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:

• State Update
• Today In Connecticut History
• Manchester Community Events and Information
• East Hartford Community Events and Information

The state House of Representatives adopted a $55.8 billion two-year budget early Tuesday that invests in child care and K-12 education, provides a $250 tax cut to working poor families. Tax relief for working families; investing in education and special education; transformative funding for childcare and early childhood education; and standing up for nonprofit service providers are the pillars of the next state budget.

Our budget reflects shared values, marked by historic investments in children through expanded funding for special education and childcare. It strengthens support for working families and ensures that the essential work of nonprofits is both valued and financially supported. These organizations are on the frontlines every day, serving our most vulnerable neighbors. This budget affirms and reinforces their vital role in building a stronger, more inclusive community for all.
 

Housing constraints in Connecticut are making it harder for everyone to find a place to live, no matter where they live or how much they earn. Housing is too expensive. Rent is rising. Families across our state are struggling to find a place to call home. 

HB 5002 (as amended by LCO 8974 & 9294) offers a comprehensive approach to tackle this crisis. It increases housing supply, modernizes outdated zoning laws, supports our unhoused neighbors, and respects local control.

Key highlights:

• Upzones for middle housing
• Cuts red tape for new construction
• $50M/year to build deeply affordable homes
• Transparency in public housing authorities
• Zoning reform without sacrificing community safety
• Smart development near public transit
• Updates to 8-30g for better town flexibility
• Ban on NEW hostile architecture

This bill is not just policy—it’s about dignity, opportunity, and creating a better future for everyone in Connecticut.

Read the economic report from CBIA: https://shorturl.at/ArjlS

Let’s build a future where every family can afford a safe, stable place to live.

To many students of Connecticut history and colonial America, Thomas Hooker is considered the “founding father” of Connecticut. A Puritan minister who journeyed from England to Holland to Massachusetts in search of a place where he could preach his message of reformed Christianity free from persecution, Hooker served with distinction as the first established minister of Cambridge, Massachusetts for two years. Then, after enduring sustained theological disagreements with John Cotton and other Bostonian ministers, Hooker and his congregants decided to head southwest in the spring of 1636 to form a new church in what would become the new settlement of Hartford.

Hooker had a reputation as one of the most moving and eloquent speakers of his day. His ideas concerning suffrage and government were radically democratic, even by Puritan standards. The theological disagreements he had with the Puritans of Boston revolved around universal Christian suffrage — Hooker’s belief that voting rights should be extended to all Christian parishioners, instead of being restricted to full-fledged church members (who made up a much smaller percentage of the community). And on May 31, 1638, Hooker delivered his most famous sermon on authority and government in Hartford, declaring “The foundation of authority is laid firstly in the free consent of the people.”

In the first half of the 17th century, in a world dominated by monarchs and oligarchs where most ordinary people had little to no say in their governments, Hooker’s statement was truly revolutionary. Hooker’s remarks were memorable enough to survive via handwritten notes taken by Henry Wolcott Jr., who was in attendance the day Hooker preached his most famous sermon. Nor did his speech fall on deaf ears: six months later, in January 1639, Connecticut voters ratified the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, the first known written constitution to form a basis of government. 150 years later, historian John Fiske praised the Fundamental Orders as “mark[ing] the beginnings of American democracy, of which Thomas Hooker deserves more than any other man to be called the father.” While recently, some historians have argued that Hooker’s comments were addressing only church governance, and that Hooker’s democratic leanings have been vastly overstated, most still think the seeds were sown for one of America’s earliest political revolutions — today in Connecticut history.

Further Reading

Diana McCain, “The Free Consent of the People: Thomas Hooker and the Fundamental Orders,” connecticuthistory.org

Nancy Finlay, “Thomas Hooker: Connecticut’s Founding Father,” connecticuthistory.org

Walter W. Woodward, “What’s a Puritan, and Why Didn’t They Stay in Massachusetts?” Connecticut Explored

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

Free family friendly events and activities all week long! Here’s a few highlights: Historical Society open houses, town-wide tag sale, hikes, Art in the Park, barbecue at the Elks Club for veterans, a dance at the Senior Center, Duck Race, and much more!

Celebrate-Manchester-2025-Flyer.pdf(PDF, 5MB) to view the full schedule of events flyer.

Calendar Events

Starting Sunday, June 1st - Saturday, June 14. FREE Family-friendly events and activities.

Saturday, June 7 (Rain Date June 8) - Free Concert
Starting at 6:30 pm
Center Memorial Park

For more events, please read the flyer below or call the Manchester Recreation Program Information line: 860-647-3162

Weather will be monitored, and updates will be available through the Information Line or Facebook.

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 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)   

The Town of East Hartford, in collaboration with East Hartford Public Library, East Hartford Parks & Recreation, the Commission on Culture and Fine Arts, and the East Hartford Black Caucus, invites you to attend the town’s fourth annual Juneteenth Celebration. Juneteenth, officially known as Juneteenth National Independence Day, is also known as Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, and Black Independence Day, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans.

The event will take place on Saturday, June 14th from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm, at the East Hartford Town Green, 1047 Main Street. Admission is FREE.

The observance of Juneteenth is about the journey and achievement of African Americans throughout the horrific period of sanctioned enslavement to where we are today. However, the stories of pain, pride, resilience, determination and hope that define our historical and spiritual blueprint are the catalyst for understanding that we can overcome negativity in spite of our differences to make our town a better place for all our children.

Everyone is welcome to attend this event as we pay tribute to our journey, remember our history and reflect on our independence. We pay homage to those who have paved the way for us today. We celebrate freedom.

The Juneteenth Fest is the perfect family-friendly, community event that offers fun activities for children and adults alike. Among many activities, there will be a variety of vendors, food, entertainment, bounce house, face painting, powerful storytelling and so much more.

Our stage show has been meticulously planned out by the East Hartford Library and we are so excited for it and hope you'll join us! 

11:45 AM Welcome & Opening remarks
12:00 PM Yaco International
1:15 PM   Grace C. Wright Performing Arts
2:00 PM   CT Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas
2:20 PM   Super Icon Thomas Lumpkin and Friends
3:00 PM   Black Diamonds Double Dutch Team Demonstration
3:30 PM   NRGY (spoken word)

In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved indoors to the Community Cultural Center located at 50 Chapman Place.

For more information, please call Parks and Recreation at 860-291-7160 or visit www.easthartfordct.gov/parks-recreation.