A Goodbye To Co-Op, As WestConn-Bound Musicians Serenade Sherman's Alley
By Lucy Gellman
The trumpet, clean and bright as it hit the air, was the kind of thing a person could feel in their bones. The notes climbed, each so crisp it felt possible to reach out and touch them. They swooped over keys and percussion, then dipped towards the pavement-turned-stage. The instrument, almost growling, let loose a rippling cascade of sound.
As he listened, band teacher Matt Chasen looked over, head bobbing rhythmically to Antônio Jobim’s “Chega De Saudade,” and gave Maya Martinez a deep, approving nod. Then just as naturally, he passed the solo on.
Martinez, who graduated from Cooperative Arts & Humanities High School at the end of last month, is one of three Co-Op band students headed to Western Connecticut State University specifically to pursue music education, inspired largely by the lessons they’ve received in their classrooms over the past four years. On a wet, humid Monday at the end of June, she and classmates crossed the stage at the Shubert Theatre, ready for a new artistic chapter of their lives to begin.
Exactly a week before that, she and members of the school’s jazz band got into a summer groove outside the Chapel Street Record Store GRAILS, making clear that the time they’ve spent at CoOp—and increasingly in the community—is already laying a pedagogical foundation for the work they plan to do in and after college. In addition to Martinez, WestConn-bound students include flutist Keyla Gordillo and violinist Legend Dyer.
Bassist Zakai Henderson, who performed earlier this year in the Connecticut Music Educators Association’s AllState Music Festival, will also attend WestConn for music performance. Vocalist Nadia Okwuosa, who has also talked about music education, won’t be far, either: she plans to attend the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford.
“I want to support musicians who need that same help growing up that I did,” said Martinez, a Bronx-born trumpet player and dedicated tech and musical theater kid who has also worked as a teacher in the Shubert Theatre’s summer camp. In the past four years, “I’ve come far out of my shell. Mr. Chasen asks for a lot. Mr. Chasen asks for physicality, for vulnerability in his players … from that first day, he sets a tone,” and it’s made her a stronger musician.
Were it not for Co-Op—and a string of music educators who are as precise and rigorous as they are big-hearted—it’s not clear if any of them would have made it to this point. When Martinez started the trumpet as a fifth grader at May V. Carrigan Intermediate School in West Haven, she didn’t specifically see herself staying with it—at least, not at first. Then she met band director Matt Lupoli, who became an early cheerleader of her work and her process. Martinez only had Lupoli for a year, but it was enough to continue with the instru-
ment at Harry M. Bailey Middle School. From Lupoli, she met Jacob Humerick, band director at the school. They clicked, she remembered: he was “a trumpet guy” himself, and saw something in her nascent skill that stuck.
But when the Covid-19 pandemic hit New Haven in March 2020, Martinez stopped playing. “I was just uninspired,” she remembered. Like many students across the state—including at Co-Op at the time—she struggled with band classes that were suddenly remote, conducted across glitchy internet connections and delays that made ensemble work impossible. She didn’t know if she’d come back to the instrument.
And then Humerick stepped in, with a kind of firm push that she now can see herself making as a teacher. When in-person classes resumed, “he was like, ‘Really Maya?’” she remembered with a smile. “Really?” At the time, it seemed like he was giving her grief. She’s since realized how much potential he saw in her.
Humerick started giving Martinez more advanced numbers, putting her alongside musicians Ash Ortiz and Zane Arcari, both horn players who are now star musical alumni of West Haven High School. When she mastered a piece, he was ready with another. It was ultimately the reason she went to Co-Op. There, she walked into the classroom that Pat Smith and Chasen shared, and the rest was history. “When I came in, I didn’t know what was going on!” Martinez remembered with a laugh (when Smith retired last year, she added, she was thrilled to meet Christine Dominguez, from whom she has continued to learn). “From that first day, he [Chasen] sets a tone.” The rest, including a blossoming interest in tech theater, a space in the pit orchestra, and a knack for teaching her classmates, fell into place soon afterwards. “I’ve come far out of my shell.”
At some point, she realized that she wanted to do for other students what her teachers were doing for her, even and especially when it was a challenge. When she was designing her capstone earlier this year, she also thought critically about who was missing: Martinez has never had a band teacher of color. Until last year, she had never had a music teacher who wasn’t a white man. It’s what makes her want to stay in a diverse school district like New Haven.
“I’m staying here,” she said, later adding that she meant a district as diverse as New Haven. When it’s her classroom, Martinez said, she plans to keep growing the repertoire, just as Chasen has done in his deep dives on jazz musicians. “I want to stray from traditional arrangements for band and play the stuff that feeds souls.”
Chasen, who is like a second parent or cool big brother to many of his students, can already see how much her students will learn. Years ago, he remembered, Martinez was in the band room with fellow student Onix Garcia, who plays the electric bass, talking through the repertoire and practice techniques. At some point, Chasen left to make copies. When
he returned, Martinez had drawn a pyramid of practice on the whiteboard. She was already on her way to running a classroom.
“To be that meticulous, with respect to the chart that she drew,” is outstanding, Chasen said. “I saw that I thought, ‘This kid is gonna do something musically.’” And she has: in addition to Martinez work in band, she has collaborated with teacher Janie Alexander to run tech for the school’s shows. Last year, she popped up among crew members at the premiere of Steve Driffin’s Be Your Own Hero at the Dixwell Community Q House. She’s a frequent and familiar face at the Shubert’s summer camp, where she’s gotten to flex her educational skills before arriving at school.
That excitement for the next chapter was contagious as Chasen handed a mic to Okwuosa, and the band slipped into Jobim’s bossa nova standard “Desafinado.” As the notes filled the air, Gordillo swayed slightly at her music stand, getting into a groove.
The lyrics—Once your kisses raised me to a fever pitch / Now the orchestration doesn't seem so rich!—floated from where Okwuosa was standing into the alley around student musicians. As they played, the smell of spun sugar wafted through the air from Arethusa Farm’s ice cream shop next door.
Gordillo later became emotional, reflecting on what it means for her to leave Co-Op and New Haven, where she’s been able to thrive in band, play in the school’s pit orchestra, and teach in ARTE, Inc.’s weekly Saturday Academy in Fair Haven. Gordillo first picked up the flute in fifth grade, when teacher José Lara was still at John S. Martinez School in Fair Haven. Despite a nickel allergy—that means the instrument’s lip plate made her break into a rash—Gordillo loved the sound, and stuck with it even through the discomfort (she now plays with a gold-plated lip plate). By middle school, she had also picked up the piano, and was interested in the alto sax. So when she arrived at CoOp her freshman year, she was excited to learn with Smith and Chasen.
It turned out that the feeling was mutual: both teachers saw someone who, from day one, was eager to soak up new musical knowledge, and share it with her peers. By her junior year, Chasen had gotten her a gig teaching piano at ARTE, which she loved.
Like Martinez, she thinks about the power of being an educator of color and a first-generation college student in the classroom. In addition to her nickel allergy, Gordillo has dealt with a “difficult braces process” that sometimes makes it painful to practice or perform. It helps her relate to kids going through some of the same things, she said.
“Keyla, I feel like, was born to be a teacher,” Chasen said. In and out of the classroom, he sees how nurturing she is with her peers, some of whom refer to her as a big sister or even their musical mom. Scarlett Ardon, a rising sophomore at the school who sat beside her in the pit
Chasen with Keyla Gordillo, Maya Martinez and Legend Dyer. Lucy Gellman Photos.
Arts Council of greater New Haven
Awardee Marcella Monk Flake (center).
By Lucy GellmanJuly
Before her hands ever touched clay—or reimagined discarded washboards, piles of old shoes, used nails and buttons— sculptor Linda Mickens was reimagining what it meant to heal a person. As a NICU nurse, she learned that “every life has a story.” As a person existing in the world, she learned how to tell it. When she started making art, those worlds came together.
Saturday night, Mickens was one of seven awardees at the Arts Council of Greater New Haven’s revived arts awards, back after an unexpected hiatus in 2025. Held at the Henry Street arts incubator NXTHVN, the event brought in over 200 attendees and raised at least $17,000 for the Arts Council by the end of the evening.
The theme, “Reimagining,” honored artists Linda Mickens, Charlie Grady, Elm Shakespeare Company, Candyce “Marsh” John, and NXTHVN Founder Titus Kaphar. In addition, vocalist, educator and Monk Youth Jazz & STEAM Collective Founder Marcella Monk Flake received the C. Newton Schenck III Award for Lifetime Achievement in and Contribution to the Arts, and the late Emalie Mayo received the new “Legacy Award,” a posthumous honor that the Arts Council plans to continue in the coming years.
This year’s celebration comes as arts organizations across the region reimagine their work—sometimes by choice, and often by necessity—in a landscape where both public and private funding dollars are drying up. Last year, the Arts Council operated at a deficit, forcing all full-time employees to reduce their hours and pay for nearly six months. From November of last year through March of this year, employees received partial unemployment benefits through the State of Connecticut’s Shared Work program, which is designed specifically to prevent layoffs.
“The 45th Annual Arts Awards was the epitome of joy, community, and inspiration,” said Executive Director Hope Chávez. “So many guests commented on how these were some of the best award speeches they heard in years. The room included guests from the Whitney Center, artists and their families, students from SCSU and Yale School of Drama, legislators, neighbors, and it felt good. There were spontaneous dance breaks, lots of laughter, and a few tears of admiration and love. We could not be more honored to hold a space for celebration and realness. May it fuel the good and necessary work ahead of us.”
Throughout the night, that sense of celebration was palpable. Mickens, who was a nurse and mother before she began her second act as a professional artist, praised art as a lifesaving force, remembering how “I didn’t see discarded things, I saw possibilities.” In the years since, she has used her work as a way to speak truth to power, with sculpture that addresses so-
cial and racial justice, police and state violence, the killing of unarmed Black boys and men, and the “everyday angels” who have stayed with her, and enriched her own life. As she gave a short speech, she acknowledged how heavy some of that work is in a world upturned by war, poverty, racism and violence.
“Perhaps the question this moment is asking us is even more important,” she said. “What could we become if we cared to reimagine together?”
Grady, an actor and former law enforcement official who founded the organization Hang Time as a way to support formerly incarcerated individuals and reduce recidivism, spoke about the personal significance of receiving recognition for the artistic work that he does in the arts—a first, despite a lifetime of acting, and plays that he has produced at the Klein Theatre in Bridgeport and Legacy Theatre in Branford. Normally, he said, people see him as only a cop, and make assumptions that put him into a political and professional box. His first film, Us Vs. Them, probes that disconnect by talking to people both in and outside law enforcement, and acknowledging the real harm and distrust that has come out of the profession.
