INNER-CITY NEWS

THE

New Haven, Bridgeport

NEWS

Volume 21 No. 2171

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

African American Designer Shines at Toyota

Black Actors Snubbed for for Second Second Year Year in a Row

Rocky Rocky Dawuni Dawuni

Stop-Smoking

Winfield, Porter Board Bernie’s Bandwagon

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Khalia KhaliaLanier Lanieris is Gatorade GatoradeVolleyball VolleyballPOY POY

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INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

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250 Students Return For Saturday School 2 showed up without any students. Other students forgot to come or made last-minute decisions to stay in bed at 8 a.m. Staff made follow-up calls throughout the morning reminding parents of their bus times and pick-up locations.

by ALIYYA SWABY New Haven Independent

Regina Santana spent Saturday morning speeding through a series of online reading exercises instead of her usual routine of cleaning her room and watching movies on her phone.

To begin the day, teachers and paraprofessionals led students in a set of two activities, intended to foster teamwork and wake everyone up before classes started.

Santana was one of about 50 students who showed up at Roberto Clemente School Saturday for two extra hours of selfdirected reading and math, and two hours of character-building social emotional games and exercises.

It was the second session of a new Saturday Academy, which the city launched to run through the rest of the academic year to offer extra help to students at schools with low test scores.

About 250 students attended the academy at Clemente and

An ECHO coordinator facilitated the games at the start and end of the day. ECHO stands for “empathy, character, hope and opportunity” and is intended to build those values in students.

ALIYYA SWABY PHOTO Erika

Moye and Regina Santana at Saturday school.

three other schools Troup, Wexler-Grant and Fair Haven across the district. At Clemente, twice as many students enrolled in the academy than actually

showed up on the second day.

Some students had transportation glitches. Clemente Principal Pam Franco rushed through the halls trying to find out why Bus

Gemma Joseph Lumpkin, the district’s chief of youth, family, and community engagement, said the academy was intentionally designed to ensure students

Washington and heard Martin Luther King’s famous address there, which he considered a pivotal moment in his political career. Since then Sanders has established a strong civil rights record, said Winfield, who has been a leading advocate of criminal-justice reform and opponent of the death penalty at the state Capitol. Winfield cited Sanders’ environmental record as well.

New Haven Independent

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

Two Newhallville state legislators hopped on the Bernie Sanders presidential bandwagon Wednesday, defying the popular image of ironclad support for Hillary Clinton among black elected officials.

Sanders and Clinton are battling for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Well, compared to the all-out Republican brawl for the same nomination, they’re not exactly “battling,” but they are engaged in a hotly contested race.

The two Newhallvaille legislators State Sen. Gary Winfield and State Rep. Robyn Porter announced their support as part of a broader group of nine elected officials associated with the Working Families Party. The other seven who endorsed Sanders are State Representative Jack Hennessy from Bridgeport, Bridgeport Board of Education members Sauda Baraka and

PAUL BASS PHOTOS Porter,

Winfield: Will “introduce” message to black voters.

Dennis Bradley, State Representative Edwin Vargas from Hartford, State Representative Peter Tercyak from New Britain, and Hartford City Councilor members Larry Deutsch and Wildaliz Bermudez.

Winfield said he backed Sanders because of his longstanding championing of positions that Winfield himself has championed.

Winfield, for instance, credits public financing with enabling him to win office and has advocated nationally for clean elec-

tions. Sanders has sworn off Super PAC (political action committee) donations and made clean-elections central to his campaign message, Winfield noted in an interview. “If you look at the debates, Hillary will talk about a lot of issues. Bernie will say, ‘This is simple. We have to go back and deal with campaign finance to deal with those issues. People’s voices are enhanced when you have a clean election system.’”

Winfield also noted that Sanders participated in the March on

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Editorial Team Staff Writers Ratasha Smith / Current Affairs Anthony Scott / Sports Arlene Davis-Rudd / Politics Contributing Writers David Asbery Tanisha Asbery Jessica Carl Jerry Craft/Cartoons Barbara Fair Mubarakah Ibrahim Dr. Tamiko Jackson-McArthur Michelle Turner Smita Shrestha Kam Williams Content Contributors At-Large Christine Stuart www.CTNewsJunkie.com Paul Bass New Haven Independent www.newhavenindependent.org

Winfield, Porter Board Bernie’s Bandwagon

by PAUL BASS

John P. Thomas Jr.

Porter cited her longstanding affiliation with the Communications Workers of America to explain her support for Sanders.

The candidate zeroes in on income inequality, on raising capital gains taxes, on making college tuition free, on re-instituting the Glass Steagall Act’s firewalls between commercial lenders and investment banks, Porter said all issues important to “working men and women.”

Sanders also calls for a national $15 hourly minimum wage.

Like Winfield, Porter cited Con’t on page 12

Dr. Fred McKinney Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council www.cmsdc.org Memberships National Association of Black Journalist National Newspapers Publishers Association Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce Greater New Haven Business & Professional Association Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. The Inner-City Newspaper is published weekly by Penfield Communications, Inc. from offices located at 50 Fitch Street, 2nd Floor, New Haven, CT 06515.

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Andres Ayala Jr. has submitted his resignation as Department of Motor Vehicles commissioner after a nightmarish year of problems — including snafus with a new computer system, a tripling of wait times for DMV customers, erroneous revocation of drivers’ vehicle registrations and the release of false information to the public.

Ayala Tuesday night submitted notice to the office of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy that he was resigning effective Friday from the $160,000-a-year job, little more than a year after Malloy named the 46-year-old former social studies teacher and oneterm Democratic state senator from Bridgeport as his first Latino commissioner.

After initially declining comment Wednesday morning, Malloy’s office confirmed at

midday that Ayala is leaving.

“The Commissioner is a dedicated public servant to Connecticut, and I appreciate all of the work he’s done in so many different capacities both at the local and state levels,”

Malloy said in a statement. “I want to thank him for his service and for his unwavering dedication to improving our state.”

Word of Ayala’s impending departure came two days after

The Courant submitted a freedom of information request and questions on a subject that might have become the latest political headache involving the beleaguered commissioner: The hiring of a fellow

Bridgeport resident — who pleaded guilty in 2006 of felony drug charges in Superior Court and served time in prison — as a $36,000-a-year office assistant at DMV. The aide, Carlos Cosme, 39, worked for two years as a $40,000 staff member of the state Democratic Senate Caucus, starting in January 2013, and then switched to DMV in early 2015 when Ayala arrived at the agency.

Cosme initially was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2006 on charges of possession of drugs with intent to sell, but that term was reduced and he was released in 2009 to supervised parole that ended in 2011, records show.

Cosme was not available for comment Wednesday.

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

Andres Ayala Jr. has submitted his resignation

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Where We Go From Here “Music 101” under Colin Benn and David Mills, and a second time by the St. Luke’s PANstars, conducted by St. Luke’s Musical and Steel Band Director Kenneth Joseph.

by LUCY GELLMAN New Haven Independent

In Roget’s Thesaurus there are some 120 synonyms for blackness, and at least 60 of them are offensive. Such words as “blot,” “soot,” “grim,” “devil,” and “foul.”

In the piece, Marley’s lyrics flew exuberantly through the air, a whir of hummingbirds straight from the mouths of young, hopeful students crowded around the microphone. In the second, the audience had a chance to reflect, the lyrics themselves replaced with a wholly instrumental version.

The sentence rang out across the expanse of Christ Church on Broadway, each word falling and bouncing back, with a sure and steady weight, like marbles across the church’s stone aisles.

And there are some 134 synonyms for whiteness and all are favorable, expressed in such words as “purity,” “cleanliness,” “chastity,” and “innocence.”

Jordan Brown and Robert Davis from Music Haven and Schae Snead and Logan Foreman of St. Luke’s Steel Band to prepare the day’s readings, excerpts from King’s 1967 “Where Do We Go From Here?”

Toward the back, where it was standing room only, families murmured a soft “yes,” a few letting soft moans escape, pain and injustice rattling within them as the text continued.

“But to get the answers we need, we need to go beyond the Dr. King we know best … we need to get to know the Dr. King I call the psychological freedom fighter. We need to get to know him as well as, and maybe even better than, Dr. King the dreamer.”

A white lie is better than a black lie.

Near the front of the room, a few students shifted, their instruments still tight in their hands.

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

The most degenerate member of a family is the “black sheep.”

She asserted that King was a stricter, more fiery advocate whom citizens need to channel today, a time when “we may cry out ‘black lives matter.’ For too many people across this country and around the world, black lives do not matter as much as white lives do.”

A pin could have dropped in the church. Only the clicks of cameras and intermittent footsteps were audible.

But the words that carried the sentiment first written and made famous by the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., in his 1967 address to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference were not delivered in a fire-and-brimstone lecture to an expectant crowd.

Instead, they came from Robert Davis, a young man with a newly emboldened voice, at the sixth annual celebration honoring the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. organized by the not-for-profit school for city kids Music Haven and the steel band at St. Luke’s

LUCY GELLMAN PHOTO Robert Davis, second from right, channels King at Monday’s event.

Church, held on the official holiday marking the civil rights leader’s birth.

A collaborative effort that has outgrown its original home in Saint Luke’s church, the concert which drew over 400 New Haveners Monday afternoon is always dedicated to the words and message of King. This year, it embraced King’s themes of self-love, freedom fighting, and

emotional emancipation at a time of particular urgency, as a new generation of civil rights marchers takes to the streets under the banner of the Black Lives Matter movement.

“The words and legacy of Dr. King can help us create a create a better and a safer future,” said Community Healing Network Founder Enola Aird (pictured), who worked with students

As they and Davis found a new voice in King’s words a rich, round one, confident as it bounded to the back of the church so too did the day’s musical selections, like Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song,” which asks :“Won’t you help to sing / these songs of freedom?”

