Avon Bike Parade and Concert Later Today, A Tribute to Mary

July 9, 2026



 

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Dear Neighbor,

We’ve had a wild ride with weather in the last week, and Avon and Canton were mostly lucky with the terrible storms over the weekend. I hope you and your family had a safe and happy Fourth.
 
There is post-storm help for people currently receiving SNAP who lost food to the storm. Sharing all the details below.
 
I’m including the reading of the Declaration of Independence that happened last week at the Old State House. I hope you’ll take a little bit of time to listen to the words of the document that started everything for us.
 
It is with sadness that I share the passing of former First Selectwoman Mary Ball Tomolonius. Never without a smile, Mary made people feel loved wherever she went (I know that wasn’t just my experience).

I’m truly grateful that as I got to know her, I also got to work with her in a professional capacity, too. She was an outstanding example of public service while at the same time being a wonderful friend. Please keep her family in your thoughts.
 
Don’t forget, the Canton Main Street Farmers Market is going strong through October. Visit each Sunday from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Wishing you a good weekend and week ahead,
 
Eleni

Sincerely,

Eleni Kavros DeGraw
State Representative


 

Avon Bike Parade and Concert

The new date for the Avon Bike Parade and Concert is tonight, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Mass-Conn-Fusion will be performing at Sycamore Hills.
 

A Tribute to Mary 

It is with sadness that I share that former First Selectwoman of Canton Mary Ball Tomolonius passed away last week.

Personally, I want to say, to know Mary was to love her. She was kind in an effortless way, and she moved through the world, not just making it better, but making you feel better about it.

I am grateful that I had the chance to get to know her in the last eight years and, more so, that our paths often crossed professionally. It always made me smile to see her name in my inbox attached to her CACT work. 

May her memory be eternal through all those who loved her. 💜

(Photo credit: Legacy)
 

Post-Storm Help for SNAP Recipients

The Department of Social Services (DSS) announced that SNAP recipients who experienced long-duration power outages caused by the severe storm that impacted Connecticut on the evening of Saturday, July 4, 2026, may be eligible to receive supplemental benefits to replace spoiled food that had already been purchased.
 
Federal regulations allow DSS to replace SNAP benefits when a household reports that food purchased with these benefits was destroyed due to events such as fires, floods, or power outages. In the event of power outages, households must have lost power for at least four hours.

To receive replacement benefits, SNAP recipients who experienced power outages lasting at least 4 hours must report their losses to DSS no later than Tuesday, July 14, 2026.

This report to DSS can be submitted by phone, by walk-in visit, or via the W-1225/W-1225S form. DSS requires a signed statement attesting to the household’s loss through the W-1225/W-1225S form.
 
DSS is also required to determine that the destruction occurred due to a power outage. This can be verified through a collateral contact outside the household, a letter from the utility company, documentation from a community agency (including, but not limited to, the fire department or the Red Cross, if they assisted the household), or a home visit.
 
Replacement benefits will be issued in the amount of the loss and provided to households within ten days after the report of loss or within two working days of receiving the signed household statement required, whichever date is later.
 

CT History, Declaration of Independence

If you haven’t been to the Old State House in Hartford, it’s your destination for early Connecticut history, and that’s why our Lieutenant Governor chose it for a reading of the Declaration of Independence.

Many portions of this document resonate with some of what we are seeing out of the current federal administration, especially in reference to tyranny.

My colleague, Rep. Kai Belton, and I certainly weren’t contemplated in the original, me as a woman and Kai as a Black woman.

Neither did it contemplate future immigrants or much of what our country has become. But it was a framework. A beginning. And perhaps, the greatest group project in history.

Please click on the image below to hear our remarks.
 

For the complete reading with all of our colleagues, please click HERE.
 

Visiting Enterprise in Avon

I had a great meeting with Enterprise in Avon yesterday. Did you know they are a fourth-generation family business?

Because of the national name and presence, people think it’s a public company, but they have a well-known presence here in Connecticut, where they spend their time developing talent and promoting from within their ranks.

Part of the reason we met yesterday is that they have received in the past, and are up again for a national award for excellence in connecting and advocating with their legislators.

They have contributed over $650,000 to organizations throughout southeastern New England this year, including many contributions awarded to organizations in Connecticut.  
 

Main Street Farmers' Market 2026

The Canton Main Street Farmers' Market is open every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

And it's always a good time.

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