INNER-CITY NEWS

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 30,2016 2019- August - March 26, 2019 INNER-CITY NEWS July 27, 02, 2016

UNCF Delivers First a‘State of HBCUs’ Address in Washington Financial Justice Key Focus at 2016 NAACP Convention New Haven, Bridgeport

INNER-CITYNEWS

Volume 27 . No. 2322 Volume 21 No. 2194

She Sought The Law Malloy Malloy To To Dems: Dems:

& She Won “DMC”

Ignore “Tough On IgnoreSchool “ToughDiscipline OnCrime” Crime”

Color Struck?

Racial Diversity Targeted

Snow in July?

West Haven

Homeless Black Teen Black Heritage Celebration Gets Accepted into 17 Colleges And He Was Not Part of a Cheating Scandal!

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Carrigan Intermediate School sixth grader Steven Christian Mullins receives a Black Heritage Committee award for youth achievement in from his father, Chairman, Commissioner Steven R. Mullins as Cavallaro and Rossi look on.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS -

March 20, 2019 - March 26, 2019

5 Years Later, Wooster Sq. Ground Broken

by THOMAS BREEN

New Haven Independent

It took five years and two different developers to get from the first community meeting to the groundbreaking.

Now work is beginning on a 299-unit, market-rate apartment complex on the border of Wooster Square and Downtown, and builders predict it will take far less than another five years to finish the job and fill the block with new tenants.

On a sun-dappled Thursday afternoon, two dozen city officials and local economic development boosters joined New York-based developers Darren Seid and Peter Antoniou to celebrate the official groundbreaking for the project, at 87 Union St. just past the railroad tracks separating Wooster Square from Downtown.

The new 299-unit market-rate apartment complex is planned for a 50,000-square foot asphalt lot that formerly housed the Torrco plumbing supply company.

Seid, the president of Epimoni, and Antoniou, a project manager for Adam America, said the planned development will be six stories tall; will contain a mix of studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and threebedroom apartments to rent at rates similar to other local luxury apartment complexes like Corsair and 360 State; and will have roughly 6,100 square-feet of commercial retail space facing Olive Street.

Antoniou said the developers plan to begin demolition of the old Torrco building next week, and hope to have the vacant building down by May. While declining to commit to any definite timeline for construction, Antoniou said he and Seid hope to have the building up and open by 2021. Per the City Plan Com-

Developers Peter Antoniou and Darren Seid.

THOMAS BREEN PHOTO

City officials, economic boosters, and developers move some gravel to celebrate 87 Union St. groundbreaking

mission’s ruling last July, they technically have until 2025 to finish the project.

“Its a city that has incredible fundamentals and a growth trajectory you can really believe in,” Seid said about building in New Haven. “This is a very investable city.”

The two developers, under the holding company 44 Olive Limited Partnership, purchased the site for $10 million in July 2018.

That purchase came three years after the City Plan Commission first approved the exact same 299-unit, mixed-use project for the site as pitched by local builder Noel Petra and Westport Developer David Adam Realty. Wooster Square Alder Aaron Greenberg recalled on Thursday that the very first community meeting he attended on the proposed 87 Union St. development happened in June 2014.

Petra’s project, along with an adjacent Spinnaker-led development at the old Comcast site at the corner of Chapel Street and Olive Street, was delayed for years by legal disputes with PMC Property Group, the Philadelphia-based owners of the Smoothing building apartment complex.

While the 87 Union St. site has been free from any open legal issues since 2018, the city and PMC reached an agreement at the end of 2018 that will allow Spinnaker to proceed with its proposed 200-unit apartment development at the old Comcast site.

That tangled history of legal disputes and delays was just that, history, on Thursday as city officials and developers alike lifted shovels and smiled at the prospect of a massive new residential-commercial complex that will help link the Downtown and Wooster Square neighborhoods.

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He identified this project as the first of many planned residential developments for the area that should bring over 2,500 apartments within walking distance of the city’s two train stations in the near future, and that will help realize the transit-orienteddevelopment vision of the 2016 Wooster Square Planning Study.

“Think about where you are,” he said, “residential and mixed use at the early stages of our history as a city, then commercial as part of the Urban Renewal period, and then coming back again as residential. It really speaks to this drive for a live, work, play environment that relate very specifically to an innovation-based economy.”

“This improved site will serve as a revitalized connection between Downtown New Haven and its historic Wooster Square neighborhood,” Mayor Toni Harp said. She said the project’s proximity to the Downtown business district, Wooster Square and its farmers market, Yale University, the hospital complex, the train stations, and many more biotech jobs help is the embodiment of New Haven’s status as a “selfcontained urban oasis.”

Alder Greenberg also praised the project for “restitching” Downtown and Wooster Square.

“That’s a divide that has existed since the redevelopment of the city,” he said, “and it’s one that so many projects all around the city are trying to undo and recreate the relationships socially and geographically between places that have been divided over time.”

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Charter Chief Revisits “Compliance” THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 30, 2019 - March 26, 2019

by THOMAS BREEN

New Haven Independent

The new principal of Amistad Academy Middle School told neighbors that the Edgewood Avenue charter school will no longer prioritize “compliance for compliance’s sake,” instead promoting student safety, independent thinking, and a wellrounded, liberal arts education.

Victoria McCall identified those goals for her tenure at the head of the local charter middle school during a brief presentation at the Dwight Community Management Team’s monthly meeting in Amistad Academy’s gymnasium on Edgewood Avenue.

McCall, a 32-year-old Baltimore native, ascended to the top job at the local 367-student Achievement First-run middle school in July 2018. She previously served as the academic dean at Achievement First’s Bridgeport Academy Middle School.

Less than a year into her new New Haven job, and just over a month after the principal of Achievement First’s Amistad High School on Dixwell Avenue resigned amidst a controversy over his shoving of a student, McCall told Dwight neighbors on Tuesday night that she is committed to fostering a learning environment that is orderly without being mercenary, that is structured

without stifling individual intellectual development.

She said she is interested in “taking out a lot of the compliance for compliance’s sake” at Amistad Middle School “and making sure that children are given the ability to develop themselves as independent thinkers.”

Still, she said, her first none months on the job have been focused on “getting the foundation of safety back. There were moments where the school was legitimately unsafe for students.”

Westville resident Dennis Serfilippi asked at Tuesday night’s meeting what she meant by safety. Is the school a physically dangerous place for students and teachers to be?

No, McCall replied. In her mind, safety doesn’t just refer to physical safety. It also refers to how conducive the school’s environment is to focus and education.

“Is this a place where children are learning to the max?” she asked. “That was not happening.”

She said that she has focused on a clear and firm “re-establishing of rules,” so that students know exactly what is and is not acceptable behavior on school grounds.

“Even though children fight back,” she said, “children really love consistency.

They need to know, ‘Every time I come into this building, I can and cannot do these things.”

But safety and orderliness are just one part of what she wants for the charter middle school, McCall said. She also wants to see more opportunities for students to build meaningful academic relationships with their teachers, to craft their own individualized course schedules, and to develop a lifelong love of learning.

“What we should do is realize the dream of W.E.B. DuBois,” she said, “who believed in a liberal arts education as a means to opening up kids to a plethora of things they want to do in the future.”

She said that Achievement First as a charter school network has dwelt too much on discipline, and not enough on instilling that love of learning.

“I’m not going to lie and act as if the current model of Achievement First isn’t a bit paternalistic,” she said. “That’s the reality, and it has undermined what children, specifically black and brown children, can do.

There’s a lot of hand-holding and a lot of, ‘We’re going to make you stand in line because we’re gonna make sure that we can see what this looks like.’ And that children are under control.”

THOMAS BREEN PHOTO

Amistad Middle School Principal Victoria McCall (right) with Director of School Operations LaShell Rountree.

So, Dwight Management Team Chair Florita Gillespie asked, what does McCall plan to do about that?

McCall said that, later this spring, she plans on engaging students, teachers, parents, and community members in conversations about what exactly the school culture at Amistad Middle School should look like

going forward.

There is a difference between rigidity and high expectations, McCall said. And she doesn’t want Amistad’s teachers, students, parents, or administrators to believe that one necessarily equals the other. “I want those two things to be distinguished,” she said.

Court Reporters Picket For Their Future

by NOAH KIM

New Haven Independent

On her lunch hour, Sotonye OtunbaPayne left her job and walked with her colleagues to New Haven Superior Court in a shirt reading “Integrity Matters.”

For 22 years, Otunba-Payne has been one of 200 court recording monitors in the state Judicial Branch paid to listen to recordings of court testimony and produce transcripts for litigants. Court recording monitors also supplement their income by selling transcripts to private parties, who pay more per page than the state.

Otunba-Payne is also a vocal member of the AFSCME Local 749 union, which represents workers at the Judicial Branch.

The union was recently put on high alert when their employer announced plans to outsource the production of court transcripts and to phase out the sale of transcripts to private entities.

The Judicial Branch has submitted a bill to the legislature to allow it to start outsourcing court reporters’ jobs in 2021. It also distributed a memo to the court reporters and monitors announcing the future outsourcing plans.

State officials insist they’re not planning layoffs, that they will retrain court reporters for other jobs. The court reporters and their union, on the other hand, smell costcutting and job cuts.

So Thursday afternoon, members of Local 749 marched from 235 Church Street to the front steps of the New Haven Su-

Protesters march to the New Haven Superior Court.

NOAH KIM PHOTO Sotonye Otunba-Payne (right) delivers a speech to members of AFSCME Local 749.

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perior Court, the first in a series of five protests meant to pressure the Judicial Branch to reconsider its decision.

The union members said they are fighting for their jobs and for the integrity of court transcriptions. Local 749 President Charles DellaRocco said that the union is concerned that the Judicial Branch has taken the first step in a process to begin a full-scale elimination of court recording jobs. He cited plans for outsourcing to begin in 2021, after the union’s collective bargaining agreement with the state expires and the transcribers have less protection from layoffs.

Melissa Farley, the executive director of external affairs at the Judicial Branch, contested the union’s interpretation of the bill, calling it “patently false” and “disappointing.”

The outsourcing of transcription work is not meant to threaten the job security of court recording monitors but to conform to recommendations made in a 2018 report from the Auditors of Public Accounts, Farley said. Noting that the high cost of transcripts could complicate court proceedings for low income litigants, the Auditor’s Report recommended that Connecticut put a stop to the practice of state employees producing transcripts for private parties.

