INNER-CITY NEWS

THE

New Haven, Bridgeport

NEWS

Volume 21 No. 2180

Legends

Search Begins

INNER-CITY NEWS April 11, 2016 - Aprl 17, 2016

Most Of Us Need A Love Sounding Board!

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Marilyn McCoo Out The Box Out The Box and Billy Davis Jr. With Dooley-O With Dooley-O Talk with Christian Lewis, ICN Correspondent

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INNER-CITY NEWS April 11, 2016 - Aprl 17, 2016

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The Elm City Club of NANBPWC, Inc. Celebrates their 40th Founders’ Day The 40th Anniversary theme for the Founders’ Day Awards Luncheon is “Moving Forward With A Purpose and Celebrating Pioneers”.

The Pioneer Award - given to business and professional women who are dedicated to community service and continue to lead, begin or help develop something new for others to follow.

Our 2016 Pioneer Awardees Doris Dumas—The first female president of the Greater New Haven Chapter of the NAACP who has been on the forefront of the current issues affecting our national community Lia Hamilton Davila—the first owner of a school of dance to expose our children in the Greater New Haven area to international competition and experiences outside of this country.

Roberta A. Hoskie—the first African American female in the

City of New Haven to own and operate a realty service and a school of real estate.

Dr.

Tamiko

Jackson

McArthur—a former Elm City Youth Club member who has achieved great levels of success as a pediatrician, the owner of a pediatric medical service, and a community activist.

The Sojourner Truth National Meritorious Service Award - the highest honor of our organization

INNER-CITY NEWS April 11, 2016 - April 17, 2016

that is given to women all over the country who have channeled the spirit of Isabella Baumfree.

These are select women who continue to stand up for civil rights, social justice, and women’s rights. These women are not afraid to implement change that challenges the political and legal system in order to insure that we address the needs and social ills of our community.

Our Sojourner Truth Award Recipient is: The Honorable Toni Nathaniel Harp, the first female Mayor of the City of New Haven.

We will also be giving 4 youth club book awards to graduating seniors from our Elm City Youth Club and 2 adult club appreciation awards to members who have served the membership as well as the community by step-

ping in to volunteer even when they are not asked to serve as leaders in any capacity.

Our special guests from our Northeast District and the National Organization: Rev. Dr. Iris J. Banister of Rochester, New York who currently serves as the Governor of the Northeast District Dianne E. Toppin, of Queens, New York who is the newly elected National President of the organization The luncheon will be held on Sunday, April 10, 2015 - 2:00 p.m. at Fantasia Banquet Facility 404 Washington Avenue, North Haven, CT. Our History The late Emma Odessa Young, a realtor from New York City and a member of the New York Club of Business and Professional Women, conceived the idea of a national organization of business and professional women in 1934.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Young became an invalid and never sought to head the organization. Although an invalid, Mrs. Young’s mind was alert and her interest keen. She was satisfied to witness the progress of the organi-

zation before her passing in 1944. In July of 1935, Mrs. Ollie Chinn Porter, president of the New York Club, extended an invitation to local clubs, organized as Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, to join and form a national organizationAfter a year of meetings, the first convention was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey on July 9-11, 1936, at the Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church on Artic Avenue.

Elected as the first national president was Mrs. Ollie Chinn Porter. The aim of this newly formed national organization was then, as it is today, to attract women of high caliber to organize similar clubs within their communities. Facing the realities of the times, their daring and inspiring goals were to share their experiences and exchange information; to protect their interest and to encourage and develop opportunities for black women in businesses and professions.

During this time in our history, black people were called “Negroes”. Very few had businesses or professions. Many were still deep in the throes of the depression. The fact that these black women had the courage to found such an optimistic organization is astounding and a lasting testimony to their faith in themselves, our people, and the future.

The Founders were owners, managers, college graduates, and other professionally licensed women, who had managed to realize some measure of personal success, at a time when there was not a national movement to improve the lot of black Americans; where there was no black capitalism program, nor any black studies curricula. Still, these women felt prepared to offer leadership.

Over the years, NANBPWC, Inc. has grown in numbers and scope, conducting many needed community service activities that go far beyond the original purpose.

Publisher / CEO Babz Rawls Ivy Managing Editor Liaison, Corporate Affairs Doreen Strong Advertising Director

KEEPING FOCUS

Sales Team Trenda Lucky Delores Alleyne John Thomas III Hilda Calvachi

Editorial Team Staff Writers Ratasha Smith / Current Affairs Anthony Scott / Sports Arlene Davis-Rudd / Politics Contributing Writers David Asbery Tanisha Asbery Jessica Carl Jerry Craft/Cartoons Barbara Fair Mubarakah Ibrahim Dr. Tamiko Jackson-McArthur Michelle Turner Smita Shrestha Kam Williams Content Contributors At-Large Christine Stuart www.CTNewsJunkie.com Paul Bass New Haven Independent www.newhavenindependent.org Dr. Fred McKinney Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council www.cmsdc.org Memberships National Association of Black Journalist National Newspapers Publishers Association Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce Greater New Haven Business & Professional Association Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc.

Minister, Immanuel Missionary Baptist Church, New Haven, CT

While reading a rather long article in the New Haven Independent last week concerning the situation at James Hillhouse High School in New Haven I was struck by something that was barely mentioned in both the article itself or in the 24 reader comments in the comment section. Now, for anyone in New Haven who has been living under a rock and for readers who don’t live here, let me explain briefly what the “situation at Hillhouse” is.

The relatively new Superintendent of the New Haven Public Schools decided to turn the largest High School in the city into four different “academies” in the same building, each with its own administrative staff, and each independent of the other.

That means that in a building that used to house one school overseen by one principal and a few (I think two) vice principals, now has four independent academies and three independent principals. After much complaining by both teachers and students of this new model for Hillhouse, complaints that included cries of less access to teachers and necessary classes by students and organizational mayhem by the teachers, a retired principal was hired “to mentor, support and coach Hillhouse administrators for the rest of the school year” in an attempt to make the school feel “like one Hillhouse,” the mayor reported. The Board of Alders

My intention in the article is not to take a side on whether the new structure of Hillhouse is good or bad. Although I do have an opinion on that, expressing it is for another time.

Here, I wish to examine something much broader than this one school and its make-up. I wish to explore how we tend to lose focus of the fundamental purposes of our foundational institutions in America. So, back to the aforementioned article.

I read the article that reported on the meeting held at the Alders’ Chambers and then the comments by readers and was dismayed by what I didn’t see in either. I took it upon myself to do a word search on my computer of both the article and the 24 comments, separately. I was searching for the word “education” in a lengthy article that covered the complaints and the praises of those who choose to speak before the Board of Alders about Hillhouse. I hardly found the word in either. Those who spoke and commented in favor of the 4 academy set-up barely spoke (or wrote) of how such an arrangement improved education. And those who opposed it barely spoke (or wrote) about how it would diminish it.

It seems as if in an intense conversation about how a school should be run, the reason for the school’s existence has been largely overlooked.

There was talk (and writing) about administrative efficiency or the lack thereof. There was talk (and writing) about student satisfaction and dissatisfaction.

There was talk (and writing) about the nefarious plans of the new superintendent by those who disagree with his running of James Hillhouse and the New Haven Public school system in general. As there was talk about how good he is for the job. But in this conversation, which seems more like a political tug-of-war more than anything else, there was little talk about education.

One has to wonder how an entire interested community can have an extensive conversation about schools, or even about one school, and not talk about education as the thing that vivifies the conversation in the first place. As our schools and school systems have become more about the appendages, e.g. academic experimentation, school administration, local politics, etc., that over time have been moved to center stage in the conversation, it has become more clear that we have lost focus on what should be central to the discussion.

It is not just our secondary public educational institutions that suffered this fate, however.

Our public and private institutions of higher learning have suffered this fate as well. Too many leaders of these institutions have thrown their focus like a laser beam on money generating sports that they have left the discussion about, and the money for, education out of the mix. More and more of these institutions employ less and less full-time professors, substituting them for temporary adjuncts, whose salaries are much lower, and whose time with and sustained attention to the students are greatly compromised.

As a result, students are graduating from these institutions with huge debts, too much of it

generated by their having to supplement sports programs at their schools while receiving a lower quality education.

The media and our religious institutions have also been affected by this loss of focus in their essential functions, both having turned to entertainment to draw interest in their critical roles in society. The media’s latest manifestation of this is, of course, the excessive coverage given Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, and the embarrassingly less time given to intelligent and insightful discussion of the issues that should be important to the voting public in choosing our next president of these United States.

And, our churches have turned our attention away from the essential matters of things like faith, sustained community uplift, cultural relevance, and youth development to become business entities, religotainment centers, and politically compromised stations for preachers who are more concerned about how we are assessed and accepted by the demigods of the status quo, than how it measures up to the gospel that the church is assigned to embrace for the spiritual growth of the people it is responsible to serve.

