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.
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The topics covered are as follows:
Legislative Updates
Today in CT History
Community Resources
CT Foodshare
Manchester Community Events
East Hartford Community Events
Gentle Love Connections
The Town of Manchester awarded Kyle Zingler who is the Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Gentle Love Connections $25,000 of ARPA dollars.
A big thanks to everyone that joined us for a great Town Hall Meeting!
End Of Session Town Hall 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.govor call 860-240-8541.
Today In CT History
Harrison “Honey” Fitch, arrived at the University of Connecticut (then Connecticut State College) in the fall of 1932, and he made a solid impression, fast. Fitch, the first Black basketball player for the University of Connecticut (then Connecticut State College) and at the time the only Black student, had already earned the nickname “Honey” for his smooth play at Hillhouse High in New Haven. Popular and talented, he became a three-sport athlete his freshman year (football, basketball and baseball), and was voted by students as the school’s best athlete.
Harrison “Honey” Fitch as a Husky in 1934 (UCONN Archives)
Not everyone was so enamored. On January 27th, 1934, the Connecticut basketball team was scheduled to play against the Coast Guard Academy in New London. The Coast Guard’s athletic administration, however, operated under a publicly avowed but unwritten rule that, since many of its cadets hailed from southern states, Black athletes would not be allowed to compete at the Academy.
Fitch’s arrival with his Connecticut team instantly generated a heated stalemate: the Coast Guard refused to play the the game if he was on the court; the Connecticut team was prepared to walk out if he wasn’t. Undaunted, Fitch took the court and warmed up with his teammates during more than half an hour of back-and-forth negotiation between coaches and officials aimed at breaking the deadlock. For reasons still unknown – perhaps it was part of an uneasy compromise – the game between the teams proceeded, but Connecticut coach John Heldman kept Fitch on the bench for the entire game. Tempers on both teams still ran high and there were plenty of fouls on both sides. At the final buzzer, Connecticut had beaten the Coast Guard team, 31-29.
By all accounts Fitch’s teammates had his back, and they weren’t the only ones. In an account headlined “Fires of Resentment Still Glow,” in February 1934 the Hartford Courant published excerpts of alumni response to the news from the Coast Guard game. “I realize that Coach Heldman did fight hard to have Fitch play and he should be commended for it,” wrote one alumna. “But the fighting did not go far enough. Harry Fitch is one of the best athletes at Connecticut, one of the most clean and fair players, as a glance at his record will show, that Connecticut has; and the silly prejudice prevailing at Coast Guard is no reason whatever for removing Fitch from the line-up.” Rather than conceding to pressure by having Fitch ride the bench, the letter-writer insisted (in all caps), “NO GAME SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLAYED SATURDAY.” Heldman, already an unpopular coach for his overall losing record, resigned in 1935 after a student poll overwhelmingly recommended firing him and he managed to lose to the alumni team.
Between personal financial concerns and the racism of the New London events, Fitch subsequently transferred to American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts to finish his degree, though he is said by his son Brooks Fitch to have maintained affection for UConn and continued to watch Huskies games throughout his life. He played for the “New England Colored All Stars” basketball team in 1945 and 1946 and is still lauded as a top starting forward. He went on to a career working for Monsanto and became a Mason of the highest achievable rank. Harrison “Honey” Fitch died on June 11, 1984 in Wallingford, leaving a legacy of breakthrough achievement, today in Connecticut history.
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 word Foodshare to 85511.
Squire Village, 48 Spencer Street, 06040 (1st parking lot off Imperial Drive #78)
Faith Tabernacle – Manchester 110 Utopia Rd, Manchester, CT 06042
New River Community Church -314 Woodbridge St, Manchester, CT 06042
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
Hockanum Park- 75 Hamilton Park
Mayberry Village –St. Isaac Jogues Church Parking Lot (41 Home Terrace East Hartford)
Summerfield Townhouse (66 Plain Drive East Hartford, CT)
Veterans Terrace -102 Columbus St, East Hartford, CT 06108
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.
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 James "Dutch" Fogarty
Fourth of July Celebration
Saturday, July 6, 2024, rain date Sunday, July 7, 2024. The Town of Manchester is pulling out all the stops for the most “you better be there” party of the season. This annual get-together will be the highlight of the summer and is not something to be missed. It all starts at 4:00 p.m. with legendary live music, kid’s zone activities, market place offerings, food, family, friends and fireworks-filled fun, and goes until the last rocket lights up the sky at 9:55 p.m.
Manchester Home Energy Action
Save money--and the planet!
Two ways to save!
The Manchester Sustainability Commission has partnered with the sponsors of Energize Connecticut (Eversource & Connecticut Natural Gas) to bring residents two opportunities to save on their energy bills this summer:
The public is invited to a free walking tour in the Cheney historic district on Saturday June 15, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. The one-and-a-quarter-hour walk starts at 146 Hartford Road, Manchester, and will proceed along streets and lawn to view the exterior of historic mansions, with a visit to the nine acres purchased by the Town of Manchester in 2005 for open space and historic preservation.
Hosts Tom Ferguson and Susan Barlow, members of the Cheney District Commission, will comment on the historic landscape and buildings. There is some steep and uneven ground, so participants should wear sturdy shoes or boots.
Extreme weather cancels, but the walk will be held in light rain, so please bring an umbrella.
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 is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans.
The event will take place on Saturday, June 15th from 11:00 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 be held inside at Community Cultural Center (50 Chapman Place).
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:
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.
East Hartford Offices Launches Pilot Summer Hours Program
Beginning June 3, 2024, the Town of East Hartford will launch a 14-week pilot program for revised hours of in-person Town Hall (740 Main Street) and Community Cultural Center (50 Chapman Place) services. This program aims to expand hours of access to accommodate residents who may need in-person services during the lunch hour, or evening access after 4:30pm.
The pilot program will run from June 3rd through September 6th, 2024, with offices operating with the following hours:
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.
