Weekly Update - Dec. 11

December 11, 2021


 
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Dear Neighbor, 

As the first snow of the season melts away, it's a great time to prepare for the winter weather ahead. During our colder months, it's critical to take steps to prevent cold temperature-related health problems and keep yourself and your loved ones safe!

  • Make a plan – winter weather can bring power outages, downed telephone lines, and icy roads. Taking steps to weatherproof your home or create an emergency car kit can be lifesaving.
  • Heat your home safely - if you plan to use a wood stove, fireplace, or space heater, be extremely careful, and be sure to check the batteries on your carbon monoxide detector. If you need information on energy assistance programs available to you, please keep reading.
  • If it's too cold for you, it's too cold for your pets – limit your four-legged friends time outdoors and take steps to ensure pets don't ingest dangerous ice-melting agents by covering or wiping down bare paws.
  • Dress in loose-fitting, water repellant, warming closing – and understand the signs and symptoms of hypothermia.
  • Use caution on the roads and call 911 in the event of an emergency.

Stay warm, stay informed – for more information, click here.

 
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:

On Legislative Business

On Community Resources 

 
 
Social Equity Council Sets Criteria for Social Equity Applicants
The Social Equity Council met to approve the guidelines and requirements for social equity applicants of the state's new adult-use recreational cannabis businesses. Based on Tuesday's approval, businesses will qualify as a social equity applicant "if it is at least 65 percent owned and controlled by individuals who had an average household income of less than 300 percent of the state median household income over the three tax years immediately preceding the application."
 
The council also voted in favor of 30-day extension to the deadline for applications to enter the lottery to get a license to start a cannabis business. The vote on the delay came after concerns were raised over if prospective applicants had enough time to fully understand their access to this resource. The Department of Consumer Protection approved the request to keep the application period open for 90 days, and is now waiting on final approval from the Social Equity Council before making applications available.

I would like to know, what do you think of this issue?

CT Insider: Criteria set for CT recreational pot program’s social equity applicants
Hartford Business Journal: Here are the requirements, criteria for social equity cannabis business applicants
CT News Junkie: Social Equity Council Recommends Delay In Cannabis Application Process
 
Natalie Braswell Selected to Serve as Comptroller
On Friday, Governor Ned Lamont announced that Natalie Braswell has been selected to complete the term of Comptroller Kevin Lembo, who is resigning at the end of the year. Natalie, who is currently the chief of planning, legal, and regulatory affairs at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), served as general counsel and assistant comptroller in the Office of the State Comptroller under the leadership of Comptroller Lembo from 2011 to March of this year.
 
I am confident that Natalie's decade-worth of experience and talent in the Comptroller’s office will allow her to step into this new role with strong leadership on day one. Though no one can truly fill the hole that will be left by Kevin’s resignation, this appointment will prepare the office for the future ahead. I look forward to working with Natalie in this new role over the next year as we continue the work for a better future for the residents of Connecticut.
 
I would like to know, what do you think of this issue?
Press Release: Governor Lamont Appoints Natalie Braswell as State Comptroller
The CT Mirror: Natalie Braswell to be named comptroller
NBC CT: Hear From Natalie Braswell, CT's Next Comptroller
 
CT Supreme Court Agrees to Reapportionment Commission Deadline Extension
The Connecticut Supreme Court agreed on Thursday to give the bipartisan Reapportionment Commission until Tuesday, December 21 to produce a congressional district map. The request for a deadline extension came after the commission missed it's statutorily required deadline on November 30, citing unusual obstacles faced due to pandemic-related delays of the US Census Bureau data needed to complete the redistricting process.
 
If the commission is unable to come to an agreement, the Supreme Court signaled they will appoint a special master to assist the court in creating a new map for the state's congressional districts.
 
I would like to know, what do you think of this issue?
The CT Mirror: CT Supreme Court leans on lawmakers to produce congressional districts map
CT News Junkie: Supreme Court Considers Special Master While Redistricting Panel Asks For Time
 
