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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - October 18, 2023 - October 24, 2023

A Student Association Dances Into The School Year

by Jamiah Green, Arts Paper newhavenarts.org

The steps moved through the dancers, their feet tapping as Afrobeat pulsed through the room. Left step, right step, left step. It flowed into their arms, the sound smooth and hypnotic. Within minutes, dancers’ entire bodies adapted to the rhythm. Left step, right step, left step.

That was the scene at the Adanti Student Center at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) on a recent Wednesday, as dance coordinators from the school’s African Student Association (ASA) shared a routine at their beginning-of-year AfroMixer. As it kicked off the school year with music, dance, and networking, it also brought a group’s mission into focus as students enter a new semester.

“Africa is a continent. So it’s not just one main culture and it’s not just one main religion,” said ASA President Colette Mweze. Mweze, who is Congolese and Burundian, added that the group tries to spread culture and knowledge of both Africa and the African diaspora around campus. “Over the course of years, afro beats and things like that have really come up. Now it’s kind of

From left to right: ASA Member Joné Mwape, AfroMixer attendee Jeana Noel, and ASA Member Danielle Addy.

cool to be African in a sense.”

This year, that begins with ASA’s goals, which Mweze said are still very much in progress. Currently, they include bringing new student members into the group and onto the executive board, launching and growing a new social media presence, and planning and programming events, starting with a series of weekly meetings at the campus’

main library and a gala next month.

The team, which meets at Buley Library each Wednesday at 1 p.m., currently includes student representation from Congo, Burundi, Ghana, Togo, the Ivory Coast and Puerto Rico. In an interview with the Arts Paper, several members of the executive board said that they want to create something where fellow students can both find

information on different African countries, and also feel like they have a “safe space” to express themselves and build community while they are attending Southern.

That vision recently came to life at the group’s first mixer and info session of the year, as students gathered in the Adanti Student Center to see what the association was all about. As attendees

rolled in, songs by Tems and Future floated over the room. Walls and tables sported African and Afro-Caribbean flags, with representation that ranged from Egypt to Congo to the Dominican Republic. Plantains and fried “African puff-puffs,” or doughnuts, crowded a refreshment table.

The team asked attendees to play an ice breaker called “Step Forward,”in which people could step forward if a statement applied to them, and remain in place or step backwards if it did not.

At first, the statements were simple: If you are a sophomore here at Southern, step forward. Some remained silly: If you find someone on the board that’s cute, step forward. Then questions got more personal, dipping into cultural identity and history. Whoever reached the other side of the room first won the game.

Members of the ASA’s executive board, who had crafted the questions, later explained that they saw it as a fun and engaging way for students to meet and interact with each other. By the end of the evening, that had rubbed off on several of the attendees too.

“I thought it was fun and enjoyable,” said sophomore Jeana Noel. “I like to Con’t on page 11

Goldson Drops Out Of Ed Board Race

by LAURA GLESBY The new haven independent Darnell Goldson has officially ended his bid for reelection to the Board of Education, winding down a nearly eight-year stretch helping govern the school system — and leaving school board candidate Andrea Downer uncontested in her run to take Goldson’s place.

Since late 2021, Goldson — one of the board’s two incumbent elected members, along with Ed Joyner — had wavered on whether to run again after receiving a cancer diagnosis and then going into remission.

Though he made initial efforts to campaign in the primary election, he opted in July not to be a Democratic nominee after the local Democratic Party backed Downer instead.

On Monday evening, he confirmed that he has since dropped out of the race, and won’t be running as an unaffiliated candidate in Nov. 7’s general election for the school board’s District 2 seat, which covers the northern half of the city, from Amity to Downtown to Quinnipiac Meadows.

As a result, Democratic nominee Andrea Downer faces no known opponent in her quest to take his place on the Board of Education when Goldson’s current term

runs out at the end of the year.

“After a while, you get tired of feeling like you aren’t making a huge difference,” Goldson said before the start of his fourth-to-last Board of Education meeting on Monday at Barack Obama School on Farnham Avenue. Though he’s proud of some of his accomplishments on the Board of Education — such as calling for more fiscal transparency and “bringing on a terrific new superintendent” in Dr. Madeline Negron — he said he often feels like he’s “bumping up against a wall,” and that “we have not made a dent in achievement” among public school students.

Goldson first took office as one of the board’s two elected members in 2015, serving two four-year terms. He emerged as one of the board members most willing to openly challenge his colleagues and school administrators.

“I do wish Mr. Goldson the best in any endeavors in his life. It’s to be commended, the eight years that he’s sat on the board and the work he’s completed with the board,” Downer reflected on Tuesday.

“I am still on the mission of reducing absenteeism, retaining those teachers, and supporting the parents and children of our district. … I look forward to working with the board members as we collaboratively

LAURA GLESBY PHOTO Darnell Goldson at Monday's Board of Education meeting.

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get to our challenges.”

She added, “I want to encourage folks to come to the polls. It’s important to vote.”

Downer is the only Board of Education candidate to have her name on the Nov. 7 general election ballot, although voters can still write in other names.

Goldson offered some advice for Downer as she prepares to take his place. “Don’t feel lost because of how big this is,” he said. “No matter how much you think you know, there’s a lot you don’t know.”

He said he doesn’t envy Downer’s position of coming onto the board just before an influx of pandemic-era federal funding runs out, right as the board faces the task of deciding how to reallocate resources — and what programs to shut down — in the face of an anticipated drop in funding.

Goldson said he eventually plans to work with young people in some other, to-be-determined form.

For now, though, he wants to spend time with his daughter, who’s about to graduate from college — and relax on the beach.

He’s thinking of going to the Dominican Republic or Puerto Rico. “Once I’m on the beach, I’ll be OK,” he laughed. “I’m gonna be focused on getting a tan somewhere.”

Amplify The Arts Raises The Barn THE INNER-CITY NEWS - October 18, 2023 - October 24, 2023

by KAREN PONZIO The new haven independent The soul-stirring sculptures of Linda Mickens, both large and small, anchored one corner of the Eli Whitney Barn.

Across the room, Michael Jackson’s iconic Off the Wall album cover in the style of Saint Phifer faced portraits of women dancing and laughing as seen through the eyes of Jasmine Nikole.

Those neighbored the dazzling array of faces created by Shaunda Holloway, while between them lay stairs leading to the open studio of Susan Clinard, where a seemingly endless number of her own sculptures that one could see themselves and just about anyone else in the world in stood, sat, and hung from the rafters.

All this and so much more greeted visitors of the second annual Amplify the Arts Festival, which took place this past Saturday and Sunday at the rustic Whitney Avenue location, where yet another rainy day could not keep lovers of the arts away.

The first festival happened last year in the town center park and Keene center in Hamden, but this year organizer Karimah Mickens wanted to “do something different.”

“Hamden is starting to grow a lot with the arts,” she said. “I wanted to do something focused on the artists. I wanted to exhibit.”

Mickens had her “three main people” she knew she would “anchor the show around” — Clinard, her mother Linda Mickens, and Holloway. Clinard then became “a great partner” in setting up the event, including selecting more artists.

Both last year’s and this year’s events were made possible by a grant received from the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and the Arts Council of Greater New Haven, which also allowed her to add in performers and provide prizes for a juried youth art competition as well during the event.

As Mickens looked into using the space at the barn and considered the closing of Artspace and the lack of a City-Wide Open Studios event this year, she worked “intentionally” with Erector Square artists and others who were also creating new spaces for artists during this time, coordinating events so as to not do anything at the same time so they could create a similar month’s worth of events for everyone to attend.

“It’s all about lifting up spaces for artists — especially people of color, LGBTQ, youth — so this is what this was about,” she said. “I’m just happy folks are coming through and they’re going to get to experience it.”

Clinard was thrilled to be a part of it all and to work with Mickens, saying how they put their “heads together” thinking of different artists from Hamden and some from Bridgeport who could partici-

KAREN PONZIO PHOTOS Karimah Mickens admires Jasmine Nikole's work at this weekend's Amplify the Arts festival at Eli Whitney Barn.

Linda Mickens' corner of the barn.

Jasmine Nikole and the woman with her trumpet.

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pate in this event.

“It’s full of life and beauty in there,” she said. “You’re just going to be loving it.” She noted that it had the “same feeling” as the yearly open studios of the past, which had been part of City-Wide Open Studios, with additional performances and extras.

“Institutions can’t tell us we can stop doing what we know how to do best, which is celebrate with others and open our space to creativity and share,” she added.

Clinard was feeling bittersweet about her own time at the barn since she announced earlier this year that she would be moving her studio space from there, noting that once again the community has made all the difference, with people asking if they can help her move when it is time.

“Quite literally if everyone who offered held two sculptures in each hand I could get to where I need to go,” Clinard said.

“No matter where I go, my community and lovely, lovely supporters and people will always be there.… It’s very touching and that’s what matters most. The space is the space and this one is beautiful, but the community you create with your work is the stuff that matters the most.”

On this day this beautiful space contained not only the work of Clinard, Linda Mickens, and Holloway, but also Amira Brown, Edward Jefferson, Nathan Lewis, Luciana McClure, Jasmine Nikole, Iyaba Ibo Mandingo, and Darnell “Saint” Phifer. Music was provided by the Female DJ Association. The Beyond the Salt food truck was on hand, and a series of performers, including musicians, poets, and puppeteers, were scheduled throughout the two days along with vendors of art and other wares.

Phifer was thrilled to be a part of the event. It was his second time showing his acrylic and charcoal works in New Haven. The Bridgeport artist said he likes to “highlight Black stories and Black culture.” He chose to highlight NBA legend Allen Iverson in one piece because “he changed basketball” and was important to him growing up. While Phifer’s portraits mostly did not include facial features, they left the viewer open and ready to look at them and imagine themselves in their shoes.

On the opposite wall from Phifer, artist Jasmine Nikole, who said she spent her whole childhood between New Haven and Hamden, highlighted Black women in her acrylic paintings.

“Each one has a story to tell,” she said, including “struggles they overcame.”

One in particular showed a woman with a trumpet, which Nikole said she used to be able to share her story after a childhood where she was “shy” and told to be “polite and good.”

“The story inspires everyone to pick up their trumpet,” she said. “Mine is art.

It unites people if you can relate to the

story, even if the picture doesn’t look like you.”

Ed Jefferson had a multitude of different pieces on display next to Phifer, including sculpture, woodwork, and watercolors, many of them depicting family and friends. A plumber who is also a selftaught artist since childhood, Jefferson said his themes are “common to me.”

“I paint what I see, what I live,” he said, influenced by the family around him and the music he listens to. He noted that his family had been pushing him to “get out there more” and was thrilled to have been asked by Mickens to participate in this event.

As the rain belted down the crowd got bigger, the weather not keeping them from going outside and partaking of the food truck and vendors under the tents on one side of the barn. In the upper loft area of the barn, McClure and Lewis displayed their work. McClure said it was her first time showing her pieces on paper as opposed to the photographs she is known for, adding that many of them depicted a “combination of the natural and the meditative.” Nearby on the loft as well as right below, Holloway’s pieces offered a stunning array of faces in all shapes and colors, and the artist herself was even creating new pieces during the event.

Meanwhile across the room Linda Mickens smiled and shared conversation with an endless number of astonished visitors surrounded by her work, while above them the phrase “never be afraid to stand up for your ancestors because they were never afraid to lay down for you” spoke boldly. She was joined on that side of the barn by Iyaba Ibo Mandingo’s bold visual art and poetry books, as well as the mindful work of Amira Brown, who said her pieces were made in 2021 and that they were still very meaningful to her. Her artist’s statement included the directive “to see yourself in the people you glimpse walking by, to confront the alley ways of your existence that you avoid, to the places and curbs and crowds that shift and change throughout the years.”

In a way those words encompassed this event and ones like it that are now coming to fruition throughout the area. Art always happens, whether in lockdown or in places where crowds gather, and to share it often completes it. If we have learned anything, it is that change is constant, and that it can lead us to a variety of spaces and places we have yet to explore both inside our art and outside in the world.

If Saturday was a glimpse of what is to come, there will be more than enough people there ready and willing to explore it together.

More information about the other Open Studio events taking place in New Haven this month can be found on the Erector Square website.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - October 18, 2023 - October 24, 2023

Stalwart Hill Public Servant Dies

by THOMAS BREEN The new haven independent Andrea Jackson-Brooks, a Hill alder and state representative whose decades-long career in politics earned her widespread admiration for her commitment to public service, passed away on Sunday. She was 79.

Jackson-Brooks represented the Hill’s Ward 4 on the Board of Alders for 15 years. She served two terms as state representative for New Haven’s 95th Connecticut General Assembly district.

She worked as former Mayor John DeStefano’s executive assistant and as an assistant in the state comptroller’s office, and chaired the board of Cornell Scott Hill Health Center.

“She just had a love for her people,” her son Talib Muhammad told the Independent.

She was “just always wanting to give back. … If people in the neighborhood needed something, she was there for them,” added her older son, Danny Gant.

“She was just always a giver.”

“She served the community so well, with such dignity and graciousness,” said her friend Elizabeth Hilton, who served as Jackson-Brooks’ conservator in the final years of her life and who worked for the city in the early 2000s when JacksonBrooks was an alder. “She gave love. She was love. And she recognized love.”

Muhammad, Gant, Hilton, and the Celentano Funeral Home all confirmed that Jackson-Brooks passed away on Sunday. She spent the end of her life at Mary Wade Home in Fair Haven. Her oldest son said that she suffered from Alzheimer’s.

Much of Jackson-Brooks’ life and work in New Haven took place in the Hill.

MAYA MCFADDEN FILE PHOTO Current Hill Alder Evelyn Rodriguez with JacksonBrooks' oldest son Danny Gant at May 2020 corner renaming ceremony.

In early 2020, relatives and former political colleagues came out to the Board of Alders to speak in support of the renaming of Spring Street and DeWitt Street as “Andrea Jackson-Brooks Way.” “You can’t find a nicer person who worked harder and cared so much as Andrea,” former Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman said at a February 2020 aldermanic committee meeting about the corner renaming honoring her former colleague. She said she first got to know Jackson-Brooks when they both served in the state House of Representatives. They worked even more closely together several years later when Jackson came to work for Wyman in the latter’s capacity as state comptroller.

“She would stand up for what she believed in, and you better have listened,” Wyman said at the time. “She loved her family and she loved this city. She was a fighter for this city.”

