THE INNER-CITY NEWS

Edgewood Dances Into The Week

Lucy Gellman, Editor, The Arts Paper newhavenarts.org

Rodney Hill extended his arms, kicking out his right foot as he scanned two dozen faces. He leaned to the left and began to count, shaking it out. Facing him, seventh grader Ja’mese Hunter studied his every move, her feet and arms already in motion. As Bill DeVoe’s “Poison” came pumping over a speaker, her pink croc slippers glowed in the sunshine.

Monday, Hill made a visit to Edgewood Creative Thinking through STEAM Magnet School before “Nuttin’ But A Word,” a performance of Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theater (RHPM) at the Yale Schwarzman Center (YSC) on Tuesday night. RHPM is a group dedicated to “street dance theater”—dance that has originated in the streets, rather than a studio or conservatory. For students like Ja’mese, it marked a chance to get out of one of kind of classroom, and step into another.

It is part of a growing initiative of the Schwarzman Center to engage with New Haven schools (as it has with Cooperative Arts & Humanities and Wilbur Cross High Schools), as well as artists and organizations in the city. That’s also the inspiration behind its “Everybody Dances” series, which brings in New Haven artists to teach and opens classes to the community once a week.

“Experiential education is just about the best methodology for how we learn,” said Edgewood Principal Nick Perrone, who watched the beginning of the class. “By providing these experiences, we are hoping to connect children with a passion that they can develop.”

“We want them to be able to say, ‘This was really fun, I want to go into schools and work with kids,’” he added. “Or, ‘I want to take this new style and do something different with it.’” Monday, that rang true for Ja’mese, from the first steps to a finished routine, complete with DeVoe’s earwormy vocals. Hill talked students through a warmup, his limbs suddenly loose, and she shook it out in time with him. He brought his arms to their full wingspan, and her arms rose instantly, in sync. Beside Hill, dancer Maggie Waller pumped her arms in a green sweatshirt.

“So we want to go—” he stepped left, dropping his shoulder as he moved, and students copied the motion. “Yeah—” He stepped right and did it again, sinking into his knees. In the first three rows, students didn’t take their eyes off of Hill. When he strutted backyards, the group exploded in a delighted, cacophonous “Ayyyyy!”

“Alright?” he said, and his feet went momentarily airborne, then found their place back on the asphalt. “Let me see that real quick! Five, six, seven, let’s go!” Following along in the front row, Ja’mese

made it her own, pumping her feet so fast it looked as though she was skipping in place, or jumping an invisible rope. She threw out her arms, bringing them back in as her knees bent and she moved backwards. On Hill’s count of "five!," a delighted cry of “It’s the Nae Nae!” went up from somewhere in the group.

Hill smiled, and the ease of it seemed to radiate through the rows of students. He gave a small nod of acknowledgement.

“It’s the Nae Nae y’all!” Hill said, still in motion. “Let’s try it again!”

As students started from the top, Ja’mese said that it reminded her of her training with Elite Drill Squad & Drum Corps, where she does majorette after school and on the weekends. She added that was excited to see moves that aren’t always considered dance—hip hop, breaking, popping and locking, for instance—fit neatly into the routine.

“I love it!” she said. “It’s an escape from reality, especially when I get to do it during school.”

As the sun rose higher over the sprawl of asphalt, rows of her peers mastered the choreography, adding onto it one handful of steps at a time. When Hill flipped the music on, they clapped in time with the beat, stretching out their arms before their legs caught up. Hill called out a count, and they picked it up, turning in place as his voice—“six - seven - eight!”—sailed over the music. They criss-crossed their feet, shoulders bouncing. They sank into their knees and walked back, this time with a more certain, sun-soaked swagger. A few laughed, not dropping the moves for a moment. On the outskirts of the group, capoeira teacher Lisa Bergmann watched, beaming. “Turn, turn, turn,” Hill said, hands making a spinning motion as Waller buzzed around the group, checking in on students who needed extra assistance. “Turn turn turn—” he jumped to his left, and then to the right just as quickly. “Side! Side!”

Back in the front row, Ja’mese—now in only her socks, crocs pushed away and neatly arranged on the asphalt—hadn’t missed a beat. Beside her, fellow student Max Tomlin said she was also excited to have the opportunity to learn dance during the school day. Both she and Ja’mese take Bergmann’s capoeira class, an elective that ESSER Funds covered this year. “I feel good!” Max said. Just feet away from her, Hill was thinking through the next steps of the dance. He looked up and smiled at the group, and got ready to take it from the top.

“Okay,” he said. “Let’s start from the beginning.”

Lucy Gellman Photos.

Students Take The Train To Hadestown

Lucy Gellman, Editor, The Arts Paper newhavenarts.org

In the center of the stage, Orpheus was on his way to hell. Wisps of white smoke rose around his legs. Flashes of light danced through the darkness, until an orange glow appeared on all sides. When a quintet of lanterns swung from behind him, there was a collective gasp in an otherwise silent house.

In Row K, high school freshman Charles Nixon let out a deep, reverent sound reserved for church. Orpheus reached out his hand to the audience, and Nixon moved to the edge of his seat.

That scene unfolded Thursday afternoon, as Nixon joined 1,500 students at the Shubert Theatre for a matinee of Hadestown that did not leave a dry eye in the house. At turns sharply political, heartwrenching, and visually arresting, the musical is a jazz-age retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice, set in what appears to be New Orleans in the first half of the 20th century.

“It is so exciting to have the opportunity to welcome students,” said Anthony McDonald, executive director of the Shubert. He recalled his own entry into theater, which transformed his whole professional trajectory. “These moments really affect the way we view our future.”

Written by Anaïs Mitchell in 2006 and reworked from 2012 to 2016, Hadestown reimagines the Greek tragedy of Orpheus (J. Antonio Rodriguez) and Eurydice (Amaya Braganza), who fall in love only to be separated (and then reunited, and then separated again) by Eurydice’s untimely death. Devastated, Orpheus travels to the underworld to bring her back.

When he meets an uncompromising Hades (Jamal Lee Harris, in for Matthew Patrick Quinn), he plays a song so moving that the God of the Underworld remembers his own love for Persephone (Lana Gordon) and allows the two to leave—on one condition. Orpheus must lead Eurydice out of hell without looking back. In the audience, we know how this ends. Doubt is an insidious thing: Orpheus turns around when he sees daylight, sending Eurydice back to eternal damnation.

It was that story that drew Nixon, a freshman at James Hillhouse High School and the ACES Educational Center for the Arts (ECA), to the show. Earlier this year, he became interested in Hadestown when several peers suggested that his vocal range might be a good fit for Hades. For years, he’s balanced an interest in ancient history with a growing musical wheelhouse, including bass, drums, vocals and most recently guitar. So when the school announced that students were going, he was thrilled.

“I’m going in blind,” he said before the show, as he settled in to his seat with fellow ECA students. “I’m really excited

though.”

As the lights came down, he had every reason to be. Onstage, Will Mann stepped out of the shadows and transformed into Hermes, the winged messenger of the Gods. As he lifted his arms with an Alright?, Nixon spotted feathers at his wrists, and seemed to make a mental note.

Hermes cleared his throat, and suddenly a brassy, bouncing trombone made it hard to stay still.

Within moments, Nixon had stepped from one world into another, from New Haven into a place of myth and mystery.

Gordon entered as Persephone, and he burst into applause. As Eurydice began to sing in “Any Way The Wind Blows,” her voice full of soul and smoke, Nixon let out an immediate, knowing Mmmmmmm.

Something stirred onstage, and Nixon watched with bated breath. The fates (Marla Louissant, Lizzie Markson, Hannah Schreer) joined her on the chorus, and he added a barely audible “Oh!” As if on cue, their voices melted into each other. Moments later, Orpheus jogged toward Eurydice, and every eye in the audience stayed fixed on the stage.

“You wanna talk to her?” Hermes asked a wide-eyed Orpheus, and Nixon studied every move as if he was onstage himself, in the center of the action. “Don’t come on too strong.”

“Come home with me!” Rodriguez-asOrpheus announced, kneeling and extending his arms. Nixon laughed with the rest of the audience, and then settled in for the first half of a story almost as old as time itself.

As it unfolded, it became a reminder of theater’s ability to electrify a space, to take it over and teach in the process. Orpheus sang a red carnation into being, and Nixon breathed in deeply, that kind of breath that means there is still magic in the world. Orpheus and Eurydice danced themselves into a hesitant, then all-consuming love for each other, and Nixon looked on, as though maybe this time Orpheus could protect them from the ending that they know is coming.

The play deepened, and Nixon ventured into it. Persephone returned from the underworld, and he let the ease and soul of “Livin’ It Up On Top” carry him as spring bloomed across the stage. She descended, and he watched how Mitchell

In the center of the stage, Orpheus let the fates try to talk him out of it, pushing back against them as he belted out the hook.

Percussion rolled beneath Hermes, and he urged Orpheus on. For a moment, it seemed as though Nixon forgot to exhale. “I couldn’t look away, even with the lights blaring in my eyes,” he said during intermission. “It’s very powerful.”

“That was some of the best writing ever,” he added. Growing up in New Haven, he was no stranger to the kind of poverty from which Hades tries to gird the underworld, creating a culture of fear and illusion of safety. In songs like “Why We Build The Wall”—written well before the election of Donald Trump in 2016—he can see a hatred of poor people and those perceived as different that is baked into the history of the United States.

“This is probably one of the few things that really shows how workers are exploited,” he said. Just a few songs before, he had watched the oil-smudged, overallclad lost souls of the underworld hum and chant their way through a day’s labor, keeping their eyes averted and heads low as they hammered and lifted, hammered and lifted.

And yet, he also felt the hopeful tug of Orpheus’ love, for which the character literally goes to the ends of the earth, and then its boiling-hot core. “It shows that there’s always a flower that can bloom from it,” he said. Just minutes later, that red carnation reappeared onstage, like an omen that another world was possible. Or as Orpheus says: “To the world we dream about—and the one we live in now.”

Beside him, fellow freshman Amelie Michaelson declared the show amazing. A vocalist and flutist at ECA, she was keeping an especially close eye on the fates, whose performance of “When The Chips Are Down” is one of the selections ECA students are working on this spring. She liked the resonance with which they sang, a nasally pitch that she hadn’t thought to bring to the song.

knitted Gordon’s energetic vocals with Hades’ greed and hunger for empire.

“It explores capitalism and poverty so well,” he later said during intermission. Throughout, he held on to every note, sometimes conducting from his seat.

Hades courted Eurydice in “Hey, Little Songbird,” and he listened to Harris’ gravelly-but-smooth bass envelop the whole stage. When Eurydice, surrounded by a swirl of piano, percussion, and trombone, chose to die by snake bite in the midst of a winter storm, Nixon uttered a rapturous “Get it girl!”

Nowhere was that truer than during the song “Wait for Me,” which employs huge, swinging lights that slice through the darkness as they surround Orpheus.

“It [theater] lets you explore putting yourself in someone else’s shoes,” she said. “You’re expressing emotions that are part of someone else’s story. It gives you empathy.”

That enthusiasm followed them right into the second act. As pianist Eric Kang reappeared onstage, the audience cheered, and Nixon let out an infectious “Ayoooooo!" He kept it going as the play traveled to the depths of the underworld, where Orpheus had found Eurydice and was sowing the seeds of labor unrest. “Is it true-eee-eee?” Orpheus asked Eurydice of her deal with Hades, and a chorus came to life around him. As ensemble members began to break from their labor, Nixon watched intently, imagining the high walls of stone and steel that Hermes conjures in his narration. Why do we turn away when our brother is bleeding? they

Freshmen Charles Nixon and Amelie Michaelson. Lucy Gellman Photo.

Lana-Gordon and-company in Hadestown. T. Charles Erickson Photo.

New Haven Dems Pick Their Chicago 8

by DEREEN SHIRNEKHI and THOMAS BREEN

Eight New Haven-area Democrats have won the chance to help officially select their party’s presidential nominee this summer at what’s shaping up to be an uncontested — but plenty contentious Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Those delegates were selected during a Third Congressional District Democratic Party caucus held Wednesday night at West Haven High School.

The slate consists of three residents from New Haven and one resident each from Wallingford, West Haven, East Haven, Guilford, and Hamden, according to Democratic Town Chair Vincent Mauro, Jr..

The eight selected delegates from New Haven’s Third Congressional District include Christine Cohen, Rebecca Hyland, Karen Martin, Beaver Hills ward co-chair Audrey Tyson, former Westville Alder Marty Dunleavy, Hamden State Rep. Josh Elliott, Patrick Perugino, and New Haven high schooler Jacob Schonberger.

These eight delegates will officially represent the New Haven area at Chicago’s DNC in late August, when thousands of Democratic Party elected officials, insiders, and activists descend on the Windy City to formally choose their party’s presidential nominee. Connecticut will be sending a total of 74 delegates (and five alternates), including the 40 so-called “district” delegates who were selected at caucuses across the state on Wednesday.

Incumbent President Joe Biden overwhelmingly won Connecticut’s presiden-

Audrey Tyson,

as a DNC

tial preference primary in early April, and is all but assured to secure the national party’s nomination this summer. (All 74 delegates heading to the DNC from Connecticut are “Biden” delegates, as state party Executive Director Sarah Locke explained, meaning they are obliged to vote for the incumbent president at the convention. That’s because no other candidate won at least 15 percent of the vote in Connecticut’s April 2 presidential preference primary.)

But Biden’s candidacy has become all the more fraught in recent weeks amidst a nationwide student protest movement against his administration’s support

for Israel’s war in Gaza. Party leaders are bracing for a reprise of antiwar protests outside the Chicago convention in 1968 — which featured cops rampaging through the streets cracking young people’s skulls on national television that they believe helped further fracture their party and elect Republican President Richard Nixon.

Josh Elliott, who received the most votes at Wednesday’s Third Congressional District Democratic Party caucus, told the Independent that he wasn’t able to attend the vote in person because of the ongoing state legislative session. But he said he’s excited and appreciative to have been se-

lected.

“I’ve never been to a Democratic National Convention,” he said.

Despite being a “Bernie guy,” Elliott said that he will “excitedly” be casting his vote for President Joe Biden at the Chicago DNC.

“For me there’s no real tension,” he said, referring to current division in the Democratic Party. “I think he’s done a good job the last three years.”

Audrey Tyson, a New Haven Democratic Party stalwart who has long served as the co-chair for Ward 29, said she was “tearful” when she found out she’d been selected as a delegate for this year’s national convention. She thanked Mauro for her help in winning the delegate spot. This will be her second time serving as a delegate at the DNC, after traveling to Philadelphia in 2016 to vote for Hilary Clinton’s presidential bid.

“I feel so excited, because I’m someone who loves politics. … I love Biden. I think that he’s done a lot of wonderful things.

I think he’s a very heartfelt president and cares about everybody, and he’s fair,” Tyson said.

She said she doesn’t foresee the Israel war protests being “an important factor” at the coming DNC. Instead, she’s thinking about how best to mobilize voters to back Biden in his all-but-certain November general election rematch against former President Donald Trump. “If people get out and vote,” she said, “I think [Biden] can do it.”

