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THE INNER-CITY NEWS November 08, 2017 - November 14, 2017

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Mayor Harp Coasts To Third Term FOLLOW US ON 1

THE INNER-CITY NEWS November 08, 2017 - November 14, 2017

Mayor Harp Coasts To Third Term; Clifton Graves Elected Probate Judge

by PAUL BASS, MARKESHIA RICKS & CHRISTOPHER PEAK | New Haven Independent

New Haven voters Tuesday overwhelmingly gave Democrat Toni Harp a third two-year term as mayor and chose fellow Democrat Clifton Graves to become the first new probate judge in 32 years. Harp won 77 percent of the vote, or a total of 8,293 votes, against two candidates who ended up not actively campaigning in the general election, Sarah Ganong of the Working Families Party (WFP) and petitioning candidate Marcus Paca. Paca collected 15 percent of the vote, or a total of 1,592, according to the Independent’s unofficial tally of the machine vote. Ganong captured 7.8 percent, with a total of 831. She succeeded in her stated goal of the campaign: winning at least 1 percent of the vote in order to secure a position on future municipal ballots for her party, which cross-endorses left-leaning Democrats. In the race to succeed the retiring Jack Keyes as New Haven probate judge, Democrat Graves won 84 percent of the vote, with a total of 8,253 votes. Republican Melissa Papantones had 16 percent, with 1,648 votes. Graves told the Independent he felt “humbled and honored” by his victory. He vowed to “build on the legacy and foundation of help and hope being left by Jack Keyes.” The big surprise of the night was the victory of an independent candidate Steve Winter, against a homegrown Democratic candidate, Rodney Williams, in the race for alder in Newhallville/Prospect Hill’s Ward 21. Winter beat Williams 234-180 in the machine vote. That means the Board of Alders will have two independently-elected members this coming year, because petitioning candidate Hacibey Catalbasoglou won an uncontested race for Yale’s Ward 1 seat. Currently all the 30 members of the board are Democrats. Winter, an environmental and civilrights activist, is originally from Rhode Island. He came to New Haven to study philosophy at Yale back in 2007 and fell in love with the Elm City. He lived in the portion of the ward in middle-class Prospect Hill. Williams lives in the Newhallville portion. Tuesday night, he credited three months of extensive door-knocking for his victory. “I plan to remain engaged out on the street and the community and continue to organize with folks to solve the many real problems in the ward,” he said at the polls after the results were announced at the Jackie Robinson School polling sta-

MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTO

Harp with supporters at Vanity.

tion. “It starts with kids and improving education and after-school opportunities and making streets safe by improving policing in the community.” The incumbent Democratic Alder Brenda Foskey-Hill, who’s retiring, supported Winter and walked the ward with him. Williams, a contractor (owner of Mr. Rock Drywall) who grew up Newhallville and has advocated for more opportunities for black-owned small businesses, remarked: “A lot of East Rock showed up today. But of lot of [Newhallville] people didn’t. The Republicans ran candidates in two out of 30 wards. They both lost: incumbent Democrat Dolores Colon beat Republican John Carlson 223 to 98 in the machine vote in City Point’s Ward 6. Democrat Sal DeCola beat Republican Joshua Van Hoesen 609 to 175 on the machines in Morris Cove’s Ward 18. In Ward 4, incumbent Democratic Alder Evelyn Rodriguez beat petitioning candidate Mayce Torres 234-16. Democratic Board of Education member Edward Joyner was also reelected. He had a nominal Republican candidate, but she ended up not pursuing the campaign. Harp’s reelection mirrored that of fellow Democratic Mayor Bill DeBlasio of New York City. Both are progressive Democrats won their first term four years ago. Both won reelection Tuesday with a surprising lack of serious opposition, riding a crest of historically low crime rates, a booming real estate market, and support for immigrant-friendly “sanctuary cities” policies in the Age of

Trump. New Haven’s mayoral politics have been mirroring New York City’s for decades now. That suggests that, while local elections first and foremost come down to the local candidates and issues, broader politics forces also may play a role. Consider: • In 1989, popular long-serving mayors were retiring in both cities — Biagio DiLieto in New Haven, Ed Koch in New York — amid rustlings for change at the grassroots. That year, John Daniels became New Haven’s first black mayor. David Dinkins became New York’s first black mayor. Both were long-serving officials in the establishment wing of the Democratic Party. Almost identical coalitions elected both of them: civil-rights outsiders, black establishment insiders, activists from District 1199 health care union. In office, Daniels and Dinkins introduced community policing. • In 1993, voters in New Haven elected the man Daniels beat in 1989, John DeStefano. Voters in New York elected the man Dinkins beat, Rudy Giuliani. Both promised to govern more forcefully. • In 2013, voters in both cities were electing a mayor to succeed an incumbent who had been in office for more than a decade. Both elections were highly competitive, featuring Democratic primaries with multiple A-list candidates. Four years later, all A-list challengers sat out the elections in both parties, and the elections weren’t close. One of the few truly contested races took place in the Ward 6 race for alder

in City Point and along Howard Avenue. Around 5 p.m., Democratic alder candidate Colon, Republican alder candidate Carlson, and Republican citywide probate judge candidate Papantones huddled under umbrellas on the corner outside the New Horizons School polling spot, trying to stay out of the persistent rainfall. With few voters in sight, the candidates mostly watched the cars fly down Sargent Drive or, a little farther, slug through traffic on the I-95 Turnpike. Carlson filled out a report on SeeClickFix about a broken section of sidewalk that had turned into a wide puddle. After an hour, when one voter in a rain-jacket finally sped past, the parties almost missed her; a Republican supporter, Paul Larrivee, chased her down the sidewalk, waving a flyer. Colon had arrived at the polls 12 hours earlier, at 5:30 a.m., after a restless night. She said she felt confident her team of 50 volunteers, include neighbors from Wards 4 and 6 and members of the New Haven Rising activist group, had turned out the votes she needed. She was confident she’d win, but not by how much. She said she had “more work to do,” citing progress on the Hill-to-Downtown plan and the redevelopment of Church Street South. Carlson, meanwhile, said that the outstanding quality-of-life issues in the neighborhood suggested that the alder could have done more during her long tenure on the board. “After 16 years as alder, you’d think the roads and sidewalks would be fixed, the community center opened,” he said. “That’s not because it’s the alder’s job exactly, but

because if she truly was looking out for the neighborhood, she’d lobby City Hall and get funding.” He expected the final results to be close, he said. Carlson said neighbors had been receptive to his message, even if they had a different party affiliation. Only one person had yelled at him while doorknocking. “In New Haven, although it’s predominantly Democratic, people are open to ideas. They vote for the better candidate, not for party, when they’re given the choice,” he said. “The problem is they’re rarely given the chance, especially in the Hill.” His supporters carried signs reading, “Let’s FIX the 6th!” Hector Legun said he’d known Carlson to be a “gogetter” since childhood. “He can effect positive changes in the neighborhood,” he said, citing crime and broken sidewalks, speeding cars and unavailable parking. Larrivee, another canvasser supporting Carlson, said Colon had served well, but he argued that politicians needed competition to stay honest. A former Reagan Democrat who has since switched his party affiliation to the GOP, Larrivee said he wanted an alder who could “work for residents, not unions or interests that the administration has,” he explained. “We need somebody who works for everybody.” While most of the day was slow for Papantones as she hit up at least seven neighborhoods (Wards 6, 17, 18, 25, 26, 27 and 30), she said she believes she convinced at least one voter to show up in support. She explained to one voter that probate judges decide whether to institutionalize patients in psychiatric hospitals. “We still have those?” the voter asked. Patients are medicated against their will all the time, Papantones answered. “I think that you’ve given me something to go to the polls for,” the voter said. She wasn’t convinced she’d pull out a victory over Graves, saying that was the “realistic” way to look at the election. “Look, I’m not doing this for personal gain. Probate Court is really important. You need somebody with good judgment, and I think I have that,” she said On the other side of the judicial race, Maurice Bacote, an ex-con who’s been in the city prison-reentry program that Graves runs, Project Fresh Start, for two years, stood in the rain without an umbrella with a Graves shirt on. He called Graves, the re-entry coordinator, a “great man who could do great things for the city.” Should he and his fivemonth-old son ever show up in probate, he said he’d want Graves at the front of the courtroom.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS November 08, 2017 - November 14, 2017

Big Losses Confound Elm City Republicans by CHRISTOPHER PEAK New Haven Independent

New Haven’s Republicans wagered this election year on individual candidates, hoping street-level campaigns about quality-of-life issues could offset bright-blue New Haven’s disgust with the national brand of far-right politics embodied by President Trump. “The difference this time is we’re campaigning. It’s not we don’t have support and interest,” said Jonathan Wharton, the chairman who has tried to rebuild the party in his three years on the job. “We got a platform, a website, social media, and money. We check all those boxes.” On Tuesday night, they lost the bet. The Grand Old Party got trounced, losing by as much as 5-to-1 in one citywide race. Its best showing was a 2-to-1 loss. Running as fiscal conservatives in just three races in the city — not torchbearing white nationalists or Bible-

Joshua Van Hoeson: I’ll keep working for the ward.

thumping culture warriors — the party still couldn’t gain a foothold, failing to

CHRISTOPHER PEAK PHOTO

Jonathan Wharton, GOP Chair, speaks to party faithful at City Point Kitchen.

shake Democrats’ 66-year hold on City Hall, dating back to halfway through

President Harry Truman’s second term. At a post-election gathering the party’s unofficial headquarters of City Point Kitchen, Wharton, a political science professor at Southern Connecticut State University, sought to strike an upbeat tone. He was joined by 20 party supporters, including a crew from Southern, who chomped on burgers and downed beers. Wharton trawled Twitter looking for vote totals, occasionally exclaiming, “Oh god.” When he announced that it was official — Toni Harp had won a third term as mayor — the Republicans in the room groaned. “Let’s move!” someone yelled from the bar. Republicans didn’t run for mayor. They did field one citywide candidate, for probate judge, a position opened up for the first time in 32 years by the retirement of Jack Keyes. Democrat Clifton Graves Jr. won 84 percent of the vote,

with a total of 8,253 votes, while Republican Melissa Papantones, an respected and known figure around town, claimed just 16 percent, with 1,648 votes. The two GOP alder candidates, who campaigned energetically, also lost by large margins. (New Haven has 30 alders.) Incumbent Democrat Dolores Colon beat Republican John Carlson 223 to 98 on the machine vote (not including absentee ballots) in City Point’s Ward 6, and Democrat Sal DeCola bested Republican Joshua Van Hoesen 609 to 175 on the machines in Morris Cove’s Ward 18. Papantones took the floor first at Tuesday night’s post-mortem. After reading out a concession email she’d sent to Graves, she said she was proud of the campaigns her fellow Republicans had run. “It was the right thing to do. We showed them that the Republican Party is alive and well in New Haven,” she Con’t on page 8

Newhallville To Say Goodbye To ‘Mr. Eddie’ by MARKESHIA RICKS New Haven Independent

Newhallville will say goodbye this weekend to a beloved barber shop owner who has been a fixture on Newhall Street for 49 years. Eddie “Mr. Eddie” Thorne, the owner of Eddie’s Barber Shop, passed away Monday after a battle with cancer. He was 77 years old. His daughter Sheila said Friday that growing up with a dad whom everyone in the community knew was tough. “You couldn’t go anywhere and get in trouble,” she said with a laugh. “You don’t even know if people were his customers or his lodge brothers.” Mr. Eddie was known as not only a barber but a pillar in the community. He was an active member of Community Baptist Church, where he served as the president of the usher board. He also was a past master of the Mason Oriental Lodge No. 6 and a member of the Eastern Star’s Eureka Chapter No. 2. Mr. Eddie came to New Haven from Nashville, N.C. His brother Robert said that their parents were sharecroppers. Mr. Eddie grew up working the fields planting corn and tobacco. Mr. Eddie and Robert are from a family that had a total of 11 siblings. “He plowed with mules,” Robert

MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTO

Eddie Throne’s brother Robert and daughter Sheila outside his barbershop Friday.

