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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 22, 2019 - May 28, 2019

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Elicker Swings Local For The Arts THE INNER-CITY NEWS -

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

Mayoral candidate Justin Elicker’s vision for the arts can be boiled down to just two words: Support local.

As he digs into campaign season this year, eyeing a second shot at City Hall against incumbent Mayor Toni Harp, the former alder and former New Haven Land Trust executive director sat down with the Arts Paper to outline that vision, which includes providing more support to local artists, restructuring arts funding and resources, and looking closely at how a director of arts and culture can shape a city’s identity at the grassroots.

In addition to Harp, Elicker faces outsider candidates Wendy Hamilton and Urn Pendragon for the Democratic Party nomination for mayor.

For Elicker, the arts have been a constant both in and out of New Haven. Growing up in New Canaan, Conn. he had an especially musical household—his mom and dad both sang, the latter an alum of the glee club at the University of Michigan.

His dad also played the guitar, an instrument that held Elicker’s attention so greatly that he started to learn it in high school.

After a particularly bad first guitar lesson, Elicker decided to teach himself instead, working melodies out by ear.

It marked the beginning of a love affair with music that is still ongoing. Using a four-track recorder in high school, he started to experiment with harmonies, singing all four parts while accompanying himself on guitar and harmonica (he rivals Kermit The Frog’s “Rainbow Connection” in one such example below).

As a student at Middlebury College, Elicker had trouble remembering state capitals until he devised a song, and had them down in a day. He did the same with U.S. presidents, flexing a muscle for making up songs that he still likes to flex today.

In a recent interview, he joked that he sees a number of children’s albums on the far horizon, after his life in politics has ended.

In college he also joined The Dissipated Eight, an a cappella group that won awards

May 22, 2019 - May 28, 2019

for two albums on which he was featured (click here to hear him take it away on “The Bare Necessities,” sing bass harmony on Yazoo’s “Only You,” and spit on “Only If”).

By the time he moved to New Haven in 2007, he said he was thinking about how the arts functioned as a social connector, transferrable far beyond a concert hall or a cappella stage.

“I’m particularly into music, and I enjoy it for its inherent value,” he said in a recent interview at Koffee? on Audubon Street.

“But what I more enjoy it for is the way it can connect people … You have a group of people that are sitting around talking. You pull out a guitar and the atmosphere and the content of conversation, the general feeling of connection with each other changes.”

Now, he’s bringing that mellifluous view into his current campaign. It’s not a new idea for him, but an evolving one: during his 2013 run for mayor, Elicker gave an impassioned pitch for music at an artsfocused debate, praising the creative sector as a tool for economic development, youth engagement and citywide connection.

In February 2014, he took it to his tenure at the New Haven Land Trust, expanding performing arts (and more recently, literacy) initiatives to sites in Newhallville, Fair Haven and The Hill two years ago.

In April of 2018, Bossa Nova and South African rhythm came to the English Street location in Fair Haven. Last summer, as Sofar Sounds grew right out of the soil on Truman Street, New Haveners learned to forage and eat wild plants closer to Long Wharf and perfected their down dogs with free yoga in the garden at in Fair Haven.

After leaving the organization earlier this month, he said he’s seen how arts can both activate a space and create a jobs pipeline, a realization that has led him to throw support behind local artists whenever he can.

If elected mayor, he said he plans to drastically rework the city’s Division of Arts, Culture, and Tourism, currently helmed by Andy Wolf.

In his past four years under Mayor Toni Harp, Wolf has split his focus between “branding” New Haven and bringing in

acts from both in and outside the city and the state, many of which have performed publicly on the New Haven Green or at City Hall. He has thrown the city several birthday parties, coordinated large-scale events and helped facilitate New Haven’s budding sister city relationship with Changsha, China.

“It seems like something that is significantly missing and needs to be the priority for the office is making sure New Haven artists are supported,” Elicker said. “Most of the arts organizations in New Haven are thinking and prioritizing economic development in a way of people coming in to New Haven from the suburbs and buying tickets to shows.”

For him, that means a multi-part change to the division, with a director who will work at the grassroots to bring community groups

together and make sure they are supported fiscally and otherwise. While he said those still include established institutions—those so-called “anchor” organizations that receive state line item funding, for instance— he’s more interested in small organizations such as Collective Consciousness Theatre, Bregamos Community Theater and The State House, all three of which have voiced a commitment to access, equity, and representation in their work.

Right now, he said he sees a pattern of arts funding leaving the city instead of supporting its artists, who sometimes hold down multiple jobs and still struggle financially. He criticized representatives of the city’s Percent for Art program in their decision to award a mural commission for the new Barack H. Obama Magnet University School to a New York artist, when West-

villian Noé Jimenez was among the three finalists.

He also cited the IMatter Project, by Guilford-based photographer Rob Goldman, as a commission that could have gone to a New Haven artist, particularly a person of color. In the photographs, now installed around the city, New Haven youth pose above their own “IMatter” statements, their faces fixed right at the viewer or laughing in space.

They’re complicated pieces of public art: empowering and striking through one lens, but voyeuristic and exploitative through the other. And for Elicker, they’re befuddling—because he loses count when he thinks of how many local artists could have done the job instead.

“We’re not supporting our own, believing

quarters.

Taylor said that his growing, five-yearold school has run out of room at the old St. Stanislaus Church’s parochial school on State Street. He said Booker T. Washington, which serves 360 students from kindergarten through fifth grade, can’t fit a planned added grade next year.

On State Street, “we’ve renovated the space so that even the cafeteria can be used as a classroom,” Taylor said. “We’re literally out of space.”

Taylor suggested that, starting next school year, Booker T. Washington’s fifth

and sixth graders would move in to New Light’s former location on Wooster Place.

New Light was cleared out last year. Amid a $19 million budget shortfall, the alternative school was consolidated with New Horizons and Riverside Academy. It’s now being used as a storage facility for warehoused boxes of records.

Taylor proposed fixing up New Light’s building over the summer, by completing over $155,000 in capital improvements. He said, for the first year, Booker T. Washington would cover the entire renovation bill, in lieu of rent. After that, he added, the

school would pay approximately $100,000 in rent each year, along with utility and maintenance fees.

“We don’t want to add any additional expenses to New Haven,” Taylor said. “The only thing we ask is that it would be broomclean.”

The solution is “just temporary for a couple of years,” Taylor added, as Booker T. Washington searches for a permanent home that can fit the entire school. He thought the school had located a space (he wouldn’t disclose the address), but the deal fell through.

The leaders at Varick AME Zion Church founded the school in response to frustrations of many in New Haven’s AfricanAmerican community over what they saw as limited public-school options.

In 2014, the group received a state charter, meaning the school is mostly publicly funded and mostly privately operated.

Students are admitted, tuition-free, in the district-wide lottery, with a priority going to kids who live in the Newhallville and Dixwell neighborhoods.

Booker T. Washington’s scores have been mixed. In its early years, it far outper-

Con’t on page

Shuttered School May Have New Tenant

by CHRISTOPHER PEAK

A Wooster Square school closed down by budget cuts may fill up with students again next year — this time, by a local charter operator that’s bursting out of their current space.

John Taylor, Booker T. Washington Academy’s executive director, made the pitch to rent out the former New Light High School on Wooster Place at the Board of Education’s Finance & Operations Committee meeting, which took place on Monday evening in the district’s Meadow Street head-

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 22, 2019 - May 28, 2019

Lamont Pushes Hard To Get Tolls Over Finish Line

by Christine Stuart

HARTFORD, CT — Gov. Ned Lamont encouraged lawmakers negotiating a toll proposal to move forward with the legislation and get a vote.

“I’m ready for them to bring that out to the floor. Let’s get that to see the light of day and have a vote on it,” Lamont said.

However, Sen. Carlo Leone, D-Stamford, who co-chairs the Transportation Committee, said they’re not there yet. He said they’re still working on some details and “getting close.”

With less than four weeks left in the legislative session, Leone acknowledged the need to get it done sooner rather than later, but he doesn’t want to rush it. He said he would rather get it right and wait on a vote.

But Lamont, who has used all of his political capital on this proposal, is anxious for a vote. He said there’s very little left to negotiate and he’s ready for them to call the amendment.

“We’ve got a bill out there with a solution to our long-term transportation needs,” Lamont said.

The problem is most lawmakers haven’t seen it, which makes it difficult to get a vote count. Some lawmakers are refusing to commit to voting for something they have yet to read.

Lamont sought to offer lawmakers additional money in the short-term to help make sure the current transportation system doesn’t fall into a state of disrepair. He also sought to offer a compromise to having the full General Assembly vote on a toll plan, if

it receives approval from the Federal Highway Administration.

“I heard you when you said that you wanted more line-of-sight into the state’s long-range transportation planning and development, which is why the bill creates a Connecticut Transportation Commission — a bipartisan group of legislators, commissioners and the treasurer, to review and approve DOT’s plan,” Lamont wrote in a letter to lawmakers Thursday. “And let’s harness the opportunity that short-term borrowing provides us, and invest $100 million in rail and transit across the state.”

Instead of the $250 million in general obligation bonds the bipartisan budget proposed in 2018, Lamont is looking to reduce that to $100 million.

“Tolls would be a standalone bill, but it doesn’t make sense to do tolls if we don’t do a short-term fix,” Leone said Thursday.

Lamont said the $100 million he wants to spend would be focused mainly on rail, such as Shoreline East and Metro-North.

“We want to get this going soon,” Lamont said. “But the real thing is how do you have a sustainable revenue stream to fix our transportation. Nobody has a better idea than tolling. If we borrow the money it’s 110 percent paid for by us. The 10 percent is the interest rate you’ll be paying every couple of years.”

Lamont said Friday that the tolling proposal will still include 50 gantries on I-84, I-91, I-95 and Route 15. There were rumors that Lamont would take tolls off Route 15 to get more votes from lawmakers from Fairfield and New Haven County, but his

CHRISTINE STUART / CTNEWSJUNKIE PHOTO

Gov. Ned Lamont near the Charter Oak Bridge staff insisted that’s not going to be part of the proposal.

Lamont said they are working on making sure they’re able to give a discount to working families and pre-load that onto their EZ-Pass.

“I also know that we need to do something to help families who are getting squeezed, which is why our bill allows for a monthly credit loaded on an EZ-Pass, as well as ways to load cash on the passes at local convenience stores,” Lamont said in his letter Thursday.

Lamont had the press conference Friday

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at the Hartford Regional Market near the Charter Oak Bridge interchange where traffic was crawling. He was surrounded by labor, business, and local elected officials who endorsed the concept of tolls.

Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano, RNorth Haven, said he’s still disappointed the governor remains unwilling to consider alternatives.

“The proposal outlined in Gov. Lamont’s letter today is the same ‘plan’ he has been talking about for months. It is a plan that is based on hypothetical sketch numbers, that has never been shared with the federal gov-

ernment, and that takes the full General Assembly out of the decision making when it comes to how tolls will actually impact our residents and local communities,” Fasano said. “Gov. Lamont’s proposal is a new tax not only on residents here and now, but on all future generations who will be paying tolls for years to come.”

Republicans have proposed using about $700 million a year, currently earmarked for other capital projects for transportation without borrowing more than $1.9 billion a year.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS -

May 22, 2019 - May 28, 2019

Ninety fourth-graders from New Haven celebrated the completion of Netter Junior Health Professions Club Read Forward Challenge at Quinnipiac University on May 17

North Haven, Connecticut May 20, 2019 – Ninety fourth-graders from New Haven visited Quinnipiac University on Friday, May 17, to celebrate their completion of the Netter Junior Health Professions Club Read Forward Challenge.

The challenge was sponsored by Quinnipiac’s Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine’s Health Career Pathways (HCP) program.

Throughout the academic year, Quinnipiac medical and undergraduate students joined Renee Loren Griffin, Health Career Pathways program engagement specialist, in visiting the children at Edgewood and Celentano schools. They challenged the students to read five books featuring animated superhero/scientist Max Axiom – “The Basic Life of Cells,” “Decoding Genes,” “A Journey through the Digestive System,” “The Powerful World of Energy” and “Adventures in Sound.”

“These kids really enjoy comic books and graphic novels,” said Kirsten Surdej, a fourth-grade teacher at Edgewood School.

“The science concepts that they are learning are very advanced, but they are understanding them because of the Max Axiom series. It definitely increases their reading comprehension and vocabulary, and they are starting to process and learn about some pretty abstract concepts.”

The fourth-graders were required to report on each book and to participate in related scientific-themed experiments with the Quinnipiac students.

Celentano School fourth-grader Javaeh Denby said the program made learning interesting.

“Science is fun,” she added. “We got to do different experiments and learn something new about science.”

Friday’s celebration of the Netter Junior Club included group presentations from the

fourth-graders and an awards ceremony as well as pizza and ice cream.

“This outreach is important because we target underrepresented populations in the community in terms of health care professions and science,” said Charles Collier, assistant dean of Health Career Pathways.

“Connecting with the children as early as we can in the educational pipeline will hopefully increase the representation in health profession careers once they are older.”

About the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University The Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine, which opened in 2013, develops physicians to become integral members of patient-centered health care teams, working closely with other health professionals to provide comprehensive care. The faculty members and administrators are accomplished educators, scholars and experts in their respective medical specialties. The school’s curriculum, which includes clinical experience and research opportunities, is taught by faculty members who strive to provide a solid foundation in medical sciences. The medical school is fully accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. The school is also authorized by the state of Connecticut to award MD degrees. The school is a member of the Association of American Medical Colleges. Clinical affiliations include St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, Trinity Health of New England and many other hospitals. The school is named for Dr. Frank H. Netter, a world-renowned medical illustrator whose drawings and atlases have educated medical students for decades. For more information, please visit qu.edu. Connect with Quinnipiac on Facebook at www. facebook.com/QuinnipiacUNews and follow Quinnipiac on Twitter @QuinnipiacU.

Event organizers and Mayor Toni Harp Tuesday announced a diverse lineup of “hip and historic” summer events in New Haven ranging from theater, sports, film, and music.

