INNER-CITY NEWS

The Avelo Story

Travis Christ, Avelo Airlines

Interviewer: Dennis House, Anchor, WTNH News 8

WOMEN’S POWER PANEL

Assertive or Aggressive: How Powerful Women Navigate Stereotypes and Negative Labels

Panelists: Leander Dolphin, Shipman & Goodwin LLP; Kristin Bures, KeyBank; Kit Ingui, Long Wharf Theatre

Moderator: Laura Hutchinson, Co-Anchor, WTNH News 8

Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion: Moving Beyond Diversity to Inclusion, Part 2

Panelists: Kelvin Rutledge, Southern Connecticut State University; LaKisha Jordan, American Eagle; Donald Sawyer, Quinnipiac University; Gretchen Knauff, City of New Haven

Laura Hut c hinson

Justice Lubbie Harper, Jr. to UConn Law School Alumni:

“Make Public Service Part of Your Mission”

By Dwight Bachman, Public Relations Officer, Eastern Connecticut State University

On Oct. 25, hundreds of people packed the house at the posh banquet hall at the Aqua Turf in Plantsville and rose to give former Connecticut Supreme Court Jus tice Lubbie Harper Jr. a standing ovation and thunderous applause after his speech at the University of Connecticut (UCo nn) School of Law Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner. Justice Harper ’75 had just wrapped up the evening after being presented the Law School’s Public Service Award.

Harper’s family, numerous friends and mentees were on hand for the occasion.

Connecticut Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard A. Robinson provided a warm, glorious and heartfelt introduction of Harper. Robinson said Harper has been an incredible mentor and a fierce and power ful advocate for change in the Connecticut criminal justice system. He said Harper’s awards were too many to read, but that his contributions to the legal professional and the community at large has been legend ary. He said many attending the awards dinner were Harper’s mentees who, during their law school studies and beyond, had become attorneys, Superior and Appellate court judges, Connecticut Supreme Court justices and soon-to-be a Second Circuit judge. Robinson drew great laughter when he said to all gathered that he is Harper’s favorite mentee!

To illustrate how far and wide Harper’s influence is, Robinson told the story of attending a conference in North Dakota. When he arrived for the conference, the first thing he heard was “Justice Harper said to tell you Hello! Imagine that. In North Dakota, they know Justice Harper.”

Harper humbly and gracefully thanked Robinson for his introduction, and his family, friends and mentees for attending the banquet, telling them all how they had enriched his life and how deeply he felt to be named recipient of Law School Alumni Association’s award.

“The recognition of my public service is something that I will always cherish. I am humbled and profoundly honored to accept this award and in so doing, I am privileged to join the ranks of many out standing individuals who are being hon ored this evening and those who have re ceived this award in the past.”

Harper then focused on the significance of his life’s desire to always make a dif ference. His remarks could not have been more timely in such a time as today, where people breach the halls of Congress to overthrow an election, and even break into the home of the Speaker of the House and assault her husband, asking “Where is Nancy.” Relevant to this incident and the current climate in our country, Harper pro ceeded to give a powerful, thoughtful and

riveting speech.

“I have always been thankful for my blessings and have been committed to use those blessings to help others,” said Harp er. “I have always viewed public service as a noble undertaking; an undertaking in which I as a judge, have always attempted to dispense justice in a fair, impartial and respectful manner. As a civic minded individual, I have continued that service beyond my judicial role in hopes of posi tively impacting the lives of individuals who have crossed my path.”

“You see, public service gives us a rea son to strive for ideals that enhances the societal good. It gives us a reason to be lieve that we as civic minded profession als can successfully make a difference by tackling many of the issues currently facing all of us. The plethora of problems percolating in our society and the myriad of issues facing the legal profession cries out for us to get involved, to speak out and to zealously address those challenges. It is precisely for that reason that it would be disingenuous, if not the epitome of hy pocrisy, for me to stand here this evening and accept a public service award without discussing in public, at least in part, some of these issues and the concomitant public discord. I cannot do that!”

“Accordingly, if we look at our national landscape, we must acknowledge that America is on the precipice of becoming a very different country. Yes, America is in a state of crisis. A crisis exemplified so very recently by the cruel, inhumane and abusive treatment of migrants for politi cal reasons. A crisis exemplified by two recent incidents of deadly violence being directed at local police, one against an of ficer in New Haven and the other against three officers in Bristol. A crisis involving

the exploitation of unimaginable tragedies for profit. A crisis involving our national politics, a divisive and at times a dysfunc tional Congress.”

“Yes, I am concerned about the con duct of those elected officials who take an oath to defend the constitution, and who, nevertheless, violate that oath by valuing self-interest, power, partisan politics over the will of their constituents, fairness, the rule of law, our democratic principles and the general welfare of all Americans. I am concerned by the lack of reasonable gun control, respect for others, the assault on truth, and the perpetuation of lies. Yes, I am concerned about the banning of the teaching of historical truths about this country.”

“I am concerned about disinformation, conspiracy theories, the discounting of science, fear mongering, implicit and overt racism, and patently divisive rhetoric flowing from the mouths of some of our so called elected leaders. I am concerned by the display of hate, hateful rhetoric, blatant hypocrisy, contempt for women, anti-Semitism, extremism, white national ism, white supremacy, the move towards isolation and the drift towards autocracy.”

“I am concerned by the flagrant use of gerrymandering, election deniers, a pleth ora of voter suppression bills and other systematic election tactics that have the effect of diluting voting rights for some, and those who deny the results of free and fair elections. Yes, I am concerned about the indifference to and disrespect of the values that have made this country great.”

“Clearly, our country is at the most dan gerous crossroads that we have ever seen in our lives. On a daily basis, we are wit nessing a brew of political violence, dis dain, polarization, divisiveness, ignorance, a lack of civil discourse and disrespect for the rule of law-a potent concoction so tox ic that it threatens the very underpinnings of our democracy. These issues are divid ing us as a nation and encouraging some folks to be less tolerant and accepting of the diverse populace of our country.”

“As a committed public servant, I dare say, I have a responsibility, if not an obli gation, to constantly reexamine my role as legal professional in a constantly changing society. We are part of a noble profession and as such, we must realize that our mis sion must also include an effort to make a difference by addressing those vexing is sues facing our society and our profession. Yes, our voices must be heard!”

“I am committed to such an effort and, therefore, I accept this award this evening, as an acknowledgement of my continued efforts to make a difference and view it as a challenge to all of us in the legal profes sion to “give back” to our community. At a

time in which our democracy, freedom, rule of law, institutions of government, and particularly the courts, are threatened

1.Connecticut Chief Justice Richard Robinson, Justice Lubbie Harper Jr.; and Linda Morkan, presi dent of UConn’s Law School Alumni Association

17.Justice Joan Alexander; Justice Lubbie Harper Jr.; Judge Cherie Phoenix Sharpe; Christine Jean-Louis, General Counsel to Lt. Governor Susan Susan Bysiewicz; and Justice Gregory D’Auria.

7b. Justice Raheem Robinson; Mallori Thompson, law clerk for Justice Robinson; Karen DeMemeola, assistant dean of UConn Law School; and Carlton Giles, Chairperson of the CT Board of Pardons and Paroles.

Cox’s Lawyers Slam City for “Justice Delayed”

by THOMAS BREEN and NORA GRACE-FLOOD |

Randy Cox’s family and legal team stepped up the pressure on the Elicker Administration to “act now” and do their part to help the paralyzed 36-year-old New Havener — a month after his attorneys filed a $100 million civil lawsuit against the city, and as the highest payout the city’s insurance companies could cover appears to be $30 million.

Cox’s advocates issued that plea Friday midday during a vigil and press conference held by the front steps of City Hall on Church Street.

During a responding press conference held by Mayor Justin Elicker, Corporation Counsel Patricia King, and Police Chef Karl Jacobson inside City Hall right afterwards, King said that the city is still waiting to hear how much its insurance companies might cover in this case. She also said that the maximum those insurance companies could pay is $30 million.

Led by national civil rights attorney Ben Crump, national social justice organizer Tameka Mallory, state and local leaders of the NAACP, and Cox’s mom Doreen Coleman and sister Latoya Boomer, the group of advocates stood in front of several dozen school-aged children midday as they directed their critique towards the mayor and the police department.

State NAACP President Scot X. Esdaile framed the event as a “Justice Delayed, Justice Denied” press conference for Randy Cox in the wake of his June 19 injury and paralysis while in police custody.

Friday’s event also took place more than a month after Cox’s legal team filed a civil lawsuit in federal court against the city and New Haven Police Officers Oscar Diaz, Ronald Pressley, Jocelyn Lavandier and Luis Rivera and Sgt. Betsy Segui seeking $100 million in damages for the cops’ alleged violations of the paralyzed 36-yearold New Havener’s constitutional rights.

“Mayor Elicker, we are calling on you to show face here,” Mallory said. She called on him to “do right by this family that was minding their business. This mother did not ask to be in the situation that she’s in, and nor did Randy Cox. … Their lives have been changed forever.”

Mallory said that some people will likely criticize the family for seeking $100 million from City Hall. “How would you take care of Randy Cox without resources?”

