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At LIT Fest, The Future Is Black

by Lucy Gellman, Editor, The Arts Paper www.newhavenartspaper.org

On the first floor of Stetson Library, listeners were on a trip to the Caribbean, following the journey of storybook char acters Malachi and Karelle. Perched on a soft, seafoam-green stool, author Rosa mond White turned the page, and sudden ly her protagonists were on an airplane, flying above the Atlantic Ocean. Beneath them, Guadeloupe’s island of Basse-Terre beckoned, covered in a canopy of green. She looked up.

“You see, you can have more than one home,” she said. “And sometimes, home is so much more than a building.”

That sense of adventure seized Stetson Library and the Dixwell Community Q House Saturday, as the third annual Elm City LIT Fest arrived with a celebration of Black books, poetry, music and food in New Haven. From Stetson to the Q House gymnasium to plazas on both sides of Dixwell Avenue, artists put their spin on “Black To The Future,” a central theme meant to lift up Afrofuturism in all its forms. Like last year’s festival, it has con tinued to grow, with a vendor fair, author panels, workshops, and live performances throughout the day.

“It means envisioning a future of our own,” said festival and Kulturally LIT Founder IfeMichelle Gardin, who has grown the festival from a community book club into a six-hour celebration of literature across the African diaspora.

“Like, empowering people—that’s why we’re bringing LIT Fest into the fold. It’s bringing people awareness of their own culture, so they can empower themselves to move forward as their authentic selves, to save our community, and to build it.”

Across the library and the Q House, that empowerment took dozens of forms, from cosplay and children’s literature to com posing. In a sun-soaked alcove on the first floor, half a dozen kids gathered around White, listening as her Antiguan lilt sailed softly through the space. As she read, 8-year-old Alec Gordon leaned in, his ears catching on a story that sounded familiar. He later told White and fellow listeners that his second home is his father’s home island of Jamaica.

For White, who lives in East Hartford, that kind of feedback is exactly why she wrote the book. Born in Antigua, she first came to the U.S. as a teenager, and spent her young adult years in Brooklyn. It meant that she grew up with a foot be tween worlds, she said—an experience shared by so many immigrants in and be yond Connecticut.

When she decided to write down her story, she connected with Lauren Simone Publishing House, a Black-owned, moth er-daughter operation in East Hartford that specializes in children’s books with protagonists of color. Saturday, found ers Melissa-Sue John and daughter, Ol

ivia Lauren, listened as White and fellow Black authors ushered in the afternoon with their words.

By the time White had yielded the floor to Fitzroy Gordon, the author of Cyberse curity Explorers, at least a dozen attend ees filled the space. Turning on a video accompaniment, Gordon pulled up the symbols for Discord, Roblox and Meta and asked attendees to identify them. As he spoke, a pint-sized superhero entered the room, making his way over to a table to listen. His cape trailed noiselessly be hind him.

Just feet away from their readers, au thors showed young readers how it was possible to travel across the country— and the world—without ever leaving the library. With her book Down South for the Summer, New Havener Patricia Bel lamy-Mathis took listeners on a road trip to South Carolina, transporting them to a wide, grassy plot of land on which her grandparents had a thriving garden and house that was always full of laughter and conversation. She turned a page, the il lustrations bright, and kept reading as her infant daughter Nova fell asleep in a fabric sling on her chest.

Minutes later, Olivia Lauren cracked open her Guide To Modes of Transpor tation, and began to read. Alec and An toine Gordon looked on, delighted as Olivia pointed to horse-drawn carriages, big transport vans, and rocket ships with bright plumes of smoke coming out of their engines. Antoine, who is in eighth grade, later said that events like LIT Fest help him feel inspired to write.

“I think it’s really cool,” Olivia later said of LIT Fest. “It’s been really nice to meet them [other authors] and have them share their experience and their stories.”

John applauded the festival’s focus on a multiplicity of Black voices, from chil dren’s books on travel, migration and fam ily to James Baldwin, science fiction, and poetry delivered in at least two languages before the end of the day.

“It’s just nice to get that representation, that visibility,” she said. “You see other voices doing the same work.”

Masked Magic & Magnificent Dreaming

On the second floor, conversation rose in short, quiet bursts across a small maker space as the artists Candyce “Marsh” John and Rita Charles helped attendees craft Afrofuturist masks with feathers, lace, ribbon, thick markers, and all manner of googly eyes.

At one side of the table, five-year-old Z’mir and his mom Zequanda Wright pored over a pad of yellow construction paper, plotting their next design. At the other, Stephanie Greenlea and six-yearold Zora worked on a rainbow-patterned mask.

Already, Z’mir rocked a silver-tinted mask, with two large snowflake shapes

and red feathers that matched his back wards baseball cap. At the top of each feather, a single googly eye looked out into the space. Marsh studied the design, two blue construction paper antennae sticking out from her head as she came in close.

From across the room, she appeared parthuman, part-bird, with white and orange plumage blooming from her eyes. Some thing Daedalean tugged at the corners of her mouth.

“I’m an alien,” she said. “I just got stuck here a long time ago.”

“The eyes are windows,” Z’mir answered, so quiet when he spoke that a listener had to lean in to hear. Marsh sat with the state ment for a moment, as if someone had just told her that the universe was expanding for the first time. Then she snapped back to artmaking, writing out Z’mir’s name in black marker.

Z’mir giggled, and soon the laughter was contagious. Six-year-old Zora looked up from her mask to take in the creature who emerged before her. Beside her, her mom Stephanie shaded in neat blocks of color on a mask. Charles, who does sen sory bottles, gingerly unraveled a length of delicate gold ribbon, and began to snip.

Literary recommendations flew around the room, from New Havener Tochi On yebuchi’s Goliath to the Skippyjon Jones series for children. Outside the window, attendees headed past, some in cloaks and tiaras to match the day’s theme. When Empath Vintage owner Ashleigh Hucka bey struck a pose, paintings of Angela Davis and James Baldwin from the artist Katro Storm shone back in her frames.

Back inside, the mask making showed no sign of stopping. Wright, who just fin ished her graduate degree in recreation and leisure at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU), said she was thrilled to see the impact that art could have on young people at such an event. She praised LIT Fest’s focus on Black authors and artists from across Connecticut.

“I feel really rooted and lifted up in a sense,” she said.

“My Joy Is Revolutionary”

One room over, BAMN Books Founder Nyzae James and composer Joel Thomp son wound the clock back to the work of James Baldwin, which both agreed echoes today. Speaking on the eve of Thomp son’s “To Awaken The Sleeper” with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, James pushed on the specific use of Baldwin, which Thompson singled out among other Black writers, intellectuals, and activists of his era.

“Of all the writers and activists that you could choose from, why Baldwin?” she asked.

Thompson didn’t need to take a beat. He recalled reading “My Dungeon Shook,” an essay written as a letter to Baldwin’s nephew and namesake James, for the first time in college. As he processed the words, “I felt like he was talking to little old me,” he said. The work later became the inspiration for his “My Dungeon Shook: Three American Preludes,” As he spoke, he pulled one hand into his chest and smiled, in a gesture of shared intimacy with Baldwin that transcended space and time.

James had a similar experience, she said. When she was 17, she picked up Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time for the first time. She understood the fire and fury and sheer, elo quent rage with which he wrote, she said.

When she picked it up again in 2020, “it hit different,” she said. Everything she had felt acutely at 17 was suddenly amplified at 23, in the midst of parallel pandemics that threatened Black people in America. It was one of the moments that led her to start a mobile bookstore focused on revo lutionary Black voices, all of which she had to find outside the classroom.

“How do you feel art and activism col lide?” she asked.

Thompson paused, grappling with the label for a moment. Seven years after his Seven Last Words of the Unarmed made it out into the world, he still struggles with the title of artist-activist that is sometimes thrust onto his work and onto him.

“I think there needs to be a distinction between what we do [and activism],” he said. During his time in Atlanta, he said, he worked with organizers running un derground “Freedom Schools,” designed to get undocumented students the credit they needed to attend college out of state. The state currently has some of the most restrictive legislation for undocumented students in the country, including a ban on attending public universities.

That’s what he thinks of when he hears “activist,” he said.

“I think both artistry and activism have been sort of subsumed by a capitalist ma chine,” he added, as a chorus of snapping filled the room in agreement. “We end up sometimes performing in activism.”

For him, he continued, the antidote is joy.

Before Thompson’s Seven Last Words premiered at the University of Michigan in 2015, alumni of the school’s glee club wrote in protest of the work to choral con ductor Eugene Rogers. When it was on tour in Washington, D.C. the following year, an attendee stood up, theatrically ripped their program, and walked out dur ing the performance.

Seven years later—and after the social upheaval of 2020—choirs sometimes pro

Bonuses Nixed After Teachers’ Union Critique

by MAYA MCFADDEN

The Board of Education voted to rescind its previous approval of $5,000 sign-on bonuses after the teachers’ union criticized the incentive plan as being crafted without the input of local educators.

Ed board members took that vote Monday night during the latest regular biweekly meeting of the Board of Education, which was held on Zoom.

The vote cancelled a vote from earlier this month that had OK’d the New Haven Public Schools’ (NHPS) latest effort to recruit more educators for high vacancy areas like teachers, paraprofessionals, social workers, and safety officers.

The reason for the reversal was not because the district has filled its more than 80 vacancies amid the ongoing teacher shortage.

Instead, the Board of Ed rescinded its vote after the teachers’ union served the district with a notice alleging unfair labor practices and a violation of bargaining rights.

During the public comment section of Monday’s meeting, teachers’ union President Leslie Blatteau told the board that “our union is not opposed to using grant funding to address the teacher shortage and improve wages for employees.”

But, she said, she and her colleagues are opposed to how the district did not seek proper input from teachers when putting together the previously approved bonus plan.

“We are opposed to unilateral decision making by management when it comes to employee compensation, which is something we as a union have a right to negotiate,” she said.

While NHPS Superintendent Iline Tracey insisted that the district does have the proper authority under the union contract

to offer sign-on bonuses, she nevertheless recommended on Monday night that the Board of Education rescind its previous approval in order to maintain a strong partnership with the unions and to avoid the possible perception that the district bargained in bad faith.

The now-cancelled initiative had previously been approved at the Board of Ed’s last regular meeting on Oct. 11. The proposed effort was to be funded by federal pandemic-relief money and would have offered tiered signing bonuses and increased hourly rates for educators who staffed before- and after-school programming. Teachers’ Union Prez: “Process

Matters”

During Monday’s meeting, Blatteau said the teachers’ union and the paraprofessionals’ union are ready to sign a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the district as soon as possible to increase hourly wages for staff working overtime before and after school.

Reached over the phone after Monday’s meeting, Blatteau insisted that “process matters” and that the teachers’ union and its union siblings like the paraprofessionals union must be afforded their right to negotiate educator pay.

