The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Laurel Queen, King candidates announced
Laurel Ball set for June 9; Laurel parade and crowning is June 11
WINSTED » The Town of Winchester Laurel Commission’s Laurel Festival will be held on the weekend of June 9-11, with the Laurel Ball at Crystal Peak on Friday night at 6 p.m. and the Laurel Parade on Sunday, June 11 at 2 p.m.
Each year, young people from Winsted and surrounding towns vie for the title of Laurel Queen and Laurel King. The candidates secure a sponsor to provide them with funding support, and the teens raise money to help the festival. This year’s fundraiser for the candidates is a car wash and bake sale on Sunday, June 4 from 12-2 p.m. at Northwest CT Realty, 98 Main St., Winsted.
The Laurel Parade on Sunday steps off at 2 p.m. from Boyd Street, led by Parade Marshall Sheila Sedlack. The parade will head down Main Street to East End Park, where the Laurel Queen and King will be crowned.
If it rains, the crowning will be held at the First Church of Winsted at 95 North Main St.
The public is welcome to attend the festivities.
Laurel Ball tickets are $40 per person and include a buffet dinner and dancing. Tickets can be reserved by emailing Lara Green Kazlauskas at lgreenkaz@yahoo.com.
The following are the Laurel King and Queen candidates for this year’s festival.
Dylan Thomson: Dylan is the son of Robert and Susan Thomson. He is a junior at The Gilbert School, where he is a member of the National Honor Society and a three sport athlete in basketball, soccer and baseball. He is captain of soccer and basketball in 2017. He bowls in Laurel Lanes duckpin league where he helped his team win second place in the national tournament. He plans on attending a four-year college and hopes to play soccer. he is sponsored by the Highland Lake Watershed Association.
Zachary Zachary is the son of Laura Ravlin. He is a senior at The Gilbert School where he is a high honor student and the unofficial President of the student body. He also serves as the coeditor in chief of the yearbook for the Class of 2017. He is a swimmer and diver on the swim team, where he was Captain in his senior year. He will be attending Champlain College in the fall pursuing a career in Counseling. He is sponsored by McGrane’s on the Green.
Ali Brochu: Ali is the daughter of Gerald and Lisa Brochu. She is a senior at The Gilbert School where she is a high honor student and a member of the volleyball, basketball and softball teams, as well as Peers, Student Ambassadors and Leadership Council. She has been presented with the Berkshire League Athlete award three times, All-State Athlete twice and AVAC MaxPreps Player of the Week once. She has run the Hartford Half Marathon three times, placing the first time in the top three of her age group. She will attend Western Connecticut State University in the fall and plans to major in Exercise Science and will be playing volleyball at the collegiate level. Sheis sponsored by R&B Sports World.
Anhthy Pham: Anhthy is the daughter of Tuananh Pham and Loan Truong. She is a senior at The Gilbert School where she has been class President for four years, plays the flute and alto saxophone, and is currently involved in eleven extracurricular activities. Some awards that she has won include the Harvard Book Prize, the Rensselaer Medal Award and the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Award. She is also a volunteer at the Winsted Ambulance. She hopes to study biomedical engineering and pursue a career in the medical field. She is sponsored by the Winsted Area Ambulance Association.
Victoria Starzyk: Victoria is the daughter of Steven and Theresa Starzyk. She is a junior at The Gilbert School where she is an honors student and a member of the varsity soccer team. She is interested in Chemistry and biology. She currently volunteers at The Little Guild of St. Francis animal welfare shelter in Cornwall. She hopes to attend college in Florida with a scholarship for soccer and would like to study biochemistry. She is sponsored by H&R Block.
Stephanie Blass: Stephanie is the daughter of Robert and Jennifer Blass. She is a senior at Oliver Wolcott Technical High School where she is a member of National Honor Society and a Senior Mentor. Throughout her high school career, she has been involved in the Winsted ELKS #844 Antlers Youth Group and volunteers with her church youth group in poverty stricken communities in Washington D.C. She has already begun taking classes at NCCC and after completing her Associates Degree in Human Services, she plans to attend Southern Connecticut University to obtain her Master’s Degree in Social Work. She is being sponsored by the Winsted Fire Department.
Courtney Clough: Courtney is the daughter of Lois Clough. She is a senior at The Gilbert School where she is a high honor student. Courtney played soccer and was a member of the cheerleading squad throughout her time at Gilbert. She has also been involved in Peers and National Honor Society. She will attend Salve Regina University in the fall and plans to major in Business Administration and minor in Marketing. She is sponsored by USA Hauling & Recycling.
Krisha Patel: Krisha is the daughter of Kiran and Kanak Patel. She is a senior and an honor student at The Gilbert School. She is a member of the Cross Country and Tennis teams. Krisha also is a student ambassador and is treasurer of the Class of 2017, the Leo Club and the National Honor Society. Next year she will attend the University of Southern California majoring in Marketing and minoring in Entertainment/Film Business. She is sponsored by the Torrington Winsted Area Rotary Club.
Jacqueline LaPointe: Jacqueline is the daughter of David and Carol LaPointe. She is a senior at Torrington Christian Academy where she participates in volleyball, softball, concert choir, yearbook and fundraising events including the LARC Festival of Trees and the Salvation Army Food Drive. She is a volunteer for the Winsted CERT team, the Winsted Youth Baseball Snack Shack and she has volunteered to organize the National Day of Prayer in Winsted. She has been presented with the Coach’s Award for volleyball, the Most Improved Player Award for volleyball and for two years she has received the Christian Character Award (the highest award to be awarded at her school). In the fall she will major in Nursing and hopes to become a pediatric nurse working in a children’s hospital. She is being sponsored by The Daughters of the American a Revolution.
Grace Valickis: Grace is the daughter of Ken and Stephanie Valickis. She is a senior at The Gilbert School where she was captain of three varsity sports teams. Grace also participates in several clubs, including Peers, National Honor Society and The Leadership Council. She has been recognized with the following awards: 2017 Scholar Athlete, Harvard Club of Boston Book Prize, and the Berkshire League Edward B. Kolakowski Sportsmanship Award. She will pursue a degree in Environmental Psychology at the University of Vermont. Grace is sponsored by Northwest Community Bank.