Mallory asked in response. “Should we just allow him to die? No, we cannot. No, we cannot. If this city does not act and act quickly, this man’s life could be in further danger. And therefore the consistent blood will be on your hands. Mayor Elicker, what say you?”

As Cox’s sister Latoya Boomer put it: “Nobody would trade places with him for $100 million.” Her brother has no feeling from the chest down and will likely never walk again. “He requires 24-hour care. And we need help.”

Cox’s mom said she visits her son every

day. “It’s just wrong” what happened to him, Coleman said through tears. “I want you all to keep praying for him.”

Friday’s presser took place nearly five months after police arrested Cox on weapons charges without incident at a Lilac Street block party on June 19. En route to the police station, the driver of a prisoner conveyance van slammed on the brakes to avoid crashing into another vehicle at the intersection of Division and Mansfield Streets. That abrupt stop sent Cox flying head first into the wall of the van, injuring his neck and spine. The driver of the van later called for medical help but, instead of asking for an ambulance to come to the scene, the driver proceeded to take Cox to the detention center at 1 Union Ave. There, rather than waiting for a medical crew to attend to Cox’s crumpled and paralyzed body, officers at the police lock-up accused Cox of lying, demanded he stand up, pulled him out of the van, placed him in a wheelchair, then dragged him across the floor into a cell. The case has sparked national outrage.

Meanwhile, the five police officers involved in this incident remain on paid administrative leave as the state’s attorney’s office considers whether or not to arrest and prosecute the officers. In the wake of the incident, the city has also upgraded its transportation policies and departmentwide training on “active bystandership” and deescalation in hopes of avoiding a similar future incident.

Crump was asked during Friday’s press

conference about the mayor’s consistent stance that the administration needs to wait until state prosecutors decide whether or not to arrest the involved officers.

Crump replied that “they have the power to act when they want to act. It is completely within their power to do what they said they would do for Randy Cox.”

Corp Counsel King: $30M Max From Insurers

In a responding press conference held on the second floor of City Hall immediately after the midday vigil, Mayor Justin Elicker, standing alongside top city attorney Patricia King and Police Chief Karl Jacobson, called for “patience.”

“We want to do the right thing for Randy,” he said. “We all want justice for Randy. And we’re making a good faith effort to do.”

But, he said, “the city can’t just unilaterally decide something. .… There is a process that we need to follow.”

For one, Elicker said, the city is still waiting to hear from the state’s attorney’s office about whether or not they will arrest and prosecute the officers involved. Elicker said he thought the city would have an answer from the state’s attorney’s office weeks ago.

“The state’s attorney has told us he’s not yet ready to make a decision on the actions his office will take” against these officers, Elicker said.

He and King also said that they are waiting to hear back from the city’s insurance companies. The city has “multiple poli-

cies to cover incidents potentially like this one,” Elicker said. “I have made clear that we want to expedite the process. We want to find the opportunity to settle.”

King said the city has already reported a claim to its insurance companies in regards to Cox’s case. “Now we’re waiting for the insurance companies to review the claims that have been made” and then issue what’s known as a reservation of right, or ROR, letter.

“Once we get the ROR letter from the insurance companies and we know what the claims are, we can start the engagement process,” she said. “We don’t have that yet.” That’s frustrating, she said, but it’s also “not in our control. We do hope to have it shortly.” Only after the insurance companies get back to the city will the city know how much they will cover.

Former Alder Shafiq Abdussabur, who attended Friday’s presser, asked the mayor and attorney King about the maximum amount the city’s insurance policies would cover.

King said there are three separate policies, and each could cover a maximum of $10 million. That means a maximum of $30 million could be paid by the insurance companies. If there’s any more owed on top of that, it would have to come directly from the city.

“We are doing everything we believe is possible to respond,” Elicker said on Friday. “That is on the policy front. That is on the legal front. That is on the accountability front.”

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NORA GRACE-FLOOD PHOTO Attorney Ben Crump (center) leads Friday's vigil.

Your Mission”

and called into doubt, it is imperative that we take necessary steps to help members of our profession to embrace public ser vice with a strong commitment and an in domitable zeal.”

“Yes, members of our profession should use their knowledge, talent, and skills to make a difference; and to help our profes sion to live up to its lofty ideals, to spread seeds of trust and confidence in our legal system. I accept this award as an acknowl edgment of my commitment to reducing ethnic and racial disparity, advancing di versity and reforming Connecticut’s crim inal justice system.”

“I accept this award as an acknowledge ment of my efforts to promote an under standing of the importance of implicit bias and to encourage the development of cul tural competency. I accept this award as a sign of my unyielding commitment to em phasize the importance of our democratic institutions and norms, but particularly the sanctity of voting, which is the language of American democracy.”

“I accept this award as an acknowledg ment of my belief in and history of men toring members of our profession. Yes, I am convinced that mentoring strengthens our profession by enhancing our sense of community and elevating our standards of competence, ethics, and professionalism. It further enhances our profession by help ing our protégés to develop practical skills while developing a sense of confidence, identity and effectiveness in their profes sional role.

Margaret Mead once said, and I quote: ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’

“I, therefore, challenge you to never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, members of the legal profes sion and civic minded citizens can change our society, and bring about needed re form.”

“Therefore, as we attempt to respond to the noted challenges, and as we attempt to remain relevant as a profession, may we always follow the North Star because that light epitomizes hope, may we al ways keep in mind our obligation to make a difference, to help somebody, to touch somebody. For if we do, our lives will not be in vain, for if we do, our lives will be enriched, for if we do, we are destined to add value to the public good, for if we do, the concept of “Public Service” will become an inherent part of our mission; a mission that will highlight our calling and the noble cause of our profession to serve others. Thank you.”

Other award recipients included Kath leen Nastri ’83,—Distinguished Graduate Award, and Marilda Gandara ’78,—Dis tinguished Serivce Award. Rebecca Kel lyG ’12, Claire Howard ’13 and Douglas Dalena ’12 were named recipients of the Graduates of the Last Decade Impact Award.

Cheer Champs fundraise for the finals

by LISA REISMAN

New Haven Steelers Cheer and Dance Team Co-Captain Timilia Thomas wants to put New Haven on the map as a mecca of cheer.

With her squad recently taking home a state championship, that goal could soon be a reality.

“We’re going to make history,” said Timilia, a freshman at Hillhouse, who was surrounded by her eight yellow-andblack-clad teammates, ages 12 through 15, on a recent afternoon at Pizza House on Howe Street.

That opportunity to make history, how ever, is contingent on raising a whole lot of money.

$10,000, to be precise, to help cover the costs of transportation, lodging, and competition fees to get to and participate in the Pop Warner National Cheer and Dance Championships in Orlando, Flor ida in early December. That’s when and where competition from the nation’s top teams awaits.

To raise the necessary funds, the Lady Steelers, as they’re known, have set up a GoFundMe page.

To help the cause, Eat Up Foundation’s Kristen Threatt and Brian Burkett-Thomp son, as well as New Haven’s Tyler Booker, who’s an offensive lineman at the Univer sity of Alabama, joined the team’s pizza party and presented the Lady Steelers with a $1,500 check.

“I reached out to a lot of businesses in New Haven for support and Kris and Brian contacted us right back,” said team mom Chazaree Parker, amid the aroma of freshly baked pizza and the girls’ lively chatter. “And their first words were: ‘How can we help?’”

To hear Threatt tell it, he and BurkettThompson were simply fulfilling a prom ise they pledged at the time they launched Gorilla Lemonade, which is currently stocked in 40 locations throughout the state: that is, to donate 50 percent of every bottle sold toward community initiatives supported by the Eat Up Foundation.

“We didn’t know a lot about them,” Threatt said about the cheerleading team. “Then we looked into it and realized these girls were representing the best of us here in New Haven. We realized they were do ing us proud.”

The squad, they learned, was in its first year of existence, having formed in Au gust. They learned of the grueling twohour practices in the wind and rain, in every kind of element, five days a week, on the field of Brennan-Rogers Magnet School in West Rock.

“Sometimes there would be nowhere to practice, but we’d find a way,” said Coach Breyiona Bryant.

“These were different kids from different backgrounds and with different skills, and it was nice seeing a lot of them come out of their shells and build a bond as a team,” Bryant said.

Then came the squad’s first competition at Floyd Little Athletic Center on Saturday, Oct. 8.

In a video of that first ever performance, there are gravity-defying stunts executed with breathtaking precision and a dash of unapologetic style and sass. There’s something else that comes through: pure, unadulterated joy.

“We were the newest team, and when we were on stage, all the other teams were shouting and cheering for us, and every one said: ‘Good job,’” said Lady Steeler Semaj Holness, a seventh grader at High ville Charter School. “We knew we had something special.”

They took home first place, as well as the “Team Spirit” award, for the sports manship they showed in turn in cheering on their competitors.

“Getting first made us want to work even harder,” said Holness. At a competition two weeks later, the team prevailed again.

