FARMINGTON - Don Cassin remembers the “little shopping center” with a bank building beside Scott Swamp Road where he used to get his hair cut.
Cassin, a Bristol resident who once served as the state’s public works commissioner, also recalls the day almost four decades ago that he started the state’s overhaul of the retail complex so it could become Tunxis Community College.
For most of its history, the college looked like it was squeezed into an old shopping center. But it’s not that way anymore.
Gov. Jodi Rell showed up for Thursday’s celebration at the growing school for a ceremonial ribbon cutting on a $34.4 million renovation that has transformed the college’s appearance, providing state-of-the-art classrooms, study areas, a modern library, a Cyber Café and more.
“We’ve come a long way since that bank building,” Rell said. “The future is here – and the future is Tunxis.”
“We will never again be invisible,” said Cathryn Addy, the college’s longtime president. “We believe this is the beginning of yet another new era of quality education.”
“It’s a better learning environment,” said Wendy Tordonato, a student from New Britain. “I love it. I think it’s great for the school. It’s long overdue.”
She said the newer, fresher buildings “bring a new life to the school, which is important. This is bringing the school more together as a community.”
“It shows this college really does care about its students,” said Southington’s Mike Cordani, the student government secretary.
Looking around inside the library, state Rep. Bill Hamzy, a Plymouth Republican, said, “It’s incredible. This is… wow!”
Rell told a crowd of about 250 who packed into the new library that the Tunxis project “is a symbol that we believe in education” in Connecticut.
She said that some say there are “no magic bullets” to solve the problems facing the state, but she’s not sure that’s true.
“If education isn’t a magic bullet, then I don’t know what is,” the governor said.
U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, the 5th District’s Democratic congressman, said that Tunxis has done a terrific job educating students for many years, but having new facilities will make it easier.
“Walls and bricks and mortar do matter,” Murphy said, in boosting morale and making life better for the students, faculty and staff who play such an important role in educating thousands of area residents.
“This isn’t just a school. This is a community,” Murphy said, adding that it serves as the lifeblood for Plainville, Bristol, Plymouth, Farmington and other nearby towns whose people flock to Tunxis to further their educations and careers.
The new construction is “phenomenal,” said Bristol’s mayor, Art Ward. He said it will help provide educational opportunities for many residents who might not have a chance otherwise.
“Community colleges make dreams into realities,” said the chancellor of the Connecticut community college system, Marc Herzog.
For state Sen. Tom Colapietro, a Bristol Democrat who represents the 31st District, the college offered him his first chance to learn about computers. He learned the old DOS operating system at Tunxis years ago, he said, and it’s the reason he’s shelled out so much money on computers ever since.
Colapietro said he tried to learn to type at Tunxis, too, but never got the hang of it.
Officials praised the architects and construction firm for providing a first-class project that’s been partly in use since last summer. They also heaped praise on Rell for supporting the project.
But it was clear that Addy played a key role.
Addy “has a gentle persistence,” Herzog said. “I’m a little black and blue.”
Addy made a point of point of highlighting the work done by Tunxis’s building director, John Lodovico of Bristol.
“None of this would have been possible” without his efforts, Addy said. “John is absolutely the best that I can imagine. He is never going to be allowed to retire.”
After about 50 minutes of speeches, area lawmakers, college officials, Rell and others connected to the construction gathered behind a crepe paper ribbon for a ceremonial dedication of the new library.
As the ribbon fluttered to the ground, Addy was beaming.
Project facts
Cost: $34.4 million
Construction began: Spring 2006
Size: 95,000 square feet
Buildings: Two
Architect: DuBose Associates, Inc. of Hartford
Contractor: M.A. Angeliades, Inc. of Trumbull
What’s next for Tunxis?
The college is hoping to move on to Phase 2 of the project soon.
The next phase would demolish some older classrooms that remain and construct a much-needed auditorium and faculty offices, college officials said.
The price tag is $15 million for the next construction phase, said the chancellor of the Connecticut community college system, Marc Herzog.
Herzog said, though, that less than $5 million in design work is needed first. That money is already approved, but needs the governor’s green light to make the State Bond Commission agenda, officials said.
“Get in line,” Gov. Jodi Rell said Thursday. But, she added, she would think carefully about doing it.
Rell said that with so many people competing to get projects on the state list so they can move forward, it’s never easy to choose.
Tunxis President Cathryn Addy jokingly mentioned the bond agenda in a letter she put in a time capsule that’s slated for opening in 25 years. She asked future officials if the next phase had yet made it past the bond panel.
Rell laughed, but made no promises.
“It would be nice to see the rest of the building done,” said Mike Cordani, a student from Southington. “But it all comes in time.”
For more information, check out Tunxis' website about the project
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Cassin, a Bristol resident who once served as the state’s public works commissioner, also recalls the day almost four decades ago that he started the state’s overhaul of the retail complex so it could become Tunxis Community College.
For most of its history, the college looked like it was squeezed into an old shopping center. But it’s not that way anymore.
Gov. Jodi Rell showed up for Thursday’s celebration at the growing school for a ceremonial ribbon cutting on a $34.4 million renovation that has transformed the college’s appearance, providing state-of-the-art classrooms, study areas, a modern library, a Cyber Café and more.
“We’ve come a long way since that bank building,” Rell said. “The future is here – and the future is Tunxis.”
“We will never again be invisible,” said Cathryn Addy, the college’s longtime president. “We believe this is the beginning of yet another new era of quality education.”
“It’s a better learning environment,” said Wendy Tordonato, a student from New Britain. “I love it. I think it’s great for the school. It’s long overdue.”
