| It was a privilege to attend this week’s Academic Awards Night at Southington High School, where I had the honor of presenting official state citations to the Class of 2025 Valedictorian Kai Onnen, Salutatorian Kriti Gupta, and Essayist Emily Thompson. My sincere congratulations to these exceptional students, as well as to all other award recipients, for their remarkable academic accomplishments. Special shout-out to the families, educators, and friends of these students who have supported and guided them throughout their educational journeys. |
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| Please continue reading below for other noteworthy items, and thanks as always for taking the time to read them! |
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| On Wednesday at the Capitol, I joined fellow legislators for the STOP THE BLEED press conference and training with the American College of Surgeons — a hands-on session focused on lifesaving skills for emergencies like accidents, shootings, and medical crises. |
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| This training is part of HB 7200, a bipartisan bill I’m proud to co-sponsor. By empowering bystanders to act quickly, we’re helping save lives before medical help arrives. |
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| Earlier this week at the Calendar House, I was honored to present a proclamation on behalf of Gov. Ned Lamont to Southington resident Jacqueline Willametz, declaring May as Myositis Awareness Month in Connecticut. Myositis is a rare autoimmune disease that causes severe muscle inflammation, fatigue, and pain. With nearly 1 in 10 Americans affected by rare diseases, awareness and support are critical. I am proud to stand with advocates and The Myositis Association in recognizing this important cause. |
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| The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to make important changes to the Firefighters Cancer Relief Program, including among other things expanding the types of cancers covered to include skin cancer and authorizing workers’ compensation administrative law judges to handle appeals of any denial of benefits. As a member of the Public Safety and Security Committee, taking care of our first responders is always a legislative priority. |
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The Connecticut Department of Transportation is moving forward with plans to expand truck parking at the Southington Rest Area on I-84 eastbound. This project, identified as a priority through CTDOT’s statewide truck parking study, aims to address truck parking shortages that affect road safety and supply chain efficiency.
The project will add 29 new truck and bus parking spaces and include improvements to drainage, site circulation, access, and ADA accessibility. No major facility upgrades are planned, and minimal disruption is expected during construction.
Final design plans are set for completion in July, with construction anticipated to begin in September. The project will be funded 80% federally and 20% by the state.
Click HERE to read the full press release. |
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| Cheryl A. Jankura Memorial Food Drive |
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The Cheryl A. Jankura Memorial Food Drive will take place on Saturday, May 17, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Bread for Life parking lot (31 Vermont Ave., Southington). The annual event honors the late Southington teacher while supporting local children through the Bread for Life Summer Lunch Program.
Donations of individually-packaged snacks and drinks are needed, along with grocery store gift cards and monetary contributions to help cover perishable items. This year’s drive also remembers four beloved community members recently lost and celebrates the service of honorary ambassadors Arthur Secondo and Diana Sheard. Let’s come together to fight summer hunger in our community! |
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The American Legion Auxiliary Unit 72 and the Town of Southington Recreation Department are hosting a Touch-A-Truck event at the Southington Drive-In (995 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike) on Saturday, May 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Children can climb on and into construction, military, emergency and other vehicles. There will be face painting, glitter tattoos and refreshments.
Admission is $4 per child, while adults are free.
Rain date: Sunday, May 18. |
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The Orchard Valley Garden Club is having its Gardeners Market in the Calendar House Portico (388 Pleasant St.) on Saturday, May 17, from 8:30 a.m. to noon.
Plants and garden crafts will be on sale, along with a fundraiser raffle and gardeners tag sale.
Proceeds will benefit the club's scholarship program and other community projects. |
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Final Reminder: The Connecticut General Assembly is coming together to support Connecticut Foodshare!
Don’t miss the 2025 CGA Kickball Classic.
📅 May 12, 2025
⏰ 4:30 PM
📍 Dunkin’ Park in Hartford
🎟️ $10
Grab your ticket today at https://yardgoatsevents.com/upcoming-events/cga-kickball-charity-classic
See you there! |
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⏰ Coming up at the Capitol! The House will be back in session next week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (May 13, 14 and 15). Stay tuned for key updates, votes, and what’s on the legislative agenda.
Here are some great ways to stay informed:
➡️ The Connecticut Network (CT-N) provides live, gavel-to-gavel coverage of legislative sessions. You can watch sessions live on Roku, YouTube or their website: https://www.ct-n.com.
➡️ Connecticut General Assembly's official website offers a Schedule of Events: cga.ct.gov/calendarofevents.asp. |
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| May is ALS Awareness Month. This is a dedicated time to raise awareness about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, leading to muscle weakness, loss of motor function, and difficulty speaking, swallowing, and breathing. During this month, various organizations and communities come together to educate the public, support research efforts, and advocate for improved care and treatments for those living with ALS. |
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In most cases, the mind of a person with ALS remains sharp and alert, but voluntary muscle control becomes completely lost. As people with ALS lose the ability to walk, talk, and even breathe, the disease requires them to rely on caregivers, often their family members, to provide the care and assistance needed to perform normal daily activities. In many cases, particularly in the later stages of the disease, people with ALS have a need for continuous care, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
To defeat this disease, our community must be educated about ALS, as well as the issues confronting those who are affected by it. To learn more, please click the button below. |
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| Sunday is Mother's Day. We celebrate the strength, love, and dedication of mothers across our community. Thank you for all you do to uplift your families and everyone around you. |
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| As always, if I can be of assistance, please reach out to me at 860-240-8585 or email me at Chris.Poulos@cga.ct.gov. Don't forget to "LIKE" my Facebook page for news and legislative updates! |
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Sincerely,
Chris Poulos
State Representative |
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