“This is about giving back to a group of girls that are already making our commu nity proud and have the chance to make an even bigger impact,” said Booker, the Alabama football player, who came up to New Haven on his team’s bye week. Booker said he started playing Pop Warner football at the age of seven with the New Haven Steelers. “I’m a firm believer that what you give is what you get back, and it’s up to me to bring light to causes that are important to me,” he said.

And this cause matters because, he said,

“there’s nothing like the camaraderie of a team, and that’s what these girls are ex periencing, and doing this can only help them going forward.”

His sister, Jailen Booker, said Tyler’s ap pearance is a continuation of what their mother instilled in the family from the be ginning.

“She got us involved in sports, and all our brothers and sisters always showed up to each other’s games for support,” she said.

It’s also a matter of paying it forward. “Tyler grew up in this community and he has the platform to give back, to do what his coaches did for him, which is to bring change to his community one young per son at a time.”

Threatt acknowledged Lindsay Mon drone, who met him and Burkett-Thomp son while developing Gorilla Lemonade, for her donation.

“I’m supporting this squad because Kris and Brian aren’t just talk,” Mondrone said via text. “They’re doing something re ally special in New Haven wherever and whenever they can,” she said.

Even with Mondrone’s donation, and the $1,500 from Booker and Gorilla Lemon ade, there’s a way to go.

“Even a dollar would be a blessing,” Timilia, the co-captain, said, as the team filed out of the restaurant. “We just want to show the world what we’ve got.”

Lady Steelers cheer team, Coach Breyiona Bryant (right, front), and team mom Chazaree Parker (left, front), accepting check from Gorilla Lemonade's Kristen Threatt and Brian Burkett-Thompson (back row, left and right) and New Haven native and University of Alabama football star Tyler Booker (back row, center.)

New Haven Independent

Librarian rally Slams Sunday Plan

by THOMAS BREEN

Over a dozen city librarians rallied at City Hall to send a message to the mayor that they need better pay and that Sun day hours just won’t do, especially given the city’s current staffing crunch.

Llibrary workers expressed those con cerns again and again and again Monday during interviews with the Independent at a rally held outside of Mayor Justin Elick er’s office on the second floor of City Hall. Those public library staffers joined fellow members of the city’s managers union, Local 3144, as well as members of the city clerical workers union, Local 844, for a two dozen-strong public employee demonstration in support of “fair contract” negotiations. Both municipal unions’ lat est respective five-year labor contracts ex pired in June 2020.

All of the rallying city workers many of whom wore green American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employ ees (AFSCME) shirts and came from such municipal departments as finance, build ing, and the 911 call center spoke up about low pay, potential cuts their pension and healthcare benefits, and much higher salaries in other cities and towns..

The New Haven Free Public Library (NHFPL) workers in attendance on Mon day were motivated by still another labor grievance more specific to their evergrowing workload and ever-diminishing staff.

That is, Mayor Justin Elicker’s budget promise this fiscal year that New Haven will open on Sundays at all five library buildings including the main library on Elm Street and the four neighborhood branches in Fair Haven, the Hill, West ville, and Dixwell. More than four months after the July 1 start to the fiscal year, all five library buildings remain closed on Sundays.

According to the library workers the In dependent spoke with Monday, they can not at this time see any path forward for opening on Sundays.That’s because of how little they’re currently paid. That’s because of how much they currently work. That’s because of how many of their col leagues are jumping ship every week for better-paying jobs in other towns and cit ies.

That’s because of how little capacity they have for giving up another weekend day that could be spent on a second job or with family in order to come in to work.

“There’s absolutely no way in which it’s feasible,” Fair Haven library staffer Tristan Evarts said about opening city li braries on Sundays. “We have a massive turnover” with library staffers as it is, and “we can’t find enough people” to do the jobs that have to be done now.

“It’s a dream,” Wilson branch library manager Megan Curry said about Sunday hours. “I’d love to see that be possible. But we don’t have the infrastructure to

support it,” primarily because “we’re los ing staff” all the time.

Lori Lichtenberg, a local 884 leader who works at the downtown library hub, described Sunday hours as “a great idea.” But, before that can happen, she said, “we need to have Monday to Saturday sup ported.”

“We cannot perform our services now” because they don’t have enough people, Lichtenberg said. Why add more hours if the libraries today can barely make ends meet?

Wilson branch library staffer Jeffrey Panettiere agreed. He pointed out that the Hill branch library is currently closed on Fridays. Patrons regularly come to that library on Fridays expecting it to be open but almost no one comes on Sun days asking for the branch to be open then.

“What does the community actually want?” Panettiere asked. Why push Sun day hours if there may not be community demand for that?

Up on the second floor of City Hall, as the presidents and attorneys for Locals 3144 and 884 met behind closed doors with the mayor in his office, still more city librarians repeated those same concerns about not having capacity for new hours on Sundays.

“We need a reasonable, ethical contract,” said Emmett McMullan, who works in IT at the main library hub on Elm Street. “We just don’t have enough people” for Sun days.

“We’re stretched as it is,” Stetson library staffer Phillip Modeen said. “We want a fair contract.” And “we want to be paid what we’re worth.” Many library jobs re

quire credentials and higher-ed degrees, he pointed out. And yet, New Haven li brarians make significantly less than some entry-level jobs in fellow Connecticut cit ies like Bridgeport.

“We’re short-staffed,” Modeen said. “We’re just scrambling” to cover services now, added fellow downtown librarian Soma Mitra.

Main library reference librarian Saman tha Bailey and Ives Square manager Jenni fer Gargiulo said the current hours, work loads, and pay for city librarians are all “unsustainable.” “The libraries are very understaffed,” Bailey said.

Gargiulo described the mayor’s “blank promise” of Sunday hours as only contrib uting to the burnout and frustration felt by those currently working at New Haven’s libraries. And she said that her same job that has a salary of $52,000 in New Haven would have a salary of $86,000 in Bridge port.

“We make less than other similarly sized libraries in Connecticut,” said the main li brary’s Allison Boelho. And now the city wants library staffers to work Sundays? “It feels like we’re already stretched. We have trouble staffing right now.”

She said she’s rather see the city invest in

fixing up spotty rugs and leaky waste bas kets and come up with a plan for the con sistent issue of people “shooting up” right outside of the Wilson library than push for Sunday hours at this time. “We have a lot of positions that have gone unfilled,” she said. “It doesn’t feel like” this should be a top priority at this time.

“The reality is: We do not have enough staff” for Sunday library hours at this time, Local 3144 President Gilda Herrera told the Independent in a phone interview before Monday’s meetup with the mayor. Bigger picture, she said, “we have a lot of massive exiting throughout the city. We have a lot of job openings. People are leaving” in large part because “they don’t feel appreciated,” and their salaries are too low.

During a Monday afternoon phone call with the Independent after his meeting with the presidents and attorneys for Lo cal 3144 and Local 884, Elicker said he was surprised to hear so much pushback on Sunday hours in particular.

“The initial Sunday hours was a recom mendation from John Jessen,” the late city librarian who passed away from can cer in May. “He made an assessment that Sundays would be the days of the largest demand” to open all five libraries for, the mayor said. He said he’s “happy to con tinue the conversation” with library staff ers and union leaders about his Sunday hours plan.

And what about Local 3144’s and Lo cal 884’s larger concerns about salaries, healthcare, pensions, their expired con tracts, and ongoing negotiations?

“Employees in the city are facing a lot of challenges like pretty much everywhere in the nation with a labor shortage,” Elicker said. “That puts pressure on them to do a job and deliver public services with fewer resources.” He expressed gratitude for for all of the work that municipal em ployees put in day in, day out on behalf of the city and its residents.

“We’re in contract negotiations with seven different bargaining units right now,” the mayor added. “The negotiations don’t go as fast as I think any of us would like, but they are ongoing and active and we’re having a good back and forth.”

He said the city would like to “land in a place where employees feel like we’re paying a good salary, good benefits,” and they have “the ability to retire with dig nity. And that we’re competitive. We also need to take into account the long-term fiscal health of the city.”

Why has it taken more than two years to reach new contracts with 884 and 3144?

“Covid played a role. Our transition to a new labor director played some role,” Elicker said. “All parties rolling up their sleeves and getting down to work also played a role.” He repeated that the city has been “actively negotiating.” Ultimate ly, he said, the goal is to “come to a deal that everyone feels ownership over.”

THOMAS BREEN PHOTO

City library staffers Samantha Bailey, Diane Brown, and Jennifer Gargiulo: Libraries are "stretched," can't take on Sunday hours at this time.

Wilson branch staffer Jeffrey Panettiere (right): "What does the community actually want?”

New Haven Independent

Crisis team Hits the Street

by PAUL BASS

Social worker Yichu Xu and “peer re covery specialist” Nanette Campbell re ported for duty Tuesday to start helping cops and firefighters deal with emergency calls and pilot a new way of dealing with people in crisis.

They spoke with Ollie Cooper, a regular on the Green, about his search for housing and health care. Cooper also spoke about how a brush with cancer has compounded his challenges. They spoke about avail able social services and shared contact information for follow-up discussions.