“Just because you have a career, that should not define who you are,” he said. “No matter what the world is going through, we have room to be creative.”
When it was her turn to speak, Elm Shakespeare’s Rebecca Goodheart pointed to the fact that it may seem difficult to reimagine Shakespeare, a long-dead white guy from England who was writing over 400 years ago. But then, she turned to his work, which is still relevant today.
Quoting Hamlet, The Merchant of Venice, and Romeo & Juliet, she pointed to how the Bard’s themes are surprisingly timeless. “They speak to our shared humanity. They are truly for everyone.”
“What we do isn’t about Shakespeare,” she added, and it was easy to think of the life-saving youth programs, the still-powerful language, and the community that comes together each year for performances in Edgerton Park. “It’s about bringing people together.
“Through my art, I hope to create spaces where people feel seen,” Marsh said moments later, accepting her award, and it seemed to speak to every artist in the room.
But the stars of the night, perhaps, were Mayo and Monk Flake, who respectively reimagined their cultural and educational corners of New Haven in expansive (and in Monk Flake’s case, still-evolving) ways. Mayo, who died unexpectedly in 2024, managed the Dwight/Edgewood Project at the David Geffen School of Drama, and was in the process of imagining “Playmaking New Haven,” a twoyear program in play development for New Haven, West Haven and Hamden youth that had been funded by the Community Foundation’s REACH (Racial Equity and Creative Healing Through the Arts) grant program.
“Emalie was a true life force in our community, and her orbit was warmed by the sun,” said Mayo’s close friend Grace O’Brien. Her cousin, Lisa Bolling, added that there’s still a gaping hole in the family.
“She was a force to be reckoned with,” Bolling said.
Speaking last in the evening, Monk Flake remembered waking up at four in the morning, and reflecting on Psalm 150, which compels people to make a joyful noise in the presence of the spirit. It helped her realize that “our creator is the original creative”—an idea that had in fact been within her, and driven her to serve youth through the arts, for her whole life.
For decades, Monk has used that creativity as a force for good, both in and beyond the classroom. Saturday, she remembered how that started early, somewhere between dances around the kitchen with her older sister and listening to her cousin Thelonious Monk, the only secular musician allowed in their otherwise religious home.
She took a moment to thank her family, including her husband, Dudley, and children and grandchildren who had come out for the event. A year ago, she said, “I didn’t know if I would be here,” after a series of health complications. The award feels like a wink from the universe that she’s not done yet.
Lucy Gellman is the editor of the Arts Paper, an editorially independent arm of the Arts Council of Greater New Haven.
Arts Council of greater New Haven
Awardee Marcella Monk Flake (center). Credit: Joel Calloway photos
Linda Mickens.
Grace O’Brien and Lisa Bolling with the Arts Council’s Hope Chavez.
CT DSA Rallies For Farmer
by Adele Haeg
Excited by what they see as a “tidal wave” of recent democratic-socialist wins across the country, members of the Connecticut Democratic Socialists of America (CT DSA) gathered in Edgewood Park on Saturday to rally for Justin Farmer in his bid to unseat incumbent State Rep. Pat Dillon.
Several dozen people attended that rally in the hopes that Farmer will be just the next democratic socialist to win a contested Democratic primary — as was the case in June in Washington, D.C., Colorado, and New York City.
Farmer — an experienced activist and organizer, former Hamden Legislative Council member, and current Westville resident — secured the official endorsement of the state chapter of the socialist political organization last month.
He’s set to face off on Aug. 11 against incumbent Pat Dillon and fellow challenger Eli Sabin in the Democratic primary for the 92nd General Assembly District seat, which covers parts of Amity, Westville, Edgewood, Dwight, and the Hill. (The Independent will be hosting a debate for the 92nd District primary race on July 28 at Coogan Pavilion.)
“It’s only Justin who’s willing to call out and condemn capitalism as a problem,” said George Moore, co-chair of the Greater New Haven chapter of CT DSA, on Saturday. “This is a campaign based on, of course, empowering the working class.” According to census data, the 92nd District has a median household income of about $60,000.
Farmer said on Saturday that he is running to reform public safety, improve education and elderly services, and make buses free in New Haven. “We need to tax the rich to pay for more infrastructure, but we also need to invest in our professionals that add to our public quality of life,” he said during the rally. He mentioned his mother, who is a CNA, or certified nursing assistant.
“We need to treat mental health as a public safety consideration,” Farmer said, calling for police and cities to “center mental health outreach.” He spoke about his experience with Tourette’s syndrome. After getting a diagnosis, he said, “I would not leave my house because I was terrified of being murdered.”
While many who were present have aligned him with the “wave” of democratic socialism, he also differentiates himself from other candidates by focusing on issues he has personal experience with. He did not mention affordability during his remarks to the crowd, although many democratic socialists see that as a priority.
Other speakers on Saturday, including his campaign intern Karen Ramirez and his partner Leanne Gale, brought up immigration enforcement in Connecticut, saying they trust Farmer to stand up for immigrants’ rights. “My immigrant community, my immigrant family, we’re living in fear,” Ramirez said. She said Farmer “understands what it feels like to be intimidated by that system, to fight, and to come out the other side, to make it better for others.” Farmer also spoke at a Wednesday rally in response to fatal ICE shootings in Maine and Texas this summer, in support of Unidad Latina en Acción.
Farmer said issues from transportation to policing are “interlinked.” He told the crowd at Wednesday’s ULA rally that “policy does not matter if we don’t change the culture” — for democratic socialists in the United States, that “change” has often been imagined as ending capitalism. Abdul Osmanu, a Hamden Legislative Council member, and Mariam Khan, a former student representative on the Hamden Board of Education — both CT DSA members — spoke to Farmer’s contributions in Hamden. Osmanu praised Farmer and called him a “mentor.”
“Justin is miles and miles ahead of the nation,” Osmanu said. He mentioned participatory budgeting in Hamden, which Farmer brought up in 2020. In 2025, Hamden allocated over $169,000 to city public schools to “increase youth involvement in school-based decision-making by allowing students to directly participate in budgeting decisions for their schools,” according to an October post from Hamden State Rep. (and current Democratic gubernatorial challenger) Josh Elliott.
“It’s an incredibly exciting moment.
People see [New York City Mayor] Zohran Mamdani, they see this wave of progressives and radicals getting elected across the country, and Justin represents an amazing opportunity to be a part of those politics in my own community,” said Farmer’s campaign treasurer, Joe Shortsleeve, while adding that he is not registered with the DSA.
“CT DSA has enthusiastically endorsed and backed Farmer as a fighter for New Haven’s multi-racial working class and a tireless social justice organizer,” the CT DSA wrote in a press release about Saturday’s rally. “DSA is demanding the formation of a new political and economic system – a system designed to meet the needs of the working class rather than the profit motives of today’s capitalist elite.” Farmer is the “only working class candidate of color in the race,” Shortsleeve mentioned.
“When the least of us are served, all of us are served,” Farmer said during the rally.
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Taite Lipchak (center) on Saturday called out policy proposals like, "We want free buses," and the crowd responded, "That's our demand." Credit: Adele Haeg photos
Justin Farmer on Saturday: “We have 24 days, right? To knock on doors, talk to our neighbors, make sure they know what’s going on.” He also thanked supporters for coming out even with the “horrible” air quality.
Justin Farmer on Saturday: “We have 24 days, right? To knock on doors, talk to our neighbors, make sure they know what’s going on.” He also thanked supporters for coming out even with the “horrible” air quality.
A “Zohran for New York City” sign on a box of CT DSA materials.
The New Haven independent
Teachers, Students Sound Alarm On State Of School Facilities
by Dereen Shirnekhi
Teachers, students, and union leaders
spoke up at an aldermanic meeting held at Wilbur Cross High School on Wednesday to condemn the state of school facilities in the city — and to question whether the district is really in need of another “master plan” to improve them.
That discussion of what it might take to improve facilities, as well as what an improved and more transparent system might look like for addressing work orders, arose at Wednesday’s Board of Alders Education Committee meeting.
It marked the second time in a month that the aldermanic committee has hosted a public hearing on school facilities.
This time, alders met in the Wilbur Cross atrium, following a tour of the school alongside members of the New Haven Federation of Teachers (NHFT). Committee alders reported seeing mold around the school, particularly in vents and the ceiling.
New Haven Public Schools (NHPS)
Supt. Madeline Negrón and Chief of School Operations (CSO) Paul Whyte addressed alders, alongside NHPS Transportation Director Sequella Coleman, and responded to questions regarding the timeline for necessary building improvements and challenges facing the district. Alders then heard from members of the public.
Whyte began the meeting by listing facilities improvements completed since 2022, as well as upcoming projects for the 2026-27 school year, totaling nearly $4 million (including more than $500,000 to replace the Hillhouse High School cooling tower and more than $800,000 to replace the fire alarm system at Conte West Hills Magnet School).
The district has received approval for state funding to repair the roofs at Truman School and Wilbur Cross, totaling $7.5 million. The district is still awaiting approval for the $8.7 million needed to repair the Hillhouse roof, after the initial application was held up due to numerical errors. The district will next submit applications (which are accepted monthly) to the state Department of Administrative Services (DAS) for the roofs at Sound School, Fair Haven School, High School in the Community, and Betsy Ross Art and Design Academy. Celentano, Clinton Avenue, and Conte are also in need of roof repairs. The total price estimated for all necessary roof repairs across the district is more than $44 million.
The district is also estimating a total of $6,251,000 in HVAC repairs across city schools. Repairs are in progress at Lincoln-Bassett, Edgewood, Daniels, and Celentano.
Similar to the last meeting, Whyte and Negrón discussed the commissioning of a comprehensive “master plan” to identify how the city should improve school buildings across the district. That plan will be produced by contractor Perkins Eastman and is anticipated to be completed by December of this year, with community input. The latest facilities study
was published in 2023. Downtown/Yale Alder Elias Theodore, a Wilbur Cross alum who graduated in 2023, expressed disappointment that the Wilbur Cross pool is still closed due to its needed roof repairs. “It is really sad that the pool I only got to swim in once is completely drained,” he said. “We have this incredible asset in our biggest high school in the city, yet no one’s using it.”
Theodore was skeptical about the need for another master plan. “We do have a lot of information about what needs we have,” he said.
“This is where we take into true action what we need to be doing,” Whyte said. It’s how the district will be able to say “this is what we need to do, this is what we need to work on for the next 10 or 15 years.”
