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THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017 INNER-CITY NEWS July 27, 2016 - August 02, 2016

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

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“Pussies” Defy Trump THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

by LUCY GELLMAN

NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

Washington, D.C.—After marching with hundreds of thousands of women on the national mall, New Haven bus captain Maggie Quinn had one more stop to make. Trotting up the gentle slope of Capitol Hill, she headed toward the Rayburn House, where U.S. Reps. Rosa DeLauro and Elizabeth Etsy were inside at a reception and in severe need of handknitted pink pussyhats. “I have something for you!” Quinn told DeLauro, handing her the hat in a plastic ziplock bag. DeLauro grinned with delight, did a little twirl, and put it on. In doing so, she picked up a message seen and heard all day in D.C.: She was ready to “grab” back, show solidarity with “pussies” across Connecticut, and fight a new administration. That was the message New Haven and Connecticut women delivered at Saturday’s Women’s March on Washington, the anchoring event for hundreds of anti-Trump sister marches worldwide. The D.C. event alone drew as many as half a million protesters a day after the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump. And everywhere you looked, you saw a sea of pussyhats. For Quinn, a New Haven area activist, the Trump Era movement in which she enlisted began in her Bethany living room, where she has knitted close to 40 pussyhats since the election. Conceived as a reference to Trump’s 2005 recorded statement that he could “grab women by the pussy,” the pussyhat has since become a symbol of the march itself. It signifies a determination to “grab back” — to dig in, organizing at both the grassroots and national levels for abortion rights, equal pay for equal work, paid medical and family leave, and protection to victims of sexual assault and intimate partner violence among other issues. Quinn is not alone: Leading up to Saturday’s marches, a national movement has encouraged women to knit pussyhats and display them at rallies. Dubbed the “Pussyhat Project,” it offers a pattern for knitters to copy. And it offers this explanation: “We love the clever word play of ‘pussyhat’ and ‘pussycat,’ but yes, “pussy” is also a derogatory term

DeLauro receives her hat at post-march reception for the locals.

LUCY GELLMAN PHOTOS

The hat-clad crowd masses for the march.

for female genatalia. We chose this loaded word for our project because we want to reclaim the term as a means of empowerment. In this day and age, if we have pussies we are assigned the gender of “woman.” Women, whether transgender or cisgender, are mistreated in this society. In order to get fair treatment,

the answer is not not take away our pussies, the answer is not to deny our femaleness and femininity, the answer is to demand fair treatment. A woman’s body is her own. We are honoring this truth and standing up for our rights.” In preparation for the Saturday’s March, Quinn took that message

to heart. Even before the electoral college had confirmed the president’s candidacy, she began knitting pussyhats for everyone she knew, furiously working through ball after ball of dark pink yarn. She started giving them away “to friends of friends of friends” on request. Then to the women who boarded her bus

that left Wilbur Cross High School around 1 a.m. Saturday for the DC march. And then, specifically, for her legislators. “I’m really angry, but we can’t let our anger stop us from being adults, from behaving like adults, and stop us from trying to engage the people who disagree with us in constructive ways,” said Quinn. “Yelling and ad hominem attacks are not the answer.” “I just did it myself to try and make some creativity out of the agita that I’ve been feeling since the election,” she said. “We are exhausted, but we are so glad we came.” Chanting “Hey hey, ho ho/ Donald Trump has got to go!,” “This is what Democracy looks like!” and “My body my choice!,” Quinn with 80 busloads of women from Connecticut, and hundreds of thousands of others from across the U.S . was in good company. Marching along Constitution Avenue with her friends Allie Pang and Sayoko Blodgett-Ford, former (and possibly future) New Haven Alder Abby Roth (pictured above) rocked a striped purple-and-pink pussy hat that a woman on her Friday afternoon train had given her. Meanwhile, Action Together CT Organizer Valerie Horsley was gathering advocates who had made the trip with her. She prepared to march down Pennsylvania Avenue with homemade signs of multicolored uteri and a banner for their advocacy group, which was started as a place for grassroots organizing in the wake of the election. Around them, mothers and young children in their pussy hats cheered them on. Outside DeLauro’s post-walk reception reception at the Rayburn House, recent New Haven transplant Niko Scharer motioned to her own pussy hat, speaking about why she’d made the trip to DC. “I needed to be here,” she said. “If I hadn’t come, I would have gone crazy.” Inside the Rayburn House, as the reception wound down, DeLauro and Etsy proudly sported their hats, talking to constituents who were still streaming in about the importance of the march. Quinn smiled as she listened. “I really think there were 800,000 women out there, and I feel like I have 800,000 new friends,” she said.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

Babies, Prayer Fuel Anti-Abortion March by MARKESHIA RICKS NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

They didn’t shout. They didn’t chant through the street. They walked, prayed, sang — and tried to keep the babies and toddlers along for the ride entertained. The annual Walk for Life an annual event to protest the Supreme Court’s legalization of abortion in the Roe v. Wade case processed that way through downtown Monday at midday after mass at St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Hillhouse Avenue. The march took place on a day of a win for the pro-life movement: President Donald Trump reinstated a rule prohibiting U.S. foreign aid from going to health providers abroad who promote abortion as an option to women. The march also followed by two days massive women’s marches with a decided pro-abortion rights platform around the country and the globe. Also Monday, state legislators and advocates held dueling press conferences in Hartford. Republican pro-abortion legislators spoke of promoting bills this session to require parental consent and counseling for anyone under 18 seeking an abortion; and

MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTO Marching

up Church Street.

requiring an ultrasound procedure before any abortion. Meanwhile, Democratic female lawmakers promoted bills guaranteeing a woman’s constitutional right to pregnancy-related healthcare and improving workplace protections for nursing mothers, among other measures. The Walk for Life is a tradition for New Haveners Teaghan and Elizabeth Grayson. They along with about 70 other people braved

the blustery wind to speak, they said, for those who have no voice, the unborn, and those who won’t be born because of abortion. One of the couple’s early memories is in a picture of Teaghan giving Elizabeth a piggy back ride at a bigger annual protest march against Roe in Washington, D.C. (This year’s takes place Friday.) Back then they didn’t have their daughter, 4-month-old Cecilia. Monday’s was the first march

for their rosy-cheeked baby. Her presence has only strengthened her parents’ commitment to fight against legalized abortion, they said. “We want [abortion] to be illegal,” Teaghan Grayson said. “We think that the law does hold moral weight; we don’t simply pass laws for procedural reasons symbolic laws. Like removing the Confederate flag ... “... was important not just because the Confederate flag is harmful to people, but because it represents something harmful symbolically,” Elizabeth Grayson finished. Both said that eliminating abortion would necessarily have to come with structural changes to health care. Teahgan Grayson pointed out that the U.S. Bishops have put out a statement urging the new president and Congress not to end Obamacare without a plan to replace it. “We’re interested in creating a world where pregnancy isn’t a crisis,” he said. Cecilia wasn’t the only baby at her first pro-life march. Christel Ruppert brought her 8-month-old daughter Elliana. The pair came to New Haven from Easton because they couldn’t make the march down in D.C.

this year. Ruppert said that the biggest divide between her and those who support legal abortion lies in when life begins. “For me, I believe life begins in the womb,” she said. “Abortion is killing a life. When you’re educated on how babies develop and when they begin to hear, and can feel pain and develop certain senses, I think you understand it from that perspective.” Father John Paul Walker, pastor at St. Mary’s, said that it is important for people who do not believe in abortion to speak up, particularly for the unborn, but also for the terminally ill and the severely handicapped a statistically high reason, he said, that abortions are performed. He likened fighting against abortion to the abolition of slavery: Just because something is legal doesn’t mean you should do it. Walker said that abortion-rights proponents often argue that while they might not personally choose an abortion, they don’t have to the right to deny that choice to someone else. “If killing a child is wrong,” he said, “you can’t say you have the right to do it.”

Trump Era Begins With Tear Gas, Division by LUCY GELLMAN NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

Washington, D.C. — A crowd of around 150 protesters was midway through a chant of “No justice/ No Peace!/ No racist/ Police!” in the northwest quarter of the city when the sound of a cannon pierced the grey sky behind them. Pink smoke filled the air. Another loud boom rang across Massachusetts Avenue. This time, people started running, pulling bandannas over their faces as they darted past mounted police. “If you are wearing contacts, take them out!” a woman with a paper face mask and red cross armband yelled, squaring her body against the police in the street. “Does anyone need a medic?” “Oh my God!” another woman yelled as protesters ran past her. “Oh my God.”

LUCY GELLMAN PHOTO

That’s not fog on the Capitol streets.

Police had begun tear-gassing and lobbing non-lethal grenades at protesters after reports of windows being smashed and rocks being thrown a police officers, two of

whom were injured. (Police reported close to 100 arrests and said most of the demonstrators were peaceful.) Welcome to day one of Donald J. Trump’s America.

This was the scene Friday afternoon on Massachusetts Avenue close to DuPont Circle, where a crowd of protesters had gathered to protest Trump’s inauguration as the 45th President of the United States. In the Senate Office Buildings 25 or so blocks away, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy was wrapping his own mind around the inauguration, which he attended before a scheduled 4 p.m. vote in the Senate. “I don’t like the fact that Donald Trump’s going to be my president, but I was at the ceremony today because I respect this process and I think it’s a miracle,” he said in an interview in his Senate office, referring to Trump’s inaugural address, which featured a call to rescue America’s “forgotten men and women” from dark forces and perceived enemies. “His speech was a campaign speech ... Mostly red meat for his supporters. And

the folks that voted for him will probably love every minute of it, and the folks who didn’t probably didn’t find anything there. Donald Trump is who he is. He’s going to be a divisive president and we have to live with that and have to figure out a way to deal with it.” “None of the things that Trump has proposed are inevitable,” he added, urging continued political action on the local level. “People are going to keep at it and get involved in their local communities.” He noted that, while his wife will attend the Women’s March on Washington Saturday morning and they are hosting several women from Connecticut Friday night, he plans to stay home watching their two young children. “I think tomorrow will be a really important day,” he said of the march. .

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

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Mary Herron Takes Charge by BRIAN SLATTERY NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

Saturday’s Women’s March on Washington inspired similar rallies from coast to coast, including a march in Hartford that drew several thousand people to the state capitol. In New Haven at 12:15 p.m., the Green was witness to its own rally. Set up by Yale liaisons to the D.C., it had begun at 11 a.m. at Beinecke Plaza on Yale’s campus, with chalk drawings and singing by an a cappella group. By noon the group had made its way to the Green, where it marched the perimeter of its western half for an hour. Hundreds of people were involved in the protest, which at its largest stretched in a line on Church Street from the corner of Elm to the corner of Chapel. With chants of “Fired up, ready to go,” “Women’s rights, human rights,” “Keep your hands off my sister,” and “Let’s dump Trump,” the march made a few laps around the Green. Bystanders smiled and waved. A city employee on her way to work yelled, “Thank you! We’re with you!” Cars honked as they passed by. At 12:50, the leaders of the march led the group to the flagpole at the center of the block, where Mary Herron announced that the signage from the protest would be made part of the Institute Library’s Nasty Women New Haven exhibit, slated to have its opening reception March 9. Several people stepped forward to give Herron their signs and to thank her for organizing. Interesting thing was, Herron hadn’t organized the march — not officially. She arrived at the Green to join it as a participant. The protesters had arrived from Beinecke Plaza. “No one was in charge,” she said, “and I just jumped up.”

She was inspired by an interview she’d seen with former President Obama about his taking charge of a community event in Chicago. She was also thinking of her own family. Herron’s younger daughter is 24 years old and suffers from severe disabilities. Her older daughter, at 28 years old, “is a strong feminist,” Herron said. Mary Herron herself is in education, as were her parents, and she related that she comes from a long line of strong women. Herron’s grandmother Pauline, born on Jan. 1, 1900, was a Latin teacher who married a man named Jefferson Davis Herron. He turned

out to be an abusive father, beating their children. So Pauline kicked him out of the house, went back to school, and became an optometrist. Pauline handed out free glasses during the Depression. She didn’t divorce Jefferson, and eventually hired him as her bookkeeper. But she “never let him lay a hand on the kids” again, Herron said. When Herron saw that the march on Saturday could use a leader, she stepped up. “I thought, ‘OK, I can do this,’” she said. She got up and started chanting, “Fired up, ready to go.” Others joined her, and they were off, with Herron in the lead.

