The Little Compton Grange recently held its Annual Awards Night at the Grange Hall at the Commons, honoring a teacher, police officer and private citizen for their service to the community.

Teacher of the Year

Stephanie Harlow has been a teacher at the Wilbur and McMahon School for 15 years, but that was not her career path. She earned her degree from University of Massachusetts/Amherst with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology and Sociology, and was a social worker for Newport County Mental Health for 20 years. It was during this time, as a school social worker, that she realized how much she loved working with students and the impact that she could have in the classroom.

Police officer of the Year

Patrolman Stewart Braman has been a member of the Little Compton Police Department for about 18 months, but he has already had a big impact.

Last year, Braman demonstrated a combined passion for both traffic enforcement and a strong sense of community, leading the department  with more than 400 motor vehicle stops. During these stops, he was able to utilize his “education before violation” mentality and would often take the opportunity to educate motorists on the dangers of speeding, distracted driving, impaired driving and the importance of seatbelt use. These interactions ultimately increased positive relations with the police department while still creating safer roads within the community. He is also a night shift supervisor and is a certified Field Training Officer.

Citizen of the Year

Heather Helgar is the founder, chairwoman of the board and a program Leader for Little Compton Makers, an educational non-profit that offers children and youth hands-on programming in the areas of S.T.E.A.M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math). Helgar started the organization after bringing her son, Carver, to a Maker fair in Newport more than seven years ago.

Heather began her career in education more than 25 years ago after graduating from URI with a degree in zoology.