VAX Facts

As of May 19th, 51.83% of the town’s population had been vaccinated with a first dose.

Stratford clinics have dispensed 11,876 vaccines to date. It’s important to keep in mind that we are part of a larger regional and statewide vaccination network and effort. Stratford does not vaccinate ONLY Stratford residents – many of residents and first responders have been vaccinated at locations outside Stratford, and conversely, many from outside of Stratford have been vaccinated here.

The Stratford Health Department offered its last mass vaccination clinic for those wanting the MODERNA vaccine on Wednesday, May 26th. This clinic was the last “first dose” clinic being offered. Corresponding (28 days later) second dose clinics will take place in June.

Anyone wanting a Johnson and Johnson vaccine can still make an appointment for June Wednesday clinics as it only requires one dose. For questions about the June Wednesday vaccine clinics, please contact the Stratford Health Department by email at health@townofstratford.com or by phone at 203-385-4090.

Statewide Covid-19 Vaccine Clinics:
To view a statewide list and map of COVID-19 vaccine clinics, go to: www.211ct.org/vaccineclinics, and enter your zip code or town in the location box on the right, and press the yellow search icon.

Telephone: Those without internet access can call Connecticut’s COVID Vaccine Appointment Assistance Line: 877-918-2224. The phone system is targeted to provide support for eligible vaccine recipients who have limited technology access, or who have language, disability, or other barriers that could prevent them from using existing self-scheduling options successfully. The line will take calls on Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and will offer a call-back option when all contact specialists are busy serving other callers. The team will aim to return calls as soon as possible, with the goal of same-day response.

Imporant: If you are having a second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, it must be of the same type as your first dose. The vaccines cannot be mixed.

Mayor Announces Changes to Masking and Distancing Guidance in Town Hall Effective May 24th
Mayor Laura R. Hoydick has issued changes to requirements on social distancing and masking in Town Hall and other Town buildings. In accordance with CDC guidelines and executive orders from Governor Ned Lamont, restrictions on social distancing and masking are relaxed for employees and for visitors to Town buildings.

Individuals who have been fully vaccinated for at least two weeks will no longer be required to wear masks indoors or to maintain 6-foot distance from others. Those who are not vaccinated, or have not yet been fully vaccinated for two weeks will continue to be required to wear masks and to maintain at least 6 feet of distance from others.

The Mayor noted that the Human Resources Department is maintaining records of employees who are fully vaccinated to ensure compliance with the new guidance.

New Guidance Changes
As of May 19, 2021, Connecticut’s protocols regarding masks and face coverings were updated to align with the recently modified CDC recommendations. The protocols that are currently in effect statewide are as follows:

Outdoors? Masks not required

Indoors: Vaccinated not required to wear masks, Unvaccinated must wear masks

Masks are required to be worn by everyone in certain settings such as healthcare facilities, facilities housing vulnerable populations, public and private transit, correctional facilities, schools, and childcare
Businesses and state and local government offices have the option to require masks to be worn by everyone in their establishments

In Memory To All Those Who Served and Gave Their Lives for Us

Memorial Day is an American holiday honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.

Source: History.com

Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season.

Early Observances of Memorial Day
The Civil War, which ended in the spring of 1865, claimed more lives than any conflict in U.S. history and required the establishment of the country’s first national cemeteries.

After the American Civil War, a battered United States was faced with the task of burying and honoring the 600,000 to 800,000 Union and Confederate soldiers who had died in the single bloodiest military conflict in American history. The first national commemoration of Memorial Day was held in Arlington National Cemetery on May 30, 1868, where both Union and Confederate soldiers are buried.

By the late 1860s, Americans in various towns and cities had begun holding springtime tributes to these countless fallen soldiers, decorating their graves with flowers and reciting prayers.

Each year on Memorial Day a national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time. It is unclear where exactly this tradition originated; numerous different communities may have independently initiated the memorial gatherings. And some records show that one of the earliest Memorial Day commemorations was organized by a group of formerly enslaved people in Charleston, South Carolina less than a month after the Confederacy surrendered in 1865. In 1966 the federal government declared Waterloo, New York, the official birthplace of Memorial Day.

Waterloo—which first celebrated the day on May 5, 1866—was chosen because it hosted an annual, community-wide event, during which businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers and flags.

Decoration Day:
On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance later that month. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed.

