GOOD To Go — June 18, 2026

Thursday, June 18: Historic District & Historic Property Special Meeting at 6:30 p.m., via Zoom only [agenda] [Zoom link]

Monday, June 22: Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting at 7 p.m., via Zoom only [agenda] [Zoom link]

Thursday, June 25: Inland Wetlands Commission Meeting at 7:30 p.m., via Zoom only [agenda] [Zoom link]

GOOD Inclusion & Creative Expression: Community Invited to Paint “You Are Not Alone” Mural with Wilton Library, Pride and Youth Council

Wilton Library, Wilton Pride and Wilton Youth Council are inviting the Wilton community to participate in a two-day painting party to create a mural on the walls of the library with the words, “You Are Not Alone!” The event will take place in Wilton Library’s main parking lot on Friday, Jun. 19, from 12 p.m. until dusk, and Saturday, Jun. 20, from 10 a.m. until dusk.

According to organizers, the project is Inspired by the “You Are Not Alone” artwork created at Wilton’s first Pride Festival.

“We are thrilled and honored to host this mural here at Wilton Library,” library Executive Director Caroline Mandler said. “This powerful message that no one has to struggle in silence will be right at the heart of our town throughout the summer, welcoming everyone who walks through the center of Wilton.”

“Public art does something quiet but powerful, it turns shared space into shared identity. When we paint together on a mural that the whole town walks by, we’re not just making something beautiful. We’re saying: this community is alive, it shows up, and there is a place for you in it,” Wilton Pride Board Member Heidi Tsapelas said.

Organizers said the event is specifically about bringing people together as a means to combat loneliness by building community. “Loneliness is now recognized as a worldwide public health epidemic. Surgeon General advisories, youth mental health data, and local experience, all point to the same truth: people of all ages, teens, seniors, new residents, LGBTQIA+ individuals, caregivers, are struggling in silence,” they said in a press release.

GOOD Sign of the Times: WHS American Sign Language Students Teach Wilton First Responders Basic Emergency Signs

Wilton High School’s Level 3 American Sign Language (ASL) students recently visited the Wilton Fire Department to teach first responders basic emergency signs. The visit helped Wilton’s first responders learn how to better communicate with deaf and hard-of-hearing people during emergencies. The students taught important signs and shared resources such as interpreting apps, and led an interactive activity. The experience helped promote inclusion and improve communication within the community.

GOOD Catwalking for Trail Walking: Woman’s Club Fashion Show Fundraiser Nets $35,700 for NRVT

The Wilton Woman’s Club raised $35,700 at the 17th Annual Fashion Show Fundraiser to benefit the Norwalk River Valley Trail, the planned 30-plus mile multi-use trail connecting Norwalk to Danbury. The trail is designed for walking, biking and outdoor recreation and, when finished, will be a continuous, accessible green corridor that links communities while promoting conservation, wellness and connectivity throughout the region.

NRVT Executive Director Andrea Gartner expressed her gratitude for the support “These funds will underwrite a contemplation initiative to be included in the next mile of the NRVT Wilton — a space for intentional reflection on gratitude, connectedness to nature and community,” she said.

WWC’s President Kathy Poirier thanked guests, sponsors, advertisers, and community businesses that donated silent auction items. “A special thanks to Alison Luciano, owner of The Plumed Serpent Bridal and Evening Wear, who provided the gorgeous styles modeled by WWC members at the event,” she said.

GOOD To Quack and Back: Wilton’s Duck Race to Benefit Norwalk River and Trout Unlimited

Wilton’s Duck Race is returning to Schenck’s Island Park on Sunday, June 28 at 10 a.m. For $25 an entry, participants will get a rubber duck to enter into the race, and 100% of the proceeds benefit Trout Unlimited’s conservation mission and restoration efforts on the Norwalk River.

Ducks will be launched simultaneously at 10:45 a.m. and race their way downstream — hitting bumpy currents, navigating pools and eddies, and encountering some real wildlife along the way before reaching the finish line. The race takes approximately 20 minutes and participants can follow along in the park or on the sidewalk along River Rd. in town. Plus the fastest ducks downstream win some fun prizes from local businesses! 

