Volume 6, Number 17
Thursday, February 6, 2020
cheshirecitizen.com
One more to hang the hat on? Retired Sheehan coach Matt Altieri in the running for National Baseball Coach of the Year You're Not Listening! Brass Band members at their bi-monthly brunch practice.
Joy VanderLek, The Citizen
Big brass band demands to be heard By Joy VanderLek The Cheshire Citizen
Along a Cheshire neighborhood of ranch-style houses, the distinct sound of tubas, horns and saxophones escape from windows and doors closed tight to Saturday’s heavy rain storm. The “You’re Not Listening! Brass Band” was in session. The band is comprised of nine members, all women. A number of them read music. All of them have demanding, full-time jobs, so this is
something they do for fun, and in return, they also found good friendships with one another.
“I’ve never had this many women friends to just go places and go out with,” said Alexa LaFever, one of two drummers with the group. Where does one meet other brass band players? Anne Thompson, YNLBB’s alto-sax player and Zoë Chatfield, lead singer for the group, say the idea came from HONK!, a brass festival in Massachusetts.
The band was formed in 2017 when a few of the ladies in Hartford Hot Several, another brass ensemble based in Hartford, decided to branch off and create an all-women musical space.
Rounding out the band is trumpet player Lindsay Silcox, a Cheshire resident; Athena Demaille-Von Schmidt on marching glockenspiel, gifted by her boyfriend and decorated with battery-operated white mood lights; Leah Piros, a Cheshire High School See Band, A8
Labonne’s Markets will take Oliver’s to the next level with many upgrades By Joy VanderLek The Cheshire Citizen
It was big news for shoppers in and around Prospect around the winter holidays with the announcement Oliver’s Supermarket was being sold. Long-time owners Ken Gnazzo and Len Noble ran the business for almost 40 years. Initially, Bozzuto’s Inc. of Cheshire bought Oliver’s, before selling to Bob LaBonne, Jr., of Labonne’s Markets, in December.
“This opportunity would not have been possible without the support of our long-time wholesaler, Bozzutos, Inc., Chairman Michael Bozzuto and George Motel, executive vice-president, connecting us with Oliver’s in addition to providing support and guidance along the way,” Bob LaBonne, Jr. said. The store is now called Oliver's Supermarket by Labonne's Market, linking past and present ownership.
The LaBonne family has been in the food business for more than 120 years, when George LaBonne delivered meat from horse and buggy around the turn of the century, LaBonne, Jr. said. He has worked in his family’s business since he was 8years-old and is president and CEO. Rob LaBonne III is vice-president and COO. See Oliver’s, A7
By Sean Krofssik Record-Journal staff
WALLINGFORD — Matt Altieri has been enjoying retirement since stepping down from teaching and coaching baseball last year, but the awards keep pouring in for the longtime coach. The 63-yearold Altieri is one of eight finalists for 2020 National Baseball Coach of the Year as awarded by Altieri the National High School Athletic Coaches Association. National coaches of the year will be named at the annual awards banquet on July 23 in Lincoln, Nebraska. “It’s truly an honor,” Altieri said. “I’m humbled for sure. There were 50 coaches that were nominated in the country and I’m in the final eight. I’m most proud for our school and for our program. I will be representing Sheehan High School and Sheehan baseball.” See Altieri, A6