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
Legislative Updates
That’s a wrap! Here’s what we passed on our last day of the 2024 legislative session.️
SB 432 - Further supports Connecticut nonprofits.
SB 13 - Expands the student loan repayment plan.
SB 3 - Consumer protections for Connecticut residents.
HB 5512 - Requires the Commissioner of Revenue Services to study the Department of Revenue Services' collections processes.
SB 339 - Requires anyone convicted of intentionally injuring or killing a police officer’s animal or a volunteer canine search and rescue team’s dog to pay restitution.
SB 396 - Implements task force recommendations for the elderly nutrition program.
SB 439 - Expands the eligibility criteria for compensation of persons wrongfully convicted.
SB 420 - Authorizes municipalities to adopt an ordinance regarding illegally passing a school bus.
Today in 1775, two feuding Connecticut-born patriots — Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold — forced the surrender of British-held Fort Ticonderoga in upstate New York. It was one of the most significant strategic victories in the early years of the American Revolution. The fort’s capture was both marked and marred, however, by a heated, lasting argument between Allen and Arnold over who should, and later did, command the attack.
Fort Ticonderoga was built by the French as Fort Carillon in 1755 at a critical location between New York’s Hudson River Valley and the Canadian border. During the French and Indian War, the French and British fiercely battled over the fort, which controlled access to strategic waterways and trade routes.
However, after the Treaty of Paris in 1763 led to the complete withdrawal of French forces from North America, the British Army focused its efforts elsewhere. Since the renamed Fort Ticonderoga was not believed to be a vulnerable target, it was left undermanned, with fewer than 50 British troops there in May 1775. The soldiers and officers garrisoned at Fort Ticonderoga never dreamed they would be on the receiving end of an organized military attack, even after tensions erupted into gunfire between American colonists and British troops at Lexington and Concord.
In the early morning hours of May 10, Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold — unable to agree on who should actually command the attack — jointly stormed the fort with a small force of 80 to 90 men, mostly volunteers from Vermont and Connecticut. The fort was reportedly guarded by a single sentry. The British commander, taken by surprise and clearly outnumbered, surrendered the fort to Allen without a single shot being fired. There was still plenty of commotion, however — not between the British and American forces, but between Arnold and Allen, whose headstrong personalities and competing claims of seniority clashed from the moment they decided to undertake the joint operation. After the fort’s capture, each scrambled to claim credit for the success. Allen’s account — which barely mentioned Arnold at all — was more widely circulated, and to this day, the famous Vermonter is the man mostly closely associated with the American takeover of Fort Ticonderoga in 1775.
The takeover of “Fort Ti” was, by all accounts, a small and simple operation, but one that proved highly advantageous for the American rebels in the long term. With Ticonderoga in the hands of American forces, communication between British troops in Canada and New York were instantly severed. The fort provided a crucial staging ground for the attempted American invasion of Canada later in 1775. During the winter of 1775-1776, Henry Knox executed an audacious plan to transport over 60 tons of cannon and supplies from the fort to the munitions-starved Continental Army in eastern Massachusetts. This was a decisive factor in forcing the British to evacuate Boston. The British eventually recaptured the fort in July 1777, but not before the Americans had used it to bolster their offensive campaign against the British army in the early years of the Revolutionary War.
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
Region 3, CRCOG will be hosting a CERT basic training class for anyone interested in becoming a trained CERT member.
The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may occur where they live. CERT trains volunteers in basic disaster response skills, such as: Fire safety. Light search and rescue. Team organization.
This is a great opportunity to aid your community in a way that you may not have thought about.
Please contact your local team leader or Emergency Management Director for signup or email Koplowitz.s@gmail.com(put CERT class in the memo line); Be sure to include your email and contact phone number. Classes start April 27th.
Veterans Coffee House
Veterans and Spouses/Significant Others are invited to the Veterans Coffee House on the third Thursday each month from 10am – 12:30pm at the Army & Navy Club, 1090 Main St., Manchester, CT.
Serving: Camaraderie, Networking, Coffee, and Refreshments; All Veterans Welcome! For more info: contact Paul Scappaticci, pscappaticci7750@att.net, cell 860-490-8193.
**May 16 from 10am-1pm.
Were you exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances?
Many services available, including: Health Care enrollment, Toxic exposure screenings, Claims support. Veterans, Veteran families, caregivers, survivors, and advocates are invited to attend.
Cultural District Celebration &
Downtown Butterfly Stroll
The Town of Manchester is thrilled to be the sixth town designated as a Cultural District by the Department of Economic and Community Development’s Connecticut Office of the Arts. Join us in celebration at our next 2nd Saturday Downtown "Open House" on May 11th.
Enjoy a day filled with cultural and community activities, from butterfly hunts and flower collecting to dining, shopping, and live music. Bring your family and friends to experience the cultural richness of Manchester and make lasting memories together. Don't miss out on this vibrant showcase of our community's spirit and creativity! Or contact Stacey Zackin, WORK_SPACE Manager at 860.647.6029 orszackin@manchesterct.gov
The Town of East Hartford invites residents, businesses, and community members to join Mayor Martin’s team for a Community Cleanup Day. This annual cleanup day celebrates pride in East Hartford and brings together members of the community to roll up their sleeves and help invest in our town. The Community Cleanup Day will take place on Saturday, May 18 from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Volunteers should gather at Alumni Park (1021 Main Street) where they will be checked in and assigned cleanup tasks for the day. Examples of cleanup tasks include but are not limited to park cleanup, mulching flowerbeds, weeding, and planting.
At the end of the cleanup day, lunch will be provided for all volunteers at Alumni Park.
Of the annual cleanup, Mayor Martin said, “This annual event is a great opportunity to connect with residents while investing in our community. It’s always a great time to dig in the dirt, clean up, and beautify our town because there’s a real sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. This is also a great opportunity to students needing community service hours, so we really encourage everyone to come out.”
All volunteers who sign up will be issued additional details closer to the event. Registration closes Friday, May 10th. Be sure to fill out the participation waiver in addition to the primary registration form. There is no scheduled rain date for this event.
The Town of East Hartford in collaboration with the East Hartford Veterans Commission are excited to announce that the third annual East Hartford’s Memorial Day parade and series of events will take place Monday, May 27, 2024 at 10 AM.
The event will consist of three parts, including a parade, program at the Fallen Star Memorial and celebration of East Hartford. The parade will begin promptly at 10 AM, proceeding from 9 Riverside Drive to the Fallen Star Memorial located at Goodwin University.
“It was the Town's priority to bring back the Memorial Day parade 3 years ago and it has now become a tradition that the community looks forward to every year," said Mayor Connor Martin. "I have a lot of respect for our Veterans and the Memorial Day Parade is a small gesture in which we honor their service and sacrifice."
PARTICIPANTS:
Those who would like to march in the Memorial Day Parade are asked to register by Wednesday, May 1, 2024.
To make the event possible, the town would like to extend sponsorship opportunities to local businesses and organizations. Those who wish to sponsor the event or offer in-kind services, please fill out the electronic form below by Wednesday, May 1, 2024.
East Hartford is also accepting applications from vendors who wish to participate in the Memorial Day event. Vendors will have to set up and disassemble their own tables, tents and chairs. Vendors who wish to participate are asked to register Wednesday, May 1, 2024.
The parade will be followed by a program at the Fallen Star Memorial and a family-friendly celebration of East Hartford with food trucks, music and activities.
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 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).
VENDORS AND PARTICIPANTS:
East Hartford is accepting applications from vendors who wish to participate in the Juneteenth celebration. Vendors who wish to participate must submit the applicable form to East Hartford Parks and Recreation.
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.
