INNER-CITY NEWS

New Haven Public Schools

Meet Our New Crew: YAJI Class of 2023

The Arts Paper newhavenarts.org

Welcome to the Youth Arts Journalism Class of 2023! We are so excited to have 11 of America’s future journalists learning with us this week. For a first writing exercise, all 11 of them split into groups to learn to write short bios of each other. Read on to meet these young people, and please greet them with open arms if you run into them on assignment!

Jordan Cagle is a 16-year-old junior at Metropolitan Business Academy in New Haven. As the third oldest of four daughters, Jordan enjoys dabbling in fashion and makeup in her free time. She currently takes classes in business and marketing at her high school, but plans to study premed or biology at Howard University in pursuit of a nursing-related career.

Jordan finds in journalism the opportunity to reach new audiences and change biases and beliefs. After learning about the program through her journalism teacher, Stephen Staysniak, she applied to tell the stories of Black businesses and nonprofits that are making change in New Haven and Hamden,

Now that she’s a part of YAJI, Jordan wants to write uplifting and positive stories that revolve around the movements, businesses, and happenings of groups led by people of color, and particularly Black people, in New Haven.

Nevaeh Lugo

Kristine Figueroa is a 16-year-old junior currently attending Metropolitan Business Academy. After being a wallflower for the majority of her middle school years, Figueroa started coming out of her shell as a promise to herself to change for the better. She is constantly making new friends and doesn’t shy away from anyone anymore.

This aspiring artist has been doing visual arts for as long as she can remember. Since the third grade she has been using a pencil and paper to bring her creativity out to the world. Figueroa knows that art will be with her for many years to come.

“My biggest passion is art. All I know is that in my future I want to do something that connects with art. Whether it be with graphic design or journalism like this would be cool,” she said.

Kristine recently joined the Youth Arts Journalism Initiative or YAJI to help develop her understanding of New Haven.

“I want to try and learn more about my community and the communities that surround me,” she said.

Kristine wants to shed light on the developing climate crisis and how it will affect the New Haven community. She fears the rising sea levels will raise many problems for Connecticut’s coastal areas, she said. At Metro, she has worked on a documentary bringing the issue to light.

“I think that if more people knew about this and we showed how important this is-

sue is we can prevent these things from happening.”

Kiomi Rincon

Fourteen-year-old Dontae James is a freshman at Wilbur Cross High School and the Educational Center for the Arts (ECA), where he is working to improve his skills as a saxophone player. Born and raised in New Haven, Dontae attended Francis Walsh Intermediate Middle School before stepping into ninth grade at Cross and ECA this year.

As a student in the 2023 Youth Arts Journalism Initiative (YAJI), Dontae is interested in improving his writing skills and gaining a better understanding of New Haven. His first assignment is close to his heart: he is interested in learning more about the artist and sax player Wayne Escoffery. “It’s nice, not going to lie, compared to other cities,” he said of New Haven. “There are times when it can be bad but not all the time.”

Dontae has a deep passion for music and has been playing the saxophone since middle school. In the future, he wants to do something with music, and is interested in trying out conducting.

Belén Meneses

Juliette Lao is a 17-year-old senior at New Haven Academy. While an early interest in the kryptonian superhero Supergirl led her to journalism, she has also developed a love for education. In college, she plans to create a K-12 curriculum around mental health and well-

ness in schools, meant to help students get through college and navigate stressful situations. She is currently considering the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her college studies. She views the world as “all over the place,” but looks for the good, she said. Last year, Juliette first took interest in YAJI while trying to work on her writing skills and learn something new as a New Haven Academy intern with the Arts Paper. It is one of her many interests, including animation and visual arts, reading (she recommends the book True Biz), retro styles, grilled cheese, and American Sign Language or ASL.

her mom cook, and playing her flute. She also enjoys deep cleaning when bored. Her love of music is especially vast. Belén enjoys a variety of genres including jazz, classical, and Latin-influenced styles like Mariachi, Cumbia, and Bachata. For Belén YAJI is a new experience, and she’s all for it.

Dontae James

Seventeen-year-old Alanis Morales wants to become New Haven’s next big true crime journalist—and is building the chops to do it. A junior at James Hillhouse High School and student in the Youth Arts Journalism Intensive, she has been gaining a variety of writing skills to achieve her goals.

Since watching movies like Men in Black and The Conjuring, Alanis has been interested in conspiracy theories and horror-related content. “It started off with kids tales like Bloody Mary, then horror legends, and eventually turned into what I’m interested in now,” she said.

This passion for untangling crime theories combined with a desire to develop her writing skills, led Morales to apply to YAJI. Morales aims to find out the different true crime and unsolved mysteries of New Haven and open up discussions about them. She believes that YAJI will give her the ability to open up new paths of opportunity for her future.

Kiomi Rincon

Nevaeh Lugo is a senior at West Haven high school. She enjoys creative writing and poetry, and plans to pursue a career in journalism at the University Of New Haven or a university in New York City. Her interest in journalism started in her sophomore year, when she started taking a journalism class in search of an enjoyable career path.

This year, she joined YAJI in hopes to gain experience and improve her writing skills. As a student in the program, she hopes to cover inspirational stories, talented students, school safety, and gender and sexuality.

After high school, she hopes to travel to the “hidden gems” of the world.

Maria Teniza

Fifteen-year-old Belén Meneses aspires to improve her understanding of her city and its citizens through YAJI. “I want to improve my writing skills,” said Belén, a student at the Youth Arts Journalism Initiative and a sophomore at Hill Regional Career High School.

Born and raised in New Haven, Belén now attends Hill Regional Career High School, and is a flutist in the Yale All City Wind Ensemble. Belén enjoys spending her free time listening to music, helping

When she’s not writing, she enjoys her school’s gender and sexuality club, which she joined “because it is close to home for me,” she said. She comes from a home with two moms, and considers herself a proud part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Jordan Cagle

Laila Mohammed, a student at Hill Regional Career High School in New Haven, is rounding off her senior year with everything from robots to bracelet-selling. The 17-year-old participates in her school’s robotics club, helping to create bots that accurately shoot objects into hoops. She also tends the school garden as part of Career’s environmental club. And although

Lucy Gellman Photos: The YAJI Class of 2023 at Madeline’s Empanaderia in the Hill, where students ate lunch Thursday.

Some Say Biden’s Expansion of Health Care for DACA Doesn’t Go Far Enough

by Christine Stuart

Connecticut advocates and lawmakers applauded a move by President Joe Biden Thursday to expand health care coverage to DACA recipients, but said it doesn’t go far enough.

The DACA program, established in 2012 under the Obama administration, provides temporary protection from deportation and work authorization to young immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children without proper documentation. Over 600,000 individuals, often referred to as “Dreamers,” have benefited from the program, allowing them to pursue education, work, and contribute to their communities.

Until now, DACA recipients faced significant barriers to obtaining health insurance coverage, leaving them vulnerable to health risks and financial strain.

Under Biden’s plan, DACA recipients will become eligible to apply for Medicaid and to enroll in Affordable Care Act insurance exchanges.

“For more than a decade, Dreamers in Connecticut and across the country have done everything we’ve asked of them,” U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, said Thursday. “ They’ve gone to school, gotten jobs, paid taxes, and contributed to their local communities in extraordinary ways. I’m glad to see the Biden administration taking this step to finally get these kids access to quality, affordable health care, and I’m going to keep fighting for their pathway to full citizenship.”

Camila Bortolleto, co-director of CT Stu-

dents for a Dream and DACA recipient, said it’s a step in the right direction.

“This rule change by the Biden administration is a major victory for DACA recipients and their families and corrects an injustice from the Obama-era that denied access to health care through the ACA marketplace as well as Medicaid to thousands of DACA recipients in Connecticut,” Bortolleto said. “It is a step in the right direction and shows that expanding access to health care is the right thing to do. The Biden Admin understands this and now our CT elected officials must finish the job.”

Bortolleto is also a member of the HUS-

KY for Immigrants Coalition which is pushing for health care coverage in Connecticut for all undocumented immigrants up to the age of 25.

She said that’s why they rallied at the Connecticut State Capitol Thursday. She pointed out that DACA recipients are only a small portion of immigrants in Connecticut.

She said DACA is an outdated program that is no longer taking new applications, which means many youth are not eligible for the program or its benefits. She said that’s why it’s so important for Connecticut to take action. However, there is stiff competition for the

John P. Thomas

Publisher /

CEO

Babz Rawls Ivy

Editor-in-Chief

Liaison, Corporate Affairs

Babz@penfieldcomm.com

Advertising/Sales Team

Keith Jackson Delores Alleyne

John Thomas, III

Editorial Team

Staff Writers

Christian Lewis/Current Affairs

money available at the state level.

Sen. Cathy Osten, a Sprague Democrat who co-chairs the Appropriations Committee, said that public awareness of billions in budget surpluses have fueled spending expectations that her committee can not possibly meet as a result of fiscal guardrails like a cap on state spending.

“I think everybody’s going to be disappointed,” Osten said. “I think there isn’t a group out there that’s going to be thrilled with what we do.”

The bill, which advanced in March out of the Human Services Committee, would only cover undocumented children up to the age of 18.

Suspect Arrested For River St. Murder

by NORA GRACE-FLOOD

City police have arrested a 50-year-old man for allegedly shooting and killing Alexander Pedraza in Fair Haven earlier this year.

Asst. Police Chief Bertram Ettienne shared that news in a Monday morning press conference on the third floor of the city’s Police Department while joined by the homicide victim’s parents and wife.

Ettienne said that police secured an arrest warrant for the suspect in that Jan. 18 killing on April 10 following a review of ballistic evidence and DNA found at the crime scene.

Two days later, the police located the suspect on the New Haven Green and arrested him on charges of murder, criminal possession of a firearm, and carrying a pistol without a permit. His bond is set at $2 million and he was arraigned in court on April 13.

Ettienne said the suspect allegedly owed Pedraza money, which spurred the altercation that ultimately left Pedraza dead. Pedraza, 40, was found wounded between Chapel and James Street on Jan. 18 after having been shot on River Street. He was later transported to Yale New Haven Hos-

pital where he passed away.

Pedraza’s passing marked the fourth homicide of a brutal start to the year. Mayor

Justin Elicker said that the arrest announced Monday signified the eighth homicide case to be closed so far in 2023.

Pedraza’s parents, Andrea and Tómas Pedraza, attended Monday’s press conference along with Pedraza’s wife, Laura Cano.

“We were waiting for this day… I just want him to pay for what he did to Alexander,” Cano said of the suspect, “because he left his fiance and family suffering from his absence every single day.” Pedraza has two children aged 18 and 21 who currently live in Puerto Rico.

Standing next to Pedraza’s father, who held a sign reading “Nobody has the right

to take someone’s life,” Cano stated: “Rest in peace Alexander. We love you forever.”

Chief of Police Karl Jacobson also offered updates on Monday about three incidents which took place this past Sunday. Those included two reports of sudden deaths as well as a shooting arrest.

Jacobson said the police found an individual deceased in a vacant building at 173 Frank St. after receiving an anonymous tip. That individual had been reported missing prior to discovery of his body and was known to have a history of substance abuse, according to Jacobson.

Police were also notified early Sunday that the body of a woman had been dropped off at Yale New Haven Hospital overnight. He said the police have found the vehicle which drove the deceased person’s body to 1450 Chapel St., but have not located the driver and the woman’s cause of death remains unknown.

Also on Sunday, two patrol officers received reports of 10 gun shots fired along Exchange Street and Blatchley Avenue. A 17-year-old was caught running away from the scene, charged with wrongful possession of a firearm, and submitted to a juvenile detention facility in Bridgeport.

