February, 2010

Linda’s Litter Lugging Day

I hope you will join me for the third annual Linda’s Litter Lugging Day on April 10th, which is dedicated to the late Barbara Rosen.

Barbara was a great supporter of the litter day and worked year-round to keep her section of Bushy Hill Road free of litter. She helped make Simsbury a better place and we’ll be thinking of her as we follow in her footsteps this year.

We will meet at the town hall parking lot between 9:00 and 11:00 AM on Saturday, April 10th. Volunteers will receive a clean-up assignment, rubber gloves, trash bags, and orange safety vests. You may also sign up for a section of road in advance, if you prefer.

The rain date is Sunday, April 11th at 1:00 p.m.

Paine’s has generously volunteered their services, and will place dumpsters and barrels in the town hall parking lot for all the recyclables and trash that volunteers collect. Refreshments will be donated by Fitzgerald’s.

If you are interested in volunteering or learning more, please email me at Linda.Schofield@cga.ct.gov or call me at my at 860.240.8635.

The 2010 Census: Vital to  Your Future

In March 2010, more than 130 million addresses across the nation will receive a census form. One of the shortest census forms in history, the 2010 Census form asks 10 questions and takes only 10 minutes to complete. Completing your census form is easy, important and safe. Your participation is essential to ensuring a brighter tomorrow for our community.

Required once every 10 years by the U.S. Constitution, the census will count every person living in the United States, both citizens and noncitizens. Census data are used to reapportion the U.S. House of Representatives, re-district each state and determine the distribution of the Electoral College. Census data also directly affect how more than $400 billion per year in federal funding is distributed to state, local and tribal governments. Most importantly, census data is critical in determining locations for new hospitals, improving schools, building new roads, expanding public transportation options and creating new maps for emergency responders.

Census forms will be delivered or mailed to households in March 2010; households should complete and mail back their forms upon receipt. Census workers will visit households that do not return forms to take a count in person.

Information shared with the Census Bureau is completely confidential. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share respondents’ answers with anyone, including other federal agencies and law enforcement  entities. All Census Bureau employees take an oath of nondisclosure and are sworn for life to protect the confidentiality of the data. The penalty for  unlawful disclosure is a fine of up to $250,000 or imprisonment of up to five  years, or both.

For more information about the 2010 Census and Connecticut, visit www.housedems.ct.gov/census/