New Fairfield girl wins contest, more community highlights

Knights of Columbus Council receives top award

Brookfield Knights of Columbus Council 11913 was awarded the distinction of Star Council, the international organization’s top honor for local councils.

The Star Council Award recognizes overall excellence in the areas of growing membership, promoting Knights of Columbus insurance benefits, sponsoring Catholic faith formation programs and volunteering time through service-oriented activities.

This past year, Council 11913 volunteered 2,100 service hours, raised $15,000 for the most needy in the community, donated winter coats to Family and Children’s Aid, supported Special Olympics, served meals at Dorothy Day’s Morning Glory program, ran two American Red Cross blood drives, cleared debris after the recent storm, and sponsored numerous events at both St. Marguerite and St. Joseph parishes.

Danbury

Housatonic Habitat to hold Interfaith Volunteer Workday

Housatonic Habitat for Humanity will hold an interfaith volunteer workday from 1-5 p.m. Aug. 30. Volunteers from a variety of faith communities are invited to work together on projects.

To volunteer, contact jrwheeler53@gmail.com. Teams will be assigned tasks in Danbury. For more information, visit http://www.housatonichabitat.org or www.facebook.com/housatonichabitatforhumanity/.

Danbury

Free seminar on caring for an aged loved one during COVID-19

Keystone Place at Wooster Heights, the new independent living, assisted living and memory care community scheduled to open this fall in Danbury, will be sponsoring a free seminar series on Caring for An Aging Loved One in The Time of COVID-19 & Beyond.

Sessions will be held from noon to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday; and at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, as socially distanced events at Della Francesca restaurant in Danbury. Each session will last 60 to 90 minutes, and lunch or dinner will be provided. There also will be an online webinar session at 1 p.m. Thursday.

To register or for more information, go to Info.KeystoneSenior.com/WH-AugEvent or call 203-456-3370. Reservations are required.

Danbury

Cutler Glass donates ‘space’ to Housatonic Habitat

Al Cutler, owner of Cutler Glass of Danbury, recently donated a 40-foot storage container to Housatonic Habitat for Humanity to add extra footage to the 10,000-square-foot thrift warehouse located at 51 Austin Street.

Cutler was one of the organization’s earliest supporters. He recently closed his store after more than 50 years as a local business.

For more information about Housatonic Habitat for Humanity, visit housatonichabitat.org.

Danbury

Library holds mini book sale

Friends of the Danbury Library are hosting a mini book sale from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday at the library’s outside patio, corner of West and Main Street.

Pre-owned adult and children’s books will be available to purchase at $3 each or 2 for $5; cash only.

Masks and social distancing is required.

Danbury

Food drive supports Danbury Food Collaborative

United Way of Western Connecticut and the Danbury Fair Mall collected 4,000 pounds of nonperishable food at a food drive conducted Aug. 7 and 8, in the mall’s parking lot.

In addition, the event, which served as this year’s United Way Day of Action, also raised $2,400 in donations. Both the food and the monetary donations will be distributed among nine food pantries in the greater Danbury area that are members of the Danbury Food Collaborative.

A total of 45 corporate and community volunteers participated in the food drive. United Way of Western Connecticut would like to thank the following companies for supporting the food drive Belimo, Boehringer Ingelheim, Branson, Danbury Fair Mall, Fairfield County Bank, Kimberly-Clark, Linde, Meyer Jabara Hotels, Newtown Savings Bank, Union Savings Bank, and UPS.

For more information about the Danbury Food Collaborative, or to make a donation, go to www.uwwesternct.org/danburyfoodcollaborative.

Danbury

Fill-A-Truck event helps Housatonic Habitat

Members of Northern Fairfield County Association of Realtors hosted a Fill-A-Truck event recently in support of Housatonic Habitat for Humanity’s mission of building work-force affordable housing locally in southwestern Connecticut.

Fill-A-Truck is a donation drive for new and slightly used household items, furniture and building materials donated to Housatonic Habitat’s ReStore thrift warehouse in Danbury. Sales from the thrift store support the creation of work-force housing in the region and provide repair services which help seniors age in place. To donate, call 203-744-1340, ext. 103 or email pictures of items to donations@housatonichabitat.org.

Kent

‘By the Sea’ exhibit kicks off at library

The Kent Memorial Library will display Kent artist Christine Lombardi’s exhibit, By the Sea, Sept. 2-Oct. 30.

An opening reception will be held from 1-3 p.m. Sept. 12. Rain date is Sept. 19. Meet the artist in front of the library in the Chess Court. There also will be a small private tour of her nautical show. Refreshments will be served. Adults must wear face mask or shield.