Fair Haven Alder Sarah Miller wondered why the district couldn’t begin applying for bonds now, in rounds. “What is the barrier to putting in a bonding application for everything that is not DAS eligible on this list now?”
Whyte said the district wanted to be informed by a comprehensive plan so that, when bonding for projects, the district can consider all priorities for any work that needs to be performed.
“So there’s no barrier other than you’d rather do it all at once,” Miller said.
“If we’re going to bond, we should be bonding to do an overhaul like it was done in this district under a previous administration decades ago,” Negrón said.
That way, Negrón said, the district could decide how many buildings will be fully renovated and how many might be closed.
“It cannot just be roofs, HVAC, the tiles,
the mold,” Negrón, whose own child graduated from Wilbur Cross in 2022, continued. “We have to update our buildings to meet the needs of the 21st century, that’s why I’m insisting that it be comprehensive. We cannot make that commitment as the people working for the [Board of Education], it has to be the city making the commitment.”
Miller said that her understanding was that even during the last major NHPS facilities overhaul, bonding occurred in rounds. “It wasn’t one big package at that time either. And I can tell you what I have heard from constituents is that they want these things resolved now,” she said. “I’m not hearing a reason why we need to wait for a comprehensive plan on these items.”
During a tour of Wilbur Cross, ahead of Wednesday night’s meeting, alders present — including Miller, Theodore, Gary Hogan, Mildred Melendez, Caroline Tanbee Smith, Frank Redente, Jr., and Christine Kim — saw what seemed to be mold, they said.
“There is a lot of mold. Like a lot of mold, everywhere,” Miller said, particularly in the vents and open holes in the ceiling. “If that was an apartment and [the Livable City Initiative] came to inspect it, the landlord would be required to remediate it within 48 hours.”
Asked how the district would address the mold, Whyte said that the facilities crew would need to visit as quickly as possible and identify the substance and then remediate it. He said that the district would communicate with building managers to make sure everything they see is recorded.
Miller requested a list of all open or potential mold cases.
who noted a mouse in the building while the meeting went on — also testified to the state of facilities and their role in hindering student learning.
The school district is considering moving Graves, who currently is released from teaching so that she can fulfill her union responsibilities, back to the classroom. Blatteau said that Graves triages teachers’ facilities concerns by communicating with the administration and facilities team as well as the teachers themselves and keeping them in the loop.
“We’ve worked hard on a system from the union perspective to manage the influx” of work orders, Blatteau said. Sometimes work orders get lost in the system. So Graves is known as the facilities person to 1,800 NHFT members.
“This is no fault, but we often hear from our members, ‘Thank you, you’re the only one who responded.'”
So if Graves isn’t able to respond, Miller said, it’s possible no one will be responding?
Blatteau said that’s what the union has been hearing.
“It’s
The Same Problems”
Teachers who testified provided other examples of failing facilities, including classrooms without AC, elevated levels of formaldehyde in an East Rock Magnet School classroom, an improperly kept pool at John Martinez, and faculty bathrooms that don’t lock at New Haven Academy.
Ashley Stockton, who has taught in NHPS since 2006, currently teaches at Truman School.
“We have roof leaks at Truman,” she said. Over Memorial Day weekend, “it rained so much it leaked into our elevator, leaving our elevator nonfunctioning for the rest of the school year.”
Truman School has three floors. “I hope when I walk into my classroom this year it will be fixed,” she said. “As the master plan is being recalibrated or synthesized or whatever is happening now, these dayto-day things that occur … there has to be a plan for them.”
Alexander Oji has been teaching in NHPS for 21 years. First he was at Lincoln-Bassett, then at Wexler-Grant, and now he’s back at Lincoln-Bassett.
“It’s the same problems,” he said. “I remember having to have all the kids leave the classroom and go teach in the library because the room was too cold. Now I’m back, like 20 years later, and we still have hot spots and cold spots.”
The toilet in his classroom isn’t working, he said. It was replaced and then a month later, it began to leak again. “There’s real structural problems,” he said. “Something’s just got to be done. I just need some urgency.”
Teachers union President Leslie Blatteau and Vice President Jenny Graves —
“I’d like to offer, especially in the absence of Jenny being in that role, that we maintain a list with the supportive staff, and we meet with the district on behalf of those who are raising them to try to keep tabs on some of these issues,” Miller said. She listed some of the concerns raised in other teachers’ testimony that she had noticed.
“Let’s get parents involved, too,” Blatteau said. Parents have been hard to engage since Covid, when they weren’t allowed in schools. “Now we want them back.”
Many students testified as well on Wednesday, including former Wilbur Cross student Isaac Kleppner, who spoke of spending months in the wrong classroom because of a leak in his psychology classroom. Fellow Cross grad Manxi Han described seeing students become disillusioned with their education. New Haven Academy grad Grayce Howe said that the presence of mold at Cross has never been a secret among the student body. Brandon Daley, a student at Metro Business Academy and lead liaison for the Citywide Student Council, said that he speaks to students across the district. “School is one of the first places a student learns how much their community actually values them. Every hallway, every classroom, every ceiling, every broken fixture tells a story,” he said. “When we ask students to dream big, work hard, believe in themselves, our schools should actually reflect that.”
He called on the people in the room to consider if it was their child in those classrooms every day. “This is about confidence and about opportunity,” he said. “It’s about telling every student that walks through the halls every morning that you matter, your future matters, and your city actually believes in you, and it’s worth investing in.”
The New Haven independent
Chief of School Operations Paul Whyte, Supt. Madeline Negrón, and Transportation Director Sequella Coleman in the Wilbur Cross atrium for Wednesday's meeting.. Credit: Dereen
1 Injured, 7 Rescued After Condo Building Fire
by Thomas Breen
“It was pitch black,” Carlena Lee said as she recalled running down three flights of stairs Friday afternoon to escape the fire and smoke that had engulfed her Quinnipiac Meadows condo complex. “You can feel the smoke” in your nose and lungs, she said. “It was just so scary.” Lee and her children and grandchildren made it outside safely — while part of the building that her family has called home for the past five decades had been wrecked.
As she reunited with her cat, Baby, outside the condo complex roughly three hours after the fire, Lee said with gratitude, “I don’t know how the fire department got here so fast” and put out the fire before even more damage could be done. Lee, a 57-year-old former Yale dining hall supervisor, lives in a third-floor condo at 40 Donna Drive in the Quinnipiac Meadows neighborhood.
According to city Fire Chief Danny Coughlin and Battalion Chief Patrick Psarras, firefighters responded at around 1:57 p.m. to a call about a potential kitch-
en fire in a first-floor residential unit at 40 Donna Drive. Upon arrival, they found active fires in three units and people hanging out of windows in need of rescue.
Coughlin said the department put up multiple ladders and rescued seven people from windows. He and Psarras said that one resident was hospitalized with injuries from the fire, and one firefighter suffered minor injuries. They also said a total of 33 residential units were affected by the blaze and have been ordered vacated, with the Red Cross and the city helping find temporary shelter for the displaced. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
At around 6 p.m. Friday, Lee said she was planning on spending the night at the Econo Lodge in West Haven. She walked from Ross/Woodward School, where many of the displaced residents had gathered, back over to her condo to retrieve her pajamas, a cane, an inhaler, and a change of clothing for the night.
Fortunately, her unit appeared undamaged by the fire — though she paused in shock outside of a unit two doors down, where seemingly everything, including
the walls and roof, had been destroyed. Lee said she was at home and playing a game on her phone — “Bingo,” she said with a smile — at the time of the fire. She heard the alarm go off in the building, and then saw the flood lights turn on. By the time she and her family members were running down the stairs, the building had filled with smoke.
Raymond Davis, who lives in a second-floor condo at 40 Donna Drive, had just gotten home from work when he too heard the fire alarm and heard kids running in the hall.
“I was rolling my eyes,” he said, and was about to chastise the kids for pulling the alarm — and then he saw them sprint out of the building, and he knew he had to get out too.
He breathed a sigh of relief that he and his three cats — Beelzebub, Cleo, and Mathilda — all made it out OK, and that his condo too appeared to be undamaged by the fire.
Lee back in her condo, retrieving some belongings for a night at the hotel.
Lawsuit: Congressional Primary Candidate Alleges Fellow Republicans Defamed Him During Convention
by Donald Eng and Doug Hardy
A candidate for Congress who served 19 years in prison for killing a man is claiming supporters of a political rival defamed him and inflicted emotional distress by referring to him as a murderer.
According to court documents, Jonathan De Barros, a Republican running for Congress in the 5th District, which is currently represented by Democrat Jahana Hayes, is suing for defamation and is seeking compensatory and punitive damages against Steve Pedbereznak, Dawn Mariorano, Pam Salamone, and Jeffrey Weiss.
De Barros, according to his biography on his own campaign website, was convicted of murder in connection with a 1996 shooting death of a man and wounding of another in Waterbury. De Barros claimed that he acted in self defense and that he was afraid because he was planning to leave a city gang. News reports said he was sentenced to life in prison, but the conviction was later overturned when the Connecticut Appellate Court, in a July 2000 decision, held that the jury had been improperly instructed and that evidence had been withheld that could have strengthened his self-defense plea.
The details from that decision indicate that on Oct. 13, 1996, Jermaine Lewis, the victim of the shooting, was playing basketball with about 15-20 other teens outside a Waterbury recreation center. De Barros, a regular participant in the games there, arrived and Lewis approached him. The two began talking, but the conversation escalated into an argument and De Barros pulled a gun from his coat pocket and fired several shots at Lewis, who fell
to the ground. As Lewis was lying in the fetal position, De Barros stood over him and fired the gun until it was empty.
Sensing the gun was empty, Lewis’ friend, Scott Nash, ran toward De Barros, who drew another gun and fired three times at Nash, but missed. As Nash ran away, De Barros fired several more shots, hitting Nash three times. De Barros then left the scene on a bicycle, according to court documents. Lewis was later pronounced dead and Nash was treated for his wounds and a collapsed lung.
A second trial ended in a hung jury, according to news reports. He then agreed to plead guilty to a manslaughter charge under the Alford doctrine, where a defendant does not admit guilt but concedes the evidence makes a conviction likely. After serving that sentence, he was released in 2015 and granted a pardon in 2021.
De Barros’ lawsuit claims that his pardon means he is legally able to truthfully state he has never been arrested or convicted of the incident for which he was pardoned. His pardon also limits public access to court records relating to the case.
Therefore, according to the lawsuit, the four defendants’ claims that De Barros is a “murderer” are false and defamatory.
