Dennis Bradshaw dedicated 20 years of his life to public service as a Monroe police officer before his retirement. He was the first K-9 handler on the scene during the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, later protecting its students in the driveway when they attended classes at Chalk Hill School in Monroe. He had decorated his cruiser to bring smiles and joy to the children, who were impacted by the tragedy.
He and his wife Carol, a bus driver for Newtown Public Schools for over 30 years, were enjoying their retirement, when the flooding of Aug. 18 destroyed their home in Sandy Hook and the couple narrowly escaped as the water rushed in.
The Bradshaw family still doesn’t know if they can rebuild on their property. Now the Monroe Police Union wants to be there for Bradshaw and his family in this period of uncertainty.
The union is organizing a pasta dinner at the newly opened Testo’s Ristorante, 505 Main St. in Monroe, at 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 14. Tickets to this event are $50 per seat and $500 per table. Purchases can be made through Venmo, @Monroe-CT-Police-Union.
Businesses who want to donate items to the silent auction are encouraged to send an email to [email protected].
A Fall Tag Sale
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 466 Elm St., is having an Autumn Tag Sale on Oct. 19, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., rain or shine. A variety of items will be on sale, including artificial Christmas trees and holiday decor.
Touch-A-Truck
The Monroe Volunteer Fire Department will host a touch a truck event at its firehouse at the corner of Moose Hill and Shelton roads (Route 110) this Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
This is a popular annual event giving families the opportunity to meet town firefighters in an informal atmosphere and learn about fire safety, while their children have fun climbing aboard fire trucks and other emergency vehicles.
The town is served by three volunteer fire companies, Monroe, Stepney and Stevenson.
Think Pink Palooza
The Think Pink Palooza & Cornhole Tournament will be held on the Monroe green this Sunday from noon to 3 p.m.
The event, which features speakers, music, other entertainment, food trucks and free games for children is the kickoff for October fundraising by Think Pink Monroe, a nonprofit that provides financial assistance to Monroe families impacted by cancer, spreads awareness on the need to get routine checkups and now offers support groups.
To learn more about Think Pink Monroe’s October events, to volunteer or make a donation, visit ThinkPinkMonroe.com.
Monroe Lions Shred Day
The Monroe Lions Club will hold its semi-annual Paper Shredding & Electronic Equipment Discarding Fundraiser in the Rite Aid parking lot, 435 Main St., at the intersection of Main Street and Route 59, on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 9 a.m. until noon.
The event gives residents an opportunity to rid themselves of all types of paper records — except spiral binders — and outdated computer and electronic equipment.
The requested donations to the nonprofit organization is $15 per box of paper, any size. The donation sought for cellphones is $10. Donations for electronic equipment begins at $10 with greater amounts depending on type and size.
Proceeds benefit the Monroe Lions Club’s scholarship fund for graduating Masuk High School seniors. For information, send an email to [email protected].
Trunk or Treat Car Show
A Trunk or Treat Car Show benefiting Special Olympics Connecticut will be held on Fireman’s Field on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Rain date: Sunday, Oct. 20).
The event is being organized by the Monroe Police Department and four car clubs throughout the region: Monroe Street Rodders, Round Town Cruisers, Trumbull Classic Car show and Connecticut Seaport Car Club with cooperation from the Monroe Volunteer Fire Department, which is allowing the use of its field, across the street on 18 Shelton Road.
The event is free for the public to attend and extra parking will be available at St. Jude Parish across the street.
A $15 entry fee for all cars and a bowl of candy to hand out to children are needed to participate in the car show with trunks decorated for Halloween. Participants without classic cars will park in a designated area.
For information, send an email to John Caruso from the Trumbull Classic Car Show or the Monroe Police Department at [email protected]. All proceeds will go to the Special Olympics.
Library Events
Edith Wheeler Memorial Library will host a Big Truck Day on Oct. 20, from 10 a.m. to noon, and a Halloween Parade marching from the library to Monroe Town Hall and the Monroe Police Department from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Oct. 31.
Harmony Grange
The Harmony Grange’s October newsletter can be accessed by clicking on this link.