“We certainly don’t want to lay anyone off,” said Farley. “We value our employees and recognize that transcripts are critical to the court. All we wanted to do was

address the problem of state workers earning private dollars on state time.”

Nevertheless, the court recording monitors themselves remain skeptical of the state’s claim that their jobs will remain intact. The first to speak at the protest was union member Kathy Darling, who stressed the valuable role that court recording monitors play in the legal process.

“We are not button pushers. We’re the conduit between every court proceeding and its memorialization,” she said. “Errors in transcription mean errors in history.”

Darling was followed by union members Susan Dikranian and Otunba-Payne, who predicted that errors in the record could have effects on the administration of justice and that outsourcing could compromise the quality of court transcriptions.

Otunba-Payne referenced the drop in the quality of transcriptions in states like Massachusetts, which have already begun outsourcing transcription production.

“The work we do is an integral part of justice,” said Otunba-Payne from the courthouse steps.

DellaRocco finished out the protest by leading the assembled workers in a chant.

“Integrity does matter!” they shouted as passing cars honked in support.

As the protest concluded, the union members walked back the way they had come to 235 Crown.

“We have to go back to work,” said Otunba-Payne.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS -

March 20, 2019 - March 26, 2019

She Sought The Law—& She Won been out of prison for a decade. He still faces challenges getting housing and finding good stable jobs, he said.

“We’re faced with a lot of situations where we can’t go to a loved one’s house because we’re on parole,” he said. “We can’t stay with our girlfriends. We get in situations where we have to sneak to live with our loved ones and if we get caught, they could potentially get kicked out.”

Johnson said he got the opportunity to work with the re-entry nonprofit EMERGE Connecticut, which he said has helped him become computer literate and to go back to school. But he said it continues to be a struggle.

“Housing and employment is the big obstacle for a lot of brothers coming out,” he said.

“I hope it will change soon.”

Brent Peterkin, Project Longevity’s statewide coordinating director, helped organize Monday’s event along with #Cut50 national organizer Louis Reed. He called Monday’s event, which also included lunch with Gov. Ned Lamont, a chance to “deepen the thinking of anyone involved with advocacy and reform.”

Van Jones often talks about how the incarceration of his cousins drove him to want to pursue studying the law. He said he often leaves such discussions angry and feeling helpless: From the time that he became a lawyer to his time working in the Obama administration, he hasn’t seen much progress.

“There’s always this sense of failing and letting my community down,” he said. “We talk big and we don’t deliver.”

He encouraged those who need reform most to keep advocating for policies that might come from any such conversations.

“We will be lost in the sauce, wasting a bunch of time and money if you guys and women are not at the center of what we’re doing,” he said. “Don’t weary of talking.”

“You might feel like you’ve wasted your time talk to other people,” he added. “But you’re not wasting time talking to me. This won’t be the first or last time you see Van Jones.”

New Havener Richard Watkins, an EMERGE Connecticut participant, said after the event that he hopes that such conversations with people who have a platform like Jones’ can amplify the conversation.

Watkins talked with Jones about the need to understand the mental health ramifications of incarceration and to acknowledge that some people might be violating the terms of their parole and probation because of untreated mental health issues. Watkins was diagnosed with anxiety after he got out of prison. He said EMERGE has helped him with that. He wants that kind of assistance available for others.

“I’m hoping these types of forums ... can take what we’ve been through and amplify it,” he said. “Talking through what we’ve been through is therapeutic. But the other side is the need for assistance getting help with what we’re going through, not just somebody hearing us.”

Roger Johnson echoed Watkins’ thought.

“This whole platform,” he said, “was humbling.”

by MARKESHIA RICKS New Haven Independent

Mary Kaye Holmes finally got to Quinnipiac University Monday, but not as a law school student as she had once hoped.

She came as a guest speaker to tell how she went from incarceration to New York Law School — and how Connecticut can help others “second chancers” as it weighs the next steps in criminal justice reform.

Holmes, and others like her from around Connecticut, got to share their stories Monday with CNN political contributor Van Jones, who stopped by Quinnipiac for “A Discussion on Criminal Justice Reform.”

Jones is the CEO of the newly formed REFORM Alliance, an organization co-founded by acclaimed hip-hop artist Meek Mill and backed by musical heavyweights like Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter. He said the stories he heard here Monday offered more powerful testimony than what he heard during federal-level hearings on prison reform.

“It’s like kindergarten versus Ph.D,” the Yale Law grad said from the head of a conference room table surrounded by people touched by the long shadow of incarceration.

Holmes probably had a near storybook second chance, re-entry experience. She said when she got out of prison she was able to access programs that provided housing support, free health care services, including mental health care. She also was able to find work within two weeks of her release from prison and eventually completed her undergraduate degree.

Then she decided she wanted to go to law school. That’s when she hit a brick wall.

She applied to several law schools, including Quinnipiac University’s. She got in. One school even offered her $90,000 in scholarships. But then they learned about her criminal history, which she acknowledged as “lengthy.” All the schools rescinded their scholarship money and the offers for admission.

But Holmes didn’t give up.

She applied and was accepted to New York Law School. The school gave her a scholarship and made her a student ambassador.

Holmes said she expects to graduate in May; she wants to be a public defender.

“I know what it looks like to be discriminated against because of my criminal record,” she said.

“I know y’all feel bad,” Jones joked with the Quinnipiac University faculty and staff in the room. “She put Quinnipiac on blast!”

At Stake At The Capitol The Connecticut General Assembly is considering a handful of bills that would help people rebuild their lives after leaving prison, including proposals that would restore voting privileges to people on parole and allow those who are incarcerated to retain their voting rights.

A bill sponsored by State Rep. Robyn Porter, who represents New Haven and Hamden, would prohibit discrimination based on criminal history. A bill sponsored by State Rep. Brandon Mcgee, who represents Hartford and Windsor, would seal criminal records for after seven years for any misdemeanor and certain felonies.

Roger Johnson, who did 20 years in prison, said all of those bills would help him. He’s

MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTO Mary Kaye Holmes at Monday’s forum, which featured CNN’s Van Jones.

Van Jones at Monday’s forum.

Johnson has found help through EMERGE Connecticut.

Jones receives a key and a proclamation from Robert Reed, City of New Haven director of legislative affairs.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 30, 2019 - March 26, 2019

“Johnny J” Arrested After $4.2M 2nd Chance

by PAUL BASS

New Haven Independent

Johnny Jermaine Johnson got a $4.2 million ticket to a new life — then ended back behind bars on a shooting charge.

Johnson was one of four New Haven friends who were serving effective life sentences, then won their freedom and multi-million-dollar awards for wrongful prosecution.

Three years after that second chance, U.S. marshals arrested Johnson in North Carolina a week and a half ago in connection with a shooting outside a sports bar. The charges were assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury and possession of a firearm by felon.

He was subsequently back home with his kids filming a Facebook Live video in the days following his arrest.

Johnson had been serving a 75-year sentence on a murder charge when he and three other men were released from prison in 2013 after the State Supreme Court ordered a new trial for them. They had been accused of committing a 1996 murder at the Farnam Courts housing development.

MELISSA BAILEY PHOTO Johnson with his mom upon his 2013 release from prison.

The Supreme Court ruling followed the revelation the prosecution had failed to tion. In a settlement with the state, they in North Carolina. Through 365, Johnson disclose a deal it struck with a key witness each received $4.2 million and a second helped put together this Easter basket giveagainst them then failed to correct the rechance. away, for instance. cord when the witness claimed, under oath, Johnson and his fellow former co-defenJohnson did not respond to requests for that he had struck no such deal. The state dants formed a concert and events company comment left for him through the company chose not to retry Johnson and the three called 365 Entertainment and 365 South. and through social media over the past other men. They were freed for good.

The group 1has3/11/19 been putting on events SCSU_GOH_InnerCity_5.472x5.1.qxp_Layout 1:42 PM Page 1 week.

Then they filed suit for wrongful prosecuboth in the New Haven/Hamden area and

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS -

Quinnipiac University School of Law to host symposium on sex trafficking March 22

Former U.S. Ambassador Luis C. deBaca will provide the opening remarks at Quinnipiac University’s March 22 symposium on sex trafficking.

North Haven, Conn. – March 13, 2019 – Quinnipiac University’s School of Law will host the symposium, “The Legal and Public Implications of Sex Trafficking,” on Friday, March 22.

The program, which is free and open to the public, is from 9 a.m.– 4:30 p.m. in the Ceremonial Courtroom in the School of Law Center on the North Haven Campus, 370 Bassett Road.

“We at Quinnipiac Law are honored to bring together experts, activists and survivors from across the region who are bridging existing silos to bring cross-disciplinary care, assistance, legal frameworks and services to survivors of sex trafficking,” said Sheila Hayre, visiting associate professor of law.

The symposium will bring together legal and medical experts, advocates and survivors to explore emerging public health issues in the battle against sex trafficking.

Former U.S. Ambassador Luis C. deBaca will provide the opening remarks, followed by panel discussions titled: “What is Sex Trafficking? The Anatomy of a Case,” and, “Recovery and Reentry: Public Health Effects of Sex Trafficking; and a roundtable discussion about “Innovative Models for Disrupting Sex Trafficking.”

A brainstorming reception with light refreshments will close the event.

About Quinnipiac University School of Law Quinnipiac University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution located in Hamden, Connecticut, with close

March 20, 2019 - March 26, 2019

School Discipline, Racial Diversity Targeted

by CHRISTOPHER PEAK New Haven Independent

proximity to New York, New Haven, and Boston. Founded in 1977, the School of Law affiliated with Quinnipiac in 1992 and moved onto Quinnipiac’s Mount Carmel Campus in 1995. In 2014, the school again relocated to the university’s North Haven Campus. Quinnipiac School of Law now enrolls more than 300 students pursuing a juris doctor degree or a joint JD/MBA degree. The law school offers concentrations in civil advocacy and dispute resolution, criminal and advocacy, family, health, intellectual property, international law and policy, tax and workplace law. The School of Law also boasts many externships and in-house clinical programs. Quinnipiac is fully approved by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. For more information, please visit Law.QU.edu.

While proposals that would nudge small school districts toward regionalization might have attracted the most attention at the Legislative Office Building this year, a slew of lesser-known education bills could change the way kids learn, from preschool all the way through college.

