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June 6, 2023 - v. 3, number 7 |
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Communities Recognized for Spring Certification and
Climate Leader Designation
Bronze Certified: Montville and Winchester
Climate Leader: Guilford, Litchfield,
New Haven and Portland
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STORRS, CT, June 5, 2022 – Sustainable CT, the statewide initiative that supports and recognizes Connecticut municipalities for their sustainability efforts, proudly announces the recent accomplishments of several towns across the state. Montville and Winchester have achieved Bronze certification, demonstrating their commitment to advancing sustainability practices within their communities. Additionally, Guilford, Litchfield, New Haven, and Portland have been awarded the prestigious Climate Leader designation for their exceptional leadership in addressing climate change and fostering resilience.
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Meet the 2023 Sustainable CT Fellows |
We're thrilled to announce the participants in our 2023 Fellowship Program. This esteemed fellowship program recognizes and supports individuals who demonstrate exceptional dedication and commitment to advancing sustainability practices across the state. The selected fellows for the 2023 cohort are a group of talented individuals with a passion for sustainability and a commitment to making positive change. They bring a wide range of backgrounds, skills, and perspectives to address the unique challenges faced by municipalities in Connecticut...
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Señor Pancho's Mexican Restaurant Receives Certificate of Appreciation from Sustainable Southbury
Sustainable Southbury and two of its business partners, the Center for Ecotechnology and EyeRecycle, awarded Andy Adames of Señor Pancho’s with a Certificate of Appreciation for his participation in the Sustainable Southbury Food Scraps Commercial Recycling Program. Felicidades!
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Municipal Energy Resilience Webinar Series
Join CIRCA in June for a two-part webinar series on Municipal Energy Resilience. An in-person event.
Day 1, June 7, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.: Introduction to Municipal Energy Resilience Panel. A panel of experts will talk about assessing municipal energy resilience, programs available at the federal and state level for energy infrastructure, and steps towns can take. Register HERE.
Day 2, June 14, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.: Municipal Energy Resilience - Case Study, Round Table Discussion and Q & A. Day two will involve municipal case studies and be an opportunity for discussion and questions. Register HERE.
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Climate Leader Webinar: Resources to Accomplish Action 3.9, "Manage Woodlands and Urban Forests"
Action 3.9, "Manage Woodlands and Urban Forests," was updated for the 2023 certification cycle. Join Danica Doroski, State Urban Forester from the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to learn about urban forest management and resources available to help your municipality complete Action 3.9. June 8, 10-11a.m.
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US Army Corp. of Engineers Sponsors CT Flood Awareness Workshops
Workshops are intended for local emergency management directors, chief elected officials, local planning and zoning officials, town engineers and organizations that work with underserved populations. These workshops will provide awareness and understanding of coastal, inland and urban flood risk with the goal of protecting life and property. All workshops are held from 8:00am to 4:00pm. These are in-person events.
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June 13, 2023 – Eastern Connecticut Fire School, 1 Fire School Road, Willimantic (DEMHS Region 4), register here.
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June 21, 2023 - Kent School, Dickinson Auditorium, 1 Macedonia Road, Kent (DEMHS Region 5), register here.
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Virtual Equity Training Series Now Available for Summer
This is a free, three-part, virtual equity workshop series. Summer sessions are now available: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm on June 14, July 12 and August 3. Topics will include: Belonging, Racial Equity, Access, Diversity & Inclusion (Be READI) as a municipal strategic priority; assessing your town's culture; and exposing common barriers to Be READI. Attendance is capped at 35. This will be a live training and will not be recorded. Attendance at all three sessions is required. Only register if you intend to participate for the duration of each session.
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Ujima Second Annual Juneteenth Festival in Enfield
The Ujima African American Alliance is hosting the Juneteenth 2023 Festival at the Enfield Town Green on June 17, from 11am to 6pm. Art, music, history, food - come and enjoy it all! And don't forget to support this Sustainable CT Community Match Fund project with a donation.
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Vernon Community Network Celebrates June
Celebrating diversity and supporting our diverse community, the Vernon Community Network is hosting an event that will bring the community together and generate awareness around three important areas: Juneteenth, PRIDE Month, and Men's Health Awareness month. Talcott Park, Vernon, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., on June 24. Another great Sustainable CT Community Match Fund Project!
