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By Town Pulse —

Branford Town Pulse — September 23, 2026

Your weekly digest for Branford, CT

September 23, 2026

Branford Weather Almanac

Branford weekly weather chart

Quiz of the Week

  1. What new Italian restaurant just opened in Branford in the space that previously housed The Stand (a converted former gas station)?
  2. A four-bedroom home listed this week for $2.1 million sits on Island View Avenue in which shoreline neighborhood of Branford?
  3. Friday's Branford forecast calls for a high near 68, but how strong could the north wind gusts get?

Answers at the bottom of this newsletter.

In This Issue

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Business & Economy

Radici Brings Italian Menu to Former Stand Space

Radici, a new Italian restaurant, has opened in the converted former gas station that most recently housed The Stand, under new ownership.

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Town Government

Granite Curbing Wraps at Montowese & Main Over Next Two Weeks

Crews will spend the next two weeks finishing new granite curbing at Montowese and Main, the latest phase of the Main Street Reconstruction Project rebuilding sidewalks, drainage, lighting, and landscaping through the town center.

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State Supreme Court Revives Lawsuit Over Branford Dentist Murder-Suicide

The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that the mother of a woman killed by a Branford dentist in a murder-suicide can sue the mental health facility that discharged him before the killings.

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Schools & Education

Hornets Field Hockey at New Canaan, Wednesday 6:30 p.m.

Branford High's field hockey team travels to New Canaan this Wednesday for a 6:30 p.m. matchup. The young Hornets, led by three seniors, face a Rams squad featuring Anna Hering and Reagan Celiberti.

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Tisko PTA Sees First-Ever Drop in Membership and Funds

Tisko Elementary's PTA reports its first-ever downward trend in both membership and finances — a squeeze that could thin out the assemblies, classroom supplies, and family events parents have come to expect. Sign-up and donation info is posted at branfordschools.org.

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Police Blotter

Branford Police logged 20 adult arrests this week — 8 of Branford residents and 12 from out of town.

  • Motor vehicle — 7 arrests
  • Criminal — 9 arrests
  • Other — 4 arrests

From the Branford Police Department adult arrest log. An arrest is not a conviction.

🔒 20 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 155 incidents during September 14–September 20, 2026, including 123 medical calls. This week's critical and emergency calls are shown on the map below — paid members can see the details.

Map of Branford critical fire/hazmat calls, September 14–September 20, 2026
  • Hazardous Situation — 4 calls (2.6%)
  • Medical — 123 calls (79.3%)
  • Public Service — 16 calls (10.3%)
  • Rescue — 1 call (0.7%)
  • No Emergency — 11 calls (7.1%)

Source: Branford Fire Department.

🔒 Paid members get the complete log of all 155 calls — time, address, and what crews found, plus the map legend. Subscribe to unlock →

Real Estate Activity

Pine Orchard Four-Bedroom Lists for $2.1M

A four-bedroom home at 60 Island View Avenue, in Branford's Pine Orchard shoreline pocket, is on the market for $2.1 million.

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Recent Real Estate Transactions

2 properties changed hands in August 26–August 27 — 1 house and 1 condominium, per deeds recorded with the Town Clerk.

🔒 One Branford property just sold for $816,000 — and 1 more changed hands this week. Paid members see every address, price, and who bought and sold. Subscribe to unlock →

This Week in Branford History

Timothy Beach Blackstone: The Branford Boy Who Ran a Railroad — 1829–1900

Long before his name became attached — through his father — to the marble library on Main Street, Timothy Beach Blackstone was a Branford farm boy who left town with a surveyor's transit and came back, in memory, as one of the great railroad executives of the Gilded Age. His life is a reminder that Branford in the nineteenth century sent its sons out into a rapidly industrializing country, and that some of them sent their fortunes home again.

🔒 Paid members get the full story behind this week's history — the people, dates, and how it all unfolded. Subscribe to unlock →

Community Events

First Congregational Hosts All-Church Picnic and Rally Day Oct. 4

First Congregational Church of Branford throws open its lawn at 1009 Main Street on Sunday, Oct. 4, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for its All-Church Picnic and Rally Day — the traditional kickoff of the fall program year, and neighbors are welcome.

