Maria Horn

This is my State Capitol update for the week of October 13. 

If you prefer to watch rather than read, click on the play button to hear about the issues contained in this newsletter.

One of the organizations focused on taking care of everyone in a community, regardless of ability to pay, is Community Health and Wellness Center (CHWC), a federally qualified health center (FQHC) which is building the new center in North Canaan that we can all see taking shape across from the Stop & Shop on Route 7. One of the distinctive features of FQHCs is that the federal government monitors them for quality of services, and CHWC has been acknowledged for their superlative work by receiving a number of awards. Among those, CHWC is one of only 46 health centers in the country – and the only one in Connecticut – to receive the National Quality Leader Award from the Health Resources and Services Administration.

Earlier today I joined other regional legislators at CHWC’s Torrington location to get an update on their work throughout the region, including the new FQHC under construction. Among other things, I learned that their hiring process is going well, especially given significant constraints in the labor market and the need for more health care professionals throughout the country. Executive Director Joanne Borduas noted that several of their new hires grew up in the Northwest Corner, moved away for employment in their field in other parts of CT, but were now thrilled at the prospect of being able to return home to work in, and serve, the community they love.

As a reminder, the new FQHC will provide:

• Medical care (including primary care, women’s health, chronic care management, pediatrics, chiropractics, nutrition counseling, and podiatry)

• Behavior health care (including outpatient therapy, medication-assisted treatment and counseling for substance abuse disorders, group therapy, and psychiatric medication management), and
• Social Services & Community Health (including assistance with health insurance, social needs, and financial assistance for those who qualify).
•  They also plan to include dental services as part of the next phase.

Earlier this week I attended a meeting organized by Representative Michelle Cook at which the Office of Early Childhood Commissioner Beth Bye gave a presentation to, and solicited feedback from, a packed room of people working in early child care and education in the Northwest Corner. Commissioner Bye chairs the Blue Ribbon Panel on Child Care, which is charged with developing a 5-year strategic plan for a child care system that works for families, providers, and Connecticut’s economy. This sector, critical to the well-being and future of our kids, as well as to the ability of parents to work outside the home, faces significant challenges. As an indicator of where the United States compares with its allies and peers, the average country in the Organization for Economic and Community Development (which consists of the governments of 37 democracies with market-based economies) spends, on average, about $14,000 per child to provide for care, while the United States spends about $400 per child. Making a dent in that will require federal assistance, but we in CT can make progress as well. Thanks to Rep Cook for organizing this important meeting, and to KidsPlay in Torrington for hosting us.

• October is Disability Awareness Month. Click here. 
• Offshore Wind Project Update. Click here. 
• State Bond Commission Wrap Up. Click here. 
• The First Region 20 Online Store is Open. Click here.
• Northwest Corner Events. Click here. 

• Blind Americans Equality Day on October 13, 2023, hosted by the Department of Aging and Disability Services, Bureau of Education and Services for the Blind.
• 11th Annual Disability Resource Fair on October 20, 2023, at Oak Hill Hartford, hosted by public and private providers in the state.
• Several training and informational presentations on disability employment and other services offered by the Department of Aging and Disability Services to individual employers and community partners.

 
This year marks the 50^th anniversary of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a major milestone to advancing access and equity for individuals with disabilities which laid the foundation for the more comprehensive Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The Rehabilitation Act prohibits discrimination in any program or activity operated by recipients of federal funds, which includes state vocational rehabilitation funding. The Americans with Disabilities Act expanded to include transportation, public accommodations, communications, and access to state and local government.
 
Assistance for jobseekers with disabilities is available virtually and in-person. For more information:
 

• Visit the Department of Aging and Disability Services website for more information on employment and other services available to people with disabilities at portal.ct.gov/ads.
• Visit one of the he Connecticut Department of Labor’s American Job Centers (appointments are recommended). More information is available at portal.ct.gov/ajc.
• Explore CTHires, which serves as a one-stop resource to search for jobs, create a resume, and find training. More information is available at portal.ct.gov/cthires.
• Attend one of several job fairs that are scheduled frequently across the state. For a full schedule, visit portal.ct.gov/AJC/recruitmentevents.

In addition to the multistate regional collaboration, Connecticut also announced its first-ever strategic roadmap for economic development in the offshore wind industry supported by a newly formed public-private nonprofit group of experts and stakeholders known as the Connecticut Wind Collaborative (CWC).
 
Connecticut’s deepwater ports, direct water access, and long history of advanced manufacturing make it a natural hub for offshore wind development.
 
Offshore wind is a vital part of the process geared toward providing clean, affordable, and reliable energy to Connecticut, which has a statutory target of 100% zero-carbon electricity by 2040 that we passed during the 2022 legislative session. The new collaborative and strategic roadmap will further the effort to reach that goal.

The State Bond Commission approved funding for the Town of Norfolk during its meeting on Friday. The town will receive $2.5 million for the Norfolk Firehouse.

Norfolk's emergency teams have endured an extraordinary variety of disasters in recent times, from gasoline spills to catastrophic flooding, which have required extensive work and expense.  The new firehouse will vastly improve their ability to continue to serve the town with dedication and expertise.

