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MIDDLETOWN — Richard Keithan grew up very close to where the majestic and iconic Arrigoni Bridge towers over Route 9 and the surrounding community.

His grandfather owned a four-family house on Portland Street in Middletown, where Keithan was born. “It’s been part of our family history for years,” he said.

He and his wife, Jackie, who live in Cromwell, stopped by the Middletown post office Friday to see the unveiling of the new USPS stamp that depicts the 85-year-old, 1,200-foot-long bridge that spans the Connecticut River between Middletown and Portland.

It is named for the late legislator Charles J. Arrigoni, who served in the state House of Representatives from 1933-36 and state Senate from 1937-40.

“I think it’s beautiful,” Jackie Keithan said.

The U.S. postal service stamp is part of a four-stamp series that includes Nebraska (Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge), Oklahoma (Skydance Bridge, also known as the Scissortail Bridge), and Iowa/Illinois (Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge).

A total of 620,100,000 stamps were printed.

The pale green-blue structure spans the Connecticut River between Portland and Middletown. Known locally as the Portland bridge, its two distinctive, 600-foot steel arches have the longest span length of any bridge in the state, according to the state Department of Transportation.

East Hampton Memorial School teacher and amateur wildlife photographer Joe Gowac, who did not attend the event, said earlier this year that he had forgotten about the agency selecting his image in 2020.

“I never imagined a photo of mine would become so popular and celebrated,” Gowac said later Friday. “I’m really proud of the fact that it brought so much joy to the Portland / Middletown area.”

The picture was taken in 2019 and posted on his Instagram account. A year later, a USPS representative commented on the post, wanting to get in touch with him — and the rest is, well, history.

USPS spokesperson Amy Gibbs conducted the unveiling of the posterboard-size stamp at the 11 Silver St. post office, and explained a little bit about the federal agency’s 240-year-history. She described postal stamps as “miniature works of art designated to reflect the American experience."

The Arrigoni, which cost $3.5 million to build at the time, was the most expensive bridge ever built in Connecticut, Gibbs said. “It proved its worth, opening up lines of traffic and trade," she said."In 2023, it’s among more than 4,000 bridges that connect our communities together.”

Ever since the announcement was made in April, Middletown Postmaster David Saraceno has been getting a lot of calls. “It’s pretty incredible,” he said of how local history is being highlighted.

Many people have been telling him stories about their experiences, he said, including one person whose grandfather worked on the structure. They want the collector's item to add to their family mementos, he added.

Saraceno grew up in Middletown near the Portland Bridge. “Having that stamp now in the office on a big poster is really cool," he said.

While the postmaster isn’t a collector, he said that, for others, stamps offer a sense of nostalgia, and “carry on the legacy of the stamp for future generations.”

“The buzz around this particular bridge stamp has been more than a normal stamp,” Gibbs said. “A town really connects to their bridge. … They see it every day. Maybe there’s a personal connection.”

Anyone can pitch a stamp idea to the USPS stamp committee, which includes individuals from throughout the industry, Gibbs said, including graphic designers.

While the Keithans aren’t collectors, they brought along a large stamp commemorating the Mt. Rushmore National Memorial golden anniversary in July 1991. It was postmarked the day they were there, Richard Keithan said.

The couple, who traveled to Keystone, S.D., 32 years ago for the event, said they were unable to get into the memorial on the day it was unveiled, because the public couldn’t enter the facility while President George Bush was there.

The bridge series is available in $0.25 pre-sorted first-class mail coils intended only by commercial bulk mailers. They are available to businesses in coils of 3,000 for $750 each, and 10,000 at $2,500 per coil. A permit is required to use the stamp.

Individuals can purchase strips of 25 stamps at the Portland post office, 320 Main St., and Middletown post office for $6.25 per strip. However, these are not intended for consumer use, only for collecting, Gibbs said.

For more information, call 816-545-1110 or visit bit.ly/3wGmqfx.

Master list: CT high school football season previews 2023

CROMWELL/PORTLAND

[Vitals]

[They're Here]

[Reason to Cheer]

Emeka Yearwood returns as one of the state's top multi-threats.

[Reason to Fear]

Minus the defensive front seven, everyone else is new, including the quarterback.

