Dear Neighbor,

 

I want to share some highlights including state and local updates.

I always look forward to the opportunity to meet with residents face-to-face and really talk about your concerns and ideas – it’s what helps me to best represent our community. I’ll be hosting Virtual Office Hours. If you’d like to participate, sign up for a time slot by clicking on the link below.



https://calendly.com/d/3c9-q3d-wcs/virtual-office-hours-with-rep-jason-rojas



Please call the office with any questions at (860)240-8541 or email us at Awet.Tsegai@cga.ct.gov

In this email you'll find updates on district resources and news. Please click the links below to read the section that corresponds with the highlighted headline.



A NOTE: If you're having trouble clicking through the following links, open this email in a browser, use a computer or scroll through this email to the relevant section. 



The topics covered are as follows

• Legislative Updates
• Today in CT History
• Community Resources
• CT Foodshare
• Manchester Community Events 
• East Hartford Community Events

For more information on the study and how to have your voice heard click on the link below



https://hartfordmobility.com/ghms/#/

Today in 1758, the last word was written in one of the most important documents the people of Connecticut have to help them understand the realities of day-to-day life in our region during the colonial period. Ironically, that document was painstakingly created by a person who primarily intended it to be read by only one person — himself.

Born in New London in 1678, Joshua Hempstead lived a rather unremarkable life for a colonial freeman. He was one of nine children, and being the only son, he inherited his father’s house. After marrying in his early 20s, Joshua and his wife had nine children before she passed away in 1716. He never remarried and raised his family with the help of hired servants and three slaves who lived with him in his New London home. While Hempstead was far from being one of New London’s wealthiest or most notable citizens, he was active in town affairs, serving as a selectman, an officer in the local militia company, and as a delegate to the Connecticut General Assembly. Over his lifetime, he took a number of jobs to support his family, working as a carpenter, surveyor, lawyer, and farmer, among other sundry occupations.

While no one part of Joshua Hempstead’s life was exceptional, the fact that we know so much about him is, thanks to a detailed diary he kept faithfully for over 47 years, beginning on September 8, 1711. Filling over 700 pages, Hempstead’s diary is a treasure trove for historians of early America, providing a comprehensive account of everyday life in colonial Connecticut, with remarks on family issues, the weather, interactions with his slaves, business ventures, local politics, and more. He kept the diary into his 80th year, and on November 3, 1758, Joshua wrote his final diary entry, putting a period to one of the most historically significant documents in Connecticut history.

Hempsted was ill, and was clearly contemplating human mortality. In his final diary entry, he talked about his chronic pain and his daughter (or daughter-in-law) having sat with him through the night. And ever the chronicler of the events around him, he noted the passing of neighbors. His last sentence reads, “Old Samuel Chapman died the last night about 8 o’clock aged 93 last February, and old Mrs. Mehitabel Coit the widow of Mr. Jno Coit decd died this morning.” Six weeks later, Joshua Hempstead passed away at his New London home.

In 1901, thanks to the exhaustive work of local historian Frances Manwaring Caulkins, the New London Historical Society published the first full transcript of Joshua Hempstead’s diary, which has since been reprinted multiple times. In addition to his diary, Hempstead’s 17th century family homestead has also survived the ravages of time and is open to the public as a historic house museum in New London. The final entry in a remarkable chronicle of an ordinary life was written, with care, today in Connecticut history.

Further Reading

Patricia M. Schaefer, “The Joshua Hempstead Diary: A Window Into Colonial Connecticut,” connecticuthistory.org

Joshua Hempstead, “Diary of Joshua Hempstead of New London, Connecticut, covering a period of forty-seven years, from September 1711 to November 1758,” archive.org

“The Hempsted Houses,” Connecticut Landmarks

Manchester

Please arrive early to be in line for 9 am as the truck leaves promptly at 9:30 am. Open to the public--bring a sturdy grocery bag! This program is made possible by Foodshare and Winn Residential - Resident Service Program. For more information call 860-646-1280.

 

Squire Village, 48 Spencer Street, 06040 (1st parking lot off Imperial Drive #78)

• Tuesday, November 7, 2023| 09:00 AM - 09:30 AM
• Tuesday, November 21, 2023 | 09:00 AM - 09:30 AM
• Tuesday, December 05, 2023 | 09:00 AM - 09:30 AM

Get mobile pantry updates in your area by texting the word Foodshare to 85511.