Or Marley’s seminal “Get Up, Stand Up,” performed once by Music Haven’s Harmony in Action orchestra and some of its newest students, studying

King’s own words resonated and quaked through several of the songs selected for this year’s performance. With one answer to where do we go from here? that “we must massively assert our dignity and worth. We must stand up amid a system that still oppresses us and develop an unassailable and majestic sense of values” the Haven String Quartet and St. Luke’s Steel Band rendition of “Glory” (in video) came to life. Steel drum players Bryce Collins and Lisa Yarbor faithfully sang out: “That’s why we walk through Ferguson with our hands up / When it go down we woman and man up / They say, ‘Stay down,’ and we stand up / Shots, we on the ground, the camera panned up / King pointed to the mountain top and we ran up.”

So did the concert’s finale, a version of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” that had every member of the audience joining in, rising to their feet for an energetic finish to the 80-minute program.

As Joseph swung his arms to the time signature, celebrating every lyric, every downbeat, every chord, the audience belted, “Let us march on till victory is won,” a constellation of close to 80 musicians before them.

Everyone swayed gently to the music, reinvigorated, and ready to bring a brighter, bolder message into the world.

Return For have fun and ease into academic activities. “Going right from breakfast to work for kids is hard,” she said.

On one side of the room, students broke out into groups of six and stood one behind the other on a “sled,” each with a foot on two pieces of wood.

Clemente teacher Ron Coleman cheered them on as they attempted to move together in unison across the gymnasium.

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

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“Left,” he called out, urging them to pick up their left foot and pull the left handles forward.

Kids squealed as they all picked up their left feet and tried to keep their balance. One student fell on the back of the sled with a thud and immediately hopped up and back on. Finally gaining their rhythm, Coleman’s group finished second. And just in time before they had to head to the classrooms to work on math and reading.

Coleman’s 16 sixth graders split into two groups. Students in one started with a math pretest to determine their skill levels.

Those in the other signed into the online “Lexia Strategies” literacy program and began to work through a series of comprehension and phonics exercises starting at a beginner level and quickly progressing.

Santana sped through the exercises. Near the end of the first hour, she was deftly plugging in words into sentences in a paragraph, testing reading comprehension, way before her grade level.

“Go as fast as you can through the easy part. There’s no way to skip it,” Coleman said.

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Erika Moye came to the academy because she had “nothing to do on Saturday.” She wanted to meet new people and try new things. On her first Saturday so far, she said, she had succeeded.

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Border Road Opens. Shrug became. Like Quinnipiac Terrace became after it was rebuilt.”

by PAUL BASS New Haven Independent

Heading back home from a family viewing in North Haven of Ride Along 2, Lajuan Anderson cruised into her West Rock neighborhood via a newly opened road rather than travel miles out of her way.

Hamden Police Chief Tom Wydra said he knows of no criminal incidents or traffic complaints tied to the opening of WIlmot Road or even, offhand, to last year’s removal of the fence.

She didn’t have to contend with traffic lights and traffic, or wind her way through out-ofthe-way streets. Anymore.

He said the department has “ramped up bicycle patrols” in the Woodin Street area. That has helped “calm people’s fears,” he said.

That’s because a longblocked border between Hamden and New Haven’s West Rock neighborhood has now fully opened.

The border separated a suburban neighborhood from a collection of public-housing developments. For decades, a controversial fence separated the two sides, forcing public-housing tenants to drive far out of their way just to get to a job or a store or a relative’s home. That fence came down amid fanfare back in May 2014.

who steered his Camry home on Wilmot Sunday after getting gas at a Hamden Hess.

The housing authority considered having a Christmas-week public event to mark the opening of the road, the way it did when the fence came down.

Then officials realized there was no need, said authority Executive Director Karen DuBoisWalton.

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

So people could walk or bike across the border. But only in the past three weeks has road work been completed so that New Haven’s Wilmot Road meets Hamden’s Woodin Street.

This time, the milestone attracted little to no notice. Except along Wilmot to the Brookside and Westville Manor and Rockview and Ribicoff public-housing developments, where the Anderson family now has an easier ride.

“The road’s open. It’s a community,” DuBois-Walton said.

“It’s a community. It’s been very quiet.

PAUL BASS PHOTOS

The Andersons on WIlmot Road.

roads surrounding Southern Connecticut State University to wind their way back to their neighborhood.

“We love it,” Lajuan Anderson, who bought one of the new homes included in the mixedincome Brookside reconstruction, said Sunday after she turned her Toyota Highlander onto Wilmont en route home from the movie with husband Eric and daughter Khalia.

“We would still be in Southern right now” and not home “for at least 15 minutes,” if not for the Wilmot Road opening, Eric added.

She and Eric are glad not to have to contend with congested

Terrance Murphy (pictured) was headed in the opposite di-

“We do everything in Hamden,” she said. “Shopping.

My parents live in Hamden.”

rection in his 2003 Ford Expedition, to Home Depot, after dropping off a friend in Westville Manor. Murphy lives in Hamden; he works building maintenance in the Westville Manor development. He said he and coworkers also from Hamden are pleased they no longer have to “go all the way around Hamden” to get to work.

“The traffic with the students it was crazy! Here it’s a straight shot, one or two shots,” said Al Thomas, a truck driver by trade

Before the fence came down a year and a half ago, Hamden neighbors and officials packed public meetings to complain.

They warned of increased crime and traffic jams.

Since then, the city hasn’t heard a word of complaint from Hamden, DuBois-Walton said.

“We always thought it was not going to be the end of the world.

It was just going to increase access. Whatever people’s fears were have not been realized,” DuBois-Walton said .“It’s a community that works,” she said of the three rebuilt housing developments on the New Haven side. “Like Monterey [Homes, the form Elm Haven]

“I’ve not got any complaints, not one,” concurs a Hamden council member who represents homeowners on the other side of the border, Berita RoseLewis. “There’s been a lot of communication with folks.

Things have worked themselves out.”

One irony of the opening of the road after decades of contention over the fence which Hamdenites said they sought to keep to keep out crime and to protect property values is the fact that the more impressive homes now stand on the New Haven side of the line. That’s because of the housing authority’s rebuilding of developments like Brookside and Rockview. A vacant lot on the New Haven side of the WoodinWilmot intersection is the planned future site of more homeowner-occupied Rockview homes.

The road opening elicited a shrug from the Hamden homeowner who lives in the first house past the intersection.

“Ain’t no difference to me,” remarked the homeowner, John Jones of Elliott Drive, who said he has lived in his house since 1981. “Ain’t no traffic coming through. They can do whatever they want over there, as as long as they don’t come here messing with me.”

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

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30% of Greater New Haven Residents

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

Can Not Read or Struggle to Read Tariq Farid Foundation Joins Literacy Volunteers of Greater New Haven as Presenting Sponsor to Help The Elm City and Surrounding Towns Become ‘Cities That Reads’ As much as 30% of Greater New Haven residents lack basic literacy skills, and cannot read to their child(ren), read street signs, a recipe, or read this press release. Literacy Volunteers of Greater New Haven is a non-profit educational organization whose mission is, “To empower adults through literacy.”

Literacy Volunteers of Greater New Haven is pleased to announce the Tariq Farid Foundation as the Presenting Sponsor of its annual Scrabble Challenge fundraiser. This year’s event will take place Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at the JCC in Woodbridge from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM. The Scrabble Challenge has been the organization’s major special event for the past 15 years. Proceeds help fund free literacy classes for adults in Greater New Haven, Meriden/ Wallingford, and the Valley towns.

The event’s Honorary CoChairs are the Presidents of these local Chambers of Commerce: Tony Rescigno of the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce, Sean W. Moore of the Midstate Chamber of Commerce, and Bill Purcell of the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce.

The Scrabble Challenge is a fun, social game that offers friendly competition and a chance to put literacy skills to good use. Teams will consist of four players at each table at a cost of $25 per person, or $100 per table. There will be an opportunity for teams to buy Scrabble tiles at their face value. A light supper will be served and a silent auction will

give guests a chance to win an array of attractive prizes.

The goal of Literacy Volunteers is to create a community where 100% literacy is the norm, and all adults have the literacy skills to get good jobs and help their children succeed in school.

Literacy Volunteers recruits, trains, and supports volunteer tutors who provide free Reading and English conversation classes throughout Greater New Haven, Meriden, Wallingford and the Valley.

My Life Changed When I Came to Literacy Volunteers…Before I started taking classes I had problems reading, writing and speaking.

I never got a proper job. I failed all the interviews I had. After I started taking classes I improved my English and I can write too. As a result of this I got a job in a big company and my driver’s license. Literacy Volunteers school is the best school I have ever see. So I got no words to thank my lovely and special teacher who is helping me a lot,” Hari from Togo, West Africa wrote.

The Tariq Farid Foundation, based in Wallingford, was founded in 2013 by Tariq Farid, the Founder and CEO of Edible Arrangements.

The Foundation’s mission is to alleviate suffering by providing for the basic needs of food and healthcare, and to improve lives through the support of education and skill development opportunities that enable individuals to reach their full potential.

Additional event sponsorship opportunities are still available.

Sponsorship and team registration forms are available by visiting the Literacy Volunteers website at www.lvagnh.org or by calling the office at 203-776-5899

The 31st Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Breakfast was held Monday morning, Jan. 18, at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. The breakfast is organized each year by the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority in Hartford. The annual scholarship breakfast celebrates the academic excellence of African-American girls in greater Hartford and helps those in need.

