Month: November 2021

CT Major Disaster Declaration

Congressman Jim Himes (CT-04) announced that President Biden has approved a Major Disaster Declaration for Connecticut in the wake of Hurricane Ida, which struck the state in early September, causing immense property damage. The disaster declaration will not only provide aid to state and local governments but will also make resources available to individuals and families. Federal aid may include housing assistance, crisis counseling, case management services, legal services, personal property damage, and transportation assistance.  Ida-affected residents can learn more about these programs and other forms of assistance at www.himes.house.gov/Ida.

“This was an all-hands-on-deck emergency,” said Himes. “Immediately after the storm, I started meeting with local leaders to survey damage and working with Governor Lamont and the other members of the Congressional delegation to ensure Connecticut would get the help we needed as quickly as possible. The process of working with FEMA and other federal agencies to secure disaster funding is rigorous, but, by working in unison, local, state, and federal officials were able to bring this assistance to the people who desperately need it.”

The disaster declaration will also make money available to assist businesses that were negatively affected by Hurricane Ida. This aid comes primarily in the form of Business Physical Disaster Loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans to assist businesses that suffered either physical damage or loss of revenue due to the storm, respectively. For details on the programs and to learn more about eligibility and how to apply, business owners should visit www.himes.house.gov/Ida.

In the wake of Hurricane Ida, Congressman Himes successfully worked to include $3 billion in the Congressional disaster relief bill to accelerate the construction of flood- and storm-damage reduction projects, with $1.5 billion of that money going specifically to states that declared a major disaster due to Ida.

“The most important thing for government to do is take care of people in emergencies,” continued Himes.  “Our neighbors in Southwest Connecticut need help and they need it now. That’s why I’m so proud today to be able to say we delivered.”

Congressman Himes’ Disaster Resource and Recovery Guide, which goes into great depth on program benefits, requirements, and eligibility can be found at www.himes.house.gov/Ida. 

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5 Senators are calling on the Biden administration to help lower energy costs for New Englanders – including considering the use of strategic reserves, as the winter season approaches and heating prices are expected to be higher than last year.

“We write today to urge federal action to address the heating needs of our country’s households as we approach and enter the upcoming winter season,” the senators wrote. “Given the current state of energy markets and the lingering economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic – and in preparation for the cold weather season in New England – we urge your administration to consider and prepare to take targeted actions.”

The U.S. Energy Information Administration is predicting that households that heat primarily with propane, natural gas, or heating oil could spend significantly more on their heating costs this winter, including spending up to 94 percent more for households that use propane.

“These predicted costs will have a very real effect on the ability of many New England families to keep their homes at a safe temperature this winter,” the senators continued. “No family should have to make the decision between paying their bill to keep their children warm, putting food on the table, and keeping the lights on.”

In order to help lower the costs of heating for New Englanders, the senators are calling on the Biden administration to utilize stock from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve to lessen the effect of potential residential energy price increases on New Englanders’ household finances.

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Stratford News: African American History Museum Opens

#Stratford CT–Saturday was the grand opening of the Ruby & Calvin Fletcher African American History Museum at 952 East Broadway. Despite the weather, the grounds were filled with enthusiastic visitors here to celebrate the museum’s first official day.The museum would not be possible without the vision of Jeffrey Fletcher and his remarkable collection. We congratulate him on the opening and welcome him enthusiastically to his second home in Stratford!The realization of this museum has been hard work on the part of many, particularly Jeffrey and his team, and wonderful supporters such as the Shearman & Sterling Law Firm who sponsored today’s event. Our administration worked alongside Jeffrey and the Town Council, especially Councilors Chris Pia, David Harden, Jim Connor and Bill O’Brien who got behind the project with us early on.

PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM TOXIC METALS IN BABY FOOD

Hartford, CT – Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general petitioning the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to protect the health and well-being of babies across the United States by accelerating actions to remove toxic heavy metals found in infant and toddler foods. The petition responds to rising alarm about the health hazards posed by dangerous heavy metals in these foods, and the failure of baby food brands and their suppliers to aggressively reduce these hazards.  