There are dire consequences for the leaders and the people who participate in our major institutions for forgetting why these institutions exist in the first place. Excessive noise about peripheral issues is not helping these institutions produce what our society needs from them. Let’s bring the focus back.

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The Inner-City Newspaper is published weekly by Penfield Communications, Inc. from offices located at 50 Fitch Street, 2nd Floor, New Haven, CT 06515.

203-387-0354 phone; 203-387-2684 fax.

Subscriptions:$260 per year (does not include sales tax for the in State subscriptions). Send name, address, zip code with payment. Postmaster, send address changes to 50 Fitch Street, New Haven, CT 06515. Display ad deadline Friday prior to insertion date at 5:00pm Advertisers are responsible for checking ads for error in publication. Penfield Communications, Inc d.b.a., “The Inner-City Newspaper” , shall not be liable for failure to publish an ad or for typographical errors or errors in publication, except to the extent of the cost of the space in which actual error appeared in the first insertion. The Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising for any reason and to alter advertising copy or graphics deemed unacceptable for publication. The entire contents of The Inner-City Newspaper are copyright 2012, Penfield Communications, Inc. and no portion may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher.

By Samuel T. Ross-Lee

even got into the fray and sent a few of its 34 members to “visit” the school, and later held a hearing in its chamber to hear from students, parents, teachers, and administrators.

INNER-CITY NEWS April 11, 2016 - Aprl 17, 2016

John P. Thomas Jr.

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Brantley Conviction Upheld marshal’s office during the week of June 18, 2012. He countered that allegation with one of his own that Lopez had instead approached him for a cut of any future settlement.

by MARKESHIA RICKS & PAUL BASS New Haven Independent A three-judge state appellate panel has unanimously upheld the bribery conviction of New Haven firefighter Aaron Brantley, the latest development in a case that has divided the department and sparked community demonstrations.

Brantley was fired after he was convicted last year on felony attempted bribery charges. Then he got his job back when the state Freedom of Information overturned his termination after finding that the city’s Board of Fire Commissioners had violated FOI rules in the process firing him. Civil-rights groups rallied around Brantley, calling his firing and the criminal case a vendetta waged by a superior, then-Assistant Fire Chief Pat Egan.

(Egan is white, Brantley, black.)

Meanwhile, Brantley filed an appeal of his conviction in November, but Appellate Court Judges Raheem Mullins, Christine Keller and William Lavery have now affirmed the lower courts’ ruling in the case this month.

INNER-CITY NEWS April 11, 2016 - April 17, 2016

The judges rebuffed Brantley’s claim that there was insufficient evidence to uphold his conviction in a 15-page opinion. The opinion is slated to be officially released April 12.

Brantley was originally arrested on two felony charges of attempted bribery. He was accused of trying to pay off two fire department officials, Deputy Fire Marshal Faustino Lopez and Fire Inspector Corey Bellamy, to help him win a discrimination complaint he had filed against Egan and the city with the Commission of Human Rights and Opportunity, stemming from a dispute over a workers compensation claim.

Brantley’s conviction hinged on testimony that he had offered both Lopez and Bellamy a percentage of any settlement money that he received from the lawsuit against Egan.

Chief Ralph Black said Tuesday he had not seen the new appellate ruling, so it’s too early to say what

“We are not persuaded,” Mullins wrote. “The record reveals the following relevant evidence presented at trial. The defendant presented the testimony of Charles Hewitt, a drill master in the fire department’s training division at 230 Ella Grasso Boulevard, who testified that the defendant reported to him there for light duty during the week of June 18, 2012.

According to Hewitt, the defendant was at the Ella Grasso location each day that week.

MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTO

Brantley.

action the department might take.

Brantley, who was on a vacation day Tuesday at his post at the Westville firehouse, couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

Brantley’s attorney, Hugh Keefe, said it’s too early to say whether the firefighter will appeal the ruling to the state Supreme Court, because he hasn’t yet analyzed the appellate decision.

Keefe noted that the basis of Brantley’s appeal had been on grounds of insufficient evidence.

It’s “likely” the Supreme Court would rule the same way as the three appellate judges on that question based on fact-finding done by the court. So any further appeal would need to focus on a different argument, Keefe said.

“Aaron Brantley is one of the finest human beings I ever met,” Keefe said. “He should have been acquitted.”

Scot X. Esdaile, president of the statewide NAACP, called the appellate ruling “a miscarriage and a very said situation.”

“They have done everything in their power to destroy this young man and his family,” Esdaile remarked. “Hopefully the real culprits in this case will be brought to justice.”

PAUL BASS PHOTO

What The Judges Said In his appeal, Brantley argued there wasn’t enough evidence to uphold his conviction for two reasons: the evidence standard applied by the courts denied him due process, and there was insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he tried to influence Lopez’ testimony and that he offered Lopez a bribe.

The judges rejected his claims. ‘‘So we have testimony from two of the defendant’s friends, Lopez and Bellamy, that the defendant offered a benefit to them to testify on his behalf. There is no motive or bias that either of these witnesses have against the defendant . . . there’s no reason that this court finds that they would fabricate the story,” Judge Raheem Mullins wrote on behalf of the panel. ” It’s not like . . . Egan came in here and said that, where there’s obviously, to say the least, hard feelings between [him and the defendant] . . .. But what we have in front of this court is two individuals with, in this court’s opinion, no axe to grind, who were . . . approached by the defendant on separate dates and offered the same benefit to testify in official proceedings by the defendant, again, with no axe to grind.”

Citing previous judicial rulings

Judge Mullins.

about the reasonable-beyond-adoubt threshold of guilt, the judges agreed with the lower court that the state had met its burden of proof regarding Brantley’s attempt at bribing Lopez.

“Therefore, as to this count the court finds that the state has met its burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant specifically intended to influence the testimony of Mr. Lopez,” Mullins wrote. “So as to count two this court makes a finding of guilty.

“As we have often noted, proof beyond a reasonable doubt does not mean proof beyond all possible doubt . . . nor does proof beyond a reasonable doubt require acceptance of every hypothesis of innocence posed by the defendant that, had it been found credible by the trier [of fact], would have resulted in an acquittal. . . . On appeal, we do not ask whether there is a reasonable view of the evidence that would support a reasonable hypothesis of innocence. We ask, instead, whether there is a reasonable view of the evidence that supports the [trier of fact’s] verdict of guilty.’’

Brantley also had argued that he had an alibi for the time period in which it was alleged that he made the offer to Lopez, and that he wasn’t at the Grand Avenue fire

“The court found that Hewitt’s testimony did not account completely for Brantley’s whereabouts during work hours for that week, and in fact Hewitt allowed him to work from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. instead of the usual 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. He was even allowed to attend his daughter’s eighth grade graduation ceremony on June 18 at 10 a.m. and return to work between 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., and he occasionally went to physical therapy during the workday.

Hewitt also was absent from work on June 20, 2012.

“Also, the defendant testified that he stopped by the fire marshal’s office where Lopez was stationed at some point in time and that a discussion took place there in which Lopez asked him for a percentage of the proceeds from the defendant’s upcoming lawsuit. As noted, Lopez testified that ‘maybe the week of [June] 18’ the defendant had approached him with the offer of 2 to 3 percent of any future recovery in exchange for certain testimony.”

Mullins wrote that a review of the record found enough evidence for the court to conclude that Brantley had attempted to bribe Lopez for a testimony supporting the charge that Egan had discriminated against him.

“In particular, the court credited Lopez’ testimony that the defendant had approached him with an offer Con’t on page 11

INNER-CITY NEWS April 11, 2016 - Aprl 17, 2016

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Out The Box With Dooley-O: The Pioneers Club see my eyes pop as this was the moment of my life to meet the giant Kool Herc. He was part of handing out the awards for CT Pioneers of Hip Hop. In my mind this was a special event.

February 27, 2016 couldn’t have been a better day at 11:00 am downtown Bridgeport at the Mayors office. An event was unfolding, as I stepped towards the corridor past the security guard.

I was in the presence of a soundtrack that brought back memories as a child.T he closer I got the more I realized I was going to connect with legends and stories of legacies.

As True T from Waterbury said “It almost felt like the very first time I went to a Zulu Nation Anniversary or the very first time I ever heard my favorite Break Beat Moody by ESG it it was a DOPE EVENT”

INNER-CITY NEWS April 11, 2016 - April 17, 2016

You can smell the aura in the air, called Hip Hop. Only the lucky few that came thru the door would endure this status quo, as I stepped in with my partner and oldest daughter, I wanted her to get a glimpse of what it is and what it was about from those who loved hip-hop.

A different form from a different generation way before the stories that you heard about from New York. As the stories that came from Connecticut, the first of the three states to embrace hip-hop as a culture.

