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THE INNER-CITY NEWS

MARCH 21, 2018

-

MARCH 27, 2018

City Projects $14.4M Deficit For Current Year

by THOMAS BREEN New Haven Independent

The city is still wrestling with a projected $14.4 million deficit for the fiscal year that ends June 30, according to a recent financial update from the city’s budget director. The projected deficit is evenly split between the city budget and the Board of Education budget.

On Monday night Acting Budget Director Michael Gormany and City Controller Daryl Jones revealed that figure when they presented their latest monthly financial summary report to the Board of Alders Finance Committee during a meeting in the aldermanic chambers on the second floor of City Hall.

The report covered the current finances for the city and the Board of Education as well as financial projections through the end of the fiscal year in June.

Gormany told the alders that the city’s overall projected deficit by the end of the year shrank from $16.3 million in December 2017 to $14.4 million in January 2018.

He credited the change to betterthan-expected increases in real estate conveyance tax collections, a yearover-year increase in building permit revenues, and a decline in police overtime in comparison to what the city had projected.

According to Gormany’s summary, the city is projected to collect $1.4

million over budget in tax revenue by the end of the fiscal year. The summary also states that building permit revenues are expected to be $1.2 million, or 32 percent, higher than last year.

Police overtime came in at under $100,000 per week for the first three weeks of March. Even though the overtime budget is still projected to be $2.5 million above what was initially budgeted, Gormany said, the recent decreases allow the city to revise down the latest projections for end-of-year overtime costs by $1 million in comparison to what the city projected back in December.

Gormany said that the Board of Ed’s projected deficit decreased by $2 million, from around $9 million to $7 million, from December to January.

“We did realize some more vacancy saving for open positions as we do not fill them this fiscal year,” he told the alders. “We’re only filling the critical need positions to reserve the saving from the vacant salaries for the fiscal year.”

Gormany and Jones also drew the alders’ attention to two substantive cuts in municipal aid from the state.

Gormany said that the city’s general fund had to cover $400,000 that the state usually sends to pay for the Youth Services department’s Youth At Work program.

The city went ahead with the popular summer employment program for local teens last summer even though

THOMAS BREEN PHOTO

Acting Budget Director Michael Gormany (left) and City Controller Daryl Jones at Monday night’s Finance Committee meeting.

the state had not yet passed a budget. When the state finally did pass a budget in October, the document did not include funding for Youth At Work, which the state has funded for over a decade. The city had to backfill the costs of last year’s program with money from the general fund.

Youth Services Director Jason Bartlett told the Independent that the program, which employs around 600 local teens over the course of the summer, is critical in connecting cash-strapped nonprofits with local teens who can help the organizations run summer camps while also getting their first taste of paid work outside of school.

Bartlett and mayoral spokesperson Laurence Grotheer said that they hope the state legislature puts funding for Youth At Work back into the next state budget, but that Mayor Harp’s administration is committed to continuing with the program in either case.

Controller Daryl Jones also said that two weeks ago the state cut $750,000 in municipal aid that New Haven expected to receive this year as its share of funds from an East Windsor casino project that has been indefinitely delayed.

Gormany’s report reduces the projected state Education Cost Sharing funding for the current year down down by $250,000. The report states

that the state budget passed in October returned the administration of the Renters’ Rebate Program to the state Office of Policy and Management (OPM), but requires municipalities to cover the cost of 50 percent of the cost of the claims in their towns, up to a cap of $250,000 per town.

Plan Promised “It looks to me like the $14.4 million question is: What’s the path towards ending the fiscal year balanced?” asked Westville Alder Adam Marchand.

Gormany and Jones promised to present a more detailed plan to the alders at an upcoming Finance Committee meeting on how the city plans on reducing the projected $14.4 million hole.

“We have the expenditure controls for all the departments,” Gormany said, referring to strict rules in place about not filling vacant positions unless those positions are absolutely critical to the functioning of city government.

“But we’d be happy to submit a plan on how we’re going to close that deficit before the end of the fiscal year.”

“From a budgetary standpoint,” Jones said, “the most important thing that we try to achieve is the balancing of the general fund.” He said that rating agencies tend to penalize cities for not balancing their budgets, and that an unbalanced budget could make borrowing money more expensive going forward.

Free Community College Tuition Floated

by Parker Fiske CT. Junkie News

HARTFORD, CT — What does free community college tuition look like in Connecticut? That’s a question the legislature’s Higher Education Committee is exploring this legislative session.

The committee asked legislation to be drafted that starts a conversation about what tuition-free community college might look like in the state.

There are eight bills that simply say the state will provide tuition-free community college to Connecticut residents.

State funding and various partnerships with businesses represent the primary mechanisms to pay for the measure, but it is not definitive.

The legislation will likely be expanded and amended as it works its way through the committee process.

Democrats, who hold a slim majority in

the House and are evenly divided in the Senate, echoed the need for some form of tution relief in their Democratic Values agenda, its blueprint and platform for the legislative session. It makes a broad call for tuition-free community college, although the details are less defined. The agenda goes a step further than many previous tuition initiatives, calling for “unprecedented” investment in technical high-schools across the state, including opening a number of new schools around the state. The idea is to create a pipeline to the workforce for these students.

Connecticut currently has 12 community colleges. The annual price of attending community college in Connecticut totals almost $4,300 and an estimated 49,000 students attended community college either full or part-time in 2017, according to the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system.

Not everyone in the General Assem-

bly shares the same ideas about what tuition-free college should look like in practice. Some maintain that a tution completion program would better serve the needs of Connecticut’s workforce and prove less burdensome on the state budget, as well.

During a hearing of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee earlier this month, Sen. Beth Bye, D-West Hartford, called for a college completion plan that would distinguish Connecticut from other states with similar tuition-free models.

“The reason ours is unique compared to the other states is that we’re talking about free college completion,” she said. Bye felt that this approach helps get students through the final phases of college process, as the state helps accelerate their completion through tuition Con’t from page 4

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CHRISTINE STUART / CTNEWSJUNKIE

Sen. Beth Bye at a press conference last week

THE INNER-CITY NEWS MARCH 21, 2018 - MARCH 27, 2018

Once Again, Schools Bid “Doc” Farewell

by CHRISTOPHER PEAK New Haven Independent

After more than two decades at the helm of the city’s public schools, Reggie Mayo has had a lot of practice with every part of the superintendent’s job, including how to say goodbye.

For the second time in his 23-year career as superintendent, Mayo Monday night thanked well-wishers at his last Board of Education meeting before he heads into retirement this time, he hopes, for good.

After the school board abruptly canned Garth Harries in October 2016, Mayo stepped back into his old role as superintendent. The goal, originally, was to keep the schools running just for a couple months, until a permanent leader could be identified.

Over the last few months, Carol Birks, the new superintendent, been getting to know the community, drawing up plans with financial advisors and planning a listening tour hosted by the PDK Educational Foundation.

She officially starts the job this coming Monday.

Mayo guessed he’d be serving in the interim superintendent post for half a year tops, he said at Monday’s board meeting. But with a contentious search process for his successor, Mayo’s encore lasted much longer. He ended up staying in the role for nearly 17 months.

“It’s been a long, long, much longer period than I thought,” he said.

But Mayo added that he was glad he came back.

“Thank you for having me back.

Some days, I thought that I was foolish to do that, but most days, I enjoyed the work I’ve done, for 47 years,” he said. “I love this work, I will always love this work. I certainly don’t have that same energy as I did in 1992, but we managed to do it because of the great staff I have.”

At Mayo’s final board meeting at Celentano School Monday night, which lasted three hours, a track star was applauded, a public commenter asked for the Bible to be taught in schools, and 11 contract renewals were voted down in favor of going out to bid.

Clergymen, like Revs. Boise Kimber and Steven Cousin, also showed up to thank Mayo, offering to buy him a virgin cocktail at the Knickerbocker Golf Club. Board member Darnell Goldson said the board members would chip in for a round of golf with three buddies, too.

Reggie Mayo survives his last school board meeting.

Mayor Toni Harp gives Mayo a tie pin of New Haven’s nine squares.

Rodney Williams, a Newhallville native and contractor who helped build city schools and often advocates for vocational programs, choked up during public comment. “Many times i come here and I might come at the board, because I’m trying to get more.

I’m like that because of you,” he told

Mayo, his one-time principal. “Thank you.”

Mayor Toni Harp gave Mayo a pin with New Haven’s nine squares; Ed Joyner gave him a plaque. “I don’t believe that anybody else could have helped us get through this fairly turbulent year,” Joyner said.

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Mayo said that seeing many familiar faces had made it so much easier to keep the district steady. “Even though there was a 3.5-year break in between, it didn’t appear that way. I just walked right in and, boom, one meeting here and one there, pick up the pieces and start moving,” he said. “It was like going from one day to the next.”

Mayo, who’s 72, was raised by a single mom in housing projects in Richmond, Virginia. When he finished high school early, he tried to join the military, but recruiters told him he was too young. A guidance counselor encouraged him to apply for college, and he ended up at Virginia Union University, a small historically black college. After graduation, he moved in with an aunt in Waterbury, where he started substitute teaching in Waterbury.

He landed his first full-time school job, way back in 1967, as a science teacher at Augusta Lewis Troup School. He earned a salary of $5,000.

He went on to become the school’s assistant principal, the director of elementary schools, and the head of school operations, before Mayor John Daniels picked him for superintendent in 1992.

At the end of his tenure, “Doc,” as his colleagues refer to him, oversaw a reform drive that focused on accountability, using student performance as way to grade teachers, principals and schools.

During his second go-round, Mayo tried to keep the focus on those core academics. Under Harries, administrators had devoted a lot of attention to students’ socio-emotional learning, he said. Don’t get him wrong; that’s hugely important, Mayo said. But he said he saw his role as swinging the pendulum back to notching gains in math and reading.

“I think they had lost a little focus on the test scores. We moved into a period of social development, when we talked about chronic absences and made a tremendous progress,” he said. “I said, I’ve got to shift this balance back a little bit the other way, because we’re missing out on academics. We’ve got to keep the social development piece going, no question about it: You cannot teach kids that are misbehaving, you cannot teach kids if they’re not coming to school.

I saw that right away, but I think it’s now a balance that wasn’t there when I came in.”

He added that he expects test scores to go up next year.

Faced with last-minute budget cuts from the state, Mayo also reeled in a sizable deficit last year. He ran out of time to fully close the $6.9 million gap this year, but he said he’ll be working on it until he clocks out on Friday evening.

“We’re sort of playing with things right now, like what do we get if we combine a couple of schools,” he said.

“We’re narrowing this thing in.”

Mayo said he plans to take a break and get some rest. He owes his wife a vacation, he said.

After that, he might take on some more consulting gigs, like the ones he worked for Booker T. Washington Academy and Highville Charter School before the district called him up.

“That was a good life,” he said. “You don’t have to come in at 8 a.m. and leave at 9 p.m.”

Mayo said he’ll still take pick up the phone if the schools need his help again.

“Farewell,” he said. “Don’t think I’m gone, I’ll be around. I’ll be sending in questions [for public comment]. I’m a citizen now.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS

MARCH 21, 2018

-

MARCH 27, 2018

Healthcare Union Announces Strike

by Christine Stuart CT. Junkie News

HARTFORD, CT — “No more excuses,” hundreds of healthcare workers shouted on the north steps of the state Capitol. “Fund our services.”

The 2,500 workers, who are unionized through SEIU 1199, work in private nonprofit group homes and facilities that are funded through the state Department of Developmental Services. They take care of Connecticut’s intellectually and developmentally disabled population and aren’t making more than $14 an hour.

On Monday, they announced they voted to go on strike.

The nine private nonprofit group homes where the workers’ work serve hundreds of communities across the state.

Sen. Terry Gerratana, D-New Britain, said the workers haven’t had a raise in over a decade and some who have worked in the field for two decades are making less now than they did when they started. She said that’s wrong and one of the reasons she’s supporting SB 400 which would direct funding to improve pay to these direct care workers.

It will cost Connecticut about $30 million and Democratic leadership seems to be supportive of the proposal.

Senate President Martin Looney and House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz both addressed workers Monday.

Many workers, like Rhonda Defelice, work two jobs because they can’t survive on just one.

“I work during the day and then at night until 10 a.m. in the morning,” Defelice said. “I work seven days a week. This is no way for anyone to live.”

She said she has a child who barely gets to see her because this is what she has to do to survive and provide.

