Volume 19, Number 38
Berlin’s Only Hometown Newspaper
www.berlincitizen.com
Thursday, November 19, 2015
BHS musician in a New York state of mind Alec Rich to make second appearance in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Last year Rich had to audition via a video, but this time he only had to fill By Ashley Kus New York City Thanksgiving Day more than 200 high school students out an application. He said his band The Berlin Citizen director, Jeff Sirois, helped too, by representing all 50 states. Parade. This will be Rich’s second year writing a letter of recommendation. Alec Rich, 17, will play the tuba In May, Rich found out he was acA Berlin High School senior will in the Macy’s Great All American marching, but that doesn’t mean he be one of only a few musicians from Marching band. Celebrating its 10th is any less nervous. “It’s very nerve Connecticut performing in the iconic anniversary, the band is comprised of wracking,” he said. See Parade / Page A3
Frustration mounts for football coach
Local teen sings on legendary Nashville stage
Capodice’s attorney: ‘It looks like a jealousy thing from New Britain’
By Ashley Kus The Berlin Citizen
At just 17-years-old, Benjamin Shemeth sang on the stage that Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and countless other famous entertainers once graced. The Berlin High School senior was one of only 30 singers from Connecticut accepted into the All-National Honor Ensemble, which performed recently at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. On Oct. 28, Shemeth took the stage there with a choir of high schoolers from all over the country to sing for hundreds of people. “Star struck,” he said. “That’s how I felt.” Shemeth’s preparation for the big day started his junior year. He said the process for juniors and seniors to qualify for the All-National Honor Ensemble primarily begins with getting into the See Shemeth / Page A2
By Nate Brown The Berlin Citizen
Berlin High School senior Benjamin Shemeth and his father outside the Grand Ole Opry, where the teenager performed recently.
During the course of a season, a coach has plenty to worry about. Practices, game strategies, injuries, and the students’ success in the See related story classroom are some of the more important and on page A18 time-consuming parts of the job. But dealing with allegations of wrongdoing that come to light midseason as a team looks to return to the playoffs to avenge a championship game loss? That’s something that Berlin High See Football / Page A10
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