East Hartford

The Connecticut Foodshare truck will be in the parking lot to distribute the food. Please bring your bags and be prepared to possibly wait in line.

 

Mayberry Village –St. Isaac Jogues Church Parking Lot (41 Home Terrace East Hartford) 

• Monday, October 30^th, 2023 12:30 PM-1:15 PM
• Monday, November 13^th, 2023 12:30 PM-1:15 PM
• Monday, November 27^th, 2023 12:30 PM-1:15 PM

Get mobile pantry updates in your area by texting the word Foodshare to 85511.

Municipal Election November 7, 2023

For voter registration application and important election date details, please visit the Registrar's Primary and Election Information page.

For details on absentee ballot voting, sample ballot, and other election information, please visit the Town Clerk's Election Information page. 

Voting Location Information:

All 10 Polling places will be open from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm. Quickly find your Manchester polling location by using the Polling Lookup Tool. 

*Keeney Voters - District 7: Because of school construction at Keeney School, your temporary polling place has been moved to Manchester Regional Academy at 665 Wetherell Street.

Important Location Reminders:

• The Registrars of Voters Jim Stevenson and Tim Becker urge all voters to confirm their voting location by checking the Registrar's webpage or call  860-647-3025.

The last day for mail-in and online registration for new voters is October 31, 2023.

The last day for in-person registration at the Registrars of Voters Office for new voters is October 31, 2023 8:00 am - 8:00pm. 

Proof of residency is required. Call the Registrars of Voters Office 860-647-3025 for further information.

Free Shred Event

Don't miss out on this free opportunity to declutter your space! All documents will be securely shredded on-site. The event will be held 8AM - 12PM or until full on November 4th at the Public Works parking lot (321 Olcott Street). 

 

For more information on the race and activities click on the link below



https://raceroster.com/events/2023/74647/2023-manchester-road-race

Leaf Collection Program

Each fall, the Town receives many inquiries from residents regarding the leaf collection program. The following information may be useful in understanding the Leaf Collection Program

• As part of the Town's continuing effort to improve efficiency and maintain the safest operation possible, it is possible that leaves on one side of a street will be collected up to two or three days in advance of the other side of the street.
• Residents are reminded that once vacuum collection has been completed on your street, leaf disposal must be either in paper yard waste bags set out at the curb on your normal trash collection day, or dropped off at the Manchester Transfer Station at 311 Olcott St.
• For more information on the collection schedule and to see which area your road is located in, follow link below:

Manchester has launched planning efforts for its 2023 Bicentennial Celebration.  This year long celebration will consist of a variety of opportunities to remember the past, celebrate the present, and dream about the future. Festivities will include historical and educational programs, special events, and commemorative projects.

Fall Program and Event Guide

This year, the Municipal Election will take place on November 7, 2023.

Registered voters who will be voting by absentee ballot should fill out the absentee ballot application and return it to the Town Clerk's Office at 740 Main Street, East Hartford, CT 06108. 

For information on where and how to vote click here

The East Hartford Rotary Club & The East Hartford Senior Center invite you to a Picnic to honor Veterans. Lunch will be served at noon. We will be having cheeseburgers or hotdogs, baked beans, potato salad and cookies. 

Musical performance is sponsored by the Friends of the East Hartford Senior Center. The Country Duo will be here at 1:00 pm. Please register in person at the Senior Center.

 

The Town of East Hartford has partnered with East Hartford Development Department and local Main Street businesses to offer a fun contest in celebration of Small Business Saturday coming up in November. 

Individuals who wish to participate will be asked to collect stickers from at least 5 participating businesses for a chance to win a $100 gift card to one of them.

How to participate?

• Pick up a contest passport at any of the participating businesses starting October 24, 2023.
• Passports will be available at the following locations:
  • Community Cultural Center – 50 Chapman Place, East Hartford
  • Raymond Library – 840 Main Street, East Hartford
  • Wickham Library – 656 Burnside Avenue, East Hartford
• Fill out the required information in the passport book, including your name, email, and phone number.
  
   
• Visit at least five of the participating businesses and ask for a passport sticker. Purchases are encouraged, but not required!
  
