Jaime Foster

It's been a productive few weeks here in Hartford. We've had two session days to address special education funding, funding for non-profits that have seen federal funding cuts, and voting on judicial nominations. Our committees are wrapping up with public hearings and committee meetings, getting ready to report bills to other committees. The Veterans' and Military Affairs Committee has a deadline of March 13 to report bills out of committee.

I want to congratulate our student-athletes on their successes. Both Ellington girls' and boys' basketball teams and Rockville boys' basketball are in the quarterfinals of CIAC play. East Windsor girls' basketball made it to the Class M quarterfinals but lost to a tough Windham team. The Enfield-Ellington-Suffield boys' swim team came in third in the CCC Conference Championships. Kaitlyn Delany of Ellington placed third in the All-Around at the Gymnastics State Open Championships and has qualified for New Englands. The Suffield girls' hockey team (which has members from the 57th District) made it to the CCC Championship game but ultimately fell to the Hall-Conard team. Tri-Town Hockey will play Bethel/Brookfield/Danbury/Immaculate and the Northeastern Shamrocks (which Rockville High is part of) plays E.O.Smith-Tolland Bucks on March 10 in the first round of Division III CIAC play. 

I hope you have a great weekend and don't forget to "spring ahead" before you go to bed Saturday night. Sunsets will be closer to 7 p.m. starting on Sunday!

Jaime

• In the News
• Ellington Farm Receives DoAg Grant
• Air National Guard Send-Off
• Veterans' Events & Info
• PURA Meeting in Vernon on March 17
• Ellington Volunteer Fire Department Honors Members at Annual Banquet
• Broad Brook Fire Chief Retires, New Chief Named
• East Windsor Middle School Hosts Annual Science Fair
• Rockville Library Seeks Feedback on Programs & Services
• East Windsor High School Charity Basketball Game
• Cornerstone Prom Boutique Opens March 28
• And More!

There was also an article regarding electric rates in North Central News. You can click HERE or click the graphics below to read it.

House Bill 5003 builds off Public Act 24-91 which was passed unanimously last year and signed by the governor to establish the Early Childhood Care and Education Fund. Investments in early childhood care and education create better education, health, social, and economic outcomes that increase revenue and reduce the need for other costly spending.

Connecticut is home to approximately 181,000 children under the age of five and the majority of Connecticut's young children (73%) are being cared for outside of the home while parents work.

Affordable and accessible childcare is a necessity for Connecticut families and businesses to thrive.  Priority Bill 5003 will deliver faster funding to families, attract and retain childcare educators, and create new and updated childcare facilities.

The bill passed out of the Children's Committee on March 6 and will be brought to the House floor, then the Senate, for consideration. 

Congratulations to Ellington's Sand Meadow Farm for receiving one of these grants. The farm will receive a microgrant of $5,000 to build a small, on-site farm store. 

CT DoAg received a total of 80 submitted grant proposals for the highly competitive grant round, with funding requests of nearly $1.6 million for total project costs of more than $3.9 million. Of the awarded funds, $303,395 will support seven farms to produce a new product, $165,150 will fortify nine farms with critical infrastructure, $55,550 will bolster twelve farms in their first three years of production, and $3,900 will assist one farm in testing the viability of a new product. Additionally, 20 of the 29 recipients have not received a Farm Transition Grant award within the last five years, 19 are beginning farmers and eight are farmer veterans.

Awards span the full scope of Connecticut’s diverse agriculture industry. Chickens are particularly well represented this round with seven projects to increase poultry production, four increasing egg production, and one impacting poultry processing. Other represented sectors include meat, fruits, vegetables, cut flowers, vineyards, honey, and maple syrup.

• Session Day on 2/24
• Rare Disease Day Event with Senator Anwar on 2/25
• Special Education Event in East Windsor on 2/25 with Reps. Kevin Brown, Carol Hall, and Maryam Khan
• Food Insecurity Press Conference on 2/26
• Energy and Technology Committee Public Hearing on 2/27 (including a video clip of a discussion with CT Department of Energy & Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes) 
• CT Education Association Press Conference on 3/4
• Session Day on 3/5

The ceremony took place on March 1 at the Bradley Air National Guard Base's Main Hanger.

Always a pleasure to be with Senator Richard Blumenthal, Congressman John Larson, and Treasurer Erick Russell.

The deadline to participate in the Ellington Veterans ~ A Salute in Banners program has been extended to March 20. Applications and additional information are available at Ellington Human Services, located at 31 Arbor Way, or online HERE.

SAVE THE DATE!

WHAT: Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day Ceremony
WHEN: March 27 at 10 a.m.
WHERE: Connecticut Veterans Affairs campus, Gold Star Families Memorial Auditorium

Customers are encouraged to go on the record with comments by attending a public hearing or submitting comments in writing in the proceeding. You can submit comments HERE.