Replica Solitary Confinement Cell Coming to New Haven

NEW HAVEN – From January 30th through February 18th, members of the public will have the rare opportunity to experience the sights and sounds of a typical solitary confinement cell. A broad coalition of local community, religious, and university organizations will host “Inside the Box,” a three week-long display of a replica solitary confinement cell at the New Haven Free Public Library and on the Yale campus. The display will be accompanied by numerous events, including community discussions, film screenings, expert panels, and a talk by Connecticut Department of Correction Commissioner Scott Semple. “Our goal is to provide members of the community with an opportunity to experience isolation, to learn about its harms, and to engage in advocacy for limiting its use,” said the Rev. Allie Perry, the coalition’s lead organizer. Solitary confinement is the practice of placing a prisoner alone in a cell for 22 to 24 hours a day with little human contact or interaction. According to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, prolonged solitary confinement is torture. On any given day, however, around 80,000 people in the United States are being held in solitary confinement. “Inside the Box” will begin with a press conference on Monday, January 30 at 1:30 P.M. held at the New Haven Free Public (Ives Memorial) Library and featuring New Haven Mayor Toni Harp, Connecticut Senator Gary Winfield, solitary survivor Keishar Tucker, City Librarian Martha Brogan, William Ginsberg of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, and members from the Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic at Yale Law School. In addition to the talk by Commissioner Semple, events will include a discussion with solitary survivors and family members, a screening of the HBO documentary film “Solitary” and a talkback with its director, and a “how-to” advocacy panel. The full schedule of events is attached and available online at https://www. insidetheboxnhv.org. “Connecticut has made tremendous Con’t on page 23

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

New Haven Lights Up The Trump Night by PAUL BASS

NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

On the eve of what many New Haveners consider the inauguration of a dark era in America, hundreds filled the plaza outside the Shubert Theatre to blast one last communal beacon of hope. The crowd gathered on College Street Thursday evening as part of a nationwide “Ghostlight Project.” Hundreds of theaters invited people to “create a ‘light’ for dark times ahead” at precisely 5:30 p.m. in advance on Friday’s noontime inauguration of President Donald Trump. The Shubert, Yale Repertory and Long Wharf theaters teamed up to organize New Haven’s event on College Street. Yale Rep Managing Director Victoria Nolan explained that “ghost lights” remain on otherwise dark and unoccupied stages to help people feel safe. She called on the crowd to create a symbolic “safe harbor for all of our values and any among us who find ourselves targeted” because of their race, gender, sexual orientation, legal status, or “dissident action.”

PAUL BASS PHOTOS

Long Wharf’s Borenstein counts down.

Aleta Stanton read aloud a poem by Elizabeth Alexander (who read at President Barack Obama’s first inauguration). The poem: “Praise Song for the Day.” “What if the mightiest word,” she asked, “is love?”

“On my countdown,” declared Long Wharf Managing Director Joshua Borentstein (pictured at the top of the story), “let’s create our own huge ghost light. On the count of three, turn on your lights, and beam them out to the

darkness!” The crowd responded by hoisting their glow lights and smartphone cameras ... ... high into the air and out into the darkness, with a mixture of celebration ...... realism ...and defiance.

The Shubert’s Kelly Wuzzardo called up members of Cooperative High School’s theater troupe, with whom she works, to close out the event with a heartfelt rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine.” Petisia Adger.

Re-Entry Program Inks Public-Housing Deal by MARKESHIA RICKS NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

The city’s re-entry program has a new name and a new agreement with the housing authority to provide one more incentive for a life on the right side of the law: a place to live. The Board of Commissioners of the Housing Authority of New Haven voted at its regular meeting at 360 Orange St. last week to approve a memorandum of agreement to allow data-sharing between the city and the housing authority for the purpose of screening people who come through the newly named Warren Kimbro Reentry Project. In October 2015, the city was one of only five U.S. cities to receive a $1 million “Second Chance Act” grant from the U.S. Justice Department to try over the next three years to cut its recidivism rate by half. Through a partnership between city and local agencies that serve the formerly

MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTO

Warren Kimbro.

Reentry chief Graves.

FILE PHOTO

incarcerated, the program is identifying and attempting to assess the needs of incarcerated men and women with New Haven addresses six to nine months before they are released.

The idea behind the program is to identify needs such as employment, education, physical and mental health, along with substance abuse and family reintegration help, before a person is released. And then hook

them into programs and services that address these problems with hopes that it will set the person on a course to avoid returning to prison. New Haven sees on average about 1,000 felons released back to the city every year. Man of those newly freed people need a place to live. Clifton Graves, who heads the city’s reentry office, said that previous U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations made it hard for those with criminal records to obtain public housing, particularly if their crime involved a drug offense on public housing property. “They were essentially banned,” he said. But Graves said that just prior to President Obama’s administration HUD began to examine its rules and revise them to allow housing authorities to make some exception. He said some housing authorities didn’t embrace such allowances, but

New Haven did. And they’ve done it with success, said housing authority Executive Director Karen DuBois-Walton. The Warren Kimbro Reentry Project will be the third reentryrelated partnership that the housing authority has entered into with the city. The first was with Project Fresh Start, which started out as a pilot of eight units within the authority’s portfolio of properties, set aside for the formerly incarcerated. That effort has since grown to 20 units. The second is a voucher-based program for those who meet certain benchmarks in Project Longevity. “A memorandum of agreement has been drafted that outlines both the data sharing aspects and the participation aspects of this program similar to other reentry initiatives that we have done with Project Longevity and others,” DuBois-Walton said. “We will Con’t on page 12

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

New Top Cop Promises Quality-Of-Life Focus by PAUL BASS

Sgt.Sean Maher,

NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

Downtown and Wooster Square’s new top cop told neighbors he aims to keep aggressive panhandlers out of people’s faces. “Every person should be able to walk freely and enjoy the city ... and feel safe,” Sgt. Sean Maher, the combined district’s new district manager, told the neighbors Tuesday night at his first appearance at their monthly management team meeting at City Hall. Maher, who assumed the command this month, said he has already heard a lot of complaints about aggressive panhandling and public urination. He spoke of one man who was “grabbing people and demanding money.” He said that officers were able to make an arrest of the man on attempted robbery charges. “This person is no longer out in the

district. That’s the kind of activity I want to stop.” Plans also include assigning the motorcycle unit to target speeders. Maher said that no burglaries were reported downtown or in Wooster Square over the previous week. That was welcome news to the management team because of a rash of burglaries in December. Police caught an alleged serial burglar in the act of a smash-andgrab downtown, and said they were able to connect him to at least 11 incidents. The suspect came at the officer who spotted him, Garry Monk, with a piece of metal, Maher reported. Rather than respond physically, Monk was able to talk the man down without incident. Maher came to New Haven from Brooklyn two decades ago to attend Southern Connecticut State University. He liked the city and decided to stay here.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

HIDDEN FIGURES AUTHOR COMES TO NEW HAVEN By: Carla Morrison

(Contributor: Katurah Bryant) In solidarity with the Women’s March on Washington and Martin Luther King’s birthday, Yale University’s African American Studies Department and the African American Cultural Center at Yale hosted a week of programs, dedicated to African American culture. One of the MLK highlights included a lecture and film screening of “Hidden Figures”, which featured Author of the book, Margot Lee Shetterly. The event was held at the Whitney Humanities Center and was filled to capacity, with a diverse group of women and girls, including a few men, who were full of questions and excitement about

the inspiration behind Hidden Figures. “There are many layers for looking beyond the title of the book ‘Hidden Figures’,” stated Margot Lee Shetterly. “Looking beyond, is what the women had to do, just to go through the doors at NASA”.

There were 1,000 women getting up and going to NASA every day as human computers, she continued. The story behind physicist and mathematician Katherine Johnson, who contributed to the orbital mission of Astronaut John Glenn,

wasn’t new to Shetterly; because she grew up in an environment where her father worked at NASA in Virginia; And Ms. Johnson, along with other black women from NASA all attended her home church in Hampton, Virginia, where Shetterly was raised. “I wrote this book because I wanted to see myself; A little black girl,” said Margot Lee Shetterly. She was moved to do so, after Margot and her husband visited Hampton, and her husband became aware of Katherine Johnson’s story. He encouraged Margot to write the story for the many people, like him who were unaware of the role African American women played in America’s first human space flight. Hidden Figures, has sparked a phenomena for women and girls

interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). The book has been number 1 on the New York Times best sellers list for three weeks and in the box office for two weeks. The author Margot Lee Shetterly is also in demand as a speaker, for which she will be back in the Greater New Haven area February 8, 2017, at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT. Carla Morrison is a freelance writer, social media maven and public relations professional. She is also an advocate for girls and women through her nonprofit, “Sisters of Today and Tomorrow, located in Atlanta, Georgia with ties to New Haven, CT. www. sistersoftodayandtomorrow.org

NOMINATE A YOUNG HERO FOR A $5,000 BARRON PRIZE!

The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes celebrates inspiring, public-spirited young people from diverse backgrounds all across North America. Established in 2001 by author T.A. Barron, the Barron Prize annually honors 25 outstanding young leaders ages 8 to 18 who have made a significant positive impact on people, their communities, or the environment. The top fifteen winners each receive $5,000 to support their service work or higher education. Applications are accepted online only and are due by April 15, 2017. For more information, visit www. barronprize.org/apply

Photos of two recent honorees -Samantha and Jonathan (2 photos of each -- descriptions of them are below) Samantha, of S. Windsor, Connecticut Samantha founded SHIFT Scoliosis, a non-

profit committed to eliminating the late diagnosis of scoliosis. She and her team have screened over 4,000 children, connecting 150 of them with additional medical care, and have educated over 10,000

people about the signs of scoliosis. Her work stems from her own diagnosis at age 11, when the disease took her from competing as a top swimmer to coping with a disability that required braces, medications, and machines at night to keep her oxygen levels safe. Jonathan, of Brooklyn, NY advocates for environmental and climate justice in his neighborhood of Sunset Park, a low-income community of color in Brooklyn, NY. He organized the annual New York City Climate Justice Youth Summit, a gathering of 750 young people brought together by UPROSE, a grassroots

environmental justice group based in Brooklyn. Jonathan began his work at UPROSE as a summer intern who had no idea of the environmental burdens of Sunset Park. He soon learned that his community is sandwiched between three power plants, a sludge transfer facility, dozens of former industrial sites, and a highway that carries 200,000 vehicles per day. Jonathan rallied his peers to action, mapping the neighborhood so as to inform the City where trees were most needed and convincing officials to expand the median on the six-lane street that residents cross daily.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

Fire Chief Promises To Recruit Women and Minorities by BETSY KIM

NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

The NAACP told New Haven’s new fire chief that the city needs more female and black firefighters and he agreed to take up the challenge. “People need to live in New Haven. People need to be female and they need to be of color because that’s the make up of New Haven. That’s not the only people in New Haven but when you look at the [fire] department, it does not reflect our community, and that’s a concern,” Greater New Haven NAACP President Dori Dumas told new Chief John Alston, New Haven’s new fire chief, who was sworn in on December 22, 2016. Alston told the approximately 25 people at the NAACP’s general meeting on Thursday night at St. Luke’s Church on Whalley Avenue that he agreed. He came to speak on the direction of the department under his leadership. “I believe that every organization public or otherwise should reflect the community it serves because you get better firefighters when you know people,” said Alston. He called it “unacceptable” that fewer than 8 percent of New Haven’s firefighters are women. He promised to recruit more minorities and women. Fire Captain Gary Tinney emphasized the importance of cadet programs in exposing youth to the public safety service careers; Tinney has helped start one at Hillhouse High School. He pointed to the example of Precious DuBose. At Hillhouse, she signed up for an EMR (emergency medical response) course and learned about the emergency medical and fire response roles of the fire department. At Alston’s swearing in ceremony, he awarded DuBose with his first Chief of Department Award because during that same week, she passed her EMT (emergency medical technician) state certification exam. Alston said he hopes to expand programs similar to the one at Hillhouse to other schools. He is using social media to reach young people with stories like DuBose’s. NAACP members listening to Alston at St. Luke’s. When the fire department contracts expire in June 2018, Alston expects to have 30 to 50 job openings, and

BETSY KIM PHOTO

Alston at NAACP meeting.

Clinton Boldan meets firefighter Douglas Wardlaw.

