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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 14, 2025 - January 20, 2025 PENFIELD COMMUNITIONS INC Volume 32. No. 1608

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 15, 2025 - January 21, 2025

Advocates Celebrate Avelo’s Departure From Deportation Biz

by Mona Mahadevan

The New Haven independent

Whoops and whistles rang across the Green Thursday as more than 100 immigrant rights advocates took a victory lap after Avelo Airlines announced an end to its deportation flights.

Amid the celebration, activists mourned the death of Renee Nicole Good — a 37-year-old U.S. citizen who was killed

by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minnesota the day before the rally — and urged continued resistance to the Trump administration’s deportation policies.

“We organized, we protested, we boycotted, and we said we would not stop until Avelo stopped being complicit in human suffering,” declared Kica Matos, president of the National Immigration Law Center and the Immigrant Justice Fund. “Today, we celebrate. Let this be a reminder that when we fight, we win.”

The crowd cheered and chanted.

The rally, which took place in front of the state courthouse on Elm Street, was held one day after Avelo confirmed that it will stop running deportation flights later this month because its participation in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) program is too complex and costly to continue. The budget airline has also decided to double down on its commercial airfare

organized,” said Tabitha Sookdeo, executive director of Connecticut Students for a Dream and the Independent’s 2025 New Havener of the Year. “There is power in our dollar. […] People said that we will not accept seeing human beings flown out of our communities in chains.”

business at Tweed New Haven Airport, even as it closes other bases across the country.

Thursday’s rally was organized in part by groups that led the local protest movement against Avelo’s deportation flights, including the New Haven Immigrants Coalition, Connecticut Students for a Dream, the National Immigration Law Center, and Unidad Latina en Acción.

Mayor Justin Elicker, who has strongly criticized Avelo’s deportation flights, also attended the event.

When asked about Avelo’s announcement, an ICE spokesperson told the Independent, “ICE never contracted directly with Avelo Airlines. ICE will continue to utilize its contracted service provider, which works with multiple airlines to support the American people’s mandate for mass deportations of criminal illegal aliens.” (The airline publicly stated in April that it signed a contract with ICE and said on Wednesday that it had ended its charter with the DHS.) During Thursday’s rally, speakers credited boycotts and frequent protests for Avelo’s move to stop running deportation flights.

“Avelo Airlines made the decision to end its contract with the Department of Homeland Security because people

Kica Matos: “We organized, we protested, we boycotted, and we said we would not stop until Avelo stopped being complicit in human suffering.”

Speakers also mourned deeply for Renee Good, describing her death in Minneapolis as an injustice that portends further violence by the Trump administration against citizens and noncitizens alike.

Good “was shot and killed by ICE agents while trying to protect her neighbors,” said Sookdeo. “She stepped in out of love and courage for her fellow person.”

Abdul Osmanu, an elected member of Hamden’s town council, said, “Justice for Renee Nicole Good, and the many others that have been slaughtered and executed by the state, just like her.” To those now afraid of protesting the administration, Osmanu said, “That makes sense. It really does. But we need to be able to understand that complacency doesn’t protect us.”

At the end of the rally, together, attendees blew loudly on their anti-ICE whistles and dispersed.

City Welcomes $6.75M State Boost For Armory Repairs

by Mona Mahadevan

The New Haven independent

More than a dozen city and state officials gathered outside the Goffe Street Armory on Friday and announced plans to spend a $6.75 million state grant on repairing the huge, derelict building and repurposing the structure into affordable housing units, community spaces, and a vocational training school.

Officials also said they do not yet have an estimated total cost for the project, or a sense of when it would be completed.

“The Armory is part of New Haven’s history, and we are committed to ensuring that it continues to be a part of our history moving forward,” Mayor Justin Elicker said during Friday’s press conference. He stood beside Gov. Ned Lamont, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, Beaver Hills Alder Gary Hogan, State Sen. and President Pro Tem Martin Looney, and State Reps. Steven Winter, Al Paolillo, and Toni Walker.

The flock of elected officials was joined by city staffers and members of the Armory Community Advisory Committee (ACAC), which has worked to revive the historic building since 2018.

City Economic Development Administrator Mike Piscitelli said his best estimate for the price of the overall project is “a lot.” In 10 weeks, after the city completes a $250,000 planning study funded by another state grant, Piscitelli expects to have a better sense of how much each of the three planned uses will cost.

During Friday’s press conference, Piscitelli confirmed that the city plans to

Elicker said that most of the building isn’t safe to walk through.

repurpose the building into affordable housing and simulated learning spaces for Career-Connected Pathways, a vocational program run by the New Haven Public Schools.

In a simulated learning environment, kids practice on “state-of-the-art equipment,” which is what “we’re hoping” that “kids are going to be able to do right here inside of these walls,” said Supt. Madeline Negrón.