Anthony Scott/Sports

Arlene Davis-Rudd/Politics

Contributing Writers

David Asbery / Tanisha Asbery

Jerry Craft / Cartoons / Barbara Fair

Dr. Tamiko Jackson-McArthur

Michelle Turner / Smita Shrestha

William Spivey / Kam Williams

Rev. Samuel T. Ross-Lee

Contributors At-Large

Christine Stuart www.CTNewsJunkie.com

Paul Bass

www.newhavenindependent.org

Memberships

National Association of Black Journalist

National Newspapers Publishers Association

Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce

Greater New Haven Business & Professional

Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc.

The Inner-City Newspaper is published weekly by Penfield Communications, Inc. from offices located at 50 Fitch Street, 2nd Floor, New Haven, CT 06515. 203-387-0354 phone; 203-3872684 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.

Joe Biden, at the time as former Vice President, speaks to a Connecticut crowd in 2018. Credit: Christine Stuart / CTNewsJunkie

New Haven Independent

New Haven Independent

After Homicides, Winthrop Gets A Check-up

by PAUL BASS

Cops and social workers were at the door. “No one’s in trouble!” one called out.

Thomas Westphall (at left in above photo), the Yale Child Study Center clinician who said that, had already seen the fear flashing on faces of people who answered the previous Winthrop Avenue doors he’d knocked on with police Sgts. Jasmine Sanders and Jarrell Lowery.

“I wish there was a badge we could wear: ‘No one’s in trouble.’ ” he remarked. Westphall took part Monday afternoon in a two-hour canvass of Winthrop north of Whalley to check in with neighbors two weeks after a double homicide occurred on their street.

Police immediately captured a “person of interest” — i.e., someone they believe might turn out to be responsible — immediately after the incident.

Monday’s canvass aimed at helping people navigate the fallout. Officers asked neighbors how they’re feeling in the wake of the homicide. They asked specifically about the impact on people’s children. Westphall and Clifford Beers Community Care Center administrator Jacqueline Beirne spoke about services available for kids and left leaflets. Alder Tom Ficklin listened to neighbors’ quality-of-life concerns.

The police have been organizing similar canvasses in other neighborhoods recently after major violent crimes. District managers (aka top cops) come from different neighborhoods to pitch in. In addition to bringing a human face to policing, the canvasses provide officers with feedback

about problems neighbors want more help with.

Top Beaver Hills cop Lt. Ryan Przybylski (at right in photo) gathered everyone outside the former Paramount Package Store (which he and neighbors organized to shut down) at the corner of Whalley to set off in two teams at 3 p.m. to knock on doors

on each side of Winthrop and pop the question.

“You remember the homicide that happened a couple of weeks ago?“ Nod.

“You good?”

“I’m good.”

“The kids good?”

“My kids are good.”

A surprising number of people were home. No one specifically reported specific problems from the homicide; Westphall said people rarely do, but often follow up for help with kids being especially clingy or having trouble eating or sleeping. Pretty much of all of them, like Reagan Ryan

(pictured with daughter Jordan), thanked the police for showing concern, for caring.

“I think it’s wonderful you guys are checking on everyone,” Ryan said. “I love this street. All my neighbors are wonderful. I’ve never felt unsafe. At the same time, it was pretty close to home.”

Diane Curtis told the crew about her efforts to help stabilize the block over the 31 years since she bought her home, a former drug house, through Neighborhood Housing Services. She attends community management team meetings, gets involved in community initiatives. She doesn’t feel comfortable sending her kids to the corner store because of people selling drugs and hanging out and blocking the street. “I don’t know what it’s really going to take to make it feel safe,” she said. She still sees reason to hang in and keep trying. “I feel good that we’re being proactive,” she said of Monday’s canvass.

Democratic mayoral primary candidate Liam Brennan, who tagged along after learning online about the canvass, pitched in with Spanish translation help when the canvassers couldn’t otherwise communicate with parents like Colombian immigrant Jose Luis Rodriguez…and Dominican Republican-born Vannessa Feliz (pictured), who has children aged 16, 11, 12, 4, and 5.

One of the longest chats took place with Erin Ramirez, who spoke not about the homicide, but about the challenges she has had raising her son Dominick, who was just recently finally diagnosed as autistic at the age of 13. Beirne, who also is raising an autistic child, told Ramirez about a pro-

LA-BASED FASHION DESIGNER RETURNS HOME TO DEBUT “MAHOGANY: A THEATRICAL STAGE PLAY & FASHION SHOW”

New Haven, Connecticut. – Los Angeles-based Fashion Designer Tasha Monique Carter (TMC) debuts “Mahogany: A Theatrical Stage Play & Fashion Show” in her hometown of New Haven, CT. The production will take place, Saturday, April 29, 2023, 4pm at Carter’s alma mater, James Hillhouse High School (auditorium), 480 Sherman Pkwy. Tickets are $30 (advance), online: www.behindthescenestudioboutique.com; $40 (at the door).

“Mahogany: A Theatrical Stage Play & Fashion Show, is not just a production,” says Tasha Monique Carter; “It’s an experience.” Before the show begins, event goers can walk the red carpet as well as engage vendors. The curated shopping experience will be produced by MJ Entertainment.

The stage play is a story of Carter’s life and journey from a small town on the East Coast, to the big city lights, camera, and fashion. The story shares the fashion designers’ hopes and dreams, turned reality, while showcasing the fashion designs Tasha Monique Carter created throughout the decades. “Mahogany will take you

on a spiritual journey through a theatrical lens and fashion show,” says Carter. The dramatic stage play is set in New Haven, CT; with scenes in Atlanta, GA, where Tasha lived and honed her skills, to Hollywood, CA where Carter has lived for 20+ years, as a fashion & costume designer in the entertainment industry.

Tasha Monique Carter started her company “TMC Fashions” 30 years ago in New Haven, CT., producing fashion shows on the East Coast. Through expansion and a company name change “Behind The Scenes Studio Boutique”, Tasha has kept her connection and relationships with the New Haven arts community, where the cast and crew of the production will include community dancers, models and more. Donae Clark and Riley-Ann Streater will play the role of big and little TMC respectively. New Haven’s own choreographer / a former TMC model Carissa Kee will be the featured choreographer for the fashion show, New Haven’s “Style 2000” hair-stylists will style hair and “Making You More Beautiful” will handle make-up.

Behind The Scene Studio Boutique

Productions in partnership with M J Entertainment will host a pre-Mother’s Day reception, themed “GIVE HER, HER FLOWERS”, highlighting mothers in the community, while honoring the beautiful life of Vera Mae Carter, (Tasha’s mother who recently became an ancestor), the woman who taught Designer TMC everything she knows!

The reception will be held prior to the fashion show in the foyer of Hillhouse, including lite hor’dourves. All mothers attending the event will be honored with a bouquet of flowers and one lucky mother will receive a custom curated gift.

Tickets can be purchased at: Mama Mary’s Soul food, Sandra’s Next Generation Soul food and Jordan’s Hot Dogs & Mac, in New Haven, CT or www.behindthescenestudioboutique.com For more information log onto: www. behindthescenestudioboutique.com or email: mahoganythefashionshow@gmail. com

FOLLOW: @mahoganythefashionshow (Instagram & Facebook)

Con’t on page 12

Cops and social workers were at the door. “No one’s in trouble!” one called out.

Alders’ State Of The City Centers People Power

by LAURA GLESBY

The “people have the power” and alders must work to keep those democratic currents flowing, inside and outside City Hall.

Newhallville Alder Kim Edwards offered that call to action Monday night as she delivered the annual Black and Hispanic Caucus State of the City address during the alders’ latest full board meeting on the second floor of City Hall.

The speech came roughly two months after Mayor Justin Elicker gave his own annual state of the city address, in which he focused on signs of hope in New Haven even amid a host of educational challenges.

In her speech, Edwards outlined a set of priorities, including vocational education, job creation, community policing, and affordable housing development.

And as the city debates whether to increase alders’ terms and salaries through a once-a-decade charter revision process, Edwards’ words formed a spotlight on alders’ unique proximity to their constituents among the host of elected officials representing each voter.

Alders “CARE!!! with caps and exclamation marks,” Edwards said. “This is our city. These are our communities. And we must all play a role and be accountable for what we allow to occur in our space.”

Edwards highlighted how alders and community members alike can stir a groundswell of civic engagement in New Haven and create change in their neighborhoods. “There’s so many ways we can join forces,” Edwards said at the podium, addressing not only her colleagues on the Board of Alders, but about a dozen residents and community organizers who sat in the public pews.

“Join a community management team,” Edwards urged attendees. Volunteer at a family member’s school. “Sponsor a clean up,” she said. “Submit testimony” at public hearings. “Spread the word.”

She noted that the Black and Hispanic Caucus now comprises 22 members of the 30-person Board of Alders, and that

women make up 43 percent of the board.

Those who were once considered “minorities” now make up the majority of the legislative body.

That representation is historic, Edwards suggested, and it comes with responsibility. “People have the power,” she said. “We gotta hold our feet to the fire.”

Edwards urged her colleagues to take more urgent action on goals like creating educational opportunities for New Haven’s young people.

She specifically called for a renewed focus on vocational and technical education options for students who aren’t interested in going to college.

“Since 2008, the idea of reintroducing trade schools has come up in our conversations. When will we make this happen?” she asked. “When will we assist in building a pipeline for our budding fash-

ion designers, hair stylists, barbers, electricians, carpenters, and more?”

Thank YOU, Madam President, and thank you all for being here tonight. Good evening, I’m honored to stand here to give the Black and Hispanic Caucus’s annual state of the city address.

I am proud to be a member of the Caucus and even more proud to be a member of this Board.

Over the years the caucus has to come together to take on the challenges that face our City and to make a difference. One of the challenges we have fought for and continue to fight for is EQUALITY. That being said here are a few facts.

The Black & Hispanic Caucus represents the minority members of the Board of Alders. But in fact, since there are 22 black & Hispanic Alders, WE, actually make up the majority of this board.

There are 30 members of this board. Of those, 13 or about 43% are women.

Of the 10 aldermanic Committees 4 of them are chaired by women. Which is Just over 40%.

New Haven is a city with many challenges. Where do I start? If you are not aware by now, the root cause of this is POVERTY. We all know the only way to tackle these complex issues is through good jobs and entrepreneurship. Three years ago, we sat in this very chamber and heard the impact decades of redlining had on our communities. And we, as the Legislative Body as a whole, and specifically the Black & Hispanic Caucus has continually faced those challenges.

This is how you build wealth and stability in a neighborhood. As a caucus we need to make sure we are using and creating innovative pathways to success. This leads

me to JOBS. How do we connect more people to career placement opportunities? We need to continue partnerships with workforce alliances and organizations in our city that provide career programming and placement. We must also tell participants in these programs to tell a friend and get the word out. For example, New Haven Works is one entity and they just celebrated their 10th anniversary placing over 1882 New Haven Residents into jobs of which 53% are from neighborhoods of need and 83% are people of color. There are also other entities doing this kind of work helping with resumes, interviewing skills and filling out applications. Programs like these have a significant impact in our city, it allows people to take care of their families and positively impact their neighborhood.

Yale Institute of Sacred Music presents

To Sit and Dream

Yale Camerata Spring Concert

Sunday

April 30, 4 pm

Woolsey Hall

Conducted by Dr. Felicia Barber

Former Westville Alder Darryl Brackeen, who recently resigned to take a job in another state, received a citation from Alder Frank Douglass for his service to the board on Monday. He posed for a celebratory photo with his wife, Chaz Brackeen, and their three kids.

