Aimee Berger-Girvalo

Due to a lack of rain, the state has declared a Stage 2 drought advisory for Fairfield County (including Ridgefield), Middlesex County, and New Haven County. 

A Stage 2 drought -- the second advisory is an awareness stage, identifying an emerging drought that could impact water supplies, agriculture, and natural ecosystems. It is the second of five levels under the Connecticut Drought Preparedness and Response Plan, with Stage 1 being the lowest and Stage 5 the most extreme.

During this advisory, the state encourages individuals and businesses to do the following to mitigate the drought's impact:

• Shut down automatic outdoor irrigation;
• Minimize water use by fixing leaky plumbing and fixtures; and
• Follow any conservation requests issued by local water suppliers and municipalities.

Those who depend on private wells, fire or irrigation ponds, and other highly localized water resources should be especially mindful of local conditions, especially in places where previous droughts have affected supplies.

The CTDOT last week proposed the construction of the state's first flex lane to address congestion along the I-84 and Route 7 corridor in Danbury.

The flex lane would first use the median shoulder as a temporary travel lane, to alleviate traffic and improve safety during peak travel times.

The design is underway, with construction anticipated to start in 2028.

Additionally, a supporting intersection project at Main Street and Downs Street/North Street in Danbury has been proposed. That project would improve safety, among other things, at that very busy intersection.

Other future alternatives involve reconfiguring the highway and interchange ramps to reduce weaving, as well as enhancing multimodal connections within the surrounding roadway network.

For more information, please click on the following link on the I-84 Flex Lane Explained.

This is the time each year we bring awareness and honor the millions of lives affected by the disease in one way or another. Throughout the month, we stress the importance of mammograms as the best way to screen for breast cancer, which is the second most common cancer among women. 

One in eight women in the United States will get breast cancer. More than 40,000 women die from breast cancer in the U.S. each year.

There is hope. Awareness is the key. 

Here are a couple dates to keep in mind this month:

• October 13 is Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day in the U.S. About 168,000 women in the U.S. have metastatic breast cancer (cancer that spreads beyond the breast to other parts of the body). Despite the growing numbers of people living with metastatic disease, most money for breast cancer research doesn’t go toward studying it.
• October 17–23 has been designated Men's Breast Cancer Awareness Week.  According to the American Cancer Society, about 2,800 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2025, and about 510 are expected to die from the disease. But lack of awareness and stigma can be barriers to detection and care in men, trans men, and non-binary people.

The Friends of the Ridgefield Library‘s is hosting its Big Book Sale Oct. 10 to 13. 

The schedule is as follows:

FRIDAY October 10:  10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Early entrance for card holders of Ridgefield Library as well as members of the Friends of the Ridgefield Library (must be both). Admission from 10 a.m. to noon is  $20 entry, but free for Friends of the Ridgefield Library

SATURDAY Oct. 11:  9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
SUNDAY Oct. 12:  1 to 5 p.m.
MONDAY Oct. 13:  8 a.m. to 6 p.m.