NAACP members listening to Alston at St. Luke’s.

thousands of applications. He plans to have developed the department’s own “sue-proof” test by June, which follows his motto of “fair, right and appropriate.” Having just finished his first 100 days of service, Alston said he has at first focused on two priorities. First, the two paramedic units handle 6,000 and 7,000 runs per year. Alston emphasized that 76 percent of fire department’s runs are for medical, not fire calls. Currently, engines bring hoses and water, and ladder companies

(trucks) bring tools and ladders. Alston plans for the trucks to engage in medical runs. People who are paid stipends for medical credentials will need to respond to the medical calls, or to lose their stipends. He is concerned that overworked paramedics will experience burnout, posttraumatic stress disorder, fatigue and automobile accidents. Sixteen paramedics graduated in December and were placed in firehouses on a rotational basis; Alston plans to put a third paramedic unit in the Dixwell Station. Second, Alston has also been working to contain firefighters’ overtime. He said the alternative would be to close firehouses, which he opposes, calling such measures roulette with people’s lives. He noted New Haven has a high budget for fire service compared to other cities. At his last job, the approximately 660 employees in the Jersey City fire department never exceeded $1.2 million per year in overtime. Alston contrasted that with the New Haven fire department, which is half that size, and two times exceeded $3.8 million in overtime. He said his has committed to being a frugal, responsible steward of tax dollars, with his $32 million budget, through use of contracts and MOUs (memoranda of understanding). NAACP members Thursday night were highly supportive of Alston’s vision for the department. Shawn Marshall asked the fire chief what he found most gratifying about the job. Alton said he enjoys the melting pot of New Haven, and earning the support and trust of firefighters. Pastor Steven Cousin Jr. asked what people can do to support him. “Keep allowing me to talk and to answer your questions,” said Alston. He said will have his first departmental assessment report for the mayor and alders by mid-February. Alston expects that several of his changes will be legally challenged. He referred to the fire department’s history of lawsuits, including the U.S. Supreme Court case Ricci v. DeStafano. He referred to landmark discrimination cases that swung to both sides of the pendulum. “I can’t fix history. No one can,” said Alton. “How can you move forward holding onto the past? You cannot. It is physically and emotionally impossible.”

203-599-3091

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

City Scrambles To Salvage State Millions by THOMAS BREEN NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

City officials are hustling to secure promised state reimbursements for upwards of $5 million in roadpaving money after being caught off guard by the abrupt ending of a popular capital improvement program. Whatever happens, they promise, the city will keep patching potholes. The scurry began on Dec. 29 of last year, when Connecticut Office of Policy and Management Secretary Benjamin Barnes sent a letter to towns and cities throughout the state announcing the end of the Local Capital Improvement Program (LoCIP). This three-decade-old program, which reimburses municipalities for eligible capital improvement projects like road and bridge construction, had exceeded its bonding limit by $35 million back in March 2016. The letter apologized for any inconveniences that the sudden end of the program may cause for local governments. But it also made clear that the state’s hands were tied as long as the General Assembly maintained the program’s current funding cap. For New Haven’s finance and public works departments, which are responsible for handling all of the city’s LoCIP requirements, this announcement of the program’s imminent demise represented not just an unwelcome potential loss of reliable state funding for roadpaving projects. It also proved to be an incitement to pick up the pace in completing a series of required bureaucratic processes that had always demanded meticulous attention, but had never before required much urgency. “This is a very detailed process which requires, among other things, compiling many different purchase orders and figuring out which expenditures are eligible,” explained City Controller Daryl Jones, referring to the paperwork his department helps public works complete and submit each year in order to receive LoCIP reimbursements. “It takes literally up to a month to prepare each reimbursement request document.” The time-intensive nature of this paperwork had never been much of a problem in years past, however, because the state always gave participating cities a seven-year window to complete all relevant

DAVID YAFFE-BELLANY PHOTO

State-reimbursed (?) road paving in New Haven

THOMAS MACMILLAN PHOTO Controller

Jones

documents, from the initial project authorization forms to the final reimbursement requests. Then, at the very end of last calendar year, what was once a reliable, generous seven-year window suddenly turned into a shuttered window with a “Closed” sign hanging out front, city officials said. “The timing of this announcement was suspect,” Jones continued in an interview this week. “Most of the people in our department were on vacation, and it caught us off guard. If this announcement was made earlier, we would have had all hands on deck, devoting all necessary resources to getting the paperwork in. If we knew ahead of time.” Like every other municipality in the state, the City of New Haven had no advance warning. That was

doubly a problem, because the city was already behind schedule on its most recent LoCIP paperwork. As of the beginning of this week, the city had received reimbursements for LoCIP-eligible projects through only Fiscal Year 2013. The final submission of the FY2014 paperwork had been delayed because of bureaucratic complications, including state changes to how it distributes funds to municipalities as well as state changes to the reimbursement request paperwork itself. City officials felt like they had time to work out those problems, Jones said again, because of that established seven-year window. “It feels like we’ve had the rug pulled out from under us by the state,” said Department of Public

Works Chief Financial Officer CFO Mark DeCola. “When they don’t provide any real due date or sense of urgency, these tasks inevitably fall into a certain pecking order. After all, LoCIP-related paperwork is only 1 - 2 percent of the work our clerks have to deal with on an annual basis. This makes us look like we’re not doing our jobs, which is just not the case.” Hurrying to catch up with the increasing vulnerability of the state program, Jones said, the city formally submitted on Wednesday the final FY2014 LoCIP paperwork, which includes requests for around $1.6 million in expected reimbursements for road-paving projects completed during that time period. His department and public works are now undertaking a final review of the prepared FY2015 and FY2016 paperwork, which also amount to around $1.6 million each in expected state road-paving reimbursements. They have spent only $200,000 of the budgeted FY2017 LoCIP-eligible project money thus far, considering that most road-paving operations happen in the spring and summer, and will be holding off on spending any more of those expected state funds until officials are more certain about the program’s future. Even if the state program were to end completely, however, and not shell out any more expected reimbursements, the city would be able to continue its road-paving program and continue with its five year capital improvement plan

by bonding for more money in its capital budget, DeCola said. The general fund would remain untouched. “Being a relatively big city with a public works budget, we depend on LoCIP, but not exclusively,” DeCola said. “But for some of these small towns with no public works budgets, if they don’t have LoCIP, they’re in real trouble.” At the onset of a state legislative session with a looming $1.5 billion budget deficit, an 18-18 tie between Republicans and Democrats in the State Senate, and an accelerating trend in the state’s shifting of costly responsibilities onto the backs of municipalities, underfunded programs like LoCIP do indeed stand a real chance of going away for good. “We simply cannot make new reimbursement payments under this program unless the General Assembly raises the bond cap by $35 million,” OPM Undersecretary W. David LeVasseur stated in an email. “By law, we cannot spend more than the cap, so reimbursements have been suspended for any projects not approved by OPM by December 22nd of 2016.” The city, through lobbying of its own state delegations as well as through the advocacy of such organizations as the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM), hopes to hold the state accountable for at least the LoCIP money that has already been promised for approved projects. After that, the conversation would shift to a sustainable path forward for working with the state to get some kind of support for capital improvement and maintenance projects. “One of the things you don’t want your legislature to do, especially in hard economic times, is balance the state budget by taking money away from existing economic development projects,” CCM Executive Director Joe DeLong said. “We’d be harming the state by pulling the funding from these programs. It’s kind of like building a house and telling a contractor that you have enough money to pay for the work. And then, halfway through, saying sorry, that you’re not going to pay and you don’t actually have the money.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

Replica Solitary Confinement Cell Coming to New Haven

members, a screening of the HBO documentary film “Solitary” and a talkback with its director, and a “howto” advocacy panel. The full schedule of events is attached and available online at https:// www.insidetheboxnhv.org. “Connecticut has made tremendous gains in terms of regulating the use of solitary confinement, but there remains room for improvement,” said Steve Lance, a member of the Allard K. Lowenstein International Human Rights

Clinic at Yale Law School. “We hope these events will bring home the real costs of solitary confinement in human terms – to prisoners and their families, to correction officers, and to the public,” added Sameer Jaywant, a fellow clinic member. The ten-feet by twelve-feet replica cell will be open to members of the public from January 30th to February 4th at the New Haven Free Public Library and from February 5th to February 11th at Yale’s Sterling Memorial Library. It will also

be accessible to members of the Yale community from February 12th to February 18th at the Lillian Goldman Law Library at Yale Law School. All events are free and open to members of the public. “Inside the Box” is organized with the help or support of the ACLU of Connecticut, The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, Dwight Hall at Yale, the Joint Projects Committee of United Church of Christ congregations of New Haven, the Liman Public

Interest Program at Yale Law School, the Malta Justice Initiative, My Brother’s Keeper, the National Religious Coalition Against Torture, the New Haven Free Public Library, the Orville H. Schell, Jr. Center for International Human Rights at Yale Law School, the Rebellious Lawyering Conference, Reclaiming the Prophetic Voice, Wilton Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, and the Yale Undergraduate Prison Project.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

Kendrick Set To Retire by STAFF |

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A bustling era at New Haven’s community college is coming to an end, as President Dorsey Kendrick plans to retire June 30. The state announced Kendrick’s retirement Friday in a press release. Kendrick took Gateway Community College to new heights since becoming president in 1999. She boosted enrollment by 100 percent in her first eight years. Gateway then led all of Connecticut’s 12 community colleges in enrollment. Under Kendrick, Gateway consolidated two campuses into a new $198 million, 3.7-acre central location in downtown New Haven in 2012. She also was ahead of the curve in adapting the college’s schedule to help mid-career people take night courses to retrain for jobs in the new economy. She boosted nursing, allied health, and continuing education programs. And she has been an omnipresence in New Haven civic efforts, a true partner in not-for-profit and government causes. “President Kendrick has been one of our strongest student advocates and one of the hardest working presidents in our CSCU system,” Matt Fleury, Chairman of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, said in a press release. “Her passion and diligence will be

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MELISSA BAILEY PHOTO

Kendrick.

missed, and I wish her nothing but the very best.” Mayor Toni Harp Monday credited Kendrick for creating “a ladder” from community college to the state university system; and for fighting, successfully, to create a nursing program at Gateway. The program addressed a shortage of nurses while creating new opportunities for people to get good jobs, she said. “She had to fight even members of the profession” to get that program started, Harp said. “She’s been phenomenal.”

Con’t from page 6

Re-Entry

identify a number of vouchers that can be used for this population and the housing resource is typically one that is offered to people that have successfully completed other benchmarks in their reentry plan, so we see it as a positive combination with our existing reentry programs and seek to partner with the city in this way.” DuBois-Walton said both the housing authority and the city consider the partnerships around reentry a success because those who have been through them aren’t evicted at any higher rate than tenants without criminal backgrounds, and the number of those who have received housing through the partnership who return to prison is very low. Still to be worked out is how many vouchers could be set aside for those who come through the Warren Kimbro Reentry Project, Graves said. It’s not every day that a city names what it hopes will be a model program after a former member of the Black Panther Party. That is exactly what New Haven did in naming its new reentry program after native son, the late Warren Kimbro. Though Kimbro was famously tried and convicted of the murder of a fellow party member, he went on to serve his time and transform his life. He educated himself at Harvard and ran and expanded Project MORE, which is a named partner in the new project, into a model reentry program. Graves said when the partners in the project, which include people from Project MORE, Easter Seals/ Goodwill and the Community Action Agency of New Haven, put their heads together to think of a name, choosing Kimbro as the namesake just made sense. “No better person symbolized the spirit of what a returning citizen should be and should aspire to better than Warren Kimbro,” he said. “We wanted to give the project a uniquely New Haven flavor and naming it after him captured the spirit and commitment we want to impart to the returning citizen.” “I’ve got to believe he’s smiling upon us,” Graves added. “It’s an initiative that he would have endorsed and supported, though it doesn’t go as far as I’m sure he’d like.” The $1 million grant is to be used to target between 250 and 300

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

New Group Seeks To Fill In Early Ed Gaps by MARKESHIA RICKS NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

Help people train or retrain into the field of early childhood education. Address the inequity of suspension and expulsion of black and brown preschool children. And possibly save child care businesses in New Haven from going under. A new not-for-profit is taking on those challenges in the Elm City. The organization, Cercle, is the brainchild of a couple of child care providers in New Haven. It was founded to address some of the unique challenges of the business of child care and the delivery of early childhood education outside of the school system. Last week, the organization’s founders, Kim Harris and Georgia Goldburn, pitched alders on helping them identify people who might be interested in the early childhood education field. The organization, which started in September 2015, is looking to tackle he shortage of early childhood educators who meet the state’s criteria for working in early

MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTO

The women of Cercle make their pitches.

childhood education. Back in 2011, the state passed a law requiring that early childhood educators obtain a bachelor’s degree or risk losing their job when the law took effect in 2015. On the lead up to the implementation of the law, the state Office of Early Childhood Education issued guidance that gives statefunded programs various options for meeting the education and certification requirements by July

1, 2020. The new requirements created a sort of Catch 22 for child care providers in New Haven,and the rest of the state, said Goldburn, director of the Hope Child Development Center at 1 Long Wharf Drive. Providers now need teachers who are properly credentialed, even if they can’t pay them more money for that degree without significantly raising the cost of

care. They had people with many years of experience working in day care centers but no degree and little prospect for obtaining one. Without those degrees many are in danger of losing their jobs because of the law. The women of Cercle told alders at the board’s meeting last Tuesday that they wanted to do something about it by starting an early care and education teacherin-residence program. “Programs are one, finding it difficult to find those people and two finding it very difficult to pay for those people,” Goldburn said. “As the costs of child care businesses is going up, what we’re finding is that child care businesses are struggling to survive. Many of those businesses actually exist in the city of New Haven, and even though New Haven has one of the largest groups of child care businesses, access to care is really still a problem for parents.” Cercle has secured a $75,000 grant from the Graustein Memorial Fund to create a 12-month intensive program in partnership with Gateway Community College

and on-the-job training with the organization’s members, said Executive Director Tammy Robinson. “We’re here tonight to ask you guys to help us find individuals in your communities that you’re in touch with on day-to-day basis who are unemployed or underemployed who you think might be a candidate to enter into the program,” said Robinson (pictured). “This is a peer mentorship program that is intended to last the entire career so we hope to bring them in give them an opportunity meet standards that the state implemented. We also train them in what they actually need to know.” In addition to tapping into alders, Cercle is working with Workforce Alliance to create a pipeline of people who are unemployed or underemployed and are interested in training or retraining into the early childhood education field. The organization also is specifically looking to connect with people who are receiving SNAP and TANF benefits, and providing them a career path.

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Hillhouse Football Honored THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTO

Members of the Academics Championship Football Team and their coaches.

by MARKESHIA RICKS NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

The 2016 Hillhouse football team received the thanks of a grateful city for bringing home a state championship this past season. The men of the Hillhouse Academics football team are the reigning 2016 Class M State champions after crushing St. Joseph High School in a 42 to 21 win on Dec. 10. Tuesday night the Board of Alders honored the team and its coaches with official citations from the city.

“We are proud of you for such an amazing accomplishment,” read the citation. “The Academics proved they had the talent, fortitude, and resilience to rise to the challenge and accomplish their ultimate goal—a State Championship!! Teamwork, perseverance and friendship all contributed to this title. “The New Haven community and the entire region take great pride in what these young men were able to achieve,” the citation goes on. “You have the heart of a champion, and we commend you on your stellar performance this

season.” Board President Tyisha Walker, a Hillhouse graduate, congratulated the team. “It took a lot to be part of this team,” she said. “You’re all strong because you stand together. I get so excited when I see young people standing up here for doing something great. “When I was at Hillhouse, every time we made the paper it wasn’t for something positive,” she added. “So I’m really excited to be here tonight for this positive event.” Board Majority Leader Alphonse Paollillo Jr. said he had a chance

to watch a couple of Hillhouse football games. He admitted that the team broke his heart on Thanksgiving Day when Hillhouse beat crosstown rivals Wilbur Cross. “It’s impressive when team comes together,” he said. “You give us hope and you give us inspiration.” Board President Pro Tem Jeanette Morrison said she was a student at Hillhouse in 1986 when the football team had an undefeated season. The 2016 team lost only one game. “That really tells me that the spirit of Hillhouse continues,” she said.

Coach Reggie Lytle said it was a trying season for the Academic. “But these guys came in with an attitude of winning a state championship and they succeeded,” he said. And the Academics weren’t champions just on the gridiron; they lived up to their name in the classroom. “This is their transcript,” Lytle said, while holding up a manila folder he carries with him. “[Their GPAs] go from 4.1 to 2.8. So any time people say these kids are not getting it done in school, I have the proof right here.”

Yale Workers Approve 5-Year Pact THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

by MICHELLE LIU, PAUL BASS & LUCY GELLMAN

The crowd at the Shubert Theater Wednesday night extended the run of a popular local drama — Labor Peace Comes To Yale — by five years, as workers unanimously approved a new contract with increased job security, preserved medical and pension benefits, and modest wage increases. Members of UNITE HERE Local 34, which represents 3,600 Yale’s Con’t from page 5

gains in terms of regulating the use of solitary confinement, but there remains room for improvement,” said Steve Lance, a member of the Allard K. Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic at Yale Law School. “We hope these events will bring home the real costs of solitary confinement in human terms – to prisoners and their families, to correction officers, and to the public,” added Sameer Jaywant, a fellow clinic member. The ten-feet by twelve-feet replica cell will be open to members of the public from January 30th to February 4th at the New Haven Free Public Library and from February 5th to February 11th at Yale’s Sterling Memorial Library. It will also be accessible to members of the Yale community from February 12th to February 18th at the Lillian Goldman Law Library at Yale Law School. All events are free and open to members of the public. “Inside the Box” is organized with the help or support of the ACLU of Connecticut, The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, Dwight Hall at Yale, the Joint Projects Committee of United Church of Christ congregations of New Haven, the Liman Public Interest Program at Yale Law School, the Malta Justice Initiative, My Brother’s Keeper, the National Religious Coalition Against Torture, the New Haven Free Public Library, the Orville H. Schell, Jr. Center for International Human Rights at Yale Law School, the Rebellious Lawyering Conference, Reclaiming the Prophetic Voice, Wilton Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, and the Yale Undergraduate Prison Project.

clerical and technical workers, filled the Shubert’s seats for a mass meeting to consider the contract worked out by their union and the Yale administration. Up the street, members of Local 35, the blue-collar union representing 1,400 cafeteria and maintenance and physical plant workers, filled Battell Chapel. They, too, overwhelmingly voted to approve the contract in a voice vote. Together, the two unions represent New Haven’s largest workforce. A workforce that went on strike seven times in 34 years, the last walkout occurring in 2003. As Yale’s lead negotiator noted in a release Tuesday night, the newly ratified contract reflects a new reality in that script. The new contract expires in 2022. By that time, Yale will have gone nearly two decades without a strike. (The current contract expires at midnight Friday.) “This is the third contract in a row achieved without conflict and is the product of extraordinary work contributed by virtually hundreds of managers and union leaders throughout the university over the past year,” stated the negotiator, Vice President of Human Resources and Administration Mike Peel. “After 13 years of labor peace, both sides were really committed to continuing to make this work,” Local 34 President Laurie Kennington agreed in an interview. “Having a partnership is better for the city and better for members of the Yale community.” The contract calls for 12 percent wage increases for Local 34 members over five years. It also preserves a step system that allows members to rise to higher pay grades in their first 11 years, meaning most will earn more than 12 percent raises, Kennington said. Local 35 salaries are set to rise 14.5 percent over the five years, although the union agreed to a reduced starting rate. The pension plan remains intact, as well an important issue for the membership. The union’s top priority was to prevent Yale from converting 986 clinical jobs at the medical school medical assistants, receptionists, administrative assistants, billing assistants, clinical lab workers into non-union jobs under the auspices of Yale-New Haven Hospital. That has emerged as an issue in recent years because it has made financial sense to convert Yale’s outpatient medical practices to the hospital, in order to obtain higher reimbursements. The new contract guarantees that those jobs remain Local 34 jobs no matter who owns the practices, even if

MICHELLE LIU PHOTO

“Yale’s a good job”: 35’s Olson & Tarka after the vote:

LUCY GELLMAN PHOTO

Williams, Kennington & Ford in Shubert lobby after the vote.

they’re sold, Kennington said. The agreement “clarifies the boundaries between University jobs and those of Yale-New Haven Hospital staff, and which will enable higher standards of patient care,” Yale stated. Elsewhere on campus, a new labormanagement committee will address the job-security question when union positions become vacant and are redefined. Kennington said UNITE HERE also succeeded in maintaining free health care for workers, though new employees will pay a $200-$300 onetime enrollment fee into the system. Pensions remain untouched. The contract also calls for workers to participate in screenings to catch major health problems early, or else pay a $25 weekly charge. That will “keep health care costs down in a good way,” Kennington said. The Yale release stated the contract will help slow the growth of medical expenses. An early retirement incentive will award $1,000 for each year served to workers over 62 years old who have at

least 25 years on the job. “I’m happy that everybody stuck together to maintain one of the highest standards in the country,” Local 35 President Bob Proto said after the Battell vote. “[That] should act as an example that if the employer and organized workforce do the hard work and keep their minds open and listen to each other, then you can solve problems and maintain a good standard.” Inside the meeting, Proto pitched members on putting aside money to support UNITE HERE’s local political action committee. “We have 23 out of 30 allies on the Board of Aldermen, and our chief steward [Tyisha Walker] is the president of the Board of Alders in New Haven,” Proto said to applause, in remarks that were audible outside the hall. “Don’t think Yale’s not going to run somebody against that. Don’t think Yale wants us to have our hand on the steering wheel as it relates to political leverage in this town. This is New Haven. Yale is the company

LUCY GELLMAN PHOTO

Local 34’s Ford.

in New Haven. They want to have the power. Right now, we have the power.” More applause. “And I don’t want to give it up, because we’re never going to have $25 billion in Local 35!” Proto continued, referring to Yale’s endowment. “We have votes, we have people and we have organization. And we have good leadership.” After the vote, Gabe Esposito, a mill worker, said he voted yes because the contract was good for both sides, citing job security and the retirement incentive. Like Esposito, custodial team leader Debbie Defelice lauded the retirement enhancement. She called the new contract “awesome stuff,” pointing to the pension plan and the 14.5 percent raise. Winsome Watson (pictured), another custodial team leader, said she voted for the contract due to the health care plans as well as promises of future new union jobs both important factors to take into consideration for her four children, some of whom are looking for jobs themselves.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

I feel compelled to write one last time.

Women’s March January 21, 2017

Dear Family and Friends,

When I came home from Rwanda, I felt a bit of a pall over the country. At least the country of those I know and love and visited for the first few weeks after returning. And certainly, as the inauguration approached, it still seemed all so surreal to me. But as my plans developed to go to the March on Washington (to take place all over the world), I became more energized. For several days before the weekend, I knit pussy power hats to share with New Haven people going to NYC and for my daughter and me to wear in DC. On Friday, I was driving down the NJ Turnpike, listening to the inauguration and feeling a bit emotional (but not in the way I felt emotional eight years ago), when I began looking at the cars around me. It seemed there was a disproportionate number of women in those cars and I thought I was imagining it. But then I stopped at a service area on the turnpike. There were very few places to park and when I got inside there was a line for the women’s room snaking to the outside door. I don’t recall ever having to stand in line at one of those rest rooms. The entire place was jam packed with women— many wearing their pink hats. My spirits began to be lifted. Shortly after arriving at my daughter’s outside of DC, we were joined by my sister, three nieces and a family friend from Buffalo. We went out to dinner and the restaurant seemed to be filled with marchers—a festive atmosphere. Saturday we awoke early and made our way to the local Metro stop. On the train, we made a new friend in Jade, a

young girl going to the march alone. We adopted her for the day and she adopted us. The trains were packed and when we got off at the L’Enfant stop, it took quite a while just to get out of the station. We walked on Independence Avenue for a bit until we could go no further because of the crowds. We ended up outside the Air & Space Museum near a jumbotron which was great because we could see and hear everything. We stood in that one spot for five hours listening to the many speakers and musicians before the march began. We were

shoulder to shoulder in a sea of pink hats and many clever and bawdy signs. When we did begin the march, it took about an hour to move two blocks just inching along. At that point, we decided to peel off and get something to eat. As luck would have it, Jade is a waitress at a restaurant a few blocks from where we were. She secured us a table and we got her employee discount— yea!! Had a fabulous meal-again surrounded by marchers and pink. The day was long and physically exhausting but so needed. Someone asked 16

me before I went why I was doing this. I bumbled through something about wanting to be a witness for all the people who are afraid of this new administration. Articulate I was not and perhaps it is not possible to put into words the extent and meaning of this experience shared not only with family but with a new young friend and, literally, hundreds of thousands of people from around the country. People were peaceful, joyous, angry, determined, in mourning, celebratory, loving and most importantly hopeful. I climbed up on a truck and

took some pictures of the panoramic crowd (it was yuge! And I know some of you were in it either in Washington or another city). Thepictures are attached along with one of my daughter, Jenny, and our new friend, Jade. Love, Kathy Kathy Taylor, works for the Malta Justice Initiative. She attends UCC Church of The Redeemer in New Haven. Photos by Kathy Taylor.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

