Sen. Lesser, Rep. Carpino Secure $200k for Pierson Park

Posted on October 8, 2026 by SDO Automation

Sen. Lesser, Rep. Carpino Secure $200k for Pierson Park

Today, State Senator Matt Lesser and State Representative Christie Carpino announced they secured $200,000 for upgrades to Cromwell’s Pierson Park.

The funds will be used for urgently needed upgrades to the PBA building. Upgrades will be made to the kitchen area which is used for concessions for the varsity high school football games, Sunday youth football games and other functions. It will also be used for upgrades to the bathrooms and generally refreshing the building. The funding will also be used for upgrades to the playground to ensure ADA compliance.

“Pierson Park is a great community resource and I’m proud to have delivered these funds to refresh the PBA area, upgrade equipment and ensure that the playground is safe and welcoming for all children,” said Sen. Lesser. “At the end of the legislative session I reached out to town leaders to identify opportunities for a local-state partnership and I’m pleased we were able to secure funding for these time sensitive and critical upgrades in the state budget.”

“Pierson Park really is the heart of Cromwell,” said Rep. Carpino. “This money will provide much needed updates to our inclusive playground so that all of our kids have the opportunity to be kids. It will also fund immediate needs in the PBA building-which will benefit multiple volunteer organizations that work hard to support Cromwell. It’s always a good day when we can work together at the state and local level to do good.”

“On behalf of the town, I am thankful to Representative Carpino and Senator Lesser for securing these vital funds to make substantial infrastructure improvements to our community,” said Cromwell Mayor James Demetriades. “These investments will ensure Cromwell is positioned proactively to face tomorrow’s challenges and relieve pressure on the property taxpayers for these projects.”

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SEN. OSTEN ANNOUNCES NEARLY $500,000 IN TRAIL GRANTS FOR 19TH STATE SENATE DISTRICT

Posted on October 7, 2026 by SDO Automation

SEN. OSTEN ANNOUNCES NEARLY $500,000 IN TRAIL GRANTS FOR 19^TH STATE SENATE DISTRICT

State Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague) announced today that Governor Ned Lamont and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) have awarded approximately $10.5 million in grants supporting 50 projects that will plan, build, expand, restore, and improve multi-use trails across Connecticut – including $470,000 for trails in Hebron, Marlborough and Montville.
These state investments will enhance outdoor recreation opportunities, strengthen connections between communities, improve public health, and support Connecticut’s growing outdoor recreation economy.
“All of these trials combine family-friendly walks with beautiful views and a little bit of history,” Sen. Osten said. “I’m proud that Connecticut has the process and the funding mechanisms in place to maintain our outdoor spaces for the public to enjoy.”
Local projects funded include:

Hebron’s Bernstein Trail, from Old Colchester Road to Air Line State Park Trail, will receive $193,120 for planning, design, and construction
Marlborough’s Blackledge River Greenway Trail Phase 3 will receive $196,950 for construction.
Montville’s Oxoboxo Heritage Multi-Use Path & Thames River Blueway will receive $80,000 for planning and design.

The grants are being released through the Connecticut Recreational Trails Grant Program following a competitive review process conducted by DEEP in partnership with the Connecticut Greenways Council. The funding for the program was previously allocated by the State Bond Commission.

SENATOR NEEDLEMAN WELCOMES $30,126 IN LOCAL SUPPORTING ARTS GRANTS

Posted on October 7, 2026 by SDO Automation

Senator Needleman Welcomes $30,126 in Local Supporting Arts Grants

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

October 7, 2026

SENATOR NEEDLEMAN WELCOMES $30,126 IN LOCAL SUPPORTING ARTS GRANTS

State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex) recently welcomed the state’s announcement that the 33rd Senate District will receive $30,126 in local supporting arts grants.

The Supporting Arts Grant Program, administered by the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development, provides funding to arts organizations and municipal arts departments to support the costs they incur in developing and delivering programs.

These grants are funded through the Connecticut Office of the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts.
“Local arts organizations provide so many benefits to our local communities – entertainment, education, cultural enrichment, professional opportunities and more,” said Sen. Needleman. “I look forward to seeing the results of these grants in months and years to come.”

Local grants awarded include:

$3,383 to East Haddam’s I-Park Foundation
$4,551 to Essex’s Community Music School
$4,166 to Essex’s Maritime Music and Tradition Society Corp.
$3,917 to Essex’s Cappella Cantorum
$5,258 to Old Saybrook’s Chestnut Hill concerts
$4,460 to Old Saybrook’s Con Brio Choral Society
$4,391 to Old Saybrook’s Essex Winter Series

SENATOR MARX WELCOMES $66,992 IN LOCAL SUPPORTING ARTS GRANTS

Posted on October 7, 2026 by SDO Automation

SENATOR MARX WELCOMES $66,992 IN LOCAL SUPPORTING ARTS GRANTS

October 7, 2026

State Senator Martha Marx (D-New London) recently welcomed the state’s announcement that the 20^th Senate District will receive $66,992 in local supporting arts grants.

