Jason Rojas

Dear Neighbor,

I hope this email finds you well. Below, you'll find updates on district resources and news. Please feel free to reach out to my office if you have any questions or concerns.

The topics covered in this e-newsletter are as follows:

• Housing Forum in Fairfield
• State Update
• This Week In Connecticut History
• Manchester Community Events and Information
• East Hartford Community Events and Information

🏘️ Let’s talk about the future of housing in Fairfield County!

Join me and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff for an important in-person conversation on housing policy, local impacts, and what could be coming in a special session later this year.

📅 Wednesday, August 20
🕕 6:00 – 7:30 PM
📍 Sacred Heart University – The Loris Forum, Martire Center
5401 Park Ave, Fairfield, CT
 

Connecticut's annual Sales Tax-Free Week begins Sunday, August 17, through Saturday, August 23. Whether you're taking the kids back to school shopping or making a purchase for yourself, Sales Tax-Free Week saves you money while doing so. 

• Sales or purchases of certain items of clothing or footwear costing less than $100 per item are exempt from Connecticut's 6.35% sales tax.
• Sales Tax-Free Week applies to purchases made in-store, online, mail-order, and over the phone.
• This special exemption applies to purchases made from retailers located in Connecticut as well as from online retailers.

In 1919, Connecticut companies throughout the state were effectively shuttered as thousands of workers across a multitude of different industries joined in a massive regional strike that, within the course of a week, spread from Maine to New York and brought New England commerce to a screeching halt.

Connecticut, like many other states with a highly developed industrial economy, had weathered extreme changes in its labor market during World War I. Women flocked to companies such as Remington Arms in Bridgeport to fill the factory jobs once held by men who had been called to serve overseas in the U.S. military. After peace was declared in November 1918, Connecticut’s economy was once again roiled by rapid changes, including skyrocketing inflation, stagnant wages, a severe drop in federally funded defense contracts, and socioeconomic friction as men returning from Europe wrested factory jobs away from the women who had held them during the conflict.

Tensions came to a head on August 7, as workers throughout the state decided to strike en masse, encouraged by the efforts of union organizers across a variety of industries, demanding wage increases to deal with postwar inflation rates of up to 17%. Textile mill workers in Rockville, auto parts manufacturers in New Haven, truck drivers in Bridgeport, and construction workers in Stafford Springs joined railroad workers along the Connecticut shoreline in walking off the job, leaving managers and superintendents scrambling to mitigate disruptions in production and services. By the end of the day, railroad officials for the New York, New Haven and Hartford announced they would have to curtail both passenger and freight service for the foreseeable future, owing to an estimated 2,200 employees on strike in the city of New Haven alone.

The strike of August 7, 1919 was hardly an isolated event; Connecticut endured dozens of impactful strikes during the tumultuous decades surrounding the turn of the 20th century. However, with several thousand workers acting in unison, it remains one of the largest and most disruptive single-day strikes in state history.

Further Reading

Cecilia Bucki, “The Labor Movement in Connecticut,” Connecticut Explored

https://www.easthartfordct.gov/residents
 
Town Newsletters
Pulse of East Hartford     
East Hartford Public Schools
East Hartford Works

Celebrate recovery and remember lives lost to overdose.

Join us for Manchester’s annual International Overdose Awareness Day Wellness Event and Vigil on Thursday, August 28th, 2025, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Center Memorial Park in Manchester. Hosted by the Opioid Settlement Fund Committee of Manchester, this year’s event embraces both remembrance and recovery. It offers space not only to honor those we've lost to overdose, but also individuals in recovery, families affected by substance use, and anyone impacted by the overdose crisis. This family-friendly gathering offers space to share your story, learn about local resources, and come together as a community in moments of both joy and grief. Everyone is welcome, because connection is the opposite of addiction.

This year’s event is coordinated by the Opioid Settlement Fund Committee of Manchester, with support from the Department of Leisure, Family and Recreation, the Manchester H.O.P.E. Initiative, the Change Collaborative of Manchester, and the Pathfinders Club. These partners are working together to create a more compassionate community by reducing stigma and supporting people who use drugs. Their efforts focus on prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery, with a commitment to meeting individuals.

Luminary Walk:
A primary component of the International Overdose Awareness Day event is the Luminary Walk, a vigil pathway designed to honor those who have passed away from or have survived an overdose & found recovery. Folks will have the opportunity before or during the event to dedicate luminaria to a loved one impacted by opioid use.

Submit a Luminary

Sidewalk tabling:
Local organizations will offer information and swag to spread the word about services relating to opioids/addiction/grief/healing in town. Tables will embody, “connection is the opposite of addiction” and fall somewhere in the categories of; Prevention, Intervention, Harm Reduction, Recovery, and Treatment.

