Jason Rojas

The topics covered in this e-newsletter are as follows:

• At the Capitol
• Legislative Business
• This Week In Connecticut History
• Manchester Community Events and Information
• East Hartford Community Events and Information

Sendak’s most famous work — and the one that almost single-handedly transformed children’s literature — was Where the Wild Things Are. This concisely worded and unusually illustrated story chronicled the fantastical journey of a young boy to a world populated by wild, giant, and grotesque creatures. Published in 1963, the book completely departed from the typical children’s story models, which tended to feature well-behaved children in idealistic settings and concluded with a moral or lesson in good behavior. Sendak’s story is about a boy named Max who dresses in a wolf costume, wreaks havoc through his house, and is sent to bed without his supper. From his bedroom, Max magically sails to an island of malicious (but appealing) wild creatures. After successfully intimidating them, Max becomes “King of the Wild Things” and enjoys a romp with his new subjects. He gets lonely, however, and returns home, where he finds a hot dinner waiting for him.

Critics of Sendak’s radical new approach thought the book’s tone and art style to be subversive, with the creatures appearing too “nightmare-inducing” to be suitable for children. Most children disagreed; the 338-word, lavishly illustrated book has been a perennial bestseller and is often hailed as one of the most beloved children’s books of all time. (The New York Public Library ranks Where the Wild Things Are number four in All-Time Book Checkouts.) It is credited with bringing a more honest portrayal of children’s psychological motivations to the genre, a perspective that has largely replaced the formulaic, moralistic works that typified the field before Sendak.

Over his career, Maurice Sendak accumulated a number of prestigious awards, including the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration, the National Medal of the Arts (presented to him in 1996 by President Bill Clinton) and the Caldecott Medal for the artwork of Where the Wild Things Are. In 2009, Where the Wild Things Are was adapted into a feature-length film directed by Spike Jonze. Though Sendak passed away today in Connecticut history, his work, happily and ironically, seems likely to live on ever after.

https://www.easthartfordct.gov/residents
 
Town Newsletters
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East Hartford Public Schools
East Hartford Works

Spend some time walking the Rail Trail and picking up litter on a spring morning.  
Meet at Center Springs Lodge parking lot. 
Supplies provided by Manchester Sanitation
Event is Rain or Shine.
Follow Manchester Public Works Department for updates:  Facebook
When

• Saturday, May 16, 2026 | 09:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Please join us at the Manchester Elk Lodge #1893 for Drug Awareness Pancake Fundraiser on May 16th from 9am-11am.

All you can eat pancakes $10 per person. Come join us to honor the winners of the D.A.P Poster contest. A portion of the proceeds will benefits our Drug Awareness Program at 30 Bissell St, Manchester CT.

CRUISIN' ON MAIN STREET IS BACK FOR ITS 25TH YEAR!

The Manchester Cruisin’ Committee, in partnership with the Town of Manchester, is excited to announce that this year's annual Cruisin' on Main Car Show will be held on Sunday, August 2nd, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (rain dates: August 9th & August 16th - depending on weather).

Larry Ash, who leads the Cruisin' Committee, along with the dedicated committee members and Calvin Harris, Senior Recreation Supervisor, have been organizing and finalizing plans for another successful event.

The success of the show is always due in part by its sponsors and their charitable donations. Mark your calendar for August 2nd and attend one of the largest one-day car shows in all of New England. Whether you are showing a car or just attending to check out the cars, listen to great music, and/or enjoying a meal downtown, you can’t miss this great annual event.

Cost for the event is free to spectators and a $10 car show registration fee for those wishing to showcase their car. Sponsor’s Choice Trophies will be awarded, and dash plaques will be given to the first 700 cars.

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We live in a time when it is easy to be impressed by the polished lives we see online—beautiful people, perfect posts, endless followers. But real confidence and joy don’t come from likes or views; they come from feeling strong, connected, and grounded. As we move into the winter months, I encourage you to focus on building a healthy mind and body. Take a look through the Manchester Now catalog to discover activities that fit your interests and inspire you to stay active and engaged. Whether it’s joining a fitness class, exploring a new hobby, or connecting with others through community programs, these small choices can make a bid difference. Stay the course this winter, and by spring, you’ll be ready to step into the new season feeling refreshed, energized, and ready for all that’s ahead.
 

