Selectmen Approve Memorial for Motorist at Bethany Dog Park

At a Monday meeting, Bethany's Board of Selectmen voted to allow the Amity Animal Rescue Fund (ARF) to move ahead with a memorial bench for a Greggory Caliendo, a Bethany man who died in a car crash, at the dog park on Pole Hill Road. The Orange-based organization plans to fund at least one park bench made of environmentally-friendly recycled plastic board.

ARF will cover the costs of the bench through a fund set up after Caliendo's death by his family and friends. Caliendo, 25, was killed May 8, 2010, when his car veered into an oncoming lane on a turn on Litchfield Turnpike in Woodbridge. According to ARF's Jeanine Russo, Caliendo was an animal lover, and relatives decided to pass donations for a memorial to ARF. Russo says after some exploration, they settled on the dog park as a site for the memorial.

This isn't a typical job for the fund, which normally works to provide funds for medical care for dogs and cats, including spay/neuter programs. Founded in 2008, it serves Orange, Bethany and Woodbridge and accepts donations as a 501(c ) non-profit.

Russo says manufacturers tell her the bench will be "maintenance-free" and hold up to weather and time.

"This will last quite a long time," she told Patch. "They're actually very eco-friendly."

First Selectman Derrylyn Gorski told Russo the board would prefer a single bench secured with durable metal stakes. ARF will finalize plans for the memorial, including materials, through the building department. Russo says she expects a dedication ceremony for the bench at the dog park within eight weeks.