Enfield Council Republicans Give Cold Shoulder To Warming Center, Drawing Rebuke: “Shame on You”

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Enfield Town Council via YouTube Sept. 15 2025 The Town Council Republican majority blocked an effort to restore funding to the Enfield Safe Harbor Warming Center, which provides overnight stays for the homeless during the cold months. At the Sept. 15 meeting, Councilwoman Cindy Mangini (D) asked the council to reinstate a $13,000 town grant to Enfield People for People Inc. (EPFP), which operates the warming center at St. Patrick's Church. Funding for the center is usually included among the town's grants to other service organizations, such as Enfield Food Shelf. But the funding was removed in the 2026 budget that took effect July 1.  The group says the loss of a $13,000 town grant will strain its ability to serve the homeless this winter. What the Loss Means for the Warming Center "EPFP will continue to operate as planned," said Deacon Paul Robert, the group's treasurer, in an email. "Some on the Council who wish it were otherwise will be disappointed....
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Enfield finally gets its own Central Park

 

Freshwater Pond Enfield CT

The improvements to Higgins Park, the area behind the town hall, are giving Enfield something it never really had: a central park. This park is large enough for community events and gets many of them.

The town is adding parking, exercise stations, and "potential additional walking trails, a sidewalk connecting the upper and lower parking lots, and a brick-paved courtyard that would be built behind Enfield Express," reported the Journal Inquirer on Aug 5th. The new bandstand also seems complete.

Enfield has a lot of open space and walking areas, especially around the Scantic River area, but it's never really had a park that the entire town could call its own. Brainerd Park, in the northern part of town, is more of an area for that neighborhood. It's never been a place for town-wide activities.

Enfield's central park (i.e. Higgins Park) is especially attractive because of its connection to the walking path across from the town hall along Freshwater Brook that leads to Freshwater Pond. The area is gorgeous this time of year.

Also, wouldn't it be wonderful if there was some way to extend the Freshwater Brook trail to the mall area? A place for walkers and bikers that also extends to the train station. I can't imagine that happening very easily, if at all, but it's the type of thing Enfield needs if it wants to become a walkable community.
Location: Enfield, CT 06082, USA

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