Updates from State Rep. Chris Poulos - July 7, 2023

July 7, 2023
It was great to go door to door in the 81st District on Thursday and visit with so many residents, listen to their concerns, and share details from the 2023 Legislative Session.
As always, thanks for taking the time to read this and the other items below!
Cemetery Maintenance Overview
It was very interesting visit to Merriman Cemetery in Plantsville, including a tour from Town Historian Phil Wooding and his overview of how Southington is spending the state grant we earned for maintenance of neglected cemeteries.
Southington is one of 41 municipalities across Connecticut that received the grants, which total $5,000 each, under the Neglected Cemetery Account Grant Program administered by the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management. Established in 2014, this program is funded by revenue collected by the Connecticut Department of Public Health from the issuance of death certificates. Grants can be used by the municipalities to support basic maintenance of cemeteries, including the clearing of weeds, briars, and bushes; mowing of the ground’s lawn areas; repairing the ground’s fences or walls; and straightening, repairing, and restoring memorial stones.
Beat the Heat
Connecticut's hot weather protocol is in effect until 8 p.m. tonight.

Southington has multiple cooling locations available to help beat the heat:
  • Southington Calendar House, 388 Pleasant Street, until 4:30 p.m.
  • Southington Public Library, 255 Main Street, until 5 p.m.
  • Southington Police Department, 69 Lazy Lane, all hours where the library or Calendar House are closed

Below are some safety tips to keep in mind during this or extreme heat advisory. You can also click on the graphic for additional information.
Southington Public Library Parking Update
Construction on the new Southington Public Library is set to begin soon and a temporary fence will be installed around the new construction site. This will limit parking to the lot east of the existing building that is accessible from Meriden Avenue. The fence is expected to go up the week of July 17. 

During construction, the library will remain open. The temporary fence will be up until the project is complete in September 2024. Check southingtonlibrary.org/building-project-updates for additional information.


 
CT Summer at the Museum Program Returns

Connecticut Summer at the Museum – the popular state program that enables Connecticut children to receive free admission at dozens of museums across the state during the summer months – is back with more than 120 museums statewide participating in 2023, including The Barnes Museum in Southington.

Under the program, Connecticut children ages 18 and under – plus one accompanying adult – can receive free admission to any of the participating museums, including historic house museums, historic sites, historical societies, art museums, children’s museums, science centers, special-interest museums, natural history museums, university museums, arboretums/botanical gardens, and zoos.
 
The 2023 program concludes on Monday, September 4. The full list of participating museums across the state is available at ctvisit.com/articles/connecticut-summer-museum-2023-free-admission-kids.

Anyone taking advantage of this program is encouraged to share their experiences on social media using the program hashtag #CTSummerMuseums.