The district’s Republican delegates will be selected on May 20 at Milford City Hall.

Mayor Ganim and The City of Bridgeport Announce Grant Funding for Perry Memorial Arch Restoration

Bridgeport, CT – Yesterday, Mayor Ganim and Senator Richard Blumenthal announced state grant funding that will be used for restoring the Perry Memorial Arch, located at the entrance of Bridgeport’s Seaside Park. The $500,000 grant will be used to make many improvements on the archway, which includes: replacing the arch’s metal roof and gutters, pinning of walls and granite, repairs to the arch’s foundation, interior cleaning, plumbing and draining of abandoned formwork, cleaning of the bronze plaque, and other improvements. Restoration of the archway is set to begin July 2024.

Mayor Ganim stated, “I want to sincerely thank Senator Blumenthal and other state delegates for granting us the funds to preserve the Perry Memorial Arch. This archway serves as the gateway to Seaside Park and directly reflects the historic nature we hold to a high stature, here in

Bridgeport. The archway has also served as the entry into many celebratory events throughout our City and I’m appreciative of the fact that this monument will continue to be a significant part of the fabric of our community.”

With over 100 years of history, the archway was constructed in 1918 underneath the creative direction of Henry Bacon, who was also responsible for the design of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The Perry Memorial arch was designed as a tribute to William Perry, a former superintendent of the Wheeler and Wilson sewing machine company that once was based in Bridgeport during the latter half of the 1800s. Perry also served as the president of the Parks Board Commission in Bridgeport, to which his will funded the constructing of the archway leading into Seaside Park.

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The new haven independent

New Haven Academy Students Bring “In The Heights” Home

Lucy Gellman, Editor, The Arts Paper newhavenarts.org

The lyrics swelled around Jaison Haynes, dancers encircling him at the center of the stage. Alza la bandera/La bandera Dominicana! Above his head, a silky streak of blue and white moved back and forth. Alza la bandera/La bandera Puertorriqueña! To the left, Ale Cruz went airborne, their smile bursting with light. Alza la bandera/ La bandera Mexicana! In the audience, it was hard not to stand up and join in. It's just one of the ways that Legacy Studios, the small but mighty drama program of New Haven Academy, has made In The Heights into a joyful, explosive, mellifluous celebration of diaspora and Latinidad in New Haven. Directed and choreographed by Ty Scurry, the musical marks the school's first large ensemble work just two years into its drama program. It is codirected by Josie Ingall, with a live pit and music direction by Kevin James.

Performances run May 2 through 4 at Wilbur Cross High School. Tickets and more information are available here.

"We wanted this show to be something that was really based in the community," said director Ty Scurry, a Wilbur Cross grad who has been building the school's drama program since early 2023. "Our school is 75 percent Hispanic. The district is largely Hispanic. We [New Haven Academy] have this big social justice theme. I really wanted that to come through with the story of a community on the brink of change."

As lights go down and curtains open, a person can feel that in real time. Claves begin to tap, and the audience is suddenly in an early-2000s Washington Heights, where gentrification has begun to gnash its sharp, pearlescent teeth. Onstage, Usnavi (a winning Jaison Haynes) opens his bodega, chasing away a young graffiti artist (Christian Ortiz) before the first customers of the day arrive. Beside him, his kid cousin Sonny (Christopher Samuels) rolls in late, shrugging it off as Usnavi frets over the busted fridge and rising, sticky summer heat.

Around them, Washington Heights stirs to life with all its strive and pluck. Vanessa (Elliot Baez) is determined to leave the barrio and move uptown, but can't get a lease. Daniela (a spellbinding Ale Cruz) welcomes customers into her salon, the chairs sizzling with gossip, and mourns its upcoming move to the Bronx. The Rosarios (Azaad Mamoon as Kevin and Solimar Quintanilla as Camila) eagerly await the arrival of their daughter Nina (Tomitsela Engel-Halfkenny) home from Stanford— even as their taxi business struggles to stay afloat.

All the characters hold the bitter with the sweet in this way. Benny (Jahlil Coleman) jumps on the Rosarios' dispatch, and faces some internalized racism as the only Black person to work for them. Abuela Claudia (Jaylah Jones) balances her own story of migration and diaspora with an

urge to tend to the community. Even the jolly Piragüero (Hazel Rivera) has their woes, including competition from Mr. Softee. Add sexual tension between Vanessa and Usnavi and Nina and Benny, and

in 2019. "You look around here, and you can see how this show is New Haven. It takes place in Washington Heights, but we could just as well change Washington Heights to Fair Haven, and everyone would understand. Nothing would be lost. I think that's the beauty of this show."

And he's right: the play feels like it could take place on Grand or Kimberly Avenue, where a person can find a barber (or three) on one block, calabaza squash and dried hibiscus on the next, paletas bursting with fruit and sweetened with condensed milk on the next. There may not be Usnavi’s bodega, but there is La Super Marqueta on Grand and Tlaxcala Grocery on State Street, and at least two botanicas in between. On any given day, if a person looks hard enough, you can spot a Benny and Nina on a 212 or 268 bus, finishing each other’s sentences before they hop off for work.

Meanwhile, there is not a student who does not shine in this production. As Daniela, Cruz strikes the balance between funny, clipped and brazen that the character demands, with vocals that make the show not only danceable, but buoyant. Alongside them, Baez holds his own, finding the confidence and sass—and yes, vulnerability—to inhabit Vanessa. When she dons a cane and nightgown to become Abuela Claudia, Jones summons a wisdom far beyond her years, and a sweetness too, like she knows she is a high schooler trying to be an elder, and is going to learn from her future self.

As they make Washington Heights their own, several students also take risks, and it pays off. Mamoon finds the space for rage and frustration— at racism, at rising rents and big business, at the precarious pace of change—in his character, giving Kevin a sharp, layered edge in songs including “Useless” and “Blackout.” EngelHalfkenny plays Nina as both sweet and self-conscious, with a balance of hope and world-weariness that feels well beyond their years.

Coleman makes dispatch directions rhapsodic, and his onstage romance with Engel-Halfkenny feels real, the two falling into that great, candid, soft-landing kind of love that only friends can have with each other. Rivera takes a few lines and turns their Piragüero into a whole person with a backstory, with vocals that sail over an infectious score.

saving a bag of crumbs for Abuela Claudia to feed the birds in one scene, preparing Vanessa’s coffee with cinnamon and sweetened milk in another. When he narrates “Alabanza,” sung as a sort of prayer, and the ensemble joins in, it’s enough to bring a listener to their knees. Haynes, a senior at Hamden High and ECA, said he channels his late grandfather, Luis, when he steps onstage.

Because Scurry opens his shows to students from other high schools, this In The Heights has also become the closest thing New Haven has to community theater that actually reflects the community. Student actors come from Hamden High, New Haven Academy, James Hillhouse High School, and Wilbur Cross. During a break in rehearsal Monday night, several pf them stressed how meaningful it has been to have that sense of community, onstage and off.

"I've never done anything like this," said Baez, a junior at Hillhouse who has never acted before. "I had severe stage fright for like, weeks. But the more people come in, the more I'm getting comfortable with my role. Being onstage, it's a new environment for me, but it's like, the best thing ever.”

He and others also pointed to the importance of representation onstage. In In The Heights, most of the characters are Latino, and specifically reflect Washington Heights' large Dominican and Puerto Rican community (in the script, Usnavi is Dominican; Haynes plays him as Puerto Rican). In this production, some of the traditionally Latino characters are Black, which has opened up peer-to-peer conversations about identity, race, and diaspora. "It feels pretty crazy. Super surreal," said Sora (Mikaila) Matta, who plays Carla. "I feel like it was really easy to kind of get into the Hispanic kind of mood, I guess you could say, because I've been surrounded by it for my entire life, obviously. "

They said that the musical feels personal: their father is Dominican, and inherited a bodega in New York. When he saw Usnavi in the show's film adaptation, he told Matta “that guy is me!"

the play starts to feel deeply relatable, as though these characters live among us. "I just knew that this was the show that I was going to do," said Scurry, who played Benny with Square Foot Theatre

But it is Haynes who is the heart of the show, with a performance that gives even Miranda, who originated the role, a run for his money. The lights come up, and he is effusively warm and funny, acting with his entire body in time with the music. Brass and keys soar, and his arms move in time with the lyrics, hands pumping as he weaves between fast-flowing English and Spanish. Often, he finds ways to poke fun at himself (he leans into Sonny's classification of him dancing like "a drunk Chita Rivera"), able to laugh despite the death of his parents and a struggling store.

But he also channels Usnavi’s gentleness,

"It's really crazy being put in those shoes," Matta said. "Being able to put this onstage and having people see, this is how the community is—and yes, there are lots of issues and problems that still need to be solved—but it's like, how we all come together. We're still a big family, no matter what Hispanic country you come from, we all are one. And I love it so much."

"People have definitely learned a lot about the culture," Baez added. "We have some people in the cast who are not Hispanic, who are playing Hispanic roles. They have to speak Spanish in the show. They have to dance salsa, bachata, and they're really open to learning new things, and I appreciate that so much."

"Everyone is really respectful about learning new things,” Haynes said. “It’s great to have this be my last one.”

Tomitsela Engel-Halfkenny as Nina and Jahlil Coleman as Benny.

Jaison Haynes and Jaylah Jones.

Sora (Mikaila) Matta as Carla, Elliot Baez as Vanessa, Tomitsela Engel-Halfkenny as Nina and Ale Cruz as Daniela.

And The Home-Buy Lottery Winner Is

by DEREEN SHIRNEKHI

Seven-year-old Meklit and five-yearold Bethlehem ran around the empty rooms of 455 Howard Ave., dodging the legs of parents and realtors and city workers. This two-family home would soon be theirs.

“We always wanted a big house,” Meklit said, minutes after her father won the Livable City Initiative’s (LCI’s) latest affordable housing lottery. “I always wanted this to happen.”

Meklit and Bethlehem are the daughters of 57-year-old Kostantinos Teklehaimanot, who is now set to buy his first home thanks to winning a Tuesday afternoon lottery hosted by LCI to sell a publicly-funded affordable house.

“It’s big,” Teklehaimanot said with a smile about what this sale means to him.

Teklehaimanot who was joined by his wife, his daughters, his brother, and his realtor at Tuesday’s lottery works for Yale Parking and Transit. He’s been saving up money to buy a house for more than 10 years, and has been in the market for five. He said on Tuesday he’s always lost to other buyers’ offers. Until now.

“I’m very, very excited,” he said, sentiments echoed by Meklit. “I’m very happy.”

Thanks to Tuesday’s lottery, Teklehaimanot won the right to buy 455 Howard Ave. for $240,000. With its two units and new condition, property real estate agent Yvette McNeil estimated that the home’s market value price is around $370,000. Both numbers are

much lower than the $690,000 that the Elicker administration paid to have the new two-family house built.

This is thanks in part, according to LCI Deputy Director of Administrative Services Cathy Schroeter, to the fact that the house is totally solar-powered. The city owns the solar panels (which haven’t been installed yet), so there won’t be

any leasing to an outside property. This is the first totally electric, solar-paneled house that the city has ever built.

The $240,000 selling price for the home was determined by the income limit imposed upon those eligible to purchase the city-build property. Only those making 80 to 100 percent of the area median income (AMI) or, up

to $112,600 per year for a family of four qualified to enter the lottery

“We’re not looking to house a millionaire,” said Angela Hatley, who has lived in the neighborhood for 38 years and is a member of the Hill South Community Management Team, which collaborated with LCI on the property. The project began in 2020, before Covid, and it is the culmination of desire to keep the neighborhood from being a transitory space.

The house’s deed requires that it be owner-occupied for the next 30 years, preventing what Hatley called a “Mandy-Ocean production.” She hopes that “if you’re invested in where you live,” you’ll care for the area around it.

LCI most recently hosted similar lotteries in 2020 for small-scale affordable multifamily homes that it built on Winchester Avenue and Thompson Street.

The mayor’s budget proposal for next fiscal year, meanwhile, seeks to split off LCI’s affordable housing development work and place it under the purview of a new office to be housed under the Economic Development Administration, so that LCI can focus exclusively on housing code inspections and enforcement.

Teklehaimanot was one of seven prevetted applicants to enter Tuesday’s lottery. Grace Walters, 45, had also thrown her hat into the ring, in hopes of becoming a first-time homeowner.

“A home,” she said when describing what winning Tuesday’s lottery would mean to her. “Somewhere I can put my head, where my kids be safe. Somewhere I can put down roots.”

Walters, who works as a personal

care aide at Yale New Haven Hospital, is from Jamaica, and has lived in Newhallville for 14 years. She was joined outside 455 Howard by her 8- and 12-year-old daughters and her real estate agent. She’s been looking for a house since August.

Guillermina Duluc, another lottery applicant, said that if she were to win the right to buy Tuesday’s LCI-built house, “It’s going to be a miracle.”

Duluc, a 42-year-old accounting assistant at Yale, currently rents a townhome in the Housing Authority of New Haven’s Twin Brook property with her two kids, a 17 year old and a 15 year old. She said that while she has been looking for a house to buy and make her first home, no other property compared to 455 Howard the affordability and the condition couldn’t be beat.

Emma McFadden, 58, said that if she were to win the house, she’d need to occupy both units she would be joined by both her mother and her children. For her, winning would mean “everything.” She works in customer service and, so far, she’s been renting her home near the border of East Haven.

In the end, the lottery-members clapped for Teklehaimanot and his family when his identification number was pulled from the bowl where it sat among theirs.

After Teklehaimanot received his papers from Schroeter, he and his family joined LCI officials in entering the house and taking a look around. They peeked into sun-filled rooms and the girls claimed their own, and eventually, they made their way upstairs.

Blumenthal Pushes $234 Billion Zero-Carbon Public Housing Bill

by John Ferraro

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal announced his support this week for a federal bill that would invest over $200 billion in zero-carbon public housing called the Green New Deal For Public Housing Act. Blumenthal is among the co-sponsors of the legislation that would allocate $234 billion over 10 years in federal spending on sustainable, affordable public housing across the country. Blumenthal said that the bill is a chance to improve and continue to build meaningful housing for those who need it, while pursuing the state and nations’ climate facing goals.

Blumenthal said that the amount is still “just a fraction of what we spend on housing every year.”

“We have neglected our public housing, but it offers a dramatic opportunity to make sure that we make that housing

as energy efficient, as well as safe and affordable, as possible,” he said. “People in public housing deserve better.”

With mitigating climate change continuing to be a priority for many in Connecticut and in Washington, Blumenthal said that the bill – which could directly benefit as many as 2 million Americans living in public housing communities – would create almost 300,000 jobs.

“We need to address both the housing and climate crisis through drastic renovation, refitting, and construction of new housing for people right now who don’t have any housing,” he said.

Blumenthal said the positive environmental effects of the bill would be the equivalent of removing 1.2 million cars from the road.

The bill would be focused on transforming and improving roughly 900,000 public housing units nationwide, and would

also:

• Repeal the Faircloth Amendment, which limits the construction of new public housing developments;

• Ensure all public housing is brought up to new safer, sustainable conditions;

• Provide funding to electrify all public housing, and add sustainable energy sources;

• Build new childcare and senior centers, and expand clean public transportation;

• Create community-based work opportunities and increase resident-owned businesses, and;

• Expand resident councils so that public housing residents can take part in discussion.

