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THE INNER-CITY NEWS June 28, 2017 - July 04, 2017

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS June 28, 2017 - July 04, 2017

“Boutique Hotel” Has New Builder, Gets OK that the built-in kitchenettes in each room will attract those with longer time frames.

Because there would be no permanent residents, the project needs only six parking spots and 12 racks for bikes.

Salvatore said he believes that the hotel will fill up with a new type of guest that hasn’t previously considered New Haven a feasible option.

“The idea is not to pull people from somewhere else,” like the Study or the Omni, he argued. “I really think it’s an unmet need in the community that we’ll fill.”

Commissioner Adam Marchand, a Westville alder, asked for more clarification. The prior applicants made it sound like a boarding house, he said. But now it seems a person could “come in and say, ‘Do you have a room for me tonight?’ without a letter from their employer.”

“Originally, you could do that as well,” Salvatore answered. He went on to clarify, “It really is a lot more

by CHRISTOPHER PEAK NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

Developer Randy Salvatore plans to buy a lot on the corner of George and High Streets, now that the city’s given him the necessary approvals to revive a plan to build a hotel there for long-term guests.

At Wednesday’s City Plan meeting, the commissioners unanimously signed off on Salvatore’s site plan review, allowing him to erect a sixstory, 108-room hotel at 323 George St. that’s expected to cost $8 million.

The hotel — a “boutique hotel,” part of an emerging trend in cities across the country as an alternative to recognizable outposts of larger chains — would replace a budget car rental company and its surface parking lot that currently occupy one of the last undeveloped corners of New Haven’s booming downtown. Under Salvatore’s revision of an original plan for the hotel, the new establishment will add a restaurant on the ground floor. Meeting rooms and a rooftop garden will be available for rent as an event space.

Also in the blueprints, an historic 5,000-square-foot home at 15 High St. will be renovated into four apartments.

If the plans sound familiar, that’s because they’re largely unchanged (except for the restaurant) from an extended-stay hotel that the City Plan Commission approved in December 2015. Back then, Mod Equities, New York siblings Josef and Jacob Feldman’s family investment company that’s also been approved to put up 64 apartments above Harold’s bridal shop, was making the pitch to commissioners.

The hotel would complete the transformation of a once lower-rent block into a mecca of upscale development projects.

But before construction on the hotel could begin, the Feldmans hand run into trouble securing financing, given the unusual extended-stay model. Mod’s broker informed them of lucrative sales on the Elm City’s hot market (including a $1.3 million profit by the city’s economic development chief Matthew Nemerson), and with that intel, the Feldman brothers decided to entertain offers for a sale.

On Wednesday evening, Salvatore confirmed he has a contract to purchase the property, but he hasn’t closed yet. With the approvals Wednesday, the deal will now

CHRISTOPHER PEAK PHOTO

Randy Salvatore’s design for a new 108-room downtown hotel.

open to the public coming in.

That’s why, on the ground floor, you could come in and have a cup of coffee, a cocktail, lunch and dinner. It’s really open to the outside.”

Given the new direction, Marchand asked him to consider adding signage and opening up the streetscape.

Once the papers are signed, the hotel will join Salvatore’s growing portfolio of Elm City properties. He built the Novella, a $40 million, 136-unit luxury building at the corner of Chapel and Howe Streets, then put it on the market.

Salvatore also has plans for a massive development of 140 apartments (30 percent of them affordable), 7,000 square feet of retail, 120,000 square feet of research space and 50,000 square feet of offices on 11.6 acres of mostly vacant lots between Congress Avenue and Church Street South in the Hill neighborhood.

More Student Housing Coming To Whitney

by MARKESHIA RICKS NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

CHRISTOPHER PEAK PHOTO

Randy Salvatore and attorney Carolyn Kone explain their proposal to the commission.

proceed, he said. “We’ll gear up and get going. We’ll tear down that little building and start construction,” he added, expecting a 14-month process.

How much will Salvatore pay for the lot based on his negotiations with the Feldmans? “I have [a price] in mind. But it’s [staying] in my mind,” he said laughing, pointing to his temple. “I can’t really give that out.”

Boutique hotels are rising in smaller cities across the country. That’s likely because tourists are increasingly seeking genuine experiences, according to a recent New York Times trend piece. Tourists believe they’ll be more likely to find that in lodging with fewer rooms and unique characteristics, rather than familiar chains. Social media also makes it easier for a small hotelier, as guests “post their distinctive experiences on Instagram or Facebook,” an industry analyst told the Times. Salvatore has already built boutique hotels in other cities.

Under Salvatore’s new direction, the plans have tweaked slightly.

The layout has been reconfigured to clump all the building’s amenities together on the first floor. And the rooftop patio has been expanded to accommodate more guests. “If you look at our residential buildings, we don’t have balconies, because I think people don’t use a balcony by themselves. But yet when we congregate it into a rooftop, it has more value,” Salvataore explained of the revision. “People want to be around people.”

Perhaps the biggest change is a semantic one. The Feldmans called their project a short-term rental; Salvatore calls his an “extended-stay hotel.”

Several commissioners Wednesday night wondered aloud, What’s the difference?

The new establishment is geared toward Yale fellows, corporate consultants and others who will be staying in New Haven for several months — not long enough to make the hassle of finding and furnishing an apartment worthwhile, the developer said. While overnight guests will be welcomed, Salvatore noted

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By the time Yale University opens its new $120 million science building, more students might be able to walk out of their apartments and across the street to get to class.

The City Plan Commission unanimously approved at its regular monthly meeting a site plan that allows Newcastle Connecticut LLC to convert a three-story, 10-unit apartment building known as Peabody Place at 245 Whitney Ave. into a 14-unit building, which is directly across the street from Yale’s science building, which is currently under construction and expected to open in 2019.

Newcastle President Margaret Streicker-Porres said that given the building’s location in the Whitney Avenue Historic District and its proximity to Yale’s Science Hill, the School of Management, and the Peabody, it was the kind of project that her company thought was worth undertaking.

“Newcastle is known for doing historic renovations and reconditioning tired assets,” she said. “This fits directly into what our specialty has been for the past decade-plus.”

New Haven architect Fernando Pastor is spearheading the design plan, which calls for converting existing a threebedroom apartment and its common space into two, two-bedroom apartments, and a one-bedroom into a two

bedroom unit. Storage space in the basement will be converted into a three-bedroom apartment and gym space for the future tenants. The apartments, which will be aimed at attracting student renters, will be rented at market rate.

Pastor said that when Peabody Place was built in 1920 it was a built as student housing with the following configuration of apartments: three one-bedroom, four two-bedrooms, four three-bedroom apartments, and one two-bedroom for the caretaker.

He said the north side of the building has one one-bedroom and one two-bedroom apartment per floor and the south side has only one three-bedroom apartment. The new configuration will essentially add one apartment to every floor including the basement to create four additional apartments.

Project Site Manager Silvia Portilla said that in the case of some of the conversions on the above basement floors, kitchens will be moved into the common spaces of the reconfigured apartments and the former kitchens will become a bedroom. Streicker-Porres said that what Newcastle discovered when it was preparing to take on the building is that it has lost the standardization that it had when it was first built.

Con’t on page 10

Malik Makes The Deadline THE INNER-CITY NEWS June 28, 2017 - July 04, 2017

by CHRISTOPHER PEAK NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

Most parents know what to expect on Graduation Day. But the mother of a New Horizons High School student wasn’t sure even on the morning of the ceremony if her son would get his diploma on Tuesday.

Her son, Malik James, had revived his scholastic career following a slide induced by his best friend’s murder. But he still needed to pass one more test to make up the missing credits.

James, once a popular football player with good grades at Hillhouse High School, enrolled at the alternative high school last November, after he nearly dropped out of New Haven’s public schools.

The 17-year-old from Edgewood had been unable to cope with the murder of best friend and classmate Jacob Craggett, who was gunned down in August 2014 while sitting in a car in the Hill. James stopped showing up for class. He suffered from depression and anxiety attacks.

Then he got to New Horizons, which provides an intimate, personalized learning experience to help 102 of the district’s most troubled students get back on track. James passed the test — scoring an 89 percent, he joyfully informed his mother in an afternoon phone call — and graduated Tuesday evening with five other students.

The group had survived unthinkable traumas, from being raped as a grade-schooler to watching a friend commit suicide, to get to the stage at the Betsy Ross magnet school parish hall on Kimberly Avenue.

With some last-minute cramming until 3 a.m., passing his last test had been the easy part for James.

In a unique commencement ceremony Tuesday evening, New Horizons didn’t line up a keynote speaker. Instead, each student spoke to the audience of their teachers and families.

“Everybody here got a story. Everybody has a struggle that they went through,” James began in his speech.

“But I want to be the one to go out and talk about it and be open about it. Because it’s something that’s real deep to me and something that I feel should be shared.”

James said that he had breezed through school, up until his sophomore year.

Six New Horizons students — Taherra Cornelius, Tamera Elliott, Tyler Goodson, Malik James, Joshua Murray and Millenium Ward — prepare to receive their diplomas.

CHRISTOPHER PEAK PHOTO

Malik James at graduation: New Horizons saved my life.

Biology teacher Karen Beitler with Malik James, whom she helped rack up enough science credits to graduate.

“I had it all at Hillhouse: I was an honor student, I had colleges calling the house wanting to set meetings up with me and my family. I had my family behind me and the girl everyone wanted,” he said. “I thought I’d be the one to take my family out of New Haven.”

But after Craggett’s death, the trauma weighed on James. His attitude got him kicked off the football team at the start of junior year. His grades declined, and he started playing hooky. James rebuffed the uni-

versity recruiters, who kept calling, because he couldn’t find the words to explain his situation to them.

A survivor’s guilt pained James deeply. “I felt like [Craggett] would have done more in his life than I could ever do in mine. I really felt like he deserved to live and not me,” he recalled.

After breaking up with his girlfriend last June, James suffered from an anxiety attack. He was hospitalized for two and a half weeks, he recounted with long pauses Tuesday

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night as the audience cheered him on, whispering, “Take your time.”

James’s parents stood in the aisle, tears in their eyes, and filmed the speech on a smartphone.

James recovered and said he started seeking help in time for his senior year. But no school wanted to accept him, due to his frequent tardiness during the first months of the marking period.

At the time, James pondered dropping out. “I had it in my mind that I was done with school. Or maybe school was done with me,” he said.

He went on to thank the alternative school for not giving up on him.

“I feel like I owe New Horizons so much, because they took a chance on a kid that no other school would even evaluate or possibly take a chance with. I never really said it aloud, but New Horizons saved my life. And for that, I sit here and I go out as a student from New Horizons, not Hillhouse.”

Biology teacher Karen Beitler with Malik James, whom she helped rack up enough science credits to graduate.

Maybe By 2018?

