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Hartford Bridal Expo

HARTFORD — Jenks Productions LLC of East Hampton announced their call for vendors to participate in the 19th annual Hartford Bridal Expo at the XL Center. Jenks Productions currently has booth space available for vendors. Visit www.jenksproductions.com for more information.

Senior Center News

EAST HAMPTON — The East Hampton Senior Center,105 Main St., is offering the following events. Visit www.easthamptonct.gov or call 860-267-4426 for more information.

The Senior Community Café, sponsored by Community Renewal Team, serves meals Monday through Friday. Call at least 24 hours in advance or stop by to sign up. Meals are served promptly at noon. The program is federally funded by a Title III grant. A $2.50 donation is requested to offset costs not covered by the grant. Meals on Wheels Delivery is available to persons who are homebound. Call 860-560-5848 for more information.

Art with Karen: Sunday, Feb. 2, at 2 p.m. Beginner’s Art Class in acrylics. Cost: $5 materials fee. Sign up at the Senior Center.

T’ai Chi with Tom Cushing new session begins Feb. 4 to March 24, from 4 to 5 p.m. Cost is $60 for an eight week session. Class fills up quickly, sign up now to reserve your space.

AARP Tax Assistance: Mondays, Feb.10 and 24, March 2, 9,16, 23 and 30. By appointment only. Call the Senior Center to make an appointment.

Thriving in Place Workshop: “Will you still need me, when I’m 64, (74, 84 and beyond?)” M. Cookie Mankowski, PhD, MSW, shares her knowledge and experience on aging and wellness, and will be discussing recent neuroscience research on connection and isolation, relationships and loneliness, staying relevant and living a purposeful life. Dates: Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 3 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 22, at 11 a.m. Call to pre-register.

AARP Smart Driver Class: Monday, March 9, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Refresh your driving skills and possibly save on your auto policy. Pre-registration is required. AARP members pay $15. Non-members pay $20. No cash, checks payable to AARP.

Ogunquit, Maine: Kennebunkport City Tour, Foster’s Clambake, and Nubble Lighthouse Cruise, June 1 to 3. Cost is $479 double/triple and $589 single. A $200 deposit is due by March 2. Register at the Senior Center.

Newport Playhouse: Sunday, July 19. A unique dinner theatre presents On Golden Pond and features a lobsterfest menu and cabaret show. Cost is $111 and a $25 deposit is due by March 25. Register at the Senior Center.

The Lighthouses of Boston Harbor: Tuesday, Aug. 25. Enjoy a 90-minute narrated historical cruise of the five Boston Lighthouses. Lunch at The Venezia Restaurant, waterfront location with views of the Boston skyline. Cost is $121. Deposit of $25 is due by April 22. Register at the Senior Center.

Plimoth Plantation: Wednesday, Oct. 7. Visit the newly restored Mayflower ll, stop at “The Rock” where the pilgrims landed, and enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving Buffet at Plimoth Plantation, America’s premier Living History Museum. Cost is $110. Deposit of $25 due by 6/16. Final payment due 8/18. Register at the Senior Center.

Vegetarian Society Potluck

COLCHESTER — The Vegetarian Society of Eastern CT will present its next meeting and potluck of the Vegetarian Society of Eastern CT and ‘how to make a healthy chocolate candy’ on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 6:30 p.m. at Cragin Memorial Library, 8 Linwood Ave. Note that the day has changed from Thursday to Wednesday this month.

The public is invited to hear about delicious and healthy Valentine’s Day treats. Learn how to create a chocolate treat for Valentine’s Day that is easy to make as well as being delicious and good for you. This potluck meeting is open to adults and children and there is no cost to participate.

Attendees are not required to be active vegetarians, but please bring a meatless dish along with your recipe plus your own plate and utensils. If you are unsure what to bring to share, a simple salad, fruit, or chips and hummus would be an option. Visit www.vegsocietyofeasternct.com for more information.

