Business owners, managers, event organizers, et al, are encouraged to contact shannon@thebee.com to be added to this list. Updates to current information are also invited.

New This Week

With Connecticut Phase 2 reopenings launched on June 17, many locations have been able to reopen or loosen COVID-19 pandemic precautions.

Newtown Community Center plans to begin a phased reopening on Monday, June 22. The center will offer a modified summer program schedule beginning. A summer brochure can be found on the center’s Facebook page; additional information is also available at newtowncommunitycenter.org. Community Center staff is available to answer the phones (203-270-4349) between 8 am and 4:30 pm.

Newtown Park & Bark reopened on Wednesday, June 17, with new guidelines in place. The park at 23 Old Farm Road is currently limited to 20 people at one time. A parking permit is required; visit newtown-ct.gov or call Parks & Recreation at 203-270-4340. Ambassadors will be on site, checking on the number of visitors and for parking permits. There are no public restrooms.

Parks & Recreation programs and activities will begin opening in the upcoming weeks. Summer programs for ages 4-13 will be available, with limited spaces, beginning June 29; COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions will be in place.

Organized sporting activities are postponed indefinitely. Scheduled field use will resume when schools reopen.

Eichler’s Cove was scheduled to reopen Thursday, June 18, and Treadwell Park pool is scheduled to reopen Monday, June 22. COVID-19 guidelines will be in place at both locations. There is a reduced cost for pool and beach memberships this year due to the shortened season.

The 2020 Sandy Hook LobsterFest was formally canceled during Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company’s annual meeting on June 15.

Businesses And Organizations

Big Y World Class Market, 6 Queen Street, is opening at 7 am for senior citizens, 8 am for everyone else, and remaining open until 8 pm daily, until further notice.

C.H. Booth Library remains closed. It is offering limited curbside service for items to be borrowed or returned, with reservations only. See this week’s Library Notes for information on online programs including virtual book clubs for all ages, reading challenges, and even an upcoming virtual concert.

Caraluzzi’s Newtown Market, 5 Queen Street, is open from 6:30 until 7:30 am daily for shoppers age 65 and over, and from 7:30 until 8 pm for all, until further notice.

The market has added curbside pickup for essential items. The service is currently only in Newtown, and is “just the essentials for now.” Customers use their Care Cards to access the online program, select and pay for items online, choose a pickup time, and Caraluzzi’s employees load everything into the customer’s vehicle. While there will be a $4.95 fee for curbside pickup in the future, the fee is currently being waived, according to the store’s website. Visit caraluzzis.com/curbside-pickup for details.

Cornerstone Ministry at Newtown Congregational Church is closed until further notice.

Edmond Town Hall is closed until further notice. Building staff continue to work on cleaning and special projects throughout the building, and administrative staff continues to work including answering calls (203-270-4285) and e-mails (manager@edmondtownhall.org).

ETH is now offering virtual and drive-in movies. For additional information visit edmondtownhall.org.

EverWonder Children’s Museum is closed until further notice. Visit its Facebook page for activity suggestions.

FAITH Food Pantry is operating by appointment only. Call 203-426-5604 or 203-837-0816 to make an appointment to pick up food, toiletries, pet supplies, etc. Those who wish to donate to the pantry also need to call for an appointment.

FISH of Newtown, Inc, the volunteer medical transportation service, has canceled service until further notice, for the protection of clients and drivers.

Girl Scouts of Connecticut including Girl Scouts of Newtown has suspended all activity and meetings.

The office of The Newtown Bee, 5 Church Hill Road, has reopened. Visitors must wear a mask to enter the building. Connect over the phone (203-426-3141) or through e-mail (editor@thebee.com for Editorial concerns or sherri@thebee.com for sales/classified and other content). When the weather cooperates, copies of the print edition are sold on a cart outside the front door. Papers are $1 each, and an honor box is on the cart. If it’s raining and you’d like a copy of The Newtown Bee, call the office and someone will walk one outside. To subscribe to The Newtown Bee visit newtownbee.com; to subscribe to its sister paper, Antiques And The Arts Weekly, visit antiquesandthearts.com or call 203-426-3141 for either publication.

Newtown Bridge Club is hosting virtual games at 10:15 am daily, at bridgebase.com. Master points are awarded. The 4th Annual Longest Day Event, a fundraiser for The Alzheimer’s Association, will be a virtual event this year.

Newtown Community Center, 8 Simpson Street, remains closed. The center has announced it will offer a modified summer program schedule beginning Monday, June 22. See details under New This Week (above).

Newtown Continuing Education programs have been postponed. Contact NCE Director Jennifer Arnold at continuinged@newtown.k12.ct.us with questions.

Newtown Municipal Center, 3 Primrose Street, is open by appointment only. Residents and other potential visitors should contact a department they wish to do business with before going to 3 Primrose Street. Contact information for each department is available at newtown-ct.gov.