THE INNER-CITY NEWS June 28, 2017 - July 04, 2017

by THOMAS BREEN NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

Eighteen people have applied to be New Haven’s next schools superintendent, in a process that began in 2016 and may now drag out until the end of 2017.

Board of Education member Darnell Goldson offered that update Monday night during the board’s bimonthly meeting at the L.W. Beecher Museum School of Arts & Sciences on Jewell Street.

Goldson, the board’s point person on the search process, offered the latest information that he had received from Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates, the Chicago-suburbbased executive search firm that the board hired in early June to help them find the next permanent leader of the city’s public schools.

The previous superintendent, Garth Harries, resigned from his position abruptly last fall due to board pressure after serving only three years as schools chief. Dr. Reggie Mayo, who had led the school system for 21 years before Harries’ appointment, has been acting as interim superintendent ever since. At first the board planned a brief interim gig for Mayo.

But then it took most of the school year for the search even to begin.

The latest delay, Goldson reported, stems from the board having received far less community participation than hoped for at focus groups held earlier this month by the search firm. He said the new delay could mean the city finding a new superintendent by October or November.

On Thursday, June 14 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Wilbur Cross High School auditorium, the search firm held an open forum for community members to share thoughts on what they would like to see in the next superintendent. Only 18 people showed up. According to one of those 18, retired Hillhouse High School history teacher Robert Gibson, many of those present were New Haven public school educators, as opposed to parents or other concerned community members.

The search firm also held one focus session with community groups that brought together 13 attendees from 13 different organizations, and one focus session with school groups that brought together 10 attendees from six different organizations.

“That turnout was very low,” Goldson said, “and [the search firm] did say that they were concerned about that.”

On a more encouraging note, Goldson said, 867 New Haveners have filled out the online survey that the board and the search firm put together earlier this month to solicit community feedback on superintendent search criteria.

“The search committee thinks that, while the focus group numbers were very low, the survey was more than adequate for a system of our size,” Goldson told the board. “So we have a couple of options. We can schedule additional focus groups, even though summer will be a difficult time to get people together. We can schedule and advertise public forums, which will be open to the community and all of those folks who participated in the focus groups, but wouldn’t be focused on just one issue. Or we can prepare a leadership profile for the board from the data that we have already.”

Goldson cautioned that the first option, of setting up more focus groups, would likely slow the search process down so that a final candidate may not be chosen until October or November 2017. Going with one of the latter two options, however, would likely keep the search committee on track to hire a replacement superin-

THOMAS BREEN PHOTO

Goldson: We’ve been deliberate and transparent.

tendent by Sept. 1, 2017.

Goldson said that he will canvas his fellow board members over the next few days before deciding on which route to take, but that he did not want to rush the process to the detriment of finding the right person for the role. “I think that all of us agree,” he said, “that, in this sort of a case, quicker is not necessarily the best route to go.”

Mack: Parents skeptical.

Lisa Mack, the school system’s

interim director of human resources and labor relations, briefed the board on what she had heard from community members who did show up to the June 14 forum.

“They were hoping that it was going to be advertised in the media and local news,” she said, citing frequent complaints that people did not hear about the forum until a day or two before it took place.“Also, we heard time and time again that, because of the last superintendent search, they felt that this process was just the board going through the motions,” she continued. “So why bother coming out? A lot of the parents were indicating that people weren’t attending because it’s just a rubber stamp process.”

Student board member Coral Ortiz recommended that, in addition to the search committee’s email and text message blasts to public school parents and administrators, the search firm should reach out directly to principals and guidance counselors, who would be in the best position to engage a diverse group of students about what they would like in a new next superintendent. Board member Che Dawson similarly suggested the board partner with the city’s Youth at Work program to incentivize young people to show up to focus groups or forums.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS June 28, 2017 - July 04, 2017

4 Run As A Team For Hill Alder Seats

by HAILEY FUCHS

NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

Four candidates are running together for the Hill’s Board of Alders seats, pledging to work together to bring jobs to the neighborhood and more neighborhood input into future development.

The four Democratic candidates, all of whom are running unnopposed at this point, announced their candidacies in a joint press conference Sunday in Trowbridge Square Park.

“When we are united, they say together we stand and divided we fall,” said Ron Hurt, who is running to fill the Ward 3 currently held by Latrice James, who is not running again.

The other three candidates Ward 4’s Evelyn Rodriguez, Ward 5’s David Reyes, and Ward 6’s Dolores Colón are incumbents.

Hurt, who has lived in the neighborhood 12 years, promised to involve young people in volunteer community service projects, like a community clean-up taking place this summer.

He is an elder at Deliverance Temple Pentecostal Church and active in the community management team; he has played a public role in supporting a state bill to reexamine Yale’s tax exemptions and in opposing President Donald Trump’s immigration policy.

He cited rent and homeownership as among the biggest challenges facing the Hill. With high unemployment and pending cuts in social services,

HAILEY FUCHS PHOTO

The four candidates in Trowbridge Park Sunday.

residents of the area have struggled to maintain jobs, he noted.

All four candidates focused in on unemployment, as well as underemployment. Hurt said the alders must address the issue “head on,” urging major corporations like Yale and the hospital who have the ability to hire from within the community.

In December 2015, Yale promised New Haven that they would hire 1,000 residents, 500 of whom from neighborhoods of need, including

the Hill. Colón, whose ward includes City Point and Long Wharf and Church Street South, said Yale hasn’t moved fast enough on that promise, and the alders need to hold the university to it.

Over the years, crime has plummeted in the neighborhood, said Colón who has served on the Board of Alders since 2001. But some unemployed or underemployed residents have turned to drug dealing where they have faced extreme violence,

she said.

“No one wants to sit on the corner selling drugs. They want to be inside with their family watching a DVD,” said Colón, who underscored the community’s need for union jobs.

With regard to community safety, Evelyn Rodriguez promised to promote more block watches. As residents get to know each other, they may be more inclined to protect one another, said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, appointed to her seat in

May 2016, said in her first elected term she hopes to strengthen the neighborhood management teams to build better communication with constituents and with agencies and resources in communities.

For Dave Reyes, a self-proclaimed “homegrown Hill boy” running for his second term in Ward 5, the priority is keeping families with children in the neighborhood. Now, 85 percent of graduates from Hill Central School end up attending college, he said; he said he wants to narrow that 15 percent gap.

Reyes spoke of ensuring that when Church Street South gets rebuilt, families who lived there get to return if they wish. (Since they’ll have portable Section 8 rent subsidies, they’ll have a choice.) He vowed to continue to push to ensure that the overall proposed Hill-to-Downtown initiative connects the two neighborhoods, builds population density in the area, and attracts new businesses and jobs.

Throughout his first term, Reyes said, he has worked to make the community safer by adding speed bumps in the neighborhood. For his next two years, he said, he wants to build upon community policing efforts to further build relationships between residents and cops. With a new police chief committed to community engagement and body cameras for cops on the way, Reyes said, he predicts the relationship will only improve.

Kennedy Won’t Run For Governor

State Sen. Ted Kennedy Jr. is not running for governor after all.

The Branford Democrat (pictured above) issued the following statement on Monday: “I will not be a candidate for statewide office in 2018. I am deeply grateful to everyone who has contacted me and encouraged me to run. I value the contribution I am able to make as the state Senator for the 12th District. I believe that if we put aside our partisan politics and find common ground, we can overcome our challenges and move Connecticut forward. I remain committed to making our state a better place to live, do business and raise a family. “ Kennedy launched his political career in April 2014 in Branford when he sought, successfully, a state senate seat, which he continues to hold. Speculation was rife that he would seek the governor’s office in 2018 amid a crowded field; Monday’s announcement ends that speculation.

A gubernatorial run would have tested the resonancy of the Kennedy name in modern-day politics.

Among the Democrats actively seeking the 2018 nomination are State Comptroller Kevin Lembo, Middletown Mayor Dan Drew, Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, and former federal prosecutor Chris Mattei. Republicans expressing an interest include Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS June 28, 2017 - July 04, 2017

Malloy Presents Legislative Leaders With Two Budget Options

by Christine Stuart CT. Junkie News

HARTFORD, CT — Gov. Dannel P. Malloy threatened to veto the budget proposals by Democratic and Republican leaders and is not holding his breath that lawmakers will be able to get a two-year budget vetted and passed Thursday.

“Other than the budget I have proposed previously there is no budget that I would sign,” Malloy said Monday after a meeting with legislative leaders. “I would not sign the Republicans budget, I would veto it. I would not sign the Democrats budget, as I understand its last iteration to be. I would veto it.”

He said it continues to be a “revenue driven discussion” when it comes to his “Democratic friends,” and he vehemently disagrees with how the Republican budget proposal treats collective bargaining.

What does it mean? It means legislative leaders have a few choices.

They could let Malloy run the state through executive order. His executive power only gives him so much authority so the budget for the first quarter of the 2018 fiscal year would include “Draconian” spending cuts to every state agency and municipality.

“While we recognize that the state is facing unprecedented budget

CHRISTINE STUART / CTNEWSJUNKIE

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy

CHRISTINE STUART / CTNEWSJUNKIE

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challenges, property taxpayers in our small towns should not have to shoulder the lion’s share of the burden in addressing those challenges,” Betsy Gara, executive director of the Connecticut Council of Small Towns, said. “At this point, requiring towns to absorb cuts of this magnitude will overwhelm property taxpayers and wreak havoc in delivering critical services.”

The Connecticut Community Nonprofit Alliance President and CEO Gian-Carl Casa said the executive order would be equally as devastating for his members.

“There are devastating funding cuts to community-based providers in the executive order released today,” Casa said.

The second option he presented them with today is a “mini-budget” that legislators would have to approve.

The mini-budget includes a $360 million increase in revenues to help make sure some of the spending cuts aren’t as deep as they would need to be under Malloy’s executive authority.

For instance, municipal aid reductions would be less severe and it would ameliorate a cut in education aid municipalities. It would also send $35.6 million of state funding to hospitals, and restore $56.5 million in funding for non-

profit providers, preserving many critical services or reducing financial harm to providers and their employees.

The catch? The General Assembly would need to approve it during a special session Thursday.

Legislative leaders and some of their members were at the state Capitol Monday trying to determine whether they could come up with a two-year budget that has enough votes to pass and get signed by the governor.

Senate President Martin Looney, D-New Haven, said he was hobbling due to his hip surgery, not because the governor applied any “physical pressure” during the hour-long meeting.

House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, said their goal is still to come up with a two-year budget for the state of Connecticut. He said they intend to lock themselves in the building tonight and have an idea of where they’re at Tuesday morning.

The nonpartisan Office of Fiscal Analysis would need at least 48 hours to score the two-year budget proposal before it could be shared with lawmakers on Thursday.

