Gov. Malloy is Chamber's December Breakfast Guest

Last week, The Riverhouse at Goodspeed Station was our host for a Business After Work event and the team could not have done a better job as hosts. It was a great turnout, with more than 300 Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce members and everyone was impressed with the venue in Haddam.

A thank you goes to the staff, especially owner Jim Bucko, a member of the Chamber’s board of directors, and General Manager Kelley Smith for doing such a great job to accommodate our large crowd. 

Our members really stepped up for a great cause by participating in annual Festival of Wreaths. The Downtown Business District and Liberty Bank donated 30 wreaths that member businesses and individuals decorated with a holiday theme. 

We auctioned the wreaths in a silent auction at Business After Work. We raised more than $1,000 for the Middletown Mentor Program and next year's Holiday on Main.

I have talked about the Middletown Mentor Program many times before. The value that this program provides to the community is immeasurable. It pairs an adult that works in Middletown with an elementary school student in the Middletown Public Schools.

Mentors meet weeky with their mentee during the student’s lunch and recess. The pair works on lessons that can be applied inside and outside the classroom. Hal Kaplan began this program years ago and he has propelled it through his great vision. There are 16 students in need of mentors to complement the 57 already in the program.

I encourage anyone who wants to be a positive force in the life of a young person to participate as a mentor.

The Chamber’s Real Estate Council will hold a holiday luncheon at Billy Tee’s Sports Bar and Restaurant in Cromwell Thursday to collect toys for Middletown Parks and Recreation. Last year, 50 toys were donated we expect a big collection this year.

The Real Estate Council is full of members who do what is right for the county.  Last week, we set the stage for another Chamber member that will do good things for our region.

I was on hand along with Middletown’s elected leaders to welcome The Clearwater Systems Corp. and its Dolphin WaterCare division, led by CEO Anupam Bhargava, to Middletown at its new location in the Centerpoint Connecticut office complex. 

Dolphin WaterCare has been providing environmentally responsible water treatment solutions for more than a decade and is dedicated to treating water responsibly with a focus on water and energy savings. The clean-tech company will occupy the entire upper level of 6,200 square feet in the first newly constructed LEED® Silver registered building on the Centerpoint campus (first of seven buildings). The interior has been built-to-suit with a complete innovative "green” floor plan design and finishes.

I would like to praise Centerpoint’s leader, Lennie Leibenhaut, for working aggressively to bring a company like this to our area.

This week the Chamber will take part in another exciting event near Lennie’s complex. The Major General Maurice Rose Armed Services Reserve Center will have its formal grand opening Dec. 10 at the old Cucia Park site. This facility has been years in the making and there are many people from our community who fought to bring the base to this site. This base will be a huge economic generator for our region.

I continue to grow excited for the final Chamber breakfast meeting of 2011 with Gov. Malloy on Dec. 16. Contact our office for a seat.

For information, contact Matt Fraulino at (860) 347-6924 or mfraulino@middlesexchamber.com.

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