Redding Resident of the Week: Mike D'Agostino

Name: Mike D'Agostino

Age: 47

Occupation: Carpenter and Construction Manager

How long have you lived in Redding?

My wife and I relocated here from Stamford shortly after we were married, 22 years ago.

Why did you move here?

We were living in Stamford and wanted to move to a smaller, closer-knit community to raise our children. Redding was appealing because of its excellent schools, small town feel and warm, welcoming community.

What keeps you here?

After living here for so many years, Redding certainly feels like home. My family and I enjoy the numerous school-related events and town events that Redding has to offer such as Concerts on the Green, middle and high school theater productions and children’s sports teams. My wife works at and my children are both involved in their respective school communities.

You attend a lot of town meetings. What is one issue important to you, and where do you stand on it?

What I care most passionately about is our school system and students. My stance is that we should all be doing the very best we can to ensure a well-rounded education for all children. What I tell people is to get involved, attend Board of Education meetings, volunteer in your child’s classroom, and pay attention to what is going on year-round and not just at budget time. The quality of our schools will impact all of us in town, in one way or another—we all invest in them and we should know about and protect that in which we are investing.

What do you like about town meetings?    

I like to attend meetings because I feel more connected to what is going on when I hear it in person as opposed to reading the minutes or newspaper articles. When I attend the meetings, I feel involved in the community. As anyone who has seen me at meetings will tell you, I often take advantage of the “public comment” portion of the agenda to ask questions or to make a point. I believe it is crucial for there to be dialogue about issues that impact our schools and our community as opposed to a one-way approach to communication. All of the boards in town are generous when it comes to allowing time for public comment.

What do you dislike about them?

Though I know we all have to pick and choose how we allot our time, I am frequently disappointed in the low attendance at school and town meetings. There is a core group of us who try to attend regularly, and that is great; however, it would be encouraging to see better attendance on a more consistent basis and other than when there is something challenging or controversial being considered. There is a lot of good that comes out of these meetings, and it would be wonderful for more people to witness that.

What is your favorite thing about Redding?

Over the past 22 years, I have come to appreciate the many great characteristics of our town. The common thread, however, and the aspect I value most is the character of the wonderful people. Loyal friends, caring neighbors and members of the community are always willing to band together to help each other overcome adversity and maintain the close knit community which is the ideal setting to raise our families.

What is your fondest memory that takes place in Redding?

My fondest memories all have to do with the music and theater productions that take place at and . We are all so fortunate to benefit from the dedication, time and talent of the driving forces behind these performances—the students, involved parents, teachers and administrators and , who has remained devoted to theater in our schools for so many years. I have always enjoyed being involved with the set-building for these productions and my children absolutely love being part of them each year. Our music and theater offerings are an unmatched source of enrichment for our students and our entire community.