Inside the Gathering Space at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center on an unusually hot June 12th, a couple of hundred business leaders and family members joined together to honor Ulysses Hammond, Vice President for Administration, Conn College, as the Outstanding Leadership Award recipient and Core Plus Federal Credit Union as the Community Service Awardee presented by the CT Rivers Council, Boy Scouts of America. The evening’s celebration began with a tour of the Museum followed by cocktails, dinner and ceremony.
Keith Fontaine, Eagle Scout (1976), VP for Corporate Communications, Backus Hospital, Norwich, served as Master of Ceremonies. Kenneth Capano, Sr., owner of ShopRite and former Community Service Award recipient co-chaired the gala with Jeffrey Godley, Eagle Scout, member of Brown Jacobson, P.C..
The Outstanding Leadership Award is presented annually by the Boy Scouts to publicly acknowledge the accomplishments of an outstanding community leader; a person who lives by the Scout Oath and Law in his or her daily life. “Certainly, Ulysses Hammond is a person who exemplifies these characteristics,” said Bill Stanley, L&M Hospital, as he introduced the honoree. Bill served side-by-side with Ulysses on the Boards of Directors for the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT and the United Way of Southeastern CT, described Ulysses as, “A true leader, a true community champion, a true gentleman and as good a friend as anyone could have in the world.”
“While he was not a Boy Scout himself, Ulysses did experience vicarious Boy Scout life through his son, Damon, who did, fortunately have access to a Scout troop while he was growing up,” Bill said. “Ulysses Hammond also lives each day as a Boy Scout would, demonstrating that he is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.”
At Conn College, Ulysses serves as the chief administrative and business operations officer and is coordinator of the college’s legal and community affairs. Currently, Ulysses is leading the college’s $53M, 10-year campus renewal effort.
A leader on campus and in the community, Ulysses holds numerous honors and awards, including OIC of New London’s 2008 Community Champion Award, Dominion Nuclear’s “Strong Men & Women: Excellence in Leadership” Award, the 2006 Connecticut Man of the Year Award, and the “Measure of a Man” Award from the Washington Inter-Alumni Council of the College Fund/United Negro College Fund and he is co-founder of the Tutoring for Success/Preparing Tomorrow’s Leaders Today program in the New London Public Schools.
Of all the organizations for which Ulysses serves, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Trust Fund is “near and dear to his heart.” He is also vice chair on the board of directors at L&M Hospital, and is past board chair of both the United Way of SECT and Chamber of Commerce of ECT. As experienced and knowledgeable as Ulysses Hammond is, his favorite service to the community involves rolling up his sleeves to wash dishers at the New London Meal Center, where he volunteers as a member of the Rotary Club of NL.
In acceptance of the award, Ulysses Hammond stressed the importance of character development in our youth and thanked the Boy Scouts of America for its vital role in this mission. Ulysses thanked the attendees, his dear wife and his close friend, Reverend Watts for being there in his time of need. It was a tear-breaking moment, as he relayed his fight to beat prostate cancer.
The Community Service Award is presented annually too to organizations and individuals who play a vital role in the development and growth of a community. The spirit of Eastern CT is greatly enriched by the continual support of our business community and CT Rivers Council, BSA, is pleased to recognize those organizations that make a significant contribution to the quality of life in the communities it serves. On behalf of Core Plus Federal Credit Union, Warren P. Scholl, President & CEO, accepted the Community Service Award.
“In 1936, Core Plus started with 27 members and $15.00. Today, we are proud to provide sound financial health to over 20,000 members and over $180M in assets,” said Warren. “Core Plus is extremely honored to receive this award and we are especially privileged to share the evening with Ulysses Hammond.”
“Scouting touches lives! In more ways than we realize the fundamental lessons learned in scouting carry over as preeminent indicators of good character and right thinking in our society.”
“Whether an individual’s encounter with scouting was brief or whether they, as individuals, rose through the ranks to soar with eagles, scouting touches lives.”
“Do our best to do our duty” because scouting touches lives!
On June 18th, something special happened in Uncasville. The Mohegan Tribe held a ceremony and blessing to celebrate the re-opening and renovation of the Tantaquidgeon Museum – the oldest Native-run museum in the United States. The Museum provides a home for artifacts and objects of cultural significance for the Mohegans and other Native American tribes.
The ceremony began with John Henry Clark, Chairman, Council of Elders, greeting visitors, and Bruce “Two Dogs” Bozsum, Chairman, Mohegan Tribe, blessing the museum. “It is another great day at Mohegan,” said Bruce. “There are so many families at one place celebrating this moment. All of our hearts are in the same place.”
Chris “Painted Turtle” Harris plays the drums as vistors gather in a clearing next to the museum where a ceremonial fire is built. Visitors and Tribal members add tobacco to the fire and offer prayers for the muuem.
