Jimmy Kerrigan, formerly of 49 Manor St., Hamden

There will be a fundraiser for former Hamden resident, Jimmy Kerrigan, on February 2nd. Jimmy recently lost his home & possessions during the Camp Fire that decimated his town of Paradise, CA. The event will be at Aunt Chilada's Mexican Restaurant in Hamden.

There are two ways to participate. Order in the restaurant (or order take-out) this Saturday, after 4pm. Present the attached event flier with your payment, and Aunt Chilada's will donate 15% of your pre-taxed bill to the Paradise, CA, Camp Fire Fund on Go Fund Me. That account was set up and administered by Melissa Willis, to help Jimmy. You may view the account and follow our results though the following link:

https://www.gofundme.com/jimmy-and-paradise-community-fund?fbclid=IwAR0VcRirWBI7Ek3MgZmt4CDLJpzhGl3TZ_vyAimLM8vX7zlR_5MhRIxZ6Ho

If you come upstairs to the Cantina, no flier is needed. Whether you order a beverage, an appetizer, and/or dinner, 15% of all pre-taxed sales benefit the same account. For those of you who were around Hamden pubs & cafes 30 years ago (and can still remember), Ralph Santoro has agreed to once again strap on his acoustic guitar to join Robbie G for an acoustic dinner set. That will be from 4:30 to 5:30. For those who prefer more of a beat, Ralph will trade the acoustic guitar for his 6-string bass to join the Rob Glassman Band as they play two sets from 6 to 8:30. There is no cover so c'mon out and shake off those mid-winter blues.

The one thing we have in common is that we will probably eat this Saturday. There's strength in numbers so please consider making Aunt Chilada's one of your choices after 4pm. You will be participating in a collective act of unselfish support. Nearly 14,000 structures (of which were mostly homes) burned to the ground. Most sources of income were destroyed in the blaze. Overwhelmed insurance companies have gone bankrupt. Last week, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), whose equipment is thought to have started the massive fire, also filed bankruptcy. These people are lucky if the "new normal" emerges within 5 years, so please take a moment to be grateful that we are the fortunate ones to be on giving end of this humanitarian aid!