I hope you and your family had a great week and are enjoying your summer! There have been many fantastic events throughout town that I have thoroughly enjoyed attending. I hope you’re also able to take advantage of all that our beautiful community has to offer- especially this time of year.
Below you will find information on the following:
Commerce Committee Legislation Passed
Coffee Hour with Reps. Leeper and McCarthy Vahey
Fairfield Police Promotions
Eagle Scout Recipients
Pequot Library Book Sale
Fairfield Girls Softball Junior League Champions
Fairfield Museum and History Center Visit
State Student Loan Forgiveness
Fresh Air Concert Series at FTC the Warehouse
CT For Me
Elder Justice Hotline
With this newsletter, I continue to highlight several pieces of legislation and this week I’m focusing on the Commerce Committee- a committee on which I served.
Commerce Committee:
Economic Development in Distressed Municipalities
We required Dept. of Economic and Community Development (DECD) to study economic development issues affecting distressed municipalities across the state so that we can better understand how to reinvigorate them.
Disparate Impact of COVID-19
We established a commission to study the impact of COVID-19 on different racial, ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic groups so that we can close these opportunity gaps abs grow our economy across all sectors.
Workforce Pipeline for the Disabled
We required DECD to develop a plan to establish a workforce pipeline program for those with disabilities. This will help expand employment opportunities for these individuals to both enhance their economic independence but also provide them opportunities for fulfillment and belonging.
Small Business Express Program
Expanded the successful Small Business Express Program to bring in more private capital and better target state assistance. This program will expand access to capital for business owners who often struggle to acquire necessary business capital.
Cybersecurity Standards for Businesses
Strengthened our laws on cybersecurity, identity theft, and data theft so keep both our businesses and consumers safer.
Tourism Board Expansion
We have expanded the state's tourism boards and coalitions in order to promote the multiple tourism districts in Connecticut and to generate employment within the tourism industry.
Regional Economic Development Pilot Program
Developed a program for DECD to provide up to $5 million in grants to a regional economic development entity to encourage regions to work together to grow their local economies.
COFFEE HOUR WITH REPS. LEEPER AND MCCARTHY VAHEY
Please join us for a coffee hour to discuss any questions you have regarding the 2021 legislative session, or any general concerns at 8am on August 5th at the Fairfield Museum and History Center!
370 Beach Rd
Fairfield, CT 06824
FAIRFIELD POLICE PROMOTIONS
Congratulations to each the Fairfield Police Department officers who were promoted last Saturday: Deputy Chief John Bucherati, Captain Peter Koval, Captain Antonio Granata, Lieutenant Michael Paris, Lieutenant Hector Irizarry, Sergeant Richard Peck, Sergeant Michael Komm, Detective Michael Zerella. Thank you for all that you do to keep our community safe and thank you to your families for the sacrifices they make so you can serve. I was honored to be there.
EAGLE SCOUT RECIPIENTS
It was an honor to present this year's Eagle Scout recipients with citations from Connecticut’s General Assembly. Henry Anderson, Sean Haughton, Samuel Knorr, Quinn Mason, Benjamin Ratner, and Brendan Sullivan have achieved a monumental accomplishment that will distinguish them for the rest of their lives. I offer them and their families the most heart-felt congratulations as this is not something they achieve without a tremendous amount of support. I look forward to seeing all that lies ahead for you!
PEQUOT LIBRARY BOOK SALE
Today the Pequot Library in Southport is holding its 61st annual book sale. The sale runs through Tuesday. This is one of the largest book sales in all of New England and people drive from multiple states to participate in this truly awesome experience. I am so grateful that our community has this amazing resource. I was grateful to be at the pre-sale last night and the official cannon firing launch this morning. I hope you take a little time this weekend to check out this unique opportunity!
CONGRATULATIONS FAIRFIELD SOFTBALL JUNIOR LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
Congratulations to the Fairfield Softball Little League Junior All Star team on winning the state title! This is the 2nd state title win for this group of girls. I am so proud of our Junior All Star team for their hard work and amazing talent!
FAIRFIELD MUSEUM AND HISTORY CENTER VISIT
Thank you Michael Jehle for the private tour of our wonderful Fairfield Museum and History Center Monday morning. We are so lucky to have this asset in our community and for all the programming the Museum facilitates to enrich our understanding of our history, our community, and the rich tapestry of the human experience. It was such a treat to see everything the museum is offering and what is being planned. I can’t wait to be back!
Connecticut State Colleges and Universities are forgiving over $17 million in loans for community college students who cannot repay their debt due to COVID. To read more about our state's student loan forgiveness, read the CT Post article linked above.
The FTC is presenting a free, outdoor concert series throughout August and the beginning of September to showcase local talent. The next show will be August 18th at 5:30pm. Click above for more details.
CTForMe is a new online hub that will highlight all of the advantages of living in the Nutmeg state as a young professional. The website and the Instagram page (@CTForMe) will feature first-person accounts of young professionals in Connecticut. The content will focus on issues that a young professional may consider when choosing a place to settle- such as employment opportunities, the arts and culture scene, as well as sustainability initiatives in the community. Through this initiative the state hopes to attract more young professionals to work and live in our great state.
ELDER JUSTICE HOTLINE
Have you heard about the Elder Justice Hotline? The State of Connecticut has created a one stop shop to help older people navigate state services, for everything from age-based discrimination to neglect issues.
Learn More Here: https://bit.ly/3rmk8Pj
You can reach the Elder Justice Hotline Here: 1-860-808-5555
