Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is forecasting unhealthy air quality “for sensitive groups” beginning Saturday, July 16, and again on Monday, July 18.

DEEP air quality analysts said weather patterns over the next few days will create elevated ground-level ozone pollution over coastal Connecticut on Saturday. Ozone levels are then expected to drop to good to moderate levels for a day on Sunday before becoming unhealthy for all of Connecticut on Monday.

“Over the next two of the three days, we are expecting air quality that will impact children, the elderly and those with respiratory disease such as asthma,” said Commissioner Robert Klee. “It is advised that those people with respiratory and other health problems limit their time outdoors and avoid prolonged strenuous activities or exercise.”

Weather Conditions Leading to Air Quality Alert

A weak cold front approaches on Saturday and slides off the coast on Sunday.  Hot and humid weather continues on Saturday, but moderates a bit Saturday night and Sunday as weak high pressure moves to the southeast States by Monday. This leads to a return flow of southwest winds on Monday with warmer temperatures. A cold front is expected to cross the State by Tuesday morning, putting an end to this round of elevated ozone levels.

More Protective Ozone Standard

Multi-day air quality alerts have been rare in recent years.  With increased understanding of the dangers of ozone in the air increases, however, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set a more protective ozone standard for air quality in October, 2015. This new standard is expected to lead to an increase in the number of forecasted unhealthy air quality days in Connecticut this summer – even though our air quality has steadily improved through the years.  EPA’s new national air quality standard for ground level ozone is 70 parts per billion. The previous standard was 75 parts per billion.

Health Effects of Air Pollution

Ground level or “bad” ozone primarily occurs during warm summer days. Strong sunshine causes chemical reactions of air pollutants emitted from motor vehicles, power plants and industry and household activities, forming ozone. Warmer weather can bring high levels of ground level ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). These two air pollutants pose serious health risks – especially to young children, the elderly, adults who are active outdoors, and people with respiratory disease.

Unhealthy concentrations of ground level ozone can cause or make worse a variety of respiratory and other health problems including breathing difficulty, coughing, and throat irritation and worsen asthma episodes. Anyone can be affected by ozone; particularly sensitive groups that include children, elderly, people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, and even healthy adults who are very active outdoors.  Peak ozone levels occur between 12:00 pm and 8:00 pm so make sure you get your activity or exercise in before or after these times to minimize health effects.

What You Can Do to Help

When air pollution levels are predicted to be “unhealthy for sensitive groups” DEEP recommends:

• Conserving electricity by setting air conditioners to 78^o;
• “Wait ‘til 8” to use energy intensive appliances like washing machines, dryers and dishwashers;
• Refueling your lawn mower and cutting the grass before noon;
• Driving less by carpooling, vanpooling or using public transit;
• Telecommuting if possible; and
• Refueling your vehicle after dusk and never idling a vehicle unnecessarily.

We also need long term actions to get to the root of our air pollution problem in the United States. DEEP recommends you also consider these long term energy reducing strategies:

• Make your home or business as energy efficient as possible – this drives down air pollution and puts money back in your pocket;
• Cars and trucks cause over half our air pollution, so consider driving an electric vehicle; and
• Consider investing in renewable energy like solar electric.

Stay connected and access the daily AQI forecast and real-time air quality data

Visit DEEP’s AQI webpage or call 1-800-249-1234

The post DEEP: Unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups Saturday and Monday appeared first on The Ridgefield Press.

Attorney Daniel O’Grady, the current treasurer of the Town of Bethel, attorney-at-law and former Bethel probate judge, has announced that he is seeking to fill the upcoming regional probate judge vacancy in the Northern Fairfield County Probate Court this fall.  

The court serves approximately 80,000 persons in Ridgefield, Redding, Newtown and Bethel.

The current judge, Joseph Egan, is retiring in October 2016, and the vacancy election is November 8.

O’Grady will face off against Ridgefield Attorney Patrick Walsh in a Republican-only primary on August 9, 2016.

The winner of the primary will be the Republican candidate on the November 8 ballot against Democratic Ridgefield Attorney Sharon Dornfeld.

O’Grady was probate judge in Bethel for 20 years, and has also served in various capacities as town counsel, assistant town counsel, special public defender, Connecticut state magistrate, inland wetland commissioner, and a zoning board of appeals member. He is the current treasurer of the Town of Bethel in his second term.

In addition to his professional experience, he is a member of the Board of Directors of the Newtown Lions Club and a corporator of Fairfield County Bank.

He is a 39-year resident of Bethel and he and his wife, Elise, have been married forty years. They have three adult children, Justin, Andrew and Brendan.

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Lately Western Connecticut Area Agency on Aging has received several calls from seniors in our area towns requesting information on affordable dental treatment. Most individuals stated that they had no dental insurance and could not afford to take care of their teeth, although they had some serious dental issues. They had been informed that infection could also affect other parts of the body only to make their immediate problem worse.

It is important for oral hygiene to have a dental exam at least annually. However, many individuals responded that they had not seen a dentist in many years for financial reasons. Many persons are on Title #19 (Medicaid) and there are few dentists who accept that program. If you call 1-855-426-0947 (Connecticut Dental Health Partnership) you can get information on local dentists who might accept Medicaid or Husky Health program insurance.

Other sources of low-income dental care are local clinics such as Seifort and Ford Dental clinic, 70 Main Street, Danbury (203-791-5010). Another good source of dental care is the UConn Health Center Dental Clinic in Farmington (860-679-2476). They usually adjust costs and have a charitable funding department.

Mission of Mercy (MOM) from the Connecticut Dental Association annually sponsors a weekend of free dental care including cleanings, root canals, fillings, x-rays, and some bridges, in various parts in Connecticut. More than 100 volunteer dentists and 50 dental hygienists plus several hundred community volunteers participate in the two-day event which is heavily publicized. No income questions are asked and care includes all ages, except small children. Last year they were at Western Connecticut University. They do publicize the event heavily on TV and radio and in newspapers, so that anyone in Connecticut may avail themselves of this opportunity.

See you in two weeks.  Chris

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New research finds that at the end of their lives, most people want peace, as little pain as possible and some control over how they die. Families want essentially the same thing for their loved ones. The research reviewed 36 international studies of patients to determine views on “successful” dying.

Doctors often focus on discussions of treatments with terminally ill patients, but it is clear that there needs to be larger discussions on the process of dying.  While these conversations are often difficult to bring up, many patients feel a sense of relief when their doctors broach the subject. Not only do patients want to talk about treatments, but they care even more about what the remainder of their lives will look like before their final days, focusing on personal values.

Core themes identified in the 36 studies included control over dying, being free of pain, having a sense of spiritual and emotional well-being, a sense of life being complete (having the chance to say goodbye to loved ones) and a feeling of a life well lived.  Doctors valued pain control and a patient’s preference for where and how they died, but put less emphasis on intangible things like spirituality or completeness.

Regardless of who initiates an end of life discussion, it is highly individual and centers on the patient’s personal values and desires. As researchers noted, successful dying is an extension of successful living.

The post Ridgefield: A good death appeared first on The Ridgefield Press.

Older adults concerned about their use of alcohol or prescription drugs can find support through the Midwestern Connecticut Council of Alcoholism.

Senior Support is a lunchtime group for older adults in Ridgefield. It is ongoing and free-of-charge. Licensed counselor Shelly Fisher focuses on and provides support for those concerned about their use of alcohol or prescription medications, as well as with issues associated with aging.

The group meets every Wednesday, from noon to 1 p.m. at council offices, 90 East Ridge Road, second floor (old RVNA building). A light complimentary lunch is provided. Senior Support started on July 6.