Thorne said. “Mr. Eddie moved here and went to barber college in Hartford. A few years later he had the opportunity to acquire this building and he started the business here.” Robert said that for the 49 years that Mr. Eddie owned the barber shop he was all about the customer. “Mr. Eddie was to the customer whatever they needed him to be,” he said.

“Mr. Eddie would float wherever they wanted to go. If they talked about football he could talk football.” Sheila said that her dad leaves an awesome legacy as a parent to her and her other two siblings and as a father figure to others who knew him over the years. “He was a great man,” she said. “I love him. I’m going to miss him, his

presence, his smile, his laughter, his humor.” Robert said the family hasn’t yet made a decision about whether the barbershop will continue on without Mr. Eddie. Eddie L. Thorne, 77, of New Haven, passed away Monday, Oct. 30. He was born in Nashville, N.C. to the late Robert and Truller Walker Thorne on

June 10, 1940. He was an original, licensed afro-specialist who owned Mr. Eddie’s Barbershop for 49 years. He attended Community Baptist Church where he served as the president of the usher board. He also served as a past master at Oriental Lodge #6. Eddie leaves to cherish his memory, his wife of 55 years, Rose Thorne; sons, Alan B. (Francine) Thorne Sr. and Rodney L. Thorne; daughter, Sheila Thorne (Nathaniel) Edmonds; brothers, Willie Charles Thorne, George Thorne, Wilbert Thorne, Robert Thorne, Jr., and William McKinley Thorne; sisters, Mildred I. Alston, Annette Wiggins, and Geraldine Thorne; five grandchildren; and a host of relatives and friends. On Saturday a public Masonic service will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at Howard K. Hill Funeral Services, 1287 Chapel St, New Haven, CT 06511. On Sunday at Beulah Heights First Pentecostal Church, 782 Orchard St, New Haven, CT 06511. Calling hours will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. with a celebration of life to begin at 6 p.m. Interment will take place Monday, November 6, 2017, at 11 a.m. at Beaverdale Memorial Park, New Haven. To leave a message of comfort for the Thorne family, please visit, www.hkhfuneralservices.com

THE INNER-CITY NEWS November 08, 2017 - November 14, 2017

Busted Bus System’s Breaks Revealed by MARKESHIA RICKS

Publisher / CEO

Babz Rawls Ivy

Editor-in-Chief Liaison, Corporate Affairs

New Haven Independent

Kill a bus route to North Branford that has only 38 riders a day. Eliminate bus stops that are too close together. Create more connection hubs and crosstown bus options instead of forcing everyone to go through the New Haven Green. A new “mobility” study puts into play those and other potential fixes for New Haven’s beleaguered bus system. A draft of the highly anticipated first phase of the state-funded “Move New Haven Move” transit study got its first public airing at the Ives main library downtown Wednesday night. And it looks like everything that people have been saying about the CT Transit bus system service in and around New Haven for years is true. The system is inefficient, inconsistent, and incoherent and the new mobility study confirms that. The first phase of the study took about a year to complete. It was done in collaboration with the city of New Haven, the state Department of Transportation, the Greater New Haven Transit District, the South Central Regional Council of Governments and the Federal Transit Administration. In addition to laying out the current state of the system, the study, which will be used as a guide for recommending improvements in a second phase, raises questions about whether it’s time to kill underperforming routes and eliminate the multitude of close-together bus stops that drag down even the most used routes. It also suggests that it might be time to convince Yale University to relinquish its segregated bus system. New Haven, the municipality in the region with the highest percentage of households without cars, naturally has the highest number of bus riders. Only 27 percent of CT Transit New Haven boardings occur outside of New Haven, according to the draft report. And most of those rides originate in West Haven and Hamden. CT Transit New Haven provides bus service for nearly 10 million annual passenger trips a year with its 15 fixed bus routes, one intercity express bus, and two shuttle services, according to the report. The system appears to be spreading itself too thin in the case of low performing routes like

John P. Thomas

Babz@penfieldcomm.com

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

Editorial Team Staff Writers

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

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

PAUL BASS PHOTO

Dr. Tamiko Jackson-McArthur

Rush hour on bus formerly known as the B, now the 243.

the former L-route to North Branford, while simultaneously running itself ragged on high-use routes like the former B and D routes, which are now known as the 243 A/B and 212 B/F/U/W, respectively. The study’s analysis of the estimated cost of operating each route also raises the question of who is subsidizing whom when it comes to paying for the transit system. It costs $14.89 per rider to operate the former L route for the 38 people who go to North Branford each day. But it costs just $2.42 per rider for the nearly 6,000 who ride the former D route, noted in the report as one of the “workhorse” routes, up Dixwell Avenue each day. While it costs significantly less overall to operate the bus route to Branford less than $148,000 a year versus the more than $4.3 million for

the Dixwell Avenue bus route that route doesn’t come as close to paying for itself as the old D bus route. The report identifies the S-Madison, 55x CT Post Flyer, L-North Branford, and the Commuter Connection shuttle routes as having the highest cost per rider in the system. They cost more than two and a half times more per rider than former BWhalley Avenue bus route, which financially is the best performing in the system. When you throw in the former J-Whitney Avenue and the CNorth Haven, all of these routes are recommended for service improvements because they are the worst performing routes in the system. They either have less than two passenger trips per revenue mile, or they have fewer than 20 passengers trips per revenue hour. Speaking of workhorses ... the

former D bus route, now the 213, which serves Dixwell and Grand avenues, and the B bus, turned 243, which serves Whalley and Congress avenues, represent 47 percent of the system’s ridership, according to the report. These routes have the longest span of operation more than 18 hours a day and the shortest headways, with buses coming as frequently as every five minutes at peak hours. But these routes, which tend to serve sections of the city with high numbers of people who don’t have cars, are also frequently plagued by passenger overcrowding, according to the report. Add bus stop spacing that exceeds a metric of four bus stops per mile, and in some cases exceeds nine stops per mile, and you have buses that spend more time stopping, increasing the time it takes everyone to Con’t on page 5

Michelle Turner Smita Shrestha William Spivey Kam Williams Rev. Samuel T. Ross-Lee

_______________________

Contributors At-Large

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

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Body Cams Start Rolling THE INNER-CITY NEWS November 08, 2017 - November 14, 2017

Con’t from page 4

Busted Bus

get where they’re going. The city decided back in September to tackle bus stop spacing on upper State Street on the former Q-Lombard Street route, that now is 223. City traffic commissioners voted unanimously to eliminated six little-used stops to improve the flow of traffic on the street and free up 300 feet of new parking. City transit chief Doug Hausladen delayed the implementation of the plan to allow more time for feedback from neighbors. The new study suggests that New Haven should eliminate many more stops than six on not just the old Q route but every route. One place where CT Transit New Haven might find some more synergy and efficiency is in the Yale University bus system, the report observes. Yale’s shuttle bus routes, which serve only people with Yale identification, overlay the CT Transit routes, particularly the formerly named G-Shelton Avenue (237), the J-Whitney Avenue (228), the M-State Street (224) and the BCongress Avenue (265). But Yale buses have a longer span of service, accommodating the schedules of those studying medicine. Yale’s bus system also has headways of 15 minutes or less and uses an application that provides real-time bus information, according to the report. CT Transit recently rolled out its own app, which has not been working as promised. The mobility study provides comparative data from other cities like Ann Arbor, Mich., Providence, R.I., and Houston, Texas. It notes that all three have partnerships with the major universities in those communities that allow faculty and students to ride local transit for free or reduced cost. CT Transit started a similar partnership with the state’s two- and four-year colleges and universities. Students at schools like Gateway Community College and Southern Connecticut State University pay a flat fee as part of their tuition and fees and they can ride CT Transit and Metro-North for free here in the state. CT Transit Transit Manager Lisa Rivers said Wednesday that some private colleges and universities have expressed interest in what is known as the U-Pass, which all state college and university students use to ride free on buses and trains, funded by an annual student fee. Rivers said officials at the private schools are leery of charging the flat rate to all students because some wouldn’t use the pass.

by CHRISTOPHER PEAK New Haven Independent

Thirty cops started receiving training Wednesday on when to turn on their new body-worn cameras the start of a technological shift in how cops patrol New Haven, one that police officials call a step toward transparency, accountability and trust. The police department received a $779,000 grant to purchase 800 Axon Body-Worn Cameras. That’s enough for each officer to be issued a “hot” camera for use during a regular shift, and a “cold” camera, a back-up at the station. After the first cohort wraps up training, the department will wait a few weeks before lining up the next group. Leaders from the patrol, internal affairs and training departments will all review camera footage, just as they now do with any use of force, to recommend changes. Officials promised that the body cameras will change the way that the department functions. They also acknowledged that tweaks will have to be made based on what officers learn from the early implementation. “These body cameras are a vision for a more collaborative model of community policing … to bring this department into the 21st century,” Chief Anthony Campbell declared at a press conference prior to the training session at police headquarters at 1 Union Ave. As the program rolls out, the department will have to figure out the right amount of footage to record. Too little and the cameras might not catch a major incident unfolding; too much and the cloud storage, which costs $350,000 annually, might be overwhelmed. Under a new general order approved by the Police Commission last month, officers are supposed to ensure that the camera’s is turned on “at the inception of an interaction with the public in a law enforcement capacity.” At that meeting, the police union asked for permission to turn off cameras while discussing charges, but a city lawyer said that exception would violate state law. Reginald McGlotten, an officer who participated in the pilot, said he felt “weird at first. You’re not used to wearing a camera in everyday life.” During the adjustment, the department will institute a 90-day grace

Chief Anthony Campbell: Body cams bring the department into this century/

period from the end of training for officers to get used to turning the devices on and off. No discipline will be doled out unless there are repeated violations during the grace period, according to the order. Producing the footage in response to public records requests will be another challenge for the department to surmount. According to the general order, the footage must be be retained for “a minimum of 90 days unless reproduced for evidentiary purposes or otherwise required” — less than what some states require. If the department gets a Freedom of Information Act request during that time, the video will need to be reviewed and possibly redacted. That’s led to massive backlogs in Seattle or severely edited-down versions in other cities. Campbell said that the department will proactively release footage from some major incidents. Officer David Hartman, the department’s spokesperson, added that the department will also occasionally highlight the “everyday good” that cops do on the beat to “give the public a better idea of what the day-to-day life of a police officer is really like.” As part of the training on Wednesday morning, department officials

showed how to use the cameras and linked cell phones, then quizzed the group about procedures. One officer said he was excited to have another tool to work with. The group was silent when asked about what questions their peers had been asking about how the cameras work. Hartman said he expects that keeping a running record of events will change behavior on both sides of the camera, checking uses of force by police and aggression by citizens. That’s what several other police departments, including San Diego, found, reporting fewer citizen complaints (and a higher percentage of the rest proved false) and fewer instances of serious force. A recent study of 2,200 police officers in Washington, D.C., found no difference in uses of force, misconduct complaints and conviction rates between the cops who received body cams and those in the same district who didn’t, after controlling for differences in race and gender, years on the force, past behavior and other factors. “This is an enormous intervention into the police officers’ daily routine. … You would expect that the monitoring alone would change their behavior,” Alexander Coppock, a Yale political scientist who co-authored the study, said in a recent interview. “Shouldn’t

they be more cautious about following the rules? Shouldn’t they be better at filling out paperwork because they have a video to remind them of an interaction? We found no statistically significance difference on anything we examined.” Coppock clarified that there may have been changes, just none that were statistically significant. Part of that, he added, might be attributable to a “spillover” effect, in which the control group changed behavior because of the intervention on their colleagues. Mayor Toni Harp, who advocated for body cameras while in the legislature, said she believes that transparency alone will benefit the department and the public. “In a word, in New Haven, we’re happy to provide accountability to civilians for the actions of police officers,” Harp said at the press conference. “In New Haven, we’re willing to scrutinize what transpires on the streets to reinforce excellent training that recruits receive in our academy. In New Haven, we’re eager to improve those training techniques, if and as necessary, depending on what’s recorded by these body cameras.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS November 08, 2017 - November 14, 2017

