NEW HAVEN NEWS

INNER-CITY NEWS July 27, 2016 - August 02, 2016

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - June 27, 2018 - July 03, 2018

KC Morse, Dr. Biree Andemariam Talk about Sickle Disease on World Sickle Cell Day Financial Justice a Key Focus atCell 2016 NAACP Convention New Haven, Bridgeport

INNER-CITYNEWS

Volume 27 . No. 2285 Volume 21 No. 2194

African-American Music Appreciation Month Turns 39

Taj Mahal

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Malloy Malloy To To Dems: Dems:

Ignore Ignore“Tough “ToughOn OnCrime” Crime” Nigerian American Artist Publishes a Book that Every Black Person Needs to Read

Color Struck?

Snow in July?

Goffe Street Park Caribbean Flavors Savored In

3x GRAMMY® Award-winning bluesUS singer-songwriter, FOLLOW ON 1

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AFL-CIO Endorses Two of Their Own THE INNER-CITY NEWS - June 27, 2018 - July 03, 2018

by Christine Stuart Ct News Junkie

HARTFORD, CT — AFL-CIO members endorsed one of their own for lieutenant governor on Friday even though it wasn’t the same person their endorsed gubernatorial candidate chose as his running mate.

The convention endorsed Eva Bermudez Zimmerman over former Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz.

They also endorsed Ned Lamont of Greenwich over Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim.

None of the Republican candidates on the ballot sought the AFL-CIO’s endorsement.

Lamont and Ganim spoke to the group in April and at that time Lamont received the union coalition’s overwhelming endorsement in an unofficial straw poll.

Ganim, who feel short of receiving the support of 15 percent of the delegates at the Democratic Party’s convention, became the first Democrat to secure a spot on the Aug. 14 primary ballot by collecting more than 15,000 signatures of registered Democratic voters.

In order to gain an endorsement of

CHRISTINE STUART / CTNEWSJUNKIE

CHRISTINE STUART / CTNEWSJUNKIE

the union coalition, the candidates needed to get two-thirds of the support of the 192 members in attendance.

Some unions abstained from voting in the lieutenant governor contest.

On Friday, lieutenant governor candidates Zimmerman and Bysiewicz addressed the delegates.

“My dedication, my life has been this,” Zimmerman, who is of Puerto Rican descent, told the union members Friday. She said she is an organizer, “but what sets me apart is that I walk the walk.”

Zimmerman, 31, received the endorsement of AFT CT, the second

Eva Bermudez Zimmerman

Jahana Hayes

largest teachers union in the state, just as the AFL-CIO convention was starting Friday morning at the Hartford Hilton. She surprised many when she received 40 percent of the delegate support at the Democratic Party convention in May. At that point she had only been in the race for three days.

Bysiewicz, who recently received the endorsement of Attorney General George Jepsen, said she would fulfill the state’s obligation to fund the state employee and teachers retirement system.

“I don’t have to tell you that we have to win” this election, Bysiewicz said.

But Bysiewicz, a tenacious campaigner, was unable to convince delegates that it was her time.“My hearts with Eva, but there’s gotta be a reason Ned picked Susan,” Sal Luciano, retired AFSCME Council 4 executive director, told his members.

Dave Roche, of the building trades, said they’re always talking about nominating one of their own and Zimmerman is their opportunity.

Ron Petronella, of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, cautioned the group about going with Zimmerman.

Ed Leavy of AFT CT said now is not a time for caution.

The group overwhelmingly supported Zimmerman.

In May, Lamont chose Bysiewicz as his running mate and has faced criticism because, like Lamont, she is also white.

Ganim has called the ticket “too white.” Ganim is also white.

But race was less of a factor Friday at the AFL-CIO convention. It had more to do with union affiliation.

The group didn’t make any endorsement in the state treasurer contest.

Shawn Wooden, the endorsed Democratic candidate for state treasurer, struggled to connect with the crowd Friday despite his past experience working for the AFL-CIO in Washington.

He said he wasn’t going to do anything to convince them to vote. He would simply stand by his record.

Wooden was challenged by union members on his record as past president of the Hartford City Council. He was criticized for his decision to approve the construction of the minor Con’t on page 09

Alders Override Harp’s Budget Veto

by THOMAS BREEN NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

Alders voted unanimously to override the mayor’s veto of a tax increase reduction order, thereby requiring any “additional revenue” that the city receives for next year’s budget to go towards mitigating the new 11 percent tax hike.

During a special veto meeting held in the Aldermanic Chambers on the second floor of City Hall on Monday night, the full Board of Alders voted unanimously to overturn the veto that Mayor Toni Harp issued last week of an order that the alders had passed earlier in the month that sought to reduce next fiscal year’s tax increase.

The special veto meeting lasted around five minutes. The alders needed a two-thirds majority to override the mayor’s veto. They voted 25 to 0 in favor of the veto override.

The June 4 order, which the board also passed unanimously, states that “any additional revenue received for the 2018-19 Fiscal year shall only be

used for mill rate reduction.”

At the end of May, the alders approved an amended version of the mayor’s proposed $547.1 million operating budget, thereby maintaining the original budget’s 11 percent tax increase for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

One mill corresponds to $1 in taxes for every $1,000 of assessed taxable real estate. The final approved budget raises the city’s real estate and personal property mill rate from 38.68 to 42.98. Taxpayers have received their new bills over the past week; many have expressed outrage.

Last week, the mayor vetoed the June 4 order. Her spokesperson, Laurence Grotheer, described the order as “unenforceable” as written, considering how much money comes into the city each year with specific strings attached. For example, he noted last week, if the state were to bump up the value of its Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grant to the city, the city could not simply take that money and use it to lower taxes. It would have to spend

that money on education.

Although the alders’ veto override did not change the language of the original order, which still does not include any specified exceptions or qualifications to the term “additional revenue,” aldermanic leadership stated on Monday night that the mill rate reduction order would not redirect any incoming money that already has strings attached.

“It simply requires that any additional money that the city receives for the general fund be used for mill rate reduction,” said Westville/Amity/ Beverly Hills Alder and Board of Alders Majority Leader Richard Furlow.

“This does not apply to special funds. … Only the revenue that is coming to the general fund.”

The general fund is the city’s general operating budget, covering such expenses as city staff salaries and utility fees and department materials and supplies. The special fund budget covers state and federal grants specifically associated with certain time-limited

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THOMAS BREEN PHOTO

Board President Walker-Myers: Grant money not affected.

projects or staff positions.

Board of Alders President Tyisha Walker-Myers of West River confirmed that the order applies only to money coming in to the general fund, and only to additional revenue slated for next fiscal year, which begins on

July 1.

“No grants,” she said about which money could be put towards the mill rate reduction. “No special funds.”

She said the order also applies specifically to next fiscal year, and will be in Con’t on page 08

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - June 27, 2018 - July 03, 2018

DeLauro: Border Children’s Plight “Worse Than Imagined”

by CARLY WANNA NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

At detention centers on the Southern border of the United States, a sea of mylar subsidizes comfort, predictability and parents for the thousands of children detained and separated from their mothers and fathers in attempts to cross the border.

And the effects of that trauma will last for years.

So reported U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro and Yale child psychologists at a press conference Monday in the Cohen Auditorium of the Yale Child Study Center.

DeLauro and fellow Connecticut Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty, who also attended the event, just returned from a visit to the Texas border’s detention centers, site of heated political debate regarding the separation of families who have crossed the border together.

“What we saw was worse than what we had imagining was happening at the border,” said DeLauro.

The two congresswomen spoke at length about their time at Port Isabel, a service processing center in South Texas. They described it as a “prison.”

The press conference took place just one day before the Appropriations Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives will begin considering proposals about how to deal with issues related to detention of immigrants at the border. More than 180 member of Congress have already joined DeLauro in a House resolution condemning Trump’s former “zero tolerance policy” introduced in April, calling its provisions a form of child abuse.

While cameras are not allowed into the facilities the congresswomen visited this past weekend, they described the “staggering scene” as “dehumanizing,” specifically referencing the trauma endured by parents and children, many of whom, they said, are unsure when or if they will be united.

DeLauro said that to keep warm, the families get mylar blankets as they sleep on concrete floors. It was all they had to cling onto.

Steven Marans, director of the Yale Child Study Center’s Trauma Service unit, and Linda Mayes,who directs the Yale Child Study Center, also attended the press conference.

CARLY WANNA PHOTO

Rosa DeLauro at Monday’s press conference.

DeLauro expressed a desire to bring Maran to Washington to discuss the psychological risks including increased susceptibility to agitation, irritability, fearfulness, post traumatic stress disorder, separation anxiety and depression –associated with removing children from their parents at formative ages.

Mayes mentioned the difficulties experienced by adults as well, many

of whom she says have been faced with a situation they do not know how to handle. The representatives met with women, all of whom the facility selected to speak with the Congressional visitors. Only one of the 15 mothers with whom they met with knew the location of her child.

“The others do not know where their children are, and they don’t know when they’re going to get a

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court date,” said DeLauro.

Even in the most trying moments of crossing the border, Marans said children would have the most important buffering factor: their parents. Now an estimated more than 2,000 children have been separated from their mothers or fathers, leading to feelings of hopelessness.

Sometimes the child will simply blame himself or herself for the separation, Marans said.

He spoke of the specific challenges faced by children under the age of 3, many of whom face heightened risk of developing separation anxiety and substance abuse among other emotional backlashes provided by such exacerbations.

Marans stressed the immediate need to resolve the border separations first.

“We cannot talk about trauma treatment until we’re able to ensure that the ongoing danger does not exist,” said Marans.

Esty said the country needs more administrative law judges to handle asylum claims immediately. She said that, like every country, the United States must secure its borders. But she said the current policy has created a humanitarian crisis.

By modern standards, DeLauro argued, this treatment breaks an international taboo not practiced by refugee camps around the world.

“Nobody separates children from their parents,” she said.

DeLauro beckoned those in the auditorium to think of their own families, their own kids. She mentioned the panic parents receive from even slight separations from their children in a department store, a blip compared to the prolonged splits many of the families have faced.

“This is not the United States of America,” she said.

John P. Thomas Publisher / CEO

Babz Rawls Ivy

Editor-in-Chief Liaison, Corporate Affairs Babz@penfieldcomm.com

Advertising/Sales Team Trenda Lucky Keith Jackson Delores Alleyne John Thomas, III

Editorial Team Staff Writers

Christian Lewis/Current Affairs Anthony Scott/Sports Arlene Davis-Rudd/Politics

Contributing Writers David Asbery Tanisha Asbery Jerry Craft/Cartoons Barbara Fair

Dr. Tamiko Jackson-McArthur Michelle Turner Smita Shrestha William Spivey Kam Williams Rev. Samuel T. Ross-Lee

_______________________

Contributors At-Large

Christine Stuart www.CTNewsJunkie.com Paul Bass New Haven Independent www.newhavenindependent.org

Memberships

National Association of Black Journalist National Newspapers Publishers Association Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce Greater New Haven Business & Professional Association Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - June 27, 2018 - July 03, 2018

Police Probe Widens; Officer Gives His Side

by PAUL BASS

NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

It turns out that city cops fabricated well more than 17 background-check reports on aspiring officers, and now state and federal prosecutors have been asked to consult on a possible criminal investigation.

Police Chief Anthony Campbell offered those updates at a press conference on a controversy that first came to light last week.

The controversy involves the fabrication of reports on alleged interviews with neighbors and relatives of applicants to the police department. After the Independent reported fabricated 17 of those reports, Chief Campbell suspended a new training class of police cadets (set to begin June 25) and put offers to more than three dozen new officers on hold while his department conducts a broader internal investigation into the matter.

At Thursday’s press conference at 1 Union Ave., Campbell reported that a second officer has been found to have fabricated up to another 10 reports.

He also reported that he has asked the New Haven State’s Attorney Patrick Griffin, U.S. Attorney John Durham, and the Connecticut FBI office to look into wheth-

PAUL BASS PHOTOChief Anthony Campbell at Thursday’s press conference.

er criminal charges against the two officers, Leah Russo and Kristian Ramirez.

Ramirez, meanwhile, told the Independent in an interview that his actions were not intentional, but rather “negligence” in the face of pressure to get reports done.

“I am beyond disheartened,” Campbell said at the press conference, held on the

third floor of 1 Union Ave. police headquarters.

“I’m thankful we caught this cancer early” before it spread throughout the department, Campbell remarked.

