Coconut Communiqué

Concludes Career

By Andrew Gorosko

Even Mike Brokaw thought it was kind of a nutty thing to do.

Coco-nutty, that is.

Seizing an opportunity to say goodbye in a novel way, longtime town police Patrol Officer Mike Brokaw informed town officials recently that he would be retiring from the police department after more than 30 years of service.

To make his retirement notice formal, Officer Brokaw put it in writing –– on the husk of a coconut, which he then mailed to Police Chief Michael Kehoe from Key West, Fla.

Police knew that Officer Brokaw would be retiring soon, but the way that they learned of his intentions prompted chuckles, grins, and guffaws among the rank and file.

Officer Brokaw’s coconut/letter, which is painted a pale green, bears the hand-lettered message: “Dear Chief, Please start my retirement papers, effective 6/30/03. Thanks, M. Brokaw.”

The opposite side of the hefty fruit holds the police chief’s mailing address. The oval object bears multiple “priority mail” stickers and several high-value postage stamps, including a stamp cancellation from Key West.

While in Key West recently, Officer Brokaw had spotted a business that offers to mail message-laden coconuts. Recalling that he had told police he would soon formally notify them of his retirement date, Officer Brokaw opted for the novelty missive.

Officer Brokaw explained that since the painted coconut bore the proper postage, it traveled through the mail along with millions of manila envelopes and magazines.

First Selectman Herbert Rosenthal, who has been keeping the coconut on his desk in town hall as a conversation piece, termed the coconut/letter “the most unique way of announcing your retirement I have seen.”

“Somebody who sends in their retirement notice on a coconut… It seems like it’s time to go,” Officer Brokaw quipped.