It was the first encounter of a new mis sion that New Haven launched steps away, moments earlier: Sending teams of social workers and New Haveners with “lived experience” to supplement the work of firefighters and cops on emergency calls. The mission is called “COMPASS.” That stands for “Compassionate Allies Serv ing Our Streets.” It’s the culmination of a two-year process sparked by the Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the po lice killing of George Floyd: the creation of a “crisis response team” to send social workers and peer counselors to help peo ple who otherwise might end up arrested or hospitalized and in escalated encoun ters with the criminal justice system.

Tuesday began a pilot phase of the pro gram: COMPASS will have a green-jack eted two-person team on duty from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. Cops and firefighters will still respond first to 911 calls. If they conclude a COMPASS team would better handle the situation, they’ll tell 911, which will dispatch COMPASS.

The hope is that six months from now, 911 dispatch will send COMPASS teams directly to some calls without tying up

cops or firefighters. The plan is to move to 16-hour-a-day shifts in July 2023, then longer shifts a year later.

The goal is to have COMPASS eventu ally respond to up to 10 percent of all 911 calls, or up to 11,000 a year.

“The right person at the right time with the right skills will help you out,” Mayor Justin Elicker promised at a press confer ence held on the Green to announce the program launch.

Police Chief Karl Jacobson spoke of

how the program will eventually enable stretched-thin cops to focus on work where they make the most difference. He spoke how over 24 years as a cop, he found himself sent to calls where he couldn’t truly help the person with the mental health or addiction or housing problems that were at the root of the emer gency.

“It’s very hard to go to the same calls over and over again” without providing more fundamental help, he said.

“Now we can do something for people that we weren’t able to do before … We’re excited about it.”

Carlos Sosa-Lombardo, who will over see the effort as city community resilience director, said New Haven’s pilot differs from crisis teams in some other cities by including a community advisory board as well as an evaluation process to refine the program based on data.

New Haven’s police union has filed a grievance against the city about COM

PASS as part of ongoing contract nego tiations. A state labor mediation board declined to stop the program from mov ing forward; the grievance remains to be settled.

Firefighters union President Patrick Can non said Tuesday that he plans to file an objection as well: “They didn’t bargain with us” over the roll-out, he said. “911 is not equipped with the manpower to deal with the start.”

Brilliant Professor wins genius grant at uS university for his outstanding research, gets $800k cash prize

By ScholarshipRegion.com

An exceptional Professor of English at Rice University in Houston Texas, Kiese Laymon, has been awarded the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship popularly known as the “genius grant” for the 2022 set.

Professor Kiese Laymon’s win makes him only the second person to clinch the presti gious award in the history of Rice Univer sity. According to a report from the univer sity’s media, Professor Laymon utilised his experience being a Black Southern writer to narrate forms of violence witnessed from his perspective.

“His writing across multiple forms — in cluding essays, memoirs and fiction — is rooted in his perspective as a Black South ern man,” the report stated.

Professor Laymon has authored several books including novels and essay collec tions. Reacting to the award conferred on him by the MacArthur Fellowship, he ex pressed gratitude to everyone that contrib

uted to his success.

“I’m not big into awards and recogni tion, but this one feels special. Revision and Mississippi did this. I’m just thankful. Some really incredible people thought my work was OK. That’s a big deal to me,” Laymon said of the fellowship.

Professor Kiese Laymon received the award of $800,000 as one of the 2022 Co hort of MacArthur Fellows, the awardees can use the money as they see fit.

The President of Rice University, Regi nald DesRoches, described Professor Lay mon’s win as a huge win for the university.

“This is a huge win for Kiese, for Rice’s School of Humanities and for the univer sity as a whole,” he said.

Speaking on the outstanding performance of Professor Laymon, the university pro vost, Amy Dittmar, lauded him for making such an exceptional mark in the short time he has spent with Rice University.

“Kiese has only been with Rice a short

time and has already had a profound impact on our students and our School of Humani ties. We are thrilled he is a part of our Rice community. This award is a well-earned acknowledgement of his outstanding talent and future contributions to his field,” Amy Dittmar said.

Professor Laymon expressed happiness to have received the award while he is with Rice university. “I’m really happy that this happened while I’m at Rice. The MacAr thur means a ton to my Jackson family, especially now. I hope it might mean a lot to Rice and Houston,” Professor Laymon said.

He plans to use some of the grant money “to work on artful connections between middle school students in Houston and Jackson.”

“I’m really thankful my mama encouraged me to keep making daring — or she would say, ‘excellent’ — art, no matter what,” Professor Laymon added.

Emergency crew on board: Fire Chief John Alston Jr., 911 chief Joe Vitale Jr., Police Chief Karl Jacobson, and Asst. Fire Chief Justin McCarthy at Tuesday presser on the Green.

Links Gala Honors 50 Years of Service

by MAYA MCFADDEN

A historic Black female advocacy orga nization celebrated half a century of sis terhood and service at its first in-person gala since the start of the pandemic.

That celebration took place at the Omni hotel on Temple Street Saturday night during a gala celebrating the New Haven Chapter of The Links Inc.

Over the past two years, the Links, a nonprofit rooted in community service and philanthropy, paused its in-person celebrations, including its annual fund raising event.

This Saturday dozens of Links mem bers, supporters, and aspiring future members celebrated the return of the non profit’s black tie gala.

The event honored the chapter’s orga nizers, Patricia and Jean Downing, who have been serving the New Haven com munity 50 years ago and continue to vol unteer today.

Michael Jai White thanks Links for award.

The New Haven chapter also recognized actor Michael Jai White with an arts and economic development award for his plans to build Jaigantic Studios in New Haven to bring film-making, offices, din ing options, and retail space to Fair Ha ven’s industrial waterfront.

“I’m so lucky,” White said on Saturday. “Being from where I’m from, we know the chances of me eventually finding my authentic self and having an opportunity to live my best life” is challenging.

White said he hopes to give back to the community and have the studio provide arts opportunities for all ages in the com munity. “I want to give them the oppor tunities that I didn’t have,” he said. “And not only the youth, but everybody.”

Attendees at Saturday’s even celebrating by taking selfies and plenty of other pho tos at the event-provided photo booths.

Before guests danced the night away, several prizes were auctioned off to thank guests for their support. A silent auction and raffle included prizes like two free round trip Avelo Airlines flights, a $1,000 gift card, and multiple gift baskets.

The money raised at the event and with more than 300 ticket sales will be used to fund the organization’s scholarship fund for high school students aspiring to attend college, particularly Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).

Over the years, the Links organization has helped fund 300,000 high schoolers on their way to college.

A custom art print titled “Link of Cour age” made by artist Larry “Poncho” Brown was also on sale at the event.

The photo was made as a symbol for Links Inc. co-founders Margaret Rosell Hawkins and Sarah Strichland Scott. It pictured four women linked at the arms.

The New Haven chapter provided each

new member with the print.

New Haven Links member Joy Gary joined the organization earlier this year, fulfilling a long-term goal of hers.

“I always knew I wanted to be around a group of women who dedicate time to community,” she said.

Gary is on the board of the Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen (DESK) and said she hopes to do more service work in New Haven.

“I want to give back as much as can,” she said.

Gary said several other women in her family have joined the Links over the years, and their membership inspired her to join too. Most recently, Gary said she enjoyed a visit to a local middle school where Links members spoke with stu dents about different career pathways.

Engineering and Science Univer sity Magnet School (ESUMS) graduate Bethany Turnage joined mentor and city Health Director Maritza Bond, who is also a Links member.

Turnage now attends both the Univer sity of Connecticut and Southern Con necticut State University. She currently works as a paraprofessional with 4th-6th graders at Church Street School.

She hopes to join Links to better pre pare to one day become a teacher, and then a school district superintendent, she said.

“A sisterhood would be a game changer,” she said. “I want that support and growth opportunity. They plug you in to the right sources and experiences.”

Chapter president and former New Ha ven Mayor Toni Harp said current mem bers are standing on the shoulders of the organization’s founders.

Yolanda Holmes, a member of the Mil ford Links chapter, attended Saturday’s celebration in support of the national organization and friends like Sheila Car mon.

Carmon was among a trio of members on Saturday celebrating the 20-year anniver saries of their respective memberships in the Links.

She described Links as a “wonderful net work of amazing women who are com mitted to friendship and service” with its 17,000 members across the country. This past May, the New Haven chapter inducted 11 new members.

This year, the Links organization has mostly returned from gathering via Zoom to meeting again in-person.

Carmon said the Zoom shift helped to solidify members’ bonds with each other and the community.

Live music renditions of “Killing Me Softly With His Song” by Fugees played throughout the night. Around 10 p.m., guests were invited to the dance floor to celebrate the evening of honorees and fundraising.

Kim Fletcher, Sheila Carmon, and Yolanda Holms.

Links members and supporters gather to celebrate organization's 50th anniversary in 2nd floor ballroom of the New Haven Omni Hotel.

On November 3, 2018, I turned 60 years old. All was glorious and it was great to have reached this milestone birthday and to be blessed with good health – that was until a month later when I discovered a lump in my right breast while sitting at work. I called my OB/GYN and was able to get in for an appointment the next day. They felt what I did and referred me to a breast surgeon.