“As a father of three, I’ve purchased a lot of baby food over the years. I trusted that food was safe for my kids. Now we’ve learned that some of the food we assumed was safe contains toxic metals, including arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury. The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for ensuring the safety of our food supply and has an obligation to act quickly to protect infants and toddlers from this unacceptable toxic exposure,” said Attorney General Tong.

Guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics on preventing heavy metal exposure can be found here (link: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/feeding-nutrition/Pages/Metals-in-Baby-Food.aspx)

In February 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Oversight and Reform Committee’s Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy published a report that determined that there are high levels of toxic heavy metals — including arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury— in baby foods being sold by at least four of the nation’s seven largest manufacturers. The subcommittee issued a follow-up report last month that urged the FDA “to move expeditiously to set limits for arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury in baby foods.”  

Though the FDA does set limits on toxic metals in other consumable products — like bottled water, juice, and candy — the agency has failed to adequately regulate baby food, and has, so far, only established just one action level for one type of heavy metal (inorganic arsenic) in one type of baby food product (infant rice cereal). This lack of oversight comes despite the fact that the FDA has concluded that babies’ and young children’s smaller body sizes and metabolisms make them more vulnerable to the harmful neurotoxic effects of these metals. 

The petition sent by the attorneys general seeks to strengthen protections for young children by urging the FDA to issue interim action levels for limiting heavy metal contamination in baby food more swiftly than the timelines announced by the FDA in their “Closer to Zero plan,” announced this past April. Under that plan, the FDA would propose guidance on limiting lead in baby food by the middle of 2022, guidance for limiting inorganic arsenic by April 2024, and guidance for limiting cadmium and mercury sometime after April 2024. The members of the “Baby Food Council” — a group created in 2019 by four of the largest baby food brands — have not publicly committed to meeting any particular voluntary targets for reducing the levels of heavy metals in their products, pending FDA action. 

Specifically, today’s petition calls on the FDA to:   

·         Propose science-based, achievability-focused interim limits for inorganic arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury in relevant categories of infant and toddler foods; 

·         Propose a lower limit for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal than that currently set forth in FDA guidance; and  

·         Instruct all baby food manufacturers to test their finished products for toxic heavy metals.   

The coalition of attorneys general urge the FDA to take these actions no later than April 2022, the shortest timeframe for requesting FDA action on a petition under the agency’s regulations. 

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The Secret of Becoming a Great Communicator

The Stratford Library concludes its 2021 season of “Sunday Afternoon Talks” series of informative and entertaining talks featuring prominent local guest speakers “The Secret of Becoming a Great Communicator” with Jim Cameron on Sunday, November 7. The talk, presented on the Zoom format, is also a hybrid event that allows visitors to attend and watch in the Library’s Lovell Room.  It is free and open to the public.

 Long-time commuter advocate and newspaper commentator Jim Cameron will offer a lively presentation and Q&A about the art of communication.  Cameron will share some funny and insightful tales about his 40 years as a news reporter, media trainer and public relations consultant. He will also reveal the inside scoop on how to “Master the Interview” with his best public relations tricks.

 A former NBC News anchor, Jim Cameron is a recipient of the George Foster Peabody Award. A Connecticut resident for over 25 years, he served on the Metro-North Commuter Council and authors a weekly newspaper column, “Getting There” which runs in the Hearst daily and weekly newspapers including the Greenwich Time. An archive of 12 years of his commentaries can be found on his blog, “GettingThereCT” He is also author of his first book “Off the Record: Confessions of a Media Consultant”.

The “Sunday Afternoon Talks” series, hosted by Charles Lautier of Stratford, is held from 2-3:30 pm on the Zoom platform.  To register online and receive a Zoom invitation for the November 7th program visit: https://stratfordlibrary.libcal.com/event/7555042.

For further information call the Stratford Library at: 203.385-4162 or visit: www.stratfordlibrary.org

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