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

BECOME A FOSTER OR ADOPTIVE PARENT… ATTEND AN INFORMATIONAL SESSION

Please call 1-888-KID-HERO For more Information 11

Department of Children and Families

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Parents, Childcare Workers Ask State to Boost Support for Childcare

by Rowan Kane

“disproportionately workers of color” are paid about $10.31 per hour, which is 39.3 percent less than the median $17 per hour in other occupations.

Childcare workers and parents descended on Hartford’s Capital Community College last week to voice concerns about wages and proposed changes to a federal program that subsidizes care.

To put those wages into context, the United Way has published the ALICE Report (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed), which estimates that a family of four — two adults, one toddler, one infant needs a combined hourly wage of $32.24 to maintain a “Household Survival Budget in Connecticut.”

Workers and parents expressed their concerns to the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, which was receiving 574712"public feedback on the proposed changes to the way federal funding will be implemented under President Obama’s Child Care and Development Block Grant Act. Advocates used the opportunity last Thursday to call for an increase in wages for childcare workers.

Ingrid Henlon, who has worked at Mount Olive Day Care in Hartford for 25 years, said that is was “disheartening” and “stressful” to be paid significantly less than others who hold a similar level of education.

ROWAN KANE PHOTO Claudia Cupe testifies last Thursday at the public hearing

Henlon holds a bachelor ’s degree. Yet, Henlon said she loves the work she does.

“The rewards are beautiful,” she said.

According to the paid-enoughto-make-ends-meet/»Economic Policy Institute, child care workers 95.6 percent of whom are women and

Apart from increased wages, Merrill Gay, executive director of the Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance, also expressed concern about a restriction in subsidies for unlicensed family providers.

The proposed plan limits the number of unlicensed providers, who are often family members caring for grandchildren or other Con’t on page 18

Pardon Seekers Guided To A “Fresh Start”

by MARKESHIA RICKS

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

New Haven Independent

Ivelisse Cruz needs to fill out an application, write three essays, provide three reference letters, prepare proof of her community service, and obtain a transcript.

She’s not applying for college she’s asking the state to pardon her for crimes she committed when she was younger and struggling with addiction.

Cruz, who spent much of her life in the Fair Haven neighborhood, said she has been drug and crime free for six years.

She’s hoping a pardon for her crimes will open up opportunities for a job and access to help with housing.

She and 18 local people in similar straits landed in City Hall one day last week to receive guidance in that quest.

“I’ve been clean for six years, and I got my kids back four years ago,” the mother of five said. “I

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Bandwagon campaign finance reform as a main reason for her support.

“That’s one of the big problems I have with Hillary’s campaign. She has too much Super PAC money,” Porter said.

“Money talks. [If Clinton] gets into office, she would would have a lot of favors owed.” Sanders, on the other hand, “is doing it grassroots,” Porter said.

Clinton enjoys a double-digit lead among black voters nationwide, according to polls. She also has attracted the support of black elected officials across the country, including New Haven Mayor Toni Harp. Winfield attributed Clinton’s lead among black voters to her superior name recognition as not just a senator, but a secretary of state, as well as “the wife of one of the most beloved political figures in history in the black community.”

“People like myself have to do some work in making sure that Bernie Sanders is better known” in the black community, Winfield said. “We have to go out and talk to people and say, ‘This is a guy who has talked about climate change. He says his life changed from being at King’s speech.’”

Porter made a similar vow.

“A lot of people in the black community ... don’t even know who he is, let alone what he stands for,” Porter said of Sanders. “My job is to educate people.

He’s having those courageous conversations. He’s talking about racism in America and racial justice and how black youth are looked at as thugs just because of the color of their skin.”

MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTO

Winfield called Sanders and Clinton both “great candidates.”

Cruz with Project Fresh Start intern Jordan Johnson.

have my driver’s license back. I’m doing better than before and I don’t want to stop.”

Though it’s been years since she’s had any scrapes with the law, Cruz said every time she tries to take another step toward improving her life, her criminal

record gets in the way.

She applied for Section 8 housing rental assistance, but was told that she would have to wait two more years to be eligible because of her criminal record.

“I have a lot of misdemeanors and one felony for carrying

paraphernalia and violating probation by using drugs,” she said. “When I was denied it was just really depressing.”

When she saw a flyer about help with the pardon process, she made the trip from Meriden where she Con’t on page 20

“If Bernie Sanders doesn’t make it all the way, that doesn’t mean you don’t have success,” he added. “If you can make speaking to our issues in an informed way [a central part of the campaign], that’s success as well.”

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Is It Justice?

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

by Gary Winfield Justice isn’t always an uncomplicated thing…

The case of the four men in Connecticut who were wrongfully convicted and now seek compensation under the state’s wrongful conviction statute is one where we wrestle with what exactly justice is. For those who see the men’s side it is clear- give them the money. It is also clear to those who think they should not receive any compensation. Still there are those who think it is all a muddy mess.

Justice isn’t always an uncomplicated thing…

See, it is easier when we see these same types of scenarios play out on our favorite crime television shows. On television we see how evidence has the ability to easily prove the innocence of someone, thereby making it easier for the defense lawyer to make a solid case against the prosecution.

Because it plays out as such we as viewers are adamant in our thinking that there should be no reason the accused should spend any time behind bars. This is justice. Justice on these shows can be even more clear-cut when we as viewers find that there was information hidden which had the ability to prove a character’s innocence. But, what about real life? What of cases that are not so clearly cut? Is justice so easy to determine?

The problem with the case and what gives rise to the monetary claim is that, at the time, a witness for the prosecution was offered a deal in exchange for testimony against the four and the prosecution failed to disclose this fact when the witness perjured himself on the stand. In the minds of many, including the constituents who have contacted me about the issue, the solution is simple – the system was wrong – give the

men the money.

Others feel that there is probably some reason the four men were suspects in the first place, and even if they weren’t treated well by the system they still don’t deserve the money. Then there is the last position which I believe is a more extreme form of the second which says that if you have not proven that you are actually innocent then no compensation.

This is not just.

When one of us finds ourselves in a courtroom charged with any sort of crime the burden does not rest with us to prove we are actually innocent of that crime. Our system recognizes the importance of the removal of a citizen’s liberty. That system lays the burden of proof, in criminal cases, not at the feet of the accused but at those of the accuser. As hard as it may be to reconcile for some this means that justice does not require the accused to prove they are actually innocent.

If we stand trial for a crime and walk away without having been found guilty of the crime…if we are legally innocent - which does not necessarily mean we are actually innocent…our system in order to work should see no difference That is justice under our system.

Yet here where the state was the bad actor that actor is able to occupy the seat which determines if there is a new trial, occupy the seat that decides if there is compensation, occupy the seat that determines that despite the burden of proof these men must meet a higher burden and still call that justice. It is not.

Yes, crime television shows are very alluring. Procedurals start and finish in an hour. Yes, they are uncomplicated in ways that real life is not but maybe, just maybe it isn’t that complicated after all.

Gary A. Winfield is an American politician from the state of Connecticut and member of the Democratic Party. He serves in the Connecticut State Senate, representing the 10th district.

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

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INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

Howard Divinity Delegation Travels to Ethiopia For Return of Sacred Biblical Manuscript

Representatives from the Howard University School of Divinity (HUSD) have traveled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to return a sacred, 14th-15th century manuscript to Debre Libanos Monastery, one of Ethiopia’s holiest sites. The manuscript, known as Tweed MS150, contains two different texts: the Acts of Paul and the Acts of Serabamon. It is part of one of the largest collections of Ethiopian sacred artifacts housed in the United States. The 240-piece collection was originally gifted to HUSD in 1993 by the late Dr. AndrÊ Tweed, a prominent psychiatrist and alumnus of the University. The manuscript is a rare text that provides historical insights into early Christianity and the connection between African and Judaic cultures and traditions.

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Why What You Drive Matters

From Employment to Empowerment

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

By Glenda Gill NNPA News Wire Ever since Henry Ford declared he’d pay $5 a day to workers in his factories, African Americans have had a love affair with the automotive industry in the United States. “The Great Migration” of Blacks from the South to the North was largely due to the demand for factory labor. In 1910, fewer than 600 autoworkers were African American. By 1929, that number grew to more than 25,000.

Unfortunately from then until now, the love we’ve had for the auto industry has gone largely unreturned. Making sure there is equity in our relationships with the auto industry drives my work on the Rainbow PUSH Automotive Project, the annual Global Automotive Summit and the Automotive Diversity Scorecard.

According to IHS Polk, all people of color purchase 27 of every 100 new vehicles and represent 150% more growth than non-ethnic markets.

Additionally, African Americans lead the industry in brand loyalty with more than half returning to the same brand. Simply put, without ethnic purchases many automakers would go out of business.

After 40-plus years of diversity talks, meetings and summits, it’s time to advance our agenda. We are trading partners.

Our goal is to have equitable trade relationships that benefits all parties – our communities and automakers. With all the labor, money and expertise we have invested in the success of automakers, we should expect a reasonable return.

What would our return look like? Well, here’s my take: • Employment with leadership roles to direct and allocate resources (dollars and people)

union or bank to compare with the dealer’s financing. Last, tell your family and friends about the scorecard. Refer them to www.automotiveproject.org so they can do their own research.

By sharing this information, we intend to start a conversation that leads to more empowerment within our communities and greater transparency from those automotive companies that value our dollars and want to establish an equitable trading relationship.

Glenda Gill is the Executive Director of the Rainbow PUSH Automotive Project. More information can be found at www.automotiveproject.org.

The 2015 RPC/CEF Automotive Diversity Scorecard rates each participating automaker on diversity proficiency in six categories.

Automakers are ranked with a green, yellow or red based on the results of data provided by each company.

