Good evening, this is First Selectwoman Peggy Lyons with today’s weekly update.

I continue to be grateful that Madison has no new COVID cases in our community and no active cases in our schools. Thank you to all those residents who have done their part to assist our recovery by being vaccinated.

High School Graduation

A special congratulations to the Daniel Hand Class of 2021! The Board of Education will be conducting a graduation ceremony tonight on the Town Green starting at 6 p.m.;  Nite in Hand is scheduled for tomorrow night from 7 – 11 p.m. on the grounds outside of Daniel Hand High.  I want to applaud this amazing group of young people for your resiliency and perseverance during this very challenging school year.  You have endured many obstacles and missed out on so many traditional experiences but still made it to the finish line. We are proud of your accomplishments and wish you all the best in your future endeavors. 

Beach Operations

I know there was a lot of frustration with the traffic congestion at the Surf Club last Sunday.  The vast majority of people parking at our beaches this last weekend were either residents seeking relief from the heat, or residents and guests attending sporting events. The Town was host to a major lacrosse tournament that day, which brought in hundreds of visitors to our facility to watch the kids compete. In addition, Little League games were scheduled, requiring public access to many of the fields at the Surf Club.  This weekend, we will continue to host youth soccer, lacrosse and little league games at our athletic facilities. The youth sports season is expected to be concluded by the end of next week. 

In order to ensure adequate availability of parking for residents at our Town beaches this summer, the Town implemented a new parking policy that limits the number of non-resident visitor parking passes sold on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and holidays. We are always exploring new ideas to relieve congestion at our beaches, including a longer-term plan to add an alternative exit road onto Route 1. 

The state’s new ParkConneCT pilot program was launched recently as an initiative to provide Connecticut residents with free transportation to state parks and beaches this summer. This pilot program includes a Madison Shuttle run by 9 Town Transit that includes a 30-minute loop through our downtown - starting at the 79 Commuter Parking Lot, stopping at the Madison Shoreline East Train Station, stopping at the corner of the Boston Post Rd. and Wall Street, and then traveling to Middle Beach inside Hammonasset State Park. We are hopeful this new shuttle service will help reduce traffic congestion and parking issues on our roads during the busy summer season while also offering expanded opportunities for people to visit the state beach and enjoy Madison businesses. More information on timetables and stop locations can be found online at https://estuarytransit.org/parkconnect/.

Dog Licenses

I want to remind Madison dog owners that June is dog licensing month in Connecticut. This year the Town is offering many options to obtain a license, including a special registration event at the Library on June 24th.  For more information on this event and other ways to renew or obtain a new license, please visit the Town Clerk’s website at www.madisonct.org/dogs. 

Have a great weekend Madison.

Peggy Lyons
First Selectwoman