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Dear Friend,
After a busy week in eastern Connecticut, I’m here with an update on good news for the Stonington Town Dock, celebrating Black History Month in CT, and more from the week. Thanks for starting your weekend here with me.
Celebrating Black History Month at the CT Department of Veterans Affairs
Yesterday, I joined my colleagues in the Connecticut Congressional Delegation and other state officials for a Black History Month ceremony at the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs – keynoted by the great State Rep. from New London, Anthony Nolan. It was an inspirational meeting with moving stories of service undertaken by African American military veterans. The event was both a celebration of Black history in our armed forces, and a moment to recognize that we need to do more to better serve veterans of all backgrounds. We’re at a pivotal moment for improving and expanding VA services. We recently passed the historic Honoring Our PACT Act, which is providing many more veterans with toxic exposure care at the VA. At yesterday’s event, I talked to a veteran who had been exposed to Agent Orange during his service and because of the new PACT Act, he has now reapplied for services. This is an opportunity to provide more help and services to our veterans. Learn more about the Honoring Our PACT Act here.
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| On Thursday, Rep. Courtney joined his colleagues in the Congressional Delegation, State Elected Officials, and CT VA Commissioner Thomas Saadi for a ceremony to observe Black History Month and African American service in our armed forces |
In Connecticut, observing Black History Month may seem like a given, but with current polarization in our country, it’s important to share and listen to stories of the African American experience – especially when it comes to military service. Just last week at Library of Congress Veterans History Event, I had a discussion with Dr. Carlita Cotton (USAF Sgt., Ret.), a 20-year Air Force veteran who worked as a Russian translator during the height of cold war. She was there in Berlin when the wall came down, and when she told her story of service to a pack house of veterans, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room – and there were some pretty tough guys present. Stories of service like Dr. Cotton’s are unifying ones. They bring people together when it often seems like we’re so far apart on many issues. A big thank you to CT Department of Veteran Affairs Commissioner Thomas Saadi for hosting this great event at a fitting location.
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At the ceremony, Rep. Courtney joined (left to right) Rep. Jahana Hayes, Connecticut Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, CT Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Thomas Saadi, Dr. Carlita Cotton (USAF Sgt., Ret.), Hartford Healthcare Veterans Liaison Sherri Vogt, and Connecticut veterans. Dr. Cotton is a 20-year veteran and served as a Russian translator for the Air Force at the height of the Cold War
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Good News at the Stonington Dock!
Stonington is home to Connecticut’s last commercial fishing fleet, and the Stonington Town Dock’s history supporting that fleet dates back to the 1830s! Today, over 100 jobs are supported by the dock and hundreds more are supported indirectly. Large fishing boats tie on to the dock every day, but with constant wear and tear from Mother Nature, the dock has been in need of some core infrastructure upgrades for years. In the 2023 Community Project process, my team and I worked with the Town of Stonington to secure $900,000 in federal funding to replace and modernize the pilings and decking on the dock. Now that the funding in the 2023 Omnibus has been signed into law, I visited the dock with Stonington’s amazing First Selectwoman Danielle Chesebrough. Watch us discuss this project below!
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| Click here to watch Rep. Courtney and Stonington First Selectwoman Danielle Chesebrough discuss the 2023 Community Project to perform major maintenance on the Town Dock with the use of federal funding |
This isn’t a mega infrastructure project. It’s a targeted federal investment in a local project that’s going to boost Stonington’s economy for years to come. That’s what the Community Project process is really all about. First Selectwoman Chesebrough and the town submitted an excellent funding request, and it’s no wonder that with the dock’s wide-ranging reach in the Stonington Community, there were so many letters of support for the project from restaurants, historical and cultural groups, and faith-based leaders. Even with the community emphatically behind this project, the high cost put it outside of Stonington’s budget. Now, with this federal funding, they’ll be able to get started on the needed maintenance work. I was proud to work alongside First Selectwoman Chesebrough and local fisherman in the Community Project process. We’ll keep in close touch throughout the disbursement process and as work gets underway.
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| The Stonington Town Dock support over 100 jobs directly and many others indirectly in our region. With federal funding, the Town will replace the pilings and deck that have been worn down by Mother Nature. Rep. Courtney joined First Selectwoman Danielle Chesebrough, fishing boat owner Tom Williams (left), and Stonington Town Engineer Chris Greenlaw (right) at the Dock on Wednesday. |
A big thanks to First Selectman Chesebrough for showing me around the dock. Click here to read more about the 15 Community Projects across eastern Connecticut that I secured funding for in 2023 Omnibus.
Visiting Taylor Brooke Farm in Woodstock
Had a great visit out to Taylor Brooke Farm in Woodstock last week to meet up with owner Linda Auger and her daughter Nikki for an update on how they've really put federal relief funding to use over the past few years to help their small business thrive.