While not opposed to a pay increase or more incentives to recruit educators,

Blatteau said the unions deserve a seat at the table.

If the teachers’ union was brought to the table when crafting the recruitment plan, Blatteau said, she would have liked to ask about how the district came up with the tiered bonus amounts and who qualifies for the bonuses. She would have also liked to have talked with district leadership to brainstorm possible plans for how to reward current teachers.

Blatteau concluded that the teachers’ union hopes to maintain and strengthen its collaboration with the school district.

The before and after school pay bump would have increased teachers’ pay rates to $45 per hour, paras to $25 per hour, and building leaders’ to $50 per hour. The bonus plan would have offered individuals taking on hard-to-fill jobs (tier 1) — such as math teachers, special education professionals, school psychologists, and health professionals — a maximum bonus of $5,000.

Tier two labeled as “high vacancy areas” included a $2,500 bonus for social workers, counselors, and safety officers. New paraprofessionals, meanwhile, would’ve received $1,250 each for tier four.

A $1,000 general signing bonus was also a part of the plan for tier three, which included teachers for art, English, and computer education.

In NHPS Superintendent Iline Tracey’s notice to the Board of Education, she said the district is allowed to offer sign on bonuses as incentives to attract staff in special areas according to Xll, Section 7 of the union’s bargaining contract. Tracey added that the teachers’ union lawyer served her with a cease and desist letter for the approved motion.

Tracey also said that the Board of Education’s lawyer received a notice that the

Con’t on page 08

Dancers Bring The Beat To Hill Arts Museum

by ABIBA BIAO

Two dance crews collaborated to create improvised choreography in front of a live audience and towering pencildrawn cityscapes — and in turn helped raised money for a West Street arts gallery.

That artistic intersection took place Saturday afternoon inside the Hill Museum of Arts, a 210 West St. arts space founded and run by Krikko Obbott to showcase his own pencil drawings of cities ranging from New Haven to New York to Lagos, Nigeria.

The fundraiser brought in money to the museum through ticket sales for the dance show, and saw performers from two troupes — SYREN Modern Dance and kamrDANCE — perform individual sets before coming together for an improvised session incorporating audience input. Audience members had an opportunity to not only watch the dancers move, but

to observe Obbott’s drawings and try out refreshments provided by Katalina’s Bakery, Olmo Baglery, and OddBins Bottle Shop.

SYREN Modern Dance is a New York based dance company, even though its cofounder Lynn Peterson is a New Haven resident. Peterson said she wanted to join forces with the Hill Museum “bring more dance to the New Haven community.”

“We make dances to share universal things in humanity that we all feel,” Peterson said. “We just happen to do it through movement. But I guarantee, if you come out and try and take a peek, you might find yourself surprised with what you can connect with and what we’re doing.”

The music selection was from Calimossa, a Los Angeles-based music producer and composer. Co-founder and choreographer of SYREN Kate Sutter narrated the audience through the improvisation process while Peterson and dancer mem-

bers Rivkins Christopher and Victoria Ellis made up a spontaneous performance.

Alexis Robbins, 29, the artistic director and choreographer of kamrDANCE said that the inspiration for her piece came from her father Mark Robbins and his 1990s band Mercy Velvet. She grew up around her dad’s musical talents, listening to “feminist 90s alternative rock” and wanted to share that influence with others.

“I’m having those feelings of like, ‘Where am I headed in life? What legacy am I leaving?’ Like, people haven’t heard this music and it’s like, deeply affected me so much. Can I bring it back to life?”

The performance meant a lot to her because her parents were in the audience and came down from Rhode Island to see her dance. The routine was set to Addiction, one song out of a 10-track album. Robbins hopes to expand the routine and create choreography to the whole album

accompanied by a live band performance.

Robbins said she was grateful for their support. “I was feeling extra nervous because I was like, ‘I’m gonna share this brand new, half-baked, partially-baked thought in front of the person that made the music over 20 years ago.’ So that was a lot of feelings wrapped up at once. But also just grateful that they made the trip and that they’re here just to experience anything.”

Robbins also emphasized the importance of financial funding for arts and support from outside audiences. “We’re making magic happen as opposed to what could be happening outside in this insane world. Art could save our lives if we spent more time doing it. So let’s spend more time doing it,” she said.

SYREN and kamrDANCE will be performing Dec. 2nd at Arts on Site, New York and in May 2023 at Give Me in New York City.

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THOMAS BREEN FILE PHOTO Supt. Tracey: Teachers' union has claimed "unfair labor practice.”

City Pumps Lead Poisoning Prevention

by THOMAS BREEN |

New Haven property owners can receive up to $15,000 per apartment from City Hall to help cover the costs of making their homes lead-safe — while city government watchdogs can now keep track online of how the Health Department is doing in making local houses less toxic for children to live in.

Those were just a few of the takeaways of a lead-poisoning-focused press conference hosted by Mayor Justin Elicker and city Environmental Health Director Rafael Ramos on Pierpont Street on Thursday morning.

Standing in front of a freshly painted and recently lead-abated two-family house and alongside Fair Haven Alder Sarah Miller, Dixwell/Prospect Hill/Newhallville Alder Steve Winter, and a half-dozen city health workers, Elicker and Ramos noted that National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week starts on Sunday and runs through next Saturday.

In that vein, the Elicker Administration has launched a new website dubbed the “New Haven Blood Lead Case Dashboard.” It provides a clear rundown of when and how the city’s Health Department responds when a child tests as having an elevated blood lead level of at least 5 micrograms per deciliter, as well as sta-

tistics on how many such cases the Health Department has seen, started working on, and closed out over the past three years.

The mayor also spoke about how, since

he took office roughly three years ago, his administration has prioritized hiring more lead paint inspectors. It has digitized the Health Department’s lead

inspection records, educated parents and landlords alike about the dangers of child lead poisoning and about how many such lead hazards in the city consist of flaking and chipping paint in houses from before 1978, and followed the city’s strengthened lead law as updated by the Board of Alders in 2019.

“New Haven has a very aggressive strategy for how to increase safety” for children vulnerable to lead poisoning, Elicker said. He described the newly launched online dashboard as “another tool of transparency to digitize our records.”

“It is imperative that we educate the public” about the dangers of child lead poisoning, Ramos said, which can lead to lifelong cognitive and behavioral harms.

Next week, he said, community health care workers like Becky Mayberry will be going to daycare centers and schools across the city to talk with teachers, students, parents, and others about everything from how kids can best wash their hands to reduce the likelihood of ingesting lead paint, to how to clean a lead-paint surface with a wet wipe.

Ramos also spoke about how the city still has roughly $2.6 million left from a $5.6 million federal grant New Haven received several years ago. That grant allows the city to distribute $15,000 per-unit forgivable loans to eligible property owners

looking to make their homes lead safe.

“We have a shortage of certified lead abatement contractors” in the city, he continued. And so, starting Oct. 31, the city’s Health Department will be providing costfree lead worker and supervisor certification training to building up the local pool of qualified lead abatement contractors.

Amanda Decew, a pediatric primary care provider who is also a member of the city’s Lead Paint Advisory Committee, spoke about how she has seen a stark difference in how City Hall handles child lead poisoning cases over the past three years.

“It’s totally different today,” she said about how this part of the Health Department has operated since Elicker came to office and since New Haven legal aid lawyers took the former Harp Administration to court around the city’s enforcement of its lead laws.

Today, Decew said, when a child with high blood-lead levels returns to her office after an initial visit, “the Health Department has been out to inspect” their home, the child’s family has a clear timeline in mind of when the lead hazards will be abated, and the family better understands where the lead hazards and why they’re so dangerous and how best to protect their children.

“This is a result of leadership and making it a priority for the city,” she said.

THOMAS BREEN PHOTO

Lead-buster Ramos: Ramos: Check out this site for more on prevention.

Fest, The Future Is Black

gram the music simply because they want a Black artist on the program. For every choir that handles the piece with grace, Thompson said, there are many that do not. He has to contend with that as an artist.

“There are ways to use the art for good and for evil,” he said. He does not see the work as revolutionary, in part because it has entered the cultural churn of the capitalist mainstream. In previous interviews, he has said that he does not know if he can ever be that vulnerable again, because the work was not meant to be shared with the world.

“What is revolutionary is my joy,” he continued. As composer in residence with the Houston Grand Opera, Thompson had the space to work on The Snowy Day, an opera based on Ezra Jack Keats’ children’s book of the same name. He has dreamed of a work based on N.K. Jemisin’s The Fifth Season, which ends with the line “Have you ever considered the moon?”

“Very rarely do we get a chance to dream,” he said. “Can we imagine a world without colonialism? Can we imagine a world without slavery?”

Before the end of the panel, he pointed to an interview he returns to, of James Baldwin and Maya Angelou talking about his Notes On A Native Son. Baldwin is as sharp as ever, and yet there’s an ease to the conversation that is often absent from Baldwin’s barbed and hopeful addresses, his dense and moving language, the blistering criticisms of America that still believe in its possibility.

“The reason that interview makes my heart smile is he is protecting his peace,” Thompson said. “I find his smile to be revolutionary.”

From Writing Workshops To Poetry On The Plaza

As a vendor fair buzzed in the Q House’s gymnasium, artists spread out across Stetson, from the second floor of the library to the plaza outside. Upstairs, author Tochi Onyebuchi sat down with curator Juanita Sunday, a producer at the International Festival of Arts & Ideas, and began to unravel a personal vision of dystopia. In a smaller conference room nearby, multimedia artist Kolton Harris welcomed an intimate screenwriting workshop with a simple question: What story do you want to tell?

The answer was different for every person who walked into the room, it seemed.

An undergraduate at SCSU, workshop participant Maya Lwazi Rose said she’d come out because she’s working on a story about a Black zombie in therapy. Recently, she said, she was surprised to learn that zombies come from African folklore. She’s since been exploring that in her writing.

As she spoke about her work, Harris suggested that characters of color can be multifaceted, urging participants to let their work get messy. As if on cue back

upstairs, Onyebuchi noted that he thrives in the chaos of stories.

“Dystopia is tested out on the marginalized first,” he said. So is the future, he added.

Outside, artists took the stage outside one by one, filling it with poetry and music. Reading from a not-yet-released book of poems, writer Erycka Ortiz wove through a curtain of English and Spanish, slipping from a poem-turned-prayer of forgiveness to a genuine love song to herself. Her voice steady, she traced the journey from anxiety and self-alienation to acceptance of her whole body.

“There’s been a change in tempo and change in step/I’ve seen a new flair of fluorescent lights because I’ve noticed a pair of two feet,” she read. “Yours that have fit completely in the space like lines in the sheets./I’ve danced in the dark before but this light is unknown.”

When she flowed into music, an intimate crowd came in close to the stage, some attendees dancing as others pulled out their phones, and began to film. In an interview after her set, Ortiz said she was grateful for the space to perform.

