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INNER-CITY NEWS July 27, 2016 - August 02, 2016 THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 02, 2019 - January 08, 2019

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Volume 27 . No. 2311 Volume 21 No. 2194

Access Health Extends Enrollment Deadline to January

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Oldest World War II Veteran, Dies At 112

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Women Propose Paid FMLA, Increase in Minimum Wage, Free Community College FOLLOW US ON 1

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While Being Black Under the Trump Regime

Malloy Reflects On Wins & Losses THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 02, 2019 - January 08, 2019

by Christine Stuart Ct. News Junkie

HARTFORD, CT — “I think what people fail to understand is I didn’t think I was going to have a second term,” outgoing Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said Tuesday during a wide-ranging exit interview in his office.

Malloy won re-election in 2014 by more than 28,000 votes. In April 2017 he announced he would not seek a third term during a period when raising taxes and bad poll numbers were overshadowing what his administration was accomplishing.

Did low poll numbers ever bother him? “I didn’t run to be popular,” Malloy said. “I ran to do things.”

At one point, Malloy was the least popular governor in the nation, according to a Morning Consult poll.

“Who has done more in housing? Who has done more in criminal justice reform? Who has done more in corrections reform? Who has done more on education reform? Who has done more on pension reform? Who has done more on other post-employment reforms than I have?” Malloy said.

The governor stated that there is no administration with a more comprehensive record of progress than his — and those accomplishments are documented in a 300page document that he’s released to reporters for background before conducting his exit interviews.

He said wasn’t a one-dimensional governor because he tackled a wide breadth of

CHRISTINE STUART / CTNEWSJUNKIE Gov. Dannel P. Malloy poses in front of his Zuber wallpaper of “The American War of Independence,” which decorates all the walls of his office. issues.

And the perception that he was bad for the economy? That’s not exactly an accurate picture either. The Great Recession was finishing up as Malloy took office and despite significant changes in the economy, Connecticut began a slow crawl back up to peak employment over Malloy’s eight years in office.

As of November, the Connecticut Department of Labor reported that the state had recovered 114.2 percent of the private sector jobs lost during the recession. However, based on job reductions in government, total employment has not completely recovered and is only at 90.4 percent.

Malloy says the Executive Branch workforce is 13 percent smaller than when he

first took office, and that it needed to be trimmed.

“I will leave office having created more jobs in my eight years than Rowland and Rell did in 12 or individually or that Weicker did, but people in Connecticut don’t get that,” Malloy said.

More than 127,600 private sector jobs have been created in Connecticut during his tenure. Critics say the number should be higher and would have been if taxes hadn’t been raised in 2011 and 2015.

Does he have any regrets about how he communicated his ideas?

In 2012 he tackled education reform to increase student performance and graduation rates by focusing on teacher performance.

And during a speech before the legislature, he said that in order to earn tenure “basically the only thing you have to do is show up for four years. Do that, and tenure is yours.”

The statement followed him for the rest of his time as governor, and on Tuesday he said he might have started out on the wrong foot that year.

“I didn’t think the education reform fight was going to be easy with good verbiage or bad verbiage, quite frankly, but we probably started with the wrong verbiage,” Malloy said.

Was there something else he might have pitched differently?

The two-year budget in 2017, Malloy said, adding that the failure to get the Dem-

ocratic budget called that year was problematic because the bipartisan budget that ended up being signed into law on Oct, 31, 2017 , spent more money and didn’t solve the problem within the Teacher’s Retirement System.

He said three Democratic Senators who voted for a Republican budget instead of the Democratic budget “maybe didn’t understand that or were concentrating on smaller issues.”

Of the three state Senators, Sen. Joan Hartley of Waterbury is the only one of the three who will return to the Senate in 2019.

Sens. Gayle Slossberg of Milford and Paul Doyle of Wethersfield didn’t seek re-election to their Senate seats in 2018.

Legislative leaders eventually kicked Malloy out of the room in order to finish budget negotiations in 2017, and as such the document didn’t do what Malloy had hoped it would.

Malloy said he doesn’t doubt that sweeping changes eventually will be made to the Teacher’s Retirement System, but it’s one of the things on his list that he was unable to accomplish.

“I wish I had been able to do that so that the pension side of the equation would have been taken care of,” Malloy said.

Malloy added: “We probably need a lockbox for pensions. We should have done that.”

Women Propose Paid FMLA, Increase in Minimum Wage, Free Community College

by Christine Stuart Ct. News Junkie

HARTFORD, CT — The students at Grace Academy, an interfaith, tuition-free middle school for girls, had some tough questions for Lt. Gov.-elect Susan Bysiewicz and the 19-member transition subcommittee focused on women’s issues.

Vida Ntem-Mensah, 10, asked Bysiewicz where they plan to get the money to pay for all the initiatives the subcommittee proposed such as paid Family and Medical Leave, an increase in the minimum wage, free community college tuition, and an increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates for midwives.

Bysiewicz admitted that “it’s getting very difficult to tax Connecticut residents any more and it’s getting very difficult to cut specific areas in the budget, so the reason that almost every idea here was focused on economic issues is all of these ideas are geared to growing our economy.”

She added that one of the “good parts about all these platform initiatives is that they don’t involve a lot of money.”

The proposal, which is based on a similar one made last year to create a paid family and medical leave program would require the state to spent $14 to $20 million in startup costs, $4.5 million in 2020 and $9.7 million in 2021. The subcommittee believes the state would be able to recoup the costs once the program is up and running.

There would also be a $48 million price tag for free college tuition. It’s unclear how much an increase in the minimum wage would alter state labor contracts.

Norina Gakpey-Graham, 10, asked Bysiewicz if they plan on raising taxes.

“Our charge to the transition policy groups was to tell us all the best ideas to balance the budget without raising taxes,” Bysiewicz told Gakpey-Graham. “So that’s the bottomline. The second charge to every policy committee … tell us how we can grow our economy and how we can make Connecticut a better place to start and grow a business.”

She said both of those goals were achieved with the women’s policy report.

It’s likely with an expanded Democratic majority and with Gov.-elect Ned Lamont in the governor’s office that paid Family and Medical Leave and an increase in the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2023 have a good chance of becoming law.

“I think very shortly you’re going to see that the new leadership here will bring us paid Family and Medical Leave, $15 an hour minimum wage, stronger campaign laws …” Bysiewicz said. “As a woman owned business and as the former Secretary of the State who used to have to publish reports showing how little progress was being made every two years on appointments to boards and commissions I can’t tell you how much we are looking

forward to a fresh start for Connecticut.”

The women’s transition subcommittee made 18 recommendations to the new administration and told them they could achieve them within the first 100 days.

However, they need the help of the legislature for some of it.

Paid Family and Medical Leave, an increase in the minimum wage and changes to the recently passed pay equity bill will all require legislation, some of which has already been introduced.

Other proposals that will need legislation is one that asks the state to eliminate the statute of limitations for sexual assault.

Connecticut currently has a five year statute of limitations and legislation died last year that would have changed that. There are 26 states with no statute of limitations for cases of rape.

Also the subcommittee would like to see legislation that says healthcare is a human right.

Sarah Croucher, executive director of NARAL Connecticut, said legislation in 2016 erased the language that previously existed.

Lindsay Farrell, executive director of the Working Families Party, said there is something the executive branch can do without legislative approval.

She said the Connecticut labor commissioner could expand overtime pay by revising the department’s pay regulations to

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CHRISTINE STUART / CTNEWSJUNKIE Norina Gakpey-Graham is in the green scarf listening to Bysiewicz

CHRISTINE STUART / CTNEWSJUNKIE

Lt. Gov.-elect Susan Bysiewicz

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 02, 2019 - January 08, 2019

ICE Deports Local Father and Restaurant Owner One Day After Christmas

Plainville, CT - Late on Wednesday, Dec 26th, the Iriarte Family got the news they were fearing - Isaias Iriarte - their father, husband, and center of their family was now in Mexico.

Isaias was deported with little notice. The family last spoke to him early morning on Dec 26th while he was at a detention facility in New Hampshire. Later that afternoon, the daughter called ICE and was told her father was being transported. Family advocates and legal representation tried searching for isaias on the ICE detainee locator but could not. The next time the family heard about Isaias was from Isaias himself - he called his family upon landing in Mexico.

Jalinne Iriarte, Isaias’ daughter, CCSU student, “My heart is broken. It feels like it’s all a bad dream but I know its not. I don’t know when I’ll be able to see im again and hold him. So many precious moments that we haven’t experienced yet with my father were stolen from us. I am not sure what our future will be like without him. Without my father working to support our family, I am not sure if I will continue attending college or if I have to stop to help my mother at the restaurant. The cruel immigration system has ripped our father from us during the holidays and put on our futures on hold” Bitsy Iriarte, Isaias’ daughter, Plainville High School Senior, “Having my father taken out of my life is the worst feeling i have ever felt. He will not see my walk down the stage on my graduation this spring. He will not be here for my 18th birthday. He won’t be here to support me and my family anymore. I really thought deep down in my heart that he would have come back to us, but he didn’t. We want to thank everyone who tried to help. Who showed up

and used their voice. Who spread the word about our story. Who signed the petition.

Even though we weren’t able to get him back, its encouraging to know we have a community that has our back.”

The community is now collecting donations to help support the family during this time at: https://www.gofundme.com/help-the-iriarte-family-after-fathers-deportation Jose Diaz, New Britain, undocumented CCSU Graduate and United Action of CT Organizer, “We have once again seen that this administration’s and ICE’s cruelty knows no bounds. Within under 3 weeks, during the Holiday season, Isaias was taken away in handcuffs in front of his wife, thrown behind bars, and sent back to a country he hasn’t been to in over 16 years - without ever seeing a judge, without ever having someone hear his case. ICE ripped a hard-working man from his family, his community, and his business. As a result of ICE’s cruelty, 2 daughters are left without a father, a wife has been left without her husband, and the future of the family and the family’s restaurant is uncertain” Carolina Bortolleto, undocumented, Danbury, CT Immigrants Rights Alliance representative, “ICE continues to use rogue tactics to dehumanize and terrorize our communities. But we will not be moved, this is our home and we are #HereToStay.

We will keep fighting until our whole communities are able to live in safety and dignity. This violence upon our communities will continue until the systems that are abusing, detaining, deporting, terrorizing, and murdering our community are dismantled. This is why we call on our federal delegation to vote down any and all funding for the deportation agencies of ICE.”

Isaias Iriarte, father of two, who was arrested by ICE agents while running errands Dec 7th was deported without notice and without seeing a judge

Lamont Eager to Learn More About Criminal Justice

by Christine Stuart Ct. News Junkie

HARTFORD, CT — It’s part of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s legacy, but Gov.-elect Ned Lamont wants to continue the progress that’s been made on criminal justice reform.

The presentation made by the Lamont’s transition policy subcommittee Tuesday is only the second he has attended over the past two days. He said that alone should tell you something about the level of importance he’s giving to the issue.

“I learned a lot over this past year in terms of the fact that Connecticut’s been a real leader on these reform efforts,” Lamont said. “I’ve seen the difference it’s made in people’s lives. “ But how much further will he be able to go?

“It’s the right thing to do and the smart thing to do,” Lamont, who will face a twoyear, nearly $4 billion budget deficit, said.

“This mass incarceration is a terrible experiment at people’s expense in this country going back a generation and we’ve learned from that,” Lamont said. “People are getting a second chance. Crime is at

CHRISTINE STUART / CTNEWSJUNKIE

Gov.-elect Ned Lamont listens to Brett Davidson talk about bail reform historic lows. It’s saving the taxpayers an awful lot of money, but it’s giving people an opportunity and a second chance.”

From making it easier for those who served their prison term to get hired and earn a living to legalizing marijuana, bail bond reform, and raising the age that someone can be treated as a youthful offender were all topics discussed in depth by the subcom-

mittee that was co-chaired by outgoing First Lady Cathy Malloy.

Hector Glynn, a member of the subcommittee and chief operating officer of the Village for Families and Children, said the incoming governor should consider raising the age to 20. Currently, those who are 18 can apply for youthful offender status, which means their cases are handled in the

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juvenile system, instead of the adult court system. The group is seeking to expand those provisions to 19 and 20 year olds.

Glynn said the number of arrests of 16 and 17 year olds has dropped 56 percent since 2009 when Connecticut first raised the age from 15 to 16 and then 17. The rate of recidivism in the juvenile justice system, according to Glynn, is lower than the rates of recidivism in the adult system. He said the number of 18 to 21 year olds in the adult prison system has dropped by 60 percent.

He said research has shown that the brain is still developing in adolescence when children are prone to risky behavior and highly susceptible to peers and others.

Lamont said he didn’t know enough about the proposal to immediately say he would raise the age to 20 years old. He said he would need to study it further.

Outgoing Gov. Dannel P. Malloy had pushed to raise the age to 20 and has said that studies show “the human brain does not fully develop until you are 25.” But attempts to negotiate the legislation in 2016 before an election proved difficult.

Malloy’s proposal failed to make it out of the Judiciary Committee that year.

Legalizing marijuana was another proposal the group recommended.

“The benefits of legalizing marijuana include reducing state spending on marijuana-related prosecutions, preventing people from facing barriers to jobs, licenses and housing based on criminal records relating to marijuana, raising tax revenue that can be devoted for social good, and creating jobs in the legal marijuana industry,” Sarah Russell, a member of the subcommittee and a Quinnipiac University Law professor, said.

She said any effort to legalize should be combined with efforts to promote road safety and some of the money should be used to help support addiction treatment facilities and to help prevent drug use by youth.

She said any legalization effort should also include legislation to provide for the “automatic erasure of marijuana convictions without the need for people to petition individually to the courts for relief.”