Registration is recommended. More information is available from Fisher at 203-792-4515, ext. 1204 or  pfisher@mccaonline.com

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High Honors

Grade 9
Dominic Ammirato, Cameron Andry, Sterling Bachman, Estelle Bah, Haley Barkan, William Berta, Liam Black, Cole Blackwell, Rachel Bodner, Nicole Bottone, Dackerie Bowes, Caitlin Boyle, Annabel Briody, Conor Broderick, Taylor Brown, Avery Buckanavage, Mary Grace Butala, Liam Byrne, Weston Carpenter, Eugenia Cashman, Lauren Castle, Renee Cauchon, Andrea Chakraborty, Logan Chang, Owen Cherner, Sarah Chupka, Rebecca Cohen, Lucy Collins, Catherine Conroy, Andrew Conte, James Crawford, Anthony D’Onofrio, Aras Dapkus, Kevin Davis, Elizabeth DeMassa, David DeSantis, Megan DelGiudice, Alison Dickson, Anna Doman, Grace Egan, Molly Egan, Hannah Ehrlinspiel, Theresa Eland, Luke Faillaci, Ava Fazio, Ian Ferguson, Allan Feygin, Jessica Fine, Quinn Fleming, Christopher Flynn, Sara Flynn, William Forrest, Mackenzie Fowler, Emily Furfaro, Henry Garlick, Julia Garrett, Dylan Garst, Nicholas Gasparo, Madeline Gellatly, Joanna Gengo, Sydney Girolamo, Gracie Girvalo, Sean Gordon, Tyler Gordon, Oliver Grail, Arden Grant, Thomas Groves, Sophia Haber, Vidur Hareesh, Michaela Harkins, Gretchen Healy, Anna Hirsch, William Hongach, Sara Hunt, Caitlin Inall, Spencer Jamieson, Connor Jewell, James Kane, Kenley Kegler, Anna Kelemen, Austin Kim, Katharine King, Ian Koh, Elisa Kovacs, Tarini Krishna, Anna Kuhn, Cassandra Lebl, Lea Letourneau, Donata Libonati, Caroline Lieder, Angela Lin, Sean Livingstone, Tadd Long, Rachel Lynch, Alyssa Maiolo, Sophia Maiolo, Samantha Margolin, Andrew Masciotti, Kasey McGerald, Grace McInerney, Claire Middlebrook, Gabrielle Mignano, Matthew Misurelli, Thomas Mitchell, Abigail Morris, Sterling Mosley, Colin Mulhern, Andrea Murphy, Hayley Murphy, Marina Murphy, Ethan Murray, Henry Namiot, Emily Parker, Daniel Parson, Elizabeth Pnev, Alec Pool, Charles Poremba, Audrey Porter, Margaret Pratt, Grace Preston, Anna Price, Gabriella Puchall, Kiili Quick, Dylan Rapp, Omkar Ratnaparkhi, Nicole Rdzanek, Matthew Restivo, Benjamin Riek, Helen Riser, Mackenzie Robson, Karina Rodriguez, Jillian Savoca, Cameron Scott, Ryan Sheafe, Fiona Sleigh, Caroline Smith, Cassandra Smith, Karley Smith, Evan Smolin, Hannah Snyder, Anna Sorgie, James St. Pierre, Julia Sullivan, Samantha Sutcliffe, Gunnar Thuss, Maeve Tobin, Miles Tullo, Michael Vasconcelos, Claybrook Vaughan, Gabriella Viggiano, Matthew Vivian, Matthew Walker, Ashley Welter, Jonathan Welter, Caroline Whelan, Arielle Wiener, Jennifer Xiong, Rachel Zaslavsky, Sarah de Lange, Simon van Wees, Marcus von Recklinghausen

Grade 10

Michael Aaron, Olivia Acquadro, Nicole Alindogan, Vivian Altopp, Kennison Amill, Kevin Andros, Sarah Armstrong, Ben Baker, James Ball, Scarlett Ball, Jason Bangser, Nicholas Baughman, Samantha Bertolino, Stephanie Bittick, Samantha Blackwell, Rachel Blieden, John Blood, Andrew Bornstein, Shane Bowler, Katherine Bracken, Taylor Brand, Reaghan Briggs, Lindsey Brown, Jennifer Browne, Robert Buckley, Caroline Bunt, Brendan Burke, Alden Burns, Zoe Butchen, John Christman, Maia Clarkin, William Coffin, Annabelle Colao, Maeve Colarusso, Nicole Colletto, Peter Columbia, Maxwell Cumming, Catherine D’Jay, Tanner Daubenspeck, Nicholas David, Adrianna Davis, Sophia DeAngelis, Christian DeVivo, Andrew Dec, Grace Dinkel, Michael Dobson, Jason Donovan, Julia Driscoll, Marlee Dubin, Lily Earle-Hecht, Joseph Fazio, Abigail Fennell, Noah Fitzgerald, Mackenzie Fitzpatrick, Max Gagnon, Joshua Gardos, Gregory Gatto, Luke Gaydos, Connor Goff, Matthew Gonley, Jakob Goodwin, Jennifer Gordon, Michael Grevers, Brandon Grizzaffi, Dillon Hammer, Erin Hanlon, Nicholas Hanna, Morgan Held, Michael Heller, Julia Hergenrother, Jane Herlihy, Kathleen Hoban, Kelly Ingram, Delmont Irving, Noah Isaacson, Jacob Issokson, Emma Jacobson, Eastlyn Jensen, Aurora Joblon, Kevin Johnson, Rachel Johnston, Elizabeth Kaiser, Meredith Karle, Andrew Knachel, Louisa Knapp, Chloe Kubrin, Christina Kudera, Gabrielle LaCoille, Anna Landler, Kathryn Lang, Erika Linke, Matthew Lombardo, Thomas Lombardozzi, Robin MacDonald, William Malwitz, Paul McCarthy, Claire McLoughlin, Kate McNicholas, Caledonia McQuilkin, Julia McSpedon, Julia Meenan, Annette Meyers, Nicole Miller, Justin Mitchell, Dawson Muller, Emma Nelson, Inbar Ofer, Krista Panageas, Ria Paranjape, Alexa Pass, Oona Pecson, Carolyn Pell, Nathaniel Pereyra, Samantha Petruzzelli, Katherine Pieterse, Alexander Price, Julia Restivo, Gillian Retter, Kristen Savino, Katherine Schoenherr, Elizabeth Schroppe, Mallory Shofi, Natalie Silver, Kieran Smith, Julian Spagnolo, Lindsay Spallone, Benjamin Spiegelman, Matthew Stamatis, Peter Stokes, Benjamin Sulzinsky, Raymond Sun, Omika Suryawanshi, Mathew Szpakowski, Paige Tarpey, Rebecca Taylor, Lauren Thrasher, Alice Townsend, Francisco Turdera, Sage Tzamouranis, Schuyler Van den Nieuwenhuizen, Margaret Vanni, Thomas Vilinskis, Sophia Viola, Halle Wilkes, Aidan Williams, Brian Williams, Eyga Williamson, Alycia Wong, Julie de Lange, Niels van Beek

