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:
East Hartford Legislative Town Hall
State Update
Today In Connecticut History
Manchester Community Events and Information
East Hartford Community Events and Information
East Hartford Delegation Legislative Town Hall
Please join the East Hartford Legislative Delegation for a discussion on the 2025 legislative session. This is a great opportunity to share your thoughts, ideas, and feedback on accomplishments, as well as future goals for our community. We look forward to hearing from you!
Connecticut has one of the mostconstrained housing marketsin the country. Regardless of where a family lands on the income spectrum, they are likely to struggle to find a home they can comfortably afford. Rent is rising, inventory is scarce, and outdated state and local policies often prevent the construction of needed housing. This crisis touches every part of life, from economic opportunity to education, health, and even public safety.
Last month, the CBIA Foundation for Economic Growth released areporton the economic impact of Connecticut's housing shortage. Many of the solutions recommended in the report were included in a bill passed by Connecticut's legislature during the 2025 Legislative Session, House Bill 5002.
House Bill 5002 represented years of research, drafting, and cooperation between stakeholders, legislative leaders, and constitutional officers. Included were provisions allowing for upzoning of middle housing, rethinking how parking requirements increase the cost of housing and negatively impact our environment, and investing hundreds of millions of dollars across the state into new construction and infrastructure improvements.
Unfortunately, despite support from the House, Senate, and stakeholders and residents statewide, Governor Lamont made the decision to veto House Bill 5002.
The veto is disappointing, but it will not diminish my commitment to improving Connecticut's housing affordability crisis – the primary driver of our high cost of living. I believe deeply that housing is a human right. It sits at the intersection of nearly every social determinant of health: economic stability, education, healthcare access, neighborhood environment, and greater access to opportunity. Housing is key to supporting a workforce that can unlock economic growth, enhance our competitiveness, and revitalize communities. Strengthening housing supply is not only a social obligation, it is a prerequisite for building a thriving 21st‑century economy.
Right now, the high cost of housing is burdening Connecticut families at every income level – middle-class, working-class, and low-income alike. Even many upper middle families and individuals, especially in places like Fairfield County, are feeling this pressure.
House Bill 5002 offered meaningful solutions to advance a housing affordability agenda for Connecticut. It provided local options to encourage transit orientated development, funding for local housing authorities to provide lower density, deeply affordable middle housing options for families and seniors, and new ways for communities to meet their long-standing legal obligation to "promote housing choice and economic diversity in housing, including housing for both low- and moderate-income household," often in an effort towards earning an exemption from 8-30g, a long-standing accountability measure.
The bill challenged us all to be honest about our willingness in addressing the needs of our most vulnerable neighbors, friends, and families in all our communities. The provisions from Towns Take the Lead, also known as "Fair Share," were focused on ensuring that we are honest and intentional about meeting the needs of tens of thousands of CT residents who are at the greatest risk of housing insecurity and homelessness. They are families at 30%, 50% and 80% of median income. They are often economically insecure, they are disabled, they work multiple jobs, they are the elderly, they are families with children. Today they are too often limited to living in racially and economically isolated environments. We can and must do better.
I have no regrets about fighting for these families. It was not dumb, and it was never wrong to be a champion for their cause. Housing reform is hard. It’s even harder in the world of social media outrage machines that exploit the current of moment, flooding feeds with disinformation and scare tactics. But we do not give up because it is hard. We press on because it is necessary.
A veto is not the end of this work. It’s another obstacle to overcome, much like the many veto points that exist throughout our current local land use processes, zoning regulations and political culture. The Governor has signaled a willingness to keep working towards achieving the goals that were the bedrock of HB 5002, albeit with some adjustments. We have a strong understanding of what those changes are and how they will help strengthen and clarify what was passed out of the House and Senate. I believe they can make a good bill better.
Connecticut is a state with amazing communities. My goal is simple: to ensure that all our residents have a realistic opportunity to choose what kind of home they want, in the community they want, so they can send their children to better resourced schools and be connected to the opportunities they want and deserve – something Connecticut is rich in. Let’s connect people to that opportunity and to each other.
