Jennifer Leeper

Happy Friday - I hope you've had a great week.

The passing of Fairfield First Selectman Bill Gerber has been weighing heavily on our community, and I wanted to tell you about a way you can honor Bill and everything he did for our community.

Throughout the town, condolence books are set up where you can leave a message about Bill and reflect on the wonderful life he lived. You can find these books at the following locations:

• Old Town Hall or Independence Hall, Monday-Friday from 8:30am-4:30pm
• Bigelow Senior Center, Friday, July 18 from 9am-4pm
• Fairfield Main Library and Fairfield Woods Branch Library, Saturday, July 19 from noon-5pm

Any message, however long or short, is important.

I also hope you'll take a few minutes to listen to this segment on the radio show Melissa in the Morning, where a dozen local officials in neighboring towns spoke about Bill and their relationship with him. It is a beautiful tribute that shows just how many lives Bill touched.

In the rest of this week's eblast, you can read about the fight to preserve our education funding, the Pequot Library's Summer Book Sale, and more. You can click the links below to navigate between sections.

• Funding for Commerce Drive Bridge Replacement
• Fairfield's Sidewalk Sale & Street Fair
• Putting Patients First
• Pequot Library's Summer Book Sale
• Funding for Medicaid Care
• Touring Our Community

Governor Lamont signed legislation last week that puts patients first and holds insurance companies accountable.

Here’s what it does:

• Caps excessive premium hikes. Allows the Connecticut Insurance Department to limit rate increases for insurers that have a track record of hiking costs.
• Enforces mental health parity—with real consequences. Insurers must treat mental health like physical health, and those who don’t comply can face fines up to $625,000 and must publicly report how they’re doing.
• Ends harmful “step therapy” delays. Patients with MS, rheumatoid arthritis, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression will no longer be forced to try cheaper meds first while their condition worsens, and trial periods are also cut from 60 to 30 days.

A reminder that one of my favorite events of the year is just around the corner: the Pequot Library's Summer Book Sale!

The five-day sale will be held in large tents on the Great Lawn and parking lot and in the auditorium and reading room of the library (720 Pequot Ave., Southport, CT 06890). The dates and hours this year are:

• Friday, July 25, from 9am-6pm
• Saturday-Monday, July 26-28, from 9am-5pm
• Tuesday, July 29, from 9am-2pm

This year's selection offers a record-breaking number of books and media - over 100,000 items in 30 categories! From vinyl records, to DVD's, to countless books for readers of all ages, this sale offers something for everyone.

In addition, this year the book sale is showcasing more than 500 "special" items, including books over 200 years old, signed books, vintage posters, and more!

This book sale is an amazing opportunity to pick up a book you've never heard of and get lost in its world, and that's why I love coming back every year.

Admission is free, and all proceeds support the Pequot Library's books, services, programs, and exhibitions for adults and children, serving more than 58,000 visitors a year!

You can read more about the book sale here, and you can sign up for a volunteer shift here. I hope to see you there!