Danbury native selected for prestigious Fulbright program, more

The Summer Institutes form part of the US-UK Fulbright Commission’s work to promote leadership, learning and empathy between nations through
educational exchange.

Fulbright Summer Institutes cover participants’ major costs and provide them with a distinctive support and cultural education programme, including comprehensive pre-departure guidance, enrichment opportunities in country and an opportunity to be part of the Fulbright alumni network.

The commission selects participants through a rigorous application and interview process. In making these awards, the commission looks not only for academic excellence but afocused application, a range of extracurricular and community activities, demonstrated ambassadorial skills, and a plan to give back to the recipient’s home country upon returning.

Danbury

Exhibit open to public

An exhibit of by a Bethel artist will be open to the public through June 30 at the Connecticut Institute for Communities at 120 Main St. in Danbury.

Translating and provoking emotions through a deep fascination with color and composition, “and the struggles that occur between them,” are the primary focuses of Lisa D’Amico’s artwork.

The Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut coordinated the exhibit.

View this link for more information: 

Kent

Winners of art show named 

The Kent Art Association is hosting its annual Spring Juried Show through Sunday, June 11.  Over 90 works are displayed in the show and the judges for this show were Scott Bricher and Mary Terrizzi. To judge the works they walk through the show independently, then discuss and decide together the winners.  

The categories and winners are as follows:

Best in Show: Nature’s Resiliency, Roberta Shea,

Brad Smith Award:  Driving the Goshen Road, Merrill French

Still Life: From My Garden, Lorraine Ryan, Landscape                  

Hibiscus: Muriel Stockdale,

Figure: White Light Series No 24, Herb Kroeger,

Portrait: Halo, Muriel Stockdale,

Abstract: Golden Moment, Joan Macfarlane,

Graphic: Peg, Michaela Penna,

Watercolor: Daybreak, Lauren Quinn,

Mixed Media: Tropical, Paola Bari, and

Drawing:Sanddollar, Marilyn Ventresca DiChiara. 

The Kent Art Association is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and from noon to 4 p. m. Sunday.

Newtown 

Summer employment offered 

Newtown Youth and Family Services is set to commence its Summer Youth Employment Program on July 10, 2023, providing first-time employment opportunities and job skill training to 30 youth, ages 14 – 24, in the Newtown area.

The focus is to increase youth knowledge of professional skills, career choices, and educational opportunities to pursue their future paths during the summer at several different locations in Newtown and surrounding areas. In addition, youth in the program will have an opportunity to continue at their assigned worksites throughout the school year.

The program is funded through a $176,000 grant from the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board.

NYFS Summer Youth Employment Services program matches youth participants with jobs in the community, working 20 hours a week for six weeks, for minimum wage. NYFS also plans to offer two to four workshops during the summer and school year sessions helping youth to develop resumes, enhance interview skills, and building financial literacy. Youth interested in this opportunity should visit the on-line application site at to determine eligibility and submit the employment application by May 26.

Newtown 

‘Not in my Garden’ talk identifies weeds 

The Garden Club of Newtown will host Peter Russell, a Connecticut Extension certified advanced master gardener, on May 23 at the C.H. Booth Library in Newtown.

His program, “Not In My Garden: How to Identify and Control Garden Weeds,” will define and discuss the characteristics and lifestyles of weeds common to Connecticut, their ID features and the four keys to weed control without chemicals.

Russell is the chairman of the Board of the Bartlett Arboretum and Gardens in Stamford, and chairman of its Buildings and Grounds Committee. In addition to conducting weed and invasive plant identification and control workshops, Russell works with corporations and organizations volunteering on projects on the Arboretum’s 93-acre campus. 

The program, which starts at 1 p.m., is open to the public. Reservations are not required. The Garden Club of Newtown is affiliated with the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut, Inc. The club website is www.gardenclubnewtownct.org, and new members are always welcome.

Newtown

Artist to lead demonstration 

The Society of Creative Arts of Newtown will host Melody Asbury presenting an art demonstration Painting an Animal in Oil on Wednesday, May 24th at 1:30 pm at the Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main St. (at The Flagpole). 

The demonstration is open to the public, and admission is free.   

Learn more about Melody at

Ridgefield

Volunteered honored at Keeler Tavern

Jenn Hansen was presented with a 2023 Behind the Scenes Award on May 11, 2023 for her dedicated volunteerism at Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center.

The ceremony, an annual Ridgefield Arts Council event, was held in Keeler Tavern’s walled garden and recognized the outstanding achievements of volunteers in town. 

Southbury

Bottle, can collection event becomes monthly 

Sustainable Southbury collected over 25,000 bottles and cans that could have otherwise ended up in the landfill during its April 30 event. 

Based on this success, the nonprofit organization and EyeRecycle will hold collection day events on the first Sunday of every month.  

