In summer, Madison Green a ‘magical place’

MADISON » As summer kicks off in Madison, there is a place where people enjoy each other’s company, try local food, enjoy beautiful scenery, shop, and listen to live music — Downtown Madison and the Madison Town Green.

The Farmers Market is ongoing every Friday during the summer from 3-6 p.m. and visitors can talk with local vendors about the goods at their tables. The locally sourced offerings include meats, seafood, cheeses, vegetables, baked goods, plants and flowers, snacks and more. Enjoy live music while you decide what to buy first. This is a familyfriendly affair!

On Saturday, June 17, join the Garden Club of Madison’s Civic Gardens Tour from 1-3 p.m. Start at the “Seaside Garden” at East Wharf Beach, then head up to 853 Boston Post Road to the Allis Bushnell House (Madison Historical Society). From there, move west to the Veteran’s Memorial Garden on the town green. It is then a short walk to the Deacon John Grave House at 581 Boston Post Road where the club members will have light refreshments. The free event will include members at the four locations to discuss the plantings, offer garden advise and share the history of the gardens. As an added bonus, wear your prettiest garden hat because there will be a prize for the best one!

Kicking off the following weekend on Friday, June 23, the Downtown Madison Merchants will host a Summer Solstice Celebration from 5-8 p.m. The event will offer food trucks, music, special sales, giveaways, and refreshments in stores.

On Saturday, June 24, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. the Green will be taken over by the annual Lions Club Flea Market & Bake Sale. One of the largest events of its kind on the shoreline combines a huge flea market with more than 130 vendors, an offering of home baked goods by spouses of the Lions and some great deals under our tent of tagged merchandise. Lions are pleased to be joined by the famous ABC Tag & Bike Sale. Food and beverages will be available during the day.

The Madison Bike Share is back for the summer. This program provides local residents and tourists alike the opportunity to explore the town on two wheels. Bicycles, helmets and locks are available to rent for $12 a day at four locations: Creations (712 Boston Post Road), Madison Beach Hotel (94 W. Wharf Road), Scranton Seahorse Inn (818 Boston Post Road), and Tidewater Inn (949 Boston Post Road). Individuals must be 18 or older to rent a bike or accompanied by an adult. The 2017 Bike Share season will run through early October. Coming the first weekend of July is the Cultural Arts Concert on the Green on July 1; Fireworks on July 3; and the Parade on July 4!

State mosquito monitoring underway

KILLINGWORTH » The State of Connecticut Mosquito Management Program has announced that the seasonal mosquito trapping and testing program coordinated by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) began on June 5.

The program monitors the types, numbers and locations of mosquitoes and tests them for the presence of viruses that can cause illness including West Nile virus (WNV), Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus (EEE) and Zika virus.

First test results will be available starting mid-June.

There are 91 mosquito-trapping stations in 72 municipalities throughout Connecticut, including one in Killingworth. Mosquito breeding picks up as the weather warms.

According to the CAES, WNV infected mosquitoes are historically identified early to mid-July each year while EEE is not expected until later in the summer.

CAES has indicated that it is unlikely that Zika infected mosquitoes will be identified but they will be testing for it.

According to the Connecticut Department of Public Health, the current threat of Zika virus infections among Connecticut residents is the result of travel to Zika affected areas and sexual transmission from infected men to their partners, not from local mosquito transmission.

Last season, CAES trapped and tested over 170,000 mosquitoes and identified WNVpositive mosquitoes collected at trap sites in 20 towns in 4 counties (Fairfield, Hartford, New Haven and New London).

For more information on WNV and EEE, what can be done to prevent getting bitten by mosquitoes, and the latest mosquito test results and human infections, visit the Connecticut Mosquito Management Program web site at www. ct.gov/mosquito. For more information on Zika virus, please visit www.ct.gov/zika.

Contact the Killingworth Health Department at 860663-1765 x223 should you have any questions or need any additional information.