www.berlincitizen.com
Volume 24, Number 32
Thursday, August 11, 2022
Selfless cop honored by BPD colleagues
LONG LIVE THE ‘QUEEN’
Press Release
Sergeant Tyler Cyr has been selected “Employee of the Quarter” as part of the Berlin Police Department’s BEST program.
Paul Cassetta, one of the owners of the Dairy Queen located at 806 Farmington Ave. Nicole Zappone, The Citizen
DQ shows off new look By Nicole Zappone The Citizen
Known for their Blizzards and ice cream sundaes, Dairy Queen has been a source of tasty treats on hot summer days since 1940. As of 2018, 6,800 Dairy Queen restaurants were in operation around the world. One of those, of course, is in Kensington. And that long-standing DQ, located at 806 Farmington Ave., received a makeover recently.
"The remodel of this historic building shows the continued investment of the Cassetta family in Berlin,” Economic Development Director Chris Edge said. “They were able to combine a little of New England and a little corporate to create that wonderful new look." The Cassetta’s have run the Kensington Dairy Queen since 2018. Paul Cassetta, one of the owners, grew up in Berlin, and has fond memories of visiting DQ as a child. See DQ, A13
A ‘bigger,’ ‘better’ fair is on tap By Nicole Zappone The Citizen
Fall is right around the corner, and preparations for the 73rd Berlin Fair are well underway. This year, the fair runs from Sept. 15 to 18. Yes, four days. “This year’s fair will be bigger and better,” Fair President Philip Porter said. “We have an extra day starting on Thursday night.” Also, more eating options will be available at the Berlin Lions fairgrounds on Beckley Road.
“We tried to keep them local and expand our food choices,” Porter said, pointing out that Amy’s Sweet Treats, Meatball Bombs and Vito’s Pizza will be among the eateries represented. “Our patrons spoke loud and clear that they wanted more of a selection of traditional food,” Porter said. As usual, the fair, which is operated by the Berlin Lions, will feature live music, competitions, games and much more. See Fair, A11
Sergeant Cyr has been with the police department for seven years. He was promoted to sergeant in October of 2019 and is assigned to our Operations Division. Also, Cyr is a member of our ATV unit and Crisis Intervention Team, is trained as a Field Training Officer (FTO), and is the leader of our underwater response/ dive team. During this past quarter, Cyr was nominated by his peers and recognized for the hard work outlined below: Sergeant Cyr recently took on the task of organizing and planning the department’s 2022 awards ceremony. This was the first time that he was responsible for this event, as he took over the Awards Committee duties from another sergeant who retired. Cyr dedicated a lot of time and effort to this important evening and successfully held the event at Berlin High School on June 16. At the ceremony, numerous members of the department and community were recognized for outstanding service throughout the past three years. Sergeant Cyr and another officer were recognized for an act of kindness they showed towards a victim of sexual assault. The victim's car was recovered from the offender and did not have enough gas to get back home to New York State.
Sergeant Tyler Cyr.
The victim only had a $1 in their bank account. Cyr and the other officer used their own money to have the victim's gas tank filled up. Sergeant Cyr actively coaches and mentors less experienced officers assigned to his shift. He assists with investigations and encourages officers to be thorough and think outside the box during their investigations, in order to uncover evidence that could lead to the identification of suspect(s) or the development of probable cause. The Berlin Police Department’s BEST program, which began in January of 2021, is an employee recognition program primarily based on a peer submission process. This new program was designed to increase the amount of recognition our employees receive for outstanding work and performance, to reward employees who demonstrate leadership, and to highlight the “BEST” our department has to offer.