The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle. On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Civil War soldiers buried there.

Many Northern states held similar commemorative events and reprised the tradition in subsequent years; by 1890 each one had made Decoration Day an official state holiday. Southern states, on the other hand, continued to honor the dead on separate days until after World War I.

History of Memorial Day:
Memorial Day, as Decoration Day gradually came to be known, originally honored only those lost while fighting in the Civil War. But during World War I the United States found itself embroiled in another major conflict, and the holiday evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars, including World War II, The Vietnam War, The Korean War and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

For decades, Memorial Day continued to be observed on May 30, the date General Logan had selected for the first Decoration Day. But in 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees. The change went into effect in 1971. The same law also declared Memorial Day a federal holiday.

Memorial Day Traditions:
Cities and towns across the United States host Memorial Day parades each year, often incorporating military personnel and members of veterans’ organizations. Some of the largest parades take place in Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C.

Americans also observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries and memorials. Some people wear a red poppy in remembrance of those fallen in war—a tradition that began with a World War I poem.

In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

On a less somber note, many people take weekend trips or throw parties and barbecues on the holiday, perhaps because Memorial Day weekend—the long weekend comprising the Saturday and Sunday before Memorial Day and Memorial Day itself—unofficially marks the beginning of summer.

One of the Earliest Memorial Day Ceremonies Was Held by Formerly Enslaved People:
One of the Earliest Memorial Day Ceremonies Was Held by Freed African Americans: people recently freed from enslavement in Charleston honored fallen Union soldiers.

In a dusty Harvard University archive the late 1990s historians learned about a Memorial Day commemoration organized by a group of Black people freed from enslavement less than a month after the Confederacy surrendered in 1865.

In 1996, David Blight, a professor of American History at Yale University, was researching a book on the Civil War when he had one of those once-in-a-career eureka moments. A curator at Harvard’s Houghton Library asked if he wanted to look through two boxes of unsorted material from Union veterans.

“There was a file labeled ‘First Decoration Day,’” remembers Blight, still amazed at his good fortune. “And inside on a piece of cardboard was a narrative handwritten by an old veteran, plus a date referencing an article in The New York Tribune.

“The clubhouse at the Charleston racetrack where the 1865 Memorial Day events took place was the Washington Race Course and Jockey Club in Charleston, South Carolina. In the late stages of the Civil War, the Confederate army transformed the formerly posh country club into a makeshift prison for Union captives. More than 260 Union soldiers died from disease and exposure while being held in the race track’s open-air infield. Their bodies were hastily buried in a mass grave behind the grandstands.

When Charleston fell and Confederate troops evacuated the badly damaged city, those freed from enslavement remained. One of the first things those emancipated men and women did was to give the fallen Union prisoners a proper burial. They exhumed the mass grave and reinterred the bodies in a new cemetery with a tall whitewashed fence inscribed with the words: “Martyrs of the Race Course.”

And then on May 1, 1865, something even more extraordinary happened. According to two reports that Blight found in The New York Tribune and The Charleston Courier, a crowd of 10,000 people, mostly freed slaves with some white missionaries, staged a parade around the race track. Three thousand Black schoolchildren carried bouquets of flowers and sang “John Brown’s Body.” Members of the famed 54th Massachusetts and other Black Union regiments were in attendance and performed double-time marches. Black ministers recited verses from the Bible.

Return of the Stratford Main Street Festival

Saturday June 5, 2021

10:00 to 5:00 PM, Rain /Shine, Main St & Stratford Ave

The festival will feature a variety of food trucks, vendor booths, stage and street performers, musicians, rides, games, crafts, art works and other fair activities. The festival will be heavily advertised throughout the state as a major festival.

This year as an “added attraction” we are helping you:

Protect Yourself, Your Loved Ones and Your Community

Get Vaccinated for COVID-19

A free vaccination clinic is coming to make the COVID-19 vaccine more accessible to residents, so be on the lookout for the eye-catching yellow DPH Vaccination Van.

Stratford Main Street Festival June 5th 10-5 pm

Free Vaccination Clinic with Pfizer and Johnson Vaccines

No appointment necessary!

Vaccination is the best protection against the COVID-19 virus, and that is why everyone 12 and older is strongly encouraged to receive this truly lifesaving vaccine.