“With this project, we are directly investing in our students’ futures and in the longterm economic health of New Haven.” As it stands, the spaces will simulate professional settings in the healthcare, hospitality, tourism, transportation, distribution, logistics, architecture, and construction fields.

Piscitelli said the remainder of the building would be dedicated to community events and programming. While there’s

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still a lot of uncertainty in what those spaces will look like, ACAC member Elihu Rubin said the drill hall would “continue to serve as a great, big room for the city.”

Built in 1930, the New Haven Armory has served as the venue for Governor Wilbur Cross’s inauguration, the state’s Tercentenary Ball, the state’s Black Expo, and performances from Frank Sinatra and Stevie Wonder. It also housed the National

Guard during the Black Panther trials and provided temporary shelter to people without stable housing.

New Haven assumed ownership of the building in 2010. It now stands vacant, severely dilapidated, and surprisingly chilly inside.

To achieve a state of good repair, $6.75 million “doesn’t do the entire work, but it allows us to get started,” said Piscitelli. The money will be used primarily on fixing the building’s mechanics and roof.

Looney — a co-chair of the Community Investment Fund committee, which, alongside the state Department of Economic Community Development, decided to award the city with a $6.75 million grant for the armory — described the restoration as “a consensus project that had a lot of support.” When asked whether a private partnership might be needed to complete the rehabilitation, he said that he first needs to see the city’s plans. “There’s such potential here, just because it is such a large space” and “it’s been unused for so long,” said Looney.

Walker, who grew up nearby on Carmel Street, remembered the building as a onestop shop for people in need. One of her fondest memories was from a charity toy drive during Christmas.

“I had never seen that many kids at one place,” exclaimed Walker. “And the donations that we got! I mean, the firefighters, and there were a couple of biker gangs that brought trucks and toys and bicycles,” simply because “they wanted kids to have a Christmas.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 14, 2025 - January 20, 2025

Fair Haven Grapples With Police Chief Scandal

by Allan Appel

Fair Haven District Manager Sgt. Chris Alvarado touched his finger lightly to the badge on his chest and said, “When something like this happens” — referring to the bombshell resignation of Police Chief Karl Jacobson when confronted with his alleged theft from a criminal informants’ fund — “it happens to all of us.”

And not only to the whole of the New Haven Police Department, Alvarado added, but to police officers all across the country.

He expressed full confidence in David Zannelli, who has stepped in as acting chief and who, like Alvarado, was a highly regarded Fair Haven district manager in 2017 and 2018. In the NHPD, Alvarado said, “those who mess up are held accountable,” and that includes Karl Jacobson.

Not everyone entirely agreed.

That was the varied emotional atmosphere Thursday night, with the Jacobson scandal very much the elephant in the room, at the regular and first meeting of 2026 of the Fair Haven Community Management Team (FHCMT).

The gathering drew about two dozen people in person and another two dozen online to the community room at the Fair Haven Branch Library on Grand Avenue.

Just before the formal meeting and presentations got under way, Darlene Casella — a retired clinical social worker, longtime Fair Havener, and, for many years, the treasurer of the FHCMT — said she felt both sadness and shock.

“I feel terrible about it because I met him when he first became chief and to me he has been good for New Haven and to Fair Haven,” Casella said about Jacobson, who was sworn in as the city’s police chief in July 2022. “Solid, decent, fair, approachable, yet a no-nonsense chief, and that’s why this is so upsetting.”

Casella remembered with great fondness the schmoozy reception the FHCMT put on, with pastries from Rocco’s, the local Italian bakery, when Jacobson dropped by to introduce himself to Fair Haveners in his new top role 2022.

“I made a small sign, on bright red paper,” she remembered. “It read Welcome to Fair Haven, Chief Jacobson.”

Before he left that gathering four years ago, Casella recalled that Jacobson asked if he might take the sign with him. “Of course,” she said, “it’s your sign. What are you going to do with it?”

“I’m going to put it in my office,” she remembered him replying.

Some months later Casella heard from someone who had been in the office, and there indeed the sign was on the wall, just as he said.

Alvarado’s presentation of the cumulative police stats for Fair Haven in 2025 – “a really good year” with incidents down in violent and major crime categories — wasn’t intended to be a nod of praise or defense for Jacobson, but you couldn’t fault someone for interpreting it that way.

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from February 2 - March 6 Sgt. Alvarado, with new CMT Treasurer Jamiel Bowen: "When something like this happens, it happens to all of us." Credit: Allan Appel photos

When an audience member asked how did Alvarado explain or account for the marked decline in crime, he cited, “the community’s playing a bigger part, people are calling the police and we also have some more officers; it’s having more people out there.”

Ward 14 Alder Sarah Miller offered her praise of the police work this way, referring to more vigorous enforcement that is reflected in a generally better quality-of-life feeling for the area: “They’re really on it, the stores that are open after 11 [when they should be closed], and now they are closed]; lingering issues that they finally are dealing with; stuff that has been ignored is now being systematically looked at. Kudos!”

