Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: Where To Pick Pumpkins Near Stratford This Fall — And How To Carve Them

Happening soon: Pre-Demolition/Moving Sale on the Stratford Patch calendar

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Thursday October 8th Patch AM
Thursday October 8th Patch AM (Patch graphic)

Good morning Stratford! Your connection to what's happening around town is here. Take a sip of coffee and read on. ☕️️

🎃 Hosting a Halloween event in Stratford? Let Patch get the word out for you. Post it to the Patch calendar.

In today's newsletter:

  • Find the best local pumpkin patches near Stratford this fall
  • How Sterling House's big restoration will change daily life in Stratford
  • How a Bridgeport clinic upgrade could improve care access for Stratford families.

Also on today's calendar: Pre-Demolition/Moving Sale and 15 more events.

Today's riddle: What is clean when it is black and dirty when it is white? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Thursday: Mostly sunny and comfortable, with a high of 73 and low of 49 degrees.
  • Friday: Sunny, temps: high: 69, low: 46.
  • Saturday: Sunny to partly cloudy, with a high of 66 and low of 51 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Where To Pick Pumpkins Near Stratford This Fall — And How To Carve Them (patch.com) — Families in and around Stratford can celebrate fall by visiting nearby farms and pumpkin patches, from Jones Family Farms to Silverman's Farm, to pick out the perfect pumpkin. The guide also walks Stratford residents through practical, step-by-step tips for carving sturdy, eye-catching jack-o'-lanterns that will brighten local porches all Halloween season.
   

2. Hoffmann wins 2026 Connecticut Preservation Award for Sterling Community Center restoration (nerej.com) — Sterling Community Center in Stratford has just earned a 2026 Connecticut Preservation Award after a major restoration that kept its food pantry, youth programs, and senior services running throughout construction. Funded in part by federal grants, the project upgraded safety, accessibility, and comfort while preserving the historic Sterling House, which remains a vital hub for Stratford families of all ages.
   

3. Optimus Health Care gets started on $2.34M renovation (westfaironline.com) — Stratford families are expected to see better access to OB/GYN, pediatric, and dental care thanks to a $2.34 million state-backed renovation of Optimus Health Care's East Main Street clinic in Bridgeport. Local legislators say the project will add clinical staff, shorten wait times, and expand affordable, high-quality services for hundreds of Stratford patients each year.
   

4. This Week In History: 1934 (newhavenindependent.org) — Stratford readers get a nostalgic look back to 1934, when Stratford High's football team opened its Housatonic League season at Birdseye Field and later shut out Shelton 18–0 behind star halfback "Puffy" Pulaski. The archival roundup also captures Valley politics, social events, and even a memorable skunk incident that once woke an entire Ansonia neighborhood.
   

5. Connecticut housing permits hit 20-year high as Stamford leads surge. Here's what it means for buyers, sellers (ctpost.com) — Stratford set a new high for housing permits last year, part of a statewide surge that's adding nearly 10,000 new homes and apartments. While Stamford and New Haven lead the boom, Stratford's increased building could gradually ease local price pressure and expand options for residents over the next decade.
   

📸 Around Stratford

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Bunnell XC Teams Travel to Beardsley Park for SWC Matchup —Curt Gowdy Read on Patch
  • Raymond Miller Sr., age 83, of Milford, passed away on October 4, 2026 —Cody-White Funeral Home Read on Patch
  • Carol Yvonne Sheridan obituary: Clancy-Palumbo Funeral Home, East Haven —Clancy Palumbo Funeral Home and Cremation Service Read on Patch
  • Stratford United Methodist Church - Sunday Worship on October 11, 2026 —Chris Muller Read on Patch
  • ‼️LOOSE HUSKY ON EAST MAIN!
    Tan/white, Looks to be 80-100LBS, didn't look to have a collar on. Wandered onto the road by Whisky Barrel around 8:30. (Nextdoor Housatonic Av)
  • https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/new-haven/venomous-spider-species-documented-in-connecticut-for-the-first-time/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_WTNH_News_8&fbclid=IwY2xjawUyrUhleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mBWJyaWQRMVpqSXV2UGhPZkFEeGpXZlJzcnRjBmFwc
    F9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe7CRRWh9naIZ6PdH3mX7RsAd4KC6SFlOv08suS6vuP2ZE2hTHhOHeeeLKnk8_aem_rhzkSw_C9ofLJnJtdxKUAg (Nextdoor Soundview - Bruce Aves)
  • Burger King posted a job opening for Team Member in Bridgeport. Apply here.
  • Global Partners LP posted a job opening for Food Service Associate - Seasonal Flex in Milford. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Stratford here.

Ok Stratford! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: "What is clean when it is black and dirty when it is white?" — A chalk board (Thank you Charlie H. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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