Grade 11

Lauren Ahern, Matan Alon, Kristen Anderson, Patrick Andrews, Christopher Auslander, Jake Barrett, Julia Batti, Camryn Bell, Kayla Bell, Robert Bello, Maxwell Berger, Jacob Bodner, Alyssa Bonanno, Jessica Boxer, Caroline Boyle, Megan Brady, Natalie Brassinga, Lucy Briody, Aneeka Britto, Holly Brooker, Danielle Brown, John Buczek, Alexander Burns, Kiera Burns, Dylan Carey, William Carpenter, Madeline Cartwright, Jackson Cashman, Lauren Chakraborty, Devlin Chang, Maya Christianson, Harrison Chuma, Matthew Cocchi, Robert Cohen, Madeline Conway, Fiona Cooper, Anabel Cordano, Sloan Coughlin, Emma Cowles, Leanna Crafford, Brenna Creamer, Tobias Dalton, Alexandra Damron, Elena Dapkus, Erin Desimone, Caroline Dyson, Miriam Ehrlinspiel, Anna Fernandez, Joshua Finn, Cayla Fisher, Andrew Fowler, Grace Franklin, Ricco Froehlich, Ryen Fujitani, Sarah Furfaro, Julie Gaisser, Julia Gerber, Michaela Gleeson, Grace Goodwin, Kendra Gordillo, Lindsey Gordon, Ariana Gravinese, Haley Greene, Nicole Greene, Peter Guasti, Hailey Guerra, Katherine Hackett, Amelia Hadar, Ann Hage, Daniel Halmos, Nicole Hamilton, Samuel Holzhauer, Rianna Iorillo, Katherine Jasminski, Grace Jeffries, Adam Jeniski, Nils Johnsrud, Megan Julier, Sean Keegans, Colleen Keenan, Jordan Kegler, Calvin Keller, Ava Kelley, Margaux Kelley, Ella Kemp, Eleanor Keyes, Joshua Kim, Robert Kinsman, Emma Kirchner, Sarah Klotz, Ethan Knapp, Jennifer Kramer, Madeline Kutler, Kaitlyn Kynast, Alexandra LaPorta, Karena Landler, Patrick Lang, Emily Laramie, Hannah Latorre, Nicholas Laudati, Isabella Leal, Emma Lee, Alec Leonard, Clara Lerchi, Catherine Li, Dylan Livingstone, Christopher Longo, Connor Looney, Collin Lowe, Abigayle Lunsford, John Lynch, Cara MacKenzie, Thomas MacMannis, Marcella Maguire, Ashlyn Marr, Brianne McGill, Hannah McNeece, Kevin McSpedon, Elizabeth Middlebrook, Riley Morrison, Nina Moss, Eva Murphy, Hazel Neil, Molly Nethercott, Shane Palmer, Petros Papadopoulos, Shalaina Parikh, Nicholas Patterson, Cassandra Pavain, Danielle Pfleger, Laura Piazza, Lucie Picard, Charles Pratt, Daniela Puchall, Brogan Quick, Taylor Ranney, Julia Realander, Helen Redmond, Liam Riebling, Kevin Riley, Kendall Rogoff, Jenifer Rojas, Patrick Ryan, Peter Rychlik, Christopher Sacchi, Elizabeth Sacchi, Sean Santori, Kevin Santoro, Alexander Scheck, Erin Schneider, Margaret Scott, Jane Searfoss, Margaret Senesac, Isabelle Seward, Eshita Sharma, Steven Signorelli, Matthew Sigworth, Josephine Simon, Byron Sleight, Fair Smith, Owen Smith, Hayley Snyder, Lazaro Sotolongo, Nicholas Squitieri, Luke St. Pierre, Rose Staudt, Amy Stoogenke, John Thompson, Julia Tierney, Andrew Tregurtha, Giuliana Tripuzzi, Nathaniel Trozzi, Nicholas Van den Nieuwenhuizen, Joshua Verdejo, Sara Vivian, McKinley Walsh, Abbey Walter, Muge Wang, Drew Warren, Brian Weaton, Carly Wein, Natalie Whitton, David Yang, Julia Yu, Marissa Yulo, Niko Zupan

Grade 12

Maya Abrahams, Talia Abrahams, Jake Acquadro, Christina Alvarez, Taylor Arnold, William Barth, Olivia Basile, Andrea Bernhardt, Adam Bigelow, Rachel Black, Paul Bova, Jennifer Brian, Emily Browne, Grace Burns, Gwenyth Byrne, Julie Cahill, Nicholas Carey, Kendell Carlson, Anne-Marie Carruthers, Robert Castle, Toni Chadwell, Ryan Chester, Matthew Colville, Emily Connett, Brandon Cowen, William Crowley, Alexandra DiGiacomo, Julia DiLauro, Maria Dillon, John Diorio, Allison Donnelly, Brendan Donnelly, Alexa Dragon, Denzel Dy, Gwendolyn Ellis, Olivia Francis, Elizabeth Garlick, Amanda Gervais, Carla Giannattasio, Carly Gillman, Olivia Gorski, Leo Grizzaffi, Katherine Groves, Peter Halmos, Andrew Harper, Anna Healy, Emma Hergenrother, Julia Hinkle, Casey Ho, John Hornig, Kyle Horsa, Alexandra Howell, Emma Hubler, Christian Hunt, Max Issokson, Sergey Janerico, Ryan Johnson, Ryan Johnston, Elisa Jonas, Harrison Jumper, Lina Kane, Nell Kane, Bret Kaser, Sophie Kaufman, Rachel Kisken, Kristofer Klemm, Bailey Lachemann, Rebecca Lawrence, Chase Levesque, Harrison Levesque, Ally Livingston, Addison Llanos, Kate Lombardozzi, Elizabeth Lordi, Mia Lott, Casey MacDonald, Richard MacGregor, Navin Mani, Anna-Sophie Massek, Meaghan McGowan, Daniel Mines, Andrew Morrison, Zoe Mose, Jeffrey Mosia, Siqiao Mu, Melissa Murphy, Victoria Nazworth, Brian Nelson, Charlotte Nelson, Madeline Norman, Andrew Northcutt, Michael O’Brien, Natalie Parker, Sofia Penn, Claire Phelan, Harrison Porter, Hannah Rapaglia, Isabella Rendon, Emily Riina, Emily Robertson, Liv Schoenbeck, Jacquelyn Schwartz, Jennifer Schwartz, Jonathan Seem, Kathryn Shea, Matthew Shirvell, Rebekah Silver, Gunnar Smith, Harry Smolin, Casey Snow, Sofie Sogaard, Paul Standish, Leanne Steinowitz, Jeffrey Storm, Angela Sun, Ken Takeda, Luke Tannenbaum, Jackson Turek, Sterling Walkup, Aidan Walsh, Claire Ward, Sean Weaver, James Wilkinson, Sarah Wilson, Georgianna Wood, Kimberly Wroblewski, Rowan Young

Honors

Grade 9

Scott Alexander, Olivia Anderson, Caitlin Andrews, Cooper Barbieri, Evan Bayer, Lauren Bayer, Jessica Bell, Harrison Berger, Francesca Bermudez, Olivia Bernstein, Erin Birmingham, Ryan Bogursky, Jessica Bosavage, Grant Breslin, Quinn Brewer, Yohann Britto, William Bryant, Jenna Budicini, Megan Burke, Joshua Burns, Robert Buthorn, Evan Canavan, Ryan Canavan, Robert Carey, Lily Carnicelli, Sophia Carnicelli, Amanda Castelluccio, Allison Catizone, Daniel Chittenden, Elissa Clancy, Nicholas Clavi, Alexandra Colonna, Stephanie Coraci, Jack Costello, Julia Culhane, Nicolas Cullinan, Grace Cumming, Lila Cumming, Madison D’Onofrio, Sydney D’Orso, Carrina Dabroi, Lucas Dalton, Emma DiMiceli, Ian Dyson, Juliette Fusco, Ryan Garson, Sebastian Gasparo, Alexander Gibian, Thomas Gioffre, Brendan Gleeson, Emma Goldstein, Sierra Gundersen, Mia Gurrieri, Mark Habeeb, Christopher Hagele, Allison Hard, Jenna Harford, Caroline Holloway, Devin Hornig, Amelia Hynes, Emma Jaeger, Emma Jelkovac, Cecilie Johnsrud, Evan Jones, Bridget Kager, Julia Kerr, Campbell Kinsman, Samuel Klotz, Ann Koelzer, Anthony Krista-Kelsey, Daniel Krista-Kelsey, Luke Krys, Riley Kunzmann, William Kynast, Bianca Labuschagne, Samantha Lehaney, Jenna Leonard, Andrew Li, Isaak Lombardo, Anna Lourenso, Lauren Maiolo, Kyra McGoey, Braeden McSpedon, Shane Meyer, Logan Milot, Jackson Mitchell, Leah Moroknek, Sam Nylen, Victoria Nylen, Elizabeth O’Connor, Jillian O’Keefe, Rosemary O’Keefe, Emily Paribello, Joseph Pastore, Caroline Patafio, Ward Perrott, Connor Phair, Dane Phippen, Heston Pinard, Paige Raymond, Connor Riebling, Casey Rinke, Caitlin Rogan, James Rudnicki, Danielle Santoro, Michael Schneider, Jack Shickell, Isabella Sica, Alexia Skor, Sylvana Soto, Gillian Stone, Danielle Trant, Ryan Wadhwa, Delaney Walsh, Isabella Walsh, Mackenzie Wanicka, Madison Wanicka, Jayden Weiskopf, Gabrielle Woda, Daniel Zvon

