Eleni Kavros DeGraw

Yesterday we honored the lives lost at Pearl Harbor 80 years ago. I called my grandparents to ask them where they were, and my grandmother shared a story with me that I had never heard. Her father, Nicholas, was having a St. Nicholas Day party when the news reached the East Coast that Pearl had been hit. She also recalled that her favorite cousin, Peter, had been killed aboard the Juneau with the now infamous Sullivan brothers, less than a year later.

America had been divided up to the attack on Pearl about our role in the war, and the attack shifted many people into action. My grandfather, who was 18 at the time and a Senior in High School, enlisted in the Navy because he had a B+ average in school which meant he was allowed to enlist, leaving school early, but still graduating. I'm both blessed and grateful to have two members of the Greatest Generation in my family to continue sharing their stories.

It's a packed update today: COVID-19 positivity rates are up; boosters are widely available and necessary; the local food drive put on by Avon Police and Avon Volunteer Fire Department, and as promised, the upcoming environmental event.

Honoring, Remembering Pearl Harbor

Yesterday, December 7, 2021, people gathered around the country and especially at Pearl Harbor to honor and remember the 2,403 service members and civilians who were killed, as well as the additional 1,178 people who were injured during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

I vividly remember my visit to Pearl when I was in sixth grade, traveling with my grandparents to the city where I was born. The two things I remember most were the silence of the memorial itself and seeing the oil, still rising from the ship. As I sat talking with our son about the upcoming anniversary last week, he was shocked to find out the oil continues to bubble up eighty years later, a grim reminder of lives lost and the continued decay of the U.S.S. Arizona.

I hope you had a moment to think about the moment that changed the course of World War II and our world as it was known then.

Positivity Rate Update, Got Your Booster?

As you probably have seen on the news, our positivity rate in Connecticut has gone up significantly in the last two weeks, most likely because we are two weeks out from Thanksgiving and many of us traveled or had people travel to us. The reality is, we have not survived a pandemic. We are surviving in a pandemic.

I was able to get my booster shot and hope that if you haven't received yours yet, you will schedule an appointment or walk in to one of the many locations near us that are offering them (try Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Quest Labs, Priority Urgent Care, etc.). Boosters offer you more protection and there's not time like the present to protect you and your family.

Stuff-A-Cruiser Drive-Thru Event in Avon Saturday

Please see the Stuff-A-Cruiser flyer below regarding a Food Donations - Christmas Drive-Thru Event at Prince Thomas of Savoy, 32 Old Farms Road in Avon, on Saturday, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. If you are looking for ideas on what to donate, suggestions include: condiments, spices, low-sugar items for people with diabetes, paper goods, sugar, and laundry supplies. Other much needed items are listed on the flyer.

Special thanks to the Avon Police and Fire departments, Prince Thomas of Savoy and all of those who are coming together to help those in need.

Environmental Roundtable Tuesday December 14th

I hope you can join me next Tuesday, December 14th at 6 p.m. for an Environmental Roundtable discussion I will be hosting via Zoom. Special guests include DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes, Sarah Bailey, State Program Coordinator of the Master Gardener Program and Samuel King, part owner of Blue Earth Compost. You can watch it live on my Facebook Page here or by clicking on the image below.

Energy Assistance Programs Available

Increasing fuel prices will present additional challenges for Connecticut residents to keep warm this winter season. For those who need help, I want to share information on energy assistance services available in the state.

Some of the energy assistance programs available in Connecticut include:

• Connecticut Energy Assistance Program: Administered by the Connecticut Department of Social Services, the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP), provides winter heating cost assistance to more than 75,000 income-eligible households every year, regardless of their heat source. People should contact their local Community Action Agency to apply. Statewide consumer and application information is available on the web at www.ct.gov/staywarm or by calling 2-1-1. CEAP has significantly higher benefit levels from a record $135 million in federal funding to help heat Connecticut homes. Both homeowners and renters can be eligible. CEAP helps enrollees afford the cost of natural gas and electric heat, as well as deliverable fuels like oil and propane.
• Nonprofit heating assistance services: Operation Fuel and other nonprofits provide year-round emergency energy assistance to low-to-moderate-income households that don’t qualify for CEAP or who run out of CEAP benefits. Information is available at operationfuel.org.