“At the end of the day, I am a Black person and an Indigenous person, and this is amplifying my own humanity and selfactualization,” she said. “With love, with healing, I continue to be intentional.”

Across the street, Samad Mickens slid a cast iron skillet into an oven, and welcomed another customer to his food truck, Beyond The Salt. After an unwelcome pandemic delay, Mickens was able to finally get the business off the ground this year, he said. The truck, which was custom built in Florida, allows him to turn out Mediterranean-inspired dishes that he spent years thinking up.

After working in a series of cooking jobs himself, he said that his mission is to inspire other young chefs who may have small business dreams of their own. He also wants to make the field’s future healthier, he said: he knows what it’s like to give up holidays and weekends for his work. “I want to eliminate that for chefs,” he said.

Back on stage, artist Tyler Goldchain (a.k.a. Tyler Jenkins) danced in the late afternoon, watching as a crowd moved in toward the stage. As the sun soaked the plaza, he announced that the group was going to play Outkast—and would need the audience’s help.

Dozens of people responded with a cheer as he sprang into movement and made the song his own. Behind him, drums hammered and rose over the street. He started to speak over the bass.

“We gonna get back to it, gonna get back in, and when this chorus hits, I want everybody to dance and everybody jumpin,” he said. “This is the last time. It’s been an honor. Thank you for having us.”

Bass came back in strong. The future was bright. And for a moment on Dixwell Avenue, it was here.

“Lawyer Crawford” Remembered As Black Legal Icon

by ALLAN APPEL

Without him, said retired state Supreme Court Justice Flemming Norcott, Jr., there would be no Black justices on Connecti cut’s highest court or maybe even on the Supreme Court of the United States.

The New Haven legal giant referred to in that considered opinion was George W. Crawford, New Haven’s first Black pro bate court clerk back in 1903 and – roll the clock forward a half century – the city’s first African-American corporation coun sel in 1954.

Norcott and a bevy of the city and state’s Black legal talent, both currently working and retired, were on hand Friday morning at 200 Orange St., appropriately enough in the downstairs hearing room, to cel ebrate what would have been Crawford’s 145th birthday.

The organizer of the event, Clifton Graves, the city’s probate court judge since 2017, said celebrating Crawford has been long in coming, delayed by Co vid, and also occasioned by Graves’s own upcoming retirement. Graves himself has been a barrier breaker, the city’s first Black probate court judge.

He said that he too, like so many oth ers in the room – retired New Haven Cor poration Counsel John Rose and current New Haven Legal Assistance Associa tion (NHLAA) Executive Director Alexis Highsmith Smith, among them were all standing on Crawford’s broad histori cal shoulders.

To mark the occasion, Graves unveiled a portrait of Crawford – actually an en larged photo reproduction showing the Alabama native who was Booker T. Wash ington’s office helper, taken on his gradu ation from the Yale Law School.

The image will be officially placed in the probate court’s hearing room on the third floor of 200 Orange St., said Graves.

Long-time architect Ed Cherry – the first licensed Black architect in Connecticut –was one of several speakers recollecting

personal encounters with Crawford. “A tall, elegant man walking down Church Street,” Cherry remembered. “He was very well known in the African American community. He was called Lawyer Craw ford.”

Retired Probate Judge Jack Keyes, whom Graves succeeded after three decades of

service in the job, said that back in the 1950s his father, a lawyer, was head of Connecticut Legal Assistance and report ed to Crawford.

“I called him Mr. Crawford all my life. My father worked for him and my father adored him,” Keyes remembered.

Graves emphasized the occasion had an

additional purpose: To further people’s understanding of Black contributions to the law along with the importance of the probate clerk job, Crawford’s first job out of law school before he catapulted into private practice and the corporation coun sel role.

“Court staff (the clerk and those who work with him or her) are truly the back bone,” said Beverly Streit-Kefalas, the administrator of the state’s probate courts.

“When people come to our courts, they are truly at their most vulnerable. So recog nizing Crawford as the first (Black) clerk, he was breaking barriers and helping us recognize the importance of our clerks to our system.”

There are 54 local probate districts, and six regional courts, and hundreds in clerk and other support roles. “They are the front line and have a compassionate ear and guide people through the process,” she added.

In brief remarks (he was headed to anoth er event), Mayor Justin Elicker bemoaned how “we don’t do enough with our local history. People’s first exposure is often through building names, like Crawford Manor,” the high-rise residential tower on Park Street named for Crawford in 1966.

“But when you go deeper, you see what profound influence they have. I want to thank the Black leaders in this room for carrying the torch in the city and for fos tering so much inspiration,” he said.

John Rose recalled that the National Bar Association, an organization of black attorneys, was established (in the 1920s) precisely because the American Bar Asso ciation then excluded black attorneys.

Rose, who followed in Crawford’s foot steps, becoming corporation counsel first in Hartford and then New Haven, helped found the first association of Black law yers in Connecticut in 1976. He named it the George W. Crawford Bar Association.

“Black associations of lawyers are incred ibly important today,” he said. “There’s still a lot of work to do.”

Bonuses Nixed

union plans to file a “prohibited act against New Haven Public Schools, New Haven Board of Ed, and also the superintendent, for unilaterally determining wages, imple menting sign on bonuses, and rate of pay for staff.”

Tracey said no bonuses have been paid to educators so far and that the plan was to provide the payouts at the end of the academic year to avoid abrupt departures. Goldson: Previous Bonus Plan Was “Rushed”

Before the board members voted in sup port of rescinding the bonuses, Board of Education member Darnell Goldson said, “So, clearly, this was rushed to us with out thought. We rushed passing it without a whole lot of thought. And now we’re sitting here embarrassed as heck in front of all New Haveners now trying to fix a mistake we didn’t have to make in the first place.”

Goldson made a motion Monday night to rescind just the sign on bonus item while maintaining the before and after school pay increase for all employees. He said it is not fair that all educators will lose out on the before and after school pay because of the vote to rescind the entire motion. His proposed amendment was not second ed, and therefore failed.

“This could have been avoided with bet ter communication. I’m assuming good in tentions all around,” Board Vice President Matt Wilcox said. Board members Mayor Justin Elicker and Abie Benitez agreed.

“On the grounds that we want a really good relationship with our unions, they’re our partners, not our adversaries,” Board Secretary Edward Joyner said.

The official vote was 6 1. Goldson voted no to rescinding the vote because he argued that the board should have been provided with the teachers’ union legal document stating its complaint and re quest. “I think it’s unfair. I think it’s sour grapes. And the paraprofessionals as usual will be hurt and suffer by what this board does,” he said.

ALLAN APPEL PHOTO

Probate Court Judge Graves (right) with Charles Warner Jr. and Crawford's portrait.

Graves, Flemming Norcott, and John Rose.

A

Composer Finds The Music In James Baldwin’s Words

by Lucy Gellman, Editor, The Arts Paper www.newhavenarts.org

The first time composer Joel Thompson read James Baldwin’s “To Be Baptized,” he could feel the words rattling through him. If one really wishes to know how justice is administered in a country, one does not question the policemen, the lawyers, the judges, or the protected members of the middle class, Baldwin wrote. One goes to the unprotected — those, precisely, who need the law’s protection most! — and lis tens to their testimony.

It was 2021, or maybe it was 1972, or maybe somewhere in between. Thompson let himself read and re-read the words. From the page, Baldwin urged his readers to ask “any Mexican, any Puerto Rican, and Black man” whether America was just. The sentences stayed with Thompson as he sat down to compose, as he listened, as he made stops around the country to present his work. Always, they were as prophetic as they were troublingly timeless.

Thompson, a soft-spoken, musical dy namo who is the 2022-2023 composer in residence with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, will bring those words to the John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts this Sunday, for the New England premiere of his work “To Awaken The Sleeper.” The piece, written last year, layers Thompson’s composition and Baldwin’s text in an inci sive, stunning critique of white supremacy in the United States.

It marks a continuation of his work as a platform for social justice, from his sweeping 2015 “Seven Last Words of the Unarmed” to his 2019 “In Response to the Madness” and 2020 “breathe/burn: an elegy,” written in memory of Breonna Taylor. Last Wednesday, he joined Probate Judge Clifton Graves at the Stetson Branch Library on Dixwell Avenue to discuss the piece, his second composition in two years to use Baldwin’s text as a launchpad.

“There was a joy working on this piece,” Thompson said in the library, as BAMN Books sold copies of Baldwin’s fiction and nonfiction in the back of the room. After writing the Baldwin-inspired “My Dun geon Shook: Three American Preludes” in 2020, “I knew there was so much more that he had to say, and I knew that I could use the bully pulpit that I have as a composer to amplify his voice … Like Baldwin, I’m trying to use this platform to will the world I want into existence.”

Thompson’s path to the piece began years ago, when he discovered Baldwin’s writing as a student at Emory University in Geor gia. At the time, Baldwin became “sort of a guiding light” in his young life, he told the Arts Paper in an interview earlier this year. What stayed with him was not just the au thor’s sense of biting critique, still stinging ly fresh decades after it was first published, but Baldwin’s relentless hope in America. This was the same country that had en slaved his grandfather, killed his friends, straight-washed the Civil Rights move ment, and poured billions of dollars into surveilling and locking up Black people instead of investing in them. And yet, Bald

win believed that it was still a country of great, often untapped possibility. Thomp son was particularly struck by the writer’s idea of bearing witness, and the power that such an act could have. Years after first finding it, the text became a source of solace during the summer of 2020, as Co vid-19 and police brutality created parallel and deadly pandemics for Black people in America.

By then, Thompson was in his first year as a graduate student at the Yale School of Music. He had started working on “My Dungeon Shook,” three preludes inspired by the eponymous essay in Baldwin’s 1963 collection The Fire Next Time.

In the essay, written as a letter to his nephew James, Baldwin addresses the in sidious, centuries-long legacy of anti-Black racism in America, pulling no punches as he outlines the abuse, harassment, and oth ering that his nephew will receive from the white world. As he writes, he flows from his nephew’s entrance into the world to the generations that came before him, to the state- and societally-upheld disenfranchise ment of Black Americans long after the end of enslavement.

But there is also incredible hope. Baldwin does not simply decry the shortcomings and stereotypes of the white imagination; he urges young James to defy them with his very existence. In what feels like prayer on the page, he reminds his nephew of the love that covers him, of the faith of former gen erations that has willed him into the world despite its cruelty. For Thompson, the words resonated as if they could have been written in the churn of 2020, during the state-sanctioned murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery.

“Know whence you came,” Baldwin writes. “If you know whence you came, there is really no limit to where you can go. The details and symbols of your life have been deliberately constructed to make you

believe what white people say about you. Please try to remember that what they be lieve, as well as what they do and cause you to endure, does not testify to your inferior ity but to their inhumanity and fear.”