Grade 10

Makyla Addison, Riya Ahuja, Kevin Arnold, Tyler Aronson, Conor Barbieri, Elizabeth Barton, Liliana Betschart, Johannes Bonwetsch, Annie Boscia, Nicholas Bradley, Carrie Broder, Alexandra Brown, Emma Bruce, Catalina Carmona, Emily Carr, Dev Chauhan, Kunal Chauhan, Elizabeth Chomiak, Benjamin Cohen, Alexander Colon, Amanda Condron, Sophie Conley, Sarah Cordisco, Lien Corley, Christopher Cozens, Payton Creamer, Isabella Critchell, Caroline Curnal, Gehrig Daly, Ian Davies-Welsh, James DeMatteo, Noah Decaminada, Angele DellaCorte, Leonardo DiPietro Lopez, Seamus Doyle, Jaime Dunn, Brendan Ferguson, Carolyn Feurman, Daniel Feygin, Blythe Filaski, Thomas Formus, Julia Fuchs, Ty Fujitani, Jenna Gaglione, Liam Galloway, Kyle Getz, Taryn Gibson, Alexander Glass, Sebastian Guccione, Derek Gustafson, Michael Hamilton, Georgina Hardiman, Alaina Harris, Jack Hicks, Caroline Hinkle, Natasha Hoffner, William Hunter, Nicholas Jerome, Olivia Jones, Patrick Joyce, Reid Kagan, Robyn Karashik, Hannah Kaufman, Connor Kepcher, Peter Kirchner, Fiona Klotz, Eustache Kuhn, Olivia Lescinskas, Garrett Levine, Charles Luft, Alexander Lust, Matthew MacGregor, Matthew Masi, William Maue, Kieran McGowan, Malcolm McGrath, Delia McInerney, Pierce McKinley, Claire McLam, Lauren Melagrano, Courtney Miles, Camila Morgan, Patrick Moroney, Brendan Munnelly, Nicole Napoli, Carter Ogden, Patrick Ogden, Ian Ostrosky, Kaitlyn Palumbo, Nicole Potel, Simon Preston, Julian Quinn, Lily Reale, Molly Reiss, Sofia Rodriguez, Sarah Rose, Daniel Rothwell, Madison Rucolas, Kathryn Ruscoe, Daniel Sawtelle, Nolan Schmer, Robert Scialo, Sean Seavy, Justin Showstead, Veronica Side, Connor Stevenson, Caroline Suozzi, Alana Taylor, Ava Thompson, Connor Tobin, Lindsay Toia, Michael Turner, Johnny Valente, Kaitlin Vezos, Alexis Vucci, Dylan Weaver, Megan Williams, Michael Yodice, Mitchell van der Noll, Eric von Recklinghausen

Grade 11

Evan Anandappa, Christina Anderson, Drew Arfine, Zachery Azzara, Nola Barricelli, Johanna Benson, Macrae Benziger, John Boehle, Kelsey Bordash, Mathew Bornstein, Anthony Borrello, Alec Boxer, Evan Brenner, Kellen Brewer, Connor Bryant, Lindsley Burke, Daniel Buthorn, Landon Byers, Jonas Chang, Michele Ciaccia, Liam Clark, Grace Collins, Rachel Cooper, Catherine Costigan, Lauren Coughlin, Grace Courtney, Liam Courtney, Harrison Cushmore, Constantina Daly, Arianna Danzig, Maxwell Davis, Kenneth Day, Bradford DeMassa, Robert DeSantis, Georgia Dodd, Eric Dollins, Jared Donnelly, Henry Droher, Lauren Dyson, Zachary Esemplare, Elana Everett, Michael Foscaldi, Lucas Furneri, Benjamin Giangrasso, Lauren Gonet, Allison Gonley, James Green, Sophia Hall, Devon Hammer, Daryn Harris, Matthias Howley, Daniel Ignatowich, Joshua Isaac, Ruby Isley, James Jaffee, Zachary James, Robert Jewell, Valerie Johnson, Desmond Kager, Mikaela Kiernan, Griffin King, Caleb Knapp, Nile Korobkov, Benjamin Kotlov, Lile Kvantaliani, Karen Lang, Michelle Legan, Jack Lincoln, Kathryn Linekin, Briana LoCicero, Isabella Maisonet, Andrew Mathes, Jack McGeary, Thomas McKee, Kaitlyn McMullan, Devin Meenan, Daniel Mellinger, Julia Middlebrook, Keely Missinne, Nicholas Misurelli, Courtney Mitten, Kristina Mitten, Nicholas Molyneux, Matthew Mortinger, Colin Motill, Katie Nejati, Joseph Newborn, Jared Nussbaum, John Odeen, Jordan Petrazzini, Kelley Phippen, Nia Pollard, Emily Rodgers, Alison Ryan, Caroline Rychlik, Sara Santisi, Jessica Seel, Matthew Shannon, Julia Sorgie, Rian Stewart, Matthew Tarantino, William Taranto, Francis Thomas, Ciara Van de Merlen, Ruby Verbitsky, Nathan Walker, Philip Wax, Casey Wishna, Brandon Wong

