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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 11, 2022 - May 17, 2022

Hillhouse Theater Returns With “BKLYN”

by BRIAN SLATTERY

New Haven Independent

“It’s good to be back. Today is very special for us because two and a half year ago, today was our last day,” said Ty Scurry, who runs the Academic Theater Company, the drama club based out of Hillhouse High School, as the cast prepared to do a full run-through of its upcoming production, BKLYN, which will run at the school’s auditorium from May 12 to May 14.

By that, Scurry was referring to the program’s previous production of The Wiz, which was scheduled to have its run in March 2020. After months of preparation, the run was cancelled due to Covid while the actors were in dress rehearsal. “We were one week from opening, so today would have been the day that we got the call that we can’t come back.”

Scurry kept in touch with the students after the shutdown, and watched as “the seniors left, and then the juniors who became seniors also left. It was difficult to keep the program afloat. So this year I chose a very small show. But it actually worked in our favor,” he said. “For our first year back, I’m not totally mad at it. We’ve called it the rebuilding year.

Everything that we do is dipped in creating a legacy, for the program and for the school. It’s our mission and our mantra.”

Scurry had a few ideas for a small show that he and the cast could do well. He thought of Anything Goes, but wondered if “kids would come out for it.” Then he thought he might pull a “Salvatore De Lucia,” he said. De Lucia runs Lights Up, the drama program at Wilbur Cross, and still serves as an enthusiastic mentor to Scurry. Scurry thought of how, for that program’s rebuilding year in 2018, he picked a relatively unknown piece with a small cast.

“Mr. De Lucia has been such an inspiration and a help during this process, because he’s been around the block a few times,” Scurry said. “I’m constantly asking him how things work.… It’s good to have that kind of support in the district, especially when you had them as a teacher.”

Scurry got to work scrolling through publishing sites, looking for rights. He thought of doing James and the Giant Peach for a minute. Then “I was on Instagram posting for the drama club, and this show popped up from 2001.” It was a clip of “Once Upon a Time,” one of the songs from BKLYN. “Lo and behold, I found this gem of a musical.”

BKLYN, by Mark Schoenfeld and Barri McPherson, tells the story of Brooklyn (Regina Santana), an orphan in Paris who grows up to be a talented singer and travels to New York as a young adult to look for her long-lost father. As she establishes herself, she finds herself in a rivalry with New York-based singer Paradice (Janae Branham). As the rivalry intensifies, Brooklyn is able to leverage her growing fame to possibly find her father and dis-

Dear People of Greater New Haven, We are writing in enthusiastic support of our friends, colleagues and neighbors at Long Wharf Theatre, a beloved New Haven institution that has been a point of pride for our city and region for more than 57 years.

The board of Long Wharf Theatre made a decision to pursue a new production model that will allow the company to continue offering awe-inspiring work we’ve always loved while also reaching audiences throughout New Haven and beyond. They will continue to build on its history of innovation in new ways and new places.

This transformational decision allows Long Wharf Theatre to focus on producing, creating, and funding important artistic works instead of staying in a location that is not accessible to many and that disproportionately excludes large swaths of our population.

BRIAN SLATTERY PHOTOS The cast of BKLYN at Hillhouse. cover why it was that he abandoned her in France years ago. If the story sounds like a bit of a fantasia, it is; in the reality of the show, the story is actually being performed by five homeless people on a single block on Flatbush Avenue.

“What a great idea for a show,” Scurry thought. “It’s just five people on a street corner, performing, having fun.” The underlying seriousness of the scenario, however, satisfied another criterion for him as well. “My big thing is to do a show that has a little meaning to it,” he said. “All the people performing are homeless, and they’re probably performing for their next meal.” For Scurry and the cast, it was an opportunity to learn about what it is to be homeless, to struggle with addiction, and about “how to portray that without making it a farce. So that’s been a challenge, learning about that, but it has made them better human beings. That’s my big thing — making the students not just better actors, better performers, but better human beings.”

Scurry also knew that the show had made it to Broadway but “didn’t do so well” there. He learned that the show had been staged more as a fantasy, “and I think that caught people off guard.” By contrast, “we’re presenting it in a very literal way,” one that lets the audience see through the fantasy the performers are creating, and thus puts them there, on the same city block.

Having made that decision, “the set was a puzzle to me to figure out how to make it work, and we made it work,” Scurry said. Tim Kane, a teacher at Hillhouse who serves as Academic Theater Company’s faculty advisor, built much of it.

A couple streetlights were borrowed from another theater program. The phone booth

onstage is borrowed from Wilbur Cross High School’s theater club, Lights Up, from its production of Sister Act, in which Scurry played when he was a senior there.

The result of Scurry and his team’s work is a lean and effective production of a musical that, it turns out, has some startlingly good songs, by turns fun and somber, rousing and reflective. The cast of five is more than up to the task of conveying both the fantasy the performers are creating and the reality that they live in, so that the audiences is transported and brought back to earth. As Faith, Brooklyn’s mother, Makaila Matta anchors the play in pathos, even as she returns again and again.

As Taylor Collins, Brooklyn’s father, John Marchand embodies a quiet desperation. Carlie Mathews excels as the Street Singer — a kind of guide through the shifting landscape of the play — thanks to a commanding stage presence and even more commanding voice. Janae Branham fully inhabits Paradice, letting us see the vulnerability beneath the braggadocio.

And Regina Santana carries the weight as Brooklyn, giving the character’s sadness and innocence a survivor’s edge.

That sense of survival inhabits the play both inside and out. Just before the cast ran its dress rehearsal, Scurry asked them to do it not for themselves or for the audience, but for the two years’ worth of Hillhouse students whom the pandemic prevented from performing. Echoing the themes in the play itself, Academic Theater Company’s production of BKLYN is a poignant reminder of the way so many lives have been scattered during the pandemic, and the way artistic endeavors like these can help put the pieces back together.

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This is an exciting change. Long Wharf Theatre isn’t disappearing – it is ushering in a bold new chapter in partnership with its many communities, including some that we, the undersigned, represent as well. For centuries, cultural institutions have not been fully inclusive. Long Wharf Theatre is challenging that model by creating gathering spaces where all are welcomed. We know that Long Wharf Theatre will continue to produce world-class theatre. This move is about making the circle wider, because all people deserve access to all of the arts with intention, inclusion, and love.

Earlier this year, the City of New Haven released the Cultural Equity Plan, a sweeping collection of ideas to encourage the artistic institutions to confront its legacy of systemic racism in arts and cultural programming. Long Wharf Theatre is putting this plan in action – their new model demonstrates exactly how it can be an overall better cultural institution for ALL of Greater New Haven while positively impacting communities of color across New Haven – bringing cultural institutions directly to their doorsteps.

Change takes courage and, most importantly, it takes a village standing with you.

We’re proud to stand with Long Wharf Theatre’s board of directors, leadership, staff, and community members in supporting a path forward that will benefit all in our region for generations to come.

Sincerely, Michael Barker Melia Bensussen Noah Bloom Joan Channick Anne Coates Lee Cruz Steve Driffin IfeMichelle Gardin Tiffani Gavin Calida Jones

Annie Lin Winter Marshall Kica Matos Anthony McDonald Michael Morand Jenny Nelson Cynthia Rider Aleta Staton nico wheadon

100 Rally For Abortion Rights THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 11, 2022 - May 17, 2022

by MAYA MCFADDEN

“Abortion is a human right” “Health care is a human right” “Mi cuerpo, mi decisión” (“My body, my choice”) “What do we want? Free abortion. When do we want it? Now!” Speakers included a “pro-choice gynecologist,” nursing students, and others, some of whom told stories about being assaulted and needing to get an abortion as a result. Dozens took the microphone one by one in support of free, safe, and legal abortion for their friends and families.

Party for Socialism and Liberation member Kirill Staklo took the mic to add that “we need a new system that defends people’s human rights.”

“And in the state of Connecticut, where we might feel safe, this [decision], if it happens the way that it is threatening to be happening, sets a very dangerous president for anybody who care about privacy and anybody who cares about bodily autonomy,” Staklo added. “No Supreme Court is supreme enough to be supreme over the law of the people.”

Crowd members held signs reading “Stay out of my uterus” and “Keep your laws off my body.”

“When we say banning abortion, what we’re actually saying is forced birth,” argued one speaker. She added that as a nursing student she has seen people get abortions because they weren’t taught sex education or lacked access to

New Haven Independent

In the wake of a reported pending U.S. Supreme Court decision to outlaw Roe v.

Wade, New Haven activist are demanding that the nation follow in the footsteps of countries like Colombia, Argentina, and Mexico where abortion is a protected human right.

Those cries from protesters echoed over the New Haven Green Tuesday during a city rally calling for “Safe and Legal Abortion “and “Bans Off Our Bodies” organized by Unidad Latina en Acción (ULA), Workers’ Voice CT, and Socialist Revolution.

More than 100 demonstrators stood on the steps of the federal courthouse on 141 Church St. to protest the recent draft of a majority opinion written by conservative Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito suggesting that the nation strike down Roe, which established a federal constitutional right to an abortion. If the court issues that decision in final form, abortion will become largely illegal or access greatly restricted in states throughout the nation.

Leading the speaking program were ULA organizers Rosalba Montoya, Megan Fountain, and Nayeli Garcia.

The rally leaders reminded the crowd of the mass protests in Poland, Ireland, Colombia, Argentina, and Mexico in recent years that resulted in laws allowing safe access to abortions for all.

Together the crowd chanted;

MAYA MCFADDEN PHOTO Protestors at courthouse Tuesday.

Megan Fountain and Rosalba Montoya with megaphones.

birth control.

“What the hell party wants to have a 13-year-old girl give birth to their father’s baby? What the fuck is up with that?” said another speaker.

One 70-year-old speaker took the mic to share that 50 years ago she had an illegal abortion. “Let me tell you, it was hell,” she said. “Believe me. I had to have it.” She said she traveled to Nebraska to get the procedure and said she was sexually molested by the abortionist.

“We can’t go back to women dying with hangers,” she said.

After an hour of attendees taking the microphone to voice their support for abortion rights and personal experiences with abortion the crowd took it to the streets and marched to Yale’s Cross Campus.

Another speaker named Ponce said she use to be “pro-life” and at age 10 would stand outside of Planned Parenthood protesting with her parents and church that “life is a gift.”

That changed when she was assaulted, she said.

“When I was assaulted, where was the church for me when I needed them?” she said. “They only care about life in the imagination. What happens to the children whenever they’re left and they’re put into the foster system?”

“Is my life not as precious as those life in the womb?” Ponce said.

911 Chief Quitting After 7 Weeks

by THOMAS BREEN

New Haven Independent

A month and a half after taking over the city’s 911 call center, Kevin Stratton is leaving City Hall — with the future leadership of the turmoil-wracked department now up for grabs.

Mayor Justin Elicker confirmed for the Independent during a Wednesday afternoon phone interview that Stratton will soon be departing from his role as the director of the city’s Public Safety Communications department, also known as the Public Safety Access Point (PSAP).

The mayor said Stratton’s last day on the job will be Friday. He said Stratton gave notice last Monday about his coming resignation.

“I’m very disappointed that he’s leaving,” Elicker said. “Kevin decided that it wasn’t the right fit. We would have loved to have kept him.”

The mayor said his administration is

currently looking for someone new to replace Stratton as the head of the city’s 911 call center. He said he hasn’t yet finalized who’s going to step in to lead PSAP in the interim.

Stratton’s resignation comes roughly a month and a half after he started in the role on March 28, after Elicker tapped him to replace recently retired PSAP director George Peet.

Before heading to City Hall, Stratton, a New Haven resident, worked as the chief of staff for the Shelton police chief.

Before that, he worked for the state police for 23 years, rising the ranks from trooper to master sergeant.

During a March 21 press conference announcing Stratton’s appointment, Elicker said Stratton worked as an “executive officer” for the state police department, supervising 100 subordinates in all aspects of police work, including dispatchers assigned to various PSAP locations.

Kevin Stratton

A press release sent out by the mayor’s office at that time said that, in his capacity as public safety communications director,

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Stratton would oversee all aspects of New Haven’s 911 PSAP operations, including “coordinating, managing and participating in the activities of the telecommunications center and its personnel. This includes fire, police and ambulance responses.”

Meanwhile, last year, a host of workplace woes at the 911 call center rose to the surface during an hourslong public workshop hosted by the Board of Alders Public Safety Committee.

Asked if Stratton cited any particular reasons for leaving the job so soon after starting it, Elicker replied only that Stratton “felt like it wasn’t the right fit.”

