The Cheshire Citizen April 29, 2021 by Record Journal

The Cheshire Citizen Each year, Cheshire Academy creates a full day of educational programming for Earth Day. This year, the school hosted its observance on Wednesday, April 21, traveling the world to bring home the message of conservation and sustainability. The Earth Day celebration, called “When the World Works Together,” kicked off with a presentation by Bijal Vachharajani, an award-winning au thor, journalist and editor who writes on issues of sustainability. The virtual discussion was held live from Banga

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By Joy VanderLek

Dan and Debbie Krawitz, of Cheshire, have a yard full of unusual art. A realistic painting of a fox by Dan Krawitz. See Earth Day, A3 See 250-2450

Joy VanderLek, The Cheshire Citizen

Record-Journal staff

The Cheshire Citizen No one would expect to see a lifesize T-Rex head poking out from behind the roofline of a perfectly normal suburban neighborhood home, and yet, there it is. This looming prehistoric figure is just one of the many wonderful sur prises from the creative and multitalented Dan Krawitz. Dan Krawitz brings a Jurassic Park vibe to the roofline of his Cheshire homewiththisT-Rexsculpture.

After spring break, a COVID-19 surge at CHS

Two social gatherings over spring break have led to a surge in coron avirus cases among students at Cheshire High School. An individual with a COVID-19 vari ant is believed to have attended the gatherings, leading to 18 high school students being infected, according to a presentation by Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Solan during a Board of Education meeting on Thursday, April 22. Overall, Cheshire remains in the red zone with 25 cases per 100,000. Red zone status starts at 15 cases per 100,000. There were 48 cases in town as of the latest reporting period end ing April 22. Although much of the state remains in the red zone, there is improvement in several areas of the state according to the data track

Volume 12, Number 17 Thursday, April29, 2021cheshirecitizen.com

By Joy VanderLek

gactivEarthAcademy’sDayitiesoglobal

See COVID-19, A2

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TheCheshireCitizen | cheshirecitizen.comA2 Thursday, April29, 2021 er map on Gov. Ned Lam ont’s website. The northwest corner of the state is in the “grey” category, with fewer than five cases per 100,000. Several towns in the southeast portion of the state have seen improve ment as well. All of the CHS students who tested positive were identi fied by the middle of spring break and did not return to classrooms at the start of last week. Another 61 stu dents were under quarantine as of last Thursday, which includes some who came in to contact with family mem bers or had exposure outside of the two gatherings.

Toistration.schedule an appoint ment, Connecticut residents should visit ct.gov/covidvac cine. Lamont said, “I am confident that within this next month (April) we will get the vaccine to everyone who wants it.” “With the recent increase in cases in Connecticut, it is crucial that everyone who wants a vaccine, gets one as quickly as possible,” Con necticut Acting Public Health Commissioner Dr. Deidre Gifford said during Lamont’s press announce ment. “Through everyone’s efforts, we are now able to offer vaccine to all adults months earlier than original ly planned. While general availability of vaccines is a cause for celebration, we must also remember to keep up our guard against the spread of COVID-19. Even after you are vaccinated, you should continue to wear masks, social distance, avoid large gatherings and test and isolate if you are sick.” From A1 COVID-19 This looks like Cheshire has its own mini-version of Hubbard Park, famous for its spring daffodil bloom. While one can see lots of spring flowers blooming throughout town, this mass of golden bloom planted on a slope on Marion Avenue is a real show-stopper. Joy VanderLek, The Cheshire

Solan said one of the gather ings that’s been connected to the outbreak occured the Friday before the break and concerned an individual who tested positive with a variant. The other gathering occurred early in the break Solanperiod.said cases among stu dents are spreading due to events outside of school and the precautions put in place in collaboration with the Chesprocott Health District have prevented the virus from spreading in class rooms. Since students and staff have been diligent with mitigation strategies, he said he believes schools are one of the safest places for stu dents. He characterized the current situation as “a rela tively minor blip” and ex pected the situation to re turn to normal, shortly. Board of Education Chair Anthony Perugini said contact tracing has shown large gatherings outside of school are the main way the virus has spread among stu Ondents.March 31, Lamont an nounced that all individuals between the ages of 16 and 44, would have access to scheduling appointments beginning April 1. Individu als who are 16 and 17 years old were advised to only sign up for a clinic that is offering the vaccine made by Pfizer, as that is the only vaccine at this point that has been ap proved for those ages by the U.S. Food and Drug Admin

TheCheshireCitizen | cheshirecitizen.com Thursday, April29, 2021 A3 lore, India. Vachharajani spoke on environmental work taking place in India, her dual passions of writing and sustainability, and ways students can engage in climate work. Following Vachharajani’s presentation, on-campus students and those attending virtually from their hometowns around the world, took part in online workshops and inperson Earth Day experi Amongences.

the Coalition for a Sustainable Cheshire’s Karen Schnitzer gave a pre sentation via Zoom on dog waste. She also invited stu dents to help the local non profit design public an nouncements, and QR codes (informational barcodes) for local environmental educa tion and to create outdoor educational signage along the local walking trail and other public spaces.

the options for stu dents to participate in was an in-person visit to Cheshire’s Boulder Knoll, a small, envi

A number of students went on a virtual visit to Tanzania with managers from Rustic Pathways, a student travel company. Students learned the importance of conserva tion and sustainable tourism on their Additionally,visit.

From A1 Earth Day

Save the Sound's Annalisa Paltauf, in orange, with Cheshire Academy student volunteers duringanApril21 beachclean-upproject. Submitted photo

Saverecordedrecordedteersteered,aCheshireSixteenahelpedSavethewithAcademyInpletemulchforincludedtasksgrowingBoulderabeltheirStudentstheduringaboutfarming.explainedwereAtfoundermanagedfarm,ronmentally-sustainablewithcommunityplots,byStuAsbel,co-ofAllCornersFarm.BoulderKnollstudentsgivenatourandAsbelbasicprinciplesofHealsotalkedwhatgardenersgrowtheseasonandhowlandismanaged.wereabletogethandsdirty,helpingAsweedinthehightunnel,hoophousethatallowsKnollanextendedperiod.Otherfarmtackledbythestudentsmovingwoodchipsthefarmerstouseforandhelpingtocomadeerbarrier.NewHaven,CheshirestudentsmetupAnnalisaPaltauffromenvironmentalnon-profittheSound,wheretheycleanupLongWharf,localbeach.studentsfromAcademyaswellashandfuloflocalsvolunsaidPaltauf.Volunpickeduptrashandthoseitems.ThenumbersgointotheSound’sdatabaseaswellasOceanConservancy’sinternationaldatabase.Cigarettebuttstopthelistoflitterpickedupeachyear.Plasticbottles,strawsandbottlecapsalsowerehighonthelist.

