🌱Get Your Tickets For VRHS Musical + Irish Go Bragh Parade!

Hey, friends. It's Monday in Essex-Chester-Deep River and I'm back in your inbox to get you caught up on all the most important things happening locally, including news on...

• Have you purchased your tickets for the VRHS musical?
• Time for the Go Bragh Irish Parade!
• Sixteen-year-old helps write two bills in the General Assembly.

But first, today's weather:

Sunny to partly cloudy. High: 50 Low: 28.

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

1. It's that time of year again for the annual Valley Regional High School musical. This year's show is "Little Shop of Horrors." It will be presented March 10 through 12 with shows at 7 p.m. Friday evening, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday and a Sunday matinee at 1 p.m. Tickets are on sale for $15 each at VRHS and Celebrations in Deep River. Hope to see you at the show! (Valley Regional High School)
2. Get ready for the Essex Go Bragh Irish Parade which will be held on March 25 in downtwon Essex. The parade will step off from the town hall at 11 a.m. The Grand Marshal will be Anthony Mosa. Come and march in the parade if you like! Hope to see you there! (Town of Essex – Government via Facebook)
3. Making a real difference, Bobby Callagy is the 16-year-old behind two bills in the General Assembly’s Environment Committee that would declare a climate emergency in Connecticut. Callagy, a junior from Darien, co-authored the bills calling on his experience in the state legislature to advocate for more youth involvement in government. Working with State Representative Christine Palm along with geologist and environmentalist Roger Kuhns and other members of the Connecticut branch of the Citizens Climate Lobby, they drafted the legislation which was born from Callagy's frustration that plastics were not clearly labeled for recycling. Callagy’s proposal in HB 6814 is easy. It calls for standardized simple messaging. Recyclable products would receive a green “R” and compostable products would receive a corresponding green “C.” Non-recyclable items would have a circle with a line running through it. Additionally, the bill would establish a grant program to encourage manufacturers to transition to non-plastic packaging alternatives. Callagy continued collaborating with Palm and Kuhns to help write HB 6397, “an Act Concerning-Zero Carbon Emissions. (Hartford Courant)

From my notebook:

• Chester CT Historical Society: "Here's a look back at the warm days of late summer and the Chester Fair. These photos, dated 1968, show scenes from a Solar Lodge Chicken BBQ fundraiser. What are some of your favorite memories of the fair?" (Chester CT Historical Society via Facebook)
• Ivoryton Library Association: "Please join us for a book discussion on March 21. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ownvoices-book-discussion-we-are-not-here-to-be-bystanders-tickets-518872219777" (Ivoryton Library Association via Facebook)
• Tri-Town Youth Services Bureau: Here’s a quick little reminder about the Student Leadership Project happening at JWMS! Bins are located at the Ivoryton and Deep River libraries for your convenience!" (Tri-Town Youth Services Bureau via Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Monday off right. I'll be in your inbox tomorrow morning with 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