Cross Helps 11 Maria Refugees Start Over by THOMAS BREEN

New Haven Independent

Two weeks ago, Daisha Rivera was living on Puerto Rico’s north-central coast, where her family had trouble finding clean water a month after Hurricane Maria. Thursday night Rivera joined other new students for a communal embrace at Wilbur Cross High, the new academic home for 10 other hurricane refugees as well. Rivera, who is 17, is a senior at Cross. She now lives with relatives in the Hill and is working on applying to colleges like Yale and University of Connecticut, where she hopes to study nursing. NHPS’s Student Services department organized Thursday night’s event to offer to support to students and families who have recently arrived in New Haven after fleeing the destruction wrought by not just Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico but also the Sept. 19th earthquake near Mexico City. Hosted at the Wilbur Cross High School auditorium and organized by Principal Edith Johnson, school social worker Lissette Agosto, and New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) social work supervisor Johanna SambergChampion, the event, called “A Night of Healing,” featured musical performances, mental health counseling,

and motivational speaking directed towards Hispanic refugees of recent natural disasters who now find themselves living, working, and going to school in New Haven. Over the past few weeks, the public school system has taken in over 60 new students whose families have relocated from Puerto Rico to the Elm City because of Hurricane Maria. Principal Johnson said that 11 of those 50 new Puerto Rican students have ended up at Wilbur Cross, which has a total student body of 1,514. Cross has also received three new students from Mexico and one new student from the U.S. Virgin Islands. Johnson said that 58 percent of the school’s student body is already Latino. She has set up a program whereby current Spanish-speaking students at the school are paired up with recently arrived Puerto Rican and Mexican students, and can therefore offer them support and guidance as they get acclimated to attending high school full time in New Haven. Before the event began, Rivera spoke with the Independent about living in her home town of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, during and after Hurricane Maria hit on Sept. 20. “It was really an eye-opening experience,” she said. “Because you had to adjust to everything that you normally take for granted. It was hard to

NHPS social work supervisor Johanna Samberg-Champion, Wilbur Cross Principal Edith Johnson, and Wilbur Cross social worker Lissette Agosto.

Cross students and amateur flamenco dancers Josselyn Escalante, Guizell Samaniedo, and Alondra Rodriguez.

find places with clean clothes, clean water, clean food.” She said that, even before the storm hit, she had been planning on coming to the mainland United States to pursue higher education. The hurricane, and the devastation it wrought on the island, made that transition happen sooner than she expected. She left Puerto Rico with her cousin’s mom on Oct. 20 and came to New Haven to live with her mom, her cousin, and his parents. Her father stayed behind in Puerto Rico to look after her grandparents. “It’s been very liberating,” Rivera said about finding safe haven and resuming her education in the Elm City. “It’s been very calming.” Aleicha Maury, 17, and Jose Felicia-

no, 17, two cousins who are also new students at Wilbur Cross after fleeing Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, joined Rivera to tell the Independent their story of surviving the storm. “It was something horrible, to be honest,” Maury said. She and her family lived in the small, north-central city of Florida, Puerto Rico. After the storm hit, she said that her stepfather lost his job as a chauffeur, and her family lost their home. She remembered the winds during the storm being so strong that one house on her block nearly had its roof blown off. “It was horrible,” Feliciano agreed. “I didn’t like it at all.” Maury and Feliciano left Puerto

Rico on Oct. 11 and are now living with extended family in New Haven and adapting to school at Wilbur Cross. Rivera and Maury then found seats in the auditorium as a range of student performers, educators, health professionals, and spiritual leaders took the stage to entertain and offer support to the school’s newest members and their friends, families, and peers. The dance team from Wilbur Cross’s international club performed a lively flamenco number that ended with the students unfurling individual banners that spelled LATINOS across the stage. “We’re just representing where we come from in order to help bring people together,” Wilbur Cross junior Alondra Rodriguez said before joining her classmates for the dance. Cross Choir Director Daniele StoreyCarson led a small group of students in an a capella performance of La Borinqueña, the Puerto Rican national anthem. Luis Rios, a marriage and family therapist at the Fair Haven Community Health Center, followed the student performances with a brief message on the medical resources available to New Haven’s newest refugee population, particularly for those who may be suffering from some sort of PTSD after surviving the storm. “Some people may be having nightmares,” he said. “Some people may be having flashbacks. Some people may not be sleeping at night. That sticks with us.” He said that resources like the Fair Haven clinic have doctors and mental help therapists on hand who are able to help people talk through their stress. Pastor Hector Luis Otero of Una Iglesia Para La Ciudad in Fair Haven gave the keynote address. With NHPS staffer Pedro Bermudez, Jr. translating from Spanish to English, Otero offered an animated, extended riff on a parable about an old, poor man and his horse, highlighting again and again the story’s message that even the most dire of hardships can contain hidden blessings. “In Puerto Rico, where I’m from,” Otero said, “there’s a saying that there’s no wrong that can’t have something good come out of it, too.” “Mexico is a blessing,” he continued, as the sparsely filled auditorium stood up in applause. “Puerto Rico is a blessing.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS November 08, 2017 - November 14, 2017

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS November 08, 2017 - November 14, 2017 Con’t from page 3

Big Losses Confound Elm City

said. “We worked hard and we’ll do better next time.” She won cheers. Wharton thanked her for putting her name into a tough citywide race, and he pointed out how much progress the party had made. The party created a platform and raised money, he said, and the media and the state party both paid attention to their work. “I don’t see this as a loss; I see this as potential for new ground,” he said. “We have to admit one thing: We attempted to do something in creating a platform and running candidates. I would hope that, in two years, we have more candidates to run, we get more voters, including these unaffiliated voters, because there are a lot of angry people out there who are just sick of it and want more variety. We’ve got to find a way to do more outreach outside the party, because you just can’t do it with 2,500 registered voters. I look to you all for that. “Whatever I can do to continue to be your chairman, I appreciate it. We’ve got to get you guys elected.” Carlson and Van Hoesen said they both plan to continue working on local issues over the next two years, proving to neighbors that they’ll be a force in the community regardless of the election results. After the party members cleared out, Wharton walked out to the parking lot and parted with Carlson. The candidate joked that, after hearing two independent candidates had claimed seats on the previously all-Democratic Board of Alders, he might not show up at the next town committee meeting. “I’m an independent now!” he said, smiling. Wharton continued up to the yacht club,

where he found out that two of his sailor buddies hadn’t voted. He ordered himself a cosmo at the bar. “I don’t know what’s missing,” Wharton said, “except the numbers. I thought the turnout would be higher, that there’d be an attempt to go beyond one-party rule.” The national environment didn’t help the local GOP’s efforts. In keeping with a national trend this year that swept Democrats into power in Virginia, New Jersey and Washington, the Elm City proved it is still dyed in the deepest shades of blue, confounding Republican leaders who are trying to reinvent the city’s dormant opposition party. As the ice melted in his martini glass, Wharton contemplated what could he do differently two years from now. Find a mayoral candidate whose coattails might help alders down the ballot? Maybe pick off a figure with name recognition to become the opposition’s standard-bearer? Mayoral competitor Marcus Paca had, after all, been showing up at their events. Or take a more patient approach and slowly build a bench by appointing more board members and commissioners? Or they could just fundraise enough out-of-town money to cut the advantages? As a first step, Wharton said, the party needs “a presence in town” and “more reaching out to independents.” But he also needs to find out if his party os ready to put up another fight. “It’s something we need to talk about. I want to hear from everybody else,” he said. “I can’t say I have the game plan or ideas.” “A lot is up for debate,” he went on. “I just don’t know.”

Downtown Gets A Steakhouse by MARKESHIA RICKS

New Haven Independent

The city’s Restaurant Week kicked off Monday with the opening of a new steakhouse downtown. Mayor Toni Harp broke out the giant scissors for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 212 College St. on the first floor of the College & Crown luxury apartment building that opened in 2015. The building also is home to clothing retailer J. Press. Harp said Monday that she has made the ribbon-cutting rounds to recently opened restaurants that serve Cajun-Creole, Peruvian, Turkish and even Hawaiian food. The openings solidify the city’s reputation as a destination for foodies, she said. “If you will pardon the expression, it’s quite a mouthful to list all of the opportunities for fine dining,” Harp said. “New Haven’s reputation as a destination for foodies has grown. There is no limit to the variety of excellent, interesting food to enjoy. And it highlights the fact that for a great meal with fresh ingredients, representing cultures around the world, you must come to New Haven to eat.” Jack’s is the latest venture by restaurateurs Bladimir and Marco Siguenza, two brothers from Ecuador, who have found success in the steakhouse business. They were the owners of Washington Prime, which had locations in South Norwalk and Georgetown. They sold that business

MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTO Jack’s Bar + Steakhouse calls the ground retail space at College & Crown luxury apartments downtown home.

in May. Marco Siguenza said it made sense to open the restaurant here because the city has had another steakhouse (since Central Steakhouse, now closed).The restaurant employees about 30 people and features prime cuts of steak along with seafood. The restaurant also has private dining space available for parties and business events. “This is a beautiful city that needs a steakhouse,” he said. City Economic Development chief Matthew Nemerson called the opening of Jack’s a testament to the Harp administration’s strategy of requiring

downtown developers to create retail space on the first floor of their apartment buildings so that the streets stay active and alive. Town Green Special Services District’s Win Davis called the opening of Jack’s and the construction of luxury apartment complex about it an example of how far downtown New Haven has come. “Ten years ago, this was a parking lot, and we were having some issues trying to make sure that it looked and felt like a part of downtown,” Davis said Monday. “Now, this is a part of downtown to show off to everybody.”

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS November 08, 2017 - November 14, 2017

OV 24-DEC

Mayor Harp Monday at a steakhouse ribbon-cutting.

by PAUL BASS

New Haven Independent

Mayor Toni Harp is suspicious of the phrase “hold harmless.” Legislators in Hartford used that phrase in passing a new state budget, which Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed into law last week. They said it holds cities “harmless.” Meaning they’ll receive as much money as last year, and won’t have to make drastic cuts or raise taxes mid-year or see their bond ratings plummet. But when New Haven officials looked at the details of the budget, they grew concerned, Harp said on her latest appearance on WNHH radio’s “Mayor Monday” program. She said New Haven could lose as much $10 million in the fine print. “I don’t want to complain too much until we know for sure,” Harp said. For instance, the state is eliminating support for its rental rebate program for low-income seniors and the disabled. It is requiring that cities now pay those rebates instead — a $2.6 million bill in New Haven, Harp said. However, it was unclear whether the state is phasing in that requirement until next year. The program sends the renters between $500 and $1,000 apiece if they pay above a certain percentage of their income for rent. It looks as though state aid to New Haven’s schools remained pretty much constant from last year, Harp said. But the new budget canceled a plan from a previous budget to cap city car taxes at 32 mills, with the state picking up the rest of the tab for municipalities (the difference between the local mill rate and 32). The final budget made the cap 39 mills. Meanwhile, the city already sent out car tax bills at the 32 mill rate. The city’s mill rate is 38.68. Harp said she doesn’t know yet if the city will need to send out another bill, or find savings. She also said the city needs a lot more answers from state officials before it figures out what cuts to make to this year’s budget and whether or not a tax hike will be necessary. She said the administration is working to avoid one.