There’s still no driver impairment test available for those under the influence of

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 02, 2019 - January 08, 2019

Access Health Extends Enrollment Deadline to January

by Christine Stuart Ct. News Junkie

HARTFORD, CT — (Updated 1:20 p.m.)

Today was supposed to be the last day to purchase health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act, but according to an internal memo sent to brokers by Access Health CT, Connecticut is extending the deadline to Jan. 15.

The deadline for Connecticut residents to enroll was originally midnight Saturday, but officials with the state health insurance exchange are discovering lower enrollment and more sticker shock this year.

The memo to brokers that was obtained by CTNewsJunkie Saturday morning states: “Q: Is Access Health CT promoting (advertising) this extension actively? A: There will be an official announcement to the media on 12/17, after that time, we will be contacting customers directly (email, direct mail, text, etc.) but we will not invest in media efforts.”

Access Health CT sent a press release Saturday at 1 p.m. confirming the decision to extend the deadline Access Health CT has spent about $4 million in its marketing efforts this year, which is similar to amounts they’ve spent in past years.

Consumers will have an additional month to choose plans as they experience bigger increases in monthly premiums even though the increases approved by insurance regulators were lower.

“The average rate filings this year were lower than they have been before, but changes to plan options and subsidies have made some plan premiums go up this year,” the internal broker Access Health CT memo announcing the deadline extension states.

Access Health CT reported Friday that 102,412 residents had completed the enrollment process for 2019 or renewed their 2018 plans. That’s down from the 114,000 residents at the end of open enrollment last year.

The enrollment extension means anyone who signs up for coverage by midnight tonight will have coverage starting on Jan. 1, 2019. Anyone who signs up after that date but before Jan. 15 will have coverage starting Feb. 1, 2019.

“With this extension, Access Health CT is encouraging customers who are currently covered by an insurance plan for 2019 to come and evaluate their options as they may find savings or lower premiums by choosing a different plan that better fits

their needs and budget,” Access Health CT CEO James Michel said.

Meanwhile, a ruling by a Texas judge late Friday night threw out the 2010 Affordable Care Act in its entirety less than 24 hours before the end of its sixth open enrollment.

The judge agreed with a group of 20 Republican attorneys general who felt a change in tax law last year that eliminated the penalty for not having health insurance invalidated the entire law.

Outgoing Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, whose administration oversaw implementation of the ACA, said the decision “defies logic and puts health coverage for millions of people and tens of thousands of Connecticut residents at risk.”

He said if this decision is allowed to stand

people with pre-existing conditions will once again be denied coverage when they get sick.

“Republicans in Washington and Connecticut have spent years trying to do exactly what this ruling would impose,” Malloy tweeted. “It’s nothing short of despicable, and Connecticut will fight in court to preserve the #ACA.” The White House issued a statement Friday saying “We expect this ruling will be appealed to the Supreme Court. Pending the appeal process, the law remains in place.”

Attorney General George Jepsen is representing Connecticut in appealing the decision along with a group of Democratic attorneys general across the country.

“The decision in the Texas ACA case is flat-out wrong, contrary to the law and contrary to the democratically expressed will of the people,” Jepsen said Saturday.

“We are actively discussing next steps in the case with our colleagues in other states, and we anticipate joining them in appealing this decision.”

Access Health CT wants to let Connecticut residents know that the Texas ruling does not affect their ability to sign up for and use 2019 health insurance plans through Access Health CT. “Access Health CT is the official marketplace under the Affordable Care Act in Connecticut and we are committed to upholding the ACA and the support it provides to the residents of our state,” Michel, said. “We will not let this news get in the way of fulfilling our mission to reduce the rate of the uninsured and help Connecticut residents get health insurance coverage for them and their families.”

Lamont Hires Paul Mounds As Connecticut’s First Chief Operating Officer

by Christine Stuart Ct. News Junkie

HARTFORD, CT — Drawing on his business background and discussions with other governors, Gov.-elect Ned Lamont is rethinking how government operates.

As a result of those discussions, Lamont hired Paul Mounds as his first and Connecticut’s first chief operating officer.

Mounds, 33, who worked as director of policy in Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s legislative office and served as a member of the Commission on Fiscal Stability, will have an opportunity to work with state agencies and better coordinate how they interact with each other and the public.

Mounds, who is still negotiating his salary, will report to Lamont Chief of Staff Ryan Drajewicz.

“Paul is a relationship builder and someone who understands how the executive branch agencies can best be leveraged to create lasting and impactful change on behalf of the people of Connecticut,” Lamont said.

Even though the position is new to Connecticut, having a chief operating officer in state government is not a new idea.

A survey by the National Governors Association in 2015 found the position of chief operating officer was found in a handful of states including Georgia, Illinois, Nebras-

ka, New York, Tennessee, and Vermont.

“What we’ve done is look at this from the taxpayers shoes,” Drajewicz said. “And how do we reverse engineer these processes, these agencies to ensure that the taxpayers have a better user experience when they’re looking to do business with the state of Connecticut.”

He said Mounds will be looking at creating and then evaluating the “operational metrics” for each state agency. Mounds will be able to get into the weeds with state agencies about their day-to-day operations and their efficiencies.

Mounds said the role of COO is increasing necessary as the needs of the state grow larger and are more complex.

The role will be new, but it fits within the current structure. Drajewicz, who spent the last eight years at Bridgewater Associates, said he doesn’t intend to use the new COO position to expand the number of executive branch staff, which shrank 13 percent over Malloy’s eight years.

Drajewicz said a chief of staff has three primary responsibilities: operational, budgetary and strategic. He said by giving up the operational portion to Mounds he will have more time to focus on the strategic, which includes policy.

“I think I am best serving the governor-

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CHRISTINE STUART / CTNEWSJUNKIE

Paul Mounds will be Gov.-elect Ned Lamont’s first chief operating officer

elect as a strategic thought partner,” Drajewicz said.

He said while Mounds will be the one communicating with the state agencies “ultimately the governor is in charge and through me we’ll make sure we are prioritizing the right things.”

Keeping operational issues and headaches that come with them away from Lamont will free him up to focus on policy issues he cares about getting done.

“There are a lot of ways a chief operating

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officer will make sure all these departments are working together collaboratively,” Lamont said.

Republican Senate leader Len Fasano, RNorth Haven, applauded Mounds’ hire.

“Paul is hard-working, well-respected and has a thorough knowledge of state government,” Fasano said. “I wish Paul tremendous success in this key operational role, and I applaud Gov.-elect Lamont on this selection.”

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 02, 2019 - January 08, 2019

Public Hearing Transcripts Restored for 2019

by Christine Stuart

HARTFORD, CT — After eliminating funding for the transcription of public hearings in May, legislative leaders have reversed course and restored the money to continue the practice.

Prior to the election in November the two parties were deadlocked on what should be cut from the legislative budget in order to save an estimated $100,000 that’s typically spent on public hearing transcripts.

None of the legislative leaders would comment directly on the decision, but staff said that the service would continue in 2019.

Jim Tamburro, executive director of the Office of Policy and Management, said the transcription service cost in 2018 was $72,000 compared to the $177,000 spent in 2017 due to the length of the session.

Tamburro said the costs would be absorbed within the Legislative Management budget, but it will complicate things.

“This will have a negative impact on discretionary expenditures and limit our ability to lapse funds mandated by the bipartisan budget agreement,” Tamburro said.

The restoration was an early Christmas gift for open government advocates who urged lawmakers not the eliminate the service.

“Public hearings are a vital part of the legislative process, and having transcripts both improves transparency and preserves records,” Michael Savino, president of the Connecticut Council on Freedom of Infor-

CHRISTINE STUART / CTNEWSJUNKIE FILE PHOTO

mation, said. “We’re glad to see that legislative leaders have also recognized their value by restoring the funds to continue producing these important documents.”

Advocates like Savino have said that the state library identified 750 court decisions that have cited public hearing transcripts.

Before the deal to fully restore them was reached, in lieu of a written transcript, which is searchable, the Office of Legislative Management had planned to offer an audio recording of a hearing upon request.

Kathy Flaherty, executive director of the Connecticut Legal Rights Project, has said an audio recording alone also may not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Some would argue that everyone who testi-

Legislative Office Building fies is asked to submit written testimony, which is then published online.

But advocates argue that “filed written testimony is not a satisfactory substitute for transcripts. It omits the question-andanswer exchanges that may be critical to legislative history.

Actual witness testimony sometimes varies significantly from written testimony.

Committees often ask witnesses not to read their testimony but to tell them what is most important.”

The breadth of the coalition of advocates trying to save them should “demonstrate the value of these records in ensuring both transparency and a full understanding of legislative history, “ Savino has said.

Stamford Representative Advocates For Ashanti Alert System

by Christine Stuart Ct. News Junkie

HARTFORD, CT — There’s an Amber Alert system for children, a Silver Alert for senior citizens over the age of 65, but there’s an “egregious gap” for missing adults ages 18 to 64.

Stamford state Rep. Pat Billie Miller has been working with her family to change that.

Ashanti Billie, Miller’s second cousin, was abducted in Virginia in 2017. She was 19 years old at the time and missing for 11 days before her body was discovered in North Carolina.

At the time of her abduction, she was too old for an Amber Alert and too young for a Silver Alert.

“We have no way of knowing for sure whether Ashanti Billie would be alive today with this kind of alert system in place,” U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said Monday at a Legislative Office Building press conference. “But we know it can help save lives.”

Miller thanked Blumenthal for helping to spearhead legislation in Congress.

“This alert would not let her death be in vain,” Miller said.

Legislation creating an Ashanti Alert system for adults ages 18 to 64 passed unanimously in the U.S. Senate, and advocates are hoping a companion bill passing on consent the the U.S. House before a new Congress convenes.

“We know we can save lives by alerting the

CHRISTINE STUART / CTNEWSJUNKIE

Rep. Pat Billie Miller, D-Stamford, holds up a photo of Ashanti Billie

public about missing people,” Blumenthal said.

Miller who spoke with her cousin, Ashanti’s father, Monday morning said he wanted people to know that the reason they did this was “so that no other parent will feel the pain that we felt.”

Miller said the legislation is a “legacy” to Ashanti who was known for “helping people.”

She said if the legislation doesn’t pass Congress before the end of the year she will introduce legislation in Connecticut

that mirrors the federal legislation.

Ashanti Bille, who was from Maryland, was going to culinary school in Virginia when she was abducted and that state has already passed legislation creating an alert system for missing adults.

The alert system allows law enforcement to use billboards, cellphones, TV and radio to alert the public a person is missing.

“Time is essential,” Blumenthal said.

He said the technology is now so readily available that the expense is negligible.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 02, 2019 - January 08, 2019

School Safety Report Draws Criticism

by Peter Urban

New Haven Independent

WASHINGTON — A commission established by President Donald Trump in the aftermath of the February school shooting in Parkland, Fla., issued its final recommendations to improve school safety Tuesday, including arming teachers as one of 93 “best practices and policy recommendations.”

The controversial proposal that Trump himself suggested months ago drew criticism from Connecticut Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, who complained that the 177-page report offered little in the way of serious recommendations to protect children from gun violence.

Trump established the Federal Commission on School Safety after the February 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to study and recommend ways to make schools more secure. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who headed the commission, said there is no single solution to making schools safe, so the report “provides a wide-ranging menu of best practices and resources that all state, community, and school leaders should consider while developing school safety plans and procedures that will work for their students and teachers.”

Among the key proposals in the report, DeVos said: • It encourages better access to mental health services so people can receive the treatment they need.

• Endorses states’ adoption of extreme risk protection orders, which temporarily restrict access to firearms by individuals found to be a danger to themselves or others.

• Calls on journalists to “be more responsible in their coverage of school shootings” by focusing on the facts and victims without mentioning the names or publishing photographs of the perpetrators.

• Urges schools, districts, and states to seriously consider the option of partnering with local law enforcement in the training and arming of school personnel, as well as consider ways to encourage more veterans and retired law enforcement officers to pursue careers in education.

Murphy was particularly enraged that the report includes a recommendation to arm teachers in response to the school shooting in Parkland.

“Teachers don’t want this. Parents don’t want this. Only Betsy DeVos, President Trump, and the gun industry think the best way to stop a school shooting is to load schools up with guns. Arming teachers and rolling back school discipline reforms won’t make our kids any safer. It’s nonsensical and dangerous,” Murphy said.

Rather than use taxpayer funds to purchase weapons for teachers, Murphy said schools should be given resources to support teachers and provide meaningful help to struggling students. He also said that federal gun laws need to be tightened to ensure that a “weapon of war” cannot be carried into a school.

Lamont Picks A New London Lawmaker To Serve His Administration

by Christine Stuart HARTFORD, CT — Governor-elect Ned Lamont plucked his first lawmaker to join his administration.

In a Wednesday press release, Lamont said Rep. Chris Soto of New London, will become his Legislative Affairs Director.

Soto, who was helping Lamont with the transition, will not take the oath of office in January. A special election will be held for his seat likely at some point in February.

Aside from serving one term in the House, Soto founded and served as executive Director of Higher Edge, a college completion organization that helps put low-income and first-generation college-bound students on the path to a college degree. He also helped manage Eva Bermudez Zimmerman’s Democratic primary for lieutenant governor.

In his new role, Soto will have to try and whip up support among lawmakers for Lamont’s policies.

Lamont also announced that his campaign manager, Marc Bradley, will become his external and constituent affairs director and that Maribel La Luz will be his director of communications. La Luz previously worked as communications director for the

GAGE SKIDMORE / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS PHOTO Education Secretary Betsy DeVos speaking at the 2017 Conservative Political Action Conference

Murphy supports a prohibition on assaultstyle weapons, stricter limits on how many bullets can be loaded in a magazine or clip, and stricter background checks for gun purchases.

Blumenthal called the report a “low grade scam” that offers no meaningful gun violence reform measures but instead recommends arming school personnel and rescinding Obama-era civil rights guidance as ways to improve school safety.

