In the News
Troop 1607 Southbury has been accepted into the Boy Scouts of America’s new combined troop pilot program, which allows boys and girls to join the same troop.
A Halloween-themed open house for parents and prospective Scouts will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, October 28 at VFW Post 1607, 150 Lee Farm Drive.
The Troop is now inviting girls to join and take part in all the activities and opportunities available. They hold weekend camping trips every month and meet on Monday nights.
“We’re really excited to be part of this program,” said Committee Chair Steve Nobrega. “Scouting is all about developing skills, making friends, and helping the community. Now, we can offer that to the whole family.”
Those seeking more information may visit the troop’s website at https://www.troop1607.org.
Robert Walsh, 14, of Southbury, has earned the Eagle Scout award, the highest advancement rank within the Boy Scouts of America, on June 21, 2023.
Robert was recognized at his Eagle Court of Honor ceremony on October 1, 2023, at the Southbury VFW Post 1607.
Ken Korsu (right), commander, VFW Post 1607 in Southbury, recently accepted a $1,000 check from Committee Chair Steve Nobrega of Boy Scout Troop 1607. The check represents money donated by citizens during the Southbury Memorial Day Parade. Most of the donated funds will be steered for local high school student scholarships. “We thank the Boy Scouts for this tremendous effort,” Mr Korsu said, “and we thank the residents of Southbury for their continued support for the VFW.”
Munson Lovetere Funeral Home of Woodbury and Southbury, Stone Family Cremation Services, Pet Passages and American Legion Post 10 of Seymour conducted a Flag Retirement and Disposal Ceremony at the Crematorium in Southbury on Flag Day.
Between the flags collected by the American Legion Post 10 of Seymour and Southbury Boy Scout Troop 1607, over 5000 flags were properly and respectfully disposed of.
Southbury VFW Post 1607 Commander Ken Korsu speaks while being video recorded as twin brother Boy Scouts Matthew and Christopher DePalma from troop 1607 stand at attention during a Memorial Day ceremony that will be broadcast on May 25.
Guest speaker Greg Gibson, a Southbury resident and former Air Force F-15 fighter pilot, talked about his experiences in war and the brave men he fought alongside, some of whom lost their lives serving their country.
Ben Orton of Troop 1607 in Southbury recently completed his Eagle Scout project for Companion Pet Rescue, performing necessary maintenance and updates at its adoption center on North Georges Hill Road.
After consulting with the center to establish needs, Ben created a plan, a budget and a timeline and commenced fundraising for the project. The work included painting and sealing the concrete floors, painting and sealing any exposed wood, priming and painting ceilings, replacing gate posts for each kennel and making dollies for food storage bins.
Ben directed his fellow scouts on the work and the boys enjoyed break time with the puppies.
Southbury First Selectman Jeffrey Manville hands Jake Addison his Eagle Scout Award at a Court of Honor ceremony December 13. The Pomperaug high school student and Troop 1607 member received the award for rebuilding the fence around the Southbury Community Garden to keep animals from eating the food. Jake also received a Bronze Palm for earning five more merit badges than the 21 required to become an Eagle Scout.
The saying is "good fences make good neighbors," but in Southbury, a good fence might make an Eagle Scout. After attending a Parks and Recreation Commission meeting in August of 2017, Boy Scout Jake Addison knew what he wanted to do for his Eagle Scout project. At the meeting, gardeners who use the Community Garden in Settlers Park expressed concern over the deteriorated condition of the fence that surrounded the garden, protecting the plants inside from wild animals. The commission regretted they could not provide much assistance due to a lack of funds. Thus, Mr. Addison collected more than $800 in donations, along with donated supplies and a small army of volunteers to renovate the fence. Saturday, March 31, 2018, saw more than a dozen volunteers apply the finishing touches to the new barrier. The garden, which is a significant supplier of fresh vegetables to the Southbury Food Bank, will now be protected by an all-metal fence that extends into the ground in an "L" shape to prevent critters from digging their way in.
Michael Falsetta from Troop 1607 successfully completed his Eagle Project for the Southbury Land Trust in September. Michael and his helpers replaced the fence at Phillips Farm along Sanford Road to prevent ATVs and snowmobiles from destroying trails and habitat. On hand for the project were Peter Galasso, Rick Lowry, Mark Cristino, Will Lowry, Patrick Monahan, Michael Falsetta, Nicholas Falsetta, Tim Monahan and stewardship director Regina Badura.
Thanks to this group of Boy Scouts from Troops 1607 and 162, Southbury’s town parks are cleaner. More than two truckloads of stuff were picked up and removed in a spring event organized by the Southbury Land Trust and the Conservation Commission. Pictured after a vigorous workout are (from left) Jackson Papaloannou, Christopher Niver, Davin Papaloannou, Andrew Vela and Mickey Parrella.
With the installation of the Veterans Green lamppost sign on Main Street South in Southbury, Troop 1607 Life Scout Brendan Mallon’s Eagle Project, The Enhancement of Veterans Green, is now complete. Brendan’s Eagle Project included placing five benches with service plaques, a Veterans Memorial sign with the service emblems, two flower boxes and the installation of the green street sign. Brendan raised $5,700, and his expenses were $5,500. “Many people contributed both their talents and over 330 work hours to bring this project to life,” he said. After completing the final phase of his Eagle Project, Brendan (third from left) took a moment to thank some of his many helpers, including (from left) Laura Mahoney, Colleen Mallon, Sophia Mahoney and Matt Mallon.