Grade 12

Gabriel Altopp, Garrett Amill, Victoria Ammirato, Steven Arditti, Isabella Arms, Sarah Atterbury, Matteo Avellini, John Balsamo, Matthew Bartolucci, Sarah Battipaglia, Spencer Benedetto, Elizabeth Berta, Liam Birmingham, Schuyler Blair, Charles Bonaparte, Emily Brand, Caitlyn Brandon, Ethan Broder, Patrick Budicini, Bryan Bunt, Madeline Burns, Austin Carfi, Avary Carlson, Natalie Carnazza, Sydney Carroll, Thomas Carvo, Caroline Chapman, Dylan Chelednik, Stephen Clouse, Dante Cobelli, Micah Collins, Margaret Comer, Claire Condron, Mackenzie Cone, Delaney Conlan, Michelle Cope, Catherine Crespo, Sean Culhane, James Cutolo, Kennedy Cutter, Peter Dearth, Michaela Desimone, Alastair Dinnan, Imogen Dodd, John Dorish, Caroline Dranow, Kabir Dugal, Taran Dugal, Carolina Echeverri, Sarah Engelberg-Nolan, Bridgitte Ettinger-Curnan, Steven Everett, Armand Fabbri, Andrew Falcinelli, Nicholas Falkenberg, Megan Fowler, Patrick Francis, Scott Galgano, Jordan Ghidossi, Liam Griffin, Olivia Grossman, Kathleen Gruendel, Alexandra Guarino, Alessandra Guccione, Kenneth Guillaume, Emma Hackett, Toby Hardiman, Alexander Harmon, Morgan Hartmayer, Sophie Hayes, Matthew Hemley, Megan Hoban, Clint Hodson, Chelsea Hopper, Meghan Hyatt, Kathryn Jordan, Justin Joyce, Dolores Kane, Alana Keisling, Ryan Kelly, Austin Kenyon, Emily Kerr, Hannah Kim, Nicolette Kingdollar, Lorenzo Kinnicutt, Alec Knupp, Erik Kriz, Edward Lavelle, Timothy Lenz, Nicola Levy, Kate Lindenburg, Lauren Linekin, Sarah Loughran, Taylor Lust, Brian Maher, Robert Marczak, Erika Marr, Alexander Marshall, Colleen McCarthy, Kyle McCormick, Lindsay Melagrano, Ian Mickool, Mikhaela Miller, Ryan Miller, Shannon Mohr, Brielle Moro, Alec Mullin, Drew Mullin, Erin Murphy, Allyson Myers, Nicholas Palazzo, Brendan Pallant, Justin Pan, Adrianna Pappas, Elizabeth Parks, Omar Pasha, Jonathan Passman, Sarah Patafio, Austin Pavone, William Peters, Leah Phelan, Robert Philbin, John Pieterse, Tatiana Pisoni, Katherine Pratt, Margot Racy, Andrew Rizzo, Emma Rosenblatt, Kira Rosencrans, Jordan Roth, Brendan Ruberry, Miles Russo, Luisa Saad, Alexandra Salazar, Michelle Salzbrunn, Matthew Saporito, Noah Sasse, Gursimar Sawhney, Cullen Scheer, Danielle Schwartz, Dylan Schwasnick, Michael Shofi, John Steer, Jenny Stevens, Colin Storm, Amanda Stucki, Claire Taben, Nina Taubes, Amanda Terbrusch, Matthew Thaxter, Paige Trant, Rian Tucci, Lindsay Voves, Alexander Walker, Claire Watsik, Kimberly Weinstock, Caleb Wilfinger, Brandon Ye, Jacqueline Yeranossian, Ryan Young, Katherine Yuen, Athena Zacharakos, Emma Zachary, Rachel Zeolla, Emma van Beek

The post Ridgefield High School fourth quarter honor roll appeared first on The Ridgefield Press.

Raymond Hastings

After four years on hold, plans for a teen center in the Veterans Park barn 25 years ago were finally moving forward, the July 18, 1991, Press reported.

The Youth Commission was hoping to renovate the large gray barn off Governor Street and had the permission of the Parks and Recreation Commission to do it, said Youth Commission member Linda Hamilton. “We have to do a lot of fund-raising,” she said.

The Democrats were heading to a caucus to select November election candidates, and had no one yet to oppose Republican Sue Manning for first selectman.

When Julia Child appeared in town to celebrate the opening of the Hay Day market, she had dinner later on at The Elms Inn. What did the famous cook choose to eat? “She had Norwegian poached salmon and ate it with gusto,” Elms restaurateur Bob Scala said, adding she was a very “forthright and amusing person.”

Ridgefield was the setting for a new mystery novel, “Hometown Heroes,” written by Susanna Hofmann, who grew up in town. The book’s town was called Raven’s Wing, but Ridgefielders could recognize many places, including Squash’s, that were part of the story.

At least four Chinese restaurant owners were looking at Ridgefield as a place to operate, Town Planner Oswald Inglese reported. One had already applied, and the Main Moon was causing quite a bit of controversy because it would be mostly take-out food.

There were more bear sightings that week, and the “on the street” interview column asked “What would you do if you came face to face with a bear.” “I’d see how quick I could run,” replied Chip Neumann. “I would fight him,” said Eric DiPreta, who was about 10.

Diana Ward, former eight-year member of the school board, was elected president of the Joint PTA Council.

Mr. and Mrs. Larry Bossidy bought a house and 12 acres on West Mountain Road from Mr. and Mrs. George Hanlon.

Radio Shack was having a “super sale” that included a VHS camcorder with 12x zoom for only $788 — nearly $1,400 in today’s dollars.

50 years ago

The School Building Committee asked for $12,000 more to continue planning for the new  Branchville Elementary School, the July 21, 1966, Press reported. The committee had already spent $4,000.

The Park Commission hired William Seirup of Trumbull as the town’s first full-time director of recreation.

The body of the Rev. John J. Draper, who had been a popular priest at St. Mary’s and former principal of its school, was found in a New York City hotel where, officials said, he apparently slipped and fell while taking a shower, and died of a “fractured larynx.” The 39-year-old had registered at the hotel under a different name.

Mr. and Mrs. Raymond I. Hastings moved from Bayberry Hill Road to a new home on Great Hill Road with their boys, Richard, 10, Michael, 8, Timothy, 7, Terrance, 6, and James, 2.

Some 1,200 people danced under the stars on the high school tennis courts at the annual Firemen’s Ball Saturday, keeping Dom Scutti’s orchestra going till 2 a.m. “It was a really great success,” said Fire Chief Richard McGlynn.

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Karen Casagrande

For 29 years, Ridgefielders have seen a high kicking silhouette as an advertisement for Hot Shoes Dance Studios. The person behind that high kick is the multitalented Karen Casagrande of Ridgefield, whose dance background goes back to a relative in the Ziegfeld Follies.

Moving to Ridgefield at age four, Casagrande started out as a swimmer.   

“People still remember my mother Helen Johnson being the physical education teacher at Veteran’s Park Elementary School. We were also known as the horse people.”

At age 12, Casagrande started dance.    

“Ms. Schuster only taught ballet so I was really not exposed to other types of dance until I went to Stephen’s College in Missouri. Here I began to learn about classical and East Indian Dance. I also got into the history of dance and its impact on musical theater while I was in college.

“After graduating with a BFA in fine arts, I began commuting to the city to study with teachers such as Lee Theodore of the American Dance Machine and Charles Kelley and Frank Hatchett of the Broadway Dance Center. These men introduced me to tap, jazz, and Broadway dances and I knew this is what I wanted to do with my life.

“Throughout the years, my favorite choreographer is Jerome Robbins. His shows such as The King and I, Man of La Mancha, and Fiddler on the Roof were life changing for me. I love shows that tell a complete story through a 20-minute dance segment.  

“With musical theater becoming more important to me, I began auditioning locally and met Gordon Casagrande, a wonderful director, who has been my husband since my early 20s. At this point he has directed me as a choreographer and lead dancer in a multitude of shows, with my favorite being Brigadoon. Since my sister, Amy Montanari, was an accomplished vocalist, we became a threesome in many shows; the director, the lead vocalist and lead dancer. Our first show together was How to Succeed in Business.”

When Casagrande became a mother to Chris, now a sergeant in the Air Force abroad, she decided to stay home and teach dance locally. Starting as a teacher with Margaret Schuster for five years, Casagrande decided to branch out on her own. For the next 29 years she taught jazz, tap, hip hop, lyrical dance, ballet and Broadway in her own Hot Shoes Studio.    

Over her 34 years of teaching, she has influenced thousands of dancers.  

In addition to her studio work, Casagrande regularly choreographed the musical shows at Veteran’s Park and at East Ridge Middle School. Then in the evenings she would be dancing in such musicals as Robber Bride Groom, Fiddler on the Roof, Man of La Mancha, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Kiss Me Kate, Once Upon Mattress, My Fair Lady, Anything Goes, and Guys and Dolls.

“I always loved being a dance teacher but finding studios seemed to be my big problem. I started in the Knights of Columbus Hall, across from St. Mary’s, but then had to move to Grove Street where the Groom Room is now. Next I went to the temple and then to the Melillo Farm. My final location was in Girolametti Court.

“Recently I decided that I did not want to be responsible for the business end of my dance studio so sold  and just teach dance and follow my other interests.

