At the June 28 installation dinner of the new Niantic Rotary Club president, a 63-year-old brass bell and rows of international flags were symbols of Niantic Rotary's years of services performed by members both locally and internationally. The meaning of a gold fork placed at each table setting was not so obvious.

Deb Fountain held up a gold fork at the podium as she brought in her year as the 2023-2024 president of Niantic Rotary. The gold fork was a symbol of creating a feeling of hope, as hanging onto one's fork after dinner means something better is on its way, like a sweet dessert.

Fountain has been a strong supporter of aiding in food security efforts and mental health. Founder of The Power of Together Southeastern Connecticut, board member of the Brian Dagle Foundation, and fundraising committee member of The Miracle League of Southeastern Connecticut, she also is a member of the Fountain-Timmons team of William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty in Niantic.

The installation dinner was held at Flanders Fish Market, and included appreciation for past co-presidents Michael and Linda Barnett and their board.

People & Places

Dave Konicki has been named the new director of security at General Dynamics Electric Boat. In this role, he is responsible for providing leadership, guidance and direction for Electric Boat’s Security, Fire Department and Flight Operations.

Konicki joined Electric Boat in 1989, first as a lieutenant of the Tactical Response Team and Security Guard Force. He was named to the Industrial Security Organization in 1995 as a security specialist, followed by a promotion to chief of security supervising and managing all of EB’s classified, national and international programs.

In 2016, he took over as the facility security officer responsible for industrial security, physical security, insider threats, international programs and all offsite facilities, and added leadership of OPSEC when he was promoted to senior manager in 2022.

A graduate of the Connecticut Police Academy, Konicki also was in the first graduating class of the Electric Boat Business Leader Group program.

The Connecticut Cycling Advancement Program has announced the appointment of new Executive Director Brian Wolfe of New London.

The statewide group has eight teams throughout the state from Fairfield County to Colchester. CCAP also hosts youth cycling participation programs throughout the year for road, Cyclocross and Mountain Bike Races.

Wolfe graduated from the University of Connecticut with a B.S. in sport management. A longtime rider himself, Wolfe has been with the organization for more than seven years, working at numerous events and alongside coaches since the CCAP’s early years. He is a graduate of Lyme-Old Lyme High School.

For more information, visit ctcyclingadvancement.org.

Melissa Bierowka has joined Chelsea Groton Bank as vice president, commercial loan officer, based in Glastonbury. In this role, Bierowka will develop new commercial loan relationships and maintain a portfolio of loan customers in Hartford, Middlesex, and New Haven counties, while assisting with client needs related to treasury management, financial analysis, and facilitating credit opportunities.

Bierowka has worked at Webster Bank as a financial service pepresentative and at Bayview Financial, Citizens Bank and KeyBank in managerial roles.

Bob’s Discount Furniture has been recognized by Newsweek as one of “America’s Greatest Workplaces” in 2023. The national award recognizes Bob’s for competitive salaries and benefits, a company culture that values diversity and is open to new ideas, as well as a focus on career development and work-life balance.

Earlier this year, Newsweek also named Bob’s Discount Furniture as one of “America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity.” Bob’s, based in Manchester, has 166 furniture stores across 24 states.

President and CEO Michael Alberts has announced Jewett City Savings Bank has been approved to renovate its Brooklyn office at 490 Providence Road. The bank has partnered with Provost & Rovero, Inc. of Plainfield for the project.

Construction will begin July 31, and the office will remain open throughout the renovations. As part of the $1.2 million project the bank will relocate the drive-up lanes and drive-up ATM to the side of the building. The new lanes will include two-way video conferencing with branch staff, and a state-of-the-art ATM which will allow customers to deposit checks without deposit envelopes.

The redesigned 3,000-square-foot interior of the branch will include a new 810-square-foot room for future use and events, customer service pods, and the addition of a self-service coin-counting station.