He said that the two officers “had darkness in their hearts and cut corners,” impugning the integrity of the police depart-

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ment and “betraying” the public trust.

“The ultimate responsibility lies with me,” the chief said. “I own this.”

Dead Man Talking Assistant Chief Racheal Cain first learned of the fabrications at a May 25 Police Commission meeting, when rejected officers had the opportunity to make a final plea for the job either in open session or in executive session.

One rejected applicant told the commissioners that he had reviewed his file and knew it couldn’t be accurate — because it included a report of an interview with one of his neighbors ... who happens to be dead. Leah Russo had filed that report.

Cain promptly confirmed that information and ordered a review of all background reports done by Russo. She said she found 17 fabricated reports, interviews with people that never took place, in the files of “six to eight” applicants.

Russo was then told she could resign or face probable termination, according to Campbell.

The department reassigned all the background unit members back to patrol and brought in more experienced officers to redo the background investigations.

Department brass informed all members of the background unit (which includes

six to eight officers at any one time) that all their files would now be reviewed. Officer Russo’s partner, Ramirez, then put in his resignation. Chief Campbell said Thursday that Ramirez had fabricated up to 10 reports.

Campbell also said it appears that none of the fabricated reports contained negative information about applicants. So no one’s chances of making the force appear to have been harmed by the fabrications.

Someone familiar with the internal investigation confirmed that members of the background unit had recently been trained in using a law-enforcement database, called Accurint, which may have helped officers fabricate reports on supposed interviewees. Lexis/Nexis, which operates the database, calls it “a cutting-edge investigative technology that can expedite the identification of people and their assets, addresses, relatives and business associates by providing instant access to a comprehensive database of public records that would ordinarily take days to collect.” Detectives use it to track down witnesses, suspects, and assets. In the past the background unit had not access to that database.

Ramirez: Not “Intentional” Con’t on page 14

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - June 27, 2018 - July 03, 2018

Fun Factor Sought For Long Wharf Vision

Caribbean Flavors Savored In Goffe Street Park

by ALLISON PARK

NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

PERKINS EASTMANRendering of Long Wharf’s proposed “Market District.”

by MARKESHIA RICKS What about arts? And sports?

And for goodness sake, where are all these people going to park?

Neighbors popped those questions Tuesday evening as they helped refine a vision for a new Long Wharf District.

The occasion was the latest in a series of community meetings about Long Wharf, held at the Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School Hall in Kimberly Square.

A firm hired by the city updated neighbors on the progress of its emerging plan to transform Long Wharf from one big disconnected district to a gateway for the city that is made up of five smaller districts that are walkable, attractive and ripe for commercial and residential development. Previous discussions have focused on elements of the plan like an interconnecting greenway, a public market, and better use of the New Haven Harbor. There are no plans for how to involve local artists in the whole exercise of placemaking.

“That seems something of an omission” so far, Artspace Executive Director Helen Kauder pointed out at Tuesday evening’s discussion: Ideas for how to involve local artists in the whole exercise of placemaking.

It was exactly the kind of feedback Aïcha Woods, assistant director of comprehensive planning from the city, was looking for to help flesh out the emerging plan.

“We’re trying to get down to what values are specific to New Haven,” she said.

Well, they might consider adding some kind of sports attractions to the Harbor District, where preliminary plans now call for more development close to the water’s edge and possibly

a walkable wharf.

Rick Mayer, of the World Cycling League, suggested that a “velodrome” might be an attractive option for people visiting a future Long Wharf. Mayer pitched a similar idea for River Street two years ago.

He said it’s nice to have all the bike infrastructure which the plan calls for increasing along with creating new streets in conjunction with a new Long Wharf greenway to help people get to Long Wharf without a car. But they need something to do once they get down there.

Adriana Colon suggested that shutting down Long Wharf Drive to regular car traffic on a more consistent basis, almost like a food truck festival every weekend, to make the area more walkable and lively.

The city-hired designers for this project, Eric Fang and Stan Eckstut of EE&K, are responsible for Washington, D.C.‘s $2.5 billion waterfront makeover. The city used with half of a $950,000 state grant to pay them.

Tuesday night they pointed out other small touches they suggest to better knit together the district. Such as: working with Ikea to scale back some of its parking into a garage so that its current sprawling parking lot could be redeveloped for more mixed commercial and residential uses.

Another idea: creating a forested park on the land leftover from the I-95 New Haven Harbor crossing construction, which would function as a buffer to the highway for any potential residences that come to the area but also be part of the stormwater and climate change protections that will be built into the district.

Another provocative idea? Extend the current tunnel that goes to the

“Contestant Number One!” the emcee shouted to a sea of cheering faces.

The ultimate dance-off had just begun.

The dance-off took place Sunday amid a celebratory day of Caribbean food, music, and friends at Goffe Street Park, all part of the fifth annual New Haven Caribbean Heritage Festival.

Timed for June’s National Caribbean American Heritage Month, a festival filled the air for blocks around with the pleasantly smoky aroma of Caribbean-style jerk chicken and the tropical twang of marimbas luring visitors to the park.

The event attracted the most attendees in the last five years, with children eating a buffet of Caribbean style jerk chicken with rice and beans, while others proudly donned decorative costumes and T-shirts from their respective home countries.

“We do it because of the culture,” said Paula Ferguson, a member of the 2018 planning committee. Originally from Grenada, Ferguson summed up the feeling of fellowship that afternoon with one phrase: “water divides us, but culture connects us.”

The connection was palpable on the stage as seven contestants from different parts of the world danced their hearts out on stage to 30-second riffs

by DJ Fire. The contestants were asked to introduce themselves and represented their home countries of Jamaica, Guyana, England, and Germany, just to name a few. representative Karaine Holness laughed and chatted amongst the audience watching the intense dancing competition ensuing on the main stage, many of whom were “loyal” attendees she recognized from previous years.

“Contestant Number Four … please step forward!” shouted emcee Andrew Braata Clarke of Braata Production into the microphone to an eruption of applause and cheers from the audience. The young and old enjoyed the friendly competition and found themselves brushing shoulders with people they hadn’t known prior to the afternoon.

Member of the planning committee Shermaine Edmonds said she wants the festival to “bring people out here” and give Caribbean residents an opportunity to connect with each other, as well as inform “non-Caribbean folks” of the cohesive culture. It “keep[s] our culture going,” she said. “You don’t hear too much reggae and calypso [in New Haven],” Ferguson added.

The event drew a diverse crowd,

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ALLISON PARK PHOTO

St. Luke’s Steel Band performs at the festival.

Karaine Holness.

with the food options catering towards more selective palates to ensure nobody felt left out. The vegan plate, filled to the brim with curried chickpeas, seasoned cabbage, and jerk tofu on a lofty bed of rice and beans, was a hit and appealed to even the most apprehensive of eaters.

The perimeter of the field was lined with 20-some booths from local Caribbean small businesses, featuring food

trucks, African skin and hair products, caps, flags, and colorful dresses.

The dancers on stage were now down to the last two performers, with a fierce dance-off between. In the end, the emcee announced that both finalists would be crowned winners, showing the collaborative nature of the entire celebration — they’re all in for the fun together.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - June 27, 2018 - July 03, 2018

Fund Started For Murdered Woman’s Family

208 Days And Counting ...

by MARKESHIA RICKS NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

THOMAS BREEN PHOTO Tyeqkqua Nesbitt’s sister Tashauna (right) and her mother at

June 6 press conference appealing for the public’s help in finding her killer.

by STAFF

NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

As police search for the man they believe shot Tyekqua Nesbitt to death in front of her children, they’re also raising money for her family.

The department’s victims services coordinator, Officer Jillian Knox, has set up a GoFundMe page to help them through a harrowing time.

The goal of the campaign is to raise $100,000.

Police are still searching for prime suspect Tramaine Marquese Poole, for whom they have obtained a murder warrant.

Here’s what Knox wrote on the GoFundMe page: On May 31, 2018, the New Haven community’s lives tragically changed forever.

Two children of the New Haven community lost their mother and witnessed their mother’s murder as they traveled home from visiting with family. This family has not only experienced trauma, but also financial hardship.

Due to the nature of the crime, the victim’s children are being guarded twentyfour hours a day, seven days a week until the suspect is captured. With all of this being mentioned, the family’s lives have been turned upside down. The victim’s twin

GOFUNDME Tyekqua Nesbitt .

sister has accepted the role of guardian for her niece and nephew, while caring for her own two children. This role does not come with the much-needed assistance required to raise a child, much less four.

The now family of six currently live in a 2-bedroom apartment because they do not have the finance to secure a security deposit on a bigger home. The children aren’t allowed to play outside and whenever the family would like to travel locally, they must be escorted by the police.

As a community, it would be very kind to put a smile on these children’s faces again. A summer family vacation, moving fees and an education fund for the children would be ideal. Prior to the tragic event, the family was scheduled to go on vacation, but had to cancel it because all their available finances were used for their loved one’s burial and providing for the decedent’s children.

On behalf of the most recent homicide victim’s Tyekqua Nesbitt’s family and the Victim Services Coordinator for the New Haven Police Department, I am requesting a generous donation from this organization to assist the family in moving forward and providing a healthy and safe environment for the children.

It has been 208 days since Nelson Pinos sought refuge at sanctuary at the corner of College and Elm streets, and it could be many more days as he awaits a decision from an immigration appeals board in Bloomington, Minn.

That is the latest in the deportation case of the Ecuadorian husband and father of three, who prior to seeking refuge at First & Summerfield United Methodist Church seven months ago to avoid a federal order to leave the country lived in the Annex section of the city.

Advocates held a rally for Pinos on the steps of the church Tuesday to remind people that the ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration is having an impact beyond the U.S. and Mexico border.

“Being in here, there is no day of life,” Pinos said when asked what a typical day is like living in a church, separated from his family, and knowing that leaving the church without an order that would stay the deportation order hanging over his head could put him in the hands of Immigration and Custom Enforcement officers.

His attorney Tina Colón Williams of Esperanza Center for Law and Advocacy, a Norwalk-based organization that has an office in New Haven, said that the power to stay the order of deportation technically rests with the Bloomington Immigration Court but it won’t hear a motion filed on Pinos’ behalf to reopen his case. If the court had accepted the motion, it would have granted him an automatic stay of deportation while the court looks at his case. But the court has thus far refused to accept the motion on the grounds that it lacks jurisdiction — a conclusion drawn by court staff, not a judge, Williams said.

Esperanza attorneys have filed a motion directly with Bloomington’s Board of Immigration Appeals, which Williams said has authority over the Bloomington Immigration Court. She said that board could direct the court to grant a stay to hear the case, reopen the case directly, or send the case to the court and demand that it receive the motion that the attorneys have filed for Pinos.

“We all know our immigration system is broken,” Williams said. “But even in this broken context, there are some spaces where there’s a little bit of room for mercy, a little bit of room for common sense and compassion.”

Williams and Pinos said they’re asking the board to have a bit of all three as they consider the case of the 48-year-old immigrant who entered the country illegally more than 25 years ago and has attempted to fix his undocumented status for several years to no avail.

Vanesa Suarez of Unidad Latina en Acción, which organized the rally along with the attorneys of Esperanza, reminded the crowd that living in sanctuary is its own form of family separation.

The separation of children from their families became a recent flashpoint in the ongoing national battle over what to do

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Nelson Pinos shares a moment with his son outside First & Summerfield at Tuesady’s rally.

MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTO

Attorney Tina Colón Williams

Suarez, center, said that advocates must fight all forms of family separation. about the broken immigration system. The Trump administration recently signed an executive order that allows for the incarceration of parents with their children as they await deportation. Suarez said that both forms of family separation will have psychological consequences for the families and children.

“This is not freedom by any means,” Suarez said of Pinos’ living in sanctuary without his family.

Pinos said in the seven months that he’s lived in the church it’s been seven months that he’s not been able to contribute to the life of his family. He said that has meant not taking his children to school, or the park, or helping them with their needs.

“All I’m asking is to be able to give my lawyers an opportunity to reopen my case,” he said. “I’m not asking for anything else but the opportunity to submit the papers so [the court] can review them.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - June 27, 2018 - July 03, 2018

Another GOP Candidate Name-Checks Harp

by PAUL BASS

NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

Toni Harp may not be running for governor, but don’t tell that to the Republicans who are.

For the second time in eight days, a Republican gubernatorial candidate took a shot at New Haven’s Democratic mayor.