Previously, over 8000 people and 170+ vendors from all over have enjoyed this annual town-wide event of music, food, vendor booths, games, and children rides.  Please join us to celebrate the many organizations, programs, and services the Town has to offer.  We especially want to thank the Town of Stratford departments for providing the many public services that make this event so safe, clean, and successful.

Disability Parking:  The front lot of the Baldwin Senior Center at 1000 W. Broad Street is reserved for Disability Parking. Vehicles must have a valid Disability Parking placard in plain view on the mirror.

Public Parking: Is available on local side streets, Stratford Train Station, or a short walk from parking at the Shakespeare property or Stratford High School.

The Stratford Main Street Festival, was started by the Rotary Club of Stratford in 2011 as a community service project to replace the defunct Stratford Day.  Each year Stratford Rotarians volunteer to organize the Festival as a town-wide event to celebrate the many organizations, programs and services the Town of Stratford has to offer.

The proceeds from the Main Street Festival will support a variety of community efforts including high school scholarships, Thanksgiving food baskets, Lord’s Kitchen and Food Distribution for those in need.

Rotarians also provide a Dictionary for every Stratford 3rd grader, and a Thesaurus for every 5th grader. We fund or provide hands-on volunteers for projects servicing the needs of Seniors, special needs population, student education, homelessness, and environmental concerns.

Stratford Rotary Club is a charted club of Rotary International.  We are a charitable non-political and non-religious International organization open to all.

 

Opportunity for Public Service Diversity?

by Dr. Immacula Cann

A community may be measured according to many standards, including improving home values; a healthy and growing Grand List; the reputation of the school system for student achievement as measured by college admissions; property taxes staying stable or decreasing; and control of bond burden through careful planning and monitoring of annual capital borrowing.

One measure worthy of consideration but rarely expressed is “Community Engagement”, or citizen participation in public service on community boards and commissions. These are too often limited to a small number of residents, often political party insiders and friends of those in power. These same people show up on your ballot every November, defeating the idea behind term limits by moving from Town Council to

Planning Commission to Board of Education to Zoning Commission. When not elected, they turn to their friends in Town Hall to get appointed to one (or often several) non-elected boards and commissions.

These are all unpaid, volunteer positions and I appreciate those who give their time in service to Stratford. But we can’t solve our problems by doing the same old things. We need change in our town. And we need new blood, new ideas, fresh visions and perspectives to really serve Stratford. To do this, we need diversity on our local boards and commissions.

Recently, three positions on our Library Board came up for appointment. Two spots were set for Republicans, so the board would be balanced politically. They were both filled by former Councilmen who had also served on numerous boards and commissions, both appointed and elected. There were two Democrats with expiring terms and only one could be reappointed.

One of these volunteers is completely outside the political world. She is a teacher in the Stratford school system and had served on the Library Board with pride and distinction. She brought the perspective of a woman of color. The other candidate has also served the Board well. But the difference is he’s a former elected and appointed official, part of a very politically active family in town and he’s been very friendly with the mayor.

Guess who got the position.

The Mayor says that she supports community diversity. But minorities in her photos seem often used as “blackground” rather than necessarily participating at the table in decision making. The educator let it be known that she wished to continue on the Library Board and the Democratic Council members publicly supported her. It was an easy and golden opportunity for the mayor to practice the diversity she talks about.

Stratford has young, middle, and senior citizens of great diversity of backgrounds and culture, ones who have fresh views on how to move our Town forward. How does this decision provide encouragement to those who would serve today? How does this decision help the future for their fellow citizens of the community? We cannot let the same people keep doing the same things and expect a different outcome. It’s time for change.

Open Up Your Creative Being

Sterling House Community Center

Summer Art Classes

OOPs: Meeting Mix-up

The May 21st Stratford Crier misidentified two Stratford Town Council meetings.

The Stratford Housing Strategies Special Meeting on May 10th was assigned the incorrect minutes (Special Ordinance meeting notes).

Both articles are now corrected.

Thank you for your patience.
Your Frazzled Stratford Crier Editor!

The public hearing to discuss the results of the 2021-26 Housing Strategies For Stratford report prepared by the Stratford Housing Partnership committee which also included results of the Housing Partnership town wide survey conducted over several months.

