Jason Rojas

Dear Neighbor, 

 

In this email, you'll find updates on district resources and news. Please click the links below to read the section that corresponds with the highlighted headline.



A NOTE: If you're having trouble clicking through the following links, open this email in a browser, use a computer, or scroll through this email to the relevant section. 



The topics covered are as follows:

• Today in CT History
• Manchester Community Events 
• East Hartford Community Events

Today in 1974, frustrated at the slow pace with which other states were acting to amend the federal constitution, Connecticut amended its own state constitution, inserting the words “or sex” into a key provision of that document.

Two years earlier, Connecticut had been one of over 30 states that voted to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (E.R.A.) as passed by Congress, which expressly prohibited discrimination based on a person’s sex. The federal E.R.A would have become the 27th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution upon ratification by 3/4 of the states in the Union, but it ultimately failed to gain the support it needed to reach that threshold. Two years later, local activists in Connecticut  proposed a state Equal Rights Amendment that would explicitly include “sex” as a protected class under the Connecticut State Constitution. In spite of a handful of interest groups warning that the passage of a state E.R.A would place working women at risk or endanger rape or child support laws, the voters of Connecticut overwhelmingly voted in favor of the amendment on Election Day, November 5, 1974, passing the measure 77 percent to 22 percent.

1974 was a banner year for women in politics and women’s rights in Connecticut: On the same election day Ella T. Grasso was also voted into the Governor’s office as Connecticut’s first female governor and the first woman in U.S. history to be elected governor in her own right (i.e. without being preceded by her husband). Grasso won the election by a margin of over 200,000 votes.

A few weeks later, on November 27, 1974, the General Assembly formally adopted the state’s Equal Rights Amendment, adding  two small — but powerful — words to the end of the Equal Protection clause found in Section I of the State Constitution. Since that date, the Equal Protection clause now reads: “No person shall be denied the equal protection of the law nor be subjected to segregation or discrimination in the exercise or enjoyment of his or her civil or political rights because of religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin or sex.” The Constitution amended, and a step forward for equal rights taken, today in Connecticut history.

Town Resources

https://www.easthartfordct.gov/residents

 

Town Newsletters

Pulse of East Hartford     

East Hartford Public Schools

East Hartford Works

Access Health CT (AHCT) today announced it will hold seven enrollment fairs in December to help Connecticut residents shop, compare, and enroll in health or dental coverage. They can also renew their coverage. Enrollment fairs are one-day events where customers can get free, in-person help to enroll or renew their coverage and help from experts in choosing a plan.

Open Enrollment began Nov. 1, 2024 and ends Jan. 15, 2025.

The Dec. 15, 2024 enrollment deadline is approaching. If customers enroll on or before Dec. 15, 2024, coverage will start Jan. 1, 2025. If they enroll between Dec. 16, 2024 and Jan. 15, 2025, coverage will start Feb. 1, 2025.

 

Connecticut residents who want to attend a fair can book an appointment on the Enrollment Events webpage on AccessHealthCT.com. Walk-in appointments are welcome.

 

The enrollment fairs will take place at the following places and times:

 

• Danbury: Tuesday, Dec. 3 at Latinos for Educational Advocacy and Diversity (LEAD), located at 385 Main Street, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Register here.
• New Britain: Wednesday, Dec. 4 at Latinos for Educational Advocacy and Diversity (LEAD), located at 114 W. Main Street, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Register here.
• West Hartford: Thursday, Dec. 5 at West Hartford Town Hall, located at 50 S. Main Street, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Register here.
• Norwich: Saturday, Dec. 7 at The Edward & Mary Lord Family Health Center, located at 47 Town Street, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Register here.
• Enfield: Tuesday, Dec. 10 at CT State Community College Asnuntuck, located at 170 Elm Street, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Register here.
• Meriden: Wednesday, Dec. 11 at the Meriden Public Library, located at 105 Miller Street, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Register here.
• Stratford: Thursday, Dec. 12 at Birdseye Municipal Complex, located at 468 Birdseye Street, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Register here.
• Manchester: Saturday, Dec. 14 at Manchester Community Rec Center, located at 78 N. Main Street, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Register here.
• Milford: Sunday, Dec. 15 at Margaret S. Egan Center, 35 Mathew Street, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Register here.

 

Other options for free help are available online, in person and over the phone.