More broadly, the mayor said, Stratton’s departure underscores just “how difficult it is to hire people for these specialized director positions in the city. Many of these high-level positions’ salaries are lower than for the same positions in other municipalities.” He noted that the city’s

can’t hire retired city employees for these roles because of New Haven’s “no-double-dipping ordinance.” And he said that the city’s residency requirement for these department head positions often “makes it immensely difficult to hire people who are settled in another town” and don’t want to sell their homes, move their families, and uproot their lives to take a job at New Haven’s City Hall.

Stratton isn’t the only public-safety department head to be leaving their post on Friday. That’s also the last day for city Acting Police Chief Renee Dominguez, who announced on Tuesday that she will retire as the city continues looking for a new permanent police chief. The mayor has tapped city Chief Administrative Officer Regina Rush-Kittle to serve as acting police chief in the interim.

Stratton did not respond to an email request for comment by the publication time of this article.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 11, 2022 - May 17, 2022

MORTGAGE CRISIS JOB TRAINING PROGRAM HELPS HOMEOWNERS AVOID FORECLOSURE

Lower-income families are the most at risk of housing insecurity. The effect of foreclosure impacts homeowners and their families and can have negative impacts on communities. Foreclosures affect the housing market, and property values, threaten municipal finances, and increase crime rates.

Further, foreclosures threaten to undermine strides made to increase homeownership, lower crime, and make communities healthier places to live. Loss of work, insufficient income, overwhelming medical bills, and other financial challenges frequently put people at risk of losing their homes. Connecticut homeowners facing foreclosure have options and earning more could be the solution.

The Mortgage Crisis Job Training Program (MCJTP) works in partnership with the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority and the state’s workforce system to assist homeowners who have fallen behind in their mortgages. The program is funded by the state of Connecticut and all services are available at no cost.

The MCJTP provides participants access to a variety of employment skills training programs to assist homeowners to increase their earning potential to stay in their homes. The MCJTP offers customized employment services, train-

ing scholarships, job search assistance, financial literacy training, and referrals to other support services. The program also works with housing counselors and other support agencies to help homeowners improve their financial standing.

There are clear links between training, employment, and housing stability. The MCJTP has helped Connecticut residents stay in their homes since 2008 by enhancing job skills to improve earning potential and the ability to sustain a mortgage with affordable monthly payments.

MCJTP staff meets with people across Connecticut. Counselors provide one-onone consultations to identify in-demand training opportunities to help people increase their job skills, advance their career and become more financially stable.

For homeowners facing foreclosure, the MCJTP connects them with judicial mediation services while they get assistance from the program. Program Specialists can also help participants share their professional development efforts with lenders and mediators to demonstrate a commitment to avoiding foreclosure.

Shamika Paul fell behind on her mortgage due to unemployment and was referred to the Mortgage Crisis Job Training Program by a local agency’s energy assistance program. She met with her

Hamden Police Chief Retiring

by NORA GRACE-FLOOD and PAUL BASS New Haven Independent

Hamden Police Chief John Sullivan is retiring after a quarter-century with the department, effective next Monday.

Mayor Lauren Garrett confirmed the news Monday afternoon.

She said she will work with the Legislative Council to create a search team and list guidelines for the process.

In the meantime, Timothy Wydra — who is scheduled to be promoted Monday evening to the position of deputy chief — will serve as acting chief until a new chief is found.

“We didn’t expect to have to make this decision so soon,” Garrett said.

Sullivan could not be immediately reached for comment.

The changing of the guard in Hamden occurs as New Haven, too, is in the process of searching for a new chief. Its acting chief, Renee Dominguez, is expected to leave her post this week, with New Haven Chief Administrative Officer Regina Rush Kittle under a tentative plan is expected to run the department pending the hiring of a permanent new chief, although that information hasn’t been publicly announced or confirmed.

Sullivan’s retirement comes at a time of transition in Hamden. A new slate of Democrats came into office last fall promising, among other goals, increasing police accountability in response to protests over the past two years. Most recently

a newly appointed police commissioner, Daniel Dunn, requested years of civiliancomplaint records through a Freedom of Information Act request — and over 100 documents were subsequently shredded. Sullivan has been with the force for 25 years. In a recent interview, he said he decided as a Hamden High student that he wanted to pursue a policing career.

He saw it as a way “to help people.” He pursued a double major in criminal justice and political science at University of Connecticut, then returned home to work for the Hamden PD. Over that time Sullivan has worked in pretty much all aspects of the department.

He returned to Hamden High — as the first “school resource officer,” a position now at the center of debates over student safety. He worked in patrol, in narcotics, as night-shift supervisor.

The assignment that may have best prepared him for his current job, Sullivan said, was in the ethics and integrity unit — aka, internal affairs. The job where you sometimes have to get your friends in trouble if they mess up. “You deal with a lot of personnel issues” as chief, he said.

Over the past year he has been working on a community policing effort based on a model developed by Camden, N.J., and bringing cops together with developmentally disabled youth, among other initiatives. “We want to engage with the community” to find ways other than arrests to solve problems, he said.

Shamika Paul

Program Specialist and together they discussed her employment experience working in the commercial gym arena and her hopes of launching her own business as a

personal trainer. Together they assessed her career goals and found the appropriate training that would help her gain her National Academy of Sports Medicine or NASM credential, a highly recognized and accredited certification necessary to pursue her dream.

Working hard with her instructor to complete training and prepare for her exam, she was able to gain her NASM certification last summer. Shamika has now joyfully opened her very own personal training business, Paul Fitness LLC., offering virtual one-on-one and small group training.

Shamika has also recently received her Sports Nutritionist Certification that gives customized weight loss counseling by combing health and fitness practices into her current programs. Shamika was able to receive forbearance and is working with her lender on a payment reinstatement plan that will put her family current with their mortgage. “Since completing my training and getting certified, I started my own business in 2021,” states Shamika. “I am grateful for the MCJPTP and happy to say my business is doing well”.

For more information on the MCJTP call toll-free 1-866-683-1682 or visit workplace.org/mortgage-crisis-job-trainingprogram

New Haven Student Wins First Place at Connecticut History Day

Hartford, Conn – Last month, the Connecticut History Day statewide judging committee awarded Manxi Han of New Haven a first place medal for her paper, “Divergent Paths: How the Japanese Exclusion Act of 1924 Transformed the Debate on U.S.-Japan Relations.”

Manxi, a student at Worthington Hooker School, earned a first place finish in the Junior Paper division for her analysis of how the Japanese Exclusion Act became more than an immigration issue, and was transformed into a venue for American isolationists and internationalists to debate the future of U.S. foreign policy.

“Immigration policy’s connection with foreign policy intrigued me,” said Manxi.

“The Japanese Exclusion Act was significant because it was a very direct way in which the isolationists distanced America from Japan and East Asia as a whole. The passing of the provision marked a gradual increase in isolationism across the American public and government. The bombing of Pearl Harbor itself was the result of America’s sometimes blind pursuit of isolationism and indifference toward Japan’s increasingly aggressive stance.

Although not the main motive of the Act, anti-Japanese sentiments were indulged throughout the debate and rooted themselves deeply in American society, contributing to current Asian hate crimes and other forms of discrimination, making the event itself controversial in its successes,

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failures, and consequences.”

Connecticut History Day hosts annual regional and statewide competitions for students in grades 6 - 12. Run by the Connecticut Democracy Center, Connecticut History Day is an affiliate of National History Day. For more information please visit www.nhd.org or www.historydayct.org. The Connecticut Democracy Center (CTDC) provides people with a lifetime pathway to active citizenship and the tools to take civic action in their own communities. For more about the CTDC, please visit www.ctdemocracycenter.org.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 11, 2022 - May 17, 2022

“Il Gabbiano” Opens On Long Wharf Waterfront

by THOMAS BREEN

New Haven Independent

The owner of Adriana’s Restaurant has opened a new “Italian steakhouse” on Long Wharf in the former home of Lenny & Joe’s Fish Tale — on the future site of hundreds of planned new waterfront apartments.

That new restaurant is called Il Gabbiano, Italian for “The Seagull.”

On Monday afternoon, restaurant owner Valentin Stakaj joined dozens of friends, employees, and supporters for a “soft opening” of the restaurant at 501 Long Wharf Dr. Sitting at one of the tables looking out over the sun-flecked Long Island Sound and New Haven’s oil-tank-lined industrial harbor, Stakaj described the new restaurant as an “Italian steakhouse.”

The menu is filled with “pasta, fish, and a nice selection of steaks,” he said. It’ll be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner service.

Its bar is also up and running, with what bar manager — and Stakaj’s daughter — Emanuela described as a diverse array of wines, martinis, gins, and tequilas on the menu. (Her favorite? “The espresso martini.”)

Il Gabbiano marks Stakaj’s fourth restaurant that he’s opened in Connecticut since the Albanian-born Italian immigrant moved from Rome to the United States in 2003.

Stakaj already runs Adriana’s on Grand Avenue in Wooster Square, as well as two other restaurants in North Haven. He said all three existing restaurants will remain open, even as he’s broached this fourth culinary venture.

This is “fantastic,” Madison resident and fellow Italian immigrant Pasquale Pagliarulo said as he ordered a Campari soda from the bar.

How does he feel about another Italian restaurant opening in New Haven, already an epicenter for Italian cuisine?

“The more the better,” he said with a smile.

Morris Cove resident, professional mixed martial arts fighter, and Republican state senate hopeful Steve Orosco agreed.

As a wrestling match played out on the restaurant television behind him, Orosco described how new Italian restaurants in New Haven only make the city that much better of a place for Italian food and drink.

“I’m big on being in a hot spot, the center of the universe,” he said.

THOMAS BREEN PHOTO Bar manager Emanuela Stakaj (right) at the newly opened Il Gabbiano restaurant.

“If you want to be in entertainment, you go to L.A. If you want to be in finance, you go to New York. If you want to be in fighting, you go to San Diego.” And if you want to be in Italian restaurants, you

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go to New Haven.

“You go to the mecca,” he said. “It makes everything thrive.”

The waterfront building that Il Gabbiano now occupies used to be home to

Lenny & Joe’s Fish Tale, which closed its doors in October 2020 due to the pandemic. (Before that, it was home to the restaurant The Rusty Scupper.)

The site itself is owned by the Fusco Corporation, which last fall won zoning permission from the Board of Alders to build up to 500 new apartments at that very same waterfront location.

A representative from Fusco did not respond to a request for comment by the publication time of this article regarding the latest with those residential development plans, and how this newly opened restaurant will play in to whatever gets built next.

The Independent asked Stakaj how long he plans on having Il Gabbiano at this location, given the landlord’s plans to build hundreds of apartments on that very same spot.

He predicted this restaurant will be here for a while.

Does he have a lease for a year? Longer?

“I don’t put all this money in for a year lease,” he said. He predicted the restaurant will be in this spot for a longer time than that.

Session I - 6/1/22 - 6/22/22 Session II – 6/1/22 – 6/30/22 Session III – 7/5/22 – 8/3/22

GatewayCT.edu 5

Dems Endorse Russell For Treasurer THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 11, 2022 - May 17, 2022

by THOMAS BREEN

New Haven Independent

Erick Russell handily won the state Democratic Party’s endorsement for treasurer, with fellow New Havener Karen DuBois-Walton and Dita Bhargava notching enough delegate votes to tee up a three-way primary this August.

That was the outcome of day two of the 2022 Connecticut Democratic Party convention, held at the Xfinity Theatre in Hartford.

Russell, a Westville-based attorney and former vice-chair of the state Democratic Party, won the party’s endorsement after one ballot — earning 47.3 percent of delegate votes, or 918 in total.

DuBois-Walton, who is the city’s public housing chief, won 26.79 percent of votes on the first ballot. Bhargava, a Greenwich financial trader who first ran for treasurer in 2018, won 25.91 percent of the vote.

All three candidates easily cleared the 15 percent threshold necessary to make it onto the Democratic primary ballot in August. And because DuBois-Walton and Bhargava withdrew their names from further consideration at the convention after the first ballot, Russell received the endorsement and nomination.

“The work of state treasurer is about much more than maximizing returns and managing debt,” Russell said as he stood on the convention stage alongside his husband Chris Lyddy and accepted the

party endorsement. It’s about supporting individuals, building stronger communities, and “creating a more financially equitable Connecticut,” he said.

He promised to back baby bonds, leverage state investments “to help force positive change,” keep the state’s “finances and bond rating strong,” and “leverage state investments to help force positive change.”

“The power of Connecticut’s pocket book could and should be used for social good,” Russell said.

The treasurer is responsible for managing the state’s pension funds, managing state banking relationships and short-term investments, issuing and managing state debt, and handling property like uncashed checks and proceeds from stocks and bonds and mutual funds whose owners can’t be located.

