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The Fairfield County Bank donated $5,000 to the Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center in Ridgefield. From left are: Steve Wooters, executive vice president of marketing, Fairfield County Bank; Katie Burton, head of communications and grants at Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center; and Hildegard Grob, executive director of Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center.

The social profit institution ASAP! has been selected to benefit in the Big Y grocery store company’s community bag program throughout the current month of August. ASAP! students create a map based on adventures at the Sharon Audubon Center in Sharon, and in a photo that has been submitted for the submission.

Joe Beal, commander of the Jason D. Lewis Brookfield Memorial Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10201 Commander Joe Beal was presented with a VFW “All-American” award from the VFW commander in chief at the VFW National Convention.

Joe Beal, commander of the Jason D. Lewis Brookfield Memorial Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10201 Commander Joe Beal was presented with a VFW “All-American” award from the VFW commander in chief at the VFW National Convention.

The New Fairfield History Society is presenting local history buff Mike Allen’s “Amazing Tales with Mike Allen” program, “The Devil Made Me Do It Murder Case,” 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the New Fairfiel Free Public Library Community Room.

Joe Beal, was recently presented with a VFW “All-American” award from the VFW commander in chief at the VFW National Convention in Kansas City, Mo, from July 16, through July 21.

He is the post commander of the Jason D. Lewis Brookfield Memorial Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10201.

The Post received the award for fulfilling numerous VFW goals including membership, and community service.

Beal attended the convention in Kansas City, Mo. on July 12 with John Kennedy, the CT District One commander, and Van DaCosta, all convention delegates from Brookfield.

The Brookfield Post is considered an amazing success story because in 2016 it was in jeopardy of losing its charter with only eight members. Under Beal's command, the Post changed its direction, focusing on community service, giving back, and supporting the Brookfield community in a number of ways. The Post has since grown considerably.

Danbury Library will host a free program about animals at 2 p.m. Wednesday.

At “Animal Embassy: Journaly from Land to Sea,” children will learn about animals that can live on land and water. This will further their understanding of habitats, diversity and different strategies of land-based and aquatic animals. Children will meet Animal Ambassadors such as a Red-foot Tortoise from South America, an Eastern Box Turtle and a young African Sulcata Tortoise.

Registration is recommended. Register at the Events Calendar on DanburyLibrary.org or call the Danbury Library: 203-797-4505 ext 7716.

To email your registration or for questions about this program please email: djohnson@danburylibrary.org

Dream Come True of Western Connecticut and the Danbury Madhatters Rugby Team are having a golf outing from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at the Candlewood Valley Country Club in New Milford.

The event will raise money for the nonprofit’s mission to continue fulfilling the dreams of seriously, chronically, or terminally ill children in local communities.

The cost is $150 per golfer. There are tons of sponsorship packages available.

Registration is available at https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07ej8lyrov030eb130&oseq=&c=&ch=.

Registration and breakfast are at 7:30 a.m. There is a shotgun start at 9 a.m. The outing will be in a scramble format.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner and golf carts are included.

More information is available at https://www.dreamcometruect.org and https://www.danburyrugby.com.

Call 203-790-7333 or email dreamcometruect@yahoo.com with any questions and/or comments.

A third artist reception is scheduled for a moveable art reveal at the Danbury Fair Mall at 6 p.m. Thursday with illustrator and tattoo artist Eric Chandler.

The reception is the third of six of the reveals from the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut. Chandler will reveal his contribution to permanent and moveable mural canvases.

The reveals and receptions are held most Thursdays through early September near the murals, which are on display near the Apple Store wing on the mall’s second level.

The New Fairield History Society is presenting local history buff Mike Allen’s “Amazing Tales with Mike Allen” program at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The program, titled “The Devil Made Me Do It Murder Case,” is in the New Fairfield Free Public Library Community Room. The library is sponsoring the program.

ASAP! has been selected to benefit in the Big Y grocery store’s community bag program throughout August.

For every $2.50 reusable Big Y community bag that is purchased, $1 will be donated to ASAP!

Participants can reduce single use plastic in the environment while supporting ASAP!, which is an arts-infused nonprofit education organization whose hands-on programming fosters awareness of how the arts, humanity and learning are interconnected. For more information about ASAP!, which is in Washington Depot, visit asapct.org.

A different local nonprofit organization is selected every month at every Big Y location to benefit from the sale of the reusable community bag.

The New Milford Big Y grocery store is located at 1 Kent Road. For more information on the bag program, visit bigy.bags4mycause.com.

The Fairfield County Bank recently donated $5,000 to the Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center in Ridgefield for its educational programs.

The donation will directly support transportation and educational programs for students in Danbury and Bridgeport.

The programs are led by experienced docents, either on the center’s property at 152 Main St. in Ridgefield or virtually.

Stephen Wooters, executive vice president of Fairfield County Bank, serves on the Board of Trustees at the Keeler Tavern.

Artist Phil Demise Smith’s art exhibition, “Follow the Brush,” will be on view in the lower level gallery of the Ridgefield Library from Aug. 20 through Sept. 29.

There will be an opening reception for the show from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 10 The reception will include a meet and greet with the Smith.