When Thompson finished “My Dun geon Shook,” he didn’t feel like he was ready to move past Baldwin, he said. He was in luck: professor and violinist Peter Oundjian, who leads the Colorado Music Festival, had heard the work and encour aged Thompson to write another piece that engaged with the author’s text. Thompson connected with Princeton Professor Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., whose intellectual biography of Baldwin hit in the thick of 2020.

As he started writing, Thompson was working with “To Be Baptized,” the second essay from Baldwin’s 1972 collection No Name In The Street, and a text that audi ences will hear sentences from on Sunday. As he came back to the text, “I wanted something that could communicate James Baldwin’s incredible love of this country,” he remembered. Glaude suggested his letter to Angela Davis, written in 1970.

By that year, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., Medgar Evers had all lost their lives in acts of racial violence and aggres sion. In New Haven, the Black Panther Tri als and May Day 1970 had come and gone. Baldwin, who had spent years writing in exile, still insisted that America and its people could be better. And then Thompson fell across the sentence: We cannot awaken this sleeper, and God knows we have tried. It cracked something open.

“His words ‘we cannot awaken the sleep er’ seemed to be in contrast with his entire output,” Thompson said. As he spoke at Stetson, glasses catching in the soft light, he wound the clock forward from 1970 to 1986, when Baldwin addressed the Nation al Press Club in Washington, D.C. At that gathering, Baldwin reminded those who had gathered of their very human interde

pendence on each other—and how deeply the future rested on recognizing its weight.

“He was acknowledging that power rests with everyone in this room,” Thompson said, adding that there’s a certain bravery in informing the media that they need to be doing their jobs differently. “I want to com municate that hope, but also like Baldwin, hold society to account.”

In “To Awaken The Sleeper,” Thompson does. Knitting together his own music and snippets of Baldwin’s speech, he shows a listener how the act of bearing witness is both necessary and infinite, because Amer ica still has so much work to do. As he worked on the piece, he thought about the January 6 insurrection at the United States Capitol. He revisited Baldwin’s words, which seem too stingingly fresh to have been written decades ago.

He bore witness to the ugliness of 2020 and 2021—and chose to hold on to hope.

Wednesday, he acknowledged the dark ness and despair of the moment, including a record number of anti-trans and LGBTQ+ bills and attacks on bodily autonomy now affecting half the country. He wants the composition to hold that tension, he said.

“When I read his words, I feel less alone,” he said. He half-smiled. “You can’t gaslight me after I’ve read Baldwin.”

Humanity & Humility

Over the two-hour discussion, Bald win’s timelessness became a through line, weaving from Thompson’s remarks back to Graves, and then into a question-andanswer session that could have kept the library open all night. Before Thompson spoke, Graves noted that the author also played a seismic role in his life, after he came across the essays in The Fire Next Time as a young man in 1953.

Raised in the Jim Crow South—where he heard Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. speak at just nine years old, and later met Maya An gelou—Graves found that Baldwin’s words were a kind of searchlight in the heavy, of ten thick and oppressive fog of American history. When Graves was in law school at Georgetown University, he had the chance to meet the writer at the Flagship Restau rant, then bustling in the heart of the city. Baldwin was sitting alone, and invited Graves to sit at his table after Graves said hello.

“His humanity, his humility was some thing that floored me and impressed me,” Graves said. “You know you’re in the pres ence of greatness.”

Graves held onto that as he built his own career—first as a legal aid lawyer in North Carolina, and much later as head of Project Fresh Start and city probate judge in New Haven. He often thought about the dis crimination Baldwin faced for not just his Blackness, but also the fact that he was gay. When he drew a parallel to King’s advisor Bayard Rustin, who was all but written out of history, a murmur of “Yes!” bubbled up from the second row, where Hill Central School educator Dee Marshall sat listening.

“He was talking about right now,” Graves said later in the evening, when Inner-City News Editor Babz Rawls-Ivy asked how Baldwin still resonates with both the judge and the composer in the present. “The here and now.”

“I think that lots of us are trying to make sense of this world,” piped up a voice from the back of the room. “There’s such a rich history that so many of us adults and young people need to do.”

Part of that, Thompson said, is honoring Baldwin’s legacy by fighting for the world he envisioned—and passing on his work. He pointed to Baldwin’s 1971 interview with Nikki Giovanni, in which the two disagreed at almost every turn in the con versation, but spoke for almost two hours.

“He knows the importance of passing that on,” he said.

There with his wife Mubarakah Ibrahim and daughter Salwa, former New Ha ven police officer and Beaver Hills Alder Shafiq Abdussabur agreed that he would be taking the words with him as he left the library. After finding Baldwin on his stillseemingly-segregated college campus in 1985, he has returned to the text as a teach ing tool. Twelve years ago, he folded some of those lessons into A Black Man’s Guide to Law Enforcement in America.

“I just want to remind us that we got work to do,” he said. “If James Baldwin appeared for us today, how would he grade us?”

The New Haven Symphony Orchestra presents Joel Thompson’s “To Awaken The Sleeper” and Dmitri Shostakovich’s Sym phony No. 11, “The Year 1905” on Sunday October 23 at 3 p.m. at the John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts, 501 Cres cent Street in New Haven. Tickets and more information here. Thompson will appear on the 22nd in conversation with IfeMichelle Gardin during Elm City LIT Fest.

Lucy Gellman Photos: Judge Clifton Graves and composer Joel Thompson. BAMN Books LLC owner Nyzae James at a table for the mobile bookstore.

Men Can Have Breast Cancer Too: 8 Risk Factors To Know

by Dr. Candace McMillon-Dantley

It’s October and calendars all over the world are packed with events that will be dressed in pink ribbons! The stories of courageous women who have been im pacted by breast cancer will inspire and educate us. In the midst of our support and empowerment of women during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we seemed to have forgotten about the men.

We do recognize how breast cancer af fects their lives as a husband or a son, but not often do we recognize that men can also be the warriors fighting the disease.

When it comes to men and breast cancer, there is a lack of awareness and stigma that comes with the thought of a man hav ing a “woman’s disease”. Knowing the risk factors can bring more awareness that can be preventative and life-saving, so here are 8 to look out for.

1. Excessive Drinking

If you’re a guy who drinks a half bottle of vodka every night of the week, your risk of breast cancer greatly increases.

Heavy drinking leads to liver damage, which can cause low production of male hormones. In turn, gynecomastia (overde velopment of male breast tissue) increases your risk of breast cancer as well.

2. Obesity

Skipping out on the gym and unhealthy eating habits can lead you on a path to obesity.

Obesity is a risk factor for developing

breast cancer because those extra fat cells will convert your male hormones into fe male hormones. An excess of female hor mones increases your risk of breast cancer.

3. Family History

If anyone in your family, male or female, was diagnosed with breast cancer, you are at an increased risk for the disease.

Inheriting a gene mutation, such as the BRCA2 gene, greatly increases your risk for breast and prostate cancer. You may want to ask your doctor about genetic testing, which can reveal gene mutations if you have a strong family history of breast cancer.

4. Klinefelter Syndrome

There’s a chance that you’ve never heard of Klinefelter Syndrome, but it is a condi tion in which a male is born with an extra X chromosome.

Characteristics like low levels of male hormones, high estrogen levels, and gyne comastia place men born with Klinefelter Syndrome at an increased risk for breast cancer.

5. Estrogen Therapies

If you’ve received estrogen therapy to fight prostate cancer, you are at an in creased risk for developing breast cancer. Men that are undergoing sexual reassign ments are thought to be at more risk for breast cancer due to the increase of estro gen utilized in the process.

6. Exposure To Radiation

If you had radiation to treat cancer or a condition that affected your chest area, your risk for breast cancer is increased.

7. Age

Breast cancer diagnoses most often oc cur in men who are 70 years old and older. However, that doesn’t mean that younger men are not affected so all men should know their risks.

8. Testicular Issues

If you’ve had inflammation of the testes (orchitis), an undescended testicle, or sur gical removal of a testicle, your risk for breast cancer is increased due to the un derproduction of male hormones.

This October, as we paint the town pink in honor of breast cancer awareness, let us not forget the men directly impacted by this disease. Let’s continue the fight by educating our sons, dads, granddads, brothers, and uncles on the risk factors for breast cancer.

Dr. Candace McMillon-Dantley is the health-empowering creator of The Doc Knows and she’s on a mission to motivate you to a life of health. She has a Doctorate in Chiropractic Medicine and a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences. When she’s not health writing, she is health mo tivating and educating during her interac tive presentations on healthy nutrition, self-care and conditions of the body. Her experiences as a business owner, chiro practor, wife and mom of two resonate and relate with her audiences. Connect with Dr. Candace on Instagram @drcandace.

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Serena Williams:

“Being Heard Was The Difference Between Life or Death For Me”

by Aja Sheppard, BlackDoctor.com

Mothers everywhere have deemed giving birth “the most rewarding experience of their lives.” However, it’s not an easy job. In some cases, it can even turn into a dire situation. Every year in the U.S, roughly 700 women die during pregnancy. Unfortunately, new mothers can even die a year after giving birth. According to research, “around 50,000 women have unexpected complications associated with their pregnancy that can cause severe health problems down the road.”

Furthermore, Black women are at a high risk of having complications with their pregnancy. Unfortunately, “African American women are more than 3 times likely to die after childbirth than white women.”

Unfortunately, systematic racism has plagued the healthcare system and has led to the mistreatment of several Black female mothers. Though, prominent Black female figures like Serena Williams have called out the healthcare system and demanded justice for all. Earlier this year, the former professional Tennis player wrote an essay for Elle Magazine about the complications associated with her first pregnancy while giving birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia. According to Williams, she almost became a statistic.

Serena Williams Experiences Complications With Her Pregnancy

The mother of one described her first pregnancy as a “wonderful experience.” While her epidural-free delivery went well at first, things suddenly went downhill fast. Williams recounts that the con-

tractions the morning after hit her harder and faster than before.

Even worse, the baby’s heartbeat started to decline. The 23-time Grand Slam winner was instructed by the nurses to turn on her side in an effort to steady the baby’s heartbeat.

However, the advice did very little to help her or the baby. In the end, Williams had to undergo an emergency C-section in order to save her baby. However, the tennis player’s problems didn’t stop there.

She Was At Risk Of Developing Blood Clots

The worse seemed behind her after the doctors finally saved her baby. Unfortunately, the emergency C-section only led to more problems for the tennis superstar.

Williams further recounted in her essay

to Elle Magazine that the doctors considered her a high risk for blood clots. She asked the doctors if should take Heparin, a blood thinner to reduce her chance of having future complications. To her disappointment, the doctors were uninterested in helping her. “No one was really listening to what I was saying,” the former tennis player wrote.

Unfortunately, disparity gaps exist between Black and white communities because the healthcare system is rigged. Clearly, there’s a lot more work that needs to be done in terms of racial justice. Everyone should have the right to both equal rights and better healthcare, especially the Black community.