“While student survivors of gun violence were marching in the streets to call for change, Secretary DeVos and the Trump Administration closed their ears and pro-

duced a report that focuses on anything but meaningful reform,” he said. “Civil rights guidelines that protect children of color from discrimination don’t cause school shootings. Guns do. Forcing educators to carry firearms won’t save lives. Keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people will.”

The report did call for expanding extreme risk protection orders such as the “red flag” law in Connecticut. Blumenthal has proposed legislation with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., for a federal law that has yet to pass Congress. Blumenthal said that with the Trump administration supporting the

Help Build Community (House)

by STAFF

New Haven Independent

CHRISTINE STUART / CTNEWSJUNKIE FILE PHOTO

Rep. Chris Soto

Connecticut State Colleges and Universities and before that for the city of Hartford.

Bradley first moved to Connecticut in 2006 where he served as a senior advisor for Lamont during his U.S. Senate campaign.

proposal, there should be no impediment to getting a law on the federal books.

Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty, D-5th District, added that the report caters to the National Rifle Association and its opposition to any restrictions on guns.

“The long-awaited Trump Administration School Safety Commission Report does the bidding of the NRA and scapegoats civil rights protections as a cause of mass shootings,” she said on Twitter.

Representative Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd District, said the report failed to deliver on President Trump’s pledge to survivors of the Parkland shooting that he would take action to reduce gun violence in schools.

“Instead, his commission — chaired by Secretary DeVos — sidesteps the issue of guns, fails to advance real solutions to keep our students safe, blames the media, and serves as a Trojan horse for rollbacks that would hurt students,” she said.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said that improving mental health is an “urgent challenge” and a priority for the Trump administration.

“We know that rates of mental illness continue to be of great concern, and the Commission’s findings show an urgent need to identify youth at risk for mental illness and connect them with needed treatment and services. Making these connections to treatment within schools can be an important step toward improved mental health for our children and increased safety in our schools,” he said.

You could become a cornerstone of the revived Dixwell Community “Q” House.

Or at least your name can go on one of the bricks lining the walkway to the main entrance as long-awaited construction finally begins this year on a spanking new version of the beloved Q. Organizers are building an endowment for the new community center, which will also include a bigger home for the Stetson Library and space for the neighborhood’s Cornell Scott Hill Health Center branch.

The endowment will make sure that the new center now only gets built, but keeps running year after year with ongoing programming.

If you contribute at least $100 to the endowment fund, through the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, your name goes on a fiveinch-by-eight-inch brick.

6

Rendering of the new Q.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 02, 2019 - January 08, 2019

ALERT: Blood Pressure Medications To Avoid In 2019

by Derrick Lane, BlackDoctor.com

High blood pressure and the African American community seem to go hand in hand. In fact, more than 40 percent of non-Hispanic African-American men and women have high blood pressure. For African-Americans, high blood pressure also develops earlier in life and is usually more severe. With these numbers also cause for a high number of African Americans taking high blood pressure medication. Nearly 100 million prescriptions were written for blood pressure in 2016 and continues to grow.

Ongoing 2018 blood pressure recalls began back in July when three drug companies, including Teva Pharmaceuticals, began recalling medications containing valsartan. Here’s a full list. With this recall, companies like Teva Pharmaceuticals is now pulling back all of its valsartan drugs on the U.S. market.

Other blood pressure drugs have been recalled over concerns they also contain trace amounts of NDEA. In early November, another blood pressure drug, irbesartan, was recalled, followed in mid-November by a voluntary recall of losartan potassium hydrochlorothiazide tablets,

also prescribed to treat hypertension.

In each case, a recalled drug was contaminated with either N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) or N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA).

Both chemicals are believed to cause cancer in humans. Research also suggests NDEA can cause liver and blood cell damage.

NDEA is used to make rocket fuel and can also be found in some food and drinking water, but at low levels. It can also be a created through certain chemical reactions and as a byproduct of industrial processes.

Here are some of the drugs that were recalled: Valsartan. There have been so many types of valsartan recalled this year that the FDA has created a website listing just for them.

The agency has also created a page that lists the drugs that have not been recalled.

Losartan. In December, the FDA announced a voluntary recall of losartan potassium tablets USP. See which products were affected by the recall.

In November, the FDA announced a voluntary recall of losartan potassium/ hydrochlorothiazide, 100 mg/25 mg tab-

lets in 1,000-count plastic bottles, NDC 0781-5207-10, Lot number JB8912, Exp. Date 06/2020.

Irbesartan. In July, the FDA announced a voluntary recall of irbesartan tablets.

See which products were affected by the recall.

Teva. Teva Pharmaceuticals has launched a voluntary recall into two drugs used to treat high blood pressure as yet more medications face concerns over a possible cancer risk.

In a statement from Teva posted by the Food and Drug Administration, the recall affects all lots of combination tablets featuring the drugs amlodipine and valsartan and another combo drug featuring amlodipine, valsartan, and… … hydrochlorothiazide.

The drugs could contain an impurity called N-nitroso-diethylamine (NDEA), which has been classified as a possible human carcinogen, the FDA said.

Patients taking either drugs should contact their doctor or pharmacist for advice or alternative treatments. Stopping the drugs immediately with no comparable alternative could pose a greater risk to patients’ health, said Teva.

SIGN YOUR CHILD UP FOR SUCCESS! There are still openings in preschool programs for children ages 3-5 years.

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What to bring to enroll: Proof of residency Proof of income Child’s birth certificate Child’s health/immunization record Call School Readiness Office for more info 475-220-1470 7

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 02, 2019 - January 08, 2019

COMMENTARY: Male Caregivers Need More Support Within the Industry

By Joshua Garner

It’s an interesting time to be a man in America.

While the progressive and evolving tone of gender equity has focused on women’s rights and empowerment in recent years, lost among the headlines about the Me Too Movement, women’s equity, and rights are the realities facing men in this country who are increasingly taking on more responsibilities within the family structure.

This fall recognizes National Family Caregivers Month, an annual observance honoring family caregivers. This year’s awareness period is a potent one for young men like myself—a 30-something male who has found myself a caregiver for an elderly parent while also in the prime of my life.

And I’m not alone.

Recent statistics on caregivers are quickly becoming out of sync with the image of caregiving. While current number suggest 65 percent of caregivers are female, with an average age of 69.2, younger caregivers are more likely to be male; 45 percent of them fall between 18-45, according to 2015 figures from the National Alliance

For Caregiving. 2017 figures from AARP suggested an even greater pendulum shift toward males with 40 percent, roughly 40 million, of caregivers being men.

And shifting currents in the U.S. population suggest the number of young male caregivers will only increase. By 2030, Baby Boomers will all be over the age of 65 and, for the first time in U.S. history, older people will outnumber children, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And by 2060, adults over the age of 65 will make up nearly 25 percent of the U.S. population.

All of the above might seem far and away but for some men, it is very much in the here and now. I remember countless conversations with my male gym trainers about our fathers—both over the age of 65 that we care for who are dealing with a deluge of health issues: Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, dementia, and heart disease to name a few. Our confessions to each other were always met with exhaustion and fear—not only for our fathers but for ourselves: who would take care of us when we’re of a certain age?

But the troubles facing most male care-

givers extend beyond just fear and exhaustion. Unlike myself, most caregivers don’t share responsibilities with a team of family members and nurses. And for many caregivers, caring for a loved one comes with a financial burden as well. Unlike women, men are less likely to alter their work lives and take less demanding jobs while caregiving, according to the AARP. For those that do alter their work schedule and leave their job, they’ll lose, on average, $304,000 in wages over their lifetime.

In a society that places great value on intellect, performance, and self-sufficiency, the gradual loss of one’s physical and mental faculties is unsettling, particularly for the loved ones of the individual in decline.

My experiences echo what many male caregiver face: watching a loved one’s slow and gradual decline.

Men are already less likely to seek medical and mental health than women—the same is true when it comes to emotional support, particularly the kind of support that isn’t easy to talk about but can weigh heavy on one’s emotional and mental health. This fall and year-round it’s important to support all us who are caregivers for

This fall recognizes National Family Caregivers Month, an annual observance honoring family caregivers. This year’s awareness period is a potent one for young men loved ones and acknowledge the changing face of caregiving in the U.S. Joshua Garner is the Director of Communications for Men’s Health Network,

a Washington, D.C.-based international nonprofit organization that advocates for the health and wellness of men, boys, and families.

I do that doesn’t feel like work?” Don’t take on so much that it causes you more stress and suffering. You must also have an accountability partner who will encourage you to make changes and decrease your load. A good resource to use is the Breath App, which will remind you to slow down, take a deep breath and fill your lungs with air. Also, take time to disconnect from the world.

This includes not answering emails or phone calls and just taking time for you.

It’s also good to take a mental health day.

This includes doing what you need to do for you and taking the time to listen to your body. You must be disciplined with your time, disciplined with energy and disciplined with what your home feels like. This truly matters when it comes to setting boundaries and being beneficial to your health.

havior will cause other problems. You must take the time to manage your mental health and be purposeful when it comes to finding a solution.

The same way you take cold medicine to treat a common cold, so you can feel better. But when it comes to mental health challenges people just deal with it. Lastly, when you are looking for a therapist ask questions. It’s ok to ask the therapist if they have ever worked with women and men of color? It must be a good fit for you and the therapist.

Black Women And The Truth About Mental Health

by Priscilla Q. Williams, RN, BlackDoctor.com

According to statistics fewer than half of black women who need mental health care receive it, and the other half carry this I’m a “strong Black women” mentality that hinders them from receiving the care they need. I recently had an opportunity to sit down and speak with the amazing Stephanie Jones about Black women and mental.

She gave me so much insight on the truth of Black women receiving care and what hinders us from receiving the care we need.

Stephanie A. Jones, LCSW, MSW is a Licensed Psychotherapist and owner of Lifestyle Management Counseling Center based in Jacksonville, FL. She is also the Founder and Creative behind Women at Werk, a women’s empowerment, networking, and lifestyle brand. Ms. Jones is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and has received countless awards and recognition for her dedication as a public servant to her local community.

packs that weigh them down. Often Black women carry Black Women And The Truth About Mental Health the load of being a single mother, caring for their parents or being there for everyone else and not taking time for themselves.

This can cause signs of anxiety and depression, but often symptoms are ignored.

A lot of times black women will speed through life to keep pushing forward but ignore symptoms that are present. Symptoms such as fatigue, irritation, insomnia and inflammation in the body. However, I love that we are starting to having conversations around the stigma of mental health and breaking down stereotypes around Black women.

must speak up and say “No” if they can’t do something, and not feel bad or let others make them feel bad for what they can’t do.

Stephanie A. Jones, LCSW, MSW / Licensed Psychotherapist

BDO: How do we as Black women learn to take time for ourselves?

BDO: How does mental health in Black women differ from any other race?

SJ: I often hear not just from Black women but from minority women, that they don’t feel like they can give themselves permission to take care of themselves. I would love to see more women choosing themselves and implement boundaries. Women

SJ: Keep a calendar, this not only create boundaries, but this allows you to see if it is even feasible for you to do what is requested. Stop trying to just make things fit in your schedule, but truly see if it will work with your schedule. I tell my friends all the time if it’s not on the calendar it’s not going to happen.

Also ask yourself the question, “What can

SJ: Anxiety is the most common mental health disorder among black women. Black women carry a lot of bricks in their back-

Being that “strong black women” and that “angry Black women” will get you in trouble every time. We as Black women embody those stereotypes and we take them on a lot of the time. By saying things such as “I got things under control” or “I can handle it.” I think we as women have a hard time getting over what other people put on us and what other people think we should be.

BDO: What are some action steps we can take to set boundaries?

8

BDO: Is there anything else you want Black women to know about their mental health?

SJ: You must be willing to acknowledge when things are not ok. Instead of being quick to say everything is ok, let someone know how you are truly feeling. Don’t excuse yourself to really acknowledging when things are honestly are not ok. Acknowledge it to someone else or to yourself that you are not ok. Then ask yourself, “what’s is the solution?” You must have an outlet to share your feelings.

This could be going to church, talking to your spouse or even speaking with a therapist. Be careful of the outlets you choose, because every outlet is not a healthy outlet.

For example; don’t start drinking every day because that’s your outlet. This type of be-

BDO: Tell me about your organization Women at Werk?

SJ: Women at Werk stemmed from my work as a licensed professional counselor, and then I started having events to help women become more transparent in their life. Women at Werk seeks to bridge the unique experience of every woman. Empowerment is the goal! Our events attract women from diverse backgrounds and industries who are looking to connect and collaborate with other like-minded women in their community.

In the coming months, we are having our 2nd Annual Women at Werk Empowerment Conference. It will take place on Saturday, January 12, 2019, in Jacksonville, Florida. For more information visit www. womenatwerk.com.

BDO: How can people connect with you?

SJ: Lifestyle Management Counseling Center, LLC ww.lifestylemanagementcounseling.com Jacksonville, FL 32256 Tel: 888-443-2713 ext. 1

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 02, 2019 - January 08, 2019

Richard Overton, Oldest World War II Veteran, Dies At 112 Derrick Lane, BlackDoctor.org

Richard Overton, the nation’s oldest World War II veteran who was also believed to be the oldest living man in the U.S., died Thursday in Texas, a family member said.

He was 112.

The Army veteran had been hospitalized with pneumonia but was released on Christmas Eve, said Shirley Overton, whose husband was Richard’s cousin and his longtime caretaker.

“They had done all they could,” she said.

Richard Overton was in his 30s when he volunteered for the Army and was at Pearl Harbor just after the Japanese attack in 1941.

He was born May 11th in Bastrop County in 1906, served in the Pacific Theater from 1942 to 1945 during World War II, as part of the all-black 1887th Engineer Aviation Battalion. After the war, he returned to Austin, and he has lived in the same home ever since. He started selling furniture in Austin, TX after his discharge and later worked in the state Treasurer’s Office.

