<p>The Community Action Agency of Western Connecticut, which has been operating in Danbury under various names for about six decades, serves 20,000 people in the region<strong>.</strong> State Representatives Rachel Chaleski (R-Danbury), Martin Foncello (R-Brookfield), and Mitch Bolinsky (R-Newtown)&nbsp;recently sat down with Executive Director Michelle James to learn more about the nonprofit and discuss the state's role in their operations.</p><p>The 501(c)3 nonprofit serves 25 towns in Fairfield and Litchfield Counties and is one of nine federally designated community action agencies in Connecticut.</p><p>Clients can come to CAAWC for help with SNAP, Husky, job searches, ESL classes, CNA training, and Danbury Works programming, among others. CAAWC also provides energy assistance through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).</p><p>“It was insightful and rewarding to learn more about this umbrella agency, under which are programs that I have specifically lent my support through policy and volunteering.&nbsp;When I learned that vendor participation in the LIHEAP program was waning due to rising costs on businesses, I proposed a bill in my first year as a legislator to establish a more fair reimbursement system that ultimately passed by way of the biennium budget,”&nbsp;said Rep. Chaleski. “I also answered the call for volunteer assistance at the National Association of Letter Carriers' Stamp Out Hunger food drive, where donations were sorted and delivered to the Community Food Rescue housed at this CAAWC location.&nbsp;I am grateful for all that this organization provides to our communities, especially knowing its leadership is dedicated to running a tight ship in adhering to all federal, state and local regulations.”</p><p>CAAWC is federally funded, through the state, but also has a benefactor for part of their community food rescue program, specifically for a senior mobile food pantry and SNAP outreach. With the food rescue program, CAAWC collects food and other products from grocery and big box stores to distribute to local food pantries, which are all open during different days of the week. Dorothy Day, Daily Bread, The Center for Empowerment &amp; Education, as well as other crisis response and homeless services agencies also receive food donations. A food pantry is run from their Triangle Street location on Thursdays. The senior mobile program is run out of a van that visits senior housing once a month.</p><p>CAAWC has had to scale back their Diaper Program as funding has dried up. It's a partnership with Nuvance Health at Danbury Hospital for clients with newborns.&nbsp;</p><p>The organization also runs a daycare center on Balmforth Avenue with funding from the Office of Early Childhood and School Readiness. A new preschool program is getting ready to open at New Hope Baptist Church next month.</p><p>CAAWC employs 75 people across their operations.</p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Photo (L-R): Rep. Martin Foncello, Rep. Rachel Chaleski, CAAWC Executive Director Michelle James, Rep. Mitch Bolinsky</span></p>

<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">This past Tuesday, July 23, the Ridgefield Playhouse released tickets for their Fall Gala featuring Elvis Costello and The Imposters with Charlie Sexton to members, with public sales opening today. Friday, July 26. Scheduled for Saturday, November 9, the Gala has already sold out, making it the fastest-selling Gala in Playhouse history!</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Following the success of their Summer Fundraiser, which featured a sold-out concert with the Goo Goo Dolls, this overwhelming response speaks to the caliber of the artists at the Playhouse and the enthusiasm from their supporters.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">&nbsp;“We are thankful for the incredible support from our community, and we can’t wait to celebrate with everyone this fall as we head into our 25th year at the Playhouse!” remarked Executive Director Ashley Paltauf.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">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.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">For a complete list of upcoming Ridgefield Playhouse performances, visit </span><a href="https://ridgefieldplayhouse.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">https://ridgefieldplayhouse.org/</a></p><p><br></p>

<p><em>Dr.&nbsp;Paul&nbsp;Wright’s appointment as the John and Joanne Patrick Endowed Chair for Advanced Technology in&nbsp;Neuroscience&nbsp;marks a significant milestone in advancing healthcare technology at Nuvance Health.</em></p><p>Dr. Paul Wright, senior vice president and system chair of the Nuvance Health Neuroscience Institute, is the first&nbsp;<em>John and Joanne Patrick Endowed Chair for Advanced Technology in&nbsp;Neuroscience</em>.&nbsp;A&nbsp;generous $2 million gift from Dr. John R. and Mrs. Joanne Patrick&nbsp;has made this prestigious appointment&nbsp;possible. It is&nbsp;the 17th endowed chair at Nuvance Health.&nbsp;The endowment recognizes Dr. Wright’s leadership in integrating advanced technology into neurological care at Nuvance Health.</p><p>The&nbsp;Endowed Chair&nbsp;is a testament to the&nbsp;Patricks’&nbsp;and Dr. Wright’s&nbsp;commitment to advancing healthcare through technological innovation.