State offers training for safer elections

LITCHFIELD — The 2024 Governor’s Emergency Planning and Preparedness Initiative (EPPI) will take place June 12.

Extended voting hours, with the addition of early voting for the upcoming election cycle, may leave polling stations vulnerable to disruption. The upcoming EPPI training aims to alleviate the strain on Town Halls by properly preparing municipal workers for crisis response protocols ahead of time.

Hosted in collaboration with the Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS), there will be two sessions available June 12: in the morning from 9 a.m. to noon, and in the evening from 6 to 9 p.m.

This training will focus on inevitable emergency procedures. The goal will be to educate town leaders on best practices for managing disruptions during the voting process.

Scenarios will test the response capabilities of representatives. selectmen, town managers, information technology officers, emergency responders, town clerks, registrars of voters, political party committee chairs, and polling site moderators are all encouraged to attend.

If not already in place, towns will receive guidance on creating an election emergency contingency plan along with a local emergency operations plan. These plans will determine the roles and responsibilities of key personnel during a crisis while laying out the procedure for declaring an emergency, an evacuation plan, and a hazardous materials response protocol.

Municipalities will learn how to test all communications means and identify alternate avenues for communication if needed. Public messaging tips will be provided, including how to relay information to non-English speakers.

More information on EPPI can be attained by contacting DEMHS at demhs.eppi.questions@ct.gov.

Latest News

Paul Winter to celebrate the winter solstice at Saint James Place

The Paul Winter Consort will perform at St. James Cathedral in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Saturday, Dec. 21.

Photo by Matthew Muise

Seven-time Grammy winning saxophonist Paul Winter, with the Paul Winter Consort, will return to celebrate the Winter Solstice on Saturday, Dec. 21, with sold out shows at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Saint James Place, 352 Main St., Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

A uniquely intimate solstice celebration, in contrast to the large-scale productions done for many years in the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York, it promises to deliver everything audiences have come to love and expect.

Keep ReadingShow less
Developers withdraw application to expand Wake Robin Inn

Wake Robin Inn is located on Sharon Road in Lakeville.

Photo by John Coston

LAKEVILLE — Aradev LLC has withdrawn its application to the Planning and Zoning Commission for a special permit to redevelop the Wake Robin Inn.

In a letter submitted to P&Z Chair Michael Klemens on the afternoon of Tuesday, Dec. 17, law outfit Mackey, Butts & Whalen LLP announced its client’s withdrawal.

Keep ReadingShow less
North Canaan antique mall fills resale niche

The 403 Group is located at 403 Ashley Falls Road, where the old This N’ That for Habitat used to be.

Photo by Robin Roraback

NORTH CANAAN — The 403 Group Antique Market is “A hidden secret, a little off the beaten path, but worth the drive,” said Carey Field, who has a booth called “Wild Turkey” there.

“It’s a really fun group of dealers,” Field said. “A really eclectic group of antiques and the prices are reasonable.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Shooting the breeze with Christopher Little

Martin Tandler

Little with his dog, Ruby.

"What I really feel lucky about is having had the chance to meet and photograph so many people who had a real impact on our lives,” said Christopher Little whose new memoir, “Shooting the Breeze: Memories of a Photojournalist” was just released. The book is as eclectic and colorful as the man himself and offers an intimate look into Little’s globe-trotting career spent behind the lens, capturing some of the most iconic figures, events, and human stories of the past half-century.

In 2021, the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at The University of Texas acquired Little’s photographic archive.

Keep ReadingShow less