Category: People

Text Of Obituary For Priscilla Pratt, GOSA President

  GROTON — The following obituary appeared June 20 in The Day, the Hartford Courant and the Norwich Bulletin: Priscilla Redfield (Wright) Pratt, 84, of Noank, passed on peacefully at home on Monday, June 15, 2009, with her loving children beside her. For over 50 years she was the caring wife of Charles N. Pratt, [...]

Omar Allvord, GOSA Director, Dies At 86

GROTON — Omar Allvord, a GOSA director with a distinguished environmental record, died April 20, 2009 in Groton at the age of 86. Mr. Allvord, who was a former GOSA treasurer as well as a current member of the board, was active in the drive to create the Bluff Point Coastal Reserve in 1974. He [...]

Monday April 20th, 2009 in People | No Comments »

Statement By Nelson Merritt On The Merritt Family Forest

GROTON — Nelson A. Merritt, president of F.L. Merritt Inc., made this statement at the signing May 16, 2008, of paperwork that created The Merritt Family Forest: Our grandfather, Francis E. Merritt, who was born in Ledyard in 1835, bought the Fort Hill Farm in 1868. The son, Francis L. Merritt, was born shortly after [...]

Friday May 16th, 2008 in Land Acquisitions, People | No Comments »

State Archaeologist Cites Groton’s Rich History

  GROTON–State Archaeologist Nicholas Bellantoni told the GOSA annual meeting Oct. 12, 2006, that Groton is rich in archaeological resources. Mr. Bellantoni was featured speaker at the annual meeting in Noank. His Office of the State Archaeologist (OSA) is responsible for reviewing privately funded projects, like golf courses, shopping centers and subdivisions, for their potential [...]

Thursday October 12th, 2006 in People | No Comments »

GOSA President’s Annual Report Stresses Clean Water

GROTON — Following is the text of GOSA President Priscilla Pratt’s report to GOSA’s annual meeting in Noank on the evening of Oct. 12, 2006. Good evening. It’s great to see you all here. I’ll go right into my report because I know you want to hear about our many activities, but you are also [...]

GOSA Director Omar Allvord Receives Patriot Award

  CITY OF GROTON–Omar Allvord, a director of the Groton Open Space Association, has received the Patriot Award from the Friends of Fort Griswold. Mr. Allvord is a charter member of the Friends, and he served as its first secretary and later as president. Debra Dickey, current president, said, “He has always been willing to [...]

Sunday May 21st, 2006 in People | No Comments »

David Leff To Retire From Dept. of Environmental Protection

MIDDLETOWN — David Leff, deputy commissioner at the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection for the past 11 years, announced Tuesday that he is taking disability retirement from the DEP at the end of March, according to a March 16, 2006, e-mail from David Sutherland, co-chair of the Land Conservation Coalition for Connecticut. Mr. Sutherland’s e-mail [...]

Thursday March 16th, 2006 in People | No Comments »

Mary Walton, Who Led Fight Against Jetport, Dies

GRISWOLD — Mary B. Walton of Griswold, who helped lead a successful fight to block creation of a jetport in Northeast Connecticut in 1969, died Feb. 9, 2006, at the age of 92. Ms. Walton, a former high school English teacher and a Brooklyn, NY, native, moved to Griswold with her husband in 1969. Sidney [...]

Thursday February 9th, 2006 in People | No Comments »

Thomas L. Crowley, Mower Of Haley Fields, Dies at 81

STONINGTON–Thomas L. Crowley, 81, of Stonington, who for 19 years mowed the fields at Haley Farm State Park under contract to GOSA, died April 29, 2005, at his home in Stonington. In a letter to Mr. Crowley’s family, GOSA Director Sidney Van Zandt wrote, “He was an icon for us at the Groton Open Space [...]

Friday April 29th, 2005 in People, Preserved Lands | No Comments »

GOSA President, Addressing Annual Meeting, Cites Main Concerns

NOANK–GOSA President Priscilla Pratt singled out Haley Farm, the Merritt and Watrous properties, the proposed Great Brook development and creation of a Town of Groton open space fund as focuses of GOSA’s current efforts when she addressed the organization’s annual meeting. The meeting on Oct. 16, 2003, reelected Ms. Pratt as president and elected two [...]