🌱Referendum Vote Today + Congratulations To The VRHS Band and Chorus

Hello again, friends! I'm back in your inbox this morning with your fresh edition of the Essex-Chester-Deep River Patch newsletter. Here's what you need to know about what's happening in the community today. Today you'll find news about...

• Congratulations to the Valley Regional High School band and chorus.
• Looking for a new job?
• Vote today!

But first, today's weather: Cloudy with a shower or two. High: 55 Low: 42.

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

1. Congratulations to the Valley Regional High School band and chorus, who did fantastic at their festival trip to Washington D.C. The choirs reportedly took four gold awards and the
   the band also took a gold award. The jazz band took a silver award. Alexa Calegari took most outstanding vocal soloist, and Elliot Stack most outstanding instrumental for his accompanying the choirs. Elijah Gopalakrishnan was given a special award for representing the soul and the heart of the music festival. Congratulations to all who participated and a huge thanks to Mr. Lam and Ms. Hilton for all their hard work and dedication. Great job students you make out community proud! (Valley Regional High School via Facebook)
2. "Businesses across the Essex-Chester-Deep River area are looking to fill openings on their staff, and we've rounded up some of the best local job openings added within the past week. Whether you’re looking for full-time, part-time or temporary work, plenty of employers are hiring. We've compiled a list of recently posted jobs in the Essex-Chester-Deep River region, as powered by ZipRecruiter, to help in your job hunt. Click on any job title to learn more, or to apply." (Essex-Chester-Deep River Patch)
3. Don't forget to vote! The referendum is today for the master plan of improvements to outdoor athletic facilities at John Winthrop Middle School and Valley Regional High School. According to zip06.com, "Proposed improvements at VRHS include the stadium complex, baseball and softball fields, upper field, practice field, and tennis courts. At JWMS, the proposal includes two soccer fields. Additionally, the plan calls for the construction of two new soccer fields with parking lots on the north side of the VRHS campus. The $9.96 million project would be paid for through a 20-year bond. If approved, the bond would not impact the 2023-24 budget, according to [Superintendent Brian] White. Payment would fall into the Region 4 debt service line in the following year’s budget." (zip06.com)

From our sponsor:

Today’s Essex-Chester-Deep River Patch newsletter is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. T-Mobile has invested billions to light up their best network ever, covering 99 percent of people in America with LTE, which helps to keep communities like ours informed and connected. We thank T-Mobile for their support and for making today’s Essex-Chester-Deep River Patch newsletter possible.

Today in Essex-Chester-Deep River:

• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Get Free Stuff And Great Perks Every Week (8:30 AM)
• Children's Book Week: Star Wars Scavenger Hunt (9:00 AM)
• RiverFire Glass Garden Flowers (3:00 PM)
• RiverFire Glass Garden Flowers & Stakes (6:00 PM)
• Shell & Bee Studio: Candle Making (6:00 PM)
• Unique Eats and Eateries of Connecticut (7:00 PM)

In partnership with T-Mobile:

Do you know an incredible mom you'd like the rest of Essex-Chester-Deep River to know about, too? Maybe it's your mom — or your daughter, a friend who's a mom or someone who steps up like a mom for the people in her life. Whoever it is, we want to hear about her! Just fill out this simple form and we'll do the rest.

From my notebook:

• Deep River Fire Department: "Welcome home Valley Students! Great job! Chester Hose Company Inc." (Deep River Fire Department via Facebook)
• Chester CT Historical Society: "Must have been a slow week for news, that last weekend of April in 1963 (60 years ago!). But we kind of like this newspaper photo of a small fishing dock on Chester Creek at Ferry Road. We wonder how good the fishing was then." (Chester CT Historical Society via Facebook)
• Essex Library: "Recordings of all Money Smart Week 2023 events are now available at www.moneysmartweek.org and include options for English and Spanish captions. Recordings of ALL past MSW events are available at www.moneysmartweek.org/past-events" (Essex Library via Facebook)
• Essex Library: "Free score webinar: http://ow.ly/Jwij50NY8Qc Enhancing Business Competitiveness with a SWOT Analysis Tuesday, May 23, / 2:00-3:30 p.m. With SCORE Mentor Eric Munro, learn to identify your small business’s SWOT – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunity." (Essex Library via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Get Free Stuff And Great Perks Every Week (May 2)
• Your CBD Store | SUNMED - Clinton! BOGO WEDNESDAY! (May 3)
• SMOS Meeting May 5, 2023: First Selectmen’s Mtg (select Shoreline Towns) (May 5)
• Open House for Outdoor School (May 6)
• Dancing and Great Food with String of Pearls Big Band! (May 12)
• Micro Shorts presented by Shoreline Playwrights in Collaboration with Drama Works Theatre (May 19)
• Add your event

Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll see you soon.

— 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