Happy Thanksgiving!
The Town of Enfield sends well wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving to our community! We are thankful for having a community that has come together to support one another during this challenging year. If you choose to gather with family, please remember to be safe. In addition, the CDC has provided guidance that will help you stay safe. Check out the state of CT COVID-19 Holiday guidance at https://portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus/Covid-19-Knowledge-Base/Holiday-Guidance.
Winter Farmer's Market
Please join us this Sunday from 11 AM to 3 PM at the Enfield Square Mall for the Winter Farmer’s Market! Our vendors will have fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs and meats, delicious baked goods, and handmade craft items for sale. Remember to wear a mask and practice social distancing. Please adhere to the traffic patterns at mall. Follow the market on Facebook and Instagram @EnfieldRegionalFarmersMarket for updates!
Community Garden Fundraising
In November, the Town Council voted to expand the Community Gardens in Town by adding 3 new locations and 100 plots! The new locations will be:
- Lafayette Park – Located on Hartford Avenue
- Green Manor Park – Located on Taylor Road
- Enfield Memorial Park – Located on 1010 Enfield Street behind the former Thomas G. Alcorn School
As a result of the garden expansion, the Town will be conducting another crowdfunding campaign this winter through the Sustainable CT Community Match Fund Program. Sustainable CT matches every dollar donated! We plan to use any funds raised to support the ongoing costs of the 6 community gardens in the community.
We would like to sincerely thank Kelly Fradet Lumber and Winstanley Enterprises for being the first partners in this endeavor and donating $1,000 each to this effort. We appreciate all that you do for our community! Thank you!
Stay tuned for information on how to donate and get involved coming in December. If you are interested in reserving a garden plot, please contact 860-253-6385.
Enfield Police Department
At the October 19 Town Council meeting, the Council voted to fund body-worn cameras, in-car cameras, and a storage platform, which were all requirements under HB 6004, the Police Accountability Bill. We are happy to share that the Office of Policy and Management has reimbursed the Town of Enfield $134,832 for the purchase of the cameras and equipment. This purchase allows us to equip every PD member with a body worn camera, every patrol vehicle with an in-car camera, replacement of Tasers, and provides the Town with cloud storage for all video evidence captured.
Senior Center
We continue to closely monitor guidance from the State and are making adaptations to programs as needed. Masks must be worn at all times when in the Senior Center, including during group fitness classes and in Prime Fitness.
The Community Health Center will be holding pop-up COVID-19 testing December 9th at the Enfield Senior Center. Please call 475-241-0740 to register.
The Senior Center will be having a craft fair the first week of December. It will be on a smaller scale and by appointment only. Participants may call for and appointment to shop for holiday treasures and handmade crafts. Please watch for upcoming information on our website, Facebook page and newsletter.
- Billiard tables: Available for two-hour blocks from 8 AM – 3:45 PM. You must pre-register and only two players are allowed per table.
- Gift Shop: Call to make an appointment to browse our gift shop. Get your holiday shopping done early!
- Computer Lab: Participants can sign up for 1.5-hour slots to use the computer lab.
Library
The Library is thrilled to announce that they will be continuing The Festival of Trees this year!
- What is the Festival of Trees? This year the Enfield Public Library will co-host a holiday gallery of trees at the library. The trees will be created by a variety of participants and will be on display at the Enfield Public Library until January 2nd.
- Who can participate in the Festival of Trees? Anyone (all ages) who lives, works, or goes to school or to the library in Enfield is eligible to participate. All you need to do is come up with a good idea for an artistic tree, and we will put your creation on display. Feel free to work on your tree in teams.
- Do I have to bring in a real tree? NO! In fact, we want you to make your tree from scratch. Think of any kind of interesting material you might have around that you can fashion into a tree of some sort. Maybe you can make a tree out of soda cans that you glue together? Maybe you can make your tree out of popcorn? Be creative and think of something that would not normally conjure up the idea of a tree.
