April 5 Update From Bethel First Selectman Carter

**News Release Submitted by Bethel First Selectman Dan Carter**

April 5, 2024

Dear Bethel,

What’s shaking? Obviously, today it was Bethel, along with the rest of the Northeastern US. The 4.8 magnitude earthquake center was near Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. The good news is there was no damage reported in Bethel.

The annual budget, the purchase of the ladder truck, and the purchase of the Wells Fargo property were passed by the Town Meeting and will be on the machine vote referendum to be held on April 23rd. Absentee ballots will be available on Monday, April 8th. Review the budget at https://bethel-ct.gov/depts-comptroller.

The Governor has introduced Senate Bill 12 to require all CT employers provide all employees, including restaurant workers, with paid sick days. Employers would also be prohibited from requiring the search for a replacement as a condition of a worker accessing paid sick days. To read any bill, go to www.cga.ct.gov and type in the bill number in the search box at the bottom of the page. Check out the public hearing testimony to learn more.

The pinwheels near the gazebo on the lawn in front of Town Hall are there to highlight the fact April is Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month. Visit www.sjpcenter.org for resources and help.

Concerned about Lyme Disease? Yale-CT Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) is conducting a Survey about Tick Disease Prevention in CT. If you are 18-years old and a Connecticut resident for at least one year, check out the survey: https://bit.ly/tickpreventionsurvey.

The April Tax installment is coming due. The last day to pay to avoid penalties will be May 1st. Any questions, please contact the tax collector’s office at 203-794-8509.

Don’t forget the Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Day for Bethel residents Tomorrow, April 6th at Danbury Public Works from 9 am to 2 pm. Check out what you can and can’t dispose of at https://hrra.org/household-hazardous-waste. The next event will be in Newtown on May 11th.

Join Jack Drake, AKA: Danbury Weather, on the lawn in front of Town Hall on Monday, April 8th, between 2:30 pm and 4 pm to watch the eclipse and cool science stuff. The first 100 people to join him get free solar eclipse glasses and a Free Cheese Slice Token donated by Famous Pizza!

Town Hall will be open during the eclipse. With that said, please expect service delays around 3:26 pm, the peak of the event, to allow everyone to enjoy the spectacle.

Check out upcoming public hearings at https://bethel-ct.gov/2024-public-hearing

The SCORE - Western CT chapter - is sponsoring a free workshop series on starting your own business at the Bethel Public Library on Thursday evenings from April 11 through May 9. Networking and refreshments start at 5:00 pm followed by the program at 6:00 pm. Entrepreneurs and small business owners are welcome. Visit www.bethellibrary.org under the events and activities link for more info and to register. See you at the first session next Thursday!

Aquarion Water Company is recognizing environmental volunteers across Connecticut with their 14th annual Aquarion Environmental Champion Awards. For environmental leadership and commitment to sustainability, adult, non-profit, and business categories can win a $5000 grant and students (grades 9-12) can win a $1000 reward. The deadline for submission is May 3, 2024. Visit www.aquarionwater.com/awards.

Thank you, Bethel Toastmasters, for the opportunity to speak at your open house! Lots of Ums and Ahs in that talk! Regardless of experience level, Toastmasters is a really supportive group that can help you improve your speaking skills and confidence. They meet at the Bethel Public Library on 1st and 3rd Mondays from 6:15 pm to 7:45 pm. Email betheltoastmasters@gmail.com for more info.

Congratulations Bill McAllister of our Bethel Volunteer Fire Department for his induction into the Connecticut State Firefighter Association Hall of Fame. Thank you for all you do! https://csfa.org/csfa-hall-of-fame-class-of-2024.

A big shout out to the Bethel teams who all did an amazing job in the Odyssey of the Mind State Tournament. Our Johnson and Middle School teams were invited to attend the World Finals at Iowa State University in May! Rockwell Team: Coach Anne Tucci and students Max B., Regan T., Spandhana B. Johnson Team: Coach Ravi Kalluri and students Nitya K., Suhas B., Tanush D., Sreshta P., Zuha K., Advay K., Vedant P. Middle School Team: Coach Shiva Gutta and students Suhana G., Julia M., Sebastian P., Aditya D.

Congrats to the Boys and Girls Varsity Lacrosse teams for the victories over Notre Dame this week!

Congratulations Emzie Zalaznick and Ryan Cuny for their recognition by the Connecticut Association of Schools for their excellence in visual and performing arts!

Thank you, NASA, for the donation of the solar eclipse glasses to the Bethel Public Library. We ran out quickly, so please double the donation for the next total eclipse over Bethel on May 1st, 2079!

Have a great weekend!

Dan