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"Thank you to the Carrano and Barhorst family for their brav ery and advocacy for this bill. Also, thanks to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for moving this very important bill for child safety forward," said "WhenCicarella.Ifirstheard about this situation I was working on a similar case in my private business. I was shocked to find that there were not existing common-sense safety mea sures for these trucks to pro tect pedestrians, especially young children. I'm happy that our Transportation Commit tee and all Senate colleagues have worked together to honor Tristan's memory to possibly save the lives of other children. "Many children have also suf fered injuries, some perma nent and life-altering, each year, yet we have not heard about them. Connecticut is the only state in our area that does not have existing safety mea sures in place; this bill is com mon-sense. I am hopeful that a positive can come out of this tragedy."

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State Sen. Paul Cicarella (R-34) applauded the Senate's unani mous passage of S.B. 608, which seeks to increase safety for children when buying ice cream from frozen dessert trucks. The bill has bipartisan support from lawmakers and was written in response to a fa tal incident in Cheshire involv ing a Wallingford child, Tris tan Barhorst, last summer.

TheCheshireCitizen | cheshirecitizen.comA4 Thursday, April29, 2021

Cicarella applauds quick passage of ‘Tristan’s Law’

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John Larusso, 72, 65 LaVilla Way, Fort Pierce, Fla., risk of in jury to a child, fourth-degree sex ual assault, 12:45 p.m. April 7

edit let ters. We

March 20 Kamiya Gadson, 224, 53 Birch Drive, disorderly conduct, 5 a.m.

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not list names of people, organizations and businesses being thanked. Names of businesses are not allowed. Letters must be signed and names will ap pear in print. Include a phone number so The Citi zen can contact you for veri fication. Letters must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Fri day to be considered for publication the following Thursday. Interested in Advertising?ClassifiedCallUs. 203-238-1953 Custom Window Treatments SPRING SALE! Cellular Shades and Roller Shades NOW AT SPECIAL LOW PRICES! Custom Draperies and Valances also on sale! 83-95 Center Street, Southington, CT | 860-628-4717 | depaolofurniture.com R240320 ’s Hours: Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri & Sat 9:30am–5pm, Sun 1-4:30pm • Closed Wed Call For Appointment at Home/In Store Allied ASID Interior Design Service to assist in your home with great color and style choices. Professional Measurement & Installation Available SALE ENDS June 8, 2021 Free Upgrade to Cordless Lift on Beautiful Graber Pleated, Natural, Roller, Solar, Fresco Roman and Fabric Shades

Thomas Doran, 31, 59 Free stone Ave., Portland, reckless driving, operating under the influ ence of drugs or alcohol, 9:05 a.m. April 8 Joshua K. Policastro, 24, 181 Hilltop Road, fifth-degree larce ny, conspiracy to commit, sixthdegree larceny, 9:45 a.m. April 12 Andrew B. Antoniani, 23, 92 Highview Ave., W. Haven, fifthdegree larceny, conspiracy, 6:16 p.m.Joseph T. Carangelo, 61, 86 Dana St., W. Haven, engaging police in pursuit, sixth-degree larceny, interfering with police, 5 p.m. April 14 Mark S. Ciriello, 49, 480 Main St., Apt. 3, first-degree criminal trespass, 7:25 a.m. April 16 Stephanie Mirza, 40, 106 New State Road, Apt. K, Manchester, operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol, 6:01 p.m. April 17 Jessica Deleoni, 37, 17 Victo ria Court, New Haven, operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol, 5:02 a.m.

TheCheshireCitizen | cheshirecitizen.comA6 Thursday, April29, 2021 Arrests reported by Cheshire Police: March 19 Sharell P. Allen, 31, 123 Harris Circle, Waterbury, sixth-degree larceny, 6:30 p.m. Veronica Pezzo, 29, 1564 Byan Road, disorderly conduct, 3:04Vittoriop.m. Pezzo, 52, 1564 Byam Road, disorderly conduct, 3:04 p.m.

Cheshire Police Blotter

each month. We

April 2 Donald D. Tamaro, 52, 435 W. Main St., two counts second-de gree violation of conditions of re lease, 5:24 p.m. April 3 Blair H. Lassen, 30, 900 Boul der Road, disorderly conduct, 11:47Emilya.m.Roberts, 25, 900 Boul der Road, disorderly conduct, 11:47 a.m. April 5

Letters

Letters Policy Email letters to thecheshirecitizen.com;news@ mail to 500 South Broad St., Meri den, CT 06450 or fax to 203639-0210. are limited to 300 words. The Citizen will letter person re serve the right to do

Megan E. Bartalini, 31, 43 Catherine Drive, Wolcott, second offense illegal operation of a mo tor vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol, violation of a protective order, 7:19 a.m. Matthew Stanzione, 74, 3 Quarry Village Road, disorderly conduct, 9:37 p.m. March 29 Yu Li, 43, 875 Huckins Road, violation of a protective order, 8:38 a.m.

March 22 Alfio A. Barone, 30, 44 Central Ave., Niantic, fourth-degree larceny, 7:36 a.m.

TheCheshireCitizen | cheshirecitizen.com Thursday, April29, 2021 A7

Dan began painting as a young man, in college, and enjoyed it enough to work in different painting businesses. He started his own business in the 1980s. During that time, Deb owned her own horse stable business, but found time to assist her hus band, handling interior deco rating and customer service. “I made my living as an artist, and that’s hard to do,” said Dan, who has stud ied techniques used by the From A1

The couple’s yard is full of the unexpected in the form of artwork and sculptures. One item that can’t be missed is a colossal, redeyed metal bug, power-coat ed in black by an artist Dan favors. Obelisks and other contemporary pieces of cop per and metal adorn the Thenyard. there’s Dan’s extralarge paintings. He claims the couple’s house is so full of art, the only room left was outside. “I started painting large paintings, four and five feet,” he said of his paintings featuring roosters, cows, al pacas, and watermelons. Dan also has painted ab stracts. The paintings are tucked into the slope, be hind the house. “It gives us something to look at,” Dan Althoughquipped. the sculptures are mostly by other artists, the T-Rex peeking out from the second story roof is his. Deb laughs when she talks about a friend demanding, “How could you allow him to do that?”, acknowledging that, in fact, she encourages her husband’s artistic ways. As for the neighbors, they love it, said Deb, especially the kids. The neighbors were really happy to have the fan ciful exhibit during COVID, a period marked by withdraw al and Movingquarantine.totheinterior of the house, there is not a surface that has not been painted. The art work starts in the foyer with a theatrical entry done in bold colors. Walking through the rooms, trompe l’oeil is found throughout. In one hallway, the walls look as if they were done in grass cloth, however, this is a illu sion rendered in paint. In the study, Dan used an oldstyle painting technique called Swedish putty. There was a huge demand for dec orative painting and faux finishes like rag rolling and sponge painting back in the 1980s, he said. Between the two of them, Deb, with her background in graphic design and interior decorating; and Dan’s paint ing skills, the house is oneof-a-kind.