In addition, town offices include Newtown Community Center, Parks & Recreation, and Newtown Senior Center at 8 Simpson Street; and Newtown Police Department at 3 Main Street (see additional PD notes below).

The Newtown Public Works & Engineering departments, 4 Turkey Hill Road, are open by appointment only. Call 203-270-4300 to schedule an appointment, including arrangements for compost bags or recycling bins.

Newtown Parent Connection has suspended in-person meetings of its support group. Virtual meetings continue to be held: the Bereavement group is meeting on Tuesdays at 7 pm, and the Milford/Fairfield Hope & Support virtual meetings are Wednesdays at 7 pm, and Newtown Hope & Support meets Thursdays at 7 pm. The online meetings are scheduled to at least the end of June. Visit newtownparentconnection.org for sign-in information for each of the groups. Those who need individual assistance should call 203-270-1600.

Newtown Police Department has adopted its own social distancing protocols, including asking residents and others to not visit 3 Main Street unless it is an emergency. Call 911 in the event of an emergency, but use the department’s routine phone line (203-426-5841) for all other calls.

Those who do go to the station will be directed to an internal phone in the lobby, from which they will be connected to an officer.

The records window is closed until further notice; requests can be made over the phone, via e-mail, and via USPS. Car seat installation service is suspended until further notice.

Fingerprinting services are available on Wednesday afternoons by appointment only, call 203-270-4234.

The department is also asking that the public hold off on visiting with gifts and/or treats until further notice.

The Newtown Public Schools buildings are closed through the end of the 2019-20 academic year. The last day of school for students and staff was Tuesday, June 16.

Newtown Senior Center remains closed until further notice.

Through CW Resources, the senior center’s meal provider, prepackaged lunches for senior citizens are available Monday through Thursday, with advance registration. Suggested donation is $3, cash only. Those who are not yet registered for the congregate meal program at Newtown Senior Center, which is required by CW Resources, can do so at the same time they pick up their first meal. Contact the senior center, 203-270-4310, to place an order for a lunch.

Newtown Youth & Family Services has closed its offices, but staff remains available for non-emergency calls. Contact NYFS’s answering service at 203-791-7332. Call 911 in the event of an emergency. NYFS has begun offering virtual and telehealth appointments, according to NYFS Executive Director Candice Bohr.

NYA Sports & Fitness Center will remain closed through the weekend; its website was updated this week to announce plans to reopend Monday, June 22. Virtual workouts are available through its website (NYAsportsfitness.com) for members. Free virtual offerings are also being offered to local healthcare workers.

Parks & Recreation programs and activities are on a limited summer schedule. See New This Week, above, and go to newtown-ct.gov for details on summer programs and beach/pool updates. Parks reopened on May 20, with limited use. Pavilion rentals remain suspended.

The Resiliency Center of Newtown is open by appointment only; call 203-364-9750.

Stop & Shop stores, including the one in Sand Hill Plaza, 228 South Main Street, have special and curtailed hours. Customers age 60 and older and anyone with a compromised immune system are welcome between 6 and 7:30 am. The store is then open for all customers from 7:30 am until 8 pm. Online pickup has resumed; see notes at the top of this week’s column.

The Newtown store launched same-day pickup and delivery service in June. Visit peapod.com and select Delivery/Pickup Times at the Newtown address for details. There is a $2.95 fee for this service and a $30 order minimum.

The VNA Thrift Shop at Edmond Town Hall is closed until further notice.

Weaving Newtown sessions, Monday evenings at Newtown Congregational Church, are canceled until further notice.

Special Events

Saturday, June 20: The “2020 Caregiver Support & Education Series: Essence Health — Lavender for Stress” program at Church Hill Village has been canceled. A special Zoom event has been scheduled in its place; see the Community Calendar on page A-2 for details.

Wednesday, June 24: The 2020 Regional Economic Outlook Breakfast co-hosted by The Newtown Chamber of Commerce, People’s United Bank, and the Town of Newtown Economic Development Commission, originally scheduled for March 26 and then June 17, has been rescheduled to today. The event has been changed from an in-person seminar to a Zoom event, called “Pandemics & Pocketbooks,” and will take place from 8 to 9 am.

The free online event will feature guest speaker John S. Traynor (executive vice president and chief investment officer, People’s United Advisors), who will discuss current economic trends and how they may impact businesses and overall strategic growth plans.

Attendees must register in advance at bit.ly/PandemicsPocketbooks. Participation is free, but spaces are limited. Questions for Traynor may be submitted prior to the event by e-mail to helenbrickfield@newtown-ct.com, or during the event via Zoom’s chat feature.

St Rose of Lima Church Vacation Bible School has been canceled this summer.

This summer’s Newtown Ecumenical Workcamp Servants trip, planned for late June-early July, has also been canceled.

Saturday and Sunday, September 26-27: The 2020 Newtown Arts Festival has been canceled.