Portland Library giving away books

PORTLAND — Seventy-five children and teenagers will be given two new books each for free this summer with help from the Portland Library, thanks to the commitment of Marilyn White and Jennifer Renk.

“It’s so important for children to have books in their home,” said White, a board member of the Friends of the Portland Library. “This is going to be a great opportunity.”

After a different summer program for the Chatham Court area was canceled because of a lack of funding, Renk, supervisor of youth services for the Portland Library, knew she wanted to do something to take its place. The program came through last minute after Eversource reached out to make a donation.

“The staff at the Portland Library really has a passion to help those around them and it’s admirable,” said Eversource Community Relations Specialist Patricia Bandzes. “I’m proud that Eversource could be part of this initiative to help purchase books. Handing out books to the community is really empowering our youth to read.”

With the grant, the Portland Library staff can purchase 150 books, enough for each person to take home two. There will be a variety of books available for age groups from birth to 18. Some of the books include “Cardboard Kingdom,” “The Bad Guys,” “Very Hungry Caterpillar,” “Eva’s Treetop Festival” and “First Rule of Punk,” to name a few.

Lauren Incognito of the Portland Housing Authority had a huge hand in connecting the library to families in that community. With her help, the library staff is still planning the final details of the program, but they hope to hand out books at Chatham Court on Monday.

DRS to hold Family Fun Day in Portland

PORTLAND — Disaster Restoration Services, a member company of DKI, North America's largest disaster restoration contracting organization, is hosting a Family Fun Day at Portland Riverfront Park on Sept. 15, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

The event will include carnival games, a cornhole and jousting tournament, a bounce house, live music, crafts and food. The National Women in Roofing (NWiR) will also be hosting a Stuff-A-Truck to provide supplies for the Arthur C. Luf Children’s Burn Camp.

Tickets are available in advance for $10 per adult, or $5 per child, or you may purchase at the door for $5 more per person. All proceeds from the event will be given to the Connecticut Burns Care Foundation to provide lodging, meals and activities for the Arthur C. Luf Children’s Burn Camp.

The Arthur C. Luf Children’s Burn Camp is a safe, natural outdoor environment for children 8 to 18 who have survived life-altering burn injuries. To learn more about the camp, visit www.ctburnsfoundation.org.

DRS will be collecting donations for Stuff-A-Truck as well as for their tea cup raffle. Sponsorships are also available. If you are interested, contact DRS Vice President Tammy Strong at 860788-6822 or tammy@drscleanup.com.

Car show benefits Cat Tales group

MIDDLETOWN — Cat Tales presents The Fast & The Furriest Annual Car, Truck & Bike Show on Sunday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Middletown High School, 200 LaRosa Road, Middletown. The rain date is Aug. 19.

The Fast and the Furriest show is a day filled with cars, trucks and bikes from various years, manufacturers and styles. There will also be informational and product vendors, raffle prizes, delicious food, a DJ, bounce house and trophies. All proceeds benefit abused, homeless and abandoned cats and kittens within the community. For more information visit http://www.cattalesct.org/fast-and-furriest-carshow/ or call 860-344-9043.

Cornhole Charity Challenge Monday

CENTERBROOK – Community Music School will present its first annual Cornhole Charity Challenge at 6 p.m. Monday on Essex Island. Join them for live music and southern BBQ and see local charities face off in a friendly cornhole competition. BYOB and family friendly. The event is presented by Guilford Savings Bank, and proceeds will benefit scholarships and outreach programs at Community Music School.

Event tickets include live music and all food: $25/adult, $12/ kid, ages 5 and under free. Teams of two can enter the cornhole competition for $20. Rain or shine; covered area available. For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit www. community-music-school.org/ cornhole or call the school at 860-767-0026.

Meeting House Players to hold auditions

CHESTER — The Meeting House Players are holding open auditions for Norm Foster’s funny, fast-paced and heartwarming story of friendship “The Ladies Foursome.”

Auditions will be held at 7 p.m. Aug. 28-29 in the Meeting House at 4 Liberty Street in Chester.

The story: Four women gather for a round of golf in honor of their friend on the day following her funeral. As the foursome plays through, secrets unravel, and confessions come to the surface during this hilarious and heart-warming round of golf.

The ensemble cast of four women range in age from late 30s to 60. Those auditioning will be asked to read from the script. The production will run for five performances, opening at the Meeting House in Chester on Nov. 2 and continuing Nov. 3, 9-10.

For more information contact the director, Debbie Alldredge, at 860-526-3684 or email TheMeeting-HousePlayers@ gmail.com .