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Dan, a decorative painter by trade, and his wife Deb live in a scenic part of Cheshire. The area is a stone’s throw from the hustle and bustle of Route 10. However, the lo cale is a quiet neighborhood. One thing is for sure, it is quite astonishing to come upon the Krawitz home in an otherwise conventional Theneighborhood.couplehave been mar ried for 38 years and many of the art pieces on display in the house have been col lected from their trips around the world. “There is art everywhere,” said Deb. “We love to keep it out, too. There’s no reason to put it in a drawer or put it away.”

The Cheshire High School principal calls herself a col laborative leader. “We do better when we are learning consistently and always open,” she said, adding that collaboration is the way to accomplish it. “No one does the work of leadership alone. ThereEver.” is a rhythm to each school day, with Gadd at tending meetings, answering correspondences, observing classes and the like. Conversely, every day is var ied, she said. “You never Theknow.”experience of working with kids is a true pleasure for Gadd. “They are great,” she said. “They are mature, thoughtful and bright.” Gadd observed that the stu dents’ energy has not dimin ished during the pandemic. “Our kids haven’t stopped. We have a goal to increase leadership among students. That has been an increasing feature of our student body,” she said, noting the stu dents’ progress was unim Gaddpeded.said she is inspired by the students’ persever ance and resilience. “It’s been an extraordinary chal lenge for them. They are in credibly positive, supportive of one another and engaged. I am so proud of them,” she said.

TheCheshireCitizen | cheshirecitizen.comA8 Thursday, April29, 2021

mnemonic “your pal” used to help youngsters learn to spell the word principal correctly. It’s also perhaps a reminder of one aspect of the relation ships many principals have with their students and Nationalteachers.Principal’s Day is May 1 and, in recognition of this, The Citizen spoke with Cheshire High School Prin cipal Dr. Mary Gadd. Gadd has held the position in Cheshire for five years and has been a school prin cipal for eight years alto Shegether.began her career as a high school English teacher, a job she held for 18 years. “Becoming a principal was a process that unfolded over time,” she said. Gadd took on leadership roles while teaching and found herself becoming “interested in the bigger pic Sheture.”saw herself able to serve teachers best by supporting them in a way that allowed them to do what they did best: educate young people and prepare them for the fu “ture.Tobe in a role where I can serve that, remove obstacles and provide support, is a gift,” she said. Along the way, Gadd re ceived support from many educators. “Teachers and professors were always men tors to me,” she said. Former principals, superintendents, her colleagues, and her own family also are incorporated into Gadd’s support system.

At CHS, Gadd in the spotlight for National Principal’s Day

In this archival photo, Cheshire High School Principal Mary Gadd speaks in the science lab. requester form at secondstreet.com/Cheshire-Citizen-Requestermyrecordjournal. can call us at 203-634-3933

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By Joy VanderLek The Cheshire Citizen A celebratory day of recogni tion is held for almost every career field, including school Thprincipal.ere’saclever

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TheCheshireCitizen | cheshirecitizen.com Thursday, April29, 2021 A9 Create a nature-friendly yard that’s beautiful, too

By Joy VanderLek The Cheshire Citizen It may come as a surprise, but not all landscapers and garden center employees have the right answers for you and your yard. That was the message behind design er Kathy Connolly’s presen tation “Ten Trends in Land scape and Lawncare” at the Cheshire Library. It’s also behind her push to get homeowners to update their own gardening knowledge Moretoolbox.than a few times Con nolly observed homeowners and gardeners on the receiv ing end of incorrect infor mation. “I was in a garden center and a gentleman walked up to the checkout counter with his shopping cart full of lawn fertilizer bags,” she said, adding that the guy’s cart must have held at least $150 worth of fertilizer. “This was in Febru ary,” Connolly said. The eager customer asked the cashier if it was time to put it on the lawn, and Con nolly was flabbergasted when the worker replied, “Yes. Of course. They put it out on the shelves when it’s time.”Thatwas not the correct an swer. Soil temperatures need to be 50-55 degrees before you use Connollyfertilizers.hassince observed more instances of poor ad vice, including a lawncare service that advised a cus tomer to put in a lawn rather than the meadow she want ed. The service then dou bled down and warned of erosion problems unless a lawn was installed. Wrong, again. It isn’t easy, but we have to reeducate ourselves, Con nolly said at her March 17 li brary talk. Likely, a lot has changed since we first learned lawn and garden es sentials. Pointing to the once popular PBS TV show “Crockett’s Victory Garden,” and the companion books, Connolly remarked that the author mentions pesticides and herbicides in every chapter. Many of those pesti cides have been banned al together, she said. See Lawn, A12 240398

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DANTE D’AMORE SOUTHINGTON BASEBALL

Whether pitching or batting, Dante D’Amore knows the strike zone and he commands it. In helping SHS get off to a 5-0 start, the senior was 2-0 with a 0.78 ERA and averaging .636 (7-for-11) with two HRs. With nine walks, D’Amore had an on-base percentage of .800. He threw a 5-inning no-hitter at South Wind sor and, in his first nine innings on the year, had allowed two hits and two walks while striking out 14.

The top players in a bumper crop of SCC baseball seniors were recently profiled by GameTime CT, and among the group was Cheshire’s Ryan Scialabba. Rightly so. Scialabba has been a varsity starter since his freshman year and is Cheshire’s leading light in 2021. A sampler: Scialabba was a triple shy of the cycle last Monday in North Haven and he tripled home the winning run in Friday’s wild 11-10 win over LH.

ERIN BRENNAN SHEEHAN TRACK

It’s hard to nominate one Athlete of the Week from Platt baseball because the Panthers get so many contributions from so many guys. We’re going with the big right-hander, Brandon Cahill. The 6-foot-2 junior, 3-0 on the season, was a one-man wrecking crew in Thursday’s 11-4 win over Middletown. He held the Blue Dragons to four hits over five innings while striking out nine and doubled twice and drove in three runs.

RYAN SCIALABBA CHESHIRE BASEBALL

MILYTZA PEREZ MALONEY SOFTBALL

CLAIRE RICCITELLI-PESTANA LYMAN HALL LACROSSE

BRANDON CAHILL PLATT BASEBALL

Just as she’s done since her rookie season, Milytza Perez is delivering in the circle and at the plate for Maloney’s softball Spartans. The senior fired a two-hitter Monday against Mid dletown as she and the squad improved to 6-2. Perez struck out 11 and went 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBI. For the season, Perez has 63 strikeouts and is batting .333 with two HRs and seven RBI. She is going on to play at Molloy College.

