Greetings and welcome to September 30th’s Town Hall Happenings!

Opening Note:
As I reflect on this week I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the people suffering the effects by Hurricane Ian. While the devastation is heartbreaking, the stories of communities coming together to aid their neighbors are inspiring.  This also makes me even more appreciative of the first responders here in Weston and for our community’s culture of service and volunteerism. In my household we are counting our blessings to be out of this storm’s path and are also finding ways to help those in need.

Questions for Constituent Corner may be emailed to [email protected] and I will either answer you myself or forward you on to the right people!

We Are Hiring!
The Town of Weston is hiring for the following positions:
- Administrative Floater (part-time)
- Family and Youth Social Worker (part-time)
- Public Works Highway Maintainer (full-time)
- Library Director (full-time)
To apply, visit: https://www.westonct.gov/about-us/town-hall/municipal-job-openings

Founder’s Day 2022
Join the Beautification Committee on October 11th at 4pm for the groundbreaking of the NEW Weston Town Green. Toast the team, learn about the renovations, grab a snack from the food trucks, and enjoy music from the WHS Westones. This is a free event.

Cavalry Road Bridge Project Update
Update - The project architect has designed the removal of some guide rail on the Weston side of the bridge. The guide rail will be removed this month.  We continue to investigate painting options for the guide rail and bridge rail.

Spending Plan for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds Update
The past June 18th machine ballot vote was the final step in the process of determining how Weston will use its federal ARPA funds. The spending plan that had been proposed by both the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance passed with 72% voter approval. Here is a brief update on select projects:

- The Fire Department the begun the procurement process for a new Fire Rescue 5 replacement truck.
- The project management for the Town Green project in full swing. Survey work has been completed. Designs for construction documents are underway, and we are excited for the kickoff event on 10/11.
- The Town has been sued (again) by a handful of people that opposed the construction of the Dog Park. The claim resides in Superior Court. I am confident that the Town will prevail once again. The cost for the park is fully funded by private donations and ARPA funding. The litigation costs are borne by the Town as part of the annual budget.
- The $100,000 ARPA contribution has been delivered to the Friends of Lachat to qualify for matching by the Daniel Offutt III Charitable Trust – the Lachat Offutt Center construction continues.
- Public Works is working to resurface Bisceglie Pond this fall.  A utility road along the baseball fields has been firmed up so that paving vehicles can better access the Pond.
- The Parks & Recreation Director, Public Works Director, Town Administrator and I are working to find a suitable location for the two new pickle ball courts.  I hope to have a firm proposal submitted to the Parks and Recreation Commission within a few weeks.  Then, it would be sent to the Board of Selectmen for review and referral to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
- The Town has been meeting with representatives from the Wood Hill Road neighborhood with the objective of reaching a consensus on the emergency access to be used for catastrophic events. An engineer is drafting a plan. These plans would be reviewed by the Board of Selectmen, shared with the neighbors, and ultimately be referred to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
- With the help of the Building Committee, the Town has issued a purchase order to a company that will renovate three bathrooms at the Senior Center. The renovation is set to begin the first week of October.
- The Town has mailed a $20,000 check to the Weston Food Pantry. It will be used to provide free food to Weston families in need.
- The Sustainable Weston Committee leadership and I will be meeting regarding next steps on the composting pilot and the development of an achievable sustainability plan over the next few weeks.
- Altice has begun creating a Wi-Fi hotspot around the Town campus.  It is anticipated that the hotspot will be active before November 1st.
- Finally, we are looking forward to new charging stations at Town Hall this year and have engaged with Titan Energy to begin the project.

To see the list of approved projects and the associated dollar amounts, visit:  https://www.westonct.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/8165/637898351754930000

A message from the Registrars of Voters
November 8, 2022 is the state election.  Now is the time to make sure you are registered to vote!  You can register to vote on-line or in person, click here to visit our website, register to vote, or check your voter registration.  

Road Work 2022
The road work for 2022 is complete. If you see a pothole, please report it by taking a photo and sending to John Conti –[email protected]. We are currently working on the program that will enable residents to report road damage through our website as well as check on the status of those repairs. Stay tuned.

Town awarded a $500,000 State Grant for Police Department
Weston applied for and received a $500,000 Small Town Economic Assistance Program Grant for building renovations at the Weston Police Department.  This would be matched by $264,926 from the town. I am so grateful to receive this necessary funding for this important town project. The renovation of our decade’s old and antiquated and single-sex designed police department locker rooms and bathrooms will hopefully go a long way to boosting police officer morale and adding women to our police department.  Next step is to discuss this grant award with the Board of Selectmen.

Community Conversations on DEI
The Town of Weston aspires to be a community that welcomes people of all identities. Achieving this requires we understand where we are currently and where we have opportunities to improve. Therefore, we are partnering with KJR Consulting to host two virtual Community Conversations on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). During these discussions, community members will explore DEI in the Town of Weston. They will discuss experiences that have demonstrated opportunities to learn and grow in this area individually and as a community. KJR will also guide participants through an exploration of bias and its impact on community interactions and share actions we can each take to manage and disrupt moments of bias when it occurs. Space is limited, register here: https://reg.learningstream.com/view/cal10a.aspx?ek=&ref=&aa=&sid1=&sid2=&as=49&wp=247&tz=&ms=&nav=&cc=&cat1=&cat2=&cat3=&aid=KJR&rf=&pn=

Hazardous Waste Collection Opportunities
In case you missed the event held in Weston, there are multiple opportunities in 2022 for Westonites to get rid of their household hazardous waste. Below is a schedule of regional collection events:
- October 8th from 9 am to 3 pm in New Milford at John Pettibone School
- November 12th from 9 am to 2 pm in Brookfield at Brookfield High School
No need to bring money. Each town gets billed for the waste that their own residents drop off.  For details about what to bring and location addresses, please visit the website of the Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority here: https://hrra.org/household-hazardous-waste/

Weston Garden Club Bulb Sale
Please support the Weston Garden Club during their 3rd annual bulb sale.

