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NXTHVN Takes NXT Steps THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 02, 2022 - March 08, 2022

by Lucy Gellman, Editor The Arts Paper www.newhaven.org

A Black History Month open mic night hosted by New Haven public high school students. An exhibition from a slate of emerging curators, and another from seven artists who have called Dixwell their creative home for a year. A new cohort of fellows who will live and work in New Haven, partnering with some of the city’s young artists along the way.

All of those are on tap this winter, as NXTHVN moves into 2022 with three new staff members at the helm. As the arts incubator enters its fifth year and fourth fellowship cohort at 169 Henry St., it has welcomed Director of Programs and Exhibitions Kalia Brooks, Programs Manager Victoria McCraven, and Student Program Manager Jay Kemp. It marks a period of growth for the 45,000 square foot space, which was founded in 2017 by artist Titus Kaphar and investor Jason Price.

All three are working to grow NXTHVN’s fellowship program, high school apprenticeship, rotating schedule of exhibitions, and number of community events. Together, they bring a skill set that includes community organizing, youth development, and curatorial and art historical practice.

“I’m excited to model what investment in a community and in a neighborhood looks like through the arts, and to continue—in addition to bringing people into the building—to reverberate and resonate outside of our structure and our architec-

Victoria McCraven has been appointed to programs manager. John Dennis/NXTHVN Photo.

ture,” Brooks said on a recent episode of “Arts Respond” on WNHH Community Radio. “I think that is where we’re gonna see tremendous impact.”

Each brings a different perspective to the space, a glass and brick facade that rises off of Henry Street just a block from James Hillhouse High School. Before her tenure at NXTHVN, Brooks worked at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and then as the first Mellon project director in the

Student Program Manager Jay Kemp. John Dennis/NXTHVN Photo.

African American and African Diaspora Studies Department at Columbia University. At the time, the position was a completely new undertaking that followed the department’s creation in December 2018.

During her time there, Brooks spearheaded a series of conversations with and among Black artists, including the composer and pianist Jason Moran, writer​​ Ayana Mathis, and Haitian-American novelist Edwidge Danticat. She is also no

closely with the artists and curators in NXTHVN’s fellowship and high school apprenticeship programs and members of the Dixwell neighborhood and wider New Haven community. The second has been a point of contention for the organization, which in 2018 received a warm welcome from some in the community, and was criticized by others as a gentrifying force (a concern that Kaphar has addressed many times over, from his choice to invest in Dixwell to the site as an example of adaptive reuse).

“For me as a curator and art historian, I have always wanted to work as closely with artists as possible,” Brooks said.

“And so my work at NXTHVN allows me to do that. Making the transition from Columbia to NXTHVN also allowed me to think about the ways in which I can expand the conversation.”

Working closely with her, both McCraven and Kemp said they look forward to getting the word out about NXTHVN— and getting members of the public through Dr. Kalia Brooks, who has been named NXTHits doors—as they continue to work with VN’s director of programs and exhibitions. John the fellows and high school apprentices Dennis/NXTHVN Photo. who fill its halls, studios and gallery spacstranger to NXTHVN, with which she has es. Each year, NXTHVN accepts seven worked on a consulting basis since 2018. artists and two emerging curators into its In the first year of the pandemic, she was year-long fellowship program, a workthe curatorial advisor on Material Intima- live residency that brings them into New cies, curated by fellows Michelle Phương Haven. In 2020, the spectre of Covid-19 Ting and Claire Kim in October 2020. hung over fellows’ first exhibition in the Last fall, she and McCraven curated​​​​ space, which closed days after an openChristian Curiel: Between Reveries in the ing reception for Countermythologies on March 7. space’s main gallery.

Now, she said, she’s ready to work

Freddy Fixer Parade Called Off; City Promises To Help Revive It

by PAUL BASS

New Haven Independent

The Freddy Fixer Parade, one of the city’s premier Black community events, won’t take place this year, its board announced.

The city responded by offering to help keep the tradition going.

The word of the cancelation came Monday in a release from the Elm City Freddy Fixer Parade Committee (ECFFPC).

The release stated that the committee lacks the money to reimburse the city for police costs and other costs associate with the parade, which would have taken place June 5.

The release cited an amendment to an ordinance laying out rules for recovering expenses for public events.

“In previous years, the ECFFPC was permitted to negotiate with the City of New Haven an agreed upon percentage payment of the estimated $65,000 in police overtime cost. Regrettably, we had not anticipated that this mutual tradition of stake holder’s support would end for this ‘free to the public’ event. Essentially, in addi-

tion to police overtime expenses, the total cost of this parade exceeds $100,000, an amount far beyond our volunteers’ fundraising capabilities during the coronavirus pandemic,” the release stated.

City Chief Administrative Officer Regina Rush-Kittle said that the release caught her by surprise, and that her office is interested in working with the committee to make the parade possible.

She said the parade committee submitted an electronic request for a parade permit, then withdrew it.

“The parade has a long and storied history in the city. It’s a fabric of our community,” Rush-Little said. “We’re happy to work with them and determine what we can do to assist them” to make the parade happen.

ECFFPC Board of Directors member Petisia Adger said the committee withdrew the application because of the new rules governing the process for reimbursing the city for event costs, a process that includes the city taking committees to court to recover fees if they’re not paid within

60 days or if the committees fail to receive approval for “indigency” breaks.

The city’s tab for events has been the subject of public debate since 2010, when organizations were required to start reimbursing police costs. City officials clarified the protocols in 2019 in a working group with city alders. Read the ordinance here.

“No one has contacted us and said, ‘Come in and negotiate,” Adger said. She said her organization didn’t contact city government about the parade, and the city government didn’t contact the organization.

Adger said she’s eager to talk to the city and try to get the parade going after all.

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the other major event of its kind in the city, is resuming next month after a pandemic hiatus.

Bernadette LaFrance, that parade’s executive director, said her organization is just getting acquainted with the new rules.

“Nobody knows what the bills are going to be until after the event takes place,” she said.

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... fez-topped members of the Arabic Temple #40 at the 2019 Freddy.

Mayor Will Partially Lift Mask Mandate THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 02, 2022 - March 08, 2022

by STAFF

New Haven Independent

New Haveners can see each other smile inside a store or office again without breaking the law starting on March 7, as city officials announced an upcoming partial end to an indoor mask mandate.

Mayor Justin Elicker and Health Director Maritza Bond made the announcement at a Friday afternoon press conference.

Starting a week from Monday, people inside stores, restaurants, gyms, and other non-government public spaces will no longer be required to mask up.

The requirement will remain in place in schools and in municipal government buildings.

The state is no longer requiring students and staffers to mask up in schools as of this coming Monday; it is leaving the decision to municipalities. Elicker said that lower vaccination rates, along with the presence of medically vulnerable people, informed his decision to maintain the mask mandate in schools. Only 31 percent of 5 to 11-year-old students have

received a first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, according to Elicker; 62 percent of 12-to-17 year-old students have received a first dose (with 55 percent receiving a second dose).

In non-government public spaces, “people can choose to go in or not go in,” Elicker observed, whereas students and teachers and people with business in city government offices may have less leeway.

The announcement coincided with a sharp drop in New Haven Covid-19 cases after a surge fueled by the Omicron variant. New Haven is seeing about 12 cases a day per 100,000 citizens, down 96 percent from the height of the Omicron surge, Bond reported.

The announcement came one day after Hamden also partially rescinded its Covid-19 mask mandate. States and cities across the nation have been relaxing mandates as part of a pivot to seeing Covid-19 as “endemic” rather than “pandemic,” a long-term disease that society will learn to live with rather than seek to eradicate.

And the New Haven announcement came

on the same afternoon the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued new guidance for local officials to consider in issuing pandemic-related mandates. The new guidance relies more heavily than before on hospitalization rates, which have plunged in New Haven and nationwide. It seeks to move society to a “new normal.” The number of hospitalized Covid-19 patients in New Haven County (including Waterbury and Milford) fell to 65 on Friday, the governor’s office announced; that number includes patients who are either unvaccinated or who happened to test positive for the coronavirus but came to the hospital for other reasons.

Elicker was asked why the partial lifting of the mandate begins March 7, rather than sooner. For two reasons, he said: The city wants to monitor the data to make sure it keeps “moving in the right direction.” And the CDC’s new guidance was release at 3 p.m. Friday; officials want to take an in-depth look at it.

MAYA MCFADDEN PHOTO Maritza Bond: Numbers look good.

Mutual Aid Mission Catches Fire

by NORA GRACE-FLOOD New Haven Independent

Mariam Andino Pagán doesn’t earn enough money working at the Clarion Hotel to afford a place to sleep at night — but she did find clothing and supplies in the basement Wednesday, as a community rescue mission that began with a local fire expanded to more people in need.

The rescue mission is in response to a Feb. 14 fire that destroyed a 22-unit apartment complex on 42 Warner St. in Hamden. Donations from around the Northeast flooded the town’s Keefe Community Center to support over 60 tenants who were displaced from their homes. The damage to the building was so severe that the complex will have to be demolished, meaning residents lost all of their belongings, from beloved pets to family heirlooms to everyday essentials. (On Wednesday, Fire Marshal Brian Dolan reported that an inspection revealed that “the fire started in the pantry closet of Unit B12. Inside the small closet was a mini freezer. The mini freezer was plugged into an extension cord that was plugged into a wall outlet inside the closet. The mini freezer was the only item plugged into the outlet. No other sources of ignition were noted in the closet.)

People from around Connecticut — and neighboring states — were so affected by stories of those without homes to return to that the town is now overwhelmed with goods to give away. Through this Saturday, volunteers are distributing those

Clothing drive volunteers, including Mother Jean Carr of Pitts Chapel Unified Free Will in New Haven, help organize donations.

items not just to burned out tenants, but to countless others facing homelessness this February.

Keefe Center Clerk AnnMarie Karavas reported that all of the Warner Street residents — the vast majority of whom are being put up at the Clarion Hotel for the next few weeks while they search for new apartments — came by Tuesday morning to find basics to keep themselves clothed, warm, and occupied for the foreseeable future. They had over 1,000 garbage bags

of goods to choose from.

On Wednesday, Keefe leadership opened up the event to the general public, determining that there was enough for anyone in need to come by and fill up a bag or two.

The beneficiaries included workers from the Clarion itself.

Mariam Andino Pagán, who has been experiencing homelessness since she moved by herself from Puerto Rico to Connecticut seven months ago, took a break from

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scrubbing hotel suites Wednesday morning to browse the basement, where supplies are stored.

“I work here, but I don’t got nothing,” Pagán told the Independent.

“I didn’t have anything warm today,” Pagán said, picking out a fluffy down jacket to seal in heat not offered by her thin sweater. “God is good.”

Though tenants have been staying in the hotel, Pagán has been sleeping in parks around town at night while cleaning the Clarion during the day. Sometimes, she said, “Peoples that I’ve met in the park” let her into their homes to rest.

On Wednesday, she went back to work with a coat — and a coloring book and set of markers. “That’s for therapy,” she said. “I need therapy,” she continued, before collapsing into a volunteer’s arms for a hug and a cry.

“I left Puerto Rico,” she said, “because I was tired of the gunshots … and to find someone to take care of me.” She added that, at least this week, she felt she had found that sense of safety.

On the other side of the aisle, Lisa Albert of Wallingford was packing a sack of games for her 9‑year-old grandson and folding pairs of scrubs to give to her certified nurse assistant friend without a car or free-time to find fresh uniforms for work.

Albert is dependent on donations as well as a volunteer who distributes free goods to others without food, clothes or shelter.

The past year has been especially hard on Albert. On March 18, her mother passed

away. She and her boyfriend have been able to continue living in her mom’s home, along with her grandson, who she has custody of, thanks to various Covid-19 programs that helped her pay her mother’s mortgage.

She said she fears she will soon be “facing homelessness.” In July, she had to get hip replacement surgery and was written out of her job at a group home until January. However, in December she started up another job in an Amazon warehouse, running up and down stairs 12 hours a day on her new hip.

“Girl, I quit the gym,” she said. She also got Covid-19, she noted, for the first time three days into the job, despite being vaccinated and boosted.

She found out about the Hamden clothing drive on the Facebook page “Free Stuff CT.” She left with a garbage bag and shopping cart full of things for her family and friends, like a kitchen science kit for her grandson and a hoop tossing game for outdoor holidays.

Her grandson, she said, “is growing like a weed,” and her body has changed as well since the hip surgery. “We’ve been wearing whatever we’ve got,” she said — now, she hopes they will all have better fitting clothes.

Despite a year of incredible loss, Albert said she is still “blessed with a car,” the one thing that allows her to continue to do her own volunteer work, driving from Meriden to Hamden to Waterbury to Con’t on page 15

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 02, 2022 - March 08, 2022

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 02, 2022 - March 08, 2022

McCaw to Leave Lamont Administration for East Hartford Job

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File photo of Office of Policy and Management Secretary Melissa McCaw

Gov. Ned Lamont announced Friday the departure of his budget director, Melissa McCaw, an apparent casualty of an expanding scandal involving state construction contracts and a federal investigation into a former deputy secretary in her office.

McCaw, the first Black woman to serve as secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, has not been implicated in the steady drip of news that has centered on her former deputy, Kosta Diamantis, who was fired in October as the FBI began investigating his management of state contracts, including those related to school projects.

The governor appeared without McCaw at a state Capitol press conference to announce the news. He praised her work on the state budget and said that she has accepted a position as finance director for the city of East Hartford. Lamont said McCaw informed him of her decision to leave the administration when he met with her at the governor’s residence Thursday.

“I wasn’t shocked,” Lamont said. “There’s a lot of back and forth going on right now. It’s distracting. She wants to get through OPM, get through this budget cycle, probably figured a fresh start over at East Hartford made sense for her, made sense for OPM right now.”

Jeff Beckham, undersecretary of legislative affairs, will serve as the interim head of the budget office until a permanent replacement can be appointed, Lamont said.

