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
 

The Early Childhood Education Endowment Fund is here—Connecticut’s first permanent savings account to sustainably fund early childhood education.

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.

Although many Connecticut towns and municipalities had created  beautiful parks dedicated for public use by the early 20th century, no single statewide organization existed to manage parks and recreation until Governor Simeon Baldwin convened a six-member State Park Commission in 1913. Over the next 100 years Connecticut undertook the development and management of 108 state parks, which today are overseen by the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Collectively, state parks remain one of Connecticut’s most visited attractions, and draw  over 8 million  visitors every year.

Further Reading

“State Parks History,” Connecticut Dept. of Energy & Environmental Protection website

“Connecticut State Parks: A Centennial Overview,” Connecticut Dept. of Energy & Environmental Protection brochure [PDF file]

“A History of CT State Parks: 1913-2013,” Connecticut Dept. of Energy & Environmental Protection [YouTube video]

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.

Car Seat Distribution August 19th from 4:30pm-7:30pm at Northwest Park.

Online preregistration is required and will be accepted on a rolling basis while supplies last. After registration is verified you will receive a link to sign up for an appointment. Child must be present for installation by Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Technicians and be a resident of Manchester, CT.

Register Here