All of those April showers have brought beautiful flowers to New Fairfield.
The First Selectman's View from Town Hall
I hope that everyone returning from spring break had a wonderful week! April has been a very busy month for the Board of Selectmen as we prepare for the upcoming budget referendum. The Board of Finance continued deliberations on next year's budget throughout the month, and on Wednesday, April 20, they approved the FY 2022/2023 budget for referendum. The next step in the process is for the date of the machine vote to be set at Town meeting, which will be held on Tuesday, May 3 at 6:30 at the Senior Center. The budget will NOT be voted on at this meeting, only the date, time and location of the machine vote will be decided. This is the statutory process that we follow every year. I hope that you can join us for Park and Rec's "Sip and Stroll" event on May 21! It's a great way to get to know our small businesses and all they have to offer. Have a great month - get outside and enjoy those May flowers!
MAY 30
Memorial Day honors men and women who have given their lives serving our nation in the U.S. military.
The day was originally known as Decoration Day. Its origins go back to the Civil War when the graves of fallen soldiers were decorated with flowers and tributes were held for them. In 1868, John A. Logan, a leader for the Northern Civil War veterans, promoted a nationwide day of remembrance on May 30 to decorate and put flowers on the graves of those who died in defense of their country. This day was called "Decoration Day."
After World War I, the day also began to honor those who have died in all U.S. wars. Since 1971, the holiday has been observed on the last Monday in May, after Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which also declared the day as a federal holiday.
On December 28, 2020, President Bill Clinton signed the National Moment of Remembrance Act into law to "reclaim Memorial Day as the noble event it was intended to be, to honor those who died in service to our nation." At 3:00 p.m. local time, for 1 minute duration, Americans are asked to observe a moment of remembrance and respect in their own way.
In his Memorial Day Speech on May 31, 2021 at Arlington National Cemetery, President Biden said, "And on this Memorial Day, we honor their legacy and their sacrifice. Duty, honor, country — they lived for it, they died for it. And we, as a nation, are eternally grateful."
The New Fairfield Memorial Day Ceremony will be held at Veterans Memorial Park on Monday, May 30 at 11:00 a.m., Rain or Shine
New Fairfield Veteran's Activities for May
- May 4: New Fairfield Veterans Association membership meeting 7 PM at the NF Senior Center. Refreshments served. Open to Veterans and non-Veterans.
- May 14: The Veterans will collect your unserviceable flags for proper disposal at Stop & Shop from 10 AM to 3 PM.
- May 21: Members of the NFVA, along with several Scout troops, will gather at Mountain View Cemetery at 10 AM to replace US flags at Veterans grave sites. The public is invited to participate. Flags will also be replaced at the following cemeteries, Beaver Bog, Gerow and the cemetery between Mill Town and Gillotti on Route 39. Rain date: May 22
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PUBLIC WORKS APPRECIATION
May 15-21 is Public Works Appreciation Week and New Fairfield is certainly grateful to our Public Works Department for all that they do for the Town.
New Fairfield's Public Works Department keeps the municipal side of the town running smoothly. Public Works is overseen by Russ Loudon, who also heads the Highway Department. Lloyd Decker is in charge of Buildings and Grounds-he makes sure that our municipal buildings are operating well and fields and other town lands are maintained. Antonio Iadarola, P.E., Town Engineer, provides technical expertise for the Town and residents for a multitude of services.
Most people know that Public Works is responsible for plowing and keeping our roads clear in the winter and paving them and making sure that drainage from precipitation is not causing problems during warmer months. In addition to these ongoing annual responsibilities, Public Works addresses many other town infrastructure issues as they arise and is also responsible for the playground, docks at the Marina, Town Park, Town trees, etc...
Some of the projects that Public Works has been and will be working on include: street sweeping (to begin the first week of May), mulching and planting throughout town, installing the Hometown Hero Military Banners on the poles in town center, filling potholes with the "pothole killer" machine and grooming and lining the ballfields, lacrosse fields and soccer fields. They have put the boat docks in the water at the marina and boats are starting to fill up the slips and the swim docks and the beach are ready for summer activities!
