Connecticut

Final Nine Award Recipients Announced For Prestigious Gold Key Dinner

Published

2 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Final Nine Award Recipients Announced For Prestigious Gold Key Dinner

CONNECTICUT — Since 1940, the Connecticut Sports Media Alliance (formerly the Connecticut Sports Writers’ Alliance) has presented Gold Keys to deserving individuals who had made a considerable impact on the state’s sports landscape. In addition to the Gold Keys, other awards are meted out in various categories, and the CSMA has named the final nine recipients who will be honored at the 82nd annual dinner this fall.

Receiving accolades at the dinner will be:

Hal Levy High School Achievement Award – Paula Fitzgerald, Westbrook High School. Athletic director for 33 years, longtime varsity girls’ tennis coach with more than 500 career victories, assistant girls’ basketball coach for eight state championships, 2024 inductee into the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
Bo Kolinsky Memorial Special Recognition Award – Rick Leddy, North Haven. Worked for 36 years at his alma mater, Southern Connecticut State College/University, as sports information director and then associate director of athletics. Member of the SCSU Athletics and New England Basketball halls of fame.
Bob Casey Courage Award – the family of Charlie Capalbo, Fairfield. Charlie, a standout ice hockey goalie, fought non-Hodgkins lymphoma and acute myeloid leukemia for five years before passing away at 23 in 2022. His family has since worked tirelessly to raise funds for AML research and create awareness of childhood cancers.
John Wentworth Good Sport Awards – Marc Forster, Ledyard, a history professor at Connecticut College who has been an unpaid volunteer assistant softball coach at Ledyard High School since 2011; Mary-Jane Hussey, Windsor Locks, volunteer in the Suffield Special Olympics program from high school through 1991, co-founded what became the Windsor Locks Special Olympics program in 1996, overseeing its growth from four special needs athletes to more than 40; Bob Rafferty, Trumbull, facility manager at Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven since 2002, Hillhouse Football Booster Club president since 2006, longtime volunteer with New Haven Gridiron Club, National Football Foundation Casey/O’Brien New Haven County Chapter, North Haven youth basketball and Trumbull youth softball; Jim Reynolds, East Haven, began working at Farnam Neighborhood House in New Haven in 1986, started seventh- and eighth-grade travel basketball program.
Art McGinley Media Award – George Albano, Norwalk. Began sportswriting career in Nov. 1974, celebrating 50 years this fall. Spent 42 years with the Norwalk Hour; the George Albano Press Box at Jack Casagrande Field at Brien McMahon High School was dedicated in 2019. Member of the FCIAC and McMahon halls of fame.
Bo Kolinsky Memorial Sports Media Scholarship – Casey O’Brien, Ridgefield High School. Lead sports writer and social media manager for school newspaper, The Ridgefielder, and broadcast girls basketball games via livestreaming on RHS YouTube channel. Will be majoring in sports communications at Clemson University.

Gold Key Award recipients for 2024, announced in the spring, are former Daniel Hand High School and Yale University football coach Larry Ciotti, longtime Windham High School wrestling and football coach Brian Crudden, retired Pomperaug High School field hockey coach Linda Dirga, award-winning sportscaster George Grande and Wesleyan University women’s basketball coach Kate Mullen.

Proceeds support the Bo Kolinsky Memorial Sports Media Scholarship, a $3,000 annual award named in memory of the noted high school sports editor of the Hartford Courant and past CSMA president, who passed away in 2003 at age 49.

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Connecticut

Connecticut State Police partner with businesses to provide safe places to get help

Published

9 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Press Room

Connecticut State Police partner with businesses to provide safe places to get help

SOUTHBURY, Conn. (WTNH) — Connecticut State Police have launched a new program designed to help victims of any kind of crime walk into a business and be in a secure location while police are called.

All someone has to do is walk into a business and let the owner know that they are in distress, and the owner will call 911.

Safe Place program originated in Seattle and has now been brought to Connecticut. Trooper Samantha Stella it’s in its beginning stages.

Several businesses in Southbury and one in East Haddam have signed up. Programs at various technical schools are also trying to help bullying.

Tammy Dunn, the owner of the Cottage At Main, said she was eager to sign up for the program right away. She believes it’s a unique idea for community businesses to be there to help other people in their time of need.

Connecticut State Police use Aviation Unit to curb speeding on Route 8

Stella said while the program initially was launched to focus on hate crimes, it now encompasses any kind of crime. State police want to be very clear that this is not some kind of vigilante group, and they should leave the police work to police officers.

Connecticut State Police hope to have various kinds of businesses on board, including places like grocery stores, banks, retail shops, gyms and veterinary clinics.

If a Connecticut business is interested in being part of this, they can reach out to the Hate Crimes Unit with Connecticut State Police for more information.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.

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Connecticut

Lamont Nominates Danbury's Arconti To Serve As A PURA Commissioner

Published

16 hours ago

July 25, 2024

Press Room

Lamont Nominates Danbury's Arconti To Serve As A PURA Commissioner

DANBURY, CT — Gov. Ned Lamont today announced that he is nominating David A. Arconti, Jr. of Danbury to serve as a commissioner of the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority.

PURA is the state agency responsible for overseeing the services of the state’s investor-owned utilities, including electric, natural gas, water, and telecommunications companies.

Arconti is currently the vice president of state government relations for United Illuminating, a position that he has held since September 2023. In this role, he works with lawmakers and other state officials on the development of policies related to the utility company’s general operations.

Immediately prior to his current job, Arconti was the director of community engagement for Fuel Cell Energy.

Beginning in January 2013, Arconti served five consecutive terms as a state representative in the Connecticut House of Representatives for the 109th Assembly District of Danbury before deciding not to seek re-election in 2022. During his time in the state legislature, he served for several years as co-chair of the Energy and Technology Committee.

“I’ve known David Arconti for several years, and during this time he’s been deeply interested in energy policy, particularly when it comes to matters concerning the promotion of clean energy and the enactment of policies that will reduce energy costs for consumers,” Lamont said in a statement. “He is going to bring a fresh perspective to PURA, and I know that from his experience he will be able to work with lawmakers and utilities to develop strategies that advance our goals of bringing cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable power to consumers.”

Arconti, a Southern Connecticut State University graduate, will begin serving at PURA in an interim capacity effective Aug. 5. At the start of the 2025 regular legislative session, the Office of the Governor will forward his nomination to the Connecticut General Assembly for its advice and consent.

In a statement issued Thursday, Arconti thanked Lamont, saying, “There’s a lot of exciting work happening here, and I can’t wait to contribute to innovative and sustainable energy solutions for Connecticut.”

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