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10/05/2016 08:30 AMTheresa Marino moved to North Haven when she was 13, living in town except for a few years after she and her husband Bill married. Then the couple bought a home in the Montowese area of town in 1989. One of their neighbors, former state representative Steve Fontana, had mentioned that the Peter’s Rock Association (PRA) was looking for board members at a time when Theresa was looking to get involved in the community.
Theresa went to her first meeting and joined the PRA as a lifetime member (memberships are available for singles and families with both annual and lifetime options). She has been on the Board of Directors ever since. The PRA meets monthly.
Theresa has seen many changes at Peter’s Rock since she joined. The construction of the pavilion was only just beginning then. Now the pavilion is complete and local Boy Scouts have built the picnic tables, as well as the bridges along the trails.
“We’ve made a lot of progress in the past 10 years,” says Theresa. “People can come and bring picnics and take walks. It’s free and open to the public.”
The PRA is hosting its ninth annual Fall Festival on Sunday, Oct. 16 (with a rain date of Sunday, Oct. 23) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The free event will feature hot dogs grilled by Michael Amendola and his Boy Scout troop, drinks, and snacks, as well as entertainment. A guided hike will be held at 1 p.m. There will be face painting, pumpkin decorating, and a story walk hosted by the Friends of the Library.
“There will be different pages at different points along the trail so the kids can run from station to station to read the book Bear Sees Color,” says Theresa. “It’s a fun, free, enjoyable day to be outside with your kids. It exposes people to the park. We thank the people who have worked with us in the past and hope to bring new people into the park and that they’ll start using the park with their kids.”
Theresa is hoping that as more people become familiar with the park, even more will begin to volunteer. PRA has gotten a lot of support from the Boy Scouts, but the group is hoping that other organizations, like Girl Scouts and local schools, also get involved.
While the property is owned by the town, volunteers are responsible for much of the maintenance, keeping the trails clear, and park cleanup. The money raised from membership fees, as well as the sale of T-shirts and stuffed bunnies, helps to offset the costs.
“People donate time and bring their tools for projects, but we’re always looking for more volunteers,” says Theresa. “Even though the town owns the property, the association was created to help maintain the park and the trails.”
Peter’s Rock has a number of trails on its 220 acres, which is the largest parcel of open space in North Haven. Peter’s Rock is also the highest elevation in town at 373 feet with the red trail bringing visitors to that vista. Theresa encourages people to visit in the fall to take in the views.
“Because it’s the highest peak, there are great views and in the fall, the trees are just beautiful,” says Theresa. “There are multiple trails, with some being easy, mild walks and some are more difficult. There are trails that are good for all ages.
“Most of the red trail is easy, but the last five minutes to the peak are steep. It’s still an enjoyable hike—you don’t have to go all the way to the peak to enjoy it,” she says.
Theresa’s path to the PRA came as part of an effort to re-engage with her hometown after a five-year struggle with family health issues. She worked at Pirelli Armstrong for many years before leaving in 2000, and just six months later, her mother-in-law was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and the couple took care of her for five years before she moved into a nursing home.
After her mother-in-law moved to the nursing home, Theresa and Bill began to re-immerse themselves into the North Haven community.
“We had been taking care of her at home for five years, so after she went into the nursing home, we started branching out,” says Theresa, whose mother-in-law passed away in 2010. “We wanted to get more involved in the community after being isolated in the home for five years taking care of her.”
Theresa joined the North Haven Sons and Daughters of Italy Lodge, became a member of PRA, and started real estate school in 2005. She also has been the captain of a team that has done a fundraising walk for the Alzheimer’s Association at Lighthouse Point for the past seven years. This year’s team of 20 raised more than $1,600.
Theresa has been a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in North Haven for more than 10 years. She says she enjoys working with people in the area she has called home for so long.
“North Haven still has a small-town feel to it and there are many people who live here their whole lives and then their kids buy in town,” says Theresa. “Having lived in the area all my life gives me the experience, and the knowledge helps me to be able to talk about different neighborhoods or towns.”
For any of her clients interested in the outdoors, Theresa is sure to mention Peter’s Rock as one of her favorite places to enjoy nature.
“Being involved with Peter’s Rock Association gets you outside doing something healthy and gives you a chance to do something good for the community,” says Theresa. “We want to get people out to enjoy the park. It’s rustic and a great place for hiking, looking at nature, and enjoying the surroundings.”
The Peter’s Rock Association hosts its ninth annual Fall Festival on Sunday, Oct. 16 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Peter’s Rock Park, 133 Middletown Avenue, North Haven. The rain date Sunday, Oct. 23. For information, call 203-988-0836 or visit petersrockassociation.org. Donations can be mailed to PRA, P.O. Box 762, North Haven, CT 06473.