Back in 2015, at 109-years-old, Richard revealed his secret to staying active and remaining in good health: Whiskey and cigars.

“I may drink a little in the evening too with some soda water, but that’s it,” Overton told FOX News. “Whiskey’s a good medi-

(Photo credit: pinterest.com) (Photo credit: Facebook) (Photo credit: Twitter) cine. It keeps your muscles tender.”

When speaking about his spiritual life, Overton gets serious and says living right is much more simple than people make it out to be.

“Church is just for everybody, but its gotta be for one person, and that’s yourself,” Overton says. “It’s good to have a spiritual life, but you gotta live it.”

He also has good financial health habits too. “Everything I want, I pay cash for it.

Straight cash.”

“With his quick wit and kind spirit he touched the lives of so many, and I am deeply honored to have known him,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement Thursday, calling Overton “an American icon and Texas legend.”

“Richard Overton made us proud to be Texans and proud to be Americans,” the governor added. “We can never repay Richard Overton for his service to our nation and for his lasting impact on the Lone Star State.”

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People from around the nation took to social media after the passing of Overton.

Here are some of their statements.

On Facebook, Heather Elaine Duckworth writes, “It was such an honor to know you and call you my friend. I loved seeing you every Sunday morning!! You truly will be missed dearly. You and Ms. Love are together again and… … that warms my aching heart. Love you kind sir. RIP… This will truly be one of the

favorite pictures of you and I’ll never forget it and cherish it always.”

Elizabeth Coronado chimes in and writes, “RIP!! I vote to have one of those Confederate named schools getting a name changed to be named after him!!”

Robin Saunders says, “Rest my friend!

I worked on his AC one year in the early 90’s. He sat right by me on a 5-gallon bucket and talked with me for hours! Loved that man!!”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 02, 2019 - January 08, 2019

Five African American NFL Head Coaches Fired

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Correspondent

ed Vance Joseph

rosters, the Cardinals fired their coach anyway, as Bidwill scapegoated Wilks — who became only the 10th coach to be fired after only one season since 2000 — for the franchise’s failures,” wrote NFL writer for Yahoo News, Terez Paylor, regarding Wilks’ firing.

ed

ed Todd Bowles

From 2007-2008, Lane Kiffin went 5-15 with the Oakland Raiders. From 20002002, Dave Campo went 15-33 over two seasons. From 2006-2008, Rod Marinelli went 10-38, which included a 0-16 season, with the Detroit Lions.

“Despite owning one of the league’s worst

Steve Wilks

Fir

ed

Fir

ed Hue Jackson

fact that there haven’t been enough hired over a long enough time to conclude that the hiring and firing pattern is biased one way or the other. Still others say that management above the head coaching position is actually often to blame for failing results and losing records.

Anthony Lynn

Fir

Fir

Mike Tomlin

Fir

Five of the NFL’s seven African American head coaches were fired on December 31st.

Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks was fired after just one season. The Cardinals’ record was 3-13 — the worst record in the league — but over the last 18 years, there have only been ten head coaches who were fired after only one year. Three of them were African American.

This NFL season the following Black head coaches were fired: Marvin Lewis (Bengals, 6-19), Vance Joseph (Broncos, 6-10), Todd Bowles (Jets, 4-12), Hue Jackson (Browns, 7-8) and Steve Wilks (Cardinals, 3-13).

The firings mean there are now only two Black head coaches in the NFL: Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn and Steelers longtime head coach Mike Tomlin.

The firing of Wilks in Arizona after only one season won particular attention. In the NFL, many coaches fail in their first year yet remain employed. Though the NFL has made great improvements in hiring Black head coaches over the last twenty years as the result the Rooney Rule, the recent firings were sobering. The Rooney Rule mandates that NFL teams interview at last one minority candidate before making their final hiring decision.

Professional football is dominated by African American players, as over 70 percent of them are African American. Typically, players go on to become coaches but the overwhelming numbers on the field have yet to surface among the coaching ranks in the NFL. Many see the recent firings as ironic progress: There was a time when the firing of five African American coaches would have been inconceivable because there were none on the sidelines. However, thirty percent of NFL coaches were Black before the firings this season.

Though one of the coaches fired, Hue Jackson, has one of the worst win/loss records in the modern NFL, many point to the

Marvin Lewis Writer Dave Zirin, who writes about race and sports often, wrote, “In a league 70% African American, there are now two (!)

Black head coaches after today’s (firings).

Shameful numbers. Failure of a Rooney Rule without teeth and owners who will nearly always bend towards whiteness.”

“Not a good look for diversity today in the NFL. In 2006, when Commissioner Goodell was hired, there were seven minority coaches and four minority general managers. Today there are three minority HCs and 1 minority GM after Ozzie retires,” wrote Jim Trotter.

The regular season in the NFL ended on December 30. As more changes are made over the off season there is likely to be more Black head coaches added. But for now, the debate on the numbers will focus on the recent firing and whether those dismissed will find employment elsewhere for 2019.

Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent journalist and writer for NNPA as well as a political analyst and strategist as Principal of Win Digital Media LLC. She may be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke

Listen - A 2019 Challenge in Memory of Robby Gregg

By Julianne Malveaux, NNPA Newswire Contributor I’m leaving 2018 behind, with its myriad trials and tribulations. For me, many of the challenges revolved around the unhealthy atmosphere in Washington, D.C., and that’s not likely to change. But many of the challenges, joys, and sorrows were also personal. One of them was the loss of Robby Gregg, Jr., a diversity expert and

consultant at Cook Ross, a diversity and inclusion firm in the DC area that was founded by my dear friend Howard Ross.

Robby died unexpectedly at 58, just a week before Christmas. Alarmed at not having heard from him, a friend went to his home and found him gone. Unless you are part of the D&I community (as diversity experts call themselves), connected to Wake Forest University (Robby was a 1983 graduate), or part of the vast Maya Angelou extended family (Robby was one of Dr. Maya’s students at Wake, and an ardent supporter of the Maya Angelou school in Washington, D.C.), you probably wouldn’t know Robby. He was a man worth knowing.

I’m writing about Robby because his

memory has challenged me to make a 2019 resolution. I am going to endeavor to listen more, especially to people I disagree with. I’m going to seek some of these people out for conversation, and I’m also planning to have tea or a meal (without knives – halfway joking) with a few of them. While I will never let go of my commitments to social and economic justice, to racial parity, and to reparations, knowing Robby made me realize that it is also important to open oneself up to thought-provoking conversations with those we disagree with.

Robby and I had been friends for a while, but he was no fan of my confrontational style, and he didn’t mind telling me. He was offended by my Facebook page,

10

which is a combination of policy analysis, organizing, and personal sharing.

Because I live in a gentrified neighborhood where, in my opinion, my melanindeficient neighbors can be entitled and inconsiderate, with a sprinkling of racism thrown in, I vent on my page about the brads and the Beckys. And Robby didn’t like it. He responded that if I didn’t like my neighborhood, I should move from the home I’ve lived in for 20 years. Not. I became so angered by his suggestion that we began to avoid each other and cease interaction.

An unpleasant encounter at a social gathering (I was wrong to carry our disagreement into that space) prompted me to reach out, and the result was a won-

derful three-hour lunch where we offered each other the gift of listening. I think we both walked away feeling affirmed, if not in perfect agreement or alignment. We could agree that we loved and respected each other and shared common values, even if our ways of going about things was different.

Robby and I shared an appreciation for Howard Ross, the founder of Cook Ross and author of Belonging: How Our Need to Connect is Tearing Us Apart (BerrettKoehler Publishers, 2018).

It’s a great read about the ways our human tendencies to belong work both for us and against us. Part of the book recounts Howard’s journey around the Con’t on page 12

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 02, 2019 - January 08, 2019

Dallas Mavericks’ Cynthia Marshall: A Woman for All Seasons

all the people, getting to know them etc.

I used to say that my motto was: I do my people work by day my paperwork by night. I was a very hands-on servant leader.

To me (paying attention to paperwork) was secondary. What I learned the hard way, had I been paying attention to the reports, I would have caught it (a significant error) earlier. But it took me months and I learned a valuable lesson. I have to integrate, some stuff you have to pay attention to, set your priorities, pay attention to all of it because if you don’t you will miss something. Now I strive to strike the balance.

By Dorothy J. Gentry, Sports Editor, Texas Metro News

Inspirational. Servant Leader. Math Geek. Funny. Detail Oriented. Confidant. Serious. Role Model. Mentor. Female NBA Executive. These are just a few of the many adjectives one could use to describe Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynthia Marshall. Marshall, better known as Cynt Marshall, is all of these, for sure.

But to many in the NBA world, MFFL’s and the immediate Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex she’s much more. She’s arguably the woman who saved the Dallas Mavericks franchise.

“She just great. If I had known her sooner, my life would have been a lot easier,” said Mavs owner Mark Cuban. Marshall was hired by Cuban in February of this year following a Feb. 20, 2018 Sports Illustrated article titled, “Exclusive: Inside the Corrosive Workplace Culture of the Dallas Mavericks.” The report described a culture in the Mavericks’ front office “rife with misogyny and predatory sexual behavior” and chronicled multiple allegations of sexual harassment and other workplace misconduct by current and former employees on the business side of the Mavericks.

Marshall, a former diversity and inclusion senior executive at AT&T, was brought on board as CEO to oversee the investigation and right the franchise’s ship.

The independent investigation into the allegations took several months and was announced as completed on Sept. 1. As a result of the investigation, Cuban will donate $10 million to women’s organizations committed to supporting women’s leadership and development in sports and combating domestic violence.”

Since the Mavs scandal, the NBA is looking to hire more women in positions of power. In comes Marshall who is one of a handful of women in positions of power in the traditionally male-dominated NBA. The affable CEO, who on any given day can be found at a local school encouraging young students, holding court in Mavs staff meetings, participating in conference calls and cheering on the team at American Airlines Center, understands her position and knows its importance in history.

Marshall recently spent time talking with Texas Metro News about her position, her hope for the future of women in this industry, what drives her, what ticks her off, her biggest accomplishments and failures, and more.

TMN: What does this position as CEO mean to you as a woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry, as an African American woman and as a role model and mentor to other women in sports and in management in any profession?

MARSHALL: “It’s a blessing in dis-

TMN: What is the biggest misconception about you?

photo: Cynthia Marshall and Mark Cuban at her introductory press conference.

guise – an employee used these words – for the team and the League.

“I get asked a lot about his. To me, it’s a position of service because I like to practice servant leadership. It means I have the opportunity to serve. It means for me that I better do a good job because then others can use this as an opportunity to further demonstrate that women can excel in male-dominated industries.

“I worked in one for 36 years. I just think it is further evidence that women can do the same jobs that men can do and we can excel like men can and at some point we need to get to there we are not talking about this at all and it’s no big deal and right now it is because you don’t see a lot of us.

“This is an opportunity to bring up other women and I love that. I’m loving it.”

Marshall said her position is also another chance “to discuss the business case for diversity and inclusion in 2018. They believe there is not a bottom line benefit to having a diverse group around people and there is. There are benefits.”

TMN: What drives you professionally and personally?

MARSHALL: What drives me is a chance to serve. I actually truly believe I was put on this earth to serve. I have a unique skill set and whenever I get a call to do something big, I have to think this is an opportunity to serve people and a bigger cause.

I’m very competitive in a good way.

I am driven by competition. We (Mavs) want to set the NBA standard by 2019

for diversity and inclusion. One employee thought ‘that’s impossible.’ And we did it. I want us to be the best: leading, motivating and inspiring people. I will do that, whether at home with family or out making a difference in the lives of other people on a daily basis.

My optimism glass is half-full, light at end of tunnel – even though sometimes it’s a train. But you get past it. I am the child of my mother. I saw her endure a lot: challenges, being poor. And she always said it’s how you live, not where.

She always put a math book and Bible in my hands. I always believe there are good things out there. I believe people are genuinely good, all flawed, which is why we need to be our brother’s keeper.”

Of her optimism Marshall says: “I’ve always been like that. I also got it from growing up watching the Lord turnaround situation after situation, and in my own life, having a career, overcoming things, etc. It always works out.

There is a plan. The scripture Jeremiah 29:11 is one of my favorites. I send it to my kids all the time. There is a bigger plan. It is a positive plan. It is hopeful.

You need to be optimistic about the future and what He has for you. Overall it is a good plan.”

TMN: What is your biggest pet peeve?

MARSHALL: I don’t like it when people don’t tell the truth. My husband would say, ‘yes, Cynthia, people lie.’ We can’t always deal with the truth. I can handle the truth. That is a big thing for me. Character is the first one. It is about telling the truth, doing what you say you will do, and if something happens, just

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tell the truth. Another pet peeve is when people have biases that negatively affect how they treat people, how they work, etc. All of this comes to work with you.

When you are not open and don’t want to be open, not giving people a chance, etc. and operating in a world that is not inclusive and diverse.

TMN: What is your biggest accomplishment?

MARSHALL: Laying a good foundation for my children to thrive and flourish. All are adopted. They had educational challenges, learning disabilities, weren’t, slated to be successful in school or even in life. I played a small part in laying a foundation educationally and spiritually,” Marshall says of her now 20, 23, 26 and 35-year-old children.

In great candor, Marshall went on to disclose that she birthed five children, suffered four second-semester miscarriages and had a daughter born four months premature who only lived six months. “The Lord treated me better than Job. I got quadruple for my trouble. I thought I had a plan and He said ‘no, I have the plan. You and Ken (her husband) will take care of them.’ All of them belong to us.

TMN: What is your biggest failure?