McCaw’s exit was not unexpected. News reports have described tensions between McCaw and other members of the Lamont administration. According to the CT Mirror, Diamantis has alleged that members of the administration, including Paul Mounds and Josh Geballe, the governor’s chief of staff and former chief operating officer, have disrespected McCaw during her tenure.

McCaw has not denied the claim and seemed to confirm tensions earlier this month when she began a press briefing on the state budget by reading reporters a cryptic statement.

“I want to say that as Black woman and the first woman of color to hold the position of OPM secretary, it is not easy to work professionally at this high a level in a field that has been dominated by white males. And while I cannot say the same for everyone in this administration, I want you to know that Governor Lamont and I have always had a strong, close working relationship based on mutual trust and mutual respect,” McCaw said.

Lamont shrugged off a question Friday on whether McCaw had informed him of difficulties with his other advisors.

“It’s a lot of pushing and shoving. It’s a tough job,”

he said. “You’ve got legislators, you’ve got commissioners, everybody wants a piece. It was not an easy three years and she got the job done.”

McCaw was one of Lamont’s first appointments after he was elected in 2018 and has worked as a budget official both in and out of the government sector, including posts at the University of Hartford and the city of Hartford.

Traditionally considered one of the most influential posts in state government, Lamont siphoned some responsibility away from the OPM secretary when he created the state chief operating officer position.

That post was first held by Mounds, and later by Geballe, who was also the commissioner of the Department of Administrative Services. Mounds eventually took on the chief of staff role. Geballe, meanwhile, is also leaving state service to take a job at Yale, and while Lamont has appointed a successor to lead the Administrative Services Department, the future of the chief operating officer position was uncertain earlier this month.

The Lamont administration also oversaw the school construction program’s shift from the Department of Administrative Services, where it had historically been located, to OPM. Members of the legislature objected to the change and the administration moved the program back to DAS after Diamantis’ departure.

However, the governor was asked during the press conference to explain the initial reasoning for the move. He said the program came along with Diamantis. “[McCaw] needed a deputy. She asked for Kosta to come over. Kosta had been doing the school construction so I guess mid-construction, they figured it was better to transition that over,” Lamont said.

McCaw is not the first official whose proximity to Diamantis has attended an early exit from state government. Chief State’s Attorney Richard J. Colangelo Jr. announced his retirement earlier this month as the Criminal Justice Commission considered removing him for his decision to hire Diamantis’ daughter while pressing OPM for raises for himself and other state’s attorneys.

Republicans responded to Friday’s news of McCaw’s departure by calling for more accountability from the governor. The minority leaders of both chambers of the legislature issued statements renewing their calls for legislative hearings on the school construction program. Bob Stefanowski, Lamont’s likely opponent in this year’s race for governor, agreed.

“Setting a culture of accountability and holding your appointees responsible for their actions is critical to good governance,” Stefanowski said.

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Crisis Response Rollout Delayed THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 02, 2022 - March 08, 2022

by THOMAS BREEN

New Haven Independent

The start date for a pilot program of the Elicker Administration’s non-cop emergency response initiative has been pushed back yet again — as the city looks to sign on a subcontractor to train, employ, and supervise social workers and mentalhealth professionals to respond to certain 911 calls.

That’s the latest with the Elicker Administration’s long-in-the-works — and repeatedly delayed — plans for changing up how the city responds to some emergency calls related to homelessness, substance abuse, and mental health issues.

Mayor Justin Elicker and city Community Services Administrator Mehul Dalal first announced plans for that program — dubbed the “community crisis response team” — in August 2020, a response to “Black Lives Matter” protests calling for changes in policing.

In August 2020, the mayor and Dalal estimated the pilot would begin in mid2021. In May 2021, they said the pilot should start in the fall of 2021. In August 2021, they said the pilot would begin in January 2022. In January, inaugural Department of Community Resilience Director Carlos Sosa-Lombardo said the pilot would launch in the “first quarter” of this year.

Now the estimated pilot start date has been pushed back yet again.

Asked for an update on Friday, Elicker and Dalal told the Independent that the mobile crisis team plans have hit a few speed bumps as of late.

Latest guess for when the pilot might roll out? In a few months.

A subcontractor that had previously

agreed to provide specially trained workers for the program backed out during budget negotiations after learning about the extent of liability and supervision the project entails.

Dalal said the city and the project’s main contractor and “programmatic lead,” the Connecticut Mental Health Center (CMHC), have found a new subcontractor for the initiative. The city is currently in “late-stage budget negotiations” with this new potential subcontractor, he said.

After that contract is signed, the subcontractor will need to hire and train staff and procure the necessary vehicles for the program.

Only after all that is done can a sixmonth, on-the-ground pilot program begin to help the city figure out if this crisis response team is worth holding on to for the long run.

Without giving a specific start date, Dalal said the pilot will likely not begin for a few months.

“We’re trying to get this started as fast as we can,” he said. He said the city has to balance the urgency of the need for a program like this, with the importance of setting up a program that is effective and sustainable.

Other cities like Denver and Portland took up to three years to get their similar crisis response teams off the ground, he claimed.

“There’s still a point to do this,” Dalal said, even if it’s taken longer than expected.

The newly announced delay comes 18 months after the Elicker Administration first proposed the crisis response team program in August 2020 in the midst of that year’s mass protests against police

Dalal: Take time to do it right.

brutality. In October of that year, the alders voted to transfer $100,000 to fund a planning study for the nascent policealternative initiative. The city then held press conferences about the project throughout 2021, before hosting a town hall at Hillhouse High School in October.

That town hall wrapped up a months-long effort of gathering community input on what New Haveners think of this planned emergency first response team transformation. In January of this year, Elicker tapped Sosa-Lombardo to be the inaugu-

ral director of the city’s new Department of Community Resilience, which will oversee the community crisis response team rollout.

All the while, the expected start date of the pilot has been pushed back and back and back, as it has been again.

Elicker also told the Independent on Friday that, even with these delays, the crisis response team is worth pursuing, and worth taking time to get right.

“We currently don’t have a good tool to address many of the challenges that

consistently come up in the community around substance use disorder and mental health,” he said. “We regularly get community members who are concerned because there are individuals that are disruptive or struggling with issues, and the police response is just not appropriate.”

“We don’t have the right solution,” he continued. “I think it’s very, very important that we have this solution.”

He pointed back to the city’s adoption of the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program under the previous mayoral administration. That program was developed in Seattle, he said, and wound up not being a good fit in New Haven before Elicker’s administration ended the pilot soon after he took office in January 2020. One of the reasons that program didn’t work, he said, was that the city “didn’t spend enough time talking to community partners, building consensus” around what the program can and should achieve.

The mayor was asked about how this project appears to be delayed not just because of extended community input, but also problems hiring contractors and subcontractors to work it. Elicker responded that the delays have indeed arisen from both deliberate planning and unexpected staffing problems.

Asked for when he would like to see the pilot begin, Elicker replied, “I would like to have seen this start yesterday.”

Asked for a date in the future when he expected to see the pilot begin, he replied, “I don’t want to give you a date,” and deferred to Dalal’s estimate that the pilot should begin in a few months.

Congressional Medal In Sight For Constance Baker Motley DeLauro reported that she is in the process of gathering co-sponsors for the bill.

The speaker line-up Tuesday included Mayor Justin Elicker, Greater New Haven NAACP President Dori Dumas, Dixwell Alder Jeannette Morrison, New Haven Probate Court Judge Clifton Graves Jr., Campaign School at Yale Executive Director Patti Russo, and Gary Ford Jr., author of the biography Constance Baker Motley: One Woman’s Fight for Civil Rights and Equal Justice Under Law. Speakers noted how as a child growing in Dixwell, Baker Motley attended the Q house and graduated from Hillhouse High School.

“As we celebrate Black History Month this year, a Congressional gold medal is a fitting award for a woman who broke so many barriers,” DeLauro said.

Dumas spoke on her respect for Baker Motley as a fellow Hillhouse alum, New Haven native, and member of Alpha Kap-

by MAYA MCFADDEN New Haven Independent

The late New Haven born civil rights leader and federal judge Constance Baker Motley will get her due, if U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro succeeds in a mission in Washington.

DeLauro recently introduced the Congressional Tribute to Constance Baker Motley Act of 2022. If passed, the legislation will recognize Judge Constance Baker Motley by awarding her a Congressional Gold Medal.

The late Baker Motley, who would have turned 100 last year, won nine out of 10 cases she argued before the U.S. Supreme Court and was the first Black female federal judge. She was celebrated Tuesday in the neighborhood where she grew up.

Neighbors, city leaders, and admirers of Baker Motley joined at the Dixwell Q House to highlight the pending legislation.

MAYA MCFADDEN PHOTO Local leaders at Tuesday's celebration.

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pa Alpha Sorority, Inc. “Constance Baker Motley spent her life making the law respectable for all people,” Graves said.

During Tuesday’s “Word on the Street” segment of WNHH FM’s “LoveBabz Love Talk” radio program the word on the street was a New Haven that currently “stands on the shoulders of Constance Baker Motley” according to Morrison.

“She’s a kid from Dixwell just like I’m a kid from Newhallville,” Morrison said.

Morrison described the Q House as a “training ground” offering the community with opportunity and knowledge to be successful.

“This building is something that allows many many more judge Motley’s to be in the future,” Elicker said.

Morrison said once the bill passes, she hopes to add a replica of the Congressional Gold Medal at the Q House.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 02, 2022 - March 08, 2022

Early Childhood Centers Warn Of “Collapse”

by LAURA GLESBY

New Haven Independent

Early childhood centers are warning of a crisis that could lead to mass closures and skyrocketing fees, if the government doesn’t act soon.

Advocates and educators rallied to testify before the state legislature’s Public Health and Children’s committees all day on Friday, urging the passage of a “concept bill” that calls for more funding for early childhood centers and affiliated behavioral health care resources for young children. While the proposal (Senate Bill 2) did not specify any amount of funding, childcare workers and activists called for an investment of $700 million into the industry.

In a recent poll of more than 300 childcare centers, the Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance found that 62 percent are operating with a deficit, according to the organization’s executive director, Merrill Gay. Staffing shortages have affected an overwhelming majority of the state’s childcare centers, Gay said, with 89 percent reporting that they have struggled to hire within the last six months; 80 percent reporting that they are currently shortstaffed; and 57 percent reporting that they have closed at least one classroom as a result.

Angela Russell, a home daycare provider and parent based in New Haven, emphasized the emotional toll of the childcare

industry’s precarity. Ahead of her testimony, “I became flooded with memories of how difficult and stressful it was for me as a parent who wanted those caring for my children to be cared for,” she said. That stress carried through her role “as a provider: how I could best meet the holistic needs, spiritual, mental, emotional, social, and physical, of every child.”

This testimony arrived on the heels of Gov. Ned Lamont’s recent budget proposal, which critics said would not allocate enough funding for childcare and preschool centers facing existential financial instability.

Lamont has allocated $10.8 million of the state government’s American Rescue Plan funds — 0.4 percent — toward early childhood in FY 2022, and none in FY 2023, 2024, or 2025, according to Lauren Ruth, the research and policy director at CT Voices For Children. And that funding is “time limited,” Ruth noted, not a longterm investment.

“The anger is palpable in the childcare community,” said Georgia Goldburn, who runs the Hope For New Haven child development center in Wooster Square and co-leads the childcare advocacy organization Cercle.

“We are absolutely stunned and appalled at the governor’s glaring oversight of an industry that, we have communicated in no uncertain terms to the governor, is teetering on the brink of collapse.”

EMILY HAYS PHOTO Georgia Goldburn: "Stunned and appalled" at governor's budget.

Hope For New Haven already has a long waitlist, Goldburn said. “Every day we get phone calls for children who need childcare.”

As Gay put it, “The childcare industry is collapsing.”

High-quality early childhood education has widely demonstrated impacts on children’s long-term success, including emotional and mental health. A contracted childcare system would affect children’s development across the state, as well as the educators who depend on the industry

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for their livelihoods and the parents who rely on childcare in order to work.

A childcare crisis would especially affect income-burdened families, Ruth explained. “When [childcare centers are] not receiving adequate funding through the state, those costs are shifted to families, which means that there will be some families that can shoulder the costs and there will be other families that can’t,” Ruth said.

Parents who can’t bear those additional costs may need to either choose a less-

than-ideal childcare facility for their children — one that isn’t licensed, or that’s far from their home — or drop out of the workforce altogether.

“It seems like the people that’s gonna get hit the worst is going to be our community,” said activist Shirley Lawrence at the Newhallville Community Management Team meeting this past Tuesday, where Goldburn raised alarm about the crisis.

Pandemic Exacerbates Long-Brewing Problem During the pandemic, early educators’ health risks and burnout rates have amplified — but the strains on the childcare system began long before Covid-19, advocates said. The early childhood sector is notorious for its low pay.

Over the last two decades, the state has made an effort to professionalize the field through more stringent accreditation standards. Now, many childcare workers and early educators are required to obtain an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, while compensation has remained at the minimum wage for entry-level workers. “More likely than not, they’re earning minimum wage, and they are doing this minimum wage job without any benefits,” Goldburn observed. “Many of them are accessing benefits from the state because their income is so low.”

In Connecticut, childcare workers earn an average of $26,800, and preschool Con’t on page 09

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 02, 2022 - March 08, 2022

West Haven Celebrates Black History

Photographs by: Michael P. Walsh West Haven African-American Citizen of the Year the Reverend E. Carl Howard, second from left, is joined by his wife Belinda Howard, third from left, as he receives citations from Mayor Nancy R. Rossi and West Haven Black Heritage Committee Chairman Commissioner Steven R. Mullins during the 26th annual Black Heritage Celebration at West Haven City Hall on Wednesday, February 23rd. Howard is the senior Pastor of the First Congregational Church of West Haven.

By Michael P. Walsh - City of West Haven Public Information Officer

SNOWY DAY | NEW WORLD Friday, March 18 | 7:30pm Lyman Center for the Performing Arts Southern CT State University New Haven Symphony Orchestra Alasdair Neale, music director Flora Hawk, soprano Lianna Wimberly Williams, soprano Korin Thomas-Smith, baritone Dvorak Symphony No. 9, “From the New World” Simerson The Fallen Ravel Mother Goose Suite Excerpts from The Snowy Day Music by NHSO Composer-inResidence Joel Thompson Inspired by the children’s book by Ezra Jack Keats All audience members will wear masks & present proof of vaccination or neg. Covid test (administered less than 48 hours prior).

