<h2><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Join Fairfield County Bank In Celebrating National Pet Month By Supporting Local Animal Rescue Organizations</span></h2><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Announcing Fairfield County Bank’s Pet Supply Collection benefitting </span><a href="https://www.nutmegclinic.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Nutmeg Spay and Neuter Clinic</a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">&nbsp; Monday, May 6 through Wednesday, May 22 at </span><a href="https://www.fairfieldcountybank.com/branch-locations/branch-locations.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">all branch offices</a><strong style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 85, 147);">.</strong></p><p><strong style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Why support Nutmeg Spay/Neuter Clinic?&nbsp; </strong></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Nutmeg is actively and humanely reducing the number of homeless animals by offering low-cost spay/neuter services for both companion and free-roaming animals. They are the bridge between residents in under-served communities and the services they need and want for their pets including spay and neuter services, basic veterinary wellness care, and pet supplies.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">With the amount of surgeries Nutmeg goes through on a weekly basis, their supplies go very quickly.&nbsp; Consider donating off their wish list.</span></p><p><strong style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Most need items</strong></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Cat canned food: Friskies Shreds, Friskies Poultry, Friskies Pate, Friskies Prime Filet, Fancy Feast Poultry &amp; Beef</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Cat dry food:Purina CatChow Gentle &amp; Purina CatChow Complete</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Dog wet food: Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials or Purina One Chicken &amp; Rice Formula</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Learn more </span><a href="https://www.fairfieldcountybank.com/PetSupplyCollection/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">here</a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

<h2>Best Mother's Day EVER! Run Like a Mother on Sunday, May 12 at 8:30 am</h2><p><span style="color: rgb(5, 5, 5);">The Run Like a Mother registration deadline is fast approaching! Registration closes on Saturday, May 11th, and there will be no same-day registrations on race day.</span></p><p><a href="https://runsignup.com/Race/CT/Ridgefield/RunLikeaMotherRidgefield" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">REGISTER NOW</a></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">The 5k Women's Race will kick off at 8:30 am at The Ridgefield Playhouse and end at Ballard Park. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced runner, this event is perfect for you. The course is designed to be welcoming and enjoyable for all participants, with a mix of flat stretches and gentle hills that showcase the beauty of Ridgefield.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">For the kids, there's a 1-mile Fun Run that takes place just before the 5k. It's a fantastic opportunity for the little ones to join in the excitement and experience the thrill of crossing the finish line.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">There will also be plenty of spots along the route for your family and friends to cheer you on, so be sure to tell them to bring their best poster-making skills! After the race, Ballard Park will come alive with activity as happy moms, fans, and families gather to celebrate. The family celebration area will offer runner refreshments and activities for the kids.&nbsp;</span></p><p><a href="https://runsignup.com/Race/CT/Ridgefield/RunLikeaMotherRidgefield" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">REGISTER NOW</a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">&nbsp;and prepare for a day of fun, fitness, and celebration as we honor and celebrate moms everywhere.</span></p><p><br></p>

<p>This past week I was talking to friends at work and the topic somehow turned to tv shows of our childhood. I love this topic as much as I love talking about my favorite childhood books. I shared that Magic Garden with Carole and Paula was my most favorite show. If you grew up in the NY area in the 70s/80s, you probably remember Magic Garden.</p><p>I loved this show. I can’t say that enough. I saw them perform live as child and many years later, when my children were small, I took them to see Carole and Paula perform live at children’s book day at Sunnyside, Washington Irving’s home.</p><p>A children’s tv show may seem like an unusual topic for a column about books but this show fits in perfectly here. On the show, Carole and Paula would open the story box (a giant trunk) filled with props for that day’s story. They would then use the props to tell their audience captivating stories. A few simple props became a magical tale with their ability to intertwine some magic….voices, accents, costumes, and the ability to keep their young audience’s attention. I loved their story time.</p><p>The oral tradition of telling stories is so important. As a young child, hearing those stories, I felt Carole and Paula’s excitement for the tale. I felt the magic of the story. I loved listening. I loved seeing their take on how the story came to life. I could never replicate it, but I can bring my own excitement to reading stories aloud to young listeners.</p><p>Many childhood books shaped me as a reader, but I would be remiss if I did not include the tv show Magic Garden in that list. Carole and Paula were a big part of my early childhood and they too shaped me as a reader. They presented stories in another way, and I learned from them that stories are so much more than simply words on a page. Those words on a page are so important but equally important are those stories we share. The ones that captivate the listener. The ones that might not be written down on any paper and might be told a little differently each time. They are passed on from storytellers to their audience.</p><p>I don’t remember the specifics of all the story box stories but I remember how it felt to listen to those stories (and I still remember the song “the stories are here, there all in here”). I remember that magical feeling hearing a story. For young readers and story listeners, the feelings of excitement, wonder, captivation that come from hearing a story aloud are the foundation of building a love of reading. Thank you, Carole and Paula, for making stories come alive for me.</p><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Jessica Collins is an award-winning writer whose column "On The Children's Shelf" has garnered multiple Connecticut Press Club awards and has been honored nationally. Visit her blog online&nbsp;</em><a href="https://onthechildrensshelf.com/ivan-the-shopping-mall-gorilla/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;"><em>here</em></a><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">.</em></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

