Kaoud Rugs Donates To Foodshare
WEST HARTFORD — As part of the reopening, Kaoud Oriental Rugs statewide is donating 10-percent of the profit of any rug or carpet sold through the month of June to help support Foodshare.
Foodshare benefits families in local communities as Foodshare faces increased demand due to the impact of COVID-19. The donation will support Foodshare and benefit as they assist small business workers, children without access to school meals, older people who are at risk, and existing clients who face food insecurity daily. Kaoud Rugs is located at 17 South Main St.
Opportunities To Reflect
WEST HARTFORD — Holy Family Retreat Center is hosting online programs as part of its ‘Together We Rise’ series. The programs will be hosted on Zoom.
Called to Community: An Evening of Reflection for Young Adults with Colin Petramale will take place on Thursday, June 11, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Reflections on the Great Pause: A Morning for Seniors and Grandparents, with Jim and Beth Malley, will take place on Saturday, June 13, from 9 to 11 a.m.
The offering to attend each program is $25. All are welcome. Details on how to access the program via Zoom will be emailed to registered participants in advance.
For a description of each program and to register online, visit www.holyfamilyretreat.org/together-we-rise and call 860-760-9705 for more information.
Road Advisories, Parking Update
WEST HARTFORD — The travel pattern and parking configuration on four roads in West Hartford Center and Blue Back Square will be modified as of Thursday, June 4, to accommodate expanded outdoor dining while indoor dining remains prohibited.
A total of 71 parking spaces on LaSalle Road, Farmington Avenue, Memorial Road and Isham Road will be converted to 11 on-street dining corrals. The expanded outdoor dining spaces will remain in place through October.
Crews, led by the Department of Public Works, placed 40 20-foot concrete barriers and six-foot plastic water-filled barriers in position. Restaurants that have approved outdoor dining plans may begin using the new spaces.
In an effort to increase safety and slow speeds while motorists drive by these corrals, a temporary one-way travel pattern will be created on a portion of LaSalle Road, from Arapahoe Road to Farmington Avenue (in a northerly direction), on Isham Road, from New Street to Memorial Road (in southerly direction) and a portion of Memorial Road, from Isham Road to Raymond Road (in an easterly direction).
Farmington Avenue will be reduced to one lane in each direction from LaSalle Road to South Main Street. The entrance driveway on LaSalle Road to the Public Parking Lot will also be temporarily closed to vehicular traffic and motorists will be directed to enter via Farmington Avenue.
The temporary traffic patterns in West Hartford Center will allow some of the parallel parking spaces to angle parking which will add back 18 on-street parking spaces. In addition, the configuration of parking spaces on LaSalle Road will be changed to head-out angled parking. Head-out parking requires the motorist to back into the space, giving the driver a greater field of vision when leaving. This type of parking is used in 32 major cities and has proven to be safer, easier and more accommodating for unloading.
Public Works crews will black-out existing parking lines and restripe the new angled spaces. The town will continue to offer free, 15-to-30 minute free parking for curbside pick-up of take-out orders, and will be re-evaluated in advance of the next re-opening phase, expected June 20. On-street kiosks will continue to indicate 30-minute free parking.
Shoppers, diners, clients and employees are asked to use the municipal lots and parking garages when their stay is longer than 30 minutes.
Mosquito Monitoring Program Begins Testing
STATEWIDE — The State of Connecticut Mosquito Management Program is monitoring mosquitoes for the presence of viruses that can cause illness in people including West Nile virus and eastern equine encephalitis virus.
The mosquito trapping and testing program, coordinated by The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, began on June 1. Statewide mosquito trapping will occur at 108 collection sites in 87 municipalities until the end of October. This includes 16 new trapping locations that were added this year to increase coverage in high risk areas for EEE in eastern Connecticut.
“Last year, we experienced a resurgence of EEE virus activity in eastern Connecticut that resulted in four human cases with three fatalities,” said Dr. Philip Armstrong, Medical Entomologist at CAES. “This was part of a region-wide increase that also affected Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. We fully expect the virus to return this year so we will be increasing our monitoring efforts in anticipation of this threat.”
“Our state-supported program which began in 1997 provides an effective early warning system for timely detection of mosquito-borne diseases and assessing human risk” said Dr. Jason White, Director, CAES. “Prevention of EEE and West Nile virus relies on robust surveillance and early detection of virus to inform the public and guide disease control measures as warranted.”
Last season, EEE was detected in 28 communities in Connecticut with a total of 122 positive mosquito samples. There were four confirmed human cases of EEE and three individuals died. There were also six horse cases reported, all fatal. The majority of EEE virus activity occurred in Middlesex, New London, and Windham counties, consistent with prior years. EEE is a rare but serious illness in humans with four to eight cases reported in a typical year in the U.S. During 2019, the number of confirmed human cases rose to 38 with 19 cases occurring in New England. EEE is the most severe mosquito-transmitted disease in the U.S. with approximately 33-percent mortality and significant brain damage in most survivors.
During 2019, WNV was identified in 82 mosquito pools from 24 towns in five counties in Connecticut. One human case and one horse case of WNV infection were reported in Fairfield County. WNV occurs every summer in the Northeast and has become the main cause of mosquito-borne illness in this region since it was first introduced into the NYC area in 1999.
The response to mosquito transmitted diseases in Connecticut is a collaborative inter-agency effort involving the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, the Department of Public Health, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Pathobiology at the University of Connecticut. These agencies are responsible for monitoring mosquito populations and the potential public health threat of mosquito-borne diseases.
