We certainly do live in the prettiest part of the country! I hope you enjoy the fall colors as much as I do and take advantage of the many community fall celebrations in our area. I have some news to share… the long-time Administrative Assistant, Ginny Giovanniello, has officially announced her retirement. While this is a very sad occasion for Brookfield, it’s also a very happy occasion for Ginny and her family. Ginny has devotedly and selflessly served our town for 32 years, through 8 administrations! She'll be retiring at the end of December and certainly deserves to enjoy life away from Town Hall. I can’t say anymore right now without tearing up…

Next, and extremely important, THANK YOU to each and every Veteran in Brookfield. To me, Veteran’s Day is not just a day to thank a Veteran for his/her service, but to reflect on their service to our nation. Every time I meet a Veteran, I'm quick to thank them and inquire about their service. I simply ask “what did you do in the Army/Navy/Marine Corp/Air Force/Coast Guard and where did you serve?” This is a great way for me to learn more about a Veteran and for them to be able to speak about their service. So, I ask that you, too, inquire more about a Veteran’s service and take the time to learn more about their service and sacrifice. You’ll find their stories fascinating!

On Thursday, November 10 at 5:00 p.m., we'll be hosting the unveiling of our Veteran Honor Wall display case in the Town Hall lobby. Members of Alpha Company 1-102IN (MTN) out of Danbury CT, the BHS Chorus, and Brookfield Boys and Girl Scouts will be part of the ceremony. All are invited. Please see the attached invitation on the town website for more details.

During November, the Brookfield Police Department is putting down the razor to fundraise for CT cancer patients as part of No Shave CT, which will benefit the CT Cancer Foundation (CCF). CCF is a great organization committed to helping people fighting cancer in CT. ONE HUNDRED PERCENT (100%!!!) of funds raised will be distributed to CT cancer patients to help with basic living expenses such as rent, mortgage payments, food and utilities. To help support cancer patients and their families in our community, please visit here.

Please know many vacancies exist across town: Board of Assessment Appeals, Commission on Aging, Conservation Commission, Lake Lillinonah Authority, Municipal Building Committee, Parks and Recreation, and WPCA. While I mentioned this last month, it warrants more attention. I have met so many wonderful people, extremely talented people who have so much to offer. I know volunteering is not for everyone and often times comes with very little reward, but it's such an integral part of how our town is functions and how through our 234 years of existence, we’ve been able to achieve so much. Our volunteers do make our community. I ask that if you have any additional time or desire to serve, that you please consider volunteering. There is so much to be grateful for during this month of giving thanks. I am especially thankful for our wonderful volunteers and town employees who make Brookfield truly special.

I wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Yours in Service,

Tara Carr

First Selectman

Holiday Craft Fair

Saturday, November 5,

10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Prince of Peace Lutheran Church,

Junction Road

Crafts, books, Holiday Décor,

Bake Sale & Lunch

33rdAnnual Festival of Crafts

Saturday, November 5,

9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Whisconier Middle School,

17 Whisconier Road

A fundraiser for the Brookfield Historical Society and Museum

Among New England’s largest craft shows, this year’s Festival will have a juried and curated selection of unique and high-quality crafters and will offer for sale jewelry, artwork, textile products, holiday treasures, toys, gourmet foods and many other uniquely hand-crafted items.

Brookfield Education Foundation Gala

Our annual Thanks for Giving Gala is scheduled for Friday, November 18, at 7:00 p.m. at the Candlewood Inn. The event features silent and live auctions, dinner, dancing and more. This event is our largest fundraiser of the year and tickets are available now. Please visit our website.

Ann's Place

20th Annual Festival of Trees

November 18 - 20

The Summit in Danbury

Greater Danbury's signature holiday event and Ann's Place's biggest fundraiser. Holiday magic with a forest of decorated trees, high-end raffles prizes, the Boutique and Quilter's Corner gift shops and crafts. Further details on website.

Still River Greenway

Word Scrabble

If you're wandering the Greenway this weekend, check out our word scramble along the way by locating all of the gravestones along the trail. Worksheets available at the Silvermine Road Kiosk. Check out Parks & Recreation Facebook   for additional info on the game.

Board of Selectmen Meeting

Monday, November 7,

7:00 p.m., Room 133.

Meeting information will be posted on the town website the Friday afternoon prior to the meeting, and live-streamed and recorded for viewing.

Coffee with the Community

Saturday, November 26,

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

New Brookfield Market and Deli,

277 Whisconier Road

We encourage you to stop by with any questions or concerns for the Board of Selectmen.

Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Event in Brookfield

Saturday, November 12,

9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Brookfield High School,

45 Long Meadow Hill Road

Visit the town website for further details on the protocol for this event.

“Brookfield Creates”

Gingerbread House Contest!

We’re back in person! After posting spectacular gingerbread houses online the past two years, the Brookfield Arts Commission is back to hosting a Gingerbread House Contest for all Brookfield residents. Here’s your chance to have your creative masterpieces displayed for all of Brookfield to view! Gingerbread houses should be dropped off at Town Hall on Monday, December 5, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Houses and all decorative components must be made from edible materials. Entry displays should be no more than 2’ by 2’ and all structures should be mounted on a solid base. For a required registration form and more information, please email [email protected]

Assessor

If you no longer have your vehicle, please email our office the plate receipt and proof of what happened to the vehicle to [email protected].