DROP OFF CENTER
Public Works is also responsible for the Drop Off Center (DOC) at 33 Bigelow Road and Mike Smith is our friendly gate attendant. The hours are Tuesday and Saturday from 8:00 a.m.-3:45 p.m. and Thursday from 2:00-5:00 p.m. You must have a permit to use the DOC. Permits are valid from July 1-June 30. You can obtain a permit at the Drop Off Center (cash is not accepted) or online at:
More information about the Drop Off Center and what is accepted and fees can be found below:
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NEW FAIRFIELD VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT IS LOOKING FOR NEW MEMBERS
A note from our Fire Chief, Bruce Taylor:
Friends and neighbors,
The Volunteer Fire Department of New Fairfield currently consists of about 125 volunteer members who respond anywhere in town from 3 fire stations i.e., Company A (next to the police station), Ball Pond Fire Co (on Fairfield Drive), and Squantz Engine Co (across from the Candlewood Lake state boat launch). The Fire Department also operates 2 ambulances housed at Company A, 1 of which is staffed 24 hours a day with a paramedic and EMT from Danbury Hospital. All members are trained in firefighting, rescue, and hazardous materials response. Many of our members are also EMT’s. All members are certified in CPR. The greatest asset of our department is our personnel. We have blue collar, white collar, medical professionals, electricians, career firefighters, accountants, etc., all with the same drive and desire; to serve the community we call home. Our members are engaged in keeping our community safe while always maintaining a commitment to excellence. Every week, we train, maintain the equipment and stations, and respond to a myriad of requests for service, the vast preponderance of which are for EMS services.
Like all volunteer fire departments across the country, we need new members. We need you! Whether you are 18 or 65+, we need you! Whether you want to learn how to fight fires, or become a trained EMT, or you want to learn to work on and care for our trucks and equipment, or you want to help with the many administrative duties that consume way too much of our time meeting state and national regulations, we want you! We will train and outfit you for whatever job you want to do, however you want to serve. And your safety will always be our number one priority. Stop by the local firehouse closest to your home any Monday or Wednesday evening between 6:30 and 8:00 pm and ask any of us about becoming a member. We'd also love to see you at our booth during Sip and Stroll on May 21st. We'd love to have you become a part of our family in the New Fairfield Volunteer Fire Department.
-Bruce Taylor, Fire Chief
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WATER TEST DAY-MAY 21
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PARKS AND RECREATION EVENTS
Check out all of the fantastic events planned this summer by our Parks and Recreation department. Mark your calendars to be sure not to miss these fun times for yourself and for your family!
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BALL POND FIRE COMPANY CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT
Join the fun on June 11 from 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. at 440 Line for the Ball Pond Fire Company Cornhole Tournament and fundraiser.
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Girl Scouts Learn About Their Hometown
Daisy troop 50826 1st graders at Consolidated have been learning about their hometown while they earned their Good Neighbor badge and First Aid pin. They took a tour of Company A Firehouse and did First Aid training with Selectman Lori-Ann Beninson. The town’s Fire Marshall, Derrek Guertin, donated kids red fire hats and fire prevention & awareness kids activity kits for the whole troop. Then they did a walking tour of the center of New Fairfield. They met with Resident Trooper Koehler to learn about road safety walking around town. They also got to talk to First Selectman Pat Del Monaco and Selectman Khris Hall about what they do for the town and how the town is run.
They continued their learning excursion visiting local businesses like The NF Food Center, The Goodie Shop, Sarah’s Gift Shop, Luke Realty, Holy Yoga, Stop and Shop, Dunkin ‘, the Senior Center, Town Library and Historical Buildings.
The girls are currently working on a map of the town center with hand drawn pictures of the places they went for their Take Action Project.
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MAY IS NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH
A message from the New Fairfield Prevention Council:
The New Fairfield Prevention Council is raising awareness about the importance of mental health. According to the CDC, mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.
