Mid-week roundup includes American Legion Post 209 spring program, city’s spring leaf collection and annual Patriot’s Day celebration

Posted By: David Fortier March 20, 2024

American Legion Post 209 announces its spring programs, including the annual fishing derby, bingo night and Memorial Day Parade

The Jukebox Bingo fundraiser by the American Legion Post 209 is among several programs Post 209 is holding this spring. The others are its annual fishing derby and the Memorial Day Parade.

JukeBox Bingo will be held Saturday, April 6, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church on Capm Street. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 per card, $10 for children 12 and under. Light refreshments will be served. For information, contact Bruce Barton (860) 810-8168, Bob Getz (860)919-0305 or Brian Avery (860) 384-5626.

The Post 209 9th Annual Youth Fishing Derby will be held Saturday, April 28, from 8 to 11 a.m. at Rockwell Park. Registration is 6:30 to 8 a.m. Trophies and prizes will be awarded. Age limit is 16 and under, and two trout per participant. Worms and meal worms are provided by Tal’s Tackle, free of charge. Steve’s Top Dogs Food Truck is available for breakfast.

The Forestville Village Memorial Day Parade, sponsored by Post 209, will be held Sunday, May 26, at 2 p.m. with a rain date of Monday, May 27, at 2 p.m. Post 2 is reaching out to any groups interested in being part of the parade. Contact Brian Avery, parade chairperson and Commander of the American Legion Post 209, via email at americanlegionpost209ct@gmail.com.

Public Works announces spring leaf collection in April

Outside spring lead collection is held through the month of April, when the weather allows, according to an announcement from Public Works.

Residents are asked to bring leaf bags curbside as soon as they are filled and leave them curbside until collected. Leaf bag collection is available to all city residences eligible for curbside rubbish and recycling services.

Public Works advises that leaves are only collected in brown, recyclable, paper leaf bags that are available at most home and garden stores. There is no maximum limit to leaf bag collection at a residence.

Leaf bags containing dirt, sand, rocks, sod, or materials other than leaves will not be collected. Leaf bags must be placed curbside and not within the residence’s property for proper collection. Loose leaf piles will not be collected.

Leaves, grass, and twigs may also be taken by residents to the City of Bristol Solid Waste Transfer Station. At the Transfer Station, leaves, grass, and twigs in bags (other than paper yard waste bags) must be emptied out. A Transfer Station Permit is required to access the Transfer Station.

In addition, to leaf collection, residents are encouraged to clear leaves and other debris from the tops of catch basins abutting their property to help prevent localized flooding conditions. 

Veterans Strong and Wernicki Family accepting nominations for annual Patriots’ Day awards

The Veterans Strong Community Center and the Wernicki Family are accepting nominations for the Annual Patriots’ Day awards for the 5th Annual Patriot’s Day ceremony to be held Monday, April 15, 6 p.m., at Luna’s Banquet Facility on King Street.

The awards honor local Veterans or Servicemembers, either living or deceased. Nominees do not need to reside in Bristol, as long as they contribute to the Bristol community. Those making nominations share with the committee how this person has been heroic in serving our country and city.

Nominations are reviewed by a committee and honorees are selected and notified by mail.

Please send all nomination letters by or before March 25, to the attention of Veterans Strong Community Center, 111 North Main St., Bristol, CT 06010.

Nominations may also be emailed to Maggie.wernicki@gmail.com or by completing an online form at www.vetstronginc.org/patriots-day.

Bristol Boys and Girls Club seeks sponsors for this year’s gala

The Bristol Boys and Girls Club is seeking sponsors for its Golden Ticket Galas to be held at the Aqua Turf in Plantville, on Saturday, April 20.

For information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact Keleigh Courtney at 860-540-3101 or KCourtney@bbgc.org. Click to download the Sponsorship Form here. Click to download the Advertisement Form here.

Proceeds from the event will support the transformational youth programs that we provide to the thousands of children and families across our network of 13 sites in the club’s community.

Public library offers free seed packets and gardening programs

In preparation for spring planting season, the Bristol Public Library is offering free seed packets, a workshop for beginning gardeners and a discussion group featuring gardening techniques.

Admission is free; however monetary donations are always greatly appreciated and accepted. For more information, please visit the BBWE web site at www.bbandwe.org/.

Bristol residents with a Bristol Public Library card are eligible for up to five see packages free of charge as part of the “Bristol Seed Library” program, which begins Monday, March 11, at 5:30 p.m.