This program is free and open to the public.

The library also is open for browsing the gallery. To make an appointment from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., with a short option at 5 p.m., call 860-927-3761 or email kmlinfo@biblio.org.

Litchfield

Litchfield Aid postpones fundraiser

The Litchfield Aid of the Connecticut Junior Republic is postponing its 2020 fundraiser, “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” until fall of 2021, due to the continuing health risks associated with COVID-19.

Originally scheduled for Nov. 7, 2020, the event is now planned for Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021, from 7-11 p.m., at the Torrington Country Club.

This Roaring 20s-themed event will feature cocktails, dancing, live cabaret performances, and fine fare.

For more information, call 860-567-9423 or visit ctjuniorrepublic.org.

New Fairfield

New Fairfield student wins contest

Julissa Tomaino, an eighth-grader from New Fairfield Middle School, was the grand prize winner of the 2020 HRRA-Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority Billboard Poster Contest awarded in April via a Zoom presentation.

There were over 2,000 students who entered the contest in Connecticut. She received a check and New Fairfield’s Recycling Program received a check for $500. Billboards, with her artwork, name and school, were displayed on the back of 10 HARTransit buses in Danbury this summer.

She will be a freshman in New Fairfield High School this fall. She intends to use her prize to help pay for her trip with the New Fairfield High School Chorus to Disney World in the spring of 2021.

To view other billboard 2020 contest winners and to learn more about recycling, visit HRRA.org.

Newtown

Red Cross hosting blood drives

The American Red Cross is hosting a blood drive from 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Sept. 1; and 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Sept. 6, at Newtown Congregational Church, 14 West St.

Each donor must wear a mask or get one from the Red Cross. All drives will comply with COVID-19 precautions. Donors will receive a $5 Amazon.com gift card available Sept. 1 via email courtesy of Amazon.

To schedule an appointment, call 800-733-2767 or go to redcrossblood.org.

Newtown

Town Players of Newtown holding auditions

Town Players of Newtown are accepting video auditions for its Virtual Holiday Fundraiser set for Dec. 20.

The program includes “Always, Anastasia,” a one-act play written and directed by Michele Leigh. One male and two female actors are needed. Twelve holiday carolers also are sought.

Submissions are open through Sept. 20. Visit newtownplayers.org.

Region

Alzheimer’s and dementia discussion via Zoom

Candlewood Valley Health & Rehabilitation is hosting “Alzheimer’s & Dementia Zoom Discussion” with health expert, Cynthia LaCour at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Sign up at mmarici@candlewoodvalley.com.

Region

NWCT Arts Council provides micro grants to local artists

The Northwest Connecticut Arts Council raised $6,250 for the NWCT Artist Relief Fund to go directly to artists in financial need over the course of the past five months.

The funds were divided into 27 micro grants, total, and distributed to artists and arts professionals within the region of Northwestern Connecticut.

The NWCT Artist Emergency Relief Fund was made possible by the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation, the COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund, the Neighbor to Neighbor Fund of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, the Torrington Savings Foundation, and fundraising assistance from the Torrington Collective.

The NWCT Artist Relief Fund full report can be found at artsnwct.org/advocacy.

Ridgefield

Weir Farm holds virtual Art in the Park contest

Weir Farm National Historic Site’s annual Art in the Park contest and exhibit are going virtual in 2020. All artists, from beginner to professional, are encouraged to celebrate the creativity of Weir Farm and take part in this contest by submitting an image of a piece of artwork inspired by or made at the park.

Submissions will be accepted online through Sept. 30. Once entered, artwork will become part of a virtual exhibit launching Oct. 31, Weir Farm’s 30th birthday.

To submit artwork, go to https://bit.ly/3haprv8.

Sherman

Heirloom Tomato Festival kicks off

White Silo Farm & Winery, 32 Route 37, East Sherman is hosting its third annual Heirloom Tomato Festival from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Due to current safety and social distancing guidelines the event will be held outdoors. Reservations are required. The cost is $25 for a two-hour reservation and includes four items made with fresh tomatoes from their fields, pasta with sausages and sauce, roasted tomato focaccia, gazpacho with grilled shrimp, tomato and chickpea salad. A vegetarian option is available. A tent will be set up in case of rain. Also featuring, music by The Bellas, from 2-5:30 p.m. Saturday and Potters Field, 2-5:30 p.m., Sunday.

Reservations are limited and may be made at whitesilowinery.com.