Flicks @ Six

COLCHESTER — Cragin Memorial Library, 8 Linwood Ave., presents Flicks @ Six, a free series of newly released films on Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m., unless otherwise noted. During February, the following screenings will take place: Feb. 5, 5:30 p.m., Harriet; Feb. 12, 5:30 p.m., Motherless Brooklyn; Feb. 19, 5:30 p.m., Midway; and Feb. 26, 6 p.m., A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. This program is free and open to the public. For further information, call 860-537-5752.

Eversource Programs Help Manage Energy Bills

AREA — With the start of a new year, Eversource is reminding customers of the various options available to help them manage their energy use and bills. Recognizing it can be difficult for some customers to pay their energy bills, the company offers several assistance programs, such as Budget Billing, Winter Protection, Matching Payment or New Start – which helps reduce or eliminate past-due balances.

“We understand the effect high electricity prices can have on our customers, particularly those facing difficult financial circumstances, and we want to help if they’re struggling to pay their energy bill,” said Eversource Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer Penni Conner. “Like our customers, we have no control over fluctuating energy prices, but the variety of programs we offer can help people manage their energy bills and reduce energy consumption. We encourage all of our customers to see if one of our programs is right for them.”

Eversource offers several financial assistance programs and energy efficiency solutions to help customers: Billing and Payment Programs: For all customers. Budget Billing: Customers pay a predetermined monthly amount based on their average monthly bills to avoid drastic peaks during months of high energy use.

Payment Plans: Customers with a past-due balance or late with a payment can set up a payment arrangement and should contact Eversource to do so.

Hardship Programs: For income-eligible customers. Winter Protection: Customer’s account is protected from service disconnection Nov. 1 through May 1, regardless of bill payment status, with no late payment charges.

New Start: Customers can reduce or eliminate their outstanding balance in as little as 12 months when they make on-time monthly payments and Eversource will make up the difference.

Matching Payment: Customers apply for the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP), then determine the amount of money they can afford to pay each month and set up a payment arrangement with Eversource. For every dollar a customer pays toward their bill by the agreed-upon time each month, a dollar will be credited to their past-due amount.

Customers are encouraged to call the energy company at 800-286-2828 or visit “Help Pay My Bill” on Eversource.com to find out more about these programs.

Eversource also recommends customers take advantage of the company’s energy efficiency offerings which can help reduce energy usage and help keep energy bills down year-round. Customers are encouraged to do the following.

Sign up for Home Energy SolutionsSM: A certified technician checks a customer’s home to identify places it can be tightened up to save money and energy. The technician makes on-the-spot improvements such as sealing up drafty doors and windows, closing air gaps around pipes and upgrading to LED lighting. This service is available to income-eligible customers at no cost.

Create an online energy savings plan: Customers can better understand and manage their energy usage and costs. Customers should visit Eversource.com to create an energy savings plan.

Winter Library Events

MARLBOROUGH — The Richmond Memorial Library has a full slate of programs and events this winter with something for every age. Visit www.richmondlibrary.info for more information.

Winter Storytime registration at Richmond Library has started. Two-year-olds meet on Mondays at 10 a.m. with adult and ages three through five meet on Fridays at 10 a.m. Caregivers must remain in the library, no drop-offs. The first program began on Friday, Jan. 24, with the three to five year old group, and the twos began on Jan. 27. Please make sure your child is registered. Call Richmond Library at 860-295-6210 for more information or to register.

Christine Doyle, Professor of English at CCSU, will help the library celebrate the 150th anniversary of Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” on Friday, Jan. 31, at 4 p.m. She will discuss Louisa May Alcott, her influences, her work and her life in Concord. Tea and treats will be served. This program is for tweens (12 and up) through adults and registration is required. It will be held in the upstairs meeting room so if you need full accessibility, let library staff know as soon as possible, one week prior to the event preferred. Call 860-95-6210 to register.