The latest salvo came Tuesday from self-financing David Stemerman, who issued a release savaging Harp for giving top aides a raise at the same time that the Board of Education sent out 1,100 layoff notices.

His release came a week after another Republican candidate, Tim Herbst, called out Harp by name from the stage of the Shubert during a debate over New Haven’s sanctuary city policies.

“The image of a mayor dolling out hundreds in thousands in taxpayer money to her inner circle, even as children in her city face growing waitlists for high quality public charters, is the epitome of what’s wrong in Connecticut today.” Stemerman was quoted

saying in Tuesday’s release. “Our children deserve high-quality education, and instead our best charters – such as Achievement First in New Haven – are closing their doors due to chronic underfunding of $4,000 per student. And our taxpayers deserve more than tax hikes going directly to government bureaucrats who produce no results.

“This latest news underscores the stakes of this year’s elections: more self-serving Democratic rule to the benefit of political insiders, or a total change to save our state and make it work for the taxpayers, families and businesses.”

The release went on to describe a visit Stermerman made to New Haven’s charter Amistad High School; it praised charters and accused “Hartford insiders” of “severely underfunding high-quality public charters – resulting in longer and longer waitlists and schools closing their doors.”

Harp has defended the raises, noting that most of the aides had not received any raises for years and that these rais-

es are commensurate with those given to unionized supervisors.

Here’s what she had to say when asked Wednesday about Stemerman’s release: “I never met Mr. Stemerman.

He doesn’t know anything about New Haven. His remarks show that he is a rookie candidate.”

Meanwhile, Amistad High Principal Morgan Barth said there is no danger of the school closing its doors.

“While we at Amistad will always advocate to be funded at the same levels as other schools, our doors will remain open. There is no present threat to Amistad closing,” Barth wrote in an email message.

Tags: David Stemerman, Toni Harp, schools Con’t from page 03

Alders Override

PAUL BASS PHOTO

Stemerman at Shubert debate.

Black Men Vote Too! The Kiama Movement

Photo: Black Men Vote Too! City Hall, New Haven, CT. Showing Black men solidarity at the Juneteenth Celebration at the International Arts & Ideas Festival on the upper Green Saturday June 16, 2018.

The Kiyama Movement (TKM) was officially founded on May 19, 2005, the 80th anniversary of the birth of Malcolm X. The word “Kiyama” means “Resurrection” in Swahili. Interestingly enough, it also means “Judgment Day” in the same language.

TKM’s primary focus is self-improvement. The founder of TKM – Michael A. Jefferson – believes that self-improvement should be the goal of all human beings seeking to enhance the society in which we live and improve our world as a whole. He believes that the creation of a better society and world begins with the improvement of the individual.

8

place for the duration of the year unless otherwise amended: that is, from July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019.

So the $2 million that the Parking Authority transferred to the city last week is not necessarily affected by this order, as that money was given to the city during the current fiscal year, and the order that the mayor had vetoed and that the alders overrode applies to money received towards next fiscal year’s budget.

The mayor’s office has said that it plans to put that $2 million from the Parking Authority towards reducing the city’s projected $14 million budget deficit for the current fiscal year, and not towards reducing the 11 percent tax increase for next fiscal year.

However, since the legislative branch of city government has the final say over how all city money is spent, the alders will ultimately decide where the $2 million from the Parking Authority will go. The aldermanic Finance Committee, which discusses all matters related to city finances, next meets on July 7.

“The mayor expected the board’s override this evening,” Grotheer told the Independent after the alders had voted. “And certainly joins its members in a desire to do everything possible to mitigate the tax increase included in the budget adopted by the board.”

He said the alders’ on-the-record clarification that this order does not apply to special fund or grant dollars is more in line with what the mayor was hoping to see in Monday night’s vote.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - June 27, 2018 - July 03, 2018 Con’t from page 10

AFL-CIO

league baseball park, which is currently home to the Yard Goats.

Hartford taxpayers will be responsible to pay off the debt on the bonds for that project. The state bailed out the city and picked up the tab for most of the rest of its debt.

Dita Bhargava, the other Democratic candidate, had a family obligation and sent a video, which was disappointing to members who seemed to be looking for an alternative to Wooden.

The AFL-CIO’s Committee On Political Education recommended that state Rep. William Tong receive the endorsement for attorney general, but members objected to the motion and asked for no action because they felt former federal prosecutor Chris Mattei was as strong a candidate.

Tong fell short of the two-thirds he needed for the endorsement by about two votes. And state Sen. Paul Doyle of Wethersfield, who voted in favor of a Republican budget, wasn’t even a consideration for the group.

In the 5th Congressional District they went with newcomer Jahana Hayes, who received several standing ovations, over former Simsbury First Selectwoman Mary Glassman.

Glassman, who had run for lieutenant governor in 2006 and 2010, received criticism from the group regarding her tenure as head of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities in 2011.

Glassman said the group of town officials has since been “hijacked by the Republican Party.”

Some union members said Glassman didn’t really support labor even though she had all the correct talking points.

Hayes opened her speech to the convention Friday talking about her time as a developmental disability worker at the Southbury Training School, where she worked the third shift.

Hayes said they would continually ask her to pull a double shift and when she refused, “they told me I could find another job.”

“Instead what I did was find my union brothers and sisters,” Hayes said.

Hayes said she worked for 14 years at Southbury before becoming a teacher.

The group of delegates felt it was necessary to support ‘one of their own.”

Hayes fell just a few votes short of the Democratic Party’s endorsement in May. The union coalition also endorsed U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy.

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Mayor Vetoes Tax Reduction Order THE INNER-CITY NEWS - June 27, 2018 - July 03, 2018

by THOMAS BREEN NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

Mayor Toni Harp vetoed a Board of Alders order that requires any “additional revenue” received by the city for the next fiscal year to go towards reducing the city’s new 11 percent tax increase.

That veto comes just a few days after the city’s Parking Authority agreed to send over an additional $2 million to the city to help shore up its struggling finances.

On Wednesday the mayor issued a veto of the June 4 aldermanic order. The order requires that “any additional revenue received for the 2018-19 fiscal year shall only be used for mill rate reduction.”

At the end of May, the alders approved an amended version of the mayor’s proposed $547.1 million operating budget, thereby maintaining the original budget’s 11 percent tax increase for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

One mill corresponds to $1 in taxes for every $1,000 of assessed taxable real estate. The final approved budget raises the city’s real estate and personal property mill rate from 38.68 to 42.98.

Taxpayers have received their new bills over the past week; many have expressed outrage.

City spokesperson Laurence Grotheer described the June 4 order as “unenforceable.” Around half of the city’s annual revenue comes from local property taxes. The other half comes primarily from state aid, voluntary contributions, and other permits and fees.

Much of it often comes with strings attached, directing its use. Grotheer said if, for example, the state were to decide to bump up the value of its Education Cost

Sharing (ECS) grant to the city, the city could not simply take that money and use it to lower taxes. That money would be specifically for the education budget.

The aldermanic order was part of the suspension agenda for the full board’s regular June meeting, and was passed by unanimous consent. It was introduced

by Board of Alders leaders including Tyisha Walker, Jeanette Morrison, Richard Furlow, Dave Reyes, Aaron Greenberg, and Dolores Colon.

The alders plan to hold a special meeting Monday at 8 p.m. to consider overriding the veto.

A June 4 letter sent to the full board by aldermanic leadership indicated that “new information has come to light that we may receive more revenue” than was anticipated in the general fund budget that was approved by the alders at the end of May. “Given the hours of public testimony that we heard during the budget process,” the letter reads, “and the feedback we have received in the last week it is clear that our residents want us to use any additional funds we receive for mill rate reduction.”

Although neither the letter nor the order specifies the anticipated source of additional revenue, city transit chief Doug Hausladen, who serves as the acting executive director of the city’s Parking Authority, and Norman Forrester, the chairman of the Parking Authority, confirmed that the Parking Authority voted on Monday to increase the authority’s annual Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) to the city by $2 million.

Forrester said the Parking Authority usually gives the city around $1.5 mil-

THOMAS BREEN PHOTO

Mayor Toni Harp at City Hall on Thursday: “Unenforceable.”

lion every year. This one-time increase will add $2 million on top of the authority’s usual annual PILOT. Hausladen said the city’s budget office requested the $2 million increase from the Parking Authority last week to help meet an “emergency need” to help shore up city finances.

That request from the city came a few weeks after the State Bond Commission agreed during their June 1 meeting to bond $5 million for the New Haven Parking Authority for, according to the bond commission’s agenda, “renovations, improvements and repairs to cityowned parking garages.”

Hausladen said that state money is specifically for lighting improvements, waterproofing, and concrete repairs for the Temple Street Garage at Temple and Crown Street downtown.

Although that $5 million from the state will remain allocated for the Temple Street Garage improvements, Hausladen said, the Parking Authority agreed to send over $2 million to the city from elsewhere in its construction budget. He said that transfer will mean a temporary deauthorization of the construction portions of several other Parking Authority projects, though those projects will continue to be designed. He said he would

share which specific Parking Authority projects will be affected by this transfer by the end of this week.

“We’re just doing our part to help the city,” Forrester said about the Parking Authority’s vote in favor of the $2 million transfer to the city.

In a press release issued Thursday afternoon, Grotheer wrote that the city will apply this $2 million infusion from the Parking Authority towards reducing this year’s projected budget deficit.

“The City’s partnership with the New Haven Parking Authority involves collaborative planning, development, conCon’t on page 16

Garlinghouse Falls Short On Primary, Eyes Independent Run

by PAUL BASS

NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

A civil rights lawyer making his first run for office fell 22 signatures short of landing a spot on the Aug. 14 Democratic primary ballot.

Now the lawyer, Paul Garlinghouse, plans to return to the streets of New Haven’s east side to collect signatures again, in an attempt to have his name appear on the Nov. 8 general election ballot as an independent candidate.

Garlinghouse is seeking to challenge Democratic incumbent State Rep. Al Paolillo Jr. for the 97th General Assembly District seat. Garlinghouse doesn’t criticize Paolillo’s performance; rather he says he’s running to offer voters a choice and to pursue criminal-justice reforms as a state representatives. (Click here for a previous

story about his candidacy and about Paolillo’s record in office.) Paolillo was unanimously endorsed for reelection by a district party convention.

Garlinghouse said he submitted petitions with about 300 signatures of registered Democratic voters from the 97th District to the Registrar of Voters office last week in his quest to make the Democratic primary ballot.

He needed 290 verified signatures.

But the office was able to validate only 268 signatures, according to paperwork it submitted this week to the City Clerk’s Office.

That’s actually a high percentage of valid signatures, but not enough to qualify. Challengers seeking ballot positions routinely seek a cushion of 25 percent or more extra signatures on petitions to allow for invalid names.

The 97th District encompasses the New Haven neighborhoods east of the Quinnipiac River, including Quinnipiac Meadows, Fair Haven Heights, the Annex, Morris Cove; as well as a sliver of Fair Haven itself, along the water and parts of Chatham Square.

“I learned that it is a lot of work to go out and reach people and explain how they can participate and really be part of their government. But it’s so worth it. When people opened the door and understood what we are doing, they were supportive,” Garlinghouse said Thursday.

He was on his way to the secretary of the state’s office to learn what he needs to do to get his name on the Nov. 6 ballot as an unaffiliated candidate. He said he plans to begin another round of petitioning.

10

THOMAS BREEN PHOTO Paul

Garlinghouse submitting petitions last week at 200 Orange St.

“I think it’s a great time to be independent,” he said. “I met a lot of independent voters out there.”

Garlinghouse learned that the bar is far lower to make the ballot as an inde-

pendent: He needs by Aug. 8 to submit petitions with the signatures of only 58 registered voters — of any party.

He might want to collect 100 to be sure.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - June 27, 2018 - July 03, 2018

Gauntlet Thrown, Challenge Accepted And Expanded

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HARTFORD, CT — One of the three Democratic attorney general candidates issued a debate challenge last week.

Former federal prosecutor Chris Mattei called for five debates, one in each Congressional District, before the Aug. 14 primary.

Sen. Paul Doyle of Wethersfield said he was happy to accept the challenge and debate his Democratic opponents.

With a gubernatorial contest that seems to be getting all of the attention, Doyle said the attorney general candidates are usually asked to answer similar public policy questions when the job for attorney general is very different from the job for governor.