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Support for Childcare

• Appointing people of color to corporate boards • Fair representation of ethnic dealers and suppliers • Advertising spending with ethnic media, ethnic agencies and vendors in line with ethnic sales • Philanthropic resources to offset the lack of investment in communities of color What does this mean to you and me? It means having a dealer nearby that is part of the community. It means getting a fair deal and reasonable auto loan rates because you’ll see that salesperson in church on Sunday.

It means more employment for our youth when they graduate. It means entrepreneurs can have healthy businesses and hire our neighbors, because they have profitable contracts. It means creative professionals of color can develop advertising for ethnic media outlets. It means rewarding automakers that behave like trading partners. In short, it means equity and justice.

Before we can claim equity

and justice, we have to fully understand the scope of the issues. The automotive Diversity Scorecard is our first step towards identifying the issues important to us. It serves as a way to make sure that what auto companies promise in the boardroom actually happens on the streets. While the scorecard is a great tool for us to encourage positive change, we know there is more to the story. The rest of the story relates to ownership and decision making, whether as a dealer, a supplier, a vendor or as a person buying a new vehicle.

You can make a difference! As you shop for your next vehicle, consider the information in the scorecard and the power you have in voting with your wallet.

As you shop, ask the dealers where they advertise and if they have ads in local ethnic newspapers, radio, TV or magazines. You have a right to know how their business actions impact your community. If you are financing, get at least one quote from your local credit

relatives.

time she invests in them.

Gay said reforming the stipends would hurt a disproportionate number of families.

Connecticut has one of the highest rates of unlicensed providers and these providers “are not held to the same health and safety standards” as those with licenses, Diana Lejardi of the Office of Early Childhood, said.

According to the state, there are 12,843 Connecticut children in regulated facilities who received stipends from the program in November 2015. In the same month, 5,817 children received stipends for unregulated facilities.

The proposed regulations primarily limit stipends for unlicensed relatives caring for children under three years of age and ages three to 12 who require care during “non-standard hours.” Statewide as of November 2015, unlicensed providers were caring for some 4,017 children — those in unregulated care over the age of three. This is the group potentially affected by the proposed plan.

That includes Debra Ashworth, who provides care for her grandchildren while her daughter works “days, nights, and weekends” in the food industry.

Ashworth echoed Gay’s concerns and testified that she was the best person to care for her grandchildren. She added that she could not work because of the

Lejardi said that current regulations do not require unlicensed providers to receive basic health and safety training, like First Aid or CPR, and that the state is responsible for children receiving the federal subsidy.

“This proposal is a significant shift towards increasing the quality of child care and ensuring public child care subsidy funds are invested in quality child care,” Lejardi said.

For full-time care 35-50 hours per week of infants and toddlers, child care centers and other licensed providers are reimbursed $201 weekly, whereas unlicensed providers are reimbursed $128.

These numbers are for the northcentral region that includes Hartford.

The Office of Early Childhood is accepting public feedback on the proposed plan through Jan. 24.

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

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Rocky Dawuni Pardon Seekers Guided To A “Fresh Start” in historic nomination for 58th Grammy Awards

“I didn’t know there was a second chance for me,” she said.

“I want a second chance.”

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

Source: Oral Ofori/ TheAfricanDream.net Branches of The Same Tree, & preview the latest album of the celebrated Ghanaian Afro roots artist Rocky Dawuni has been nominated for a Grammy award under the Best Reggae Album category in the 2016 Grammy awards. The Grammy Award which was originally called Gramophone Award first begun in 1959 in the USA. The album, which is Rocky’s sixth studio album was released in March 2015 on Cumbancha. The artiste embarked on international tours to promote the album throughout the year that took him to countries like Denmark, Germany, Greenland, Iceland, the UK, Canada and across the USA where he makes his second home.

In an interview with #TheAfricanDream from his Los Angeles base in the USA, Rocky told this writer that he is: “humbled by the Grammy nomination. It is a victory for all great Ghanaian musicians upon whose shoulders I have nurtured my inspiration. It’s a good day for Africa and positive music too .”

On December 18, 2015, Dawuni will perform at his «Homecoming Concert and Album Celebration” concert at Alliance Francaise in Accra, the capital city of Ghana; his home country. He will be joined by acclaimed Ghanaian and African award winning artiste ndream.net/i-love-boxersand-wanted-to-be-nurse-as/» Wiyaala and others.

A few other globally recognized artistes with African lineage that were also nominated in the 2016 Grammys include The Weeknd, of which Canadian born Ethiopian musician Abel Tesfaye is a member. They were nominated 8 times, one under the R&B category for their song Earned It which was sang by Tesfaye in the sound track for the movie Fifty Shades of Gray.

Under rap song of the year, the single All Day from the seventh studio album by Kanye West

now lives to New Haven.

The pardon session at City Hall, which took place last Wednesday evening, was hosted by Project Fresh Start Reentry Program, the city’s agency charged with helping to reduce recidivism.

The road to getting that second chance is not an easy one Project Fresh Start’s Chance Jackson said.

In fact, he said the state makes the pardon process intentionally daunting. “The way they see it, if you don’t have time to put in the work, you’re not ready for a pardon,” he said.

titled SWISH also earned a Grammy nomination. Kanye credited over 20 artistes for writing songs on this album, one of which is Victor Kwesi Mensah popularly known as Vic Mensah; a Chicago Illinois based hip hop artiste with a Ghanaian father.

Two time Grammy winning artiste Angelique Kidjo from the West African nation of Benin first won a Grammy in 2008 for her eighth studio album titled Djin Djin, then again in 2014 at the 57th annual Grammy Awards for her album Eve in the World Music category. She gets another taste as she is this year nominated again!

Rocky Dawuni’s first Grammy nomination which makes him the first Ghanaian nominated in his genre also finds him competing for the prestigious global award with Reggae greats like Morgan Heritage, Jah Cure, Barrington Levy, and Luciano. Winners will finally be announced at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, USA , on Monday February 15, 2016 during the 58th annual Grammy Awards.

American artiste Kendrick Lamar strongly leads the 58th Grammy nominations with 11 potential awards, he is followed by his compatriot Taylor Swift who is trailed by the multinational group The Weeknd.

There are two options for people who petition the state: a full pardon, which would erase their criminal record completely and a certificate of employability, which in effect is the state asking employers to over look the person’s crime.

Jackson said Project Fresh Start and its allies are looking to change the law on the certificate of employability to seal the record from employers. To get the certificate from the Board of Pardons and Parole, a person must be at least 90 days on probation, or 90 days post jail. He focused the bulk of the meeting on how to get a full pardon, which is much more labor intensive.

First thing, you can’t apply for a full pardon unless it has been at least five years since your last felony, and at least three years since your last misdemeanor conviction. After Jackson said that, one man got up and left the room.

Another asked what the odds were of getting a full pardon.

Jackson said it depends on the state Board of Pardons and Paroles timeline for hearings and whether or not you can get through the first and biggest hurdle filling out the application correctly. Most people get denied because they don’t fill out the paperwork properly or provide everything that is required in the right time frame.

In addition to filling out the multi-page application, a person will have to spend about $25 to get their fingerprints and obtain a $50 money order to pay a processing fee for their official criminal records. Then, the person has to obtain a police report from every city where they committed a crime in the last 10 years.

Anything that happened before 2006 doesn’t have to be reported, Jackson said. But that too costs, depending on the police department, it can be as much as a $1 a page, which could get pricey if you have an extensive criminal history.

His words were a relief to one woman who said that her crimes happened more than 25 years ago, but keep popping up. “Every time I put in an application they always come up,” she said. “It’s embarrassing. Those things happened in my early 20s. I’m damn near in my fifties.”

But Project Fresh Start intern Jordan Johnson said one’s efforts could be all for naught in the end particularly if you are a registered sex offender, or been convicted of murder, manslaughter, or “if you consistently go to jail for the same gun charge. It’s not impossible, but it will be hard.”

That means people can write their essays, get their references and all of the other required paperwork, which can’t be a year old before it’s filed, meet all other criteria and still be denied after the board takes its six to nine months to process the application and deliberate.

There are three outcomes, Jackson said, after an application is received and processed by the board: it could be granted and expedited, which means after a phone interview your record will be expunged from every place it can be viewed including the credit bureaus; the pardon could be denied and you will receive information about why it was denied, which could help if you reapply; or you might have to appear in person at a hearing.

“It will be just like going to court,” Jackson said of the hearing.

“You’ll have to present your case.”

Jackson concluded the meeting by encouraging people to start brainstorming what they would write in their essays and offering his assistance to help people write them and to help review any of their applications. He also offered attendees one-on-one help afterward.

“It’s on you from here,” Jackson said.

Many people took the application material and left. But several like Cruz stayed to ask further questions or to explain their individual situation.

One woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said that her crime happened in Puerto Rico.

She was a victim of domestic violence and forced by her husband to sell drugs and got caught by the police.That was in 1997. At the time of her arrest, she had two small children under five, and was pregnant. She gave birth while she was incarcerated. She served four years in prison. During that time she lost custody of her children.

When she got out of prison, she said she turned her life around.

Remarried now and mother to an autistic son, she has rekindled her relationship with her eldest daughter, who is now 21, and living with her. She said she wants to start her own business and eventually be a life coach and help other women.

“I never gave up,” she said. “I decided to change my life. That’s the reason I’m here.”

She learned at the meeting that should couldn’t get a pardon in Connecticut because her crime didn’t happen in the state, but she didn’t leave discouraged.

“They said they would still help me,” she said.

The Project Fresh Start pardon session is held every other Wednesday at City Hall. The next scheduled session is on Jan. 24.

Jackson said the meetings on average attract about 15 people, and about a third actually complete the application.

