INNER-CITY NEWS

INNER-CITY NEWS July 27, 2016 - August 02, 2016 THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 03, 2022 - August 09, 2022

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Sisters’ Journey August Survivor of the Month

Dixwell UCC Marks Bicentennial THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 03, 2022 - August 09, 2022

by MAYA MCFADDEN New Haven Independent

The nation’s oldest African American United Congregational Church is celebrating 200 years of being rooted in community service, social justice, and humanitarian efforts.

The congregation, the Dixwell Avenue Congregational United Church of Christ (UCC) on Dixwell Avenue, is planning a Sept. 24 event at the Omni Hotel to commemorate its legacy of continuous service in the Dixwell neighborhood and beyond. The celebration was postponed for nearly three years due to the pandemic; click here for tickets.

Longtime church members Helena Rogers, Althea Musgrove Norcott, Joy W. Donaldson, Estelle Whitfield Simpson, Clifton Graves Jr., and Antonie Thorp are members of the planning committee for the 202nd birthday celebration.

Journalist, author, and civil rights activist Charlayne Hunter-Gault will be the keynote speaker for the Sept. 24 anniversary luncheon.

In an interview, committee members spoke of the church’s lifelong dedication to serving Dixwell, its historical civil rights grounding, and its social justicedriven approach to worship and ministry.

Then comes a homecoming service on Sept. 25. UCC General Minister and President Rev. John C. Dorhauer will offer a sermon.

Historic trailblazers in the congregation have included George Williamson Crawford, a lawyer and civil rights activist and the first Black city corporation counsel.

He was a founder of the Greater New Haven branch of the National Association

MAYA MCFADDEN PHOTO Dixwell UCC bicentennial planning committee members Joy W. Donaldson, Antonie Thorp, Estelle Whitfield Simpson, Clifton Graves Jr.,

Althea Musgrove Norcott, Helena Rogers, and Cheryl Gray.

for the Advancement of Colored People.

The celebration will honor other past congregants like Simeon Jocelyn, an abolitionist who helped to form The Amistad Committee in 1839; Ernest Saunders, an engineer who founded the Connecticut Afro-American Historical Society out of his Orchard Street home; and former president of the George Crawford Black

Bar Association Alan Bowie Jr. Noted former congregants also included John C. Daniels, New Haven’s first Black mayor and a church deacon; inventor of the ironing board Sarah Boone; Helen Eugenia Hagan, first Black female student at the Yale School of Music; and Natalie Hardy Douglass, an original member of the first black Girl Scout troop in

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New Haven.

The church played a role in important social-justice movements in New Haven, including paying for the defense in the Amistad trials, Whitfield Simpson said.

A better-known contribution the church made to the community was the donation of the land that housed the former Dixwell Q House.

“Dixwell [UCC] from its beginning had been a anchor for its community,” Norcott said.

The church fundraised $150,000 to donate to Sierra Leone during the ebola epidemic.

The church was originally founded on Temple Street. In 1820, Black New Haveners were allowed to worship only in the balcony of the First Congregational Church, located on the New Haven Green. A group of those Black worshippers worked with white abolitionist Simeon Jocelyn to host religious services at his home. The original members included four men and 18 women, who made up the first Black congregation in New Haven.

Norcott said the 202-year celebration location at the Omni New Haven Hotel holds significance because of the church’s original location downtown.

The church remained downtown from 1824 until 1886. Then it moved to 100 Dixwell Ave. until 1969.

Thorp, who joined the church in 1982, said its history and rooted activism made her feel supported and encouraged.

Several of the committee congregants

grew up in the Dixwell neighborhood and began attending the church at its previous location at 100 Dixwell Ave. Rogers, 72, recalled living on Gregory Street as a child. She would walk to the church for Sunday school. A congregant since 1952, she was raised in the church by her mother and later had her own kids join as teens. There are now four generations of Rogers family at the church.

Rogers is now a part of the church’s women’s fellowship and co-chair of the silent auction committee.

Norcott recalled her parents living across street from the church’s former Dixwell building. Norcott’s family have been congregants of the Dixwell church for the past 100 years. She and her husband were baptized by former Rev. Henry Curtis McDowell, as were two of her kids. She chairs the Deacon Board.

Rev. Edwin R. Edmonds’ leadership of the church for decades in the 20th century, beginning during the Civil Rights Movement, was defining for congregants like Thorp. She was inspired by Edmonds’s dedication to academic achievement and constant encouragement to speak up and “tell it like it was,” she said.

This led Thorp to raise her children in the church. For decades the church has had a youth choir, early childhood center, after school programming, Friday activities for congregants and the community.

“Dixwell was a place where you could actually come and receive that kind of support and encouragement of where to go next,” Thorp said, recalling Edmonds pushing congregants to pursue higher education.

Donaldson said her attraction to the church was its choir, which led her to join in 1971.

The church has also hosted HBCU choirs and the Ebony Fashion Fair in the past.

Graves joined the church at age 15 after relocating from North Carolina to New Haven. His father had close ties with Rev. Edmonds and followed him to New Haven after the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) burned a cross on the front yard of Edmonds’ home in North Carolina.

“As a teen, the church was central part of my life,” Graves said.

He described Edmonds and his father as a mentor who shaped his passion for civil rights. He recalled joining his two sisters in the church creative arts center as a teen and his younger brother being in the church day care.

Graves’s father led the Dixwell Avenue Neighborhood Development Housing Cooperation, which partnered with the church to purchase dilapidated homes in the neighborhood to rent to low-income families. Graves would work summer jobs helping to clean up the homes.

During Covid, the church conducted Con’t from page 05

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 03, 2022 - August 09, 2022

Paternity Dispute Preceded Shots At Cops

by THOMAS BREEN

New Haven Independent

A 20-year-old Fair Haven Heights resident allegedly drove to Beaver Hills to shoot at the car of a paternity rival.

While fleeing the scene, his associate “Nugget” then allegedly turned his gun on a car that was following them.

Unknown to them, that unmarked vehicle was occupied by two city police officers — who were investigating the initial shooting, and who suddenly found bullets flying their way.

That incident is described in detail in a five-page arrest warrant affidavit written

by Officer Gregory Dash on July 12.

Assistant Police Chief Bertram Ettienne and city Police Chief Karl Jacobson also described that incident Thursday morning during a press conference on the third floor of headquarters at 1 Union Ave. Ettienne brought the case up in the context of a number of recent gun-related arrests made by the New Haven Police Department (NHPD).

In this particular case, Ettienne said that Officers Matthew Borges and Brendan Way were patrolling Diamond Street in Beaver Hills on June 21 while on a “proactive patrol.”

They heard gunshots fired nearby. Then they identified the vehicle they believed the shots had come from.

Ettienne said “they attempted to pursue” that vehicle while in an unmarked car of their own. During that pursuit, Ettienne said, the officers were shot at twice.

Neither officer was hit by those bullets.

Neither officer returned fire.

The alleged shooter fled the scene, Ettienne said. But the cops were ultimately able to track down the car and arrest a 20-year-old man who they believed was involved in those shootings — first on Diamond Street, and then at the two officers in the unmarked car.

Online state criminal court records show that that suspect has been charged with one felony count of conspiracy to commit firstdegree assault, one felony count of carrying a pistol without a permit, one felony count of illegal possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle, one misdemeanor count of illegal discharge of a firearm, and one misdemeanor count of second-degree reckless endangerment.

According to state court records, the suspect has pleaded not guilty to all five of those charges. He’s currently being held on a $250,000 bond.

Ettienne and Jacobson said that city police don’t believe that the alleged shooter knew that he was firing at police officers when he fired those two shots at Officers Borges and Way. “That vehicle fired shots first,” Jacobson said. “They were fleeing the area.”

The officers responded to those shots in an unmarked car. And the shooter likely felt “like they’re being followed,” and so they fired at the following car. “We don’t believe that they knew” there were officers in the car, he said.

Ettienne said that neither of the two officers was injured. He said they’re both now doing OK. This is “an example of how so many New Haven police officers do their job and keep

THOMAS BREEN PHOTO Assistant Chief Ettienne (right) with Chief Jacobson and Mayor Elicker at Thursday presser.

their cool under difficult situations,” Mayor Justin Elicker said. The mayor said he spoke with both officers after the shooting incident, and both told him: “I’m just doing my job.”

After Monday morning’s press conference, the Independent obtained a copy of Dash’s arrest warrant affidavit in this case.

That affidavit provides a wealth of details about what allegedly happened during the June 21 shootings and why the suspect allegedly fired.

The affidavit also includes the side of the arrestee, a 20-year-old Fair Haven Heights resident named Alexis Vazquez. Although

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Vazquez has pleaded not guilty to all of these charges, he told cops during a June 29 interview that he did fire shots at the empty car of a Diamond Street resident.

He then told cops that it was his associate “Nugget,” not he, who fired at the cops in the unmarked car.

Here’s what happened, according to Dash’s affidavit: On June 21, Officers Way and Borges were patrolling the area of Diamond Street in an unmarked undercover police car. The officers heard “numerous gunshots coming from their immediate area,” and then they saw a vehicle fleeing the area after those

shots were fired.

The officers followed the suspect car as it traveled south on Diamond Street toward Ruby Street. “As the Honda turned left onto Ruby Street, headed east bound, the front seat passenger held a handgun out of the window and discharged two rounds toward [Shooting Task Force Officers] Way and Borges,” Dash wrote.

After the car turned left onto Osborn Avenue, the front seat passenger then “fired another gunshot” toward the officers as they followed in their unmarked police vehicle.

The officers then lost sight of the suspect vehicle as it continued on Osborne.

After receiving a 911 call about the shootings, patrol officers then responded to Diamond Street, where they found 10 .45 caliber fired cartridge casings and eight .40 caliber fired cartridge casings. A white Honda Accord that was parked in front of a Diamond Street house had been struck twice by gunfire.

