Person of the Week • Published Mar 12, 2024 11 am
By John Lecardo
In a short span, Kendall Dobratz has established herself as a preeminent goalscorer in the Connecticut girls’ ice hockey landscape. Yet no matter how many accolades or la...
Person of the Week • Published Mar 06, 2024 08 am
By Eric O'Connell
Whether you’re going through it yourself or watching someone you love go through it, chemotherapy is a struggle that too many people face. Thanks to a new business co-fou...
Person of the Week • Published Feb 28, 2024 08 am
By Eric O'Connell
From volunteering with his church to participating in Old Saybrook Chamber of Commerce events to making sure folks are being safe on the water, Charlie McSorley is always...
Person of the Week • Published Feb 27, 2024 11 am
By Maria Cipriano
Running is considered to be an individual sport, but there is also very much a team aspect to the game, too. Lauren Dobratz understands this sentiment all too well, as sh...
Person of the Week • Published Feb 21, 2024 08 am
By Eric O'Connell
Whether it’s organizing a community egg hunt in Clinton or her new role with the Madison Chamber of Commerce, Emily Roy has a passion for giving back to her community.
E...
Person of the Week • Published Feb 21, 2024 08 am
By Rita Christopher
You want to swim, bike, and run? You want to do it competitively? If so, you want to do a triathlon. That is what Bob Merrick does. A triathlon is an outdoor event, but B...
Person of the Week • Published Feb 07, 2024 08 am
By Eric O'Connell
Nancy McAllister has three favorite things in life: laughing, children, and music. Based on those criteria, it’s no surprise that Nancy says, “I have the perfect job” as ...
Person of the Week • Published Jan 31, 2024 08 am
By Eric O'Connell
Have you ever noticed the murals on the side of The Glenwood Plaza or the Coffee Break? If they’ve ever caught your eye, you can thank local artist and Clinton resident L...
Person of the Week • Published Jan 25, 2024 09 am
By Eric O'Connell
Shoreline Soup Kitchens and Pantries (SSKP) makes sure that residents of 11 towns have access to groceries and meals. For SSKP Executive Director Amy Hollis, this effort ...
Person of the Week • Published Dec 27, 2023 12 pm
By Maria Cipriano
Some athletes are gifted in multiple sports, and when they develop an interest in different aspects of each one, they ride the waves and figure out the most effective bal...
Person of the Week • Published Dec 27, 2023 08 am
By Eric O'Connell
After a long career in the technology industry, Mark Israel turned his passion for baking into a new job when he opened Westbrook’s Still Delicious, a gluten and allergen...
Person of the Week • Published Dec 19, 2023 10 am
Growing up, Morgan Huskies senior wide receiver/running back Jack Nye loved the game of football. In fact, the sport runs in the Nye family, as his brother Jason, is curr...
Person of the Week • Published Dec 13, 2023 08 am
By Eric O'Connell
Growing up in Old Saybrook, Rob Lemire can fondly recall a childhood and young adulthood spent having fun outside. As an adult, Rob has found a new way to get people of a...
Person of the Week • Published Dec 05, 2023 12 pm
By Eric O'Connell
On Dec. 7 at 6 p.m., for the first time ever in Old Saybrook, a menorah will be lit and a celebration will take place to mark the first night of Hanukkah. The idea came t...
Person of the Week • Published Nov 29, 2023 08 am
By Eric O'Connell
Annually, the Westbrook Foundation provides grants and scholarships to various nonprofits and institutions in Westbrook. As a member of the foundation’s board, An-Ming Tr...
Person of the Week • Published Nov 22, 2023 08 am
By Eric O'Connell
When people make their way to the Starlight Festival in downtown Old Saybrook on Dec. 2, in addition to the holiday merriment, attendees will have an opportunity to send ...
Person of the Week • Published Nov 15, 2023 10 am
By Maria Cipriano
The Old Saybrook field hockey team had a successful 2023 season, landing a spot in the Class S State Tournament and making it all the way to the quarterfinals. One of the...
Person of the Week • Published Nov 15, 2023 08 am
By Eric O'Connell
For Michelle Centore, it was love at first sight when she walked into Westbrook Public Library. That feeling has never left, as Michelle now serves as the Library Directo...
Person of the Week • Published Nov 07, 2023 01 pm
By Eric O'Connell
Like seemingly everywhere along the shoreline, pickleball has exploded in popularity in Westbrook. One of the people responsible for spreading that popularity is Kevin Mc...
Person of the Week • Published Oct 24, 2023 11 am
By Maria Cipriano
Pressure always comes with being the star of a collective unit, whether that’s a sports team or any other entity that involves working together. For Ayla D’Anna, she take...
Person of the Week • Published Oct 13, 2023 07 am
By Maria Cipriano
Every team has a certain player that’s looked at to be the heart of the squad, bringing a sense of energy and dedication that’s completely immeasurable. In the case of th...
Person of the Week • Published Oct 11, 2023 09 am
By Eric O'Connell
Between raising awareness of environmental issues and assisting people with disabilities, Christine Picklo has made helping her community a key part of her life over the ...
Person of the Week • Published Oct 04, 2023 09 am
By James Kidd
Everett Miller found a home on the Old Saybrook boys’ cross country team. As a speedy junior this fall, he has established himself as a key member of the varsity squad. O...
Person of the Week • Published Oct 03, 2023 12 pm
By Eric O'Connell
Last month, the town of Westbrook officially welcomed a new member: full-time Zoning Enforcement Officer (ZEO) Eric Salmon.
At a Board of Selectman meeting on Aug. 8, Fir...
Person of the Week • Published Sep 27, 2023 07 am
By Eric O'Connell
Old Saybrook resident Lois Caldrello has started a nonprofit called The Colossus Project to help support Ukrainian refugees living in the area, including a family of four...
