Newsletter 8/18/21

jenn
September 20, 2021
Earlier this week, the Fairfield 9/11 Memorial was unveiled in the Oak Lawn Cemetery and Arboretum. It was a powerful evening with moving speeches in a setting with an overwhelming sense of peace. I cannot highly enough recommend that you take the time to go and visit this beautiful memorial. The two 8-foot towers stand on a pentagon base with a boulder visible between the towers that reads, "Ok, let's roll," in honor of the brave actions of the members aboard Flight 93, who downed the plane in Shanksville, PA. The entire memorial is surrounded by trees that were grown in an Oak Lawn board member's nursery from the acorns he collected from the trees at Ground Zero. 

Moreover, the entire project was the brainchild of the long-time Oak Lawn groundskeeper, Dean Powers. He, unfortunately, passed before being able to witness the project's completion but his estate paid for this memorial- what an incredible gift to our community. This memorial is so special, the entire time I was there, I was overwhelmed with gratitude that such a beautiful memorial is right here in our community.

Please watch this excellent coverage of the memorial here.
 
ENVIRONMENTAL ROUND TABLE
Please join me, the Commissioner of DEEP, Katie Dykes, the Vice-Chair of the Environment Committee, Rep. Christine Palm, and our local Fairfield expert and Chair of the Flood and Erosion Control Board, Becky Bunnell, for an Environmental Round Table Discussion on Wednesday, October 5th at 7pm. We will review the legislation we passed this past session, discuss where our state and town are headed, and answer any questions you may have!
REGISTER HERE
 
WOMEN'S REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS RALLY
Yesterday, I stood with powerful advocates, fellow legislators and Lieutenant Governor Bysiewicz in support of Attorney General Tong's decision to sue Texas. Texas's recent abortion ban is not only blatantly unconstitutional, but it puts all women in danger as it empowers, emboldens, and rewards literally anyone to sue women they suspect may have had an abortion. This system of bounty hunting- pitting neighbor against neighbor- is not only an unimaginably radical attack against women but it is an extremely dangerous precedent. I am proud to stand against this extremism and I am so grateful to serve as a representative in the state of Connecticut where we support and trust women.
 
SUSTAINABLE FAIRFIELD'S GREEN WHEELS EXPO 
Join me and Sustainable Fairfield for their annual Green Wheels Expo on Saturday, October 2nd at Bob's Shopping Plaza from 10am-2pm! Explore all of the new, sustainable technology that saves you money and helps our planet. 
 
CAR THEFT IN CT WEBINAR
On Thursday, September 23, 2021 from 12:00pm to 1:30pm UConn will be hosting a webinar panel on Youth Car Theft in CT: Trends and Steps to Improve Public Safety. The webinar is directed at establishing the facts of youth car thefts and possible next steps to address the issue.

If you would like to attend, please click here to register. 
REGISTER HERE
 
CONNECTICUT LEGISLATIVE INTERNSHIP
It is that time of year!

The Connecticut Legislative Internship program is now accepting applications for 2022! This program is a unique opportunity to earn credit through a hands-on, behind-the-scenes look at the state's legislative process.
APPLY AND LEARN MORE
 
NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS WEEK
It's National Small Business Week, the perfect opportunity for us to recognize the hard work and accomplishments of our state’s and nation's small business owners and leaders. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create roughly 66% of jobs in our country each year.
As we all know, small businesses are the backbone of our local economy. The have faced so many challenges these past 18-months, and this is a great reminder to take time this week to shop at our local small businesses and restaurants. You can find a list – by category – of local businesses in our district by clicking the button below and searching the Connecticut Magazine database.
CT MAGAZINE SMALL BUSINESS DATABASE
If you are a local business owner, please also remember that Connecticut offers a number of programs to ensure your success. Please click the button below to access resources available to you.
CT SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCES
 
FREE MATTRESS RECYCLING COLLECTION
The Sustainable Fairfield Task Force (SFTF) does a tremendous amount of work to make our community a leader across the state in sustainability and thoughtful environmental policy. 

Have an old mattress you don't know what to do with? SFTF has organized a mattress recycling day. 
 
HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
This month, from September 15 through October 15, we observe Hispanic Heritage Month to celebrate, recognize and feature the countless achievements of many Hispanic Americans who have positively impacted and enriched our communities.

Their rich culture has influenced the entertainment industry, sports, fashion, food, the political landscape, education, science and more with an enormous economic impact worldwide.
I am proud the legislature adopted and included Latino studies in our public high school curriculum beginning in the fall of 2022, allowing for more diversity and inclusion of an integral part of American history.

Please join me in recognizing Hispanic American successes, challenges and stories throughout this month and appreciating their invaluable contributions to society.