City will mark 9/11 with remembrance at Veterans Park

MIDDLETOWN » In a clear sign that the summer is winding down and fall is approaching, football season is underway and the baseball pennant races are heating up. However, before I cover the many chamber events and activities that are on the horizon, I want to acknowledge the fact that today is a somber anniversary for our nation.

Sixteen years ago, the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks took place in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. We will never forget that terrible day, those we lost, and the toll it took on our country. We will also never forget the shows of patriotism, togetherness, and sense of a common purpose that we all experienced in the aftermath of the attacks. This year’s remembrance in Middletown will be held at Veterans Memorial Park on

Walnut Grove Road. This event will begin promptly this morning at 8:30 a.m. at the Trees of Honor Memorial. The public is invited to attend.

America keeps moving forward; that is all we can do, but we will always remember those we lost, and we will keep their families in our thoughts today and every day.

September is in full swing in Middlesex County and the chamber is very much on the move. Our divisions resumed their monthly meeting schedule last week after a brief hiatus over the summer months. The Portland & East Hampton Division held a terrific meeting at Portland Library on Wednesday, the Central Business Bureau met on Thursday at the chamber, and our Chester, Deep River & Essex Division met on Friday at Essex Town Hall.

This week is sure to be another busy one throughout Middlesex County. Our Executive Committee meets Monday at the chamber office from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. This committee, led by Chairman Rick Morin, is our top governing body, and it represents all industry sectors in Middlesex County.

Tuesday, our Automotive Council will meet at Cantina Café Ristorante in Middletown, and Wednesday, our Durham and Middlefield Division makes its annual visit to the Durham Fairgrounds. This meeting will feature local updates and a preview of the upcoming Durham Fair. The Business & Education Partnership Advisory Council will meet Wednesday morning at the chamber office, and Thursday morning, our Cromwell Division will gather at the Mattabassett District in Cromwell, and the Health Care Steering Committee at the chamber office. Finally, meetings of our Legislative Committee and Affordable Housing Committee will be held Friday morning at the chamber office.

In addition to the many committee and division meetings scheduled this week, the latest installment of the KeyBank Workshop Series will be held Tuesday at 8 a.m. at the chamber office. The topic is “Hiring & Firing,” and it will be presented by Chris Bringham of Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, P.C. Chris Bringham, a shareholder at UKS and chairman of its employment practices group, focuses his practice on representing and counseling schools and businesses with respect to workplace and employment law issues.

This presentation offers a comprehensive overview of current employment law and will be extremely valuable for managers, human resource directors and others in your organization. Please visit middlesexchamber.com or contact the chamber for registration information. This important chamber workshop series is sponsored by KeyBank, and I continue to appreciate the support of Market President Jeff Hubbard and his entire team.

An exciting grand opening celebration is also scheduled for Tuesday in East Hampton. Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Centers has opened a new location in East Hampton, and I certainly wish Todd Cacopardo and his team great success as we move forward. Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Centers offer treatment for orthopedic and sports medicine injuries, post-operative rehabilitation, workers compensation injuries, neck and back pain, tendonitis, fractures and more. I look forward to attending the grand opening with local East Hampton leaders, and am glad that Todd and his team will be providing these important services in our region.

A busy Wednesday includes a visit to The New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks to celebrate major renovations to the facility that were supported in part by a grant from the state Department of Economic and Community Development. The New England Air Museum is committed to presenting the story of aviation, and is supported by a number of chamber members including Pratt & Whitney. I look forward to joining Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, chamber VP Johanna Bond, our Tourism Committee CoChairman Bob Bell, and many other dignitaries at the event.

I also look forward to visiting the president’s house on the campus of Wesleyan University Wednesday afternoon for a reception in honor of the school’s Posse Veteran Scholars’ Program. The Posse Foundation launched its veterans’ initiative in 2012 in an effort to increase the rates at which veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces attend and graduate from selective colleges and universities. Wesleyan is a participating university in this outstanding program. I look forward to attending the reception, hosted by President Michael Roth and Professor Kari Weil, and thank them for their support of our veterans and of so many community-based initiatives.

Excitement continues to build for Wednesday evening’s Business After Work networking reception held aboard the Lady Katharine Cruises Boat Mystique, which is docked at 80 Harbor Drive at Harbor Park in Middletown. Members can board the boat at 5 p.m. and network while docked until 6, when the Mystique will take a trip down river and will return at the close of the Business After Work at 7 p.m. This event, as all of our Business After Work events do, will feature a terrific spread of food and drink and the best networking around.

Excitement is building for the event on the boat and I want to thank the new owner of Lady Katharine Cruises, Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, for hosting this event and for their strong support of our chamber. Kevin Dodd and his team continue to do great work throughout the region and we continue to appreciate their effort.

I mentioned earlier in this week’s column that we have an important division meeting scheduled on the Durham Fairgrounds Wednesday. Fair President Dan Miramant and his committed team of volunteers have been hard at work preparing for this year’s fair, the 98th in its rich history. The Durham Fair recently received the 2017 Connecticut Governor’s Tourism Volunteer of the Year award for being a 100-percent volunteer-led event which invests many of its profits back into the community.

The fair continues to provide four terrific days of good, clean wholesome fun. From entertainment headliners like Brothers Osborne, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, and the first ever USO Show Troupe, to livestock barns featuring prize-winning animals, to the educational Discovery Tent, arts and crafts and a number of shopping options, the Durham Fair has it all. The fair will also once again feature an array of food options, a number of games and outstanding events and activities.

We are very lucky to have this large-scale agricultural event in Middlesex County. The Durham Fair is the largest fair in North America managed entirely by unpaid volunteers, and it is truly a unique event. For information, please visit durhamfair.com.

Thanks to our friends in the athletics departments at Wesleyan University and Yale University, free tickets are now available for

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COURTESY MIDDLESEX COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE B&B Wings and Things held a grand opening on 540 Main St., Middletown, Sept. 1. From left are Middletown Small Business Development Counselor Paul Dodge, Chamber Vice Chairman Jay Polke, co-owners of B&B Wings and Things Marc Barham and Rita Barham,...