Former Ward 4 Alder, Board of Alders President, and mayoral Chief of Staff Tomas Reyes turned out to the same meeting to speak glowingly about Jackson-Brooks when she served as Ward 4’s Democratic Ward Committee co-chair during his time as alder. “When I became president of the board, she became a state rep. And she did that job exceedingly well,” he said at the time. “She earned a reputation very quickly as a state representative that could get things done, and would always

remember where she came from.”

At a May 2020 corner renaming ceremony in the Hill, neighbors and elected officials and city leaders continued that line of praised, as Jackson-Brooks watched on from the second-floor balcony of her home at the corner of Spring and DeWitt.

“She made a lot of us leaders. Her legacy has been in us, but now it is physical too,” current Ward 4 Alder Evelyn Rodriguez said at that ceremony. “She pushed me to respect everyone, do my best, and always invest with my neighbors.”

Her sons, Gant and Muhammad, told the Independent on Monday that their mom’s dedication to public service extended well before she moved to New Haven in the early 1980s.

During the Civil Rights era of the 1960s, she worked with the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in Baltimore.

In the 1970s, she moved to Georgia and worked as an assistant to then/Gov., and future President, Jimmy Carter. When she moved to New Haven in 1981, she and her husband, Walter Brooks, spent much of their lives involved in local politics, as alders and state reps.

“She’s always been one who wanted to help her community,” said Muhammad.

She also loved playing soccer, and encouraged her kids to play too. “She was my number one cheerleader,” Muhammad said.

Her commitment to public service loomed large in New Haven, and her work touched the lives of many. “There’s not too many people in this area,” Gant said, “who don’t know” Andrea JacksonBrooks.

New Review Crew Gets Old School Advice

by STAFF

The new haven independent

Like in-person local news reporting, local arts and culture reviewing is going through a paradigm shift from old-school corporate for-profit media to new-media nonprofit models. A panel of old-school panelists shared perspective on that shifting landscape Wednesday with purveyors of the new.

That panel discussion took place at the KNOWN co-working space on Orange Street. Members of the Independent Review Crew — a new network of local reviewers in cities across the country organized by the Online Journalism Project (which also publishes the New Haven Independent) — gathered at KNOWN for the event.

They heard four veterans mix it up about how they do their craft and how the work will be done in the future: Independent and Review Crew Arts Editor Brian Slattery, Kelefa Sanneh and Hannah Goldfield of the New Yorker, and Jazmine Hughes of The New York Times Magazine. The latter three began honing their craft as high-schoolers in New Haven before their careers took them to the Big Apple.

Babz Rawls-Ivy, host of WNHH FM’s “LoveBabz LoveTalk” and editor of the Inner-City News, moderated the panel along with nonprofit arts publisher and audience builder Stacey Peters. Actually, the panel’s members joined in the moderating/ question-asking as well during the lively discussion.

NORA GRACE-FLOOD PHOTO Slattery, Goldfield, Sanneh, Hughes, and Rawls-Ivy at Wednesday's panel.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - October 18, 2023 - October 24, 2023

Regina Winters-Toussaint To Be Inducted Posthumously Into CT Women’s Hall of Fame

by LISA REISMAN The new haven independent While a student at the Yale School of Architecture in 1992, Regina Winters-Toussaint created her own summer internship.

As one of the first counselors for LEAP, then a new youth enrichment program in New Haven, she moved into Westville Manor public housing, where she mentored the young people living there.

That willingness to steep herself in the experience of those who would live and work in the structures she built is among the reasons for the induction of WintersToussaint, who died of cancer at 47 in April 2016, in the CT Women’s Hall of Fame, according to its executive director Sarah Lubarsky.

Winters-Toussaint “could have gone to a major design firm, but she made the choice that was for the greater good, and that’s a pattern she repeated throughout her life,” Lubarsky said.

As one of four 2023-themed “Women Who Build” inductees on Thursday, Oct. 26, Winters-Toussaint, who would go on to play a vital role in New Haven programs geared toward neighborhood revitalization, community development, and urban planning, was a natural choice, Lubarsky said.

“Every year we have a posthumous inductee, which gives us an opportunity to tell stories that might get lost in the dust of time,” she said, of the nonprofit, which has as its mission, “to educate girls and women (as well as men and boys) about the accomplishments and contributions of women from Connecticut.”

Winters-Toussaint grew up in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, “the daughter of a single woman on welfare.” That’s from the New York Times, which featured her in a Jan. 18, 1987 article headlined “From New York’s Poor Areas to Private

Winters-Toussaint at a meeting to engineer a Whalley Ave. facelift in Sept. 2009. (CT Women's HOF).

Schools.” She was 17 at the time.

“Her mother taught her to read early, and by the eighth grade, she had a 99 average and was class president,” it reported. It was that performance that would qualify her for a scholarship to attend the George School, an elite Quaker prep school in Pennsylvania.

“This combination of intimately knowing the tough side of America and our nation’s opportunity was a big part of Regina,” LEAP founder and executive director Henry Fernandez wrote in 2016.

Fernandez said he first met WintersToussaint when they were undergraduates at Harvard. “I think it is fair to say

that Regina was one of Harvard’s top recruits — indeed, even the New York Times said so,” he said, referring to another New York Times mention, this one in an April 27, 1986 feature on “The Dwindling Black Presence on Campus.”

“She was artistically and from a design perspective, immensely talented,” he said of Winters-Toussaint, who earned her degree in Visual and Environmental Studies.

When it came time to pursue a graduate degree in architecture, “there were virtually no Black women who went to Yale School of Architecture or any other architectural school. She was willing to take on challenges and excel at them.”

“She built consensus,” Kenneth Boroson said in a tribute film to premier at the induction ceremony; Winters-Toussaint worked at his New Haven firm as part of her architect license requirements. “She built consensus as an LCI director, as an interim housing director, and working in our firm with our clients.”

From there, “she built her own company from scratch and located it in the heart of Fair Haven,” Fernandez said, of Zared Enterprises, becoming the first Black woman to own an architecture and planning firm in Connecticut.

She did that “despite the fact that African American women made up much less

than one percent of architects in the U.S,” he said.

There, Boroson said, she was key in developing the ArLoW (ArtsLoftWest) project for artist housing in Westville, McConaughy Terrace, an affordable housing development, and the Mary Wade Home, a nursing home and assisted care facility.

Regarding the Mary Wade Home, “it took an extraordinary kind of personality and warmth and leadership to convince a community that was kind of initially against it, to completely support it,” Boroson said.

“She helped people along the way in her path, she uplifted them,” Lubarsky said. “And at the same time she literally left her mark on New Haven in her 47 short years.”

She said Winters-Toussaint’s story will be incorporated into her organization’s curriculum, which includes STEMfems, MS.Story, as well as its “See It Be It” program, which offers 4th and 5th graders, as well as adult learners, in New Haven and around the state a 45-minute history lesson and creative ways to bring that history to life.

Perhaps the crowning achievement of Winters-Toussaint’s career was the rebuild of the Dixwell Community House, known as the Q House.

Hired, together with Kenneth Boroson Architects, to design the center, she included African motifs and designs in both the exterior and interior tailored to different portions of the community, from kids to seniors, and activities ranging from socializing to mental health support to sports programs to job readiness training.

“We heard you,” Winters said in 2014, adding that the architects worked off a “site, a budget, and a list of things the community wanted,” a seeming echo of that early self-created internship.

Lamont Nominates Judge Dawne Westbrook to the Appellate Court

by Hugh McQuaid

Superior Court Judge Dawne Westbrook, a Black woman with more than a decade on the bench and a background in civil rights work, was nominated Thursday by Gov. Ned Lamont to serve on the Connecticut Appellate Court.

If approved by the legislature, Westbrook, who currently serves as the chief administrative judge for juvenile matters, will replace appellate Judge Eliot Prescott, who took senior status earlier this week.

“Judge Westbrook has served the Connecticut Superior Court with distinction for more than a decade and has taken a hands-on role with overseeing the administration of thousands of cases involving children under 18 years old,” Lamont said in a press release. “I believe that her experience and skills will be a valuable contribution to the important mission of

the Appellate Court.”

In a brief statement, Westbrook said it was an honor to be nominated and thanked the governor for his confidence allowing her to further serve the state.

Prior to her nomination to the court by former Gov. Jodi Rell in 2009, Westbrook’s legal experience included work as assistant counsel for the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities as well as serving as legal redress counsel for the Connecticut NAACP. Lamont’s choice of Westbrook reflects criticisms leveled at the administration for his recent judicial nominees, which have been white, former prosecutors including recently confirmed Supreme Court Justice Nora Dannehy. Some lawmakers and the advocacy group The People’s Parity Project, have pushed for more diversity on Connecticut’s bench, which they contend is weighted too heavily toward for-

Superior Court Judge Dawne Westbrook Credit: Courtesy of Gov. Ned Lamont's Office

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mer prosecutors and corporate attorneys.

Thursday’s press release announcing Westbrook’s nomination included quotes from both co-chairs of the legislature’s Judiciary Committee, including Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, who said last month he had personally expressed concerns to Lamont regarding the diversity of his nominees.

Winfield said Westbrook’s extensive experience made her an ideal nominee for the appellate post.

“With over a decade of service on the Connecticut Superior Court, Judge Westbrook has demonstrated unwavering dedication to upholding the law and pursuing justice,” Winfield said. “Her commitment to public service and involvement in various community organizations showcase her well-rounded and compassionate approach to justice. It is with confidence that I support her nomination to the Appellate Court, where her knowledge and

integrity will undoubtedly benefit our judicial system.”

Earlier this year, the People’s Parity Project released a report calling for greater representation of lawyers with civil rights, public defense, and legal aid backgrounds on the state bench. The report found that a judge’s past experiences often color their rulings.

For instance, a judge who never worked as a defense attorney may be more likely to order harsher sentences in criminal cases and a former corporate attorney more likely to find in favor of corporations in employment cases.

In an email Thursday, Steve Kennedy, the report’s author, said the group was still researching Westbrook, but was encouraged to see Lamont nominating an appellate judge with civil rights and criminal defense experience, “which are sorely needed on the state’s appellate courts.”

Artist Finds The Balance THE INNER-CITY NEWS - October 18, 2023 - October 24, 2023

by BRIAN SLATTERY The new haven independent If the works of artist Linda Mickens — one of the recipients this year, along with fellow artist Jeff Ostergren, of a grant from the Bitsie Clark Fund for Artists — were to all appear in one gallery at the same time, you could line one wall with a choir of angels, in various poses, heads tilted toward the sky or downward, wings folded or unfurled.

On the other side of the gallery, though, would be a woman with nails for hair, screaming, a machine gun in her lap; faceless statues in hoodies, the victims of police shootings. Light and darkness, held in suspension, with the artist always moving from one to the other and back again.

And maybe, with the piece she’s about to create, finding just the right balance between them.

Mickens describes herself as “mostly self-taught.” The qualifier is due to her taking a class, maybe two, in 1986, in sculpture at the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art. She was already working as a nurse then, and raising three children.

“I did it after work, and nights I would go there,” she said of the class. She had always been “artful,” she said, making things — leather bags, bracelets and other accessories — in high school, but became a nurse after caring for her mother, who was very sick and passed away. “It just felt like the right thing for me,” Mickens said.

“It was my first time being exposed to health care issues, and I thought, ‘I think I can do this.’ ” She graduated nursing school in 1980.

The sculpture class called to Mickens, six years into her nursing career, because “I needed to put my hands on something, to make something creative,” she said. She learned to make models in clay and plaster, and to make molds so she could create pieces in metal. Her first piece, which sits in her studio now, shows that her dexterous ability at rendering faces and emotions was with her from the start. Then “I left the school and started doing stuff on my own,” she said.

She got into travel nursing, which took her from New Orleans to Saudi Arabia, and took her art supplies with her.

“Back then I worked a lot, so I had a lot of money,” she said, which let her make metal sculptures. In time, though, she felt making the pieces was too expensive, and her art practice showed. By 1998 she had stopped making art altogether. “I couldn’t afford it anymore,” she said with a laugh.

Two decades passed without Mickens making a sculpture. One day, “my daughter says to me, ‘I guess that was part of your old life,’ ” she said. She realized, in 2019, just how much time had passed, and decided to start making art again. And she

Linda Mickens.

started by making angels.

“I’m a spiritual person,” Mickens said, “and I met this person who I believe to be an angel.” The visitation happened in 2002, in Penn Station in New York City.

Mickens was on her way to catch a flight to Jamaica when a woman who looked to be in her 60s, possibly homeless, asked her for a pair of socks. Mickens offered her money.

“I didn’t ask you for money,” Mickens recalled the woman saying. “I asked you for a pair of socks.”

Mickens explained that the woman could buy socks with the money, and the woman took the money and walked away. “As I turned away from her, I was in a different place,” Mickens said. “There was no time or space. It was just a beautiful feeling, beautiful light all around me. It must have lasted a good eight minutes. When I started to come back to myself, I said, ‘what the hell was that?’ ” “For me, I just believe it to be an angel,” she said with a laugh. The woman gave her “the gift of love — what I imagine pure love was.” Mickens is “so glad to have met her,” because “sometimes life can be so hard,” and the possibility of a plane beyond this one “grounds” her.

The woman in Penn Station also lingered in her memory, and “I was always trying to create her — or my memory of her — and

it never worked out,” Mickens said. With sculpture, she decided to try again. “Maybe that was the gift,” she added, to return to her art.

Mickens retired early in 2020 (before the pandemic started) from working in the neonatal intensive care unit at Yale-New Haven Hospital. She made her sculptures out of paper and glue, supported by wire frames, sometimes involving other materials and found objects. The first angels she made were for family and friends.

But current events compelled her to make other pieces as well — “extreme” pieces, Mickens said. Redemption is an arresting sculpture of a woman screaming, holding a machine gun, with nails for hair. Mickens made it “after George Floyd was murdered” in 2020. “I was crying all the time.

I was so angry.”

Even as she had spent a career in an emotionally taxing job, the emotion of Floyd’s killing, and the killing of so many other Black people by police, threatened to overwhelm her. “You can’t keep feeling like this,” she recalled saying to herself.

“You have to put this somewhere.” She thought about Nina Simone, who “went to go get a gun” after Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, with the intention of going on a shooting spree, and then instead decided to use her art.

For Mickens, the gun in Redemption isn’t intended for revenge, but for protection. “For me,” she said, “she’s always had

6

the gun, metaphorically. When can she put the gun down? When does she not have to protect herself? When is that day coming?” The figure’s scream injected urgency. The nails in her head were symbols of strength and vulnerability. “It’s dark, but it’s also reality,” Mickens said.

