INNER -CITY NEWS

An Artist-Educator Takes Creative Helm At Betsy Ross

Lucy Gellman | November 18th, 2022

Tavares Bussey: “When I tell you, I am excited to get up in the morning and come to work, because I get to have a hands-on impact on the thing that gets them [stu dents] up in the morning. That makes them want to be creative.”

Cyanotype exposures in science class. Dance as a way to crack algebra equations. Painting and sculpture in social studies, so a land mass becomes more than a concept on a map. Theater and spoken word as a pathway into world languages.

Those are just some of the ways that Ta vares Bussey, the new arts coordinator at Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School (BRAMS), envisions folding arts education into cur ricular development as he begins his first year at the Kimberly Avenue public school.

A published poet, spoken word artist, long time educator and self-described “microinfluencer,” Bussey sees it as giving back to a community that has nurtured him for years.

He takes over for Sylvia “Ms. Pet” Pet riccione, who retired last summer after 23 years at Betsy Ross, and almost four de cades working for the district. Later this fall, the school plans to dedicate its audito rium to her in gratitude.

“I didn’t know a role like this exist ed,” Bussey said in a recent interview at BRAMS, in an office tucked off the school’s first floor hallway. “When this po sition opened up, it married everything that I love about the arts [and administration].

“When I tell you, I am excited to get up in the morning and come to work, because I get to have a hands-on impact on the thing that gets them [students] up in the morning. That makes them want to be creative. And to be a co-laborer with my colleagues, to support these dreams coming true—I don’t think you can beat that, honestly.”

Bussey’s love for both education and the arts reaches back to his childhood in Edge field, South Carolina, a small, rural town that is historically known as the birthplace of segregationist Strom Thurmond. Grow ing up, Bussey was surrounded by educa tors, including his aunts and great aunts. As an only child, he fell in love with dance, music, and theater, using it to entertain himself at home and at school. His mother, who later went back to school, put her own education on hold to raise him.

Despite a town that clung to its segre gationist mythology—including a high school that to this day is named after Thur mond— “I was very fortunate,” Bussey said. He had Black teachers from kinder garten all the way through high school. His uncle was the town’s sheriff. In and outside of school, he had a support system pushing him to excel.

“Even though we had issues, I saw suc cess,” he said. “So for me, what I’m do ing is expected. And I want to show that to other kids.”

He credits the arts with a significant part of that growth. When Bussey was in middle school, he discovered poetry through the words of Maya Angelou, while listening to a community member perform “Phenom

enal Woman” over and over again. By high school, he had joined the school’s gifted and talented choir and show choir, where he was able to build up his confidence. When he wasn’t singing, he was excelling in his classes, ultimately motivated by the work of his teachers to become an educator himself.

It led him to his undergraduate work at Clemson University, where he pursued a degree in elementary education and also jumped into creative writing. After a pro fessor introduced him to Toni Morrison’s Beloved, he began writing poetry—and didn’t stop. He found that the art form, just like theater and voice before it, unlocked in him something that he couldn’t access any other way. Years later, it would earn him the sobriquet “The King of Vulnerability.”

“I often give poetry credit for saving my life,” he said. “Poetry has a way of engag ing emotions, helping you navigate through those emotions, helping you convey those emotions without being raw and stripped, but while being able to be vulnerable. It shifted my trajectory in terms of the joy and how I honed my skills.”

His journey as a poet took off alongside his path to education. As he continued writing, Bussey’s list of role models grew to include Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, Nikki Giovanni and James Baldwin (he has the recording of Giovanni’s interview with Baldwin saved to his computer, so he can watch it whenev er he wants to), as well as the contemporary voices of Kendrick Lemar, Warsan Shire, Sonia Sanchez, and Suheir Hammad.

At the same time, he was building his love for education. After finishing his stud ies at Clemson, Bussey taught elementary

school in South Carolina for close to 10 years, then moved to Connecticut to pur sue a graduate degree in education at Post University. The East Coast was a culture shock, he said—Connecticut’s cities were much more diverse than what he had grown up with—but it was also a place he fell in love with.

In 201o, Bussey began working in New Haven’s public schools, part of a wave of teachers trying to turn schools around as they struggled to keep up with their state wide counterparts. After teaching third graders at Brennan-Rogers Magnet School, he switched to middle school students with the goal of becoming a math coach. Mean while, he continued to grow as a writer, publishing his first book of poetry soon thereafter.

He never intended to become an admin istrator, he said. Then in 2014, the Univer sity of Connecticut opened its Administra tor Preparation Program (UCAPP), and Bussey became its inaugural fellow. As a resident principal at Quinnipiac Real World Math STEM Magnet School, “I learned that I could be a different administrator,” he said. He credited Grace Nathman, prin cipal at Quinnipiac, as one of the mentors who helped pull him through. He also pointed to Marcella Monk-Flake and the late Lillie Perkins as mentors who helped transform his career, he said.

Bussey’s search for an administrative po sition temporarily took him away from the New Haven Public Schools, first for an as sistant principal position in Meriden, and then as the inaugural principal at Booker T. Washington Academy’s new middle school in 2019. He was there when Covid-19 hit New Haven, and schools had to navigate

the virtual pivot. He helped the school steer a cautious return to in-person education. By the time he finished the last school year, “I was worn all the way out,” he said. “I lost joy,” he continued. “I lost all the joy. Burnout is real ... the work that happens there is good work, but it’s a lot of work. And so I made the decision that I needed my joy. I feel like this is my calling, to be an educator, and I did not want to be in a place or in a space where I did not enjoy the work that I was called to do.”

He knew he wanted to get back into the city’s public schools. When he saw the po sition at Betsy Ross go up, he was amazed by how perfectly it fit his skill set.

In the school, his priorities include support ing students, teachers, and parents—while also acknowledging that they are navigat ing a new normal—and creating what he called “a cohesive vision around arts.” For years, BRAMS has focused on the fine, performing and digital arts alongside core classes, so that they run parallel to each other.

“Not just painting and sculptures and photography,” he said. “How can dance be incorporated in mathematics? How can acting and theater be incorporated in social studies? How does science utilize the arts? It’s getting teachers to understand that it’s not a heavy lift, because arts is in every thing. It’s everywhere.”

“I don’t want students to feel like they have to do a punch-in, punch-out type job,” he continued. “I want them to do pretty much anything they put their mind to, in cluding the thing that makes their heart sing. Whether it’s dance, whether it’s art, whether it’s photography, whether it’s act ing. I want them to see opportunities open

up for them where they can see real-time benefits to that.”

To culminate their Unit 1 curriculum on Geographical Landforms, Compass Direc tion, and Our Country, they did a project where students had to dive deep into their creativity and use everything they had learned to CREATE THEIR OWN COUN TRY with two-dimensional and threedimensional artistic expression. I couldn’t get them all, but check out these highlight ed projects!!!

To encourage school-wide involvement, Bussey has started a weekly newsletter with research from across the field, showing that arts education boosts overall academic per formance and social engagement, relieves chronic stress and anxiety, and is often a critical tool for problem solving. This se mester, he also started a teacher spotlight series, shouting out teachers who are knit ting arts education into their practice.

On a recent Thursday, they included fifth grade social studies teacher Kelly Mikul ski, who turned a unit on geographical land forms into a chance for hands-on visual arts learning. Pulling out clay, markers, old shoeboxes and flattened cardboard, she challenged her students to design their own country, from its flag to its terrain, climate, and size.

Students, in turn, got explosively creative: finished designs show aqua-blue bodies of water and dense forests, raised yellow riv ers with windmill-shaped flag insignias, and a sign on a shoebox that reads “Pixie Hollow.”

Other examples abound, Bussey said— he’s never without his camera when he

"Rhythm Exchange" from the International Festival of Arts & Ideas earlier this fall. One of Bussey's initiatives is getting students out into the community more. Tavares Bussey Photo.

Daum Tapped As State Development Chief

by THOMAS BREEN and PAUL BASS

Gov. Ned Lamont turned to a New Havener from within the ranks of his administration to shepherd Connecticut’s economic development for the next four years.

That newly promoted New Havener is Alexandra Daum, a local landlord and current deputy state economic development official.

At a Wednesday afternoon press conference at the Hotel Marcel at 500 Sargent Dr., Lamont — who is barely one week out from reelection to a new four-year term as governor — announced that Daum will serve as the next commissioner of the state Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD).

She’ll replace current DECD Commissioner David Lehman, who plans to step down from his post at the end of this year.

Daum currently serves as deputy commissioner and chief investment officer for DECD. A former senior development manager at NHR Group, in recent years Daum has grown her own local real estate business, Field Properties, by buying, fixing up, and flipping rental properties.

Daum, who lives in East Rock, also

serves as a member of the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA), a post she has not yet decided whether or not to continue holding.

“Alexandra’s worked hand in hand with David over the last three plus years,” Lamont said. “She has a strong private sector background, a Harvard education, but don’t hold that against her. She’s been on both sides of the desks when it comes to these negotiations.”

The setting for the event itself served as a reminder of some of the projects that Daum has worked on during her three years as DECD deputy. Hotel Marcel, a new net-zero hotel in the old long-vacant Armstrong building, is one such state-assisted development to open up recently.

Lamont praised Daum as being “right on the front line” of negotiations that led to other key local and state development projects, like the new 10-story biotower at 101 College St. And he praised her “entrepreneurial background” as representing “the future” of this state.

Lehman (pictured) described Wednesday as a “bittersweet day” for him. He praised Lamont for his commitment to “vibrant and inclusive” economic growth. And he described Daum as “a tireless worker”

who currently oversees “our most important investment programs,” such as brownfield remediation programs and the community investment program.