Volunteers from the Community Chapel Pro-Teen Youth Group in Southbury and Boy Scout Troop 1607 volunteered to help the Southbury Needy Fund. They worked to distribute the toys from the Southbury Police Drive and to sort and bag the new clothing and toys for the children on the list which so far amounts to 65 families; (from left) John Michael Lavish, Adam Miller, Patrick Crawford and, in back, Michael Falsetta.
Veterans Memorial Green is getting a facelift. Boy Scouts will replace the old bench with five new ones and two flower boxes will adorn the entranceway. A lamppost sign will display an emblem for each branch of the military.
Brendan Mallon of Troop 1607 will lead the effort for his Eagle Scout project, which the Planning Commission unanimously approved Wednesday.
“I plan to start in September and finish before Veterans Day,” Mallon said.
The park is located between Town Hall and the Southbury Senior Center on Main Street South.
The project was sparked by Ruby O’Neill, wife of State Rep. Arthur O’Neill, R-Southbury, who presented the idea to the Board of Selectmen last April and it was well received.
Each bench will have a plaque for different branches of service, including the Army 1784, Navy 1794, Airforce 1947 and Marines 1798. Mallon said one bench will have a plaque for both the Coast Guard 1790 and the Merchant Marine 1920.
Two benches and two flower boxes will face the sidewalk, centered off the flagpole or lamp post. Two benches will be on the east side of the green, facing west near the upslope. And the fifth bench will be toward the back of the green (near the small trees) facing the flagpole.
Boy Scouts from Southbury’s Troops 60, 162 and 1607 assisted the VFW and American Legion Veterans in placing more than 470 flags on the graves of former servicemen who are buried in six cemeteries. Each Scout was instructed to place a flag near the grave headstone, step back and offer a salute.
Approximately 40 Boy Scouts from troops 60, 162, and 1607 of Southbury, and troop 444 of Middlebury converged on the Southbury Land Trust's Platt Farm for a Camporee on the weekend of April 9, 2016. The young men from Southbury and Middlebury made camp on the property Friday night and on Saturday assisted the Land Trust by trimming and clearing trees, removing invasive bushes and vines, and extracting trash left behind by the property's original owners.
Christopher Fernandes of Southbury Troop 1607 received Eagle Scout rank in July and was commemorated in a Court of Honor on Saturday, October 3. His project was designing and coordinating the construction of an outdoor barbecue pit on the VFW Post 1607 grounds.
Southbury Boy Scout Troop 60, Troop 162 and Troop 1607 came together April 17 through 19 at the Southbury Land Trust’s Phillips Farm for the first Southbury Camporee. Scouts of all ranks and ages enjoyed a full weekend of beautiful weather, service projects, camaraderie, fun and some formalities. On the evening of the final night together, the camp flag was lowered and properly folded by a color guard consisting of (clockwise, from left) Chris Niver and Kieran Garrity of Troop 162, Sean Yamanaka of Troop 1607, Matthew Milite of Troop 60, Brian Wiser of Troop 162, Mitchell Swanson and Jackson Papaioannou of Troop 1607 and Seth Fromwitz of Troop 60.
Matthew Mallon is the newest Eagle Scout for Boy Scout Troop 1607 in Southbury. On hand for the Eagle Board of Review were (from left) Rick Lowry, Troop 1607 Scoutmaster; Greg Lloyd, Troop 1607 Committee member; Roger Donna, NW Hills district representative; state Rep. Arthur O’Neill, R-69; Eagle Scout Matthew Mallon; Tribury Rotary Club President John Monteleone; Troop 1607 Committee member Bruce Pearson and VFW member Ken Korsu.
Northwest Hills District of the Boy Scouts on Friday for the first time brought together all the Scouts who earned the rank of Eagle in 2014.
At the Elks Lodge in Torrington, 46 Scouts were honored for reaching scouting’s highest rank in the last year. The Northwest Hills District delivers Scouting programs to 2,200 youth and 960 adults in 63 units in Torrington, New Milford, Southbury and 22 other northwest Connecticut towns.
Eagle Scout Matthew Mallon, 17 of Troop 1007 in Southbury, left, and his brother Brendan Mallon, 13, chat with adviser Dave Rohlfing, right, during the Northwest Hills District’s Eagle Scout Recognition Dinner Friday hosted by, and held at, the Torrington Elks Lodge #372.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1607 of Southbury have approved an Eagle Scout project to build a brick fireplace and stone patio in the back yard of the Post. Life Scout Chris Fernandes (left) of Boy Scout Troop 1607 addressed VFW members at a recent meeting, outlining his proposal to design, finance and build the project, to be completed this summer. Chris was welcomed by VFW Post Commander Peter D’Amato (center).