The Supporting Arts Grant Program, administered by the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development, provides funding to arts organizations and municipal arts departments to support the costs they incur in developing and delivering programs.

These grants are funded through the Connecticut Office of the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts.

“Our local arts provide wonderful local performances and installations, among many other features, that help form community connections, educate and enrich our lives and provide opportunities to so many,” said Sen. Marx. “I’m thrilled to see the results of these grants in action.”

Local grants awarded include:

$4,682 to East Lyme’s Eastern Connecticut Ballet
$6,709 to New London’s Thames Valley Music School
$5,935 to New London’s Connecticut Early Music Society
$5,917 to New London’s Eastern Connecticut Symphony
$4,970 to New London’s Spark Makerspace
$4,126 to New London’s Community Orchestra
$3,903 to New London’s Hygienic Art
$3,741 to New London’s Connecticut Storytelling Center
$6,728 to Old Lyme’s Lyme Art Association
$6,172 to Old Lyme’s Lyme Academy of Fine Arts
$5,258 to Old Saybrook’s Chestnut Hill concerts
$4,460 to Old Saybrook’s Con Brio Choral Society
$4,391 to Old Saybrook’s Essex Winter Series

SENATOR HONIG WELCOMES $37,600 IN LOCAL SUPPORTING ARTS GRANTS

Posted on October 7, 2026 by SDO Automation

SENATOR HONIG WELCOMES $37,600 IN LOCAL SUPPORTING ARTS GRANTS

October 7, 2026

State Senator Paul Honig (D-Torrington) recently welcomed the state’s announcement that the 8^th Senate District will receive $37,600 in local supporting arts grants.

These grants are funded through the Connecticut Office of the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts.

“Our local arts organizations provide a direct connection from our communities to great entertainment, cultural enrichment and inspiration that can spark new careers,” said Sen. Honig. “It’s great to hear about these grants and I’m grateful to the state for its continued support of our local organizations.”

Local grants awarded include:

$6,125 for Avon’s New England Ballet Theatre of Connecticut
$4,353 to Avon’s Fermata Arts Foundation
$5,179 to Canton’s Connecticut Symphony Orchestra
$6,258 to Simsbury’s Theatre Guild of Simsbury
$3,360 to Simsbury’s Farmington Valley Chorale
$6,529 to Torrington’s Five Points Center for the Visual Arts
$5,796 to Torrington’s Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Joe O’Leary | joe.oleary@cga.ct.gov

SENATOR MAHER WELCOMES $153,429 IN LOCAL SUPPORTING ARTS GRANTS

Posted on October 7, 2026 by SDO Automation

SENATOR MAHER WELCOMES $153,429 IN LOCAL SUPPORTING ARTS GRANTS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 7, 2026

State Senator Ceci Maher (D-Wilton) recently welcomed the state’s announcement that the 26^th Senate District will receive $153,429 in local supporting arts grants.

These grants are funded through the Connecticut Office of the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts.

“Local arts provide so much to our communities including cultural education and enrichment, wonderful entertainment and inspiration,” said Sen. Maher. “I’m very excited to see these grants continue to support those benefits to our region.”

Local grants awarded include:

$6,220 to Darien’s Stamford Chorale
$6,962 to New Canaan’s Silvermine Guild of Artists
$5,816 to New Canaan’s Treetops Chamber Music Society
$4,429 to New Canaan’s Carriage Barn Arts Center
$4,352 to New Canaan’s Town Players of New Canaan
$3,216 to New Canaan’s New England Dance Theater
$6,220 to Redding’s Music on the Hill
$10,000 to Ridgefield’s A.C.T.
$10,000 to Ridgefield’s Playhouse for Movies and the Performing Arts
$5,385 to Ridgefield’s Camerata d’Amici
$4,694 to Ridgefield’s Conservatory of Dance
$4,368 to Ridgefield’s Thrown Stone Theatre Company
$2,953 to Ridgefield’s Ridgefield Chorale
$7,577 to the Stamford Art Association
$7,483 to Stamford’s Orchestra Lumos
$6,757 to Stamford’s Mendelssohn Choir of Connecticut
$5,534 to Stamford’s New Paradigm Theatre Company
$5,375 to Stamford’s INTEMPO
$4,934 to Stamford’s Project Music
$3,924 to Stamford’s Avon Theatre Film Center
$3,812 to Stamford’s Ballet School of Stamford
$6,283 to Westport’s Writers’ Workshop
$5,915 to Westport’s Friends of the Levitt Pavilion
$5,666 to Westport’s Community Theatre
$5,609 to Westport’s Fairfield County Chorale
$4,321 to Westport’s School of Music
$5,624 to the Wilton Playshop

