FALLS VILLAGE – A tree planted in the courtyard at Housatonic Valley Regional High School to honor longtime Region One secretary Dolly Spadaccini finally received its commemorative plaque last week, 10 years after it was dedicated.
Organizers joked during the July 14 ceremony that they wanted the redbud tree to grow strong and sturdy before installing the plaque. In reality, they admitted, a little procrastination and a few other circumstances contributed to the decade-long delay.
Former colleagues gathered to make the recognition official.
A Housatonic graduate, Spadaccini began working at the school at age 19, spending her first year in the main office before serving the next 48 years as secretary to the Region One special education department. She worked alongside seven special education directors before retiring in 2016.
Much of the informal ceremony was filled with good-natured jokes about how long it had taken to complete the tribute, but Spadaccini said she was deeply appreciative.
“It’s an honor to have this tree,” she said. “I was pleased to have been at Region One all those years, working with wonderful people.”
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