Farley Santos

Updates from State Rep. Farley Santos for June 13, 2025

More great news for Danbury coming from the state. Gov. Ned Lamont announced Thursday that the city will receive two $200,000 grants, $400,000 total, to assess the Fairfield County Courthouse on Main Street and the property at 13 Barnum Court. The courthouse grant is particularly noteworthy as Mayor Roberto Alves, since he took office, has worked to have the state transfer the property to the city, as he believes it's a local landmark and pivotal to revitalizing the downtown area. I and other members of the Danbury state delegation worked to have legislation passed to convey the courthouse to the city. The transaction will be finalized when Gov. Lamont gives his approval. The $200,000 grant announced Thursday will go toward an environmental assessment, the first step in repurposing the property for public and community purposes. The $200,000 grant for 13 Barnum Court is also earmarked for assessment work at the property, which was formerly used for hat manufacturing. The work will help identify potential uses and developers to cleanup and reuse the site. The grants are part of nearly $19 million in funding allocated to 19 municipalities to address 23 contaminated properties. The goal is to remediate these parcels so they can be redeveloped and returned to productive use. Thank you to Gov. Lamont and the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development’s (DECD) Brownfield Remediation and Development Program, which is releasing the grant. Congrats to the Class of 2025! June is such an exciting time of the year. OK, long legislative sessions end in early June, so I'm grateful for that. But with the warm weather here and so much great stuff going on, the community in general just crackles with positive energy during this month, highlighted by high school graduations. So, congratulations to the Danbury High School Class of 2025, which held its commencement ceremony this week. In every one of the 880 handshakes, there was a moment of trepidation met with hope and courage for the future. The world is yours, go out and make your city proud! As Mayor Roberto Alves shared, “while we live in a divided world, Danbury remains one of the most diverse cities in the country, just like this graduating class. Tonight, you’ve shown that when people from every background come together, incredible things happen.” A heartfelt thank you to every educator, family member, and supporter who helped these students reach this milestone. Wishing our graduates nothing but success on the road ahead! Scholarship Recipients Congratulations to the 2025 Lebanon-American Club of Danbury Scholarship recipients! These outstanding young adults have already achieved so much, and I know this is just the beginning of what’s ahead for them. Wishing each of them continued success in their next chapter, with a special shoutout to Jude Cappiello, son of my friend and former state Sen. David Cappiello. Proud to see Jude, a former Mayor’s Office intern, among this intelligent group! A Whirlwind Saturday I had a great day with Khloë last Saturday! It started with breakfast at Holiday Diner, stopped by the Pride Flag Raising, a stop at the Danbury Library for some new books, took a little self-care break for manis and pedis (I might’ve enjoyed it the most), swung by PAL for some fun at the unveiling of Safe Play Park (big thanks to Boomer and the folks at Modzelewski’s Towing along with the Danbury Exchange Club), and wrapped it up with good food and great people at the Greek Experience enjoying the festival. I then continued the celebration of the Holy Spirit at our Church. Danbury Welcomes Lt. Col. Brendan Quinn A warm welcome to Lt. Colonel Brendan Quinn, now officially the Commander of the 411th Civil Affairs Battalion here in Danbury! We’re grateful for his leadership and look forward to working together in the years ahead. A heartfelt thank you to Lt. Colonel Lee Mathews and his wife Kristy for their service, sacrifice, and dedication over the past two years. Wishing them all the best in their next chapter. Today’s Change of Command Ceremony at beautiful Tarrywile Park was a touching reminder of the courage and commitment of those who serve our nation. Women Veterans Recognition Day Thursday marked Connecticut’s first-ever Women Veterans Recognition Day — a powerful step forward in honoring the courage, service, and sacrifice of women who have served in our country’s armed forces. I was proud to support this designation in the Veterans and Military Affairs Committee and again on the floor of the House when it was passed. I’m especially grateful to David Vieira for being one of the pivotal people who began the process for this important recognition of women in the military. June 12 marks the anniversary of the 1948 Women's Armed Services Integration Act, which allowed women to serve as permanent members of the military. Join me in honoring the generations of women who have served our nation with strength, dignity, and resolve across every branch of our armed forces. Making Progress in the Opioid Crisis Connecticut’s Opioid Services Division was established in 2018 in response to the growing overdose crisis and to expand statewide access to the prevention of opioid use disorder, opioid treatment, recovery support, harm reduction, outreach, engagement, and overdose prevention coverage with a focus on overdose deaths. This marks the third consecutive year of decreases of statewide overdose deaths. The division manages projects and initiatives that resulted from infusion of State Opioid Response grant funding as well as those approved by the Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee. Some of 2024’s improvements include: Expanded innovative services in the state, adding three and continuing to support original Harm Reduction Centers in municipalities with highest morbidity rates: Hartford, Waterbury, New Haven, and New London Added outreach services via Peer Navigator Programs in two areas of the state; Distributed close to 60,000 naloxone kits (naloxone is a lifesaving, overdose reversal medication), exceeding the state saturation goal for the year. Hosted a successful and informative Harm Reduction Conference. The conference included four expert speakers from around the country, as well as two panel discussions, focused on addressing equity, and stigma, 390 individuals attended the conference: 263 in person and 127 virtually. While we are heartened to see data going in the right direction, we know there is much more work to do to fight this public health crisis. Our hearts are heavy for the 990 individuals who lost their lives to overdose in 2024 and their loved ones whose lives have been forever altered. We remain steadfast in our mission to expand access and availability of life-saving medication, public education, harm reduction, treatment and recovery supports until no lives are lost to drug overdose. Additional information is available on the DMHAS Opioid Services Division website at http://portal.ct.gov/.../opioid-treatment/opioid-services. Anyone seeking services regarding opioid use disorder in Connecticut should visit www.liveloud.org or call 1-800-563-4086 any time, day or night. New Kitchen Design Showroom There’s a brand-new kitchen design showroom in the 109th! Stop by Wren Kitchens inside Home Depot and catch up with my longtime friend, Store Manager Anthony. He and his team will help you design the kitchen of your dreams. Westerners Celebrity Breakfast The Danbury Westerners Celebrity Breakfast is always a special tradition in our community, and last week was no exception. Mets legend Mookie Wilson entertained the crowd with stories from his career, delivered with heart and humor. A big congratulations to Dr. Lee Day, this year’s recipient of the Michael Seri Award, honoring his incredible contributions to the Westerners and our city. I’ve been fortunate to experience Dr. Lee’s care at Hat City Physical Therapy and can personally attest to his dedication and love for Danbury. Wishing him well and gratitude for all he does! Westside Learning Presentations Had the best time at Westside Middle School Academy’s Project-Based Learning presentations! The students tackled “The Enduring Impact of Ancient Rome on Modern Society” and it was incredible to see their creativity, research, and confidence on display. From Roman military strategy to city life, the Forum, and entertainment, every presentation was thoughtful and so well done. Extra proud of my daughter Khloë for her team’s great work and presentation on the Roman City and Forum. Big kudos to all the students and staff for bringing history to life in such a fun way! As always, if you have any comments, questions or concerns, please contact my office. Sincerely, Farley Santos Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.