RJ 150th Anniversary Magazine

1867 C O MME M O R AT I V E M A G A ZINE C E L E B R AT IN G 15 0 Y E A R S

“We celebrate the past to awaken the future.”

— John F. Kennedy

Best Wishes to the

Record Journal Jack Flaherty

Vice President/Sales 203.416.1137 ( Office ) | 203.895.6969 ( Cell ) jflaherty@premieruplink.com PremierUplink.com 860 Honeyspot Rd. Stratford, CT 06615 2|

RECORD-JOURNAL 150TH ANNIVERSARY

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for the next 150 Years!

OUR MISSION

To be the primary catalyst that motivates people to contribute to the intellectual, civic and economic vitality of our communities.

I. INRODUCTION 5 Message from the Publisher 8 150th Celebration on the Meriden Green 10 Family & Recent Awards II. HISTORY 14 11 Crown Street 19 Milestones 31 Newsroom 33 Record-Journal Day 35 Time Capsule 1967 36 Historic Front Pages 37 First Edition 38 Presidential Visits III. RJ TODAY 43

44 48 51 55 61 66 69 71 81 83 87

Message from the Executive Vice President & Assistant Publisher Demolition New Office Recognition Employees Newsroom Subscribers Award Winning Website Advertising Department Creative Department Circulation Department Business Department

A special thank you to our 150th Anniversary Committee Leaders:

Dave Pare, Chairperson & Events Team Leader Richie Rathsack, Content Team Leader Mike Blais, Sales Team Leader Andrew Burris, Marketing Team Leader And thank you to all our employees who participated with our teams to make this a successful and fun year of celebration!

ADVERTISING INDEX

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RECORD-JOURNAL 150TH ANNIVERSARY

INSURANCE I BENEFITS I RETIREMENT I HR

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Message from the Record-Journal

President and Publisher The Record-Journal is celebrating its 150th birthday this year. As a member of the fourth generation of this local family business, I have been there almost half of that time, starting in 1952 at age five with Eliot C. White my father lighting the gas pots used to melt lead for typesetting on Sunday mornings, and playing in my mother’s office at home while she wrote editorials.

We have a long, proud history as a local business following the motto on our previous building, “A free press for a free people” which is a cornerstone for a strong democracy. We are proud of RJ employees for their commitment and loyalty and salute our carriers and business partners in the role they play in delivering the news in print and online every day. We thank our readers and advertisers for supporting our business.

This milestone has been marked in a number of ways all year, including news stories, historical look backs, a commemorative magazine, a brick program honoring our former building at 11 Crown Street in Meriden, and events including: • Employee and retiree parties • The 150th Celebration on The Meriden Green event on 9/17/17 open to the public in partnership with the Meriden YMCA and the City of Meriden • The 4 Chamber Celebration event on 11/15/17 to thank the business community. The four chambers of commerce partnering with us are Midstate, Quinnipiac, Southington and Cheshire.

11 Crown Street was the RJ headquarters

for 110 years until October 2015. All five generations of my family worked there as owners of the business. Although bittersweet, we transitioned from 11 Crown Street to a modern office space at 500 S. Broad Street. The old building served us well, but it was appropriate timing for us as we honor the past and celebrate the present and future. We look back with fondness and great memories — highlighted in a timeline of major events and strategies in our history — included in this magazine and on the 150th video that can be found at myrecordjournal.com/150.

Over the course of our history, we have produced 41,000 straight editions without interruption.

This is a remarkable feat, particularly when considering the many obstacles in the 1980s and 1990s that made us feel like we were in the roadrunner cartoon. Despite floods and numerous power outages in addition to blizzards, ice storms, hurricanes and mechanical problems, we were able to deliver a newspaper every day.

Approximately 4,000 people have worked at the RJ since 1867.

The collaborative efforts of these professionals bring to mind words such as proud, dedicated, resilient, persistent, ethical, smart, loyal and teamwork.

These traits are evident every day as each department meets its daily deadline.

For print, a rough calculation indicates that about 1 billion individual copies of our paper have been sold over 150 years, delivered by 50,000 news carriers, most of them youth carriers age 12 to 14. Digitally, we set a new monthly record recently with over 2,800,000 page views per month and 358,000 unique visitors. With print and digital combined, we now have our largest audience ever.

Change has been constant in our business, particularly over the last 40 years.

ELIOT C. WHITE President & Publisher 2017 New England Newspaper & Press Association Hall of Fame 2013 Yankee Quill Award from New England Newspaper & Press Association for lifetime achievement for broad influence for good in the field of journalism 1993 Meriden Boys Club Hall of Fame

RJ BY THE NUMBERS 41,000 Record-Journal editions without missing a publication day 4,000 Number of RJ employees who have worked since 1867 1,000,000,000 Copies of the paper sold over 150 years 50,000 Newspaper carriers since 1867 2,800,000 Page views per month on myrecordjournal.com, a new monthly record 358,000 Unique visitors per month on myrecordjournal.com

Since 1764

Since 1877

Since 1796

Since 1812

Since 1880

Since 1829 Since 1881 SINCE 1844

SINCE 1906

Since 1871

Since 1883

Since 1883

TheMiddletownPress

THE REGISTER CITIZEN Since 1874

Since 1884

Journal Inquirer Since 1968

The members of the Connecticut Daily Newspapers Association salute the Record-Journal as they celebrate their 150th Anniversary.

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Since 1871

INTRODUCTION MESSAGE FROM THE PUBLISHER The changes we’ve made in the last 10 years have been greater than the first 140 prior years combined.

However, much of what we do remains the same. As the primary source of local news and advertising to our local communities, we take our responsibility very seriously. What we do every day is important and makes a difference. The RJ has rebounded from the recession and the downturn in our industry to a strong position in the last two years since our move.

I am confident in our company’s future. With an evolving business model, the Record-Journal is well positioned to continue to provide quality service to readers and advertisers. Our success is due to our employees, including my daughter Liz White, a member of the fifth generation, and our great management team.

Liz has enthusiastically led our transformation with projects such as our move to a modern office space and Opportunity 2016, which was a coordinated effort by all employees working in teams to grow our digital sales and online audience. On behalf of five generations of my family, I thank our readers and advertisers for their support and honor the 4,000 employees and 50,000 carriers who made it possible. Happy 150th!

Illustration by Daniel Sheridan, RJ Creative Team

150TH ANNIVERSARY RECORD-JOURNAL

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& TH

CELEBRATION A Community & Family Event FREE ADMISSION!

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INTRODUCTION

FAMILY & RECENT AWARDS March 2017 1ST PLACE FOR BEST LOCAL WEBSITE 2ND PLACE FOR BEST OVERALL LOCAL NEWS STRATEGY from Local Media Association’s Nationwide Digital Innovation Awards March 21, 2017 Govenor Dannel P. Malloy declares this day as RECORD-JOURNAL DAY October 27, 2016 Named one of the TOP FAMILY OWNED BUSINESSES IN CONNECTICUT by the Hartford Business Journal September 5, 2016 Featured in Hartford Business Journal GREATER HARTFORD’S INNOVATIVE OFFICE SPACES March 2016 Featured in Editor & Publisher’s cover story 10 NEWSPAPERS THAT DO IT RIGHT 2012 Record-Journal receives PUBLICK OCCURRENCES AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING JOURNALISM

by New England Newspaper Association 2012 Record-Journal wins SUNDAY NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR

by New England Newspaper & Press Association

VISIT MYRECORDJOURNAL.COM /150 TO SEE OUR SPECIAL 150TH ANNIVERSARY VIDEO! 10 |

RECORD-JOURNAL 150TH ANNIVERSARY

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Accepting the Hartford Business Journal award are, from left, Eliot White, fourth-generation president and publisher of the Record-Journal; his wife, Sue White; Liz White Notarangelo, executive vice president and assistant publisher, from the fifth generation; and Mike Notarangelo, her husband.

RJ named one of state’s top family-owned businesses Editor’s note: Article reprinted from October 27, 2016 issue of the RJ. The Record-Journal has been named one of the top family-owned businesses in the state by the Hartford Business Journal.

In its Oct. 24 edition, the Hartford Business Journal announced its annual Family Business Awards, honoring local family businesses and their achievements. The Record-Journal was named the top family-owned business of its size: between 76 and 199 full-time employees.

Eliot White is the fourth-generation president and publisher of the Record-Journal. His daughter, Liz White Notarangelo, is executive vice president and assistant publisher.

Against the backdrop of failing newspapers across the country,

“the family-owned Record-Journal in Meriden isn’t just hanging on,” states the Hartford Business Journal article about the company. “It’s thriving — so much so that Editor & Publisher, the national journalism trade magazine, named it one of its ‘10 Newspapers That Do it Right’ last March.”

White Notarangelo told the Hartford Business Journal that the Record-Journal has found success in a shift in focus toward multimedia news, and a new location.

“Change has to excite you or this isn’t the right industry to be in,” she said, adding that the newspaper industry isn’t dying, but has changed in an exciting way that presents new opportunities.

“If you combine our print and our digital products together, we have more reach than we’ve ever had by far,” she said.

The Record-Journal, which celebrates 150 years this year, was founded in 1867 as The Weekly Visitor. E.E. Smith, White Notarangelo’s great-great-grandfather, purchased the company with Thomas Warnock in 1892. In 1977, The Morning Record and the Meriden Journal merged and became the Record-Journal.

In October 2015, the company moved from 11 Crown St., its downtown Meriden home for 110 years, to a new office at 500 S. Broad St. in Meriden. As part of the move, the Record-Journal Publishing Co. rebranded as RJ Media Group. The company has 85 full-time employees working at its Meriden office.

First Generation

1) E.E. Smith (1862-1934) Co-founder, Publisher, 1892-1934; 42 years at Record-Journal 2) Tom Warnock (1863-1952) Co-founder, Editor, 1892-1943; 53 years at Record-Journal

2

3

4

5,6

8

(1892-2017)

FIVE GENERATIONS OF FAMILY LEADERSHIP

1

Second Generation

3) Wayne C. Smith (1888-1966) President & Publisher, 1934-1966; Son of E. E. Smith; 56 years at RJ 4) Blanche Hixson Smith (1894-1974) Exec. Editor, 1966-1972; Wife of Wayne C. Smith; 51 years at Record-Journal Third Generation

5) Carter H. White (1916-2000) Publisher, 1966-1988; Son of Blanche Smith; step son of Wayne Smith; 51 years at Record-Journal 6) Barbara C. White (1918- 2009) Editor, 1975-1988; Wife of Carter H. White; 49 years at Record-Journal Fourth Generation

7) Eliot C. White (1947- ) President, Publisher 1988- present; Son of Carter and Barbara White; Currently 38 years at Record-Journal 8) Alison Muschinsky (1942-2016 ) Sr. Vice President, HR Manager, 1991-2007); Daughter of Carter and Barbara White; 28 years at Record-Journal Fifth Generation

9) Liz White Notarangelo (1982- ) Exec. V.P., Assistant Publisher, 2006-present; Daughter of Eliot White; Currently 11 years at the Record-Journal.

150TH ANNIVERSARY RECORD-JOURNAL

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Local teachers pause in their tour of the Record-Journal to line up for a photo. With them are John J. Brosnan (far left), assistant controller and office manager; Charles Iwanicki (second from far right), business manager, and publisher Carter H. White (far right).

“We celebrate the past . . .

HISTORY 11 CROWN STREET

RJ’s move stirs memories of 11 Crown St. Editor’s note: This is reprinted from the October 15, 2015 issue of the Record-Journal.

By Molly Callahan Record-Journal staff

general neighborhood for the previous 38 years,” as well, he added.

The Record-Journal newspaper, in all its various iterations, hasn’t moved from its Crown Street home in 110 years. That changed recently, but its history won’t.

In those 110 years, the newspaper building was host to visits from dignitaries like President Harry Truman — who, legend has it, stopped in to use the restroom while on a visit to stump for the Democratic ticket in 1952 — and Janet Leigh, who stopped in during her stay in Meriden as part of the Janet Leigh Film Festival in 2002.

“The Record-Journal has been published from 11 Crown St. for 110 years, since 1905,” RJ Publisher Eliot C. White said, though the paper, in some form, has been in existence for 150 years. “It was located in the same

Leigh, born Jeanette Helen Morrison, is a

Golden Globe-winning actress best known for her role in the American horror film “Psycho.”

Numerous other politicians have also passed through the Crown Street office in the past century as well.

Former U.S. Sen. Francis T. Maloney, after whom the east side high school is named, worked as a reporter in the building from 1914 to 1921, except for the year between 1917-18, when he served in the U.S. Navy.

Former Record -Journal building at 11 Crown Street in Meriden.

“We had five building expansions since 1955 with major investments in downtown Meriden” — Eliot C. White

HISTORY 11 CROWN STREET The building holds many personal memories for current and former employees.