Fashion, food, and fun to benefit Creative ARts Workshop

New Haven, CT – Fashionista Vintage and 116 Crown are teaming up to sponsor a fun- and fashionfilled fundraiser for the benefit of Creative Arts Workshop. Hats Off! returns on March 3rd from 6 to 8:30pm at CAW, 80 Audubon St. in New Haven. Imagine a fashion show of ten exotic one-of-a-kind hats modeled by the most stunning drag queens. Then enjoy the fun of bidding on the featured hats. Guest are encouraged to make and wear their own whimsical toppers to the event. “We are thrilled that Todd Lyon of Fashionista Vintage will be our MC again this year and 116 Crown will also provide the libations and nibbles,” said Daniel Fitzmaurice, Executive Director. “Having these two New Haven treasures sponsor our fundraiser this year is such a gift! And of course, the divas! These ladies make the event!” Tickets start at $25. For more

information and to purchase tickets visit creativeartsworkshop. org/events/hatsoff/. ABOUT CREATIVE ARTS WORKSHOP Creative Arts Workshop is a non-profit community art center devoted to fostering creativity through participation in and appreciation of the visual arts, serving the Greater New Haven area and beyond since 1961. The Workshop is a premiere community resource center for the visual arts offering a wide range of classes to students of all ages in fully equipped studios. CAW is supported in part by the Department of Economic and Community Development/ Connecticut Office of the Arts, NewAlliance Foundation, and the Arts Fund of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.

xXx: Return of Xander Cage High-Octane Franchise Revived by the Return of Vin Diesel as the Title Character

Film Review by Kam Williams

When it was released back in 2002 , xXx grossed over a quarter-billion dollars worldwide in theaters alone. The visually-captivating espionage adventure starring Vin Diesel was reminiscent of James Bond, except it featured a hunkier hero and more spectacular stunts and special effects. The high-octane thriller so overshadowed the relativelymundane Die Another Day that year that Pierce Brosnan would soon be replaced by Daniel Craig as 007. Ironically, Vin Diesel was also replaced by Ice Cube in xXx 2, a drismal sequel that bombed at the box office, leaving a once-promising franchise on life support. It’s taken a decade and a half, but Vin is finally reprising the role he originated. The good news is that the picture arrives laced with the sort of death-defying feats that made the first xXx such a hit. That means a plethora of action sequences in which our superhuman protagonist proves impervious to bullets and the laws of gravity. There are also tons of the trademark

CIA chief (Toni Collette) to keep the world safe for democracy. The mission involves retrieving a devastating weapon of mass destruction code-named “Pandora’s Box” that’s fallen into the hands of a gang of daredevils led by a diabolical trio (Donnie Yen, Tony Jaa and Deepika Padukone) bent on world domination. After jettisoning a standard-issue, U.S. military support team, Xander recruits a motley crew of renegades more in his own image. Can that rag-tag posse, composed of a crack sniper (Ruby Rose), a fearless getaway driver (Rory McCann), a state-of-the-art gadget wizard (Nina Dobrev) and an affable DJ/ jackof-all-trades (Kris Wu), rise to the occasion? Why not? Anything is possible, with cartoon physics on your side!

titillation, coming courtesy of both Vin’s beefcake and a bevy of adoring beauties. Directed by D.J. Caruso (Disturbia), xXx: Return of Xander Cage even tips its hat to earlier episodes via cameos by Samuel L.

Jackson and Ice Cube. At the point of departure, we find Xander living under the radar in selfimposed exile in Latin America. He’s still an extreme sports enthusiast, and just for fun skis across the

treetops of a verdant rain forest before switching to a skateboard for an equally-breathtaking ride down a winding mountainside highway. Next thing you know, he’s being coaxed out of retirement by a

Very Good (3 stars) Rated PG-13 for sexuality, profanity and pervasive violence` Running time: 107 minutes Distributor: Paramount Pictures

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

Black America, Take Your Daughters to See Hidden Figures Trina Christian Coleman, Physics PhD, entrepreneur, educator, public speaker HBCU Digest

Nails done, brows done, hair long, dress short, heels high. The Mecca of superficiality that our young girls strive to reach is pursued with the determination and will of an Olympic athlete. Self-esteem and self-image start with the word ‘self’ for a reason. How you feel about yourself and how comfortable you are with yourself are functions of inner, as well as outer beauty. For decades the media has defined beauty for all women by images of tall, thin blondes, lips and eyelashes flawlessly made up, dressed in trendy expensive clothing; with little to no emphasis placed on inner beauty. For the sake of helping our young girls form multi-layered views of self by seeing other types of women to emulate, Black America, take your daughters to see Hidden Figures. If you haven’t heard of it, the movie is based on a true story that focuses on the contributions of three amazing, brilliant Black women: Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughn. These women played instrumental roles to help launch the first American astronauts into space. The title Hidden Figures signifies the fact that these Black women were, until recently, buried or

hidden in history, although as prominent individuals, or figures they played major roles by using figures, or numbers. They were mathematicians, each with a special interest and expertise in engineering, physics and computers. They were also mothers and wives during segregation; a time when whites told Blacks where they could or couldn’t go to school and what types of jobs they could or couldn’t do. These intelligent women were given a chance to display their exceptional talents to the world only because white America needed them during the Space Race, a crucial time in this

country’s history. Hidden Figures is a depiction of what Black women have consistently done in this country since our arrival in 1619 in Hampton, VA, where coincidentally the first Africans arrived in this country and the events of this movie take place; we have persevered and triumphed despite the unmasked obstacles of physical and metaphorical shackles. As a young Black girl growing up in Hampton, VA, I realized at a young age that I liked learning. I was curious and I wanted to know how stuff worked. This was normal to me. I was, and still am fascinated with gadgets, gears and

all things mechanical. I am also interested in science, and formally educated as a Ph.D. physicist. I received a great education in the local school system as far as reading, math and science were concerned. What I didn’t get was knowledge of, or exposure to role models that look like me. I feel robbed of a special type of mentoring that I didn’t get as a Black girl interested in science and math; having access to these Black women mathematicians and scientists who were literally within the same city limits as I was with this phenomenal story to tell, and example to set. They knew it was okay for a young Black girl to want a train set for Christmas or take bikes apart. Most importantly, these role models also knew that science and math were not just for white men. White men knew it too, and they apparently didn’t want me to know, at least not until another testosterone-filled contest of fluid, range and trajectory occurred, masquerading as national security, that will require all able hands on deck. With STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) proficiency and interest currently at the forefront of educational

priorities, math and coding are focus areas that many organizations are now promoting and supporting, particularly for young Black girls. It IS ok to be curious about numbers, computers and the stars. Your collective talents will soon be called upon as America now finds itself internationally deficient in the academic preparation of suitable scientific and mathematical candidates to fill the professional needs of today’s technological advances. This is more than just a movie about math and rockets; it is a torch to be passed to the next generation and the generation after that. Black women like Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughn are real, and now the world must acknowledge them, and the curious, intelligent, capable Black girls that will follow. Please take your daughters to see Hidden Figures! Dr. Trina L. Coleman is an educator, scientist, entrepreneur, public speaker and Hampton University alumna. Twitter: @ drtlc

Moral Courage: Senator Booker and Rep. Lewis Break Tradition, Testify against Senator Sessions

By Marian Wright Edelman, NNPA News Wire Columnist Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. Even a superficial look at history reveals that no social advance rolls in on the wheels of inevitability. Every step towards the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle . . . This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action. – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On Wednesday, Senator Cory A. Booker (D-NJ) and Representative John Lewis (D-GA) joined the list of speakers testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee against the nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions (RAL) for Attorney General of the United States. Both were assigned to a panel at the very end of the hearing process,

a slot fellow panelist Representative Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA), the head of the Congressional Black Caucus, called “the equivalent of being made to go to the back of the bus.” Several Senate committee members who have already publically supported Senator Sessions left before Senator Booker’s and Representative Lewis’ important testimony began. But that didn’t deter them from speaking out against the threat they see to the civil rights progress our nation has made if Senator Sessions becomes Attorney General. Congressman Lewis noted that he was born in rural Alabama too, not far from where Senator Sessions grew up, but as a Black child he inherited a far different society: “There was no way to escape or deny the choke hold of discrimination and racial hate that surrounded us.” He said, “A clear majority of Americans say they want this to be a fair, just, and open nation…They are concerned that some leaders reject decades of progress and want to return to the dark past, when the power of law was used to deny the freedoms protected by the Constitution,

the Bill of Rights, and its Amendments. These are the voices I represent today. We can pretend that the law is blind. We can pretend that it is even-handed. But if we are honest with ourselves, we know that we are called upon daily by the people we represent to help them deal with unfairness in how the law is written and enforced. Those who are committed to equal justice in our society wonder whether Senator Sessions’ call for ‘law and order’ will mean today what it meant in Alabama, when I was coming up back then. The rule of law was used to violate the human and civil rights of the poor, the dispossessed, people of color.” In additional written remarks, Congressman Lewis was even clearer about some of his current fears: “Some people argue that the 48 years of a fullyoperational Voting Rights Act simply erased hundreds of years of hate and violence. This is not ancient history; the scars and stains of racism are still deeply embedded in our society. This is proven by the thousands of pages of evidence submitted to Congress which verify continued voting rights discrimination

across our nation and in the Deep South. Representing Alabama on this Committee, Senator Sessions had an opportunity to lead. Instead, the Senator turned a blind eye to the persistent and consistent efforts to make it harder and more difficult for minorities, the poor, the elderly, and others to exercise the right to vote…after the Shelby v. Holder decision [the 2013 Supreme Court decision striking down key provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act], minorities were in mourning as Senator Sessions was celebrating. He declared the decision was ‘good news for the South.’ Alabama and other states immediately adopted voter ID legislation — making it harder for minorities to execute their right to vote. We must face the truth. We are a multi-racial, multi-ethnic country…[a]nd we cannot avoid the fact that there is a systematic, deliberate attempt to destroy the advances of civil rights in this country and take us back to a period when America declared its greatness on one hand, but fostered the worst kind of racial discrimination on the other.”

Senator Booker, born after the Civil Rights Movement, made it clear that he feels personally indebted to heroes like John Lewis who were attacked and some even killed during the struggle to make America a more just nation — and equally resolute against moving backwards. He took the courageous step of being the first sitting Senator to testify against the confirmation of another Senator. In his prepared remarks he said, “I want an Attorney General who is committed to supporting law enforcement and securing law and order. But that is not enough. America was founded heralding not law and order, but justice for all. And critical to that is equal justice under the law. Law and order without justice is unobtainable . . . If there is no justice, there is no peace. The Alabama State Troopers on the Edmund Pettis Bridge were seeking law and order. The marchers were seeking justice — and ultimately the greater peace.” Senator Booker added: “If confirmed, Senator Sessions will be required Con’t on page 23

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

It’s OK To Unplug From Social Media During Trump’s Presidency By Nicole Brown, BlackDoctor.org

It seems impossible to live without your smartphone and social media. Both technologies have been the source of much laughter and joy – funny texts between friends, viral Kermit memes, silly #mannequinchallenge videos and crying Jordan faces. But both technologies also have their fair share of bad. As of late, that bad energy is nonstop coverage of Donald Trump and the unyielding racism that accompanies each story, post, retweet, share and comment. This is what many of us feared on election night. As the country slowly turned red, showing its centuries-long belief in the hatred associated with Trump’s campaign, an inevitable doom crept over our heads. In that moment, we knew

and Instagram timelines, the more I sank deeper into depression. And, the scary thing is, I didn’t even realize it was happening. Because of the 24-hour news cycle, we are inundated with news and in these times, that’s unhealthy for our mental health. Here are some tips to manage your mental health under Trump’s presidency.

there was no stopping Trump and, most unfortunately, there was no stopping the 24/7 coverage of his every word and action for these next four years. The writer in me wanted to follow all the headlines: Trump hires

racist and Anti-Semite Stephen Bannon to White House team, Alt-Right Movement Questions If Jews Are People. The more glued to my phone I became, looking at the news cluttering my Twitter, Facebook

1. Unplug. It’s so important to be honest with yourself about whether the news is causing any anxiety – as continual viewing can lead to depression. If you feel like today’s events are overwhelming, unplug. Delete Twitter, Facebook and Instagram off of your smartphone. Don’t worry, it doesn’t delete your account. But it does prevent the temptation of looking at social media while bored. Trust, you’ll feel much better after a day

without social media.