“With Alexandra at the helm, I believe

the people of Connecticut are getting an incredibly smart, tenacious, effective, and devoted public servant,” Lehman said.

“We have a lot of good things going,” Daum said about assuming the top role at

DECD. “I’m not going to rock the boat.” She said she wants current state DECD programs to “keep going” and yield all of the positive results that they can.

With six weeks to go before she officialy takes on the role of commissioner, she said, “I’m very confident we’re going to have a smooth transition.”

Daum said that one of the roles she’s most eager to take on as top state economic development official is “chief salesperson for the state of Connecticut.”

“We spend a lot of time selling the state to developers” to try to convince them to invest in Connecticut, she said. Same goes for trying to convince businesses to “set up shop” in the state.

“Like any good salesperson, it really helps a lot if you really believe in what you’re selling,” Daum said. “I’m really well equipped to be the chief salesperson for the state, because I could not believe more in Connecticut.”

Daum said she is not sure yet if she’ll be stepping down from her role on the city’s BZA: “I’m talking to the mayor about it.” She said she continues to own investment properties in New Haven but has shrunk her portfolio since taking on the state job.

PAUL BASS PHOTO

Newly tapped next state economic development Commissioner Alexandra Daum with Gov. Ned Lamont at Thursday's announcement at Hotel Marcel.

Courthouse Protest Targets Wrongful Convictions

by LAURA GLESBY |

During Darcus Henry ’s 13 and a half years in prison, he would spend every possible minute at the law library with a group of nearly 15 other men who all maintained their innocence. Together, they’d meet for the permitted hour every Tuesday and Thursday to read about court precedents, research their own cases, and exchange stories of pressured witnesses and suppressed evidence.

Six of those law library regulars — including Henry himself — have since won exonerations and left prison with cleared records.

On Wednesday, nearly a decade after he walked free, Henry stood in the wind outside the state courthouse at 235 Church St. to help lead a protest against wrongful convictions like his.

All the while, he thought of Maurice Blackwell, Cory Turner, and the others still researching in the prison library, hoping to prove their innocence.

Henry joined a group of other Black men in New Haven who have asserted and in many cases proven that their convictions were unjust outside the downtown courthouse on Wednesday.

“I’m here to lend my voice,” he said. He also lent his story — of being one of four suspects charged in a December 1996 murder at the Farnam Courts housing complex, of being sentenced to 100 years in prison, and of being freed alongside his three friends in 2013.

Together with family members of people still incarcerated for crimes they say they never committed, Henry and other attendees on Wednesday amassed a group of 20 people.

The group gathered to call for accountability for the cops and prosecutors who falsified or suppressed evidence, and for state prosecutors to reexamine cases that have not yet been overturned.

A spokesperson for the state judicial branch declined to comment for this article. A representative from the state’s attorney’s office did not return a request for comment by the publication time of this article.

The protest was organized by Gaylord Salters, who spent 20 years in prison for a shooting he maintains he never committed. Salters got out of prison this summer due to a shortened sentence after the sole witness against him recanted.

Local civil rights attorney Alex Taubes, who has represented many clients with similar stories, also organized the rally.

Several protestors on Wednesday called on the state to investigate James Clark, the former prosecutor who tried Salters, Henry, Salters’ since-exonerated brother, and several others who have alleged corruption on the part of cops and prosecutors.

“We are desperately hoping that the Conviction Integrity Unit will hold up to its promise,” Salters told reporters, referring to a unit within the state’s Division

of Criminal Justice tasked with reviewing claims of wrongful convictions. Salters’ own case is currently under review by the unit, following an affidavit from the state’s only witness in Salters’ case that police and prosecutors coerced his testimony.

“You have a duty to do the right thing,” said Henry. “I believe [that prosecutors] know who’s innocent and who’s not.”

After an hour of informal interactions with one another and reporters, the group gathered for a collective chant.

“No justice?” Salters called out. “No peace!” the others replied.

“No consequences?”

“No sleep!”

Many of the protestors knew each other not only as fellow New Haveners impacted by an era of corrupt policing that led to wrongful convictions, but as close childhood friends and family who all happened to be targeted together. Henry and Salters, for instance, have been best friends since they were 9 years old. Salters’ brother, Johnny Johnson, was convicted and later exonerated of colluding with Henry.

“A lot of us grew up together,” said Heshema Taylor, one of Henry’s closest friends who served as his alibi witness during the original trial. After testifying to his friend’s innocence in court, Taylor was convicted of perjury and served three

years in prison.

Now, even though Henry has been exonerated, the perjury conviction remains on Taylor’s record. Taylor wants a cleared slate. He said that when supervisors and colleagues have found out about the conviction, he senses that they started treating him differently.

As Salters and Taylor advocate for their records to be cleared, another of Taylor’s friends — J’Veil Outing — is waiting for freedom behind bars. His family is calling for his conviction of a 2005 murder to be overturned, partly since the two witnesses whose testimony led to his conviction have recanted. Every day, J’Veil — who’s now 37 years old, having spent nearly two decades in jail — receives a call from his mother, Angelina Outing.

“Free my son,” Angelina said on Wednesday. “He is innocent.”

J’Veil’s sister, Lyntina Cook, was a preteen when her brother was convicted. She’s maintained a strong connection with her “goofy” older brother, she said: “I tell him about all of my problems.”

Ernest Pagan, the president of the local carpenters union and a member of the City Plan Commission, spoke of his experience spending 13 months in jail in 2007 and facing trial for a murder he didn’t commit. A jury ultimately acquitted Pagan.

During that time, Pagan’s brother James — A.K.A. Epic the Poet — said he feared for his own life, worrying that the murder victim’s family would seek revenge.

“There’s not too many young Black men that hasn’t had an experience” like that, James said. “A lot of us are dealing with so much trauma that the trauma feels normal.”

“I still get letters every day from people” asserting their innocence, Ernest said — which is part of why he showed up on Wednesday to advocate for permanent change.

He argued that while there are policies in place across the state to prevent wrongful convictions, there’s still a culture among cops and prosecutors of protecting their own. “I want to see the culture change,” he said.

Over the course of an hour on Wednesday, protestors told and retold their own stories — without forgetting the people who couldn’t be there to do the same.

They uttered the names of men who lost years of their lives to unjust prison time alongside men who are still insisting on their innocence to judges and prosecutors: Scott Lewis, Maleek Jones, Bobby Johnson, Stefan Morant, Daryl Valentine, Marquis Jackson, and on and on.

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LAURA GLESBY PHOTO

James Pagan, also known as Epic the Poet, performs at Wednesday's protest.

Darcus Henry: Sentenced, then exonerated.

Gaylord Salters.

Health Insurance Shopping Starts Today

by Christine Stuart

Connecticut residents will be able to start shopping for health insurance plans through Access Health CT starting today.

It’s the first day of open enrollment for plans that start on Jan. 1, 2023. Anyone who signs up before Dec. 15 will have a plan that starts in January.

It’s likely these plans will cost a little more than they did last year since the Connecticut Health Insurance Depart ment approved rate increases, but the fed eral government has also extended three years of subsidies to help off-set the cost of monthly premiums through the Infla tion Reduction Act.

Currently about 84% of the 101,864 con sumers with plans through Access Health CT receive some sort of subsidy – about 16% receive no subsidy.

“As Open Enrollment is now upon us, this is the best time to shop around and find a product that is right for you and your family,” Insurance Commissioner Andrew Mais said. “Consumers should research if the plan comes with protec

tions required by Connecticut and/or federal law and is marketed by a licensed insurance carrier or licensed broker in Connecticut.”

This year there will be two fewer plans offered. Consumers will have a choice of 25 plans across various medal tiers, which include various levels of coverage.

The plans in the individual market will increase an average of 12.9%, but the coverage of those plans will vary depend ing on which one is selected. The average subsidy per household is increasing by 15% across all counties.

For example, a 56 year old woman who lives in Fairfield County and makes $55,000 a year and was enrolled in the lowest cost silver plan in 2022, she will likely be paying more this year if she sticks with her current plan. She would be paying $319 per month after her subsidy to stay on that silver plan or she could switch to a lower cost bronze plan and pay $190 per month.

There are three carriers offering plans, Anthem Health, ConnectiCare Benefits and ConnectiCare Insurance.

Consumers interested in learning how the different health plans compare, can view the 2022 Consumer Report Card online. Consumers looking to purchase a plan through the health plan exchange can start browsing online at AccessHealthCT. com.

Open Enrollment begins November 1 and runs through January 15, 2023. Consumers who enroll by December 15 will have coverage beginning on January 1, 2023.

Consumers who enroll December 16 through January 15, 2023, will have cov erage beginning on February 1, 2023. Residents may work with a certified bro ker or enrollment specialist in their com munity is to find a plan that is right for them. To find a certified broker or enroll ment specialist, visit the Get Help web page.

Access Health CT (AHCT) is hosting enrollment fairs throughout the state dur ing the Open Enrollment period. In addi tion, residents may visit any of AHCT’s Navigator partner locations for expert help from enrollment specialists.

Tuesday, December 6, 2022, 5:30 pm

Yale Center for British Art Lecture Hall 1080 Chapel Street, New Haven, Connecticut Free and open to the public | Seating is limited This program is jointly sponsored by

Njideka Akunyili Crosby, “The Beautyful Ones” Series #4, 2015, private collection

© Njideka Akunyili Crosby, courtesy of the artist, Victoria Miro, and David Zwirner

andrew carnduff ritchie lecture: a conversation with hilton als

Hilton Als joins Martina Droth, Deputy Director and Chief Curator, to discuss the exhibitions he curated in collaboration with the Yale Center for British Art

the Yale Center for British Art and the Yale University Art Gallery.

