Wiedemann Receives 2009 Ella Grasso Women’s Leadership Award

By Eliza Hallabeck

As a resident of Newtown for the past 20 years, and an active local volunteer, Anna Wiedemann may be known to residents for many reasons. On Friday, October 16, she was recognized as one of two Fifth Congressional District recipients of the 2009 Ella Grasso Women’s Leadership Award for her efforts on behalf of the community.

The awards breakfast was conducted at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville.

Ms Wiedemann is a member of Citizens for Newtown, a group that helps pass referendums, a past president of the Sandy Hook Elementary School PTA, a Sunday school teacher and a co-leader of Odyssey of the Mind and she is a member of the Newtown Prevention Council. She also volunteers as a driver for Meals on Wheels and with the Visiting Nurses Association of Newtown.

“She fundraises, organizes phone banks, gives rides to the polls, and willingly provides any other help that is needed,” the brochure reads.

Ms Wiedemann is also a current member of the Board of Education.

“While it was sponsored by the Democrats,” said Ms Wiedemann on Friday, hours after receiving the award, “I didn’t really look at it as a political thing.”

She learned she had received the award roughly four weeks before the ceremony. Ms Wiedemann was one of nine women recognized with the award from the five congressional districts this year. The other awardees are Patricia Begley, Margaret “Peg” Curtin, Stephanie Farber, Brigida Diaz, Lesa Peters, Maureen Magnan, Patricia Smulders, Penelope “Penny” Bellamy, and Devon Pfeifer.

James Juliano, chair of the Democratic Town Committee, gave Ms Wiedemann a form to fill out last year, because, he said, he thought she is “a good person.”

“I thought to myself, ‘How could you deny this person when you read what she has done?’” Mr Juliano said.

Mr Juliano describes Ms Wiedemann as an unbelievably energetic woman who he admires.

“She is a nice person,” he said. “Someone you can talk to. She has common sense. She is really admired by the rest of the Democratic Town Committee, and other members of the town.”

The award was a surprise to Ms Wiedemann this year, because, she said, she did not know Mr Juliano had submitted her name for the award again.

“It was pretty exciting,” she said. “A nice surprise. You don’t do these things looking for a pat on the back. I do these things because I enjoy them. I love Newtown.”

Ms Wiedemann added that in volunteering and helping in the community she hopes it will lead to it being truly, “Nicer in Newtown.”