Taking care of our mental health is just as important as taking care of our physical health. Staying physically healthy requires some effort- eating right, exercising, and brushing our teeth are examples of preventative measures. We can do the same for our mental health by learning to recognize difficult feelings like stress, anxiety and anger, how to cope in healthy ways and to know when to seek help.
We hope you will find the following fact sheets helpful. The New Fairfield Prevention Council promotes positive, safe, and healthy lifestyles. We foster dialogue, raise awareness, and educate the community on substance use, suicide prevention, and mental health. We engage with youth, families, and all community members through creative innovative programs to build safe and healthy neighborhoods. Visit our website:
Follow us on Facebook @nfpreventioncouncil, and email us at newfairfieldpreventioncouncil@gmail.com. New members are always welcome!
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SUPPORT OUR LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES
National Small Business Week is celebrated during the first week of May. Are you dreaming of becoming New Fairfield’s newest small business!
The New Fairfield Land Use departments (Zoning, Building, Health and Fire Marshal’s Office) have been streamlining the application process for new business. If you or anyone you know are interested in opening a new business in New Fairfield, contact any of the Land Use officials, or the Selectmen’s office and ask for a meeting to tell us about your idea. We will discuss the process and requirements from start to finish.
New Fairfield welcomes the following recent businesses: Froggy’s Deli-9 Brush hill Rd ** L&A Smoke Shop-28 CT-39 ** The Smoke Lab-9 Brush Hill Rd ** J & G Happy Feet Foot Spa-11 CT-37 ** Lana’s Lights Spiritual Insights-100 CT-37 ** Moonlight Mobil Kitchen (Food Truck) ** The Trend Co. Clothing Boutique-28 CT-39. There are currently two more businesses in the works… wait and see what New Fairfield has to offer next!
If you currently have a business in New Fairfield, please be sure to add your name to the Business Directory on the town website. If you would like to see the many wonderful businesses in Town, you can, also, check out our directory.
PLEASE SUPPORT ALL OF OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES!
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A MESSAGE FROM THE FIRE MARSHAL
Spring is here and it’s time to start spring cleaning.
If you haven’t already, check your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms to ensure they are working.
Getting ready for summer barbecues? Clean the built up grease in your grill. Check the hose from the propane tank to the grill for cracks, and chew marks from pesky critters over the winter. While using your grill, make sure it’s a safe distance from your home.
Yard work- keep yard debris away from your home. Dispose of branches, weeds, dead vegetation, and keep flammable materials at least 30’ away from your home. Burning brush is allowed in New Fairfield however a burn permit is required. You can contact the Fire Marshal’s Office for a permit or click below:
Properly use and store gasoline for yard equipment outdoors and in appropriate container. Spring painting- if you are going to use oil based paints or stains, carefully dispose of rags that have been used by spreading them out away from anything combustible and holding them down so they can’t blow away, once dry soak them in soap and water in a metal container with a tight fitting top.
Follow “Town of New Fairfield’s Fire Marshal’s Office” on Facebook for more safety tips and updates Stay safe and enjoy your spring!
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A Special Thank You to Our Animal Control Officer-Kim Kraska
We thank Kim for the compassionate and dedicated work she does for the animals and pet owners of New Fairfield.
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NATIONAL PET WEEK AND RESCUE DOG DAY
National Pet Week is May 1-7. Pets enrich our lives in so many ways and offer us unconditional love and comfort. At Town Hall, we treasure our pets-here are some of our beloved companions and members of our family:
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RESCUE DOG DAY IS MAY 20
New Fairfield/ Sherman Animal Welfare is the perfect place for you to get a lovable companion for yourself or your family. Add some sunshine to your life while providing a wonderful home for a pet in need. To find out more about adoption and the pets they have and the puppies and kittens that may be arriving, please go to their website by clicking below:
Please read the wonderful message from The New Fairfield-Sherman Animal Welfare about all that they do and how you can help or adopt an animal:
Both National Pet Week and National Rescue Dog Day are right around the corner. If you’re not familiar with either or both of these dates: National Pet Week is time dedicated to recognizing and celebrating family pets of all kinds – feline, canine, aviary, equine – and the positive impact they can have on our lives, while National Rescue Dog Day is a day earmarked to create awareness about, and further activities and solutions toward addressing, dog overpopulation and homelessness. Both dates speak to need: from the human perspective, a need for companionship and unconditional love, and from the animal perspective, a need for intervention and caring.