By Freddie Allen NNPA News Wire Rob McConnell, the manager for body engineering at the Toyota Technical Center said that he often draws inspiration from the fashion industry.

“A little secret, hopefully no one is recording, but me and my wife sit and watch ‘Project Runway,’” McConnell said, joking with a small group of Black journalists at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. “Yeah, I’ll admit it.”

McConnell said that, in a lot of ways, fashion designers are engineers.

“It’s all connected. You gotta pull from a lot of different places to get your inspiration, your ideas,” said McConnell. “You gotta come up with something new. That means you have to look outside the box.”

McConnell said that he gets excited about the fashion industry and how we can marry the fashion industry to the development and design of the vehicle and how we can execute it through engineering.

McConnell discovered that he was passionate about design at an early age, as he played with Matchbox cars, Hot Wheels and Legos. He also competed in the

Photo: Rob McConnell manages exterior lighting development for vehicles like the Toyota Camry and Toyota Avalon. (Freddie Allen/AMG)

Boy Scouts’ pinewood derby.

“That’s engineering and that’s design,” said McConnell.

“That’s the biggest challenge that we have when we’re kids, realizing that this excitement may actually lead to bigger and better things.”

For McConnell, those bigger and better things included a 15year (and counting) professional career at the Japanese automaker and a number of United States patents related to his work.

According to a company

biography, McConnell served as the “project design lead for multiple North America Production vehicles including the dramatically restyled 2013 Toyota Avalon.”

McConnell was also the team leader for the body and exterior for the 2014 Toyota Camry, Toyota Sienna, Toyota Venza, and Toyota Tundra. Now he manages exterior lighting development for vehicles like the Toyota Camry and Toyota Avalon.

McConnell noted that eyewear has risen as a fashion statement in recent years.

“A lot of people have turned what’s functional into a fashion element and that’s something that you can execute in a car.

How do we do that? We do that in the headlights,” said McConnell. “The headlights are a statement, they are a signature, they are the eyes of the vehicle, and with the 2016 Toyota Avalon, we refined the daytime running lights.”

McConnell said that when you see the 2016 Toyota Avalon coming down the road or in your review mirror, you know exactly what it is and his goal was to create a memorable experience for Toyota customers.

“Your eyes can tell a story and the eyes of the vehicle can tell a story,” said McConnell. “They speak to the depths of the vehicle and the soul of the vehicle and that’s what I hope to accomplish with the future vehicles that I work on.”

McConnell suggested that young people who are interested in going into engineering or automotive design should sharpen their critical thinking skills, get involved in team projects, or even work on cars in an effort to expose themselves to the opportunities that are out there. He said that students in middle school and high school need to think about college and their careers as early as they can.

McConnell continued: “The key point is that you gotta open your mind and it’s really about understanding the opportunities that are out there. You may get into it and decide that you don’t want to go into engineering, but it might spawn your thought to go in a different direction, which is really the push.”

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

African American Designer Shines at Toyota

Gun control alone can’t curb violence

BY JESSE JACKSON America may now have more guns than people.

Studies show a clear correla-

tion: the more guns, the more homicides and the more people shot.

Cities are racked by gun violence, yet gun ownership is much more prevalent in rural areas, as vividly displayed by the Bundy bunch that occupied an Oregon wildlife refuge over the weekend.

According to a General Social Survey report, gun ownership is declining. About 35 percent of adults were estimated to live in a household with a firearm in 2014, down from over half in the early 1980s. As hunting has declined in the country, so has gun owner-

ship. Gun ownership is higher among whites than among blacks or Hispanics, higher among men than women. Gun ownership rises with income. It is higher among those earning more than $90,000 a year than among those earning less than $25,000. It is highest in the South Central U.S. and lowest in the Northeast and Pacific regions.

Now weapons designed for the purpose of mass killing in war are available for purchase at gun shows, online and at many gun stores. These weapons are pow-

erful enough to stop trains or strafe planes that are landing or taking off. These are tools for terrorists, easily available for sale in America.

Obama has already delivered 15 national statements after shocking incidents of gun violence. Yet no national reforms have been passed or even gotten much consideration. After the Charleston massacre, the Economist magazine compared mass shooting in the U.S. with the groCon’t on page 22

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As President Barack Obama announces new executive action on gun control, U.S. gun manufacturing is a growth industry, almost doubling since the begin-

ning of Obama Administration (5.6 million in 2009; 10.9 million in 2013). From 2001 to 2013, according to a Centers of Disease Control and Prevention report, 406,496 Americans were killed with firearms on U.S. soil. In contrast, the number of U.S. citizens killed by terrorists at home or abroad over the same years number 3,380. Chicago suffered a spike in gun homicides in 2015 with 470 homicides and 2,939 shooting victims, the worst of all U.S. cities.

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Will Cam Newton Become Sixth Black Quarterback to Play in Super Bowl?

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

AFRO Sports Desk Faceoff

by Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley AFRO Sports Desk Quarterback Cam Newton is one game away from becoming just the sixth Black quarterback to play in a Super Bowl. The Panthers have the NFC’s best record and perhaps its best signal caller. Newton’s had an MVP season and has guided a shorthanded receivers’ corps to unexpected heights. Carolina will host the Arizona Cardinals next Sunday in a battle of two of the best quarterbacks in the league between Newton and Carson Palmer. If Carolina wins then Newton will enter elite company. Can he do it? Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley of the AFRO Sports Desk debate the question.

Riley: Newton’s been awesome this year, but the Cardinals hold a severe advantage with their secondary against a group of fill-ins at wideout for Carolina. I love what Newton has done and how the Panthers have competed but Arizona enters as the betterrounded team. Palmer has played good football as any quarterback in the NFL for a unit that has excellent options at both running back and receiver. The Cardinals’ front seven is strong and led by all-pro corner Patrick Peterson and the secondary is among the game’s best. The balance within the Cardinals will be tough for even Newton to overcome next Sunday.

Green: It’s not like the Panthers aren’t loaded themselves. The only weak area on the team would be the receiver position. But, just like other great quarterbacks in the game, Newton has elevated the play of his receivers. He’s a threat both running and passing and there’s a reason why this team is 16-1 so far this season— Newton’s been impossible to stop. He was a total threat this year, throwing for 35 touchdowns while running for 10. Arizona will have its hands

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Gun control tesque air pollution in China: a horrible health hazard which the country appears incapable of addressing.

Gun control doesn’t cost much.

America has another abiding challenge the explosive catastrophe of urban poverty that also goes unmet. The City Observatory, an urban policy think tank in Portland, Ore., reports that the number of highpoverty urban neighborhoods in the nation’s 51 largest cities tripled to 3,100 between 1970 and 2010. The number of poor persons living in those areas doubled over those years. The poor are more isolated and concentrated than ever. AfricanAmericans and Hispanics suffer the highest rates of poverty and are the most isolated into separate and unequal neighborhoods.

Twenty percent of U.S. children lived in poverty by end of 2013; poverty among AfricanAmerican children was nearly twice that (38 percent).

full next Sunday and I fully expect Newton to join history.

Riley: Newton’s season has been spectacular but it’s still a team game. It’s going to take more than just Newton to beat Arizona in the NFC Championship Game. I think it’s safe to say that it would be a shocker if Newton just ran wild against Arizona’s defense next Sunday. The Cardinals finished the regular season with the fifthbest defense in yards allowed and the seventh-best unit in points-per-game. Arizona’s no slouch on the defensive side of the ball and their offense is good enough to put the Panthers’

stingy defense into awkward positions. Carolina’s defense finished right alongside Arizona in several categories, but since the first week of December they’ve given up games of 24, 35 and 38 points. Bad timing, considering Arizona will enter the game as the NFL’s secondranked offense.

Green: This is the ideal matchup between the two best teams in the NFC so obviously both teams will enter the game loaded at several positions. It’ll come down to quarterback play, and Newton will have the advantage playing at home in Carolina’s first ever hosting of

an NFC title game in Bank of America Stadium. Newton’s ability to prolong plays and move defenses with his legs just adds another dimension to the Panthers’ attack. Newton won a Heisman trophy back in college and he’s a heavy candidate to win the MVP this season. He’s hard to bet against and I won’t make that mistake. I look forward to him representing in the Super Bowl and capping off Carolina’s year with an 18-1 record and Super Bowl championship.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

To deal with our impoverished neighborhoods, it isn’t enough to get rid of the guns. The public squalor of our inner cities has to be addressed: schools modernized, affordable housing built, mass transit supplied, available jobs created. Dealing with entrenched poverty costs real money, but less than we spend on the police, jails, drugs, alcoholism, and chronic illness the dysfunction that comes from poverty.

Today’s politicians don’t want to spend political capital on guns or fiscal capital on poverty.

They’d rather pay more on the back end from failing to act than risk the up-front political and economic costs of dealing with the problems. So the war on guns is lost; the war on poverty abandoned. And the hopes of millions are dashed by that failure. In the circus of the current presidential campaign, these are two fundamental challenges that ought to be at the center of our debate.

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

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African Americans and the ACA: Much Accomplished, More to Do

By Patricia Maryland The passage of the Affordable Care Act promised to revolutionize the delivery of healthcare services in America—especially for historically disadvantaged communities who suffer high rates of chronic illness.

The ACA has delivered on that promise, but work still remains to ensure all who need health care in the most prosperous nation on earth can receive it. Healthcare.gov is now available for the open enrollment period through January 31, 2016. It’s particularly paramount that members of the Af-

rican American community take advantage of this opportunity to access the coverage and care they deserve.

Some of the greatest gains in reducing the uninsured have been realized in the African American community, which has seen a 30 percent increase in those with health insurance.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), nearly 8 million African Americans now have access to critical preventive services, including mammograms and flu shots.