Newhallville Alder Edwards: "Join a community management team. ... Sponsor a clean up ... Spread the word.”

New Haven Independent

Candidate Doesn’t Break Amid Ramadan Fast

by YASH ROY

With his mom, sister, and wife by his side, Shafiq Abdussabur knocked on Newhallville doors to bring his mayoralchallenger message directly to the neighborhood where he used to work as police district manager — even as he continued to fast for the holy month of Ramadan.

Abdussabur embarked on that day’s worth of political canvassing on Saturday in his ongoing bid to unseat two-term incumbent Mayor Justin Elicker in this year’s Democratic primary for mayor. Former federal prosecutor Liam Brennan and former McKinsey consultant Tom Goldenberg are also challenging Elicker in this year’s primary, while independents Wendy Hamilton and Mayce Torres have filed to run as independents in November’s general election.

A retired former New Haven police sergeant who previously served as the top neighborhood cop for Newhallville, East Rock, and Cedar Hill, Abdussabur is also the only Muslim to run for mayor in recent history.

Over the past month, he’s not only maintained a full campaign schedule of knocking on doors and raising donations and debating political opponents, but has also been waking up for Suhoor at 4:30 in the morning, fasting all day and then breaking fast with Iftar at 7:30 during the Islamic

month of prayer and reflection that extends this year from March 22 to April 20.

“We get back home at 7, break fast and then he’s out,” said Abdussabur’s wife, Mubarakah Ibrahim. “It’s fast, we’ve always done it, but it makes this all a little bit more tiring because he doesn’t want to slow down…he wants to talk to everyone.”

“I get home and I crash,” Abdussabur told the Independent on Saturday during

his campaign’s latest neighborhood canvass. “I do my prayers before I sit down to eat because I know once I’m in that chair, I’m not getting up.”

Abdussabur was joined on Saturday by 15 friends, family members, and other campaign supporters as he took to the streets of Newhallville to make his pitch for the city.

Telling residents about his own his-

tory from being a fifth-generation New Havener to the experience he gained as serving as Newhallville’s district manager through 2017, Abdussabur pitched himself as a native son who will “work for all of New Haven.”

“There are some people running who are interested in seeing some parts of New Haven grow and bringing in development for the city which is great and what’s

been happening,” Abdussabur told one of the residents whose door he knocked on. “But that development probably means you won’t be able to afford to live in New Haven, and we all know what that’s all about.”

Violence was also on the minds of everyone Abdussabur spoke with Saturday. One resident, Shamica Denully, told Abdussabur that a bullet flew through her kitchen a few weeks earlier. She said she’s still shaken by the experience.

“I’m a playwright and a lot of my work deals with the trauma our community has faced and is still facing today with all of this violence and I just want to see change,” Denully said.

Abdussabur promised that under his administration he would work to tamp down on violent crime while also boosting youth support initiatives across the city to help break the cycle of violence currently engulfing parts of New Haven.

Alongside Abdussabur on the canvassing trail was Wayne Morrison, president of the Walter Pop Little League, which Denully’s son is a member of. Morrison spoke of the historic lack of investment in youth centers and spaces in the city.

“It’s deplorable that our fields and centers are falling apart. No teams from other cities want to come play in New Haven

YASH ROY PHOTO Abdussabur (right) talking with Sandra Beamon on the campaign trail.

Abdussabur.

Housing Call: Upzone Cities & Suburbs

by LAURA GLESBY

Should Connecticut prioritize constructing affordable housing in economic hubs like New Haven, or exclusive towns like New Haven’s surrounding suburbs?

Two housing construction advocates offered different answers to that question at a panel organized by the Housing Authority of New Haven/Elm City Communities on Thursday night.

The panel, focused on the state’s need for more housing and how zoning reform can achieve that goal, comprised Mike Kingsella, CEO of the national housing advocacy organization Up For Growth, and Erin Boggs, executive director of the Connecticut non-profit Open Communities Alliance.

The discussion was one of the local public housing provider’s Breaking Ground panels at the Q House community center at 197 Dixwell Ave., a series of public conversations about housing policy aiming to inform residents, advocates, and lawmakers alike about solutions to the affordable housing shortage squeezing New Haven and Connecticut as a whole. Click here to read a previous Independent article about the first conversation in that series, all about why New Haven rents are so high.

Both Boggs and Kingsella outlined how Connecticut, like most states in the country, hasn’t been producing enough housing to keep pace with its growing population.

“Low income folks are bearing the brunt

of that,” said Kingsella. Connecticut is short 140,000 affordable homes, he said, severely narrowing the options for families who can’t afford market-rate housing. This scarcity of housing has driven up rent to the point that, as Boggs presented, 220,695 Connecticut households are allocating more than 50 percent of their income toward housing.

Both advocates pointed to zoning laws — especially regulations that restrict housing density to single-family homes — as a culprit. Zoning codes first emerged in the U.S. in the early 20th century as a tactic to explicitly maintain racial segregation. When direct racial prohibitions became illegal, Boggs and

Kingsella noted, city planners began to limit the development of higher-density or more affordable housing in historically white areas.

Over the course of their conversation, the two housing experts posed alternate, though overlapping, visions of how the state should prioritize funding and facilitating affordable housing development. They illustrated those visions in separate color-coded maps that, in turn, showed New Haven as either an ideal location for more housing or one of the places that needs to build more housing the least.

Kingsella’s map, created using Up For Growth’s “A Better Foundation” framework, identifies areas that are ideal for in-

creased density using three criteria: those areas have high economic mobility, have at least two jobs per housing unit based on Census data, and are either highly walkable or close to transit infrastructure.

Those criteria mean that New Haven is better poised to support higher density compared to the surrounding suburbs, according to Up For Growth. Kingsella’s map depicts much of New Haven and Bridgeport — along with one census tract in Milford — as more conducive to housing growth than most of the surrounding area.

Boggs, meanwhile, presented a proposal for housing development across the state that would require towns with the most restrictive and exclusionary zoning practices — the towns that have historically prevented the most development — to bear the brunt of constructing enough housing to meet the region’s need.

Open Communities Alliance has been advocating for such a system as part of a coalition of housing organizations in the state known as Growing Together CT. The coalition has continually proposed a Fair Share bill that would require towns to meet individual affordable housing development goals based on both their capacity and historic restrictiveness.

The proposed Fair Share bill could lead to the construction of 300,000 housing units in Connecticut, Boggs estimated.

Open Communities Alliance calculatRead more by going to THE INNERCITY NEWS .COM

because they don’t think it’s safe,” Morrison said. “If we want to break the cycle we have to invest in our kids and give them avenues with positive role models and experiences.”

Abdussabur shared with Denully his own experience with coaches and positive role models in his life saying that he wouldn’t be where he is today without them.

Another canvasser, Jamar Ledwards, also shared how his own life was turned around by Abdussabur after he went to prison.

“Shafiq helped me get back on my feet. That’s why I’m out here helping him out,” Ledwards said. “He’ll hep this city get back on its feet because he cares and this is where he’s from.”

Sandra Beamon, a grandmother of five who has lived in Newhallville for decades, also had the same message for Abdussabur.

“I don’t feel safe sending my kids out to play without always having an eye on them anymore,” she said. “It didn’t use to be this way. Things used to be safer.” Abdussabur didn’t just make his pitch to humans. At one point waiting for someone to open their door, Abdussabur struck up a conversation with a cat on a porch. “Now just keep eating your tuna,” he said. “But, tell me what you think New Haven can do better.”

“See he’ll talk to anybody,” Ibrahim joked.

Desire Sessions and Nasir Anderson of Elm City Communities.

Fixing Fathers Inc.Visits New York City for a Knicks Game

A Trip to Remember

What a time we had!

Our trip to New York City to see the New York Knicks vs. the Indiana Pacers was one that our attendees will never forget. We want to thank our fathers, mothers, kids, and sponsors that all came together to help make this event a reality. This was a wonderful way to celebrate Easter. Even though the Knicks lost (I’m a Pacers fan so I wasn’t too upset) the brilliance of community prevailed.

The Fixing Fathers organization is dedicated to helping fathers become better parents and role models for their children. We provide resources and support to help fathers take an active role in their children's lives. This event was just one of many that we do throughout the year to help fathers bond with their children while creating long lasting memories for our kids.

We are so thankful for everyone who made this event possible, from our sponsors to our volunteers, without them none of this would have been possible. We look forward to continuing our mission of helping fathers become better parents and providing more opportunities like this one in the future.

The Fixing Father’s team would like to thank Senator Jorge Cabrera for helping us so that we can help others, Coach Bruce A. Trammell Sr., Healthy Start of New Haven, The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, The Judicial Branch, Reliant Behavioral Health and Community Services, The Department of Economic Community Development, and the team over at Madison Square Garden. None of this happens without partnerships.

At Second Annual DiasporaCon, "Blerds" Build A Bridge To The Future

by Lucy Gellman, Editor, The Arts Paper newhavenarts.org

Taekyung Bennett—or maybe it was Miles Morales—stood methodically in front of four panels, inspecting his handiwork. In the first, a superhero charged forward, his hands balled into huge, heavy firsts inside bright red gloves. On the panel beside him, a woman brought one hand to her mouth, her eyes wide with fear. One panel over, another superhero entered the fray, and flipped the first. She floated over the ground, a blur of green and black.

Taekyung ran his tongue up against the top of his mouth and against his teeth, creating a steady click-clack that rose and fell softly at the front of the room. He took a deep breath and began to tell the story of what was happening. Around him, the whole room hung on to every word.

The power of history, narrative, and representation rose to epic proportions Saturday, as Kulturally Lit’s second annual DiasporaCon rolled into Quinnipiac University’s North Campus for a full day of panels, vendor visits, cosplay appearances and serious Blerding Out. Supported by Quinnipiac University, it centered multiple types of literacy, with a focus on the past, present and future of comics and the role of Black and Afro-Latino creatives in them.

“When we had [the inaugural] Lit Fest, and we had the comic book panel, I started learning from [Professor] Bill Foster and his colleagues, I was like ‘Oh shoot, we need our own thing,’” said Kulturally Lit Founder IfeMichelle Gardin, who runs the organization with Shamain McAllister, Juanita Austin, and Zanaiya Léon. “Finding out about all the Cons that are happening and Black-centered, people of color centered—it was like, ‘Wow, let’s do this.’”

“A lot of times, organizations have good ideas, and limited access to spaces—so I think being able to do things like this, on a college campus, is beneficial in a number of ways,” added Dr. Don Sawyer, vice president for equity, inclusion, and leadership and an associate professor of sociology at Quinnipac. “It shows a community-university partnership, but also I think it’s important, when the young people are here on a college campus, they can come in here and see that this is not above them.”

From sessions on branding and storyboard creation to a history-soaked afternoon keynote, the event reminded attendees that there have always been Black and Afro-Latino heroes here on earth, fighting against a world turned on its head by supervillains (and white supremacy, but call it Venom). As artist Raheem Nelson walked attendees through his style of graphic recording upstairs, a low hum of conversation rose on the first floor, where comic book writers, illustrators, and enthusiasts had set out vendor tables.

Just to the right of the entrance, cousins Ramon Campos and Oswaldo “Ozzie”

Nevers introduced High Five Studios, a still-young venture based in Queens that has birthed the new series Black Book. In the book, five friends discover that their artistic skills are their superpower. Together, they must use their creativity to fend off villains, excel in art school, and decipher ancient languages. No big, right?

“It’s asking like, what would have happened if the Renaissance had not died out?” Campos said Saturday, holding up a copy of the book covered in bronze-tinted film. It caught and glowed in the light.