2. Tell a friend. Don’t be ashamed to admit to your friends that you can’t talk about the news, Trump or any of his debauchery at the moment. Tell your friends that you’re taking a mental health day, and would appreciate it if they didn’t send you any links to news or social media posts via text for the day. 3. Do something fun. Now that you’re not tied down by social media, perhaps go for a walk in a beautiful park, or visit that museum you’ve been wanting to check out. Do the things that bring you happiness while you’re unplugged from the ills of the world for the day.

Seven Tax Tips for the Black Community By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Contributor

Tax season has officially begun and it’s time to find those deductibles and items that might help offset some of what you might have to pay the government by April 15. For African-Americans, filing income taxes has never been simple – nor has it historically been anything to look forward to. “One thing that’s certain at the top of each year is tax season. Yes, that one thing that most of us dread yet we know we have a short window of time to complete what should be done as the new year begins,” said Cozette M. White, an acclaimed author, financial analyst and tax strategist. White is also founder and CEO of My Financial Home Enterprises, a financial management firm that helps organizations and entrepreneurs develop solutions that fuel business growth and transform products into accelerating profits. White said it’s important to decide early on who will be preparing your returns. “Tax preparers are the least trained, but the cheapest to hire,” she said, noting that enrolled agents are typically more competent than tax preparers but much less so than

a certified public accountant. Further, White said it’s important to be organized – set aside a manila folder for all tax documents. “Schedule your appointment early, especially if you have a child applying for financial aid and, if you have not updated your payroll department with your new address, do so today to avoid delays,” she said. The new tax year accompanies an interesting set of new facts for African-Americans, according to The White House. For instance, the unemployment rate for African-Americans has seen a larger percentage-point decline in the recovery, much faster than the overall unemployment rate over the last year, President Barack Obama’s administration reported. The real median income of Black households increased by 4.1 percent between 2014 and 2015 and President Obama enacted permanent expansions of the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit, which together now provides about 2 million African-American working families with an average tax cut of about $1,000 each. A recent report from the Census Bureau revealed that the real

median household income grew 5.2 percent from 2014 to 2015, the fastest annual growth on record. Income grew for households across the income distribution, with the fastest growth among lowerand middle-income households. The number of people in poverty fell by 3.5 million, leading the poverty rate to fall from 14.8 percent to 13.5 percent, the largest one-year drop since 1968, with even larger improvements including for African-Americans, Latino-Americans, and children. The poverty rate for AfricanAmericans fell faster in 2015 than

in any year since 1999. While the poverty rate fell across all racial and ethnic groups, according to a Census Bureau study released last year, it fell 2.1 percentage points for African-Americans, resulting in 700,000 fewer African-Americans in poverty. African-American children also made large gains in 2015, with the poverty rate falling 4.2 percentage points and 400,000 fewer children in poverty. So, for tax time, it means more African-Americans need to better understand what they should and shouldn’t do; what deductions and

credits might be available, White said. The veteran tax expert urges contributions to 2016 Roth accounts and, if donations have been made to charities in any amount above $250, be sure and have the proof to support the writeoff. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) says that charitable contributions are deductible in the year made and donations charged to a credit card before the end of 2016 count for the 2016 tax year, even if the bill isn’t paid until 2017. Also, checks to a charity count for 2016 if they are mailed by the last day of the year. Taxpayers who are over age 70 ½ are generally required to receive payments from their individual retirement accounts and workplace retirement plans by the end of 2016, though a special rule allows those who reached 70 ½ in 2016 to wait until April 1, 2017 to receive them. So, what else can be done to limit tax liabilities for individuals and businesses? “Defer bonuses,” said Lisa GreeneLewis, a certified public accountant Con’t on page 25

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017 Con’t from page 21

Moral Courage:

to pursue justice for women, but his record indicates that he won’t. He will be expected to defend the equal rights of gay and lesbian Americans, but his record indicates that he won’t. He will be expected to defend voting rights, but his record indicates that he won’t. He will be expected to defend the rights of immigrants and affirm their human dignity, but his record indicates he won’t. His record indicates that as Attorney General he would obstruct the growing national bipartisan movement toward criminal justice reform. His record indicates that we cannot count on him to support state and national efforts toward bringing justice to a justice system that people on both sides of the aisle readily admit is biased against the poor, drug addicted, mentally ill, and people of color. His record indicates that at a time when even the FBI director is speaking out about implicit racial bias in policing and the need to address it; at a time when the last two Attorneys General have taken steps to fix our broken criminal justice system; and at a time when the Justice Department he would lead has uncovered systemic abuses in police departments all over the United States including Ferguson, including Newark; Senator Sessions would not continue to lead urgently needed change . . . Challenges of race in America cannot be addressed if we refuse to confront them. Persistent biases cannot be defeated unless we combat them. The arc of the universe does not just naturally curve toward justice — we must bend it.” I’m deeply grateful to Senator Booker and Congressman Lewis for their extraordinary testimony and moral leadership. At the end of his statement Congressman Lewis said, “Leadership is not easy. You are expected to make tough decisions — to do what is right, what is just, and what is fair for all the people of this nation who rely on you to speak up and speak out on their behalf.” They spoke on behalf of the majority, millions of Americans, who are afraid of a new onslaught of attempts to push the arc of our nation away from justice — and seek leaders vigilant and determined to keep fighting every step of the way to make America a better and fairer nation. As we prepare to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day we all should find the courage to honor him by standing up for what is right to stop a Senator who has fought against racial justice over a lifetime from becoming the nation’s chief law enforcement voice. That’s like putting the fox in charge of the chicken coop. Marian Wright Edelman is the president of the Children’s Defense Fund whose Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. For more information go to www.childrensdefense.org. Follow the Children’s Defense Fund on Twitter @ChildDefender.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

Why We Must Defend Obama’s Every Student Succeeds Act By Edward Gaston, Florida Star/NNPA Member

When President Barack Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015, policy makers and educators saw this as an opportunity to invest in new methods for student success—contrary to the No Child Left Behind Act. But, what about parents and community leaders? Starting with next school year (2017-18), all provisions of ESSA will go into effect. One critical aspect is that it requires local and state school leaders to create standards that will yield acceptable—and in some cases, exceptional—student academic outcomes, based on specific solutions for their schools. For the community as a whole, supporting everything education is just plain ole common sense. Without hesitation, educators are professionals who care for the minds, bodies, and spirits of our greatest treasure: our children. Public education remains a game changer for so many parents and students facing the challenges of everyday survival. ESSA requires all hands on deck for each community and with the Every Student Succeeds Act we can conquer problems within the education system. Participating in the process to encourage every student to succeed is an ongoing necessity and investment that must be made by each of us in order for there to be a harvest of success. So what do we do? We, community leaders, must stay engaged, provide insight, question, and oversee the local and state selection of the administrators for ESSA initiatives. We, parents, must listen to teacher recommendations on improving learning experiences and keep a special note on our phones or in a folder with feedback. Educators want to teach; they want to guide. We must use ESSA to leverage their desire to see students succeed by having a respectful line of communication, which can include texting, emailing, phone messages and in special situations, face to face. Use those responses to push for more resources to come into schools from ESSA and community investors. In fact, every school must be supported with every resource available.

From making education a priority for taxpayer revenue to churches conditioning their congregations that every adult working in a school should be applauded, respected and invested in. Local businesses should contact the principal of the community school and request a calendar of the school year. The business should choose to sponsor a breakfast or lunch on teacher planning days and take a moment to explain services and products and offer the educators discounts. Every parent can go beyond the PTA and participate as a judge in the science fair or sign up to volunteer as a chaperone for field trips or reading to the students. Children can never have too many supplies, resources or praise, so the school staff will appreciate the support. The push against public education must stop. Public education is our national treasure, so are our children and teachers. In the past, too many standardized tests have proven to be ineffective in validating school success. ESSA changes this. Not having to constantly teach to the many tests, will allow educators to teach in a common sense straightforward method, ensuring students are ready to compete. ESSA presents a balanced approach to holding the local school district accountable by encouraging testing managed on the state level. Community leaders, parents, and educators must participate in the state’s process for fairly measuring progress in each school. In some cases, this will include selecting the superintendent, and in other

cases, it will involve creating or approving test questions, changing curriculum, or adding arts programs. Votes and voices can now take center stage as local and state officials take a more active role in determining the state of public education. Staying engaged is necessary and essential for choosing the best team of educators who will implement ESSA strategies necessary to propel our children forward. Supporters of public education must require that committed educational leaders offer clear plans that they will execute immediately in order to conquer education problems and position all schools to succeed. The plans should be constantly communicated to the community and measured with sensible, infrequent standardized tests. President Obama’s Every Student Succeeds Act brings public education back into the national forefront where it belongs. Many people see an eagle and apple pie as the symbol of America. It is time again, to see public education as the national treasure it is. It remains the primary weapon that must be sharpened and polished and used to battle poverty, crime, and inequality. Principals, teachers, custodians and administrators in schools, especially schools in underserved communities, educate children on the front lines and must be uplifted and applauded by a nation committed to protecting and growing the national treasure known as Public Education. The Florida Star is a member publication of the National Newspaper Publishers Association.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

Con’t from page 22

At the Well Summer Leadership Academy Equips Girls of Color at Princeton and Swarthmore College

Seven Tax Tips

and Turbo Tax expert. “If your hard work paid off this year and you are expecting a year-end bonus, this extra money in your pocket may bump you up to another tax bracket and increase your tax liability,” she said. Folasade Ayegbusi, a certified public accountant (CPA) and owner of Suncrest Financial Services in Maryland, advises business owners to call their payroll processing company and have them process a one-time annual salary amount to satisfy any S-Corp reasonable compensation requirement. Also, she said, purchasing depreciable assets like a car, furniture, iPad, computer and other items needed for a business would help offset any tax burden. Randy Hughes, founder of Counting Pennies, a nationwide tax and accounting firm that specializes in tax preparation, bookkeeping and debt management, said AfricanAmericans need to immediately think about taxes and not wait until the April 15 deadline. Hughes recommends making wise business purchases, maximizing health savings accounts and managing tax withholdings and exceptions. “Employees that changed jobs or started a new job should review their tax withholdings and exemptions claimed on their new hire paperwork,” he said. “Claiming too few exemptions could result in giving the government more money than necessary, which could result in a cash flow problem for you during the year.” Perhaps as important as any suggestions, the IRS said it continues to see an uptick in tax scams – one of the most recent involved a caller telling a taxpayer that he or she is entitled to a large refund, but first must hand over a certain amount of money first. “Taxpayers across the nation face a deluge of these aggressive phone scams,” IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said in a statement. “Don’t be fooled by callers pretending to be from the IRS in an attempt to steal your money. We continue to say, ‘if you are surprised to be hearing from us, then you’re not hearing from us.’”

New York, NY — For the seventh straight year, the At the Well Young Women’s Leadership Academy (ATW) will offer its two week summer enrichment program for minority girls entering the eleventh or twelfth grades of high school. Each year, ATW improves the leadership skills of students from across the country on the campus of Princeton University in Princeton, NJ. In 2016, ATW expanded to include a mini three-day session for 9th grade students at Princeton, and a full two week program at Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, PA. ATW is scheduled for July 23–August 4, 2017 with the 9th Grade Weekend Intensive held August 4-6, 2017 on the Princeton campus. The Swarthmore College program will

be offered July 9-21, 2017. ATW is one of the only summer enrichment programs for minority girls to be held on an Ivy League campus. ATW builds leadership skills through leadership development projects, interactive group sessions, critical reading and writing courses, field trips, and a financial aid/scholarship boot camp. Dynamic speakers from the corporate, non-profit, entrepreneurial, medical, legal, and entertainment fields offer workshops. The three-day 9th Grade Weekend Intensive increases the awareness of essential leadership tools and offers a glimpse of the full program. Special guest facilitators to the ATW program have included actor Brian White, motivational speakers Brandi and

Saint Aedan- St. Brendan School 351 McKinley Ave., New Haven, CT 06515

“Nurturing the Spirit,

Educating the Mind”

Now accepting applications for Pre-Kindergarten-Grade 8 Now We offer a faith-based education that prepares children for their future. Students learn through creativity and ownership while building character and Lasting relationships with peers and staff alike.