My appointment was scheduled a week away. I got to the office and another exam was given and the doctor suggested doing a biopsy that day to spare me from coming back another day. My follow up was the next week. I went in expecting to hear everything was fine, that the tests were negative, and that it was just fatty tissue. But that wasn’t the case. It was positive for breast cancer.

From that point on everything was a blur. All I remember was leaving there wondering how to give this news to my family, my friends, my coworkers and employer. With Christmas just around the corner, the timing couldn’t have been worse. And along with it, I was the primary caregiver to my then 81- year-old mom with advanced Alzheimer disease. The doctor explained the surgery would be a lumpectomy and I would keep my breast and I would need to go through eight weeks of chemotherapy, followed by six weeks of radiation. Wow… 2019 was not going to be what I had thought it would be.

On December 31, 2018 (yes, New Year’s Eve) I had the lumpectomy. The doctor said all went well and home I went to rest.

I did get up later that night to share in the New Year’s Eve celebration and welcomed 2019 with my family. Giving all thanks to my God for making me aware of this cancer that had entered my body. I know it was God that touched me that day and made me feel that lump in my breast.

On February 14, my port was installed and I began my eight cycles of chemotherapy the next day. My children, Gary (28) and Jasmine (20), were my strongest

supporters and sat with me during every treatment. They were amazing throughout my entire journey at home and during appointments. They not only watched over me, but also took on the role of caregiver to my mom, which was very challenging for her grandchildren.

Throughout 2019 my journey was tough, but I was tougher. I got through the storm and I’m still standing, giving God the glory each and every day.

I am happy that I am almost four years Cancer Free!

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Widow of Medgar Evers to receive BCri’s 2022 Shuttlesworth award

By Ryan Michaels | The Birmingham Times

The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) has selected Myrlie Evers-Wil liams, widow of Medgar Evers, as this year’s recipient of the Fred L. Shuttles worth Human Rights Award.

The award and other honors will be presented on November 18 during the BCRI’s 30th anniversary celebration and culminate a week of festivities and a one-night-only special exhibit high lighting three decades of archival acqui sitions and programs.

Evers-Williams, a Mississippi native, has been a lifelong champion of Civil Rights, starting in the mid-1950s, when she and her husband, the late Medgar Evers, opened the first National Asso ciation for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) field office in their home state.

Isaac M. Cooper, chairman of the BCRI board of directors, said EversWilliams embodies many characteris tics of the late pastor and Civil Rights fighter the award is named for.

“Every year we consider candidates whose legacy embodies the principles

which characterized the life of Rev. Shuttlesworth – a philosophy of non-vi olence and reconciliation; courage, both moral and physical, in the face of great odds; humility; leadership by example; and an established commitment to hu man rights activities,” Cooper said.

Evers-Williams’ legacy of accomplish ment has made her a perfect selection for the award, he added.

“She’s an extraordinary woman of great strength and bravery. Her commit ment to human rights has been beauti fully demonstrated by her advocacy and aptitude for linking business, govern ment and social issues to foster equal ity. We’re so pleased for the opportunity to honor Mrs. Evers-Williams with the 2022 Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award,” Cooper said.

Through the 1950s and into the 1960s, Evers-Williams along with her husband, fought for the desegregation of the Uni versity of Mississippi and equal rights for African Americans in the state.

In 1963, Medgar was shot and killed by a white supremacist outside the cou ple’s home in Jackson, MS.

Evers-Williams moved to California a few years later, where she earned a

bachelor’s degree in sociology from Pomona College in Claremont in 1968, a year after publishing “For Us, The Living,” a book about Medgar’s life and work.

She then went on to build a career in the corporate world, across industries such as advertising and energy. In 1988, Evers-Williams was appointed a com missioner on the Los Angeles Board of Public Works, the first Black woman person, and served for eight years.

The following year, she founded the Medgar Evers Institute, now named the Myrlie and Medgar Evers Institute, continues the fight for Civil Rights. She currently serves as the organization’s chairperson.

In February 1994, after years of fight ing for justice for her late husband, Evers-Williams finally saw it when Byron De La Beckwith, the white su premacist who murdered Medgar, was convicted for his crime.

From 1995 to 1998, Evers-Williams served as chairperson of the NAACP board of directors.

This article originally appeared in The Birmingham Times.

Legendary female rapper Passes away at 52

by Gemma Greene, BDO Staff Writer

Rapper Hurricane G, one of the early female MC’s–before Lil’ Kim, Megan the Stallion, etc–has passed away at the age of 52.

The musician, born Gloria Rodriguez, was most known for working with hiphop stars like Diddy, Redman, Keith Mur ray and more. She suffered from Stage 4 cancer, according to her daughter Lexus who revealed the news earlier this year on social media.

“Dear Mama,” Lexus began to write on her Instagram. “I’m sorry for all the hurt and scary times I put you thru for being selfish and irresponsible. I’m sorry for be ing a pain in your ass then and now. I’m sorry I didn’t get rich and buy you your dream house. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you when you said those weren’t my friends. Most of all I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like you aren’t the most greatest, most loving and the most stron gest woman in my life. I love you more than air.”

“I don’t know how many of you under stand what that means but even after 30 years of life,” she continued. “I’m still trying to process it myself. I have never cried so much in my life I have never felt so disconnected from reality in my life.”

Domingo Padilla, who produced Hur ricane G’s 1997 solo album All Lady, in troduced her loss of life in an Instagram

submit whereas paying tribute to the late rapper.

“Actually unhappy information to have,” he wrote. “I used to be lucky to know her and produce her first album.”

Stage 4 cancer is the most advanced stage, meaning cancer has spread to other parts of the body. You may be able to live for years with stage 4 cancer, but the prog nosis often isn’t good. Rather than focus ing on curing whatever kind of cancer it is, treatments work to slow or stop growth, relieve symptoms, and help you live lon ger and enjoy a high quality of life.1

When cancer spreads to organs away from the original tumor site, it’s said to metastasize. That’s why stage 4 cancer is also called metastatic cancer. he cancer’s spread will often begin in the same region where the original cells were found. For example, breast cancer may spread to lymph nodes under the arm.

Common ways that cancer metastasizes include:

• Lung cancer to adrenal glands, bones, brain, liver, and the other lung

• Breast cancer to bones, brain, liver, and lungs

• Prostate cancer to adrenal glands, bone, liver, and lungs

• Colorectal cancer to liver, lungs, and

peritoneum (lining of the abdomen)

• Melanoma to bones, brain, liver, lung, skin, and muscle

Survival rates show the likelihood of liv ing for a certain period, such as 5 years, af ter a doctor diagnoses cancer. The 5-year survival rate for people with breast cancer that has spread to distant areas of the body is 28%, meaning that 28% of people sur vive for this period.

The same figure for people with pros tate cancer that has spread to distant ar eas is 30%, the American Cancer Society reports.

Survival rates can vary, based on the type of cancer. The 5-year survival rate for mesothelioma that has spread to distant areas is 7%. For distant pancreatic cancer, this rate is 3%.

As news of Hurricane’s death spread, the condolences started to roll in.

Legendary rapper and producer Erick Sermon of EPMD took to social to share his love for the past femcee and his child’s mother.

“My heart is hardened today. One of my good friends…. my oldest daughter’s mother passed away today #HURRI CANE GLORIA was also a legend in her own right in the Hip-hop community,” he wrote in the caption.

May God bless her household and her daughter.

Garth Fagan Dance

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month:

Diabetes and Cognitive Decline: What it is & What to Do about it

by Ty McDuffey, BlackDoctor.org

Take a moment to look around the next time you’re at a mall, grocery store, sport ing event, or park. According to the Cen ters for Disease Control and Prevention, 11.3% or more of the people you visit have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The CDC also notes that a startling 1 in almost 4 American adults (38.0%) fulfill the criteria for prediabetes.

Therefore, this is not a unique problem, and the consequences of persistently high blood sugar—as seen in people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes—go far beyond increased hunger, thirst, and fre quency of urination. By the way, all of these are signs of hyperglycemia, which is high blood sugar.

You may experience problems with fo cus, memory, and general brain health. However, diabetes’s downstream effects on cognition are not always unavoidable. It is possible to take steps to mind your own business even if you have type 2 dia betes or may be at risk for developing it.

Your comprehensive guide on the re lationship between the brain and blood sugar, as well as advice on how to eat, move, and change your lifestyle, is pro vided below.

Diabetic Patients Are More Likely to Experience Cognitive Impairment

The precise cause(s) of this may still be unknown; however, it may be related to both diabetes itself and other chronic ill nesses like high blood pressure or aging. Additionally, those who have diabetes are more likely to develop chronic illness es. If diabetes is poorly managed or not controlled by medicine, diet, and exercise, it may also affect the eyes, heart, kidneys, brain, and other organs.

The same factor that puts diabetics at risk for limb problems also appears to be the link between diabetes and dementia.

The primary energy source for the brain is sugar. However, having high blood sug ar levels, like in the case of diabetes, can stress the brain and harm it.

Diabetes can harm the nerves and blood arteries in the brain, just as it can harm the nerves in the heart, eyes, and extremities.

