Meet Your 2016 Hometown Heroes

At its Regular Meeting on May 9, 2016 the Board of Selectmen presented Hometown Hero Awards to 2016 recipients Peter Askham, Roger Coombes, Pam Kelley and Nick Mason for outstanding service to the Town of Simsbury.

Congratulations to our Hometown Heroes

Peter Askham

Peter Askham has served the Town of Simsbury for many years in a variety of volunteer positions. His posts include 19 years on the Simsbury Board of Finance, two of them as chairman. He also served on a town appointed commission to study government. He was on the Simsbury Economic Development Commission for five years, and the board of the Simsbury Public Library for one year.

Mr. Askham was a Simsbury youth soccer coach for 12 years and earned several levels of coaching licenses. He has an avid interest in and has been a great supporter of the crew program in town. He was on the Friends of Simsbury Crew Board for three years, helped fundraise to purchase a new truck for the team, and has volunteered preparing its tax returns for 12 years.

He is a member of the St. Mary’s credit union board; and served for 35 years as the treasurer and internal auditor for the Hartford Power Squadron, a recreational boating organization; and was a founder of Simsbury Bank. Mr. Askham has been a member of the Simsbury Republican Town Committee for 27 years.

Roger Coombes

Roger Coombes and his family have been part of Simsbury sports since the 1970s. Mr. Coombes has been active in youth sports in town for decades. He coached little league, and the travel basketball team for 15 years. He is the voice of Simsbury High School sports, as he has been the announcer for the football and the basketball teams for close to a decade for Simsbury Community Television. In fact, it is said he bleeds blue and gold.

Pam Kelley

Pam Kelley is a wonderful asset to the Simsbury community, and especially the Simsbury Public Library, where she has been an active volunteer with the Friends of the Simsbury Public Library (FSPL). In her many roles, she has been a ‘sorter’ and ‘packer’ for the annual used book sale, and for many years has been the sole organizer of the ongoing bookstore at the library. She organizes and re-stocks the shelves weekly, making the little store a pleasant place to visit and shop.

The proceeds – $5,000 to $6,000 a year – benefit the FSPL and, therefore, the library and all who use it. She does this in her free time while also helping care for her grandchildren and working at Tulmeadow Farm.

In addition, Ms. Kelley continues to serve on the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary as she has done for 15 years.

Nick Mason

Nick Mason is someone who has never lost interest in his former profession – banking – and has applied that knowledge as a volunteer within the Simsbury community. Once he retired as CFO of the Savings Bank of Manchester, he turned his considerable skills, intellect and energy to virtual full-time volunteerism.

He served on the Simsbury Board of Finance for 14 years, including two as vice chair. He served on the retirement committee and the insurance committee of the town as well.

He is the treasurer for Simsbury Community Television, the Old Drake Hill Flower Bridge, and the Powder Forest Homeowners’ Association, where he lives with his wife, Connie. He is the board president and past treasurer of the Farmington Valley Visiting Nurse Association. He is active on the Simsbury Democratic Town Committee and has acted as treasurer to both the committee and numerous candidates over the years.

Mr. Mason is active in the Simsbury Chamber of Commerce and acted as an event banker for Septemberfest when the chamber ran it. He is on the board and executive board of the Simsbury Bank, as well as the bank’s corporate governance committee and audit committee. He also volunteers on an ad hoc basis for the special events, such as the upcoming Triathlon.

He is a long-time member of the Simsbury Light Opera Company and has served as set construction chairman, vice president and of course, treasurer.

Outside of Simsbury, he teaches an annual seminar/class in the “banking school” for middle managers put on by the CT Bankers Association.

A Porsche lover, Mr. Mason is a long-time member of the CT Valley Region Porsche Club and – surprise, surprise – again a past treasurer.

Lest you think he is too focused on financially-related activities, you should know that he has been a frequent rower on the Farmington River, a marathon runner, a devoted husband, a father of a grown son, a proud grandpa of a 3-year-old grandson, and a well-loved friend to many.

He is not only a hometown hero, whose work greatly benefits the residents of Simsbury, but he could give the Energizer Bunny a run for his money.

HISTORY OF THE AWARD

Initiated in 1986 by Governor William O’Neill as part of the 350th Anniversary of the founding of Connecticut, towns were invited to designate residents as “Hometown Heroes” for any deed or service that made the community a better place in which to live. Since that time, the Town of Simsbury has recognized its own Hometown Heroes at a special ceremony.

SELECTION PROCESS

A Selection Committee, consisting of the First Selectman, representatives of the Board of Selectmen, the Historical Society and the business community, along with a previous Hometown Hero and a member of a service or Veteran’s organization reviews nominations of individuals who have demonstrated selfless and altruistic behavior which contributes significantly to the betterment of the Town.