THE MANSFIELD

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w w w. m a n s f i e l d c t . g o v

Town Hall will be closed on

Feb. 20 for President’s Day.

Storrs Farmers Market at

the Library, Saturdays, Feb.

4 & 18, 3-5 PM.

There’s always a free kid’s

program at the library on

days that schools are closed.

Do you have questions about

the town’s budget?

Go to Open Mansfield

and get answers!

Our Mission: Eastern Highlands Health District is committed to enhancing

the quality of life in its communities through the prevention of illness,

promotion of wellness and protection of our human environment.

The Eastern Highlands Health District (EHHD) serves as the municipal

health department for ten towns in Eastern Connecticut. It was formed

in 1997, under the directive of the Town Managers from Mansfield and

Coventry. The goal is to pool resources in order to provide smaller towns

with access to full-time public health services at a reduced cost. A Board of

Directors, representing each member town, governs the Health District.

Member towns include: Andover, Ashford, Bolton, Chaplin, Columbia,

Coventry, Mansfield, Scotland, Tolland, and Willington.

EHHD offers a wide variety of programs and services which support their

mission to prevent illness and promote wellness. Environmental programs,

disease control, emergency preparedness, and health promotion are a few of

the ways EHHD serves our community. EHHD enforces all state and local

(Continued on page 2) Signs For Sale! The town has replaced street

signs and the old ones are being

sold to help those in need.

The green signs with white

lettering will be sold for a

minimum donation of $20.

The white signs with black

lettering will be sold for a

minimum donation of $40.

All proceeds will be placed in a

Special Needs fund in support

of residents of all ages.

Interested? Call Karen in the

Human Services Department at

860-429-3315.

The Opioid Epidemic: Our Communities, Our Concern

Wednesday, Feb. 8 at Tolland High School Auditorium

5:30 PM Resource Fair, 6:30 PM Featured Speaker, Greg Williams

Greg Williams is a national recovery leader,

director of the award-winning film

The Anonymous People and the recently

released film Generation Found.

There will be a panel discussion with audience

questions and answers as well as a resource fair

that will include a NARCAN demonstration and

training, a drug take-back station and represent-

atives from local support programs and service

agencies. For more information or to arrange

child care, call 860-429-3325.

environmental health codes

through permitting, licensing, and

inspection programs. They seek

out community partnerships and

grants to fund health promotion

programs to increase wellness in

our communities. EHHD

develops state-mandated Emer-

gency Response Plans to ensure

that critical resources will be coor-

dinated efficiently and effectively

in the event of a large-scale

emergency. Other public health

functions include septic system

inspections, water quality moni-

toring, food protection, and data

collection and analysis.

Current initiatives include:

Providing a higher level of

customer service through the

development and implementa-

tion of an online permitting

platform. The online plat-

form, which is scheduled to be

launched this spring, will

allow people to conveniently

file and pay for select permits

without having to come into

the EHHD office in the Town

Hall. Residents will have the

ability to submit applications

24 hours a day, and track the

status of their application in

real time. The platform will

allow staff to more easily track

(Continued from page 1)

Technology Safety

Info Session Make sure the kids are safe online.

Wednesday, Feb. 15, 6:30 PM

Mansfield Senior Center

Mansfield Advocates for Children

(MAC) is offering a free session for

the community to learn about how

to keep kids safe in their use of

technology.

That App Does What?

This session will cover topics such

as what various “apps” do, strate-

gies for monitoring kids’ internet

and social media use, and how to

prevent access to certain apps and

websites. Interactive demonstra-

tions will be featured as well.

Childcare will be provided at no

cost. There’s no need to register

ahead of time. The program will be

facilitated by Adam Delaura, sys-

tems librarian for the Mansfield

Public Library, and Sarah Dufresne,

Outreach Social Worker for the

Town of Mansfield.

Here’s a great app!

Mobile Printing Printer not cooperating? Send your

print jobs to the Library’s printer

via the internet. There are 2 ways

you can print from your computer

or mobile device to the library’s

printers: Mobile printing using the

web portal or via email.

Visit mansfieldpubliclibraryct.org

(click on the About tab) or

call 860423-2501 for assistance.

