Maritime aquarium, gift boxes and your holiday garbage pickup schedule

NORWALK, Conn. — Some Norwalk announcements for you:

• Essential workers offered free Maritime Aquarium ticket this week
• First Aid Gift Box for sale
• Garbage/recycling schedule this week

‘Gratitude Days’ at aquarium

Essential workers can obtain a free Maritime Aquarium adult ticket for “Gratitude Days,” Monday Nov. 23-Wednesday Nov. 25 by purchasing one full-price adult ticket at www.maritimeaquarium.org starting at noon Sunday Nov. 22, according to a press release.  To be eligible, essential workers need only to self-identify as such.  The offer is limited to one ticket per family, and the tickets will be for timed entry, as has been the case with all non-member Aquarium tickets during the pandemic.

Other Aquarium Gratitude Days benefits will be special in-person gift shop discounts, and a $25 discount on memberships at all levels.

Masks are required for Aquarium visitors ages 3 and older.  The facility reopened to the public on June 20 with reduced capacity, enhanced cleaning, and one-way flow-through galleries.

“We want to thank the doctors, nurses, health-care workers, and first-responders who have been literally fighting to save our lives throughout the pandemic, which even today rages on,” Aquarium president /CEO Jason Patlis said. “But we also want to thank the many other essential workers – our neighbors – who work in grocery stores and other shops as cashiers and stockers, who are on the streets delivering our packages, driving buses, taxis and rideshares,  who are postal workers delivering our mail, who serve as teachers and educators for our children. There’s a long list of unheralded people who have remained on the front lines all year to keep our community functioning. We’re happy to offer this small token of appreciation.”

Handmade gifts

Artisan-crafted goodies from six Fairfield County small businesses are packed into “The First Aid Gift Box,” now on sale with 20% of the proceeds being donated to hardworking Norwalk charitable nonprofit Person to Person https://p2phelps.org/, benefitting needy local residents beset by the COVID crisis, according to a press release.  The box is said to contain:

• Handmade soap and aloe hand sanitizer made by rural women in India, courtesy of Atheava Ayurveda@atheava_.
• Two face masks printed with original hand sketched art by fashion illustrator and inspirational artist/muralist Vernice @iamvernice.
• A bottle of sage bliss aromatherapy mist by @purebyshasha.
• A gratitude heart that can be worn as a mask holder, necklace and/or bracelet by @yaelsjewelery.
• A small handmade crochet bag by @jeanscloset1
• Two heart bracelets by @beonecollections

Vernice, Sasha, and Jean are Norwalk-based.  “The First Aid Gift Box” is a $150 value, on sale now for $100 at this website.

Thanksgiving garbage schedule

Norwalk garbage and recycling pickups are cancelled for Thanksgiving Day Thursday Nov. 26.  Thursday pickups will occur on Friday, and Friday pickups will be on Saturday, according to a press release.  The Crescent St. transfer station and Smith St. yard waste site will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, and will resume regular hours on Friday.

More info is said to be at https://norwalkct.org or by calling (203) 854 3200.