She used Redemption as a centerpiece for an installation at the Ely Center of Contemporary Art that was in many ways even more intense, as it involved her using the names of Black people killed by police. “I was writing the names sobbing,” she said.

She also recalled thinking: “You have to get out of this! You’re not going to survive this.”

So “I do extreme pieces and then I do my angels,” she said. “It’s a balance.” It also means she doesn’t stay in the same artistic space. “You have to do something different.”

She can also find that balance within an individual piece. With support from the Bitsie Clark Fund, she intends to revisit the theme of a small sculpture she made when she lived in New Orleans, of second-line dancers at a funeral procession. “The whole concept, that … you’re celebrating their life. That was everything to me.… I’ve been to a lot of funerals in my family, and it’s always a sad thing.” In New Orleans, she found it beautiful that the procession brought the deceased to their favorite places, in a festive way. “So I made a small piece” to commemorate it,

in the late 1990s.

The original sculpture is small enough to fit in Mickens’s hands. In the new piece, the dancers will be life-size, and Mickens will build their bodies out of paper, wire, and washboards “for their core.” She may incorporate actual musical instruments into the piece.

She has also received a $20,000 grant from the Arts Council to create six “angel benches.” One is going to Bregamos Community Theatre. Another is going to an HIV clinic. Joe DeRisi of Urbanminers is building the benches from reclaimed wood. Mickens will then alter three of them according to her artistic vision. She’s then giving one bench to artist Susan Clinard, one to artist Shaunda Holloway, and one back to DeRisi, all to alter as each of them sees fit.

But the swing between light and dark continues. Her next “dark” project, she thinks, will address how “we, as African Americans, shoot each other all the time” and “there’s not so much outrage as when a cop kills you. But it’s just as impactful.… you have the same gun and you’re shooting the same person.” It’s “trauma” for the “parents of the people getting shot and killed” no matter who does the shooting. “Why aren’t we marching?” Mickens asked, the same way people marched in response to police killings? “It’s so multifaceted” to her that “the outrage is not equal,” when “both should be outrages.”

“It’s part of the insanity” of being a Black person, she continued. “We are an insane people, and it’s no wonder, because we have suffered so much trauma on this planet.” And yet, “we’re still living. We’re still loving. We have families, we have birthday parties, and people are going to universities. They’re studying, they’re doing. It’s happening at the same time.”

“The whole story has to be told,” she added. “It may not be one person’s walk to do every piece of it, but I think that it’s happening.”

But she doesn’t forget to take care of herself, either. She making a nest in her yard, into which she will place meaningful objects that relate to nature and to her ancestry. “I am growing in that way,” she said of the expansion of the materials she uses.

“I don’t have to be so literal any more.”

Some artists have a grand concept they work from; for a few artists, that can define their careers. For Mickens, however — as in her nursing career, which found her moving from place to place — the inspiration in her art comes from moving from one project to the next.

“I get an inspiration about something, I want to say it, or do it.… Whatever the art spirit moves you to do, that’s what you do,” Mickens said. “Sometimes you have to surrender yourself and let things go.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - October 18, 2023 - October 24, 2023

Lawmakers Hear DCF Testimony on Allegations of Abuse at Harwinton Shelter

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A screenshot of Department of Children and Families Commissioner Vannessa Dorantes testifying before the Children’s Committee. Credit: Courtesy of CT-N

by Hugh McQuaid Department of Children and Families officials described the agency’s efforts to oversee an emergency group home for girls in Harwinton, which was the focus of a Wednesday legislative hearing called in response to a series of allegations involving abuse and sexual assault.

The two-hour hearing, held in Hartford’s Legislative Office Building, was convened by leaders of the Children’s Committee following the publication of a September report by Connecticut Inside Investigator, which detailed a pattern of police and emergency calls to the Short Term Assessment & Respite (STAR) Home in Harwinton.

The facility is run by the Bridge Family Center and financed through DCF to serve adolescent girls, who are often in crisis and without another place to go.

At the outset of Wednesday’s hearing, DCF Commissioner Vannessa Dorantes offered a timeline of incidents at the group home between the spring of 2021 and this summer. The list ranged from physical and sexual assaults – some of which resulted in the termination of group home staff – to young people going AWOL or, in one case, stealing a group home van.

Dorantes put the incidents in the context of a child mental health system that has strained to serve a heightened level of need since the outset of the COVID pandemic, which has exacerbated trauma already felt by young people.

“We have collectively seen an increase in the acuity of their needs and behaviors.

I implore all listening to also consider another driver of this type of externalizing behavior of children is their trauma exposure prior to the young person’s placement in state custody,” Dorantes said.

“There is no panacea.”

The agency serves a small population of children whose needs make them vulnerable to victimization including through

Domestic Minor Sex Tracking, Dorantes said.

“They don’t participate in DMST, they are being preyed upon,” she said.

Dorantes described the Bridge Family Center, which runs four STAR facilities across the state among other services, as a valued provider. This year, the department stopped admissions to the Harwinton shelter and, as of late last month, there were no longer any young people residing at the home, she said.

During the hearing, Sen. Lisa Seminara, an Avon Republican whose district includes Harwinton, questioned why DCF continued the provider’s contract despite the rash of sometimes serious incidents.

“What has to happen in one of these homes that you might deem that this contract shouldn’t be renewed or that they shouldn’t be providing these services?”

Seminara said.

Dorantes said there was no concrete answer to the question, but said her agency investigated the incidents and the provider responded by removing staff members when appropriate, provided additional training, and addressed regulatory issues through service development plans.

“In hindsight, when we look back over this two-year period and we went through to determine what happened during what period of time, what was going on societally and what was the response of this particular provider and what was the response of the department, I can say that we responded to meet the needs of the incidents that occurred,” Dorantes said.

Representatives of the Bridge Family Center did not testify during the hearing due to pending litigation. The provider is being sued by the mother of one of its former residents. However, its executive director, Margaret A. Hann, provided a written statement, which was read aloud by the Children’s Committee’s clerk.

In the statement, Hann said that Bridge employees underwent background checks

and drug testing prior to their hiring.

Hann said the facility had been treated unfairly, both in media coverage and by local officials in Harwinton.

“The Bridge has a reputation of serving youth that are routinely turned away by other providers. The youth in our care are the victims of unspeakable traumatic events,” Hann said in the statement.

“They have had numerous failed placements including foster care, hospitalizations, residential treatment centers, detention and more.”

Meanwhile, Hann said the Bridge has struggled to hire and retain staff using state funding that has not kept up with inflation.

“Providers in Connecticut are continually being asked to serve very complicated youth. We do so without hesitation,” she said. “If you could see what we see on a daily basis, you would be amazed at what our staff accomplishes with so little.”

Children are placed in STAR homes like the facility in Harwinton when there is nowhere else to place them, state Child Advocate Sarah Eagan told the committee later in the hearing. Eagan said the state should be supporting the STAR homes as well as Connecticut’s entire system of care for children, which she said was plagued by logjams.

“A lot of [legislator questions] really boil down to ‘Are we giving girls what they need, what they deserve and,’ let me add from the perspective of a lawyer, ‘what they are entitled to?’” Eagan said.

“Because we owe them a lot more.”

Rep. Liz Linehan, a Cheshire Democrat who co-chairs the committee, said the panel would continue to work on the issue as next year’s legislative session approaches.

“This is the very beginning of a very long conversation of working together and moving forward,” she said.

7

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The Light Is Here THE INNER-CITY NEWS - October 18, 2023 - October 24, 2023

by Shaunda Holloway, The Arts Paper newhavenarts.org

transported attendees to a Haiti rarely seen and heard in the mainstream media. In “Here’s The Light,” an original song written by Brevil, Miguel Zenón’s raw alto saxophone wailed against, then folded into, Nick Dunston’s upright bass thumps, dazzling piano sprinkles from Matt Mitchell, and Brevil’s gripping vocals.

All the while, Smith, “Fanfan” Jean-Guy Rene and Markus Schwartz played pulsating, ceremonious Yanvalou rhythms, paying homage to Rada Spirits of the old kingdom of Dahomey. The land that was once the kingdom is present-day Benin, reminding listeners of a thick and complex web of colonialism and diaspora that is still echoing in Haiti and across the globe. Around them, melodies drifted through the air with bone-penetrating harmony, thanks largely to Sirene Dantor and two other vocalists new to the group.

It was a moment that captured the spirit of the night: Smith and We All Break gave the audience the solid jazz it wanted, but also the innovation that it needed. Their techniques engaged listeners’ minds, with polyrhythms meant to reunite one’s spirit to the drums' unrelenting call.

In this sense, they also guided listeners through rich history, polytonality, and a crash course in tanbou (drum), bas (set up of four drums), and Haitian Vodou music.

They spoke and played through the evolution of Kreyol, told the story of Nigeria’s Nago, and delicately displayed the sonic and historic link between Cuba, Haiti, New Orleans, and Puerto Rico.

Percussionist Ches Smith and members of We All Break stood before the audience, conjuring that sweet spot where Haitian Vodou drumming and jazz come together. Looking out onto the space, the group began with a melodic a cappella, combining vocal chants from Daniel Brevil with the trio of vocalists at the center.

It made sense, perhaps, that the entire group wore sturdy shoes. How could such earth-moving melodies be released into the ether without a solid footing?

That larger-than-life sound came to Firehouse 12 on a recent Friday night, as We All Break performed during the venue’s weekly fall jazz series. As they mesmerized the audience in billowy gold silks, colorful dashikis and vintage dresses that recalled the likes of Sarah Vaughn and Billie Holiday, musicians made a case for Haitian music that felt bigger than the venue itself, reaching out across New Haven before the night was over.

Often, and perhaps fittingly, there was no need for translation. From the stage to the packed house, musicians were able to communicate the resilience, bravery, and joy of a culture—and centuries of music history—through entire universes of sound. Over two sets, it became clear how Toussaint Louverture resisted Napoleon: guns, machetes, and soul.

In the audience, a listener could feel it throughout the evening, as musicians

For those in the audience who were hooked, there was good news: We All Break’s CD “Path of Seven Colors,” from which several of Friday’s numbers came, was released in 2021 and is widely available. It brings a listener (at least, this listener, who stayed for back-to-back sets and could have lasted hours longer) into a new appreciation for timeless truth, a downpour of relentless notes and unyielding beauty.

Friday, audience members were excited to listen to the group; many already had plans to return for more (the venue's jazz series currently runs through mid-December). A longtime supporter named Bilal (he declined to give his last name), who eagerly makes the 45-minute pilgrimage to New Haven each week, had high praise for the musicians.

“These are the kinds of musicians you go to New York for,” he said. “They’re right there. You’re right there. It’s incredible.”

“Can you get a better place for live music?” chimed in an avid jazz series supporter named Sean, who has attended almost 10 shows at the venue and happily drives 30 minutes to get to the shows.

“We are so close [to the musicians] you could almost turn the music for them ….

You’re not seeing this at a Taylor Swift show. If I don’t support the music I love in New Haven, who else will?"

Shaunda Holloway is a writer, artist, and curator based in Hamden. Read more about her work at her website. She also took the photograph at the top of this story.

Meet he first Black woman fire chief in New England: ‘I was told no so many times’

by Abu Mubarik, Face2FaceAfrica.com

Get to know Chief Shelly Carter; she is New England’s first Black female fire chief. Her journey dates back to a time when her son came across a fire truck while she was pushing him in a stroller.

Her son was amazed by the fire truck but she didn’t want to interrupt the work of the fire officers. They would notice Carter, approach her, and encourage her to apply to become a fire officer.

She was initially hesitant about the offer but eventually accepted the challenge. “I can’t do this,” Carter recalled telling herself. “I’m a girly girl. This is hard work.”

But she applied and joined the Hartford Fire Department in July 1999.

After more than two decades of service, she is now New England’s first Black female fire chief. The Hartford native became the chief of the Southbury Train-

ing Center Fire Department in December 2022.

While she was with the Hartford Fire Department, she became one of the city department’s first female engine drivers, retiring as the captain of Engine 10 in 2021 before joining the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security in May 2021 as the operations and training manager for the state, according to Ctinsider.

“It’s an honor, but most importantly, it is my responsibility and my duty to mentor, to be an example and to be that leader that other folks, not just in Connecticut, but of course in New England look up to,” she told Ctinsider about her new role.

Before enlisting as a firefighter, Carter said she wanted to be a news anchor. This led her to the school for communications and she held several jobs before considering firefighting. She chose firefighting as

Chief Shelly Carter. Photo: NBC Connecticut

8

a career path after scoring high in the fire test over the police test.

Carter, a mother of five, hopes her trailblazing role will inspire other black women to choose a career in firefighting. This led her to establish the Girls Future Firefighter Camp for girls ages 13-18 to experience first-hand a career in public safety.

What is more, she also mentors other women in the field about managing their careers and home.

“I’m a huge advocate for women in the fire services, and that’s simply because I was told no so many times,” Carter said.

“It’s hard sometimes being female and being that mom and wanting to be that leader,” she continued. “It’s important for me to have the conversation with ladies, not just about being firefighters, because it’s a whole different mindset in the firehouse when you’re working as the only female or female in leadership to all men.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - October 18, 2023 - October 24, 2023

Celebrate with Us the Installation of our New Pastor

Rev. Dr. Stephen G. Ray Jr.

ARE YOU A YOUNG ADULT LOOKING TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN EDUCATION & EMPLOYMENT?

Jazz Vesper Service

Caesar Storlazzi and Friends Friday, October 20, 5:30 pm

Performance of The Green Book

by Calvin Alexander Ramsey Saturday, October 21, 2:00 pm

Installation Service

Rev. Traci Blackmon, Preacher Sunday, October 22, 2:00 pm

United Church on the Green 270 Temple St., New Haven CT 06511 @unitednewhaven.org

Building Better Futures (BBF) prepares young adults, ages 16-24, for today’s workforce through an innovative and hands-on program.

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Wine, Camera, Action THE INNER-CITY NEWS - October 18, 2023 - October 24, 2023

Fellow New Haven vendors such as Herbal Jones Tea, Threads by Tea, Black Goat Milk Clothiers, More Amour Boutique, and Brenton Shumaker of DeadBY5Am joined vendors who were part of the “Upgraded Experience,” a ticket option through which guests were able to access champagne, signature cocktails, charcuterie and wine tasting with an experienced sommelier.

“After five years, WineDown is setting standards, shifting the culture,” Haida said.

“Especially at a time when people are worried about being indoors because of Covid-19, we wanted to create safe spaces for Black and Brown professionals from the tri-states and New England to be able to enjoy life.”