[The Bottom Line]

Cromwell/Portland's post-pandemic seasons have been nothing short of brilliant. The recently-graduated class won 23 games in two seasons, including a 13-0 Class S championship year in 2021 (in the the previous four-division system, too). They churned out all-state talent, outscored their opponents by an average 36-9, and had fans flocking to Pierson Park.

They were close to repeating as state champions, but a 40-35 shooutout loss to Barlow in last year's Class SS semifinals might have ended an era. Only eight combined starters return and coach Randell Bennett, who all but predicted a state championship two years ago, concedes this is a rebuilding year.

Just how painful that rebuilding season will be is debatable.

They do at least return versatile senior receiver/defensive end Emeka Yearwood, who has accounted for 1,121 total yards and 12 touchdowns, while making 83 tackles, 31 for a loss and 12 1/2 sacks in two years. He even filled in at running back for injured Alex Hair and wound up leading the Panthers in rushing.

His younger brother, Osi, now takes over in the backfield and only two offensive linemen, Jack Williams and AJ Signorello, return. But the biggest change wil lbe at quarterback where junior Jess Elfreich, a two-year understudy to all-stater Cole Brisson, takes command. He'll certainly rely on Emeka Yearwood and fellow returning wideout Jack Nolan (6 TDs).

Defensively, C/P lost its entire defensive backfield, but at least the front seven returns more-or-less intact with three devensive linemen and two linebackers, including Matt Gish (46 tackles, 8 for a loss). Williams led the team with six sacks on the line.

They'll have a couple of weeks to figure things out as arch rival Valley Regional/Old Lyme, which Cromwell/Portland famously beat 28-27 on a 2-point conversion stop, comes back to Pierson Park in Week 3. The rest of the big names don't sprout on the schedule until the season's second half. Maybe C/P will be playing spoiler, or — if this class is up to it — maybve it'll be for a playoff spot, too.

[2023 Schedule]

Sept. 9 — at Coginchaug/Hale Ray/East Hampton, 1 p.m. **Sept. 14 — SMSA, 6 p.m. *Sept. 22 — VALLEY REGIONAL/OLD LYME, 6 p.m. **Sept. 29 — MSW, 6 p.m. **Oct. 6 — at Rockville, 6:30 p.m. *Oct. 19 — Capital Prep/Achievement, 5 p.m. **Oct. 27 — HADDAM-KILLINGWORTH, 6 p.m. **Nov. 3 — GRANBY/CANTON, 6 p.m. *Nov. 17 — at North Branford, 6:30 p.m. **Nov. 22 — at Rocky Hill, 6 p.m.

** Division game* Conference game

Hundreds of people gathered in the auditorium of Portland’s Brownstone Intermediate School Thursday morning to celebrate the stamp of the 85-year-old Arrigoni Bridge spanning the Connecticut River.

The bridge is one of four chosen nationwide to be depicted on the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) new bridge stamp series.

The picture used for the stamp was taken by Moodus resident Joe Gowac in 2019, using a drone.

Initially, no event was planned to celebrate the honor, but various community organizations, including the Portland Historical Society and the Connecticut Cover Club, a stamp collecting group, helped organize the event, Portland First Selectman Ryan Curley said.

“I had spoken with the post office several times and they had told me repeatedly that stamps would not be available in Portland, this was not a big deal, we weren’t going to do anything and to please stop calling,” Curley said.

The unveiling ceremony was to be held in the Portland Senior Center, but was moved to Brownstone Intermediate School when the list of registrants exceeded the center’s capacity.

After an online search of bridges nationwide, the USPS art department chose the Arrigoni for its beauty, according to ceremony officials.

The bridge connects the city of Middletown and the town of Portland. The connection of the two municipalities is representative of the comradery felt between both communities, Middletown Mayor Ben Florsheim said.

“It’s a reminder that we have so much more in common than what separates us and even though we are two distinct towns. We are two distinct communities. We have so much in common. We have so much we work together on. There’s so much more that we can do,” Florsheim said.

The Arrigoni stamp marks the first time a Connecticut image has been on a stamp in nearly a decade. In 2014 a picture of a poinsettia taken in Hartford was used for a $0.49 stamp.

Named after former State Senator Charles J. Arrigoni, the bridge was constructed in 1936 to replace the outdated swing bridge nearby.

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PORTLAND — The town's portion of land overlooking the Connecticut River has undergone a lot of work lately to improve not only public access, views of the water and boats passing by, but also to potentially boost the town’s economy.