Speaking in New Haven, Blumenthal said the city is “at the forefront” of sustainable, safer public housing. The senator was joined by Elm City Communities

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal announced this week that he was co-sponsoring a federal bill called the Green New Deal For Public Housing Act, which will invest $234 billion in zero-carbon public housing. At right is Karen Dubois-Walton, President of Elm City Communities in New

Grace Walters (right) and her real estate agent.

The new haven independent

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Alders Don’t Adopt Ceasefire Resolution

by LAURA GLESBY

The Board of Alders voted not to adopt a proposed resolution supporting a ceasefire in Gaza on Monday evening, prompting backlash from over a hundred protesters.

Instead of approving the resolution, all but one of the alders present voted to “read and file” the item indicating that they have received the proposal and are deciding not to act on it.

The vote, taken at the end of the full Board of Alders meeting in the Aldermanic Chamber on the second floor of City Hall, marked the conclusion of a monthslong campaign for the proposed ceasefire resolution, which local activists had submitted in November.

Alders had delayed holding a public hearing on the item until May 1. That evening, they held a five-hour meeting online and heard emotional testimony from well over a hundred people. In general, supporters of the resolution conveyed a moral imperative to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, while opponents criticized the resolution’s omission of any mention of Hamas.

The board took the item up for a vote on Monday.

Over 200 people protested outside City Hall prior to the meeting, simultaneously calling on alders to pass the resolution, decrying the arrests of Yale protesters, and criticizing the Yale Police Department (YPD) in particular. Speaker after speaker called on Yale to divest from companies supporting Israel and to invest instead in New Haven.

“YPD, KKK, IDF, they’re all the same! … Abolish YPD!” they chanted. “Occupation is a crime from New Haven to Palestine!”

Soon, an audience of about 150 people filed into the Aldermanic Chamber. A dozen police officers waited inside. Many in the audience carried Palestinian flags, wore keffiyehs, and carried signs such as “Resistance is justified when the people are occupied” and “All eyes on Rafah.”

That day, halfway across the world, Israel issued evacuation warnings to over 100,000 people in Rafah, where more than one million Palestinians have sought refuge from Israeli attacks in the north, signaling the country’s planned escalation of violence.

Also that day, many Jewish communities observed Yom HaShoah, a Holocaust remembrance day, with an added focus on October 7 and the hostages still held captive by Hamas.

After all of the night’s other voting items, Dixwell Alder Jeanette Morrison, who had stewarded last week’s public hearing as chair of the board’s Committee of the Whole, made a motion to “read and file” the resolution.

Wednesday’s hearing, said Morrison, was “a great example of how our com-

munity can come together and have a thoughtful dialogue.”

“We accommodated their request,” Morrison said. “Just to be clear, we are taking no action.”

No other alders spoke before the vote.

In unison, a majority of alders called out “yea” in support of the read and file motion.

East Rock Alder Caroline Smith voted against it.

“Shame!” the protesters chanted. “There is only one solution, intifada revolution!

The people united will never be defeated!”

“I voted no to read and file because over the last few months, I have sat down with many Ward 9 neighbors and they have been so consistent for the desire for peace,” said Smith in an interview after the hearing.

“It’s important to me that we use a tool we have as a body to send a clear message to our federal government that the heartrending violence must end,” she said. “It’s important to me to state that we have no tolerance for antisemitism or Islamophobia in our city. And it’s important to me that concerned residents feel heard.”

As she spoke, Police Chief Karl Jacobson approached. “Which way are you going?” he asked. “We gotta get all the alders out of here.”

“Thank you, I’m good, I’m good!” Smith said.

She left a minute later as protesters continued to chant: “No justice, no peace!”

At around 7:50, the protesters filed out of the room. A smaller rally of about 50 people regrouped outside City Hall. They vowed to show up in court this week to support protesters arrested at Yale. Before dispersing to go home, they chanted at police: “Quit your job!”

asked, and Nixon could feel the question echoing through the worlds onstage and off. Why do we build a wall and call it freedom?

The reminder—that the world could be different, if people worked collectively against systems of power—seemed to resonate with him. He watched as laborers began to question the single power that had kept them down. He moved to the edge of his seat as they begged Orpheus not to leave them. By the time Orpheus began to sing to Hades, he had joined along, quietly singing the chorus from his chair as his hand swept through the air. Onstage, jazz flowed into something paced and sweet. Hades and Persephone extended their hands to each other, and began to dance.

Surely, that is what theater, in its best and most divine form, is meant to do. When McDonald booked the show, he could not have known that students would hear it with ears attuned to ill-fated love, worker exploitation, poverty and labor unrest in their own city. He could not have known that just blocks away, protesters would be fighting for the same freedom that the ensemble can feel in its bones.

And he could not have known, perhaps, the collective devastation that a tragic ending—however inevitable—can bring to an audience of teenagers. When Orpheus, half bathed in light, looked back at Eurydice, Nixon shared in a wave of despair that shook and rippled through the house. It was the sound of sudden, shocked grief.

“Oh please!” Nixon exclaimed. Onstage, Orpheus crumpled into a heap. “No you don’t!” From the mezzanine above came a cry of “Oh shit,” followed narrowly by a “Are you serious?” Back in Row K, Nixon let disbelief wash over him.

Hermes cleared his throat. It's a sad song/It's a sad tale, he sang with a slowness, like he was feeling the words in his mouth. Keys tinkled beneath him. It's a sad song/But we sing it anyway.

The play appeared to fold in on itself. 'Cause here’s the thing/To know how it ends— Nixon watched it begin again. And still begin to sing it again/As if it might turn out this time. It was spring. Orpheus met Eurydice all over again, offered her a match. Can you see it? They were so young and so in love. Can you hear it? Can you feel it like a train? Is it coming? Is it coming this way?

Applause filled the house. Nixon sprang to his feet and cheered. At the lip of the stage, Persephone raised a glass to the story. Nixon clapped for what felt like minutes.

Then he and Michaelson turned around, spotted their classmates, and began their walk back into the bright sunlight. Hadestown runs at the Shubert Theatre, 247 College St. in New Haven, through May 5.

LAURA GLESBY PHOTO Protesters rally outside City Hall …

.. before filling the Aldermanic Chamber for Monday's vote.

The new haven independent

“Mini Y” Envisioned For West Rock Kids

by ALLAN APPEL

What if a West Rock community center had an art and music space combined with a recording studio? And a gym and boxing area for fitness and a playground for little kids? And an expanded library and upgraded computer center?

Those items and more were very much on a wish list in formation as young New Haveners gathered to look ahead to a future, expanded 295 Wilmot Rd. Family Center.

That 25-year-old building is fairly dilapidated now and struggling with insufficient facilities to serve an estimated 1,000 young people in the heart of the Housing Authority of New Haven’s otherwise rehabilitated West Rock communities of Brookside, Rockview, and Twin Brook.

Two dozen kids from those adjacent enclaves were attending a career training session on Thursday to both prepare for this summer’s Youth at Work job assignments and at the same time to begin to focus on their own short- and long-term life goals.

“Exactly what a Y is” for other communities a kind of all-purpose place for fun, health, training, and supportive services said HANH’s Director of Community Economic Development LaToya Mills, is precisely what they would like to see reborn in their building.

With a recently scored $3 million federal grant, augmenting HANH’s own $2 million, the question of how to turn the smallish, concrete-block current building into a kind of well-lit, welcoming, all-purpose “mini Y” filled the old hallways on a bright Thursday afternoon with a special sense of celebration and optimism.

You could sense it in the “visioning”

session that staffer Taisha Franklin was running: getting the kids to write out goals, short term and long, and then to create “vision boards,” with those expressed goals decorated with augmenting, motivational images cut from magazines, a kind of collage for self direction to hang in each person’s room to help guide their actions.

The Osei-Bonsu sisters, Rachael and Elaine, certainly were buying into the idea.

Elaine, already a top student at Career High School, has her eye on a medical career when she begins college in the fall (either at UCONN or Howard), so she was cutting out images of little babies, although she wasn’t quite sure if her goal is to become an OB/GYN doc or a pediatrician.

Meanwhile her little sister, and Career High School freshman, Rachael, was keeping it more general as she cut out a picture of the Eiffel Tower from The New Yorker. “I want to be rich and to

travel,” she declared, revealing that she’d already saved up $500 for her adventures “Wait,” called out Franklin. We’re distinguishing between short term and long term goals. A long term goal is to graduate from college. A short term goal is to help your parents, for example, to pay a bill.

“Becoming a billionaire?” she inflected the sentence into a question for the group, but with an eye on Rachael. “Goals are not the same as dreams.”

New Haven Academy freshman Isaac

Mateo got Franklin’s idea as well, although he deferred helping his mom pay some of her bills until after he lives in a mansion, which success will be made possible by a successful career as a football player.

“Please put in there,” he told a reporter whom he kindly permitted to read his worksheet over the shoulder, “that I want to become a better Christian as well.”

Another young man, currently working in the center’s offices (and clearly saving his money) wowed his colleagues by saying he’d already fulfilled an important shorter term goal.

Seventeen-year-old Jayden Thompson had bought a car, making it easier to get to his jobs. Actually two used cars, he added. One serviceable old Toyota for work and another car for private, more special occasions.

As the kids nibbled on the pizza slices provided, and continued to fill out their worksheets and vision boards, the room broke into quiet applause.

Mills estimated that easily 80 percent of the young people in Brookside, Rockview, and Twin Rock developments participate in programs at the building, which can grow very cramped on busy days. Also other local organizations key to the community, such as the leadership-training Solar Youth, used to have headquarters at 295 Wilmot Rd. However, scheduling conflicts and serious roof leaks, among other issues, have resulted in their having to find space elsewhere.

Mills said she’d like to have them back, all under a wonderful, secure new roof. Sessions to solicit more specific community input are scheduled for the coming months.

"The Year Of Baldwin" Rolls Into Best Video

Danielle Campbell, The Arts Paper

The crowd stared intently at James Baldwin’s face as it filled the screen. In one universe, the year was 1969, and Baldwin was seated beside professor Paul Weiss, listening patiently as a studio audience looked on. Weiss, then a philosopher based at Yale, had suggested that discrimination was a distraction. Baldwin, a cigarette perched between his fingers, prepared to respond.

“I’m not interested in whether a person is white, or Black, or green or yellow,” he started. “I am talking about the force of the state, which, at this moment, is oppressing Black people all over this nation. Which is oppressing every Black person in this nation.”

On a recent Sunday, that scene came

to Best Video Film & Cultural Center (BVFCC) as part of “James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket,” a film screening and discussion between Kulturally LIT Founder IfeMichelle Gardin and filmmaker Karen Thorsen. Part of “The Year of Baldwin,” the event was a partnership between the James Baldwin Project, Kulturally LIT, BVFCC, and Possible Futures.

From now through December, “The Year of Baldwin” includes monthly book club discussions, a theatrical reading at the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, a literary festival, and swag designed by New Haven artist and curator Juanita Austin.

“If you read the essays in Notes of a Native Son, he [Baldwin] is struggling with identity and he's also struggling with his

nation,” said Thorsen, who directed and produced Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket for PBS in 1989. “And I connected on the page.”

When it premiered over three decades ago, Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket reintroduced viewers to Baldwin using archival and filmed footage of the author and his funeral service, with no narrator or opinion slipped in (although Thorsen does not shy away from talking about her love for the writer and thinker, and the film features interviews with other literary luminaries, including Maya Angelou and Amiri Baraka). In the years since, it has held up, a pressing reminder of both how perceptive Baldwin was and how pernicious racism in America still is today.

ALLAN APPEL PHOTO

Rachael and Elaine Osei-Bonsu at the Wilmot Road "visioning" workshop.

The new haven independent

Possible Futures' Lauren Anderson.

The new haven independent

Hill Central Students “Stomp” Out A Musical Beat

Lucy Gellman, Editor, The Arts Paper newhavenarts.org

Jayla Cajigas started the beat, her hands keeping time with an empty Pringles sleeve and upturned pie plate. Bah-buhbuh-buh-buh-buh. Bah-buh-buh-buh-buhbuh. "Go!" she cried, and Francine Van Campen began to tap two wooden spoons on an overturned paint bucket across from her. Just inches away, Sophia Consolmagno joined in, her cutlery doubling as percussion.

The three were among a dozen music makers Friday morning, as third graders at Hill Central Music Academy got a crash course in tempo, rhythm, beat, and dynamics from Kelly Wuzzardo, director of education and engagement at the Shubert Theatre. Held in advance of STOMP's performance at the Shubert in late May, the workshop was a reminder that music can happen anywhere, with anything, if people have the pluck and ingenuity to make it.

"The idea is that you don't have to have expensive instruments to make music," Wuzzardo said as she pulled a wagon of large, upturned plastic buckets down the school's hallway. "It's an access thing. You can have access to music all the time, and we want kids to remember that."

That's especially true of STOMP, which has performed at the Shubert at least three times since Wuzzardo started at the theater in 2003. Founded in 1991, the group uses utilitarian, working-class objects— garbage cans, 30-gallon plastic drums, brooms and buckets—to make music, building soundscapes that are at once recognizable and unique. While the group was born in New York City, it has since become an international phenomenon, performing across the globe.

Friday, it was a reminder that students can make music with what they have, however un-instrumental it may initially seem. When Wuzzardo began teaching the STOMP workshops 14 years ago, she used old pie plates, lost and discarded keys, cookware, and brine-scented pickle buckets rescued from the trash. Many of those items have stuck with her—although the buckets are now clean and color-coded, thanks to funding from ASML for the theater's education programs.

Friday, she stood at the front of Hill Central's elementary music classroom,

Rolls Into Best Video

In conversation with Gardin, Thorsen said she decided to create the film both because of her love for Baldwin, and her concern for his legacy. When she produced it, he was no longer “popular” with the masse, and she thought that it would be powerful to give him a platform entirely in his own words. She recalled reading Notes of A Native Son after returning from study abroad in France, and feeling so much of the work resonate with her.

“I was not pleased with my country,” she recalled. Baldwin gave a voice to much of what she was feeling. She considers the documentary, which was released two years after Baldwin’s death, a monthslong collaboration with the writer and thinker. As she spoke, both she and Gardin noted how much a contemporary reader can learn from his work, during and well beyond his centennial year. After the film, audience members ex-

pressed their admiration for Baldwin and the strength in his words.

“Tears dripping down my face,” said Susan Clinard, a sculptor based in New Haven. “First of all, super powerful film.” Clinard has sculpted Baldwin’s face, read some of his work, and thinks about him often, she said. The main thing she took from the film was how “deeply honest and truthful” he was. She added that she was blown away and inspired by his determination and integrity.

“Seeing him and hearing him at the same time really impressed upon me how brilliant he was,” chimed in Jonathan Q. Berryman, assistant principal at James Hillhouse High School. “There was a stream of consciousness that he carried throughout his entire life. That didn't waver. It didn’t waver when he was younger, it didn't waver when he was older. So being able to see that sense of purpose, I think it was important to me.”

her feet planted firmly beside a round carpet decorated with musical scales and black-and-white piano keys. As students fell to a hush, she introduced the workshop with music teacher Rebecca Corbin at her side. Behind them, Corbin wrote the word rhythm in big, green letters on a smartboard.

