My Connecticut Story: Signs and Stories Run Through the State
/How long does it take to visit all of Connecticut's 169 towns? In the case of one resident, 13 years. And that individual not only stopped by each town, he ferreted out the official town sign - you know, the large blue signs with white lettering that often appear on town greens. Thomas Fatone's odyssey began in Trumbu
ll in 1997 and continued across the state through 2010.
Visiting is fine, but how long does it take to run in all 169 towns? Longer. Nonetheless, it is becoming a popular goal. So much so that a society of runners dedicated to running through every town in Connecticut has been formed, and they have a website to track their exploits. DEBTiCONN.org, which stands for Do Every Blessed Town in Connecticut, has a motto: "All you have to do is show up and run."
Now, Fatone and Adam Osmond (one of the runners) are among a growing number of Connecticut residents telling their stories as part of the state's new tourism website, which encourages such homegrown stories and holds out the possibility of the story-tellers winning prizes and their stories influencing the state's new $22 million tourism campaign. By the way, The Signs of Connecticut will soon be published as a book. Osmond, at last check, was still running. The contest, operated by the Department of Economic and Community Development, ends on May 25, 2012.