COVID-19 Payment Plans for Utility-Heated Customers: The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) has directed all regulated electric, gas, and water utilities in the state to offer COVID-19 payment plans, which both residential and non-residential customers are eligible to enroll in through the end of the public health emergency declaration. COVID-19 payment plans are available to any customer requesting financial assistance to facilitate the repayment of past due balances in addition to the customer’s current monthly bill. These plans require no initial or down payment or demonstration of financial need; can be up to 24 months in length; and waive any fees or interest in the calculation of the monthly payment amount. Customers can receive information on these payment plans by contacting their utility companies.

Electric Utility Bill Assistance from UniteCT: Established by Governor Lamont and administered by the Connecticut Department of Housing, UniteCT provides rental and utility assistance funding for those financially impacted by COVID-19. UniteCT has become a model for other states by successfully delivering more than $18 million to electric customers to date to help pay down their arrearages (back bills). Connecticut residents who rent their homes can apply through their electric utility company or municipal electric company.

For more information, please click on the image below.

Winter Protection Program – Moratorium on Heating Source Shut-Offs: From November 1 through May 1, there is a moratorium in Connecticut on heating source shut-offs for eligible households. Customers should contact their utility and inquire about the Winter Protection Program, as well as other programs for which they may be eligible. More information is available from 2-1-1 by visiting uwc.211ct.org/winter-protection-winter-moratorium/.

Energy-Saving Solutions – Energize CT: Energize CT can help customers save money on energy bills by providing advice, information, and financial incentives to make homes more energy efficient. For more information, visit energizect.com.

Consumer Protections Regarding Third-Party Electricity Suppliers: Over the past decade, Connecticut has enacted a series of consumer protections for customers of electric suppliers, including prohibiting variable rates and giving PURA the discretion to prevent customers who were designated as “utility hardship” from being switched to electric suppliers. Just this year, Governor Lamont signed Public Act 21-117, which prohibits cancellation fees for residential customers who are under contract with an electric supplier and strengthens PURA’s oversight over electric suppliers.

For further guidance on energy assistance programs available in Connecticut, please call 2-1-1. Please share this information with anyone that might need some help. Additionally, Eversource has information on how to save energy and keeping costs down this winter. Find it here.

Connecticut Children's Resources

I wanted to provide a quick update from Connecticut Children’s with some resources you may find helpful including a virtual meeting entitled entitled “Staying in School Safely During COVID-19: An Evening with CT Medial Experts for Parents and Families." coming up on December 19th, an Omicron Variant FAQ and an advisory from the Surgeon General regarding pediatric mental health.

Upcoming COVID-19 Webinar Info

• On Thursday December 16th, Connecticut Children’s will be partnering with the Connecticut Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the State Department of Education to host a virtual meeting for parents entitled “Staying in School Safely During COVID-19: An Evening with CT Medial Experts for Parents and Families.” The conversation will focus on families’ most frequently asked questions related to COVID-19, vaccinations, social-emotional supports, mask-wearing and more. Please feel free to share this event with families in your community. Find a digital flyer and registration information here.

Omicron Variant FAQ

• Two of Connecticut Children’s pediatric experts answer FAQ’s related to kids and the omicron variant. Find the resource here.

Surgeon General Advisory

• U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released an advisory this morning on pediatric mental health. The advisory highlights the impact of the pandemic on children’s mental health and provides recommendations for families, communities and states on how to help address this crisis. Read the Surgeon General’s press release here and the full advisory here.

Applications Now Being Accepted For Paid Family Medical Leave Program

Have you heard the good news? You can now apply for the Paid Family and Medical Leave program!

Under the program, which the legislature passed in 2019, eligible workers will be able to take up to 12 weeks of time off work for certain qualifying events without losing income.

Connecticut is only the eighth state in the nation to enact a paid family and medical leave program. Currently, only 13% of private-sector workers in the United States have access to paid family and medical leave.

The program is administered by the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority. Applications can be submitted starting in January 2022 through the website at ctpaidleave.org or via email, fax, phone, or mail. The toll-free application hotline is 877-499-8606.

Qualifying reasons to submit a claim include:

• Medical leave for a serious health condition including pregnancy, or serving as a bone marrow or organ donor
• Caregiver leave to care for a family member experiencing a serious health condition
• Bonding leave for a newborn child through birth, adoption, or foster care
• Family violence leave to get medical or psychological care
• Workers caring for injured military family members or a spouse’s military deployment

The amount of income replacement varies based on a worker’s earnings and is capped at 60 times the state minimum wage up to $780 per week. The combination of employer-provided benefits and benefits received under the paid leave program cannot exceed 100% of a worker’s normal weekly earnings.

For more information about the program, please visit ctpaidleave.org.