When I looked around the room I saw so many of my heroes like DJ White Flash, Joey Dee, Tony Tone from the Cold Crush Brothers who has since retired in Ct. It was great seeing guys like Jazzy J, Terrible T, Skinny Boys, also I couldn’t forget seeing Kingsley talking to the Skinny Boys and Jim Slice from the Stezo Crew. I was more interested in seeing what was next, of course I wasn’t disappointed seeing Gary from Strafford Geez records and from WYBC, plus the incredible Billy Bush from Hot 93.7. TC Islam was like a magnet he had everybody’s attention reminding me of the time me and him back in the day at the urban jungle and how he controlled every individual with his voice in the early 80s and now he’s doing it again in the millennium with his hipstep massive.

I was amazed at how the curator/promoter of this event Kingsley, from Bridgeport, who had a few battles back-and-forth with the Bridgeport Mayor Ganim to do a hip-hop history

This event was something I never thought I would live to see but it really takes special people to have the knowledge of putting something like that together. I found the event to be educational and enlightening to the ear when listening to some of the speeches from people on the panel. The Graph Artwork displayed on the walls, the exhibition of old school hip-hop fashion provided

by Fresh Andre Davis and old hip-hop concert posters from the 80’s and 90’s provided by Dj White Flash.

Lastly one of the big things for me was to be in the same room and see some people again. It was amazing to see some mothers and fathers bring their kids. I hope the energy I felt in that room that day brings a brighter future for true Hip Hop culture coming out of CT.” “First off I would like to thank Mayor Ganim of Bridgeport CT, The Godfather and Founder of the true culture of hip hop Dj Kool Herc, Kingsley Osei of the Connecticut Against Violence organization and Gary Thomas of Gee’s Records. The event was something I never thought I would live to see but it really takes special people to have the knowledge of putting something like that together.”-Jim Slice. event for Black History Month.

This was an incredible idea to honor not just the standard likes of Harriet Tubman or Frederick Douglass but to honor obscure living legends and Pioneers of early Hip-Hop artists with a

certificate.

It was an honor for pioneers of hip-hop in Connecticut all in one building, DJ Joey Dee, DJ Morio, DJ Terrible T Mega Bass, Gary Gee Records, Reggie Reg from New Haven, Bridgeport,

Stratford, True T from Waterbury. Even the guy who taught me graffiti Rick Vanockey and Craig Sec was on point.

The Father of hip hop Himself walked in the building you could feel the rug move and you could

Dooley-O is a local multimedia artist, master grafiti artist, hip-hop artists, popular DJ with a huge following here and abroad. He can be found every Saturday night at Rudy’s Bar. www.dooley-o.com dooleyo@gmail.com

artists thrived and built off each other.

by ELISSA SANCI New Haven Independent

Multiple times throughout the night, Hameen spoke of how New Haven has done so much for him, both personally and professionally. He told the crowd about a one time when, as he was about to play a gig in New Haven after returning from his stint in New York, the emcee told the crowd that New York had made him great. Outraged, Hameen called out: “New York didn’t do this! New Haven did!”

This piece of advice convinced New Haven native Jesse Hameen II to leave California and return to the East Coast in 1966.

Hameen, jazz drummer and Neighborhood Music School jazz & rock studies coordinator, recalled that piece of advice during a gig this past Thrusday as a speaker in NMS’s “Neighborhood Spotlight” series.

The series, created by Noah Bloom, NMS director of programs and community engagement, and Julius Stone, community engagement liaison, is meant to create a conversation between artists and the community.

“We want to allow people to dive into the mind of the artist they’ve admired,” Bloom said.

In addition to his position of jazz & rock studies coordinator, Hameen is also the NMS summer jazz director. Hameen, who has been with NMS for the past 18 years, teaches drums and percussion, and runs several ensembles, including Latin jazz and blues.

In a small, crowded room decorated with arts and crafts, Hameen shared his journey as a jazz musician born and raised in New Haven’s Dixwell neighborhood.

Hameen said his love for music started young. He always found himself beating out rhythms for as long as he could remember. He came from a musical family where it wasn’t out of the norm for someone to break out into gospel song while another person played the piano.

“There wasn’t a specific individual” who inspired him to pursue a jazz career, he said. “The music was my influence.”

“I don’t wanna be the best; I’m only 25! I want to grow,” he said about his decision to leave the West Coast.

Hameen grew as an artist in New York, but his love and dedication to New Haven never wavered. When his parents fell ill, he returned to New Haven, where he continued to play drums. He referred to New Haven as “a mecca for jazz music” where

In addition to his positions with NMS, Hameen is also president and founder of Inspire Music Recording Company, and a founding member of Jazz Haven, a not for profit organization that promotes the culture of jazz in New Haven through performances and education.

Hameen kept the audience engaged throughout the entire spotlight event, giving demonstrations on the drums and tambourine, as well as incorporating short video clips of his performances with various artists.

The Neighborhood Spotlight talks are free for the public and held at NMS on Adubon Street.

The next spotlight, on May 5, will feature Aaron Jafferis, a hip-hop poet and playwright.

Saint Aedan- St. Brendan School 351 McKinley Ave., New Haven, CT 06515 “Nurturing the Spirit, Educating the Mind”

Now accepting applications for Pre-Kindergarten-Grade 8 Now We offer a faith-based education that prepares children for their future.

Students learn through creativity and ownership while building character and Lasting relationships with peers and staff alike.

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

203-387-5693 www.staedan-brendanschool.org Title I Services Mr. Michael Votto, Principal Rev. Thomas Shepard, Pastor Tuition Payment Plans Available • Credit Cards Accepted

Accredited by NEASC· State of CT

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Although he also plays other instruments, Hameen excels at jazz drums. He has recorded and performed with artists such as Irene Reid, Ruth Brown, Bonnie Raitt, and Tony Williams. He was praised for his music during his

time in California, but he felt he wasn’t being challenged. In order to grow as musician, he left the West Coast and set out for New York.

INNER-CITY NEWS April 11, 2016 - Aprl 17, 2016

Hameen Found The Beat Back Home

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Q House Architect Blazed A Trail George School, an elite Quaker prep school in Pennsylvania complete with stunning campus, academic excellence, rolling fields, stables, old brick buildings and state of the art technology. Nothing at all like Fort Greene. This combination of intimately knowing the tough side of America and our nation’s opportunity was a big part of Regina.

by HENRY FERNANDEZ New Haven Independent

Regina Winters-Toussaint, a great New Havener, passed away yesterday at Connecticut Hospice after a tragic bout with cancer.

As she transitioned out of this world, she was accompanied by family and loved ones, including her mother, who held her hand. During the last days of her struggle, Regina, who was only in her mid-40s, was supported by her husband and close friends.

INNER-CITY NEWS April 11, 2016 - April 17, 2016

I am so fortunate to be able to say that Regina was a dear friend whom I knew for most of my life. I first met her when we were both teenagers at Harvard.

I think it is fair to say that Regina was one of Harvard’s top recruits indeed, evenresence-on-

Regina Winters-

campus.html?pagewanted=all” The New York Times said so.

She was raised in Brooklyn by her mother and excelled in her local public schools in Fort Greene.

She did so well that she was recruited by and attended the

An even bigger part was her capacity for goodness. You simply cannot find anyone who did not like or respect Regina. I think this was because of her capacity to see the humanity in everyone as well as her own decency, which was evident in every conversation you had with her. She challenged me often and at times made me question my own early judgements on people. This is not to say that

Regina was pollyannaish. She proved again and again her ability to swim with sharks. But she was able to disarm almost everyone, including the sharks, because she had no hidden self or agenda. What you saw is what you got with Regina.

She was super smart, a tremendously loyal friend, and simply good. Regina was an architect – and a very good one – despite the fact that AfricanAmerican women make up much less than 1 percent of architects in the U.S. A graduate of Yale’s architecture school, she built her own company from scratch and located it in the heart of Fair Haven. Her architecture is steeped in respect for the environment, and she worked to expand the green revolution to include buildings that served low income families. She left

her mark on New Haven and will continue to do so.

Regina served as director of the Livable City Initiative and headed up New Haven’s Housing Authority when both needed credible, honest leadership trusted by the broadest range of New Haveners. She led the design for the rchives/entry/ architects_sketch_q_house_to_life/ »new Q House and lived to see that vision fully funded. Regina was also one of the original LEAP counselors in the organization’s first summer in 1992. While a student at Yale she mentored a group of girls from the Westville Manor public housing development. If you want to see 1992 Regina talk about her LEAP girls you can Con’t on page 11

by MARKESHIA RICKS New Haven Independent

Student-athletes from Hillhouse High School were recognized for their outstanding efforts on the track and on the basketball court this year.

The Board of Alders recognized dozens of the high school’s students and their coaches, who packed City Hall Monday night, for all their hard work and accomplishments this year.

There was the Hillhouse Track Team, who are the reigning State Class M champs for the second year running.

And the Hillhouse Boys

Hillhouse band

Hillhouse cheerleaders Con’t from page 10

Blazed A Trail see that at 2:50 of this video (above). Regina went on to work as a site coordinator and administrator at LEAP. Her moral strength and commitment to counselor rigor with children carry on in LEAP twenty-four years later.