“Five generations of my family have spanned the full 110 years,” White said. “I have personally worked in the building since 1979. My first memory was accompanying my father in early 1950s on Sunday mornings to light the lead pots.”

Until roughly the 1960s and ’70s, Linotype machines were the industry standard for printing newspapers. The type set machines used gas-fired pots to keep the lead and tin type metal liquefied just prior to being cast.

The newspaper was printed on premises at 11 Crown St. until February 2009, though the technology to do so evolved from the

Linotype machine.

Meriden Journal.

In 2009, the aging press was in need of a costly replacement, and the ailing economy prompted the decision to outsource printing to the Springfield Republican campus in Springfield, Mass.

In 1887, The Republican Publishing Co. was incorporated, and five years later, in 1892, the Morning Record was launched as another daily paper.

The RJ, as many know it now, began as The Weekly Visitor in 1867. The weekly newspaper expanded into a daily print newspaper on Jan. 1, 1868, and three months later, evolved into the Meriden Daily Republican.

Soon an evening paper was produced to compete with the Republican — that paper was the Meriden Daily Journal, which first ran in April 1886. It was later known (and perhaps better known now) as simply the

At that point, the Meriden Daily Republican became a weekly newspaper, and eventually ceased publication altogether.

Between 1903 and 1925, the Morning Record changed names twice, ultimately settling on the Meriden Record in January 1925.

In 1949, the Meriden Record Co. — formerly the Republican Publishing Co. — purchased the Meriden Journal, though it wasn’t until 1977 when the two papers merged, becom-

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RECORD-JOURNAL 150TH ANNIVERSARY

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HISTORY 11 CROWN STREET

“We survived over three feet of water during the flood in 1992.

My parents skied to work during the blizzard of 1978.” — Eliot C. White

ing the Morning Record and Journal.

Only 13 other companies have been in the city for more than 100 years, according to Maust’s information.

Three years later, the paper changed its name to the now familiar Record-Journal.

Only a few businesses still operating in Meriden are older than the Record-Journal and its ancestor papers. According to information gathered by Jerry Maust, reference librarian at the Meriden Public Library, they include the Miller Co., established in 1846; The Russell Hall Co., established in 1854; and Lyon and Billard Lumber Co., established in 1847.

According to Maust’s information, the Horton Printing Co. also rivals the RJ’s tenure in the city; it was established the same year as The Weekly Visitor.

In the 148 years since its inception, (story written in 2015) the Record-Journal newspapers haven’t missed a publication. To date, that’s nearly 41,000 straight issues.

“We never missed a publication despite major obstacles, including power outages in the 1980s, when we lost power for 24 straight hours,” White said. The outage forced newspaper crews to print in Waterbury and work from Middletown.

Extreme weather was also no match for the tenacity to print a daily newspaper.

Press Room over the years at 11 Crown Street in Meriden.

“We survived over three feet of water during the flood in 1992. My parents skied to work during the blizzard of 1978,” White recalled.

Throughout the years, the building changed its look. In the early years, nearly full-length windows studded the sides of the building, then mosaic murals replaced many of them.

“We had five building expansions since 1955 with major investments in downtown Meriden,” White said. A new press in 1979 and mail room expansions in 1988 “totaled investments of $10 million,” he said.

During this time, a Sunday edition of the newspaper was launched as well.

HISTORY 11 CROWN STREET

It paid off though. “Starting the Sunday edition...was a major growth project that helped secure our future for the next 30 years,” White said.

Among the Record-Journal’s publications are The Citizen weekly newspapers.

The City of Meriden purchased the RJ building in 2014, adding it to a list of six total downtown properties the city expects to turn over to developers for a mix of housing and retail buildings.

A lease agreement with the city

enabled the publishing company to occupy the space until this December, though the business opened in its new location at 500 S. Broad St. on Oct. 12, 2015.

“The move... will mark the end of an era,” White said. “We will now begin a new chapter of our business with 90 employees in a new modern workplace and 40 employees at our sister company (The Westerly Sun) in Westerly, R.I.”

Family run for 112 years

From our family to yours, congratulations on your 150th anniversary!

White said the company’s mission will continue to focus on “providing local news and advertising solutions to our local communities, including exciting new products” such as a new advertising platform, White said. “Our business has evolved,” he said, “but the mission continues.”

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RECORD-JOURNAL 150TH ANNIVERSARY

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Though it’s generally considered the staple edition of daily print newspapers, publishing the Record-Journal Sunday edition in 1984 was considered risky given the economic climate at the time.

HISTORY MILESTONES

1867 March 21

The Weekly Visitor begins publishing.

Thomas Warnock

E. E. Smith

1892 October 8

Thomas Warnock and E.E. Smith purchase The Weekly Visitor.

The Morning Record starts as a daily newspaper.

A tribute to 150 years of Record-Journal history Editor’s note: This article is reprinted from the May 27, 2017 issue of the RJ.

By Mary Ellen Godin Record-Journal staff

The RJ Media Group, publisher of the Record-Journal and Myrecordjournal. com, celebrates 150 years in print and digital publishing at a time when significant changes in the industry have brought new challenges and rewards.

The family-owned company has

gained state and national recognition for innovative practices that are vastly different from when the newspaper began 150 years ago. “In an industry that is rapidly changing, Publisher Eliot White has struck the perfect balance between carrying on the legacy and tradition of previous generations while leading and supporting all the necessary

Founders of the Meriden Daily Journal.

150TH ANNIVERSARY RECORD-JOURNAL

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893 North Colony Road Wallingford (203) 265-7778

HISTORY MILESTONES

Wayne Smith

Blanche Smith

1977

1949

January 8

June 28

The Meriden Record Company purchases The Journal.

changes for the business to evolve into a modern, innovative, cutting edge media company over the last several years,” said daughter Liz White Notarangelo, executive vice president and assistant publisher.

Two major changes — outsourcing the paper’s daily print operation to Springfield, Massachusetts, and more recently moving the newspaper’s offices to a new location in Meriden — occurred within the last 10 years.

Against this backdrop, the Record-Journal was named one of “10 Newspapers That Do it Right” in March 2016 by Editor & Publish-

The Record and The Journal merge into a single publication.

er, the national journalism trade magazine.

One reason is because the company embraces change, said White Notarangelo. Over the last year, the Record-Journal Publishing Co. changed its name to the more all-encompassing RJ Media Group — reflecting its shift to multimedia news.

It also moved from its 110-year-old downtown location into modern office space on South Broad Street, and surpassed ambitious goals for growing its digital audience and revenue.

The Daily Republican downtown Meriden office.

150TH ANNIVERSARY RECORD-JOURNAL

| 21

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BUSINESS

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For more information, call 203-630-4151 CITY OF MERIDEN | OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

22 |

RECORD-JOURNAL 150TH ANNIVERSARY

HISTORY MILESTONES

1979 December 1

Carter White

Barbara White

The Company invests $6 million at Crown Street. The Record-Journal converts to offset printing with a new press and building.

Readers may prefer to get their news online these days, but White Notarangelo rejects any suggestion that newspapers are a dying business.

Rather than being a threat, White Notarangelo said, the internet is creating opportunities.

“If you combine our print and our digital products together, we have more reach than we’ve ever had by far,” said White Notarangelo, who was also among Editor & Publisher’s “25 under 35” in 2016, in part for her “healthy optimism” in a turbulent business climate.

Alison Muschinsky

1984 April 29

The Sunday Record-Journal is launched.

“The Record-Journal was founded only two years after the end of the Civil War,” Eliot White said. “As we celebrate our 150th anniversary, we plan to honor our history and celebrate our present and future in various ways throughout the year. One hundred and fifty years is a long time. Over that period, five generations of my family and thousands of newspaper professionals have been proud to provide our communities with local news and advertising. At a time when the relevance of mainstream news is being challenged, the role of a free press is as important as it has ever

Wayne C. Smith

150TH ANNIVERSARY RECORD-JOURNAL

| 23

The Meriden Foundation wishes to congratulate the recipients of our 2017 academic scholarships. Each of these sixteen students will receive renewable merit-based scholarships for full-time study at an accredited institution of each student’s choice. The value of each scholarship is $5,000 annually for four years.

Our sixteen scholarship recipients, who were selected from a competitive field of sixty applicants, are as follows:

Emily Coleman Jake DeFrancesco Emily Elderkin Shaharia Ferdus Kathryn Filippides Jonathan Goodman Bryan Keene Lindsey Mercurio

Devin Murphy Madison Papallo Ishani Patel Kelly Pathania Aislinn Quinn Erik Sanders Olivia Santos Yarisel Santos

The scholarship committee wishes them success in their academic pursuits!

Founded in 1932, The Meriden Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to creating an all-inclusive community and improving the well-being of the citizens of Meriden, Connecticut and its surrounding area.

Funding for our scholarships has been made possible by the following:

Please visit www.MeridenFoundation.org for information about the Meriden Foundation and for future scholarship opportunities.

Foundation Ad in RJ.indd 1 24 Meriden | RECORD-JOURNAL 150TH ANNIVERSARY

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The George A. Clark Scholarship Fund · The Mildred O. and Paul Lyons Scholarship Fund · The Meriden Credit Bureau Scholarship Fund · The Dominic C. Naszcyniec Scholarship Fund · The Herbert and Elisabeth Reeves Fund · The A. Leo and Edna C. Ricci Scholarship Fund · The Karlyn Toifl Memorial Scholarship Fund · WWII Veterans Memorial Hospital Auxiliary Fund · The Sherman J. and Anna M. Corbett Scholarship Fund · The Mesite Family Scholarship Fund · The Stephen J. Hermaszewski Scholarship Fund The Leonard C. Erardi Scholarship Fund · The Clifford I. Packer Scholarship Fund · The Henry F. Zaleski Scholarship Fund

5/25/2017 9:38:25 PM

HISTORY MILESTONES

1987

1999

January

July 1 & August 10

The Company invests over $5 million to purchase and renovate two properties on S. Colony Street and expands the press and mailroom at 11 Crown Street.

The Record-Journal acquires VS Publishing in Orlando, FL and The Westerly Sun in Westerly, RI.

been in our country’s 250 year history. Since audience is a measurement of our relevance, we are pleased that we are at an all-time high for print and online readership. Our business model is quite different than it was 100 years ago or even 10 years ago, but through constant change, we remain a strong locally owned company with 120 employees at our two locations.”

The Record-Journal dates back to a weekly newspaper called The Weekly Visitor, established in 1867. In 1892, E.E. Smith and Thomas Warnock bought the weekly and converted it to a daily. E.E. Smith was the first of

four generations of the White family to lead the Record-Journal.

E.E. Smith was followed by his son, Wayne C. Smith, who served as publisher until his death in 1966, when Carter White took over for his stepfather and was publisher until his retirement in 1988. Thomas Warnock was editor of the paper for almost half a century. Wayne Smith’s wife, Blanche Smith, Eliot White’s grandmother, wrote for about 50 years and served as executive editor. Barbara C. White, Eliot White’s mother, also wrote for the paper for about 50 years. Alison Muschinsky, Carter and Barbara’s daughter, worked

Blanche Hixson Smith

150TH ANNIVERSARY RECORD-JOURNAL

| 25

26 |

RECORD-JOURNAL 150TH ANNIVERSARY

HISTORY MILESTONES

Volume 19, Number 11

Berlin’s Only Hometown Newspaper

Thursday, May 14, 2015

www.berlincitizen.com

Search is on to Epic trek finished, local replace Public man aids quake victims Works director bond proposed for road paving $5 million Volume 13, Number 3

Plainville’s Only Weekly Newspaper

www.plainvillecitizen.com

Thursday, Januar y 15, 2015

to four dam- over the next three is that before they are severelyrecon- years, so if we bond new dolto be divided Lee said, “Our feeling Friday, Januar y 23, 2015 roads, of all Plainville partaofpav- roads should be repaved once aged and need crack and lars now the debt service he is a bigwith www.northhavencitizen.com ing, since “They News into five sections go up and in town,”The every 25 years, and we haven’t structed. we do schedule 43won’t Your Town, Your the road, everything road.

8, Number of each Volume ing history We need water gets under search for retire debt with new said. The McNair shows roads have met that standard. year but so we want to be able to re- we’ll which a $5 gridcandidate per We can keep it flat at has already to set up A proposal repav- about $1 million left a new while they have debt. without not has been longest gone The The town paying $200,000 pave them life left in them,” its current level,” Lee said. pay for roadbegun. town may million bond to used to de- we’ve been to fill,” said may be engineer with “big shoes at the inga and town roads will be to $250,000 per year and we sustainable“They’re getting “There’s a need for paving newwhich paving was introduced Denise Mc- have termineimmediately, but is haven’t funded any repaving Lee said.

Town Manager and it’s good timing.”

Council meeting board first after the bond Jan. 5 Town of on repaved the resignation At very close to the edge.”

