The Hispanic community came together at the Garde Arts Center last month to celebrate the successful launch of Hola New London, a Spanish-language newspaper published inside The New London Times published by The Day Publishing Co.

Tony Sheridan, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut, took the moment to announce the formation of a Latino division of the local business association. He added that the division will require three to four volunteers to get off the ground.

Sheridan said it’s important to have a newspaper like Hola New London because that is where communication in any community starts.

“You are making an impact not only in New London but also in Hartford, and that’s very important,” Sheridan said.

“If we’re coming back as a state, it’s because of communities like you,” added state Sen. Paul Formica, R-East Lyme.

“This is just the beginning,” vowed state Rep. Chris Soto, D-New London.

Soto said he’s being asked all the time about what’s going on in New London.

“There’s energy there ... there is something happening, and this is the example.”

Soto announced that Liberty Bank has committed to sponsoring a Small Business Academy done all in Spanish. He added in an interview before the speeches that between 50 and 60 Hispanic-owned businesses dot New London, involving a wide range of enterprises from barber shops to professional services.

Angela Peralta, a bilingual teacher in New London Public Schools, said Hola New London involves a team of collaborators who meet and “share our talents and above all our hearts.”

She urged the business community to continue to support the Spanish newspaper.

“The only way we will go farther ... is to work together,” she said.

Hola New London is the first Hispanic newspaper in the history of New London, said Leopoldo Navarro, a teacher at New London High School. But he added that just because it had come out now for 13 weeks doesn’t guarantee that it will continue on.

“If we don’t collaborate on this newspaper it will not continue,” he said. “We will be foolish if we allow this to happen. ... We need to continue to support it.”

l.howard@theday.com