New Haveners can expect to see a mix of events revolving around cultural education and seasonal entertainment, particularly with the help of William Dixon, deputy director of recreations at New Haven’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Trees.

Dixon has worked to bring many of the organizations ideas for outdoor events to become realities like the New Haven Food Truck Festival and the Dixwell Freddy Fixer Neighborhood Festival.

Those and other events were announced at a press conference at the Canal Dock Boathouse on Long Wharf.

The events aim to show New Haven as a “caring, humanistic, and fun city” said Dakibu Muley, New Haven government’s

MAYA MCFADDEN PHOTO

Dixon discusses his work to develop local ideas and interest.

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Caption: Celentano School student Javaeh Denby displays a poster she made about the digestive system. Denby was one of 90 fourth-graders from New Haven who visited Quinnipiac University on Friday, May 17, to celebrate their completion of the Netter Junior Health Professions Club Read Forward Challenge

2019 Summer Events Lineup Announced

by MAYA MCFADDEN

John P. Thomas

community services administrator.

What was formally known as “Hoop It Up,” an outdoor basketball tournament that blocks off Church Street downtown, has been renamed “CB3B.” Jason Bartlett, director of New Haven’s youth services department, announced the event’s dates on Aug. 3 and 4 this summer. Bartlett also announced that the department is currently accepting donations to continue its efforts to provide New Haven youth with jobs through its Youth@Work program which has been known for its success in providing 600-700 youths ages 14-21 with summer employment experience in a variety of the cities departments.

“We work very hard to keep our youth busy and productive in the community,” said Bartlett.

The International Festival of Arts & Ideas lasts 15 days this year and includes both free and ticketed events. Harp said she is excited for the reintroduction of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) “Big

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Read,” which will center the novel The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri.

“It really challenges our thinking and feeds our hearts,” said Chad Herzog, director of programming for the International Festival of Arts & Ideas.

Anne Worcester, executive director and chief marketing officer at Market New Haven, announced that artist Lisa Lisa and Morris Day will perform at this summers’ New Haven Music on the Green event.

“Everyone should celebrate their summer in New Haven,” said Worcester. The press conference was hosted by Market New Haven, the City of New Haven, and Economic Development Corporation of New Haven.

John Pescatore announced that the fourth annual Canal Dock Dragon Boat Regatta will happen on Saturday, June 1.

Many ideas that the organizations worked on this summer and in the past have come from community members and the public.

“You got to get engaged otherwise it will flop,” said Dixon.

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

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 22, 2019 - May 28, 2019

House Sends Minimum Wage Hike To Senate After Marathon Debate

by Christine Stuart

HARTFORD, CT — At 10 p.m. Wednesday the House began debate on a bill that would increase Connecticut’s minimum wage to $15 an hour and raise the wages of 332,000 workers in the state. The bill passed 85 to 59 after noon Thursday and is headed to the Senate.

The 14-hour debate showed just how deeply divided Democrats and Republicans are over economic policy, and also over what an increase in the minimum wage might do for Connecticut’s efforts to recover all the jobs it lost in 2008.

According to Democrats, the minimum wage hike will put more money back into the economy through an increase in disposable spending by low-income employees, but Republicans believe businesses will decrease hours, lay off workers, increase prices on consumers, and favor automation.

The bill will raise the minimum wage over 4.5 years and then index it to the employment cost index (ECI). The current minimum wage of $10.10 an hour will increase to $11 in October, $12 on Sept. 1, 2020, $13 on Aug. 1, 2021, $14 on July 1, 2022, and then $15 on June 1, 2023.

The bill will also create a training wage for 16- and 17-year-olds, which will be 85 percent of the minimum wage for up to 90 days. After that the rate will go up to the minimum wage.

The bill was a compromise “to make sure this is a bill that all can be comfortable with,” Rep. Robyn Porter, D-New Haven, said.

“This is personal for me,” Porter said, adding that she has “constituents in my district and friends throughout this state who struggle working two or three jobs to make ends meet.”

Rep. Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, said the bill was also personal for him too because it impacts him as an employer.

“It’s probably the scariest piece of legislation that I’ve seen in the 13 years that I’ve served in this chamber,” Candelora said.

He said he’s going to have to lay off some of his full-time employees to employ his part-time workers, who are mostly young and entry level. He said if the legislation becomes law there won’t be jobs for 16and 17-year-olds.

“Our employees become part of our family,” Candelora said.

Rep. Anthony D’Amelio, R-Waterbury, who owns a restaurant, said he doesn’t have the money to automate some of his services like larger companies. He said he was speaking with the owner of Nardelli’s, a small Connecticut sandwich chain, who will have to automate because they can’t afford the increase.

He said they can’t charge $18 for a sandwich to be able to afford an increase in the minimum wage of this magnitude.

“You can’t get money out of a stone. When the money’s not there, it’s just not there,” D’Amelia said.

D’Amelia said workers will “be replaced with robots.” In fact, it’s already happening, “You go to Stop and Shop you got a robot going up and down the aisle and then you’ve go to the check out and you have to

do it yourself.”

Gov. Ned Lamont applauded passage of the bill.

“If our economy doesn’t work for everyone, then it doesn’t work. It’s that simple,” Lamont said. “I’m doing everything possible to engage the business community so they can grow here, relocate or stay and hire Connecticut residents who represent the top workforce in the country. In order to grow, we need policies that protect our workforce and the small businesses who need them.”

But proponents of the increase in the minimum wage didn’t get everything they wanted.

Porter was disappointed she was unable to negotiate an increase in the tip credit that servers and bartenders are paid. The legislation decouples the tip credit from the minimum wage and freezes it at $6.38 for servers and $8.23 for bartenders.

The Connecticut Restaurant Association lobbied hard to maintain the current tip credit and against misconceptions about the restaurant business.

“We’re pleased that the legislature listened to us,” Scott Dolch, executive director of the Connecticut Restaurant Association, said. “At the same time, 4.5 years is better than 3, but I still have concerns about how it’s going to impact the industry.”

Porter said the Democratic caucus didn’t have the “political will” to increase the tip credit. It was an argument Porter lost.

“Business doesn’t make money unless they have workers who are doing the job,” Porter said.

The bill was given to Republicans in the House around 9:45 p.m. after Democrats in the Senate and Gov. Ned Lamont’s office had finished negotiating it.

House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby, said she was not involved in the negotiations over the bill so she was unable to promise Democrats that her side would limit debate.

“That means they were playing politics with what’s in the best interest of the state of Connecticut and that’s a very sad day for me,” Klarides said.

CHRISTINE STUART / CTNEWSJUNKIE PHOTO Rep. Robyn Porter She said there’s no denying that “Connecticut is a terrible state to do business in. We are the last state to come back for jobs, and people are moving out of here in droves.”

Rep. Joe Polletta, R-Watertown, said the minimum wage is a starting point, but it’s not living wage.

“We are not lifting anyone out of poverty at $15 an hour,” Polletta said.

However, what concerned him the most was the decision to index the minimum wage in 2024 to the Employee Cost Index.

“The fact that we sit here — that we are

elected by our constituents to make decisions on their behalf — and our hands are tied forever,” Polletta said. “How irresponsible is it for us to vote for something that ties the hands of this body.”

He said it’s also an unfunded mandate for municipalities who might hire youth during the summer. Porter countered that it actually saves towns about $1,500 per youth worker because the wage will be lower than the minimum wage for those seasonal employees.

However, the minimum wage will in-

crease costs to municipalities that employ minimum wage workers, according to the Office of Fiscal Analysis report. Depending on the size of the municipality the increase could be anywhere between $50,000 for smaller towns like Torrington to $1 million to Bridgeport.

The fiscal impact of the minimum wage would continue into the future as the minimum wage is adjusted annually.

The legislation will increase state contracts $1.2 million in FY 20, $3.9 million in FY 21, $7.9 million in FY 22, and $17.3 million in FY 23.

The amendment could also result in increased costs of $1.1 million in FY 20, $2.9 million in FY 21, $4.7 million in FY 22, and $6.6 million in FY 23 in association with the Family Child Care Provider collective bargaining agreement, if the current provisions of the contract are maintained.

The legislation does not exempt nursing home workers from the increase in the minimum wage. The nursing home workers voted again Wednesday to authorize a strike, setting a walk out date of June 3.

The nursing home workers had called off a strike earlier this month when it looked as if the Medicaid budget would be increased by $23 million a year. That money would be used for wage increases.

House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, said they heard a bunch of stats and statistics from Republicans during the debate that they had no opportunity to verify.

He said they do know that the state is down 14,000 positions since 2008, which is a huge loss of jobs in the public sector.

House Majority Leader Matt Ritter, DHartford, said for such dire predictions on the economy in the state of Connecticut the revenues grew $300 million in 2020 and $425 million in growth in revenue in 2021 “because of what I think is a healthy economy here in Connecticut.”

As far as the length of the debate, Aresimowicz said the death penalty was eight hours in 2012. It was actually nine hours, but still shorter than the debate on the minimum wage.

Yale Student Guilty of ‘Sleeping While Black’ Graduates and Heads To Another Prestigious University BlackNews.com

New Haven, CT — Lolade Siyonbola, a Yale student who was questioned by police for ‘sleeping while Black’ in her dorm, has recently earned her master’s degree in African studies with a discipline area of sociology. She is set to continue her doctoral studies at Cambridge University in the UK. Last year, Siyonbola was writing a term paper in their dorm’s common area when she fell asleep. She was startled when she was woken up by campus police which was called by her white dorm-mate, Sarah Braasch, to report her.

“I was livid, I was livid. As disappointed as I was, as irritated as I was, I wasn’t shocked,” she told WTNH News 8 during a recent interview. “I was just, like, the nerve.

It was just, like, classic, textbook profiling.

Disrupting my time, disrupting my freedom

to exist because you are programmed think that all Black people are dangerous.”

Siyonbola filmed the 15-minuted interaction with the police that ended only after they saw her student ID. She posted the video on social media and it immediately went viral, with people creating the hashtag “sleeping while Black.”

Despite the stress that the incident caused her, she continued her studies at Yale. She recently graduated with a master’s degree in African Studies with a focus on Sociology. She also received a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to study at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom where she decided to pursue her Ph.D. in sociology.

“I came here to get what’s mine. I came here to get what belongs to me and what I’m entitled to, and what I need to fulfill my purpose in the world.”

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS -

May 22, 2019 - May 28, 2019

House Passes Gun Storage Law with Bipartisan Support

by Jack Kramer

Ct. news Junkie

HARTFORD, CT — “Ethan’s Law” which would require all firearms, loaded and unloaded, to be safely stored in homes occupied by minors under 18 years of age easily passed the House on Tuesday with bipartisan support.

The bill, which passed by a 127-16 vote, would allow prosecutors to criminally charge the owner of a gun that isn’t properly stored. It now moves to the Senate.

Gov. Ned Lamont has already endorsed the legislation.

Connecticut’s current safe storage law only requires that loaded firearms be properly stored “if a minor is likely to gain access to the firearm without the permission of the parent or guardian of the minor.”

Ethan Song, of Guilford, died of a selfinflicted gunshot. The 15-year-old accidentally shot himself in the head in January 2018, the Waterbury state’s attorney’s office said after concluding its investigation.

A juvenile friend of Ethan’s was charged with second-degree manslaughter in the death.

Ethan’s parents, Kristin and Mike Song, have become nationally known advocates for stronger gun storage laws since the death of their son.

The Songs watched the vote from the House gallery.

Following the vote, Kristin Song used a word that’s she’s used before to describe her feelings as the legislation has moved forward “bittersweet.”

CHRISTINE STUART / CTNEWSJUNKIE PHOTO

Kristin Song receives a hug and Michael Song clutches his hands to gesture thanks to the House Song spent her morning picking out a tombstone for her son, which is something she said she’s been unable to do since his death.

“I just kept thinking how ironic it was that I was picking out a tombstone for my son on the same day we’re going up to do Ethan’s Law,” Song said.

but those votes wouldn’t be needed if all or even a vast majority of the Democrats in the House and Senate voted to legalize.

But those votes at least right now don’t seem to be there, even though recent polls have indicated that a majority of Connecticut residents favor legalization.

And the clergy in attendance at Friday’s press conference mean to keep it that way.

“Don’t let big money mess with our kids,” said Abraham Hernandez, pastor for the Second Star of David Christian Church in New Haven.

Hernandez also urged legislators to “not fall for the rhetoric” they’ve heard from some proponents that legalization would address the issue of minorities being arrested as a higher rate than caucasians. ‘“That rhetoric really stirs us,” Hernandez said. “Our residents are being misled and it’s just not right.”

Also imploring the legislators to “just say” no was the Rev. Carl McCluster, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Bridgeport.

“I wear a tie every day but I took my tie off today because it’s time for a fight,” McCluster said.

McCluster said he was ready to fight the “thugs who have come into our community, into our state, to advocate for activities to

destroy our youth.”

McCluster said he might be “on the streets today” if he didn’t straighten himself out after “at age 16 some of my friends enticed me to try marijuana.”

McCluster said the high from pot wasn’t enough for him so he moved on to harder drugs, a concern he said he has for youth today if marijuana is legalized in Connecticut.

He also said he can’t stomach the argument that if marijuana is legalized that some money should be spent on funding drug addiction programs.

“So we’re going to get the money from marijuana and we’re going to use part of it to treat the problem that the money creates,” McCluster said incredulously. “That doesn’t make sense to me.”

A bill which passed the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee last week by a vote of 29-21 would establish a state gross receipts tax of 6.35% on retail cannabis sales for adult use and a 3% local sales tax on retail sales.

All of the state tax revenue would be deposited into the Community Development Corporation Trust Fund to pay for things like early literacy education and community development corporations that focus

Michael Song said at times during the debate he felt like Ethan was right next to him and at other times he was so far away from him that he couldn’t bear it.

“To see people meet in the middle is really gratifying,” Song said.

Kristin Song added that she’s “so happy people are willing to step up and make a change, especially the Republicans.”

She said she was perplexed by some of the pushback against the bill because it doesn’t infringe on anybody’s right to own a gun.

“We have so much more in common than what separates us. We all want to keep our loved ones safe, we all want to keep guns out of the hands of the bad guys, we all want a safer America,” Kristin Song said.