Our two-year, $55.8 billion budget takes effect July 1. This bill reflects our shared values, marked by historic investments in children through expanded funding for special education and childcare. Our budget strengthens support for working families and ensures that the essential work of nonprofits is both valued and financially supported.
We approved billions of dollars to be used for school construction, transportation infrastructure, housing assistance, and many more local initiatives through our annual bond funding package.
Our students will soon learn about three essential topics in the classroom: civics, media literacy, and Asian American and Pacific Islander history. Under two bills passed in 2022and 2023, students will gain an understanding of what it means to be an active and engaged citizen, how to analyze the modern media landscape, and the rich history of the AAPI community in our state and the entire country.
Our elections will soon be more secure and transparent as video recording technology will be added to every absentee ballot drop box in our state. This new law will record the drop boxes from the first day that ballots are issued up through when the clerk retrieves the final ballots, and all of these recordings will be made available to the public.
A novel, landmark bill supporting public libraries struggling to afford the skyrocketing costs of e-books and digital audiobooks will go into effect July 1. The bill bars libraries from entering into or renewing expensive contracts and licensing agreements with publishers. The measure positions Connecticut as a national leader in this arena and marks a significant step toward transparency, equity, and sustainability in how libraries acquire and provide digital resources to the public.
As always, your calls, emails, and testimony at our public hearings directly influenced these new laws. Please continue to share your views and have your voice heard at the Capitol!
Today In Connecticut History
In 1831, Prudence Crandall, with the support and approval of the local citizenry, opened the Canterbury Female Boarding School to educate daughters of wealthy Eastern Connecticut families. After a successful inaugural year, Crandall received a request from 20-year-old Sarah Harris, the daughter of a prosperous free African-American farmer and his wife, to attend the boarding school.
Sarah Harris Fayerweather, the first black student to attend Prudence Crandall’s academy.
Crandall, a single, 29-year-old Quaker, who was an avid reader of William Lloyd Garrison’s abolitionist newspaper The Liberator, decided to accept Miss Harris into her school. This prompted a severe and instantaneous backlash from her neighbors, who promptly removed both their white daughters and financial support from Crandall’s school, essentially forcing it to close.
Instead of capitulating and denying her prospective student of color admission, Crandall doubled down on her commitment to equal access to female education. She announced that the next school year she would reopen her school, but as an institution exclusively for “little misses of color.” William Lloyd Garrison, who supported Crandall’s decision, ran advertisements for Crandall’s school in The Liberator which garnered national attention. By the start of the school year in 1833, Crandall had no shortage of well-to-do black girls eager to journey to Connecticut to attend her new boarding school.
Meanwhile, however, the now angry Canterbury residents, who had once supported Crandall, agitated for a change in state law that would prevent her from opening her school. In response, the state legislature passed a new “Black Law” in May 1833 expressly forbidding out-of-state black children from attending school in any Connecticut town without first obtaining permission from local authorities.
Portrait of Prudence Crandall by Francis Alexander, 1834.
One month later, on June 27, 1833, Prudence Crandall was arrested after she refused to close her school. This in turn led to several trials, convictions, and appeals. Ultimately, Crandall’s case was dismissed on a technicality, and she refocused her efforts on the African-American girls’ school.
That was not the end of the story. Crandall and her students continued to receive harassment on a daily basis, enduring taunts, threats, and even the risk of physical harm as hecklers shouted and threw stones at them. After an angry mob directly attacked the boarding school at night in September 1834, smashing windows and furniture while Crandall and her students hid in terror, Crandall finally decided to close her school. She feared, she said, for her students’ safety if she continued to keep it going.
Crandall soon moved out of Connecticut with her new husband, Calvin Philleo. She continued, albeit from a distance, to advocate for access to education for students of color. Many years later, long after the Civil War, Connecticut came to regret the way it had treated Crandall and passed a law giving her a $400 annual pension. Four years later, in 1890, Crandall died in Kansas.
