<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">2024 Summer Olympic Games and Paralympic Games are underway! Opening Ceremonies took place today, Friday, July 26 at Stade de France and the games extend through Sunday, August 11.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Let’s cheer for Connecticut residents who are part of Team USA!&nbsp;</span></p><ul><li><a href="https://officeofthegovernor.cmail20.com/t/j-l-gjulldk-tlluktyukd-j/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;">Oliver Bub</a><span style="background-color: transparent;"> – Rowing (Westport, Connecticut)</span></li><li><a href="https://officeofthegovernor.cmail20.com/t/j-l-gjulldk-tlluktyukd-t/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;">Liam Corrigan</a><span style="background-color: transparent;"> – Rowing (Old Lyme, Connecticut)</span></li><li><a href="https://officeofthegovernor.cmail20.com/t/j-l-gjulldk-tlluktyukd-i/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;">Jess Davis</a><span style="background-color: transparent;"> – Pentathlon (Bethlehem, Connecticut)</span></li><li><a href="https://officeofthegovernor.cmail20.com/t/j-l-gjulldk-tlluktyukd-d/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;">Alexis Holmes</a><span style="background-color: transparent;"> – Track and Field (Cheshire, Connecticut)</span></li><li><a href="https://officeofthegovernor.cmail20.com/t/j-l-gjulldk-tlluktyukd-h/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;">Alyssa Naeher</a><span style="background-color: transparent;"> – Soccer (Stratford, Connecticut)</span></li><li><a href="https://officeofthegovernor.cmail20.com/t/j-l-gjulldk-tlluktyukd-k/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;">Kelsey Reelick</a><span style="background-color: transparent;"> – Rowing (Brookfield, Connecticut)</span></li><li><a href="https://officeofthegovernor.cmail20.com/t/j-l-gjulldk-tlluktyukd-u/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;">Kieran Smith</a><span style="background-color: transparent;"> – Swimming (Ridgefield, Connecticut)</span></li><li><a href="https://officeofthegovernor.cmail20.com/t/j-l-gjulldk-tlluktyukd-o/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;">Beth Yeager</a><span style="background-color: transparent;"> – Field Hockey (Greenwich, Connecticut)</span></li></ul><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Members of Team USA who are from Connecticut and have qualified to compete in the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games include:</span></p><ul><li><a href="https://officeofthegovernor.cmail20.com/t/j-l-gjulldk-tlluktyukd-b/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;">Matthew Torres</a><span style="background-color: transparent;"> – Swimming (Ansonia, Connecticut)</span></li><li><a href="https://officeofthegovernor.cmail20.com/t/j-l-gjulldk-tlluktyukd-n/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;">Ali Truwit</a><span style="background-color: transparent;"> – Swimming (Darien, Connecticut)</span></li><li><a href="https://officeofthegovernor.cmail20.com/t/j-l-gjulldk-tlluktyukd-f/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;">Ben Washburne</a><span style="background-color: transparent;"> – Rowing (Madison, Connecticut)</span></li></ul><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">NOTE: This list of athletes is based on the location the athletes listed as their “hometown” on questionnaires they provided to Team USA</em></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">View the Olympic Games schedule</span><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;"> </em><a href="https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/schedule/24-july" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;"><em>https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/schedule/24-july</em></a></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">You can livestream the Olympics </span><a href="https://olympics.com/en/original-series/episode/la-grande-seine-trailer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;">here</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">.</span></p>

<p class="ql-align-center"><strong><u>Bethel’s Byrd’s Books hosts Book Signing of Whodunit by CT real estate developer turned author</u></strong></p><p>Bethel’s Byrd’s Books loves a good crime thriller.&nbsp;On Saturday, August 10th, 12:00 noon to 2:00pm, join owner Alice Hutchinson as the independent bookstore welcomes Connecticut author Larry Terhaar for a book signing of&nbsp;<em>Once a Detective…</em>, that author Steve Skurka called “a well written and fast paced detective novel in the tradition of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett.” All are welcome to attend, where copies of the book will be available for purchase. To pre-order your copy of&nbsp;<em>Once a Detective…</em>, visit&nbsp;<a href="ByrdsBooks.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ByrdsBooks.com</a></p><p><em>Once a Detective…</em>&nbsp;introduces Dan Burnett, an NYPD detective who opts for retirement after failing his physical. At fifty-five, he becomes a private investigator, learning the ropes from a P.I. with a similar history. Divorced and living on a sailboat, his one source of happiness is his college-aged daughter. After assisting his new partner with ongoing cases, he lands one of his own: a beautiful woman whose brother was murdered. With the NYPD abandoning the case, it's up to him to find the murderer, all while grappling with his attraction to the client.</p><p>Larry Terhaar grew up in Westport, CT. He started a career as a home builder in his thirties, and by 2005, he was building condominiums as a real estate developer. He holds a deep fascination with ocean sailing and has ailed from Maine to Grenada and every place, living aboard for much of that time.</p><p>Byrd’s Books is located at&nbsp;178 Greenwood Avenue&nbsp;across from the Bethel Public Library. Author discussions and Book Group gatherings are regularly added to Byrd’s Books’ calendar of events at&nbsp;<a href="ByrdsBooks.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ByrdsBooks.com</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;Hours are&nbsp;Tuesdays to Saturdays10:00am to 6:00pm,&nbsp;Sundays&nbsp;12:00 noon&nbsp;to 4;00pm, Closed Mondays.&nbsp;For directions to the store or more information, call Byrd’s Books at&nbsp;203-730-2973.&nbsp;To review the shop’s expanded catalog of new titles, go to&nbsp;<a href="ByrdsBooks.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ByrdsBooks.com</a></p>

