Qunico sponsors ‘Ugliest Boiler’ contest
Quinoco Energy Services, a 145-year-old business in Bristol and one of the oldest family-owned and -operated energy companies in the state, today announced the launch of the company’s “Ugliest Boiler” Contest.
Quinoco expects the contest to attract several hundred entries from homeowners across their Litchfield and Hartford County territory who are eager to upgrade their outdated home heating systems to today’s high-efficiency equipment.
The fuel-neutral contest, which is open to home heating oil, natural gas and Propane consumers in Quinoco’s service area, runs from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31. First place finisher will receive a new high efficiency boiler or furnace. Secon place, $1,000 off the installation of a new boiler or furnace. Third place $750 off the installation of a new boiler or furnace.
To enter, homeowners, who need not be Quinoco Energy Services customers, must submit a photo of their existing boiler, along with a completed entry form. Entries may be submitted online at quinoco.com/uglyboiler.
Throughout the contest, select entries will be posted to Quinoco’s Facebook and Instagram account so that entrants can get a sneak peek at their competition. The winner will be announced the week of Nov, 6.
City announces city hall and transfer station hours for holiday
City Hall and the Bristol Transfer Station will be closed on Monday, Oct. 9, in observation of Columbus Day. There will be no curbside collections (rubbish, recycle, yard waste) on Monday. All curbside collections will be delayed by one day, with Friday collections being completed on Saturday, Oct. 14.
The Transfer Station will be open and operating under regular hours, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Saturday, Oct. 7 and Saturday, Oct. 14.
Wheeler’s golf classic postponed until mid-October
The 38th Annual Wheeler Golf Classic, presented by Mutual of America, has been postponed because of poor weather, for the safety of golfers, volunteers and Country Club of Farmington staff, For the safety of our golfers, volunteers, and Country Club of Farmington staff, said John Sponauer, vice president of marketing communications and philanthropic giving, in an email. The new date is Wednesday, Oct. 18.s
“I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, and we hope to see you on a beautiful fall day in October,” he writes, and adds that more details will follow.
Wheeler receives grant to address developmental outcomes in children from birth to 5 years
Bristol is one of the five Wheeler community health centers to benefit from a two-year, $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA).
The grant will help Wheeler improve developmental outcomes for children ages birth through 5 years through increased screenings and follow-up care.
Details about the program are available through Wheeler’s Navigation Center at 860.793.3500 or toll-free at 888.793.3500.
New prescription drug program begins Monday
All residents of the state will be eligible to receive savings on certain prescription drugs when the state’s prescription drug discount card program begins on Oct. 2.
The program, established by a provision of Gov. Ned Lamont’s health care affordability bill (Public Act 23-171) approved by the General Assembly and signed into law in June, is administered by the Office of the State Comptroller.
Connecticut residents who want to receive an ArrayRx discount card can fill out the form that is available online at arrayrxcard.com. A valid physical Connecticut address and e-mail address are required to enroll.
The card will be provided to consumers digitally via e-mail and can be downloaded to smartphone wallets. It is anticipated that the card can be used at approximately 98 percent of pharmacies in Connecticut.
“Rising costs make accessing health coverage a barrier for far too many people, and entering Connecticut into this multi-state consortium is a way to provide the residents of our state some savings on the medications they need to stay healthy,” Lamont said in a release from his office announcing the launch.
Under the direction of Comptroller Sean Scanlon, Connecticut has entered into the multi-state consortium known as ArrayRx, which also operates in Nevada, Oregon and Washington.
In Connecticut, the discount card is available for free. When purchasing prescription drugs, residents present the card at their pharmacy and they can receive savings of up to 80 percent on certain medications. All FDA-approved drugs are eligible for a discount.
