Bethel Daily Briefing: Weekend of Friday, Nov. 18

Today is Friday, November 18, 2011 the 322nd day of the year. 

Weekend Weather

• Friday: Sunny, with a high near 44. West wind between 8 and 11 mph. 
• Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 25. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm. 

• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 50. Southwest wind between 8 and 14 mph. 
• Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 34. Southwest wind around 8 mph. 

• Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 58.
• Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. 

Municipal Meetings

• There are no municipal meetings in Bethel tonight.

Events, Reminders, Notices

• Debris Pick-Up: Today, the post-October snowstorm debris pick-up will be  in all roads west of Rt. 53/Nashville Rd./Greenwood Ave. to Danbury Town Line. Areas north and west of Greenwood Ave. to intersection of Plumtress & Whittlesey Drive to Danbury Town Line. Crews will be in the area for six days total, ending on Wednesday, Nov. 23. To see when Public Works will be in your area, .
• Lunch With The First Selectman: Residents can join the First Selectman for lunch today from noon-1:30 p.m. in Meeting Room A at the municipal center. Bring your own lunch and questions about local issues.
• Saturday's Food Drive & Tree Lighting: The Annual Food Drive benefits the Bethel & Newtown Food Banks, followed by a Holiday Tree Lighting and festivities. The food drive is from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Non-perishables will be collected by Stony Hill and Hawleyville Volunteer Fire Fighters in the Big Y parking lot. The Tree Lighting & Festivities are from 5:30-6:30 p.m. and will featyre Santa & Mrs. Claus, music by The Pears, a sing along, the Stony Hill Rockettes and refreshements.

Today in History

• 1883: American and Canadian railroads institute five standard continental time zones, ending the confusion of thousands of local times.
• 1903: The Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty is signed by the United States and Panama, giving the United States exclusive rights over the Panama Canal Zone.
• 1928: Release of the animated short "Steamboat Willie," the first fully synchronized sound cartoon, directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, featuring the third appearances of cartoon characters Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. This is also considered by the Disney corporation to be Mickey's birthday.
• 1988: U.S. President Ronald Reagan signs a bill into law allowing the death penalty for drug traffickers.
• 1993: In the United States, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is ratified by the House of Representatives.

Weather information taken from the National Weather Service. Today in History compiled from Wikipedia and other sources.