“It was later determined the Honda Accord struck by gunfire belonged to the intended target’s mother.”

Officers then found two .40 caliber fired cartridge casings located in the area of Diamond and Ruby Streets, and then another .40 caliber fired cartridge casing in the area of Osborne and Pelham Streets.

Sgt. Chris Cameron then interviewed the owner of the bullet-struck car as well as her son, a 19-year-old man.

The owner of the car believed her son was the target of the initial shots fired in front of their residence. The 19-year-old told Sgt. Cameron that “he was involved Con’t on page 09

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 03, 2022 - August 09, 2022

AKA Sorors Inaugurate Spearman

eral AKA officials, including an opening prayer over the inauguration ceremony.

“I like nothing better than to see a sea of powerful women,” said Quinnipiac University President Judy Olian.

Spearman said she plans to focus on five “FIRST” principles: Fellowship, Innovation, Respect, Service, and Thrive.

Spearman plans to execute these principles in part through an Education Advancement Fund (EAF), set up to provide money to AKA undergraduates who are pursuing degrees that lead to social justice and public service careers.

“I don’t want people to stop and not be able to move forward,” Spearman told the Independent.

Supporting AKA members who are passionate about advocacy is crucial to the “competency and sisterliness of the ‘pink’ standard,” Spearman said.

QU Associate Provost Khalilah BrownDean called Spearman “a daughter of Hamden,” and said that the work she and her administration are doing will be important to “connecting the community with institutions of higher education.”

by OLIVIA CHARIS

New Haven Independent

A banquet hall became a sea of pink and green as AKAs inducted a new 35th North Atlantic Regional director.

That happened Saturday, as hundreds of members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) sorority gathered on Quinnipiac University’s York Hill campus to celebrate the inauguration of Hamden native Elicia Pegues Spearman as the 35th North Atlantic Regional director.

The afternoon of food and friends commemorated Spearman making history as the first Northeast Regional director from Connecticut.

Spearman will oversee all chapters within the North Atlantic region, which spans from Washington all the way up to Maine.

Spearman’s connection to the AKAs stems originally from her mother, Cheryl Pegues, a Hamden resident who has been a member for the past 60 years. Spearman also has ties to Quinnipiac University, serving currently as the general counsel and vice president for human resources.

The event began with words from sev-

OLIVIA CHARIS PHOTO Elicia Pegues Spearman at the event.

Alders Approve Cannabis Zoning Regs

by THOMAS BREEN New Haven Independent

Cannabis dispensaries can now legally set up up shop in certain business and industrial districts in town — including on Long Wharf — thanks to a new set of zoning regulations approved by the Board of Alders.

Local legislators signed off on that potfocused zoning update Monday night during the latest regular full Board of Alders meeting, which took place in person in the Aldermanic Chamber on the second floor of City Hall.

The 21 alders present in the room on Monday overwhelmingly approved an amended version of a zoning amendment concerning “the responsible and equitable regulation of adult-use cannabis,” as the title of the law change puts it.

The now-adopted zoning law is virtually identical to the one that passed out of the Legislation Committee in early June.

That means that prospective cannabis retailers, micro-cultivators, hybrid retailers, food and beverage businesses, product packagers, product manufacturers, and cultivators must receive a special permit in order to operate in business and industrial districts. The law requires cannabis businesses to maintain a 500-foot distance from the boundary of a school building, as well as a 1,500-foot distance from each other. It also bans cannabis businesses from residential districts, as well as from the River Street and Hill-toDowntown “planning districts,” among other areas.

The final version of the zoning update does not ban cannabis businesses from the Long Wharf area, as the Elicker Administration initially sought to do. In June, committee alders heard pleas to permit cannabis businesses on Long Wharf from representatives from the New Haven Food Terminal as well as from a Springfield, Mass.-based cannabis company that is looking to move in to the soon-to-beformer home of Long Wharf Theatre on Sargent Drive.

The city’s newly approved cannabis zoning comes as municipalities across Connecticut are trying to figure out how to locally control for recreational adultuse cannabis, which the state legislature voted to legalize last year. State regulators are also still in the process of reviewing applications for a limited number of licenses for entrepreneurs interested in opening newly legalized cannabis businesses.

“Adult-use cannabis is something that is real,” Dixwell Alder Jeanette Morrison said before Monday’s vote. “It’s a law that has been approved by the state. And as a municipality, we have the responsibility to design laws that will allow our city to benefit from this new law.”

Morrison estimated that newly legalized cannabis businesses will bring in between “$3 to $4 million in extra revenue for our city” every year. She praised the zoning update for permitting cannabis businesses only in parts of the city that “do not interrupt” day-to-day life for most New Haveners, and for allowing for “increased

THOMAS BREEN PHOTO

Dixwell Alder Jeanette Morrison at Monday's meeting.

jobs and the safe transaction of cannabis.”

The only amendment that the alders proposed and approved on Monday night limits the number of cannabis retailers allowed in town to one for every 25,000 city residents.

For now, as Wooster Square Alder and Legislation Committee Vice-Chair Ellen Cupo explained, that means there is a de facto cap of five for the maximum number of cannabis retail stores that can open up

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in New Haven any time soon.

Because the zoning update is an ordinance amendment, each alder had to call out his or her vote individually. Nineteen of the 21 alders present voted “yes” in support of the cannabis zoning law. Two alders — Amity/Westville/Beaver Hills Alder and Board of Alders Majority Leader Richard Furlow and Fair Haven Alder Jose Crespo — didn’t say anything when it came time for each of them to cast their votes.

Asked after the meeting why he didn’t vote on the cannabis zoning law, Furlow told the Independent that his “personal conviction” and religious beliefs kept him from casting a vote in support of the legalized cannabis zoning change. On the other hand, he said, as a local policymaker, he recognized the importance of New Haven city government passing a comprehensive set of zoning rules for adult-use cannabis businesses now that such activities have been legalized by the state. He said he also worked in the runup to Monday’s vote to make sure that the zoning law would pass — even though he individually didn’t cast a vote for or against it.

Crespo, meanwhile, initially told the Independent that he missed his opportunity to vote on the matter because he was otherwise occupied when it came time for him to voice his support or objection.

When asked about why he didn’t add his vote after the full board had gone through its roll call, as alders are allowed to do, Crespo declined to comment.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 03, 2022 - August 09, 2022

ConnCORP Pitches Guv On Dixwell Plaza

by NORA GRACE-FLOOD and YASH ROY New Haven Independent

Erik Clemons took advantage of a 20-minute audience with Gov. Ned Lamont to make a multimillion-dollar pitch — for bond money to help revive the commercial heart of New Haven’s Black community.

Clemons is the CEO of the Connecticut Community Outreach Revitalization Program (ConnCORP), a for-profit subsidiary of the Science Park-based job training non-profit Connecticut Center for Arts and Technology (ConnCAT) that undertakes economic development projects in communities of color.

One of those projects is the planned remaking of Dixwell Plaza on Dixwell Avenue. ConnCORP has purchased the fraying, mid-century shopping strip and received approval to transform it into “ConnCAT Place on Dixwell,” a sevenacre, bustling block of housing, retail centers (including a supermarket), and performing arts space. Read more about that plan here.

Gov. Lamont, who’s running for reelection, stopped for a tour Wednesday afternoon of Community Economic Impact Lab, an entrepreneurial incubator ConnCORP has opened over the Hamden line on Morse Street. It was one of several local stops in the state’s richest vein of Democratic votes, including a bilingual radio interview and a session with alders on Long Wharf, where skeptical attendees pressed him on education funding. (More about that later in this article.) Lamont is scheduled to return to New Haven Thursday for a summer-internship press conference with business leaders, then an announcement in Trowbridge Square of state support for rebuilding a community center.

Con’t from page 05

Bicentennial

weekly bible studies via Zoom, Wellness Fridays via Zoom, and wellness presentations from psychiatrists, social workers, and doctors. It held Sunday services outdoors in the parking lot. The committee agreed the church’s mission remains to carry on the historic traditions of social activism established by its founders.

The anniversary event will celebrate “the past, the present, and look toward the future,” Norcott said.

The church’s oldest deacon is 107 years old and remains active.

“It’s been a blessing to be wrapped around the beautiful legacy of Dixwell,” Whitfield Simpson said. “We’re standing on shoulders of those who had very little if anything and keeping the legacy going because of the many sacrifices that our ancestors made for us.”

Audrey Tyson, Alder Sarah Miller, and Gov. Lamont talk education at Brazi's during one of the governor's New Haven stops Wednesday.

“Our ask and our hope is that the state will join in the impact that we are expecting to make in this neighborhood that has languished in poverty for just about a century,” Clemons told the governor during his visit.

The redevelopers have so far raised $100 million to pursue that plan, Clemons reported. They currently need $38 million more.

“We’re here ’cause we’re interested,” Lamont said.

He then took the opportunity to high-

light certain state financial opportunities designed to foster economic development in historically underserved communities, such as The Community Investment Fund, a new $1.5 billion five-year grant program targeting ConnCORP-like initiatives in poor communities, and a newly announced $150 million lending program that you can read more about here.

Ultimately, he said, Clemons and ConnCORP should focus on swaying local officials closer to home — like State Senator Martin Looney.

“We’ve allocated a lot to our legislative leaders,” Lamont reasoned. “If he [Looney] says it’s important for me… that weighs a lot with me,” he said.

Reached for comment Thursday morning, Looney said he can’t commit to specific proposals coming before the Community Investment Fund, because he serves as board co-chair.

He did express overall support and enthusiasm for the Dixwell Plaza project. “I think it’ll be transformative for Dixwell,” he said.