Hosts Washington and Smith kept the energy going throughout the evening. As guests moved around, they buzzed between Bear’s cozy interior, multiple pop-up bars and an outdoor courtyard where entertainers Ru Love, Malado and Dorren Pierre provided the guests with live music. Stage Managers Jaquese Patterson and Frank Brady kept the show and operations under control from the day into the night.

Several attendees said that it was well worth the trek. Tracey Holmes, a Rhode Island resident, traveled to New Haven for the first time with a friend despite the new date. She was glad she had.

“A friend told me about an event that was happening in Connecticut, and even though it was the day before originally, we still came and I am so happy we did,” Holmes said. Holmes added that she plans on returning to the next event, whenever it may be.

As the sun set, the energy increased, and the crowd danced in unison to hip hop classics mixed with contemporary hits. Glowing hula hoops and dancers appeared, using glow sticks that accompanied various DJs. One of them was Jefferson herself, who deejays under the sobriquet “DJ Too Much.”

The crowd cheered and clapped as DJ Too Much played classics, then moved into hits that conjured a sense of nostalgia from early 2000s hip hop. Dance battles formed across the space, and strangers became friends all in the name of music.

“Loren, Lo Too Much and I were on the school bus together since we were five years old, “said Katie Jones, who has attended WineDown for all five years that the event has existed. “We need to festival [in] our lives, they are providing a festival. The smiles, the styles—I love those two, and I wanted to make sure I always support them in all they do.”

“I love that the team encourages everyone attending to come with love, or not to come at all,” she said, echoing a mantra from team member Justin Hernandez. “It’s a daily reminder for me to apply to my life.”

by Ashleigh Huckabey, The Arts Paper newhavenarts.org

House music flowed from the speakers, getting attendees up onto their feet to dance. A giant Connect Four game sprouted beneath a tent, people all smiles as they spotted it. Hosts Avery “Slay” Washington and Tia Smith struck a pose at a photo booth and bounced around the space. Everywhere someone looked, a mixture of patterns and bright colors filled Bear’s Smokehouse. It was a dream brought to fruition one sip and conversation at a time—that even the rain couldn't outdo.

That joyful gathering marked the longawaited ”Dear Summer” edition of WineDown CT, originally scheduled for late September. After two rain postponements, the event rolled into Bear’s Smokehouse last Sunday, drawing hundreds of people in the early fall weather. Organized by WineDown co-founders Thema Haida and Loren Jefferson, the event was a celebration of Black artists and makers, good wine, friendship, and creative networking.

“Wow, this is our fifth event, and it feels so good to see everyone looking so fresh and fly,” Jefferson said. “We’re happy with the weather today, and we are looking forward to seeing the amazing artists and entertainers that will be present today.”

This year, Jefferson, Haida and their team brought the vibes, with more wine selections, close to 20 vendors, food trucks , life-sized games, and live entertainment.

Throughout the afternoon and evening, attendees poured in from not just New Haven and Connecticut, but across the region, including Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island.

While both founders are based in New Haven, this was the event’s first time at Bear’s: WineDown is held semi-annually in locations across the city. Its itinerancy is part of the charm.

Vending for their third WineDown in a row, New Haveners Laurren Robinson and Maxine Harris of Je T’aime Cupcakes said they were excited to return to the event and promote their brand and story. The two have been building the business, which combines sweet cupcakes with a cocktailinfused kick, for over three years now.

“Business has been amazing and we are excited to be here today,” said Robinson, who is the chief financial officer, co-founder and marketing director of Je T’aime.

“My best friend, Maxine, and I have been in business since 2020, and we never thought that it would expand to where we are today.”

Robinson described WineDown CT as a way to reach new customers and support the venture’s growing team, which she and Harris have done faithfully for the past three years. Sunday, Robinson and Harris displayed cupcakes inside and outside the restaurant.

Ashleigh Huckabey Photos.

10

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - October 18, 2023 - October 24, 2023 Con’t from page 02

Dances

see Black people knowing where they are from and just embracing their own culture.”

After a few rounds of Step Forward, attendees also learned a partial dance routine by Elijah J. Kapend-Kabwit and Joné Mwape, ASA board members and co-coordinators of the group’s dance team. Rhythmic vibrations flowed from the speakers to the soles of attendees’ shoes, a sea of legs becoming one with the beat counts.

“I love dancing in general, and I just wanted to display the beauty of African culture through dance,” Mwape said after the event. A junior majoring in health science at SCSU, he added that leadership is important to him because it nurtures “great community, like the African community, [and] Black community.”

Because there was no dance team for the group, Mwape took it upon himself to create one, co-founding it with another partner. Since, the ASA has become a significant part of his life at Southern. “It gives us a chance to gather and share experiences, gather as a family basically,” he said.

Both Mwape and fellow members of ASA leadership stressed that it’s not hard to get involved. The association’s board members hold meetings at SCSU’s Buley Library every Wednesday from 1 to 2 p.m., with an agenda that includes quick introductions, discussions, games, and event planning. It also aims to bring students in through a rotating schedule of peer-to-peer events. For instance, ASA will host a gala for Southern students on Nov. 9, and a student fashion show in the spring.

“Having a club where you’re all from the same place or similar places and countries, that helps you progress through school,” said sophomore Danielle Addy, a nursing major who is currently serving as the group’s treasurer.

“I want to see our body members interact with each other, even outside of the meetings.”

Jamiah Green is a graduate of the Youth Arts Journalism Initiative, which she joined in spring 2019. She is now a junior at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU). Read her work here. Members of the ASA team include President Colette Mweze, Vice President Amaya Owusu, Public Relations Executives Princess Adjei and Ry Williams, Co-Dance Coordinators Elijah J. Kapend-Kabwit and Joné Mwape, Secretary Brenea Pagan, Event Coordinator Chelsea Safo, Treasurer Danielle Addy, and Graduate Advisor Jacyntha Adouko.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - October 18, 2023 - October 24, 2023

Black creatives flock to New York City for CultureCon 2023

By Ariyana Griffin.

Courtesy of The Afro.com

City of New Haven

Board of Alders Black and Hispanic Caucus 12th RecognitionFall Gala

Viva La Cultura

Adorned in Bowties & Jewels

Thursday October 26. 2023, 6pm

Anthony’s Ocean View 450 Lighthouse Road, New Haven

Honoring Local Heroes: Assistant Police Chief David Zannelli - Fire Chief John Alston Haven's Harvest -La Voz Hispana Linda Hannans NHPS -Y.A.R.D For more

information.

Donation $100

please contact 203-946-6483 or any member of the Black and

https://tinyurl.com/ bhcaucusgala23

Hispanic Caucus

Wear an item or bring a small table flag representative of your culture

Hundreds gathered at the Duggal Greenhouse in Brooklyn, N.Y. the weekend of Oct.7-8 to attend the sixth annual CultureCon. In 2017, Imani Ellis changed the landscape of social media when she created CultureCon, a conference for Black creators to unite, collaborate and expand their platform. Over the course of six years, the event has grown exponentially, adding pop up experiences in Atlanta and Los Angeles.

This year marked the first time the convention was extended to two days.

“I was inspired because I didn’t see a place where Black and Brown creatives could authentically be ourselves. I thought that was so strange; I thought surely it had to exist. I can’t complain about something and not do something about it, so I never could have dreamt that Culturecon would be this large,” Ellis told the AFRO. “It just goes to show that we need each other, we need community, and we need spaces like this.”

Business owners, fashion enthusiasts and more were ready to network, build community, attend activations and hear from industry vets about their experiences in their creative fields including performers. Various stages hosted major names and people who influenced the culture, such as Issa Rae, Teyana Taylor, Marsai Martin, Lola Brook, Tinashe and so many more, for attendees to collect gems.

“I love connecting with other Black creatives, networking and listening to the panelists. They really dropped some gems and jewels. As a creative myself, I am also eager to learn and grow,” said Amira Shaunice.

The presenting partner was Max, formerly known as HBO Max. Other major sponsors and partners this year included Shea Moisture, Walmart, Ciroc, American Express, Adidas, Tubi and Google. These companies hosted networking events and had on-site recruiters for people to speak to and learn about career opportunities that they had available.

Amazon Prime had an interactive booth where people were able to listen to soundtracks from various movies and shows and even had a scavenger hunt if someone could find 5 easter eggs around the space from a show. There were several complimentary photo booths with professional photographers offering free headshots or photos.

“All the activities and networking really inspired me to get out of my shell and share my work with more people. I am normally quiet but this space felt safe, especially knowing everyone here is some type of creative and we all have a common goal,” said Miracle Jones.

Adidas had a space for people to wake up their creative juices and design a pair of sneakers using various materials such

12

Nneka Oyigbo, of Boston, attends CultureCon to learn more about using social media effectively.

(Photos by Ariyana Griffin)

Marsai Martin, the youngest producer in studio film history, attends CultureCon in New York. (Photos by Ariyana Griffin)

Dominique Garrett, 28, visits the “Big Apple” to enjoy the influencer conference. (Photos by Ariyana Griffin)

as rhinestones, paint, color pencils, markers and more. The best designs were selected, and the winners could design a physical pair of shoes on-site.

“I really wanted to get influenced by other creatives, especially people of color, and it has been nothing but inspirational to see how people created their own personal brand online. It really motivated me

into wanting to start making my own personal brand,” said Maryland native Adora Lee. While this is the last CultureCon of the year, you can keep up with upcoming events on Instagram through the account @culturecon in preparation for next year.

Ariyana Griffin is an AFRO intern from Morgan State University.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - October 18, 2023 - October 24, 2023

OPEN AUDITIONS

13

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - October 18, 2023 - October 24, 2023

Robert De Niro Delivers Powerful Anti-Trump Message in New York Drawing from his experiences as a New Yorker, De Niro attested to the city’s firsthand knowledge of Trump, whom he characterized as unfit for leadership.

He pointed out that New Yorkers had already tried to warn the world about Trump in 2016, but their concerns went unheeded.

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent@StacyBrownMedia Hollywood legend Robert De Niro delivered a forceful and unmistakable message at The New Republic’s “Stop Trump Summit” in New York City, condemning the twice-impeached, four-times-indicted former President Donald Trump without ambiguity. Even though De Niro could not attend the event due to his ongoing recovery from COVID-19, he entrusted ex-Trump administration official Miles Taylor to read his excoriation of the 2024 GOP presidential frontrunner.

De Niro’s central message was clear: Trump is not merely a bad person; he is, in De Niro’s words, “evil.” Drawing upon his extensive career playing various hoodlum characters and his real-life encounters with individuals of questionable moral character, De Niro offered a stark assessment of the former president, whom a civil jury found responsible this year for sexually assaulting a journalist.

“I’ve spent a lot of time studying bad men,” De Niro began. “I’ve examined their characteristics, their mannerisms, the utter banality of their cruelty. Yet there’s something different about Donald Trump. When I look at him, I don’t see a

bad man. Truly. I see an evil one.”

De Niro went on to distinguish Trump from even the most notorious gangsters, remarking that while criminals often have some semblance of a moral code, Trump lacks any sense of right or wrong, ethics, or empathy for others. “He’s a wannabe tough guy with no morals or ethics. No sense of right or wrong. No regard for anyone but himself,” DeNiro said.

Drawing from his experiences as a New Yorker, De Niro attested to the city’s firsthand knowledge of Trump, whom he characterized as unfit for leadership. He pointed out that New Yorkers had already tried to warn the world about Trump in 2016, but their concerns went unheeded.

De Niro then highlighted the consequences of Trump’s presidency, including the divisive impact on America and the failures in responding to the early 2020 crisis, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic, where Trump’s actions resulted in a significant loss of life.

The actor likened Trump’s leadership to an abusive father ruling through fear and violence. He emphasized that Trump should not be underestimated and dismissed as a fool, as the danger of his impact on the nation was real and menacing.

He emphasized the urgency of the situation and called on Americans to take ac-

tion, asserting that democracy’s survival depended on unity and collective effort to prevent the return of what he described as a “wannabe dictator.”

He appealed to those who still supported Trump, urging respectful outreach rather than condemnation, and encouraged discussions centered on right and wrong, humanity, kindness, security, and decency.

“From this place where Abraham Lincoln spoke — right here in the beating heart of New York — to the rest of America: This is our last chance,” DeNiro asserted. “Democracy won’t survive the return of a wannabe dictator. And it won’t overcome evil if we are divided. So what do we do about it? I know I’m preaching to the choir here. What we’re doing today is valuable, but we have to take today into tomorrow – take it outside these walls.

We have to reach out to the half of our country who have ignored the hazards of Trump and, for whatever reason, support elevating him back into the White House.”

In a rousing call to action, De Niro left the audience with the following challenge: “We won’t get them all, but we can get enough to end the nightmare of Trump, and fulfill the mission of this ‘Stop Trump Summit.’”

North Carolina Republicans Implementing ‘Secret Police’ Force Gov Ops, an abbreviation for Governmental Operations, is designed to probe into potential misconduct within state and local agencies, along with private entities funded by the state. The jurisdiction covers contractors, subcontractors, state-run universities, and charitable organizations.

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent@StacyBrownMedia North Carolina Republicans, wielding their veto-proof majority, have given the green light to create Gov. Ops, a new investigative body. Critics call it “secret police” and argue that this may be an overreach of power.

“This secret police force can even come into, for example, a law firm that receives state funding for court-appointed lawyers,” warned Rep. Allison Dahle, a Democratic state lawmaker, during a debate over the bill. “This now means that the sanctity of the attorney-client privilege is now defunct.”

Gov Ops, an abbreviation for Governmental Operations, is designed to probe into potential misconduct within state and local agencies, along with private entities funded by the state. The jurisdiction covers contractors, subcontractors, state-run universities, and charitable organizations.

“I don’t think I have ever publicly called the GOP leadership ‘authoritarian’

because that’s not a term I take lightly,” remarked State Sen. Graig Meyer (D).

“But their approach to seizing power and covering up their tracks now fits the bill.”

One of the most hotly debated aspects

of this development is the provision that prohibits subjects of Gov Ops investigations from publicly discussing alleged constitutional violations or misconduct by investigators. All communications

14

with committee personnel are confidential, potentially curtailing transparency and accountability.

Moreover, individuals under investigation by Gov Ops wouldn’t be allowed to

seek legal counsel regarding their rights if the unit searched their property without a warrant, irrespective of whether the space is public or private. Democratic Governor Roy Cooper opposed the establishment of Gov Ops and saw his objections overridden by the Republican majority. Because of state law, which does not permit line-item vetoes, Cooper was unable to block the bill, resulting in it becoming law without his signature.

