A Message from First Selectman Bindelglass

Good morning, 

I’m hoping spring is finally here for good; days are getting longer and grass is getting greener. The crisp blue of the sky with white puffy clouds floating by reminds me of how each beautiful day is as fleeting as the travels of those clouds. We had very sad news in Town Hall (and Easton as a whole) this week. Our Building Inspector, Anthony “Tony” Ballaro passed away very suddenly over the weekend. Those of you who know him knew he had a wonderful sense of humor with a larger than life personality. Tony was like family and as such, I would ask you to keep his family in your thoughts and prayers. We will miss him terribly. In the interim, building inspectors from several neighboring towns are assisting us.

The COVID -19 numbers are the best in a very long time. For the week ending May 8th, the per 100,000 number is 6.6. That is great news. Next week we will get new information from the state about reopening. We will address new rules for Town Buildings, Boards, Commission and Committee meetings and programs, as they are affected by the state rules. 

Work has continued on the South Park Avenue Bridge. As promised, many of you have noticed there is a high level of police presence on the detours. During the first bridge closure, many residents complained about cars speeding through normally quiet streets.  It is not fair, and none of us would want speeding cars on residential streets in our own neighborhoods.  As you know, South Park Avenue is used by many nonresidents to get to the Merritt Parkway. The town will not tolerate speeding or dangerous driving on these roads. An optimistic finish date is projected as late fall. Please be patient with these detours as the end result will be a beautiful two-lane bridge.

Plans for the Memorial Day parade and ceremony are ongoing. Thank you to the American Legion for organizing this as they do every year. More details will be forthcoming. If you are interested in driving in the parade or actively participating, please contact the First Selectman’s office via phone at 203-268-6291 or email jhaller@eastonct.gov. 

We have had many college graduations in-person and virtually in this last week, and several more are to follow. My congratulations to all the students who have, by virtue of COVID, done something none of us has ever accomplished - graduating a grade, a class or a university in a pandemic.  

Have a great weekend, and enjoy the sun.

Dave Bindelglass