Upcoming dates for the RML Book Club are Feb. 20 at 9 a.m. for “Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption” by Laura Hillenbrand and “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens on March 19. The RML Book Club is open to all and takes place in the upstairs meeting room of the library at 9 a.m. on the third Thursday of the month. Multiple copies of the book can be found at the circulation desk at the library.

Richmond Library has been selected by Stop & Shop as a beneficiary of their Stop & Shop Community Bag Program for February. All you have to do is purchase a reusable GIVE bag at Stop & Shop Colchester, 99 Linwood Ave., for $2.50 and Stop & Shop will contribute $1 to Richmond Library for each bag sold during February. This is only good for the Colchester store.

CT 169 Club Author Talk

COLCHESTER — On Thursday, Feb. 6, at 6:30 p.m., Marty Podskoch will talk about his book “The Connecticut 169 Club: Your Passport and Guide to Exploring Connecticut” at Cragin Memorial Library, 8 Linwood Ave.

The travel book encourages travelers to visit all of the towns and villages in Connecticut. He created a book to be a guide and a passport. Podskoch got someone from each town to write a short description highlighting their town’s location, history, and interesting places to visit. Books will be available for purchase and signing. This program is free and open to the public. For further information, call 860-537-5752.

Jigsaw Puzzle Tourney

COLCHESTER — A jigsaw puzzle tournament will take place on Saturday, Feb. 8, from 10 a.m. to noon at Cragin Memorial Library, 8 Linwood Ave. See which team can put together a 500 piece puzzle first and win a prize.

Teams must be a minimum of three people and a maximum of six. Every team will have the same puzzle to work. To register for this program, call 860-537-5752. The event is sponsored by the Friends of the Cragin Memorial Library. This program is free and open to the public. For further information, call 860-537-5752.

Kindergarten Story Time

COLCHESTER — Colchester Elementary School will host a kindergarten story time program for four- and five-year-old Colchester children who will be entering kindergarten during the 2020-21 school year.

During each of the three sessions, children will listen to books read by kindergarten teachers, while parents learn about the registration process, the kindergarten curriculum, readiness expectations, the school day, school policies and transportation. A question and answer period will be available at each session.

The children’s program will be held each month from 11:30 a.m. to noon in the CES Media Center. Parents and children are invited to attend multiple story times. Topics for parent information change each month. No pre-registration is required. The story time schedule is on the following Fridays: Feb. 7, March 6 and April 3.

Cragin Book Club

COLCHESTER — The Cragin Book Club will meet Thursday, Jan. 30, at 6:30 p.m. The book for January is The Seven and Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. Books are available for check out at the adult circulation desk at the Cragin Memorial Library, 8 Linwood Ave. This program is free and open to the public. No registration is required. For further information, call 860-537-5752.

Fidelco Fundraiser

AREA — Yun Li-Potter, member of the Glastonbury Centennial Lions Club, presents a fundraiser for the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation. For a donation of $10, participants will receive an Asian Moments discount card that provides up to 10-percent off per visit at the following businesses, valid for six months.

The participating businesses are: Bonchon Storrs, 1232 Storrs Road, Mansfield; Chosen 1 Cajun Seafood 2074 Park St., Hartford; Chuan Du Hot Pot, 27 Temple St., New Haven; Gourmet Wok 2856 Main St., Glastonbury; Ichiro Hibachi & Sushi, 962 Farmington Ave., West Hartford; Feng Chophouse, 93 Asylum St., Hartford; Royal Buffet & Grill, 410 Middle Turnpike W, Manchester; Sichuan Pepper 435 Hartford Turnpike, Vernon; Tang, 33 Wilbur Cross Way, Storrs; Taste of China, 954 Chapel St., New Haven; Thai Palace, 18 Wintonbury Mall, Bloomfield; Nummy, 1160 New Britain Ave., West Hartford; Uncle Chow Asian Bistro, 179 Park Road, West Hartford; Wang Palace 1914 Silas Deane Hwy, Rocky Hill; and Natural Nails & Spa, 2047, 45 Welles St., Glastonbury.