The bank’s original Brooklyn branch opened in July 1974, becoming its third office since its founding in 1873. After acquiring a former Fleet Bank branch in 1996, the bank had two Brooklyn locations before merging the offices into the current location in 2000.

Awards & Recognition

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Connecticut District Office has announced that The Farmer’s Cow has been named an SBA Legacy Business, one of 68 nationwide that are being recognized nationwide as part of the agency's 70th anniversary celebrations.

The Farmer’s Cow is a cooperative of six family farms in the state, including Cushman Farms (Franklin), Fairvue Farms (Woodstock), Fort Hill Farms (Thompson), Graywall Farms (Lebanon), Hytone Farm (Coventry) and Mapleleaf Farms (Hebron).

Farmers Cow products are sold throughout New England. SBA officials alongside U.S. Congressman Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, and other invited dignitaries will visit Hytone Farm on Monday, Aug. 21 at 12:45 p.m. to present the Farmer’s Cow partners with an SBA Legacy Recognition.

Water testing

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, and the Engineer Research and Development Center will begin applying Rhodamine WT tracer dye in August at multiple sites along the lower Connecticut River to better understand water exchange dynamics as part of a research project.

USACE is working in partnership with the Lower Connecticut River Valley Council of Governments and the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station to conduct a research and demonstration project to better understand and control the invasive aquatic plant hydrilla (hydrilla verticillata) that is currently spreading throughout the lower Connecticut River and its tributaries. Plans include treating several sites on the river during the summer of 2024.

The RWT tracer dye application will occur over the next few months at four sites : Keeney Cove in Glastonbury, Chapman Pond in East Haddam, Chester Boat Basin in Chester, and Selden Cove in Lyme on weekdays from Aug. 7 through Sept. 15, with a proposed alternate end date of Sept. 22.

The most up to date RWT tracer dye schedule and maps of the primary site locations can be found at https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Projects-Topics/Connecticut-River-Hydrilla/.

Chamber News

The Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce has announced it will host its annual Manufacturing Career Expo on a larger scale this year. The GNACC has partnered with ReadyCT’s Manufacturing Careers Roadshow to deliver the Explore Manufacturing Expo on Thursday, Sept. 28, from 9 to noon at Dodd Stadium in Norwich.

The free event is an opportunity for local students in grades 7-12 to discover in-demand manufacturing career opportunities, learn about the industry, experience future technology, and explore hands on manufacturing simulations.

Angela Adams, executive director at the GNACC, said the expo’s main goal is to inspire students to consider careers in manufacturing as an alternative to attending college. Students will have the opportunity to engage with local manufacturers such as Electric Boat, Collins and Jewell, Nordson, Westminster Tool, Davis Standard, Acme Wire Products and others.

Contact Angela Adams at angelaadams@NorwichChamber.com or call (860) 887-1647 for more information.

New Location

The new Niantic location of GG at Home at 185 Main St. opened July 27 with a ribbon cutting celebration. An extension of its North Stonington location, the Niantic shop also known as Gourmet Galley is a full-service cafe and eatery, including a made-to-order menu of food and beverages, plus to-go fare.

The shop is open seven days a week from 10-7, serving lunch from 11-3, with a cocktail hour from 3-7 p.m. Thursday to Sunday. Brunch and weekend specials are available Saturday and Sunday from 11-3.

Events & Celebrations

Nicole Almonte-Mateo of New London is launching a new community event targeting women called the Self Love Table Talk Networking & Launch, which will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. Aug. 19 at Hope Lodge Venue at 1 Lake St. in Moosup.

The free event will feature keynote speakers, networking sessions, and interactive workshops that focus on self-love, self-care, and personal growth. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with other women in the community, share their stories, and learn from each other's experiences.

The event is also designed to launch the Self Love Table Talk card game, a tool that encourages women to have meaningful conversations about self-love, self-care, and personal growth.

For more information, go to selflovetabletalk.com. For questions or sponsorship opportunities, email selflovetabletalk@gmail.com.

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