On view at the YCBA through January 22, 2023 : The Hilton Als Series: Njideka Akunyili Crosby

James Michel, CEO of Access Health, at a press conference on Dec. 13, 2021 Credit: Hugh Mc Quaid / CTNewsJunkie

Record Show: The Roosevelt Vibe

By Dooley-O, Artist, Graffiti and Hip-Hop

After a Saturday Night of spinning some vinyl at The Cannon in New Haven. My Sunday morning adventure was to go check out this new record collector show. What caught my attention on the flyer was “Let’s bring the Roosevelt Back!” Wow! Now that brings back memories of the late 80’s and early 90’s when the Roosevelt was a hotel hosting some of the best re cord shows ever. With the best selection of all types of record gems a collector would dream of having today. With the develop ment of hip-hop, the Roosevelt shows was giving audio to upcoming rap stars and producers. This was the sampling era goldmine. I remember seeing Q-tip, Buck Wild, The Beat Nuts, Pete Rock ,Dj Pre mier, Pm Dawn who had a stack of records waiting for him privately. I will never for get the look on Diamond D’s face as he was walking out with boxes of vinyl as if he knew that he might need security to protect The dopest beats he just acquired. If this show gets the Roosevelt vibe, I’m down! The fee to enter the show was only 5 dollars. I got a wrist ban and some flyers for future record shows. Cool. I first see two 8x10 tables to the left upon entry, this table was owned by Dj White Flash. His collection of records was filled with a lot of heavy and rear Hip Hop Records that are hard to find. Across from him was Gees records a serious collector who pro vided beats and vinyl to a lot of hip hop producers. Also there, were record dealers from Rhode Island, Mass and New York. After buying some 45’s (7 inch vinyl) to spin, I see some of my Dj heroes like Tony Crush and Billy Bush. Tek One was on the turntables playing some classic soul as Tony Crush curated the event after talking to a few collectors and fellow Dj’s.

I was introduced to one of the coolest cats ever named DJ Fatha Ramzee of the 45 bandits. He had all the good 45’s that a DJ like myself would spend his future af ter looking for. While I picked through his stash of 7 inch records and looking at his personal merchandise, I asked him about how he felt about today’s event. He said he loved the diversity at this record show. He liked the fact that there are so many records that can feed your appetite for music. When he gets back home to New Jersey, he’s gonna listen to all the goodies he found and reminisce about coming to CT and hanging out with his fellow record nerds. Talking with DJ JOSH Jmc, he said ya gotta source out quality and keep dig ging to keep it spinning. Dj Billy Bush the man with the fastest hands, said “nothing beats playing vinyl”. He can do it all day.

DJ Tek One loves to see the unity and the love for music that people have. He enjoys finding new gems. Marc Mecca was hap py to be around it all promoting his events. So many record dealers and Djs! So much to see, I have to say today was defi nitely that Roosevelt Vibe! I will be back at the next one. I talked to The curators of this event Tony Crush from the Cold Crush Brothers, Dj White Flash and Gee’s Records said that this was a long time coming. And smoother than they thought it was going to be. They will do it again with more events coming up for the an niversary of 50 years of hip hop in 2023. It was either do this event or open a store.. I got records said White Flash. We need our own Record shows.

We are not dealers, we are Djs who love music.

For venue info Creative Venue Bridge port, CT. Contact djwhiteflash@gmail. com djtonycrush@gmail.com

Tong, Lamont Vow To Defend Connecticut’s Post-Sandy Hook Law

by Christine Stuart

Attorney General William Tong said a decision to hold a press conference to reiterate the state’s vigorous defense of the Connecticut law that prohibits most people from owning semi-automatic rifles and magazines with more than 10 bullets was not one he took lightly.

“I don’t want to be here. I’ll be honest,” Tong said. “It is outrageous that they’ve come into Connecticut to attack our gun laws after all that we’ve been through. I didn’t choose this battle. I didn’t pick this fight.”

He said for the National Association for Gun Rights to ask the court to invali date a law that’s been on the books for nearly a decade is highly unusual.

The group, which filed the original

lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Septem ber, filed the motion for a preliminary injunction Thursday.

“They’re asking the court to imme diately step in an invalidate the assault weapons ban and say it should not be en forced,” Tong said. “There is a really real risk that it could happen soon.”

He said the 10th anniversary of Sandy Hook is approaching and “radical ex tremists from out-of-state want to come into Connecticut and repeal the laws that we passed in the wake of that tragedy.”

He said to do that “is not just wrong, it’s sick. That’s why we are going to push back so hard and so forcefully.”

While the law passed in 2013 under former Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has sus tained previous legal challenges, a U.S. Supreme Court decision this summer

opened the door to new litigation against the law.

A high court struck down New York’s concealed handgun licensing process in a 6-3 decision authored by Justice Clar ence Thomas. While the National Asso ciation for Gun Rights lawsuit doesn’t specifically challenge the handgun li censing process it did open the door to these types of new lawsuits against other types of restrictions like the ones in the 2013 Connecticut law.

Following that decision, the court can only look at historical analysis and whether the regulation at issue is “con sistent with the Nation’s historical tradi tion of firearm regulation.”

“If there’s no pre-existing comparable historic regulation, it’s likely unconstitu tional,” Chief Counsel to Connecticut’s

Attorney General Cara Passaro wrote in a two-page memo in June.

“The consequences of this decision for public safety nationwide and here in Connecticut are profound,” Passaro wrote. “The framers of the Constitution could never have envisioned the AR-15 used to slaughter children and educators in Sandy Hook. They did not know that ghost guns could be 3D printed at home and untraceable when used in violent crimes. They could never have imagined that firearms would become the leading cause of death amongst our children.”

The National Association of Gun Rights states in their preliminary injunc tion that the right to own these firearms is protected by the Second Amendment.

“Courts and legislatures do not have the authority to second-guess the choices

made by law-abiding citizens by ques tioning whether they really “need” the arms that ordinary citizens have chosen to possess,” the injunction states.

It goes onto read: “The Second Amend ment’s plain text covers the Banned Firearms, so it falls to the State to at tempt to justify its law as consistent with historical tradition rooted in the Found ing. It cannot possibly do so, because the Banned Firearms are commonly possessed by law abiding citizens, and Bruen has already established that, by definition, there cannot be a tradition of banning an arm if it is commonly pos sessed.”

The state has until Nov. 18 to respond to the preliminary injunction.

Betsy Ross

walks around the school. Earlier this month, sixth graders were learning about chromatography in science class, and used leaves collected around the school to docu ment the process of separating out color. In a seventh grade French class three weeks ago, Bussey watched teacher Martha Combs guide her students through a les son on pointillism. Once she had explained what it was, students made portraits along side biographies written in elementary French.

In one, strings student Jolianys Reyes shows an oxblood-colored ghost, raising its blob-like arms as it daintily crosses its legs. In a text panel below, Reyes writes her name, birthday, and hometown of New Haven in French. Then she gets creative: I am very kind and diligent. I am helpful, generous, and intelligent. I love to make art and I also love music and I do not like insects.

In part, he said, he’s working to lift fel low educators up because he knows how hard their work is, he said. Currently, one of BRAMS’ biggest challenges is recruit ing students from outside of New Haven, which is baked into its DNA as a public magnet school. BRAMS has also not been immune to a district-wide (and national) teacher shortage: it currently has two va cancies, both in English Language Arts.

Principal Jennifer Jenkins confirmed Fri day that total enrollment is about 350 stu dents at this time.

“Trying to figure out how we can sup port them in a world that shifted before our very eyes,” he said. “In real time. There’s a new normal that we have to be able to ac knowledge. But in that new normal, there are ways ... there’s a resiliency that we all possess. And if we tap into that resiliency, there are answers.”

In a phone call Friday morning, Jenkins said that she is thrilled to have Bussey joining the BRAMS family this year, with a skill set that marries artistry, teach ing, social media and administration. She noted that middle school, particularly with BRAMS’ focus on the arts, is its own spe cific learning environment, and Bussey was the right fit for the job. Petriccione is not replaceable, she added: BRAMS isn’t changing the arts core that she nurtured for over two decades. “We want to keep her legacy alive,” she said.

Instead, the school is working to grow it as it moves into a new normal. Jenkins said she’s been particularly impressed watching Bussey give teachers space to shine and take the lead. Prior to his appointment, she remembered asking herself: “What does the school need in this moment?” He stood out because of the balance of teaching and administrative experience, particulary in a middle school setting, that he could bring to the role.

“I’m very glad we were able to bring him onboard,” she said. “Everything else was in place—the way the program was set up, we’re not changing anything. But wherever we can enhance it, wherever we can grow, we will.”

Estelita Makes The Journey Back Home

by PAUL BASS

Once you hear how many steps Estelita Boateng took before arriving on Nicoll Street Wednesday with her 4 month-old son Lucas, you may never complain again about your exhausting daily routine.

Boateng wasn’t complaining, though. She was on not just a daily journey, but a longer-term journey back home to the city where she was born. And finding her groove.

Estelita and Lucas were snuggled in the light rain under an umbrella outside the mActivity gym and community center in Goatville. mActivity has become one stop on their daily routine.

Estelia described that routine while Lu cas smiled and locked eyes with a new ac quaintance during a conversation on the “Word on the Street” segment of WNHH FM’s “Dateline New Haven” program.

The day started as usual at 4 a.m. inside their home in the Throgs Neck section of the Bronx.

Estelita got the kids up and ready for the day. She prepared a bagel and cream cheese for her 11-year-old son Jacob. She made a turkey and cheese sandwich and packed it with grapes for his school lunch.

“He twisted my arms for a Swiss roll,” she added, so that went in too.