MARSHALL: My biggest failure was also my biggest professional learning. I had a job, big promotion in the Pacific Bell days. I was so excited about this job, was going out to meet everyone,

MARSHALL: People think that I am super tough all the time. The headlines might suggest I am just dealing with personnel issues, walking people out the door. What they don’t see is that I’ve lost nights of sleep. It’s just part of the job.

I am just responding to people’s actions and everyone thinks I am just over here being a witch.

People don’t realize that I am a math geek, but I love math. I wanted to be a math teacher when I was growing up. I love numbers, I’m very detailed oriented. I know when to come up. I’m pretty analytical, more so than emotional. I don’t think they would normally know that. If you’re on my team, you know this. I am an optimistic person but I know how to handle things, confront it, deal with the unpleasantry but it’s just not all sweetness. I have a bad alter ego – Janell. People think I can’t get stern or firm, but I can – just with a smile.

TMN: What do you want people to know about Cynt Marshall?

MARSHALL: I wake up every morning to do the best I can do for people.

I may not get it right every day. But I work hard to bring people together and be a light in this world and deal with the dark forces in the world. I feel uniquely equipped by God to bring positive things to this world. This is all I am trying to do.

I accepted this job because a wonderful man – Mark Cuban – called me with sincerity, passion, genuinely and asked me to help address the issues in this place even though he didn’t know about them.

I said yes because I wanted to serve. I am fortunate I said yes. I have fallen in love with all the people who work here: the NBA, the owners, employees, etc., some of the best people. It was a whole industry I didn’t know about. I have fallen in love. I’m just trying to make a difference.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 02, 2019 - January 08, 2019

This Organization, Ran By 6 Black Men, Has Donated More Than 30,000 Books to Children Worldwide

But They Need More Volunteers and Financial Support

Nationwide — B.L.A.C.K. 2 Life is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to empower Black Men to strengthen underserved communities through education and inspiration. The organization sponsors activities that promote childhood literacy, mentorship, scholarship promotion, community service initiatives and charitable giving. The acronym B.L.A.C.K. stands for Bringing Love And Conscious Knowledge 2 Life. B.L.A.C.K. 2 Life or B2L recruits Black Men worldwide to host free book drives for children and to interact positively within the communities they live in and serve. As black men, they plan to galvanize our communities to combat the often-overlooked impact that illiteracy has on mass incarceration and the criminal justice system within our communities.

B.L.A.C.K. 2 Life has worked tirelessly this past year enacting their mission across the globe, but they need more volunteers and financial support. Since the organization’s founding in 2017, B2L has given out over 30,000 free books to children in 18 cities in 14 states. Some highlights from this

year include two (2) National Book Giveaways that took place on April 14, 2018 and September 29, 2018. B2L has also partnered with countless organizations to distribute books at local events nationwide.

On August 4, 2018, B2L collaborated internationally with the Trinidadian based non-profit organization Golden Spoon and passed out just under 1000 free books to children at the Emancipation Day Celebration in Trinidad and Tobago.

Their most recent promotion, #100BlackMenRead, was held on November 27, 2018. This day celebrated #GivingTuesday, which marks the beginning of the charitable giving season worldwide. This campaign was a huge success as 75 Black Men worldwide participated by giving their time to read to children in their communities. B2L supporters signed up to read in Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, Texas, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, New York, and Kentucky. They also had friends in Nigeria and Trinidad and Tobago participating as well.

For 2019, B.L.A.C.K. 2 Life plans on offering scholarship opportunities to Black

Men entering the education field, school supply grants for teachers, and more free book drives. B2L also plans to partner with the non-profit organization W.A.T.C.H. (What About The Children in Haiti) to send 1000 books to children in Haiti and participate in the Little Free Library book exchange to build shared libraries in communities of color.

Those who are interested in supporting B.L.A.C.K. 2 Life can visit www.black2life.org B.L.A.C.K. 2 Life is committed to strengthening communities of color and inspiring children through the promotion of literacy, while at the same time, promoting the positive imagery of Black Men. Monetary donations can be submitted through their website or the applications below.

Proceeds will be used to fund scholarship opportunities, mentorship programs, and purchase more books for children across the world.

Cash App: $B2LFE Venmo: Black2life PayPal: blc2life@gmail.com Zelle: blc2life@gmail.com

Founders of B.L.A.C.K. 2 Life distributing free books to children

Samuel L. Jackson & Wife LaTanya: 38 Years And Counting!

by Aria Ellise, BDO Special Contributor

In Hollywood, it’s commonplace to have celebrity couples look cute together, become an item, get married, only to get divorces years later. So when we hear of a couple making it to nearly 40 years, that’s something we have to talk about. And this year marks 38 years Samuel L. Jackson, the Hollywood actor whose movies have grossed more than any other actor and his wife LaTanya tied the knot. Wow, 38 years!

And Samuel will never forget it. In fact, he has his wife to thank for literally getting him where he is now.

The 70-year-old actor paid tribute to LaTanya, 69, and their 34-year-old daughter Zoe when he picked up the Lifetime Achievement Award at the BET Awards.

He praised his loved ones for urging him to go to rehab after finding him passed out one day.

He said: “The other two people that challenged me on a regular basis are my foundation and support, my daughter Zoe and my wife LaTanya.”

After what he calls a “crack-induced” meltdown, Jackson’s then 8-year-old daughter and his wife, LaTanya Richardson, discovered Jackson on the kitchen floor surrounded by drugs and paraphernalia. He entered rehab soon after.

(From l-r, Daughter, Zoe, wife, LaTanya and Samuel L. Photo credit: Samuel L. Jackson twitter) “The two women that actually found me passed out on the floor after I left somebody’s bachelor party and put me in rehab the next day. And supported me and pushed me and give me a reason to get up and go

and chase it day after day after day.”

I was a f**king drug addict and I was out of my mind a lot of the time, but I had… … a good reputation,” Jackson told The Guardian in an interview in early 2016.

“I was doing Pulitzer-Prize-winning plays.

I was working with people who made me better, who challenged me. So I was doing things the right way, it was just that one thing that was in the way — my addiction,” he continued.

It was Richardson who convinced her husband that his personal health wouldn’t be

the only benefit of getting clean. She urged Jackson to consider how his acting might evolve without the influence of drugs and alcohol.

“I’ve always had my wife LaTanya, who’s my harshest critic,” he recalled. “She’d say: ‘You’re so intelligent that the first time you read something, you think you understand it intellectually and emotionally …

But there’s no blood in it.”

And the greatest roles of Jackson’s career wouldn’t emerge until he got clean, an experience he describes as a door blowing

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wide open.

“It wasn’t until I got sober that I knew fully what she meant,” said Jackson. “Before, I used to do stuff on stage and kinda look for the reaction from the audience — ‘Aha! I got ‘em good that time!’ And once I was able to ignore that, and focus on the relationships with the people I was onstage with, I was finally able to blossom into whatever I might think I am now.”

Here’s to wishing them another 38 years together!

Con’t from page 10

Listen -

country talking and listening to people who voted for 45, some of whom regret their vote, and others who stand by it. He walked away with a more nuanced understanding of 45 supporters, which he shares in the book, along with techniques for having civil, even friendly, and informative conversations.

When I interviewed Howard a few weeks ago, he threw out the suggestion of lunching with those with whom I have profound disagreements. I scoffed at it, considering it an utter waste of time in many cases. The day after our interview, Robby Gregg, Jr. was found dead, and I wondered if there was a message in his passing for me. After all, had we not had that delightful long lunch, my friend and I would not have had rapprochement.

So, in memory of and in tribute to Robby and, equally importantly, to do my part in exploring the possibility of more civility in our discourse, I’m challenging myself to do more listening. And I’ll promise an opponent at least three minutes of uninterrupted time, as long as I’m not on the air. I’m challenging you to do the same.

Not just in the name of Robby Gregg, but in the interest of community.

Julianne Malveaux is an author and economist. Her latest book “Are We Better Off? Race, Obama and Public Policy” is available via www.amazon.com for booking, wholesale inquiries or for more info visit www.juliannemalveaux.com

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 02, 2019 - January 08, 2019

COMMENTARY: Living in America While Being Black Under the Trump Regime

By Roger Caldwell, NNPA Newswire Contributor

In 2018, many Black people in America believe that it is not important or relevant to consider them Black. They see their race as human, and they have no faith in the Black or African American culture and race. There is only one race, and that is the human race, and it is time to let go of the race card and stop thinking Black.

Many genetic experts and people around the globe believe there is no scientific basis for race, and it’s a made-up label.

“In the wake of fresh deaths at the hands of police officers in the world’s greatest nation, we the people of the Black race are once again the object of renewed worldwide attention. Questions of injustices in the United States have been duly raised and protested. And, once again, the Black cultural elites in America are talking about racism, discrimination, racial profiling, and hate, among other issues,” says Chigozie Obioma.

It is absurd and ridiculous to think in 2018, under the Trump administration, that race does not exist, and America is a colorless society. When our racist-in-chief makes it no secret that he is a neo-Nazis sympathizer, it is time for Black Americans to open up their eyes, unify, and work together.

It is no accident that Trump is driven by an irrational hatred of everything Obama, and there are very few African Americans in his administration. On the other hand, Presi-

dent Trump calls neo-Nazis good people as they carry torches and shouting about racist purity.

“Far too many people are surprised by Trump’s racism, which is as ignorant as it is blatant. Donald Trump knows a thing or two about ‘shitholes’ – the label he apparently bestowed on El Salvador, Haiti, and various African nations during an Oval Office meeting about immigration,” says Richard Wolffe of the Guardian.

Black Americans in 2018 and beyond must reclaim their unity and restore the dignity of the Black race in America and around the globe. Racism is not limited to the United States, and today we hear how China, India and other nations are taking over Africa economically. The fate and survival of Black people in America is inextricably linked to Black people in Africa, the Caribbeans and around the world.

“Great men like Marcus Garvey, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Malcolm X all knew that a people are only respected when it has a nation worthy of respect. They knew that for us to reclaim power we must first reclaim dignity, and that comes through the construction of a solid Black state with a demonstrable level of development and prosperity – and which can stand as a powerful advocate for the global Black,” states Obioma.

It is time for Blacks in America to operate with respect, and work with a formative and functional Black Agenda. It is time to

speak with one voice and in our community focus on:

Education Jobs and employment Criminal justice Health Economics Politics and voting Housing and environment, and Family The buying power of the African American community is $1.1 trillion, but it only circulates 6 hours in our community, and the Asians keep a dollar in their community 120 times longer than African Americans. The Jewish keep the dollar in their community for 20 days, and the dollar in the White community circulates 17 days.

In 2019, the challenge for Blacks in America is to work together with a Black united front and depend on each other based on a Black Agenda. We can no longer think our government under Trump is working to save the Black Race, we must save our self.

Our dignity and respect must begin as Black people in our families, and then our community, our country, and then the world. The great W.E.B. DuBois says, “The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line,” and nothing has changed in the 21st century.

Kwanzaa 101: How to observe this annual holiday

By Ann Hill-Bond Kwanzaa, a yearlong celebration that focuses on seven life principles called Nguzo Saba, was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor of Black Studies, in 1966 during a time of profound social change for African Americans.

What Kwanzaa has become today is the actualization of Karenga’s vision of a celebration that would honor the values of African cultures and inspire African Americans who were working for/towards progress.

Each of the seven days observed for Kwanzaa is a mark of distinction of a different life principle. The Nguzo Saba, are principles that are believed to be the foundation of building resilient, prolific families and communities on the content of Africa as well as in the Diaspora.

The Nguzo Saba (The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa) comes from the native language Swahili of the Bantu people in East Africa.

Kwanzaa is observed during the last seven days (Dec. 26-Jan. 1) of the year with a hope that communities intertwine the Nguzo Saba (The Seven Principles) into the fabric of their lives: Knowing that without the foundation of unity, being committed to self-determination, understanding that with collective work and responsibility bring forth cooperative economics, therein as a movement we can gain our purpose, explore our creativity, all while standing together in faith

throughout the next 365 days of the year.

During Kwanzaa, celebrants greet each other using the Swahili greeting — “Habari gani,” meaning “What’s the news?” The principles of Kwanzaa (Nguzo Saba) form the answers.

Celebrants also adorn their homes with red, black, and green as well as Africanstyle textiles and art. It is also encouraged to display the seven symbols to joins the community of people of color together.

Nguzo Saba: The Principles of Kwanzaa Umoja (oo-MOH-ja) • Meaning: unity • Action: building a community that holds together Kujichagulia (koo-jee-cha-gooLEE-yah) • Meaning: self-determination • Action: speaking for yourself and making choices that benefit the community Ujima (oo-JEE-mah) • Meaning: collective work and responsibility • Action: helping others within the community Ujamaa (oo-JAH-ma) • Meaning: cooperative economics • Action: supporting businesses that care about the community Nia (nee-AH) • Meaning: a sense of purpose • Action: setting goals that benefit the community Kuumba (koo-OOM-bah)

• Meaning: creativity • Action: making the community better and more beautiful Imani (ee-MAH-nee) • Meaning: faith.

Action: believing that a better world can be created for communities now and in the future The Seven Symbols of Kwanzaa kikombe cha umoja • Meaning: the unity cup • Action: Celebrants drink from this cup in honor of their African ancestors. Before drinking, each person says, “Harambee!”

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or “let’s pull together.” kinara • Meaning: the candleholder, which holds seven candles • Action: It said to symbolize stalks of corn that branch off to form new stalks, much as the human family is created. mazao • Meaning: fruits, nuts, and vegetables • Action: These remind celebrants of the harvest fruits that nourished the people of Africa. mishumaa saba

• Meaning: the seven candles that represent the seven principles • Action: A different candle is lit each day.

