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Student protesters marching downtown Thursday.

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Chief Alston (center) and Asst. Chief McCarthy (left).

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$550K State Grant For The Shack OK’d THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 18, 2022 - May 24, 2022

by THOMAS BREEN

New Haven Independent

A new music studio, a washer and dryer, a pottery kiln, and more programming for west side youth and seniors alike are one big step closer to coming to a reborn Valley Street community center — now that the alders have formally accepted a $550,000 state grant for “The Shack.”

Local legislators took that vote Monday night during the latest regular bimonthly meeting of the full Board of Alders. The meeting took place in person in the Aldermanic Chamber on the second floor of City Hall.

The alders voted all but unanimously to accept three different state Urban Act grants geared towards boosting social services and affordable housing across town. (West Rock/West Hills Alder Honda Smith abstained from the vote because she is on the The Shack community center’s board.)

The state grants that the alders voted to accept Monday included $550,000 for 333 Valley Street Intergenerational Organization Inc. for the rehabilitation of 333 Valley St., which is home to The Shack; $2.5 million to fund a Boston-based affordable housing developer’s plans to build 76

new apartments in the Ninth Square at 300 State St., 742 – 746 Chapel St., and 756 – 760 Chapel St.; and $2 million to a host of ground floor improvements, including kitchen upgrades and a program space redesign, at the Towers senior housing complex at 18 Tower Lane.

Dwight Alder and Community Development Committee Chair Frank Douglass explained before the vote that the city was requesting the alders’ authorization “to simply act as a pass-through for Urban Act funding from the State of Connecticut” for these various projects.

“These funds are an investment in quality educational, physical, mental and social programs and services, affordable housing resources, and structural improvements at locations that provide access to opportunities for all residents,” he said in support of accepting the state grant money.

After the meeting, Smith joined fellow West Hills neighbors and Shack supporters Iva Johnson, Monica Clark, and Von Robinson to celebrate the official acceptance of the $550,000 state grant — and to look forward to just how many more lives the reborn community center will be able to touch on the west side of town.

THOMAS BREEN PHOTO West Rock/West Hills Alder Honda Smith with Monica Clark, Iva Johnson, and Von Robinson at City Hall on Monday.

“It’s been a long time coming for this community, which has basically been left in the wings and forgotten about,” Smith said. “We’re seeing the results of what’s

happening now, before the money has been given. Of how it has brought the community together. Of how it’s brought a safe place for all, not just for kids, but

for everyone” who lives and works in and visits the West Rock/West Hills area.

She said that the $550,000 state grant will “continue to help get the structural portion of the building together,” paying for repairs to the formerly long-vacant building as well as for the construction of a new music studio.

The Shack’s bonding grant request that was included in a submission to the alders by the Livable City Initiative (LCI), meanwhile, indicates that the grant money will also be used for an alarm system, to replace game room and bathroom doors and games, to install a washer and dryer in one of the bathrooms, to install an 18-inch pottery kiln in the senior room, and for the painting of the outside of the building, among other upgrades.

“It is definitely a beacon of light in our community, because it’s been so dark,” said Johnson, who is also a Democratic Ward Committee co-chair for West Rock/ West Hills’ Ward 30. For decades, she said, 333 Valley St. was just a “dilapidated place next to the [police] substation.”

Now its “community meetings are strong.

The room is filled.”

Smith agreed. “It’s home for everyone,” she said. “It’s not a center. It’s home.”

1 Year Later, Fallen Firefighter Remembered

by THOMAS BREEN

New Haven Independent

“Rico was a hero.”

With those words, New Haven Fire Department Capt. Kendall Richardson remembered his former Dixwell station colleague Ricardo Torres Jr., at a ceremony held on the one-year anniversary of a Valley Street fire that took Torres’s life.

The ceremony was held Thursday morning outside of Dixwell Station, Engine 6 at 125 Goffe St. Over 100 family members, friends, and local firefighters attended the event to commemorate the life of Torres, who died in the line of duty on May 12, 2021 while responding to an overnight fire at 190 Valley St. Thursday also saw the release of a onepage press release by the state police with a few details from their year-long investigation into the Valley Street fire, which also saw the serious injury of Lt. Samod Rankins in addition to the line-of-duty death of Torres.

To honor Torres’s life and service to the city on Thursday, Fire Chief John Alston, Asst. Chief Justin McCarthy, Dixwell Station Commanding Officer Richardson, and others unveiled a number of memorials to the late 30-year-old firefighter and New Haven native.

Those included a new granite bench that now stands on the brick walkway outside of the fire station, and that is inscribed

THOMAS BREEN PHOTOS

At Thursday's ceremony honoring the one-year anniversary of Firefighter Ricardo Torres, Jr.'s line-of-duty death.

with the words: Ricardo Torres Jr. Engine 6 Last Alarm Box 1501 May 12, 2021 They also include a plaque with Torres’s name and picture, as well as his framed NHFD uniform jacket.

“We know that energy cannot be destroyed,” Alston said through tears as he addressed the crowd at Thursday’s ceremony. “It can be shared. It can be regener-

ated. But it cannot be destroyed.”

He said that Torres was best known to his colleagues for being a whirlwind of energy. If the average person’s body could light a light bulb, he said, Torres “could light a stadium.”

Richardson agreed. He said that Torres was known by different names during his time at Dixwell Station: Rico. Wrangler. Tornado.

He was “passionate, energetic, enthusiastic, goal-oriented, aggressive, talented,” Ricardson said. But, most of all, he was a

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“hero. … He had a passion to help people.

He had skills.”

“Rico wanted to be a New Haven firefighter and he wanted to work at Dixwell Station,” NHFD Lt. William Riggott said.

He realized that lifelong dream, he said, and served the city and its residents heroically.

“We will always carry Ricardo Torres, Jr. in our hearts,” McCarthy said after the ceremony. “We’ll always carry his memory.” He said the department will always be there for Torres’s family — including

his mom and widow and young children, who were all at Thursday’s event.

What the bench and the other memorials accomplish, he said, is that they let every future visitor and firefighter at the Dixwell station know that: “Ricardo Torres was here. He worked out of this firehouse. He devoted his life to the citizens of this city. And in turn gave his life for the citizens of this city.”

State Police Investigation Complete On Thursday morning, the Connecticut State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit released the following one-page press release about its year-long investigation into the May 12, 2021 Valley Street fire that took the life of Torres.

Alston said that the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) is still working on its investigation of Torres’s line-of-duty death. He said NIOSH should release their findings on the matter within the next 45 to 60 days.

The Connecticut State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit has concluded the investigation of a residential structure fire that occurred on 05/12/2021 at 190 Valley Street in the City of New Haven that resulted in the Line of Duty Death of New Haven Firefighter Riccardo Torres, Jr. On 05/12/2021 at approximately

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 18, 2022 - May 24, 2022

NAACP, Raheem DeVaughn Take To The Shubert For “Freedom Fund” Return

by MAYA MCFADDEN After a three-year hiatus, the annual Freedom Fundraiser held by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) returned fullforce Thursday evening with a rhythmic and intimate remixed celebration at the Shubert Theater.

The NAACP had pulled back from inperson events to shift its resources and efforts to address community struggles exacerbated by the pandemic.

For its first in-person event in years, the NAACP celebrated the returned of its annual Freedom Fund gala with recognition awards for community leaders, student scholars, and a night of R&B from the singer and songwriter Raheem DeVaughn.

A VIP Honorees Reception kicked off the celebration Thursday evening. Guest got dressed to impress for the reception on the second floor of the Shubert, where dinner was served buffet style.

Shubert Executive Director Anthony McDonald said the partnership with the NAACP represents the theater’s mission to diversify its programming, look, and ways to connect to the community.

McDonald said his goal is to make the Shubert a relevant location for all New Haveners and to become the “best location to experience live entertainment in the state.”

Four high school students were recognized with 2022 scholarship awards.

The honorees included Laila Smith, Kendra Hill, Arielle Jowers, and Jocelyn Ramirez, who each are academic and extracurricular leaders at their high schools and have passionate plans to attend Southern California University, Hampton University, Drexel University, and the University of Connecticut, respectively.

Smith is a senior at New Haven Academy and owns Lai Photography and Video LLC. Hill is a senior at Hamden Hall Country Day School and plans to own her own art therapy and counseling practice.

Jowers, a senior at Hill Regional Career High School, plans to become an architectural engineer; she was honored by the National Council of Negro Women Inc. (NCNW) as the youth of theyear in 2021.

Ramirez, who celebrated her birthday at the event, is a senior at Wilbur Cross and plans to pursue a career in dentistry.

During the reception, NAACP Youth Council President Alexis Smith and the Greater New Haven Branch President Dori Dumas highlighted the organization’s advocacy work: Covid testing and vaccine town halls for the community to talk with medical professionals, mask and rapid-test – kit distributions, financial literacy workshops, voter registration booths, food distributions, and cannabis license webinar series.

NAACP Secretary Miriam James encouraged guests to become lifetime members of the NAACP to “fight for-

Freedom Fund 2022 honorees.

Student honorees Laila Smith, Kendra Hill, Arielle Jowers, and Jocelyn Ramirez.

West Hill/West Rock support crew joins for honoree Smith.

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ward together.”

The Excellence in Health and Leadership Award was given to Keith B. Churchwell, the president of Yale New Haven Health Hospital and executive vice president of the Yale New Haven Health System.

The President’s Award was given to New Haven native and activist Scot X. Esdaile.

The Leadership Award was given to Shenae Draughn, the executive vice-president of Elm City Communities and the Glendower Group.

The Community Service Award was given to West Hill/West Rock Alder Honda Smith.

The Arts and Culture Award was given to the International Festival of Arts and Ideas.

Assistant Director for the Office of Inclusion and Diversity at the Yale School of Management Zanaiya Leon joined the honoree reception and concert to support Churchwell and the concert’s opening act, Johnathan Moore.

Leon, who is also an artist manager, has been to the Freedom Fund event in the past and was excited about the addition of the concert portion this year.

“It’s lovely to see the community uplifting the community,” she said.

Bridgeport kindergarten teacher, artist, and author Sheree Baldwin-Muhammad joined the Thursday event to support the recognition of the local leaders.

She said the Thursday event not only gave her a chance to get dressed up but also gave the opportunity for the community to come together.