The New Fairfield-Sherman Animal Welfare was established way back in 1977 as a rescue organization for needy cats and dogs. Although our community has grown significantly since then, our core mission hasn’t – we are still devoted to the rescue and adoption of cats and dogs, placing animals in need of loving homes into those very homes. Since our founding, we have remained a private (read: not-publicly-funded) organization, occupying 223 Route 37 in New Fairfield since 1991. Our annual budget is funded entirely by our own fundraising events, private donations, gifts, and the occasional bequest. These are our lifeblood.
Like any good rescue organization, we are driven to help as many animals as we can within our means, with space being a premium: the more animals we can pull from other shelters or rescue groups, the more we are saving from less-than-ideal situations – or euthanasia itself. Anyone interested in a rescue adoption or to see our adoptable pets is encouraged to reach out – we share photos and video of our ‘adoptables’ online from our website www.nfsaw.org (or ‘NFSAW’ on Facebook). We rescue and place for adoption kittens, cats, puppies and dogs of all sizes and makeup; if you don’t see a dog or cat today that ‘fits,’ chances are that we can find them for you as we are always seeking to fill our empty kennels and cages. There is always a need to save the next dog or cat, even one at a time.
In addition to adoption, there are other ways to help the cause. NFSAW is always looking for fosters and volunteers. As proud as we are of our Shelter, we know that it is a poor substitute for a loving home. Fostering a dog or kittens accomplishes many things, such as socializing the pet to be in an in-home environment as well as creating room at the Shelter to save another pet. Volunteers who can walk or play with a dog or spend time with our cats are also appreciated. If you are interested in fostering or volunteering or just wish to donate to NFSAW, find out more by calling the Shelter or visiting our website.
National Pet Week and National Rescue Dog Day are wonderful occasions that make us appreciate the positive impact that pets can have on our lives, as well as the impact we can – and should – be making on theirs. NFSAW is here, in our community, doing what we can – to save pet lives and to help you find that perfect pet companion. Thank you for supporting your local rescue.
To find out more, visit www.nfsaw.org or call 203.746.2925. Visit ‘NFSAW’ on FB.
Here are some of the great pets at The New Fairfield-Sherman Animal Welfare waiting for a wonderful home!
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RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS
Thank you so much to Sarah and Katie for their beautiful sidewalk chalk art about being kind to others on the ramp to Town Hall. They have been bringing their message and their kindness to people around town.
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LYME DISEASE AWARENESS
May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month. Lyme Disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. It is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. The best ways to prevent Lyme disease is to use insect repellent, remove ticks quickly, apply pesticides, and to try to reduce tick habitat. An informative fact sheet from the Connecticut Department of Public Health regarding Lyme Disease follows:
If you find a tick on your body, you can remove it and bring it to the New Fairfield Health Department for testing (note that this is for identification and/or testing of ticks which have fed on humans. Ticks removed from pets will be identified but not tested.) The tick submission form can be found here:
For additional, more in-depth information, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention page on lyme disease:
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CROSSWALK
One of the many project that Public Works has been helping with is the NEW CROSSWALK in front of Town Hall. The new crosswalk will provide safe crossing for residents visiting Town Hall, town employees and residents using Memorial Field for ball games, concerts, movie nights and special events. The poles on each side of the street have buttons to push that trigger flashing lights on the posts to alert traffic that a pedestrian will be crossing the street.
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TRAFFIC SIGNAL UPDATE
Eversource has reported that they installed new wood poles and will be shifting their wires from attachment on the old poles to the new ones. After Eversource is done, CATV and Frontier will need to shift their wires, also, before the DOT signal work can be completed.