The three got out of the house in time to catch the 5:03 a.m. 42 bus to Fordham Road. There they caught the Metro-North train that arrived in New Haven at 7:52. Usually they catch a CT Transit bus up

Whitney Avenue to deliver Jacob to Foote School. Today they instead took a cab be cause he needed to arrive early for ERB standardized testing.

At Foote, Estelita, who was fueled with 25 ounces of coffee, changed Lu cas’s diaper at a station in the bathroom. Then they headed for their daily first stop, 15 minutes at East Rock Park. They saw their regular pals there. “He gave them smiles,” Estelita said of Lucas, “and a lit tle bit of spit up.” Next they strolled as usual to mActiv

ity. They park there daily. The center of fers coffee and space to hang out along with wifi.

Estelita planned to log in at noon. She had a Zoom meeting scheduled for her job at a nonprofit advocacy group called Melanated Moms.

Lucas was born in July. In recent weeks Estelita has been transitioning back to work, juggling her own mom routine with her job connecting and advocating for other moms.

She had her first son at 29, after earning

her MBA and enjoying the 20-something child-free life. “I gave it a good run. Now I’m happy to be Jacob’s mom and Lucas’s mom,” she said.

Given the 11-year gap between her two sons, she has found herself relearn ing some of the work-parenthood balance with a baby.

“I’ve had to let go of my image of per fection. One Zoom meeting he screamed bloody murder. … I said, ‘That’s Lucas back there.’ And it was OK! I’m not the first person to have babies.”

This is the second year Estelita has been making this daily trek from the Bronx to New Haven with Jacob.

Why does she do it?

Because she’s looking to move to New Haven. Back to New Haven. She’s a big fan of the city. She spent her first eight years here and has good memories. Her father, a Ghanaian immigrant, met her mother at Yale when they were both stu dents, and moved the family to the Bronx when Estelita was 8.

Estelita decided she wanted to raise her kids here instead of the Bronx. She has been planning for a while to move into one of the new apartments coming into the former Church of the Redeemer build ing on Whitney Avenue. She has received word that her unit will be ready for movein on Jan. 1.

At that point Estelita is in line to catch a little more sleep. The morning routine will become simpler.

Until then, she’s not complaining.

Call To Save Maternity Units In Rural Connecticut

by Hugh McQuaid

A group of Northwestern Connecticut patients and public officials rallied over the weekend to stave off an effort by Nu vance Health to close the maternity unit at Sharon Hospital, a small facility on the state’s rural New York border.

Late last year, Nuvance, owner of Sha ron Hospital, applied for approval from the state Office of Health Strategy to close its labor and delivery unit. The re quest mirrors similar efforts to shut down smaller maternity facilities by Hartford HealthCare at Windham Hospital and Trinity Health of New England at John son Memorial Hospital in Stafford. Like those facilities, officials at Vas sar Health Connecticut/Nuvance Health pointed to declining birth rates and diffi culties recruiting and retaining obstetrics and gynecology staff in their application to terminate labor and delivery services in Sharon.

The OHS, which approves or rejects such requests by providers, postponed a hearing on the matter that had been scheduled for Tuesday. However, locals and state officials rallied in opposition to the plan on Sunday and residents in both

Connecticut and New York have submit ted written testimony asking the state to reject the maternity ward closure.

In one such letter, Lakeville resident Hope Mongeau said that both of her sons were delivered at Sharon Hospital.

“I can’t imagine having to drive 45 min utes to an hour to get to a hospital when in labor, especially in bad weather. This is a rural part of the state served by second ary roads, some of which are unpaved,” Mongeau wrote. “Now that we are in our seventies, I am terrified that we may not be able to get the care we would need if we had a sudden stroke or heart attack. We need Sharon Hospital to be the full service facility that it has been for all these years.”

The request also prompted a letter from U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who urged the state to reject the application.

“Rural areas by their nature are not densely populated and therefore the de livery of health services may not be as lucrative as in urban centers. However, people must have safe and easily acces sible health care no matter where they live,” Blumenthal wrote.

In a statement Monday, Nuvance Health spokesperson Marina Ballantine said that Sharon Hospital had faced the same chal lenges as rural hospitals across the coun try, challenges that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ballantine said the Sharon Hospital plan, which also includes scaling down Sha

ron’s intensive care unit, comes as Nu vance invests in expanding primary and specialty care through new equipment and upgraded facilities.

“For this growth to be possible, we had to make the difficult decision to phase out our Labor & Delivery department,” Ballantine said. “We are currently seek ing regulatory approval to close the unit, which has seen less than one birth per day on average over the past 10 years, often going days at a time without a delivery.

“We understand that this service has been incredibly meaningful to our community over the years, and we appreciate the con tinued engagement of community mem bers and public officials throughout this process. However, we know that this is the best decision to ensure Sharon Hos pital can continue to support our commu nity for years to come,” Ballantine said.

However, the hospital will first need approval from the OHS, which had not yet announced a date for the resched uled hearing. Earlier this year, the office recommended denying Hartford Health Care’s request to shutter labor and de livery services at Windham Hospital in a decision the health care system has since appealed.

Estelita Boateng

U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes speaks at a rally Sunday Credit: Terry Cowgill photo

Sisterhood Reigns At “Women’s Power” Panel

by LISA REISMAN

Pick your battles.

That was one of the takeaways from a spirited, and often inspiring, discus sion among a powerhouse slate of women’s power panelists at the Big Connect Business Expo in the College Room at the Omni New Haven hotel.

The panel discussion took place at the Temple Street hotel on Thursday. The broader business-boosting event was hosted and organized by the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce. Among the topics of the “Women’s Power Panel” was the pitfalls of show ing emotion, particularly anger, in the workplace.

“Anger in a man can be powerful,” said moderator Laura Hutchinson, the co-anchor of WTNH News 8’s Good Morning Connecticut. “This is a man who’s a leader and he’s mad and this is a power positive moment in his life, whereas if a woman gets mad, we’re overly emotional.”

“We’re out of control,” said panelist Leander Dolphin, managing partner at Shipman & Goodwin, one of a handful of Black women leading large law firms in the country.

“Our personal life is taking over or something’s wrong at home,” said Kymbel Branch, manager of career de velopment at Workforce Alliance and American Job Center.

“Emotional is still a term for women that is carelessly thrown around,” said Kit Ingui, managing director of Long Wharf Theater.

Dolphin discussed the trope of the an gry Black woman. “It certainly was an impediment for me when I was starting out,” she said. “I did find that whenever I was angry or upset, the reaction on the other side was outsized.”

Over time, “what I came to was I can be angry, I can be disappointed, but I had to be effective,” she said. “You can’t be perceived as the person who’s always angry.”

Branch, who’s served at Workforce Al liance for over 30 years, agreed.

“You have to be mindful of what it is you’re trying to accomplish. Do you want to be right or do you want to get this thing done?” she asked. “There are times you have to pull back.”

“You can show up, you can be your self, but you have to be yourself just enough where they are still comfortable with you until you’re at a point where it doesn’t matter,” she said.

The discussion shifted to the challenge of breaking down stereotypes.

“Some of them start from a young age, like what careers boys and girls can go into, what toys they can play with,”

Hutchinson said.

Audience member Libby Protzman, who’s with Winning Ways CT, shared a pivotal experience when she was five. “I joined the Girl Scouts and we were getting badges for selling cookies and doing crafts, and my brother who was a Cub Scout was getting badges for public speaking and how to build a fire,” she said.

“I know they’ve come a long way, but that wasn’t too long ago,” she said.

Hutchinson talked about being labeled as the token blonde woman on a news team.

“It made me feel that I wasn’t deserv ing, that I was just fitting into a mold,” she said.

Audience member Bobbi Brown, communications & development direc tor at Workforce Alliance, recounted her experience being stereotyped as a millennial while serving as vice chair on a board.

“The chairman stepped down, and it was time for me to replace him, and it was like, ‘You don’t know enough, you haven’t been here long enough to do that,’” she said.

“I’m a millennial and so ‘I’m too young, I’m lazy, I’m inconsistent,’ and I’m none of those,” she said. “I’m one of those young people who does the extra work not for the recognition but because I love the work, so don’t box me in.”

Dolphin shared a coping strategy she’s developed as a Black woman in a pri marily white field.

“Any room I go into, whether it’s court or the office or anywhere with cli ents, I’m likely the only Black person, Black woman, and I can’t spend a lot of time thinking about why the other person might have an issue with me,” she said.

“I can’t worry about that because

I have my job to do, and do it well,” she said.

Branch sounded a similar refrain.

“I am a Black woman who is of a cer tain size, and a Black woman who has a deep voice and a strong voice, a voice that has a tendency to make my state ments emphatic, not necessarily angry, but sometimes it’s perceived as that,” she said.

She then quoted her grandmother. “What other people think of you is not your business, it’s their business, and that’s on them,” she said, to rousing ap plause.

In fact, despite highlighting the reality of “all those extra costs that women have to bear in the workplace,” as Dol phin put it, it was largely an uplifting, and edifying event, one that reprised a tale of overcoming obstacles.

Ingui recalled the advice of an ac tor who appeared at career day at her high school.

“All the theater kids were in the audito rium, and he came in and told everyone in the room, ‘there’s no point in work ing in theater, maybe 10 of you will have success,’” she said. “That lit a fire under me, it made me think I’m going to do this, I might not be an actor, but I’m going to transform theater.”

She’s well on her way, it seems. Her current role at Long Wharf has allowed her, she said, “to create a culture that al lows working mothers to live their life and be a mom and still be fully present at work.”

Dolphin recounted moving from St. Lu cia to Brooklyn at the age of eight.

“I had a heavy French accent and I was named Leander,” she said, to laughter. “So I was picked on quite a bit.” That was when she took to listening to 1010 WINS to develop an American ac cent. “I did it so effectively, I couldn’t get it back if I tried,” she said. “I some times regret that.”