“I have to make a choice. Do we eat this week or do I pay the bills?” Defelice said. “We can not wait for them to say they don’t have the money.”

She said while the news says the money is tight, “we need to think about what we’re doing to the people with disabilities and the workers like me that take care of them.”

Janet Cruz, another worker, has been doing this work for 13 years.

“Our clients depend on us for everything and they’re like family,” Cruz said.

She said because her wages are so low she works 80 hours per week just to try and at the end of the week she’s still forced to make tough choices about which bills to pay.

“This should not be the case,” Cruz

CHRISTINE STUART / CTNEWSJUNKIE

SEIU 1199 workers give notice of a strike

“We stand side-by-side with you,” Simon said.

He said they do a lot of fundraising to try and subsidize what the state pays, but it’s not enough to give his workers a raise.

“If the state wants a service they need to be able to pay a reasonable rate for it,” Simon said.

He said they haven’t received any rate adjustments, except down, since 2008.

Senate Republican President Len Fasano, R-North Haven, said they have always been supportive of these workers and the jobs they do.

That’s why “Republicans have worked to try to find ways to prioritize funding for these services,” Fasano said Monday. However, “we have always made it clear that increasing fixed costs by extending the SEBAC deal would crowd out the possibility of increasing funding for private providers.”

Con’t from page 2

Tuition Floated

CHRISTINE STUART / CTNEWSJUNKIE Workers

CHRISTINE STUART / CTNEWSJUNKIE

rally in the cold outside the Capitol

Barry Simon, president and CEO of Oak Hill

said. “We have voted to strike unless legislators can step up and provide the funding we need.”

The workers have given notice of a strike, but can’t walk off the job until April 1.

“What we need to do is not just advocate—but sadly many times people don’t pay attention until you’re prepared to create a crisis—and we are prepared to create a crisis,” SEIU 1199 President David Pickus said.

He said they’re no longer going to

accept that “it’s just not your turn.”

Barry Simon, president and CEO of Oak Hill, who will lose his workforce on April 1 if legislative action isn’t taken, said he supports the workers efforts.

Oak Hill is the largest private sector agency providing these services to the community.

He said the state has provided flat funding to the private sector for a decade and they would like to increase their workers’ pay.

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relief. Bye argued, “This is a more conservative approach where you’re saying kids who have made it halfway, who have proven they can pass the classes, have a certain GPA, we’re going to accelerate your completion because we need you, we need you in our workforce.”

Bye also acknowledged the financial difficulties of the plan, saying, “This might not be the year that we afford it, but let’s have this committee have the vision and leadership and start this conversation.”

Rep. Timothy LeGeyt, R-Canton, expressed his opposition to free college completion on financial grounds, saying, “I can’t imagine a framework where this state in its present situation could support a proposal or program to provide free college for people, even if it is just on completion”.

Two of Connecticut’s neighboring states, Rhode Island and New York, have some form of tuition-free community college.

Rhode Island offers in-state tuition to students who hold grade point average of 2.5 and above, while New York’s model goes even further. The New York plan rolled out by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2017 offers free tuition at any state university or community college student from a family with an income of less than $100,000. Other states, like Tennessee and Louisiana, have introduced initiatives to provide tuition relief over the past few years, and similar measures became part of the national conversation during the 2016 presidential campaign.

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Dr. Tamiko Jackson-McArthur Michelle Turner Smita Shrestha William Spivey Kam Williams Rev. Samuel T. Ross-Lee

_______________________

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

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Strong Might Become Obama School THE INNER-CITY NEWS MARCH 21, 2018 - MARCH 27, 2018

by MARKESHIA RICKS New Haven Independent

When the Strong 21st Century Communications Magnet School opens its new home on the campus of Southern Connecticut State University, it might have a new name that of the 44th president on the United States.

Board of Education (BOE) President, Darnell Goldson shared that idea with the members of the Newhallville Management Team at their most recent meeting.

Goldson said a board subcommittee will consider renaming the school in honor of Barack Obama in honor of his historic election as the first AfricanAmerican president.

“It would be the only school named after Obama in Connecticut,” Goldson said at the meeting, which took place last week at Lincoln-Bassett School. “It would be the only school in New England named after Obama, and one of only four in the total Northeast named after Obama.”

He noted it would be the only traditional public school in the Northeast named after Obama; the other three schools are charters.

“It would be significant,” Goldson said

CHRISTOPHER PEAK PHOTO

Goldson

JCJ ARCHITECTURE/PICKARD CHILTON

School.

Rendering of future Strong — er, Obama? —

of the proposed name change. “We have to continue to look at how we as a majority-minority community figure out how to make sure we teach our kids just how important that is.”

Shovels are expected to be in the ground this spring for the new school, which is expected to cover about 62,000 square feet. The city has an agreement with Southern that allows it to lease space to build the pre-K to 4 lab school on the university’s campus at 69 Farnham Ave. Alders agreed to build the new school with the help of about $34.2 million from the state; the city has to put up about $10.8 million. The larger school is expected to grow from the 350 students now served to about 490.

In addition to a new school building, part of the new ethos of the school will be grooming future teachers for New Haven’s public schools with help from Southern’s education school. While the school does receive some students from surrounding towns, the majority of students are from New Haven. The school is about 60 percent African-American and 33 percent Latino. The BOE best case scenario is to open the school to students in time for the 2020 school

year.

But first, the name change has to get past a committee tasked with making such recommendations.

At a Board of Ed meeting on Feb. 12, Goldson said he’d read in this Independent story that a pedestrian footbridge is being named for President Barack Obama.

“That suggestion didn’t go through the process that is outlined in our policies,” he said.

According to the bylaws, the school system has to appoint a committee before making any name changes. The committee is made up of six people: two appointed by the Board of Education president, two by the Board of Education, and two by the School Construction Committee chair. That committee then makes a recommendation that the whole Board of Education must vote to approve.

Goldson recommended Keisha ReddHannans, Celentano’s principal, and Krystal Augustine, an outspoken parent, as the committee’s first two members.

Christopher Peak contributed to this report.

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Youth Stat Reaches Out To Frosh THE INNER-CITY NEWS

by CHRISTOPHER PEAK New Haven Independent

Benjamin’s teachers at Hillhouse High School hadn’t seen the ninthgrader in class for more than five months until a new Youth Stat program intervened.

Marked absent since August, practically right after the school year started, Benjamin started showing up again in recent weeks, after youth workers showed up at his house and caught him up.

At a day of games with other strug gling freshmen, Benjamin finally got the welcome that he’d missed.

Since 2014, the citywide Youth Stat initiative has tried to put students in danger of dropping out back on track to graduate, by connecting them with extra help from teachers, social workers, administrators and others who strategize about how to help them avoid failing. The initiative now has a new target: high-school freshman.

“We have, from what I understand, a real crisis in freshmen succeeding in New Haven,” said Jason Bartlett, the city’s director of youth services.

“What we have to do as a district is combine our resources.”

Currently, 12.9 percent of the Elm City’s ninth-graders fail a core class in their freshman year, often derailing their chances of graduating within four years. By reaching students at that transition point, Youth Stat’s administrators believe they can get students back on track earlier while three years of school remain.

The Freshman Project, as the new initiative is known, is open to first-year students at the district’s two compre-

hensive high schools, Hillhouse and Wilbur Cross; two alternative high schools, New Light and Riverside Academy; and one magnet, High School in the Community.

The freshmen in the program are grouped into “houses” of about 10 students each, a smaller setting where they can connect with classmates and receive three-on-one support from a tutor, a mentor and a “house parent.”

As of mid-December, Youth Stat had signed up 106 freshman. Over the next two months, 11 dropped out, either because they moved away from the district or did not want to continue participating.

As workers collect more consent forms, those enrollment numbers should be rising soon, said Christian Tabares, a youth project liaison.

The students enrolled so far are close to failing out. In the first half of the year, the average participant scored mostly Ds, with a 0.92 GPA, and missed almost one-third of their classes, with 70 percent attendance, Tabares reported.

Bartlett’s goal is to push up each student’s GPA by a full point, the equivalent of a full letter grade on report cards.

Each student who reaches that goal can earn up to $150 per marking period. The team who notches the biggest academic improvement will earn $500 for a field trip, say, for an outing to see “Black Panther” in theaters.

Those financial incentives help teenagers start to see a long-term perspective, where hard work is rewarded with a pay-off, Bartlett explained.

“We know that young people think short-term, what’s today’s pleasure.

MARCH 21, 2018

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MARCH 27, 2018

Freshmen face off in Connect Four.

CHRISTIAN TABARES PHOTO

day-long competition.

Freshman race into an obstacle course, the first event in a

ArtSpeaks Vol. I Women, Workplaces & The Arts

A New Light student tests a Jenga piece.

On this first episode of Artspeaks, Lucy Gellman leads a discussion with actor Malia Imani West, photographer Lucy McClure, violist Annalisa Boerner and chef Nadine Nelson about the challenges women face working in the arts -- both in the face of the #metoo movement and far beyond it. To listen, click on or download the audio below.

They’re not necessarily oriented to think long-term, what’s success over life,” he said. “Really, this is to jolt them, to get their attention, to get them motivated. Every time that we want them to do something, do we have to give them a gift card? No. But I do want them to be excited, to reorient themselves in terms of what is success, to grab their attention.”

Bartlett added that the payments can also open up a conversation about

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future employment and the degrees needed to pursue it.

“It helps set goals,” he said. “What does it take to become an artist or an automobile mechanic? How much math do you need to know to be a plumber? How do you get there and what kind of money are you going to make?”

Youth Stat’s newest program is funded with a grant from the Dalio Foundation. The charity was set up by

Ray Dalio, founder of the hedge fund Bridgewater Associates, and his wife Barbara Dalio, founder of the Connecticut Rise Network, which is running programs out of Hill Regional Career High School.

The Dalio Foundation is contributing $200,000 over two years. “We’re going to keep talking to them, and hopefully, they’ll renew,” Bartlett said.

“And if we’re successful, they could use it as a best practice to bring to other districts. We’re really a pilot.”

Still in the first marking period after the program’s roll-out, Bartlett doesn’t yet have data on how students are performing in class. But his team does have plenty of stories and anecdotal proof that the program is getting students to show up.

Akeem Berry, a youth services worker who serves as Hillhouse’s “house parent,” has worked closely with Benjamin. He said that Benjamin didn’t understand certain classes. Confused, he eventually decided to stop going.

“Getting him back into class, the best way is consistency,” Berry explained.

“I made multiple home visit and spoke with both of his parents. I talked through his grades so they know where he’s at right now. They don’t have anybody in the school system do that, to sit down with them and show them, ask if there’s any subjects that they need tutors in.”

During the recent winter break, Benjamin showed up for a full-day competition, “The Challenge.” With other freshmen, he jumped through an obstacle course, tried to outsmart other teams in Connect Four, balanced blocks in a huge Jenga set and shot hoops in a three-point contest.

The students also squeezed against bungee cords in a life-size version of Hungry Hippos. “You strap the belt on you, and you jump,” one basketballplayer from Creed explained. “You jump as far as you could.”

Benjamin said the games taught him “how to work together” with new people he’d just met. His team made it to the end, tying for the $500 prize.

Bartlett eventually hopes to roll out the program district-wide. “The district could be taking another 200 freshmen,” he said, but he’s struggled to get “enough buy-in at the schools” for the new program.

“I think we all need to work together,” Bartlett explained. “I don’t want to be that program where we’re doing what we’re doing and they’re doing something different.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS MARCH 21, 2018 - MARCH 27, 2018

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS

MARCH 21, 2018

-

MARCH 27, 2018

Work Requirements For Medicaid Exposes Ideological Divide

by Christine Stuart CT. Junkie News

HARTFORD, CT — There are 800,000 Medicaid recipients in Connecticut, but 72 percent of them would not be impacted by a Medicaid work waiver because they are children under 19, adults over 65, persons with disabilities, or employed.

But several lawmakers spoke passionately Thursday both for and against a bill, which seemed to expose an uncomfortable ideological divide.

Republicans believe people receiving Medicaid should be required to fulfill work obligations that will lift them out of poverty, while Democrats believe healthcare is a right for anyone who is eligible.

“I have to tell you this legislation makes me sick,” Rep. Cathy Abercrombie, D-Meriden, said.

She said a majority of Walmart, Stop & Shop, and Dunkin Donuts employees are on Medicaid because they can’t get enough hours to qualify for insurance or they simply don’t make enough money and “need a hand up to help them with their medical.”