Think about how the brain receives oxygen-rich blood from blood arteries. If these blood arteries are damaged, it may impact the amount of blood that gets to the brain and, over time, cause cogni tive impairment. Additionally, the brain’s functioning depends heavily on insulin, and brain insulin resistance can impair our cognitive abilities.

As a result of this damage, the likelihood of developing more severe neurodegener ative conditions like dementia, Alzheim er’s disease, and vascular dementia rise. Memory and cognitive ability may also deteriorate.

The CDC confirms that reduced blood flow to the brain can result in nerve dam age that causes memory and learning is sues, mood changes, and, in the long run, conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. This is similar to how insufficient blood flow to one’s toes can necessitate an amputation, for example. The CDC warns that either too high or too low blood sugar levels might cause this, so we should all aim for the happy medium.

What You Can Do to Safeguard Your

Brain

It’s not too late to change your lifestyle and make better decisions to keep your mental acuity, even if you have a family history of type 2 diabetes or have already been diagnosed with the disease.

Early adoption of healthy habits can help safeguard your brain against cognitive de terioration.

Visit Your Health Care Provider Frequent ly

Many people who have prediabetes or even diabetes are completely unaware of it. More frequently than you might imag ine, people have raised blood sugar levels without being aware of it.

According to the American Diabetes As sociation, more than 8 million Americans

meet the criteria but remain undiagnosed. If you don’t see your doctor frequently, it might be difficult to get a diagnosis or even recognize that something might be “wrong.”

Check Your Blood Sugar Levels Fre quently

If you have type 2 diabetes, it’s impor tant to closely adhere to your doctor’s rec ommended treatment schedule and keep track of your blood sugar levels outside of sessions.

Cognitive impairment is linked to poor blood sugar management.

Monitoring your blood sugar levels and maintaining them as close to your target range as you can is thus one of the best strategies to preserve your brain if you have diabetes. This is essential for control ling diabetes and avoiding problems such as cognitive deterioration.

Protein and Fiber Should Be Included in Each Meal and Snack

According to Ehsani, consuming carbo hydrates alongside foods high in protein and fiber can assist in maintaining blood sugar equilibrium.

Scoop up a bowl of whole-wheat noo dles with chicken and marinara sauce rather than plain white spaghetti with Al fredo. Alternatively, when you visit the vending machine at 3 p.m., select the bag of almonds rather than the package of sour gummies.

The Conclusion

Although it has been demonstrated that having type 2 diabetes or prediabetes in creases the risk of cognitive impairment later in life, some healthy habits can work as a “helmet” to shield your mind and its faculties.

is “Male Menopause” a real thing?

by Ty McDuffey, BlackDoctor.org

Ten to forty percent of men will experi ence a testosterone deficit. Other names for this condition include andropause, late-onset hypogonadism, and androgen insufficiency, but the most well-known one is male menopause. Here is all the in formation you need to know about it.

Why Male Menopause Is Not Talked

About

Several causes drive the lack of informa tion about male menopause.

First, males are less likely than women to visit their doctors for routine checks.

Men with health issues are much less likely than women to have recently con

sulted a doctor, according to research pub lished in The National Library of Medi cine (NLM). Men don’t visit the doctor as frequently as women do, making the chances for these phase-of-life chats less common.

Another difficulty is that males do not feel as comfortable talking to a doctor about private subjects like sexual dysfunc tion or mental health difficulties.

According to a Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation study, approximately 37% of men say they feel uncomfortable discuss ing sexual matters with their doctor. And according to the NLM, men are less likely than women to seek mental health care.

Male menopause symptoms frequently revolve around these two problems: sexu al dysfunction and mental health decrease.

Menopause is not frequently detected in men, which is not unexpected.

What Does Male Menopause Really Mean?

The easiest way to think of male meno pause is as reverse puberty. Boys’ bodies produce more testosterone as they get closer to puberty. The following stage is a rise in sexual function, an increase in body hair, a decrease in voice, and an increase in muscle mass.

Men may experience a loss of muscular mass, a loss of body hair, and even a de crease in libido drive due to low testoster one levels during male menopause. There is, however, more to it than that.

According to MayoClinic, males aged

30 and older have an annual decline in tes tosterone levels of 1%. The decline may occur more quickly when a man enters male menopause (about age 50 and up). So, males may suddenly go through more severe versions of the modest physical and mental changes they have been experienc ing for years.

What Distinctions Exist Between Male and Female Menopause?

Male and female menopause share cer tain commonalities but also significant distinctions.

Men who have gone through menopause can have kids. The complete shutdown of

Charles r. Drew univ. Launches M.D. Program as newsom announces CoViD Emergency End

By Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media

On Monday, Oct. 17, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the COVID-19 emergency in California will end Feb. 28, 2023

The governor’s powers to suspend constitutional laws and procedures in the event of eminent danger – authority that has been criticized as overreaching by critics – will come to an end.

The pandemic highlighted racial disparities in the health care delivery system for Black people and the lack of representation in health care occupations – considering Black people only made up about 3% of California’s active patient care physicians in 2020 despite making up roughly 6.5% of the state’s overall population.

The Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) has taken a huge step toward a remedy for this issue by launching an independent, four-year medical degree (MD) program.

This is the first and only program of its kind in a historically Black institution west of the Mississippi. It is one of four U.S. historically Black medical colleges.

CDU is located in South Los Angeles. It was founded on the heels of the Watts Rebellion in the mid-1960s. L.A.’s Black population is about 9% of its residents, totaling about 1 million people.

“Our community, and in fact the entire Western United States, has for too long been deprived of an MD program built

from the ground up with diversity, equity, and inclusion fused into its very bones. No more,” said David M. Carlisle, CDU President and CEO, in an address to the campus. “It is a great honor and achievement to announce to you today that CDU will finally remedy this once and for all.”

After a turbulent couple of years, California now has a seven-day average of 562 for COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 people and a seven-day average death rate of 29.

Up until recently, the Black community was more likely to suffer more severe symptoms due to COVID.

CDU – a nonprofit institution committed to cultivating future health professionals and leaders “who are dedicated to social justice and health equity” – is partnering with UCLA by educating medical students through a joint MD program.

Funds for the program came from the University’s five year, $75 million CDU Rising Campaign.

According to the Dean of CDU’s College of Medicine, Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, the MD program is designed to aid underserved communities.

“The benefits of having more doctors of color in the mix are abundantly clear and supported by research. Doctors of color are more likely to practice in underserved communities, and patients of color have better health outcomes when attended to by a physician of the same ethnicity,” said Prothrow-Stith.

Prothrow-Stith noted that because the program encourages more doctors of color to practice in communities of need, it could help solve the “root cause of many inequities in healthcare” across California that were exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the end of the pandemic emergency status has an expiration date, officials with California Health and Human Services (CalHHS) assure citizens that this does not mean the State will be abandoning them.

“California’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has prepared us for whatever comes next. As we move into this next phase, the infrastructure and processes we’ve invested in and built up will provide us the tools to manage any ups and downs in the future,” said Secretary of CalHHS Dr. Mark Ghaly in a statement.

“While the threat of this virus is still real, our preparedness and collective work have helped turn this once crisis emergency into a manageable situation.”

As state officials and community members tackle these issues, they hope that the state will have the infrastructure and personnel to provide an adequate response should another public health crisis arise.

The post Charles R. Drew Univ. Launches M.D. Program as Newsom Announces COVID Emergency End first appeared on Post News Group. This article originally appeared in Post News Group.

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reginald f. Lewis: a Wall Street titan

By Tamara Shiloh

In 1965, a select group of Black students participated in a summer school program funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and held at Harvard Law School. Each student lobbied for acceptance in the program, which introduced them to legal studies. One student’s confidence and leadership skills made him stand out: Reginald F. Lewis (1942–1993).

Lewis made such an impression that Har vard Law welcomed him as a student that fall. This acceptance made him the only person in the law school’s 148-year his tory to be admitted before applying.

In 1968, Lewis began his career with the New York City firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, where he prac ticed corporate law. He served as counsel to the New York–based Commission for Racial Justice and represented The Wilm ington 10, a group of civil rights activists who had been unjustly convicted of an arson fire in 1971. He successfully forced North Carolina to pay interest on the Wilmington 10 bond. In 1970, after net working with colleagues, he opened Wall Street’s first African American law firm.

By 1983, Lewis’ dream was to “do the deals himself,” thereby establishing the venture capital firm TLC Group, LP. The firm purchased the failing McCall Pat tern Company for a reported $22.5 mil lion. After successfully reviving McCall, Lewis sold it for $90 million. He later out bid Citicorp and purchased TLC Beatrice International for $985 million. It was the largest offshore buyout in American his tory at the time.

Looking back, in 1960, Lewis told a friend, “I know that what I’d like is to be the richest Black man in America.” He was on his way. TLC became the first Black-owned company to pass the billiondollar mark with its annual sales of $1.8 billion.

Lewis had strong influences in his life from childhood. Growing up in East Bal timore, his parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts always encouraged him to “be the best that you can be.”