Monday 8:15-4:30

Tuesday 8:15-4:30

Wednesday 8:15-4:30

Thursday 8:15-6:30

Friday 8 - 12

Town Hall Hours:

projects, financial resources,

and better manage workflow.

Another key initiative is in

response to the national and

local opioid crisis facing

America. EHHD will be

sponsoring The Opioid Epi-

demic: Our Communities,

Our Concern on Wednes-

day, February 8, 2017 at the

Tolland High School Audito-

rium. Doors open at 5:30PM

to a resource fair featuring

health program and service

providers from around the

region. Award winning film

director Greg Williams, a

national recovery leader, will

speak at 6:30PM.

For more information on

events or additional re-

sources, please call

860-429-3325 or visit the

EHHD website at

www.EHHD.org.

For your viewing pleasure…

Public Meetings on

Cable Channel 191

Charter Cable Channel 191 is

Mansfield's local government

access television station. The

channel's programming alter-

nates between an informative

message board and broadcasts of

some of Mansfield's public

meetings (both live and record-

ed). Recordings from the past

month of Town Council meet-

ings are available on-demand at

Town Hall Streams.

You can pick which meeting

to watch. For meetings older

than one month, please fill out

a Freedom of Information

request with the Town Clerk.

Crown Communities Award

Storrs Center Continues to Impress

American City & County has awarded the

Town a Crown Community award for the

development of Storrs Center. This annual

award is presented to several local governments

across the United States for execution of the most

innovative and impressive community projects.

Projects submitted to American City & County for

consideration are judged by uniqueness and value to

the community, as well as effective financing.

In 2001, the Town, UConn, and local businesses

collaborated to prepare an action plan for the devel-

opment of Storrs Center. Using the Mansfield Down-

town Partnership as the catalyst to oversee the plan-

ning and development of the Center, stakeholders

worked tirelessly throughout the years to gather com-

munity input about the project’s design and to organ-

ize its construction. “The public-private partnership

approach we took was essential to construct the pro-

ject according to our collective vision of a New Ur-

banist downtown,” Town Manager Matt Hart says.

Fast forward 15 years and the final phase of develop-

ment has been completed. The 47.7-acre, mixed-use,

pedestrian-oriented downtown district is now in full

operation. On top of the abundance of both rental and

for-sale homes, Storrs Center offers extraordinary

opportunities to businesses looking to take advantage

of premier proximity to UCONN, a uniquely captive

market, and an aesthetically pleasing locality.

Developed with a 671-space parking garage as well

as a public transportation center, Mansfield’s new

downtown district is an ideal place to congregate and

come together as a community.

New Rental Housing Web Page

We are happy to announce the development of a

brand new webpage dedicated to providing

information about rental housing regulations!

Visitors to the page are also provided with links to the

comprehensive set of regulations the Town has adopted

to mitigate the impacts associated with rental housing.

The Town has also compiled extensive amounts of

resources for both landlords and renters, as well as

information specific to student renters.

As rental housing continues to play a significant role in

Mansfield’s economic identity so does the need for

clarity regarding the roles and responsibilities of both

landlords and renters. The Town’s new rental housing

website provides critical information regarding

registration, inspections, occupancy, and

associated town ordinances. It also

provides additional links to important

forms and documents as well as answers

to some frequently asked questions

regarding rental properties. Questions? Contacts are

listed on the page to further assist you. Visit

www.mansfieldct.gov/ and search for “rental housing.”

New! Permit Guide

Are you aware of the types of permits

and applications involved with your

next project?

In 2014, the Mansfield Economic Development

Commission launched an initiative aimed at under-

standing the challenges and opportunities faced by

local businesses. This experience revealed that a major

issue facing local business owners was the complexity

of the permitting process. What do I need a permit for?

Who do I have to meet with? Is there a fee involved?

This desire for greater clarity sparked an idea with

Commission members- why not create a comprehen-

sive permitting guide to help people to navigate this

process? So, the journey began.

