Community Corner

Five Things To Know Today, Sept. 21

String The Penguin, Family Day And Panera Bread's Grand Opening

1.  Today is Wednesday, Sept. 21.  The National Weather Service forecasts partly sunny skies, a high temperature of 73 degrees, then  showers late tonight. The low will drop to 63 degrees.

2.  A 19-year-old African penguin named “String” died unexpectedly on Friday at Mystic Aquarium. The penguin, who was hatched on Oct. 4, 1991, was not sick before Friday and her cause of death is unknown, a spokesperson for the aquarium said. African penguins live 18 to 20 years in the wild, and can live into their mid-30s in captivity. String was the first penguin to take part in "a penguin encounter", appeared at public events and was on national television.

3.  Families have until Friday to register for Family Day, a free dinner from 5:30 p.m until 7 p.m. on Monday at West Side Middle School. The event is part of a national movement started in 2001 to emphasize the importance of family dinners. Neon Chicken of New London will provide the chicken, door prizes will be raffled and a representative from Mothers Against Drunk Driving will give a presentation. To register, contact Michelle Hamilton, coordinator of the Groton Adolescent Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition at (860) 448-4882, ext. 305 or by e-mail at mhamilton@ledgelighthd.org.

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4.  The new Panera Bread in Groton will hold its grand opening at 10 a.m. on Oct. 5 with a “baguette cutting,” the company said in a statement.  The store in Groton Square Shopping Center on Route 12  is the 12th cafe to open in Connecticut, the company said. The store will provide 60 jobs.

5.  Groton Public Schools are looking for volunteers to serve as mentors and provide a positive influence on children by meeting with them once a week. Mentors spend one hour each week with a child during school hours. The next training for the program is at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 5 at S. B. Butler Elementary. To find out more, call Mentor Steering Committee Member Sharon A. Schick at (860) 449-5630 ext. 107 or (860) 448-9360.

Find out what's happening in Grotonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 


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