Domestic Violence Vigil
The Center for Family Justice’s 3rd annual Regional Domestic Violence Awareness Month Vigil will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9, at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater in Bridgeport. This year’s theme is “Use Your Voice.”
The event will not only commemorate lives lost to domestic violence homicide in Connecticut in 2023, community groups and local leaders will reflect on positive changes they want to see in the world.
Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter will join CFJ President and CEO Debra Greenwood as emcee.
“We are excited to have Chief Porter and the Bridgeport Police partnering with us in our efforts to stop the cycle of abuse and violence,” said Greenwood. “It is critical for the community to come together as one voice to advocate for survivors and create lasting change.”
CFJ continues to face high demand for its free and confidential services for those impacted by domestic violence, sexual violence, and child abuse. The center serves more than 5,000 people from Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford and Trumbull.
The program, which will have education materials from advocacy groups and T-shirts, and will include performances from The Dance Workshop of Monroe among the entertainment.
The vigil is a free event. Food will be available for purchase from Dave’s Planet Pizza Truck. Guests are encouraged to bring a bag of Halloween candy, which will be given to client families.
For information, call 203-334-6154.
A 5K for Kindness
NEWTOWN, CT — The Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary’s 4th annual Race for Catherine returns Oct. 13. Teams and individuals of all ages are invited to participate in the 5K for Kindness walk or run on a USA Track & Field certified and timed course at the Fairfield Hills Campus.
The event celebrates the life of Catherine Hubbard, a passionate animal lover who lost her life during the Sandy Hook tragedy, and all proceeds will benefit sanctuary programs fostering the human animal bond.
“We are so excited to welcome back runners and walkers from all around the country for this year’s Race for Catherine,” said Jenny Hubbard, president of the CVH Animal Sanctuary and Catherine’s mother. “It’s so incredible to see people getting out and running to help us bring Catherine’s vision of a more loving world to life. We are so grateful in advance to everyone who can show up here in person and virtually across the nation.”
This year’s race features adoptable animals, family-friendly entertainment, collectable swag, a free breakfast and rescued wildlife ambassadors, including a falcon and a tortoise. A Kids’ Kindness Dash for children ages 3 to 9 will also be held.
The Race for Catherine can also be joined virtually, anytime and from anywhere, from Oct. 11 through Oct. 13. For more information, visit cvhfoundation.org.
Free CERT training
Joining the Monroe Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) provides an introduction to emergency services and the opportunity to help your community during storms and natural disasters. CERT is now offering a free 24 hour training program, which also covers course materials, to those age 18 and older.
Training sessions will be held on two Friday evenings and two Saturdays in October and November. Most sessions will be held at the Monroe Senior Center, 235 Cutlers Farm Road.
CERT Coordinator David York said CERT has been instrumental in providing vaccine clinics to the community, as well as assisting with all activities for the recent bicentennial, and assisting police officers with traffic control for Memorial Day parades and the CT United Ride.
When disaster strikes, CERT members provide assistance to first responders, including police, firefighters and the Monroe Volunteer Emergency Medical Services personnel, as well as shelter personnel, residents and neighbors.
Seven local members of Monroe CERT, all certified as CERT instructors by the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, will lead the sessions with local instructors from police, fire and EMS.
A minimum of 20 hours training is needed to join CERT. Volunteers will learn emergency skills, including disaster psychology, first aid, CPR, AED, fire safety, traffic control, hazardous materials awareness, emergency shelters, light search and rescue, disaster scenarios and terrorism response.
For information, email David York at [email protected] or call him at 203-650-8474. Classes are limited to 25 people, so those interested should register as soon as possible.
The class schedule begins with an orientation at the Monroe Senior Center on Thursday, Oct. 17, at 7:30 p.m. Training sessions will be held Friday evenings from 7 to 10 p.m. and Saturdays, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 25 and 26, and on Nov. 8 and 9. Graduation is Thursday, Nov. 21.
In addition to the Senior Center, some classes will be held at Monroe Fire Station No. 1. Other locations will be announced. The training is sponsored by Monroe Emergency Management and the Monroe Police Department.
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