For Campos, who is a toy designer with Universal Studios, Black Book also marks a full-circle moment. Born in Venezuela and raised in Queens, Campos grew up watching and reading comics, but rarely saw characters who looked like him in their pages. It was the 1980s, and Sailor Moon, the Ninja Turtles, X-Men, GI Joe and Teen Titans all became part of his orbit. As he entered the workforce— first as a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and then as a toy designer for Hasbro and Universal—he still felt like something was missing.

It led him to found High Five Studios, a creative hub based in Queens that is the publisher of Black Book. After two years of “spinning wheels” and storyboarding, the first issue of Black Book came out last year; another is forthcoming. On Saturday, Campos described it as a way to give kids in his neighborhood—and across the globe—access to the kinds of characters he dreamed of seeing as a kid.

Those include his one-year-old daughter Valentina, who he described as “my highest level of inspiration.” It’s what keeps him going when he’s balancing illustration and co-writing with Nevers with a full-time job. As he spoke, illustrator Ray Felix seemed to take note nearby, and lifted up a sketch of his character “Black

Power” to show a new attendee.

“I wanted to build something for her,” Campos said. “The company is trying to create a hub for creatives to come together and support each other, to tell stories from a different perspective.”

Across the room, Connecticut-based writers and illustrators Reggie Augustine and Tangular Irby both dipped into

Born and raised in New Haven, Augustine has been writing and illustrating for years, empowering the next generation of artists as he leaves a graphic footprint on the city. By day, is a teacher at James Hillhouse High School, where he teaches cartooning and is starting an after-school art program. By night, he is the writer, illustrator, and publisher behind Elm City Comics.

In his books, of which he now has three issues released and four “drawn and inked,” New Haven is often the real-life backdrop for other-worldly storytelling. For instance, the characters in his Aphro Physt Vs. Protector Force series have their headquarters in Fair Haven, where an underwater entrance off River Street gets them into their building. When a psychic vampire comes to town, it makes its grand entrance through the Grove Street Cemetery, where the gates still read “The Dead Shall Be Raised” in a holdover from 1796.

There’s a certain, large and well-resourced “Hale University” in the center of town, where evil comes to play. He does research on how the city has evolved over time, from its oystering past on the Quinnipiac River to buildings that have been demolished.

And of course, he and Reva make the occasional appearance. She is his muse, he added: Reva asked him to make a comic book for her when the two got married. The rest is history.

One table over, Irby unfolded a legacy that traveled, stitch by stitch, from Alabama to a university conference room in North Haven. In front of her, copies of the children’s books Pearl and Her Gee’s Bend Quilt and Charles and His Gee’s Bend Quilt laid alongside thick, wellloved art books with glossy photos of the quilts at Gee’s Bend. On each book, a young child held up a quilt, blocks of pink and orange color vibrant at the edges. Bands of blue turned into rays as they rotated around sun-yellow circles.

history with their work, which spans New Haven’s past and present to the rich Black quilting traditions of Gee’s Bend, Alabama. At one table, Augustine and his wife, Reva, invited attendees to learn about the still-nascent company Elm City Comics, a lifelong dream of Augustine’s that blossomed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

While she grew up in Bridgeport, Irby is a descendant of the legendary Gee’s Bend quilters, and has long wanted to share that history with a wider audience, she said. Before she was born, her parents headed north from Alabama, ultimately finding a home in Bridgeport. Her two grandmothers, Perlie Kennedy Pettway and Jensie Lee Irby, remained down South. While “I was blessed to know both of them,” Irby herself learned to quilt in Connecticut. For years, Irby got used to hearing the history from her aunt Mary, to whom an afterward in the book is dedicated. Every time the two spoke, “I kept saying, ‘auntie, you need to be in a book!’” she remembered. Then in the summer of 2020, she watched organizers respond to the state-sanctioned murder of George Floyd. Something clicked. She realized she needed to tell her family’s story.

Read more by going to THE INNERCITY NEWS .COM

Solange Curates Powerful Performances of Black Joy and Pain at Brooklyn Academy of Music for the “Eldorado Ballroom” Performance Series

By courtesy of Houston Forward Times

When alto saxophonist Angélla Christie strode onstage on Friday night (Apr. 7) at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, she was joined only by a piano player. But Christie, one of the more prominent instrumentalists in contemporary gospel, was at full throttle from the very first note — playing in high-gloss, reverb-drenched ostinatos — and within moments, the crowd had become her rhythm section, clapping along on every off-beat.

An usher got swept up while walking a couple to their seats, and on her way back up the aisle she shimmied a bit, her right hand flying into the air in a testifying motion. A woman sitting at the end of Row H reached out for a high five, and their palms gripped each other for a moment. It was just a few minutes into “Glory to Glory (A Revival for Devotional Art)” — part of BAM’s multidimensional “Eldorado Ballroom” series, brilliantly curated by Solange via her Saint Heron agency — and already something was hitting different.

After Christie, the concert continued with two more sets: selections from Mary Lou Williams’s religious suites, delivered by the 14-person Voices of Harlem choir and a pair of virtuoso pianists, Artina McCain and Cyrus Chestnut; and a roofraising show from the indomitable Clark Sisters, the best-selling band in gospel history and a fixture of Black radio since the 1980s.

That’s a lot already: a stylistic tour of Black American religious music, mostly in the hands of women, going back more than 50 years. But “Eldorado Ballroom” was aiming for even more. Rarely does a single series pull together so many strands — not just of Black music, but of Black creativity writ large — into an open-ended statement, speaking to what might be possible as well as making a comment on how Black creative histories ought to be remembered.

“Eldorado Ballroom” is an extension of the work Solange has been doing for the past 10 years under the auspices of Saint Heron. As she told New York Times magazine’s Craig Jenkins recently, her aim with Saint Heron — whether you call it an agency, a studio, a brand or simply a creative clearinghouse — is “to centralize and build a really strong archive that in 20 years or 30 years can be accessible by future generations to be a guiding light in the same way that so many of my blueprints guided me.”

Thanks to Saint Heron, Solange has managed to put her cultural capital to use while keeping her own celebrity mostly out of view. On Friday, the singer and songwriter sat beaming from an opera box near the stage while the Clark Sisters motored through a 40-plus-year catalog of danceable gospel hits, but she never

took a bow.

Saint Heron surfaced in 2013 with the release of a mixtape that helped set the standard for a new wave of outsider R&B. Some of its contributors, like Kelela and Sampha, became stars. Since then, Saint Heron has served as a flexible play space for Solange and her creative community, crossing lines between fashion and design, visual art, publishing, music and dance. Mid-pandemic, Saint Heron released a free digital library of books by Black writers and artists.

And clearly, Solange has gained the attention of a broad, young, literary community of color. The capacity crowd at “Glory to Glory” on Friday was — unlike at most events in such spaces — about 90 percent Black, and as diverse in age and attire as Flatbush Avenue on any spring afternoon. Twenty-somethings in custom streetwear stood cheering next to older women in their Sunday’s best.

On Saturday, the crowd again skewed under 50 and majority Black for “The Cry of My People,” a night devoted to poetry and experimental jazz. If “Glory to Glory” was a celebration of how “triumphant and safe” gospel music can make a person feel, as Solange put it to Jenkins — a night devoted to joy, basically — then “The Cry of My People” was a confrontation of pain.

The show began with a reading from the poet Claudia Rankine, who stood at center stage as the curtain came up, then read two poems: “Quotidian (1),” about inner turmoil, and “What If,” about a kind of exhausted rage. The second included the line: “in the clarity of consciousness, what if nothing changes?”

Rankine had put words to something that the next performer, vocalist Linda Sharrock, would express without them. Sharrock has been heavily respected in jazz circles since the 1960s for her raw and riveting use of extended vocal techniques: Moans, breaths and cries have been her musical units. But like so many women in jazz, she spent the peak years of her career in the shadow of a more famous husband, guitarist Sonny Sharrock, and ultimately quit the scene. Before Saturday, her last show in New York City had been in 1979. In more recent years she has suffered health setbacks including a stroke that left her aphasic, and has performed only rarely.

At BAM, backed by a signal-scrambling, free-improvising, eight-piece band, Sharrock sat in a wheelchair beside an upright piano (that she often touched but hardly played) and sang in big, open vowel sounds. They felt confounding, yet clear. Most of the time, the sounds came in wide, billowing arcs; when she held a single, steady note — sometimes spiked with a growl — it brought the urgency to an almost unbearable level. Often there were hints at a secondary feeling (sur-

prise? anger? wonder? all possible) but the main message was consistent: pain. The backstage crew seemed to have difficulty following the band’s cues, and after the curtain had been down for a solid three minutes following Sharrock’s set, it came back up. The band was still playing. Sharrock performed another miniset before a long wait for the curtain to come down once again. Maybe a clean ending wouldn’t have fit. The crowd — dazed, moved — gave Sharrock a warm response, but there was little that felt “triumphant and safe” about this night.

It concluded with a set from Archie Shepp, the luminary tenor saxophonist, composer, vocalist and writer. A disciple of John Coane and Cecil Taylor, Shepp became a leading advocate for Black musicians’ right to self-determination in the

briefly took over the piano chair from Jason Moran, splashed him with generous harmonies. As Shepp sang the line, “God of love, please look down and see my people through,” the house erupted in a wave of support.

His set, like his six-decade-long career, was a reminder that the walls that divide spiritual music, popular music and art music can often be arbitrary. “Where did they come from, anyway?” he seemed to ask. This, you could say, was the message of “Eldorado Ballroom” writ large.

The series takes its name from a oncelegendary venue in Houston’s Third Ward neighborhood, where Solange grew up. At the ’Rado, as it was known, jazz, gospel and soul — art, spiritual and popular — all appeared on the same stage, until an economic downturn and a pattern of police repression forced the venue to close in 1972.

The night that Solange’s series kicked off — March 30, with a show featuring the outsider-R&B trifecta of Kelela, keiyaA and Res — the actual Eldorado Ballroom was celebrating its grand reopening in Houston, after a nearly $10 million restoration project. With a little luck, Houston may have its own “Eldorado Ballroom” series soon, too.

The post Solange Curates Powerful Performances of Black Joy and Pain at Brooklyn Academy of Music for the “Eldorado Ballroom” Performance Series appeared first on Houston Forward Times.

Con’t from page 08

Winthrop Gets A Check-up

gram at Clifford Beers that will help her son while making it easier for Ramirez to get to work. Dubbing Beirne “this wonderful lady,” Ramirez said she intends to follow up with the program. Ramirez was in high spirits when the crew finally moved on. So was Dominick, pictured above with Assistant Chief David Zannelli, after he got to sit in the police cruiser and see the flashing lights.

1960s and has hardly quieted his voice ever since. At 85, his saxophone chops have faded, and he needed help from other band members to bring the instrument into playing position, but the whispered notes he did get out of the horn carried fabulous amounts of weight.

Backed by a nine-piece ensemble featuring three excellent vocalists (Amina Claudine Myers, Sarah Elizabeth Charles and Pyeng Threadgill) and a pithy, threeman horn section, Shepp pulled from across his broad repertoire. He revisited his classic cover of Calvin Massey’s stout, dirgelike “Cry of My People,” and the swiveling rock beat of “Blues for Brother George Jackson” from the “Attica Blues” LP. On Duke Ellington’s gospel standard “Come Sunday,” Shepp sang in an earnest baritone while Myers, who

“I get you’ve got to pick and choose your battles” when responding to citizens’ calls, and that means responding to, say, shootings before responding to complaints about dirt bikes or people changing license plates to obviously stolen cars, Alexandra Taylor-Mendez, one of the street’s active neighbors (she recognized “Zannelli” by face and name), told the officers. “But people stop calling” when they’re frustrated over a lack of response to calls.