The state budget includes a $36 million pot of money designed to hold cities ... harmless. But it’s unclear how that money will be spent. “When we asked OPM [the state Office of Policy and Management] how the money would be disbursed, they didn’t know,” Harp said. She said it “looks like” cities “took a big hit” in cuts in the state Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program, which reimburses municipalities for some of the revenue lost on tax-exempt properties. State Senate President Martin Looney said in an interview Monday evening that it’s too early to come up with dollar figures for how much New Haven might lose in state aid compared to last year. “We’re still negotiating details of the budget,” the New Haven Democrat said. Looney said that “when the smoke clears,” New Haven will “be in a tremendous position compared to other municipalities and other parts of the budget that got cut drastically. The city of New Haven should consider itself lucky given our [state] fiscal condition.” Looney stressed that low-income seniors and disabled people will get their full rental rebate. The question is just over “how that cost is going to be shared by the city and the state.” Legislators may take up the matter in an upcoming special session, he said. As for the car tax, he said “everybody knew” months ago that the cap was not going to drop to 32 mills after all. he said the city “shouldn’t have” sent out tax bills at the 32-mill rate. “They’re going to have send out a supplemental bill,” Looney said of the city. “The city can tax up to 39 on the cars. They won’t lose any money on that.” Once three State Senate Democrats and six House Democrats voted to help pass a Republican version of the budget (which the governor then vetoed), Looney noted, Democrat leaders knew that they would need to negotiate a compromise with Republicans to get a budget passed. Which is what happened.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS November 08, 2017 - November 14, 2017

Hunger Bagged Q House Breaks Ground by MARKESHIA RICKS New Haven Independent

PAUL BASS PHOTO

Jonathan Garfinkle and Deborah Epstein at WNHH.

At one New Haven school, up to 90 percent of the kids sometimes go hungry. So learned the folks at Jewish Family Services, a social service agency that delivers free bags of groceries and offers other social services both within the Jewish community and in New Haven at large. This week JFS is holding a party/ fundraiser for its “Food 4 Kids” program, which seeks to make sure many of these kids eat. Each week, volunteers in the program prepare close to 300 bags of non-perishable food for teachers at three New Haven public schools to send home with students who have been missing at least some meals every month. Studies have shown that up more than a quarter of the children in New Haven sometimes miss meals because their parents can’t afford it. That

makes it harder for them to learn or to keep in control at school, and it stunts their physical development. JFS is hoping to expand its program, which currently serves the Reginald Mayo Early Learning School on Goffe Street, East Rock School, and Clinton Avenue School. A big turnout at the fundraiser this Thursday, Nov. 9, will help do that. The event takes place at the LoRicco Tower at 216 Crown St. beginning at 6:30 p.m. It will feature dinner (catered by Abel’s), music, schmoozing, and a program honoring State Deborah Epstein, who runs Food 4 Kids, and JFS CEO Jonathan Garfinkle spoke about their work on an episode of WNHH FM’s “Chai Haven” program. Click on the above audio file or the Facebook Live video below to listen to the full segment.

The dream of new Dixwell Community “Q” House rising again moved closer to realization with a groundbreaking ceremony Saturday morning. With the sun shining overhead and cold air nipping at their noses, 300 people gathered at the site of old Q House to celebrate the journey that had led them to that moment. Dixwell Alder Jeanette Morrison said she usually isn’t an emotional person, but looking out at the crowd as the band and cheerleaders of her alma mater Hillhouse High marched by, she grew little misty-eyed. “I’m emotional,” said Morrison, who helped the lead the years-long effort to obtain state money to demolish the empty old Q House and build a new one. The old Q House closed its doors in 2003. A group of concerned citizens pushed city and state officials to prioritize the rebuilding of the center that had been the heartbeat of the neighborhood since the 1920s. Not everybody who helped push for a new Q House got to see it through to the groundbreaking. Morrison Saturday made sure to acknowledge people like Frances C. Russell, a member of the Concerned Citizens for the Dixwell Q House who passed away in May. “She was the calm,” Morrison said. “Even in her sickness she never missed a meeting.” The passing of architect Regina Winters also was recognized. Winters designed the new Q House.

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Janet Parker (left) with women who fought for a new Q : Carroll Brown, Curlena McDonald, and Jackie Bracey.

The firm of her mentor, Ken Boroson, will carry the project forward. A special presentation was made to Jan Parker by former Board of Alders President Jorge Perez and the Black and Hispanic Caucus. Construction is scheduled to being in spring 2018, city Engineer Giovanni Zinn said. It is expected to take 12 to 18 months. “The sun went down on the old Q House,” Mayor Toni Harp said. “Today we celebrate that the sun will soon rise on the new Q House.” Alder Morrison made an appeal to people to support an endowment that has been established for the new Q House that she said will ensure that it will never be closed again. Supporters

can “Buy a Brick, Build A Legacy,” through the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. Bricks start at $100. Morrison said the goal is to raise $3 million to seed the endowment. Elsie Chapman, president of the New Haven Free Public Library Foundation, made a pitch for people to also support the Stetson Library, which will be an anchor tenant in the new Q House along with Cornell Scott Hill Health Center. The library is looking to raise $2 million to outfit the new library with furniture and new technology and is more than halfway to its goal. She reminded attendees Saturday that any gift from $50 to $10,000 would be matched by the Seedlings Foundation.

Homeless Take To The Streets THE INNER-CITY NEWS November 08, 2017 - November 14, 2017

by MARKESHIA RICKS New Haven Independent

Cold, rain and a last-minute revocation of their ability to march on the street didn’t keep nearly 200 homeless New Haveners and their allies from rallying for more housing and the decriminalization of homelessness. Chanting, “Housing. Not Jail,” the demonstrators marched through downtown from the intersection of Olive and Chapel streets during the late afternoon Wednesday to draw attention to the critical need for housing in the city. The march was organized by community organizer and homeless advocate Quentin “Q” Staggers and the Connecticut Bail Fund. “We have to provide housing for all because no one should be sleeping on the street,” Staggers said. Staggers, who had been homeless for the last six or seven years and just obtained a voucher for an apartment, has been sucker-punched in the gut and had trash thrown at him while sleeping outside in New Haven. He told the crowd Wednesday that he’d seen a lot of injustices happen to other people as well who have nowhere to stay. He cited examples: • Women sheltering in dangerous situations where they are abused and assaulted because they have nowhere else to go. • Men crowded into a bedbug-infested shelter with only two caseworkers to help dozens of them at a time. • People being fined and risking jail for relieving themselves on the Green when they have no public bathroom to use. “And Ray Roberson’s family still hadn’t been healed to this day,” he said of a homeless man nicknamed “Bobo” who was found murdered and dismembered in the summer of 2015 in a squatter’s lair off Crown Street. “That was risky shelter,” Staggers said. “No more risky shelter.” Staggers called on Mayor Toni Harp and her administration to pursue the transformation of vacant and abandoned property into housing for the homeless. He suggested allowing homeless men and women with certifications in skills like roofing, plumbing, and electrical work to help make those places habitable. He also urged the administration to build new shelters, especially for women. “They’re homeless but they have cer-

MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTO Marchers

jam sidewalk during Wednesday’s protest.

Marchers make their way to City Hall.

Dumas calles on the city to care about ending homelessness.

tifications,” he said of 61 people that he has identified with skills to do such work. Staggers said he has identified hundreds of pieces of property around the city that are vacant or abandoned that could be transformed into suitable housing for the city’s homeless. He said he has talked with owners who are willing to allow homeless people to stay on their property if they will help maintain it. City spokesman Laurence Grotheer said in a phone interview that the Harp administration’s commitment to addressing homelessness is “ongoing and unwavering.” He pointed to the approximately $1 million that is allocated to addressing homelessness and noted that New Haven has dedicated more resources to providing access to services and shelter than any other municipality in the state. Staggers called on the city to do more, including stopping police officers from harassing and ticketing homeless people on the Green and in city parks after dark when there is no safe place for them to go. He criticized the practice of offering forced community service or putting people in jail when they can’t pay fines, he said. Police officers escorting Wednesday’s marchers found that they were receiving an extra level of scrutiny. About a dozen florescent lime green

cap wearing “legal observers” with the National Lawyers Guild watched police interaction with the marchers and others on the street. March coorganizer Brett Davidson of the Connecticut Bail Fund reminded officers that they were being watched. Davidson called attention to the fact that just minutes before marchers had been expected to take to the city’s streets, the marchers were informed by Lt. Wayne Bullock that they would be confined to the sidewalk. They were not allowed to march in the street, though their permit indicated it was OK for them to have one car as part of their march. The marchers soldiered on past people looking out of storefronts and waiting for the bus on Chapel Street, made their way to City Hall and the courthouse on Elm Street and eventually to a community dinner that was held St. Thomas More Catholic Chapel and Center at Yale. Bealton Dumas, who once worked at a homeless shelter and is now homeless, called on the police and the city to solve the problem of homelessness by caring about people and their plight. “Let New Haven be the first city to be the most caring and the most loving,” he said. While holding two fingers apart, almost touching he reminded people, “We’re all this close to being homeless.”

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The New Haven Chapter of The Links Inc. celebrated 45 years of service Saturday night in a star-studded scholarship gala that honored two Tony Award-winning actresses and a couple of hometown heroes too. More than 300 guests made their way to the Cascade banquet facility in Hamden for cocktails, dinner and dancing to congratulate the New Haven Links on its long legacy of service in the community and to snag a selfie with friends and a star or two. Chapter President Cathy Graves told the crowd dressed in their evening finery Saturday night that The Links Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer service organizations for women, having been established in 1946. The New Haven chapter was established in 1972. The organization has 283 chapters in 41 states, Washington, D.C. and the Bahamas. “Being linked in service, we have been able to touch the lives of New Haven citizens through programming in our facet areas of the arts, national trends, international trends, service to youth, and health and human services,” Graves said. The money that The Links raises through the annual gala provides direct help to high school students pursuing higher education. The New Haven chapter of The Links has awarded more than $300,000 in scholarships to graduating high school students in the area. Links members Sheila Carmon and Dr. Tamiko Jackson McArthur came into the New Haven chapter of the organization together 15 years ago. They took on the planning of the event as its co-chairs. WNHH FM’s own Michelle Turner served as the mistress of ceremonies for the evening. In addition to dinner and dancing to the smooth sounds of the Warren Daniels Band, the Links took the time Saturday night to honor two Tony Awardwinning actresses: Anika Noni Rose and Melba Moore. Rose starred in the award-winning Dreamgirls and is the voice of “Princess Tiana” in Disney’s The Princess and The Frog. She won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in Caroline, or Change. Moore is a Grammy-nominated singer whose rendition of “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” was entered into the Congressional Record. She also won the Tony Award for Best

Gala co-chairs Dr. Tamiko Jackson McArthur and Sheila Carmon (both at far left) with the 2017 honorees and chapter President Cathy Graves (at far right).

Inner City News Executive Editor Babz Rawls-Ivy and gala honoree Lisa Bellamy Fluker.

Performace by a Featured Actress in a Musical for Purlie. The Links also took time to salute local trailblazers for their work. Lisa Bellamy Fluker, the managing partner of Belconsulting Training Solutions, that is now 17 years old. Bellamy Fluker specializes in consulting, executive coaching, personal and profes-

sional development and instruction for technology for government, non-profit and corporate clients. She also uses her skills through a women’s ministry. The Myatt Center for Diversity and Inclusion at the University of New Haven also was honored for its work promoting diversity, awareness, and sensitivity on campus.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS November 08, 2017 - November 14, 2017

#45 HATES WOMEN by Dr. E. Faye Williams President and CEO of the National Congress of Black Women Washington, DC –– #45 hates women! It probably was not necessary for me to say that, but if you didn’t already know it, we now know that #45 hates women—and he’s off the chart in his hatred of women of color. Never mind that Black women have been acknowledged as the best educated in our nation—something we’ve known all along, while one of #45’s professors said he was the dumbest student he ever had. We don’t brag about our education. We just continue using our education to serve our people in need. We, women of color, had #45’s number during the 2016 Presidential campaign. We saw clearly who he said he was when he bragged about his sense of entitlement when it comes to his groping women, and we believed him. We believed him to be the kind of person he was recorded saying he was. That’s why a majority of all women of color voted against him. Unfortunately, a majority of our white sisters voted for #45 despite what they knew about him. Now, he’s wrecking the world for them as well as for us. #45 has no problem being a big bad bully, being racist, homophobic, narcistic, untruthful and being openly disrespectful toward anybody who disagrees with him. The immature name calling has exceeded all sense of decency and is so far below standards we should see from the President of the United States. What more does it take for the 53% of our white sisters who betrayed us and voted for #45 to see the light? Whatever fault one may find with Hillary, she ran circles around him during the campaign. He couldn’t touch her life of public service or her caring for the least of God’s people. To cover up his own short-

comings, #45 continues to taunt her by describing her as “Crooked Hillary.” Numerous women have come forward about his sexually harassing them; but more recently, in the midst of a massive crisis in Puerto Rico, while she was working her heart out on behalf of her people, #45 chose to denigrate and disrespect another woman, calling her a liar. Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz’s only sin was that she was a woman begging for help to save her people. As an American citizen, she had a right to seek help from the American President. Again, #45 has chosen to disrespect the Honorable Congresswoman Fredericka Wilson by calling her “wacky”, and having his Chief of Staff further publicly denigrate her with false information. While disrespecting the Congresswoman, he further disrespected Sgt. La David Johnson and his family by keeping up the nonsense on Congresswoman Wilson and choosing to play golf while Sgt. Johnson’s funeral was being held. He tweeted silly comments for many days. Because of #45’s horrible behavior toward women, I find there is no wonder the First Lady looks as though she would rather be anywhere in the world other than with him when they’re walking or she’s standing beside him. It appears that she just “stands by her man” out of a sense of duty or is it out of a sense of fear of him if she doesn’t? While I want to feel sorry for her, she does have choices that many of the women her husband has, and continues to mistreat, do not have. I pray that she remembers the women #45 has hurt and continues to hurt with his policies. Let me be clear. I stand in support of all the women who’ve been demeaned, hurt, abused and disrespected by FLOTUS’ husband. Doesn’t FLOTUS have an obligation to at least make a statement about sexual harassment, bullying, verbal abuse of women, silly antics, and unjust treatment of other marginalized people? Dr. E. Faye Williams can be reached at: www.nationalcongressbw.org; or at, 202/678-6788.