There will be an artist’s talk and performance at 2 p.m., immediately before the reception.

Smith will talk about his artwork, read some of his poetry, and perform a few of his songs.

Smith is also a painter, poet, author, editor, musical performer, and the creator of over 15 small press books of poems.

The works of art being exhibited are from the 1990s decade through the current year of 2022.

Smith lives in New York, but had a home in Ridgefield from 1999 through 2010. He was an active member of the Ridgefield Guild of Artists.

He developed a summer Expression Art program for children, and had several shows in Connecticut, New York, N.Y., and Europe during the time.

The Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut is having a unique fundraiser titled “The Art of Plating” on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Local chefs and the Todd Maserati Alfa Romeo luxury auto dealership will present fancy food and cars.

The dealership is at 52 Newtown Road in Danbury.

The alliance is also offering the dream date for foodies and car buffs.

Fresh appetizers will be prepared by local chefs. The event will also feature chefs from six restaurants serving small dishes prepared on site.

Proceeds will benefit the alliance and its work to promote arts and culture in support of the regional economy.

Reservations are limited. Tickets are $40 per person, and $75 for two people.

The tickets are available at https://cawct.org/the-art-of-plating.

The Philanthropic Educational Organization PEO Chapter G Ridgefield is having a Linens and Lemonade fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday at the Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center in Ridgefield to help women continue their education desires, dreams at all stages via grants, scholarships, and loans.

There will be free parking and refreshments.

A local collector of vintage linens and quilts has donated over 100 items that will be sold to benefit the PEO. Quilt toppers, quilts, linens, embroidery, tatting and more will be available for purchase.

PEO is also an international philanthropic organization that financially supports women who pursue continuing education at all levels.

Financial support is offered through grants, scholarships and low-interest loans to make continuing education accessible to thousands of recipients annually.

The organization is accepting cash, checks, and the Venmo app as methods of the donations.

The Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center is located at 152 Main St. in Ridgefield.

All of the items have been donated by one of the organization’s chapter’s sisters, who has collected the items for over 50 years.

The Music at the Museum concert series, a collaborative effort by Keeler Tavern Museum and the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra, is finishing out the summer season with two performances in the coming weeks.

These free concerts bring world-class musicians to Keeeler Tavern.

Harmonia V, a classical and contemporary woodwind quintet, will perform at 6:30 p.m. Monday. Musicians include Jennifer Berman, flute, Janet Rosen, oboe, Jim Forgery, clarinet, Jackie Joyner, bassoon, and Robert Hoyle, horn.

At 6:30 p.m. Aug. 29, bring chairs or blanket and set up on the lawn in front of Keeler Tavern’s Visitor Center patio for the Angry O’Haras, a group with roots in classic bluegrass that defies categorization.

The concerts are free and open to the public. No registration is required.

The Jewish Community Center in Sherman and Candlewood Trading Company are bringing the center’s first upcycling home decor workshop to fruition at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The event will be three hours and feature ways to elevate used or vintage household items into home decor pieces.

The cost is $40 per person. The cost includes materials. No experience is necessary.

The group will be limited to 10 participants, or less.

The instructor will be Amber Vlangas.

Tickets are available to be purchased at https://www.jccinsherman.org.

Participants will choose from provided materials to create the participants own version of one of two possible projects.

- A farmhouse pedestal dish, or bowl, or a decorative planter.

The group will be limited to 10 participants or less.

Masks are optional. Participants may bring their own food and beverages.

The center is located at 9 Route 39 South in Sherman.

Arts Escape is accepting online registration for arts classes at its location at 493 Heritage Road, Suite 4C in Southbury.

A full day pastel workshop will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20. “Pastel- From Sketch to Final Painting” taught by Jane Penfield is appropriate for those students that have some experience with pastels and/or want to learn beyond a drawing class to become adept at this medium. During this full-day workshop students will learn a pastel underpainting technique to establish solid composition and values. They will leave with a final pastel painting from their own reference photo.

Penfield, pastel artist, serves as president of the Connecticut Pastel Society and is a past president of Arts Center East in Vernon. Her work evokes the constantly changing elements of the natural world.

The “Abstract, Oils, Cold Wax and Collage” workshop taught by Diane Brown is appropriate for all students interested in exploring the medium of oil and cold wax. During this full-day workshop students will experience the process of mixing and creating different textures and layers using different tools and papers. The workshop begins with a demonstration of the process by the instructor. The class is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Aug. 22.

Brown is an award-winning media artist, specializing in Oil & Cold Wax. She exhibits in New England, Oregon and in NYC.

For more information on supplies and registration, please go to the website: Arts Escape - Enriching and Serving Communities in the Arts or call us at 203-586-1474.

The town will distribute funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to community based organizations. To file an application, please contact arpa.cct@gmail.com or send a written request to the Office of the First Selectman ....

Justin Stock is a photo editor, editor, photographer, photojournalist, journalist, writer, reporter and content manager with a passion for all aspects of the field of journalism. He graduated from the University of Arizona School of Journalism with a major in journalism and a minor in communication. He is a news assistant for the New Canaan Advertiser.