Reached by phone Tuesday afternoon, Attorney Craig Fishbein, representing Weiss, issued a statement asserting his client’s lack of liability based on his right to free speech. Fishbein also is a Republican legislator representing Wallingford in the state House of Representatives.
“It is unfortunate that Mr. De Barros, who claims to be a conservative Republican, seeks, through his lawsuit, to curtail my client’s Constitutional rights (under
both the Constitution of the United States of America, as well as that of Connecticut) to free speech,” he wrote. “We look forward to our day in court and seeing those Constitutions trump Mr. De Barros’ political grandstanding.”
According to the suit, Mariorano and Pedbereznak host a Facebook Live podcast called “The Brass City Beat With Dawn and Snarky Steve.” Salamone and
Weiss are members of the Cheshire Republican Town Committee and supporters of Christopher Shea, De Barros’ opponent in the August Republican primary.
On April 22 and May 27, Pedbereznak and Mariorano called De Barros a murderer on their podcast, according to the suit. This constituted a false statement made with malicious intent to damage De Barros’ campaign, according to the suit.
In addition, Pedbereznak referenced his former role as a Waterbury police officer, claiming to have knowledge of De Barros’ guilt despite not being part of the investigation and that the investigation would now be confidential and destroyed due to the pardon, the suit states. Salamone, at the Republican Party’s May 15 convention at Mohegan Sun, circulated around the convention hall between the first and second round of voting for a 5th District nominee asking delegates if they really wanted a murderer representing them, according to the lawsuit. This cost De Barros, who eventually lost the nomination to Shea, 8 votes, the lawsuit claims. He still received enough votes to qualify for a primary.
Weiss, on various social media platforms, also has falsely and maliciously referred to De Barros as a murderer, according to the lawsuit.
De Barros’ attorney, and the firms representing Pedbereznak, Mariorano, and Salamone, did not immediately return phone messages seeking comment Tuesday.
The current lawsuit is not the first time De Barros has clashed with other Republicans. Last year Capitol Police investigated De Barros for social media posts about Republican State Chair Ben Proto, Senate Minority Leader Stephen Harding, and Sen. Rob Sampson. In one video, De Barros alluded to the “stand your ground” laws that allow the use of deadly force when a person feels threatened.
De Barros later apologized for the tone of his comments, but stood by the content, according to news reports.
40 Donna Drive resident Carlena Lee, reunited with her cat Baby: "It was just so scary." Credit: Thomas Breen photos
Republican 5th Congressional District candidate Jonathan De Barros, left, and West Hartford resident Mark Walsh, right, listen during a news conference and rally on Monday, June 29, 2026, for West Hartford resident Seyo Cecunjanin. Credit: Ronni Newton / We-Ha.com
The New Haven independent
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Tenant Unions From Four CT Towns Ask Legislators For Help With Shelton-Based Landlord
by Donald Eng
HARTFORD, CT — Dozens tenants were joined by state legislators and Gov. Ned Lamont Wednesday to call on a Shelton-based property management firm to improve conditions at a half dozen complexes and buildings in Middletown, Meriden, New London, and East Lyme.
The tenants have formed a tenant union in an effort to combine voices, said Luke Melonakos, a union organizer.
Mark Ball, a Middletown resident living at 142 South Main Street, said basic dayto-day living had become a struggle.
“The building itself, you can’t buzz anybody in,” he said. “Who’s going to get me my medication?”
Ball, who uses a wheelchair, said he once was stuck in the elevator for over an hour, and the elevator has since been out of service.
“This is not how we’re supposed to live,” he said.
Other tenants complained of rainwater leaking into their units, excessive rent hikes and long-term neighbors being evicted without cause.
State Sen. Matt Lesser, D-Middletown, said he had emailed the building’s management company, Alpha Capital, about the situation, asking about people with physical disabilities and wheelchairs living on the second and third floor of an apartment building without a working elevator.
Lesser said he received an email response from Alpha’s CEO Tyler Smith.
“And he said, ‘Well actually, senator, I don’t have to provide a working elevator, and so I can just abandon the elevator. And that’s what I intend to do,’ Lesser said. “So it’s not that we’re waiting on a part and we’re going to fix it. It’s that we’re never going to fix this elevator. And if there are folks in wheelchairs on the second and
third floor, you can’t make me do anything.”
Reached via email, Alpha Capital responded to the press conference with an emailed statement from Smith saying the company would not comment on individual tenant matters.
The company said it was committed to providing safe, quality housing and said many properties it acquired had experienced years of deferred maintenance and significant underinvestment.
“Since acquiring these communities,
we have invested millions of dollars into renovating and improving these properties for the benefit of both current and future residents,” according to the statement.
“We understand that changes in ownership can be difficult, particularly for long-term residents, and we do not dismiss those concerns. We remain committed to communicating directly with our residents and working to address concerns responsibly.”
Lesser, in a letter to Smith co-signed by nine other legislators who represent communities with tenant unions, acknowl-
edged that some of the company’s actions were within the law, but they represented “cause for moral and social concern.”
He asked the company to engage the tenants in meaningful dialog, and requested Smith attend the Wednesday meeting with the tenant union.
In a response, Smith said he respectfully disagreed with Lesser’s characterization of conditions at the properties.
“Alpha Capital acquires and rehabilitates aging housing stock that has often
experienced years of deferred maintenance and significant underinvestment prior to our ownership,” he wrote. “Since acquiring these communities, we have invested substantially in renovating and improving these properties to preserve and enhance Connecticut’s housing stock.”
While he declined to attend the meeting, he added that he and the company “remain committed to operating responsibly, continuing to invest in the communities we own, and maintaining open communication with our residents.”
Lamont praised the tenants’ efforts, saying there was strength in numbers.
“If you want to have a seat at the table, you organize,” he said. “I think we found that out in labor over the years, we found that out in politics over the years and we’re finding that out in the tenants union.”
Lamont said the current tight housing market had led some landlords to believe they could take advantage of people.
“Well, not here in Connecticut,” he said.
“Not when tenants organize, stand up and make sure they get a place at the table.”
In addition to moral support, Lamont and the legislators at the event cited legislative action like the introduction of fair rent commissions, and just cause eviction legislation, which did not pass in the recent legislative session, but Lamont said would be back in 2027.
“We didn’t quite get that over the finish line, we’re going to get that done this next (legislative session),” he said.
The bill, Senate Bill 257, would have required landlords to show cause before evicting tenants. The bill, which was cosponsored by about 70 legislators, received a favorable report out of the Housing Committee, but was not taken up by the full Senate before the session ended.
Runway Runs Through Bike Shop
by Mona Mahadevan
The Devil’s Gear Bike Shop rolled out a catwalk for three local designers — for a fashion show that included streetwear pieces ranging from hand-painted purses and furry boots to distressed tank tops and screen-printed t-shirts.
More than 20 people sat in front of skateboards and bike parts on Friday evening to watch models strut down the shop floor at 845 Chapel St. in clothing designed by RNS, Threads by Tea, and Open Mnds.
The RNS Fashion Show opened with Nigel Lowndes, an RNS co-owner, pedaling down the runway on a vintage red bike. The co-owners of RNS — Lowndes, 20, and William Higgins, 22 — coordinated Friday’s show.
Their partnership began during a photography class at Gateway Community College, Lowndes told the Independent.
A few months after meeting, they decided to hold a tag sale of thrifted items. They invested the proceeds into another thrifting event. As their sales continued to
grow, “William said, ‘Let’s start making clothes,'” said Lowndes.
A year and a half since founding RNS, Lowndes and Higgins still make all of the pieces by hand. Their goal is to make clothing that looks “casually fly,” said Lowndes, like the brand Polo Ralph Lauren. “I want people to step outside in our pieces and be seen as professional.”
In early 2026, Lowndes and Higgins approached Greg Ledovsky and John Brehon, the owners of the Devil’s Gear, about hosting a fashion show. Ledovsky and Brehon readily agreed. “I love talking to young people who have energy and ideas that they’re trying to see through,” said Ledovsky.
The duo had to work around the constraints of the store. With a black curtain, they transformed the repair bay into a dressing room. They moved bikes to the basement and used the shop’s fixed desk to create two separate runways. They transported chairs in a U-Haul and set up an outdoor display where the models could strike a pose.
He started making his own clothing around eight years ago. As more strangers complimented his pieces, he began offering to make and sell similar items to them. Over the last few years, he said, “The fun part has been discovering what the brand is while I’m in it.” He added, “The journey is the destination.”
On Friday, Montgomery presented items that could be worn casually or formally. “You could wear it to the grocery store, switch the shoes, and wear it out,” he said. Montgomery likes to play with “patterns, colors, and shapes,” putting them together in his own unique way.
Okwuosa girlfriend, Krystal Christmas, described his designs as “really telling a story.” They “could be a little political,” which not everyone likes, she said. Each piece is “very expressive.”
Middletown resident Mark Ball speaks about conditions in the apartment building where he lives on July 22, 2026 at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, CT. Credit: Donald Eng / CTNewsJunkie
RNS bookended the show with thrifted items and handmade streetwear.
Threads by Tea, owned by Tea Montgomery, followed.
CTNewsJunkie
Blumenthal, Elicker Join Yalies In Rejecting Potential Trump Deal
by Adele Haeg
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Mayor Justin Elicker stood alongside a host of Yale students, alums, and professors on Friday and urged the university to avoid a settlement with the Trump administration that would compromise Yale’s “institutional independence.”
They issued that collective call during a press conference held outside the Yale Law School.
The presser, as well as a roundtable discussion that took place beforehand, were organized by Yale students — and represented the latest and most emphatic action that students, faculty and alumni have taken against a potential settlement over race-conscious admissions practices. The New York Times first reported on the potential TrumpYale settlement in late June.
Blumenthal, who is also a Yale Law School alum, told students at the roundtable that Yale had already made an offer to settle, and that the Trump administration had rejected the university’s initial proposal. Blumenthal said that he has spoken with Yale President Maurie McInnis twice on this matter; he said that a second offer between Yale and the Trump administration is now pending.
In a statement provided to the Independent Friday, a Yale spokesperson declined to comment on any “ongoing legal matter” and said that “we stand firm in the university’s commitment to students’ free expression, academic freedom, and Yale’s ability to determine who is admitted in accordance with the law.” Neither McInnis nor Yale Law School Dean Cristina M. Rodríguez were present at Friday’s press conference.
“There’s no excuse for a settlement right now,” Blumenthal said during Friday’s roundtable, which was attended by several students from Yale College and the law school, as well as by the co-general counsel of Yale’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors, Marisol Orihuela. Blumenthal said the university was “negotiating against itself,” as the Department of Justice (DOJ) has not completed its investigation into Yale’s admissions practices.