Wellness Activities:
Folks can explore alternative forms of healing and recovery through holistic wellness activities like somatic yoga, breathwork, and sound healing. Wellness sessions will take place throughout the night in the Mary Cheney Library.

Activities include:

·         FREE food

·         FREE T-shirt to 1st 100 guests

·         Music

·         Guest speakers

·         Information tables by local businesses and organizations

·         Wellness activities for adults (Yoga, Sound Healing, & More)

·         Children’s activities

As the Manchester community bands together in commemoration of International Overdose Awareness Week, we hope you will join in remembrance of those we’ve lost to drug overdose, uplift those in recovery, and celebrate those individuals and organizations who work tirelessly to create a more vibrant, safer community for all.

The Town of Manchester is now accepting applications for Government Academy Fall 2025 session. The program provides the public with a hands-on opportunity to learn about the inner workings of local government. 

The program will consist of a series of interactive sessions, and participants will get an inside look at the municipal operations covering everything from public safety to the public library.
Participants will experience a lively blend of demonstrations, presentations, and tours, all conducted in a casual format at numerous sites throughout the Town and can expect to come away with a heightened awareness and knowledge of local government operations as well as a greater understanding of how to get involved in local affairs.

The nine-week program will begin on Thursday, September 4, 2025, and will conclude on Thursday, October 30, 2025. The sessions are free and held mostly on Thursday evenings with one exception; anyone living or working in Manchester are welcome to apply.
While seating is limited, applications received first will be given preference. 
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Academy Coordinator, Lisa Fusco at (860) 647-3092. 

The Town of Manchester is excited to officially unveil Manchester Now, the new program guide publication for the Department of Leisure, Family and Recreation, the Manchester Public Library, the Manchester Senior Center & Manchester Public Schools.

The school supply assistance program will be distributing a ONE-TIME use VISA Gift Card for Manchester residents to assist with school supplies for children in grades K-12.

To sign up please call Senior, Adult and Family Services at 860-647-3096 or apply online using the link below:

Apply Today

Apply: Through August 15^th 2025

Please bring the following information when you sign up:

Your children’s insurance cards

Proof of residence and DSS Assistance

Click here for more information.

Terry Pool  (Outdoor/Seasonal Facility)
Hockanum Park, 320 High St.  Located by Hockanum School.  Features a 50 meter pool with two diving boards, and a ramp for accessible entry.  Olympic Size!
Martin Pool  (Outdoor/Seasonal Facility)
Martin Park, 307 Burnside Ave. Located in Martin Park. This is a historic pool dating back to 1938, rectangular with a separate wading pool.
Drennan Pool  (Outdoor/Seasonal Facility)
McAuliffe Park, 30 Remington Rd. Located next to Anna Norris School.  Features a rectangular pool with a ramp for accessible entry.
Lord Pool  (Outdoor/Seasonal Facility) 
Gorman Park, 258 May Rd.  Located behind O’Connell School.  Features a ramp for accessible entry, water slide, and separate wading pool.
Goldstar Pool  (Outdoor/Seasonal Facility) 
Goodwin Park, 1235 Forbes St.  Located behind Goodwin Elementary School. Features a family friendly pool with a mushroom water feature.
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Admission to Town of East Hartford Aquatic Facilities is free for residents.
Proof of residency is required for all persons ages 7 and older. 
East Hartford Resident Adult (Ages 16+) - Acceptable forms of ID are Driver’s License/permit or State Issued ID Card.

East Hartford Resident Child (Ages 7-15) - Acceptable forms of ID are East Hartford Public School ID (current year) or Parks and Recreation Youth Photo ID. Parks and Recreation Youth ID cards are available for residents ages 7-15 from East Hartford Parks and Recreation. The cost is $6.00 and are valid for three years. Children 11 and under must be accompanied by a responsible swimmer aged 16 or older. The application for a Youth Photo ID is available here.
East Hartford Resident Child (Ages 6 and under) - Must be accompanied by a responsible swimmer aged 16 or older and must remain within arms reach of that person at all times when in the water. .

All Non-Residents or Those Without Proof of Residency - The daily fee for non-residents and those without acceptable proof of East Hartford residency is $5.00. This includes children. Non-Residents may purchase an annual pool pass for $120, which can be prorated on a monthly basis at the Parks and Recreation office. Daily admission fees do not apply towards the purchase of a pool pass and are non-refundable.

Additionally, there will be a series of aquatic recreation opportunities offered throughout the summer. They will include three splash parties on Saturday, July 12 at 1 p.m. at Goldstar Pool , Saturday July 19 at 1 p.m. at Lord Pool, and on Friday, July 25, at 5 p.m. at Martin Park.

Finally, there are a number of group swim lessons offered Monday through Thursday. Swim sessions in sets of 8 classes are offered to residents for $50 and to non-residents for $80 per session.

For more information or to register please visit: Aquatics & Swim Lessons | easthartfordct or call the office for more information at 860-291-7160.