Newsletter 10/15/21

jenn
October 15, 2021
I hope you are having a great week! Thank you so much to everyone who joined me yesterday for coffee hour- we had an engaging and productive conversation and I look forward to hosting in-person events more regularly. 

Veterans Day is a few weeks away and the Kiwanis Club of Fairfield is creating their annual Field of Valor. This is one of my favorite things in town every year. If you have not experienced it, the Field of Valor is made up of at least 200 full-size (3' x 5') U.S. Flags to honor our Military Veterans and those men and women actively serving our country. The flags will be on display in Jennings Park (adjacent to Hansen's Florist and across from Bob's Shopping Center) for the two weeks surrounding Veterans Day (Nov. 7th - Nov. 21st). The dedication ceremony will be held on Sunday, November 7th at 2 PM and I hope you will join me. It's a truly moving event.
All are invited to sponsor anyone they would like to HONOR with one of these keepsake flags. Your Honoree and sponsor name will be proudly displayed on a yellow card attached to each flag.

Proceeds support the efforts of Homes For The Brave in Bridgeport, CT, which has served more than 1,100 men, women, and children (mostly Veterans) by providing housing, vocational training, and life skills coaching to individuals experiencing homelessness.

Please click here for more information on the Kiwanis Club website. Click here to fill out the flag sponsor form.
 
FAIRFIELD HARVEST MARKET 
The Fairfield Harvest Market is this Saturday, October 16th from 10am to 4pm on the Old Town Hall Green! The market features 70+ vendors offering artwork, crafts, pet products, jewelry, upcycled and rustic furniture, home décor items, and beauty products. Food trucks and vendors from the weekly Fairfield Farmers Market will be there too. It is sure to be a fun and festive event and I hope to see you there!
 
FAIRFIELD RESTAURANT WEEK
Fairfield Restaurant Week is approaching next week! Make reservations now to ensure you can participate. Click here to see a list of participating restaurants. 
 
NATIONAL DISABILITY AWARENESS MONTH
Did you know October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month? National Disability Employment Awareness Month began in 1945 to highlight the contributions of people with disabilities to the workforce and to raise awareness of the inequities they face.

As our state continues to bounce back from the pandemic, it is critical that all individuals in our community have access to employment opportunities. Ensuring that everyone has the necessary employment resources benefits both individual families and our state as a whole.

In recognition of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the Connecticut Department of Labor and Department of Aging and Disability Services have announced that Connecticut’s 9th annual Disability Employment Resource Fair will be held on October 22.

The fair will be a virtual event this year. The presentation will include information about resources such as free employment services, transportation, legal rights, assistive technology, education, and more!

To register for the fair please click here.
ASL Interpreters will be provided and a PowerPoint of the event will be sent out to all attendees following the event. If you need large print or a Word document, please contact Jill Larmett at jlarmett@capitalworkforce.org. 
 
In addition to the annual Disability Employment Resource Fair, assistance for jobseekers is available virtually and in-person, including at: 
  • The Connecticut Department of Labor’s American Job Centers (appointments are recommended). More information is available at portal.ct.gov/ajc.
  • CTHires, which serves as a one-stop resource to search for jobs, create a resume, and find training. More information is available at portal.ct.gov/cthires.
  • Additional job fairs are scheduled frequently across the state. For a full schedule, visit portal.ct.gov/AJC/recruitmentevents.

Please take a moment this month to recognize the strides we have made in disability employment, and all the work we have left to accomplish. 
 
INCREASED FINES FOR DISTRACTED DRIVING
As life continues to return to normal, many of us will be back on the road again. More time on the road means more opportunities for distracted driving. As of October 1, penalties for texting and driving increased in an effort to stop distracted driving.

Distracted driving has become one of the leading causes of accidents on our roads, with nearly 5,000 crashes attributed to distracted driving in Connecticut in 2020 alone.

Connecticut law prohibits the use of any hand-held mobile electronic device while operating a motor vehicle. Drivers who are 16 or 17 years of age are prohibited from using a cell phone or mobile device at any time, even with a hands-free accessory.
The new fines for driving while distracted are:  
  • For the first violation, offenders are fined $200 (was previously $150)
  • For a second violation, offenders are fined $375 (was previously $300)
  • For a third or subsequent violation, offenders are fined $625 (was previously $500)

Throughout the month of October, state and local police will be increasing enforcement of the new distracted driving law.

Please urge your family and friends to put their cell phones away while driving. No text message or phone call is worth putting yourself and others at risk.

For more information, visit www.distraction.gov.
 
COVID VACCINE AGES 5-11 FAQ RESOURCE
Given the FDA’s anticipated review of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for 5-11-year-olds, I wanted to share with you an FAQ webpage prepared by Connecticut Children’s Hospital. The website has answers to many of the important questions we have as parents. 
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