&nbsp;The Patricks’ support and Dr. Wright’s leadership&nbsp;will enable Nuvance Health to continue its mission of providing&nbsp;the latest care&nbsp;to its patients and improving health outcomes in the community.&nbsp;One way&nbsp;the endowment will play a vital role&nbsp;is&nbsp;in implementing artificial intelligence (AI) for preventing,&nbsp;diagnosing&nbsp;and treating patients&nbsp;in a&nbsp;personalized&nbsp;manner.</p><p>“I am beyond&nbsp;thankful&nbsp;for John and Joanne Patrick’s generosity and&nbsp;overwhelmed by the extraordinary honor of being the recipient of their endowment. We share a passion for technological advancements&nbsp;and a vision to apply them at Nuvance Health to help people get the best healthcare possible,”&nbsp;<a href="https://findcare.nuvancehealth.org/provider/Paul+Wright/1747599?unified=wright&amp;categories=clinical_keywords%2Cspecialties%2Cprovider_name%2Cnetwork_affiliation%2Clocation_name%2Cprimary_care&amp;sort=relevance%2Cnetworks%2Cavailability_density_best&amp;from=search-list&amp;&amp;fbclid=IwY2xjawEP4WxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHQIQ0W4wqHaA0rFdg4cafW2r0sYp1is5tNBnlLkHnSfxCubl5n_jYn_j2Q_aem_aJATns0BJzc1xmYBEKGpVg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(5, 99, 193);">Dr. Wright</a><span style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);">&nbsp;</span><span style="color: windowtext;">said</span>.</p><p>Dr. Wright has been a pivotal leader at Nuvance Health, introducing novel technologies to enhance patient care. These&nbsp;include&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nuvancehealth.org/health-tips-and-news/traumatic-brain-injury-patient-gives-back-to-vassar-brothers-medical-center" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(5, 99, 193);">portable MRI technology for neurological patients</a><span style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);">,</span><span style="color: windowtext;">&nbsp;and r</span>emote monitoring for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nuvancehealth.org/health-tips-and-news/top-4-things-you-need-to-know-about-stroke" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(5, 99, 193);">stroke</a>&nbsp;patients to detect changes in vital signs&nbsp;and prevent medical emergencies.</p><p>Dr. Wright has also spearheaded a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nuvancehealth.org/health-tips-and-news/nuvance-health-brings-new-cognitive-care-at-home-program-to-patients" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(5, 99, 193);">remote monitoring program for patients with mild cognitive impairment</a>, ensuring they receive&nbsp;timely&nbsp;and effective care at home.&nbsp;Additionally, Dr. Wright and Dr. Jordana Sandy are studying virtual reality&nbsp;(VR)&nbsp;to help patients relax before brain surgery aiming to improve their overall experiences&nbsp;and outcomes.</p><p>“Joanne and I are delighted to be able to provide this&nbsp;Endowed&nbsp;Chair. We feel proud of Nuvance Health and look forward to seeing it implement&nbsp;the&nbsp;advanced technologies Dr. Wright introduces,” Dr. Patrick said.</p><p>Dr. John R. Patrick, a visionary in technology and healthcare, has made significant contributions to the development of the Internet.&nbsp;Dr. Patrick has played a crucial role in shaping the digital landscape as a co-founding member of the World Wide Web Consortium at MIT in 1994&nbsp;and&nbsp;former vice president of&nbsp;Internet Technology&nbsp;at&nbsp;IBM.</p><p>Dr. Patrick is also a philanthropist and&nbsp;an active&nbsp;volunteer at Nuvance Health. He is&nbsp;a&nbsp;Digital Patient Experience Executive Committee member&nbsp;and&nbsp;was&nbsp;previously on the Danbury Hospital and&nbsp;Western Connecticut Health Network&nbsp;boards&nbsp;of&nbsp;directors.&nbsp;The&nbsp;Patricks&nbsp;also&nbsp;established&nbsp;the&nbsp;<em>S. Javed Shahid, MD Endowed Fund for the Advancement of&nbsp;Neurosurgery</em>,&nbsp;launched a women’s cardiac care program and funded a cell research lab in the Ruggles Research Institute at Nuvance Health. They&nbsp;also&nbsp;helped fund the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nuvancehealth.org/health-tips-and-news/nuvance-health-studies-effects-of-ketogenic-diet-on-pancreatic-cancer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(5, 99, 193);">Nuvance Health Keto Diet Study for Pancreatic Cancer</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;developments in&nbsp;several&nbsp;other clinical areas.</p><p>Learn more <a href="https://www.nuvancehealth.org/health-tips-and-news/$2m-gift-funds-advanced-technology-in-neuroscience-endowed-chair?fbclid=IwY2xjawEP4WxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHQIQ0W4wqHaA0rFdg4cafW2r0sYp1is5tNBnlLkHnSfxCubl5n_jYn_j2Q_aem_aJATns0BJzc1xmYBEKGpVg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>

<p>The iconic eyewear brand Warby Parker is coming to the Danbury Fair Mall, 7 Backus Ave. this Saturday, July 27, and will be located on level 2 (C-214). </p><p>Warby Parker offers everything you need for happier eyes at a price that leaves you with money in your pocket, from designer-quality glasses and contacts to eye exams and vision tests, and you can meet us online, at our stores, or even in your home. Wherever and whenever you need it, we’re there to make exceptional vision care simple and accessible. (Delightful, too.)</p><p>For every pair sold, a pair of glasses is distributed to someone in need through our Buy a Pair, Give a Pair program.</p><p>Keep up to date <a href="https://stores.warbyparker.com/us/ct/danbury" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://stores.warbyparker.com/us/ct/danbury</a></p><p><br></p>