Abercrombie said taking away health insurance from this population isn’t going to stop them from getting sick.

She said they will show up at the emergency room and “we all know as a state what we pay for people who are not insured.”

She said Medicaid “isn’t a job promoter. It’s a health insurance policy.”

Rep. Jason Perillo, R-Shelton, said Connecticut has created a health insurance that is so good “that in many

cases there may not be an incentive to get off it.”

He said while many may already have a job there’s 28 percent who are not working and should be able to work. He said some are disabled, but not all of them. He pointed out there are already work requirements for other so-called welfare programs, such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and TANF. “We’re talking about giving Medicaid recipients an opportunity to work, go to school, volunteer, to be productive,” Perrillo said. “Maybe we have different perspectives on how we achieve that goal, but that is the goal.”

He said they want them to get a better job that will lift them out of poverty.

Rep. Terry Adams, D-Stamford, said he was just listening to the debate over opening the bidding process for a casino in Bridgeport and learned that there are more than 9,000 people in New Haven and Bridgeport who are struggling to find a job.

“There’s no jobs, yet you’re saying everybody ought to be able to work,” Adams said.

Perillo said not everybody can get a job just because they want one. He said an individual has to be actively looking for employment or volunteering 20 hours per week or attending school.

“I see no reason why that concept of seeking employment, which ideally gets us to a point where individuals are eventually employed,” Perillo said. “Eventually they’re going to get there.”

Adams wondered what Perillo would do if he lost his job, ran out of unemployment benefits, and was suddenly unable to provide for his family. He said Toys R Us is about to lay off 33,000 people and what happens if those people are unable to find jobs within the next six months?

Perillo suggested if a person doesn’t have the skills then they can return to school to get the skills they need for a job.

But without any money to pay the bills then how do you afford school and still pay the bills?

“How do you maintain your household?” Adams said. “Tell me in reality how do I get there?”

Perillo said it’s unfortunate this discussion is happening with just the Human Services Committee because it involves so much more than that and can’t be discussed in a “silo.”

“That’s our collective failure,” Perillo said. “We have not cooperated and collaborated across agencies to enable that.”

He said there is “no jobs plan that corresponds with an education plan that addresses the individuals on Medicaid.” He said they can’t keep talking about these things in silos.

Rep. Brandon McGee, D-Hartford, said in his district more than half of the Medicaid recipients work and many of them are working more than one job.

“Connecting work requirements to one’s health care coverage is absolutely absurd,” McGee said. “It is ridiculous.”

He said it feels like Trump is “attack-

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CHRISTINE STUART / CTNEWSJUNKIE Rep.

Brandon McGee, D-Hartford

ing working people” in the state of Connecticut.

In January, the Trump administration issued guidance to states that would allow them to impose work requirements on the Medicaid population as a condition of eligibility.

There are nine states that have applied for these waivers and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has approved the program for three states.

There are six states still awaiting approval.

Social Services Commissioner Roderick Bremby said there’s already a lawsuit filed against Kentucky for moving forward with the waiver. It alleges that the federal health officials who approved the plan acted illegally and in conflict with Medicaid law that

only Congress has power to change.

Bremby also pointed out that the federal government did not provide any financial support for states to make these changes to the program. From verifying work data to helping Medicaid recipients obtain training or jobs, there is no financial support for imposing the work requirement.

Rep. Melissa Ziobron, R-East Haddam, said they need to weave these types of programs together with others to find cost savings because the next legislature is staring down a $5 billion deficit.

“Tough, tough decisions will have to be made, Ziobron said.

Abercrombie said she doesn’t believe this legislation gets them any further toward closing a budget gap.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS MARCH 21, 2018 - MARCH 27, 2018

Black Icons in Civil Rights, Politics and Business Receive 2018 NNPA Torch Awards Third Baptist Church Pastor Amos C. Brown, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and James Farmer, a senior consultant with General Motors and advocate for the Black Press, receive 2018 NNPA Torch Awards during Black Press Week.

Three icons of their respective industries were honored at the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s annual Torch Awards dinner at The Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, D.C. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), James Farmer of General Motors, and Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown, a student of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and pastor of the Third Baptist Church of San Francisco took home the coveted trophies which are bestowed upon those who demonstrate excellence in their chosen profession or endeavor.

This year’s honorees join a legacy of high-achieving, community-serving African Americans.

“The San Francisco Sun Reporter gave me a voice,” said Lee, as she accepted her award from NNPA National Chair Dorothy Leavell, NNPA President Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., and NNPA Foundation Chair Amelia Ashley-Ward, the publisher of the Sun

Reporter.

Lee called Ashley-Ward, the publisher of the Sun Reporter, “truly a treasure,” before tearing into a recent secret FBI report that identified some activists in the Black community as “Black Identity Extremists.”

Farmer, whom Chavis praised as one of the most active advocates of the Black Press, completed more than 50 years of dedicated service to “not only his profession, but to the many organizations he served,” Chavis said.

A 1967 graduate of Central State University in Ohio, Farmer entered the automotive industry that year at Airtemp Division, Chrysler Corporation, as an advertising clerk, according to his biography.

There, he began a relationship with the only Black newspaper in Dayton, Ohio, the Dayton Black Express newspaper. After 10 years with Chrysler, Farmer took a position at General Motors where he continued to advocate and support the Black Press—a relationship that continues today.

Farmer said he appreciated the honor and will cherish it.

“This is a group that’s really in my heart,” he said of the Black Press. “If I gave up on the NNPA, I know corporate America could too.”

Brown, who also serves as president

of the San Francisco branch of the NAACP and was only one of eight students who took the only college class ever taught by King, said the Black Press has and remains vital in America.

“Again, and again, you have heard from this ‘Dream Team’…this fivestar [leadership team],” Brown said of Chavis, Leavell, Ashley-Ward and the leadership of the Black Press. “What African American leaders ought to be about in this nation. You have the chemistry to relate to all people around the word with compassion and courage and I hope you will keep this ‘Dream Team’ intact.”

The ceremony included remarks from Houston Forward Times Publisher and NNPA Vice Chair Karen Carter Richards, who said it was important that the Black Press honor its own.

“If we don’t honor our own, who will?

Tonight, we are here to honor distinguished individuals in their fields,” Richards said.

Jackson Caesar, the nephew of gospel great Shirley Caesar, performed two solo songs during the awards ceremony while the group, One Vision Band, provided the entertainment.

Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III, the Senior Pastor of the Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, served T:9.25” as keynote speaker.

by Micha Green The AFRO Washington, D.C.

Justin Blackman was just a normal teen at Wilson Preparatory Academy in Wilson, North Carolina, exercising his right to protest, when he left Spanish class to participate in National School Walkout Day, on Wednesday, March 14.

Now, Blackman is being lauded as a young, strong activist.

To his surprise, Blackman was the sole student out of about 700 at his school to walkout, even after he discussed the national protest with his peers earlier in the day.

Shocked, Blackman took to Twitter to express his dismay, even though he thought few people would see his video.

“Hello Twitter, there’s going to be like six people watching this, hopefully,” the 16-year-old said.

He was wrong. The video of Blackman alone outside has now gone viral.

“It’s National Walkout Day and I’m the only one at my school out here,” he said. “No one really said anything, besides my own teacher.”

Nonetheless, Blackman said something. Blackman did something. At 16, he was the sole person to stand up and walk out.

Justin Blackman

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Contributor

At A School of 700 Students, Blackman Was the Only One to Walk Out

He stayed there for 17 minutes honoring the number of lives lost last month in Parkland, Fla., when a former Marjory Stoneman Douglas student killed 17 students and educators, and injured others. After the 17 minutes were up he went back inside hoping he was not in trouble.

Instead of punishment, Blackman received congratulations.

His singular activism taught him a valuable lesson.

“Now, I truly know that one person is all it takes,” Justin told CNN. “No matter the age, skin color, gender- it doesn’t matter.”

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS

MARCH 21, 2018

-

MARCH 27, 2018

“Bridgehaven” Makes Capitol Casino Case

by MARKESHIA RICKS New Haven Independent

Hartford - Mayor Toni Harp and Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim joined forces here to urge lawmakers to pave the way for a new casino for a region suffering staggering unemployment.

They made a simple pitch: We need jobs.

Advocates of a tribal casino planned for East Windsor sought to complicate that narrative.

The dueling delegations faced off Thursday during the opening hours of a lengthy public hearing of the General Assembly’s Public Safety Committee that was stuffed with bill supporters wearing bright T-shirts with MGM Connecticut and another Connecticut tribe interested in a casino, the Schaghticoke.

The bill in question would require the Commissioners of Consumer Protection and Economic and Community Development to issue a request for proposal for a casino in Bridgeport. It also would repeal the authority it granted the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes during the last regular session to operate a casino in East Windsor.

With Bridgeport’s access to trains from Manhattan and ferries from Long Island, MGM has proposed building a $675 million, waterfront casino in that city. A casino there has been an ambition for multiple developers, including Donald Trump.

Critics accuse advocates of fronting for MGM to stifle Pequot competition either for a planned Bridgeport casino or for a new MGM casino just over the border in Springfield, Mass. Advocates for the Bridgeport casino said it’s not about stopping East Windsor and the rest of the North Central region from prospering. It’s about making sure that the struggling South Central region, which contains two of the largest and poorest cities in the state — Bridgeport and New Haven — doesn’t get left behind again.

Harp and Ganim have teamed up to back the casino, part of an emerging team effort to brand Bridgeport and New Haven or, you might say, “Bridgehaven” — as one market for potential new major employers. MGM has also enlisted the help of New Haven-based leaders of the political powerhouse UNITE HERE union, which has a good working relationship with the company’s Nevada casinos. MGM has promised to open a training center in New Haven for the new casino’s jobs.

Ganim told lawmakers here Thursday that he’s not wedded to the language that would derail the building of the

Bridgeport casino supporters packed the Public Safety hearing room Thursday.

MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTOS

Ganim, Walker and Harp pitch for Bridgeport and New Haven (top); Davis and Maynard pitch for tribal casino underway in East Windsor.

East Windsor casino. He even suggested that he’s not wedded to MGM being the casino owner, but that he was open to whatever company had the most successful bid which could be another tribe in the state.

“This proposal talks about a maybe $700 million investment in the creation of 6,000 to 7,000 jobs first in the construction phase and then thousands of permanent jobs,” he said. “We want that. We want the revenue that needs to be produced on a state and local level.”

“If there is revenue to be had, if there is a training center to be had in New Haven—these are important things for our two largest cities and our state col-

lectively,” he said.

New Haven Mayor Harp noted that the two cities combined have about 9,000 unemployed residents.

“For me, support of this bill is not complicated,” she said. “It indicates support for bold initiatives that engage private capital which will, in turn, generate significant revenue from the private sector over time. At this time, that investment is urgently needed. I don’t believe there’s any controversy about that.”

Harps said the MGM plan includes a minimum of 2,000 direct jobs, a private investment of $500 million, no subsidies from taxpayers, a $5 million

10

application fee, 25 percent of annual gross gaming revenues for the state general fund, and an additional 10 percent from video slot issued revenue.

“The bill does not pick a winner,” she said. “MMCT [the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes’ joint company] and MGM have an opportunity to respond to the RFP [request for proposals], as would other tribes or potential developers. As an aside, MGM and its proposal to invest in a Bridgeport resort made a commitment to establish a job training center in New Haven, which you’ll understand appeals to me.”

And at least one Connecticut tribe would be looking to respond to that RFP: The Schaghticoke.

Tribe Chief Richard Velky testified that had the state legislature supported his tribe’s desire to put a casino in Bridgeport in the 1990s, they might not be here having the discussion now.

But he’s not holding a grudge. He said the two tribes that entered into compacts with the state more than 20 years ago have stood by those agreements and are to be commended for that.

“Today it’s time to move on,” he said.

Harp expressed a similar sentiment, saying that when the state entered into compacts with Native American tribes for casinos 25 years ago, they were bold for their time. But she said a lot has changed, and the state’s annual revenues under the current arrangement have been steadily declining.

“This year it’s time to look forward without hesitation about the past 25-year-old strategies,” she said.

“Connecticut should have real competition in which competitors put their best deals on the table.”

Critics have suggested the same could happen with revenues from a Bridgeport casino, once competitors emerge nearby in New York State and Rhode Island. They have also raised the question of social costs of a casino, such as an increase in problem gambling.

New Haven State Rep. Toni Walker said that when one expands the unemployment lens to include the entire coastline between New Haven and Stamford, the number grows to 22,000.