Ducks can be purchased online beforehand or in person the day of the event. Plus, Trout Unlimited volunteers will be on hand to teach fly casting and provide a tour of a completed major habitat restoration project and discuss ongoing work to remove several upstream dams on the Norwalk River.

For more information, and to purchase ducks, visit the race website. 

Founded in 1975, the Mianus Chapter of Trout Unlimited is a grassroots conservation nonprofit organization with more than 5,000 members and supporters in the towns of Greenwich, Stamford, Darien, New Canaan, Norwalk, Wilton and Ridgefield. The chapter works to protect and restore local rivers resources through active restoration projects, education initiatives and public advocacy.

GOOD Service Recognized: WHS Junior Bennett Smith Earns Congressional Award Bronze Certificate

Congratulations to Wilton High School rising senior Bennett Smith who earned the Congressional Award Bronze Certificate, a national recognition honoring young Americans who demonstrate sustained achievement in service, personal development, physical fitness and exploration. The program is one of the nation’s most structured youth achievement systems, requiring long-term goal setting across all four categories rather than one-time accomplishments. Smith’s completion of the program places him among a small group of Wilton students known to have participated in the award process

Smith is the co-founder of CT Cleats for Change, an initiative that has collected and donated more than 300 pairs of soccer cleats to the Littlest Lamb Orphanage in Egypt. He also has been a volunteer for TOPSoccer through the Service League of Boys since freshman year and worked with Culture Crawl CT.

For personal development, Smith engaged in arts-focused learning through participation with the Westport Country Playhouse marketing team and a Wilton High School theater trip, and explored theater studies. Smith’s physical fitness requirement was completed through both school and competitive athletics as a member of the WHS varsity soccer team and Inter Connecticut’s National Academy team.

GOOD To Celebrate Tradition & Teamwork: Wilton Youth Council’s Annual PGP Creates Memories for Graduates

Wilton’s graduating Class of 2026 enjoyed the annual Wilton Youth Council Post Graduation Party (PGP) following Wilton High School‘s graduation on Saturday, June 13. The Wilton tradition, an all-night party held at Chelsea Piers, is a substance-free, device-free, fun event planned and funded by the graduates’ families and supported by the Wilton community.

PGP is the culmination of the Youth Council’s Class Projects, which form at the end of 7th grade and serve to promote unique opportunities to foster positive choices and connections among Wilton parents and students. 

The all-volunteer PGP 2026 Board, led by Jenny Andjelkovic, Suzanne Lishnoff and Lindsay Wyman, produced an unforgettable night with the theme, “Road Trip — Every Mile a Memory. The chairs thanked board members and volunteers as well as area businesses that made the evening a success.

“We feel so lucky to have had the most extraordinary team! From the bottom of our hearts, we want to thank our incredible board members for their unwavering dedication, creativity and joyful team spirit. The time, passion and talent poured into this event made it a most memorable and special night for our seniors,” the chairs said in a press release

The executive committee included Kirstin Mobyed, Nicole Walberg, Meg Donahue and Olga Zargos-Traub. Board members were Michelle Baronowski, Stephanie Begnal, Tracey Bonafide, Beverly Brokaw, Lisa Davi, Michael Davi, Colleen Dodman, Kristen Doran, Kris Getty, Caroline Greis, Kristin Jacobson, Kathryn Johnson, Cindy Kaoud, Tara Kovach, Rachel Leinberger, Gretchen Mancuso, Sue Mangino, Meire Mouracade, Melissa Pennucci, Renee Rafferty, Chrissy Silva, Julie Stein, Denise Worst and Kathleen Zadourian.

The chairs also thanked the members of each committee as well as the more than 150 parent chaperones who worked into the early morning hours at the event, and senior parents whose support over the years made the event possible. Lastly they acknowledged past PGP 2025 Co-Chair Kiki Cross and PGP 2028 Co-Chair Lora Sherman who led parent volunteers in the set-up before the event began.