The end of summer doesn’t mean the end of time spent on the water! Enjoy the crisp fall air with The Maritime Aquarium, The Norwalk Seaport Association and Two Roads Brewing Company aboard an Ok2berfest cruise on Oct. 7, 21, or 28. 

Passengers will receive a souvenir tasting glass and have the opportunity to sample Two Roads Brewing Company’s Ok2berfest, a Märzan style lager; Roadsmary’s Baby, a pumpkin ale aged in rum barrels; Daybreaker Tropical Punch, a craft cocktail; and H2ROADS Meyer Lemon Craft Hard Seltzer. 

The cruises will also feature German-inspired small bites and distant views of the Norwalk Island foliage.

Cruises depart from The Norwalk Seaport Association’s dock, located at 4 North Water St., at 4 p.m. and last for approximately 90 minutes. Passengers must be over 21 years old and show valid ID at the dock. 

To purchase tickets, visit www.maritimeaquarium.org.

Norwalk, CT - Enjoy an immersive indoor experience for kids with the chance to meet Cinderella, Rumplestilkin, Hansel and Gretel and more! Hosted by The Norwalk Conservatory, the event offers kids the opportunity to meet fun characters and participate in interactive challenges! Designed for kids 10 and under, the experience includes live actors and goofy creatures, bewitching tricks, some challenging tasks and the chance to make some new friends along the way.

The Not So Scary Scavenger Hunt takes place at The SoNo Collection in South Norwalk. The hunt takes about 30 to 45 minutes to complete. A parent or guardian must accompany children at no charge. Complete the scavenger hunt to win a delectable prize!

The Not So Scary Scavenger Hunt is part of the larger fundraising efforts of The Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts. All proceeds go towards a student scholarship fund to attend college and study the arts.

MEMBERSHIP: Support the arts and help send students to college. Membership is TAX DEDUCTIBLE. With membership, feel free to come anytime and go through the scavenger hunt as many times as you'd like. Skip the check in line. Enjoy unlimited Coca Cola beverages, water, kids juices, and popcorn. Entry for up to 3 children included.

VIP TICKET: Upgraded large prize for completing the hunt! Skip the check in line! Please note: Wait times may be up to 5 minutes.

STANDARD TICKET: Standard prize for completing the hunt! Please note: Wait times may be up to 20 minutes.

Why Small Businesses Matter

Interested in some great tag sale finds? Want to purchase some tasty baked goods?

Visit Norwalk Community Health Center’s Bake and Tag Sale Sat., Sept. 30 between 9 a.m. and noon. Each purchase helps us fund NCHC’s Farmers Market, so we can continue to offer fresh produce to the community.

For more information, see the attached flyer or visit https://norwalkchc.org/event/community-tag-bake-sale/

The Maritime Aquarium Welcomes Teachers

Teachers a guest of their choosing will receive free admission to The Maritime Aquarium when they visit for “Teacher Weekend” on Saturday, Oct. 21 and Sunday, Oct. 22.

In addition to seeing the Aquarium’s exhibits and beloved animals, teachers will have the opportunity to speak with members of the award-winning Education Department about programs – both at the Aquarium and their schools – for students in early elementary through high school. 

“The Aquarium is an incredible resource for our local educators,” said Vice President of Education Tom Naiman. “Whether students are experiencing an up close animal encounter or conducting a STEM experiment, they are highly engaged and motivated to develop their critical thinking skills. We look forward to discussing how we can be a part of your annual curriculum.”

All teachers, including homeschool teachers, are welcome to attend the event. Valid employee ID or documentation must be provided.

To register, visit www.maritimeaquarium.org/teacher-weekend.

Join The Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts for Scary Tales, The Brothers Grimm, a haunted house experience. This live walk-through maze of spine-chilling, bone-tingling fun, screams, and laughter tells the Scary Tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel & Gretel, and many more of those stories and creepy characters from our childhood that spurred our imagination and caused us sleepless nights. The Scary Tales experience features 50+ live actors, live entertainment, a themed bar, and enough thrills to last the entire Halloween season!

This spirited haunted house is being produced for the third year. The house of horrors is constructed on Parking Level 1.5 at The SoNo Collection, Norwalk, Connecticut's premier retail, lifestyle, and event space. Upon entering Scary Tales, thrill-seekers are greeted with a themed bar serving beer, wine, cocktails, and soft drinks. Live music performed by Norwalk Conservatory talent adds to the party atmosphere and the (nervous) energy that is palpable while the audience awaits to be summoned by The Brothers Grimm host. The haunted house is a 30-minute experience wrapped in dark and winding paths, macabre sounds, dastardly villains, and surprises around every turn.