Participants earn cash back for your recycled bottles,and cans. There’s no waiting in line to put the containers through a machine.  EyeRecycle will pay you the full $0.05 per item.

New is an express lane for people that have already bagged their redeemable bottles and cans in an EyeRecycle bag.  You simply drop off your bag and get paid.  EyeRecycle bags can be purchased at the event for $.50 cents/bag or at the EyeRecycle website  

Sustainable Southbury will also sell the bags, at the Transfer Station, from 7 am – 3 pm. Saturday, June 3. 

If you don’t have an EyeRecycle bag, volunteers will transfer your bottles into an EyeRecycle bag that has a fill line for counting.  Please make separate bags for the one-liter bottles and the two-liter bottles to speed up the transfer and ensure you receive the correct amount for your bottles. Place redeemable glass bottles (no wine or liquor bottles) in your own small cardboard box or a 6, 12, 18, or 24-pack cardboard carrier. The organization cannot accept loose glass bottles and they break in the bags. A full EyeRecycle bag of 750ml plastic bottles earns $10 cash back.

For future collection days, Sustainable Southbury will sell the EyeRecycle bags at the UCC Strawberry Festival at the UCC Church on June 10 and at the Walking on Sunshine event at Pomperaug High School on June 11, and further Transfer Station dates to be announced.  Find out more at https://www.sustainablesouthbury.org/our-events 

For further information, email [email protected] or visit our websites www.sustainablesouthbury.org, www.eyerecycle.org.

Southbury 

Activist, musician to lead programs 

Justice Southbury announced that the third-year commemoration of its weekly gatherings on Sunday, May 28 at 2 p.m. will be led by Matt Meyer. 

Meyer is known for his activism and organizing for social and economic justice in the Northeast.

A musician, Meyer is the founding organizer of the Lucy Stone and Margaret Moseley Cooperatives, the Greater Boston Chamber of Cooperatives, a trade association of worker, consumer, and housing cooperatives and the Boston Cooperative Investment Club, which has invested $50K+ in newly forming cooperatives to build a more democratic economy.

Justice Southbury meets in Southbury at the corner of Main Street South and Main Street North.  It is recommended that those attending should park on the opposite side of the street from Subway.  

Meyer will also lead the Sunday morning service at the Mattatuck Unitarian Universalist Society at 11 a.m. The title of his service is “Call and Response,” in which he will be exploring the relationship between music and human communication. The service is held at 283 Main Street North (UCC-Southbury Church building).

Southbury

Food scraps info session to be held

Food scraps will be accepted for drop-off at the Southbury Transfer Station starting July 1.
 
This pilot program is being sponsored by Sustainable Southbury, a local nonprofit organization, and the town of Southbury. This is an important initiative to help reduce Connecticut’s waste crisis and stop feeding valuable food scraps to landfill.
 
Sustainable Southbury needs volunteers to help get the word out and educate residents on how the program works and what food scraps will be accepted for recycling. 
 
Learn about the importance of food scrap recycling and how the program will work at 7  p.m. Wednesday, May 24 via a Zoom meeting. During the 45 minutes, there will be a short presentation and plenty of time for questions.
 
To enroll in the free information session, go to:

Washington 

Weekly farmers market returns 

The Judy Black Memorial Park and Gardens invites the community to its weekly farmers market for the 2023 season, opening Saturday, May 27.

The farmers market will run every Saturday at the park from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm (note the new time) through Nov. 18. Vendors will offer locally grown, raised and prepared food in addition to other handmade products. 

This year’s focus is on sustainability. The market will share on social media ways that vendors incorporate sustainable practices into their business operations, and their advice for how folks can implement simple sustainability solutions in their own life at home. 

Participating 2023 vendors include:

●    Averill Farm – apples, pears, apple cider, cider donuts and maple syrup
●    Blue Gate Farm – assortment of breads and baked goods, pasture-raised meats and fresh veggies
●    Farmers & Cooks – breads and baked goods, prepared meal items
●    Finnegans Farm West – vegetables and berries, including strawberries and raspberries
●    Kimberly Farm – fresh dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese and ice cream) and vegetables
●    Krafted Brew Lab – locally roasted coffee beans
●    New Curds on the Block – artisan cheeses 
●    Ox Hollow Farm – pasture-raised meats, fruit, vegetables and mushrooms
●    Paul’s Gourmet Pet Food – natural, handmade food for cats and dogs
●    Rachel’s Salsa – homemade salsa featuring local ingredients 
●    Shepaug Valley Farm – pasture-raised meat
●    To the Gills – fresh fish and seafood
●    Waldingfield Farm – locally grown certified organic produce

Occasional guest vendors will participate throughout the season, too.

To celebrate the first market of the season, there will be live music by the Bentley Lewis Trio. Live music at the market this year is made possible by Sarah Gager & Roy O’Neil, and Rod Pleasant & Steve Godwin.