- Are there any size/design requirements? Your tree should be free standing and should be no larger than 2 ft. wide by 1 ft. long by 3 ft. high. We have limited space for oversized trees. You can use any materials you like in creating your tree, but please note that we will not be able to guarantee that your tree will have access to an electrical outlet.
- When should I submit my tree? All trees should be submitted to the library by December 15th, and a form should be filled out when you drop off your tree.
On Wednesday, December 2, from 6:30 - 7:30 PM, join a Zoom session with Author Fred Sokol about his book "Destiny." Email lsprague@enfield.org for an invitation. On Wednesday, December 9th, from 2:30 - 3:30 PM, join the Library for an Online Senior Center Afternoon book discussion. Email kwerth@enfield.org for an invitation. The titles selected are available in eBook format. Physical copies can also be picked up at the Central Library circulation desk. https://libraryconnection.overdrive.com/lci-enfield/content/media/3829664.
Social Services
CHOICES Open Enrollment ends December 7th. Call the Elderly Services Care Coordinator at 860-253-6403 to make an appointment.
Cold-weather shelter supports are being done through the Greater Hartford Coordinated Access Network with which the Town is involved. Anyone in need of sheltering must call 2-1-1 before any help can be provided.
The Family Resource Center continues to hold weekly Learning through Play groups at the Stowe playground for children ages birth to five and caregivers. The Parent Educators have been offering Ages and Stages Developmental Screenings for children ages 2 months through 5 to help ensure children’s development is progressing and providing parents with resources to support this. The Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Group will meet virtually through the winter months and the Social Worker is providing regular individual check-ins to all members. Additionally, Family Child Care providers - and anyone interested in becoming one - are invited to connect with the FRC Hub for these providers.
Youth & Family Services
In partnership with John F. Kennedy Middle School, Youth Services is offering a Distance Learning Assistance program. The program offers academic support, technology assistance and case management services for students struggling with distance learning. Program referrals are made through JFK administration.
In recent weeks there has been an increase in referrals for social work services. As a result, the focus of collaboration with schools and community providers has been on finding ways to reduce stress for youth and families and to increase support. New challenges have been surfacing as less extra-curricular activities and services in the community are being offered in person. Clinical case management has been more focused on providing support through regular phone calls and virtual meetings. Social work services have continued with students at the Alternative Education Program.
The Enfield Together Coalition PSA committee has developed a series of vaping public service announcements that can be found on the ETC Facebook Page. A PSA was also created to describe the July CADCA conference that the ETC participated in virtually. To view the PSA, visit: https://youtu.be/2PuSzlh1BHQ.
Transportation
Enfield Transit Magic Carpet hours have returned to the regular schedule:
- Yellow Line runs from 7 AM to 7 PM
- Blue Line runs from 7 AM to 10 PM
- Saturday Line runs from 7 AM to 7 PM
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Recreation
In the past few days, the State of Connecticut has released new regulations on team sports for youth and adults. Effective 11/23/2020 – 1/19/2021, the DECD has enacted a “Team Sports on Pause” mandate. In line with this mandate, the following Enfield Recreation programs are suspended indefinitely:
• K-2 Instructional Basketball
• Enfield Youth Basketball League (EYBL)
• Fall/Winter Dolphins Swim Team • Youth Swim Lessons
• Adult Co-Ed Volleyball League
• Adult Open Gym Volleyball
• High School Open Gym Volleyball
• Adult Open Gym Pickleball (Annex)
• Adult Pickleball Sport and Social Club
• Adult Open Gym Basketball
We will continue to monitor the situation and hope to offer sports programming in the late winter/early spring, COVID-19 contingent. We are also working on some new programs and modified versions of our traditional programs that will meet the State guidelines. Please continue to check the Recreation website for the most up-to-date programming information. We thank you for your understanding and patience as we sort through this together. In the meantime, if you need to get a hold of us, please call 860-253-6420 or email Recreationsupervisor@enfield.org.
Sign up for Updates!
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.
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.