   
• Drop off your filled out passport in the designated boxes at the Community Cultural Center or either branch of the East Hartford Public Library by Wednesday, November 22.  Only one entry is allowed per person.

On Small Business Saturday, November 25, 2023 three winners will be selected at random from passports that have at least five stamps.

 

Winners will receive a $100 gift card from one of the participating businesses. The contest is open to both East Hartford residents and visitors. Remember to support East Hartford small businesses this Small Business Saturday and every day!

East Hartford, CT— The Town of East Hartford will begin the annual curbside leaf collection program began on Monday, October 30, 2023. The program will feature a continuous vacuuming of leaves placed in piles on a tree belt. Leaves will be vacuumed Monday through Saturday continuously through December 9, 2023. 

The leaf collection program will commence on roads in the northwest corner of town in the area of Pitkin Street and then proceed north and east through the Burnham and Goodwin Street areas. Leaves will be vacuumed along each street, weather permitting. Collection will proceed in a clockwise direction around town. There will be no leaf collection on two (2) Town-observed holidays—Veterans Day, November 10, 2023 and Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 2023.

The schedule for leaf pickup can be found on the Department of Public Works Weekly Advisory Map, and on the Facebook page. The map will show completed areas as well as the areas where leaf collection is anticipated the following week. Residents should note that the map is tentative and dependent on the weather and the speed of collection and should not be considered a set collection schedule. Progress of the collection is weather-dependent and will be affected by rain or snow. Snowfall before mid-December may cause a suspension or cancelation of leaf collection. The map will be updated with address-specific collection information, such as whether collection has been completed or is anticipated by close of business on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Residents, please look for leaf program lawn signs! Leaf collection lawn signs will be posted in neighborhoods to notify residents that curbside leaf pickup is coming, and to encourage raking to the curb and paper leaf bag collection.

This information will also be communicated via our EH Alert platform as a text, call or email to those subscribed to “town services.” To receive those notifications, please select "Town Services" during registration in the drop down menu.

Residents also have two (2) additional options for leaf disposal:

OPTION 1:  Curbside Brown Bag Collection for six (6) weeks

• Town crews will pick up leaves placed in biodegradable brown paper bags beginning October 30, 2023 through December 9, 2023 on your regular waste collection day, weather permitting. Leaves, in biodegradable brown paper bags only. No grass clippings, branches or other waste items can be placed in the paper bags nor will the Town collect leaves in plastic bags. 

OPTION 2:  Resident Transport to The Transfer Station for FREE Disposal

• Residents may also bring their leaves to the Transfer Station on Ecology Drive between 8 AM to 1:45 PM on the following days:
  • Every Saturday in November
  • First three Saturdays in December
  • Transfer Station will be open on November 11 & 25 for leaves only.

Leaves in plastic bags will not be accepted.



Instructions for using the Weekly Advisory Map:

Enter your address in the search bar.

The Map will show your property- click on it to pull up the anticipated collection week.

To find out if the leaf collection has already been completed in your area, please click on the road centerline, which will indicate if the street has been completed.

For any additional information, please call Public Works Administration, 860-291-7374.

East Hartford Works! invites all individuals who are new homeowners or are about to purchase their first home, to an information session on homeownership! The first-time homeownership info session will be held Wednesday, November 8 from 6 to 7 PM at the East Hartford Public Library, located at 840 Main Street. Attendees will hear from experts about the necessary steps in the home-buying process and get valuable advice on lending and real estate.

Please register in advance as space is limited! Register at this link.

The Town of East Hartford once again partnered with the East Hartford Tennis Club to offer indoor pickleball for local senior residents 55 years of age and older. 

The program will be held at the East Hartford Tennis Club, 151 Roberts Street on Tuesday & Thursday from 1:00pm – 3:00pm, at a cost of $5.00 each day. 

The program will run through March 2024. 

This will be another positive boost to a very popular program for seniors as the town has opened up six new first-class concrete courts located at Hockanum Park on High Street.

Please contact the Tennis Club can be contact with any questions (860) 528-9251.

My office is always open if you or your family are in need of assistance. Please do not hesitate to contact me by email at Jason.Rojas@cga.ct.gov or by phone at 860-240-8541.



Sincerely,



Jason Rojas