While Town Shuts for Storm, Sledders, Plow Drivers, and Cooks Keep Going

Ethan and Bella Guy show off their rainbow-colored snow tube. PHILIP THIBODEAU PHOTOS

The schools? Closed. Town Hall? Closed. The Library, YMCA, Calendar House, Community Services? All closed. 15 to 20 inches of snow – the totals vary depending on who you ask – will do that.

But that doesn’t mean everything in Southington was shut down, or that no one was out and about.

Take the sledders on the hill at Camp Sloper off East Street. Late Monday afternoon, the tracks leading down the slope near the power lines were packed from the dozens of kiddos who had come out with their snow tubes for some wintertime thrills.

As Kevin Guy watched his children trudge up the slope, he reflected that there weren’t as many good places to sled in town as their used to be, what with all the new development. Maybe Oak Hill by Flanders Street? (Online commenters recommended Panthorn Park.)

His son Ethan suddenly raced down the hill at top speed, hoping to hit the jump fast enough to go airborne for a moment. Ethan’s older sister Bella preferred a more leisurely pace, steering and turning over the bumps.

Snowtubes seem to be the way to go on Monday – a pair of toboggans and sleds sat unused in the frigid snow pack. Yet Guy, thinking again of the past, recalled another, more more creative alternative: “My buddies and I once went sledding using an weightlifting bench we turned over. It was fast – you’d be surprised.”

Ethan hits the ramp at the bottom of the hill.

Meanwhile, downtown, the walls of piled snow had turned the sidewalks into icy trenches. Highway Department employees plowed all night to keep the streets passable, while landlords and contractors cleared the walks with snowblowers.

During the worst of the storm Sunday, most local businesses were shut down – but not Taqueria la Juquilita at 190 Main Street. The owners, Israel Hernandez and Flor Reyes, live nearby, so for them, coming in to work was no big deal. “We were open yesterday. I live close, a five minute walk. You work in the kitchen, you always have to work,” Israel said.

Asked how business was during the middle of the storm, he answered, “A lot of workers came in the store,” most of them plow drivers. Their favorite food? “Everything,” he smiled. “Memelas, they really like memelas.” Memelas consist of a corn flour pancake topped with meat, cheese, beans, and salsa – an essential part of the Oaxacan cuisine that Taqueria la Juquilita specializes in.

“It’s authentic, it’s what we make at home. Memelas, tortillas, quesidillas, tacos. Nobody has it like this,” he said. He and his staff proudly showed off a Google award from last summer declaring their shop ‘best Mexican in Southington.'

The warm restaurant stood in contrast to the icy parking lot outside. Workmen, some running on minimal sleep, kept coming in from the cold to grab their take-out. Once fortified by memelas and energy drinks, they set out to finish the remaining driveways and parking lots on their lists.

Israel Hernandez and his wife Flor, who run Taqueria la Juquilita.

The taqueria's storefront.

Jenna Hebert Becomes Leader of Southington Cross Country, Track

SHS Senior Jenna Hebert JACLYN SULLIVAN PHOTO

When Jenna Hebert joined the Southington High School girls country team, she was standing at the feet of program legends, looking up to their accomplishments. Four years later, Hebert now runs in their footsteps, leading three different Blue Knights athletic programs as captain.

“It was kind of intimidating at first. All these girls were pretty fast. Even girls in my grade were faster than me, and then there were all these upperclassmen doing amazing things,” Hebert said. “I definitely looked up to them a lot. By the time I was a sophomore, and starting to get better and into the swing of things, I realized they’re just like me.”

Running cross country began for Hebert in sixth grade at DePaolo Middle School, but she had always been athletic. Already a two-season athlete, her parents Tina and Ethan encouraged her to add cross country as her fall sport.

It wasn’t an immediate hit with Hebert, though she liked being with her runner friends. It took time before running really became something the now senior enjoyed.

“No,” Hebert said bluntly about if running clicked with her immediately. “Truly, I did it because my friends did it. I just ended up getting better at it as I became a better athlete. In high school. I started putting serious time into running. That’s when I started to feel things click.”

“For my first three years of cross country, I was really just doing it,” she continued. “I don’t want to say I wasn’t trying. But I definitely wasn’t thinking a lot about my performance.”

Still, by her eighth grade season, Hebert had seen herself grow as a runner. She started taking her training more seriously and decided to continue running at the high school level. Because of that, she had the opportunity to train with some of the Blue Knights before her freshman season.

Hebert was already feeling more comfortable with her jump up to high school. When it came to competing as a runner, she knew it was time to fully lock in.

“Maturing as an athlete and person,” Hebert said. “You have to make a decision at some point: either ‘I’m just doing this for fun’, or ‘I want to get good, I want to compete at this.’ I wasn’t planning on switching to any other fall sport. I was like, ‘I’m all-in.’”

Hebert Becomes Full-Time Runner with Blue Knights

As a freshman, Hebert joined Southington’s girls cross country and outdoor track and field teams. She was also a member of the girl’s basketball team. Then Hebert made a consequential decision.