That said, “I’m glad that I’m in a role where I feel like I’m on the inside, I’m at the table, I can make decisions, I can make things better for other people, and I make sure I use that every day,” she said.

One way, she said, is as a mentor, a model that is gaining momentum in a lot of companies, according to Kristin Bures, who was representing KeyBank.

“Find somebody in the company who can help you and utilize them,” Bures said. “It may not be someone who looks like you and in fact it probably won’t, but relationship building in an organiza tion is key.”

“I’m inspired,” said one audience member at the close of the panel. “This made me feel like I can do anything.”

Tahnesha Bonner. Audience member Tahnesha Bonner, director of Programs & Residential Support at Parents’ Foun dation for Transitional Living in New Haven, had another take.

Leander Dolphin (center), with Kymbel Branch and Kristin Bures.

Bobbi Brown.

The Unknown Puts Offspring At Risk Of Sickle Cell Disease

by Peggy McCarthy for C-HIT.org

Luzibu Chevannes and her husband Boris are pictured in the living room of their West Hartford home surrounded by family photos, October 26, 2022. They have been married for eight years and want to have a child but Luzibu has sickle cell disease and her husband carries the trait. They donÕt want to risk passing the disease on to their child but are explor ing their options.

Credit: Photo by Cloe Poisson / ALL RIGHTS RESERVED / C-HIT.org

Most Connecticut residents who carry a trait for sickle cell disease don’t know it, resulting in thousands of people unwit tingly risking having a child born with the debilitating illness, according to sickle cell disease specialists.

The reasons for this vary: there’s a lack of knowledge about results of newborn testing for the trait, parents don’t always convey test results to their children, gaps in state record keeping, and state records that identify people with the disease or trait only go back to 2012. Also, doctors typically only test for the trait when a pa tient requests it. And people often don’t know they can have the trait even when sickle cell disease isn’t in their family.

Dr. Biree Andemariam, director of the New England Sickle Cell Institute at UConn Health, said physicians should include trait testing in routine exams. “It should be standard care,” she said.

“It’s like knowing their blood pressure.

At the end of the day, if I am a doctor treating a patient, it should be my respon sibility,” Andemariam said.

Sickle cell disease is a genetic blood disorder marked by episodes of excruci ating pain and can cause organ and joint damage, strokes, anemia and infections.

According to the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, the average life span of someone with the disease is in the mid-40s.

The disease primarily affects Black peo ple and also occurs in Latinos and people whose heritage is from India, the Middle East, and Caribbean and Mediterranean countries.

The sickle cell trait usually doesn’t cause symptoms and never develops into sickle cell disease. It becomes sig nificant when carriers become parents. If both parents have the trait, there is a one in four chance that each child will have sickle cell disease. If one parent has the trait, it can be passed on to each child.

Nationally, more than 2.5 million people, mostly Black, have the trait, the associa tion reports.

Connecticut started testing all newborns for sickle cell disease and the sickle cell trait in 1990. According to state Depart ment of Public Health (DPH) statistics, there were 17,952 babies born with the trait from 1991 through 2021. There’s no data to reflect babies born with it before testing began or the number of Connecti cut residents with it who were born in

other states or countries.

Contributing to the information gap is the fact that there is no record that the state reported positive trait results for babies born before 1995, five years after testing began, according to DPH spokes man Christopher Boyle. The earliest known DPH protocol for trait reporting was established in 1995 when letters were sent to primary care doctors and parents whose babies tested positive for the trait, Boyle said in an email. Department statis tics show that 2,175 babies with positive test results were born from 1991 through 1994, before the notification protocol was enacted.

Andemariam said that when babies are born with the trait, parents are told it is not an immediate health concern. “That information doesn’t get retained very well if a mother or father hears their baby has this thing, and it’s not going to cause them any problems,” she said.

“The sickle cell trait status is not going to have meaningful bearing on that child until they are going to have children of their own,” she said. The result is that parents typically haven’t conveyed trait status to their children, she said.

Because the state doesn’t keep identify ing data for earlier than 2012, if an adult from Connecticut wants to learn the re

sults of their newborn trait testing, “that information is not retrievable,” she said.

Dr. Donna Boruchov, medical director of Connecticut Children’s sickle cell pro gram, said positive trait results “should be released at birth and should be released again when they’re 18.”

Andemariam said that when she does community education, she encourages mothers to keep newborn screening re sults just as they would keep birth certifi cates “to have with your child for life, so they know their status.”

In 2017, the state stopped sending posi tive trait results to parents, said Boyle, the DPH spokesman. Instead, he said, they are sent to babies’ physicians, who are ex pected to communicate them to parents. Tests for the sickle cell trait can be done in doctors’ offices, labs or at the Connect icut chapter of the Sickle Cell Disease As sociation of America in New Haven.

One out of 13 African American babies is born with the trait, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preven tion (CDC). A DPH chart of newborn screening programs shows it occurred in one out of 62 of all births in Connecticut from 1990 to 2003. There is no racial breakdown.

Trait testing is key to preventing the dis ease, said James Rawlings, Connecticut

chapter president of the Sickle Cell Dis ease Association. “We hear too often ‘if I had only known,’” he said.

Luzibu Chevannes of West Hartford was diagnosed with sickle cell disease when she was 9 months old. Her pedia trician tested her because her parents are from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has the second-highest incidence of sickle cell disease in the world after Nigeria.

Now 33 and married, Chevannes wants to have a baby. Her husband, Boris, of Jamaican descent, tested positive for the trait.

The couple has decided to use preim plantation genetic diagnosis in combina tion with in vitro fertilization (IVF) to have a baby. That means her embryos will be screened for sickle cell disease and only an embryo without it will be im planted. In addition, because she is prone to life-threatening blood clots, they will ask a relative to be a surrogate mother.

“I just don’t want to take the chance of having a child with sickle cell disease and have them be miserable their entire life,” said Chevannes, whose symptoms include unpredictable, throbbing pain epi sodes and chronic hip pain. In 2020, she had a stroke that diminished her eyesight. She has also suffered from blood clots in

her lungs, seizures, respiratory failure and pneumonia.

Andemariam said she has “seen deci sions in every possible direction you can think of” after patients with the disease have learned that their romantic partner has the trait. “It’s devastating,” she said. Some couples break up before becoming pregnant. Others use IVF, continue with a pregnancy, terminate a pregnancy, adopt a child, or, if a child is born with the dis ease, opt not to have another.

Boruchov of Connecticut Children’s said couples should be tested even if they say the results won’t deter them from pro ceeding with a pregnancy. She said it’s important for those who test positive to learn what to expect if their child is born with the disease.

Ashanti Rivera, 32, from Waterbury, who is Black, has the trait. She was tested at birth in New York. Relatives, includ ing her 24-year-old half-brother, have the disease. He is doing poorly with kidney failure and heart problems. Two cousins endure severe pain crises that require hos pital visits.

During Rivera’s first pregnancy, her hus band, Xavier, of Puerto Rican heritage, tested negative for the trait. They now have six children, ranging from 9 months to 13, and all have the trait.

Rivera said she plans to tell them when they are in their mid-teens “when talking about relationships, babies and knowing your trait.”

In Connecticut, professionals who work with adolescents with the disease inform them about making sure their sexual part ners get tested for the trait. “I want them to be prepared as they explore,” said Dr. Cecelia Calhoun, director of the adoles cent-young adult sickle cell program at Smilow Cancer Hospital. “I definitely talk to them about how sickle cell is in herited when they’re ready to be sexually active or be with a partner,” she said.

Sickle cell specialists treat patients at Smilow, Connecticut Children’s, UConn Health, Bridgeport Hospital and Yale New Haven Hospital.

Nationally, it is estimated that about 100,000 people have sickle cell disease, although there isn’t a national registry to track it accurately. Teresa Works, a UConn Health social worker for sickle cell disease patients, said “the numbers are elusive” because people move in and out of the country and the state and people with mild forms of the disease may see private physicians and may not be reflect ed in statistics.

As of 2006, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Vir gin Islands test newborns for the disease and trait. New York was the first, starting in 1975.

ctnewsjunkie.com/”Connecticut Health Investigative Team logo”This story was reported under a partnership with the Con necticut Health I-Team (c-hit.org), a non profit news organization dedicated to health reporting

Ellington Jazz Series George Coleman

Dec 16 | 7:30 p.m. | Morse Recital

Hall

A performance by “one of the most fluent and inventive tenor saxophonists around” (The Observer, London), an artist whose career has featured collaborations with Betty Carter, Miles Davis, Lionel Hampton, B.B. King, and Max Roach.

Tickets from $23, Students $10 | music-tickets.yale.edu

5 Real-Life Questions You Should Ask Your Relatives This Holiday Season

by Cousin Jeff, BlackDoctor.org

You may not talk to your relatives all the time, but that’s family. When you see each other during the holidays or at a big family event/gathering, then it’s all love, right? So don’t let that precious time go to waste by talking about the weather, or your new job, etc. As family, more than ever, we need to make sure that each one of our family members is doing well in all aspects of their life.

So, talking to you now, here are the health questions we need to ask our rela tives when we see them, talk to them on the phone, text, or skype. These questions help determine where they are at and what they need to do.

1. When was the last time you went to the doctor and what did he/she say?

A lot of family members will say that they indeed have gone to the doctor, but it’s been a while. If they only answer with “they said that I’m fine”, ask the name of their doctor and give that doctor a call to see what they really said.

If the family member can’t remember the name of their doctor, it’s likely they didn’t go, so you can have them make an appointment right then and there.