Having dispensed advice and seen the cardiovascular research, beauty and wellness work, and philanthropic consulting taking place inside the walls of ConnCORP’s southern Hamden incubator, Lamont had to run — over to the New Haven Independent’s Elm Street office, where he was scheduled for an interview with WNHH FM/La Voz Radio’s K‑Pasa bilingual radio show. He spent a half hour on air fielding questions in English from hosts Norma Rodriguez-Reyes and Jose Candelario, while his campaign deputy political director, Gabriela Koc, translated into Spanish for listeners.

Twenty-five of New Haven’s 30 alders (who, like Lamont, are all Democrats) showed up at Brazi’s restaurant there for a scheduled discussion with the governor.

Audrey Tyson, a Lamont campaign staffer long active in city politics, organized the session so that Lamont could hear from representatives of different constituencies around the city. A similar event was hosted at Brazi’s four years ago during Lamont’s first campaign for governor.

This time, with four years under his belt, Lamont was ready to speak on the accomplishments of his administration as well as a vision for the future of the state.

“I ran four years ago because people had lost faith in Connecticut. Today, we have more people coming to the state than ever before with stronger infrastructure, schools, and privacy protections,” said Lamont.

Alders lauded the governor’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis and praised him Con’t on page 14

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 03, 2022 - August 09, 2022

With Summer Tourney, Newhallville Gets Right

by MAYA MCFADDEN New Haven Independent

Basketballs soared in the air. Stuntin’ Is A Habit played on the loud speaker. Families competed in spades. And grill smoke ignited the crowd’s appetites.

That was the scene on Shelton Avenue Sunday for the latest installment of Newhallville Neighborhood Corporation’s 20th annual summer basketball games, which occupied Lincoln Bassett Park for the entire day.

Sunday completed the fourth week of the Sunday games. The final team tournament combined with a back-to-school giveaway is scheduled for Aug. 14.

“This is unity,” Gates said. “It ties the city together when these kids can find others just like them.”

It was a 10-hour community celebration both on and off the court, part of a summer Sunday tradition in Newhallville.

What started as a basketball-infused neighborhood reunion organized by New Haven native Gary Gates two decades ago has now become an annual health and wellness gathering hosted by the nonprofit for the community to enjoy being outdoors with family and friends.

Neighbors joined together in lawn chairs lined along the fences of the basketball court to watch 14 teams compete. Players ranged from middle schoolers to athletes 30 and over.

As director of the nonprofit hosting the event, Gates said, he looks forward each year to organizing the weekly summer competitions and final tournament for the community.

More than 100 community members joined the basketball games and cookout in the park this Sunday. Younger children played nearby on the playground and splash pad, or tossed a football, danced, and played tag in the field.

Dozens of the players have been coached

by Gates since they were in elementary school.

While players sat to the side of the court waiting for their team to play, New Haven police officers passed out ice-cold water bottles to the athletes. Along the fence read a sign reading, “Stop the Violence.”

“My hidden agenda is for six weeks to save these people,” Gates said.

While hot dogs, hamburgers, and fish were cooking, families made donations to support the nonprofit’s upcoming back to school giveaway.

Gates recalled playing on the same courts as a child and coaching others there. The event is a tradition originally started by Dave Duram, who hosted summer tournaments on the courts before Gates decided to carry on the tradition.

Players ranged from schoolteachers to professional basketball players.

Several have played with Gates since they were 10 years old and are now in their 20s or 30s. Others played with Gates while he coached the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) CT Heat basketball team.

James and Bryson Williams, courtside.

Players like Malique Cue, 26, have played in Gates’ summer tournaments for more than a decade.

Cue, a Hillhouse High School grad, described basketball as his favorite hobby.

He said he has looked forward to joining

the Newhallville Neighborhood Corporation tournaments every year since he was in high school.

“Every Sunday is like a family reunion,” Cue said.

Basketball has not only given Cue a dai-

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ly hobby but has provided him with lifelong friendships and a lesson in learning to work with others.

“Without basketball, I wouldn’t know half of the people I know,” he said.

Cue grew up on Division Street. He has always relied on the Lincoln Bassett Park to play basketball, describing it as his backyard. While on the court he enjoys learning how to work around new and different personalities, he said. “You see when people catch attitudes and what they get sensitive about.”

This year Cue played on “Team Ballie.”

They finished their last game Sunday up by 20 points.

Cue said he’s so dedicated to the summer tournaments that he organizes his work schedule around the games to be sure he doesn’t miss a Sunday reunion.

He described Gates as a father figure and role model.

“This was the best thing to ever happen to me,” he said. “In New Haven you can’t always find somewhere where there won’t be negativity. But here I know I’m safe, and there won’t be drama.”

Gates made sure each team included players of varying ages who could learn from each other on and off the court.

“The mix of talents is what will make the younger kids learn better when they try out for a high school team,” Gates said.

In addition to the summer tournament, Gates’ nonprofit hosts drill practices, community vs fire and police basketball games, and vendor events at the park.

Professional basketball player Taurus Adams, 24, returned to Hamden this summer after playing overseas in Australia and Spain.

Adams, a Southern Connecticut State University grad, enjoyed a fish sandwich Suday after playing a winning game, as

he has for the several years.

While playing ball and hanging with friends at the event, Adams took some breaks to talk with some of the younger basketball players. He encouraged them to work hard, listen to their coach, and to always put school first.

While some brought lawn chairs to watch games from the sidelines, other stood with fingers interlocked in the court fence, and peeked through the holes to watch.

A DJ played a variety of tunes from underneath a tent sat beside the courts.

“I think I’m going to play all Connecticut music for the next hour,” the DJ yelled.

Songs from local artists like Young Klean, Lee Bezel, and Young ghost rumbled through Newhallville.

The games went on from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Members of the crowd occasionally called out, “Where’s the foul ref?” and “Dunk it!”

When a player took a fall, a rough play happened, or a player shot an air ball, the crowd gasped in unison.

Father-son duo James and Bryson Williams sat in lawn chairs just at the edge of the court watching Bryson’s two cousins play.

This was the second year the two came to the tournament to “enjoy something positive in the community.”

Bryson, who lives in the Hill, plays basketball and wanted to join his father to learn from his cousins. James offered an occasional tip or two to his son during the games.

Gates watched each game from the sidelines, occasionally jumping on the court with the youth to shoot a few baskets during half time or a timeout.

The final Sunday game was between two undefeated teams called team “Get Right” and the “Young Kings.”

The final game went into overtime after reaching a tie at 52 – 52, headed for “the longest three minutes of the day.”

During the three-minute overtime, the score remained close. The crowd remained at the edge of their seats.

At 1 minute and 37 seconds, the teams reached another tie: 54 to 54.

Then team Get Right scored and brought the score to 55 to 54 at 1 minute 10 seconds.

At 40 seconds the Young Kings took the lead by one point … … until team Get Right took the lead with only 19 seconds left, bringing the score to 57 to 56.

The teams then reached another tie with 14 seconds left. Many assumed they would have to go into another overtime.

After a brief timeout, the teams took the court for the final 14 seconds. Team Get Right took the lead with a two-pointer.

The Young Kings attempted to come back at four seconds left with an attempted three pointer. The shot missed — and Team Get Right was declared the win-

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 03, 2022 - August 09, 2022

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Boys & Girls Clubs Merge THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 03, 2022 - August 09, 2022

by MAYA MCFADDEN New Haven Independent

The Boys and Girls Club (BGC) of New Haven and the Ulbrich BGC of Wallingford and North Haven announced Tuesday that they will merge in order to expand services to youth recovering from the impacts of the Covid pandemic while also bridging the three towns’ “cultural boundaries.”

Regional leaders of local Boys and Girls Clubs announced the merger Tuesday morning outside of the Columbus Avenue Boys and Girls Club of New Haven.

The clubs now merged into one will operate as the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater New Haven (BGCGNH).

The merger will prevent the need to close any of the currently existing clubhouses in the three towns and will help the organization expand to more sites in the coming years to work with more youth, officials said.

BGCGNH Board Vice President of Operations Marilyn Burlenski emceed the Tuesday event and gave thanks to volunteer Interim Executive Director Barbara Chesler for keeping the New Haven club afloat amidst the pandemic.

The merger will create one of the largest organizations in South Central Connecticut serving youth, leaders said.

The merger has been a work in progress for the past 16 months.

Hill Alder Ron Hurt once again thanked Chesler for leadership that “weathered the storm” of Covid in New Haven.

MAYA MCFADDEN PHOTO New Haven youth join New Haven, Wallingford, and North Haven Boys and Girls Clubs leaders.

He said he looks forward to the merger “closing cultural boundaries” among New Haven, North Haven, and Wallingford.

“Wallingford is our neighbor, but the cultural divide is deep,” he said.

The organization will be looking to hire site coordinators, a financial officer, program leaders, and youth development professionals, said BGCGNH Board Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Tam-

mie Ulbrich.

North Haven First Selectman Michael Freda told a story about his childhood connection to the BGC: At 9 years old, Freda observed his father, a factory worker, make a annual donation to the BGC because of the impact it had on him in his youth. Freda’s father had been 9 years old when his own father died. Amid household financial hardship, Freda’s father got

help “staying on track” with help from the BGC. His father later told him that the BGC provided the resources that “we as a family desperately needed.”

Current New Haven club member Tracine Allen, 14, spoke about the impact the BGC has had on her life.

Tracine joined the BGC at 6 years old.

She has returned every year since to make memories with friends and learn from

mentors who are staff.

“I found people I can trust and talk with when I needed to,” she said.

Over the years Allen most enjoyed the BGC dance program, which has since been discontinued.

Allen is interested in becoming a hair stylist or a criminal profiler, a job idea that came about because of her love of Criminal Minds.

Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer Lorraine Orr said the merger will broaden the reach and impact of the Boys and Girls Clubs to thousands of more young people.

She said that amid an increase in academic, social, and emotional declines nationwide, “Boys and Girls Clubs are a part of the solution.”

