|
|
|
|
| Dear Friend,
This is my State Capitol update for the week of August 1.
If you prefer to watch rather than read, click the image below to hear about the issues contained in this newsletter. |
|
I’m back from my annual trip to New Hampshire to see my brothers and their families, where we spend most of our time in, on, or next to the lake. We all try to make it a “news holiday”, which is convenient because both the cell reception and the wifi are pretty bad, and there is no TV. There was pretty big news on the political front, however, which snuck through all of that, so we also spent a lot of time joyfully chewing on that. In addition to New Hampshire, this side of my extended family has strong connections with Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Arizona, California, Colorado, Maine, Illinois and Florida, so we had a lot to talk about!
One of the things I missed while away was the start of the Olympics, which I’m also trying to catch up on in snippets. I did take a break today to watch the US women’s Olympic soccer team beat Australia 2-1 with my husband and son, while texting with my daughters. (The US women look good!) I hope you’re all finding time to watch some bits of that, as we could use some friendly global competition with enforceable rules.
Though today I was stuck indoors catching up on email, I’ve returned in time for a wide array of local events this weekend that I hope to make it to, including:
- Litchfield County 4-H fair at Goshen Fairgrounds (8/2 – 8/4)
- Kent sidewalk sale days (8/1 – 8/4)
- Goshen farm tour (8/3- 8/4), and
- Sharon Craft Fair (8/3)
I’m heading to a conference in Louisville, KY this weekend, organized by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). Leaving the Northwest Corner for Kentucky in August is a little daunting, but I have recently become Eastern Democrat Director of the Women’s Legislative Network within NCSL, so I’ve got a little work to do there as well.
I hope to see you over the coming days at one of those events! |
|
Here’s a list of today’s topics:
- State of Connecticut to Purchase and Protect Land in Salisbury. Click here.
- CHESLA Awards $459,000 to Connecticut Students Through Annual Scholarship Program. Click here.
- Applications now being accepted for the 2024 class of the Connecticut Veterans’ Hall of Fame. Click here.
- New One-on-One Support Available to Connecticut's Agriculture Industry. Click here.
- Informational DOT Meeting in Norfolk. Click here.
- Upcoming Events. Click here.
|
|
| Governor Ned Lamont announced that his administration is awarding $14.5 million in state grants to aid in the purchase and protection of more than 2,626 acres of open space through 17 projects in 18 municipalities across Connecticut, including 297 acres in Salisbury. The Salisbury Association was given $1,592,500 to purchase Tom’s Hill, which lies easterly of Salisbury’s “Twin Lakes” and westerly of the Housatonic River, rising above Lake Washining (East Twin Lake) to the summit of Tom’s Hill.
The parcel abuts large blocks of protected land (540 acres to the northeast, 418 acres to the southeast) that link the property to the Housatonic River, containing outstanding viewsheds, scenic vistas, and ridgelines. It presents excellent recreational opportunities for scenic hiking, with complex terrain with ridges, knobs, cirques, benches, and ravines.
Accessible via Twin Lakes Road, the property is a valuable recreational resource and will complement existing recreation opportunities on adjacent and nearby protected lands. The property is almost entirely core forest, consists of a mixed northern transitional forest of hardwoods and conifers and includes at-risk habitats including forested swamps, freshwater wetlands, and riparian lands adjacent to cold water streams. Part of the Housatonic River watershed, the property contains three miles of streams and riparian corridors that drain to Lake Washining, an important fishery resource.
Click here to learn more. |
|
The Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority (CHESLA) announced that its annual scholarship program will distribute $459,000 in financial assistance to 156 Connecticut students, many of them being the first in their family to attend college, for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Maximum awards are $3,000 for a full-time student and $1,500 for a part-time student enrolled at a degree granting institution. The awardees represent 65 Connecticut towns and cities and 25 Connecticut colleges and universities.
CHESLA’s scholarship application for students pursuing a manufacturing, healthcare, or ARC Teaching certificate, rather than a degree, opened on July 1st. Funds are still available.
https://chesla.org/certificate-scholarship/
The certificate program scholarship awards are $1,250. Applications are considered and awarded on a first come, first served basis until funds run out. Non-credit certificate programs offered by state or non-profit higher education institutions qualify for this scholarship.
CHESLA serves as a leading resource for Connecticut students as they plan their college education by providing financing and tools to help students and families make informed decisions. CHESLA works to enhance the competitiveness of Connecticut institutions of higher education and helps the State meet its workforce needs by providing grants and additional financing options to Connecticut students. CHESLA’s scholarship program has disbursed $11.4 million, impacting 5,927 students since its inception in 2015. |
|
We have an opportunity to pay homage to distinguished veterans from Connecticut who have continued making positive impacts after leaving military service by nominating them to be honored in the 2024 class of the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame. The application period to nominate a veteran is open until September 15, 2024, and an induction ceremony will be scheduled in the coming months.
Established in 2005, the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame is the State of Connecticut’s official tribute recognizing former members of the United States Military from Connecticut who have continued making significant impacts on the lives of others and their communities after leaving military service. Veterans recognized for the honor are leaders in a variety of areas, such as education, public service, the arts, volunteer activities, and community and business leadership, to name a few. It is administered by the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs.
Each year, a nomination process is launched and a committee – consisting of Connecticut Veterans Affairs Commissioner Ron Welch; Major General Francis J. Evon Jr., adjutant general of the Connecticut National Guard; members of the legislature’s Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs; and a group of veterans from the state – reviews the nominations and selects inductees to be honored in that year’s class. To date, 201 honorees have been inducted, including five recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor.