“We need more celebrations like this,” she said. “To connect. To give thanks. To be together.”

After the award ceremony, 100 guests flowed into the theater for the 8 p.m. concert.

Johnathan Moore, a New Haven native and electric cellist, played two pieces.

The first was alongside his brother Trey Moore. who played the piano. The duo played over a recording of Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise” poem.

The night concluded with a dedication to love from DeVaughn, who serenaded the crowd with a microphone stand decked with roses.

Backed by a band of four playing electric guitar, piano, bass guitar, and drums, DeVaughn also came prepared with a vase full of two dozen roses, which he showered on guests in the front rows throughout the show.

The crowd clapped and sang along with DeVaughn to his hits like “Woman” and “Mr. Midnight.”

He occasionally took brief breaks from his music to also relish in t R&B music from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s.

Before ending the show, DeVaughn promised the crowd that he’ll continue supporting community nonprofits and creating love songs that are “good for the soul.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 18, 2022 - May 24, 2022

Student Walkout Targets Mental Health

by MAYA MCFADDEN

Penfield Communications Inc

New Haven Independent

Three hundred students poured out of New Haven high schools onto city buses and the streets to the New Haven Green to issue a cry for help: We need more counselors, not cops, to help us deal with exploding mental-health concerns.

Student leaders of the Citywide Youth Coalition (CWYC) organized the Thursday protest after several of its student members expressed two major concerns affecting them daily; 1. overly militarized schools due to metal detectors and school resource officers (SROs) and 2. not properly funded mental health resources like psychologists and social workers.

The students began arriving on the Green Thursday at 9 a.m. for the rally and march, organized by CWYC in partnership with Black Lives Matter New Haven.

The Thursday protest comes two weeks after Common Ground students banded together for a week of walk-outs, protest, and planned mass absences to speak out against the school’s plan to not renew several teacher contracts next school year.

Over the past two years both educators and students have been dealing with national upticks in violence, teacher arrest, staff shortages, and learning gaps mirroring schoolhouse chaos nationwide amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Teachers have been calling on the district and state for fully funded schools with more mentalhealth support included.

Click here and here to read previous stories about other concerns raised this year by students.

Students flooded the downto streets chanting; “Whose streets? Our Streets!”

“What do we want? Police Free Schools!”

“Hey hey, ho ho, SROs have got to go!”

Dave Cruz-Bustamante.

A central theme was the school system’s decision to continue having school resource officers (SROs) while students have trouble getting any time with guidance counselors, who carry large caseloads in understaffed offices.

Schools Superintendent Iline Tracey contacted the Independent to note that NHPS does not pay for SROs (the NHPD does); and that the program began after a teacher was shot to death at Wilbur Cross High School.

Wilbur Cross sophmore Dave CruzBustamante, who described himself as a socialist, scholar, and New Haven community organizer, took the megaphone outside of the Gateway Center Thursday when the march arrived there. He said that he and his peers are constantly going through “invisible hurricanes” of mental illness with no support during the school day.

“It’s no secret that our schools are in severe disrepair, and we are falling apart with it,” he said.

He urged fellow students to keep hope

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Student protesters marching downtown Thursday.

alive as they address mental health and overpolicing. He said he personally has dealt with depression and anxiety this school year due to dealing with long Covid, all while his school lacked in emotional support resources for students.

“New Haven Public Schools put your money where your goddamn mouth is,” Cruz-Bustamante said.

The superintendent and district administrators left their Gateway Center offices Thursday to stand silently in the background as students made speeches, rang tambourines, and held signs reading, “Listen to students,” “Care not Cops” and “Police Free Schools.”

“We’re not delinquents. We’re not criminals. We’re not stupid. We’re not untrustworthy. We’re not naive,” Cruz -Bustamante said.

Students walked back from the Gateway Center to the Green with arms linked and fists held to the sky.

“We will win,” Cruz-Bustamante said.

“No longer will we roll over and let New Haven public schools preach about how much they care about their students as they allow police officers to patrol our schools instead of investing in professionals that actually know what they’re doing.”

Hillhouse junior Ma’Shai Roman, a student representative on the Board of Education, said she hopes the Thursday walk out will be a wake-up call for the district.

Roman has spoken up during several board meetings this school year to ask that more mental health resources be offered in schools.

“We’re always just told to push through

it and to deal with it, because it’s life,” she said.

Roman said a teacher recently told her that dealing with students’ mental health concerns are not the responsibility of the school.

To join the protest, Roman brought an excuse note signed by her parent giving her permission to leave the school. Several other Hillhouse students also brought notes from home and walked to the protest.

“We’re not troublemakers. We want nothing but the best for schools,” she added.

Wilbur Cross seniors Anarea, Tatiana, and Jashzara joined the Thursday protest to call for less funding to school security and rmore mental health supports.

They spoke on the “Word on the Street” segment of WNHH FM’s “LoveBabz LoveTalk” program.

The trio said they are often battling mental health alone or with their friends.

“My senior year has been rough for me.

Deadlines have been beating me up, and I’m not getting the resources or the help that I need to finish my school year off good,” Tatiana said.

The students said they feel stuck. They feel like they aren’t being heard.

Jashzara said she is often told her guidance counselor is too busy when she seeks an appointment. “We have more correctional staff than guidance counselors, and that’s a problem,” she said.

“I’m literally screaming, ‘Help! Help!

Help me !” But you’re not doing anything,” Anarea added.

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The group said they want more psychiatrists in schools to conduct check-ups on students, whether scheduled or not.

Schools spokesperson Justin Harmon, reached after the protest, said that all students at all schools have access to social workers and psychologists. The professionals may be assigned to more than one school and work on a rotation, he said.

Harmon added that students were informed that once leaving the school they would not be allowed back in. Students who left Thursday morning were marked absent, he said; there is no plan for mass discipline.”

“We respect the students’ right to protest, and we appreciate their concern for appropriate mental health services. The issue arises at a time when the district has substantially invested in school psychologists and social workers to address the stresses caused by the pandemic.

We have accomplished this investment largely utilizing federal grant funding,” Harmon stated. “To sustain that investment after the grants conclude would require funding from the city and the state, who together provide most of our operating budget.

“The police are our partners in maintaining school safety, which must be a high priority in an urban school district. We do not have a large number of SROs — I believe the current number is six, in part due to vacancies, to cover 10 high schools.

Even if it were desirable, disinvesting in SROs would yield nothing like the kind of savings the protest organizers are talking about.”

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KDW Commits To August Primary THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 18, 2022 - May 24, 2022

by STAFF

New Haven Independent

Two New Haveners will be on the Democratic primary ballot for state treasurer this summer — as Karen DuBois-Walton committed to staying in the race and continuing to challenge state party-endorsed candidate, and fellow Elm City resident, Erick Russell.

DuBois-Walton, who has spent the past decade and a half leading the city’s public housing authority, made that announcement in a campaign email press release sent out Monday afternoon. She reaffirmed her intentions of campaigning at least through the August primary in her bid to become the next state treasurer.

She made that announcement a little more than a week after Russell — an attorney, former state party vice-chair, and Westville resident — won the state Democratic Party’s endorsement for state treasurer during the party’s nominating convention in Hartford.

Both DuBois-Walton and Greenwich’s Dita Bhargava also qualified to have their names on the Democratic primary ballot after winning at least 15 percent of delegate votes during the convention.

All three are vying to replace outgoing

THOMAS BREEN PHOTO Karen DuBois-Walton at the state Democratic Party's convention in Hartford.

State Treasurer Shawn Wooden in the checks and proceeds from stocks and been discussing this race with supporters role, which is responsible for managing bonds and mutual funds whose owners around the state and beginning to conthe state’s pension funds, managing state can’t be located. On the Republican side, struct a team, and one fact has become banking relationships and short-term in- State Rep. Harry Arora of Greenwich is crystal clear: Connecticut residents are looking for a Treasurer with the public servestments, issuing and managing state running for treasurer. debt, and handling property like uncashed “In the week since the convention, I’ve vice experience to be effective from Day

CATCH UP OR GET AHEAD WITH SUMMER SESSIONS

One,” DuBois-Walton is quoted as saying in Monday’s email press release. “The excitement we saw at the convention last week – from folks who’d never heard of me until that day – has carried forward. We are moving forward to the August primary, building an inclusive grassroots campaign that can win this summer and fall.”

DuBois-Walton also announced on Monday that her campaign will participate in the state’s clean elections program, meaning that she will not accept campaign donations worth more than $290 a piece, and she will not accept money from state contractors.

DuBois-Walton and Russell aren’t the only New Haveners running for statewide office who will have their names on August’s Democratic primary ballot. City Health Director Maritza Bond also intends to keep running for secretary of the state, after she qualified for the primary during the recent convention in Hartford. In that primary, she will be challenging state Democratic Party-endorsed candidate and Norwalk State Rep. Stephanie Thomas and, if she stays in the race, Meriden State Rep. Hilda Santiago. Branford’s Dominic Rapini is the state Republican Party-endorsed candidate for secretary of the state.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 18, 2022 - May 24, 2022

Toni Harp Returns To City Hall For Good

by MAYA MCFADDEN

Virtuous. A leader. Unique. A powerhouse. Poised. A quiet storm. Empathetic. Committed.

Those were among the words that accompanied a joyous ceremonial unveiling and installation in City Hall of the official portrait of former Mayor Toni N. Harp.

Dozens of community members joined city and state leaders at the Tuesday afternoon ceremony in recognizing the accomplishments and leadership of Harp as part of the portrait unveiling.

The portrait of New Haven’s 50th mayor, who spent more than three decades in elected offices including as a state senator and alder, is placed on the walls of the second-floor atrium alongside the paintings of her predecessors.

The event was emceed by Veronica Douglas of The Veronica Douglas Media Agency, President/Publisher of La Voz Hispana de Connecticut Norma Rodriguez-Reyes, and West Hills Alder Honda Smith.

As Harp pulled the red curtain off of the gold framed portrait, “Girl on Fire,” her campaign song, erupted in celebration.

The portrait captures Harp penning a letter about the injustice of denying urban youth equal and competitive education.