“This is an extraordinary day for the Mohegan Tribe, rechristening the oldest museum run by Natives,” said Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel, Mohegan Medicine Woman, “Everyone should tell their own history.”
At the height of the Great Depression, a Mohegan Indian, named John Tantaquidgeon decided to build a dream. Although blind in one eye and on crutches, he and his children, Gladys and Harold, found the Tantaquidgeon Indian Musuem on September 29, 1931.
“Father and brother Harold built the little stone original museum that was begun in 1930 and completed and opened in 1931,” said Dr. Gladys Iola Tantaquidgeon, Mohegan Medicine Woman. “The purpose of this little stone room was to house our collection of various artifacts that had been made and used by our people and were scattered about our living quarters here and there so that not only our own people could enjoy them but others as well.”
Throughout the 20th Century, Gladys and her brother Harold hosted groups from CT and all over the world who came to explore Mohegan history. Visitors came to experience the beauty of Native America. Generations of local school children learned about America’s First Peoples, firsthand. Featuring eastern woodland Indian artifacts, the museum’s mission is to showcase objects from an Indian perspective.
The museum, located at 1819 Norwich-New London Turnpike (Rt. 32), Uncasville, is open Wednesdays through Saturdays through October, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 860.848.0594 or visit www.mohegan.nsn.us.
On the evening of June 5th at the historic American Thread Mill #2 in Willimantic, the Board of Directors of Natchaug Hospital in Mansfield welcomed guests, friends, staff, and benefactors to their 54th Annual Reception.
Visitors sampled delectable hors d’oeuvres while enjoying the classical melodies performed by 11-year-old John C. Black from Barrington, RI, son of Janice Black, former CFO, Natchaug Hospital.
Distinguished guests included Raymond B. Johnson, M.D., Pfizer Global Research and Development, retired, and Chairman of the Natchaug Hospital Board of Directors; John J. Meehan, retired CEO of Hartford HealthCare and of Hartford Hospital; Stephen W. Larcen, Ph.D., President and CEO of Natchaug Hospital; and George A. Little, M.D., Director Emeritus, Natchaug Hospital.
Raymond Johnson introduced the Board of Directors. He said about George A. Little, “Over 54 years ago George helped lay the foundation of Natchaug Hospital. His first job there was in the kitchen – he sure has come a long way! George is a tremendous asset to Natchaug, where he is continuing the legacy of his parents.” Raymond then presented George with a Distinguished Service Award.
George is the son of Dr. Olga Little, a psychiatrist, and Dr. Mervyn Little, a general practitioner, who together in 1954 founded a convalescent facility for elderly, postoperative and terminally ill patients, who required psychiatric health services. Natchaug Hospital evolved over time to become the primary resource for local residents seeking mental health and substance abuse services. George, former chairman of the Department of Maternal and Child Health at Dartmouth Medical Center, is an internationally respected academic pediatrician.
Natchaug’s Capital Campaign 2007-08 encompassed expansion of the hospital’s Child and Adolescent Inpatient Treatment Unit and improvements to the adult inpatient unit. Natchaug Hospital provides a regional system of care for children, adolescents, and adults with mental illnesses, emotional traumas, substance abuse, and behavioral health problems. The hospital provides care to more than 2,000 children and adolescents each year in their special schools, after-school and inpatient programs. Lawrence and Memorial, Backus, Windham, Day Kimball, and Middlesex Hospitals, and CT Children’s Medical Center rely on Natchaug to provide inpatient care for young patients with psychiatric illnesses. Admissions to Natchaug Hospital’s child and adolescent unit increased by 40 percent since 2003.
John Meehan said, “Natchaug Hospital is the anchor of Eastern CT – very responsive to mental health needs. This is a community hospital – an institution of the community, in the community.” Natchaug formalized its affiliation with Hartford HealthCare Corporation (HHCC) in 1998. Stephen Larcen responded, “Throughout our 10-year relationship with Hartford HealthCare there have been nothing but benefits. We could not have done it without John.”
Kate Mattias, Executive Director, NAMI-CT, wrapped the evening up by delivering a presentation, Building Brighter Futures for Children, which outlined the support systems NAMI offers for people suffering from mental illness and their families. Kate explained, “NAMI’s mission is support, education, and advocacy. Today families want early identification of issues, effective intervention, a reduction in stigmas, and the removal of barriers that prevent families from accessing services.”
The Stonington Historical Society will start its annual July Fourth celebration with a parade assembling in Wadawanuck Square in Stonington Borough at 9:45 a.m. Friday, July 4, with everyone, local people and visitors, encouraged to join. The march will end with a reading of the Declaration of Independence at Wadawanuck Square.
The grand marshal of the parade is Andrew Perry, a Navy veteran of World War II and long-time proprietor of the family business, Stonington Lumber. Andy, a past commander of the James W. Harvey Post 58 of the American Legion, sells copies of the 16-star, 16-stripe Stonington Battle Flag, a reminder of the Stonington militia’s victory over a British fleet in August 1814.
