Community Corner
Westonite of the Week: Bruce Ando
This week's Westonite volunteers his time to the Weston Volunteer Fire Department, as well as Builders Beyond Borders.
Name: Bruce Ando
Age: 68
Occupation: Freelance industrial & commercial photographer
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Tell us a little about yourself:
I am a graduate of The Famous Photographers, Writers and Artists School. I apprenticed at Charles Rachum Studio for six years, I was a combat photographer for the United States Marine Corps from 1966 to 1968. I was a senior staff photographer at Perkin Elmer Corporation for five years and I have done freelance photography since 1976.
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As a professional photographer I have been photographing people and products in my studio and on location since 1976. My assignments have included photographing annual reports, facilities brochures, national advertisements, in-house magazines, catalogs and more. Clients include: AT& T Annual Report, G.E. Annual Report, I.B.M. Annual Report, PepsiCo Annual, United States Tobacco Annual, Acme Annual, Memry Annual, GT&E Annual Report, Pitney Bowes Annual Report, General Signal Corporation Annual Report, Stauffer Chemical Corporation Annual Report, Moore Annual Report, Inc Design NYC, Executone Corporation, Perkin Elmer Corporation Annual Report, Photronics Annual Report, United States Surgical Corporation Annual Report, Masons of Connecticut and Weston Magazine.
You are a volunteer firefighter in Weston. Have you done any volunteer work outside of the fire department?
For the past three years I have been an advisor for Builders Beyond Borders. With five other advisors and 33 high school students, we travel to countries in South America to assist in building project at local communities. So far we’ve worked in the Dominican Republic, Peru and Ecuador. In Peru, we dug a water trencher for a small town that has had no water since the earthquake in 2007. As an advisor, I help with safety and share my experiences with the students. For students to watch a lady open the tap outside her home and get water for the first time in two years, after a week of hard work it really makes a difference in a person’s life.
How long have you lived in Weston?
Twenty-seven years.
What is your favorite aspect of Weston?
It is a beautiful small town with great people.
What do you do for leisure in Weston?
I enjoy the nature around us, I like to build furniture and take photos. I am happy to have been a member of the WVFD for 19 years and really enjoy the company of my fellow firefighters and friends.
What keeps you here?
My family and I love the town.