At that point, Williams knew that the difference between life and death came down to one aspect: speaking out. Refusing to stay quiet, she voiced her opinions loud and clear, until doctors had no choice but to listen. After four surgeries, doctors discovered a blood clot in her arteries and a hematoma in her stomach.

“Being heard and appropriately treated was the difference between life or death for me. I know those statistics would be different if the medical establishment listened to every Black woman’s experience,” Williams wrote in her essay.

The former tennis player nearly lost her life, all because of bad advice from a nurse. Fortunately, Serena Williams made the doctors listen to her in the end. While systematic racism exists in the healthcare system, that doesn’t mean our voice and our health is any less important than anyone else’s. Black America deserves the right to effective healthcare, too.

Photo by Manny Carabel/Getty Images)

New Report Examines the Startling Highs – and Lows – of Mental Health Treatement in America

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

The District of Columbia counts among the top 10 states with the best mental health, or the combination of the lowest prevalence of mental illness and greater access to care, according to Mental Health America’s annual State of Mental Health in America report.

Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Delaware, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Illinois, and Maryland round out the top 10.

The states at the lower end of the ranking have higher prevalence rates and less ac cess to care. Those states include: Kansas, Indiana, Texas, Oregon, Arizona, Idaho, and Nevada

“This year, again, the evidence is clear re garding the urgent crisis we face in Ameri can mental health,” Schroeder Stribling, president and CEO of MHA said in a state ment.

“From high numbers of our youth who are contemplating suicide to an increase in substance use, to widespread difficulty in accessing the care they seek, Americans are experiencing high rates of distress and frequent challenges in getting help,” Strib ling noted.

Stribling pledged that Mental Health America has continued to work to address and reverse the numbers, including ad vocating for improvements to policy and practice that reach people where they are –at the right time, with the right help.

“Everyone deserves access to the care they need and the opportunity to live a flourishing life of recovery,” Stribling as serted.

MHA found that 55% of the over 50 mil lion Americans experiencing a mental ill ness received no treatment, with access and cost as the primary reasons.

Most of those who indicated they could not access needed mental health treatment reported that they could not afford care, MHA researchers found.

This reason was followed by not knowing

where to get services, thinking they could handle their mental health without treat ment, not having time, or health insurance not paying enough for mental health treat ments.

Researchers added that eleven percent of adults with a mental illness are uninsured, and 1 in 10 youth with private insurance do not have coverage for mental health treat

ments.

“Our country has a known shortage of mental health providers – one provider for every 350 individuals – and barriers such as lack of insurance or insurance not cov ering enough of the cost of mental health care compound the lack of access for those needing help, with clear geographic and racial disparities,” said Maddy Reinert, se

nior director of population health at MHA.

“We cannot expect mental health to im prove in the U.S. if individuals in need are unable to access the kinds of care that they want.”

In an effort for more mental health sup port, D.C. council member Robert White introduced the District’s Pathways to Be havioral Health Degrees Act of 2022, which would allow students to pursue a master’s degree in social work free of charge at the University of the District of Columbia.

White’s bill, which has eight co-sponsors on the 13-member council, would allow eligible applicants with bachelor’s degrees to obtain scholarships that cover tuition and books. It also provides students with a monthly stipend to cover living expenses and transportation.

“When the pandemic started, I heard from so many people who felt like they needed mental health professionals, and they couldn’t find it, and what we realized is that we have a pipeline problem,” White stated.

In releasing its annual report, MHA said it aims to provide a snapshot of mental health among youth and adults for policy and pro gram planning, analysis, and evaluation.

Further, officials want to track changes in the prevalence of mental health issues and access to mental health care, under stand how changes in national data reflect the impact of legislation and policies, and increase dialogue with and improve out comes for individuals and families with mental health needs.

“Everyone deserves access to the care they need and the opportunity to live a flourish ing life of recovery,” Stribling insisted.

Biden Announces Federal Action on Marijuana Reform

By Brandon Patterson

President Joe Biden recently announced major federal action on marijuana reform, declaring that he was initiating pardons for all federal convictions for simple pos session of marijuana and urging governors to do the same at the state level. He also announced that his administration would review how marijuana is classified under federal law.

Currently, marijuana is considered a Schedule 1 drug, grouping it in the same category as heroin and Ecstasy. A review could result in the drug being rescheduled to a lesser category or de-scheduled entire ly, the latter of which would likely allow states to legalize marijuana without con flicting with federal law.

The pardons, once finalized, would erase records for everyone convicted of simple possession at the federal level since it was banned in the 1970s. This would include around 6,500 people convicted between 1992 – the earliest year for which the fed eral government provided data, according to the New York Times – as well as thou sands more in Wash., D.C., which operates under federal drug laws.

There are no people currently serving

sentences in federal prison for simple pos session, the administration said, but the pardons will eliminate a major hurdle for many formerly incarcerated individuals in finding employment and housing and ac cessing education and other government aid.

“Sending people to prison for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives and incarcerated people for conduct that many states no longer prohibit,” Biden said in a written statement. “Criminal records for marijuana possession have also imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities.”

He continued: “It’s time that we right these wrongs.”

The actions mark an evolution for Biden on drug policy. Numerous policies that Biden advocated during his time as a sena tor, including the infamous 1994 crime bill, are considered to have laid the foundation for mass incarceration.

Vice President Kamala Harris has also been critiqued for her role in incarcerating people for petty drug offenses as attorney general for California.

Today, the federal government mainly prosecutes traffic offenses related to mari juana, not simple possession. Those charg

es are almost exclusively prosecuted at the state and local levels.

So, it’s important that the president is “us ing his bully pulpit” to “signal a new direc tion in the war on drugs” to the states, said Inimai Chettiar, federal director of the Jus tice Action Network, according to KQED.

Many California cities are already ahead on this front. For example, chief prosecu tors in San Francisco and Los Angeles have moved to expunge thousands of convic tions for marijuana convictions in recent years.

Marijuana is already fully legal in about 20 states.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Co-Chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, praised the decision by the Biden admin istration.

“I commend the Biden Administration for taking this huge step toward common sense cannabis policy,” Lee said in a writ ten statement on her website. “The war on drugs has ruined countless lives. Ending it is long overdue.”

The post Biden Announces Federal Ac tion on Marijuana Reform first appeared on Post News Group. This article originally appeared in Post News Group.

New Study Suggests College Football Referees Penalized Teams With Black Coaches More Often

HBCUBuzz.com

A shocking new study recently shared that college teams with Black coaches are often more penalized than teams with white coaches. Learn more about this shocking story in the Buzzfeed News ar ticle by Dan Vergano below.

College football teams with Black coach es are penalized more often than teams with coaches who are white, a new study of the highest division teams has found. They are given five to seven extra pen alties per season compared to ones with white coaches.

The finding raises new concerns about racism in sports refereeing.

The Social Science Quarterly study re leased on Sunday held true even adjusting for the quality of the players, coaches, and schools studied. It comes amid rising con cern about the dearth of Black coaches at both the professional and college level in football, a sport where 7 out of 10 players in its highest ranks, the NFL, are Black.

“Teams with Black head coaches are more frequently penalized,” said lead author Andrew Davis of North Carolina State University, based on the analysis of all Division I colleges football games from the 2014 to 2019 seasons.

College football teams typically receive 4 to 10 penalties per game, so the effect over a season is not huge. A 12- or 15game season might have 50 to 150 penal ties for a team, which would roughly aver age to a 5% increase in penalties for teams with Black coaches.

However, penalties are supposed to be given fairly, and football is famously “a game of inches,” the study authors note, where winning or losing can turn on the smallest setback. “Penalties, no matter how many yards they are worth, can dis rupt the momentum of a team, kill scoring drives, cost important yardage and downs on defense, and cost teams precious op portunities in close games,” Davis said. That said, it’s important to note that the study found an association between the two and could not conclusively prove the additional penalties were directly due to the coaches’ race or ethnicity.

Representatives from both the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which runs Division I football, and the National Association of Sports Officials declined to comment on the study after requesting copies of the findings.

In the study, the researchers first looked at both the number of penalties and pen alty yards across the 2019 Division I col lege football season (the highest division), finding more of both given to teams where the head coaches were Black. They then extended the analysis back to 2014, and found that teams with Black coaches typi cally were given 5.5 more penalties in a

12-game season and nearly 7 more penal ties in a 15-game season. (They could not statistically show the penalty yards effect, however, for the longer time period.) The study controlled for other factors in the analysis, such as winning percentage, re cruiting quality, US News & World Report rank of the school, whether it had a Black quarterback, coaching experience, and its conference.

If confirmed, the penalties finding wouldn’t be too surprising considering the history of discrimination at US colleges,

seen both in sports and in the classroom, Davis said. “Referees, who have a great deal of discretion over what gets called a penalty, and what does not on any given play, may attribute racial stereotypes regarding lack of discipline to teams coached by Black coaches.”

In about 40 states, head college football coaches are the highest-paid public em ployees, with salaries soaring in recent decades. The new study reveals a new di mension to how race might affect coaches in the sport, some experts said.

“I think they provide compelling evi dence of differences in the number of penalties per game,” said Texas A&M’s George Cunningham, an expert in sports management. “The results show another form of bias that Black coaches face in the football context, whether in college or professional.”

While the penalty effect is newsworthy, it “does not necessarily mean that race is the cause of the penalties, just that there is a strong relationship between having a Black head coach and receiving more penalties,” said Jeremy Foreman of Uni versity of Louisiana at Lafayette, who has done separate research finding Black players were more often penalized in foot ball. That might partly explain the penalty effect found in the study, he suggested, if Black coaches end up recruiting more Black players, who are in turn penalized disproportionately.

However, Eastern Collegiate Football Officials Association Commissioner Milt Halstead told BuzzFeed News that he doubted the penalty effect found by the study was real. “Referees are watching the play on the field, not the coaches,” he said. “That’s where the penalties happen.”

Davis acknowledged that the analysis would be stronger if the timing of the penalties could be measured to see if they came at pivotal moments in the game, perhaps by studying game footage. That could help tell if the added penalties were really affecting game outcomes. The study also turned up a curious finding that teams with higher-quality recruits were more likely to be penalized overall, suggesting that referees might try to “even competi tion” in games.

Professional football has long been grap pling with questions about racism, with players who participated in national an them protests in 2017 more likely to take a pay cut or be sent to another team. In NFL officiating, some evidence suggests hold ing penalties are called more often early in games on Black players. The 2021 NFL football season ended with a Black coach, Brian Flores of the Miami Dolphins, charging that racism played a role in his firing. The pro league required all teams to hire at least one woman or person of color as a coach this year, in response to wider concerns about a lack of Black coaches in the pro ranks.

First HBCU-Inspired Elementary School Opens in Jacksonville, Florida

By Nyah Peebles, hbcubuzz.com

Becoming Collegiate Academy has be come Jacksonville’s first Historically Black College and University-inspired elementary school.