Many people enjoy the concerts and special events that take place along the riverfront or partake in passive recreation here.

In 2019, the town purchased land at 222, 230 and 248 Brownstone Ave., including the site of a former tar and asphalt plant. Environmental remediation work began in earnest last September at 248 Brownstone Ave., a roughly three-acre parcel.

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EnviroConsultants & Recyclers of Danbury began the remediation to remove tanks and contaminants from the site.

The town so far has received two grants from the state Department of Economic Community Development for these sites. Leaders are focusing efforts on one parcel at 248 Brownstone Ave. The other lots are mostly used for parking for Brownstone Exploration & Discovery Park, and were paved years ago.

The initial grant, $750,000, is aimed at site remediation, but the town also received a “topper” grant for an additional $375,000, explained First Selectman Ryan Curley. It also has the promise of a $500,000 “soft award” from the state, contingent on getting a developer for the site.

“Rather than spending all the grant money to essentially pave a parking lot, we decided to really focus on 248 Brownstone Avenue. It’s the larger parcel. It has the most potential for future development,” he said.

Oil tanks have already been removed from the plot, but the discovery a few months ago of a tank filled with tar in a not quite liquid or solid state has caused delays Curley said. “Enviro got in there and started remediating according to the plan."

Because they found more tanks than were originally thought to be there, the first selectman said, the project has taken a lot longer.

The town is exploring cost-friendly options for the tarry tank, as pumping out the mixture now would be expensive, so officials may wait until the weather cools and the tank contents solidify, he added. At that point, the tar could be broken up into pieces and hauled away.

Leaders hope to soon have the remediation at 248 Brownstone completed, and will send out a request for proposals later this year to solicit developers’ plans for the site to provide an economic boost to the town, Curley added.

“We believe it is a very attractive piece of property once we clean it up. It’s right along the river, and it’s got a great location right next to our Riverfront Park," which the town owns, he said.

The town issued a call for RFPs last year, but got a poor response, which likely stemmed from several factors, Curley said. “We were hoping we would get some interest, but I think that because the area had not been cleaned up yet, and because we were just specifically looking for a restaurant, those two factors kind of worked against us."

A citizens committee tasked with coming up with usage ideas had ranked having a restaurant as its number one choice, said Curley said, however, there can be a lot of upfront costs associated with such an endeavor.

When the new RFP is posted, the first selectman added, "we would leave it more open and see what the market offered for ideas rather than kind of try to pigeonhole into one idea."

The Board of Selectmen and Economic Development Commission would review developers’ proposals once the town issues a new RFP.

“The 248 Brownstone Avenue parcel is a real critical piece of that,” Curley explained. Once Tighe & Bond (the Middletown-based firm serving as engineers for this project) can put the stamp on the area has been remediated, we can then try to market the site.”

Other ideas floated for development include a brewery or hotel, he said. “There are so many different options with this property, and we see this as just the first phase in continuing on and reclaiming this property,” Curley said.

Not far down the road, there have also been noticeable improvements at land adjacent to Riverfront Park, which is owned by the town and managed by the nonprofit, volunteer-run Brownstone Quorum. Over the last few months, the southwest corner has been the focus of activity.

The park is full of large brownstone boulders, reminders of Portland's thriving quarries in the late 1890s, where sandstone was shipped to New York, Boston and other large cities.

A number of dead trees have been cut down, opening up views of Connecticut River, items illegally dumped, such as tires and mattresses, removed and new trees and plantings put in.

Quorun President Jim Tripp said they have had a successful partnership with the town for over 20 years.

The current work furthers the group's goals for passive recreation. “This just provides additional space and additional capacity for people to go down to walk, to throw a frisbee or a football around or hang out closer to the river and read a book,” he said.

Most of the heavy lifting has been done with only minor adjustments or additions expected, he said, such as benches or picnic tables.

The group has continually added to, and improved, the site over the years with walking trails, pollinator gardens, a labyrinth, restrooms and bandshell / stage.

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PORTLAND — After 43 years of running the ever-popular Top Dog food truck, with the eye-catching, distinctive trailer topped by a large, red hot dog, complete with mustard and relish, Andrea and Alan Spaulding have settled on a new owner.

The Spauldings’ goal was to also sell Top Dog to a Portland resident. “It’s an institution,” Alan Spaulding said.