To be eligible, nominees must have been born in Connecticut or resided in the state for a minimum of five years. They must also meet the definition of a “veteran” under Connecticut General Statutes § 27-103 and have received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Armed Forces. The submitted nomination package must contain the completed nomination form, the veteran’s discharge documents, and a detailed narrative of the veteran’s community and/or public service at the local, state, and/or nation level and the veteran’s contributions to the community at large. The focus of this honor is on the veteran’s service to their community after leaving the military.
To download the nomination package, visit portal.ct.gov/dva/pages/ct-veterans-hall-of-fame.
Completed nomination packages must be submitted to the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs by September 15, 2024. They should be delivered by email to lindsay.jesshop@ct.gov or mailed through the U.S. Postal Service to:
Office of the Commissioner of Veterans Affairs
287 West Street
Rocky Hill, CT 06067
Additional information on eligibility criteria and other requirements can be found in the nomination package. |
|
onnecticut’s agriculture industry, including producers, food businesses, and non-profits sourcing CT Grown farm products, now have access to new one-on-one business technical assistance and grant coaching. Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) is utilizing funds available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Resilient Food System Infrastructure Grant Program (RFSI) to contract with three separate entities to provide an array of services, including but not limited to, market diversification and development, supply chain coordination, and business and financial planning.
Two of the relevant entities are CT Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and the Carrot Project. Each will have specific areas of assistance for program participants as follows:
CT SBDC
- Business advising and planning
- Grant writing assistance prior to application submissions, focused on DoAg programs
- Supporting farm/food system businesses more broadly by providing access to all appropriate CTSBDC services, including:
- Advising in business and product strategy, access to financing, financial management, accessing markets and customers, and other areas as needed
- Providing in-depth assistance to those who are more specifically looking for assistance on the market side of their business (i.e. getting into new markets, creating value added products, assisting producers with a marketing strategy, etc.)
- Leveraging CTSBDC’s proprietary and licensed business management tools and databases
- Assisting clients in strategies to diversify their products and market outlets
- Providing access to CTSBDC’s Business Financial Literacy and Credit Counselling and Immigrant Entrepreneur Assistance programs
To get started, complete the CT SBDC intake form.
Carrot Project
- Access to capital, grant and loan readiness
- 1:1 business technical assistance, training and resource to improve business decision-making and strengthen financial positions
To get started, email jcole@thecarrotproject.org |
|
CTDOT holding a virtual public informational meeting on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, at 7:00 p.m.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) will conduct a virtual public information meeting concerning the replacement of Bridge No. 05971 carrying Smith Road over Hall Meadow Brook in Norfolk on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, at 7:00 p.m.
The virtual public information meeting is being held to provide the public and local community the opportunity to offer comments or ask questions regarding the proposed project. The meeting will take place on Zoom, and registration is required. A question and answer (Q&A) session will immediately follow the presentation, which will be recorded. For instructions on accessing the meeting and ways to provide comments and ask questions, please visit https://portal.ct.gov/DOTNorfolk97-102
“The purpose of the project is to replace the bridge that was washed out in a July 2023 rainstorm event, with improved hydraulic performance and a bridge rail system meeting current safety standards,” said Connecticut Department of Transportation Project Engineer Andrew Shields. “We encourage the public to attend this meeting to share their feedback with the CTDOT project team to incorporate into the design.”
Construction is anticipated to begin by spring 2026 based on the availability of funding, acquisition of rights of way, and approval of permit(s). The estimated construction cost for this project is approximately $3 million. This project is anticipated to be undertaken with 80% federal funds and 20% state funds.
Individuals with limited internet access can listen to the meeting by calling (877) 853-5257 and enter Meeting ID 871 5399 7941. Individuals with hearing and/or speech disabilities may dial 711 for Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS). Individuals with limited internet access may also request that project information be mailed to them within one week by contacting Andrew Shields at Andrew.Shields@ct.gov or (860) 594-2077.
Language assistance may be requested by contacting the CTDOT Language Assistance Call Line (860) 594-2109. Requests should be made at least five business days prior to the meeting. Language assistance is provided at no cost to the public and efforts will be made to respond to timely requests for assistance.
This meeting will also be livestreamed on the CTDOT YouTube channel; no registration is required. Non-English language closed captioning will be available on Zoom and YouTube. The recording will also be posted immediately following the meeting in the list of CTDOT virtual public meetings at portal.ct.gov/ctdotVPIMarchive.
Members of the public can submit comments and questions during the two-week public comment period following the meeting. Please submit comments and questions by August 20, 2024, during the two-week public comment period following the meeting, submit comments to DOT-FLBP@ct.gov, (860)594-2020, or Andrew Shields at Andrew.Shields@ct.gov or (860) 594-2077. Please reference Project No. 0097-0102 in the email or voicemail. |
|
| ICMYI - Northwest Corner Events |
|
| Goshen Recreation Summer Concert Series
The Goshen Recreation Summer Concert Series is underway. Bring your family, friends, snacks, chairs, blankets, and come have a good time!!! |
|
| It is my honor to represent our district. I look forward to hearing from you about the issues raised in this newsletter, or any other topics you think I should know about. You can email me at maria.horn@cga.ct.gov or call me at (860)-240-8585. Thanks for reading, and I wish you a safe weekend.
Click here to forward to forward this email to a friend. |
|
| Sincerely,
Maria Horn
State Representative |
|
|
|
|
|
|