Nair, with director ofmay The referendum to approve in two of the past 10 years. find someone to serve after John Bossi, and direcA $5 million bond won’t project will the town engineer in, it would or may issued a approved. in the interim debt ser- the road paving Technical Services, to ap- the rates we put will have Works.

Residents pave each impact the town’s service likely be held in June, Lee tor of Public the duties five-year projspread report on the will to fi- take us 100 years to request a bondother vice limit. “The debt Arthur Simonian staff. said. would provide $1 prove amongpaving. road.” ect, which road schedule will be declining the town be leavingper to fill.” E. a big hole Robert year for repaving. nance The goal is to repave roads “It’s Manager million May to Town end of at theBossi Simonian’s maalso provided a grid become the new Exjor accomplishments ecutive Director of during his tenure inMattabassett District clude implementain Cromwell. The

By Ken Liebeskind tion of automated “The program will help The North Haven Citizen district processes refuse and recycling

By Ken Liebeskind Simonian employ people with autism wastewater from BerThe North Haven Citizen containers, construcand other development dislin, Newington, New inflow The North Haven Public infiltration an of interan tion a abilities who have Britain, Middletown, and sewer lining project, man-and G. Robinson Sr., one of the Schools plans to submit for the opening of the The UArts Chapel Haven upgrade to the recipient recent est in the arts,” said Michael An enthusiastic crowd gathered Hill. ALee surprise active Rocky Robin budget for the 2015-16 school Michel on Washington of the $80 million Artisan Workshop/Design Storz, president of Chapel By at the organization’s most a http://www.gofundme. plant the third agement of the attendeesand Chapel Haven Artisan Workshop most madetothe hasSpecial year of just over $50 million, The Citizen North Haven Citizen members. school renovation Studio, which held its grand Haven. “We’ll train them to UArts in high com/Saveruralnepal. With the held Jan. 7. evening. | Ken Liebeskind / The ceremony largest wastewater facility 5.3 percent increase from “We are presenting this to school projects includopening at 335 Washing- create artistic products. It Avenue Tuesday the $6,500 raised at press it worked according to a press otherPARC, Family Centered is the state, services rento bags $48 million budget the ton Ave. Tuesday evening It had been publicly anwith De- Frank for all the time, the group was able for People results in paychecks for year.

“They scarves, handcrafted release. the years,” local Services / Page 3 thathetwo See Simonian unique to North Haven, and products they produce, like pating in the program. arts and other items. “We take with the previous nounced that is leav- by velopmental respond to a food shortage Disabilities, not dered throughout “We’re sad A budget proposal prehave an interest in the said Benson Swift, PARC perhaps the entire nation. groups were to be honored with 3,600 pounds of potaused items and make art with Carling, traditional artists do.” only lauded Elizabeth Hardpresident. and they’re very focused,” them,” said Margaret Bodell, pared by Kristine The artisan studio proPARC with the John P. Sulli- ing Norton Trust and Lou- Board of Directors toes, 1,900 pounds of rice, Nine students are currently it up and always be director of business and operof gram, launched in partner- being trained by professional she said. “We mix van Award. However, a third reiro Engineering but Frank “We hope he will and hundreds of pounds director of UArts. “We make ations, calls for expenditures of rehere,” hinting that Robinson ship between UArts and artists at the North Haven have fun.” presentation came as a total other items. “The beauty of rugs out of yarn and use faby supplies for Nepal earthquake of $50,605,141, an increase When asked how she could not “retire” from his Chapel Haven and funded Brian Ford with a load of apto furbished furniture.” workshop. | gofundme.com/Saveruralnepal $2,553,902 over last year’s teaches disabled students vorite non-profit. a grant from the Connecticut LLC See Ford / Page 4 survivors.

The retail shop, which Lisa Nova, from New Hathe Competition of $48,051,239.

“It takes We knock out This is the seventh year through proved budget Office of the Arts is the first ven, is one of the students. “I practice art, she said, and a is open Mondays the Superintendent of Schools to 2 p.m., that PARC has presented program of its kind targeted made scarves and bags and patience and direction it a baWe show Thursdays 9 a.m. woven Robert Cronin called Sullivan Award, which Robto adults with disabilities, worked on the big rug,” she willingness to learn. with limnee- sells scarves, hand bere- them how to work with al- rugs and other items made by sic budget request inson himself conceived. who are being trained to MEMBER the town said. “I like this place, it’s dles and looms. They’re priced ited changes, but The honor celebrates orgacome professional artists. iniWith Full Safety Inspection the the students. They are a ally nice.” remembers last year’s ways eager to try it and In addition, the studio is nizations and individuals Heather McDonald, also increase that the • REPOINTING / Page 2 tial 6.4 percent of results are amazing.” that have exhibited sustained retail store that will sell one Studio is See NEW CONSTRUCTION • REPAIRS Haven, New from of • STUCCO (All Types) was decreased to 3.7 percent The students are making commitment and support art created by the disabled the seasoned artists particiCAPS • LINERS • RESTORATION before the Board of Finance PARC, enabling it to continue students.

2.3 ultimately authorized a wanted its programming and services ap- ton avenue site and apthe council unanimously percent increase that was town to those in the community of to see expanding the

By Charles Kreutzkamp WORK proved the new statement proved by voters at the budget on the with special needs.

The Berlin Citizen po- hall station remain percent FREE ESTIMATES / HIGH QUALITY named in y 16, is 2015 and needs that will send the Januar award his referendum. The 2.3 Friday,The a by what he likes best about PRICES from the table, while Democrats two a confirmed GREAT project was Sullivan, station P. Liebeskind www.southingtoncitizen.com lice of increase citing

By Ken honor of John Newspaper Deputy Mayor, Members of the Berlin Hometown job and Freda said, “One to the theSouthington’s is The North Haven Citizen police commission roll call vote that gave votthe Volume CALL TODAY: 860-594-8607 Plainville resident, who 10, Number 3 studies that showed renovatTown Council debated the things I like best is com- ers the chance to request inas FOR SUMMER SAVINGS! public building commission, site to be point of the season, the sometimes referred to CHECK OUT WWW.CHIMNEYCHAMPS.COM police station project twice after which a proposal will ing the town hall ing to schools and meeting creased school expenditures, Coming up on the midway Forty-four fourth gradPARC’s “biggest fan.” Sullibasketball team owned Fully Licensed & Insured # 628054 this week at the regular meet- return to the council. Repubstudents like you.”

Plainville High School boys but they preferred a budget ers from North Haven and van, a former board member, See Station / Page 2 Devils’ most recent game The students Freda met ing May 5 and a special meet- licans opposed the Farminga record of 2-6. The Blue New Haven met for the fifth eagerly participated in the with no tax increases. has been an avid champion hands of Bristol Eastern I ing May 7. After much dissent, was a 73-45 defeat at the Cronin said, “The budget the organization’s time at the Sharing our Sto- Sharing our Stories activiin PHS’s Austin rink off Mill Street, of Edicesharing the comfromand nity mission Saturday at Ivan Wood Gymnasium. throughout in Southington ries program Jan. 15 at Clin- ties. In one room they shot presented to the Board weekend congratulations the season See more in Sports, opened fordrawing the prioriSchool, G. Robinson Sr. receives many

By Leigh FrankTauss y 12, 2015 dropping Elementary where and Februar Sullivan which Butler is pictured in that matchup. as they ucation addresses munity annual Meriden, said Thursday,tonville Citizen PARC’s to The Citizen 9. John Mulrooney Special the videos of each other | Matt Leidemer / For The son Steven Robinson during his www.cheshirecitizen.com paved the way Jan. sponsors ties of teaching and learning, to the fundraisers. where they shot videos of Page 13. temperatures to the likes to take started the awards programthe family answered questions – yelling budget who Cheshire’s Hometown Newspaper fun. Volume awards. Frank Robinson, event, wrote personal stories out, shoot, roll cameras and that’s step one in our Number 21 year. for frozen this 3, minute.” be a recipient the board some families, nothing would For John Mul- ice “every free See PARC / Page 2 and met with First Selectman cut commands. All students process. Step two is years ago, didn’t know he In Southington, Michel / For The Citizen “This is our favorite (rink) | Robin Lee beats slapping a hockey puck rooney will look at the budget and and his twin daughMike Freda. to home,” will receive DVDs of the pro- determine what to propose around in 30-degree weather ters, Nicole and Neya, 10, said because it’s so close The students from Clintonbe duction at a family night to on an outdoor ice rink and they were among the first to to the Board of Finance.” ville and Fair Haven PreK-8 held in New Haven in May. See Skating / Page 8 the showing off skating skills. take advantage of the commuThe new budget includes interviewed Freda at last In another room, the stuin staff Families got to enjoy both conclusion of the event and dents wrote about their expe- a 5 percent increase received a variety of compelSee Education / Page 2 fourth graders shoot video ling responses. / Page 2 Clintonville and Fair Haven See Students www.TownTimes.com asked him Rockfall and program. student Stories One our Middlefield Serving Durham, during the Sharing The North Haven Number 28

By Joy VanderLek 20, Citizen | Ken Liebeskind /Volume

By Charles Kreutzkamp

By Ken Liebeskind Kreutzkamp Charles

By The Plainville Citizen

The Berlin Citizen

Schools seek 5.3% budget increase

The Berlin Citizen

Berlin native adventurer Brian Ford has completed his trek for charity across southeast Asia, but he isn’t finished yet. Immediately after the trek, Ford headed to Nepal to assist in disaster 25 relief following the April earthquake. The earthquake was widely reported as the worst in the region since 1934. Reports say the earthquake flattened villages and killed some 8,000 people, injuring many more.

Ford is volunteering with his girlfriend Alina Brugal, who is raising money at to help relief efforts

Unique artisan studio program in town opens BATTLING DEVILS

PARC gives achievement awards to three – not two – supporters

Vote for police station unanimous after debate

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Clintonville students spend day

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Skaters take to the ice

Library to ‘beef up’ programs in 2015 Town native trains beluga whales

Luther King Jr. Award winner Darlene Steele tells Martin 19th make a difference,” at the Logan McInnis, “You can Jr. Celebration at the First annual Martin Luther King Baptist Church.

| Leigh Tauss / For The Citizen

Church celebrates King’s legacy

The theme of the celebration this year was “Reaching Out.” The Rev. Sharon Holt served as master of ceremoa The First Baptist Church nies and led the group in held its 19th annual Martin short prayer before introLuther King Jr. Celebration ducing guest speaker Robon Jan. 11, honoring young ert Bourgeois, a professor at members of the community Albertus Magnus College in for embodying King’s spirit New Haven. of social justice and listenBourgeois chronicled the ing to soulful songs courtesy history of Latin American of of the Mariachi Academy immigration in a talk, “LibConnecticut. eration Theology, Biblical More than 75 people atthe tended the event at See MLK / Page 6 church at 581 Meriden Ave.

By Leigh Tauss

By Jesse Buchanan

Friday, December 4, 2015

The Cheshire Citizen

Tree farms part of Christmas traditions

Public Library, RaAs director of the Cheshire jump into the new year, mona Burkey is eager to her staff have in store for MYSTIC — It takes just ready to unveil all she and on the heels of 2014, a a few hand motions from patrons. Those plans follow as “very good.” trainer Christina Lemnoyear Burkey characterizes is what Burkey tis to get Kela, a 33-year old More outreach and collaboration to “More technology, beluga whale, to roll in the retailers – is the first day forecasts for 2015 and beyond.

By Mark Dionne community outreach,” water, splash her tail or sing. sell Christmas trees for some more programs and more Town Times Some of those behaviors, local businesses. she said. strong, said Burkey. which the Southington naMaplewood Farm, Miller Last year’s library usage was an uptick which was While the families wantive rewards with fish, are Tree Farm, the Herzig FamIt began with a surge in usage, the period of the recesdering around Durham and for the benefit of human Tree aFarm and the Duseen for all libraries during no ilyduring tree farms are as continued to see high Middlefield Dominamas audiences. Others, such Christmas Tree Farm sion from 2008-2012. CPL helps patrontoNatasha the massive Ramona Burkey, right,comparison 420,000 items in 2014. / For The Citizen af| Joy VanderLek rolling over, allow trainers checkouts of approximately Cheshire Public Library Director all opened on the Friday at of crowds in big box stores and and veterinarians to exam- Christina Lemnotis works with beluga whale Kela ter Thanksgiving. Some Library / Page 2 recent visit. www. malls, the Friday and weekine Kela, give her an ultra9. Watch a video at See a the businesses and stands Mystic Aquarium on Jan. Citizen end after Thanksgiving is sound or brush her teeth. | Richie Rathsack / For The that sell trees, like JC Farm busy time for local Christmas Lemnotis has been work- southingtoncitizen.com. & Greenhouses, Country tree sellers. trainers feeding the whales ing with animals at Mystic Lemnotis and other trainThe Friday after Thankson Jan. 9, the weather was Aquarium for about two See Trees / Page 5 ers field questions from the giving – Black Friday to large perfect for the three belugas Principal Jeff nation of $1,500 along with years, building up trust with public and explain their Kreutzkamp and CHS saidArctic & duct, alcohol possession the whales over that time. this who are native to the money raised from Stop

By Charles jobs on the weekends

By Jeff Gebeau Solan.