Manchester Now Winter/Spring 2026 Publication

The East Hartford Town Clerk’s Office has once again partnered with the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association to offer its annual Low-Cost / No-Cost Rabies Vaccination Clinic.

WHEN: Saturday, May 30,  9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

WHERE:  Firehouse 1 at 726 Main Street, East Hartford (rear of the building)

Please use the back Town Hall parking lot. Enter through the Saunders Street entrance and walk behind Town Hall to the back of the Firehouse.

Dogs must be on leashes and cats must be in carriers. There is no residency requirement to participate. 

The fee is $20, cash only. 

Written proof, either a valid rabies certificate or dog license showing a prior vaccination, must be presented to qualify for a three-year vaccination. Otherwise, a one-year vaccination will be given. 

Tags are not sufficient proof for a three-year vaccination.

Dog licensing will also be available for East Hartford residents. 

For further information, please contact the Town Clerk’s Office at (860) 291-7230.

The Town will conduct the bi-annual Stop Log Exercise for the levee gate located on Main Street south of Pitkin Street, on Saturday, May 30, 2026.

The purpose of this exercise is to provide real life and hands-on experience to public works personnel in handling and installing of the new aluminum stop-log panels. This will also provide experience to different town agencies, including Public Works, the Fire Department, and the Police Department in responding to a flood emergency in East Hartford. The exercise will involve building the complete stop log structure to its maximum height.

The Stop Log Exercise will allow us to evaluate our operational readiness to respond to a flood emergency, as well as update all plans and procedures pertaining to our flood protection system.

The exercise is scheduled to take approximately 8 hours and will start at 6:00 AM. Main Street (Route 5) will be closed to all traffic and pedestrians by 6:00 AM on Saturday, May 30, 2026 and will be expected to remain closed for the duration of the exercise.

The effected section will be from Pitkin Street to Silver Lane Extension. There will be a posted detour route utilizing Pitkin and Jayce Streets, as well as Silver Lane Extension. All businesses within the area will remain open throughout the exercise and patrons will be allowed to access them either via Pitkin Street or from the intersection of Main Street and Silver Lane Extension. Police officers will be posted at various locations along the detour route to assist motorists. This area of Main Street will also be closed to pedestrians.

Each spring and fall, the MDC conducts a regional household hazardous waste collection program at a series of local sites in member and non-member towns. The program offers a number of benefits to residents and municipalities:

• Residents have the opportunity to participate in a collection day in their respective towns as well as in other collections throughout the year.
•  Participating municipalities enjoy financial savings from the effect of pooling under a single contract the services of a licensed hazardous waste management firm.
• The contractor assumes full responsibility for the collection, transportation and proper disposal of hazardous waste items.
   

Hazardous waste cannot be simply thrown out with the trash, flushed, or poured down the drain because it passes the problem along to the environment, polluting the air and the water.  So the MDC sponsors a HazWaste Program to collect the waste and dispose of it through safe, environmentally responsible practices. 

The MDC urges you to participate in a Household Hazardous Waste Collection in your town.  Protect the health of your kids, your spouse, your pets, and the environment.  You may participate in MDC’s household hazardous waste collection program if you are a member of any participating town; and you may participate on any MDC sponsored collection day.

Residents of any of the following participating towns can participate in ANY MDC sponsored collection day: Bloomfield, East Granby, East Hartford, Hartford, Newington, Rocky Hill, West Hartford, Wethersfield, Windsor and Windsor Locks.

HOUSEHOLD HAZWASTE INFORMATION PACKET

The Household HazWaste Info Packet contains the complete schedule of MDC sponsored HHW collections for the current calendar year. The Info Packet also summarizes items accepted by the program and items the MDC cannot accept. If an item cannot be accepted at an MDC sponsored collection potential alternative disposal locations are listed. The Info Packet also provides some general information on how to reduce the amount of household hazardous waste you generate.