In addition to three big initiatives that New Haven residents are advocating for funding the real cost of teaching higher-needs students, revamping the social-studies program to include a history of race and racism and doubling the length of recess — here are other education bills to watch: SB 932, SB 935, SB 937: These three bills would help recruit more faculty for state-funded preschool and prekindergarten programs, which currently require a college degree in early childhood education to be hired but often pay less than other certified teaching positions. SB 932 would adjust the requirements to allow more teachers with associates degrees; SB 935 would set a compensation schedule with minimum salaries; and SB 937 would forgive studentloan debt for teachers who make less than $50,000 working at child-care center.

HB 7110: This bill would require districts to create a plan for responding to “disruptive or injurious incidents” in the classroom. Gov. Dannell Malloy vetoed a similar bill last year, but the latest proposal has been updated with more specifics.

New Haven Legal Assistance Association still opposes the bill, saying it places too much emphasis on removing kids from the

LCI Races Slumlords To Property

by MARKESHIA RICKS

With an eye toward stabilizing neighborhoods through homeownership, the city’s anti-blight agency got the green light to purchase a bank-foreclosed property before slumlords get their hands on it.

LCI is looking to acquire a foreclosed three-family house at 177 Winthrop Ave. in the West River section of the city with a plan to rehab the property and sell it to a motivated owner who wants to live in it while generating a rental income.

The house is on a foreclosure list for Wells Fargo, which started proceedings against the owner four years ago. A judge signed off on an order to sell the property in September 2016. LCI is in negotiations to buy the house for $50,000.

At a meeting earlier this month, The Livable City Initiative (LCI) Board of Directors meeting voted unanimously to push forward with making the purchase. Now it goes before the full Board of Alders for final approval.

That was good news to LCI Executive Director Serena Neal-Sanjurjo. She said Wells Fargo has worked with the city on the purchase; a deadline to close on the agreement is approaching. The acquisition deal still has to be approved by the Board of Alders before it can be sealed with the bank.

THOMAS BREEN PHOTO

Dolores Colon: “Kudos.”

“Kudos to you for catching this before party X or Y did,” board member and Hill Alder Dolores Colon said.

Board member Seth Poole said he was particularly pleased about the sale because said the house is on the block on which he grew up.

LCI has been going head to head with bigger landlords with deeper pockets who scoop up foreclosed properties for a song with an eye toward turning them into rental units rather than opportunities for home-

ownership.

Neal-Sanjurjo said LCI tries to acquire such properties and sell them to homeowners because they help stabilize streets and neighborhoods. She also noted that home is near another future development on Route 34 that LCI helped negotiate.

Evan Trachten, LCI’s city acquisition and disposition coordinator, said he city is getting a good deal because the house “is worth way more than $50,000.” The house’s appraised value is $178,300.

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THOMAS BREEN PHOTO

New Haven/Hamden State Rep. Robyn Porter, pictured at the Capitol, is tackling hiring gaps for teachers and adminsitrators of color.

classroom without addressing the underlying behavioral issue. Boards of education and superintendents also oppose it, while teachers unions and school counselors support it.

SB 814: This bill would require school boards to test for lead in water fountains in pre-1986 buildings. They could ask for reimbursement from the state’s public health department. But Dianna Wentzell, the state’s education commissioner, has come out in opposition to the bill, saying that what comes out of the tap should be a responsibility for municipal water systems, not school superintendents.

SB 851: This bill would prevent disaggregating student data by ethnicity — unless the federal government requires it or the state can figure out how to delineate every single subgroup. Asian-American groups fought to put this bill on the agenda to preempt any attempt to understand gaps within racial groups, like Rhode Island has done recently. There, Asian students must now identify their ancestral country of origin, while no other racial group is asked to specify. Wentzell said Connecticut has no plans to collect similar data, though researchers, including from the Connecticut Voices for Children, say that it could help better understand the state’s significant achievement gaps.

HB 6412: This bill, introduced by New Haven State Rep. Robyn Porter and six others, would establish a pilot program to encourage teachers to live in the towns where they teach, starting in the districts with the most students of color and the highest poverty rates. Eighteen Yale Col-

lege Democrats wrote emails supporting the bill, many of them pointing out that 77 percent of New Haven’s teachers lived in the suburbs in 2010.

HB 6407, HB 6204: These bills by New Haven’s representatives would encourage more racial diversity among school faculty. HB 6407, introduced by State Rep. Juan Candelaria, would set guidelines for school districts to increase the number of minority teacher hires by 2 percent annually for the next five years, while HB 6204, introduced by State Rep. Porter and Sen. Gary Winfield, would aim to create a pipeline of administrators of color, though it doesn’t specify how.

HB 6742, HB 6871, SB 435: Finally, three bills would open up college degrees to students who can’t afford tuition. Connecticut students currently have some of the worst student-debt burdens in the nation, as high as $38,500 per borrower. HB 6472 would allow in-state college grads to deduct the cost of their entire student loan payment from income tax, and HB 6891 would likewise allow a narrower deduction just for interest up to $2,500. But the bill that currently has the most support lined up, including State Sen. Martin Looney as a co-sponsor, is SB 435, which would allow businesses to write off half the cost of monthly student loan payments that they make for their employees. Even the Connecticut Business and Industry Association got behind that bill, saying it could enliven a graying workforce by making it easier for employers to recruit millennials with a nice benefit package.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 30, 2019 - March 26, 2019

School Board Dumps Data Consultant

School board members voted to redirect $144,000 away from a series of data-analysis trainings and possibly put the money into instructional supports.

The Board of Education has debated for the past month whether to move ahead on a $144,000 contract with Harvard University’s Data Wise program, which would train administrators and principals throughout New Haven to identify and solve their problems with data. The money would have come from state “Alliance Grant” funds.

On Tuesday night, at a special meeting at Celentano School, they made their final decision, as four board members voted the contract down. Board members argued that the district didn’t have enough data analysts to make an in-depth training worthwhile. They suggested that Central Office administrators with graduate degrees could cover the basics on their own.

Darnell Goldson, Tamiko Jackson-McArthur, Ed Joyner and Jamell Cotto all voted against approving the Data Wise contract, while Mayor Toni Harp abstained.

The board tasked Superintendent Carol Birks with figuring out another state-approved use for the $144,000 in Alliance Grant funds. Generally, that money is are restricted to new programs that would build out pipelines of talent, train educators or support high-needs students in academics, improve the feeling inside schools or invest in technology and school operations.

Data Wise’s copyrighted eight-step protocol was first developed in 2006 to help Boston teachers figure out how to comprehend annual state assessments, and it was implemented more recently in Hartford.

Birks’s former boss, Superintendent Leslie Torres-Rodriguez, who promoted her to Hartford’s chief of staff in 2017, is the only coach whom Harvard has certified to teach Data Wise in the state.

Several board members said they just didn’t see the need for a data consultant at this point.

Two weeks ago, Mayor Toni Harp questioned the need for Data Wise. She asked if it made sense to offer trainings when the district had no Central Office staff reviewing its stats.

Superintendent Birks responded on Tuesday night that the district is close to hiring a full-time data analyst, paid for with Alliance funds.

But other opposition had fomented since then, especially from Joyner, who’d initially been open to contract.

“The people we pay can’t identify the data they need?

It’s something I learned in grad school,” he said. “I don’t understand why anyone who has a six-year in education does not understand research in schools. If you have a doctorate in education, you should know

CHRISTOPHER PEAK PHOTO

Ed Joyner: Didn’t you go over this in grad school?

that there’s nothing special in Data Wise.”

Just before taking that vote, the school board members got their own lesson in how data’s currently used within the district. They sat through two number-heavy slideshows — until Jackson-McArthur halted them midway through. She said some of the stats felt like a “brick wall that stopped me in my tracks,” while administrators had clicked right through.

For instance, Jackson-McArthur pointed to two slides showing that 57 percent of third-graders are falling behind on how quickly they’re catching up to grade level in reading and showing that 32 percent of Hillhouse High School freshmen had failed their algebra class.

Jackson-McArthur said those two data points raised big issues, but she said the numbers didn’t explain much themselves. She said they didn’t explain exactly what had gone wrong nor how administrators planned to right it.

“We should not move that quickly beyond that without saying what happened here,” Jackson-McArthur said.

“I would appreciate this more … along with a plan or interventions that are in place. We should know what’s happening.”

Goldson too said he felt that the presentations needed more context. Birks responded that she was “just trying to get through” without keeping the board members too late. Goldson suggested that she should make the presentations available before the meeting to have a more focused discussion.

“We don’t need to go through all the information at the meeting,” Goldson said. “The presentation, all it does is give us the numbers; it doesn’t tell us what it means and where we’re going with this stuff.”

Even though the achievement numbers didn’t tell them much, school board members referenced them again later on Tuesday night. Right as they voted the Data Wise contract down, Cotto said that the grant might be better spent on reading supports. Or math, Joyner added.

Goldson, the board’s president, said Birks should offer ideas for how she’d like to reappropriate the $144,000 at the board’s next meeting.

Join us for our Spring Speaker Series The People’s United Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Quinnipiac University hosts a weekly speaker series featuring corporate innovators, entrepreneurs, Quinnipiac University alumni, public and private sector support organizations and experts who focus on financing entrepreneurial start-ups.

The goal is to create a vibrant entrepreneurial community that provides inspiration and guidance.

Sessions take place on Wednesdays from 4–6:30 p.m. at the People’s United Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship classroom in the School of Business (SB-109). Admission is free.

Visit qu.edu/innovation for more information and a list of events.

7

THE INNER-CITY NEWS -

March 20, 2019 - March 26, 2019

West Haven Black Heritage Celebration

By Michael P. Walsh, City of West Haven

The City of West Haven honored the extraordinary legacy of African-Americans and the incalculable contributions they have made to shaping the greatness of America at the 3rd annual Black Heritage Celebration at City Hall.

During the cultural event in observance of Black History Month, the city’s Black Heritage Committee honored West Haven High School Senior Brandie James for academic excellence and recognized Millicent Huff Corbett and Patricia Turner as African-American Citizens of the Year.

Huff-Corbett and Turner received a citation from Mayor Nancy R. Rossi recognizing their “pioneering good works.”

Reading the citations, Rossi said, “Diversity is the heartbeat of our nation and your indomitable spirit and inspiring contributions are a testament to the promise of America.”

Huff-Corbett is a woman of firsts. A Democrat, she was the first AfricanAmerican elected to serve on the West Haven City Council, representing the 5th District from 1989-1991. She is also the first woman to serve in the New Haven Police Department motorcycle unit, having been an officer in the Elm City for 16 years. She works as a paraprofessional at Bailey Middle School. She is a communicant of the New Haven Seventh Day Adventist Church, where she is active in music ministry.

