Weekly Update - June 7, 2024
June 7, 2024View this email in your browser | ||
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Dear Neighbor, In this email, you'll findupdates on district resources and news.Please click the links below to read the sectionthat corresponds with the highlighted headline. A NOTE: If you're having trouble clicking through the following links, open this email in a browser, usea computer, or scrollthrough this email to the relevant section. The topics covered are as follows:
Legislative Updates HB 5001, which passed with bipartisan support, protects, and prioritizes elderly residents in our state.This bill:
Establishes incentives to encourage nursing homes to improve care. Connecticut has one of the highest costs of childcare in the country. It's why we crafted and passed a bill in the House to make childcare and early childhood education more affordable and accessible. This House Priority Bill:
Requires a study on the availability of space in state-owned properties that may be used for early childhood care and education programs.
Funding Approved Today From creating new opportunities in advanced technology manufacturing, increasing housing opportunities, and investing in our veterans, this round of funding will go a long way to further a number of priorities in East Hartford. Funding includes $15 million for the creation of a new Manufacturing Technology and Innovation Center for East Hartford's Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, $4.5 million for abatement and demolition of the former McCartin Elementary School in East Hartford and associated infrastructure improvements to allow for construction of new housing and $500,000 for capital improvements to the East Hartford Veteran's Memorial Clubhouse. Thank you to Governor Lamont and the State Bond Commission for including these important items on the agenda.
Funding also includes final approval of $3.5 million from the Community Investment Fund 2030 to supplement building a modern and accessible downtown library. As part of the “Downtown for All” project, the library was supported by residents, who overwhelmingly voted in favor of a new facility in a 2022 referendum. Additionally, $125,516 for Odyssey Community School for debt repayment was also approved on Friday.
ATTN EBT Recipients! As you are likely aware, this EBT skimming scam is a nationwide issue. It is also a technology-driven crime committed, at times, by organized rings in which the criminals steal Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card information by installing electronic devices on ATMs or store point-of-sale (POS) terminals to capture card information, which is commonly referred to as skimming. Connecticut, through DSS, was one of the first states in the nation to implement a replacement benefit plan, having done so in June 2023. Here are some tips for recipients to keep your benefits safe.
End Of Session TownHall Events Please join us as we recap our legislative session and answer questions from the audience. For more information please email Awet.Tsegai@cga.ct.gov or call 860-240-8541.
Today In CT History The introduction of the birth control pill in 1960 launched a sexual revolution that posed a fundamental challenge to long-standing federal and state “morality laws.” These Victorian era laws had been enacted to stop the sale or distribution of materials intended for “immoral uses,” such as having sex merely for enjoyment, or limiting family size by “unnatural” means. No state had tougher laws in this regard than Connecticut. Today in 1965, however, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Connecticut law that had criminalized birth control in the Land of Steady Habits for 92 years. In the process, it established Americans’ constitutional rights to privacy and family planning. Back in 1873, during the apex of the Victorian era in the United States, Congress passed the Comstock Law, which outlawed “the circulation of obscene literature and articles of immoral use” through the U.S. mail. The “obscene” and “immoral” material in question was anything related to the discussion and use of contraceptives and abortifacients; even so, several states passed supplementary “morality laws” that expanded the definition of “obscene material.” Connecticut ‘s own “Act Concerning Offenses against Decency, Morality, and Humanity,” which passed in 1879, was one of the most restrictive acts in the nation, outlawing both the discussion anduseof contraceptives.
Over the next 70 years, American attitudes on morality and sexuality changed drastically — but most of the restrictive state laws inspired by the 1873 Comstock Law remained on the books. Even after the FDA approved the first oral contraceptive pill in 1960, the sale and use of “the pill” remained illegal in Connecticut. Soon afterwards, Estelle Griswold, president of the state’s Planned Parenthood chapter and a longtime social activist, defiantly opened a birth control clinic in downtown New Haven with Dr. C. Lee Buxton, an obstetrician and Professor at Yale Medical School, where they provided counseling and supplied contraceptives to couples. To help legitimize their business, they accepted only married couples with stellar character references as their clients. Nine days later, they were both arrested and fined $100 under Connecticut’s 1879 law prohibiting the discussion, sale, and use of contraceptives. Their arrest set off a chain of lawsuits and appeals that eventually arrived on the doorstep of the Supreme Court in 1965 asGriswold v. Connecticut. The justices struck down the antiquated Connecticut law by a 7-2 majority, arguing that marriage was a form of association even “older than the Bill of Rights” that existed in a “zone of privacy” entitled to constitutional protection against government intrusion. Today,Griswold v. Connecticutis hailed as a landmark case — the first in American history to establish a Constitutional right to privacy which has been cited in countless court cases ever since. Seven years afterGriswold, the Court expanded the “right to privacy” to individual Americans, regardless of their marital status. A giant step for womankind — and the protection of individual liberties — became the law of the land on this day in Connecticut history. Further ReadingNancy Finlay, “Taking on the State: Griswold v. Connecticut,” connecticuthistory.org “Before Griswold, Offering Birth Control was Illegal,”Hartford Courant Barbara Sicherman, “Connecticut Women Fight for Reproductive Rights,”Connecticut Explored
Town Of East Hartford Town Meetings
Town Of Manchester Town Meetings Regular Board of Directors Meeting July 9th, 2024,7:00 PM Lincoln Center Hearing Room (494 Main Street)
Manchester Below is the list of locations in Manchester that are open to the public; Bring a sturdy grocery bag! This program is made possible by Foodshare and Winn Residential - Resident Service Program. For more information call 860-646-1280. Get mobile pantry updates in your area by texting the wordFoodshareto 85511. Link to the statewide map https://ctfoodshare.org/get-help/connecticut-food-banks-mobile-pantry-schedule/
East Hartford Below is the list of locations in East Hartford that are open to the public; Bring a sturdy grocery bag! This program is made possible by Foodshare and Winn Residential - Resident Service Program. For more information call (860) 291-7295 or (860) 291-7248
https://www.easthartfordct.gov/youth-and-social-services/youth-and-social-services/pages/food-assistance Get mobile pantry updates in your area by texting the wordFoodshareto 85511.
