🌱 Chester Block Party Coming Up + New Principal At Essex Elementary

Hey, everybody! It's me, Karena Garrity, your host of the Essex-Chester-Deep River Patch newsletter. Come along for everything you need to know about what's going on in town these days. Today you'll learn about these stories and more:

• Chester block party.
• Gargano Pasta & Italian Market in Old Saybrook has closed.
• New Essex Elementary School principal.

But first, today's weather: Sunshine; breezy, less humid. High: 84 Low: 58.

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

1. On Aug. 12, the first-ever downtown Chester Block Party celebrating all the wonderful merchants, artists and restaurants in the Chester community will be held. There will be limited edition beer releases, live T-shirt printing, a beer booth, an array of food from the many Chester restaurants — including Otto Pizza, River Tavern and The Pattaconk — double chocolate stout cupcakes from The Drunk Alpaca and more. Hope to see you there! (Facebook.com via events)
2. The Garganos, who own and operate Grano Arso in Chester, announced Tuesday via their Facebook page, that their business, Gargano Pasta & Italian Market in Old Saybrook has closed. The business, which sold pasta and specialty Italian products, was only open for one year. (CTPost)
3. Essex Elementary School will be opening its door for the first day of school this year with a new principal in the office. As of Aug. 7, David Kitzman is the new Essex Elementary School principal. He was appointed by the Essex Board of Education at the Aug. 1 meeting. According to Zip06, "Kitzman has served nine years as an elementary and middle school teacher, three years as a middle school assistant principal, and five years as an elementary principal, and he is currently the director of Early College and Career Pathways at ReadyCT where he served for the 2022-’23 school year." (Zip06.com)

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Today in Essex-Chester-Deep River:

Friday, August 11

• Family Karaoke Afternoon (3:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Essex Steam Train & Riverboat: "We always enjoy a visit from our friends at FOX61 and Jimmy Altman! As one of the most interesting places to work in Connecticut, we are hiring qualified candidates in all departments." (Essex Steam Train & Riverboat via Facebook)
• Tri-Town Youth Services Bureau: "Question of the week! Let us know in the comments how you know us! " (Tri-Town Youth Services Bureau via Facebook)
• Town of Chester Connecticut: "Chester Land Trust (CLT) will host an invasive plant education program at Carini Preserve (30 Water St.) on Aug. 19, starting at 10 a.m. (rain date: Aug. 26). This free program will focus on Japanese Knotweed (JK) identification." (Town of Chester Connecticut via Facebook)
• Rotary Club of Chester, CT: "Only a month until one of Chester's biggest parties! Come for the and stay for Cherry Pie Band and lawn games!" (Rotary Club of Chester, CT via Facebook)
• Chester Public Library: "Kids! Summer Reading is almost over! Turn in your completed Bingo Cards or Bookmark Trackers by NEXT WEDNESDAY, Aug. 16, to be entered into our Grand Prize Drawing for a HoneyCone Gift Card OR a Chester Fair Ride Bracelet!" (Chester Public Library via Facebook)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed. See you all tomorrow for another 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