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Things To Do This Week

  • Thu, Sep 24 — Evening of Guitar at the Blackstone — James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford
  • Sat, Sep 26 — Tag Sale! — Short Beach Union Church, Branford
  • Sat, Sep 26 — Autumn Tea Party — 811 E Main St, Branford
  • Sat, Sep 26 — Harrison House Museum, Barn and Garden Tour — 124 Main St, Branford
  • Sat, Sep 26 — Saturday Cinema: Project Hail Mary (2026) — James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford
  • Sat, Sep 26 — Best Seller Book Club: Under the Falls by Richard Russo — James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford
  • Sun, Sep 27 — Back To Church Sunday — United Methodist Church Branford, Branford
  • Sun, Sep 27 — Monthly Drawing Class with Edith Reynolds at BACA in Branford — 1004 Main St, Branford
  • Mon, Sep 28, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM — Crochet Pumpkins Class — Joe Trapasso Community House, 46 Church Street, Branford
  • Mon, Sep 28, 5:00 PM — Focus Group for Those Born 1956-1966 — Joe Trapasso Community House, 46 Church Street, Branford
  • Tue, Sep 29 — 102nd Ct. House of Representatives Candidates' Debate — Branford Fire Headquarters, Branford
  • Tue, Sep 29, 11:00 AM-12:30 PM — LiveWell Speakers Event — Joe Trapasso Community House, 46 Church Street, Branford
  • Tue, Sep 29, 4:00-5:30 PM — Teen Leadership Program (Session 2) — J.T. Community House, 46 Church Street, Branford
  • Wed, Sep 30, 5:00-9:00 PM — Drag Queen Bingo with the Darling Divas — Joe Trapasso Community House, 46 Church Street, Branford

…plus 4 more at James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford.

Town Meetings: Sep 24–Sep 30, 2026

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!

  • Community Forest Commission — Thu, Sep 17: The Community Forest Commission is still waiting to hear from the town's Department of Public Works about timing for fall tree plantings, including a memorial… Read our full recap →
  • Board of Selectmen — Wed, Sep 16: The Board of Selectmen approved three contracts Wednesday without competitive bidding: $21,733 to ESC for HVAC maintenance at Fire Headquarters, $35,000 to Quantum Organics to… Read our full recap →
  • Harbor Management Commission — Wed, Sep 16: The Harbor Management Commission voted to send a letter to Senator Blumenthal and Congresswoman DeLauro urging federal funding and support for dredging the Branford River… Read our full recap →
  • Board of Police Commissioners — Mon, Sep 14: The Board of Police Commissioners' Traffic Committee approved a "No Outlet" sign for Hannah Drive and a stop sign at the corner of Cherry Hill… Read our full recap →
  • Inland Wetlands Commission — Thu, Sep 10: The Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission unanimously approved modifications to the permit for a 1,850-square-foot drive-thru oil change facility at 1201 West Main Street, keeping… Read our full recap →
  • Board of Education — Wed, Sep 9: The Branford Board of Education's Policy Committee unanimously approved three policies to move forward to the full board for first reading: updates to kindergarten eligibility… Read our full recap →
  • Shellfish Commission — Tue, Sep 8: The Branford Shellfish Commission heard from Ben Kelsey of Greenwave about taking over shellfish beds currently held by Brent Smith; the commission told him he'll… Read our full recap →
  • Board of Education — Wed, Sep 2: The Branford Board of Education's committee chairs met virtually on September 2 to plan upcoming agendas, which will include discussions of e-bikes grant funding, student… 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

The Full Moon lighting up your sign on Saturday and Sunday is going to feel like a spotlight you didn't quite request — and with Saturn sitting right beside that Moon, every feeling comes with a weight, a lesson, a bill to pay.

♉ Taurus — Apr 20 - May 20

Something quiet is composting in you before the Moon slides into your sign on Tuesday and hands you back your equilibrium.

♊ Gemini — May 21 - Jun 20

Your words have a sharper edge than you realize right now, so read the message twice before you hit send.

♋ Cancer — Jun 21 - Jul 22

You've been the designated protector for weeks, and this is the last stretch of it — Mars leaves your sign on Tuesday after a long tour in its fall, finally lifting that defensive crouch.

♌ Leo — Jul 23 - Aug 22

Get ready — Mars charges into your sign on Tuesday and joins Jupiter already expanding there, and you are about to feel like yourself in high definition.

♍ Virgo — Aug 23 - Sep 22

Money, values, and what you're actually worth are the quiet drumbeat under this week.

♎ Libra — Sep 23 - Oct 22

Happy solar season — the Sun is only 3.9° into your sign, and you're just beginning to remember what your own preferences feel like.

♏ Scorpio — Oct 23 - Nov 21

Venus is in your sign and turning up the volume on every attraction, grudge, and craving — you are magnetic and you know it.

♐ Sagittarius — Nov 22 - Dec 21

Your people are the story this week — friends, group chats, the crew you've been building quietly for years.

♑ Capricorn — Dec 22 - Jan 19

Career pressure peaks this weekend as the Full Moon lights the top of your chart with Saturn — your ruler — standing right there, asking whether you've built the right thing.

♒ Aquarius — Jan 20 - Feb 18

Friday's Moon in Pisces softens you around money and self-worth, and it's the kindest window you'll get all week to be honest with yourself about a financial pattern.

♓ Pisces — Feb 19 - Mar 20

The Moon glides through your sign Friday and Saturday, right into the Full Moon — expect tears, clarity, and a truth you can no longer un-know.

Quiz Answers

  1. Radici
  2. Pine Orchard
  3. Up to 33 mph

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