The attorney general is the top lawyer for the state and its agencies. The office mostly defends the state in court. It also receives recommendations from the Auditors of Public Accounts regarding whistleblower complaints and has a consumer privacy and anti-fraud unit, which may provide informal mediation services to assist consumers who are unable to resolve an issue on their own.

It can also when necessary seek to revoke or reduce a public pension, if a municipal or state employee has misused their office.

The seat for attorney general opened up when Attorney General George Jepsen announced last November he wouldn’t seek a third term. Jepsen succeeded U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who served in the office for 20 years.

Rep. William Tong of Stamford, who received the Democratic Party’s endorsement, at the convention, said that he’s “happy to debate.”

Following a Capitol press conference in which he called for the office to create a civil rights division, Tong said he’s “happy to talk substance, happy to talk people’s records in public service.”

Last Thursday, Tong said his campaign would be issuing a letter soon in response to Mattei’s challenge.

It did.

Tong responded to Mattei by proposing a topic for each of the five debates.

“I believe that each debate should have a clear issue focus to ensure that they are

CHRISTINE STUART / CTNEWSJUNKIE

Chris Mattei at the Democratic convention with Senate President Martin Looney

CHRISTINE STUART / CTNEWSJUNKIE

Rep. William Tong outside the House calling for a civil rights division inside the Office of Attorney General substantive and impactful,” Tong wrote in his response.

The topics he suggested include gun violence prevention, criminal justice reform, civil rights, economic justice, and the role of the attorney general’s office.

As of Monday, no dates or venues have been decided yet.

Sue Hatfield, a state prosecutor and former registered nurse from Pomfret, and former Rep. John Shaban of Redding are running for the Republican nomination for attorney general. Hatfield is the endorsed Republican candidate.

There also have been no debates scheduled yet on the Republican side.

Meet the Only Black Woman in the U.S. Who Owns Her Own Bank

T:5.472”

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48-year old Kiko Davis is the majority stockholder of Detroit-based First Independence Bank, one of the top 10 largest Black-owned banks in the United States.

This makes her the only Black woman in the country who owns a bank.

During an interview with Rolling Out, she said that what makes her unique as an African American female leader is her ability to genuinely connect with people and inspire a culture of synergy. “It’s a God given talent that comes naturally,” she said. “People tend to lend the very best of themselves when they feel leaders are passionate about them and their environment.”

crimination are equivalent to the same thing: anti-humanism.”

She is also inspired by her late husband, Donald Davis. After his untimely death, she created a foundation in his name to perpetuate his legacy building efforts and initiatives that he envisioned and developed.

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Her inspiration Kiko says that she is greatly inspired by Shirley Chisolm, the first Black congresswoman and the first major party Black candidate to run for president in 1972. She says her favorite quote by Chisolm is, “In the end, anti-Black, anti-female, and all forms of dis-

12

Kiko Davi

How to win Kiko says that taking risks is very important if you want to become successful. “Without risk,” she says. “there can be no reward...

Your mistakes will bring invaluable knowledge that will ultimately become your strategy for winning.”

She also strongly believes in maintaining a positive attitude, and attributes her success to prayer, eating healthy, and exercising.

For more details about Kiko’s company, First Independence Bank, visit www.firstindependence.com or connect with her on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/kiko-davis-ba9756139

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - June 27, 2018 - July 03, 2018

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Sicario: Day of the Soldado

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - June 27, 2018 - July 03, 2018 Con’t from page 05

Feds Fight Bad Hombres in Gory, Border War Sequel

Film Review by Kam Williams

I can’t think of a movie that has ever been more timely. Just as the debate about the detention of undocumented aliens has reached a fevered pitch, here we have a film revolving around the dark side of the border wars.

It doesn’t focus as much on the vast majority of non-violent refugees entering the country in search of the American Dream as on the “bad hombres” Donald Trump has repeatedly alluded to since the day he threw his hat into the ring as a presidential candidate. Although the film is technically a sequel, one need not have seen the original to enjoy this heart-pounding adventure.

Directed by Italy’s Stefano Sollima (Suburra) and written by Oscar-nominee Taylor Sheridan (for Hell or High Water), Sicario: Day of the Soldado co-stars Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro reprising their lead roles as CIA Agent Graver and undercover operative Alejandro Gillick, respectively.

As the film unfolds, we find the two being dispatched to Mexico by the Secretary of Defense (Matthew Modine) to smoke out the human traffickers smuggling radical Islamists into the U.S. There’s an urgency to their mission, given that some sui-

cide bombers embedded with Latinos seeking asylum recently snuck across the Rio Grande before blowing themselves up in a big box store in Kansas City.

Trouble is, there are too Mexican gangs and too little time to sort out which one has started exporting terrorist cells. So, instead of searching for the guilty parties, our heroes secretly kidnap the daughter of a crime boss hoping that her mysterious disappearance will trigger a bloody turf war among the cartels competing for

control of the region.

There is a method to the madness behind abducting Isabela Reyes (Isabela Moner). After all, her father is the ruthless kingpin who ordered the massacre of Gillick’s family in Sicario 1.

The ruse works for awhile, but the plot thickens when the Mexican government catches wind of the spies’ scheme. The U.S. disavows any connection to them, a la Mission: Impossible, and suddenly it’s each man for himself in a harrowing struggle to escape back to the States by any means

necessary.

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Black Teen Girl Assaulted By White Cop at Texas Pool Party Wins $148K Settlement

McKinney, TX — In 2015, a video of 15-year old Dajerria Becton being assaulted and violently arrested by a white police officer at a pool party in McKinney, Texas went viral. Now, she has won a settlement for $148K after filing a federal lawsuit. What other way to celebrate it than to host a pool party?

In June 2015, Dajerria was at a pool party when she was forcefully grabbed, slammed to the ground, and handcuffed by police officer Eric Casebolt who was apparently responding to a disturbance complaint at the pool party. A cellphone video captured the whole predicament and it went viral on social media.

In addition, witnesses said Casebolt allegedly pointed a gun at two other Black teens who were trying to help Becton.

Casebolt resigned four days after the incident when Police Chief Greg Conley called his behavior “indefensible.”

There were no criminal charges made against him.

Last year, Becton and her legal guardian, Shashona Becton, sued officer Casebolt, the police department and the city of McKinney for $5 million in damages for “mental anguish, loss of quality of life, and attorney fees.” Last month, she received $148,850 from the settlement.

Her lawyer, Kim T. Cole said, “This girl will never be the same. Anyone who has been a teenage Black girl knows how hard it is, and to have this type of negative publicity, in your bikini, shown all over the world. It tore her up. We don’t know who she would have been had this not happened.”

On Saturday, Cole will be hosting a pool party to celebrate the end of the lawsuit and their high school graduation. “My goal is to redo this experience,” she told Teen Vogue. “Dajerria recently told me she hasn’t been swimming since the incident.”

Photo: Dajerria Becton, being assaulted by police

14

Probe

Ramirez, who graduated from the police academy class of 2015, offered a different view of what happened in a conversation with the Independent.

He said he was going on vacation on May 1, and reports were due. He had tried to track down neighbors of applicants, but they weren’t home and weren’t responding to messages.

His supervisors told him he needed to file his reports before leaving for vacation, he said. So he stated in summaries that he had indeed interviewed those neighbors, with the intention of interviewing them when he returned from vacation, he said.

He said he realizes that was a mistake. “It wasn’t intentional. I did have every intention to keep trying to make contact with these neighbors. The lieutenant and the sergeant said to go back and try to make contact with them.” He said his supervisors did not instruct him to file false information.

When he returned from vacation, he said, he forgot to follow up.

“It honestly slipped my mind,” Ramirez said.

Then, when Officer Russo’s actions came to light, Ramirez was reassigned to patrol along with the rest of the unit. He said he “took that as a sign” that he should leave the department. He had been excited to start working inside the building on backgrounds rather than working the street, he said. “I dont’ feel comfortable going back to the street.”

“We Have To Own It” Russo has hired criminal-defense attorney Norm Pattis to represent her.

“Obviously the allegations are disturbing.

Officer Russo has been fully cooperative with the investigation,” Pattis told the Independent.

In a conversation with the Independent, Pattis questioned the need for Thursday’s press conference. “The notion that the police department needs to conduct a press conference before they’ve gathered all the information is ludicrous,” Pattis argued.

“It creates a false impression that there’s a bigger problem than there is.”

Campbell was asked about that at the press conference — and offered a passionate argument about why he needed to address the public now and “coming out and just being honest about things.”

He spoke of how police departments “have had this history of circling the wagons. “If we do something wrong, we have to be accountable. ... We have to own it, take responsibility for it” and tell the public, “This is the wrong that was done. This is what we’re going to do about it.”

“The community has to trust us. If we simply circle the wagons and try to handle things internally, it does not build that trust.”

You can watch his full remarks,a nd the full press conference, in the Facebook Live video higher up int his story.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - June 27, 2018 - July 03, 2018

KC Morse, Dr. Biree Andemariam Talk about Sickle Cell Disease on World Sickle Cell Day

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Contributor

It’s been 100 years since sickle cell disease (SCD), a hereditary blood disorder, was first discovered.

And, according to health experts, it’s no secret that an alarming number of children and adolescence have died, and the condition remained in the province of pediatrics.

Known as “the silent killer,” SCD is one of the most common genetic disorders in the United States where about 100,000 citizens currently live with the disease.

With Tuesday, June 19 deemed World Sickle Cell Day, researchers said approximately 270,000 babies worldwide are born each year with sickle cell disease.

With one in 365 African American babies born with SCD and one in 13 born with the trait, Black people are disproportionately affected by the disease, which also primarily affects those of Latin American, Indian, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern descent.

Actress and director KC Morse, one of the many African Americans living with SCD, recalled her first major pain crisis, where she didn’t have the support of her loved ones.

Morse told NNPA Newswire that she was attending college in Allentown, Pennsylvania while her parents were three hours away in Connecticut on a late Saturday night when she returned to her dorm room and began experiencing the excruciating pain known to just about every SCD patient.

It was my first experience on my own outside of my comfort zone,” said Morse, now 25. “When it happened, I was really afraid to call anyone. It was 2 a.m. and I

felt alone, and I wasn’t sure about calling an ambulance or campus safety because I wasn’t sure they’d understand.”

Like so many others battling the disease, Morse said she often has to give way to the limitations imposed by SCD. “One of my biggest challenges is that I’ve always been a very busy person. I studied in school theater and we’ve had exhausting rehearsals until 11 p.m. and there was homework and I joined a sorority,” she said. “I loved being busy, but I had to realize that I had to slow down because I needed rest because exhaustion triggers attacks and crisis.”

Morse said things were a little different in high school, where students go home after school and are afforded the opportunity to rest and hit the reset button.

“In college, you’re on your own and creating your own schedule and I realized that I wasn’t given myself time to rest and recuperate,” she said. “It took a long time to realize that I can’t do that, and I have to know when to say ‘no’ to things and I had to realize that keeping hydrated is a key and when you’re very busy, water isn’t something you think about, but it affects me. Most of my severe attacks were, because of dehydration.”

Dr. Biree Andemariam, a noted hematologist, associate professor of medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center, and founder and director of the adult sickle cell center at the New England Sickle Cell Institute, said Morse’s experience and reaction isn’t uncommon.

However, Dr. Andemariam said the tide is slowly beginning to turn as more people become aware of SCD.

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“The disease is not anything to be ashamed of,” said Dr. Andemariam, who also serves as Chief Medical Officer on the board of directors for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America.

“Researchers and doctors are really beginning to understand the impact of chronic pain [although] many people living with SCD typically don’t let friends or extended family know about the diagnosis,” she said.

Dr. Andemariam continued: “It’s really important for families to understand that no one did anything wrong and, as far as we can tell, with medical advances people are living longer now.”

Morse said that she plans to launch a new video series on Facebook depicting what it’s like living with SCD, which will appear on the page, “Spotlight on Sickle Cell Disease.”

“I think people need to be aware of SCD and there’s a need to start a national discussion,” Dr. Andemariam said.

Still, Dr. Andemariam added, that there’s a lot more education and advocacy occurring across the country and there’s enhanced education in the medical community.

“The focus today is on the effect of having SCD; on the social and emotional wellbeing of those living with the disease,” Dr. Andemariam said. “There’s lots of efforts underway to broaden the medical community and empower patients to have the best knowledge and to develop patterns that will ensure they will have access to medical care and finding out who the best physicians are in their community.”