The school’s Executive Director, Cam eron Frazier says the school was created to implement the best practices from the HBCU experience to kids early on.

“We are replicating the culture of His torically Black College and Universities by focusing on building positive relation ships, leveraging identity and culture and holding up high expectations,” Executive Director Cameron Frazier told FOX 30 News.

First Coast News reports that when you open the doors to the school, you can see HBCU flags decorating the entrance. ABCs in classrooms represent “A” for “Alcorn State University” and “Z” for “Zora Neale Hurston.”

Frazier says representation matters.

“It’s very important that our students see role models who look just like them stand ing in front of them every single day,” Fra

zier told First Coast News.

Frazier has also served as representation for a teacher at the school who was once his student.

Ahmad Levy used to be Frazier’s student and now he’s a teacher himself. He says having a Black male teacher at a young age made a difference for him.

“Seeing someone that looked like me as my teacher, that really inspired me to take a second look at different things to do in life,” Levy said. “I now teach so that I can be that representation for our community.”

As of right now, Becoming Collegiate Academy has 80 students enrolled and a kindergarten and first grade. They plan to add a grade every year to complete the goal of becoming an inspiration for their community and preparing students for higher education.

“Our brown bears are going to make a difference in the world one day,” Frazier said. “You’ll see the big brown bear and you’ll be surrounded by nothing but love.”

The school is still accepting applications for students and looking for educators.

There is a ribbon cutting ceremony set for Tuesday at 10 a.m.

8B

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

8B Education Investments, which built the first platform that connects high-potential African students with world-class colleges and universities and the tools needed to level up their applications and financial options, announced a partnership with Nelnet Bank to originate $30 million of loans over three years.

The partnership, enabled by 8B’s use of what officials called innovative credit enhancement to guarantee losses incurred by Nelnet for the loan program’s duration, marks the first lending program by a United States-based bank to African students enrolled in American schools.

Officials said the $30 million commitment is part of a broader $111.6 million pledge made last month at the Clinton Global Initiative to accelerate African students’ access to global universities.

“Until now, African students have had limited access to global universities with enrollment largely depending on the luck of obtaining a scholarship,” Dr. Lydiah Kemunto Bosire, 8B’s founder and CEO, said in a statement.

“The world has underinvested in African brilliance. As a result, hundreds of thousands of African students every year obtain offers from world-class universities and fail to enroll, primarily due to a lack of financing.

“We are thrilled that our partnership with Nelnet Bank will help us to provide financing for this underserved group of bril-

liant students and create an example on how to accelerate African access to global innovation ecosystems.”

According to a news release, 8B estimates that the 500,000 African students enrolled in global universities represent 30 percent of students who received offers from such universities.

Consequently, Africans are underrepresented in global universities and, by extension, in global innovation ecosystems.

“Our partnership with 8B is a historic step in the history of student lending and

a giant leap forward toward increasing access for African students,” said Andrea Moss, CEO of Nelnet Bank.

“Together, we will be able to provide an opportunity to one of the fastest growing student demographics in the world and one that has been overlooked for too long. Nelnet Bank is thrilled to work on this with our colleagues from 8B Education Investments.”

As the first fintech solution focused on African students, 8B said it’s committed to enabling African brilliance to have a

global impact. 8B provides tools to allow African students to identify best-fit global universities, level up their applications, access affordable financing, and connect with career support for job placement.

“There are few affordable student lending options for African learners though there is a broad swath for international students. Nelnet’s bold loan funding commitment to 8b Education Investments will catalyze growth and unlock African excellence,” said Debra Fine, Founding Board Chair of 8B Education Investments and

Chair of Fine Capital Partners.

“I have spent 35 years evaluating business opportunities. This partnership is one of the most extraordinary I have seen. 8B uses a proven business model to create value and extraordinary impact across Africa and the world. This partnership is an excellent example of how private capital can invest in the future of Africa.”

8B and Nelnet Bank announced their partnership as part of the CGI meeting, which convenes global and emerging leaders to take action on the world’s most pressing challenges.

Within the CGI community, 8B said it had brought together several partners to support African access to global innovation ecosystems.

The release notes that 8B’s CGI commitment, including students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), will accelerate African access to global innovation ecosystems and promote diversity and inclusion in global universities and workplaces.

It will also build a scalable market-based model for financing world-class human capital development in low-income countries.

The partnerships have a combined value of $111.6 million that will deploy over the next three years.

“These partnerships will transform the lives of over 1,400 future innovators from the African continent through affordable student financing and reach over 2 million African students in higher education,” officials wrote in the news release.

9

Things Blacks Need to Know About Donating Blood

by Jasmine Smith, BlackDoctor.org

In this country, over 100,000 people have sickle cell disease – the great majority of whom are African American or of African descent. These patients may require fre quent blood transfusions throughout their lifetime. Unfortunately, many people are hesitant to donate blood out of fear or due to a lack of information.

To combat this, we spoke with Dr. Yvette Miller, executive medical officer at the American Red Cross, to discuss the most pressing things people should know be fore they donate blood.

1. A large percentage of Blacks have type O blood

One in 3 African American blood do nors are a match for people with sickle cell disease.

“Type O blood is the most common blood type in this country. The majority of people in this country have group O blood.

African Americans are the second largest population of individuals with group O blood,” Dr. Miller says. “We encourage and we need Black people to donate just to ensure that we have enough group O blood on the shelves to meet the transfu sion needs of the general population. We need group O blood, particularly when there’s an emergency and [first respond ers] don’t know the specific blood type of a recipient.”

Group O blood also comes in handy in medical emergencies, such as when a mother is hemorrhaging or when there’s a mass casualty such as a shooting.

“We need to have blood on the shelves for any and every emergency,” Dr. Miller adds.

2. You don’t need to know your blood type to donate

“You don’t need to know your blood type in order to donate blood,” Dr. Miller shares.

However, if you are curious about your blood type, you will receive a donor card the first time you donate blood with the American Red Cross. The e-card includes what blood group you are in – A, B, O or AB – and if your blood type is positive or negative.

The Red Cross also has a blood donor app, where donors can access their donor card and blood type as well as track their blood pressure, and hemoglobin levels, and even find out when their blood has been distributed for use at a hospital.

3. You can donate if you have the sickle cell trait

It’s estimated that 8-10% of African Americans have the sickle cell trait, ac cording to the American Society of He matology. However, many are unaware

that they carry this trait because they were never tested.

Testing for the sickle cell trait is impor tant because you can pass the trait down to your children. The Red Cross is cur rently providing sickle cell trait screening on all blood donations from self-identified African American donors. Results are available within one to two weeks of your donation through the Red Cross Blood Donor App and the online donor portal at RedCrossBlood.org.

The good news, however, is that even if you have the sickle cell trait, you are still eligible to donate blood.

4. There are a few restrictions on who can donate

“We are really focused on ensuring that our donors are healthy, but there are very few restrictions,” Dr. Miller says.

Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood.

Before you are able to donate, the phle botomist will check your cardiovascular health (i.e., blood pressure, pulse, hemo globin, iron, etc.) to make sure it is safe for you to donate.

In many cases, something as simple as drinking too much caffeine before your appointment can elevate your blood pres sure. In this case, you will be given a one-

day deferral and asked to return the next day, Dr. Miller notes.

5. You can donate if you are on medication

“Donors who are taking blood pressure medications are acceptable as blood do nors. There are very few medications that restrict a person from donating blood,” Dr. Miller adds.

If you have concerns about whether or not it is safe to donate under a medication you are taking, you can visit RedCross Blood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS and a medical officer can help you determine if it is safe for you to donate.

Most Blacks naturally have a lower hemoglobin level

“For most African Americans – our nor mal hemoglobin is on the low end of the scale,” according to Dr. Miller.

Because the FDA has specific eligibil ity requirements in terms of hemoglobin, (women must have a minimum hemoglo bin level of 12.5g/dL and men must have a minimum level of 13g/dL), this may affect whether or not you are eligible to donate blood even if you are within a low normal hemoglobin range.

If you’ve had hemoglobin problems in the past, you should have a conversation with your healthcare provider.

7. There are things you can do to prepare yourself

“We know when a person donates a unit of blood, you lose iron and so to build that iron back up, we definitely recommend that our regular donors consult with their healthcare provider about taking a multi vitamin,” Dr. Miller suggests.

She also encourages people to eat a healthy diet that is rich in iron, drink plen ty of water and get lots of rest prior to their appointment.

“Drink plenty of water because that helps replenish some of the fluid that you will lose when you donate a unit of blood,” she shares.

8. You can save time with RapidPass

For those looking to save time at the blood drive, visit RedCrossBlood.org/ RapidPass the day of your appointment to answer the health history questions online before coming to the drive. Completing a RapidPass can reduce time spent at the drive by up to 15 minutes.

“Once you answer all the questions, you will receive a barcode to present at the blood drive along with your ID. A staff member will scan the barcode, ask you two or three confirmatory questions and then you are quickly on your way,” Dr. Miller shares.

9. You will have to be monitored after you donate

“In health history, one of our collec tion staff members will check your pulse, blood pressure, temperature, and your hemoglobin. If you are eligible to give, you will be seated comfortably and a phlebotomist will cleanse your arm, and insert a brand-new sterile needle to collect one pint of blood. It takes about 8 to 10 minutes to donate a pint of whole blood. Once complete, a bandage is placed on your arm and you are invited to the “can teen” or refreshment and recovery area, to sit down, rest up and get a delicious snack and drink because you’ve just donated a unit of blood,” Dr. Miller shares.

To ensure you are feeling well after do nating, you will be asked to spend 10 to 15 minutes in the refreshment and recovery area before you leave.

You will also be asked to drink an extra four glasses (eight ounces each) of nonalcoholic liquids, keep your bandage on for the next five hours, and refrain from heavy exercising or lifting for the day.

If you’ve never donated blood before, Dr. Miller advises calling 1-800-RED CROSS or simply coming in to see if you are eligible because many people assume they aren’t eligible when they are.

For more information on donating blood or to schedule an appointment to give, visit Joined by Blood or call 1-800-RED CROSS.

NOTICE

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

i , son of thee most high, am the living man :shardel, heir, to the kingdom of our creator and where yeshua hamasia is lord and savior and thee ragin estate. i reserve all my rights. i am not and nor have i ever been a corporate fiction. an indigenous-aboriginal on the land constitutionally doing business in the public as north american, connecticut national without the u.s corporation. for inquires sending notices to the ragin estate executor: el, ragin shardel in care of: vitagus wamble society trust 3961 floyd road suite 395 austell, country: georgia [30106] by: el-ragin :shardel, trust enforcer. in care of: trustee, el-mcclain-ragin, sheneane, attorney-in-fact.