SENATOR OSTEN WELCOMES $275,000 IN EDUCATION GRANTS TO HELP REDUCE ABSENTEEISM IN NORWICH

Posted on October 5, 2026 by SDO Automation

SENATOR OSTEN WELCOMES $275,000 IN EDUCATION GRANTS TO HELP REDUCE ABSENTEEISM IN NORWICH

NORWICH — State Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague) today welcomed $275,000 in state grants to improve student attendance in Norwich.

“Over the past four years, the percentage of students in the Norwich public schools who are chronically absent has dropped dramatically, from nearly 30% in 2022 to under 20% last year. We’re getting very near the state average, and it’s programs like LEAP that are making a difference in student and family interaction and success,” Sen Osten said.

The grants are being made through Connecticut’s Learner Engagement and Attendance Program, or LEAP. Since the Lamont administration established LEAP in 2021, chronic absenteeism has declined for four consecutive years, from 23.7% in 2021-2022 to 16.4% in 2025-2026, meaning nearly 35,000 more students are attending school regularly compared with 2021-2022.

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Looney: Early Childhood Endowment Is Key to Children Who Start Behind and Never Catch Up

Posted on October 4, 2026 by SDO Automation

Looney: Early Childhood Endowment Is Key to Children Who Start Behind and Never Catch Up

“The announcement of $411.7 million in surplus funds moving into the Early Childhood Education Endowment, bringing the fund to more than $700 million, is one of the most consequential investments our state has made in its own future. Over many years in the General Assembly, I have watched the same pattern repeat in our schools: children who arrive at kindergarten without the foundation they need begin behind, and far too many never catch up. No matter how much we invest in the K-12 system, we cannot fully recover those early years after the fact. Without a sustained and dedicated commitment to early childhood education, we will never solve that problem. The Governor deserves credit for his commitment and partnership in building this fund, and I am grateful to Comptroller Sean Scanlon and Treasurer Erick Russell for their work in making it possible. The General Assembly must now protect and strengthen this endowment so that every child in Connecticut begins school ready to learn.”

-Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) responding to Governor Ned Lamont’s announcement, alongside Comptroller Sean Scanlon and Treasurer Erick Russell, that $411.7 million of the state’s fiscal year 2026 surplus will go into the Early Childhood Education Endowment.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kevin Coughlin | kevin.coughlin@cga.ct.gov | 203-710-0193

Eversource CEO Bragged He “Shut the Faucet Off” on Connecticut. Looney and Duff Want to Know What Got Cut.

Posted on October 3, 2026 by SDO Automation

Eversource CEO Bragged He “Shut the Faucet Off” on Connecticut. Looney and Duff Want to Know What Got Cut.

“People across Connecticut are sick and tired of paying more every month while giant corporations like Eversource make money hand over fist. Families are being asked to absorb an 11 percent increase in their electric bills, while Eversource’s CEO tells Wall Street about ‘over $1 billion in cash coming in the door’ and urges investors to ‘get in heavy’ to rake in big profits.

“Worse, he admitted that Eversource ‘shut the faucet off in Connecticut’ until it got paid, saying, ‘We weren’t going to put another dime down there.’ That’s a utility monopoly treating the people it serves as leverage. Mr. Nolan has dropped the mask. Now we know where we stand.

“He also assured investors that after Election Day, ‘the volume’s going to go right down.’ Not from Senate Democrats. Connecticut ratepayers deserve to know exactly which projects Eversource held back, and we call on the company to make that list public.”

-Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) responding to Eversource CEO Joe Nolan’s September 30 remarks to investors at the Wolfe Research utilities conference. To learn more and read a transcript of Nolan’s comments, click here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kevin Coughlin | 203-710-0193 | kevin.coughlin@cga.ct.gov

Eversource CEO Bragged He “Shut the Faucet Off” on Connecticut. Looney and Duff Want to Know What Got Cut.

Posted on October 3, 2026 by SDO Automation

Eversource CEO Bragged He “Shut the Faucet Off” on Connecticut. Looney and Duff Want to Know What Got Cut.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kevin Coughlin | 203-710-0193 | kevin.coughlin@cga.ct.gov

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