After New Jazz Sitcom Goes Live, White College Students Rant Saying “Jazz Was Saved By White People” and “Black People Don’t Listen to it Anymore”

New York, NY — A controversy arose on social media following a recent BlackNews.com story entitled, “Giant Steps TV Show — America’s First Jazz Sitcom Launches on Amazon” which was published on October, 31, 2017. Apparently, three white students at The New School School in New York posted that the show “sucked” and was “bad for jazz”, “not remotely funny or interesting”, and then followed with a claim that “whites saved jazz because Black people don’t listen to it anymore” and that “whites have evolved the music to be more intellectually engaging”. They further offered anecdotal proof claiming that booking agents nationwide hire more white artists than black artists. his happened on the same day that Grammy award-winning iconic drummer Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts had given the

show 5 Stars on Amazon, where the bulk of comments surrounding the show applaud it as funny, entertaining, historic, and a first step in addressing the plight of jazz within the sitcom format, utilizing three top Black musicians as the principal actors. Several musicians excoriated the students’ assertions, including William Murray, an celebrated original member of the famed Howard University Jazz Ensemble, legendary bassist Mickey Bass, who stars in the show, and Dr. Geraldine Seay a Florida A&M history professor and owner of B Sharp’s Jazz Club in Tallahassee, Florida. Former Duke Ellington Orchestra alum Gregory Charles Royal, who created, wrote, and co-stars in Giant Steps with Mickey Bass and Lauryn Hill saxophonist Brent Birckhead said, “These comments open up a simmer-

ing wound that has been on the surface for decades. Jazz in no way knows color, but in every way it knows tradition. Many Black musicians feel that the ill effects of academia have created a class of people who have no idea about jazz’s traditions, nuances, humor or historical context.” He continues, “We never expected people such as this to ‘get it’ with our show. And obviously the show will improve its production quality as we move out of the pilot. But the bigger issue is do we as Americans want our artforms co-opted by people who have no sense or desire to respect or understand tradition or context? That jazz is the only Black artform that has been co-opted to this extent, Giant Steps and other future shows depicting the jazz experience in creative ways are an obligation of its warriors to produce.”

First Baptist Church of Milford Invites You to MEET THE AUTHORS AND A POET Otis Brown, Jr., Dr. Daphnie Bruno, Alexis Pettway, and Donald Thomas, Sr.

Meet and greet four rising authors and a poet who will present an overview of their new books and inspirational poems on Saturday, November 11, 2017 at 1 p.m. Otis Brown, Jr., author, New Haven, CT, published his second book, Things We Don’t Talk About; Donald Thomas, Sr., author, West Haven, CT, published his first book, I Dare You!; Alexis Pettway, poet, Bridgeport, CT, published her second collection of poetry, Journey thru Love II and a special collection of inspirational and spiritual poems; and Dr. Daphnie Bruno, an education consultant and author, published a children’s book, I Love my Baby Berimbau. Light refreshments will be served. Contact: Lois Pearce - (203) 913-0278 First Baptist Church 28 North Street, Milford, CT 06460 16

THE INNER-CITY NEWS November 08, 2017 - November 14, 2017

Mayhem Film Review by Kam Williams

Attorney and Client Turn on Abusive Law Firm in Revenge-Fueled Splatterfest Attorney Derek Cho (Steven Yeun) was a rising star working his way up the corporate ladder at Towers and Smythe when he was blindsided by a false accusation of making a million-dollar mistake. He was callously fired on the spot by the sadistic director of operations (Caroline Chikezie) and escorted by the heartless Grim Reaper (Dallas Roberts) to the basement of the building where he was pressured to sign a confession as a condition for receiving a severance package. It’s obvious he’d been stabbed in the back by a colleague at the cutthroat law firm. But he has no idea who it was. While weighing his options, he swaps sob stories and forges an alliance with Melanie Cross (Samara Weaving), a client also screwed over by the firm. Before the two can be kicked to the curb, they’re afforded an opportunity to even the score, thanks to divine intervention. For, an outbreak of Red Eye has the authorities sealing the offices of Towers and Smythe, with no one being allowed to either enter or leave the building. The highly-contagious virus sweeping through the ventilation system is not fatal, but it does cause those infected to act out their primal impulses, whether violent, sexual or elsewhat. So, the Center for Disease Control orders the skyscraper quarantined for the next 8 hours, the time it will take for the antidote to take effect. Meanwhile, Derek and Melanie’s infection not only makes them morph from model citizens into bloodthirsty killing machines, but conveniently provides an excuse for their ensuing reign of terror, namely, the virus made me do it. Soon, the pair proceed to track down their en-

emies to dispatch them, one-by-one, with a variety of unorthodox implements, ranging from buzzsaw to nail gun. Directed by Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2: Dead End), Mayhem is a sophisticated social satire that might be best described as a compelling cross of Office Space (1999) and The Purge (2013). Lynch has deftly blended the wry, anti-establishment wit of the former with the temporary lawlessness of the latter into a riveting, revenge-fueled splatterfest you won’t ever forget. A righteous bloodbath in the boardroom! Excellent (4 stars) Rated R for sexuality, nudity, drug use, graphic violence and pervasive profanity Running time: 86 minutes Studio: Circle of Confusion / Royal Viking Entertainment Distributor: RLJ Entertainment

Following the Success of “The New Edition Story,” BET is Now Planning to Air “The Bobby Brown Story” in Fall 2018

Nationwide — BET is planning to air a TV biopics about the life and career of singer Bobby Brown. It will be a follow-up to the network’s record-breaking hit series, The New Edition Story. Written by Abdul Williams and executive produced by Jesse Collins, the series will also be one of the last to be released about the Brown-Houston family, as productions have already been released about his late wife Whitney Houston (on Lifetime) and daughter Bobbi Kristina (on TV One). Millions of people tuned in to watch The New Edition Story, and BET well knows that fans will be just as excited about the Bobby Brown two-part miniseries. Even more, the network is hoping to get even higher ratings and more favorable reviews. Actor Woody McClain, who played Bobby Brown in The New Edition Story, will continue in his role and the miniseries will follow Bobby’s career from the time when he broke up with the group to pursue a solo career. Reportedly, the series will also get into his personal life including his controversial marriage to Whitney Houston and a rumored relationship with singer Janet Jackson. Currently, there is no exact premiere date, but BET says that The Bobby Brown Story will definitely air sometime next fall.

Beyonce to Star in Disney’s New “Lion King” Film — Also Starring James Earl Jones, Alfre Woodard, Chiwetel Ejiofor and More! Nationwide — Disney has announced the cast for the upcoming live-action Lion King film to be released in 2019. Megastar Beyoncé will be playing the role of Nala. Other stars include Donald Glover who will be playing Simba, Alfre Woodard who will be playing Sarabi, Chiwetel Ejiofor who will be playing Scar, the great James Earl Jones who will play Mufasa, and many others. The film will be directed by Jon Favreau, who is best known for directing the 2016 hit film “The Jungle Book” – another Disney production that grossed $966.6 million in ticket sales worldwide. Disney has confirmed that the production will begin soon, will include songs from the animated film, and will open in theaters on July 19, 2019.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS November 08, 2017 - November 14, 2017

Master P’s GMGB Co-Ed Professional Basketball League Makes History!

New Orleans, LA — Global Mixed Gender Basketball (GMGB) is the first league to put both male and female pro-athletes to compete on the basketball court simultaneously. Most people questioned how it would work but all those questions were answered September 23, 2017 at the Cox Pavilion. The New Orleans Gators and the Atlanta Heirs went underway in Las Vegas, while there was plenty of news, live entertainment, arena packed with excited fans and high-level basketball competition, a piece of history was made at the same time.

New Orleans Gators team owner Percy Miller and Atlanta Heirs team owner Tiny Harris have branded one of the most spectacular basketball entertainment, star-studded mixed gender league built on equality for the new millennial pro-basketball audience. The teams were stacked with big names in the pro-basketball genre: Carlos Boozer, Lisa Leslie, Angel McCoughtry, Caron Butler, the Gonzalez Twins, Cappie Pondexter, Stromile Swift, Tyrus Thomas, Brittney Griner and Metta World Piece, just to name a few.

The exhibition ended with basketball fans and critics amazed and impressed as GMGB League paraphernalia were sold out. Metta World Peace says, “Tonight was groundbreaking, a real game changer. I can’t wait until basketball fans all over the world can experience this up close and personal or through television. These women really can play. And Master P knows firsthand basketball and entertainment.” For more information, go to www. GlobalMixedGenderBasketball.com

Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty Breaks Record Reaches $72 Million by Aria Ellise, BDO Special Contributor

Rihanna was known for making hit records, stunning on the red carpet and being the “it” girl for many fashion labels. But now, thanks to her Fenty Beauty products, she is well on her way to becoming a beauty industry mogul after customers came out in droves to buy her products. It total so far, earning the “Work” and “Wild Thoughts” singer’s new makeup collection approximately $72 million in media value in just one month–actually, its first month in existence. Fenty was only beat out by cult-favorite brand Anastasia Beverly Hills, who reported $97.3 million in earned media value, and industry standard MAC, who reported $77.1 million. Not too bad for a new company, right? he beauty brand debuted on September 9 with highlighters, concealers, 40 shades of foundation, lip gloss and makeup tools. According to Newsweek. com, On October 13, the company released its Galaxy Collection, a holiday line equipped with a colorful eye shadow palette and lipsticks. From the yellow-gold highlighters to her range of 40 foundation shades, there is truly something for everyone, including those who suffer from acne and other skin issues. For reference, Fenty’s $72 million is $20 million more than NYX’s earned media value, followed by Benefit, which came in at $48.1 million, and Urban Decay which landed at $37.0 million. Thanks to the influencers and fans doing just that all over the internet, Rihanna is literally winning right now when it comes to the world of beauty. Fenty’s EMV for YouTube content alone landed the brand in first place in

that category with $10.6 million, and the same went for Twitter, with nearly a $5 million lead over other brands. The brand remained at third place in the Instagram category with a total of $41.9 million. Despite her beauty, Rihanna was recently spotted dressing relaxed and comfortable leading to a few pregnancy rumors. The Wild Thoughts singer has admitted that he’s conscious of her ‘fluctuating body type’, admitting that she has to regularly dress differently to accommodate. She revealed that she decides on what she will wear by paying ‘attention every day’ to her changing size and feel. “I actually have had the pleasure of a fluctuating body type, where one day I can literally fit into something that is bodycon, and then the next day — the next week — I need something oversized; I need a little crop here and a high-waist there to hide that part, you know?” she said.