Department of Leisure, Family, and Recreation Summer Program The Department of Leisure, Family, and Recreation Summer Program and Event Guide is here! Resident registration begins May 8th, at 9 am. Non-resident registration begins on May 10th.
Dog Licensing begins June 1st!You can purchase or renew dog licenses in person at the Town Clerk’s office, via drop box at Town Hall, by mail, or the online system (June only).The license is valid July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. FEES: $8 for a spayed or neutered dog $19 for an unaltered dog.
Manchester Juneteenth Event Come enjoy live performances by FriendZWorldMusic, Hartford's Proud & more at the Town of Manchester's Juneteenth Community Celebration on Saturday, June 22 from 11 AM - 2 PM at the Eastside Neighborhood Resource Center, 153 & 163 Spruce Street! Questions? Contact the Neighborhoods & Families Division at (860)647-3089.
The Knights of Columbus Council 1155 will be collecting refundable cans and bottles on Saturday, June 8, 2024in St. James church parking lot, 896 Main Street, Manchester CT, from 9 am – 12 noon. All proceeds will be used to support council charitable activities. For more information please contact Grand KnightPat Kennedy at 860-805-1652. Thanks in advance for helping ‘the Knights’ help others.
Mayor Connor Martin and the East Hartford Town Clerk’s Office would like to remind all East Hartford residents that June is considered a “DOG LICENSE MONTH.” All dogs in the State of Connecticut six (6) months or older must be licensed each year in the town where they reside in the month of June by State Statute. The license is in effect from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. The fee for the license is $8 for a dog that is neutered or spayed. The fee for a dog which is not neutered or spayed is $19. A current rabies certificate is required for all dogs and a neutered/spayed certificate is required for dogs that will be licensed for the first time or if recently neutered or spayed. Dog licenses may be obtained from the Town Clerk’s office, located at East Hartford Town Hall at 740 Main Street. To fill out a dog license application form, click here. When submitting the application by mail, please include a check for the proper fee, made payable to the East Hartford Town Clerk, all certificates (rabies, neutered/spayed) and a self-addressed, stamped envelope and mail to: Town Clerk, Town Hall, 740 Main St., East Hartford, CT 06108. All certificates will be returned with the new license and tag. Dogs that are not licensed in the month of June will be charged a penalty of $1 per month thereafter. Unlicensed dogs and roaming dogs will be subject to a $75 fine. Any dog or cat over the age of three (3) months must have a current rabies vaccination by Connecticut law or be fined $136. The Town Clerk’s Office is also hosting a low-cost rabies clinic on Saturday, June 1, 2024, from 10:00am to 12:00pm at the rear of Firehouse Number 1, located at 726 Main Street, East Hartford, CT. If you have any questions, please contact the Town Clerk’s Office at 860- 291-7230.
East Hartford's 3rd Annual Juneteenth Community Celebration The Town of East Hartford in collaboration with East Hartford Parks and Recreation, the East Hartford Black Caucus, the Commission on Culture and Fine Arts, and the East Hartford Public Library, invites you to attend the town’s third annual Juneteenth Celebration. Juneteenth, officially known as Juneteenth National Independence Day, is also known as Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, and Black Independence Day and isa federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans. The event will take place onSaturday, June 15thfrom11:00 am - 4:00 pm, at Alumni Park.Admission is FREE. A family-friendly stage lineup will honor Juneteenth through a diverse array of performances. Enjoy music, dance, spoken word, and historical interpretation! Bring a chair or a picnic blanket and stay all afternoon. The Juneteenth Fest is the perfect family-friendly, community event that offers fun activities for children and adults alike.Among many activities, there will be a variety of vendors, food, entertainment, bounce house, face painting, powerful storytelling and so much more. In case of inclement weather, this event will beheld inside at Community Cultural Center (50 Chapman Place). For more information, please callParks and Recreationat860-291-7160or visitwww.easthartfordct.gov/parks-recreation.
East Hartford, we want to hear from you! The Health & Human Services Department is conducting a Community Health Needs Assessment Survey. The goal of the survey is to identify the health priorities for East Hartford. These priorities will help inform future programming to promote the health and wellness of our community. Your perspective matters! Click here to take the survey: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx... This survey is for East Hartford residents who are 18 years old and older. All responses will remain anonymous. For more information, please visit the Health Department website.
Parks & Rec.
My office is always open if you or your family are in need of assistance. Please do not hesitate to contact me by email atJason.Rojas@cga.ct.govor by phone at 860-240-8541. Sincerely, Jason Rojas
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