“Your call is just as important as a shooting” even if “it might not seem like it,” Sgt. Lowery assured her.

Taylor-Mendez spoke about trying to revive the block watch, which disappeared over the pandemic. “That’s the only way this is going to be solved.”

Great idea, Sgt. Sanders told her. Zannelli suggested they stay in touch by email to keep the process going.

Simmons College of Kentucky announces the Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. Center for Racial Justice at MLK Celebration Event

By Yvonne Coleman Bach Defender Editor

Louisville’s Historically Black College Simmons College of Kentucky will soon house the Jesse Jackson, Sr. Center for Racial Justice. This is a “Call to Action” as Louisvillians are still digesting the U. S. Department of Justice’s Investigation into the Louisville Metro Police Department.

“The last person to speak to Martin Luther King was the Rev. Jesse Jackson,” said Rev. Dr. Kevin Cosby, president of Simmons College. “Jesse Jackson picked up the mantle of Dr. King, and since 1968, for 55 years, he has been a stalwart champion for racial justice.”

“Because the DOJ Report (86-pages) identifies ongoing racial injustice against the black community by LMPD, we will announce the formation of an initiative to coordinate a response to systematic and structural racism,” said Dr. Cosby. Cosby added, “This will navigate Black Louisville from racial disparities to true equity.”

The announcement was made on Tuesday, April 4 on the 55th Anniversary of the assassination death of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as Simmons College of Kentucky hosted a special program titled “From Memorial to Movement,” at St. Stephen Baptist Church, 1018 S. 15th Street.

According to Cosby, “structural and systemic racism in Louisville and America, and it reflects a bigger problem that we have not faced.” He said the “police are only a symptom of a much deeper problem—the centuries old disparity between the races.

“The reason why there are disparities is not because of Black nature or Black nurture, but because of the legislature,” he said. “Our objective is to fix public policy.”

Dr. Cosby made the following points about disparities in Louisville:

• Blacks are 13.2 percent of the population, yet Blacks are 40 percent of the

homes. In an Equitable society, Blacks would be 13.2 percent of the homeless

• Blacks are 13.2 percent of the population, yet Blacks are 30 percent of all incarcerated. In an Equitable society, Blacks would be 13.2 percent of the incarcerated

• Blacks possess 2.6 percent of the wealth. In an Equitable society, Blacks would possess 13.2 percent of the wealth

Dr. Cosby said Blacks must be resourceful to address their problems. “We do not need other people to do it for us.”

He said the Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. Center for Racial Justice at Simmons will educate, advocate and legislate. According to Dr. Cosby, the JLJ Center will educate people on social and systemic racism. It will advocate for just laws, policies, systems and structures and it will legislate by working to improve public policy in order to move from disparities to equity.

How will the Center be funded? A contribution was made by The Eula May and John Baugh Foundation based in Houston, TX. The Baugh foundation has approved a $2 million grant to the Jesse L. Jackson Center for Racial Justice at Simmons College of Kentucky,

Speaking at the event, Callie Langton, Administrator for the Foundation said the organization was honored to support the center with the $2 million grant.

“We call on other funders, other individuals and other people in the community to join together with us in our commitment to supporting Simmons College and the new center for racial justice,” she said.

The program opened with a selection from the Simmons Symphonic Orchestra, Nearer Thy God to Thee, led by Simmons Music Department Chair Dr. Kevin Davenport. Dr. Frank Smith, Executive Vice President brought greetings followed by a responsive Litany by David Cassady, Cheri Mills delivering the opening prayer and Congregational Songs.

The Louisville Defender Newspaper had an exclusive interview with Simmons President Rev. Dr. Cosby following the event. The interview was as follows:

Defender: What is your view of policing in Louisville after reading the DOJ Report?

Dr. Cosby: Policing cannot be separated from the political policies that govern people’s lives. Words like police, policy, politicians, poles, and politics originate from the same Greek word—polis. The polis is how society is structured to benefit some and exclude others. The reason why we are unable to fix police malfeasance is because we separate issues of policing from issues of public policy that consign certain communities to limited opportunities, solely based on race. Police officers simply reinforce public policies instituted by politicians who socially and economically exclude black people. We will never fix bad policing until we first fix centuries of bad policies instituted by racist politicians.

Defender: What is the number one solution to correct disparities in the way African Americans are treated in policing?

Dr. Cosby: Disparities are rooted in centuries of anti-black propaganda. It is al-

most impossible to eradicate the implicit bias that white America has toward the Black community because it is rooted in historical narratives that have been used to justify white domination and Black subordination. The same racist ideologies that fostered the lynching of Black bodies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries is the same ideology that makes police malfeasance possible today.

Defender: When you look at policing, you have to address Black-on-Black crime. There has been an increase in Louisville. How can the community and its leaders play a role in stopping these senseless crimes that are taking an alarming number of African American lives?

Dr. Cosby: First, we have to address the misunderstanding that there is something dysfunctional about Black people that causes them to prey on each other disproportionately. Truthfully, crimes are, in general, misdeeds of proximity and opportunity, not race. According to statistics from the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division white per-

son is overwhelmingly more likely to be victimized by another white person, and the same is true for a Black person. Crime victimization simply not a matter of race.

Second, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. observed, “Black-on-Black crime is a derivative of systemic and structural crime committed against the Black community.” Blacks often suffer from misplaced anger. For example, if you are in a trapped room and you bang on the door trying to get out, then a direct expression of anger, such as knocking on the door, would be appropriate because the door is the direct cause of keeping you trapped. However, if you are in the same room, and you kick the chair, that is displaced anger. Much of the crime in the Black community is displaced anger often directed toward other Blacks because the real issue is white supremacy and structural injustice. If we can dismantle Black disparities that are rooted in systemic racism, we will go a long way toward eradicating the displaced anger Blacks often direct at each other.

Defender: How can educational institutions play a role in stopping disparities in policing and addressing the Black-onBlack crime?

Dr. Cosby: First, by framing the issue correctly. The problem is not Black-onBlack crime. The problem is systemic and structural racism. To address the source problem, however, educational institutions such as Simmons could play a role in serving as training centers to increase awareness on matters of diversity and culture to enhance their knowledge and abilities with skill sets such as de-escalation. Simmons College of Kentucky is an accredited private, co-educational historically black college located in Louisville, Kentucky. Founded in 1879, Simmons College is an institution of biblical higher education dedicated to educating people in the urban context through vital academic and professional programs in order that they may become productive citizens and agents of change in society.

Registration Open for 5th Annual Moguls in the Making HBCU Student Pitch Competition

Digital financial services company Ally Financial and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), the largest organization exclusively representing Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominately Black Institutions (PBIs), have opened registration for the fifth annual Moguls in the Making entrepreneur pitch competition, Sept. 7 – 10 in Charlotte, NC.

Sixty students will vie for the opportunity to learn vital business skills, while competing for over $185,000 in scholarships, paid internships, laptops and other prizes.

Registration is open until April 24. Students can learn more at http://www.ally.com/moguls.

Moguls in the Making was developed in 2019 to provide HBCU students with career-launching business experience, financial education, and networking access to executives and industry leaders, while also giving Ally a new path for reaching diverse talent. Since its launch four years ago, Ally has hired 41 of the participants as interns and 14 as full-time employees, working on teams across the company, from IT, finance and marketing to product design and development.

Moguls in the Making is a part of Ally’s commitment to promote economic mobility by preparing talented diverse students to become future entrepreneurs and leaders in their communities.

What is climate justice?

Narratives surrounding climate change are often cloaked in Whiteness.

By Maya Richard-Craven, Word in Black, courtesy of the afro.com

For years, it’s been presented as a “White” issue, further perpetuating the idea that Black folk are removed from the environment, despite experiencing the brunt of its impacts.

The legacy of colonization, and its role in climate change, has also been long overlooked. In 2022, a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was founded by the United Nations Environment Programme, listed colonization as a main contributing factor in the rapid changes our climate is experiencing.

This is a huge development for the future of the environment. By identifying the legacy of colonization in relation to climate change, people will be encouraged to acknowledge the pain and suffering Black folk have experienced, and continue to experience, due to climate change.

The term climate justice has come to the forefront as extreme changes in weather patterns — and a lack of governmental response to them — continue to affect Black folks across the diaspora.

Climate justice, and the movement that surrounds it, acknowledges how people

of color are disproportionately affected by climate change, while cementing that progress in addressing the climate crisis begins at the structural level. How climate change impacts Black people

From air pollution to oil drilling, the impact of climate change on Black folks is far-reaching.

Research shows, for example, that formerly redlined communities have about twice as many oil and gas drilling sites as non-redlined, White communities — posing serious public health concerns.

Forcing Black folks to live in such close proximity to hazardous areas is a clear example of environmental racism and can lead to health problems including, but not limited to, asthma, nose bleeds, and respiratory cancer. Sadly, low-income Black communities are rarely given the proper resources to recover from these experiences.

Access to clean water is also an environmental issue, prompting things like water boil down orders in cities with large Black populations like Houston, Jackson, and Philadelphia.

Despite Joe Biden’s recent efforts to provide clean water to all Americans, through Waters of the United States (WO-

TUS) — an expansion of protections surrounding the nation’s water — having access to clean water and basic sanitation is still a dream for many Black people in underserved communities.

What you can do

1. Don’t get discouraged — You can do a lot to fight for climate justice.

2. Get in touch with environmental organizations on both the local and national levels (see the Black Environmental Justice Network’s website).

3. Attend webinars and talks to learn more about climate justice and how it might impact your community.

4. Support organizations and institutions, like HBCUs, advocating for climate justice.

5. Improve community resiliency by supporting family, neighbors, and friends when extreme weather strikes.

6. Most importantly, educate yourself and hold policymakers and leaders accountable for addressing the impacts of climate change in Black communities. Solving the climate crisis may feel like an uphill battle, but Black folks remain resilient — as always.

This article was originally published by Word in Black.

Family of 16-Year-Old Shot in Alleged “Wrong House” Incident Retain Attorneys Ben Crump and Lee Merritt

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Contributor

A story broken by the Kansas City Defender, a family is claiming that their 16-year-old son, Ralph Yarl, was shot twice at the front door of a man after appearing at the wrong home as he attempted to pick up a sibling.

According to news reports, Ralph Yarl, who is Black, was shot twice by a white man in North Kansas City. The man who shot Yarl was later questioned and released by police. The reaction that has followed after reports of Ralph Yarl’s shooting by the Kansas City Defender has been strong and pointed.

“This was not an ‘error,’ this was a hate crime. You don’t shoot a child in the head because he rang your doorbell. The fact that the police said it was an ‘error’ is why America is the way it is,” Dr. Faith Spoonmorethe told the Kansas City Defender. Spoonmorethe is an aunt of Ralph Yarl.

“There can be no excuse for the release of this armed and dangerous suspect after admitting to shooting an unarmed, nonthreatening and defenseless teenager that rang his doorbell!” Our offices have been retained to seek justice for Ralph Yarl. We demand immediate action,” wrote attorney Lee Merritt of Texas on social media

on April 16.

“We’ve been retained by Ralph Yarl and his family following the unjustifiable shooting of the 16-year old by an unidentified white male assailant. Lee Merritt and our legal team demand Clay County prosecutors and law enforcement swiftly identify, arrest and prosecute the man responsible,” wrote attorney Ben Crump on the evening of April 16.