Norwalk Fright Nights and The Brothers Grimm are part of the larger fundraising efforts of The Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts. All proceeds go towards a student scholarship fund to attend the college and study the performing arts.

*Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult (strictly enforced). Parents are urged to use their best judgment if bringing younger children.

Dates:

Friday-Sunday, Oct 13-14, 7-9:30 PM

Friday-Sunday, Oct 20-22, 7-10 PM

Thursday, Oct 26, 7-10 PM

Friday-Saturday, Oct 27-28, 7-10:30 PM

Sunday, Oct 29, 7-9:30 PM

Tuesday, Oct 31 (Halloween Night), 7-9:30 PM

https://bit.ly/scarytalesct (non-refundable)

STANDARD TICKETS: $25 LIMITED VIP TICKETS AVAILABLE: $40 Skip the line and enjoy a complimentary soft drink or alcoholic beverage. Please note that wait times may range from 5-10 minutes even with a skip-the-line pass.

SPONSOR TICKETS: Support the arts and help send students to college. This ticket option is TAX DEDUCTIBLE. Sponsors are listed at the event and on all digital/social media platforms. Sponsor Benefits: skip-the-line access (for 4 adults), go through the haunted house up to three times a night and enjoy your first cocktail for free (plus unlimited Coca-Cola beverages, water, and snacks).

Union Savings Bank is excited to announce the addition of Brookside Elementary School in Norwalk to its USB Teachers’ Closet school supply program. Chelen Reyes, President and CEO of Union Savings Bank and Michele Bonvicini, Executive Director, Union Savings Bank Foundation, along with USB employees delivered over 15,000 items to Christina Guerra, principal of Brookside Elementary School and a group of teachers at a recent kickoff event held at the school.

“We are delighted to expand the USB Teachers’ Closet to include Brookside Elementary School,” said Chelen Reyes, President and CEO of Union Savings Bank. “Helping to further the education of the students in our community and supporting the teachers who make it possible is vitally important to us. Brookside Elementary School is right near our new branch on Main Street, so this was not only a great way to support the school and teachers, but it was also an excellent opportunity to get involved with the community and help our new neighbors in Norwalk.”

According to a spring 2023 Teacher Spending survey by Adoptaclassroom.org, teachers said they spent an average of $860 out-of-pocket on classroom supplies during the 2022-2023 school year. Through USB Teachers’ Closet, the bank collects and delivers supplies such as crayons, colored pencils, spiral notebooks, glue, scissors and more to local schools. The donation to Brookside Elementary also included the installation of the USB Teachers’ Closet cabinet that will be stocked year-round with school supplies.

Brookside Elementary School is the fourth school to be added to USB Teachers’ Closet school supplies program, joining Vogel-Wetmore in Torrington, and Morris Street School and South Street School, both in Danbury. The schools were chosen after Union Savings Bank conducted a study to determine which schools were the most in need.

The Teachers’ Closet program was started by the bank in October 2016 as a way to engage the community to give back to local teachers. Each year, customers can bring donated supplies to any USB branch and bank employees are heavily involved as well, donating, organizing, packing, and distributing the supplies. Since its inception, Union Savings Bank has collected over 50,000 supplies to donate to teachers and their students. The bank hopes to continue to grow the program by adding more schools in the future. For more information, please visit Teachers’ Closet.

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 About Union Savings Bank

Established in 1866 and headquartered in Danbury, Conn., Union Savings Bank is a $3.0 billion mutual bank dedicated to being the bank of choice. As a full-service financial institution, Union Savings Bank provides banking, mortgage, investment, trust and insurance products throughout Connecticut with 25 offices in Bethel, Brookfield, Canton, Danbury, Goshen, Kent, Litchfield, Marble Dale, Monroe, New Fairfield, Norwalk, New Milford, Newtown, Ridgefield, Roxbury, Southbury, Torrington and Washington Depot. The bank provides financial services to individuals, businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and government entities through its commercial, residential and consumer lending, corporate services, retail banking and wealth management divisions. Please visit www.unionsavings.com for more information; the bank can also be found on LinkedIn. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.          

