INNER-CITY NEWS

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

Blumenthal, Fight ForNAACP Puerto Rico Financial JusticeMurphy a Key Focus at 2016 Convention INNER-CITY NEWS July 27, 2016 - August 02, 2016

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Harp Backs State Party Purge THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

by PAUL BASS

New Haven Independent

Primary the disloyal Dems. And let the governor make the tough decisions.

That was Mayor Toni Harp’s latest message to her former colleagues in the state legislature.

On her latest appearance on WNHH FM’s “Mayor Monday” program, Harp, a former state senator, endorsed a move by freshman Democratic State Rep. Joshua Elliott to support primary challenges to incumbent legislators of his own party who fail to commit to progressive positions.

And she supported a threatened veto by Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy of a bipartisan bill passed

Monday to restore $54 million that had been cut in the current state budget to cover Medicare costs for 113,000 seniors and people with disabilities.

Elliott, a 33-year-old freshman legislator from Hamden, ruffled feathers by distributing a questionnaire to his colleagues with the aim of supporting challenges to those who don’t commit to a $15 minimum wage, paid family and medical leave, increased income taxes on millionaires, and legal marijuana, among other left-ofcenter provisions. The move drew criticism even from some liberal members of his party, who warned that the Democrats can’t risk losing seats in moderate or conservative districts and therefore risk

losing control of the legislature.

Elliott responded that the Democrats need to stand for a coherent progressive vision to which voters will respond.

Harp Monday sided with Elliott. She cited the defection this past session of a handful of conservative, suburban Democrats who included Branford Rep. Lonnie Red and Milford Sen. Gayle Slossberg to help the Republicans pass their version of a budget and reject the Democratic budget. She also cited a vote on which those same Democrats voted with Republicans to change the state’s Affordable Housing Statute “I would agree with” Elliott, Harp said. “It’s hard to do business when people in your own party

PAUL BASS PHOTO Mayor

Harp at a briefing on the recent blizzard.

see things differently than you do. I don’t want to target any one person.

But the truth of the matter is these are people who don’t represent our

values. Why should they be supported?”

have children. As their friends also started to marry and eventually have children, her then-husband asked her to revisit the idea.

Her mind hadn’t changed. But her fate would change about four years into the marriage.

“I knew before I took the test,” she said when she discovered she was pregnant. “I knew it. I cried for two days.”

They weren’t tears of joy, but she wasn’t willing to terminate the pregnancy. She went through the pregnancy “dutifully,” not particularly excited about the process of growing a baby she was certain she didn’t want.

But when her son Seth arrived, she fell in love.

“This baby’s amazing,” she said, drawing a chuckle from the audience. “He is all the things. He’s gorgeous. He smells good, and he’s fun.”

But while she was “growing in love as a mother,” she was “falling out of love,” with her then-husband, she said. The marriage broke up.

In the early days, she was angriest with her ex-husband for making her the very thing she never wanted to be: a single mother.

She said it wasn’t the love story that she envisioned. But her love for her son helped her embrace motherhood.

She said she named her son Seth, deliberately because the biblical Seth was “God’s promise.” The meaning of his name is something that she now reminds him of regularly as they navigate systems, particularly school, where they are both confront-

ed with labels like “aggressive,” and “out of control,” when his behavior is in question.

Motherhood has been hard for her, she said, but not necessarily in the way that she thought. It’s been hard to confront the fact that people don’t see her “really tall, really big, little black boy” the way she sees him.

She said it has been her job to remind Seth, who will soon be 11, that he “is not bad, not a problem, not a behavioral issue.”

“That’s not the name I gave to you,” she said she tells her son. “You’re God’s promise.”

“There’s always a happy ending,” LeveyBurden told the crowd. “I get to be his shield and his rear guard. I get to tell people how to treat him. That is a love I didn’t know I had the capacity to give.”

She also found romantic love again and got married in July.

When State Sen. Gary Winfield got up to tell his story Monday night, he remarked that is was amazing that he and LeveyBurden hadn’t talked beforehand, given the similarities in their stories.

Winfield opened his story with the demise of his first marriage back in 2014.

A 20 plus year relationship or 8,522 days from the first date to the day he found himself in divorce court ended in the blink of an eye. That night when he couldn’t sleep. He decided to have a talk with God. He told the crowd Monday night that in that conversation he said he didn’t want to meet another woman for at least two years.

That is unless God had a different plan.

“Someone said something about not block-

Love Changed Their Plans

by MARKESHIA RICKS

New Haven Independent Entrepreneur Kia Levey-Burden was adamant that she would never be a mom, especially a single one. State Sen. Gary Winfield always wanted to be a dad but never thought it would happen after a first marriage failed.

Before a gathering Monday night in Newhallville, Levey-Burden and Winfield told the stories of how love and faith brought each of them the unexpected adventure of parenthood.

They did so as part of Storytellers New Haven, a monthly series that invites people from the community to tell a story about their lives to their fellow community members. Monday’s event at ConnCAT was the third since the inception of the venture created by husband-and-wife team Karen DuBois-Walton and Kevin Walton.

DuBois-Walton said Storytellers New Haven is an outgrowth of the community conversations that were held around the city after the last presidential election and the Waltons’ affiliation with the Graustein Community Leadership Program. Like those conversations, the series is designed to bring a diverse group of people from all over the city together to learn more deeply about their neighbors.

“This is our offering to the New Haven community as a way of coming together,” she said. “There are 130,000 residents in the city and there are that many plus stories.”

Levey-Burden, a native New Havener and founder of a consulting company called

Launch, told the crowd of nearly 50 people Monday that she had a lot of plans for herself at an early age particularly around love. But being a mother was not among those early imaginings.

“I knew I wanted to be a wife,” she said.

“I knew we would have the kind of wonderful relationship that writers write about and storytellers talk about. But I knew that I never wanted to have children, even as a teenager.”

Though she loved children, after seeing her own mother through a tumultuous marriage and then widowed at age 30, LeveyBurden said she swore off motherhood.

“She had three children who were not the

easiest to raise,” Levey-Burden recalled of her mother. “As I got older and reflected, I knew I loved her for what she did for us, I honored her but I did not want to be her. It just looked too hard.”

She swore it off again when she discovered herself pregnant at 19, during her sophomore year at college in North Carolina. Rather than stay with her boyfriend at the time and keep the baby, she came home to Connecticut. And she said for many years she never told her mother why she had decided not to return to school in that state.

When she did finally get married, she made sure to discuss her desire to not

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

Blumenthal, Murphy Fight For Puerto Rico

by CHRISTOPHER PEAK CT. Junkie News

New Haven has already welcomed hundreds of Puerto Ricans fleeing the devastation Hurricane Maria left last September. But even more evacuees could soon arrive in the Elm City.

Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, back from a visit last week to Puerto Rico, communicated that message at a town hall meeting at Fair Haven School on Friday evening, in which they thanked volunteers and asked them to prepare for even more new arrivals.

The senators told the crowd of nearly 60 people, including two state representatives and four alders, that the many Puerto Ricans still lack electricity, clean drinking water, and even tarps to cover their blownoff roofs. Unable to stick it out, more are fleeing the island. As the senators left the island on Tuesday, they heard that the airport logged the highest number of passengers since before the hurricane hit, he added.

“The exodus is getting bigger, not smaller,” Murphy said. “There’s a realization that it’s not getting better; the money’s not coming. There’s not panic but a sense of despair, and that could cause a tipping point.”

Government staffers and advocates, in turn, said that their small agencies are already struggling to keep up with the evacuees’ need for housing, healthcare, and schooling here. But they said they’d welcome even more Puerto Ricans into New Haven, as they’ve done at rallies and fundraisers over the past months.

The senators said an upcoming budget resolution could provide much-needed re-

CHRISTOPHER PEAK PHOTO Richard

Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, at a town hall meeting on Puerto Rico.

lief, directing billions of dollars in aid to the American territory and the communities on the mainland that have stepped up to take in evacuees.

“We’re not only dealing with what happened on the island, but also with what’s happening at home,” Daniel Diaz, the school district’s parent advocate, told the senators. “It’s affecting so many people that need help.”

A couple weeks after Hurricane Maria hit, Blumenthal visited Puerto Rico, surveying the wreckage from a helicopter.

On the recent visit, he said, the island didn’t look much better.

“The first time, what we saw was whole areas destroyed, towns completely decimated, community centers wiped away and schools crushed,” he said. “There’s been some progress, but I have to tell you, as I boarded that plane to come

home, I was furious and heartbroken for the people of Puerto Rico. They should be angry that, as fellow Americans, they’re treated with such abysmal and abject neglect. If this situation prevailed in New Haven, there would be an uproar. There would be riots in the street, and rightly.”

In one dense neighborhood in San Juan, the capital city, the lack of electricity keeps whole blocks dark, Blumenthal said. Generators light a few homes and solar panels power a community center, but that’s it. The blackouts have shut down hotels, keeping tourists out. The lack of electricity has also shut down factories, curbing the production of medical devices, he said.

Mold is creeping through waterlogged buildings, leading to a spike in asthma, Murphy said.

Raw sewage also regularly floods from a waterway blocked by downed trees and other debris that nobody’s bothered to clean up, Murphy added. Blumenthal pointed out that flooding was going on long before. “This unfair treatment of Puerto Rico predates the hurricane,” he said.

Sitting across from the senators, one recent arrival said she’d just given birth to a baby a month ago. Her husband came to visit over the holidays, but he plans to return to Puerto Rico in a week and a half. There are no resources in Puerto Rico, so his wife had to come here, the husband said in Spanish.

Led by Mayor Toni Harp, the city brought together dozens of agencies to respond to the hurricane. “It was unbelievable to see the compassion of people who were worried sick about those com-

ing here without resources,” said Rick Fontana, the deputy director of emergency operations.

The Board of Education took in 181 new students, including several highschool seniors, Diaz said. And Junta for Progressive Action met with nearly 300 families, setting them up in local hotels and offering winter clothes and gift cards, said Alicia Caraballo, the executive director. An Amazon truck also passed out $15,000 worth of toys, bed sheets, deodorant, towels and diapers.

“Daily, we’re getting calls from Puerto Ricans there who are desperately trying to get here, she added. “We tell the families we can support and help you in many ways once you’re here, but getting from there to here is another issue.”

The senators said that financial help could come through a supplemental assistance package that they plan to fight for next month. Another $60 billion is needed, according to the government’s estimate, Murphy said. And he plans to make sure it’s earmarked for that purpose, rather than leaving it up to the Trump administration to split up the dollars with Texas.

They also want to repeal a provision in the Republicans’ recent tax bill that added a 13 percent tax on items manufactured in Puerto Rico and boost Medicaid reimbursement rates to stabilize a healthcare system that’s hemorrhaging doctors.

To get the bill passed, Republican senators, like Florida’s Marco Rubio, need to hear stories directly from Puerto Rican evacuees, both senators said, as they asked attendees to reach out to their friends in red states.

“Washington could use some lessons in

New Haven Museum to Host Storytelling for Peabody Museum MLK Celebration

The New Haven Museum will host storytelling and activity tables as part of the Yale Peabody Museum’s 22nd Annual “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Legacy of Environmental and Social Justice,” on Monday, January 15, 2018, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Located at 114 Whitney Avenue, the New Haven Museum is steps away from the Peabody Museum, at 170 Whitney Avenue.

Admission is free.

Held in honor of Dr. King and his efforts to ensure environmental and social justice among all people, activities planned by the Peabody Museum include world-class performances, a teen summit, a poetry slam, and educational activities for visitors of all ages. More than two dozen community organizations participate with activity or information tables.

The storytelling sessions at the New Haven Museum include engaging tales by: • 11:30 a.m.: Clifton Graves - “Chickens and Eagles” • 1:00 p.m.: Waltrina Kirkland Mullins -

“We’ve Come a Long Way! - Celebrating the Legacy of Dr. King” • 2:00 p.m.: Joy W. Donaldson - “Martin Luther King: In Word and Song” Visitors can also enjoy the New Haven Museum’s permanent exhibit, “Cinque Lives Here: The Amistad Story,” which features the most significant collection of material from the Amistad incident (1839-1841). It includes the portrait of Sengbe Pieh/Joseph Cinque, leader of the revolt; the painting of the schooner La Amistad; a letter from Kale, one of the captives; and a letter to the captives from John Quincy Adams, who argued successfully on behalf of the Africans before the US Supreme Court and secured their freedom.

“Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Legacy of Environmental and Social Justice” is a two-day celebration organized by the Yale Peabody Museum each year. For more information visit: http://peabody. yale.edu/

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

Cowboys Fans Bring Bikes, Toys & Football Love To Preschool

bike.

When Essence Tucker’s name was called, the 5-year-old rushed to the front of the room to pick up her new pink bike. Parting the crowd of black-and-blue-clad Cowboys fans, she peddled back across the room to her cubby, where her dad was waiting with a hug.

by THOMAS BREEN

New Haven Independent

Essence Bennett arrived at preschool on Thursday expecting a regular day of reading, singing and naptime.

The Newhallville 5-year-old left preschool at the end of the day with a free new bicycle, courtesy of a local group of hardcore Dallas Cowboys fans who are as dedicated to community service as they are to professional football.

On Thursday afternoon at the Harris and Tucker School, a preschool, afterschool and childcare center on Newhall Street near the Hamden border, the CT Cowboys Fan Club held their first ever toy drive and bicycle give away.

The 16-person group of Dallas football fans gave away eight new bicycles and dozens of new toys to the Harris and Tucker students as parents, teachers and other Newhallville community members looked on in support.

The club was founded in February 2016 by a group of New Haveners who love the Dallas Cowboys, have been watching games together for years, and wanted to turn their football fandom into something more than just a weekly celebration of their team of choice.

Though they do do plenty of that.

Every Sunday, the club meets at Charlie and James Place on Dixwell Avenue to root on the Cowboys.

They travel together to attend Cowboys games in person at least once per season, having just gotten back from a trip to Atlanta.

Outside of the sports bar and the football stadium, they direct their group cohesion towards charitable events.

They participated in the 2017 Walk to End Alzheimers down at Lighthouse Point in September, then walked in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer fundraiser a few weeks later.

Earlier this year, they held a clothing and food drive for the homeless at Marrakech, Inc. on Whalley Avenue.

We want to be a very communityoriented fan club,” said club president Juan Gardner at Thursday evening’s toy drive. “This is about football, but it’s also about giving back to the community, and in particular about helping kids.”

A Newhallville native and former school security guard who is currently training to be a correctional officer, Gardner said he has been a

Nappier Not Expected To Seek Reelection

John P. Thomas Publisher / CEO

Babz Rawls Ivy

Editor-in-Chief Liaison, Corporate Affairs Babz@penfieldcomm.com

Advertising/Sales Team Trenda Lucky Keith Jackson Delores Alleyne John Thomas, III

Editorial Team Staff Writers

Christian Lewis/Current Affairs Anthony Scott/Sports Arlene Davis-Rudd/Politics THOMAS BREEN PHOTO

Contributing Writers

Essence Bennett gets a brand new bike from the CT Cowboys Fan Club.

David Asbery Tanisha Asbery Jerry Craft/Cartoons Barbara Fair

Dr. Tamiko Jackson-McArthur

PAUL BASS PHOTO

State Treasurer Denise Nappier.

by STAFF

Harris and Tucker School director Kim Harris leads Thursday’s toy giveaway.

Cowboys fan his whole life. His alltime favorite Cowboy? Butch Johnson. “I’m old school,” he said with a smile.