Standing beside the portrait, Harp took the microphone for the event’s final 40 minutes to discuss her proudest moments and accomplishments, like raising the age of juvenile jurisdiction, education partnerships with Southern Connecticut State University, fully implementing the New Haven Promise scholarship program, boosting community-based policing, reducing crime, supporting the creation of the Botanical Garden of Healing Dedicat-

ed to Victims of Gun Violence, developing and implementing New Haven’s Youth Stat program, implementing restorative justice practices, adding technical high school programming, increasing youth exposure to higher education, dedicating funds to community ‚anagement teams, expanding the ShotSpotter netowrk, restoring Newhallville’s former “Mudhole” into the Learning Corridor and other city neighborhood parks, reviving the Dixwell Q House, opening the Barack H. Obama Magnet University School, developing a small business academy, and removin the Hamden/New Haven Brookside fence dividing the neighborhood.

“We showed that it could be done,” she said.

Senior Pastor Jose Champagne of the Church of God of Prophecy led the ceremony’s invocation. Champagne, who described Harp as a virtuous leader, said the number 50 symbolizes freedom and liberty which he said Harp brought to the city while mayor Speakers included CEO of the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven CEO William Ginsberg, State Sen. Martin Looney, State Reps. Juan Candelaria and Toni Walker, Board of Alders President Tyisha Walker-Myers, Bishop Theodore Brooks Sr., mayoral portrait artist Mario Moore, Mayor Justin Elicker, and former Mayor John DeStefano Jr. “When the history of our city and our time is written, it will record Toni Harp was one of the greatest of New Haveners,” Ginsberg said. “A great leader and a great person totally devoted to the people of her community. Thank you Toni for all you’ve done for all of us.” The Community Foundation has created a Toni N. Harp Endowment Fund for Youth and

MAYA MCFADDEN PHOTOS

Harp unveils mayoral portrait.

Seniors.

Several musical performances graced the crowd with uplifting and harmonious dedications to Harp’s leadership and leg-

acy.

William and Lisa Fluker performed their song “What Will It Take?” Teddy Brown passionately sang “This Is The Moment,”

which brought Harp and the crowd to their feet in tears and cheers.

Janice Smith performed “Wind Beneath My Wings.” The ceremony was closed with a violin performance by Angélica Durrell of INTEMPO. State Rep. Walker, with whom Harp co-chaired the state legislature’s Appropriations Committee, thanked Harp for “letting me stand on your shoulders” and giving her strength and confidence in herself in the face of confrontations.

“You don’t understand what it’s like to be in a room, no offense everybody, with all white men and two little Black women controlling that meeting,” she said. “And she did with dignity. She did it with pride.

She did it with data and conviction.”

Walker recalled watching Harp “master” conversations with people by listening, understanding, and always giving “the feeling that they were alone with her when they were talking.”

Alders President Walker-Myers joined the speakers who described Harp as a trailblazer.

“You had a way of bringing all types of groups together that weren’t all the same in the same place, but bringing us together and having a real conversation with respect,” she said.

She recalled often depending on Harp’s leadership to hold the Board of Alders together.

“You wasn’t just a mayor to me. You became a friend and family,” she said.

Harp was first elected to the Board of Alders in 1987, then to the State Senate in 1992. She won the 2013 mayoral election and went on to serve three twoyear terms.

More than 1,200 Attend 10th New Haven Family and Stroll and Festival to Raise Awareness and Funds for Essential Early Child Care and Education New Haven, CT [May 17, 2022] - Over 1,200 individuals, including children, families, early care providers, and community members, attended the 10th New Haven Family Stroll and Festival Saturday at Quinnipiac River Park.

The annual event, organized by Friends Center for Children, seeks to raise awareness and funds for high-quality early care and education.

“The child care industry is in crisis.

Care is too expensive for families, educators are paid too little, and providers are struggling to survive,” said Allyx Schiavone, Executive Director of Friends Center for Children and event organizer.

This landmark year, organized in partnership with Calvin Hill Day Care Center, FIRST Step Child Care & Learning Center inc., New Haven YMCA Youth Center, Montessori School on Edgewood, and Elm City Montessori School, comes at a critical time for the early care industry, as providers and families continue to navigate the long-time issues that have

only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The crisis in child care is that the business model is impossible. You’re balancing your budget on the backs of your families or your teachers and that’s really the two groups we’re trying to take good care of,” said Susan Taddei, Director of Calvin Hill Daycare Center and event partner.

The event began with a 1.5 mile stroll around the Quinnipiac River bridge loop.

After the stroll, attendees returned to the park to hear from speakers, which included Senator Martin Looney, Representative Robyn Porter and New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker, who spoke out regarding the state of early child care in Connecticut.

“We know there’s been a crisis during the pandemic. People have struggled.

People have suffered, and this budget makes real progress in addressing those concerns,” said Senator Looney while discussing the $183 million in funding allocated for early care investments in the

state budget.

“We’ll continue to work hard to make sure that our young people have what they need, and also their caregivers and parents have what they need so we can be whole families,” said Representative Porter.

From there attendees enjoyed the sunny day with food trucks, face painting, parachute play, magicians, musicians, Zumba, bubbles, arts and crafts and more. Over 40 community resource partners share information and resources with families and provided activities and games for the young children in attendance.

“Child care is absolutely necessary and 100% broken,” said parent Tom Reznick who attended the event.

The stroll was sponsored by Friends Center for Children, National Roofing, The Community Foundation of Greater New Haven, and more. More information and a full list of sponsors and community partners can be found at www.newhavenfamilystroll.org.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 18, 2022 - May 24, 2022

Bolaji COVID Patient

“To everyone who saved my life and my baby’s life too... thank you – from both of us.”

“I was 34 weeks pregnant when I found out I had COVID. While I was on the ventilator and sedated, I delivered Joseph by C-section, and I couldn’t see him for a month. But the doctors and nurses at Yale New Haven Health, they took care of us.”

At Yale New Haven Health, we’re grateful to all the healthcare workers out there who care for others.

So that others can live.

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High Schoolers Crack The Code THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 18, 2022 - May 24, 2022

by KIMBERLY WIPFLER

High school junior Neiel Ventura took a chance on a new after-school computer science program in Fair Haven. Months later, Ventura has set her sights on a career goal in technology and has cultivated the skills to support it — and built her own website designed to sell sneakers.

Since January, Ventura and dozens of other high school students from schools around the city have been enrolled in the after-school at District Arts + Education (DAE), where they’re learning 21st century skills in computer science, coding, and web design. The course takes place at the innovation hub DISTRICT at 470 James St. In addition to the academic element, the program boasts an inclusive community, which is apparent in the student-first approach to learning and emotionally-attentive instructors. As of January of this year, DAE has partnered with New Haven Public Schools to make the program an official after-school extension in the district. Ventura was hesitant to apply to the program when representatives from DAE gave a presentation at her school, Metropolitan Business Academy, to recruit students.

“At first I wasn’t really interested in it,” she said. But after checking out the program’s website, Ventura decided to give it a try.

“I ended up liking what I was learning. It really does help you in the future, if you want to start a business and build

Metropolitan Business Academy 11th-grader Neiel Ventura at DAE.

your own website,” she said. Now, Ventura said. she “wants to do something in the future with technology.” She said her time at DAE will help her decide how she wants to continue this education.

Ventura’s group meets from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Another cohort meets at the same time on Mondays and Wednesdays, and everyone comes together for a full-group session on Fridays.

The sunlit office has couches, a kitchen

with snacks, and endless computers. Program Founder and CEO A.M. Bhatt said he wants the space to feel like they are at home, both comfortable in and responsible for the space. There’s a puzzle in progress on one large table near the front, and emotional support puppy Freyja trots freely throughout the space. Each student is accountable to a rotation of basic chores to keep the place tidy.

At the start of each day, students gather in a circle with their instructors to check-

in and discuss their mindset for the day.

They talk about their day’s focus, and what blockers are potentially making this goal more challenging. Students come as they are, and many are comfortable to share whatever external factors may be causing them stress, exhaustion, or distraction.

Following the check-in, students take seats in front of a projector, where instructor Diego Tardio, the “associate software engineering educator,” reviews

the project goal for the day.

Tardio received his computer science education in the same building he teaches, at the Holberton School, a global software engineering education program, which recently closed its New Haven campus. It was there that Tardio experienced project-based learning and a peer-to-peer education model, helping Tardio realize his passion for youth development.

“Teaching myself and my classmates how to code here is what motivated me to teach younger kids,” Tardio said.

The students have learned coding languages and built their own websites, like Ventura’s sneaker site.

Suling Chen, another junior from the Metropolitan Business Academy, built a website to help herself learn more about the field of naturopathy and another to educate others about racquet sports.

Without a decisive interest in computer science, Chen had shared a similar hesitance as Ventura to the idea of the program before joining. But one teacher’s encouragement to apply pushed Chen to join.

“She was like, ‘Coding can be really beneficial to you in the future when you’re going into the business world.’

I thought, I might as well join because learning coding would be another asset for me. It’ll be interesting, another skill that I can use in the future,” Chen said.

Bhatt emphasized how important this Con’t on page 19

Gun Analysis Tool Purchase OK’d For NHPD

by THOMAS BREEN

The Board of Alders unanimously signed off on spending nearly $145,000 to acquire a ballistic analysis machine for the New Haven Police Department.

Local legislators took that vote Monday night during the latest regular bimonthly meeting of the full Board of Alders. The meeting took place in person in the Aldermanic Chamber on the second floor of City Hall.

The alders unanimously voted in support of an order authorizing the police department to purchase a National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) Cartridge Cases And Triage Package from Ultra Electronics Forensic Technology Inc. for $144,853.

According to a recent presentation to the police commission by now-retired former Acting Police Chief Renee Dominguez, that NIBIN system will assist with technology-driven firearms investigations without requiring that bullet casings first

travel from New Haven to other municipalities. The funds for the purchase came from a federal Gun Crime Intelligence Center grant that the police department landed last year.

Beaver Hills Alder and Public Safety Committee Chair Brian Wingate urged his colleagues to support the NIBIN purchase as further an effort to “make our community and residents safer” by ensuring that “we will now have in house our own ballistic tracking system.”

In the same vote with which they approved the NIBIN purchase, the alders also OK’d accepting a foam donation for the fire department, applying to the state for a grant to improve police and fire radio coverage on the west side of town, and accepting the donation of a new service dog for the police department from a group called Puppies Behind Bars.