Mayor Justin Elicker described the merger as “more fun” to come for the youth.

As former executive director of the New Haven Land Trust, Elicker recalled the difficulty of merging organizations — along with the benefits that can come from it.

Elicker also highlighted youth opportunities at the soon-to-be-reborn Barbell Club Youth Center in the Hill, which the city has received state money to rebuild.

The Tuesday celebration also announced the new executive director of BGCGNH, Lisa Caruso, who will lead the expansion.

Caruso has worked in senior leadership roles at Bristol-Myers Squibb and Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG).

$25K Reward Posted To Help Find Kiana Brown’s Killer

by THOMAS BREEN New Haven Independent

More than two years after someone shot and killed Kiana Brown while she was sleeping at a home on Valley Street, the star high school basketball player’s family and city cops issued a plea for someone to come forward with information about who pulled the trigger.

The city and the state Friday announced a $25,000 reward for anyone who offers information that leads to that shooter’s arrest and conviction.

Police Chief Karl Jacobson, Assistant Chief Bertram Ettienne, and a dozen members of Brown’s family shared that news Friday morning during a press conference on the third floor of police headquarters at 1 Union Ave. They announced that the governor and the state’s attorney’s office recently made available the $25,000 reward for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for Brown’s death.

Anyone can call the city police depart-

THOMAS BREEN PHOTO Kiana Brown's aunt, Sharon Brown, and family at Friday's presser.

8

ment’s detective division at 203 946‑6304 or the anonymous tip line at 203 946‑6296 to share information. People can also text a tip by texting to 274637 or email at ecic@newhavenct.gov.

Brown, a 19-year-old former Hillhouse basketball star, was shot and killed on June 17, 2020, when a bullet apparently meant for someone else hit her as she slept at a Valley Street residence.

On Friday, top cops and Brown’s family members said that the city still needs people to come forward to help solve this case.

“There were no witnesses on scene and the shooter is unknown,” Ettienne said. “To date, no one has come forward with any information” to help identify the shooter.

“We need people in the city that have information to do the right thing,” he continued. “To step forward, provide us with the information that we need to bring closure and justice” to Brown’s family and to the families of other city homicide vic-

tims.

“We just need a couple pieces,” Jacobson agreed. “And we need somebody in the community to come forward.”

Brown’s aunt Sharon described her late niece as “full of life” and as someone who “had jokes for days. She was just so special to us. She was a dancing fool. She loved to dance. She loved playing basketball. She was just so lively.” She called on anyone in the community, anyone in “the village” in which Brown and her family lived, to come forward to help solve this case.

“We are approaching what should have been a celebratory time,” Brown’s uncle, Rev. D’Hati Burgess said. That’s because his niece would have turned 22 this weekend. But instead of throwing a birthday party, he said, the family will instead be holding a memorial for Kiana.

This doesn’t get easier with time, he said. He urged people to come forward “It’s OK to speak up,” Brown’s family friend Sheila Gilbert said.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 03, 2022 - August 09, 2022

Con’t from page 03 in an ongoing dispute with a female … regarding custody of her child. The dispute stemmed from a disagreement as to who is the biological father” of the woman’s baby. The woman claimed another individual was the biological father, while the 19-year-old believed he was the father.

Cameron then reviewed text message and Facebook message disputes between the 19-year-old and the 20-year-old man, Vazquez, who was ultimately arrested.

City police officers were able to find out where in Fair Haven Heights that Vazquez lived. At his home, officers found and seized two high-capacity magazines. They also found one .40 caliber live round in Vazquez’s car.

On June 29, officers arrested Vazquez on Whalley Avenue “without incident.” He was transported to police headquarters at 1 Union Ave., where officers then interviewed him.

Vazquez told the officers during that interview that, on June 21, the 19-year-old from Diamond Street had been texting and arguing with the woman who he believed had borne his child. The 19-year-old allegedly told that woman that he hoped her child would die while receiving care in the neo natal intensive care unit at the hospital.

That woman then allegedly told Vazquez about those text messages.

So Vazquez then arranged to meet with a man he knew as “Nugget” who had access to firearms. Vazquez left his home and picked up “Nugget” in a Honda Accord.

He said he and Nugget then drove to Diamond Street.

As they got closer to the 19-year-old’s family’s house, Vazquez said, Nugget “removed two black handguns from his bag.

‘Nugget’ handed a .45 caliber handgun to Vazquez. Vazquez parked his vehicle in front of [the Diamond Street house] and both Vazquez and Nugget exited the car.

“Both Vazquez and ‘Nugget’ fired gunshots toward the residence. Vazquez stated he fired the handgun at a parked vehicle which he believed belonged to the family” of the 19-year-old rival. “Vazquez got back into the driver’s seat, and ‘Nugget’ the front passenger seat. As Vazquez drove away, they noticed a vehicle following them. Vazquez and ‘Nugget’ believed Juvenile #1 and his friends were following them. Vazquez stated ‘Nugget’ then fired the .40 caliber handgun toward the vehicle that was following them. Vazquez added at one point ‘Nugget’s’ handgun ‘jammed,’ at which point he had to eject a round from the chamber, which was the one [Shooting Task Force] members located when serving the search warrant on his Honda Accord.”

Vazquez said he then dropped Nugget off at his Fair Haven home after the shooting.

Dash wrote that Vazquez did not possess a state pistol permit, nor did he have any firearms registered in his name. He was not listed as a convicted felon and did not have any misdemeanor handgun disqualifications.

He concluded the affidavit by writing that he believed police had probable cause to arrest Vazquez on three felony and two misdemeanor charges.

OPEN HOUSE and CAREER FAIR at the NEW HAVEN JOB CORPS CENTER Free career training and education for individuals 16-24 years old

NEW HAVEN, CT. (July 2022) — The New Haven Job Corps Center has announced an Open House and Career Fair for Friday, August 12 from 10am to 2 pm.

Career training will be highlighted which will highlight career training in the nation’s leading industries, and has immediate openings in the following training areas: Building Construction Technology, Carpentry, Culinary Arts, Plumbing, Certified Nursing Assistant, Dental Assistant, EKG, Patient Care Technician, Phlebotomist, Billing & Coding, Insurance and Banking, Manufacturing. Employers such as Amazon, Yale, New Haven Works, Adecco, Sodexo, Benchmark Senior Living of Hamden, Utopia The Community Action Agency of New Haven and many other services.

Job Corps is the nation’s largest career training and education program for young people ages 16 through 24 from low-income households. The program provides hands-on training, on-campus housing, meals, health care and job search assistance at no cost to those who qualify.

To maintain safety protocols related to COVID-19, many Job Corps centers have operated under restricted enrollment due to the residential aspect of the program.

The decision to reopen New Haven Job Corps center to new students lifts the remaining restrictions on enrollment and restores the center to pre-pandemic admission standards.

“Over the course of the pandemic, we’ve faced and overcome extraordinary challenges to enable Job Corps’ students

to pursue their career training,” said National Director of Job Corps Rachel Torres. “The goal has always been to return to full, in-person center operations as quickly and safely as possible. Our students need Job Corps, and the workforce needs our students.”

Job Corps is free for students who meet the eligibility requirements, and students can apply and enroll at any time. New Haven Job Corps Center trains students in Construction, Health Care, Hospitality, and Manufacturing. For more information about New Haven Job Corps Center, or to begin the enrollment process, visit https:// newhaven.jobcorps.gov/ or call (203) 397-3775) to RSVP for the Open House.

Administered by the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration and established in 1964, Job Corps has 121 centers located in 49 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

There are two centers in Connecticut including the Hartford Job Corps Center in Hartford, CT Learn more about Job Corps.

About Job Corps Job Corps is a federal career technical training and education program for young people who aspire to higher-paying careers and higher education. With 121 residential and nonresidential locations nationwide, training is available in the nation’s fastest-growing industries to eligible 16- through 24-year-olds.

For More Information: Renee Venturino, Admissions Manager, (203) 907-4355

Sisters’ Journey August Survivor of the Month - Norsie Tucker-Hare

My name is Norsie Tucker-Hare and my journey began in March 2019. I was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 72 when I went in for my annual mammogram. I received a call stating that I needed to have more testing done. Since this happened every year with my left breast, I was not alarmed. Unfortunately, I received another call for even further testing, which was for a mammogram and ultrasound. The doctor contacted me to inform me they found three areas in my right breast, one large and two small, and I would need a biopsy.

I kept this to myself and went in for the biopsy.

I lost my husband to cancer in 2010. Afterwards I felt very alone. I downsized to a smaller home in 2017 and told myself that this was a new beginning. But now it seemed everything bad was happening to me – first the eye injury, and now the breast cancer diagnosis. I called my daughter, who lives out of state. She booked a flight immediately and was in Bridgeport the next day. She was able to be with me through the preparation of what was to come. Later I shared my situation with a few close friends and my pastor.

I went into the hospital after Mother’s Day. My doctor removed the tumors and lymph nodes under my arm for testing.

When I went back for my follow-up visit, I was told that the lab lost my tissue samples and I could not start treatment until the results came back.

Fortunately, they had more of my specimen. It took about a month to get the results.

I was told that I had Stage 1 cancer but would not need chemotherapy. Radiation was scheduled in July and was completed on August 2, the day before my birthday.

The radiation made me very tired, so I stayed home for a short period before returning to work. I am currently taking the oral medication, Anastrozole (Arimedex).

I am a survivor because God is a healer. My faith in Him has and will see me through this battle. When I wake up every morning, I say, “I’m still here.” God has been so good to me. A nurse asked me, “Did you ask God why all these things are happening to you?” I said, “No. Things happen to all of us in this life’s journey.”

I also thank God for my family, my pastor and the Bethel A.M.E. Church Family. They have truly been very supportive.

My life has changed but I know that I am blessed. I know that there is a God and He is watching over me!