Before & aftercare available Extracurricular activities include Band, Choir, Concerts and Athletics

203-387-5693 www.staedan-brendanschool.org Title I Services Mr. Michael Votto, Principal Rev. Thomas Shepard, Pastor

Tuition Payment Plans Available • Credit Cards Accepted

Accredited by NEASC· State of CT

Karli Harvey, actress Jasmine Guy, activist Michaela Angela Davis, QVC Inventor Lisa Ascolese, marketing guru Terri Woods, and actors Nicole Ari Parker and Boris Kodjoe. ATW offers programming that is relevant to students’ experiences and addresses challenging issues that are commonly faced in their communities. Discussions have included micro-aggressions, bullying, sexism, classism, and various forms of discrimination. The Academy prides itself on offering a safe space for students to share their experiences in a nurturing and healing atmosphere without judgement. An upcoming focus will include where students see the role of youth and young adults in the ever-changing U.S.

and global environment. The Academy provides on-campus housing at Princeton University and Swarthmore College. Admission is competitive and teens must possess a 3.0 G.P.A, and submit an essay and recommendation. Limited need-based partial scholarships are available. The application deadline for all three programs is March 31, 2017. ATW is the brainchild of the CEO and Founder Jacqueline B. Glass. A graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, she created the program to offer minority girls the opportunity to develop their leadership skills and see themselves in successful women of color. According to Glass, “Minority girls need support and encouragemen from their peers who have the same level of ambition. In too many instances, we see these teens isolated, along with their talents, in high achieving academic settings where too few of their peers look like them. ATW is a safe place where students can discover and sharpen skills while being supported for their unique abilities.” At the Well Young Women’s Leadership Academy is a program of At the Well Conferences, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization empowering women and teens since 2009. For more information and to apply for the programs online, go to www.atthewellconferences.org.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

Town of Bloomfield Assistant Assessor $37.01 hourly

For details and how to apply, go to www.bloomfieldct.org.

INVITATION TO BID FOR

HEATING SYSTEM REPLACEMENT LIFE HAVEN 447 FERRY STREET NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT

Pre-employment drug testing. AA/EOE

New Haven Section 3, DAS certified MBE & WBE subcontractors wanted Encore Fire Protection is looking for Section 3, DAS certified MBE & WBE subcontractors to install a fire sprinkler/suppression system. All interested bidders, companies and employees are to be licensed in the State of Connecticut, Bonded and Insured. Work duties will include all tasks required for proper fire sprinkler system installation per approved plans. Construction experience is a must. All F2 licensed mechanics are responsible to arrive to the job site on time, have a minimum of OSHA 10 training and possess approved personal protection equipment. You will also participate in daily, weekly and monthly progress reports. If interested, please contact encorefire110@gmail.com. Construction oriented company seeking full-time Accounting/Administrative Assistant to answer phones, schedule sales appts, filing, typing & other general office duties. Will also have accounting responsibilities-data entry, sales order billing, and processing A/P transactions, supporting our over-the-counter sales person, the controller & CFO. Min 5 yrs. Related experience, excellent written & verbal skills, ability to multitask, knowledge of basic accounting principles, excellent computer skills (5+ yrs. Experience) with Excel & Word, accounting software knowledge a plus. $31,200 annual salary-negotiable based on experience & qualifications. AA/EOE Email resume to mmunzner@atlasoutdoor.com

Sealed bids for the Heating System Replacement at Life Haven will be received by New Reach at the address given below on or before Friday, February 17, 2017 at 10:30 AM. and then at said place they will be opened in public and read aloud. Bids received after the time set, will be considered informal and will be rejected. A mandatory walk-thru is scheduled for Friday, Friday 3, 2017 at 2:30 PM. The Scope of Work consists in demolition work, such as removal of existing cast iron, steam boiler, duplex steam condensate/boiler feed system, vent & breechings, castiron radiation, piping, fittings, valves & supports, etc., and new work including gasfired condensing boilers, in-line pumps, finned-tube radiation, unit heaters, piping, fittings, valves & supports, controls, etc., as indicated, specified or implied on the Bid Documents dated January 13, 2017. The Owner shall be responsible for removal of all existing asbestos content materials, if any, located within each areas of work, prior to starting this work. The General Contractor shall be a licensed Mechanical Contractor. This project shall start on May 8, 2017 and requires to be substantially completed not later than August 4, 2017. The final Completion Date for this project is set to be August 11, 2017. If project will not be completed by this date, the Owner retains the right to terminate the Contractor’s Contract, anytime after August 18, 2017. Bidders shall not include any Federal Excise Taxes or State of Connecticut Sales Taxes which otherwise may apply. The Bid Documents may be examined in and/or obtained at the address given below on or after January 30, 2017, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. A $50.00 deposit is required for each set of Bid Documents obtained. The deposit will be returned provided the Bid Documents are returned within ten days after the bid opening. Bid Documents will be mailed upon receipt of an additional non-refundable $15.00 mailing fee. Each bid must be accompanied by Bid Security in the form of a certified check or bid bond, in an amount equal to five percent of the amount bid. Bid Security shall be payable to New Reach, and shall be properly executed by the bidder. New Reach reserves the right to accept or reject any or all options, bids or proposals in whole or in part, to waive any technicality in a bid or part thereof submitted, and to accept the bid deemed to be in the best interest of New Reach. An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, Minority/Women’s Business Enterprises are encouraged to apply. ALL BID ENVELOPES MUST BE MARKED WITH BID TITLE, BID OPENING DATE AND TIME AND SENT TO OR DELIVERED TO: Mr. Christopher S. Schurk New Reach 153 East Street New Haven, CT 06511

Construction oriented company seeking fulltime Accounting/Administrative Assistant to answer phones, schedule sales appts, filing, typing & other general office duties. Will also have accounting responsibilities-data entry, sales order billing, and processing A/P transactions, supporting our overthe-counter sales person, the controller & CFO. Min 5 yrs. Related experience, excellent written & verbal skills, ability to multitask, knowledge of basic accounting principles, excellent computer skills (5+ yrs. Experience) with Excel & Word, accounting software knowledge a plus. $31,200 annual salary-negotiable based on experience & qualifications. AA/EOE Email resume to mmunzner@atlasoutdoor.com

ELECTRIC UTILITY ELECTRICIAN Electric utility is seeking a highly skilled maintenance electrician with extensive substation experience to maintain and repair transmission and distribution class switchgear, bus-work, lightning arrestors, protective relays, insulators, switches power transformers, data circuits, controls and other related components. Must be a high school/trade school graduate and have 4 years’ experience in the maintenance and operation of electric utility substations and/or utility grade protection and control systems. Completion of a recognized four (4) year maintenance electrician apprenticeship program may substitute for the experience requirement. Two (2) years of college-level education or advanced training in related field may substitute for two (2) years of the experience requirement. Must possess a valid motor vehicle operator’s license issued by the State of Connecticut and be able to obtain with 6 months of hire a valid Protective Switching and Tagging Procedure certification from CONVEX or other approved agency. Wage rate: $35.43 to $39.08 hourly plus an excellent fringe benefit package. Closing date will be February 17, 2017. Apply: Personnel Department, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. (203) 294-2080 / Fax: (203) 294-2084. EOE

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport Request for Proposals (RFP) State Marshal and/or City Sheriff Services Solicitation Number: 074-LD-17-S The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) is currently soliciting proposals from State Marshal and/or City Sheriff to provide service of process for the HACB. Solicitation package will be available on January 30, 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-bid conference will be held at 150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604 on February 14, 2017 @ 2:00 p.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 February 17, 2017 @ 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 24, 2017 @ 3:00 PM, to Ms. Caroline Sanchez, Contract Specialist, 150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604. Late proposals will not be accepted.

SHOP EQUIPMENT MANAGER HEAVY AND HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION COMPANY Immediate opening for Highly Organized, Self Motivated, Multitask Shop Manager Skills & Duties required: • Five Years Experience in Overseeing Shop Maintenance • Strong Mechanical Knowledge of Heavy & Highway Equipment • Manage, Plan, Direct & Motivate Mechanics Day to Day Activities • Implement All Aspects of Equipment Repair Including: Managing Vendors, Procurement of Parts & Supplies , • Develop Reports to Forecast, Track & Budget All Equipment Expenses • Ensure Equipment Compliance with All Federal & State Regulations • Assist Field Operators w Trouble Shooting & Emergency Repairs • Competent w Microsoft Word, EXCEL, MANAGER PLUS and Timberline Software Equal Opportunity Employer Minority and female candidates are highly encouraged to apply Apply: Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming 22 Peters Rd Bloomfield, CT 06002 Phone: 860-243-2300 Fax 860-243-3100

\Send resumes & salary requirements to:

Request for Proposals Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) ProjectBased Assistance Program to Support the Development of Affordable Housing Housing Authority City of New Haven d/b/a Elm city Communities is currently seeking Proposals for Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) Project- Based Assistance Program to Support the Development of Affordable Housing. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing. cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on Tuesday, January 10, 2017 at 3:00PM.

INVITATION TO BID

Northeast Building Group is accepting bids from qualified Minority/Female Business Enterprises for an upcoming project “REVITALIZATION OF THE OAK TERRACE HOUSING COMPLEX” located at 53 Conrad Street, Naugatuck, CT. Bids will be accepted by mail, fax, or email until 5:00PM on January 31, 2017, after which the bids will be privately opened. The project entails renovation of 188 housing units in 39 buildings. Trades include: site work, paving, utilities, abatement, rough carpentry, architectural woodwork, doors, frames and hardware, drywall, tiling, resilient flooring and base, painting, toilet accessories, appliances, window treatments, residential casework, plumbing, HVAC and electrical. Interested Connecticut DAScertified MBEs, DBEs, and WBEs are encouraged to submit bids and may contact Tim Burke by phone at 203-678-4030 or email at tburke@truebluecos.com to obtain plans and specifications. Bids received after 5:00PM on January 31, 2017 will be disqualified. Northeast Building Group is an is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer, 98 S. Turnpike Road, Suite F, Wallingford, CT 06492. Tel: 203-6784030 Fax: 203-678-4136.

The Housing Authority of the City of Bristol Request for Proposals Interior Painting Services The Housing Authority City of Bristol (BHA) is seeking proposals for Vacant / Occupied Apartment Painting Services from qualified vendors for work throughout the Agency. Bidder Information packets can be obtained by contacting Carl Johnson, Director of Capital Funds at 860-585-2028 or cjohnson@bristolhousing.org beginning Wednesday, December 28, 2016 through Friday, January 13, 2017. A nonmandatory pre-bid meeting will be held Friday, January 13, 2017, 2:00pm at 164 Jerome Avenue, Bristol Connecticut.

All proposals should be clearly marked “RFP- Interior Painting”, submitted to Mitzy Rowe, CEO, The Housing Authority City of Bristol, 164 Jerome Avenue, Bristol, CT 06010, no later than 4:00 p.m., Friday January 20, 2017 at the office of the Bristol Housing Authority in a sealed envelope with one original and 3 copies, each clearly identified as Proposal for Interior Painting Services. An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Contractor

Bridge Repair Crew –

must have reliable transportation and be willing to travel statewide, Operator, Driver, Laborer, M/F, 5-15 years Heavy Highway Exp, OSHA 10, Immediate Opening 860-664-8042, Fax 860-664-9175michelle@ occllc.com EOE, AA, Females and Minorities encouraged to apply Public Safety Dispatcher: The Town of East Haven seeks to fill 2 permanent part-time positions.