“The purpose of this grant is to improve the Department’s capacity to work with its Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) partners and other law

enforcement and community agencies,” Dominguez wrote in a March 24 letter to the alders in support of the NIBIN purchase.

“This group uses intelligence, technology, and community engagement to identify unlawfully used firearms and their sources, and to effectively prosecute perpetrators engaged in violent crime. Two elements are key to this approach: collecting guns and ballistic evidence from all crime scenes (including incidents in which shots are fired at buildings, vehicles, street signs, etc., but don’t strike anyone) and quickly analyzing that evidence using modern technology.”

Dominguez also wrote that the NHPD is currently sending cartridge casing evidence to a forensic laboratory in Meriden. “This is time-consuming in terms of travel and waiting for results. Having the NIBIN Package at headquarters will enable us to process evidence more quickly and will significantly enhance investigations and arrests.”

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THOMAS BREEN PHOTO Public Safety Committee Chair and Beaver Hills Alder Brian Wingate on

Monday.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 18, 2022 - May 24, 2022

Artist Grows A Sandbox Garden

terful, some of those arrangements. It’s amazing how they can put those colors together,” she said.

At a reception for the piece held Wednesday evening, several fellow artists arrived to view the work, and to learn more about both the artist in residence program and the Sandbox.

“I am going to keep the creative in residence going,” said Arts Council Development Director Megan Manton, as donors continue to support it and the Sandbox, which, before it was renovated, was the New Haven radio studio for WNPR. (That studio relocated to Gateway Community College.)

Program Director Rebekah Moore said the Sandbox was created in the first place to meet a specific need: When the Arts Council convened a committee of artists to ask how the Arts Council might support artists’ work, the committee pointed out that many artists simply needed a space.

“We heard the need and we made it happen.

The space is 35 feet by 18 feet and it’s free to Arts Council members, and membership is free,” Moore said. Interested artists can visit the Sandbox page on the Arts Council’s website to submit a request to use the space and learn about the equipment available in the Sandbox.

“After you submit your inquiry and take a tour, we can start booking dates,” Moore said.

Since the Sandbox officially opened at the beginning of April, she added, “we’ve had about 58 reservations so far.” These range from a drummer looking for rehearsal space to an artist working on showing a mural. Appointments can be made to use the space for events for two, four, or six hours; exhibitions can book the space for a weekend. Artists can also use the space to teach classes and workshops. Every Wednesday will feature time for artists to network with one another, and “we’re going to start doing First Fridays at the Sandbox, highlighting artists,” Moore said.

“There is no art off-limits in the space, and we want more young people in the community to know that it’s here,” Moore continued. To that end, the Arts Council will have tables set up at the New Haven Night Market on Friday and at Q House imminently.

“It’s something that I wish I’d had when I was a kid,” Moore said. “The culture of Audubon — some people are born and raised in New Haven and never been to Audubon Street, ever. I was born and raised in New Haven and didn’t even know what the Arts Council was.”

She credits former executive director Daniel Fitzmaurice for cultivating greater connections to the New Haven community, and looks forward to expanding both the Sandbox programming and possibly the physical space.

In that sense the Sandbox has something in common with Davis’s piece. “Hopefully it can grow,” Moore said.

by BRIAN SLATTERY

Inside the Sandbox — a new space for art events at the Arts Council of Greater New Haven on Audubon Street — there’s a small garden growing, made not of plants, but fiber. There are ropes of vines fashioned from T-shirts, leaves of pressed polyethylene, mossy mats of yarn. The project, titled “Unclassified,” is the work of artist Yolanda Davis, who, as the Arts Council’s artist in residence, started it in the fall. It now hangs in the Sandbox space like an enormous divider, a waterfall of foliage. Soon it will be taken down. And to Davis, it still isn’t really complete.

Davis learned about the artist in residence program through artistic partner Ileana Garcia. “I had no idea there was a space inside the Arts Council,” Davis said, but Garcia had learned through an open call by the committee created to curate the Sandbox that “they were looking to showcase a space for art.” Davis and Garcia applied as a team and were selected to be artists in residence. And they were shown the airy second-floor space that they were permitted to fill with art.

“As soon as we saw this space, we thought instantly of a garden,” Davis said. “Then we tried to use the space as well as we could.” “As we started working” in the late fall, “it turned into more of a terrarium feel.”

Garcia ultimately had to leave the project due to unforseen circumstances, and Davis continued the work herself. “I could work on this for another six months, just adding things on top of adding things. I want it to be as lush as possible,” she said of the textile piece.

In keeping with the theme of drawing inspiration from the natural world, Davis has made sure the materials are all recycled, with many of them donated. Relying on recycled materials also meant that Davis had to work with what she could get or find.

“There’s a limit on the type of materials you can use,” she said. She started with a large chicken-wire frame that ran from floor to nearly ceiling and began growing the piece from the ground up. She had “an endless amount of T-shirt vines” that she dyed in vibrant colors, but then thought, having worked the piece to just a foot or so off the ground, that perhaps that idea had “run its course.”

She moved on to thick yarn, woven higher up into the structure of the chicken wire. In another case, she used a polypropylene fabric that she ironed to a high sheen to make leaves.

She’d come across that material in her job as a framer at Hull’s Art Supply and Framing on Chapel Street. It’s a component in doing frame jobs, but creates scraps.

“I’m a fiber artist,” she said, and thought “I have to do something with these. It worked out really well.” She doesn’t practice traditional fiber arts (say, knitting or crocheting) but found

herself doing similar acts of repetition as she built the piece. “It takes a lot of mental energy to sit here and do this.”

She also knew that, true to the plant life she was emulating, her project would grow and change as she worked on it. “What’s in your head is always going to end up different that what’s in reality,” she said.

Even now, with her piece filling the Sandbox space with lush depth, she doesn’t think of it as complete; in her eyes, the piece has just begun.

“I don’t have a car, so I’m constantly walking, and I see these plants in these gardens — there’s always an undertone, a background of darkness.” That’s the part that feels done. But “I imagine this to have a lot more flowers, as full as possible.”

“It’s already a monster, but it could be a behemoth,” she added.

When she takes down the piece at the end of the week, though, she plans to cut it into smaller pieces. “I’m looking forward to that, actually,” she said. “You have to not be afraid to do it over again. I could absolutely break this entire thing down and start over.”

She has other ideas for where her art can take her as well. “Since I started this project I’ve been looking into floral arranging. It’s mas-

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 18, 2022 - May 24, 2022

Abortion Rights Activists Swarm National Mall, Other Locations

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Washington, D.C., and in cities around the country to rally for abortion rights in the wake of the leaked U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

The groups at the National Mall and other locations included men, women and children who chanted, sang, and voiced their displeasure over the high court’s draft opinion, and abortion bans and restrictions that have cropped up in many Republican-led states.

“Far-right Republicans have hijacked Washington, DC, and we need to elect leaders at the state level who will protect and defend abortion access,” Democratic Attorneys General Association co-chairs Aaron Ford of Nevada, and Kathy Jennings of Delaware wrote in a statement.

“As Democratic Attorneys General, we will never back down when it comes to protecting abortion access. We are on the front lines of this fight, and we are already doing the work to defend reproductive health care.”

(Photo: Mark Mahoney / Dream in Color Photography)

Democratic Attorneys General who will never let up on the work to safeguard people’s right to abortion.”

Carrying signs that read, “Bans off our bodies,” “Abortion is health care,” and “Women are not livestock,” demonstrators indicated that protests would continue until the court changes course.

“I think that women should have the right to choose what to do with their bodies and their lives. And I don’t think banning abortion will stop abortion. It just makes it unsafe and can cost a woman her life,” Caitlin Loehr told the Associated Press.

Loehr, 34, of Washington, wore a black T-shirt with an image of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s “dissent” collar on it and a necklace that spelled out “vote.”

Kelley Robinson, executive director of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, counted among the speakers at the National Mall.

She declared that abortion rights are under attack.

“We are here because these folks are trying to kick us out of the Constitution and take away a Constitutional right we’ve had for the last 50 years,” Robinson said.

“We are here to show them that we are the majority.”

They continued: “The importance of down ballot races this year cannot be overstated. This fight lies squarely in the states, and we need to show up at the ballot box and vote for

Quinnipiac University confers 96 medical degrees during commencement ceremonies for the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine

HAMDEN, Conn. – May 17, 2022 – Quinnipiac University conferred 96 medical school degrees Monday during commencement exercises for the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine.

Yale School of Medicine Professor Dr. Auguste Fortin VI addressed the graduates at the People’s United Center and reminded them that when it comes to effective patient care, the most powerful medicine evolves from care, compassion and love.

“Medicine is an act of love. It’s not just an intellectual activity; it’s an act of the heart. That’s how we serve our patients,” Fortin said. “Practicing love means doing the right thing. It means keeping the patient at the center. It means caring for mind, body and spirit. I have come to believe that communication skills are the most important medicine that I dispense on a day-to-day basis.”

During her address to the Class of 2022, Quinnipiac President Judy Olian commended the graduates’ ability to persevere and adapt during their academic tenure at Quinnipiac. She highlighted the class’ accomplishments, including the creation of a new app to help emergency room physicians treat patients with musculoskeletal issues, scholarly work, crisis hotline management, staffing at community health clinics, telehealth patient care and providing service to need-based or-

ganizations across Connecticut.

“I congratulate every one of you for devoting yourselves to this noble calling and the practice of medicine that serves others first,” said Olian as she encouraged the graduates to continue to be a force for positive change in addressing societal needs. “Find ways to help those in need, to advocate for marginalized communities that don’t have the same access to care, and to be a beacon for the human kindness, compassion and support that we all so desperately need right now.”

As he reflected on the Class of 2022 and their academic journey together, Dr. Phillip Boiselle, dean of the School of Medicine, also challenged the graduates to channel all they’ve learned into the type of care that will benefit not only their patients, but also the communities in which they will serve.

“As members of our sixth graduating class, you have faced unprecedented challenges amid the pandemic, and you’ve met them with an admirable combination of grace and grit,” said Boiselle. “It’s the commendable way in which you’ve met these challenges that has defined you. As you begin your future careers as physicians, I challenge you to continue your work as change agents for healthcare equity by working to eliminate racial bias and to proactively

Dr. Linda Kerandi

10

address the social determinates of health for your patients and your future communities.”

