August 8: National Assistance Dog Week, National Farmers Market Week

1. It will be partly sunny today with a high temperature near 85 °F. There is a 50 percent chance of rain, with thunderstorms possible. The wind will come from the north at speeds between 5 mph and 10 mph. It will be mostly cloudy tonight with an overnight low around 65 °F. The wind will come from the north at speeds between 5 mph and 10 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

2. Today is the second day of National Farmers Market Week, proclaimed by the United States Department of Agriculture. Follow this link to find out more about National Farmers Market Week and find a list of farmers markets in the area.

3. August 7 through August 13 is International Assistance Dog Week, which recognizes all the devoted, hardworking assistance dogs that are helping transform the lives of people with physical and mental disabilities. Many of these dogs are considered heroic for the deeds they perform for their owners as well as the companionship they provide. For more information about assistance dogs, visit Assistance Dogs International, The International Association of Assistance Dog Partners and Working Like Dogs.

International Assistance Dog Week (IADW) 2011 has a new public service announcement on TV. The announcement tells people about IADW, gives them the event dates and the Web site address and shows assistance dogs in action. The 30-second announcement can be found on YouTube.

4. The popularity of assistance dogs to help children with literacy skills seems to be on the rise. Libraries routinely call in these dogs, from organizations including READ (Reading Education Assistance Dogs) and Allan’s Angels, to help kids gain confidence in reading aloud by providing a non-judgmental audience. For recent Patch articles about these dogs, and .

5. Bloomfield’s Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation promotes increased independence for blind men and women by providing them with high-quality guide dogs. Fidelco offers tours of their campus on the first Tuesday of each month. These tours, called , take place from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. If you’re interested, contact Jan Adams at 860-243-4801 or at jadams@fidelco.org.

Mark your calendars as Saturday, Oct. 1 is Fidelco’s annual Fall Gala and Auction, which takes place at the Hartford Golf Club in West Hartford. For details, visit Fidelco’s Web site.