Turner, a Republican, was elected to the West Haven Board of Education in 1989.

She served there through 1993. She was an assistant teacher at St. Thomas’ Day School, and served as a substitute teacher in West Haven for many years. She is a lifetime member of the Greater New Haven NAACP. She is a communicant of Immanuel Missionary Baptist Church, where she serves as a deacon.

The ceremony took place in the Harriet C. North Community Room, featured an awards presentation by Rossi and Planning & Zoning Commissioner and Black Heritage Chairman Steven R. Mullins, the Master of Ceremonies, whose daugh-

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Michael P. Walsh, City of West Haven

African-American Citizens of the Year Millicent Huff Corbett, second from left and Patricia Turner receive citations from Mayor Nancy R. Rossi and West Haven Black Heritage Committee Chairman Commissioner Steven R. Mullins during the 23rd annual Black Heritage Celebration at West Haven City Hall

West Haven High School senior Brandie James is presented with a Black Heritage Committee award for academic excellence from Chairman, Commissioner Steven R. Mullins as Mayor Nancy R. Rossi, School Superintendent Neil Cavallaro and WHHS assistant principal John DellaCamera look on.

ter West Haven High School Sophomore Nora E. Mulllins sang a spirited rendition of the black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” She was accompanied on the performance by the near-capacity assembly of dignitaries, family, friends and residents.

James, who plans to study law at Temple University next fall, received a Black Heritage Committee certificate of achievement from Mullins, who was joined by Rossi, Superintendent of Schools Neil C. Cavallaro and West Haven High Assistant Principal John DellaCamera.

James serves as treasurer of the Class of 2019 and is co-captain of the mock trial team. She also serves as treasurer of the National Honor Society and is a member of the math club, theater workshop and international club.

Mullins’ son, Carrigan Intermediate

School sixth grader Steven Christian Mullins, received an award for youth achievement. He is an actor starring in the Broadway musical “Kinky Boots.”

The program included remarks from keynote speaker, New Haven Mayor Toni N. Harp, committee founder Bea Johnson, Committee President Emeritus Ernestine Jackson and Councilwoman Robbin Watt Hamilton.

Harp focused her remarks on AfricanAmerican women in public office, asking the crowd of mostly women, “Who better to serve the public than women?” “The latest wave of women in public service could not have come at a better time,” she said.

The Black Heritage Committee has worked since 1996 to promote racial harmony across West Haven, transforming City Hall into an exhibition of AfricanAmerican art and literature throughout.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 30, 2019 - March 26, 2019

Public Is Divided On Lamont’s Tax Proposal

HARTFORD, CT — Taxpayers from every walk of life descended on the Legislative Office Building to offer their opinions Friday on the first public airing of Gov. Ned Lamont’s tax proposals.

Some were in support, others in opposition, and some offered their own alternatives.

The Progressive Caucus within the Democratic Party, which held a press conference before the public hearing on the tax bills, said they would like to see a half percent increase in the income tax on top income earners. The top rate for individuals making $500,000 a year and couples making $1 million a year is currently 6.9 percent. The caucus would like to see it increased to 7.49 percent.

Rep. Anne Hughes, D-Easton, one of more than 40 members of the caucus, said that would raise enough to cover the revenue needed to spare home goods and services from the elimination of the sales tax exemption, and there would no longer be any need for the sugary beverage tax.

“If we’re going to expand the tax base we need to exempt basic household goods,” Hughes said.

Preliminary estimates from the Office of Fiscal Analysis show that an increase of a half a percent on top income earners would raise about $227 million.

Hughes said they are also exploring increasing the capital gains tax rate.

There are all these other “sacrifices and impacts, including tolls on everybody, but there’s nothing being asked of the wealthy,” she added.

Office of Policy and Management Secretary Melissa McCaw said Lamont is open to discussing Connecticut’s tax structure with any lawmaker but she said he has been clear about how he feels about changes to the income tax.

Lamont has said repeatedly that he doesn’t favor an increase in the income tax.

He said one-third of the income tax is highly volatile from year to year, “so I think we need to find some other way to expand the responsibility for needed revenue outside the income tax.”

But Looney warned they should do it in a way that’s not regressive.

There were dozens of others who attended the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee public hearing encouraging members not to take away their sales tax exemptions.

From lawyers to accountants, more than 120 members of the public signed up to testify on the governor’s tax package.

Lincoln Woodard, president of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, said requiring the legal community to implement a 6.35 percent sales tax on their services would cause “undue harm” to his members’ clients.

The tax is scheduled to bring $35.3 million in the first year and $71.7 million in the second year of the governor’s budget.

“Taxing legal services is simply not a viable way to raise revenue,” Woodard said. “It would create a barrier to the unalienable right to justice.”

The expansion of the sales tax base is expected to bring in $371 million in 2020 and $652.6 million in 2021.

The biggest portion of that would come from repealing the sales tax exemption on vehicle trade-ins.

“Repeal of the trade-in tax credit will on average increase the cost to a consumer financing a vehicle by $1,200-$1,500,” Jeff Aiosa, own-

Fair Haveners Debate Democracy’s Details

by ALLAN APPEL

New Haven Independent

Should all city employees be prevented from serving on boards of the community management teams? Would that include, for example, both a clerk-typist eager to be part of her community as well as the head of a city department who makes policy and decisions?

Those suggestions for bylaw changes were duly noted by the corresponding secretary of the Fair Haven Community Management Team (FHCMT) ... who is a city teacher.

Oh, and is a teacher a city employee?

Such gnarly democratic issues and the bylaws that address them were engaged in a spirited conversation at the the Fair Haven Community Management Team.

The regular monthly meeting drew about 35 people last Thursday evening to the brightly lit community room of the Fair Haven Branch Library on Grand Avenue.

Cach of the city’s 12 community management teams writes and revises its own bylaws. Over recent years Fair Haven’s core group of about two dozen faithful attenders have developed more tightly run meetings through paying attention to Robert’s Rules of Order.

They have also been determining, for example, who among attenders has the right to vote. By Fair Haven’s bylaws you must attend five of 12 annual meetings before you can vote on issues small or large, such as a proposed letter in support of a local organization or the disposition of the annual $10,000 the city gives to each team for local improvement projects.

So the elected board members of the teams, who formulate each month’s agendas and run the meetings, do have power to direct and guide.

Their capacity for objectivity came into question Thursday night as the board’s new corresponding secretary, David Weinreb, led the group through a half dozen suggested bylaws changes.

ALLAN APPEL PHOTO FHCMT board members David Weinreb, Michelle Rodriguez, Diane Ecton.

They were all fairly nuts-and-bolt, like for example eliminating old language that had mandated meetings be held in the Blatchley Avenue police substation. This year’s gatherings are taking place in the much more commodious Fair Haven Library community room.

Weinreb’s recitation came at the tail end of a two-hour meeting, and it was pretty much pro forma. Neighbors might be forgiven for having occasionally looked down at their phones as Weinreb checked off the dry, minor language changes, all largely designed to increase attendance and participation.

Then he came to a prposed revision to Article Three, Section G, pertaining to the board’s elected officers. He read aloud the current text: “No officer of the New Haven Police Department or Livable City representative [regular attendees and presenters] will be eligible to hold elected office of the

Fair Haven Management Team.”

A voice rose in objection.

It belonged to former FHCMT board Chair David Steinhardt “It should say ‘No employee of the city of New Haven,’” Steinhardt suggested.

“What about a clerk-typist?” asked the board Vice-Chair Mishele Elizabeth Rodriguez.

“A lot of hard-working city employees would be deprived of serving,” added Chatham activist Lee Cruz.

“I agree,” said Rodriguez.

“It’s still a conflict,” Steinhardt reiterated.

Weinreb provided some context in saying almost all of the two two dozen plus regular attendees with voting rights have a particular interest or agenda in the community.

Still, Steinhardt, parried, a person on the board has the power, unlike merely a voting member, to push an agenda.

“Where do you draw the line?” said Lau-

rie Lopez-Anastasio, the long-serving LCI specialist for Fair Haven. Over the years both she and the police district manager, by the FHCMT rules of qualifying attendance, have had the right to vote on issues.

But they both have always abstained, she reported.

“It’s a conflict,” she said simply.

“The distinction between those who serve as board officers and voting members is important,” said Weinreb.

“Does the Board of Education include ‘city employee’?” asked Fair Havener and Deputy Director of Urban Resources Initiative Chris Ozyck.

“Yes. I’m aware,” Weinreb (a teacher) said, with a wink of acknowledgement.

“We should vote,” said Cruz.

But Weinreb thought the discussion had not reached its end point. “Remember, what if a leader of a non-profit served on the board?”

“It’s happened,” said current Co-Chair Michelle Rodriguez.

“We all have interests,” Weinreb said.

In a summing up mode, activist Mary Ann Moran said, “We want [more] Fair Haven people to be part of the management team.

A city department head is not appropriate [to serve as board member]. But if they live in the neighborhood, they should participate. A department head should not be prevented from voting].”

“LCI’s Laurie and the lieutenant district manager] historically could be part of a quorum, but they refrained from voting,” said another former board officer, Sally Esposito.

“What about the alders?” Moran replied.

“They vote.”

“I don’t vote here and I never voted downtown,” said Fair Haven District Manager Lt. Mark O’Neill, who previous ran the downtown district. “I support the decisions made.”

“This is your 30-day window,” said Weinreb. “You’ll vote next month.”

Woman Leaves Town Job After “N Word” Tirade

by STAFF

ployee spitting at the aforementioned African-American male as he was walking away from the employee. It also appears that the employee’s children witnessed her conduct. Because her children were present, school administrators filed a DCF report.

“While it appears as though this happened after work hours on Friday evening, the Human Resource Director has already contacted the employee and arranged an investigatory meeting with her. Shortly after final arrangements were made today for the investigatory meeting, the employee tendered her resignation effective immediately. The language the employee used in the video is in conflict with the values of the Hamden Public School System. Someone who will use that sort of language in any setting

New Haven Independent

A white Hamden public schools employee left her job after a video caught her unleashing an “n word” tirade and spitting at a black man inside an East Haven ShopRite.

The video shows the encounter. After the video went viral, the woman resigned her office job with the school system.

The Hamden Board of Ed issued a statement describing how it reacted: “We have become aware of video footage that appears to show an employee in our district engaged in abhorrent conduct. Specifically, the video appears to show the employee repeatedly calling an African-American man the N-word in a supermarket in East Haven. The video also appears to show the Hamden em-

9

whether public or private is not someone we want anywhere near our children. The employee is separated from service, and we hope that her children will receive the support they need after witnessing such a traumatic event.”