Club Road Captain Marvin Bennett, who works during the day at the Knights of Columbus and during the night at Yale-New Haven Hospital, said that it’s pretty easy to convince club members to pitch in for charitable events.

“If you can spend a few dollars on a beer on a Sunday afternoon,” he said, “then you can buy a bike for a kid.”

With their Cowboys hats, tattoos, and matching leather vests covered in Cowboys arcana, including a patch representing longtime Dallas coach Tom Landry’s trademark fedora, the club members filled the back area of the childcare center with the recently purchased bikes and boxes of Christmas-wrapped toys.

Kim Harris, who is the director of

the school, the chair of the Newhallville Community Management Team, a 2017 Democracy School graduate, and the sister of CT Cowboys Fan Club Vice President Kevin Wormley, presided over the gift giveaway, raising her hands and saying, “Quiet on the set,” whenever the dozens of children present started making too much noise.

Before the kids got their gifts, they first gave out a few. As part of the school’s regular “heroes luncheon” celebration of local police officers, firefighters, and other community leaders, several students gave commemorative photo albums to Fire Chief John Alston, City Clerk Michael Smart and Newhallville Alder Delphine Clyburn.

Then the kids got their turn. Harris drew names from a hat as she raffled off the gifts. One girl got a plastic toy oven. Another boy got a new black

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Another top elected office is opening up in state government, as State Treasurer Denise Nappier has reportedly decided not to seek a sixth fouryear term.

Nappier is expected to announce her decision on Wednesday, according to someone familiar with her plans.

Nappier was first elected to the job in 1998, becoming the nation’s first African-American female state treasurer. She has easily won reelection since as the state’s chief financial officer, who oversees the management of $63 billion in state funds. She served five terms as treasure of the National Association of State Treasurers and advocated nationally for corporate governance reforms. In 2017 she announced significant gains in the state’s retirement plans and trust funds despite market instability.

Nappier’s expected announcement follows a similar decision by another apopular Democratic constitutional officer, Attorney General George Jepsen, not to seek reelection in 2018.

Nappier’s decision will also increase pressure on Democrats to include one or more candidates of color on the 2018 ticket in what promises to be a tough election year for the party.

Michelle Turner Smita Shrestha William Spivey Kam Williams Rev. Samuel T. Ross-Lee

_______________________

Contributors At-Large

Christine Stuart www.CTNewsJunkie.com Paul Bass New Haven Independent www.newhavenindependent.org

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

“YouA Trip Gotta Know What You’re Doing” To The Hill Museum of Arts - Ali Oshinskie, The Arts Paper Straight down New Haven’s Congress Avenue, then down a tree-lined street, then down a fat asphalt driveway, that’s where you’ll find the Hill Museum of Arts.

It’s there that Gregory “Krikko” Obbott has decided to display his life’s work, a series of giant pencil cityscapes that line the walls. Rather than finding a museum to show the pieces, Obbott—who prefers to go by Krikko—decided to build his own. For that, he’s been able to feature not just his pencil drawings, but works from the artistic journey that led to them.

The tour starts in his lobby, on the other side of a large, creaky front door with pillars on both sides. Bright white columns rise to the third floor rafters and warm light streams in, illuminating the drawings. Guests find themselves face-toface with The Super Big Apple, an aerial view of New York City that measures 20 x 15 feet. In it, New York City stands as it was in the 1990s, with Manhattan dipping out into the viewer’s field of vision.

Landmarks crowd the space: the Empire State building and heavy bridges, with Lady Liberty saluting her viewers from the drawing’s right. Krikko spent years (and 2,496 pencils, he said) working on the piece, which includes 10,000 buildings and 150,000 windows.

The Super Big Apple is just Krikko’s starting place. Across the room hangs a scene of New Haven, measuring 20 x 10 feet. It too is incredibly detailed, with tiny people walking down Crown, College and Elm Streets. Itty bitty students hoist up their backpacks and businesspeople their satchels and briefcases.

There are scenes that still ring true, like a hot dog vendor parked in front of the courthouse on Elm Street.

In creating the museum, Krikko said he sought a space large enough to both hang his drawings and display his multimedia talents. He’s also a skilled saxophonist—he lists Coltrane as an influence and talks frequently about his love for abstract music. Some days as he works or leads tour groups through the museum, tracks from an original jazz album that he recorded with his friends play from a speaker up on the third floor.

Krikko drew his first cityscape as part of a school project in 1980. Originally from Surulere, Nigeria, he moved to America in 1974 to study architecture at University of Southwestern Louisiana (now known as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette). There, he learned techniques that he still uses today. He makes schematics to plan out his drawings and only works on small sections of the drawing at a time. Since his first drawing, his work has only grown in size and popularity. His larger-than-life drawings

are made famous by widely distributed prints, shrunk down to postcard size.

His background in architecture isn’t just useful for drawings, he said in a recent interview at his museum. He also designed and restored the museum in 2013.

He said that the choice to do so was personal: he has lived in the Hill neighborhood for over 20 years, close to and in the museum’s digs on West Street. When he started looking for a place to hang his drawings, he didn’t have to look far to find the right location.

A then-vacant carriage house on West Street was protected by the city for it’s historical architecture. Residential developers looking to build apartments had been turned down, said Krikko—“So I came up with the concept” to do something else with it.

“I’m gonna use it for an art studio,” he told city officials. “From an art studio, then it evolved to a museum.”

He reopened an expanded museum, with plans for a nearby garage, in stages between 2013 and 2015. The renovations were an undertaking: longtime friend and assistant Curtis Woods did the wiring and plumbing, and friends and neighbors helped with construction. In the next few years, he plans to open an animation studio in the empty garage out back for local kids to create and build art in.

He has a pre-rehearsed tour, ready for groups that enter the space. The first two stories of the three-story house are filled with Krikko’s art, mostly drawings of

cities and buildings with a few portraits in the mix. The second floor houses a gift shop, a corner filled with postcards and prints of his drawings.

But it’s up on the third floor where Krikko spends most of his time; his studio and home are there. His decision to live in the space was motivated by his hunch, fed by decades of experience, that creativity may strike at any time.

“There’s no way you’re gonna live in the suburbs and come here and draw for a few hours,” he said in a recent interview.

“You gotta draw at night. I was up at 2:30 last night drawing.”

From the across the open airspace on the third floor, he called to Woods, sitting in the stairwell below.

“Curtis! Ask him. Where do I sleep?,” Krikko said.

“Under his drawing!,” Wood shouted back.

That drawing, still nascent, is a new perspective of New York City. On the third floor, panels sit on a desk suspended by chains from the ceiling. Unlike his Super Big Apple, Krikko has shifted the perspective to sit above Central Park with the rest of the city shrinking in the distance.

At this workbench, the scale of Krikko’s work is broken down. The drawings are done in sections, on 60 x 40 inch pieces of four-ply paper. Next to the four sections on the table are tattered maps, frayed and retaped, and his collection of pencils.

On a recent tour of his desk, Krikko

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grew quiet, leaving the sounds of his shading and the recording of his jazz group to fill the silence. He was working on the Columbia University neighborhood, shading a section, rubbing the paper with a blending stump, a stick of tightly wrapped felt paper, and then glancing at the map before he repeated the process.

“It’s almost like you’re dancing, your hands have to move in rhythm,” he said. Only the tip of the Staedtler pencil touched the desk to avoid smudging.

“Staedtler, Staedtler pencils. Staedtler is the best!”

The love is reciprocal: His work is featured on Staedtler’s advertisements and pencil packages. And that kind of expanded vision of his work, he said, dovetails with the expanded museum, and an equally expanded mission statement.

“I’m an artist, I couldn’t be that reserved, you know, otherwise you incubate creativity and energy,” he said.

“You gotta come out of the box.”

Stetson Library: The Next Chapter HELP STETSON LIBRARY MOVE INTO THE NEW Q HOUSE “We don’t just need a place for books—we need a space for people to learn, to be challenged, to come together.

A library is not just a home for books, it’s a home for the community.” - Diane Brown, Stetson Branch Manager

Thanks to a generous challenge grant from the Seedlings Foundation, you can double the impact of your donation. All gifts between $50 - $10,000 will be matched dollar for dollar!

Donate online at nextstetson.org or by check to: NHFPL Foundation - Stetson Library, 133 Elm St, New Haven, CT 06510 The NHFPL Foundation is a 501(c)(3) exempt organization; gifts are fully deductible under federal tax regulations.

T:9.25”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

A Federal Court has ordered Altria, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, Lorillard, and Philip Morris USA to make this statement about low tar and light cigarettes being as harmful as regular cigarettes.

T:10.5”

• Many smokers switch to low tar and light cigarettes rather than quitting because they think low tar and light cigarettes are less harmful.

They are not.

• “Low tar” and “light” cigarette smokers inhale essentially the same amount of tar and nicotine as they would from regular cigarettes.

• All cigarettes cause cancer, lung disease, heart attacks, and premature death — lights, low tar, ultra lights, and naturals. There is no safe cigarette.

CRC1-GEN-17-05147-11-StatementC-9_25x10_5.indd 1

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11/14/17 12:44 PM

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

Homicide Rate Hits 50-Year Low Deymar Gets Into Trouble

by PAUL BASS

New Haven Independent

Chief Anthony Campbell Monday credited strengthened supervision in the police department, more focused targeting of potential criminals, and increased collaboration with other law-enforcement agencies for helping New Haven end another year with lowered crime rates.

The city ended 2017 with seven reported homicides. That’s the lowest reported number in over 50 years, lower than the eight homicides reported in 1985 and 2003. The annual rate had risen as high as 34.

Reported non-fatal shootings also dropped from 63 to 61 in 2017, continuing a steady six-year decrease, Campbell said, even though increased use of the Shotspotter system recorded some incidents that may have gone undetected in the past. The number of

shootings is also hovering at a halfcentury low, Campbell said, with this year’s number second only to the 60 reported in 2013.

Violent crime decreased nationally in 2017. But homicides doubled in both Hartford and Bridgeport this past year, with 29 reported in the Capitol city and 23 in the Park City.

Officials in New York City, which recorded its lowest homicide rate in decades, attributed the trend in part to efforts by Big Apple cops to focus crime-prevention efforts on the small group of likely offenders rather than broader “stop-and-frisk” techniques.

New Haven has benefited from a similar approach, Chief Campbell said Monday. Through the federal-statecity “Project Longevity” initiative, cops share information about known perpetrators of violent crimes and their associates, and jointly plan enforce-

ment actions.

“Stop and frisk and you offend a majority of people” who are innocent, Campbell said.

Federal and state law enforcement agents meet weekly through Project Longevity to coordinate their efforts.

In addition, a new intelligence team comprised of New Haven, Woodbridge, Hamden, North Haven, East Haven, and West Haven cops is now meeting four days a week at 1 Union Ave. to compare notes. That has made a big difference in identifying and catching crooks, such as a man responsible for a rash of robberies earlier this year committed throughout the region, Campbell said. “Criminals don’t respect geographic boundaries.”

Campbell also said the department benefited as well this year from having a strong supervisory command structure “finally” in place.

Social Services Chief Resigns

by PAUL BASS

Martha Okafor is leaving City Hall at a time when ambitious social programs she has helped put together tackling domestic abuse and incarceration of nonviolent offenders, for instance are taking shape.

Okafor’s last day of work as community services administrator (CSA), a top city position overseeing social services, is Friday.

Mayor Toni Harp said she has found a permanent replacement, from outside the current city bureaucracy, but can’t yet reveal the name. An interim director, probably deputy CSA Sheila Carmon, will probably serve in the meantime, pending discussions with union leaders, Harp said.

“She felt like it was time for her to leave,” Harp said of Okafor. “She’s done a really good job here. We wish her well.”

Okafor said she plans to stay in the area, at least for now, while she “pursue[s] other opportunities.”

She said she feels “grateful for the opportunity to serve and have really met tremendous people,” including city alders and not-profit leaders and neighborhood residents, in her four years on the job. “I’ve learned from them as well as hopefully contributed positively in their lives.”

Harp, who as a state senator had worked with Okafor, a native of Nigeria, on public-health legislation,

Martha Okafor

by ANEURIN CANHAM-CLYNE

recruited her from Georgia in her first term to take the CSA post.

Okafor oversaw the development of a program called Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD). Modeled on a similar program in Seattle, it aims to divert drug users and prostitutes from prison sentences. It is being rolled out in Downtown and the Hill on a experimental basis.

Okafor has also been working with the police department on a domestic violence initiative for Harp’s new term, for which the city received a federal grant. She said she is also proud

of efforts to combat food insecurity, to promote financial literacy, to train 300 grassroots people in mental health first aid, and to develop new parent leaders in six city neighborhoods. Under Okafor, CSA has contracted with churches to operate warming centers during winter storms and reworked the city’s approach to spending money on homeless services. She has at times clashed with others in City Hall, including a former grantwriter, Carmon, and the head of a prison reentry program, over job performance.

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ANEURIN CANHAM-CLYNE PHOTO Deymar was excited to get his hands on Trouble at school Tuesday. A classmate, who got a remote control helicopter, wasn’t as sure he would get to enjoy his gift.

“It says ages 10 and up,” the classmate said upon inspecting the wording on the helicopter toy box, “but I’m only 8.”

Deymar’s fourth grade class joined students from kindergarten on up in the cafeteria of John S. Martinez for a Three Kings Day celebration hosted by the New Haven Hispanic Firefighters Association. About 250 students participated.

The association has organized celebrations like this every year since its founding, Rafael Zayas said. Zayas, a captain in the fire department and president of the association, said the event enables students of all backgrounds to engage with Latin American culture and celebrate the holiday together. The New Haven Hispanic Firefighters Association organizes the celebration at a different school each year.

Zayas said that when he was a kid, Three Kings Day was an exciting holiday. The three kings — people dressed as the wise men who visited the baby Jesus in Bethelehem — would deliver presents during the night, like Santa Claus.

“We’d put a box of hay and water under our beds every Three Kings Day, and their camels would eat the hay and drink the water and leave us presents,” Zayas told the assembled students Tuesday. While Zayas

spoke, the other firefighters set up bags of gifts on the stage in the cafeteria, at Zayas’ signal, the firefighters opened the curtain on the stage.

“Do you all like presents?” Zayas asked the students, who cheered the reveal.

Despite the curtain, Deymar noted, the students had known they would get presents.

Before the students got their new toys and games, Mayor Toni Harp addressed the room. The story of the three kings, Harp said, recognizes the importance of every child, and offers a chance to show kids how special they all are.

Principal Luis Menacho said the event presented no challenges, as the firefighters did all the organizing. Menacho said he was happy his school had a chance to host the event, and that it reflects the school’s diversity and inclusivity at John S Martinez.

“We’re united, and we celebrate all cultures,” Menacho said.

State Reps. Al Paollilo and Juan Candelaria and Fair Haven Alder Joe Crespo played the kings, and handed out presents with the firefighters Tuesday.

Candelaria thanked the firefighters for putting together the celebration, as it provided an opportunity for students, firefighters, and community members to engage with their cultural heritage.

Zayas added that this Three Kings Day offered a chance to help students who moved to New Haven after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

Lincoln-Bassett Honors Stand-Up Dads

by CHRISTOPHER PEAK New Haven Independent

William Lathrop’s parents weren’t involved in his education. When he started playing hooky, ditching class as soon as his teacher marked him in homeroom, he didn’t hear about it. “I did what I wanted to,” he recalled. “I had Fs.” Soon, he stopped going altogether, and it took a three-month stint in jail for him to realize he needed to get his GED. Now, as a stay-at-home dad with a son and two daughters, Lathrop walks his daughters to class every morning, makes sure they finish their homework, and communicates the importance of schooling.