Obtain the card at restaurants by cash donation or check, payable to Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, Inc. Visit https://www.fidelco.org/donate to make an online donation.

The fundraiser is sponsored by the Glastonbury Centennial Lions Club & ?????:????. Discounts and promotions vary per restaurant. Each Asian Moments Card will be valid for six months. You may purchase additional cards when expired.

Winter Tag Sale

MARLBOROUGH — The Marlborough Arts Center, located at 231 North Main St., is holding its annual winter tag sale on Saturday, Feb. 1, with a snow date on Feb. 8. People can drop off their past treasures of working household goods in January on Tuesdays from 6 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 to 11 a.m.

Items can also be left on the lower level next to the door. No TVs, books or clothing will be accepted. The Arts Center owns some artwork and selected items will be sold at a reasonable price.

Library Events

MARLBOROUGH — The Richmond Memorial Library has planned the following winter events in January. For children, the library has scheduled the following.

1,000 Before Kindergarten: Babies to Pre-K, register, get a packet and log in every book you read together before kindergarten. Reading to newborns, infants and toddlers together to encourage bonding through reading. Sign up anytime.

Registration for Winter Story Time began Jan. 8. Session I runs from Jan. 24 to March 2. Visit www.richmondlibrary.info or call 860-295-6210 for more information or to register.

Colchester Early Childhood Program

COLCHESTER — Colchester Public Schools provides an opportunity for 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children to obtain an early childhood preschool education at the Colchester Early Childhood Program. Visit www.colchesterct.org to view the mission statement, philosophy, goals and objectives of the program.

Effective for the 2020-21 school year, there will be a fee of $250 per month to attend. Transportation is provided by parents.

Applications for enrollment in the Colchester Early Childhood Program are available at Colchester Elementary School, 315 Halls Hill Road. Applications may be picked up between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, or obtain one online at www.colchesterct.org under the Colchester Early Childhood Program tab for Colchester Elementary School.

Application forms need to be returned to Colchester Elementary School by Jan. 31. Recognizing that there may be more applications than placements available, a lottery system will be used. Selection for enrollment occurs on Feb. 11, for the 2020-21 school year. Those not selected for immediate placement will be placed on a waiting list. Children who are not yet three by the start of the school year will have to wait until their third birthday to attend.

Military Honor Guard Seeking Members

COLCHESTER — Military funeral honors have been a tradition in the United States military since its earliest days. Currently, both Federal Law and State Statutes direct the provision of such honors to qualified veterans of the US Armed Forces. When a veteran dies and the family requests military honors, the State of Connecticut National Guard will coordinate to insure the participation of its members and local volunteer organizations at the funeral honors ceremony.

One such local volunteer service organization is the Colchester Antique Veterans Military Honor Guard. It was established in 2004 in association with the CT National Guard to provide military funeral honors for veteran’s families and friends. Since its formation the Colchester unit has performed more than 1,900 honors ceremonies. In 2019, they have already participated in over 185 military honors ceremonies.

The 20-plus member unit is actively looking for new members so they can continue to provide funeral honors to all deceased veterans. They meet the first and third Tuesday of every month from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Veteran’s Room of the Colchester Senior Center, 95 Norwich Ave.

Most funeral honors are performed between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. If you are a veteran that can give a few hours during the week or on weekends, the Honor Guard would be happy for you to attend Tuesday meetings.

The Colchester Military Honor Guard provides the highest level of memorial service for those who have already rendered the highest form of service to our nation. Contact Al Letendre at 860-537-6516 with questions.

WCC Schedule

COLCHESTER — The Westchester Congregational Church has announced its current schedule of worship and upcoming events. The church is located at 98 Cemetery Road in the Westchester section of Colchester.