Senator Andrew Maynard will be among the state and local officials. At 10 a.m., the grand marshal, the color guard and people of all ages, some on bikes and trikes, motorized chairs, in strollers and wagons, some in costumes, some with dogs in full regalia, will march through the Borough. Everyone is encouraged to wear red, white and blue.
Kazoo and Hum Corps joins the parade with a unicycle, a bicycle built for two, and a calf, as a reminder of the event when the British tried to steal Stonington’s cattle during the Revolution. No one is ever sure who will join the parade. Local fire trucks and ambulances usually end it.
The parade will make its way down Water Street to Cannon Square, home to the cannons of 1814, and back up Main Street to the Free Library. There invited guests, veterans of World War II, will read the Declaration taking turns. The readers so far are William King Hooper, an Army veteran, and former Coast Guard SPAR Fran Edlund.
At the end of the reading, to honor the custom of a late president of the Historical Society, Victor T. Boatwright, the crowd will hail the new nation, shouting “God save these United States!” following with “A pox on King George!”
Andy, the grand marshal, is a familiar figure in town although Stonington Lumber, a fixture on Main Street near the viaduct, was closed in 2006 after 73 years in business. Andy graduated from Stonington High School in 1945. He joined the Navy and was out in a year. Soon he became one of the Perrys everyone consulted about how to fix the house, the yard or the fence. Andy is a long-time volunteer fire-fighter for the Pioneer Hook & Ladder Company.
June 5th through 8th, visitors flocked to Willimantic’s 10th Annual Victorian Days. Presented by the Willimantic Victorian Neighborhood Association, events included home tours, horse-drawn wagon rides, a Titanic exhibit, a lantern tour of three bridges, a cemetery tour, and numerous other activities.
Visitors to Willimantic are impressed by the high concentration and classic design of the homes in the Hill section that rivals those in San Francisco. The Willimantic Victorian Neighborhood Association earned recognition for the area on the National Register of Historic Places and obtained non-profit status.
As visitors walked the streets, they were transported to a more genteel era. They encountered the clip-clop of horse-drawn carriage tours, and ladies mincing down side streets in gauzy dresses with large hats and delicate parasols. Dapper men sporting straw hats and canes directed visitors to their destinations.
The main feature of the weekend was the tour of 16 magnificent Victorian homes in the area. Homeowners and docents accompanied visitors through the homes while recounting the history of each house, its families, and renovations.
Other events included a Model T Ford exhibition, a Victorian tea, Victorian garden tours, a Victorian architecture slide show, a lawn concert, and a “Third Class Bash” – a party that encouraged attendees to “participate in the rowdiness of third class with food, music, and notable Titanic passengers.” Period dress was encouraged.
Robert Horrocks, president of the association, said, “With more than 600 homes designated by the National Register as contributing to the architectural styles of Willimantic, the community is quickly becoming a tourist destination. The addition of the Visitor’s Center at the Windham Textile and History Museum has made information for tourists readily available. Victorian Days in Willimantic was started by a few homeowners who wanted to share their insight into the restoration and preservation of their Victorian style homes.”
The association serves to educate the public in the preservation and promotion of the history, architecture, and character of Victorian Willimantic.
The members of the association share their love, and even passion, for their community and produce a monthly newsletter with a focus on neighbors and craftsmen who work on old homes. For more information on the annual event or the Willimantic Victorian Neighborhood Association, visit www.victorianwillimantic.org.
story & photos
Bill served side-by-side with Ulysses on the Boards of Directors for the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT and the United Way of Southeastern CT, described Ulysses as, “A true leader, a true community champion, a true gentleman and as good a friend as anyone could have in the world.”
New London’s 2008 Community Champion Award, Dominion Nuclear’s “Strong Men & Women: Excellence in Leadership” Award, the 2006 Connecticut Man of the Year Award, and the “Measure of a Man” Award from the Washington Inter-Alumni Council of the College Fund/United Negro College Fund and he is co-founder of the Tutoring for Success/Preparing Tomorrow’s Leaders Today program in the New London Public Schools.
Of all the organizations for which Ulysses serves, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Trust Fund is “near and dear to his heart.” He is also vice chair on the board of directors at L&M Hospital, and is past board chair of both the United Way of SECT and Chamber of Commerce of ECT. As experienced and knowledgeable as Ulysses Hammond is, his favorite service to the community involves rolling up his sleeves to wash dishers at the New London Meal Center, where he volunteers as a member of the Rotary Club of NL.
The Community Service Award is presented annually too to organizations and individuals who play a vital role in the development and growth of a community. The spirit of Eastern CT is greatly enriched by the continual support of our business community and CT Rivers Council, BSA, is pleased to recognize those organizations that make a significant contribution to the quality of life in the communities it serves. On behalf of Core Plus Federal Credit Union, Warren P. Scholl, President & CEO, accepted the Community Service Award.