 
Today in CT History: A Stage Show Entertainment Leads to the Discovery of Anesthesia
On December 10, 1844, Hartford residents were treated to a special performance of famous showman and former medical student Gardner Colton’s “Laughing Gas Entertainment.” Colton had first encountered “laughing gas,” or nitrous oxide, while in medical school and soon found he could make quite a bit of money traveling the country demonstrating its hilarity-inducing side effects. On that evening, 29-year-old Hartford dentist Horace Wells happened to be in the audience. Wells noticed that during the demonstration, one of Colton’s gassed-up volunteers had stumbled and slammed his leg against a bench and literally “laughed it off,” noting that he felt no pain from the incident even after the effects of the gas wore off.
Wells immediately thought of the incredible benefit that such a phenomenon could provide to dentistry, where painful tooth extractions and oral surgeries were the norm. The very next day, Wells summoned Colton to his Hartford office and had him administer nitrous oxide while a dental assistant extracted one of Wells’ own wisdom teeth. After the gas wore off, Wells declared he felt no more pain than “the prick of a pin” during the procedure — making his experiment the first successful application of medical anesthesia.
 
Wells began incorporating nitrous oxide in his dental practice with great success. Though he proudly claimed to be the inventor of “pain-free dentistry,” he refused to seek a patent on any of his methods. He believed that freedom from pain should be a universal right that was “as free as the air.”
 
Learn more about Horace Wells and other interesting CT history facts by clicking here.
 
Stay Warm This Winter: Energy Assistance Programs Available to Residents
Increasing fuel prices will present additional challenges for Connecticut residents to keep warm this winter season. For those who need help, I want to share information on energy assistance services available in the state.
Some of the energy assistance programs available in Connecticut include:
  • Connecticut Energy Assistance Program: Administered by the Connecticut Department of Social Services, the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP), provides winter heating cost assistance to more than 75,000 income-eligible households every year, regardless of their heat source. Statewide consumer and application information is available on the web at http://www.ct.gov/staywarm or by calling 2-1-1. Both homeowners and renters can be eligible. CEAP helps enrollees afford the cost of natural gas and electric heat, as well as deliverable fuels like oil and propane.
  • Nonprofit heating assistance services: Operation Fuel and other nonprofits provide year-round emergency energy assistance to low-to-moderate-income households that don’t qualify for CEAP or who run out of CEAP benefits. Information is available at operationfuel.org.
  • COVID-19 Payment Plans for Utility-Heated Customers: The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) has directed all regulated electric, gas, and water utilities in the state to offer COVID-19 payment plans, which both residential and non-residential customers are eligible to enroll in through the end of the public health emergency declaration. COVID-19 payment plans are available to any customer requesting financial assistance to facilitate the repayment of past due balances in addition to the customer’s current monthly bill. These plans require no initial or down payment or demonstration of financial need; can be up to 24 months in length; and waive any fees or interest in the calculation of the monthly payment amount. Customers can receive information on these payment plans by contacting their utility companies.
  • Electric Utility Bill Assistance from UniteCT: Established by Governor Lamont and administered by the Connecticut Department of Housing, UniteCT provides rental and utility assistance funding for those financially impacted by COVID-19. UniteCT has become a model for other states by successfully delivering more than $18 million to electric customers to date to help pay down their arrearages (back bills). Connecticut residents who rent their homes can apply through their electric utility company or municipal electric company.  For more information, visit http://www.portal.ct.gov/DOH/DOH/Programs/UniteCT.
  • Winter Protection Program – Moratorium on Heating Source Shut-Offs: From November 1 through May 1, there is a moratorium in Connecticut on heating source shut-offs for eligible households. Customers should contact their utility and inquire about the Winter Protection Program, as well as other programs for which they may be eligible. More information is available from 2-1-1 by visiting uwc.211ct.org/winter-protection-winter-moratorium/.
  • Energy-Saving Solutions – Energize CT: Energize CT can help customers save money on energy bills by providing advice, information, and financial incentives to make homes more energy efficient. For more information, visit energizect.com.
  • Consumer Protections Regarding Third-Party Electricity Suppliers: Over the past decade, Connecticut has enacted a series of consumer protections for customers of electric suppliers, including prohibiting variable rates and giving PURA the discretion to prevent customers who were designated as “utility hardship” from being switched to electric suppliers. Just this year, Governor Lamont signed Public Act 21-117, which prohibits cancellation fees for residential customers who are under contract with an electric supplier and strengthens PURA’s oversight over electric suppliers.

For further guidance on energy assistance programs available in Connecticut, please call 2-1-1. Please share this information with anyone that might need some help, and don't hesitate to reach out to my office if you need help understanding your options. 