Finally, if you knew Regina, then you know her faith was also a constant companion. She was very deeply connected to her church and extended church family. I lost a true friend this weekend. New Haven and the Hill lost a wonderful neighbor.

But what we gained from her life is so large that even in my sadness, I am filled with joy. I am a better person because of Regina, as are so many other people. Last night my inbox filled with messages from around the country all from people who expressed how much Regina meant to them.

She made us better without judging us, by being a reflection of our better selves.

Upheld of payment in exchange for altering his testimony and did not credit the defendant’s denial of the same or his testimony that the purported offer was a joke,” Mullins wrote.

“According to Lopez, the defendant approached him ‘maybe the week of [June] 18.’ The defendant also placed himself at the marshal’s office where Lopez was stationed when he admitted that he went there at some point in time and that the two joked about the potential payout from the defendant’s lawsuit. The defendant’s phone records corroborated Lopez’ testimony that the defendant had called him seeking reconsideration after he had rejected the initial offer.”

“Finally, although Hewitt testified that the defendant was generally at the Ella Grasso location that week, his testimony did not account for the defendant’s whereabouts during portions of Monday morning, all of Wednesday, portions of the remaining days of that week, or the defendant’s admitted stop by the marshal’s office where the discussion with Lopez took place.

Viewing Hewitt’s testimony against the backdrop of the other relevant evidence, and mindful that the state was not required to prove that the defendant made Lopez an offer at a precise time and date, we conclude that there was sufficient evidence from which the court reasonably could find that a benefit had been offered, as Lopez testified, during the week of June 18.

Accordingly, we reject the defendant’s second sufficiency claim.

“The judgment is affirmed. In this opinion the other judges concurred.”

Hillhouse Boys Basketball Team

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Henry Fernandez, the executive director of LEAP, lives in Fair Haven.

MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTOHllhouse Boys Track Team

Basketball Team, who are the 2016 Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference State champs after a 94-83, double-overtime win over Hartford’s Weaver High School last month at Mohegan Sun Arena.

West Rock Alder Carlton Staggers, a Hillhouse graduate and father of a former team player, predicted that the team would continue to rack up championships in the future.

Hillhouse’s band was recognized for upholding the city and Yale University when the Yale basketball team played Baylor University during NCAA Tournament play last month. Yale’s band was on spring break, so Yale Head Coach James Jones asked the high school musicians to play in their stead.

Dixwell Alder Jeanette Morrison also made sure to recognize the cheerleaders, whom she said aren’t always shown the kind of appreciation that other athletes are though they practice hard, and are at every game. She might be a little biased. Morrison was a Hillhouse cheerleader back in the day.

Board of Alders President Tyisha Walker, a proud Hillhouse graduate, encouraged the students that when someone tells them that they can’t accomplish something “prove them wrong just like you’ve been doing.

INNER-CITY NEWS April 11, 2016 - Aprl 17, 2016

Hillhouse Student-Athletes Get Their Due

Con’t from page 06

INNER-CITY NEWS April 11, 2016 - April 17, 2016 12

State statute disallows districts from preventing students from attending magnet schools in other districts, said state Department of Education spokesperson Abbe Smith in the Register article.

by ALIYYA SWABY New Haven Independent Board of Education members plan to recommend the district nix a plan to delay bus pick-up times but pursue a different new budgeting idea, to request tuition from suburban districts with students attending local magnet schools.

In the worst-case scenario, districts would refuse to pay the tuition, De La Paz said Monday at the finance committee meeting.

“The only recourse for us is to dis-enroll the student.”

Those were among many proposals debated at a five-hour budget school board planning session, the penultimate before the board has to vote on a final budget this coming Monday.

Darnell Goldson and Michael Nast, heads of the school board’s Operations and Finance Committee, which held the meeting, led other board members, district officials, school leaders and many curious members of the public through a thorough discussion of the district budget proposal summary, which lists various potential cuts, sources of revenue and investments for the upcoming fiscal year.

Chief Financial Officer Victor De La Paz had proposed 11 ideas for saving money in order from “less painful” to “most painful.”

He also proposed four ideas for investing those savings, including redesigning alternative schools and continuing the Saturday Academy for reading and math.

Goldson informally polled members on their opinions about which items to recommend the full board approve next Monday and which to disregard. Five members were present at the meeting: Goldson, Nast, Ed Joyner, Carlos Torre and Daisy Gonzalez.

During the school year?

Goldson asked. Harries shook his head no.

ALIYYA SWABY PHOTOHarries, Clark, Joyner at the committee meeting.

der to reuse buses from Tier I. It would save about $1.2 million.

Tier III school Mauro/ Sheridan parents signed a petition asking district officials not to change the school start time.

“A 9:35 start time means that parents will have trouble balancing getting their children to school and working jobs. In a world where most families have two working parents, or have single parents, a later start time will mean that there will be a need for before-school programming,” the petition reads.

Monday, at the board committee meeting, De La Paz and district Chief Operating Officer Will Clark proposed a revised version of the time change that would slide Tier I and Tier II schools’ start times 10 minutes earlier, to 7:20 a.m. and 8:25 a.m. respectively. And it would slide Tier III school start times 10 minutes later to 9:25 a.m.

The change would have a “smaller increment of impact” and a larger percentage of schools impacted, Harries said.

Board member Daisy Gonzalez, who phone in to the meeting Monday, said she still is not on board with the change: “I think it’s going to affect to many families.”

Some districts are changing start times to give high school

students more time to sleep in the morning and accommodate elementary school students’ earlier wake-up times, Nast said. “We don’t have time to do that.”

tional Center for the Arts, and about $4,800 to send students to Wintergreen Interdistrict Magnet School in Hamden, De La Paz said.

Celentano Principal Keisha Hannans said earlier start times at Tier I and II schools could increase lateness and absences among those students.

The New Haven Public Schools do not pay or receive money from other districts for the Open Choice program, outside of paying districts giving special education services to New Haven students, said Typhanie Jackson, district student services director.

Board members agreed they did not have enough information to recommend the rest of the board approve the plan next Monday.

Board members warmed up to the idea of charging suburban districts for sending their K-12 students to New Haven public schools. The district would request tuition at a rate of $750 per student next year, then double to $1,500 per student the year after and triple to $2,250 after three years. The tuition would bring in about $1.5 million next fiscal year, De La Paz said. It would save a total of about $1.5 million and requires the approval of the education commissioner.

The district gets per-pupil funds from the state at about $7,000 for suburban students and $3,000 for local students who enroll in magnet schools by Oct. 1.

It pays about $4,500 per pupil in tuition to send students to public magnet school ACES Educa-

Board member Michael Nast expressed concern at losing good relationships with Hamden and West Haven, the districts sending the most students to New Haven magnet schools. “They’ll need to come up with a lot of money,” he said.

“That mirrors our issue,” Goldson said. “Hamden can take their kids back and then have to pay to educate them.”

As reported by Mark Zaretsky in the New Haven Register, West Haven Superintendent Neil Cavallaro said his district could not afford to educate the 1,000 West Haven students who attend New Haven magnet schools.

Hamden Superintendent Jody Goeler said in the article that his district would have to cut resources for its schools if it were forced to pay $420,000 in tuition to New Haven.

“That would be your choice,” De La Paz said. He advised sending districts the number of students accepted into New Haven magnet schools in the lottery process this spring and talking with them further.

“If we bring the districts to the table and say, ‘How much should we charge you?’ the answer would be zero,” De La Paz said.

The $2,250 ask is “less than half of what we’re paying when we pay tuition to ACES.” Nast said he worries about losing thentry/ magnet_enrollment_efforts_fall_short/ ” $36 million the district receives from the state through the magnet program if suburban enrollment numbers dip.

Goldson and Torre said that they want to collaborate with other districts also hurting for money with state budget cuts looming. They should try to “figure out how to do it where it hurts the least,” Goldson said.

All five members at the committee said they would move forward with the proposal, given the addendum encouraging collaboration with other districts.

Members also proposed a few items not on the list, including cutting two principals from Hillhouse High School, which has been a major site of controversy within the district over the past several months. Many of the Con’t on page 19

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New Haven schools are divided into three tiers for bus transportation, with Tier I schools starting the earliest and Tier III starting the latest. De La Paz ” a controversial money-saving measure to push Tier III schools’ start times 20 minutes later, to begin at 9:35 a.m., in or-

INNER-CITY NEWS April 11, 2016 - Aprl 17, 2016

Suburban Magnet Tuition Idea Advances

INNER-CITY NEWS April 11, 2016 - April 17, 2016 14

INNER-CITY NEWS April 11, 2016 - Aprl 17, 2016

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Search Begins For One Hillhouse Principal Board of Alders hearing and tour of the school said they appreciated the personalized learning opportunities at the school’s mini-academies, but not the way they were managed.

by ALIYYA SWABY New Haven Independent Superintendent Garth Harries plans Monday to start the search for one principal to lead Hillhouse High School after months of debate citywide surrounding the school’s management.

