East Haven Rotary Announces Buonome Public Safety Award Recipients

From the East Haven Rotary Club, Inc.: The Rotary Club of East Haven, which is now in its 79th year, has announced this year’s recipients of their annual Joseph Buonome Memorial Public Safety Awards. This year the club will be recognizing East Haven Firefighter John Coughlin and Police Officer Luke Rasile. As is customary, the awards will be presented at the Rotary’s annual Installation of Officers Dinner, which this year will be held on Thursday June 29th. The event will take place at the Country House Restaurant at 990 Foxon Road (Rte 80) in East Haven.

Following a 6:00 pm social hour including appetizers, a buffet dinner will be presented at 7:00 pm, with tickets available for $ 50 per person.

Firefighter Coughlin will be retiring this year after completing 30 years of dedicated service. As well as a seasoned firefighter, John is a talented electrician which enabled him to assist the department in difficult fire situations that required his technical expertise. John who along with several others from the department spent time working at Ground Zero, trained as an EMT and became part of the early rescue service.

Officer Rasile joined the EHPD in December of 2013 and since that time has been a standout self-starter who has gone above and beyond the normal scope of police duty making numerous and significant narcotics arrests, along with proactive traffic enforcement and community policing.

Current President Sal Maltese will be turning over the gavel to Rich Anania. Also being installed are the following officers: Bill Richardson President-elect, Secretary Cheryl Panzo, Assistant Secretary Dona DeLeone, Co-Treasurers Carl Ruggiero and Joan Adamczyk and Sergeant at Arms, Ralph Mannochi.

In addition, the club will be recognizing the winners of two scholarships to high school students and honoring them at this year’s dinner event. Each year the club provides a $1000 scholarship in the name of former member Vincent Balletto, MD, to a graduating East Haven High School student. The club also awarded another $ 1000 scholarship given to one of last year’s Rotary “Students of the Month”, who will now be graduating.

The club now in its 79th year was organized on March 3, 1939. Since that time the club has remained dedicated and committed to improving the community and citizens of East Haven. Through its annual scholarship program and Student of the Month, the club recognizes and encourages achievement of high school students. Amber Alert Identification cards, Clothe the Children, free Thanksgiving dinner and annual distribution of dictionaries to elementary school children are some of its other volunteer activities.

Tickets may be obtained from any Rotarian or by calling Carl Ruggiero 203-469-5545 or Frank Gentilesco, Jr. 203-468-3205.

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