The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
CT Business Day a chance to talk to legislators
MIDDLETOWN — The month of March is upon us, and the chamber continues to be on the move.
Another busy week kicks off Monday at the chamber office as our Executive Committee holds its March meeting. This committed group of business leaders will discuss a number of important issues to the business community, including the status of regional economic development projects, upcoming events and activities, the ongoing legislative session, and much more. I continue to appreciate the support of our Chairman, Don DeVivo, and this outstanding group of strong corporate citizens.
Hundreds of business leaders, as well as our partner chambers of commerce from across the state, will converge March 4 at the state Capitol for Connecticut Business Day. This full morning of events is set to feature remarks from a variety of state government leaders, breakouts sessions, connection to your legislator events, and much more.
Connecticut Business Day is another opportunity for the business community to tell state lawmakers how pending legislation impacts their ability to create jobs and grow our state’s economy. For information, visit middlesexchamber.com.
On the chamber division front, this week features meetings of our Portland and East Hampton Division and our Chester, Deep River and Essex Division.
The Portland and East Hampton Division will meet Wednesday at Petzold’s Marine Center in Portland. The meeting will feature state Comptroller Kevin Lembo as guest speaker, who will discuss the state’s financial and economic outlook.
The Chester, Deep River and Essex Division will meet Friday at
Chester Town Hall. This meeting will feature local and chamber updates, as well as remarks from Brian White, superintendent of schools, Regional School District 4.
Immediately following the Portland and East Hampton Division meeting, Petzold’s Marine Center will hold a 75th anniversary ribboncutting ceremony. Petzold’s is a longtime and active member of our chamber, and I congratulate them on 75 outstanding years in business. Petzold’s provides a wide range of boat services, from seasonal commissioning and decommissioning, winter storage, summer slips, engine repair, repowering, custom canvas, electrical installation or customization, and much more.
In fact, their 14,000 square-foot heated showroom is one of the largest in New England. We are very lucky to have Petzold’s as an anchor business in Middlesex County, and I wish their entire team nothing but the best as we move forward. Here’s to 75 more!
The Central Business Bureau will meet at the chamber office Thursday at 8 a.m. This meeting will feature local city and chamber updates, as well as a visit from the Connecticut Department of Transportation and Mohawk Northeast to discuss the rehabilitation of the Arrigoni Bridge approach spans carrying Routes 17 and 66 in Middletown and Portland.
This project will take place simultaneously with the St. John’s Square/Main Street intersection operational improvement project in Middletown. Construction activities will be completed in three separate stages in order to maintain traffic flow through the project limits while providing the contractor with adequate space to efficiently complete construction.
In each stage, Route 17/66 traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction with the use of temporary precast concrete barrier, which is expected to be in place for a maximum of 540 days. Work on St. John’s Square and Main Street consists of the geometric realignment of the intersection to improve safety and operational efficiency, as well as the addition of two turn-lanes.
This information was sent to us by DOT. We look forward to welcoming our guests from CT DOT and Mohawk Northeast, and will continue to provide updates as this project progresses.
The regular session of the General Assembly is off and running in Hartford. The chamber’s Legislative Committee hosted a very productive breakfast, sponsored by Comcast, Friday in Cromwell. 12 members of the General Assembly joined us for an important discussion on the many issues of importance to the business community in Middlesex County.
Moving forward, our Legislative Leadership Series will kick off March 9 with Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz at the Inn at Middletown from 8 to 9:30 a.m. He will visit with chamber members to discuss the regular session of the Connecticut General Assembly. The chamber’s Board of Directors and Legislative Committee will have the opportunity to ask questions about the session, and discuss some important issues on our 2020 Public Policy Agenda.
The chamber will partner with Middlesex Health on a coronavirus workshop March 13 at the Courtyard by Marriott in Cromwell at 8 a.m. This workshop will help attendees understand the facts about the virus, including how it spreads, what the symptoms are, how you can protect yourself and your family, and what Middlesex Health is doing to prepare. The panel will consist of Dr. Jonathan Bankoff, chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine; Dr. Alina Filozov, section chief of infectious disease; and epidemiologist, Jodi Parisi, infection prevention manager; and Jim Hite, director of environmental safety and protective services.
Excitement continues to build for our event featuring UConn Head Women’s Basketball Coach Geno Auriemma March 16 at the Sheraton Hartford South. Coach Auriemma and the Huskies are looking to finish the season strong as they gear up for another NCAA Tournament run.
In addition to UConn’s 11 national championships under his leadership, Geno has also won the Naismith College Coach of the Year Award eight times, and has two Olympic Gold Medals as head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team.
I thank the coach for speaking to our membership, and MiddleOak for sponsoring this major chamber event, which is sure to sell out. Immediately following, the chamber will host an important workshop: “The Vaping Epidemic — The Truth & Consequences.”
It will be presented in partnership with the City of Middletown and the Middlesex County Substance Abuse Action Council.
I would like to close this week’s chamber column on a personal note. Later this week, a bridge carrying West Street over the rail line near the Middlefield line will be officially named for the late Middletown Fire Capt. Joe Pagano, who suffered a fatal heart attack in 2006 at the age of 52. Joe was a terrific firefighter, but much more importantly, he was an even better man.
He was a former player for me during my high school football coaching days at Xavier High School, and I was certainly proud to coach him. He was dedicated to the Middletown Fire Department, to the city of Middletown, and first and foremost, to his wonderful family. I look forward to attending the ceremony and sharing a few words, and will always have fond memories of Joe.
The sun always shines in Middlesex County!