Learn more at NewHavenSymphony.org.

For Tickets: (203) 787-4282 NewHavenSymphony.org 8

The City paid homage to the inspiring legacy of African-Americans and the pioneering contributions they have made to shaping the promise and greatness of America at the 26th Annual Black Heritage Celebration on Wednesday, Feb. 23rd.

During the City Hall cultural event in observance of Black History Month, the West Haven Black Heritage Committee cited West Haven High School juniors Randy Alston Brown and Ayannah Obas for leadership and honored the Reverend E. Carl Howard as its African-American Citizen of the Year.

Howard, the senior pastor of the First Congregational Church of West Haven received a citation from Mayor Nancy R. Rossi for personifying “the best of West Haven.” He was joined onstage by his wife of 32 years, Belinda Howard.

Reading the citation, Rossi said, “Your daring spirit and inspiring good works have made West Haven a better place, and the people of our city and your congregation are grateful for your spiritual leadership and support.”

Howard is the first African-American pastor in First Church’s 302 year history. He previously served as the church’s supply and bridge pastor.

He is a graduate of the Yale Divinity School and has earned several master’s degrees from the Liberty University Baptist Theological Seminary.

Howard was born and raised in Stamford and has lived in West Haven for more than three decades.

Howard also received a General Assembly citation from West Haven State Representatives Charles J. Ferraro, (R-117) Dorinda Borer, (D-115), and Trenee’ McGee, (D116).

The hour-plus program, held in the Harriet C. North Community Room, included an awards presentation by Rossi and committee Chairman Planning & Zoning Commissioner Steven R. Mullins, the master of ceremonies.

A powerful rendition of te Black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was sung by Stephanie Townsend and the opening and closing prayers were given by committee member and Police Commissioner Christopher Suggs.

The ceremony also included a spirited rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” sung

by the standing room only assembly of dignitaries, family, friends and residents.

Brown and Obas, who excel in academics and sports, received a Black Heritage Committee Certificate of Achievement and a $100.00 Barnes and Noble gift card from Mullins on behalf of the committee.

Brown is a point guard for West Haven High School’s basketball team and a video game enthusiast. Obas is a member of the school’s indoor and outdoor track teams, is President of the Junior Class Council and a member of the student government.

The program featured remarks by Rossi, Mullins, keynote speaker the Reverend Denya C. McGee, as well as remarks by Vertical Church Pastor Ken Vance and retired House of Jacob Church pastor Bishop Harold Golston lauding their good friend and peer Howard.

Mullins read off a litany of good works performed by Howard throughout West Haven in and out of the Congregational Church . “Pastor Howard has certainly demonstrated that being the church is a lot more than what is contained within four walls.” Mullins said.

Rossi thanked the committee “for your commitment to continuing a celebration of West Haven’s Black community and the honorees today.”

“Your commitment to this event, even when facing the hardships of COVID-19 as presented, is greatly appreciated by all in the West Haven community.” the mayor said.

McGee, the pastor of Abba’s House International Fellowship in North Branford, focused her remarks on the many trailblazing African-Americans who have preserved their culture’s values while enriching all aspects of life in the United States. “It is an honor to celebrate our rich heritage.” she said.

McGee concluded her remarks by empowering the all ages crowd to fight racial injustice and inequality, saying, “We are stronger together!”

In honor of the month long Black History celebration, organizers have decorated the walls of City Hall with banners and posters depicting important Black leaders and role modes worldwide.

The committee has worked since 1996 to promote racial harmony across West Haven, transforming City Hall into an exhibition of African-American art and literature throughout Black History Month to educate residents about Black culture.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 02, 2022 - March 08, 2022

Con’t from page

The Fair-Skinned Black Actress Who Refused to 'Pass' in 1930s Hollywood

Early Childhood Fredi Washington embraced her race at the height of Jim Crow

teachers earn an average of $40,150, according to the U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services’ Office of Childcare. In 2020, the Associated Press reported that across the country, Black early educators earn $0.78 for every dollar that white early educators make.

“It’s a lot more lucrative to teach kindergarten than to teach preschool,” Ruth said. Many early educators undergo the training to work with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, and then move on to elementary school positions because of the higher compensation.

While minimum wage has risen over the years, funding for childcare centers which are frequently small businesses has lagged. Gay noted that school readiness programs last received a funding boost in 2015, when the minimum wage was $9.50 per hour. Now, the minimum wage is $13 and rising. (Several advocates stressed that the rising wages were much needed, but that early care centers lacked commensurate funding.)

Meanwhile, wages have spiked during the pandemic as larger corporations like Amazon, McDonald’s, and Target have tried to attract more employees — leaving early childhood centers struggling to compete. An added pandemic layer is the fact that children under 5 still do not qualify for Covid-19 vaccinations, heightening the risk and stress for early care workers.

Goldburn said she has struggled to convince educational institutions to keep early childhood training programs open because of the low demand. “There is no pipeline at all,” she said.

At Friday’s public hearing, a bipartisan group of state legislators expressed support for expanding childcare and mental health resources for children.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt about the legislation you’ll be hearing about today is perhaps one of the most important things we can do as legislators,” said Westport State Rep. Jonathan Steinberg in opening remarks.

Eva Bermúdez Zimmerman, the director of childcare and organizing at CSEA SEIU Local 2001, told state legislators that the instability of the industry has taken an “emotional toll” on everyone connected to early care: “the stress on the parent who can’t provide [tuition], the stress on the provider who can’t afford having a child attend for free, the stress on the assistant who’s making minimum wage.”

The bill does not pinpoint specific amounts to allocate toward childcare and early childhood behavioral health, but several advocates called for the state to provide $700 million of funding to the industry.

Angela Russell, the Whalley Avenuebased home provider who testified in the company of pastel bird and elephant decals on the wall behind her, was one of those advocates. “The struggle to provide the best version of a well-resourced system will continue without the necessary investments,” said Russell, who is a former city alder.

Erin Blakemore Updated: Jan 26, 2021 Original: Sep 6, 2018

When Duke Ellington and his band toured the segregated South in the early 1930s, they encountered racism wherever they went. A gorgeous Black performer also traveled with the band— Frederika “Fredi” Washington. Lithe and light-skinned, she was pale enough to “pass” as white in the color-obsessed South, and during the tour she took advantage of her skin color to slip into whites-only ice cream parlors and buy ice cream for the entire band.

Washington may have used her skin color to procure cool treats on the road, but she refused to use it for economic or social gain. During a time of harsh segregation and overwhelming bias against African Americans, she embraced her heritage. And while other actresses of Hollywood’s Golden Age like Merle Oberon (who was Anglo-Indian) and Rita Hayworth (who was Spanish-American) hid their features as the price of admission to white Hollywood, Washington refused to hide behind her light skin.

Born in Savannah, Georgia, Washington moved to Harlem along with her family during the Great Migration, when Black families fled the Jim Crow South in search of new opportunities in Northern cities. The daughter of a postal worker and a dancer, Washington had green eyes and light skin that belied the era’s common expectations of what an African-American “looked like.”

Washington knew that regardless of her looks, the era’s construction of Black race as belonging to anyone who had even a drop of Black heritage meant she would always be considered AfricanAmerican by white audiences…unless she simply “passed” as white.

Racial “passing” allowed Black Americans to sidestep racism faced by Black people and claim the privilege of whiteness in public spaces. The practice, writes historian Robert Fikes, Jr., was “seen by many African Americans as a way of outwitting the system of oppression and making laughable fools of those who countenanced notions of white racial purity and supremacy.” But it also alienated people from others of their culture. A Black woman who passed might be considered white, but she ran the constant risk of losing her privilege once it was discovered she was really Black—and of being shunned by Black people once they learned she was claiming whiteness.

Instead of turning her back on her race, Washington reveled in it. She immersed herself in the growing Harlem Renaissance, during which her neighborhood turned into a cultural oasis and a hotbed of African-Americans artistic production. Already a talented singer and

Photo credits: Fredi Washington, 1937.

John D. Kisch/Separate Cinema Archive/Getty Images

A scene from the 1934 film “Imitation of Life,” featuring Louise Beavers and Fredi Washington.

Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

dancer, she became a chorus girl, then an actress, traveling to Europe and starring in stage productions in New York. She also performed with Duke Ellington’s band and had an affair with the married musician.

At the time, Black actors had few opportunities in Hollywood. The majority of Black people on film could be seen only in “race films” designed for allBlack audiences. Those who did break in to movies for white audiences were relegated to subservient or stereotypical roles.

But Washington broke through that barrier in Imitation of Life—ironically, in a film that explored the practice of “passing” that she had declined to adopt in her own life. In 1934, she played the role of Peola, the daughter of a Black housekeeper (Louise Beavers) whose life is closely intertwined with that of a white widow and her daughter. Peola turns her back on her mother, who dies a dramatic death brought on by her life of self-abnegation and sorrow over her daughter’s betrayal.

The movie, which starred Claudette Colbert as the white friend, dealt frankly with interracial identity, passing, and the similarities and differences between

9

Black and white women—themes that had never been thoroughly explored in mainstream Hollywood. And, unlike all films for white audiences that came before it, it essentially treated the stories of its Black and white characters as equally important.

This was enormously significant to Black audiences, who saw Peola’s struggle to accept herself as a poignant cry for equality. As historian Anna Everett writes, white audiences saw Peola’s story as a Black person’s struggle to be white; Black audiences, on the other hand, saw it as the rebellion of a Black woman trying to gain the privileges only given to white people.

The film—and Washington—became an enormous hit within the Black community, in part because of how it was marketed. As historian Miriam J. Petty writes in Stealing the Show: African American Performers and Audiences in 1930s Hollywood, both Washington and Beavers were heavily featured in an unprecedented special trailer that ran in segregated movie houses. By acknowledging Black audiences—even to sell them something—Universal gave an implicit nod to a group of people who were not used to seeing any kind of rep-

resentation on film, much less an emotional exploration of racial politics and “passing.”

“Black moviegoers watched, claimed, and interpreted these African Americans in ways that made the most of Imitation’s resonance with critical currents and tensions circulating within Black communities at the time,” Petty writes.

Ironically, though, Washington’s breakthrough role cut short her acting career. She became so identified with Peola that it was hard for her to get other roles. Since white Hollywood refused to cast Black women in romantic roles, she couldn’t get leading roles; since her skin was so light many identified her as white, she couldn’t get more stereotypical roles as maids. She made her last movie appearance just three years after Imitation of Life.

Her career wasn’t done yet, though. In 1937, Washington helped found what would become the Negro Actors Guild of America, a group that advocated for less stereotypical roles and better working conditions for Black actors. She also became a drama critic, writing theatrical reviews for African American newspapers, and served as a casting consultant for films and theatrical productions that concerned race.

“Early in my career,” she told the Chicago Defender in 1945, “it was suggested that I might get further by passing as French or something exotic. But to pass, for economic or other advantages, would have meant that I swallowed, whole hog, the idea of Black inferiority.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 02, 2022 - March 08, 2022

Local Ukrainians Dare To Be Optimistic 24-Year Old to Make History

By ALLAN APPEL

New Haven Independent

The first Sunday of the war in Ukraine saw prayer services at New Haven’s Ukrainian churches attracting hundreds of patriotic parishioners and supportive political leaders, all determined to see Ukraine remain a free, independent nation.

Ukrainians greeted each other with “Heroyam Slava” — “Glory to the Ukrainian fighters.” Then they prayed, shared heartrending stories of killed or endangered relatives, and found hope in the continuing fight against Russian invaders.

At the Sunday service at St. Mary’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church on quiet residential Fowler Street on the Westville/Amity border, parishioners trickled in greeting each other somberly with “Slova isysy hrustyoo,” or “Glory to Jesus.”

Kateryna Bodnar was one of the earliest arrivals. Gracious but clearly wracked by worry, she said her father had died on Tuesday. She is still not sure of the circumstances of the death. Family members came from various locations in Eastern Ukraine to the funeral in the small western city of Kolomyia and now can’t leave.

Her sister-in-law’s husband went to the front, telling the family, “I live in this country, and I will defend it.”

Her brother remains in Kharkiv, awakened by “shelling in the night,” she said.

She calls him constantly. “We hear something, see an explosion on the news, we call. ‘Are you OK?’ ‘We’re fine,’ he says.

Every hour we do this.”

Bodnar said in the end she is optimistic about the outcome but that it would come at a big cost. “There will be a lot of losses.”

The view was shared by her fellow parishioner Zoriana Dyka, a 20-year Connecticut resident, who drove down from Bloomfield. Her family members live a two-hour drive south of Kyiv. A brother lives near one of the airports that the Russians blew up, she said. He’s 59 years old.

He doesn’t plan to leave.

“We know God is on our side, our land, our children. Putin never realized that no one has ever told Ukrainians how to live.

Ukrainians are strong and brave. We will fight for each house, each centimeter,” Dyka said.

Meanwhile, at the early-morning English language service at St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church on George Street, Cynthia Rutt came in from Branford, she said, because she felt “a need to be with my people.”

An editorial director with relatives in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, she said she feels her heart and mind at war. On the one hand, she said, sending in U.S. or NATO troops on the ground to help is “out of the question. That would be another Vietnam.” But, she said, “the U.S. must keep up the pressure.”

Ukrainian-Americans from all over the area, with signs and flags, gathered after the service at St. Michael’s for an 11:30 a.m., post-prayer service press conference to be attended by Mayor Justin Elicker (who was with the congregation for the en-

THOMAS BREEN PHOTO Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who invited him to Tuesday night's State of the Union address.

tire service) along with U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, U.S. Rep Rosa De Lauro, and Gov. Ned Lamont.

Among them was Olena Stanislavskyy, a member of the Ukrainian-American Club of Southport. She greeted her friend Larysa Czerepacha Persano, who was attending with her two sign-carrying kids Nicholas and Zoryana.