2026 HazWaste Information Packet

HazWaste info packet for small businesses, non-profits and municipalities

Moving? Please click here for further information!

2026 HOUSEHOLD HAZWASTE COLLECTION SCHEDULE COMING SOON

2026 HazWaste Schedule PDF

All collections are held on Saturdays from 8AM to 1PM unless noted. 

Date         Town                   Location                                                                                    
May 17*    West Hartford    Public Works Garage, 17 Brixton Street
June 6    Windsor    MDC Poquonock WPCF, 1222 Poquonock Avenue
June 27    Wethersfield    Webb Elementary School, 51 Willow Street
September 12    Bloomfield    Public Works Building, 21 Southwood Drive
September 19    Rocky Hill    Elm Ridge Park, 376 Elm Street
September 26    West Hartford    Public Works Garage, 17 Brixton Street
October 17    Windsor Locks/East Granby    Public Works Garage, 6 Stanton Road, Windsor Locks
October 24    Hartford    MDC Operations Facility, 125 Maxim Road


(WPCF = Water Pollution Control Facility)
* One collection date is held on a Sunday

The East Hartford Commission on Aging invites all seniors (55+) for a series of seminars and conversations with Town departments. These seminars are part of a new initiative called “Senior Survey Seminars,” in response to results from town-wide senior survey conducted by the Commission on Aging in 2023.
The seminars are intended to educate local seniors on a variety of topics, such as public safety, programming, tax assistance, senior services and more.
The four-part series will run through July 29, as follows:

 “Public Safety Conversation with Police, Fire and Public Works”

•  Thursday, May 28, 6:00 -7:30 pm.

“All about taxes”

•   Wednesday, June 24, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

“Public Programming with Libraries and Parks and Recreation”

•   Wednesday, July 29, 6:00-7:30 p.m.

“Health and Human Services”
All workshops will be held at the Senior Center, located at 15 Millbrook Drive. 
These seminars are open to all East Hartford seniors age 55+, senior center membership not required.
To register, call the East Hartford Senior Center at (860) 291-7460 ext. 0.
Light refreshments will be provided by the Commission on Aging.

East Hartford Summer Camp Registration is Now Open!

Summer is fast approaching and East Hartford Parks and Recreation will be offering summer camp programs for the 2026 summer season.

East Hartford Parks and Recreation Summer Camps will open on Monday, June 22nd, 2026 and will run for 7 consecutive weeks, ending on Friday, August 7th. Camps are open to East Hartford residents only and serve children and teens entering grades 1 – 9 and participants with special needs ages 6 -21. Enrichment programming continues to be a stimulating part of the programming thanks to our collaboration with East Hartford Public Library and East Hartford Social Services.  

▶ Little Rec’ers Camp for children entering grades 1- 2 will be located at Goodwin Park/ Goldstar Pool*Goodwin School Gymnasium during inclement weather days.

▶ Fun Days Camp for children entering grades 3 – 4 will be located at Gorman Park / Lord Pool, *O’Connell School Gymnasium during inclement weather days.

▶ Explorers Camp for children entering grades 5 – 6 will be located at McAuliffe Park / Drennan Pool, * Norris School Gym during inclement weather days.

▶Teen Camp for teens entering grades 7 – 9 will be located at Hockanum Park/ Terry Pool, * ECLC Gym during inclement weather days.

▶ Camp Sunburst for participants with special needs ages 6 - 21 will be located at McAuliffe Park, Drennan Pool, * Norris School during inclement weather days.

Campers will participate in a variety of activities, arts & crafts, sports, special events and more. Campers will also visit the pools, where they will have free swim and receive swim instruction from our American Red Cross Certified Lifeguards.

All campers will be registered for the East Hartford Public Library summer reading program through Readsquared and will receive prizes at camp to recognize and celebrate the time they spend reading! Campers will also participate in weekly enrichment activities sponsored by the Library, including STEM, Makerspace, puppetry, performing arts, drumming and more. For some enrichment activities campers will be bused to the Library.

