Branford Town Pulse — September 16, 2026
Your weekly digest for Branford, CT
Branford Weather Almanac
Quiz of the Week
- Branford Public Schools broadcast the town's 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony live districtwide from which iconic Branford location?
- In 1701, ministers gathered at Rev. Samuel Russell's house in Branford to help found a school that became which university?
- Which famous multi-generation circus family performs at this weekend's Guilford Fair?
Answers at the bottom of this newsletter.
In This Issue
Shortcuts to:
- Business & Economy →
- Schools & Education →
- Police Blotter →
- Fire Department This Week →
- Recent Real Estate Transactions →
- This Week in Branford History →
- Community Events →
- Things To Do This Week →
- Town Meetings →
- Weekly Horoscopes →
Business & Economy
BJ's Wholesale Club Eyes Branford — Public Hearings Ahead
A BJ's Wholesale Club proposal is headed to public hearings in Branford, and it's expected to draw a crowd. Hearing dates and the specific site haven't been confirmed yet — watch the Planning and Zoning Commission agenda in the coming weeks.
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Schools & Education
Back to School Night Thursday, College & Career Fair Sept. 25
Branford High hosts Back to School Night this Thursday, Sept. 17 from 6–8 p.m., with a Parent/Guardian Coffee alongside. The following Friday, Sept. 25 from 9–11 a.m., students meet college, trade-school, and local employer reps at the district's College & Career Fair.
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Schools Broadcast 9/11 Ceremony Districtwide for First Time
Branford Public Schools broadcast the town's 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony live from the Town Green into every district school on Friday, Sept. 11 — the first time students across all grade levels watched the observance together in real time.
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Hornets Football Travels to Lyman Hall Friday Night
Branford High football hits the road Friday for a CIAC Week 2 matchup at Lyman Hall in Wallingford. Kickoff is 6:30 p.m.
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Police Blotter
Branford Police logged 15 adult arrests this week — 6 of Branford residents and 9 from out of town.
- Motor vehicle — 5 arrests
- Criminal — 6 arrests
- Other — 4 arrests
From the Branford Police Department adult arrest log. An arrest is not a conviction.
🔒 15 people were arrested in Branford this week. Paid members see every name, age, and charge. Subscribe to unlock →
Fire Department This Week
Branford Fire Department responded to 162 incidents during September 7–September 13, 2026, including 118 medical calls and 2 fire responses. This week's critical and emergency calls are shown on the map below — paid members can see the details.
- Fire — 2 calls (1.2%)
- Hazardous Situation — 5 calls (3.1%)
- Medical — 118 calls (72.8%)
- Public Service — 24 calls (14.8%)
- Rescue — 1 call (0.6%)
- No Emergency — 11 calls (6.8%)
- Law Enforcement Support — 1 call (0.6%)
Source: Branford Fire Department.
🔒 Paid members get the complete log of all 162 calls — time, address, and what crews found, plus the map legend. Subscribe to unlock →
Recent Real Estate Transactions
11 properties changed hands in August 10–August 25 — 11 houses, per deeds recorded with the Town Clerk. Median sale price: $599,000.
🔒 One Branford property just sold for $3,400,000 — and 10 more changed hands this week. Paid members see every address, price, and who bought and sold. Subscribe to unlock →
This Week in Branford History
The First Congregational Church and Its Meetinghouse on the Green — Organized 1644
The First Congregational Church of Branford has anchored the town's spiritual life since the earliest days of English settlement, organized in 1644 as one of the first Congregational churches in the New Haven Colony. Its white-steepled meetinghouse still presides over the north end of the Branford Green, a landmark visible from nearly every approach into the town center.
🔒 Paid members get the full story behind this week's history — the people, dates, and how it all unfolded. Subscribe to unlock →
Community Events
The Guilford Fair Is This Weekend — Oxen, Racing Pigs and a Circus
The Guilford Fair runs Friday through Sunday, Sept. 18–20, at the fairgrounds on Lovers Lane, a short drive up I-95. Expect draft-horse pulls, a Saturday morning parade, racing pigs and the Flying Wallendas circus. Kids 11 and under get in free; adults are $15.
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Things To Do This Week
- Thu, Sep 17 — Third Thursday Movie Matinee: Paths of Glory (1957) — James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford
- Thu, Sep 17 — Moses Gunn/Norman Marshall Play Company presents "God of Carnage" — Willoughby Wallace Mem Library, Branford
- Thu, Sep 17, 11:30 AM-2:30 PM — Monthly Mystery Shopping Trip — Joe Trapasso Community House, 46 Church Street, Branford
- Thu, Sep 17, 1:00-4:00 PM — Take Great Photos With Your Smartphone — Joe Trapasso Community House, 46 Church Street, Branford
- Fri, Sep 18 — Movie Night on the Green: Wicked For Good — Branford Green
- Fri, Sep 18, 10:00 AM — Chabaso Bread Distribution — Joe Trapasso Community House, 46 Church Street, Branford
- Sat, Sep 19 — Town Fun Day at Quassy Amusement Park — Quassy, Middlebury — via Branford Parks & Rec
- Sat, Sep 19 — Moving Sale — 44 Taylor Pl, Branford
- Sat, Sep 19 — Branford Garden Club Flowers for Food Flower Sale — NEBCO Kitchen, Branford
- Sun, Sep 20 — Pat Andriole Family Day — Branford, CT
- Sun, Sep 20 — Town Fun Day at Quassy Amusement Park — Quassy, Middlebury — via Branford Parks & Rec
- Mon, Sep 21 — Shakespeare’s World : Seeing the Plays through Elizabethan Eyes (Part III) — James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford
- Tue, Sep 22 — Tech Help Tuesday — James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford
- Tue, Sep 22, 10:00 AM-3:00 PM — Poetry Workshop and Lunch with Judith K. Liebmann — Joe Trapasso Community House, 46 Church Street, Branford
…plus 2 more at James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford.