GO ONLINE AND VOTE. CHECK BACK NEXT WEEK TO SEE WHO YOU VOTED THE ATHLETES OF THE WEEK! Winners will be posted here as well as your next group of nominees. VISIT MYRECORDJOURNAL.COM/ATHLETES TO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE NOMINEES! 240519 WWW. MYRECORDJOURNAL.COM/ ATHLETES ASWINNERSWEEK’STHISAOTWVOTEDBYYOU! PEARSONBRIANNA CHESHIRE SOFTBALL AVERYEVAN MALONEY BASEBALL

Erin Brennan won the long jump, triple jump and pole vault Saturday vs. Maloney, making it 3-for-3 for the junior in all three events in the first three meets of 2021. Brennan is also rewriting the Sheehan record book. The 36-2 she landed in the triple jump Saturday broke an 18-year-old record. Brennan already holds the long jump mark at 16-10¾ and, at 10-6, is closing in on Steph Phoenix’s record of 11 feet in the pole vault.

Lyman Hall did it right on Senior Night last Thursday. The Trojans pinned a 10-6 deci sion on visiting Jonathan Law and they got a game-high six goals from one of their leading upperclassmen, Claire Riccitelli-Pestana. The senior captain scored just over three minutes into the game and LH was off and running to its third straight victory. Riccitelli-Pestana is going on to play lacrosse at Eastern Con necticut State.

TheCheshireCitizen | cheshirecitizen.com Thursday, April29, 2021 A11 R239720v8

TheCheshireCitizen | cheshirecitizen.comA12 Thursday, April29, 2021

In another example, Connol ly talks about soil, and refers to a feature published this past year in Connecticut Gardener magazine called, “Requiem for a Rototiller.” “We now understand the soil has a structure that is put to gether by fungi, primarily, and every time you run a ro totiller over that, you ruin that structure,” Connolly said. Additionally, her friend Petie Reed, a landscape profes sional, wonders why every rototiller has not been taken to the dump. They have no place in the home land scape, Reed told Connolly. Connolly told the library au dience that customers, lawn service companies and the whole horticulture industry “are on different pages about how they treat land and what we grow.” It was an “eyeopener” for her to hear perennial and gardening ex pert Allan Armitage speak at a wholesale industry func tion. The takeaway was, “We do not sell blue hydrangeas; we sell happiness,” said Con Essentially,nolly.

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homeowners and gardeners buy happi ness with plants, said Con nolly, and that, in itself, can invite troubles. Certain re quirements in our quest equate to what Connolly calls “buying the pretty dog gie.” Growers take plants we like, modify and breed them in a number of ways in order to sell us “the well-behaved plant,” she said. Generally, the plant has to have a long bloom time, exotic colors, no maintenance; is a short plant, squeezes out the weeds and doesn’t need a lot of water, said Connolly, adding that this list is just the beginning of consumer Ourdemands.demands might make us happy, but the results may not satisfy. Nancy Ballek McKinnon from Ballek’s Garden Center told Connolly about the time a customer wanted a plant that would bring butterflies to her yard. She made the sale, and later in the season the customer came back to say, “There’s caterpillars all over my plant is there a spray for that?” Of course, what the customer saw were the Monarch butterfly cater Whatpillars.we know today about gardening could not be more different, said Connol ly, referring to Dr. Douglas Tallamy, a leader in the new environmental awareness era. Tallamy has four books to this name, including the best-selling “Bringing Nature Home.” Tallamy has turned what we previously learned on its head. Now we know that we should leave the leaves. It’s good for the in sects, it’s where many over winter, including fireflies. It’s also good to have insects eat our plants. Connolly’s library talk was the result of going to her trusted network of land scape and garden profes sionals, among them Nancy DeBrule-Clemente of Na tureworks and Joe Maga zzi of Green Earth Ag and Turf, as well as her own ex pertise in order to offer sound advice every home owner can learn. “A good plan is invaluable,” said FollowConnolly.upbybuying native plants that are native to the region where you live. More garden centers are getting onboard and stocking na tives plants. And make sure they are correct for where you live. Also, read plant tags and research your pur chases. Plan to do mainte Ifnance.youdon’t want any main tenance, then you want hardscaping, said Connolly. That’s stone and fences and the like, she said. If you in tend to use a landscaper, look at their credentials. 203-317-2312 265-9831

TheCheshireCitizen | cheshirecitizen.com Thursday, April29, 2021 A13

VFW scholarships awarded Pvt. Lester Rochford, VFW Post 10052, selected two Cheshire High School se niors as winners in this year’s essay contest for the Henry E. “Hank” Carson Memorial Scholarship. The subject of the essay was “What American Citizenship Means to Me.”

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Henry E. “Hank” Carson Memorial Scholarship win ners must be Cheshire High School seniors who have dis played knowledge and re spect for America, the flag and the Constitution, and who are related to a veteran. This year, 22 entries were Insubmitted.hiswinning essay, Opin said, “American citizenship means dedicating myself to this great experiment that all people, regardless of back ground, race, religion or up bringing are created equal. It means supporting these val ues, even when it may be tough or when it requires sacrifice to ensure that ev eryone is able to bask in the prosperity afforded by this nation. It means unifying around common principles, not dividing based on what makes us different. It’s pro tecting our freedoms and our laws, building a better and freer America, and allowing those who want to join to become a part of this great melting pot.”

The first place award of $1,000 went to Adam Opin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Eric Opin. The second place award of $500 went to Colleen Verneau, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Craig Verneau. Post Commander John White explained that the scholarship “memorializes our departed comrade, Hank Carson, who did so much for Cheshire for so many years ... His leadership helped raise the public’s under standing and expression of American patriotism and the role of veterans in society.”

TheCheshireCitizen | cheshirecitizen.comA14 Thursday, April29, 2021

By Joy VanderLek The Cheshire Citizen

Ray Simpson with the Yale-Peabody Mu seum of Natural History in New Haven says there won’t be a grand-scale emergence of these arthropods appear ing in Cheshire. Even in ar eas where cicadas are ex pected in large numbers, the dramatic headlines are sim ply overkill, he said. People in Connecticut will be aware of the Dog Day ci cadas, the ones you hear during the heat of the sum mer. They make the really high-pitched trilling, buzzing that you hear during the day,” Simpson said. These annual cicadas are, 99% of the time, the kind of cicadas Connecti cut residents see or hear. In the order Hemiptera, pe riodical cicadas (magicica da), there are three species of the 17-year cicada (decim, cassini and decula). The three are synchronized in their emergence. They come out in the millions, flying, and singing. “The cicadas come out in such huge num bers that predators are over whelmed. The army of predators out there are taken by surprise,” said Simp son. “They (predators) can’t eat them all. They go to town on the cicadas.”