Breakfast and lunch are provided for all campers through the Summer Meals Program! 

In partnership with Social Services camp will be supported by Social Workers.  

Registration for camps is now open. Register online at www.ehparks.org or at the parks and recreation office at the East Hartford Community Center, located at 50 Chapman Place. 

The Town of East Hartford, in collaboration with the East Hartford Veterans Commission, are excited to announce that East Hartford’s Memorial Day Parade and series of events will take place on Monday, May 25, 2026. The events will begin with the parade stepping off at 10:00 a.m.

The day will consist of three parts: a parade, a program at the Fallen Star Memorial, and a celebration of East Hartford. The parade will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m., proceeding from 9 Riverside Drive to the Fallen Star Memorial located at Goodwin University.

Immediately following the parade, a commemorative program will be held at the Fallen Star Memorial. The events will conclude with a family-friendly celebration of East Hartford featuring food trucks, music, activities, vendors, and more.

VOLUNTEERS:

• If you are interested in volunteering at the 2026 Memorial Day Parade, please register by May 15, 2026 by visiting: Volunteer Registration

If you have questions, please email our Event Coordinator, Jenilee Tedesco, at jtedesco@easthartfordct.gov.

To receive the latest updates on the Town’s news and events, visit www.easthartfordct.gov and subscribe at www.easthartfordct.gov/subscribe.

The East Hartford Commission on Culture and Fine Arts (CCFA) seeks applicants for their community grants program, newly expanded with funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

All interested applicants should start by filling out a basic online application; eligible entities will next be invited to fill out a second-round application specific to ARPA funding.

Grant applications will be considered on a rolling basis through August 31, 2026, after which the CCFA will revert to their typical quarterly review cycle.

Successful proposals will have a strong East Hartford connection and directly relate to fine arts and/or culture. Programs or projects may include concerts, performances, program series, festivals, workshops, exhibits, readings, after-school programs, or public art.

For complete eligibility requirements and to access the application, visit the CCFA web page.

Administrative support for the CCFA community grants is provided by the East Hartford Public Library. Funding decisions will be made by the CCFA at their regularly scheduled public meetings, typically held the second Thursday of the month in Meeting Room 1 on the lower level of the Raymond Library. 

CTDOT is Developing Plans to Replace Noise Barriers Located Along I-84 Eastbound in East Hartford

CTDOT is developing plans to replace three noise barriers located along I-84 Eastbound in East Hartford.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is developing plans to replace the three noise barriers located along I-84 Eastbound, in East Hartford.

The project is part of CTDOT’s condition-based program to replace wooden noise barriers that are beyond their useful life. The existing systems will be replaced with a new system at the same location with the same height and length. Since wooden noise barriers are no longer being installed because of their shorter design life and more extensive maintenance needs, the replacement noise barrier will be constructed of concrete or other materials that are more durable and longer lasting. The replacement noise barrier will provide noise abatement in conformance with the criteria in place when the existing system was installed.

Replacements of the three deteriorated noise barriers on I-84 Eastbound will be at the following locations.

• Site 1 – Beginning at Interchange 58 (Roberts Street) Eastbound On-ramp and extending approximately 1900 feet.
• Site 2 – Beginning east of the Simmons Road overpass (Bridge No. 05555) and extending approximately 2500 feet.
• Site 3 – Beginning east of the Forbes Street overpass (Bridge No. 05556) and extending approximately 2400 feet.

The present schedule indicates that the design will be completed in the fall of 2028, with construction anticipated to start in the spring of 2029, assuming acceptance of the project, availability of funding, and receipt of any required right-of-way and environmental permits. This project will be undertaken with one hundred percent (100%) State funds.

It is CTDOT's policy to keep the public informed and involved when such projects are undertaken. It is important that the community shares its concerns with the CTDOT to assist in the project's development. If anyone has any questions or comments on this project, please contact Michael Cherpak, Principal Engineer, at (860) 594-3155 or by e-mail at Michael.Cherpak@ct.gov. Please make reference to State Project No. 0042-0334.