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| Rep. Courtney voted to pass the American Rescue Plan in 2021. It delivered federal support to small businesses in eastern Connecticut when they needed it most during the pandemic – including Taylor Brooke Farm. Today, ARP funding is still being put to use by our towns. |
Taylor Brooke Farm is the home of Taylor Brooke Winery and the new Taylor Brooke Brewery. It's one of CT's first combined wineries/breweries, and my team and I were proud to help them secure federal grant opportunities to keep operations running during the pandemic—like support through the Paycheck Protection Program, and the Emergency Relief Program to help offset losses to vines and other crops. That’s a big reason why I voted for bills like the American Rescue Plan, so that support would be there for our local farms and small businesses when they needed it, and it’s great to see that support paying off for local farms like these.
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| Last week, Rep. Courtney visited Taylor Brooke Farm in Woodstock. Owner Linda Auger (right-center) and her daughter Nikki Auger (left) operate Taylor Brooke Winery and the new Taylor Brooke Brewery at the farm. They were joined by Emily Cole (left center), Connecticut State Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency. |
Taylor Brooke Brewery is the first brewery and taproom in Woodstock, they’ve got a long list of great beers and a menu that’s always getting updated, and they really support our local live music scene. They also share some great views with Taylor Brooke Winery, which is just up the hill. Big thanks to Linda and Nikki Auger for having us out and showing us around the farm!
Federal Funds Supporting the Arts in eastern CT
We passed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) in 2021 to help power our towns through the pandemic recovery, and it’s great to see those resources continuing to support our communities in all sorts of ways—from public works and essential services, to our police and first responders, and more. ARPA funding has also helped support some of the people who really make our towns great places to live: the artists, entrepreneurs, and creative small-businesses and non-profits in the arts and culture community. Last week, I met with several members of the Southeastern Connecticut Cultural Coalition (SCCC) to discuss how the Rescue Plan has supported their work while the recovery continues, and has helped them keep their doors open so that our communities can continue to enjoy great art and entertainment.
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| Rep. Courtney and his office have worked for years to help connect eastern CT arts and cultural organizations to federal relief funding and other opportunities. In December, Courtney’s office attended the Thrive! Cultural Coalition Conference to help people navigate federal grant opportunities. Rep. Courtney's Grants and Special Projects Coordinator Julia McGrath spoke with Sarah Kaufold, Artistic Director at the Consonare Choral Community |
I met virtually with a large group of organizations and artists from the SCCC – the Norwich Arts Center, the Lyman Allyn Art Museum, the New London Community Orchestra, New London Music Festivals, the Yellow Farmhouse Education Center, and more – for an update on how ARPA resources have helped fuel their work while the recovery continues. The Rescue Plan delivered relief funding directly to every town in eastern CT, and it’s been good to see those resources being used to support the arts. In New London and Stonington, we’ve seen more than 26 local small businesses, non-profits, and individual artists receive over $140,000 in support through the American Rescue Plan. In Norwich, more than a dozen artists and organizations have received over $90,000 in ARPA support, and recently the city announced that they’ll award another $500,000 from their remaining portion of Rescue Plan funding to the SCCC to support arts programs in our local schools and throughout the community.
From our playhouses and theaters, to our live music venues, our historic art galleries and more, these organizations and the artists who fuel them are a huge part of what make eastern Connecticut such a great place to call “home”. It’s been good to see them getting the support they need, and I’m going to keep working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure resources are there when they need them moving forward.
Catching Up with a Groton Company Supporting Our Navy in the Indo-Pacific
Right here in eastern Connecticut, ThayerMahan does crucial work to support our Navy and our allies in the Indo-Pacific. They manufacture maritime surveillance systems and operate them in the Philippine Sea from their facility in Groton. That’s one of the of the most trafficked areas in oceans around the world, and the data that ThayerMahan collects provides Navy ships with the information they need to navigate it. I stopped by on Wednesday to catch up with Chairman & CEO Mike Connor, and we met with lots of their young team members who are bringing innovative ideas to improve data collection. ThayerMahan is seeing lots of growth, and the contributions of these talented young people are a big reason why!
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| On Wednesday, Rep. Courtney visited ThayerMahan in Groton. Their maritime surveillance work supports our Navy presence in the Philippine Sea and their outstanding growing staff is bringing innovative ideas to get the job done |
A few weeks ago, it was announced that the U.S. was boosting our alliance with the Philippines through new military bases in the country. That really underscores the importance of ThayerMahan’s work in Groton. Thanks to the team at ThayerMahan for updating me on their expansion. There are so many new career opportunities for young people in eastern Connecticut, and the work they do in lots of those jobs is vital to our Navy and allies around the world.
Thanks for taking some time to ready my update. If we can be of any assistance, don’t hesitate to give my Norwich office a call at (860) 886-0139. Have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Joe Courtney
Member of Congress
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