Chamber hosts another successful youth program

MIDDLETOWN — Late August in Middlesex County means it is time to wrap up another successful installment of the Middletown Summer Youth Employment Program.

Every year since 2006, the chamber has placed Middletown students into summer employment through this community work program. We are fortunate to have the capacity, through our dynamic membership, to place these youngsters into subsidized employment in a wide variety of professional fields for six weeks in the summer months, working 20 hours per week.

Six weeks might not seem like a long time, but it provides a solid foundation and a great glimpse into what life in the workforce is like, and the effort that is required to thrive in it. Program applicants are put through a comprehensive pre-employment screening process which considers their hobbies, interests, work experience, future plans, comfort level on the computer and on the phone, and other important factors such as transportation and availability in the summer months.

Our host sites come from the public sector, the nonprofit sector, and most notably the private sector. This program teaches our young people not only the fundamentals of employment, such as getting to work on time and ready to contribute, but also the pride that comes with putting in a solid work week and receiving a paycheck that was earned through hard and honest work.

This year, over 60 Middletown youngsters were placed into summer employment. I thank the over 25 businesses and organizations in Middletown that served as host worksites. It is critical that we have host worksites from a wide variety of industry sectors that are willing to step up and provide the work and supervision that is necessary to truly make this an effective workforce development initiative.

I thank our 2020 team of funding partners for their great contributions to this program: Workforce Alliance, the City of Middletown, Peach Pit Foundation, Liberty Bank Foundation, the Community Foundation of Middlesex County, Jarvis Products Corporation, Stone Investment Properties and Middlesex United Way.

I also thank Chamber Workforce Development Director Lorenzo Marshall for his work on this important program that is truly developing the future of our local workforce. Placing 60 young individuals into constructive employment is a challenge in a normal year. With the support of our staff, Lorenzo persevered and once again did a fantastic job. I appreciate his strong effort and leadership.

This week’s chamber calendar is packed once again as our team continues to be on the move. Our Westbrook Division, Arrigoni Bridge Committee, Women’s Leadership Collaborative, and East Haddam and Haddam Division all meet this week.

Today’s Arrigoni Bridge Committee meeting will feature updates from DOT and from the contractor, Mohawk Northeast, on not only the bridge project itself, but the associated work that is taking place in downtown Middletown. The main goal of the committee is to make sure that access to the bridge is not compromised during the construction, and that emergency and other critical vehicles can access the construction zones at all times.

The chamber is of course also monitoring the economic impact of the projects, especially on Main Street in Middletown and in Portland, and we will continue to be a constructive partner until their conclusion. I thank Middletown Fire Chief Rob Kronenberger and Portland Public Works Director Bob Shea, who are co-chairmen of this important chamber committee.

Today is also my first meeting as a member of the Board of Directors for the Community Foundation of Middlesex County. President and CEO Cynthia Clegg and her team do great work in our community. Later in the day, I look forward joining Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, state Sen. Norm Needleman, and DECD Commissioner David Lehman for a Small Business Roundtable on Facebook Live.

Our municipal leaders throughout Middlesex County have responded to this COVID-19 crisis with strength, resolve and true leadership. In Middletown, Mayor Ben Florsheim continues to lead an organized and professional response for the city.

Wednesday morning’s weekly status meeting, led by the mayor, will feature reports on everything from current cases of COVID-19 in our community and the medical response, to how the education community is responding, to police and fire, to support for seniors and our most vulnerable residents, to the impact on the economy and much more.

On Thursday, I will join my fellow members of the Region 2 Long Term Recovery Steering Committee for an important virtual meeting regarding economic recovery. As we continue to adapt to the realities of this global pandemic, the chamber will continue to do its best to be a constructive partner on everything from emergency management, to economic development, to workforce development and more.

The metro chambers collectively represent thousands of businesses in our state, and these meetings always feature productive discussions about collaboration and joint advocacy for the business community. These partnerships are more important now than ever before, and I thank my fellow chambers for their good work and leadership in their communities.

As the end of August nears, planning for September is kicking into high gear. Members and other interested parties should Sept. 13 for the final installment of the chamber’s Killingworth Division Summer Concert Serie,s featuring a performance by The Green Stamps.

The performance by the Meadows Brothers back in August was terrific, and it was enjoyed by many residents and visitors to town. This two-part concert series, sponsored by AO & Company, is held on the second Sunday of each month in August and September at Parmelee Farm.

On Sept. 16, the sold-out 37th Annual Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament will be held at Lyman Orchards Golf Club in Middlefield. This event will be executed with great care, and will follow all COVID-19 guidelines.

This is a major event for our organization. I again offer a heartfelt thank you all of our sponsors and supporters, our Golf Committee, all members who donated gifts and prizes, the terrific team at Lyman Orchards, and chamber Vice President Johanna Bond, who does a wonderful job with this tournament on an annual basis.

A virtual workshop on opioids, “Epidemic within the Pandemic,” will be held Sept. 23. This discussion will include general information on the effects of opioids, ways to prevent addiction, awareness and treatment options, and the different levels of care and virtual support available.

The event is an initiative of the chamber’s Middlesex County Substance Abuse Action Council, chaired by Cromwell Town Manager Tony Salvatore. It works to reduce substance abuse in Middlesex County through grassroots and community activities.

Larry McHugh is president of the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce in Middletown.