As to how the news of Jacobson’s theft was received in the department, Alvarado said, “We were as shocked, if not more so, than you are.” He said the investigation — to be led by the New Britain state’s attorney’s office — is going to take time as it is many layered.

Alvarado also underlined a point that he said may not be fully appreciated: Namely, that the way the assistant chiefs — Zannelli, Bertram Ettienne, and Manmeet Bhagtana — confronted Jacobson as soon as they had gathered the reports may seem like a simple, straightforward thing to do. However, “it was extremely difficult,” and a measure or indicator of the confidence he has in the department.

His conclusion: “Zannelli is a strong leader. And [although] we got off to a rough start, we’re looking forward to a good year.”

Most of the Fair Haveners present at Thursday’s meeting were, at least by this reporter’s read of the room’s mood meter, in a subdued state of low-keyed sadness and perhaps shock, and simply remained silent when asked if they had questions about Alvarado’s presentation.

But not everyone in the FHCMT audience was without question or skepticism

about the general atmosphere of trust in the police department and city as a whole.

Citing not only the Jacobson affair, but the cases in 2025 of Sgt. Shayna Kendall and Officer Nicholas Gogliettino — two NHPD officers who recently retired under a legal cloud of having allegedly misrepresented, respectively, a traffic stop incident and having submitting phony shift reports — Christina Griffin, the FHCMT’s recording secretary, asked Alvarado if there isn’t “a general climate of mistrust when scandals happen with city employees?”

Don’t there need to be more checks and balances, she pressed, or some step to fill in gaps? Or perhaps too low pay is a factor “because mistakes keep happening.”

Restricting himself to the police department, Alvarado answered, “Kendall messed up, and she’s [been held] accountable. Jacobson messed up and he’s being held accountable. Some were complacent but they’ve been held accountable. I don’t believe there’s a bad culture” in the police department.

Ward 9 Alder Caroline Tanbee Smith, who was also in attendance at the meeting, said she appreciated Alvarado’s presentation. She termed the chief’s reported self-confessed theft and his pre-emptive resignation “deeply upsetting” and she endorsed the steps being taken “to understand what’s going on so that trust in the officers and the process is maintained and not eroded.”

Casella isn’t done with touching base, on the human level, with the police department. She said she had recently sent a note of support to Zannelli as he helms the department through the investigation and she reported he got back to her immediately with a thanks.

She isn’t through yet. “I’m going to send a note to Jacobson, too. I’m going to tell him we all have flaws, we all have demons, and I’m going to wish him the best.”

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 15, 2025 - January 21, 2025

LCI Quasi-Court Defended In Real Court

by Mona Mahadevan

Penfield Communications Inc

The New Haven independent

One of the city’s largest landlords took the Livable City Initiative (LCI) to court this week to contest the agency’s decision to assess $413,000 in anti-blight fines on seven decrepit houses on Fitch Street.

The properties in question — located at 166, 168, 170, 174, 176, 202, and 220 Fitch St. — are owned by affiliates of Ocean Management, a real estate company controlled by Shmuel Aizenberg.

The case reflects LCI’s increased enforcement of the city’s anti-blight, housing code, and residential rental licensing programs. It also raises broader questions about whether one of the agency’s key enforcement mechanisms — fines assessed by volunteer hearing officers — will stand up in court.

State Superior Court Judge Matthew Frechette presided over the case at 235 Church St. on Tuesday.

In the decision he ultimately releases, Frechette will evaluate the fines assessed by an LCI hearing officer on Oct. 14, 2025, de novo, meaning without any deference to the original decision.

The Fitch Street properties have suffered from collapsed porches, peeling paint, overgrown lawns, and decayed roofs for more than a year. The backyard of 220 Fitch St. has served as a collection spot for trash from Ocean Management’s other properties, according to testimony during Tuesday’s hearing from Sayda Nemorin, one of the company’s property managers.

About a month after the Board of Alders passed an ordinance in August 2025 raising the maximum amount allowed in anti-blight fines, LCI delivered citations on seven Fitch Street properties. According to a memorandum filed on Jan. 6 of this year by LCI attorney Sinclair Williams, who represented the city at Tuesday’s hearing, LCI sent seven hearing notices about the citations on Oct. 3.

Ocean Management’s attorney requested a continuance due to a religious holiday, which the hearing officer denied. Nemorin said she attended the hearing.

On Oct. 14, the LCI hearing officer approves fines for each house at $1,000 per day, as all of them were subject to at least three blight-related violations related to overgrown yards, chipped paint, accumulated debris, and general lack of upkeep.

Williams’s Jan. 6 memorandum states that fines stopped accruing when Ocean Management’s subsidiaries filed for demolition permits on Dec. 12, 2025.

As a result, the total fine resulting from October’s decision stands at $59,000 per property, or $413,000 in total.