"What does rhythm mean?" Wuzzardo asked, a swish of purple hair catching students' attention. For a moment, the room was silent. Then a smattering of hands went up, all at once. She pointed to Sophia Consolmagno, a pint-sized self-described

Swiftie who later played two dinner spoons as if they were castanets. "Sound?" Sophia ventured. Wuzzardo tilted her head. It was close, she said, but not quite. She lifted her hands, and clapped out five beats, each evenly spaced. When the class responded with the same beats, she explained, that was an example of rhythm.

"What about tempo? What does tempo mean?" she asked. In the classroom, a dozen eyes looked back without a sound.

Wuzzardo tried a different tack. "Or tiempo? What does tiempo mean?"

One guy had a stack of pizzas to deliver on each floor. Another needed to go badly.

It wasn’t looking good for the third occupant on the elevator.

He had one minute left to deliver petitions to a city government office so he could have his name on the ballot to run for alder. But the elevator was moving too slowly for him to get there on time.

A version of that story happened in real life. An assistant funeral home director’s hopes to run for alder in Newhallville were squashed when, after waiting for the slow elevator at 200 Orange St., he turned his petitions in to the Registrar of Voters Office at 4:02 p.m. Two minutes past deadline. The Independent wrote about the episode in this story. Commenters had a lot to say about it.

Four years later, members of New Haven’s improv theater troupe, the Regicides, revisited the episode, during an appearance on WNHH FM’s “Dateline New Haven” program. They read the comments, in-

Carlos Morales' hand shot up from the second row of chairs, a gentle half circle arranged around the rug. "Time?" he said, the tone inverted enough to make it feel like a question. A smile appeared on Wuzzardo's face. "Exactly!" she said.

She moved on to dynamics, students hanging on to every word as she raised her voice into a bellow and lowered the volume to a whisper just as quickly. Then it was go time. She explained that students would be splitting into groups, each making their own composition in 15 minutes.

"You need a beginning," she said as coffee cans, metal and wooden spoons, large plastic buckets and empty sleeves of barbecue Pringles appeared around the room. "You need a middle. And you need an end."

In a group at the center of the room, Jayla, Sophia, and Francine got to work. Hammering out a three-seven-three beat with her Pringles can, Jayla listened, looked up thoughtfully at the ceiling, and then scaled it back.

"We're trying to make a rhythm that kind of makes sense," she said. She tried out a beginning that Francine responded to immediately, and decided that it stuck. "So what we're thinking is that we have to do everything together—"

"Like beats!" Sophia jumped in. Then directing her attention to Francine: "She should go second!"

The three went back to the beginning, a pair of keys jingling in between two aluminum pie plates that Jayla had steadied with her right hand. They tailored the rhythm, turning the opening from a three-seventhree pattern to five beats that each musician echoed. As she listened back, mulling it over in real time, Sophia considered a

Student Anderson Zhumi, who responded to almost every question Wuzzardo threw out to the class.

PAUL BASS PHOTO Regicides Lou Mangini, Ruben Ortiz, Frankie Douglass, and Andrew Elliott at the WNHH FM Wall of Shame.

Ceremony Celebrates “Geneva Pollock Way”

by LISA REISMAN

Geneva Pollock showed up.

She showed up for the three generations of students she taught English to at Jackie Robinson Middle School; for the neighbors she met on her Newhallville doorknocking tours; for anyone she heard had lost a loved one and was grieving.

On a brisk, grey morning, 125 people showed up to honor the legacy of Pollock, who died in May 2020 at 76 years old, with a street corner renaming.

The four-foot-nine dynamo who grew up picking cotton in Alabama went on to become “a teacher, a ward co-chair, an usher, a mother and grandmother, a friend, my friend, and so much more,” said Claudine Wilkins-Chambers, as she waited for the street renaming ceremony to begin. “She did so much for so many of us.” That corner renaming ceremony took place on Sunday.

Last November, the Board of Alders unanimously voted to rename the corner of Thompson Street and Shelton Avenue “Geneva Pollock Way.”

“Certain teachers leave an everlasting impression on you and she was one of them,” said her former student, Newhallville/Dixwell/Prospect Hill Alder Troy Streater, who spent much of his reelection campaign last summer stumping for signatures to have the street named after her. “She didn’t play any games. She wanted us to learn, to have respect for each other, to make something of our lives. I think I am the man I am today because of her.”

For Steve Winter, who stepped down as Prospect Hill/Newhallville/Dixwell alder in December 2022 to become the city’s climate czar, the former ward co-chair “was a wonderful neighbor and a real mentor to me when I was getting started as an alder,” he said. “She taught me that people in this neighborhood, you gotta go out and check in with them.”

Her daughter Muntega Belton recalled her fierce loyalty to her neighborhood. “When people asked, ‘How come you live in Newhallville?’ she said, ‘I could buy a house anywhere I want to, but I worship in this neighborhood, I work in this neighborhood, and I’m going to live in this neighborhood,’” she said.

For Dyamond Myers, Pollock’s granddaughter, “it was about grace. She taught me always to have grace and compassion for others because you never know what other people are going through,” she said, amid the chirping of birds. “When people drive by and see her name, we hope they will be encouraged and uplifted to carry out her passionate, caring, and selfless ways.”

Of the various ministries she served

over her 50 years at Community Baptist Church, Senior Pastor Philippe E.C. Andal said his favorite was as his church nurse, an honorary position that involves caring for a person’s spirit as well as their physical well-being. “She would make sure I had what was needed, and she would bring along things for my comfort like handkerchiefs and peppermints and tea,” he said.

“She was the head usher at Community Baptist, but she was known as New Haven’s usher because she served all churches throughout the city and also the state,” he said. “Anytime there was a funeral, anywhere, you’d call her and she’d have her white usher outfit on, and she’d be there, comforting grieving families.”

Cheryl Atkinson said she grew up in Newhallville and raised her family and grandchildren there. “Geneva was a big part of everything, the school, the church, the community,” she said, amid a few stray raindrops in the cool air. “I miss her because no matter what I needed her to do for me, she was always there.”

At the conclusion of Sunday’s ceremony, a group of childhood friends congregated on the corner of Shelton and Thompson where they had grown up with Pollock’s daughter Muntega. Among them was Nancy Jordan, a student in Pollock’s eighth-grade class who would go on to serve under her former teacher on the usher board. “She was strict, but also very positive and encouraging, even as I got older,” she said. “You just felt like she saw you, and when she saw you, you mattered.”

By then, the countdown for the unveiling was beginning.

There was a problem. The covering on the sign wouldn’t come entirely off. “We gotta get that down,” said someone, later identified as Belton’s cousin Barbara Mincey. “Maybe the wind will blow it,” suggested Kaprice Miller, Belton’s friend. “Alright now,” someone else called out when Milton Johnson, a family friend, produced a tree branch and coaxed it off. The crowd cheered.

“That’s Newhallville style,” said Pastor Aaron Moody, a cousin of Pollock’s. Another of Pollock’s relatives, Andrea Downer, a city Board of Education member, stood at a remove, observing the festivities.

“I’m part of a legacy of service in Newhallville that goes back to my great grandfather Bishop Austin Atkinson,” she said, referring to the pastor of Pitts Chapel from 1942 to 1974. He has his own corner named for him, as do her great aunts Mattie Atkinson Darden and Mother Mary Etta Atkinson Joyner, and her cousin General Bishop Elijah Davis, Jr.

“Seeing it makes me proud,” she said, regarding the newly unveiled sign among the trees budding on Shelton Avenue. “It makes me want to keep it going.”

LISA REISMAN PHOTO

Well-wishers gathered Sunday for Sister Geneva.

Charzette Wearing, Sherri Jones, Alder Troy Streater, Terry Reese, Jayme Morant, Muntega Belton, Aysia Reese, Dyamond Myers, and Nancy Jordan.

The new haven independent

Re-Entry Financial Literacy Study Launched

by LAURA GLESBY

A new Yale study will provide oneon-one financial guidance to 238 New Haveners transitioning out of prison, while advocating for longerterm change to reduce poverty among formerly incarcerated people.

The initiative, called the Recovery Finance Project, began recruiting formerly incarcerated participants who have struggled with mental health (including substance use disorder) at a press conference on the New Haven Green on Tuesday afternoon.

The program posits that a person’s efforts to recover from mental health and addiction crises and to rebuild their lives outside of prison will have a hard time succeeding without a basic financial safety net.

“There can be no mental health justice, no criminal justice reform, no racial justice… without economic justice,” said program co-founder and Yale psychiatry professor Annie Harper.

Harper and other speakers noted that people leaving prison can struggle to obtain identification, open bank accounts, rebuild their credit, obtain housing, and find employment, in part due to preconceptions that some institutions hold about formerly incarcerated people as well as a lack of assistance in navigating financial programs.

Participants approved for the study will receive personal financial coaching from Winning Ways, a local financial and personal development organization that works with people transitioning out of prison, founded by people who have personally experienced financial hardship after addiction or incarceration.

Half of those participants will also receive peer mentorship from the Yale School of Medicine’s Program for Recovery and Community Health (PRCH), allowing researchers to assess the effects of receiving support from people who have personally experienced mental illness, addiction, and incarceration.

In order to qualify, participants must have exited prison within the last 24 months, be at least 18 years old, and either live or receive services in the city of New Haven.

Within a handful of hours, according to psychiatry researcher Elizabeth Flanagan, at least 80 people had

to be proud of yourselves because this is my community.”

Mayor Justin Elicker pointed out that addressing post-incarceration poverty could lead to less recidivism, by reducing the likelihood that people leaving prison will need to turn to illicit income sources in order to survive.

According to state data, 43 percent of people who left a Connecticut prison in 2019 were re-incarcerated within three years. “Some people say that says something about those people,” said Elicker. “I say that says something about us.”

The city has also piloted a program over the last year offering a monthly payment of $500 to formerly incarcerated people.

Among the 30 or so people who gathered for the press conference included Enico Jones, who had heard about the program on the radio.

filled out initial screening forms for the study.

On top of one-on-one guidance for participants, the Recovery Finance Project will advocate for policy reform and offer trainings to local banks and credit unions on how to better serve formerly incarcerated people.

According to Harper, the trainings will aim to address “discriminatory attitudes” toward people with a history of mental illness, drug use, and incarceration. They will also highlight more accessible programs that banks can adopt, such as accounts that have no overdraft fees, to help formerly incarcerated clients build a stable financial foundation.

The program, housed within the Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health, received a $1.6 million grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD).

The Recovery Finance Project has prioritized collaborating with people who have themselves spent time in prison, including by way of a community advisory board.

“Our programs are rooted in lived experience,” said Winning Ways founder Kevin Paulin. “I want y’all

Jones himself had recently gotten out of prison. He said he “definitely” would have benefited from financial coaching, as it was hard to find employment with a criminal record. He is currently applying for a truck driving job, having recently obtained a commercial driving license, he said.

Listening to speaker after speaker tout the new study, Jones found himself skeptical. First of all, he said, “nobody mentioned nothing about the youth” and the people signing up for the program didn’t seem to be very young, in his opinion.

“The youth coming out they don’t have no financial guidance,” he said. “Sign up more younger people to be involved.”

Jones also said he wasn’t sure he fully believed that the services promised would actually be delivered. Lots of people hand out business cards and promise to help without actually following through, he said. Why should he believe the professors running the study?

To earn the trust of people old and young who are getting out of prison, Jones suggested, the Recovery Finance Project should call participants on a regular basis and form relationships with the people they serve.

People interested in learning more about and potentially enrolling in the study can call (203) 764-8602 or email recoveryfinance@yale.edu.

LAURA GLESBY PHOTO Eric Providence of Columbus House, one of the project's advisors, recalled coming home from prison over two decades ago and "knocking on doors" closed shut in an effort to rebuild his life.

Yale Professor Annie Harper with city Community Services Administrator Eliza Halsey and Winning Ways' Kevin Paulin.

Emico Jones: Include young people in financial literacy efforts.

The new haven independent

House Republicans Stretch Out Debate, But Democrats Send Paid Sick Days Expansion To Senate

by Hudson Kamphausen

HARTFORD, CT – House Democrats pushed through an expansion of the state’s Paid Sick Days program Wednesday that will require businesses with as few as one employee to provide paid time off.

Republicans spoke in opposition to the bill throughout the afternoon but eventually it passed on a vote of 88-61 with two members not voting. The bill moves on to the Senate and will also need Gov. Ned Lamont’s signature to become law.

The legislation, House Bill 5005, would expand the program to include the state’s small businesses in the paid time off program, instead of only businesses with 50 or more employees.

The bill calls for a three-year phase-in to require businesses with as few as one employee to provide what was referred to as “paid time off” rather than paid sick leave. The phase-in would include businesses with 25 or more employees in year one, those with 11 or more employees in year two, and then those with one or more employees – including sole proprietor business owners – in year three.

The bill was amended on the floor of the House by its proponent, Rep. Manny Sanchez, a New Britain Democrat who also co-chairs the Labor and Public Employees Committee along with Sen. Julie Kushner, D-Danbury.

The amendment was a “strike all” and

its language now comprises most of the provisions in the bill.

There was also a planned amendment called by Sanchez that established a task force to study the establishment of paid sick leave tax credits for employers with five or fewer employees.

House Speaker Matt Ritter said this week that if a business already provides its employees with 40 hours of paid time off or “vacation days” each year, then that business is exempt from the bill.

Sanchez said the bill is mostly aimed at

Questions about your bill?

providing part-time and low-wage workers with benefits, and to prevent situations in which those workers have to choose between going to work or taking care of a loved one, attending to a sick family member or other personal emergency.

Republicans decried the bill as onerous and taxing on small businesses in the state.

“I’ve never seen anything so reckless,” House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, said.

The Republlicans’ objection to the bill,

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as with other policies, is that it creates an onerous requirement for businesses in the state. Specifically, they said it puts small businesses – which could otherwise negotiate paid time off with their employees on their own – at risk of paying a penalty if they do not comply with the new law, should it pass.

“This is not good policy,” Candelora said. “This is all politics.”

Candelora’s sentiment was shared by advocates for business in the state as well.

Ashley Zane, senior public policy associate for the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, said the CBIA would have been behind legislation that lowered the threshold to businesses with 30 or more employees. But she said the association believes the strain on small business owners will be too much under the bill passed by the House on Wednesday.

Zane echoed comments from Republican legislators suggesting that employers are already more accommodating to employees than they were in years past. In order to be eligible to earn paid sick time – which is accrued at a rate of one hour per 30 hours worked – an employee must work 120 days in a calendar year.

Effectively, Democrats said Wednesday, seasonal workers are not included in the bill.

That rate is faster than the one that is currently available, Zane said. The cur-

CAREER CONQUER YOUR YOU CAN

rent accrual rate for paid sick hours is one hour for every 40 hours worked.

Some of the confusion and ambiguity surrounding the bill concerns seasonal workers – or workers who work less than 120 days in a calendar year.