“There is a balance between freedom and responsibility. Freedom is great, but it has always come with limits.”

Rep. Sean Scanlon, D-Guilford, told his colleagues: “My community, my hometown suffered an unspeakable tragedy.

Ethan’s parents did everything right; they raised Ethan and two other kids as best as they could and yet, there was nothing they could do.

“Somebody else, a different person, improperly stored a firearm,” Scanlon said.

Looking up at the gallery where the Songs were listening to the debate, Scanlon told the couple that they “have showed more courage than I thought was possible in two people.”

Scanlon continued: “To bury a child and then go out in public and try and change something, try to change our state. But to-

day we are going to do something very special in his honor and your honor.”

Rep. Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, whose district includes Guilford, worked with Scanlon and the other shoreline legislators on the bill and has noted in the past that he was one who has not been a strong supporter of repealing gun owner rights.

But he said “Ethan’s Law” was an example “of the way we should do things in this chamber,” noting the bill came from dialogues between legislators of both parties, rather than confrontation. Again, referring to the Songs, Candelora said: “I hope this bill will start the healing process for them.”

Part of the language bill does not mandate but rather calls for state education officials to provide guidance to local school districts on developing firearm safety programs in schools.

The president of largest Second Amendment organization in Connecticut, Connecticut Citizens Defense League President Scott Wilson, was happy that language is part of the bill.

“Rather than criminalizing gun ownership, teaching children to understand the importance of what can happen if a firearm is handled without adult supervision is much more important,” Wilson said.

The Songs will be making a return trip to Washington later this month, Kristin Song said, when Connecticut Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro is expected to introduce federal legislation modeled after Connecticut’s “Ethan’s Law” bill.

Clergy to Legislators: ‘Just Say No’

by Jack Kramer

Ct. news Junkie

HARTFORD, CT — Clergy from across Connecticut came to Hartford on Friday to make a passionate pitch to legislators to resist backing the legalization of recreational marijuana.

While bills calling for legalization have made it through various committees, none have been called for a vote or even a debate on the House or Senate floor. And the clock is ticking toward the end of the legislative session at midnight, June 5.

The group of clergy on Friday urged legislators to resist the temptation or promised dollars that legalization would bring to the cash-starved state, stating that the cost of legalization would far outweigh the benefit.

One of those legislators was Rep. Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, who was in attendance at the press conference and has been a consistent voice against legalization.

“This has to do with quality of life and other social impacts,” Candelora said. “Connecticut is going in the wrong direction with legalization and I hope we are able to stop it this session.”

Currently, not a single Republican in either the House or Senate has said they would support legalizing recreational marijuana,

6

COURTESY OF CT-N

Abraham Hernandez, pastor for the Second Star of David Christian Church in New Haven on improving the lives of people living in economically distressed and underserved communities.

Local tax funds would go to the localities where the retail sales occurred.

An amendment was attached to the bill stipulating that an unspecified amount of funding taken in from legalization would

be set aside to treat mental health and addiction issues in all of the state’s communities.

Proponents stress that the amendment was put into place to ensure some of the money is spent on helping with such services only when and if recreational marijuana is legalized.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 22, 2019 - May 28, 2019

DeLauro Blasts GOP on Child Welfare at the Border

by Peter Urban

Ct. news Junkie

WASHINGTON – The House ended the week on a raucous note Friday as Representative Rosa DeLauro raged against Republican colleagues over a Trump Administration policy that last year lead to thousands of children being separated from their parents as they crossed into the United States at the border with Mexico.

DeLauro launched into her attack Friday as the House wrapped up debate on a $17 billion disaster relief bill. Republicans offered a “motion to recommit” – a routine procedural tactic the minority party uses to highlight shortcomings in the majority party’s legislation. In this case, Texas Representative Kay Granger, the ranking Republican on the Appropriations Committee, sought to add to the bill a recent Trump request for $2.9 billion in emergency funding to care for unaccompanied children.

Granger said the federal government had nearly 13,000 unaccompanied children in its care at the end of April and if trends continue it would run out of funds needed to care for them. The motion to

recommit, she said, would have given the House a chance to pay for the necessary expenditures before that occurs.

Granger noted that a similar request was made – and rejected - earlier in the week on an appropriations bill that would fund the Department of Health and Human Services. DeLauro, who chairs the committee, was miffed by the implication that her panel was ignoring the children.

DeLauro assured the House that Democrats are seriously reviewing the request but want answers from the Trump administration on how it will be allocated to make certain it pays for mental health and legal services that she claims have gone wanting. She then blasted GOP colleagues for failing to agree to spending $4.5 billion next year for childcare and child welfare.

“They said ‘no.’ They said ‘no’ to this, so don’t be fooled,” DeLauro said. And, then added that all this is happening on the “one year anniversary of a child abuse policy” that separated children at the border. “You should have cared for them last year and every day since,” she said.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS -

332,000 May Get Raises. Waiters’ll Wait May 22, 2019 - May 28, 2019

by SAM GURWITT

Twenty hours after State Rep. Robyn Porter led the charge to get a $15 minimum wage through the Connecticut House of Representatives, she sat with constituents in the Three Brothers Diner relishing a years-in-the-making victory. The victory was checked only by a compromise proponents had to make, which exempted from the raise the servers bringing plates of eggs and toast.

The Connecticut House started its debate at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, and didn’t vote until 12 p.m. on Thursday. Porter, who represents portions of Hamden and New Haven, was on the floor the whole time. She came to Three Brothers Friday on two and a half hours of sleep.

Working to raises to $11 in October for 332,000 workers, ramping up to $15 by 2023, was worth it, she said.

“It’s kind of surreal right now,” she said.

“I know what happened, but I’m coming into the fullness of what we were able to do.”

The State Senate still needs to pass the bill, which would then go to the governor for a final signature. Porter said that if the bill passes, it will give people in her district spending power and dignity and address income inequality.

Though Thursday’s vote was a major victory, proponents like Porter did not get everything they wanted. The process of winning enough votes to pass the bill included a compromise that denied the wage increase to tip-earners like restaurant workers.

Servers currently earn $6.38 per hour, and bartenders earn $8.23. Tips are supposed to make up the difference between those wages and the minimum wage. When they don’t, Porter said, businesses are supposed to make up for that difference, but that doesn’t always happen.

Porter said she wanted to raise the bar-

SAM GURWITT PHOTO

Robyn Porter with constituents at Three Brothers. tender wage to $12.23 by 2023, but that was one place she had to compromise. If server wages don’t increase by 2023, tips will have to make up the difference between $15 and $6.38 and $8.23 for servers and bartenders respectively “I had to swallow it because I couldn’t sacrifice those 332,000 who will get a raise,” she said.

For the wait staff at Three Brothers, over the Hamden line on Dixwell Avenue, that raise would help.

Joanie Smith, who served plates of eggs and toast to Porter’s constituents Friday morning, said that tips often don’t even make up the difference between the “seven and change” she’s paid and the state’s current $10.10 minimum wage. She said it used to, but not anymore.

“[People] don’t tip the servers as much as they used to,” she said. “I’m not making as much money as I was ten years ago.”

Friday morning was not a good one for her.

From the table with Porter’s eight constituents she said she earned $4. (Porter herself did not order food).

The week before, State Sen. George Logan held a similar breakfast event. Anibal Bibal, who served that table, said he had made $5. ”Workers in Porter’s district said that a $15 minimum wage would make a big difference.

Robert Boyd, who works at the Burger King on Dixwell slightly south of the Three Brothers Diner, said that the current $10.10 wage is not enough for him because he’s married.

The raise “would help out a lot with expenses and stuff. It would help out quite a lot,” he told the Independent. He doesn’t work full time at Burger King, and he said he usually makes somewhere between $600 and $700 a month there. But his rent is around $1,300.

How do he and his wife get by?

“Struggling. Just barely by the skin of our teeth.” He said his wife also works, and he tries to take on side jobs whenever he can.

What would he be able to afford with a $15 hourly wage?

“Food. Extra food.”

Across the street at Dunkin’ Donuts, a worker who asked that her name not be used said $15 would definitely help. She and her boyfriend pay around $950 in monthly rent, After all of her bills are taken

care of, she has about $20-$30 a week she can spend on herself.

“It gets me by, so I can’t complain.”

In the debate on the House floor, Republicans argued that a wage increase would hurt small business owners.

Porter said that she had spoken to business owners in her district, and that “they say, ‘We’ll figure it out.’ And I understand that mentality. Because when you have to make a way out of no way,” you make it work.

In addition, she said, a raised “minimum wage is a revenue driver,” she added.

“Wage growth equals economic growth.”

Edmund Funaro, owner of Visel’s Pharmacy on Dixwell Avenue in New Haven, said that he would be fine.

“Any increase in overhead is potentially detrimental to the business, but we’ll make do. We want to make sure everyone has a fair wage,” he said. “My bottom line is we try to make sure we take care of our staff and are equitable.”

The owner of a nearby business, who asked that his business not be named, had a less optimistic view.

“I’m not against minimum wages. because people need to make enough money,” he said. But, he added, “my revenue cannot compensate my employees at $15 an hour.”

He said that in order for his business to survive with a $15 wage, he would need the economy to grow, which he said he doesn’t see happening in Connecticut.

Porter said last Thursday’s vote was a major step in improving equity in the state, though she said that ultimately she would like to see major systematic change, starting with those at the bottom of the economic ladder.

“You start on the ground. You start with the people that are impacted. I believe that the power has to be close to the pain,” she said. Otherwise, conditions for those most in need will not change.

“The tide does not lift all boats. All yachts maybe, but not all boats.”

Permanent Affordable Housing Commission Proposed

by THOMAS BREEN

Board of Alders leadership has formally proposed the creation of a permanent Affordable Housing Commission charged with studying and issuing policy recommendations around affordable housing in the city.

The new 15-person body would include four members with lived experience as tenants of affordable housing, and seven members who are subject experts, community organizers, and/or developers.

Board of Alders President Tyisha WalkerMyers and the five other members of the local legislative leadership team submitted the proposed ordinance to the full board as a communication for Monday night’s meeting. The proposal would then go to a board committee for consideration.

The proposal follows up on the aldermanic

Finance Committee’s recommended approval on May 16 of next fiscal year’s budget, which the alders amended to include over $92,000 to fund the commission’s first year of work.

The proposed permanent commission, which emerged from the Affordable Housing Task Force’s final list of recommendations after a months-long investigation into the city’s affordable housing crisis, would consist of 15 members: eight to be appointed by the alders, seven to be appointed by the mayor.

Those members would include one alder, a representative from the mayor’s office, the director of the city’s Economic Development Administration, the president of the city’s housing authority, four members of the public with “specific and relevant lived experience as tenants or occupants of affordable housing and who reflect the diver-

sity of the City” and seven members who are “subject experts, members of community engagement organizations, members of fair housing organizations, members of the development community, or interested stakeholders.”

The commission would be staffed by the executive director of the city’s anti-blight Livable City Initiative (LCI).

The commission would be required to submit a yearly report, including policy recommendations, to the mayor and to the Board of Alders about the state of affordable housing in the city. Its first report would have to be submitted within six months of the commission’s establishment.

According to the city’s website, the city already has 46 different boards and commissions.

Proposed Ordinance Below is the proposed Affordable Housing

8

THOMAS BREEN PHOTO

Activists Sade and Donny at an affordable housing rally.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 22, 2019 - May 28, 2019

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4/30/19 6:16 PM

THE INNER-CITY NEWS -

May 22, 2019 - May 28, 2019

Ethics Board Grapples With LCI Sales

by THOMAS BREEN

Should the sister of a city employee be able to purchase a city-built two-family home in Fair Haven Heights? Should she qualify for city-financed down payment assistance for her mortgage?

And what about the sister of the realtor whom the city hired to market the new Fair Haven Heights housing project? Is it a conflict of interest for a relative of a city contractor to be first in line for the high-indemand, publicly-funded homeownership opportunity?

The city’s Board of Ethics grappled with those questions at a special meeting held on Tuesday afternoon in the Corporation Counsel’s library on the fourth floor of City Hall. After debate, it scheduled a followup meeting on the matters. The meeting’s agenda suggested that the government Livable City Initiative (LCI) may be far ahead of other departments in informing staffers of ethics laws and the need to resolve potential conflicts.

Rare Meeting The board, which has only two members and is staffed by Assistant Corporation Counsel Kathleen Foster, didn’t make any formal decisions Tuesday on the two Judith Terrace questions, or on a third matter related to a city employee’s husband who has submitted an application to work on a cityfunded housing rehabilitation project at 10 Orchard St. The meeting offered a rare glimpse at the workings of a public body

ALLAN APPEL PHOTO Officials

cut the ribbon at Judith Terrace.

that, though it seldom meets, is charged by the city charter with providing broadreaching oversight over potential conflicts of interest regarding city employees and their family.

The board doesn’t go out looking for complaints, said Chair Leslie Arthur, a local antiquarian bookseller who worked for 17 years as a complex litigation paralegal.

Rather, it relies on employees to reach out to the board with questions and concerns about whether or not a personal or professional relationship might be in violation of the city’s code of ethics.

“We try to reasonably assess whether any kind of benefit is being derived by this person that wouldn’t also be given to a person that is working outside the city,” she

said, “or more consideration given to that person. We have questions surrounding that whole kind of thing.”

Because so few employees reach out on a regular basis, Arthur said, the board hasn’t met since January. And at that meeting, according to minutes posted on the city’s website, the board discussed only processes for filing complaints and concerns about a long-standing vacancy in the board’s third member spot.

The last time the board met to discuss a substantive potential ethical concern was in January 2017. It didn’t meet once in 2018.

Or in 2016. Or in 2015.

The board scheduled a follow-up meeting for June 4, when the members plan to talk with the employees involved in the items discussed on Tuesday. They then plan to issue a recommendation on whether or not any of the proposed transactions present actual conflicts of interest and should be scrapped.