“I don’t want my kids to go through what I did,” Lathrop explained. “It’s not whether the school wants me there or not. It’s about me being involved in their education.”

Along with DeShanin Coleman, the father of a kindergartner with special needs, Lathrop is one of the first recipients of Lincoln-Bassett School’s new Parent of the Month award. In a drive to engage more parents, the school is recognizing the moms and dads who get involved in their kids’ education.

The first awards were given in a ceremony two days before Christmas break.

But unexpectedly for an award about engagement, the honorees are not always the ones who logged the most

volunteer hours. Instead, in the last two months, the certificate has gone to two dads, largely for being a visible presence at Lincoln-Bassett, a place where guys aren’t usually as involved.

Keith Young, the school’s parent engagement director, said he’d chosen to recognize the two guys because their involvement felt “real,” not like role models on television. Students might hear from someone wearing a suit and a bow-tie, he said, but the ones who connected with the elementary-school students were relatable guys like Lathrop and Coleman, two single dads who’d turned their lives around. They were men who’d do anything for their kids, despite facing incarceration, evictions and divorce, and the kids could sense that, Young said.

Lathrop has been raising his 14-yearold son, a student at Barnard, as well as 9-year-old and 5-year-old daughters, both at Lincoln-Bassett, alone since last January. That’s when his wife left him after an 11-year marriage. He quit his job making sandwiches at People’s Choice to take care of his kids.

“I’d like to be working,” he said, “but I don’t have anybody to deal with my kids.”

With his extra time, he’s gotten involved in the PTO, helping to put on fundraisers like a recent coat drive and events like Daddy’s Night Out. He chaperones on field trips and occasionally stops by the lunchroom.

“I wish I could be here all the time. I

CHRISTOPHER PEAK PHOTO

Parents of the Month: William Lathrop and DeShanin Coleman.

really do,” he said.

Through his involvement, Lathrop’s hoping to get a job in the school kitchen on day. And he hopes his daughters can get a scholarship through New Haven Promise to go to college.

“Everybody should be involved in their kid’s education. You got some parents that just don’t care. They send their kids off to school for however many hours a day, and even when they come home, they still don’t participate in their life,” Lathrop said. “That’s

kind of hard for me. My advice to parents that want to get involved is to go to the front office, try to find a counselor and get information. Just ask questions.”

That’s exactly what Coleman did when his five-year-old son, who’s been diagnosed as hyperactive, started at Lincoln Bassett. He too has been raising his kid as an only dad. His wife walked out one day, saying, “By the way, he’s not yours.”

“It didn’t matter to me, because I was

taking care of him from the day he was born,” Coleman said. “I just stepped up and did what I had to do.”

But that doesn’t mean raising his son alone has been easy, he stresses.

He worked two jobs, as a dishwasher at Yale’s Graduate Club and a cook at Burger King. He wasn’t eligible for a promotion at the fast-food chain because of his record. He’d used the Alford Doctrine, by which he denied his Con’t on page 05

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

Mullins Elected Worshipful Master

by Frank J. Andriulli, III Secretary of Annawon Lodge

At its annual year end election, Annawon Lodge, #115 Ancient Free & Accepted Masons of West Haven have elected Brother Steven R. Mullins, 43 to serve as Worshipful Master for the year 2018. He succeeds Worshipful Brother Frank Mangiero, who has served as Worshipful Master for the past two years. Mullins has been a member of Annawon Lodge since 1998.

In Masonic Lodges, the Worshipful Master is the senior officer of the Lodge. He sits in the Oriental Chair in the East, where he presides over business meetings, rituals and ceremonies of the organization.

“I am truly humbled and honored that the brethren of Annawon Lodge have put their trust and confidence in me to lead them in 2018.” Mullins said in an interview. His father, grandfather and great-grandfather were freemasons.

Mullins is a longtime West Haven civil servant. He is currently the city’s longest serving Planning & Zoning Commissioner and has been elected either Chairman or Vice Chairman of the Commission since 2012. He has

also served as West Haven Justice of the Peace since 1999. Until last week’s change of Mayoral administration, he served on the West Haven High School Building Committee, where he was Chairman of the Finance Sub-Committee.

Mullins is a communicant of the former Christ Church, now Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit in West Haven, where he served ten years as a vestryman, Junior and Senior Warden. He is President of the Southern Connecticut Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians.

He is also a member of the Allingtown Volunteer Fire Association.

For the last three years, Mullins has chaired the West Haven Black Heritage Celebration at West Haven City Hall.

Annawon Lodge was chartered on March 24th., 1873 in the Village of West Haven in the Town of Orange. The Lodge’s first location was on the second floor of what is now called the Altshuler Building on the corner of Campbell Avenue and Main Street.

As Worshipful Master, Mullins follows in the footsteps of such notable West Haven citizens as former First Selectman Elmer R. Scranton

PHOTO CAPTION: The Hon. Steven R. Mullins in full MaAsonic Worshipful Master Dress Regalia, with gavel in hand. PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Randall

and educator Harry M. Bailey.

Mullins will be installed in an elaborate and colorful ceremony, presided over by the Reverend and Brother Bruce Bellmore, Right Worshipful Grand Junior Deacon of the Grand Lodge AF&AM of the State of Connecticut. The rites will include a farewell to Mangiero, honoring his tenure as Master. The ceremony will take place on Saturday, January 6th 2018 at noon at the West Haven Masonic Building, 263 Center Street, (former Knights of Columbus Building) West Haven. Dinner and reception are immediately following.

In addition to Mullins, other officers being installed are Senior Warden Richard X. Biela, Junior Warden Kyle J. Podpolucha, Treasurer Gerald A. CalabrItto, Secretary Frank J. Andriulli, III, Senior Deacon Michael J. Cotela, Jr., Junior Deacon Mark Homburg, Senior Stewart Anthony P. King, Marshall James V. Jennette, Tiler Jonathan Belmont, Historian William K. Barr, Chaplain Richard C Memmott, Jr., Trustee Frank Mangiero and Almoner Robert Gundersen..

The attire for the Installation Ceremony business casual and is open to the public.

Harp Sworn In, Warns Of “Storm Clouds”

by PAUL BASS

New Haven Independent

Toni Harp kicked off 2018 by taking the oath of office for her third two-year term as mayor and invoking a different year, 1968, to enlist New Haveners in a “moral” and “spiritual” quest to “unify a fractured society” as “storm clouds loom” on the state and federal horizons.

Harp made that pitch Monday afternoon in an inaugural address after taking the oath before hundreds of onlookers at a ceremony held in the auditorium of Hill Regional Career High School, a building her late husband Wendell designed.

City Clerk Michael Smart also took the oath for his third term in office. Reelected Board of Education member Edward Joyner, newly elected Probate Judge Clifton Graves Jr., and the 30 members of the Board of Alders nine of whom did not serve during the previous term were inaugurated as well.

Politics-watchers examining the tea

leaves of Harp’s address found no hints of a quest for higher office in this gubernatorial election year: No list of personal accomplishments as mayor, no sound bites hinting at campaigncommercial-ready slogans.

Rather, Harp issued a call for people in the city to prepare for “perilous times” by pulling together.

She sounded like a mayor, not a candidate.

“In Washington, the current federal government has taken steps seemingly with an intent to consolidate wealth in this nation, as well as voting rights, meaningful education, and effective healthcare. The sinister byproduct of these steps is a consolidation of opportunity itself. I don’t believe it’s an understatement to say we’re living in perilous times in this regard,” Harp said.

Meanwhile, she noted, the budgetstrapped state government has delivered “insufficient state aid to cities and towns, shortchanged social services,

and infrastructure maintenance deferred statewide.”

In an improvised break from her prepared remarks, she noted that New Haven is “joined at the hip” with the state, because “54 percent of our property is nontaxable.” Yet the state has been cutting back on promised municipal aid through the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program.

Harp quoted San Diego Catholic Bishop Robert W. McElroy describing public service as a “profoundly spiritual and moral undertaking” requiring putting the needs of the poor and the “common good” above special interests or “self-aggrandizement.”

That mission takes on special importance in 2018, she argued, because of “ominous circumstances” that remind her of America’s political climate a half-century ago, in 1968 — “when racial tensions, an unpopular president, and furious disagreement over federal policies, including a controversial war,

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MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTO Reitred state Supreme Court Justice Lubbie Harper Jr. swears in Mayor Toni Harp Monday, with daughters Jamil and Djana at her side.

started to split families, cities, and these United States.” She called for heeding the “clarion calls for justice” provided by two leaders who were murdered that year: Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy.

“In a community like this one,” Harp said of New Haven in 2018, “there is the extraordinary ability to pool resources, assemble talent, and direct a collective energy toward the common good.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

Doyle Explores Run For Attorney General

Con’t from page 03 Did Someone Say Special Session?

Teachers Seek to Restore ECS Funding Lincoln-Bassett

by Christine Stuart CT. Junkie News

Sen. Paul Doyle, one of three Democratic state Senators to surprise his colleagues and vote for a Republican budget this past September, announced Tuesday that he’s exploring a run for attorney general.

The six-term state senator from Wethersfield is now one of three Democrats who are running or considering a run for attorney general following news that Attorney General George Jepsen won’t seek a third term. He joins Rep. William Tong and former federal prosecutor Chris Mattei who announced last week that they’re running for the seat.

Doyle, whose vote for the Republican budget may have made him vulnerable for re-election to his senate seat, has said he has no regrets about his vote. During the debate he said that he didn’t care if got re-elected as a result of his vote because it was the right thing to do for the state of Connecticut.

Doyle has been in private practice for over 26 years and until recently it was assumed that Jepsen would seek re-election.

“An effective Attorney General will not only stand up for the rights of all residents and defend the State of Connecticut in civil matters, but importantly, challenge in court any attempts

CTNEWSJUNKIE FILE PHOTO

Sheila Cohen, president of the Connecticut Education Association

by Christine Stuart CT. Junkie News CTNEWSJUNKIE FILE PHOTO

Sen. Paul Doyle

by President Trump or others who try to attack the laws and values of the great state of Connecticut,” Doyle said. “I look forward to speaking with citizens of Connecticut to hear their concerns about their lives and discussing my possible candidacy for the Office of Attorney General.”

Prior to serving in the state Senate, Doyle spent 12 years in the House and three years on the Wethersfield Town Council.

Winfield Stays Put For Now

PAUL BASS PHOTO

State Sen. Gary Winfield.

New Haven State Sen. Gary Winfield has his eye on higher office, but has decided not to pursue it in 2018.

So Winfield said during a conversation at Monday’s mayoral inauguration at Hill Regional Career High School.

Winfield, who has made a name for himself in Hartford as a leading advocate of criminal-justice reform, had been weighing a quest for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor. “I had been having conversations” to gauge potential support, he said.

Meanwhile, his wife Rasheda reached the six-month point of her pregnancy with, it turned out, twins. It’s been a challenging pregnancy, Winfield said, and he decided this isn’t the right year to throw himself into a quest for statewide office.

Winfield was first elected to the state legislature in 2008. He ran for mayor in 2013.

HARTFORD, CT — Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy wants the General Assembly to address the $208 million budget deficit when they return next week to restore the Medicare Savings Program and the state’s largest teacher union wants them to restore $58 million in education cuts.

The legislature has gathered enough signatures to return for a special session before Dec. 29 to restore $54 million in funding for the Medicare Savings Program, which helps the elderly and disabled purchase their Medicare Part B premiums and co-pays. The petition used to call them into special session specified that the only reason they were reconvening was to address the Medicare Savings Program.

The Connecticut Education Association and its members have been sending letters to lawmakers asking them also to restore the $58 million in education cost sharing funds Malloy withheld after he signed the budget on Oct. 31.

“While we appreciate legislators standing up for our senior citizens, our youngest and most vulnerable citizens are also facing peril with continued school funding cuts that must be addressed,” CEA President Sheila Cohen said. “The time for action is now. Our children can’t wait until next February.

Legislators must take up the issue in special session.”

But legislative leaders have already reached an agreement over the Medicare Savings Program and adding anything else to the agenda at this point would require much more negotiation.

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Legislative leaders are expected to meet today and the issue might come up, but sources close to those discussions don’t believe they will take it up.

The budget deficit is expected to worsen on Jan. 15 when the new revenue estimates are released, so restoring funding for anything more than one program could cause all sort of problems for lawmakers who have been forced to work on a bipartisan basis to balance the budget.

But the letter writing campaign continues.

As Connecticut’s cities and towns struggle to make up these costs, many are planning to cut school resources, eliminate educational programs, and lay off teachers, according to CEA officials.

“These funding cuts are creating chaos in our schools and causing disruptions for students, parents, teachers, and communities in the middle of the school year,” Cohen said. “Every day our teachers are being asked to do more with less, and every day our students are being shortchanged by cuts in education funding. Education funding is being strangled in a budget nightmare that has created an economic crisis in our schools.”

Hundreds of teachers have also reached out to legislators. In phone calls and emails, teachers are asking legislators to restore the funding.

Cohen stressed, “Without providing critical funding, the state is irreversibly jeopardizing the future of Connecticut’s students and the future of our state. Our children and our public schools are too important to cast aside and just hope for the best. We need to support the education of our children.”

involvement while taking a plea, but that didn’t show up next to his felony.

“I was young, of course, and I wanted freedom,” he said of that teenage mistake. “But it wasn’t actually freedom, because once you’re out, you can’t really get jobs.” To make more time for his son, he recently quit after a decade at Burger King.

Coleman also got evicted from his apartment, after he found out that the woman he’d been subletting from hadn’t paid the landlord for six months. An explanation to the judge didn’t work, and a court marshal put all his belongings out on the curb.

He’d long been involved with kids, taking out his five nephews on excursions to East Rock “because I didn’t want them standing out there watching the drug dealers,” he explained.

But Coleman said he felt “awkward” and “out of place” when he first showed up. For one, he was one of the only active dads, when so many of the other parents he ran into were moms.

And his son could cause disturbances in class.

“It gets hard. He has a low attention span, and I just have to keep him focused,” he said. “When I’m around, he straightens up. He’s different now.

He done came a long way. Before he wouldn’t really sit, and he hit and all that other stuff. Now, he calms down, and I work with him on his education.”

Getting involved at the school has helped both Lathrop and Coleman.

Young has directed them toward support services, like food banks, and helped them write a resume to apply for jobs.

Beyond holding up these two parents as examples, the awards also mean a great deal to their recipients. Lathrop said the award is one of the first times he understood he wasn’t like his own parents.

“It’s helped me to know that I’m a good father, that I’m doing the things I’m supposed to, providing the things that my kids need and making sure that they have a stable home,” he said.

“I’m doing the best that I can, and a lot of people see me. That makes me feel good.”

Coleman agreed. “Before I started doing this, I felt bad on myself always, hearing at jobs, ‘You’re a felon so we can’t hire you.’ All that kind of put me down,” he said. “When I started doing this with my son, I heard, ‘Oh, you’re doing a good job. I always see you with the kids.’ It lifted my spirit up. I was like, OK, it’s going to get better.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

A tarnished hospital tries to win back trust

NEW HAVEN’S GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY RADIO STATION!

Yale New Haven Hospital, once reviled for hounding low-income patients for money, wants to be a model for community outreach.

NEW HAVEN, Conn.— Fifteen years ago, this city’s flagship hospital became a national punching bag.