Sanchez and Ritter said it is their understanding that seasonal workers would be exempt from the legislation, given the 120-day requirement.

However, Zane said that the CBIA’s interpretation is that an employee will have to work 120 days, not just be employed or on a payroll for that period of time. Candelora pointed out during a news conference Tuesday that a seasonal worker may hit 120 days in separate stints during a calendar year.

Gov. Ned Lamont released a statement following the legislation’s passage through the House, saying that the current program needed to be expanded.

“The legislation approved by the House today strikes an appropriate balance between protecting our workforce while also enacting safeguards for small businesses to ensure that this right is not being misused,” Lamont said. “Especially considering what we learned during the recent outbreak of a viral pandemic, it’s appropriate that we take a look at our existing paid sick days laws and evaluate how they are working and how we can strengthen them. I applaud the House on Continue 0n page 11

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Democrats celebrate Wednesday, April 24, 2024, with a photo after passing an expansion of the state’s paid time off law at the state Capitol in Hartford. Credit: Hudson Kamphausen / CTNewsJunkie

Advocates Call For Changes To Police Traffic Stops

by Jamil Ragland

HARTFORD, CT – Advocates and lawmakers gathered inside the state Capitol on a rainy Wednesday morning to call for passage of a bill to reduce traffic stops for less serious infractions.

The legislation, House Bill 5324, would establish a class of secondary traffic offenses that deal primarily with equipment-related and administrative motor vehicle violations. Police would be prohibited from stopping motor vehicles solely due to violations of secondary offenses, but may still enforce them during a traffic stop for a primary offense.

Law enforcement officials and legislative Republicans have criticized the bill, which was added to the House calendar on April 11, and loaded it with 16 amendments that had yet to be called on Wednesday.

HB 5324 came out of a task force that was created by the state’s Police Accountability law, which was signed into law in Connecticut following the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minnesota in May 2020. Establishing primary and secondary traffic stops was one of 12 objectives the task force was given to complete. The group consisted of current and former law enforcement officers, academics, and community members.

Under the bill, the following traffic violations would be designated as secondary offenses:

• Tinted windows;

• Incorrect display of license plates;

• Failure to properly illuminate a license plate;

• Having only one red reflector or one working headlight;

• Windshield obstructions;

• Broken Horn, and;

• Poorly positioned mirrors.

Additional violations such as failures to renew licenses and insurance, and failure to change address would also become secondary offenses.

Rep. Steven Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, addressed some of the public safety concerns that have been raised regarding the bill. He said that the bill would help to combat the rise in traffic fatalities and reckless driving across the state by allowing police to refocus on policing for dangerous conduct on the road.

“We want our police officers focused on pulling over folks who are driving intoxicated. We want our police officers focused on pulling over folks

who are driving recklessly on our highways. We want our police officers pulling over folks who’ve engaged in criminal conduct,” he said. “What we don’t want is our police officers focused on pulling over folks for failure to illuminate the rear registration point, or failure to have two reflectors mounted to a vehicle or driving with a partially obstructed view out of a side mirror.”

Charmin Leon, Director of Law Enforcement Initiatives for the Center for Policing Equity, framed the bill as a way to address the state’s problems with recruiting and retaining law enforcement officers.

“Officers who work to engage in more effective crime-reduction strategies do not spend time generating citations in the name of being productive,” she said. “[The need to write many citations] is a false narrative and undermines morale because it places a greater burden on a smaller number of officers. To improve recruitment and retention, we should be prioritizing practices that actually improve public safety, and that is why folks want to be the police.”

Florencio Cotto Jr., president of the Police Officers Association of Connecticut, submitted testimony in opposition to the bill early in the legislative session.

“While I understand the desire to address concerns about discriminatory or pre-textual traffic stops, the provision

in Raised Bill No. 5324 that forbids officers from stopping a motor vehicle for a secondary offense poses significant risks to public safety,” Cotto Jr. wrote. “Traffic stops are a critical tool for law enforcement officers to identify and address violations that pose a threat to public safety … Furthermore, traffic stops often lead to the detection of more serious violations or criminal activity, such as driving under the influence, possession of illegal substances or illegal firearms. By limiting officers’ authority to initiate stops for secondary offenses, this bill undermines efforts to apprehend individuals engaged in illegal activities and maintain the safety and security of our communities.”

Several speakers at Wednesday’s event spoke about the emotional and mental impact of being stopped by police for relatively minor infractions. Luis Mattei, leader of Smart Justice and a formerly incarcerated person, described the terror he experiences during a routine traffic stop.

“After serving 20 years, last year was the first time, actually, that I was ever pulled over. There were no drugs or guns in the car. I was working for a nonprofit organization, I wasn’t on probation or parole, so I had no reason to be nervous,” Mattei said. “But as soon as she got behind me, I froze up. Those lights came on, and my heart started racing. My palms got sweaty, and there I was, a 39-year-old man calling his mom to listen in while this stop was happening.”

He discussed the racial justice aspect of the bill as well, noting that people of color are disproportionately targeted, pulled over, and arrested for minor traffic violations. In the worst case scenarios, Black and brown people have been killed during these interactions. Mattei highlighted Philando Castille, Sandra Bland, and others who were killed during traffic stops.

According to Mapping Police Violence, 86 people were killed by police during traffic stops. In 2021, that figure was 117.

In a statement, the Connecticut State Police said that they would continue to watch the legislation closely.

“The Connecticut State Police is following the actions of the legislature as they pertain to public safety and law enforcement,” the statement said. “While we cannot speculate on pending legislation, we will review any bills regarding enforcement that are passed by both the House and Senate and signed into law by the governor.”

Charmin Leon, Director of Law Enforcement Initiatives at the Center for Policing Equity, speaks in favor of House Bill 5324, which would establish a class of secondary traffic offenses that deal primarily with equipment-related and administrative motor vehicle violations during a rally at the state Capitol in Hartford on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. Credit: Jamil Ragland / CTNewsJunkie

During an event at the state Capitol in Hartford on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, says designating secondary traffic violations will free up officers to focus on higher-risk traffic violations like DUI and reckless driving. Credit: Jamil Ragland / CTNewsJunkie

Luis Mattei, Program Director at Smart Justice, talks about the terror of experiencing a traffic stop during a rally at the state Capitol in Hartford on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. Credit: Jamil Ragland / CTNewsJunkie

Paid Sick Days Local high school string quartet to join the pros

their vote today and I encourage the Senate to approve it so that I can sign it into law.”

Contractors under certain construction worker unions would be included in the bill and expansion of the program, while other freelancers and contract workers would be excluded.

Senate Minority Leader Stephen Harding and Sen. Rob Sampson, who is a Ranking Member on the Labor and Public Employees Committee, issued a joint statement criticizing the expansion of the program.

“Each Democrat in the House who voted for this just added to Connecticut’s reputation of being a bad state for business,” they wrote. “This tone-deaf proposal will hurt employers and employees by eliminating their ability to negotiate employment terms themselves. This is Big Government telling mom and pop shops what they must do and forcing them to comply. We look forward to a thorough debate in the Senate and to voting ‘no’ on this job-killing legislation.”

Sarah Ganong, State Director of Connecticut Working Families Power, issued a statement celebrating the bill’s passage, calling it a landmark vote that will broaden access to paid sick days for workers across the state.

“This vote is a significant victory for workers in our state,” Ganong wrote. “The legislation would ensure that workers no longer have to choose between their health and their financial stability, a major step forward in our commitment to workers’ rights. By guaranteeing access to paid sick days, the bill not only supports the well-being of countless families but also strengthens the economic stability of our communities. It ensures that workers can care for their health without risking financial hardship, leading to a more productive and resilient workforce.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: The original version of this story included two references to the Paid Family and Medical Leave program, which is separate from Paid Sick Days. Those references have been removed.

TORRINGTON, CT When the touring show Beatles vs. Stones – A Musical Showdown returns to the Warner Theatre on Wednesday, May 8 at 7:00 pm, the Torrington High School String Quartet will join the professional musicians on stage to lend some local talent to this homage to the British Invasion.

The show pits Rolling Stones tribute band Satisfaction against rival Brit boys Abbey Road in an all-out musical showdown for rock dominance. The string quartet will perform six songs with the bands.

Here's the rundown:

The show: The two greatest rock 'n' roll bands of all time face off in Beatles vs. Stones - A Musical Showdown. Taking the side of the Fab Four is Abbey Road, one of the nation's top Beatles tribute bands. With brilliant musicianship and authentic costumes and gear, Abbey Road plays beloved songs spanning the Beatles' career. They engage in a "showdown" of the hits with Stones tribute band SatisfactionThe International Rolling Stones Show, who offer a faithful rendition of the music and style of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and the bad boys of the British Invasion. The production includes multimedia, period costumes and vintage instruments. It has toured for years, with a critic for the Los Angeles Times at one point declaring: "this is the most unique tribute show in decades." The show sold the Warner Theatre to capacity last year.

The string quartet: Torrington High students Rosangel Baez-Batista, Aisley Harrison, Chloe Bayat and Emily Tacuri Penaranda will join the bands for the songs "Eleanor Rigby," "A Day in the Life," "Hello Goodbye," "Hey Jude," "Gimme Shelter" and "Ruby Tuesday."

Quartet members have auditioned for and have been selected to perform at this year's Connecticut Music Educators Association Northern Region Orchestra (CMEA) and

New England Music Festival (NEMFA). Members have also participated in Hartt's Community Division Group: Opus '89. All students are members of the award-winning Torrington High School Orchestra, and Chamber Strings and play with the pit orchestra during school musicals.

How the "Beatles" and "Stones" connection was started: The producers of Beatles vs. Stones approached Torrington High Orchestra Director Wayne Splettstoeszer looking for a talented ensemble of high school students which could hold their own with a rock band in front of an audience. The show commonly reaches out to local high school orchestras, making donations to their school music programs in exchange for student participation. The Beatles vs. Stones show hired a Torrington High quartet for a show last year at the

Warner Theatre.

“When we find a strong program like Torrington High Music, we always come back to them,” said Beatles vs. Stones producer Andy Nagle.

“Wayne Splettstoeszer has one of best programs in the country.”

The details: The two greatest rock 'n' roll bands of all time face off as the Warner Theatre hosts tributes to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Renowned tribute bands Abbey Road and Satisfaction - The International Rolling Stones Show engage in a musical showdown of the hits. The show performs at the Warner Theatre’s Oneglia Auditorium onWednesday, May 8 at 7:00 pm The show is appropriate for all ages.

The quartet’s Beatles or Rolling Stones fans:

Baez-Batista’s favorite Beatles song Is “Eleanor Rigby.”

Penaranda’s favorite Rolling Stones tune is “Gimme Shelter.”

And here is some additional information about Beatles vs. Stones - A Musical Showdown:

Alternating mini power sets with the two bands coming together on stage for an amazing encore makes this show a oncein-a-lifetime event.

For the past decade with more than 1800 performances across the country and abroad, this unforgettable production has been delighting audiences with their talent, warmth, humor and passion for the music of The Beatles and the Rolling Stones. A critic for the Los Angeles Times called it “the most unique tribute show in decades.”

The show pits Rolling Stones tribute band Satisfaction against rival Brit boys Abbey Road in an all-out musical showdown for rock dominance.

Calendar: Beatles vs. Stones – A Musical Showdown returns to the Warner Theatre’s Oneglia Auditorium on Wednesday, May 8 at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $35 - $65, plus ticket fees, and may be purchased at the Theatre Box Office, by phone at 860.489.7180 or online at www.warnertheatre.org. The Box Office is open Thursday and Friday from 10 AM – 6 PM, Sunday – Wednesday, 10 AM – 2 PM and two hours before performances. The Box Office may also reached by email at boxoffice@warnertheatre.org. The Warner Theatre is located at 68 Main Street, Torrington, CT 06790. The show is appropriate for all ages.

Michelle’s House made a historic journey to the NASA Goddard Space Center in Greenbelt, Maryland

– which is the housing authority of New Haven – President Karen Dubois-Walton, who said that the bill is exactly what the city and state needs to build high-quality, sustainable housing.

“It is time when we need that real boost, a shot in the arm from our federal government, to re-invest in the housing portfolio, in a way that can bring us to the highest level of energy efficiency,” she said. Dubois-Walton said her organization services about 6,000 families in the city.

The bill has support from numerous housing and environmental organizations, such as the National Low-Income Housing Coalition.

Michelle’s House became the first Sickle Cell Disease of America branch in the country to visit a NASA facility, with the intent of introducing Sickle Cell Disease youth to the exploration of space and the application of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in their current and future learning curriculums. This trip was focused on demonstrating the limitless jobs and roles that await the youth as part of investing their time in learning more about STEM and embracing the possibilities.

The day was filled with interesting lectures, views of space via data boards and conversations with multicultural astrophysicists who explained how space and technology helped to shape their lives, and how it translated into the development of many items we use today, from phone cameras to our sleeping comfort! The youth were also able to view the design and testing of NASA’s newest satellite and telescope slated for launch in 2025, which will be larger and provide improved viewing from space (beyond the existing Hubble and James Web Telescopes).

Pre and post surveys of participants on the trip found that there was a significant increase in awareness of STEM after touring the facility, with a 30% increase in youth interested in further pursuit of STEM related education as well as an increase in awareness of what they previously knew about NASA. As a result, Michelle’s House will be working with local universities to support a new initiative that continues the momentum of learning for our clients and families with Sickle Cell Disease and Sickle Cell Trait.

QUARTET PHOTO TAGS: “Torrington_stairwell” shows (l-r) Rosangel Baez-Batista, Aisley Harrison, Chloe Bayat and Emilay Tacuri Penaranda

City Sets Sights On “Vision 2034”

by LAURA GLESBY

What should be preserved about today’s New Haven in 2034?

“I want the community feel back,” said Angela Hatley, who joined 60 other city residents to brainstorm visions for the city’s future alongside urban planners.

Those residents filled the cafeteria of High School in the Community on Thursday evening to offer input on the city’s forthcoming “Comprehensive Plan” for the next decade.

The city is required to compile a set of urban planning priorities such as zoning considerations, transportation improvements, and climate resiliency goals in a Comprehensive Plan every 10 years. In theory, the plan is intended to serve as a reference document for the Board of Alders and boards such as the City Plan Commission as they make decisions about land use.

The current plan, “Vision 2025,” was adopted by the Board of Alders in 2015 and is slated to be replaced by a yet-tobe-drafted “Vision 2034” plan.

The City Plan Department hosted the first of six public input sessions for this forthcoming plan on Thursday, collaborating with the Hartford-based consulting firm FHI Studios.

There, constituents from across the city discussed big-picture questions about their dreams for the city’s future in small groups, generating a broad array of priorities for the planners to consider.

At one table of about 10 people, the question “What would you like to preserve about New Haven?” prompted a discussion about how urban planners might be able to foster stronger neighbor-

to-neighbor connections.

Hatley, a longtime Hill resident, reiterated that she no longer senses a long-term commitment to the neighborhood from many of her neighbors in the southern section of the Hill.

“There is no sense of community where I live,” she said. “Everyone is transient. They come for six months.”