The Yarl shooting happens as the coun-

try is gripped in debate about the rise in gun homicides. The number of mass shootings has also risen over the last two years.

“Ralph Yarl, 16, was shot twice by a white man in Kansas City after accidentally ringing the doorbell of the wrong home. The man shot Ralph in the head through his glass door, and then when Yarl was already bleeding out on the ground, shot him again,” wrote Moms

Demand Action founder Shannon Watts.

“My goodness…let’s be for justice, which is a continuum. That means the man who did this should be charged AND we need to work for the legislative and heart change to prevent these tragedies,” wrote Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Protest events are scheduled in support of Ralph Yarl in the community to demand justice.

“The Yarl family is urging supporters to help spread awareness about the case and bring attention to the issue of racial violence in America,” reports the Kansas City Defender.

The engagement of Attorneys Ben Crump and Lee Merritt confirm that the Yarl case is likely to gain national media attention.

Crump rose to national prominence in 2012 when he represented the family of Trayvon Martin, who was murdered by a self-proclaimed “neighborhood watch” volunteer in Sanford, Florida. Crump’s advocacy helped bring attention to the case and led to the indictment of Martin’s killer — George Zimmerman.

Since then, Crump has continued to represent families of victims of police brutality and other civil rights violations, including the families of Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. He has also been involved in advocacy efforts to reform the criminal justice system and end police brutality.

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

The engagement of Attorneys Lee Merritt (left) and Ben Crump confirm that the Yarl case is likely to gain national media attention. (Photo of Lee Merritt coutesy of the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Photo of Ben Crump by Lorie Shaull)

360 MANAGEMENT GROUP, CO.

NOTICE

Town of Bloomfield

REQUEST FOR BIDS

Repairs and Improvements at the Temple Medical Parking Garage

Request for Proposals Benefits Consultant

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

Salary Range: $87,727 to $136,071

New Haven, Connecticut

New Haven Parking Authority Project #18-008

Bids due May 12, 2023 at 3:00 PM

360 Management Group, Co. is currently seeking proposals for a benefits consultant. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from 360 Management Group’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Wednesday, March 29, 2023 at 3:00PM.

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

Deputy Finance Director/Controller

Pre-employment drug testing. AA/EOE.

For Details go to  www.bloomfieldct.org

Town of Bloomfield

Bid Documents including Special Notice to Bidders for Community Subcontracting Opportunities, Project Manual, Drawings and Bid Forms will be available beginning Thursday, April 20, 2023 at no cost by downloading from the BuildingConnected FTP system website. Please contact Maryann Bigda of Turner Construction Company, which is the New Haven Parking Authority’s professional construction program manager, at (203) 712-6070 for BuildingConnected FTP system access information.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF BRIDGEPORT (HACB) SIGNIFICANT AMENDMENT TO THE FY2022 ANNUAL PLAN

NOTICIA

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) plans to incorporate a significant amendment into its FY2022 Annual Plan. Copies of the plan and the significant amendment are available on the agency’s website www. parkcitycommunities.org.

Finance Director

Salary Range - $101,455 to $156,599 (expected starting pay maximum is mid-range)

The New Haven Parking Authority will receive sealed bids for the Repairs & Improvements at the Temple Medical Parking Garage, NHPA Project #18-008, until 3:00 PM local time on Friday, May 12, 2023. All Bids shall be submitted through the BuildingConnected FTP system. Bids may be submitted at any time leading up to the specified due date and time and will remain sealed within the BuildingConnected FTP system until the specified due date and time. The New Haven Parking Authority will be conducting a virtual public bid opening using the Zoom Link provided in the Bid Documents.

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

Members of the public are invited to provide written comments addressed to: Park City Communities, Significant Amendment FY2022 Annual Plan; Attn: Phoebe Greenfield, 150 Highland Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06604 or via email to: agencyplans@parkcitycommunities.org. The forty-five (45) days comment period begins on February 24, 2023, and ends on April 10, 2023. All comments must be received by April 10, 2023.

Please be advised the Public Hearing will be held on Tuesday April 12, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. via Zoom. The Zoom Link will be placed on PCC’s website. Please note, participants are limited to the first one hundred, (100) call-ins. The public hearing is scheduled for ninety (60) minutes and address concerns by residents and general public.

NEW HAVEN

Fully Benefited – 35 hours weekly Pre-employment drug testing. For more details, visit our website –www.bloomfieldct.org

Portland

Police Officer full-time

Go to www.portlandct.org for details

At this Zoom bid opening, all bids will be publicly opened and the name of the Bidder and its total Bid Price will be read aloud. Bids received after the time set for the opening will be rejected.

The work for this project includes, but is not limited to: concrete repairs (including partial/full depth, scaling, overhead, vertical, curbing, rib, CMU/masonry, decorative, and exterior brick repointing), waterproofing (including expansion joint replacement, cracks, control joints, construction joints, and cove joints), replacement of wood bumpers, cleaning of floor drains, miscellaneous coordination, together with all incidental work thereto and in accordance with the Bid Documents. This project is funded by the State through its Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) and, as such, is subject to certain requirements of the State Grant.

Bidders will be responsible for the requirements of ALL documents made available and will not be relieved of responsibilities for requirements indicated in any bid documents not downloaded or viewed.

242-258 Fairmont Ave

360 MANAGEMENT GROUP, CO.

2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 level , 1BA

All new apartments, new appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 & I-95 highways, near bus stop & shopping center

Invitation for Bids TRASH REMOVAL ALL SITES

Pet under 40lb allowed. Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258

QSR STEEL CORPORATION APPLY NOW!

Invitation to Bid: 2nd Notice

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

Bidders must submit with their Bid on forms provided a list of their Intended Subcontractors, together with CHRO contract compliance requirements, including:

Old Saybrook, CT (4 Buildings, 17 Units)

Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders

a. the set-aside use of DAS-certified Small Business Enterprises (“SBE”) for a requirement of at least 30% of the Bidder’s entire contract value;

Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project

Top pay for top performers. Health Benefits, 401K, Vacation Pay. Email Resume: Rose@qsrsteel.com Hartford, CT

CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s Certificate Program. This is a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday, August 20, 2016

3:30 Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, M.S., B.S.

1:30-

360 Management Group, Co. is currently seeking bids for trash removal services. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from 360 Management Group’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

(203) 996-4517 Host,General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor ofPitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster St. New Haven, CT

Monday, March 20, 2023 at 3:00PM.

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

POLICE OFFICER

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

a. the set-aside use of DAS-certified Minority owned Business Enterprises (“MBE”), Women owned Business Enterprises (“WBE”) and/or Disabled owned Business Enterprises (“DisBE”) for a requirement of at least 25% of the Bidder’s entire contract value. Please note that the MBE, WBE, and/or DisBE are part of the SBE; and

New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, Castin-place Concrete, Asphalt Shingles, Vinyl Siding, Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection. This contract is subject to state set-aside and contract compliance requirements.

State of Connecticut

Office of Policy and Management

a. Independent of the SBE/MBE/WBE/DisBE requirements herein, a minimum of 10% of the Bidder’s entire contract value must include businesses having a place of business within the City of New Haven limits.

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

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

The Wallingford Police Department is seeking qualified applicants for Police Officer. $ 1,301.20 weekly plus an excellent fringe benefit package to include a defined benefit pension plan. The written and oral exam processes will be administered by the South Central Criminal Justice Administration. To apply, candidates must register through the South Central Criminal Justice Administration webpage found under the “Associations” menu at www.policeapp.com by the registration deadline of Wednesday, April 5, 2023. The registration requires a fee of $ 85.00. 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

Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016

A satisfactory bid bond executed by the bidder and acceptable surety in an amount not less than five percent (5%) of the total bid shall be submitted with each bid.

Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016

Project documents available via ftp link below: http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage

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

The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management is recruiting for a Fiscal/Administrative Officer. Further information regarding the duties, eligibility requirements and application instructions are available at:

https://www.jobapscloud.com/ CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?b=&R1= 230309&R2=1308AR&R3=001

HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 AA/EEO EMPLOYER

Lowest Responsible and Qualified Bidder: As used in this section, “lowest responsible and qualified bidder” means the bidder whose bid is the lowest of those bidders possessing the skill, ability and integrity necessary to faithfully perform the work. As a prerequisite, all Bidders must be pre-qualified by DAS. Additionally, all subcontractors with a subcontract value in excess of $500,000 must be pre-qualified by DAS. Should the grantee reject the lowest bidder as not responsible and/or not qualified, the grantee shall immediately notify DECD of the reasons for the rejection and request DECD concurrence. The Commissioner of DECD shall at his/her discretion either approve or deny the grantee’s rejection. The grantee agrees to hold DECD harmless from any and all claims by rejected bidders.

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

New Haven Parking Authority is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Minority/Women/Disabled Business Enterprises are encouraged to apply. This contract is subject to State set-aside and contract compliance requirements.

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks:

Construction

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR

Construction Equipment Mechanic preferably experienced in Reclaiming and Road Milling Equipment. We offer factory training on equipment we operate. Location: Bloomfield CT We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits

NOTICE

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

Contact: Tom Dunay

Phone: 860- 243-2300

Seeking to employ experienced individuals in the labor, foreman, operator and teamster trades for a heavy outside work statewide. Reliable personal transportation and a valid drivers license required. To apply please call (860) 6211720 or send resume to: Personnel Department, P.O. Box 368, Cheshire, CT06410.

THE ELM CITY COMMUNITIES/HOUSING AUTHORITY OF NEW HAVEN (ECC/HANH) MOVING TO WORK (MTW) FY2024 ANNUAL PLAN

Email: tom.dunay@garrityasphalt.com

Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply

Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks:

Reclaimer Operators and Milling Operators with current licensing and clean driving record, be willing to travel throughout the Northeast & NY. We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits

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

Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V Drug Free Workforce

PVC FENCE PRODUCTION

Section II (C) of the Authority's Moving to Work Agreement (the “Agreement") requires that ECC/HANH hold at least one public hearing per Annual MTW submission and make the Annual MTW Plan available for public comment for at least thirty (30) days. The Agency agrees to take into account public comments on the program design, including comments from current tenants/participants to the extent such comments are provided are provided.

Contact: Rick Tousignant Phone: 860- 243-2300

NOTICIA

Email: rick.tousignant@garrityasphalt.com

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

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

Large CT Fence Company looking for an individual for our PVC 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. Use of CNC Router machine a plus but not required, will train the right person. This is an in-shop production position. Duties include building fence panels, posts, gates and more. Must have a valid CT driver’s license & 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.

The thirty (30) days comment period begins on Monday, April 17, 2023 and copies of the Moving to Work (MTW) FY2024 Plan, will be made available on the agency website www.elmcitycommunities.org or via Twitter, www.twitter.com/ ECCommunities or via Facebook www.facebook.com/ElmCityCommunities.

You are invited to provide written comments addressed to: ECC/HANH, Moving to Work FY2024 Annual Plan, Attn: Evelise Ribeiro, 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06511 or via email to: eribeiro@elmcitycommunities.org.

Union Company seeks:

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

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

Contact Dana at 860-243-2300

Email: dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com

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

NEW HAVEN

242-258 Fairmont Ave

AA/EOE-MF

Full Time Administrative assistant position for a steel & misc metals fabrication shop who will oversee the daily operations of clerical duties such as answering phones, accounts payable purchase orders/invoicing and certified payroll. Email resumes to jillherbert@gwfabrication.com

Pursuant to said Section II (C), a public hearing where public comments will be accepted and recorded is scheduled for Monday, May 15, 2023, at 4:00pm via: Teams Meeting ID: 246 405 833 591

Passcode: i82T6B

Any individual requiring a Reasonable Accommodation to participate in the hearing may call the Reasonable Accommodation Manager (203) 498-8800, ext. 1507 or at the TDD Number (203) 497-8434.

