Ansonia police chief pens letter to residents

Greetings Residents of Ansonia,

It is with sadness that I am posting this letter to you about recent events in our country. 

By now, many if not all of you have seen the disturbing video from Minneapolis and the death of George Floyd. 

I say to all of you, without a doubt, that this is not what the men and women of the Ansonia Police Department stand for or represent. We denounce these actions. We are part of the community we serve and we strive every day to be good citizens. We promise to always treat our fellow citizens with respect. We understand that sometimes things do not always go perfect but we hold ourselves to a high standard and attempt to be fair in all of our interactions with you, the public.
I ask, in this difficult time, for your help in holding our community together. We can work together to resolve differences. We cannot turn away from one another in a time of crisis. Let Ansonia be the city that comes together instead of pulling apart. We hear you and we feel that same pain that you do when we see unfortunate acts such as the one committed in Minnesota. It erodes the trust we have built with one another. Please help us heal by helping each other in a dignified and graceful way.
I ask each of you, as I have asked my officers, to take a minute to think before acting and treat one another with respect. We strive to do this every day and will continue to do so moving forward. We are an integral part of this community and so are you. Please find a moment to extend an act of kindness or a smile to one another. Let’s keep Ansonia safe and secure by working together to heal.

Sincerely,

Chief Andrew L Cota III

*This is shared from the Ansonia Police Department Facebook page.

Recuperation journey: Looking at the sky

... on Sunday evening.

The moon is in waxing gibbous phase, 65 percent illumination.

Recuperation journey: Around the yard - Part 9

Morning shadows.

Have a peaceful Sunday.

CT Folk Fest & Green Expo shifting to a virtual platform for concert series

NEW HAVEN - CT Folk thanks the community for its continued support of our organization, and the current roll-out of our virtual programming, including the CT Folk at Home concert series.

The CT Folk at Home series seeks to bring music to our Connecticut audience through an online platform; it is not lost on us that this virtual shift also allows us to reach out beyond our current fanbase and listenership geographically and demographically.

Safety has become a priority for artists and arts venues alike.
In keeping with CDC guidelines and navigating through an evolving pandemic-driven landscape, CT Folk has made the decision to shift our annual CT Folk Fest & Green Expo, typically held in Edgerton Park, to an expanded listening audience, with a multi-day virtual platform this September. 

“Like most arts organizations, CT Folk has had to close its physical doors and suspend in-person programming for the near future. As purveyors of folk music, we rely on the folk tradition of building community and looking to expand that community continually, which has posed particular challenges during these times. And it calls for creative and collaborative ways to continue to build community and support the artists who provide us with great music --- but who have also been hard hit by this shifting landscape,” Board President Lisa Kaston said.

Please visit our website to learn more about upcoming virtual concerts and CT Folk Fest plans at CTFolk.org and via Facebook/Instagram (@CTFolk).

CT Folk is dedicated to the furtherance of social justice and environmental initiatives that impact our local, as well as global community, and to the advancement of music in all of its varied forms. We note that CT Folk embraces an evolving and more expansive definition of the term “folk”, to better reflect, nurture, and celebrate a culturally rich listening and artist community. 

CT Folk is an approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which through several organizational changes, has been bringing a diverse and evolving mix of music to our listening community since 1989. 

Contributions to CT Folk are tax-deductible.

This is a press release from CT Folk. 

Klarides-Ditria: State, USDA, retailers team to implement SNAP online purchases

Dear Friend, Earlier this year, I received an email from a constituent suffering from "Intractable Epilepsy" asking if I would consider submitting a bill that would allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to be used for food delivery to him and others who may have difficulty getting to stores to purchase food.  His email was very informative and included the fact that companies like Amazon Prime Pantry were accepting SNAP payments from New York but not Connecticut. I submitted a bill in February based on this email which ultimately became Raised Bill No. 5308. I am very happy to announce that the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) recently announced it was working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, the state’s electronic benefit transfer (EBT) vendor, and participating food retailers to implement SNAP online purchasing in Connecticut. Federal approval of the state’s plan was received May 20, and the beginning of online food purchasing is tentatively scheduled for June 2. When activated, enrollees will be able to use SNAP benefits on their EBT card to purchase eligible food items online for delivery or curbside pickup at participating food retailers. Current participating food retailers are Amazon, including Amazon Pantry and Amazon Fresh; 12 Walmart stores (click here for list); and Wakefern Food Corp., which has 22 participating ShopRite stores in state (click here for list).  While many people think at times that government may not be functioning properly or that regular people do not have a voice, this is an example of how government works for the people who need it the most. I am very proud and honored to be your State Representative and to be your voice in Hartford. If you have questions or concerns on any issue concerning state government, please contact me at Nicole.Klarides-Ditria@housegop.ct.gov or call 860-240-8700.  Sincerely,