Eagle Scout candidate Quentin Norris led members of Southbury Boy Scout Troop 1607 and others in creating a safe and secure area for small dogs at the Southbury Dog Park. Under Quentin’s direction, the team installed more than 250 feet of fencing to enclose the new area and installed separate gates for dogs and for maintenance vehicles. Dense underbrush was cleared under large trees to provide a shady retreat for dogs and their owners on hot summer days. Quentin’s Eagle Scout project now provides an opportunity for smaller dogs to safely meet and play with others of comparable size. Quentin is entering his senior year at Pomperaug High School, where he is a member of the National Honor Society and plays on the lacrosse team. He plans to study science in college.
Members of Boy Scout Troop 1607, VFW Post 1607, American Legion Post 147, Southbury Volunteer Fire Department and others paid tribute to the 148 Connecticut lives lost 10 years ago in the attack on the World Trade Center Sunday, September 11, at Memorial Park
After a blessing by the Rev. Walter Pitman of the United Church of Christ and the Pledge of Allegiance by BSA troop 1607 member Ross Russo, names were read while a bell was tolled and a flag was retired in their honor.
Eagle Scout candidate Spencer Freund led members of Southbury Boy Scout Troop 1607 and other participants in making improvements to the Southbury Dog Park. The team constructed a double-gate entrance and terraced the area to alleviate drainage problems. O&G Industries and Chatfield Hardware of Southbury donated materials and equipment for the project. Spencer is a senior at Pomperaug High School, where he is in the honor society and plays on the lacrosse team. He plans to pursue an engineering degree in college.
Pomperaug High School senior Andrew Bleidner, a member of Boy Scout Troop 1607 in Southbury, attained the Eagle Rank December 2, 2010, following an Eagle project in which he sent 1,600 pocket flags to U.S. troops serving in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Andrew’s accomplishments were recognized Sunday, April 3, in a Court of Honor at the Southbury VFW Hall. Among those attending were state Rep. David Labriola (left), R-131, who brought a citation from the General Assembly; Andrew’s mother, Claudette Bleidner; and his grandmother, Concetta Negri.
Boy Scout Troop 1607, sponsored by VFW Post 1607, spent Sunday, November 22, picking up American flags from more than 400 graves of Southbury veterans.
Scouts from Troop 60 and Troop 1607 placed the flags in six Southbury cemeteries before Memorial Day last May, offering a salute as each flag was placed and removed.
Boy Scouts from Troop 1607 surprised members of VFW Post 1607 recently with the gift of a very special U.S. flag.
The flag was presented to Post 1607 in honor of its 80th anniversary and as a thank you for support they have given to Boy Scout Troop 1607.
Boy Scout Troop 1607 of Southbury captured the top two places in the Mad River District Klondike Derby, Saturday, February 7, at Camp Mattatuck in Plymouth.
The Beaver Patrol placed first and the Thunder Cats finished second of the 57 patrols competing.
Boy Scout Troop 1607, chartered to VFW Post 1607 in Southbury, has received a special certificate of appreciation and an embroidered American flag from the Raiders Brigade Combat team in Iraq.
In appreciation for school supplies sent to the brigade, Major Michael Birmingham arranged for these gifts sent to the scouts.
Thirteen scouts from Southbury’s Troop 1607 used rakes, kayaks and canoes to clear weeds in Kettletown Cove in advance of the swim portion of the second annual Nutmegman Triathlon on September 21. First Class Scout Ian Jones was among those clearing lake weeds prior to the start of the race.
Two members of Boy Scout Troop 1607 have received a Region 15 Superintendent's Award.
Wil DeFeo and Spencer Freund have been recognized for their community service, service to others, scholarship and leadership.
Matt Porell received his Eagle badge from Troop 1607, Friday, August 13, at an Eagle Court of Honor with troop members, friends and family present.
Matt's grandfather, Eagle Scout Richard Porell of Estero, Fla., swore him in as an Eagle.
Harmon Andrews, VFW Post 1607, presented Matt with an Eagle plaque.
Will DeFeo of Southbury was named Troop 1607's Scout of the Year at a Court of Honor awards ceremony in December. The honor was presented to him by Scoutmaster Russ DePace and the adult leadership committee of VFW Troop 1607. The award is presented each year to a scout who naturally displays the behaviors found within the Scout Law and Oath and who has continually worked hard to contribute to the greater good of the troop. An eighth grader at Memorial Middle School, Will has been active in scouting since the first grade as a Cub Scout in Pack 15 through Long Meadow Elementary School in Middlebury. He currently holds the rank of Star Scout.
The George Newtown Post 1607 of Southbury has agreed to sponsor the town's fifth Boy Scout troop. The troop, which will operate out of the VFW hall in Lakeside, was formed this past week. Thirteen current scouts are charter members. Three of these scouts are on the immediate path to Eagle Scout. Fourteen adults who will serve as leaders and committee members also are charter members. All leaders are fully trained and represent more than 100 years of scouting experience.
Robert Goode is the committee chairman and Russell DePace is scoutmaster. Commander Harmon Andrews of Post 1607 met with troop leaders to orient them with the facilities of the VFW hall and complete the formal paperwork necessary for troop recognition. The troop will take the post's number as their own and be known as Troop 1607.