<p>Today, Mayor Roberto Alves announced that the City of Danbury is set to acquire the historic Fairfield County Courthouse at71 Main Street&nbsp;from the State of Connecticut, pending final approval from Governor Ned Lamont. This transfer marks a major step forward in preserving a landmark property in the heart of downtown Danbury.</p><p>Mayor Alves has been eyeing the Courthouse since taking office and has collaborated with our state delegation on a conveyance of the property from the State of CT.&nbsp;</p><p>The property is expected to be transferred to the Citywith the understanding it will be repurposed for public and local services.</p><p>In anticipation of this decision from the State of CT, Mayor Alves and the City of Danbury applied for Brownfield money through WestCOG to begin an environmental assessment. Today, WestCOG confirmed that the City of Danbury will receive $200,000 for this assessment, the first step in redeveloping the property for community benefit. Mayor Alves expects to complete the environmental study and then apply for remediation funding from WestCOG as part of the Brownfield grant program.</p><p>“Danbury’s application specified that this assessment would enable the City to create future uses of the property for municipal office space, educational opportunities, and so much more,” continued Mayor Alves, who has envisioned the old courtroom&nbsp;space to be used as a learning opportunity for students conducting mock trials.</p><p>Danbury also received $200,000 in Brownfield funding for environmental assessment work at 13 Barnum Court, a former hat manufacturing site. The assessment will help identify potential end uses and the necessary clean-up work to return the site to productive use.</p>

<p class="ql-align-justify">June&nbsp;12, 2025:&nbsp;Fairfield County Bank&nbsp;partnered with&nbsp;Central Connecticut State University&nbsp;(CCSU)&nbsp;through a $5,000 donation&nbsp;for their recently-announced Banking Excellence Programpartnership, which connects the&nbsp;University and Connecticut’s&nbsp;top financial&nbsp;institutions&nbsp;to uniquely prepare graduates for a career in&nbsp;financial services.</p><p class="ql-align-justify">The Banking Excellence Program&nbsp;provides&nbsp;an additional certificate for&nbsp;students, helping set them apart from others in the job market upon graduation and&nbsp;is currently accepting applications&nbsp;for the first cohort beginning in Fall 2025.&nbsp;The&nbsp;Program&nbsp;consists of four&nbsp;elective courses taken during junior&nbsp;and senior year covering&nbsp;a wide range of industry-specific topics such as risk management, credit underwriting, bank performance metrics and more.&nbsp;Roughly 60% of program funding will come from participating banks, with the&nbsp;rest&nbsp;supported by theAmerican Savings Foundation&nbsp;Endowment.</p><p class="ql-align-justify">Classroom instruction is supplemented&nbsp;through&nbsp;a paid internship offered by one of the participating financial institutions, such as Fairfield County&nbsp;Bank, which&nbsp;will&nbsp;provide&nbsp;students with valuable workplace&nbsp;and networking experience.&nbsp;Industry leaders will be&nbsp;presenting regularly&nbsp;and hosting class visits throughout each semester.&nbsp;</p><p class="ql-align-justify">“The Banking Excellence Program&nbsp;is an exciting way to engage the next generation of up-and-coming&nbsp;bankers. We look forward to&nbsp;welcoming&nbsp;interns&nbsp;from the program&nbsp;as a valuable addition to our existing internship offerings,” said Fairfield County Bank President, Daniel Berta.&nbsp;Mr. Berta is also an adjunct professor at Western Connecticut State University (WCSU), teaching&nbsp;FIN 100 in the Ancell School of&nbsp;Business.&nbsp;“I’ve&nbsp;seen first-hand the&nbsp;interest and ability of our college&nbsp;students, and how valuable it would be to introduce them into Connecticut’s banking industry&nbsp;prior to graduation.”</p><p class="ql-align-justify">Connecticut State Universities offer&nbsp;students the ability to take classes at another State University&nbsp;and seamlessly transfer credits, meaning that WCSU students interested will also&nbsp;have&nbsp;the opportunity&nbsp;toparticipate in the Banking Excellence&nbsp;Program.</p><p class="ql-align-justify">To learn more&nbsp;about the&nbsp;Program and CCSU, please visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ccsu.edu/programs/banking-excellence-certificate" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);">https://www.ccsu.edu/programs/banking-excellence-certificate</a></p><p><br></p>

<p>Mya Pellicone was named to The University of Alabama Presidents List for Spring Semester 2025.</p><p>A total of 14,289 students enrolled during Spring Semester 2025 at The University of Alabama were named to the&nbsp;<a href="https://email.meritpages.com/ss/c/u001.g63uWesTOoMiEDvepx4RZbW4H-9dzuXeegiP8xdN18sNxM0TExwBC2_POUjseXFwvq00lptJg2dk6CG83R4RwPfoX8843m-YqERSaL7YnYo/4h9/x17IWId8T3eFh-xcoZgR4A/h0/h001.8iC-bHFZ-VyNHSTNw3uF2TZm_d4Jws9WBFAuqmXz8Bo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dean's list</a>&nbsp;with an academic record of 3.5 (or above) or the&nbsp;<a href="https://email.meritpages.com/ss/c/u001.g63uWesTOoMiEDvepx4RZbW4H-9dzuXeegiP8xdN18sNxM0TExwBC2_POUjseXFwvq00lptJg2dk6CG83R4RwPfoX8843m-YqERSaL7YnYo/4h9/x17IWId8T3eFh-xcoZgR4A/h1/h001.e8q16A-w-ZPaxNw6LKcIQois_8B29glDC6PT-POxb8A" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">president's list</a>&nbsp;with an academic record of 4.0 (all A's). These driven students are making waves across UA's more than 70 undergraduate programs and 12 colleges and schools.</p><p>The UA dean's and president's lists recognize full-time undergraduate students. The lists do not apply to graduate students or undergraduate students who take less than a full course load.</p><p>For more information visit&nbsp;<a href="https://email.meritpages.com/ss/c/u001.g63uWesTOoMiEDvepx4RZR6D8LlsIyTvBvT_9tGhYvgk87eC-plokwhwzFn6v7p2e1b8tzKI-gDHgojJDl4GlHbSs3-1er1EMGkTArE0XlTXXd8o6uBePQR_ZHe21FYp/4h9/x17IWId8T3eFh-xcoZgR4A/h2/h001.CPDvV2fJjifoji6uwFD5k-5OeUY1ffhP2WR5FwZffzc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">news.ua.edu</a>.</p>