<p>Bethel’s Byrd’s Books’ Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Sci-Fi/Fantasy book groups provide monthly escapes into inner worlds and faraway places. The popular independent bookstore’s book groups are free to the public and always open to newcomers. Meetings are held both in store and on Zoom by request, and books are usually available to purchase in paperback.</p><p>On Thursday, August 8th at 7:30pm, the Non-Fiction book group will explore&nbsp;<em>The&nbsp;Bowery: The Strange History of New York’s Oldest Street&nbsp;</em>by Stephen Paul DeVillo.&nbsp;From peglegged Peter Stuyvesant to CBGB's,&nbsp;<em>The Bowery&nbsp;</em>traces the full story of this once notorious thoroughfare from its pre-colonial origins to the present day. “Loved this!” writes Marie Carter, “I’m a tour guide and writer who loves NYC history and I thoroughly enjoyed this.”</p><p>On Thursday, August 15th at 7:30pm, the Fiction book group will share a children’s book,&nbsp;<em>Duet</em>&nbsp;by Elise Broach and illustrated by Ziyue Chen.&nbsp;<strong>Every August, Byrd’s Books always highlights a children’s book in its line up.</strong>&nbsp;<em>Duet&nbsp;</em>enters the&nbsp;world of Mirabelle, a young goldfinch who loves to sing and dreams of becoming a musical star. For ages 9 to 12 years old, this&nbsp;real-life mystery is “perfect&nbsp;for readers who are sometimes spellbound by music,” noted&nbsp;<em>Booklist.&nbsp;</em>The&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(249, 250, 251);">event will be attended by its Connecticut author.</span></p><p>On Tuesday, August 20th at 7:30pm, the Sci-Fi Fantasy book group will discuss&nbsp;<em>A Psalm for the Well-Built: A Monk and Robot Book</em>&nbsp;by Becky Chambers.&nbsp;One day, the life of a tea monk is upended by the arrival of a robot is this winner of the Hugo Award.&nbsp;The first of a series,<em>&nbsp;A Psalm for the Well-Built&nbsp;</em>is “optimistic and hopeful, pursuing stories that arise from abundance instead of scarcity, kindness instead of cruelty,&nbsp;a book rooted in depictions of comfort,”&nbsp;said NPR.</p><p>Byrd’s Books is located at&nbsp;178 Greenwood Avenue&nbsp;across from the Bethel Public Library. Author discussions and Book Group gatherings are regularly added to Byrd’s Books’ calendar of events at&nbsp;<a href="ByrdsBooks.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ByrdsBooks.com</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;Hours are&nbsp;Tuesdays to Saturdays10:00am to 6:00pm,&nbsp;Sundays&nbsp;12:00 noon&nbsp;to 4;00pm, Closed Mondays.&nbsp;For directions to the store or more information, call Byrd’s Books at&nbsp;203-730-2973.&nbsp;To review the shop’s expanded catalog of new titles, go to&nbsp;<a href="ByrdsBooks.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ByrdsBooks.com</a></p>

<p>Get ready for an unforgettable evening as the Ridgefield Playhouse proudly announces its Fall Gala, featuring none other than Elvis Costello &amp; The Imposters with Charlie Sexton. Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 9, 2024, as this spectacular event promises to be one of the highlights of the year.</p><p>The festivities kick off at 5:00 PM with a glamorous Gala, followed by the highly anticipated concert at 8:00 PM. This event is not just a concert but a significant fundraiser for the Ridgefield Playhouse, ensuring that your attendance supports the arts in our community.</p><p>Tickets will be available to members starting on Tuesday, July 23 at 10:00 AM, with public sales opening on Friday, July 26 at 10:00 AM. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this extraordinary evening.</p><p>Elvis Costello, a two-time Grammy Award winner and a member of both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is set to deliver an electrifying performance. Known for his timeless hits such as “Alison,” “Veronica,” and “Watching the Detectives,” Costello’s career spans decades and includes over six hundred published titles. His impressive catalog features collaborations with music legends like Paul McCartney, Roy Orbison, Chet Baker, and Johnny Cash.</p><p>We invite you to enhance your experience by becoming a Benefactor of the event. Benefactor packages offer an exclusive retro-themed cocktail party, a seated Gala Dinner, and VIP Orchestra Seats for the concert. Your support as a Benefactor will make a significant impact on the Ridgefield Playhouse and its mission to bring world-class entertainment to our community.</p><p>For more information on becoming a Benefactor, click <a href="https://ridgefieldplayhouse.org/2024-fall-gala-levels-of-support/?utm_source=constantcontact&amp;utm_medium=tuesdayblast&amp;utm_campaign=masterblast07232024&amp;utm_id=masterblast07232024" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p>If you prefer concert tickets only, click <a href="https://ridgefieldplayhouse.org/event/elvis-costello-the-imposters-fall-gala/?utm_source=constantcontact&amp;utm_medium=tuesdayblast&amp;utm_campaign=masterblast07232024&amp;utm_id=masterblast07232024" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p>Join us for a night of incredible music, delicious food, and great company as we celebrate the arts and support the Ridgefield Playhouse. This is an evening you won’t want to miss!</p><p><br></p>