Harries sent a letter Thursday to the school community announcing his decision to post for one principal to be confirmed by the Board of Education midMay and to assume the position July 1. He met with teachers to tell them in person Friday and plans to meet with the student council Monday.

“The leadership structure had become a distraction and an obstacle,” Harries told the Independent Friday. “The point has never been three principals for the sake of three principals.”

Hillhouse has been divided into four mini-“academies,” with separate principals, aimed at giving students at the struggling school more individualized attention. Parents and e_seniors/ ”students and teachers have

Harries said the academy system will remain at Hillhouse, though the principal might make “adjustments.”

Current principals Baker, Diah and Fallon Daniels are welcome to apply for the position, he said.

A committee of parents, teachers and students will help screen candidates and make recommendations for the hire.

ALIYYA SWABY PHOTO Two

of three current Principals Baker and Diah at a March alder hearing.

complained repeatedly about problems with that new system since the school year began.

were aware of the problems and needed more time to be able to thoroughly address them.

At a hearing before the Board of Alders in mid-March, alumni, students, teachers and community members gathered to paint a picture of a school with too many leaders, an inconsistent grading system, unfilled teacher vacancies and poor scheduling.

Principals Zakiyyah Baker and David Diah said then that they

Board of Education members Ed Joyner and Darnell Goldson who have personal connections to the school have loudly called for district officials to cut the number of its principals down to one. Goldson said at a recent Operations and Finance Committee meeting that he would not vote for a budget with

three Hillhouse principal salaries.

He called for two principal salaries to be cut, and for that money to stay in the school’s budget to be used for other expenses.

When asked whether their statements had any bearing on his decision, Harries said, “There were a lot of factors involved” in the decision process.

Students and teachers at the

“Hiring one principal supports the idea of having a family with three academies within,” he said.

“It’s helpful, but by no means the only thing.” The school community will need a period of “restoration” and “collective responsibility for the future” of the school, he said, in order to continue its academic gains.

He hopes to ask the Board of Ed to approve the hire by the second Board of Ed meeting in May.

Rodriguez Eyes Registrar Run

by PAUL BASS New Haven Independent Among the primary elections that New Haven’s voting registrars will help oversee this September may be one for their own office.

That’s because two candidates plan to vie for the usually uncontested office of Democratic registrar of voters.

By law each major party gets a registrar of voters position. The last primary took place in 1988, when Sharon Ferrucci defeated Althea Jackson Tyson.

Now Sergio Rodriguez has filed papers to form an “explor-

atory committee” to challenge incumbent Democratic Registrar Shannel Evans.

Evans, who got her start in

politics with the Dwight Community Management Team, s_torch_passes/”ascended from the position of deputy registrar

to Democratic registrar in January, when Ferrucci retired. Evans confirmed Thursday night that she plans to run for a full term this fall.

race for city clerk in 2013, ultimately losing to Michael Smart.

He works for the State of Connecticut coordinating surrogate parent programs.

Evans said she wants to continue efforts to increase the registration rolls, including targeting young voters. She and Republican Registrar Delores Knight recently visited a civics class at New Haven Academy to register seniors who will turn 18 by this November’s election.

Evans said she plans to make similar visits to other spots around town.

Although at this stage he has formed just an “exploratory” committee, he said he is assembling a team for a campaign. =

Rodriguez, a former five-term Westville alder, ran a spirited

“This is not about the incumbent,” he said. “I think I can do this job.” Like Evans, he said he would focus on bringing more voters onto the rolls with a focus on youth. He said he’s working on a proposal for a “pilot program” with the Board of Education that he’ll disclose at a later date.

INNER-CITY NEWS April 11, 2016 - April 17, 2016 18

Suburban Magnet school’s teachers and students have spoken out against its structure, a divided system of four (soon to be three) academies, each with its own principal.

At a Board of Alders hearing in March, board members Goldson and Joyner called for the school to have just one principal, not three. They argue that the school needs one leader in charge. Advocates of the academy system argue that it gives students at a large school more attention, and that each academy needs a principal as a leader. In response to the criticism, one of the three principals, Zakiyyah Baker, was made the “coordinating” principal.

Goldson and Joyner are sticking to that demand as they plan the budget for the upcoming year. The move, Goldson said, could cut at least two administrator salaries from the school.

New Haven is also paying 75 percent of the salary of a district official through the Broad Residency, a leadership development program that matches participants to full-time positions in urban education for two years.

Siddhartha Chowdri is finishing his second year school finance resident through the program.

“Tampon Tax” Hits Women Of Color Especially Hard

By Iesha Pompey, BlackDoctor.org Contributor

According to AJ+, women with periods spend around $3,000 on feminine hygiene products throughout their lifetime. This makes the wage gap between women and men even wider, as men are least likely to purchase feminine hygiene products.

More and more women are joining the fight to get rid of “tampon tax,” or tax on tampons, sanitary pads and other feminine hygiene products.

Now, some might argue that fighting to get rid of tampon tax is no more important that fighting to get rid of any other hygiene product, like soap. But, feminine hygiene is a little different, as these products (and taxes) only apply to women and there are several items, like groceries, that are already tax-free in certain states.

“Basically, we’re being taxed for being women. The economic effect is only felt by women, and women of color are particularly hard hit by this tax,” said Christina Garcia, Assembly member of California (District 58), in a press release.

In January 2016, Garcia (D) and fellow assemblywoman Ling Ling Chang (R) introduced a bill (AB1561) to make menstrual hygiene products exempt

from sales tax in California.

Is your period a luxury?

New Jersey, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Massachusetts have already passed laws – the only states to do so – to make menstrual hygiene items tax free according to the site Fusion. But, 40 U.S. states still impose tax on feminine hygiene products as “luxury goods.”

In an interview with President Barack Obama, Youtuber Ingrid Nilson asked President Obama

why there’s a “luxury tax” on feminine hygiene products.

“I have no idea why states would tax these as luxury items.

I suspect [it’s because] men were making the laws when those tax were passed,” said President Obama.

Nilson went on to say she doesn’t know anyone who has a period that thinks it’s a luxury and President Obama said he thinks FLOTUS would agree.

The Wage Gap

At 54-63 cents to a white man’s dollar, the wage gap for women of color is the widest, according to HelloGiggles.com.

So, not only are some women making less money than everyone else, they’re still paying taxes on items that are necessary and specifically marketed to them.

INNER-CITY NEWS April 11, 2016 - Aprl 17, 2016

Con’t from page 13

Garcia’s overall goal is for menstrual products to be free.

This will then benefit all women, especially those who are homeless and cannot afford to purchase menstrual hygiene items.

New Bill It was announced this month that lawmakers in D.C. will also introduce a bill that makes feminine hygiene products exempt from sales tax.

“Central office is short-staffed in many ways,” Harries said, acknowledging that many people would not agree with that statement. Chowdri currently makes about $90,000, three-quarters of which New Haven district funds.

De La Paz came to education policy through the Broad residency.

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Goldson also asked members to consider not investing next year in the Achievement First residency program for school leadership, which allows teachers another pathway to an administrator position. That could save the district about $130,000.

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Most Of Us Need A Love Sounding Board!

by William Spivey

INNER-CITY NEWS April 11, 2016 - April 17, 2016

Love is hard to get right under the best of circumstances. Unless you’re one of the ones that meet the love of your life on the first try and you somehow manage to grow at relatively the same pace and communicate well enough to overcome the obstacles of life.

You’re likely to fail at least once and in some cases often before getting it right if ever.

One thing women are somewhat better than men at is having a sounding board to share some of their trials and tribulations and get advice to consider besides their own counsel. I’m going to attempt to walk a thin line here and generalize about both men and women by saying women often seek counsel from the wrong sources while men often choose to go it alone. Neither method has a good track record of success.

The optimum solution is to find your love sounding board that helps you work through your situation and is looking for the

best resolution for you as opposed to them. With that in mind, I have a few tips for choosing your love sounding board. They may be someone you already know well. The rationale for that is that hopefully they know you pretty well also and can make suggestions based on a working knowledge of your likes and dislikes and as important your history which if left to your own devices you are likely to repeat.

In a seeming contradiction, your sounding board may be almost a complete stranger or someone you only know through social media. Your sounding board to be effective must ask some deeply personal questions and it’s sometimes easier to communicate openly with someone you’ve never met as opposed to someone you have to look in the eye every day.

They should ask you questions and lead you to examine and making your own choices as opposed to only telling you what you should do. Some sounding boards have their own agenda

and/or strong beliefs and end up not helping you to determine what’s best for you but instead, tell you what they would do in a similar situation.

They should be able to keep a confidence. If it’s someone you already know well they have already demonstrated whether they have that ability. They have told you who they are… believe them. A stranger that has no contact with your circle of friends may seem safe but in these days of Twitter, Instagram and Facebook it still pays to be discerning.

Start slow. You don’t need to reveal your deepest secrets or fears in your first discussion although if you never reveal them you may be blocking the benefits you hoped to achieve. Ultimately there will come a time for truth telling if you want real help with your relationship concerns.