The first two questions posed to the board Tuesday both involved Judith Terrace, where the city’s anti-blight Livable City Initative (LCI) recently completed the first phase of an affordable housing construction project. LCI Executive Director, who was present at Tuesday’s meeting, explained that her department recently cut the ribbon on five two-family homes built atop formerly junked empty lots in Fair Haven Heights. The buyers have to be owner-occupants, she said, though they do have the Con’t on page 02

Where Do We Go From Here?

by MARKESHIA RICKS

Faith and community leaders are asking how best to move forward in rebuilding trust with the police after Hamden and Yale officers shot at two unarmed people in the Newhallville section of the city.

That question was posed at a forum held at Varick Memorial AME Zion Church on Dixwell Avenue Thursday evening. Retired New Haven Police Chief Anthony Campbell had an answer for the nearly 25 people who showed up.

He told them to keep talking and bring more people. He also told them that the April 16 shooting in Newhallville should change the concept of community policing for the better.

Campbell, who currently works for New Haven State’s Attorney Pat Griffin, walked those in attendance through the investigatory process, which is now in the hands of the state. While he couldn’t provide specific details about findings, he let them know that an investigation of officer-involved shootings usually takes a long time.

But this particular investigation is moving along quickly in the interest of transparency.

“He understands that this is an event that has traumatized the community,” Campbell

said of Griffin. “He has committed in collaboration with the commissioner to two to three months at best. It will probably be sooner.”

Campbell said that the work of rebuilding trust between the community involves open and honest dialogue. He said that rebuilding trust will have to result in a change in policing. While New Haven has become nationally and internationally recognized for its efforts in community policing, the officer-involved shooting in Newhallville and Wethersfield mean some things have to change. particularly in surrounding communities, Campbell argued.

“When we say move beyond, I don’t mean getting back to things as they were before, but making things better,” he said.

He called for “a whole new way of doing policing.”

“You have to know the pulse of your community,” he said. “And far too often many surrounding towns don’t know that pulse.”

“I’m a father of three sons,” he added, “and when I see things like that I think, ‘My God, that could be my son.’ I’m in law enforcement and I don’t feel good about the things that have happened in our state in the last three years. I think there have to be some changes.”

While he spoke, Bridgeport police arrested

MARKESHIA RICKS PHOTO

Anthony Campbell at Varick Thursday evening.

protesters at an anti-police violence rally in that city, including New Haven organizer

10

Kerry Ellington — and even handcuffed and detained a Hearst reporter

Con’t from page 02

Elicker Swings Local For The Arts in our own … particularly people of color that may not have the network and connections,” he said. “And so it does two things.

It sends money outside of New Haven, when our money should stay in New Haven at every opportunity we have, and it doesn’t support New Haven artists that are trying to grow.”

If elected, that philosophy of keeping it local extends to the position, which he’d like to see doing more work across city departments. He cited areas that he sees intersecting with the arts, but from which the division is largely absent, namely education, parks, recreation and trees and youth services. He criticized the current administration for bringing the arts, culture and tourism director to China, a decision that followed Wolf’s assistance in securing Changsha as a sister city to New Haven.

“We should be more deliberate, beyond the cost of that department, about the ways the city spends money to support the arts and ways the city doesn’t,” he said. “I think it sets the tone that we’re looking outside of New Haven instead of spending that kind of money on New Haven residents.”

While he would not name any specific people he sees in the role of arts czar in an Elicker administration, he added that “for every department head, we need people that are highly qualified, have experience in the area, that are representative of the city, that look like the city, and that have strong integrity. The arts is no different.”

He said he’s also working to bridge a stark racial divide that ultimately defined the 2013 election—and sees the arts as an active part of that.

He criticized the city’s nearly-singular focus on luxury housing as economic development and praised job training initiatives at sites including the Connecticut Center for Arts & Technology (ConnCAT), which has announced its plan to expand this year.

He echoed the need for cross-sector job creation, for which there has been an artsdriven push at the state level with the proposal for a Cultural Facilities Fund.

He also said he sees the arts as deeply interconnected with the social justice community much of which is not white—and plans to champion those advocates and activists if elected. He criticized the amount of time it took to pass a Civilian Review Board with subpoena power, and what he sees as the mayor’s resistance to passing official sanctuary city legislation. In New Haven’s activist circles, he said he sees strong overlaps with the arts, which are often employed as a call-to-arms or chance to regroup in the thick of political action.

“I think there’s so many examples of our current leadership not supporting the very policies that would begin to dismantle the systemic racism that exists in the city, ” he said. “And is not talking about these issues in a deep and meaningful way. I will be championing those issues—and I think the arts is another way to do that. To be turning the very idea of what arts means on its head.”

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Rob Goldman was based in New York. Mr. Goldman is based in Guilford.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 22, 2019 - May 28, 2019

Learn Your Numbers During Stroke Awareness Month COMMENTARY:

By Roger Caldwell, NNPA Newswire Contributor May is National Stroke Awareness Month, and it is very significant to me, because I am a stroke survivor. As a stroke survivor, I consider myself to be a miracle. One of my goals in life is to educate Americans (particularly Black men), that 80% of strokes can be prevented with knowledge and education. Strokes have the potential to be a silent killer, and nearly 85% of all strokes that occur show no warning signs.

Although there are no major warning signs, there are risk factors, diseases, and health issues, which make an individual more susceptible to having a stroke. High blood pressure (hypertension) is the number one cause in the country for a stroke and it can be regulated with medicine, a proper diet, monitoring your blood pressure and a healthy lifestyle.

“Healthcare in one of the wealthiest countries on the face of this earth is not a primary focus or concern. In this society, many people are not interested in improving their health. They prefer to take a chance and hope that health issues will resolve themselves. I was not taking care of myself and not taking the necessary steps to correct my health problems. This is a major crisis confronting this country today,” says Roger Caldwell in his book, “The Inspiring Journey of a Stroke Survivor.”

It is obvious with the recent news of the passing of actor Luke Perry (52), and director John Singleton (51), who both died suddenly of massive strokes, that something is wrong with the healthcare system. Both of these men were very successful, and if 80% of strokes are preventable, I would have expected these two men to have received the best medical care, but they are gone.

When I had my stroke, I was well aware that I had hypertension, but I was still not taking my prescribed medication. I was walking around with a time bomb. At any time, I knew the bomb could explode but I took a chance. Eventually, it exploded but I lived, and now part of my responsibility is to educate Americans about strokes with a primary focus on African Americans.

After having my stroke, I was completely paralyzed on the entire right side. I spent the next seven weeks in rehabilitation relearning basic tasks: How to dress myself,

how to talk, how to write with my left hand, and how to graduate from a wheelchair to a cane. My efforts paid off, but I did not recover 100%. All Americans must know more about stroke prevention and awareness, and they should know their personal numbers as well as their family members’ numbers.

As a culture and community, Black Americans have the highest incidence of high blood pressure, with 1 out of 2 adults having some form of hypertension. May is stroke awareness month, and it is essential to understand the mechanics of blood pressure and what the numbers represent.

The higher number is the systolic number, and it represents the active portion of blood pressure, when the heart is pumping. This number should be around 120 or lower.

The lower number represents the diastolic number, or the passive or resting portion of blood pressure. This number should be around 80 or lower.

Know your numbers, take your medication, educate your children, and adult family members, and talk about your health.

Visit a physician on a regular basis. Take control of your health, your life depends on it. Remember at any age a person can have a stroke, but as you get older you are more susceptible to having a stroke.

FAST is an acronym that everyone should know when they suspect that someone is having a stroke. The “F” stands for face, and one side of the face droops. The “A” stands for arm and the arm drop’s down.

The “S” stands for speech, and check for slurred or strange speech. The “T” stands for time, and time is of the essence and call 911.

To learn more about strokes contact the American Stroke Association, and go to my YouTube channel and view my documentary: “High Blood Pressure: A State of Emergency in the African American Community” (https://youtu.be/tiINtiXBLXw).

Know your numbers, take your medication, educate your children, and adult family members, and talk about your health.

Visit a physician on a regular basis. Take control of your health, your life depends on it. Remember at any age a person can have a stroke, but as you get older you are more susceptible to having a stroke. (Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA)

11

THE INNER-CITY NEWS -

May 22, 2019 - May 28, 2019

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 22, 2019 - May 28, 2019

Memorial Day: NNPA Celebrates Profiles in Courage 365 Days Each Year Indeed, many African American soldiers returned determined to fight for their freedom and equality at home. Veterans like Hosea Williams and Medgar Evers played central roles in what became the civil rights movement. For Evers, the battle for freedom would eventually cost him his life.

The effort to suppress the prospect of potential leadership made Black veterans targets, and many suffered brutal violence for protesting mistreatment or simply wearing their military uniforms.

In August 1898, a Black Army private named James Neely was shot to death by a mob of white men in Hampton, Georgia, for protesting a white storekeeper’s refusal to serve him at the soda counter.

In Hickman, Kentucky, a recentlydischarged Black soldier named Charles Lewis was lynched in uniform in December 1918, just weeks after the end of World War I. Black veterans of World War II also faced violence for the most basic assertions of equality and freedom.

In August 1944, the white owner of a small restaurant in Shreveport, Louisiana, shot and wounded four Black soldiers he claimed, “attempted to take over his place.”

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent

Unlike Veterans Day, when we honor all who have served, Memorial Day is when Americans honor persons who have died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.

The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), the trade association of more than 200 African American-owned newspapers and media companies around the country, celebrates the sacrifices of all of our men and women in uniform, as well as their families, on Memorial Day and every day.

We are especially proud to honor our Black veterans; whose sacrifices and accomplishments went beyond the field of battle to include the fields and lots adjacent to where they lived, worked and worshipped.

For generations, African Americans returning home from service too often faced discrimination, disrespect, violence, and even death, according to the nonprofit Equal Justice Initiative.

For instance, the Tuskegee Airmen were the first Black military aviators in the U.S. Army Air Corps, a precursor of the U.S. Air Force, according to the History Channel.

Trained at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama, they flew more than 15,000 individual sorties in Europe and North Africa during World War II and their impressive performance earned them more than 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, helping to encourage the eventual integration of the U.S. armed forces.

However, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, white supremacy was the law and custom throughout the nation, and many whites feared that Black soldiers who had experienced the pride of military service would resist the disenfranchisement, segregation, and second-class citizenship that still characterized the African American experience.

In August 1917, U.S. Sen. James Vardaman of Mississippi warned that, once a Black soldier was allowed to see himself as an American hero, it would be “but a short step to the conclusion that his political rights must be respected.”

He faced no charges, according to the Equal Justice Initiative.

Bringing Black soldiers home to the South with expectations of equality, he predicted, would “inevitably lead to disaster.”

For Sen. Vardaman, Black soldiers’ poten-

tial as community leaders was terrifying, and the “disaster” would be a mass movement for African American rights, according to the Equal Justice Initiative.

In June 1947, a Black Navy veteran named Joe Nathan Roberts, studying at Temple University through the G.I. Bill, was visiting family in Sardis, Georgia, when a group of white men became upset because he refused to call them “sir.”

Later that night, the men abducted Mr. Roberts from his parents’ home and shot him to death.

In November 1942, while stationed at Camp Polk, Louisiana, Private Merle Monroe wrote a letter to the Pittsburgh Courier describing the Black soldier’s struggle to maintain a sense of patriotic pride in the face of lynching.

“Paradoxically enough,” he wrote, “our country spends millions annually in effort to build up Negro morale, both in and out of the army, yet, foolishly, destroys the blue

print of its program by tolerating brutal killings without even a pretense of a fair trial.”

Today, our nation proudly honors the sacrifices of its heroes. “From the first AfricanAmerican Medal of Honor recipient to current day Soldiers, individuals have made their mark within the history of this nation with their courage, leadership and honor,” reads the lead-in to the Profiles in Courage salute to African Americans on goarmy. com.

African Americans have proudly served all branches of the armed services. Many have made the ultimate sacrifice in support defense of our freedoms.

Crispus Attucks, a former slave, was the first casualty of the American Revolutionary War when he was killed during the Boston Massacre.

On Sept. 28, 1918, while serving as squad leader of Company C, 371st Infantry Regiment, 93rd Division, Medal of Honor recipient Cpl. Freddie Stowers went above and beyond the call of duty when his company led the attack at Hill 188, Champagne Marne Sector, France.

First Lt. Vernon J. Baker received a Medal of Honor for his extraordinary heroism in action near Viareggio, Italy, during World War II (at the time, holding the rank of second lieutenant). Baker demonstrated outstanding courage and leadership in destroying enemy installations, personnel and equipment during his company’s attack against a strongly entrenched enemy in mountainous terrain. The federal government later acknowledged that racism was the reason he didn’t receive the medal until 50 years later.

Pfc. Milton Olive III was posthumously awarded a Medal of Honor for saving the lives of four other U.S. Army soldiers during a battle early in the Vietnam War. Milton used his body to cover a grenade to save his fellow soldiers. “It was the most incredible display of selfless bravery I ever witnessed,” the platoon commander later told a journalist.

In partnership with the NNPA, Wells Fargo remembers and honors African American service members this Memorial Day.

Kim Kardashian Did Help Free 17 Inmates — But These Two Women Actually Did the Work! BlackNews.com

Nationwide — Two Black female attorneys, Brittany K. Barnett and MiAngel Cody, are finally being given due credit for recently freeing 17 prisoners who received life-without-parole sentences for minor drug offenses. They have also acknowledged celebrity Kim Kardashian who teamed up with them to provide financial support for the project.

A few weeks ago, news broke about Kim Kardashian ‘quietly’ freeing 17 inmates and it immediately became a viral story because it wasn’t the first time she was involved with prison reform. This time, however, Brittany and MiAngel had to come forward to set the record straight about the media overlooking their hard work behind the scenes.

Last week, Britanny, an attorney and criminal justice reform advocate, said on a Facebook post that it was actually two Black women herself and her colleague MiAngel — who were responsible for the legal legwork that has freed 17 inmates through their Buried Alive Project. She clarified that Kim supported the initiative by helping with funds.

She wrote: “Kim linked arms with us to support us when foundations turned us down. We and our clients and their families have a lot of love for her and are deeply grateful for her. Regardless of who helped fund us for the past three months, in 90 days, TWO black women lawyers freed SEVENTEEN people from LIFE W/O PAROLE sentences — the second most severe penalty permitted by law in America. Only two of us.”

