Aimee Berger-Girvalo

This week marked the 40th anniversary of the Challenger space shuttle disaster. I was 12 years old. Like every other seventh grader, I sat in a classroom while our teachers rolled in a TV on wheels so we could watch history unfold — the first teacher ever, Christa McAuliffe, traveling into space.

Seventy-three seconds into the mission, the shuttle exploded, disintegrating 46,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean and killing all seven people on board.

When I close my eyes, I can still see exactly which desk I was sitting at in Ms. Hateman’s classroom. I remember the shape and pattern of the debris in the sky. I can still feel the sadness, panic, and horror of that moment — and of the days and weeks that followed. Even now, any time someone mentions the Challenger, those feelings come rushing back.

But today, something feels different. The world feels different.

In just a few short months, we’ve witnessed multiple murders broadcast for the world to see. Our children have seen them. And I’m afraid we may be becoming desensitized — accepting public killings as a grim fact of life. I still remember what I’ve seen, but I struggle to remember how something that happened even two weeks ago made me feel. Because it’s happened again. And again. And everything starts to blur.

These horrors feel new to many of us because they’re happening in our own communities for the first time. But they are not new. Black and brown communities have lived with this reality all along. Their children have been seeing it all along. It only feels new because, in polite society, we’ve avoided broadcasting these atrocities — and too often chose to look away unless they touched our own lives.

But the rules of what’s acceptable have shifted quickly. Boundaries have been erased. And if we look away now — if we pretend this isn’t happening, or worse, accept the lies we’re being told about it — we risk sliding into a darkness that will be incredibly hard to escape.

I wish our children weren’t witnessing all of this in real time. But let’s be honest: They are watching. And we owe it to them not to look away ourselves. We owe it to them to let what we’re seeing move us — to stay engaged, to stay present, and to fight back.

Remember the horror you feel.

And then do something about it.

The state's severe cold weather protocol has been extended to Thursday, Feb. 5. This is the longest, continuous severe weather cold weather protocol we've experienced in over a decade.

It's cold -- especially at night.

The purpose of the protocol is to ensure that the most vulnerable populations receive protection from the severe cold, which could be life-threatening if exposed to the elements for extended periods of time.

While enacted, a system is set up for state agencies and municipalities to coordinate with United Way 2-1-1 and Connecticut’s network of shelters to make sure that anyone in need can receive shelter from the outdoors, including transportation to shelters.

Anyone in need of shelter or a warming center is urged to visit 211ct.org or call 2-1-1 to find available locations. Transportation can be provided if necessary.

The Rec Center, 195 Danbury Road, is open to Ridgefield residents for warming during normal business hours:

• Monday - Friday 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.
• Saturday - 6 a.m. - 6 p.m.
• Sunday - 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.

I recently joined four other Connecticut legislators and more than 100 lawmakers from 29 states in urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reject a proposed federal rule that would roll back protections for over 80% of the nation’s wetlands and waterways.

In a joint letter (coverage from CT News Junkie can be found here), we called on federal officials to maintain the current “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) protections that safeguard clean drinking water, public health, and local economies.

It's pretty simple, yet nothing really seems so these days. Clean water protections enjoy overwhelming public support and are critical to preventing flooding, supporting outdoor recreation, and protecting ecosystems. Weakening federal safeguards will threaten community health and shift costly and unmanageable responsibilities onto states.

Let's hope such basic protections remain in place. Our lives literally depend on them.

During the 2025 regular legislative session, the Connecticut House of Representatives took 381 votes. I am proud to be among the 52 House members — out of 151 total — who were present for every single vote, earning a 100% voting record for the session.

I believe that being present for every vote is a fundamental responsibility of the job, and I take that responsibility seriously. As we look ahead, the 2026 legislative session will begin on Feb. 4, and I remain committed to bringing your voice to the Capitol and working hard on your behalf.

Read more here.