NORWALK, CT — “Being is a constant, creative act.” That’s how artist Carlos RM described the newest exhibition at The Norwalk Art Space, “A Journey Through the Planes of Being". This new exhibition, which opened on September 14, takes audience members through the phases of being—from the big questions we all have to how our state of being compels people to become artists, creatives and so much more. 

The exhibition features artist Carlos RM, who is a Korry Fellow at TNAS, as well as three contributing artists: Jon Blank, a native Norwalker currently in Brooklyn, Alex Rane from Carrara, Italy; and Diana R. of Miami, Florida.

Members of the public are invited to a reception celebrating the exhibition on Saturday, September 30, starting at 6 p.m. The reception will feature a performance from the East Coast Contemporary Ballet at 7 p.m., along with performances from INTEMPO, a partner of TNAS, throughout the night.

Today, September 20, 2023, the City of Norwalk announced that more than 100 years since the adoption of its Charter, a comprehensive recommended revision has been completed by the Charter Revision Commission and approved by the Common Council. The question of whether or not residents of the City of Norwalk want to adopt the new Charter will appear on the November 2023 ballot as a referendum.

Since September 2022, the Charter Revision Commission has been meeting with City department heads, officials from other municipalities, subject matter experts and the public to conduct a comprehensive review of the City's Charter. These meetings have included a series of public hearings to gather the public's input.

In August, the Charter Revision Commission brought its final recommendations to the Common Council, which voted to approve the recommended changes and bring them forward to the public as a referendum this November.

The proposed recommended new Charter aims to create a reorganized and restructured document that is modern and easily accessible to the public. The Charter Revision Commission did not recommend any change in the form of government. The intent of the Commission was to organize the document with an emphasis on clarity, accessibility, and relevance to the times we live in.    

"We are proposing a reform of the document," said Patsy Brescia, Chair of the Charter Revision Commission. "The point we want to emphasize is that we are trying to make this governing document as user-friendly as possible. While you will see a number of changes on the edges, they are designed to improve public understanding of the government and, again, not to alter the operations of government."

The proposed Charter is broken down into three distinct parts. Part 1 enumerates all the entities, officials, and processes for the City's general government, including the Board of Education. Part 2 includes all the provisions that govern the First, Second, Third and Sixth Taxing Districts. Part 3 details special action provisions that will be replaced by ordinance. If the majority of voters decide to support the proposed Charter, these transition provisions will be repealed and extricated from the Charter by operation of law. 

You can find a summary of all the proposed changes here. You can also access our FAQ: Citizens Guide to Charter Revision here.

Governor Ned Lamont today announced the launch of CTParks.com, the new official website for Connecticut State Parks. The website offers visitors with an innovative online platform showcasing Connecticut State Parks in a more exciting, user-friendly way to help them engage with, learn about, and access state parks and the areas around them.

Connecticut has enjoyed a remarkable surge in outdoor recreation in recent years, initially spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic and continuing in line with a nationwide shift toward healthier lifestyles, increased environmental awareness, and a desire for outdoor experiences. From hiking and camping to biking and fishing, Americans increasingly are investing their time and money in outdoor activities and creating substantial economic benefits. This new CTParks.com website was funded through an American Rescue Plan Act grant via the U.S. Economic Development Administration.

“Connecticut State Parks are a huge part of our state’s quality of life and a big reason why people are choosing to move to Connecticut, and we want to make sure people have all of the information they need to visit them,” Governor Lamont said. “These beautiful places, which offer residents and visitors an unparalleled recreation experience and provide significant economic benefits to our cities and towns, deserve a website befitting their value. CTParks.com is the latest way we’re helping to connect residents with their Connecticut State Parks.”

Connecticut is home to a magnificent array of state parks, cherished for their natural beauty and diverse recreational offerings. With 142 state parks and forests, and a network of more than 2,500 miles of scenic trails, these stunning natural landscapes offer something for everyone. Connecticut State Parks continue to rank among the top regional tourist destinations and play a significant role in the state’s tourism sector and local economy. Last year, the state welcomed a staggering 17 million visitors to Connecticut State Parks. People outside of Connecticut are taking notice too – earlier this year, a travel blog designated Connecticut the best state in the country for hiking.

The Connecticut State Parks system is administered and maintained by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).

“Connecticut residents have been discovering and re-discovering their state parks over the last several years, unlocking the physical and mental health benefits outdoor recreation provides,” DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said. “Restoring and providing access to our state parks has been a priority of the Lamont administration, and we’re proud to continue to showcase our state’s tremendous natural resources. We hope you’ll enjoy using this new website to learn about the different state parks, find a hiking trail, and even find out about other great things to do in the area. The new ‘While You Are Here’ sections can point you to a great restaurant, shop, or attraction after spending a few hours in the outdoors.”

