Jason Rojas

Dear Neighbor, 

 

In this email, you'll find updates on district resources and news. Please click the links below to read the section that corresponds with the highlighted headline.



A NOTE: If you're having trouble clicking through the following links, open this email in a browser, use a computer, or scroll through this email to the relevant section. 



The topics covered are as follows:

• State Update
• Today in CT History
• Manchester Community Events 
• East Hartford Community Events

I am proud to announce that I was chosen among a select group of leaders to participate in the Rodel Fellowship Seminars. Each year, the program selects 24 outstanding state and local-level elected officials, divided among political parties, to come together for a series of three multi-day seminars held over a two-year period. Working with leading scholars as moderators, the fellows read and discuss classic texts dealing with ethical values, democratic principles, and wise and effective leadership. This is a great opportunity to gather with a diverse group of colleagues to share thoughts, ideas, and innovative approaches to addressing critical issue areas facing our communities. Through reexamining the works that have served as the foundation of democracy and democratic ideals, we reaffirm our commitment to working for the greater good. I want to thank former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin for nominating me and the Rodel Institute for this opportunity. I am looking forward to this enriching experience. Follow link below for details.

 

When you’re escaping an abusive relationship, every day counts. We are committed to passing legislation that gives survivors of domestic violence the resources they need to stay safe.

Not all heroes wear capes…some wear scrubs. 

 

Emergency nurses are true superheroes - always thinking on their feet, remaining calm under pressure, and always ready to handle a variety of medical emergencies. Thank you to all of the emergency nurses of Connecticut for your hours of hard work and devoted labor that saves lives every single day!

The state Treasurer's office is hosting their annual Dream Big! Competition, which gives K-12 students the chance to win up to $20,000 toward their education.



To enter, students answer a question in the form of artwork, an essay, or a video. Younger students focus on what they want to do when they grow up, and older students are asked to describe a lesson they’ve learned or a person who has impacted their lives.



The deadline to enter is Nov. 4  - To learn more, click here.

Benjamin Wright, the chief engineer behind some of the most famous civil engineering projects in United States history — including the Erie Canal — was born to Grace and Ebenezer Wright of Wethersfield today in 1770. Ebenezer’s accumulated debts had forced young Benjamin to forego most of his formal schooling to take up odd jobs in order to support his family, and in 1789, the Wright family moved from Wethersfield to upstate New York in hopes of finding better fortunes.

Having been homeschooled by his uncle Joseph Wright in the fields of surveying and law, Benjamin began working as a surveyor in the early 1790s, mapping out what was then still considered “frontier territory” in modern-day Oneida and Oswego counties. A few years later, Wright gained valuable experience working for the English engineer and famous canal-builder William Weston, laying out locks and building canals along the Mohawk River. In 1811, the newly formed New York State Canal Commission hired Wright to do some initial surveying for an incredibly ambitious public works project: a canal between the city of Albany and Lake Erie that would effectively create a continuous waterway between the Great Lakes to New York City.

Two years later, when the state of New York had finally amassed enough funding to begin construction of the canal in earnest, they reached out to William Weston, who had since returned to England. When Weston declined the invitation to head the Erie Canal project, the commission hired his former protege, Benjamin Wright, as the chief engineer. The Erie Canal was the largest public works project attempted in the United States to date. By the time it was completed in 1825, it stretched 363 miles and encompassed 34 massive locks that facilitated over 560 vertical feet of elevation change. The new canal slashed the time and money it took to transport goods between New York City and the nation’s heartland and was quickly hailed as an economic success — even after factoring in the project’s massive $7 million price tag.

 A map of the Erie Canal, circa 1840.

The commercial success of the Erie Canal sparked “canal fever” across the entire northeastern United States, and Wright found his services in very high demand nationwide. He later played a major role in the design and construction of numerous American canals, including the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, the St. Lawrence Canal, and the Farmington Canal, which bisected the entire state of Connecticut from New Haven northward to Granby. In general, these artificial waterways were incredibly expensive and time-consuming to build, and few of them achieved the success or fame of the Erie Canal; by the middle of the 19th century, “canal fever” faded as investors, businessmen, and civil engineers like Benjamin Wright increasingly embraced railroads as the transportation of the future. In the 1830s, Wright worked as a surveyor for railroad routes in New York and Virginia, and in his later years served as chief engineer for New York City, where he died in 1842 at the age of 71.