Yale New Haven Hospital — a teaching hospital that got big tax breaks because it was supposed to be serving the community — was found to be hounding low-income patients, suing them for unpaid bills, even putting liens on their houses and hoarding money meant to help them. The hospital’s nearly two-century-old reputation as a charitable organization was ruined overnight. What followed instead: embarrassing billboards, vocal protests and a wave of angry lawmakers, as hospital leaders worked to survive the mushrooming scandal.

“We learned a lot about ourselves,” said Marna Borgstrom, who took over as CEO in 2005 and worked to repair the hospital’s broken reputation.

Today, both the hospital and its community partners see a remarkable success story, one that’s helping revitalize New Haven’s dilapidated neighborhoods. The hospital has poured millions of dollars into clinics and free care, but also into nontraditional investments, like homes and college scholarships, in an effort to help its impoverished neighbors.

“We’re focusing on education, on safe housing,” Borgstrom said. “It’s just a nobrainer.”

But not everyone is satisfied. While Yale New Haven may be a model for other teaching hospitals in extending its health care mission beyond its walls, some local political leaders, health care providers and

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even national critics say its community programs, while generously funded, don’t begin to offset the tens of millions of dollars in state, local and federal taxes that it would have paid on its annual profits of $460 million and its New Haven campus.

Even compared to some other teaching hospitals, whose economic success often stands in sharp contrast to the poverty of their host cities, Yale New Haven dominates the New Haven economy, while paying proportionally little back to the city. That’s why local politicians have pushed the hospital to pay millions of additional dollars to help close budget gaps, while health officials say Yale New Haven should do more to address health disparities and chronic illnesses like diabetes, which are found in high levels across the poor city and especially near the hospital.

That unfulfilled wish list makes Yale New Haven an illustration of the limits of current tax policy, which relies mainly on goodfaith negotiations between rich hospitals and largely poor communities to decide what constitutes community benefits. The hospital and its partners believe it’s doing a lot; critics insist it’s still too little. But there’s no federal rule or law that says what’s enough.

“They’re doing better than 15 years ago,” said Martin Looney, the state Senate president pro tempore and a Democrat who represents New Haven. “But there’s always room to improve and to expand their commitment and to make it even stronger.” ***

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Yale New Haven Hospital is an illustration of the limits of current tax policy, which relies mainly on good-faith negotiations between rich hospitals and largely poor communities to decide what constitutes community benefits. | Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

Inspiring young people to discover their future.

To a young person, there’s nothing more motivating than a goal and the guidance to achieve it. For dozens of New Haven high school students, goals have become rewarding careers with the support and guidance of Yale New Haven Hospital.

Our School-to-Career program gives students in area high schools a unique opportunity to get hands-on training from Yale New Haven Hospital professionals, preparing them for their own careers in health care. The program, a combination of volunteer and paid internships, is a first step to college and vocational training that has led to rewarding jobs throughout the healthcare industry, including right here at Yale New Haven.

It makes us proud to know that we have played such a vital role in their success through School-to-Career. It’s another example of our commitment to caring beyond the bedside. ynhh.org/community

Priscilla Torres, Patient Care Associate, Yale New Haven Hospital and graduate of the School-to-Career program with mentor Nancy Busch, Patient Services Manager, Yale New Haven Hospital.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

Board Prez Reelected; Mayor’s Office Next?

by MARKESHIA RICKS New Haven Independent

The Board of Alders reelected a president Tuesday night — and, in the process, may theoretically have elected New Haven’s next mayor.

At their first meeting of 2018, the alders unanimously elected West River Alder Tyisha Walker-Myers to a third term as board president. Walker-Meyers, the first woman board president, vowed to tackle affordable housing, jobs, and board development during the upcoming two years.

As board president, Walker-Myers serves as mayor when the mayor leaves town. Leading Democrats running for governor in 2018 have openly floated the idea of Mayor Toni Harp serving as their lieutenant governor running mate. Harp has avoided stating whether she would accept such a slot on the ticket. If she were chosen, if she were to say yes, and then if the Democratic ticket were to win the 2018 election and Harp resign as mayor in 2019 all big ifs Walker-Meyers would automatically assume the mayor’s job.

Walker-Myers said Tuesday night she hasn’t focused on that question since the mayor has not indicated whether or not she’ll run for statewide office.

“If it’s something that I have to do

I will,” she said. “But right now, it doesn’t matter.”

In addition to Walker-Myers’ reelection, Dixwell Alder Jeanette Morrison was reelected as the board’s president pro tem. Beverly Hills/Amity Alder Richard Furlow is the new majority leader, taking the reins from now State Rep. Alphonse Paolillo Jr. Hill Alder Dave Reyes Jr. is the deputy majority leader.

In nominating Walker-Myers for the board presidency Tuesday night, Dwight Alder Frank Douglass, who worked with Walker-Myers at Yale University before he retired, alluded to her work as a UNITE HERE Local 35 steward. He said he considers her a “little sister” and “a very important person in my life.”

Walker-Meyers became the first female president of the board in April 2015 after longtime Board President Jorge Perez stepped down to become the state banking commissioner, then was elected in 2016 to her first full term.

Morris Cove Alder Sal DeCola echoed Douglass Tuesday night, saying that Walker-Myers pushes alders to be their best.

“I truly admire her strength and fortitude for our city,” he said.

Walker-Myers said last term the board focused on taking the pulse of

Walker-Myers: There’s work to do.

the community by conducting a legislative agenda review. She said going forward she wants to re-enforce what alders learned from that review.

“I want to make sure that we’re all moving in the same direction,” she said. She said she wants more people on the board to be capable of leading

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and serving in various positions to “give people more accountability and more things to do.”

She cited as issue priorities tackling affordable housing and boosting jobs, including by engaging more firmly with an entity alders created to address that issue: New Haven Works.

“One of the things that always comes up with this board a lot is affordable housing,” she said. “We’re going to look at different opportunities for affordable housing throughout the city.

Jobs are always important to this board. The thing that always comes back is ‘Can people feed their families?’”

Above all, she said the board has the hard work ahead of dealing with tough financial decisions responsibly as state and federal money dry up.

“We have to do the work,” she said.

“We have to say ‘no’ where we have to say, ‘no,’” she said. “I know it’s going to be tough, and when it’s tough the mind starts thinking creatively.”

One of the controversial decisions facing alders is whether or not Mayor Toni Harp should get a raise. Harp has asked alders to bump up her salary by $10,000 to make it more comparable with what other mayors in similarly sized cities. The third-term mayor’s salary would increase to $141,000 if alders approve it.

They had the chance to do so Tuesday night, but Walker-Meyers said the vote was held off so that alders could receive more information.

Alders have yet to elect what is known as the “third officer,” the Democrat who occupies the minority-party position on committees and delivers an annual address to the board. That position was last held by Yale Alder Sarah Eidelson because the board had no non-Democrats at the time. Now the board has two members who are registered Democrats that did not get the party endorsement and ran and won as independent candidates. Those new board members are Yale Alder Hacibey Catalbasoglu and Newhallville/Prospect Hill Alder Steve Winter.

After her uncontested election to board president, Walker-Myers congratulated her colleagues—seven of them new to the board and two of them returning veterans who had previously left—on being elected and reminded them of the important responsibility they’d all been given.

“I am really excited about being the president and helping ... with moving the city forward because it’s not one person that can really do that,” she said. “It’s about a team and I’m really proud to have you guys be a part of my time. I’m really excited and I’m looking forward to the next two years and I hope you are too.”

“That is my way to say there’s a lot of work to do,” she said. “Don’t get comfortable. You will be helping to complete that work.”

“Thank you very much for reelecting me,” she added. “Let’s get ready to work.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

MACY’S JOINS THE WORLD

IN HONORING

THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

15

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

King’s Fight for Economic Justice Was Largely Ignored by Mainstream Media

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Contributor

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will always be remembered as a social activist and Baptist minister whose role was integral in the Civil Rights Movement.

Publicly and privately, King fought for equality, justice and human rights for African Americans and others who suffered from racism, segregation and other injustices.

His sermons, including the “Drum Major Instinct,” and his speeches like, “I Have a Dream,” are as important as they are legendary.

But, those closest to King recalled some of his more unheralded feats.

They also recalled the importance of the Black Press during the movement.

“I would say King’s abiding commitment to focus on poverty and to deal with the wealth and equity gaps, and particularly the conditions of the poor, has been less heralded than his other accomplishments,” said Dr. Clarence Jones, a visiting professor at the University of San Francisco and a scholar and writer-in-residence at Stanford University’s Martin Luther King Jr. Institute.

Jones met King in 1960 when he was 29 and King was 31.

Jones served on King’s legal team and help draft many of his most important speeches, including the 1963 “I Have a Dream” masterpiece.

But, it was a speech that King delivered just five days before his April 4, 1968 assassination that Jones remembers most.

“I’ve said so often that the sermon he gave at the National Cathedral in Washington was most important,” Jones said.

“He captioned the speech, ‘Sleeping Through a Revolution,’ and that’s exactly what he’d say today, if he were here.”

Many of King’s accomplishments were aided by his relationship with newspapers like the Atlanta Daily World, the

Pittsburgh Courier and other Blackowned newspapers, Jones said.

“The two essential pillars of support of the Civil Rights Movement were the Black Church and the Black Press,” he said. “The Black Press was critically important, and King had a healthy appreciation for the Black Press.”

Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr., another close confidant of King, agreed.

“The kinship King had with [former EBONY and Jet owner] John Johnson, [National Newspaper Publishers Association founder] John Sengstacke and others was apparent, and he realized their value and they recognized his value,” Jackson said.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., the president and CEO of the NNPA, said he will always cherish the days that he worked with King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

“I witnessed, first-hand, the fearless courage of Dr. King as he spoke out

against global racial injustice and war when it was not popular to do so,” Chavis said.

Chavis continued: “The mainstream press routinely mischaracterized Dr. King as a principle-less agitator. But, it was only the Black-owned newspapers during the 1960s that would, without apology, tell the truth that Dr. King was both a theological and intellectual genius whose worldwide vision, activism and principles demanded a public stance against the unjust Vietnam War, and against the duel racist Apartheid in America and South Africa.”

Chavis recalled one of King’s most famous quotes: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Dr. Wornie Reed, the director of the Race and Social Policy Center at Virginia Tech, who marched alongside King in the 1960s, said too few people knew about King’s major project when he was assassinated, “The Poor People’s Campaign.”

“The Memphis garbage workers strike

was a side issue, the kind he was frequently involved in. He was putting in long days and nights across the country, calling on all of us who cared to come to Washington to help him to put maximum pressure on the federal government to come forth with concrete plans to reduce poverty in this rich country,” Reed said. “King was promoting a level of pressure that the federal government had never faced before. And many of us were organizing groups to do just that.”

Reed continued: “When King vowed to stop commerce in Washington, to stop planes, buses, and trains, in other words, to close Washington down, he gained the support of all the radical Black groups who had abandoned King and the SCLC. These groups had tired of the ‘soft’ approach of the Civil Rights Movement. Many readily agreed to go to D.C. and help him do just that.”

Sadly, the childhood poverty rate is higher now than it was in 1968 when King was assassinated—then, it was between 15 and 16 percent, Reed said.

Now, the national child poverty rate was 18 percent in 2016, according to the Children’s Defense Fund. The poverty rate for Black children under 18 years old is 30.9 percent.

Also, Reed said, the Black Press was more important to King and the Civil Rights Movement early on during the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the early days of the sit-in movement.

The Black Press provided vital coverage of the activities and the leading personalities in the movement, he said.

“Often the major press was concerned with the disruptions of the movement while the Black Press tended to provide more information about what the activities meant on the ground in Black communities,” Reed said.

National Urban League President Marc Morial said King’s profoundly important, but less heralded work on economic justice, particularly toward the end of his life, left a legacy that the Urban League champions today.

“In his final speeches and his plans to launch a ‘Poor People’s Campaign,’ Dr. King laid out his extraordinary vision for a country that provides equal access to economic opportunity and prosperity to all, no matter their color or creed—a dream that organizations like the National Urban League are still fighting for,” Morial said.

Since its inception, the Black Press has played an integral role in communicating the raw and uncompromising struggle of King and African Americans across the country, Morial added.

“The Black Press remained on the front lines of the Civil Rights movement, offering a glimpse into the everyday lives of African Americans far before mainstream media paid attention,” said Morial. “In many ways, the Black journalists were a critical pillar of the movement and of communication Dr. King’s vision for a more equal America to the world.”

Bree Newsome on “Chaos or Community: Fifty Years Later, Where Do We Go from Here?”

Event time: Wednesday, January 24, 2018 - 5:30pm to 7:30pm Location: Battell Chapel 400 College Street New Haven, CT 06511 Event description: Bree Newsome (http://www.breenewsome.com/) is an artist, activist, and community organizer who drew national attention in 2015 when she climbed the flagpole in front of the South Carolina Capitol building and lowered the confederate battle flag after the massacre of nineBlack parishioners by a white supremacist at Emanuel AME Zion Church in Charleston reignited controversy over South Carolina’s state flag. Ms. Newsome’s act of defiance against a sym-

bol of hate has been memorialized in photographs and artwork and has become a symbol of courage, resistance and the empowerment of women.

Newsome is also a co-founder of The Tribe, a grassroots organizing collective created in the aftermath of the 2014 uprising in Ferguson, MO to address similar issues of structural racism and police violence confronting the community of Charlotte, NC. A graduate of New York University’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts, where she received a B.F.A. in film and television, Ms. Newsome has received numerous awards for her short films and performance pieces

including the Maryland Distinguished Scholars for Voice, the National Board of Review Student Film Award, and a 2016 NAACP Image Award. She has been named to the Root 100 and the Ebony 100 in recognition of her work on behalf of civil rights.

Location: Battell Chapel, 400 College Street at the corner of Elm Street Free and open to the public. Doors open at 5:30pm, and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Location is wheelchair accessible.

Website/Contact: http://mlk.yale.edu / dianne.lake@yale.edu Open to: General Public

16

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

Con’t from page 2

Harp Backs State Party Purge Harp was asked about the argument that Democrats need to have a big enough “tent” to include people who diverge on some issues in order to govern.

She noted that the State Senate is currently evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. The Democrats have seen their majority in the State House shrink as well, to a narrow 79-72 tally.

“It doesn’t matter if there are enough [Democrats] to overcome” defections on major issues, Harp argued. “But when it is even, and you have four or five people who really are conservative and in any other world would be Republican, it creates a problem for the vision being implemented.”

She also criticized legislators who, only after the state budget was passed, decided to vote in a special session to restore the Medicare money. Gov. Malloy has criticized Monday’s vote as using the kind of budget gimmicks that have gotten the state in such deep fiscal trouble, such as double-counting expected revenues. He also noted that the cuts don’t take effect until July 1, so legislators should have waited until the new session beginning in February to find the money as part of a more thoughtful, honest approach.

“The conservative members of both parties ... made cuts without really knowing that it affects everybody, and not just people in urban areas,” Harp observed.

“There are some people who don’t care what happened to cities.

They don’t care what happened to poor people. As long as they think they can make cuts and it just affects poor people, they do it. When they turn around and find out, ‘Oh! There are people in my town that are affected by this!’ they want to solve it right away.

“Why? Because they’re running for reelection! Give me a break.”

She argued for waiting until the regular session to address the cuts.

In the meantime, she said, “I think the governor will do the right hting.

The governor understands how important urban areas are to the state.

The legislature doesn’t at this particular time.”

