Chamber, Rotary Honor Local Businesses Of The Year

The Newtown Chamber of Commerce and the Newtown Rotary Club recently honored recipients of the Fourth Annual Business of the Year Awards during a dinner event at the Stony Hill Inn in Bethel.

Two awards were presented. Category One represented companies operating with 25 or fewer employees and included three finalists: Andrea’s Pastry Shop, Dunkin’ Donuts, and My Place Restaurant. After citations of the many contributions offered by each of the finalist, the honor was presented to My Place Restaurant.

Owners Louise, John, and Mark Tambascio have been supporters of community events and organizations for a number of years. The family’s support and generosity extends to numerous organizations including youth, sports, education, religious and community associations, including, but not limited to Newtown Youth Services, Family Counseling Center, Labor Day Parade, Newtown Teen Center, Newtown Little League, St Rose, and Wesley Learning Center.

Category Two represented companies operating with more than 25 employees and included three finalists: Lexington Gardens, The Taunton Press, and Union Savings Bank. Again, citations of the many contributions offered by each of the finalists were delivered before the honor was presented to Taunton Press.

The Taunton Press was recognized for its support of many organizations in and out of town, most notably its contribution to The Taunton Press Scholarship granted to graduating high school seniors. The company supports a variety of extracurricular activities, including a job shadowing program and internship opportunities in partnership with Newtown High School, as well as with other area colleges and universities.

The Business of the Year Award program was established as a means of singling out those businesses that contribute considerably to community efforts, either by means of donations or volunteerism. Nominations were submitted by members of both the chamber and the Rotary club.

Finalists and honorees were determined by the award committee, which included Pat Linnell of Linnell Real Estate, Mike Snyder of Allstate Insurance, Brian Amey of Newtown Savings Bank, and Alan Clavette of Clavette Josselyn & Co.

In addition to the finalists, the following organizations were also nominated: Dr Della Schmid, Newtown Curtains, Bagel Delight, Associated Refuse Corporation, TNT Partners, and Preferred Insurance Services.

The Chamber of Commerce of Newtown, Inc is dedicated to the promotion and encouragement of Newtown’s business community. It actively supports the expansion of business opportunities on behalf of its members through marketing, networking programs, community-sponsored events, and involvement in local economic development.