The Travelers has been a part of the Hartford fabric since the Civil War and is now one of Connecticut’s biggest employers. It’s long been known for philanthropy and investing in our community, so how is that going lately?

On Face the State, we were joined by the man who runs the Travelers here in Hartford, Andy Bessette, the chief administrative officer and executive vice-president. We talked about the history of the company, the landmark skyscraper known as the Travelers Tower, the Travelers Championship, attracting young talent to work in Hartford, and of course, the future of the company in the capital city. With General Electric moving its headquarters out of state, and Aetna the subject of similar rumors, I asked Bessette if people need to worry about the Travelers.

Bessette also discussed a new focus of the company’s philanthropy: ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease and the Hospital for Special Care. There’s a personal story behind it,  and you can watch it right here:

http://www.wfsb.com/clip/12510612/travelers-officials-talk-about-upcoming-golf-championship

Also on the program, 5th District Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty, who was here to talk about her role in the recent congressional sit-in to demand a vote on gun control.

Esty and I discussed Speaker Paul Ryan’s signal that a vote could come, but is it what Esty and other Democrats want? We also chatted about her re-election battle with Republican Clay Cope, and she responded to his claim that Esty is out of touch with a district, which chose Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton. As for Esty’s support for Clinton, I asked her that in light of the Inspector General’s report on the email investigation that cast doubt on some claims by the former Secretary of State, if Esty still trusts Clinton and believes what she is saying. Esty also weighs in on the Schaghticoke tribe’s quest to get into the casino game. The tribe is based in Kent, which of course, is part of CT-5.

Our flashback takes us back to the summer of 1973 and a quintessential Connecticut Independence Day parade in Wallingford on the 4th of July. You’ll see some 43 year old scenery, Governor Tom Meskill and other politicians and interviews with some parade goers.

Our report was filed by Ginny Wiltse, who was sporting the fashion of the Watergate era. Our producer Bill Hall found this shot of Barbara Walters wearing a nearly identical kerchief while reporting on Watergate.