CHESTER - Routine repairs will be made on Bates, Cross, and Butter Jones Roads as well as Kirtland Terrace and Pleasant Street in Chester. Repairs will begin in mid-July and end in late August.

CHESTER - Chester Village West, which is the home to over 120 people, is expanding. The 105 home community announced late last month that they have added 2,100 square feet to their complex. The new additions include a convenience store, arts center, barber/beauty shop, a woodworking studio, and renovations to the dinning room, fitness center, and pool.

OLD SAYBROOK - One of the most recognizable symbols of Old Saybrook and Long Island Sound, Saybrook Breakwater Light, has been put up for sale by the federal government. Saybrook Breakwater, also called the "Outer Light," is one of two lighthouses built off Lynde Point in the nineteenth century. The other structure, generally called the "Inner Light," is located at the mouth of the Connecticut River and is not for sale.

OLD LYME - Residents of Old Lyme voted unanimously to authorize $200,000 from the undesignated surplus account to cover extra expenses in the Town Hall renovation project, overturning a negative town vote recorded May 19.

OLD SAYBROOK - What was once the Coulter Street landfill will soon be the new Founders Memorial Park, a community recreational area with views of the Connecticut River. The park is anticipated to be opened sometime in the fall.

LYME-OLD LYME - The Building Committee presented its final recommendation to the District 18 Board of Education last week, the result of nearly 6 months of research and debate.
Their design option for the new Lyme-Old Lyme High School, nicknamed 2C, calls for the complete renovation of the academic wing with some additions of new space. 2C was one of three finalists, which also included 2H, a hybrid option, and 3, which completely replaced the existing academic wing.

OLD LYME - Previously unmonitored beaches will soon be patrolled by an all-terrain vehicle owned by the Old Lyme Federation of Beaches, leased by the town and operated by its police officers. At a meeting last week, the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to support a lease program whereby Old Lyme policemen would patrol the private beaches in town late at night.

REGIONAL - Near the top again.
Middletown's Middlesex Health System Inc. (Hospital), which has operated a clinic (that many people consider a branch hospital) in Essex for 38 years, has once again been named to the list of the "Top 100 Hospitals" in America. The hospital was originally chosen for the list in 2005.

REGIONAL - Near the top again.
Middletown's Middlesex Health System Inc. (Hospital), which has operated a clinic (that many people consider a branch hospital) in Essex for 38 years, has once again been named to the list of the "Top 100 Hospitals" in America. The hospital was originally chosen for the list in 2005.

ESSEX - Matt Caiazzo, a 17 year old Eagle School and senior at Valley Regional High School is doing his part to help out the Veterans of Essex. As part of his Eagle Scout duties, Caiazzo is working with the veterans to help identify and mark grave plots that belong to fallen soldiers.

DEEP RIVER - The town of Deep River has announced its interest in buying a parcel of land adjacent to Devitt Field at 251 Main St. The property, which went on the market about a month ago, is .26 acres and is listed at $219,000.

WESTBROOK - In a time when most Americans are celebrating their centuries-old independence from foreign rule, one Connecticut manufacturer is celebrating its burgeoning independence from fossil fuels. The Lee Company, which has its headquarters in Westbrook, inaugurated its massive solar energy system late last month.

OLD SAYBROOK - The leaders of Old Saybrook are hoping to improve their town's future - by looking to its past. By drawing on the old components of a classic New England settlement, officials hope to bestow upon Old Saybrook an antique sheen, making the town more attractive to its current and prospective residents.

ESSEX - The search for the town of Essex's next health official has begun. Christopher Goff had previously held the part-time position for 26 years before he resigned due to increasing time demands of job. The town has been operating without a health official since April, but position has been vacant since Goff's resignation in April.

ESSEX - The Connecticut Critics Circle awarded the Ivoryton Playhouse the award for Best Musical, for the Playhouse's production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat". The award was shared with the Goodspeed Opera House for their production of "1776".

DEEP RIVER - From all across the country and as far away as Switzerland, over 50 drum corps and fife bands will partake in the 55 Annual Deep River Muster and Tattoo.

OLD SAYBROOK - Two good turns (or DVDs) deserve a third.
Resident historian Bob Czepiel, who has written, produced and directed two acclaimed video documentaries, is already hard at work on a third.

OLD SAYBROOK - The sewer question in Old Saybrook might finally be resolved, thanks to a new draft report.

ESSEX - Carpooling, to save on high-priced gasoline, will soon get better.
The state Department of Transportation is building a large new commuter parking lot between Routes 9 and 154 at exit 4, near the Deep River town line.

ESSEX - Once thought to be permanently lost from the Connecticut wildlife scene, the peregrine falcon is making a comeback.

OLD SAYBROOK - Two good turns (or DVDs) deserve a third.
Resident historian Bob Czepiel, who has written, produced and directed two acclaimed video documentaries, is already hard at work on a third.

ESSEX - Running every Friday, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m., the Annual Farmer's Market in downtown Essex is back.
Sponsored in part by the Griswold Inn, the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, and the Essex Board of Trade, the market is comprised of five local farmers, which include New Gate Farms in East Granby, Roseberry Farms from South Glastonbury, a florist from Madison, and two other local farmers.

ESSEX - A long-time member and fixture in the community of Essex, Justus Paul, passed away June 21 at the age of 87.
Paul graduated from the Loomis Institute in Windsor in 1938 and Yale University in 1942, attending both on scholarships. He also served in the U.S. Army during World War II and moved to Essex in 1958.

ESSEX - The now year-long "Search for the Turtle" - David Bushnell's Revolutionary War submarine - has not yet produced the hoped for results, but a new Turtle, believed to be an exact replica of Bushnell's creation, is expected to make its debut "within the next week or two."