Democrats said they fear the implications of Gov Ops could extend to the state’s electoral processes. Following the 2020 presidential election, several North Carolina Republican lawmakers insisted on inspecting voting machines, alleging voter fraud. The new rule allows warrantless inspections without public notice.

Scheduled to go into effect next week, Gov Ops has elicited strong reactions from lawmakers and experts alike. Political science professor Daniel P. Aldrich of Northeastern University voiced his concerns, writing on social media, “This consolidation of force and coercion is very worrying.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - October 18, 2023 - October 24, 2023

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Growing up in the early 1990s, Thuso Mbedu never dreamt of being an entertainTHE INNER-CITY NEWS - October 18, 2023 - October 2023 ment 24, figure.

At a very young age, she wanted to be a dermatologist, but after taking a dramatic arts class in the 10th grade, she became interested in acting.

Her acting career has earned her fame and For You)” along with “It’s Your Thing,” fortune locally and internationally, rising endlessly in other films and on tv shows. which earned them a Grammy for Best to become one of the most sought after ac- Many of them are classics in their own R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or tresses from South Africa. At 27, she was right. Some highlights include: Group.

Ticket to Paradise (2022), The Tennamed in the 2018 Forbes Africa 30 Under While Rudolph infrequently sang lead 30 List, and one of the 100 Most Influential der Bar (2021), The Blacklist (2021), vocals, he contributed songwriting and Uncle Drew (2018), Sausage Party Africans by New African Magazine. backing vocals to many of the group’s Born on July 8, 1991, at the Midlands (2016), Dancing With the Stars (2014), hits, including “That Lady,” “Nobody Medical Center in Pietermaritzburg, Kwa- The Heat (2013), Scandal (2012), The But Me,” and “Testify,” the latter feaZulu-Natal in South Africa, to a Zulu moth- Simpsons (2010), Superbad (2007), The turing a young guitarist named Jimi er and Xhosa and Sotho father, she never Wire (2006), Wedding Crashers (2005), Hendrix.

Anchorman (2004), Boys Don’t Cry enjoyed the care of her parents who died The group has sold over 18 million (1999), Rush Hour (1998), Out of Sight when she was barely four years old. She units in the United States alone. They (1998), Friday (1995), Menace II Sociwas raised by her grandmother, a very strict Thuso Mbedu. Photo are among the few groups ever to have ety (1993), The -IOL Wonder Years (1990), school principal in school and at home. hit the Billboard Hot 100 with new muCheers (1986) and Animal House Reel Awards’ (Outstanding Actress Her name reflected the multicultural tribes ‘Black sic in six different decades. Sixteen of (1978).

– TV Movie / Limited Series), the ‘Hollyof her parents – Thuso is a Sotho name, their albums charted in the Top 40 and Joined in the late Sixties by younger wood Critics Association TV Awards’ (Best Nokwanda is a Zulu name, and Mbedu is thirteen of those albums have been cerbrothers Marvin and Ernie, Rudolph reActress a Limited Series, Anthropology Xhosa. tified gold, platinum or multi-platinum mainedinwith the Isley Brothers throughor Television Movie), ‘Gotham Mbedu went to Pelham Primary School Series by the RIAA. out their many genre shifts,thefrom funk (Outstanding Performance in New and Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School Awards’ Rudolph, who was known for wearand disco to quiet storm and R&B. the ‘Hollywood Associaand graduated from the University of Wit- Series), ing hats and fur-attired clothing, retired However, his tenure Critics with the brothtion TV Awards’ (TV Breakout Star), watersrand in South Africa in 2013, where from the group in 1989. He and his erly act ended in 1989 when — and fol‘Critics Choice she studied Physical Theatre and Perform- the brothers were inducted into the Rock & lowing Kelly’s deathTelevision three yearsAwards’ earlier a Miniseries or Television ing Arts Management. Earlier in 2012, she (Best Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.

— heActress decidedin to leave the music indusfor her arole ‘Cora Randall’ in took a summer course at the Stella Adler Movie), In 1993, their “Footsteps in the Dark” try and allbecome Christian minister. the 2021 TV series ‘The Underground Studio of Acting in New York City. was sampled by Ice Cube for his hipThroughout the ensuing decades,RailRuroad.’

Career hop classic “It Was a Good Day.” The dolph would only occasionally reunite following year, their “Between the brothers however,Star’ he wasn’t Shehis won the ‘TV—Breakout award Her acting career began in 2014 when she with Sheets” was sampled by The Notoripresent the Isley Brothers were the when Hollywood Critics Association played a minor role of ‘Nosisa’ in the popu- from ous B.I.G. in “Big Poppa.” “Luxurious” inducted into Rock and Performance Roll Hall of and won thethe ‘Outstanding lar South African Soap Opera ‘Isibaya’ TV from Gwen Stefani’s 2004 solo debut Fame 1992 — but in the the months beNewinSeries’ award from Gotham from Mzansi Magic. In 2015, she played a in Love. Angel. Music. Baby. also benfore Rudolph’s death, he was involved guest role as ‘Kheti’ in the Second Season Awards. efited from a prominent sample of “BelegalMbedu battlewas against his brother nominated for the of the SABC 2 youth drama series ‘Snake inIna2022, tween the Sheets.” Aaliyah included a Ronald over the legal rights to the Isley ‘Independent Spirit Awards (Best Female Park.’ cover version of the group’s “(At Your Brothers name. in a New Scripted Series), for She got her first starring role in the teen Performance Best) You Are Love” on her debut al- American vocal trio the Isley Brothers, UK, 24th October Rudolph’s death, only surrole ‘Cora Randall’ in thethe 2021 televidrama 1964. television from herWith From series left to ‘IS’THUNZI’ right, they are brothbum viving Isley Brothers are Ronald and ers O’Kelly Isley Jr., Ronald Isley and Rudolph Isley.

(Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/ Mzansi Magic where she played ‘Winnie.’ sion series ‘The Underground Railroad.’

The group’s music has been featured Getty Images) Ernie. won the ‘Critics Choice Television Her international debut was in ‘The Un- She derground Railroad’ an American fantasy Awards’ for ‘Best Actress in a Miniseries or historical drama series based on the novel Television Movie’ for her role ‘Cora Ran‘The Underground Railroad’ written by dall’ in ‘The Underground Railroad.’

In her keynote speech at TheWrap’s PowColson Whitehead.

In 2022, she starred in her first film ‘The er Women Summit, Thuso Mbedu tearfully Woman King’ an epic historical drama spoke of how she overcame the loss of her about Agosie, where an entire female war- dear parents, grandmother, and aunt. But rior unit protected the West African King- her role in Amanda Lane’s ‘IS’THUNZI’ dom of Dahomey in the 17 – 19th century. gradually renewed her hope in life. “…my world was that blur, until AmanShe played ‘Nawi’, a zealous recruit in the da Lane happened in 2016. The role that military unit.

In 2017, Mbedu was nominated for the Amanda Lane gave me was the difference ‘DSTV Viewers Choice Awards’ and the between life and death for me. Receiv‘International Emmy Awards for the ‘Best ing that audition brief, I told myself that Performance by an Actress’ for her role I would audition like it was my last audi‘Winnie Bhengu’ in the 2016 -2017 televi- tion. I gave it the last of everything that I had, that at the time I got the callback, I had sion drama series ‘IS’THUNZI.’ In 2018, she won the ‘South African Film nothing left. I secretly made the decision and Television Awards’ for ‘ Best Actress not to do the callback because I had noth– TV Drama’ for her role ‘Winnie Bhengu’ ing left to give. But fortunately, I received in the 2016 -2017 television drama series the callback. So I didn’t do the callback be‘IS’THUNZI.’ She was also nominated for cause the role was mine. I had given up. I the ‘International Emmy Awards for ‘Best was in a very dark place at the time, and the character, the role, the opportunity, was a no for down payment Performance by an Actress’ her role ‘Winnie Bhengu’ in the 0% television drama interest much needed light. And I told myself that I will act as if it was the last character that series ‘IS’THUNZI.’ mortgage more than I will exceeds play. And through a great script and In 2021, she was nominated for thenever an amazing director, I earned two ‘Television Critics Association Award’ 30% of a family's monthly income Interna(Individual Achievement in Drama), the tional Emmy Awards for that role…”

Founding Member of The Isley Brothers Passes Away at 84 Gemma Greene, BDO Staff Writer

“Between the Sheets,” “For the Love of You,” “Footsteps in the Dark” the Isley Brothers brought classic hit after classic hit for decades. Now, one of their own is no longer with us, leaving a rich legacy that we can all listen to. Rudolph Isley, one of the founding members of The Isley Brothers, has passed away, his family announced.

He was 84.

His lawyer, Brian Caplan, confirmed the news to the website Pitchfork, saying: “Rudolph Isley, a founding member of the world-famous Isley Brothers, died peacefully in his sleep on the morning of 11 October 2023.

Rudolph’s brother and fellow crooner Ronald “Mr. Biggs” Isley shared his feelings about the loss in a statement to ABC News, saying, “There are no words to express my feelings and the love I have for my brother. Our family will miss him. But I know he’s in a better place.”

Rudolph founded The Isley Brothers in the ’50s with brothers O’Kelly, Ronald and Vernon, although Vernon passed away a few years after their formation.

The first song the three brothers wrote was “Shout!,” which became one of the band’s biggest hits and was immortalized in the movie “National Lampoon’s Animal House.”

Other songs made famous by The Isley Brothers include “Twist and Shout” and “This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak

1 in 6 U.S. households pay half or more of their income on housing.

Let's do something about it.

16

14

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - October 18, 2023 - October 24, 2023

Sen. Laphonza Butler Vows Unwavering Support for the Black Press and Black Communities

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia The Black Press has gained a powerful ally in the U.S. Senate, promising unwavering support for the historic voice of the African American community. Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-CA), appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to complete the late Senator Dianne Feinstein’s term, promises to be a transformative force in the United States Congress.

During a Zoom call with publishers from the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), Sen. Butler expressed her dedication to ensuring the long-term viability of the Black Press. She also pledged to host a delegation of Black newspaper publishers on Capitol Hill to discuss advertising and other opportunities for Blackowned newspapers and media companies, whom candidates and the federal government have done very little business with.

“The existence of your outlets is the lifeline to our community,” emphasized Butler during the 30-minute Zoom call. “I appreciate the work you do tirelessly.”

The NNPA is a trade association of more than 240 African American-owned newspapers and media companies in the United States.

As the first openly LGBTQ person to represent California in the Senate, Butler’s appointment marks a historic moment. Additionally, she’s the second Black woman to represent California in the Senate, following Vice President Kamala Harris. Her appointment represents a significant milestone, and her unwavering commitment to the Black Press and the communities she serves is poised to bring about positive change for years to come.

Butler’s extensive experience as a senior adviser to Harris and her advocacy for women and the working class, position her as a formidable advocate. She has identified crucial issues facing the Senate, including robust support for Ukraine and Israel, particularly in these times of conflict.

She also highlighted the pressing need for a Speaker in the House to prevent govern-

ment shutdowns.

“I want to make sure that we as a community are talking about the importance and impact of this pending government shutdown and the consequences of a broken Congress, led by a Republican Party that can’t govern themselves and is putting the future of our country in peril as well as our national security,” Butler told the NNPA. The former CEO of EMILY’s List pledged to bridge the gap between the government and the Black Press. “I have spoken directly with the Biden-Harris campaign on several occasions about their commitment to communities of color and engaging directly with the most credible vehicles that speak with them,” Butler remarked.

She remained resolute when addressing concerns about prioritizing Black communities’ issues. “I recognize that not only am I the only Black woman in the U.S. Senate, but I also know I’m the most junior. But here’s my commitment: by joining together and building partnerships with Sen. Cory Booker and Sen. Raphael Warnock, we can tell a very different story and have a much greater impact,” Butler asserted. “I intend to lead the same way I’ve led my entire life.”

Butler has an established history with the Black Press. Her ties to African Americanowned media were demonstrated by her direct request to Los Angeles Sentinel Publisher and NNPA Chair Emeritus Danny Bakewell Sr. to convene a meeting with Black publishers.

Before ending the 30-minute meeting, Butler reiterated her pledge to work to ensure the long-term viability of the Black Press. “The existence of your outlets is the lifeline to our community,” Butler insisted.

“I know that my being in this position is an important opportunity. As the only Black woman in the United States Senate, as our Senate and government are taking on issues that are critical to the future of our communities, I wanted to make sure I was in conversation with all of you as I start my tenure in my appointed role, I want to hear what the concerns of your readers are. I want to be a voice and a champion for those issues and for all of you.”

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17

THE INNER-CITY INNER-CITY NEWS October 18, 2023 - October 24, 2023 NEWS- July 27, 2016 - August 02, 2016

TOWN OF STRATFORD

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) FOR LEGAL SERVICES Town of Bloomfield NOTICE RELATED TO LABOR, EMPLOYMENT AND BENEFITS The Housing Authority of the City of Bristol (BHA) invites proposals from qualified VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL PRE-services APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE attorneys, legal teams or law firms toHOUSING provide Legal in labor laws, employment & benefits. For copy of RFP please contact Carl Johnson, Dir. of Capital Funds at 860HOME INC, on behalf of Columbus House and theMon., New Haven Authority, 585-2028 or cjohnson@bristolhousing.org beginning Sept. 4,Housing 2023. Sealed prois accepting pre-applications apartments at this marked develposals must be received no later for thanstudio 4:00 and p.m.one-bedroom on Thurs., Oct. 12, 2023 clearly opment located at 108 FrankEmployment Street, New&Haven. income limitations ap“RFP – Legal Services.

Labor, BenefiMaximum ts” with one (1) original and three (3)ply. copies mailed or delivered Housingfrom Authority of the City of Bristol, Attn: Mitzy Pre-applications will beto: available 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y Rowe, CEO, and 164 ending Jerome Ave., CTpre-applications 06010 25, 2016 when Bristol, sufficient (approximately 100) have

been received at the offices of HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon reThequest Housing Authority of the of Bristol is an Equalthose Opportunity/Affi rmativepreAcby calling HOME INCCity at 203-562-4663 during hours. Completed tionapplications Employer. must SBE,be MBE, W/DBE, and Section 3 businesses are encouraged to rereturned to HOME INC’s offices at 171 Orange Street, Third spond.

Floor, New Haven, CT 06510.

NOTICIA Community Engagement Senior Project Manager FHI VALENTINA Studio is seeking CommunityDE Engagement Senior Project Manager.