Before the October 2025 hearing, on Dec. 10, 2024, another LCI hearing officer had approved more than $130,000 in anti-blight fines on six of Ocean Management’s Fitch Street houses, five of which were under discussion during Tuesday’s hearing. That amount reflects a sum of $100 per day, accumulating on each property from approximately May 7, 2024 to Dec. 10, 2024.

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LCI's Jonathan Bedosky, Sinclair Williams, Ray Jackson, and Liam Brennan, in court to defend Ocean fines. Credit: Mona Mahadevan photos

The properties at 202 Fitch St. and 220 Fitch St., which were not reviewed during the Dec. 10 hearing, were also cited by the city in 2024. LCI sent a civil citation for 220 Fitch St. on Feb. 29., and fines began accumulating on 202 Fitch St. on Dec. 4.

When asked about the Fitch Street properties, Ocean’s Aizenberg told the Independent that he disagrees with the city’s fine assessment, explaining that regulatory approvals, not neglect, were responsible for slowing demolition.

“The fines imposed by the city do not reflect the full reality on the ground, and we do not believe imposing fines is the appropriate course of action in this situation,” wrote Aizenberg. The properties required mandatory environmental remediation, which was “necessary, time-consuming, and not optional.”

“Demolition has not been delayed due to neglect or inaction, but rather because we have been following the property regulatory process to ensure the work is done safely and in compliance with city and environmental standards,” he continued. He said Ocean is in “the final stages of completing all required approvals” for demolition.

According to the city’s online permit database, the company filed for demolition permits on Dec. 12, 2025.

During Tuesday’s hearing, attorney Kenneth Rozich, representing the Ocean subsidiaries, pushed LCI to defend its decision to issue new anti-blight violations on the Fitch Street properties.

Between the first and second notices of violation, asked Rozich, “the only change

is that you wanted $1,000 per day, not $100 per day, isn’t that the truth?”

“The only thing I want is for [Ocean Management] to clean up their properties, to tell you the truth,” responded Raymond Jackson, an LCI Neighborhood Specialist who testified on Tuesday.

Jackson said he has been checking on the properties regularly for multiple years. During his inspections, he noticed that the houses were “in a very dilapidated state” and open to potential squatters.

Before the first notices of violation were sent in 2024, Jones said LCI had called the owners about the issues, who told the agency that the properties would be demolished.

It “looked like they were making an effort” to clean up the houses by mowing the lawn and clearing trash, said Jackson.

But, he pointed out, nothing was done to the buildings themselves.

Around May 2025, the company put up blue-tarp fencing around the blighted properties. Given that the company had taken steps to hide overgrown grass, weeds, and bushes from public view, Rozich asked why the anti-blight violations about vegetation were still imposed.

While they “took steps,” acknowledged Jones, the fencing “didn’t hide anything.”

He said it was still possible to see the overgrown lawns and accumulated detritus from a nearby Dunkin’ Donuts, multifamily development, and the Barack H. Obama Magnet University School.

During her testimony, Nemorin said Ocean Management had long planned to demolish the properties, but there have been “hurdles” related to environmental concerns, financing, and historical preservation. She said the company regularly

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sends someone to the properties to clean up trash and check for squatters.

City demolition officer Jose Romero, who also testified at Tuesday’s hearing, said that in the absence of preservation concerns, it is rare for a property to take more than 30 days to demolish.

Potentially related to the delay are claims from multiple construction companies alleging to have not been compensated for services rendered.

In February 2025, GZA GeoEnvironmental sued a subsidiary of Ocean Management for failing to pay for construction-related services performed at several Fitch Street properties. A judge decided in favor of GZA in September 2025, ordering the Ocean subsidiary to pay $65,058.24.

On Oct. 10, another construction company, the Alloy Group, claimed mechanic’s liens of $9,571.50 against 202 and 220 Fitch St. for services allegedly performed but not compensated.

According to an order from Judge Frechette, both sides — LCI and the Ocean affiliate — are required to file briefs of no more than 10 pages by Jan. 30 in the case heard on Tuesday. Rebuttals to the briefs are due on Feb. 6.

Not including the Fitch Street properties, LCI Executive Director Liam Brennan said the agency assessed $3.17 million in fines on non-compliant landlords in 2025. Many of those penalties came out of 6,451 inspections performed over the year.

Brennan said LCI currently has 430 open housing code complaints and 581 ongoing blight complaints.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 14, 2025 - January 20, 2025

Protest Call: “ICE Out For Good”

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by Chris Randall

HONOR

Hundreds gathered on the New Haven Green Sunday afternoon for an “ICE Out For Good” rally, organized by 50501, as part of a weekend of more than 1,000 peaceful demonstrations nationwide.

The protests followed the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis, prompting calls for accountability and an end to ICE operations in local communities.

HIS

LIFE

See below for photos from Sunday’s rally on the Green.

Martin Luther King Jr. fought for the rights and dignity of all people.

Andrew Rice, serving as MC, led the crowd in reading aloud the names of all known victims of ICE. As each name was spoken, candles were lit in their memory.