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A REMINDER FROM THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE
Income Based Tax Relief- Applications for the Elderly Homeowners and Totally Disabled Homeowners Tax Relief Programs will be accepted until May 15, 2022. There is also a municipal deferral program available to homeowners who qualify based upon income.
General program information can be found here. The application for this program can be found here.
All applications must be accompanied by proof of income by May 15, 2022 . You can call the Assessor's Office at 203-312-5625 for help with Tax Relief or to see if you are eligible or with questions.
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VACCINATION VAN CLINIC
The CDC and FDA have recently approved a fourth dose of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for those over 50. Those who have underlying health conditions or are older are, in particular, urged to get a fourth dose if your last dose was more than four months ago. The New Fairfield Health Department is again working with the Vaccination Van to make it easy to get a vaccination.
We have scheduled the following visit for May: MAY 21 (Saturday), 10AM-4PM at the Senior Center.
The Vaccination Van clinic is walk-in and provides all three vaccines – Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J. The Van is giving first, second, third and fourth doses (adult doses) to anyone eligible under CDC guidelines. Anyone over the age of 12 may get a booster shot (third dose) if it’s been 5 months since the 2nd Pfizer or Moderna vaccination or 2 months from a J&J vaccination. If you are immunocompromised, the waiting period for the next dose is 3 months. The Van is also giving fourth doses to those who are immunocompromised or over the age of 50. The waiting period for a fourth dose is 4 months.
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COVID-19 PCR TESTING IN NEW FAIRFIELD
Covid-19 testing is continuing in New Fairfield at the Senior Center. As a convenience to our residents, the New Fairfield Health Department has arranged for PCR testing. Testing is by appointment, Monday-Friday, at no cost to the Town or patient.
The location is the New Fairfield Senior Center at 33 Route 37, New Fairfield, CT. You can schedule an appointment at curative.com or at the link below:
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HELP WANTED
Part-Time Dispatcher
The Town is currently looking to fill Part-Time Dispatcher positions to work in the Communications Center. The posting for the position is below:
Housatonic Area Regional Transit (HART) Board of Directors
If you are interested in representing New Fairfield on the HART Board of Directors, please contact the Selectman's office at 203-312-5600 or jgreen@newfairfield.org.
Ball Pond Advisory Committee
The Ball Pond Advisory Committee has an opening for a member and an alternate member. If you would like more information regarding the Committee, see below. Please contact the Selectman's office at 203-312-5600 or jgreen@newfairfield.org if you are interested in one of the positions.
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Event Calendar
Town events can be found on our Event Calendar. If you have a Not for Profit fundraising event to be held in town-please send us the information and flyer to be included on the Event Calendar.
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Meeting Calendar
The calendar for the Town of New Fairfield board and commission meetings can be found at:
Please join us at our meetings to find out what is going on in New Fairfield in further depth. The calendar will let you know if the meeting is in person or will provide the Zoom link if it is remote. We look forward to you attending the meetings and welcome your participation.
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MOTHER'S DAY
SUNDAY, MAY 8
We wish all mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and women with whom we have a maternal bond a very Happy Mother's Day! We think of and thank all the women who are and who have been a part of our lives who have nurtured and cared for us.
The modern version of the holiday was first celebrated in 1907 and is attributed to Ann Reeves Jarvis, who started Mothers' Day Work Clubs before the Civil War in order to teach women how to care for their children. In the early 1900's, Ann's daughter, Anna, promoted the idea of Mother's Day to honor all of the sacrifices mothers make. She persisted with her idea and in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson officially established the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.
Anna hoped that the day would be a day for families to celebrate their mothers. She thought that mothers should wear a white carnation as a badge (she compared the flower shape and life cycle to a mother's love) and people should visit their mother and go to church services on that day. Once Mother's Day became commercialized, Anna spoke out against people profiting from it and lobbied the government to have it removed from the calendar, which it was not, and we celebrate it to this day.
Happy Mother's Day to all moms and women who encourage, nurture and love us!
Thank you for reading the New Fairfield Newsletter
Town of New Fairfield, 4 Brush Hill Road, New Fairfield CT 06812
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