“Our caucus told us when we talked with them last time to work as hard as we can to come up with a budget for the state of Connecticut

THE INNER-CITY NEWS June 28, 2017 - July 04, 2017

Artspace Celebrates 30 Years With New Exhibition

by BRIAN SLATTERY NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

James Montford drew on the walls of Artspace’s gallery Saturday evening, as the gallery on Orange and Crown celebrated its 30th anniversary. America, he wrote, in upside down letters that he then blotted with his hand. When he had finished his task, Shola Cole swooped in and began to own the space. She picked up a noose off the floor and regarded it like a historical artifact.

“Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,” Cole said, addressing the crowd in front of her, as if halfremembering the famous Emma Lazarus poem that adorns the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. She wrote it on the wall. “With conquering limbs astride from land to land,” she said with more certainty. “Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand / A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame / Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name / Mother of Exiles.” Then she began to tell her own story.

Cole’s and Montford’s performance was the centerpiece of the opening of “Three Decades of Change: Artspace’s 30th Reunion Exhibition,”which celebrates 30 years of exhibitions at Artspace by looking back at some of Artspace’s greatest hits. The past weekend was also full of activities for participating artists from parties and concerts to panel discussions. On Saturday evening, in addition to the performance, that meant a guided tour of the various parts of the retrospective with the artists who had curated the original shows at Artspace from the 1990s to the present.

BRIAN SLATTERY PHOTO

Cole.

Cole and audience member.

The exhibit runs through July 8.

As the curators and artists discussed their past work from the perspective of the present, a few themes emerged. One was clear just by looking. “All the artists were pretty political,” said artist and curator Suzan Shutan. “It’s hard to escape it,” she said, as the artists were just “responding to the world.”

So there was Montford’s original piece from 1994, Will he pee in his pants and Classical and Neo Classical Blackheads. At the performance, which Shutan had curated the accompanying label explained, “James wore a hood and tied his body in ropes nailed to a wall.” The ropes

had been tied into nooses, so that the “performance was suggestive of lynching and electrocution.” In the packed space and the summer heat, Montford actually fainted under the hood and began to strangle as the noose around his neck tightened. He really did pee his pants, Shutan said; it was when attendees saw “a puddle on the floor” that they knew something was wrong. It took 10 people from the audience to get him out of the nooses. When he regained consciousness, Shutan said, “he wanted to get back on” the wall.

An exhibition attendee on Saturday mentioned that the image of Montford in his nooses looked an awful

lot like the infamous photos from Abu Ghraib, where U.S. soldiers had tortured and humiliated Iraqi prisoners a decade after Montford’s performance. But that connection tied Montford’s 1994 piece to Mohammad Hafez’s His Majesty’s Throne, which hung in the exhibition as a present-day echo of a 2002 Artspace show entitled “Duct Tape.”

At the time, artists had been asked to use duct tape in response to government instructions for people to seal up their houses and apartments with duct tape in case of a chemical attack. Curator Sarah Fritchey thought the 2002 exhibition should be represented in the present-day show but couldn’t track down the original curators, and so asked Hafez to step in.

Hafez’s contribution was not only his sculpture — like much of his work, about the war and atrocities in Syria — but also a wall painted with blackboard paint on which he invited anyone to write down quotes from politicians who lied. He called these “free democracy lessons.”

But a deeper narrative also took shape as the evening progressed, of Artspace as a place that fosters collaboration between artists, whether it’s New Haven artists meeting their neighbors or forging a partnership with artists from abroad.

Brooklyn-based artist and curator Colleen Coleman spoke about the exhibit “Ain’t I A Woman,” which she had put together at Artspace in 1995. That exhibit had asked artists to interpret abolitionist Sojourner Truth’s speech to the Seneca Falls Women’s Convention in 1848. “If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone,” Truth had said

then, “these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again.”

As Fritchey did with Hafez, Coleman asked artist Deborah Dancy to fulfill the exhibit’s instructions in 2017. Dancy responded with photographs from 2011 and 2016. Coleman explained that Dancy’s Queen Bea #1 and #2 were images of empowerment as much as oppression.

It was important that the figure was missing her face. “She’s the queen bee, and no one can miss her because of her blackness.”

“I see Deborah’s work as an opportunity to have a space for black women,” Coleman said.

Artist Joan Fitzsimmons, based in Connecticut, spoke about her longterm collaborations with fellow photographer Jacek Malinowski, based in Warsaw, Poland. She was the subject of Half a Woman #1, #2, and #3, digital videos Malinowski made in 2000 in New Haven and in Poland that starred Fitzsimmons as, well, half a woman. In the films, the camera follows her as she appearing only from the torso up, thanks to a humorous simple set that cuts her off at the waist — talks about her existence and attempts to do simple things like boil water and bustle about the house. Meanwhile, in Warsaw, Malinowski and his neighbors became the subjects of Fitzsimmons’s photograph series Surveillance.Warsaw.156, made between 2007 and 2012. Fitzsimmons supposed the photos, all taken through the peephole of Malinowski’s apartment door, were influenced by the stories of spying she knew from the

Explore Summer Classes at Creative Arts Workshop

New Haven, CT – Pastels and paper. Clay and copper. These materials represent just a sampling of what you could explore in an art class this summer. Whether you are a beginning or experienced artist, consider taking a summer class at Creative Arts Workshop (CAW) to enrich your skills and learn new techniques.

Enrollment is underway for the summer term which runs June 26 through Aug 27, and includes both courses and workshops. New adult courses include Experimental Printing, which explores new techniques in digital printing and Master Class

7

in Outdoor Painting, which explains the unique rewards and challenges to painting outside. The summer program for young people, Adventures in Art, (ages 4 to 17) offers one- and two-week courses. After Care is available daily until 5:30 pm for all ages with outdoor recreation, snack, and additional games and art projects.

Also don’t miss Open Enrollment – your chance to explore classes for free July 3-7. Visit classes, meet our dedicated students and world-class faculty, and explore different departments. No pre-registration or fees are needed. (Note: CAW will be closed

on July 4. Only full-term classes that meet during the designated days are eligible for open enrollment, which excludes classes that start later in the term and all workshops.)

CAW is located at 80 Audubon St. in New Haven. Complete course information is available online at CreativeArtsWorkshop.org or through the brochure, which can be picked up or mailed. Registration can be done online, in person, or by phone.

A payment plan is available through June 30. For more information visit CreativeArtsWorkshop.org.

80 Audubon St. New Haven, CT 06510 203-562-4927

Grate-ness Recognized THE INNER-CITY NEWS June 28, 2017 - July 04, 2017

by HAILEY FUCHS NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

Years ago, a bus would stop across the street from a gas station and mini-mart Joe Grate ran at Dixwell and Munson called Triangle Mobil, and little boys from Newhallville used to climb atop the back of the bus to rock it. One day, Grate, who saw that the boys needed some discipline, hopped over the fence and paddled the troublemakers. Chuckling, he remembered how the boys’ mothers later thanked him for it.

He recalled that moment Saturday, many years after he closed that business. He returned to be honored by a grateful community at the formal naming of the intersection as “Joe Grate Corner.”

With help from his son Gregory, Grate, who is now blind and partially deaf, took the stage at the naming ceremony for the corner of Dixwell Avenue and Munson Street, the land at the juncture of Dixwell and Newhallville upon which he operated his beloved gas station and a BBQ pavilion.

“You have made my life worthwhile, and I thank you for that,” Joe said. Even though he was unable to see the dozens of family members and friends who gathered to celebrate his contributions to the neighborhood, Grate told the community, “I see with my heart.”

Nearly 800 people signed the petition to name the intersection Joe Grate Corner; that’s 550 more than the required number.

According to Melissa Singleton, who spearheaded the project, if you don’t know “Mr. Joe,” you’re either too young or not from New Haven.

When Singleton was barely tall enough to play the convenience store’s Pac Man machine, she would skip over to Grate’s gas station to buy her penny candy. Years ago, Mr. Joe sponsored Singleton’s double-dutch team. Today he considers her children to be two of his seven grandkids.

“It takes a village to raise a family, and he was always that village,” she said. Singleton told Mr. Joe,

HAILEY FUCHS PHOTO

Joe Grate serenades the crowd.

Joe Grate and Carlton Heath.

“You were my village, and I love you for that.”

Grate’s magic was his knowledge of the community, which he calls his “family.” African American doctors, ministers, business, and professional people would all gather at Grate’s gas station to discuss the state of the neighborhood. When people wanted to know about Newhallville, they went to Mr. Joe. “I had an ear for everybody in the neighborhood. That was part of me,” Grate said.

A family man, Grate provided jobs for his brothers, sons, nephews, grandchildren, and just about anyone who needed a little support. What was truly special about Grate, people recalled, was his tireless dedication to those in greatest need. In the 1970s, when an apartment building on Orchard Street caught fire, Grate risked his

Melissa Singleton and Joe Grate.

life to pull a disabled man out of the burning building, said his son Gregory.

Mr. Joe’s former auto mechanic, Carlton Heath, recalled how Grate kept him out of trouble.

When Heath, a self-proclaimed “fighter,” tried to defend against a robber, he was arrested. Grate showed up at the jailhouse to bail him out.

Son Gerard Grate said his father taught him “the art of giving to someone else” Caring, Grate was also a “disciplinarian.” In his household, you had to be home by six o’clock or you would not get dinner, Gerard said. And each morning before school, the boys could hear their father’s loud footsteps outside their door. According to Gerard, his favorite words were: “I said let’s get going!”

When he opened his business on

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the corner of Dixwell and Munson, Grate was the only African American owner of a gas station in the city and even the state, according to Singleton.

As a young boy, Edwards remembers sleeping in the back seat of Grate’s 1957 blue and white Chevy when they drove from South Carolina up to New York back in the 1960s. Grate always kept a jar of Pepto-Bismol for his stomach just in case he felt a little queasy.

Almost every person at the event had some story or anecdote about how Mr. Joe helped them, taught them, or made them laugh. Multiple people told me that my notebook did not have enough pages for their stories. And so, on this day, the community to which Joe Grate gave so much finally gave a little something back. In posterity, Grate’s corner will forever be his.

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Leaders With Two Budget Options for the biennium,” Aresimowicz said.

He said they haven’t locked themselves into any one position and have remained flexible when it comes to revenue options. He said at some point they will reach a limit to what they can spend and will have to decide how much revenue they need to close a $5.1 billion, two-year deficit.

“We’re hoping to do that in the next few days,” Aresimowicz said.

Both the House and Senate Democratic caucuses have told their members to hold Thursday open on their calendars.

Joe DeLong, executive director of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, said he appreciates the governor’s efforts and will let cities and towns understand the impact of both proposals.

“However, our continued focus will be on the adoption of a budget for the next biennium that protects property taxpayers and provides our communities with the tools and reforms needed to spur economic growth across all of Connecticut,” DeLong said.

Republican legislative leaders, Senate Republican President Len Fasano and House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, said they doubt they’ll be asked to vote on a Democratic budget proposal Thursday.