In recognition of the crucial role Benjamin Wright played in the formation of the United States’ most significant infrastructure projects, the American Society of Civil Engineers designated Wright as “the Father of American Civil Engineering” in 1969. An American engineering icon whose projects facilitated the industrialization of the United States in the early 19th century was born from humble beginnings today in Connecticut history.

Further Reading

“Benjamin Wright,” American Society of Civil Engineers

Richard DeLuca, “New England’s Grand Ambition: The Farmington Canal,” connecticuthistory.org

Town Resources

https://www.easthartfordct.gov/residents

 

Town Newsletters

Pulse of East Hartford     

East Hartford Public Schools

East Hartford Works

• Monday October 21, 2024 10am – 6pm
• Tuesday October 22, 2024 10am – 6pm
• Wednesday October 23, 2024 10am – 6pm
• Thursday October 24, 2024 10am – 6pm
• Friday October 25, 2024 10am – 6pm
• Saturday October 26, 2024 10am – 6pm
• Sunday October 27, 2024 10am – 6pm
• Monday October 28, 2024 10am – 6pm
• Tuesday October 29, 2024 hours will be extended from 8am to 8pm
• Wednesday October 30, 2024 10am – 6pm
• Thursday October 31, 2024 hours will be extended from 8am to 8pm
• Friday November 1, 2024 10am – 6pm
• Saturday November 2, 2024 10am – 6pm
• Sunday November 3, 2024 10am – 6pm

The Presidential Election will take place November 5, 2024 6am – 8pm

Click here to find out where to VOTE

Discover the beginner pickleball sessions offered by the Manchester Recreation Division, and secure your spot by registering now! Playing pickleball allows you to work on your balance, agility, reflexes, and hand-eye coordination without putting excessive strain on your body. We're looking forward to seeing you there!

The Manchester Housing Authority (MHA) will accept pre-applications for a lottery drawing for up to 400 applicants to be placed on the waiting list for the Federal Low-Income Public Housing (LIPH) program.

The MHA will accept applications from people ages 62 and older or disabled applicants. Deadline is October 4 at 2 p.m.

Anyone interested and eligible may apply at https://www.pha-web.com/portals/onlineApplication/1703. Printed applications are available at 24 Bluefield Drive in Manchester and may be returned to the same address.

Full Gospel Interdenominational Church is collecting the following donations for those affected by Hurricane Helene: Formula & Baby Food Diapers & Wipes Bottled Water Clothes & Shoes (new or like-new) Monetary Donations

Physical Donations: Donations Center 11 Bissell Street, Manchester, CT Mon-Thu: 9:30 AM - 4 PM (closed 12 - 1PM) Mon: 7PM - 8PM. For more info click here

Early voting will be available for the General Election beginning October 21st at Town Hall (740 Main Street) second floor, Welling Conference Room.

Early voting hours will be: 10 am – 6 pm with the exception of October 29 and 31 where hours will be 8 am – 8 pm

The General Election will take place November 5, 2024 from 6am – 8pm. All polling locations will be open on Primary Day.

If you are not registered, but want to vote during the Early Voting period, you may register in person every day of Early Voting at the Early Voting location.

If you are not registered, but want to vote on Election Day, you may register in person on Election Day at your Election Day Registration site.

To receive important election updates text VOTE to 860.321.4221

Additional information:

English

Español

East Hartford Parks and Recreation Department presents a Trick or Treat Trail!

DATE: Saturday, October 26th

TIME: 1:00pm – 3:00pm

LOCATION: East Hartford Town Green, 1047 Main Street

East Hartford children ages 10 and younger (and their accompanying parent/guardian) are invited to head down the trail in our festively decorated park to various stations for candy, treats, and giveaways. Each child should bring their own bag or basket to collect treats. Please dress appropriately for the weather. This event will be held rain or shine.

The event is FREE for East Hartford residents. For more information, please call East Hartford Parks and Recreation Department at 860-291-7160.

East Hartford is the home of Husky Football!

We are excited to support East Hartford’s hometown college team: University of Connecticut Football! Through the generosity of University of Connecticut Athletics Department, East Hartford residents can use the following link to access discounted tickets for October 19th football game against Wake Forest at 12pm at Rentschler Field.

Visit https://fevo-enterprise.com/event/FBEasthartford to purchase and let’s show UConn football some East Hartford pride!

My office is always open if you or your family are in need of assistance. Please do not hesitate to contact me by email at Jason.Rojas@cga.ct.gov or by phone at 860-240-8541.



Sincerely,



Jason Rojas