For Morse, who is producing and starring in the upcoming New York stage show, “Tumbleweed,” World Sickle Cell Disease

Day, is a time to reflect and count her blessings, she said.

“I try to live my best life and I think somedays are good and somedays are bad. I’ve been very fortunate to have good days and have family and friends who have been extremely supportive,” Morse said. “I can’t imagine having this disease without having people there holding my hand and telling me it’s going to be okay.”

Stacy Brown is an NNPA Newswire Contributor and co-author of “Michael Jackson: The Man Behind the Mask: An Insider’s Story of the King of Pop.” Follow Stacy on Twitter @stacybrownmedia.

This article was originally published at BlackPressUSA.com.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - June 27, 2018 - July 03, 2018

Here’s What Obama’s Reading Lately by By

By Sean Yoes, Baltimore AFRO Editor

Donald Trump, the current resident of the White House is allegedly loathe to read anything; the polar opposite of his predecessor Barack Obama.

Recently, President Obama, the author of three books, shared his current reading list via a Facebook post to his more than 55 million Facebook followers.

“I’m often asked what I’m reading, watching, and listening to, so I thought I might share a short list from time to time,” Obama posted on June 16. “There’s so much good writing and art and variety of thought out there these days that this is by no means comprehensive — like many of you, I’ll miss “The Americans” — but here’s what I’ve been reading lately. It’s admittedly a slightly heavier list than what I’ll be reading over the summer,” Obama added. The former president’s current reading list of books and articles includes: Futureface: A Family Mystery, an Epic Quest, and the Secret of Belonging, by Alex Wagner. “What she (Wagner, a journalist) came up with is a thoughtful, beautiful meditation on what makes us who we are — the search for harmony between our own individual identities and the values and ideals that bind us together as Americans,” wrote Obama.

The New Geography of Jobs, by Enrico Moretti. Of Moretti’s book, Obama said, “It’s six years old now, but still a timely and smart discussion of how different cities and regions have made a changing economy work for them — and how policymakers can learn from that to lift the circumstances of working Americans everywhere.”

Why Liberalism Failed, by Patrick De-

neen. “I don’t agree with most of the author’s conclusions, but the book offers cogent insights into the loss of the meaning of community that many in the West feel, issues that liberal democracies ignore at their own peril,” Obama wrote.

“The 9.9 Percent is the New American Aristocracy,” is an article by Matthew Stewart, for The Atlantic. “Another thoughtprovoking analysis, this one about how economic inequality in America isn’t just growing, but self-reinforcing…,” Obama wrote.

In the Shadow of Statues: A White South-

erner Confronts History, is a book written

by Mitch Landrieu, the former mayor of New Orleans, who has been frequently mentioned as a possible Democratic presidential candidate for 2020. In describing Landrieu’s book, Obama recalls something the late Rev. Clementa Pinckney, who along with eight of his church members, was murdered in Charleston, S.C., by a White supremacist. “Across the South, we have a deep appreciation of history. We haven’t always had a deep appreciation of each other’s history,” Pinkney said.

“That’s something Mitch takes to heart

in this book, while grappling with some of the most painful parts of our history and how they still live in the present,” Obama added.

Truth Decay: An Initial Exploration of the Diminishing Role of Facts and Analysis in American Public Life, by Jennifer Kavanagh and Michael D. Rich, RAND Corporation, is the last entry on Obama’s current reading list.

“The title is self-explanatory, but the findings are very interesting,” the former president wrote.

The Secret to Success for All Students Is Parental and Community Engagement

By Dr. Elizabeth V. Primas, Program Manager for NNPA ESSA Publ ic Awareness Campaign The National Family Engagement Summit of 2018 was held in Richmond, Va. Throughout the summit, multiple opportunities were provided for attendees to interact with some of the nation’s leading experts in parent and family engagement.

Participants came from near and far. Over 300 teachers, parents, administrators, and community activists participated, presented, networked, taught and learned strategies to increase family engagement. One presenter described the difference between involvement and engagement as the level of commitment, stating, “It’s like you’ve got a ring on it! You’re not just passively attending a few parent-teacher meetings, but you’re planning, making decisions, running for the school board and more.”

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), speaks specifically to parent and family engagement. Data highlighted examples of the successful impact parents can have when they are present in their child’s school. One presenter pointed out that, “Parents tend to be extremely involved with students in the early elementary grades. They bring them to school, speak with the teacher frequently, and are more likely to volunteer for field trips, classroom activities, and attend parent-teacher meetings.” However, around the third grade, parents start to reduce their involvement.

They attend fewer meetings, volunteer for field-trips and other events less, and seldom spend time in the building. In some cases, they may have only met the teacher just once.

When students reach third grade and began to socialize more independently with friends, parent engagement often wanes.

It’s not surprising that after requiring almost, constant supervision that parents breathe a sigh of relief when their children gain newfound independence. However, these are the times when our children require increased attention, specifically our young Black males. There is significant data to show a correlation between K-12

completion, literacy, and adulthood incarceration. The NAACP reported that African Americans are incarcerated at more than five times the rate of Whites and, nationwide, African American children represent 32 percent of children who are arrested. Blacks make up just 13 percent of the U.S. population. Patterns, such as, absenteeism, delinquent behavior, and academic apathy, correlate with high suspension rates and subsequent incarceration.

ESSA places increased priority on parental engagement and requires states to provide innovative strategies to incorporate parental and family engagement into a school’s decision-making, and planning.

ESSA stresses two-way communication.

This requires teachers, and administrators to reach out to parents in clear, concise, relatable ways that encourage feed-back and input at every level of implementation.

Some non-traditional communication strategies include social media use, e-newsletters, and short surveys. Administrators and teachers are encouraged to schedule meetings that accommodate parents with different hours of availability.

ESSA does not dictate the ways in which schools are required to engage parents.

However, educators should recognize the

16

crucial role parental partnerships play in preparing students for college and careers.

This summer, the National Newspaper Publishers Association will host its second National Black Parents’ Town Hall Meeting on Educational Excellence. The conversation on parent engagement will continue at the Gethsemane Community Fellowship Church on Tuesday, June 26th, from 6pm – 9pm ETS. This event will be livestreamed and for the first time, NNPA ESSA will host two viewing rooms in California—one in Los Angeles, and the other in San Francisco. If you are not able to join us in Norfolk, Va., you should certainly make your way to the viewing rooms in California or join the livestream online.

Participants who pre-register and are present in either location are eligible to win grand prizes. Register today by visiting www.nnpa.org/essa/events.

Dr. Elizabeth Primas is an educator, who spent more than 40 years working towards improving education for children of diverse ethnicities and backgrounds. Dr. Primas is the program manager for the NNPA’s Every Student Succeeds Act Public Awareness Campaign. Follow Dr. Primas on Twitter @elizabethprimas.

Con’t from page 10

Mayor Vetoes Tax Reduction Order struction, and maintenance of parking facilities in the city,” he wrote, “including Park New Haven’s six existing parking structures and 18 parking lots. This week’s transfer of capital is an additional Payment in Lieu of Taxes from Park New Haven—consistent with the ongoing arrangement it has with the City. For its short-term purposes, with the end of June in sight, the City will apply these funds to mitigate a prospective FY18 budget deficit.”

East Rock Alder Anna Festa, one of three alders who introduced a range of failed amendments during the final budget hearing with the goal of reducing city expenditures, criticized the mayor’s veto as detrimental to citizens bracing for a 11 percent tax increase.

“It’s so unconscionable of the mayor to veto something that will help our residents manage their finances better,” she said. “How can someone do that to the working middle class?”

Festa said she had initially advocated for the alders to direct the $5 million that has been put aside for the city’s healthcare account in the recently approved budget towards reducing the mill rate instead. She said mill rate reduction should have been prioritized, and any additional revenue should have been put towards the healthcare fund, as opposed to the other way around.

Reached by phone on Wednesday night, Beaver Hills Alder and Board of Alders Majority Leader Richard Furlow promised that the board leadership will issue a full statement on Thursday in response to the mayor’s veto.

“It’s the mayor’s right and within her authority” to veto the order, he said. He said the alders will now convene a special veto meeting, which will need to be held within the next seven days. Alders can overturn the mayor’s veto with a two-thirds majority.

Furlow declined to comment on any further details related to the order, in particular on whether or not the order would preclude the city directing “additional revenue” from the state or from voluntary contributions towards reducing the city’s debt.

The city currently anticipates having a $14 million deficit at the end of the fiscal year, which ends this month. City Controller Daryl Jones said during a recent aldermanic Finance Committee meeting that the city plans on plugging that deficit with money originally budgeted for the underfunded pension funds.

The Financial Review and Audit Commission (FRAC), an independent review board that analyzes the city budget, estimates that the recently passed budget is already $20 to $50 million out of balance.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - June 27, 2018 - July 03, 2018

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - June 27, 2018 - July 03, 2018

American Medical Association (AMA) to Appoint It’s First Ever Black Woman President

Chicago, IL — Patrice A. Harris, M.D., a psychiatrist from Atlanta, Ga., has been elected as the new presidentelect of the American Medical Association (AMA) by physicians gathered at the Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates in Chicago.

Dr. Harris has diverse experience as a private practicing physician, public health administrator, patient advocate and physician spokesperson. During her entire career, Dr. Harris has been a leader in organized medicine to ensure the voice of physicians and patients is represented in health care transformation.

“It will be my honor to represent the nation’s physicians at the forefront of discussions when policymaker and lawmakers search for practical solutions to the challenges in our nation’s health system. I am committed to preserving the central role of the physician-patient relationship in our healing art,” said Dr. Harris. “The American

Medical Association has well-crafted policy concerning the changing health care environment in this country and I look forward to using my voice to help improve health care for patients and their physicians.”

Dr. Harris is the first African-American woman to hold the office.

First elected to the AMA Board of Trustees in 2011, Dr. Harris has held the executive offices of AMA board secretary and AMA board chair. Dr.

Harris will continue to serve as chair of the AMA Opioid Task Force, and has been active on several other AMA taskforces and committees on health information technology, payment and delivery reform, and private contracting. She has also chaired the influential AMA Council on Legislation and co-chaired the Women Physicians Congress.

Prior to her AMA service, she was elected to the American Psychiatric Association Board of Trustees and president of the Georgia Psychiatric Physicians Association. She was also the founding president of the Georgia Psychiatry Political Action Committee. In 2007, Dr. Harris was selected Psychiatrist of the Year by the Georgia Psychiatric Physicians Association.

As former chief health officer for Fulton County, Ga., Dr. Harris spearheaded efforts to integrate public health, behavioral health and primary care services. Dr. Harris has also served as

medical director for the Fulton County Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.

Currently, Dr. Harris continues in private practice and consults with both public and private organizations on health service delivery and emerging trends in practice and health policy.

She is an adjunct assistant professor in the Emory Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

Dr. Harris received her medical degree from the West Virginia University School of Medicine and completed a psychiatry residency and child psychiatry fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine. She was inducted in 2007 to the West Virginia University Academy of Distinguished Alumni.

Following a year-long term as AMA president-elect, Dr. Harris will be installed as the AMA president in June 2019.

Portrait of 18th-Century Muslim American Proves the US Has Always Been Home to Many Faiths

By Hrag Vartanian, HYPERALLERGIC.COM The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery is showing an 1822 painting of Yarrow Mamout, a Muslim native of Guinea who was forced into slavery in America.

A portrait on loan to the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery (NPG) will probably challenge many people’s understanding of early American history, particularly in regards to the presence of Muslims during that formative period. The small 1822 canvas, painted by James Alexander Simpson, is one of two known portraits of Yarrow Mamout, and his story is pretty amazing.

Born in 1736, Mamout hailed from one of the nomadic West African groups that spoke Fulani. Like many Africans during that time, he was forced into servitude and delivered to the shores of the Americas from his native Guinea through a network of slave traders.

By 1753, Mamout was serving the Beall family, first at their Maryland plantation and then at their home in Georgetown. According to a brochure from the National Portrait Gallery, Mamout gained “his freedom after 44 years, [and] remained in Georgetown—living among the approximately four hundred freed slaves there— working at many different tasks: making brick and charcoal, loading ships, weaving baskets.”