MEMPHIS SANITATION “I AM A MAN” WORKERS PRESENTED THE PRESTIGIOUS NAACP VANGUARD AWARD IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE 49TH NAACP IMAGE AWARDS TWO-HOUR SPECIAL WILL BE HOSTED BY ANTHONY ANDERSON AIRING LIVE ON TV ONE

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. HOLIDAY MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 2018 Telecast will also include a Pre-Show Airing Live from the Red Carpet LOS ANGELES, CA The surviving 1968 sanitation workers – some of them are still on the job – were presented with the prestigious NAACP Vanguard Award in conjunction with the 49th NAACP Image Awards at the historic Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN, now the site of the National Civil Rights Museum.

This honor is presented in recognition of the groundbreaking work that has increased understanding and awareness of racial and social issues.

Previous honorees include Clive Davis, Wyclef Jean, Tyler Perry, Russell Simmons, Aretha Franklin, Stanley Kramer, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas.

“It is a rare privilege for the NAACP to present our Vanguard Award to outstanding trailblazing individuals who gave voice and projected attention to the struggle for racial and economic justice,” stated Leon W. Russell, Chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors. “50 years after the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike, the NAACP continues the fight to ensure living wages, health care benefits, and job safety. I am personally inspired by their individual and collective activism. The NAACP is proud to honor all surviving sanitation workers.”

On April 3, 1968, Dr. King stood in the pulpit of Mason Temple in

Memphis and delivered the prophetic “Mountaintop Speech.” He addressed a sanctuary overflowing with community members and African American sanitation workers – members of AFSCME Local 1733 – whose strike for dignity and respect grew into a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement. Less than 24 hours later, he was tragically assassinated. April 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of The Mountaintop Speech, Dr. King’s death, and the Memphis sanitation

The Southern Connecticut Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians invites you to celebrate the life, ministry, witness and legacy of the late Civil Rights leader, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Monday, Martin Luther King Day, January 15th at noon at Church of the Holy Spirit, 28 Church Street, West Haven.

The Right Reverend Nathan Baxter, Bishop of Central Pennsylvania (retired) will serve as preacher and principle celebrant.

“We are honored to have Bishop Baxter visit us and give us a great inspiring message.” said UBE President Steven R. Mullins. Prior to serving as Bishop of the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania, Baxter served many years as Dean of the Washington National Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul.

The liturgy, which is a Holy Eucharist celebrated as Solemn High Mass will also feature New Haven’s Trinity Boys Choir, under the direction of Choirmaster Walden Moore and Holy Spirit Organist and Choirmaster Matt Harrison. “The public is invited to lift every voice and sing.” Mullins said. Mayor Nancy R. Rossi will also present a proclamation.

Clergy from all denominations are invited to attend and are encouraged to wear vestments of their customs with white, celebra-

tory or kente cloth stoles.

For additional information, please call Mullins at 203-824-4262.

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workers’ strike.

“Despite threats to their lives and livelihoods, the sanitation workers made the brave decision to strike, armed with the simple, powerful slogan, ‘I Am a Man’,” said Derrick Johnson, NAACP president and CEO. “They knew the urgency of their demand for dignity and justice, but little did they know how relevant their peaceful protest would remain come 2018.

It is now up to us to confront modernday challenges to civil rights with the same courage and determination. The NAACP is honored to present the Vanguard Award to the surviving sanitation workers for their fight for racial and economic justice. We are inspired by their individual and collective activism.”

On April 4, 2018, all eyes will turn to Memphis, Tennessee and the National Civil Rights Museum to remember the tragic event that occurred 50 years prior. Our nation’s greatest peacemaker was snatched from us by a sniper’s bullet. That shot would reverberate throughout the world, and on April 4, 2018, the world remembers the event that occurred at approximately 6:01 p.m. CT. The National Civil Rights Museum wants to help the world reflect, not linger on the past, and use that horrific event to propel us forward. MLK50: Where Do We Go From Here? is the theme for the yearlong commemoration of Dr. King’s assassination. This was the title of Dr. King’s final book as well as the title of the speech he delivered August 16, 1967 at the Southern Christian Leader-

ship Conference.

“In 2018, our desire is not simply to reflect and recount the history, but to connect the history to contemporary issues. The theme is most appropriate for this commemoration, to focus on making a positive impact on the future. The sub-themes for the events will be poverty/economic equity, education, justice and nonviolence,” said National Civil Rights Museum President Terri Freeman. “Over the course of 50 weeks, we’ll send individuals that take the MLK50 Pledge - A Call to Peace and Action - 50 achievable actions that realize Dr. King’s legacy of peace.” For more information, visit www.mlk50.civilrightsmuseum.org.

The NAACP Image Awards is the preeminent multicultural awards show celebrating the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film, and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. Winners will be announced during the two-hour star-studded event hosted by Anthony Anderson, which will be broadcast LIVE on TV ONE on Monday, January 15, 2018 at 9pm/8c, the federal holiday honoring the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A one-hour pre-show will air live from the red carpet at 8pm/7c.

For all information and the latest news, please visit the official NAACP Image Awards website at: http://www. naacpimageawards.net.

FB: /naacpimageaward | Twitter: @ naacpimageaward (#ImageAwards)

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

The Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Conference presents

A Celebration of the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

THE DREAM LIVES ON

Monday, January 15, 2018 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Wexler-Grant Community School 55 Foote Street, New Haven, CT

(Breakfast 8:30-9:30)

For more information please contact: Sondi Jackson, Conference Chair 475-220-5607 or 203-494-1635 or visit www.akanewhaven.org

Workshops, Vendors, Exhibits, Entertainment, and More!!!

Platinum Sponsor

The Honorable Toni N. Harp Farmers Insurance Karen Bellamy Agency New Haven Public Schools United Way of Greater New Haven Cornell Scott Hill Health Center Corporate Sponsor Subway International Community & Individual Financial Sponsors Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Theta Epsilon Omega Chapter Clifton Graves, Esq. Elm City Club of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Inc. Greater New Haven Business and Professional Association Greater New Haven Branch of the NAACP Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Epsilon Iota Iota Chapter

18

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

Black Women and Girls Deserve More Respect, Visibility in the

By Ed Gray, North Dallas Gazette/NNPA Member This has been a monumental year for the reaffirmation of women’s rights in the workplace and the ballot booth. This is long overdue. The battle for the rights of women, and specifically Black women and girls, has gone on for centuries. In America, the spotlight on this fight for women’s rights shines brightly on White women, while Black women, who have often fought more vigorously for equality and justice, are largely consigned to the shadows of the movement.

TIME magazine placed “The Silence Breakers” on their cover, noting that the tenacity and courage of the women’s voices could be heard over the walls of systemic oppression.

Still, in the stories of Dajerria Becton, a teenager who was violently handcuffed and thrown to the ground by an overzealous McKinney, Texas police officer and Sandra Bland, who was arrested and died in police custody in Prairie View, Texas, that oppression seems unsurmountable.

Most acts of extrajudicial violence and aggression towards Black women never become national headlines and many Black women suffer in quiet silence as their complaints of sexual harassment are ignored and discounted, regardless of their socioeconomic status.

Mainstream America labels Black women as angry Jezebels unfit for normal, social interactions. Black American pop culture hypersexualizes our young girls while condemning them for being too fast. There is a deafening silence in the Black community that is complicit in the degradation of our

Black women.

When we do speak, instead of a healing, sometimes our words just cause more wounds.

One of the most influential hip-hop artists of all time, Tupac Shakur, spoke directly to Black women in “Wonda Why They Call U Bytch”: You leave your kids with your mama ‘cuz your headin’ for the club In a skin-tight miniskirt lookin’ for some love Got them legs wide open while you’re sittin’ at the bar Talkin’ to some n**ga ’bout his car I guess he said he had a Lexus, what’s next?

You headin’ to his car for some sex Today, some people would criticize Shakur for slut-shaming, while others would applaud him for telling it like it is.

White women have been applauded for coming forward to tell their stories of sexual assault and harassment under the #MeToo flag. The movement would be much stronger and more credible, if its leaders forced mainstream media to also carry the stories of Black women on their morning shows and popular websites.

Black men must bear some of the blame for mainstream media’s ignorance and apathy towards the plight of Black women. We band together, as brothers, ignoring the anguished cries of our sisters. We must stop, look and listen.

We must reject R. Kelly for his alleged abuse of Black women and girls with the same unanimity that Black voters in Alabama rejected the alleged sexual predator Roy Moore.

We must step in the name of love and in the name of justice with respect for our

#MeToo Movement

Black mothers, wives, sisters and daughters. This respect must begin in the Black community; we must clean our own house, first. We must elevate our women from social media hashtags to highly-valued and respected members of the global community.

In “Keep Ya Head Up,” Shakur offers a critique on the exploitation of women in the Black community: And since we all came from a woman Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman I wonder why we take from our women Why we rape our women, do we hate our women?

I think it’s time to kill for our women Time to heal our women, be real to our women And if we don’t we’ll have a race of babies That will hate the ladies that make the babies And since a man can’t make one He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one So will the real men get up I know you’re fed up ladies, but keep your head up.

Black women and girls are sick and tired of being sick and tired; it’s time for us to heed Shakur’s advice and heal our women and be real to our women.

This is Ed Gray, and this is straight talk.

Ed Gray, the host of The Commish Radio Show airing Saturdays 1-3 p.m. on FBRN. net, can be reached at eegray62@att.net.

The North Dallas Gazette is a member publication of the National Newspaper Publishers Association.

Jenifer Lewis Shares Secrets to Hollywood Success in New Memoir

By Lauren Poteat, NNPA Newswire Contributing Writer

Jenifer Lewis, affectionately nicknamed “Auntie” in Black Hollywood, recently made a special appearance at the Duke Ellington School of Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. where she shared the trials, tribulations and triumphs of her journey to superstardom, while sending a strong message to millennials to stand up and find a purpose.

“There’s no foolproof way to live this thing called ‘life.’ I can’t save the world, I can’t save you and ain’t nobody coming to rescue you,” said Lewis. “Do the work, look in the mirror and know this ain’t no rehearsal. This is life.”

Lewis continued: “Live, pursue happiness—sometimes it’s easier said than done—but we have to strive for that.

You’ve laid down in front of these police barricades, now get up, stay up and keep it moving, but don’t miss the beat of feeling…don’t just go willy nilly into the world.”

Detailing traumatic and heroic moments from her past throughout her special performance, Lewis talked about being molested as a teenager, her first encounter with illegal substances and growing to understand and cope with a bipolar disorder diagnosis.

“Feel your feelings. If you’re disappointed you feel, if you’re hurt you feel,” said Lewis. “Don’t you stay in a dark room and be quiet and if somebody inappropriately touches you or abuses you, you tell somebody.”

Compelled by the actress’s gripping, yet comedic words, audience members gushed over the opportunity to engage with the Hollywood legend and to share their own personal stories.

“Ms. Jenifer, I just wanted to say my daughter—she would of been 27—she was bipolar,” one district resident said.

“We discovered it when she was 13.

When she was about 16 or 17 she heard you talking about being bipolar and it made her feel a little bit more comfortable with her treatment. She didn’t get

all the way better, she passed away, but I’ve always wanted to meet you just to tell you, ‘Thank you,’ for giving my daughter that little extra amount of time on Earth to feel better.”

The always amusing co-star of the hit ABC sitcom “black-ish,” recently published a deeply personal memoir titled “The Mother of Black Hollywood.”

Filled with comedy, sex, glamour, sorrow, pain, and good advice, Lewis’ latest over the top production—the story of her life—is a terrific read for anyone who has ever felt like they were ignored, but longed to have a voice.

Lewis said that she recently completed work on a new Disney animated TV series based on the movie “Big Hero 6” and plans to reprise her role as Jackie Washington in the mockumentary “Jackie’s Back! 2,” that will pick up where the original 1999 Lifetime channel movie left off.

19

Jenifer Lewis,

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

New Voice, New Album

For more information on ACES schools, programs and services, please visit our website.

(203) 498-6800 | www.aces.org

New Haven Ind

PAUL BASS PHOTO

Thabisa and Steve Mednick Thursday in the WNHH studio.

When Thabisa performs her music in Xhosa, the language from her native South Africa, people in Westville understand what she’s singing.

Even if they don’t understand the words.

“People who love music do not care what language you sing in,” she said. “Music is language.”

Thabisa, who recorded two albums and toured in South Africa, moved with her family this past year to New Haven’s Westville neighborhood. She’s starting to build a local following for her music and powerful, soulful voice; this Saturday, Dec. 16, she’s performing a show at Kehler Liddell Gallery in Westville Village beginning at 7 p.m.

Some of the songs will be in Xhosa, some in English. She wrote may of them; others may be by some of her favortie artists whose music she covers, like Miriam Makeba. Steve Mednick sings in the language of protest and introspection. An attorney and former Westville alder, he has launched a successful side career as a recording artist and performer. He has a new politically-themed album coming out this week called Following the Thunder.

Thabisa and Mednick crossed paths spoke about their musical missions, sang some of their songs, weighed in on the implications of recent political events Thursday on WNHH FM’s “Dateline New Haven program.”

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dependent

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

Ganim Says He’s ‘An Imperfect Candidate’

by Christine Stuart

New Haven Independent

Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim says he’s an “imperfect candidate,” but believes he’s in the best position to win the Democratic nomination and turn the state around by focusing on cities.

Ganim, 58, was first elected mayor in 1991. He later served seven years in federal prison for corruption while he was mayor in Bridgeport. But he ran again and won his old job back in November 2015 by a nearly 2-to-1 margin over his closest opponent.

“I took my knocks,” Ganim said. “I put myself out there as one with experience, but an imperfect candidate who has something to offer.”

After officially filing his campaign paperwork with the State Elections Enforcement Commission, Ganim came to the state Capitol press room to speak with reporters.

During the availability, Ganim said he believes he offers the best opportunity for Democrats to win in November.

Many may disagree with that statement despite Bridgeport re-electing him as mayor in 2015.

Ganim is unable, according to a federal judge, to use the public financing system based upon his criminal conviction.

Republican Party Chairman JR Romano said the judge was wise to deny Ganim access to public funds.

“But with the Democrat field filled with the likes of a failed mayor from Hartford and a mayor currently under investigation by his own Common Council I can see why Joe Ganim thinks he has a shot,” Romano said.

Despite Romano’s rhetoric, Ganim remains confident in his chances.

“I haven’t seen an election that’s determined by someone’s past,” Ganim said. “It’s really going to collectively be about who can project the most positive and credible future for Connecticut.”

He said it’s an opportunity for Connecticut’s “second chance.”

City contractors, unlike state contractors, aren’t barred from giving money

to Ganim’s campaign under the state’s fundraising rules.

“If they’re not barred then they have a right to contribute if they want to,” Ganim said. However, he said he’s not actively soliciting them.

“I have not been soliciting city employees or city contractors particularly,” Ganim said.

According to his July report, at least 103 City of Bridgeport employees had donated to Ganim’s campaign. A tally of city employees who contributed to Ganim’s exploratory committee from the October report has not been calculated.

The press conference was interrupted toward the end by Eric Connery, facilities administrator for the Office of Legislative Management who said Ganim was not able to have a press conference in the building.

“Once he’s the endorsed candidate he can hold it anywhere he wants,” Connery said.

Av Harris, a legislative liaison for the City of Bridgeport and a former WNPR reporter who tagged along

CHRISTINE STUART / CTNEWSJUNKIE

Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim

with the campaign Wednesday, said there is no restriction against an impromptu conversation with the media.

“I have a problem because we’re getting beat up at the moment,” Connery told Harris.

Harris said it wasn’t a press conference.

After the event Ganim headed to a

Waterbury pizzeria to continue his campaign announcement and on the way his vehicle with a reporter from the CT Post in tow was pulled over for going around 100 mph.

