Friday, September 10, 2021
www.towntimes.com
Volume 27, Number 37
Deluge hits state to begin month The state was deluged with heavy rains and flooding Sept. 1 and 2, the remnants of Hurricane Ida, which dumped more than half a foot of rain on much of Connecticut and wreaked havoc across the Northeast.
Caribbean Food Festival draws crowd By Nadya Korytnikova Town Times
Despite the rain Sunday, the annual Heart And Soul Caribbean Food Festival still managed to draw a crowd. The festival, held at Powder Ridge, featured Caribbean cuisine, live music and an array of cultural activities.
Typically held in Danbury, the festival made its first appearance in Middlefield this year.
Festival-goers enjoyed Caribbean cuisine, entertainment and live music during the Heart And Soul Caribbean Food Festival Sunday at Powder Ridge in Middlefield. Nadya Korytnikova, Town Times
Terrence Jack, the festival manager, feels it is important to hold musical events so people have something to enjoy, especially since the festival was canceled last year due to the pandemic.
“There are a lot of people who are just dying to listen to live music, and we are happy that we were able to organize that,” said Jack. “Yes, the weather is not cooperat-
ing, but still, everyone seems to enjoy it.” With a lot of parking spaces and a large recreational area, Jack said, See Festival, A5
The Durham Volunteer Fire Department took to social media to warn residents: “Heavy rain is forecasted for our area overnight tonight into the morning commute. This event has the potential to be a once in a 50 year event for our small town. If you have lived in Durham long enough you know we have a high potential for water over the roadways, flooded basements, and small streams going over their banks. If you find yourself in trouble move to higher ground and call 911.” Seymour got the highest amount of rainfall in the state, 8.72 inches, with Ida's final punch hitting a stationSee Rainfall, A2
Back to school, and a solemn anniversary the Delta variant and the overall COVID-19 pandemic. By Doug Schuch
September in Durham and Middlefield means the start of another school year, and we are very pleased with a successful opening in spite of the ongoing challenges of
It was great to be in the schools on Sept. 1 and feel the energy and excitement as we start reconnecting with our young learners after a long summer break. I would love to say that I could actually see that ener-
gy expressed on the faces of our young learners, but, of course, I couldn’t do that because we were all wearing masks. In July, as we planned the opening of our schools, we had been hopeful that things could operate a bit more normally in 2021-22. But
here we find ourselves again balancing the health and safety of everyone with the need to be in school. I want to thank our young learners, families, and employees for their ongoing adherence to all of our Fall 2021 Back to School Guidelines. In addition to requir-
ing masks for everyone indoors and on school buses, as we did last school year, we are also requiring our employees to get vaccinated for COVID-19. Both of these are state mandates, as are the majority of guidelines that we are following. You See Schuch, A6