CELEBRATING

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

Russ O’Shea, a rank-and-file Teamsters member active in his union’s Pride Caucus and a proud trans man, addresses the crowd.

He is also a member of the Connecticut Civil Liberties Defense Committee. He warned against repressive programs aimed at suppressing grassroots movements and emphasized the power of collective action to bring people into the streets and resist injustice.

DR.

Handmade signs rise above the crowd on Sunday. Credit: Chris Randall photos Posted inDowntown

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 15, 2025 - January 21, 2025

En Route To Bethlehem, Three Kings Find Themselves On Atwater Street Lucy Gellman

Vega with the gravitas of a life-altering business deal. By the time he had made it around the room, stationed beside a table stacked with wrapped gifts, whispers of excitement rose and fell through the room.

Students didn’t have long to wait. As the Three Kings called students up one by one, several pairs of little hands got busy, tearing through wrapping paper decorated with green and red plaids, glossy trios of holly leaves and matching red berries. Back at her table, Camila ripped into the paper skilfully, scraps falling away as she spotted the dolls, and squealed with delight.

She stood to face the Kings, her mouth frozen for a moment in a surprised O before a smile took over. Then she turned her attention to the unwrapped box still in her hands.

“They’re always fun,” she said of the Three Kings. A first grader at John S. Martinez Sea & Sky STEM Magnet School, she explained that she’d wished for a doll for Christmas, and had been crestfallen when one didn’t arrive. Now, she plans to bring the toys with her everywhere she goes, so they never leave her sight. “Now, I need another,” she said with a sly smile.

A few tables away, 10-year-old Saul Conce made a beeline for 9-year-old Noah Corniel, a fourth grader at the nearby Family Academy of Multilingual Exploration (FAME). Almost wordlessly, the two held out the gifts that they had just received—a basketball in Noah’s outstretched palms, and a soccer ball from Saul—and switched with a quiet nod of agreement. Only after the soccer ball was in his hands did Noah begin to glow with delight.

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Six-year-old Camila Torres stared, eyes wide and glittering, at a trio of small dolls, each of them smiling daintily and sprouting a pair of diaphanous wings. Around her, Christmas decorations still adorned a small stage and set of display cases, making everything feel merry and bright. Nearby, three satin-robed kings adjusted their crowns, voices raised as they announced the names of their lucky recipients one by one.

Melchior, Gaspar, and and Balthazar made a visit to the Atwater Senior Center Monday afternoon, as ARTE, Inc. and Junta for Progressive Action hosted their now-annual observance of Three Kings Day (Día de los Reyes) for four dozen students in their Big Turtle Village after-school program. The sugar-kissed, laughter-woven brainchild of ARTE co-founder David Greco and Junta Director of Programs Cheila Serrano, the celebration included both a visit from the Three Kings and a gift, lovingly wrapped and labelled, for each student.

ARTE and Junta ensured that there were enough extra gifts for students to also bring something home for their siblings, Greco said. In the weeks before the event, students also learned about the holiday, which commemorates the visit of three Wise Men to the baby Jesus after his miraculous birth in Bethlehem. It has a particular cultural significance in New Haven, where it is popular among families across the Latin American and Afro-Caribbean diaspora.

“I see the kids smiling, they’re happy, it adds a little happiness to their day,” said program assistant Lileschka Martinez, who has worked with Junta for four years, as she loaded a tray with slices of cake. With a cursory glance, she made sure each had a neat ribbon of white frosting. Growing up in Guayama, Puerto Rico, Martinez didn’t do much to celebrate the day herself, she said— but she loves seeing how it comes alive for kids in the program.

In the airy, wide room off a slush- and snow-covered Atwater Street, those words sprang to life several times over.

As the Magi (here played by Bregamos Community Theater Founder Rafael Ramos, Junta Director of Development & Operation Frederic Depourcq, and artist Christian Perez) entered the room, students gasped and giggled, delighted by the sight. Many stood up to get a closer look, craning their necks and leaning in on elbows across the round tables at which they were seated.

At one table, Ramos stopped to greet Camila, her face bright as she leaned in, and told she had wished for a doll for Christmas, and was still holding out hope. At another, he extended his hand, offering a handshake to student Ryan

The Three Kings with Ryan Vega.

Saul, new basketball in hand.

“I got what I needed!” he said matter-of-factly, already looking for empty space where he could try out some new fancy footwork.

Parent Santa Vasquez, who originally hails from the Dominican Republic, said she was thrilled to see her 7-year-old daughter, Luz Miranda, participate in the tradition.

“I love playing soccer,” he added. At home, playing the sport—even if it’s just him in the backyard—helps him keep his emotions in check, especially with a little brother who is always meddling in something. With a new ball, he can pretend he’s a member of his favorite team, Real Madrid.

Back at his table, Saul was equally excited for his first basketball. While he is Dominican, and grew up hearing about the Three Kings, he said that this year marked his first time really celebrating the holiday in New Haven—and he was loving it.