Trump Makes George W. Bush Look Like the 2nd Best U.S. President

By Julianne Malveaux, NNPA Newswire Columnist I never thought I would miss President George W. Bush, our 43rd president, and I’ve never much thought of him as a great, or even a good speaker; but the speech he gave at a confer-

ence convened by the George W. Bush Institute was simply eloquent, excellent, thoughtful, and compelling. After keeping a low profile for the past eight years, he spoke up to decry the fact that “bigotry seems emboldened.” Bush said that, “Bullying and prejudice in our public life sets a national tone, provides permission for cruelty and bigotry, and compromises the moral education of children.” Why did George W. Bush choose to speak so forcefully, in a speech that did not mention “45,” but was at least partly directed at him? Perhaps, it was the violent protests in Charlot-

tesville; he and his father, President George Herbert Walker Bush, issued a joint statement denouncing White supremacists, something that it took “45” forever to do. The younger Bush was blunt when he said, “Bigotry or White supremacy in any form is blasphemy against the American creed.” I knew that I would miss President Barack Obama (44). Like his predecessor, he has kept a low profile since leaving office, stepping out very briefly to campaign for Virginia gubernatorial candidate Ralph Northam and to reflect on the challenges we face in our democracy. Like President

Bush, President Obama did not refer to “45” by name, but his speech in Virginia was a repudiation of virtually everything that our prevaricating current president stands for. “Some of the politics we see now, we thought we put that to bed,” said Obama. “That has folks looking 50 years back. It’s the 21st century, not the 19th century. Come on!” Seemingly scolding the current administration, Obama said, “Instead of looking for ways to work together to get things done in a practical way, we’ve got folks who are deliberately trying to make folks angry, to demonize people

who have different ideas, to get the base all riled up, because it provides a short-term tactical advantage.” Watching Presidents Bush and Obama reminded me of how far the quality of our nation’s leadership has fallen. I saw two men who, with absolute class, reminded us of our nation’s values and everything that is repugnant about the current administration. The contrast is the persistent crassness of “45,” an ill-spoken, bumbling, coarse, and classless individual. He never met a fight he could not pick Con’t on page 24

THE INNER-CITY NEWS November 08, 2017 - November 14, 2017

RP inner city news oct 23.qxp_Layout 1 10/24/17 10:00 AM Page 1

THE RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE

Christian McBride

“Remembering Ray Brown” with Benny Green & Lewis Nash Special Guest Steve Clarke Trio

October 28

Olate Dogs

Winners of America’s Got Talent!

November 15

Vanessa Williams in Concert

Martha Davis & the Motels and Bow Wow Wow ft. Annabella Lwin November 1

Meet and greet tickets available!

A Darlene Love Christmas: Love For The Holidays November 18

Tim Currie’s Merry Motown Review December 7

November 4

203.438.5795 • RIDGEFIELDPLAYHOUSE.ORG 19

THE INNER-CITY NEWS November 08, 2017 - November 14, 2017

Remembered as a True Legend on Screen and Broadway, Robert Guillaume Dies at 89 By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Contributor

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Family members, friends and fans are grieving the loss of television and stage icon Robert Guillaume, who died on Tuesday in Los Angeles. Guillaume, 89, is survived by his second wife, Donna Brown, a son and three daughters. “He was a pioneer and what he did with his role as [Benson DuBois] was give him integrity,” said actor, director and producer Shiek Mahmud-Bey, who wowed critics earlier this month at a New York Film Festival with his proposed new television series, ‘The Inner Circle.’ “What could have been just another servant or symbolically subservient minority, a butler role, he gave the world an extraordinary insight and exposed us to a human being. The invisible became viable and we all loved it.” Anyone who watched “Soap” knew the brilliance of Guillaume, said Mariann Eperjesi-Simms, who hosts the Facebook page, “The Classic Movie Group.” “‘Benson’ wasn’t exactly as brilliant as ‘Soap,’ but most things in this world aren’t written to that much perfection. He was a fantastic actor who deserved a lot of recognition,” Eperjesi-Simms said. Born Robert Peter Williams in St. Louis in 1927, Guillaume began his acting career in the early 1970s when he made guest appearances on “Good Times,” “Sanford and Son,” and “The Jeffersons.” However, his recognition and place in popular culture was cemented when he portrayed Nathan Detroit in the first all-Black version of “Guys and Dolls,” which earned him a 1977 Tony Award nomination. Later, Guillaume earned the distinction of becoming the first African American to sing the title role of “Phantom of the Opera,” doing so alongside a mostly, all-White cast. Still, it was his role as Benson DuBois in the soap opera satire “Soap,” which also starred Billy Crystal, Roscoe Lee Browne, and Robert Urich, that made Guillaume a legend. “The minute I saw the script, I knew I had a live one,” Guillaume said in a 2001 interview. “Every role was written against type, especially Benson, who wasn’t subservient to anyone. To me, Benson was the revenge for all those stereotyped guys who looked like Benson in the 40s and 50s [mov-

ies] and had to keep their mouths shut.” The character’s popularity grew so much that it led to a spinoff called, “Benson,” which lasted eight seasons and earned Guillaume an Emmy Award. “I always wanted kids of any background to understand the characters I’ve portrayed were…that the solutions they found were true and possible,” he said on his official website. “It has always been important to me to stress that there was no diminution of power or universality, just because my characters are African American.” That resolve has always been appreciated by his peers and those who followed his career. “I remember the ‘head [n**ger] in charge’ scene with Morgan Freeman, where he didn’t use his position to castrate another Black man on film,” Mahmud-Bey recalled of the 1989 hit movie, “Lean on Me,” that starred Guillaume and Freeman. “There was a disagreement and they got it out and agreed to disagree without division. That scene spoke volumes, because it makes you see how silly and easy you could lose someone important in your life over ego and small things.” Mahmud-Bey continued: “As artists, we have a responsibility to be honest, not different, and that’s what Robert Guillaume gave us and we loved every bit of it.” Guillaume, who won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children for his role as the voice of “Rafiki” in “The Lion King,” steered clear of Hollywood’s demeaning Black stereotypes and sought quality roles in which he could evoke his

characters’ humanity, according to his obituary at Legacy.com. Though today he’s remembered widely as a comedic actor, it was the musical theater that was Guillaume’s first love and gave him his entry into the acting world, the Legacy.com obituary said. That entry took place in Cleveland, Ohio, where, after completing his education in the music school at Washington University in St. Louis, he joined the Karamu Theatre and debuted in their production of “Carousel,” Legacy.com reported. In the audience for one of those “Carousel” performances was Oscar Hammerstein II, the critically acclaimed playwright, who penned the book and lyrics for the musical. According to Legacy.com, “It was an auspicious start, and Guillaume soon made his way to Broadway, where he both toured and appeared on the Broadway stage.” Later, Guillaume would portray Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the movie “Prince Jack”; he also starred as Frederick Douglass on the TV miniseries “North and South.” “In 1992, Guillaume and his wife, founded the Confetti Entertainment Co., creating read-along books for children with Guillaume’s voice as narrator,” the Legacy.com obituary said. “In 1995, the Confetti Entertainment books were transformed into the HBO series ‘Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child.’ Narrated by Guillaume and featuring a cast of other stars, the series’ 39 episodes retold classic fairy tales with a multicultural focus.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS November 08, 2017 - November 14, 2017

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport Invitation for Bid (IFB) Three Tab Roof Replacements at Various Sites Solicitation Number: 093-PD-17-S The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) is requesting sealed bids for Roof Replacements at Various Sites. A complete set of the plans and technical specifications will be available on October 23, 2017. To obtain a copy of the solicitation you must send your request to bids@parkcitycommunities.org, please reference solicitation number and title on the subject line. A MANDATORY pre-bid conference will be held at 150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604 on November 8, 2017 @ 10:00 a.m., submitting a bid for the project without attending conference is not in the best interest of the Offeror. Additional questions should be emailed only to bids@parkcitycommunities.org no later than November 20, 2017 @ 3:00 p.m. Answers to all the questions will be posted on PCC’s Website: www.parkcitycommunities.org. All bids must be received by mailed or hand delivered by December 7, 2017 @ 2:00 PM, to Ms. Caroline Sanchez, Sr. Contract Specialist, 150 Highland Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604, at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. No bids will be accepted after the designated time.

Experienced Construction Laborer Position requires a minimum of 2 years experience in general construction work. Competitive salary and benefits available. Must hold a current OSHA 10 certificate to apply for job and a current valid CT driver’s license. Position requires taking and passing a drug test/ background check. To apply send resume to TadeMarkLLC@att.net. Women & Minority applicants are encouraged to apply. Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity Employer

Office or General Help: Immediate opening in the Contract Department, in a fast-paced petroleum environment. Strong computer skills (ie: Excel, Microsoft Office) and analytical skills a must. Candidate must possess a high level of accuracy, attention to detail and be able to research and work independently. Petroleum and energy industry knowledge experience a plus. Send resume to: Human Resource Dept., P O Box 388, Guilford CT 06437. **An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer**

Public Notice The Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA) hereby announces its 49 CFR Part 26 Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) plans related to FAA-assisted contracts for professional services and construction projects for federal fiscal years 2017-2019 for Bradley International and federal fiscal years 2018-2020 for the five General Aviation Airports. The proposed plan, which includes the 3-year goal and rationale, is available for inspection between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday at Bradley International Airport, Administration Office, Terminal A, 3rd Floor, Windsor Locks, CT 06096 or on CAA’s website http://www.ctairports.org, the Bradley International Airport website http://www. bradleyairport.com for 30 days from the date of this publication. Comments on the DBE goal will be accepted for 45 days from the date of availability of this notice and can be sent to the following: Laurie A. Sirois Manager of Grants, Procurement and Insurance Programs Connecticut Airport Authority Bradley International Airport Administration Office Terminal A, 3rd Floor Windsor Locks, CT 06096 lsirois@ctairports.org

Mr. Thomas Knox DBE & ACDBE Compliance Specialist FAA Western-Pacific Regional Office Los Angeles, CA 90009-2007 thomas.knox@faa.gov

TRANSFER STATION LABORER Off load trailers, reload for trans/disp. Lift 50 lbs., operate industrial powered trucks and forklift. Asbestos Worker Handler Training a +. Resumes to RED Technologies, LLC, 173 Pickering St., Portland, CT 06480; Fax 860-342-1022; or Email to lkelly@redtransfer.com RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

Field Engineer

BA/BS in Civil Engineering or Construction Management. 2-5 yrs. experience. OSHA Certified. Proficient in reading contract plans and specifications. Resumes to RED Technologies, LLC, 10 Northwood Dr., Bloomfield, CT 06002; Fax 860.218.2433; Email resumes to info@redtechllc.com. RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

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

Fax 860.218.2433; or Email to HR@redtechllc.com

RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

Class A CDL Driver

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

KMK Insulation Inc. 1907 Hartford Turnpike North Haven, CT 06473

Mechanical Insulator position.

Insulation company offering good pay and benefits. Please mail resume to above address.. MAIL ONLY This company is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer.

The Housing Authority of the City of Norwalk, CT is requesting proposals for the painting of interior vacant units.

Proposal documents can be viewed and printed at www.

norwalkha.org<http://www.norwalkha.org> under the Business section RFP’s/RFQ’s Norwalk Housing is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Curtis O. Law, Executive Director.

Common Ground High School seeks a PART TIME Special Education Teaching Assistant (TA). The TA is responsible for supporting the Special Education teachers in general education and special education classes. Support will include individual and small group instruction, facilitation of on-task behavior, and implementation of students’ IEPs, including accommodations, goals, etc. Click here for more details and how to apply http://commongroundct. org/2017/10/cghs-seeks-a-part-time-special-educationteaching-assistant/.