Democrats still hold a majority in the House and are evenly split in the Senate where Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman can break a tie vote.

Klarides said it’s unheard of that Democrats in the General Assembly also control the governor’s office and have been unable to pass a budget.

“The only reason this is happening is because of the close numbers in the House and the Senate,” Klarides said.

Democrats hold a 79-72 vote majority in the House and have Wyman to break a tie in the Senate.

Malloy said he heard legislative leaders on both sides of the aisle express their desire to get a twoyear budget passed, but “it seems to me that everybody would like to get their budget.”

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS June 28, 2017 - July 04, 2017

New Haven, Changsha Sign Sister-City Pact

by ALLAN APPEL

NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT

The half-Chinese and half-African-American McCollum sisters have been speaking Cantonese at home all their lives. Thursday morning they put their linguistic talents to inspirational use, only they had to switch to Mandarin, the national dialect of China.

The sisters were part of the cultural program on the occasion of formal signing ceremonies marking Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province, becoming New Haven’s eighth sister city.

As 75 officials and city staffers gathered on City Hall’s second floor Thursday morning, the girls recited poems on friendship written by Bai Ju Yi, a Tang dynastyera poet whom Hunyee, a sixteen year old at Hamden Hall, likened to a 9th-century Robert Frost.

“Maybe I’m biased. I love Robert Frost,” she added as she paced a little before the program began.

The signing is the harvest of a recent trip by the event’s organizer, city culture czar Andy Wolf, who journeyed to Changsha in the fall to sign a letter of intent. It is also the culmination of more than a century of cooperation and interchange orchestrated largely under the umbrella of the Yale-China Association.

About 110 years ago, a group of Yale undergrads found themselves in Changsha and ended up helping to establish what today are Yali High School, one of the premier secondary schools in China, and one of China’s major hospitals and medical and nursing schools.

There have been interchanges and collaborations over the years, including between Yali and the Foote School and most recently

More Student Housing Coming To Whitney

ALLAN APPEL PHOTO

Hunmae (in blue) and Hunyee McCollum, with parents Allen and Kathy and city culture commission chair Aleta Staton.

Connecticut Artist opens for R&B Legend Dionne Warwick

Translator, in white, and representatives from Yali and other Changsha institutions.

STAMFORD, CT — Stamford native Robbie Jenkins will kick start the Wednesday Nite Live concert series and is the opening act for Grammy Award winning R&B legend Dionne Warrick.

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Television appearances on Jay Leno and touring with Jimmy Vaughn make him well known to industry

insiders. He is also a recipient of The Harry Belafonte Music Award. Formal training includes an education at both Berklee College of Music and Hartt School of Music. #Evolution, Robbie Jenkins latest effort can be found on iTunes.

Wednesday Nite Live debuts on July 12 at Columbus Park. Gates open @ 6 PM. Interviews upon request. Contact: Luther Blackwell @ Blackwell Entertainment 203-916-3552 or blackwellluther@ gmail.com.

Con’t from page 2

with John C. Daniels Inter-district Magnet School of International Communication, said David Youtz, of the Yale-China Association, who was one of the hosts of the event.

With all the tensions in the world today, formalizing that relationship, nurtured over the decades, is particularly important, Wolf added.

New Haven is often cited as one of America’s oldest cities, but it is a “small child” compared to 3,000-year-old Changsha, said Mayor Harp before she and Wen Shuxun, the chairman of the Changsha Municipal Committee, formally signed the agreements and then received flowers.

Elm Shakespeare Executive Director Rebecca Goodheart corralled some lines of the Bard’s from Midsummer Night’s Dream on sisterhood and happy marriages in honor of the occasion — “two lovely berries molded on one stem.”

And Youtz described both cit-

10

ies as centers of culture, education, technology, and food: “Spicy Hunan meets the place where the hamburger was born.”

After the ceremonies, the Chinese visitors presented Mayor Harp with a hand-embroidered peony, China’s national flower, to be hung in City Hall.

In addition to a number of gifts the city offered in return, Wolf previously had presented Changsha officials a sculpted dove of peace made by a local New Haven artist during his Oct. 2016 trip, when the Sister Cities letter of intent was signed.

Kathy McCollum said she and her daughters are absolutely going to be on the very first trip of New Haveners journeying to Changsha.

New Haven’s other sister cities include Amalfi, Italy; Freetown, Sierra Leone; Leon, Nicaragua; Avignon, France; Afula-Gilboa, Israel; Hue, Vietnam; and San Francisco Tetlanohcan, Tlaxcala, Mexico.

Apartments have been reconfigured in highly varying ways as amenities like closets and even faux fireplaces were added over the years. She said getting the apartments in the building back to one standard, while also upgrading a lot of the electrical wiring and other inner workings of the building is part of getting the building ready for the demands of the 21st century and beyond. All bathrooms and kitchens for each of the units also will be renovated.

But there will be no expansion of the building and there will be no new structural additions.

Streicker-Porres said that in addition to the interior changes, there will be some changes to the grounds that the building inhabits. The paved parking lot at the back of the building will be replaced with pavers to create more natural drainage on site for stormwater runoff, according to Pastor. There also will be all new plantings around the front of the building with native species. In addition to those landscape changes, there will be a rain garden and a working fire pit, and the basement apartment will get a sunken patio that doubles as a place to relax and an emergency egress. A 12-cycle bike rack also will be added to the rear parking lot.

With all of those changes, StreickerPorres said, “I think we’re going to bring this project into the 21st century.”

The work will get underway as the building empties out. There are four tenants left in the building with leases coming to an end this summer. Construction is expected to last approximately one year, according to City Plan Department documents.

This isn’t Newcastle’s first project in the Elm City. It’s currently working on the conversion of a former church and its rectory at 847-855 State St. near the corner of Clark Street, across State from Da Legna, Christopher Martin’s, and Modern Apizza restaurants. Streicker-Porres said that project is “coming along nicely,” and she the company is thrilled that the City Plan Commission approved the new project, which allows the company to participate in the ongoing revitalization of a vibrant part of the city.

“We love New Haven,” she said.

“It’s a great city. It’s been a learning process getting to know the city, but since we’re always looking to do the right thing, we’ve been happy to work with the city and we think the city has been happy to work with us.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS June 28, 2017 - July 04, 2017

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS June 28, 2017 - July 04, 2017

Con’t from page 4

Maybe By 2018?

During the public participation section of the meeting, Gibson emphasized the importance of consistent and comprehensive outreach to community members if the board is truly interested in transparency and community input.

“We need to use television, radio, print, and internet media to advertise these forums to the public,” he told the board. “There needs to be a concerted effort of the mayor’s office, the Board of Alders, and the Board of Ed to get the word out. We have East Rock and West Rock, and we need to shout it from the mountaintops: New Haven is searching for a superintendent. We want to hear your voice. We want your input. We want your opinions. We must let the people know, because they don’t know.”

Goldson agreed. Later in the meeting, he also pushed back against any calls for the board to rush into hiring a new superintendent.

“We’ve been deliberate,” he said.

“We’ve been transparent. This is a democracy, and things take time to happen. And it’s going to continue to take time to happen until it gets done right.”

Goldson said that, of the 18 people who have applied for the superintendent position thus far, 11 are men and seven are women. He said he has not seen the actual list, which is being managed by the search firm, and does not know the names or identities of the individual applicants.

Keep It Movin’: Best Exercises For Older Adults

by Association of Black Cardiologists & StayWell

Finding ways to get exercise as you get older is a smart and easy way to stay fit and improve your health. Exercise is just as important in your older years as when you were younger.

Research shows that an exercise routine offers a wealth of health benefits. One study found that adults ages 75 and older who exercised lived longer than older adults who didn’t exercise. Another study discovered that older women who squeezed in resistance, or strength, training workouts each week improved their cognitive function.

It’s also well known that regular exercise can help to boost heart health, maintain a healthy body weight, keep joints flexible and healthy, and improve balance to reduce falls.

Exercise does not take as much time as you may think. For general health benefits, older adults need about 2½ hours of aerobic (walking, running, and other activities that get the heart pumping faster) activity per week.

These activities should be combined with activities that strengthen muscles at least 2 days per week.

Joining a gym and making use of the machines, trainers, and classes is one way to exercise. But you can also have fun there, meet new people, and do a variety of different activities that keep you healthy and strong.

Easy ways to exercise Exercise actually comes in many forms, including activities that feel more like fun than hard work: Dance. Sign up for a dance class with your spouse or a friend or carve out some dance time at home.

Go bowling. Join a bowling league or make a weekly date with some of your friends. If you have grandchildren, bring them along.

Rediscover a favorite sport. Whether you love the elegance of golf or the challenge of tennis, make time

for these leisure activities. If possible, vary your activities over the course of each week to work different muscle groups.

Enjoy the great outdoors. When the weather cooperates, ride your bike, visit a local park for a hike, or simply go for a walk. These are all great exercises that get you outside and into the fresh air.

Get in the swim. Swimming is an excellent exercise choice, particularly if you have arthritis joint pain.

Join a local fitness center with a

pool. Work in regular swims to meet your cardiovascular needs without straining your joints.

Balance and Strength Count, Too To help prevent falls, you also want to practice exercises that improve your balance. Yoga and tai chi fit the bill. They will also help you manage stress, feel more relaxed, and improve muscle tone. Yoga or tai chi classes are widely available in many areas, from senior centers to the Y. Taking some time to stretch every day can also help keep your joints flexible and keep you moving well.

It’s also important to lift some light weights. Canned goods from your cupboard are a fine substitute. You can also use a resistance band to tone your muscles.

Work Out While You Work Add a little “elbow grease” when doing chores and these regular activities will count as a workout: Cleaning the house Raking leaves in the yard Gardening Mowing the lawn Sweeping and dusting Remember that getting older doesn’t mean slowing down. You’ve got to keep moving to stay young at heart…as well as in mind, body, and spirit.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS June 28, 2017 - July 04, 2017

Avery Sunshine: Music That Brightens Your Day (And Soul)

by T. R. Causay, Social Reporter

Soul singer Avery Sunshine has been quietly heating up the music scene with beautiful vocals and melodies that have everybody bobbing their heads and saying “Yasssss girl!” The singer and pianist has been heating up the Billboard R&B charts for the last seven years with her radio smashes “Sweet Afternoon,” “Ugly Part of Me” and “Call My Name,” which scorched its way to No. 1 (for a combined six weeks) on the Adult R&B Airplay charts.

Sunshine was born Denise Nicole White in the Chester, Pennsylvania, area. She did not grow up with center-stage ambitions. She was happy as a supporting player. She began taking classical piano lessons at the age of 8 years old and her Aunt Tootsie was her earliest musical influence. While many children resisted attending church, she looked forward to seeing her Aunt play the keys at the Spencer A.M.E. Church. “She would play

the piano and this other lady, Miss Gloria, would play the organ,” she told Black Enterprise. “They would sing duets and they’d get the choir going. It felt like they were running the service.

