Talking Affordable Housing in Canton Next Tuesday, News Laws in Effect on Oct. 1

September 24, 2025



 

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Dear Neighbor,

Welcome back to the weekly newsletter. It's been a busy couple of weeks, and hopefully you were able to see the updates on the various social media platforms where I post.
 
You'll see some of the events I've most recently attended or hosted in addition to new laws coming on October 1, as well as some updates on items you may have seen in the headlines.
 
As a reminder, September is Hunger Action Month, and there is still time for you to make a difference by making a donation to a local pantry or to Connecticut Foodshare whether that is a monetary donation or a food donation.

I know that the number of food-insecure neighbors is on the rise in the Farmington Valley because of rising grocery prices, and if you can help, I hope you'll do so.
 
It's Child Passenger Safety Week, and I've included details for car seat clinics in Canton and other areas around the state.

I can still picture my husband struggling to get that bucket seat in the car when we were about to have a newborn. We were so grateful to have a police officer be able to check that the seat was secured properly.
 
Wishing you a good week ahead,

Eleni

Talking Affordable Housing in Canton on Tuesday

Next Tuesday, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Canton Community Center...

This event will include a presentation on housing and market data and interactive in-person activities to make your voice heard -  because it matters. 
 

Connecticut Automatic Admission Program (CAAP)

I wanted to share this great opportunity for Connecticut high school students!
 
The Connecticut Automatic Admission Program (CAAP) guarantees automatic college admission to students with strong grades. This program waives the application fee, student essays, and recommendation letters for participating institutions.
 
Seniors with a 3.0 weighted GPA or 2.75 unweighted GPA can apply to 10 participating public and private colleges with just one free application.
 
Participating colleges and universities include:

  • Central Connecticut State University
  • Eastern Connecticut State University
  • Southern Connecticut State University
  • Western Connecticut State University
  • Albertus Magnus College
  • Goodwin University
  • Mitchell College
  • University of Bridgeport
  • University of Hartford
  • University of New Haven

 For more information and application instructions, please click HERE.
 

New Laws Settling in on October 1st

With fall comes cooler weather, changing leaves, and several new laws headed our way.

Several measures passed during the 2025 legislative session will take effect on Wednesday, October 1. 

Below is a brief overview of some of these important changes!

We’ve updated our motorcycle and e-bike laws to reflect our continued efforts to promote public safety and adapt to emerging technologies on our roads.

A new law raises the age requirement for motorcyclists to wear a helmet from 18 to 21 and increases the age limit for children to wear a helmet while riding bicycles, scooters, and skateboards from 16 to 18 years old.

New regulations are also being introduced for certain high-powered electric bikes. Riders of e-bikes without pedals and equipped with batteries over 750 watts (25-28 mph) will now need a valid driver’s license to operate them.

Additionally, e-bikes with batteries exceeding 3,500 watts (capable of speeds of 35 mph or higher) will require registration and insurance, similar to motorcycles.

Another measure prohibits the handcuffing of children under the age of 14, except in cases where there is a clear threat to public safety or when the child poses a risk of physical violence toward an officer.

This law is intended to mitigate the traumatic impact that the use of restraints can have on young children.

Follow the link below for the complete list, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
 
New Laws Effective October 1, 2025 
 

Thank You for Attending Sip & Celebrate Climate Action

Great morning with CTLCV - Connecticut League of Conservation Voters (once again) at Beanz & Co. Café. 
 
We had a great discussion about legislation passed and what we still need to get done for our environment.

Great questions on limiting invasive species at nurseries, whether or not we will have incentives at the state level for commercial conversions for affordable housing, and if there might be incentives for solar now that many are ending at the federal level.  
 
Thank you to all who attended and to the League for helping set it up. And, as always, thanks to Beanz for hosting us!
 

A Visit With Gifts of Love

Yesterday, I had a great visit to Gifts of Love in Avon. Their new Executive Director, Laura Marchese, was kind enough to give me an updated tour of their clothing pantry, backpack program, and food and housewares pantry.
 
Did you know that Gifts of Love serves 790 households in the greater Hartford area? Participants receive an average of 50 pounds of food per visit. They also receive cleaning supplies, toiletries, clothing, and housewares as needed.
 
A significant portion of the families receiving assistance are considered ALICE families. ALICE stands for Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed. This means that they are working families that, for one reason or another, are still struggling to make ends meet.
 
Gifts of Love also has a backpack program that serves 375 students and families (around 1500 individuals). These backpacks are provided in 41 schools across Greater Hartford. Each backpack contains nine to 11 pounds of food, and at the beginning of each school year, the backpacks are filled with school supplies. Avon, Canton, Simsbury, and Farmington schools all have students who receive these backpacks.
 
