State Parks Free This Weekend

Public Announcement: State Parks free of charge this weekend
In Celebration of 375th Anniversary

This weekend, May 22nd and 23rd, entrance and parking fees for the 107 state parks and 32 state forests will be waived. This includes free admission to the Dinosaur State Park exhibit center in Rocky Hill.

If you enjoy letterboxing at the state forests, a commemorative anniversary stamp will be located in the letterboxes of all state forests. Letterboxes are plastic containers hidden in a specific natural location within the state forest. A set of clues is given to those visitors searching for the letterbox location. Once found, a stamp and stamp pad are located inside the plastic container for visitors to stamp into their personal record books. For more information about letterboxing or to received clues visit www.ct.gov/dep/forestry.

Historians attribute the founding of the state to 1635 because it marked the year that Windsor, Wethersfield and Hartford were settled and thus established Connecticut as a colony. For more information about the year long 375th Anniversary celebration or to find out more about other anniversary events, visit www.CT375.com.

Rep. Themis Klarides co-sponsors legislation banning dangerous chemicals in children’s products

Rep. Themis Klarides co-sponsors legislation banning dangerous chemicals in children’s products

Thursday, April 29th the Connecticut House of Representatives voted on legislation Rep. Klarides cosponsored that bans cadmium in children’s jewelry and includes a timeline of the ban of bisphenol-A  in infant formula and baby food receptacles.

Cadmium is known for being highly toxic even in small amounts.  A U.S. Product Safety Commission investigation confirmed many children’s jewelry products contained high levels of cadmium.

“I’m pleased to see the overwhelming support from my colleagues for this legislation. With cadmium being a toxin, it is irresponsible governance to continue to allow our children to be so directly exposed to this harmful chemical. I hope the dangers of cadmium exposure for children become common knowledge, much like lead or mercury poisoning is today,” said Rep. Klarides.

Funds for Amity Regional Autistic Students Resolved

LAWMAKERS INFORMED THAT FUNDS TO EDUCATE AMITY REGION AUTISTIC STUDENTS WILL NOT HAVE TO BE DIVERTED
Issue Resolved For Now

Area legislators, at a recent meeting with State Education Commissioner Mark McQuillan, were pleased to learn that-for now- the Amity Regional School district will not have to divert 15% in federal special education funds to correct a problem of disproportionate identification of autistic students based on race. According to School Superintendent John Brady, this could have been as much as $100,000 during the next school year.

State Representative Paul Davis (D-117th District), State Representative Themis Klarides (R-114th District) and State Senator Joseph Crisco (D-17th District) have been working with state Department of Education, local and federal officials trying to help resolve a difficult issue that includes complex rules and regulations under the 2004 federal Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

The problem began last year when the Amity Superintendent of Schools John Brady was informed by the state Department of Education that the district had too many white students who were diagnosed as autistic compared to other racial groups.

Rep. Themis Klarides Supports Job Creation Legislation

Rep. Themis Klarides Supports Job Creation Legislation

Republicans in the General Assembly during a debate on establishing a new budgetary commission, proposed an add-on amendment to immediately stimulate Connecticut’s long-suffering job market by repealing the business entity tax, creating a small business revolving loan fund, providing a job creation tax credit for hiring off the unemployment roles, requiring a jobs impact statement to all future legislation, and streamlining DECD permitting process. The amendment, known as the “Jobs Amendment,” was attached to HB 5534, “An Act Establishing a Revenue Accountability Commission.”

“This session was supposed to be the ‘jobs’ and ‘budget’ session. It’s disappointing that here we are, months later, with only a few session days remaining and still no ‘jobs’ or ‘budget’ legislation proposals from the super-majority party,” said Representative Themis Klarides just prior to the vote. “Connecticut needs to be more business friendly. We need more jobs and I believe job growth is the key to our economic recovery,” she said.