<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">On May 31, 2025, Ridgefield Troop 76 honored its five newest Eagle Scouts during an Eagle Scout Court of Honor at the Ridgefield Rec Center. The rank of Eagle Scout is the highest honor in Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts of America). In order to earn the Eagle Scout rank, each Scout completed a series of requirements over several years, including earning at least 21 merit badges, serving in leadership roles, and completing a significant community service project.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Andrew Pearl is Troop 76’s 128th Eagle Scout. For his project, he designed and led the construction of a new switchback trail on a steep quarter-mile section of the Yellow Trail at Aldrich Park.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">The Troop’s 129th Eagle Scout is Declan Luhman who led the design and implementation of several improvements at Playground Field including repainting dugouts, constructing a bullpen for visiting teams, and creating a new fenced-in seating area.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">William Carter planned and supervised Scouts in the construction of a large custom art supply storage cabinet for the McGiveny Community Center in Bridgeport. He is Troop 76’s 130th Eagle Scout.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">For his project, JW Mooney, the 131st Eagle Scout in Troop 76, led family and friends in building a protective two-foot-high rock wall around the country’s oldest living Norway Maple which can be found on Halpin Lane.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Troop 76’s 132nd Eagle Scout is Nicolas Genna who led the design, construction, and installation of a set of gear cubbies and a bat rack for each dugout at the East Ridge Middle School baseball field.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">All five young men are 2025 graduates of Ridgefield High School.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Ridgefield Troop 76 meets weekly during the school year at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church on Main Street. The troop is open to boys ages 11-17 whether or not they have prior experience in Cub Scouts/Scouts. For more information visit </span><a href="https://troop76.membershiptoolkit.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;">https://troop76.membershiptoolkit.com</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;"> or email </span><a href="mailto:info@troop76.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;">info@troop76.org</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">. Troop 76 is a member of the Aquila District in the Connecticut Yankee Council.</span></p><p><br></p>

<p>Connecticut State Treasurer Erick Russell will head a stellar line-up of Ridgefield and state officials that will attend the Ridgefield Democratic Town Committee wine and cheese fundraiser on June 22 from 2 to 4 pm at the home of Arny and Jennifer DiLaura.</p><p>Russell, a New Haven resident and former associate at the Pullman &amp; Comley law firm, was elected state treasurer in 2022 and is serving his first term. Russell will be speaking at a time when federal programs are under intense pressure and forcing states to strike back.</p><p>As state treasurer, Russell administers the state’s $50 billion pension fund, collects and returns unclaimed property and manages the Connecticut Higher Education Trust, a plan that helps students and their families save for college. Russell also has secured funding for CT Baby Bonds, a first-in-the-nation program designed to combat generational poverty.</p><p>Russell will be joined at the event by State Representative Aimee Berger-Girvalo (D-111), State Senator Ceci Maher (D-26) and Ridgefield First Selectperson Rudy Marconi.</p><p>Other guests will include Arthur Caplan, professor of bioethics at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine. Prior to joining NYU, Caplan was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, University of Minnesota, and University of Pittsburgh.</p><p>Attendees will have the opportunity to meet and hear from these leaders in an intimate setting while enjoying food and wine with fellow community members.</p><p>The suggested contribution levels range from&nbsp;$80 to $1,000&nbsp;with proceeds supporting Ridgefield Democrats’ 2025 efforts.</p><p>An RSVP is required. An address will be provided upon registration.</p><p>To RSVP or donate, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://ridgefielddems.net/event/wine-tasting-conversation/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wine Tasting &amp; Conversation – Ridgefield Democratic Town Committee</a>.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Make Music Day, celebrated annually on June 21st, is a beloved event that transforms local venues and parks into lively stages for musicians of all levels to showcase their talents.