Printer Friendly Version - Bfd Education Hall of Fame, Class of 2016 Inducted

Branford's Education Hall of Fame inducted ten new members on April 21 including (l-r)Julie Arriens accepting for Dr. Nickolas Nickou, Mary Beth DeLucia, Keith Sparr, Sidney Clow, Susan Rowan, Jean Merriam, Sandra Baldwin, Joseph P. Martin, Arlene Schwartz and Marilyn Odell.Pam Johnson/The Sound

On April 21, the Branford Education Hall of Fame (BEHF) ten-member Class of 2016 joined a prestigious group of some 200 outstanding individuals honored since 1998 for bringing distinction to Branford education.

While there is no physical hall to visit to recognize this small galaxy of honorees, the all-volunteer Branford Hall of Fame committee once again created a home for the annual induction event with an elegant gala attended by hundreds at Woodwinds in Branford last night.

Recipients received a commemorative plaque and will be honored with their names imprinted on book plates affixed to dozens of new books given to the town's school libraries, through the BEHF Susan Spear School Library Project.

The Class of 2016 includes Sandra Baldwin, Sidney Clow, Mary Beth DeLucia, Joseph P. Martin, Jean Merriam, Dr. Nickolas Nickou (posthumously), Marilyn Odell, Susan Rowan, Arlene Schwartz and Keith Spaar.

Branford First Selectman James B. Cosgrove welcomed the inductees and their families and fans.

"On behalf of the Town of Branford I want to congratulate all of the nominees," said Cosgrove. "It is an honor to be inducted and to be recognized for all of your achievements; but more importantly to be recognized for the influence you have over children; and in turn shaping our town, state and country through the education of our children. So I congratulate every inductee, past, present and future."

BEHF committee member and past inductee John O'Connor emceed the event and noted that 35 past inductees were among those attending the April 21 event. O'Conner also shared that Cosgrove's late grandfather, Daniel P. Cosgrove, was a 2001 BHEF inductee.

Even as the Class of 2016 was being inducted last night, the selection process for the 2017 BEHF begins "today" said BEHF co-founder Peter Stolzman. Stolzman was honored as a BEHF inductee in 2005 together with co-founder Thomas Murray. Nominations for 2017 BEHF honorees can be submitted by Branford citizens by sending an email to tcart1@comcast.net to reach 2006 BEHF inductee and committee member Toni Cartisano.

According to BEHF guidelines, nominees should be those who have brought "honor and distinction to Branford thorugh contributions to education." Citizens are invited to attend the nomination meeting and vote on the selection of honorees each January.