Elected officials from both major parties subsequently issued statements condemning her actions.

Mayor Curt Leng, a Democrat called the incident “vile and shocking” and said he was “disgusted and disheartened seeing such hateful behavior, wildly unacceptable.”

Republican State Sen. George Logan, whose district includes Hamden, called it “shocking. Disturbing. Disgusting. This video made me sick to my stomach. As a community, we must condemn these actions in the strongest of terms.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS -

March 20, 2019 - March 26, 2019

17-Year Old Student Awarded $1.6 Million in Scholarships and Accepted into 39 Colleges!

BlackNews.com

Atlanta, GA — Jordan Nixon, a 17-year old high school senior from Atlanta, has so far received offers from 39 colleges and universities and has been awarded a whopping $1.6 million in scholarship money.

She definitely has a lot of choices already but some schools are still sending her acceptance letters!

Monday, March 11, 2019 17-Year Old Student Awarded $1.6 Million in Scholarships and Accepted into 39 Colleges!

Jordan Nixon, student accepted into 39 colleges

Jordan Nixon

Atlanta, GA — Jordan Nixon, a 17-year old high school senior from Atlanta, has so far received offers from 39 colleges and universities and has been awarded a whopping $1.6 million in scholarship money.

She definitely has a lot of choices already

but some schools are still sending her acceptance letters!

“The crazy thing is, I’m still waiting on decision letters, but I was not expecting that at all,” Nixon told WBAL-TV. Nixon was hands-on with her applications as she really researched thoroughly what would best fit her. She prefers to study international business as a major in a school with diversity so she particularly looked for schools that offer that.

Her proud parents, Angelia and Arthur Nixon, described her as independent, responsible, and versatile. They said, “We’re so happy for her because she does put in a lot of due diligence into applying for these schools.”

Nixon, a well-rounded student, participates in various extracurricular activities including Chick-fil-A Leader Academy and Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA). She is also one of the captains of the varsity cheer team at Douglas County.

Despite her multiple workloads, she managed to apply to over 50 schools for college.

So far, she received letters from 39 schools congratulating her for being accepted.

“It’s shocking, each and every time. You’re taken aback every time you open one,” Nixon said.

“It really was amazing at first, and then it became, ‘When are the letters going to stop?’” her mom joked.

Her high school is also proud of her. Nixon is the first student in their school to receive the most acceptance letters.

“Students like Jordan, who took advantage of being able to apply to a lot of schools through certain avenues like the Common Black App (College Black College Application), you can apply to a lot of schools with one low price for that one, and also, Common App, they can apply to up to 20 schools at one time on one app,” said Pinky Quick, the College and Career Center Specialist at Douglas County High School.

She has until May 1 to decide which school to choose.

Marian Anderson Biography Diplomat, Singer (1897–1993) TheBiography.com Deemed one of the finest contraltos of her time, Marian Anderson became the first African American to perform with the New York Metropolitan Opera in 1955.

Who Was Marian Anderson?

Born February 27, 1897, in Philadelphia, Marian Anderson displayed vocal talent as a child, but her family could not afford to pay for formal training. Members of her church congregation raised funds for her to attend a music school for a year, and in 1955 she became the first African American singer to perform as a member of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

Early Years An acclaimed singer whose performance at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939 helped set the stage for the civil rights era, Marian Anderson was born on February 27, 1897, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The oldest of three girls, Anderson was just 6 years old when she became a choir member at the Union Baptist Church, where she earned the nickname “Baby Contralto.”

Her father, a coal and ice dealer, supported his daughter’s musical interests and, when Anderson was eight, bought her a piano.

With the family unable to afford lessons, the prodigious Anderson taught herself.

At the age of 12, Anderson’s father died, leaving her mother to raise her three stillyoung girls. His death, however, did not slow down Anderson’s musical ambitions.

She remained deeply committed to her church and its choir and rehearsed all the parts (soprano, alto, tenor and bass) in front of her family until she had perfected them.

Anderson’s commitment to her music and her range as a singer so impressed the rest of her choir that the church banded together and raised enough money, about $500, to pay for Anderson to train under Giuseppe Boghetti, a respected voice teacher.

Professional Success

the first African American to perform as a member of the New York Metropolitan Opera.

Racial Divide Despite Anderson’s success, not all of America was ready to receive her talent. In 1939 her manager tried to set up a performance for her at Washington, D.C.’s Constitution Hall. But the owners of the hall, the Daughters of the American Revolution informed Anderson and her manager that no dates were available. That was far from the truth. The real reason for turning Anderson away lay in a policy put in place by the D.A.R. that committed the hall to being a place strictly for white performers.

When word leaked out to the public about what had happened, an uproar ensued, led in part by Eleanor Roosevelt, who invited Anderson to perform instead at the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday. In front of a

Over her two years of studying with Boghetti, Anderson won a chance to sing at the Lewisohn Stadium in New York after entering a contest organized by the New York Philharmonic Society.

Other opportunities soon followed. In 1928, she performed at Carnegie Hall for the first time, and eventually embarked on a tour through Europe thanks to a Julius Rosenwald scholarship.

By the late 1930s, Anderson’s voice had made her famous on both sides of the Atlantic. In the United States she was invited

by President Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor to perform at the White House, the first African American ever to receive this honor.

Much of Anderson’s life would ultimately see her breaking down barriers for AfricanAmerican performers. In 1955, for example, the gifted contralto singer became

crowd of more than 75,000, Anderson offered up a riveting performance that was broadcast live for millions of radio listeners.

Later Years Over the next several decades of her life, Anderson’s stature only grew. In 1961 she performed the national anthem at President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration. Two years later, Kennedy honored the singer with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

After retiring from performing in 1965, Anderson set up her life on her farm in Connecticut. In 1991, the music world honored her with a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Her final years were spent in Portland, Oregon, where she’d moved in with her nephew. She died there of natural causes on April 8, 1993.

Recognizing First Lady Michelle Obama During The Celebration Of Women’s Month

By DPTStaff

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is an American writer, lawyer, and university administrator who was First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She is married to the 44th U.S. President, Barack Obama, and was the first African-American First Lady.

Raised on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, Obama is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School. In her early legal career, she worked at the law firm Sidley Austin, where she met Barack Obama. She subsequently worked in nonprofits and as the Associate Dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago and the Vice President for Community and External Affairs of the University of Chicago Medical Center. Michelle married Barack in 1992 and they have two daughters.

Obama campaigned for her husband’s presidential bid throughout 2007 and 2008, delivering a keynote address at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

She returned to speak for him at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. During the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, she delivered a speech in support of the Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, a former First Lady.

As First Lady, Obama served as a role model for women, and worked as an advocate for poverty awareness, education, nutrition, physical activity and healthy eating.

She supported American designers and was considered a fashion icon.

Michelle Obama’s sales of her book , Becoming hit a record high of three million as she continues to add new cities during her 2019 tour.

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First Lady Michelle Obama addresses a gathering at The Arts Center in Fayetteville, N.C., Thursday, March 12, 2009, on her first official trip as First Lady. She also visited nearby Ft. Bragg.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS -

March 20, 2019 - March 26, 2019

UNCF Delivers First ‘State of HBCUs’ Address in Washington Among the priorities:

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent

Nana-Ama Brookman, a senior at Virginia Union, said she wouldn’t be on the cusp of graduating with honors and with a degree in mass communications and criminal justice, if it weren’t for the United Negro College Fund.

When she started college, Brookman worked three jobs as she struggled to pay rising tuition and other costs, fighting to stay awake and keep up with her studies.

But, after receiving a scholarship from the UNCF, Brookman was able to focus more on her education and a little less on the side jobs. And, it’s paid off as she now sports a 4.0 grade point average.

“That was a game changer,” she said.

Brookman was among the attendees at a Capitol Hill luncheon where the UNCF issued its first “State of HBCUs Address.”

The organization, who for 75 years have championed the cause that ‘A mind is a terrible thing to waste,” also launched its HBCU Congressional Honor Roll.

During the event, UNCF president and CEO Dr. Michael L. Lomax outlined a comprehensive legislative agenda for Congressional members that he said should help level the playing field for the nation’s HBCUs. A number of lawmakers and a host of HBCU presidents attended the event where Lomax called on federal policymakers to make significant investments in HBCU infrastructure and innovation, reform financial aid and evaluate regional accreditors’ treatment of HBCUs. “We want our institutions to be vibrant, vital and strong,” Lomax said.

“We want our partners, federal and otherwise, to invest at a level that is not simply about surviving, but thriving,” he said.

Pictured from left to right: Rev. Dr. Bernard L. Richardson, Dean of Rankin Memorial Chapel Howard University; Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, President of Benedict College; attorney and CNN political analyst Bakari Sellers (standing); Dr. Beverly Wade Hogan, President of Tougoloo College; UNCF President and CEO Dr. Michael L. Lomax; Bennett College President Dr. Phyllis Worthy Dawkins; (Photos by Mark Mahoney / Dream in Color Photography for NNPA)

During the luncheon where Attorney and CNN political analyst Bakari Sellers served as master of ceremonies, UNCF officials and others outlined the benefits of HBCUs and the impact those schools have had.

HBCUs represent 17 percent of African Americans with a bachelor’s degree and 24 percent of African Americans with a bachelor’s degree in the STEM field.

HBUCs meet the needs of low-income, first generation students with 70 percent of enrollees considered low-income versus 39 percent at all other colleges.

Fifty-five percent of African American graduates of HBCUs report more support and higher engagement – a figure that’s two

times more than African American graduates of other colleges.

Just as important, HBCUs generate a $14.8 billion economic impact annually, producing 134,900 jobs each year and $130 billion in lifetime earnings.

“The forerunner to good legislation is good education,” said South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott, who spoke at the luncheon. Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine said HBCUs have “persisted and thrived because your mission is right.”

Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine said HBCUs have “persisted and thrived because your mission is right.”

Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine said

HBCUs have “persisted and thrived because your mission is right.”

“It’s not easy running an HBCU, there are challenges,” Kaine said, noting that his children’s teachers were products of HBCUs and they’ve become successful in part because of it.

Bennett College President Dr. Phyllis Worthy Dawkins also praised the UNCF for its role in helping raise $9.5 million over a 60-day period in a bid to help save the historic all-girls’ school’s accreditation.

Lomax promised that the fight isn’t over.