Citizen The to out these photos: vandalism.

Circle.

“It takes a lot of patience Special Stop and Target rewards.

Check aquarThe Cheshire Citizen of month as part of the Solan said the committee used by 70 other Alsotrees. working with animals According to Solan the been 4“very successful… a ium’s Trainer Days. coats g h has/ Page H i Whales • See Page 5 for Christmas towns, the board is an alterC h e s h i re See any kind, be it a puppy or e for day be updates include fresh While it was a coldTh The town’s new juvenile8 rea ly that success would not decorations. to the juvenile justice for window native whale,” she said.

• See at least S c h o o l P TO re ce n t sup- of paint, brighter lighting,air startPage view board will of possible without the system and can mete out penbetter heating unit, new helped to renovate part a month later than planned alties, including community port of the Cheshire High conditioning, carpet, study the Learning Commons, because of an unexpectedly service and financial restias School Parent Teacher carrels. The renovations commonly referred to applications. of number high Organization.” tution. The board can also have also created a café area the school library or media The panel of seven volun“It’s a really great use of require a juvenile to attend at the learning commons. center, creating a new multeers and two alternates will counseling. that space,” said PTO presiThe latest update is a new tipurpose room. hear cases involving those dent Pam Skydel. The PTO The Town Council apwall forming a multipur“A committee was formed under the age of 18 who comhelped to raise $5,000 of the such two years ago to help transfive 4 feet deep, mit less serious offensesDionne across / Page $30,000 renovation. Money Panel and See See Room / Page 4 Mark conBy form this space to the figudisorderly with a direct doan outdoor scene shoplifting, as raised features was school,” the Times Town rative ‘heart’ of packed with Santa Claus, forPlazalights, and giant ITS TIME TO STUFF est creatures, Maplecroft Decorating the front winSTOCKING. presents.Ave. YOUR listOWN scene Must-have devices. a Christmas Highland dow with 187 at SIMPLY. 1st Place Complete your wish “A lot of preparation goes an annual Store tradition has been Best Cellular window,” said Paula, Carolyn Adams’ into the Cheshire at Durham’s from SIMPLY. one of the store’s employGet a great deal on a great device Country Barn, a furniture and ees. Pam Brooks, another home decor store that dates LIMITED TIME OFFER! employee, conceives of the back to 1974.

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| Submitted photo

An Angel Among Us cer awareness. for her efforts in the creation According to an Elks press Pam Fox, center, is preorof the Homeward Bound and ensented with the Middletown ganization, a “no-kill” ani- release, “Her energy to make Elks Angel Among Us Award mal shelter that facilitates thusiasm in her quest our community a better place, by event organizers Wendy adoptions. her on was a key component in Manemeit and Jeff Seina Additionally, Fox was recselection as an Angel Among Nov. 21. ognized for her work with Us award winner.”

Fox grew up in Durham senior citizens, the Durham — Mark Dionne and currently lives in Mid- Fair, and raising breast candletown. She was selected

2005

2006

January

Through start-ups and acquisitions in Meriden and Westerly, the company begins publishing 10 weekly newspapers that surround both daily papers.

as human resources manager for 16 years. Eliot White’s daughter, Liz White Notarangelo, joined the newspaper as new media director in 2006.

Besides the Record-Journal and Myrecordjournal.com, the company publishes weekly newspapers for seven area towns. A sister newspaper, the daily Westerly (R.I.) Sun, became part of the family group in 1999.

Two years ago, the Record-Journal took steps to ignite a movement throughout the company by launching “Revolution 2015.” The goal was

December 6

The Company launches free websites in Meriden and Westerly.

to revamp and improve best digital practices, increase digital audience growth and digital revenue by 20 percent, and use a new building to develop a line of communication to best serve the newspaper.

In order to meet these goals, the company created six teams and areas of focus: content, monetizing growth, building subscriptions, building audience, design and marketing, and support services.

To grow digital audience, White Notarangelo said, they focused on social media. They did this by posting more frequently and strategically to

Carter H. White & Barbara C. White

150TH ANNIVERSARY RECORD-JOURNAL

| 27

Inc.

28 |

RECORD-JOURNAL 150TH ANNIVERSARY

HISTORY MILESTONES

2009 February 1

Last press run at Crown Street. The Record-Journal begins printing in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Liz White

Eliot White

2015 October 19

The Record-Journal relocates to 500 S. Broad Street. The Record-Journal and The Westerly Sun are re-branded as RJ Media Group and Sun Media Group.

11 Crown Street building is sold to the City of Meriden on May 21, 2014.

draw page views and unique views on the website while increasing reader engagement.

The Record-Journal also increased digital revenue year over year by “grabbing low-hanging fruit,” White Notarangelo said. The company increased banner ad revenue, moved toward programmatic ads, and increased content revenue.

White Notarangelo said another large part of the company’s success can be attributed to the move to modern office space consistent with a change in culture.

“Who knows, maybe the first hundred years were the hardest. Maybe they were easy compared to what lies ahead. So ahead we will go to prove the staying power of The Meriden Record Company.

We have on our staff the zeal, loyalty and know-how to enable us to hold our own in any newspaper field.”

“The way the new office is set up facilitates a culture of collaboration,” she said. “We’re all on one floor and all departments can see each other.

It was a huge part of helping ‘Revolution 2015’ become successful.”

— Blanche Hixson Smith Written in a letter to the company for the 100th anniversary in 1967.

150TH ANNIVERSARY RECORD-JOURNAL

| 29

Building a stronger community for 150 years.

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Brick Program

HISTORY NEWSROOM

“Journalists are notorious for cluttered desks.

Looking around the newsroom today, this trait appears timeless.”

— Richie Rathsack

By Richie Rathsack Record-Journal staff

For more than 150 years, reporters at the Record-Journal have pursued the news with a commitment to open government and information to empower residents with the knowledge of their government and community.

That key role remains the same today, reflected in the company’s mission statement: To be the primary catalyst that motivates people to contribute to the intellectual, civic and economic vitality of our communities.

Meeting that goal requires journalists to keep in touch with the trends of readers and adjust to the times. In 1988, Barbara C. White wrote an editor’s notebook

about the unique position of a privately owned news organization.

quired journalists to change some of the tools they carry to produce a story.

“We are in a unique position. We aren’t publicly owned; we are not, in spite of what a lot of our readers seem to think, a public utility. No one member of the public, no interest segment, no advertiser has the right to demand that we print something or to tell us how to print it,” White wrote. “But unless the Record-Journal is the kind of newspaper that you, our readers, want, unless it’s what you need, we won’t be in business long.”

The first edition of the Meriden Weekly Visitor, the origin of the Record-Journal, in 1867 contained no photographs and lots of small headlines.

Community news continues to be the strength of a local news organization.

How we deliver that news to readers changed over time as the company adapted to the mediums people prefer when consuming news. This also re-

Photographs of President Harry S. Truman speaking in front of the former Record-Journal building in 1952 show a group of men in front of the podium furiously writing on notepads, with a few photographers standing nearby. Journalists took their notes to the office to type out a story on typewriters.

A notepad and pen remain staples of a journalist, even if they are starting to become a backup to modern technology.

Record-Journal newsroom and copy desk. An old photograph from the Record-Journal archive shows a former sports editor sitting at his desk in front of a typewriter, jotting down notes on a pad off to the side. In addition to the typewriter, the desk contained a rotary telephone, correspondence letters, reference books and lots of copies of old newspapers. The first picture features our copy desk department circa 1988.

Rear, from left: Bob Rocco, Howard Glazer, Doug Bevins, Ken Robinson, John Korper. Front, from left: Glenn Richter and Jack Zibluk.

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HISTORY RECORD-JOURNAL DAY

Governor proclaims ‘ Record-Journal Day ’ on publication’s 150th anniversary Editor’s note: This article is reprinted from the March 21, 2017, issue of RJ. Mike Savino Record-Journal staff

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy proclaimed Tuesday as “ Record-Journal Day ” in Connecticut, honoring the company’s 150th anniversary. The newspaper published its first edition on March 21, 1867. It began as the Weekly Visitor.

Malloy highlighted some of the recent accomplishments by the RJ Media Group, the newspaper’s parent company, but also said the proclamation is intended to recognize the importance of journalism.

“When the relevance of a free press is being challenged by some, the state of Connecticut celebrates and honors the fundamental role that journalism provides for everyone who lives in a free and democratic society,” Malloy said in his decree.

The governor’s proclamation notes several important moments in the newspaper’s history. He said the paper, which began only two years after the end of the Civil War, has “provided innumerous accounts of historic events of our state and our nation in order to provide the news of the day to the people who live” in the paper’s coverage area.

Malloy also referenced recent RJ Media accomplishments, notably its distinction as one of the “10 Newspapers That Do it Right” by Editor & Publisher magazine in March 2016, as well as continuing to grow upon its all-time high in readership.

He concluded that the newspaper’s “ongoing spirit and history remains an integral part of our state’s fiber.”

The Record-Journal publishes six weekly newspapers.

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Local journalism lives in Central Connecticut.

CONGRATULATIONS

to the Record Journal on its 150th anniversary!

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HISTORY TIME CAPSULE FROM 1967 In 1966, when a renovation of the Record-Journal building was complete, a brick with 1966 on it was created to be placed at the corner of the building, behind which a metal time capsule was placed by Blanche Hixon Smith (2nd generation) and Carter White (3rd generation) in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the company in 1967.

Recently, on Monday, August 7, 2017, Liz White Notarangelo (5th generation) by chance happened to read for the first time a letter Blanche Hixson Smith wrote to the company for the 100th anniversary in 1967. In it was the following sentence:

“In imagination, I can think of comments that will be forthcoming when that metal box is opened that we put in at the laying of the cornerstone.”

Carter White & Blanche Hixson Smith cover the time capsule in 1967.

— Blanche Hixson Smith Written in a letter to the company for the 100th anniversary in 1967.

Eliot White & Liz White Notarangelo look through the contents of the time capsule the day it was found. The contents of the metal box included: The Record-Journal 100th anniversary edition from 1967, a copy of Wayne C. Smith’s eulogy and a coin from the City of Meriden’s 100th anniversary.

Upon reading this, Liz White Notarangelo told her father Eliot White (4th generation) and he went to the active demolition site of the old Record-Journal building and the demolition company had the 1966 brick and metal box in hand to give to Eliot amongst the rubble of the old building that was just finished being torn down that week.

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HISTORY HISTORIC FRONT PAGES

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HISTORY THE FIRST EDITION

Reading the news from 150 years ago Editor’s note: This article is reprinted from March 23, 2017 edition of Record-Journal.

By Richie Rathsack Record-Journal staff

On March 21, 1867, the original precursor to the Record-Journal, The Meriden Weekly Visitor, began publishing – starting a news tradition that has continued for 150 years.

Browsing through the front page of that first edition of The Meriden Weekly Visitor is quite a different experience than looking at a modern newspaper. Headline text grew tremendously in size over time. Modern readers can see the top news at a glance from a paper on the newsstand.

In 1867, the headlines appear a little larger than the normal text of a story, which was also quite a bit smaller than today. Instead of parts of three or four main stories, the 1867 front page contains a few news briefs and a few stories in their entirety. It does not have any photographs.

Edition No. 1 starts with a brief introducing the publication, saying it publishes every Thursday morning in West Meriden, followed by information on advertising and then, a poem. A crease in a framed copy at the Record-Journal office cuts off part of the left column, but the poem has something to do with spring flowers.

The paper includes a letter written by “a wealthy and influential Hartford gentleman, who has for more than two months been traveling in the southern states and on the island of Cuba.”

The gentleman didn’t seem fond of Cuba, citing the class differences between Spanish settlers and the native Cubans.

HISTORY RJ NAMEPLATES THROUGHOUT HISTORY

Another front page story addressed “The Trouble in Ireland and its Remedy.” Another pondered the idea of time zones, saying that a day is actually 48 hours long.

“We mean that during the whole of forty-eight hours Monday is on the earth somewhere to be found.”

The other main story in the paper covered the New Britain-Aetna Works company’s building dedication and ball. A former Meriden company, new owners had moved it to a newly constructed building in New Britain.

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HISTORY PRESIDENTIAL VISITS

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1936

1952

Meriden’s 13 presidential visits Editor’s note: To mark the Record-Journal’s 150th anniversary this year, Throwback Thursday will feature historical events covered by the newspaper. The following list of presidential visits was compiled in 2006 for a special edition on the Meriden bicentennial.

