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:

• Overdose Awareness Wellness Event & Vigil
• Labor Day Weekend
• School is Back In!
• This Week In Connecticut History
• Manchester Community Events and Information
• East Hartford Community Events and Information

I had the honor of joining state and local colleagues at Manchester’s annual Overdose Awareness Day Wellness Event and Vigil at Center Memorial Park, where we gathered to support those who have lost loved ones to overdose. Hosted by the Opioid Settlement Fund Committee of Manchester, this year’s event was a powerful blend of remembrance and recovery. It provided a space to not only honor those we've tragically lost, but also to uplift individuals in recovery, families affected by substance use, and everyone impacted by the ongoing overdose crisis. The event was family-friendly, offering an opportunity to share stories, learn about local resources, and come together as a community in moments of both joy and sorrow. It was a reminder that while grief is heavy, hope and healing are always possible when we stand united.

During the first half of the 19th century, as thousands of Americans journeyed westward in search of new fortunes, necessity became the mother of invention as would-be farmers were forced to adapt to new climates and topographies that were unlike anything they had ever seen before. Since the Great Plains generally lacked the forests and fast-moving streams found along the nation’s eastern seaboard, settlers became increasingly reliant on wind power to drive their granaries and pump their water wells. American inventors seized upon the trend, applying for dozens of windmill-related patents in the course of a single decade, from 1850 – 1859.

One innovative design stood out among the rest, however. On August 29, 1854, Daniel Halladay of Ellington, Connecticut received a patent for an adaptable “wind wheel” design that changed the direction of its sails when encountering different wind speeds without requiring any human oversight. This deceptively simple, self-adapting windmill revolutionized the fledgling wind-power industry in the United States: Before Halladay’s invention, windmills were routinely torn apart during periods of high winds and severe thunderstorms, which were much more common in the Midwest than in New England.

Soon after receiving his patent, Halladay founded the Halladay Wind Mill Company and moved his operations to nearby Coventry. Demand for his windmills was so high, however, that he soon sold his company at a handsome profit to the United States Wind Engine Company, which moved production westward to Illinois during the Civil War. “Halladay windmills” remained popular through the end of the century, with thousands being produced annually to grind grain and provide water for farms, towns, and even railroad companies.

Further Reading

“Halladay’s Revolutionary Windmill,” connecticuthistory.org

Daniel Halladay, “U.S. Patent 11629: Wind Wheel,” Google Patents Database

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

Opening Day Events

• All Wheels Park: Open Skate + Ride, Competitions, Live Art
• Turf Field: Soccer Mania, Opening Ceremony, MHS Women's Varsity Soccer Game, BMX Drawing
• Creative Zone: Rock Climbing Wall, Make Your Mark Mural, Rec on the Run
• Fitzgerald Field: Parkour, Parkour Master Demo
• Upper Courts: PAL 3v3 Basketball, Youth Basketball Clinics
• Fun Zone: DJ Dale, Rotary Music Garden, Playground, Inflatables
   

Swag Shop
Open 4-7 PM (Event Day Only)
For every $5 spent at the swag shop, you'll receive 1 ticket entry toward winning a SE RACING BMX bike.

• 3 bikes - 3 winners announced at halftime of women's soccer game.

 
Rain Date: Sunday, September 14th, 2025

Runners Will Make Strides to Fight Food Insecurity

Registration for the 89th Manchester Road Race opens on September 1^st, and race organizers said today that the thousands of runners who are expected to compete in it will all be making strides to alleviate hunger in Connecticut.

Dr. Tris Carta, President of the Manchester Road Race Committee, announced that food insecurity will be the primary charitable focus of this year’s road race, which will be held at 10 a.m. in Manchester on Thanksgiving Day (November 27, 2025).

According to Carta, the race committee voted to suspend in 2025 its practice of annually awarding grants from the event’s net proceeds to a number of diverse charities and nonprofits. Instead, those funds will be earmarked this year for two organizations that provide food to those in need, Connecticut Foodshare and Manchester Area Conference of Churches Charities.

Connecticut Foodshare is a food bank serving the people of Connecticut, and is a member of Feeding America’s nationwide network. It distributes healthy food through a network of more than 650 food pantries, community kitchens and meal programs and operates mobile food distribution centers across the state.

MACC Charities operates a “Community Kitchen’ serving lunches during the week and an emergency food pantry that distributes groceries.

“There is a pressing need at Connecticut’s food banks right now, and we’re hoping that our road race can make a substantial contribution to address it,” Carta said.

Carta also indicated that the committee has designated MACC Charities as the beneficiary of the road race’s annual Honors Club Program.  Each year, the race sets aside bibs for up to 120 runners who each pay $100, instead of the traditional entry fee. All of those funds are donated to a single designated charity, which this year will be MACC Charities.

Registration for the 4.737-mile Thanksgiving Day Run is available on-line at www.manchesterroadrace.com.

This year’s entry fee will remain $32 for runners who sign up on-line at www.manchesterroadrace.com prior to 11:59 pm EST on Sept 30.  The entry fee subsequently increases to $37 on October 1^st and to $42 on November 22.  

Registration for the race will close completely on November 25, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. EST. No entries will be accepted on the day of the race.

Runners will once again have the option to either pick up their bibs in person, or have them delivered.  The race committee has scheduled a number of times and dates prior to the race when bibs can be picked up in person at no additional cost.  Details about the schedule and locations of the in-person pickup dates, and the fee that will be charged for delivery, will be available at www.manchesterroadrace.com when registration opens on September 1^st.

Race officials are reminding runners that there will not be bib pickup on the morning of the race.

“We’ve been working on plans for this year’s race since last winter, and we believe it is going to be another world-class event,” Carta said. “We anticipate another exciting race with a large field, and we are urging everyone to register as soon as they possibly can.

Carta also said that race officials are once again offering a Virtual Manchester Road Race option for those who can’t attend the event in person.  Participants can download a GPS-enabled app to their smartphones and have their times recorded as they run the MRR course distance at any location in the world.

On-line registration for the virtual run also begins on Sept. 1^st and closes on Nov.25^th.  The registration fee is $30 and more information is available at www.manchesterroadrace.com.

Approximately 400 volunteers from the Manchester Road Race Committee organize the annual Thanksgiving Day Run, with support from the Town of Manchester. More details are available on the road race website.

Why Attend?

•   Learn about police operations, from investigations to community outreach
•  Experience hands-on activities like crime scene processing and K-9 demonstrations
•  Build trust and strengthen relationships with your local police
•  Gain insight into the challenges and responsibilities of law enforcement
•  Meet like-minded community members passionate about public safety

When: Every Thursday, September 18 - November 20, 2025
Where: East Hartford Police Department
How to Register: Scan the QR code on the flyer below or visit https://www.easthartfordct.gov/citizen-police-academy

Don’t miss this chance to see behind the scenes of your police department! Space is limited, so register today. We can’t wait to meet you!