“We have to create more ways of developing new jobs,” she said. “This bill we do exactly that. This is something all of us need to look at, and not pit one against the other.” When asked by State Rep. Terry Adams, who represents Stamford, if she would support a “win-win” compromise to greenligiht casinos in both Bridgeport and East Windsor, she was amendable.

Shelton Mayor and Republican gu-

bernatorial hopeful Mark Lauretti said that he didn’t support a casino for Bridgeport when he was first elected in the early 1990s. He thought the city could do better than that as far as job creation was concerned.

“Obviously that hasn’t happened a quarter of a century later,” he told committee members Thursday. “I support anyone who wants to invest over a half a billion dollars in private money to create jobs, jobs and more jobs in a state that needs jobs.”

But supporters of the East Windsor casino accused MGM of making false promises for Bridgeport and instead trying to ensure the success of its casino across the border in Springfield, Mass., by blocking the tribes’ plan.

Bills that would have put casinos in both cities came before lawmakers last year but the East Windsor bill ultimately got the nod from the legislature, though it required approval from the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs to move forward.

East Windsor First Selectman Robert Maynard and State Rep. Christopher Davis, a Republican who represents that city and Ellington, told lawmakers that the tribes, in fact, are moving ahead with their casino because of the federal government’s failure to act on their request for approval. Maynard said that the tribes, through their MMCT Venture LLC, have already purchased a property in East Windsor where they will build the $300 million casino and recently celebrated with a demolition event.

East Windsor is expected to receive as much as $8.5 million a year from the casino for the first five years in personal property tax revenues, according to Rep. Davis. Surrounding towns are in line for as much as $750,000, and Hartford has a 650-job guarantee as part of that deal. Davis said those jobs and that money will absolutely not happen if lawmakers pass the bill as it stands.

He said MMCT would see passing the bill as a breach of the compact and immediately withhold $200 million in payments to the state from current casino slot revenues and put it in escrow until a legal solution could be had in court. Connecticut Attorney General George Jepson, in written testimony, said that he doesn’t believe that passing the legislation runs afoul of existing agreements with tribes. But he said failing to make those payments would be seen as a breach of agreements with the state and put tribes’ ability to operate slot machines on their reservations Con’t on page 22

THE INNER-CITY NEWS MARCH 21, 2018 - MARCH 27, 2018

Those committed to New Haven’s youth can count on our commitment.

There’s nothing more important to New Haven’s future than our children. And nothing shapes their future more than learning. Yale New Haven Hospital plays an integral part in that experience.

Each July, Yale New Haven partners with the New Haven Police Athletic League’s Camp to provide two days of learning and engagement. Nearly 400 young campers take part in a full day of health and fitness activities and nutrition education. They also get the chance to experience a “day in the life” of a hospital as they participate in mock emergency and surgery experiences with nearly 200 Yale New Haven employees.

This and numerous other programs Yale New Haven Hospital supports are making a real difference in the way children think about themselves, their world and their future. It’s another example of our commitment to caring beyond the bedside. ynhh.org/community

New Haven Police Athletic League’s campers and general surgeon Dirk C. Johnson, MD, Yale New Haven Hospital.

Yale New Haven Hospital was awarded the 2017 Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Service from the American Hospital Association. The McGaw Prize is awarded annually to a single healthcare organization that provides innovative programs that significantly improve the health and well-being of its community.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS

MARCH 21, 2018

Wessel Fund Gives Unsung Hero Awards to Immigrant Bail Fund,

New Haven, CT (March 13, 2018) - The Morris and Irmgard Wessel Fund announced that the latest winners of its Unsung Heroes Award are the Immigrant Bail Fund for standing up for our immigrant neighbors and Doreen Abubakar, a social entrepreneur and environmental educator in New Haven’s Newhallville neighborhood.

The Immigrant Bail Fund, organized in early 2017, pays bond for immigrants -- some undocumented, some legal residents accused of minor crimes -- who otherwise would be held in jail while they wait for resolution on their immigration case. Immigrants who cannot afford bond often remain in jail regardless of their alleged flight risk, but because they simply can’t come with up with thousands of dollars meant to assure their appearance in court. Immigrants released on bond are much more likely to get legal representation and to win their cases.

“Defending and protecting immigrants was particularly important to our mom, Irmgard, who fled Nazi Germany in 1939. Along with her parents, she was offered a new life by the good people of Eureka, Illinois, who gave them shelter, employment and education, the Wessels’ children, David, Bruce, Paul and Lois, said in making the awards.

The Immigrant Bail Fund is a proj-

ect of Community Bonds, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting racial and economic justice in the pretrial part of the criminal justice system.

Doreen Abubakar, a lifelong New Haven resident, created the Community Placemaking and Engagement Network (CPEN), which focuses on family fitness and outdoor recreation.

CPEN established the Newhallville

-

MARCH 27, 2018

Newhallville’s Doreen Abubakar

Learning Corridor along the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, a linear park that once was a canal and railway route.

“Morris and Irm never waited for someone else to change New Haven for the better,” the Wessel children said. “Like Doreen Abubakar, they just did it. We know they would be pleased to celebrate her hard work and

creativity.”

The Learning Corridor features resident-maintained public greenspace and an Audubon-certified pollinator garden, a space for festivals and community gatherings, and a bicycle storage facility where community members can access bicycles (and helmets) for use on the trail and in the community. The Learning Corridor’s program includes the springtime Pedometer Challenge for walkers, the Harvest Festival in October and a holiday singalong in December. It soon will add a farmers’ market to bring fresh fruits and vegetables into Newhallville.

Abubakar also leads 4-H programs and teaches fishing for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. In 2011 she founded the West River Water Festival, a popular annual summertime event featuring canoe rides and watershed education.

The Unsung Heroes Award was created in 1993 and is funded by friends and admirers of the late Morris Wessel, a pediatrician, and Irmgard Wessel, a clinical social worker and community activist, to continue their decades-long efforts to make New Haven a better place for all its residents. The Fund is a donor-advised fund at The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.

Each award comes with a grant for the local nonprofit to further its efforts.

The previous Wessel Prize went to In-

tegrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS) to assist that organization in its work to help refugees and other displaced people establish new lives, regain hope, and contribute to the vitality of Connecticut communities.

Past recipients of the Wessel Prize include: Collective Consciousness Theatre (Dexter Singleton), Junta at Big Turtle Village (Rafael Ramos), Solar Youth (Joanne Sciulli), Karen DelVecchio, Donna Savia, St. Martin dePorres Academy (Mary Surowiekci), Bikes for Babes (Dan Perrotto), Grandparents on the Move, the Connecticut Health Policy Project, the Mob Squad (Al Shakir), The Natural Guard, the Inner City Bicycle Program (David Clough), The Cesar Jerez Catholic Worker House, and Leg Up (Anne Gallant). Also, Dan Kinsman, music instructor at Fair Haven School; Raymond Wallace, founder of the Guns Down, Books Up organization, and Music Haven, which brings music to local youth.

Donations may be made online to support the work of the Wessel Fund or by check to The Morris and Irmgard Wessel Fund, c/o The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, 70 Audubon Street, New Haven, CT 06510. All gifts are tax deductible. For more information about the Fund, please contact Paul Wessel at pauldwessel@gmail.com.

Yale awards eight writers $165,000 Windham-Campbell Prizes

March 7, 2018: Yale University today announced the 2018 recipients of the Windham-Campbell Prizes. The eight recipients, honored for their literary achievement or promise, will receive a $165,000 individual prize to support their writing.

The 2018 recipients of the Windham-Campbell Prizes are: in drama, Lucas Hnath (United States) and Suzan-Lori Parks (United States); in nonfiction, Sarah Bakewell (United Kingdom) and Olivia Laing (United Kingdom); in fiction, John Keene (United States) and Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi (Uganda/United Kingdom); and in poetry, Lorna Goodison (Jamaica) and Cathy Park Hong (United States).

“This wonderful award will allow me precious time and space to continue my writing,” said Goodison, the current poet laureate of Jamaica. “I am honored; and I turn thanks on behalf of me and my people.”

The awards, among the world’s

most generous literary prizes, will be conferred Sept. 12-14 during an international literary festival at Yale celebrating the honored writers and introducing them to new audiences.

“Over the past several years the Windham-Campbell Prize committee has recognized some of my favorite voices in literature,” said Hnath, who has received the Steinberg Playwright Award, an Obie Award for playwriting, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. “I’m simply honored and humbled to be included in their company.”

The Windham-Campbell Prizes were established in 2013 by novelist and memoirist Donald Windham in memory of his partner of 40 years, Sandy M. Campbell, to call attention to literary achievement and provide writers working in English with the opportunity to focus on their work independent of financial concerns.

“I barely have words to express how thrilled I am: it means a great

12

Floyd Carter,

THE INNER-CITY NEWS MARCH 21, 2018 - MARCH 27, 2018

Tickets st a for every rt at $12 performan ce!

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One Of The Last Tuskegee Airmen, Dies At 95 Barry Anderson, BDO Contributing Writer

Floyd Carter Sr., one of the last of the Tuskegee Airmen, decorated veteran of three wars and 27 years with the NYPD died Thursday at age 95.

He served and flew in WWII, he served and flew in the Korean War, and he served and flew during the Vietnam War. He leaves a long legacy as a groundbreaking hero pilot and was honored in 2007 with the Congressional Gold Medal by President Bush for breaking the color barrier in Tuskegee.

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American military aviators in the United States Armed Forces. During World War II, black Americans in many U.S. states were still subject to the Jim Crow laws and the American military was racially segregated, as was much of the federal government.

The Tuskegee Airmen were subjected to discrimination, both within and outside the army.

Before the Tuskegee Airmen, no African-American had been a U.S. military pilot. In 1917, African-American men had tried to become aerial observers, but were rejected. AfricanAmerican Eugene Bullard served in the French air service during World War I, because he was not allowed to serve in an American unit. Instead, Bullard returned to infantry duty with the French.

The racially motivated rejections of African-American recruits sparked more than two decades of efforts by African American leaders to enlist and train Blacks as military aviators. The effort was led by such prominent civil rights leaders as Walter White of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, labor union leader A. Philip Randolph, and Judge William H. Hastie. Finally, on April 3rd 1939, Appropriations Bill Public Law 18 was passed by Congress containing an amendment by Senator Harry H. Schwartz, designating funds for training African-American pilots. The War Department to put the money into funds of civilian flight schools willing to train black Americans.

Floyd joined the Army Air Corps in 1944, and was commissioned a year later as a 2nd Lieutenant bombardier navigator.

In 1946, he received his pilot wings and transferred a year later to the Air Force Reserves. By the end of his ten-

ure in 1974, he was commander of the 732nd Military Airlift Squadron at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey.

Carter rose to the rank of Air Force lieutenant colonel years after joining the group of African-American pilots at Tuskegee University.

He met his wife Atherine there, where the Alabama native was working as part of an all-female repair crew. The two got married at the air base in 1945.

In addition to serving during World War II, Carter flew during the Korean and Vietnam wars and led the first squadron of supply-laden planes into Berlin during the famed Cold War airlift of 1948-49.

During the Tet Offensive, Carter flew U.S. troops and supplies into South Vietnam.

“He’s got a little history,” said his son Floyd Jr. “We were blessed, we sure were. He went from what I call the outhouse to the fine house. The Lord blessed him.”

After the war, Carter joined the NYPD in 1953, earned his detective’s gold shield within three years, and… … retired in 1980.

His NYPD duties included work as a bodyguard for visiting heads of state, and Carter spent time with Cuban leader Fidel Castro and Soviet head Nikita Khrushchev, recalled his son Floyd Jr.

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MARCH 27, 2018

100-Year-Old World War II Veteran Gives Secret To Long Life Aria Ellise, BDO Special Contributor

Millie Bailey has seen many milestones in her life. She’s seen wars start, wars end, presidents come and go, but one milestone she’s had is her favorite: she just turned 100 this year.

Bailey, who grew up in the Deep South, joined the Army during World War II and ended up the Commander of a women’s unit.

Currently living in Columbia, Howard county, Bailey said in a recent interview: “I haven’t had a paying job since 1975, but my young friends say I shouldn’t say I’m retired, just say I work without pay.”

According to Fox News she has volunteered in different capacities during the past few decades. She has worked with

children in Howard County Schools.

Bailey has also packed care packages for soldiers overseas. She has been on advisory boards from police to education. Recounting the impact segregation and discrimination had on her life, Mailey said she hoped the next generations are better human beings.