Brittany and MiAngel, who both formerly had six-figure jobs as attorneys, have dedicated themselves in advocating justice reform – and they are doing it for free.

Through their organization, they work on the release of those incarcerated — mostly those who were given sentences of life without parole — by representing them in court. They also call for policy change and spread awareness about it.

Meanwhile, Barnett has gratefully thanked Kim Kardashian for not taking full credit on the project and for also using her platform to advocate for criminal justice reform.

“Kim has always been very clear in her role. It’s the media that spins it around — not Kim,” she explained. “We need Kim’s support and the support of anyone else who wants to join this fight.”

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Brittany K. Barnett and MiAngel Cody, founders of the Buried Alive Project

THE INNER-CITY NEWS -

May 22, 2019 - May 28, 2019

Hennessey Fellows Program Commits $10 million to HBCU’s

By S.E. Williams

Washington, D.C. – Last month, The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) in partnership with Hennessy & Co., introduced the Hennessy Fellows Program.

The new initiative commits an unprecedented $10M to be awarded to highachieving graduate students. The fellowship awards will be available to students in a variety of undergraduate majors from liberal arts to sciences and engineering. To apply students must be from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Participating fellows will receive curated corporate development experiences, as well as financial assistance. The experiences will include online training forums,

an immersive boot camp, and networking opportunities to enhance the exchange of ideas and provide direct exposure to interrelated corporate, social and economic systems.

Selected fellows will also receive a scholarship up to $20,000 per academic year in addition to a $10,000 stipend.

Students in their first year of an MBA program currently enrolled at an HBCU with a minimum GPA of 3.25, and who has leadership experience, strong ethical and moral character, academic excellence, and cultural awareness are encouraged to apply.

According to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, “Hennessy has demonstrated its progressive vision and leadership in support of underserved communities since

the 1800s.” The corporation was involved early on in what would become the National Urban League, it was the first corporate sponsor of the NAACP, and the only company in its industry to be a founding corporate donor of the National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington, DC, Hennessy has a rich history of assisting in the growth of African-American business and socioeconomic status.

To learn more about the Hennessey Fellows Program and/or to apply visit https:// www.tmcf.org/our-programs/career-preparation/tmcf-hennessy-fellows-program.

This article originally appeared in Black Voice News.

Black Billionaire Robert Smith Pays Off Student Loan Debt of 400 Morehouse Students

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Contributor

During what will likely be seen as one of the most memorable graduation presents for parents and their children — a quiet African American billionaire delivered a welcomed surprise.

At their graduation on May 19, investor and chemical engineer Robert Smith announced he would pay off the student loan debt of Morehouse’s 2019 graduating class.

Morehouse’s graduating class is 400 strong. Smith’s graduation gift is one that will allow graduates of one of the most storied all-male historically Black college to start their careers with no student loan debt.

Given today’s statistics regarding student loan debt, this is no small gift. Morehouse officials estimate Smith estimates that his gift is worth over $40 million.

“On behalf of the eight generations of my family that have been in this country, we’re gonna put a little fuel in your bus,” Smith said his speech to the class of 2019, their families and Morehouse faculty.

“My family is going to create a grant to eliminate your student loans,” Smith added.

Smith, who is an investor and tech billionaire, is the founder and CEO of private equity firm Vista Equity Partners. In 2018 he was ranked by Forbes magazine as the 163rd wealthiest person in the U.S. Smith’s net worth is estimated to be over $4.4 billion.

This year, student loan debt in America has topped $1.5 trillion. There are currently more than 44 million student loan borrowers in the U.S. The average tuition at a private college or university is currently $34,000.

Nine of ten private student loans now have an adult co-signer, usually the student’s parent.

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

COMMENTARY: Forget the Adversity Score, Just Dump the SAT

By Julianne Malveaux, NNPA Newswire Contributor The College Board, the organization that develops and administers the SAT test, has developed a new “adversity score” to augment the widely used college admissions examination. The fact that the College Board has had to create an “adversity score” is reason enough to discard the badly flawed SAT test, a test that many consider racially biased, and that only measures the likelihood of first-year college success. In other words, it measures the accumulated

advantages that some students have over others because of the quality of their high schools, their family wealth, and other factors. The “adversity score” seeks to measure the disadvantages that some students experience. Interestingly, the “adversity score” does not measure race, although racial discrimination is alive and well in our nation.

Indeed, the development of an adversity score that does not account for race is a capitulation to the anti-affirmative action forces, some directed by this administration’s Justice Department that have brought lawsuits against Harvard and other universities because of “anti-Asian” bias. It is also a bow to the argument that a white student from a poor family is more disadvantaged than a black child whose family is upper-middle-class when there is plenty of evidence that this is not necessarily so.

Structural racism is so woven into our national consciousness that a child of middleclass black folks is likely to do worse than their parents did. Our nation is in race denial, and this adversity score, which does not consider race, is part of the denial.

The pilot testing of the adversity score seems to indicate that using it may create more diverse admissions, but there are precious few details about the score (and it won’t even be shared with students and their parents). But the very existence of an adversity score raises questions about the efficacy of the SAT. This is perhaps why.

This is an interesting time for the adversity score to be rolled out. Robert Schaffer, Public Education Director of Fair Test (the National Center for Fair and Open Testing) says the adversity scores are a way for the College Board to defend itself against its critics. He said, “Schools do not need the

14

SAT or ACT – with or without ‘adversity scores’ – to make high-quality, admissions decisions that promote equity and excellence.” In fact, more than 1000 colleges and universities, including half for the top 100 liberal arts colleges, do not use the SAT to evaluate applicants.

What should colleges use, instead, to evaluate students? How about high school grades? Some will argue that the quality of high schools varies. Well, that ought to be an impetus for improving the quality of some high schools, especially those in inner cities. How about class rank? The University of Texas uses class rank to admit some students, which ensures a diverse class given the segregation that remains in our nation’s high schools. The adversity score will purportedly reflect differences in high school quality.

Eliminating the use of the SAT would do

much the same, allowing college admissions counselors to make better decisions.

The College Board says it is a nonprofit organization, but let’s follow the money.

It makes so much money that its President, David Coleman, earns more than a million dollars a year, more than the President of Harvard University. The organization is making megabucks on the backs of our students, and it is reinforcing biases along the way. Some see the adversity score as a step in the right direction toward modifying the SAT. I see it as a defensive move to shore up a flawed test and an even more flawed organization.

This fall, more than 150 colleges will use the adversity-enhanced SAT in their admissions process. Based on those results, more colleges will use the score to measure adversity. I know lots of folks who consider

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 22, 2019 - May 28, 2019

Meet the Ex-Felon Who Graduated From Yale and is Now a Lawyer

Hartford, CT — Reginald Dwayne Betts was 16-years old when he was convicted of carjacking. After serving over eight years in prison, he strived hard to improve himself, landed a job, attended college, graduated from Yale Law School, and ultimately became a lawyer.

“The last time my mom saw me in court, I was sentenced to nine years in prison,” Betts said during his oathtaking ceremony as a lawyer. The journey he went through before achieving his dreams wasn’t easy.

At the age of 16, Betts was arrested for a firearm charge, attempted robbery, and carjacking with four other people at a mall in Virginia. Since then, he went from prison to prison serving his sentence until he was released after eight years.

Until now, Betts couldn’t give an exact reason why he got involved in the crime.

While he said he knew he cannot change

the past and can only regret it, he aspires to help the youth to do better in life.

Betts then started working at a paint store. He continued his studies and attended Prince George’s Community College, earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, and received a Master of Fine Arts from Warren Wilson College. Later on, he became one of the very few ex-felons who got admitted and graduated from Yale Law School.

Six months after passing the Connecticut bar exam, he was told that his application to practice law has been flagged pending investigation due to his previous felony convictions. While it is not prohibited in the state of Connecticut for felons to become attorneys, they must still have to prove their “good moral character and/or fitness to practice law” through evidence.

After the state panel reviewed his moral

character, Betts finally received a letter of his acceptance to the bar and he couldn’t be happier.

“I’m happy that they made that decision,” Betts said. “I’m just grateful for the huge amount of support people gave me.”

Betts, who is also an award-winning author and poet, hopes his story serves as an inspiration to many that it’s never too late to turn your life around.

“I think that his story is a remarkable story,” said former Connecticut Judge Anne Dranginis, chairwoman of the Bar Examining Committee. “Mr. Betts demonstrated his commitment to others who may have lost their way. He has a great deal to offer, in addition to what he has already done.”

For more details about Reginald Dwayne Betts, visit www.dwaynebetts.com

Destined to Succeed Whatever your child wants to be is within reach when you are involved.

Your engagement in their education will prepare them for the future.

To learn more about the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and how you can advocate for your children, visit us at www.nnpa.org/essa Sign-up for our ESSA alerts at www.nnpa.org/essa

© 2019 NATIONAL NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION

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Reginald Dwayne Betts

THE INNER-CITY NEWS -

May 22, 2019 - May 28, 2019 Con’t on page 10

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Ethics Board Grapples With LCI Sales

option of renting out one of the units.

The first ethical query regarding Judith Terrace was submitted by Maricel Arroyo, a home daycare provider who is looking to purchase 103-105 Judith Terrace. She is also looking to receive a down payment loan from LCI to complete the purchase of the home, which is set at a price of $209,000.

The potential conflict of interest is that Arroyo’s sister, Marta, is a longtime LCI employee.

“Marta is an administrative assistant who worked for many, many years, almost 12 years, on the residential licensing program,” Neal-Sanjurjo explained, “and is now doing administrative work for the property management and administrative services side of LCI.” She said that all five Judith Terrace homes have already been “pre-sold,” and that there is a waiting list for a group of singlefamily homes that LCI plans to build as part of a second phase of Judith Terrace constriction.

“How exactly are people made aware of these properties?” Arthur asked. “For people outside city government, is it put out there somewhere?”

Neal-Sanjurjo said that, for this project, her department hired an outside realtor, the East Haven-based Kaerus Property Group, to attract a broad range of applicants.

“We did it because we wanted it to be marketed like a regular housing development,” she said.

For the June 4 meeting, Arthur said, she would like to interview both Maricel and Marta to better understand who Marta reports to at LCI, and whether Maricel unduly benefited from her relationship to a city employee.

The other Judith Terrace-related question was filed not by a city employee, but by a Yale staffer named Jasmine Gonzalez. She too is looking to purchase a LCI-built twofamily home in Fair Haven Heights, this one at 110-112 Judith Terrace.

Gonzalez’s sister is Michelle Mateo, the Kaurus Property Group realtor whom LCI hired to market the properties.

“Since Jasmine doesn’t work for the city,” Foster said, “I don’t exactly know that she’s in your jurisdiction.”

“We don’t have any jurisdiction over this at all,” Arthur agreed.

“A lady who doesn’t work for New Haven is related to another lady who doesn’t work for New Haven who has a contract with New Haven to represent the city in selling the property,” Foster confirmed.

The last question that Foster presented to the board on Tuesday came from Keith Krolak, a local architect who is the husband of city Economic Development Officer Kathleen Krolak.

He has submitted an application in response to a request for proposal (RFP) that LCI put together for a planned renovation / adaptive reuse project at 10 Orchard St. Foster said the question here is not just whether Keith Krolak should apply for the contract, but whether or not he should be awarded it. “Does Kathleen Krolak have anything to do with the award?” Foster

asked.

“Absolutely not,” Neal-Sanjurjo replied.

Either LCI staff or an outside contractor would make that decision, she said.

Arthur said she would like to interview both Keith and Kathleen Krolak at the June 4 meeting to discuss whether there’s any conflict of interest there, even though the city employee is not involved in the awarding of the bid.

At the end of the meeting, the board also resolved to discuss at the next meeting how best to encourage the city to spread awareness of the existence of the Board of Ethics to every city department. They also said they will draft a description of the body and its purview to be included on the city website, so that employees and city residents don’t have to go digging through the New Haven Code of Ordinances in order to learn that there is a body that serves as a municipal ethical ombudsman.

Con’t on page 10

Permanent Affordable Housing Commission Proposed

Commission ordinance in full.

ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO THE CODE OF ORDINANCES ESTABLISHING THE NEW HAVEN AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMISSION. WHEREAS, all citizens of the City of New Haven should have access to safe, quality, affordable housing; and WHEREAS, the City of New Haven recognizes the need for a coordinated, collaborative approach to address the complex issue of affordable housing; and WHEREAS, the City should be a regional, statewide, and national model advocate for developing innovative strategies and approaches to addressing affordable housing needs; and WHEREAS, the City would benefit from informed, engaged community members and policy experts reviewing and commenting on the impact of City, State, and Federal policy on the ongoing maintenance and creation of safe and affordable housing in the City of New Haven, NOW, THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED,

BY THE BOARD OF ALDERS that the New Haven Affordable Housing Commission be established and composed of fifteen (15) members, eight (8) appointed by the President of the Board of Alders, and seven (7) appointed by the Mayor. All appointees must be approved by the Board of Alders.

All members shall serve for a two-year term that can be renewed by re-appointment by the Mayor or Board of Alders, respectively, and must be approved by the Board of Alders.

Membership of the Commission must include one (1) member of the Board of Alders; one (1) representative from the Mayor’s office; (1) the Director of the Department of Economic Development, or their designee; (1) the President of Elm City Communities/Housing Authority of the City of New Haven, or their designee; four (4) members of the public with specific and relevant lived experience as tenants or occupants of affordable housing

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 22, 2019 - May 28, 2019

Byron Allen Expands Empire with Purchase of Fox Regional Sports Networks

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent

One year ago, Byron Allen made a historic purchase of The Weather Channel for $300 million along with The Weather Channel’s streaming service, Local Now. However, the businessman, comedian, and executive, was just getting started.

A week ago, it was announced that Allen joined the Sinclair Broadcast Group as a minority investor in its purchase of 21 Fox regional sports networks from Walt Disney Company.

“With that purchase [The Weather Channel], we were able to break the color barrier as the first general market cable network ever owned by an African American,” Allen said in a recent interview published in Black Enterprise Magazine.