“In my house, there’s little to no space, even on the first floor,” Saul explained when asked about the trade. And then there is the family’s driveway, which is at an incline. “If I kick the ball, the ball would go down. I’d have to risk my life for it. I’m not doing that.” A basketball, which he can bounce instead of kick, made perfect sense.

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On the side of the room with her daughter, Kiana Cintron, Serrano remembered the Three Kings’ festivities of her own youth, which were always more focused on food than they were on gifts. As the second eldest of 10 kids growing up in Fair Haven and the Hill, Serrano often saw her mom make sure there were toys for Christmas Day, and a proper feast 12 days later, for the arrival of the Three Kings.

While cooking up arroz con grandules and lechon or pernil, dishes that reminded her of home in Naranjito, Puerto Rico, her mom would remember the celebrations of her own youth, which included a shoebox filled with grass or hay beneath the bed to sate the Magi’s camels. Serrano later realized that those stories, in part, were meant for her to learn, and pass on to her own children.

Years later, she has. “We always knew it was a celebration,” she said.

Even as students began to pack up, flying into their parents’ open arms at pickup, the room buzzed with energy. A new football made its way through the air, narrowly missing a miniature jenga set still in its neat plastic casing. A few pint-sized students stood by a table of extra gifts, analyzing what to bring home to siblings who still believed in the wonder of los Reyes.

Greco, who has never been one to stay still for very long, helped a student assemble his new action figure. ARTE co-founder Daniel Diaz, coordinator of parent engagement for the New Haven Public Schools, floated around listening to a Board of Education finance meeting, looking up periodically to see if students needed help.

“It was my Christmas!” he said of Three Kings Day, which he first celebrated as a kid growing up in Cayey, Puerto Rico. While his family was poor, he always watched his dad make sure there were toys for not just the family, but kids in the neighborhood. That generosity has stayed with him for decades, as he figures out how to give back to the community he and Greco call home.

“It means a lot,” chimed in student helper Chloe Rivera as she soaked in the pleasure of her new gift, a paint set that she was excited to sit down and use as a way to clear her mind.

A seventh grader at John C. Daniels School of International Communication, Rivera grew up learning about Día de los Reyes from her family, one side of which hails from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. As both a Christian and a Puerto Rican, she sees it as part of a cultural and religious tradition that is important to keep alive, wherever one is in the diaspora.

“It means faith—beleiving in something you don’t know is entirely real,” she said. “I’m happy too. It brings me a lot of joy to see them [the students], like, the innocence that they have.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 14, 2025 - January 20, 2025

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 15, 2025 - January 21, 2025

Teachers, City, NHPS Celebrate Ratified Union Contract

by Mona Mahadevan

The New Haven independent

Following months of tense negotiations, the city’s teachers union gathered with local officials on Monday to celebrate a union-ratified new contract that — if approved — will stabilize monthly premiums, expand preventive care coverage, and minimize post-deductible costs on a health plan chosen by 60 percent of teachers.

The presser, which took place at King Robinson Interdistrict Magnet School, highlighted the three-year contract’s healthcare benefits while acknowledging that it won’t move educators to a state health insurance plan, which had been one of the top demands from the New Haven Federation of Teachers during negotiations.

The contract was ratified by 92 percent of union members who voted on Friday.

If the Board of Education approves the deal Monday night, it will go to the alders for a final review.

The contract would run from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2029, and would succeed the current agreement, which expires on June 30, 2026. In addition to healthcare benefits, the deal includes an average salary increase of 13 percent over three years, a requirement that the school district publishes a line-item budget, and protected preparation days at the beginning of each school year. New Haven Federation of Teachers (NHFT) Vice President Jenny Graves noted on Monday that, as part of the deal, the district agreed to review student enrollment and class sizes in 2028.

When asked about the cost of the new contract, Supt. Negrón said that the salary increases would cost the city $20.17

Leslie Blatteau, President of the New Haven Federation of Teachers: "We know this work is a local fight, a state fight, and a national fight." Credit: MONA MAHADEVAN PHOTO

million. City spokesperson Lenny Speiller said the city would pay an additional $1.72 million per year on healthcare benefits under the new contract.

To learn more about what’s included in the contract, click here.

During Monday’s press conference, Mayor Justin Elicker, Supt. Madeline Negrón, and other city and union leaders celebrated the contract as a first step

towards giving teachers the support they need.

“After many months and many long sessions, the city and the Board of Education have made some significant steps to address teacher retention,” said NHFT President Leslie Blatteau. “And we know we have more work to do. At a time when students need more, not less, we are committed to the work outside of

negotiations, to lower class sizes, to improve our facilities, to achieve manageable caseloads for our special education teachers and related service provides, and to finally fully fund and fully staff our schools.”

In December, dozens of teachers said they couldn’t afford their health insurance premiums and urged the city to move educators onto a state insurance

plan. Elicker said the switch would cost $10 million — a figure that Blatteau contests — and create an imbalance between teachers and other city employees, who are not on the state plan.

