NewsCommunityMultimediaPhoto AlbumsSlideshows Community snapshots By mycitizensnews - March 21, 2015 0 43 Carole Mancini, right, and Kathryn Green put together dishes during the Naugatuck Senior Center’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Social and Dinner Party in 2015. –FILE PHOTO Naugatuck police Lt. Bryan Cammarata speaks during a ceremony March 17 at the police department marking the 24th anniversary of the death of Officer Nancy Nichols. Nichols was killed on March 17, 1991, when she was struck by a car after stopping to help a fellow officer. Nichols, who is survived by a son, was 34 at the time of her death. She was Naugatuck’s first female police officer and became the first female officer in Connecticut to die in the line of duty. –ELIO GUGLIOTTI Naugatuck Special Olympics competed in alpine skiing and snowshoeing Feb. 28 to March 1. Athletes took home gold, silver and bronze medals.–CONTRIBUTED The Naugatuck Fire Department recognized the winners of its 9th annual Fire Prevention Poster Contest March 12 at fire headquarters. A first-, second- and third-place winner was selected from the fourth- and fifth-grade classes in the borough and they received a bicycle. Pictured, from left, are Cross Street Intermediate School fifth-grader Arianna Frattalone, St. Francis-St. Hedwig School fourth-grader Jodie Saint Paul, Cross Street fifth-grader Vicki Weng, Maple Hill Elementary School fourth-grader Mireya Trelles, Maple Hill fourth-grader Ayana Williams, and Cross Street fifth-grader Alexander Felix. The two first place winners, Wend and Trelles, also won first place in the New Haven County Fire Prevention Poster Contest and will go on to the state competition. –LUKE MARSHALL Naugatuck Special Olympics competed in alpine skiing and snowshoeing Feb. 28 to March 1. Athletes took home gold, silver and bronze medals.–CONTRIBUTED Sokol’s Taekwondo in Naugatuck held a rank testing Feb. 20 during which 21 Black Belts tested. Fifty-two students tested for color belts on Feb. 21. –CONTRIBUTED Sokol’s Taekwondo in Naugatuck held a rank testing Feb. 20 during which 21 Black Belts tested. Fifty-two students tested for color belts on Feb. 21. –CONTRIBUTED Sokol’s Taekwondo in Naugatuck held a rank testing Feb. 20 during which 21 Black Belts tested. Fifty-two students tested for color belts on Feb. 21. –CONTRIBUTED Sokol’s Taekwondo in Naugatuck held a rank testing Feb. 20 during which 21 Black Belts tested. Fifty-two students tested for color belts on Feb. 21. –CONTRIBUTED Brother Peter Tran of The Legionaires of Christ in Cheshire serves a meal of corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes during Naugatuck Senior Center’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Social and Dinner Party March 12. –LUKE MARSHALL The Ion Bank Foundation recently awarded a $10,000 grant to the Naugatuck Economic Development Corporation. The NEDC is a public/private partnership that focuses on all aspects of economic development in Naugatuck. The grant will be used to help the NEDC achieve its primary goals of increasing Naugatuck’s tax base and grand list, and increasing the visibility and enhancing the image of the borough and its business community, ‘thus making Naugatuck a better place to do business and increasing the value of property,’ said Ron Pugliese, CEO of the NEDC. The foundation has awarded 11 grants to the NEDC over the past 12 years totaling $133,000. Pictured, from left, Pugliese, Ion Bank President and CEO Charles Boulier III and Ion Bank SVP and CFO David Rotatori. –CONTRIBUTED The National Football Foundation will honor Woodland Regional High School senior Alex Varhol, center, with a scholar-athlete award. The award recognizes high school and prep school scholar-athletes who play football for their academic excellence, leadership, excellence in football and citizenship. Varhol is one of 27 players to receive the honor and will be recognized April 10 at the Casey-O’Brien New Haven County Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete dinner. For more information, visit www.newhavenfootballfoundation.com. Pictured with Varhol are his father, Paul, left, and Woodland head football coach Tim Phipps. –CONTRIBUTED Naugatuck Special Olympics competed in alpine skiing and snowshoeing Feb. 28 to March 1. Athletes took home gold, silver and bronze medals.–CONTRIBUTED