Wait list Coventry Housing Authority is accepting applications for its Section 8 Elderly/Disabled housing until November 30, 2017. To qualify, you must be either 62 years of age or disabled. Annual income limit is $19,250 (one person) & $22,000 (two people). Interested parties may pick up an application at the Coventry Housing Authority, 1630 Main St., Coventry, CT, or have one mailed. Completed applications must be returned no later than 3 p.m. on November 30, 2017. For more information call 860-742-5518.

Wait list Coventry Housing Authority is accepting applications for its State Elderly/Disabled housing until November 30, 2017. To qualify, you must be either 62 years of age or disabled. Annual income limit is $47,600 (one person) & $54,400 (two people). Interested parties may pick up an application at the Coventry Housing Authority, 1630 Main St., Coventry, CT, or have one mailed. Completed applications must be returned no later than 3 p.m. on November 30, 2017. For more information call 860-742-5518.

Certified Police Officer

The Town of Wallingford is currently accepting applications for current Connecticut P.O.S.T.C Certified Police Officers. Applicants must be active P.O.S.T.C Certified Police Officers in good standing with their current department, or have retired in good standing, still having a current certification status with P.O.S.T.C. This Process will consist of Written, Oral, Polygraph, Psychological, Medical Exam, and Background Investigation. The Town of Wallingford offers a competitive pay rate $62,753.60$ 74,963.20 annually. Application deadline will be November 9, 2017 Apply: Personnel Department, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main St., Wallingford, CT. phone: (203) 294-2080; fax: (203) 294-2084. EOE.

Listing: Receptionist/Office Assistant

Petroleum Company has an immediate full time opening. Previous experience in a very busy office handling multiple telephone lines and dealing with customers required. Excellent customer service skills a must. Previous petroleum experience a plus. Applicant to also perform administrative/clerical tasks as assigned. Please send resume to: H.R. Manager, Confidential, P O Box 388, Guilford CT 06437.

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

THE INNER-CITY NEWS November 08, 2017 - November 14, 2017

Geller Commons, a New Reach property along with its Managing Agent DeMarco Management Corporation are pleased to announce that applications are being accepted for Affordable Housing Units beginning on November 13, 2017. Geller Commons is located at 135 Sanford Street, Hamden, CT. The rent on these spacious one-bedroom units is $750.00 per month. Amenities include; heat, dishwashers and onsite laundry. Income limit restrictions apply; single person income should not exceed $46,200 and for two persons $52,600. Applications will be available onsite beginning Monday, November 13 between the hours of 10:00 am and 12:00 noon, and thereafter Monday-Thursdays between 10:00-12:00. You may request an application via email at compliance@demarcomc.com or by AT&T relay service by dialing 711** Funding is provided by CHFA CT Housing Finance Association. Equal Housing Opportunities Geller Commons, una propiedad de New Reach junto con su agente de gestión DeMarco Management Corporation se complacen en anunciar que las aplicaciones se aceptaran para unidades de viviendas asequibles a partir del 13 de noviembre de 2017. Geller Commons localizado en 135 Sanford Street, Hamden, CT. El alquiler en estas espaciosas unidades de un dormitorio es de $ 750.00 por mes. Las comodidades incluyen; calor, lavaplatos y lavandería en el sitio. Se aplican restricciones de ingresos; el ingreso de una sola persona no debe exceder $ 46,200 y para dos personas $ 52,600. Las solicitudes estarán disponibles en el sitio a partir del lunes, 13 de noviembre entre las 10:00 a.m. y las 12:00 a.m., y después de lunes a jueves de 10:00 a 12:00 a.m. Puede solicitar una solicitud por correo electrónico en compliance@ demarcomc.com o por el servicio de retransmisión de AT & T marcando 711 ** El financiamiento es provisto por CHFA CT Housing Finance Association. Igualdad de oportunidades

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven is seeking to fill two full time positions: Vice President for Finance and Operations and Vice President for Development. Please refer to our website for details:

http://www.cfgnh.org/About/ContactUs/EmploymentOpportunities.aspx EOE

The Glendower Group, Inc Request for Qualiﬁcations CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK FOR VALLEY STREET TOWNHOUSE RENTAL ASSISTANCE DEMOSTRATION PROJECT The Glendower Group, Inc an affiliate of Housing Authority City of New Haven d/b/a Elm city Communities is currently seeking Proposals for Construction Manager at Risk for Valley Street Townhouse Rental Assistance Demonstration Project. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on Wednesday, September 20, 2017 at 3:00PM

Assistant Facilities Manager Common Ground seeks an Assistant Facilities Manager/Custodian to be responsible for the care, upkeep and maintenance of Common Ground’s facilities. The Assistant Facilities Manager/Custodian will supervise part time custodial staff. This is a full time, year round 40-hour per week position with benefits. Work hours will generally run from noon until 8 pm with some weekend hours required. For a more detailed job description and how to apply, please visit http:// commongroundct.org/2017/10/common-ground-seeks-an-assistant-facilitiesmanager/Common Ground seeks an Assistant Facilities Manager/Custodian to be responsible for the care, upkeep and maintenance of Common Ground’s facilities. The Assistant Facilities Manager/Custodian will supervise part time custodial staff. This is a full time, year round 40-hour per week position with benefits. Work hours will generally run from noon until 8 pm with some weekend hours required. For a more detailed job description and how to apply, please visit http://commongroundct.org/2017/10/common-ground-seeks-an-assistantfacilities-manager/

Construction Truck and Equipment Head Mechanic

Large CT based Fence and Guard Rail contractor looking for experienced, self-motivated, responsible Head Mechanic. Responsibilities will include maintaining and repairing all company equipment and vehicles, updating asset lists and assuring all rolling stock is in compliance with state and federal regulations. Must have extensive diesel engine, electrical wiring and hydraulic systems experience. Top wages paid, company truck and benefits. AA/EOE

Please send resume to Mpicard@atlasoutdoor.com

KMK Insulation Inc. 1907 Hartford Turnpike North Haven, CT 06473

Mechanical Insulator position.

Insulation company offering good pay and benefits. Please mail resume to above address.. MAIL ONLY This company is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer.

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES Invitation for Bids

Snow Removal ServicesWestville Manor and 295 Wilmot Road The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven d/b/a Elm City Communities is currently seeking Bids for Snow Removal ServicesWestville Manor and 295 Wilmot Road. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on Wednesday, November 1, 2017 at 3:00PM

The Manchester Housing Authority is pleased to announce the opening of the State of Connecticut Congregate Housing Program. Westhill Gardens Congregate consists of 37 one bedroom units. Applications are available in person and on the MHA website at http://manchesterha.org and will be accepted by mail or in person at 24 Bluefield Drive Manchester, CT 06040. Applications will be accepted October 1, 2017- December 29th, 2017 at 4PM. The Congregate Program offers housing, a daily meal, and supportive services to frail elders, age 62 or older.

FY 2017 State of Connecticut Low-Income (80%) Limit (LIL) 1 person

2 person

3 person

4 person

47,600

54,400

61,200

68,000

The Manchester Housing Authority does not discriminate based upon race, color, disability, familial status, sex, or national origin.

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 Invitation for Bids Phone: Contact: Dana Briere Email: Snow860-243-2300 Removal ServicesValley dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com and Waverly Townhouse Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply The Housing Authority ofAction/ the City ofEqual New Haven d/b/a Elm City ComAffirmative Opportunity munities is currently seekingEmployer Bids for Snow Removal Services-Valley and Waverly Townhouses. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on Wednesday, November 1, 2017 at 3:00PM

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

GARRITY ASPHALT RECLAIMING , INC Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks: Reclaimer Operators and Milling Operators with current licensing and clean driving record. We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent beneﬁts Contact: Rick Tousignant Phone: 860243-2300 Email: rick.tousignant@garrityasphalt.com Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming Inc Employer

seeks: Construction Equipment Mechanic preferably experienced in Reclaiming and Road Milling Equipment. We offer factory Garrity Reclaiming Inc trainingAsphalt on equipment we operate. seeks: Construction Equipment Mechanic Location: Bloomfield CT preferably in Reclaiming and Contact:experienced James Burke Phone: 860Road Milling Equipment. We offer factory 243-2300 training on equipment we operate. email: jim.burke@garrityasphalt.com Location: Bloomfield CT Women & Minority Applicants are Contact:encouraged James Burke Phone: 860to apply 243-2300 Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity email: jim.burke@garrityasphalt.com Employer We offer excellent hourly rate & Women & Minoritybenefits Applicants are excellent encouraged to apply Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits

Union Company seeks: Tractor Trailer Driver for Heavy & Highway Construction Equipment. Must have a CDL License, clean driving record, capable of operating Union Company seeks: Tractor Trailer heavy equipment; be willing to travel Driver for Heavy & Highway Construction throughout the Northeast & NY. We offer Equipment. Must have a CDL License, excellent hourly rate & excellent beneﬁts clean driving record, capable of operating Contact: Dana Briere Phone: heavy equipment; be willing to travel 860-243-2300 Email: throughout the Northeast & NY. We offer dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com excellent hourly rate & excellent beneﬁts Women & Minority Applicants are Contact: Dana Briere Phone: encouraged to apply 860-243-2300 Email: Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com Employer Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer

THE INNER-CITY NEWS November 08, 2017 - November 14, 2017

ARTS FUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD CULTURAL VITALITY GRANT

RDS GRANT AWA 00 $2,500-$5,0

grant DEADLINES Letter of Intent: November 22 | Application: December 20 MORE INFO/APPLICATION: 203.946.7172 UPCOMING INFORMATION SESSIONS Nov. 1 - Mitchell Library. 5:00pm. Nov. 8 - Wilson Library. 5:00pm. Nov. 9 - Fair Haven Library. 5:30pm. Nov. 13 - Ives (Main) Library. 5:30pm. Nov. 14 - Stetson Library. 5:00pm.

Questions about your bill? Yale New Haven Hospital is pleased to offer patients and their families financial counseling regarding their hospital bills or the availability of financial assistance, including free care funds. By appointment, patients can speak one-on-one with a financial counselor during regular business hours. For your convenience, extended hours are available once a month. Date: Monday, November 20 Time: 5 - 7 pm Location: Children’s Hospital, 1 Park St., 1st Floor, Admitting Parking available (handicapped accessible) An appointment is necessary. Please call 203-688-2046. Spanish-speaking counselors available.

10652 (06/16)

CITY OF NEW HAVEN, TONI. N. HARP, MAYOR

Discover Foote School An Independent K–9 School Where Students Love to Learn

Admissions Open Houses November 5 & 18

50 Loomis Place | New Haven | CT | (203) 777-3464 | footeschool.org

FootePrintAd_5.472 X 5.1_NOV.indd 1

10/17/17 11:09 AM

THE INNER-CITY NEWS November 08, 2017 - November 14, 2017

Step into Who You Are – Embrace and Love Your Natural Hair

Fortune 500 Company wears her hair in a natural TWA (Teeny Weeny Afro) state to free up her time to run a successful business, where the Miss USA 2017 crown was held a few inches higher by a gorgeously coiffed Black curly head of hair, the decision to wear hair in its natural state seems like it should be a nonissue, but sadly, it persists. As an owner of a natural hair accessory business (PuffCuff) I aspire to continuously build relationships with my customers beyond a simple business transaction. I’ve done a ton of demonstrations, educating women, men and children on how to style their natural hair and have witnessed, firsthand, how this knowledge immediately translates into greater self-confidence and a sense of empowerment. Throughout generations, everyone’s mother, grandmother, sister or aunt had a different routine of maintaining their hair. But what happens when you don’t have an individual to teach you how to do your natural hair? This is a dilemma many young women deal with being the first generation naturalista in their own family. In a TED Talk called “A Celebration of Natural Hair”, Cheyenne Cochrane sums it up by saying “We know that when Black women embrace their love for their natural hair, it helps to undo generations of teaching that Black in its natural state is not beautiful, or something to be hidden or covered up. We know that Black women express their individuality and experience feelings of empowerment by experimenting with different hairstyles regularly. And we also know that when we’re invited to wear our natural hair in the workplace, it reinforces that we are uniquely valued and thus helps us to flourish and advance professionally.” Recently the older slogan “Black is Beautiful” was updated to “My Black is Beautiful” and gives the slogan a more personal sensibility, encouraging Black women to be confident and love everything that goes along with being Black, including their (God-given) natural hair. Ceata E. Lash is the inventor/ founder of the PuffCuff Hair Clamp.

