Portland is grieving an unthinkable loss after one of their firefighters and selectmen was hit and killed while crossing the street.
We’ve learned that Shaun Manning, of Portland, was on his way to a town meeting where he was going to be celebrated as the next first selectman when he was struck and killed by a car.
Since this loss took place last night – the tight knit community is coming together and remembering the dynamic, involved community member that was Manning.
If you were looking for Manning and his family on a Friday night, bartender Jennifer Sakal Morales said you probably could have found him and his family at Farrell’s in Portland.
Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.
“They flocked to him. They absolutely flocked to him,” Sakal Morales said. “He was loving, he was caring, he put a smile on everybody’s face, including mine."
Sakal Morales said she and the community are remembering Manning for his humor, his giving spirit and his warm personality.
At Farrell’s, Sakal Morales said Manning’s signature order will always make her smile.
Local
"His bud zeros. Every time he walked in the door, I’d send my bar-back down the stairs to stock ‘em up,” Sakal Morales said.
It's hard to find someone in town that doesn't have a connection to Manning.
"He did the roof on my house, he did the floor here on this building, and when you talk to him he was kind hearted and funny,” Melissa Arroyo, the owner of Primavera Pizza of Portland, said.
Arroyo said it feels like the whole town knows him personally.
Not only was he a lieutenant at Fire Company 3 and a selectman, but he also ran his own construction business, was involved with the Portland GOP and helped out at the Portland Food Bank.
"That’s just giving of your heart and your time, he's not getting paid for that,” Arroyo said.
As the community pushes forward, people in Portland say they're thinking of the Mannings, who are a well-known and well-loved family in town.
"Portland is such a small town, so when something like this happens, everybody feels it,” Arroyo said.
“Hold your close ones tight, and don’t forget to say I love you at the end of the night,” Sakal Morales said.
The fire department had grief counselors on hand Thursday night for anyone who needed it.
They’re also hosting a Santa parade on Sunday, which was already planned. But now there’s an initiative sparked by community members, encouraging attendees to make signs in Manning’s memory and in support of the Portland Fire Department.
