🌱 Butter Jones Will Be Playing At Cedar Lake + Closer To Free Ride

Hey, neighbors! I'm back with your new copy of the Essex-Chester-Deep River Patch newsletter, fresh off the presses. Let's get this day started off right, with a quick guide to everything you need to know about what's happening in town. Today's briefing includes...

• High water levels and debris shut down the Chester Ferry.
• 13th Annual Closer to Free Ride on Sept. 9.
• Butter Jones at Cedar Lake.

But first, today's weather: Showers and a heavier t-storm. High: 83 Low: 70.

Here are the top stories in Essex-Chester-Deep River today:

1. Rising water levels and copious amounts of debris in the Connecticut River caused the Chester Ferry to close down operations Wednesday. According to NBC Connecticut, "Tony Mirabelli, who captains the Chester-Hadlyme Ferry said, 'We have a lot of commuters that use our boat during the week, so we made that first run and then as the water got higher and higher, it wasn’t safe for us to dock on either side, so unfortunately we had to shut down.'" (NBC Connecticut)
2. Support the 13th Annual Closer to Free Ride on Sept. 9 for the Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center. The United Church of Chester will be one of the rest stops on the 100-mile route and volunteers are needed in the morning from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For more information click here or contact the church office at 860 526-2967 or at unitedchester@uccchester.org. (Town of Chester Connecticut via Facebook)
3. As part of the Chester Parks and Recreation Department Sunday Summer Concerts, Butter Jones will be playing this Sunday, July 16. The concert will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Cedar Lake. All are welcome to attend this free event. Hope to see you there! (Chester Summer Concert Series)

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Today in Essex-Chester-Deep River:

Friday, July 14

• Little Mermaid Scavenger Hunt — Meet Ariel! (10:30 AM)
• Shell & Bee Studio: Botanical Drawing Workshop (6:00 PM)
• DRAM Tattoo (7:00 PM)
• Deep River Ancient Muster (All Day)

From my notebook:

• Ivoryton Library Association: "Our new display! Thank you, Sue McCann!" (Ivoryton Library Association via Facebook)
• Tri-Town Youth Services Bureau: "Young Adult Connection Community Beach Party happening this Saturday at Hammonasset! Have questions? Reach out to tbernard@namict.org" (Tri-Town Youth Services Bureau via Facebook)
• Essex Library: "Our Stories in the Stitches craft program with the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History is next Wednesday, July 19 at 4 p.m.! Like a good book, quilts can tell so many stories!" (Essex Library via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• Bastille Day celebration! (July 14)
• Summer Marketplace (July 23)
• Add your event

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Friday! See you all tomorrow morning for your next update.

— Karena Garrity

About me: Journalism is in my veins. I have been a community reporter for the better part of the past 20 years. I love my community and I am honored to be a part of Patch.com. You can reach me at; karena.garrity@patch.com.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Essex-Chester-Deep River Patch newsletter? Contact me at karena.garrity@patch.com