<p class="ql-align-center"><strong>Join the Fight Against Hunger: Hillside Food Outreach&nbsp;Seeks Volunteers for Food Delivery</strong></p><p><strong>Danbury, CT</strong>&nbsp;<strong>(July 22, 2024) –</strong>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hillsidefoodoutreach.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: purple;">Hillside Food Outreach</a>, a nonprofit dedicated to delivering high-quality, nutritious food to low-income and limited mobility families, seniors, and the chronically ill in Fairfield, Westchester, and Putnam Counties, is calling on the community to join its mission. The organization, which provides food deliveries free of charge to over 2,000 individuals twice per month, is in urgent need of volunteers to help meet the rising demand.</p><p>Hillside Food Outreach relies on a dedicated network of more than 350 volunteers to deliver nutrient-dense groceries to those in need. The organization is seeking additional delivery volunteers to ensure that no household on its waitlist of over 100 families goes hungry. Volunteers typically deliver to up to six households, fostering trust and long-term relationships with the clients they serve.</p><p>“Hillside volunteers are a lifeline for many in our community,” said Kathy Purdy, CEO and Founder of Hillside Food Outreach. “They play a critical role in providing not only food, but also companionship and hope to those who are often isolated and struggling.” Clients include elderly residents who lack transportation and who are unable to carry heavy grocery bags, veterans, people who are housebound due to disability, and patients suffering from chronic illnesses who require healthy diets.</p><p>According to a&nbsp;<a href="https://map.feedingamerica.org/county/2022/overall/connecticut?mc_cid=b091b16f86&amp;mc_eid=daf2309202" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: purple;">recent report</a>&nbsp;by Feeding America,&nbsp;468,150 people in Connecticut are now food insecure, an increase of 23 percent.&nbsp;This alarming trend is part of a national issue, with more than 17 million American households experiencing food insecurity in 2022, the largest increase since the 2008 economic crisis. Hillside Food Outreach is witnessing this surge firsthand and is struggling to meet the increased demand for its services.</p><p>“Food insecurity rarely exists alone,” noted Purdy. “It can cause significant emotional and psychological distress, contributing to a deeper sense of isolation. Our mission is to combat these issues by providing nutritious food and human connection.”</p><p>Community members have several options to support Hillside Food Outreach:</p><ul><li><strong>Become a Delivery Volunteer:&nbsp;</strong>Help deliver food directly to those in need.</li><li><strong>Volunteer at the Warehouse:</strong>&nbsp;Assist in stocking shelves and preparing deliveries.</li><li><strong>Make a Donation:</strong>&nbsp;Financial contributions are crucial for sustaining Hillside’s operations. Consider a one-time donation or join the&nbsp;<em>Hunger Heroes</em>&nbsp;program with a monthly contribution.</li><li><strong>Advocate for Change:</strong>&nbsp;Raise awareness about food insecurity with elected officials and push for policies that improve access to healthy food.&nbsp;</li></ul><p>“Working to reduce food insecurity is a challenging task, but it’s incredibly uplifting when clients share how our food deliveries have positively impacted their health and overall quality of life,” Purdy said. “Even a few hours a month can make a significant difference. In our latest survey, 98 percent of Hillside clients reported feeling more food-secure, and 97 percent of parents said their children are eating more fruits and vegetables.”</p><p>Hillside Food Outreach is headquartered in Mount Kisco, N.Y. and operates in Fairfield County through its Danbury, CT satellite location. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, call 914-747-0095 or visit&nbsp;<a href="http://hillsidefoodoutreach.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: purple;">hillsidefoodoutreach.org</a>.</p>

<h3>Summer Reading Event for Grades 3-5: Sport Stacking with Glenn Costello</h3><p><strong>Date:</strong> Monday, July 29</p><p><strong>Time:</strong> 6:00 - 7:00 PM</p><p>Get ready for an exhilarating Summer Reading event designed especially for students in grades 3-5! Join Coach Glenn Costello for an exciting session of Sport Stacking. This dynamic activity involves stacking and unstacking specially designed cups, known as Speed Stacks, as quickly as possible. Imagine it as a "track meet for your hands at warp speed."</p><p>Don't miss out on the fun and the chance to learn a new skill!</p><p><strong>Register here:</strong> <a href="https://www.eventkeeper.com/mars/xpages/xp_newpopevent.cfm?zeeOrg=BETHEL&amp;EventID=7538696&amp;sw=1680" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Event Registration</a></p>