Young Reginald’s grandmother instilled in him the importance of saving, “even cutting and peeling strips from the bottom of a tin can and nailing it to the floor of a closet to protect his savings,” according to his website.

He set up a delivery route at age 10, sell ing the Afro American newspaper. What began with 10 customers grew to more than 100 over two years. Even then young Reginald had the business savvy to sell his route at a profit.

About Lewis, former-president Barack Obama commented: “[He] had the work ethic, the skills, and the know-how. Be yond that, he had the temperament, the self-assurance, and the confidence that he belonged there. Being the first of any thing requires a certain mindset. Reginald Lewis had it.”

Lewis’ life was cut short by his untimely death after a short illness in January 1993. He was 50 years old.

Learn more about young Reginald Lewis and the challenges he overcame as he transformed himself from ordinary to extraordinary in Lin Hart’s “Reginald F. Lewis Before TLC Beatrice: The Young Man Before the Billion-Dollar Empire.”

The post Reginald F. Lewis: A Wall Street Titan first appeared on Post News Group. This article originally appeared in Post News Group.

Center leaders discuss upcoming africa-u.S. Cities Conference in Johannesburg, South africa

By DaQuan Lawrence, Politics Reporter, Howard University News Service. Courtesy of The Afro.com

The Center for African Studies (CAS) at Howard University in Washington, D.C. and the African Center for the Study of the United States (ACSUS) at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, are currently partnering with the Johannesburg Convention Bureau, North Carolina Central University and others to plan the Africa-U.S. Cities Conference.

Between Feb. 15 and Feb. 17, 2023, aca demics, political leaders, business profes sionals, funding agencies, practitioners, members of civil society and students will convene at the University of Witwa tersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. The conference will be a new endeavor and provide an opportunity to develop knowledge of cities within the United States and across the African continent.

The convening is being organized with Sister Cities International (SCI) and is the preconference to the SCI Africa Summit – which will take place Feb. 20 and Feb. 24, 2023, in Cape Town. The Cape Town session will also be the first of its kind and is aimed at improving and increasing the number of U.S.-Africa sister cities within the SCI network. The summit consists of a week of engagements and activities and will include participants from the United States, South Africa and the rest of the Af rican continent.

Sister Cities International is a nonparti

san nonprofit organization which serves as the national membership organization for individual sister cities, counties and states across the U.S. With over 2,000 partner ships in 140 countries, SCI is dedicated to promoting peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation and work ing to create a more peaceful world by establishing people-to-people exchanges and initiatives.

Founded by President Dwight D. Eisen hower in 1956 at his White House summit on citizen diplomacy, the organization is a central resource for institutional knowl edge and best practices in the field of citi zen diplomacy.

Although the Africa-U.S. conference seeks to provide an opportunity to develop knowledge of cities within the U.S. and across the African continent, organizers believe the conference offers something for everyone, especially non-academics and first-time travelers.

Dr. Bob Wekesa, the director of the ACSUS in Johannesburg and Dr. Krista Johnson, the director of the CAS in Wash ington, D.C. discussed their centers, Feb ruary’s convenings, and how members of the international community can partici pate with The AFRO.

afro: What is the African Center for the Study of the U.S. at the University of Wit watersrand?

Wekesa: The ACSUS at Wits University is a hub for African-generated knowledge in the United States. The Centre was es

tablished in March 2018 out of the realiza tion that there was no African entity fully dedicated to nuanced, analytical, and rig orous gaze on the U.S. as a nation, society, and global power.

afro: What is the Howard University Cen ter for African Studies, and how did they become partners with the ACSUS for the Africa-U.S. Cities Conference?

Johnson: Howard’s CfAS is a Title VI Na tional Resource Center funded by the U.S. Department of Education, which priori tizes building partnerships and promoting dialogue and cooperative programming with African institutions such as the AC SUS. Howard has the largest African stud ies and African languages programs in the country.

afro: What are the origins of the Johan nesburg conference taking place in Febru ary?

Wekesa: “We held our first Africa-US cit ies symposium in April 2018, and in 2019, partnered with the Sister Cities Interna tional. In 2020, we agreed to serve as the Southern Africa Sister Cities secretariat. SCI had planned for its inaugural Africa Summit to be held in February 2022 in Cape Town, and we decided to host an academic conference at Wits University as part of the broader summit activities.”

afro: Why is it important for young peo

ple in the U.S. to engage in international affairs, particularly in Africa?

Johnson: “The issues and fields of work available to young people transcend bor ders and require engagement and coopera tion with people from around the world. African countries have an important role to play in addressing issues of health, mi gration, climate change, and energy pro duction. As the continent with the young est population, Africa will increasingly lead in technological development and population growth.”

afro: Conversely, why is it important for young people in African states to engage in international affairs, particularly in the U.S.?

Wekesa: “In some important respects, the vision of nations through borders is an artificial phenomenon. However young people hold the promise of breaking down these barriers in a globalized society. Young people in Africa and the U.S. yearn to learn about each other’s societies and culture, and to collaborate in educational and professional endeavors.”

afro: Can you share your thoughts on Howard’s role in historic and contempo rary engagement with Africa? “Howard’s engagement with Africa dates back to the 20th century when Alain Locke proposed the creation of an institute of African studies. In the 1930s and 1940s, African diaspora scholars critiqued imperialism,

international affairs and racism, and in the 1950s and 1960s, Howard had one of the most international campuses in the United States.”

afro: What are your thoughts about inter ested participants who have never traveled to Africa or who are looking to travel for leisure?

Wekesa: “A conference on this scale is an opportunity for those who haven’t been, to make their maiden trip to Africa. South Africa has a wide array of tourism offer ings and leisure travelers will be spoiled with choices.”

Johnson: “Attendees have an opportunity to develop and strengthen ties with Afri can people, communities, businesses and institutions, and to work on common is sues and opportunities confronting our nations and the global community”. Inter ested participants are encouraged to regis ter or contact the conference’s organizers. The Center for African Studies (CAS) at Howard University in Washington, D.C. and the African Center for the Study of the United States (ACSUS), located at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johan nesburg, South Africa, will hold a confer ence in February 2023. The conference will highlight how to teach students about the cities in the U.S. and in the African continent. (Courtesy Photo)

NOTICE

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

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

Public Notice

The Manchester Housing Authority will accept applications for a lottery drawing to place 400 applicants on the Federal Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program waiting list.

Housing authority the City of Bridgeport request for Proposal (rfP) Project-Based Voucher Solicitation

number: 221-HCV-22-S

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

Applications may be completed on the MHA website at https://manchesterha. org/waitlist.aspx or picked up at the MHA office, located at 24 Bluefield Drive Manchester, CT 06040, From 8:00 AM November 14, 2022 to 4:00 PM Friday November 18, 2022.

Applicants may return completed application to the housing authority during the week of Monday November 28, 2022, to Friday, December 2, 2022 between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM .

NOTICIA

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

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

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

DISPATCHER

The Town of Wallingford is seeking responsible candidates to perform 911, police, fire and EMS emergency dispatching duties. Must be able to work under stressful conditions and be able to type information with a high rate of speed and accuracy. Must be able to work all three shifts including weekends and holidays and be able to work additional shifts beyond the regular shift schedule. Requires a H.S. or business school diploma with courses in typing and 2 years of responsible office work experience. Wages: $ 23.72 ~ $28.28 hourly plus shift differential and excellent fringe benefits. Closing date is No vember 18, 2022, or the date of receipt of the 50th application, whichever occurs first. Apply: Department of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main St., Wall ingford, CT 06492. Forms will be mailed upon request from the Department of Human Resources or may be downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page. Phone: 203-294-2080, Fax: 203-294-2084. EOE.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

THIS IS NOT BASED ON THE ORDER OF ARRIVAL; THE MANCHESTER HOUSING AU THORITY WILL PLACE ALL THE APPLICATION RECEIVED IN A LOTTERY PROCESS. THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT TO BE SELECTED WILL BE A TOTAL OF 400 NAMES. ONCE THE LOTTERY IS CONDUCTED, CHOSEN APPLICANTS WILL RECEIVE A LETTER FROM THE MANCHESTER HOUSING AUTHORITY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIMEFRAME. DUE TO THE NUMBER OF EXPECTED RESPONSES, IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE A LETTER WITHIN 4 MONTHS, THIS MEANS THAT YOUR NAME WAS NOT SELECTED FROM THE LOTTERY.

The Manchester Housing Authority does not discriminate based upon race, color,

the

Guilford Housing

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

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.

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

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

Contact: rick tousignant Phone: 860- 243-2300

NOTICIA

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

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

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

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

union Company seeks:

Construction

Contact Dana at 860-243-2300

Email: dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com

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

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

Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V 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

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.

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.

LaroSa GrouPS iS GroWinG

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

Site Work foreman:

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.

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

Equipment operators:

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

Immediate openings for Equipment Operators for winter work for site work company. Applicants must be able to operate excavators, dozers, skid steer, earth rollers, etc. Must be able to read blueprints and have knowledge of required daily equipment maintenance. CDL preferred.

Construction Laborers:

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

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

PUBLIC WORKS

NOTICE

WatEr trEatMEnt

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.

