Newsletter

November 10, 2021

We've officially fallen backward for the season and it's been wonderful to wake up with the sun shining these past few days. Our mornings may be chilly, but I feel so lucky to live in such a beautiful part of both our country and our state and I hope you feel the same way.

I've included more information today on the vaccine—a great Q and A from the Connecticut Children's Medical Center—as I know there are some parents who still have questions. It was great to see how many of my friends and family were able to get their children vaccinated over the weekend—another great step toward getting back to normalcy.

You may have heard that the utility companies are warning of rising prices this winter—more on that below—and also information if you or someone you know needs help with their utility bills.

As we get closer to the holidays, our thoughts turn to helping those in need and I've included both a Canton and an Avon opportunity to get involved and support local organizations that support our communities.

Thursday is Veterans Day!

With a grateful heart for their service, I want to wish all our veterans a Happy Veterans Day. My favorite veteran, my grandfather, George "Chic" Kavros, is pictured below. He served on the U.S.S. Saginaw Bay in World War II. In fact, he was one of many young men who, if they had a B+ average or higher as Seniors in High School, were allowed to leave school and immediately join the service.

George "Chic" Kavros

As John F. Kennedy said, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” I hope that we continue to remember and honor the service and the sacrifice of all veterans and their families.

Connecticut Children's Vaccine FAQ Sheet for 5 to 11 Year Olds

Now that the Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine has been authorized for 5 to 11-year olds, I wanted to again provide a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) sheet entitled: The COVID-19 Vaccine and Younger Kinds: When Can Ages 5 to 11 Get the Shot? Is it Safe? Please click on the image below to access the FAQ Resource Sheet.

The document answers some of the questions that are likely on parents’ minds, answered by Connecticut Children’s Infectious Diseases Specialist, Dr. John Schreiber, MD, MPH. Please click on the image below to access the FAQ.

Children's Medical

Of note: The Farmington Valley Health District (FVHD) is hosting COVID-19 vaccination clinics for students that reside or attend school in FVHD beginning November 12.  Please see the attached communications with details.

FVHD Vaccination of Students 5 Years of Age or Older Information
Vaccine Concerns for Parents
Pfizer 5 through 11 Fact Sheet for Recipients
Consent Form - Age 5-11
Pfizer 12 and up Fact Sheet for Recipients
Consent Form - Age 12+

A Reminder: Operation Fuel Can Provide Emergency Energy, Utility Assistance For Those in Need

The winds of winter are blowing in and high heating bills are expected right along with them. I wanted to remind you that Operation Fuel is a great resource if you are struggling to pay electric, water, or other utilities.

You can apply for help through Operation Fuel or contact utility agencies about payment plans, get coded for Hardship or Winter Protection to protect against winter shutoffs as well as other resources that may be of assistance. Please click the image below for more specific details.

Operation Fuel

Access Health CT To Host Enrollment Fairs

If you are in need of good, quality, affordable healthcare and want to hear in person how Access Health CT can help, please consider attending an upcoming Enrollment Fair where you can shop, compare and enroll in a quality health insurance plan.

In-person enrollment fairs will be held from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the following locations:

  • Hartford: Saturday, Nov. 13 at Parker Memorial, located at 2621 Main Street
  • Waterbury: Saturday, Nov. 20 at New Opportunities, located at 232 North Elm Street

Locations will welcome customers by appointment, with limited walk-in availability and only with strict safety protocols in place (mask-wearing, hand sanitizing, temperature checks, social distancing and standard health questionnaire). Dates and times are subject to change.

Access Health CT's Special Enrollment Period opened November 1, 2021 and runs through Saturday, January 15, 2022.

Access Health CT

Access Health CT is the only place to qualify for financial help to lower costs, and some Connecticut residents may be eligible for free or low-cost coverage through HUSKY Health (Medicaid/Children’s Health Insurance Plan) and the new Covered Connecticut program.

For free online help, residents may visit AccessHealthCT.com. Live chat is available by clicking the “Live Chat” icon to connect with a Customer Service Representative in real-time.

For free in-person help, residents may work with a Certified Broker or Enrollment Specialist in the community. To find a Certified Broker or Enrollment Specialist, visit the Get Help page.

In addition, residents may visit any of Access Health CT’s Enrollment Locations or either of the Navigator partner locations.

  • Raymond Library, located at 840 Main Street in East Hartford; Monday – Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • Ferguson Library, located at 1 Public Library Plaza in Stamford; Monday – Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  • CT Institute for Communities (CIFC), located at 120 Main Street in Danbury; Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Project Access New Haven, located at 63 York Street in New Haven.
  • Community Renewal Team, located at 330 Market Street in Hartford.

Residents may also contact the call center at 1-855-805-4325, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. or Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Customers who are deaf or hearing impaired may use TTY at 1-855-789-2428 or call with a relay operator.

CHESLA Offering Its "myChesla" Student Loan At A 4.59% Fixed Rate With No Fees For 2021-2022 Academic Year

The Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority (CHESLA) is proud to offer its myCHESLA student loan at a 4.59% fixed rate with no fees for the 2021-2022 academic year. This new student loan interest rate sets a record low for the program following last year’s low of 4.85%. CHESLA still has funds remaining at the 4.59% fixed rate for students seeking Spring semester funding. Please click on the image to learn more.

CHESLA

Helping Out This Holiday Season

Please consider helping the Murphy Team and Bounom Café & Bakery support Mercy House & My Sisters Place which is collecting items in celebration of the season through November 20th. Please see the flyer below for more details.

Holiday help

Dish 'n Dat in Canton along with Cake Gypsy in Avon in addition to several Farmington Valley senior and social services organizations will feed and gift 300 people in need this Christmas at Dish 'n Dash. To donate, volunteer or, if you are need of help please see the flyer below for more details.

give back

Canton Senior & Social Services is looking for sponsors for families in need this holiday season. Please see their flyer below for details and how you can help.

holiday

Sky TV: Talking Rejection of U.S. Military Assistance to Turkey

You may recall I shared my strong support for continued sanctions against the Turkish Government, including pressure from the Biden administration, to reject any and all military support to Turkey's dictatorial regime.

It is critical to both our national security and to the security of our military service members and intelligence officers that we maintain a strong relationship with Greece as we rely on their base at Souda Bay (Crete) to launch many of our aircraft and we rely on the port at Alexandropoli for our ships.

Turkey has appealed to the United States to sell military F-16 fighter jets and repair parts for their existing military aircraft fleet. Recently, the World Justice Project ranked Turkey as 117 on a list of 139 countries for adherence to the rule of law. Their military operations should not be supported by the United States when it is counterintuitive to our own security needs. State Senator Leonidas "Lou" Raptakis (RI) and I both sat down recently for an interview with Sky TV to discuss these matters.