She left the basketball team after her freshman season and joined indoor track as her winter season sport. Hebert had fully caught the running bug and was now racing year round. Her definition of ‘all-in’ took on a whole different meaning.

“When I went into cross country as a freshman, I found I really liked competing. I really liked racing other girls,” Hebert said. “I felt a lot more personal autonomy and satisfaction from running. Competing in running, competing with my friends and seeing my progress was a lot more promising to me than basketball. That’s why I went all-in.”

Hebert’s sophomore season was when she saw her most progress as a runner. She was putting in the work and seeing her times improve. Helping her along the way was her new head coach Jaclyn Sullivan. Sullivan’s arrival helped spark the racer’s competitive desire.

“Her training really did something for me,” Hebert said. “Her whole attitude towards running made me want to be a lot more committed. It made me realize I can be a lot faster than I thought I was.”

It didn’t take long for Sullivan to realize what she had in Hebert as both a runner and person. Working with her since sophomore year, the head coach has only seen the runner’s positive traits blossom further.

“What sets Jenna apart is how thoughtfully she engages in her development as both a runner and a leader,” Sullivan said. “She communicates openly about race plans, reflects honestly on workouts and races, and processes training in a meaningful way. She understands the purpose behind the work and applies feedback with intention, which has contributed to the confidence she has developed this year. She models what it looks like to be a runner who is actively working to grow.”

Thanks to this new mentality and Sullivan’s coaching plan, Hebert qualified for the Central Connecticut Conference and Class LL State Tournament during her sophomore indoor track season. She ran the 1000 meters as an individual at CCCs and the 1600 meter relay at States.

Her first time competing at that level proved a bit nerve wracking for Hebert. Still, she relied on her preparation and put out her best effort. 

“It was my first time ever, so it was definitely really scary,” Hebert said. “But Coach Jackie has always taught us to be confident and fall back on our training. That really helped me going into that. I ran a great race, I can’t complain.”

JENNA HEBERT PHOTOS

Varsity Jump Comes with Difficult Hurdle

By her junior season, Hebert had made the varsity cross country team. With indoor and outdoor track as well, she was now a three-sport varsity athlete. The transition still came with difficulties though, as Hebert had to take on an entirely new brand of running.

“That was definitely a switch for me,” Hebert said. “I found you have to race a lot differently. You have to be a lot more confident in yourself. You’re on the same line as girls who are insane, committed D1. You need to be confident about where you should be in the race and moving up. With that summer training and everything I did going into my junior year, knowing that I was capable, helped me a lot. Even though I was running against a lot of people that were better than me.”

After making such big strides as a sophomore, Hebert admits she wasn’t sure what to expect as a junior. She used the first couple of races to see where she stood so she could plan her next course of action.

But Hebert couldn’t have foreseen what her senior year eventually brought. After competing in cross country the whole season, she suffered a left hip injury right before CCCs. She hadn’t dealt with an injury as serious as this one before and was ultimately sidelined for the cross country postseason

“That was my first time ever having a big injury where I’m out for weeks at a time. It came on very suddenly right before the conference meet, which sucked,” Hebert said. “I focused on what I can do for the team. Cheering for my teammates, making sure that everybody is good, helping out with people who are nervous. I was still grateful to be there, and it was very exciting watching all my teammates race.”

While she couldn’t compete herself, Hebert still took her role with the Blue Knights seriously. She still attended CCCs and States. Hurt hip or not, Hebert wanted her teammates to know she was still standing besides them.

“It was honestly such a pleasure to run my senior season with the teammates I’ve been running with for the past four years,” Hebert said. “To see my growth from freshman to senior year, that was all a privilege.”

Hebert Leads Southington

As she competes in her last indoor track season, and prepares for her final outdoor track campaign, Hebert is hoping to continue setting personal records while qualifying for CCCs and States. However, her racing times don't paint the full picture of what she offers the Blue Knights.

Hebert was named an outdoor track and field captain as a junior. As a senior she became a captain for cross country alongside Katherine Cavanaugh, and for indoor track along with Cavanaugh and Adriana Paskowski.

Hebert understands that running can be a mentally tough sport. As a leader, she is hoping to offer support and guidance for anyone who may have been in her shoes previously.

“Anything from being a nice, familiar face in the hallway to somebody who’s helping out during workouts and encouraging people during the race,” Hebert said of what being a captain means. “When I wasn’t injured, I’d lead by example as much as vocally. That’s what it means to me, leading by example and helping teammates with running mentally.”

It’s clear to Sullivan why Hebert operates as such a strong leader. She credits the senior for her understanding of program expectations and her overall dependability. The Blue Knights as a team have grown in part due to the way in which Hebert carries herself as a teammate.

“Working with Jenna as an athlete has been a positive and engaging experience,” Sullivan said. “She brings confidence, intention, and self-awareness to our program and leads through how she trains, prepares, and competes. With the experience she has in the sport, she is willing to fully invest in the work needed to continue improving.”