Also, thanks to the Community Foundation of Howard County, they named a fund the Millie Bailey Fund, established by Mary and Earl Armiger in honor of Bailey. The fund is a permanent fund whose proceeds will directly benefit Running Brook, a Title I school with a large population of mi-

nority and low income students.

Her dream is for true equality. She said: “I would like for everybody to see what they can do to help somebody else, like when you go to buy groceries, buy some extra cans and bring it to the food bank. Yes, live every day thinking ‘what can I do to make it a better world.’”

With that same attitude and the health of seniors getting better, it looks like we may see more people living life like Millie.

Death rates have been dropping for Americans of almost every age for decades now. A study of centenarians, Americans 100 years and older, suggests that they are joining the ranks, as their death rates started to decline in 2008.

Using data from the United States

Census Bureau and death certificates filed in the United States, a study by… … the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined the death rate and causes of death in this oldest-ofthe-old population between 2000 and 2014.

The study reported that, although Americans in their very golden years are still rare, the population has grown by 44% in recent years, from 50,281 in 2000 to 72,197 in 2014.

“It looks like the population 100 and older is living longer now so the [death] rate has decreased, but I don’t know exactly what caused that,” said Dr. Jiaquan Xu, an epidemiologist at the CDC National Center for Health Statistics and author of the study, which was released in January.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Music Departments Benefit from NEA Funded Arts Program

Nationwide — Uniquely positioned as possibly the first and only nationwide Master Class Series, a program featuring African American classical music masters and designed to partner with HBCUs, is on the move with National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) federal funding.

Now underway, the Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts (CAAPA)’s national Master Class Series funded by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) presents the first session at Hampton University, Hampton, VA on Thursday, March 15, 2018, at the R. Nathaniel Dett Auditorium (Armstrong Hall), 100 E Queen St, Hampton, VA at 3pm. Facilitated by soprano Angela Renee Simpson, the MasterClass Series, which is at no cost to the institutions, is part of the NEA’s $25 million in grants, the first major funding announcement for fiscal year 2018, approved by NEA Chairman Jane Chu. CAAPA received $10,000 of the Art Works category budget, the NEA’s largest funding category supporting projects that focus on the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse

and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and/or the strengthening of communities through the arts.

So far, additional confirmed CAAPA MasterClass 2018 sessions include Southern University on Wednesday, March 21st; Howard University on Wednesday, April 11th; Morehouse College, Spelman College, and ClarkAtlanta University on Thursday, April 12th with Morgan State University, Bowie State University, Livingstone

College, and Virginia State University pending final dates. MusicMasters scheduled to facilitate the sessions include bass/baritone Kevin Short and tenor and NEA Award recipient George Shirley, with Simpson who also serves as the program coordinator conducting the Master Class at Southern University.

“It is energizing to see the impact that the arts are making throughout the United States. These NEA-supported projects, such as this one with CAAPA,

are good examples of how the arts build stronger and more vibrant communities, improve well-being, prepare our children to succeed, and increase the quality of our lives,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “At the National Endowment for the Arts, we believe that all people should have access to the joy, opportunities and connections the arts bring.”

CAAPA Board Chair/Co-Founder Pamela Simonson and Simpson agree with Chairman Chu that the MasterClass Series focuses on the creation of art that meets the highest standard of excellence by partnering with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to help bring classical MusicMasters to a diverse group of college students. The two opera singers describe the program, which coordinates MasterClasses throughout the nation as an opportunity for Black music students to gain exposure from what CAAPA describes as “informances” (informational performances) are designed to enhance classically trained voices in acting, diction, repertoire, and movement for aspiring singers.

They, along with CAAPA board members and program founders Shirley and tenor Issachah Savage, are honored to provide the series. MusicMasters share knowledge and skills with participants, while showcasing to audience members the strength and vigor of the aspiring Black classical singer while supporting young and developing professional careers in opera, recitals, and the concert stage, and in particular during the audition process.

Now in its fourth year, Simpson has also successfully partnered with Texas Southern University, Winston-Salem University, Jackson State University, USC @ Irvine, and University of Kentucky, as well as Nyack College and Detroit School for the Arts, with past Music Masters including soprano Angela M. Brown, N’Kenge, bass/baritone Morris Robinson, and soprano Jayme Alilaw. Contact Simpson at angela@4caapa.org to schedule for the 2018-2019 season. To access projects included in NEA’s grants, visit www.arts. gov/news. Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts “Bringing Color to the Classics!”

Black Women Need Better Access to Reproductive Healthcare

By Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley, Chief Medical Officer, Planned Parenthood of Maryland

Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley, the chief medical officer at Planned Parenthood of Maryland, talks about healthcare for Black women, reproductive rights and discrimination in healthcare.

I’ve been a practicing OB/GYN for nearly 15 years, long enough to see patient after patient struggle through the web of systemic barriers that make accessing healthcare

needlessly difficult. At my practice in Baltimore, in a state that is a national trailblazer in providing comprehensive and affordable reproductive healthcare, I still hear every day from women who struggle to get the care they need. My patients have told me stories about having to take three buses to get to an appointment, only to be turned away, if they are late.

Some patients don’t have the right

14

type of insurance coverage or have no insurance, pushing needed health services or medication financially out of reach. Others can’t take time off work or afford transportation or childcare in order to go to their doctor.

Reproductive healthcare is not a luxury, and for Black women specifically, being in full control of our reproductive decisions can quite lit-

erally be a matter of life and death.

Data from the CDC show Black women are three to four times more likely to die during childbirth than White women. These statistics remain consistent even when adjusting for factors like age, education, and economic status. There is a growing consensus that the stress of prejudice Con’t on page 18

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MARCH 21, 2018

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MARCH 27, 2018

Black Entrepreneur Develops New Hip-Hop and R&B Game Where Players Battle Song Vs. Song Toronto, ON — If you were told to “Play A Song About Your Ex”, you could definitely think of more than a few songs to play that relate to your life experience. Did songs start flowing through your head? If so, you’re ready for AUXGOD. AUXGOD is the party game where teams battle against each other using music played from their smartphones in response to AUXGOD’s playing cards.

“Now that everyone has a phone in their pocket, we have access to music on demand. AUXGOD gets your whole party together and let’s everyone enjoy music with some friendly competition attached,” explained Mike Rousseau, Creator of AUXGOD. “Your road trips, cottage weekends and gatherings have just gotten a lot more entertaining.”

The Rules Are Simple Players a split into three teams. The

judging team will draw a card and read it out loud. The two remaining teams battle against each other in finding the best song that relates to the card. Each team takes turns playing their song for the judges. The goal is to impress the judges with your song selection and to play a better song than the opposing team. That radio hit that everyone loves won’t always win.

“The best part is the game creates conversation, a bit of arguing and a lot of dancing. Sometimes people can’t believe their song didn’t win. When you’re appealing to the judges anything can happen. You might have a great song, but if it doesn’t hit them in their hearts you won’t win the round.”

AUXGOD is designed for you to play today’s hits and reconnect with yesterday’s classics. There are four card categories: Life, Era, Artists and Labels which will allow teams to enjoy music from the 80’s to the present.

“Everyone who plays AUXGOD is

Michael Rousseau, founder of the AUXGOD Music Battle Card Game hooked immediately. As soon as you read the cards your brain starts turning, you’re thinking about all the songs you can play. That’s the beauty of the game, there are unlimited song options.”

AUXGOD is currently creating games for other genres of music, Pop,

Rock and Country to be available in the future.

Company Background AUXGOD established in 2016 is created by Mike Rousseau, a former financial business analyst who quit his full time job after 7 years and decided

to go the creative route. He comments, “I was a photographer on weekends while I was working in finance during the week. One day I decided I was finished. I took a crazy leap and decided creating was where I needed to be… not crunching numbers.”

Six months after quitting his job he was at a party playing music on a Bluetooth speaker, a friend asked him to go heads up and play songs back and forth which seemed like a battle.

“We split ourselves into two teams and played for an hour. I went home that night and kept thinking about all the songs our team could have played”.

The next morning, he woke up and started writing questions for AUXGOD. For more details about the game, visit www.auxgodgame.com or follow the game on social media: Facebook – www.facebook.com/auxgodgame Instagram – www.instagram.com/auxgodgame

Donna Brazile Says The Black Press Is at The Forefront of Change

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Contributor

Political analyst Donna Brazile delivered a keynote address on “The State of the Black Press in 2018” at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., during the NNPA’s annual Black Press Week.

Political analyst and author Donna Brazile delivered a stirring address about the “State of the Black Press in 2018” at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., capping off the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s (NNPA) annual Black Press Week.

The NNPA is a trade group that represents more than 200 Black-owned media companies operating in the United States. NNPA member publications reach more than 20 million readers in print and online every week.

“I’ve known Donna Brazile for about 40 years and, in 2016, the Democrats couldn’t have selected a better person to lead them,” said Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., the president and CEO of the NNPA. Brazile, the veteran political strategist and former chair of the Democratic National Committee, said that the Black Press is the “pulse of the community.”

“You are carving out stories that the mainstream [media] won’t. You’ve been at the forefront of change, even before change was in vogue,” Brazil said. “That’s why I’ve always sup-

Donna Brazile

ported the Black Press.”

Brazile said she’s walked in and out of many campaign headquarters with a simple, yet critical question for those seeking political office: “Have you engaged the Black Press?”

She recalled working for Michael Dukakis during his failed 1988 presidential campaign against George H.W. Bush.

When she realized the former Massachusetts governor had not spoken with or taking out any advertisements in the Black Press, she stopped working for

him.

“I went on strike,” said Brazile, adding that Dukakis told her that he was advised that “it was a waste of money to advertise in the Black Press.”

“I said, ‘Oh, you’ve won this race?

You don’t need the Congressional Black Caucus, you don’t need the Black Press?” said Brazile; she convinced Dukakis of the importance of engaging African American-owned media.

“They wound up spending $10,000 with the Black Press…a pittance,”

16

she said. Bush handily defeated Dukakis and Brazile said that the 2016 election proved a repeat of Dukakis’ error. “It’s the same type of thinking that cost Hillary Clinton the election.

Had they invested [in advertising in the Black Press]—out of the billions they spent—we would be in this room celebrating.”

Chavis said that if the Democratic Party had listened to Brazile, they could have won.

This year, Chavis said that the NNPA will lead a massive voter registration

drive to add 5 million, new Black voters to the rolls.

“This is our payback year!” Chavis said.

Dorothy Leavell, the chairman of the NNPA, said that Brazile spent her career advocating for the Black Press and working to help people understand the value of the Black Press. “[Donna] has run some of the most influential campaigns, including Reverend Jesse Jackson’s historical presidential campaign and we could never really repay her for the services she’s given to the Black Press,” Leavell said.

The best-selling author of “Hacks: The Inside Story of the Break-Ins and Breakdowns that Put Donald Trump in the White House,” Brazile has devoted her life to working for progressive change, responsible governance, and the advancement of all people in a society that’s fair and equitable, according to her biography.

“This is another moment in our journey for equality for all,” Brazile said. “[The Black Press] should not be marginalized. You’ve been instrumental and vital, and you understand what’s at stake.”

Brazile continued: “You’re making sure untold stories find themselves in your newspapers and this is a moment when our story needs to be told.

We’ve come a long way and we need your coverage. We especially need the Black Press, now during this crisis.”

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MARCH 21, 2018

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MARCH 27, 2018

REMEMBER (THE TRUTH ABOUT) THE ALAMO

by Oscar H. Blayton On a Saturday evening in February 1955, like a million other kids in America with their eyes glued to black and white televisions, I sat watching Walt Disney’s version of the Battle of the Alamo.

What we saw was the popular actor Fess Parker portraying a heroic Davy Crockett on the ramparts of the famous old Spanish mission battling Mexican soldiers in the defense of freedom.

What I did not know at the time was that the history surrounding this battle, and the role of Americans in the early history of the Mexican republic, was being extremely distorted.

Walt Disney never told us that slavery was the reason for the battle and the ultimate creation of the Republic of Texas, which later became the state of Texas.

On September 16, 1829, the Afro-Mexican president of Mexico, Vicente Guerrero, signed a decree outlawing slavery in that nation at a time when the southern United States was deeply in thrall to slave labor.

While most of Mexico welcomed the emancipation decree, its northern region, known as “Texas,” was largely populated with American Southerners who had moved west in search of more fertile land where their slaves could produce cotton.