The benefit is extended further for adults whose children up to age of 26 can remain on their parent’s health insurance. That includes some 500,000 African Americans.

Now, our focus turns to educating and mobilizing

groups where more work needs to be done, in particular with African American males.

Within this group, 42 percent suffer from high blood pressure, and black males are 50 percent more likely to contract lung cancer. These rates are primarily attributed to health disparities and access to care. Thanks to the ACA, this issue can be easily remedied.

For poor and minority communities, cost has always been a major barrier to care.

However, access to care is now more broadly available, thanks to an expansion of Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and subsidies for individuals and families. In fact, according to HHS, if more states took advantage of these provisions, upwards of 95 percent of African Americans

would qualify. Unfortunately, some states remain reluctant to participate, and so access to coverage is limited to some who need it most.

Another barrier to health insurance is lack of information. Therefore, our job – yours and mine – is to help spread the word about the ease of signing up for insurance using Healthcare.gov. For those who have used the program before, it is important that they review their policy to see if it still meets their needs and fits within their budget. For those would be first-timers, take them by the hand and lead them through the site.

The Affordable Care Act has more than met its goal of revitalizing our healthcare network and making it more accessible and affordable to all

Americans. As we make our way through this latest enrollment period, our mission is to ensure more African Americans have the information they need to make informed choices about their health care. We know this will lead to more peace of mind, and by extension, a higher quality of life.

Patricia A. Maryland, Dr.PH, is the President of Healthcare Operations and Chief Operating Officer for Ascension Health.

Patricia Maryland says that it’s important that members of the African American community take advantage of this the open enrollment period to access the coverage and care they deserve.

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

Author Aims to Mend the Hole in Black America’s Purse If you’ve ever wondered why Black America, with its trillion dollars of spending power, can’t hang on to its money, then you are in the company of Robert L. Gatewood, author of the provocative book, PLAYED IN FUL The Marketing Exploitation of Black America.

Gatewood, who is an MBAdegreed marketing consultant, and host of the acclaimed Marketing Pulpit Radio Show on Radio-One’s WOL in Washington, DC, considers himself the unlikely “poster boy” for Black overspending.

He adds that, in the past, he too spent well beyond his means.

According to Gatewood, “If a smart guy like me has struggled over the years to hang onto his money, then perhaps there’s more to this problem than basic math.”

Gatewood adds, “The forces at work ring familiar because

they are some of the very same techniques used by experienced marketers that are designed to help business owners. Unfortunately those methods have been twisted and used nefariously. When the history of slavery and racism is embedded, the subjection

becomes particularly acute for Blacks.”

Gatewood’s book, PLAYED IN FULL – The Marketing Exploitation of Black America, suggests that the fight for Black dollars is a generational battle that’s fought in the mind. On one side you have Black

consumers who have been conditioned to spend rather than invest. And coalesced on the other side are the “Players,” people and institutions, who are possessed with a congenital zeal for extracting money from Blacks.

“It’s worse than shooting fish

in a barrel,” says Gatewood.

“It’s as if the fish were trained to jump out of the barrel, gut themselves, leap into the frying pan, and then light the fire.”

In the book, Gatewood exposes many sacred institutions that have wittingly or unwittingly contributed to the subterfuge; including but not limited to, the banks, the courts, the media, the schools, the military, the church, the state, the food industry, the politicians, and even Santa Claus himself.

In addition to highlighting the dilemma, Gatewood also provides a host of remedies for mending the sieve that is the pocketbook of Black America.

To learn more about the book or Robert Gatewood, visit w w w. p l a y e d i n f u l l . c o m , www.robertgatewood.com, e m a i l gatewood@playedinfull.com or call 301-839-2836.

By Kam Williams The frontier survival epic The Revenant landed a dozen Oscar nominations, establishing Leonardo DiCaprio as the early favorite to finally win his first Oscar. The movie with the next most nominations was Mad Max: Fury Road with 10, followed by The Martian with 7, and Bridge of Spies, Carol and Spotlight with 6 each.

While the members of the Academy have nominated a fine slate of actors and actresses, it has failed to include any minorities for the second year in a row.

The omission is glaring since a number of laudable performances were ignored, such as Will Smith’s in Concussion, the sort of character-driven drama Oscar ordinarily tends to reward.

Also overlooked was Michael B. Jordan for his impressive turn

in the title role of Creed, although his co-star Sly Stallone was nominated in the Best Sup-

porting category. Curiously, the critically-acclaimed Straight Outta Compton garnered only

one nomination for its screenplay which was written by four white scriptwriters.

These embarrassing oversights ostensibly reflect the lack of diversity in the Academy’s ranks, despite the fact that its President, Cheryl Boone Issacs, happens to be African-American. Why do not only blacks, but Asians, Latinos and NativeAmericans have such a hard time making the grade?

Well, the voters are reportedly 93% white and 76% male with an average age of 63, which helps explain why a tour de force on the part of a minority might fail to register a blip on the radar. Given the demographic trend toward an increasingly ethnically-mixed populace, it is incumbent upon the Academy to figure a way to seriously consider every color of the country’s wonderful rainbow, if it wants to ensure that the Oscars remain relevant in the 21st Century.

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

Black Actors Snubbed for Second Year in a Row

Doctor Bias In Their Body Language When It Comes To Dying Black Pas Reveal Racialtients stomach or pancreatic cancer.

Their scripts were identical.

By HealthDay News BlackDoctor.Org

The doctors’ scores on nonverbal interactions were 7 percent lower when dealing with black patients than with white patients, according to the researchers.

A doctor’s body language may reveal racial bias against seriously ill black patients, a new study suggests.

The finding could help explain why dying black patients are much more likely than whites to ask for more extensive lifesaving measures and to report worse communication with their doctors, the researchers said.

“Although we found that physicians said the same things to their black and white patients, communication is not just the spoken word. It also involves nonverbal cues, such as eye contact, body positioning and touch,” said senior study author Dr. Amber Barnato.

perceive discrimination in the health-care setting,” said Barnato, an associate professor of clinical and translational medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

However, the study wasn’t designed to show a cause-andeffect relationship; it was only able to show that communication

differences exist.

The study was published in the January issue of The Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.

The study included 33 hospital-based attending physicians. Black and white actors were asked to portray patients dying from advanced

Something as subtle as a doctor staying near the door and holding a binder in front of them might be perceived by patients and their families as defensive or disengaged, Bernato said. This could lead patients to ask for more extensive life-saving measures because they don’t believe the doctor has their best interests in mind when suggesting less aggressive care,

“When you survey people in the community about their feelings on end-of-life care, blacks are only slightly more likely than whites to say they want aggressive, life-sustaining measures when terminally ill,” Barnato said in the news release.

Yet, when faced with that decision in the hospital, blacks are much more likely than whites to request such care, she added.

Doctors need to be aware of their verbal and nonverbal communication, as well as any unintentional biases they may be communicating. Doing so may help black patients and their families feel welcome and encouraged to be partners in medical decision-making, Barnato explained.

“Body language is a significant tool in building trust — or mistrust — and physicians need to ensure that their body language isn’t contributing to that decision,” she said.

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“Poor nonverbal communication something the physician may not even be aware he or she is doing could explain why many black patients

“When explaining what was happening and what the next steps for care could be, with the white patients, the physicians were more likely to stand right at the patient’s bedside and touch them in a sympathetic manner,” Barnato said in a university news release.

she suggested.

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Khalia Lanier is Gatorade Volleyball POY Compiled from Gatorade.com In its 31st year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA Today High School Sports, announced Khalia Lanier of Phoenix Xavier College Prep as its 2015-16 Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Lanier as the nation’s best high school volleyball player. A national advisory panel comprised of sport-specific experts and sports journalists helped select her from nearly 430,000 high school volleyball players nationwide.

Lanier is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade Female High School Athlete of the Year award, to be presented at a special ceremony prior to The

ESPY Awards in July.

The 6’ 2” senior outside hitter recorded 496 kills, 324 digs and 28 service aces while posting a kill percentage of .438 and leading the Gators (34-8) to the Division I state final this past season.

In addition to being a two-time 2015 First Team All-American, by the American Volleyball Coaches Association and Under Armour, Lanier was the topranked player in the nation as

rated by PrepVolleyball.com.

Lanier also was a member of the U.S. Girls’ Youth National Volleyball Team, leading some of the country’s finest prep players to the 2015 FIVB Girls’ U18 World Championship final in Peru last summer.

Lanier has maintained a weighted cumulative GPA of 4.21, spent nine days last summer working in an orphanage in Komga, South Africa teaching preschool-aged children, and

volunteered on behalf of the Desert Mission Food Bank providing emergency food assistance to help families in North Phoenix.

“Khalia Lanier has been a star on the court since she led the Gators in kills the first match of her freshman year,” said John Tawa, managing editor of PrepVolleyball.com. “Physically imposing on attack, she packs a punch few can match and has the intelligence and vision to make opponents pay in myriad ways.

Her ability to score combined with a deft passing touch made her the consensus top recruit in the country. She played like it this past fall, fighting through an ankle injury to lead the nationally ranked Gators to the Arizona Division I final. In her four years, Lanier’s teams averaged 35 wins per season and won a state title, and she was the principal reason why.”

Lanier has signed a National Letter of Intent to play volleyball at the University of Southern

California next fall.

“Khalia embodies everything we look for in a Gatorade Player of the Year recipient,” said Gatorade Chief Marketing Officer Morgan Flatley. “In addition to being one of the best high school volleyball players in the country, Khalia has excelled in the classroom and been a positive influence in her community. She is a role model for younger student-athletes to look up to and we are excited to see all the things she will accomplish in the future.”

Additional reporting by Vincent R. Crawford, the sports editor from the Arizona Informant.