<p>Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto today announced that Interstate 95 in Norwalk will be fully reopened to traffic in both directions by 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 5, 2024.</p><p class="ql-align-justify">Following the major motor vehicle collision that occurred during the morning of Thursday, May 2, which shut down the highway and snarled traffic in lower Fairfield County and around Connecticut, the Connecticut Department of Transportation and its contractors got the highway fully reopened in less than 80 hours.</p><p class="ql-align-justify">Work involved demolishing the Fairfield Avenue Bridge over I-95 because of the significant damage it sustained from the collision; removing tons of concrete, steel, and debris from the roadway; sweeping the road; milling; paving; and restriping pavement markings.</p><p class="ql-align-justify">“It is truly amazing that in less than 80 hours from that fiery crash Thursday that shut down traffic in both directions, the highway again is fully open,”&nbsp;<strong>Governor Lamont said.</strong> “It takes a village, and from the response from local and state police and fire departments to the environmental cleanup by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the demolition and rebuilding by the Connecticut Department of Transportation and contractors, everyone did their part. I am impressed by these efforts and thankful for the dedication, skill, and labor of everyone who has been involved.”</p><p class="ql-align-justify">“This has been a team effort, and I can’t thank enough the CTDOT crews, contractors, and workers who spent the weekend ensuring the public could resume traveling on I-95 as soon as possible,”&nbsp;<strong>Commissioner Eucalitto said.</strong> “While the roadway is open, the work continues as we are planning how and when the Fairfield Avenue Bridge will be replaced.”</p><p class="ql-align-justify">While crews were working to reopen I-95, CTDOT engineers worked through the weekend to develop preliminary replacement plans of the Fairfield Avenue Bridge. Those initial designs are expected to be completed within the next two weeks.</p><p class="ql-align-justify">The public is encouraged to continue utilizing&nbsp;<a href="https://officeofthegovernor.cmail20.com/t/j-l-glhkyz-tlluktiylh-u/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 113, 187);"><strong>CTroads.org</strong></a>&nbsp;for traffic alerts and roadway updates throughout Connecticut.</p><p><br></p>

<p><br></p><p><a href="https://officeofthegovernor.cmail19.com/t/j-l-glhhkht-tlluktiylh-k/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(10, 10, 10);"><strong>Governor Lamont Announces Northbound Lanes of I-95 in Norwalk Will Reopen by 8PM Saturday, Southbound Lanes Will Remain Closed Through Sunday for Additional Cleanup and Repaving</strong></a></p><p class="ql-align-justify">(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto today provided the following updates regarding efforts to repair and reopen Interstate 95 in Norwalk as of 6:45 p.m. on Saturday, May 4, 2024:</p><ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Crews from the Connecticut Department of Transportation and contractors stayed at the site of the Fairfield Avenue Bridge throughout Friday night and continued working through the early hours of Saturday morning when additional equipment needed to remove the damaged bridge arrived.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Crews were able to complete demolition of the bridge by 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Following demolition, crews then began working to clean up all the debris and materials from the bridge off the highway. They also began making necessary repairs to the highway to ensure that it is safe for vehicular traffic.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">The Connecticut Department of Transportation is estimating that the northbound lanes of I-95 will reopen to vehicles by 8:00 p.m. on Saturday.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">All southbound lanes of the highway will remain closed to vehicles through the day on Sunday, May 5, because the pavement on this side of the highway was so damaged from the Thursday morning crash that those lanes need to be milled and repaved.</li></ul><p class="ql-align-justify">“Crews are making great progress in Norwalk and I am encouraged that we’ll have one side of I-95 open later tonight,”&nbsp;<strong>Governor Lamont said</strong>. “Completely removing that bridge in less than 36 hours is an impressive feat and is credit to the hard work and dedication of the contractors and Connecticut Department of Transportation crews, who are pushing to get the entire highway fully reopened in both directions by Monday morning.”</p><p class="ql-align-justify">“I continue to be thankful to the CTDOT crews and contractors who are working as hard as they can to get this highway reopened,”&nbsp;<strong>Commissioner Eucalitto said</strong>. “They made great progress today and I remain optimistic that we will meet our Monday morning deadline. I ask the public to remain patient with the ongoing traffic congestion and to continue using alternate routes and public transportation throughout the weekend.”</p><p class="ql-align-justify">“I remain completely impressed with the response from our Norwalk Fire Department, Norwalk Police Department, and the State of Connecticut, including Governor Lamont’s Office, the Connecticut Department of Transportation, the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and our State Police,”&nbsp;<strong>Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling said</strong>. “The fact that there were no injuries from the accident and that crews are working incredibly quickly to remove the bridge so we can reopen I-95 in both directions as soon as possible is a testament to Governor Lamont’s leadership and the high level of collaboration between each agency and level of government. I also want to thank our Norwalk residents and business community for their patience, as I know these temporary closures have been a complete inconvenience to their lives.”</p><p class="ql-align-justify">A live video feed showing the ongoing work can be accessed at&nbsp;<a href="https://officeofthegovernor.cmail19.com/t/j-l-glhhkht-tlluktiylh-u/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 113, 187);"><strong>https://share.earthcam.net/CTDOTNorwalkbridge</strong></a>.</p><p class="ql-align-justify">Drivers are asked to remain patient and follow all posted signage. Commercial vehicles are asked to continue using alternate routes through Fairfield County until further notice.</p><p class="ql-align-justify">The public can visit&nbsp;<a href="https://officeofthegovernor.cmail19.com/t/j-l-glhhkht-tlluktiylh-o/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 113, 187);"><strong>CTroads.org</strong></a>&nbsp;for the latest traffic alerts and roadway updates in Connecticut.</p><p class="ql-align-justify">&nbsp;</p>