In addition to enrollment fairs, customers can also visit enrollment locations and Navigator partner locations during regular business hours. A list of these locations is available on the Enrollment Events webpage.

Customers can also get help from a certified broker or enrollment specialist in their community. To find one, visit the Get Help webpage.

For free help online, customers can visit AccessHealthCT.com. They can also chat with a customer service representative by clicking the “Live Chat” icon on the website. Live chat is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Customers can also call 1-855-805-4325, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Help is available in over 100 languages.

The call center will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Nov. 29, 2024, and 8:00 a.m. to midnight Dec. 15, 2024 and Jan. 15, 2025.

The call center will be closed on Nov. 28, 2024, Dec. 25, 2024 and Jan. 1, 2025.

Customers who are deaf or hearing impaired may use TTY at 1-855-789-2428 or call a relay operator.

The Town began leaf collection on November 12th . Crews will begin in Area 1. Once Area 1 has been completed, crews will move on to Area 2. Collection schedule is subject to change due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Because of this, we cannot determine when the crews will be at a specific location.



Visit the webpage at Leaf Collection Program. As a reminder, each street will be scheduled for only ONE curbside collection. Leaves are particularly dry this year due to the continued drought, so during collection it is likely there will be a lot of dust and leaf particles floating through the air making vehicles dirty. Crews will do their best to mitigate this and appreciate the community’s patience and understanding.

Other Collection Options: Curbside Paper Leaf Bags:

• Residents can set out paper leaf bags for curbside collection on the day of their normal refuse | recycling day. Do not mix refuse in with the leaves.
• Curbside collection of paper leaf bags will continue from now to the 2nd week in January.
• Leaves in barrels, plastic bags, or cardboard containers will NOT be collected.

• Paper bags are available for sale at the Transfer Station, the Town Hall and the Senior Center. Leaf bags purchased from retail stores are also acceptable.

Drop off Sites:

• Residents may drop loose or bagged leaves at the Transfer Station year-round during regular business hours.
• When the Transfer Station is closed, ONLY residents may drop off loose or bagged leaves at the parking lot at 263 Olcott St (Oct 11 -Dec 31). No brush or plastic bags. Contractors are not allowed to use this drop site.  

Leaf Fire Safety – A memo from the Fire Marshal’s office

• Given the current weather conditions, the Town of Manchester has issued a NO-BURN order for ALL outdoor fires, this includes all normally permissible fires (fire pits, chimineas, etc.).
• Please avoid open flames for your festivities. Consider a battery operated light source. Every leaf is potential fuel, so keep your family and neighborhood safe.
• Dispose of smoking materials in a secure, fire-safe container or bucket of water. Even something as small as a cigarette can ignite a fire.
• Avoid parking in high grass or piles of leaves as the heat from the vehicle exhaust will ignite the leaves and your vehicle.
• Use caution while performing yard work, such as mowing / leaf blowing or using power tools that could create sparks. A small spark or contact with a hot muffler is enough to ignite leaves. Try to limit these activities on particularly dry and windy days.
• Clear leaves around your home, vehicles, decks, gutters and fences.
• The burning of leaves is STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
• If you see smoke or signs of fire, don’t wait—report it immediately. Call 9-1-1 as quickly as possible and provide them with the location of the flames. Quick action is essential to prevent a small fire from becoming a larger, more dangerous blaze.

 

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO EXTINGUISH A FIRE BEFORE CALLING 911!

Read Full Notice(PDF, 135KB)

 

The Town of East Hartford annual curbside leaf collection program began on Monday, November 4, 2024. Leaves will be vacuumed Monday through Saturday continuously through December 14th, 2024. 



The program consists of the vacuuming of leaves placed in piles on a tree belt. Leaves will be vacuumed along each street, weather permitting. The leaf collection program will commence on roads in the northwest corner of town in the area of Pitkin Street and then proceed north and east through the Burnham and Goodwin Street areas. Collection will proceed in a clockwise direction around town.



There will be no leaf collection on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 2024.



The schedule for leaf pickup can be found on the Department of Public Works Weekly Advisory Map and on the Town Facebook page.