 
Access Health CT Enrollment Deadline is January 15
The enrollment period for 2022 health coverage from Access Health CT is open now through Saturday, January 15. Need help understanding the quality, affordable insurance plans available to you? Attend an upcoming Access Health CT Enrollment Fair.
 Enrollment Fairs are available on:
  • Saturday, December 11, 10AM-1PM – New Britain (Grand Alure Banquet Hall, 1375 East Street)
  • Sunday, December 12, 10AM-1PM – Bridgeport (St. Vincent's Hospital, 2800 Main Street)
  • Saturday, January 8, 10AM-1PM – Torrington (Torrington Library, 12 Daycoeton Place)
  • Saturday, January 15, 10AM-1PM – Hamden (Whitneyville Cultural Commons, 1253 Whitney Avenue)

Registration is required for enrollment fairs, to register click here.
 
An enrollment location is also available at East Hartford Public Library (840 Main Street) Monday-Friday, 9:30AM-4:30PM. Get one-on-one help completing your enrollment application, ask questions and understand next steps from an Enrollment Specialist. No appointments necessary.
 
Enroll by Wednesday, December 15 for coverage that begins on Saturday, January 1. If you enroll between Thursday, December 16 and Saturday, January 15, coverage will begin on Tuesday, February 1.
 
Click here or call (855) 805-4325 to enroll or get more information. Click here to find free assistance in navigating the open enrollment period.

 
Officer Brian A. Aselton Memorial Snow Dash 5K is Back!
The Officer Brian A. Aselton Memorial Snow Dash 5K Road Race will officially be back in 2022 on Sunday, January 9 at 1:30PM. The race will start and finish at Langford School (61 Alps Drive) with an expected 200+ runners racing in tribute to Officer Brian A. Aselton. Proceeds will benefit the East Hartford Police Department Child Safety and Crime Prevention Programs and the Officer Brian Aselton Scholarship Fund.
 
Registration for the race is open now, click here to register ($20 by Dec. 19 or $25 after Dec. 19 and on $30 on race day) and click here for additional information. Race day registration must be done online. No paper registration forms day of.
 
Joshua Beaulieu selected Assistant Chief of Manchester Fire-Rescue-EMS
On Monday, General Manager Steve Stephanou and Fire Chief Daniel French today announced the selection of Joshua Beaulieu as Assistant Fire Chief of Manchester Fire-Rescue-EMS (MFRE). A dedicated member of MFRE since 1998, Beaulieu has been a true leader in public safety. Most recently, receiving the professional designation of Chief EMS Officer from the Center for Public Safety Excellence in 2019, holding several highly regarded licenses and certificates, and being appointed to the Connecticut EMS Advisory Board where he serves as the Chair of the Mobile Integrated Healthcare Committee.
 
Under the direction of Beaulieu, Manchester Fire-Rescue-EMS is a recognized leader in cardiac arrest survival rates, with achieved survival rates in the top 10 percent for all emergency service departments in the country.
 
Chief Beaulieu’s official start date was November 29, for more information on Beaulieu, click here.
 
East Hartford Memorial Day Parade Seeking Volunteers
The East Hartford Memorial Day Parade Committee is already hard at work preparing for the parade's bigger and better return on Monday, May 30, but they need your help! To make this parade a success, the committee is currently looking for volunteers, participants, and sponsors.
 
If you'd like to get involved, please contact Connor Martin at cmartin@easthartfordct.gov or call 860-291-7203, or John Cook at john.cook@quotewright.com or call 860-212-9966.
 
COVID-19 Updates & Upcoming Vaccine Clinics
In response to rising infection rates across the state, Town of East Hartford has reinstated its face mask requirements for all employees and visitors in all town facilities regardless of their vaccination status. Remote services are available online, by phone and via drop box for those who are unable to comply with the mask requirements. Information on remote services is available on the town website at or by calling the Town Hall at (860) 291-7100. For more information, click here.
On Thursday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave emergency authorization for 16- and 17-year-olds to get a third dose of the Pfizer, BioNTech vaccine, if it’s been six months since their last shot. The decision follows an announcement by Pfizer and BioNTech that, according to a limited laboratory test, a three-shot course of their COVID-19 vaccine was shown to generate a neutralizing effect against the new Omicron variant in a laboratory test.
The Town of East Hartford, with Griffin Hospital and the State Department of Public Health, will be hosting pediatric COVID-19 vaccine clinics at the East Hartford Public Library throughout the month for kids ages 5-11. The dates are as follows:
  • Saturday, December 11, 11AM-4PM
  • Tuesday, December 14, 4PM-7PM
  • Saturday, December 18, 11AM-4PM
  • Tuesday, December 21, 4PM-7PM

Appointments are encouraged, but walk-ins will be accepted. To schedule an appointment, contact the East Hartford Health Department at (860) 291-7324. These are Pfizer only clinics, both first and second doses will be offered.