Sunday worship services are held at 10 a.m. every Sunday, led by Interim Minister Rev. Ron Lake, with a children’s message, scripture readings, hymns, and music from the choir. The first Sunday of each month includes the Service of Communion, which is open to everyone.

All are invited to coffee hour every Sunday following the service in the fellowship hall. Sunday School began Sept. 8 at 10 a.m. All children are welcome.

The choir participates in weekly worship with anthems and performs Cantatas and other special music throughout the year led by choir director Dan Hollenbeck. New choir members are always welcome. Choir practice is on Sunday mornings at 9:15 a.m.

Ladies Lunch Bunch meets the first Thursday of each month at different area restaurants. Scout Troop 109 meets every Tuesday during the school year at 7 p.m. in the church’s fellowship hall.

Cub Scout Pack 109 meets one Friday a month at 7 p.m. in the fellowship hall. Venturing Crew 710 meets every other Thursday at 7:15 p.m.

Al-Anon holds weekly meetings on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. AA holds weekly meetings on Fridays at 7:30 p.m.

Community outreach opportunities are available at the community luncheon, held each week at St. Andrews or Colchester Federated Church. More help is needed for this.

Knitting Group: Meets Thursday mornings at 10 a.m. The fellowship hall is available for rental. Email bookingWCC@gmail.com for more information. For more information on the church and its programs and fundraisers, stop by for a visit, visit westchestercongchurch.org, email westcongchurch@gmail.com or, to speak to the minister, call the church at 860-267-0480.

ADHD Parent Support Group

HEBRON — AHM Youth and Family Services is starting a parent support group for parents of children with ADHD and/or ODD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder. The purpose of the group will be to connect with other parents, share ideas and support one another.

The group will be led by Megan Aldridge, LMFT, AHM’s Clinical Director, and will meet from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. There is no cost to participate. The group will meet at the AHM Community Center, 25 Pendleton Drive. For more information, contact: Megan Aldridge at megana@ahmyouth.org or call 860-228-9488.

Recovery Groups For Teens, Families

HEBRON — Through a grant from Wheeler Clinic, the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Department of Children and Families, AHM staff offer groups for teens 16- to 18-year-olds and a separate group for friends and families coping with an addiction. The program is called SMART Recovery.

The friends and family group takes place every Thursday evening. This group will meet from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the AHM offices, located at 25 Pendleton Drive.

This group provides a structured curriculum that allows members to give each other feedback and support. Participants learn skills that can help practice self-care, set boundaries, and learn strategies to communicate with loved ones struggling with an addiction.

Through a partnership with RHAM High School, AHM also offers a school-based teen recovery group. This program has a similar structure but provides an opportunity to get feedback and increase motivation for the teen to look at their substance use, vaping, or drinking. A teen does not have to be in full recovery to participate in this group. Members have an opportunity to learn coping skills and participate in positive peer group activities. This group is ongoing and held at the school.

There is no cost to participate in either program. AHM provides a welcoming and confidential setting at its center for the family/friends group and the teen SMART Recovery group at RHAM. For more information, contact: Megan Aldridge at megana@ahmyouth.org or call 860-228-9488.

Prayer Shawl Ministry

COLCHESTER — The Westchester Congregational Church, located at 98 Cemetery Road, hosts an outreach group named the Carolyn Schaefer Prayer Shawl Ministry. A group meets every Thursday morning in the church hall at 10 a.m. to knit, crochet or work on other projects.

The original focus of the group was to create prayer shawls for those in need of comfort due to illness or bereavement. More recently, the group has been knitting hats for preemie babies and small blankets for those mourning the loss of a baby. The group invites anyone interested to join. Skill level is not important as members are willing to help. There is plenty of room for people who sew too.

Guests need not attend each week and all are welcome. For more information, email westcongchurch@gmail.com or call 860-267-0480.