<p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Connecticut Ballet’s annual free performance tour, BALLET UNDER THE STARS, returns to Danbury for the first time since the pandemic on Monday, July 29 at 7:00pm! </span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">This year, the production will be seen for the first time at Richter Park under the auspices of Musicals at Richter. The program will include the revival of three of the most popular ballets in the company’s repertoire: the Romantic-era (circa 1845) Pas de Quatre featuring four of the company’s ballerinas, the Gatsby-era story ballet, Indian Summer by Joseph Locarro, and the fast-paced footwork of Goose Pimples to New Orleans jazz by Bix Beiderbecke… Adding an international flavor, a sizzling new tango duet to music by Paris-based Gotan Project, will feature soloists Carla Hernandez and Jose Rojas. As in years past, Artistic Director Brett Raphael will once again provide narration. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">For the complete 2024 BALLET UNDER THE STARS schedule, visit </span><a href="http://www.connecticutballet.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">www.connecticutballet.org</a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">DANBURY, CT — The Connecticut Mosquito Management Program has confirmed the presence of West Nile virus (WNV) in mosquitoes collected from a testing site in Danbury. This marks the first positive identification of the virus in Danbury this season.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">West Nile virus is primarily spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. While many who contract the virus do not exhibit symptoms, some individuals may experience severe illness. Common symptoms of WNV include fever, headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, and rash. In severe cases, the virus can lead to encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord). Individuals over the age of 60 and those with weakened immune systems are at greater risk for serious complications.</span></p><p>“We urge all residents to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and their families from mosquito bites,"<strong>&nbsp;s</strong>aid Fernanda Carvalho, City of Danbury Director of Health and Human Services.&nbsp;"To prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases in our community, the City of Danbury Department of Health and Human Services contracts with a mosquito management company to treat over 5,500 catch basins throughout the City annually. Simple measures like using insect repellent, wearing protective clothing, and eliminating standing water can significantly reduce the risk of infection.”</p><p>To reduce the risk of WNV infection, residents are urged to take the following precautions:</p><ul><li>Minimize time spent outdoors between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.</li><li>Consider the use of mosquito repellents containing an EPA-registered active ingredient, including DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-methane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone when it is necessary to be outdoors.</li><li>Wear shoes, socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods of time, or when mosquitoes are more active. Clothing should be light-colored and loose-fitting and made of tightly woven materials that keep mosquitoes away from the skin.</li><li>Be sure door and window screens are tight-fitting and in good repair.</li><li>Use mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors or in an unscreened structure and to protect infants when outdoors.</li></ul><p>No human cases have been reported with WNV-associated illnesses acquired in Danbury and the risk level remains low at this time. According to the Connecticut Mosquito Management Program, 180 human cases of West Nile virus, including 4 fatalities, have been reported in Connecticut residents since 2000.</p><p>The Connecticut Mosquito Management Program will continue to monitor and manage mosquito populations in the area. Residents are encouraged to stay informed about WNV activity and follow recommended guidelines to protect themselves and their families.</p><p>For more information on West Nile virus and mosquito control, please visit the Connecticut Department of Public Health’s website at&nbsp;<a href="https://portal.ct.gov/caes/mosquito-testing/introductory/state-of-connecticut-mosquito-trapping-and-arbovirus-testing-program" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://portal.ct.gov/caes/mosquito-testing/introductory/state-of-connecticut-mosquito-trapping-and-arbovirus-testing-program</a>&nbsp;or contact the Danbury Health Department. For FAQs regarding WNV, please visit the Connecticut Mosquito Management Program website at&nbsp;<a href="https://portal.ct.gov/mosquito/diseases/west-nile-virus-faqs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://portal.ct.gov/mosquito/diseases/west-nile-virus-faqs</a></p>