&nbsp;Originating in France in 1982 as “Fete de la Musique,” it has grown </p><p> into a worldwide phenomenon.</p><p>In Ridgefield, it has been organized by the Ridgefield Arts Council and is hosted by nancy O, at The Marketplace at Copps Hill.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Join us in celebrating Make Music Day, Saturday June 21st, from 12 noon to 5PM.</p><p>Scheduled Performances:</p><ul><li>Learning in Unison​ ​11AM to Noon​Mother/Daughter Classical Music Duo</li><li>Michael Horwitz​​ Noon to 1PM ​​Singer/Songwriter </li><li> Maio ​​​1PM to 2PM&nbsp;​​Singer/Songwriter</li><li>Andrew Frishman -​​ 2PM to 3PM ​​Tenor Sax</li><li>Bach to Rock Music School​ 3PM to 4PM&nbsp;&nbsp;​Pop, Rock Alt Hits</li></ul><p><a href="http://www.themarketplaceatcoppshill.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">www.themarketplaceatcoppshill.com</a></p><p><a href="http://www.themarketplaceatcoppshill.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);"> </a>109 Danbury Road, Ridgefield, CT 06877</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><br></p>

<p>Founder, Corrin Arasa announced that the Ridgefield Farmers Market will return for its third season with weekly markets every Saturday from 10:0am - 1:00pm, beginning June 21, 2025 and running through October 4, 2025. A firm favorite on Ridgefield residents’ summer calendars, the market takes place on the tree-lined foregrounds of Jesse Lee Church on Main Street and will feature more than 30-hand-selected local farmers and producers, along with an enticing line-up of complimentary community-focused activities and initiatives for both children and adults.</p><p>Filling a niche in town, the Ridgefield Farmers Market is now a gathering spot for friends and neighbors to convene each weekend in a convivial, open-air environment, while filling their market bags, and dinner tables, with fresh local food. Concurrently, the Market provides a platform for both established and up-and-coming food producers, along with Ridgefield’s three major local farms — The Hickories, Henny Penny Farm, Wild Iris Flower Farm, and many more — to showcase and sell their products and make personal connections with the community.</p><p>While the market is open to all, a Ridgefield Farmer’s Market Membership is available at $50 per family annually. Members receive an official Ridgefield Farmer’s Market tote – limited edition designs that will change each year – and are entitled to special discounts and unique offerings from the market vendors each week, along with discounts all-year long from a quickly growing list of local businesses including Ridgefield Prime Butcher, Fletch’s Bagels, and more. Later in the season, Members can look forward to early access to a “HooDoo Brown Downtown”, a pop-up of award-winning BBQ restaurant HooDoo Brown at the Farmer’s Market and a “Sunset Summer Picnic” at the Hickories Farm – an afternoon curated for foodies and friends of the market, featuring beautiful wine, food and florals, along with live music.</p><p>Upon arrival at the Ridgefield Farmers Market, members of the community will discover a hand-selected range of food and beverage producers and farmers, with enough variety to fuel a full weekend of deliciously healthful and sustainable consumption. New for the 2025 season are Tucker’s Pie Company, who create classic Aussie savory meat pies and quiches that are perfect for summer picnic baskets, Mexican Kitchen a culinary celebration of the vibrant flavours or Mexico including Tamales, Tacos and Ceviches, High Ridge Hydroponics, a vertical farming company that grows microgreens inside shipping containers year-round and began on Ridgefield’s very own High Ridge Avenue, and Parlor Pizza, an award-winning and much-adored pizza truck hailing from Wilton.</p><p>Returning vendors include Fatto a Mano, an artisanal Italian micro-bakery out of Westport, whose owner Pierluigi Mazzella, was named “Baker of the Year” by the Connecticut Restaurant Association,</p><p>Quartertone Coffee, a local father and son operation who turns out sustainably sourced lattes along with</p><p>selling freshly roasted, single-origin beans, Saint Ex, who have developed a cult following for their</p><p>homemade pesto and mozzarella, Spring Roll Supper Club, specializing in FIlipino street food including Empanadas, Spring Rolls and Stir-fried Noodles, and Bees Knees Ice Pops, which are handcrafted from all-natural, high quality ingredients in flavors like Strawberry Lemonade and Pineapple Ginger Cilantro. Returning food vendors also include: Bad Ass Bagels, Bubble &amp; Brew, Saint Ex, Sunset Farms, Union City Farms, Ideal Fish, Yalla Fresh, Sweet Brioche Bakery, Stylish Spoon, Mama Hu Sushi Bakes, Wonderland Jams, D’s Gluten Free Kitchenn, Cross Culture Kombucha, Cultured Cafe, Rasta Rant Experience, Herbal Deva and Paul’s Custom Pet Food.</p><p>This year, the Farmer’s Market puts down even deeper roots in the community with exciting local</p><p>collaborations and complementary initiatives for visitors. On June 21, Ridgefield Little League Baseball Players are invited to swing by after their final games and receive complimentary freshly baked cookies.