Some examples of savings using the ArrayRx discount card on commonly filled prescription drugs in participating states include:
| Product Name | Approximate Cash Price* | Approximate Price with ArrayRx discount* |
| Omeprazole (20 mg – 30 tablets) | $93.01 | $12.27 |
| Atorvastatin Calcium (40 mg – 30 tablets) | $127.32 | $9.89 |
| Hydrocodone Bitartrate/Acetaminophen (325 mg / 5 mg – 12 tablets) | $24.92 | $6.70 |
| Lisinopril (30 mg – 30 tablets) | $28.51 | $8.38 |
| Amlodipine Besylate (5 mg – 30 tablets) | $50.64 | $8.22 |
*This is the approximate cost at the time of publishing and is subject to change. | ||
For more information on how the ArrayRx discount card works, including a list of frequently asked questions and a drug price lookup tool, visit arrayrxcard.com.
NAACP to sponsor meet the candidates program
The local chapter of the NAACP will sponsor a “Meet the Candidates” program Tuesday, Oct. 3, in the Manross Memorial Library’s conference room at 6 p.m.
This year’s municipal election includes candidates running for mayor, city council, Board of education and tax assessor offices. It will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 7. from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at all local polling places.
Connecticut Energy Assistance Program accepting applications
The Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) is now accepting applications through May 31, 2024. CEAP helps Connecticut residents afford to heat their homes. Applications for CEAP typically take 30-45 minutes. Basic benefits towards heating bills range between $180 and $530. Benefits are usually paid directly to the utility company or fuel supplier. Households that heat with deliverable fuels like oil or propane may be eligible for additional free tank fills.
Residents may also qualify for heating shut-off protections, become eligible to sign up for a payment plan to reduce primary utility heating costs, and receive free heating equipment replacement and/or repairs.
The program is administered by Connecticut’s Department of Social Services in partnership with local Community Action Agencies (CAAs) throughout the state.
In Bristol, CEAP applications are available at HRA, 55 South St., (860) 356-2000. Email: energyapp@hranbct.org.
Connecticut residents that meet the following may be eligible: already receive food stamps (SNAP), SSI, TANF or other benefits from the Department of Social Services and have an annual household income falls at or below 60 percent of the state’s median income.
Fall leaf bag collection to begin mid-October
Fall Leaf Bag Collection will begin Monday, Oct. 16, and will run through Friday, Dec. 1., Public Works announced earlier this week.
The release asks residents to bring leaf bags curbside as soon as they are filled and to leave them curbside until collected. Leaf bag collection is available to all city residences eligible for curbside rubbish and recycling services.
Leaves are only collected in brown, recyclable, paper leaf bags that are available at most home and garden stores. There is no maximum limit to leaf bag collection at a residence.
Leaf bags containing dirt, sand, rocks, sod, or materials other than leaves will not be collected.
Leaf bags must be placed curbside and not within the residence’s property for proper collection. Loose leaf piles will not be collected.
City begins inspections of residential properties for 2027 revaluation
Tyler Technologies has been chosen to inspect Bristol properties in preparation for the 2027 revaluation, the city announced recently.
The inspections are scheduled to begin on or around Sept. 1 with completion by late spring 2026.
All field personnel shall have visible clip-on identification cards, which shall include an up-to-date photograph. In addition, all field personnel shall carry a “Letter of Introduction” signed by the City’s Assessor Thomas DeNoto.
The list of properties includes approximately 20,600 parcels and data from the inspections will be posted in the city’s 2022 Live Vision 8 revaluation database.
Connecticut law requires assessors to revalue all property at least once every five years and specifies the processes and methods they must follow. The last reevaluation was October 2022.
Affordable internet access through national connectivity program
Earlier this summer, over 300 local and national organizations joined Civic Nation and the U.S. Department of Education to launch Online for All, a campaign that provides internet access, affordability, and equity for students, families, across the country.
To see requirements and apply, go to the Online for All site and follow the screen instructions. Click here. Or go directly to the FFC’S Affordable Connectivity Program website, to find out qualifications for reduced or free high-speed internet. Click here.
An estimated 28 million households in the U.S. do not have high-speed internet at home, and two-thirds of these households are offline because they need help affording an available internet connection, according to the release on the U.S. Dept. of Education website.
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