Town Meetings: Sep 17–Sep 23, 2026
- Thu, Sep 17, 3:30 PM — Housing Authority — Parkside II Community Room - 3 Block Island Rd Branford CT 06405
- Thu, Sep 17, 5:30 PM — Community Forest Commission — Joe Trapasso Community House - 46 Church Street Branford CT 06405
- Thu, Sep 17, 7:00 PM —
Planning & Zoning Commission(cancelled) — Fire Headquarters - 45 North Main Street Branford CT 06405 - Thu, Sep 17, 7:00 PM — Planning & Zoning Commission ONLY (Virtual)
- Mon, Sep 21, 4:00 PM — Clean Energy Ad Hoc Committee — Joe Trapasso Community House - 46 Church Street Branford CT 06405
- Tue, Sep 22, 5:00 PM — Coastal Vulnerability ad hoc Working Group — Joe Trapasso Community House - 46 Church Street Branford CT 06405
- Wed, Sep 23, 7:00 PM — Fireworks Committee — Joe Trapasso Community House - 46 Church Street Branford CT 06405
Recent Meeting Recaps
Full recaps are concise summaries so you don’t have to wade through long meeting minutes. Know what’s happening in town!
- Board of Recreation — Wed, Sep 9: The Branford Board of Recreation discussed long-term maintenance plans for Branford Point, including updates to bathrooms and bathhouse facilities, after Director Dale Izzo and the… Read our full recap →
- Representative Town Meeting — Wed, Sep 9: The Representative Town Meeting unanimously approved creating a new Traffic Commission to handle traffic-safety and traffic-control matters that are currently overseen by the Police Commission—a… Read our full recap →
- Water Pollution Control Authority — Tue, Sep 8: The Water Pollution Control Authority approved sewer access for 1201 West Main Street but tabled a second application at 81-111 Commercial Parkway to allow consultant… Read our full recap →
- Economic Development Commission — Wed, Aug 19: The Economic Development Commission reviewed three demolition applications at a special meeting on August 19 and raised no objections to any of them: a structure… Read our full recap →
Weekly Horoscopes
These are just the opening lines — paid members read each sign's full weekly horoscope. Subscribe →
♈ Aries — Mar 21 - Apr 19
Patience isn't your favorite lesson, but Saturn parked in your sign at 12 degrees keeps handing you the same syllabus until you pass.
♉ Taurus — Apr 20 - May 20
Your appetite for intimacy is running deeper than usual, thanks to Venus moving through Scorpio and lighting up your partnership axis.
♊ Gemini — May 21 - Jun 20
Ready to stop overthinking? Mercury in Libra is giving your mind a graceful, diplomatic edge, and its sextile to Jupiter in Leo means the right words will land in the right ears midweek.
♋ Cancer — Jun 21 - Jul 22
You've been in protective mode for weeks, and Mars in your sign at 25 degrees explains why every small threat has felt personal.
♌ Leo — Jul 23 - Aug 22
Jupiter is still camped in your sign at 17 degrees, and this week its trine to Saturn in Aries means your generosity finally has structure behind it — the fun plan actually works.
♍ Virgo — Aug 23 - Sep 22
Happy solar season's final act — the Sun at 27 degrees of your sign is polishing the last details before handing the baton to Libra.
♎ Libra — Sep 23 - Oct 22
Your ruler Mercury is moving through your sign at 15 degrees, sharpening your voice just before your birthday season officially begins.
♏ Scorpio — Oct 23 - Nov 21
Venus in your sign at 5 degrees is turning up the magnetism, and people are noticing in ways that feel almost inconvenient.
♐ Sagittarius — Nov 22 - Dec 21
The Moon spends your Sunday in your sign before moving on, so use that day for whatever ritual, walk, or honest conversation restores your sense of scope.
♑ Capricorn — Dec 22 - Jan 19
The Moon arrives in your sign Sunday and immediately runs a gauntlet — square Mercury, square Saturn, sextile Venus — meaning your feelings will get complicated fast, then softened by an unexpected tenderness.
♒ Aquarius — Jan 20 - Feb 18
When the Moon enters your sign Tuesday, you'll finally exhale after a few emotionally dense days.
♓ Pisces — Feb 19 - Mar 20
Something tender is asking to be tended — Mars in fellow water sign Cancer at 25 degrees has you feeling everything more protectively than usual.
Quiz Answers
- The Town Green
- Yale
- The Flying Wallendas
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