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Norsie Tucker-Hare

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 03, 2022 - August 09, 2022

Biden-Harris Administration Announce New Actions to Address Mental Health in Schools

tricts to increase the number of qualified mental health services providers delivering school-based mental health services to students in local educational agencies with demonstrated need.

The White House said this will increase the number of school psychologists, counselors, and other mental health professionals serving our students. Some schools will gain mental health staff for the first time.

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent The White House announced the awarding of the first grant from the nearly $300 million in funding allocated to expand access to mental health services in American schools.

President Joe Biden secured the funding through the bipartisan omnibus agreement to expand access to school mental health services.

Biden also plans to encourage governors around the country to invest more in school-based mental health services, administration officials said.

“Our nation’s young people are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis.

Even before the pandemic, rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts among youth were on the rise,” administration officials said in a release.

“The pandemic exacerbated those issues, disrupting learning, relationships, and routines and increasing isolation – especially among our nation’s young people.”

Officials said more than 40 percent of teenagers have reported that they struggle with persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and more than half of parents and caregivers express concern over their children’s mental well-being.

“To address this crisis, President Biden put forward in his first State of the Union a comprehensive national strategy to

They said others will see this critical workforce expand.

tackle our mental health crisis, and called for a major transformation in how mental health is understood, accessed, treated, and integrated – in and out of health care settings,” officials stated.

Beginning in August, the Department of Education plans to start the process to disburse the nearly $300 million Congress appropriated through both the bi-partisan Safer Communities Act and the Omnibus to help schools hire more school-based mental health professionals and build a strong pipeline into the profession for the

upcoming school year.

According to the news release, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act will invest $1 billion over the next five years in mental health supports in our schools, making progress towards the President’s goal to double the number of school counselors, social workers, and other mental health professionals.

The administration has allocated the funding to two critical programs.

Those include the Mental Health Service Professional (MHSP) Demonstration Grant Program, which will provide over $140 million in competitive grants to support a strong pipeline into the mental health profession, including innovative partnerships to prepare qualified schoolbased mental health services providers for employment in schools.

Additionally, the School-Based Mental Health (SBMH) Services Grant Program will provide over $140 million in competitive grants to states and school dis-

“By increasing the number of qualified mental health professionals in our schools, and thereby reducing the number of students each provider serves, this program will meaningfully improve access to mental health services for vulnerable students,” officials asserted.

Other programs receiving funding include Fostering Trauma-Informed Services in Schools, Expanding Mental Health Services Through Full-Service Community Schools, and Responding to Childhood Trauma Associated with Community Violence.

“In just 18 months, President Biden has invested unprecedented resources in addressing the mental health crisis and providing young people the supports, resources, and care they need,” administration officials stated.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 03, 2022 - August 09, 2022

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 03, 2022 - August 09, 2022

REVIEW:

‘Nope’ is a Yes! — Peele Delivers with Follow-Up

By Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., NNPA Newswire Culture and Entertainment Editor

Jordan Peele has been compared to horror and psychological thriller giant Alfred Hitchcock and science-fiction legend Steven Spielberg, but Peele is in a league of his own. Peele’s masterful ability to merge two beloved film genres, with social commentary on issues of race, gender, class, and sexuality is unparallel in the current filmic landscape. Initially celebrated for his comedic chops, Peele burst onto the horror scene with his cult-classic horror Get Out (2017) and followed-up with the scary and often meandering Us (2019).

Both films used symbolism brilliantly and succeeded as horror films because the monsters were familiar characters, symbolic of society and played by characters who look and feel like us.

There is an otherworldliness about Peele’s films that traffic in the mundane, to highlight the complexity of the precariousness of a world driven by a perverse need for power, influence, and capital.

Peele humanizes those who live on the margins or the underbelly of the society and brilliantly recasts their lives into the horror show that is often America and what it means to live on the margins of society while the tokenism and appropriation of your culture is center stage.

Peele delivers with Nope, a film set on the margins of Hollywood, focusing on the family of the Black jockey captured in the early films of trailblazing photographer and filmmaker Eadweard Muybridge. By incorporating Muybridge’s short film, “The Horse in Motion,” Peele elevates the importance of Black jockeys in the many aspects of American culture and the significance of the Black presence and influence at the beginning of Holly-

wood.

The Haywood family is a Black family that has worked as horse wranglers for Hollywood for over a century. They are the descendants of the Black jockey showcased in the Muybridge film and are still stuck in the same position as their ancestors despite the change in time and ostensibly space. Keith David plays Otis Haywood, Sr., the patriarch of the Haywood clan who is hell bent on maintaining his ancestor’s greatest dream. Daniel Kaluuya stars as Otis, Jr. (OJ), who works with his father and is unimpressed by the movie business or the jackasses who permeate filmmaking culture.

Although OJ, who is Black, is the expert on the movie set, he is belittled and demeaned by all of the White folks on set from the director to the production assistants. Keke Palmer stars as Emerald, the free-spirited daughter who plays to the

hostile audience, literally listing all of her skills and abilities as she performs servitude.

The audience knows if Emerald was white, the offspring of Hollywood royalty, and working with all of those skills, Emerald would be the star or director of the film and calling the shots. Such is not the case with the Haywood clan, who is relegated and reminded of their position on the lower rungs of society and Hollywood throughout the film.

Desperate for money and fame after being kicked off set, the Haywood family decides to capture the greatest spectacle ever – unidentified flying objects (UFOs), now called unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs). OJ and Emerald set out to photograph and record the alien life that is omnipresent yet largely ignored by those who live with them on the outskirts of Hollywood.

Instead of engaging scientists or the government, the Haywoods set out to do it themselves so they can reap the financial rewards and adoration of an industry and public that has little to no use for them otherwise.

The Haywoods embody the “find a way or make one,” spirit of Black independent cinema and literally create and capture the story that was always worth telling but undervalued by Hollywood and society. Along the way, they pick up Angel (Brandon Perea), a techie with an obsession with outer space and Antlers (Michael Wincott), a maverick cinematographer who is still chasing cinematic glory in spite of his elite status in the industry.

Antlers, who insists he captures images, but is not part of the story, disposes of his philosophy, deciding to be part of the spectacle and jeopardizes the entire shoot and lives in a harrowing scene.

One of the most interesting parts of the film is the number of Easter Eggs (intertextual references) strewn throughout the narrative. In fact, it is an intertextual reference to 1980s sitcoms that is most harrowing and provides the context and strongest symbolism of tokenism and what that means for people of color pursuing the Hollywood dream. Ricky “Jupe” Park (Steven Yeun) is a former child star who survived a merciless attack by a chimpanzee named Gordy during the taping of a hit 1980s sitcom.

Jupe now runs Jupiter’s Claim, a Western-themed amusement park, pulling in an audience that would probably be at Disneyland if they could afford it. Instead, Jupiter’s Claim fits the bill, and Jupe who survived the brutality of the attack and the tokenism of Hollywood, clings to his desire to be the star of the show.

While he appears to work with OJ in taking horses off of his hands to keep the horse farm going until OJ can afford to buy them back, Jupe actually works against his closest ally in order to create a spectacle for attendees at the expense of all involved.

Nope is a commentary on so many things – the environment, animal cruelty, racism, sexism, heterosexism, the entertainment industry – and shows how all of those things are interconnected in shaping who we are as a society. It’s the intersectionality for me.

With a storyline told through a historical lens that interrogates society and the people who make up this world and the next, strong performances and a brilliant use of camp and other comedic tools, Peele does it again, making a must-see film that will be talked about in film classes, the barbershop, dinner tables, Hollywood, and the like for many years to come.

Somalia: Russian-Ukraine War Impacts East African Food Supply This article was written

by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D.

Al-Jazeera is reporting Russia’s war on Ukraine is drawing millions of dollars away from other crises including the food shortage crisis in Somalia.

Funding that typically goes to the vulnerable nation are being diverted to the war on Ukraine, devastating Somalia.

To give some perspective, the U.N. reports Ukraine’s appeal for $2.2B has been 80 percent met, while Somalia’s much smaller appeal has been 30 percent funded. Somalia’s aid funding is at less than half of last year’s level even though Western donors have sent more than $1.7B to respond to the war in Europe. Yemen, Syria, Iraq, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the

Congo and the Palestinian territories are also being affected by this diversion. The Horn of Africa region where Somalia is located, is experiencing its worst drought in decades.

In April, the World Food Program raised an alarm that 20 million people are at risk of starvation this year as delayed rains worsen an already brutal drought in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia.

Experts and aid workers also say the war in Ukraine has contributed to rising costs of fuel and food in many countries across Africa. Wheat imports make up 90 percent of Africa’s $4B trade with Russia and almost half of the continent’s $4.5B trade with Ukraine, according to the Africa Development Bank.

“If we don’t manage this [food crisis] very quickly, it will actually destabilize the continent,” Africa Development Bank president Akinwumi Adesina warned.

Al-Jazeera also reports, “In a single hospital in Somalia, more than two dozen children have died of hunger in the past two months alone.”

This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editorin-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Twitter @Ntellectual.

Follow The Burton Wire on Twitter or Instagram @TheBurtonWire.

This article originally appeared in The Burton Wire.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 03, 2022 - August 09, 2022

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 03, 2022 - August 09, 2022 Con’t from page 05

ConnCORP

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for improving business confidence in the state.

They were more concerned about the state of public education, in the wake of a new round of disappointing public school test scores, including one report showing 84 percent of third graders reading below grade level. Out of five questions posed to Lamont, three concerned education funding and youth services.

A fourth focused on broadband investment to expand access to New Haveners, especially students.

“You mentioned a lot about access to opportunity, and I wanted to connect that to education. We’re receiving an extra $4.5 million [in school support], which is a big jump, but there’s so much more we can do,” said Prospect Hill/Newhallville/ Dixwell Alder Steven Winter.