The staggered emergence of the 13- and 17- year-cycles is a natural strategy to avoid competition within the vari ous Thatspecies.abundance of cicadas is a bonanza for the ecosys tem. “It’s an unlimited food source and a quick source of protein,” Simpson said. The main predators are birds, but bats, mammals and even fish will eat cicadas, as well. Brood X, or Brood 10, is ba sically the only one that’s coming out this year, Simp son said, and that will be outside of New Eng land. When you hear the term “brood” it means the emergence of one of these three species. “The only brood recorded in Connecti cut is Brood 2,” said Simp son. The last emergence was around 2013. The next time we see them will be in 2030, so we are pretty much guar anteed not to see a periodi cal this year, he said, adding that if you do see one, it should be reported. “That would be very significant,” he Thesaid.broods are region spe cific. Brood 10 is fair ly widespread, although dis tribution tends to be patchy, with some hotspots within a region, said Simpson. “We see them (Brood 10) in the mid-Atlantic and from Long Island and New York, west to Illinois and down through the Appalachians to Geor Theregia.”

There will be a new cycle of cicadas emerging this year, but despite some alarmist rumors of a large-scale in festation and devastation, there’s really nothing to wor ry about according to one Theexpert.non annual cicadas, al so known as periodicals, be long to the species magicica da, the 17-year cicada. These are the ones that will be coming out this year in the east. These cicadas are the type with specifically-sepa rated broods of 13 or 17 Entomologistyears.

is concern about the Long Island broods going extinct, said Simpson. The theory is that if a brood gets too small, it can go extinct. For example, Simpson re calls a Brood 11 that did live in Connecticut. A few people went out to look for it in 1954 and found just a few individual insects and deter mined that small hatch was the last of the brood. Seven teen years later, the brood could not be found and was determined to be extinct, Simpson Extinctionsaid.generally comes as a result of habitat frag mentation and human de velopment. Most of their life cycle is spent underground. “You don’t even know they are there,” Simpson said. So, when you dig and develop for a new store, or mall or housing development, it’s possible that activity is de stroying a specific cicada Cicadaspopulation.can’t bite humans, as they don’t have mouth Thereparts. are approximately 3,000 cicada species in the world, with the real focus of Brood cicada.

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Cicadas will pose no problems, says Yale expert

TheCheshireCitizen | cheshirecitizen.com Thursday, April29, 2021 A15

Here’s another story. The mother-in-law (his) could not bear to throw away her World Book Encyclopedia set that she bought in 1972. When the in-laws moved, my hubby decided he need ed the encyclopedias. Can you guess where they are? They are in their original boxes and for the past 15 years have been used as a table support for our tools. That is a little weird. When I think about it, I should have seen the warn ing sign when he began to take rubber bands and put them on the kitchen door knob. These rubber bands came from newspaper deliv eries and the hubby promised to reuse them. The bands stayed on until we could no longer turn the doorknob. That’s when I took a few off to use else where. The rubber bands were so old and brittle they just snapped. As for me? Yes, I have my own peculiarities (I know, hard to believe). I have a thing about throwing away ribbons. I collect them. I will get flowers or a sweet pre sent tied with a fabric rib bon, and I tell myself, “I will reuse this.” (You aren’t laughing, are you?) Four Christmas’ ago, a girl friend gave me a present done up in beautiful, red silk ribbons. Those ribbons have stayed on a shelf in a book case ever since. You’d think I’d have used it the next Christmas or for a birthday in any one of those years. The idea never even oc curred to me. That’s hilari ous. Joy, A17 240912

COMMENTARY See

By Joy VanderLek The Cheshire Citizen Here’s a scene that unfolded at my house the other day. The kid held up a small dec orative glass jar full of some thing and asked the dad, “What is this?” “They’re bread ties,” he replied, as if anyone should know that. “I see that,” she said, mock ingly. “But why?” “For one thing, you might need them for bread bags,” he said, sincerely. “I will have you know bread bags already come from the store with bread ties,” said the kid. “Dad, you started saving these months ago. When being in a pandemic for seven months, just when did you decide you needed to start a weird collection?” she asked, rhetorically. This is when the hubby took an alternative truth route. “I actually wanted to see how many rolls we ate in a year,” he said, making it all up and doing a poor job. I am not going to do the math to figure out how many bags of rolls he eats a year. I will say that is not his only collection. Hubby also col lects baseball cards, coins, music. And at one time, stamps. Those items are per fectly normal.

cicada diversity in the tem perate tropical areas of the world, said Simpson. That includes New Zealand, where there are species of cicada unique to that Therecountry.are,overall, fewer ci cadas in the U.S. These in sects stay underground so long due to an extremely long time in the larval devel opment stage. They don’t have wings and don’t even look like cicadas during that stage. They have five instars, five times they collapse, grow and Seventeenshed.years is a long process to develop, feeding off the juices of tree roots, before they get to emerge. Once they come out, a short period from April to May, they shed into their adult form. Their only purpose is to reproduce. Two weeks is about the lifespan. The fe male oviposits (lays an egg) into the bark of a tree. They do not lay eggs on anything else. As a precaution, it may be best to wait to plant a new, young tree until fall.

From A14 Cicadas

The flaw in my repurposing plan

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By Pat AssociatedEaton-RobbPress

Joy Pandemic may lead to long-term changes in local school calendars

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I’m also known for collect ing containers, a hobby I seem to share with others. One girlfriend collects reusable shopping bags. Her habit was so bad, she even bought them online. Finally, she woke up and purged her collection. She tried to offload some on me, I Anotherrecall.friend collects any bag that can be reused, whether a mailer from a delivery or a bag from a cereal box. She aims to re purpose the packaging, as she doesn't want to add more trash into landfills. She really does reuse them too. I am proud of her for that. Her habit sets a good example. Maybe one day that will rub off on me. My latest collecting obses sion is restaurant takeout containers, clamshell con tainers from the grocery store and plastic pails. I reuse these for something else. That’s the plan any way, so I keep stacking more of them downstairs on the handy tool table. The one that’s held up by encyclopedias. Contact me at jvanderlek@ record-journal.com. From A15

Connecticut officials say the impact of the pandemic on students and their families could lead to long-term changes in how the school day and school year look in the Gov.state.Ned Lamont was joined Thursday, April 15 by federal and state political leaders along with local and state education officials in a roundtable to discuss the fu ture of education and how they plan to use the tens of millions of dollars in federal funds being earmarked to combat pandemicthatSchoolnextbeyondonlearningpandemic-basedloss.Theyfocusedchangesthatcouldgothissummerortheschoolyear.superintendentssaidabsenteeismduringthehashadnumer ous causes, including hous ing problems, language bar riers, day care issues and technology gaps. They sug gested that some of the fed eral money from the Ameri can Rescue Plan be used to make the school calendar more flexible through tutor See Schools, A18 CT

TheCheshireCitizen | cheshirecitizen.comA18 Thursday, April29, 2021 ing, online learning and offhours education programs. “We really have to use this opportunity, which is a once-in-a-lifetime opportu nity, to really shake up how we think about student learning,” said Matt Geary, Manchester’s school super intendent. “Students don’t only learn from 8:30 to 3:00, Monday to Friday. There’sa lot of other opportunities that potentially create more beneficial situations for stu dents and families.”

