Southington Rec Board Aims To Rename Field After Fallen Trooper

SOUTHINGTON, CT — The town's recreation board is seeking the Southington Town Council's permission to rename a Little League field at a local park after the state trooper killed in the line of duty on May 30.

The Southington Parks and Recreation Board last month sent in a formal request to the town to rename one of the fields at Recreation Park on Maxwell Nobe Drive in Plantsville after the late Aaron Pelletier.

Southington's council has yet to discuss or act on the request.

Pelletier, 34, died May 30 after a motorist struck him while he was conducting a traffic stop on Interstate 84 in Southington, where he was born, raised, and resided.

He lost his life conducting a seat belt enforcement check, part of an ongoing safety initiative. The driver of the pickup truck that hit him fled the scene and was, later, caught.

Pelletier left behind a wife, Dominique Pelletier, and two young sons, Troy and Zach, along with several friends and family members.

At the recreation board's last meeting on June 6, board members voted to make a formal request to the town to rename a field after Pelletier.

It would be part of the Southern Southington Little League.

The recreation board also appointed Southington Little League representative Bob Glick to work with the town manager's office to get the issue on a future council agenda.

Glick was at the rec meeting to discuss the renaming proposal.

He said one of his players many years ago was none other than Pelletier himself, with Pelletier also active in tee-ball for his young sons.

Glick said Pelletier was "very involved in sports in town and his family helped with maintenance of the fields."

"He has two little boys who would be thrilled to see their father’s name at the park," Glick told recreation board members.

Parks board member Michael J. Fasulo said such a decision is up to the council and the town's policy calls for a five-year waiting period between someone's death and renaming something in his or her honor.

The council, however, could vote to waive the policy and vote to rename the field, he said.

For the minutes of the June 6 Southington Parks and Recreation Board meeting, click on this link.

From June 5: 'Fallen Trooper Laid To Rest Amid Outpouring Of Emotion'