“Frankly, our reading and math are way behind. So I wanted to ask you, governor, how you can help us to increase funding and lower the student-teacher ratio?”

“We had the biggest investment in education we’ve ever made in the state,” Lamont responded. He also cited an expansion of state programs to provide mortgage subsidies and tuition reimbursement for teachers.

Fair Haven Alder Sarah Miller followed up after Winter with a question specifically about the Educational Cost Sharing formula through which the state provides funding to school districts.

“We know the education cost sharing formula doesn’t reflect the cost of education, so I’m wondering if you have plans to reflect our actual costs,” asked Miller.

Lamont’s response: “The new formula is less money for wealthy schools and more money for New Haven, and we’re celebrating that right now. We’re getting an extra $100 million in April, and the biggest thing for New Haven is to show us that the additional funding is working for more funding.”

“I think he heard our concern,” Winter said after the event, “but there’s just so much more the state can do in terms of funding. New Haven needs that money and needs that help.”

“He didn’t really answer the question,” was Miller’s reaction to Lamont’s response. “I didn’t hear a real acknowledgment that our schools are significantly underfunded, or any sense of urgency to fix the ECS so that it reflects the actual cost of educating children well, given actual rates of poverty, special education, and English language learners,” said Miller.

Miller said she left the event ready to vote for Lamont in November, but with a feeling that Lamont didn’t sense the urgency of underfunding for schools.

As for the response on teachers, Miller stated: “Incentives are great and all, but why don’t we just pay our teachers more?

All of these programs, until we fix the true root cause of funding, is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August , 2022 - August 2022 INNER-CITY NEWS July 27,032016 - August 02, 09, 2016

Construction

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks:

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

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

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

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

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

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

NOTICE

PVC FENCE PRODUCTION

NOTICIA

Union Company seeks:

Contact Dana at 860-243-2300

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

NEW HAVEN

Construction

quired. To apply please call (860) 621-1720 or send resume to: Personnel Department, P.O. Box 368, Cheshire, CT06410.

Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V

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

Drug Free Workforce

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

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

Elm City Communities, the Housing Authority of the City of New Haven (ECC/HANH) is proposing to amend sections of its Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Administrative Plan (Admin Plan).

The thirty (30) days comment period begins on Monday, August 1, 2022, and ends on August 30, 2022.

Copies of the amendment to the HCV Administrative Plan will be made available on Monday, August 1, 2022 on the agency website www.elmcitycommunities.org or via Twitter, www.twitter.com/ECCommunities or via Facebook www.facebook.com/ ElmCityCommunities You are invited to provide written comments addressed to: ECC/HANH, Admin Plan Revisions; Attn: Evelise Ribeiro, 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06511 or via email to: eribeiro@elmcitycommunities.org.

A public hearing where public comments will be accepted and recorded is scheduled for Monday, August 29, 2022 at 4:00pm via RingCentral: https://v.ringcentral.com/join/9759 43490?pw=2e34ff6769797e68e96a95bb953d0d81

Meeting ID: 975943490 / Password: yozWY5m3ib Or Phone: +12679304000 United States (Philadelphia, PA) Access Code / Meeting ID: 975943490 Dial-in password: 9699956342 Any individual requiring a Reasonable Accommodation to participate in the hearing may call the Reasonable Accommodation Manager (203) 498-8800, ext. 1507 or at the TDD Number (203) 497-8434.

AVISO DE AUDIENCIA PÚBLICA PARA

Invitation to Bid: nd State of Connecticut 2 Notice Office of Policy and Management

LAS COMUNIDADES DE LA CIUDAD DE ELM/AUTORIDAD DE VIVIENDA DE NEWHAVEN (ECC/HANH) ENMIENDA PROPUESTA AL PLAN ADMINISTRATIVO DE AVC (PLAN ADMIN)

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE Elm City Communities, la Autoridad de Vivienda de la Ciudad de New Haven (ECC/

HANH) Old Saybrook, CTpropone modificar secciones de su Plan Administrativo de Vales de Elección de Vivienda (4ofBuildings, 17 Units)(HCV) (Plan Admin).

The State of Connecticut, Office Policy and Management is recruiting Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage de Rate Project de treinta (30) días comienza el lunes 1 de agosto de 2022 y El período comentarios

for a Research Analyst. finaliza el 30 de agosto de 2022.

Further informationWood regarding the Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, CastNew Construction, Framed, duties, eligibility requirements and Las copias de la enmienda al Plan Administrativo de HCV estarán disponibles el lunes 1 in-place Concrete, application instructions for this AsphaltdeShingles, agosto deVinyl 2022Siding, en el sitio web de la agencia www.elmcitycommunities.org o a través positionPainting, are available at: 10 Specialties, Flooring, Division Appliances, Residential Casework, de Twitter, www.twitter.com/ECCommunities o a través de Facebook www.facebook.com/ ElmCityCommunities Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection. https://www.jobapscloud.com/ CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?R1= This contract is subject to state set-asideSe andle contract compliance requirements. invita a proporcionar comentarios por escrito dirigidos a: ECC/HANH, Revisiones 220512&R2=6855AR&R3=001

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR

THE ELM CITY COMMUNITIES/HOUSING AUTHORITY OF NEW HAVEN (ECC/HANH) PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE HCV ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN (ADMIN PLAN)

del plan de administración; Atención: Evelise Ribeiro, 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT

The State of Connecticut is an equal 06511August o por correo Bid Extended, Due Date: 5, 2016electrónico a: eribeiro@elmcitycommunities.org. opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the Anticipated applications Start: August 15, 2016 Una audiencia pública donde se aceptarán y registrarán los comentarios públicos está proof women, minorities, and persons Project documents available via ftp linkelbelow: gramada para lunes 29 de agosto de 2022 a las 4:00 p. m. a través de RingCentral: with disabilities.

https://v.ringcentral.com/join/975943490?pw=2e34ff6769797e68e96a95bb953d0d81 http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage

Identificación de la reunión: 975943490 Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com DRIVER CDLtheCLASS HCC encourages participation of A all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses Contraseña: yozWY5m3ib Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 Full Time –Haynes All Construction Shifts Top

Pay-Full BenefitsAA/EEO EMPLOYER

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

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

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

15

O teléfono: +12679304000 Estados Unidos (Filadelfia, PA) Código de acceso / ID de reunión: 975943490 Contraseña de marcación: 9699956342

Cualquier persona que requiera una Adaptación Razonable para participar en la audiencia puede llamar al Gerente de Adaptación Razonable (203) 498-8800, ext. 1507 o al Número TDD (203) 497-8434.

INNER-CITYNEWS NEWS- July 27, 03 2016 - August 02, 09, 2016 THE INNER-CITY August , 2022 - August 2022

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport

QSR STEEL CORPORATION

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders Top pay for top performers. Health Benefits, 401K, Vacation Pay.

Invitation for Bid (IFB) NOTICE Fireside Apts. New Laundry Room Solicitation Number: 216-MD-22-S

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) is requesting sealed forof Renovation UFAS Compliance Laundry Room Authority, at Fireside HOME INC, onbids behalf Columbusfor House and the New Haven Housing Apartments. package be and available on July 11, 2022. To at obtain a copy is acceptingSolicitation pre-applications forwill studio one-bedroom apartments this develof opment the solicitation you must send your request to bids@parkcitycommunities.org, located at 108 Frank Street, New Haven. Maximum income limitationsplease apreference solicitation number title onfrom the subject line.

A pre-bid conference ply. Pre-applications will beand available 9AM TO 5PM beginning Mondaywill Ju;ybe held 655 Palisade Ave,when Bridgeport, CT pre-applications 06610 on July 27,(approximately 2022 @ 10:00 100) a.m. Atten25,at2016 and ending sufficient have dance mandatory, submitting for the project without attending conference beenis received at the offices aofbid HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon will rebe quest REJECTED. questions should beduring emailed onlyhours. to bids@parkcitycomby callingAdditional HOME INC at 203-562-4663 those Completed premunities.org no later than August 3, 2022 at 3:00 PM Answers to all the questions will applications must be returned to HOME INC’s offices at 171 Orange Street, Third be posted on PCC’s Website: www.parkcitycommunities.org. Seal bids will be received Floor, New Haven, CT 06510. until August 10, 2022 @ 10:00 a.m. at which time the bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.

NOTICIA

360MACRI MANAGEMENT GROUP,DISPONIBLES CO. VALENTINA VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES Invitation for Bids Mill River Trash Removal

HOME INC, en nombre de la Columbus House y de la New Haven Housing Authority, está aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de un dormitorio en este desarrollo ubicado en la calle 109 Frank Street, New Haven. Se aplican limitaciones de ingresos máximos. Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 360 Management Group,seCo. currently seekingpre-solicitudes bids for Mill(aproximadamente River Trash Removal. julio, 2016 hasta cuando hanisrecibido suficientes 100) A complete copydeofHOME the requirement may be obtained from 360 Management Group’s en las oficinas INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas por correo a petición Vendor Collaboration https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gatellamando a HOME INCPortal al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse way beginning onHOME INC en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510 . a las oficinas de

Wednesday, July 27, 2022 at 3:00PM.

CAD Drafter

Proficient, self-motivated CAD professional needed to perform 3D drafting of major commercial electrical projects. Candidates should be well versed in AutoCAD, Revit, and Navisworks. Some electrical background required. Ave Degree from a respected techni242-258 Fairmont cal school a plus. Must be capable of juggling multiple projects simultaneously. Excel2BRtsTownhouse, 1.5toBA, 1 level , 1BA lent comp/benefi packets. Send resume Ducci3BR, Electrical Contractors, Inc. 74 Scott SwampAllRd. Farmington, CT new 06032 or via e-mail to carpet, humanresources@duccielectrical. new apartments, appliances, new close to I-91 & I-95 com. An affirmative highways, action equalnear opportunity EOE/M/F/D/V bus stopemployer. & shopping center

NEW HAVEN

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

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF DANBURY

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

Vacant Unit Restoration

St. New Haven, CT

RFP No. P22003

SCOPE:

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

The Housing Authority of the City of Danbury hereby issues this Request for Proposal to secure a contract to perform Sealed bids are Vacant invited byUnit the Housing Authority of the Town of Seymour Restoration Services until 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at its office at 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 for Concrete Sidewalk Repairs and Replacement at the PROPOSALLiving SUBMITTAL RETURN: Smithfield GardensofAssisted Facility, Smith Seymour.

