Summer is the season when thoughts turn to vacations, cookouts, trips to the beach and eating ice cream. Not that it doesn’t taste good the rest of the year, but there’s something about the hot weather that makes this frozen dairy treat taste that much more delightful. We decided to visit some family-owned ice cream shops in this area.

Many high school graduates go off to college after graduation to further their education and prepare for a career. A select few attend prestigious military academies with the understanding that after they earn their undergraduate degrees they will serve their country in its armed forces. One of them is Eva Artioli, the daughter of Joe Artioli and Christie Carpino. A member of the Cromwell High School Class of 2026, she’s off to Colorado Springs to attend the U.S. Air Force

Becoming a senior citizen can be regarded as a time when life slows down, commitments are reduced, and one becomes less active in general. Don’t tell that to Paula Luna.

A select few towns in Connecticut have state-approved cultural districts. Cromwell recently became one of them. It’s the only one of the 16 municipalities to have two distinct, but connected sections of town declared part of one district. Add that to the list of things that make Cromwell unique.

Plans to bring back the once-popular Riverport Festival after an absence of several years continue to move along. Organizers are working toward a three-day event that will take place from Sept. 24-26.

It’s one thing to look out the window and see a skunk, possum or raccoon in the yard. It’s something else altogether if you see a 300-pound black bear.