1. George Washington Washington traveled through Meriden in June 1775 on his way to assume command of the Continental Army in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and again in November 1789 on a presidential tour, according to records contained in the “Guide to the History and Historical Sights of Connecticut” published by the Yale University Press.

2. Andrew Jackson and 3. Martin Van Buren (when vice president) The visit is chronicled in two local historical accounts. They differ on the date. One places it “about 1829” the year after his first election. The other mentions no date at all but implies that it occurred between 1835 and 1837, which would have been the final years of the fiery figure’s second term in office.

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4. James K. Polk His visit was entirely unscheduled and the actual date eludes us. William W. Ellsworth of Hartford was governor at the time and he and the president had several terms together in Congress and were well acquainted.

The president’s special train passed the governor’s train at Meriden and the two friends met and clasped each other by the hand from their respective trains.

5. Abraham Lincoln On the night of Wednesday March 7, 1860, the 51-year-old Illinois lawyer who was making his bid for the presidency, got off the train and paraded by torchlight with several thousand followers to the “town house” (where the present City Hall is located) where he gave an address which echoed the sentiments he had uttered so forcibly at the Cooper Union in New York City and in New Haven just days before.

6. Ulysses S. Grant General Grant first passed through Meriden on the 8 o’clock train on the evening of June 17, 1869. A large crowd turned out

to welcome the Hero President. The band played a lively air of welcome, a space was cleared on the platform of the rear car when the General put in his appearance and many of our citizens had the pleasure of grasping him by the hand.

7. Benjamin Harrison President Benjamin Harrison and members of his Cabinet and guests arrived by train in Meriden on July 3, 1889 en route to Woodstock, Conn., where the presidential party were to be the guests of H. C. Bowen over July 4. U.S. Senator Orville H. Platt of Meriden was aboard the train which made a brief stop at the railroad station where a crowd gathered to greet the nation’s Chief Executive.

8. Theodore Roosevelt Never in its history has the city of Meriden entertained such a distinguished visitor with so great a demonstration and with such genuine good feeling and patriotic outbursts of enthusiasm devoid of the least semblance of disorder as it did on Aug. 22, 1902 when Theodore Roosevelt was the guest of the city.

HISTORY PRESIDENTIAL VISITS

1963

9. William Howard Taft President William Howard Taft passed through Meriden Sept. 19, 1910 in a special car from New Haven. He was accompanied by Col. Isaac Ullman and Charles P. Brookes, Republican national committeemen. Taft was a classmate of Dr. E. W. Smith, a Meriden doctor, when they were at Yale and they had remained close, personal friends throughout their life. Because of this friendship, Taft also came to Meriden in 1913 to address a Masonic gathering at the First Congregational church. In 1917, soon after the United States entered the World War, the ex-president came here and made a patriotic address.

10. Woodrow Wilson President Wilson campaigned at the railroad station in Meriden sometime in 1912. He was the Democratic candidate and was contesting against William Howard Taft, Republican, and Theodore Roosevelt, then the Bull Moose candidate. Wilson won the election.

1963

1936 was packed with men, women and children out to see and cheer President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife, Eleanor, as they passed through on his tour of the state, campaigning for his second term. Governor Wilbur L. Cross and Senator Francis T. Maloney were in the open car as the car reached Meriden from Middletown.

12. Harry S. Truman President Truman spent only a few minutes in Meriden on Oct. 16, 1952 but it was an exciting few minutes for the 20,000 citizens who witnessed the event. Truman, making a political swing on behalf of Democratic presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson, passed through the city in a whirlwind tour of many of the smaller Connecticut towns including Wallingford,

1974

North Haven and Middletown. Truman came from Wallingford and came into Meriden by way of Broad Street, Olive Street and Crown Street. The crowd at Crown Street Square was only a part of those who greeted the popular chief executive.

13. Jimmy Carter Democratic presidential candidate Jimmy Carter spent 90 minutes in Meriden on April 27, 1976. During three speaking stops, he discussed foreign policy and the other Democratic presidential candidates and accurately predicted he would win in the Pennsylvania primary. He spoke at City Hall to a crowd of about 150, and at the Latin American Society, where he addressed the audience in Spanish, filtered through a southern accent.

President Truman on Oct. 16, 1952— as he appeared on the speaker’s stand in front of the Record-Journal building making his speech in which he attacked Gen. Eisenhower, who, he said was a “babe in the woods” who would be lost in the White House.

11. Franklin D. Roosevelt A five-mile route leading through the heart of the city the morning of Oct. 22,

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RJ TODAY 150TH EMPLOYEE CELEBRATION The 150th Celebration for Record-Journal employees and retirees held at the RJ office on July 20, 2017

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“ . . .to awaken the future” — John F. Kennedy

“Our business has evolved, but the mission continues” — Eliot C. White

to the Record-Journal on your 150th Anniversary

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Message from the Record-Journal

Executive Vice President & Assistant Publisher If you’ve ever met me and had a conversation about the Record-Journal, you’ve probably heard me say a few things over and over.

And over again.

First, I love it. I love the Record-Journal’s past, the four generations of my family preceding me that have worked Liz White so hard to keep the Notarangelo company thriving, and the employees, community, readers and advertisers that have supported us for 150 years. We wouldn’t be here without all of them. Also, I feel very fortunate to be part of this industry and the fifth generation of this family business. I’ve been working at the Record-Journal on and off for nineteen years since I was sixteen years old, including full time for the last eight years.

Second, I see opportunity. Lots and lots of opportunity. The newspaper industry isn’t failing, as some may want you to believe. Rather, it’s dramatically and significantly changing as fast as possible to overcome challenges and take advantage of all the opportunity there is to grow in new and exciting ways. Industry leaders are optimistic and so am I. Third, innovation is critical. A motto we started living by here at the RJ in the last couple years is “Succeed or fail fast.” This means don’t be afraid to take risks and try new things. When you succeed, celebrate! When you fail, fail fast and then make adjustments and try again or just move on to the next idea. To support this mantra, another key has been creating a Culture of Change. Our industry will continuously change moving forward so we need to be nimble, embrace change and love it.

The successful changes we’ve made are due to the hard work, team work, innovation and dedication

of all of our employees. In the last two years alone, the changes include: • We rebranded the company into RJ Media Group • We launched a digital marketing services brand called Homebase Digital • We moved to an inspiring, modern, collaborative, open office space and changed our culture significantly for the better - you’re welcome to stop by anytime to visit!

• We won a nationwide award for Best Local Website from the Local Media Association • We created video programs, including a weekly Athletes of the Week show (yes, a newspaper creating TV shows!)

• We have grown our audience tremendously through social media and now have the largest audience ever with print and digital combined • We were named one of 10 Newspapers That Do It Right by the national magazine Editor & Publisher • We launched a red carpet high school athletes awards event Now we even see drones in our future and who knows what will come next.

Fourth, I am excited about the future! At the RJ, we are fortunate to have a team of enthusiastic, knowledgeable, forward-looking people who work here everyday that are also excited for the next new thing we’ll try - and maybe succeed or maybe fail fast - but either way, we took a risk and we tried. And we’ll continuously try again and again to find the things that work for our readers, advertisers and the community as our industry changes and the needs of our customers continue to change, with the foundation of our company continuing to be based on quality local journalism to support a strong democracy.

The future is bright. We’re excited about the next 150 years!

LIZ WHITE NOTARANGELO Executive Vice President & Assistant Publisher 2016 Recognized in Editor & Publisher’s 25 Under 35 Awards 2016 Recognized in Hartford Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Awards 2014 – 2017 President of Meriden YMCA Board of Directors

DIGITAL EVOLUTION 2006

Website launches 2015 Gets redesigned and rebranded

2015

RJ media group brand introduced

2015

Homebase Digital brand introduced

RJ TODAY DEMOLITION OF 11 CROWN STREET

Demolition ceremony marks beginning of new era Editor’s note: This article is reprinted from the May 6, 2017 edition of the Record-Journal.

By Leigh Tauss Record-Journal staff

Sledgehammers swung and shards of brick flew at a ceremony formally commencing the demolition of 11 Crown St., which served as the headquarters of the Record-Journal newspaper for over a century. While reminiscing about the building’s history in the heart of downtown, officials also looked hopefully toward the site’s future.

“Thousands of employees have worked out of this building and produced over 41,000 editions of our local newspaper,” said Eliot White, publisher and president of the Record-Journal. “It’s with no regrets, a little sadness and great optimism for the

future that we say goodbye to 11 Crown St. It has served us well. We wish great success to the Michaels Organization on this project and to the city of Meriden.”

The city purchased the building, constructed in 1905, from the Record-Journal in May 2014 for $495,000. The newspaper moved operations in 2016 to 500 S. Broad St. The city has selected the Michaels Organization to replace the building with an 81-unit mixed income development with apartments and townhouses.

City and state officials donned red hard hats as they entered a section of the building for the demolition ceremony.

The building has been sealed off as it undergoes remediation.

Mayor Kevin Scarpati thanked Record-Journal publishers Eliot and Liz White for continued dedication to the city while also expressing excitement for the site’s next chapter.

“We knew this would be a great source for development in our city’s future,” Scarpati said. “This is just another step in a bright, positive future for the city of Meriden.”

Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty emphasized the importance of the paper’s contributions to the civic life of the city.

“This is a real celebration today. It’s a celebration of local journalism, of robust fourth estate American journalism. To the White family, thank you for your dedication to American journalism and American

Eliot White, fourth generation president and publisher of the Record-Journal, center, and daughter Liz White Notarangelo, executive vice president and assistant publisher, pose for photos with Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty and local officials during a demolition ceremony.

RJ TODAY DEMOLITION

“It’s a celebration of local journalism, of robust fourth estate American journalism.” — Elizabeth Esty democracy, for staying in Meriden and ensuring that we have an informed electorate,” Esty said. “As much as we have affection for this old building, it’s going to be repurposed for a better use.”

Officials gathered around a brick pillar in the center of the room to ceremoniously begin demolition. Wielding a sledgehammer, Esty took the first swing at the pillar, sending a few shards of brick flying. Scarpati took the second hit, followed by members of the White family.

After the ceremony, as officials cleared out of the building for the last time, Liz White grabbed a piece of brick from the rubble on the floor to keep as a memento.

“It’s with no regrets, a little sadness and great optimism for the future that we say goodbye to 11 Crown Street.”

— Eliot C. White

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RJ TODAY MOVE-IN DAY 10.19.2015

RJ TODAY NEW OFFICE

The Record-Journal’s new office space on the second floor of 500 South Broad Street is modern and open, designed to encourage collaboration and innovation. We are proud of the many personal touches throughout the space to honor the company’s 150-year history and the local community. All RJ employees were surveyed to come up with these historic and fun ideas to include throughout the space.

A fun fact is this building used to be the headquarters of the International Silver Company when Meriden was known as the Silver City.

1) Crown Street Conference Room The name of the largest conference room in the office is a reference to the 11 Crown Street building in downtown Meriden that was the Record-Journal headquarters for 110 years. The room is a mix of new and old: new technology, like a large screen for video conferencing and presentations, and modern office furniture, like various tables and chairs all on wheels for flexibility; and historic visuals of the old building, including a full wall mural. Later this year a full faux brick wall will be added as a nod to the old brick building. The brick’s will have names of employees, businesses and community members who want to show their support for the RJ. 5

2) Think Tank Meant to inspire innovation and get creative thoughts flowing, this meeting space is perfect for brainstorming and idea sharing with a standing-height table, a huge picture of The Thinker on one wall and inspiring quotes from Einstein and others on another wall, complete with a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling.

3) Locker Room Covering local high school sports is part of the foundation of the RJ’s connection to the community. All seven high schools we cover are represented in the Locker Room with photos of local student athletes, next to a locker and play book.

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RJ TODAY NEW OFFICE 4) Monitor with Real Time Analytics A highlight of visiting the office is checking out in real time how many people are on our website, what they’re reading at the moment and where they’re coming from.

This large monitor is in the newsroom but the whole company can see it at any time.

The daily news meetings are held around the monitor and it helps us determine our news coverage plans each day.

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5) Word Cloud in the Cafe Before we moved to our new office space, employees filled out a survey and offered words to describe what they want the office space to be. This word cloud represents the words they used, and the larger the word, the more people that used it.

6) Town Hall As a community newspaper, our hyper local news coverage by our newsroom is critical. This meeting space showcases historic photos of each of the nine towns that the daily Record-Journal and its six weekly newspapers cover. Also featured on a full wall is a historic photo of downtown Meriden from the 1940s looking up East Main Street to City Hall.

7) Alison’s Room Alison Muschinsky was a 4th generation member of the company and former Human Resources Director. She retired after 30 years and passed away in 2016. This quiet work space is dedicated to her and her sense of humor, including one of her favorite quotes: “Consider this diem carped.”