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Judge tosses suit that sought to block transgender athletes

Connecti cut lawsuit centered around Title IX, the federal law that requires equal opportunities for women and girls in edu cation, including sports. Defense attorney Joshua Block argued the CIAC policy doesn’t deny any girl a meaningful opportunity to participate in sports, but that overturning it would violate the Title IX rights of trans gender girls. “No court, no agency has ever defined a participation opportunity as winning an equal number of trophies,” he argued. The plaintiffs argue that the rights of cisgender girls un der Title IX are being violat ed in Connecticut by being forced to compete against what they term “biological Plaintiffmales.” attorney Roger Brooks, from the Alliance Defending Freedom, argued that the law guarantees girls “equal quality” of competi tion, which he said is denied by having to race people with what he described as inherent physiological ad Thevantages.Alliance Defending Freedom said on Sunday that it will appeal the dis missal of the lawsuit.

HARTFORD (AP) A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to prevent trans gender athletes from com peting in girls high school sports in Connecticut. The Connecticut Inter scholastic Athletic Confer ence, which oversees scholastic sports in the state, allows high school athletes to compete in sports according to their gender identity. The lawsuit was filed a year ago by cisgender runners who ar gued they were deprived of wins, state titles and athletic opportunities by being forced to compete against two transgender sprinters. U.S. District Court Judge Robert Chatigny dismissed the lawsuit on procedural grounds, saying in the ruling released Sunday that there was no dispute to resolve be cause the two transgender athletes have graduated and the plaintiffs could not iden tify other female transgender Theathletes.lawsuit had been closely watched since the Trump ad ministration’s Justice Depart ment and the Education De partment’s Office for Civil Rights had sided with the plaintiffs. But the Biden ad ministration withdrew that support in ConservativeFebruary.lawmakers in more than 20 states have in troduced legislation to ban or limit transgender athletes from competing on teams or sports that align with their gender Argumentsidentity.inthe

Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said it’s important that offi cials creating new learning programs make sure they address the social losses students have suffered and put them in situations, espe cially during the summer, that bring some joy and fun to learning. Gov. Ned Lamont has al ready announced his inten tion to use $10.7 million in previous federal funding to set up summer learning programs in conjunction with camps, libraries, aquar iums and museums that will be designed to help catch up students who have fallen behind because of chronic absenteeism and other is sues related to the absence of full-time in-person learn Theing. Learner Engagement and Attendance Program (LEAP) also will send men tors and counselors directly into the homes of struggling students in 15 hard-hit dis tricts to work with their Lamontfamilies.said the state needs to reconsider using an agrarian calendar for its school year. “I think we’ve got to rethink the 12 months,” Lamont said. “I think it could make a big difference and I hope this is a year we can experi ment.”

From A17 Schools

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TheCheshireCitizen | cheshirecitizen.comA20 Thursday, April29, 2021 240139

Usted puede vacunarse contra el COVID tan pronto no se considere ser contagioso de su infección. Sin embargo, generalmente se acuerda que la recaída entre 90 días es sumamente rara. Así que el CDC indica que es razonable esperar 3 meses desde el tiempo de infección. Este retraso ha sido importante siendo que no ha habido sufi cientes vacunas para todos. A medida que nos acerquemos a llenar la demanda de las vacunas, va a haber menos razón por el re traso. Cualquier persona que haya recibido infusiones de anticuerpos de Monoclonal durante la enfermedad de COVID-19 no tiene que esperar 3 meses enteros. Para resumir, la protección contra el COVID de las enfermedades anteriores no es terrible. Pero no es tan buena como usted o nosotros necesitamos. Si todos nos vacunamos, la pandemia en los Estados Unidos desaparecerá y podremos ayudarle a los países más pobres a terminar total mente con la pandemia.

Getting vaccinated protects family,

Las dos razones por las cuales debe vacu narse son para que usted no contraiga el COVID-19 y para que usted no se lo pase a otras personas que puedan enfermarse seriamente. Hay solo dos maneras para que esta pandemia pueda terminar. Una sería permitir que millones de personas se enfermen y se mueran. La otra es con un porcentaje muy alto de personas vacun adas.

The two reasons to get vaccinated are to keep yourself from catching COVID-19 and to keep yourself from transmitting it to other people who might then get very ill. This pandemic can only end in two ways. One would be allowing millions more people to sicken and die. The other is through a very high percentage of COVID-19vaccination.is new and there’s a lot we don’t know about it. It began a year and a half ago, 141 million cases have been documented and 3 million people have died. Through all of this, there has been the ability to gather information. The most useful data I’ve found was published just last month in Lancet. The majority of the country of Denmark was extensively tested. The study looks at people tested in their first wave (March to May) and their second (September to December), a range of 4-8 months. Their conclusion was the following: “We found protection in the population to be 80% or higher in those younger than 65 years, but to be approximately 47% in those aged 65 years and older.” So there is protection for most people who’ve had COVID, but it’s not as strong as we get with our vaccinations. We also don’t know how long the protection lasts after getting COVID-19. We know people can get sick with a second infection. We know most people who get vaccinated after formerly having COVID-19 develop a robust immune response. We expect that any protection from the disease won’t last forever. The mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) get us nearly 100% protection against severe COVID, 94-95% protection against getting mild to moderate disease and over 80% protection against asymptom atic transmission. There’s evidence that the protections from the vaccination are quite long-lasting. Due to viral muta tions/variants, COVID-19 is becoming more contagious and probably more aggressive. The vaccines are highly effec tive at protecting us from variants, but we don’t know the same about prior illness. After hundreds of millions of doses of the mRNA vaccines, we know them to be very safe. The J&J vaccine is on “pause” for a possible side effect that has shown up as 1 per million. Though we’re worried about that, it should be seen as emphasizing the high level of safety that is going into the observa tion for any dangers. We also know that people are getting tired of COVID-19 restrictions and want to return to life as they knew it.You can be vaccinated for COVID-19 as soon as you are no longer contagious from your infection. However, it is generally agreed upon that rein fection within 90 days is exceedingly uncommon. So the CDC indicates that waiting 3 months from the time of the infection is reasonable. This delay has been import ant in that there haven’t been enough vaccines to go around. As we get closer to supply meeting demand, there is less reason to delay. Anybody who received Monoclonal antibody infusions during their COVID-19 illness does need to wait 3 full months. So, in summary, protection from COVID from previous disease isn’t terrible. But it’s not as good as you need and we need. If we all get vaccinated, the epidemic in the U.S. will disappear and we can lead the less wealthy countries to end the pandemic altogether.

ASK THE EXPERT If I had COVID-19, do I need to get vaccinated?