If you are 18 years or older, you are eligible to receive the COVID-19 booster vaccination. The Town of Manchester has organized a booster vaccination FAQ sheet and information on vaccination locations in town. If you are looking to find a booster appointment, check at the following locations:
  • Walgreens Pharmacy, 295 Main Street – (860) 649-8747
  • ShopRite Pharmacy, 214 Spencer Street – (860) 645-3240
  • Walmart Pharmacy, 420 Buckland Hills Drive – (860) 644-5105
  • Westown Pharmacy, 455 Hartford Road – (860) 649-9946
  • CVS Pharmacy, 241 Middle Turnpike West – (860) 533-1156
  • Manchester Pharmacy, 348 Main Street – (860) 649-1025
  • Big Y Pharmacy & Wellness Center, 234 Tolland Tpke – (860) 645-7140

For more information and to view the FAQ sheet, click here or call the Manchester Health Department at (860) 647-3173.

Looking to book your booster appointment but can't locate your vaccine record? Access your immunization record at the any time through the CT WiZ Public Portal – find more information on obtaining you vaccine record by clicking here.
As stated by Governor Ned Lamont – the best defense against COVID-19 is a good offense. It's so important that we continue the precautions that have worked: observe social distancing, wear a face mask when social distancing is not possible or indoors, wash your hands thoroughly and regularly, get tested if you were in contact with anyone who's tested positive, etc. But, most importantly – please consider getting vaccinated if you haven't already or getting a booster if it's been six months since you're last COVID vaccine.
For more information on receiving the COVID-19 vaccine or to locate an appointment near you, click here or locate a DPH Mobile COVID-19 vaccination clinic by clicking here. Those without access to the internet can call the Connecticut’s Vaccine Appointment Assist Line, available seven days a week from 8 AM to 8 PM, at (877) 918-2224.
 
For East Hartford-based COVID-19 updates and resources, click here. And, for Manchester-based COVID-19 updates and resources, click here.
 
 
Join Manchester Recreation Division for free swim time with Santa on Saturday, December 11 from 12PM-1PM. Santa will visit the pool for a fun morning of splashing and swimming with your children. Parents must accompany young children or non-swimmers in the water. Cameras are permitted, participants must have a valid pool pass to be presented when entering to swim. Please bring a non-perishable food donation to support the MACC food pantry.
 
The Manchester Youth Service Bureau is hosting a unique class for kids aged 8-13 that may be left home alone on Monday, December 13 from 4PM-5:30PM. This is an interactive workshop that will cover safety concerns. Spaces are limited, please call (860) 647-5213 or email cbelton@manchesterct.gov to check availability and reserve your spot. Snacks and workbooks will be provided, face masks are required.
 
Looking for some time away from family members and friends that you can get some holiday gift wrapping done? Bring your gifts to Manchester Public Library on Monday, December 13 from 6PM-8PM and the library will provide the wrapping paper, gift bags, tape, scissors, and more. The library will have festive music or a movie going, snacks and warm drinks to help you!
 
Registration is required for this free event as the space is limited to 25 people per time slot. Please call the Reference Desk at (860) 645-0821 and sign up for either the 6-7PM slot or the 7-8PM slot.
 
 
Registration for East Hartford Parks & Recreation winter swim lessons are open now for East Hartford residents! The next session of swim lessons will begin on Wednesday, January 5. Lessons are held on either Wednesday evenings or Saturday mornings for 8 weeks. Lessons are offered as an 8-week session and the fee for the session is $40 for residents or $50 for non-residents. Online pre-registration is required, register now by clicking here. Registration for non-residents begins on Tuesday, December 14 at 9AM.
 
Create some sculpey clay decorations with East Hartford Public Library on Thursday, December 16 at 6PM. The library will provide the sculpey and when the designs are done, you can bake and paint them. Activity best suited teens and adults. Register to participate by clicking here.
 
Join Kylah and Anne in a virtual space for all youth ages 11-14 on Tuesday, December 21 at 7PM to discuss labels and boxes. Join virtually to discuss ways to become our best selves, connect with others, and grow as individuals. Register by clicking here.
 
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

 
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