Moments after receiving her medical degree, Dr. Linda Kerandi delivered the student remarks for the Class of 2022, echoing the call to provide compassionate, equitable and patient-centered care.

“We may know medicine, but patients know their bodies, and we are never above learning. The journey we are about to embark on is not easy. In fact, it might be one of the hardest things we ever do,” said Kerandi. “So, on the weeks where you forget what day it is, when all you have is the strength to just survive, lean into the people who have brought you here and remember that someone’s life has been improved because you are in it.”

Dr. Linda Kerandi delivered the student remarks for the Class of 2022 at commencement exercises for the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University. Photo by Quinnipiac University About the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University The medical school, which opened in 2013, develops physicians to become integral members of patient-centered health care teams, working closely with other health professionals to provide comprehensive care. The faculty mem-

bers and administrators are renowned educators, scholars and experts in their respective medical specialties. The school’s curriculum, which includes clinical experience and research opportunities, is taught by faculty members who strive to provide a solid foundation in medical sciences. The medical school is fully accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. The school is also authorized by the state of Connecticut to award the MD degree. The school is a member of the Association of American Medical Colleges. As a communitybased medical school, the Netter School of Medicine is affiliated with a variety of hospitals and clinics, which provide our students with a diverse array of practice settings ranging from urban to suburban and rural. Our two primary affiliate hospital sites are Hartford Healthcare’s St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport and Trinity Health of New England’s St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford. The school is named for Dr. Frank H. Netter, a world-renowned medical illustrator whose drawings and atlases have educated medical students for decades. For more information, please visit qu.edu. Connect with Quinnipiac on Facebook and Instagram and follow Quinnipiac on Twitter @QuinnipiacU.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 18, 2022 - May 24, 2022

America’s White Supremacist Murders of Black People

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Buffalo, New York Mayor Byron Brown called the massacre at a Buffalo supermarket an unimaginable nightmare, while Erie County Sheriff John Garcia framed the onslaught as pure evil.

Put plainly, the deadly shooting by a white 18-year-old whose manifesto revealed his desire to cleanse the country of Black people is another example of America’s lingering murderous racial hatred.

It also shows how hateful rhetoric — spewed over conservative national news outlets and on social media and the dog whistles of rightwing politicians — has usurped some of the progress made in race relations since the Civil Rights Movement advances more than a halfcentury ago.

“Law enforcement is proceeding with its investigation, but what is clear is that we are seeing an epidemic of hate across our country that has been evidenced by acts of violence and intolerance. We must call it out and condemn it,” Vice President Kamala Harris said.

“Racially-motivated hate crimes or acts of violent extremism are harms against all

of us, and we must do everything we can to ensure that our communities are safe from such acts,” she asserted.

Details of the shooter, Payton Gendron’s 180-page manifesto, revealed troubling perceptions the self-avowed white supremacist possessed.

He complained of the dwindling size of the White population and included his fears of ethnic and cultural replacement of White people.

Gendron described himself as a fascist, a White supremacist, and an anti-Semite.

His live-streamed shooting spree has left at least ten dead and several more wounded. But, unlike the multitude of unarmed Black people killed during encounters with law enforcement, the young White racist is alive to plead not guilty or “insanity” in court.

“While past violent white supremacist attacks seem to have factored into this heinous act, we must acknowledge that extremist rhetoric espoused by some media and political leaders on the right promoting theories that vilify or dehumanize segments of our society like ‘the great replacement theory’ is a factor too,” wrote U.S. House Homeland Security Chairman

Payton Gendron’s Bennie Thompson in a statement.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. speaking on behalf of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) emphasized, “We are outraged, angered, but we will not be silent again in the wake of more

11

racist murders of Black people in America this time in Buffalo, New York.

“The patterns and rising tide of these White supremacists’ attacks and murders of our people will not go without the unified and amplified voice of the Black Press of America to demand justice and an end to White supremacy in America.”

Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell added that the organization condemns both the white supremacist terrorist attack targeting Black men and women in Buffalo and the racist rhetoric that has sparked such violence.

“The constant repetition of white supremacist conspiracy theories on social media and even mainstream media outlets has led to horrific violence in places as distant as Christchurch, El Paso, Oslo, and Charleston,” Mitchell asserted.

“Those who promote racism, white supremacy, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of bigotry must be held accountable for the violence they inspire.”

Mitchell added that CAIR has often spoken out against those who promote the “great replacement” and other racist conspiracy theories.

Mayor Brown told reporters that Gendron surveilled both the community and

the grocery store as part of the attack’s planning.

Brown said the teen surveilled the area for several days and targeted a busy place in an area predominantly populated by Black people.

His manifesto noted that “Zip code 14208 in Buffalo has the highest Black percentage that is close enough to where I live.”

According to the U.S. Census, the zip code is 78 percent Black and among the top 2 percent of zip codes nationwide with the highest concentration of Blacks as a percentage of the population.

It has the highest concentration of Blacks as a percentage of the population of any zip code in upstate New York.

“Well, this manifesto tells everything to us. And that is what’s so bone chilling about it is that there is the ability for people to write and subscribe to such philosophies filled with hate,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said.

“The White supremacist acts of terrorism that are being fermented on social media and to know that what this one individual did has been shared with the rest of the world as well as the live-streaming of this military-style execution that occurred in the streets of my hometown.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 18, 2022 - May 24, 2022

United States Government Steps in Reclassifying Brittney Griner’s Detainment in Russia as Wrongful

By Grace Boteng | Houston Forward Times

It has been 4 months and counting since WNBA star, Olympic gold medalist, and Houston native Brittney Griner was detained and taken into custody in Moscow, Russia. On Tuesday, May 3, 2022, the Biden administration expressed a reclassification of Griner’s detainment in Russia as “wrongful.”

A State Department official sent a statement to ESPN late Monday night, saying, “The Department of State has determined that the Russian Federation has wrongfully detained U.S. citizen Brittney Griner.

With this determination, the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens will lead the interagency team for securing Brittney Griner’s release.”

The State Department previously had not said much about Griner’s arrest which took place days before Russia invaded Ukraine. There has been speculation that the State Department didn’t get involved sooner to avoid Griner becoming a political prisoner under the rule of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It is not uncommon for WNBA players to play overseas as the pay is better than it is in the United States. Griner, who plays professionally overseas during the WNBA offseason with the Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg, was arrested in an airport after personnel searched her luggage and discovered hashish oil.

The “wrongfully detained” reclassifica-

tion means that the United States government will make efforts to negotiate her release instead of waiting around to see her case play out through the Russian courts.

Griner was granted consular access in March and at that time was checked on by a U.S. official. Her mental state was reported by Ekaterina Kalugina of the Pub-

lic Monitoring Commission as “calm” and the conditions with which she was being detained were described as “standard.”

Lindsay Kagawa Colas, Griner’s agent, made a statement to ESPN saying, “Brittney has been detained for 75 days and our expectation is that the White House will do whatever is necessary to bring her home.”

Griners’s absence was palpable as the WNBA began their season on May 6th.

The WNBA is throwing their support behind the Phoenix Mercury center Griner in their own way.

Via WNBA Official Release The WNBA announced plans to acknowledge the importance of Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner to the league. During the 2022 season, which tips off on Friday, May 6, Griner’s initials and jersey number (42) will be featured along the sideline of all 12 WNBA courts.

“As we begin the 2022 season, we are keeping Brittney at the forefront of what we do through the game of basketball and in the community,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “We continue to work on bringing Brittney home and are appreciative of the support the community has shown BG and her family during this extraordinarily challenging time.”

The below image demonstrates the design of Griner’s initials and jersey number that will be placed on each WNBA court.

The league also announced today that the Phoenix Mercury have been granted

both roster and salary cap relief so that it can carry a replacement player until Griner, who will be paid her full salary, returns home and is ready to get back on the court.

As previously announced by the Mercury, philanthropic initiatives recognizing Griner and modeled after her contributions to the Phoenix community will take place across the WNBA during tip-off weekend into the 2022 season. Every WNBA market will support BG’s Heart and Sole Shoe Drive, which is in partnership with the Phoenix Rescue Mission.

Griner founded the initiative in 2016 to support the homeless population.

“In conjunction with the league, the other 11 teams, and those closest to BG, we will work to keep her top-of-mind as we tip the 2022 season,” said Jim Pitman, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Phoenix Mercury. “While we await her return, our main concern remains for her safety and well-being. Our fans will miss her impact on the court and in our community, and this gesture of including her initials on every court and our BG’s Heart and Sole Shoe Drive activation in every market are for them and for her.”

Here’s hoping the State Department’s involvement expedites Griner’s safe return home.

The post United States Government Steps in Reclassifying Brittney Griner’s Detainment in Russia as Wrongful appeared first on Houston Forward Times.

Maria Taylor named new host of NBC’s Football night in America

By The Atlanta Voice Staff Report In a predictable move, Maria Taylor is the new host of Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports, NBC Sports announced on Thursday. Football Night is NBC Sports’ flagship studio show which precedes Sunday Night Football — primetime television’s No. 1 show for an unprecedented 11 consecutive years — each week during the NFL season. Taylor debuted on the program as a co-host in 2021.

“Maria is the perfect choice to carry the legacy forward of anchoring the mostwatched studio show in sports,” said NBC Sports Executive Producer Sam Flood.

In the last 12 months, Taylor – who was named one of 2021’s “Most Powerful Women in Sports” by Adweek – has hosted many of the most-watched events and programs in sports. Following her move to NBC Sports in July 2021, she hosted the Tokyo Olympics, Super Bowl LVI Pregame Show, and Beijing Olympics and Paralympics. Just prior to joining NBC Sports, she also hosted the primetime network broadcast of the NFL Draft and the NBA Finals.

The last line of the release is important because Taylor’s versatility is an asset valued by NBC Sports.

In addition to her hosting roles, Taylor

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is executive producing and currently in production on an eight-part documentary series on the history of the Black quarterback in the NFL that will stream on Peacock.

The post Maria Taylor named new host of NBC’s Football night in America appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 18, 2022 - May 24, 2022

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 18, 2022 - May 24, 2022

Erica Loewe Helping to Open Doors for Black Press, Others at White House

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent As Karine Jean-Pierre prepares to make history as the first Black press secretary at the White House, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have continued to ensure that African Americans – particularly Black women, helm crucial posts.