We are proud to announce, that after over a year clari-

fying, simplifying, and designing, the Town of Mans-

field permitting guide is complete. This comprehensive

guide is intended to provide further clarity and

direction to the permitting process. This manual

provides step-by-step direction, reference diagrams,

and important contact information that is guaranteed to

take the added stress out of your next project or

business venture. Betsy Paterson Square in Storrs Center, at a rare quiet

moment. For activities in Storrs Center, click here.

Town of Mansfield, Connecticut

Audrey P. Beck Municipal Building

4 South Eagleville Road, Mansfield, CT 06268

mansfieldct.gov 860.429.3336

Parks and Recreation

Annual Valentine's Dance

Friday, Feb. 3, 7—9 PM

UConn Rome Ballroom

Open to any Parent or Guardian

and daughter. Pre-registration is

encouraged. Daughters are free!

Winter Family Fun Nights

Friday, Feb. 10, 5:30-8:30 PM

Family Inner tube Water Polo!

Giant inflatables in the gym, ping

pong, tot toys, puzzles, games,

open gym & poolside basket ball!

No fee for members, daily fee for

non-members.

Free Mansfield Days

Friday, Feb. 12, 5:30-8:30 PM

Mansfield residents visit for free

with proof of residency.

Family Paint

Nights

Saturday, Feb. 25

4—6 PM

Acrylic paint so

dress for a mess!

Each participant paints a 16” x

20” canvas. Supplies and step-by

-step instruction provided. Fee.

Artist for this month: Franz Marc

Storrs Winter Farmers Market

Open twice a month from

December through April.

The Market is held from

3 to 5 PM at the library.

2017 Winter dates:

February 4 and 18

March 4 and 18

April 8 and 22

For more info:

storrsfarmersmarket.org

Mansfield Public Library

Tween/Teen Program:

Paper Circuit Cards

Saturday, Feb. 11, 2:30 – 3:30 PM

Experiment with simple circuitry

and make a cool light-up card for

Valentine’s Day! For our middle

school and high school patrons, no

registration necessary, but supplies

are limited, so please arrive early!

History, Lore & Legacy of the

Civilian Conservation Corps

Camps in Connecticut

Thursday, Feb. 16, 6:30–7:30 PM

Author and historian Marty

Podskoch will give a presentation

of his new book on the The Civilian

Conservation Corps (CCC) which

began on March 31, 1933 under

President Roosevelt’s “New Deal”

to relieve the poverty and

unemployment of the Depression.

Cultural Showcase – Egypt

Saturday, Feb. 18, 2 – 3 PM

Admed Elsherif, a Storrs

resident, will present the

sites and sounds of his

homeland, Egypt.

With 5,000 years of

history, its pyramids,

tombs, and ruins, Egypt’s

extraordinary mysteries

bring revenue of nearly $13 billion

in tourism.

Green Cleaning

Thursday, Feb. 23, 6:30 PM

Participants in this workshop will

learn how to avoid chemicals found

in common cleaning products and

make their own for eco-friendly

cleaner safe for people, pets, and

the environment.

Mansfield Senior Center

AARP Tax-Aide

Assistance Program This program provides free tax

preparation to older tax players

with low to moderate income.

Tuesday and Thursday appoint-

ments are available starting in

February. Call 860-487-9870 to

schedule your appointment.

FoodShare Distribution

Thursday, Feb. 2 and 16

11:30–12:15

Parking Lot of 303 Maple Rd.

Bring your own shopping bag!

Chinese New Year Luncheon

Friday, Feb. 10, 12 PM

A home cooked meal to celebrate

the year of the Rooster. Buy your

$7 ticket by February 7. No tickets

sold at the door.

UConn Women’s Basketball

Tailgate Party

Saturday, Feb. 11, 1 PM

Pre-game tailgate food.

The game starts at 2 PM.

Buy your $5 ticket by

Feb. 8. No tickets sold at the door.

Valentines Luncheon and

Entertainment

Wednesday, Feb. 15, 12 PM

Bruce John will

perform classic love

songs following the

meal. Buy your $7

ticket by February 8.

No tickets sold at the door.

Tai Chi for Health and Balance

Tuesday, Feb. 21, 1-2:30 PM

A free demonstration with Joe

Pandolfo, please join us.

February Events and Activities in Mansfield