East Hampton’s townwide tag sale taking place in June
EAST HAMPTON — East Hampton’s townwide tag sale is returning on its usual date, the day before Father’s Day. This year it is June 19. Start your spring cleaning and save the date. The Chatham Historical Society is sponsoring this event. Call 860-267-4732 for more information.
Park supporters offer free rides during celebration of Chester-Hadlyme ferry
CHESTER — Supporters of Gillette Castle State Park plan a public gathering the morning of Saturday, May 15, in honor of the 252-year-old ferry operation on the Connecticut River.
“Rain forced us to cancel our original plan a few weeks ago, so – starting at 10 a.m. on the Hadlyme side of the ferry route – we’ll offer free coffee and pastries, generously donated by Hadlyme Country Market,” said Lynn Wilkinson, who chairs the communications committee for the Friends of Gillette Castle State Park.
“We hope those who attend will sign up for the Friends’ mailing list or donate to support our efforts,” she said. “Anyone who does could receive a free ferry ride for that day. We have 30 tickets for walk-on passengers to give away.”
For the occasion, the ferry will be accessible only to walk-on passengers between approximately 10:10 and 10:30 a.m. Vehicles and regular passengers will be allowed after 10:30 a.m.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is expected to take place shortly after 10 a.m. In case of inclement weather, the celebration will be held at the same time the next day, Sunday, May 16.
“We’re encouraging people to arrive on the Hadlyme side to avoid any parking congestion at the Chester side,” Wilkinson said.
Access to the western landing is on Route 148 at Ferry Road in Chester. The eastern landing is on park property at the base of Seventh Sister Hill, with a road and footpath leading up to the castle, the eccentric, century-old home of the late actor William Gillette.
Recent improvements to the Hadlyme ferry landing include new benches and fencing, a newly leveled parking area and a historic display describing the river and its cleanup, undertaken by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and Department of Transportation.
“We also can promise convivial conversations with members of the Friends,” Wilkinson said. “They’ll be eager to talk about the castle, its history and our own activities.”
Because the boat is a public conveyance, federal law requires all persons to wear a mask when boarding, disembarking and for the duration of travel on the vessel. Face shields are not compliant under current law.
The Chester-Hadlyme Ferry, which began its 2021 operations April 1, began service in 1769 as Warner’s Ferry, and is one of the oldest continuously operating ferries in the United States. The ferry is expected to operate through Nov. 30. Additional ferry information and rates may be found online at portal.ct.gov/DOT/Traveler/ferries/Chester-Hadlyme-Ferry.
The park itself is in the towns of East Haddam and Lyme along the Connecticut River, and is open daily from 8 a.m. until sunset.
The Friends of Gillette Castle State Park is a nonprofit, all-volunteer group dedicated to the preservation, conservation and educational activities of the building and its grounds. Visit www.gillettecastlefriends.org for more information.
First Church hosts flower sale for Mother’s Day
EAST HADDAM — After a year’s hiatus, the annual Mother’s Day flower sale is returning to First Church of Christ Congregational of East Haddam, 499 Town St.
The sale will be Friday, May 7, and Saturday, May 8, rain or shine, outside the front of First Church. A variety of 11-inch hanging flower baskets will be available for $20 each, with discounts for multiple purchases — four for $75, or purchase five baskets at $20 each and get a sixth for $10.
Colorful geraniums, begonias, petunias and mixed baskets are among the choices expected to be available. The sale will run Friday, May 7, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, May 8, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Any remaining flowers will be sold on Sunday after church service, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Only cash or checks will be accepted. Net proceeds benefit the First Church, its ministry, and missions. To protect the community, please wear a mask and observe social distancing when shopping for plants.
Cragin Book Club meeting at library
COLCHESTER — The Cragin Book Club will meet on Monday, May 24, at 6 p.m. This month they will read Jane Harper’s The Dry. Copies are available for checkout at the Adult Circulation Desk. If the weather is good, the club will meet at the Colchester Giving Garden, located behind the Colchester Senior Center. Please bring a chair.
If the weather is inclement, the club will meet via Zoom. Visit https://tinyurl.com/4yvkxmb9 to register for the Zoom link. This program is free and open to the public. Registration is required. For further information, call 860-537-5752.
Letter: Thank you to the generous community
To the Editor: Presents for Paws would like to extend a heartfelt “thank you” to our community for the outpouring of support we have received over the past year, and particularly, during our annual collection drive that took place on Dec. 12, 2020.
We had two drop off locations (John Gagnon’s Pet Resort, Colchester and Shagbark Lumber, East Haddam) and we are excited to announce that we collected over 3,800 lbs. of food and supplies for CT animal shelters – almost two tons!
We are incredibly grateful and appreciative for our business partners, volunteers, and community members who came out that cold, rainy day to donate. Immediately after the drive we went straight to work delivering supplies to shelters in need: Old Lyme Animal Shelter, Essex/Chester/Deep River Animal Shelter, Burlington Animal Shelter, Our Companions Animal Rescue, Middletown Animal Shelter, East Haddam Animal Control, Waterford/East Lyme Animal Shelter, Portland Animal Shelter, Change A Life Dog Rescue, Montville Animal Control, and Berlin Animal Shelter.
Your donations have already made an incredible impact and helped so many homeless pets. We cannot thank you enough.
We will be hosting several other fundraising events (online and in-person) as we raise funds for donation sheds for the Essex/Chester/Deep River and the Old Lyme Animal Shelter. Watch for updates on Facebook, Instagram, and our website (www.presentsforpaws.org). Presents for Paws is a 501c3 nonprofit organization located in East Haddam, CT.”
Presents for Paws, East Haddam
Second Division Association seeking veterans for reunion
FOX LAKE, ILL. — The Second (Indianhead) Division Association is searching for anyone who served in the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division at any time. For information about the association and its 99th annual reunion in Kansas City, Miss., from Sept. 29 to Oct. 3, visit www.2ida.org or contact Bob Haynes at 2idahq@comcast.net or 224-225-1202.
Chrysalis Center holds food drive to fill pantry shelves
HARTFORD — Chrysalis Center is once again hosting its annual Donation Creation food drive to fill the shelves of Freshplace, the organization’s innovative client-choice, fresh food, and case management food pantry. Freshplace serves up to 100 families living in the poorest neighborhoods in the North End of Hartford, Since the onset of the pandemic, Freshplace has seen an increase in the demand for food.
Chrysalis Center invites individuals to organize, form teams and collect nonperishable food items for families in need. As the needs are greater this year, Donation Creation has been extended to run for two months, to give teams the opportunity to collect food during the months of April and May, with a June 1 drop off deadline. As a fun twist, teams are invited to create a “sculpture” with the food donations, snap a photo and send it in to be entered into a contest.
The organization’s goal is to collect 5,000 non-perishable food items to feed clients throughout the summer months. In addition, online donations are also accepted to help the organization purchase food in need.
Visit https://chrysaliscenterct.org/get-involved/events/ or call 860-263-4418 to register a team and receive a tool kit with instructions.