8) Press Room Before outsourcing printing in 2009, the Press Room in the 11 Crown Street building was a core part of the company and the building itself. This open meeting space features historic photos of the RJ’s pressroom and historic press artifacts.

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9) Mission Statement The RJ’s mission statement is featured in the main entry way for all employees and visitors to see and remind us that we are here to deliver local news to readers, help local businesses grow and support the local community.

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RJ TODAY RECOGNITION

10 Newspapers That Do It Right 2016: Finding Success with New Ideas Editor’s Note: This article was published in Editor & Publisher magazine in March 2016.

In 2016, the Record-Journal took steps to ignite a movement throughout the company by launching Revolution 2015.

The goal was to revamp and improve best digital practices, increase digital audience growth and digital revenue by 20 percent, and utilize a new building to develop a line of communication to best serve the newspaper.

In order to meet these goals, Liz White Notarangelo, executive vice president and assistant publisher, said they divided into six teams and areas of focus: content, monetizing growth, building subscriptions, building audience, design and marketing, and support services.

“Revolution 2015 was an opportunity for us to communicate to everyone in our company what the most important goals were,” she said.

To grow digital audience, White said they focused on how to best use social media to build audience. They did this by posting more frequently and strategically to draw page views and unique views on the site.

This resulted in an increase in digital audience by 39 percent, 1.8 million digital monthly page views and 280,000 monthly unique visitors.

The Record-Journal also increased digital revenue by 32 percent year-over-year by “grabbing low-hanging fruit,” White said.

They increased banner ad revenue, moved toward programmatic ads and increased content revenue.

In addition, Revolution 2015 helped the Record-Journal increase digital subscriptions by 11 percent, and digital activations, where print subscribers activate the bun-

dled digital package, grew by 31 percent.

White said another large part of their success was due to moving their office to a new location. “The way the new office is set up facilitates a culture of collaboration.

We’re all on one floor and all departments can see each other. There are meeting and social areas. It was a huge part of helping Revolution 2015 become successful.”

White said they’re already thinking about how to continue their revolution in 2016.

Although there won’t be any teams this year, they plan to focus on one initiative each quarter as an entire company. Some of their goals include finding solutions and best practices for native advertising, video, events and mobile.

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Save the Date!

Wednesday, November 15, 2017, 5p – 7p Help the Record-Journal Celebrate 150 Years!

Win a $15,000 Marketing Makeover from RJ Media Group and image360!

ANNIVERSARY

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Cocktails & Heavy Appetizers Each guest please bring a non-perishable food item – to be donated to New Opportunities of Greater Meriden.

RSVP by October 11, 2017 by visiting: www.myrecordjournal.com/4chambers 500 South Broad Street | Meriden, Connecticut | 203.235.1661 | myrecordjournal.com

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RJ TODAY OPEN HOUSE JANUARY 2016

Company group photo (above) was taken the day of our Open House in January 2016. Photos below were taken during the event.

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RJ TODAY EMPLOYEES

Company group photo taken during the Record-Journal’s 150th Anniversary Employee Celebration on July 20, 2017.

Employees reflect on Record-Journal anniversary Editor’s note: This article is reprinted from the April 1, 2017 edition of Record-Journal.

By Mary Ellen Godin Record-Journal staff

As the Record-Journal celebrates 150 years, employees past and present talked about their experiences and how their jobs have changed over the years.

“Newspaper people were always very dedicated,” said Tim Ryan, former executive vice president of the Record-Journal Publishing Co. “The news had to get out no matter what. People didn’t have other ways to get local news.”

Readership demands for local news drove the circulation staff to work hard to maintain good customer service. During the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s, the Record-Journal had 700 youth carriers delivering newspapers before school.

“We always marveled that we had a multi-million dollar operation in the hands of 12- and 13-year-olds,” Ryan said.

Record-Journal Editor Ralph Tomaselli, who started at the paper in 1986, said the

newsroom was also aware that their efforts hinged on school children getting the newspaper to customers each morning.

Tomaselli arrived two years after the Sunday paper started, but its influence on the newsroom was still relatively new.

“You would have a great story that you were working on and back then you would finish up sometimes close to midnight,” he said.

“And then you would think: ‘I just hope the carrier gets it to the customer.’”

“Everyone in the newsroom contributed to the Sunday paper, but you also had a group of staff that worked mostly on the Sunday newspaper,” he said. “Editors, reporters, designers, copy editors were hired in 1984 and assigned to focus on that one newspaper. Most of us strived to get assigned to the Sunday paper because it gave you a chance to do longer, more challenging stories. Having a story on page one any day was a big deal back then, having a story on page one of the Sunday paper was a really big deal.”

But as subscribers began waking up earlier, it became more difficult to ask students to deliver newspapers at 5 a.m. and the adult motor route was born, Ryan said.

“People wanted the paper earlier,” he said.

Former Senior Vice President Dave Lucey suggested a Sunday newspaper, and the staff worked to make the Record-Journal a seven day a week endeavor in 1984.

“The hardest part of my job was getting the Sunday paper going,” said Ken Gilmore, who worked at the Record-Journal for 35 years before retiring in 2007. “We put in a lot of hours.”

Gilmore led the distribution operation, which was moved to the rear of 11 Crown St. Distribution handled the mailroom and advertising inserts. Distribution was a day and evening operation and maintaining the machines was critical.

“I slept with one foot on the floor,” Gilmore said.

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Congratulations Record-Journal on your 150th Anniversary!

107 East Main Street Meriden, CT 06450 56 |

RECORD-JOURNAL 150TH ANNIVERSARY

71461-01

We now offer auto, home and business insurance with the same great service.

RJ TODAY EMPLOYEES

“I have a lot of pride working for the Record-Journal.” — Kaitlin Horn Gilmore recalled arriving early to put chains on the delivery trucks so they could get through the snow. He recalled an underground electrical fire that knocked power out to the entire downtown. The Record-Journal was printed at the Waterbury Republican-American.

sitions that have changed due to technology improvements. Donnelly recalled the days when hot wax was used to paste the news stories and advertisements to the newspaper pages. She also remembers processing colored photos using a system that separated the colors before it went to the printing press.

“We never missed a publication day,” Gilmore said. “It might have been delayed. But people, they want their paper, now.”

“When I started here, the people would set it up by hand and did everything manually,” Donnelly said. “The computer made it more efficient.”

Gilmore, who now lives part-time in Florida, recalls former Record-Journal Publisher Carter White coming through the mailroom every day asking how things were going.

“We get it digital now,” he said.

The focus on the Record-Journal’s web site over the past decade has probably been the biggest change he has witnessed in his 31 years at the Record-Journal, Tomaselli said. The reader has control over when and how they consume news, prompting the news team to strive to provide fresh content around the clock, seven days a week.

“Instead of waiting for a carrier to put news that was collected the day before on their door step, readers use their phones, pads and computers to immediately get news that we put on the web site,” he said. “It used to be that I would go home at the end of the day and tell my family about the news we had been covering before they or anyone else had heard about it. Now I go home and my family tells me about news they have seen on the RJ web site before I know about it.”

A committed, flexible ownership team is the main reason for the Record-Journal’s success, said Ryan, who also served as president and publisher of the Sun Publishing Co. before retiring in 2013. The Sun Publishing Co. publishes the Record-Journal’s sister newspaper in Rhode Island, the Westerly Sun. “(The owners are) “extremely adaptable to change,” Ryan said. “We had a website before other papers as digital was emerging.”

Dawn Donnelly has worked for the Record-Journal for 31 years in a variety of po-

Donnelly is the RJ’s page planning coordinator and head of promotions and contests.

“We never missed a publication day” — Ken Gilmore

THEN

Timothy Ryan

(circa 1979)

THEN

“They are a nice company to work for,” Donnelly said. “They are flexible and as a company, they’ve always been good.”

Donnelly has two children, who have always been aware that their mother worked at the Record-Journal. Today, as the youngest heads off for college, Donnelly is grateful for the flexible hours the Record-Journal offered.

“I really like those hours,” she said. “The flexibility is amazing. All of us are always learning something new.”

Kaitlin Horn is a media sales consultant for the RJ Media Group. She started in the classified department at The Westerly Sun, the Record-Journal’s sister newspaper in Rhode Island, and was promoted to an outside media sales consultant, based in Meriden, when she moved to Connecticut.

Horn now covers markets in Southington and Berlin.

“I have a lot of pride working for the Record-Journal, being a media consultant puts me in contact daily with great local customers that rely on our paper to reach the public,” Horn said. “With the Record- Journal being family owned for 150 years, it is so special to me to work for a great company that cares about their employees and advertising partners. In the future, I look forward to our company only growing with customers to help them succeed as we have been doing in the past 150 years.”

Ralph Tomaselli

(circa 1987)

NOW Timothy Ryan Former Executive Vice President (1977 - 2012)

NOW Ralph Tomaselli Sr. Vice President, Editor

(Employee since 1985)

Kaitlin Horn Multimedia Sales Berlin Citizen Southington Citizen

(Employee since 1915)

Dawn Donnelly Planning Coordinator

(Employee since 1986)

150TH ANNIVERSARY RECORD-JOURNAL

| 57

FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED SINCE 1979

Meriden ° Cheshire ° Durham Middlefield ° Middletown ° Cromwell Portland ° East Hampton 58 |

RECORD-JOURNAL 150TH ANNIVERSARY

RJ TODAY 2017 EMPLOYEE HONOR ROLL We are a 150-year-old family-owned media Company which publishes the RecordJournal and The Westerly Sun, as well as 11 weeklies with online and mobile sites. The employees listed below, through their skill and professionalism, make it possible for us to distribute our award-winning daily newspapers and websites, as well as our growing family of community focused weekly newspapers and websites. The company proudly salutes these dedicated men and women who carry on the tradition of good journalism.

Pamela A. Adamski Erik J. Allison Zoey Athan James J. Aurora Dundee H. Benson Douglas A. Bevins Michael J. Blais Mary J. Boone Courtney Boyle Jesse Matthew Buchanan Anthony S. Calderaro Bryant D. Carpenter Nicholas J. Carroll Peter F. Ceragioli Cindy Cheung Luciano B. Corsetti Eric M. Cotton George T. Dalek Kelle T. DeRico Mark J. Dionne

Samuel L. Donato Dawn M. Donnelly Mark Dullea Robin Esposito Marcie M. Cerillo Lynn S. Galasso John Gambardella Nancy M. Gimbel Mary Ellen Godin Angela Grabiec Rosemarie Harding Eric Joseph Heredia Lisa Marie Hoover Kaitlin M. Horn Raymond E.J. Jarvis Nancy A. Jobbagy Elaine Justino Sean D. Krofssik Jeffery W. Kurz Ashley E. Kus

Rebekah S. Larsen Olivia L. Lawrence Deborah J. Leoni Kenneth J. Liebeskind Bryan S. Lipiner Kenneth Lee Lipshez David Mazzaccaro Kristen L. McManus Michael M. Misarski James Mizener Lisa J. Nelson Liz White Notarangelo Stacey L. O’Kane Peter Charles Paguaga Shawn E. Palmer David Pare James R. Pasinski Marsha W. Pomponio Neisha Ponce Andrew J. Ragali

Ronald E. Rainey Richard George Rathsack Michael Anthony Savino Patricia M. Sheahan Daniel D. Sheridan Lauren Sievert Grady W. Stephenson Lauren C. Takores Leigh A. Tauss Ralph F. Tomaselli Jaime Ulrich Eliot C. White Stephen Wilder Latoshia D. Williams Susan G. Winchell Nelson W. Winston Richard W. Wysocki Matthew A. Zabierek David A. Zajac Bartosz Zinowko

Jessica L. Amarone Helen Anderson Matthew Bezuyen Helen Bommer Nancy Burns-Fusaro Rachel Cagney Douglas P. Champion Karen L. Davis

Cynthia Drummond Kathy L. Enders Dale Faulkner Corey Fyke Harold E. Hanka Kerry J. Henaghan Catherine Mary Hewitt John Kelley

Keith E. Kimberlin Savannah Lamprey Robert Laux-Bachand John Layton Theresa Mullin Jennifer Obrey Kyle Roberts Kenneth Sorensen

Anna Linea Sullivan David Tranchida Kelly J. Tremaine Jason Vallee Deborah Vaughan

We’d also like to recognize all of the Independent Contractors, who service our daily readers, for their dedication and efforts throughout the year.

150TH ANNIVERSARY RECORD-JOURNAL

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Above: The Record-Journal celebrated its 150th birthday on March 21, 2017 with cupcakes in the cafe.

Below: Photos from the 150th Anniversary employee celebration on July 20, 2017.

RJ TODAY NEWSROOM

Today’s journalists at the Record-Journal still walk the beat in the communities, but technology allows them to no longer be tied to the constraints of equipment in the office.

