Helping At-Risk Youth, Funding for Norwalk Schools, and More!

October 13, 2023


 
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Dear Neighbor,

I am proud to announce that Westport and Norwalk both received state funding. The State Bond Commission, which met last Friday, allocated $2,427,204 to the Westport Country Playhouse, and funding for several projects in Norwalk. Thank you Governor Lamont and the rest of the bond commission for their consideration of our community!

Click here to access the meeting's agenda.  
Celebrating State Funding for Early Literacy Programs

Last Thursday, I joined joining Lt. Governor Bysiewicz, Rep. Roberts, Senate Majority Leader Duff, and education advocates for a press conference in the Norwalk Hospital Auditorium to celebrate state funding for early literacy programs. The state budget, which was signed into law earlier this summer, included funding for organizations that help provide early readers and their families with books and other useful resources, such as the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program, Read to Grow, and Reach Out and Read. 
Paying Down Pension Debt

Last week, Connecticut transferred more than $1.3 billion to pay down its long-term pension debt.

Since the legislature enacted the state’s “fiscal guardrails” in 2017, more than $7 billion in excess contributions captured from volatile revenue sources have been made to pay down pension debt, resulting in far-reaching savings for Connecticut taxpayers. 

Future generations will save more than $600 million per year over the next 25 years while supporting retirement benefits for teachers, state troopers, nurses, correction officers and more.

While enormous progress has been made in addressing our long-term liabilities, more work remains. But what we have achieved is benefitting taxpayers today and long into the future.
Construction Advisory for Westport
Attention Westport residents - the Connecticut Department of Transportation will begin its accelerated bridge construction lateral slide on the northbound side of the I-95 Bridge over Saugatuck Avenue in Westport CT, on Friday, October 20, 2023, at 8PM. I-95 will be severely restricted from Friday, October 20 at 8 PM until Monday, October 23 at 6AM. The second slide on the southbound bridge will begin Friday, November 3, at 8PM severely restricting traffic on the highway until Monday, November 6, at 6AM.
 
I-95 northbound will be closed, and two lanes of I-95 northbound traffic will be crossed over on the I-95 southbound bridge with positive channelizing devices, thus severely impacting traffic flow on both I-95 northbound and I-95 southbound throughout the whole weekend.
 
Motorists are strongly advised not to drive through this area for the entire weekend.
 
The on-ramp to I-95 northbound at Exit 17 is scheduled to be shut down to traffic from October 16 to October 31 and will remain closed during the weekend of October 20 to 23, 2023.
 
The Exit 17 off-ramps from I-95 northbound and I-95 southbound will also be closed to traffic during this weekend to facilitate the I-95 northbound bridge construction.
 
Saugatuck Avenue (Route 33) will be closed to motorists and pedestrians between the on and off-ramps at this location.
 
The on-ramp to I-95 southbound at Exit 17 will remain open.
 

DETOUR INFO:

The proposed closure and detour are as follows:

I-95 Northbound at Exit 17 Detour

Two lanes of I-95 northbound traffic will be crossed over onto the existing I-95 southbound bridge with positive separation by channelizing devices. Traffic flow will be severely impacted in both directions.

 

I-95 Northbound On-Ramp at Exit 17 Detour

The traffic will be detoured to Saugatuck Avenue to Riverside Avenue to Route 1, then to the Sherwood Island Connector, and onto I-95 northbound at Exit 18.

 

I-95 Northbound Off-Ramp at Exit 17 Detour

The traffic will be detoured to Exit 18, to Sherwood Island Connector onto Route 1, to Riverside Avenue, to Saugatuck Avenue.

 

I-95 Southbound Off-Ramp at Exit 17 Detour

The traffic will be detoured to Exit 18 to Sherwood Island Connector onto Route 1, to Riverside Avenue, to Saugatuck Avenue.

 

Saugatuck Avenue at Exit 17 Detour

The traffic will be detoured to Park Street onto Franklin Street and to Saugatuck Avenue. Pedestrians will also use the same detour.

Please see the graphic below for more information. 
Screening of The Young Vote at Housatonic Community College 
On Tuesday, October 26, the Fairfield County’s Community Foundation will hold a screening of The Young Vote at  Housatonic Community College for educators. The Young Vote is an inspirational and aspirational look at opportunities for increasing civic engagement in America’s youth through the stories of youth engagement initiatives around the country. The film will be followed by a brief discussion featuring the following panelists:
  • Stephen Armstrong, Social Studies consultant, CT State Department of Education
  • Filmmaker Diane Robinson
  • Benie N'sumbu, Former organizer with Students for Educational Justice

Click here to access your free tickets  if you are an educator.
 
This past Monday I stood in solidarity and attended the community gathering organized by the Jewish Federation of Greater Fairfield County at Temple Israel in Westport. Our delegation released the following statement on the war in Israel: “We condemn the unspeakable attacks on Israel’s citizens. We must reject terrorism and hate in every form. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and the families in Israel and all those affected in Connecticut by these heinous acts.”

If your family needs resources at this time please reach out to me and my team and we can connect you with both your Federal representatives and community supports. Schoke Jewish Family Service provides trained social workers to hold space for your thoughts, talk through your feelings, cope with emotional responses to trauma, express grief and fear, and find comfort in community. Individual appointments are available by request and sessions with Hebrew speakers are available by appointment. 

For more information or to schedule an individual appointment, contact:

Sen. Chris Murphy has reached out to me to spread the word about the assistance the Federal government can provide and his team has compiled the information at this website: murphy.senate.gov/emergency-israel
 
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me about this or any other issue or concern. I am here for you.
Sincerely,

Dominique Johnson
State Representative
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