9/15/2023 A Message from First Selectman Bindelglass
Good afternoon,
On the morning of September 11, we had a moment of silence and laid a wreath at the Easton 9/11 memorial in front of the library. I mentioned in my previous post that this was something I thought we should try as a new tradition. A wreath has been placed every year previously but not specifically by the selectmen. I hope this will continue and I will bring this up at the next selectmen meeting.
I was recently involved in a conversation that included, “I didn’t know that Easton had an online newspaper”. Last week I mentioned the town website. The online Easton Courier is a valuable source of information about what is happening around town. It can be found at https://eastoncourier.news The more people are educated about what is happening around town the better for all of us.
I want to officially welcome Daniel Simonelli to the position of municipal agent and town social worker. His office is in the senior center and he will be assuming the duties previously assigned to Alison Witherbee. I look forward to working with Daniel. If you are in the senior center please stop by and introduce yourself. He will also become an integral part of, “Easton is here to help”, https://www.eastonsheretohelp.org/ an organization to provide support to all of our citizens in a number of different areas.
POW MIA flag will fly at Town Hall in recognition of National POW MIA Recognition Day which falls on the third Friday in September. In addition, I had the honor of meeting with our American Legion post members this week. We will be establishing a committee to be a resource to veterans in Easton. Its primary function will be to help veterans find necessary help and services available to them and to simply provide any other kind of support that is needed. Related to this the American legion post, I wanted to make sure that all veterans in town were aware of their existence and that they are always welcoming of new members. There are significant benefits available to members of the post.
Please note the date change: The Anne Lindquist Library Spirit Award Reception is scheduled for Saturday, September 23rd from 3:00pm to 5:00pm on the Library Lawn we are honoring Phyllis Machledt. Please RSVP to Lynn Zaffino at 203-261-0134 or lzaffino@eastonlibrary.org. Please see link for further details: https://www.eastonlibrary.org/newsletter.
Easton Volunteer EMS will host Fireworks at Samuel Staples Elementary School on September 16th. Gates open at 6:00pm and the show will begin at 8:45pm. For tickets, please see EASTON EMS FIREWORKS, Sat, Sep 16, 2023 at 6:00 PM. Food trucks and ice cream on site. All proceeds go to the Easton Volunteer EMS “New Building Fund”.
The Aspetuck Health District is offering a FREE skin cancer screening event on Tuesday, September 26th at 180 Bayberry Lane, Westport from 9:00am-4:00pm. If you are interested, please call 203-227-9571 x235 and ask for Judy to make an appointment. Also, the health district is having a car seat safety day for Easton residents on Friday, September 29th at Weston Volunteer Fire Department, 52 Norfield Road from 10:00am-2:00pm. To book your free appointment please email carseats@ynhh.org.
Flu shots will be offered for adults at the Easton Senior Center on Wednesday, October 4th and Thursday, October 12th from 7:00am-2:00pm. You must call for an appointment (203) 268-1145 and bring your insurance card to the appointment.
The senior center is working on a letter writing campaign to the people of Sviatohirsk. Most of those remaining in the town are seniors because they cannot leave town or find somewhere else to stay. This is a wonderful thing for our seniors to do and highlights the generosity and empathy of the people of Easton. Thank you to them. Although the children of Sviatohirsk are spread out around the Ukraine, they do attend school on line and we will be exploring ways to connect our children with them. Mayor Rybalkin and I both feel strongly that the bond between our two towns can be far deeper than just our raising funds for their immediate needs, and we look forward to growing our total sisterhood.
I also want to update you on the Nest project at Joel Barlow high school. With the $4.5 million that the voters of Easton and Redding approved, there is a new turf field in use at the athletic complex. This is not only being used by our high school athletes but also by town youth teams. This is a great step forward for our town. The plan also includes facility upgrades for locker rooms and bathrooms, and bleachers. Those plans are not finalized, and whether or not everything will be covered by the bonded money is yet to be determined. More details to come.
Lastly, I am happy to report that High Ridge road has now been repaved, and driveways in the area of the watermain break are being repaired. Again, thanks to our town Department of Public Works, Aquarion and Burns construction.
Have a great weekend,
Dave