Twenty years later, Mamout was featured in Irish-American diplomat David Warden’s 1816 book A Chronological and Statistical Description of the District of Columbia, which tells us the following about Mamout: When young, he was the best swimmer ever seen on the Potomac; and though his muscles are now somewhat stiffened by

age, he still finds pleasure in his exercise.

Fond of conversation, he often, in broken language, thus relates the story of his life, which we insert as a specimen of curious dialect:— “Olda massa been tink he got all de work out of Yaro bone. He tell a Yaro, go free Yaro; you been work nuff for me, go work for you now. Tankee, massa, Yaro say.

Sure nuff, Yaro go to work for he now.

Yaro work a soon—a late—a hot—a cold.

Sometime he sweat—sometime he blow a finger. He get a fippenny bit—eighteenpennee—gib him to massa to put by—put by a dollar, till come a heap. Oh! poor massa take sick, die—Yaro money gone. Oh, Yaro, go to work again. Get more dollars— work hard—more dollars. Gib him now to young massa, he young, he no die. Oh, young massa den broke—den go away. Oh, oh, oh! Yaro old for true now. Must work again—worky, worky, get more dollar. Gib him this time to all de massa—all de massa cant die, cant go away. Oh, Yaro—dollar breed now—every spring—every fall, Yaro get dollar—chichen now.”

The passage turned the freed African into a minor celebrity, while sharing the story of his financial hardship. After Mamout was freed, he worked to save $100. He deposited his savings with a white merchant for safekeeping, but after the man’s death, the money was lost. Mamout tried again, and after he was able to earn another $100, he deposited it with another merchant; again, his hopes were dashed as the money was lost when the man filed for bankruptcy.

Finally, Mamout tried a third time, saving $200. Thankfully, he was convinced by a friend to invest his fortune, and he proceeded to purchase bank shares in his own name. His smart investment worked, and he was able to buy his own log home (now demolished), where he had a garden that

he would pray in, turning toward Mecca.

While Mamout spoke English poorly, he did speak and read Arabic, and he was remembered as a devout Muslim.

The painting at the NPG is on loan from the Georgetown Branch of the District of Columbia’s Public Library system. It was painted by James Alexander Simpson, Georgetown University’s first art instructor, after he heard that Mamout may have been a centenarian (we now know he wasn’t quite there yet). For the same reason, the more famous American artist Charles Willson Peale — best known for his portraits of George Washington — also painted Mamout in a portrait that’s now part of the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. According to NPG Associate Curator Asma Naeem, the Simpson painting represents an important, if overlooked part of US history. “To me, the story of Yarrow in this heartwarming portrait tells so many things. It helps us deal with the trauma of slavery and all those who were brought here in shackles,” she told Hyperallergic. “It shows on an individual scale how Muslims have always been part of our social fabric. It offers the promise of being treated with respect and dignity at a time when many feel vulnerable. And it offers the promise of the American dream — how, even in difficult times, we have always strived for liberty and justice for all.”

Of course, Mamout did not have the same legal standing as other Americans during his life. Not being white meant he was not allowed to vote and was robbed of any of the rights of US citizenship — though even if black men had been allowed to vote, Mamout would still have faced difficulties, as Muslims were routinely denied entry to the US and citizenship until the second half of the 20th century. His incredible story tes-

18

tifies to the contradictory attitudes toward slavery, Africans, and Islam in the early years of the American Republic, as well as the fact that Muslims have been part of the American story since day one.

For those interested in learning more, James H. Johnston wrote a comprehensive history of Mamout and his family

in From Slave Ship to Harvard: Yarrow Mamout and the History of an African American Family.

James Alexander Simpson, “Yarrow Mamout” (1822), oil on canvas, lent by Peabody Room, Georgetown Branch, District of Columbia Library (all images courtesy the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery)

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - June 27, 2018 - July 03, 2018

African-American Music Appreciation Month Turns 39

By William Glanz, soundexchange.com Something funny happened in the 39 years since President Jimmy Carter established Black Music Month to recognize the contributions of black musicians and their impact on music.

Hip-hop became America’s most popular music genre.

“African-American Music Month might be an old-fashioned concept at this point,” said Sonny Rollins, a GRAMMY® Awardwinning tenor saxophonist and one of the greatest jazz musicians of the 20th century.

“There’s so much African-American music all over that it’s not so much a month. It’s the whole 12 months of the year, so in a way [African-American Music Appreciation Month] is sort of an old concept.”

Despite that, it’s important that we don’t forget the role black Americans have played in the evolution of American music – from swing to be-bop to big bands to soul to jazz and hip-hop – and American culture because their impact has been so significant for so long, the 87-year old retired jazz man said from his home in Woodstock, New York.

Lobbying the President Philadelphia singer-songwriter and GRAMMY® Award winner Kenny Gamble and artist manager Dyana Williams teamed up to lobby President Carter to establish an observance recognizing the contributions of black musicians and their impact on music.

Gamble and Williams found inspiration – and a precedent – in the 1972 decision by President Richard Nixon to declare October Country Music Month.

President Carter held the first Black Music Month event at the White House on June 7, 1979.

For historical context, “Rapper’s Delight,” by Sugarhill Gang, wasn’t released until September 16, 1979. The song made its first appearance on a Billboard chart on October 13, 1979.

President Barack Obama renamed the observance African-American Music Appreciation Month in 2009, but preserved its goal – serving as a vehicle to celebrate the huge imprint of African-Americans on our nation’s music.

About More than Music With the explosive growth of hip-hop and the ascendant profile of so many black recording artists, is African-American Music Appreciation Month even relevant?

Taj Mahal, the legendary blues singer and songwriter who has won three GRAMMY® Awards during his 50-year career, says the observance does remain relevant.

“I’m very happy there’s a national acknowledgement of the contributions African-American musicians have made,” the bluesman said by phone prior to an afternoon sound check in Hartford, Connecticut, last week.

But there’s more to be done, he said in a gritty voice that gets faster and more impassioned as he becomes more excited.

3x GRAMMY® Award-winning blues singer-songwriter, Taj Mahal

GRAMMY® Award-winning tenor saxophonist, Sonny Rollins Photo credit: John Abbott

For instance, music education has generally taken a hit in schools and needs to improve, Mahal said.

As a result, too few people still understand the role black Americans have had on music, nationally and globally, he said.

Which leads him to believe that our national observance should really be a global observance.

“In my mind, it’s a much bigger play,” Mahal said.

Rollins said there’s also more to be done in terms of improving race relations and social justice, and music – despite its limitations – can help people overcome their

differences.

“I think African-American music, and jazz in particular, has done a great deal to mollify [race relations],” said Rollins, who made his first recording in 1949. “I don’t know how much we can ask AfricanAmerican music to change the human dynamic… but I think jazz has done a great deal. I know music has not cured our racial problems, but I think it’s done a fair share of making people see humanity rather than skin color.”

And that’s why African-American Music Appreciation Month is still relevant, nearly 40 years later.

(BPRW) Nigerian American Artist Publishes a Book that Every Black Person Needs to Read Nigerian American artist Ogorchukwu releases debut poetry book ‘the geometry of being Black’ in commemoration of Junteenth

(Black PR Wire) -- ‘the geometry of being Black’ is a book that probes into the effects of anti-Blackness on the Black community.

Divided into five segments: receiving, internalizing, unlearning, loving and resisting; the book delves into how the Black community receives and internalizes antiBlackness, how the community can unlearn and resist anti- Blackness, and how the community can begin to love it’s Blackness in a world that does not let it.

“We are living through a Black creative renaissance. Black creatives are finding innovative ways to confront how anti-Blackness has been threaded into the bricks in our foundations. This book is part to this rebirth,” the author explains.

While the first half of the book delves into themes such as police brutality, colorism, Black womanhood, toxic masculinity, and internalized hate; the second half of the book is about restoring the community.

Many of the poems in this section touch on unlearning self-hate, fostering love within the community, and strengthening the fight against anti-Blackness.

What makes the book revolutionary is that

it isn’t just about Black suffering. Beginning at suffering, and ending at empowerment, ‘the geometry of being Black’ is a journey about healing racial trauma. The book will break your heart open in the beginning, fill it with love in the middle, and sow it back up at the end.

“Our community needs healing, and I believe this book is a step towards that,” Ogorchukwu says. ‘the geometry of being Black’ is available on Amazon from June 22 2018. The ISBN for the book is 978-1719276009. To order a copy today online, click on this link:

19

INNER-CITY NEWS July27, 27,2018 2016 -- August THE INNER-CITY NEWS - June July 03, 2018 02, 2016

Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Southern CT (SCDAA.SC) NOTICE Director of Operations

The role of the SCDAA.SC Director of Operations is to APPLICATIONS handle day-to-dayAVAILABLE operations with VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PREa focus on efficiency. The Director of Operations will be responsible for organizing and coordinating administrative duties, providing general administrative support to the Board HOME INC, on behalf of Columbus House and the New Haven Housing Authority, of Directors and ensuring the smooth running of the office. She/he will maintain adminis accepting pre-applications studioand anddevelopment one-bedroom apartments devel-to istrative and financial procedures,for identify new resources at (asthis needed) opment Frank Street, New Haven. Maximum income limitations apsupport thelocated missionat of108 SCDAA.SC.

ply. Pre-applications will be available from 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y

25,position 2016 and ending when sufficient pre-applications 100) have The reports directly to the Board Chair to assure the (approximately efficiency, effectiveness and impact the organization to the sickle cell community. beenofreceived at the offices of HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon re-

quest by calling HOME INC at 203-562-4663 during those hours. Completed preapplications must be returned to HOME INC’s offices at 171 Orange Street, Third Minimal Qualifications: • Baccalaureate Degree marketing, finance, management and or associated social sciFloor, New Haven, CTin06510.

ence or public health degree or related experience • Moderate development experience with a demonstrated track record of success.

• Experience with grant writing and grant management.

• Demonstrated strength in developing partnerships and collaborative relationships associatedVALENTINA partnershipMACRI development.

Ability work withPRE-SOLICITUDES a diverse group of business associates VIVIENDAS DEtoALQUILER DISPONIBLES and volunteers.

• Some experience managing capital campaigns and a diverse portfolio of funding sources HOME INC, en nombre de la Columbus House y de la New Haven Housing Authority, está inclusive of grants and contracts. aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de un and dormitorio en estethat desarrollo • Must be versed in all contemporary social media platforms other venues benefit enour la calle 109 Frank Street, Newpublic Haven. aplican limitaciones de ingresos andubicado advance organization to the general andSestakeholders máximos.

Lasofpre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 • Some degree human resource management 2016writing hasta cuando se han recibido suficientes • julio, Excellent and oral communication skills pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100) • Some Sickle Cell Disease andenviadas its current relative en las degree oficinasofdeunderstanding HOME INC.ofLas pre-solicitudes serán porchallenges correo a petición to prevalence, epidemiology and fundingdurante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 a las oficinas de HOME INC en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510 .

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

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

For all interested candidates, please submit cover letter and resume to: admteam. scdaasc@gmail.com Only electronic submissions will beof accepted.

Sealed bids areNote: invited by the Housing Authority the Town of Seymour

until 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at its office at 28 Smith Street, Group, Seymour, CT 06483The for Glendower Concrete Sidewalk RepairsInc and Replacement at the Smithfield Gardens Assisted Living Facility, 26 Smith Street Seymour.

Request for Proposals Market Research A pre-bid conference will be held and at theBrand HousingPositioning Authority Office 28 Smith Street Seymour, CTIncatan10:00 am,ofon Wednesday, 2016.

The Glendower Group, affiliate Housing AuthorityJuly City20, of New Haven d/b/a Elm city Communities is currently seeking proposals for Market Research and Brand Positioning.

A complete copy of are the available requirementfrom may the be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor OfColBidding documents Seymour Housing Authority laboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning fice, 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579. on Monday, May 21, 2018 at 3:00PM 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

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport Invitation for Bid (IFB) Phineas T. Barnum Apartments Ventilation Upgrades Solicitation Number: 109-PD-18-S The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) is requesting sealed bids for P.T. Barnum Apartments Ventilation Upgrades. A complete set of the plans and technical specifications will be available on June 11, 2018. To obtain a copy of the solicitation you must send your request to bids@ parkcitycommunities.org, please reference solicitation number and title on the subject line. A MANDATORY pre-bid conference will be held at 96 Bird Street, Bridgeport, CT 06605 on June 26, 2018 @ 10:00 a.m., submitting a bid for the project without attending conference is not in the best interest of the Offeror. Additional questions should be emailed only to bids@parkcitycommunities. org no later than July 5, 2018 @ 3:00 p.m. Answers to all the questions will be posted on PCC’s Website: www.parkcitycommunities. org. All bids must be received by mailed or hand delivered by July 12, 2018 @ 2:00 PM, to Ms. Caroline Sanchez, Director of Procurement, 150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604, at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. No bids will be accepted after the designated time.