</p><p>On Aug 2, Ridgefield Suzuki School students will perform at a special “Music in the Market” day</p><p>including instrument-themed crafts and a lively informal parade for kids. Every week, there will be live music by a rotating roster of local musical talent, along with mindful movement and yoga classes for</p><p>both children and adults taught by Ridgefield-based practitioner Lauren Chiarello Mika. For the littlest of</p><p>locavores, there will be themed craft projects inspired by nature, including monthly pop-ups hosted by Ridgefield children’s play studio, Silly Goose. Diners around town will also find the Farmer’s Market popping up with partnerships and specialty items at different venues including a “Ridgefield Farmers Market Milkshake” featuring seasonal strawberries at launching at Prime Burger on Main Street in July!</p><p>The Market, which has quickly become a buzzing hub for the greater Ridgefield community, began as the passion project for Arasa, an entrepreneur and Founder of highly successful event company Patina</p><p>Studios. She relocated from New York to Ridgefield in 2021 and missed the “weekend ritual” of taking her children to the farmer’s market, allowing them to taste new foods, while learning about the farms and</p><p>making a connection to where their food was coming from. Arasa also enjoys mentoring small businesses</p><p>and has relished in the process of collaborating with local vendors and providing ideas and strategies to</p><p>help their businesses “grow roots in Ridgefield”</p><p>Arasa noted, “As a progressive community rooted in an agricultural past, we have a duty to honor and</p><p>engage with our local farms and farmers as well as protect the environment which allows us to grow</p><p>locally. Our Mission at Ridgefield Farmers Market is to be the catalyst that cultivates relationships</p><p>between local growers and makers within our community. We hope to educate and actively involve</p><p>Ridgefielders in supporting local agriculture and environmental initiatives.”</p><p>For the most up to date details on the Ridgefield Farmers Market, please visit:</p><p><a href="https://www.ridgefieldfarmersmarket.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ridgefieldfarmersmarket.org</a> and follow @ridgefieldfarmersmarket on Instagram</p>

<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Each year American Legion Post 78 of Ridgefield sponsors an essay contest to promote the principles of Americanism and appreciation for the freedoms which we enjoy. The photo shows this year's winners and members of the Legion's contest committee. Winners are from the Ridgefield High School senior&nbsp;class and each receives a $1500 cash prize. Pictured are Dr. John Fisher, Chairman, Cmdr. George S. Besse, Maya Blackman, Hannah Gilland, John Noonan, Andrew Pearl and George Schuster</span></p>

<p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">After more than a decade of storytelling, connection, and community-building, we’re writing to share that HamletHub will be winding down at the end of June. It’s a bittersweet decision—one made with full hearts and deep reflection—as we prepare to begin a new chapter in a new place. An exciting opportunity calls, and the timing feels right, but leaving Ridgefield, the town we know intimately and love fiercely, is no small thing.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">For twelve extraordinary years, HamletHub has been more than a platform—it’s been a gathering place. We’ve had the privilege of shining a light on the people, places, and moments that make Ridgefield, and towns across Connecticut, pulse with meaning. From nonprofit missions to championship wins, from academic triumphs to small business beginnings—we’ve chronicled the soul of our community in stories that might otherwise go untold.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We’ve shared more than headlines. We’ve told the tales behind the coffee counter, in the dugout, at the school auditorium, on the back porch the Lounsbury House, and in the quiet corners where Ridgefield’s true fabric is woven. And through it all, we’ve been honored to earn your trust.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">To every reader, contributor, business, neighbor, and friend—thank you. Your stories became our purpose. Your kindness became our fuel. And your belief in what we were building made all the difference.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Though HamletHub’s final post may be written, the impact we’ve created together will remain - etched into the community we cherish and the lives we’ve touched along the way. It’s been a great ride, filled with amazing people, in the greatest town ever.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">With love and deep gratitude,</span></p><p><strong style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The HamletHub Team</strong></p>