 

The map will show completed areas as well as the areas where leaf collection is anticipated the following week. Residents should note that the map is tentative and dependent on the weather and the speed of collection and should not be considered a set collection schedule. Progress of the collection is weather-dependent and will be affected by rain or snow. Snowfall before mid-December may cause a suspension or cancelation of leaf collection. The map will be updated with address-specific collection information, such as whether collection has been completed or is anticipated by close of business on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.



Residents, please look for leaf program lawn signs! Leaf collection lawn signs will be posted in neighborhoods to notify residents that curbside leaf pickup is coming, and to encourage raking to the tree belt and paper leaf bag collection.



Please do not block storm drains and catch basins with leaves to prevent flooding issues. 



Instructions for using the Weekly Advisory Map:

1. Enter your address in the search bar.
2. The Map will show your property- click on it to pull up the anticipated collection week.
3. To find out if the leaf collection has already been completed in your area, please click on the road centerline, which will indicate if the street has been completed.

Residents also have two (2) additional options for leaf disposal:

OPTION 1:  Curbside Brown Bag Collection for six (6) weeks

• Town crews will pick up leaves placed in biodegradable brown paper bags through December 14, 2024 on your regular waste collection day, weather permitting. Leaves, in biodegradable brown paper bags only. No grass clippings, branches or other waste items can be placed in the paper bags nor will the Town collect leaves in plastic bags. In the case of any delays, please leave your bagged leaves out on the curb, and they will be picked up as soon as possible. If you bring them back inside, you may be at risk of missing the collection.

OPTION 2:  Resident Transport to The Transfer Station for FREE Disposal

• Residents may also bring their leaves to the Transfer Station on Ecology Drive between 7:30 AM to 1:45 PM on the following days:
  • Every Saturday in November
  • First three Saturdays in December
  • Please note: The Transfer Station will be open on November 23rd, and 30th for leaves only.

Leaves in plastic bags will not be accepted.



For any additional information, please call Public Works Administration, 860-291-7374.

The Town of East Hartford, East Hartford Public Library, the East Hartford Beautification Commission and East Hartford Parks and Recreation invite you to the annual 2024 East Hartford Holiday Fest from December 6 through December 9.

The four-day event consists of a wide variety of fun events ranging between crafts and book sales, carol signing and Christmas Fair as well as the long-awaited visit from Santa. The events cater to all ages, children and adults alike. Most activities are free and open to the public.

Holiday Fest is is supported by many local civic, community and town organizations.

Saturday, December 7th from 2:00-8:30pm

Join us out on the Town Green as we come together to celebrate all of the amazing celebrations that occur during December!

The Holiday Market (2:00-6:00pm) will feature vendors, food trucks, crafts, ice sculpture, and more! Throughout the event, we will be showcasing the amazing cultural celebrations that happen during the season!

Around 6:15 PM, Santa will arrive on his trusty firetruck and chose a child to light up our BRAND NEW tree! We will have caroling, selfies with Santa and free cocoa & cookies for the kids!

FOR A FULL SCHEDULE OF HOLIDAY FEST EVENTS CLICK HERE

Read more

East Hartford Public Library

Family photo sessions begin on Sunday, December 1, through Saturday, December 7!



Choose from a winter or holiday backdrop. Book the time that works best for you: one session per group/family. Photos will be taken by library staff members using a professional camera and saved on a flash drive for you immediately after the session. Please arrive on time to get the most out of your time in front of the camera.



***UPDATE: Current availability is weekday mornings and afternoons. The weekend and evening sessions are now full.***



Registration required via SignUp Genius:

https://www.signupgenius.com/.../70A0445A8A92EA5FB6...



For more upcoming programs, visit our website:

www.easthartfordct.gov/library 

CT DMV Community Event

Access services from the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (CT DMV) at Raymond Library during this one-day outreach event on Friday, December 13! No appointment required.



Available services include:

- renew/duplicate driver’s license

- new/renew/duplicate non-driver ID

- disabled parking placards

- renew vehicle registration

- fines, tickets, and suspensions

- REAL ID license upgrades

- learner’s permit (duplicate only)

- driver histories.



Register for a reminder:

https://easthartfordct.libcal.com/event/13389323



For more upcoming programs, visit our website:

www.easthartfordct.gov/library

My office is always open if you or your family are in need of assistance. Please do not hesitate to contact me by email at Jason.Rojas@cga.ct.gov or by phone at 860-240-8541.



Sincerely,



Jason Rojas