Candidates MACRIa VIVIENDAS ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES should demonstrate their ability to lead project teams, supervise and develop staff, provide excellent client service innovative solutions, manage multiple HOME INC, en nombre de lawith Columbus Houseand y destrategic la New Haven Housing Authority, está projects concurrently, and conduct business development.

Responsibilities will include aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de un dormitorio en este desarrollo developing and implementing strategic outreach plans to meaningfully include and ubicado en la calle 109 Frank Street, New Haven. Se aplican limitaciones de ingresos facilitate communication with stakeholders and the general public on transportation máximos. Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 and community planning projects, utilizing a wide variety of tools and techniques injulio, 2016 hasta cuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100) cluding public meetings, printed materials, social media, website, press releases, and en las oficinas de HOME The INC.candidate Las pre-solicitudes enviadas por correo a petición PowerPoint presentations. must alsoserán possess excellent oral and written llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirseis communication skills. Experience with major transportation infrastructure projects a las oficinas de HOME INC en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510 . preferred.

EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN (EMT)

NEW HAVEN

The Town of Wallingford is accepting applications for EMT. Must possess a H.S. diploma or G.E.D., plus one (1) year of recent experience as an EMT. Must be 18 242-258 Fairmont Aveed EMT with CPR Certiyears old and be a Connecticut or National Registry Certifi fication and2BR a valid State of Connecticut vehicle 1 operator’s Townhouse, 1.5 motor BA, 3BR, level ,license.

1BA Starting wage $796.53 (weekly), plus an excellent fringe benefits package. Apply: Department All new apartments, new appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 & I-95 of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT highways, near bus stop & shopping center 06492. Forms will be mailed upon request from the Department of Human Resources or Pet under 40lb allowed.

Interested of parties contact MariaWeb @ 860-985-8258 may be downloaded from the Department Human Resources Page. Phone (203) 294-2080, Fax (203) 294-2084. The closing date will be the date of the 50th application or resume is received or August 28, 2023, whichever occurs first.

CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s Certificate Program. This is a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday, August 20, 2016 1:303:30 Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, M.S., B.S. (203) 996-4517 Host, General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

St. New Haven, CT

Bike Share System – Development and Implementation New Haven Parking Authority New Haven, CT Sealed bids are invitedNHPA by the Project Housing Authority of the Town of Seymour #23-065 until 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at its office at 28 Smith Street, Seymour,Proposals CT 06483 fordue Concrete Sidewalk Repairsatand Replacement August 29, 2023 3:00 P.M. at the Smithfield Gardens Assisted Living Facility, 26 Smith Street Seymour.

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

Requesting proposals to develop and implement a Bike Share System in New Haven, CT. Proposal Documents will be available beginning August 8, 2023 at no cost pre-bid conference held Parking at the Housing Authority Smithat byAdownloading from the will Newbe Haven Authority/Park NewOffice Haven28 website https://parknewhaven.com/request-for-bids/ or visit theJuly Main ce at 232 George Street Seymour, CT at 10:00 am, on Wednesday, 20,Offi 2016.

Street, New Haven, CT to obtain a copy.

Bidding documents available from thermative Seymour Housing Authority OfNHPA is anare equal opportunity/affi action employer. fice, 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579.

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

INVITATION TO BID BID #2024-09

Salary Range:

$87,727 to $136,071 Deputy Finance Director/Controller

STERLING HOUSE COMMUNITY CENTER – IMPROVEMENTS & RESTORATION

Pre-employment drug testing.

Sealed Bids for the Sterling House Community Center – Improvements & Restoration Project

AA/EOE. For Details go to www.bloomfieldct.org

Town of Bloomfield

Finance Director

Salary Range - $101,455 to $156,599 (expected starting pay maximum is mid-range)

1) ALL SEALED BIDS are to be in the office of the Town of Stratford Purchasing Department, 2725 Main Street, Room 104, Stratford, CT 06615, prior to 2:00 PM November 9, 2023, at which time they will be opened publicly and read aloud. Bids received after this time will be rejected.

Project description This project consists of interior improvements and exterior restoration of the existing 13,000 SF building. Interior scope includes the installation of a fire suppression system, HVAC system, and miscellaneous finishes. The exterior rehabilitation scope includes a slate roof replacement, brick and brownstone replacement, and masonry repointing.

Pre-Bid Conference: There will be Pre-bid conference on Friday October 20, 2023, at 10:00am at the Sterling House Community Center located at 2283 Main Street, Stratford, CT 06615.

Link: Microsoft Teams Conference Call will be available for those attendees who cannot attend in person (please contact Maryann Bigda at 203-712-6070 or email mbigda@ tcco.com to receive a link for this event) SBE/MBE Participation: This project will be partially funded by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development. This contract is subject to state set-aside and contract compliance requirements.

Section 3 Requirements: The work to be performed under this contract is subject to the requirements of Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, as amended, 12 U.S.C. 1701u (section 3). The purpose of section 3 is to ensure that employment and other economic opportunities generated by HUD assistance or HUDassisted projects covered by Section 3, shall, to the greatest extent feasible, be directed Go to www.portlandct.org for details to low- and very low-income persons, particularly persons who are recipients of HUD Invitationassistance to Bid: for housing. All bidders must agree to comply with HUD’s regulations in 24 QSR STEEL CFR nd 2 Notice part 135, which implement Section 3.

Fully Benefited – 35 hours weekly Pre-employment drug testing. For more details, visit our website – www.bloomfieldct.org

Portland

Police Officer full-time CORPORATION

APPLY NOW!Old Saybrook, CT

Bid VILLAGE Security: A bid bond for the sum of five percent (5%) of the total amount of the bid, SAYEBROOKE

payable to Turner Construction, utilizing the form included within the Project Manual must accompany the bid as a guarantee that the contract will be entered into if awarded.

(4 Buildings,The 17 Units) bid bond surety must be a corporate surety company licensed to sign surety bonds Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders in the StateRate of CT as listed on the Department of the Treasury’s Listing of Certified Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Project Top pay for top performers. Health Companies. All successful bidders will be required to provide 100% Payment and Benefits, 401K, Vacation Pay. Performance bonds as a condition of the contract.

Email Resume: Rose@qsrsteel.com Hartford, CT

New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, Castin-place Concrete, AsphaltDrawings Shingles,and VinylSpecifi Siding, cations: To Access this project please call Mary Ann Bigda with Turner Construction at 203-712-6070 Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, to get a link to Building Connected.

State of Connecticut Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection.

Office of Policy An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Minority/Women's Business This contract subject to state set-aside and contract compliance requirements. andisManagement Enterprises are encouraged to apply. This contract is subject to state set-aside

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut, Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016 Office of Policy and Management Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016 is recruiting for an Information Technology Technician hour).

Project(40documents available via ftp link below:

and contract compliance requirements.

Emergency Medical Technician

Further information regarding http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage The Town of Wallingford Fire Department is seeking qualified applicants for EMT. Ap-

the duties, eligibility plicants must possess a H.S. diploma or GED, plus 1 year of recent experience as an requirements and application EMT and dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com be a Connecticut or National Registry Certified EMT with CPR Certification.

Faxinstructions or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 are available at:

possess and 3maintain a valid State of Connecticut Driver’s license. Wages: $796.53 HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran,Must S/W/MBE & Section Certified Businesses

https://www.jobapscloud.com/ weeklyAve, plus an annual EMT bonus of $2,000 effective 11/1/2023. The Town offers an Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Seymour, CT 06483 CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?b=&R1= excellent fringe benefits package that includes pension plan, paid sick and vacation time, 230927&R2=7602FR&R3=001 AA/EEO EMPLOYER The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

18

medical insurance, life insurance, 13 paid holidays, and a deferred compensation plan.

Applications may be downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page and can be mailed to the Department of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492, or emailed to: wlfdhr@wallingfordct.gov by the closing date of October 30, 2023. Phone: (203) 294-2080; Fax: (203) 294-2084.

EOE

THE INNER-CITY 2023 - October 2023 INNER-CITYNEWS NEWS- October July 27,18, 2016 - August 02, 24, 2016

Construction

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks:

Construction Equipment Mechanic preferably experienced in Seeking to employ experienced individuals in the labor, Reclaiming and Road Milling Equipment. We offer factory foreman, operator and teamster trades for a heavy outside training on equipment we operate. Location: Bloomfield work statewide. Reliable personal transportation and a valCT We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits id drivers license required. To apply please call (860) 621Contact: Tom Dunay VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE 1720 or send resume to: Personnel Department, P.O. Box 368, Cheshire, CT06410.

Phone: 860- 243-2300 HOME INC, on behalf of Columbus House and the New Haven Housing Authority, Email: tom.dunay@garrityasphalt.com is accepting pre-applications for studio and one-bedroom at this develAffirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to applyapartments Drug Free Workforce opment located at 108 Frank Street, New Haven.

Maximum income limitations apAffirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer ply. Pre-applications will be available from 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y 25, 2016 and ending when sufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) have Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks:will be mailied upon rebeen received at the offices of HOME INC. Applications Reclaimer and Milling with current quest byOperators calling HOME INC atOperators 203-562-4663 duringlicensing those hours. Completed preand clean driving record, be willing to travel throughout the NorthLargeStreet, CT Fence applications must be returned to HOME INC’s offices at 171 Orange Third Company looking for an individual for our east & NY. We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits PVC Fence Production Shop. Experience preferred but will Floor, New Haven, CT 06510. train the right person. Must be familiar with carpentry hand Contact: Rick Tousignant Phone: 860- 243-2300 & power tools and be able to read a CAD drawing and tape Email: rick.tousignant@garrityasphalt.com measure. Use of CNC Router machine a plus but not required, will train the right person. This is an in-shop production poWomen & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply Duties include building fence panels, posts, gates and AffirmativeMACRI Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer VALENTINA VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDESsition.

DISPONIBLES more. Must have a valid CT driver’s license & be able to obtain a Drivers Medical HOME INC, en nombre de la Columbus House y de la New Haven Housing Authority, está Card. Must be able to pass a physical and drug test. Please email resume to pboucher@atlasoutdoor.com.

Tractor Trailer Driver for Heavy & Highway Construction Equipaceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de un dormitorio en este desarrollo ment. Must have a CDL License, clean driving record, capable of AA/EOE-MF ubicado en la calle 109 Frank Street, New Haven. Se aplican limitaciones de ingresos operating heavy equipment; be willing to travel throughout the máximos.

Las We pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 Northeast & NY. offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits Full Time julio, 2016 hasta cuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100)Administrative assistant position en las oficinas de HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas por correo a petición for a steel & misc metals fabrication shop who will oversee the llamandoEmail: a HOMEdana.briere@garrityasphalt.com INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirseof clerical duties such as answering phones, acdaily operations Women & Minority encouraged to apply a las oficinas de HOMEApplicants INC en 171are Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510 .purchase orders/invoicing and certified payroll. counts payable Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer Email resumes to jillherbert@gwfabrication.com

NOTICE

PVC FENCE PRODUCTION

NOTICIA

Union Company seeks:

Contact Dana at 860-243-2300

LEGAL NOTICE

NEW HAVEN

The RFP is available online at: https://portal.ct.gov/DAS/CTSource/BidBoard CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s and https://portal.ct.gov/OPM/Root/RFP/Request-For-Proposals or from Certificate Program. This is a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates Anita Freeman, Office of Policy and Management, Health and Human Services in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday, August 20, 2016 1:30Policy andChairman, Planning Division, 450M.S., Capitol Ave., MS#52LTC, Hartford, Con3:30 Contact: Deacon Joe J. Davis, B.S. (203) 996-4517 Host, General Bishop Elijah OPM.HomemakerCompanionRFP@ct.gov.

Davis, D.D. Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster necticut 06106-1379.

E-mail: Telephone 418-6263, Deadline for response submission is 4:00 P.M., St. New Haven, (860) CT November 30, 2023.

SEYMOURDISPATCHER HOUSING AUTHORITY

Sealed bids are invited by the Housing Authority of the Town of Seymour Theuntil Town of Wallingford is seeking responsible candidates to perform police, fire 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at its office at 28 911, Smith Street, and EMS emergency dispatching duties. Must be able to work under stressful conditions Seymour, CT 06483 for Concrete Sidewalk Repairs and Replacement at the and be able to type information with a high rate of speed and accuracy. Must be able to Smithfield Gardens Assisted Livingand Facility, 26 and Smith work all three shifts including weekends holidays be Street able to Seymour. work additional

shifts beyond the regular shift schedule. Requires a H.S. or business school diploma with courses in typing and 2 years of responsible office work experience. Wages: $ 23.72 ~ A pre-bid conference will be held at the Housing Authority Office 28 Smith $28.28 hourly plus shift differential and excellent fringe benefits. Closing date is October Seymour, CTreceipt at 10:00 Wednesday, July 20, 2016.

16,Street 2023, or the date of of theam, 50thonapplication, whichever occurs first. Apply: Department of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main St., Wallingford, CT 06492.

Forms will be mailed upon request fromthe theSeymour Department of Human Resources Bidding documents are available from Housing Authority Of-or may be downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page and emailed to fice, 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 Fax: (203)203-294-2084.

888-4579. EOE. wlfdhr@wallingfordct.gov.

Phone: 203-294-2080,

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

Construction

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

Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V

Drug Free Workforce

KEEP CONNECTICUT MOVING

Invitation to Bid: 2nd Notice

$1,215,000,000*

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

near bus stop & shopping center The intent of the highways, request is to identify individuals or firms with the necessary expertise to provide consultant servicesparties to develop a plan within a stated Pet under 40lb allowed.

Interested contactsuch Maria @ 860-985-8258 timeframe.

The Town of Wallingford Water Division is seeking qualified candidates for Water Treatment Pumping Operator I to operate and maintain the Town’s potable (drinking) water treatment plant and pumping, storage tank, pressure regulating and groundwater well facilities. Must possess a H.S. diploma or equivalent with 1 year of experience involving the operation and maintenance of equipment used in water supply and treatment; or a technical high school diploma with demonstrated career and technical education related to electronics technology, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, or water supply and treatment activities and operation; or completion of a program in water management. Applicants must possess State of Connecticut Department of Public Health Class I (WTP I) or higher Water Treatment Plant Operator certification, and completion of a program in water management or have the ability to obtain both within twelve (12) months from the date of hire. Must possess and maintain a State of Connecticut driver’s license. Wages: $28.03 - $34.05 hourly, plus an excellent fringe benefits package that includes pension plan, paid sick and vacation time, medical insurance, life insurance, 13 paid holidays, and a deferred compensation plan. A complete job announcement and application may be downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page and can be mailed to the Department of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492, or emailed to: wlfdhr@wallingfordct.gov.

