June, 2021
Greetings!
Your copy of the Asylum Hill Neighborhood Association 'News & Views' has arrived! You will find that you can easily go to any subject in the table of contents by just clicking on it or just browse through the articles as you wish. Please have a look. 
AHNA News & Views
June  2021 
 

From The Director

From The House

Exploring Asylum Hill

Asylum Hill Then & Now

Volunteer of the Month

Events and Opportunities

Events Calendar
Next Meeting
The next meeting is Monday June 7th at 6:15 PM. The meeting will be held utilizing Zoom software.
The Zoom e link for that meeting will be
From The Executive Director
David MacDonald
Dr. Torres will speak at next AHNA General Meeting
 
AHNA’s next General Meeting is Monday June 7 starting at 6:15pm. We will welcome a special guest, Superintendent Dr. Leslie Torres who will speak about how AHNA can better support our neighborhood schools and the students who reside in Asylum Hill. What we learn will help us develop better strategies to support the students in Asylum Hill and guide our work supporting improvements in education over the next ten years.
From The House

Time to Make Voting Easier in Connecticut

By Rep. Matt Ritter

The House of Representatives recently approved two important resolutions that will place constitutional amendments on the ballot in coming elections for voters to consider allowing early voting and "no-excuse" absentee ballots.  
Exploring Asylum Hill - 85 Sigourney Street
A few months ago we featured 85 Sigourney St with a photo from 1981, which was right before Aetna built their training center there. Employees from all over the country came on a regular rotation to have their skills and knowledge of the “Aetna way” updated and refreshed.
Since then, the building, all 367,406 sq’ of it, has served several purposes. 
Asylum Hill Then And Now
286-288 Sigourney Street
Volunteer Of The Month - Wheeler Clinic and Greater Hartford Legal Aid
One of the ironies of the Pandemic relief package, and the CARES Act, especially for those hardest hit and most in need of assistance, was that to qualify they needed to have filed with the IRS. Often the poorest with no real income, don’t file because they don’t have any taxes to pay. However access to the grant money in the CARES Act requires people to file so that the IRS has them in the system in order to send them funds. For some families this could be more than $10,000. 
Plimpton House to Become Homeownership Opportunity

On Friday June 4th at 11:00am a small crowd had gathered on the front lawn of the Plimpton House. Given the podium, the PA speakers and the number of cameras present, it would be something important. It was better than that. It was a press announcement by The Hartford to show the newest acquisition by NINA of an historic 19th Century mansion that will become an owner occupied home in the next 12 months.
Two Asylum Hill Events June 5th

First up, Hartford Blooms will be providing a tour of Katharine Hepburn’s neighborhood. Few people are aware that along with Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe, Katharine Hepburn’s early home was here in Historic Asylum Hill! The event will take place from 9:00 am - noon on Saturday, June 5th. For tickets call 860-422-7937. The tour will begin at 9:00 am in the parking lot behind Saint Joseph’s Cathedral, which can be accessed from Asylum Avenue between the Webster Bank entrance and Cathedral Green.  
Then at 6:00pm at the Knox Community Garden on Niles Street there’ll be A FREE Kick-Off & Sign-up event about composting. Why does Hartford need to save and compost local food scraps? The answer is key to our City’s future!  
Rental Assistance

The CT Department of Housing has garnered the commitment of $235 M dollars from the US HUD specifically to be distributed to eligible CT renters who as a result of COVID owe money to their landlords or utilities companies. The CTDOH has created an online portal/application process and has partnered with 13 social service agencies in the state (3 in greater Hartford) to help tenants apply.

At AHCC on Sunday June 13th from 12-3 PM the state's Mobile Technology Bus will be parked in the AHCC parking lot equipped with 10 computers so that Asylum Hill neighbors can learn about the program and get help completing the application online. 
Events Calendar

Please click on the following link to go to our online Events Calendar.
From the Editor

If you have any comments, suggestions or submissions please contact me via email at communications@asylumhill.org 
 
Sincerely, 
Paul O'Mara Communications Committee Chair
Stay Connected

         
Send emails directly to AHNA at info@asyluhill.org

To visit our website click on the following link. AHNA Website

To visit our Facebook page go to 'Asylum Hill Living' group page.
 
AHNA| [Website]