By August of 1995 there would be 18 of us and we would all graduate. The only common denominator appeared to be a love for and commitment to nature. Our training consisted of two phases, Act 120 and conservation officer school, which lasted 10 months. The building was an 1800s-era seminary named Ciotti Manor, and our living quarters were old monastic cells. At Ciotti we had a resident training coordinator named Dale Paglia.
Dale is reminiscent of a troll in the story of the three billy goats' gruff.
He stands about five foot-eight and is a bit hefty. He dresses in shorts and an old t-shirt and is probably one of the greatest men I have ever had the pleasure of encountering. Dale is a seasoned officer who specializes in committing mental health cases. He was our mentor and is one of those rare men whose stories could make a rock smile. Lock them up in close quarters for four months and make them miserable.