On the Republican side, State Rep. Harry Arora of Greenwich is also running for treasurer.

Russell and DuBois-Walton, as well as Democratic secretary of the state hopeful and current city Health Director Maritza Bond, are all vying to become the first New Havener on the ballot for a statewide office since then-Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. ran for governor in 2006.

Roughly 1,900 voting delegates and proxies gathered in the Xfinity Theatre amphitheater by the time the convention got around to holding the endorsement

Russell accepts Democratic Party nomination for state treasurer.

vote for state treasurer. (On Saturday morning, the party endorsed a slate of uncontested candidates, including Ned Lamont for another term as governor.)

Before the votes were tallied for the first ballot of the treasurer race, each candidate got a chance on stage to make a lastminute pitch for delegates to support their candidacies.

DuBois-Walton emphasized her experi-

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ence running New Haven’s public housing authority as making her the best fit for treasurer. She stressed that she has overseen big budgets and has managed a large organization with many employees.

“You deserve someone who has the experience to run a governmental agency on day one,” she told the crowd. “I am that person. I’m a leader you can count on, and you know this to be true because

I have been doing it for the last 20 years.”

Bhargava leaned on her experience running for state treasurer in 2018, as well as her long history working in the financial industry, during her pitch for delegate support.

“I am the only candidate who has run a statewide campaign, earning 43 percent of votes as a non-endorsed candidate” in 2018, she said. “I know what it takes and will work my tail off.”

And during his time at the mic, Russell stressed his statewide party credentials, and his professed ability to turn out the Democratic vote in November.

“We can’t do anything unless we win in November,” he said. “The stakes couldn’t be higher. Republicans are galvanized at rolling back our rights, and we cannot and we will not let them make inroads in Connecticut. That means we must turn out the vote for Democrats across the state.”

After the first ballot’s votes had been tallied, DuBois-Walton and Bhargava pledged to stay in the race and keep campaigning in the runup to August’s primary.

“In three weeks, we were able to do something that very few thought possible, and got over 25 percent of delegates at the convention,” DuBois-Walton said. “I am so proud of my team and grateful to all of you for the opportunity to be on the ballot.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 11, 2022 - May 17, 2022

Fed $ Boosts Pathway To Teacher Ranks

by MAYA MCFADDEN New Haven Independent

Aspiring teachers like Symone Roberts will soon be able to fill vacant teacher roles in Hamden — and diversify the ranks — thanks to a program boosted by an infusion of federal money.

Roberts is one of 42 educators in Capitol Region Education Council’s (CREC) Teacher Residency Program (TRP) this year. The program is an 18-month long alternate route to elementary certification training, aimed at filling slots in 26 regional school systems amid a teacher shortage as well as difficulties finding classroom educators of color.

CREC leaders and partners gathered at Hamden’s Ridge Hill School with U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal Friday to celebrate the expansion of the program thanks to a $275,000 grant from the federal government.

The awarded funds will be used to increase TRP’s mentor resources, program evaluation efforts, and develop a special education curriculum that remains free of cost for participants.

The goal of TRP is to diversify state public school educators and inspire future educators to join the profession.

TRP partners with school districts in four regions of the state: Hamden/North Haven, served by ACES (Area Cooperative Education Services); Trumbull; Hartford; and Old Lyme.

Currently TRP has 42 participants. With the awarded funds, next year it is working to fill 61 participant slots. The ACES cohort will increase from eight participants to 18 for the 2022 – 2023 academic year.

Leaders described TRP as a rigorous program that connects non-certified teachers with experienced mentors and hands-on training as a pathway to classroom certification.

TRP will help “create a new generation of teachers” from whom students can learn, academically, socially, and emotionally, Blumenthal said.

He thanked the four “role models of the future” for working to advance in their profession.

“You are the ones who are going to inspire really great teachers by your presence, your excellence, your professionalism,” Blumenthal told the cohort of educators. “You’re going to lead others to follow in your footsteps and stand on your shoulders.”

Blumenthal reported that almost 50 percent of students in Connecticut are students of color — and only 10 percent of educators in the state are of color.

TRP requires applicants to have a bachelor’s degree, with the goal of working toward meeting requirements and assessments to become certified classroom teachers.

This year Hamden has two resident teachers at Ridge Hill and Spring Glen Elementary School.

The next cohort begins in June and will welcome six resident teachers to Hamden for the 2022 – 2023 school year.

Once participants graduate in August, they will undergo a ten-month period of “transitional teaching,” then will become eligible to apply to be teachers of record and begin receiving teacher salaries in their second year.

The program strives to increase the racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity of Connecticut’s teaching workforce by remaining debt free for participants, said TRP Director Marlene Megos.

“So much of career choices these days are made because of student debt,” Blumenthal said.

Current resident teachers Joanna Ishmael, Roberts, Kettia Saint-Surin, and Michaelin Thomas joined the

Symone Roberts, Kettia Saint-Surin, Joanna Ishmael, and Michaelin Thomas: Help overcoming the debt trap.

Friday announcement.

Roberts and Saint-Surin have been teaching first and third grade, respectively, at Ridge Hill this school year.

The group of educators agreed they had few teachers of color while growing up and are motivated to fill such roles.

Roberts decided to get certified after working as a behavioral support assistant at New Britain High School two years ago. She also coached AAU basketball at New Britain High School and realized she loved working with youth.

“I wanted to become a teacher to stop negative stereotypes. When the students see me, they see someone who looks like them or someone who comes

from where they come from and is excelling and being successful,” she said.

While in the program, participants get paid a noncertified teacher salary and receive benefits and hands-on training.

“It’s the best of both worlds, book learning and actually integration with the students,” Roberts said.

“I get to take the strategies that we learn in our course work and apply them to the classroom athlete at the same time.”

Thomas said she is working to get certified to offer her students and colleagues with an unsaid “understanding of being in the same shoes.”

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 11, 2022 - May 17, 2022

As Teen Murder Rattles Town, Hamden Promotes A Top Cop

by NORA GRACE-FLOOD New Haven Independent

Timothy Wydra began a two-step ascension to the top of police department — and invoked the murder of 15-year-old Elijah Gomez in promising to tackle gun violence.

Wydra made that promise as he was sworn in as the department’s new deputy chief Wednesday morning at a ceremony in Town Hall. He is expected to then become the department’s acting chief on Monday upon the retirement of Chief John Sullivan The ceremony took place two days after Gomez, a 15-year-old Hamden High student, was shot to death walking home from school along the Farmington Canal trail.

Timothy Wydra, who has worked in the department for 29 years, stood with his wife, twin brother and two children inside Memorial Town Hall on Wednesday morning as he mourned the tragic loss of ninth-grader Elijah Gomez — and noted his own promotion to the highest ranks of the police department.

State and local elected officials gathered to support the swearing-in of Wydra, the identical twin brother of past Hamden Police Chief Thomas Wydra.

Wydra kept a focus on the teen murder during his formal remarks at the ceremony.

“Elijah Gomez was taken from us in a vicious and cowardly act of violence,” Wydra said Wednesday while his own son, a West Haven cop, stood by. Wydra asserted that the incident should serve as an incentive for the police department to focus their energy on creating new strategies to “protect our greatest assets, our children.”

He had no new information into the cur-

rent investigation of who killed Gomez.

Hamden and New Haven police have been following up on leads in the case the past two days.

State Sen. Jorge Cabrera also spoke at the event, acknowledging the communal “hurt” caused by the killing of Gomez.

“We have to find new ways and new strategies to keep our young people safe,” he said, “to make sure our children have productive, safe places to be.”

He expressed confidence in Tim Wydra’s leadership, encouraging Hamdenites to trust in the new deputy chief.

Following the announcement of Police Chief John Sullivan’s retirement on Monday — the same day that Gomez died — Mayor Lauren Garrett said that if and once the Legislative Council confirmed Wydra’s promotion, she would name him acting chief of police in Sullivan’s absence. The council approved the appointment of Wydra on Monday of this week, and Sullivan’s retirement will be made effective this coming Monday.

Wydra has quickly risen through the ranks this past year, stacking up promotions in the wake of other officers’ retirements. In November, Wydra was promoted to captain when both of the department’s deputy chiefs retired. Garrett then waited five months to name a new deputy chief, finally selecting Wydra with the intention to ultimately have him fill in as chief with Sullivan gone.

“This appointment was challenging for me,” Garrett said Wednesday. “I put it off for a little bit because it was very important.”

Taking her time, Garrett said, “made me very confident in this decision.” Wydra has “experience working in every bit of the police department,” she noted, referencing his track record as a SWAT team

NORA GRACE-FLOOD Town Clerk Karimah Mickens swears in Wydra.

Wydra's son, Brian, pins on his father's new badge.

commander, hostage negotiation unit commander, field training office program coordinator, active shooter instructor and less lethal instructor.

Wydra told the Independent that “success” within the Hamden Police Department means “reducing crime and reduc-

ing the fear of crime” and ensuring that “our residents — our stakeholders — have confidence, faith and trust in our police department.”

“I’m a very hardworking individual, and I’m going to work even harder, as hard as I’ve ever worked,” he said, with the aim

of establishing “police legitimacy” by inspiring trust, confidence and transparency.

Wydra said he hopes to accomplish those goals by growing police presence in areas prone to crime, pushing community programs to better engage youth and residents alike with policing and public safety efforts, and establishing a stronger system of communication between the department and the Police Commission, a volunteer advisory body.

Tensions have been high between the commission and the department lately, with commissioners calling out the police department for shredding unsubstantiated internal affairs investigations while an FOI request to review them was pending.

“I look forward to collaborating with them and finding out what they wanna see in a police department,” he said. “Our doors are open here, and I’m willing to talk with everyone who wants to listen.”

Wydra’s brother, past chief Thomas Wydra, said he appreciated that the administration hired internally rather than looking to bring an outside officer into the role, arguing that doing so would increase solidarity and familial feel within the police department. He said a strong sense of cohesion within the department translates to more trust among residents.

Since he has left the job, Wydra said, the onset of the pandemic has posed new challenges for police.

“It’s caused all sorts of struggles,” he said, leading to increased crime and gun violence.

However, “mitigating violent crime always remains the most difficult” issue facing police officers, Wydra maintained.

“Policing in a democracy is an ongoing, never ending experiment,” he said, “We

Ribbon Cut For Grassroots Pharmacy

by LAURA GLESBY

One recent Wednesday morning, before arriving to Whalley Avenue to open his pharmacy business for a day, Victor Fok drove to a patient’s house to teach them how to test their blood sugar levels, free of charge.

At Fok’s previous job at a large corporate pharmacy chain, he would never have had the time and incentive to prioritize patient education. Now, as a coowner of the recently-opened True-Care Pharmacy in the Amity neighborhood, Fok and his team hope to reach community members where they live with personally-delivered prescriptions, immunizations, and education initiatives.

Mayor Justin Elicker and the city’s economic development leaders arrived at the

pharmacy on Wednesday morning to celebrate the January opening of True-Care Pharmacy with cake and a ribbon cutting.

The pharmacy, started by two New Haven and Hamden-based families, specializes in personalized care delivered to patients’ homes, in addition to its physical storefront at 1300 Whalley Ave. in the Westville Plaza strip mall.

Fok had spent over a decade working at corporate pharmacies when the pandemic arrived in New Haven. He and his business partners watched patients struggle to find Covid-19 vaccines and realized that “there is not enough help for the patients.”

“There is no personalized care anymore,” said a part-time pharmacist who declined to provide his name. “Everything is so branded now.”

With a business of their own, Fok and co-owners Ulupi Shah, Tushar Shah, and Neha Agrawal “can run the business the way we want to,” Fok said, not having to answer to “higher-ups with no real connection to the pharmacy.“ The pharmacy is located in the Amity/ Upper Westville neighborhood, blocks away from West Hills. It’s down the street from both Unity Pharmacy and CVS. True-Care Pharmacy distinguishes itself with a commitment to door-to-door outreach, learning their customers’ names, and providing free and accessible health education, according to Fok. The business is working with the Health Department to distribute Naloxone, an overdose prevention medication, to opioid users. The owners also hope to deCon’t on page 19

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 11, 2022 - May 17, 2022

New BA.2 COVID Subvariant Taking Hold in United States

by Jason Henderson, BlackDoctor.org

Yet another BA.2 COVID variant is spreading rapidly in the United States and is likely to become the dominant strain within weeks, according to experts.

What we know about the subvariant so far Early research suggests that BA.2.12.1 — a subvariant of the highly contagious BA.2 subvariant — is better able to evade the immune system than previous versions of the coronavirus, but it’s not clear yet if it causes more severe illness, according to The New York Times.