Two speakers weighed in on the results of the report to the Stratford Town Council:

The first speaker, Kathleen Callahan remarks were:
My reason for calling in tonight is to express my gratitude and appreciation to the Stratford Housing Partnership for their rigorous work on the recently endorsed Housing Plan. Your efforts demand recognition. While reading the report, I was impressed by the depth of the survey, analysis, and recommended strategies. In days of deep partisan divide, this was a much-needed respite.

To the Council, mayor, and her administration, I ask you to accept the plan as endorsed and begin the hard work required by its recommended actions. As Councilwoman Shake wrote in a piece published today, there is no timeline defined for implementing solutions. I support her call – “for the sake of our seniors, our entry-level workers, and our insecure homeowners” – to act and act now.

Housing is always on the agenda of local governments but over the recent years it has become a controversial, partisan issue across the country and the state with the general assembly currently debating zoning legislation. I remain hopeful that my town of Stratford can see this as the Partnership did and begin to define implementation steps based on the needs of all residents.

I have found that when people are honest with themselves, we recognize that our sources of information for addressing a problem are usually ones that validate our initial opinions. Does inclusionary zoning improve the goal of affordable housing? I could search Google right now and find studies and data with outcomes that fit whatever I already believe, whatever any of you already believe.

I worked at our local homeless shelter for a brief time 6-7 years ago, while also working at a residential treatment center. My focus was on addiction services and what a surprise it was to learn of the Housing First model! Since Sobriety First was my view, this was a full-on paradigm shift for me… one that seems so obvious today. Housing is one of the most researched social determinants of health: there are improved personal and community health and economic outcomes related to better housing options and access.

I cannot imagine there is anything but agreement here that every Stratford resident deserves the dignity of a place to call home.

The second speaker was Barbara Heimlich, who spoke to the document’s findings:
If you are going to consider zoning changes it should be across all of the residential zones, just not in selected residential zones, e.g. any changes should apply equally to all those districts.

“You can still retain the character of the zone, even though every one of the 12 local districts build homes that did not meet our current zoning regulations on size.

We can’t build thousands of units to meet the states affordable housing goals without tear-downs, the town of Stratford does not own/have the land to do it. The state is calling for 4,000 units, that would call for something dramatic, again, we have no land.

Why isn’t the state not realizing we probably have more affordable housing per person than any town in Fairfield County.

The reason we are so affordable is because we went from being a small quaint New England community to being a “mill town” in the late 40s and 50s. Our housing was designed for working class families – capes with less than 1,700sq to meet the GI bill housing requirements, which is what most of our capes in Stratford are.

The state wants 10% of our housing to be affordable, right now we are 6.4%, if we get it up to 10% we would have a moratorium on our town meeting the standard which would not be dictated by a developer or state, we need 420 units to meet present state mandates.

We are not wealthy enough for public-private partnerships to be developed, The median income in Stratford is lower than other communities in Fairfield county and there is a need for housing options that are less expensive/more affordable.

About ½ to 2/3 of the housing survey participants indicated they were housing cost burdened (spent more than 30% of their income on housing costs), and ½ to 2/3s were concerned about their long-term ability to be able to afford to stay in Stratford.

Why are you having this special meeting, what is the time frame for us to make a decision? Where are the members of the Housing Partnership to explain the document they created and to provide information to residents and Town Council members interested in learning more about our obligations to the State of CT?

Editor’s Note: Stratford Housing Partnership consists of appointments made by Mayor Laura Hoydick. The members are:
Representative of the Zoning Commission Christopher Silhavey
Representative of Planning Commission Harold Watson
Representative of Inland Wetlands & Waterfront Commission Christopher Blake
Representative of Stratford Housing Authority Elizabeth Sulik
Representative of Economic and Community Development Commission Jennifer Sheldon
Member of the Local Business Community Desmond Ndzi
Member of a Public Interest Group Beth Daponte
Stratford Urban Planning Professional Susmitha Attota

The public hearing was then adjourned with the May 10th Town Council beginning at 8 p.m.
Note: The 2021-26 Housing Strategies For Stratford report prepared by the Stratford Housing Partnership committee can be found on the Town of Stratford website.

New Man in Town

Sterling House Hires Director of Youth Development

On June 1st Sterling House Community Center will be welcoming Michael Rosati, who will be joining Team SHCC as their Director of Youth Development!

Michael will lead their Youth Development Department – Preschool, After School, School’s Out – We’re In, and Summer Day Camp, in addition to new programming ideas and partnerships to expand our reach and deepen our impact.