According to reporter Neil Vidgor, Ganim was not driving and they didn’t receive a ticket or a warning.

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The Unstoppable Harrisen Tilery INNER-CITY NEWSDecember January 10, 16,19, 2018 THETHE INNER-CITY NEWS 13, 2018 2017 -- January December 2017

High Road School student becomes TA, continues going back to the same school 22 years in a row.

Babz: Welcoming Harrison Hillary a former student returning to his Alma mater who has joined a teaching staff there and is a West Haven native. This is a conversation with him about how his journey brought him to back to the school that he graduated from. So, how are you Harrison?

Harrisen Tilery (HT): I’m great, hello, how are you?

Babz: I’m good, so tell me this wonderful story about your commitment to High Road Academy.

HT: Well I started going to High Road Academy at the age of eight and then from there you know I went from … All the way to the 18 to 21-year-old program that they had here and in that time I was doing a lot of job shadowing with the … Working with little kids and a lot of just job site training and then around my last PPT so when I was 18 I was ready to graduate and leave High Road, they offered me a job and I mean at that point I really couldn’t see anything beyond me doing anything at the age of 18. I really didn’t know how to or where I was going to go and get a job at or whatever so then from there I said yes and I’ve been working here ever since.

Babz: Tell me about this school, why this school … What does it do?

HT: Well, I mean it just helps students with disabilities. I mean it’s a very therapeutic environment for kids of all different types of backgrounds. I mean for me it definitely help me in terms of help me how to read better, help me how to do math or learn better but I think it also helped me in terms of a deeper aspect to it. It definitely helped me in terms of understanding people of diverse backgrounds and definitely helped me to understand acceptance of different types of people and it definitely helped me to become just a better all around human beings I really, really, really in that way and now I get to kind of give that gift that High Road kind of gave to me back to the students I teach now.

Babz: When you started at that school did you … Was your intention of thinking about becoming a teacher or did you just start …

HT: No. Babz: To develop a natural affinity …

HT: No I think I just really started just to develop just a natural like for teaching, I mean because again I had teachers that were just so involved in my life in just all aspects and it was really just a family vibe that I felt and I think that’s one of the main reasons that helped me to strive I mean besides having very, very, very supportive parents that I still do have. It was nice to really come to a place where I felt that I was wanted and I felt that I was needed and appreciated and loved. So the people who taught me they really are like family to me now, I mean they are still like family so I think me going through that process from the age of eight all the way to 18 and to 21, it really helped me to kind of create a bond with the school which is, again when

they offered me the job there it was something I just could not turn down. I mean I’m working with people that are not just not my teachers and my colleagues and again family so they would definitely … An opportunity that I definitely could not give up.

Babz: This school as in Wallingford the High Road school is a take in 12 school in Wallingford and you often went …

HT: I had different schools all throughout Connecticut not just Wallingford.

Babz: Okay.

HT: Wallingford is actually the main campus of where it all started yes. my public-school adventure was kind of really short, I went to school at Pedals school and then from there I was taken out of Pedals obviously because of learning disability reasons and I was brought to High Road again at the age of eight Babz: Which campus were you at, the Wallingford campus?

HT: Yes, the Wallingford campus yes.

Babz: Okay so now did you parents have to bring you to school every day, how did that work?

HT: Oh actually the great thing was I had transportation so my parents did not have to bring me to school.

Babz: Okay, okay so you are a little kid you get there, you are what, eight years old do you remember your initial feelings like how long did it take you to sort of accept.

HT: The first day when they introduced me to the school we were actually in assembly and I’m sitting there and I’m looking at all these kids, I don’t know who they are, I’ve been pulled out of an environment I was used to where I had friends and everything like that so it was very, very, very different so I would … In a sense, it was like a culture shock to me because again I was dealing with people who I have never really come in contact with and then from there it was again a learning experience with me to have to learn how to deal with type of diversity but again the thing that really made me in to the person that I am today which again I can give that experience back to students that are going through that same kind of culture shock for themselves when they come here.

Babz: You are an assistant student teacher right or a teacher’s assistant?

HT: Yes, yes.

Babz: You are working on your bachelor’s degree in health sciences at Sacred Heart.

HT: Yes. Babz: Which is pretty impressive …

HT: Yes, yes, yes, it is it’s a lovely campus.

Babz: It is, it is and so what made you decide to go to Sacred Heart did it …?

HT: Well the great thing about High Road is that we have speech pathologist, we have a physical therapist and we also have occupations therapist here too that work with the kids with many disabilities so for me I actually started as a one to one working with the students who had muscular issues so from there I looked at his daily sched-

ules with him working with the speech pathologist, the OTs and the PTs and I was like how this is really interesting, it’s something I wanted to do and initially I actually wanted to be a physical therapist but working with the OTs a little bit more closely I saw that OT … I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with PT, PT is a great field but I found for me that OT was really more blood and it allowed me to kind of do a lot more things.

I’m someone that’s a really broad person in terms of being and in all aspects, I fell that when it comes to PT it’s a little bit more narrow and this is also what I heard from a lot of PTs that I worked with here at the company so I feel that OT for me was the right field for me to go to because of the vast amount of things that I could potentially learn doing that so while I was

22

watching a lot of OTs here at the school I was like wow this is really cool it’s a really great field and for me again I love helping people just in general so I felt that if I love OT and I just love helping people it would just be a no blunder for me to get in to the field.

Babz: Okay so can you talk a little bit about your challenges, your learning challenges?

HT: Sure I mean besides the basic reading and math, again it was a thing of feelings, kind of in that sense of being inadequate I mean … I think that when you understand your disability and you know that you have a lot of cards back against you it’s difficult to kind of get over that and you tend to kind of make some not so good choices in that … Unfortunately, sometimes what I did because of the fact that I just didn’t like do-

ing work and everything like I acted out a little bit but again through just me working with my teachers which have a great support staff here at High Road while I was a student here. It really helped me to break through those disabilities and to really see my potential and then from there it was no longer I was coming to school and feeling a negative way, I came to school and I was actually eager to learn and when I actually changed my attitude about learning that’s when I found the most I found.

Babz: How did your parents find this whole for you or this is … How did you get connected to this opportunity?

HT: Well I mean the great … The thing is that my father, his name is Sam’s Hillary, he worked for 90911 PLR and through him doing that he was able to meet with a lot of people in terms of politics and people who knew a lot about education so when I was taken out of my school … My original school was a public school, he reached out to a lot of people to find out what was the best school where his son could go to school and get … Receive the best education that he could and then was told a lot of schools but this one school High Road was the school that just for some reason stuck out to him so he took me to the school …

Actually, he and my mother they took me to the school and I was able to tour but then …

I loved it, it was a great environment, I felt that it was just really welcoming, comforting so yeah, I drew just like a lucky thing with that.

Babz: Talk to me a little bit about the friendship and some of the activities that you got to experience at the school. I mean you are a grown up now but …

HT: Yeah.

Babz: I think it’s important to know that even if you have a disability you can experience a normalcy that people don’t think could be at your disposal.

HT: Oh yeah definitely, definitely. Well you know for me it was … Obviously we went on field trips to various places. I remember one time we went all the way to New York to actually go to see a play and that was actually the first time I’ve ever gone to go see a play before ever so it was really nice to be able to experience a lot of those things that I have never really been able to experience before like that but also when I was 18, again like I mentioned before is we did job opportunity experiences. So I would go and work at many different day cares, many different … Certain medical facilities that we were allowed to go to and also just travel around the community and just see various things so I think for that, yes having a disability can be challenging but I think for me when I went to High Road I was exposed to a lot of things not just educationally but just fun as well so yes but there’s no … Like you said there was a normalcy within that and again that’s something that really just helped me to transition into the person that I am today because of that.

Con’t on page 24

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

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ONE DAY SALE PRICES IN EFFECT 1/12-1/13/2018, EXCEPT AS NOTED. N7120004E.indd 1

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12/27/17 12:49 PM

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

Your Turn: 4 things you can do to honor Martin Luther King in 2018

by Carlos Galindo-Elvira, opinion contributor, ADL Arizona

What does Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy mean to us in these challenging times?

Dr. King exposed the brutality of discriminatory laws and institutionalized racism. He served a greater good. His purpose was to remove the burden of oppression. He reminded us about the importance of “content of character.”

As we head toward another day of remembering Dr. King, his own words are most suited for the moment: “We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.”

4 tangible things you can do King’s work is far from over. Here are things to do in 2018: 1. Work in a bipartisan effort with state legislators to codify a standalone criminal provision for hate crimes.

The law should be more inclusive and comprehensive, covering hate crimes based on race, religion, ethnicity and national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and disability.

The FBI 2016 annual Hate Crime Statistics Act data reports an increase in hate crimes nationwide. In Arizona, 213 hate crimes were reported, with

an increase in acts targeted toward religion, Jews, Muslims and sexual orientation. Ask your state legislators to support this crucial change to state law.

2. Support a clean Dream Act – one that gives “dreamers” a path to citizenship without other stipulations attached, such as border-wall funding.

It’s a moral imperative.

Young immigrants brought to the United States as children are some of America’s brightest individuals. They are teachers, doctors, lawyers. They serve in our military. Deporting them would result in a loss of more than $102 million annually? in growth.

A fight for dreamers is a fight for us.

We fight for our state’s future. Call your Congress member and ask for their support in passing this fair and humanitarian legislation.

3. Ask Congress to support the full restoration of the Voting Rights Act. There’s a difference between the right to vote and the ability to vote. Restrictive developments have threatened and disenfranchised voting rights, disproportionately impacting Latinos, African-Americans, young people and elderly voters.

4. Shrink the space for extremists to grow and thrive.

White supremacists, emboldened by the 2016 elections and the current political climate, are engaged in an unprecedented outreach to recruit students on American college campuses.

It’s already happened at some Arizona college campuses. During the start of the fall semester, white supremacists placed flyers promoting their hateful message on the ASU campus.

We cannot find this acceptable. When the soul of our nation is at stake, there can be no equivocation about white supremacists and neo-Nazis and their agendas. If you see something, say something.

This can take the form of reporting a discriminatory incident to ADL, reporting hate speech to the major online companies or by contacting law enforcement.

Attend a meeting, make a call. It helps The road to recognizing Dr. King’s work was not an easy one for Arizona – it was filled with political bumps, rigid opposition and two times at the ballot box. Arizona voters approved the measure in 1992, making our state the only one to both vote on and approve this holiday.

ADL in Arizona will continue furthering the work of Dr. King and advancing our mission through our No

Place For Hate initiative, which aims to create schools free of bias, bullying and bigotry. We are partnering with law enforcement for training on hate-crime identification, response and reporting. We are responding to hate crimes and incidents, and we are speaking out on behalf of marginalized and vulnerable communities.

All of us can play a role by attend-

ing meetings or marches, making calls and/or sending emails. All roles help, and all are welcomed, in the cause for racial equality and justice.

We have to make the pledge to stand up and march ahead.

Carlos Galindo-Elvira is regional director for ADL in Arizona. Contact him at 602-274-0991. Twitter: @carlosgeADL.

Con’t from page 22

High Road School student becomes TA, continues going back to the same school 22 years in a row.

Babz: Okay so now are you still friends with people you went to school with?

HT: Oh of course yeah. I have a couple of dear and close friends that I still keep in contact with till this day and it’s great.

Babz: Okay so now that you graduated …

HT: Yeah.

Babz: What’s the next part of the story, where did you go what did you do?

HT: Well I went to Gate Way community college and for me it was a pretty interesting experience, it was frightening at the same time because again before I was …

Towards me graduating there was a lot of just talk from just a lot of people about what college experience was going to be like and it’s going to be really difficult that you got to do a lot of work and this has been then and again me coming from a school with me just having disabilities, it was scary. I felt that I wouldn’t be able to live up to that kind of experience and be able to succeed in that sense so I went to Gate way, I was taking just one class at a time just to get my feet where I chose to get experience but then you know what I said to myself I really wanted to test my confidence so again I started taking more classes and it was challenging at first, I failed a couple of classes but retook them and I think the one thing that really helped me through this situation was first of all the support of my family.

I had a very, very supportive family that always told me never give up but I also had

again my colleagues that I worked with, teachers that were my teachers, the colleagues that I now work with but again still instilled that confidence in me to continue learning, to continue wanting to keep on going with my education so it was definitely one of those things where when I was challenged with something again I had that confidence that was still in me not only from my parents but my teachers to just continue on and just to continue towards being successful. When I finally graduated from Gate way it was just like a dream come true, all those years of just setbacks and success to bring me to that moment just with the highlight of everything.

Babz: Okay alright so now we are done with Gate Way and then what happens next?

HT: What happens next is I enroll into Sacred Heart, again I know what I want to do, I want to do occupational therapy that’s definitely something that I knew that was my passion so it’s just the thing of me just enrolling in to the college and me just doing it and now I’m doing very well. So far, I’ve made the dean’s list three times already. I wanted to continue that record that I made at Sacred Heart I made the dean’s list about five times at Gate Way. So, it was definitely something where education was … It is something that’s very important to me, it’s something that I take very seriously and for me I want to do my very, very, very best. I

don’t think about competing with anyone, I just wanted to outdo myself and that’s really the main thing. It’s just that self-journey of just becoming better in that’s honestly what I pride myself in still and because of that is the reason why I’m doing so well in school now and why I know that when I gain in for my career when I do the best that I can there.

Babz: Any thoughts to writing a book, are you writing a book?

HT: If I could, the things that I could put in my book. I don’t know maybe someday down the line create a little biography about myself.

Babz: Well listen the world needs good stories and this is a great story.

HT: Yeah.

Babz: What is your message in this story?

HT: Well I mean my connection to the story is staying focused, not giving up, trying to do the best that you can in tough situations.

I think what my story gives to students is that hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I think that there is nothing more important than a student seeing kind of like a mirror reflection of himself in you and it’s funny when I tell students here after school that I used to be a former student here, their initial reaction is that they don’t believe it so when I start showing them pictures and I start telling them stories about the school they are like wow Mr. Hillary he’s someone that we can relate to and I feel that for me

24

when I see a student that can relate to me and then they understand that I know where they are coming from I think again instill that confidence that was given to me by my staff members in to them and I honestly feel that, that’s one of the reasons why I stayed here for so long.

I mean I’ve been at High Road for about 13 years as a worker so that said something and I think for me in those 13 years of me seeing students come and go when you have that student that you know can come back to you and say so and so thank you for giving me the things that I needed to succeed or thank you for not giving up on me or thank you for being that person that I can relate to and inspire to be to. I think for me that as a teacher I think that’s the best thing, that’s the best gift that you could ever give a student back that’s the best gift that they could ever give back to you I feel.

Babz: I think you are aspiring that.

HT: Yeah, I mean so I feel like when it comes to my connection to this place it’s me just being able just to give back. Me just being able to see students be successful and me seeing other staff members now have that same attitude that staff members back then had with me when I was a student here and I think all in all when you have a story that comes full circle like that and you have the next student giving back to that person who they see are just like any kind of kindness like that I think that is really just a

beautiful thing at the end of the day.

Babz: I think there’s a book in you.

HT: I hope you’ll be the first one to buy it.

Babz: The first one to buy and the first one to promote it.

HT: Thank you, thank you.

Babz: When is Sacred Heart University graduation ?

HT: Oh man, hopefully in the year 2023, hopefully, hopefully.

Babz: Okay, okay, alright that sounds … That’s a good … I think that’s a good thing so I want you to stay connected to the Inner-City. And let me know so we can stay in touch and just keep celebrating this progression.