The Times reported in May that the DOJ accused Yale of racial discrimination in medical school admissions, but has not made any such assertion about the law school or Yale College. The DOJ did not respond to requests for comment.
“The university faces a choice: stand up for truth, academic freedom, and free expression, stand up for the tens of thousands of students, faculty and staff who are the heartbeat of this institution, or surrender our values and
give into political intimidation,” said Yale/Downtown Alder Elias Theodore during Friday’s press conference. Theodore was one of several Yale students from the Yale College Council (YCC) and Yale College Democrats to speak to a crowd of about 40 outside Yale Law School.
Alex Chen, Yale’s student body president, also spoke at the presser, along with an incoming Yale freshman, Andres Alvarez, who is from Mexico and had to travel hours every day to attend school in the United States, as well as representatives from Yale Dems including Rishi Gurudevan and Zach Pan. Chen said several students had contacted him this week, expressing concerns about the potential settlement. Students are anxious, he said, having seen universities like Columbia, Brown, the University of Virginia, and Northwestern restrict international students’ rights and free expression on campus and concede to other demands from the Trump administration. He noted that a friend of his who is an international student has not been able to return to his country for two years, for fear of not being allowed to return.
Alicia Schmidt Camacho, who is a professor of ethnicity, race, and migration at Yale, raised her hand at the end of the roundtable to bring up educators’ fears about the settlement. She said after the event that with the investigation, the DOJ was communicating to the university that “undeserving people are stealing from the student body,” logic she compared to what the Trump administration has used in argu-
ing against birthright citizenship. “It’s ethnic cleansing and social cleansing,” she said.
Many speakers and attendees at Friday’s event said they see the settlement as having implications beyond the university. Like Camacho, they said that
Yale maintaining its institutional independence is crucial for all of higher education, and more broadly, American democracy.
Representing the city, Elicker reminded roundtable attendees of legal action the City of New Haven has taken against
the Trump administration, emphasizing that the city would “defend and stand by Yale” rejecting the settlement. He also urged Yale to stand in support of the city’s values of diversity and freedom. Downtown/East Rock Alder Christine Kim said she wanted to see “solidarity” between the university and the city.
Eli Sabin, a former downtown alder and recent Yale Law School graduate who is now running for a west-side state rep seat, also spoke during Friday’s event. He said he was “proud to be a part of organizing to make this [event] happen. I think that Yale needs to hear from all sides that this is not acceptable.”
“I want to thank the Yale community for organizing so strongly around this issue and making your voices heard,” U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro said in a statement Friday. “This outcry demonstrates that you care deeply about Yale’s legacy and independence. I am proud to stand with you in calling for Yale to do what is right and in fighting back against President Trump’s continued assault on higher education and students.”
Pan said he felt hopeful after the event, which Gurudevan, who represented the Yale College Democrats with Pan, said took several “late nights” this week to plan. “We don’t want a surrender settlement,” he said. The group that gathered on Friday “shows the unity” against interference from the Trump administration.
U.S. Sen. Blumenthal at Friday's presser: Making a deal with the Trump administration over Yale admissions practices would be "academic malpractice." Credit: Adele Haeg photos
The New Haven independent
Race- and Gender-Based Scholarships Shrink After Supreme Court Ruling
By courtesy of HBCUNEWS.com
Jamaal Abdul-Alim
The proportion of scholarships meant to help students of a certain race, ethnicity or gender has shrunk significantly since the 2023 Supreme Court ruling that outlawed the use of race in college admissions, The Washington Post reports.
Citing data from the National Scholarship Providers Association, the newspaper found that the percentage of scholarships with racial, ethnic, gender, or other demographic requirements has decreased four percentage points – from 15 percent in 2023 to 11 percent in 2026. Factors contributing to the trend include the threat of “lawsuits, legal complaints and pressure from the Trump administration,” the article states.
The scholarships previously designated for students from certain groups are not being eliminated but rather are being opened up to all students or modified to benefit first-generation students or stu-
Ruka Hair
dents from low-income backgrounds, Jackie Bright, president of the National Scholarship Providers Association, told the newspaper.
The shrinkage in the number of scholarships created for students based on race or ethnicity is being celebrated as a victory for conservatives who have been pushing for an end to what they characterize as racial discrimination. But liberals lament that institutions are increasingly being hamstrung in their efforts to lend a helping hand to students from groups that have historically been shut out of higher education.
Simply modifying the eligibility requirements for scholarships has not always proven easy. Consider, for instance, a scholarship that the late Ezra Totton, a Black chemistry professor, bequeathed for Black students at the University of Iowa as a way to show gratitude to his alma mater for educating him in its graduate chemistry program during the Jim Crow era.
When the University of Iowa sought to modify the scholarship requirements out of concern that the scholarship could draw a legal challenge, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that the university cannot redirect privately donated funds that the donor intended to benefit Black students studying science. The case was sent back to a lower court in June to work out whether and how the scholarship can be modified, Higher Ed Dive reports. In a separate case, the Wisconsin Supreme Court unanimously struck down a taxpayer-funded, race-based scholarship program known as the Minority Undergraduate Retention Grant. Recipients of the scholarship used to get up to $2,500 per academic year. Wisconsin state Senator Dora Drake, a Democrat who benefited from the terminated minority scholarship program, told FOX6 News that she plans to introduce legislation to restore the scholarship but restructure it in a way to help students based on income or zip code as opposed to race.
inks major deal as the first-ever braiding hair brand to land in Sephora
by Dollita Okine, Face2faceAfrica.com
Ruka Hair, a biotech beauty brand behind lab-grown hair extensions, will be on the shelves of major beauty retailer Sephora.
Tendai Moyo and Ugo Agbai founded the company in 2020 after Moyo struggled to find high-quality hair extensions. As reported by AfroTech, she aimed to create a meaningful change that would make Black women feel valued and seen.
In an interview with Translate Culture, Moyo, the CEO and co-founder of Ruka Hair, described how, at the age of 17, she went to a corner store in Swindon, England, looking for hair extensions. She remembered seeing cheap hair extensions and then understood that not much had changed in the industry over time.
“I was a strategy consultant prior to this, and the industry hasn’t changed very much. It’s still really hard to find high-quality hair extensions that work for Black women. Success for us is about creating a brand that brings Black women
joy,” Moyo said She added, “For too long in this space, getting your hair done is painful. When you’re a kid, it comes with a lot of tears. It’s expensive, you’re spending money on products that don’t work, and oftentimes, you don’t really know what you’re doing because you haven’t had that expert access. So success is about bringing joy, it’s about bringing education and learning in a fun way, and it’s about treating Black women with the high value and respect that they deserve.”
Agbai was born in Nigeria, but Moyo was born in Zimbabwe, according to HelloBeautiful. They founded the business focused on women who have had to settle for whatever hair was available for far too long.
“We know what it feels like to have to make do because it doesn’t seem like what’s out there is created for you,” the founders noted on the company’s website. “And that’s exactly why we have decided to make the outsiders our insiders.”
Ruka Hair has a collagen-based, labgrown fiber called Synths 2 that’s patent-pending. It is said to perform like real hair and was created with curls, coils, and kinks in mind. Options include bonestraight, braided, and kinky Afro hair.
Its most recent achievement is the upcoming launch at Sephora North America in August.
“When we started Ruka, hair extensions weren’t part of the mainstream beauty conversation. But this was always about more. I wanted to build a fibre technology
company. When retailers told us we could only launch online, I said absolutely not. Our customers need to experience hair in person, with a premium experience. Many said no,” Moyo wrote on LinkedIn. “For the first time in 20 years, we’re relaunching a whole new category in Sephora. We’ll be the ONLY hair extensions brand in Sephora, bringing bio-engineered fibres everywhere from Harlem to Times Square. The first-ever braiding hair in Sephora. This is the biggest moment in our history because accessibility has always been fundamental to the store. We invested in the R&D to reach millions, and now we can. But as we know, the hard work begins here. Retail isn’t a saving grace. It’s an opportunity to keep building bigger,” she continued in the post.
Co-led by Freedom Trail Capital and Henkel Ventures, Ruka Hair has $4.5 million in funding. According to data provided to AfroTech, it is also on track to achieve 101% year-over-year revenue growth by April 2027.
Husband and wife team keep ’em laughing at Comedy in Harlem
by JASON PONTEROTTO
When stand-up comedians Jamie Roberts and Nicky Sunshine began dating more than a decade ago, they probably never envisioned they would create a comedy club and cultural space that continues to make history in Harlem. However, their Sugar Hill venue, Comedy in Harlem, one of only five Blackowned comedy venues in the country, has become the premier destination to feature Black comedy in New York. In September, they will be celebrating the club’s fifth anniversary.
“We didn’t have a true outlet for ourselves on any given night,” said Roberts, 49. Now, the club gives the duo “the ability to showcase our talents to our people in our neighborhood … With Harlem being so rich in culture, the destination is the best place to be right now.”
They say there’s also a cathartic impact in having a Black-owned comedy club in Harlem.
“When Jamie and I started Comedy in Harlem, we were very conscious that this is for Black and Brown and marginalized people and women. It’s a place where community lives, where people can feel connected,” said Sunshine, 48. “There’s nothing else like the shared experience of stand-up comedy — an audience coming together to laugh and to alleviate stress and feel like they’re in a safe space.” Running the venue is a full-time job, between restocking supplies, staffing shows, cleaning, taking and making phone calls, sending emails, and posting on social media. The couple rents out the space for comedy shows and more, and one of the things they are most proud of is how much more accessible their club is compared to venues downtown.
“There is a low barrier to entry if people want to produce a show,” Sunshine said.
Notable guests at the club have included Tracy Morgan, Sherri Shepherd, Tiffany Haddish, Cedric the Entertainer, and Lil Rel Howery. Getting to funny Roberts, raised in Amityville on Long Island, said comedy was always present in his family household, similarly to the Wayans family.
“You basically had to be your own entertainment, because we didn’t have much money, so you had to do what you had to do,” Roberts said. As he got older, being funny was essential for defending himself in school.
“I was a skinny kid with big glasses, so I had to figure out how to not get picked on, and if they picked on me, I had to be funny.” He said he was also
fortunate to grow up surrounded by the golden era of comedy and classic TV.
“Comedy was always around, and it just became part of my everyday life once I figured out this is what I want to do,” Roberts said.
Sunshine said comedic storytelling was always part of her upbringing. She recalled being very expressive and acting out stories of things at home to her grandmother and friends at school.