Michael graduated this May from Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island with degrees in both Elementary and Special Education.

Michael has been a part of the Sterling House Camp Team for the past three years, last summer serving as Assistant Camp Director.

“He has proven himself to be a bourgeoning leader with high-integrity, a love for this mission, a passion for youth and community development, and the readiness to step up and serve.” Sterling House Community Center

Fame and Reputation is not Just for Athletes or Actors

By Joan Law
Feng Shui Joan’s Way
FengshuiJoansWay@gmail.com

Fame and Reputation is important Feng Shui. A focus on fame and reputation is not just for athletes, actors, and politicians. The energy around how one is perceived in a career, in a circle of friends, a neighborhood and a community is absorbed from and reflected back into the universe in powerful ways.

Validation and recognition for our efforts at work, home, and life helps us grow and sustain our psyche. We all need recognition in some form or fashion.

Phil Mickelson is top of my mind as I think about his celebrations after winning the final round at the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course, Sunday, May 23, 2021, in Kiawah Island, S.C.

What do people think about when they hear your name?

There is no doubt, one should be aware of one’s reputation in day-to-day living.

However, it is especially important for those looking for work. More immediately there is a huge number of folks who are thinking about returning to work after COVID Pandemic related layoffs and business closings. And with the month of May, we also have new graduates entering the workforce.

So, now is as good a time as any to reflect on what people think about when they hear your name. In a world seemingly dominated by “social media”, thinking about reputation is more important than ever. I think we all know “tweets” and “posts” can come back to haunt us.

My recommendation is to read whatever you are getting ready to put out there at least five times and ask these questions before you hit enter:

  • What would my family and closest friends think about this post?
  • What would my community think about this post?
  • What would my audience think about this post? (Note: this can apply to politicians, actors, athletes, retailers…basically anyone who has clients and is selling/representing a product, service, or brand.)
  • What would prospective employers think about this post?
  • Do I really want people to witness my frustration, anger, deeply personal feelings in such a public forum?

Note: Red Fame and Reputation Box at top/center of the Bagua
To influence the energy in the Fame and Reputation gua (area) in your home and office:

  • Like all gua’s, keeping this space clean, dusted, and free of clutter is important.
  • Decorate with up images, like hot air balloons, the moon, the stars and the sun, tall buildings etc.
  • The fireplace is especially helpful if it happens to be in this area of your home and office. If not, you can use candles and other symbols of fire here.
  • This would be the perfect place to showcase your diploma, certificates of recognition, and awards.

Think of your visits to a doctor’s office. Imagine the doctor with this diploma hanging behind is desk. Placed as a validation of the skills needed for the position, that diploma also creates a sense of confidence for the patient.

Speaking of Fame and Reputation, Google reviews are today’s “word-of-mouth” for many small businesses. If you haven’t left a review for a favorite small business, I can tell you first-hand they are invaluable.

I received the best review today. We all need a pat on the back occasionally. This testimonial brought tears to my eyes because this client’s experience is what I hope to bring to every consultation.

My new client said, “I chose Joan initially because her website indicated that she was a down to earth normal looking person who just happens to practice Feng Shui. I had had other experiences with Feng Shui practitioners in the past and my experience with Joan was the total opposite, and a breath of fresh air. Her unpretentious presentation and assessment of my life and HOME was extremely helpful to me. She made subtle changes that had almost an immediate impact on my general well-being. I was not asked to buy her crystals or any little Feng Shui gadgets! She gently probed personal situations in my life and offered constructive ideas on how I might make changes to those when I feel ready. I would highly recommend Joan if you are looking to sell your home, or just to live comfortably in your own home. She is a real find, and right here in my backyard in Fairfield County”!

Teen Time for Vaccine

The Covid-19 Vaccine Is Coming to the South End Community Center

Thursday, June 3rd, 8am-12pm

Are you between the ages of 12-17? If so, you are eligible for a no cost vaccine clinic at the South End Community Center vaccinating individuals ages 12+. Individuals ages 12-17 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian at their vaccination appointment.

The South End Community Center, located at 19 Bates Street, is taking appointments. Call 1-833-275-9644 to schedule your appointment. After you select your preferred language, please select option 1 from the main menu and tell the operator you would like to schedule an appointment at the South End Community Center on June 3rd, 2021.

