Breakfast Recap, Historical Society, and Prevention Committee Info

Big thanks to Coach Calhoun for speaking at our Chamber Breakfast last week. As always, it was one of the highest-attended Breakfasts of the year; the Crowne Plaza hotel’s ballroom was at capacity with over 700 attendees. Among other things, Coach touched on the importance of enjoying life each day and avoiding the trap of being negatively affected by life’s day-to-day annoyances. He addressed this topic as Middletown’s Chris Serra, who was severely injured in an automobile accident, was one of our guests at the head table on this day. Chris continues to fight through injuries that are the result of his automobile accident, and has spent weeks upon weeks in the confines of a hospital. Using Chris’s perseverance and courage as an example, Coach related the idea that if a person can work through such overwhelming circumstances without complaint, then we are all well served to approach life’s daily trials and tribulations in the same fashion.  We all certainly agree with Coach’s point here.   Within this daily life, as I have said before, we are all fortunate to live in a great County like Middlesex County.  At every turn, there is something offered in the community that provides a source of interest and wonder.  Some of these offerings can be found at the historical societies in the region. Middlesex County is noted for numerous historical societies dedicated to preserving the rich heritage of its communities.  The most recent major acquisition of the East Haddam Historical Society’s Museum on Route 82 is a 17-foot-high, 3,600 pound work of art by sculptor Heinz Warneke; it is a plaster model commissioned by the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. The top of the sculpture is Warneke’s interpretation of The Last Supper and below it is The Road to Emmaus.  The model rests upon an altar made of oak, designed and constructed by East Haddam’s own Josh Winkley.  This altar is really an outstanding piece of craftsmanship, and congratulations to Josh for all of the great reviews that the piece has received.   The Haddam/East Haddam divisions of the Chamber met last month at the East Haddam Historical Society Museum and everyone was shown the new wing in which this sculpture—the world’s largest Warneke exhibit—now resides.   Also, Priscilla Waters Norton and Jonathan Waters, Warneke’s daughter and grandson, provided dozens of his works and tools for the presentation.  Thanks to a grant from the Connecticut Humanities Council, professional curator Laura Macaluso was able to provide her expertise with the project as well. Much thanks to Joseph Clark for donating this priceless work to the East Haddam Historical Society.  Clark is the Technical Director of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City and owns the Warneke estate in East Haddam.  This is a truly enriching addition to Middlesex County. Finally, it is great to report that the Chamber’s Prevention Committee had a very successful seminar at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cromwell last week.  For those who may not know, this council is designed to serve as an advisory and educational resource for our local businesses to promote a healthy workplace. In this role, the Prevention Committee offers two major seminars each year; one in the fall and one in the spring. The Committee holds these seminars to educate businesses on substance abuse and health issues that employees may face. Harry Burr, the committee’s chairman with Nancy Dahlstrom, the Sales and Marketing Coordinator for Occupational Medicine at Middlesex Hospital, and Kristin Brooks from the MCSAAC staff should all be commended for their leadership with this council.   Last week’s seminar was titled “What You Can Ask During a Job Interview (Without Getting Yourself into Hot Water)” and included a moderated panel discussion with several experts in the employment field.  The discussion revolved around the legal aspects of dealing with substance abuse and medical issues in the workplace as well as the role of pre-placement exams for employees. In all, nearly 70 people attended the seminar and it was a great success.  Thanks to moderator Dr. Thomas Danyliw and panelists Miguel Escalera, Jr., Jim Fusaro, and Lois Krause, MBA for providing their expertise in this discussion.   The next seminar is scheduled for the spring and its topic will be chosen based on a post-seminar evaluation that was distributed at this month’s event.  I encourage local business leaders to not only attend our spring event, but also to become involved in the Prevention Committee if they have not already done so.   We are also excited to host our annual Honor the Veterans and Support the Troops Chamber Breakfast, at the Crowne Plaza.  General Gordon R. Sullivan, the former Army Chief of Staff and current President and Chief Operating Officer of the Association of the United States Army will be the morning’s featured speaker on November 3.   General Sullivan is respected worldwide for his leadership abilities and I look forward to the thoughts that he will share with our crowd on this day. Each year, Phil Cacciola, Chairman of Honor the Veterans and Support the Troops Committee, does a great job in helping to organize this breakfast and I thank him for his efforts. Before this Breakfast, however, the Chamber will kick off the month of November by hosting its Expo 2008 event, which showcases the businesses of Middlesex County.  This is another event that takes place at the Crowne Plaza in Cromwell and will be held on November 1. There will be more details regarding Expo 2008 to come next week. For more information on the Prevention Committee call Kristin Brooks of MCSAAC at (860) 347-5959 or email her at    For information on other Chamber activities, please contact Matt Fraulino at (860) 347-6924 or email him at

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