Connecticut
Hamden Town Council deliberates over Gaza ceasefire resolution
Hamden’s Legislative Council may be the latest municipality in Connecticut to pass a nonbinding ceasefire resolution in Gaza.
The council held a public hearing which lasted into the overnight hours Tuesday and went into recess. And while no decision was made, the resolution has proven to be divisive within the town.
Former town councilman Justin Farmer supports the ceasefire and said Hamden residents are indirectly funding Israeli assaults on Gaza, which have killed thousands of civilians.
“It’s a question of what are our taxpayer dollars going to, what is our moral obligation to that,” Farmer said.
The resolution, which is nonbinding, is largely ceremonial, but advocates say passing one would put pressure on elected officials to support a ceasefire within the federal government which continues to support military aid to Israel.
If Hamden passes a resolution, it would follow the communities of Bridgeport and Windsor, the only two municipalities in the state which have passed ceasefire resolutions.
But opponents, many of them Jewish Americans or Israeli Americans, oppose the resolution due to seeing it as a distraction from town issues or as an antisemitic act.
Hamden Mayor Lauren Garrett, a democrat, has not publicly said if she supports or opposes the resolution.
Dominique Baez, president of the town’s legislative council told CT Public it would take a recess to further discuss the resolution after an at times contentious multi-hour public speaking session.
Many who spoke at the session, like Benjamin Scolnic, the Rabbi at the Temple Beth Sholom in Hamden, opposed the resolution. Scolnic said a municipal council has little knowledge of foreign affairs, a common view among opponents, and would only pit Hamden residents against each other.
He also struck a conciliatory tone with supporters of the resolution. He said he wants to engage with and understand them.
“You are in pain,” Scolnic said. Let us hear and respect that pain. But you must understand that we are in terrible pain, too,” Scolnic said.
The resolution itself, introduced by councilmember Abdul Osmanu says various actions the Israeli military has taken since the October 7th attacks, could plausibly be considered a genocide, citinga recent U.S. District Courtorder, and the International Court of Justice.
Eddy Martinez
/
Connecticut Public
But while the language of the resolution also condemns antisemitic acts such as threats made against the Mishkan Israel Synagogue, and Islamophobic and anti-Arab American attacks, the document has been controversial for supporters of Israel.
Some protesters carried banners saying peace is possible if Hamas, which attacked Israel on October 7th, killing at least 1,200 Israelis, surrenders its weapons.
But the attacks are also part of a long running conflict which intensified after the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 and has led to tit-for-tat killings of Israeli and Palestinian civilians.
Opponents said the resolution does nothing, but at least one supporter, Francesca Maria, a member of the Connecticut Democratic Socialists of America, said doing so sends a message to the president.
“We’re hoping that these local efforts can apply pressure on our federal electeds and the Biden Administration and show them the will of the people and public opinion has turned and that their position is untenable,” Maria said.
Ceasefire supporters throughout the country have previously said they would withhold support for the Democrats in a presidential election year if the administration continues to supply military aid to Israel.
While opponents and supporters spoke and sometimes shouted each other down, other officials have yet to make definite comments. Mayor Garrett issued a carefully worded statement calling for understanding.
“I believe this is the start, not the end, of an important community conversation,” Garrett said. I am working with a facilitator to bring Faith and Community leaders together to have this essential conversation.”
Connecticut
Florida High School State Bronze Medalist Dajah German Verbals To Connecticut For Fall 2027
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Florida high school state bronze medalist Dajah German has announced her verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Connecticut beginning in the fall of 2027. She publicized the news on SwimCloud, writing:
I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Connecticut! I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported me throughout this journey, my family, coaches, teammates, and friends who have pushed me to be my best throughout the years. And a very special thank you to Coach Chris and Coach Nicole for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I’m so excited for what’s ahead. GO HUSKIES!
A rising senior at Fort Lauderdale High School in Florida, German trains year-round with Swim Fort Lauderdale and primarily specializes in the sprint and middle-distance freestyle events.
German has improved each year of her high school career, most recently dropping from 23.78, 51.39, and 1:50.56 in the 50/100/200 free to 23.54, 51.35, and 1:49.69 during the 2025-26 short course season.
German’s top meet of the season was the Florida Senior Championships in March, where she recorded her current PBs in both the 50 and 200 free. She finished second in the 500 free (4:55.94) and 1650 free (17:02.78), third in both the 50 free and 200 free, and fifth in the 100 free (51.43). She set her current 100 free PB at a smaller holiday meet in December. In the 500 free, she clocked a season-best 4:55.21 at the Speedo Cup in January, with her lifetime best of 4:53.19 coming at the 2025 Florida Senior Championships.
German has qualified for the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) State Championships for the past three years, with her top performance coming at the 2025 iteration in November. She placed third in the 50 free (23.96), fifth in the 500 free (5:01.12), and helped Fort Lauderdale to fourth place in both the 200 free relay (24.64 leadoff) and 400 free relay (53.08 anchor).
Top SCY Times:
- 50 Freestyle: 23.54
- 100 Freestyle: 51.35
- 200 Freestyle: 1:49.69
- 500 Freestyle: 4:53.19
A Division I Mid-Major program, Connecticut competes in the Big East, with the women’s team placing second out of seven teams at this past season’s conference championships. German’s current lifetime bests would have placed third in the 200 free, fourth in the 500 free, eighth in the 50 free, and ninth in the 100 free, setting her up as an immediate contributor with two full seasons of training still ahead before her first conference meet.
German joins Anna Mumford, Lyla Devlin, Lena Brown, and Louisa Holda in committing to the Huskies’ class of 2031 so far.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].
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Here are the forecast details for northern Connecticut via the National Weather Service:
Today: Sunny, with a high near 80. Light west wind increasing to 6 to 11 mph in the morning.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: A chance of showers before 2pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 2pm and 4pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 4pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 76. Calm wind becoming southeast around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Monday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 59. Southeast wind around 8 mph becoming southwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
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