If you are an active duty veteran, please drop off, mail, or email your active duty form to and Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) from 10/1/2022 to [email protected].

If you completed your personal property form, please drop it off or mail it in (must be date stamped) on or before 11/1/2021. If you closed your business, please fill out the bottom section of page one of the personal property form and send that in with proof of your business closing.

If you have an unregistered vehicle, golf cart, all-terrain vehicle, trailer, or out of state vehicle of any type, please fill out a Motor Vehicle personal property form. Blank forms can be found on the town website www.brookfieldct.gov go to assessor and personal property forms to motor vehicle form. You can drop them off or mail them by 11/1/2022.

Public Works

The newest road ratings have been posted to the town website. If you ever wondered about how your road ranked against the others then check the rating at the following link. This list is used as the primary tool to select roads to fit into our Pavement Management Plan each year.

Health Department

Basic information on How to Protect Children from RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus). For additional information, please visit the CDC website.

Tax Collector

Water Line Assessment Bills 2022

Reminder: The last day to a make payment on the Water Line Assessment is November 1, 2022. Payment must be received or postmarked by November 1 to avoid an interest penalty. To make a payment through our website, click here.

Town Clerk

Please visit the Town Clerk’s Elections, Primaries and Referendums webpage for your November 8, 2022 Election related information. Absentee Ballots will be available through November 7. You can apply for your absentee ballot by using the new Connecticut Online Absentee Ballot Portal, by downloading an application or by visiting the Town Clerk’s office. Polls will be open on November 8 from

6:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Conservation Commission

We’ve working hard to rid our parks and open spaces of some invasive plant species in the area. Recently a group of volunteers aided in the effort at Williams Park. We're very thankful for the volunteer help that enabled us to achieve our goal. If you missed this event, don’t worry - there will be more events coming up. if you're interested in volunteering for any of our events, please email Ashley Schutte-Bell at [email protected]. If you'd like to learn more about conservation in our town and across CT, please join our Facebook group 'Brookfield Conservation Commission.' Thank you again for your support - we hope to see you soon at one of our future events.

Social Services

My HomeCT Mortgage Assistance

Help for Homeowners!

A new CT homeowners’ assistance program has been created using monies from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). It is called MyHomeCT, and is available to eligible CT residents who have mortgage delinquencies or defaults that occurred because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The CT Department of Housing is the responsible entity for the program and has designated the CT Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) to administer it on its behalf. Mortgage and non-mortgage grants are awarded to eligible homeowners as either one-time assistance, which brings the homeowner’s bills current, or as ongoing assistance to pay bills going forward (up to 12 months). Non-mortgage assistance includes, but is not limited to non-mortgaged real estate taxes and insurance, condominium or HOA fees, water and sewer liens, HOA and/or condominium assessments.

For more information, please go to https://www.chfa.org/myhomect/ or call the MyHomeCT call center, 877-894-4111 Mon-Fri from 10am-8pm EST, or the WorkPlace in Bridgeport at 203-610-8580. See attached flyer here.

Senior Center - Scam ALERT

Recently the Social Security Administration issued a scam alert to warn about a new scam fraudulently offering individuals benefit increases in exchange for personal information. See attached flyer here.

Senior Center and Fire Marshal

The Town Fire Marshall’s Office has partnered with The American Red Cross and Brookfield Senior and Social Services for disaster and fire preparedness. The program includes an assessment and installation of smoke detectors and batteries for seniors, handicapped and those in need. For more information, please contact Ellen Melville, Director of Brookfield Senior and Social Services at 203-775-5308 or Brookfield Fire Marshall’s office at 203-775-7306.

Economic Development

Old New Milford Road Construction

Construction of the Lower Federal Road project reached a major milestone this week with roadway changes on Old New Milford Road, as follows: *The north end of Old New Milford Road is a one-way only southbound from Federal Road to the entrance into the Greenknoll Medical Center. Access to Federal Road for vehicles traveling eastbound on Huckleberry Hill Road is available only by turning right on Old New Milford Road to the new intersection with a new traffic light at Federal Road. See the attached picture. *Turning lanes are now installed at the new intersection at Federal and Old New Milford Roads. Drivers are encouraged to follow the roadway signage and drive with caution as they learn the new roadway configuration. Drivers should expect additional, temporary roadway changes until the project is completed.

This construction is part of a fully funded CT DOT project that includes 5,300 feet of roadway improvements on Federal Road from BJ’s to the shopping plaza at 317 Federal Road and 800 feet on Old New Milford Road. Improvements include sidewalks, additional turning lanes, new traffic signals and bus shelters. Construction is scheduled for completion in November 2023. The roadway plan can be viewed on the town website.

Streetscape Phase 3 Update

Streetscape Phase 3 achieved substantial completion last week. The roadway, sidewalks and new pocket park are now completely open to pedestrians and vehicle traffic and the sidewalk lights provide improved visibility at nighttime. There is still work to do: park benches and additional lighting in the pocket park will be added over the next couple of months, and trees and shrubs will be planted in the Spring. The photos show the fall decorations in the pocket park and an evening view of the roadway.