HT: Definitely, definitely. Any kinds of positive vibes that I can put out there so I can help the next person I’m all for it.

Babz: Well thank you so much Harrison today.

HT:Thank you, thank you I appreciate this. This is something that’s very special and you know I love doing things like this.

Again, my story can help someone that’s going through a rough time when it comes to certain things in their past life or their present life I’m happy to do it. If it can help someone and help them to become better that’s just a beautiful thing all in all.

Babz: Well thank you and when this story runs I will make sure that you get copies of the paper.

HT: Thank you.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

Field Engineer

PUBLIC NOTICE

BA/BS in Civil Engineering or Construction Management.

2-5 yrs. experience. OSHA Certified.

Proficient in reading contract plans and specifications.

Resumes to RED Technologies, LLC, 10 Northwood Dr., Bloomfield, CT 06002; Fax 860.218.2433;

State and Park Streets Meriden, CT

Project Manager Environmental Remediation Division

Project: Meriden Commons 2 SUBCONTRACTOR PRE BID MEETING Thursday, January 11, 2018 5 to 6:00 pm Location: Meriden Housing Authority 22 Church Street, Meriden

INVITATION TO BID:

New Construction 3 Buildings, 75 Units, Approx 106,000SF This is our Project, Taxable & Residential Wage Rates apply.

This contract is subject to state set-aside and contract compliance requirements.

Bid Due Date: Subcontractor bids due: January 25, 2018 @ 5 pm Project documents available via ftp link below: http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=meridencommons2 Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dlang@haynesct.com

HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified

Businesses Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483

Email resumes to info@redtechllc.com. RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

3-5 years exp. and Bachelor’s Degree, 40-Hr. Hazwoper Training Req. Forward resumes to RED Technologies, LLC, 10 Northwood Dr., Bloomfield, CT 06002;

Fax 860.218.2433; or Email to HR@redtechllc.com

RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

Class A CDL Driver

with 3 years min. exp. HAZMAT Endorsed. (Tractor/Triaxle/Roll-off ) Some overnights may be required. FAX resumes to RED Technologies, at 860.342-1042; Email: HR@redtechllc.com Mail or in person: 173 Pickering Street, Portland, CT 06480. RED Technologies, LLC is An EOE.

Common Ground -

high school, urban farm and environmental education center - is looking for a full time Development Associate for Special Events and Communications. For the full job description, qualifications and how to apply, please go to http://commongroundct. org/2017/12/common-ground-seeks-development-associate-events-and-communications/

AA/EEO EMPLOYER

The Wallingford Police Department is seeking qualified applicants for Police Officer. $1,206.80 weekly plus an excellent fringe benefit package. The physical performance, written and oral board exams will be administered by the South Central Criminal Justice Administration. Candidates must register at: www.PoliceApp.com/WallingfordCT. Registration/Application deadline is Wednesday, January 17, 2018. The registration requires a fee of $85.00. EOE

Assistant Facilities Manager Common Ground seeks an Assistant Facilities Manager/Custodian to be responsible for the care, upkeep and maintenance of Common Ground’s facilities. The Assistant Facilities Manager/Custodian will supervise part time custodial staff.

This is a full time, year round 40-hour per week position with benefits. Work hours will generally run from noon until 8 pm with some weekend hours required. For a more detailed job description and how to apply, please visit http:// commongroundct.org/2017/10/common-ground-seeks-an-assistant-facilitiesmanager/Common Ground seeks an Assistant Facilities Manager/Custodian to be responsible for the care, upkeep and maintenance of Common Ground’s facilities. The Assistant Facilities Manager/Custodian will supervise part time custodial staff. This is a full time, year round 40-hour per week position with benefits. Work hours will generally run from noon until 8 pm with some weekend hours required. For a more detailed job description and how to apply, please

TRANSFER STATION LABORER Off load trailers, reload for trans/disp. Lift 50 lbs., operate industrial powered trucks and forklift. Asbestos Worker Handler Training a +. Resumes to RED Technologies, LLC, 173 Pickering St., Portland, CT 06480; Fax 860-342-1022; or Email to lkelly@redtransfer.com RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

Wait list Coventry Housing Authority is accepting applications for its Section 8 Elderly/Disabled housing until November 30, 2017. To qualify, you must be either 62 years of age or disabled. Annual income limit is $19,250 (one person) & $22,000 (two people). Interested parties may pick up an application at the Coventry Housing Authority, 1630 Main St., Coventry, CT, or have one mailed. Completed applications must be returned no later than 3 p.m. on November 30, 2017. For more information call 860-742-5518.

KMK Insulation Inc. 1907 Hartford Turnpike North Haven, CT 06473

Mechanical Insulator position.

Insulation company offering good pay and benefits.

Please mail resume to above address.. MAIL ONLY This company is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer.

The Housing Authority of the City of Norwalk, CT is requesting proposals for the painting of interior vacant units.

Proposal documents can be viewed and printed at www.

norwalkha.org<http://www.norwalkha.org> under the Business section RFP’s/RFQ’s Norwalk Housing is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Curtis O. Law, Executive Director.

School Security Greeter- Seeking qualified individuals to perform a variety of duties associated with monitoring access to the building or assigned station, implementing security protocols as provided by district and building level administrative staff. Requires graduation from high school, plus a minimum of one year experience working with the public. Individual considered for the positions will be required to be fingerprinted and undergo background checks.

Hourly Rate: $10.23 - $10.56 plus benefit package. Apply to: Personnel Department, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Fax #: (203) 294-2084. Closing date will be December 20, 2017 or the date the 50th application is received, whichever occurs first. EOE.

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT - Portland Knowledge of Haz. Waste Regs., Manifests, AP & Billing. Send resumes to RED Technologies, LLC Fax 860-218-2433; Email to HR@redtechllc.com RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

Construction Truck and Equipment Head Mechanic Large CT based Fence and Guard Rail contractor looking for experienced, self-motivated, responsible Head Mechanic. Responsibilities will include maintaining and repairing all company equipment and vehicles, updating asset lists and assuring all rolling stock is in compliance with state and federal regulations. Must have extensive diesel engine, electrical wiring and hydraulic systems experience.

Top wages paid, company truck and benefits.

AA/EOE

Wait list Coventry Housing Authority is accepting applications for its State Elderly/Disabled housing until November 30, 2017. To qualify, you must be either 62 years of age or disabled. Annual income limit is $47,600 (one person) & $54,400 (two people). Interested parties may pick up an application at the Coventry Housing Authority, 1630 Main St., Coventry, CT, or have one mailed. Completed applications must be returned no later than 3 p.m. on November 30, 2017. For more information call 860-742-5518.

Please send resume to Mpicard@atlasoutdoor.com

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES Invitation for Bids

Snow Removal Services- Valley and Waverly Townhouses The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven d/b/a Elm City Communities is currently seeking Bids for Snow Removal Services-Valley and Waverly Townhouses. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on Wednesday, November 1, 2017 at 3:00PM

Listing: Receptionist/Office Assistant

Petroleum Company has an immediate full time opening. Previous experience in a very busy office handling multiple telephone lines and dealing with customers required. Excellent customer service skills a must. Previous petroleum experience a plus. Applicant to also perform administrative/clerical tasks as assigned. Please send resume to: H.R. Manager, Confidential, P O Box 388, Guilford CT 06437.

********An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer**********

25

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

Assistant Facilities Manager

PUBLIC NOTICE

Project: 11 Crown Street Meriden, CT SUBCONTRACTOR PRE BID MEETING Thursday, January 11, 2018 6 to 7:00 pm Location: Meriden Housing Authority 22 Church Street, Meriden

INVITATION TO BID:

New Construction 3 Buildings, 81 Units, Approx 122,000SF This is our Project, Taxable & Residential Wage Rates apply.

This contract is subject to state set-aside and contract compliance requirements.

Bid Due Date: Subcontractor bids due: January 25, 2018 @ 5 pm Project documents available via ftp link below: http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=11crown street Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dlang@haynesct.com HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 AA/EEO EMPLOYER

Listing: Logistics Assistant - Immediate Opening High Volume petroleum oil company is seeking a full time skilled Logistics Assistant with previous petroleum oil, retail or commercial dispatching experience for days, shared on call duties and weekends required also. Must possess, excellent attention to detail, ability to manage multiple projects, excel proficiency and good computer skills required. Send resume to: Human Resource Dept., PO Box 388, Guilford, CT 06437. ********An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer**********

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport Invitation for Bid (IFB) Three Tab Roof Replacements at Various Sites Solicitation Number: 093-PD-17-S The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) is requesting sealed bids for Roof Replacements at Various Sites. A complete set of the plans and technical specifications will be available on October 23, 2017. To obtain a copy of the solicitation you must send your request to bids@parkcitycommunities.org, please reference solicitation number and title on the subject line. A MANDATORY pre-bid conference will be held at 150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604 on November 8, 2017 @ 10:00 a.m., submitting a bid for the project without attending conference is not in the best interest of the Offeror. Additional questions should be emailed only to bids@parkcitycommunities.org no later than November 20, 2017 @ 3:00 p.m. Answers to all the questions will be posted on PCC’s Website: www.parkcitycommunities.org. All bids must be received by mailed or hand delivered by December 7, 2017 @ 2:00 PM, to Ms. Caroline Sanchez, Sr. Contract Specialist, 150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604, at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. No bids will be accepted after the designated time.

KMK Insulation Inc. 1907 Hartford Turnpike North Haven, CT 06473

Mechanical Insulator position.

Insulation company offering good pay and benefits.

Please mail resume to above address.. MAIL ONLY This company is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer.

Common Ground seeks an Assistant Facilities Manager/Custodian to be responsible for the care, upkeep and maintenance of Common Ground’s facilities. The Assistant Facilities Manager/Custodian will supervise part time custodial staff.

This is a full time, year round 40-hour per week position with benefits. Work hours will generally run from noon until 8 pm with some weekend hours required. For a more detailed job description and how to apply, please visit http:// commongroundct.org/2017/10/common-ground-seeks-an-assistant-facilitiesmanager/Common Ground seeks an Assistant Facilities Manager/Custodian to be responsible for the care, upkeep and maintenance of Common Ground’s facilities. The Assistant Facilities Manager/Custodian will supervise part time custodial staff. This is a full time, year round 40-hour per week position with benefits. Work hours will generally run from noon until 8 pm with some weekend hours required. For a more detailed job description and how to apply, please visit http://commongroundct.org/2017/10/common-ground-seeks-an-assistantfacilities-manager/

Construction Truck and Equipment Head Mechanic

Large CT based Fence and Guard Rail contractor looking for experienced, self-motivated, responsible Head Mechanic. Responsibilities will include maintaining and repairing all company equipment and vehicles, updating asset lists and assuring all rolling stock is in compliance with state and federal regulations. Must have extensive diesel engine, electrical wiring and hydraulic systems experience.

Top wages paid, company truck and benefits.

AA/EOE

Please send resume to Mpicard@atlasoutdoor.com

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport Request for Proposal (RFP) for Security Guard Services- Harborview Towers Solicitation Number: 095-SEC-17-S The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) is currently requesting proposals from qualified security firms to provide security guard services at Harborview Towers a public housing complex in the city of Bridgeport. Solicitation package will be available on December 18, 2017. To obtain a copy of the solicitation you must send your request to bids@parkcitycommunities.org, please reference solicitation number and title on the subject line. A pre-proposal conference will be held at150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604 onJanuary 10, 2018, @ 10:00 a.m.Although attendance is not mandatory, submitting a bid for the project without attending conference is not in the best interest of the Offeror. Additional questions should be emailed only to bids@parkcitycommunities.org no later than January 20, 2018 @ 3:00 p.m. Answers to all the questions will be posted on PCC’s Website: www.parkcitycommunities.org.Proposals shall be mailed or hand delivered by February 1, 2018 @ 3:00 PM, to Ms. Caroline Sanchez, Director of Procurement, 150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604. Late proposals will not be accepted.

TOWN CLERK

TOWN CLERK-Responsible for public records and management of the Town Clerk’s Office. The position requires a H.S. Diploma or GED and five (5) years of responsible office work experience in municipal Town Clerk Office performing duties as indicated in the job description to include one (1) year of supervisory experience. Must possess State of CT. certification as a Notary required within six (6) months of appointment. Must possess and maintain State of CT. certification as a Municipal Clerk within three (3) years of appointment. $59,138- $75,665 plus an excellent fringe benefit package.

Apply: Personnel Department, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. The closing date will be the date the 50th application/resume is received, or December 27, 2017 whichever occurs first. EOE

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Union Company seeks: Tractor Trailer Driver for Heavy & Highway Construction Equipment. Must have a CDL License, clean driving record, capable of operating heavy equipment; be willing to travel throughout the Northeast & NY. We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits Invitation for Bids Phone: Contact: Dana Briere 860-243-2300 Email: Snow Removal ServicesValley dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com and Waverly Townhouse Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply The Housing Authority ofAction/ the City ofEqual New Haven d/b/a Elm City ComAffirmative Opportunity munities is currently seekingEmployer Bids for Snow Removal Services-Valley and Waverly Townhouses. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on Wednesday, November 1, 2017 at 3:00PM

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES s

GARRITY ASPHALT RECLAIMING , INC Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks: Reclaimer Operators and Milling Operators with current licensing and clean driving record.

We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits Contact: Rick Tousignant Phone: 860243-2300 Email: rick.tousignant@garrityasphalt.com Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming Inc Employer

seeks: Construction Equipment Mechanic preferably experienced in Reclaiming and Road Milling Equipment. We offer factory trainingAsphalt on equipment we operate.

Garrity Reclaiming Inc Location: Bloomfield CT seeks: Construction Equipment Mechanic Contact:experienced James Burke Phone: 860preferably in Reclaiming and 243-2300 Road Milling Equipment.

We offer factory email: jim.burke@garrityasphalt.com training on equipment we operate.

Women & Minority Applicants are Location: Bloomfield CT encouraged to apply Contact: James Burke Phone: 860Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity 243-2300 Employer We offer excellent hourly rate & email: jim.burke@garrityasphalt.com excellent Women & Minoritybenefits Applicants are encouraged to apply Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits

Union Company seeks: Tractor Trailer Driver for Heavy & Highway Construction Equipment. Must have a CDL License, clean driving record, capable of operating heavyCompany equipment; be willing to travel Union seeks: Tractor Trailer throughout the Northeast & Construction NY. We offer Driver for Heavy & Highway excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits Equipment.

Must have a CDL License, Contact: Dana Briere Phone: clean driving record, capable of operating 860-243-2300 Email: heavy equipment; be willing to travel dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com throughout the Northeast & NY. We offer Women & Minority are excellent hourly rate & Applicants excellent benefits encouraged to apply Contact: Dana Briere Phone: Affirmative Action/ EqualEmail: Opportunity 860-243-2300 Employer dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

New Partnership Helps Low Income Families Find Help With Expensive Medications

By Jeffrey Lewis, BlackNews.com

Nationwide — If you or someone you love is one of the millions of Americans with a chronic disease or a lifethreatening condition, pharmaceutical manufacturers and their partners offer you a gift of hope in 2018.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers are criticized as Scrooge or the Grinch in our country’s health care system.

Elected officials and advocacy organizations want to blame somebody for rising Rx costs, and the most obvious target is the Big Pharma.

But in this blame game, very little attention is given to the help the pharmaceutical industry and its partners quietly provide to patients in need through a variety of programs.