2. What’s your blood pressure?

With heart disease being the number one cause of death in Black Americans, high blood pressure is the first indication. So be sure to see what your loved one’s blood pressure is.

If he/she does not know, then more than

likely, there is a Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, or another drugstore close to you because many of them have blood pres sure monitors that you can administer yourself. It’s a small price to pay for a piece of mind, knowing that your rela tives are okay.

3. Who in the family suffers from a major illness (including mental)?

That’s a family health history question that goes unanswered in many house holds. It’s important to know who and what side of the family has had what dis ease like cancer, stroke, etc so you know if you or your children may be affected.

Don’t just settle for answers about phys ical illnesses, be sure to ask who in the family suffered from mental illness too. Catching it early or before it has a chance to hit you is key to changing your family health history for good!

4. How often do you get out to exercise? Even if it’s just walking, making sure your family members are doing some

thing–ANYTHING–to get their bodies moving is a must.

If you can tell they don’t get out much, then suggest that they take at least one day out of the week to do

15 minutes or just walk around the block, walk inside of the mall, go swim ming, play their favorite sport, etc. Physi cal activity is key to living a longer life. 5. Do you have someone to talk to when you are feeling down?

Sometimes, just knowing that a person is available to talk to is enough to make people feel at ease. I know it’s hard sometimes to always be available for that begging cousin or that needy uncle who seems to be always trying to start a busi ness, but they are family and there’s a way you can still talk to them while not feed ing into the negative. Don’t ignore their calls and just make sure there is someone they can confide in, even if it’s not you.

That’s family y’all. And family is all we have. Thanks for listening.

Improve your mood: how technology is helping Black Americans address mental health

Special to The Inner-City News

By Tashi McQueen, AFRO Political Writer, Report for America Corps Member

The American healthcare system is unaf fordable for the average uninsured Ameri can these days. Additional health services that help prevent or manage mental health can be even further out of reach.

Mental health can be debilitating if gone unaddressed for too long, and having more immediate access to resources is imperative for those suffering.

Mental health tracking phone apps like Blackfullness, Bloom: CBT Therapy & Journal, Exhale – BIWOC Well-Being and the Mood Notes – Mood Tracker can help people address and manage mental health challenges like depression, anxiety and body dysmorphia at little to no cost.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapeutic approach used to treat various mental illnesses.

According to the American Psychology Association’s (APA), CBT treatment usu ally involves efforts to change behavioral patterns by facing one’s fears instead of avoiding them. Role play to prepare for potentially problematic interactions with others is used along with instruction on how to calm one’s mind and relax the body.

The ultimate goal of CBT is to empow er the patient to be their own therapist, therefore, interventions include tracking the outcomes of coping skills utilized out side of the session as “homework.”

Blackfullness

The Blackfullness app is designed to encourage whole well-being and reduce stress, particularly for the minds of Black

people.

A virtual space created by Sonia Russell and David Walker, Blackfullness focuses on the physical, emotional, social and spiritual welfare of Black people regard ing their overall mental health. They be lieve Black people are unique and should have resources that replicate that.

Minorities make up less than 10 per cent of people registered in clinical tri als, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. This means health care rarely considers the Black experience, making healthcare less effective for people of color.

The app provides meditation guidance, prayer, music, and physical activity. It’s an all-in-one service compared to individ ual sleep tracking and inspirational quote apps, which can become cumbersome to manage.

The Blackfullness app has a 4.9-star rat ing. The app is free to download and use. It requires iOS 10.0 or later for Apple us ers.

https://www.blackfullness.com/

Bloom: CBT Therapy and Journal

The Bloom: CBT Therapy and Journal app aims to help people better themselves through CBT self-lead therapy.

According to CEO and cofounder Leon Mueller, Bloom has been around for three years and has touched 2.5 million people.

“While the price of one session with a 1-1 therapist can range from $75 to $400, the price of Bloom for the entire year is a fraction of the cost,” Mueller told the AFRO. “All sessions are 5 to 15 minutes

and teach you to do therapy yourself.”

Users learn and practice techniques from CBT through pre-recorded interactive video sessions.

Mueller said Bloom is a 10-year mission with many plans to expand and partner.

The app has a 4.8-star rating on Apple’s software platform. It is available on all Apple products with iOS 14.0 or later.

Exhale: BIWOC Well-Being

Exhale is an emotional well-being app for persons who identify as Black, Indig enous, or as a woman of color (BIWOC).

It is made to be an easily accessible refuge for and by BIWOC. It aims to improve self-care, which is exceedingly important in the fast-growing digital and post-pandemic world.

The Centers for Disease Control and Pre vention (CDC) expresses the importance of managing mental health significantly when the demands exceed resources and the ability to cope. They focus on creating inner strength by encouraging investment in one’s self with energy and love.

Features include: Guided Meditation relevant to BIWOC persons, visualization prompts, breathing exercises, coaching and daily affirmations.

Exhale is available via Apple iOS de

Moodnotes: Mood Tracker

One in 25 Americans live with a severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression. Moodnotes is a CBT-based journaling and mood-tracking app that supports people on how to shift and develop bet ter thought patterns in the moment. Users select emojis and make notes that depict their current mood. The paid version of the app features unlimited entries and a “Check a Thought” option to help pur chasers challenge negative thoughts.

Moodnotes has a 4.7-star rating on the Apple App Store. The app is available for Apple users with iOS 13.0 or later.

vices with 12.0 or later and on Android phones. It is free to download and use. It

Editorial: Black People and Black Friday

many of us are buying?

By Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher, San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper

First, let’s remind everyone that “Black Friday” has nothing to do with Black People. “Black” represents the color of money when profits are up, just as “red” represents the color of loss when profits are down. The irony is the degree of participation “Black People” spend their dollars on Black Friday with no benefit other than what appears to be personal bargains.

Let’s be reminded that Black People spend over 3 trillion dollars a year on just about everything. However, our spending is not focused, in spite of efforts from a number of our young people using the internet to talk about economics and wealth building.

Well, let’s just start where we are. Do we really need to jump into Black Friday spending? Do we need the “stuff”

Could those dollars be used to help with our needs or to help the needs of someone else? Did you know that over 99 percent of the advertising dollars for Black Friday do not go to Black newspapers or Black media outlets?

Why these questions? Let us remember the Montgomery Bus Boycott which lasted for more than 300 days. Because Rosa Parks would not give up her seat on the bus and all Black people were affected by the same problem, Black people made a decision to walk and not ride the buses. Many were fired from their menial jobs which were bread and life support to a people who already were living on less than enough. Those people created such an economic impact by “focusing” their collective efforts, that they won. Question when will we remember and put to use the lessons of the past since some among us are trying to turn back the clock on civil rights, voting rights, Social Security, and everything else that means life and death to so many of us.

We, the collective, need to move toward creating our own real “Black

Fridays” by how we spend dollars every day. Do we need that fast food stop, the junk foods, alcohol, and cigarettes? Those who smoke would give themselves a pay raise just by quitting. Are we watching the growing trend to reduce all corporate dollars being directed to non-profits which becomes a “write-off” rather than spending corporate “marketing” dollars with us as they do with other consumers?

Now that we know that “Black Lives Matter” and that “Black Votes Matter”, let’s really make ”Black Fridays Matter” by looking at and rethinking how we spend our trillions of dollars. Let us remember that there are three things that Corporate America understands: (1) lost profits, (2) bad publicity, and (3) votes cast against their interest. By influencing the last two we can move the needle once again on public policies like Voting Rights, Healthcare and who sits in the U.S. Congress and the U.S. The Senate is affecting our lives. Let us hear from you on this matter. Dr. John E. Warren Publisher, CEO San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper.

needs may change over time but one thing that doesn’t have to change is the comfort of being at home. The Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders, or CHCPE, helps people 65+ get the care they need right at home. Services can include housekeeping, personal care, home-delivered meals, and more.

Holiday Season Routinely Sees Rise in Human Trafficking

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Federal prosecutors said the fight against human trafficking, a crime that harms some of the most vulnerable members of society, counts among their highest priori ties.

“We are committed to vindicating the rights of human trafficking crime victims by bringing their traffickers to justice and working to ensure that survivors have access to restitution, services, and as sistance that are needed to rebuild their lives,” U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg offered in a statement.

U.S. Department of Justice officials maintain that their strong efforts continue to combat human trafficking.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Attorney Gen eral released the Department of Justice’s National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking.

The strategy laid out the Department’s multi-year plan to combat all forms of human trafficking, focusing on efforts to protect victims of trafficking, prosecute human trafficking cases, and prevent fur ther acts of human trafficking.

The Human Trafficking Institute esti mates that there are 24.9 million victims of human trafficking globally.

In 2020, the Institute reported that fed eral courts in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 4 U.S. territories handled 579 active human trafficking prosecu tions, 94% of which were sex trafficking cases and 6% forced labor cases.

According to the Bureau of Justice Sta tistics, individuals prosecuted for human trafficking increased from 729 in 2011 to 1,343 in 2020, an 84% rise.

The number of persons convicted of a federal human trafficking offense in creased from 2011 (464 persons) to 2019 (837 persons) before falling in 2020 (658 persons). Of the 1,169 defendants charged in U.S. district court with hu

man trafficking offenses in the fiscal year 2020— 92% were male, 63% were white, 18% were black, 17% were Hispanic, 95% were U.S. citizens, and 66% had no prior convictions.

By the end of 2020, for the 47 states that reported data, 1,564 persons were in the custody of a state prison serving a sentence for a human trafficking offense.

The District of Columbia reported zero new criminal human trafficking cases filed in federal courts in 2021.

The advocacy organization Hope for Justice defines human trafficking as mod ern slavery, where one person controls another for profit by exploiting a vulner ability.