Comments will be accepted from members of the public who have an interest in the outcome of this proceeding, through the date of the final public comment hearing in this matter, April 9. While members of the public can submit written comments after this date, such comments may not be reflected in the PURA's preparations for the subsequent evidentiary hearings.

To read the application, click HERE.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) has announced guide rail upgrades will be performed on Route 140 east and westbound in East Windsor from Route 5, Prospect Hill Road to Hartfield Boulevard. This project will be completed by Wednesday, March 19.

Traffic control signing patterns, trailer-mounted attenuators, and certified flaggers will guide motorists through the work zone.

Motorists should be aware that modifications or extensions to the schedule may become necessary due to weather delays or other unforeseen conditions. Motorists are advised to maintain a safe speed when driving in this area.

Congratulations to:

• Kaila Morrow, who was named 2024 Firefighter of the Year
• Luann's Bakery and JPM Enterprises for their ongoing support of EVFD
• The members of the department who were recognized with unit citations for their efforts operating at a structure fire on Orchard Street one year ago
• Fred Bird was recognized with the Chief's Award for his 35 years of fire photography, expertise, and support to EVFD
• The members who were recognized for a collective total of 295 YEARS of volunteer service, including Life Member/Past Chief John Turner (55 years), Secretary/Past Chief Michael Varney (40 years), and firefighter Frederica "Freddie" Weeks 

The new Chief Officers of Broad Brook Fire Department are:

Fire Chief - Gerald Bancroft
Assistant Chief - James Bancroft
Deputy Chief - Vincent LaMay

I would like to offer sincere congratulations to Chief Arcari on his retirement and wish the new slate of officers the best.

Chief Arcari - thank you for your many years of service and dedication to the town of East Windsor and its residents!

Congratulations to all the students who participated - Ishanvi, Katie, Keshav, Aarna, Shreyan, Adwetta, Sidharth, Aarav, Sairam, and Arav.

Four students placed in the top 50% in the state, with Keshav finishing in the top 12% and Ishanvi securing an impressive 6th place of over 220 students, just two spots away from advancing to the National Competition!

The library would like to get your thoughts on the services and programs it provides.

You can help by filling out the survey, which can be found online HERE. Survey submissions will be accepted until March 10.

Paper copies of the survey will also be available at the library or upon request. Please contact the library at 860-875-5892 with any questions. Thank you for helping improve the library!

This one-day program is designed to prepare students to be safe when they are home alone. Students learn how to practice safe habits, how to prevent unsafe situations, and what to do when faced with dangers. Students are also introduced to a system to help them assess and respond to injuries and illnesses.

The cost is $50 and takes place on March 26 (an early dismissal day) from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Just a few spots are left open. Click HERE for more information. 

You can sign up HERE. Please contact Deputy Chief Ben Murphy at Murphyb@Eastwindsor-ct.gov with any questions.

The contractor positions will run for about 20 months and require about five hours of work each month.

The ‘Live Here-Love Trees’ project is a 3-pronged, community-guided approach to increase tree equity and expand access to green spaces within Vernon’s disadvantaged community area, known as Rockville. The project is funded entirely through the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Urban Forest Equity Grant Program.

Working with town staff, community members, and partners, "Live Here-Love Trees" Tree Ambassadors will participate in a grant-funded position that facilitates tree education and oversees the planting and care of native species trees at selected participant locations. It is estimated that the role will require approximately 60 hours in total for the duration of the project, which concludes in June 2026.

For more information, click HERE. 

Saturday, April 26, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Ellington Town Green.

Join in for a day of fun, education, and action as we come together to support a cleaner, greener future. Whether you're a resident looking to learn more about eco-friendly living or a local business wanting to engage with the community, there's something for everyone!

Please feel free to Congressman Joe Courtney’s office as well – staff would be happy to listen and discuss what options the employee may have at their disposal.

An informational webpage has been prepared on Congressman Courtney’s website: https://courtney.house.gov/fedworkers

Free Registration HERE.

Who Can Apply: Eligible students must be a senior in high school who has been accepted to a college, university, or technical school program, or a current college student with plans of study in Agriculture, Technical Education, or Family Studies related fields. Applicants must be a 4-H member, AgEd Student, Technical Education student, or Family Studies student in Tolland County, CT.

How to Apply: Applicants must provide a completed application, 2 letters of recommendation, Transcript of grades, and an essay of no more than 300 words explaining your plans to major in a field related to Agriculture, Technical Education, or Family Studies and what you plan to do with this education after graduation.

The due date is April 1, 2025!

Click HERE for more information.