<p class="ql-align-justify">Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto today provided an update regarding the ongoing demolition of the Fairfield Avenue Bridge over Interstate 95 in Norwalk, which is necessary due to the major motor vehicle collision that occurred in the early morning hours of Thursday, May 2.</p><p class="ql-align-justify">Work to remove the damaged structure began at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, May 3, and crews will continue working on this around the clock through the weekend. Once the bridge is removed, sections of I-95 will be milled and paved in both directions in the area.</p><p class="ql-align-justify">All lanes of I-95 northbound and southbound in Norwalk will remain closed until further notice. I-95 northbound is closed to all traffic at exit 14 and I-95 southbound is closed to all traffic at exit 15. Travelers are urged to avoid the area and use public transportation services. Commercial vehicles should use I-84 as an alternate route through Connecticut.</p><p class="ql-align-justify">The goal is to have the highway reopened by the morning rush hour commute on Monday, May 6.</p><p class="ql-align-justify">“I am strongly urging all drivers – whether you’re in a passenger vehicle or a commercial vehicle – to completely avoid I-95 this weekend,”&nbsp;Governor Lamont said.<strong> “</strong>Additional traffic is only going to make things harder for everyone. Please use public transportation if you need to move through the area. Heroic local and state first responders got the crash cleared and the fire under control yesterday, and now the amazing team with the Connecticut Department of Transportation, as well as our contractor teams, are going to be working all weekend under immense pressure to get the highway reopened. I appreciate their hard work and dedication to the people of Connecticut.”</p><p class="ql-align-justify">“We are going to be working 24/7 throughout the weekend,”&nbsp;Commissioner Eucalitto said. “Thank you to the Connecticut Department of Transportation and contractor staff who are going to be working around the clock to get I-95 reopened by Monday morning. We appreciate the partnership with state and local police who are helping direct traffic and keep motorists safe. Special thanks to Federal Highway Administration and FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt for the continuous support.”</p><p class="ql-align-justify">At the request of Governor Lamont and Commissioner Eucalitto, Metro-North Railroad has agreed to provide additional weekend service and increased capacity on trains along the New Haven Line. Full schedules and details can be found at&nbsp;<a href="https://officeofthegovernor.cmail19.com/t/j-l-glhdhtl-tlluktttuu-u/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 113, 187);"><strong>new.mta.info</strong></a>.&nbsp;<em>(To read the press release from Metro-North,&nbsp;</em><a href="https://officeofthegovernor.cmail19.com/t/j-l-glhdhtl-tlluktttuu-o/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 113, 187);"><strong><em>click here</em></strong></a><em>.)</em></p><p class="ql-align-justify">Following the&nbsp;<a href="https://officeofthegovernor.cmail19.com/t/j-l-glhdhtl-tlluktttuu-b/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 113, 187);"><strong>emergency declaration</strong></a>&nbsp;signed by Governor Lamont on Thursday, May 2, the State of Connecticut today submitted a letter of intent to the Federal Highway Administration to pursue emergency relief funds. As part of the request, the Connecticut Department of Transportation is requesting an expedited release of $3 million to assist with the initial response.</p><p class="ql-align-justify">Drivers are asked to remain patient and follow all posted signage. The public can visit&nbsp;<a href="https://officeofthegovernor.cmail19.com/t/j-l-glhdhtl-tlluktttuu-q/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 113, 187);"><strong>CTroads.org</strong></a>&nbsp;for the latest update through the weekend and view the live traffic cameras in the area.</p><p class="ql-align-center"><em>The following photographs were taken on the afternoon of Friday, May 3. They are courtesy of the Connecticut Department of Transportation:</em></p><p><br></p>