Q&A with: Catherine Palazzi

Jun. 19—OCCUPATION — Senior coordinator for the Town of Andover and chairman of the Andover Sustainable CT Committee.

HOMETOWN: Andover. Grew up in Hartford, lived in Europe for 10 years while her husband worked for Pratt and Whitney International.

background: Studied psychology and finance at Hartford Women's Wellness College. Certified in training and caring for adults, veterans, and disabled.

INTERESTS: Loves to quilt. She and her husband formerly ran the Andover farmers market.

Q: What brought you to working for the town?

A: Former first selectman, Charlene Barnett. She said to me, 'We're looking for a municipal agent for the seniors. I think you would fit the bill. Why don't you apply for the job?' So, I did and then she said, "By the way, it's a voluntary job. We don't pay." I said, "That sounds all right with me." I just wanted to help. You have to be nominated by the Board of Selectmen and approved.

Q: What does your job involve?

A: Anything and everything. I am available 24/7. It's not uncommon to get phone calls at 9 o'clock at night from seniors who wanted to chat or have questions, or they want to make sure that they are going to be picked up for a transportation ride. I would get called to people's homes at night because the caregiver was having difficulty having the patient take their medication and the patient would be asking for me. The caregiver would call me, my husband would drive me over to the house and wait for me in the driveway while I settled the problem. It happens many times, but it's all in good fun because I know that I'm helping people. I have the most wonderful seniors here in this town. I have a senior right now that calls me minimum three times a day. She's all alone, and she needs reassurance, even if it's two minutes or a one-minute call.

Q: What have you learned for yourself over the past 13 years?

A: I'm very blessed with my life. I have a wonderful, wonderful husband. He is so supportive, and his strength has taught me a lot.

Through the years, I have grown in learning so much more patience, so much more understanding of people.

I've taken a great deal of courses in Alzheimer's. I have several patients right now with Alzheimer's or dementia, and I'm so pleased that I'm able to help them in even a small way and help their spouses or their loved ones.

Q: Why is there a large group of logs by the town hall?

A: I'm glad you asked. I happen to be the chairman of the Andover Sustainable CT Committee. It's going to be a community garden. I am talking to people like the Andover Garden, the garden center on the corner of Route 6. They said, "When you are ready to do this, let us know. We'll bring you topsoil. We'll bring you fertilizer, whatever you need."

Eric Anderson, our town administrator, he had a lot of trees cut down that were really bad. He had them cut up and had his public works people put them up there for the garden.

Q: The logs will frame it?

A: Yes. Each one is a plot. My husband and I are purchasing two plots and that is for the Andover Elementary School. They're going to have lessons there on how to grow and how to cultivate their garden. Each person in town who wants one will have a plot and they can have a little garden, whatever they want, they can have there.

Q: What projects and activities does the seniors program have?

A: We reopened June 2. That was our first opening day. We had bingo. The second Tuesday of the month starting in September, we will have a movie that will be here in the community room. We have a 72-inch TV screen. Judy O'Brien takes care of our trips. We have not been doing anything because of COVID for over a year. March 11, 2020, was the last time I did anything with the seniors.

What I do every Friday is I have a lunch for them. We just had one June 4. We had 36 people. It was awesome because they were just so happy to be out. On June 25, I'm taking the seniors to Elizabeth Park in Hartford to see the roses at their peak, then for pizza.

Q: Are there any efforts to dispel ageism and show that you are active and involved in the community?

A: Absolutely. Andy Maneggia, who was superintendent way back when, we started intergenerational programs with him. A lot of the people who ... are young to Andover, they've only been here maybe one year, two years, three years, and they have children in the school and they're not sure how the seniors fit into our life. We did a crocheting project, for instance, under (former Superintendent) Sally Doyen. Under Andy, we did a robotic program. We did singing. He had his children come over and sing for the seniors, they had ice cream after.

Q: You said you were considering stepping down from your position soon.

A: I have been trying to do that for two years.

Q: What are you going to do with yourself when you do step down?

A: I love to quilt, and I have all these projects for my grandchildren. I've started here, started there. I've got four piles started and nothing is done.

My husband and I several years ago took on the Andover farmer's market. That was such fun. The first year, the money we made we donated to Andover Elementary School, so the children could build their own garden. They planted vegetables and took them to the farmers market and sold them to reinvest the money into the garden.

Note: This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.

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