This week's viewfinder takes us inside the Brookfield Senior Center.

In the waning days of summer, boaters flocked to Lake Lillinonah to enjoy the last few nice days of the season.

The recent approval for a BJ's Wholesale Club for the dilapidated shopping plaza next to Kohl's had forced Costco to put expansion plans of its own on the table. Adding more square footage and a gas station, Costco looks to keep the edge it's had in Brookfield for decades. All of this will mean relocating a bank and a rug store in the process.

Candlewood Lake is busy this time of year with boats of all shapes and sizes. Here are a few that were out and about when I stopped by the lake. There are also some photos of cleats — the metal piece that owners tie their boats to. I found it interesting to see the different methods owners used to tie their boats off — some tidy, and some messy.

The Brookfield Bandits U-11 Baseball team dropped two tough games and were eliminated in the state Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth tournament last week. Newtown generated a lot of offense in an 11-1 win over the Bandits and New Canaan avenged an earlier loss in pool play with a 7-3 win over the Bandits to end their chances in the Connecticut state tournament. Down but not out, the Bandits were back in action Friday with an 11-0 win at the Gil Hodges Tournament held in Brooklyn, NY. 

Thursday was one of the hottest days of the year and today won't be much better. Here's what Brookfielders were doing to get cooled off.

This year's school budget referendum brought up a spirited debate in town, which mirrored the national political debate. Here is where your school tax dollars are being spent.

The following information was provided by the Brookfield Arts Commission (BAC): Irwin Berger’s collages, entitled Re-Visions, are varied and original, colorful and intricately balanced. Elements in the designs are layers and juxtapositions of shapes, colors, textures, patterns and shades of dark and light.  There are intriguing details throughout the compositions. These 11x14 limited-editions numbered and signed laser prints are mounted and matted in 16x20 inch black gallery-style frames. Irwin Berger is a retired Professor of English. He was Chairman of the English Department at Bronx …

Parents have been putting together the all night grad party for a number of years now.  As you can see, they do a great job transforming the school into a safe place for the seniors to have some final moments together as a class.  Students play games to earn money to purchase prizes donated by local businesses. 

With the bypass complete, the Town of Brookfield looks to create a pedestrian district in the Four Corners area of town.  What will it look like?   What do you think should be included?  This week we take a look at the "canvas" that planners are working with.

Thursday night's thunderstorms blew through quickly and left a wake of destruction in its path. 

As residents go to the polls, we stroll through the grounds of the Brookfield Municipal Center.  The heart of where decisions are made that impact the lives of residents.

The Lillinonah Woods trail system allows for camping with a town permit and access to Lake Lillinonah. During our hike we found several patches of fiddleheads growing. Be careful, some of the trails could use fresh blazes. We ended up having to try to find the trail after the blazes suddenly ended.

If you have some time and enjoy the arts, swing by the student art show located at the town hall.  It has paintings, photography and ceramic artwork.  It covers from kindergarten through high school. Be sure to follow the artwork up the stairs to the second level!

Here is a look at the current Kid's Kingdom,which will be replaced this summer in a $500,000 renovation project. Before it's torn down, we offer this photo album as a record for posterity. 

This wooded park is located behind the town hall and is named after former conservation chairman Arthur A. Harris. One thing to note: Ticks are very prevalent in this park. In the time we hiked here my dog collected 12 ticks that were crawling on her. So be sure to take preventative measures before enjoying the trails. From the Parks & Rec website: Arthur Harris Linear Park is located at 100 Pocono Road. It is situated of 139 acres of wooded land. Access to the park is beyond the soccer field to the left of the Brookfield Municipal Center. Linear Park consists of  two hiking trails.  There …

This week we take a walk around the grounds of the Brookfield Craft Center at Four Corners. There are a few different uniquie buildings, including one that has a dining area that overlooks the Still River. There is also a unique drainage system that is made of stone that runs into the Still River. I visited after the heavey rains this week, and the Still River was raging behind the center. 

Model Train Exhibition XXI at the Brookfield Historical Society

This week's Viewfinder details one of the great places to connect with nature here in Brookfield. Happy Landing Farm on Route 25 has grassy hiking trails that are great for beginners and those who are looking to get a little bit of exercise. My wife Bonnie and dog Roxy joined me on a hike here this week.