Rep. Fishbein Hosts Essay Contest for Wallingford’s 350th
Like you, I am looking forward to the upcoming celebrations surrounding Wallingford’s 350th Jubilee Anniversary this June.
In honor of this tremendous anniversary, I am sponsoring an essay contest, asking our future to look back into our history. Students from both Dag and Moran Middle Schools are eligible to write a 400-500 word essay on the following topic: “Who is your favorite pre-1960 Wallingford Historical Figure, and Why?”
Of course, in order to truly engage students with our town’s history, I narrowed the topic to focus on Wallingford figures who deceased prior to 1960. While on one hand it would be interesting to read a student’s perspective of Bill Dickinson, Bob Parisi, or Vinny Testa, and their decades of dedicated service to the town, on the other hand we are celebrating THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY YEARS of history, and it would be all too easy to focus on the above incredible people currently working to keep our town the great place it is.
Additionally, the chosen historical figure must hail from, or have significantly impacted Wallingford. There are plenty of resources to assist in this task. The library has a history room that is a wealth of knowledge. The Wallingford Historical Society and the Wallingford Historic Preservation Trust can also be of assistance. Even the internet is not out of bounds.
So, if you have a student interested in taking on this challenge, or know a student who might, here’s their chance to become the teacher – dig into our past, and write about their favorite Wallingford historical figure!
Essays must be submitted to teachers before May 22nd. They will first be judged by each school’s administration based on form, style, research, grammar and insight. The top essay will be chosen by me, and read during Wallingford’s 350th Jubilee Ceremonies.