Additionally, $1.1 billion in funding was approved for improvements to Connecticut's Transportation System. How does this money impact the Northwest corner?

• Transit District Facility Improvements: $5 million to renovate the new headquarters facility for the Northwest Connecticut Transit District in Torrington.
• State Local Bridge Program Improvements: $7.1 million for grants for local bridge projects across the state, to be matched by $7.1 million in local funds. Examples of projects include:
  
  • Burlington – Covey Road over Bunnell Brook
  • New Haven – Humphrey Street over Mill River
  • Washington – Rabbit Hill Road over Meeker Swamp Road
  • Windsor – Pleasant Valley Road over Podunk River
• Transportation Rural-Improvement Program (TRIP): $10 million for grants to provide funding to rural and small towns for infrastructure improvements. The first round of grants for this new program will be awarded over the next several months.
• Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program (LOTCIP): $12.9 million for grants to provide funding to municipalities through the Councils of Government (COGs) to address regional transportation priorities through capital improvement projects.
• Installation of Advanced Wrong-Way Driving Technology: $12.4 million to support the implementation of wrong-way driver detection systems at 70 high-risk locations statewide. These systems will alert drivers of incorrect direction by flashing red lights and state police will be notified in real time through special alerts.
• Community Connectivity and Alternative Mobility Program: $12 million for an additional round of grant awards to local projects that improve safety for bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit users in urban, suburban, and rural community centers, to be announced next month. To date, more than 100 projects have received grant funding totaling more than $38 million.

Region 20 is excited to announce the opening of the first Region 20 online store! Orders may be submitted until Sunday, October 25 and your items will arrive in time for Christmas.

They will be creating stores throughout the year. They will be open for a period of time, then closed, the bulk order will be submitted and processed, decorated with the new Region 20 images, then shipped directly to you (with free shipping). In the future they will also have stores that are specific to schools, teams, activities, etc. and more stores that offer R20 District apparel and swag. You can always find the District Store page on the Region 20 website. This page will have links to any stores that are currently open. You will also find a feedback link where you can submit ideas for future items you would like to see offered for purchase.

The concerts will take place on Saturday, October 28, 2023 at 4:00 pm at Saint James Place, 352 Main St., Great Barrington, MA, and on Sunday, October 29, 2023 at 4:00 pm at Trinity Church, 484 Lime Rock Rd., Lakeville, CT (parking through Dugway Rd. entrance). A brief reception with the performers will be offered after the concerts. Please visit Crescendo’s website: www.crescendomusic.org for online ticket purchases, more details, and other season concerts, or call 860.435.4866. A limited number of tickets will be sold at the door 45 minutes before each performance.
 
October 28, 2023, 4 pm - Saint James Place, Great Barrington, MA
October 29, 2023, 4 pm - Trinity Church, Lakeville, CT
 

The Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department cordially invites you to attend their OPEN HOUSE on Sunday afternoon, October 15^th from 12 noon to 2 p.m. at the Firehouse on Sharon-Goshen Turnpike in West Cornwall. Fire Department and Emergency Services members will welcome you. There will be opportunity to tour the fire station, meet the firefighters and ambulance crew, view displays of important safety information and see youngsters enjoy the “Kids Zone’ of hands-on games, relays and activities. Hotdogs, drinks and snacks will be provided. We hope you will stop by and celebrate with us.

The Trustees of Steep Rock Association (SRA) will celebrate the grand opening of SRA’s Hidden Valley Expansion Project—206 acres of mixed forests, wildlife habitat, and recreational lands that are essential to the Litchfield Hills community – on Friday, October 20 from 1-2pm in Washington Depot, CT. 
 
The grand opening celebration will take place at the main entrance of Steep Rock’s Hidden Valley Preserve, 198 Bee Brook Road, Washington Depot, CT. Following the ceremony, guests are welcome to partake in an optional hike to the 76-acre Cook parcel, a cornerstone in this transformative venture.
 
Three parcels—Cook, Mt. Tom, and Bantam— totaling 184 acres were acquired with $736,000 in grant funding from the Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition (OSWA) program administered by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) and a $1.2 million grant from Highlands Conservation Act funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 
 
These acquisitions expand the size of Hidden Valley Preserve by more than 25 percent and have been among SRA’s highest land priorities for the past 17 years. Within these parcels, core forests, biological diversity, wildlife corridors, and high-quality streams and rivers are now protected forever. In addition, recreational access on the Shepaug Railroad bed expands by 0.75 miles and is a major step toward creating an unfragmented greenway trail from Litchfield to Roxbury, with connectors to Mt. Tom State Park and other regional trails.

Click here or the graphic below to register.

The Salisbury Association is currently running an exhibit on affordable housing co-designed by the Salisbury Affordable Housing Commission, the Salisbury Housing Committee, and the Salisbury Housing Trust. Visit the exhibit at the Academy Building to learn more about what affordable housing is, why we need more of it, and the organizations creating housing solutions for Salisbury residents. Visitors will also get a preview of future affordable housing projects and will learn more about how to get involved in this movement. The exhibit will run through November 30.

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Maria Horn
State Representative