North Stonington Update 7-2-2020
Hello North Stonington,
Some maybe unaware but this week a “North Stonington for Black Lives” protest was announced to be held in North Stonington. This is not a town event, however, we were very pleased that the organizer of the event took the step of reaching out to us to announce the event and intends to work with us to plan a peaceful and organized event. This week we have fielded a couple of calls from concerned residents about the event. For those unfamiliar with these events, it is incredibly helpful when the town works with the groups to help facilitate a peaceful, kind, and meaningful conversation with the community. These events have been happening in recent months in our neighboring communities such as Stonington, Ledyard, Westerly, & Norwich among many more.
As someone who has attended a protest, I can tell you they are not only peaceful, but enlightening. You are likely to hear from neighbors speaking at these events who will talk to you about their heartfelt life experiences. I have spoken with some folks this week who feel that all lives matter, and that they are fearful of looting and riots taking place. If you are one of these people, you may be interested in attending this event to learn about the movement and how it has affected people locally in town. While looting and riots certainly did happen in some big cities early on, the vast majority of protests have been peaceful and reflective. There are people of all ages including children and elderly who are in attendance. These groups are made up of all nationalities. While there are no guarantees of peace, we can say with certainty that when you work together with organizers, the outcomes are favorable. You can have faith the town will work with event organizers to make sure they are heard safely and with local troopers to be sure we have adequate coverage for the event. For those who choose to attend this we would highly encourage wearing a mask as masks have been proven to slow the spread of COVID, hence why there have not been substantial outbreaks in many areas where protests took place. The majority of protesters wear masks. For those wanting information about the protest you can search for the details on the organizers Facebook page using this link https://facebook.com/events/s/north-stonington-for-black-liv/301390167573977/?ti=ia
Speaking of social media, we would like to thank the moderators at the North Stonington Town Group Facebook page for their years of continued service and communication in the town. They have served admirably “moderating” many difficult conversations over the years and tried hard to help facilitate meaningful dialog while showing what good the Town of North Stonington stands for. Thanks to those who have stepped up to this task over the years, past moderators Lisa Mazzella and Laura Tillinghast, and current ones Courtney Gumbiner, Jen Peterson, & Breeze Floyd. We are thankful to these groups and groups like the North Stonington Forum for helping communication out about things in town when we often lack news coverage due to budget and staffing cuts at local newspapers. The Town is always looking for ways to better communicate with all residents so if anyone has suggestions on new or different ways to expand our reach please reach out with your ideas.
Everyone should have received their tax bills in the mail this past week. As a reminder, we have encouraged everyone to mail your tax payments or pay electronically through our website https://www.northstoningtonct.gov/tax-collector . For those who would still like to come and pay in person, the tax collector is available this month Monday-Friday from 9am-4pm. Tax payments will be taken at our “tax window” pictured here:
The Town Hall remains open by appointment by simply calling 860.535.2877 between 8:00-4:00pm Monday-Friday. We will be closed Friday in observance of Independence Day. The Transfer Station will be closed on Saturday this weekend as well.
This week the highway crew dug out an old sidewalk and paved a new one at the old middle/high school in preparation for voting to take place in the coming months there. Dead trees were cut and removed on Kingswood, and a new tree and grass was planted. A cashier window was installed at the town hall and line markers were updated for distancing protocols. Boombridge and Anthony roads were mowed. A few more social distancing signs were placed around town. Next week chipsealing will begin on Putker and Button Roads. Mowing and tree trimming will continue.
On July 3rd the Governors rules on gathering change. As of tomorrow they are as follows…
Effective July 3
Indoor private gatherings – 25 people
Outdoor private gatherings – 100 people, one time exception for graduations at 150 people
Outdoor organized gatherings (e.g. fireworks, concerts in municipal parks) – 15 feet of space blanket to blanket, cap of 500 people. Event organizer responsible for compliance with guidance.
Outdoor event venues (e.g. amphitheaters, race tracks) – 25% of fire capacity and distancing
https://portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus/Covid-19-Knowledge-Base/Latest-Guidance
While the restrictions continue to loosen we can’t emphasize enough continuing to wear masks when distance cannot be kept. We have done well in Connecticut due to adherence to this and hope to continue that trend into the future. Masks are proven to reduce the spread of COVID so please stay safe and take care of yourself and your neighbors.
That’s it for today. We hope everyone has a safe and happy Fourth of July.
Mike Urgo
First Selectman