Such programs are often based on the patient’s household income, but not always. Patients with no health insurance coverage are often the first group considered eligible. Likewise, those with one or more chronic or life-threatening conditions are a high priority.

If you fall into one of these categories, check out the Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs) found on individual pharmaceutical company websites or through Partnership for Prescription

Assistance (www.PPARX.org), the website created by PhRMA, the trade association representing pharmaceutical manufacturers, linking patients to more than 475 different assistance programs.

On most of these websites, you can be connected with a customer support team member who can help determine if you are eligible and get you enrolled. You will be asked to verify that you are insured or uninsured and, in some cases, provide proof of income. You may need your physician to validate your condition. But once approved, access to medication is almost immediate. (Note: Patients enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid may not be eligible.)

Pharmaceutical manufacturers also offer co-pay assistance, in which the patient is offered help with the cost of medication co-payments. Some copay assistance programs do not limit who is eligible. And, it is important to know that some co-pay assistance programs will not help people on Medicare. Each program sets its own rules.

People searching for an online provider should check out www.RxAssist.org. This site was developed by AstraZeneca, a pharmaceutical manufacturer, with the sole purpose of help-

ing people access needed medications.

It is one of the best sites available.

The California Chronic Care Coalition (CCCC) has launched the website www.MyPatientRights.com and is taking it nationwide to help people who have been denied treatment or medicines, experienced delays or are dissatisfied with the decisions made by their health plan. Today, this pro-

gram is operating in 17 states. It helps patients get the care or treatment they need if denied, or if their plans don’t cover their meds and force them to pay full price. The program is available in 17 states – check the website to see if your state has a program.

If you need help with your medications, you are not alone. Go to the

websites cited throughout this article.

They can help connect you with lowcost and free alternatives. It is worth your time to explore these options.

Feel free to e-mail me with your questions.

Jeffrey Lewis, CEO of Legacy Health Endowment in Turlock, California can be reached at jeffrey@legacyhealthen-

The Difference Between Plant-Based, Vegan, Vegetarian & Pescatarian obesity and cardiovascular disease.

by Shawna Davis

Thanks to documentaries such as “Black Fish,” “What the Health,” “Forks Over Knives,” and a host of other educating documentaries, you may have begun to rethink the ethical treatment of animals, as well as, the food in which you’re putting into your body. And after watching such documentaries, it makes perfect sense as to why you may be curious about living a non-carnivorous lifestyle.

With so much knowledge available at our finger tips and with a drastic increase of vegan and vegetarian eateries across the world, it’s easier now more than ever, to cut back on eating meat. Not sure where to start? Here are four different lifestyles to choose from if you’re interested in living a meatfree life.

Pescatarian Eating a pescatarian diet means you’re able to eat any type of fruit, vegetable, legume or grain, as well as fish. While pescatarians’ diet is a focus on that of a plant-based diet with the inclusion of fish, some pescatarians

still consume dairy and eggs. Some benefits of this type of lifestyle includes meeting your need for B-complex vitamins and obtaining plenty of protein; a three-ounce raw Atlantic salmon fillet has 17 grams of protein.

Some fish, including salmon, tuna and herring, provide healthy omega-3 fatty acids which help reduce the risk of developing high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart problems.

Vegetarian A person who identifies as a vegetarian abstains from consuming any type of meat including poultry, seafood, red

meat and the flesh of any other animal.

There are different versions of this type of diet that includes an ovo-lacto vegetarian in which this version of vegetarianism includes consumption of eggs and dairy; ovo-vegetarian – a person who eats eggs but not dairy; and lacto-vegetarian – a diet in which a person consumes dairy but not eggs.

Depending on your beliefs, some vegetarians also refrain from by-products of animal slaughter. Some benefits of maintaining a vegetarian diet include decreasing your chances of developing kidney stones and lessening the risk of experiencing strokes, diabetes,

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Plant-Based Very similar to a vegan diet, individuals who choose to live a plant-based lifestyle avoid meat, dairy, eggs, gelatin and processed foods such as white flour and refined sugar. People who follow this lifestyle eat unprocessed or minimally processed vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds, legumes, beans and whole grains. To break the distinction between plant-based and veganism down a bit further, a vegan can eat Oreos, since in essence they are vegan, however, a person who follows a “plant-based” lifestyle may choose not to eat Oreos because it’s not a product that resembles it’s original plant form.

Although a “plant-based” meal may be vegan by definition, a big difference between the two are a person who follows a plant-based diet is not necessarily a vegan which means they may consume only plant-based foods but may still wear or use products that are derived from animals. A plant-based diet can help with diabetes prevention and weight loss, improving heart health and skin health as well.

Vegan Again, vegan and plant-based are strongly similar, except, being vegan is a philosophy devoted to animal rights that involves diets, ethics and politics.

As a vegan, you not only eliminate animal food from your diet, but you also extend the elimination process across all aspects of your life. So, this means a vegan doesn’t use honey or beeswax because it’s derived from insects; any household goods, toiletries or beauty products or wear any type of clothing that derives from animals, such as leather, fur or silk if any of the products are tested on or derived from animals. Being a vegan can help you lose excess weight, lower your risk of heart disease and may protect again certain cancers.

There are different options to help start your journey to living a life that doesn’t include eating land-based animals and plenty of benefits associated with each lifestyle. If you’re interested in starting any of these lifestyles, consult with your doctor and research to determine which option is a better fit for you.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

For the First Time Ever, More Than 50% of This Ivy League College's Freshmen Are Minorities

For the first time in history, more than 50 percent of incoming freshmen at Harvard University are minorities. If all graduate in the year 2021, it could also mean the first graduating class at prestigious Harvard with more than 50 percent non-whites.

Harvard University, founded in 1636, has been working to increase diversity among classes of students. In 2016, it’s incoming freshman class was 47.3 percent minorities. This year, they have increased this number to 50.8 percent.

What’s more, their reasoning is not based on just legal standards.

Educating diverse future leaders Although Harvard recognizes the need to be “consistent with the legal standards established by the U.S. Supreme Court,” the university has also

expressed the importance of diversity in society and their role in ensuring that all students, regardless of background, have an opportunity to receive the education necessary to become future presidents, CEOs, and world leaders.

Harvard spokeswoman Rachael Dane said in a recent statement, “To become leaders in our diverse society, students must have the ability to work with people from different backgrounds, life experiences, and perspectives. Harvard remains committed to enrolling diverse classes of students.”

Read more about Harvard’s Office for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion programs and initiatives by visiting http://diversity.college.harvard.edu/ programs-initiatives

Back to Active: Here’s Your Motivation to Start fitness formats will we choose to be part of our routine? How many days of the week will we work out? How much time are we willing to spend in the gym? It’s important, to be honest with ourselves. We’re less likely to fall short and let ourselves down if we commit to a realistic number of days. If we decide on formats that we truly enjoy, we’ll give ourselves something to look forward to those three or four active days of the week.

This will also help eliminate some of the confusion surrounding our new fitness routine because we already know what to expect from ourselves and our workout before we even start.

Another great motivation hack is choosing an accountability partner.

Perhaps you know someone who desires a healthier lifestyle or maybe you know someone who’s already submerged. Either way, it’s nice to have someone to hold us accountable for executing our fitness plans.

A good accountability partner is also going to be there for us when we’re frustrated and ready to give up.

They’ll help keep us motivated and push us to fight for our goals.

It sounds vain, but you may notice you’re more enthusiastic about showing up for your sweat sessions if you do it in workout gear you actually like, and as long as you know

by Jasmine Danielle, BDO

“I’m too tired.” “It’s too cold.” “I have no time to spare.” “The gym is too far.” “I don’t own any workout clothes.”

Sound familiar? They’re all common excuses as to why we won’t commit to starting a new workout routine.

We all fall victim to our excuses from time to time, and while some excuses may be valid, they should never keep us from executing a goal we established back in January 2009. It’s a new year and the perfect time to step into a new mindset. We can overcome our excuses and finally make it through those gym doors, even if that means hacking our way there.

The first step is to set a goal. By setting goals, we’re able to intentionally move through our fitness journeys, which is especially important when mapping out our workouts, maximizing our gym time, creating a realistic timeline and ultimately seeing results.

Goals should be SMART, meaning they should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.

When listing our goals we must be clear and practical and we must be able to track our progress on a timeline.

Once we’ve set our goals it’s time to decide on a plan of action! What

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where to look, it doesn’t have to be costly. Purchasing activewear that looks good and fits even better will inspire you to get moving if only to show off your new coordinates. Hey, at least you accomplished the hardest part, which is showing up!

Finally, don’t be afraid to treat yourself! It’s not a bad idea to have a system in place that rewards when milestones are met. Frozen yogurt, a bubble bath, a massage or facial, even a new (gym) bag are great ways to honor yourself for successfully executing your plans. Initiating a healthy lifestyle is challenging and following through takes the cake so celebrate your wins each time you’ve hit your mark!

Jasmine Danielle is a Los Angeles based dancer and fitness trainer. She received her BFA in Dance from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign and has studied with FiTour, the National Federation of Personal Trainers, and the Equinox Group Fitness Training Institute. Jasmine is currently a Group Fitness Instructor for Equinox, Everybody Los Angeles, and Sandbox Fitness. Her fitness modalities include ballet, dance cardio, barre fitness, TRX, treadmill interval training, cardio kickboxing, jump rope, indoor cycling, and metabolic conditioning.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

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203-392-6154 Saint Aedan School

School Readiness/Pre-Kindergarten Program 351 McKinley Ave., New Haven, CT 06515 Now accepting applications for both 3 and 4 year old programs The Saint Aedan Readiness Program, based on Connecticut Early Learning and Development Standards allows children to learn based on the uniqueness of each child. Building self esteem, friendships and a sense of community, Saint Aedan School is committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment.

Questions about your bill?

Yale New Haven Hospital is pleased to offer patients and their families financial counseling regarding their hospital bills or the availability of financial assistance, including free care funds.

Full Year/Full day (7:30-5:30)

By appointment, patients can speak one-on-one with a financial counselor during regular business hours. For your convenience, extended hours are available once a month.

Parent Fees-sliding scale Care4kids Available NAEYC Accredited

Date: Tuesday, January 16

For enrollment information, contact Dr. James Acabbo, Director

Time: 5 - 7 pm Location: Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital, 1 Park St., 1st Floor, Admitting Parking available (handicapped accessible)

drashsp@yahoo.com Mr. Michael Votto, Principal

An appointment is necessary. Please call 203-688-2046.

Spanish-speaking counselors available.

mvotto@staedan-brendanschool.org Or call the school at 203-387-5693 Visit us at www.staedan-brendanschool.org

12929 (11/17)

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

LeBron James: “Commitment Is The Key To Anything”

by Marcus Williams, BDO Staff Writer

LeBron James’ stats are downright staggering. He has won three NBA championships, four NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, three NBA Finals MVP Awards, two Olympic gold medals, an NBA scoring title, and the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He has also been selected to 13 NBA All-Star teams, 13 All-NBA teams, and six AllDefensive teams, has made it to six consecutive NBA Finals, is the Cava-

liers’ all-time leading scorer, and is the NBA career playoff scoring leader. He could even win MVP again, and become the fourth player ever to do so at his age or older (Michael Jordan, Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).

But even still, critics and fans alike hate on LeBron, not knowing all the work he puts in behind the scenes.

“From the day I started playing basketball, I never wanted to be a one-hit wonder,” James said. “I knew I was born with a gift, but I was like, I want to keep it going. I want to be as great

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as I can be and I always wanted to be the greatest player that everybody has ever seen.”

James was born to 16-year-old Gloria Marie James, who raised him on her own at that young age. When James was growing up, life was often a struggle for the family, as they moved from apartment to apartment in the seedier neighborhoods of Akron while Gloria struggled to find steady work. Realizing that her son would be better off in a more stable family environment, Gloria allowed him to move in with the family of Frank Walker, a local youth football coach, who introduced James to basketball when he was nine years old.

As a youth, James played Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for the Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars.

The team enjoyed success on a local and national level, led by James and his friends Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III, and Willie McGee. The players dubbed themselves the “Fab Four”, promising each other that they would attend high school together. In a move that stirred local controversy, they chose to attend St. Vincent–St. Mary High School, a predominately white private Catholic school.

From there LeBron made move after move, from signing a seven-year, $93 million deal with Nike right out of high school to creating controversy with his “Decision” special broadcast from the Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich, Connecticut, the show raised $2.5 million for the charity.

He teamed up with Octavia Spencer to bring to life Madam C.J. Walker’s story to the big screen.

– His Lebron James Family Foundation “I Promise” program provides a guaranteed four-year scholarship to the school for students who qualify.

The scholarship covers tuition and the university’s general service fee — currently $9,500 per year. James told ESPN he plans to provide this for 1,100 kids, which would cost his foundation a total of $41.8 million at the school’s current rates.

– James’ is opening up a school. The Akron school board approved plans for a new “I Promise school” in coordination with… …the LeBron James Family Founda-

“Commitment is the key to anything,” James said.

It’s that same committment he has on the court that he has off the court as well in his business ventures.

For example: – James signed a lifetime endorsement deal with Nike worth more than $1 billion — a move that was so big it is more like the merger of two corporations — becoming the first athlete in the company’s 44-year history to do so.

– James decided not to renew his multi-million dollar endorsement deal with McDonald’s and will instead become a spokesman for Blaze Pizza, a company where he was a founding investor.

– His new media venture got $16 million from Warner Bros.

He’s an executive producer for the hit STARZ network show, Survivor’s Remorse.

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(Photo credit: @KingJames instagram)

tion that will serve third- and fourthgraders identified as “at risk” of failing to graduate high school, according to the Associated Press. The school is scheduled to open next fall.

– But he insists that he drives a Kia, even to work.

He built good habits both mentally and physically and looks beyond the court to leave his mark on this world.

“I got enough motivation, and while I’m playing this game, while I keep suiting up, while I keep doing what I’m doing, I’m going to give it everything I got,” James said. “And when I’m done, you know, we can sit here and debate about who is the greatest to ever play this game.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

N e w H av e n P u b l i c S ch o o l s

2018 SCHOOL EXPOS You are invited to discover all that New Haven Public Schools can offer families and students. Please join us at a School Expo.

Thur • Jan. 25, 5:30-8pm Floyd Little Athletic Center • 480 Sherman Pkwy

6 - 7pm High School Info Session

Sat • Feb. 3, 11am-2pm

1:30 - 2:30pm Kindergarten Info Session

John Martinez Magnet School • 100 James Street Choice.NHPS.Net 31

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 10, 2018 - January 16, 2018

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Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. New residential customers only. Limited to Starter XF Triple Play with Digital Starter TV, Performance Pro 100 Mbps Internet upgraded to Blast! 200 Mbps Internet, and Voice Unlimited services. Early termination fee applies if all Xfinity services (except Xfinity Mobile) are cancelled during the agreement term. Equipment, taxes and fees, including Broadcast TV Fee (up to $8.00/mo.), Regional Sports Fee (up to $6.75/mo.) and other applicable charges extra, and subject to change during and after promo. After promo, or if any service is cancelled or downgraded, regular rates apply. TV: Limited Basic service subscription required to receive other levels of service. Internet: Fastest Internet claim based on Xfinity’s fastest available download speed. Actual speeds vary and are not guaranteed. Xfinity WiFi hotspots included with Performance Internet and above. Performance Starter and below not eligible. Available in select areas. Voice: $29.95 activation fee applies. If there is a power outage or network issue, calling, including calls to 911 may be unavailable. © 2018 Comcast. All rights reserved. NPA211612-0001 DIV18-1-AA-JanSale-A2

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