Seymour to remember fallen hero

Note: This is taken from Seymour First Selectman Kurt Miller's Facebook page.

Ansonia mayor commends late educator at dedication ceremony

Ansonia Mayor James T. Della Volpe addresses family and friends gathered Wednesday to dedicate the Ansonia Middle School auditorium to the late Superintendent of Schools Dr. Richard F. Nicolari. Listening to him are Nicolari's four daughters. They are from left, Lynne Nicolari, Carolyn Ferraro, Patricia Nicolari and Lisa Nicolari.


The ceremony brought tears to the eyes of many in the crowd.
As the program said, "Richard Nicolari lived his life holding a standard people admire to this day. His legacy as an educator, and more importantly as a human being, will never be forgotten."






Stay tuned for a story in the newspaper.  

Derby dedicates park to lifelong resident

DERBY - This morning I covered a ceremony at Storm Engine Company firehouse to dedicate a recreational park on O'Sullivan's Island in memory of the one and only Eddie Cotter.
The ceremony was forced inside because of rain.

I'm sure the message on the cake at the reception sums up the thoughts of many of the family and friends who were in attendance.

Below is a photo of the monument that was projected on the wall of the firehouse during the ceremony.

Stay tuned for a story in tomorrow's New Haven Register.

Tree dedicated to Seymour man's memory

Ceremony held at Town Hall

SEYMOUR - I attended a heart-warming event Wednesday as town officials, friends, and colleagues dedicated a Japanese maple tree to the late Keith Mitchell.

It was clear as I listened to those who shared their thoughts that Mitchell, who served as Seymour's tree warden for a quarter-century, was a well-respected member of the community.

Seymour First Selectman Kurt Miller, left, and James Govoni, president, Board of Directors of the Tree Wardens Association of Connecticut, dedicate a Japanese maple Wednesday in memory of longtime Seymour tree warden Keith Mitchell who died earlier this year.  Patricia Villers/Register


Mitchell was described as humble, loyal, articulate, and hard-working. His fellow tree wardens from across Connecticut who gathered Wednesday to honor Mitchell's memory said he was a docent at the New York Botanical Gardens and was extremely knowledgeable about trees and plants.

In 1998 a 229-acre parcel off Great Hill Road was named for Mitchell.

I'm sorry that I never had the opportunity to meet him.