In the week ending April 30, BA.2.12.1 accounted for about 36% of all new cases nationwide, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That compares with 26% the week before and 16% during the second week in April.

BA.2.12.1 was first detected in New York State in April, and it is spreading more rapidly than the first versions of Omicron.

“Omicron was more transmissible than Delta, which was more transmissible than Alpha,” Krista Queen, director of viral genomics and surveillance at Louisiana State University, tells the Times.

BA2.12.1 is following that trend, “and that’s why it’s taking over now, especially

in the Northeast,” she explains.

Queen expects rising numbers of infections caused by the new subvariant to spread from the Northeast to the South then the West. “We’re already seeing it here in Louisiana,” she notes.

Overall, reported coronavirus cases in

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the United States have risen 50% in the last two weeks, according to a Times database, but the actual number may be much higher because the use of at-home tests has increased and those results are often not officially reported.

In the last two weeks, COVID-19 hospi-

talizations have climbed 18% and deaths have increased 17%.

The CDC is starting to focus on BA.2.12.1 in addition to BA.2., director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said last week.

“Epidemiologically, it doesn’t appear as if we’re seeing more severe disease in places that are having more cases,” she says. “So we are not anticipating more severe disease from some of these subvariants, but we are actively studying it.”

BA.2.12.1 may be better able to outwit the body’s immune defenses, but its spread is also being aided by “the great unmasking,” according to Taj Azarian, a genomic epidemiologist at the University of Central Florida.

“We’re in this phase of pandemic fatigue and complacency,” he tells the Times. “And while we need to balance the weight of mental health with the risk of contraction, as a result we’ve seen an uptick not only in the Omicron variant but other respiratory illness.”

Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more on COVID variants.

SCOTUS draft opinion: A nation divided THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 11, 2022 - May 17, 2022

and lives of women by allowing nonphysicians to perforin abortions. The bill risks lowering the high standard of reproductive health care services received by women in Maryland. These procedures are complex and can, and often do, result in significant medical complications that require the attention of a licensed physician.”

Hogan said that his concerns were related to the education and training of professionals performing the service, because “unlike nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, physician assistants, and licensed certified midwives,” licensed physicians are “uniquely qualified to perform these procedures and resolve any medical complications should they arise.”

By courtesy AFRO.com Staff

A leaked draft of the Supreme Court opinion expected to overturn the historic decision in the Roe v. Wade case from 1973 has divided the nation. Proponents of the pro-life movement, in support of strict abortion laws and even abortion bans, were pleased to see the document leaked on May 3 by POLITICO. Pro-choice advocates in favor of abortion have decried Judge Samuel Alito’s majority opinion that Roe must be overturned with the decision on abortion left to the states.

“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled,” said Alito, in the draft of the majority opinion of the Court. “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”

The reaction to POLITICO’s release of the draft was immediate and Black Americans and their leadership fell on both sides of the debate.

All women must have control over their bodies regardless of where they live – we cannot forget that ending legal abortion won’t end abortion, it will just make it more dangerous especially for Black and Brown women and poor women who will be faced with terrible, unsafe decisions when they cannot miss work or travel to states where abortion is legal,” said former Congresswoman Donna Edwards (D- MD-4). “Elections have consequences and Congress must respond with the urgency that this moment requires.

Abortion isn’t just a health issue, it’s also an economic issue. We must protect the fundamental right of women to make decisions for their future. The Senate must take action and finish the job the House started after passing the Women’s Health

Maryland lawmakers chose to override the governor on April 9.

Protection Act of 2021.”

Edwards continued, saying that “as a political party that relies on the votes and hard work of women, especially women of color, we must show up in meaningful ways to defend them. Now.” On Sept. 1, 2021, the state of Texas banned the practice of abortion, a procedure to remove a fetus from the mother’s womb.

According to the leaked documents, the case at the crux of the current draft opinion is a case that began in response to a Mississippi case.

Last month, Maryland lawmakers went to bat for expanded abortion service in the State.

In a letter to Speaker of the House of Delegates Adrienne A. Jones, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan stated that he had ve-

toed HB 937 entitled the “Abortion Care Access Act.” “As governor, I have upheld my commitment to take no action that would affect Maryland law where it concerns reproductive rights. With this action, I am reaffirming that commitment,” Gov. Hogan said, in his statement announcing a veto of proposed legislation on April 8. “House Bill 937 endangers the health

Abortion has been a hot-button topic and once again the country is talking about a woman’s right to end a pregnancy via abortion- and the court’s right to regulate access.

“A decision overturning Roe also has broader implications for our modern society, t​hreatening the rights of all Americans to make private decisions about their lives without government interference and endangering the hard-fought rights of LGBTQ Americans,” Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh said. “The Supreme Court is about to take a deep dive into politics, something it appropriately and historically avoids. As citizens, it is more important than ever that we demand better from those who hold power in our institutions and that we hold our elected officials accountable for their role in protecting our rights.”

HBO puts spotlight on corruption in Baltimore Police Department with new mini-series

By Courtesy AFRO.com Staff

A new HBO miniseries, “We Own This City,” has refocused attention on the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) and the corrupt officers of the BPD Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF) that terrorized the city for years.

Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, the six-episode series is based on the book, “We Own This City,” written by Justin Fenton, a former reporter for the Baltimore Sun. The show, written by Baltimore-native D. Watkins, premiered on April 25. There are currently two episodes that can be streamed on HBO Max and Watkins has an accompanying podcast for both episodes.

Set in Baltimore City, the show highlights the real-life actions of former BPD police sergeant, Wayne Jenkins, played

by Jon Bernthal of AMC’s “The Walking Dead” and “The Punisher” by Marvel

Comics.

The GTTF was a unit within the Baltimore City Police Department, created to disrupt violent gun crime and gun sales in Baltimore. However, in 2017, six out of the eight GTTF members, Thomas Allers, Wayne Jenkins, Momodu Gondo, Evodio Hendrix, Jemell Rayam, and Maurice Ward, were indicted and pleaded guilty to charges from extortion and robbery to falsification and drug dealing. The last two, Daniel Hersl and Marcus Taylor were sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2018.

“The type of behavior exhibited by the GTTF should never have been allowed to occur,” Commissioner Michael Harrison said in a video released by the Baltimore Police Department one day after the show’s debut. “The old ways- the wrong ways- which allowed for misconduct and unconstitutional policing to grow and fester within the department are not and will not be a part of the department moving

forward.”

The intro to the series captivates viewers with images and recordings of police brutality, former Mayor Catherine Pugh and

10

Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby. Protest scenes flash across the screen, reenacting the response to the death of Freddie Gray so accurately that

the Black Mental Health Alliance was called in to support actors and residents during filming.

The show was executive produced by George Pelecanos and David Simon, mostly known in Baltimore for his work on “The Wire.”

Baltimore residents might recognize some familiar faces as they watch the series, given that Thea Washington Casting organized thousands of background actors and made a concerted effort to hire Baltimore artists and residents.

“The most beautiful part of ‘We Own this City’ was the network’s ability to EMPLOY over 5000 locals — many of which were Black men and women with personal survival stories involving the crooked cops portrayed,” said Watkins, to his followers on Twitter. “People who never thought about working in TV are in unions now.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 11, 2022 - May 17, 2022

Harvard Releases Report Detailing Connections to Slavery

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Contributor

On April 26, 2022, Harvard President Larry Bacow released a detailed report entitled “Harvard and the Legacy of Slavery” revealing the details of Harvard University’s connections to slavery, the slave trade and racism, including which leaders at the University were slave owners.

The report also detailed Harvard’s history on bogus “race science” that the University forwarded. The study’s key findings can be reviewed here: https:// legacyofslavery.harvard.edu/report/introduction-and-findings At minimum, 41 prominent individuals connected to Harvard University were connected to slavery. This includes four past presidents of Harvard University.

The report also found that slavery was “a part of daily life” at Harvard. The report also bluntly pointed out that Harvard “today memorializes benefactors with ties to slavery across campus through statues, buildings, professorships, student houses, and the like.”

The four Harvard presidents who enslaved people were Increase Mather,

president of Harvard from 1692 to 1701 and Benjamin Wadsworth, who was Harvard’s president from 1725 to 1737. Harvard notables who also enslaved people were Edward Wigglesworth, a professor of divinity and Isaac Royall, who funded the first professorship of law at Harvard.

So much of the wealth that was built in America from 1619 forward was constructed on the backs of free Black labor.

Many institutions are beginning to take a hard look at the founding and the connections to their economic and financial success as it was connected to people they

11

enslaved.

The University’s study also concluded that there was a significant benefit Harvard gained from plantation owners.

“The university and its donors benefited from extensive financial ties to slavery.

These profitable financial relationships

included, most notably, the beneficence of donors who accumulated their wealth through slave trading; from the labor of enslaved people on plantations in the Caribbean islands and in the American South; and from the Northern textile manufacturing industry, supplied with cotton grown by enslaved people held in bondage. The university also profited from its own financial investments, which included loans to Caribbean sugar planters, rum distillers, and plantation suppliers along with investments in cotton manufacturing,” the report stated.

In 2019, Harvard President Bacow set up a committee to detail Harvard’s connections to slavery and issue a report.

Harvard University also announced “a $100 million fund” on April 26, to further research their ties to slavery. One hundred million is .02 percent of Harvard University’s $53 billion endowment.

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

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 11, 2022 - May 17, 2022

Top 8 Black-Owned Start-Up Tech Companies to Invest in For 2022

out space in web3 for diverse groups to be seen, valued, and compensated. For interest in learning more about Umba Daima email info@umbadaima.com or visit umbadaima.com

By BlackBusiness.com

There are thousands of Black-owned businesses that are seeking venture capital and investors. The industries vary greatly, as well the locations and the amount of capital needed. Below, we’ve published a list of this year’s top eight Black-owned businesses to invest in. All of them are start-up tech firms, and all of them are already experiencing some level of success. il 21, 2022 Top 8 Black-Owned Start-Up Tech Companies to Invest in For 2022 Founders of Black-owned tech startups There are thousands of Black-owned businesses that are seeking venture capital and investors. The industries vary greatly, as well the locations and the amount of capital needed. Below, we’ve published a list of this year’s top eight Black-owned businesses to invest in. All of them are start-up tech firms, and all of them are already experiencing some level of success.

1. Calyxeum (Cannabis, Cultivation, Processing, Social Impact)

Calyxeum is an MBE/WBE business located in Detroit, MI. Calyxeum is a boutique Cannabis Cultivation and Processing operation focused on providing underrepresented populations with access to high-quality Cannabis products. Calyxeum also has a Community Impact Initiative with plans to rehabilitate abandoned homes, build community gardens, and offer workforce development programs for people of color looking to gain employment and ownership access in Legal Cannabis. Calyxeum founders have over 10 years of experience in Michigan’s burgeoning Cannabis industry and are Social Equity entrepreneurs. Within the last year, the team has successfully launched their Cannabis flower products in over 25 retail stores around the State of Michigan with the overwhelming support of the community. Detroit has recently approved Adult-Use sales and Michigan is the second-largest market in the U.S. and sales are projected to be 7.8 Billion (including Adult Use) by market maturity, invest in Michigan Cannabis. Calyxeum is currently raising 250K to expand its canopy footprint and increase production to meet high demand! You can invest in Calyxeum on Mainvest, a Crowdfunding platform that allows individuals to invest as little as $100 and receive 1.5X ROI! To become an investor and take advantage of this unique opportunity visit https:// mainvest.com/b/calyxeum-detroit. To follow their journey visit Calyxeum.com or follow @Calyxeum_Detroit

2. JéGO

JéGO Technologies Inc. is a Miamibased technology company that is a

6. TRiBL

market maker in designing Autonomous electric vehicles for commercial use and on-the-go services founded by Frederick Akpoghene in 2021. JéGO has taken a significant step forward in driving the adoption of Sustainability by making Electric Vehicles more accessible and has commenced its E-Mobility Infrastructure development, which includes a plan for establishing a Global network of universal Smart Electric Vehicle charging stations, primarily targeting traditionally underserved communities. JèGO is definitely one of the companies disrupting the norms in technology and commerce, placing them as one of the top startups to watch out for in 2022. The company has even been able to garner traction with preorders, strategic partnerships, and secured capital from angel investors. After going through a rigorous due diligence process, the public can now invest in the company through Start Engine for a limited time.

