Enfield Express
The Enfield Express drive-thru for tax services and dog licenses opened to the public on Monday, June 29th. During the first day, 532 residents used the Enfield Express from the convenience and safety of their car! Thank you to the Tax Assessor and Town Clerk staff for their hard work in making the Enfield Express a success. The Enfield Express is open daily 9 to 5. Watch our website for expanded services in the upcoming weeks!
The Town Hall continues to be open by appointment only. If you need to conduct your business in person, please call the department you wish to schedule your visit in advance.
Department of Social Services
The Enfield Child Development Center (ECDC) has opened successfully and is now serving 143 children for the summer. Classroom capacities have increased to 14 for preschool and school age children. We continue to limit access to the building for safety of children, families, and staff. Staff has thought of creative ways to keep the children active by including nature walks, water play and yoga in their lesson plans. We are happy to be able to accommodate all of our families that chose to return for the summer.
The Family Resource Center restarted in-person Learning through Playgroups at Stowe on June 22nd. They will continue to run through the month of July on Tuesday through Thursday mornings. Virtual playgroups, story times, and Grandparent and Parent Support Groups continue to be offered for families who are not ready to return in-person.
The Youth & Family Service’s Youth Center opened up this week with 16 youth. The basketball/gym cohort will open Monday, July 13th and is completely full for ages 13 to 18. We are planning to open up a second basketball cohort later in July from 5:30 to 7 with time to clean and disinfect in between session. For more information, please contact Youth Services.
Library
The Enfield Public Library reopened to the public on Monday, June 22nd. Due to the guidelines from the State, a number of things have changed. All patrons and staff are expected to wear masks, plexiglass has been installed at all of the public service desks and social distancing reminders are posted throughout the library. Our allowed occupancy has been reduced by 50%, while this doesn’t impact the Central Library in most instances, the Pearl St. Library is available by appointment only due to the small size.
We held our Summer Reading Kickoff by having patrons drive through the parking lot and receive registration information as well as a free tee shirt. We also had a virtual performance by Jester Jim that more than 100 people attended. Take and Make Summer Reading crafts will be distributed on July 15th and 29th. The annual Tie Dye program will be held for kids on August 5th and Children’s staff are working on a town-wide scavenger hunt. Our virtual story times will continue throughout the summer. Our book clubs continue to meet virtually and we are exploring further outdoor programs for the summer.
Senior Center
While we are waiting for the State to provide guidance on how Senior Centers can operate in the Reopen Connecticut plan, we have developed a number of programs that can be done safely from home.
The Senior Center had a Puzzle Hunt for the entire month of June. Individuals registered with the center and then were giving clues to 4 bags hidden with puzzle pieces around the grounds. They put their puzzle together at home and then posted the finished project to our Facebook page. We have ongoing “Take It and Make It” programs where crafts are available for curbside pickup. The Senior Center has also partnered with Wreaths at Home to provide materials to be picked up curbside for Seniors to put together at home, either individually or with instruction via a Zoom class. On June 30th the Senior Center held a reverse parade. Over 100 Senior participants drove by the center to say hello. Individuals were giving a copy of “the Blue Book” created by the Commission on Aging and a surprise sweet treat. The Senior Center is starting a Pen Pal program with 2 local Girl Scout troops. Seniors who register for this program will receive monthly correspondence from a local Girl Scout.
We are currently coordinating our Ask the Realtor, Legal Consultation and Ask the Lawyer programs so that participants can get answers to their questions over the phone. We have partnered with Bay Path Occupational Therapy students so that seniors can participate in Tele-Health programs about exercise, nutrition, occupational therapy and mindfulness exercises. A Virtual Dementia Caregivers group affiliated with Hartford Health is available 4 times per week. Harford Healthcare will be providing a 4-week Health Brain series throughout July.
We continue to offer recreational and cultural programming online. Virtual Bingo, Scattergories and Coffee Hours with Senior Center Staff have all been successful. Three different online theater performances about Eleanor Roosevelt, Helen Keller and Hedy Lamar were recently held. We partnered with Friendship Tours to put on a virtual concert featuring the music of Italian Crooner Aaron Caruso and Tours of Distinction will be working with us on an online Trivia Night. Zumba classes are available virtually every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Grab and Go meals, provided by CRT, have been ongoing. People can pick up meals for an entire week every Monday. Our Medical Equipment Loan program continues to operate. All equipment is sterilized and quarantined prior to being distributed.
Recreation
Due to COVID-19, a modified version of our traditional Tons-O-Fun Summer Camp is being offered this summer for seven weeks at the Enfield Annex. The program is filled to capacity with a total of 275 Enfield youth participating in games, crafts, sports and more.
Daily swim sessions are being held at the Angelo Lamagna Activity Center Pool in three, two-hour sessions. For Enfield residents only, the pool is open 12:00 – 7:00 PM, Sunday-Saturday. Residents are strongly encouraged to register in advance to reserve their space as capacity in the pool areas is limited. For complete details and to register, visit the Recreation homepage.
A three-week Stroke Clinic for the Dolphins Swim Team will be held at the Enfield Annex pool beginning on July 13th for returning Dolphins swimmers. The clinic provides returning team members the opportunity to prepare for the Fall/Winter swim season. Pre-registration is required and spaces are limited.
Information on new programs, including Skyhawks Sports Camps, Pre-school Martial Arts Clinic, Babysitter Safety Course, Field Hockey Camp, and Adult Self Defense will be out next week. All classes will be held in the month of August. Pre-registration is required and spaces will be limited.
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Our staff and I are available to assist you and will continue to provide services. Please continue to check our website for updates. For alerts from the Town of Enfield, please go to https://enfield-ct.gov/List.aspx to sign up for Notify Me and select Public Notices. Follow Enfield Town Manager on Facebook and on Twitter.