EXP, welder for structural steel, misc. metals shop Send resume: hherbert@gwfabrication.com

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 rateor& excellent benefits BA/BS in Civil Engineering Construction Management.

Contact: Dana Briere Phone: 2-5 yrs. experience.

OSHA Certified.

Email: Proficient 860-243-2300 in reading contract plans and specifications. dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com Resumes to RED Technologies, LLC, 10 Northwood Dr., Women & Minority Applicants are Bloomfield, CT 06002; Fax 860.218.2433; encouragedRED toTechnologies, apply LLC is an EOE. Email resumes to info@redtechllc.com.

Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity EmployerRemediation Division Project Manager Environmental

Field Engineer

3-5 years exp. and Bachelor’s Degree, 40-Hr. Hazwoper Training Req. Forward resumes to RED Technologies, LLC, 10 Northwood Dr., Bloomfield, CT 06002;

Fax 860.218.2433; or Email to HR@redtechllc.com

RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks: Reclaimer Operators and Milling Operators with current licensing and clean driving record.

We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits Contact: Rick Tousignant Phone: 860243-2300 Email: rick.tousignant@garrityasphalt.com Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming Inc Employer

seeks: Construction Equipment Mechanic preferably experienced in Reclaiming and Road Milling Equipment. We offer factory training Asphalt on equipment we operate.

The Deep River Housing Authority will open its waiting list for Senior/ Garrity Reclaiming Inc Disabled Housing on June 1st. This list will remain open until June 30th.

Location: Bloomfield CT seeks: Construction Equipment Mechanic To request an application, please call 860-526-5119. Applications will Contact: experienced James Burke Phone: 860preferably in Reclaiming and be accepted by mail (must be postmarked or date stamped by June 30th).

243-2300 to Bid: Road Milling Equipment.

We offer factory Housing is available to anyone over 62Invitation or handicapped/disabled that email: jim.burke@garrityasphalt.com training on equipment we operate. meet the income guidelines. Monthly rate 2 isndbased Noticeon income with a minimum base rent requirement of $944.00.

Women & Minority Applicants are Location: Bloomfield CT Contact:encouraged James Burke Phone: 860to apply Deep River Housing 243-2300 OldAuthority Saybrook, CT Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity 60 Main Street email: jim.burke@garrityasphalt.com Employer We offer excellent hourly rate & (4 Buildings, 17 Units) Deep River, CT 06417 Women excellent & Minoritybenefits Applicants are Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project encouraged to apply Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, Cast-We offer excellent hourly rate & Employer Heavy Equipment Mechanic (Bristol, CT) in-place Concrete, Asphalt Shingles, Vinyl Siding, excellent benefits

DEEP RIVER HOUSING AUTHORITY OPENING WAITING LIST FOR SENIOR/DISABLED

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

Flooring, Painting, Division Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, Heavy equipment and diesel10truck mechanic needed.

Mechanical, Electrical, and Fire Protection.

5 years experienced required.

WePlumbing are a well-estabThiscompany contract iswith subject to state set-aside andBackground contract compliance requirements. lished a medium size fleet.

Union Company seeks: Tractor Trailer with diesel, hydraulic and electronic experience very Driver for Heavy & Highway Construction helpful and weldingBid experience a plus. a Extended, Due Date: Must Augusthold 5, 2016 Equipment. Must have a CDL License, valid/current CT Driver's License andAugust Medical Card. clean driving record, capable of operating Anticipated Start: 15, 2016 Union Company seeks: Tractor Trailer heavy equipment; be willing to travel CDL a plus. This Project position is for aavailable person who documents via ftpislinkverbelow: Driver for Heavy & Highway Construction throughout the Northeast & NY. We offer satilehttp://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage in repair and maintenance work from light duty Equipment. Must have a CDL License, excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits trucks to heavy construction equipment. Position reclean driving record, capable of operating Contact: Dana be Briere Phone: quires and passing drug test and background heavy equipment; willing to travel Faxtaking or Email Questions & Bids to:aDawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com 860-243-2300 Email: the Northeast & NY. We offer Businesses check. HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certifiedthroughout dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com hourly rate & excellent benefits Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483excellent Women & Minority Applicants are Contact: Dana Briere Phone: AA/EEO EMPLOYER encouraged to apply Women and Minority applicants are encouraged to apply 860-243-2300 Email: Apply by emailing or faxing your resume. No phone calls please.

Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com Email = trademarkllc@att.net Employer Women & Minority Applicants are Fax = 860-314-1428 encouraged to apply EOE/AA

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Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer

INNER-CITY NEWS July 27, 2016 -- August 02, 2016 THE INNER-CITY NEWS - June 27, 2018 July 03, 2018

***HELP WANTED***

Dispatcher

NOTICE

TOTAL FENCE LLC currently has a full time opening for a fence installer foreman.

SOON ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR HARBOUR TOWNHOME APARTMENTS

Galasso Materials is seeking a motivated, organized, detail-oriented candidate to join its truck dispatch office. Responsibilities include order entry and truck ticketing in a fast paced materials Candidates must have at least 5 years of fencing experience, strong commumanufacturing VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PREAPPLICATIONS AVAILABLEand contracting company. You will have daily innication skills, the ability to provide clear and detailed instructions to their teraction with employees and customers as numerous truckloads crew and management, a reliable form of daily transportation, a valid driver’s of material cross our scales daily. We are willing to train the right license, have the ability to obtain a DOT medical card and to a physical HOME INC, on behalf of Columbus House andagree the New Haven Housing Authority, individual that has a great attitude. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. andisdrug testing as required. accepting pre-applications for studio and one-bedroom apartments at this develReply to Hiring Manager, PO Box 1776, East Granby, CT 06026. opment located at 108 Frank Street, New Haven. Maximum income limitations apEOE/M/F/D/V. A valid CDL and current OSHA card are encouraged.

ply. Pre-applications will be available from 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y 25, 2016 and ending when sufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) have Please apply in person to: been received at the officesFENCE of HOME TOTAL LLCINC. Applications will be mailied upon request by calling HOME INC at 203-562-4663 during those hours.Our Completed pre525 ELLA GRASSO BOULEVARD tree service company is looking for a laborer applications mustNEW be returned to CT HOME INC’s offices at 171 Orange Street, Third HAVEN, 06519 to assist the Shop manager. Basic mechanic knowlFloor, New CT 06510.

Or Haven, email resume to: gina@totalfencellc.com

Shop Assistant

***No phone calls please*** Total Fence LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer

NOTICIA

edge a must Responsible for filling in where needed around our garage and yard. Doing minor repairs and maintenance on equipment and vehicles, loading mulch and/or firewood

VALENTINA***HELP MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES WANTED***

Candidate is subject to a drug check.

TOTAL FENCE LLC currently has a full time opening one Housing Authority, HOME INC, en nombre de la Columbus House y de la Newfor Haven está Email resume to mclellantree@comcast.net fence installer helper. 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 Or Fax: 860-261-7755

Candidates must have at least 1 year of fencing experience, a reliWe areMartes a medium sized 30+ year company that offers máximos. Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando 25 able form of daily transportation, a valid driver’s license, have the julio, 2016 hasta cuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100) medical and dental benefits as well as 401K plan ability to obtain a DOT medical card and agree to a physical and en testing las oficinas de HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas por correo aAffirmative petición Action/Equal Opportunity Employer drug as required.

Affordable Rental Housing – Studio & 1 Bedroom Units 1645 Black Rock Turnpike, Fairfield CT 06825 The application period will begin later this summer 2018. We will be following up this mailing with at least 2 more over the coming months updating you on the status of everything.

Owner: Harbour Townhomes, LLC Managing Agent: ARG Consulting Applicants will need to meet certain income requirements based on family size for 60% and 80% of Area Median Income. Applications will be received during the to-be-determined application period and placement on the wait list will be made through the random selection method, once the period has ended. The maximum number of applications to be placed on the wait list is twenty (20).

1.5 person family 60% AMI Max limit $42,210 1.5 person family 80% AMI Max limit $56,280 Applications will be provided to any & all interested persons when the application period begins. All units are studio or 1 bedroom units with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. Individuals interested should email harbourtownhomes@gmail.com with their name, email, phone number, current address, and what style of unit (studio or 1 bedroom) they are interested in. We will follow up with you as the application period nears.

For Additional Information Contact Anthony: Email: harbourtownhomes@gmail.com

llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse . a las A oficinas de HOME INC enOSHA 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510KMK valid CDL and current card are encouraged.

Insulation Inc. Please apply in person to: TOTAL FENCE LLC 525 ELLA GRASSO BOULEVARD NEW HAVEN, CT 06519 Or email resume to: gina@totalfencellc.com ***No phone calls please*** Total Fence LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer

DELIVERY PERSON NEEDED

1907 Hartford Turnpike North Haven, CT 06473

Mechanical Insulator position.

Insulation company offering good pay and benefits.

Please mail resume to above address.. MAIL ONLY This company is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer.

NEW HAVEN

Invitation to Bid:

Part Time Delivery Needed One/Two Day a Week,

242-258 Fairmont Ave 2nd Notice GUILFORD HOUSING AUTHORITY 2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 levelisThe ,currently 1BA Must Have Own Vehicle If Interested call SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE accepting applications for COUPLES ONLY for its one

Common Highnew School is seeking a Full Time All newGround apartments, appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 & apartments I-95 bedroom at Guilford Court and Boston Terrace inOld GuilSaybrook, CT

(203) 435-1387

Teaching Assistant (TA). The TA is responsible for supporting highways, near bus stop & shopping centerford, CT. Applicants must be age 62 and over or on 100% (4 social Buildings, 17 Units) teachers in the classroom during the school day, providing targeted security or federal disability and over the age of 18. Applications Pet under 40lb allowed.

Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258 supports in academic labs both during and after school, and assistTax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project may be obtained by calling the application line at 203-453-6262, ing with summer academic programs. For a full job description ext. 107. An information packet will also be provided with the apand how to apply, please visit http://commongroundct.org/2018/05/ CARPENTER plication. Applications willNew be accepted until end of Framed, business Housing, day CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s Construction, Wood Selective Demolition, Site-work, Castcommon-ground-is-seeking-a-special-education-teaching-assistanton July of31, 2018. Credit, police, and landlord checks are procured Certificate Program. This is a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation Candidates in-place Concrete, AsphaltLarge Shingles, Vinyl Siding, in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday,by August 20, 2016 1:30CT Fence Company looking for a carpenter for our Wood Fence Producthe authority.

Smoke free housing.

tionAppliances, Shop. Experience preferred but will train the right person. Must be familiar Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Residential Casework, with carpentry hand & power tools and be able to read a CAD drawing and tape Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection.

This is an in-shop production position. Duties include building fence This contract is subject to state set-aside measure. and contract compliance requirements.

Welder:

3:30 Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, M.S., B.S. (203) 996-4517 Host, General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster EQUAL OPPORTUNITY HOUSING Large CT fence & guardrail contractor looking for a shop weldNew include Haven, but CT are not limited to welding & fabricating gates, plating posts, truck er.St.Duties and trailer repairs. Must be able to weld steel and aluminum. Some road work may be required. All necessary equipment provided. Must have a valid CT driver’s license and be able to obtain a DOT medical card. Required to pass a physical and drug test. Medical, vacation & other benefits included. Please email resume to pboucher@atlasoutdoor. com AA/EOE-MF

NEW HAVEN EARLY CHILHDOOD COUNCIL REQUEST FOR QUALITY ENHANCEMENT PROPOSALS

panels, posts, gates and more. Some pickup & delivery of materials may also be required. Must have a valid CT driver’s license and be able to obtain a DrivBid Extended, Due Date: August 5,Card.

2016 Must be able to pass a physical and drug test. Please email ers Medical 2016 The New Haven Early Childhood Council isAnticipated seeking toStart: August resume15, to pboucher@atlasoutdoor.com.