To pre-order your Spring bulbs and find out more information about the club, please click here: Store 2 - Weston CT Garden Club
Pick up is on Saturday, October 15th, 10am - 12pm at the Onion Barn
The Garden Club is led entirely by volunteers. It meets monthly and takes care of the following town gardens: Gaspars Garden and FlagPole at the Post Office, The Onion Barn Native Plant Garden, and the Jarvis Native Plant Garden at the Parks and Rec Building.
Each year, the Garden Club donates half of their fundraising proceeds to support the Weston Pollinator Pathway to further the education and awareness of creating healthy habitats for all creatures great and small. You can find out more about the Pollinator Pathway here: Pollinator Pathway (pollinator-pathway.org)

Board of Selectmen Meetings
Please feel free to Zoom into the virtual BOS meetings, which are always posted on the Town website. Documents, recordings, and minutes are available at: https://www.westonct.gov/government/boards-commissions/elected/board-of-selectmen

Covid 19
Covid-19 updates and information are posted regularly on the town website. Please see here https://www.westonct.gov/government/municipal-departments/emergency-management/covid-19  for more information.

Volunteers Needed for Town Boards
The following appointed boards have positions available: Assessment Appeals, Beautification, Conservation Commission, Diversity Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, Historic District Commission, Marketing & Communications Advisory Committee, and the Veterans Affairs Committee. There are elected position vacancies as well on the Board of Education and Board of Finance

Social Services
Weston Social Services is now accepting applications for the CT Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) This program provides assistance to income-eligible households with home heating costs over the winter months.   Income eligibility is as follows:
Household of 1: $ 39,761 or less
Household of 2: $ 51,996 or less
Household of 3: $ 64,230 or less
Household of 4: $ 76,465 or less
Household of 5: $ 88,699 or less
Household of 6: $ 103,227 or less
Schedule an appointment or pose questions by calling Weston Social Services at 203-222-2556.

Parks & Recreation
Public swim permits are now available for purchase. The flyer can be found here: https://www.westonct.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/8878/637995225518803522
Group and private swim lessons will be coming in October, keep an eye out for the flyer!

Weston Senior Center

September/October Newsletter
https://westonseniorcenter.info/content/newsletters/2022SepOct.pdf
If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please email Wendy:  [email protected].

Dial-a-Ride Update
We are back to a regular schedule for Dial-a-Ride services. Transportation services are available between 9:00 am - 4:30pm.  Please continue to call (203) 222-2576 to make an appointment.  If you have any questions about Dial-a-Ride, call (203) 222-2608.

Color Concepts and Strategies with Maj Kalfus
Thursdays, October 6, 13, 20, 27, 10am-12pm (In-House)
$16 for series of 4 classes
The 4 week session will focus on identifying the color strategies of famous artists, such as Van Gogh, Gauguin, Matisse, Klee and Mondrian. We will work with the color wheel and create unique compositions in several mediums representing their varying approaches. We will use pastels, collage and acrylic paint on paper over the four weeks. No experience necessary.

Painting Realism with Cindy Wagner
Tuesdays, October 11, 18, 25 and November 1, 8 and 15, 10a,-12pm (In-House)
$24 for a series of 6 classes
This course will help students compose a well-designed painting. Will teach accurate drawing with paint. Will help students see and interpret value and color relationships. Will give students an organized method to mix the correct color and value resulting in three dimensional forms and paintings with atmosphere.  All levels of painting skills are welcome.

Weston Public Library

Cookbook Club - Italian Food
Thursday, October 6 @ 12:00 PM. Registration Required.
The Weston Public Library Cookbook Club is an opportunity for those who love cooking to share favorite recipes and try new recipes with neighbors and friends!
What is your go-to Italian dish? Make a batch to share!

Virtual Gallery and Art Tour with Riva Blumenfeld - Winlsow Homer
Thursday, October 6 @ 7:00 PM. Register to receive the Zoom link.

Join Riva this month as she discusses the work of Winslow Homer, who is known for his powerful paintings of American life.

Children's Programs

Book Chats - At October's meeting bring a book to share that you enjoyed this summer and help us decide on November and December book chat picks. Registration required.

- Genius Bookworms: WPL Book Chat Grades 4-6. Monday, October 3 @ 4:00 PM in the Library Cafe.
- WordWorms: WPL Book Chat Grades 1-3 in Library Cafe. Monday, October 3 @ 4:30 PM.
- Bookmarked: WPL Book Chat Grades 10-12. Friday, October 7 @ 3:00 PM.
- Page Turners: WPL Book Chat for Grades 7-9. Friday, October 7 @ 3:00 PM.

Grocery Games
Wednesday, October 5 @ 4:00 PM. Ages 5+. Registration required.
Join Food Explorers for a round of Grocery Games and a delicious recipe! You’ll make Pumpkin Cannoli Cones and test your ability to design a meal for a family of four while sticking to a budget. It’s harder than you think! Recipe is nut free.

Stress Relief for Kids - DIY Mini Zen Garden and Fruit Pizza Crackers
Wednesday, October 5 @ 5:30 PM. Ages 3+. Registration required.
Join us for a program to help destress.

Teen Scene: Stress Relief- enjoy calm with some low-key crafts and some stress relief takeaways
Thursday, October 6 from 3:00-4:45 PM, Grades 6-12. Registration required.
Middle and High Schoolers are invited to join us for a special program just for you. Each week is something different, but there will always be friends and snacks.

Click here for More Information