Three candles on the left are green; three on the right are red; and, in the middle, is a black candle. mkeka • Meaning: mat • Action: The symbols of Kwanzaa are arranged on the mkeka, which may be made of straw or African cloth. It symbolizes the foundation upon which communities are built. vibunzi (plural, muhindi) • Meaning: ear of corn • Action: Traditionally, one ear of corn is placed on the mkeka for each child present. zawadi • Meaning: gifts • Action: Traditionally, educational and cultural gifts are given to children on January 1, the last day of Kwanzaa.

The Great Fest Dec. 31, is the day of Kuumba (Creativity).

It is also the day that families/communities gather for the great feast of “karamu.”

During, karamu enjoying traditional African dishes as well as those featuring ingredients our ancestors brought to the U.S., including sesame seeds (benne), peanuts (groundnuts), sweet potatoes, collard greens, and spicy sauces.

This article originally appeared in the Atlanta Voice.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 02, 2019 - January 08, 2019

COMMENTARY:

Trump, Furloughs & Federal Sector Labor Unions

By Bill Fletcher, Jr., NNPA Newswire Contributor One of the most interesting aspects of the December federal shutdown is that Trump was unapologetic in identifying that it was his intent to bring it about. Normally the President or Congress will trade blame in anticipation of the shutdown but not in this case. That Trump NOW blames the Demo-

crats is irrelevant and transparent. He made it clear on national television that he was going to shut down the government unless he got his toy; excuse me, his wall.

We have been through shutdowns before.

They are not fun, particularly for federal workers and federal contract employees.

While federal workers eventually get paid, when it comes to contract employees, there is no guarantee that they will see a dime.

So, the government shuts down, even partially, and many of the rest of us who are not employed by the federal government shake our heads and express frustration, but then go on with the rest of our lives.

Federal workers and contract employees don’t have it so easy.

Which is why the unions that represent federal workers need to do more to make shutdowns and furloughs other than an afterthought. Yes, they must keep their members informed about developments on Capitol Hill; yes, they must encourage their members to call their Congressional Representatives and the White House; but at the end of the day, is that it?

One of the central challenges for unions representing federal sector workers is the same for all public sector workers: they have not linked their issues sufficiently with the issues and the concerns of the people that they serve. Let me give you an example. The political Right loves to attack what they allege to be bloated govern-

ment, but if you were to ask any regular person whether they want funds cut that go into inspecting foods, they would look at your cross-eyed.

If you were to suggest to someone boarding an airplane that funds should be cut from air traffic control, they would probably want to throw you out of the plane.

In other words, when it comes to the specific things that are offered by government, there are normally not significant objections. Yet, the political Right is allowed, time and again, to trash government and government workers as if they are all sitting on their rears smoking cigars.

This is precisely the time to remind the public of the role of government workers

and to also remind the public of the damage that Trump is doing in order to secure his ‘toy.’ But to remind the public means to be in the streets, visiting organizations and visiting elected political representatives.

It means demonstrating and staying in the public eye. It means taking advantage of radio talk shows as well as social media.

It means creating a situation which is anything but normal.

That is what federal labor unions need to be doing at this moment. And doing so with all deliberate speed.

Bill Fletcher, Jr. is the former president of TransAfrica Forum and a long-time trade unionist. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and at www.billfletcherjr.com.

LOOKING BACK: In 2018, “Living While Black” Stories Exploded on Social and Mainstream Media

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Contributor Whether it was sitting at a Starbucks in Philadelphia, sleeping at college or simply walking to one’s apartment in one’s own building, a major social media trend emerged in 2018. That trend was: Documenting bias and micro-aggressions that would later be featured in mainstream media.

Much of what was documented was recording by the object so many have with them 24/7: Their cell phone. The wave of incidents documented was not new — but the media attention on such stories along with the responses that have followed signals a cultural shift that’s likely to last for years to come.

There were multiple incidents. Below are six that made headlines and garnered widespread media attention: • In April in Oakland, California, Michelle

Snider posted a YouTube video of Jennifer Schulte calling the police on her and her husband Kenzie Smith. Schulte dialed 911 because she was upset they were BBQ’ing in a public park. The story quickly went viral and Schulte was tagged as “BBQ Betty.”

• In May in Connecticut, Sarah Braasch called the police on Yale graduate student Lolade Siyonbola. The problem? after she fell asleep in a common room in her dorm.

When police arrived, Siyonbola ran the conversation live on her Facebook Live.

• In May in Philadelphia, two men, Donte Robinson and Rashon Nelson, were arrested at a Starbucks after an employee called the cops on them as they waited for a business meeting to begin. The multi-billiondollar coffee chain would later close all of its stores to conduct training for all their employees regarding racial bias.

• In August in Madison, Wisconsin, Shelia Stubbs, who is the only African-American

on the 37-member Dane County Board of Supervisors, was campaigning in her district when someone called the police.

• In December in New Jersey, Andrew Johnson, a Black high school wrestler, was compelled to have an impromptu prematch haircut after a referee with a racist incident in his past decided Johnson’s hair violated the rules. The referee, Alan Maloney, was later fired.

• In late December, a security guard at a DoubleTree Hotel called the police on Jermaine Massey as he used a phone in a lobby. Two employees were fired because of the incident.

It was likely not coincidental that such incidents have spiked on social media and in mainstream news during the presidency of Donald Trump.

The national political environment has become contentious with President Trump’s relentless focus on vilifying and stereotyping minorities, particularly Mexican im-

migrants, while at the same time failing to quickly and affirmatively denounce racism and xenophobia.

Hate crimes along with a resurgence of white supremacist groups have been recorded by the Southern Poverty Law Center and other hate watchdog organizations.

The incidents have highlighted the power of social media a few years after the birth

of Black Lives Matter which also featured the power of social media content.

Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent journalist and writer for NNPA as well as a political analyst and strategist as Principal of Win Digital Media LLC. She may be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke

Michelle Obama’s “Becoming” Will Soon be a Classroom Curriculum For Young Black Girls

Nationwide — Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s book Becoming, which sold over 1.4 million copies in its first week of release, has inspired many Black women all over the world. Having been inspired by the book herself, Lauren Christine Mims, a former assistant director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans, chose Becoming to be a curriculum for Black girls to enhance their learning and development.

Lauren Christine Mims, who will soon earn her Ph.D. of Educational Psychology from the University of Virginia, is just one of the many who have been captivated by Obama’s best-selling memoir.

“Reading Becoming was like sitting on the couch with your best friend and having one of those soulful conversations about life,” Mims told Black Enterprise. “Reading about how Michelle Obama felt unchallenged in elementary school, teased for the way she spoke, and noticed a difference in how she was perceived during adolescence was affirming.”

Upon reading it, Mims realized the impact

the book could be able to give on black girls who were striving to find their place in the challenging world. Along with her doctoral research about young, black girls in school, she decided to turn Becoming into a curriculum to further black girls’ learning and development.

“I disrupt the traditional practice of talking about black girls in pejorative ways and center them and their unique experiences to study how we can support them. For example, my research highlights what ‘Black Girl Magic’ means to black girls; the role teachers play in supporting or stopping the success of black girls; and more about what they are learning and how it makes them feel,” she said.

The curriculum would include reading Becoming, watching films with black girls as the lead role, and participating in “important conversations, like about what it means to feel like your presence is a threat or that you do not belong. We will discuss Maddie Whitsett and McKenzie Nicole Adams; two 9-year old black girls who died by suicide after being subjected to

bullying. At the end of the course, students will apply their knowledge to draft new research proposals, policies, and practices,” Mims said.

Additionally, Mims stated four ways on

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how we can all support the development of Black girls: * Create supportive, affirming, and loving environments by listening to their needs and centering their unique experiences of

Becoming; * Advocate for, adopt, and enforce school policies and accountability practices that recognize the brilliance of black girls and ensure they are not being pushed out of school. * Address the bullying, harassment, and discrimination of black girls and ensure that all students have access to mental healthcare; * Care for your own mental health and well-being.

Moreover, Mims believes and she wants young black girls to believe that they are enough and they can flourish in a world despite its attempts to deny their humanity.

As told by Michelle Obama herself, “Becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim,” yet there is so much pressure in college to define your identity and pick a career path. It can take a toll on you. Know that you are brilliant and never “underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 02, 2019 - January 08, 2019

Globally ready: Advocating for Black Students to Study Abroad

By Kimani Hamilton

A standard list at the start of a New Year often include eating healthy, achieving a career goal, and making a trip abroad. Yet for the last item on this list: going overseas, African American students make up only 6.1 percent of all U.S. college students who complete an educational experience in another country, according to a 2016-2017 study by the Association of International Educators with the National Association of Foreign Student Advisors.

The main deterrent for African American students is that the rising cost of attending college leaves little funds left over for enhanced educational experiences.

Study abroad advocates and educators hope that a new Congress in 2019 will recognize the importance of having a diverse workforce that has been exposed to international study. They expect to continue the efforts of a bipartisan group of lawmakers in Congress who introduced H.R. 4379, the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act, in November 2017.

The legislation, supported by Senators Richard Durbin, D-Ill, and Roger Wicker, R-Miss. in the Senate, and Representatives Cheri Bustos, D-Ill and Illeana RosLehtinen, R-Fla. would support challenge grants that encourage college and universities to enhance opportunities for study abroad.

“If we try to find more funding out there, I think our numbers will increase,” said Karen Lee, the associate director for the Center for Intercultural and International Programs at Xavier University of Louisi-

ana.

“A lot of students want to go, but when you look at your funds and have to pay for your airfare, that holds a lot of students back from going,” Lee said.

Study abroad programs can range from $4,000 for two to four week programs to $18,000 for semester-long programs. Historically black universities like Xavier are working to create more affordable educational experiences abroad, like its Spring Break in Cuba program for faculty, staff, students and their relatives, which costs $1,400 as a program fee that covers accommodations and transportation, among other expenses. Airfare costs are approximately an additional $500. In November 2018, the Mayor’s Office of International Relations recognized Xavier’s center for international programs on International Education Appreciation Day for its service in the community for promoting international study experiences for institutions and residents.

Providing cost effective opportunities for African American students is one strategy to change the numbers, but international education advisers also work to help Black students navigate cultural differences abroad.

“Sometimes traveling as a black student, we run into racism or just see things from a different perspective,” said Nia Laing, a senior, sociology major, at Xavier. “For example, going to West Africa can have such a deeper meaning for us because we are the descendants of slaves from that region,” Laing said.

Organizations like the Diversity Abroad

Network now exist to provide both financial and social resources for students of color to successfully navigate study abroad experiences. Such networks share stories, testimonials and travel preparation to help students anticipate all aspects of global travel. This can range from anticipating foreigners who intrusively touch black students’ hair to understanding religious and gender norms in other countries.

More importantly they underscore to students the benefits. Students who study abroad are more likely to finish their degree transfer from a community college to a four-year university. They are also more likely to have a higher grade point average than those who don’t study abroad.

Laing, who now serves as a study abroad ambassador for Xavier said it is very difficult to persuade students to join the program because they aren’t sure if the travel is worth the cost.

“People think it’s expensive, even though there are so many scholarships out there just sitting,” Laing said, adding that she often encounters with students a “general disinterest of going to a new place, and worrying about something bad happening.”

Sometimes companies will give students scholarships just because they attend an HBCU, she explained.

“My travel would not be possible without several scholarships,” Laing said.

This article originally appeared in the New Orleans Data News Weekly.

Meet the Black Barber Making Almost $500K a Year Creating 'Man Weaves'

Wade Menendez, also known as “Wade the Barber,” has been credited for transforming the hair game as a pioneer of creating “man weaves.” Those who have a balding scalp run to his Maryland-based barbershop called The W Hair Loft, and it’s no surprise that his unique procedure has earned him almost $500,000 in one year!

Menendez, a 35-year old African-American man, has been highly acclaimed as an innovator in the field of hair styling. He developed the cranial prosthesis, most commonly known as a “man weave,” which fills a balding scalp with hair -- without the need for a surgery!

With the help of another stylist, Menendez developed a simple procedure to install hair to balding scalp. He glues natural and synthetic hair pieces to the scalp and blends it to the remaining natural hair.

For over 13 years, he has been in the barber field making impressive cuts to his wide range of clientele. In 2011, he opened his first barbershop in Glen Burnie, Maryland where numerous services are offered.

And just four years ago, he added creating man weaves into his portfolio.

Aside from being a hairstylist, Menendez also hosts classes where he teaches over 500 hair professionals how to do what he does. Last October, his class gathered stylists and barbers from different areas around the world, including London.

“There’s a big demand for [hair units] in the U.K.,” Steve Diligence, who flew from London to Maryland to learn from Menendez firsthand, told Vice News. “People have seen videos from the states, and they say it’s impossible or magic.”

Hair weaves or extensions have been a lucrative market, especially to Black women. A market research reports that “nearly six out of 10 black consumers wear a wig, weave or extensions, which enables them to switch up their look.”

Menendez has definitely had the advantage because of that market. Last year, he

earned more than $400,000 through his business alone. He revealed that he also got a few celebrities among his clients. But he says his achievements aren’t only measured by his profits.

“I’m doing this to help other people - and that’s not just with that confidence but helping other people even make money,” Menendez said. “I’m always here to do whatever I can, and I feel like that’s what I’m called on to do, so I’m operating in my purpose and my destiny.”

For more information about Wade Menendez and The W Hair Loft, visit www.wade-

15

July02, 27,2019 2016 - August THE INNER-CITY INNER-CITY NEWSNEWS - January January02, 08,2016 2019

Dispatcher

POLICE OFFICER

NOTICE

Galasso Materials is seeking a motivated, organized, detail-oriented candidate to join its truck dispatch office. Responsibilities include order entry and truck ticketing in a fast paced materials manufacturing and contracting company. You will have daily interaction with employees and customers as numerous truckloads of material cross our scales daily. We are willing Candidates may register for the testing process at www.policeapp. to train the right individual that has a great attitude. NO PHONE CALLS com/southcentral.