Hatley argued that this weaker sense of community has led people to live with less concern for one another’s comfort

and safety perhaps contributing to the use of loud illegal dirt bikes near her home, an issue she’s often decried at Hill South management team meetings.

“I feel like as a nation, we’ve moved away from neighborliness,” said Downtown resident Patrick Li. They argued that a growing sense of disconnectedness from neighbors has less to do with individual personalities and more to do with larger-scale trends and barriers. Hatley nodded. “Social media affects that

a lot,” driving people to spend more time online and less time forging face-to-face connections, she said.

Kevin Rivera, who facilitated the table’s discussion on behalf of FHI Studios, suggested one possible remedy that urban planners could implement: investing in “Third Places,” a term for communal gathering spots like cafes or community centers that exist outside of home and work (or school).

When the group assented, Rivera jotted down “third places” onto a giant notepad of ideas for the city’s future.

Six of these parallel discussion groups collectively brainstormed hundreds of priorities, concerns, and ideas about New Haven’s future, ranging from more job opportunities for teens to lower taxes to improved bus infrastructure.

A few themes recurred. Many called for more affordable housing, more homeownership opportunities, and more repercussions for absentee landlords. Many called for stronger bike, pedestrian, and traffic calming infrastructure.

At Hatley, Li, and Rivera’s table, the conversation returned again and again to a divide between two New Havens: one where Yale affiliates tend to live and one where residents are primarily Black and Latino, where smooth sidewalks and green spaces are sparser, where police cars are harder to find.

After Li pointed out that he appreciates how “bikeable and walkable New Haven is,” Fair Haven Heights resident Nicole Davis offered a modification: parts of New Haven are bikeable and walkable.

In her neighborhood, she said, many streets have no sidewalks and cars tend to dominate the road. “The whole eastern side of the city, the sidewalks are bad.”

Li agreed. He examined the paper map of the city laid out on the table and pointed out the sections of town he’s found to be pedestrian and cyclist-friendly to Rivera, who’s based in Hartford. “It’s this green, surrounded by so much wealth,” he said, gesturing to Yale’s campus and the adjacent neighborhoods of East Rock, downtown, and Wooster Square.

The group came to a consensus that litter is a pervasive problem around town, except in the areas around campus.

“Just like the police presence,” interjected Hatley. “Have you ever noticed that?” She said that police tend to be visible around Yale and in wealthier neighborhoods, especially with the Yale Police Department based on campus, and argued that police should be more evenly distributed across the city.

“Up here, where I live in Newhallville, there’s no parks,” noted former alder Steve Winter, who’s serving on the Comprehensive Plan steering committee in his role as the city’s sustainability director.

Rivera jotted down the group’s points on the giant notepad, which Hatley later presented to the entire room. As she relayed the key points, she ad-libbed a little about one of the city’s points of pride right near her home: “We want more diversity in the Long Wharf food trucks.”

A series of polls at the beginning of the meeting revealed that a majority of attendees had lived in New Haven either fewer than 5 years or more than 20 years, and that 57 percent frequently attend public meetings. One question asked whether New Haven should grow incrementally, embrace "significant" change, or stay the same. No one voted that the city should remain as is...

by John Ferraro

HARTFORD, CT (Updated 5 p.m.) – On the same morning that Gov. Ned Lamont helped UConn men’s basketball coach Dan Hurley ring the opening bell on Wall Street, non-profit groups held two events, a rally calling for more funding and a separate march to Lamont’s office to lament the likely death of proposed legislation they said would have helped lower-income residents make ends meet.

“(State officials) are more concerned with how we appear to Wall Street than Main Street,” said Rose Ferraro of the Social Welfare Action Alliance.

The rally, organized by the CT Community Nonprofit Alliance representing hundreds of community-based service providers across the state, drew about 1,500 to the south lawn of the state Capitol.

The bills mourned by the protesters would help fix the “benefits cliff,” instances when a person receiving government benefits

earns slightly more than income limits and loses the benefit. That person’s increased income then does not reach the value of the lost benefit.

The bills will likely die because they need new funding. Lamont and the legislature did not reach agreement on adjusting fiscal controls and the Appropriations Committee chose not to reopen the budget.

Proposals highlighted by the non-profit groups include expanding the HUSKY health program to include children 18 and under regardless of immigration status, the establishment of a refundable child tax credit, rental assistance, and housing voucher programs, phasing out the elimination of asset limits for the HUSKY C program ,and a bill establishing a pilot program to prevent immediate benefits loss from a benefits cliff.

“These bills would have helped mitigate the benefits cliff,” Ferraro said.

Lamont has touted funding for social services in recent weeks, including an additional $35.5 million in state funding to “nonprofit providers across Connecticut for capital improvement projects that support each respective organization in their mission of delivering services to some of the state’s most vulnerable residents.”

The Connecticut Community Nonprofit Alliance has asked for an additional $180 million this year to maintain ongoing contracts.

Gian-Carl Casa, President & CEO of CT Community Nonprofit Alliance, said the message at Wednesday’s really was clear.

“Nonprofit providers, staff, and clients from across the state brought a very clear message to lawmakers and to the governor today to appropriate adequate funding to pay for vital human services,” Casa said.

“The response of lawmakers who joined the rally was very encouraging, and we will continue to bring our message to Hartford until a spending agreement is finalized.”

Angela Hatley with Sarah McIver — loving New Haven's food but worrying about the future of its community culture, and the availability of parking spots.

The new haven independent

HILL: MAY 18TH 12:00PM 173-211 Portsea Street

ROCK: MAY 25TH 3:00PM 311 Valley Street

MAY 26TH 2:00PM 130 Bassett Street

May 14, 2024

Growing up in the early 1990s, Thuso Mbedu never dreamt of being an entertainment figure. At a very young age, she want-

drama television series ‘IS’THUNZI’ from

her role ‘Cora

‘DSTV Viewers Choice Awards’ and the ‘International Emmy Awards for the ‘Best Performance by an Actress’ for her role ‘Winnie Bhengu’ in the 2016 -2017 television drama series ‘IS’THUNZI.’

In 2018, she won the ‘South African Film and Television Awards’ for ‘ Best Actress – TV Drama’ for her role ‘Winnie Bhengu’ in the 2016 -2017 television drama series ‘IS’THUNZI.’ She was also nominated for the ‘International Emmy Awards for ‘Best Performance by an Actress’ for her role ‘Winnie Bhengu’ in the television drama series ‘IS’THUNZI.’

In 2021, she was nominated for the ‘Television Critics Association Award’ (Individual Achievement in Drama), the

between life and death for me. Receiving that audition brief, I told myself that I would audition like it was my last audition. I gave it the last of everything that I had, that at the time I got the callback, I had nothing left. I secretly made the decision ing left to give. But fortunately, I received cause the role was mine. I had given up. I was in a very dark place at the time, and the character, the role, the opportunity, was a much needed light. And I told myself that I will act as if it was the last character that I will play. And through a great script and an amazing director, I earned two International Emmy Awards for that role…”

Africans by New African Magazine.

of her parents – Thuso is a Sotho name,

Studio of Acting in New York City.

– TV Movie / Limited Series), the ‘Holly-

the 2021 TV series ‘The Underground Rail-

Randall’ in the 2021 televi-

Shades Of Support For Connecticut CASA

Mindi Rose Englart, The Arts Paper

There was a feeling of unity in the air as the precise harmonies of Shades of Yale floated over the Donald J. Cohen Auditorium at the Yale Child Study Center. In the audience, supporters of Connecticut CASA listened with open ears.

On a recent Wednesday, that was the sound as roughly 40 people gathered to celebrate Connecticut CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), which seeks to give every child who has experienced abuse or neglect a caring, consistent adult to advocate for their well-being. With performances from Shades of Yale, an a capella singing group founded in 1988 to celebrate music of the African diaspora and the African-American tradition, the event raised about $10,000.

With a repertoire of 200 songs, Shades of Yale chose a set of five to inspire the crowd. The group’s carefully-selected mix of well-known spirituals, jazz, and gospel standards spoke to the type of political and community action needed to create change.

How Connecticut CASA Partners Adults with Children in Need

Josiah Brown, executive director of Connecticut CASA, said the organization’s volunteers serve children facing adversity in foster care or under the Department of Children and Families’ (DCF) Protective Supervision.

Program Coordinator Susana Herrera, who joined the organization three months ago, helps train new volunteers and has cases of her own. She said CASA volunteers receive a five week training and then work on only one case at a time.

who has a background in education, explained that CASA volunteers are neutral parties who visit with children monthly and make evidence-based recommendations to judges to advance the children’s best interest. They work in partnership with professionals like social workers, attorneys, and educators to identify resources for children and their families.

She said volunteers range in age from their 20s to their 70s and serve more than 100 children in seven of the ten child protection courts in the state.

Brown said the CASA approach is associated with better outcomes for children, who are less likely to return to foster care and who leave the system with more hope than children in similar situations without

such advocates.

While waiting for the performance to begin, guests enjoyed drinks donated by the Wine Thief and Better Rhodes, while they mingled and snacked on spanakopita, Mediterranean salad, and cupcakes donated by Claire’s Corner Copia. Owner Claire Criscuolo has been a supporter of Connecticut CASA since Josiah Brown became executive director.

She said she stays committed to CASA because she stays committed to the future. “I think CASA does a really good job,” she said. “I love that it’s small. I love how they have one-on-one contact with the children.”

The most vulnerable people need the most help and kids in foster care and in protective services fit within that category,

Criscuolo said.

In addition to staff and volunteers, Connecticut CASA has two ambassadors, Brandon Sherrod and Miye Oni, who inform and engage with people about its mission. Both couldn’t make the event, but Erin Daniels, Oni’s cousin and a student at Yale, came to support.

“I found out about CASA through Miye,” she said. “My sisters and I have trouble finding gifts for him. We decided to start giving donations to CASA in his name.”

Brown said the organization is always looking for committed volunteer advocates and that CASA funding comes from public, foundation, and privately donated dollars. He said his team is currently working to help folks think of CASA during the Great Give, which takes place

April 26 through May 2.

35 Years of Songs

Shades of Yale musical director Maxwell Brown and business manager Taylor Robin spoke with community leader Elsie Chapman, who wanted to hear more about the group.

“We work with Black populations to uplift the Black voice.” Brown said. He said they bring music to schools, churches, orphanages and other places where people gather, locally and around the world.

“We just came back from Brazil!” He said their group has performed in Costa Rica, Ireland, China and more.

The group offered listeners a time to be bathed in sound and words as Brown conducted the group through a set of five songs, including a stirring rendition of Etta James’s “At Last” sung by Senlee Dieme and “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke, sung by Bobby Hill.

The group received a standing ovation after they closed with their soulful arrangement of “Amen” and “We Shall Overcome,” a medley they sing at the end of every show.

After the concert, Chapman pointed out that often in musical groups she sees, there are mostly white singers with one or two Black singers, while in this group, it was the reverse, with just one white singer.

“It sends a proud message,” she said. “Was that intentional?”

“Absolutely,” Brown said. “We started with a mix and it has evolved and grown. The most important thing is to continue the legacy. You don’t have to be Black to uplift the culture.”

119K Commission’s Second Panel Discussion Focuses On Poverty, Homelessness, Housing Insecurity

by Karena Garrity

Youth service experts from agencies around the state outlined their concerns about the impact of poverty, homelessness, and housing insecurity on the state’s 119,000 at-risk or disconnected youth Tuesday during a discussion at Mansfield Town Hall.

The event, which was organized by the 119K Commission – which is a collaborative effort of Dalio Education and the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities – was the second in a series of eight planned talks with the stated goal of helping the at-risk young people identified in a report from Dalio Education last year.

“This is a shocking number we should be concerned about,” Violante Cote said, adding that a portion of the homeless students were identified as being “doubled up,” which meant that they had a place to sleep on a couch or a floor or in a room with several other people.

She said there’s a stigma attached to the lack of a home address that prevents discussion.

“Young people don’t want to tell us about this,” said Violante Cote, who offered that a possible remedy is to make sure that all school personnel are trained to identify the signs and symptoms of homelessness and to understand the legal rights of students in that situation so that they can help.

Violante Cote explained that front desk staff, classroom teachers, central office workers, physical education teachers, and

Stacey Violante Cote, Deputy Director of the Center for Children’s Advocacy, said that the last time Connecticut counted its youth who were experiencing homelessness was in 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, she said, 700 youth under the age of 17 were identified as homeless in Connecticut, meaning they were sleeping in cars or on the streets or in abandoned buildings.

coaches all need training so that they can help young people who are hiding their homeless status. And, most importantly, she said there needs to be student ambassadors, because students talk to their peers. She highlight a state Department of Education program called “No Matter What” that provides steps for educators to take to ensure that “no matter what,” students can be in school.

Violante Cote said it’s critical that the system as a whole is improved, including not only education but access to transportation and affordable housing.

The 119K Commission’s discussion series is highlighting different parts of the disconnected youth crisis each month. According to the commission’s website and the report commissioned by the Dalio Education foundation last year, one out of every five 14- to 26-year-olds in Connecticut are at risk of dropping out of school or already have dropped out and are unemployed. Ultimately, the goal of

Mindi Rose Englart Photos. Herrera,

Long Wharf Theatre presents The Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in association with Kelly Strayhorn Theater production of

by Stephen Nartay, Face2FaceAfrica.com

The 2014 Boston Marathon’s true winner, Buzunesh Deba, has yet to receive her $100,000 prize. Deba, who initially placed second, was later declared the winner after Rita Jeptoo was disqualified for doping.

Despite being informed of her victory eight years ago, Deba is still awaiting the full payment, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Deba received $25,000 for placing second, a fraction of the winner’s prize. The remaining $75,000 owed to her by the Boston Athletic Association has yet to be paid. The non-payment is allegedly due to Jeptoo’s refusal to return her winnings. In an official statement, the association explained that “the matter is still ongoing.”

Deba however emphasized that it’s the BAA’s responsibility to fulfill her rightful winnings, regardless of Jeptoo’s actions.

The Ethiopian elite runner has taken a break from her athletic career to focus on starting a family.

She recalled observing Jeptoo’s seemingly unaffected post-marathon condition, only to discover months later that Jeptoo tested positive for EPO, a banned substance. Subsequent investigations by the International Court of Arbitration in Sport revealed evidence of doping in Jeptoo’s pre-2014 marathon samples.

Jeptoo, a Kenyan native, faced a fouryear sanction. Despite this, her victories in 2006 and 2013 remain uncontested.

Jeptoo claimed $150,000 for her 2014 victory and an extra $25,000 for setting a course record, awards legally belonging to Deba. The Ethiopian runner’s time of

2 hours, 19 minutes, 59 seconds remains the fastest in Boston Marathon history.

The BAA’s delay in paying Deba aligns with World Athletics’ guidelines, which mandate repayment of forfeited prize money by ineligible athletes before new payments are made. However, the BAA could choose to voluntarily compensate Deba. The association holds assets of approximately $30 million, as per The Wall Street Journal.

Jeptoo joined Rosie Ruiz, who infamously cut the course in 1980, as one of the few individuals disqualified from the Boston Marathon after crossing the finish line on Boylston Street.

“She took my chance,” Deba said in 2017 after returning to Boston, where she has also finished third and seventh. “I lost so many things.”