As a result of the $10.6 billion acquisition deal, Allen’s company, Entertainment Studios, announced that it will buy four local stations from Bayou City Broadcasting for $165 million, according to Variety.

Black Enterprise reported that the acquisition gives Allen ownership of CBS affiliate

station WEVV, NBC affiliate KLAF, and Fox affiliates WEEV and KADN. “This is a very exciting transaction for Sinclair to be able to acquire highly complementary assets,” said Chris Ripley, president and CEO of Sinclair, in the statement.

“While consumer viewing habits have shifted, the tradition of watching live sports and news remains ingrained in our culture,” Ripley said.

To acquire the sports networks, Sinclair reportedly formed an indirect subsidiary called Diamond Sports Group L.L.C. with Allen, who will operate as an equity and content partner in Diamond.

The deal is expected to be completed by February 2020.

The Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. reportedly outbid a collection of other high-profile bidders, including O’Shea “Ice Cube” Jackson Sr. who tried to buy the RSNs through his 3-on-3 basketball league, Big3, with the backing of Magic Johnson, LL Cool J, and Serena Williams.

In a statement, Allen praised Bayou City

owner DuJuan McCoy in announcing the new deal.

“DuJuan McCoy is an outstanding broadcaster and he has done a phenomenal job of assembling a strong management team to operate these network affiliate stations,” Allen said.

“This is another milestone for our company, as we have now agreed to purchase our very first broadcast television stations and continue to look for other opportunities to grow our global media company through strategic acquisitions,” he said.

Allen’s new purchase marks an expansion for Entertainment Studios, which already operates nine cable channels and serves nearly 160 million subscribers.

The company has a film production and distribution arm as well.

“I’ve always thought of business as a contact sport. I’m not going to play just in the Negro Leagues. I’m always going to play in the global leagues,” Allen said.

“And I want kids who look like me to not put themselves in a box. I want them to see what I do as a beacon,” he said.

Despite Dreams of Prosperity, Many African Americans not Financially Ready to Retire

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent

The nation’s leading public interest group providing seniors and others with information that empowers them to choose how they live, AARP, regularly publishes a retirement calculator that individuals and families can use to provide a personalized snapshot of what their financial future might look like.

One simply has to answer a few questions about household status, salary and retirement savings (such as an IRA or 401(k)), include information about supplemental retirement income (such as a pension or Social Security), and consider how long they intend to work to generate information that will inform their expected lifestyle as a retiree.

The tool is designed to help potential retirees determine the amount of money they’ll need to retire “when – and how – they want.”

Unfortunately for most African Americans, even the most sophisticated planning tools lead to the same result: retirement has fast become a pie-in-the-sky dream.

“As a whole, Americans are bad savers.

But, I believe it’s worse for African American communities because they don’t have access to the right educational opportunities,” said Cory Chapman, the Managing Partner and CEO of EFC Wealth Management.

“Being raised by a single mom with three kids, I understand the struggle of just trying to pay the bills and get food on the table.

Growing up, saving money was an afterthought and never discussed,” Chapman said.

A report published earlier this month demonstrated how African Americans, Latinos and other minorities will have a more difficult time calling it quits than white Ameri-

cans.

The report, published on the financial website The Motley Fool, revealed that the

troubling disparity in retirement readiness between white Americans and minorities can be explained largely by income and

17

wealth disparities that persist throughout our lives.

“Caucasians didn’t lose as much wealth during the Great Recession and have recovered more of it, so white households now hold close to six times the wealth of African American or Hispanic households,” the report’s authors said.

Median earnings for white households recovered from the recession by 2016, but earning levels for both black and Hispanic households remained below 2007 levels.

Caucasians now earn close to twice as much as minority households do, according to The Motley Fool.

“The African American community is skeptical when it comes to saving,” Chapman said.

“Growing up, we were taught by our grandparents that we couldn’t trust banks and we were better off burying money in the backyard,” he said.

Understanding how money works is actually getting worse with each new generation – black children aren’t learning basic life skills in school, Chapman continued.

“We need to be teaching children about planning strategies to generate wealth. Retired African American clients that come into my office are still just trying to make ends meet,” Chapman said.

“They don’t feel like they can save money when they are trying to put their kids through college and help them buy a home or car. They are forgetting about themselves and their own retirement,” he said.

The most recent MassMutual State of the American Family Study found that there are differences in retirement planning among different cultural groups.

African Americans fall short on executing life-changing measures such as accumulating wealth, being better prepared for retirement and building up savings.

According to the American Family Study,

84 percent of African Americans believe the American Dream means financial security; 78 percent in not living paycheckto-paycheck; and 77 percent in owning a home.

However, based on the study, many African Americans don’t have tangible assets needed to make those goals happen now.

The study revealed a disconnect between African Americans’ financial situations and their hope toward the future.

Some key findings from the survey: Outside of retirement accounts, only 37 percent of African Americans own wealthbuilding products such as stocks and mutual funds.

Only 35 percent believe they are doing a good job of preparing for retirement.

33 percent have less than one month of funds saved for a crisis and less than 25 percent have amassed more than six months’ of emergency savings.

58 percent are actively involved in educating their children on finances versus 48 percent of Caucasians. Forty-percent rely on family members for information “The study shows African Americans want to improve their financial situations and are hopeful about the future,” Evan Taylor, African American market director for MassMutual, told Black Enterprise Magazine.

“At the same time, it sheds light on the financial struggles and inequities that the African American community continues to battle,” Taylor said.

“Those contradictions indicate a need for greater financial education and discipline for the whole family to achieve economic success. In fact, the biggest financial regret expressed by respondents was that they wished they had started saving and investing sooner,” he said.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS -

May 22, 2019 - May 28, 2019

Karen Carter Richards, CEO/Publisher Houston Forward Times, Seeks NNPA Chair on Richards. She was delivering papers as a seven-year-old, riding her bicycle through her neighborhood.

She’s called her father “a visionary,” and stressed his desire to celebrate and highlight the positive things happening in Houston’s Black community as well as documenting problems, ills, and systemic abuses and injustices. He exposed her to numerous things from politics to the arts, fashion, business and commerce, which prepared her for her current role.

Likewise, her mother worked alongside her father, and upon his death took over the operation. Richards began working fulltime at the Forward Times in 1983, and credits her mother with teaching her everything about the paper from the business and technical ends, whether it was writing, design, sales or distribution. When her mother passed in April of 2010, Richards was more than ready to assume a leadership role, one that’s seen her make the Forward Times a rare Black weekly newspaper, and an outlet that’s growing and expanding in an era when print properties are shrinking or disappearing.

One example of the paper’s outreach under Richards was the creation of the Julius and Lenora Carter Scholarship & Youth Foundation, which benefits low-to-moderate income Houston high school seniors and college students interested in various areas of journalism. Since its formation in 2010, the Foundation has provided internships to high school and college student in order to prepare them for careers in their prospective fields of study, through practical learning experiences in Journalism, Printing, Broadcasting and Digital Communications.

In her role as NNPA First Vice Chair, Richards was recently selected as an inaugural member of the International Women’s

Rosetta Miller Perry

NASHVILLE, TN — Karen Carter Richards, CEO and Publisher of the Houston Forward Times, is running for the chairmanship of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), the country’sest Black Press advocacy group with more than 200 newspapers. Richards has a long and distinguished journalistic career, and is last year’s winner of the NNPA Publisher of the Year award. largUnder her leadership since 2010, the Forward Times is able to compete with two other mainstream Houston dailies.

She has also maintained a family tradition dating back to 1960, when her father, Julius P. Carter, founded the Houston Forward Times. He saw a need for a newspaper dedicated to covering issues and personalities being ignored by the mainstream press.

After his death, her mother Lenora “Doll” Carter took over, with Richards working alongside her, a partnership that continued over three decades. The family ties remain strong today, as her oldest daughter Chelsea is the paper’s general manager, and her youngest Nykayla, is its social media editor.

Richards is the NNPA’s current first vice chair, and has always publicly expressed her dedication and devotion to the the Black Press. “The Black Press has always been and will continue to be relevant,” she said in a recent NNPA release. “We are the voice, the true voice of our people. We have recorded our history for 191 years like no other media could ever do. We have recorded many stories…our celebrations, our injustices and those hidden, treasured stories that came from our communities that we have always found value in.”

A Houston native, having two parents immersed in journalism had a dynamic impact

Forum (I.W.F.) – the Houston Chapter. The International Women’s Forum is a singularly unique organization comprised of more than 6,000 dynamic women leaders in thirty-three countries and seventy-four forums around the world. She served as Chairperson of “Go Red Girlfriend,” an African American Awareness Initiative for the American Heart Association. She’s also a recipient of the National Council of Negro Women’s Mary McLeod Bethune Impact Service Award. Numerous women, youth, senior citizens, community organizations, businesses and churches have benefited from her overall dedication, support and training.

Richards was also honored by the Texas Executive Women (TEW), an organization consisting of powerful and successful woman executives from various professions and industries in Houston, as one of their Women on the Move in 2016. Upon receiving her award Richards said publicly, “Although I am humbled by the things that we have accomplished, my pride comes in continuing the legacy of my parents,” said Karen. “They instilled in me a pride and commitment to our community. That is what they expected and it is the mandate that they left me to carry on. I am very proud that we celebrate more than 56 years in business.”

Now, as the Houston Forward Times enjoys celebrating 60 years in business, Karen Carter Richards aims to bring those same qualities of forthright self-awareness – decisiveness – the ability to make decisions quickly. fairness – treating others equally, enthusiasm – motivating a team with a positive attitude, integrity – earning the respect of team knowledge – keeping abreast of the facts and figures.and imaginative thinking to the position of NNPA chairman.

Black Kids Abroad: The Mental Health Benefits of African Americans Traveling Young

by Jasmine Browley, BlackDoctor.com

Some of us have been blessed to spend part of our lives as nomads, globe-trotting and collecting life-changing experiences through travel.

As adults, we’re well aware of the benefits of travel; relaxation, an increased global awareness, and helping us find the purpose to our lives, to name a few. But, how many of us have realized that travel benefits kids as well?

Traveling with kids allows us to strengthen family bonds, provides kids with new experiences, and also prepares them to function as global citizens in the 21st century. According to Forbes.com, here are some of the reasons why traveling while Black and Young are so important.

1. Make them citizens of the world. Children are more adaptable than we are, and the earlier we can expose them to otherness in all its various forms, the less likely they are to become solipsistic as they grow into their consciousness and power. Sheltering them from the actual world might lead them to assume that the world they know

is the only one that exists, except in fairy tales.

2. Get them to eat weird stuff. There’s nothing like hunger in a foreign land to make us appreciate what we have before us, and food is one of the most interesting and accessible ways to get to know a culture from the inside. Won’t eat fish at home, but will eat fish tacos on a beach in Mexico? Makes perfect sense.

3. Expose their brains to diverse languages. Even if your kids don’t try to speak the language of the country you’re visiting, exposure to another language will help their brains develop English skills more rapidly.

And a recent study shows that even limited exposure to a second language in infancy results in greater retention of phonological structure later.

4. Build their confidence and independence. It never fails. Once your kid sees someone else go down the big slide or take the elevator alone, suddenly he or she is asking for the room key and permission to venture out alone.

If you’re staying put for a while, kids can become fully integrated into new communities and adopt new habits in a very

short time. Even after you return home, those memories linger and influence what your children say and do, as well as how they treat others. Travel builds confidence as they make their way through unfamiliar territory, both physical and psychological.

5. Increase their tolerance for discomfort.

You don’t have to be roughing it to hear the complaints. Maybe the pillow is too lumpy or there’s no ice for the soda. Or maybe there are mosquitoes buzzing in your ear all night or no tweezers to take out the splinter in your toe. Or perhaps the plane is just very, very late.

All of these anomalies are within the realm of possible travel experiences, and they’re not necessarily bad. The challenges of discomfort allow kids to problem-solve, to practice patience, and to express gratitude in new ways.

So, in all, book the flight for you and your little one. They’ll thank you for it later.

Jasmine Browley holds an MA in journalism from Columbia College Chicago, and has contributed to Ebony, Jet and MADE Magazine among others. So, clearly, she knows some stuff. Follow her digital journey @JasmineBrowley.

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B:9.25” T:9.25”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS -S:9.25” May 22, 2019 - May 28, 2019

This is more than great rates This is more savings for wherever you’re going.