PLEASE. Authority, Reply to Hiring Manager, PO Box 1776, East Granby, CT 06026.

HOME INC, on behalf of Columbus House and the New Haven Housing EOE/M/F/D/V. is accepting pre-applications for studio and one-bedroom apartments at this devel-

Competitive examinations will be held for the position of Police Officer in the Madison, North Branford, Orange, Seymour, and West Haven Police Departments.

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

Theopment physical performance, written, and oral board exams will be adlocated at 108 Frank Street, New Haven.

Maximum income limitations apministered by the South Central Criminal Justice Administration. ply. Pre-applications will be available from 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y

25,DEPARTMENTS 2016 and ending when sufficient pre-applications (approximately THE PARTICIPATING IN THIS RECRUITMENT DRIVE ARE

DELIVERY PERSON

100) have been received at the offices of HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon reEQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYERS. Part quest by calling HOME INC at 203-562-4663 during those hours. Completed pre-Time Delivery Needed applications must be returned to HOME INC’s offices at 171 Orange Street, Third One/Two Day a Week, Floor, New Haven, CT 06510.

NOTICIA

Must Have your Own Vehicle

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES Scale House Operator , Data Entry,DE Print, Copy & Scan Documents.

If Interested call

(203) 435-1387

Working knowledge of Haz. Waste Regs., & Manifests. DOT & OSHA certification a +.

Forward resumes to Columbus RED Technologies, HOME INC, en nombre de la House y LLC de la Fax New860-218Haven Housing Authority, está 2433; or Email to HR@redtechllc.com RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de un dormitorio en este desarrollo Thede Community ubicado en la calle 109 Frank Street, New Haven. Se aplican limitaciones ingresos Foundation for Greater New Haven Coventry Housing Authority is accepting applications for máximos.

Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 its Section 8 Elderly/Disabled housing until January 31, 2019. Anis seeking to fill the position of Director of Gift Planning. julio, 2016 hasta cuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100) nual income limit is $20,350 (one person) & $23,250 (two people).

Please refer to our website for details: http://www.cfgnh.org/ en las oficinas de HOME Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas a petición Interested parties may pick upINC. an application at the Coventry Hous- por correo About/ContactUs/EmploymentOpportunities.aspx.

EOE. llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse ing Authority, 1630 Main St., Coventry, CT, or have one mailed.

Electronic submissions only. No phone calls a las oficinas de HOME INCbeenpostmarked 171 Orange or Street, piso, New Completed applications must handtercer delivered no Haven , CT 06510 . later than January 31, 2019.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) Request for Proposals for Architectural/Civil Design Services Submission Deadline: Friday January 4, 2019 at 3:00PM

The Fairfield Housing Corporation (FHC) is a not for profit organization and is seeking an integrated design professional team to assist the FHC in the development of the property located at 980 High Street Fairfield, CT. It is anticipated that the project will be financed through a competitive funding round and include tax credit equity through the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority with the goal of FHC (or related entity) submitting a financing application in the fall of 2019.

There is a massive shortage of affordable housing in Fairfield County and the mission of the FHC is to work with members of the Fairfield County communities to address this challenge so that those who need it, have access to safe, quality, affordable housing.

Responses must be received by the FHC at our offices located at 15 Pine Tree Lane, Fairfield, CT no later than Friday, January 4, 2019 at 3:00PM. The RFP responses must be submitted in a sealed envelope which must be marked “RFP- JUDD-RUSSO Architectural Design Services”. The responses shall contain one original and three copies for a total of four, and SHALL NOT EXCEED 15 pages. Faxes or electronic submissions will not be accepted.

Interested parties may pick up the complete RFP package at the FHC offices located at 15 Pine Tree Lane Fairfield, Connecticut, 06825, open Monday through Friday 10:00 AM to 3:00PM excluding holidays or by requesting via telephone at 203-366-6578. The Fairfield Housing Corporation conducts its business in accordance with all applicable Federal, State and Local laws. Small, Minority, Women Business Enterprises and Disabled are encouraged to participate in this process.

Listing: Retail Assistant

_______________________________ Petroleum Company has an immediate full time opening. Previous Carol J. Martin experience helpful in answering multiple telephone lines and in December 12, 2018 dealing with customers. Personable customer service skills a must.

Previous petroleum experience a plus. Applicant to also perform Invitation to Bid: Coventry Housing Authority is accepting applications for administrative tasks such as typing proposals, scheduling appoint2nd Notice 242-258 Fairmont Ave Property Management Company is seeking a Resident Services Coordinator in its State Elderly/Disabled housing until January 31, 2019. Annual ments and ordering parts and materials. Please send resume to: New Haven, CT. Part time- 16 hrs/wk. Must have experience working w/ senior and disManager, Confidential, P O Box 388, Guilford CT 06437.

Townhouse, BA,(two3BR, 1 level , 1BA income limit2BR is $50,350 (one person) &1.5 $57,550 people).

In- H.R. abled community. Social Services background preferred. Please call (860) 951-9411 x238 ********An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer********** terestedAll parties may pick up an application at the Coventry Housing new apartments, new appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 & I-95 for inquiries.

Old Saybrook, CT Authority, 1630 Main highways, St., Coventry, CT,bus or have mailed. Comnear stopone & shopping center (4 Buildings, 17 Units) pleted applications must be post marked or hand delivered no later Executive Director Position Pet under 40lb allowed. Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258 than January 31, 2019.

Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project For more information call 860-742-5518.

NEW HAVEN

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

The Housing Authority of the City of Norwalk, CT

Common Ground High School, Urban Farm & Environmental is seeking BIDS FOR MAINTENANCE UNIFORMS. Bidding docuEducation Center is looking its next Executive Director:Housing, A CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s NewforConstruction, Wood Framed, Selective Demolition, Site-work, Cast- at www.norwalkha.org under the ments can be viewed and printed dynamic, proven organizational leader who shares our roots-deep Certificate Program. This is a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates in-place Concrete, Asphalt Shingles, Vinyl Siding, in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday,commitment August 20, 2016to 1:30Business section, RFP/RFQ Norwalk Housing is an Equal Opportunity environmental and food justice, active, authentic 3:30 Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, M.S., B.S. Flooring, Painting,For Division 10 Specialties, Appliances,Employer.

Residential Casework, learning, inclusive, equitable community. a detailed job (203) 996-4517 Host, General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64and Brewster Adam Bovilsky, Executive Director. description and how to apply, please visit http://commongroundct.

Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection.

St. New Haven, CT Notice of Public Hearing org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Common-Ground-ExecutiveThis contract is subject to state set-aside and contract compliance requirements.

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Director-job-posting HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF DANBURY The Bristol Housing Authority is developing its 2019-2023 Agency Audit Services Plan in compliance with the HUD Quality Housing and Work ReBid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016 RFP No. P18002 sponsibility Act of 1998. A Public Hearing will be held on February Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016 15,Sealed 2019 atbids 3:00 are p.m.invited at Gaylord Community Hall located

by Towers the Housing Authority of the Town of SeymourFT Assistant Building Official Ms. Devin Marra, Director of Procurement Project documents available via ftp link below: at 55 Gaylord Street, Bristol, CT. Telephone: 203-744-2500 x141 CONTACT PERSON $38.03 hourly until 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at its office at 28 Smith Street, http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage E-Mail: dmarra@hacdct.org

For details and how to apply, go to www.bloomfieldct.org.

Seymour,isCT 06483forforreview Concrete Sidewalk RepairsHousand Replacement at the Information available and inspection at Bristol Pre-employment drug testing.

HOW TO OBTAIN THE RFP Contact Ms. Devin Marra, via e-mail.

Smithfield Gardens Assisted Living 26 Smith ing Authority, 164 Jerome Ave., Bristol, CTFacility, during hours M/W/FStreet Seymour.

AA/EOE DOCUMENTS: Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com 8:30a-4:30p, Tues. 8:30a-1:00p, Thurs. 1:00-4:30p.

HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses Housing Authority of the City of Danbury Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 A pre-bid conference will be held at the Housing Authority Office 28 Smith 2 Mill Ridge Rd, Danbury, CT 06811 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL RETURN The Town of East Haven is currently accepting applicaAA/EEO EMPLOYER Envelope Must be Marked: RFP No. P18002 Street Seymour, CT at 10:00 am, on Wednesday, July 20, 2016.

For more information call 860-742-5518.

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY Town of Bloomfield

The Housing Authority of the City of Norwalk, CT

Laborer:

tions for the position of Laborer in its Public Works Department. Qualified candidates must possess a High School Diploma or GED, some experiis seeking BIDS FOR (1) F250 pickup truck or equivalent, (1) ence in heavy manual labor and CDL. Current base pay for this position Bidding are available Seymour Authority OfTransit Cargodocuments Van or equivalent and (2) from Transitthe Connect VansHousing or is $40.782/year.

The application is available at http://www.townofeastEquivalent.

Bidding documents can be viewed and printed at www. fice, 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579. havenct.org/civil-service-commission/pages/job-notices-and-tests or The norwalkha.org under the Business section, RFP/RFQ. Norwalk Office of the Mayor, 250 Main Street, East Haven CT. The Town of East Haven is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Minorities, Females, Veterans Housing Authority is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Adam Boand Handicapped TheExecutive Housing Director Authority reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids,are to encouraged to apply. vilsky,

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 Housing Authority.

16

Audit Services

PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL DEADLINE

January 15, 2019 at 10:00 AM (EST)

[Minority- and/or women-owned businesses are encouraged to respond]

INNER-CITY July 2016 -- August THE INNER-CITY NEWS NEWS - January 0227, , 2019 January 08,2016 2019 02,

NOTICE

State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management

New Construction of: 6 Buildings, 75 Units, Approx 86,825 sf

The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management is recruiting for an Information Technology Analyst 1 position, a Municipal Assessment Professional position and a Research Analyst position.

INVITATION TO BID

Westbrook Village Phase 1 MarkMACRI Twain and Ogilby Drive, & Plainfi eld St Hartford, CT VALENTINA RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE HOME INC, on behalf of Columbus House and the New Haven Housing Authority, Bid Due Date: February 5, 2019 @ 5 pm. is accepting pre-applications for studio and one-bedroom apartments at this development located atProject 108 Frank Street,available New Haven.

Maximum income limitations apdocuments via ftp link below: ply. Pre-applications will be available from 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=westbrookvillage 25, 2016 and ending when sufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) have been received at theto offices of HOME Applications willrequirements be mailied as upon This contract is subject state set-aside andINC. contract compliance wellreas, of Hartford and contract quest by callingCity HOME INC at set-aside 203-562-4663 duringrequirements. those hours. Completed preapplications must be returned to HOME INC’s offices at 171 Orange Street, Third Floor, New Haven, CT 06510.

OPEN HOUSE to Discuss Westbrook Village Phase 1 Bidding Opportunities NOTICIA Date: Monday, January 7, 2019 Time: 6 to 8:00 pm

HOME INC, en nombre de la Columbus House y de la New Haven Housing Authority, está Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dlang@haynesct.com aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de un dormitorio en este desarrollo HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses ubicado en la calle 109 Frank Street, New Haven. Se aplican limitaciones de ingresos Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Seymour, CT 06483 máximos. Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09Ave, a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 AA/EEO EMPLOYER 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 duranteCopy esas & horas.Pre-solicitudes remitirse Scale House Operator , Data Entry, Print, Scan Documents.deberán Working knowla las de HOME en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, NewaHaven , CT 06510 . edge of oficinas Haz. Waste Regs., INC & Manifests.

DOT & OSHA certifi cation +. Forward resumes to RED Technologies, LLC Fax 860-218-2433; or Email to HR@redtechllc.com Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

RED

CJR Now Hiring NEW HAVEN Human Service Positions

242-258 Fairmont Ave 2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 level , 1BA

Residential Youth Mentor (Waterbury) FT – This position will provide direct care, supervision and assistance, and act as a role model reinforcing the adolescent’s individualized treatment plan. In addition, the Youth Mentor will Allgroups new as apartments, new appliances, new carpet, close under to I-91 I-95 facilitate appropriate and will conduct therapeutic programming the&supervision highways, near bus stop must & shopping center of the Rehabilitation Therapist.

The Youth Mentor be sensitive to unique issues such as mental health, suicide andallowed. contraband.

Pet under 40lb Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258 Transportation Assistant (Danbury, Torrington, Meriden, New London) FT - Provides transportation for youth and families to and from the LYNC program. Primarily CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s group travelProgram. pickingThis upismultiple youth within a common The Transportation AsCertificate a 10 month program designed to assistdestination. in the intellectual formation of Candidates sistant plays atokey in sustaining engagement, attendance, and ultimately in response the role Church’s Ministry needs.

The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday,program August 20,completion 2016 1:30Contact: Chairman, Deacon Davis,reliable, M.S., B.S.consistent transportation. of 3:30 youth and families who mayJoe notJ.have (203) 996-4517 Host, General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster

St. New Haven, Educational andCT vocational Coach (Meriden/New London) FT – The Educational and Vocational Coach plays an important role in the youth’s development of skills and abilities allowing them to achieve educational and career goals leading to future success. The Coach helps youth achieve goals, overcome barriers, and become more independent.

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

Service specialist (Meriden/New London) FTSealed – The Service Specialist hasby twothe primary roles; Authority one as Resource Specialist with bids are invited Housing of the Townconnecting of Seymour service providers and maintaining a list of all community resources from each town in the catchuntil 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at its office at 28 Smith Street, ment area and the second as Intervention Specialist facilitating cognitive-behavioral and Life Seymour, 06483 Skills groups toCT youth. . for Concrete Sidewalk Repairs and Replacement at the

Smithfield Gardens Assisted Living Facility, 26 Smith Street Seymour.