It might seem with all that I’ve mentioned that it might be best to forego a sounding board altogether and work things out yourself. You could start by asking

yourself how well keeping everything to yourself has worked for you in the past? People both men and women like what they like and without an intervention are likely to repeat the same patterns over and over. My weakness was cheerleader types and I found myself attracted to pretty but relatively self-centered women that put their own interests and needs far above my own.

Until someone pointed that out to me I never realized it and I submit that each of you have some pattern you are following that might not be in your best interest.

My sounding board asks me tough questions which I sometimes avoid initially but it is in discovering the answers where growth and change occur. While I have great male friends the best advice I get comes from the opposite sex which may or may not work for each of you. She asks me what I want, what is my plan, is it likely to succeed? Sometimes I go down a different path which results in the same ques-

tions put in different ways; is that what you want, is this part of your plan, will this choice make you happy?

I was (past tense) the type to go it totally on my own in love matters. I kept choosing the same type of woman which initially may have fed my ego but ultimately didn’t make me happy.

Left to my own devices I’d be seeking the next cheerleader that ultimately wasn’t the best match for my personality. If going it alone hasn’t gotten you where you want to be. Seek out a sounding board that can help you redirect yourself by asking the pertinent questions that allow you to examine your own patterns and hopefully make the changes that will lead you to your relationship goal.

William Spivey is an author, and writer of social and political commentary. He blogs at enigmainblack.wordpress.com He lives in Orlando, Florida.

Jimmy Reed, The Blues, B.B. King and Frank Sinatra to name a few; Mrs. Marilyn enjoyed listening to Lena Horne, Billie Holliday, Judy Garland, she watched Lena Horne in her career as well as Dorothy Dandridge and when she toured with Ray Charles she said she was introduced to a whole different kind of music that amazed her, she says that you never stop learning in life as long as you keep your mind open.

Last week I had the ultimate pleasure of interviewing two of the original members of the dynamic music group The 5th Dimension, Mrs. Marilyn McCoo and Mr. Billy Davis Jr. for their upcoming concert in Ridgefield, CT on April 16th at the Ridgefield Playhouse.

Now, it wasn’t until an hour or so before the interview when I realized just who they were, I mean yes, I had heard of the group they were in but their music was a bit before my time, my generation would know them from being on the Jamie Foxx show as Fancy’s parents! We only had about twenty minutes to do the interview and we talked about almost everything, the music, acting, family, and their faith in God; I hope you all enjoy the interview and hope to see you at the concert in Ridgefield!

We touched on family briefly, they have a son, but apparently he didn’t get the gift of musical talent from his parents.

They describe their music style as a mixture of 5th Dimension hits, influential music that helped them developed their style such as the blues, contemporary and hits within the past ten years. The couple enjoys listening to Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Adele, and John Legend. They love John Legend because of his many talents, writing, directing, etc.

I posed all of my questions to both Marilyn and Billy, mainly because I wanted to see how similar or different their answers would be, an my first question to them was: How did you get started in your music?

Both of Marilyn’s parents were doctors, her father loved to sing, her family used to do group singing, she started her performing in junior high school, she was in a group that toured with Ray Charles and went on tour with him.

Billy’s start was a bit different, his parents were business owners and entrepreneurs, he had a group before he got drafted into the service, but nothing really came of it, then he got drafted in the service and started a band while in the service and named them The Kingston’s while stationed in Germany. He then started a club and called a friend of his in L.A. that was a photographer for Motown Records, so he linked up with Lamont, who ended up being apart of the 5th Dimension, and that’s how the dynamic group got started.

ments, Mr. Davis plays the guitar and the saxophone, he performs more now than playing but he is versed in those instruments.

Mrs. Marilyn only sings and acts though she did study piano when she was growing up.

Marilyn and Billy met while being in the group together and I was curious to know if their love story was a love at first sight type of thing or was it gradual.

They both said that they shared a lot in common as far as music, and when they first got to Los Angeles, Marilyn started picking Billy up to go to rehearsals together, since Mr. Davis didn’t

have a car. Mr. Davis joked that Marilyn fell in love with him when she first laid eyes on him but she just didn’t know it! During that beginning time in the group together is when they began to get better acquainted with one another and ultimately began dating a year and a half into the group’s formation and ended up married.

Being in a group for as many years as the 5th Dimension was together you begin to treat your fellow group mates as family and sometimes after groups dissipate the communication between the members becomes extinct, I was

glad to hear that Mrs. Marilyn and Mr. Billy still keep in contact with Lamont, who was apart of their group, their other group mate, Ron Towson passed away in 2001 due to renal failure and from time to time they talk to Florence LaRue. Most of us grew up in homes where our parents played music of their favorite artists playing on Saturday mornings, which usually meant you would be cleaning the whole day, I know that’s what it meant most of the time in my parents house.

Mr. Davis loved listening to Sam Cooke, Nat King Cole,

They joked that the fact they love eating is what influences them to continue performing, but also the fact that they love and enjoy what singing together; they are thankful and blessed with careers that have stood the test of time to continue doing what they do. They get a chance to give people encouragement and talk to people and share their faith with them, especially being that they have been married for 46 years! Talk about amazing, they attribute God to being they reason they have stayed together for so long.

In closing, they are really looking forward to their concert in Ridgefield, they are looking forward to seeing their fans and just sharing their beautiful talents with us! I hope you all have enjoyed this article and hopefully you have gotten your tickets already to see this beautiful couple perform at the Ridgefield Playhouse!

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I know there are singers and performers who also play instru-

INNER-CITY NEWS April 11, 2016 - Aprl 17, 2016

Legends Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. talk with Christian Lewis, ICN Correspondent

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Christopher Reid of Kid N’ Play: 25 Years Of House Party

By Marcus Lumpkin BlackDoctor.Org

Miles Ahead

When you hear the name Kid N’ Play, you most likely think about the 1990 film, House Party. That’s right the cult classic starring Christopher “Kid” Reid, Christopher “Play” Martin, Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, A.J. Johnson, Full Force, and John Witherspoon hit movie theaters a quarter of a century ago.

However, Christopher “Kid” Reid and Christopher “Play” Martin are more than just the two funny guys who wanted to throw a party when their parents were out of town. Since the release of their 1988 album, 2 Hype, which went gold, Kid N’ Play have been entertaining hip-hop lovers all over the world with their upbeat sounds, good energy and iconic dance moves.

Reid was born in The Bronx, New York City, to a Jamaican father and an Irish mother. He graduated from the Bronx High School of Science in 1982. He also graduated from Lehman College in the Bronx after attending Miles College.

INNER-CITY NEWS April 11, 2016 - April 17, 2016

Reid says now that he’s older, “Kid N’ Play can now be called ‘Grown N’ Worked’ Ha!”

Reid has lived “full life” in his words.

“When I was growing up I had an afro and these real thick glasses and Play was this dude that always dressed fly, he had guns. So I was like this guy is cool!”

With the touring and selling records all over the world in the 1990’s, came the onslaught of women and drinking and new issues.

“Within the span of a year and a half, I went from touring and being single to being married with three kids. It was crazy.”

Now, happily divorced, Reid

says he learned a lot and imparts his knowledge with upcoming performers. Here’s his 3 tips: 1. You’re gonna make mistakes. Try not to make the same ones twice.

Film Review by Kam Williams

2. Keep good people around you.

Cheadle Channels Legendary Jazz Great in Warts-and-all Biopic

3. Love what you do. It’s a blessing and a privilege to do what you do. Pressure is a privilege.

It’s no secret that Don Cheadle wanted to make a movie about Miles Davis (1926-1991) for over a decade. Well, the wait is finally over for jazz fans eager to see the warts-and-all biopic chronicling some of the highs and lows of the legendary trumpeter’s checkered career.

Reid is now doing voiceovers , has a budding and touring stand up comedy show, still touring with Play and has his own medical marijuana business called Kid N’ Blaze.

Cheadle not only produced, directed, and co-wrote his labor of love, but handles the title character in a haunting performance where he manages to channel the spirit of Miles oh so convincingly, from the gravelly voice to the mercurial temperament.

But while the impersonation might be spot on, the surreal screenplay leaves a lot to be desired. The script eschews a conventional, chronological approach to storytelling in favor of a free form structure featuring a series of vignettes focusing less on the man’s music than his messy private life.

The picture’s point of departure is 1975, when we find Miles in the midst of a self-imposed, five-year break from the music business. He spends his days barricaded in his New York apartment consuming copious amounts of drugs to mask the pain caused by a chronic hip condition.

The plot thickens with the intrusion into this fortress of solitude of a pushy Rolling Stone reporter (Ewan McGregor) in search of a scoop about a rumored comeback. Dave Braden proceeds to circumvent a very skeptical Davis’ disdain for journalists by agreeing to serve as his chauffeur and to procure cocaine on his behalf. Unfortunately, Dave also has a hidden agenda, namely, gaining possession of the master tape of Miles’ next album, if it exists.

