Carrie Aitkenhead, co-director of Wakeman Town Farm, demonstrates techniques for canning jam, jelly, and pickles at today’s workshop. Featured demo: strawberry preserves. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Sheep were sheared during the GreenDay celebration at Wakeman Town Farm today. The wool from this sheep is enough to make two sweaters. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

Visitors to Wakeman Town Farm’s GreenDay celebration today add flowers and ribbons to help prepare the Maypole. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

State Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, who represents Westport, and state Rep. Kim Fawcett, who serves Fairfield, are scheduled to be at the Greens Farms train station Monday at 7 a.m. to listen to commuters’ concerns in the wake of a power outage that has disrupted service over the past two weeks.

Both have stated that they support Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s demand that commuters be given full refunds from Metro-North for the number of days the trains are not in service. They also want Metro-North to give an explanation as to how an outage of such magnitude could occur.

“New Haven line commuters are long-suffering, from coping with substandard rail cars and tracks to frequent delays and outages,” Steinberg said. “It’s time Connecticut’s rail customers got a fair deal from Metro-North, starting with full reimbursement for every day without regular service.”

Calling the failed service outrageous, Fawcett stressed that the rail system cannot “wait until the next major failure to open the conversation.”

A couple living at the corner of Bridge Street and Imperial Avenue are accepting donations of food, water, clothing, blankets, garbage bags, and other goods and will be delivering these goods to victims on Staten Island tonight and over the next few days. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Mary Sikorski for WestportNow.com

The Connecticut Food Bank has launched launched a “Hurricane Sandy Virtual Food Drive” to respond to the rapidly growing need for food assistance as well as seeking food donations and volunteers.

Stamford-based AmeriCares is seeking donations to support its provision of medical and other aid to Sandy victims in the United States and the Caribbean.

The American Red Cross is seeking donations of money and blood. The Fairfield County Blood Donation Center is located at 596 Westport Avenue in Norwalk (you can schedule a donation time online).

The Salvation Army is serving those impacted by Hurricane Sandy in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic with food, clean-up kits, and emotional and spiritual care.

This list will be updated. If you know of additional resources, please send them to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Volunteers are busy matching the records for ballots that were distributed against those that have been received by the Town Clerk office at Westport Town Hall. According to Town Clerk Patricia Strauss, 2,357 absentee ballots were distributed through Friday and 1,738 completed ballots have been returned. She said as of this morning, there were approximately 75 ballots distributed, most of which were completed on site. Strauss said the deadline for distribution of ballots is 4:30 p.m. on Monday and completed ballots must be returned to the Town Clerk office by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday. Sealed ballots will be opened in Room 201 starting at 10 a.m. on Election Day, and that process is open to the public, according to Strauss. “This will be the first presidential election voting process without the use of levers,” she said. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Three Conservative synagogues are set to converge on Westport’s Levitt Pavilion Saturday evening Sept. 8 for a special “service under the stars” prior to the high holy days of Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur.

Pharaoh’s Daughter Band members include (l-r) Basya Schecter, Uri Sharlin, Daphna Mor, Mathias Kunzli, Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz, Meg Okura and Yuval Lion. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Officials at the Conservative Synagogue of Westport, Weston and Wilton say they will co-host the event with Congregation Beth El of Norwalk and Temple Beth El of Stamford. Set to begin at 8:30 p. m., the evening is free and open to the public, and blankets or chairs and flashlights are recommended, synagogue officials say.

They add that the evening will feature the music of acclaimed artist Basya Schechter and her band Pharaoh’s Daughter. The band’s music has been cultivated by Schechter’s Hasidic music background and a series of trips to the Middle East, Africa, Israel, Egypt, Central Africa, Turkey, Kurdistan, and Greece, according to a spokeswoman for the Conservative synagogue.

Clergy from all three synagogues will be officiating the service: Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn and Cantor Laura Berman of the Conservative Synagogue; Rabbi Joshua Hammerman and Cantor George Mordecai of Temple Beth El of Stamford; and Rabbi Ron Fish of Congregation Beth El of Norwalk.