“As a teammate, Jenna is supportive and respectful, consistently offering encouragement after races and recognizing the success of others,” she continued. “She is committed to her own improvement and brings that same mindset to the team, understanding that individual growth and team success are closely connected. Jenna is an important part of our program, and the example she sets through her engagement, communication, and leadership will have a lasting impact.”

Hebert won’t be running at the college level. She is still picking out a school, but she is hoping to major in something that gets her on the pre-law track, so that she can ultimately go to law school.

As she looks back at her time as a runner, the senior can’t help but notice her times improving and more personal records being racked up. But those times wouldn’t have happened had Hebert not grown as a person, from a shy freshman to a confident senior. It’s that inner improvement that Hebert will remember most.

“You can see my times, my personal records. But to me, what’s changed the most is how I treat things mentally,” Hebert said. “As an underclassmen, I’d be so nervous hours and hours, the whole day leading up to my race. Now, I go into things with a lot more confidence. That comes not only from experience, but from being able to trust myself and my training. As I’ve worked, obviously my times have gotten better. But it took just as much work to change my mentality.”

From her days at DePaolo running around with friends to competing at CCCs and States against her biggest competition, Hebert always repped Southington. There, she learned how to run and found her pack. As she closes out her time with the Blue Knights, Hebert won’t soon forget the miles and memories accumulated along the way.

“It means the world to me,” Hebert said. “I’ve met so many people that I’m so close to now through cross country and track. I’ve been able to learn a lot about myself and how to deal with hard things outside of running. All that and all the people I’ve met are things I can carry with me for a long time.”

Board of Ed Honors Flanders Elementary Teacher, Reviews Ethics

Teacher Gretchen Yatzook with her award. PETER PROHASKA PHOTOS

The famous poem “In Flanders Fields” has long served to commemorate and honor those who lost their lives in war. A Flanders Elementary School teacher was acknowledged at the January 22 Southington Board of Education meeting for continuing to do that.

Gretchen Yatzook recently received the Citizen-Teacher of the Year Award for Connecticut. The accolade is given by Wheeler-Young VFW 201, which is based in Waterbury but serves veterans in several neighboring communities.

As Board Chair Zaya Oshana explained, the yearly award recognizes educators who teach “patriotism, American history and civic responsibility,” while innovating and including the broader community in those efforts. As part of the ceremony, the Board also presented Yatzook with a Certificate of Excellence.

Yatzook admitted that her “favorite” veteran is her father, who was in attendance. She also mentioned the long history of celebrating veterans at Flanders with a Veterans Day event and thanked some of the teachers and administrators who helped make the popular event possible.

“I know we have parents that have said it’s their favorite day at Flanders and they’re sad when they don’t get to come out anymore,” she said.

Southington Teachers’ Union President Jason Ghidini commented that Yatzook is incredibly deserving of the award. Besides her work on behalf of those who have served the nation, she is a “fierce defender of teachers, an amazing professional and a great person,” he said.

BOE Chair Oshana presents the award.

Ethics Presentation for the Board

The elected members of the Southington Board of Education are volunteers who take on a complex job as they help shape educational policy for Southington. Among the challenges they must navigate are limitations and duties imposed by Town bylaws, as well as state and federal laws.

Richard Mills, a partner at the law firm of Shipman and Goodwin who serves as counsel for the district, gave a presentation to help the Board better understand some of the more difficult challenges they may face.

Oshana mentioned that while many members would have seen a similar presentation in the past, each term faces challenges and new scenarios as laws and human factors change over time. He also said that while the presentation was ordinarily given to members at workshops, he felt that making it public would help ordinary citizens understand more about the Board and what members can and cannot do.

“I do believe there are some misperceptions and misinterpretations of where our Board of Education members roles, responsibilities, and levels of authority start and end, versus what the administration is responsible for,” said Oshana.

While Board members have their individual First Amendment rights, each member should always take care to differentiate his or her own opinion from a message from the Board as a whole, Mills explained.

Board members should also be careful to keep private matters private. The appearance of prejudice can jeopardize the impartiality that is due to an employee or student involved in hearings.

“If we don’t have a good process, we have legal exposure,” Mills cautioned.

Mills also explained that the Board has a strict duty to respect student confidentiality. Student privacy is covered by its bylaws as well as federal law, particularly FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act). Thus, meetings that involve sensitive personal information are often held in Executive Session and are not generally accessible to FOIA requests.

Mills stated that in the event of an expulsion hearing, for example, nothing learned inside such a hearing should ever be shared with the public, not even with a Board member who did not attend the hearing.

Another key takeaway from the presentation is that personnel matters and classroom issues that parents might bring to a Board member should then be brought to the Superintendent directly, Mills advised. The Superintendent is the only school employee who reports to the Board, he explained, and the Board is not the administrator for the district.

Mills also described the importance of ethical behavior by members, using the example of a transportation contract. A hypothetical Board member with a family member such as an in-law who was in a position to benefit from the contract should always disclose that relationship and most likely recuse himself from consideration. Transparency in spending public money is of the highest importance, Mills said.

*****

Finally, there is a light at the end of the tunnel for seniors at the high school: the Board moved unanimously to designate June 11 Graduation Day, with a rain date of June 12.