On Monday, Blatteau told the Independent that she’s “committed to” finding “the path forward” for all city employees “to eventually get to the state partnership plan.”

State health plan notwithstanding, Graves emphasized that the new contract will still stabilize healthcare costs and expand coverage benefits for educators.

The contract switches all four health plans from being fully-insured equivalents to allocation-based, which Graves said would reduce overall healthcare costs by 13 percent. While Anthem won’t publish premium rates until May, Blatteau and Graves expect the provision to minimize potential increases to monthly costs.

For the 887 teachers union members subscribed to the high-deductible health plan, if the new contract is implemented, health costs will be fully covered after the deductible is met rather than the previous 90 percent/10 percent agreement.

According to Blatteau, deductibles stand at $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for families, while post-deductible prescription drug co-pays will be $1,000 and $2,000 respectively.

The new contract increases preventive care coverage, including for mammograms and ultrasounds. It also freezes cost-sharing percentages, which means that while a teacher’s health cost may rise, the proportion paid will remain the same.

With Deadline Extended, Access Health CT Adds More Enrollment Fairs In 3 Towns

by Donald Eng and Staff Report

HARTFORD, CT — Access Health CT will hold in-person enrollment fairs this week in Fairfield, Bridgeport and Milford to help Connecticut residents shop, compare and enroll in health or dental coverage. Customers can also renew their coverage.

Enrollment fairs are one-day events for customers to get in-person help. All help is free.

The final deadline to enroll in a plan for 2026 has been extended to Jan. 31, 2026.

Customers who enroll between now and the deadline will have coverage beginning Feb. 1, 2026.

Connecticut residents who want to attend a fair can book an appointment online on the Enrollment Events webpage on AccessHealthCT.com.

The enrollment fairs will take place at the following dates and times.

• Fairfield: Tuesday, Jan. 13 at Fairfield Public Library, 1080 Old Post Road, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Register here.

Access Health CT CEO James Michel speaks about heath care coverage in CT while Gov. Ned Lamont looks on at the State Capitol in Hartford on Jan. 7, 2026. Credit: Karla Ciaglo / CTNewsJunkie

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• Bridgeport: Wednesday, Jan. 14 at Latinos for Educational Advocacy and Diversity (LEAD), 1021 Main Street, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Register here.

• Milford: Thursday, Jan. 15 at Milford City Hall, 110 River Street, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Register here.

“With the enrollment deadline extended to January 31, Connecticut residents have even more time to get the coverage they need and we want to be sure everyone in the state can get help no matter where they live,” said Access Health CT Chief Executive Officer James Michel. “We’ve expanded our outreach efforts, added more mobile enrollment specialists and navigator locations, and have evening and weekend enrollment events so people can get help when it works for them.”

Customers can visit AccessHealthCT. com and click the “Get Help” button on the homepage to find the option that works best for them — including scheduling an appointment, finding a nearby navigator site or attending an enrollment fair.

AHCT has expanded its navigator program to include six locations around the state and introduced a new mobile enrollment team that supports community events and assists with in-person enrollment available in English and Spanish.

To get help over the phone, customers can call 1-855-805-4325.

The call center will be open through Jan. 15 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Starting Jan. 16 through Jan. 30, the call center will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Help is available in over 100 languages.

The call center will be open from 8 a.m. to midnight Jan. 31.

For free help online, customers can visit AccessHealthCT.com. They can also chat live with a customer service representative by clicking the “Live Chat” icon on the website. Live chat is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 14, 2025 - January 20, 2025

Statewide Initiative Aims To Strengthen Opportunities For CT Students

by Donald Eng

West Hartford, CT — A new statewide initiative has a goal of advancing upward economic mobility for Connecticut youth and aligning the state’s education system with the evolving needs of the workforce.

Education, workforce and business leaders on Monday gathered at the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents office in West Hartford to unveil the College and Career Pathways Initiative.

The initiative represents “a critical step toward ensuring Connecticut’s education systems are fully aligned with the realities of today’s economy and the opportunities of tomorrow,” said Fran Rabinowitz, the association’s executive director. “By bringing education, industry, and government together, we can better serve students and employers alike.”

Bethel Superintendent Christine Carver said she had seen firsthand how powerful it was when students saw the connection between the classroom and future opportunities.

“This initiative helps close that gap, giving educators the tools to prepare students for real careers, while ensuring our education systems remain responsive, equitable, and aligned with the future of work in Connecticut,” she said.

sectors, and state government. The goal is to ensure Connecticut’s public education system is responsive to labor-market demands, equips students with 21st-century skills, and expands equitable access to meaningful career opportunities. The initiative will roll out over multiple phases, with research, framework development, pilot programs, and legislative recommendations delivered over the next 12–18 months.

CAPSS, in partnership with Cardona Solutions, will lead the design and rollout of the statewide CCP framework.