Packages of vegetable, herb and flower seeds will be available in the main lobby of the Bristol Public Library on 5 High St. Library cards are also available at the library free of charge to Bristol residents.

A seed starting workshop will be held the same evening, Monday, March 11, at 6:30 p.m. Led by expert instructor Mark Gostkiewicz of Tri Gable Lea Farm, the “Seed Starting Success” class will guide participants through the basics of beginning a garden from seeds.

A gardening discusson groups will address garden tasks, techniques and accomplishments on April 15 and May 13, at 6:30 p.m. A number of resources will be available for participants to take home.

There is no charge for these programs, but the library requests participants R.S.V.P at bristollib.com, in-person at the library, or by calling: (860)584-7787 ext. 3.

eesmarts Student Contest registration deadline is March 22

Registration for the 19th annual essmarts Student Contest is March 22, Energize Connecticut announced in an updated release.

Students in Grades 9-12 are being asked to produce a persuasive image in words or pictures, such as a short poem (125 words or less) or cartoon strip (12 cells or less) that advocates for an energy topic as part of this year’s eesmarts Student Contest.

Entries will be evaluated based on scientific validity and concise and convincing imagery.

Students in Grades K-8 are asked to submit their entries in the form of a poster (Grades K-2), limericks (Grade 3), outdoor billboard (Grade 4), fictional story with an energy-saving character (Grade 5), persuasive letter (Grade 6), comic strip (Grade 7), or social media post (Grade 8).

Contest registration is open until March 22. Project submissions are due on March 29. All work must be completed by the individual submitting the entry. No group projects are being accepted this year.

Finalists in all categories and grade levels will be honored at a special awards ceremony to be held in May 2024. Winners will receive a certificate and an Amazon gift card.

For nearly two decades, the contest has invited Connecticut students in grades K-12 to answer grade-level-specific prompts on how they would promote energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable solutions.

For more information about the contest, please visit EnergizeCT.com/student-contest.

Bristol Veterans Council fundraising for POW/MIA monument

The Bristol Veterans Council continues to raise funds for a POW/MIA monument to be installed on Memorial Boulevard. The six-foot high, 10-inch thick and three-feet wide gray granite monument will honor each branch of the military. The goal for the installation is Memorial Day 2024.

Donations may be sent to Bristol Veterans Council, Inc., P.O.W./ M.I.A. Fundraiser, c/o Stanley J. Piotrowski–Treasurer, P.O. Box 2634, Bristol, CT 06011-2634.

Lamont announces new one-stop-shop portal for jobseekers

The launch of Connecticut’s new jobs portal, jobs.ct.gov was announced by Gov. Ned Lamont last week, in a release from the governor’s office. The portal is aimed at assisting Connecticut residents and those seeking to move to the state in the process of finding a job.

Jobs.ct.gov joins health.ct.gov and business.ct.gov as the next service category to be developed in the new digital, one-stop government ecosystem. Some of the resources available through the jobs portal include:

  • Powerful job search tools;
  • Job search tips and personal help;
  • Free and low-cost training, certificate, and classroom programs; and
  • Resources to help employers hire, train, and retain employees.

Yard waste barrels available from Public Works

Public Works is accepting applications for yard waste barrels for the 2024 yard-waste season.

New customers are ones who do not currently have a yard-waste barrel on site and are required to pay a $90 yard-waste fee, plus a $50 barrel deposit fee per barrel.

Renewal customers are ones who already have a yard-waste barrel on site, even if from a previous owner, and are required to pay the $90 service fee.

The 2024 season will begin Monday, April 1, and will run through Friday, Dec. 6. The online form that must be filled out with all forms of payment may be obtained here: https://bristolct.seamlessdocs.com/f/yardwaste2024.

For more information on the city’s yard waste program, click here: https://ct-bristol2.civicplus.com/240/Yard-Waste.

Connecticut Energy Assistance Program accepting applications

The Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) is accepting applications through May 31. CEAP helps Connecticut residents afford to heat their homes. Applications for CEAP typically take 30-45 minutes. Basic benefits towards heating bills range between $180 and $530. Benefits are usually paid directly to the utility company or fuel supplier. Households that heat with deliverable fuels like oil or propane may be eligible for additional free tank fills.

Connecticut residents that meet the following may be eligible: already receive food stamps (SNAP), SSI, TANF or other benefits from the Department of Social Services and have an annual household income falls at or below 60 percent of the state’s median income.

In Bristol, CEAP applications are available at HRA, 55 South St., (860) 356-2000. Email: energyapp@hranbct.org.

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