Sen. Hartley Welcomes The Waterbury Promise Scholars to the Capitol

Posted on May 1, 2024May 2, 2024 by Devin James

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Garnet McLaughlin | garnet.mclaughlin@cga.ct.gov | 860-240-0288

Sen. Hartley Welcomes The Waterbury Promise Scholars to the Capitol

On Wednesday, State Senator Joan Hartley took a point of personal privilege in the Senate Chamber to honor the team behind The Waterbury Promise, and several scholarship recipients.

“What an honor to welcome these future leaders to the Senate Chamber,” said Sen. Hartley. “These young students have demonstrated great success in the classroom, and I look forward to seeing them achieve their full potential with the support of The Waterbury Promise. I want to also thank Executive Director Kelonda Maull, Director of Development and Community Engagement Hedy Ayers and their team for their commitment to ensuring the success of Waterbury students, our community is stronger because of them.”

The 2024 scholars include:

Jocelin Quituizaca, Sophomore, CT State – Naugatuck Valley (graduating this month and transferring to CCSU)
Alyssa Jhingree, Freshman, Yale University
Harinarine “Harry” Sirikishun, Freshman, UConn Storrs

Waterbury Promise was launched in late 2021 in collaboration with the City of Waterbury and Waterbury Public Schools. Waterbury Promise is a nonprofit dedicated to building a generation of college graduates in Waterbury.

Since 2021, this game-changing college access and success program has supported nearly 400 talented Waterbury Promise scholars across 15 Connecticut colleges and universities.

While the program is centered on a generous last-dollar scholarship, its success hinges on providing a full continuum of support services to help high-achieving and traditionally underserved Waterbury students get to college, thrive there, persist through graduation and be career ready to create a robust and diverse talent pipeline for the local, regional and state economies.

These supports are critical, given that 68% of Waterbury Promise Scholars are first generation college students, 78% are students of color, many come from low to moderate income households and some are even pursuing higher education without any parental support.

The program has had a powerful impact:

89% of the 2022 cohort persisted to their sophomore year of college
Waterbury Promise has a 95% overall program retention rate across both cohorts
The program has disbursed close to $500,000 in last dollar scholarships to date
Its first group of scholars will graduate from CT State – Naugatuck Valley with a degree in just a few weeks!

To become a Waterbury Promise Scholar, students must: be a Waterbury resident; graduate from a Waterbury Public High School, Holy Cross or Kaynor Technical High School; achieve a cumulative 3.0 GPA and a 90% attendance rate through graduation; complete the FAFSA; and enroll at any accredited 2 or 4 year Connecticut-based college or university.

Those looking to donate to this organization or inquire further on scholarship opportunities can visit https://www.waterburypromise.org/.

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Senator Rahman Leads Passage of Bill to Ease Residential Developments

Posted on May 1, 2024May 2, 2024 by Devin James

Senator Rahman Leads Passage of Bill to Ease Residential Developments

Senator MD Rahman, Senate chair of the Planning and Development Committee, led passage Wednesday of a bill designed to increase housing availability in Connecticut by reducing the red tape associated with converting commercial buildings into residential developments.

Senate Bill 416, An Act Concerning the Conversion of Commercial Real Property for Residential Use, was proposed by Senator Rahman and passed by the state Senate during a session Wednesday and will now head to the House for consideration.

The legislation would boost the availability of homes in Connecticut by allowing developers to convert unused commercial space into housing “as of right.” This term means that municipalities must approve the projects if they comply with local building or fire safety codes. This distinction prevents towns from requiring public hearings or special permits before granting approval.

“This proposal aims to help Connecticut communities convert vacant commercial properties into vibrant residential developments by cutting through some of the red tape that often impedes these projects,” Senator Rahman, D-Manchester, said.

“By putting aside these bureaucratic barriers, we encourage growth, promote the construction of affordable housing for our neighbors, and expand our tax base,” Senator Rahman said. “Proactively repurposing unused commercial sites staves off the degradation of vacant properties before they become blighted eyesores that pose public health risks and drag down property values.”

In order to be converted into residential developments, properties would still need to meet applicable building and fire codes under Senate Bill 416. The proposal requires towns and cities to decide on a conversion application within 65 days of its submission.

The bill advanced out of the Planning and Development Committee, where it received a public hearing on March 13. Jim Perras, CEO of the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Connecticut, was among those who submitted testimony in favor of the legislation.

“The bill’s provision ensuring that any zoning regulations allow such conversions as of right is a progressive step towards addressing Connecticut’s housing shortage,” Perras said in written testimony. “By removing unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles, this legislation empowers property owners to repurpose commercial spaces efficiently, meeting the growing demand for residential units.”

SENATOR NEEDLEMAN CHEERS $200,000 IN MANUFACTURING GRANTS IN HIS DISTRICT

Posted on May 1, 2024May 2, 2024 by Devin James

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joe O’Leary | Joe.OLeary@cga.ct.gov | 508-479-4969

May 1, 2024

SENATOR NEEDLEMAN CHEERS $200,000 IN MANUFACTURING GRANTS IN HIS DISTRICT

Today, State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex) cheered the announcement by Governor Lamont’s administration that manufacturers Airex Rubber Products Corporation of Portland and TriMech Solutions, LLC of Deep River will each receive state grants valued at $100,000 to support their adoption of additive technologies.

The companies receiving these grants will each provide matching grants of equal or greater amounts of company funding. These grants are awarded from the Additive Manufacturing Adoption Program, an initiative from the Connecticut Manufacturing Innovation Fund Advisory Board and Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology. It’s part of the state’s Manufacturing Innovation Fund to support and promote Connecticut’s advanced manufacturing sector.

“Our manufacturing businesses are the backbone of our state’s economy, and I’m proud to know that our region is receiving this support to aid and benefit job creation, technological advancement and small manufacturers all at once,” said Sen. Needleman. “I am grateful to Governor Lamont and his administration for this important aid.”

“Manufacturing continues to be a high-growth sector nationwide and we want to do everything we can to ensure that Connecticut is at the forefront of the jobs and economic growth that it is delivering,” Governor Lamont said. “This grant program is a way that we can partner with small manufacturers in our state to support their growth.”

The grant investments are designed to aid these companies through improving operations and driving innovation, including high-end 3D metal printers for functional parts and tooling and advanced plastic printing capabilities.

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