He also laid out the top priorities for HBCUs, noting that the country should invest more heavily in those institutions.

• A White House Initiative that should implement policies that increase the federal investment in HBCUs. • Fully funded Title III HBCU Programs that would include $85 million in annual mandatory funding which would enable HBCUs to prepare more minority students for the workforce and economy.

• Annual discretionary funding for the strengthening of HBCUs Program should increase from Fiscal Year 2019 levels of $282 million to $375 million, the authorized level.

• Endowment Challenge Grants which would help HBCUs increase their self-sufficiency and build endowments that, today, are half the typical size of non-HBCU endowments.

• Reform Federal Student Aid. • Invest in HBCU facilities and infrastructure to the tune of a $1 trillion national infrastructure program that should include grants, no or low-interest loans, and tax incentives through a national infrastructure bank and, or, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Interior, and Treasury programs to renovate and construct HBCU facilities.

• Fund New HBCU Centers of Innovation for National Needs.

• Repeal and Reform burdensome higher education regulations.

“HBCUs are the engines that help power and deliver much-needed economic and workforce diversity,” Lomax said. “By that standard alone, our institutions are worth the federal investment we are asking for.

During a time, when college is increasingly more unaffordable and student debt is growing, HBCUs continue to represent a tremendous value and opportunity for many students and families.”

Meet the First Black woman to Earn a PhD in Aerospace Engineering

By Carma Henry

An African lady has become the first Black woman to get a doctorate degree in aerospace engineering.

The talented lady is said to be a national aeronautics and space administration whiz. 30-year-old Wendy Okolo has achieved a lot in her career.

African is slowly becoming known for producing geniuses who almost always break barriers in their several industries.

Born to a family of six, her career took off at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a United States agency responsible for the civilian space program as well as aeronautics and aerospace research.

According to her biography on NASA, she achieved both her bachelor’s degree and doctorate degree from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2010 and 2015 respectively. Okolo was only 26 years

old when she became the first Black woman to get a doctorate degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington.

But, Okolo had been making waves even before then. During her undergraduate years, she was in the African Student Society at the University of Texas at Arlington. She was also the president of the Society of Women Engineers at the university. According to her Linkedin account, she also interned at Lockheed Martin working on NASA’s Orion spacecraft. She first worked in the requirements management office in systems engineering and then with the Hatch Mechanisms team in mechanical engineering.

After graduating, Okolo accepted a job as a summer researcher from 2010 to 2012 in the Control Design & Analysis Branch at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson Air Force Base.

According to The Cabel, Okolo talked

about her experience piloting the world’s fastest manned aircraft which flies from coast to coast in 67 minutes. “I was like I’m sure these guys are so smart, what am I going to bring to the table. I was given an assignment to correct an error in a code system which I did and that momentarily ended the impostor syndrome.” Now she’s an Aerospace Research Engineer at the Ames Research Center, a major research centre for National Aeronautics and Space Administration in Silicon Valley.

We are only in the second month of the year, and the lady has won the BEYA Global Competitiveness Conference award for the most promising engineer in the United States. Okolo lists her sisters, Jennifer and Phyllis, as her heroes. She revealed that they taught her biology and other sciences.

This article originally appeared in The Westside Gazette.

12

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 30, 2019 - March 26, 2019

NEW HAVEN’S GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY RADIO STATION!

125

www.newhavenindependent.org

JOE UGLY IN THE MORNING Weekdays 6-9 a.m.

THE TOM FICKLIN SHOW Mondays 10 a.m.

MAYOR MONDAY!

MERCY QUAYE

Mondays 11 a.m.

Mondays 1 p.m.

“THE SHOW”

“DJ REL”

MICHELLE TURNER Tuesdays 9 a.m.

“WERK IT OUT”

ELVERT EDEN Tuesdays at 2 p.m.

MORNINGS WITH MUBARAKAH

“JAZZ HAVEN”

Wednesdays 9 a.m.

Wednesdays 2 p.m.

STANLEY WELCH

“TALK-SIP”

LOVEBABZ LOVETALK

Thursdays 1 p.m.

Mondays-Fridays 9 a.m.

ALISA BOWENSMERCADO

YEARS

FRIDAY PUNDITS Fridays 11 a.m.

TO THEE WE SING Thursday, April 4 • 7:30pm Lyman Center • Southern Connecticut State University New Haven Symphony Orchestra William Boughton, conductor Harolyn Blackwell, soprano & narrator Elliott Forrest, visual artist New Haven All-City Orchestra The NHSO marks the 80th Anniversary of Marian Anderson’s groundbreaking performance at the Lincoln Memorial with a concert that celebrates the perseverance of the human spirit and the ability of music to speak to power. This resonant, poignant performance will use the words of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr; original art by Elliott Forrest; and music by Aaron Copland, Joseph Schwantner, Daniel Bernard Roumain, and others to commemorate and examine what it means to be an American.

Tickets on Sale Now! (203)787-4282 | NewHavenSymphony.org 13

THE INNER-CITY NEWS -

March 20, 2019 - March 26, 2019

New Memoir Out April 16 By Prince’s Longtime Hairstylist Kim Berry Blacknews.com

Los Angeles, CA — Longtime Prince hairstylist and first-time author, Kim Berry will release her new book, Diamonds and Curlz – 29 Years Rolling With Rock Royalty Prince, Tuesday, April 16, 2019. The memoir will be issued as an e-book and print edition on Amazon.com.

The elite LA based celebrity hairstylist is excited to add “Author” to her long list of accomplishments. Taking a page from Prince’s playbook, the new memoir was conceptualized, written and self-published by Berry (KimBOnSet Publishing).

Through fabulously told personal accounts of tour life experiences and other shared moments with Prince, Berry brings this labor of love to the masses. A captivating, heartfelt recollection of her journey alongside one of music’s most prolific artists.

Berry’s desire for the book is to serve as a healing agent for peace to all who have never truly received closure after his death, nearly three years later.

“I want them to know he was a human being…special yes…but perfectly imperfect just like the rest of us. He made mistakes but incredible strides at the same time. Prince laughed, cried and brought beautiful music to the world. I want fans to feel proud that we lived during an era of GREAT music. ‘Prince was the soundtrack of our lives.’ We know what to expect from the realm of music because the bar was so high. Live and live now, on or off stage.

You only get one shot at this thing called life. Your greatest disadvantage is to miss your mark,” says Berry.

Kim was the non-musical entity in his life.

in the industry) was a part of this magical crown…Kim has been a trendsetter for so many years and we always looked forward to what Prince was going to do next.”

Randee St. Nicolas Uniquely blessed, she occupied the space between his life and art. Her story takes readers behind the purple curtain to give them a glimpse of the MAN, not the rock star. She respectfully reflects on Prince, the brother, friend, husband and father. The human side of Prince Rogers Nelson few were privy to experience.

As Prince’s personal hairstylist for al-

Kim’s book will be debuted in Minneapolis April 24-28, during the Celebration of Prince 2019. Book signings and other events are posted in the news and events section of her website.

Preorders for Diamonds and Curlz – 29 Years Rolling With Rock Royalty Prince are underway now on DiamondsnCurlz. com.

To learn more about Kim Berry, click here to visit her official website at www. kimbonset.com. Stay connected with Kim by following her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

For media inquiries and interview requests please contact, Sharon Baldwin at 832-687-1211 | Email: info@makeroompublicity.com About Kim Berry: Celebrity hairstylist Kim Berry is Hollywood’s best kept secret. Known in the industry as Kim B…Kim’s work has been seen all over the world in videos, print, film Kim Berry Photo credit:

most three decades, Berry traveled extensively and primped him for stages all over the world. She also collaborated on what would become iconic looks for countless appearances, photo and video shoots. According to Celebrity MUA, Yolande’ Denise, “Prince has always been the artist of our time who best reflects life and creativity. My girl Kim B. (as she is known

Homeless Black Teen Gets Accepted into 17 Colleges

And He Was Not Part of a Cheating Scandal!

BlackNews.com Jersey City, NJ — Dylan Chidick, a 17year old teenager from New Jersey who has had several challenges including homelessness, has recently been accepted to 17 colleges. He is determined to be the first in his family to go to college.

“The dream I want to achieve, I have to have a lot of determination,” Dylan, who moved to the US from Trinidad at the age of 7, told CBS. Life has been tough for him and his family. His younger twin brothers both have serious heart illnesses and they have been in and out of homelessness.

“My family went through a lot and there has been a lot of people saying, ‘you can’t do that,’ or ‘you’re not going to achieve this,’ and me — getting these acceptances — kind of verifies what I have been saying.

I can do it and I will do it,” he said.

He has already proven himself as the senior class president at Henry Snyder High School and a member of the honor society.

14

and television.

Kim is best known for keeping the mane of Prince coiffed for nearly three decades creating some of his most iconic hairstyle looks. Berry, an elite hairstylist based in Los Angeles received her formal training at Pacific Beauty College. The universe aligned her life to cross paths with Prince, starting a whirlwind education at the “University of Prince Rogers Nelson.”

Her work with Prince has been featured on the pages of Vogue, Allure, W and Rolling Stone magazine, to name a few. She has worked with fashion photographer Patrick Demarchellier, David LaChapelle and Randee St. Nicholas.

In addition to Prince, Kim has serviced Tinseltown’s Who’s Who with the likes of Comedian Katt Williams, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Tamera Mowry-Housley, Niecy Nash, Nicole Ari Parker, Yolanda “YoYo” Whitaker and Vanessa and Angela Simmons, among others.

Kim is determined to leave her mark on the world of beauty and the communityat-large with her passion for motivating young women to take full control of their lives and be their best selves.

Now, he wants to enter college to achieve his dreams for his family.

His mother, Khadine Phillip, took courage to ask for help from the non-profit “Women Rising” and Dylan is more than grateful for it.

“Making herself vulnerable and putting herself out there, that made me determined to never let us get back in that situation again,” Dylan said.

“She is a great example in doing everything necessary to help her children,” Roseann Mazzeo, executive director for Women Rising, said.

The organization was the one who provided them permanent supportive housing as Dylan expects for his last acceptance letter from the College of New Jersey, which is his “top school right now.”

Moreover, all the costs for his college applications have been waived, considering his financial situation. Once he picked his preferred college, he said he wants to study political science.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 30, 2019 - March 26, 2019

Advice you need for the mortgage you want.

Polly Curtin • Loan Officer 860-200-2292 pcurtin@liberty-bank.com NMLS #555684

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Loans are subject to credit and underwriting approval. Certain fees, restrictions and other terms and conditions may apply.