Laura and her staff and volunteers noted that the uptick in need they are seeing right now is significant, some because of cuts at the federal level and some because of the increase in the price of groceries. They also shared that there is a growing need across the Farmington Valley.
 
If you'd like to learn more or you would like to donate to Gifts of Love, you can learn more HERE.
 

Proudly Representing Avon and Canton

Proud to serve Avon and Canton today and always.
 

Child Passenger Safety Week Runs Through Sunday

Motor vehicle crashes remain one of the leading causes of death among children.

In 2023, more than a third (43%) of children who died while riding in passenger vehicles were unrestrained. Moreover, a NHTSA study found that while most parents believe they are correctly installing their car seats, about half (46%) are not.

Some common mistakes include using the wrong type of car seat for the child’s age and size and improper installation, both of which can leave children vulnerable in the event of a crash.

Properly used car seats can reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers in passenger cars.


Parents, guardians, and caregivers are invited to attend and receive hands-on guidance from certified child passenger safety technicians, who will demonstrate proper car seat installation and use to help keep children safe on the road as part of Child Safety Passenger Week, which ends on Sunday.

Child Seat Check-Up events will be held during Child Passenger Safety Week at the following locations:

  • Thursday, September 25, 2025, 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Glastonbury Police Department’s car seat clinic will be held at the Glastonbury Fire Department, Company 1, 2825 Main Street, Glastonbury

To book your free appointment, please email Sergey Sharov, at sergey.sharov@glastonbury-ct.gov

  • Saturday, September 27, 2025, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Cromwell Fire Department, Coles Road Firehouse, 105 Coles Road, Cromwell

To book your free appointment, please call Lt. Alan Dominy at 860-385-3880 or email adominy82@gmail.com

  • Saturday, September 27, 2025, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Enfield Central Library, 104 Middle Road, Enfield

To book your free appointment, please email safekidsct@connecticutchildrens.org

  • Saturday, September 27, 2025, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Yale New Haven Health’s car seat clinic will be held at the Westport Train Station Lot 1, Charles & Park Street, Westport. To book your free appointment, please call 203-200-KIDS (5437) or email Carseats@ynhh.org  

All events are free and open to the public, but appointments must be made in advance where indicated.
 

A Credit Rating Upgrade for CT

Despite the noise, the "rating upgrade to Aa2 is driven by the state’s well-established strong governance practices that have led to increased budgetary reserves and consistent pension contributions that have begun moderating the state’s very high unfunded pension liabilities,” Moody’s said.

“With continued adherence to these policies, the state is expected to maintain solid reserve levels and further reduce leverage metrics.”
Moody’s added, “Connecticut’s stable outlook reflects the expectation that the state will remain committed to the fiscal guardrails in place, ensuring continued structural balance, healthy rainy day reserves and aggressive pay-down of pension liabilities.”

“The upgrade reflects Fitch’s expectation that Connecticut will maintain policies which foster structural balance while revenues grow in line with national inflation and expenditures grow consistent with statutory budget guardrails,” Fitch said in their notice. To read the full press release, please click HERE.
 

Northeast Public Health Collaborative

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and New York City officially announced the formation of the Northeast Public Health Collaborative.

This voluntary regional partnership aims to strengthen public health coordination, share expertise, and improve preparedness across state lines.

The Collaborative’s shared purpose is to work together in new ways – optimizing the use of shared resources, innovating and reimagining core services – to ensure trust in public health, respond to public health threats, advance community health, and strengthen confidence in vaccines and science-based medicine.  
 

Avon High Students Competing for Major Scholarship

Congratulations to Suhayl Ahmed, Aradhana S. Chetnani, Hannah E. Chiu, Cassidy A. Hazel, Lidia Kapylova, Eric M. Kim, Matthew Lupis, Mridhulaa Rajagopal, and Saanika S. Tipnis, all Avon High Seniors, among 16,000 finalists in the 71st annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

Please click on the Patch article below for more details.
 

Hispanic Heritage Month Highlight

This Hispanic Heritage Month, Connecticut proudly honors the legacy of the 65th Infantry Regiment — The Borinqueneers. 

These brave Puerto Rican soldiers served our nation with courage and distinction. Our new commemorative license plate ensures their sacrifice is remembered on every road across our state.   
 

Reminder: Canton Dog Park 5th Anniversary Celebration

The Friends of Canton Dog Park will be celebrating the park's fifth anniversary on Sunday, October 26th, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This Dog Fair will include games, contests, auctions, prizes, food, dog adoptions, and much more.

Sincerely,

Eleni Kavros DeGraw
State Representative

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