Person of the Week • Published Sep 19, 2023 02 pm
By Eric O'Connell
For close to three decades, Brenda Partyka has been helping Old Saybrook’s children build their confidence and life skills through the town’s wilderness camp.
Brenda can ...
Person of the Week • Published Sep 13, 2023 03 pm
By Eric O'Connell
On Sept. 23, Shoreline Theater Academy/Kidz Konnection in Clinton will hold a very special performance titled Cycle of the Sun. The musical is an original story written b...
Person of the Week • Published Sep 06, 2023 11 am
By Eric O'Connell
For over 20 years, the person leading Westbrook’s Parks and Recreation Department has been Parks and Recreation Director Rich Annino.
“Basically, I provide the programmi...
Person of the Week • Published Aug 29, 2023 10 am
By Eric O'Connell
If you ask someone what comes to mind when they hear the word “Westbrook,” one of the first things they’ll mention is boating. As harbor master, Harry Plaut is one of the...
Person of the Week • Published Aug 23, 2023 06 am
By Eric O'Connell
On Thursday, Sept. 14, North Branford’s Caruso-Bode family will host its 25th annual fundraiser for the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA). Emceeing the event w...
Person of the Week • Published Aug 17, 2023 07 am
By Eric O'Connell
For over 30 years and at two different locations, librarian assistant Jan Swanson has been one of the most popular mainstays at The Henry Carter Hull Library.
Jan has bee...
Person of the Week • Published Aug 10, 2023 07 am
By Rita Christopher
Make sure you get the N’s right: Glenn Herman’s first name has two; his last name has one. The students who apply for scholarships from Essex Rotary should know the corre...
Person of the Week • Published Aug 09, 2023 07 am
By Eric O'Connell
“I could feel it was a good fit for me,” Justin Alessio says about working in Old Saybrook. Since May, Justin has worked as a program coordinator in Old Saybrook’s Youth ...
Person of the Week • Published Aug 03, 2023 09 am
By Rita Christopher
Clint Reid calls the Community Foundation of Middlesex County (CFMC) a force multiplier, and as chair of the board of directors, he is not talking the language of “Star W...
Person of the Week • Published Aug 02, 2023 11 am
By Eric O'Connell
For the past 28 years, the person most concerned with protecting Westbrook’s natural resources has been Environmental Planner Heidi Wallace.
Growing up, Heidi always knew...
Person of the Week • Published Jul 18, 2023 12 pm
By Eric O'Connell
Whether it’s helping people find the documents they need as the assistant town clerk in Clinton or helping in an emergency as an EMT in Killingworth, Lisa Barbour looks f...
Person of the Week • Published Jul 11, 2023 11 am
By Eric O'Connell
For the past year, the most popular duo walking down the hallway in The Morgan School has been Student Resource Officer (SRO) Brian Corbin and his partner, Jagger, the th...
Person of the Week • Published Jul 04, 2023 07 am
By Eric O'Connell
After almost 20 years in Clinton, Joe Carapella found out that it’s never too late to get involved. For the past two years, Joe has been volunteering with the Human Servi...
Person of the Week • Published Jun 20, 2023 08 am
By Eric O'Connell
Gina Johnson was tired of going to the same old networking events over and over. In looking for a new way to network while also helping out the community, Gina took matte...
Person of the Week • Published Jun 13, 2023 12 pm
By Eric O'Connell
On May 20, volunteers came out to clean the public beaches of Old Saybrook, Old Lyme, and Westbrook. The event was part of the Rotary Day of Service organized locally by ...
Person of the Week • Published Jun 06, 2023 08 am
By Eric O'Connell
“This is my sixth book, but it’s special because it’s about the place I love the most,” Frances Russell says. The former first selectman and teacher has written a new boo...
Person of the Week • Published May 30, 2023 12 pm
By Eric O'Connell
In an effort to increase cooperation and advocate for the needs of business owners in town, Tabatha Black started a networking group that seeks to make its presence felt ...
Person of the Week • Published May 23, 2023 01 pm
By Eric O'Connell
Like many high school kids, Davis Walker is fascinated by cars. Unlike many high school kids, Davis is turning that fascination into charity by organizing a car show on S...
Person of the Week • Published May 20, 2023 07 am
By James Kidd
Within the Shoreline Conference, Old Saybrook sophomore lacrosse player Gretchen Kawecki stands alone atop the leaderboard with 86 goals and 38 assists in her young caree...
Person of the Week • Published May 16, 2023 07 am
By Eric O'Connell
“I just really like learning the history of things,” Marcy Fuller says. It’s a quality that has served her well as the president of the Westbrook Historical Society.
Marc...
Person of the Week • Published May 12, 2023 07 am
For Old Saybrook boys’ lacrosse Head Coach Jon Mason, senior Carson Percival is a player on his team that he would not want to face due to his resiliency, dedication to t...
Person of the Week • Published May 11, 2023 07 am
By Eric O'Connell
To celebrate the diverse heritage and talents of Old Saybrook students, an international artist came to town and painted a mural. Matt Johnson, a graduate of Old Saybrook...
Person of the Week • Published May 02, 2023 08 am
By Eric O'Connell
When it comes to finding a way to support the kids and families of Westbrook, Mallory DePalermo, the program coordinator for Westbrook Youth and Family Services (WYFS), i...
Person of the Week • Published Apr 26, 2023 08 am
By Eric O'Connell
Last year, Dylan Walter was informed about one of the top issues facing Clinton: the high rate of suicide in town, particularly among young men. To help combat the issue,...
Person of the Week • Published Apr 21, 2023 07 am
By Maria Cipriano
The Old Saybrook boys’ basketball team had quite the successful season this winter, making it all the way to the quarterfinal round of the Division V State Tournament bef...