She said the newer, fresher buildings “bring a new life to the school, which is important. This is bringing the school more together as a community.”
“It shows this college really does care about its students,” said Southington’s Mike Cordani, the student government secretary.
Looking around inside the library, state Rep. Bill Hamzy, a Plymouth Republican, said, “It’s incredible. This is… wow!”
Rell told a crowd of about 250 who packed into the new library that the Tunxis project “is a symbol that we believe in education” in Connecticut.
She said that some say there are “no magic bullets” to solve the problems facing the state, but she’s not sure that’s true.
“If education isn’t a magic bullet, then I don’t know what is,” the governor said.
U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, the 5th District’s Democratic congressman, said that Tunxis has done a terrific job educating students for many years, but having new facilities will make it easier.
“Walls and bricks and mortar do matter,” Murphy said, in boosting morale and making life better for the students, faculty and staff who play such an important role in educating thousands of area residents.
“This isn’t just a school. This is a community,” Murphy said, adding that it serves as the lifeblood for Plainville, Bristol, Plymouth, Farmington and other nearby towns whose people flock to Tunxis to further their educations and careers.
The new construction is “phenomenal,” said Bristol’s mayor, Art Ward. He said it will help provide educational opportunities for many residents who might not have a chance otherwise.
“Community colleges make dreams into realities,” said the chancellor of the Connecticut community college system, Marc Herzog.
For state Sen. Tom Colapietro, a Bristol Democrat who represents the 31st District, the college offered him his first chance to learn about computers. He learned the old DOS operating system at Tunxis years ago, he said, and it’s the reason he’s shelled out so much money on computers ever since.
Colapietro said he tried to learn to type at Tunxis, too, but never got the hang of it.
Officials praised the architects and construction firm for providing a first-class project that’s been partly in use since last summer. They also heaped praise on Rell for supporting the project.
But it was clear that Addy played a key role.
Addy “has a gentle persistence,” Herzog said. “I’m a little black and blue.”
Addy made a point of point of highlighting the work done by Tunxis’s building director, John Lodovico of Bristol.
“None of this would have been possible” without his efforts, Addy said. “John is absolutely the best that I can imagine. He is never going to be allowed to retire.”
After about 50 minutes of speeches, area lawmakers, college officials, Rell and others connected to the construction gathered behind a crepe paper ribbon for a ceremonial dedication of the new library.
As the ribbon fluttered to the ground, Addy was beaming.
Project facts
Cost: $34.4 million
Construction began: Spring 2006
Size: 95,000 square feet
Buildings: Two
Architect: DuBose Associates, Inc. of Hartford
Contractor: M.A. Angeliades, Inc. of Trumbull
What’s next for Tunxis?
The college is hoping to move on to Phase 2 of the project soon.
The next phase would demolish some older classrooms that remain and construct a much-needed auditorium and faculty offices, college officials said.
The price tag is $15 million for the next construction phase, said the chancellor of the Connecticut community college system, Marc Herzog.
Herzog said, though, that less than $5 million in design work is needed first. That money is already approved, but needs the governor’s green light to make the State Bond Commission agenda, officials said.
“Get in line,” Gov. Jodi Rell said Thursday. But, she added, she would think carefully about doing it.
Rell said that with so many people competing to get projects on the state list so they can move forward, it’s never easy to choose.
Tunxis President Cathryn Addy jokingly mentioned the bond agenda in a letter she put in a time capsule that’s slated for opening in 25 years. She asked future officials if the next phase had yet made it past the bond panel.
Rell laughed, but made no promises.
“It would be nice to see the rest of the building done,” said Mike Cordani, a student from Southington. “But it all comes in time.”
For more information, check out Tunxis' website about the project
Here's what Phase 2 is supposed to look like:
*******Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
15 comments:
Colapietro should take a class in economics next.
If the state is spending billions on state colleges, it might as well spend it here.
The place looks impressive. Perhaps it really is a viable alternative (for successful local students) to larger state universities?
Colapietro, Colapietro, Colapietro, Colapietro etc. Now you republican phonies can critisize him all day . Hope you make each other feel good. Thank god he's not like you.
Oh yeah he's such a nice guy. You must be kidding.
You and he can't take criticsim. Have you ever heard his venomous rebuttals? If the majority of the regular voters weren't so damn ignorant, they'd be disgusted.
Has he ever taken an economics class? Could he pass it?
Re: 4:49 Post
Yes, thank goodness I am not like Colapietro...and thank goodness I know how to spell "criticize."
it looks like a prison from the outside
Maybe you 9:09 ought to take a coarse in manners but you have to look up the meaning first. You can't seem to take the crap you deal out. Seems to me that he is taking all of your crap .
I'm also glad you agree for a change. He is not like you.
To9:0 whydon't you tell us about those rebuttels ? Oh and lets hear yours.
Annnnd let the record show that this Republican is calling the regular voters ignorant !! Please Steve print this remark out of 9:09 's mouth .Because they think any one that knows them knows that they do think the voters are ignorant as they put it. But truthfully they aren't as stupid as you think. You haven't got elected yet .
To 9:09 why don't you tell us about those rebuttels ? Oh and lets hear yours. I know they are based on facts (ha Ha)
Colapietro, Coalpietro , Colapietro. What would you ignoramouses do without your hate mongering?
4:49 You should know how to spell critize. Your an expert at doing it .LOL
Wow for all the people that were there, Colapietro gets all the attention. Do you Republican's like him ?
"Get in line?????"
Thanks for the support, Jodi, and the snotty attitude.
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