Both Roberts’s and Sunshine’s trajectories in stand-up were similar, beginning in 2001 and 2002 in New York. Roberts was able to supplement his
comedy career with his day job as an accountant, which he would do for 17 years. Sunshine knew she wanted to be in New York because she was passionate about the arts. After college, she moved to the city and began in comedy, as well as being a working actor through mediums off-Broadway and being an extra on shows like “Saturday Night Live.”
Both found themselves interested in the business and promotion side of comedy, and began hosting their own shows.
“I learned very early in the game that
producing.
“They’re not gonna let you in per se, so in a way, you’ve got to create a lane for you and your peers. That was kind of what I did,” Sunshine said. “There was a sentiment that they don’t want you, they don’t need you.” With Julio Rodriguez, Sunshine helped produce shows like Broads of Broadway and worked at the Producer’s Club.
Roberts transitioned to radio and began working with station 103.9 as an account executive and later a sales manager. Today, he is a senior account executive with WQHT-FM (Hot 97) and WBLS-FM. He was initially hesitant but said the interviewer, a fellow HBCU alum, encouraged him, helping him realize that he regularly does sales as a comedy promoter.
Both Roberts and Sunshine had crossed paths at various comedy venues and had known one another through the years. The couple remembered one instance where Roberts asked Sunshine to host the show for him because he would be at a friend’s wedding. Sunshine later joked to him, “I’ll have you host my wedding when I trap a sucker.”
“I never knew I would be the sucker,” Roberts said jokingly. The two began dating in 2014. In 2019, they got married and now have a son.
While initially wanting to keep their privacy, the two said they stayed open-minded about opportunities and leveraged themselves as a couple professionally. They took part in a tour titled “Love is a Joke” with other married comic couples and were featured on a reality series, “A Question of Love,” on FYI Network.
Around 2018, Roberts had begun promoting his Harlem-specific shows through his then-website, Comedy in Harlem. At the time, he and a partner hosted popular shows at the National Black Theatre. When the space closed for renovations, they began hosting Comedy in Harlem as an event above Lightshouse on East 117th Street, through a partnership with the owner, Michael Clopton.
I couldn’t just tell jokes and that be it. I had to learn how to figure out how to make some real money,” Roberts said. He soon began promoting his own show, “Sunday Night Live,” for 10 years at the New York Comedy Club, where he made connections, worked with notable celebrities, and got firsthand experience in promoting and booking shows.
For Sunshine, as a Black woman comic, the sentiment was clear that she and others like her would not be prioritized by the notable clubs, and that was what encouraged her to start
In early 2024, they were shut down by the Department of Buildings for having the wrong license. After creating a GoFundMe, they had the funds to move to their current location on St. Nicholas between West 147th and 148th Streets in May.
The two said being business partners as a couple works because they share a special bond and have been through the fire together.
“I respect the unique nature of our connection a lot more because we’ve grown together,” Sunshine said. “A diamond has really emerged from the hardship. It’s a very special story that we have.”Sunshine said.
Jamie Roberts and Nicky Sunshine, cofounders of Comedy in Harlem, have built premier destination for comedy and a cultural space.
(Credit: Courtesy of Jamie Roberts)
COMMENTARY: Always On the Cover
By Christopher Young, Contributing Writer | The Mississippi Link | Mississippi Link
Seeing America’s real racial truth – laid bare under the current president – is both jarring and informative. America has never truly or fully stopped viewing and treating some Americans differently than others based on the color of their skin. Today we watch a large segment of America’s white majority, estimated by The Census Bureau at 56.3%, cling to the Red, White, and Blue like it’s theirs alone. They use words like heritage, patriot, post-racial, and merit to support their beliefs and behaviors - always endeavoring throughout our history to elevate themselves while diminishing the relevance, voice, and culture of those who truly built America, but do not look like them.
Enter The Black Press - Soldiers without Swords. A collective of media professionals dedicated to the voices of those often diminished in mainstream media. They provide an independent voice to lift Black perspectives, issues, and people. They are platforms where Black culture, in all its dimensions, are always heard loud and clear – always on the Cover Page.
Most all African American publishers are organized under the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), which currently has over 200 members. Daily readership is estimated to be over twenty-two million. These community newspapers deliver critical news, information, and commentary relevant to the readers, whether in print or online.
Nationwide, over 40% of all newspapers have closed since 2005, predominantly due to ever-increasing costs of production and printing, per the Associated Press. The Black Press, in particular, has been harmed substantially by the Anti-Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies of the Trump administration. In fear of backlash, major corporations have scaled back or eliminated their diversity marketing. Amazon, Meta, Google, Disney, Paramount, Pepsi, Warner Bros., Target, and
Discovery are just a few of those corporations, per Forbes.
Yet the persistence of The Black Press remains despite the print newspaper industry decline. Online readership has consistently grown, and many platforms have been successful in transitioning their products to newsletters, Podcasts, and digital versions.
As we look forward to The Black Press celebrating its 200th anniversary next year, it’s important to look back on where and what The Black Press has come from.
In 2009, when The Black Press had been in existence for 182 years, Howard University Journalism Professor Dr. Clint C. Wilson, II, shared its history like this. “In 1827, a group of prominent free African American citizens from states along the Eastern seaboard met in the New York City home of Bostin Crummell to discuss means to communicate their views on the various social, political, and economic issues that commonly confronted them and their respective communities. Although Black citizens utilized the church and social and fraternal organizations as a means of collective expression and dialogue, the usual channels of public media — particularly newspapers — were denied to them. Exacerbating the problem was the fact that elements of the established press routinely denigrated African Americans in print, even to the extent of questioning both the integrity and morality of the entire race.”
Dr. Wilson continued, “Over the years the list of contributors to the Black Press who have lent their talents as publishers, editors, journalists, columnists, and cartoonists has included the greatest names in American history. Among them are Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. DuBois, Ida B. Wells Barnett, Langston Hughes, Romare Bearden, James Weldon Johnson, Mary McLeod Bethune, and Daisy Bates… In 1941, under the urging of John Sengstacke of the Chicago Defender, a meeting of leading Black publishers from across the nation was held in Chicago. Sengstacke said the meeting was de-
signed for ‘harmonizing our energies in a common purpose for the benefit of Negro journalism.’ At least one representative from 22 publications attended the meeting and the group decided to form the National Negro Publishers Association. In 1956, the trade association of the nation’s Black Press was renamed the National Newspaper Publishers Association.”
To the extent that African Americans have increasingly participated in democracy, the Black Press has lit the path. Recall for a moment – its origins came 34 years prior to The Civil War, so beginning during chattel slavery, The Black Press has been there telling the story, showcasing Black truths, achievements, successes, heroism – ensuring African Americans are all prominently displayed – always on the Cover Page. Yes, there are the arts, literature, music, medicine, athletics, and humanitarianism of African Americans depicted in America’s mainstream media – but nothing that compares to the depth of coverage of Black America contained in the pages of publications of The Black Press. To this day, grandparents and parents, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, reach for the scissors – that photo, article about the class reunion, story of local girl or boy making good, and on and on- is preserved in the family scrapbook or displayed in a frame on the living room wall.
An altar of freedom and justice for those oppressed in ‘the land of the free and the home of the brave,’ surely has The Black Press at its foundation. As we draw closer to this phenomenal achievement –the 200th anniversary of The Black Press of America - consider how you can support your local community newspapers. Subscribe, advertise, donate, tell a friend, train the next generation through a gift subscription. And don’t forget to reach out to share your own story and the issues that have impacted your community. The Black Press is, and always has been, about you.
Twitter Tags/Handles: @NNPA_BlackPress
Edith Lee Payne, of Detroit, was a young marcher participating in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. The march coincided with her 12th birthday. — Rowland Scherman, Getty Images, Aug. 28, 1963.
Nolan Wells’ Family Releases Their Own Autopsy Findings, Possible Injury to the Back of His Head Discovered
By BlackNews.com
The family of 18-year-old college football player Nolan Wells has shared the preliminary findings from an independent autopsy as they continue seeking answers about his death after a Fourth of July outing on Horn Island, Mississippi. During a July 22 news conference, civil rights attorney Ben Crump presented the report prepared by forensic pathologist Dr. Roger J. Mitchell.
Dr. Mitchell said he could not determine either the cause or manner of Wells’ death based on the available evidence and stressed that additional investigation is still needed. While he could not rule out the possibility of foul play, he also found no fractures or major internal injuries that would clearly point to a violent assault.
According to People, Dr. Mitchell explained that several factors limited his examination. He did not have access to Wells’ body immediately after his death; some portions of the body remained in law enforcement custody, and decomposition had progressed significantly before the second autopsy was performed. As a result, he acknowledged that bruises or other soft-tissue injuries could have disappeared before his examination. He did, however, identify a large area of unexplained red discoloration behind Wells’ ears and at the back of his head. Although no cuts or skull fractures were found in that area, Mitchell said the cause of the discoloration remains unknown.
The independent autopsy was also unable to answer several important medical
questions because Wells’ organs had already been examined during the official autopsy. Mitchell could not inspect the lungs, stomach, or throat structures for evidence that might indicate drowning or other contributing factors. His report concluded with seven unanswered questions, including how Wells entered the water, whether he was conscious before-
hand, the position of his body when discovered, whether water was present in his airway, whether there were injuries to his neck or signs of internal bleeding, what was found in his stomach, and what the pending toxicology results will reveal. Mitchell did not conduct an independent toxicology analysis.
Crump said the family intentionally
chose a forensic expert with no connections to Mississippi law enforcement to ensure an independent review. He also revealed that former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick helped fund the examination and said his legal team will continue conducting its own investigation. “We will persist, persist, persist,” Crump told reporters, emphasizing the family’s de-
termination to uncover exactly what happened. Meanwhile, the official autopsy and toxicology reports have not yet been released by authorities.
According to investigators, Wells disappeared on July 4 after attending a gathering on Horn Island, a barrier island off the Mississippi Gulf Coast. His body was found in the water two days later. Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter has said investigators believe Wells chose to remain on the island after his friends left, expecting to return to the mainland with someone else. However, Wells’ family has questioned that account, pointing to statements from a young woman who reportedly said Wells had planned to return to the boat instead. They have also raised concerns about why his cellphone remained with his friends rather than with him. One of those friends later told ABC News that Wells intentionally left his phone on the boat because he expected to spend time swimming.