At 58 hours, Nigerian chess master Tunde Onakoya breaks the longest chess marathon

by Stephen Nartay, Face2FaceAfrica.com

Nigerian chess master Tunde Onakoya has set a new record for the longest chess marathon, playing continuously for 58 hours under the bright lights of New York’s Times Square.

Despite the grueling hours, Onakoya remained dedicated to the board. He aims to raise $1 million for charity to benefit chess education for children worldwide. His efforts drew support from hundreds, including Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Davido, who cheered him up during the marathon, according to the BBC. As the chess master pushed through his marathon chess session in Times Square, supporters energized him with classic Nigerian dishes, including jollof rice, and music.

Back in Nigeria, fans rallied behind him on Twitch, a video streaming service, to cheer him on as he conquered the record. Others left messages of admiration and support during the stream, commending Onakoya as a source of inspiration for many.

“Thank you for daring to dream and showing us the levels to which we can all take our brain power to! Well done Tunde! I’m going to pick up my chess board back haha,” one commenter wrote.

“Mr Onakoya is a symbol of excellence and resilience that distinguish Nigerians both at home and abroad… Go, make history, and inscribe our name in gold,” Nigeria’s Vice-President Kashim Shettima posted on X.

“Lagos is rooting for you,” Lagos state governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu told Onakoya, adding that his attempt was “a powerful testament to how greatness can

emerge from anywhere”. Onakoya, aged 29, surpassed the previous Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon, which stood at 56 hours, nine minutes, and 37 seconds, set by a Norwegian duo in 2018.

Raised in poverty in Lagos’s floating slums, the chess doyen found solace and opportunity in chess, leading him to es-

tablish Chess in Slums Africa, a nonprofit that teaches the game to underprivileged children while supporting their education. He serves on the board of The Gift of Chess, a U.S. nonprofit dedicated to distributing one million chess sets to underserved communities by 2030, aiming to transform lives through the game.

by Abu Mubarik, Face2FaceAfrica.com

Mellody Hobson is the co-CEO of the first Black-owned mutual fund company in the U.S., Ariel Investments. The company was started by John W. Rogers Jr. in 1983 when he was just 24 years old. Headquartered in Chicago, with offices in New York, San Francisco, and Sydney, Hobson joined the company right after graduating college in 1991. However, her journey with the company started when she interned there alongside T. Rowe Price while in college, according to Fortune.

In her final year, she started preparing to go on interviews for analyst positions at firms in New York City. One day, while sitting in the basement of the then Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton writing her thesis and preparing for one of her interviews, she decided to go directly to Rogers who could teach her a thing or two in the corporate world. “ And I thought, ‘What am I doing?’” Hobson recalled to Fortune. “I can go and work directly with John Rogers, and

I could sit at the feet of someone who’s so well respected, and he can teach me. I called John from a payphone, and I think I called collect.”

“I said, ‘I’m going to come to Ariel,’ and then I called and canceled my other interviews,” she said. “And all of my friends thought that I was nuts because Ariel was tiny. And they said to me, ‘Why wouldn’t you go to a big Wall Street firm?’ But to me, I thought I could learn from him.”

She got mentored by Hobson after joining Ariel and after spending nearly 20 years in the company, she was named co-CEO in 2019. This was made known in a 25-minute documentary about Ariel, which was produced by McGuire, an award-winning filmmaker and producer, and a New York Times bestselling author.

He touted Ariel’s journey as an “American success story.” “I don’t come from the world of finance, but from a filmmaking perspective, it was just such an incredible story of perseverance, excellence, and trailblazing,” McGuire said.

Speaking on the challenges the company went through during the global financial crisis, Hobson referred to that period as “the worst time in my career; it was a crisis of confidence.”

She recalled traveling with Rodgers when a client canceled a billion-dollar contract it had with Ariel.

“They said they were terminating, and it was a billion dollars,” Hobson recalled. “John and I both went into survival mode, and told them, ‘You should wait. This is the worst moment in the market. You don’t sell now. This is the worst thing you could possibly do.’”

She continued, “I remember, I burst into tears. John didn’t cry, but I was crying. And he said, ‘This is all my fault—I picked the stocks.’ And I said, ‘No, it’s all my fault. I didn’t do a good job of explaining how we invest.’”

Today, Ariel holds $14.9 billion in assets. In addition to her work at Ariel, Hobson, the youngest of six children raised by a single mom, also serves as board chair of Starbucks and a director at JPMorgan Chase.

Mellody Hobson in her early days at the Ariel Investments as discussed

new documentary. COURTESY OF ARIEL INVESTMENTS. Photo credit: Fortune

Musical Beat

nearby coffee can, its ridges enough to make it into an impromptu güiro.

In what seemed like minutes, they were performing for the class. As Jayla sounded out five beats, her eyes traveled to Francine, the bucket soon part of the beat. In the center, Sophia knocked her spoons together, gentle but insistent. Then at 19 seconds, they bowed their heads, crawled forward, and all beat the bucket drum with their respective instruments. No sooner had they finished than their classmates burst into applause.

"I heard an awesome rhythm," Wuzzardo said. "What did they do well?"

Alice Damian raised her hand, two tiny Puerto Rican flags dangling from her ears. "When they put the spoons together," she said. She noted how Jayla, who started the musicians off, had given a verbal cue for her peers to join in. "My favorite thing is when we make sound and it gets bigger and bigger."

Wuzzardo nodded. "It's really important as a group to listen to each other, right?" she later added, and she could have been speaking to the whole school "An important part of being a musician is working together and supporting each other while you do it."

And for the remainder of the class, students did. Classmates cheered, giggled and clapped when Anderson Zhumi tossed a wooden spoon up in the air, and caught it as a finale to the piece. They admired the call-and-response rhythms of students gathered around a red bucket-turneddrum.

They jammed in their seats as Sofia Namuche and John Luna turned kitchen utensils into instruments worthy of Carnegie Hall. By the end, they seemed hesitant to part with their instruments and newfound bandmates.

"You all did an excellent job!" Wuzzardo said. "I have one last question for you. What's the difference between music and noise?"

"There's a pattern!" ventured John. "It's not distracting."

Wuzzardo seemed to chew on the words for a moment, and then spoke again. "I want you to listen for the music in your world," she said. It could show up anywhere, she continued, from birds chirping to the sound of motorcycles revving their engines on a city street. "It is all around you."

STOMP will perform at the Shubert Theatre May 31 through June 1. Tickets and more information are available here; the theater has a reduced cost ticket program for all public high school students. On May 11, Wuzzardo will host a final STOMP workshop for families at the Stetson Branch of the New Haven Free Public Library.

New Haven Public Schools

Programs for 3 and 4 Year Olds in New Haven

Free 6-hour early childhood programs for low-income New Haven families in the following New Haven Public Schools:

Dr Mayo Early Childhood School

Fair Haven School

Family Academy of Multilingual Exploration

Hill Central School

John Martinez Sea & Sky STEM School

Lincoln Bassett Community School

Truman School

Additional community locations also participate in the program.

Sliding scale, fee-based 6-hour early childhood programs for New Haven families in the following New Haven Public Schools:

Augusta Lewis Troup School

Family Academy of Multilingual Exploration

East Rock Community School

Hill Central School

Nathan Hale School

Additional community locations also participate in the program

Will be Accepting Applications sy 2024-2025

How to apply

The Office of Early Childhood will be accepting applications electronically beginning May 20th Parents of 3 and 4 year old's are encouraged to apply online.

What you will submit with your Application

1) Proof of Age

Child’s Birth Certificate, Passport OR Legal Custody/Guardianship Papers

2) Proof of Address

• Current utility bill (Gas, Electric, Phone, Cable) in your name

• Letter from leaseholder or homeowner along with a document listed above with their name on it

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 6months-to-date)

Dental Exam record

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR BID

Financial Manager/Office Manager

NOTICE

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF DANBURY

Chimney Cleaning and Repair Services

IFB No. B24004

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders

Please register here to obtain Bid Package: https://ha.internationaleprocurement.com/ requests.html?company_id=49968

PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL RETURN:

Housing Authority of the City of Danbury, 2 Mill Ridge Rd, Danbury, CT 06811

Envelope Must be Marked: IFB No. B24004, Chimney Cleaning and Repair Services

Attn: Lisa Gilchrist, Purchasing Agent

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

SUBMITTAL DEADLINE

May 13th, 2024 at 10:30am (EST)

NOTICIA

CONTACT PERSON FOR IFB DOCUMENT:

Lisa Gilchrist – Purchasing Agent

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

Telephone: 203-744-2500 x1421

E-Mail: lgilchrist@hacdct.org

[Minority- and/or women-owned businesses are encouraged to respond]

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

Listing: Retail Representative

Petroleum Company has an immediate part time opening. Excellent customer service skills a must. Requirements include: assist in answering service questions, scheduling service calls as well as assisting in collections and account set ups. Applicant to also perform administrative/clerical tasks as assigned. Please send resume to: H.R. Manager, Confidential, P O Box 388, Guilford CT 06437. or HRDept@eastriverenergy.com

NEW HAVEN

242-258 Fairmont Ave

2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1

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

Email Resume: Rose@qsrsteel.com Hartford, CT

The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management is recruiting for an Information Technology Manager (IT Manager 1) in the Office of Finance.

Further information regarding the duties, eligibility requirements and application instructions are available at:

https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/ sup/bulpreview.asp?b=&R1= 240402&R2=1561MP&R3=001

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

WANTED TRUCK DRIVER

Galasso Materials is seeking a Financial Manager/Office Manager to replace a retiring team member. The candidate needs leadership skills & experience in accounting & tax compliance. CPA, manufacturing and/or construction experience preferred. Galasso Materials is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

The Town of Wallingford, CT is accepting applications for the following positions:

Attendant I (Trainee). This is a trainee position leading to a career in performing skilled work in the operation and maintenance of the Town’s wastewater treatment facility. The position requires a H.S., trade school, vocational school, or H.S. equivalency diploma. Must possess a valid Connecticut Driver's License. Hourly rate: $22.97 to $25.22. The closing date for applications is the date the 50th applilcation or resume is received or April 30, 2024, whichever occurs first.

Electrical Technician. Performs skilled work in the repair, maintenance and calibration of all electrical and electronic equipment pertaining to the wastewater treatment plant in the Town of Wallingford. Applicants should possess a H.S. or trade school diploma and 2 years of related college education or specialized maintenance training and 4 years of experience in the repair and maintenance of electrical and electronic equipment; or a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering or related field plus 1 year of experience. Must possess a valid Connecticut Driver's License. Hourly rate: $32.24 to $36.79. The closing date for applications is the date the 50th applilcation or resume is received or May 7, 2024, whichever occurs first.

The Town offers an excellent fringe benefits package that includes pension plan, paid sick and vacation time, medical insurance, life insurance, 13 paid holidays, and deferred compensation plan. Applications may be downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page and can be faxed or mailed to the Department of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492, or emailed to: wlfdhr@wallingfordct.gov by the closing dates specified above. Phone: (203) 294-2080; Fax: (203) 294-2084. EOE

Invitation to Bid: 2nd Notice

Truck Driver with clean CDL license

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

Financial Manager/Office Manager

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

Please send resume to attielordan@gmail.com PJF Construction Corporation AA/EOE

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

Galasso Materials is seeking a Financial Manager/Office Manager to replace a retiring team member. The candidate needs leadership skills & experience in accounting & tax compliance. CPA, manufacturing and/or construction experience preferred. NO PHONE CALLS. Please email resume and cover letter to “Hiring Manager”, Galasso Materials LLC, PO Box 1776, East Granby CT 06026.

Galasso Materials is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016

Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016

Listing: Outside Sales & Estimator Position

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

$73,220 - $89,002/yr. Required testing, general info, and apply online: www.bristolct.gov

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

HVAC department has an immediate opening. Responsible for all aspects of HVAC estimation which includes system design, sheet metal, piping, and organizing vendor information. This candidate must be well organized, hands-on, self-motivated, dependable and work independently. Minimum of 5 years of sales/estimating experience. Must have the ability to read and comprehend blueprints. Must have knowledge of HVAC systems. Must have Microsoft Office knowledge.

DEADLINE: 12-04-23

Send resume to: HR Manager, P. O. Box 388, Guilford, CT 06437 or email HRDept@ eastriverenergy.com **An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks:

NOTICE

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

Construction

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

Contact: Tom Dunay

Phone: 860- 243-2300

Email: tom.dunay@garrityasphalt.com

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

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks:

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

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

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

Contact: Rick Tousignant Phone: 860- 243-2300

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

PVC FENCE PRODUCTION

The Town of Wallingford is seeking a highly innovative individual to coordinate and implement communications strategies that promote community engagement in Town government. Applicants should possess 1 year of experience in communications, mass media, civic engagement, social media, marketing or related field, plus a bachelor’s degree in communications, political science, public or business administration, or related field, or any equivalent combination of education and qualifying experience. Wage rate: $27.00$33.00 hourly. This is a part-time position up to 19.5 hours per week. Applications may be downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page and can be faxed or mailed to the Department of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492, or emailed to: wlfdhr@wallingfordct.gov by the closing date of May 15, 2024, 2024. Phone: (203) 294-2080; Fax: (203) 294-2084. EOE

NOTICIA

Email: rick.tousignant@garrityasphalt.com

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

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

Union Company seeks:

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

Contact Dana at 860-243-2300

Email: dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com

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

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

Large CT Fence Company looking for an individual for our PVC Fence Production Shop. Experience preferred but will train the right person. Must be familiar with carpentry hand & power tools and be able to read a CAD drawing and tape measure. Use of CNC Router machine a plus but not required, will train the right person. This is an in-shop production position. Duties include building fence panels, posts, gates and more. Must have a valid CT driver’s license & be able to obtain a Drivers Medical Card. Must be able to pass a physical and drug test. Please email resume to pboucher@atlasoutdoor.com. AA/EOE-MF

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

Invitation for Bids

On-Call Electrical Services

The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven d/b/a Elm City Communities is currently seeking bids from qualified firms for On-Call Electrical services. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on Monday, May 6, 2024, at 3:00 PM.

FIRE CHIEF

TOWN OF EAST HAVEN PURCHASING AGENT

NEW HAVEN

The Town of East Haven seeks a qualified candidate to serve in the position of Purchasing Agent. This is a highly responsible position involving purchasing and directing the purchasing functions of the municipality. Qualified candidates should possess a bachelor’s degree in business administration or related field preferably including or supplemented with special course work in purchasing/municipal bid processes and materials management plus five (5) years’ of progressively responsible purchasing work or an equivalent combination of education and qualifying experience. Must have valid class 3 Connecticut Driver’s License. The salary for this position is $62,841/year, 35 hours per week and the Town offers an excellent benefit package. Please send cover letter and resume with references to: Town of East Haven, Ed Sabatino, Assistant Director of Administration and Management, 250 Main Street, East Haven, CT 06512 or jobs@easthaven-ct.gov. Resumes will be accepted until the position is filled. The Town of East Haven is committed to building a work force of diverse individuals. Minorities, females, handicapped and veterans are encouraged to apply. The Town of East Haven is an equal opportunity employer.