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Leadership & Action Come to Hartford
The next of our regional Community Leadership and Action Conferences takes place on Saturday, June 24th from 10am-3pm at the Free Center in Hartford, CT. Our goal is to bring the Community Match Fund closer to leaders and neighborhoods, while providing a platform for turning ideas into initiatives through funding, support and action. We’ll progress to New Haven, Bridgeport, New London and Waterbury throughout the rest of the year.
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Community Connectivity Grant Program
The goal of the Community Connectivity Program is to make conditions safer and more accommodating for pedestrians and bicyclists, thereby encouraging more people to use these healthy and environmentally sustainable modes of travel. The Community Connectivity Grant Program was developed to provide funding for targeted infrastructure improvements. Applications accepted until 4:00 p.m. on Friday, July 21, 2023.
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Sustainable CT Welcomes Two New Project Assistants
We're pleased to announce the addition of two talented project assistants to our team. This strategic expansion aims to bolster our efforts in advancing sustainable practices across Connecticut.
Our new project assistants, Inez Ortiz (L) and Dorothy Piszczek (R), bring a wealth of expertise and a passion for sustainability to their roles. With their diverse backgrounds and skills, they are well-equipped to contribute to Sustainable CT's mission of fostering vibrant, resilient, and equitable communities...
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This month: we celebrate the fresh face(s) of Sustainable CT by getting to know our two new Project Assistants, Inez Ortiz and Dorothy Piszczek. They're young, energetic and knowledgeable, and, really, aren't we all?
This month's episode of the IMPACT will be available on June 15 at sustainablect.org and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Sustainable CT Celebrates Juneteenth
The Sustainable CT Community Match Fund champions organizations and efforts to represent and reflect the wide-array of people and perspectives across Connecticut. Our first and only required action for certification is to take steps that "Optimize for Equity." In this month's CMF corner, we're excited to highlight two current Community Match Fund projects seeking support for Juneteenth events.
Even though Juneteenth has recently been recognized as a national federal holiday, it's still not familiar to everyone as a day that commemorates and celebrates the emancipation of African-American's from slavery. The Smithsonian Museum of African-American History & Culture writes, "Even though the Emancipation Proclamation was made effective in 1863, it could not be implemented in places still under Confederate control. As a result, in the westernmost Confederate state of Texas, enslaved people would not be free until much later. Freedom finally came on June 19, 1865, when some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. The army announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the state, were free by executive decree. This day came to be known as 'Juneteenth' by the newly freed people in Texas."
Both the Ujima Juneteenth Festival and Vernon Community Network Celebrates June are efforts by grassroots leaders to share this history, and recognize that the process to perfect our union with equity and justice for all is ongoing. Consider visiting both pages and making a contribution to help them reach their goals, and forward the recognition of this important holiday.
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The Next Sustainable CT Coffee Hour:
June 16 at 10am
2023 Legislative Session Update - CT General Assembly Action Impacting Municipalities
Please join us and Brian O'Connor, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy for the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, for our (virtual) June Coffee Hour. Brian will share results of the 2023 legislative session of the CT General Assembly, focusing on issues that impact municipalities. As always, we'll provide lots of time for your questions and discussion.
AND stay tuned for our July Coffee Hour on the 21st when we'll be discussing all things certification - answering your questions and concerns leading up to the August 15th submission deadline.
Join Sustainable CT for virtual, informal, discussions most third Fridays of each month. We share program updates and resources, explore your questions, and strengthen the network of Sustainable CT champions. These sessions are free and open to all.
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For more fun and informative June events,
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...for helping us "Spring into Summer!"
Our Spring into Summer Celebration was a great success and a lot of fun thanks to all of our partners, friends and participating communities. The venue was stunning, the weather was fantastic, and the company couldn't have been better. Our special thanks to Richard Johnson, recently retired town manager of Glastonbury, for sharing his "brownfield to boathouse" success story with us. Special thanks as well to the generous sponsors of our event - CT Green Bank, Energysource, Casella, and Green Banyan Consulting. And congratulations - again - to our wonderful Connecticut towns: Montville and Winchester for achieving Bronze certification, and Guilford, Litchfield, New Haven and Portland for being designated Climate Leaders. We truly enjoy celebrating you all. See you in October!
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