LIFE

Kimberly DePaolis loves her job teaching pre-kindergarten at John Paterson School. She strives to perform at a high level and her peers took notice.

The gymnasium at Elizabeth Green School was buzzing with activity. Everywhere one looked there was something taking place to promote reading and literacy.

There is a certain feel to the Not a Phase Café at 1100 Main St. in Town Center that one notices on a first visit. That’s an intentional appeal conceived by co-owners Kim Parker and Jared Linn. Their eatery is a place where folks can enjoy breakfast and luncheon fare. The menu features breakfast sandwiches, bagels, pancakes and other food items. There are numerous hot and cold beverages with a seemingly endless selection of specialty coffees and teas.

When longtime parks and recreation superintendent William DeMaio announced his retirement, it caught the attention of Scott Kieras. The two men were well acquainted and Kieras was working as the director of the Cromwell Recreation Department.

It’s just like spring cleaning and refreshing the wardrobe in your closet. Deanna Reney, the owner of Karma’s Closet Consignment Boutique on Garfield Street, decluttered her long list of leadership activities so she could focus on the town’s Economic Development Commission.

Behind the front desk of Emilia Soy Aromas is a sign stating “create your own magic.” That’s precisely what owner Gissel Geraldo has done with the business and what she hopes her customers will be inspired to do. Geraldo moved to the United States from the Dominican Republic in April 2018 and she hit the ground running.

by Sarah Barr Staff Writer You’ve probably heard the phrase “it’s a marathon, not a sprint.” The analogy is real because anytime someone strives for an ultimate goal, they know they have to put in the work over the long haul in order to compete, no matter the event or the distance. When 18-year-old Santiago Rodriguez registered with Sporting Clube de Portugal as a federated steeplechase athlete, the Newington High School senior climbed the first wrung of many on the ladder

Bob Newbold is living proof that a “perfect storm” is not always a bad thing. It may start that way but the end result can positive.