There was something very powerful about these two ladies both conducting the service with their instruments.”

When Aunt Tootsie wasn’t available,

she’d often have Sunshine play in her place. Soon, she was playing at churches around Chester and earning $175 a service by the age of 13. She later joined the Grammy® Award nominated Wilmington Chester Mass Choir before heading off to Spelman College. There, she and classmate Maia Nkenge Wilson

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formed the duo, DaisyRew. They sang at both churches and clubs.

“I have no idea what I’d be doing if I wasn’t doing music,” Sunshine confessed to Ebony. “This is all I’ve ever done, all I ever wanted to do.

Doors just always opened musically.”

“When I was 13, I started playing the piano in church and had no idea it would prepare me for the stage.

My music is heavily influenced by gospel. At home, my parents played music from artists like Maze and Frankie Beverly and the Doobie Brothers. Then with my piano teachers, I worked on Rachmaninoff, Bach and Beethoven. My music is a combination of all that.”

“Talent comes first and the rest is persistence and hard work. You have to work when everybody else is sleeping. Believe when nobody else believes. If somebody told me 15 years ago that… … I was going to be an artist, I would have said they were lying. I did not think my voice was special enough. I am now embracing it. I get

it. I am clearly called to do this.”

The now married Sunshine had once said she’d never get married again after her nasty divorce. But her husband, Dana, is also her band mate. Something that she didn’t see coming, but is so thankful for.

“Dana and I were both divorced, and we both vowed to never get married again. It’s so funny when he called me last January 2016, he said, “Listen we are going to get married in 2016.” So everything I said I wasn’t going to do, I did. I got a gown, we had a destination wedding, and we went all out. With that being said, after I called as many people as I could, I prayed to God and said, “If you could just give me until 2064 with this amazing man, I’ll be 89, he’ll be 91, and I would be so grateful. I will say my prayers every night, I’ll go to church. I’ll do everything I’m supposed to be doing!” So that’s where [the album title] 2064 comes from, it’s a number that came to me during my prayers, so that’s why I named it Twenty Sixty Four.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS June 28, 2017 - July 04, 2017

NNPA Honors Martin Luther King III with Lifetime Legacy Award

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Contributor

The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) honored Martin Luther King III with the 2017 Lifetime Legacy Award, as the group wrapped up its annual summer conference, at the Gaylord Convention Center at the National Harbor in Maryland.

King, the oldest son of the iconic civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., said that the tribute tops all others he’s received, because the Black Press has meant a lot to his family, especially his father, as he fought for freedom, justice and equality.

“The NNPA is one of the most impactful institutions our community has and every week the newspapers of the Black Press reach at least 22 million people in our communities,” said King. “And every week the Black Press tackles issues that we deal with, that we cannot find in the mainstream newspapers.”

King continued: “The Black Press provides the information that’s needed for African-Americans and if not for the Black Press, I would say that, during the Civil Rights era, my fa-

(From left-right) Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., president and CEO of the NNPA, Denise Rolark Barnes, outgoing chairman of the NNPA and Dorothy Leavell (far right) honor Martin Luther King III with the NNPA’s Lifetime Legacy Award at the Legacy Awards Gala at the National Harbor in Prince George’s County, Md., on June 23, 2017. (Freddie Allen/AMG/NNPA)

ther would not have been successful.

The African-American [journalists] had their ears to the ground to what was important in our community.”

King, who attended the awards ceremony with family members, graduated from his father’s alma mater, Morehouse College, with a degree

in political science. While at Morehouse, King was selected by former President Jimmy Carter to serve in the United States delegation to the Republic of Congo for participation in their centennial celebration ceremonies.

Like his father, King participated

14

in many protests for civil rights and one of the more notable acts of civil disobedience came in 1985 when he was arrested at the South African Embassy in Washington, D.C. protesting against Apartheid and for the release of freedom fighter Nelson Mandela.

“This is a special time,” King said, as he spoke to NNPA members, friends and industry leaders in attendance at the award ceremony.

Showing a lighter side, King quipped, “I like the word ‘legacy,’ but it means you’re getting older.”

King also talked about the impact of social media and how it can be difficult to understand the shorthand that some young people use to communicate via text and social platforms like Twitter.

“I have to ask the kids to tell me what these things mean, because I don’t do Twitter or Facebook,” he said.

Striking a more serious tone, King, the former president of the legendary Southern Christian Leadership Conference, said that the Black community “must do better.”

King continued: “We have to educate our community. We, as a community, have the ability to do much more.”

In an effort to help African-Americans realize and capitalize on the vast spending power in the community, King founded Realizing the Dream, a foundation that is focused Con’t on page 15

THE INNER-CITY NEWS June 28, 2017 - July 04, 2017

Con’t on page 14

Martin Luther King III on helping community-based organizers to ignite investment in local neighborhoods and to foster peaceful coexistence within America and abroad.

“If we decide to divest, or even talk about [boycotting] some of the companies where we are spending billions of our dollars…we won’t see insensitivity,” King said.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., the president and CEO of the NNPA, said that the organization was especially proud and delighted to present the prestigious award to King.

“For decades, more than anyone else, Martin Luther King III has continued to personify and represent the living legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for freedom, justice and equality,” Chavis said. “He has carried on his father’s legacy quite honorably, quite admirable, and quite successfully.”

In 2008, as former president and CEO of the King Center, King spoke on behalf of then-Democratic Presidential Nominee Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention, where he highlighted the need for improved health care, quality education, housing, technology and equal justice.

King also served on the Board of Directors for the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy and cofounded Bounce TV, the first independently-owned, digital multicast network featuring around-the-clock programming geared towards African-Americans.

“I remember going to my mother’s alma matter in Ohio and seeing the statue of Horace Mann which was inscribed with the words ‘be ashamed to die until you have won some kind of victory for humanity,’” King said.

“As a child, those are words that are very powerful. As an adult, I say we can win victory at schools, we can win victory in our places of worship, we can win victory in our cities, our counties, our states, our country and some may win in our world.”

King continued: “I say, be ashamed to die until you have done something to make your community better.”

Martin Luther King III said that the Black Press was critical to his father’s success during the Civil Rights Movement. The NNPA honored Martin Luther King III with the 2017 Lifetime Legacy Award at the National Harbor in Prince George’s County, Md. (Freddie Allen/AMG/ NNPA)

Racial Trauma Looks & Feels Like This

by Shatina Williams, PhD BlackDoctor.org

Psychologists have known for quite some time that racism negatively affects mental and physical health. We have long known that racial bias and aggression increases the risk of anxiety, depression, fertility concerns, obesity, hypertension, certain cancers and more. For the most part, because racism hid itself in the cloak of culture and institutions, the health consequences of racism lurked beneath the surface, like a silent killer. It was there but it was a part of life, a reality. However, with more research, we recognize that our responses to racism are more acute.

As an early career psychologist and millennial, 2014 was the start of racist provocation impacting my everyday consciousness in a visceral way. In 2014, we were coming out of 2013 already shaken from the verdict that George Zimmerman was found “Not Guilty.” The murder of an unarmed Black boy, Trayvon Benjamin Martin, had no consequence.

I had refused to read news of this trial and avoided as much commentary as possible. Partly because I was in graduate school and working hard like an indentured servant and partly because the last 400 years told me what to expect. Though it was hard, I was still emotionally well.

Summer 2014 hit and then there was the image of Eric Garner with his hands out, head pulled back.

Then there was Michael Brown’s

face, a promise that would not be lived out. With social media at my fingertips, I affixed to information as though it were a lifeline. Considering I saw Garner and Brown as an extension of myself, my community and my family, I felt attacked, too.

First, there were the nightmares.

Then, there was… …the visceral response when I saw a police car. I was agitated and on edge, unfocused and tired. Every time I got in the car I made sure my lights were working. I kept to the speed limit and stopped at all stop signs. A yellow light no longer meant speed up. It meant come to a dead stop. Navigating my responses on top of my every day responsibilities was both emotionally and physically exhausting. I was experiencing what health professionals call a “trauma response.”

Typically, the most common response to trauma is resiliency. That is what I had after the Zimmerman

verdict. I was sad and disappointed but I was also motivated to see change and I could tolerate heartbreak. I knew the face of racism and I had a plan of working through it.

Though years of ongoing small racial slights and an occasional encounter with overt racism shaped the way I interacted with people and systems, I did not start to experience a trauma response until summer 2014. In other words, the rules of living had significantly changed.

Like with many other trauma responses, I became keenly aware of my surroundings in a fight to protect myself. I moved to an unhealthy “woke” place.

The beautiful part of a trauma response is… …that it is protective and warranted at first. It is natural, normal and healthy to protect oneself. In the presence of a threat, we need it to survive. The challenge is that our minds and bodies are not designed

to stay at that level of alertness for prolonged periods of time. It kills us, literally.

So yes, it is possible to be traumatized by racism. Like a person who was in a major car accident, had been assaulted or lived in a war zone, we need to consider our minds as both resilient and fragile.

The accumulation of race-based stress and the acute effect of direct racial incidents wear on our psyche.

If we don’t attend to this, we won’t need the police to end our lives. Our minds are doing it for us.

So, I encourage you to look out for how you are reacting and take care of yourself accordingly. I also encourage you to check out the Institute for the Study and Promotion of Race and Culture’s #racialtraumaisreal discussion to learn more.

Shatina Williams, PhD is a licensed psychologist in Washington, DC and Maryland. She received her PhD in Counseling Psychology from Boston College and currently serves as a Staff Clinician at the American University Counseling Center and has an independent private practice, Aya Psychotherapy & Consulting, in Bethesda, MD. She has worked with children, adolescents, and adults in residential, community mental health, integrated health care, and university counseling settings. Her special interests include community and interpersonal trauma, effects of racism and sexism on identity and identity-related experiences, racial and gender identity, exercise and healthy eating, and experiences of students of Color and first-generation college students.

An unconscionable Republican health care bill

By Jesse Jackson How devastating would the Republican health care legislation be if enacted?

Leighton Ku, a leading health care expert and director of director of the Center for Health Policy Research at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, told NBC that, based on the Republican House bill, cuts in funding for Medicaid and health subsidies would trigger “sharp job

losses and a broad disruption of state economies.”

“Within a decade, almost a million fewer people would have jobs,” he added. “The downturn would hit the states that expanded Medicaid the hardest.” That includes West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

This job loss wouldn’t be offset by the effects of top-end tax cuts. If the wealthy do create any jobs — which is far from likely — they won’t be located in the states and communities ravaged by the cutbacks in hospitals, clinics and nursing homes.

