On this day 13 years ago, twenty-six people—teachers, students, and school staff—were gunned down, their lives taken in a senseless act at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. May we take today to pause, reflect, and honor the twenty-six people who lost their lives that day, including Vicki Soto, a first grade teacher and Stratford resident. You can learn more about who Vicki was, what she stood for, and how her legacy remains strong and vibrant through the Vicki Soto Foundation.
Leading with love, that is what Vicki did in her classroom, and that is what Mayor Chess asked of our community when he opened the final town council meeting of the year on December 8th following his inauguration. You can read more about last week’s town council meeting in Andy’s article. The monthly Town Council meetings, as announced by Mayor Chess, will now be live-streamed. The next meeting will be held on January 12, 2026 at 7pm. If you missed the inauguration, you can watch the recording on YouTube.
Luz’s column this week urges each of us to consider our value during this time of gift giving. We are on the fast track this week, in Jim’s article, and reminded that Metro North in Connecticut will not raise fares come January, but you should read his column, because there is more to this story. In the Poetry Lounge this week, Adrian’s piece, A Kind of Snowfall, offers us a kind of….
As our Stratford community life goes on, sometimes too fast to catch our breath, may we also remember and help find Gaby Flores, a 16-year-old, missing since November 28th. To pause and ask, maybe quietly in our hearts or out loud – what will emerge from this, from me?
Wishing all who celebrate a Happy Hanukkah!