Local authorities have stated that Wells’ friends have cooperated with the investigation and that they have not found evidence of foul play so far, although they continue to emphasize that no official cause of death has been determined. The Jackson County coroner has said the final autopsy results could take several weeks. Wells, who was set to turn 19 in August, played wide receiver at Southwest Mississippi Community College. His family remembers him as a kind, compassionate young man who brought people together and was committed to creating a better future for those he loved.
Couple goals! Rihanna recruits A$AP Rocky to show how men need Fenty Skin too in hilarious new ad spot
through with a much-needed reminder that men need good
Key Takeaways
• The campaign promotes Hydra Vizor Face Moisturizer with SPF 30 and a coconut-scented Lux Balm.
• Limited-edition packaging references Rocky’s Don’t Be Dumb album era.
• The drop also features refillable designs and a hair roller keychain accessory.
A$AP Rocky is the ultimate beauty salesman in Fenty Skin’s latest ad spot. On Monday (July 20), the father of three joined Rihanna to promote the brand’s SPF-infused moisturizer and newly reformulated lip balm.
“Ladies, ladies, can I have your attention please?” Rocky said as he walked into a beauty salon and opened his oversized trench coat, revealing rows upon rows of skincare products inside. “I ain’t sellin’ no gel, I ain’t sellin’ no grease. There’s a new sheriff in town, and I’m showing myself around,” he continued before making his way over to Rihanna at the counter.
“I was wondering if I could borrow two minutes of your time?” the Harlem rapper asked, to which RiRi replied, “You got two seconds.” Spoiler: Rocky went well past his time limit, though he still made a pretty convincing case for buying the Hydra Vizor Face Moisturizer with SPF 30. “Don’t be dumb. You gotta use SPF,” he said, cleverly nodding to the title of his
fourth studio album. “It has hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, and it’s invisible on all skin tones.” The “Diamonds” singer responded, “I kind of like that.”
Not wasting any time, Rocky went on to tell her about the “new coconut-flavored Lux Balm,” which comes with a hair roller keychain if you get the limited-edition
version designed by himself. “It provides up to eight hours of a stronger lip barrier. It has shea butter and vitamin E to soften up lips, you know?” he concluded his
gotta use SPF.”
spiel. Evidently, that was enough to win Rihanna over because she reacted, “I’ll take all of it.”
What to know about A$AP Rocky’s ‘Don’t Be Dumb’-inspired Fenty Skin collaboration
Rihanna and Rocky bringing their worlds together is always a good time, whether the Don’t Be Dumb rapper is posing for Savage X Fenty or helping put more men onto skincare through Fenty Skin. Fans can shop his collaboration with the skincare brand on its website, with prices starting at $32.
Speaking specifically about the moisturizer, Rocky said, “Hydra Vizor's been in rotation for us for years, so getting the chance to put my stamp on it was special. We dressed it up with my signature and album branding, made it collectible, made it refillable, and of course it’s still SPF focused. Then we took it a step further with the hair roller case cover.”
As for the Lux Balm, he added, “We ran it back with the Lux Balm. It's summertime — so we have a new coconut scent. Easy to carry so you can always have it with you.”
The Harlem rapper came
skincare, too: “Don’t be dumb. You
Listing: HVAC Apprentice Level 1
Opening for a full time HVAC Apprentice Level 1. Candidate must possess a technical school certificate in heating, ventilation, air conditioning, oil, propane and natural gas. Must be detail oriented and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment. Send resume to: HR Manager, P. O. Box 388, Guilford, CT 06437 or emailHRDept@eastriverenergy.com
**An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer including Disabled and Veterans**
Listing: Part-Time Class A Driver
Opening for a Class A Part-Time driver for petroleum/asphalt/like products deliveries for nights and weekends. Previous experience required. Send resume to: HR Manager, P. O. Box 388, Guilford, CT 06437 or email: hrdept@eastriverenergy.com
***An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, Including Disabled & Veterans***
LaRosa Earth Group LLC, a Site/Excavation Company, is currently looking to add the following full-time positions to our Team:
Heavy Equipment Operators Skilled Laborers
Please submit resumes to HR@LAROSABG.COM or stop by our main office to fill out an application: 163 Research Parkway Meriden, CT. Salary will be commensurate with experience and best fit for the positions. Health plan; 401K; company-paid holidays in addition to paid time off.
LaRosa Groups is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer who values diversity and encourages all qualified applicants to apply.
Request for Qualifications
UNION CONTRACTOR SEEKS
:
Construction Equipment Mechanic
(preferably experienced in Reclaiming and Road Milling Equipment) We offer factory training on equipment we operate. Job is in Bloomfield, CT.
Contact: Tom Dunay Phone: 860-243-2300 Ext. 122 Email: tom.dunay@garrityasphalt.com
Reclaimer Operators and Milling Operators
(must have current licensing and a clean driving record; be willing to travel throughout the Northeast & NY)
Contact: Rick Tousignant Phone: 860-243-2300 Ext. 133 Email: rick.tousignant@garrityasphalt.com
Tractor Trailer Driver for Heavy & Highway Construction Equipment
(must have a class A CDL license with Tank Endorsement and a clean driving record; be capable of operating heavy equipment and willing to travel throughout the Northeast and NY)
Contact: Brian McKee Phone: 860-558-6189 Email: bmckee@garrityasphalt.com
• We offer Excellent hourly rates and benefits.
• Women and Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply.
• Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity Employer
The South Central Regional Council of Governments (SCRCOG) seeks the services of one or more consultants for the following transportation planning studies during the 2026 and 2027 Fiscal Years (July 1, 2025- June 30, 2027): Metropolitan Transportation Plan Update and Local Bridge Inspection Study. Responses are due by June 2, 2026 (12 noon local time). Selected firms will be interviewed on June 9, 2026. The full RFQ document can be viewed at the Council’s website: www.scrcog.org or can be made available upon request. Contact James Rode at (203) 466-8623 with any questions.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Structural Engineering Peer Review Services
Leroy Downs Apartments 8 Chestnut Street, Norwalk, Connecticut
Sound Communities Inc. invites proposals from independent, licensed structural engineering firms to perform a code-mandated structural peer review of Leroy Downs Apartments, a new seven-story, 68-unit affordable housing development at 8 Chestnut Street in Norwalk, Connecticut.
The structural design is a hybrid system consisting of a Type IA cast-in-place concrete podium at Level 1 and Type IVC Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) framing for Levels 2–7. Construction documents are at 90% completion. The independent peer review is required under Connecticut General Statutes § 29-276b and Building Code Section 107.7.1. Responding firms must hold an active Connecticut PE license and have demonstrated experience reviewing hybrid concrete/CLT structural systems of comparable height and complexity.
Proposals are due no later than 7/31/2026 at 5:00 PM EST and must be submitted via email to sstewart@soundcommunitiesct.org. No hard copies.
The complete RFP may be obtained by contacting Sophie Stewart, Project Coordinator, at sstewart@soundcommunitiesct.org, or by visiting the NHA website under “Doing Business”. Firms with CLT/mass timber peer review experience are strongly encouraged to respond. Small, minority-, and women-owned businesses are encouraged to respond.
Sound Communities and Norwalk Housing Authority are Equal Opportunity Employees
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Structural Engineering Peer Review Services
Leroy Downs Apartments — 8 Chestnut Street, Norwalk, Connecticut
Sound Communities Inc. invites proposals from independent, licensed structural engineering firms to perform a code-mandated structural peer review of Leroy Downs Apartments, a new seven-story, 68-unit affordable housing development at 8 Chestnut Street in Norwalk, Connecticut.
The structural design is a hybrid system consisting of a Type IA cast-in-place concrete podium at Level 1 and Type IVC Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) framing for Levels 2–7. Construction documents are at 90% completion. The independent peer review is required under Connecticut General Statutes § 29-276b and Building Code Section 107.7.1. Responding firms must hold an active Connecticut PE license and have demonstrated experience reviewing hybrid concrete/CLT structural systems of comparable height and complexity.
Proposals are due no later than 7/31/2026 at 5:00 PM EST and must be submitted via email to sstewart@soundcommunitiesct.org. No hard copies.
The complete RFP may be obtained by contacting Sophie Stewart, Project Coordinator, at sstewart@soundcommunitiesct.org, or by visiting the NHA website under “Doing Business”. Firms with CLT/mass timber peer review experience are strongly encouraged to respond. Small, minority-, and women-owned businesses are encouraged to respond.
Sound Communities and Norwalk Housing Authority are Equal Opportunity Employees
Sound Communities Inc., an affiliate of the Norwalk Housing Authority, and its development partner National Housing Trust are seeking proposals from qualified site-civil engineering firms for a multi-phase, transit-oriented, mixed-use affordable housing development at 26 Monroe Street, adjacent to the South Norwalk Metro-North Station. The project is anticipated to yield approximately 200 units across two phases, with ground-floor office space, community amenities, and a public plaza component. Firms must have demonstrated experience in site planning, urban infrastructure, zoning, and multifamily or mixed-use development in Norwalk or Fairfield County. Full RFP is advertised on Norwalk Housing Authority website. NHA and Sound Communities are Equal Opportunity Employers.
Submission Deadline: July 24, 2026, at 5:00 PM EST
Email only. No hard copies. Questions accepted through July 17, 2026
Contact: Leala Marlin, Development Project Manager lmarlin@soundcommunitiesct.org
360 Management Group Invitation for
Bids
Security Camera Maintenance/Installation/Upgrades
360 Management Group is currently seeking bids from qualified contractors to perform Security Camera Maintenance/Installation/upgrades . A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems. com/gateway beginning on
July 27, 2026, at 3:00PM.
The Town of East Haven
is currently accepting applications to participate in the examination for the position of Secretary II, Grade Level 10-$25.40/hour, 37.5 hours per week, 12-month position. Qualified candidates must possess a High School Diploma or equivalent with a business course background and a minimum of 3 years secretarial experience. Prior experience in a school system or related work with children preferred. The application is available online at https://www.easthaven-ct.gov/jobs.aspx or from the Civil Service Office, 250 Main Street, East Haven and must be returned by August 17, 2026. The Town of East Haven is committed to building a workforce of diverse individuals. Minorities, Females, Handicapped and Veterans are encouraged to apply.
For Immediate Hiring: Operations Specialist
This is a full-time position in a fast-paced environment. The candidate must be highly organized, analytical and detail-oriented. This opportunity offers exposure to all areas of the business and plays a critical role in driving operational excellence and supporting company growth. A college degree is required.
Benefits include: Competitive Hourly Wage, Medical, Dental, and Vision Plans, Vacation & Sick Time, Paid Holidays, Retirement Plan 401(k), Wellness Program, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance Options.
