It definitely was a Norman Rockwell kind of moment. Or as another observer, Town Attorney Dick Saxl, said to me, “A real slice of Americana.” And longtime resident Mary Jo Cornell gushed about how wonderful she felt witnessing a little bit of Fairfield history.
Under a bright sky on Saturday, the 10-, 11- and 12-year-old Little League teams and the girls’ softball team – champions all – were honored for their accomplishments with a brief parade down Old Post Road from the Fairfield Public Library to the Fairfield Museum and History Center. They were escorted by police and fire units and accompanied by town, state and federal officials.
From the first whoop of the siren, there was not a person there who was not smiling broadly or even a little teary. It certainly was an occasion to be a proud Fairfielder.
I arrived early and walked down to the area near the Fairfield Y, and grew worried. Only a handful of people joined me along the sidelines. Was this the turnout, I thought? After the teams paraded by, we trailed them down Old Post Road to Old Town Hall.
And, there, waiting for them was a throng of well-wishers that was congregated on the green in front of Old Town Hall. Hundreds of them hollering and applauding. The Fairfield American Little League team, which made it to World Series in Williamsport, Pa., last week, received the loudest ovation.
Good thing, too, because these young athletes deserve all the accolades they get. They are role models for their peers and those younger. In front of the world stage, they handled themselves with grace and showed they are fine kids who understand how to be teammates and to work hard to achieve success.
All of the kids were given certificates of achievement from town officials, state proclamations from the state legislators, a proclamation from the governor and another from the U.S. Congress.
I am not sure the kids truly understand the significance of their accomplishments. But they will eventually and will look back to days like Saturday and smile, maybe even a little sheepishly, to themselves, and remember how they touched the hearts of many.
Congratulations to all the athletes. You make us proud.
Not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon in Fairfield.
Archive for August, 2010
A slice of Americana
My community, your community
The beaches of Fairfield are just some of what I love about our town. What about you? Fairfield and Southport have so much to offer their residents. With my new blog, I want to show off what is best about both of them. This blog will be very community oriented. Share with me your events and I will do my best to publicize them. You may email materials and ideas to hinessight@hotmail.com. Share with me your interests and thoughts by posting a comment right here. Tell me about your neighbors and the good deeds they do. Let me know what changes you would like to see so that maybe we can pursue them together. But above all else, let’s have fun!
Fairfield Fast Fact: The permanent settlement of Fairfield began in 1639 when Roger Ludlow laid out four “squares” of land divided by five roadways. (Source: www.fairfieldct.org)
