Volume 18, Number 37
www.southingtoncitizen.com
Friday, September 10, 2021
BACK TO SCHOOL
Students, teachers return despite flooding By Jesse Buchanan Record-Journal staff
Artist Emida Roller brushes on some blue while painting part of a large mural on the north side of B & V Jewelers at 76 N. Main St. in Southington on Sept. 3. Dave Zajac, Record-Journal
Mural proceeds without local support By Jesse Buchanan Record-Journal staff
The mural honoring Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy underway on a High Street wall prompted questions and discussion among town leaders earlier this year.
It’s part of an effort by a Hartfordbased arts group, RiseUP, to put 39 murals in 39 towns and cities throughout the state. Each mural honors a year of King’s life and are part of RiseUP’s racial equity tour.
“It’s a project that can give people voice in these communities that may not have felt that they have a platform to get projects done, especially this type of scale of public projects,” said Matt Conway, RiseUP director.
Although overnight flooding changed some bus routes, local public school students started a new school year on Sept. 2 without any major hiccups. More than 6,000 students returned to in-person learning. Students and staff wore masks, a reminder of the lingering pandemic that also affected two previous school years. Steve Madancy, schools superintendent, was concerned about flooded roads making bus travel difficult but was able to divert buses to get students to school. Madancy was hired this summer to replace Tim Connellan. The flooding was
See Mural, A2
See School, A3
Town’s year-long marketing campaign winds down By Jesse Buchanan Record-Journal staff
Town officials and a local marketing company are calling a year-long ad campaign a success.
destination. While town officials were considering the effort before the pandemic, they said its effects made a boost to businesses even more important.
The ads directed visitors to Rebel Interactive Group, a Center seesouthington.com, a website that Street marketing firm, used video, tar- showcased restaurants and activities geted online ads, a website and other in town. tools to promote Southington as a
“The digital ads were created and designed by Rebel’s team so that local and nearby residents learned more about Southington by way of the website, showing them how great this town is, motivating them to enjoy all that Southington has to offer,” said Bryn Tindall, Rebel Interactive CEO. “I would call it a success,” said Mike DelSanto, a Town Council member
and Economic Strike Committee chairman.
Impressions, click-throughs Rebel measured its success through two metrics common to online advertising efforts. Online ads were targeted to users in Southington and surSee Marketing, A4