The company has partnered with an Italian manufacturer with clients such as Maserati, Ferrari & Lamborghini. And has been able to secure over $250,000 (appx $100k has been raised through crowdfunding)with a target raise of $1M. JéGO is still accepting investments in an effort to solidify its strong position in the industry as well as grow its operations, build the JéGO Pods, reach more customers, and meet the demand of the growing need for Electric Vehicle Chargers. To become a part of this innovative global solution and technological growth, visit www.startengine.com/jego. Also, follow JéGO’s journey on Instagram @JegoTechnologies and Twitter @JeGOPods

3. touCanna

touCanna is an operations management software designed to help cannabis businesses manage and scale their operations while remaining compliant and adhering to strict government regulations. With touCanna, cannabis business owners have the power to track and manage sales and

inventory, empower employees through training and performance management, organize teams through scheduling and task management, and improve process adherence with SOP and Policy management. The touCanna founding team has been heavily involved in initiatives designed to help cannabis entrepreneurs of color establish their businesses and aspiring cannabis professionals secure roles in the legal cannabis market. The company has successfully launched its beta product in 2021 and is now seeking a pre-seed investment of $500,000 to execute sales/ marketing efforts and continue to enhance and add functionality to the platform. touCanna is initially launching in Michigan but has plans to quickly expand to neighboring states where cannabis has recently been legalized and the market is up for grabs. For more information, please contact co-founder Cree Robinson at cree. robinson@toucanna.io or visit toucanna. io

4. Your Green Package

“Your Green Package is a leading Massachusetts-based, minority-owned cannabis delivery. We are among the first companies in the Commonwealth to receive a marijuana delivery license. Your Green Package was built on the foundation of diversity, it is important to them that every employee, customer, and stakeholder feel comfortable being their authentic selves––that being said, 72% of their staff is made up of women, POC, Veterans, or LGBTQ+. Your Green Package qualified for its license under a state-run social equity program that prioritizes applicants whose communities have been disproportionately harmed by marijuana prohibition and enforcement. In under a year, Your Green Package has established 6 delivery partnerships with dispensaries all over Massachusetts and has conducted 15,000+ deliveries. Your Green Package is also the only cannabis entity in Massachusetts that has the ability to conduct

12

consumer and business-to-business deliveries. They also have a provisional Product Manufacturing license with the hopes of bringing unique marijuana-infused products to market in 2023. The team is actively raising their series A round and is seeking 2.5M to support the buildout and further expansion of the business.

For more information, please contact the CEO Christopher Fevry at info@yourgeenpackage.com or visit www.yourgreenpackage.com

5. Umba Daima (NFTs, Web3, Art & Community)

Umba Daima is an NFT studio that is strengthening and diversifying the web3 ecosystem through art and experiential programs. Umba Daima aims to build the largest and most diverse global network in Web3 with NFTs as a strategic engagement and onboarding tool. Their online events, IRL events, art exhibits, workshops, and incubators provide significant life-changing experiences for aspiring NFT creators, collectors, founders, and developers. As people onboard into NFTs through their programming, they become a part of the community where they continue to engage and collaborate with each other, the Umba Daima team, and their brand partners. Umba Daima has 3 additional brands that push the mission forward. Black NFT Art provides community and free promotion for Black creators.

With 25,000 followers across Instagram and Twitter, Black NFT Art has become their most recognizable brand to date. The Unseen Gallery is a virtual art gallery in the metaverse that focuses on truly inclusive and innovative art curation. The NFT Roundtable Podcast covers everything related to NFTs, highlighting and amplifying some of the most important projects and game-changers. CEO Iris Nevins is a former teacher, community organizer, and software engineer who is using her wide range of talents to build a multi-dimensional community network that is carving

TRiBL is a crypto-powered community money pooling platform for the culture.

Their super app makes creating a Web3 investor club as simple as a group chat.

Positioned as a Discord for DAOs, TRiBL is going after the emerging $8B DAO market scaling access to unique investment opportunities across NFTs, crypto, startups, & more. Each money pooling community has the ability to learn and earn together through an all-in-one experience that combines group messaging and crypto payments. With global partnerships with VISA, Circle (USDC), & Prime Trust, TRiBL is set to launch this summer with a focus on Black & Latin communities.” For more information, visit @jointribl or email at ikechi@thetriblnetwork.com

7. Elroi

Elroi is rethinking the power dynamic between Consumers and Enterprises with a three-phased approach. First, Elroi is powered by cutting-edge AI technology that helps enterprise clients in with automated compliance with over 130 data privacy and regulatory laws. Elroi is equipped with technology to service data mapping across multiple platforms and file systems, encompassing structured, semi-structured and unstructured data, including not only common pdf and nested files, but also video and audio files.

Consumer Solution, as a second prong to Elroi’s ecosystem, has been developed to empower consumers with transparency and ease of requesting their data and monitoring by making appropriate decisions. Thirdly, and most important step is to enable consumers to monetize on the largest commodity they own, their private data. Elroi is led by a brilliant Privacy Attorney, Rachel Cash, who believes that Data privacy is a right. Elroi Enterprise Inc is currently seeking $2M, which will be allocated towards education and marketing of consumer products, providing services to consumers at no cost, scaling Enterprise products, and building a stronger relationship between Enterprises and Consumers by championing the equilibrium of data privacy and its consumption.

To learn more about the company and/or how to invest, email rachel@elroi.ai or visit www.elroi.ai

8. NixCode

Sydney founded NixCode, formerly Tequity, a SaaS platform to provide education and software that can empower any nontechnical founder with the ability Con’t on page 17

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 11, 2022 - May 17, 2022

Florida Governor Signs Bill

to Create New Police Force Targeting “Voter Fraud”

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Contributor Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill on April 25 to create a new police force that will focus on voter fraud. The move is a further indication that DeSantis is setting up for a run for President that will likely be an attempt to outsize the political persona of Donald Trump and his unorthodox politics.

Trump has falsely claimed that his seven million vote loss to President Biden was the result of voter fraud. Trump also lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton in 2016 — by 3 million votes. But he won the electoral college map after winning Wisconsin and Florida.

DeSantis, a Republican, is running for reelection against former Florida Governor Charlie Crist, a Democrat. DeSantis is ahead in the polls by an average of 8 percentage points and the election is in November.

Even though voter fraud is rare, disinformation and deliberate misinformation about voter fraud is not. The Republican Party has made “voter fraud” a rallying cry while offering few actual examples of voter fraud in real life. Associated Press conducted an investigation that demonstrated that the 2020 presidential election “found fewer than 475 potential cases of voter fraud out of 25.5 million ballots cast in the six states where Trump and his allies disputed his loss to President Joe Biden.”

Republican officials in politically red

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis states certified the 2020 election even though the White House, and in the case of Georgia, Trump personally, pressured officials to alter the election results in his favor.

It is unclear as to how a new police force for voter fraud will operate. But if the partisan politics of voting provides clues it is likely that the police force will be just as partisan as the voting laws Florida’s Governor has recently signed into law.

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

Blacks in Virginia Beach Are Closing the Wealth Gap

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Virginia Beach landed on the top spot of cities where African Americans fare best economically and where Black businesses thrive.

According to the personal finance website Smart Asset, Virginia Beach also has the seventh-highest median Black household income, at roughly $65,600, and the sixthhighest Black labor force participation rate, at 78.7 percent.

The statistics reflect 2019, the most recent data available.

Grand Prairie, Texas; Aurora, Illinois; Pembroke Pines, Florida; and Miramar, Florida, comprised the other cities in the top 5.

Charlotte, North Carolina; Garland, Texas; Durham, North Carolina; Enterprise, Nevada, and Elk Grove, California, rounded out the top 10.

The report noted the struggles of African Americans in homeownership and the overall wealth gap.

“Census data from 2019 shows that the median Black household income is 33 percent lower than the overall median household income.

Stephanie Horan wrote for Smart Asset that the Black homeownership rate is 22 percentage points lower than the general homeownership rate.”

She noted the Federal Reserve’s 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances data on wealth accumulation, depicting even starker disparities.

That data places Black families’ net worth at 87 percent lower than white families and 33 percent lower than Hispanic families.

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For Virginia Beach, Census Bureau data revealed that the 2019 poverty rate for Black residents stood at 10 percent, the fourth-lowest in Smart Asset’s study.

More than 5 percent of businesses are Black-owned in the Virginia BeachNorfolk-Newport News metro area, the seventh-highest percentage overall for that metric.

Smart Asset officials reported that preliminary 2020 estimates show that Black Americans have been disproportionately affected by the health impacts of COVID-19 and its corresponding economic effects.

The authors wrote: “The regional economic effects of COVID-19 on Black Americans are difficult to determine due to insufficient localized data, but the avail-

able national data paints a grim picture: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data shows that as of December 2020, the Black unemployment rate was 3.9 and 3.2 percentage points higher than the white and overall unemployment rates, respectively.”

The Black labor force participation rate was about 2.0 percentage points lower than both white and overall participation rates.

Horan offered three financial tips for African Americans, including checking if homeownership made sense, opening a retirement account, and considering a financial advisor.

“A financial advisor can help you make smarter financial decisions to control your money better,” Horan wrote. “SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with financial advisors in your area in five minutes.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 11, 2022 - May 17, 2022

19-Year-Old Becomes Youngest Black Student Ever to Graduate Law School

By blackwoman.com At the age of 19, Haley Taylor Schlitz from Dallas, Texas has made history as the youngest African American ever to graduate from law school. She previously gained national attention when she was accepted to 9 law schools when she was just 16-years old.

For the past 3 years, Haley has been a law student at Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law. Now, she is set to graduate on May 13th when she will officially become the youngest Black graduate from a law school.

After earning her law degree, Haley hopes to start working on education policy issues that she had always been interested in. The issue is personal to her since she herself experienced disadvantages in education. Because of her skin color, she was denied a chance to enter the gifted program in grade school.

She was later found out to be gifted after when parents had her privately tested and they decided to homeschool her. She eventually graduated high school at the age of 13, went to community college, and then to Texas Women’s University before attending law school at SMU. While studying law, Haley has shown her passion for public policy discussions.

She was just 17-years old when she was chosen to be a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, making her one of the youngest delegates that year.

Moreover, Haley serves as a mentor in the Young Scholar Program wherein she mentors young Black girls and helps develop their leadership skills. She is also a recurring opinion columnist for Blavity and Blavity U. Be sure to follow her on Facebook @ HaleyTaylorSchlitz

Karine Jean-Pierre Selected as First Black Woman White House Press Secretary

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Karine Jean-Pierre, whose long career in Democratic communications led her to the podium last year as the second Black woman to hold a White House daily briefing, will regularly host those news conferences.

On Thursday, May 5, President Joe Biden announced that he has selected the Martinique native as his next White House press secretary.

“Karine not only brings the experience, talent, and integrity needed for this difficult job, but she will continue to lead the way in communicating about the work of the Biden-Harris Administration on behalf of the American people,” Biden said in a statement.

He added that outgoing press secretary Jen Psaki set the standard for returning decency, respect, and decorum to the White House Briefing Room.

Meanwhile, the historic nature of the appointment wasn’t lost on the President and others.

“Karine is a lifelong public servant and fierce LGBTQ advocate,” said Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Institute.

When Jean-Pierre steps to the podium on May 13, she’ll become the first Black woman and first openly gay person to hold that job.

“We are proud to have advocated for her historic nomination. As White House press secretary, she will not only be able to use her podium to represent the Biden administration but also the LGBTQ community during a time of unprecedented anti-LGBTQ hate and attacks,” Parker stated.

“As the first out LGBTQ person and the first Black person to hold this office, her appointment will inspire countless young people looking for hope and motivation during a dark chapter in our nation’s his-

tory,” Parker continued.

“Shattering this lavender ceiling is a testament to Karine’s grit, power, and commitment to our country’s potential.

We are confident she will continue to be a strong ally and partner as she works in the highest office of the land.”

Psaki described Jean-Pierre as passionate.

“She is smart, and she has a moral core that makes her not just a great colleague but an amazing mom and human. Plus, she has a great sense of humor,” Psaki tweeted.

National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. said Jean-Pierre’s selection demonstrates that the BidenHarris administration has held up its promise of a diverse staff.

“The NNPA, representing the Black Press of America, resolutely congratu-

lates Karine Jean-Pierre, elevated as senior assistant to the President and White House press secretary,” Chavis stated.

“This is another historic step forward by the Biden-Harris administration in fulfilling their promise of equity and equality in the White House.”

In a 2021 appearance on The Chavis Chronicles, the Dr. Chavis-hosted PBSTV show, Jean-Pierre said representation matters.

“We’ve seen that from the first day of this administration, the President signed an executive order to deal with racial inequity and making sure that we saw diversity and inclusion across the board in the federal government,” Jean-Pierre said during her appearance on the show with Dr. Chavis.