Today, Prudence Crandall’s Canterbury home is a historic house museum owned and operated by the state of Connecticut. In 1995, she was designated Connecticut’s official State Heroine, and a statue of her and student Sarah Harris was unveiled in the State Capitol in 2008.
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.
Manchester, YOU REALLY DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS ONE!! The event will be here in less than two months. On Saturday, July 5, 2025 (rain date July 6th), the James “Dutch” Fogarty Fourth of July Celebration celebrates 40 years of providing Manchester and the surrounding communities with live music, kid’s zone activities, market place offerings, food, family, friends and fire works. This annual get-together will be the highlight of the summer and is not something to be missed. It all starts at 4:00 p.m. and continues until the last rocket lights up the sky at 9:55 p.m.
For the second year in a row “Silver Fox String Band” kicks things off taking the bandshell stage at 4:30 pm. SFSB, founded in 2020, are passionate musicians from diverse musical backgrounds who share their love of making and playing music with their old and new friends. With roots ranging from country, bluegrass, rock and R&B the band offers a truly unique and transcendental experience for those in search of a fresh new sound inspired by the classics. You’ll love them!
Kenny, Rob, Mickey, Jimmy and Joey are “Nightshift”. These talented guys are such an in demand band we feel extremely fortunate to be able to bring them back for a third year in a row. Nightshift, a very appropriate band to play for Fourth of July celebrations because of their very strong support for our veterans, active-duty military, Police, Fire, EMS and Public Safety Dispatchers. This feature band will be performing the most popular, most fun and most memorable songs from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Nightshift, for sure, will get you up dancing and singing the classics. They take the stage at 7:00 pm
To perform the National Anthem, we bring back Manchester sensation “Rylie Pennington”. Rylie is an 11-year-old multi-talented performing artist with credits in film, musical theatre and theatre. More event information to come.
Town of Manchester Announces New Deputy and Assistant Town Managers
Town Manager Steve Stephanou is pleased to announce the appointments of Kasia Purciello as Deputy Town Manager and Joel Cox as Assistant Town Manager, effective July 1, 2025. These strategic leadership appointments reflect the Town’s ongoing commitment to delivering exceptional service to the Manchester community. Both positions will assist the Town Manager in providing administrative management of Town operations and help oversee the effective delivery of services to the community, consistent with the Board of Directors’ policies.
Kasia Purciello has over 10 years of experience in public administration and has served as Assistant Town Manager in Manchester since 2022. Prior to joining Manchester, she served as Assistant Town Manager in Enfield, CT from 2019-2022. Her deep understanding of municipal operations, collaborative leadership style, and steadfast dedication to public service make her exceptionally well-suited for the role of Deputy Town Manager.
Joining the Town's executive leadership team as Assistant Town Manager is Joel Cox, whose background in municipal programming and passion for community-centered policy will be instrumental in further advancing Manchester’s strategic goals. Mr. Cox has held the position of Director of Human Services in Manchester since 2019, a title he will keep in his new role, where he has demonstrated a strong capacity for innovation, civic engagement, and effective program management. “These appointments mark an exciting step forward for Manchester,” said Town Manager Steve Stephanou. “Kasia and Joel bring complementary strengths, forward-thinking approaches, and a deep respect for the people and values that shape our town. I am confident they will help lead Manchester with integrity, creativity, and purpose.”
As Deputy and Assistant Town Managers, Ms. Purciello and Mr. Cox will work closely with the Town Manager and department heads to guide policy implementation, operational planning, and strategic initiatives that reflect the priorities of Manchester’s residents and businesses. The appointments, approved by the Board of Directors as part of the FY26 Budget, will take effect July 1, 2025.
The Town of East Hartford Commission on Aging and Department of Health & Human Services are inviting East Hartford senior residents who qualify, to participate in the Spring Senior Yard Support Program. The purpose of this program is to assist East Hartford seniors, who are experiencing financial and / or physical barriers with front and/or back yard clean-up.
