Opinion: Name the MHS Arts Center after Santo Fagilio

Letter to the Editor, from Frank LoGiudice.
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CITY COUNCIL TO DISCUSS NAMING THE MHS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AFTER LONG TIME MHS MUSIC TEACHER & BAND DIRECTOR SANTO FRAGILIO ON MONDAY, MARCH 5, 2018 AT 7 P.M.

Fragilio performing at a
 2009Art show at Zilkha Gallery

Last summer a beloved former music teacher and band director at Middletown High School died.  I am talking about Mr. Santo Fragilio.  Mr. Fragilio was employed as the music teacher and Band Director at Middletown High School for the Middletown Public Schools since 1948.  He retired from teaching in 1984 when the two public high schools merged but was asked by the former Superintendent of Schools to work part-time as an Arts Consultant for the Middletown Public Schools which he did until 2015.  At the February 13, 2018 Middletown Board of Education meeting the Board unanimously accepted the Ad Hoc Naming Committee's recommendation to name the Performing Arts Center at Middletown High School after him and they referred the matter to the Middletown City Council for discussion.  The City Council will take up this matter at the next council meeting on March 5, 2018.

Mr. Fragilio was an exceptional music teacher, band director and musician.  The Performing Arts Center should carry his name.  He was dedicated to the music students at Middletown High School and the music students in the Middletown Public Schools.  He worked tirelessly on behalf of the students.  He put the Middletown High School Band on the map having brought the band to many places such as the World's Fair in New York in 1965 when the MHS Band and Chorus performed there.  In addition, the Middletown High School Band toured Europe in 1972 where they performed at the International Music Festival in Vienna, Austria.  Mr. Fragilio was well known throughout the Greater Middletown community and beyond having established the Middletown Symphonic Band in 1979 which is still going strong.  He served for many years as the Director of the annual Christmas Sing on the South Green.  He received many awards for his musical talents too such as from the American Council of Learned Societies, Bennington College’s Department of Music Studies, the Middletown Commission On the Arts, and the Connecticut Music Educators Association.

I encourage all former students of Santo Fragilio, former colleagues of his and fellow musicians to call and write to Mayor Daniel Drew, members of the City Council and to show up at  the March 5, 2018 City Council meeting at 7 p.m.to strongly urge them to name the Performing Arts Center at Middletown High School after him.  If you cannot make the meeting please call the Mayor's Office at 860-344-3401 or send him a letter either via e-mail or U.S. mail. The mailing address is 245 Dekoven Drive and the mayor's e-mail is  mayor@MiddletownCT.gov and e-mail the city council at council@middletownct.gov to let your opinion known.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Frank LoGiudice
Ad Hoc Naming Committee Member.