Housing Authority the City of Bridgeport Request for Proposal (RFP)

Project-Based Voucher Solicitation Number: 221-HCV-22-S

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

Section V (B) of the Authority's Moving to Work Agreement {the "Agreement") requires that before the Agency can file its Approved Annual Moving to Work Plan & Report to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (the "HUD") that it must conduct a public hearing, consider comments from the public on the proposed amend ments, obtain approval from the Board Of Commissioners, and submit the amendments to HUD.

Copies of the Moving To Work (MTW) FY2022 Report, will be made available on Tuesday, November 1, 2022 on the agency website www.elmcitycommunities.org or via Twitter, www.twitter.com/ECCommunities or via Facebook www.facebook.com/ElmCityCommunities.

NOTICIA

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport (HACB) d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) is seeking proposals from developers and owners of New Construction, substan tial rehabilitation projects, or existing units that desire to enter into an Agreement for a Housing Assistance Payment (AHAP) Contract for Project Base Vouchers (PBVs) for Contract Units under PCC’s Project Based Voucher Program. Under this Request for Proposals, PCC will make available PBVs for units that will house extremely low and very low income households. A complete set of RFP documents can be obtained on October 24, 2022, by emailing your request to bids@parkcitycommunities.org, please reference solicitation number and title on the subject line. Additional questions should be emailed only to bids@parkcitycommunities.org. Proposals shall be mailed, or hand delivered to Ms. Caroline Sanchez, Director of Procurement,150 Highland Ave, Bridge port, CT 06604. This RFP will remain Open until Completion of PBV.

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

MINORITY CONTRACTOR OPPORTUNITY – Eagleville Green, Mansfield, CT SO

LICITATION OF SBE/MBE CONTRACTORS: Enterprise Builders, Inc., an Affirma tive Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, seeks certified SBE/MBE Subcontractors and/ or suppliers and local business enterprises to bid applicable sections of work/equipment/ supplies for the following construction project: Eagleville Green: This project consists of an renovation to an existing single-family house consisting of one unit and new construc tion of seven new buildings consisting of 41 units in total and associated sitework. Bid Date and Time: 11/04/22 @ 3:00pm. Electronic Plans and specifications can be obtained at no charge by contacting the Estimating Department at Enterprise Builders at (860) 466-5188 or by email to bids@enterbuilders.com. Project is Tax Exempt and Federal Residential rate for the single-family rehab and there is no wage rate for the new con struction portion of this job. This project is subject to state set-aside and contract compli ance requirements. EBI encourages the participation of certified SBE/MBE contractors. EBI is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

The Guilford Housing Authority is currently accepting applica tions for single person and two person households for apartment waitlist at Guilford Court and Boston Terrace in Guilford, CT. Applicants must be age 62 and over or on 100% social security or federal disability and over the age of 18. Applications may be obtained by call the application line at 203-453-6262 EXT 107. Applications will be accepted until November 23, 2022 at 4PM. Credit, police, landlord checks are procured by the Authority. Smoking is prohibited in the units.

You are invited to provide written comments addressed to: ECC/HANH, Moving To Work FY2022 Annual Report, Attn: Evelise Ribeiro, 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06511 or via email to: eribeiro@elmcitycommunities.org.

Pursuant to said Section V (B), a public hearing where public comments will be accept ed and recorded is scheduled for Tuesday, November 29, 2022 at 3:00pm via RingCen tral: https://v.ringcentral.com/join/975943490?pw=2e34ff6769797e68e96a95bb953d0d81 Meeting ID: 975943490

Password: yozWY5m3ib

Or dial: +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 AUDIÊNCIA PÚBLICA PARA THE ELM CITYCOMMUNITIES, AUTORIDADE DE HABITAÇÃO DE NEWHAVEN (ECC/HANH) MUDANÇA PARA O TRABALHO (MTW) RELATÓRIO ANUAL DE 2022

A Seção V (B) do Contrato de Mudança para Trabalho da Autoridade {o "Contrato") ex ige que, antes que aAgência possa apresentar seu Plano Anual de Mudança para Trabalho e Relatório Aprovado para o Departamento de Habitação e Desenvolvimento Urbano dos EUA (o "HUD"), que deve conduzir uma audiência pública, considerar os comentários do público sobre as emendas propostas, obter a aprovação do Conselho de Comissários e submeter as emendas ao HUD.

Cópias do relatório Moving To Work (MTW) FY2022 serão disponibilizadas na terçafeira, 1º de novembro de 2022, no site da agência www.elmcitycommunities.org ou via Twitter, www.twitter.com/ECCommunities ou via Facebook www.facebook.com/ElmCityCommunities.

Você está convidado a fornecer comentários por escrito endereçados a: ECC/HANH, Moving To Work FY2022 Annual Report, Attn: Evelise Ribeiro, 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06511 ou via e-mail para: eribeiro@elmcitycommunities.org.

De acordo com a referida Seção V (B), uma audiência pública onde os comentários públicos serão aceitos e registrados está agendada para terça-feira, 29 de novembro de 2022, às 15h, via RingCentral: https://v.ringcentral.com/join/975943490? pw=2e34ff67 69797e68e96a95bb953d0d81

ID da reunião: 975943490

Senha: yozWY5m3ib

Ou disque: +12679304000 Estados Unidos (Filadélfia, PA) Código de acesso/ID da reunião: 975943490

Senha de discagem: 9699956342

Qualquer indivíduo que necessite de uma Acomodação Razoável para participar da audiência pode ligar para o Gerente de Acomodação Razoável (203) 498-8800, ramal. 1507 ou no TDD Número (203) 497-8434.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE ELM CITYCOMMUNITIES, HOUSING AUTHORITY OF NEWHAVEN (ECC/HANH) MOVING TO WORK (MTW) FY2022 ANNUAL REPORT

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming,

NOTICE

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

Construction

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

LEGAL NOTICE INVITATION TO BID AETNA DINER RESTORATION – PHASE 1 TEMPORARY ROOFING & SELECTIVE DEMOLITION/ABATEMENT

Email: tom.dunay@garrityasphalt.com

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

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks:

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

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

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

PVC FENCE PRODUCTION

Enterprise Builders Inc. (“EBI”), acting as Construction Manager, will receive qualified subcontractor proposals for the work associated with the project known as Aetna Diner Restoration – Phase 1 Temporary Roofing & Selective Demolition/Abatement (the “Project”). Bids shall be received via e-mail at bids@enterbuilders.com, on or before 3:00 p.m. local time on Wednesday, November 2, 2022. Bid bonds and Payment & Performance Bonds are not required.

The Work includes the interior selective demolition, asbestos abatement and temporary roofing of the historic diner building located at 267 Farmington Ave. in Hartford, CT. A mandatory prebid meeting for demo/hazmat and roofing subcontractors is scheduled for 10:00 am on Friday, October 21, 2022.

NOTICIA

Contact: Rick Tousignant Phone: 860- 243-2300

Email: rick.tousignant@garrityasphalt.com

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

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

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

Drawings can be downloaded free of charge via iSqFt. Please reach out to the EBI contact below to request an invitation to bid. Documents may also be viewed at EBI’s office, 46 Shepard Drive, Newington, CT (8:00 am – 5:00 pm M-F).

This project is tax exempt. Project funding sources may require this project to be subject to State and local set-aside and contract compliance requirements.

Union Company seeks:

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

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

Contact Dana at 860-243-2300

Email: dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com

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

Construction

Seeking to employ experienced individuals in the labor, foreman, operator and teamster trades for a heavy outside work statewide. Reliable personal transportation and a 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 Drug Free Workforce

State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management

The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management is recruiting for a Labor Relations Specialist. Further information regarding the duties, eligibility requirements and application instructions for this position are available at: https://www.jobapscloud.com/ CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?R1= 220815&R2=5256MP&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.

For RFI’s and all other correspondence, please reach out to the following EBI contacts: Bryan Addy baddy@enterbuilders.com (860) 466–5120 and Matt Barone mbarone@ enterbuilders.com

The Owner and EBI reserve the rights to accept any, all, or any part of bids; to reject any, all, or any part of bids; to waive any non-material deficiencies in bid responses, to waive minor inconsistencies; and to award the bid that in its judgment will be in the best interests of the Owner.

EBI is an Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity Employer. Section 3, Veteran-owned and Small/Minority/Women’s business Enterprises are encouraged to participate.

LAROSA GROUPS IS GROWING

LaRosa Earth Group LLC, a Site/Excavation Company is currently looking to add the following full-time positions to our Team:

Site Work Foreman:

Immediate opening for an experienced foreman for site work company. Good communication and organization skills a must. Must be able to read blueprints, perform site layout, operate equipment, schedule and supervise construction crews. CDL and P6 or P7 License preferred.

Equipment Operators:

Immediate openings for Equipment Operators for winter work for site work company. Applicants must be able to operate excavators, dozers, skid steer, earth rollers, etc.

Must be able to read blueprints and have knowledge of required daily equipment maintenance. CDL preferred.

Construction Laborers:

Laborers needed for immediate start for winter work for local site work company. Responsible for movement of earth materials, cleaning and removal of job site debris. Must be able to lift, carry and use hand tools.

For all positions listed above please fax resume to 203-630-1998, email to HR@LaRosaBG.com or apply in person at LaRosa Earth Group, 163 Research Parkway, Meriden, CT AA/EOE.

LEGAL NOTICE

INVITATION TO BID

AETNA DINER RESTORATION – PHASE 2

WATER TREATMENT

MEP DESIGN/BUILD REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

Enterprise Builders Inc. (“EBI”), acting as Construction Manager, will receive subcontractor qualifications and fee proposals for the MEP design/build work associated with the project known as Aetna Diner Restoration – Phase 2 (the “Project”). Responses shall be received via e-mail at bids@enterbuilders.com, on or before 3:00 p.m. local time on Thursday, October 27, 2022.

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

The Phase 2 work includes the complete interior and exterior renovation of the 5,300 sf historic diner building located at 267 Farmington Ave. in Hartford, CT. The project is currently in the design development phase.

Please reach out to the EBI contact below to request a copy of the RFP documents.

NOTICIA

This project is tax exempt. Project funding sources may require this project to be subject to State and local set-aside and contract compliance requirements.

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

For RFI’s and all other correspondence, please reach out to the following EBI contacts: Bryan Addy baddy@enterbuilders.com (860) 466–5120 and Matt Barone mbarone@ enterbuilders.com

State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management

The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management is recruiting for a Budget Analyst Trainee (Leadership Associate (Confidential)).