Platinum Savings Account

2.10

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Guaranteed Fixed-Rate CD

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Annual Percentage Yield for an 11-month term with new money deposits of at least $25,0002

1. To qualify for this offer, you must have a new or existing Platinum Savings account and enroll the account in this offer between 03/25/2019 and 05/31/2019. This offer is subject to change at any time, without notice. This offer is available only to Platinum Savings customers in the following states: AR, CT, DC, FL, GA, MD, MS, NC, NJ, NY, SC, TX and VA. In order to earn the Special Interest Rate of 2.08% (Special Rate), you must deposit $25,000 in new money (from sources outside of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., or its affiliates) to the enrolled savings account and maintain a minimum daily account balance of $25,000 throughout the term of this offer. The corresponding Annual Percentage Yield (APY) for this offer is 2.10%. The Special Rate will be applied to the enrolled savings account for a period of 12 months, starting on the date the account is enrolled in the offer. However, for any day during that 12 month period that the daily account balance is less than the $25,000 minimum, the Special Rate will not apply, and the interest rate will revert to the standard interest rate applicable to your Platinum Savings account. As of 02/15/2019, the standard interest rate and APY for a Platinum Savings account in AR, CT, DC, FL, GA, MD, MS, NC, NJ, NY, SC, TX and VA with an account balance of $0.01 and above is 0.05% (0.05% APY). Each tier shown reflects the current minimum daily collected balance required to obtain the applicable APY. Interest is compounded daily and paid monthly. The amount of interest earned is based on the daily collected balances in the account. Upon the expiration of the 12 month promotional period, standard interest rates apply. Minimum to open a Platinum Savings account is $25. A monthly service fee of $12 applies in any month the account falls below a $3,500 minimum daily balance. Fees may reduce earnings. Interest rates are variable and subject to change without notice. Wells Fargo may limit the amount you deposit to a Platinum Savings account to an aggregate of $1 million. Offer not available to Private Banking or Wealth customers. 2. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is effective for accounts opened between 03/25/2019 to 05/31/2019. The 11-month New Dollar CD special requires a minimum of $25,000 brought to Wells Fargo from sources outside of Wells Fargo Bank N.A., or its affiliates to earn the advertised APY. Public Funds and Wholesale accounts are not eligible for this offer. APY assumes interest remains on deposit until maturity. Interest is compounded daily. Payment of interest on CDs is based on term: For terms less than 12 months (365 days), interest may be paid monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or at maturity (the end of the term). For terms of 12 months or more, interest may be paid monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. A fee for early withdrawal will be imposed and could reduce earnings on this account. Special Rates are applicable to the initial term of the CD only. At maturity, the Special Rate CD will automatically renew for a term of 6 months, at the interest rate and APY in effect for CDs on renewal date not subject to a Special Rate, unless the Bank has notified you otherwise. 1,2. Due to the new money requirement, accounts may only be opened at your local branch. Wells Fargo reserves the right to modify or discontinue the offer at any time without notice. Minimum new money deposit requirement of at least $25,000 is for this offer only and cannot be transferred to another account to qualify for any other consumer deposit offer. If you wish to take advantage of another consumer deposit offer requiring a minimum new money deposit, you will be required to do so with another new money deposit as stated in the offer requirements and qualifications. Offer cannot be combined with any other consumer deposit offer, except the Portfolio by Wells Fargo $500 offer, available from March 25, 2019 until May 31, 2019. Offer cannot be reproduced, purchased, sold, transferred, or traded. 3. The Portfolio by Wells Fargo program has a $30 monthly service fee, which can be avoided when you have one of the following qualifying balances: $25,000 or more in qualifying linked bank deposit accounts (checking, savings, CDs, FDIC-insured IRAs) or $50,000 or more in any combination of qualifying linked banking, brokerage (available through Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC) and credit balances (including 10% of mortgage balances, certain mortgages not eligible). If the Portfolio by Wells Fargo relationship is terminated, the bonus interest rate on all eligible savings accounts, and discounts or fee waivers on other products and services, will discontinue and revert to the Bank’s then-current applicable rate or fee. For bonus interest rates on time accounts, this change will occur upon renewal. If the Portfolio by Wells Fargo relationship is terminated, the remaining unlinked Wells Fargo Portfolio Checking or Wells Fargo Prime Checking account will be converted to another checking product or closed. © 2019 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Deposit products offered by Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. NMLSR ID 399801

THE RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE 1

Non-profit 501 (C) (3)

WF_074328_BB_E1_9.25x5.1_AA.indd

Saved at

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from

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by

Approvals

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SUMMER GALA  FRIDAY, JUNE 21 Job Art Director Nikki 074328 Copywriter Client Jason WF Gala includes Food, Open Bar & Auction Items! Show-Only Tickets Also Available!

Media Type Newsprint Account Mgr Karen Studio Artist Live Brian None CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE CORINNE BAILEY RAE Proofreader Trim None 9.25” x 5.1” & TIP CITY AUGUST 3 Bleed None JUNE 5None Grammy-Award winner, whose Pubs Notes Grammy Award-winner & bassist extraordinaire! Free wine tasting and art exhibit before the show!

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Opening Act: JOATA Latin Grammy Award-Winner!

Performed at Lollapalooza Chile!

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INNER-CITY THE INNER-CITYNEWS NEWS July - May 2019 - May 28,2016 2019 27, 22, 2016 - August 02,

Black & Boucher, LLC is looking for experienced milling

EMPLOYMENT SPECIALIST - (P/T)

machine operators for our Wirtgen W220’s and W50 machines. Po- Assist individuals receiving services in identifying and making sitions are full time seasonal work. Starting pay is $38.87 an hour choices about their social, vocation and personal goals. Duties in(W220) and $38.20 (W50), includes benefits (Health, Pension, An- clude case management, job development/placement/retention sernuity). Must be willing to work nights and some weekends. Year- vices and job support as needed. Requires use of personal vehicle. in a related field; plus 2 yrs’ related experience or equivalent VALENTINA MACRIWe RENTAL PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE end Bonus also included. are anHOUSING equal opportunity employer, B.A. minority, female and veterans are encouraged to apply. Work is combination of education and experience. Pay rate $16.61/hr.

Apply to:Authority, GWSNE, 432 Washington Ave., North Haven, CT 06473/ in HOME the Southern England (Connecticut, and Housing INC, onNew behalf of Columbus HouseMassachusetts, and the New Haven Fax (203) EOE/AA - M/F/D/V Rhode Island) area.

Please emailforblackandboucher@earthlink.net is accepting pre-applications studio and one-bedroom apartments at this495-6108/hr@goodwillsne.org develif interested! opment located at 108 Frank Street, New Haven. Maximum income limitations ap-

NOTICE

DELIVERY PERSON NEEDED

ply. Pre-applications will be available from 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y

The Group in when N. Stonington, CT has Temporary, 12 25,Cooper 2016 and ending sufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) have

week positions for Finish Painters, starting 6/3/19. Requires min. been received at the offices of HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon re2 years experience, ability to prep surfaces, brush paint and glaze quest by calling HOME INC at 203-562-4663 during those hours. Completed prewindows. Must have own tools and transportation. Fluency in Engapplications must be returned to HOME INC’s offices at 171 Orange Street, Third lish. We are an Affirmative Action/EOE. Send resume and referFloor, New Haven, CT 06510. ences to Employment@thecoopergroupct.com

Part Time Delivery Needed One/Two Day a Week,

NOTICIA Tree Company New Haven County looking for a bucket op-

Must Have your Own Vehicle

erator, climber and groundmen with Class B CDL. 2-4 years experience with large residential and commercial treePRE-SOLICITUDES removal. Full VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER DISPONIBLES time with work year round. Experience with using a bobcat with grapple and everyday tree de removal equipment.

HOME INC, en nombre la Columbus House y de la New Haven Housing Authority, está Sign on bonus to the right person! Call (203) 466-2400 or email aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de un dormitorio en este desarrollo PCSLANDSCAPING@AOL.COM

If Interested call

(203) 387-0354

ubicado en la calle 109 Frank Street, New Haven. Se aplican limitaciones de ingresos máximos. Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 julio,Housing 2016 hasta Authority cuando se han of recibido pre-solicitudes The the suficientes City of Norwalk, CT(aproximadamente 100) en las oficinas de HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas por correo a petición Accounting Department has two immediate openings for full is requesting proposals for Financial Advisory Services. llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse time Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable professionals Request for Proposal documents can be viewed and printed at a las oficinas de HOME INC en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510 . in a fast-paced office environment. Must be highly organized, www.norwalkha.org under the Business section RFP’s/RFQ’s possess good computer skills, be detail oriented, and able to Norwalk Housing is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Adam Bovilsky, Executive Director. manage multiple projects. Benefits include health, dental & LTD insurance plus 401(k). Send resume to: Human Resource Dept. P O Box 388, Guilford CT 06437.

Listing: Accounting

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks:

ROTHA Contracting Company, Inc Project Engineer (Connecticut): Project Engineer job opening available for a growing / established Heavy Highway Construction Contractor based out of Avon, CT. Tasks include takeoffs, CAD drafting, computations, surveying, office engineering, submittals, other miscellaneous engineering tasks. Competitive compensation package based on experience. Many opportunities for growth for the right individual. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Email resume to jobs@rothacontracting.com

Water

Electrical Technician – The Town of Wallingford Water Division is seeking a responsible and skilled individual to maintain, repair, and calibrate all of the electrical or electronic equipment pertaining to water treatment and distribution systems and operations. The position requires a high school diploma or GED and (2) two yrs. of college level education or specialized maintenance training and (4) four yrs. of experience in the repair and maintenance of electrical equipment or graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering or related field and (1) one yr. of experience. Salary: $27.32 - $33.20 per hour (contract currently under negotiations) plus an excellent fringe benefit package. Apply to: Human Resources Department, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492.

Fax #: (203) 294-2084. Closing date will be May 28, 2019 or the date the 50th application is received, whichever occurs first. EOE.

The Cheshire Housing Authority

Construction Equipment Mechanic preferably experienced ********An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer********** is currently accepting application for Foote Commons non-subsidized family one, two and Invitationthree to Bid: in Reclaiming and Road Milling Equipment. We offer factory bedroom apartments. All applicants must meet the Income Limits set annually by the nd 2 242-258 Fairmont Ave Notice training on equipment we operate. Location: Bloomfield CT U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). To qualify you must have a The GUILFORD HOUSING AUTHORITY gross annual income of $50,350-one person $57,550-two people, $64,750-three We offer hourly rate 1.5 & excellent benefits1 levelis, currently 2BRexcellent Townhouse, BA, 3BR, 1BA accepting applications for its efficiency and one maximum people, $71,900-four people, $77,700- five people, $83,450-six people, $89,200-seven peoContact: Rick Tousignant Phone: 860243-2300 bedroom apartments at Guilford Court and Boston Terrace All new apartments, new appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 & I-95 Old Saybrook, CT ple, $94,950-eight people or be able to pay a rent of $794-$1,090 for a one bedroom, $930Email: rick.tousignant@garrityasphalt.com or on $1,278 for a two bedroom, and $1,075-$1,500 for a tree bedroom. highways, near bus stop & shopping centerin Guilford, CT. Applicants must be age 62 and over (4 Buildings, 17 Units) Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply 100% social security or federal disability and over the age Interested parties may pick up an application at 50 Rumberg Road or may have one mailed.

Pet under 40lb allowed. Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258 Exempt Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer of 18. Applications maybe obtained by Tax calling the & applicaCompleted applications must be returned to the Cheshire Housing Authority 50 Rumberg

NEW HAVEN

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

tion line at 203-453-6262, ext. 107. Applications will be ac- Road, Cheshire, CT 06410. The wait list will open for 90 days (July, 19) or until the wait listSelective has 60 applications the required number by the State of Connecticut. If there are New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Demolition,orSite-work, Cast3:00 p.m. Credit, police, and units and wait list does not have the required number of applications, The Housby the authority.

Smoke free in-place Concrete, Asphaltopen Shingles, VinyltheSiding,

CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s cepted until May 30, 2019 at Certificate Program. This is a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates checks in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday,landlord August 20, 2016 1:30- are procured 3:30 Contact: Chairman, Deacon J. Davis, Operators M.S., B.S. Reclaimer Operators andJoeMilling with current housing.

(203) 996-4517 Host, General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks:

Contact: Rick Tousignant Phone: 860- 243-2300

For more information call (203)272-7511 ext1 or 2

This contract is subject to state set-aside and contract compliance requirements.

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

Email: rick.tousignant@garrityasphalt.com Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply Sealed bids are invited by the Housing Authority of the Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer

ing Authority may fill those units on a first come first serve basis. Section 8 vouchers are

Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, welcomed.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY HOUSING Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection.

licensing and clean driving record, St. New Haven, CT Be willing to travel throughout the Northeast & NY. We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits

The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport

Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016 Invitation for Bid (IFB) Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016 Elevator Maintenance Services Project documents available via ftp link below: Solicitation Number: 126-AM-19-S http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage

KMK Insulation Inc.

Town of Seymour until 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at its office at 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 for Concrete Sidewalk Repairs and Replacement at the 1907 Hartford Turnpike The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport d/b/a Park City Communities (PCC) is SmithfieldUnion Gardens Company Assisted Livingseeks: Facility, 26 Smith Street Seymour.

Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com

currently seeking bids from qualified elevator companies to provide full-service elevator North Haven, CT 06473 Tractor Trailer Driver for Heavy & Highway Construction HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran,maintenance S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses there is a mix of elevator types and locations. Soliciand repair agency-wide, Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 Equipment.

Must have awill CDL driving record, tation package will be available on April 29, 2019. To obtain a copy of the solicitation you A pre-bid conference beLicense, held atclean the Housing Authority Office 28 Smith must send your request to bids@parkcitycommunities.org, please reference solicitation capableSeymour, of operating equipment; be willing to travel AA/EEO EMPLOYER Street CT heavy at 10:00 am, on Wednesday, July 20, 2016.

Insulation company offering good pay number and title on the subject line. A pre-bid conference will be held at 150 Highland Ave, throughout the Northeast & NY. Bridgeport, CT 06604 on May 15, 2019 @ 10:00 a.m. Although attendance is not mandaand benefits.

Please mail resume to We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits Bidding documents are available from the Seymour Housing Authority Oftory, submitting a bid for the project without attending conference is not in the best interest Contact Dana at 860-243-2300 above address. of the Offeror. Additional questions should be emailed only to bids@parkcitycommunifice, 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579.

Email: dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com ties.org no later than May 22, 2019. Answers to all the questions will be posted on PCC’s Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply Website: www.parkcitycommunities.org. Seal bids will be received until May 30, 2019 @ This company is an Affirmative Action/ The Housing Authority reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, to Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer 10:00 at which time the bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.

Mechanical Insulator position.

MAIL ONLY

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.

20

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 22, 2019 - May 28, 2019

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES Invitation for Bids Furnace and Domestic Hot Water Replacement at McConaughy Terrace The Housing Authority of the City of New Havend/b/a Elm City Communities is currently seeking Bids for Furnace and Domestic Hot Water Replacement at McConaughy Terrace. A complete copy of the requirements may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on Monday, May 20, 2019 at 3:00PM. DEEP RIVER HOUSING AUTHORITY OPENING WAITING LIST FOR SENIOR/DISABLED The Deep River Housing Authority will open its waiting list for Senior/Disabled Housing on June 1st. This list will remain open until June 30th.

To request an application, please call 860-526-5119. Applications will be accepted by mail (must be postmarked or date stamped by June 30th).

Housing is available to anyone over 62 or handicapped/disabled that meet the income guidelines. Monthly rate is based on income with a minimum base rent requirement of $944.00.