Please bring a form of ID, mask, and insurance card if available to your appointment on Thursday, June 3rd.

Protect yourself and your family with a safe vaccine.

We Should Be Doing Better

Stratford Designated a Distressed Municipality

Did you know Stratford has been designated a Distressed Municipality by the State of Connecticut?
Do you know why?

Other than reading information posted on Facebook and other social media sites, including news publications, is all you know is that because of this designation Stratford was awarded over $4.7 million?

A recent Letter to the Editor authored by Stratford resident Rachel Rusnak clearly presented Stratford’s “Dis-honor” of being designated a Distressed Municipality.

“In a blow to the residents of Stratford for the second time in 15 years, we have the unfortunate distinction of landing on the State of Connecticut’s Distressed Municipalities list. A dis-honor I’m sure most of us would have rather avoid; we find ourselves among the top 25 impoverished communities out of 169, and one of only two in Fairfield County.”

Rusnak also noted “Stratford last appeared on the list in 2012, under the guidance of former Mayor Harkins. Since then, in 2018 the Yankee Institutes’ “Assessing Municipal Fiscal Health in Connecticut” identified Stratford as the third worst-off municipality in the state, based on general fund balances, long-term obligations, pension contributions, and changes in unemployment rates and property values.”

Overview:
Stratford ranked #24 out of 25 municipalities (out of 169 towns and municipalities) in the State that are considered Distressed.

Updated annually, the Distressed Municipalities’ lists identify the state’s most fiscally and economically distressed municipalities and are used by state agencies to target funds for needs which may include housing, insurance, open space, brownfield remediation and economic development programs, among others.

The lists develop statistical indicators measuring the fiscal capacity of each municipality based on:

  • Tax base
  • Personal income of residents
  • Residents’ need for public services

According to C.G.S. Section 32-9p, a distressed municipality should be based on “high unemployment and poverty, aging housing stock and low or declining rates of growth in job creation, population, and per capita income.

Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) Methodology:

Weighted components are summed to measure the rank of the 169 towns. For each component, every town is ranked from 1 to 169, with the best town scoring 1 and worst 169. The top 25 towns with highest total scores are designated distressed municipalities.

DECD’s components and weight:
1. Per capita income for 2018, weight 1;
2. % of poverty in population for 2018, weight 1;
3. Unemployment rate for 2019, weight 2;
4. % change in population from 2000 to 2010, weight 1;
5. % change in employment from 2009 to 2019, weight 1;
6. % change in per capita income from 2000 to 2018, weight 1;
7. % of house stock built before 1939 in 2018, weight 1/3;
8. % population with high school degree and higher in 2018, weight 1; and
9. Per Capita Adjusted Equalized Net Grand List in 2020-2021, weight 1.

DECD additionally included:
(1) Level of Per Capita Income
(2) % of population with high school degree and higher and
(3) .Per Capita Adjusted Equalized Net Grand List (AENGL) to arrive at its ranking.

Data sources: Census 2000, Census 2010, 2014-2018 Census American Community Survey 5-year Estimates, DOL, DOE

2020 Distressed Municipalities Rankings
Ranked by Score

Ansonia 1417 1
Waterbury 1378 2
New London 1366 3
New Britain 1359 4
Derby 1347 5
Hartford 1309 6
Bridgeport 1304 7
Bristol 1292 8
Windham 1283 9
Torrington 1281 10
Sprague 1275 11
Norwich 1238 12
East Hartford 1228 13
Montville 1216 14
Griswold 1212 15
Voluntown 1203 16
East Haven 1202 17
Winchester 1184 18
Meriden 1180 19
New Haven 1180 20
Putnam 1165 21
Preston 1159 22
West Haven 1153 23
Stratford 1151 24
Chaplin 1150 25

Prepared by DECD Research September 2020

Thanks to our distressed status Stratford is on track to receive an additional $4,719,720 from the Distressed Municipalities pot, which is funded via state bonds, and in this fiscal year through the Cares Act. (The Mayor’s Proposed 2022 Operating Budget misidentifies this revenue as “State Covid Funding”, however, the Governor’s budget is very clear that this funding is a result of Stratford being identified as a “Distressed Municipality”.)

Question: As a Stratford Resident is this how you want our Town to be labeled?

What do you think we should do to move Stratford Forward?
Please comment via: Editor@stratfordcrier.com
Thank you.