MaintainEr ii - Performs a variety of semi-skilled tasks in road and grounds maintenance. Must possess 2 years’ experience as laborer in construction work involving operation and care of trucks and other mechanical equipment used in construction OR two (2) years training in one of the skilled trades and one (1) year of experience in construction operations OR an equivalent combination of experience and training. Must possess and maintain a valid commercial driver’s license (CDL) Class B to operate equipment. (Provide a copy of your CDL license with your application) $23.73 - $27.82 Hourly. Applications may be obtained at the Department of Human Resources, 45 S. Main Street, Room 301, 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. Fax (203)-294-2084 Phone: (203)-294-2080. The closing date will be the date the 50th application or resume is received or November 18, 2022, whichever occurs first. EOE

NOTICIA

Commercial Driver CLaSS B

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

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

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

Property appraiser

State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management

The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management is recruiting for a Budget 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= 221014&R2=0944MP&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.

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

MinoritY ContraCtor oPPortunitY

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

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

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

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.

https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/sup/ bulpreview.asp?R1=221019&R2=6297AR&R3=001 and

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.

https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/sup/ bulpreview.asp?R1=221020&R2=7539CL&R3=001

the Housing authority of the City of Bridgeport request for Proposal (rfP)

Strategic Planning for Capital funds Solicitation number: 220-Eo-22-S

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

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

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

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

Pentagon sees China as chief threat even with russian invasion of ukraine

By Eve Sampson, Capital News Service

Despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a Department of Defense report recently re leased, calls China the greatest threat to the United States.

The unclassified 2022 National Defense Strategy, a report that lays the groundwork for future military planning, and calls the People’s Republic of China “our most con sequential strategic competitor for the com ing decades.”

It highlights China’s “increasingly aggres sive endeavor to refashion the Indo-Pacific region,” and “authoritarian preferences,” a reference to China’s growing threat to mili tarily retake Taiwan.

In a Pentagon press conference, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told the media that China “is the only competitor out there with both the intent to reshape the international order and increasingly the power to do so.”

The report calls China a “pacing chal lenge” and notes that the country’s increas

ingly close relationship with Russia is a cause for growing concern.

Similarly, the report calls Russia’s war in Ukraine an “acute threat,” to be viewed as one problem amidst other concerns posed by North Korea, Iran, extremist organiza tions and – increasingly – climate change.

“Unlike China, Russia can’t systematical ly challenge the United States over the long term. But Russian aggression does pose an immediate and sharp threat to our interests and values,” Austin said.

Since the last report was released in 2018, the United States ended a two-decade-long war in Afghanistan and pulled nearly all troops from Iraq and Syria. The newest re port represents a shift in policy from a fo cus on counterterrorism in the Middle East to renewed attention to near-peer competi tors with nuclear weapons.

The new report emphasizes deterrence and collaboration with allies through three prongs, the first of which is “integrated de

terrence,” a vague phrase calling for unified efforts among factions of the military, gov ernment and U.S. allies to prevent conflict.

“Integrated deterrence means using every tool at the Department’s disposal, in close collaboration with our counterparts across the U.S. Government and with Allies and partners, to ensure that potential foes un derstand the folly of aggression,” the report reads.

The second prong is campaigning, which the report describes as “the deliberate effort to synchronize the Department’s activities and investments to aggregate focus and re sources.” Campaigning seeks to address the most serious threat to the U.S. and military might in the future.

The final prong, “building enduring ad vantages,” refers to the Pentagon’s force readiness and infrastructure, particularly “undertaking reforms to accelerate force development, getting the technology we need more quickly.”

CoMMEntarY: time’s up for Clarence thomas Being on the Supreme Court

By Donald M. Suggs | The AFRO

Clarence Thomas has been a controversial figure since day one — and it’s time for him to step down from the United States Supreme Court.

From the allegations of sexual harassment by Anita Hill and his ethically question able behavior and connections with his po litically active wife, to his commitment to upholding laws that do harm to the Black community, Thomas’ name has long been synonymous with controversy.

It began after his nomination in July 1991 to the Supreme Court by President George H.W. Bush. Thomas was selected to replace retiring civil rights icon, and the court’s first African American justice, Thurgood Marshall. Who can forget the contentious confirmation hearing — and Anita Hill’s testimony about alleged sexual harassment — that immediately followed?

The controversy also stems from his inex plicable, confusing, and contrarian views on race in America. From his early years to his overall performance during his 30-year tenure on the court, his rulings have justifi ably earned strong disdain, even loathing among most Black Americans, as well as many Hispanics and women.

The calculation of Republicans at the time, to place a young, reliably conserva tive Black person in the so-called ‘Black Seat’ that was held by liberal justice Thur good Marshall, for more than 30 years, has proven to exceed the right’s wildest expec tations. Thomas (only 43 when he came to the court) has repeatedly supported poli cies that have helped maintain the status of disenfranchised minority communities.

Thomas’ ascendancy to the court has cre ated particularly disastrous consequences for Black America’s aspiration to move forward in American society. His response to criticism, while not unexpected based on his history, still shows an almost pug

nacious and unyielding indifference to the plight of Black people in the United States — a condition that has plagued them since the nation’s founding.

Now, he is joined on the Supreme Court by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, a proud Black woman, who was confirmed by the Senate despite a wild and disingenu ous smear campaign against her by some Republican senators on the Judicial Com mittee. She is expected to offer a sharp contrast to Thomas’ servile obedience to far right-wing Republican ideology and its racist political dogmas.

Remember, Thomas had succeeded a judicial giant on the court, someone who championed equal justice for all under the law during his long years as a Supreme Court Justice. Marshall was even eulo gized by conservative Chief Justice Wil liam Rehnquist, who wrote, “inscribed above the front entrance of this court building are the words ‘equal justice under the law.’ Surely no individual did more to make these words a reality than Thurgood Marshall.”

The Senate confirmed civil rights litiga tor Thurgood Marshall as the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court

on August 30, 1967, following his nomi nation by President Lyndon B. Johnson. He had led the NAACP legal team that in 1954 won Brown vs. Board of Education, a historic landmark decision that invalidated the concept of segregated public schools under the 14th Amendment — a constitu tional amendment that had been enacted in 1868 after the Civil War, almost exactly a century before.

A majority on the Senate Democraticcontrolled Judiciary Committee, in a re buff to the dissenting Southern Senators on the panel, sent their majority approval to the full Senate. They reported that nomi nee Marshall, “demonstrated those quali ties we admire in members of our highest judicial tribunal…along with a balanced approach to controversial and complicated national problems.”

In contrast to Clarence Thomas, Judge Jackson embraces her role as a Black per son. She proudly and unequivocally said, “It has taken 232 years and 115 prior ap pointments for a Black woman to be se lected to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States, but we’ve made it. We made it — all of us.”

Reflecting on the continuing travail of

many Black people in the country since they were brought to the U.S. as slaves — but still holding a belief in our drive to continue forward — she quoted poet Maya Angelou: “I am the dream and hope of the future.”

The actions of right-wing racists — de spite their praise, even adulation — show what they really think about Clarence Thomas and the millions of Americans who look like him. They consider him and his fellow Black Republican Tim Scott, the U.S. Senator from South Carolina, exploit able, as “useful idiots.”

Even Thomas, 73, must be concerned about the inevitable future comparison between him, his intellect, his integrity in the past on the bench, and his verbal ability compared to this brilliant, unequivocally Black woman, Ketanji Brown Jackson, only 51.

More recently, we have seen some differ ent challenges created by recent revelations about the role of his wife Ginni Thomas, a conservative activist and Thomas himself.

According to dozens of messages to Don ald Trump’s Chief of Staff Mark Mead ows, Ginni Thom

Tim as worked tirelessly after the presi

dential election in 2020 to overturn the thoroughly vetted defeat of Trump (who has still not conceded). Moreover, the couple has long had questions raised about Thomas’ ethics in cases in the past where she has been an active advocate. He has continued to refuse to answer those ques tions appropriately.

A report in the New York Times Maga zine in March 2022 said that they have ap peared for years together at highly political events hosted by advocates hoping to sway the court. While it is possible that married people can have independent views and careers, the Thomases have gone way be yond what is considered ethically proper behavior, particularly because they brag about how they are fused “into one being” in their marriage and their politics.

Although Thomas is protected from a code of judicial ethics as a Supreme Court justice — a code that applies to all other federal judges — he continues to use that special dispensation to ignore any sense of duty to avoid what Justice Sonia Sotomay or called the “stink” of partisanship.

This adds weight to calls for him to leave the court to make room for someone who accepts their responsibility to protect the highest court in the country’s credibility and reputation. In the difference to the two other branches of the federal government, the Supreme Court depends largely on public trust to maintain its influence and authority. Thomas has repeatedly betrayed that trust and therefore undermined the de mocracy and freedom he claims to revere.

In conclusion, let’s turn to the last words back in the 16th century of William Shake speare, “Live in thy shame, but die not shame with thee.”

Donald M. Suggs is the publisher and owner of The St. Louis American.

The opinions on this page are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the Inner-City News.

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