Phone # 203-294-2080, Fax # 203-294-2084. The closing date will be the date the 50th application/resume is received, or October 24, 2023 whichever occurs first. EOE

NEW ISSUE / REFUNDING ISSUE

Request for Proposals (RFP) for Services The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management, is seeking proposals to provide certain services related to developing a plan to transfer responsibility for registration and oversight of homemaker-companion agencies fromAll thenew Department of Consumer Protectionnew to thecarpet, Department apartments, new appliances, close of toPublic I-91 &Health.

I-95

WATER TREATMENT

SAYEBROOKEState VILLAGE of Connecticut Hon. Erick RussellOld Saybrook, CT

Connecticut State Treasurer (4 Buildings, 17 Units)

$875,000,000* Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project

Special Tax Obligation Bonds, Transportation Infrastructure Purposes, 2023 Series A

New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, Cast$340,000,000* in-place Concrete, Asphalt Shingles, Vinyl Siding, Special Tax Obligation Refunding Bonds, Transportation Infrastructure Purposes, Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, 2023 Series B Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection.

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

Retail Order Period* Institutional Pricing* Wednesday, Tuesday, October 17 Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016 October 18

Delivery Date* Wednesday, November 1

Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016 Tax Status** Expected Project documents available via ftp linkis below: Interest on the 2023 Series A & B Bonds exempt from federal income taxes (non-AMT) http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage and is excluded from Connecticut taxable income Fax ormore Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com For information onLang these Bonds, contact your broker or visit BuyCTBonds.com.

HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 *Preliminary, subject to change. **Before purchasing any Bonds, contact your tax advisor to determine any applicable federal, AA/EEO EMPLOYER state and local tax consequences. These Bonds may not be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted, prior to the time an Official Statement is delivered in final form. Under no circumstances shall this announcement constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the Bonds in any jurisdiction in which an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities law of any such jurisdiction. Bonds are subject to availability. The Bonds will only be sold by means of an Official Statement.

19

THE INNER-CITY INNER-CITY NEWS October 2023 - October 24, 2023 NEWS- July 27, 18, 2016 - August 02, 2016

Continuum of Care, New Haven, Connecticut – LEGAL NOTICE INVITATION TO BID

NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE INVITATION TO BID: CONTINUUM OF CARE, NEW HAVEN is requesting licensed and insured contractors to provide bids for their property located at 310 Winthrop Avenue, New Haven. The owner is seeking VALENTINA RENTAL HOUSING PRE-Scope APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE proposals for theMACRI Hardwood Floor Refinishing of 310 Winthrop, a threefamily property. Finish plan will be provided at open bid visit which details the INC, of Columbus House andasthe Newstairwell, Haven Housing Authority, refiHOME nishing of on keybehalf locations of property such main 1st fl offi ce, and is accepting pre-applications for studio and one-bedroom apartments at this develsecond floor unit.

Owner to select stain color.

The project is CDBG funded by opment located at 108 Frank Street, New Haven.

Maximum income limitations apthe City of New Haven. Project is tax-exempt and Davis/Bacon/Prevailing Wage ply. Pre-applications will be available from 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y rate. The selected company and any subcontractors must comply with EEOC 25, 2016 and ending when sufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) have workforce requirements. City of New Haven Chapter 12 ¼ of the New Haven been received at the offices of HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon recode of Ordinances (MBE subcontracting ) applies- Minority/women’s business quest by calling HOME INC at 203-562-4663 during those hours. Completed preenterprises are encouraged to apply. A bidding site meeting will be held at 310 applications must be returned to HOME INC’s offices at 171 Orange Street, Third Winthrop avenue, New Haven on Thursday, 9/7/2023 at 12:30pm. All bids are Floor, New Haven, CT 06510. due by 9/15/2023 by 3pm. All bids and questions should be submitted in writing to Monica O’Connor via email moconnor@continuumct.org or delivered to 109 Legion Avenue, New Haven.

NOTICIA

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

360 MANAGEMENT GROUP, CO.

HOME INC, en nombre de la Columbus House y de la New Haven Housing Authority, está aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de un dormitorio en este desarrollo Invitation for Bids ubicado en la calle 109 Frank Street, New Haven. Se aplican limitaciones de ingresos Agency Wide and09Lock Services máximos. Las pre-solicitudes estaránKey disponibles a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 julio, 2016 hasta cuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100) 360 Group,INC. Co. is seeking bids for agency widea key and en Management las oficinas de HOME Lascurrently pre-solicitudes serán enviadas por correo petición lock services.

A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from 360 llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse Management Vendor Collaboration https://newhavenhousing. a las oficinas deGroup’s HOME INC en 171 Orange Street, Portal tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510 . cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Monday, October 2, 2023 at 3:00PM.

NEW HAVENFOR BID NOTICE OF REQUEST

242-258 OF Fairmont Ave OF DANBURY HOUSING AUTHORITY THE CITY Commercial Boiler Preventative 2BR Townhouse, 1.5 Maintenance BA, 3BR,and 1 Repair level Services , 1BA

No. B23005 All new apartments, new IFB appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 & I-95 highways, near bus stop & shopping center Please register here to obtain Bid Package: https://ha.internationaleprocurement.com/ Pet under 40lb allowed.

Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258 requests.html?company_id=49968 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL RETURN:

CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s Certificate Program. This is a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates Housing Authority of the City of Danbury, 2 Mill Ridge Rd, Danbury, CT 06811 in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday, August 20, 2016 1:303:30 Contact: Chairman, Joe J. Davis, Envelope MustDeacon be Marked: IFB M.S., No.B.S. B23005, Commercial Boiler Services (203) 996-4517 Host, General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster St. New Haven, CT

Attn: Lisa Gilchrist, Purchasing Agent

SUBMITTAL DEADLINE November 8th, 2023 at 10:30am (EST)

SEYMOUR HOUSING CONTACT PERSON FOR IFB AUTHORITY DOCUMENT:

– Purchasing Agent Sealed bids are invitedLisa byGilchrist the Housing Authority of the Town of Seymour Telephone: 203-744-2500 x1421 until 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at its office at 28 Smith Street, E-Mail: lgilchrist@hacdct.org Seymour, CT 06483 for Concrete Sidewalk Repairs and Replacement at the [Minorityand/orAssisted women-owned are Smith encouraged respond] Smithfield Gardens Livingbusinesses Facility, 26 StreettoSeymour.

INVITATION TO BID

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

Subcontractors are invited to bid on the RE-BID Downtown Evening Kitchen Addition and Renovations. 266 State St New Haven, CT 06510. The project consists of new Stair/Elevator Addition 850sf, and Gut Reno 5,400sf to the 4 Floors.

BIDS DUE October 13, 2023. Send email to ngorneault@pacgroupllc.com for copy of the detailed Invite and Trade Bid Packages. Project partially funded by DECD, DOH, DEM. This project is subject to state set-aside and contract compliance requirements. An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Minor-

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

ity/Women's Business Enterprises are encouraged to apply.

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

Environmental Senior Planner

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

FHI Studio is seeking an Environmental Senior Planner. Candidates should demonstrate their ability to develop proposals and attend interviews, develop project scopes and fees, and conduct environmental reviews utilizing best practices. Responsibilities include preparing NEPA and state documentation, guiding permitting efforts, conducting technical analysis, writing reports, and participating in public meetings. The candidate must also possess excellent oral and written communication skills. Experience with major transportation infrastructure projects is preferred.

Minimum degree: Bachelor's degree in urban planning, environmental planning, environmental science, or related field with a minimum of 4 years of experience in environmental consulting or related field. Candidates with a valid driver's license preferred. Salary commensurate with level of experience. Submit your cover letter and resume at https://fhistudio. isolvedhire.com/jobs/. Fitzgerald & Halliday, Inc. is an EEO/AA /VEV/Disabled employer.

State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management

Continuum of Care, New Haven, Connecticut – LEGAL NOTICE INVITATION TO BID

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

Further information regarding the duties, eligibility requirements and application instructions are available at:

LEGAL NOTICE INVITATION TO BID: CONTINUUM OF CARE, NEW HAVEN is requesting licensed and insured contractors to provide bids for their property located at 310 Winthrop Avenue, New Haven. The owner is seeking proposals for the Hardwood Floor Refinishing Scope of 310 Winthrop, a three-family property. Finish plan will be provided at open bid visit which details the refinishing of key locations of property such as main stairwell, 1st fl office, and second floor unit. Owner to select stain color. The project is CDBG funded by the City of New Haven. Project is tax-exempt and Davis/ Bacon/Prevailing Wage rate. The selected company and any subcontractors must comply with EEOC workforce requirements. City of New Haven Chapter 12 ¼ of the New Haven code of Ordinances (MBE subcontracting ) applies- Minority/women’s business enterprises are encouraged to apply. A bidding site meeting will be held at 310 Winthrop avenue, New Haven on Thursday, 9/7/2023 at 12:30pm. All bids are due by 9/15/2023 by 3pm. All bids and questions should be submitted in writing to Monica O’Connor via email moconnor@continuumct.org or delivered to 109 Legion Avenue, New Haven.

https://www.jobapscloud.com/ CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?b=&R1= 230417&R2=6342MP&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.

WANTED

toREQUEST Bid: FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) FOR ACCOUNTING TRUCK DRIVERInvitation 2 Notice

AND FINANCIAL CONSULTING SERVICES SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE Truck Driver with clean nd

The Housing Authority of the City of Bristol (BHA) invites proposals from qualified Old Saybrook, CT firms to provide Accounting and Financial Consulting Services. For copy of RFP please (4 Buildings,contact 17 Units) Carl Johnson, Dir. of Capital Funds at 860-585-2028 or cjohnson@bristolhousTax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project ing.org beginning Mon., Sept. 4, 2023. Sealed proposals must be received no later than

CDL license

4:00 p.m. on Thurs., Oct. 12, 2023 clearly marked “RFP –Accounting and Financial

with one (1) original Please send resume to Housing,Consulting New Construction, Wood Framed, SelectiveServices” Demolition, Site-work, Cast- and three (3) copies mailed or delivered to: Housing Authority of the City of Bristol, Attn: Mitzy Rowe, CEO, 164 Jerome Ave., attielordan@gmail.com in-place Concrete, AsphaltBristol, Shingles, Vinyl Siding, CT 06010 PJF Construction Corporation Flooring, Painting, DivisionAA/EOE 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, The Housing Authority of the City of Bristol is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection.

SBE, MBE, W/DBE, and Section 3 businesses are encouraged to respond.

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

Town of Bloomfield

Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016 Assistant Building Official

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) FOR LEGAL SERVICES $39.80 Project hourly documents available via ftp link below: Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016

RELATED TO LABOR, EMPLOYMENT AND BENEFITS

Pre-employment drug testing. http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage AA/EOE. For Details go to www.bloomfieldct.org The Housing Authority of the City of Bristol (BHA) invites proposals from qualified atFax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com torneys, legal teams or law firms to provide Legal services in labor laws, employment & HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran,benefi S/W/MBE & Section Businesses ts. For copy3ofCertified RFP please contact Carl Johnson, Dir. of Capital Funds at 860-585Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Seymour, CT 06483 2028 orAve, cjohnson@bristolhousing.org beginning Mon., Sept. 4, 2023. Sealed proposals must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. on Thurs., Oct. 12, 2023 clearly marked “RFP – AA/EEO EMPLOYER Full Time – All Shifts Top Legal Services. Labor, Employment & Benefits” with one (1) original and three (3) copies mailed or delivered to: Housing Authority of the City of Bristol, Attn: Mitzy Rowe, CEO, EOE Please apply in person: 164 Jerome Ave., Bristol, CT 06010

DRIVER CDL CLASS A Pay-Full Benefits

1425 Honeyspot Rd. Ext. Stratford, CT 06615

20

The Housing Authority of the City of Bristol is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. SBE, MBE, W/DBE, and Section 3 businesses are encouraged to respond.

THE INNER-CITY 2023 - October 2023 INNER-CITYNEWS NEWS- October July 27,18, 2016 - August 02, 24, 2016

Administrative Aide NOTICE (Mayor’s Office)

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

The Town of Wallingford is seeking a highly qualified individual to perform a variety of responsible administrative duties in support of the Mayor. Requires an A.S. degree HOME INC, on behalf of Columbus House and the New Haven Housing Authority, in office management or related field plus 3 years of progressively responsible cleriis accepting pre-applications for studio and one-bedroom apartments at this develcal or office management experience, or a H.S. diploma plus 5 years of progressively opment located at 108 Frank Street, New Haven. Maximum income limitations apresponsible clerical or office management experience, or an equivalent combination of ply. Pre-applications be available from 9AM 5PM beginning Monday education and qualifyingwill experience substituting onTO a year-for-year basis.

Must Ju;y pos2016 endingcertifi whencation sufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) sess25, or be ableand to obtain as a CT ADA Coordinator within 1 year andhave as a beenPublic received at 6the officesofofappointment.

HOME INC.Annual Applications be mailied uponplus reNotary within months salary: will $69,587 to $89,039 quest by fringe callingbenefi HOME at 203-562-4663 during those Completed an excellent ts INC package that includes pension plan, hours. medical insurance,prelife applications must be returned to HOME INC’s time. officesAat 171 Orange Street, Third insurance, 13 paid holidays, paid sick and vacation complete job announcement New Haven, 06510. andFloor, application may beCT downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page and can be mailed to the Department of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492, or emailed to: wlfdhr@wallingfordct. gov by the closing date of October 2, 2023. Phone: (203) 294-2080; Fax: (203) 2942084. EOE

NOTICIA

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

Listing: Mechanic

HOME INC, en nombre de la Columbus House y de la New Haven Housing Authority, está aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de un dormitorio en este desarrollo ubicado en la calle 109 Frank Street, New Haven. Se aplican limitaciones de ingresos máximos. Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 Immediate a full timepre-solicitudes mechanic; maintenance julio, 2016 hastaopening cuando se hanfor recibido suficientes (aproximadamente 100) oficinas on de HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas por correo a petición toenbelas done commercial diesel trucks and trailers.

Send llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse resume to: HR Manager, P. O. Box 388, Guilford, CT a las oficinas de HOME INC en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510 .