LEVEL I WATER TREATMENT PUMPING OPERATOR - The Town of Wallingford’s Water Division is seeking qualified candidates to maintain and operate the Town’s water treatment plants, pumping stations, storage tanks, and ground well facilities. Must process a High School Diploma or G.E.D with one (1) year of experience involving the operation or maintenance of equipment. In water supply and treatment; or a technical high school diploma with a demonstrated career and technical education related to electronics technology, electrical, H.V.A.C or water supply and treatment activities and operations or completion of a program in water management. Applicants must have or be able to obtain within 12 months a State of Connecticut Department of Public Health Class 1 or higher Water Treatment Plant Operator certification and completion of a program in water management. Wages: $27.49 - $33.40 hourly, plus an excellent fringe benefit package. Apply: Department of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Forms will be mailed upon request from the Department of Human Resources or may be downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page. Phone # 203-294-2080, Fax # 203-294-2084. The closing date will be November 8, 2022. EOE

The Owner and EBI reserve the rights to accept any, all, or any part of bids; to reject any, all, or any part of bids; to waive any non-material deficiencies in bid responses, to waive minor inconsistencies; and to award the bid that in its judgment will be in the best interests of the Owner.

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

EBI is an Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity Employer. Section 3, Veteran-owned and Small/Minority/Women’s business Enterprises are encouraged to participate.

Property Appraiser

Assists the Town Assessor in all phases of the property appraisal function; Applicants must have an A.S. degree in economics, business, finance, real estate or related field plus 3 years of real estate or appraisal experience or an equivalent combination of education and qualifying experience substituting on a year-for-year basis. Must have a valid driver’s license. Salary: $33.97 - $42.66 hourly plus an excellent fringe benefit package. Apply: Department of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main St., Wallingford, CT 06492, Forms will be mailed upon request from the Department of Human Resources or may be downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page. Phone (203) 294-2080. Fax: (203) 294-2084. The closing date will be that date the 50th application form/resume is received, or November 14, 2022 whichever occurs first. EOE

Further information regarding the duties, eligibility requirements and application instructions for this position are available at: https://www.jobapscloud.com/ CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?R1= 220929&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.

MINORITY CONTRACTOR OPPORTUNITY – UCHC4 Main Building Laboratory Renovation, Farmington, CT SOLICITATION OF SBE/MBE CONTRACTORS: Enterprise Builders, Inc., an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, seeks certified SBE/MBE Subcontractors and/or suppliers and local business enterprises to bid applicable sections of work/equipment/supplies for the following construction project: UCHC4 Main Building Laboratory Renovation. This project consists of an interior renovation of a 9,500 sf which will be renovated to create a new state of the art laboratory space for research use. The renovation will require working within an occupied building, floors above and below the 2nd floor will be occupied during construction Bid Date and Time: 11/14/2022 @ 2:00pm. Electronic Plans and specifications can be obtained at no charge by contacting the Estimating Department at Enterprise Builders at (860) 466-5188 or by email to bids@enterbuilders.com. Project is Tax Exempt and will require prevailing wage rates. This project is subject to state set-aside and contract compliance requirements. EBI encourages the participation of certified SBE/MBE contractors. EBI is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport Request for Proposal (RFP) Strategic Planning for Capital Funds Solicitation Number: 220-EO-22-S

HOUSING

or firms with the necessary ex pertise to provide such GIS basemapping products, as well as any additional specified derivative products, within a stated timeframe.

The RFP is available online at: https://portal.ct.gov/DAS/CTSource/BidBoard and https://portal.ct.gov/OPM/Root/RFP/Request-For-Proposals or from Eric Lindquist, Office of Policy and Management, Intergovernmental Policy and Plan ning Division, 450 Capitol Ave., MS#54 ORG, Hartford, Connecticut 06106-1379. E-mail: eric.k.lindquist@ct.gov. Telephone (860) 418-6395, Fax (860) 418-6493. Deadline for response submission is 5:00 P.M. EST, November 14, 2022.

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) is seeking consulting firms to develop a strategic plan for capital improvements of public housing in the City of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Solicitation package will be available on October 24, 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 November 7, 2022, @ 2:00 p.m. Although attendance is not mandatory, submitting a bid for the project without attending conference is not in the best interest of the Offeror. Additional questions should be emailed only to bids@parkcitycommunities.org no later than November 14, 2022 @ 3:00 p.m. Answers to all the questions will be posted on PCC’s Website: www.parkcitycommunities.org. Proposals shall be mailed, or hand delivered by November 30, 2022 @ 3:00 PM, to Ms. Caroline Sanchez, Director of Procurement, 150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604. Late proposals will not be accepted.

RSV in Children is on The Rise: What Parents Need to Know

by Jessica Daniels, BlackDoctor.org

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in fections typically overlap with flu sea son, occurring in the late fall and winter. However, since last year, physicians have been seeing surges start earlier, includ ing during the summer months. This year that trend is continuing as an early spike in cases among young children is pushing some hospitals to capacity.

Children’s hospitals in the Washington, D.C. area, including Children’s National Hospital, Inova Fairfax and Johns Hop kins in Baltimore, are at or near capacity, according to DCist.

Connecticut Children’s Hospital in Hart ford has also been pushed to capacity. The hospital’s pediatric in-patient beds have been full for the last few weeks, WTNH reports. With no indication of the spread slowing down, officials have begun seek ing the help of the National Guard and FEMA to set up tents in order to expand capacity.

In Texas, doctors at Cook Children’s hospital in Fort Worth told ABC News they are treating around 300 RSV patients a day.

Why the spike?

“Last year, more people were wearing face masks and children were more likely to stay home while sick,” Dr. Laura Ro mano said in Cook Children’s in-house publication.

“This year, parents are sending their children to daycare and school for the first time following two years of the pandemic. … Children who haven’t been previously exposed to respiratory viruses are getting sick,” Romano added.

With winter on the way, are bracing for

more cases.

Dr. Russell Migita with Seattle Chil dren’s Hospital told King 5 News they are seeing about 20 to 30 positive cases every day, which according to them, are “unprecedented” figures.

RSV symptoms

Watch closely if your kids appear to have a common cold this fall or winter. It could instead be RSV, and that makes it more likely to progress to a serious lower lung infection.

“The symptoms are virtually synony mous with the common cold – runny nose, congestion, maybe a little cough – but RSV is associated with a much higher risk of progression from an upper respiratory cold to a lower lung infection,” says Dr. Patrick Gavigan. He is a pediatric infec tious disease physician at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, in Hershey, Penn. “This includes viral pneumonia or bronchiolitis, which involves inflamma tion of the small airways in the lung.”

If you aren’t sure if your child has a cold or RSV, you should look for signs of trou ble with feeding or difficulty with breath ing. A doctor can confirm a diagnosis with a nasal swab.

“Are they breathing faster or do you see them sucking in their belly a lot to breathe? Apnea – a pause in breathing –is common in premature babies or infants under 1 month of age who have RSV,” Gavigan shares. “Are they feeding enough to stay hydrated? We often see loss of ap petite, or they’re working really hard to breathe while they’re feeding.”

Children at high risk of complications from RSV are often prescribed monthly injections of palivizumab (Synagis). This monoclonal antibody helps prevent seri ous lung infections and hospitalizations,

Gavigan adds.

Who’s most at risk?

Premature infants born at 29 weeks ges tation or less and infants younger than 6 months are among those most at risk from the virus.

Children younger than 2 years old who have chronic lung disease or congenital heart disease are also at higher risk, as are kids with a weakened immune system or neuromuscular disorders.

However, all infants and toddlers might be more at risk this year. In the past, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Pre vention has warned medical professionals that older infants and toddlers might be at greater than usual risk of severe RSVassociated illness because it was unlikely that they had typical levels of exposure to RSV during the previous months.

“By age 2, most children have had RSV, and symptoms usually peak around five to seven days before resolving on its own,” Gavigan says. “However, 1% to 3% of children will be hospitalized with it.”

How to protect your child

Taking steps to prevent RSV looks simi lar to what you might do to avoid other respiratory viruses.

RSV is spread through respiratory drop lets and can live on surfaces. Penn State Health advises disinfecting high-touch ar eas like doorknobs and countertops.

“Wash your hands frequently, wear a mask, stay at home if you are sick, and get a flu shot,” Gavigan adds.

Children over the age of 6 months can safely get a flu shot, and should do so, ac cording to the CDC.

For more on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

President Biden Announces Fix to Family Glitch in Obamacare Subsidies

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

With an estimated 5.1 million people falling into the so-called family glitch – primarily children and women – the Biden administration has issued a rule that makes it easier for those with employersponsored health plans to get Affordable Care Act subsidies.

The rule, which comes from the Inter nal Revenue Service, fixes the glitch that prevented family members from receiving Obamacare subsidies if a household mem ber had access to employer-sponsored healthcare coverage that meets specific requirements identified in the law.

Obamacare required that employer plans be affordable for employees. Unfortunate ly, it didn’t offer that same protection for family members.

“Health care should be a right, not a privilege. But for many Americans caught in the so-called family glitch, the peace of

mind that health insurance brings has re mained out of reach,” President Joe Biden offered in a statement.

“Because of this glitch, employer-based health insurance has been considered ‘af fordable’ if the coverage is affordable for the employee even if it is not for their family members – making those family members ineligible for Affordable Care Act subsidies even though they need them to afford quality coverage.”

In April, the president announced a pro posal to fix what the administration called a regulatory flaw.

Beginning in November, families can sign up to take advantage of the change.

The White House said about 1 million Americans would either gain coverage or see their insurance become more afford able because of the new rule.

“This marks the most significant admin istrative action since the law was first put into place,” Biden asserted.

“It builds on our progress so far, which has brought the rate of uninsured Ameri cans to a record-low eight percent. My administration will continue working ev ery day to lower costs and expand quality, affordable health coverage to all Ameri cans.”

The Urban Institute estimated that elimi nating the family glitch would decrease employer spending by roughly $2 billion

annually.

“Changing the family glitch would lower health care premiums for hundreds of thousands of affected families without un dermining employer coverage,” research ers at the Urban Institute found.

“There would be a modest increase in health coverage, but the biggest effect would be to improve affordability. There would be a small increase in federal gov ernment spending and a tiny increase in state spending that would be at least par tially offset by additional tax revenue.”

Protecting and strengthening implemen tation of the Affordable Care Act remains key to increasing access to quality, af fordable health care,” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secre tary Xavier Becerra wrote in a statement.

“Today’s action resolves a flaw in prior ACA regulations to bring more affordable coverage to about one million Americans. Our goal is simple: leave no one behind and give everyone the peace of mind that

comes with health insurance,” Becerra stated.

He continued:

“Under President Biden’s leadership, our nation’s uninsured rate is at an all-time low, and Affordable Care Act enrollment is at an all-time high. This is not by ac cident. We are meeting people where they are to tell them about their healthcare op tions through unprecedented outreach ef forts. And through landmark legislation like the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act, we have offered the lowest ACA premium rates in history. Our work to expand coverage and lower healthcare costs for American families never stops.

“Whether you’re part of a family previ ously affected by this glitch, or an individ ual buying insurance on the marketplace, the Biden-Harris Administration is com mitted to ensuring you have access to the healthcare you deserve.”