“We’re living in a polarized country right now, and the one thing that President talked about when he was running, he wanted to make sure that he was the President for all,” Jean-Pierre remarked.

4 Black Students From HBCUs Have Been Drafted to Play in the NFL

er James Houston IV, who was earned Newcomer of the Year, was selected by the Detroit Lions with the 217th pick overall in the 6th round.

Finally, Southern offensive lineman Ja’Tyre Carter, who has shown great blocking skills, was selected by the Chicago Bears with the 226th pick overall in the 7th round.

Meanwhile, former NFL star Deion Sanders, who is now Jackson State football coach, expressed his happiness with the recent draft.

“Let’s go, NFL. HBCUs! Everybody that has anything to do with an HBCU, you should be shouting right now and dancing. As a matter of fact, hit the organ right now,” he said in an Instagram video he posted.

By BlackNews.com

Nationwide — Four college football players from HBCUs have been selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. This is a big deal because, in 2021, not even one HBCU student was drafted into the league.

The first HBCU player selected in the 2022 NFL Draft was Fayetteville State cornerback Joshua Williams. Kansas City Chiefs selected Williams, who stands 6-foot-3, with the 135th pick overall in the 4th round.

Secondly, South Carolina State cornerback Decobie Durant, who was awarded MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, was selected by the Los Angeles Rams with the 142nd pick overall in the 4th round.

Thirdly, Jackson State outside lineback-

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 11, 2022 - May 17, 2022

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 11, 2022 - May 17, 2022

Your Take-Out Coffee Cup May Shed Trillions of Plastic ‘Nanoparticles ’by Jason Henderson, BlackDoctor.org

Maybe you ask the barista for cream with your coffee, and possibly sugar as well.

But new research shows that paper cup of joe you grab off the coffeehouse counter contains another ingredient, and it’s one you might not care for — trillions of tiny plastic particles that leach into your hot java from the cup’s plastic lining.

Single-use paper coffee cups are lined with a thin plastic film that helps keep liquids hot and prevent them from leaking through the cardboard. That lining releases more than 5 trillion plastic nanoparticles per liter when hot liquid is poured into a 12-ounce single-use cup, according to lab results published recently in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. A liter is about 34 fluid ounces.

“For reference of size of these particles, 1,000 particles with a diameter of 100 nanometers can fit across a human hair,” says lead researcher Christopher Zangmeister, a chemist and acting group leader with the Material Measurement Laboratory of the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Md. “These are very small particles.”

The researchers estimated that by the time you’ve downed 13 paper cups of hot coffee or tea, you’ve consumed the equivalent of one nanoplastic particle for every seven cells in your own body.

The liquid doesn’t need to be boiling hot to spur this release of plastic nanoparticles, either, the investigators found.

“The number of particles released into water increase rapidly with water temperature from room temperature up until

about 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and then it levels off and stays constant,” Zangmeister adds.

Hot beverages typically are served at temperatures between 130 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a 2019 review in the Journal of Food Science.

Are plastic nanoparticles affecting our health?

The researchers were quick to note that the total amount of particles that leached into hot liquid from single-use cups fell well under safe human consumption levels set by the U.S. Food and Drug Ad-

ministration.

Environmental experts agree — to a point.

indicates that invisible plastic nanoparticles released into our food and beverages from common plastics may be insidiously harming health.”

Andrews adds that “the Food and Drug Administration should move expeditiously to require more testing and disclosure of the chemicals and nanoparticles being released from plastic food contact materials, and take necessary action to ensure that these materials are not harming health.”

These nanoparticles are small enough to slip into your bloodstream and can wind up lodged in tissues and organs located throughout your body, Rolf Halden, di-

“I read that sentence and go, well, is it time for us to re-evaluate the guidelines?” says Christopher Reddy, a senior scientist of marine chemistry and geochemistry with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, Mass.

According to David Andrews, a senior scientist with the Environmental Working Group, “There is a visible global environmental crisis caused by plastic pollution, but this new research study

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rector of the Center for Environmental Health Engineering at Arizona State University notes.

“We really don’t know what the impact of these particles is,” Halden adds. “Human exposure is increasing, and we lack the tools to even measure what is arriving in our bodies, where it is deposited and what it does there.”

Halden says asbestos causes harm because its tiny particles are inhaled and accumulate in lung tissue, causing inflammation that can lead to scarring and cancer.

Asbestos itself is relatively benign. It’s an inorganic material,” Halden shares.

“What makes it toxic and makes it kill 90,000 people a year is that it has particles that lodges in human tissue.”

For this study, Zangmeister and his colleagues poured ultra-high purity water into nylon slow-cooker bags and polyethylene-lined paper coffee cups, all obtained from different retailers.

Plastic cooking bags are used to keep food moist in the oven and make cleanup easier for slow cookers. A bag in a slow cooker kept hot for an hour leached about 35 trillion plastic nanoparticle per liter of water, the researchers found.

Similarly, hot water poured into 12-fluidounce cups for 20 minutes and allowed to cool wound up leaching 5.1 trillion plastic nanoparticles per liter.

Reddy and Halden both praised the study, calling it landmark research due to the meticulous way the scientists eliminated all other potential sources of plastic pollution.

People concerned about these levels might consider bringing a metal or ceramic travel mug with them to the coffee shop, Zangmeister says.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 11, 2022 - May 17, 2022 Con’t from page 12

Top 8 Black-Owned

to launch their own mobile tech startup without code. Sydney launched NixCode in April 2020, with the goal to remove the hurdles associated with not having a technical co-founder. The success of the platform’s adoption over other no-code platforms is the similar development approach to WordPress. NixCode offers template design, plugin marketplaces, and product integrations that make the platform easy to use for those who lack logic programming basics. Sydney has grown NixCode to over 56,000 users with 8x year over year revenue growth organically, with the help of equity-free capital via pitch competitions. The capital wins were especially significant due to a historically high barrier to entry with Black tech founders and VC firms.

Data shows that Black startup entrepreneurs still received a small sliver of the pie — only1.2% of $147 billion in venture capital invested in U.S. startups through the first half of 2021. NixCode is on a mission to help marginalized mobile tech startups get from MVP to IPO via their no-code solution, to date, 2% of the startups building with NixCode have received capital investment. NixCode is preparing for its first investment round this late summer in alignment with a new software release that will provide full CTO services via artificial intelligence and expand the platform’s capability to add crypto wallets and NFT marketplaces without code to mobile apps built on their platform. Try building your app for free at nixcodeapps.com and for partnership or investment inquiries, visit nixcodeapps. com/about/#partnership Con’t from page 08

Hamden

do our very best to come up with a mixture of strategies and initiatives … reaching out to every member of the community is vitally important.”

0Another issue which changed during the pandemic, he said, is the public’s trust in police.

“Trust ebbs and flows, it can change based on one incident,” he said.

The decision to promote his brother, Wydra said, was an important move to regain trust following recent local incidents and ongoing conversations around police accountability.

“He has the trust and confidence of the men and women of the agency, and he’s earned it.”

“This is a merit based promotion if nothing else,” he said.

The murder on Monday afternoon was a “really senseless” act, Thomas Wydra said. “It’s precisely during times like this,” he said, that communities depend on solid leadership.

“I know this is gonna sound biased,” he said. “But you found the best pick.”

New Haven Public Schools

Early Childhood Programs FREE and Sliding Scale 6-hour Programs for 3 and 4 Year Olds of low-income New Haven families Available in the following New Haven Public Schools:

• Benjamin Jepson Multi-Age School • Dr. Mayo Early Childhood School • Fair Haven School • John Martinez Sea & Sky STEM School • Lincoln-Bassett Community School • Truman School • Additional community locations also participate in the program.

Contact: Esther Pearson-Pinckney, Head Start Social Service Coordinator at 475-220-1462/1463 or email: esther.pearson-pinckney@nhboe.net

NEW HAVEN

HeadStartNewHaven.com 475-220-1462 / 475-220-1463 17

We are Accepting Applications!

How to Apply

Parents of 3 and 4 year olds are encouraged to apply.

Application begins with a phone call

Contact the Head Start Program or School Readiness Program at 475-220-1462/1463.

What you will submit with your Application 1) Proof of Age Child’s Birth Certificate OR Legal Custody/Guardianship Papers 2) Proof of Address Current utility bill (Gas, Electric, Phone, Cable) in your name 3) Proof of Income • 2 months of Current & Consecutive pay stubs OR W-2 or 1040 Tax Return • Budget Statement from the CT Department of Social Services or Social Security Office or Child Enforcement Bureau • Notarized Statement indicating Parent is unemployed • Additional forms may be requested 4) Proof of a Physical (within one year-to-date) • CT Department of Education Early Childhood Health Assessment Record • Anemia and lead level test results • TB assessment • Immunizations records • Seasonal flu vaccination • Health insurance card 5) Proof of a Dental Exam (within 6-months-to-date) Dental Exam record

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 11, 2022 - May 17, 2022

From Losing Love For Her Blackness at School to Owning a Black Doll Company at 6-Years Old

By BlackNews.com

Rooted in her African culture, prior to starting school, 6-year old Esi Orijin loved everything about herself. To her, being Black was “normal” and feeling included was a way of life. However, Esi struggled with confidence issues within three weeks of starting private school and being the only black girl in her class.

Her mother, Melissa Orijin, was devasted and needed to find a solution after witnessing Esi’s preference for toys change and her self-love take a dip. Esi no longer loved her skin tone or her curly hair.

She wanted only white dolls with straight blonde hair. After struggling to find dolls that truly represented her daughter to show her that she was in fact included, Melissa, together with her daughter, Esi, decided to start Orijin Bees.

Orijin Bees is a brand on a mission to normalize inclusion in toys, starting with dolls. They want little girls to look at a doll and be able to say, “She looks like me”.

Both Melissa and Esi set out to create products that would encourage self-love, self-worth, and inclusion. This story is far from unique. It’s something so many families experience. Children should grow up appreciating their culture and identity without thinking they have to change themselves to fit in. This belief forms the mission of Orijin Bees. A brand to create dolls as diverse as we are, with

the different complexions and curly hair textures missing from the dolls you see in most toy stores.

Orijin Bees is a brand with inclusivity at its heart. They’re on a mission to give disadvantaged girls the simple joy of having a doll of their own that looks

like them. During a family trip to Cuba, Esi saw a little girl that resembled her doll and asked her parents if she could gift it to her new friend. Touched by gesture and the reaction of both girls, Melissa knew that what she had witnessed was something that should continue, be nurtured,

and grow. From there, Orijin Bees created its GetONE GiftONE program where they gift dolls to kids. After all, every girl deserves a doll that looks like them, but not every girl may have the opportunity to have one.

To date, dolls have been gifted to girls

through churches, NGOs, schools, orphanages, and directly to disadvantaged families both domestically and internationally. Their gifting program has continued through the pandemic, and Oijin Bees has added gifting dolls to health clinics for them to give to families impacted by COVID-19.

The name ‘Orijin Bees’ is a clever acronym that reflects their mission; Our Representation is Just Inclusion Normalized, Beautifully Empowering Every Soul.

Their long-term goal is to maximize their potential to make a real change for these disadvantaged communities. They believe these products will help nurture the next generation and the leaders of tomorrow. The brand also offers educational toys, like their ‘Go Culture!’ card game, which teaches children Adinkra symbols and their meanings.

Orijin Bees want their products to fill the gap in education by teaching black and brown children about their heritage and culture. They will help children to feel proud of their heritage and confident in their self-worth. Orijin Bees represents the future of the toy industry. Dolls are so much more than a toy; they are a vehicle for social change. They are the building blocks for a child’s social development.

You can find out more about Orijin Bees and their products by checking out their website at OrijinBees.com and following their journey on Instagram @OrijinBees.

COVID Transmission 1,000 Times More Likely from Air vs. Surfaces

by Jason Henderson, BlackDoctor.org

If you’re still wiping down groceries, doorknobs and light switches in an attempt to thwart COVID-19, maybe you can relax a little: You’re 1,000 times more likely to get COVID from the air you breathe than from surfaces you touch, a new study suggests.

University of Michigan researchers tested air and surface samples around their campus and found odds are greater for inhaling virus particles than picking them up on your fingers.

“In this study, we set out to better understand potential exposures to the SARSCoV-2 coronavirus — the virus which causes COVID-19 — in several college campus settings,” explains study author Richard Neitzel, a professor of environmental health sciences and global public health.

The settings included offices, classrooms, performance spaces, cafeterias, buses and a gym. However, the samples were taken during the pandemic lockdown, so these were relatively empty spaces.

“We also used information on campus COVID-19 infections to estimate the probability of infection associated with our environmental measurements,” Neitzel adds.

“The overall risk of exposure to the virus was low at all of the locations we measured,” he says.