Republicans hope to escape responsibility for this outrage by stealth and deception. The Senate bill was written in secret by a cabal of rich rulers — 13 white, male senators. They

15

permitted no hearings; the experts and hospital and doctors’ associations that oppose it were not allowed to testify. Voters know little about it; most senators haven’t had time to read it, much less understand it.

The deception is that the gutting of Medicaid is phased in over time, even as the tax cuts for the rich are made retroactive to the beginning of the year. That allows Republicans to claim the bill is gentler than the harsh House bill when in fact it makes deeper cuts in Medicaid. It allows them to get past the next presidential election without people understanding what will hit them. This brazen trickery is particularly shocking in a bill designed to deprive millions of health care coverage.

The ugly tactics may be working. According to a recent Kaiser Foundation poll, barely more than one-third of Americans (36 percent) support rolling back Medicaid expansion or block granting Medicaid — which the Senate bill would do. Only 35 percent approve of the House GOP plan, and the Senate plan is worse. Yet only 38 percent of Americans know that the Republicans would make major cuts in Medicaid.

The Republican plan is indecent and immoral. It will cost lives and jobs. It was hatched in secrecy because it cannot survive the light of day. No senator can vote for this bill Con’t on page 16

THE INNER-CITY NEWS June 28, 2017 - July 04, 2017 Con’t from page 15

with a good conscience.

Will Senate Republicans vote to deprive tens of millions of Americans of health care coverage in order to cut taxes for the very wealthy?

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants a vote this Thursday on the Republican health care bill — which was only unveiled last Thursday. Push has come to shove.

The heart of the bill is a savage choice: to gut Medicaid — a program that covers one in five Americans — in order to lavish tax cuts on the rich — an average annual tax cut of $50,000 for millionaires.

This is a humanitarian catastrophe.

Medicaid isn’t just about the poor. It covers 39 percent of all children, 49 percent of births and 64 percent of nursing home patients, not to mention extended care for millions of the disabled. Medicaid funding is vital for hospitals, particularly those in poor and rural areas.

When all the cuts kick in, literally tens of millions of the most vulnerable will be stripped of health care coverage. Premiums and co-pays will go up across the board, as subsidies decline. Workers over 50 will particularly be hit with soaring costs. Companies with more than 50 full-time employees will no longer be mandated to provide coverage, as they were under the Affordable Care Act. This is a life and death decision.

Bruce Siegel, president of America’s Essential Hospitals, a coalition of some 300 hospitals, told the Washington Post: “Let’s not mince words. This bill will close hospitals. It will hammer rural hospitals, it will close nursing homes. It will lead to disabled children not getting services. . . . People will die.”

To add insult to this injury, the bill will also cost millions of jobs — particularly in rural areas and the Midwestern industrial states that gave Trump his electoral victory. In West Virginia, there are more people working in health care and social assistance than in the coal mines.

The Republican bill would savage those jobs and the families that depend on them to survive.

They say they want to make America great again, but this bill makes America suffer again. We’re going backward.

Con’t from page 15

Artspace Celebrates

Cold War era.

“Jacek never knew I photographed him until the photos were in the exhibit,” Fitzsimmons said.

The spirit of collaborative reinterpretation sprang to life on Saturday with New Haven-raised artist Shola Cole reinterpreting Montford’s Will he pee in his pants. As Cole worked through Lazarus’s poem, she began to invite audience members to help her, handing them the noose ends of the rope to use as a handle and then stretching them tight, as if she was a balloon, and would float away without them. She took the artifacts of Montford’s original performance — the black hood, the nooses, which had been preserved for 20 years — and transformed them.

“These ropes scare me,” Montford said when asked what he thought about seeing them years after performing the piece. “They’ve always scared me.” And in the original piece, they were instruments of violence and oppression. But in Cole’s reinterpretation, they became tethers and anchors, tools for exploration and strength.

2017’s Best & Worst States For Children’s Health

by Barry Anderson, BDO Contributing Writer Raising a child in America is not easy and it’s not cheap either. In fact, it’s more expensive than ever due primarily to health care. While more kids are insured today than at any other point in history, many are having to use the health care options more. Could that be because we aren’t as proactive in preventive health care or could it be other factors?

Either way, the folks at Wallet Hub have comprised a comprehensive list of the best and worst states for our children’s health. Within the list, there were some interesting stats.

See below: Highest Infant Death Rate 5. Georgia2017’s Best & Worst States For Children’s Health 4. Alabama 3. District Of Columbia 2. Delaware 1. Mississippi Most Pediatricians & Family Doctors Per Capita 5. District of Columbia 4. Vermont 3. Delaware 2. Nebraska 1. Massachusetts Highest % of Overweight Children (Ages 10-17) 5. Mississippi 4. Georgia 3. New Mexico 2. Louisiana 1. North Dakota Highest % of Children With Bad Teeth (Ages 1-17) 5. Texas 4. Arizona 3. California 2. New Mexico

1. Nevada Here’s the complete list of all 51 states and their ranking: 51 Nevada 50 Mississippi 49 Arizona 48 Alaska 47 Texas 46 Montana 45 Georgia 44 Arkansas 43 South Carolina 42 Oklahoma 41 New Mexico 40 Indiana 39 Louisiana 38 Alabama 37 Florida 36 West Virginia 35 Kentucky 34 Tennessee 33 California 32 Wyoming 31 Oregon 30 North Carolina 29 Utah 28 Ohio 27 Virginia 26 Washington 25 Idaho 24 Kansas

23 Wisconsin 22 Michigan 21 Nebraska 20 New York 19 Maryland 8 Maine 17 South Dakota 16 Illinois 15 Pennsylvania 14 Colorado 13 North Dakota 12 Missouri 11 New Jersey 10 Minnesota 9 District of Columbia 8 Delaware 7 Rhode Island 6 Hawaii 5 New Hampshire 4 Iowa 3 Connecticut 2 Massachusetts 1 Vermont Highest % of Children in Excellent Health (Ages 0-17) 5. North Dakota 4. South Dakota 3. New Hampshire 2. Vermont 1. Missouri

Bethune-Cookman Establishes African Diaspora Sustainability Partnership

believes in the institutional capacity, creativity and innovative partnerships to accomplish the 2030 Agenda outcomes through educational outreach initiatives and programming,” said Foday Mansaray, Special Diplomatic Adviser speaking on behalf of the World Chairman of the IHRC. Bethune-Cookman will work as an educational, training and grantmaking partner in establishing study abroad opportunities with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Senegal and Republic of Guyana.

A unique partnership between the International Human Rights Commission and Bethune-Cookman University will seek to add research and advocacy to development efforts in five African and Caribbean nations.

The partnership, which BCU officials say is the first of its kind to be developed with a historically black college or university, adds institutional support to the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for sustainable national development.

“Bethune-Cookman University is uniquely positioned to assist in this transformation, and the IHRC

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS June 28, 2017 - July 04, 2017

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS June 28, 2017 - July 04, 2017

Chicago Crusader Publisher Dorothy Leavell Elected New Chairman of the NNPA

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Contributor Shortly, before the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s (NNPA) annual Legacy Awards Gala, NNPA members elected veteran Chicago Crusader publisher Dorothy Leavell to serve as chairman of the group for the next two years (2017-20190.

Leavell succeeds Washington Informer publisher Denise Rolark Barnes, who served in the role for the past two years.

“We have some strange times and we’ve been dealing with some insurmountable problems and our publishers are hurting so bad,” said Leavell, who previously served as president of NNPA from 1997 to 1999. “We are suffering and with a new administration in the White House, it will take someone who isn’t afraid, someone who will raise a lot of hell.”

Leavell praised Rolark Barnes for her work over the past two years, noting that the campaign for the chairman’s seat was never personal.

“I like Denise and I think she’s done a heck of a job,” Leavell said. “But, I’m ready to get down in the mud for

this organization.”

Leavell’s experience should bode well for the NNPA going forward, said Houston Forward Times publisher Karen Carter Richards.

“Dorothy has a lot of experience in the organization and I think she will continue to move it forward,” said

Richards, who was re-elected as first vice chair of the organization.

Bernal Smith, publisher of the New Tri-State Defender, was elected second vice chair of the NNPA and Shannon Williams, the president of the Indianapolis Recorder, will continue in her role as secretary.

Leavell has not only been a great soldier for the NNPA, but she’s also a veteran of the Civil Rights Movement, said NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. “I see her as someone to lead the fight fiercely for freedom, justice and equality,” he said.

During her two-year stint as president of the organization, Leavell helped increase the visibility and international stature of the Black Press. She was elected chairman of the NNPA Foundation and, as a member of the NNPA for more than half a century, Leavell has served in various roles and she’s often been honored for her philanthropic and civic contributions.

Leavell was honored as Publisher of the Year in 1989 and earned the Winnie Mandela Endurance with Dignity Award.

“My father used to bring me to NNPA. He passed and the person who invited me here after that was Dorothy Leavell,” said Rolark Barnes. “So, it’s up to all of us to make NNPA great and we can’t sit back and watch her do the work, we have to help.”

Ever outspoken and never one to mince words, Leavell said she would immediately go after companies like General Motors and Ford to bring in advertising dollars to member newspapers.

“Denise is too beautiful to be out there in the trenches,” Leavell said, then laughed. “Now, I’m coming.”

Jackie Hampton Wins Publisher of the Year, 2017 St. Louis American Dominates NNPA Merit Awards

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Contributor The Mississippi Link’s Jackie Hampton won Publisher of the Year and the St. Louis American earned 10 awards, including the coveted John B. Russwurm and Robert A. Sengstacke trophy for general excellence at the NNPA Foundation’s 2017 Merit Awards.

I’m at a loss for words,” said the affable Hampton, who admitted to being caught off guard by the honor. “I’ve learned so much from you,” she said to her fellow NNPA publishers in attendance. “I don’t look so much as to what I can get out of this organization. What I really enjoy is what I can give to this organization.”

The Philadelphia Tribune, the Washington Informer and Los Angeles Sentinel also enjoyed a good night inside a packed and festive hotel ballroom.

The Tribune picked up six awards while the Informer and Sentinel each walked away with four.

The New Tri-State Defender won

first place awards for Best Youth Writer and Best Column Writing.

For the St. Louis American, how-

ever, the NNPA has repeatedly— and deservedly—paid homage to the award-winning newspaper,

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which continues to set standards not just for the Black Press, but for all publications around the globe.

“It was a whole team of people who worked so hard and we had excellent competition, so it really is an honor to be recognized by our peers in this way,” said Kenya Vaughn, the website editor for the St. Louis American. “I’m very proud and humbled that [the NNPA] recognized us and recognized that we are informing and shaping the minds of our communities through what we publish and print and we do not take that lightly.”

Irv Randolph, the managing editor of the Philadelphia Tribune, said he was thrilled with the honors his paper received.

“It’s always good to compete with some of the best Black papers in the country and to help raise awareness about the AfricanAmerican press,” Randolph said.