Send resume to: HR Manager, P.O. Box 388, Guilford, CT. 06437. Email: HRDEPT@eastriverenergy.com *An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, including Disabled and Veterans*
Galasso Materials LLC,
a quarry and paving contractor, has positions open for the upcoming construction season. We are seeking candidates for a variety of positions, including: Scalehouse Dispatcher/ Equipment Operators and Laborers. NO PHONE CALLS. Please mail resume and cover letter to “Hiring Manager”, Galasso Materials LLC, PO Box 1776, East Granby CT 06026. Galasso Materials is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.
RFP Site-Civil Engineering Services 26 Monroe Street, Norwalk, CT
The Housing Authority City of New Haven d/b/a Elm City Communities
Request for Qualifications
Architectural Engineering Services for Westville Manor Development
The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven d/b/a Elm City Communities acting through its instrumentality, The Glendower Group, Inc. Is soliciting request for qualifications (“RFQ”) for selection of a qualified and experienced A & E Firm to serve as the Project Architect for the Westville Manor Development. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from New Haven Housing Authority Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on
Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 3:00PM.
HVAC Tradesman
The Town of Wallingford is accepting applications for an HVAC Tradesman. Wages: $31.22 to $40.23 hourly. For additional information and to apply online by the closing date June 8, 2026, please visit: www.wallingfordct.gov/government/departments/human-resources/. Applications are also available at the Department of Human Resources located in Room #301 of the Town Hall, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Phone: (203) 294-2080; Fax: (203) 294-2084. EOE
Members of the public are invited to
CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
VIRTUAL PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING
State Project No. 0173-0549
Accessible Pedestrian Signal Upgrades in Southern Connecticut (Branford, Bridgeport, Darien, Guilford, Milford, New Haven, North Haven, Norwalk, Orange, Trumbull, Wallingford, West Haven, and Woodbridge)
Thursday, July 30, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.
Attend & Learn More: portal.ct.gov/DOTSouthernCT0173-0549
The purpose of this meeting is to provide the community with an opportunity to learn about the proposed project and allow an open discussion of any views and comments concerning the proposed improvements. A Q&A session will immediately follow the presentation.
These upgrades will enhance safety at several traffic signals for both pedestrians and vehicles.
Right-of-way impacts are expected to be minimal at some project intersections.
Construction is expected to start in 2028, depending on funding, right-of-way acquisition, and permits. The estimated cost is approximately $6 million, with 90% federal funds and 10% state funds.
The public can submit comments and questions during the two-week public comment period following the meeting. Direct comments and questions by Thursday, August 13, 2026, to Balazs Szoke at DOTProject0173-0549@ct.gov or 860-594-2020. Please reference Project No. 01730549 in the email or voicemail.
ACCESSIBILITY
Non-English language closed captioning will be available on Zoom. The recording will also be posted following the meeting in CTDOT’s public meeting playlist at portal.ct.gov/ctdotVPIMarchive
For audio only, call 877-853-5257 with Meeting ID 898 8238 8755. Project information can be mailed within one week by contacting Balazs Szoke at DOTProject0173-0549@ct.gov or 860-594-2745.
Individuals with hearing/speech disabilities can dial 711 for Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS). Request language assistance from CTDOT’s Language Assistance at 860-594-2109 at least five business days before meeting.
The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management is recruiting for a Connecticut Careers Trainee, target class Planning Analyst in the Intergovernmental Policy and Planning Division. Further information regarding the duties, eligibility requirements and application instructions are available at: https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/ sup/bulpreview.asp?b=&R1= 260427&R2=2292AR&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.
POLICE OFFICER ENTRY LEVEL
City of Bristol
$78,813/yr. Required testing, general info, and apply online: www.bristolct.gov
DEADLINE: 12-07-25 EOE
VIDEO TECHNICIAN I (PART-TIME)
The Town of Wallingford is accepting applications for Video Technician I (Part-Time). Wages: $20.00 to $22.00 hourly. For additional information and to apply online by the July 6th, 2026 closing date please visit: www.wallingfordct.gov/government/departments/human-resources/. Applications are also available at the Department of Human Resources located in Room #301 of the Town Hall, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Phone: (203) 294-2080; Fax: (203) 294-2084. EOE
The Town of East Haven is currently accepting applications to participate in the examination for the position of Secretary II, Grade Level 10$25.40/hour, 37.5 hours per week, 12-month position. Qualified candidates must possess a High School Diploma or equivalent with a business course background and a minimum of 3 years secretarial experience. Prior experience in a school system or related work with children preferred. The application is available online at https://www.easthaven-ct. gov/jobs.aspx or from the Civil Service Office, 250 Main Street, East Haven and must be returned by August 17, 2026. The Town of East Haven is committed to building a workforce of diverse individuals. Minorities, Females, Handicapped and Veterans are encouraged to apply.
Water Treatment Pumping Operator I
The Town of Wallingford is accepting applications for Water Treatment Pumping Operator I. Wages: $30.35 to $36.64 hourly. For additional information and to apply online by the April 20, 2026 closing date please visit: www.wallingfordct.gov/government/departments/human-resources/. Applications are also available at the Department of Human Resources located in Room #301 of the Town Hall, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Phone: (203) 294-2080; Fax: (203) 294-2084. EOE
Meet the 12-year-old twin entrepreneurs turning plastic into profit with their 3D toy company
by Mildred Taylor Europa, Face2FaceAfrica.com
Aaron Osirus was inspired to start his 3D-printed toy business after realizing that many of his classmates carried fidget toys at school.
“One day at school I was just looking around, and then I saw that a lot of people had fidgets or toys,” Aaron said to CBS News Atlanta. “I was like, if all these fidgets are plastic, why can’t I make them?”
To bring his idea to fruition, Aaron borrowed $600 from his parents to buy a high-tech 3D printer that features an automatic material system capable of switching colors during printing.
Aaron started his 3D-printing business, A3D, by selling toys to classmates and neighborhood kids, with each order customized to reflect the buyer’s preferred design, size, and color, and a price and delivery timeline set.
Aaron has since been turning plastic into profit with his custom 3D-printing business, A3D, all from his playroom.
Overwhelmed by the increasing demand for his products, Aaron asked his twin brother, Alain Osirus, to help operate the business.
“I’m a designer for A3D. Sometimes I make the toys, and I also help with marketing,” Alain said to CBS News Atlanta. “I check the time, how long it takes, the cost, fulfillment and everything.”
Soon, the brothers began producing popular items such as pass-through fidgets and articulated toys. Repeat customers even get a 50% discount. After they have paid for supplies and labor, the twins end up making $200 in profit each month.
3D-printing industry frontrunners PrintPal and SelfCAD note that the cheap cost of raw materials allows profit margins for 3D-printed items to reach between 70% and 90%, according to CBS News Atlanta. This shows how the twins’ achievements mirror larger developments across the 3D-printing sector. Aaron and Alain also keep costs down by asking friends if they would like to
volunteer before bringing in more help. Aaron currently enjoys seeing customers play with his products. “When I see them play with my prints, I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s really cool because I made it,'” he said.
According to the twins, running the business has deepened their connection while offering valuable experience in customer service, investing, and entrepreneurship.
“My brother Aaron is actually very cool because we’re able to spend time together,” Alain said. “It’s really special to own a business with your brother.”
The twins hope their story inspires other young entrepreneurs.
“Follow your dreams. Just try your hardest,” Aaron said. “You’ve got to save up the money. You’ve got to plan for everything.”
Alain added: “Chase your dreams. Outcompete everyone else in your business. Show them what you’re made of.”
North Carolina A&T projects 200,000 attendees for historic HBCU homecoming
Courtesy of HBCUNEWS.com
North Carolina A&T expects more than 200,000 people to attend its historic HBCU homecoming celebration this fall, potentially delivering a major economic boost to Greensboro and the surrounding Piedmont Triad.
University officials announced the projection Friday during a virtual presentation marking 100 days until the centennial edition of the Greatest Homecoming on Earth.
The weeklong celebration will run from Oct. 25 through Nov. 1. However, North Carolina A&T plans additional centennial events through the end of the calendar year.
“In 2024, homecoming week drew a documented 132,000 attendees,” Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Tamara Michel Josserand said. “Last fall, it was the catalyst for nearly 175,000 homecoming weekend visits to downtown Greensboro restaurants, bars and businesses.”
A&T expects those numbers to grow substantially during its 100th homecoming.
“We expect attendance to surpass 200,000 this fall, making North Carolina A&T homecoming a major economic shot in the arm for the Piedmont Triad just as we approach the winter holidays,” Josserand said.
North Carolina A&T homecoming reaches beyond campus
The university has previously estimated that its HBCU homecoming generates more than $50 million in annual economic impact. That money flows through hotels, restaurants, retail stores, bars and other businesses across the region.
North Carolina A&T reported more than 132,000 attendees in 2024. Downtown Greensboro Inc. then tracked more than 173,000 downtown visits
during the 2025 homecoming celebration. Those figures measure different aspects of homecoming traffic, but both demonstrate the event’s reach beyond campus.
This year’s celebration could produce even greater demand.
A&T’s official hotel reservation portal will open July 27 at 9 a.m. ET. University officials warned that partner prop-
erties typically sell out quickly. The host hotel, the Sheraton Greensboro at Four Seasons, sometimes reaches capacity within minutes.
Aggie Fan Fest represents another important piece of the homecoming economy. More than 50,000 people attended the three-day festival in 2025, according to university officials. The event gives food and merchandise vendors an opportunity to reach thousands of Ag-
gies and visitors.
The university also created an official centennial emblem that licensed vendors can use on approved apparel and merchandise. A&T expects hundreds of regional retailers to sell commemorative items online and in stores.
Halloween adds another layer to historic celebration
The largest events will take place Saturday, Oct. 31. Halloween will feature the homecoming parade, concert and football game against nearby Coastal Athletic Association opponent Elon University.
Individual football tickets, including seats for the homecoming game, will go on sale Aug. 3. North Carolina A&T has already reported record season-ticket sales ahead of the 2026 season.
The game also arrives during another milestone year. The university will celebrate the 125th season of North Carolina A&T football while commemorating a century of HBCU homecoming tradition.
“Homecoming is special at every college and university, but A&T homecoming is in a league of its own,” Chancellor James R. Martin II said. “This year’s homecoming parade, football game and the homecoming hip-hop concert will all take place on Saturday, Oct. 31— Halloween—taking the excitement to a whole new level.”
For Greensboro, that excitement could mean its largest North Carolina A&T homecoming crowd—and one of its biggest economic weekends—ever.
Aaron and Alain Osirus (Photo: CBS News)