Others gathered round as they were waiting for the pols exchanging hugs and “Slava Okraini,” or “Glory to Ukraine,” to which the response was “heroyam slava.”

“If we don’t stop Putin now,” said Stanislavskyy, “Ukraine will not be enough.”

“We are born Ukrainian,” Stanislavskyy stated. “We can’t help but be optimistic.”

Inside the church, Melvin Melnyk, who along with Carl Harvey had helped organize the event, shared that slowly growing feeling: “I was pessimistic, but they’ve been putting up a better than expected resistance, if they can only get more weapons.”

“What’s encouraging is the high morale in our fighting force,” Melnyk said.

As the crowd made their way from the sanctuary to the reception hall/gym to await the political figures, Bruce Marshall, associated with the church for three decades through his wife, showed this re-

porter a text his daughter received from a 27-year-old Ukrainian woman who was befriended by family members last year when she was a student in Connecticut: “Spending birthday in a bunker. If you want to give me a present, donate to the Ukrainian army. Details are here.”

“The human face of all this,” said Marshall, as the speeches began.

Blumenthal said to help keep up awareness he has invited Melnyk to be his guest at the upcoming State of the Union Address on Tuesday night.

Gov. Lamont, in a voice shaking with anger, echoed the call to boycott not just Russian vodka but Russian energy as well.

“You guys are really doing the pushing,” Lamont told the more than a hundred parishioners and activists who filled St. Michael’s hall. “We’re giving you support to push.”

U.S. Rep. DeLauro underlined that as of Sunday morning, Congress had already authorized $1 billion in aid to Ukraine.

“And I commit to you, as chair of appropriations, we will be there to sustain Ukraine to make this fight,” she said.

She concluded quoting Ukraine President Vlodomir Zelensky: “I am here, the fight is here, the weapons are our truth. Glory to Ukraine.”

Then the Congresswoman added, “God bless Ukraine and God bless the United States of America.”

Mayor Elicker said New Haveners and Americans should be prepared for sacrifices, like paying higher prices, in supporting Ukraine. If Putin is not stopped, he said, echoing others, the creeping aggression would continue threatening democracy as a principle around the world.

He said he found it shocking that only 67 percent of Americans approve of sanctions, in a recent poll: “It should be 100 percent.”

The Ukrainian flag will be raised on the New Haven Green, he added.

Melnyk said those wanting to make a contribution of humanitarian aid could contact a range of organizations but he’s suggesting the well established Philadelphiabased The United Ukrainian American Relief Committee, at uuarc.org.

As Young Black Female Pilot For Commercial Airlines

By BlackNews.com Nationwide — Miracle Izuchukwu, who is from New York City, will soon break barriers when she officially becomes part of the 1% of Black female pilots for major commercial airlines around the world.

Now 24-years old, she is currently in training to become a Commercial Airline Pilot and continues to inspire other people with her story.

Miracle, whose parents are Nigerian, says that she grew up in a very discouraging environment. She said her ambitions were often looked down on because of her gender, but she did not let it stop her from dreaming big.

She initially joined the aviation industry when she became a flight attendant with American Airlines. She had always wanted to become a pilot since when she first encountered one while she was still working as a customer service representative.

Excited, Miracle told her father about her plan but she said he told her that “if he gets on a plane and sees a woman as the pilot, he would get off the plane.”

Despite that, she believed that she will make it. She used that discouragement as fuel to keep her going. Indeed, she earned her Private Pilots License in 2021.

“Whoever it is praying for me, don’t stop, it’s working. I joined the elite group of 7% of females and 1% of black female pilots in the world. It’s an exhilarating, yet surreal feeling to introduce myself to the world as a Pilot,” Miracle wrote on her Instagram post.

Currently, she is in training to become a Commercial Airline pilot, and she shares tips about pilot training as well as encouraging stories about her journey on her social media pages.

Follow her on Instagram @pilot.mira

Meet the 11-Year Old Girl Who Asked President Biden for a Position on the Supreme Court

Maddi Morgan, an 11-year old girl from Washington, DC, says she wants to be the next Supreme Court Justice and she even wrote a letter to the White House asking President Biden to choose her for the role.

With Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement, Biden is reportedly looking to fill the vacant seat with a Black female, which would be the first-ever in the US. Maddi, a small girl with big dreams, is hoping that she will be considered.

“There aren’t really many requirements to be a part of the Supreme Court. You just have to be appointed by the president. So, I thought, why not? And I just shot my shot,” Maddi told CBS News.

Maddi said she started aspiring to be a

part of the American government when she learned about the topic in fourth grade.

And since then, she believes she could handle the tough job.

“Children don’t have a voice in this country,” she confidently said. “Give them a small one.”

Maddi’s parents said they are proud of their daughter’s passion and confidence.

Her father Tony said, “We were just amazed and delighted by her insight into what this country needs. The insight we need. Many voices to represent us. We’re just very proud and delighted by her wanting to do this.”

The White House confirmed it has received the letter. White House spokesman

10

Andrew Bates said, “While it’s clear that Maddi is very bright, gifted at making a case, and will go on to do great things, I cannot comment on the Supreme Court vetting process.”

Maddi said if she gets the role, it would be easy for her to commute since she lives a few blocks away from the Supreme Court. If she doesn’t get the role, Maddi said she still has other big dreams to help the country.

“I would definitely understand that President Biden does not want a child on the Supreme Court,” she said. “But I have always wanted to be an astrophysicist. I’ve always been quite interested in space and stuff.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 02, 2022 - March 08, 2022

A Baltimore all-female golf club’s fight for desegregation

By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer Report for America Corps Member

The Pitch and Putt Golf Club is the second oldest African-American female golf organization in the United States, and yet, many are unaware of its historical significance.

Originally a co-ed golf club known as the Pitch and Putters, it was born in Baltimore City in 1938 during the era of separate but equal. Eventually, the men split up from the women, joining the Monumental Golf Club and the Colonial Golf Club.

“At this time, during 1938, you can imagine just to think of women playing golf was incredible, but we were only allowed to play at Carroll Park,” said Stephanie Williams, president of Pitch and Putt Golf Club.

This admission was only granted in 1936 after the Monumental Golf Club challenged the city of Baltimore for years with a lawsuit and newspaper article campaigns to protest the segregation of golf courses.

Even when they gained access to the Carroll Park Golf Course, the women were only allowed to play on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They were also only able to practice their short game on sandy fairways

The organization was originally known as Pitch and Putters.

The second oldest African-American female gold organization in the United States was known as the Pitch and Putt Golf Club which originated in 1938.

Today, the organization consists of 33 members ranging from ages 30 to 80. (Photo Courtesy).

with little grass.

In 1942, an all-White jury determined that the substandard conditions of the course did not uphold the separate but equal doctrine, so Carroll Park was renovated. Once complete, it was known as the Negro golf course.

It was not until 1951, that all of the Bal-

timore City golf courses were open to all residents regardless of race.

Today, Pitch and Putt Golf Club has 33 members ranging in age from 30s to 80s. Carroll Park Golf Course still serves as a home base for the women, and they travel to golf courses in Maryland, D.C., Virginia and Pennsylvania semimonthly

from April to October.

In recent years, membership committee chair Brenda Goburn-Smith spearheaded a project to memorialize the efforts of the African-American golfers who fought to gain access to Baltimore City golf courses. The Pitch and Putt Golf Club raised over $12,000 for the undertaking.

On Feb. 1, just in time for Black history month, an exterior brick monument was unveiled at Carroll Park Golf Course to commemorate the golfers’ contribution to desegregation.

“We stand on the shoulders of the fierce women and men who persevered to make it through 84 years of existence,” said Williams. “This monument is a testament to the obstacles our founders endured to open access to this game we love for all of the citizens of Baltimore.”

Williams attributed the club’s enduring existence to the women’s love of the game. They constantly promote the sport and try to change people’s perspectives that it lacks excitement.

She hopes that Pitch and Putt Golf Club will continue to grow and continue to support scholarship funds for female students graduating from Baltimore City public schools.

“With perseverance, I think things can happen, as long as you stay focused on your end goal,” said Williams. “I think that’s why we were able to stand 84 years later as a striving club and able to give back to communities in hopes of bringing more young people into the game of golf.”

The post A Baltimore all-female golf club’s fight for desegregation appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers .

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 02, 2022 - March 08, 2022

Fla. House Passes ‘Individual Freedom’ Bill to Limit Black History

By Airielle Lowe, Howard University News Service

Florida’s “Individual Freedom” bill passed by a 74-41 vote today in the House of Representatives and is causing quite the controversy over its content, as it works its way through the state’s senate committees.

The basis of the bill seeks to prohibit talking about race, color, sex or national origin under the guise that it offends others or, in the case of the classroom, that it would persuade students to a particular point of view.” The emergence of such legislation would undoubtedly limit true discussion of Black history and has incited outrage.

The bill comes in the wake of the state’s ban on critical race theory and its equally controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which has been denounced by President Biden and serves to limit school discussions of gender identity and sexual orientation.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis backed both bills in addition to the Florida Board of Education’s ban last year of not only critical race theory, but also the “1619 Project.”

Florida’s move to limit what is taught in public schools is no different from what other states have done. However, these political decisions have greater social impact. Many of these states have Black populations and Black students who, because of these bans, may be unable to learn more of the already limited knowledge provided on their history.

“It’s part of an overall matrix — banning books and trying to prevent the teaching of the full version of history,” said A’Lelia Bundles, award-winning journalist and author of “On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker,” her great-great-grandmother.

President Lyndon B. Johnson meets with Civil Rights leaders Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Whitney Young and James Farmer at the White House. (Public Domain Photo)

“All of that is a part of an overall backlash,” Bundles added. “It’s part of a pushback to progress, to creating more rights for people. … Florida is one little piece of the pie.”

When initially drafted several weeks ago, Florida’s “Individual Freedom” bill sought to prohibit schools and employers from causing their students and employees to feel “discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race, color, sex or national origin,” among other rules.

Following outrage about the bill, however, the language was altered. Instead of

focusing on schools causing students to feel distress, for example, the amended bill discusses “prohibiting classroom instruction and curricula from being used to indoctrinate or persuade students in a manner inconsistent with certain principles or state academic standards.”

These attempts to limit the teaching of American history are not new. Bundles recalled her own high school textbooks that only mentioned Black people during slavery. The textbooks described slaves as “content” and “better off” and claimed that slaves were treated fairly well.

The teaching of Black history varies

from state to state. A 2015 study by the National Museum of African American History found that only 8% or 9% of history class time is devoted to Black history.

If bills banning critical race theory with a priority on protecting the “feelings” of white people continue to grow, then this number is sure to remain the same, or drop even lower.

“Black people are largely treated as an asterisk in the American story,” Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole HannahJones remarked in an interview with NPR. Hannah-Jones, a new professor at Howard University, is also the creator of the

“1619 Project,” which examines the modern legacy of slavery, as well as bringing forth the argument that American and Black history are intertwined more than many Americans have been taught.

In the class that Hannah-Jones teaches, discussion of race and implications behind the lack of knowledge in classrooms is brought forth on a weekly basis. Many Black students filling the room (especially those who come from predominantly white high schools) share similar stories of not knowing certain aspects of Black history until entering that very classroom or arriving at an HBCU. “The harm that I see is that generation after generation after generation of Americans are ignorant,” Bundles said. “No matter what their race, if in the school you are not being taught an accurate version of history that encompasses the good, the bad and the ugly, you’re going to be ignorant.”

However, it is never too late to act upon legislation that affects the lives of marginalized communities. Award-winning journalist, author and professor Jelani Cobb said that one thing that can be done for the communities affected by such laws is to mobilize on the ground — and to not only protest, but to continue to vote in their states and districts.

“This is ultimately about power, and what people have to do is organize on the local level,” said Cobb, who teaches at Columbia University and writes a column for the New Yorker.

Though many argue that voting does not matter, Cobb argued otherwise.

“Clearly it does, because you see this kind of legislation being passed or being considered and you see what the implications of it are.”

Airielle Lowe is a reporter and regional bureau chief for HUNewsService.com.

President Biden Nominates Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for the U.S. Supreme Court

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Contributor

For the first time in American history, a Black woman has been nominated to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.

By selecting Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on Feb. 25, President Joe Biden completed his pledge to select a Black woman for the court for the first time in history.

A Black woman has never served on the U.S. Supreme Court since it was created in 1789 — over 232 years ago.

Since then, only two other Black persons have served on the Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall, who was appointed by President Lyndon Johnson in 1967, and Clarence Thomas, who was appointed

by President George H. W. Bush in 1991 amid significant controversy.

In over two centuries, 114 justices have served on the Supreme Court and 108 of them have been white men.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, 51, currently serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. That federal court is seen as a feeder for nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Judge Jackson was born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Miami, Florida.

She attended Harvard University for college and law school and was the editor of the Harvard Law Review. She began her legal career as a clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Breyer.

In what may have been a clue that Judge Jackson would be nominated, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia broke with tradition on Feb. 24 and issued an opinion on a Thursday.

That scheduling change was noted by the media since the court typically only issues opinions on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Only one other woman of color has served on the Supreme Court, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor of New York,

who was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2009. Three other women have served on the Supreme Court: Sandra Day O’Connor, who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981; Ruth Bader Ginsberg, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1993; Associate Justice Elena Kagan, who was appointed

by President Obama in 2010; and Associate Justice Amy Barrett who was appointed by President Donald Trump in 2020.

In 1958, just 3 percent of law school students were women. In 2020, women made up 54 percent of law students in the United States.

Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent journalist and the host of the podcast BURKEFILE. She is a political analyst who appears regularly on #RolandMartinUnfiltered. She may be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 02, 2022 - March 08, 2022

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Supports the Expedient Confirmation of a Black Woman to Become the Next United States Supreme Court Justice

By Glenda Glover, Ph.D., JD, CPA, International President and CEO, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Steeped in far more than historical significance, the confirmation of a Black woman to the highest court of the land would represent yet another significant step in America fulfilling its promise to African Americans who helped build this country. The appointment of a Black woman to the United States Supreme Court is a long time coming. In fact, it was 55 years ago in 1967 that Justice Thurgood Marshall — the first African American — was appointed to the nation’s high court and 40 years ago in 1981 when Justice Sandra Day O’Connor — the first woman was appointed to the Supreme Court. Rather than a long time coming, for many, this appointment is a long time overdue. Either way, the women of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® stand in support of the Biden-Harris Administration in fulfilling this promise.