06437 or email hrdept@eastriverenergy.com

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

NEW HAVENII MAINTAINER

242-258 Fairmont Ave The Town of Wallingford is seeking applicants for Maintainer II. The position requires 2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA,work 3BR, 1 level , 1BA and care 2 years’ experience as a laborer in construction involving the operation

Alland newother apartments, newequipment, appliances, carpet, close I-91 of trucks mechanical or new 2 years training in to one of & theI-95 skilled highways, in near bus stop operations, & shoppingorcenter trades and 1 year of experience construction an equivalent combination of experience and training. valid (CDL) Class B is required a copy included Pet under 40lb allowed.AInterested parties contact Maria @and 860-985-8258 with your application. Wages: $23.73 - $27.82 hourly plus an excellent fringe benefit package that includes pension plan, paid sick and vacation time, 13 paid holidays. medical, dental andAssociation life insurance.

A complete job announcement and application may CT. Unified Deacon’s is pleased to offer a Deacon’s Program.

This is aDepartment 10 month program designed Resources to assist in theWeb intellectual Candidates be Certificate downloaded from the of Human Pageformation and canofbe mailed in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday, August 20, 2016 1:30to the of Human Resources, Town 3:30 Department Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, M.S., B.S. of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, (203) 996-4517 General Elijahto: Davis, D.D. Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. 64 Brewster Wallingford, CTHost, 06492, orBishop emailed wlfdhr@wallingfordct.gov

by Church the closing date of September St. New Haven,25, CT 2023. Phone: (203) 294-2080; Fax: (203) 294-2084. EOE

Continuum of Care, New Haven, Connecticut – LEGAL NOTICE INVITATION TO BID

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

Sealed bids are invited by the Housing Authority of the Town of Seymour

LEGAL NOTICE INVITATION TO BID: CONTINUUM OF CARE is requesting until 3:00 pm on Electrical Tuesday,contractors August 2,to2016 at its office at 28property Smith Street, licensed and insured provide bids for their located at 12 MichaelCT Street, Eastfor Haven.

The Sidewalk project is for the design and installationatof Seymour, 06483 Concrete Repairs and Replacement thea standby generator (24KW) for the property.

Scope to include a 200A automatic transfer Smithfield Gardens Assisted Living Facility, 26 Smith Street Seymour. switch, mounting pad and include battery and programming for the site. The awarded vendor is responsible for furnishing permit application to the City of East Haven for A pre-bid conference willfees. be held the Housing Office 28 Smith their work scope and related Priceatshould includeAuthority dumpster (if necessary) and permit fees.

The property can support natural gas fueled standby generator. The Street Seymour, CT at 10:00 am, ona Wednesday, July 20, 2016. project is tax-exempt, and funded by owner. A bidding site meeting will be held at 12 Michael Street, East Haven on 9/22/2023 at 11am. All bids are due by 9/29/2023 by Bidding documents are available the Seymour 3pm.

All bids and questions should be from submitted in writing Housing to MonicaAuthority O’ConnorOfvia fice,moconnor@continuumct.org 28 Smith Street, Seymour,orCT 06483 to(203) email delivered 109 888-4579.

Legion Avenue, New Haven.

Minority/women’s business enterprises are encouraged to apply.

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

Town of Bloomfield

Continuum of Care, New Haven, Connecticut –

LEGAL NOTICE INVITATION TO BID

Patrol Police Officer

$37.93 hourly ($78,885 annually) – full time, benefited Pre-employment drug testing.

For more details, visit our website – www.bloomfieldct.org Deadline: Applications will be accepted until position is filled

Town of Bloomfield

Finance Director

Salary Range - $101,455 to $156,599 (expected starting pay maximum is mid-range) Fully Benefited – 35 hours weekly Pre-employment drug testing. For more details, visit our website – www.bloomfieldct.org

Portland

Police Officer full-time

LEGAL NOTICE INVITATION TO BID: CONTINUUM OF CARE, NEW HAVEN is requesting licensed and insured contractors to provide bids for their property located at 310 Winthrop Avenue, New Haven. The owner is seeking proposals for the Interior Painting of 310 Winthrop, a three-family property. Scope includes clean, scrape, and paint all identified paintable surfaces of property. Cleaning, prep and paint of all interior doors, walls, and targeted trim. House colors to be selected by owner and Sherwin Williams is preferred. The project is CDBG funded by the City of New Haven. Project is tax-exempt and Davis/Bacon/Prevailing Wage rate. The selected company and any subcontractors must comply with EEOC workforce requirements. City of New Haven Chapter 12 ¼ of the New Haven code of Ordinances (MBE subcontracting ) applies- Minority/women’s business enterprises are encouraged to apply. A bidding site meeting will be held at 310 Winthrop avenue, New Haven on Monday, 8/28/2023 at 2:30pm. All bids are due by 9/8/2023 by 3pm. All bids and questions should be submitted in writing to Monica O’Connor via email moconnor@continuumct.org or delivered to 109 Legion Avenue, New Haven.

Request for Proposals (RFP) Plumbing Maintenance Services The Housing Authority of the City of Bristol The Housing Authority of the City of Bristol is seeking a qualified contractor to provide Plumbing Maintenance Services throughout the Agency. Proposals due by September 21, 2023 at 4:00 p.m.

A copy of the RFP documents can be obtained at the Bristol Housing Authority, 164 Jerome Ave., Bristol, CT 06010 during normal business hours or by contacting Yvonne InvitationTirado, to Bid: Director of Accounting & Special Projects, at ytirado@bristolhousing.org, 2nd Notice phone 860-585-2039 or Carl Johnson, Director of Capital Funds, at cjohnson@bristolhousing.org, phone 860-585-2028. Scope and proposal requirements will be available starting August 21, 2023.

Go to www.portlandct.org for details

QSR STEEL CORPORATION

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

Old Saybrook, CT APPLY NOW! (4 Buildings, 17 Units)

The Housing Authority of the City of Bristol is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

SBE, MBE, W/DBE, and Section 3 businesses are encouraged to respond.

Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate Project Top pay for top performers. Health Benefits, 401K, Vacation Pay.

Planner – Project Manager New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing,Transportation Selective Demolition, Site-work, Castin-place Concrete, AsphaltThe Shingles, Vinyl Siding, South Central Regional Council of Governments (SCRCOG) is seeking to fill the Transportation – Project Manager position. Visit www.scrcog.org for the full Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Planner Residential Casework, position description, qualifications, and application requirements. Applications are to Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection.

State of Connecticut be submitted by noon on Monday, September 11, 2023, or until the position is filled.

Office of Policy This contract is subject to state set-asideQuestions and contract compliance requirements. may be emailed to jobs@scrcog.org. SCRCOG is an Affirmative Action/

Email Resume: Rose@qsrsteel.com Hartford, CT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

and Management

Equal Opportunity Employer.

Bid Extended, Due Date: August 5, 2016

The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management isAnticipated recruiting Start: August 15, 2016 for an OPM Assistant Division Project documents available via ftp link below: Director in the Office of Finance.

Payroll

http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage Further information regarding

Payroll Clerk- Performs responsible office work in the processing of all general governthe duties, eligibility and application ment payrolls and maintain all payroll records. The position requires a H.S. diploma Faxrequirements or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com instructions are available at: of all Veteran,orS/W/MBE G.E.D,&plus 5 years of Businesses experience in responsible office work involving typing, acHCC encourages the participation Section 3 Certified https://www.jobapscloud.com/ counting, data entry and payroll processing. $27.22 to $32.68 hourly plus Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave,bookkeeping, Seymour, CT 06483 CT/sup/bulpreview.asp?b=&R1= an excellent fringe benefit package. Apply: Department of Human Resources, Town AA/EEO EMPLOYER 230908&R2=0104MP&R3=001 of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Forms will be mailed The State of Connecticut is an equal upon request from the Department of Human Resources or maybe downloaded from opportunity/affirmative action employer and the Department of Human Resources Web Page and emailed to wlfdhr@wallingfordct. strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities. gov. The closing date will be the date that the 50th application form/resume is received, or September 11, 2023, whichever occurs first. EOE

21

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - October 18, 2023 - October 24, 2023

How Kelly Mac became one of the few female film composers creating unforgettable soundtracks Dollita Okine, Face2FaceAfrica A study by San Diego State University’s Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film says that less than 8% of film composers are women. Kelly Mac is one of the industry’s handful of female film composers. She told Screen Rant that she had always seen herself in the pop record industry.

Her curriculum at Berklee did not necessarily cover what she was passionate about because she studied Contemporary Writing and Production, which included jazz scores and score preparation for wind ensembles. She began to work on numerous record projects for musicians outside of the classroom because of this.

Recounting her journey, Mac revealed, “After Berklee, I went full force into that.

I moved in with a bunch of roommates in New York City; we started a little production team in our apartment; and we started working with artists and doing artist development for them. It kind of just snowballed from there, and then I started getting into sync.”

She revealed that although she wasn’t getting paid much at the time, working for artists gave her a flair for composition.

Mac made the decision to apply for front desk roles at numerous music houses with the aim of moving her way up through the company. This was the turning point for

her.

“This one company brought me in and they were like, ‘Well, we don’t need anyone at the front desk, but we heard your music. Why don’t you write on a commercial spot for us?’ That first commercial spot ended up landing and being a big national spot, so that was how I stumbled into it.”

Aside from building a reputation for herself in the industry, Mac is also using her company, Kelly Mac Music, to assist other musicians in helping storytellers with their musical talents. She told Essence, “I was working as a composer independently, and I ended up getting so much work that I couldn’t take on all the work myself. It kind of started out of necessity.”

She told Screen Rant that some of her peers, who had seen her blossoming career, began to ask her how she was succeeding in the field, and wanting to help, Mac recommended they come join her.

“I was like, ‘Well, why don’t I bring you in on this project? I’ll sort of oversee it and serve as the executive music producer, [or] creative director,’ if you will.

I started doing that, it snowballed, and we created our team really organically. I ended up incorporating Kelly Mac Music, and things just kept growing from there,” she said, although she added that entrepreneurship was always something she

wanted to do.

Mac has collaborated with Grammy Award-winning producer LuneyTunez (Rihanna, Future) on several songs for The Crush Boys and Jack Knight (Usher, Keyshia Cole), according to Universal Production Music.

Mac has also worked on innovative projects with many well-known brands, such as Nike, Reebok, ESPN, and CoverGirl, as well as television shows, such as Disney’s Gamer’s Guide to Pretty Much Everything and The George Lopez Show, according to her website.

She has appeared in iStandard’s Producer Showcase and has worked with vocalists from MTV’s Making the Band, The Voice, and X Factor.

She has also composed music for feature films such as BET’s Block Party, HBO’s Luna, and Netflix’s A New York Christmas Wedding, as well as short films such as Descended From the Promised Land: The Legacy of Black Street and The Spring, which were featured in the American Black Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival.

She has appeared in iStandard's Producer Showcase and has worked with vocalists from MTV's Making the Band, The Voice, and X Factor. Photo Credit: LinkedIn, Kelly Mac

Biden has canceled $127 Billion in student debt–and there’s more relief to come Biden said at a recent press conference.

“Well, today, thanks to reforms, more than 700,000 borrowers had their debt forgiven.”

According to the White House, nearly 715,000 public servants have had $51 billion in student debt forgiven.

Income-Driven Repayment plans, including the Pay As You Earn Repayment (PAYE) plan or the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan, offer another form of payment assistance and a route for forgiveness. These plans can help borrowers lower their monthly payments based on their income, with forgiveness applied to any remaining balance after 20 years of payments or 240 qualifying monthly payments.

The administration estimates 855,000 borrowers on IDR plans have received $42 billion in relief and an additional 513,000 borrowers with total and permanent disabilities received $11.7 billion in relief.

After the Supreme Court rejected the president’s attempt to implement a broader and more sweeping forgiveness plan in June, he announced adjustments to the Revised Pay As You Earn Plan, which became the Saving on a Valuable Education plan.

Under SAVE, borrowers could see significantly lower payments. Monthly payment amounts, with SAVE, are based on

By Bria Overs, Word in Black

The Biden-Harris administration continues on its path of debt forgiveness, adding 125,000 student loan borrowers to its growing list of those who have received relief since President Biden took office.

This decision comes mere weeks after the Department of Education announced forgiveness for 2,300 University of Phoenix students. The new round of loan forgiveness focuses on borrowers enrolled in Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, and those with disabilities. The new initiatives bring the administration’s total debt canceled and forgiven to $127 billion for an estimated 3.6 million Americans. But more aid and relief is still to come.

Debt cancellation particularly impacts Black Americans, who borrow more on average, hold their debt longer, and often struggle financially due to their student loans, according to the Education Data Initiative.

The PSLF program puts borrowers employed by the government or nonprofit organizations with Federal Direct Loans on track to have their loans forgiven after 120 qualifying monthly payments, the equivalent of 10 years.

“Because of red tape, only 7,000 borrowers had been helped,” President Joe

22

discretionary income which is the difference between the adjusted gross income and 225 percent of the Department of Health and Human Services’ poverty guidelines.

Additionally, the plan helps prevent balances from growing each month by eliminating the remaining interest accrued after a monthly payment.

A borrower on the SAVE plan making less than $30,000 a year could have a monthly payment of $0. A $0 monthly payment could apply to a household of four people making less than $60,000 a year.

By July 2024, the Biden-Harris administration plans to add more benefits to the program, including reducing the wait time for loan forgiveness eligibility to 10 years for borrowers with original balances of $12,000 or less. They also want to add forgiveness credit during periods of forbearance and deferments, and automatic enrollment in the plan after missed payments.

“By freeing millions of Americans from the crushing burden of student debt, it means they can go and get their lives in order,” Biden said. “They can think about buying a house, they can start a business, they can start a family. This matters. It matters in their daily lives.”

This article was originally published by Word in Black.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - October 18, 2023 - October 24, 2023

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - October 18, 2023 - October 24, 2023

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Restrictions apply. Only available in areas within range of applicable 4G LTE cellular signal. Limited to Xfinity Internet customers with 800 Mbps service or higher and compatible Xfinity Gateway. Storm-Ready WiFi device requires Xfinity Battery Backup, included in price. Fully charged Xfinity Battery Backup will provide up to 4 hours of power to the Xfinity Storm-Ready WiFi device. Device runs on cellular 4G LTE (data plans not affected).

During outages, internet will be reduced to speeds up to 30 Mbps download / 7 Mbps upload. Actual speeds will vary and are not guaranteed and may be impacted by a variety of environmental and other factors, including network congestion. Xfinity does not guarantee that 4G LTE will be available in all locations or that a connection will be obtainable. Storm-Ready WiFi may not be compatible with all changes in the network.

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9/15/23 3:36 PM