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*Preliminary, subject to change. **Before purchasing any Bonds, contact your tax advisor to determine any applicable federal, state and local tax consequences. These Bonds may not be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the Official Statement is delivered in final form. Under no circumstances shall this annoucement constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the Bonds in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. The Bonds will only be sold by means of an Official Statement.

15

THE INNER-CITY March 2019 - March 2019 INNER-CITYNEWS NEWS- July 27,20, 2016 - August 02, 26, 2016

Dispatcher

PVC FENCE PRODUCTION NOTICE

Galasso Materials is seeking a motivated, organized, detail-oriented candiLarge CT Fence Company looking for an individual for our PVC date to join its truck dispatch office. Responsibilities include order entry Fence Production Shop. Experience preferred but will train the and truck ticketing in a fast paced materials manufacturing and contracting right person. Must be familiar with carpentry hand & power tools company. You will have daily interaction with employees and customers and be able to read a CAD drawing and tape measure. Use of CNC as numerous truckloads of material cross our scales daily. We are willing Router machine a plus but not required, will train the right person. to train the right individual that has a great attitude. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. Authority, Reply to Hiring Manager, PO Box 1776, East Granby, CT 06026.

HOME on behalf of Columbus and the New Haven Housing This is an INC, in-shop production position.House Duties include building EOE/M/F/D/V. is accepting pre-applications for studio and one-bedroom apartments at this devel-

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

fence panels, posts, gates and more. Must have a valid CT driver’s opment 108 Frank Street, New Haven.

Maximum income limitations aplicense & belocated able toatobtain a Drivers Medical Card. Must be able ply. Pre-applications will test. be available from resume 9AM TOto5PM beginning Monday Ju;y to pass a physical and drug Please email pking@ atlasoutdoor.com.

AA/EOE-MF 25, 2016 and ending when sufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) have

DELIVERY PERSON NEEDED

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 preisINC’s seeking a at 171 Orange Street, Third applications must be returned to HOME offices Floor, New Haven, CT 06510.

Common Ground

Part Time Delivery Needed

Campus and Facilities Manager.

One/Two Day a Week,

For job description and directions for applying,

NOTICIA

Must Have your Own Vehicle

please visit http://commongroundct.org/2019/03/commonground-is-seeking-a-campus-and-facilities-manager

APPLY TODAY

If Interested call

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

Administrative Assistant

(203) 387-0354

HOME INC, en nombre de la Columbus House y de la New Haven Housing Authority, está

Must have DOT Construction Involves traveling to Site aceptando pre-solicitudes paraExp. estudios y apartamentos deJob un dormitorio en este desarrollo for recorden keeping. transportation must. NO ubicado la calleReliable 109 Frank Street, Newa Haven.

Se PHONE aplican limitaciones de ingresos CALLS RESUME TO michelle@occllc.com máximos.

LasEMAIL pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 EOE/AA Females andseMinorities aresuficientes encouraged to apply julio, 2016 hasta cuando han recibido pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100)

Listing: Accounting

en las oficinas de HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas por correo a petición Accounting Department has two immediate openings for full llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse time Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable professionals a las oficinas de HOME INC en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510 . seeks: Construction Equipment Mechanic preferably in a fast-paced office environment. Must be highly organized, experienced in Reclaiming and Road Milling Equip- possess good computer skills, be detail oriented, and able to manage multiple projects. Benefits include health, dental & ment. We offer factory training on equipment we LTD insurance plus 401(k). Send resume to: Human Resource operate. Location: Bloomfield CT Dept. P O Box 388, Guilford CT 06437.

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc

We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits Contact: Dan Peterson Phone:242-258 860- 243-2300 Fairmont Ave email: dpeterson@garrityasphalt.com

NEW HAVEN

EMPLOYMENT SPECIALIST - (P/T)

Assist individuals receiving services in identifying and making choices about their social, vocation and personal goals. Duties include case management, job development/placement/retention services and job support as needed. Requires use of personal vehicle. B.A. in a related field; plus 2 yrs’ related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience. Pay rate $16.61/hr.

Apply to: GWSNE, 432 Washington Ave., North Haven, CT 06473/Fax (203) 495-6108/ hr@goodwillsne.org EOE/AA - M/F/D/V

SHOP InvitationCARPENTRY to Bid: Large CT Fence Company looking for a full-time carpenter for our Wood Fence Production nd Notice 2 The GUILFORD HOUSING AUTHORITY Shop. Experience preferred but will train the right person. Must be familiar with carpentry ********An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer**********

2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 levelis, currently 1BA accepting applications for its efficiency and one hand & power tools and be able to read a CAD drawing and tape measure. This is an inWomen & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply bedroom apartments at Guilford Court and Boston Terrace shop production position. Duties include mortising & drill wood posts for fence panels, All new apartments, new appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 & I-95 Old Saybrook, CT Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer in Guilford, CT. Applicants must be age 62 and over or on building fence panels gates & more. Must have a valid CT driver’s license and be able to highways, near bus stop & shopping center (4 Buildings, 17 Units) 100% social security or federal disability and over the age obtain a Drivers Medical Card. Must be able to pass a physical and drug test. Please email Pet under 40lb allowed. Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258 resume to pking@atlasoutdoor.com.

AA/EOE-MF Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc

of 18. Applications maybe obtained by calling the application line at 203-453-6262, ext. 107. Applications will be acseeks: Reclaimer Operators and Milling Operators CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s NewatConstruction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, Castcepted until May 30, 2019 3:00 p.m. Credit, police, and with current andprogram cleandesigned driving record, be Certificate Program.licensing This is a 10 month to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates checks Smoke free in-place Concrete, Asphalt Shingles, Vinyl Siding, in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday,landlord August 20, 2016 1:30- are procured by the authority. willing travelDeacon throughout the Northeast & NY. 3:30 Contact:to Chairman, Joe J. Davis, M.S., B.S. Request for Qualifications housing.

Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, (203) 996-4517 Host, General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits EQUAL OPPORTUNITY HOUSING Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection.

Contact: Rick Tousignant Phone: 860- 243-2300 Email: rick.tousignant@garrityasphalt.com

Elm City Communities

Architectural and Engineering Services

St. New Haven, CT

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

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer

Housing Authority City of New Haven d/b/a Elm city Communities is currently seeking Qualifications for Architectural and Engineering Services A complete copy of the Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016 requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://neAnticipated Start: whavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway August 15, 2016 beginning on Wednesday , FebruProject documents available via2019at ftp link3:00 below: ary 20, PM

KMK Insulation Inc.

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, http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage seeks:Repairs and Replacement at the Seymour,Union CT 06483Company for Concrete Sidewalk 1907 Hartford Turnpike Tractor Trailer Driver for Heavy Highway Con- Street Seymour.

Elm City Communities Smithfield Gardens Assisted Living&Facility, 26 Smith Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com North Haven, CT 06473 struction Equipment. Must have a CDL License, HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses driving record, capable heavy Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483Request for Proposals Aclean pre-bid conference will be heldofatoperating the Housing Authority Office 28 Smith Environmental Services equipment; willing to am, travel AA/EEO EMPLOYER Street Seymour,beCT at 10:00 on throughout Wednesday, the July 20, 2016.

Insulation company offering good pay

Northeast & NY. and benefits. Please mail resume to Housing Authority City of New Haven d/b/a Elm city Communities is currently We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits Bidding documents are available from the Seymour Housing Authority Ofseeking Proposals for Environmental Services A complete copy of the requireabove address.

Contact Dana at 860-243-2300. fice, 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579. ment may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://neEmail: dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com MAIL ONLY

Mechanical Insulator position.

Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply

company is an Affirmative Action/ The Housing Authority reserves the rightEmployer to accept or reject any or This all bids, to Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity reduce the scope of the project to reflect available funding, and to waive any 16 informalities in the bidding, if such actions are in the best interest of the Housing Authority.

whavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on Wednesday , February 20, 2019at 3:00 PM

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 30, 2019 - March 26, 2019

Heavy Equipment Operator & Skilled Laborer Our growing construction company currently has 2 open positions available.

All work is 1st shift and we work only in the State of Connecticut.

Heavy Equipment Operator Ideal candidate will have experience operating all types of heavy equipment on large municipal construction jobsites. A minimum of 3 years’ experience required.

Skilled Construction Laborer In need of a skilled construction laborer who has experience prepping, forming, pouring and finishing concrete sidewalks. Additional labor skills a plus.

Both positions require current OSHA 10 Certificate (Hazwoper Certificate a plus).

Positions require taking and passing a drug test / background check. Apply by emailing your resume to TradeMarkLLC@att.net or fax to 860-314-1428.

Women & Minority applicants are encouraged to apply.

An Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity Employer

BRISTOL HOUSING AUTHORITY Request for Proposal for Construction Manager – at Risk Responses Due 3:00 p.m., Friday, March 1, 2019

The Bristol Housing Authority (“BHA”) is seeking a qualified firm to serve as Construction Manager at Risk for its proposed rehabilitation of D.J. Komanetsky Estates (the “Project”). BHA is requesting a “Statement of Qualifications and Response to Request for Proposal” from interested parties for the Project. The Project is anticipated to be funded primarily with financing from the State of Connecticut Department of Housing (“DOH”), the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (“CHFA”) and BHA. Prior successful experience working with DOH- and CHFA-funded affordable housing developments of this scale is mandatory to qualify for consideration for the Project.

A full copy of the Request for Proposal and access to drawings are available by contacting Carl Johnson, Dir. of Capital Funds at (860) 585-2028 or e-mail cjohnson@bristolhousing. org.

The Bristol Housing Authority is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

NOTICE OF INVITATION FOR BID HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF DANBURY CHIMNEY CLEANING & REPAIR SERVICES IFB NO. B19001

CONTACT PERSON

Ms. Devin Marra, Director of Procurement Telephone: 203-744-2500 x141 E-Mail: dmarra@hacdct.org

HOW TO OBTAIN THE IFB DOCUMENTS:

Contact Ms. Devin Marra, via phone or email.

BID SUBMITTAL RETURN

Housing Authority of the City of Danbury 2 Mill Ridge Rd, Danbury, CT 06811 Envelope Must be Marked: IFB No. B19001 Chimney Services

BID SUBMITTAL DEADLINE/BID OPENING

April 9, 2019 at 10:00am (EST)

[Minority- and/or women-owned businesses are encouraged to respond]

Project Manager Environmental Remediation Division

3-5 years exp. and Bachelor’s Degree, 40-Hr. Hazwoper Training Req. Forward resumes to RED Technologies, LLC, 10 Northwood Dr., Bloomfield, CT 06002; Fax 860.218.2433; or Email to HR@redtechllc.com

RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

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

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

EOE.Electronic submissions only. No phone calls

NEWLY RENOVATED RESIDENCES AVAILABLE We are currently accepting applications for elderly (62 or older) and/or disabled households.

