Aug. 16 Update From Bethel First Selectman Carter

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

Aug. 16, 2024

Dear Bethel,

You may have seen a for sale sign in front of Wells Fargo. The town made an offer on the property and Wells Fargo did not act on the offer. We are still pursuing the purchase of the property, but we are mindful of balancing the cost with other needs of the town. Stay tuned.

Lookout for tree work around the High School tennis/pickle ball courts next week. It shouldn’t affect access, but use caution. We are clearing the way for repairs in September.

The Charter Revision Commission held its first public hearing. Topics included officially designating Director of Public Utilities a separate position from Public Works (which currently we do in practice), making the Board of Selectmen a 5 member board, changing the terms of the Board of Selectmen from 2 years to 4 years, reviewing auditing rules for the town budget, Sustainable Bethel becoming a permanent commission, accountability of town employees and public officials, and the importance of promoting involvement in town affairs, where the town posting notices. Learn more at https://bethel-ct.gov/2024-crc

Labor Day marks the end of the “101 Critical Days of Summer.” During this time there are many more injuries and deaths involving alcohol. The CT Department of Transportation (CTDOT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are partnering with state and local law enforcement to highlight the dangers of drunk driving. Motorists will see increased law enforcement presence on Connecticut roadways beginning today until Monday, September 2nd to take impaired drivers off the roads.

What to do with empty flowerpots? Fall mums will be coming soon and that means lots of empty flowerpots again. Consider checking with the Bethel Garden to see if they could reuse them for plant sales or LOWES Garden Centers also have take back programs. If you are unable to donate your colored plastic nursery pots and planter trays place them in the TRASH. As a reminder, all black plastic is NOT accepting in the mixed recycling stream. Broken ceramic and clay pots also belong in the trash.

The CT Tourism Office is seeking passionate volunteers to staff the booth in the Connecticut building at the Big E between September 13 – 29, 2024 in West Springfield, MA. You will be provided with an admission ticket, free off-site parking, and shuttle service to the Connecticut Building. They are looking to fill 3:30 pm to 9 pm shifts, since most of the morning shifts are full at this point. Arrive early and enjoy the fair before your shift. Contact Jill Larsen if you are interested at 860-805-4289 or Jill.Larsen@ct.gov.

Calling all solar energy vendors! Sustainable Bethel is hosting seminars to educate residents about the benefits of solar and embracing renewable energy on Friday, September 13th and Friday, September 27th at 5:30 pm in the General Purpose room at Town Hall. Interested in showcasing your products and expertise at our upcoming event? Please fill out the questionnaire at https://rdr.bz/SBCSolarVendor. Contact Suneetha Malkani at suneetha@radar108.com with questions.

The Town of Bethel Summer Concert Series continues on Sundays in August on the Town Hall lawn from 6 pm to 8 pm. Join the Kenn Morr Band on August 18th and the Tom Duffy Band on August 25th. There are no food trucks on hand, so plan accordingly. We are watching the weather this Sunday, so in the event of inclement weather call 203-794-8502 for cancellations.

Support the Bethel Food Pantry! An offering for the Bethel Food Pantry earns you free entry into a one-of-a-kind musical event, Art is Calling for Me, this Sunday, August 18th at 6 pm at St. Thomas’ Church featuring the voice students of Phoebe Madden: Christie Blaise, Vivianna Ciaccio, Camila Lopez Gill, Natalie Gilbert, Hanna Pereira, Anna Page Pilato, Eirwen Poston, Sarah Rausch, Victoria Rausch, Siobhan Reilly, Valeria Roberts, Bob Roda, Rebecca Shea, and Tanya Wills. They will be accompanied by Charles Smith.

Next week is Connecticut’s annual Sales Tax-Free Week. From Sunday, August 18th to Saturday, August 24th retail purchases of most clothing and footwear items priced under $100 are exempt from the Connecticut sales and use tax. The exemption during Sales Tax-Free Week applies to each eligible item costing under $100, regardless of how many of those items are sold to a customer on the same invoice. It is a great time to shop local!

Red Cross Blood Drive GP Room on Thursday, August 22nd from 12 to 5 pm at the Town Hall. Visit https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html to register.

Train travelers: a Switch Replacement Project on the Danbury Branch Line will require trains to be replaced with accessible bus service between Danbury station and the South Norwalk station from Friday, August 23rd to Sunday, August 25th. Normal train service will resume on Monday, August 26th. Learn more at https://departmentoftransportation.cmail20.com/t/j-l-gtiddkt-tkthlkduuk-k/

Attention Scotty Fund supporters, and everyone else who should be! Winter’s Eve Gala tickets go on sale Wednesday, August 21st! The SCOTTY Fund Provides financial and family services to ill children in Bethel and the greater Danbury area of CT. To learn more, visit https://www.scottyfund.org/the-winter-s-eve-gala.

Check out the Bethel Events Calendar for more Bethel happenings.

Shout out to the Bethel Organics and Specialty Market! Getting a business off the ground is tough and you have a lot of residents happy that you are continuing to bring great products to town. Anyone who hasn’t checked out your place on Elizabeth Street is missing out! (Especially if they haven’t tried Bertha’s guacamole.)

Have a great weekend!
Dan