Among the honors earned by the Tribune were first place awards for Best News Story, Best Church Section, the Don King Best Sports

Section and Best Entertainment Section.

D. Kevin McNeir, the managing editor of the Washington Informer, whose awards included first place for Digital Excellence, said it’s nice to be honored, but the real treat is providing a service to African-American readers.

“We don’t do it for awards, but it’s always good when we are acknowledged for the many hours of hard work that we do on behalf of our community,” said McNeir, who earned second place in the Best Feature Story category for his riveting piece titled, “The Hurt is Real, but We Heal- Sybrina Fulton.”

Others first place winners include the Amsterdam News for Best Editorial; Houston Defender for the Carl Murphy Community Service Award; Cincinnati Herald for Best Feature Story; The Skanner for Best Layout and Design- Broadsheet; Houston Forward Times for Best Special Edition; and the Michigan Chronicle for Best Business Section.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS June 28, 2017 - July 04, 2017

Millennial Input Matters to Black Press

National Newspaper Publishers Association Convention by Micha Green Special to the AFRO Getting Millennials better engaged in the news was the subject of the “Millennials Matter” panel discussion during the National Newspaper Publishers Association convention on June 23 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center at the National Harbor in Maryland.

The panel was hosted in partnership with General Motors, and included recipients of the NNPA’s Discover The Unexpected fellowship and Millennial professionals.

Jessica Brown, CEO and founder of College Gurl, and author of “How to Pay for College When You’re Broke,” moderated the event.

Throughout the week, the fellowship honorees attended events and learned from the many seasoned members of the Black press. As a result, panel members expressed excitement and eagerness to share their own insight about how to further publications, engage the youth, and help bridge the divide between older and younger generations.

“You need our input and we’re willing to give it to you as long as you come looking for it,” said Jordan Fisher of Clark-Atlanta University, who is currently serving his fellowship at The Atlanta Voice.

The young journalists shared some of the reasons that they currently do not engage with traditional press, such as the convenience of using their phones and apps like Twitter to learn about trending news.

Others shared that there are certain turn-offs about traditional press that are discouraging for Millennials.

“Conversations that don’t have any relevance to me or my community…I just politely put that publication down,” said Kelsey Jones, a fellow from Spelman College who is also working at The Atlanta Voice.

Jalaal Hayes, a Millennial working with the Philadelphia Elite Universal Network, said the problem with a lot of the news he consumes is its negativity. Hayes said we need “more positive news, especially in underrepresented groups.”

As a member of the generation herself, Brown summed up the frustration many panelists alluded to, saying that “we are not always pleased with how Millennials are portrayed in media.”

A lot of the panelists mentioned that news stories surrounding Mil-

lennials wrongly portray them as addicted to their phones and acting like know-it-alls.

“We don’t know everything,” said Fisher, which caused the audience to erupt with laughter and a few shouted responses, like, “You got that right.”

Nonetheless, the Millennials offered solutions to the audience of primarily Baby Boomer, members of the Black press. Brown summarized three key factors millennials look for in consuming media, “Accessibility, Creativity, and Visibility.”

Panelists suggested making newspapers more accessible by being able to consume news regularly from Black publications, by going on Twitter and other social media platforms.

The panelists also talked about the immense talent found in the Millennial generation and their love for doing multiple kinds of things.

They offered creative ways to engage Millennials and younger audiences such as 5K walks, crossword puzzles and comics in the publications, and coloring sections for children.

“Millennials are all about experiences,” said Marisa Bertoia, a Millennial employee of General Motors.

In order to be visible, the Millennials encouraged the Black press members to devise accessibility and creativity pieces that will help brand their publications and help young media consumers repeat-

edly see certain publications and names. In addition, they suggested boosting and promoting their posts on social media in order to improve visibility.

One of the major messages on the panel was the importance of educating younger generations about the Black press.

“It starts with education…really teach them [the youth] about the Black press,” said Alexa Imani Spencer, a Howard University student serving her fellowship at the The Washington Informer. “Teach them what they did… Demand that these public schools teach about the Black press.”

The panel suggested the Black press become more involved in schools by ensuring that their publication was available for students to read, and for teachers to assign homework from.

Brown offered a scenario of the possibilities that can come from bringing Black publications into schools. “You brought your words into their schools and, because you brought it into their schools, they brought it into their home,” she said.

The Millennials wanted everyone to know that they want to learn from the older members of the press but also offer their suggestions.

“We are very hungry to learn. We want to know what you guys want to share with us,” said Noni Marshall a fellow working at the Washington Informer and attending Howard University.

19

“Ask us for our help. We need things to do and we will help you,” Marshall later told the audience.

The forum concluded with a question and answer portion during which many older members of the Black press shared their insights.

An older Millennial, Courtney O’Neal, advised the Millennials to always ask older members of the press to come to them, but that they have to reach out as well. She told The AFRO that at times the panelists sounded “tone deaf,” because they were unaware that they were regularly suggesting that the press had to reach out to them in order to get them involved.

Brenda Andrews, a Baby Boomer member of the Black press and publisher of the New Journal and Guide in Norfolk, suggested that people stop dividing generations.

“We lose each other when we allow the system to tell us we don’t have anything in common… We cannot allow intergenerational differences to separate us,” said Andrews.

Andrews gave the Millennial journalists and those attending the panel words of encouragement.

“I feel very comfortable that you and I the people in this room can join together,” she said.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS June 28, 2017 - July 04, 2017

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF BRIDGEPORT REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) PROJECT-BASED VOCUHER FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION FOR MARINA VILLAGE REPLACEMENT UNITS Solicitation Number: 086-S8-17-S

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport (HACB) d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC)

is seeking proposals from developers and owners of New Construction Units that desire to enter into an Agreement for a Housing Assistance Payment (AHAP) Contract for Project Base Vouchers (PBVs) for Contract Units under PCC’s Project Based Voucher Program. Under this Request for Proposals, PCC will make available PBVs for units that will house extremely low and very low income households. A complete set of RFP documents can be obtained on June 5, 2017 by emailing your request to bids@parkcitycommunities.org, please reference solicitation number and title on the subject line. A Pre-Proposal Conference will be held at PCC’s Administrative Offices at 150 Highland Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06604 on June 21, 2017 at 11 a.m.

Although not mandatory, all applicants are encouraged to attend to better understand the PCC’s requirements under this RFP. Additional questions should be emailed only to bids@parkcitycommunities.org. Proposals shall be mailed or hand delivered to 150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604. This RFP will remain Open until Completion of PBV Units.

Housing Authority of the City of New Haven Invitation for Bids

Plumbing Services- West Side Properties

The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven d/b/a Elm City Communities is currently seeking Bids for Plumbing Services. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https:// newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on Wednesday, June 21, 2017 at 9:00 AM

CARPENTER

Large CT Fence Company looking for a carpenter for our Wood Fence Production Shop. Experience preferred but will train the right person. Must be familiar with carpentry hand & power tools and be able to read a CAD drawing & tape measure. This is an in-shop production position. Duties include building fence panels, posts, gates and more. Some pickup & delivery of materials may also be required. Must have a valid CT driver’s license & be able to obtain a Drivers Medical Card. Must be able to pass a physical & drug test. Compensation $15.00 per hr. Please email resume to pboucher@atlasoutdoor.com. AA/EOE

Program Manager – Town of Manchester Main Street Meeting Center $60,000 Salary CLOSING DATE: Friday, June 23, 2017 Call HR Recruitment Line at (860) 647-3170 for info or view website: www.townofmanchester.org.

The Housing Authority of the City of Norwalk, CT is requesting proposals from experienced firms for Internet, Internet Voice Bundle and Hosted Voice service or equivalent. Request for Proposal (RFP) documents can be viewed and printed at www.norwalkha.org under the business tab, RFPs/RFQs. Norwalk Housing Authority is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Curtis O. Law, Executive Director

Town of Bloomfield

Assistant Building Official

$36.19 hourly For details and how to apply, go to www.bloomfieldct.org. Pre-employment drug testing.

AA/EOE

Translator/Clerk (Part-time) Wallingford Public Schools is seeking candidates for a part-time Clerk/Translator position. 19.5 hours per week/$19.16 per hour/12 months per year. Must be fluent in written and verbal communication skills in English and Spanish.

Bachelor’s degree in Spanish or related field preferred. Apply on-line through our website - www.wallingford.k12.ct.us. EOE

The Housing Authority of the City of Norwalk, CT is requesting qualifications from

experienced firms for Internet, Internet Voice Bundle and Hosted Voice service. RFQ documents can be viewed and printed at www.norwalkha.org under the business tab, RFPs/ RFQs. Norwalk Housing Authority is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Curtis O. Law, Executive Director The GUILFORD HOUSING AUTHORITY

is currently accepting applications for COUPLES ONLY for its one bedroom apartments At Guilford Court and Boston Terrace in Guilford CT. Applicants must be age 62 and over or on 100% social security or Federal Disability and over the age of 18. Applications may be obtained by calling the application line at 203-453-6262, ext. 107. An information packet will also be provided with the application. Applications will be accepted until June 30th , 2017. Credit, Police and Landlord checks are procured by the authority. Smoke Free Housing.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY HOUSING

VNA Community Healthcare is searching for Certified Home Health Aides (HHA). Must have 6 months – one year of experience as a HHA. Several opportunities for full and parttime flexible schedules. Submit resume and cover letter to jobs@vna-commh.org. Visit our website www.connecticuthomecare.org for other opportunities. EOE/M/F Common Ground - high school, urban farm and environmental education center - has part time and full time job openings. Please visit http://commongroundct.org/get-involved/join-our-staff/ for details on these openings. Common Ground is particularly eager for candidates who help us fulfill our commitment to building a racially and culturally diverse faculty.

Firefighter/ParamediC The Town of Wallingford is currently accepting applications for Firefighter/Paramedic. Applicants must have: a valid CPAT card, HS diploma/GED, valid driver’s license and hold a valid Paramedic License that meets CT State Regulations. Copies of licenses and certifications must be submitted with application materials. The Town of Wallingford offers a competitive pay rate of $54,064.40 to $69,701.32 annually (wages as of July 1, 2017). In addition, there is a $4,300 annual paramedic bonus plus an excellent fringe benefit package. Application deadline is July 18, 2017 or the date the 75th application is received, whichever occurs first. Apply: Personnel Department, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main St., Wallingford, CT. phone: (203) 294-2080; fax: (203) 294-2084. EOE.

Police Services Aide – Town of Manchester

40 hrs./$18.66 per hr./$38,820.08 salary CLOSING DATE: Friday, June 30, 2017 Call HR Recruitment Line at (860) 647-3170 for info or view website: www.townofmanchester.org.