Volunteers will do general yard clean-up, such as raking, weeding, and clearing debris from the yard. The targeted population for this program are East Hartford senior residents who may be physically unable to perform Spring yard clean-up activities, may not have the financial means to hire yard service companies, and do not have family in the area that are able to assist with yard clean-up. Volunteer teams will be comprised of at least one adult who will oversee the safety and clean-up assignment of assigned youth. Senior residents who are selected for the program will complete a waiver that permits volunteers on the property. All volunteers will be required to complete an East Hartford volunteer form and liability waiver.
Eligible residents can sign-up for this program by completing the PARTICIPANT REGISTRATION LINK. Residents can also contact Senior Services at (860) 291-7460 or Youth & Social Services at (860) 291-7248 for assistance with completing the registration form. Residents who are interested in participating as volunteers for yard clean-up can register by completing the VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION LINK. A Town of East Hartford will contact you regarding upcoming volunteer dates and locations.
Eligibility criteria:
Persons 55+ years of age and older;
Currently resides in East Hartford and owns the property where a front and / or back yard is in need of clean-up; and
Experience barriers that limit the ability to receive assistance for yard clean-up and maintenance, including:
Underlying health conditions or disability that limits mobility and ability to perform yard clean-up activities;
Social isolation (lives alone, no family in the area that can assist with yard clean-up);
Low-income, financial limitations, and barriers to hiring yard clean-up services (Limited financial supports, such as food assistance, social security, or disability benefits)
Pools Open!
Terry Pool (Outdoor/Seasonal Facility) - Scheduled to open 6/21/25 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) - Scheduled to open 6/21/25 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) - Scheduled to open 6/21/25 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) - Scheduled to open 6/21/25 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) - Scheduled to open 6/21/25 Goodwin Park, 1235 Forbes St. Located behind Goodwin Elementary School. Features a family friendly pool with a mushroom water feature. ________________________________________ 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 age 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 age 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.
East Hartford Murals
Friday, June 27th on Bissell Street in East Hartford. Off-Main Experience is back again with a line up of amazing Caribbean and Latin music to kick off East Hartford’s Latin Fest Weekend! It’s always a party when it’s a RiseUP party.
2025 Sounds of Summer Concert Series at Great River Park
The annual Sounds of Summer Concert Series returns for 2025! This free summer concert series will take place on Thursdays through July 31st, 2025, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Great River Park Amphitheater, located at 301 East River Drive. Join us for beautiful music in a scenic setting all summer long! This year's lineup features a diverse range of musical genres to entertain all members of the community:
July 3: Cover 2 Cover (High Energy Dance Music)
July 10: Sound Pipers (Reggae)
July 17: La Choco Band (Latin Music)
July 24: Mass-Conn Fusion (Jazz, Motown, R&B)
July 31: Soul Sound Revue (7-piece Modern Music)
In the event of inclement weather, the concerts will be moved indoors to the East Hartford Community Culture Center at 50 Chapman Place. A special thank you is extended to the generous sponsors who make this series possible: Pratt & Whitney, The Metropolitan District, the Commission on Culture and Fine Arts, Restaurant Paradise, and Uncle Crumbles. Located at 301 East River Drive, Great River Park is a beautiful and much loved stretch of the East Hartford’s riverside. Stretching along the bend of the Connecticut River adjacent to East River Drive, Great River Park is a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of life and enjoy the outdoors. Enjoy picturesque vistas of the riverside and the city along nearly two miles of paved and lighted Riverwalk. Facilities include a boat launch, picnic tables, fishing access, a 350-seat amphitheater and a unique collection of sculpture art. Pedestrians can easily travel back and forth to Hartford via the Founders Bridge Promenade or the Charter Oak Bridge just steps from the park.
My office is always open if you or your family are in need of assistance. Please do not hesitate to contact me by email atJason.Rojas@cga.ct.govor by phone at 860-240-8541.