Readers can get the latest news as it happens on the Record-Journal website, MyRecordJournal. com, and enjoy a more immersive story experience than traditional print-only stories.

In addition to timeless tools of the trade like a notepad and pen, today’s journalists use technology to file stories from the field, shoot video stories and report from the scene as breaking news happens.

Dave Zajac taking a photo in the clocktower of Meriden City Hall. Dave won a third place award for his photo “Ticket to Ride” from the Connecticut chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. Photo by Dan Brechlin PAGE 63: REPORTERS IN THE FIELD: 1) Reporter Matthew Zabierek donned a hard hat while touring the Allnex facility in Wallingford while

working on a story. 2) Leigh Tauss interviews people at Shelter Now while working on a story about homelessness. 3) Reporter Bryan Lipiner lines up a shot while shooting video at Les’ Dairy Bar in Meriden, as staff gets ready for the 2017 season. 4) Web Content Producer Pete Paguaga takes a whiff of the air inside a sugar shack in Cheshire while getting ready to shoot video for a piece on area residents who make maple syrup. 5) Reporter Lauren Takores interviews the Rev. Adam Subocz, pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Southington, about a relic of St. Faustina Kowalska in the church sanctuary. Photos by Dave Zajac 62 |

RECORD-JOURNAL 150TH ANNIVERSARY

RJ TODAY REPORTERS IN THE FIELD RJ TODAY NEWSROOM AWARDS 2015

SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS ANDREW RAGALI FIRST PLACE IN-DEPTH REPORTING for his coverage of witnesses in the wrongful conviction of Kenneth Ireland.

1

RICHIE RATHSACK FIRST PLACE VIDEO STORYTELLING & INTERACTIVE GRAPHIC DESIGN for a time-lapse video of the Church & Morse hardware store demolition in Meriden and an online slide comparison of the same demolition.

KEN LIPSHEZ FIRST PLACE SPORTS NEWS for a story on the American Legion state baseball tournament.

2

GLENN RICHTER FIRST PLACE GENERAL COLUMN

JEFF KURZ FIRST PLACE OPINION COLUMN 3

4

2016

SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS JEFF KURZ FIRST PLACE GENERAL COLUMN for his take on whether football is worth the health risks.

GLENN RICHTER FIRST PLACE HUMOROUS COLUMN for his column on why April is the cruelest month.

5

150TH ANNIVERSARY RECORD-JOURNAL

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Congratulations on Your 150th Anniversary Over 60 Years Combined Experience

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RJ TODAY NEWSROOM

Record-Journal’s digital team: Ronald Rainey and Richie Rathsack.

Record-Journal reporters, left to right: Andrew Regali, Jesse Buchanan, Lauren Sievert, Marsha Pomponio, Latoshia Williams, Ashley Kus, Peter Paguaga, Lauren Takores, Bryan Lipiner, Debbie Leoni, Michael Savino, Matthew Zabierek and Mery Ellen Godin.

Editorial & Op-Ed team. From left to right: Jeff Kurz, Glenn Richter, Nick Carroll and Ralph Tomaselli.

Copy Desk from left to right: George Dalek, Michael Misarski, Eric Heredia, Doug Bevins, Ray Jarvis.

RJ TODAY DIGITAL PLATFORMS

The Record-Journal continues to grow digitally into the future. Over the past few years, the RJ has vastly expanded its digital platforms, including videos that accompany stories, and weekly podcasts that expand our stories.

150TH ANNIVERSARY RECORD-JOURNAL

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RJ TODAY SUBSCRIBERS

Subscribers reminisce as paper celebrates anniversary Editor’s note: This article is reprinted from the February 25, 2017 edition of the RJ.

By Mary Ellen Godin Record-Journal staff

Nicholas Buonanni used to buy his copies of the Meriden Daily Journal every day in the 1930s and 1940s and head for his perch on the corner of Colony and West Main streets in Meriden.

At age 10, Buonnanni would walk the busy sidewalk in front of the downtown stores where it didn’t take long to sell 25 papers.

“I used to help out my father who had 11 of us,” Buonanni said. “I would get out of school at the old Lincoln School on West Main Street, come down and get my papers.” Buonanni recalled at age 15 selling the ‘Extras’ announcing the war was over and “jumping around with the people.”

“What a mob,” he said. “There were people everywhere.”

Despite many life changes, including raising a family, Buonanni and his wife Barbara remained Record-Journal subscribers for more than 70 years. “I like the Journal,” Buonanni said. “I read the Red Sox, the UConn women. Our grandkids are all Red Sox and Patriots fans. My wife reads the whole paper.”

sary, longtime RJ subscribers talked this week about how the newspaper kept them up to date on local and global news and sports and helped shape their personal histories.

As the newspaper marks its 150th anniver-

““I’ve talked about canceling it,” said

Walter Polanski, of Wallingford, age 104, a long time subscriber of the Record-Journal, February 21, 2017.

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Barbara Buonanni. “But we would miss it.

These days I’m reading about Trump and M&M Redemption Center,” . said Barbara Buonanni. “My daughter said she can tell what I’m reading about because I start breathing heavy.”

“I’ve read it as long as I can remember.”

RJ TODAY SUBSCRIBERS At 104 years old, Walter Polanski of Wallingford reads the Record-Journal every day standing up at his breakfast counter. It’s been a habit since childhood.

regularly scans the obituaries. “He doesn’t know too many names these days,” his son Kenneth Polanski said.

Henry Muszynski, 97, remembers delivering 103 newspapers in a red wagon from his childhood home on Washington Street in Wallingford. At 8 years old he would deliver to South Elm Street where the “people were better off, ” and a woman gave him his first tip. “I lived on the wrong side of the tracks,” he joked. After buying a bicycle one part at a time, he quit high school and his paper route at age 16.

“If I sit down too much I’m going to lose it,” he said about standing up. Polanski was born in a home on Miller Street in 1913 and has lived in town all his life. “I’ve read it as long as I can remember.”

After working for Allegheany Ludlum in Wallingford during World War II, followed by a job as a foreman at a silver company in Yalesville, Polanski continues to get most of his news from the Record-Journal. He particularly enjoys the local section and

Muszynski worked in some factories in New York and in the local area before join-

— Walter Polanski

ing the U.S. Army air corps during World War II. After the war, he worked at Wallace & Son’s silver company for years. “There was no education at all,” Muszynski said.

“We had unions, we were making money.”

Muszynski never stopped reading the Record-Journal and continues to look for the flags that identify the veterans.

“I go right through from beginning to end,” he said. “I check the sports schedules for UConn boys, girls. Boy they really scared us this week! I get all excited about my news.”

Ninetta Rich, now of Southington, had just graduated from college with a teaching degree in her hometown of Foggia, Italy when she met John Rich in the 1940s.

“He was a soldier and I told him I’m not going to marry a soldier,” she said. “I told him if you come back as a civilian I will marry you. ” Rich left and three months later returned to wed Ninetta and bring her to his hometown of Southington.

“He went to work everyday but he brought me the paper, that’s how I learned English,” Rich said. “I also had the Daily News and I learned to put the pictures and the words together,” she said. “I don’t buy the Daily News any more, just the Record-Journal.”

Rich, now 91, is a fan of national and world news. “I want to be in knowledge of what goes on in the world,” she said. “Southington is a small town. Washington is number one. It’s all mixed up.”

Long time Record-Journal subscribers, Nicholas and Barbara Buonanni, of Meriden, look over Wednesday’s paper at the Meriden Senior Center, February 22, 2017.

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Left to right: Jim Mizener, Jaime Ulrich, John Gambardella, Marcie Cerillo, Joy Boone, Kaitlin Horn, Jim Aurora, Jessica Amarone, Samuel Donato, Elaine Justino and Shawn Palmer. Missing from the photo is Dundee Benson.

In 2015 we made the decision to rebrand from Record-Journal Publishing Company to RJ Media Group. RJ Media Group better identifies with the work that our colleagues do across multiple platforms and products to meet the needs of our readers, advertisers and communities. Our sales staff now act as true media consultants to our advertisers, selling a complete range of solutions designed to help local businesses grow. Yes, we still sell print, but it’s now one of many solutions we offer.

Launched in 2015, HOMEBASE Digital is the newest division of RJ Media Group that provides our sales team the opportunity to engage with new and different types of customers. We offer a complete range of digital services including website development, social media management, targeted display advertising, innovative promotions, search marketing, video and more.

We truly have a solution for every type of business! In addition, HOMEBASE is not a geographically restricting name, allowing us to sell beyond the boundaries of our 150 year-old newspaper brand.

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Recognizing longtime advertisers Editor’s note: This article is reprinted from the July 17, 2017 edition of the RJ.

By Mary Ellen Godin Record-Journal staff

Seven years ago, Meriden YMCA Executive Director John Benigni started thinking about ways to rebrand the YMCA from a traditional program-based institution to a high-energy community hub.

He hired Joan Goodman, a part-time marketing director, and together they consulted with advertising managers at the Record-Journal to brainstorm ideas beyond routine program ads.

“We’ve always had a good relationship with the Record-Journal,” Benigni said.

“But then we really started using the RJ as a marketing firm. We needed an upswing and basically said ‘how can we do things differently?’ We energized and put the Y back on the map.”

“We both evolved.”

— John Benigni

Meriden YMCA Executive Director John Benigni and marketing director Joan Goodman discuss their marketing approach with the Record-Journal.

The strategies worked and the Y has gone from a $2.3 million operating budget in 2007 to an $8.5 million budget today.

“We both evolved,” Benigni said of the Y and Record-Journal. “We developed a partnership with trying new things and strategies. We grew along with each other.

The Record-Journal is our single marketing expense.”

As the Record-Journal celebrates its 150th anniversary, longtime advertisers shared their experiences of developing partnerships with the newspaper and media company.

Gene Thielman, owner of GT Tire on Colony Street in Meriden, has been advertising with the Record-Journal since he bought the tire and repair shop in 1978. “They walk in with the ad and they have the coupon,” Thielman said. “If the customer doesn’t have it, we offer it.” Thielman said digital advertising has expanded his customer base and possibilities.

Longtime Record-Journal subscriber Gene Thielman, of Meriden, owner of GT Tire & Service Center, smiles with son, Ari, at the business on Colony Street in Meriden.

150TH ANNIVERSARY RECORD-JOURNAL

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RJ TODAY ADVERTISING “Most of the people who read the paper are 40 and up,” he said. “With the website it’s anyone over 18. Advertising on both (print and digital) helps reach more people.”

Evangelina Michalowski bought Noack’s Meat Products on East Main Street in Meriden about six years ago and continued a similar habit of advertising sales and specials in the local newspaper.

“They’ve been doing it such a long time and had success,” Michalowski said. “We just want to support local businesses.”

Lately, she’s been doing some online advertising and has had success. “One guy came in and said he saw an ad online. That

made us feel good,” she said.

Masonicare in Wallingford, another longtime advertiser, utilizes both a print and online strategy.

“In addition to our management and employees, the Record-Journal is enjoyed by many of the 500-plus residents of our retirement community, Ashlar Village, and by the residents of the apartments and nursing home on our lower campus,” said Margaret M. Steeves, vice president of marketing and communications at Masonicare.

Steeves praised the newspaper’s coverage, in-depth reporting, interest and energy.

“The RJ is celebrating 150 years and is

not a conglomerate,” Steeves said. “Masonicare has been here for 128 years and maintains its mission to serve seniors and be a good civic citizen.”

Steeves said Masonicare wants to see both organizations remain successful going forward.

“The key to achieving this is to remember who our customers are and to maintain our values,” she said.

Other longtime advertisers include ShopRite of Wallingford and Southington, both operated by the Drust family; Thompson Candy in Meriden; The Meriden Board of Education; and Calcagni Real Estate in Southington.

Evangelina Michalowski, owner of Noack’s Meat Products has advertised with the Record-Journal since she bought the business six years ago.

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Newsworthy

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RECORD-JOURNAL 150TH ANNIVERSARY

We congratulate The Record-Journal on 150 years!

Historic.

Committed.

CAPABLE.

Founded by Samuel Bowles, an American journalist from Springfield, Massachusetts, the weekly Republican began on September 8, 1824.

Today, we are more than just a newspaper. We are a multiplatform media company with the ability to provide readers with breaking news and useful information at our online home, MassLive.com.

With two presses and a dedicated staff, The Republican produces between 40,000 - 70,000 newspapers per hour.

Since then generations of families have relied on The Republican for the best and most comprehensive local, regional, national and international news coverage, as well as opinion and advertising.

We strive to enlighten, educate and entertain readers every day.

We have the capacity to produce high quality print products on some of the most technologically advanced systems in Western Massachusetts for the benefit of our commercial printing partners.

Our team of talented pressmen, journalists, designers, salespeople, and management make up the heart of our media company.

We are proud to present our award-winning newspaper to residents of Western Massachusetts, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

We are an east coast printer for all major metropolitan cities.