“I now teach in Westport, at Hot Shoes, and at the Curtain Call in Stamford. I also teach senior citizens at Founder’s Hall.

“I love teaching at Founder’s Hall as the dancers are so appreciative. They love the fact that although they may not have had the time or money to dance when they were young, they can do so now. The seniors work so hard at their dance steps and feel good about themselves afterwards. The seniors also love hearing about the history of dance and shows and attend area musicals with me.”

The second love for Casagrande is horses. For 10 years Casagrande was part of the Governor’s Horse Guard in Newtown. She loved everything about the political parades except for getting up at 4 a.m. in the morning to get the horses to Hartford ready to parade. She particularly liked parading when Jodi Rell was governor.

When Malloy took over as governor he cut the horse force from 24 to 10 horses. Casagrande had fallen in love with her horse, Elmo, purchased him when he was cut from the guard, and still rides him today.

As a lover of history, Casagrande has been a docent at Keeler Tavern and also travels with her family to Gettysburg and surrounding areas every year to learn more about the Civil War. She also lives in a house in Ridgefield that dates back to 1889.  

When people look at Casagrande, they see a women that looks almost 20 years younger than her actual age. Constant physical fitness, a positive attitude about life, multiple interests, and a loving family keep Casagrande a role model for many in our town.

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Learn how to avoid ticks while enjoying the great outdoors in a seminar on Friday, July 22 at 1 p.m. As you probably know, infected ticks can transmit bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with antibiotics. But if left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system. That’s why prevention is critical, especially here in the northeast, which, along with the upper midwest, is home to the highest concentration of Lyme disease cases in the nation.

“As a resident of an area with tons of ticks, you have a responsibility,” says presenter Neeta Connally, a tick-borne disease prevention expert who holds a master of science in public health from Tulane University and a Ph.D. in entomology from the University of Rhode Island.

“Just as you would buckle your seat belt or wear your helmet when you ride a bicycle, I think we have a responsibility to check ourselves, maybe modify our landscape if it’s particularly tick-infested, and treat our pets.”

In the seminar, Connally will share simple strategies for staying tick-free. As Connally notes, “If we have more conversations about prevention, we can have fewer conversations about diagnosis and treatment because we can get it on the front end — we stop it in its tracks.” The seminar is presented in cooperation with the BLAST Prevention Program of Lyme Connection, a community-based organization that offers tick-borne disease prevention programming and patient-support services.

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Some 40 yogis of all different ages and abilities participated in Ridgefield Parks & Recreation’s free Summer Solstice Yoga on Sunday, June 19, in Ballard Park. The outdoor yoga class was led by Christy Stevenson. Participants were asked to bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the Ridgefield Food Pantry.

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With the invasion of Pokémon Go, the Connecticut State Police issued a list of do’s and don’ts for players of the new, popular game on its Facebook page on July 13:

Don’t:

• Play while driving.
• Trespass.
• Fight or argue with other players.
• Be lured into unfamiliar places.

Do:

• Have fun. Get out and explore your communities.
• Stay alert and aware of surroundings.
• Make yourself visible when playing at night.
• Play with friends/family.

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Edward C Keough

Edward C Keough, Sr., 83, of Sandy Hook passed away July 16th at his home. He was born on April 23, 1933 in Stoughton, MA the second child of Alfred and Mary (Chaisson) Keough. The family moved to Queens Village, NY where Ed graduated from St. Francis Xavier High School and went on to earn a Bachelor’s of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Connecticut in 1956. Additionally, Ed served his country in the U.S. Army as a First Lieutenant entering through the ROTC training program at UConn. Ed married Barbara Bielen, a registered nurse from Stratford in 1959 and raised three boys during their 57 year marriage. His career spanned over 50 years beginning at CT based, Burndy Electrical Products. Other corporate roles moved the family up and down the east coast before returning to CT spending 30 years in Wilton. Ed retired from the family business, Keough’s Paint and Hardware, he and Barbara founded in 1972, now owned by their youngest son Bill.

In his spare time Ed loved to golf with his wife at the Ridgefield Golf Course and in FL in the winter months. He also enjoyed tending to his flower gardens and cheering on his children and grandchildren’s at their activities. During retirement he and wife Barbara traveled extensively including a 30 day around the world adventure. In addition, they enjoyed summers at their vacation home named “Life’s Dream” on Lake Bomoseen in Castleton, VT.

He is survived by his wife Barbara, their three sons; Ed Jr., Mark, Bill and their families including seven adoring grandchildren. Ed was predeceased by his older brother Alfred, younger sister Mary Ann, and younger brother Robert.

Family and friends may call on Tuesday, July 19, 2016 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Honan Funeral Home, 58 Main Street, Newtown, CT. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Rose of Lima Church, Church Hill Rd, Newtown on Wednesday, July 20 2016 at 10:30 a.m. Interment will follow in St. Rose Cemetery, Sandy Hook. Flowers are welcome or contributions can be made to American Cancer Society, 30 Speen Street, Framingham, MA 01701 www.cancer.org

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It’s “double nickels” for Connecticut and the nation.

Average gas prices in Connecticut and on the national level are down 55 cents this week compared this time last year, thanks to a gasoline glut on the market and lower crude oil prices, says AAA Northeast.

On Monday, July 18, a gallon of regular gas in Connecticut averages $2.36, while nationally prices are averaging $2.21.

For Connecticut, those prices are three cents lower than last week; while nationally, the prices are two cents lower than this time last week. In both cases, price averages are at their lowest since mid-May.

Statewide and national prices have been dropping steadily since mid-June after the markets experienced some expected seasonal increases in late spring. The average price of gas peaked in Connecticut at around $2.47 in mid-June while nationally the price peaked at $2.38 around the same time.

AAA’s weekly survey of prices in the Nutmeg State’s four regional areas as follows:

Greater Bridgeport/Stamford $2.44, New Haven/Meriden $2.34, Greater Hartford $2.34, New London/Norwich $2.35. Statewide average: $2.36.

California and Hawaii at $2.85 and $2.82 continue to lead the pack of states with the highest average prices. South Carolina at $1.88 continues to be the state with the lowest price. Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Alabama are next with the lowest prices at $1.97.

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Rev. Whitney Altopp, pastor of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, is helping with the organization of Ridgefield’s Refugee Resettlement Committee.

They flee embattled homelands, wander across continents, live in overpopulated camps, cross seas in overcrowded boats. They are refugees, and there are 19 million of them in this troubled world.

A group of Ridgefielders has been organizing for months to try to help some of them — a family from some forsaken land, they don’t know from where yet — come and resettle here, in the United States of America, the country of immigrants, founded by religious dissenters fleeing persecution.

“People have connected with one another to consider how we can respond to the refugee crisis in the world,” said The Rev. Whitney Altopp, pastor of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. “It’s the greatest humanitarian crisis since the Second World War.”

At its July 7 meeting the group, called Refugee Resettlement Committee-Ridgefield, decided to formally apply to Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS), a non-profit organization based in New Haven, to become what committee co-chairman Michael Rettger called “a settlement co-sponsor group” — the local hosts of a refugee family.

“People have come to the effort out of concern for the massive refugee problem in the world today and the chance to make a small, positive effect on the problem by helping one family restart their lives in the U.S. There are 19 million refugees currently, the largest amount since World War II,” Rettger said.

“…We are targeting to be ready with logistics and fund-raising fully in place by mid-September so that we’ll be able to accept an assigned refugee family. Given the process and timeline involved, we could then expect to actually have a family assigned to our group some time in October or November.”

If approved by IRIS, they “will have little or no information about the assigned family until very shortly before their scheduled arrival — no information about country of origin or ethnicity, religious background, language and other skills, or even the basic composition of the family,” Rettger said. “That is why this effort requires a lot of planning, more than a little confidence in our abilities to be flexible and adapt, and a dose of faith as well.”