by Ceata E. Lash Special to the AFRO

Natural hair has never been so popular and so empowering. I’m sure we’re all familiar with the 1960’s slogan “Black is Beautiful” and the electrified and somewhat defiant political jolt it created – those big afros that were so prevalent and worn proudly. Today, the words are accepted and celebrated but for many, the meaning still has trouble being genuinely realized. We say Black is Beautiful, but do we truly believe it? Feel it? Every woman who considers wearing her hair natural today is well aware of the negative stereotypes that have been passed down for generations. Most African American women over the age of 50 would never dream of leaving the house with their hair in its natural state. Slowly but surely we’re turning the corner, more and more African American and mixed-race women are feeling stronger and more confident about stepping into who they are and embracing and loving their natural hair. The hours spent during our childhood with our mothers pulling our hair back into tight braids, the tears we held back as the brush fought to tame the ‘wildness’ was an act of love. Our mothers wanted us to look “beautiful”. They wanted the world to accept us or at the very least, to judge us less harshly. For Black girls, the first time at a hair salon is like a rite of passage from the first press and curl, relaxer or the first weave. For as long as Black people have been in the new world, that has meant the finer, straighter and longer, the better. So many Black women, from those in post-apartheid South Africa, to the women whose demand fuels the multi-million-dollar weave industry in Nigeria, to African German and African Brits have been led to believe that “White hair” is more beautiful. Luckily, the current trend towards natural hair truly is global. In a post-modern world where the first American mixed-race President paved the way for acceptance of Black culture into the mainstream, where Ursula Burns, the first female African American CEO of a

Con’t from page 18

Trump Makes George W. Bush

and escalate, never met an opposing viewpoint he could not demonize. He has belittled everyone he has disagreed with, from his own inner circle to football players he does not even know, calling them “sons of bitches.” In his entire eight years of service, President Obama never disparaged his predecessor, President George W. Bush, even as he cleaned up some of his messes. In his several months of leadership, “45” has missed no opportunity to criticize President Obama. If I had a dollar for every time President Obama critiqued President Bush, I’d barely have enough money for a fast-food meal. If I had a dollar for every time “45” disparaged President Obama, I could dine at the nation’s best restaurants for a full week! Class is visiting Walter Reed Army Medical Center to look in on wounded soldiers, or hosting White House luncheons for Gold Star families. Crass is calling widow Myeshia Johnson, never mentioning her deceased husband, Sgt. La David Johnson, by name, and telling her “he knew what he signed up for.” Class is refusing to disparage either predecessor or successor. Crass is trashing anyone and everyone, including his predecessor. Class is disagreeing with dignity and civility. Crass is name-calling, challenging people to IQ tests, making fun of ill and disabled people, making fun of war hero and veteran Senator John McCain (RAriz.) for being shot down and captured during the Vietnam War. To be sure, I don’t think that “45” maliciously called Myeshia Johnson in an attempt to cause her pain. I think he simply does not know how to talk to people, and we have plenty of evidence. The recent book, “The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President” (Macmillan, 2017) explains that the sociopathic narcissist we elected is so fundamentally flawed that he could easily imperil our very survival by pushing us into war. “45” told Myeshia Johnson “he knew what he signed up for.” So did nearly half of our nation’s voters when they chose crass over class. Julianne Malveaux is an author, economist and founder of Economic Education. Her latest book, “Are We Better Off? Race, Obama and Public Policy,” is available to order at Amazon.com and on her website. For booking, wholesale inquiries, and for more info, visit www.juliannemalveaux. com. Follow Dr. Malveaux on Twitter @drjlastword. Share this:

THE INNER-CITY NEWS November 08, 2017 - November 14, 2017

The Blind Boys of Alabama

Christmas Show

featuring Preservation Hall Legacy Horns

November 17–18, 2017

December 2, 2017

TICKETS: shubert.com • 203-562-5666 Box Office: Monday–Friday 9:30–5:30. Extended phone hours 800-745-3000.

Albertus Magnus College M.S. in Human Services Information Session (Monday, November 13th at 5:30 p.m.) Prepare for a leadership position that drives positive change for families and communities.

Accelerated Evening Classes (Ask about our Partnership Discounts!)

We have faith in your future. A Catholic College in the Dominican Tradition

LEARN MORE: albertus.edu/mshs AM-PGS-InnerCityNews-9.25x5.1.indd 1

10/24/17 4:34 PM

THE INNER-CITY NEWS November 08, 2017 - November 14, 2017

Ford Motor Company Empowers African Americans in STEAM Careers at HBCUs

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., President and CEO, NNPA There is no debate about the continuing historic importance and strategic mission and purpose of the nation’s 120-plus Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). During the 2017 homecoming festivities that are now occurring on HBCU campuses across the nation, I believe it is also important to salute and recognize the companies that financially contribute to the success of HBCUs. The Ford Motor Company has had a long track record of contributing to HBCUs that spans more than 30 years.

Thus, it was noteworthy when Ford recently launched its “Drive2Greatness” initiative to support science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics (STEAM) programs at HBCUs. We concur, that STEAM careers are vital and in high demand in today’s global economy. The clear majority of African American college students, who complete their course of studies in STEAM fields, graduate from HBCUs. Thanks to the Ford Motor Company and the Tom Joyner Morning Show, the “Drive2Greatness” initiative is off to a great start. According to “Raj” Register at Ford multicultural communications, “For more than three decades, Ford has been committed to implementing and supporting initiatives that encourage and inspire young people to pursue and succeed in STEAM ca-

reers…with the launch of our inaugural ‘Drive2Greatness’ program, we’re excited to extend that commitment to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities and their STEAM programs.” The competition among HBCUs to win prizes in the Drive2Greatness program involves earning points through online voting at the Facebook page of the Tom Joyner Morning Show that includes using a Ford-dedicated hashtag via social media platforms. I just voted for my HBCU, Howard University, using the hashtag #FordHowardU. Howard University has a diverse array of many key STEAM academic disciplines. Make sure that you vote for your HBCU today. Last year, the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) awarded Tom Joyner our 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstand-

ing national broadcast leadership and his dedication to our nation’s HBCUs. Ford selected the right national radio partner and outstanding leader in Tom Joyner. Our African American college students do need more support, encouragement and engagement, particularly with respect to STEAM careers. The Ford Motor Company and the Tom Joyner Morning Show deserve our salute and tribute, because, together they are helping to make a positive difference in our communities and with our HBCUs. Driving toward greatness necessitates adequate preparation and attaining a quality education. Drive2Greatness is timely given the increasing demand for STEAM college graduates in the current expanding economy. Dr. Lezli Baskerville is the President and CEO of the National Association for Equality Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO), the umbrella orga-

nization of all of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions. Dr. Baskerville stated, “The Drive2Greatness program by the Ford Motor Company and the Tom Joyner Morning Show is an effective model on how to encourage STEAM careers. NAFEO is proud of what our HBCUs are accomplishing in these transformative fields of study.” Our most precious resource in our communities is our youth, who are gifted and talented and also need more opportunities like the Ford Motor Company’s initiative on STEAM. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) based in Washington, DC and can be contacted at dr.bchavis@nnpa.org.

NNPA President Joins Civil Rights Leaders and U.S. Mayors for Historic Meeting

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Contributor During a recent meeting in New York City, the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) joined the National Urban League, the National Action Network and a group of mayors from around the country for a resultsdriven, inclusive economic and civil rights policy planning session. “The NNPA is finally being recognized as both a national trade association of African American-owned newspapers and a national civil rights organization,” said NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. “The First Amendment is a civil right and the NNPA is leading this dual charge across the nation.” Chavis received an invitation to the meeting from New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to participate in the conference held at the historic Gracie Mansion. The theme of the conference was “Finding Unity Through Local Leadership: A Convening of Mayors and Civil Rights Leaders.” New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, who serves as president of the United States Conference of Mayors, joined de Blasio, Baltimore’s Mayor Cath-

erine Pugh, Louisville’s Mayor Greg Fischer and other mayors at the daylong conference in the Big Apple. National Action Network founder Rev. Al Sharpton, National Urban League President Marc Morial, and U.S. Black Chambers, Inc., President Ronald Busby also attended the meeting. “The purpose of the meeting was to develop a national agenda and strategy to improve the quality of life of people in U.S. cities represented by the United States Conference of Mayors and to find unity on national issues of mutual concern by all of the attendees,” Chavis said. In a joint statement issued by the National Urban League and U.S. Conference of Mayors, the groups said they believe in the power of their collective voices to address the inequities that now exist in America. “Today, too many American families are unable to reach their full potential and are losing faith, because of the divisive political climate and the inability of the federal government to advance smart policy solutions… leadership at the local level is more important than ever before,” the groups said in the statement. Together, the parties vowed to come together to chart the course for the country’s future and ensure prosperity for all Americans. The meeting counted as the beginning of a very powerful relationship between America’s mayors and the

civil rights community, de Blasio said. De Blasio continued: “We are ready to work in common cause to address the issues and the reality is that we understand that we have to speak with one voice if we are going to have an impact, especially with what’s going on nationally.” The New York City mayor noted that one of the immediate issues the group will tackle is the 2020 Census, which he said is of utmost importance. “You think something as innocuous as the Census can do little harm,” de Blasio said. “But, it’s the kind of thing that often gets overlooked and major

decisions are made about power and money and the difference can be billions of dollars.” The group will push the Trump Administration on ensuring an accurate Census count, de Blasio and Morial both promised. “This was a historic gathering to bring leaders together to confront the challenges that we face, as a nation, and to look for shared solutions,” Morial said. The tax plan passed by the House paving the way for an unprecedented tax code reform is as troublesome as it is damaging to working, middle-class, and poor Americans, he said.

“The tax plan is lopsided,” Morial said. “We will resist and work for a better plan. Also, we will not shirk our responsibility and, as far as the 2020 Census, I want to join Mayor de Blasio in saying that we want to ensure that the 2020 Census is accurate.” Further, bigotry and hate and racially motivated violence has to be stopped, Morial said. “Bigotry, hate and racially motivated violence is un-American and unacceptable for our nation,” said Morial. “We want to build for our community and we have committed to reconvene this conference in January and bring the mayors and civil rights leaders back together to further our conversation and to work on more specific policies and agendas.” The NNPA was pleased to have been present and to participate in the historic gathering, Chavis said, as he thanked de Blasio, Morial, and Landrieu for gathering some of the nation’s leading mayors and civil rights leaders. “The meeting was very substantive and productive,” Chavis said. “We addressed the vital issues facing America’s cities and we all committed to establishing an ongoing strategic alliance to work cooperatively together to provide inclusive solutions to ensure freedom, justice, equality and equity for all people who live throughout the United States.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS November 08, 2017 - November 14, 2017

BUSHNELL.ORG â&#x20AC;¢ 860-987-5900

Cynthia Erivo and the cast of THE COLOR PURPLE on Broadway. Photo by Matthew Murphy, 2016.

DECEMBER 5-10

THE INNER-CITY NEWS November 08, 2017 - November 14, 2017

There’s nothing more vital to health than the vitality of community. When you see a row of neatly trimmed yards and children happily playing, it’s a sign of a healthy community. Yale New Haven Hospital is committed to helping more families own a home where they can grow and prosper in a stable, supportive environment. Through our partnership with Habitat for Humanity, nearly 500 Yale New Haven employees helped to build 10 Habitat homes – all sitting proudly in The Hill neighborhood. Additionally, the hospital’s Home Ownership Made Easy (HOME) program has enabled close to 150 employees to become first-time homeowners in the City of New Haven. Our neighborhood programs are another example of our commitment to caring beyond the bedside. ynhh.org/community

Homeowner Ana and her son with William Casey, Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity and Michael Holmes, Senior Vice President, Operations, Yale New Haven Hospital.