AA/EOE

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY Class A CDL Driver

Sealed bids are invited by the Housing Authority of the Town of quality Seymour fund enhancement (QE) projects for the period available via ftp link below: Project documents until 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at its office at 28July Smith Street, 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019 for the following services: http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage Listing: Dispatch Assistant - Immediate Opening Seymour, CT Sidewalk with06483 3 years for min. Concrete exp. HAZMAT Endorsed.Repairs and Replacement at the High Volume petroleum oil company is seeking a full time skilled • on-site education consultation to prek programs Smithfield Gardens(Tractor/Triaxle/Roll-off) Assisted Living Facility, 26 Smith Street Seymour.

• mental health resources for children families in prek programs; Fax orand Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 Dispatchdawnlang@haynesconstruction.com Assistant with previous petroleum oil, retail or commercial

Some overnights may be required. FAX resumes to RED Technologies, at • professional development trainings related to CT Early Standards, HCC encourages theLearning participation of all Veteran,dispatching S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses 860.342-1042; Email: HR@redtechllc.com Mail or in person: 173 Pickering experience for days, trauma informed care and topics required Street,conference Portland, CT 06480.

REDheld Technologies, is An EOE.Authority Office 28 Smith Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 A pre-bid will be at theLLC Housing

shared on call duties and weekends required also. MUST have previous dispatch experience in the oil inAA/EEO EMPLOYER Street Seymour, CT at 10:00 am, on Wednesday, July 20, 2016.

by School Readiness and NAEYC. dustry, and possess, excellent attention to detail, ability to manage mulTRANSFER STATION LABORER tiple projects, excel proficiency and good computer skills required. Send An info session will be held Monday, May 12th from 2-3pm at 54 Meadow Off load trailers, reload for trans/disp. Lift 50 lbs., operate industrial powered trucks and forklift.

Street, conference Ofroom 3B. To receive the RFP and for established rates for each Asbestos Worker Handler Trainingare a +. Resumes to RED from Technologies, 173 Pickering St., Bidding documents available theLLC, Seymour Housing Authority resume to: Human Resource Dept., PO Box 388, Guilford, CT 06437.

Portland, CT 06480; Fax 860-342-1022; or

fice, 28 Smith Street, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579.

EmailSeymour, to lkelly@redtransfer.com RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

service type, contact the School Readiness office

Denised@nhps.net 203-946-7875.

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

21

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

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - June 27, 2018 - July 03, 2018

REVOLUTIONARY SLAVEHOLDERS

by Oscar Blayton Each year, many Americans celebrate the 4th of July. On that day in 1776, it is said that “The Land of the Free” was born.

But the true historical significance of Independence Day has been smothered in hot dogs, barbecue ribs and potato salad. And fireworks distract us from contemplating the economic forces that served as midwife to the birth of this nation.

Four hundred years ago, Europeans invaded the Atlantic coast of North America and fought each other and the indigenous peoples for control of the land. By 1763, the British had made deals or driven everyone else out so that they controlled the entire coast. This included Canada and Florida, which the British obtained by treaty from France and Spain, respectively, at the end of the Seven Years’ War – a global conflict waged by the colonial powers of Europe for control of the rest of the world.

Nine years after Britain gained con-

trol of the entire Atlantic seaboard, its colonists in North America were rocked by the news of a decision in the British high court that sounded the death knell for chattel slavery in the British Empire.

This decision was the result of a case known as Somerset v. Stewart. James Somerset was a West African held in slavery by a Norfolk, Va., merchant and customs officer, Charles Stewart. Stewart had taken Somerset with him when he sailed to England on business in 1769. Somerset escaped in 1771 while in England, but Stewart recaptured him and had him imprisoned on a ship due to sail for Jamaica. Somerset had been baptized while in England and his godparents helped him sue for his release.

The Lord Chief Justice of the high ruled in 1772 that slavery was contrary to Common Law and therefore illegal in England. Somerset was freed, and the news spread quickly to America. By early 1773, enslaved African Americans began to petition for their release in courts in the colonies, hoping to repeat Somerset’s success.

The slaveholding British colonists were alarmed at these developments and believed correctly that the British Empire was on the path to ending chattel slavery. By taking their “revolutionary” stance, the colonists hoped to

free themselves and their slave-based economy from the inevitable arrival of abolition in the Empire.

Every red, white and blue American knows the narrative of how the freedom loving Sons of Liberty threw off Britain’s yoke of oppression. Some narratives even recount faithful slaves cheering them on. PBS and others have reported that 5,000 African Americans served in the Continental Army. But many thousands more ran away to fight for their own freedom with the British.

The Revolutionary War did not end until two years after the Battle of Yorktown in 1781. As British troops were evacuating New York City in 1783, they took with them, from that port alone, 3,000 former slaves who had supported the crown. The names of these African Americans were documented in the “Book of Negroes” as they boarded the ships bound for Nova Scotia and the British West Indies. An accurate record of these former slaves was kept because of a dispute between George Washington and Sir Guy Carleton, the British commander in charge of the evacuation of New York. Southern colonials had insisted that the treaty ending the war include a provision for the return of escaped African Americans to their slaveholders. Carleton refused to com-

ply with that provision and was backed up by Lord Frederick North, the British Secretary of State who wrote to him that transporting the runaways from the land of their oppression was “certainly an act of justice due to them from us…”

On the other hand, Washington and other slaveholders believed they had been robbed of what was rightfully theirs. After his first meeting with Carleton, Washington complained in a letter to the governor of Virginia: “[T]he slaves who have absconded from their masters will never be restored to them.”

So, while you are enjoying your grilled burgers and fireworks on July 4th, take a moment to consider the facts of how and why this nation came to be. Maintaining slavery, as an economic institution, was the major driving force for the desire for Independence from England – at least for the Southern states. And it is fair to say that the Stars and Stripes were stitched together in large part by the sting of the lash upon black backs.

It is important to accurately recall and understand these facts in our history if we hope to make meaningful progress towards a better future.

Oscar H. Blayton is a former Marine Corps combat pilot and human rights activist who practices law in Virginia.

The Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness Act Can Save Black Mommas

By Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) Black mothers are dying and it’s time to do something about it.

Every year, more than 700 American mothers lose their lives to pregnancy or birth-related complications. Some medical professionals estimate that at least half, if not more, of these deaths are entirely preventable.

While the deaths of 700-plus American mothers should shock us all, the statistics are much worse for African American mothers. We are three-to-four times more likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth than our White counterparts. A 2010-2011 survey of maternal deaths in Philadelphia found that three-quarters of those deaths were Black mothers.

These shocking statistics cut across class, education level, and socio-economic status. Earlier this year, Serena Williams shared her own story of nearly losing her life.

She, like too many other women, was ignored when she raised concerns about her own health and body. If this tragedy can befall a wealthy, world-class athlete who’s deeply in tuned with her own body, it could, and does, happen to anyone.

Sadly, the situation is getting worse, not better. American mothers are dying at higher rates every year.

Globally, we’ve had real success in pushing down the rates of mothers needlessly dying, especially in Africa and the Caribbean. Yet at the same time, the U.S. is one of a handful of nations where the number of mothers dying is increasing.

We can and must do better. All mamas deserve the chance to be mamas.

That’s why I’ve introduced the “Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness Act” or the MOMMA Act, for short. This comprehensive legislation takes a multi-pronged approach to ending maternal mortality through increased access to care, expanded culturally-competent training and standardized data collection.

Currently, one of our greatest challenges in addressing the rising rate of maternal mortality is a lack of good data. We need to standardize data to find trends and pro-

tocols that work to save lives.

The MOMMA Act also establishes and enforces national emergency obstetric protocols and ensures the sharing of best practices between practitioners and hospital systems because, if it’s working, we want every doctor to know about it.

Additionally, the MOMMA Act would expand access to care by ensuring that mothers retain their Medicaid coverage for one year after giving birth, the entire postpartum period. Right now, mothers lose their coverage just two months after giving birth.

However, many women face significant health challenges, often weeks and months, after giving birth. One mom who spoke at my press conference unveiling the bill suffered a childbirth-related stroke 20 days after giving birth. Furthermore, we know that postpartum depression and other health challenges face new mothers; expanding access to care will ensure that moms remain healthy as they raise their families.

Finally, the MOMMA Act would improve access to culturally-competent care throughout the care continuum. For decades, we’ve known that culturally-incompetent care has had massive and negative impacts on our community and our health. In 2018, it’s time to train health

22

professionals to give appropriate care to all patients, regardless of their race.

I could not be prouder to have introduced the MOMMA Act or to have worked with the amazing women and men who helped us craft this important legislation to save mothers’ lives.

It’s the product of months of work with families, mothers, doctors, nurses, midwives, doulas and policy advocates. I’m deeply humbled to have the support of Black Women’s Health Imperative, the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, the National Urban League, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and many others.

As a mother, I was lucky enough to experience two happy, healthy pregnancies.

I want the same thing for every mother and family: a healthy, happy pregnancy and child.

Congresswoman Robin Kelly represents Illinois’ Second Congressional District.

She is the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust and the Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls. She also serves on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Follow Congresswoman Kelly on Twitter @RepRobinKelly.

Con’t from page 06

Fun Factor Sought For Long Wharf Vision

platforms at Union Station that can accommodate pedestrians and bikes.

The Long Wharf District encompasses nearly 400 acres and is about a mile across from end to end. Fang and Eckstut said they see within it at least five subdistricts that are defined by what’s there now: Sports Haven, IKEA, the Food Terminal, Assa Abloy, and Jordan’s and the former Gateway Community College. In the next meeting they plan to deliver some numbers about what all this could cost and what it might take to pay for it but preliminarily Fang said he believes that for every $1 of public investment in infrastructure improvements the city could see about $20 in return.

Justin Elicker, executive director of the New Haven Land Trust, said after the meeting he is excited about the activation of the waterfront. He said the Land Trust has a keen interest in getting many more people out to its nature preserves and the plan’s vision for connecting Long Wharf Drive beyond its current location, particularly to the City Point neighborhood. He said bike and pedestrian access exist but it’s not as well developed as it could be.

“You can have a relatively fluid bike ride to West Haven and the water out there,” he said. “It’s also something that I suggested could be emphasized more without a lot of investment.

The city could make that connectivity more significant.”

Elicker said that when he was a kid passing through New Haven, his only memories of the city were seeing taco trucks and flags. He never had any real sense of what else the city had to offer based on just those two things at such an important gateway.

“That section of the city is a billboard for what New Haven is,” he said.

“We should have a Long Wharf that reflects what the rest of New Haven is which is a vibrant, active, diverse community. A lot of what we’ve talked about in the plan is something that can do that.”

Michael Piscitell, New Haven government’s interim City Plan director and acting economic development administrator, said that sometime in the fall, possibly September, the plan for Long Wharf will be put into the hands of the City Plan Commission, which has the responsibility of creating planning documents. It can either be adopted as part of the city’s comprehensive plan or stand alone.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - June 27, 2018 - July 03, 2018

NEW HAVEN’S GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY RADIO STATION! www.newhavenindependent.org

JOE UGLY IN THE MORNING Weekdays 6-9 a.m.

THE TOM FICKLIN SHOW Mondays 10 a.m.

MAYOR MONDAY!

MERCY QUAYE

Mondays 11 a.m.

Mondays 1 p.m.

“THE SHOW”

“DJ REL”

MICHELLE TURNER Tuesdays 9 a.m.

“WERK IT OUT”

ELVERT EDEN Tuesdays at 2 p.m.

MORNINGS WITH MUBARAKAH

“JAZZ HAVEN”

Wednesdays 9 a.m.

Wednesdays 2 p.m.

STANLEY WELCH

“TALK-SIP”

LOVEBABZ LOVETALK

Thursdays 1 p.m.

Mondays-Fridays 9 a.m.

ALISA BOWENSMERCADO

FRIDAY PUNDITS Fridays 11 a.m.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - June 27, 2018 - July 03, 2018

N O T WO C AREER P ATHS A RE T HE S AME We Offer: • Employer Incentives to Hire • On-the-Job Training • Job Search Assistance • Re-Training • Transportation Assistance • Hiring Events

4 Locations: New Haven: (203) 624-1493 Meriden: (203) 238-3688 Middletown: (860) 347-7691 Hamden: (203) 859-3200 Open Mon-Fri, 8:30am – 4:30pm Hamden opens at 8am

Visit www.workforcealliance.biz/services/wheredoistart Be Part of the South Central CT Economy

*There is never a fee for the jobseeker or the employer. Services are funded through state and federal grants.

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