DEEP worked closely with the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) to develop the website, recognizing the value of Connecticut State Parks as an important tourism asset.

“Our state parks are an amazing asset that greatly contribute to Connecticut’s unmatched quality of life,” DECD Commissioner Alexandra Daum said. “They also attract millions of visitors whose spending helps drive economic development in our towns and cities. This website is an important new tool to educate out-of-state tourists and residents alike on what our amazing parks have to offer. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s work on state parks is invaluable and I’m glad we could partner with them on this project to show people across the world more of what makes our state a great place to visit and call home.”

CTParks.com offers several exciting features and advancements to enhance visitor experiences and spotlight the splendor and diversity of our state parks system. Among the highlights of this dynamic website are:

• ParkFinder Tool: Equipped with a user-friendly ParkFinder Tool, visitors can effortlessly discover the perfect state park based on their interests or location. Geo-location technology is seamlessly integrated, enabling users to identify nearby parks based on their current location and filter their search to parks based on their plans for the day or what they are looking to do.
• Dynamic Park Listings: Each state park enjoys a dedicated dynamic listing page that extensively promotes available activities, events, photography, social media content, and more. These listings provide comprehensive insights into the unique offerings of each park.
• “While You’re Here” Functionality: Visitors are offered an array of options to extend their stay by exploring nearby restaurants, shops, hotels, and attractions. This feature seamlessly integrates information from CTVisit.com, the state’s official tourism website, providing a comprehensive and constantly updated guide for a trip beyond the park.
• Event Awareness: The new website features an advanced event management system that not only highlights ongoing activities within the parks but also showcases upcoming events, further encouraging visitation and park engagement.
• User-Generated Content: The website harnesses Instagram content, shared by actual visitors to Connecticut State Parks. This user-generated content authentically represents our parks and the unique experiences they offer.
• Content Organization: The website is thoughtfully structured around core activities and interests, illuminating facets of state parks of which visitors may not have been aware. This intuitive design provides streamlined access to parks that cater to specific activities, simplifying the process of finding the ideal park to match individual interests.
• Video-Rich Experience: Site visitors can enjoy a video-rich environment that showcases a curated selection of more than 20 state park feature videos. These immersive visuals provide a captivating introduction to the natural wonders and recreational opportunities found within Connecticut State Parks and offer a glimpse to visitors of what to expect before they get there.
• Multi-Language Support: In line with the state’s focus on inclusivity, the website offers multi-language support to ensure that Spanish-speaking visitors can enjoy a translated experience.
• ADA Compliance: Ensuring accessibility for all, the website is ADA compliant, featuring essential tools, readers, and navigational support to assist visitors with unique accessibility needs, ensuring that everyone can access information.

For more information and to explore the new Connecticut State Parks website, visit CTParks.com.

The United Way of Connecticut released today the 2023 ALICE report on what it takes to make ends meet in Connecticut, based on data that reflect the true costs of living in 2021. The report shows that 39% of Connecticut households (552,710) had income below the ALICE Threshold of Financial Survival in 2021, more than 54,000 additional households compared to 2019.

Connecticut United Way has made available reliable and realistic data on what it costs to live in Connecticut since 2014. This project is called ALICE – a study of families who are Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, and Employed. According to the data in the 2023 report (based on 2021 data), single adults required over $33,000 to make ends meet in 2021, or a wage of at least $16.56 per hour. A two-parent family with a baby and a preschooler required $106,632, or a total household hourly wage of $53.32 (two jobs making at least $26.66 per hour). And yet 60% of the top 20 most common jobs in Connecticut still paid less than $20/hour ($40,000/year) in 2021. 

The ALICE Household Survival Budget is intentionally conservative, accounting only for the cost of essentials (rent, food, transportation, utilities, childcare and similar). It does not factor in additional budget lines, like savings or debt service. The budgets reflect significant increases in the cost of living for single adults as well as for families since the last ALICE report.  

Lisa Tepper Bates, President & CEO of the United Way of Connecticut said, “This report shows that many Connecticut residents who work as hard as they can at the jobs available to them simply cannot make enough to make ends meet or are falling behind. We love Connecticut, and we as the United Ways ask our partners and neighbors to join us in exploring what we can do to increase the financial stability of so many struggling Connecticut residents.”