The CAES maintains a network of 108 mosquito-trapping stations in 87 municipalities throughout the state. Mosquito traps are set Monday through Thursday nights at each site every 10 days on a rotating basis and then twice a week after detection of virus. Mosquitoes are grouped for testing according to species, collection site, and date. Positive findings are reported to local health departments and on the CAES website. Visit https://portal.ct.gov/CAES/Mosquito-Testing/Introductory/State-of-Connecticut-Mosquito-Trapping-and-Arbovirus-Testing-Program and https://portal.ct.gov/mosquito for more information.
Celebrating Pride Month
WEST HARTFORD — Congregation Beth Israel celebrates Pride Month with a virtual pride Shabbat service on June 26 at 7:30 p.m. Visit www.cbict.org to view the flag raising. The flag will fly for the whole month of June.
During the June 26 virtual service, CBI will honor the movement for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer equality and inclusion while celebrating LGBTQ+ Jews and the intersection of Jewish identity and LGBTQ+ identity. Visit www.cbict.org for more information.
Senior Center Update
WEST HARTFORD — The West Hartford Senior Center/Elmwood Senior Center, 15 Starkel Road, continues to present virtual events. The Healthy Brain Series, presented on Zoom, began on May 20 and will take place until June 17, from 10 to 11 a.m. The last date is June 17. Presenters are Michelle Wyman, CDP, dementia specialist, and Patty O’Brian, CDP, dementia specialist, Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging.
The talks are sponsored by Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging. Email gina@westhartfordct.gov or call 860-561-7583 and leave a message to receive a Zoom invitation.
Virtual TED Talk: On the 3rd Tuesday of each month, a TED talk will be facilitated by Martha O’Neal on a variety of topics. After the video, which is 10 to 20 minutes in length, there is a facilitated discussion. O’Neal will have prepared talking points from her research to begin the conversation. RSVP to Lisa.hanse@westhartfordct.gov. or call 860-561-7583 and leave a message.
Virtual Education Academy
WEST HARTFORD — Congregation Beth Israel presents Virtual Education Academy, a nine-week series of topical forums presented by members of our local academic community. The series began on Wednesday, April 22. All the presentations begin at 7:30 p.m. and are available through Zoom.
Participating synagogues include Beth David Synagogue, Beth El Temple, Temple Beth Hillel, Congregation Beth Israel, Temple Beth Torah, Congregation B’nai Tikvoh Sholom, The Emanuel Synagogue, Congregation Kol Haverim, Temple Sinai and Young Israel of West Hartford. Go to cbict.org to find the link to join the talks on Zoom.
The forum lineup and speakers includes the following. Monday, June 8: “David Ben Gurion and the Making of the Jewish State.” Dr. Sam Kassow, Charles H. Northam Professor of History, Trinity College.
Thursday, June 18: “Separating out the Facts: The Origins of Christianity and the History of Judaism.” Dr. Stuart Miller, Professor of Hebrew, History, and Judaic Studies and Academic Director, Center for Judaic Studies and Contemporary Jewish Life, University of Connecticut.
West Hartford Seeking PPE For First Responders
WEST HARTFORD — Like many communities, West Hartford is having difficulty sourcing adequate personal protective equipment for its first responders, according to a press release from Renée B. McCue, public relations specialist with the town of West Hartford. The press release continues:
“We need all residents to search their homes and businesses for personal protective equipment, and to donate items that are in new or unused condition to the Town for use by our police, firefighters, and paramedics.
Specifically, we need N95 face masks, face shields and Tyvek suits. Some of these items, especially N95 masks, are manufactured for use in construction and other industrial type jobs that expose workers to dust and small particles. You may have them in your house or business for home improvement projects or cleaning. Anyone involved in the construction trades is especially likely to have products that are useful. If you have the ability to sew, would create masks for us?
We are also in need of bleach, hand sanitizer, cleaning rags, towels, heavy duty contractor/lawn bags, and trial-size personal toiletries for quarantined first responders.
We have a critical shortage of these items, and we have been told that it will be two-to-four weeks before we receive this much needed protective gear.
Currently, we have twelve first responders in quarantine as a result of helping residents who are infected with COVID-19. Each time one of our first responders is pulled off the line, it stresses the entire emergency system. Eventually, this could delay response times, and force us to make difficult decisions about how to prioritize emergency calls. Keeping our first responders safe keeps you safe.
To make a donation, place your item in a plastic bag and bring it to Public Works, 17 Brixton St.; Fire Department headquarters, 95 Raymond Road; or the Police Department, 103 Raymond Road. Place the bag in the designated container. Containers will be available Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The road to recovery will be long, and things are going to get worse before they get better. However, we will overcome this unprecedented crisis by working in partnership to help our neighbors, family and friends. We are all in this together, and everyone must be part of the solution. Thank you to all for your continued goodwill and generosity.”
Items needed, in new or unused condition, are N95 masks, face shields, Tyvek suits, bleach, hand sanitizer, cleaning wipes like Clorox and Lysol, cleaning rags, towels, heavy duty contractor or lawn bags and trial-size personal toiletries for quarantined first responders.
Donation Preparation: Place your items in a plastic bag. Place it in the designated container at the following two locations. Place bleach outside of the container. Drop-Off Locations: Monday to Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Fire Headquarters, 95 Raymond Road; Police Department, 103 Raymond Road; and Department of Public Works, 17 Brixton St.