Meanwhile, the icon is conveniently given to reminiscing about his past, which allows for intermittent flashbacks, most about his tempestuous relationship with his first wife, Frances (Emayatzy Corinealdi).

Too bad Miles’ impressive body of work is given short shrift. except for the handful of classics on the soundtrack.

An improvisational cinematic portrait of a jazz giant whose prodigious cultural contributions play second fiddle to a plethora of his personal failings.

INNER-CITY NEWS April 11, 2016 - Aprl 17, 2016

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Bringing College to the Workplace

By Dick Resch The job market is finally looking up for college students.

This year, employers expect to hire 11 percent more new college graduates than in 2015. More than four in ten employers described the job market as „very good“ or better for this crop of graduates.

Yet most employers struggle to integrate young hires into the workplace. The difference between the working environment of a college student and an entry-level employee is enormous.

This disconnect can be costly.

Unhappy workers tend to be unproductive and are more likely to leave. That forces companies to spend more on recruiting — and harms their reputations.

Employers can meet the needs of these young workers by going „back to school“ — and incorporating design elements from college campuses into their work environments. Doing so will help them attract young talent and, by boosting worker productivity, enhance the company bottom line.

Young workers have spent their formative years in dynamic learning environments.

Predictably, the shift to the static life of cubicles and conference rooms can be difficult.

Indeed, a recent survey conducted by consulting firm HOK and my own company, KI Furniture, found that over 80 percent of newly hired college graduates feel „lost in transition“ at their new companies.

Three out of four businesses surveyed conceded that they could learn something from the design of colleges. More than one-third understand that their new hires will carry their old collegiate work styles into the office.

Yet just 8 percent thought about including elements from college campuses when

Dick Resch is CEO of KI Furniture (www.ki.com).

designing their own workplaces.

That has to change.

Employers can start by scrapping the requirement that workers be in one place all day on a preset schedule. As one recent graduate told researchers, „Professors give me assignments and deadlines. How I complete those tasks is entirely up to me.

They don’t say, „You will write this paper between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. while sitting at this assigned library table.“ Technology has rendered the traditional workplace obsolete.

Workers can be thousands of miles away and still collaborate.

In fact, one-third of workers in knowledge jobs are already working remotely.

Employers should be empowering their employees with flexible work arrangements.

They’ll be rewarded for doing so. Thirty percent of workers with such arrangements report being very engaged at work; 60 percent say they’re satisfied. By contrast, just 10 percent of those without flexible workplaces are engaged on the job. Twenty-two percent are satisfied at work.

Likewise, employers should cultivate the free-flowing social environment of college campuses. Students and even faculty have limited individual space so that the bulk of campus space is shared by everyone.

Young graduates don’t want to be siloed in distant offices.

Offices should prioritize open

workspaces that encourage spontaneous collaboration.

Consider the case of Pixar, the computer-animated film studio.

In 2000, the company took its computer scientists, animators, and executives from three separate buildings and merged them into one vast shared space.

Pixar’s chief creative officer said that he’d „never seen a building that promoted collaboration and creativity as well as this one.“ It’s no coincidence that the studio reeled off a string of hits after moving into its new space.

Cassidy Turley, a Minneapolis-based commercial real estate firm, halved the size of its offices by essentially eliminating cubicles and private offices. Workers can stand at their desks throughout the day.

Meetings take place in the center of the open office; quiet rooms are available on the periphery.

The firm freely admits that its younger employees pushed for these changes. And it believes that collegiate design elements like these will help it recruit — and hold onto — the best workers the millennial generation has to offer.

The office of yore is fading fast. The current generation of workers demands much more from their workplace. Young employees will take their talents to companies with workplaces that remind them of their college days — and leave those wedded to the status quo behind.

BECOME A FOSTER OR ADOPTIVE PARENT… ATTEND AN INFORMATIONAL SESSION

Please call 1-888-KID-HERO For more Information Department of Children and Families

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Boston Archaeological Dig at Former Home of Malcolm X

by Zenitha Prince Senior AFRO Correspondent Archaeologists in Boston this week began excavating at the boyhood home of Malcolm X, hoping to gain insight into the slain civil rights activist’s childhood and the lives of the home’s previous owners.

From March 29 through April 8, archaeologists at The City Archaeology Lab and the Fiske

geophysical testing techniques to an urban dig.

Center for Archaeological Research at the University of Massachusetts Boston, will comb through the property at 72 Dale St., located in the historically Black neighborhood of Roxbury.

“Generally in the inner city, you just dig. You don’t use the technology first,” Steinberg told NBC. “The geophysics allows the archaeologists to dig less and learn more.”

Born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Neb., Malcolm X endured an itinerant childhood due to his family’s persecution at the hands of the Ku Klux Klan and other White supremacists. At the age of 15,

Already, the team has unearthed fragments of broken dishes, which Rodnell Collins confirmed belonged to his mother. The archaeologists have also discovered cobblestones and other signs of a buried landscape, and piece of a smoking pipe that may have belonged to the Irish family from whom the Collins purchased the house.

INNER-CITY NEWS April 11, 2016 - April 17, 2016

Bagley is encouraging members of the public to visit the dig site for the duration of the project between the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

the high school dropout moved to Boston to live with his older half-sister, Ella Little-Collins and her husband Kenneth Collins, according to Biography.com.

the home in an effort to uncover more about his early life, when he was known as Malcolm Little and lived there with his sister’s family in the 1940s. (AP Photo/ Bill Sikes)

When Rodnell Collins – who grew up with his parents and his uncle Malcolm in Roxbury – informed the city he wanted to renovate the house to conduct public tours, Boston’s city archaeologist Joseph Bagley decided to conduct the dig before valuable artifacts were lost.

“As archaeologists, we never ever get to turn to the person next to us and be like, ‘What’s this?’”

Bagley told NBC News. “It’s amazing, it feels like we’re almost cheating.”

City archeologist Joe Bagley, right, digs as volunteer Rosemary Pinales sifts soil for items at the house where slain African-American activist Malcolm X spent part of his teen years, Tuesday, March 29, 2016, in the Roxbury section of Boston. Archeologists are undertaking a two-week dig at

The archaeologist told Boston Magazine he hoped to find “personal items” and “little tidbits.”

“It’s really just kind of contributing whatever we find to what we already know from Rodnell,” he said. “To see if we can add some more color to it.”

John Steinberg, research scientist at the Fiske Center, used the dig as an opportunity to apply

Rodnell P. Collins carries a painting of his uncle Malcolm X outside the house where the slain African-American activist spent part of his teen years, Tuesday, March 29, 2016, in the Roxbury section of Boston. Archeologists are undertaking a two-week dig at the home in an effort to uncover more about his early life, when he was known as Malcolm Little and lived there with his sister’s family in the 1940s. (AP Photo/Bill Sikes) Bagley said working side-byside with the younger Collins is an invaluable opportunity.

City archeologist Joe Bagley, right, digs as volunteer Rosemary Pinales sifts soil for items at the house where slain African-American activist Malcolm X spent part of his teen years, Tuesday, March 29, 2016, in the Roxbury section of Boston. Archeologists are undertaking a two-week dig at the home in an effort to uncover more about his early life, when he was known as Malcolm Little and lived there with his sister’s family in the 1940s. (AP Photo/ Bill Sikes)

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CITY OF NORWICH Inspector (Fire Marshall’s Office) Salary: $69,424 – $71,507 911 Emergency Dispatcher Salary: $45,718 - $57,850 Police Records Computer Operator Salary: $34,871 - $37,903 Visit www.norwichct.org/hr to apply and for more information. AA/EEO. The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven is seeking to fill a full time position for a Communications Officer.

Please refer to our website for details: http://www.cfgnh.org/About/ContactUs/EmploymentOpportunities.aspx EOE electronic submissions only. No phone calls

Listing: Accounting-AR Specialist Immediate opening for an experienced professional in an extremely fast-paced petroleum environment. Requires AR knowledge, high volume billing experience and familiarity with Excel, Adds Energy experience a plus. Candidate must possess a high level of accuracy and attention to detail. Petroleum industry and propane experience a plus. Send resume to: Human Resource Dept. P O Box 388, Guilford CT 06437.

CARPENTER Large CT Fence Company looking for a carpenter for our Wood Fence Production Shop. Experience preferred but will train the right person. Must be familiar with carpentry hand & power tools and be able to read a CAD drawing and tape measure.

