Extreme Heat Safety Tips, Old Farms Road Project Gets More Than $792K

July 17, 2024

Dear Neighbor,

With heat come storms and as I have included tips yet again for staying cool and avoiding heat exhaustion or heat stroke, I also recommend keeping an eye to the skies, and perhaps to a weather app on your phone, to keep yourself and others safe from dangerous weather events like lightning and strong winds. This afternoon looks to be a little wild!

You’ll see good news in Avon that the Department of Transportation, via a Community Connectivity Grant, has released nearly $800,000 for the second phase of the Old Farms Road project. It’s been interesting to drive that way and see the major progress each week on phase one.

As you’ll see below, I had a very exciting visit to Bradley International Airport including getting to stand on one of their runways! I’ve always been impressed that though our airport is not as large as others across the country, it’s an airport that really goes out of its way to serve nearly the entire state and as it grows, it can only get better.

Stay safe out there and have a great rest of your week,

Eleni

EXTREME HEAT SAFETY TIPS

As another Governor Lamont-issued Extreme Hot Weather Protocol ends at 8 p.m. tonight, I wanted to provide some helpful prevention tips as we experience higher temperatures more regularly.

Keep your body temperature cool to avoid heat-related illness.
Stay in air-conditioned buildings as much as possible. If you must be outdoors, try to limit your outdoor activity to the morning and evening. Try to rest often in shady areas so that your body has a chance to cool off.
Find an air-conditioned shelter. (Call 2-1-1 for a list of cooling centers.) Do not rely on a fan as your primary cooling device.
Avoid direct sunlight.
Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing.
Take cool showers or baths.
Check on those most at-risk several times a day.
Pets that cannot be brought indoors should be provided ready access to water and shade to keep them cool.
Never leave pets inside of parked vehicles because temperatures can soar to life-threatening levels within minutes.

Everyone is also reminded to stay hydrated during periods of extreme heat. Because bodies lose fluid through sweat, dehydration is common while experiencing very high temperatures. It is strongly encouraged to:

Drink more water than usual.
Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink more fluids.
Drink two to four cups of water every hour while working or exercising outside.
Avoid alcohol or liquids containing high amounts of sugar.
Remind others to drink enough water.

Of note: The Avon Free Public Library, at 635 West Avon Road, is a designated cooling center, and will be open until 8:30 p.m. tonight. Canton residents can go to the Canton Public Library at 40 Dyer Ave., Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Friday hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

OLD FARMS ROAD PROJECT TO GET MORE THAN $792K

As we watch Phase One of the Old Farms Road improvement move along this summer, I am happy to report that Governor Lamont via the Department of Transportation has released $792, 598 for the second phase of the project.

As you may recall, we had already received money for the first phase and now the second phase which includes the two bridges section of Old Farms Road has this significant financial boost. I am grateful this money will be available as we seek to improve safety in that area of Avon that benefits our entire community.

MY TRIP TO BRADLEY

I had the opportunity to tour Bradley International Airport this week - BDL as the child of a flight attendant and a pilot, of course, I was excited.

I learned many interesting things about our flagship airport including that they are undergoing a major remodel that will hopefully be completed in the next year-and-a-half. There will be three new gates, a larger security area, new floor space open near the check-in desks because of the enormous new area for baggage (that’s behind the scenes of the construction), and new ways to get to baggage claim. There will also be new commercial spaces and an expanded Escape lounge (that proudly serves Canton’s Giv Coffee).

I do want to mention, the photo of me on the runway was taken around 2 pm when the runway was over 140 degrees. That’s a growing challenge for the airport—asphalt gets put down around 175-180 degrees which means as we have hotter weather, as our climate crisis continues, the runways could melt. We’ve already heard how climate change is increasing turbulence and this is another challenge to air travel we may all be facing. Thanks again to Alex and the team for having me. To learn more about their plans, please click HERE.

DEVELOPMENT IDEAS? TAKE THE TOWN OF CANTON SURVEY

(Town of Canton)

The Canton Economic Development Agency seeks your input on future development ideas and has put together a survey, which you can access HERE. The deadline to submit responses is Wednesday, July 31, 2024.

ARTIST FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

The Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) and its Artist Fellowship program, which, provides recognition and funding support for Connecticut artists to pursue new work and advance their artistic careers, are now accepting applications.

All artistic disciplines are eligible!

Connecticut artists must be the primary creators of original works of art.

Grants are awarded in three designations and grant amounts:

Artistic Excellence grants: $5,000
Artist Fellowship grants: $3,000
Emerging Recognition grants: $1,000

The deadline to apply is on or before September 20. Some eligibility restrictions apply, so please review the program webpage before applying HERE.

NATIONAL MINORITY MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

This month, we bring awareness to the unique challenges that racial and ethnic minorities in the United States face when it comes to mental illness. Please click on the image below to learn more, including eye-opening statistics on how many got care and why the numbers are as low as they are.