Founded in 1908 by African American women who were service-minded scholars, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority is comprised of professional women who have succeeded despite unimaginable odds to lead in every area of human endeavor.

Sadly, however, there are still “firsts” to be achieved and glass ceilings that still must be shattered.

We are encouraged by the fact that with so many Black women serving as attorneys, state and federal judges, law clerks, public defenders, prosecutors, corporate counsel, law professors and non-profit lawyers all fighting on the frontlines of the ongoing struggle for justice and equality in America there has never been more qualified Black women ready to meet this moment. It has only been the glaring absence of opportunity that has stunted our progress and impeded the Supreme Court from reflecting the true diversity of these United States. We are now waiting with resigned anticipation that this glaring omission will be corrected with President Biden’s commitment to nominate the first Black woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court by the end of February.

We stand united in the continued fight for Black women to be represented in all arenas important to the progress of our nation, and we are ready to walk arm-inarm with this administration every step of the way as some of the very best and brightest Black women judges and attorneys are identified, vetted, interviewed, and presented to the United States Senate Judiciary Committee.

Finally, we support swift confirmation hearings under the leadership of Senator Dick Durbin, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, leading to a fair vote for the chosen candidate. We also call for the

stage for the admission of countless other women to state bars around the country.

This confirmation of an African American woman Supreme Court Justice will be a moment in time when at least one African American woman will no longer be forced to abandon her dream and live beneath her privilege. We know for certain that this hallowed institution will be better with the appointment of an African American woman. That fact serves us all well.

About Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®

highest level of professionalism befitting the institution and solemnity of the U.S. Senate and worthy of the ultimate nominee’s qualifications and accomplishments for this sacred service.

To witness a Black woman confirmed as a United States Supreme Court Justice for the first time in the Court’s 233-year history will merely affirm what we all already know to be true. There are countless Black women in the legal field who have distinguished themselves as brilliant jurists, fierce advocates, and venerable legal scholars and made tremendous sacrifices to shape the laws of the land and

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help secure justice for all. Charlotte E. Ray would be one case in point. Attorney Ray was the first African American woman lawyer in the United States. She graduated from Howard University Law School in 1872 upon gaining admission under the name C.E. Ray and was the first woman admitted to the District of Columbia Bar 150 years ago. Described as a woman of “decided ability” and “one of the best lawyers on corporations in the country,” she was unable to sustain her legal practice and was eventually forced to return to teaching. However, Ray’s historic bar admission was the precedent that set the

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated (AKA) is an international service organization that was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1908. It is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African American, college-educated women. Alpha Kappa Alpha is comprised of over 300,000 members in more than 1,000 graduate and undergraduate chapters in the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Liberia, Bahamas, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Canada, Japan, Germany, South Korea, South Africa, and in the Middle East. Led by International President and Chief Executive Officer, Glenda Glover Ph.D., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® is often hailed as “America’s premier Greek-letter organization for African American women.” Visit http:// www.aka1908.com for more information.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 02, 2022 - March 08, 2022

Manufacturing for the First-Ever Black-Owned Fleet of Self-Driving Pods Has Officially Begun

By BlackNews.com

JéGO Technologies Inc., a Black-owned innovative tech firm based in Miami, Florida, is celebrating that they have officially begun the manufacturing process for their self-driving vehicles called JéGO Pods. To be released in late 2022, these pods will mobilize and facilitate health services such as flu testing, IV therapy, and more. In addition, they have entered the Metaverse.

The Metaverse is a network of 3D virtual worlds focused on social connection.

Interested individuals can easily experience this by using virtual and augmented reality headsets.

JéGO Technologies Inc. steers away from a myopic view of traditional tech but instead aims to build an ecosystem that benefits communities. In fact, the company has really put its best foot forward in pioneering the next generation of automation.

As a civic tech company, its mission is to connect economies as well as enable them to thrive; to invite the public on a journey with them by using Augmented Reality. In the Metaverse, participants will be able to experience what it will be like to be inside or next to the JéGO Pods before their launch. Users have the opportunity to sign up on the JéGO Augmented Reality APP which launches this month.

Another exciting reveal is the JéGO Pods Non-Fungible Token (NFT) which will also be made available this month

through OpenSea, which is the largest platform for NFTs. JèGO is definitely one of the companies disrupting the norms in technology and commerce, placing them as one of the top startups to watch out for in 2022.

The company has even has been able to garner traction with pre-orders, strategic partnerships, and secured capital from angel investors. After going through a rigorous due diligence process, the public can now invest in the company through Start Engine for a limited time.

The JéGO Pods and NFT couldn’t have come at a more opportune time, placing

themselves right at the center as pioneers in innovation and technology. The team at JéGO is pleased to collaborate and bring communities more clean and sustainable solutions to everyday problems and that is commerce on the go!

How to become an investor: To invest now to own a piece of JéGO and become a part of the brand’s fastgrowing community, visit www.startengine.com/jego Also, be sure to follow the brand on Instagram @JegoTechnologies and Twitter @JeGOPods

Virginia Republican Assistant Attorney General Resigns Amid January 6 Social Media Posts

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Monique Miles, Virginia Republican, and former deputy attorney general for Government Operations and Transactions, has resigned after facing a firestorm of controversy when photos of her appeared on social media applauding insurrectionists during the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Miles’s office didn’t become aware of the images until Thursday, February 10, a spokesperson said.

The social media posts – prominently displayed on Facebook, have since been deleted.

However, officials confirmed that in one of the missives posted by Miles, she declares: “News Flash: Patriots have stormed the Capitol. No surprise. The deep state has awoken the sleeping giant. Patriots are not taking this lying down. We are awake, ready and will fight for our rights by any means necessary.”

Reportedly, Miles also hit “like” on a tweet that said rioters were members of antifa but disguised as supporters of former President Donald Trump.

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NBC News reported that, in the days following the riot, Miles retweeted a number of pro-Trump posts, including one shared a day before the House impeached Trump for inciting the attack.

“Can someone please post the part of President Trump’s speech where he incited violence? I listened to the whole thing and can’t seem to find it,” the outlet quoted one post by conservative commenta-

tor Tomi Lahren, in reference to Trump’s speech at the White House Ellipse.

Miles also retweeted posts about audits of the 2020 election and efforts to uncover evidence of voter fraud. The Washington Post reported that Miles had also posted articles on Facebook that supported baseless conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 02, 2022 - March 08, 2022

Catches Fire In "Nightmare," Kolton Harris Takes On Armchair Activism Con’t from page 03

give others in need access to goods she picks up at publicly advertised giveaways across the state.

“I’m a Christian,” she said. “It’s how I live — my kids have volunteered their whole life through Wallingford’s Congregational Church.”

While many were visiting the Clarion for the first time Wednesday, some fire victims were still searching their temporary home for inspiration and resources to rebuild their lives after saying goodbye to their irreplaceables.

Kristina Cajigas, son Steven Valentin, and boyfriend Timothy Nevas were all back in the basement Wednesday after picking out t‑shirts, pants, socks, and toys for Cajigas’ 9‑year-old daughter the previous day.

“We’ve been waking up early each day,” Cajigas said, “to see what we can accomplish.”

On Wednesday morning, that meant picking out coats, stocking up on socks, and looking for right-sized shoes. They’re still looking for kitchen ware and mattresses for once they find a new place to live.

“We’ve got to start somewhere,” Cajigas stated. But looking through the piles of anonymous items, it was hard not to think of all the personal belongings that had gone up in flames.

Those included the sweaters of Cajigas’ late mother, which still “had her snots in the pockets,” and a brush with strands of her mothers hair still laced through the bristles.

Valentin, a 16-year-old rapper who attends Hillhouse High School, said he is mourning the loss in the fire of his DJ equipment, including a microphone he built himself and a laptop given to him by his grandfather, which had all of his latest beats and songs stored on its desktop. The fire destroyed all that.

Now, he said, he’ll have to make music using his phone or collaborating with other friends and contacts who have recording studios.

While his little sister plays with donated dolls, Valentin stays busy playing around with new lyrics and singing in the shower, as well as watching the new docuseries on Kanye West. The first episode of the Netflix trilogy concludes with Kanye breaking his jaw in a car crash, which leads him to write “Through The Wire,” the lead single from his debut album The College Dropout. He recorded that song with his jaw wired shut. It was nominated for a Grammy.

Valentin is similarly learning to find inspiration and determination in hard times.

Below, watch him freestyle on Wednesday from the Clarion basement about his memory of the fire, recalling how he first saw the flames while looking outside his third floor window that night, telling his mother and sister, “Get out of the house!

Get out!”

by Lucy Gellman, Editor, The Arts Paper www.neewhavenarts.org

Stacy is so deep into discussing an Instagram message that she almost doesn’t see the person outside the movie theater, collecting signatures on a petition. Behind him, the building beckons, light pouring out of its windows. He steps forward, asking for just a second of her time. Her phone sends a beam of light up into their faces. She blows him off.

“Are you not aware that the world is on fire?” he asks, and a viewer can almost feel her eye roll beneath an orange beanie.

“Look around you. The smoke is everywhere.”

It’s that smoke—literal and figurative— that artist Kolton Harris asks a viewer to witness and wrestle with in Nightmare, a new short film and music video meant to take on armchair activism two years after millions of Americans marched for racial justice. Produced by 4 Freedom Films, it asks viewers to hold a mirror up to themselves and ask whether they are doing enough for the health and wellbeing of their communities and their own interpersonal relationships.

“We went from this time of great animation to this lull, and I think there’s a lot of apathy, a lot of digital activism,” Harris said in an interview with the Arts Paper earlier this week. “I think a lot of folks have felt empowered by the language and terminology, but now they’re not doing anything.”

That’s where the film starts, in the backseat of an Uber where Stacy (Wylie McCann) and her friend Carly (Mia Barbuto) are headed to a horror flick, both flipping through Instagram as the car cuts through the velvety black of a Friday night.

Through their conversation, viewers learn that Stacy—who is white, and very good at liking things on Instagram—is the president of her school’s diversity club. Her sole qualification seems to be taking up the most air in the room.

On the cusp of the weekend, she’s peeved that she’s gotten a message asking whether she should really be in that position of power. Instead of engaging with the Black woman who sent it, she decides not to read it.

The thing is, Stacy seems like she’s peeved a lot. She’s peeved that a person of color (Harris) would ask her to take time to sign a petition on her way into the theater. She’s peeved when the Black attendant at the movie theater (also Harris) goes through his standard spiel—even though it’s probably one he’s paid to do.

And she’s peeved when she enters an otherwise empty theater and an easygoing patron (a third Harris) is sitting in her seat.

By then, her fondness for microaggressions is out in the open. “Do I need to talk to the manager?” she asks the patron.

A viewer can see where the film is going—and stays to watch her reaction.

That’s part of the horror, right? In some

of the video’s most delicious moments, Harris, photographer Gary Falanga and videographer Erik Durr have layered the glowing, wet whites of Stacy’s eyes with zombie references, upside down and mirror images, and 24/7 news cycle that fills the screen in unending Brady Bunch like boxes.

Harris delivers, in a mix of real-life references and tight, supplication-like lyrics and harmonies that beg a listener to wake up. At his most raw, his voice teeters on a scream-cry. An original score from Harris’ longtime collaborator Jaden Williams pulses beneath him as he bursts into both song and movement (a nod to dancers Shya Fine and Tatiana Pemberton, who make the choreography feel full and urgent). Along the way, he folds in references to Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Alfred Hitchcock, Jordan Peele, a news cycle that spectacularizes Black trauma, and the unchecked karening that now populates YouTube, Facebook Live, and Instagram among other platforms.

Nightmare is ultimately meant to be hopeful, Harris said. While he wrote the script years ago—it predated his release of 4 Freedom in June 2020—the moment to produce it “never felt right.” He wrote and released other material, sitting on Nightmare. Then last fall, he started thinking about how the film fit into the legacy of Black horror, from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” to Jordan Peele’s 2017 Get Out. The idea stuck. He pulled in a team of past collaborators, including students from Writer’s Block InK who danced and acted in his short film Black Joy last year.

He and team members filmed Nightmare over a day at Mystic Luxury Cinemas in the fall. He said that eventually, he hopes it becomes well known enough that it’s

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a video people reach for around and beyond Halloween, just as they still go back to “Thriller” year after year. He’s hopeful that viewers will take its message—to get off their screens, let the black boxes and status updates go, and start checking in with each other in the real world—to heart.

“There is a call to action in the song,” he said. “Where are you spending your money? Who are you amplifying? How do we have human transformation and human relationships? Be honest about what you fear—and about the fear of what it really means to sacrifice. The harm stops when we start to have human relationships and we start to build actual family with each other.”

For Harris, whose work often brings him into very white spaces, it’s a message he practices in real time. When he’s not writing and producing, Harris is a program associate for the Connecticut Office of the Arts, a branch of the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development. During his tenure, he’s worked with colleagues to broaden the scope and diversity of the office’s grantmaking practices. He’s launched discussions that center Black artists and non-Black artists of color. He’s been carrying a vision for equity that his predecessor, Adriane Jefferson, championed before she took a job with the City of New Haven in 2020.

And along the way, he said, he’s experienced microaggressions. A lot of them.

For him, Nightmare “is a real call to action to make sure that we take care of our children, that we take care of the issues around us,” he said. “There’s hope when we take control of the narrative and we can write a different story.”

Cultured AF Founder and Executive Director Juanita Sunday, who worked as

a producer and production manager on Nightmare last fall, said she was glad to support Harris in getting the film out into the world. When he asked her to join the project, she hadn’t yet heard the music.

But “I knew it was going to be an important piece he was developing,” she said.