This is an in-shop production position. Duties include building fence panels, posts, gates and more. Some pickup & delivery of materials may also be required. Must have a valid CT driver’s license and be 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

FENCE ERECTING CONTRACTORS Large CT Fence & Guardrail Contractor is looking for Fence Installer foreman and helpers. Foreman must have at least 5 years’ experience. Helpersno experience required, will train the right person. Work available 10-12 months per year. Valid Ct. Driver’s license required and must be able to get a DOT Medical Card. All necessary equipment provided. Medical, vacation & other benefits included. Must be able to pass a physical and drug test. Foreman rates from $22 to $28/hour plus benefits, helper rates from $16/hour plus benefits. OSHA 10 training is a plus. Please email resume to rhauer@atlasoutdoor.com AA/EOE

Drivers: Company Drivers. $5000 transition bonus. Paid out in the first 4 months - Call us for details! New Home Time policy: 5 days out - 2 days off; 10 days out - 4 days off; 15 days out6 days off. We offer: average $1200$1400 weekly. $1500 quarterly bonus. $5000 referral bonus. Dedicated lanes.

Longevity bonus. Dedicated driver advocate team. Health, dental, vision benefits available. Paid layovers & orientation. Requirements: must have CDLA with tanker & hazmat endorsements.

Have or be willing to obtain TWIC card. 1yr. tractor-trailer exp. Call Jessica: 866-983-0855 or apply online at www.Work4QC.com

FENCE ERECTING SUBCONTRACTORS Large CT Fence & Guardrail Contractor is looking for experienced, responsible commercial and residential fence erectors and installers on a subcontractor basis. Earn from $750 to $2,000 per day. Must have truck and your own tools. Email resume to mpicard@atlasoutdoor.com AA/EOE

**An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer**

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Seeking WBE drywall suppliers and subcontractors for New Haven housing authority project. Please email info@tecconllc.com if interested.

LABORERS NEEDED Full time openings for Construction Laborers with benefits after 90 days.

Minimum two years experience required. All interested parties please apply in person at: True Blue Environmental, 5 Northfield Rd, Wallingford, CT. An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

Elm City Communities Invitation for Bids Matthew Ruoppolo Manor Electric Generator Replacement Elm City Communities also known as The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven (HANH) is currently seeking Bids for Matthew Ruoppolo Manor Electric Generator Replacement. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https:// newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on Wednesday, March 23, 2016 @ 3:00 PM.

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

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

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

Housing Authority of the City of New Haven Invitation for Bids Winslow- Celentano Hydronic Upgrades The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven (HANH) is currently seeking Bids for Winslow- Celentano Hydronic Upgrades. Bids will be received until March 4, 2016 at 3:00 PM. A Pre-Bid Conference will be held at 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06511 on Wednesday February 17, 2016 @ 11:00 AM. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from HANH’s front desk at 360 Orange Street beginning on Wednesday, February 10, 2016 @ 3:00 PM. Request for electronic copies of the request should be emailed to bids@newhavenhousing.org.

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven is seeking to fill a full time position for a Communications Officer.

Please refer to our website for details: http://www.cfgnh.org/About/ContactUs/EmploymentOpportunities.aspx EOE electronic submissions only. No phone calls REVISED LEGAL NOTICE INVITATION TO BID THE CITY OF MERIDEN IS ACCEPTING SEALED BIDS FOR: B016-27 Hazardous Building Materials Abatement – 116 Cook Avenue, Meriden

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Bids shall be submitted on forms and in the manner specified. Forms and specifications may be obtained from the Purchasing Department, 142 East Main Street, Meriden, CT 06450-8022. Bids will be accepted in Purchasing, Room 210, 142 East Main Street, Meriden, CT 06450-8022, until 11:00 A.M. on April 26, 2016 at which time they will be publicly opened and read.

Each bid shall be accompanied by a Certified Check or Bid Bond in the amount of Ten (10%) percent of the amount bid.

This project includes, but is not limited to, the abatement and disposal of hazardous building materials (HBM) and universal wastes. Materials to be abated include asbestos containing materials, materials coated in leadbased paint and materials affected by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and the removal and proper disposal of hydraulic oil.

The Bid Package and Plans may be examined on or after March 30, 2016, between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. daily, except Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays.

Bid documents will be available electronically at no cost. Contact the Purchasing Department via email at lto:purchasing@meridenct.gov”purchasing@meridenct.gov to request documents. Printed copies will be available for a non-refundable fee of $60.00 Dollars ($60.00) per set. Checks shall be payable to the City of Meriden.

Bidders requesting that Bid Documents be sent to them shall provide their courier account number for billing.

Labor and Material Payment Bond and a Performance Bond for One Hundred Percent (100%) of the contract price, with a corporate surety approved by the City of Meriden, will be required of the lowest responsible bidder.

The attention of bidders is directed to the requirement for minimum wage rates to be paid under this contract.

Funding for this project is provided by grants from the US Department of Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Small firms, minority-owned firms, women-owned firms or labor surplus area firms are encouraged to apply. The contract is subject to Davis Bacon Act requirements.

The right is reserved to reject any or all bids in whole or in part, to award any item, or total bid, and to waive informality or technical defects, if it is deemed to be in the best interest of the City of Meriden.

A MANDATORY Pre-Bid Conference will be held on the project site. Please meet at 10:00 A.M on April 12, 2016, at the front entrance. Bidders must attend the Pre-Bid Conference and sign the attendance sheet.

Any bid received after the time and date specified shall not be considered.

No bidder may withdraw their bid within sixty (60) days of the date of the bid opening. Should there be reason why the contract cannot be awarded within the specified period, the time may be extended by mutual agreement between the City of Meriden and the bidder.

Wilma C. Petro, CPPB, C.P.M., Purchasing Officer, City of Meriden Dated: April 5, 2016

Listing: Senior Accountant.

Immediate opening in a fast-paced petroleum environment for a degreed accountant w/ 2+ year’s public accounting experience. Duties include data transmission, tax prep, assistance w/monthly closing, account analysis/reconciliation, assistance managing network and system projects. Strong Excel and analytical skills a must. Great growth potential! Benefit package. Candidate must possess a high level of accuracy and attention to detail. Petroleum industry and propane experience a plus. Send resume to: Human Resource Dept. P O Box 388, Guilford CT 06437.

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BUSINESS HOURS - MONDAY FRIDAY 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM - 50 FITCH NEW HAVEN CT, 06515 - Career/Education/Training • Bid• L egal and Public Notices • Health Care • Real Estate • Professional Drivers: Company Drivers. $5000 transition bonus. Paid out in the first 4 months Call us for details! New Home Time policy: 5 days out - 2 days off; 10 days out - 4 days off; 15 days out- 6 days off. We offer: average $1200-$1400 weekly. $1500 quarterly bonus. $5000 referral bonus. Dedicated lanes. Longevity bonus. Dedicated driver advocate team. Health, dental, vision benefits available. Paid layovers & orientation. Requirements: must have CDLA with tanker & hazmat endorsements.

Have or be willing to obtain TWIC card.

1yr. tractor-trailer exp. Call Jessica: 866983-0855 or apply online at www.Work4QC.com

HVAC Apprentices Now Hiring HVAC apprentices. Current or previous HVAC trade school is required. We are hiring for a long term multi-family housing project in New Haven. Prevailing wage rates up to $55 per hour. We are an innovative and fast growing heating and AC contractor. We offer paid holidays, vacation time, 401K, Health Insurance and many other benefits. Call 860-283-4878 or email Chris@ctcomfortcontrol.com today to schedule a confidential interview.

HVAC Journeymen Now Hiring licensed Journeymen HVAC technicians and installers. CT S, D, or SM license required. We are hiring for a long term multi-family housing project in New Haven. Prevailing wage rates up to $75 per hour. We are an innovative and fast growing heating and AC contractor. We offer paid holidays, vacation time, 401K, Health Insurance and many other benefits. Call 860-283-4878 or email Chris@ctcomfortcontrol.com today to schedule a confidential interview.

CLERK TYPIST

INNER-CITY NEWS April 11, 2016 - April 17, 2016

Performs a wide variety of clerical duties requiring excellent computer and interpersonal skills.

This position requires 1 year of office work experience of a responsible nature and a H.S., G.E.D. or business diploma. $19.63 to $23.76 hourly plus an excellent fringe benefit package.

Apply: Personnel Department, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. The closing date will be that date the 75th application form/resume is received, or March 30, 2016, whichever occurs first. EOE Electric Utility System Operator/Dispatcher Operates electric distribution substation and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system for an electric utility serving 25,000 customers. Coordinates electric system switching and places equipment in and out of service during routine and emergency operations. Requires HS diploma/GED with 2 years experience in the operation of Distribution SCADA equipment and/or switchboards used in the distribution of electricity. Experience and training may be substituted on a year for year basis. Must maintain valid system operation certification from Connecticut Valley Exchange (CONVEX) or other approved agency or be able to obtain the same within 90 days of hire.

Must posses and maintain a valid State of CT driver’s license. $ 31.84 - $ 37.83 per hour plus an excellent fringe benefit package. Apply to: Personnel Department, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Fax #: (203) 294-2084. Closing date will be April 11, 2016. EOE.

Drivers Needed Full time openings for Class A Drivers with benefits after 90 days. Previous experience required. All interested parties: Apply in person with Rich Merly at True Blue Environmental 5 Northfield Road, Wallingford, CT. An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

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