AVISO DE AUDIENCIA PÚBLICA PARA

Invitation to Bid: 2nd Notice

State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management

LAS COMUNIDADES DE LA CIUDAD DE ELM/AUTORIDAD DE VIVIENDA DE NEW HAVEN (ECC/HANH) MOVIMIENTO AL TRABAJO (MTW) PLAN ANUAL FY2024

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

Old Saybrook, CT (4 Buildings, 17 Units)

The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management is recruiting for a Fiscal and Program Policy Section Director. Further information regarding the duties, eligibility requirements and application instructions are available at: https://www.jobapscloud.com/ CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?b=&R1= 230303&R2=1585MP&R3=001

Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project

New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, Castin-place Concrete, Asphalt Shingles, Vinyl Siding, Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection. This contract is subject to state set-aside and contract compliance requirements.

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

La Sección II (C) del Acuerdo de Mudanza al Trabajo de la Autoridad (el "Acuerdo") requiere que ECC/HANH celebre al menos una audiencia pública por presentación de MTW anual y que el Plan de MTW anual esté disponible para comentario público durante al menos treinta (30) días. días La Agencia acuerda tener en cuenta los comentarios públicos sobre el diseño del programa, incluidos los comentarios de los inquilinos/participantes actuales en la medida en que se proporcionen dichos comentarios.

El período de comentarios de treinta (30) días comienza el lunes 17 de abril de 2023 y las copias del Plan Moving to Work (MTW) FY2024 estarán disponibles en el sitio web de la agencia www.elmcitycommunities.org o a través de Twitter, www.twitter. com/ECCommunities o a través de Facebook www.facebook.com/ ElmCityCommunities.

Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016

Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016

Project documents available via ftp link below: http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage

Lo invitamos a proporcionar comentarios por escrito dirigidos a: ECC/HANH, Moving to Work FY2024 Annual Plan, Attn: Evelise Ribeiro, 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06511 o por correo electrónico a: eribeiro@elmcitycommunities.org.

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

HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 AA/EEO EMPLOYER

De conformidad con dicha Sección II (C), se programa una audiencia pública donde se aceptarán y registrarán los comentarios del público para el lunes 15 de mayo de 2023 a las 4:00 p. m. a través de:

ID de reunión de equipos: 246 405 833 591

Código de acceso: i82T6B

Cualquier persona que requiera una Adaptación Razonable para participar en la audiencia puede llamar al Gerente de Adaptación Razonable (203) 498-8800, ext. 1507 o al Número TDD (203) 497-8434.

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

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

NOTICE

Request for Proposals

QSR STEEL CORPORATION APPLY NOW!

State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management

Fully Integrated Web Based Housing Authority Software

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders

Elm City Communities is currently seeking proposals for a full integrated web-based housing authority software. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City Communities’ Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Monday, March 13, 2023 at 3:00PM.

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

NOTICIA

Top pay for top performers. Health Benefits, 401K, Vacation Pay.

Email Resume: Rose@qsrsteel.com Hartford, CT

State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management

The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management is recruiting for a Fiscal and Program Policy Section Director.

The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management is recruiting for an Oracle Business Intelligence Analytics Manager (Information Technology Manager 1) and a Lead Planning Analyst-Juvenile Justice Further information regarding the duties, eligibility requirements and application instructions are available at:

https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/sup/ bulpreview.asp?b=&R1=230329&R2=1561MP&R3=001 and

https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/sup/ bulpreview.asp?b=&R1=230328&R2=0007AR&R3=001

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

Project Engineer job opening available for a growing / established Heavy Highway Construction Contractor based out of Avon, CT. Tasks include takeoffs, CAD drafting, computations, surveying, office engineering, submittals, other miscellaneous engineering tasks. Competitive compensation package based on experience. Many opportunities for growth for the right individual. We are an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer. Please email your resume to Dawn@ rothacontracting.com.

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

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

Further information regarding the duties, eligibility requirements and application instructions are available at: https://www.jobapscloud.com/ CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?b=&R1= 230303&R2=1585MP&R3=001

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

CLERK OF THE WORKS FOR BRISTOL

HOUSING AUTHORITY RENOVATIONS

POLICE OFFICER City of Bristol

NEW HAVEN

242-258 Fairmont Ave

2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 level , 1BA

MINORITY CONTRACTOR OPPORTUNITY – Waltersville Commons –Bridgeport, CT SOLICITATION OF SBE/MBE CONTRACTORS: Enterprise Builders, Inc., an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, seeks certified SBE/ MBE Subcontractors and/or suppliers and local business enterprises to bid applicable sections of work/equipment/supplies for the following construction project: Waltersville Commons, project consists of a conversion of two existing buildings into 70 new apartment units, additional there will be some historic renovation work involved. Bid Date and Time: April 14, 2023 at 10:00am. Electronic Plans and specifications can be obtained at no charge by contacting the Estimating Department at Enterprise Builders at (860) 466-5188 or by email to bids@enterbuilders.com. Project is Taxable on Renovation (labor and material) and prevailing wage rates DO NOT apply. This project is subject to state set-aside and contract compliance requirements. EBI encourages the participation of certified SBE/ MBE contractors. EBI is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

All new apartments, new appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 & I-95 highways, near bus stop & shopping center Pet under 40lb allowed. Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258

360 MANAGEMENT GROUP, CO.

Request for Proposals Benefits Consultant

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

360 Management Group, Co. is currently seeking proposals for a benefits consultant. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from 360 Management Group’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

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

Wednesday, March 29, 2023 at 3:00PM.

$70,915 - $86,200/yr.

The Housing Authority of the City of Bristol is seeking an experienced Clerk of the Works for two renovation projects, ready to begin construction. The ideal candidate shall have the following qualifications: 10 years experience working on multi-family renovation projects of $4,000,000 or more; Ability to read and understand contract documents; Ability to work with the Housing Authority, tenants, and the design and construction team; Good communication skills; Understanding of the role of each team member; Ability to monitor construction including all materials and workmanship; Experience working on CHFA/DOH finance projects.

Invitation to Bid: 2nd Notice

This is a contract position for an 18-month duration. The fee for services shall be negotiated with the candidate deemed the most qualified. Please send your qualifications and per diem rate by May 15, 2023 to: Mitzy Rowe, CEO, The Housing Authority of the City of Bristol, 164 Jerome Avenue, Bristol, CT 06010.

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

The Housing Authority of the City of Bristol is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. SBE, MBE, W/DBE, and Section 3 businesses are encouraged to respond.

Old Saybrook, CT (4 Buildings, 17 Units)

Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project

360 MANAGEMENT GROUP, CO.

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

246 Fairmont Avenue, New Haven

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

Spacious 2 bedroom apartment, $1,750.00. Tenant pays all utilities including gas for heat and hot water. Includes appliances, private entrance, balcony, carpet and off street parking. Close proximity to restaurants, shopping centers and on bus line. Section 8 welcome. Security deposit varies. Call Christine at 860-985-8258.

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

DEADLINE: 05-04-23

EOE

Town of Bloomfield

New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, Castin-place Concrete, Asphalt Shingles, Vinyl Siding, Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection. This contract is subject to state set-aside and contract compliance requirements.

Invitation for Bids Landscaping Mill River

Assistant Building Official

Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016

$39.80 hourly

Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016

360 Management Group, Co. is currently seeking bids for landscaping services at Mill River. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from 360 Management Group’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems. com/gateway beginning on

Pre-employment drug testing. AA/EOE. For Details go to www.bloomfieldct.org

Project documents available via ftp link below: http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage

Monday, March 20, 2023 at 3:00PM.

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

DRIVER CDL CLASS A

HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 AA/EEO EMPLOYER

Full Time – All Shifts Top Pay-Full Benefits

EOE Please apply in person: 1425 Honeyspot Rd. Ext. Stratford, CT 06615

The Guilford Housing Authority is currently accepting applications for one bedroom apartments at Sachem Hollow in Guilford, CT. Applicants must be age 62 and over or on 100% social security or federal disability and over the age of 18. Applications may be obtained by calling the application line at 203-453-6262 EXT: 107. Applications will be accepted until end of business day or postmark of March 20, 2023 4PM. Credit, police, landlord checks are procured by the Authority. Smoking is prohibited in the units and building.

Sewer

NOTICE

Town of Bloomfield

Patrol Police Officer

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

Laborer: Involves manual work in construction and general maintenance activities for The Town of Wallingford’s Sewer Division. Operates vehicles, trucks and a variety of power equipment. Must have a minimum of six (6) months experience in performing related manual work at the laborer level and a High School Diploma or G.E.D. Must also possess and maintain a valid State of Connecticut motor vehicle operator’s license. Wages: $20.26 - $24.02 Hourly. Application Forms may be obtained at the Department of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Forms will be mailed upon request from the Department of Human Resources or may be downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page. Fax: (203) 294-2084 Phone: (203) 294-2080. The closing date will be the date the 50th application or resume is received or May 2, 2023, whichever occurs first. EOE

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

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

$37.93 hourly ($78,885 annually) – full time, benefited Pre-employment drug testing. For more details, visit our website – www.bloomfieldct.org

Deadline: Applications will be accepted until position is filled

Town of Bloomfield

360 MANAGEMENT GROUP, CO. Invitation for Bids Agency Wide Key and Lock Services

360 Management Group, Co. is currently seeking bids for agency wide key and lock services. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from 360 Management Group’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing. cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at 3:00PM.

MINORITY CONTRACTOR OPPORTUNITY –

Request for Proposals

NOTICIA

Payroll Services & HR Management Systems

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES

DISPONIBLES

Elm City Communities is currently seeking proposals Payroll Services & HR Management Systems. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City Communities’ Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Finance Director

Salary Range - $101,455 to $156,599 (expected starting pay maximum is mid-range)

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

Monday, March 13, 2023 at 3:00PM.

360 MANAGEMENT GROUP, CO.

Invitation for Bids

Door Repair Replacement Agency Wide

Fully Benefited – 35 hours weekly Pre-employment drug testing. For more details, visit our website –www.bloomfieldct.org

Portland

Police Officer full-time

80 South Road, Farmington CT SOLICITATION OF SBE/MBE CONTRACTORS: Enterprise Builders, Inc., an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, seeks certified SBE/MBE Subcontractors and/or suppliers and local business enterprises to bid applicable sections of work/equipment/supplies for the following construction project: 80 South Road: Enterprise Builders is the Construction Manager for this project and is solicitating GMP pricing based on 90% CD set of drawings. Project is anticipated to start early September of 2023. This project consists of the construction of two new apartment buildings totaling 65 units and 72,623 sf. Bid Date and Time: 5/09/2023 @ 10:00AM. Electronic Plans and specifications can be obtained at no charge by contacting the Estimating Department at Enterprise Builders at (860) 466-5188 or by email to bids@enterbuilders.com. Project is Taxable on New Construction and prevailing wage rates DO NOT apply. This project is subject to state set-aside and contract compliance requirements. EBI encourages the participation of certified SBE/MBE contractors. EBI is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

Public Health

NEW HAVEN

Go to www.portlandct.org for details

242-258 Fairmont Ave

360 Management Group, Co. is currently seeking bids for door repair replacement agency wide. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from 360 Management Group’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https:// newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 level , 1BA

All new apartments, new appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 & I-95 highways, near bus stop & shopping center

Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at 3:00PM.