Clinician (Meriden/New London and Danbury/Torrington) FT – The Clinician provides limited, crisis management-oriented, individual and/or family therapy, needed conference while the youth andbe family an appointment withOffice a qualifi28 ed provider A aspre-bid will heldareatawaiting the Housing Authority Smith in their community to stabilize the family during emergencies or urgent circumstances.

Street Seymour, CT at 10:00 am, on Wednesday, July 20, 2016.

CJR offers a competitive salary and benefits package – EOE Bidding documents are available from the Seymour Housing Authority OfFor full position descriptions and to apply go to: fice, 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579. www.ctjuniorrepublic.org

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

BA/BS in Civil Engineering or Construction Management.

2-5 yrs. experience. OSHA Certified.

Proficient in reading contract plans and specifications.

Resumes to RED Technologies, LLC, 10 Northwood Dr., Bloomfield, CT 06002; Fax 860.218.2433; Email resumes to info@redtechllc.com. RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

Project Manager Environmental Remediation Division

For information regarding the duties, eligibility requirements and application instructions, please visit https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT and click on:

3-5 years exp. and Bachelor’s Degree, 40-Hr. Hazwoper Training Req. Forward resumes to RED Technologies, LLC,

Information Technology Analyst 1 (40 Hour) Recruitment #180815-7603FD-001

RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

Municipal Assessment Professional Recruitment #180817-5864AR-001

Location: University of Hartford’s Handel Center Community Room Address: 25 Westbourne Parkway, Hartford, CT DISPONIBLES VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES

Field Engineer

Research Analyst Recruitment #180822-6855AR-001 The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/ affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

Administrative Assistant

10 Northwood Dr., Bloomfield, CT 06002;

Fax 860.218.2433; or Email to HR@redtechllc.com

Must have DOT Construction Exp. Involves traveling to Job Site for record keeping.

Reliable transportation a must. NO PHONE CALLS EMAIL RESUME TO michelle@occllc.com EOE/AA Females and Minorities are encouraged to apply

Project Manager

InvitationDivision to Bid: Environmental Remediation nd 2 Notice

3-5 years exp. and Bachelor’s Degree, 40-Hr. Hazwoper Training Req. Forward resumes to RED Technologies, LLC, 10 Northwood Dr., Bloomfield, CTOld 06002; Fax 860.218.2433; or Saybrook, CT Email to HR@redtechllc.com RED(4Technologies, LLC is an EOE. Buildings, 17 Units)

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project

Common Ground High School

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc

seeks: 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: Dan Peterson Phone: 860- 243-2300 email: dpeterson@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 Contact: Rick Tousignant Phone: 860- 243-2300 Email: rick.tousignant@garrityasphalt.com Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer

Union Company seeks:

is looking for a Part Time After-School Recreations Programmer.

New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition,Tractor Site-work,Trailer Cast- Driver for Heavy & Highway ConFor job details and how to apply, please visit http://commonstruction Equipment. Must have a CDL License, in-place Concrete, Asphalt Shingles, Vinyl Siding, groundct.org/2018/08/common-ground-seeks-a-part-time-afterclean driving record, capable of operating heavy Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, school-recreations-programmer/

Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection. equipment; be willing to travel throughout the Northeast & NY. Listing: Transportation - Immediate Openingcompliance requirements.

This contract is subject toAssistant state set-aside and contract

We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits

High Volume petroleum oil company is seeking a full time TransContact Dana at 860-243-2300.

Bidtime Extended, Due6:00AM. Date: August 5, 2016 portation Assistant. Work begins at Previous peEmail: dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com troleum oil, retail or commercial dispatching experience a plus.

Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016 Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply MUST possess excellent attention to detail,available ability tovia manage Project documents ftp linkmulbelow: Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer tiple projects, excel proficiency and good computer skills required. http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage Send resume to: Human Resource Dept., PO Box 388, Guilford, CT 06437. ********An rmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer********** Fax or EmailAffi Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 Large CT Fence & Guardrail Contractor is looking Scale House Operator, Data Entry, Print,EMPLOYER Copy & Scan DocuAA/EEO for experienced, responsible commercial and resiments. Working knowledge of Haz. Waste Regs., & Manifests. dential fence erectors and installers on a subcontracDOT & OSHA certification a +. Forward resumes to RED Techtor basis. Earn from $750 to $2,000 per day. Email nologies, LLC Fax 860-218-2433; or Email to HR@redtechllc.com resume to pking@atlasoutdoor.com AA/EOE RED Technologies, LLC is an EOE.

FENCE ERECTING SUBCONTRACTORS

17

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 02, 2019 - January 08, 2019

FILM REVIEW: Aquaman

By Dwight Brown NNPA News Wire Film Critic

For DC comic book fans, there is good news and bad news. First the negatives and then the positive reasons why Aquaman may still make a dent in the box office, even if it isn’t perfect.

What’s lacking: The special effects (visual effects supervisor Kelvin McIlwain) aren’t exceptional. Visions of Arthur/Aquaman (Jason Momoa, Game of Thrones, Conan the Barbarian) and his ally/love interest Mera (Amber Heard, North Country), a warrior/princess, swimming through waters frantically from emergency to emergency are cheesy looking CGI. Demons from the ocean and sea monsters look run-of-the-mill. There’s nothing new, nothing to shout about, nothing that defies imagination.

The technique that director James Wan (The Conjuring, Saw and Furious 7) and his production team use to make the characters look like they are floating in water, is odd and sometimes annoying. Their hair floats like they are below the sea, but they don’t look wet. Interior scenes of submarines, homes, etc. look like backlot sets.

And not to be petty, but whoever decided that Mera’s cranberry red hair should look like a cheap wig bought at a Halloween store, didn’t do the actress any favors.

What’s just OK: Rupert Gregson-Williams’ (Wonder Woman) dense musical score fills up some empty space. Clocking in at 2H 23M, the footage doesn’t test patience, which affirms the editor’s (Kirk M. Morri, The Conjuring, Furious 7) taste in pacing. The array of colors by art directors Bill Booth (Thor: Ragnarok) and Desma Murphy (Terminator Salvation) is easy on the eye. However, viewers may wish the entire tech team had decided to make this an art/adventure film, something as visually captivating as Yimou Zhang’s Hero or Ridley Scott’s Prometheus. The underwater location could have been a hotbed of stunning visuals, but that potential is never fully realized.

David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (Wrath of the Titans) and Will Beall (Gangster Squad) have created a script that conjures the origin story for the latest version of Aquaman. (Note: The original dates back to 1941; the modern incarnation started in 2011). They set up characters who have rivalries and bad blood that goes way back in time: Years ago, the underwater Queen of Atlantis, Atlanna (Nicole Kidman), fled her kingdom and her body washed up on a rocky Maine shoreline. A lighthouse keeper named Tom (Temuera Morrison, Once Were Warriors) brought her and her trident weapon back to his home. They fell in love and eventually had a hybrid child, with both land and sea traits. At some point, Atlanna got captured and taken back to her home. Tom raised their son, who grew up to be a fine, but rebellious young man, Arthur (Momoa).

As an adult, Arthur/Aquaman became a crime fighter with incredible powers: super strength, impenetrable skin, an ability to swim faster than a missile and able to communicate with marine life. He misses his mom and hates the kingdom of Atlantis for taking her away. A sea dweller named Mera comes to warn him of an impending invasion from the underwater world that will bring the wrath of the seven seas to people on earth. As heir to the throne, the crimefighter must decide if he is willing to save the world.

What’s cool: The flip side of Arthur’s life is the netherworld of Atlantis, where his half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson, Fargo, Angels in America) reigns. The mean nasty Aryan-looking sibling is eager to point out, “I am the pure blood.” Words like mongrel and half-breed are hurled at Arthur. The premise for the war is that earth is polluting waters, poisoning children and deserves carnage. These contemporary themes give the film a very topical, 21st century agenda.

Adding entertaining characters, who are decently or well-played by an eclectic cast, helps too: Willem Dafoe plays Vulko, council to the Atlantean throne; Yahya Abdul-Mateen (The Greatest Showman) storms through scenes as a vengeful pirate, while Michael Beach (If Beale Street Could Talk) plays his dad; and Dolph Lundgren (Creed II, Rocky IV) portrays the rival King Nereus.

Heard, Kidman, Morrison and AbdulMateen are consistently interesting to watch and elevate their scenes. However, the actor of the hour is Jason Momoa. His version of Aquaman is that of a complete badass superhero who displays the right

balance of self-doubt and flat out bravura.

At 6’4”, with a lion-like mane and beard, he is fun to watch. Humor and joy permeate his performance. Yet when he is on the attack you know he can slay demons.

Momoa has established himself as a movie star who can take top billing on a film and keep moviegoers in their seats. If they ever recast Jack Reacher, he’d be perfect.

As Arthur’s mission to save the world comes to a head, the costumes the superhero wears, from tattoos and jeans, to T-shirts and black leather vests build to a crescendo with a stunning gold, bumpy warriors shirt and black gloves and boots with fins. That vision, with lights and water cascading over him and a superpower trident in his fist, radiates star quality.

This kind of astonishing imagery should have been the crux of the film, but it isn’t.

Is there anything hugely wrong with Aquaman? Not really. Is this a missed opportunity? Yes. The Hawaiian lead actor makes this project unique. Casting him gave this superhero motion picture a chance to stand out from the pack. Movie goers are looking for action films that are off the beaten path. If Wonder Woman and Black Panther can knock it out of the park, there is absolutely no reason why this film wasn’t genius and innovative from beginning to end.

On the name alone, Aquaman should pull hordes of viewers into the theater. The question is, “Will they come back again and again and make this film a megahit even if it’s imperfect?

Visit NNPA News Wire Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com and BlackPressUSA.com.

18

Con’t from page

Malloy Reflects On Wins & Losses

There was never a serious discussion of a lockbox concept for pension funds, or how such a law would have worked, but what Malloy was referring to was his effort to make sure the state’s pension obligations started being met. As such, and through great pains during budget negotiations with legislative leaders, he was the first governor in recent decades to make the full, actuarially required contributions to the State Employees Retirement System.

Although it might have been the most fiscally difficult, Malloy’s first two-year budget — the one that called for “shared sacrifice” — was hard, too.

Malloy said the 2011 budget was “an important first step” even though it didn’t necessarily resolve future unforseen deficits.

Malloy, the first Democratic governor in two decades when he took office, struggled with Democratic majorities in the legislature.

After it looked like he had a handshake deal on that first budget, former House Speaker Chris Donovan conveyed that the unions would have to approve the $1.6 billion concession package included as part of the budget — essentially giving the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition veto power over the spending and revenue package they had negotiated.

The first vote on the labor package that was crucial to erasing the deficit didn’t get enough support, which forced Malloy to send out thousands of layoff notices to the men and women who helped get him elected — 6,404 votes. It eventually passed on a second try.

Afterward, the unions and Malloy had some harsh words for each other in August 2011: “I think this governor didn’t come in working that well with these folks,” said Dan Livingston, the State Employee Bargaining Agent Coalitions chief negotiator.

“His communication could have been better as a boss. The respect shown to frontline workers as a boss could have been better and it would have made this process easier.”

Livingston continued that there’s a learning curve to dealing with organized workers, and hopefully next time Malloy will choose to work in a more cooperative way.

Despite that friction, Malloy won re-election and faced with continued budget deficits. He went back to the negotiation table with state employees in 2017 and got more concessions from state workers and sent the deal to the legislature for its approval.

The same three state Senators who Malloy blames for harming budget negotiations that year are the same ones who voted in favor of the deal he negotiated with the unions. The labor agreement accounted for about 30 percent of the two-year, $5 billion budget deficit, but it extended the deal until 2027, giving Governor-elect Ned Lamont less flexibility. There will be two more years of layoff protection for state employees when Lamont takes office and inherits a two-year, $4 billion deficit.

The 2017 labor deal increased employee pension contributions by 2 percent of pay and increased the employee share of health care premiums by 3 percent. It also created a new hybrid defined contribution pension plan for new “Tier 4” state employees that might not be competitive enough to attract good employees, according to the Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth. But within his negotiations with labor, Malloy was able to get state employees to contribute more to their health and pension benefits to reduce costs going forward.

Malloy said he believes his administration accomplished many of its goals.

“I don’t think the public understands the significance of what was accomplished,” Malloy said. “And I wish that was different, but that’s far less important than actually accomplishing them.”

Malloy said he gets blamed for the income tax increases in 2011 and 2015, but his predecessor, former Gov. M. Jodi Rell, borrowed $950 million with the help of the legislature. Those notes were paid off in January 2018 by Malloy.

“I had the high privilege of paying off her borrowing,” Malloy said.

Malloy said he doesn’t think most people understand what he was able to accomplish despite the fiscal challenges, and he added that some of that lack of understanding might be related to changes in the news industry.

When he was mayor of Stamford, Malloy said, there were far more reporters covering state and local politics in Connecticut.

And reporters wouldn’t simply report something because someone had said it.

“That rule has totally changed,” Malloy said. “Now reporters feel an obligation to report whatever somebody says. Look at Trump.”

Malloy doesn’t blame reporters, necessarily. He said part of the problem is that the economics of news reporting changed.

Asked what he would like to have named after him, Malloy said it “weirds me out” to think about that. However, he did just have his name added to a new community center in Danbury.

On Thursday, Malloy will attend a ceremony at the Museum of Connecticut History for the unveiling of his official state portrait by Connecticut artist Chris Zhang of East Lyme. The museum is the home of a collection of portraits of Connecticut governors dating back to the early 1800s.

Following his departure from office, Malloy plans to teach a class at Boston College Law School as the Rappaport Distinguished Visiting Professor. Beyond that he said he hasn’t made any future employment plans, but he will let members of the news media know what he’s up to if they are still interested in a few months.

In the meantime, he’s packing up his office and moving out of the governor’s residence and heading to a new home in Essex.

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