To accommodate the “Texican” slaveholders, Texas was exempted from the decree for one year. But after the period of exemption ended in 1830, the Texicans refused to free their slaves and the Mexican government demanded that they comply with the law or face military intervention.

While military intervention did not occur for another six years, several violent conflicts broke out in the interim between Texicans and the Mexican government, some escalating to the use of arms.

Finally, in 1836 Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna led an army

north from Mexico City to put down what had grown to be a Texas insurrection and freeing slaves along the way.

Determined to resist Mexico’s intention to free their slaves, Davy Crocket and roughly 200 other Texicans gathered at the Alamo in San Antonio to block Santa Anna’s advancing army. Santa Anna laid siege to the Alamo, and after 13 days, it fell.

While the “heroes” of the Alamo were under siege in San Antonio, Sam Houston and other Texicans were less than 200 miles away drafting a constitution for the hoped-for independent Republic of Texas. That constitution contained the following guarantees that chattel slavery would be protected in Texas: “…[N]or shall Congress have power to emancipate slaves; nor shall any slave-holder be allowed to emancipate his or her slave or slaves, without the consent of Congress...”

The Texas constitution established additional racist policies by stating: “No free person of African descent, either in whole or in part, shall be permitted to reside permanently in the Republic, without the consent of Congress...”

Weeks after their defeat at the Alamo, the slaveholding Texicans got what they wanted when they defeated Gen. Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto and forced him, as a prisoner, to sign the Treaty of Velasco. That treaty recognized Texas as a republic, independent of Mexico, but it also stated in part: “[A]ll private property including… negro slaves… that may have been captured by … the Mexican army or may have taken refuge in the said army … shall be restored to the Commander of the Texican army…”

The Mexican government refused to recognize the Treaty of Velasco and consequently did not return any slaves. But Texas continued as a slaveholding republic and later as one of the slaveholding states of the United States.

Twenty-five years after the Battle of the Alamo, Texas, along with 10 other slaveholding states, tried to revolt against the United States as

it had with Mexico.

Today, whenever we hear cries of “Remember the Alamo,” we should ignore Disney’s false image of Davy Crockett bravely wielding his musket as a club in defense of freedom while being swarmed by Santa Anna’s troops. Instead, we should remember that Crockett and those by his side were fighting in defense of slavery, not freedom.

Oscar H. Blayton is a former Marine Corps combat pilot and human rights activist who practices law in Virginia.

Con’t from page 13

Yale awards eight writers $165,000 Windham-Campbell Prizes

deal to have my work, which is so much about transgression and difficult feelings, recognized in this way,” said Laing, who writes about art and culture for The Guardian, The New Statesman, and The New York Times, among other publications. “I’m also intensely moved to be a recipient of a prize that honors the loving queer relationship between Donald Windham and Sandy Campbell.”

Prize recipients are nominated confidentially and judged anonymously.

The call recipients receive from program director Michael Kelleher is the first time they learn they have been under consideration.

“The day I make the calls to notify award recipients is the highlight of the year, as each cycle I hear how much of a difference it will make for them,” Kelleher said. “Six years on, we can now to see the impact the prizes have on these writers’ lives, careers, and work. The feeling is magical.”

Since the prize’s inception, 51 writers representing 14 countries in Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe, and North America have won the prize.

The Windham-Campbell Prizes are administered by Yale’s Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, which houses the Donald Windham and Sandy M. Campbell papers.

Source. beinecke.library.yale.edu Mike Cummings, originally posted on YaleNews

18

Con’t from page 13

Black Women Need

and racism endured by Black women increases the likelihood of preterm birth and other health consequences.

Racial and ethnic disparities in unintended pregnancy also persist.

Black women are significantly more likely to have an unintended pregnancy when compared to all women of reproductive age, and the percentage of people who decide to end an unintended pregnancy, instead of give birth, is highest among Black women. Black women at risk of unintended pregnancy are also less likely to use any method of contraception, particularly young Black women. Researchers propose these disparities are a consequence of implicit and explicit racism when interacting with the medical system, lack of quality information about effective family planning methods, and inability to access or afford reproductive healthcare.

What I see in these statistics — and what I hear from my patients — is that the current systems for providing birth control are not meeting Black women’s needs. We need to think bigger about how to overcome these barriers and provide convenient contraceptive options directly in people’s communities. From birth control delivery apps, to pharmacist prescribing programs, healthcare innovators are bringing us closer to a world where the tools to prevent pregnancy are at your fingertips. In my view, an over-the-counter birth control pill is the obvious next step and would be a game changer for giving people the option of getting safe birth control when and where they want it.

Women’s health providers are working in tandem with researchers to hone best practices for providing birth control pills—for example, no longer are blood pressure checks or pap smears required prior to prescribing the pill for healthy patients.

People are already empowered to provide self-care with over-thecounter medications, and there is no reason a birth control pill should be different. Studies show that individuals themselves can determine whether birth control pills are right for them and if there are any health conditions that might make taking birth control pills less safe or less effective.

While having a yearly genecol-

ogy exam is important for other health reasons, it is not necessary to start birth control pills. Yet, I’m not concerned about my patients disappearing. In a recent survey, the vast majority of women interested in taking an over-the-counter birth control pill reported they would continue to visit their healthcare provider to obtain gynecological screenings, like pap smears. We don’t have to hold patients hostage to their prescriptions for birth control pills in order to get them into the office for other services. We need to work to make all reproductive healthcare more accessible for people where and when they need it.

Of course, over-the-counter birth control pills won’t singlehandedly fix the legacy left by discriminatory healthcare programs and the reproductive coercion experienced

by Black women, but it can bring us closer to a future where every person has the resources they need to make decisions about their own bodies and lives with dignity.

Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley is Chief Medical Officer at Planned Parenthood of Maryland. You can follow Dr. McDonald-Mosley on Twitter @DrRaegan.

Con’t from page 13

Floyd Carter,

He earned a half-dozen citations for his outstanding police work, and survived a number of shootouts with armed bandits.

Floyd Carter, One Of The Last Tuskegee Airmen, Dies At 95 Facebook9K+TwitterEmailPrint … retired in 1980.

His NYPD duties included work as a bodyguard for visiting heads of state, and Carter spent time with Cuban leader Fidel Castro and Soviet head Nikita Khrushchev, recalled his son Floyd Jr. He earned a half-dozen citations for his outstanding police work, and survived a number of shootouts with armed bandits.

You May Also Like oraquick4 Easy Ways To Tell If You’re Depressed “We mourn the loss of a true American hero,” read a tweet from the 47th Precinct in his adopted home of the Bronx. “Our community & nation has lost a giant.”

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July 2016 -- August THE INNER-CITY INNER-CITY NEWSNEWS MARCH 21,27, 2018 MARCH02, 27,2016 2018

PUBLIC NOTICE

The Housing AuthorityNOTICE of the City of Bridgeport (HACB) d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC)

HOUSING PRE-Waiting APPLICATIONS willVALENTINA be opening MACRI its Low RENTAL Income Public Housing List for 2 AVAILABLE bedroom units beginning Monday, March 5 through Friday, March 16, 2018. To qualify, a family HOME INC,beonabehalf of Columbus New annual Haven gross Housing Authority, size MUST minimum of two (2)House AND and the the families income may not exceed thepre-applications income limits shown below the household size. Pre-Applications is accepting for studio andfor one-bedroom apartments at this develmay be picked at Gary 301income Bostwick Ave. Preopment locatedup at 108 FrankCrooks Street,Community New Haven.Center, Maximum limitations apApplications can also will be downloaded website www.parkcitycommunities. ply. Pre-applications be availablefrom fromour 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y org.

Only one per family will be accepted; duplicate pre-applica25, 2016 and pre-application ending when sufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) have tions be disqualifi beenwill received at the ed. offices of HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon request by calling HOME INC at 203-562-4663 during those hours. Completed preApplications be returned Gary Crooks ONLY.Street, Third applications mustmust be returned to HOME to INC’s offices at 171 Orange Floor, New Haven, CT 06510.

This housing authority does have a preference point system: disabled, homeless, elderly, working, displaced, domestic violence, veterans, elderly congregate and witness protection. A waiting list with preferences means that applicants who qualify for the preference will receive assistance before applicants who do not.

NOTICIA

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

HOME INC, en nombre de la Columbus House y de la New Haven Housing Authority, está aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de un dormitorio en este desarrollo ubicado en la calle 109 Frank Street, New Haven. Se aplican limitaciones de ingresos máximos. Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 julio, 2016 hasta cuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100) en las oficinas de HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas por correo a petición llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse a las oficinas INCaccommodation en 171 OrangeforStreet, tercer piso, New Haven , CTwill 06510 If you requiredea HOME reasonable this process, a designated help line be . available to receive your requests at (203) 337-8804

PCC does not discriminate based upon race, color, disabilities, religion, sex or national origin.

The Housing Authority the City of Bridgeport NEW ofHAVEN Invitation for Bid (IFB) Phineas T. Barnum Apartments Ventilation Upgrades Solicitation Number: 104-PD-18-S

242-258 Fairmont Ave 2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 level , 1BA All new apartments, newofappliances, new Park carpet, to I-91 & I-95 is reThe Housing Authority of the City Bridgeport d/b/a Cityclose Communities (PCC) highways, near bus stopVentilation & shopping centerA complete set of the questing sealed bids for P.T. Barnum Apartments Upgrades. plans and technical specifications will be available on March 19, 2018. To obtain a copy of Pet under 40lb allowed. Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258 the solicitation you must send your request to bids@parkcitycommunities.org, please reference solicitation number and title on the subject line. A MANDATORY pre-bid conference will be held at 96 Bird Street, Bridgeport, CT 06605 on April 5, 2018 @ 10:00 a.m., submitCT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s ting a bid for the project attending conference is not in intellectual the best interest ofofthe Offeror.

Certificate Program.

This iswithout a 10 month program designed to assist in the formation Candidates in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost $125. Classes start Saturday, August 20, Additional questions should be emailed only toisbids@parkcitycommunities.org no 2016 later1:30than 3:30 Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, M.S., B.S. April 13, 2018 @ 3:00 p.m. Answers to all the questions will be posted on PCC’s Website: (203) 996-4517 Host, General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster www.parkcitycommunities.org. All bids must be received by mailed or hand delivered by St. New Haven, CT April 24, 2018 @ 2:00 PM, to Ms. Caroline Sanchez, Director of Procurement, 150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604, at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. No bids will be accepted after the designated time.

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY Help Wanted: Immediate openingsofforthe 1) heavy highway Sealed bids are invited by the Housing Authority Townand of Seymour construction laborer. 2) CDL Driver, clean license only. Please contact PJF Construction

until 3:00 @ pm860-888-9998 on Tuesday,orAugust 2, 2016 at its office Smith Street, Corporation attielordan@sbcglobal.net.

We areatan28equal opportunity employer M/F. Repairs and Replacement at the Seymour, CT 06483 for Concrete Sidewalk Smithfield Gardens Assisted Living Facility, 26 Smith Street Seymour.

Town of Portland, CT (EOE)

A pre-bid conference will be held at the Housing Authority Office 28 Smith Suburban residents; 25 employees; million budget; 75 miles of Street municipality Seymour, of CT9,400 at 10:00 am,supervises on Wednesday, July1.820, 2016. roads. Requires a bachelor’s degree in engineering or business/public administration plus seven years of progressively responsible administration experience, including three years of supervisory capacity.

Must possess documents valid CT driver’s Salaryfrom range DOQ; non-union with fringe benefi ts. Subject Bidding arelicense. available the Seymour Housing Authority Of-to pre-employment drug/alcohol testing. Deadline: 3/2/2018. Submit resume with Town application & 3 fice,of28 Smithto:Street, CT 06483P.O.(203) 888-4579. letters reference Office ofSeymour, the First Selectwoman, Box 71, Portland, CT 06480-0071

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

Large shoreline CT based construction company Large shoreline CT based construction company seeking full-time Accounting/Administrative Assistant for busy office environment.