Khalia Lanier of Xavier College Prep was named Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year. Lanier recorded 496 kills, 324 digs and 28 service aces while posting a kill percentage of .438 and leading the Gators (34-8) to the Division I state final this past season.

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

Princeton University Gearing Up to Host Sixth Summer Academy for Minority Teen Girls New York, NY — For the sixth straight year, the At the Well Young Women’s Leadership Academy will be held on the campus of Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey. The Academy is one of the only summer institutes for minority teen girls to be held on an Ivy League campus.

At the Well Academy is geared towards building leadership skills for minority girls entering the eleventh or twelfth grades of high school. This year’s Academy is scheduled for July 24 – August 5, 2016 at The Friend Center, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.

In 2015, almost 50 teenage scholars attended the competitive program.

The Academy offers dynamic speakers, standardized testtaking strategies, critical reading courses, college essay writing

classes, tutoring, group activities, and field trips. Each year, special guests provide dynamic presentations. The 2015 roster of speakers included marketing guru Terrie Williams, Brandi Harvey, Executive Director of the Steve Harvey Foundation and Yandy Smith executive producer of the television show “Love and Hip Hop.” 2014 roster included husband and wife actors, Boris

Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker.

Our guest professors were Dr. Imani Perry from Princeton University and Dr. Brittney Cooper from Rutgers University.

The Academy provides oncampus housing at Princeton University that allows the students to experience college life in an Ivy League setting. The curriculum has been developed to encourage critical thinking and problem-solving skills along

with increasing leadership confidence. Facilitators include business leaders, entrepreneurs, and Princeton University staff who teach select classes.

Admission is competitive and teens must possess a 3.0 G.P.A, and offer an essay as well as academic recommendations.

Scholarships are available and need-based financial aid is available on a first-come basis.

The deadline to submit an application is March 31, 2015.

The academic achievement gap between minority teen students and their white counterparts along with the lack of female senior leadership in corporate America prompted Jacqueline B. Glass, CEO and Founder of At the Well Conferences, Inc., to create the Academy. According to Glass, “The U. S. Department of

Education statistics state African Americans account for about 13% of the entire college enrollment.

The low performance of African American students on standardized tests is alarming.

Our preparatory program addresses these issues head-on.”

About the program At the Well Young Women’s Leadership Academy is a program of At the Well Conferences, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization empowering teens since 2009.

“The Academy seeks to empower young women locally to become effective leaders globally. By promoting excellence in education, these young women will transform their communities,” states Glass.

For more information, go to www.atthewellconferences.org

The “Rush Hour” Interview with Kam Williams

A Discussion with Justin!

so Rush Hour was the perfect combination for me.

KW: The trailer looks a lot like the first movie. How will the show be similar and how will it be different?

JH: The pilot episode is a reboot of the original Rush Hour.

So, there are some similarities there. However, all the episodes after that, 13 episodes in total, tell completely new and exciting stories that are not connected with the Rush Hour films, at all.

KW: I think the key to the success of the film franchise was the chemistry between Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. How did you and John Foo go about trying to regenerate that magic?

JH: I completely agree. Fortunately, I think Jon Foo and my chemistry is incredible! Foo is a genuine introvert and I’m a genuine extrovert. We’re the perfect ying and yang, on and off camera.

KW: Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier asks: How did you prepare to play Detective James Carter? Did you get any advice from Chris Tucker?

JH: I’ve been doing stand-up for a strong 8 years and I’ve been

the class clown my entire life, all of which prepared me for a role of this magnitude. Also, I watched all those buddy cop movies again: 48 Hours, Lethal Weapon, Bad Boys, etcetera. I didn’t get any advice from Tucker, but I assume his advice would’ve been, “Have fun and be funny!”

KW: Patricia also says: You are an actor, writer and comedian. Which of those endeavors is your favorite?

JH: I honestly love all three equally. Each of those have played a part in getting me to where I’m at in my career right now.

KW: Patricia has another follow-up: Who is your favorite comedian, and do you have a topic you won’t touch in a stand-up routine?

JH: Richard Pryor is the Godfather of Comedy. Eddie Murphy is the King. Martin Lawrence is my favorite. Chris Rock is the best. Dave Chappelle is a genius.

Bernie Mac is the funniest. I’m a comedy nerd. And… rape is typically never funny.

KW: Sangeetha Subramanian says: Justin, is comedy like writing where an idea just pops in

KW: What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

JH: I turned down a contract with a major network in New York my senior year of college in order to move to Los Angeles and pursue my acting career. But so far it’s working out.

KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?

JH: The power of mind control. I’d be able to get pretty much everything I wanted.

KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure?

JH: Watching “Love & Hip Hop.” KW: The “Realtor to the Stars” Jimmy Bayan’s question: What would be your dream locale to live in Los Angeles?

JH: Either Malibu or Calabasas.

KW: Harriet Pakula-Teweles asks: With so many classic films being redone, is there a remake you’d like to star in?

JH: One of the reasons I started acting was to re-make The Karate Kid, but Jaden Smith beat me to it.

KW: Larry Greenberg asks: Do you have a favorite movie monster?

JH: Dracula.

KW: The Judyth Piazza question: What key quality do you believe all successful people share?

JH: Being fearless.

KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

JH: Do your homework, study the craft, believe in yourself, and out-work everyone.

KW: The Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be remembered?

JH: He did what many thought was impossible.

KW: Finally, what’s in your wallet?

JH: Rush Hour’ money. [LOL] KW: Thanks again for the time, Justin, and best of luck with the new show.

JH: Thank you very much, Kam.

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Justin Hires is a very talented actor, comedian, storyteller, dancer, video jockey and writer who will next be seen playing Detective Carter in the CBS-TV action-comedy series «Rush Hour,» based on the buddy films co-starring Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. The versatile entertainer has been an ensemble cast member on the sketch comedy series «Key & Peele,» and he’s also appeared in the box-office hit 21 Jump Street alongside Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, Justin was born in St. Petersburg, Florida where he was raised by a couple of very supportive parents. Even as a young child, he exhibited a knack for making others laugh.

While attending Clark Atlanta University, Justin was cast in two feature films: Stomp the Yard and The Gospel. He was subsequently hired by MTV as a VJ on their college network, mtvU. Justin moved to Hollywood after receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Media- Radio, TV, and Film. In L.A., he started doing stand-up in comedy clubs, and began landing a variety of television and film roles, while accumulating over 13 million views of his personal sketches online.

Here, the rising young star talks about «Rush Hour» which is set to premiere on CBS on March 31st at 10 pm ET/PT. (Check local listings) Kam Williams: Hi Justin, thanks for the interview.

Justin Hires: Thanks for having me, Kam. KW: I told my readers I’d be interviewing you, so I’ll be mixing their questions in with mine.

JH: Sounds exciting…

KW: Congratulations on landing the lead in Rush Hour. Were you a fan of the film franchise?

JH: Absolutely! I grew up watching and studying those films. I’ve always been a huge fan of martial arts and comedy,

your mind at any given time? If so, what was the strangest occasion on which a joke came to you? : JH: That’s a pretty accurate insight, Sangeetha. A funny idea might pop up in your head or you may see something that you think is funny—then you go to a comedy club, say that thought out loud, and see if everyone else finds it funny as well. Some of my funniest thoughts come to me while I’m taking a shower.

KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?

JH: Do I prefer Coke or Pepsi?

My answer depends on which one wants to give me an endorsement deal one day. [LOL] KW: lbc.com/» AALBC.com founder Troy Johnson asks: What was the last book you read?

JH: Who knows? I’ve just been reading 60-page Rush Hour scripts every week for the last 6 months.

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?

JH: Fried chicken and roasted potatoes. Yep, the myth is true— I do, indeed, love fried chicken.

KW: Ling-Ju Yen asks: What is your earliest childhood memory?

JH: Either telling my first joke in pre-school that got a huge laugh, or my mom rocking me to sleep in her rocking chair.

KW: Sherry Gillam would like to know what is the most important life lesson you’ve learned so far?

JH: Fear will keep you from accomplishing your dreams.

KW: The Viola Davis question: What’s the biggest difference between who you are at home as opposed to the person we see on the red carpet?

JH: I’m really quiet at home. I don’t speak that much. However, when I’m in public, I make sure to speak to everyone.

KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

JH: Someone trying to achieve greatness.

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

Justin Hires

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Inner-City Inner-City News Connecticut’s First Choice For Urban News Since1990

PLACING AN AD EASY

Classifieds Classifieds 203 387-0354

BUSINESS HOURS - MONDAY FRIDAY 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM - 50 FITCH NEW HAVEN CT, 06515 - Career/Education/Training • Bid• L egal and Public Notices • Health Care • Real Estate • Professional

Listing:? Maintenance Assistant Immediate opening for a part time maintenance assistant for grounds and building maintenance.

Position requires flexible work schedule. Some heavy lifting required. Computer knowledge a plus. Send resume to HR Manager, 401 Soundview Road, Guilford, CT 06437. **An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer**

Adult Basic Education & Literacy Teacher (P/T) – New HavenSeeking a dynamic certified secondary ed. or adult ed. teacher to provide basic education and literacy instruction to adult women with children. The candidate must possess a State of CT Teaching Certificate and have experience instructing and supporting adult learners. Bachelor’s Degree in Education; plus 1-3 years’ exp.

Candidates who are fluent in English and Spanish are preferred.

Position will require morning hours as determined by program needs.

