Paul Bendler was a community man in Naugatuck who served on several boards and commissions, worked for over 40 years in a borough factory and once lead the Union City Little League.
Now, the late Bendler will be commemorated with a field named after him where players from the very league he once was president for will play.
The Board of Mayor and Burgesses voted unanimously Tuesday to approve naming a recreational field at the Fawn Meadow Development “Paul Bendler Field.” The development is part of the Fawn Meadow Estates, which also shares the same name with a road in the Maple Hill area of Naugatuck.
The field will be multi-use, and will be a location for football games and T-ball games for the Union City youths, said Henry “Jay” Kuczenski Jr., the Parks Commission member who presented the plan to the board.
Kuczenski listed all of Bendler’s past achievements, also noting that he was married to his wife, Rita, until his death and had three sons, Paul Jr., Robert and Charles, as well as several grand children.
“He was also a member of the Hall of Fame,” Deputy Mayor Tamath K. Rossi chimed in.
Burgess Robert Burns called Bendler a “good gentleman.”
Kuczenski said the field will be dedicated in the fall, although there will be a ceremony next spring to honor Bendler’s name. The field is land reserved for the borough through a lease agreement with Fawn Meadow, and it can choose how it wants to develop it.
Kuczenski said the borough street department is doing the work on the field, including putting in a parking lot and putting up a fence. Costs related to implementing a sign would be covered through the Park Commission’s budget, he said.
Editor's Note: An earlier posting of this article contained an error. The Union City Little League omitted the term "little" in its title. This has since been corrected.