She was excited about bringing film back into the music video genre.

The more she got to know Nightmare, the more the project spoke to her. After summer 2020, Sunday watched as a new wave of activists emerged. They were ostensibly committed to social justice, yet unwilling to listen to the people who had been doing anti-racism work for years. As a Black woman, she got to a point where activism in the streets or protesting wasn’t the healthiest way for her to engage. Instead, she poured herself into supporting fellow artists.

In a phone call earlier this week, she remembered watching dozens of black squares go up in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, and wondering what an actual change would look like. A year and a half later, she’s still wondering.

“I think it’s always important to have that conversation,” she said. “Just having that conversation to remind ourselves that it’s more than sharing something or liking something.”

“It’s most relevant when you are dealing with people who think they are doing the work, but then they aren’t taking the time to listen to marginalized voices,” she said, relating it back to Nightmare. “There are people doing things that they’re complicit in, but they don’t want to face it. It’s seeing people not wanting to take the criticism or the feedback.”

A still from the film, a 4 Freedom Films Production.

Moonfall Film review

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 02, 2022 - March 08, 2022

By Dwight Brown, NNPA News Wire Film Critic

Friday–Sunday, March 4–6 TICKETS: shubert.com • 203.562.5666 Visit or call the box office Mon–Fri Noon–6pm

The title spills the beans. In this scifi yarn, the filmmakers weren’t happy enough with a natural disaster: the moon hurtling towards earth. They had to add an outrageous AI storyline that makes what could have been a worthy, mildly plausible, catastrophic and action-filled movie a joke.

The idea for this lunar drama is the brainchild of director Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow), who can produce big-budget disaster films in his sleep. We take the moon/planets for granted and assume they’ll stay put in our solar system forever. But what if that assumption goes askew? The moon on a collision course with earth has built-in apocalyptic implications—plot devices that are the foundations for countless act/adv films. And, in these days of COVID where nations mobilized in global ways, a universal call for action—or-else—could capture the imagination of genre-loving moviegoers.

NASA deputy director Jocinda ‘Jo’ Fowler (Halle Berry, Monster’s Ball) and astronaut Brian Harper (Patrick Wilson, Aquaman, Midway) were once on an outer space mission in 2011. An incident, where some mysterious force enveloped them, caused a crew member to die. Harper was blamed for the death and booted from NASA. Fowler kept her job and was promoted.

Years later, in 2021, the moon seems to be off course and descending. The first to spot the danger is a pudgy, outcast space nerd, KC Houseman (John Bradley, Game of Thrones), who whines to his elderly mother: “No one will listen to me.”

Mom: “Then make them!” An emergency, last-minute mission is slated to correct the lunar nightmare. Fowler, Harper and the unlikely KC go on a journey in a mothballed space shuttle to save humankind.

Cue gravity waves, tsunamis and perilous escape attempts.

If the script, by Emmerich, Harald

Halle Berry and Patrick WIlson in Moonball.

Kloser (The Day After Tomorrow) and Spenser Cohen, had left well enough alone it might not have drawn snickers and side-eyes from audiences. As is, the far-fetched storytelling becomes ridiculous and dumb. Adding a “mysterious intelligent enmity” to the equation, conspiracies about the 1969 Moon Landing and other junk doesn’t’ elevate the scary premise—it devalues it.

Extensive special effects pour on sci-fi elements that help distract attention from the tacky narrative and keep eyeballs glued to the screen. Some shots of outer space and inside the moon are stunning (cinematographers Robby Baumgartner, There Will Be Blood, The Hunger Games). The use of sounds (Phil Brewster, theatrical mix tec) and blaring music (Harald Kloser and Thomas Wanker) whips emotions into a frenzy.

Minus a few lapses in timing (editors Ryan Stevens Harris and Adam Wolfe), the 2h 20min run time doesn’t feel long at all—even as the film rolls into ACT IV.

2022

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Spaceship interiors and NASA observations rooms are dazzling (production design Kirk M. Petruccelli, Blade, The Incredible Hulk). Tidal waves too. But too many of the earth scenes look incredibly fake (bogus snowy mountain locations).

Most gaps in the energy level can be blamed on an overabundance of secondary characters and a threadbare “broken families” gimmick that flounders: Brian’s son (Charlie Plummer), ex-wife (Carolina Bartczak) and son’s stepdad (Michael Peña). Jo’s young son (Zayn Maloney), his nanny (Kelly Yu) and Jo’s ex (Eme Ikwuakor). Despite clichéd dialogue, Berry is solid, Wilson is suitably rebellious and Bradley, as the “sky is falling” oddball, makes a surprising anti-hero that folks may like.

What could have been a respectable sci-fi/adv/fan/ film may end up winning Razzie awards. It didn’t have to be that way. Why reach for the stars when the moon is enough?

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 02, 2022 - March 08, 2022

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 02, 2022 - March 08, 2022

Black History of Health:

Wendy WilliaAms

by Karen Heslop, Black Doctor.org

Many people know Wendy Williams from her famous television show but the celebrity actually got her start in radio.

Starting in 1986, she didn’t spread her wings to television until 22 years later when she got her own show. She has also hosted television shows, held acting roles, and been a guest judge on several reality series.

Williams’ talents haven’t been confined to being onscreen, however. She has written books, launched her own production company, released music, launched a fashion line, and been the executive producer of a number of television shows.

With so many things on her plate, she’d gotten used to a very busy schedule.

Then she fainted during a live taping of the Halloween edition of her talk show in 2017. While she had attributed it to low electrolytes at the time, she made an announcement about the state of her health in February of the following year.

She announced that she was dealing with Grave’s disease and that her doctors advised her to take three weeks off to rest.

Since then, Wendy Williams has been open about her symptoms, treatments, and the steps she takes to deal with the illness.

In fact, she has addressed them several times on her talk show and most recently said that “life has completely changed” while talking about changes in her medication regimen. She continues to battle the chronic illness, though, and has been hospitalized from its complications on different occasions and has needed to make even more changes to her beloved talk show.

What is Grave’s Disease?

Grave’s disease is an autoimmune disorder in which your immune system attacks the thyroid gland and causes it to produce more hormones than your body needs.

Your thyroid function is important because these hormones affect almost every organ or system in the body. When there’s an excess of thyroid hormones, your organs tend to work faster than they need to and the result can be seen in some of the typical symptoms of the disease.

For example, people with Grave’s disease often have an irregular heartbeat, shaky hands, trouble sleeping, inexplicable weight loss, and excess sweating.

Some people also develop Graves’ ophthalmopathy where the disease attacks the Xmuscles and tissues around the eyes resulting in puffy eyes, light sensitivity, bulging eyes, as well as blurred vision.

How Is The Disease Diagnosed?

Diagnosing Grave’s disease includes a

Wendy WilliaAms

thorough physical examination, a discussion of your symptoms, and thyroid function tests.

These tests usually include blood tests, a thyroid scan, a radioactive iodine uptake test, and a Doppler blood flow measurement (Doppler ultrasound). Depending on your health or the results of the initial blood test, your doctor will determine how to proceed with other tests and treatment.

How Is It Treated?

Since Grave’s disease is a chronic condition, doctors focus on treating the illnesses that result from Grave’s. Primarily, this is hyperthyroidism so you may be prescribed medications such as methimazole, that are meant to reduce the output of hormones from the thyroid gland.

Another option is radioiodine therapy where you’d consume radioactive iodine.

Over time, this iodine will break down the thyroid.

Finally, your doctor may opt to remove the thyroid gland entirely through surgery. In that case, you may need to take medications to handle the effects of having no thyroid hormones in your system.

If you’re dealing with Graves’ ophthalmopathy as well, your doctor will develop a program for that. In mild cases, eye drops to ease irritation and sunglasses to handle light sensitivity is usually enough.

In more severe cases, steroids and surgery are the likely options. Radiation therapy will only be considered in rare situations.

Though you might not have heard of anyone else having Grave’s disease, statistics show that Black people are twice as likely to be diagnosed with it. If any of the symptoms listed above sound familiar, it might be a good idea to take Wendy’s advice and “put yourself first.”

Women’s History Month 2022: "Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope."

Women’s History Month is a celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture and society and has been observed annually in the month of March in the United States since 1987. Women’s History Month 2022 will take place from Tuesday, March 1-Thursday, March 31, 2022.

Women’s History Month is a dedicated month to reflect on the often-overlooked contributions of women to United States history. From Abigail Adams to Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth to Rosa Parks, the timeline of women’s history milestones stretches back to the founding of the United States.

The actual celebration of Women’s History Month grew out of a weeklong celebration of women’s contributions to culture, history and society organized by the school district of Sonoma, California, in 1978. Presentations were given at dozens of schools, hundreds of students participated in a “Real Woman” essay contest and a parade was held in downtown Santa Rosa.

A few years later, the idea had caught on within communities, school districts and organizations across the country. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8 as National Women’s History Week. The U.S. Congress followed suit the next year, passing a resolution establishing a national celebration.

Six years later, the National Women’s History Project successfully petitioned Congress to expand the event to the entire month of March.

International Women’s Day, a global celebration of the economic, political and social achievements of women, took place

for the first time on March 8, 1911. Many countries around the world celebrate the holiday with demonstrations, educational initiatives and customs such as presenting women with gifts and flowers.

The United Nations has sponsored International Women’s Day since 1975.

When adopting its resolution on the observance of International Women’s Day, the United Nations General Assembly cited the following reasons: “To recognize the fact that securing peace and social progress and the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms require the active participation, equality

and development of women; and to acknowledge the contribution of women to the strengthening of international peace and security.”

The National Women’s History Alliance designates a yearly theme for Women’s History Month. The 2022 theme is “Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope.” This theme is “both a tribute to the ceaseless work of caregivers and frontline workers during this ongoing pandemic and also a recognition of the thousands of ways that women of all cultures have provided both healing and hope throughout history.”

Three Former Minnesota Officers Who Watched George Floyd Die are Convicted

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Contributor

On February 24 in a St. Paul, Minneapolis federal courthouse, a jury convicted Tou Thao, 36; Alex Kueng, 28; and Thomas Lane, 38 of violating the constitutional rights of George Floyd.

This case is likely the first time in history that a federal court has charged police officers for failing to intervene when witnessing police brutality by another officer.

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was killed by former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin. Floyd’s killing was captured on video by a teenage bystander, Darnella Frazier. What resulted was worldwide attention on police brutality, the general treatment of Black people in the U.S. and a “racial reckoning” that endured conversation and financial pledges of support toward equal rights.

In 2021, Chauvin was convicted of murder and sentenced to 22 and a half years behind bars.

Former officers Kueng and Lane are seen on the video assisting Chauvin to restrain Floyd after he was handcuffed and placed face down on the pavement on a Minne-

18

apolis street.

The prosecution argued that the officers knew that Floyd was in medical trouble and did nothing though they had a duty to intervene. Attorneys for the three officers argued that the three more junior officers trusted Chauvin and were not aware that what he was doing was illegal.

The decision on the three officers arrived after 13 hours of deliberation. Their trial was a month long.

“The Justice Department will continue to seek accountability for law enforcement officers whose actions, or failure to act,

violate their constitutional duty to protect the civil rights of our citizens,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement on Feb. 24.

“George Floyd should be alive today,” he added.

Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent journalist and the host of the podcast BURKEFILE. She is a political analyst who appears regularly on #RolandMartinUnfiltered. She may be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 02, 2022 - March 08, 2022

Con’t from page 02

NXTHVN Takes NXT It also brings on nine high school student apprentices, each of whom works one-on-one with a fellow on a year-long project. Last year, the summer exhibition Roots To Benevolence grew out of that collaboration. Later this month, apprentices will host a virtual Black History Month open mic night, a first for the organization. Kemp, who worked previously at The Future Project, has been working closely with students as they pivot from virtual apprenticeships back to in-person gathering this year. He pointed to the importance of play and experimentation in their work.

“That gets lost a lot in schools, sometimes even in other after-school programs,” he said. “To really play in their imagination, and then being at a place like NXTHVN, which was created out of imagination.”

He added that being in person has allowed him to check in honestly with students, all of whom have now lived with pandemic-era education for almost two full years. He’s acutely aware of the level of anxiety that students are facing, he said. The program is meant to be the antidote. ”It’s to the point, not to get too deep here, where it’s not just ‘I suffer from anxiety,’ but ‘I am anxiety,’” Kemp said. “​​That’s what I hear from a lot of young people. They almost take depression and anxiety on as their identity. So a lot of what we do is directing them towards their own power.”

In March, 2021-2022 curatorial fellows Marissa Del Toro and Jamillah Hinson will open Let Them Roam Freely at the Henry Street gallery. Then in early June, studio fellows Layo Bright, John Guzman, Alyssa Klauer, Africanus Okokon, Patrick Quarm, Daniel Ramos and Warith Taha will all be part of a show in New York City, at a gallery that NXTHVN has not yet shared the name of. The organization is still accepting applications for its 2022-2023 fellowship; people can apply here.

McCraven, an early-career art historian, curator and Fulbright alum who grew up in the area, said that she’s especially eager to show young people that “this is really a viable path,” and NXTHVN is for them, too. After years attending the International Festival of Arts & Ideas and later working for Kaphar and the Amistad Center for Art & Culture in Hartford, it feels like a full-circle moment.

“Growing up in the area, I didn’t see something like NXTHVN,” she said.

“And if I had, I think I would have come to the arts even earlier.”

NXTHVN’s fellowship program is currently accepting applications for its 20222023 cohort. People can apply through Feb 21. There is no formal education requirement. www.nxthvn.submittable. com/submit

TRAIN LIVE at Job Corps

at home

Non-residential Job Corps students have the flexibility to live at home while receiving the same career training and education as those who live on campus.

All the benefits, more flexibility

NON-RES STUDENTS

RESIDENTIAL STUDENTS

CONSIDERING ENROLLING AS A NON-RES STUDENT?