Eight (8) hrs./wk. Pay rate $29.00/hr. no benefits. Apply to: ESGI – HR, 432 Washington Ave., North Haven, CT 06473/hr@esginh.org/ Fax:203-495-6108. EOE/AA – M/F/D/V TRANSFER STATION LABORER Off load trailers, reload for trans/disp. Lift 50 lbs., operate industrial powered trucks and forklift. Asbestos Worker Handler Training a +. Resumes to RED Technologies, LLC,173 Pickering St., Portland, CT 06480; Fax 860.218.2433; or Email to info@redtechllc.com. RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

Welder-Exp. Welder for structural steel Misc shop. Send resume:gwf@snet.net Town of Bloomfield Part Time- Non-benefited After School Activity Specialist $10 to $12 hourly After School Program Director $16 - $20 hourly After School Assistant Program Director $13 - $15 hourly For details and how to apply, go to /www.bloomfieldct.org/” www.bloomfieldct.org.

Pre-employment drug testing.

AA/EOE

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks: Construction Equipment Mechanic preferably experienced in Reclaiming and Road Milling Equipment. We offer factory training on equipment we operate.

Location: Bloomfield CT

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

Contact: James Burke Phone: 860-243-2300

Phone: 860- 243-2300 Email: dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

Elementary Café Manager 10 months per year – 20 hours per week The Town of Wallingford Board of Education Food Service Department is seeking a skilled individual to coordinate and manage the activities of the other foodservice employees within the facility. Applicants must have a high school degree or equivalent. Ability to read, write, and speak English. Individuals must have experience in food service with school food service experience preferred. Supervisory experience also preferred. Special Requirement: Must possess sanitation certification from an approved Dept. of Education source. Hourly Rate of $15.77 per hour plus an excellent fringe benefit package. Apply to: Personnel Department, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Fax #: (203) 294-2084. Closing date will be January 27, 2016 or the date the 50th application is received, whichever occurs first. EOE.

Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits

Listing: HVAC Technician Immediate opening for a full time, CT licensed HVAC Technician for a fast paced shoreline Petroleum Company. Applicant must have experience in oil, propane, natural gas and A/C. Send resume to: Attn: HR Manager, Confidential, PO Box 388, Guilford, CT 06437. **An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer**

INVITATION TO BID: SQUIRE VILLAGE

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

72 Spencer Street, Manchester, CT

We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits

New Construction of a 7000 SF Community Center and Renovations of 31 two story multifamily apartment buildings.

Contact: Rick Tousignant

Phone: 860- 243-2300

PRE BID MEETING: Wednesday, January 27, 2016 Time: 3 to 4:00

Email: ailto:rick.tousignant@garrityasphalt.com”rick.tousignant@garrityasphalt.com

Location: Squire Village Community Room located at 48 Spencer Street, Manchester 06040

Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply

PREBID NOT MANDATORY. IF ATTENDING PLEASE EMAIL: dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com

Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer

Project documents available via ftp link below: http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=squirevillage Bids Due: Wednesday, February 3, 2016 @ 5:00 pm

The Housing Authority of the City of Norwalk, CT is seeking bids for Janitorial Services. Bidding documents can be viewed and printed at www.norwalkha.org Norwalk Housing Authority is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Curtis O. Law, Executive Director

Fax or Email Questions& Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 AA/EEO EMPLOYER

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Classifieds Classifieds 203 387-0354

BUSINESS HOURS - MONDAY FRIDAY 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM - 50 FITCH NEW HAVEN CT, 06515 - Career/Education/Training • Bid• L egal and Public Notices • Health Care • Real Estate • Professional

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 Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

ADVANTAGE MAINTENANCE INC. Now accepting applications for final construction cleaning laborers. Cleaners are sent to jobsites, to sweep, mop, dust, vacuum and prepare sites for tenant/owner occupancy.

Potential candidates should meet the following minimum requirements.

• Have OSHA 10 training • Be able to lift 50 pounds.

• Have reliable transportation.

Applications will be accepted in person only at

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport Invitation for Bid (IFB) C.F. Greene Apartments Interior Finishes Solicitation Number: 057-PD-16-S The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) is requesting sealed bids for interior finishes at C.F. Greene Apartments. Solicitation package will be available on January 11, 2016.

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 January 26, 2016, @ 10:00 a.m. Although attendance is not mandatory, submitting a bid for the project without attending conference is not in the best interest of the Offeror. Additional questions should be emailed only to bids@parkcitycommunities.org no later than February 4, 2016 @ 2:00 p.m. Answers to all the questions will be posted on PCC’s Website: www.parkcitycommunities.org. Seal bids will be received until February 12, 2016 @ 2:00 PM, at which time the bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.

15 Lunar Drive Woodbridge, CT 06525. Advantage Cleaning LLC is an AA/EEO employer.

LOGISTICS COORDINATOR 2-5 yrs. exp. in Haz. Waste Trans. 40 HAZWOPER, Resumes to RED Technologies, LLC, 173 Pickering Street, Portland, CT 06480; Fax 860.342.1042; or Email to Info@redtechllc.com RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

Housing Authority of the City of New Haven Request For Proposals Program Management Services

AA/EOE

The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven (HANH) is currently seeking Proposals for Program Management Services. Proposals will be received until Wednesday, February 24, 2016 @ 3:00PM. A Pre-Proposal conference will be held at 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06511 on Wednesday February 3, 2016 @ 10:30 AM. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from HANH’s front desk at 360 Orange Street beginning on Monday, January 19, 2016 @ 3:00 PM. Additional questions should be emailed only to Karen DuBois-Walton at, bids@newhavenhousing.org no later than February 10, 2016 @ 3:00 PM. All answers to the questions will be posted on HANH’s Website: www.elmcitycommunities.com. Please click on the link for Vendors and then Current Bids.

Laboratory Technician

Housing Authority of the City of New Haven

Town of Bloomfield Assistant Building Official Hourly Rate - $35.23 For details and how to apply, go to www.bloomfieldct.org.

Pre-employment drug testing.

Responsible for the sampling and laboratory analysis of domestic and industrial water and wastewater. Requires an A.S. degree in biology, chemistry or related field and 2 years experience in laboratory analysis. Experience and training may be substituted on a year for year basis. Must have a valid State of CT driver’s license. $25.91 to $31.15 hourly plus an excellent fringe benefit package. Apply: Personnel Department, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492, (203) 294-2080, Fax #: (203) 294-2084 The closing date will be that date the 50th application form/resume is received, or January 27, 2016, whichever occurs first.

EOE

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport Request for Proposal (RFP) for Security Guard Services Solicitation Number: 059-SEC-16-S

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven is seeking to fill the position of Development Associate.

Please refer to our website for details: http://www.cfgnh.org/About/ContactUs/ EmploymentOpportunities.aspx EOE electronic su

Town of Bloomfield Mini Bus Coordinator – Reposted Position $32.55 hourly Previous applicants need not apply.

For details and how to apply visit: www.bloomfieldct.org Pre-employment drug testing AA/EOE

Request For Proposals Homeownership Counseling Services The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven (HANH) is currently seeking Proposals for Homeownership Counseling Services. Proposals will be received until Wednesday, February 24, 2016 at 3:00 PM. A Pre-Proposal conference will be held at 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06511 on Wednesday February 3, 2016 @ 11:30 AM. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from HANH’s front desk at 360 Orange Street beginning on Wednesday, January 20, 2016 @ 3:00 PM. Additional questions should be emailed only to Karen DuBois-Walton at, bids@newhavenhousing.org no later than February 10, 2016 @ 3:00 PM. All answers to the questions will be posted on HANH’s Website: www.elmcitycommunities.com. Please click on the link for Vendors and then Current Bids.

Housing Authority of the City of New Haven Request For Proposals Consultant Services for Research and Evaluation of the MTW (Moving to Work) Program The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven (HANH) is currently seeking Proposals Consultant Services for Research and Evaluation of the MTW (Moving to Work) Program. Proposals will be received until Wednesday, February 24, 2016 at 3:00PM. A Pre-Proposal conference will be held at 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06511 on Wednesday February 3, 2016 @ 11:00 AM. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from HANH’s front desk at 360 Orange Street beginning on Tuesday, January 19, 2015 @ 3:00 PM. Additional questions should be emailed only to Karen DuBois-Walton at, bids@newhavenhousing.org no later than February 10, 2016 @ 3:00 PM. All answers to the questions will be posted on HANH’s Website: www.elmcitycommunities.com. Please click on the link for Vendors and then Current Bids

Welder-Exp. Welder for structural steel Misc shop. Send resume:gwf@snet.net

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The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) is currently requesting proposals from qualified security firms to provide security guard services at various public housing complexes throughout the city of Bridgeport. Solicitation package will be available on January 25, 2016. To obtain a copy of the solicitation you must send your request to bids@parkcitycommunities.org, please reference solicitation number and title on the subject line. A pre-proposal conference will be held at 150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604 on February 9, 2016, @ 10:00 a.m. Although attendance is not mandatory, bid 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 19, 2016 @ 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 26, 2016 @ 3:00 PM, to Ms. Caroline Sanchez, Contract Specialist, 150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604. Late proposals will not be accepted.

Drivers: Company Drivers. $5000 transition bonus. Paid out in the first 4 months - Call us for details! New Home Time policy: 5 days out - 2 days off; 10 days out - 4 days off; 15 days out- 6 days off.

We offer: average $1200-$1400 weekly. $1500 quarterly bonus. $5000 referral bonus. Dedicated lanes. Longevity bonus.

Dedicated driver advocate team. Health, dental, vision benefits available. Paid layovers & orientation. Requirements: must have CDL-A with tanker & hazmat endorsements. Have or be willing to obtain TWIC card. 1yr. tractor-trailer exp. Call Jessica: 866-983-0855 or apply online at www.Work4QC.com

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

The

Inner-City Inner-City News

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016 30

INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016

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INNER-CITY NEWS January 25, 2016 - January 31, 2016 32