However, “our results suggest that there was a much higher risk of infection from inhalation than from contact with surfaces like door handles, drinking fountains, keyboards, desks, sinks and light switches,” he notes.

Inhalation vs. contact with surfaces

To get a handle on relative risk, between August 2020 and April 2021 Neitzel and his colleagues used air pumps and swabs in various locales across the locked-down campus.

In all, more than 250 air samples were gathered, of which 1.6% tested positive for the virus that causes COVID. Of over 500 surface samples, 1.4% were positive.

The riskiest setting was the gym, with positive indications found for 75% of air samples and 50% of all surface samples.

Most of the contaminated gym surfaces involved drinking fountain buttons; no samples taken from gym equipment turned up positive.

Overall, far fewer positive readings were found in office spaces or around computer keyboards, light switches, tabletops, microwaves, fridge handles or

student desks.

But after stacking positive samples up against actual COVID cases on campus, the team determined that the probability of getting COVID after exposure to airborne virus particles was roughly 1 per 100 exposures.

The researchers determined the probability of illness from a contaminated surface to be 1 for every 100,000 exposures.

Still, Neitzel stresses that the findings reflect a time and place in which strict surface cleaning protocols were enforced, and when crowds were nonexistent. “Our results,” he cautions, “may not be completely representative of other community settings.”

Nevertheless, the results suggest people should be more concerned about inhalation risks from the coronavirus than the risks from touching surfaces, “at least in an environment where surfaces are cleaned regularly, as was the case with our campus,” Neitzel adds.

Elizabeth Scott, a professor emerita at Simmons University in Boston, says “there has been a growing recognition that COVID-19 is predominantly airborne.”

Yet Scott, who was not part of the study team, cautions that “the relative importance of surface transmission may be

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higher in homes, dorms [or] where people are living together and repeatedly touching the same surfaces.”

That kind of private space risk, she stresses, was not evaluated by the study.

Also, it’s important to note that “other respiratory viruses and other bacterial infections are spread predominantly via contact surfaces,” Scott, former co-director of the Simmons Center for Hygiene

and Health in Home and Community adds.

In her view, “we need to continue effective and holistic hygiene practices for hands and surfaces, as well as respiratory and air hygiene, to protect against all the other community-borne infections that were an issue before COVID-19, and will be with us for the future,” Scott concludes.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 11, 2022 - May 17, 2022 Con’t from page 08

Ribbon Cut

velop health and immunization education initiatives for the neighborhood.

“They’re part of the community,” said Economic Development Officer Kathleen Krolak.

The pandemic brought into relief that “so many people have been historically underserved” by medical institutions, said Mayor Elicker. He praised TrueCare for a “compassionate” approach ensuring that “services are brought to the community in a neighborhood that, frankly, has struggled.”

Elicker noted that “we’re seeing a pretty big spike in the number of Covid cases” in New Haven. According to The New York Times, New Haven County has seen a 79 percent uptick in Covid-19 cases over the past two weeks. Elicker urged residents to get vaccinated, and to “wear your mask inside and to support other individuals’ decisions to wear their masks.“ Fok said his team can deliver and provide at-home education anywhere in New Haven and beyond.

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Saint-Surin was previously a building substitute who was held back from certification because of its cost.

She recalled learning to speak English in school, when Haitian Creole was her first language. “The teacher that taught me was so good, it put a fire in me,” she said.

“I want students and staff to know that I am what professional looks like,” SaintSurin added.

Ishmael described the no-debt opportunity the program offers as a blessing that allows her to chase her dream during the pandemic.

In middle school, Ishmael developed an interest in science after having her first teacher of color for science class. So far, she said, the program has helped her to gain confidence as a leader to later teach her students. “In order to develop confidence, I needed a program like this,” she said.

With the federal funds, the program is working to offer special education certifications in the near future to fill the national shortage in that area.

ACES Director of Human Resources Steve Cook reported that the demand for special ed teachers is projected to grow by 8 percent by 2026.

“The paraprofessional-to-teacher pipeline is crucial in education. There are so many qualified paraprofessionals who have learned to support special education students one on one, hand in hand, in various districts and programs, so just imagine the expertise the wealth of knowledge they will bring to the front of the class-

Now Hiring Part-Time Assistant Teachers Location(s): Dr. Reginald Mayo Early Childhood School & other City-Wide NHPS-Head Start sites Qualifications: MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS ● High school completion or a GED DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS ● Child Development Associate Credential (CDA); OR ● One-year experience in an early learning setting Salary, Benefits, Conditions of Employment: ● Pay rate is $14.00 per hour. This position is not eligible for benefits.

Conditions of Employment: If hired, you will be required to provide proof that you are either: ● A United States citizen; or ● An immigrant whose status permits you to lawfully work in this country Prior to appointment, the successful candidate must: ● Pass a criminal background check & Sex Registry check ● Submit documentation of an initial health examination indicating freedom from communicable diseases; and must show proof of a TB test & COVID Vaccination

Duties and Responsibilities: Working under the direction of the Lead Teacher: ● Assist with set-up, clean-up, and presentation of classroom and outdoor activities. ● Organize materials needed for classroom activities. ● Store and maintain educational materials and equipment. ● Assist in serving and cleaning up after snacks and lunches. ● Assist with child guidance during mealtimes. ● Assist with maintaining enrollment and nutrition records. ● Monitor children during free time, field trips, and transition periods. ● Model appropriate behavior for children. ● Use developmentally appropriate communication skills. ● Contribute to maintaining a healthy and safe classroom environment; Assist with Active Supervision of children. ● Maintain confidentiality in accordance with Head Start Policies and Procedures. ● Attend mandated Head Start trainings.

Scan QR code to apply online or visit www.applitrack.com/nhps/OnlineApp 19

THE INNER-CITYNEWS NEWS July - May , 2022 - May02, 17,2016 2022 INNER-CITY 27, 11 2016 - August

Electrician

NOTICE Skilled tradesman in all facets of alterations/renovations, maintenance and repair of

electrical equipment for the Wallingford Public Schools. Applicants must be a High School or Trade School graduate plus seven years’ experience in the electrical trade VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE equivalent to Journeyman Electrician. Must have a Class E-2 and/or possession of a Master Electrician License Class E-1. Wages: $30.01 - $37.26 hourly. Application HOME INC, behalf of Houseofand the New Haven Housing Authority, Forms: May be on obtained at Columbus the Department Human Resources, 45 S. Main Street, is accepting pre-applications for studio one-bedroom apartments this the develRoom 301, Wallingford CT 06492.

Formsand will be mailed upon request at from Deopmentoflocated 108 FrankorStreet, Haven. Maximum limitations appartment HumanatResources may beNew downloaded from the income Department of Human ply. Pre-applications will (203)-294-2084 be available fromPhone: 9AM TO 5PM beginning Resources Web Page. Fax: (203)-294-2080.

TheMonday closingJu;y date andtheending when sufficient pre-applications have will25, be 2016 the date 50th application or resume is received or(approximately May 31, 2022,100) whichever beenfirst. received occurs EOE. at the offices of HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon re-

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES Invitation for Bids Pest Control Services

Elm City Communities is currently seeking bids for pest control services. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City Communities’ Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Wednesday, April 20, 2022 at 3:00PM.

quest 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.

Cheshire Housing Authority 50 Rumberg Road Cheshire, CT 06410

Windsor Locks Housing Authority

Section 8/ Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Waiting List Lottery Opening Notice

NOTICIA Interested parties may get applications at the Windsor Locks Housing Authority

(WLHA) office at 120 Southwest Avenue Windsor Locks, CT 06096 or by downloadVALENTINA MACRI ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES ing theVIVIENDAS applicationDE from www.windsorlocksct.org

Monday May 16, 2022 through Tuesday May 17, 2022.

HOME INC, en nombre de la Columbus House y de la New Haven Housing Authority, está aceptando pre-solicitudes y apartamentos de office, un dormitorio en este desarrollo The completed applicationpara mayestudios be returned to WLHA or postmarked, during ubicado la calle 109 Frank Street, New Haven. Se aplican limitaciones de ingresos theenweek of Monday May 23, 2022-Friday May 27, 2022 at 4:00pm. máximos. Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 julio,note: 2016This hastasubmission cuando se han recibido pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100)of Please is for entrysuficientes into a lottery process. The maximum number applications selected will be INC. limited 400. All applicants selected by placed en las oficinas de HOME Lastopre-solicitudes serán enviadas porlottery correo and a petición on the waiting list will bealnotified by thedurante WLHAesas within a reasonable time.

If you do not llamando a HOME INC 203-562-4663 horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse receive letter within fourINC months your application was not from,the a las aoficinas de HOME en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso,selected New Haven CT lottery.

06510 .

Electric Distribution Engineer – The Town of Wallingford Electric Division is seeking

NEW HAVEN

a highly technical individual to work in the design and development of overhead and underground power distribution lines. The utility serves 24,700 customers in a 50+ 242-258 Fairmont Ave square mile distribution area with a peak demand of 130 MW. The position requires a B.S. degree in electrical engineering1.5 plusBA, 2 years of responsible 2BR Townhouse, 3BR, 1 level experience , 1BA in utility engineering, or an equivalent education experience substituting All new apartments, newcombination appliances,ofnew carpet,and close to I-91 & I-95 on a year-for year basis. Salary: $82,968- $106,151 annually plus an excellent fringe highways, near bus stop & shopping center benefit package. Apply to: Department of Human Resources , Town of Wallingford, under 40lbWallingford, allowed. Interested parties contact @ 860-985-8258 45 SouthPet Main Street, CT 06492.

Forms willMaria 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. ClosUnified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s ingCT. date will be June 3, 2022. EOE. Certificate Program. This is a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday, August 20, 2016 1:303:30 Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, M.S., B.S. (203) 996-4517 Host, General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster

The Housing Authority of the City of Norwalk, CT.

St. New Haven, CT is currently seeking bids from qualified electrical companies for Electrical Service Lateral Replacement at Leroy Downs Apartments, 26 Monroe Street, Norwalk, CT 06854 Copies of bidding documents including plans & specifications can be purchased starting 05/07/2022 from Technical Inc., 326 Main of Avenue, Norwalk, CT Sealed bids are Reproductions invited by the Housing Authority the Town of Seymour 06851 frompm 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM2,Monday Bid prountil 3:00 on Tuesday, August 2016 at itsthrough office atFriday.

28 Smith Street, posal are due 2:00for PMConcrete on 06/08/2022 Seymour, CTat06483 Sidewalk Repairs and Replacement at the Smithfield Gardens Assisted Living Facility, 26 Smith Street Seymour.

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

The Norwalk Housing Authority is an Equal Opportunity Employer Adam D. Bovilsky, Executive Director

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

THEStreet HOUSING AUTHORITY THE CITY CT IS July REQUESTING PROPOSALS FROM

CONSULTANTS OR ARCHITECTURAL/ENGINEERING FIRMS FOR AN UPDATED PHYSICAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF 12 FEDERAL FINANCED HOUSING PROPERTIES. TO OBTAIN A COMPLETE COPY Bidding documents are available from the Seymour Housing Authority OfOF THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENTS, CONTACT GUILLERMO BENDANA, PROCUREMENT fice, 28 AT Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 HOUSING (203) 888-4579.

SPECIALIST GBENDA@NORWALKHA.OGR NORWALK IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. ADAM BOVILSKY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

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

Pre Applications for waiting list at Section 8 Elderly complex called Beachport will be accepted May 10, 2022 9:00 am to August 8, 2022, 3:00pm. To qualify you must be either 62 years old or disabled with a maximum gross annual income of 39,450 (one person), 45,050 (two people). Interested parties may pick up a pre-application at 50 Rumberg Road; print off our website at www.cheshirehousing.org or call to have an application sent to you 203-272-7511 x2. Completed applications must be returned NO LATER than 3:00pm August 8, 2022.

For more information call 203-272-7511 x2

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 Invitation to Bid: valid drivers license required. To apply please call (860) 621-1720 or send resume to: 2nd Notice Personnel Department, P.O. Box 368, Cheshire, CT06410.

Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

Drug Workforce OldFree Saybrook, CT (4 Buildings, 17 Units) QSR STEEL Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project CORPORATION

APPLY NOW!

New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, Castin-place Concrete, Asphalt Shingles, Vinyl Siding, Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders Electrical, Top pay for topMechanical, performers.

Health Plumbing and Fire Protection.

Benefits, 401K, Vacation Pay.set-aside and contract compliance requirements.

This contract is subject to state Email Resume: Rose@qsrsteel.com Hartford, CT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

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

TOWN PLANNER

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

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

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

QSR STEEL CORPORATION

APPLY NOW!

Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders Top pay for top performers. Health Benefits, 401K, Vacation Pay. Email Resume: Rose@qsrsteel.com Hartford, CT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Town of Bloomfield

Vehicle Mechanic Technician Salary $30.97 hourly (non-CDL) Salary $31.91 hourly (CDL) Pre-employment drug testing.

AA/EOE.

For Details go to www.bloomfieldct.org

Town of Bloomfield Maintainer II Salary $28.58 hourly Pre-employment drug testing.

AA/EOE. For Details go to HYPERLINK "http://www.bloomfieldct.org/" www.bloomfieldct.org

INNER-CITY 27,112016 - August THE INNER-CITYNEWS NEWS July - May , 2022 - May02, 17,2016 2022

NOTICE Experienced Commercial Property/Facilities Manager VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE Fusco Management Company is seeking a qualified Property/Facilities HOME INC, onabehalf of Columbus House and the Haven Housing Authority, Manager with minimum of 3 to 5 years of New experience managing comis accepting pre-applications for organizational studio and one-bedroom apartments at this develmercial properties.

Excellent and communication skills are opment located at 108 Frankinclude: Street, New Haven. Maximum income limitations aprequired.

Responsibilities ply. Pre-applications will be available from 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y 25, 2016 and and ending when of sufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) prephave Budgeting forecasting expenses - timely approval of invoices, been received thepackages offices of HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon rearation of clientatbill quest by calling HOME INC at 203-562-4663 during those hours. Completed preOversight ofmust maintenance andINC’s subcontractors - prioritizing and applications be returned staff to HOME offices at 171 Orange Street, Third scheduling work, reviewing work order requests, oversight and Floor, New project Haven, CT 06510. coordination of subcontractors to minimize disruption to the property

NOTICIA

Oversight of janitorial, landscaping, and other vendors inspections - continual follow up with subcontractors to ensure optimum performance

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

Assists in developing specifications for bidding work and purchasing within HOME guidelines.

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 Maintaining and client relations - responding to de tenant reubicado en lapositive calle 109tenant Frank Street, New Haven.

Se aplican limitaciones ingresos quests, follow up to ensureestarán completion máximos.

Las pre-solicitudes disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25

julio, 2016 hasta cuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100) Excel, computer skills would helpful en lasWord oficinasand de Outlook HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes seránbe enviadas por correo a petición llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse Company will make best efforts to have the managed properties within a las oficinas de HOME INC en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510 . counties in reasonable proximity to candidates home. Medical and dental benefits, 401k. Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Please submit resumes to openjobs.group@fusco.com. Phone calls will not be accepted.

HAVEN State ofNEW Connecticut 242-258 Fairmont Ave Office of Policy and Management

2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 level , 1BA newofapartments, appliances, newManagement carpet, close I-91 & I-95 TheAllState Connecticut,new Office of Policy and is to recruiting for an OPM Public Information Manager (State Program highways,Program near bus stop & shopping centerManager) and a Staff Attorney 1 (Confidential).

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

Further information regarding the duties, eligibility requirements and application instructions are available at: https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/sup/bulpreview.

CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s Certificate Program. This isasp?R1=220414&R2=4799MP&R3=001 a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday, August 20, 2016 1:303:30 Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, M.S.,and B.S. (203) 996-4517 Host, General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/sup/bulpreview. asp?R1=220413&R2=1637CR&R3=001

St. New Haven, CT

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

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

Sealed bids are invited by the Housing Authority of the Town of Seymour until 3:00& pmBoucher, on Tuesday, August 2,has 2016openings at its office 28 Smith Street, Black LLC foratexperienced asSeymour, CT 06483 for Concrete Sidewalk Repairs and Replacement the phalt milling machine operators for our Wirtgen W220’s and atW50 SmithfieldPositions Gardens Assisted Facility, 26work.

Smith Union Street Seymour. machines. are fullLiving time seasonal wages along

with Union Benefits (Health, Pension, Annuity, Supplemental UnemA pre-bid conference will be held at thenights Housing Office 28 Smith ployment).

Must be willing to work andAuthority some weekends.

Work Street Seymour, CT at 10:00 am, on Wednesday, July 20, 2016. is in the New York/New England area. Black & Boucher, LLC is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified apBiddingwill documents available fromfor theemployment Seymour Housing Authority plicants receiveareconsideration without regardOf-to fice, 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579. race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, and protected veteran status.

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

CITY OF MILFORD

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

DELIVERY PERSON

NEEDED Must Have your Own Vehicle If Interested call

Part Time Delivery Needed One/Two Day a Week,

(203) 435-1387

DRIVER CDL CLASS A Full Time – All Shifts Top

Pay-Full Benefits

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR

THE ELM CITYCOMMUNITIES, HOUSING AUTHORITY OF NEWHAVEN

(ECC/HANH) MOVING TO WORK (MTW) FY2023 ANNUAL PLAN

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.

The thirty (30) days comment period begins on Sunday, April 17, 2022 and copies of the Moving to Work (MTW) FY2023 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 FY2023 Annual Plan, Attn: Evelise Ribeiro, 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06511 or via email to: eribeiro@elmcitycommunities.org.

Pursuant to said Section II (C), a public hearing where public comments will be accepted and recorded is scheduled for Monday, May 16, 2022 at 4:00pm via: RingCentral: https://v.ringcentral.com/join/975943490?pw=2e34ff6769797e68e96a95bb953d 0d81, Meeting ID: 975943490, Password: yozWY5m3ib.

Or dial 1 (650) 419-1505 Access Code / Meeting ID: 975943490 Dial-in password: 9699956342 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.

EOE Please apply in person: 1425 Honeyspot Rd. Ext. Stratford, CT 06615Invitation to Bid: 2nd Notice LAS COMUNIDADES DE LA CIUDAD DE ELM, AUTORIDAD SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE SENIOR ADMINITRATIVE DE VIVIENDA DE NEWHAVEN (ECC/HANH) MOVIMIENTO Old Saybrook, CT AL TRABAJO (MTW) PLAN ANUAL FY2023 (4 Buildings, 17 Units) Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project La Sección II (C) del Acuerdo de Traslado al Trabajo de la Autoridad (el "Acuerdo")

AVISO DE AUDIENCIA PÚBLICA PARA

ASSISTANT Full-time position

requiere que ECC/HANH celebre al menos una audiencia pública por presentación de

MTW anual Demolition, y que el Plan de MTWCastanual esté disponible para comentario público duNewto Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Site-work, Go www.portlandct. rante al menos treinta (30) días. días. La Agencia acepta tener en cuenta los comentarios Concrete, Asphaltpúblicos Shingles,sobre VinylelSiding, org forin-place details diseño del programa, incluidos los comentarios de los inquilinos/ Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances,actuales Residential participantes en la Casework, medida en que se proporcionen dichos comentarios.

El período de comentarios Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection. de treinta (30) días comienza domingo 17 de abril de 2022 y State of Connecticut del Plan Moving to Work (MTW) FY2023 estarán disponibles en el sitio web This contract is subject to state set-aside las andcopias contract compliance requirements.

Office of Policy 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,a2016 Lo invitamos proporcionar comentarios por escrito dirigidos a: ECC/HANH, Moving LEGAL NOTICE to Work15, FY2023 Annual Plan, Attn: Evelise Ribeiro, 360 Orange Street, New Haven, Anticipated Start: August 2016 Request for Proposals (RFP) for Services CT 06511 o por correo electrónico a: eribeiro@elmcitycommunities.org.

Project documents available via ftp link below: The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and ManDe conformidad con dicha Sección II (C), una audiencia pública donde se aceptarán y agement, is seeking proposals to provide certain serviceshttp://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage related to a Housing and Segregation Study. registrarán los comentarios públicos está programada para el lunes 16 de mayo de 2022 The intent of the request is to identify individuals a las 4:00 p. m. a través de: RingCentral: https://v.ringcentral.com/join/975943490 ?pw or firms with the necessary expertise to provide =2e34ff6769797e68e96a95bb953d0d81, Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com ID de reunión: 975943490, Contraseña: yozanalysis of the impact of federal and state housing programs within Connecticutthe on economic and racial HCC encourages participation of all Veteran,WY5m3ib.

S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses segregation within a stated timeframe.

Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 O marque 1 (650) 419-1505 The RFP is available online at: https://portal.

Código de acceso / ID de reunión: 975943490 AA/EEO EMPLOYER ct.gov/DAS/CTSource/BidBoard and https:// Contraseña de marcación: 9699956342 portal.ct.gov/OPM/Root/RFP/Request-For-

and Management

Proposals or from Pauline Zaldonis, Office of Policy and Management, Data and Policy Analytics Division, 450 Capitol Ave., MS#52DPA, Hartford, Connecticut 06106-1379. E-mail: dapa@ct.gov.

Telephone (860) 418-6304. Deadline for response submission is 3:00 P.M., April 29, 2022.

21

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 INNER-CITYNEWS NEWS July - May , 2022 - May02, 17,2016 2022 INNER-CITY 27,11 2016 - August

NOTICE

PVC FENCE PRODUCTION

NOTICIA

Union Company seeks:

Contact Dana at 860-243-2300

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

NEW HAVEN

THE GLENDOWER GROUP, INC.

Construction

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Construction

Request for Proposals Construction Monitor The Glendower Group, Inc. is currently seeking proposals for a construction monitor. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Glendower’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/ gateway

Accounts Payable Clerk- Part-time Fusco Management Company is seeking a part-time accounts payable clerk to work 20 hours per week.

The position will support the accounts payable function processing vendor invoices and similar administrative duties. Familiarity with accounting systems and data entry required. Candidates must be detail oriented with good communication skills. On-site work required.

Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Please submit resumes to openjobs.group@fusco.com. Phone calls will not be accepted

quired. To apply please call (860) 621-1720 or send resume to:

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

Personnel Department, P.O. Box 368, Cheshire, CT06410.

Request for Proposals Intelligent Document Management

Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V

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

Drug Free Workforce

Invitation to Bid:City Communities is currently seeking proposals for intelligent document Elm nd management.

A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm 2 Notice State of Connecticut Communities’ Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.

SAYEBROOKECity VILLAGE cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Office of Policy and Management

Old Saybrook, CT

(4ofBuildings, 17 Units) The State of Connecticut, Office Monday, March 21, 2022 at 3:00PM. Policy and Management is recruiting Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project for a Research Analyst.

QUALITY CONTROL TECHNICIAN

Further informationWood regarding the Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, CastNew Construction, Framed, duties, eligibility requirements and in-place Concrete, application instructions for this Asphalt Shingles, Vinyl Siding, Work in blacktop and stone QC Lab. Duties include sampling of stone and asphalt prodpositionPainting, are available at: 10 Specialties, Flooring, Division Appliances, Residential Casework, ucts, and maintain accurate quality control reports. Must be able to lift 50lb samples.

Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing andposition Fire Protection. https://www.jobapscloud.com/ Full time available. Valid driver’s license is required. Strong mechanical and CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?R1= This contract is subject to state set-asidemathematical and contract compliance backgroundrequirements. preferred. NO PHONE CALLS. Reply to Hiring Manager, 220427&R2=6855AR&R3=001

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

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

PO Box 1776, East Granby CT 06026.

Galasso Materials is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered The State of Connecticut is an equal Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016 opportunity/affirmative action employer for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, orientation, gender idenand strongly encourages the Anticipated applications Start: tity, August 15, 2016 national origin, veteran or disability status of women, minorities, and persons Project documents available via ftp link below: with disabilities.

Listing: Sales/Operations Specialist

http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage

Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 Petroleum dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com Company has an immediate full time opening. Excellent customer service DRIVER CDLtheCLASS HCC encourages participation of A all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Sectionspeaking 3 Certifiedat Businesses skill and public meetings a must. Retail oil operations knowledge and IT Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CToperating 06483 Full Time –Haynes All Construction Shifts Top knowledge of ADDS system required.

Previous petroleum experience and/or AA/EEO EMPLOYER experience in a very busy office environment a plus. Applicant to also perform administrative/clerical tasks as assigned. Please send resume to: H.R. Manager, Confidential, person: P O Box 388, Guilford CT 06437 or email hrdept@eastriverenergy.com

Pay-Full Benefits

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

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

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

22

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

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 11, 2022 - May 17, 2022

THE RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE

Non-profit 501 (C) (3)

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Smooth Jazz Supergroup...

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APRIL 10 AT 4:30 PM & 7:30 PM AN EVENING WITH

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CALL O R VISIT OUR WEBSIT E TO PU RCHAS TICKET E S TODA Y! 203-392 -6154 https://t ickets.s outhern ct.edu

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4/26/22 2:30 AM