First Selectman's Report - May 12, 2014
First Selectman’s Report
May 12, 2014
Don’t Miss Simsbury’s Memorial Day Parades – May 26, 2014
As in prior years, Simsbury residents will be able to choose between parades. The Tariffville parade will assemble on Main Street at 8:30 am and will head towards Winthrop Street promptly at 9:00 am. The parade will conclude at St. Bernard’s Cemetery and there will be a brief ceremony at that time.
The second parade will assemble on Owens Brook Boulevard by Simsbury Bank at 1:00 pm and will march off onto Hopmeadow Street promptly at 1:30 pm. There will be a ceremony on the portico of Eno Memorial Hall at the conclusion of the parade.
The parades have once again been organized by the Simsbury American legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. We are very grateful to them and I would like to thank Bob Gauthier, Bruce Elliott and John Romano in particular for everything they have done to make the parades a success. At Bob Gauthier’s request, I’m going to ask you all to pray for a bright, sunny day on the 26th!
Solarize CT Workshop, May 27, 2014 at 7:00 pm, Simsbury Public Library Program Room
I am pleased to announce a second Solarize CT Workshop scheduled for 7:00 pm, May 27, 2014 in the Simsbury Public Library’s Program Room. More than 125 residents attended the first workshop and the program is off to a terrific start. The goal is to make solar energy simple, affordable and accessible to Connecticut residents. The competitively chosen provider for Simsbury is C-TEC Solar, a Simsbury-based company. If you missed the first workshop, I strongly urge you to attend the workshop on the 27th. If you want to participate in the program, you must sign up by September 23, 2014. For more information, please visit www.SolarizeCT.com/Simsbury. Let’s make Simsbury a leader when it comes to alternative energy.
CL&P Tree Trimming in Simsbury – Spring/Summer of 2014
Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) will be conducting routine tree trimming around power lines during the Spring and Summer months here in Simsbury on twenty-one different roads. CL&P’s routine tree trimming specifications are designed to ensure that tree limbs have sufficient clearance from electrical wires. Town residents will receive a letter from CL&P describing the proposed trimming work at least 15 days prior to the trimming, and may elect to limit the tree trimming or to be present when the work is being done.
For more information about the proposed trimming, you may contact our Public Works Department at (860) 658-3222 or you may contact Asplundh Tree Experts – the company contracted to do the work by CL&P – at (888) 301-7103.
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day – June 14, 2014, 8:00 – 12:00 Noon, 66 Town Forest Road
I am pleased to announce that our Public Works Department is sponsoring Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day on June 14, 2014 from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon at the Public Works Facility, 66 Town Forest Road. This is a program we run jointly with Avon, Canton and Granby and it is a great opportunity to get rid of materials that you can’t put in the regular garbage, such as fluorescent and compact light bulbs, batteries, lawn care chemicals, household cleaners and much more. For a list of frequently asked questions related to household hazardous waste disposal or for more specific information, please check the Public Works web site at http://www.simsbury-ct.gov/public-works-grounds/pages/bulky-waste-recycling, contact the Simsbury Public Works Department at 860-658-3222 or contact the Simsbury Landfill at 860-658-9481.
Don’t Miss the Performance of “Shirley Valentine” at Eno Hall – a Sunshine Kids Fundraiser
On May 17, 2014 at 7:30 pm in Eno Memorial Hall there will be a performance of “Shirley Valentine” – a play about an underappreciated Liverpool housewife who has a chance to go on an all-expenses paid trip to Greece and may have to make a break for it in order to go – which is being sponsored by Berkshire Hathaway Home Services to raise funds for Sunshine Kids. Sunshine Kids is a charitable organization committed to helping children with cancer. This is an opportunity to contribute to a good cause and to have a great evening all at the same time! I encourage you to attend.
Recognition of May as Mental Health Awareness Month
Representatives from our Community of Care Committee have asked that we highlight May as National Mental Health Awareness Month. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius issued a statement emphasizing the significant advances made by the United States in our understanding of mental illness and in improving support and care for individuals with mental health problems. Mental Health Awareness Month provides an opportunity to renew our commitment to addressing the many challenges people with mental illness can face every day. In addition to important initiatives on the Federal level, I am proud that Simsbury, through its Community of Care initiative, its training on suicide prevention and numerous other concrete actions, is doing its part to raise awareness of mental health issues, their impact on the entire community and the steps we can take to help those facing mental health challenges.