The goal is to help the family get settled and become self-sufficient. This means finding a place to live, jobs, teaching them English.

The committee plans two public information sessions, and reach to out to people who may want to help, at the Ridgefield Library on Tuesday, Aug. 9, at 7 p.m. and Thursday, Sept. 15, at 10 a.m.

“We definitely still need volunteers as possible ESL (English as a second language) teachers, interpreters, drivers, perhaps babysitters, as well as in other capacities,” said Ann O’Brien, who co-chairs the committee with Rettger.

The organizers aren’t sure if the refugee family would live in Ridgefield.

“We are trying first for a Ridgefield resettlement, with Danbury as a second option,” Rettger said. “Our feeling is that Ridgefield would probably be more costly but the Danbury option presents other different challenges like added travel time for volunteer drivers. From talking with other current settlement situations there is a lot of driving people around early on, particularly if there are several children involved.”

The group currently numbers about 20 to 25.

“In view of the refugee crisis worldwide, I feel a real sense of obligation to play a small role in helping a displaced family to resettle in America,” said Heidi Weber. “I am responding to a humane imperative of some kind. By being part of this effort, I hope to get the satisfaction of knowing I have done what I can to help a family in dire need of help.”

“Giving a family a chance defines who we are,” said Jean Ferlazzo.

“We want to help a family in need of the basics: a living, a home, safety, and freedom,” said Nancy Carotti.

“I feel like this is one of the most important challenges around the world,” said Paul Albats. “I want to know I helped.”

The effort is not necessarily religious, but it began with St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church.

“We have participants from most of the religious congregations in town, as well as people who have joined out of a civic or personal motivation,” Rettger said.

“The reason St. Stephen’s has taken an initiative is because of the commitment of the larger Episcopal Church in the state to address the needs of 30 refugee families,” Pastor Altopp said.

IRIS is affiliated with Episcopal Migration Ministries and Church World Service and has been resettling refugees in Connecticut since 1982.

“They do an intensive vetting process,” Altopp said. “People, by the time they arrive here, have been in a process that usually lasts for two years, prior to coming here,” he said.

IRIS welcomes about 400 refugees a year into Connecticut. Overall, the state accepts about 700 refugees a year.

Last September, with the refugee situation in Syria starting to blossom into a crisis, Secretary of State John Kerry announced that the U.S. would increase the number of refugees it accepts annually from 70,000 in 2015 to 85,000 in 2016 and 100,000 in 2017.

“We were very disappointed the U.S. government only increased refugee arrivals up to 85,000,” said Chris George, executive director of IRIS. “We were arguing it should be at least twice that number. I suppose they feel at this time in the U.S. that’s about the most they could hope to bring in without pushback.

“In 1980, 200,000 refugees were brought to the U.S. from Southeast Asia, in just one year,” George said. “So we thought an appropriate way to respond to the largest refugee crisis since World War II would be something along those lines — 200,000.”

Since beginning its work in Connecticut in 1982, IRIS has helped resettle over 5,000 individuals from more than 30 countries, he said.

“The 400 or so we’ll welcome this year are coming mainly from six countries. Those are Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Congo and Eritrea,” George said.

The Ridgefield committee is inspired by the success of an interfaith group in Wilton.

“We see a big model in WiAct in Wilton. They just received a Syrian family, a woman with five children. That’s the model. We’re taking their best practices and seeing how we can do that here,” said Altopp.

IRIS is working with groups across Connecticut.

“I honestly don’t know what’s happening in every state, but I have a feeling that the community response in Connecticut is much greater than the community response in other states,” George said. “We’ve got more than 50 groups that are interested in welcoming refugee families into their communities. Some are coalitions that include churches and synagogues and secular organizations. And there are some groups that include mosques, so it’s a wide range.”

Settling a refugee family brings many challenges.

“Finding a job for someone who doesn’t speak English, that’s a big challenge,” George said. “Addressing health needs, so that they can focus on learning English and getting a job. Helping kids get started in school. All these are tough for anyone who’s resettling refugees, whether it’s a community group, or a team of experienced refugee resettlement staff.

“What a refugee family gets that has a community group working with them, that they might not get if just resettled by a refugee agency, is a group of well-connected community friends who show them where to go to school and where to shop and how to catch the bus. They know their way around town and help the refugees find their way around.

“I think the biggest problem is they probably want to do too much for too long for the family,” George said. “We remind them that this is a modestly funded self-help program and the refugee family is expected to get a job and become self-sufficient as soon as possible, and that a refugee family really should not be helped longer than they really need help.”

George, who’s been settling refugees for 11 years now, finds it rewarding work.

“We see, in a relatively short period of time, people arriving in this country who just are, at first, lost. And we see them in a matter of months become comfortable. They are learning the language, have a job, feel terrific and have the confidence that having a job brings, and are able to get around the city. So we see people who move from high anxiety and real insecurity to feeling they have a new home — so that’s very rewarding.”

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From left, Christopher Prills, Charlotte Turco, Thomas Turco, Jack Poulton and Paige Poulton.

Children from Jesse Lee Church’s Vacation Bible School have helped fill the shelves at the Ridgefield Food Pantry. Three vehicles full of non-perishable foods, personal care items, paper goods and reusable shopping bags were delivered to the pop-up pantry at Ballard Green on Tuesday, July 5. The donations were provided by the more than 125 children attending Jesse Lee’s annual Vacation Bible School.

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Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem

Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem, the New England-based folk quartet, will be performing at the Thursday, July 21, CHIRP concert in Ballard Park at 7 p.m.

The Boston Herald called them “one of America’s most inventive string bands.”

When it comes to American roots music, Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem have always been standard-bearers, with a particular knack for pairing words and music. From bluegrass barnstormers to sultry swing, old-time gospel to bluesy folk-rock, they turn in arrangements with “stylish, unexpected choices,” said Acoustic Guitar magazine.

Original songs fit with re-workings of Georgia Sea Islands music, Hank Williams, Leonard Cohen, Bruce Springsteen — just a few of the many places this band is willing to go.

“As soon as Rani Arbo & Daisy mayhem strike up, you realize this is a band that is unpredictable and impossible to pigeonhole. There is a togetherness that flows right through the heart of the performance. It never gets too clever and always remains understated and classy,” according to Maverick Magazine.

Rain venue will be the Ridgefield Playhouse.

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Why Am I Gaining Weight? is a new workshop available through Ridgefield Continuing Education. It will cover why skipping breakfast causes weight gain, which foods put weight on and why eating protein at every meal is important.

Other topics include how being overweight contributes to health risks and the difference between a healthy and unhealthy weight loss program.

Instructor Peggy Krotzer holds a master of science in nutrition and is also a certified nutrition specialist. Class meets on Tuesday, July 26, from 9:45 to 11:45 a.m. at the Venus Building (old high school). Advance registration required. Cost is $31. Ridgefield seniors (age 62 and older) pay $24 per class. Information at ridgefieldschools.org or Peggy Bruno at 203-431-2812.

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Lyn Kehoe of Lyn Kehoe Power Yoga studio is offering a free yoga class at Ballard Park before SummerFest 2016 on Saturday, July 23. Class begins at 8:30 a.m. and will end by 10 a.m. It is an all levels class.

In the event of rain, a free class will be held at her studio, 109 Danbury Road.

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The process of reevaluating the town’s 10,000 homes began two months ago and, already, 1,000 houses are done.

“We are moving along at a good pace,” said Tax Assessor Alfred Garzi, who added it is too soon to see any patterns developing, such as what part of town has the most appreciation or depreciation.

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Town offers answers to frequently asked questions at the end of this article.

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It is also too soon to know how many people might complain about their revaluation. That won’t come until the reassessments are filed Jan. 31, 2018, Garzi said.

