ARTHUR B. POOLE
AWARD
1987 Honoree

DR. ELIZABETH COOLING

Dr. Elizabeth Cooling of Laurel Hill Road has been selected as the 13th recipient of the Award.

The committee announced that it was particularly appropriate for Dr. Cooling to receive the award this year when senior citizen housing is a main topic of town business.

Dr. Cooling is the chairperson of the Housing Authority and has served in that capacity since its inception. Wintergreen, the new 20 unit senior citizen housing facility off Bentley Drive, will be open soon.

Committee member Margaret Arigoni said there were a great many nominations in support of this year’s award winner, including numerous telephone calls and even several petitions that circulated in town.

Dr. Cooling was honored at a dinner on June 18 at the Burlington Inn.
In 1976 Dr. Cooling retired from her job as college professor of elementary education and philosophy of education at Rhode Island College after 19 years.

She also has been active as a driver for the town’s ambulance association. One of the recommendations for her nomination mentioned the dedication she had to the job, including spending countless hours driving the back roads of Harwinton to familiarize herself with the area in case she had to drive to an emergency.

The award committee contacted Dr. Cooling at an Audubon Society meeting and she was humbled, Arigoni said, wanting to share the honor with others.

An avid environmentalist, she and her brother donated land off Laurel Hill Road several years ago to the Litchfield Hills Audubon Society for a wildlife area known as Kalmia Sanctuary.

Members of the committee included Helen Shanley, chairman; Arigoni secretary; Harold Humphry, treasurer; David Frauenhofer, Allison Rabinko and Bill Green.



Soures:
Harwinton Historical Society Scrapbook
The Register Citizen Newspaper

For Photos