Electric General Line Foreman – The Town of Wallingford Electric Division is seeking a highly skilled su-

pervisor with strong administrative and leadership skills to oversee the utility’s overhead and underground line installation, repair and maintenance function. The utility serves 25,000 customers in a 50+ square mile distribution area with a peak demand of 130 MW. The position requires an A.S. degree in electrical, civil, or mechanical engineering plus eight (8) years of progressive experience in the construction, maintenance, and operation of utility-grade electric distribution facilities, or an equivalent combination of education and qualifying experience substituting on a year-for-year basis. One (1) year experience as a supervisor is preferred. Must possess and maintain a valid Motor Vehicle Operator License. Salary: $87,375 - $111,792 plus an excellent fringe benefit package. Apply to: Personnel Department, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Phone #: (203) 294-2080; Fax #: (203) 294-2084.

The closing date will be the date the 50th application or resume is received or July 18, 2017 whichever occurs first.

EOE

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS June 28, 2017 - July 04, 2017

PUBLIC NOTICE The Connecticut State Treasurer hereby gives notice of her intent to submit draft revisions to the Investment Policy Statement of the State of Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds related to the Connecticut Arts Endowment Fund. These draft revisions will be presented to the State’s Investment Advisory Council at a public meeting on July 12, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. at 55 Elm Street, 7th floor, Hartford, Connecticut. The draft revisions to the Investment Policy Statement are available for public review at the Office of the State Treasurer, 55 Elm Street, Hartford, Connecticut, during normal business hours, or on the Treasurer’s website, http://www.ott.ct.gov/index.html. For additional information, please contact the Treasurer’s Office at 860-702-3000 or 800-618-3404.

ELECTRIC UTILITY ELECTRICIAN Electric utility is seeking a highly skilled maintenance electrician with extensive substation experience to maintain and repair transmission and distribution class switchgear, buswork, lightning arrestors, protective relays, insulators, switches power transformers, data circuits, controls and other related components. Must be a high school/trade school graduate and have 4 years’ experience in the maintenance and operation of electric utility substations and/or utility grade protection and control systems. Completion of a recognized four (4) year maintenance electrician apprenticeship program may substitute for the experience requirement. Two (2) years of college-level education or advanced training in related field may substitute for two (2) years of the experience requirement. Must possess a valid motor vehicle operator’s license issued by the State of Connecticut and be able to obtain with 6 months of hire a valid Protective Switching and Tagging Procedure certification from CONVEX or other approved agency. Wage rate: $35.43 to $39.08 hourly plus an excellent fringe benefit package. Closing date will be July 17, 2017. Apply: Personnel Department, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. (203) 294-2080 / Fax: (203) 294-2084. EOE

Translator/Clerk (Part-time)

Wallingford Public Schools is seeking candidates for a part-time Clerk/Translator position. 19.5 hours per week/$19.16 per hour/12 months per year. Must be fluent in written and verbal communication skills in English and Spanish. Bachelor’s degree in Spanish or related field preferred.

Apply on-line through our website - www.wallingford.k12.ct.us. EOE

Listing: Senior Accountant 2+ years public accounting or 4 + years corporate accounting experience. CPA preferred.

Monthly tax prep, assist w/monthly closing, account analysis/reconciliation, maintain subledgers, assist managing network and system projects. Must be able to work independently with little/no supervision. Report to Dir. of Acctg. w/heavy exposure to CFO. Strong Excel and analytical skills a must. Great growth potential! Benefit package. Petroleum industry experience a plus. Send resume to: Human Resource Dept. P O Box 388, Guilford CT 06437. **An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer**

The Glendower Group, Inc Request for Qualifications CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM PORTFOLIO- GROUP IV AND V

The Glendower Group, Inc an affiliate of Housing Authority City of New Haven d/b/a Elm city Communities is currently seeking Proposals for CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM PORTFOLIO- GROUP IV AND v. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on Monday, June 12, 2017 at 9:00AM

Police Services Aide – Town of Manchester

$38,820.08/yr. - 40 hrs./wk.

CLOSING DATE: Friday, June 30, 2017 Call HR Recruitment Line at (860) 647-3170 for info or view website: www.townofmanchester.org.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS June 28, 2017 - July 04, 2017

Help Wanted: Immediate opening for construction laborer for

Heavy and Highway Construction. Please call PJF Construction Corp.@ 860-888-9998. We are an equal opportunity employer M/F Help Wanted: Immediate opening for Dump Truck Driver for Heavy and Highway Construction. CDL A license and clean driving record required.

Please call PJF Construction Corp. @ 860-888-9998. We are an equal opportunity employer M/F.

MECHANIC

Mechanic III: Highly skilled mechanic needed in the repair and maintenance of all types of motor vehicles including heavy construction equipment. The position requires 6 years’ experience in the repair and maintenance of mechanical equipment with a minimum of 2 years repairing heavy construction equipment. Technical or trade school training may substitute for up to 3 years’ experience. Must have own tools. $29.79 to $35.80 per hour (Wages effective July 1, 2017) plus an excellent fringe benefit package. Apply to: Personnel Department, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Fax #: (203) 294-2084. Closing date will be July 7, 2017or the date the 50th application is received, whichever occurs first. EOE.

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT - Portland Administrative Assistant for reception, phones, filing, and corporate staff support. Working knowledge of Haz. Waste Regs., Manifests, AP & billing. OSHA certification a +. Forward resumes to RED Technologies, LLC Fax 860-218-2433; or Email to HR@redtechllc. com RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

The Town of East Haven is currently accepting applications for the following positions: Firefighter D/Paramedic-Lateral Transfer: Salary- $48,972/year Firefighter/Paramedic-New Recruit: $48,972/year

Requirements for both positions and the application is available online at www.FirefighterApp.com/EastHavenFD. East Haven is committed to building a workforce of diverse individuals. Minorities, Females, Handicapped and Veterans are encouraged to apply.

The Town of East Haven is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Assistant Building Official – Town of Manchester $62,434.71 - $75,071.06 CLOSING DATE: Friday, May 26, 2017 Call HR Recruitment Line at (860) 647-3170 for info or view website: www.townofmanchester.org.

KMK Insulation Inc. 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.

Field Engineer

BA/BS in Civil Engineering or Construction Management. 2-5 yrs. experience.

OSHA Certified. Proficient in reading contract plans and specifications.

Resumes to RED Technologies, LLC, 10 Northwood Dr., Bloomfield, CT 06002; Fax 860.218.2433; Email resumes to info@redtechllc.com. RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

2BR Bristol, CT $950-$990 Zbikowski Park Neighborhood now taking applications for newly rehabbed 2BR apartment.

Available immediately. Income restrictions apply. Equal Housing Opportunity. Contact Beatrice Nieves at (860) 585-2042 or at bnieves@bristolhousing.org

Project Manager Environmental Remediation Division

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.

Listing: Senior Accountant

Construction oriented company seeking full-time Accounting/Administrative Assistant to answer phones, schedule sales appts, filing, typing & other general office duties. Will also have accounting responsibilities-data entry, sales order billing, and processing A/P transactions, supporting our overthe-counter sales person, the controller & CFO. Min 5 yrs. Related experience, excellent written & verbal skills, ability to multitask, knowledge of basic accounting principles, excellent computer skills (5+ yrs. Experience) with Excel & Word, accounting software knowledge a plus. $31,200 annual salary-negotiable based on experience & qualifications. AA/EOE Email resume to mmunzner@atlasoutdoor.com

2+ years public accounting or 4 + years corporate accounting experience. CPA preferred.

Monthly tax prep, assist w/monthly closing, account analysis/reconciliation, maintain subledgers, assist managing network and system projects. Must be able to work independently with little/no supervision. Report to Dir. of Acctg. w/heavy exposure to CFO. Strong Excel and analytical skills a must. Great growth potential! Benefit package. Petroleum industry experience a plus. Send resume to: Human Resource Dept. P O Box 388, Guilford CT 06437. **An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer** VNA Community Healthcare is searching for Certified Home Health Aides (HHA). Must have 6 months – one year of experience as a HHA. Several opportunities for full and parttime flexible schedules. Submit resume and cover letter to jobs@vna-commh.org. Visit our website www.connecticuthomecare.org for other opportunities. EOE/M/F

VNA Community Healthcare is searching for Certified Home Health Aides (HHA). Must have 6 months – one year of experience as a HHA. Several opportunities for full and part-time flexible schedules. Submit resume and cover letter to jobs@ vna-commh.org. Visit our website www.connecticuthomecare.org for other opportunities. EOE/M/F

KMK Insulation Inc.

1907 Hartford Turnpike North Haven, CT 06473

Mechanical Insulator

Insulation Company offering good pay and benefits.

Please forward resume via REGULAR MAIL only.

This company is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

Class A CDL Driver

with 3 years min. exp. HAZMAT Endorsed. (Tractor/Triaxle/Roll-off) Some overnights may be required. FAX resumes to RED Technologies, at 860.342-1042; Email: HR@redtechllc.com Mail or in person: 173 Pickering Street, Portland, CT 06480.

RED Technologies, LLC is An EOE.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS June 28, 2017 - July 04, 2017

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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THE INNER-CITY NEWS June 28, 2017 - July 04, 2017

All the feels Laugh out loud, wipe your tears and fall in love with the best in Black entertainment. Enjoy your favorite TV shows, movies, music and more. Get behind-the-scenes footage, news, and up close and personal with the hottest stars and directors. It’s all in one easy-to-access place – Black Film & TV on XFINITY On Demand.

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Offer ends 7/15/17. New residential customers only. Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. Requires subscription to Starter XF Triple Play with Digital Starter TV, Performance Pro Internet and XFINITY Voice Unlimited services. Early termination fee applies if all XFINITY services are cancelled during the agreement term. Equipment, installation, taxes and fees, including regulatory recovery fees, Broadcast TV Fee (up to $7.00/mo.), Regional Sports Network Fee (up to $5.00/mo.) and other applicable charges extra and subject to change during and after the promo. After promo, or if any service is cancelled or downgraded, regular charges apply (subject to change). Service limited to a single outlet. May not be combined with other offers. TV: Limited Basic service subscription required to receive other levels of service. XFINITY On Demand selections subject to charge indicated at time of purchase. Internet: Actual speeds vary and are not guaranteed. Requires XFINITY service. Voice: $29.95 activation fee applies. If there is a power outage or network issue, calling, including calls to 911, may be unavailable. 2-year term agreement required with prepaid card offers. Early termination fee applies if all XFINITY services are cancelled during the agreement term. Cards issued by MetaBank®, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa® U.S.A. Inc. Cards will not have cash access and can be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted. Money-back guarantee applies to one month’s recurring service charge and standard installation charges up to $500. Watch Marvel's Luke Cage on Netflix. © 2016 MARVEL & ABC Studios. To access Netflix on XFINITY X1 requires an eligible X1 set-top box with XFINITY TV and XFINITY Internet service. Netflix streaming membership required. © 2017 Comcast. All rights reserved.

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