“When values are set, they are never final until I sign the Grand List. Then we send an informal hearing letter to every person and say, here are the numbers,” Garzi said. “If we missed anything, we set up time for informal hearings in December. And you can talk to me at any time. If you’re unhappy then, you can file an appeal in March 2018.”

Right now, he said, the work is in the fact-finding stage.

Will everyone’s property value change? “More than likely all assessments for real property will change,” says a Q&A on the tax assessor’s website on RidgefieldCT.org. “However, not all property values will change at the same rate. The market value may have changed more for some neighborhoods and property types than for others. Some neighborhoods and property types may have decreased in value, others may have remained the same, and some may have increased since the last revaluation of 2012.

“The purpose of a revaluation is to make sure that the assessed values reflect the changes that have occurred in the real estate market as of the Assessment date of October 1, 2017.”

Revaluation all starts with a card in the mail. “People get a notice first,” he said. “We request appointments.”

Homeowners get visits from representatives of eQuality Valuation, the Waterbury-based firm assisting with revaluing properties.  

Representatives of the firm are registered with the Police Department and carry photo IDs.

The revaluation, done once every five years, requires nearly two years of work. The aim is to keep tax assessments accurately reflecting the market values and balance the tax burden fairly.

The first budget after revaluation, the town’s mill rate will change to reflect the value of the new Grand List, so the overall amount of taxes raised won’t be different — though some individual properties may end up paying more, or less, as a result of the rebalancing.

The objective is to have all the properties at the same starting point again, which is 70% of market value as of the revaluation date, which is Oct. 1, 2017.

The current Grand List totals about $4.6 billion.

The revaluation will cost $415,000.

Ridgefield 2017 Revaluation Project

The Town of Ridgefield has contracted with e-Quality Valuation Services, LLC of Waterbury, CT to assist Ridgefield with its state mandated revaluation for October 1, 2017.

Assessments are required by State law to be 70% of October 1, 2017 market values.

October 1, 2017 Revaluation Assessments will effect the July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019 Fiscal Year.

What is a Revaluation:

A revaluation is the process of performing a mass appraisal of all real property within the assessment jurisdiction. The purpose of a revaluation is not to raise revenue but to have all property assessments reflect 70% of market value as of 1 point in time (10/1/17).  To bring all property assessments back to the same starting point (same percentage of assessment for each properties market value) as of the reassessment date.

Field Inspections during this Revaluation:

The 2017 Revaluation will require a physical inspection of both the interior and exterior of each property.

Starting the week of May 23rd representatives of e-Quality will begin field inspections.  Postcards will be mailed to each area before the company representatives visit, letting the homeowner know when the company representatives will be in the area.  Should a homeowner have questions about a field inspector, the Ridgefield Police department has photo id’s, names and vehicle types of the person or persons that will be in the field.

Informal Hearing:

Towards the end of the revaluation, every property owner receives a notice of their proposed valuation. If they have a question or concern about the proposed valuation, they are asked to call the Assessors Office or e-Quality Valuation to set a date and time for an informal hearing.  This appointment is meant to allow a brief discussion about the valuation process, review specifics of the property in question and to answer general questions the owner may have.  Most hearings last about 10-15 minutes.  Homeowners are asked to come prepared with their questions and have compared their property to other comparable ones in their neighborhood.  They are also encouraged to provide the hearing officer with copies of any documentation they may have regarding specific issues with their proposed assessments.  An informal hearing is meant to answer general questions on the proposed property assessments. The hearing officer will take notes during your meeting to document the information you have discussed. They will later determine if further review of your property assessment is necessary, based on these notes. The proposed values are not final until all hearings and any data or value changes resulting from the hearings are completed and the Assessor signs the grand list.

WILL ALL PROPERTY VALUES CHANGE?

More than likely all assessments for real property will change. However, not all property values will change at the same rate. The market value may have changed more for some neighborhoods and property types than for others. Some neighborhoods and property types may have decreased in value, others may have remained the same, and some may have increased since the last revaluation of 2012.  The purpose of a revaluation is to make sure that the assessed values reflect the changes that have occurred in the real estate market as of the Assessment date of October 1, 2017.

WHAT IS MARKET VALUE?

Market value is defined as the amount a typical, well-informed purchaser would be willing to pay for a property. For a sale to be a market value (arms-length) sale, the seller and buyer must be unrelated, the buyer must be willing (but not under pressure) to buy, the property must be on the market for a reasonable length of time, the payment must be in cash or its equivalent, and the financing must be typical for that type of property.  Buyer and seller must not be under any duress.

WHAT SALES DID YOU COMPARE TO MY HOME TO ARRIVE AT MY VALUE?

When dealing with a revaluation or mass appraisal the process is not the same as a fee appraisal or CMA (Comparable Market Analysis). Most homeowners have had a fee appraisal or CMA of their property before and are familiar with the process involved and the resulting report. The assumption is made that the revaluation company uses the same process. Although the appraisal concepts are the same and the results similar, the process is different. All approaches are attempting to estimate market value as of a point in time. We do not perform a fee appraisal or comparable market analysis. We are required to perform a mass appraisal by law.

When performing a revaluation or mass appraisal, the value of your property is based on an analysis of the sales within your market area for a specific period of time (usually a 12 to 18 month period). The study of recent property sales allow the appraisers to establish valuation parameters (construction rates, land rates, market adjustments, etc.). Once these valuation parameters are applied to the properties that sold, the result is an appraised value that should be within an acceptable range of market sales by statute.

The revaluation appraisers test the newly developed parameters then apply these same valuation parameters to all of the “non-sale” properties in the town. In doing so, they are approximating the market value of each property using the information derived from all of the sales. Therefore, no particular sale or group of sales was used to determine the value of your property. This is because ALL of the recent sales were included in the analysis that set the parameters used in the revaluation for Ridgefield.

HOW CAN MY ASSESSMENT CHANGE WHEN I HAVEN’T DONE ANYTHING TO MY PROPERTY?

General economic conditions such as interest rates, inflation rates, supply and demand for houses and general changes in the tax laws will influence the value of real estate in addition to other factors.  As property values change in the market place (sales), those changes will eventually be reflected in the assessment at the time of a revaluation.

DO ALL ASSESSMENTS CHANGE AT THE SAME RATE?

In a revaluation, assessments do not change at the same rate or percentage. However all assessments by statute during a revaluation must be 70% of market value as of our appraisal date of October 1, 2017.  There are differences between individual properties and between neighborhoods. In one area, the sales may indicate an increase in value in a given year. In another neighborhood, there may be a lesser change in property values or decrease in value from the last revaluation.

Different types of properties within the same neighborhood may also show different value changes. For example, one-story houses may be more in demand than two-story houses or vice versa. Older homes in the same area may be rising in value more slowly than newer homes.

Among the numerous factors to be considered that will cause values to differ are location, condition, size, quality, number of baths, basement finish, garages, and many others.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact the Assessor’s Office at 203-431-2706, or by email Assessor@Ridgefieldct.org.

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Author and medium Sydney Sherman will discuss her book, You Are Not Alone; Our Loved Ones Are Here…You’re Just Not Listening, at the Ridgefield Library on Saturday, July 23, at 1 p.m.

You Are Not Alone runs through a checklist to help sort out the frauds from people with legitimate gifts. As a ghost hunter for more than 20 years, Sherman has set out to educate others through her books and numerous public speaking events and she hopes to equip her audiences with the knowledge they need to connect with their own loved ones and the tools to avoid the hoaxes.

Sherman has appeared on TV and radio and has given seminars and workshops at libraries, universities, bookstores and community centers.

This program is made possible through the Friends of the Library and is part of the library’s Exercise Your Mind: Read, Summer Reading Program.

Books will be available for sale and for signing at the event. For more information and to register: ridgefieldlibrary.org or 203-438-2282.

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