<p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Danbury Library is proud to announce that it has received one of the inaugural 2025 Excellence in Public Libraries Awards from the Connecticut State Library, recognizing the library’s outstanding commitment to Accessibility and Inclusion.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">This prestigious award celebrates the library’s innovative Sensory Space, which officially opened on March 29, 2023, during the community’s Autism Awareness Ceremony.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Sensory Space was first envisioned in 2018 when Emanuela Palmares, a dedicated community partner, approached library leadership with a proposal to create a welcoming, supportive area for patrons with autism and other sensory processing needs. At the time, no other library in Connecticut offered a facility like this—positioning Danbury as a trailblazer in library accessibility.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Thanks to a state Construction Grant and generous support from the Friends of the Danbury Library and the local community, the library undertook a transformative renovation of its junior floor. The project included the installation of semi-soundproof glass walls and the design of a calming, inclusive space equipped with adjustable lighting and a thoughtful mix of active and passive sensory elements.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Since opening, the Sensory Space has seen remarkable engagement, with over 1,000 reservations made during the 2024–2025 fiscal year. The library continues to enhance the space based on user feedback and now serves as a model for other libraries across the state, providing guidance for those seeking to develop similar resources.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Library Director Katie Pearson expressed her gratitude for the award, stating:</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">"Receiving the inaugural Excellence in Public Libraries Award for Accessibility and Inclusion is a profound honor, reflecting our unwavering commitment to ensuring everyone in Danbury feels welcome and has equitable access to knowledge and resources. This recognition inspires us to continue innovating and expanding our services, fostering a truly inclusive environment for all."</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">State Librarian Deborah Schander also praised the library’s leadership:</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">"Connecticut's libraries are exemplars of innovation and community engagement. We are thrilled to recognize the Danbury Library with this new award."</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">For more information about the Sensory Space or other library initiatives, please contact Rodrigo Fuenzalida at 203-797-4505 ext. 7743.</span></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

<p>Danbury Public Schools is proud to announce key leadership appointments for the 2025–2026 school year: two new middle school principals and one new elementary assistant principal.</p><ul><li><strong>Andrew Lambo</strong> has been named Principal of <strong>Broadview Middle School</strong>.</li><li><strong>Mike Flynn</strong>, currently Interim Principal at <strong>Westside Middle School</strong>, has been appointed as the school’s permanent Principal.</li><li><strong>Jenny Lopez</strong>, currently Principal of the Reach &amp; Endeavor Programs, will serve as Assistant Principal at <strong>Stadley Rough Elementary School</strong>.</li></ul><p><strong>Andrew Lambo</strong> comes to Broadview from Danbury High School, where he served as Assistant Principal of the Art, Engineering, and Design Academy. With more than 12 years of experience in Danbury schools, he has taught first and third grade, as well as ninth grade special education. Following the pandemic, Lambo took on the role of Dean of Student Support, leading efforts to assist students during school reopening and fostering partnerships with community-based learning organizations. Known for energizing instructional teams, Lambo’s leadership has consistently driven strong academic outcomes. He will be a tremendous addition to the Broadview Middle School community.</p><p><strong>Mike Flynn</strong>, a 28-year veteran of Danbury Public Schools, began his career teaching at Great Plain Elementary School. Over 25 years, he instructed second through fifth grade, including bilingual classrooms. Flynn transitioned to middle school administration, first serving as Assistant Principal before stepping in as Interim Principal at Westside this past school year. The school community is pleased to welcome him as the permanent Principal.</p><p><strong>Jenny Lopez</strong> is in her 25th year as an educator. She began her career teaching elementary students in New York City, then became an administrator in Norwalk Public Schools. She later joined Danbury Public Schools as Assistant Principal at Stadley Rough Elementary before moving on to lead the Reach and Endeavor Programs, which support middle and high school students in alternative learning environments. A passionate advocate for elementary education, Lopez now returns to Stadley Rough to continue her leadership at the elementary level.</p><p>Danbury Public Schools congratulates these dedicated educators and looks forward to the continued success of the students and staff they will serve.</p>

<p>Bethany Archiere of Danbury was among more than 280 SUNY Oneonta students who earned Provost's List honors for the spring 2025 semester.</p><p>To qualify for the Provost's List, a student must earn a perfect 4.0 grade-point average while carrying a course load of 12 hours or more.</p><p> Learn more at&nbsp;<a href="https://email.meritpages.com/ss/c/u001.P9uBsNWLPUyJ9XkjQak3CZ8SyMYimzZvwK4lTfn8Leo/4h8/fO4mjiTqT3G-zkjsr0aKng/h0/h001.a-nm-m3p5-nkb8VcaFe5o5884dikTHGmlgXTfLXn13M" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://suny.oneonta.edu</a></p>