The position includes both accounting and customer service/administrative duties i.e. data entry in ERP system (Sage 100), reviewing and processing AP transactions, processing billing for over-the-counter sales orders, maintenance of W-9s and insurance certificates for vendors/subcontractors and assisting with 1099/ W2 preparation. Also includes answering phones with positive attitude, scheduling customer appointments for salespersons, filing and other general duties. Minimum 5 years’ experience in an office environment, strong written and verbal communication skills, ability to multi-task, working knowledge of basic accounting, strong Microsoft office (excel/word) skills. Sage 100 knowledge a major plus. Salary: $17.00 to $18.00 per hour. Email resume to Swilloughby@atlasoutdoor.com. AA/EOE/M-F

Union Company seeks: Tractor Trailer Driver for Heavy & Highway Construction Equipment. Must have a CDL License, clean driving record, capable of operating heavy equipment; be willing to travel throughout the Northeast & NY. We offer excellent hourly rateor& excellent benefits BA/BS in Civil Engineering Construction Management.

Contact: Dana Briere Phone: 2-5 yrs. experience.

OSHA Certifi ed.

Email: Proficient 860-243-2300 in reading contract plans and specifications. dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com Resumes to RED Technologies, LLC, 10 Northwood Dr., Women & Minority Applicants are Bloomfield, CT 06002; Fax 860.218.2433; encouragedRED toTechnologies, apply LLC is an EOE. Email resumes to info@redtechllc.com.

Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity EmployerRemediation Division Project Manager Environmental

Field Engineer

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.

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc

Large CT. Fenace Company Large CT. Fence Company is looking for an individual for our stock yard. Warehouse shipping and receiving and Forklift experience a must. Must have a minimum of 3 years’ material handling experience. Must be able to read and write English, and read a tape measure. Duties will include: Loading and unloading trucks, pulling orders for installation and retail counter sales, keeping the yard clean and organized at all times and inventory control. Welding experience a plus. Individual will also make deliveries of fence panels and products, must be able to lift at least 70lbs. Required to pass a Physical and Drug test, have a valid CT. Driver’s License and be able to obtain a Drivers Medical Card. Send resume to pboucher@atlasoutdoor.com AA/ EOE/MF

seeks: Reclaimer Operators and Milling Operators with current licensing and clean driving record.

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

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

Garrity Reclaiming Inc Location: Bloomfield CT seeks: Construction Equipment Mechanic NORTH BRANFORD HOUSING AUTHORITY Contact: experienced James Burke Phone: 860preferably in Reclaiming and c/o Merit Properties, Inc. 243-2300 Invitation Bid: Road Milling Equipment.

We offer factory 1224 Mill Street Building A, Suiteto102 email: jim.burke@garrityasphalt.com training on equipment we operate.

2nd Notice East Berlin, CT 06023 Women & Minority Applicants are Location: Bloomfield CT Contact:encouraged James Burke Phone: 860to apply LISTA DE ESPERA ABIERTA 243-2300 Old Saybrook, CT Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity La Autoridad de Vivienda de North Branford anuncia que ahora están email: jim.burke@garrityasphalt.com Employer We offer excellent hourly rate & (4 Buildings, 17 Units) aceptando solicitudes para el complejo de ancianos / discapacitados HillWomen excellent & Minoritybenefits Applicants are Tax & Not Prevailing Wage Project side Terrace. Para califi car,Exempt debe tener al menos 62 años o 18Rate y estar encouraged to apply discapacitado.

Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Los límites de ingresos publicados por HUD no pueden exceder los $ New(una Construction, Housing, Demolition, Site-work, Cast-We offer excellent hourly rate & 47,600 persona) y $Wood 54,400Framed, (dos personas).

LosSelective hogares también Employer deben cumplir con el ingreso mínimo requerido de $ 17,316 paraVinyl pagar Siding, el in-place Concrete, Asphalt Shingles, excellent benefits

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

alquiler base mínimo de la unidad. Las partes interesadas pueden recoger Flooring, Painting, Division Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, una solicitud en Hillside Terrace, 16710 Branford Road, North Branford, o pueden llamar al Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection.

203-488-5664 para solicitar que se le envíe una solicitud por correo.

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

Union Company seeks: Tractor Trailer

NORTH BRANFORD HOUSING AUTHORITY

Driver for Heavy & Highway Construction

WAITLIST OPEN

excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits clean driving record, capable of operating

Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016 Equipment. Must have a CDL License, c/o Merit Properties, Inc. clean driving record, capable of operating Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016 Union Company seeks: Tractor Trailer 1224 Mill Street Building A, Suite 102 heavy equipment; be willing to travel Project documents available via ftp link below: Driver for Heavy & Highway Construction East Berlin, CT 06023 throughout the Northeast & NY. We offer http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage Equipment. Must have a CDL License,

Contact: Dana be Briere Phone: The North Branford Housing Authority hereby announces that they are heavy equipment; willing to travel Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com now accepting applications for the State Elderly/Disabled Complex 860-243-2300 Email: throughout the Northeast & NY. We offer HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses Hillside Terrace. To qualify you must be at least 62 years old or 18 dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com hourly rate & excellent benefits Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483excellent and disabled.

Women & Minority Applicants are Contact: Dana Briere Phone: AA/EEO EMPLOYER Income limits as published by HUD cannot exceed $47,600 (one perencouraged to apply son) and $54,400 (two people). Households must also meet the re860-243-2300 Email: Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity quired minimum income of $17,316 to afford the minimum Base Rent dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com for the unit. Interested parties may pick up an application at Hillside Employer Women & Minority Applicants are Terrace, 167 Branford Road, North Branford, or you may call 203-488encouraged to apply 5664 to request an application be mailed to you.

20

Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer

INNER-CITY NEWS July 27, 2016- - August 02, 2016 THE INNER-CITY NEWS MARCH 21, 2018 MARCH 27, 2018

PVC FENCE PRODUCTION

The Town of East Haven is currently accepting ap-

plications to participate in the following examinations: Large CT Fence Company looking for an individual for our PVC Fence Pro- Secretary II, Grade Level 10-$18.36/hour. Candidate must possess a High duction Shop. Experience preferred but will train the right person. Must be School Diploma or equivalent and a minimum of 2 years secretarial experifamiliar with carpentry hand & power tools and be able to read a CAD draw- ence. Prior experience in a school system or related work with children ing and tape measure. Use of CNC Router machine a plus but not required, preferred. will train the right person. This is an in-shop production position. Duties include building fence panels, posts, gates and more. Some pickup & delivery Custodian-$20. 47/hour. Candidates shall meet the following minimum reof materials may also be required.

Must have aHouse valid CT driver’s license and Housing quirements: Graduation from High School or 1 year employment in building HOME INC, on behalf of Columbus and the New Haven Authority, be able to obtain a Drivers Medical Card. Must be able to pass a physical and care and cleaning operations required. is accepting pre-applications for studio and one-bedroom apartments at this develdrug test. Please email resume to pboucher@atlasoutdoor.com. AA/EOE opment located at 108 Frank Street, New Haven. Maximum income limitations apApplications to participate in the examination are available online at www. ply. Pre-applications will be available from 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y townofeasthavenct.org/civil-service-commission/pages/job-notices-andtests or the Civilhave Service Office, 250 Main Street, East Haven CT and must 25, 2016 and ending when sufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) returnedupon no later Large CTreceived Fence Company carpenterINC. for our Wood Fence Probeen at thelooking officesforofa HOME Applications will bebemailied re-than March 21, 2018. Candidates bilingual in Spanish duction Shop. Experience preferred but will train the right person. Must be are encouraged to apply.

NOTICE

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

CARPENTER

quest by calling HOME INC at 203-562-4663 during those hours. Completed pre-

familiar with carpentry hand & power tools and be able to read a CAD drawmustThis beisreturned HOME INC’s offices 171 Orange Street, Third The Town of East Haven is committed to building a workforce of diverse ingapplications and tape measure. an in-shoptoproduction position.

Dutiesatinclude Floor,fence Newpanels, Haven, CT gates 06510. building posts, and more. Some pickup & delivery of individuals. Minorities, Females, Handicapped and Veterans are encouraged materials may also be required. Must have a valid CT driver’s license and be to apply. able to obtain a Drivers Medical Card. Must be able to pass a physical and drug test. Please email resume to pboucher@atlasoutdoor.com. AA/EOE

NOTICIA

Hot Mix Asphalt Plant Technician & Paving Inspector

There are multiple openings in Galasso Materials Quality Control Department.

NETTCP certification is preferred, with at least one year of experience. Full time positions available. Your schedule must be flexible as sometimes night shifts Galasso Materials is seeking a motivated, organized, detail-oriented candidate to join its are required.

Mustestá be able to lift and carry 50lb buckets. NO PHONE CALLS HOME INC, en nombre de la Columbus House y de la New Haven Housing Authority, truck dispatch office. Responsibilities include order entry and truck ticketing in a fast PLEASE. Reply to Hiring Manager, PO Box 1776, East Granby, CT 06026. EOE/ paced materials pre-solicitudes manufacturing and para contracting company.

You will havededaily interacaceptando estudios y apartamentos un dormitorio en este desarrollo M/F/D/V.

VALENTINA MACRI Dispatcher VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

tion with employees and customers as numerous truckloads of material cross our scales ubicado en la calle 109 Frank Street, New Haven. Se aplican limitaciones de ingresos daily. We are willing to train the right individual that has a great attitude. NO PHONE máximos.

LasReply pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles a.m.-5 comenzando Martes 25 CALLS PLEASE. to Hiring Manager, PO Box 1776, East09 Granby, CTp.m.

06026.

EOE/M/F/D/V.

Equipment Operators and Laborers

julio, 2016 hasta cuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente Galasso Materials100) is seeking applicants for the 2018 paving season. Experience in paving operations is required. Must possess current OSHA 10 card, have a valid en las oficinas de HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas por correo a petición driver’s license, and own transportation. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. Reply to ELECTRICIAN/APPRENTICE llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas–horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse Hiring Manager, PO Box 1776, East Granby, CT 06026. EOE/M/F/D/V. a las oficinas de HOME INC en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510 .

Telecommunications company looking for low voltage cable installer familiar with all aspects of indoor & outdoor cable installation, aerial bucket work, pole work, messenger, lashing, manhole & underground installation. Company is also looking for apprentices to train. Good salary with benefits. Fax resume to 860-282-0424 or mail to Fibre Optic Plus, LLC 585 Nutmeg Road North, South Windsor, CT 06074 Attn: Don Ballsieper

KMK Insulation Inc.

1907 Hartford Turnpike North Haven, CT 06473

DELIVERY PERSON NEEDED Part Time Delivery Needed One/Two Day a Week, Must Have Own Vehicle If Interested call

(203) 435-1387

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport Invitation for Bid (IFB) Boiler Preventive Maintenance and Repairs Solicitation Number: 103-AM-18-S

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) is currently seeking bids from qualified and licensed contractors to respond to this Invitation to Bids for Boiler Preventive Maintenance and Repairs at several locations. Solicitation package will be available on March 19, 2018. To obtain a copy of the solicitation you must send your request to bids@parkcitycommunities.org, please reference solicitation number and title on the subject line. A pre-bid conference will be held at 150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604 on April 3, 2018, @ 10:00 a.m. Although attendance is not mandatory, submitting a bid for the project without attending conference is not in the best interest of the Offeror. Additional questions should be emailed only to bids@parkcitycommunities.org no later than April 13, 2018 @ 3:00 p.m. Answers to all the questions will be posted on PCC’s InvitationWebsite: to Bid: www.parkcitycommunities.org. Seal bids will be received until April 24, 2018 @ 10:00 AM, at which time the bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.

2nd Notice

Mechanical Insulator position.

Insulation company offering good pay and benefits.

NEW HAVEN

Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

242-258 Fairmont Ave

Class A CDL1.5 Driver 2BR Townhouse, BA, 3BR, 1 level , 1BA

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

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE The GUILFORD HOUSING AUTHORITY is currently

All newwith apartments, appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 & I-95 3 years min. new exp. HAZMAT Endorsed. accepting applications for COUPLES ONLY for its one bedroom Old Saybrook, The CT Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport (Tractor/Triaxle/Roll-off) highways, near bus stop & shopping centerapartments at Guilford Court and Boston Terrace in Guilford, CT. (4 Buildings, 17 Units) Some overnights may be required. FAX resumes to RED Technologies, at Applicants must be age 62 and over or on 100% social security 860.342-1042; Email:40lb HR@redtechllc.com Mail orparties in person: 173 Pickering Pet under allowed. Interested contact Maria @ 860-985-8258 Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate ProjectRequest for Proposals (RFP)

or federal disability and over the age of 18. Applications may be State Marshal Services obtained by calling the application line at 203-453-6262, ext. 107.

Solicitation 102-LG-18-S An information packet will also be provided with the application.

CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, Number: CastApplications will be accepted until end of business day on July Certificate Program. This is a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates in-place Concrete, Asphalt Siding, in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday,31, August 20, 2016 1:30-police, and landlord checks 2018.

Credit, are procured by the TheShingles, HousingVinyl Authority of the City of Bridgeport d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) is The ofChairman, Wallingford accepting applications for 3:30Town Contact: Deaconis Joecurrently J. Davis, M.S., B.S. authority.

Smoke free housing.

Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, currently soliciting proposals from State Marshals to provide service of process for HACB. (203) 996-4517 Host, General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster current Connecticut P.O.S.T.C Certified Police Officers. Applicants EQUAL OPPORTUNITY HOUSING Solicitation package will be available on March 19, 2018. To obtain a copy of the solicitaMechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection. must be active P.O.S.T.C Certified Police Officers in good standing St. New Haven, CT tion you must send your request to bids@parkcitycommunities.org, please reference soliciwith their current department, or have retired in good standing, still This contract is subject to state set-asidetation and contract compliance requirements. number and title on the subject line. A pre-proposal conference will be held at 150 NEW HAVEN EARLY CHILHDOOD COUNCIL having a current certification status with P.O.S.T.C. This Process Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604 on April 4, 2018 @ 10:00 a.m. Although attendance will consist of Written, Oral, Polygraph, Psychological, Medical REQUEST FOR QUALITY ENHANCEMENT PROPOSALS is not mandatory, submitting a bid for the project without attending conference is not in the Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016 Exam, and Background Investigation. best interest of the Offeror. Additional questions should be emailed only to bids@parkciThe Town of Wallingford offers a competitive pay rate August 15, 2016 no later than April 13, 2018 @ 3:00 p.m. Answers to all the questions The New Haven Early Childhood Council isAnticipated seeking toStart:tycommunities.org Sealed bids- $74,963.20 are invitedannually. by theApplication Housing Authority ofbethe Town of quality Seymour $62,753.60 deadline will fund enhancement (QE) projects for the period available Project documents ftp link below:Website: www.parkcitycommunities.org. Proposals shall be mailed will bevia posted on PCC’s March3:00 5, 2018 Human Resources Department, Town of at 28July until pmApply: on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at its office Smith Street, 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019 for the following services: or hand delivered by April 20, 2018 @ 3:00 PM, to Ms. Caroline Sanchez, Director of Prohttp://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage Wallingford, 45 South Main St., Wallingford, CT. Seymour, 06483 for Concrete curement, 150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604. Late proposals will not be accepted. phone:CT (203) 294-2080; fax: (203)Sidewalk 294-2084. Repairs EOE. and Replacement at the Street, Portland, CT 06480. RED Technologies, LLC is An EOE.

Certified Police Officer

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

• on-site education consultation to prek programs

Smithfield Gardens Assisted Living Facility, 26 Smith Street Seymour.

• mental health resources for children families in prek programs; Fax orand Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com

TRANSFER STATION LABORER

• professional development trainings related to CT Early Standards, HCC encourages theLearning participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses trauma informed care and topics required

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

Off load trailers, CT reload for trans/disp.

50 lbs., operate

by School Readiness and NAEYC.

Construction Truck and Equipment Head Mechanic

Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 Large CT based Fence and Guard Rail contractor looking for experienced, self-motivated, responsible AA/EEO EMPLOYER

industrial powered trucks and forklift. Asbestos Worker Handler An info session will be held Monday, May 12th from 2-3pm at 54 Meadow Training a +. Resumes to RED Technologies, LLC, 173 Pickering Street, conference Ofroom 3B. To receive the RFP and for established rates for each BiddingSt.,documents are06480; available from the Seymour Housing Authority Portland, CT Fax 860-342-1022; or service type, contact the School Readiness office fice, 28 SmithEmail Street, Seymour, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579. to lkelly@redtransfer.com Denised@nhps.net 203-946-7875.

RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

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

21

Head Mechanic. Responsibilities will include maintaining and repairing all company equipment and vehicles, updating asset lists and assuring all rolling stock is in compliance with state and federal regulations. Must have extensive diesel engine, electrical wiring and hydraulic systems experience. Top wages paid, company truck and benefits.

AA/EOE Please send resume to Mpicard@atlasoutdoor.com

THE INNER-CITY NEWS

MARCH 21, 2018

-

MARCH 27, 2018

#BlackGirlHealing: How The Gratitude Trek Changed My Life Carla Harris, GirlTrek.org

My mom passed in 1998. She died at the age I am now, 53, and is why I started volunteering for GirlTrek.

It was around the anniversary of her death that I happened to run across an article that said: “Aren’t you sick and tired of losing our mothers too soon.”

We found out my mom had pancreatic cancer one day, and two weeks later, she was dead. I am so grateful and credit my mom’s guiding light for leading me to GirlTrek.

My beautiful sister-friend Ruby told her sister-friend Angela about GirlTrek. Angela took the GirlTrek pledge to live her healthiest and most fulfilled life, and from that day on, she started walking, and walking and walking!

Angela walked every single day for 365 Days straight! Sickness, death, blizzards, heatwaves, or vacations didn’t stop her. I was so inspired. We all were. Even the President of the Fortune 500 Company she worked for publicly acknowledged her.

Several more sisters were inspired and embarked on their 365 Journey.

There was Andrea, Tonya, and then Jennifer and others across the nation.

We were so inspired by them all and I wanted so badly to be part of this 365 Club, but each time I tried, life would happen. I would let life’s moments — good and horrific — sideline my efforts.

In 2017, our GirlTrek sister Kee from Tennessee inspired me on her 100 days of workouts journey. I looked forward to seeing her beautiful sweaty selfie posts. I was so excited on the last day

of her journey. She was another sister shouting into my soul: “Carla! Yes, you can!” With every sweaty selfie of Kee, I gained more courage. My self-talk became more positive, and I started believing that “Yes I could!”

I made up my mind that after the 40Day Gratitude Trek, which started in October, I would continue to 100 days of workouts. GirlTrek’s core principle

is that self-care is a revolutionary act and that I am worth at least 30 minutes a day. When I first started the 100 Days of workouts journey, it was very difficult to put the work in. Now, it feels like second nature. I am super proud for pushing myself even on the most difficult of days. I feel more confident in myself like I can do anything I put my mind to. I have been manag-

ing stress much better since I started this journey and I feel amazing. I have more energy and sleep much better.

I tend to be a workaholic and it is no stretch for me to sit at my desk for 10 hours, which is not healthy at all, but now I make it a point to leave and do my workout which has balanced out my stress level.

The big question was would I continue on the 365 journey. I am proud to say, “no.” I gained so much during this journey, but one takeaway for me is that I need balance in order to live my life to the fullest!

I thought I would come out of this weighing a lot less, with a hard body to tout my success, but I really feel that even better than those expectations, I gained a new attitude to be grateful for life’s blessings, big and small. The ability to do 30 minutes a day, five days a week is more than enough. The time I was spending every day not to miss a workout, I will use to attend more GirlTrek events in my community, recommit to surrounding myself with some of the best health and fitness mentors in Atlanta that I miss so much.

Today, I rejoice and give thanks for all the creative fun ways I incorporated workouts into my daily life solo treks and workouts in the gym, city tour, beach treks and bike rides on vacation with hubby, trail hikes and climbing mountains with sister-friends, the lessons learned, and of knowing that it was the will of God in my life to receive inspiration and support from my village that led and guided me on my 100 days of workouts journey and to onto what lies ahead.

Meet the First Ever African American Woman Vice President of CBS News Business Woman Org. Many people say that good things come to those who wait. But Kimberly Godwin, the new Vice President of the news division at CBS News, does not just wait.

She knows what she wants and she asks for it. Together with great teachers and mentors, she believes that her consistent eagerness is the real key that brought her to the top.

Godwin is the first African American woman to become the vice president of News in the history of the television network. That is after she also became - and still is - the senior broadcast producer of CBS Evening News since 2014, and the executive director for Development and Diversity.

As an executive director for Development and Diversity, she played a major role in enhancing the CBS News’ profile at conferences around the country.

Kimberly Godwin,

She was also the one responsible for the strong pipeline of potential employees.

All in all, the Emmy Award-winning Godwin has been a key part of the network’s major national and international success.

But in the past, she was not really fond of news. In her interview with Black Enterprise, Godwin said that she did not grow up watching the news and wanting to do that. But when Margarita Pool, an African American CBS News Producer, visited their school at a career fair, she got inspired and thought that she want to be like that.

Godwin started doing free work for her professor who was a producer for a local ABC newscast. She learned how everything goes--from lineups to editing. And when her professor quit the job, she was offered to replace. That’s how her first full-time job became being an executive

22

producer.

One day, Godwin realized she wants to be one of the decision-makers. She directly told the news director, “I want to be you,” but she was only laughed at. Yet her determination did not waver. Godwin eventually became a news director, headto-head against her previous boss--and even winning.

Now, as Vice President, Godwin has a huge responsibility to choose what the public would know. She decides which stories to cover as well as where and how to cover them. And she sees to it that every story only provides the people the truth and shows every angle.

As an empowered woman, Godwin says her success is a combination of great mentorship and her own persistent eagerness. “There is so much more we can teach women about asking. But you can’t just ask. Be prepared to do it.”

Con’t from page 10

“Bridgehaven”

“into serious legal jeopardy.”

Maynard estimated that, barring any interference, the East Windsor casino could be up and running in just two years and provide about $70 million in annual revenue to the state, thanks in part to its walking-distance proximity to the forthcoming rail line to Windsor Locks. He said the bill that would repeal the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes’ authority to build that casino could derail the East Windsor casino forever.

“I’d like to see a casino in Bridgeport,” he said. “But in addition to this bill supporting Bridgeport, it takes away a casino from East Windsor, from North Central Connecticut. Why can’t we have both? Why do we have to penalize either one?”

He urged lawmakers to bet on the home team, meaning Connecticut’s tribal nations. They’ve honored their compacts and they’ve committed to doing business in the state to the tune of $7 billion over the life of their business dealings in the state, he said.

State Sen. Catherine Osten, a Democrat who represents Columbia, Franklin, Hebron, Lebanon, Ledyard, Lisbon, Marlborough, Montville, Norwich, and Sprague, was even more direct in urging her fellow lawmakers to be suckered in by pie-in-the-sky promises from MGM. She pointed out that MGM’s largest casino on the East Coast, MGM-National Harbor, doesn’t have anywhere near 7,000 jobs.

She said the state shouldn’t be in the business of breaking faith with tribes that have for the last two and a half decades stood by their agreements.

“They have been a very good corporate partner,” she said.

Uri Clinton, senior vice president and deputy general counsel of the MGM Resort International, told lawmakers some six hours into the hearing that the bill is not an MGM bill.

“It’s for anyone who sees an opportunity in Bridgeport,” he said.

He argued for keeping the provision in the bill that would repeal permission for the East Windsor casino.

“Repeal gives everyone an even playing field,” he said.

Members of the Coalition Against Casino Expansion in CT pleaded with lawmakers to count the true cost of gambling: wrecked lives.

0State Sen. Tony Hwang, a Republican who represents towns from Fairfield to Newtown, spoke of the “real tragedies of gambling addiction,” he said. “There is a whole dialogue about broken lives ... that is not being discussed because we’re chasing money.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS MARCH 21, 2018 - MARCH 27, 2018

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RP inner city news full page.qxp_Layout 1 3/19/18 2:49 PM THE Page 1 INNER-CITY NEWS

MARCH 21, 2018

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MARCH 27, 2018

THE RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE LaKisha Jones: To Whitney, With Love

American idol finalist pays tribute to Diana Ross, Donna Summer, Tina Turner and Whitney Houston!

April 7

Fabulously Funny Females of Comedy

ft. Cory Kahaney, Karen Bergreen & Erin Jackson

April 20

Upright Citizens Brigade

Improv comedy from the troupe that launched Amy Poehler & more! Ft. SNL’s Sasheer Zamata

May 4

Ruben Studdard

Broadway Sings Stevie Wonder

Broadway’s hottest talents sing Stevie Wonder’s hits!

Ft. Kennedy Caughell (Beautiful), Corey Mach Kinky Boots), Austin Owen (Jersey Boys) & more!

May 14

Rhiannon Giddens

The Freedom Highway Tour

Co-founder of the Grammy-award winning bluegrass band, Carolina Chocolate Drops!

An Evening of Luther Vandross, Always & Forever

June 20

203.438.5795 • RIDGEFIELDPLAYHOUSE.ORG 24

May 3