The 1963 bun-colored former camper is based at the defunct Connecticut Central Railroad depot at 211 Marlborough Road, not far from the Portland Bridge. Alan Spaulding, who's been helping out his wife for about three years, built the trailer himself.

It is drawn by a 1972 yellow Marathon checker cab with an “Elvis” mannequin in a Hawaiian shirt in the passenger seat. The iconic Airstream trailer has been on Route 66 for so many decades that their customers span several generations. The stand has been featured in local media, as well as on national TV shows such as "Road Food.”

The couple insists on Thurmann’s natural casing hot dogs, and makes the sauerkraut from scratch. Over the years, the couple has had to forego many vacations because they prioritized the business. Customers come from all over Connecticut, upstate New York and even Europe one time, Andrea Spaulding has said.

After meeting Marissa Puida, daughter of Kim Greenlaw, who runs the Eggs Up breakfast spot down the street, the couple said she was “a natural” to take over. Puida’s mother owns the 1462 Portland-Cobalt Road restaurant, and saw the Facebook post announcing it was up for sale.

The Spauldings were looking for someone who shares their dedication to the food truck. “You’d be perfect for it,” Greenlaw told Puida.

They chose five individuals who stopped by to watch the operation in action. “Marissa came across as someone who really wanted this business,” Alan Spaulding said.

The Spauldings received an “overwhelming response” on social media from those wanting to take over the operation, Alan Spaulding said. In fact, they continue to get one or two queries a day. “I didn’t realize so many people wanted to be in the food truck business,” he said.

Puida, who waitresses at Eggs Up, has been around her mother’s restaurant since she was 4. She began as a dishwasher, then prep cook prior to becoming a server, she said.

“I’ll miss it when I do my own thing,” said Puida, who has gotten to know generations of customers who come every day to Eggs Up, and eventually bring their children and grandchildren to eat there.

“Andrea saw a little bit of herself in me,” Puida said. “She was the same age when she started doing it. She’s a people person, getting to know all the customers.”

“She appeared as somebody who’s been doing this for years: her personality, the way she treats people,” Andrea Spaulding said. “She is the person who is going to do it. I have no doubt she’ll continue to do so, if not better than Alan and I’ve done.”

During the interviews, Alan Spaulding warned his wife that she may have trouble finding a buyer who fit her parameters.

“‘They don’t exist,’” he told her. “And she did. When I met her, it was instantaneously hot dog lady,” she said with a chuckle. “It was like she was groomed for it. … She just had a way about her.”

The Spauldings were very discerning when it came to their search. “Andrea didn’t just sell it to anybody," Greenlaw said. "Andrea made everybody come in and work with her, and then she chose somebody. I thought that was incredible because she wanted somebody like [Puida]."

“You always want your kids to do as well as, if not better, than you,” said Greenlaw.

Puida will keep the menu of hot dogs, and eventually add her own specialties, such as Sloppy Joes.

“I can’t wait to carry it on,” Puida said. “People were very disappointed when they thought that it was closing down. To be able to keep it going is going to be awesome.

“They’ve run a successful business, and I hope I can be just as successful,” Puida added.

“She’s going to be very good at it. She’ll definitely give it her all. She’s a hard worker,” Greenlaw said. “Of course, I'll shoot myself in my foot because she’s my best waitress,” she said with a laugh. “I’m losing my best worker.”

“I feel bad,” her daughter admitted. “She’s my best friend and I love working with her, but she wanted me to have my own opportunity.”

Top Dog’s last day of business will be Sept. 23, when the couple plans a customer appreciation day.

It won’t be easy to entirely let go after more than 40 years, Andrea Spaulding said. “I’m going to have a really hard time. He’s a lot stronger than I am with separating,” she said, referring to her husband.

“All the people I’ve met over the years, all the friendships, it’s still part of me,” Andrea Spaulding said. “I could still do it for a few more years, but I understand my husband’s wish to end it on a high note.

“There’s going to be a lot of crying, and quite a bit of adjustment for me in the months to come,” she added.

“I can’t thank people enough for what I’ve experienced in 43 years,” Andrea Spaulding said. “I was a woman in business, which, back in the '80s, was hard to be. Especially a food truck: They were mostly run by men.

“The acceptance and kindness and encouragement I got from people, it’s going to break my heart to say goodbye to these people, but I’ll always have memories of it,” Andrea Spaulding said.

“I wanted to go out when things were good, and this is the time,” her husband said.