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12/10/2013 11:00 PMKids sold nightcrawlers, families collected cans for cash, the Women's Club dedicated dances and fund-drives, and hundreds of residents signed donor cards promising as little as 28 cents to as much as $2,430. Brick by brick, the people of Branford help build the Community House.
As Community House founder Joe Trapasso said in 1987, "It wasn't the amount of money people gave; it was the amount of people who gave."
On Dec. 1, Branford Parks & Recreation celebrated five decades of public recreation, programming, and community gatherings in this gem of a building. Decorated with holiday poinsettias supplied by Branford Garden Club, tribute was paid to those past and present who have been a part of this building's history.
Among the original building committee members is Dan Cosgrove, who also donated the gym's expandable bleacher seating. Cosgrove, now 96, is also namesake of the town's animal shelter, grandfather of Branford First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove, and father of resident Susan Barnes. Barnes says Branford folks have always been the type to get involved when it comes to supporting a worthwhile project, from building the Community House to bringing about the shelter.
"I think it's typical of how Branford does things," said Barnes. "It's a community that works together, whether it's the children collecting cans or selling lemonade. My father got involved because he's always had such a commitment to his community."
Trapasso was another resident committed to his community and to building a new Community House. He served as Branford's recreation director for 43 years. When Trapasso passed away in 2003, he left a legacy that included building the state's first outdoor basketball court, the construction of John B. Sliney Park, Foote Park, Branford's first Little League field, instituting boys and girls recreational basketball tourneys, and motivating the planning, designing, fundraising, and construction of the present-day Branford Community House.
Former first selectman Anthony "Unk" DaRos was also at the Dec. 1 celebration and remembers the days when Trapasso organized games, teams, and programs at Branford's old Community House on South Main and Montowese streets (now a parking lot) in the 1950s.
"That was an interesting thing," said DaRos. "I remember Joe being out there playing basketball, and you only had a couple of feet before you ran into the wall! Sometimes, the ball would get stuck up in the rafters, and that was declared out of bounds when that would happen. But he would get kids from all over, and they would put teams together. It was really quite a busy place."
Known by townies as "The Dust Bowl," the building was in poor repair when Trapasso was appointed director in 1951. With typical Trapasso elbow grease-including the services of some young volunteers who once enjoyed vandalizing the place, according to local lore-Trapasso refurbished the building and made it into a busy hub of recreational activity. Ten years on, Trapasso knew this growing town needed a new facility. In a short time, $175,000 was raised by local efforts. By 1961, construction of the new Community House was underway.
Completed in 1963, DaRos describes the brick building as a "landmark" in the town, and one that has been remarkably maintained by a committed staff.
"When it went up it was almost state-of-the-art for the time, and for being 50 years old, and for the amount of use that building gets, it's in remarkably good condition," said DaRos. "So they certainly built that one right, but also the staff over the years has maintained it. I think that's an important part of it."
Leading that staff today is a Branford resident who joined his first Community House program at age five, began volunteering there in grade 4, went on to work with his mentor, Trapasso, as a young adult, and was eventually named his successor. Branford Recreation Director Alex Palluzzi Jr., has been with the department for some 25 years. Carrying on the standards set by Trapasso to maintain this building while offering great programming is a daily mission, said Palluzzi.
"We still have the basketball tournaments Joe started-we just ran our 62nd-so we're very proud of our history and tradition, but we've also moved with the times," said Palluzzi. "We've expanded our programming. We listen to the community and try to do what they want."
With four administrators who are Branford residents and much of the staff on board for 20 to 25 years, "We've had a lot of continuity with our staff," Palluzzi noted. "A lot of them were raised in Branford and they came through the programs, and I think that's important sometimes. It's become a passion for all of us."
Program Supervisor Victor Amatori agreed, saying, "The principle of what Mr. Trapasso imposed on Alex and myself and the rest of the staff was to be sincere; stand back, but also try and move forward...We have kids whose grandparents helped put a brick in, or helped assemble a room, or came up with an event. Knowing the history also gives you that much more incentive. It's about where we've been, where we are and where we want to be. If that doesn't keep you going, nothing will."
"We're also all very proud we've kept up with the times over the years with this building. We didn't let it fall down," said Palluzzi.
From the original gleaming wood floors in the Joe Trapasso Gymnasium, to replacing roofing, skylights, adding air conditioning, installing new ceiling tiles (but hanging them in the original grids, polished up with shiny black paint), and adding energy saving lighting, the building runs with modern efficiency, but still enlists solid materials that don't betray their age. Those orange and white molded bench seats? They've been there since 1963, as have many tables, chairs, doors, and other fixtures, including several in the newly opened Joe Trapasso "sky box" (Trapasso's old office, where interior windows overlook the gym).
Helping support the Community House and its programming is the town's hands-on Board of Recreation, including current chairman Paul Criscuolo, Helen "Bimmie" Herget, Jeanne Crowley, Dr. Mark Kirschner, and Bill O'Brien.
"Branford has a rich tradition of supporting sports and recreation," said Palluzzi. "When this was built, it was a real Community Center and it was a model for other towns. It was centrally located; it was for the people of Branford. It's really served the community well."
During the Dec. 1 celebration, Branford Historian Jane Bouley gave a view into the growth of the Recreation Department, from the days of the "Branford Community Council" established in 1920 to Branford's reputation for opening, in 1963, what quickly came to be known as one of the best recreation centers in the nation.
"We've tried every possible program you can imagine for all ages here," said Palluzzi. "To me, it's really served the community well, and what we're proud of, more than anything else, is we've really taken care of this building. It really is the community's house. Joe would be proud."