HELLO AND GOODBYE

Citizen report

The 2023 CIAC state baseball tournament will be dedicated to Bristol police Lieutenant Dustin DeMonte, who was killed in the line of duty in the fall of 2022.

Each year, the CIAC dedicates its baseball state tournament in honor of an individual closely connected to high school baseball in the state.

DeMonte settled in North Haven, but came of age in Middletown. He was a catcher and pitcher on the Middletown High School baseball team, graduating MHS in 2005.

A writeup on the CIAC website states, “Coaches and friends recall Dustin as a quiet leader, who led by example.”

DeMonte’s uniform number in high school was 51, and the Middletown High baseball team honored the former player this season by wearing No. 51 patches on their jerseys.

The CIAC baseball state finals will be played at Mid- dletown’s Palmer Field on Friday, June 9 and Saturday, June 10. A brief pregame ceremony will take place on June 10 to formally honor DeMonte and his family.

Boxes to Boots

Berlin-based non-profit Boxes to Boots, 28 Chamberlain Highway, sends care packages to members of the U.S. military serving overseas. To learn more about the organization and its needs, visit boxestoboots.org.

Mentoring

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Connecticut is an affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the 119-year-old national youth mentoring organization. Based in Hartford, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Connecticut offers life-changing programs to at-risk children. Learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters by visiting ctbigs.org.

Land Trust