Pet under 40lb allowed. Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258

CLERK OF THE WORKS FOR BRISTOL HOUSING AUTHORITY RENOVATIONS

The Housing Authority of the City of Bristol is seeking an experienced Clerk of the Works for two renovation projects, ready to begin construction. The ideal candidate shall have the following qualifications:

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

• 10 years experience working on multi-family renovation projects of $4,000,000 or more

QSR STEEL CORPORATION

Invitation to Bid: 2nd Notice

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

APPLY NOW!

Old Saybrook, CT (4 Buildings, 17 Units)

Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders

Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project

Top pay for top performers. Health Benefits, 401K, Vacation Pay. Email Resume: Rose@qsrsteel.com Hartford, CT

Sanitarian: Professional public health work in the enforcement of statutes and regulations relating to public and environmental health. Applicants should possess a bachelor’s degree in environmental health or closely related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience, substituting on a year for year basis. Must possess and maintain a valid State of Connecticut Motor Vehicle Operator’s License. Must be able to obtain within 6 months CT certification as a food inspector. Salary: $63,116 - $80,755 annually plus an excellent fringe benefit package. Apply to: Department of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Forms will be mailed upon request from the Department of Human Resources or may be downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page. Phone # (203) 294-2080, Fax #: (203)294-2084. The closing date will be May 8, 2023 or the date the 50th application is received, whichever occurs first. EOE.

New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, Castin-place Concrete, Asphalt Shingles, Vinyl Siding, Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection. This contract is subject to state set-aside and contract compliance requirements.

State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management

THE GLENDOWER GROUP, INC.

• Ability to read and understand contract documents

• Ability to work with the Housing Authority, tenants, and the design and construction team

• Good communication skills

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

• Understanding of the role of each team member

• Ability to monitor construction including all materials and work manship

• Experience working on CHFA/DOH finance projects

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

This is a contract position for an 18-month duration. The fee for services shall be negotiated with the candidate deemed the most qualified. Please send your qualifications and per diem rate by May 15, 2023 to: Mitzy Rowe, CEO, The Housing Authority of the City of Bristol, 164 Jerome Avenue, Bristol, CT 06010.

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

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

Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016

Invitation for Bids Development Consultant

Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016

Project documents available via ftp link below: http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage

The Glendower Group, Inc. is currently seeking bids for a development consultant. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Glendower’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway

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

The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management is recruiting for a Fiscal/Administrative Officer. Further information regarding the duties, eligibility requirements and application instructions are available at: https://www.jobapscloud.com/ CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?b=&R1= 230309&R2=1308AR&R3=001

HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 AA/EEO EMPLOYER

beginning on Monday, April 17, 2023 at 3:00PM.

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

Construction Seeking to employ experienced individuals in the labor, foreman, operator and teamster trades for a heavy outside work statewide. Reliable personal transportation and a valid drivers license required. To apply please call (860) 621-1720 or send resume to: Personnel Department, P.O. Box 368, Cheshire, CT06410.

Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V Drug Free Workforce

Cedric Richmond is the Latest National Black Voice to Appeal to the FCC in Support of Standard General’s Acquisition of TEGNA and Diversity in Media Ownership

Black Voices are Speaking Out, but Are they Being Heard?

By Hazel Trice Edney

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Cedric Richmond, former Congressman (LA-2), former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, former senior advisor to President Joe Biden, and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, has become the latest voice of Black America to appeal to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for racial diversity in media ownership.

In an opinion-editorial published in the Baltimore Sun, Richmond exhorted the FCC not to “cave to special interests who have sought to pit minority groups against each other in an effort to block one of the biggest opportunities in history to advance media ownership diversity in our country.”

Richmond was referring to the Standard General’s acquisition of media company TEGNA, a deal widely viewed as a major opportunity to instantly enhance minority media ownership and transform local newsrooms by bringing a level of new and racially diverse media faces and voices into them like never before seen or heard across America. “It’s an exciting opportunity. But rather than celebrating this thrilling moment, deal critics have resorted to the ugliest of rhetoric,” Richmond points out.

The FCC has given Standard General no feedback or provided any reasons for not taking a vote, and it appears to be running out the clock on the deal, for which Richmond exhorts the commission to clarify any “substantive grounds for rejecting” the acquisition or “act and change its course.”

In his appeal, Richmond joins a distinguished line up of civil rights leaders, activists and media professionals supporting the acquisition. They include household

names such as the Rev. Jesse Jackson of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and Rev. Al Sharpton of the National Action Network, media personality Roland Martin, civil rights lawyer Barbara Arnwine, Benjamin Chavis of the NNPA, among many others.

Richmond recently appeared on Sharpton’s radio show, “Keepin’ It Real”.

In response to Rev. Sharpton’s questions about the state of media diversity, Richmond gave a dismal report on the state of Black media in America.

“It’s not diverse at all,” he said. “And especially when you talk about the ownership of media in the United States. And so you know it far better than I do because you have been there and been a voice… one that has always pushed for diversity. And it’s just something that we've never been able to accomplish or never been able to hold the powers that be to make them diversify it. And so now you're talking about a day and age where you have so much misinformation, so much fake news, so much alternative facts, people really need to know the truth and we always say that, you know, facts and truth empower people to know what's going on in their community. So that’s why your TV Show is so important, your radio show is so important among other voices that are out there. But if we don’t own it and you don’t have diversity in ownership then you are at the whim of what others say.”

Rev. Sharpton later asked Richmond why Standard General’s deal with TEGNA matters. Mr. Richmond explained:

“Well the proposed acquisition by Standard General of TEGNA would create the country’s, it would create the biggest TV broadcasting company owned by a minority, led by a female, and you have history.

And for an administration that focuses on diversity, and I know for a fact that the President when he says it he means it, and the FCC is in the process of letting this golden opportunity to empower minority voices…You're talking about a deal that would infuse almost two billion dollars into TEGNA to allow them to expand local news funding. The leadership of Standard General, Soo Kim, has a great track record in terms of labor, in terms of investing in companies. So immediately off the bat they’re saying they won't lay anyone off in the newsroom for three years, and they're going to continue to create local grant funds for local journalism.”

Even with top civil rights and Black media voices pushing for the TEGNA acquisition, it appears they are not being heard. Unless the FCC does an abrupt turnaround, it is still on course to allow the proposal to die, despite promises from Kim to maximize newsroom investment

and diversity. “No one in the history of this country has had to deal with what the FCC Is doing to Standard General,” Richmond concluded.

“We (Standard General) want to partner with community journalism groups to amplify the work they’re doing and the communities they represent,” Kim said in an interview last June. “We’re open to exploring new partnership models to get diverse viewpoints and perspectives on the air and to make sure people have the resources to do it. We’re calling it enhanced community access or creative community access and we’re excited about the possibilities it will open up.”

Together, Standard General and TEGNA, would be led by television industry veteran Deb McDermott, the first woman from broadcast management to be inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame.

TEGNA has a national audience with stations in over 50 markets. “I’ve long believed the people producing the news should be as diverse as those who tune in to watch it every day — and this deal is an opportunity to achieve exactly that,” Kim said last year.

Yet, a year later, the FCC mysteriously appears poised to allow the venture to fail.

Richmond explains in his op-ed: “The review process is meant to be completed within 180-days based on an informal 'shot clock.' Yet it took the FCC nearly a full year to make any announcement about it all; and when the commission finally did last week, the message was that it was going to delay a ruling even further by referring the deal to an administrative law judge for more hearings. Keen industry observers were quick to point out that this further delay was likely a death sentence for the transaction — since this drawn out legal process will likely con-

tinue well past the May 22nd closing deadline for the acquisition. Indeed, Standard General acknowledged as much in its public statements.”

Among the deal’s earliest supporters, Ben Chavis, President/CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association with more than 22 million readers per week, said this week that the FCC should immediately revive Kim’s proposal.

“The National Newspaper Publishers Association takes the position that the FCC should reconsider this issue of Soo Kim and the issue of the potential benefit to communities of color as a result of this proposal. We believe that upon a re-review by the FCC, it should be reconsidered because it would bring great economic benefit and strongly deal with the issue of equity. The FCC not approving this merger contributes to inequity.”

Despite what appears to be deaf ears at the FCC, the civil rights community shows no sign of giving up.

“The FCC’s failure to seize this opportunity to advance minority media ownership is beyond disappointing,” wrote Richmond. “From Day 1, the Biden-Harris administration has taken bold action to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion throughout government. Undermining the attempt by a minority business leader to acquire a major media property, and doing so in a way that is totally unprecedented, is, on its face, at odds with the administration’s approach and core values. It is difficult to understand how we have come to this place.”

The FCC is running out of time to do the right thing, Richmond says. But it’s not too late. He and others are clear: Our voices won’t be silenced even if they aren’t being heard.

Jay-Z and Mom, Gloria, Celebrate 20 Years of Giving Back With 2023 Scholarship Fund

BLACK ENTERPRISE

EditorsApril 18, 2023412

NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER

29: Jay-Z poses with his mother, Gloria Carter during an evening of "Making The Ordinary Extraordinary" hosted by The Shawn Carter Foundation at Pier 54 on September 29, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/ WireImage)

The Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund (SCSF), founded by rapper turned business mogul Jay-Z and his philanthropist mother Gloria, has been helping low-income students achieve their dreams of higher education since 2003. With the deadline for this year’s schol-

arship fast approaching, the SCSF is once again urging eligible students to apply.

The program provides individual scholarships directly to educational institutions to cover tuition and related expenses, including books, lab fees, travel, and select costs of living. Shawn Carter Scholars are also required to “give back” by performing community service and serving as mentors to younger students.

Eligibility requirements for the scholarship include being a US citizen or permanent resident, 25 years old or younger, and having a minimum GPA of 2.0. The scholarship is open to high school seniors, students with GED diplomas, undergraduate (2 year or 4

year) college students, and vocational or trade school students.

“The Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund has helped so many students across America achieve their goals of higher education,” said Gloria Carter, cofounder of the SCSF. “We believe that education is the key to unlocking opportunity, and we’re proud to provide students with the resources they need to succeed.”

Every year for the past twenty years, the SCSF has awarded scholarships to over 200 students across America with award amounts of up to $7,500. The deadline for this year’s scholarship will be on April 30th so interested students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Cedric Richmond

It takes a powerhouse to power a houseful.

Introducing the next generation 10G network. Only from Xfinity. A network that can effortlessly handle a house full of devices. All at the same time. Which means that you and everyone else can seamlessly watch, work, stream and play whatever you want on all your devices with ultra-low lag. Get ready for a network that can handle the entire house, no matter how full it is. The future starts now.

Restrictions apply. Ends 4/23/23. Not available in all areas. New Xfinity Internet residential customers only. Offer requires enrollment in both paperless billing and automatic payments with stored bank account. Without enrollment, the monthly service charge automatically increases by $10 (or $5 if enrolling with credit or debit card information). The discount will appear on your bill within 45 days of enrolling in automatic payments and paperless billing. If either automatic payments or paperless billing are subsequently canceled, the $10 monthly discount will be removed automatically. Limited to Connect More 200 Mbps internet. All other installation, taxes & fees extra, and subj. to change during and after promo. After 24 months, or if any service is canceled or downgraded, regular charges apply to internet service and devices. Service limited to a single outlet. May not be combined with other offers. Actual speeds vary and not guaranteed. Ultra-low lag based on median latency of 13 milliseconds or below for Xfinity gigabit Internet customers with xFi Gateway as measured by Xfinity Speed Test. For factors affecting speed visit www.xfinity.com/ networkmanagement. Call for restrictions and complete details, or visit xfinity.com. NPA244949-0005 NED-NEW10G Platform-V10