Dr. Daniel Wilensky Community Health Center

El COVID-19 es nuevo y no sabemos mucho acerca del virus. Comenzó hace un año y medio, se han documentado 141 millones de casos, y han muerto 3 millones de personas. A través de todo esto, ha habido la oportunidad de recolectar información. La información más útil que he conseguido fue publicada el mes pasado en Lancet. La mayoría de personas en el país de Di namarca fue extensamente examinada. El primer estudio examinó a las per sonas durante la primera oleada (marzo a mayo) y la segunda (septiembre a diciembre), un rango de 4-8 meses. Su conclusión fue la siguiente “Vimos que la protección fue 80% o más alta entre las personas menores de 65 años, pero aproximadamente el 47% en aquellos de 65 años o mayores”. Así que hay protección para la mayoría de personas que han tenido COVID, pero no tan fuerte como la que recibimos cuando nos vacunamos. Tampoco sabemos cuánto dura la protección después de contagiarse con SabemosCOVID-19.quelas personas se pueden enfermar con una segunda infección. Sabemos que la mayoría de las personas que se vacunan después de haber tenido COVID-19 desarrollan una respuesta inmunológica fuerte. No esperamos que la protección contra esta enfermedad dure por siempre. Las vacunas de ARN mensajero (Pfizer y Moderna) nos dan casi 100% de protección contra el COVID severo, 94-95% de protección contra la enfermedad leve a moderada y más de 80% de protección contra la transmisión sin sín tomas. Hay evidencia que la protección de la vacunación es de larga duración. Debido a las mutaciones/variantes, el COVID-19 se está volviendo más contagioso y probable mente más agresivo. Las vacunas son muy eficaces en la protección que nos proveen contra las variantes, pero no sabemos si la protección es igual con las enferme dades anteriores. Después de administrar cientos de millones de las vacunas ARN mensajero, sabemos que son muy seguras. La vacuna de J & J está en “pausa” por un posible efecto secundario que ha aparecido en una de 1 millón de personas. Aunque nos preocupa eso, esto le debe comprobar el nivel alto de seguridad que se espera cuando se observan los peligros posibles. También sabemos que las personas se están cansando de las restricciones del COVID-19 y quieren regresar al estilo de vida que vivían antes.

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Allelimpark.org06410arewelcome! Did you know there is a safe, secure senior livingthat’soptionalsoMedicaidCertified? 236911_v5 Welcome to On The Menu. Let us help you find the perfect place to eat. Whether it’s a celebration, date night, or just grabbing a bite to eat, this list of local restaurants is sure to satisfy your taste buds. Adelphia Café 476 Washington Avenue North Haven, CT 06473 203-535-0149 Family owned/operated. Former proprietors of the Neptune Diner in Wallingford. Extensive menu for all tastes. Breakfasts, luncheons and special dinners. All baking on premises. Find great local eats - MenusCT.com Athena II Diner 320 Washington Ave, North Haven, CT 06473 www.athena2diner.com203.239.0663 Open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Serving breakfast, lunch, & dinner. Accept Q Cards. Serving North Haven for 30 years. Daily specials and full liquor available. Duchess of Wallingford 124 Church Wallingford,St.CT 06492 (203) -of-Wallingford/119682821380599Duchesswww.facebook.com/pages/265-9431 Celebrating Over 25 Years in OurWallingford!Success comes from dedication to quality,freshness & variety! Breakfast cooked to order. Open 7 days for breakfast lunch & dinner. Colony Diner 611 N Colony Road Wallingford, CT 06492 (203) 269-9507 colonydiner.com Wallingford’s place to go for oldfashioned breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Proudly serving up delicious and hearty meals daily. Voted Best Diner 4 years running by Record Journal. Open seven days. Breakfast served all day.

Schedule your

so many families

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Health Open house

The Orchards at Southing ton, an independent and as sisted living community, is hosting an open house Sat urday, May 1, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the 34 Hobart St. fa cility. Registration is recom mended. COVID-19 safety protocols will be observed. To reserve a time, call An toinette Ouellette, 860-6285656. Fall safely A free program, “How to Fall Safely,” will take place Tues day, May 4, 10 to 11 a.m. Techniques will be demon strated to show how to fall the correct way, whether for wards or backwards, and how to lessen the severity of injury. Registration is re quired; call 1-855-442-4373 or visit HHCHealth.org/Vir tualClasses. Medicare 101 Hartford HealthCare and In tegrated Care Partners is of fering a free virtual class, “Medicare 101 Under standing Your Options.” Top ics include: the basics, differ ent components, when to enroll, how to choose a plan, and options including Medi care Advantage Plans, Sup plement Plans and Prescrip tion Drug Plans. Upcom ing dates include: May 3, 5, 6, 10, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 24, 26 and 27. For convenience, the times vary. Registration is required; call 1-855-4424373 or vis it HHCHealth.org/Virtual Classes. toRoadmapRetirement When considering retire ment, it is important to have a plan. A virtual class, “Medicare 103 Roadmap to Retirement,” can provide the directions for this milestone on life’s journey. The free programs will be held Tues days, May 4, 11, 18 and 25. For convenience, the times See Health, A23 There comes a time when managing at home can be too much. But you or a loved one don’t have to settle for an undesirable alternative. Visit The Residence at Elim Park, a licensed residential care home that provides non-medical assistance for seniors. Located within the campus of Elim Park, The Residence offers a home-like environment with private and semi-private rooms and three chef-prepared meals daily. Residents also have access to on-campus amenities including a Fitness & Wellness Center with an indoor pool, grocery market and the Nelson Hall Theatre. Call us at 203.272.3547 x166 private tour see why choose Elim Park! Cook Hill Rd Cheshire, CT

TheCheshireCitizen | cheshirecitizen.comA22 Thursday, April29, 2021 myrecordjournal.com/GreatShot One random entry will win a $100 gift card to a local restaurant of your choice courtesy of the Record-Journal! SPONSORED BY Submit your vaccination photo to be featured in our print publications and online! GREAT SHOT! VACCINATED? WELL THEN... SHOW US YOUR 239982 Visit us online for contest details and how to share your great shot. Getting vaccinated protects you, your family, and your community. Dr. Rodrigo Acosta, President and CEO Stamford Health and Medical Group ct.gov/covidvaccine SECOND SHOT I GOT THE SHOT, AND YOU SHOULD, TOO. ADILENE GARCIA VACCINATION AT THE SPANISH COMMUNITY OF WALLINGFORD

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TheCheshireCitizen | cheshirecitizen.com Thursday, April29, 2021 A23 vary. Information includes Medicare coverage options and valuable resources. Reg istration is required; call 1855-442-4373 or CHHCHealth.org/Virvisittuallasses.