Alongside Jean-Pierre, there’s chief of staff to Kate Bedingfield, Khanya Brann, outgoing press secretary Jen Psaki’s chief of staff, Amanda Finney, and senior regional communications director, Rykia Dorsey.

Then, there’s Erica Loewe.

In Loewe’s all-too-important job as director of African American media, she has ensured that the Black Press and other media of color have enjoyed unprecedented access to the White House and top administration and cabinet officials.

“President Biden and Vice President Harris promised an administration that looks like America, and they have fulfilled that promise,” Loewe said during a recent visit to the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s (NNPA) headquarters at the Thurgood Marshall Center in Northwest, Washington, D.C. There, Loewe sat for an interview with NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., for his PBS-TV show, “The

COMMENTARY:

(Pictured left to right): Karine Jean-Pierre, the nation’s first Black press secretary, Erica Loewe, director of African American media and outgoing press secretary Jen Psaki.

Chavis Chronicles.”

“Since day one, the Biden-Harris Administration has valued diversity, empowered Black voices, and taken a whole-ofgovernment approach to advance racial equity,” she told Dr. Chavis during the episode scheduled to air later this year.

Loewe grew up in Miami after her mother gave birth to her in South Carolina.

She attended the University of Florida and later interned at the White House for President Barack Obama.

A prolific volunteer, Loewe has worked

as press secretary and deputy communications director for U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and as deputy communications director for Congressman James Clyburn (D-S.C.).

“Jim Clyburn is one of my favorite bosses, and he’s been very clear that I need to tell people that I’m from Charleston even though I grew up in Miami,” Loewe stated.

“He’s a great man, and I’ve learned a lot from him,” she remarked.

Her early influence came from her par-

ents, particularly her mother and grandparents.

Loewe’s father worked in the nonprofit sector and helped her to gain a focus on economic empowerment and business development.

Her mother worked for a city commissioner, allowing Loewe to spend time at City Hall.

“I have always been around people who lead and serve, to some extent,” she said.

“My parents split up, but I lived with my mom and grandparents in a house full of

love and laughter,” she said.

While working in the Obama White House, Loewe lived with her family and worked under the director of African American outreach.

Now, as director of African American media, she said her life had come full circle.

“I’m back at the White House, and my mother lives with me,” she said.

Loewe said her mother battles Alzheimer’s disease, but “somewhere inside, she’s there, proud of me.”

Loewe said she has enjoyed returning to the White House and tries to stay out of the crosshairs of secret service.

“We have fun. They take their jobs very seriously and we do as well,” Loewe said.

The fulfilling part of her job is allowing access to Black media and the American public, Loewe offered.

“There’s nothing like being able to grant access to the White House for the very first time,” Loewe declared. “It’s a building people have seen on television and thought they may never get inside. But, our job is to provide access to people.”

She exclaimed that the Biden-Harris administration had provided access never before experienced by the American public.

The administration also has remained the most inclusive in American history.

“Never has there been an administraCon’t on page

Critical Race Theory: An Academic Concept, Not a Threat to Children

By Daisha Williams, The Oakland Post Since late 2020, Critical Race Theory (CRT) has been at the center of furious controversies. Despite all the heated arguments, many people still do not understand what Critical Race Theory is.

Sometimes, viewing it as part of vast conspiracy, right wing politicians and parents have often claimed CRT teaches children to hate White people.

Today, CRT is still an important topic of discussion. The theory was brought up in Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Senate confirmation hearings when Republican senators attempted to discredit Jackson claiming she was a proponent of CRT being taught in K-12 schools.

Critical Race Theory was first developed in the 1970s and ’80s, soon after the Civil Rights Movement. The phrase was coined by Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, an activist and professor at UCLA Law and Columbia Law school. As an academic and legal framework, CRT was intended for graduate students. The subject is more multifaceted than most in the media have made it out to be and is far too complex to be taught in K-12 schools.

A major aspect of CRT is that it rejects

the idea of “color-blindness,” acknowledging that racism is more than individual prejudice and is instead systemic.

CRT teaches that racism is something deeply embedded in the United States legal system due to centuries of racebased oppression. According to the New York Times, Crenshaw said, “[CRT] is a way of seeing, attending to, accounting for, tracing and analyzing the ways that

race is produced, the ways that racial inequality is facilitated, and the ways that our history has created these inequalities that now can be almost effortlessly reproduced unless we attend to the existence of these inequalities.”

CRT has become a catch-all for all topics regarding race, inequality, White privilege, and oppression. Opposition to the law graduate theory has been distorted

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into a movement that created outrage and evolved into attempts to justify banning books about anti-racism in K-12 schools.

This movement began with one rightwing PR person who spread misinformation through outlets like Fox News and galvanized White parents to protest.

Many parents reacted similarly to one parent who wrote an essay about an allgirls private school named Brearley,

which had created discussions surrounding anti-racism. In the essay the parent wrote, “Brearley, by adopting critical race theory, is advocating the abhorrent viewpoint that Blacks should forever be regarded as helpless victims, and are incapable of success regardless of their skills, talents, or hard work. What Brearley is teaching our children is precisely the true and correct definition of racism.”

Brearley, and other schools in this country are not adopting CRT in their curriculums. They are bringing conversations about race into the classroom, straying away from White-washed versions of history that has neglected true American history for decades. Unfortunately, to people who aren’t educated on these matters, the Brearly parent’s arguments and fears seem justified. Many of the “concerned parents” that were featured on Fox News were people manipulating the facts for their own political agendas.

Grievances like these were dramatized

by Fox News and are magnified through social media until they became a part of mainstream media.

The post COMMENTARY: Critical Race Theory: An Academic Concept, Not a Threat to Children first appeared on Post News Group. This article originally appeared in Post News Group.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 18, 2022 - May 24, 2022

Why Emphysema May Often Be Missed in Black Men

which will instead cause them to lose their shape and become floppy. Emphysema can also destroy the walls of the air sacs, which will create fewer and larger air sacs instead of many tiny ones making it harder for your lungs to move oxygen in and carbon dioxide out of your body.

While you may have no symptoms or only mild symptoms at first, as the disease progresses, your symptoms may include:

by Cara Jones, BlackDoctor.org

Emphysema is missed more often in Black Americans than in white Americans, and now researchers report they have figured out why.

The investigators found that many Black men who were considered to have normal results after race-specific interpretations of a common lung function test called spirometry actually had emphysema when assessed using computed tomography (CT).

Spirometry measures how much air a person can exhale and inhale. It’s standard practice to interpret spirometry results using race-specific norms, resulting in a predicted lower limit of normal for FEV1 and FVC for Black patients, the study authors explained. FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in the first second) is the maximum amount of air a person can exhale in one second and FVC (forced vital capacity) is the maximum amount exhaled after breathing in deeply.

Black men and emphysema Race-based correction of spirometry has no biological basis and comes from an old mistaken belief that Black people have smaller lungs, the study authors pointed out.

For the study, the researchers examined the results from more than 2,600 Black and white men who had lung CT scans at an average age of 50 and spirometry at an average age of 55.

The study showed that nearly 15% of the Black men with above-normal spirometry results based on race-based adjustments were found to have emphysema on CT scans, compared with just under 2% of white men.

• Frequent coughing or wheezing • A cough that produces a lot mucus • Shortness of breath, especially with physical activity • A whistling or squeaky sound when you breathe • Tightness in your chest If you have severe symptoms, such as trouble catching your breath or talking, call your health care provider, especially if your symptoms are getting worse or if you have signs of an infection, such as a fever.

“We found that significant racial disparities in emphysema prevalence occur predominantly among those with FEV1 between 80% and 120% of that predicted,” said study author Dr. Gabrielle Liu. She is a pulmonary and critical care fellow at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

“This suggests that the greatest potential for misclassification using racespecific equations occurs among Black adults who are at risk for disease and who could potentially benefit from risk factor modification,” said Liu, who was sched-

uled to present the findings May 15 at the American Thoracic Society annual meeting in San Francisco. Such findings are considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

“We feel these findings support reconsidering the use of race-specific spirometry reference equations in favor of raceneutral reference equations, and support further research into the utility and implications of incorporating CT imaging into the evaluation of those with suspected impaired respiratory health and normal spirometry,” Liu said in a meeting news

release.

What is emphysema?

Emphysema involves the gradual destruction of lung tissue and is often associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Emphysema affects the air sacs in your lungs. These typically stretchy/elastic sacs fill up with air, like a small balloon when you breathe in and deflate when you breathe out or the air goes out.

However, if you have emphysema, many of your sacs may become damaged,

Getting diagnosed If you believe you may have emphysema, see a doctor. He or she will be able to make a diagnosis based off of: • A medical history, which includes asking about your symptoms • A family history • Other tests, such as lung function tests, a chest x-ray or CT scan, and blood tests Although there is no cure for emphysema, treatments and lifestyle changes can help with symptoms, slow the progress of the disease, and improve your ability to stay active. Additionally, there are treatments available that can prevent or treat complications of the disease such as medicines, oxygen therapy, pulmonary rehabilitation and surgery.

Jelani Cobb named new dean of Columbia University Journalism School In addition to his contributions to The New Yorker, Cobb has written numerous articles and essays that have appeared in the Washington Post, The New Republic, Essence, Vibe, The Progressive, and TheRoot.com. He is the 2015 recipient of the Sidney Hillman Award for Opinion and Analysis writing.

The Queens, N.Y., native has also authored several books, including “The Substance of Hope: Barack Obama and the Paradox of Progress,” “To the Break of Dawn: A Freestyle on the Hip Hop Aesthetic,” and “The Devil and Dave Chappelle and Other Essays,” a collection of articles and essays. He has also contributed to a number of anthologies that explore facets of Black life and culture in America.

Cobb graduated from Howard University, the renowned HBCU in Washington, D.C., and received his doctorate in American history from Rutgers University. The Fulbright and Ford Foundation fellowships recipient also served as an associate pro-

By Courtesy of AFRO Staff Jelani Cobb, the award-winning essayist, author and staff writer with The New Yorker, has been named the new dean of the prestigious Columbia University Journalism School, the school announced May 13.

Cobb, who is currently the Ira A. Lipman Professor of Journalism and Director of the Ira A. Lipman Center for Journalism and Civil and Human Rights at the New York university, will begin his tenure Aug. 1.