Victims usually are forced to work or are sexually exploited, and the trafficker keeps all or nearly all the money. The control can be physical, financial, or psy

chological.

Childwelfare.com says the legal defini tion of trafficking involves “the exploita tion of people through force, coercion, threat, and deception and includes human rights abuses such as debt bondage, depri vation of liberty, and lack of control over freedom and labor.”

The organization noted that trafficking could be for purposes of sexual exploita tion or labor exploitation.

In 2004, officials formed the D.C. Hu man Trafficking Task Force to increase the prosecution of traffickers while iden tifying and serving the victims.

The task force’s primary goal is to “fa cilitate a more coordinated anti-traffick ing effort in the D.C. area through pro tocol development, extensive community outreach, proactive investigations, law enforcement training, intelligence shar

ing, and more formalized partnerships be tween law enforcement organizations and non-governmental organizations.”

Additionally, while the holiday season counts as a time of joy, happiness, and fun, the nonprofit Shero Foundation said for human trafficking victims, the holi days are no different from any other day.

Law enforcement officials said traffick ers typically increase their illegal activi ties during the holiday season.

“We let our guard down because you’re supposed to be joyful, and, you know, it’s a great time of year. And unfortunately, we have people out there that don’t care what time of year it is,” Tony Mancuso, a sheriff in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, told reporters in a pre-Christmas inter view in 2021.

“California is home to some of the larg est hubs for sex and labor trafficking in

the United States, and it is beyond the time our state takes the necessary steps in combatting this criminal enterprise,” Democratic Assemblymember Tim Gray son insisted.

Grayson noted that human trafficking was a $150 billion-a-year global industry and introduced a bill to establish the Cali fornia Multidisciplinary Alliance to Stop Trafficking Act (California MAST).

The bill aims to examine and evaluate existing programs and outreach for survi vors and victims of human trafficking and provide recommendations to strengthen California’s response to supporting sur vivors and holding offenders accountable.

“In my search for a better life, I found myself exploited by various individuals similar to other child trafficking survi vors,” said Jimmy Lopez, Survivor Advo cate for the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking. “Human trafficking is an invisible crisis plaguing our state and forcing thousands of children to grow up too fast; we must stop trafficking in its tracks, and we must hold offenders ac countable,” Lopez said.

If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Human Trafficking Ho tline toll-free hotline, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-888-373-7888 to speak with a specially trained Anti-Trafficking Hotline Advocate.

Support is provided in more than 200 languages. Hotline officials said they are there to listen and connect those in need with the help required to stay safe.

Callers can dial 711 to access the Hot line using TTY.

You can also email help@humantraf fickinghotline.org.

To report a potential human trafficking situation, call the hotline at 1-888-3737888, or submit a tip online here. All communication with the hotline is strictly confidential.

Texas Judge Stops President Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Program

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

A federal judge in Texas bent to the will of a few and struck down President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program that offered relief to at least 40 million borrowers.

The conservative group, Job Creators Network Foundation, filed the lawsuit against the plan on behalf who two indi viduals who didn’t qualify for relief under Biden’s program.

There remains another legal challenge to the plan.

“We strongly disagree with the District Court’s ruling on our student debt relief program, and the Department of Justice

has filed an appeal,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

“The President and this Administration are determined to help working and mid dle-class Americans get back on their feet, while our opponents – backed by extreme Republican special interests – sued to block millions of Americans from getting much-needed relief,” she stated.

White House officials maintain that the secretary of education received power from Congress to discharge student loan debt under the 2003 HEROES Act.

“The program is thus an unconstitutional exercise of Congress’s legislative power and must be vacated,” wrote Judge Mark Pittman, a Donald Trump nominee.

“In this country, we are not ruled by an

all-powerful executive with a pen and a phone,” he continued.

Under the president’s plan, borrowers who earned less than $125,000 in either 2020 or 2021 and married couples or heads of households who made less than $250,000 annually in those years are eli gible to have up to $10,000 of their federal student loan debt forgiven.

If a qualifying borrower also received a federal Pell grant, the individual would receive as much as $20,000 of debt for giveness.

In October, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals placed an administrative hold on Biden’s forgiveness program based on a suit filed by six GOP-led states.

In the most recent case in Texas, one plaintiff did not qualify for the student loan forgiveness program because the fed

eral government does not hold her loans.

The other plaintiff is only eligible for $10,000 in debt relief because he did not receive a Pell grant.

They argued that they could not voice their disagreement with the program’s rules because the administration did not put it through a formal notice-and-com ment rule-making process under the Ad ministrative Procedure Act.

“This ruling protects the rule of law which requires all Americans to have their voices heard by their federal govern ment,” said Elaine Parker, president of the Job Creators Network Foundation, in a statement.

CNN reported that major Trump donor and former Home Depot CEO Bernie Marcus founded Job Creators Network Foundation.

Bloomfield

NOTICE

State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management is recruiting for a GIS Coordinator (Associate Research Analyst) & a Policy Development Coordinator

Further information regarding the duties, eligibility requirements and application instructions are available at: https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/sup/ bulpreview.asp?R1=221102&R2=6856AR&R3=001 and

https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/sup/ bulpreview.asp?R1=221103&R2=1581MP&R3=001

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

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

NOTICIA

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

Public Health

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

Senior Sanitarian: Seeking a responsible individual to oversee the inspection and enforcement of public and environmental health statutes, codes and regulations. Requires a Bachelor’s degree in environmental health, biology, public health or closely related field plus 2 years’ experience in regulatory environmental public health. Must possess State of CT certifications in Food Service Inspection, Subsurface Sewage Phase I & II, and a valid CT Drivers’ license. Salary: $84,586 to $108,221 annually plus an excellent fringe benefits package. A complete job announcement and application may be downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page and can be mailed to the Department of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492, or emailed to: wlfdhr@wallingfordct.gov by the closing date of December 23, 2022. Phone: (203) 2942080; Fax: (203) 294-2084. EOE

Request

The Glendower Group, Inc. is currently seeking proposals for a consultant with PRAC experience for the redevelopment of 34 Level Street. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Glendower’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway

Technician Apprentice. Candidate must possess a technical school certificate in heating, ventilation, air conditioning, oil, propane and natural gas. Send resume to: HR Manager, P. O. Box 388, Guilford, CT 06437 or email HRDept@eastriverenergy.com

**An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer**

Housing Authority the City of Bridgeport Request for Proposal (RFP) Project-Based Voucher Solicitation

Number: 221-HCV-22-S

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

Listing: HVAC Technician

Fast paced Petroleum Company is hiring for a full time, CT HVAC Technician. License required – S-10,S-2, B2, D2 and G2. Applicant must have experience in oil, propane, natural gas and A/C. Competitive wage, 401(k), sign on bonus and benefits. Send resume to: HR Manager, P. O. Box 388, Guilford, CT 06437 or email HRDept@eastriverenergy.com

**An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer**

beginning on Monday, November 21, 2022 at 3:00PM.

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN

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

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

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

The Town of Wallingford is accepting applications for EMT. Must possess a H.S. diploma or G.E.D., plus one (1) year of recent experience as an EMT. Must be 18 years old and be a Connecticut or National Registry Certified EMT with CPR Certification and a valid State of Connecticut motor vehicle operator’s license. Starting wage $632.56 (weekly), plus an excellent fringe benefits package. Apply: Department of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Forms will be mailed upon request from the Department of Human Resources or may be downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page. Phone (203) 294-2080. The closing date will be the date of the 50th application or resume is received or November 28, 2022, whichever occurs first.

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

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks:

Construction

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE

Construction Equipment Mechanic preferably experienced in Reclaiming and Road Milling Equipment. We offer factory training on equipment we operate. Location: Bloomfield CT We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits

Contact: Tom Dunay Phone: 860- 243-2300

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

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

Request for Proposals (RFP) for Services

The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management, is seeking proposals to provide certain services related to a Community Engage ment Training Program.

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

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks:

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

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

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

0

PVC FENCE PRODUCTION

The intent of the request is to identify individuals or firms with the neces sary expertise to provide administration of the Community Engagement Training Program within a stated timeframe.

The RFP is available online at: https://portal.ct.gov/DAS/CTSource/ BidBoard and https://portal.ct.gov/OPM/Root/RFP/Request-ForProposals or from Emily Burnett, Office of Policy and Management, Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division, 450 Capitol Ave., MS#52C JP, Hartford, Connecticut 06106-1379. E-mail: Emily.Burnett@ct.gov Telephone (860) 418-6365. Deadline for response submission is 5:00 P.M., December 1, 2022.

NOTICIA

Contact: Rick Tousignant Phone: 860- 243-2300

Email: rick.tousignant@garrityasphalt.com

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

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

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

Commercial Driver CLASS A

Union Company seeks:

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

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

Contact Dana at 860-243-2300

Email: dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com

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

Construction

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

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

Immediate opening for a Class A full time driver for petroleum/like products deliveries for nights and weekends. Previous experience required. Send resume to: HR Manager, P. O. Box 388, Guilford, CT 06437 or email: hrdept@eastriverenergy.com

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

Project Engineer

Invitation to Bid: 2nd Notice SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE Old Saybrook, CT (4 Buildings, 17 Units) Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, Castin-place Concrete, Asphalt Shingles, Vinyl Siding, Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection. This contract is subject to state set-aside and contract compliance requirements.

State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management

The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management is recruiting for a Labor Relations Specialist. Further information regarding the duties, eligibility requirements and application instructions for this position are available at: https://www.jobapscloud.com/ CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?R1= 220815&R2=5256MP&R3=001

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

job opening available for a growing / established Heavy Highway Construction Contractor based out of Avon, CT. Tasks include takeoffs, CAD drafting, computations, surveying, office engineering, submittals, other miscellaneous engineering tasks. Competitive compensation package based on experience. Many opportunities for growth for the right individual. We are an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Please email your resume to Dawn@rothacontracting.com.