May 12 at 11 a.m. To register, visit edi btorandpublisher.com/randing. Fall Festival Reserve your Fall Festival booth space ASAP; we antic ipate a sell-out for 2021. For more information, jean@cheshirechamber.orgemail . Memorial Day As the 2021 Cheshire Memo rial Day Motorcade Parade nears, the Parade Commit tee would like to encourage Cheshire residents along the parade route to get ready to cheer on the military veter ans who will be participating in cars throughout town. Lo cal veterans from all military branches who answered the call to service

A free virtual dementia care giving series can provide the tips and strategies to gain greater insights into caring for a loved one with demen tia. Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging is presenting the five-week se ries Wednesdays, May 5 to 26 and June 2, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Participants are encouraged to attend all sessions. Regis tration is required; call 1855-442-4373 or CHHCHealth.org/Virvisittuallasses.

From A21 Health List Your Items To Over 300,000 Local Readers. Virtual workshop

The Cheshire Chamber of Commerce has scheduled a virtual workshop, “Learn How Telling The Right Story Can Grow Your Busi ness,” Wednesday, to their coun try will drive, or be driven, in this special motorcade set ting off from the green at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, May 30. Along the route, organizers would like residents to con tinue to consider social dis tancing. Any veterans who have still not signed up to be part of the parade motor cade should contact Leslie Marinaro at lesliem@ snet.net or call 203-6317762.

The World Health Organiza tion estimates that over 250 million people worldwide live with lymphedema or chronic swelling. The free virtual program, “Under standing Lymphedema,” will take place Wednesday, May 5, 11 a.m. to noon. Registra tion is required; call 1-855442-4373 or CHHCHealth.org/Virvisittuallasses.

In Brief See Briefs, A24 ANSWERSUDOKU CROSSWORDANSWER R236783v5 $25 OFFPER SESSION if registered and paidin full by May 15, 2021 CAMP SESSIONS BEGIN JUNE 14 AND END AUGUST 20 FOR MERIDEN’S BEST SUMMER CAMPS! REGISTER TODAY! HEAD OVER TO OUR WEBSITE TO VIEW PICS AND LEARN MORE! www.bgcmeriden.org/programs/cuno-camp www.bgcmeriden.org/programs/camp-bgc Archery, Arts and Crafts, Backyard Games, Challenge Course, Fishing, Kayaking, Nature, Sports, Swimming Lessons, Teamwork Games, Watersports, Woodcrafts …and much more! RUNNING JUNE 21 TO END AUGUST 20 Camp BGC serves up summer fun at the Boys & Girls Club. Eight themed weeks will offer activities in sports, health, science, technology, the arts, cooking and music. Camp BGC is a state licensed day camp for youth ages 6 through 13. Camp BGC is run by an all-adult staff. 240414

The Cheshire Summer of Sunflowers, a community growing project sponsored by the Coalition for a Sus tainable Cheshire, Cheshire Pollinator Pathway and the Cheshire West Community Butterfly Gardens, kicks off this spring. Thousands of sunflowers, all over town, will be Beginninggrown.May 1, pick up a free heirloom sunflower seed packet (while supplies last) at one of the following spots: The Bean Coffee Roasters, ReRead Books, Whippersnapper’s Play Gym, Artsplace CPFA, NorthPoint Pets & Company, Red Owl Jewelry & Gifts, West Main Music Academy, and Cheshire Public Library. Make sure to find the Cheshire Summer of Sun flowers on Facebook. A23

Sunflowers fest

Briefs R238979 Catholic Cemeteries Association is making it easier than ever to pre-plan your cemetery arrangements Catholic Cemeteries Associations’ St. Johns Cemetery is pleased to announce their April Special! Why pre-plan? • It ensures your wishes are carried out • It is the greatest gift you can leave your family and loved ones • It locks in your pricing, without being subjected to price increases in the future *Call one of our Family Service Advisors today for more details! For Pre Need purchases only. Cannot be combined with any other offers. Offer expires 04/30/2021 First row niches only $650 over 30% savings! All Saints Cemetery, North Haven 203-239-2557 | Mount Saint Peter’s Cemetery, Derby 203-735-8026 Saint Lawrence Cemetery, West Haven 203-624-3980 | Sacred Heart Cemetery, Meriden 203-237-3226 CCACEM.org Saint John’s Cemetery, Wallingford 203-237-3226

The Suburban Garden Club of Cheshire will host its An nual Plant Sale Saturday, June 19 on the green of the Cheshire Congregational Church, 111 Church Drive from 7 a.m. to noon (rain or shine). Perennials dug from club members’ gardens are the focus of the sale. Also, a garden-related tag sale will take place. Masks and social distancing are required. The Suburban Garden Club is a civic organization and all proceeds from this fundrais er help pay for a yearly scholarship for high school students, and the care of several gardens in town. Vis it cheshiregardeners.org.

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TheCheshireCitizen | cheshirecitizen.comA24 Thursday, April29, 2021 Golf classic Join The Cheshire Chamber of Commerce for the Annual Golf Classic In Memory of Leo P. Lavallee Jr., Tuesday, July 20. Contact us to donate a raffle prize and display your business cards. A por tion of all proceeds help to fund our scholarship pro gram for two deserving Cheshire High seniors. To register, contact Jean at orjean@cheshirechamber.orgcall203-272-2345. Plant sale

•rechazadaLasvacunas son distribuidas de acuerdo a las normas del Centro para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades y el Departamento de Salud Pública de Connecticut. ¿Cual es la mejor vacuna que puede recibir? La que pueda obtener hoy. ¡Si es elegible, no espere! El vacunarse es una de las cosas que usted puede hacer para protegerse y proteger a otros contra el COVID-19.

COVID-19 VACCINE

Hartford HealthCare: Hartford HealthCare tiene múltiples localidades a través del estado, incluyendo grandes clíni cas en el área de Wallingford & New Britain. Para programar una cita usando este sistema, vaya al https://hartfordhealthcare. org/vaccine

• No person will be turned away based on their ability to show ID.

To schedule a vaccination appointment, eligible people may contact: VAMS online system: The Vaccine Administration Management System can be used to schedule appointments at multiple clinics across the state. To make an appointment using this system, click on 877-918-2224.aisCOVID19Appointmenttions--VAMS-SupportCoronavirus/COVID19-Vaccinahttps://portal.ct.gov/COVID-19VaccineAssistLine:Connecticut’svaccineappointmentassistlineopenfrom8a.m.to8p.m.,sevendaysweek.Tomakeanappointment,call

Yale New Haven Health: Yale New Haven Hospital has multiple locations throughout the state, including large clinics in the New Haven area. To make an ap pointment using this system, go to vaccine/get-your-covid-vaccine.aspxwww.ynhhs.org/patient-care/covid-19/https://

• There is no charge for the vaccine

• No one with an appointment will be turned away

• Vaccines are distributed according to the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Con necticut Department of Public Health.

• Can you get the vaccine if you are undoc umented? Yes, everyone is eligible to get the vaccine when their age group is eligible. What’s the best vaccine you can get? The one you can get today. If you’re eligible, don’t wait! Getting vaccinated is one of many steps you can take to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

News You Can Use How to Schedule an Appointment for a COVID-19 Vaccine