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 ofPitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster St. New Haven, CT

Andrea M. Liquori / Chief Examiner Civil Service Commission 250 Main Street East Haven  CT 06512 (203)468-3375

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

Invitation to Bid: 2nd Notice

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

Old Saybrook, CT (4 Buildings, 17 Units)

Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project

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

Senior Sales Representative

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.

Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016

Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016

Penfield Communications, Inc. Publishers of The Inner-City News Weekly Print Publication is seeking a Senior Sales Representative The Inner-City News is a legacy, Black owned print publication, celebrating 30+ years as Greater New Haven’s urban news and information outlet.

The Inner-City News is a weekly print publication with a readership spanning across Greater New Haven. From Hamden, New Haven, West Haven, Stratford, Milford, Bridgeport. This free weekly print publication is committed to sharing news and information important to the Black community.

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

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

The Town of Wallingford is seeking a highly innovative manager to lead its Fire Department. Applicants should possess 10 years of progressively responsible fire services experience, plus a bachelor’s degree in fire services management, public administration or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and qualifying experience substituting on a year-for-year basis, including 5 years as a Captain or higher. Salary: $124,968 to $159,899 annually. The Town offers an excellent fringe benefits package that includes pension plan, paid sick and vacation time, individual and family medical insurance, life insurance, 13 paid holidays, and deferred compensation plan. Applications may be downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page and can be faxed or mailed to the Department of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492, or emailed to: wlfdhr@wallingfordct.gov by the closing date of May 24, 2024, 2024. Phone: (203) 294-2080; Fax: (203) 2942084. EOE

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

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

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

Advertising and the cultivation of existing and new advertising clients is key to the growth and continued success of The Inner-City News. The paper is delivered weekly to businesses, schools, shopping outlets and wherever newspapers can be found. This is a remote sales position.

Galasso Materials is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. Full time experienced welder for Structural/Miscellaneous

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

Galasso Materials LLC, a quarry and paving contractor, has positions open for the upcoming construction season. We are seeking candidates for a variety of positions, including: Scalehouse Dispatcher/ Equipment Operators and Laborers. NO PHONE CALLS. Please email resume and cover letter to “Hiring Manager”, Galasso Materials LLC, PO Box 1776, East Granby CT 06026.

Town of Bloomfield

STATE OF CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

NOTICE

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY

DRAFT 2025 STATEWIDE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

In accordance with the provisions of Title 23, Section 135 of the United States Code; as amended by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA); the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) has prepared a draft Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).

The draft STIP compiles all highway and public transit projects that CTDOT intends to pursue over the next four years, utilizing Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funding. STIP documents can be found on the CTDOT website, at CTDOT Headquarters, and at all Councils of Government offices. It is suggested to schedule an appointment at these locations. To make an appointment at CTDOT, please call (860) 594-2040.

Salary Range:

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

NOTICIA

CTDOT is conducting two hybrid public informational meetings regarding the draft STIP on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. at CTDOT Headquarters, 2800 Berlin Turnpike in Newington. Both meetings will also be held on Zoom; registration is required. To register, please visit https://portal.ct.gov/DOT/ PP_Bureau/ConnDOT-Plans/State-Transportation-Improvement-Program

VALENTINA

MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES

DISPONIBLES

CTDOT staff will be available 30 minutes prior to each meeting to informally discuss the draft STIP with members of the public.

Language assistance and/or ADA accommodations are provided at no cost to the public, and efforts will be made to respond to timely requests for assistance. Persons needing language assistance or ADA accommodations may request assistance by contacting CTDOT’s Language Assistance Line at (860) 594-2109, at least five (5) business days prior to the meeting. Persons with a hearing and/or speech disability may dial 711 for Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) and instruct the operator to contact (860) 594-2243.

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

Parking is available in the rear of the building. The meeting facility is ADA accessible, and persons with disabilities can access the building from the main entrance of the building.

The draft STIP will be available for review for a 30-day public comment period from May 1-31, 2024. Comments from the public must be received on or before May 31, 2024. Comments should be emailed to DOT.STIPComments@ct.gov, or mailed to Maribeth Wojenski, Bureau of Policy and Planning, Connecticut Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 317546, Newington, Connecticut 06131-7546.

NEW HAVEN

242-258 Fairmont Ave 2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 level , 1BA

$87,727 to $136,071 Deputy Finance Director/Controller

Pre-employment drug testing. AA/EOE.

For Details go to  www.bloomfieldct.org

Town of Bloomfield Finance Director

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

Fully Benefited – 35 hours weekly

Pre-employment drug testing. For more details, visit our website –www.bloomfieldct.org

Portland

Police Officer

Go to www.portlandct.org for details

Invitation to Bid: 2nd Notice

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

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

APPLY NOW!

Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders

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

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

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

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

Proposal Documents will be available beginning May 1, 2024 at no cost by downloading from the New Haven Union Station Partnership website at https:// unionstationnewhaven.com/bids-and-proposals/.

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.

NHPA is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

Listing: Mechanic

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

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

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

Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016

Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016 Project documents available via ftp link below: http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage

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

Slutty Vegan’s

By Face2faceAfrica.com

isha ‘Pinky’ Cole-Hayes, the founder of Slutty Vegan, offered to sponsor Benjamin E. Mays High School’s 2024 prom, according to Atlanta Public Schools. Pinky Gives Back, the entrepreneur’s foundation, will provide funding for the April 27 program, which will assist with the prom experience for students including food, décor, a DJ, and souvenirs. She told the district, “I was the prom queen at my high school, and I cherish the memories I created at my prom. It is important for me to support my community by helping people have experiences that will impact them for the rest of their lives, and I hope that my contribution does just that,” per 11Alive.

When Cole-Hayes visited the school last Monday, she said to the pupils, “I’m paying for the entire prom so you don’t have to pay for nothing.” She then gave the school a check for more than $10,000. Along with providing dresses and tuxedos for those in need, the organization is also covering the cost of makeup for a select few students. Apart from covering a part of every student’s prom ticket costs, the organization is also contributing hygiene kits and haircuts for male students. The student body president, Tamar

don’t have to pay for nothing’ by Dollita Okine,

Amanda Seales Just Announced She Has Autism – Here’s Why So

Echols, expressed relief and gratitude at her donation, saying, “Everybody can’t afford prom, so because everyone can’t afford prom, it’s kinda, a thing of, am I going to go or not. And, so when you get the news that a big black company is sponsoring your school, it just kinda gives you, a thing of relief, that now I can go.”

The mompreneur highlighted that since many of the students contributed to her success, helping them out is the least she can do.

Cole-Hayes declared that she wants the students, “to be able to walk away from this prom experience knowing how important it is to pay it forward when you elevate, when you realize their wildest dreams, they’ll know to come back to a Mays High School and help out. They’ll know to find a community that’s in need of support and support them.”

The Atlanta-based Pinky Cole Foundation is committed to empowering young people of color using various initiatives. The foundation has given financial support to encourage financial literacy, fight poverty, and support entrepreneurial endeavors since it was established in 2019.

Cole-Hayes also recently paid 30 students’ full tuition at Clark Atlanta University and helped out local businesses that were having trouble paying their rent.

Many Black Women Go Undiagnosed

Experts say "autistic Black girls are effectively invisible in the current scientific literature.”

ByKeyaira Boone, BlackHealthMatters.com

Amanda Seales announced that she was recently diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum on social media and during her appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast.

Seales, a comedian and actor, is in her early forties. Her discovering this information later in life is reflective of autism diagnoses for Black women. According to the Autism Journal, “female and Black populations in the United States are diagnosed later.” The publication declared that “autistic Black girls are effectively invisible in the current scientific literature.”

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) defines Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as “a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. People with ASD often have problems with social communication and interaction and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests. The organization noted, “People with ASD may also have different ways of learning, moving, or paying attention.” Seales posted a clip to her social media that highlighted the need for express clarification associated with being placed on the autism spectrum. The National Institute for Mental Health explains that “Autism is known as a “spectrum” disorder because there is wide variation in the type and severity of symptoms people experience.” These

symptoms include “difficulty with communication and interaction with other people.”

People who are on the autism spectrum are neurodivergent. This is a comprehensive term that refers to people whose brains function differently. The history of the term is connected to empowering those it refers to. Harvard Health said, “The neurodiversity movement emerged during the 1990s, aiming to increase acceptance and inclusion of all people while embracing neurological differences.” The movement has been successful in increasing media representation, but the face of that representation has been consistently White and male.

Frontiers in Psychiatry published a study focused on how stigma experienced by autistic adults relates to metrics of social identity and social functioning. It found that “almost half of autistic individuals experience some form of victimization in their lifetime, including bullying and other forms of stigma.”

The Autistic Girls Network states that “the assessment tools used for diagnosis and research in the field of autism have almost always been developed from research using predominantly male samples.” Progress in the rate of diagnosis for Black children overall is advancing slowly, according to the CDC, but the gaps in the research get even wider as it pertains to Black girls. Bria Herbert, diagnosed

at 19, shared her experience with The 19th. “Autism and most mental health disorders present differently in Black women,” Herbert told the independent publication. “Because autism is looked at through such a White and male lens, people don’t recognize similar behaviors with traditionally feminine or Black interests.”

Daniel Jones of The Aspie World dedicated an entire episode of his YouTube show to recognizing the way that Black women and girls are excluded from the discourse surrounding autism. Celebrity advocates for autism research include Toni Braxton, Shawn Stockman, and Holly Robinson Pete, who discussed the topic on Seales’ podcast Small Doses in April of 2021. April is Autism Awareness Month, and as awareness is raised and information is spread, the experiences of Black women and girls must be included in efforts to continue learning about the spectrum. Advocates and academics are arguing for their inclusion in different spaces.

A paper published in the Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders stated, “Growth in autism research necessitates corresponding attention to autism research ethics, including ethical and meaningful inclusion of diverse participants.” It said that “the exclusion of marginalized subgroups of people with autism is a major ethical concern.”

7 Ways You Could Be Making Your Spring Allergies Worse.

BlackHealthMatters.com

In some parts of the country, the 2024 spring allergy season started two to three weeks early. You know what that means: We already feel pollen’s effects. And it may sound crazy, but our habits could inadvertently make things worse! Here are a few little-known things that could make us extra miserable this spring.

1 Stressing out. Studies show high levels of stress are associated with allergy attacks. So whether you need to meditate, schedule weekly massages, or rebalance your workload, find a way to loosen up.

2 Eating fruit. Spring and juicy fruit seem to go together, but 1 in 3 people with seasonal allergies also have oral allergy syndrome, in which the proteins in some raw fruits and veggies can make your mouth itch and your eyes water. Are

you allergic to grass? You might have issues with peaches, tomatoes, and potatoes. You could react to apples, cherries, and celery if you’re allergic to alder or birch trees.

3 Showering in the morning. From your hair to your clothes to your shoes, you pick up pollen as you move throughout your day, and wearing your outside clothes in your house drags it all into your home. Change your clothes and shower when you get home to avoid breathing in that pollen while you sleep.

4 Opening the windows. Whether in the car or at home, throwing open the windows invites pollen right into your (itchy) nose. Use the air conditioner whenever possible; recirculate the air in your car and use an allergen filter in your home.

5 Wearing contacts. They aren’t just

irritating your eyes—soft contact lenses absorb pollen, which can trap it right in your eyes. You might want to pull out your frames until the season is over. Can’t part with your contacts? Use daily disposables.

6 Waiting to take your meds. The sooner you start your over-the-counter allergy medication, the more effective it will be. Don’t wait until you’re already miserable to pop your first pill of the season; take one as soon as you see the flowers start to bloom.

7 Having a plant. You probably know it’s counterproductive to buy cut flowers, but studies show about 75 percent of hay fever sufferers are also allergic to some houseplants. It might pay to leave the greenery outside, particularly ficus, ivy, palms, ferns, and orchids.

Biden-Harris Administration Unveils Ambitious Plans to Strengthen Teaching Profession Ahead of Teacher Appreciation Week

The initiatives include calling on states to increase teacher pay, fix public service loan forgiveness (PSLF), support special education teachers, establish a technical assistance center, provide data on PSLF, and increase special education funding.

By Stacy M. Brown

NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent@StacyBrownMedia

Ahead of Teacher Appreciation Week, the Biden-Harris Administration has unveiled comprehensive initiatives to bolster the teaching profession and support schools nationwide. The initiatives include calling on states to increase teacher pay, fix public service loan forgiveness (PSLF), support special education teachers, establish a technical assistance center, provide data on PSLF, and increase special education funding.

The administration also laid out its mission to return schools to pre-pandemic staffing levels. While teacher shortages remain, school staffing has recovered above pre-pandemic levels, including 40 percent more social workers and 25 percent more nurses, who provide critical support to students and help support teaching and learning.

Additionally, to help observe Teacher Appreciation Week, First Lady Jill Biden, a lifelong educator, hosted the inaugural Teachers of the Year State Dinner at the White House, honoring educators for their excellence in education.

Missy Testerman, the 2024 National Teacher of the Year, and state Teachers of the Year from across the United States were also celebrated for their dedication to the profession.

The White House declared that it’s strengthening the teaching profession by expanding registered teacher apprentice programs to 34 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico while providing an affordable and high-quality path for candidates to become teachers in communities nationwide. The plan includes

securing about $2.7 billion of investment in teachers in the current fiscal year budget to help states and communities address teacher shortages.

“Our nation’s teachers prepare and inspire the next generation of leaders critical to our future,” White House officials said. “President Biden has been clear since day one that to address these long-standing staffing challenges facing our schools, exacerbated by the pandemic, teachers, paraprofessionals,

and other school staff need to be paid competitively and treated with the respect and dignity that they deserve, including through improved working conditions for staff and learning conditions for students.”

According to the White House, 30 states and the District of Columbia have taken action to raise teacher pay, supported by $130 billion from the American Rescue Plan, the largest-ever investment in public education. One benefit of

the investment is that the funds could support teacher salaries in underserved schools and enhance teacher pipeline programs.

Officials noted that the administration’s reforms to the PSLF program have benefitted nearly 876,000 borrowers, with $62.8 billion in approved debt relief distributed across every state and Congressional district.

An additional $25 million in funding has been secured to address the short-

age of special education teachers, with grants available to support the preparation and development of educators in this critical field.

Further, the Biden-Harris administration announced that establishing a technical assistance center would support states and communities in increasing teacher recruitment and retention, including expanding educator pathways and enhancing diversity in the profession. This new center will provide universal and targeted intensive capacity-building services designed to support states as they, in turn, support their districts, schools, and partners in developing and scaling practices that establish and enhance high-quality, comprehensive, evidence-based, and affordable educator pathways (including educator residency and Grow Your Own programs, and emerging pathways into the profession such as registered apprenticeship programs for teachers), and in improving educator diversity, recruitment, and retention.

Additionally, the administration said it believes that providing data on PSLF would demonstrate the impact of loan forgiveness on public service workers, including teachers. The White House added that additional funding will be allocated to support the training and development of special education teachers, addressing a persistent shortage in this area.

“These initiatives build on the administration’s ongoing efforts to support educators, including investments in teacher recruitment programs, educator diversity, and the expansion of high-quality teacher preparation programs,” White House officials said.

photo: Amanda Seales

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