“Jelani is a highly distinguished and renowned journalist and historian. Since 2012, he has worked for The New Yorker, as a contributor and currently as a staff writer, offering in-depth analyses of a wide array of subjects, ranging from electoral politics and policing to filmmaking and stand-up comedy,” Columbia President Lee C. Bollinger said in making the announcement.

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fessor of history and director of the Africana Studies Institute at the University of Connecticut, where he specialized in postCivil War African American history, 20th century American politics and the history of the Cold War. Cobb joined the Columbia Journalism School faculty in 2016. As part of the school’s Ira A. Lipman Center for Journalism and Civil and Human Rights, he and his colleagues foster diversity in journalism and ensure that critical issues are covered with the care and attention they deserve, Bollinger said.

“Jelani’s vision for the future of the Journalism School is one that embraces the vital role of journalism in our society, on a local and global scale, and the need to ensure our graduates are as well prepared as possible for an incredibly dynamic and changing field,” Bollinger said. “…We are all delighted with this outcome and look forward to seeing how, as Dean, Jelani will shape the future of journalism education.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 18, 2022 - May 24, 2022

OP-ED: Black Businesses Leaders Undervalued in America

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., President and CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA)

When is the last time that you read a national news story in the so-called mainstream media about a successful Black business in America that has achieved unprecedented excellence and profit in today’s marketplace? I know it has been a long time.

On the other hand, when was the last time that you read or heard in the media about allegations of corruption, financial failure and excessive greed by the owners of some Black businesses?

In my opinion it, has been an all too frequent and reoccurring false narrative that continues to be cast in the media to undermine and devalue Black business leaders across the nation.

Late last year, I called attention to a barrage of unfair attacks being leveled in the media against CORE Services Group, Inc., a Black-run nonprofit that has for years provided food, shelter, and other services to New York City’s growing homeless population. I was particularly offended that the attacks appeared to be waged through anonymous leaks by city bureaucrats in the previous mayoral administration who seemed bent on destroying the nonprofit organization and its founder, Jack Brown, a successful Black businessman.

Now, seven months later, the case has moved to court, where CORE has begun to fight back – and where city officials cannot hide behind a veil of anonymity. In a series of legal filings, CORE has presented evidence that appears to rebut the allegations by NYC’s Department of Homeless Services (DHS) against CORE and its leaders, while raising questions about the city’s motives under the previous mayor, Bill de Blasio, according to published reports.

Central to the city’s case, for example, are claims that CORE officials concocted a scheme to enrich themselves by hiring several for-profit companies that CORE itself owned to provide food, security, and maintenance at CORE-run shelters. An outside observer without the benefit of all the facts might be tempted to conclude that CORE was engaged in some kind of self-dealing.

But upon further examination, this hardly seems to be the case. Far from it, in fact.

As CORE has reportedly noted in court documents and elsewhere, the for-profit companies — wholly owned subsidiaries of the non-profit — are part of a model of integrated services that CORE established to run its shelters efficiently – and without the uncertainty its leaders say they regularly faced from outside vendors that all too often provided inferior services or threatened to cut off services because the city was slow to reimburse CORE for its expenses.

More than that, according to documents filed with the court, CORE told DHS about the formation of the for-profit companies even before the companies began providing services at CORE’s DHS-funded shelters.

In other words, CORE operated the forprofit companies for years with the city’s knowledge and consent.

But none of this explains why city officials have targeted CORE for this kind of attack, particularly after years of consistently providing support to the city’s neediest residents, a disproportionate number of whom are Black and Latino. Yet to hear CORE tell it, city officials began raising questions about the organization under the previous mayor, Bill de Blasio, only after CORE officials began demanding that the city pay a backlog of unpaid bills that totaled $35 million.

“The sequence of events says it all: de Blasio used CORE to deflect from his own

failures addressing homelessness in New York City,” Wendy Weingart, CORE Vice President/General Counsel, told the news outlet Inside Sources. “The failure to pay nonprofits that continued to operate during the worst of the pandemic is indefensible.

Simply put, the de Blasio administration took advantage of CORE through administrative delays and did not pay CORE for several programs it operated at the behest of the city for over a year.”

As a result, many Black leaders are speaking out on behalf of CORE and urging the city’s new mayor, Eric Adams, to correct this injustice.

In a recent Op Ed in Black Enterprise, the renowned freedom-fighting Attorney Benjamin Crump argued that Mr. Brown and his organization have been singled

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out for attack despite the essential role the nonprofit has played in helping legions of homeless individuals in a city with a notoriously overburdened social service system.

“Jack Brown’s plight is yet another sad example of the impediments Black Americans still face when we strive for excellence,” he said. “Mr. Brown is being pilloried for his commitment to caring for the homeless New Yorkers, a group which unfortunately includes a disproportionate number of Black and Brown people. CORE came every time DHS called. But sadly, as Congresswoman Chisholm once said, ‘Racism is so universal in this country, so widespread, and deep-seated, that it is invisible because it is so normal.”

Now that there is a new administration in New York City, I believe that the Honor-

able Mayor Eric Adams will have the opportunity to rectify the situation with Jack Brown and CORE. The city’s homeless deserve to receive the best care possible as the city rebounds from the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayor Adams has already expressed a priority in ensuring the future sustainability of local and citywide businesses that are owned by African Americans and other people of color.

Yet, what Jack Brown, as a Black business leader, was facing and continues to face in New York City is not isolated to that one city. The challenges that Black businesses are facing is a national concern from the east coast to the west coast, and from the north to the south. There appears to be a systematic attempt throughout the country to undervalue the strategic importance of supporting Black businesses. This is apparent at the municipal, county, state, and regional levels in nearly every state.

The eventual fate of businessmen like Jack Brown III will be the future fate of our advance and progress in America.

The vital key to advancing the economic status of African American communities and families is the support and the promotion of the success of Black-founded, managed, and owned businesses. We will not stand silent about this matter. Our businesses deserved to be respected, engaged, and empowered. No one should attempt to devalue what is invaluable to the future of our communities. It is time to vote. It is time to speak out. It is time to support our Black businessmen and women—especially those devoted to serving the underserved.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. is the President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and Executive Producer/Host of The Chavs Chronicles on PBS TV stations weekly throughout the United States; and can be reached at dr.bchavis@nnpa.org

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 18, 2022 - May 24, 2022 Con’t from page

Fallen Firefighter

0044 hours, the New Haven Public Safety Telecommunication Center received the first of three “911” calls reporting a fire at 190 Valley Street in the City of New Haven. The New Haven Fire Department was dispatched to the working structure fire and was soon notified that there was a party entrapped within the building.

Through the heroic efforts of the responding New Haven Firefighters and Police Officers, an elderly female occupant was rescued from the first floor of the two family residence. Conditions within the structure rapidly deteriorated as firefighters attacked the fire. During the fire suppression efforts, Firefighter Ricardo Torres Jr. initiated radio transmissions that indicated he was under duress. An immediate rescue effort was initiated and Firefighter Torres was pulled from the second floor of the structure but was unresponsive, and later pronounced deceased after being transport by ambulance to Yale New Haven Hospital. Lieutenant Samod Rankins was also rescued from the structure and sustained serious injuries requiring a lengthy recovery.

The fire origin and cause investigation determined that the fire originated in the basement of the structure and spread to the first and second floors causing severe fire and collapse damage. Due to the extent of damage and lack of physical evidence, the cause of the fire was not able to be determined. There is no criminal aspect.

Con’t from page

White House

tion that has uplifted and supported Black women as much as President Biden and Vice President Harris,” Loewe asserted.

“It’s just a fact. Numbers don’t lie. The Honorable [Kamala] Harris is a Black woman who has lived experiences… She attended Howard University, and she’s a member of the Divine Nine, the Black Church, and an advocate for Black maternal health and accurate home appraisals for Black people.”

Loewe continued: “There are more Black people in first time positions in the President’s cabinet.

You have the war in Ukraine and Gen. Lloyd Austin, the first Black to head the Department of Defense and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield. Two Black people you see every day making sure that we’re providing aid to Ukraine.”

She noted the Environmental Protection Agency’s Michael Regan as the first Black person to lead there, and HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge, as examples of other Black appointees in the administration.

“These are not symbolic positions,” Loewe concluded.

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 18, 2022 - May 24, 2022

As Baby Formula Shortage Continues, Experts Offer Guidance to Parents by by Jason Henderson, BlackDoctor.org A nationwide baby formula shortage continues across the United States, with desperate parents scouring shelves to find nutrition for their infants.

Millions of babies rely on formula — the only source of nutrition recommended for infants who aren’t exclusively breastfed.

Two prominent pediatricians have advice for parents who are scrambling to find formula, offering a list of dos and don’ts:

Don’t hoard.

The shortages are caused in part by supply chain issues, and pediatricians are concerned that fretful parents might make the situation worse by hoarding whatever they find on the shelves.

“I asked a mom today, ‘If you saw three cans on the shelf, what would you do?

Would you buy two and leave one or would you take all three?’” says Dr. Richard So, a pediatrician at Cleveland Clinic Children’s. “I think the answer should be, take two and leave one for the next mom.”

Chicago pediatrician Dr. Joshua Wechsler agrees.

“You’re really just harming someone else in the process when you hoard. I know that’s hard to tell someone because when you’re desperate to feed your kids and you have the resources, you’re going

COMMENTARY:

and weight loss.

“The more you prolong weight loss, the more it limits growth and then, ultimately, if it’s going on for quite some time, can affect brain development,” Wechsler shares.

to go out and buy what you can,” says Wechsler, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University School of Medicine and medical director of the eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases program at the Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

Don’t use cow’s milk.

Do consider generic or store-brand formulas.

You might not be able to find your exact formula brand in the store or online, but by reading the labels of generic or storebrand options, you might be able to purchase essentially the same thing you’ve been feeding your child, So shares.

“Whether it’s Walmart, Target, Sam’s Club, Costco, those are just as good as your brand-name formulas,” So adds.

However, talk to your pediatrician before you substitute, if your option is very different from what you normally feed.

“If a parent is struggling to find nutrition, call your pediatrician about the best options,” So suggests. “For example, if someone’s on milk-based formula, soy would be OK if that’s what they saw. Or if all they saw was a lactose-free formula, they could try that, buy a can of that, and it’s not going to hurt the baby.”

