New BOE Members Sworn in, Outgoing Chair Bid Farewell
WETHERSFIELD - Long-time Board of Education Chair Gina DeAngelo made her final motion with emotion last Monday Tuesday night, tearing up as she moved the meeting to a brief recess that would preclude the swearing in of the body’s new members.

       DeAngelo, who has served on the Board for eight years, received kind words from colleagues on both sides of the aisle as she passed her seat on.

       â€"It’s been an experience that I wouldn’t trade for the world,” DeAngelo said. â€"I made friends. I learned a lot. Nobody said that it was easy.”

       Bobbie Hughes Granato will take DeAngelo’s place as chair, with incumbent Board Member John Morris as vice chair. Both nominations were approved unanimously.

       Departing the Board with DeAngelo was Chuck Carey, Tracy McDougall and Jodi Latina, who was just elected to the Town Council. Carey also ran for a Council seat, but was not voted in, despite the fact that both were endorsed by the Republican and Independence parties.

       The new Board of Education is composed of Morris, John Cascio, Elaine Steinmiller-Paradise, Polly Moon, Kevin Hill, Matthew Forrest and Janet Vassel.

       â€"Working together, you really develop that bond of friendship,” Forrest said. â€"It really becomes familial. Today is bittersweet because we see part of our family move on, but we get to welcome some new family members.”

       Steinmiller-Paradise had warm words for all four of the departing Board members, crediting Latina with her work on bringing class sizes down at the Emerson Williams, Hamner and Charles Wright elementary schools.

       â€"She sets goals and she’s going to achieve them,” she said. â€"She’s an aggressive Board member.”

       Superintendent of Schools Michael Emmett also expressed his thanks.

       â€"The work you do is noble, often fraught with difficult decisions--not every decision is popular--but you do it for the kids,” Emmett said. â€"And that’s what it’s about.”
MORE WETHERSFIELD NEWS  |  STORY BY MARK DIPAOLA  |  Nov 24 2015  |  COMMENTS?