LAROSA GROUPS IS GROWING

LaRosa Earth Group LLC, a Site/Excavation Company is currently looking

add the following

CDL preferred.

Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016 Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016 Project documents available via ftp link below: http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3

Construction Laborers:

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

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

Human Resources Assistant

NOTICE

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport Invitation for Bid (IFB)

PT Barnum Windows Replacement

Solicitation Number: 226-MD-22-S

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

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

The Town of Wallingford is seeking a highly motivated individual to perform a variety of confidential human resources support activities. Requires a H.S. diploma or equivalent and 3 years’ responsible office experience that includes performing human resources work. $23.68 to $28.36 hourly plus an excellent fringe benefits package. Applications may be obtained at the Department of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Forms will be mailed upon request from the Department of Human Resources or may be downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page or emailed to: wlfdhr@wallingfordct.gov by the closing date of December 9, 2022. Phone: (203) 294-2080; Fax: (203) 294-2084.

EOE

NOTICIA

State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management

The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management is recruiting for a Budget Specialist.

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) is requesting sealed bids for Windows Replacement at PT Barnum Apartments. Solicitation package will be available on November 14, 2022. To obtain a copy of the solicitation you must send your request to bids@parkcitycommunities.org, please reference solicitation number and title on the subject line. A pre-bid conference will be held at 96 Bird Street, Bridgeport, CT 06605 on December 1, 2022 @ 11:00 a.m. Attendance is mandatory, submitting a bid for the project without attending conference will be REJECTED. Additional questions should be emailed only to bids@ parkcitycommunities.org no later than December 8, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. Answers to all the questions will be posted on PCC’s Website: www.parkcitycommunities.org. Seal bids will be received until December 20, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m. at which time the bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

360 MANAGEMENT GROUP,

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

Further information regarding the duties, eligibility requirements and application instructions for this position are available at: https://www.jobapscloud.com/ CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?R1= 221014&R2=0944MP&R3=001

360 Management Group, Co. is currently seeking bids for agency wide roofing repairs/replacement. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from 360 Management Group’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Monday, October 24, 2022 at 3:00PM.

Commercial Driver CLASS B

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN (EMT)

The Town of Wallingford is accepting applications for EMT. Must possess a H.S. diploma or G.E.D., plus one (1) year of recent experience as an EMT. Must be 18 years old and be a Connecticut or National Registry Certified EMT with CPR Certification and a valid State of Connecticut motor vehicle operator’s license. Starting wage $632.56 (weekly), plus an excellent fringe benefits package. Apply: Department of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Forms will be mailed upon request from the Department of Human Resources or may be downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page. Phone (203) 294-2080. The closing date will be the date of the 50th application or resume is received or November 28, 2022, whichever occurs first.

HAVEN 242-258 Fairmont Ave 2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 level , 1BA All new apartments, new appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 & I-95 highways, near bus stop & shopping center Pet under 40lb allowed. Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258

Full Time Class B driver for a fast paced petroleum company for days and weekends. Previous experience required. Competitive wage, 401(k) and benefits. Send resume to: HR Manager, P. O. Box 388, Guilford, CT 06437 or email HRDept@eastriverenergy.com

State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

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

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

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

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

1425 Honeyspot Rd. Ext. Stratford, CT 06615

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport Invitation for Bid (IFB)

PT Barnum Roofs Replacement Solicitation Number: 225-MD-22-S

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) is requesting sealed bids for Roofs Replacement at PT Barnum Apartments. Solicitation package will be available on November 14, 2022. To obtain a copy of the solicitation you must send your request to bids@parkcitycommunities.org, please reference solicitation number and title on the subject line. A prebid conference will be held at 96 Bird Street, Bridgeport, CT 06605 on December 1, 2022 @ 10:00 a.m. Attendance is mandatory, submitting a bid for the project without attending conference will be REJECTED. Additional questions should be emailed only to bids@parkcitycommunities.org no later than December 8, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. Answers to all the questions will be posted on PCC’s Website: www.parkcitycommunities.org. Seal bids will be received until December 19, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m. at which time the bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.

Rep. Karen Bass Proclaimed First Black Female Mayor of Los Angeles

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

When Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) an nounced her candidacy for mayor of Los Angeles last year, she knew the race wouldn’t be easy.

But the former Congressional Black Caucus Chair also believed that her be loved city faced a crisis, and that others that had (or were likely to) declare their candidacy, probably wouldn’t live up to the challenge.

“I’ve spent my entire life bringing groups of people together in coalitions to solve complex problems and produce concrete change – especially in times of crisis,” Bass declared in September 2021.

“Los Angeles is my home. With my whole heart, I’m ready. Let’s do this –together.”

On Wednesday, Nov. 16, more than a week after voting closed in the City of Angels, Bass was declared the winner in a tight race that pitted her against bil lionaire developer Rick Caruso. With her victory, Bass will become the

first Black woman to lead the city during a time when Los Angeles faces an evergrowing homeless crisis and a myriad of other issues left behind by her predeces sor Eric Garcetti.

“We are in a fight for the soul of our city,” declared Bass, who counted among those on President Joe Biden’s

short candidate list for the vice presiden cy that ultimately went to fellow-CBC alum Kamala Harris.

“We are going to build a new Los Angeles,” she said.

With extensive experience in Congress

and as a California Assembly leader, Bass said she understands the fight ahead. After all, she emerged from an intense battle in which her opponent spent more than $100 million.

Projections had Bass winning more than 53% of the vote to Caruso’s 47%.

The Associated Press said Bass en joyed the advantage of being a lifelong Democrat “in a city where Republicans are almost invisible.”

Last week, Vice President Harris cam paigned in Los Angeles with Bass, and many high-profile Democrats backed her candidacy.

The news service noted that Bass would become the first woman and sec ond Black person to hold the job after former Mayor Tom Bradley held the post from 1973 to 1993.

She’ll also attempt to cool the figura tive fires that have been stoked internal ly among city leaders, including a racial scandal that’s rocked City Council.

Further, the city has more than 40,000 individuals who are homeless, and crime has unnerved even the upper-class areas of Los Angeles.

“Congratulations to our Mayor-Elect,” superstar entertainer and Bass supporter John Legend tweeted.

“Angelenos chose someone who has devoted her life to helping her commu nity become healthier, safer, and more just.”

After Republicans Do Poorly in Midterms, Trump Announces Presidential Run in 2024

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Contributor

A week after congressional Republicans failed to win the U.S. Senate and barely won the U.S. House, former President Donald Trump announced he would run for President in 2024. Trump lost to Presi dent Joe Biden by seven million votes in 2020.

After the loss, Trump has spent two years claiming falsely the 2020 election was “stolen” and disinformation and mis information drove his supporters to vio lently attack the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

At his announcement in Palm Beach, Florida on the evening of Nov. 15, Trump repeated some of the old themes that were a turnoff to young voters, swing voters and moderate Republicans in the midterm elections.

Trump complained about, “Biden and the radical-left lunatics running our gov ernment right into the ground,” during the speech. The timing of his announcement appears to be forced by the growing popu larity of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who easily won re-election on Nov. 8th after barely winning against former Flori da Mayor Andrew Gillum in 2018.

Several Republicans are now publicly critical of Trump after the GOP’s poor showing in the midterm elections. That poor showing followed a number of wrong predictions by popular prognos ticators who said there would be a “red

wave” and that Republicans would win 20-25 seats over the Democrats. Instead, the Democrats narrowly lost the U.S. House.

Video of Trump’s announcement last night demonstrated security preventing attendees from leaving the event early.

There have been three examples of Trump’s power waning. The first was his 2020 seven million vote loss to President Biden. The second was the victory in Vir ginia of political novice Glenn Youngkin over Terry McAuliffe in a race where Youngkin ran as a moderate and was de liberate in keeping Trump out of Virginia and the political conversation. The third example of MAGA’s waning power was the 2022 midterms. All of the statewide candidates running MAGA campaigns lost.

As results continue to come in for vari ous U.S. House races it’s becoming clear er that New York redistricting will be a major factor in why the Democrats lost the majority in the House. That theory is demonstrated chiefly by the decision by DCCC Chairman Sean Patrick Maloney losing in a race about “Biden and the rad ical-left lunatics running our government right into the ground.”

“As a Black American, it’s really hard for me to shake what I just saw on TV. It is an epic failure of our criminal legal system that Trump, having committed so many crimes in plain sight for years, was able to freely stand on that stage and an nounce his third run for President,” wrote

New York Congressman Mondaire Jones after Trump’s speech.

It has long been a habit of the campaign to use, without permission, music from popular artists including Bruce Springs teen and Tom Petty, neither of whom sup port Trump.

Last night, the song “Hold On, I’m Co min”, sung by Sam Moore and Dave Prat er and written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter was played.

“Once again, the estate and family of Isaac Hayes DID NOT approve the use of “Hold on I’m Coming’” by Sam and Dave by Donald Trump at his 2024 Presidential announcement tonight. We are exploring multiple legal options to stop this unau thorized use,” a message from the twitter account of the Isaac Hayes estate read.

“Stopping a politician from using your music is not always an easy task, but we are dedicated to making sure that Donald Trump does not continue to use “Hold on I’m Coming” by written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter in further rallies and public appearances,” the account added.

President Biden is expected to take on Trump again in 2024. But there has been open talk among pundits that Biden, 80, maybe too old to run again. Trump is 76.

Lauren Victoria Burke is an indepen dent journalist and the host of the podcast BURKEFILE. She is a political analyst who appears regularly on #RolandMar tinUnfiltered. She may be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke

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