The hourly rate of pay is $24/hour. The work schedule is Saturday and Sunday, 8:00 am-4:00 pm or Sunday and Monday, 4:00 pm -12:00 am. Candidates must possess a High School diploma or GED, State of Connecticut Telecommunication Certification, Priority Dispatch EMD Certification, Priority Dispatch EPD and EFD Certification is preferred, Nexgen LEAS Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) experience is preferred, prior COLLECT/NCIC certification is preferred, and Next Generation 911 System is preferred. Candidate must successfully pass a background investigation, fingerprinting, and a Medical exam including a drug screening as well as have the ability to distinguish and identify different colors and pass a hearing test and NCIC Training. Only qualified applicants should apply at www.PoliceApp.com/EastHavenCT. The fee to apply is $40 and the deadline is December 16, 2016. The Town of East Haven is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Minorities, Females, Veterans and Handicapped are encouraged

Elm City Communities

to apply.

Account Clerk-Payables: The Town of East Haven is currently accepting applications to participate in the examination for Account Clerk-Payables. The current vacancy is in the Finance Department of the Board of Education but this list may be used to fill other Account Clerk positions within the Town of East Haven. The starting hourly rate is $18.78/hour, 37.5 hours per week. Candidate must possess a High School Diploma or equivalent and an Associate’s Degree in Accounting or equivalent experience, and a minimum of 3 years’ experience in accounts payable and a thorough working knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel. Applications are available from The Civil Service Office, 250 Main Street, East Haven, CT or at http://www. townofeasthavenct.org/civiltest.shtml and must be returned by January 24, 2017. The Town of East Haven is committed to building a workforce of diverse individuals. Minorities, Females, Handicapped and Veterans are encouraged to apply. 27

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

LEGAL NOTICE The Bristol Housing Authority is developing its 2017-2021 Agency Plans in compliance with the HUD Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998. It is available for review at the Authority’s office located at 164 Jerome Ave., Bristol, CT. The Authority’s hours of operation are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Tuesday 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and Thursday 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. In addition, a Public Hearing will be held on February 16, 2017 at 3:00 p.m. at Gaylord Towers Community Hall located at 55 Gaylord Street, Bristol, CT. Public comments will be received no later than February 27, 2017 at 4:30 p.m. EOE

Grants Administration

Program Planning Administrator-Seeking a highly qualified professional to administer, manages, and oversees the Town’s Grants and Economic Development Programs. Serves as a representative on various intergovernmental and interagency organizations. The minimum qualifications: Bachelor’s degree from a recognized college or university in government or public administration plus three years (3) of progressively responsible public administration and at least two years (2) of grant writing experience or an equivalent combination of education and qualifying experience substituting on a year-for-year basis. $77,695-$99,410 plus an excellent fringe benefit package. Apply to: Personnel Department, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Closing date will be December 15, 2016. EOE.

ELECTRICIANS

Semac Electric is seeking Electricians (CT Licensed Journeymen & Foremen, E1 and E2) to join our team for medium & large commercial construction projects thru out the State of CT: Hartford, Fairfield & New Haven Counties. We have excellent wages and benefits. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applications available at our main oﬃce at 45 Peter Court, New Britain, CT or send resume to P.O. Box 638, New Britain, CT 06050 or via fax to 860-229-0406 or email: careers@ semacelectric.com

Mechanical Insulator

Insulation Company offering good pay and benefits. Please forward resume to P.O. Box 475, North Haven, CT 06473 This company is an APPRENTICE

Telecommunications Company looking for apprentice to learn indoor and outdoor low voltage cable installation, aerial bucket work, messenger and lashing; manhole and underground installation. Good salary with benefits. Fax resume to 860-6432124 or mail to Fibre Optic Plus, 302 Adams Street, Manchester, CT 06042. Attn: Greg Brown AA/EEO Employer AFFIRMATIVE ACTION / EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The Housing Authority of the City of Norwalk, CT

Electrical Apprentice Maintenance Electrician - The Town of Wallingford Public Utilities, Electric Division is seeking an individual to perform maintenance and installation of electrical equipment such as but not limited to maintaining and repairing high and low voltage equipment. Position requires completion of high school, technical high school or trade school plus two (2) years’ experience in electrical maintenance or construction OR an equivalent combination of education and qualifying experience substituting on a year-for-year basis. Must possess and maintain a valid State of Connecticut motor vehicle operator’s license. Wages: $24.63– $32.77 hourly and an excellent fringe benefit package. Apply to: Personnel Department, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Fax #: (203) 294-2084. The closing date will be the date the 75th application or resume is received or January 30, 2017 whichever occurs first. EOE.

Common Ground High School Seeks Curriculum Development Consultant Common Ground High School is seeking an experienced, creative professional who can work with teachers, school leaders, students, families, and community partners to strengthen our curriculum and classroom teaching — ensuring it is driven by standards, rooted in our local community and unique site, culturally relevant and inclusive, contributing to social justice, and pushing students towards both environmental leadership and college success. For a complete job description and compensation information, please visit http:// commongroundct.org/2017/01/common-ground-seeks-curriculum-development-consultant

is seeking bids for Janitorial Services. Bidding documents can be viewed and printed at www. norwalkha.org under the business tab, RFPs/ RFQs. Norwalk Housing Authority is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Curtis O. Law, Executive Director

Dispatcher - Portland Candidate must have 2-5 years relevant experience in hazardous waste transportation. Must have completed 40 HAZWOPER Certification, Asbestos Awareness Certification a plus. Forward resumes to RED Technologies, LLC, 173 Pickering Street, Portland, CT 06480; Fax 860.342.1042; or Email to HR@ redtechllc.com RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

ELECTRICIANS

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;

Semac Electric is seeking Electricians (CT Licensed Journeymen & Foremen, E1 and E2) to join our team for medium & large commercial construction projects thru out the State of CT: Hartford, Fairfield & New Haven Counties. We have excellent wages and benefits. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applications available at our main office at 45 Peter Court, New Britain, CT or send resume to

Class A Driver Email: HR@redtechllc.com Mail or in person: 173 Pickering Street, Portland, CT 06480.

RED Technologies, LLC is An EOE.

My Open Letter to “US” THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

Scott Olson and John Tarka, an electrician and a carpenter at the medical school, respectively, had approved of their continued job security when casting their votes. “Yale’s a good job,” Tarka said. “Best thing is, they can’t pick up and move out of the country.” “I See What Others Are Paying” Most of the 3,200 Local 34 members attending the Shubert mass meeting left immediately after the vote, heading in all directions, pushing strollers, or running back to buses that had brought them from the Yale medical complex. A few stuck around in the theater’s warm lobby, speaking to friends and colleagues about their excitement in the contract’s ratification. “I voted for the contract because I think it came out to be a good deal,” said Regina Williams, an accounts assistant at the medical complex who has been in her position for 20 years. “I didn’t want to strike, but I would have. I was concerned when they were trying to subcontract our jobs. I feel that we’re at peace now.” Alicia Lakomski, a senior administrative assistant at the School of Public Health, said that she had been very concerned as well until the two sides reached a deal. Sitting on a health care committee for the union while navigating medical bills for her husband and two sons had led her to a revelation: Health care without a good contract could mean thousands of dollars more for her family — thousands of dollars that they didn’t have to spend. Her sister, Paula Moher, said she had likewise been worried about health care as she saw her friends’ and non-unionized colleagues’ costs going up. (For Yale managerial and professional employees, who are not unionized, hospital fees are rising slightly this year.) As a relatively new employee at Yale — she has been a senior administrative assistant at the university’s Chemical Biology Institute for four years — she said she was also excited to cast her first vote. “I see what other people are paying,” she said. “You’re talking about literally thousands of dollars. So I’m very happy with the deal we came to.” The deal does not address the efforts of another UNITE HERE unit, Local 33, to win union recognition for graduate student teachers. The union’s petitions for recognition are currently before the National Labor Relations Board. “We’re waiting for the NLRB to rule. We’re not done fighting,” Kennington said. Asked if she worries about the impact of future NLRB appointments by President Donald Trump, she responded: “Local 34 won recognition during the Reagan administration. We can buck the trend here in New Haven. We’re prepared to do that again.”

As I write this letter, I can’t help but express my frustration and concern for “US.” I also can’t help, but question my contribution to the status of where we are. I understand that I, too, have been guilty of doing the very things that put US here. Even still, right now, the state of our community is more alarming than ever. And, while I know that this letter may be misunderstood by many, unduly dissected and misconstrued by most others, I still need to write and speak about these things that deeply concern me. You see, all of US sometimes feel that one of the most difficult things in the world is to talk to US about US in an effort to help US. However, we cannot dismiss the fact that we can’t fix what we do not address. You see, we’ve somehow allowed ourselves to think it’s okay to neglect and abandon our responsibility to ourselves and to our community. Everything cannot be blamed on THE SYSTEM. We can no longer afford to be entertained beyond the point of accountability. We can’t keep selling each other out and be willing to do anything to be seen, to be famous or to be rich. Our obsession with material things and lack of self-worth is evident in our need for an abundance of momentary luxuries and must-have amenities that have no true value, for real man. And I mean, we do it just to impress people that could care less if your children or your children’s children have anything left to show for your life after you gone. You see, somewhere along the way, we’ve allowed the pursuit of fame and things to blind us to the issues that prevent us from moving upward. So, we cannot continue to get caught up in having material abundance and yet be fundamentally and spiritually broke. Every one of us must do something to contribute to transforming our community for the better. We have been underserved, underprivileged and unfortunate for far too long. There are no more excuses. It’s not enough to have limited progress

By Tip “T.I.” Harris, Founder/Grand Hustle

and allow our expectations and sense of purpose to evaporate. So, if that means we must sacrifice some nights at the club and give up buying the latest designer handbags and sneakers…well then damn, so be it. I can only hope that one day soon we’ll understand our true economic buying power by investing in our own communities and putting our money into businesses that keep our dollars in our community. It is imperative for US to parent our children and educate them outside of the school systems, as the American education system was not designed to lift US out of oppression. If we know that the pipelines to prisons are multiplying, well we must ask ourselves, “what can we do to end it?” We must keep ourselves busy with finding ways to generate wealth for generations to come and work to pass down things to our children for them to pass down to their children. You see man, who wants to fight who on Instagram should not be as important as fighting for equality…and who’s f**king who should never be as important as creating a strategy to help break the cycle of economic oppression. You see, if we don’t acknowledge and accept where we are failing, then we’ll never do the work that it takes to make it right for US. See, we are the benefactors of too much sacrifice and blood, sweat and tears to allow petty differences and trivial discrepancies to continue

to separate and divide US, while we are being used, exploited and conquered. We should not live one more day ignoring the sh** that suffocates and strangles US keeping US imprisoned in our own communities. We cannot afford to not stick together and work together for the betterment of our community. As we look to the future for US, there could not be a better time to assess where we go from here. And while there’s currently great turmoil, there is even greater opportunity for US to work together to transform our community. Far too many of our children are fatherless, far too many of our mothers are standing in the prison waiting rooms and far too many of our young people feel hopeless. We must work to reshape the need for our children to want to live so fast even if it means dying so young. Now, I am not here to demonize or vilify, but to pledge my commitment to help US do what needs to be done. You see, if we continue to devalue ourselves we cannot realistically expect respect from others. Now, how can I sit here in a place of privilege and say such things and make such suggestions, you ask? Well, I answer simply, because I know what it’s like. I know what it’s like to not know where you’re going or how to get there. I know what it’s like to have no one around you who can teach you how to be what you hope to

become. I know what it’s like to be so distracted by your surroundings and in the moment that it’s seemingly impossible to not get caught up in ‘em. I know what it’s like to feel so much smaller than the activities of your environment that you can’t see how not to succumb to ‘em. I know what it’s like to not be able to focus in class due to real life hunger pangs. I know what it’s like to be disruptive just to pass the time and take your mind off what’s lacking at home. I know what it’s like to be laughed at by your teacher when you tell them what you hope to be in life. I also know what it’s like to be told by your teacher that you’ll never amount to anything. I know what it’s like to feel hopeless and to feel like you’re not good enough just because of where you’re from. I know what it’s like to be profiled and to be abused by the police. I know what it’s like to be racially profiled, treated unjustly and abused by the police just because of how you look. But even more importantly than knowing all these things, I know what it’s like to overcome ‘em. Now, I know it’s not easy…but all of US can do something. Respectfully Yours, Tip Harris #USORELSE

THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2017 - January 31, 2017

N E W H AV E N PU B LI C S C H O O L S

SCHOOL CHOICE EXPOS re Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ! ed invit

Wednesday, February 1, 6-8pm

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N H P S C H O I C E & E N r O L L m E N t O f f I C E / 475 -22 0 -14 3 0 01