Tuition-free career training and education Earn your high school diploma or the equivalent

Non-res might be for you if you are:

Train in high-growth industries

– 16–24 years old

Gain hands-on work experience

– enrolling at a Job Corps center in your hometown

Take community college classes

– responsible for taking care of

Participate in clubs and sports

children or other family members

Get involved with community projects

– motivated to train for a career

Develop friendships and connections Receive nutritious meals and basic medical care

during the day, Monday through Friday

Contact your Job Corps admissions representative for more information about non-residential opportunities at a center near you.

jobcorps.gov | (800) 733-JOBS [5627]

CAREERS BEGIN HERE

Job Corps is a U.S. Department of Labor Equal Opportunity Employer Program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. TDD/TTY telephone number is (877) 889-5627.

19

THEINNER-CITY INNER-CITY NEWS March , 2022 - March 2022 NEWS -July 27, 02 2016 - August 02, 08, 2016

Account Clerk: The Town of East Haven is currently accepting applications

DRIVER CDL CLASS A

to participate in the examination for Account Clerk II, Grade Level 11. The starting salary is $45,731/year, 35 hours per week. This is a highly responsible position requiring accurate arithmetic computations. Prior experience working with payroll preferred. High School Diploma and 2 years of in office work of a responsible nature requiring accurate arithRENTAL PRE- atAPPLICATIONS AVAILABLE metic VALENTINA computations.MACRI Applications areHOUSING available online https://www.townofeasthavenct. org/civil-service-commission/pages/job-notices-and-tests or from the Civil Service Office, INC, on behalf of Columbus andbythe New 18, Haven Housing Authority, 250HOME Main Street, East Haven and must beHouse returned March 2022.

The Town of East is accepting pre-applications studio and one-bedroom apartments at thisFemales, develHaven is committed to building afor workforce of diverse individuals.

Minorities, Handicapped and Veterans encouraged to apply. opment located at 108 are Frank Street, New Haven. Maximum income limitations ap-

NOTICE

Full Time – All Shifts Top Pay-Full Benefits EOE Please apply in person: 1425 Honeyspot Rd. Ext. Stratford, CT 06615

QSR STEEL CORPORATION

APPLY NOW!

ply. Pre-applications will be available from 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y 25, 2016 and ending when sufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) have been received at the offices of HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon request by calling HOME INC at 203-562-4663 during those hours. Completed preapplications must be returnedInvitation to HOME INC’s offices at 171 Orange Street, Third for Bids Floor, New Haven, CT 06510.

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders Top pay for top performers. Health Benefits, 401K, Vacation Pay.

Crawford Manor Fire Alarm, Life, Health and Safety Upgrades Re-Bid

Email Resume: Rose@qsrsteel.com Hartford, CT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

NOTICIA

Elm City Communities is currently seeking bids for Crawford Manor Fire Alarm, Life, Health and Safety Upgrades Re-Bid. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City Communities’ Vendor Collaboration Portal VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway

HOME INC, enbeginning nombre de la y de28, la New Housing Authority, está onColumbus Monday, House February 2022Haven at 3:00PM. aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de un dormitorio en este desarrollo ubicado en la calle 109 Frank Street, New Haven. Se aplican limitaciones de ingresos máximos. Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 julio, 2016 hasta cuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100) en las oficinas de HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas por correo a petición llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse a las oficinas de HOME INC en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510 .

MECHANIC TRACTOR TRAILER

Full Time, Benefits, Top Pay

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES Invitation for Bids Pest Control Services

Elm City Communities is currently seeking bids for pest control services.

A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City Communities’ Vendor Collaboration Portal https ://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway

NEW HAVEN

beginning on Monday, February 28, 2022 at 3:00PM.

242-258 Fairmont Ave 2BR Townhouse,Sewer 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 level , 1BA

All new apartments, appliances, new carpet, close tomaintenance I-91 & I-95 acLaborer: Involves manualnew work in construction and general highways, near busSewer stop &Division. shoppingOperates center vehicles, trucks tivities for The Town of Wallingford’s and a variety of power equipment.

Mustparties have acontact minimum (6) months expePet under 40lb allowed.

Interested Mariaof@six860-985-8258 rience in performing related manual work at the laborer level and a High School Diploma or G.E.D. Must also possess and maintain a valid State of Connecticut CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s motor vehicle operator’s license.

Wages: $24.02 Hourly.

Certificate Program.

This is a 10 month program designed$20.26 to assist in-the intellectual formationApplication of Candidates in response Church’s Ministry The cost is $125.

Classes start Saturday, August 20, 2016 1:30Forms may tobetheobtained at theneeds.

Department of Human Resources, Town of Wall3:30 Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, M.S., B.S. ingford, 45 South Main Bishop Street,Elijah Wallingford, CTof Pitts 06492.

FormsChurch will be mailed (203) 996-4517 Host, General Davis, D.D. Pastor Chapel U.F.W.B. 64 Brewster upon request from the Department of Human Resources or may be downloadSt. New Haven, CT ed from the Department of Human Resources Web Page. Fax: (203) 294-2084 Phone: (203) 294-2080. The closing date will be the date the 50th application or resume is received or March 22, 2022, whichever occurs first. EOE

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

Sealed bids are invited by the Housing Authority of the Townofof baby Seymour Public Notice of Acknowledgement Claim girl

until 3:007/28 pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at its office atprocess 28 Smitha4v Street, sheneane acceptance by private administrative the Seymour, CT 06483 for Concrete Sidewalk Repairs and Replacement at the Kingdom of Thee Most High in propria persona, has been deposited in Smithfield Gardens Assisted Living Facility, secured 26 Smithparty, Street Sheneane Seymour. Raa private bank administered

by Diplomat, gin, secured creditor authorized representative inland DBA The ConA pre-bid conference willConnecicut be held at theRepublic Housing Authority Office 28 Smith tinent of North America, AkA the united states of Street Seymour, CT at 10:00contact, am, on Wednesday, 20,Floyd 2016. Road Suite America.

For information in care of:July 3961 395 Cobb County Georgia Republic [zip exempt][Non-Domestic NonStatutory U.S.] [Roosevelts New Deal Participants] Bidding documents are available from theAcceptance Seymour Housing AuthorityNun Ofprofice, tunc.

All rights retained / reserved without prejudice without re28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579. course The Housing Authority reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, to reduce the scope of the project to reflect available funding, and to waive any

Apply:Pace, 1425 Honeyspot

Rd. Ext., Stratford, CT EOE

Listing: Accounting Accounting Department has an immediate opening in Accounts Payable for an AP Operations Specialist. This full time position in a fast-paced office requires good computer and organizational skills, attention to detail, and multi-tasking. Benefits include health, dental & LTD insurance plus 401(k).

Invitation to Bid: Send resume by email to: HRDept@eastriverenergy.com or send resume to: Human 2nd Notice Resource Dept. P O Box 388, Guilford CT 06437.

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

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

ASSISTANT TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR

Full-time position Go to www.portlandct.org for details

Old Saybrook, CT (4 Buildings, 17 Units) QSR STEEL Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project CORPORATION New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, Castin-place Concrete, Asphalt Shingles, Vinyl Siding, Invitation to Bid: Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection.

MARTIN LUTHER KING BOULEVARD Top pay for top performers. Health This contract is subject to state set-aside and contract compliance requirements. ST NEW HAVEN, CT MLK BLVD/TYLER Benefits, 401K, Vacation Pay.

APPLY NOW!

Email Resume: Rose@qsrsteel.com Hartford, CT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Bid Extended, Due Date: August New 5, 2016Construction. 11 Buildings, 56 Units, Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016 approx. 77,743 sf Project is Taxable. No Wage Rates.

Project documents available via ftp link below: This contract is subject to state set-aside http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage and contract compliance requirements.

SENIOR ADMINITRATIVE Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com

Bid3 Due Wed. March 9, 2022 @ 3 pm HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section CertifiedDate: Businesses Project documents available via ftp link below: Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=martinlutherking AA/EEO EMPLOYER

ASSISTANT

Full-time position Go to www.portlandct.org for details 20

Email Questions to Eric: efacchini@haynesct.com Email Bids to: Dawn: dlang@haynesct.com HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 AA/EEO EMPLOYER

NEWS- July 27,022016 - August 02, 08, 2016 THEINNER-CITY INNER-CITY NEWS March , 2022 - March 2022

NOTICE VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE HOME INC, on behalf of Columbus House and the New Haven Housing Authority, is accepting pre-applications for studio and one-bedroom apartments at this development located at 108 Frank Street, New Haven. Maximum income limitations apply. Pre-applications will be available from 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y 25, 2016 and ending when sufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) have been received at the offices of HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon request by calling HOME INC at 203-562-4663 during those hours. Completed preapplications must be returned to HOME INC’s offices at 171 Orange Street, Third Floor, New Haven, CT 06510.

NOTICIA VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES HOME INC, en nombre de la Columbus House y de la New Haven Housing Authority, está aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de un dormitorio en este desarrollo ubicado en la calle 109 Frank Street, New Haven. Se aplican limitaciones de ingresos máximos. Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 julio, 2016 hasta cuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100) en las oficinas de HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas por correo a petición llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse a las oficinas de HOME INC en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510 .

CITY OF MILFORD

High Volume petroleum fuel distributor is seeking a full time Controller. Five+ years public accounting or equivalent experience in financial reporting and management. BA/BS in Accounting or Business required as well as advanced Excel and computer system skills. Candidate must have supervisory experience to manage finance staff of 8+. Position reports directly to the CFO. CPA and IT experience a plus.

Send resume to: HRDept@eastriverenergy.com or Human Resource Dept., P.O. Box 388, Guilford CT 06437.

DELIVERY PERSON

APARTMENTS AVAILABLE AT SPENCER VILLAGE I AND II

NEEDED Must Have your Own Vehicle If Interested call

Part Time Delivery Needed One/Two Day a Week,

(203) 435-1387

DRIVER CDL CLASS A Full Time – All Shifts Top

Pay-Full Benefits

NEW HAVEN 242-258 Fairmont Ave 2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 level , 1BA All new apartments, new appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 & I-95 highways, near bus stop & shopping center Pet under 40lb allowed. Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258

St. New Haven, CT

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY Sealed bids are invited by the Housing Authority of the Town of Seymour until 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at its office at 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 for Concrete Sidewalk Repairs and Replacement at the Smithfield Gardens Assisted Living Facility, 26 Smith Street Seymour.

INVITATION TO BID:

LaRosa Building Group invites Site work contractors to bid 340+ Dixwell Ave in New Haven, CT consisting of the new construction of pre-bid conference be isheld at the Authority Office 28 and Smith 70Aresidential units. This will project subject to Housing CHRO Set Aside requirements the City of New Haven CT ¼ and ½ Ordinance.

Trade contractor due to LaRosa no Street Seymour, at 10:00 am, on Wednesday, Julybids 20,are 2016. later than 3PM Thursday, March 03, 2022. Bids can be emailed to Vince Parete vparete@larosabg.com or faxed to 203-599-6210. Plans and specifications are available Bidding documents are available from Seymour Authority Ofelectronically by contacting Vince Parete by the email or phoneHousing 203-235-1770.

LaRosa fice, 28Group SmithisStreet, Seymour, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579.

Building an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer. Small, Minority, Women, Disabled, and Section 3 Businesses are strongly encouraged to bid.

The Housing Authority reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, to reduce the scope of the project to reflect available funding, and to waive any informalities in the bidding, if such actions are in the best interest of the

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

IN MANCHESTER, CT www.demarcomc.com

Spencer Village LLC, though its Managing Agent, DeMarco Management Corporation are pleased to announce that applications are currently being accepted for the waiting list at Spencer Village I & II located at 151 Spencer Street in Manchester, CT.

Applications will be available beginning March 1, 2022 through March 15, 2022.

Eligibility for Admission: An applicant’s gross family income must be used to determine eligibility for admission. Per CGS Statute 8-115a, the admission limits for Spencer Village I & II shall be at or below 30% and not the exceed 50% of the AMI adjusted for family size.

Only “elderly persons” are eligible. An “elderly person” means a person who is sixty-two years of age or older, or a person who has been certified by the Social Security Board as being totally disabled. [CGS sec. 8-113a] Rent Determination: Residents must pay the greater amount of either the base rent or a percentage of their adjusted gross income. Current base rent is $425.00.

All persons interested in Spencer Village I and II may request an application either in

EOE Please apply in person: person (or through a designated individual or agency) at the local site office located at 151 1425 Honeyspot Rd. Ext. Spencer Street in Manchester, CT during posted office hours.

Stratford, CT 06615Invitation to Bid: via email at compliance@demarcomc.com 2nd NoticeApplications can also be requested Or by calling 860-643-2163 x118

SAYEBROOKE Applications VILLAGEcan also be requested utilizing the AT&T relay service by dialing 711 SENIOR ADMINITRATIVE

ASSISTANT

Old Saybrook, CT Applications will be accepted by mail or in person at the: Spencer Village I & II (4 Buildings, 17 Units) 151 Spencer Street Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project Manchester, CT 06040

Full-time position

CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s Certificate Program. This is a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday, August 20, 2016 1:303:30 Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, M.S., B.S. (203) 996-4517 Host, General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster

Listing: Controller

Seeking qualified condidates to fill numerous vacancies to include, Deputy Assessor, Mechanic Sewer Line, Public Health Nurse and more. For information and detailed application instructions, visit www.ci.milford.ct.us Click on SERVICES, JOBS and JOB TITLE.

EFAX # 860-760-6221

Newto Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, CastGo www.portlandApplications received before March 1st or after March 15th will not be accepted. in-place Concrete, Asphalt Shingles, Vinylare Siding, Applicants selected from the wait list in the order in which they were placed on ct.org for details theCasework, waiting list in order of random lottery Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection.

Equal Housing Opportunities QSR STEEL CORPORATION This contract is subject to state set-aside and contract compliance requirements.

APPLY NOW!

Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, Manager 2016 Business : The Town of Wallingford’s Water and Sewer Division is Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders a highly Anticipated Start: seeking August 15, 2016 qualified business manager to perform responsible managerial work Top pay for top performers. Health in the administration, direction and supervision of the financial, accounting and billing documents available via ftp link below: Benefits, 401K,Project Vacation Pay. functions for the Water and Sewer Divisions’ business office. The successful candidate http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage must have a bachelor's degree from a recognized college or university in accounting Email Resume: Rose@qsrsteel.com Hartford, CT or business administration plus five (5) years of increasingly responsible office work AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER experiencedawnlang@haynesconstruction.com including at least three (3) years in a supervisory capacity, or an equivaFax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 combination education and qualifying experience substituting on a year-for-year HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran,lent S/W/MBE & Section of 3 Certified Businesses basis. Salary: $91,470 - $117,031 annually plus an excellent fringe benefit package.

Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 Applications Forms may be obtained at the Department of Human Resources, Town AA/EEO EMPLOYER of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Forms will be mailed upon request from the Department of Human Resources or may be downloaded from Full Time, Benefits, Top Pay the Department of Human Resources Web Page. Fax (203) - 294-2084 Phone: (203)294-2080. Applications and resumes can be emailed to: wlfdhr@wallingfordct.gov by Apply:Pace, 1425 Honeyspot the closing date will be March 29, 2022. EOE

MECHANIC TRACTOR TRAILER

Rd. Ext., Stratford, CT EOE

21

THE INNER-CITY INNER-CITY NEWS March , 2022 - March 2022 NEWS- July 27,02 2016 - August 02,08, 2016

Construction

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks:

Construction Equipment Mechanic preferably experienced in Seeking to employ experienced individuals in the labor, Reclaiming and Road Milling Equipment. We offer factory foreman, operator and teamster trades for a heavy outside training on equipment we operate. Location: Bloomfield CT work statewide. Reliable personal transportation and a valWe offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits id drivers license required. To apply please call (860) 621Contact: Tom Dunay VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE 1720 or send resume to: Personnel Department, P.O. Box 368, Cheshire, CT06410.

Phone: 860- 243-2300 HOME INC, on behalf of Columbus House and the New Haven Housing Authority, Email: tom.dunay@garrityasphalt.com is accepting pre-applications for studio and one-bedroom this develAffiatrmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to applyapartments Drug Free Workforce opment located at 108 Frank Street, New Haven.

Maximum income limitations apAffirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer ply. Pre-applications will be available from 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y 25, 2016 and ending when sufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) have been received at the offices of HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon reGarrity Asphalt Incduring seeks: CT Fence quest by calling HOMEReclaiming, INC at 203-562-4663 those hours.Large Completed pre- Company looking for an individual for our Reclaimer Operators and Milling Operators with current licensing PVCStreet, Fence Third Production Shop. Experience preferred but will applications must be returned to HOME INC’s offices at 171 Orange and clean driving record, be willing to travel throughout the Northtrain the right person. Must be familiar with carpentry hand Floor, New Haven, CT 06510. east & NY. We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits & power tools and be able to read a CAD drawing and tape measure. Use of CNC Router machine a plus but not required, will train the right person. This is an in-shop production poContact: Rick Tousignant Phone: 860- 243-2300 sition. Duties include building fence panels, posts, gates and Email: rick.touMust have a valid CT driver’s license & be able to obtain VALENTINAsignant@garrityasphalt.com MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDESmore.

DISPONIBLES a Drivers Medical Card. Must be able to pass a physical and Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply drug test. Please email resume to pboucher@atlasoutdoor.com.

Affirmative Action/deEqual Opportunity HOME INC, en nombre la Columbus House y Employer de la New Haven Housing Authority, está AA/EOE-MF aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de un dormitorio en este desarrollo ubicado en la calle 109 Frank Street, New Haven. Se aplican limitaciones de ingresos máximos. Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 Tractor Trailer Driver for Heavy & Highway Construction Equipjulio,Must 2016have hastaacuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes ment.

CDL License, clean driving record, capable of (aproximadamente 100) en las oficinas HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas porSeeking correo atopetición operating heavyde equipment; be willing to travel throughout the employ experienced individuals in the labor, foreman, llamando HOME INC alexcellent 203-562-4663 horas.Pre-solicitudes deberánand remitirse Northeast &aNY. We offer hourlydurante rate &esas excellent benefits operator teamster trades for a heavy outside work statewide. a las oficinas de HOME INC en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT personal 06510 . transportation and a valid drivers license reReliable

NOTICE

PVC FENCE PRODUCTION

NOTICIA

Union Company seeks:

Contact Dana at 860-243-2300

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

NEW HAVEN

Construction

quired. To apply please call (860) 621-1720 or send resume to: Personnel Department, P.O. Box 368, Cheshire, CT06410.

Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V

242-258 Fairmont Ave 2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 level , 1BA All new apartments, new appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 & I-95 highways, near bus stop & shopping center Pet under 40lb allowed. Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258 CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s Certificate Program. This is a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday, August 20, 2016 1:303:30 Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, M.S., B.S. (203) 996-4517 Host, General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster St. New Haven, CT

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY Sealed bids are invited by the Housing Authority of the Town of Seymour until 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at its office at 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 for Concrete Sidewalk Repairs and Replacement at the Smithfield Gardens Assisted Living Facility, 26 Smith Street Seymour.

A pre-bid conference will be held at the Housing Authority Office 28 Smith Street Seymour, CT at 10:00 am, on Wednesday, July 20, 2016.

Bidding documents are available from the Seymour Housing Authority Office, 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579.

The Housing Authority reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, to reduce the scope of the project to reflect available funding, and to waive any

Drug Free Workforce

ACCOUNT CLERK Performs a wide variety of accounting clerk duties for a busy municipal government office. The position requires 4 years of related work experience and a H.S diploma/ GED or business School. $23.36 to $28.36 hourly (Contract Currently Under Negotiation) plus an excellent fringe benefit package. Apply: Human Resources Department, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Forms will be mailed upon request from the Department of Human Resources or may be downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page. The closing date will be that date the 50th application form/resume is received, or March 9, 2022, whichever occurs first. EOE

ENTRY-LEVEL ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNER FHI Studio is actively seeking an innovative and self-motivated full-time Entry-Level Environmental Planner to join our team. As an environmental planner, you focus on research, managing, collecting field inventory, analyzing, and mapping geographic information, writing technical reports, identifying and evaluating recommendations, and working closely with project managers and the environmental team. Strong candidates will have a working knowledge of ArcGIS, strong technical writing skills, and an ability to travel and conduct fieldwork within New England with a valid US driver's license.

Candidates with familiarity with mapping datasets in CT, NY and MA and knowledge of AutoCAD a plus.

Minimum degree: Bachelor's Degree in natural resources, environmental studies, biology, or related field. Salary ranges from $52,000 to $72,800 per year, commensurate with level of experience. Please apply at https://fhistudio.isolvedhire.com/jobs/ or send cover letter and resume to Bonnie Torres, 416 Asylum Street, Hartford, CT 06103. FHI Studio is an EEO/AA /VEV/Disabled employer.

Legal Notice Request for Proposals The South Central Regional Council of Governments (SCRCOG) is seeking the services from a qualified consultant(s) with expertise in Hazard Mitigation Planning to update the South Central Region: Multi-Jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP). Disadvantaged Business Enterprise firms are strongly encouraged to respond as a prime contractor or to play a significant role within a consultant team. Responses are due by March 8, 2022 (2:30 p.m. local time). The full RFP document can be viewed at SCRCOG’s website: www.scrcog.org or can be made available upon request.

Invitation to Bid:

VIDEOGRAPHER

State of Connecticut 2nd Notice Office of Policy and Management FHI Studio is actively seeking an innovative and self-motivated Videographer to Old Saybrook, CT videos that showcase the firm's work. As a videographer, you work with produce the department and project managers to develop videos to support 17communications Units) The State of Connecticut, Office(4ofBuildings, Policy and Management is recruiting marketing, business development, and project services. Your technical skills will be Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project for a Staff Attorney 1 (confidential) used to plan and execute virtual meetings on Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Webex, position. and assist in producing workflows and story boards, support the development of New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selectivelivestreams, Demolition, video Site-work, Cast- internal communications and social media Further information regarding the duties, webinars, podcasts, eligibility requirements and application in-place Concrete, Asphaltvideo Shingles, Vinyl Siding, Strong candidates will be proficient in digital video editing content creation. instructions are available at: techniques and Residential systems, including the Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Premiere, Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Casework, https://www.jobapscloud.com/ After Effects and Photoshop.

Additionally, candidate will be proficient in postMechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection.

CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?R1 video production, audio editing, music editing, mixing and mastering. =211124&R2=1637CR&R3=001 This contract is subject to state set-asideMinimum and contract compliance requirements.

Associate Degree with concentration in media/video production, or reThe State of Connecticut is an equal lated fi eld.

Salary ranges from $52,400 to $72,800 per year, commensurate with opportunity/affirmative action employer levelAugust of experience.

5, 2016 Please apply at https://fhistudio.isolvedhire.com/jobs/ or send and strongly encouragesBid the Extended, applications Due Date: of women, minorities, and persons cover letter and resume to Bonnie Torres, 416 Asylum Street, Hartford, CT 06103. with disabilities.Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016 FHI Studio is an EEO/AA /VEV/Disabled employer.

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

Project documents available via ftp link below: http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage POLICE OFFICER Fencedawnlang@haynesconstruction.com Installers: Large CT Fence & Guardrail Contractor is looking Fax orCity Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 of Bristol

forS/W/MBE Fence &Installation Crews.

Crews must have at least 5 years of experience installing HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, Section 3 Certified Businesses chain link, wood, PVC and ornamental iron fencing. Work available 10-12 months per Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 $69,017Haynes - $83,893/yr. year, highest labor rates paid. All necessary equipment provided. Medical, holiday, vaRequired testing, AA/EEO EMPLOYER cation & other benefits included. Must be able to pass required physical and drug test. registration info, and apply An OSHA 10 Certification is required. A valid CT driver's license is required and must get DOT Medical Card. Bonuses paid weekly for jobs completed under budgeted labor online: www.bristolct.gov hours. Potential to double hourly rate. We are an AA/EOE company. Send resumes/ DEADLINE: 02-25-22 inquiries to: rhauer@atlasoutdoor.com.

EOE

22

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 02, 2022 - March 08, 2022

Join The Inner City Newspaper As We Celebrate The Achievements Of Women During Women’s History Month!

HISTORY DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH,

The Inner City Newspaper

will present our “Annual Women’s History Month Commemorative Issues!”

These Special Edition Issues published each week during March, will be a tribute to the achievements of Women from a historical perspective as well as a celebration of the lives of women who impact our communities, Our region, and who through their works, have made an impact throughout the country.

These issues will focus on Women's Health , Lifestyle, Fashion, Careers, Entertainment, Relationships, and Comfortable Living!

We invite your business to utilize these showcase editions as a platform to place your branding messages in premium locations throughout these keepsake issues! For more information on how your business can play a prominent role in these productions, call the Inner City News Advertising Department at: (203) 387-0354.

Circulation Breakdown

Circulation Breakdown Inner-City News Market CIRCULATION BREAKDOWN

GET THE FACTS

Connecticut has

16.5% non-white population. The figure

Published: weekly / circulation:

for the inner city newspaper coverage area is an overwhelming

44%.

25,000 / Readership:

100,000 Where: over

750+ racks throughout the New Haven and

Bridgeport area.

Within the inner city distribution area, the cities with the largest non-white populations are: Bridgeport

New haven

53.1% New haven 49.3%

60% Bridgeport 40%

New Haven, Westhaven, Hamden, North Haven, Bridgeport,

This represents a vital consumer base and an important seg-

Orange, Ansonia, Milford, Waterbury

ment of the population that cannot be ignored! Media market research (MRI) reported that

30.3% of the black popu$40,000 a year!

Here are some quick facts about our readers.

35–78 College educated: 53% 46%– 54% Home owners: 34%

lation have household incomes of over

Age:

10%

Male / Female:

of this population have incomes of 70,000 or more!

Place your message where people place their trust.

The

Inner-City Penfield Communications inc.

News

Connecticut’s first choice for urban news since 1990.

5 0 Fi t c h S t r e e t ,

New Haven, C T 06515 | Phone: 203.387.0354 w w w. i n n e r c i t y o n l i n e . c o m

23

|

Fa x :

203.387.2684

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 02, 2022 - March 08, 2022

The secret’s out.

Introducing game-changing savings.

Xfinity is changing the Internet and wireless game. We’re talking the fastest in-home WiFi with speeds over a Gig and wireless on the most reliable 5G network with Xfinity Mobile. And NOW, introducing game-changing savings when you get both. Get Gig Internet and Unlimited data with Xfinity Mobile and you could save more than $800 on Internet your first year. Gig-speed Internet and reliable 5G? Now that’s a game-changer.

Join the millions who save by getting Xfinity Internet and Mobile together.* *Savings based on weighted average of optimized pricing for top 3 carriers. Xfinity Internet required. Reduced speeds after 20 GB of usage/line.

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Offer ends 4/3/22. Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. New customers only. Limited to Gigabit Internet and one line of Xfinity Mobile Unlimited data. Savings based on combination of promotional discount for Gigabit Internet and Xfinity Mobile Unlimited discount as compared to regular rate for Gigabit Internet. Internet: Gig-speed WiFi requires Gigabit Internet and compatible xFi Gateway. WiFi is shareable across all devices in your home. Actual speeds vary and not guaranteed. Many factors affect speed, including equipment performance, interference, congestion, and speeds of visited websites. WiFi speeds affected by additional factors, including distance from Gateway, home configuration, personal device capabilities, and others. For factors affecting speed visit www.xfinity.com/networkmanagement. All devices must be returned when service ends. Xfinity Mobile: Requires post-pay Xfinity Internet. Line limitations may apply. For Xfinity Mobile Broadband Disclosures visit: www.xfinity.com/mobile/policies/broadband-disclosures. Xfinity Mobile utilizes the network with the most RootMetrics 5G data reliability wins in 2H 2021. Results may vary. Award is not endorsement. Xfinity customers will auto-connect to Xfinity WiFi when available and not use the wireless network. RootMetrics did not test WiFi networks. Call for restrictions and complete details. NPA239608-0003 NED-AA-BMD-V5

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2/15/22 2:14 PM