The report also found that rates of financial hardship in Connecticut differed substantially by race and gender: 54% of Black household, 57% of Hispanic households, and 68% of female-headed households with children in Connecticut lived below the ALICE Threshold in 2021. Steven Hernandez, Executive Director for the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity, observed, “This report bears out in data what we already know to be true: our state has significant work to do to move the needle toward equity and opportunity for all our residents, and particularly for people of color and women.”

Hadassah Velez, a Manchester resident, and a single mom shares, “I work so hard to pay my bills and after paying them I’m left with $51.00 at the end of the month. If my car breaks down, I can’t cover the cost. The cost of living is a mental burden for me – I’m living to pay bills, not living to live. And that’s no way to live.”

The percentage of population living at or below this survival budget threshold varies greatly across the state; in some communities the population struggling financially is as high as 68%. State Representative for Groton and Stonington, Aundre Bumgardner said, “Too many Connecticut families across all communities are struggling to make ends meet. Although the percentage of ALICE households varies from town to town, policymakers must pay attention to this data and take steps to create a path to financial stability for these families.”

The ALICE Essentials Index (unitedforalice.org/essentials-index), which measures change over time in the cost of household essentials, projects an 18.2% statewide increase in the Household Survival Budget from 2021 to 2023 (before taxes). Depending on the federal tax benefits available, the Household Survival Budget. given this inflation for 2023. could be as high as $126,000 for a family of four and $39,000 for a single adult. 

The expiration of pandemic-related enhancements to federal benefits dealt a particular blow to the budget of families, increasing the strain on their resources as costs rise.  In 2021, families with children were able to count on a tax credit of as much as $15,204 from the enhanced federal Child Tax Credit and Child and Dependent Care Tax Credits.

Maria Harlow, Executive Director of the United Way of Meriden and Wallingford, President of the Chief Professional Officers’ Council of the Connecticut United Ways, said: “Our local United Ways are proud of the work we do in our communities to support those who need our help. This report shows, however, that inequity continues to grow, and community-driven nonprofits and private funders cannot reverse this trend alone. It will take all of us working together.”

CT United Way generated the report in partnership with the national ALICE project through a rigorous methodology ( www.unitedforalice.org/methodology ) that uses data from federal and state government and from trusted independent sources to create localized budgets based on true costs of living. 28 states and communities participate in the ALICE project. The 2023 ALICE report is the fifth in Connecticut since 2014. United Way of Connecticut and the state’s network of 14 local United Ways are particularly grateful for the support of the sponsor for the 2022-2023 Connecticut ALICE work, national ALICE Advisory Board member Liberty Bank.

Find ALICE household budgets, interactive maps and additional tools at alice.ctunitedway.org.

Autumn Excursion to Stonegate Farm

Thursday, September 21, 2023

Please join the Rowayton Gardeners for a spectacular September Field Trip to Stonegate Farm, an 1860s estate farm near Newburgh in Balmville, NY, where Matthew Benson grows and shares the vegetables, fruits and flowers born of this land that he loves. Benson has owned and nurtured Stonegate Farm for over 20 years and is an internationally known photographer, writer and organic farmer. He lectures frequently on gardening, food and landscape photography, as well as small-scape farming, sustainability and organics. His book Growing Beautiful Food is based on the growing practices at Stonegate Farm.

The staff at Stonegate Farm cultivates a seasonal abundance of medicinal and culinary herbs plus botanicals for topical and ingestible wellness, as well as historic trees and bramble fruit, vegetables, cut flowers and raw honey. We’ll have lunch in the flower garden, enjoying ingredients that are farm-grown along with a visit to the apothecary, which has on offer life-enhancing skin care and wellness products.

Don’t miss this trip which is truly a feast for all your senses!

Date and Time: Thursday, September 21st, 2023.

We will meet at the RCC Lower Lot to organize carpools at 8:20 am.

Departure is at 8:30 am. Tour starts at 10:30 am.

Registration:

Cost is $95/pp for members; non-members: $105/pp.

Non-members may register starting Monday, September 11. Space for this trip is limited to 24 attendees.

Your space on the trip will be confirmed only after you have registered and paid.

Last day to register is Friday, 9/15. NO refunds will be issued unless your spot can be filled by an individual from the waiting list.

Click HERE to register online.

Questions or need further info? Contact: Amy Tyson (ajtyson@me.com)