150TH ANNIVERSARY RECORD-JOURNAL

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Congratulations to the Record-Journal on 150 impressive years!

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We are grateful for the confidence Meriden families have placed in the Stempien Funeral Home since 1938. No detail is overlooked, no service is too small for our expert staff to handle. The family received our utmost considerations.

450 Broad Street, Meriden, CT 06450 | (203) 235-9181 | www.ssrfuneralhomes.com

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RECORD-JOURNAL 150TH ANNIVERSARY

RJ TODAY CREATIVE DEPARTMENT

Our creative department utilizes today’s technology to manage and produce highly effective messaging and design for a variety of applications in our Central Connecticut and Westerly, Rhode Island markets. From the timeless print ad to complete branding and digital marketing campaigns, annual reports, magazines (including the one you’re holding), social media posts, online contests and fully responsive, state-of-the-art websites – we do it all.

Left to right: Erik Allison, Grady Stephenson, Daniel Sheridan, Roe Harding, Mark Dullea, Susan Winchell, Bartosz Zinowko, Dawn Donnelly and Jim Pasinski. The art panels in the background were created by the Record-Journal graphic designers.

On a weekly basis our customer service, page-planning and design teams manage, plan and create nearly 300 print and digital ads supporting 11 in-market publications and two websites.

It’s quite impressive how our department — and our company as a whole — has transformed and repositioned itself in just the past few years through diligent teamwork. It speaks to the quality and character the individuals of RJ Media Group possess and, how we not only embrace new technology, but also understand how it can help our customers achieve their business goals.

Congratulations to the Record Journal on 150 years!

1247 East Main St, Meriden 203.630.0181 | SalonNathaniel.com

150TH ANNIVERSARY RECORD-JOURNAL

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Our highly skilled design team includes veteran designers with more than 25 years’ experience (who have fond memories of the paste-up days) as well as young, talented graphic and fine artists.

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CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR 150TH ~ The LaRosa Family ~ est. 1953

Joseph S. LaRosa - Founder | John LaRosa - President | Jenine LaRosa-Monthei | Joe LaRosa - Vice President | Joe LaRosa - Foreman

We are committed to managing every project in a professional, organized and thorough manner and pride ourselves in completing each project on schedule.

1401 North Colony Road | Meriden, Connecticut 06450 Construction Company, Inc.

203-237-5409 | www.larosacc.com

Construction Company, Inc.

Proud to serve the community since 1974.

• Independent

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RECORD-JOURNAL 150TH ANNIVERSARY

• Reliable • Experienced

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• Trusted

RJ TODAY CIRCULATION

David Pare, Lynn Galasso, Kelle DeRico, Pat Sheahan, Kristen McManus, Robin Esposito, Neisha Ponce, Luciano Corsetti.

David Pare SVP/Circulation Director/Marketing Manager

The Paperboy!

In the 150 year history of the Record-Journal, each of the Circulation Departments along the way all had one common goal — offer the best possible delivery service to our readership, making sure all papers (and now digital products) were delivered in a timely, safe and dry manner. The Paperboy has always been a common thread to that end.

The Paperboy, or more commonly known now as an Independent Delivery Contractor, has always been the backbone of satisfying that ultimate goal of servicing the needs of all readers. Paperboy was an iconic role in the heyday of printed newspapers. A paperboy’s task was to distribute printed newspapers to homes or offices of subscribers on a regular route, usually using a bicycle. Some even “hawked” papers. Some of you may even remember hearing the words, EXTRA! EXTRA! barked out by youths and adults alike on street corners back in the day. Newspaper industry lore suggest that the first

paperboy, hired in 1833, was a 10-year old Barney Flaherty who answered an advertisement in the New York Sun, which read “To the unemployed a number of steady men can find employment by vending this paper.”

Now 37 years in the industry and 18 years with the Record-Journal, I’ve seen a lot of changes take place in the industry’s newspaper delivery force. In my heyday, 100% of the delivery contractors were youths and today at the Record-Journal, 100% are adults.

So, if you haven’t already picked up on it by now, my column is meant to thank all those hard working, “dedicated” Independent Delivery Contractors that over the past 150 years, delivered during some of New England’s worst storms and collectively have also been a part of the Record-Journal not missing one publication day in that same time span. I want to offer my personal thank you to all prior, present and future Independent Delivery Contractors of the Record-Journal, who make it their mission to make sure they have our paper in the hands of our loyal readers, in a timely, safe and dry manner. Amazing!

The “newspaper boy” mosaic from the facade of the Record-Journal’s previous building, 11 Crown Street.

150TH ANNIVERSARY RECORD-JOURNAL

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Congratulations to the Record-Journal’s 150th Anniversary

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RJ TODAY CIRCULATION

Carrier highlighted as paper celebrates 150th anniversary “I’ll do it every day until they drag me out,” he said. “I hope it never ends.”

Editor’s note: This article is reprinted from the March 9, 2017 edition of the RJ.

Jim Ryan of Wallingford inherited his newspaper route from his children and has stuck with it for more than 14 years. Delivering papers remains a family affair.

By Mary Ellen Godin Record-Journal staff

Chris Digioia remembers a dark morning in Wallingford when he turned a corner and a deer sailed over his car.

As a delivery driver for Fedex, he helped his daughter Jaymie when she asked to deliver papers. It was passed down to sister Tara, then, son J.D, and finally Tyler, who still does the route with his father every morning.

“It almost made it but it hit the hood, took a triple flip, got up looked at me and it took off,” said Digioia, of Meriden. In his nearly 40 years of delivering for the Record-Journal and other publications, Digioia hasn’t taken a planned day off. “There have been numerous wildlife incidents,” he said about his years as a carrier.

Digioia began delivering the New Haven Register in the 1980s, and the Record-Journal in the 1990s. He delivered a number of routes for the New Haven Register, the Hartford Courant, Barrons Financial, and more.

Today, it’s just the Record-Journal, and he has seen his route list swell to 200 papers a day to homes in Wallingford and Meriden.

Digioia also works at the Record-Journal

Jim Ryan of Wallingford inherited his RJ newspaper route from his children. depot on Colony Street where he handles paperwork for motor route drivers every morning.

“It’s nice, it’s relaxing,” Digioia said. “There is no pressure. The thing about delivering papers is it’s everyday. I’ve never had a day off over the years. I just can’t leave it.

I feel like I have to keep doing things. If I went somewhere for two weeks it would be harder to get that back.”

Good customer service is important to Digioia. He delivers in rain, sleet, and snow and doesn’t plan to stop any time soon.

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“The old timers have moved on or passed away,” Ryan said. “You just can’t drop it into their sidewalk. You put it in the door where they want it. People know when I’m on vacation. If they don’t get the paper in the same spot, they call in.”

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Many of his customers are getting older and he takes care to deliver where it’s easy for them to access the paper.

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“The biggest thing is customer service,” Ryan said. “It was always one of the top priorities. You take care of your customers, they take care of you.”

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He started at 40 papers and is now at about 90 a day, driving about 17 miles every morning before going to his next job.

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As the newspaper marks its 150th anniversary, Digioia and another longtime RJ carrier talked about their passion for the job.

“I’ve been the driver and they help or else I do it myself,” Ryan said.

150TH ANNIVERSARY RECORD-JOURNAL

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RJ TODAY BUSINESS DEPARTMENT The Record-Journal’s Business Department might be one of the paper’s best kept secrets. It is responsible for managing the financial health of the newspaper by using technology to quickly report key financial metrics to management. They are also responsible for providing quality customer service to all customers and vendors of the Record-Journal. The department has always been a key contributor to the success of the Record-Journal.

Information Technology resides in the business office.

The IT Department is solely responsible for guiding the technology of the Record-Journal. The department is an integral part of streamlining company workflows and giving employees the ability to find and research information in an efficient manner. State of the art systems are implemented and the cloud based approach gives the company the ability to get information real time all the time.

The Human Resources Department is an important division of the Business Department that oversees all employee issues, company benefits, training, compliance of regulations, and the onboarding of all new employees.

Human Resources prides itself assisting keeping employees moral high and making the Record-Journal a great place to work.

Pamela Adamski, Courtney Boyle, David Mazzaccaro, Anthony Calderaro, Cindy Cheung, Nancy Gimbel. Missing from photo is Angela Grabiec.

Congratulations to the Record-Journal on 150 years!

Congratulations to the Record-Journal on 150 years!

®

United Way of Meriden and Wallingford

688 Westfield Road, Meriden, CT (203) 634-3366 | www.huntergolfclub.com

150TH ANNIVERSARY RECORD-JOURNAL

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Your local United Way serving Meriden and Wallingford since 1930

| 87

Our 50th Celebration!

We just celebrated our 50th festival!

The festival features live Latin entertainment including a variety of Latin music including salsa and merengue. A cultural tent featuring displays of Puerto Rican food, art, information about famous Puerto Ricans, customs, and more. There are also activities for children, families and the elderly. Numerous food vendors provide a wide offering of Spanish food. The event is free to all Meriden families and residents from other towns are also encouraged to attend.

The mission of the Meriden Puerto Rican Festival is to promote pride in the Puerto Rican culture, share this culture with the wider community and bring families together.

Chairman: Hector Cardona Sr. 88 |

RECORD-JOURNAL 150TH ANNIVERSARY

Midstate Medical Center

congratulates the Meriden Record Journal for 150 years of journalism excellence.

10770-MSMC-MeridenRecordCongrats-D4-06.07.17-SM.indd 1

6/7/17 12:44 PM 150TH ANNIVERSARY RECORD-JOURNAL | 89

RJ TODAY IN THE COMMUNITY

NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION The Record-Journal Newspaper in Education Department has donated $400,000 worth of newspapers to schools in Meriden, Wallingford, Southington and Cheshire.

As a result, hundreds of teachers and students were able to use the newspaper as a teaching tool on subjects ranging from the stock market and geography, to the Bill of Rights and the political process.

In addition, the newspaper sponsors four townwide spelling bees.

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP Volunteer leadership by Record-Journal management in recent years: Chairman, UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN President, MERIDEN BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB President, MERIDEN ROTARY CLUB President, SOUTHINGTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE President, CHESHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE President, MERIDEN KIWANIS CLUB President, UNITED WAY OF MERIDEN & WALLINGFORD Co-chairman, BOYS & GIRLS CLUB FUND DRIVE President, SOUTHINGTON LIONS CLUB Treasurer, EMPLOYMENT DEVELOPMENT CENTER Chairman, MERIDEN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE FOR 15 YEARS Chairman, WALLINGFORD ROTARY JIM BACKES TOURNAMENT Chairman, WALK FOR WARMTH Founder and coordinator, SUMMER CAMPERSHIP Secretary, UNITED WAY OF MERIDEN AND WALLINGFORD Chairman, LOCAL EMERGENCY PLANNING COMMITTEE – MERIDEN President, MERIDEN YWCA Board of Governors, MIDSTATE MEDICAL CENTER Treasurer, KUHN CENTER Treasurer, SOUTHINGTON LIONS CLUB BOYS CLUB 100TH ANNIVERSARY FUND

Above: Record-Journal employees staffed the RJ booth at the 2017 Meriden Daffodil Festival. Below: RJ executive vice president and assistant publisher Liz White Notarangelo with her husband Mike and two sons Jackson(left) and Noah.

Established 1911

Westfield Meriden Mall 71505-01

Equal Opportunity Employer.

Congratulations Record-Journal on your 150th Anniversary!

all Boscov’s began as a peddler’s dream. Over the last 100 years, we’ve grown into America’s largest family-owned independent department store. We’ve entertained the crowds with celebrity guest appearances, done thousands of in-store demonstrations and supported our communities in countless ways. We’re dedicated to finding the best deals that we can for our loyal customers. Our co-workers work hard, but reap the benefits of friendship and fun. Ask someone why they love working at Boscov’s and they’ll tell you, “we feel like we’re part of the family.”

150TH ANNIVERSARY RECORD-JOURNAL

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CELEBRATING 119 YEARS!

Ad#:845960 Pub:RJ Date:09/30/05 Day:FRI Size:7.5X10 Cust:PICTURIAL BOOK Last Edited By:EALLISON on 9/15/05 12:53 PM. Salesperson: Tag Line: Color Info: 845960 - Composite

ORK HILL

Suzio York Hill

A Part Past, A Partof OfMeriden’s Meriden’s Past, Present & & Future Present Future

845960

Leonardo Suzio, founder of The L. Suzio York Hill Companies, inspecting the grading work for the concrete base for the wood block paving of East Main Street. The Meriden Armory is in the background. circa 1915

THE COMPANIES THEL.L.SUZIO SUZIO COMPANIES MERIDEN NEW HAVEN MERIDEN

- Since 1898 - SINCE 1898 -

WALLINGFORD MILFORD WALLINGFORD