Archives for March 2018

by Jack Lakowsky

In 2006, Chris Lawton’s dog passed away, inspiring him to campaign for a dog park in Montville.
“When I presented my idea, at the time it was not received well, so I put it on hold,” Chris, now de facto head of the Montville Dog Park Commission, said. Interest in the park renewed in 2011 and Chris renewed his effort, starting a grassroots movement of locals. The town approved construction in 2014, after several years in limbo due to personnel shortages and lack of funding.
Chris said that no town funds would be used for construction. Chris has used local fundraising to fund the park. The park’s proposed location will be on Route 163 in Oakdale, across the street from Camp Oakdale.
Chris said the biggest obstacle to construction was time.
“We needed time to raise money, time to clear the land, time to schedule the work, [and] time for grass to grow,” Chris said. In addition to budget shortfalls, the park contended with Mother Nature. An October 29 windstorm knocked a tree onto a newly built fence.
However, this did not deter a dedicated group of volunteers. The park’s Facebook page displays pictures of volunteers braving the wind, rain, and cold to make this small recreational pleasure a reality. Lawton said that support also came from town offices, Montville Parks and Recreation, Public Works, the mayor’s office, and the town clerk.
“It will be nice to have a park of our own, instead of going to other towns,” Chris said. The dog parks closest to Montville are in Norwich and Colchester. The park’s rules and regulations will comply with normal standards, such as leashing and waste disposal.
In the future, Lawton said he’d like to have electricity and running water for the park, and to connect it to local hiking trails, essentially expanding the park.
Donations can be made at www.gofundme.com/montvilledogpark. The Dog Park Commission’s has raised over $14,000 of its $25,000 goal. Meetings are still being held for ideas and suggestions from the community. Meeting times can be found at www.townofmontville.org/dogparkcommission.

by Anna Trusky

Dan “the Auction Man” Stanavage presents check and certificates from the National Auctioneers Association to Sales Manager Rocky Sposato, Business Manager Robert Valenti, and Sales Manager Bruce Morrow of Valenti Toyota in Westerly, to thank them for Valenti’s contributions to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

On March 6, Dan “the Auction Man” Stanavage presented a poster-sized check and two framed certificates to Valenti Toyota in Westerly. The items were presented on behalf of the National Auctioneers Association (NAA), to thank the good people at Valenti for their contributions to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The funds were gathered between Thanksgiving and Christmas as part of NAA’s annual drive to benefit St. Jude.
“The $11,000 donation was the culmination of contributions from many caring people and car dealerships,” said Dan, who handles the wholesale auto auctions for Valenti as well as auctions for many other local businesses and organizations. “A lot of people gave their hearts and souls to this worthy cause!”
To help raise funds for St. Jude, Dan also auctioned off tools purchased from Lowe’s, donated toys such as die-cast trucks, and watches donated by TC Pawn Shops. “However, many people gave donations without even buying something,” he noted.
Dan pointed out that the NAA raises close to $1 million each year for charitable causes. He is more than happy to help—especially when it comes to St. Jude, a cause that is near and dear to his heart. He was born with a condition known as Legg–Calvé–Perthes disease, a hip disorder that occurs in roughly 5.5 of 100,000 children per year and affects more boys than girls.
“I was in St. Jude briefly and they determined it wasn’t cancer, so I then went to Newington Children’s Hospital,” Dan recalled. “My mother always said leaving me there was the hardest thing she’d ever done. But my parents would not give up on me. I had lots of X-rays and needles and was in traction for years.” Today Perthes disease is easily curable.
“That’s why I help St. Jude,” said Dan. “I know what it’s like to be in a hospital without your parents. I feel for the kids at St. Jude who have it way worse than I did. If I can save one kid’s life, then my life is worth living!”
To get in touch with Dan and find out how you can help, visit www.dantheauctionman.com.