Housing Authority the City of Danbury, 2 Mill26 Ridge Rd,Street Danbury, CT 06811 Envelope Must be Marked: RFP No. P22003, Vacant Unit Restoration

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

September 1, 2022 at 10:00am (EST)

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

Go to: www.hacdct.org “Bidding Opportunities” [Minority- and/or women-owned businesses are encouraged to respond]

The Housing Authority reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, to reduce the scope of the project to reflect available funding, and to waive any informalities in the bidding, if such actions are in the best interest of the

APPLY NOW! Email Resume: Rose@qsrsteel.com Hartford, CT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

DELIVERY PERSON

NEEDED Must Have your Own Vehicle If Interested call

Part Time Delivery Needed One/Two Day a Week,

(203) 435-1387

Town of Bloomfield Community Engagement & Public Relations Coordinator Salary Range $75,835 to $117,057 Pre-employment drug testing.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR

THE ELM CITY COMMUNITIES/HOUSING AUTHORITY OF NEWHAVEN (ECC/HANH) PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE FAMILY SELF SUFFICIENCY (FSS) ACTION PLAN Elm City Communities, the Housing Authority of the City of New Haven (ECC/HANH) is proposing to amend the Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) Action Plan. This plan governs all activities for the Family Self-Sufficiency Program.

The comment period begins on August 1, 2022, and ends on August 30, 2022.

Copies of the amendment to the FSS Action Plan will be made available on Monday, August 1, 2022 on the agency website www.elmcitycommunities.org or via Twitter, www. twitter.com/ECCommunities or via Facebook www.facebook.com/ElmCityCommunities You are invited to provide written comments addressed to: ECC/HANH, FSS Action Plan Revisions; Attn: LaToya Mills or Melody Ramos, 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06511 or via email to: lmccrea@elmcitycommunities.org or mramos@elmcitycommuities. org.

A public hearing where public comments will be accepted and recorded is scheduled for Tuesday, August 30, 2022, at 4:00pm via RingCentral: https://v.ringcentral.com/join/13 6944979?pw=2fcfea64113c9b72f3379688df9cb2a8 Meeting ID: 136944979 Password: eadfoQq0u9 One tap to join audio only from a smartphone: +12679304000,,136944979#,,3233677089# United States (Philadelphia, PA) Or dial: +12679304000 United States (Philadelphia, PA) Access Code / Meeting ID: 136944979 Dial-in password: 3233677089 Any individual requiring a Reasonable Accommodation to participate in the hearing may call the Reasonable Accommodation Manager (203) 498-8800, ext. 1507 or at the TDD Number (203) 497-8434.

AVISO DE AUDIENCIA PÚBLICA PARA LAS COMUNIDADES DE LA AUTORIDAD AA/EOE. Invitation to Bid: DE VIVIENDA DE LA CIUDAD DE NEW HAVEN (ECC/HANH) For Details go to www.bloomfieldct.orgnd 2 Notice PROPUESTA DE ENMIENDA AL PLAN DE ACCION DEL SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE PROGRAMA DE AUTOSUFICIENCIA FAMILIAR (FSS) SENIOR ADMINITRATIVE Old Saybrook, CT (4 Buildings,La17comunidad Units) de Elm City, Autoridad de Vivienda de la Ciudad de New Haven (ECC/ HANH) propone modificar el Plan de Accion del programa de Autosuficiencia Familiar Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage (FSS).

EsteRate planProject rige todas las actividades del Programa de Autosuficiencia Famliar.

ASSISTANT Full-time position

El Selective período deDemolition, comentarios comienzaCastel 1 de Augusto de 2022 y finaliza el 30 de Augusto New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Site-work, de 2022. Las copias de la enmienda al Plan de Accion de Autosuficiencia Familiar estarán Go to www.portlandct.org for detailsAsphalt Shingles, Vinyl Siding, in-place Concrete, disponibles el Lunes 1 de Augusto de 2022 en la pagina web de la agencia www.elmciFlooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential tycommunities.org o a travésCasework, de Twitter, www.twitter.com/ECCommunities o a través de Facebook Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and www.facebook.com/ElmCityCommunities Fire Protection.

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

Office of Policy invita a dirigir comentarios por escrito a: ECC/HANH, Revisiones al Plan de Accion

and Management

de FSS; Atención: LaToya Mills o Melody Ramos, 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT

06511 o por 5, correo Bid Extended, Due Date: August 2016electrónico a: lmccrea@elmcitycommunities.org or mramos@elmciThe State of Connecticut, tycommunities.org.

Anticipated Office of Policy and Management is Start: August 15, 2016 recruiting for a Leadership Project Associate documents available via ftp linkpública below:donde se aceptarán y registrarán los comentarios públicos está proUna audiencia (Confidential) Target class: Agency gramada para el martes 30 de Augusto de 2022 a las 4:00 p.m. a través de la aplicacion http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage Labor Relations Specialists. de RingCentral: https://v.ringcentral.com/join/136944979?pw=2fcfea64113c9b72f337968

Further information regarding the 8df9cb2a8 duties, eligibility requirements and Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Identificación de la reunión: 136944979 application instructions for this of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified HCC encourages the participation Businesses Contraseña: eadfoQq0u9 position Haynes are available at: Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 https://www.jobapscloud.com/AA/EEO EMPLOYER CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?R1= 220621&R2=5989VR&R3=001 The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

16

O teléfono: 136944979Estados Unidos (Filadelfia, PA) Código de acceso / No. de reunión: 136944979 Contraseña de marcación: 3233677089

Cualquier individuo que requiera una Acomodacion Razonable para participar en la audiencia puede llamar al Gerente de Acomodacion Razonable al (203) 498-8800, ext. 1507 o al Número TDD (203) 497-8434.

INNER-CITYNEWS NEWS- August July 27,03 2016 - August 02, 2016 THE INNER-CITY , 2022 - August 09, 2022

NOTICE LAROSA GROUPS IS GROWING LaRosa Building Group LLC, a General Contractor is currently looking to add the VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE-toAPPLICATIONS AVAILABLE following full-time positions our Team:

Project Manager HOME INC, on behalf of Columbus House and the New Haven Housing Authority, Assistant Project Manager/Project Engineer is accepting pre-applications for studio and one-bedroom apartments at this develSuperintendent opment located at 108 Frank Street, New Haven. Maximum income limitations apply. Pre-applications will be available from 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y LaRosa Earth Group LLC, a Site/Excavation Company is currently looking 25, 2016 and ending when sufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) have to add the following full-time positions to our Team: been received at the offices of HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon request by calling HOMEHeavy INC at Equipment 203-562-4663Operators during those hours. Completed preapplications must be returnedSkilled to HOMELaborers INC’s offices at 171 Orange Street, Third Floor, New Haven, CT 06510.

Please submit resumes to HR@LAROSABG.COM or stop by our main office to fill out an application: 163Research Parkway Meriden, CT.

NOTICIA

Salary will MACRI be commensurate experiencePRE-SOLICITUDES and best fit for theDISPONIBLES positions.

VALENTINA VIVIENDASwith DE ALQUILER

Health plan; 401K; company- paid holidays in addition to paid time off.

LaRosa Action/ Opportunity Employer HOME INC, enGroups nombreisdeanlaAffirmative Columbus House y deEqual la New Haven Housing Authority, está who pre-solicitudes values diversity and encourages all qualified aceptando para estudios y apartamentos de unapplicants dormitorio to en apply. este desarrollo

ubicado en la calle 109 Frank Street, New Haven. Se aplican limitaciones de ingresos

máximos.

Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 Martes 25 The Housing Authority of the Cityp.m. ofcomenzando Bridgeport julio, 2016 hasta cuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100) Request for Qualification (RFQ)

en las oficinas deDevelopment HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas of por correo a petición Partner for the Revitalization llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse Greene Homes Development a las oficinas de HOMESolicitation INC en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510 .

Number: 214-EO-22-S The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) is seeking Statements of Qualifications from interested and qualified real estate developers for the Redevelopment of C.F. Greene Homes. Solicitation package will be available on July 5, 2022, to obtain a copy of the solicitation you must send your request to bids@parkcitycommunities.org, please reference solicitation number and title on the subject line. A pre-proposal conference will be held via conference call on July 22, 2022, @ 11:00 a.m. Although242-258 attendance is not mandatory, submitting a bid for the projFairmont Ave ect without attending conference is not in the best interest of the Offeror. Additional 2BRbeTownhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 level ,no1BA questions should emailed only to bids@parkcitycommunities.org later than July 26, 2022 3:00 p.m. Answers to appliances, all the questions be posted onI-91 PCC’s Website: All@new apartments, new new will carpet, close to & I-95 www.parkcitycommunities.org. shall &beshopping mailed, or hand delivered by July highways, Proposals near bus stop center 29, 2022 @ 3:00 PM, to Ms. Caroline Sanchez, Director of Procurement, 150 Highland Pet underCT 40lb06604. allowed.

Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258 Ave, Bridgeport, Late proposals will not be accepted.

NEW HAVEN

Construction

CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s Certificate Program. This is a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday, August 20, 2016 1:30Seeking to employ experienced individuals in the labor, foreman, operator and teamster 3:30 Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, M.S., B.S. trades a heavy outside Reliable personal transportation a valid (203)for 996-4517 Host, General work Bishop statewide.

Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Churchand 64 Brewster

drivers license To apply please call (860) 621-1720 or send resume to: PersonSt. New Haven, required.

CT nel Department, P.O. Box 368, Cheshire, CT06410.

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

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

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

Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Specialist

A pre-bid conference will be held at the Housing Authority Office 28 Smith Elm City Communities is currently seeking proposals for a Housing Choice Voucher Street Seymour, CT at 10:00 am, on Wednesday, July 20, 2016.

(HCV) Specialist. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City Communities’ Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesysbeginning on Housing Authority OfBidding documents aretems.com/gateway available from the Seymour

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

Wednesday, July 20, 2022 at 3:00PM. The Housing Authority reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, to reduce the scope of the project to reflect available funding, and to waive any

THE GLENDOWER GROUP, INC. Request for Proposals

Construction Manager at Risk for St. Luke’s Redevelopment The Glendower Group, Inc. is currently seeking proposals for a Construction Manager at Risk for St. Luke’s Redevelopment. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Glendower’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems. com/gateway beginning on Monday, June 20, 2022 at 3:00PM.

Construction

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

QSR STEEL CORPORATION

APPLY NOW!

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

Seeking to employ experienced individuals in the labor, foreman, operator and teamster trades for a heavy outside work statewide. Reliable personal transportation and a valid drivers license required. To apply please call (860) 621-1720 or send resume to: Personnel Department, P.O. Box 368, Cheshire, CT06410.

Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V

Town of Bloomfield Building Maintainer

$25.37 hourly – full time, benefited Pre-employment drug testing.

For more details, visit our website – www.bloomfieldct.org

Deadline: August 11, 2022

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES Invitation for Bids Robert T. Wolfe Generator Replacement

Town of Bloomfield

Police Officer

Elm City Communities is currently seeking bids for Robert T. Wolfe Generator Replacement. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City Communities’ Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.

Invitation to Bid: com/gateway beginning on nd

$78,885 annually – full time, benefited Pre-employment drug testing.

For more details, visit our website – www.bloomfieldct.org

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE Monday, August 1, 2022 at 3:00PM.

Deadline: Rolling application process – no deadline to apply

2 Notice

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

APPLY NOW!

PUBLIC WORKS

New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, CastMAINTAINER II - Performs a variety of semi-skilled tasks in road and grounds mainin-place Concrete, Asphalttenance.

Shingles,Must Vinylpossess Siding,2 years’ experience as laborer in construction work involving Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, operation and care of trucks and other mechanical equipment used in construction OR Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders two (2) years training in one of the skilled trades and one (1) year of experience in Electrical, Top pay for topMechanical, performers.

Health Plumbing and Fire Protection. construction operations OR an equivalent combination of experience and training. Must Benefits, 401K, Vacation Pay.set-aside and contract compliance requirements.

This contract is subject to state possess and maintain a valid commercial driver’s license (CDL) Class B to operate equipment. (Provide a copy of your CDL license with your application) $23.73 - $27.82 Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016 may be obtained at the Department of Human Resources, 45 S. Hourly.

Applications Main Street, Room 301, Wallingford CT 06492. Forms will be mailed upon request Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016 from the Department of Human Resources or may be downloaded from the Department Project documents available via ftp link below: of Human Resources Web Page. Fax (203)-294-2084 Phone: (203)-294-2080. The closhttp://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage ing date will be the date the 50th application or resume is received or August 17, 2022, whichever occurs first. EOE Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran,Ducci S/W/MBEElectrical & Section 3 Certified Businesses Inc. seeks experienced ESTIMATOR to handle mulContractors, Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, tiple large projectsCT in 06483 the field of Electrical Construction. Full-time position. 5+ years AA/EEO EMPLOYER experience in the following types of projects is preferred: Health care, Data centers, Educational, Industrial, Commercial, DOT, & Railroad. Electrical license E-2 or above preferred. Excellent compensation and benefits package. Send resume to Ducci Electrical Contractors, Inc. 74 Scott Swamp Rd. Farmington, CT 06032 or via email at Go to www.portlandct.org for details humanresources@duccielectrical.com.

An affirmative action equal opportunity employer. EOE/M/F/D/V. Email Resume: Rose@qsrsteel.com Hartford, CT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Portland

Director of Public Works full-time

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 03, 2022 - August 09, 2022

Concentric Educational Solutions puts students at the center of its work

bridging the gap between school and home

By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, Report for America Corps Member

David Heiber founded Concentric Educational Solutions (CES) in 2010 to bridge the gap between home and the classroom.

The word “concentric” means having a common center, and under Heiber’s direction, students are at the center of all of the company’s efforts.

The organization’s mission is to support students, families and schools by identifying obstacles that negatively impact students’ education. Services and resources are then provided to improve student outcomes.

Before the company’s launch, Heiber worked as a teacher and school administrator in Baltimore and D.C. He noticed how under-informed educators were about their students’ home and personal lives, which can have permeating effects on their success in the classroom.

“I just thought that we really misunderstood our students, and that we were trying to ‘fix them’ without understanding them,” said Heiber.

CES’ work began in D.C. at Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy, but today, the company has served over 200 schools across 15 states, impacting over 350,000 students.

The magic of the companies’ work lies in its home visits that are conducted by professional student advocates, many of whom are historically, Black college and university (HBCU) graduates, to under-

stand the factors contributing to students’ absenteeism, academic challenges and behavioral issues.

Heiber, himself, often played truant as a teenager. He was a cross country and track star, and during his senior year of high school, he had multiple scholarship offers to run for Division I schools.

Heiber said because of his talent on the track, he thought it was acceptable for him to leave school during the day. His grandparents, who raised him, petitioned him to stay in school, and one day he did– but he skipped classes to go to all three lunch periods.

During the third lunch, his assistant principal found him. He didn’t scold Heiber for cutting class. Instead, he said he had been searching for Heiber for several hours to inform him that there had been a family emergency.

His grandfather had had a massive heart attack, and when Heiber finally got to the hospital, he was dead.

A little over a month later, his grandmother was diagnosed with lung cancer, and Heiber’s life took a turn. He got involved in criminal activity and was sent to prison for second degree burglary.

While there, his grandmother died from the cancer, and he was not able to attend her funeral services.

This led Heiber to turn his life around.

He earned his GED diploma and got involved with an alternative program whose facilitators ultimately wrote to the judge overseeing Heiber’s case and asked him to

amend his sentence. The judge complied.

Heiber said it was God’s grace that got him back on track and allowed him to become an educator and now, seasoned entrepreneur.

While home visits are the cornerstone of CES’ work, the company has most recently added mentoring and tutoring services that are also led by professional student advocates. This engenders a holistic approach where instructional materials are paired with social emotional learning and family engagement.

The company has vowed to be an evidence- and research-based organization, and currently, Johns Hopkins is conducting research to evaluate the efficacy of its services. Thus far, the business has learned that students want to have more frequent mentoring and tutoring sessions with longer durations.

“Next Level” will be CES’ theme for the 2022-2023 school year, and in the near future, the company will release a pictorial history and documentary depicting students’ and educators’ experiences with its services and a book to delineate its strategies and program framework.

“We want to continue to improve our work, and we want to make sure that we continue to impact more students, and that’s through strategic growth,” said Heiber. “I don’t want to grow just for the sake of growing. I want to make sure that we’re growing with intention and we’re constantly getting better.”

5 Ways To Help Your Child Make The Back-To-School Transition pack, binder, lunchbox or cafeteria money — will help make the first morning go smoothly.

Having healthy, yet kid-friendly lunches will help keep them energized throughout the day.

Also, walking through the building and visiting your child’s locker and classroom will help ease the anxiety of the unknown.

2. Get to know your neighbors.

If your child is starting a new school, walk around your block and get to know the neighborhood children. Try and set up a play date, or, for an older child, find out where neighborhood kids might go to safely hang out, like the community pool, recreation center or park.

3. Talk to your child.

Asking your children about their fears or worries about going back to school will help them share their burdens.

Inquire about what they liked about their previous school or grade and see how those positives can be incorporated into their new experience.

4. Empathize with your children.

Change can be difficult, but also exciting.

Let your children know that you are aware

Dr. Erlanger Turner, BlackDoctor.org

For many families, it’s that time of year when students return to school. Parents and children are adjusting to starting school, whether that involves going to a new school or transitioning back to their previous school. This can be easy for some families, while others may be worried or anxious about how their child will cope with returning to school.

According to the National Association of School Psychologists, it is important to make sure your child gets off to a good start because it can influence your child’s attitude, confidence, and social and academic performance.

To help improve adjustment and decrease difficulties, it is necessary for parents to be prepared. The following suggestions from the American Psychological Association may be helpful for parents to help their child transition back to school.

1. Practice the first day of school routine.

Getting into a sleep routine before the first week of school will aid in easing the shock of waking up early.

Organizing things at home — back-

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of what they’re going through and that you will be there to help them in the process.

Nerves are normal, but highlight that not everything that is different is necessarily bad. It is important to encourage your children to face their fears instead of falling into the trap of encouraging avoidance.

5. Get involved and ask for help.

Knowledge of the school and the community will better equip you to understand your child’s surroundings and the transition he or she is undergoing. Meeting members of your community and school will foster support for both you and your child.

If you feel the stress of the school year is too much for you and your child to handle on your own, seeking expert advice from a mental health professional, such as a psychologist, will help you better manage and cope.

Dr. Erlanger Turner, often referred to by his clients as Dr. Earl, is a licensed psychologist and assistant professor of psychology at the University of Houston Downtown. You can follow Dr. Turner on Twitter @DrEarlTurner for daily post on psychology, mental health, and parenting.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 03, 2022 - August 09, 2022

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - August 03, 2022 - August 09, 2022

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