Located in revitalized neighborhoods, our newly renovated apartments feature efficiency, 1 and 2 bedrooms all with convenient access to transportation, great schools and amenities. Community features include 24-hour emergency maintenance, resident activities, and supportive services.

Families who qualify for Section 8 assistance will pay no more than 30% of their adjusted annual income for rent.

REQUIREMENTS: Earnings must be between 25-60% of the Area Medium Income (AMI). Please see the table below for specific income and household requirements. Applications will be rejected if the head of household, co-head or spouse is not elderly and/or disabled and does not qualify for an efficiency, 1 or 2 bedroom apartment. # of people in household

1

2

3

4

Minimum

$16,950

$19,375

$21,800

$24,200

Maximum

$40,680

$46,500

$52,320

$58,080

Applications may be picked up at: • 360 Orange St ● 819 Sherman Parkway ● 220-230 County St. • Downloaded at http://www.cthcvp.org/ • Downloaded at http://www.elmcitycommunities.org Applications can be submitted: • Online at www.elmcitycommunities.org • In person at 360 Orange St, New Haven, CT 06511 • Mailed to PO Box 1912, New Haven, CT 06509 Applications will be ready for pickup on 3/25/19 17

THE INNER-CITY NEWS -

Twelfth Night Review Yale Repertory Theatre presents an Afro-futurist and Afropunk production of Shakespeare romantic comedy, Twelfth Night, directed by Carl Cofield. The production is filled with music, dance, and laughter to open the hearts of the audience with the possibilities of love. There have been many renditions of Shakespeare’s classic play, but no one has brought it to life as best as Cofield.

Shakespeare’s original play is a romantic comedy involving a twisted love triangle. Cofield’s version focuses on flamboyant characters delivering laughs in abundance, he continues with the theme of fools in love with the wrong person.

Twelfth Night artfully provides humor in the multiplicity of the disguise of Viola, contrived conflict amongst characters and a crazy circle of love. As the storytelling unfolds, the audience becomes enthralled in the mess, trying to figure out what’s to come.

Viola (Moses Ingram) is separated from her twin brother Sebastian (Jakeem Dante Powell) in a shipwreck. Viola is disguised as a young man by the name of Cesario.

She chose to cross-dress because she wanted the independence that was given to men. She falls in love with Duke Orsino (William DeMeritt), but he is in love with Countess Olivia (Tiffany Denise Hobbs).

Duke uses Cesario to profess his love for Olivia. Olivia falls in love with Cesario, and she has no knowledge that the person she has fallen in love with is, in fact, a woman. Violas’ twin brother, Sebastian

is rescued, and the wonder and confusion reach its height through funny, sarcastic dialogue amongst the characters. The dynamics of physical attraction and desire, explored in Cofield’s Twelfth Night is a beautiful artistic display of love, laughter, and confusion.

Cofield’s Twelfth Night takes place thirty years into the future; in Illyria, a port city that comes to life through the imagination of a future world celebrating the culture of the African Diaspora. The futuristic setting is reminiscent of virtual reality and is magnified through unexpected intense sounds and vibrant neon colored lighting

March 20, 2019 - March 26, 2019 Con’t on page

by Francette Carson, ICN Correspondent

effects. The media and technology used connected the audience to Illyria through the glowing blue water screen, magical effects of lighting and the emphasis placed on physical gestures through the sound effects. The dynamic stage enhances the atmosphere that is filled with elements of surprise, laughter, and romance.

The modern dress of elegant, Afrocentric, punk-inspired costumes was fascinating.

The use of bright colors reflected in the actor’s hair, makeup and costumes complimented the artistic haven created by the talented creative team.

The multicultural cast was breathtak-

ing; delivering intense performances through the traditional pronunciation of Shakespearean dialogue with a mixture of modern day sarcasm and gestures. The combination of tradition and future connected harmoniously and set the stage for the classic tale to be told with a new vibrant energy. Sir Toby (Chivas Michael), Olivia’s drunken uncle captivated the audience with his confidence and sarcastic charisma. Feste (Erron Crawford), a professional fool in Olivia’s household who earns a living by singing old songs; blends song and storytelling with his strong euphoric voice enhancing the story’s plot. Malvolio (Allen Gilmore), Olivia’s self-righteous head servant; intense performance was delivered with the precision of artistic skills exhibited through his body language, facial expressions and voice intonations giving on point Shakespearean comedic prose.

The play explodes with a creative combination of vibrant, soulful music and dance. The performances intensify the emotions behind the triangles of love. The creative team comprised a Shakespearean experience that fused seamlessly with modern day gestures, costumes, and a soulful musical blend. The modern rendition of this classic tale told from the perspective of the African Diaspora is a bold and inventive play exploring love, gender identity, and sexual ambiguity. Cofield’s Twelfth Night is an evening of beautiful chaos. A magnificent and superb production.

Parents Upset Over ’40 Ounce’ Water Bottle That Looks Like Malt Liquor

by Blacknew.com

Brooklyn, NY — Ounce Water, a bottledwater brand founded by Sons of Anarchy actor Theo Rossi and his wife Meghan McDermott in 2015, is in hot water over its controversial packaging that has upset a number of local Brooklyn residents. Their recently launched 40 Ounce water bottle allegedly resembles malt liquor bottles and could promote alcoholism to children.

Brooklyn residents, including Breukelen RISE, an activist group that serves at-risk youth and their families, protested against Ounce Water’s natural spring water that comes in a 40-ounce bottle that looks like Colt 45, Olde English and Private Stock, which has negative stereotypes on Black communities.

They also use a marketing campaign believed to target Black consumers with some hint of hip-hop and a tagline “Get Ounced!”

“In a community that has been ravaged by alcohol and drugs, we are confused as to why someone would create a product that so closely resembles a malt liquor bottle,” members of Breukelen RISE wrote in a letter to the company. “We cannot get behind this product staying on the shelves in our community.”

The activists have first called for a pull out of the product from Canarsie’s Food World

Supermarket. It has since been removed and replaced by their 20-ounce bottles.

However, the damage won’t be forgotten by the people anymore.

“They called the store and said we were promoting alcoholism by selling water in that bottle,” said Food World manager, Kevin Chang, 38. “They said they’d come and protest unless we got rid of them. We called the manufacturer. They came and took the 40s and gave us the 20s. To be quite honest, it does look like an Olde English, but it’s plastic. It’s not glass. It’s just water. It says water on the contents.”

Aside from that, activists are also concerned about the bottle’s possibility to promote alcoholism to children. They believed that as children try to copy what adults do, the Ounce Water bottle could potentially put them to the path that would eventually lead them to trying real alcoholic drinks.

“It’s the same as play cigarettes. It’s grooming. It’s a precursor to making you comfortable holding that bottle,” Christine Gilliam, a longtime Breukelen Houses resident, told the New York Daily News. “It’s not what’s in the bottle — it’s the bottle itself. We would love it if everybody would drink more water, but nobody in my family is going to drink that water as long as it’s in that bottle.”

18

Public Is Divided On Lamont’s Tax Proposal

er of Mercedes Benz of New London, said.

“This kind of price increase will directly impact consumer behavior resulting in delayed or postponed sales, sales of less expensive vehicles, or worse, no sales at all. This burden will affect all consumers trading in a car.”

With repeal of the trade-in exemption, Connecticut will stand alone in the Northeast as the only state to tax trade-in vehicles.

“All states, with the exception of California, that have a sales tax on motor vehicle sales similar to Connecticut’s, have some type of allowance exempting the trade-in from the sales tax,” Jill Silverman, owner and assistant general manager of Richard Chevrolet, said.

“More importantly, all northeastern states, with the exception of New Hampshire, which has no sales tax, give consumers a trade-in exemption.”

The Progressive caucus, which is seeking changes to the overall package, also expressed their opposition to a tax on sugary beverages.

Lamont’s budget proposed a 1.5 cent per ounce tax on sweetened beverages. That amounts to about 18 cents on a 12 ounce can or $2.16 cents on a 12-pack of soda or a $1.92 tax on a gallon jug of iced tea.

Dr. David Katz, director of Prevention Research Center at Yale University and Griffin Hospital, said sugar-sweetened beverages “are really the tobacco of our time.”

Opponents, including the Progressive Caucus, argue the tax is regressive.

Rep. Juan Candelaria, D-New Haven, said the sugary beverage tax will disproportionately impact working- and middle-class families.

“Obesity and diabetes are horribly regressive,” Katz said.

He said it’s just a fact the obesity and diabetes are also impacting those communities at a greater rate and “that’s regressive.” He said the cost of those diseases “dwarf” the cost of the tax.

Katz said taxing sweetened beverages actually levels the playing field. He said no one in any of these communities is going to go thirsty if they can’t buy soda.

The sugary beverage tax is expected to generate $163.1 million in the second year of the budget.

Meanwhile, Lamont’s revenue proposals also had supporters.

The two-year budget released Feb. 20 doesn’t make many changes to the spending side of the budget.

The decision to increase spending slightly did not go unnoticed by advocates for the poor, disabled, and elderly.

A number of advocates for the individuals who receive services in some way from the state came to testify Friday in favor of Lamont’s revenue proposals.

Ben Szczerbicki, a recovery coordinator for Reliance Health, Inc., said he wanted to encourage the Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee to “make the difficult decisions require to increase state revenue.” He said the revenue is necessary to fund the services that saved his life.

He was one of many to testify in favor of the tax increases.

“If this committee doesn’t pass a budget with sufficient revenue to support the funding needed to maintain those programs, there will be no choice but for the Appropriations Committee to make additional cuts — cuts the folks who participate in these programs simply cannot afford,” Kathy Flaherty, executive director of the CT Legal Rights Project, said.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - March 30, 2019 - March 26, 2019

THE AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN’S SUMMIT

A Sisters’ Collaborative “25 Years: Empowering Our Community”

Saturday, March 23, 2019 9:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

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Program:

“Road To One” “Where There Are Tongues” “Breaking Point”

MARCH 30

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APRIL 5–7

aawsummit@gmail.com This event is free to the public

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March 20, 2019 - March 26, 2019

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