation was conducted.

New England Coffee Guy Brings Fresh, Local Taste to Southington

Jason Ostrout at New England Coffee Guy café, September 18. AVERY MARTIN PHOTOS

Jason Ostrout is the New England Coffee Guy – or at least, that is his professional title these days.

Ostrout recently moved his first permanent coffee shop, New England Coffee Guy, from West Hartford to Southington. The location in Factory Square at 168 Center Street soft-launched last week and will have a grand opening on October 26.

It is a café-version of Ostrout’s coffee cart business, which can be hired to serve coffee at events such as weddings, and is the newest addition to Factory Square, filling a void left by the closure of Perkatory Coffee Roasters at this location.

“It is an opportunity for me to come and open my own space. I use this space as my base of operations for my mobile business, so I can do public events and private events. We do a lot of cold brew prep and all of the syrups in-house, and it allows us to have a safe place to prepare that stuff,” said Ostrout.

The cart, which goes by the same name as the café, began operating in 2022. Ostrout spent two decades in the insurance business before that, and initially began his coffee company as a hobby. But after the cart gained popularity, he soon found his true calling was, as the name implies, being the “New England Coffee Guy”.

Now, four years later, Ostrout prides himself on providing fresh coffee with unique flavors for visitors. All the syrups are made on location, and Ostrout partners with local businesses to bring seasonal flavors to the table.

“I know a lot of places do make their own syrups, but what we try to target is supporting the local businesses and the local farms. So we're ordering local honey and local maple syrup. I'm hoping to work with Rogers Orchards on fruit. As much as I can get plums, I'm getting plums from Rogers,” said Ostrout. “Just whatever's in season; pears would be a great addition to coffee. So, really, working closely with those organizations.”

A vanilla plum latte made at the café.

That local approach extends to the actual coffee itself. Ostrout has created a custom blend, and it is roasted locally. He often revisits blends with staff, so that new ideas are always being explored.

“I love doing collaborations with local regional roasters. I have my own blend, but when we travel around the region, we get beans from other roasters and feature them on a pour-over,” said Ostrout. “We're really elevating the experience of supporting local businesses.”

Supporting the community goes beyond finding the best produce. New England Coffee Guy aims to be a part of the Southington culture, said Ostrout. Work by local artists will soon grace the walls, and local musicians may also stop by to perform for customers.

Southington High School athletes may even find special promotions in the shop.

“We'll be doing some local community things where, if Southington has a game on a Saturday, if they wear their Southington High School stuff, they can get a discount on a coffee. We want to bring the community together that way and show the pride of Southington,” said Ostrout.

Just as important as the product itself is the environment it is served in. Ostrout and members of his staff are passionate about music, and that can be seen throughout the café. A guitar leans against a vinyl record player, and customers are welcome to play their own records or create their own music in the space.

“I wanted to bring that same feel of my personality and my brand. We have vinyl, and we have a tape player and we have a CD player. Really, I want to center it around music and audio here,” said Ostrout.

The environment is more welcoming and warm than the old factory’s exterior may initially suggest. New England Coffee Guy is a space for customers to relax, said Ostrout, and enjoy their fresh and local coffee in a cozy and home-like place.

“We serve coffee in ceramic and glass mugs for people that want to sit in the space and hang out and stay as long as they want. We have Wi-Fi,” said Ostrout. “We want you to experience the place. I want people to put their feet up on a table.”

The café entrance is off the first-floor public area in Factory Square.