A discussion with your pediatrician is going to be particularly important if your child has specific nutritional needs, or if the alternative formula you’re considering is designed for a baby with specific

needs, Wechsler shares.

“Sometimes, not all babies will tolerate a simple switch to any formula,” Wechsler says. “It’s really more of a concern if you’re giving your kids a more broken-down formula in terms of the proteins — not whole intact proteins, more like chopped-up peptides or even in some cases amino acids — or if they’re using a soy formula and switching to something that’s now more milk-based whole protein.”

Don’t make your own formula.

The internet is flooded with do-it-yourself emergency baby formula recipes.

Wechsler and So recommended against using any of them.

“It’s not safe. Formulas are very, very physiologically balanced for a baby’s body composition,” So notes.

Babies can develop electrolyte imbalances, nutritional deficiencies and weight loss if your homebrew formula is off by even a little, according to the pediatricians.

Don’t dilute the formula.

By the same token, you shouldn’t water down the formula you have to make it stretch. The risks are similar to homemade formula — electrolyte imbalances

Whole cow’s milk, 2% milk or skim milk should not be substituted for formula in infants, or mixed in formula to make it last longer, Wechsler adds.

“Formula is complete nutrition, similar to what you get with breast milk,” Wechsler says. “Cow’s milk is actually lacking certain things, and can affect the bioavailability of certain minerals. You can end up with things like iron deficiency from feeding too much cow’s milk before 12 months.”

The same goes for goat’s milk, almond milk and oat milk, So shares.

“Those are all for kids 1 year and up,” So notes.

Don’t use toddler’s formula as a substitute for baby formula.

“Toddler formula is different from baby formula,” So points out. “Toddler formulas don’t contain the micronutrients that baby formulas have, and your babies can have complications from missing certain micronutrients.”

COVID-19 Is Not Over! We Cannot Drop Our Guard CDC (Centers for Disease Control), I can honestly say that I didn’t pay attention to all of their statistical information.

By James B. Ewers Jr. Ed.D. | Houston Forward Times

Sometimes we come to conclusions too quickly. We want things so badly that we think we can just make them happen.

Outlooks look good and they look promising. We immerse ourselves in all that is good and refuse to see the bad.

We are all guilty of rushing to judgments. That’s just a part of life, I guess.

There are many instances where we use statistics to justify our reasoning. I have learned throughout the years that we can make statistics say anything we want them to say.

Now, I pay close attention to their COVID-19 data.

If you say the same thing to people, over time they will start to believe you.

This past election is a good example of someone using the same story line and having people believe them.

You see, there are fellow countrymen and countrywomen who believe that Mr. Biden’s opponent won the election. That wrong and overused statement continues to haunt our country.

Our nation is severely divided because of it.

Since 2020, we have been in a health

crisis. The Coronavirus has run rampant and roughshod over the United States of America.

Our mindsets and our mental conditions have changed dramatically.

In many of our families, this illness took its toll. We could not escape it.

Pre-COVID-19, most of us were hopeful. Post-COVID-19, too many of us are hopeless.

Dinner tables have one less seat and

living rooms have one less chair. The Coronavirus has caused this permanent disruption.

America has forever changed as we have lost thousands of our citizens.

It is a colorless disease. It has hit all of us, no matter our skin color.

Medications are with us now and new systems of safety have been implemented.

Before now, while I knew about the

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According to the CDC, unvaccinated people are more likely to die from COVID-19. Does that scare you?

I hope it does and makes you want to get vaccinated.

In a recent report in The New York Times, it stated that there are about 68,000 COVID-19 cases announced each day. Yet that only captures a portion of the total.

That same report states that our country will be approaching 1 million deaths from COVID-19 in the coming weeks.

Dr. Anthony Fauci said, “The United States and the entire world is still experiencing a pandemic, but there are different phases of the pandemic.”

He added, “And what we are in right now is somewhat of a transitional phase; out of the accelerated component into hopefully a more controlled component.”

Cities and states are now loosening some of the restrictions. One of the biggest is that you don’t have to constantly

wear your mask.

Most people that I know still wear a mask wherever they go. I just think that kind of discretion is still needed.

For example, in large-scale events, you still don’t know who is vaccinated.

I believe we cannot drop our guard. Yes, we are better than we were, but normal, we are not. Will we ever be normal again?

That is a good question and one that cannot be answered now.

According to the CDC, nearly 220 million people, or roughly 66% of the population, are fully vaccinated.

100 million people have also received their first booster dose.

We are going in the right direction and that is good news.

Encourage your friends and family to be cautious and not to take chances with their health.

Know who you are around. Our lives are at stake.

I value my life. Don’t you value your life?

The post COVID-19 Is Not Over! We Cannot Drop Our Guard appeared first on Houston Forward Times.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 18, 2022 - May 24, 2022 Con’t from page 08

The Code

type of technological learning is for the students and the economy. He said local businesses and governments who are desperate for tech-savvy entry-level employees should invest more in financing the education of the type of worker they desire.

After the day’s work, students come together again with instructors for a closing check-in circle, where they discuss what they learned, how the day went, and what their goals for the next session will be.

Jill Goodman, the associate education + community manager and a former public school educator, is passionate about this social-emotional aspect of learning at DAE. She said that the well-being of the whole student and attention to the various external factors in their personal lives is sometimes more important than the academic piece. She said the students “need to be cared about as young people, not numbers,” and that learning is impossible when the conditions are forced.

The philosophies of learning at DAE align with what Goodman has believed for several years, and she said the personal aspect brings more meaning to the job. In addition to the regular check-ins, instructors make themselves available for listening and support, and they even have therapy dog Freyja on site.

DAE has been offering this type of programming for students in New Haven since May of 2020. They partnered this past winter with New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) to expand the opportunity to more students.

NHPS Assistant Superintendent Evie Velazquez said with the help of ESSER (federal pandemic relief) funding, the district invested $400,000 into DAE to host the school district’s after-school extension program. That funding has provided DAE with the capacity to teach 50 students. As of May, they’ve filled 40 of those slots.

“We really want our high school students to have access to this kind of programming, learning about web design, and entry-level skills for higher paying jobs in IT,” said Velazquez.

“We’re also learning from them. We’re looking to not only build in this opportunity after school, but in three years, I want to see our computer science courses in the high school to look more like this,” she said.

DAE also offers a four-month adult education intensive course for people finishing their GED to gain computer specialist skills in New Haven. In addition, they have a branch in Stamford, which opened in January of this year. At that location, the program offers education in video, music, and audio production — lessons which they hope to bring to New Haven in the coming years.

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, 24,2016 2022 INNER-CITY 27, 18 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 27,182016 - August THE INNER-CITYNEWS NEWS July - May , 2022 - May02, 24,2016 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

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES Request for Proposals Youth Development Program Services – Eastview Terrace Elm City Communities is currently seeking proposals for youth development program services at Eastview Terrace. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City Communities’ Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Monday, May 23, 2022 at 3:00PM.

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES Request for Proposals Youth Development Program Services – West Rock Elm City Communities is currently seeking proposals for youth development program services at West Rock. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City Communities’ Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Monday, May 23, 2022 at 3:00PM.

DRIVER CDL CLASS A

Listing: Commercial Driver

Full Time – All Shifts Top

Full Time Class B driver for a fast paced petroleum company for days and weekends. Previous experience required. Competitive wage, 401(k) and benefits. Send resume to: HR Manager, P. O. Box 388, Guilford, CT 06437 or email HRDept@eastriverenergy.com

Pay-Full Benefits

EOE Please apply in person: 1425 Honeyspot Rd. Ext. ********An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer********** Stratford, CT 06615Invitation to Bid: 2nd Notice

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE SENIOR ADMINITRATIVE

ASSISTANT

Old Saybrook, CT (4 Buildings, 17 Units) Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project

Full-time position

Newto Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, CastGo www.portlandct. in-place Concrete, Asphalt Shingles, Vinyl Siding, org for details Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection.

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

Office of Policy and Management

Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016 Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016 Request for Proposals (RFP) for Services Project documents The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Man- available via ftp link below: agement, is seeking proposals to provide certain serhttp://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage vices related to a Housing and Segregation Study.

LEGAL NOTICE

The intent of the request is to identify individuals or firms with the necessary expertise to provide Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com analysis of the impact of federal and state housing programs within Connecticutthe on economic and racial HCC encourages participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses segregation within a stated timeframe.

Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483

The RFP is available online at: https://portal.

AA/EEO EMPLOYER ct.gov/DAS/CTSource/BidBoard and https:// portal.ct.gov/OPM/Root/RFP/Request-ForProposals 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

THE INNER-CITYNEWS NEWS July - May , 2022 - May02, 24,2016 2022 INNER-CITY 27,18 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 18, 2022 - May 24, 2022

JOIN THE INNER-CITY NEWS AS WE CELEBRATE

JUNETEENTH! Known to some as the country's “second Independence Day,” Juneteenth celebrates the freedom of enslaved people in the United States at the end of the Civil War.

For more than 150 years, African American communities across the country have observed this holiday. From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond.

We invite you to join us in this national celebration of American history and Black Culture.

Let us showcase and highlight your brand messaging in The Juneteenth Special Editions!

For more information contact our advertising sale department (203) 387-0354

Circulation Breakdown

Circulation Breakdown Inner-City News Market CIRCULATION BREAKDOWN

GET THE FACTS

Connecticut has

16.5% non-white population. The figure

Published: weekly / circulation:

for the inner city newspaper coverage area is an overwhelming

44%.

25,000 / Readership:

100,000 Where: over

750+ racks throughout the New Haven and

Bridgeport area.

Within the inner city distribution area, the cities with the largest non-white populations are: Bridgeport

New haven

53.1% New haven 49.3%

60% Bridgeport 40%

New Haven, Westhaven, Hamden, North Haven, Bridgeport,

This represents a vital consumer base and an important seg-

Orange, Ansonia, Milford, Waterbury

ment of the population that cannot be ignored! Media market research (MRI) reported that

30.3% of the black popu$40,000 a year!

Here are some quick facts about our readers.

35–78 College educated: 53% 46%– 54% Home owners: 34%

lation have household incomes of over

Age:

10%

Male / Female:

of this population have incomes of 70,000 or more!

Place your message where people place their trust.

The

Inner-City Penfield Communications inc.

News

Connecticut’s first choice for urban news since 1990.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 18, 2022 - May 24, 2022

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