Deep River Housing Authority 60 Main Street Deep River, CT 06417

Electric Utility System Operator/Dispatcher Operates electric distribution substation and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system for an electric utility serving 25,000 customers. Coordinates electric system switching and places equipment in and out of service during routine and emergency operations. Requires HS diploma/GED with 2 years experience in the operation of Distribution SCADA equipment and/or switchboards used in the distribution of electricity.

Experience and training may be substituted on a year for year basis. Must maintain valid system operation certification from Connecticut Valley Exchange (CONVEX) or other approved agency or be able to obtain the same within 90 days of hire. Must posses and maintain a valid State of CT driver’s license. $ 32.48 - $ 38.59 per hour plus an excellent fringe benefit package. Apply to: Human Resources Department, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Fax #: (203) 294-2084. Closing date will be June 17, 2019. EOE.

MINORITY CONTRACTOR OPPORTUNITY – NEW HORIZONS VILLAGE – UNIONVILLE, CT SOLICITATION OF SBE/MBE CONTRACTORS:

Construction Resources, Inc. (General Contractor), an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, seeks State of CT DAS certified SBE/MBE Subcontractors and/or suppliers and local business enterprises to bid applicable sections of work/equipment/supplies for the following construction project: New Horizons Community Building and Public Spaces Renovations: The work described in the bid documents includes renovations to the main level and second floor of the Community Building, renovations to the existing original outdoor pavilion, various site infrastructure improvements to support the other work of the project, and coordination with planned elevator modernizations in the Community Building and the adjacent Congregate Housing Building. Bid Date and Time: Friday, May 31, 2019 by 12:00 noon. Electronic Plans and specifications can be obtained at no charge by contacting Scott Mitchell at Construction Resources Plainville office at (860) 678-0663 or by email to scott@corebuilds.com. Project is Tax Exempt and Federal Prevailing Wage (Davis Bacon) does NOT apply. This project is subject to state set-aside and contract compliance requirements. CORE encourages the participation of certified SBE/MBE contractors. CORE is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

The Housing Authority of the City of Norwalk, CT is requesting proposals for Financial Advisory Services.

Request for Proposal documents can be viewed and printed at www.norwalkha.org under the Business section RFP’s/RFQ’s Norwalk Housing is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Adam Bovilsky, Executive Director.

HELP WANTED: Large CT guardrail company looking

QSR STEEL CORPORATION

APPLY NOW!

Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders Top pay for top performers.

Health Benefits, 401K, Vacation Pay. Email Resume: Rose@qsrsteel.com Hartford, CT

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

for Laborer/Driver with valid CT CDL Class A license and able to get a medical card. Must be able to pass a drug test and physical.

Compensation based on experience. Email resume to dmastracchio@atlasoutdoor.com AA/EOE M-F

State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management, is recruiting for a Labor Relations Associate position.

Further information regarding the duties, eligibility requirements and application instructions for this position is available at: https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/ sup/bulpreview.asp?R1=190508 &R2=0190MP&R3=001 The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven is seeking to fill the position of Program Director for New Haven Healthy Start.

Please refer to our website for details: http://www.cfgnh.org/About/ContactUs /EmploymentOpportunities.aspx. EOE. Electronic submissions only. No phone calls

Listing: Accounting

Accounting Department has an immediate opening in Accounts Payable. This full time position in a fast-paced office environment could be an excellent entry to an Accounting career. Requires good computer and organizational skills, attention to detail, and multi-tasking. Benefits include health, dental & LTD insurance plus 401(k). Send resume to: Human Resource Dept. P O Box 388, Guilford CT 06437. ********An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer**********

Town of Bloomfield

Library Director $90,364 – $139,476 For more details, visit our website – www.bloomfieldct.org 21

APPLY TODAY Town of Bloomfield

Youth & Family Program Assistant Part Time – Non benefited (5-15 hrs. wkly) $11.87 hourly Pre-employment drug testing.

AA/EOE For details and how to apply go to www.bloomfieldct.org

Large CT. Fence Company is looking for an individual for our stock yard. Warehouse shipping and receiving and Forklift experience a must. Must have a minimum of 3 years’ material handling experience.

Must be able to read and write English, and read a tape measure. Duties will include: Loading and unloading trucks, pulling orders for installation and retail counter sales, keeping the yard clean and organized at all times and inventory control. Individual will also make deliveries of fence panels and products, must be able to lift at least 70lbs. Required to pass a Physical and Drug test, have a valid CT. Driver’s License and be able to obtain a Drivers Medical Card. CDL B & A drivers a plus. Send resume to pking@atlasourdoor. com AA/EOE/MF

CARPENTRY SHOP

Large CT Fence Company looking for a full-time carpenter for our Wood Fence Production Shop. Experience preferred but will train the right person. Must be familiar with carpentry hand & power tools and be able to read a CAD drawing and tape measure. This is an in-shop production position. Duties include mortising & drilling wood posts for fence panels, building fence panels, gates & more. Must have a valid CT driver’s license and be able to obtain a Drivers Medical Card. Must be able to pass a physical and drug test. Please email resume to pking@atlasoutdoor.com. AA/EOE-MF

THE INNER-CITY NEWS -

May 22, 2019 - May 28, 2019

At Black Colleges, the Baseball Teams Increasingly Aren’t

By Black PR Wire

Before each game, Clarence Carter III glances across the diamond as the opposing team warms up. He peeks in the dugout, scans the outfield and takes inventory around the infield during batting practice, counting how many African-Americans he can spot on the other team.

This is not an unusual drill for AfricanAmericans playing in the major leagues, where their numbers have dwindled in recent decades, or in the similarly exclusive world of youth travel baseball.

But what makes this exercise striking is that Carter, a junior infielder at BethuneCookman University, plays for — and often against — one of America’s historically black colleges.

“It did catch me by surprise; I’m not going to lie,” said Carter, who transferred to Bethune-Cookman from a community college in Fullerton, Calif. “I would have thought coming to an H.B.C.U. there would be more black people, but things aren’t always what you expect.”

While baseball’s struggles to attract African-American talent and fans are well documented, the depth of the issue comes into sharper relief for teams in the MidEastern Athletic Conference, a group of historically black colleges and universities stretching from Maryland to Florida. At each of the nine MEAC colleges that compete in baseball, the baseball teams often feature more white and Latino players than African-Americans.

Consider the standard-bearer for the conference, Bethune-Cookman, which has won 19 MEAC championships and plays its home games at Jackie Robinson Ballpark, the same field where Robinson first suited up for a game after signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers. At times this season, the Wildcats have not started a single African-American player.

There is a litany of reasons African-Americans have turned away from baseball, including the decimation of youth programs in areas where there historically have been large African-American communities and the sport’s ballooning costs — both for equipment (a top-shelf aluminum bat runs about $325) and exposure (participating on travel teams can cost thousands of dollars a year).

Billy Hawkins, a University of Houston professor who has written extensively on race and college sports, said young black athletes have become less likely to gravitate toward baseball because they and their parents have an easier time envisioning success in football and basketball. The numbers reflect that: African-Americans comprised 7.8 percent of opening day roster spots in the majors this year, down from the peak of 18.7 percent in 1981.

“Major League Baseball hasn’t developed a cultural relevance similar to those other leagues,” Hawkins said of the N.B.A. and N.F.L. “These other leagues have prospered in attracting black players, but also having a blackness like you’d talk about in music or dress. For some reason, M.L.B. hasn’t evolved similarly.”

To stay competitive, H.B.C.U.s have had to cast a wider net. Lynn Thompson, the athletic director at Bethune-Cookman since 1990, said he saw the start of the decline of baseball growing up in Daytona Beach in the late 1960s; in neighborhoods where his friends once rode their bikes to play sandlot ball, redevelopment paved over ball fields in favor of basketball courts and parking lots.

Bethune-Cookman began recruiting out of Florida’s deep pool of Latino players early on, and Thompson said that he has given the same marching orders each time he hires a baseball coach, something he did for the sixth time last August.

“We just happen to be historically black; we’re not exclusively black,” Thompson said. “Our job is to tell the great story of Bethune-Cookman through the lives of these great kids who wear our uniforms, wherever they come from and whatever they look like.”

This is a complicated stance, and it has drawn criticism. It is not unusual for H.B.C.U. football teams to recruit white kickers or punters, or to look farther afield to fill out their tennis and golf teams. But baseball can strike a different chord, particularly because of the legacy of the Negro Leagues and Robinson’s stature as a civil rights icon.

“We’ve taken some heat from some people,” Thompson said. “But look, we’re Division I, and if you’re a high school kid and you’re playing right field and batting .198 and you think just because we’re an H.B.C.U., you think you ought to be able to get a scholarship, you’re wrong.”

He continued: “When you come to bat against the University of Miami and this guy’s throwing 96 miles per hour with a slider that falls off the earth, you’ve got to be able to perform. Ain’t no excuses then.”

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If Bethune-Cookman’s baseball team, which has four African-Americans, does not resemble its student body, which is 79 percent African-American, it is nevertheless a melting pot. This year, there are players who are Dominican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Colombian, Peruvian, Mexican and Jamaican; there also are white players, who make up about half the 28-player roster.

The team’s first-year coach, Jonathan Hernandez, 33, grew up in Hialeah, Fla., a heavily Cuban community near Miami, where he was a product of Major League Baseball’s Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities youth program. He has put together a promising recruiting class — including two African-American players — that is ranked 60th among Division I programs, according to one analysis. Bethune-Cookman is the only H.B.C.U. on that list.

“I know that we’ve got to be able to give black players more opportunities,” Hernandez said. “There are definitely talented baseball players out there, and we have to find them.”

Finding them, though, is getting harder; N.C.A.A. data from 2018 showed only 4 percent of college players are AfricanAmerican. And when an H.B.C.U. identifies an exceptional black prospect, it soon

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finds itself competing against both elite programs with more resources and professional teams dangling signing bonuses.

Sherman Reed, in his ninth season as the coach at Coppin State, said that he commiserates with a handful of African-American college coaches, like Edwin Thompson at Eastern Kentucky and Kerrick Jackson at Southern University, about the difficulties of recruiting.

“Economics plays such a big part of this,” Reed said. “More than people want to say.”

Showcase events that gather the best talent, for example, can cost about $800 for a player to attend, and include as many as 1,000 players — but perhaps only a dozen African-Americans, Reed said. Of those, he said, eight might have major-college tools.

“It’s a rat race to get those kids,” Reed said. “We like the kid, but Penn State is there and likes the kid, Vanderbilt is there and likes the kid. They always ask, ‘Coach, how many guys have you got drafted?’ I tell them, ‘If I get you, you’ll be the first one.’”

At the other end of the food chain, he said, are the emails and phone calls from African-American high school players who Reed believes should be aiming lower than Division I. “Instead of ignoring the kid’s video, I try to be truthful,” Reed said. “I might say, ‘There’s some tools I like, but there’s a good junior college in your area where you can learn your trade.’”

The sweet spot for Reed works something like this: a tip from his extensive web of contacts about a player who, for whatever reason, has fallen through the cracks.

Someone like Jahmon Taylor, a live-armed pitcher from Altamonte Springs, Fla.,

whom Rickie Weeks Sr. — the father of a former big leaguer and top overall pick out of Southern University — said was not being recruited. Or a player like Nazir McIlwain, a first baseman from Passaic, N.J., who could not afford the admission fee to a showcase that might have showed off his sweet swing to bigger programs.

Lynn Thompson, the athletic director at Bethune-Cookman since 1990, gives every new coach he hires the same marching orders: “We just happen to be historically black; we’re not exclusively black.”

Both are seniors at Coppin State now. Taylor owns the record for career strikeouts, and McIlwain set the one for hits. But they are among only six African-Americans on Reed’s current roster.

Back at Bethune-Cookman, Hernandez hopes for a similar progression for Khalil Smith, a freshman outfielder from Southfield, Mich. Smith starred on an entirely African-American team in high school, and he was close to Demetrius Sims, a minor leaguer in the Miami Marlins organization who starred at Bethune-Cookman.

Sims was part of one of the brightest moments in the program’s history: in 2017, the Wildcats briefly became baseball darlings — winning three N.C.A.A. tournament games, including one against Florida, the eventual national champion.

But maintaining that level has proved challenging. The Wildcats, who missed the postseason at 17-38, have had three coaches in the last three seasons, and operate with a fraction of the resources that other college teams in their baseball-rich state enjoy.

They travel by bus to away games — as far as nine hours to Greensboro, N.C. — and played their last home game on March 27, before Jackie Robinson Ballpark was taken over by a minor league team. Since then, the Wildcats have practiced at a local park.

The players, though, are appreciative that Hernandez allows them to be themselves, something that is not a given in the buttoned-up baseball world.

“There’s more swagger to it,” Joe Fernando, a senior infielder from Brooklyn, said of H.B.C.U. baseball. “You look at our team, you’ve got guys here with gold chains, dark shades, whatever. Look good, feel good, play good.”

Carter said his experience as a student at a historically black university has been similarly liberating. He is not judged by the way he dresses or the way he talks, and says he does not have to mute himself to fit in. “I’m not an outcast,” he said.

Ignoring the unwritten codes of conduct that many blame for pushing the sport toward cultural irrelevance, Carter said, could be the path to drawing AfricanAmericans back to the game.

“If people could just accept us more in this sport,” Carter said. “If they let us express ourselves — not in a disrespectful way — but just learn to accept how we actually play we will come out of our shell and start picking up the bats again.”

This article originally appeared in the Charleston Chronicle.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - May 22, 2019 - May 28, 2019

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS -

May 22, 2019 - May 28, 2019

It’s Time to Put People Before Drug Company Profits.

While too many Connecticut residents struggle to make ends meet, the big drug companies continue to rake in billions. It’s no wonder, considering that they make Americans pay the highest prescription drug prices in the world.

That’s why it’s critical for all Connecticut lawmakers to put aside their differences and support commonsense solutions to lower drug prices, including: • Allowing our state to negotiate for lower prices.

• Preventing brand-name drug companies from paying off generic competitors to stop more affordable medications from reaching consumers.

People shouldn’t have to choose between buying medication and buying food for our families. To all state lawmakers: It’s time to work together and pass bipartisan legislation to lower prescription drug prices—now.

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