According to the partnership, the initiative includes five core strategies:

Miguel Cardona speaks about the College and Career Pathways Initiative in West Hartford, CT on Jan. 13, 2026. Credit: Contributed / Intersect Public Solutions

Miguel Cardona, former U.S. secretary of education and president of Cardona Solutions, said it was critical for school systems to reflect real-world needs.

“This initiative is about building clear, equitable pathways that connect students to opportunity, while strengthening Con-

necticut’s long-term economic growth,” he said.

Supporters said the College and Career Pathways initiative would develop and implement a future-focused, statewide system connecting K–12 education, post-secondary institutions, workforce

1. Statewide Workforce-Development Research Conduct comprehensive research to identify high-growth industries, future workforce skills, talent gaps, and barriers to equitable participation. Deliverables include a Statewide Workforce Trends & Pathways Report, a Gap Analysis, and a Model Framework Draft.

2. College and Career Pathways Framework Develop a pathways framework aligned with Connecticut’s economic priorities, including advanced manufacturing, health sciences, information technology,

green energy, business, and public service. This work will integrate curriculum alignment, educator credentialing strategies, and expanded work-based learning opportunities.

3. Dual Enrollment and Microcredentialing Design a uniform statewide dual-enrollment framework and microcredentialing structures to expand access, portability of credit, and opportunities for students to earn college credentials, up to an associate degree, while still in high school.

4. Policy and Legislative Alignment Create model policy and legislative recommendations to support workforce and education alignment, including credit transfer, funding structures, industry partnerships, labor-law modernization, and transportation access.

5. Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Launch a statewide engagement effort, including the creation of a College and Career Pathways Council, regular convenings, and a public-facing “Pathways to Possibility” campaign to build awareness and participation.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 15, 2025 - January 21, 2025

Hoops Tourney Honors Hometown Heroes

by Lisa Reisman

Quinnipiac Poll: Men, Women, Democrats, Independents Think Renee Good Shooting Not Justified, Republicans Approve

The New Haven independent

When Joyce Furman was pulling down rebounds and piling up points on the Quinnipiac College hardwoods in the 1980s, there was no name, image, and likeness (NIL) awaiting her; no transfer portal offering splashier options; no dreams of a future in the WNBA. She and Wilbur Cross teammate, the superstar Tracy Claxton, who would lead Old Dominion to a national championship in 1985, toiled in obscurity.

For that reason, it seems, “I never thought I would be remembered,” Furman said at the annual Robert Saulsbury Basketball Invitational at Floyd Little Athletic Center on Sunday.

Evidently, the tournament committee members saw something more in Furman.

They saw a woman who was not just a member of the Quinnipiac College Athletic Hall of Fame, but one who, as emcee and committee member Sharon Bradford-Fleming put it, “has dedicated her life to serving the vulnerable,” including 14 years at the Children’s Center of Hamden; 12 years as a family advocate helping homeless women and children find permanent housing; and currently as lead teacher at Kidde Corner, an award-winning before-and-after school program on Grand Avenue.

In its ninth year, the all-day invitational, which features five marquee games, is “about basketball and a lot more,” said founder Neil Richardson, as shoes squeaked on the state-of-the-court basketball court recently named for New Haven sports titans Bob Laemel and Salvatore “Red” Verderame.

That’s in keeping with Coach Saulsbury’s influence, according to Richardson, his former player at Wilbur Cross in the late 1960s. The first African American to coach in New Haven, Saulsbury, 96, authored a dynasty that included nine state titles, 497 games won, with 10 All-Americans and 18 All-Staters, and a 1974 squad that the Washington Post named “the best high school team in the nation.”

It went well beyond championships, according to Richardson. Saulsbury “was a father figure to his players and a positive role model when that term wasn’t in vogue,” he said, as the Rev. Kevin Hardy, the second award recipient, accepted his plaque.

“Extremely humbled,” said Hardy, the pastor at St. Matthew’s Free Will Baptist Church, as well as an educator for over three decades, who, emcee Bradford-Fleming said, “exemplifies a life of service to both the church and the community at large.”

Committee member Michele Badger Jones, a trustee at St. Matthew’s, lauded Hardy for his community outreach. “He has a health and wellness committee, a food pantry, and a Man Cave Conference,” she said, referring to the annual fellowship event formed by Hardy that

by Donald Eng

Tournament committee members and award recipients, from left, Joyce Furman, Michele Badger Jones, Sharon Bradford-Fleming, Roslyn Morrison, and Pastor Kevin Hardy; standing, from left, Jon Stewart, Neil Richardson, Leroy Williams, Dwight Ware, and Reggie Hayes. Credit: Lisa Reisman photo

Pastor Kevin Hardy and Joyce Furman, honored at this year's Saulsbury tournament.

Credit: Lisa Reisman photo

Hillhouse hoopsters on a fast break in Dec. 28 game against Daniel Hand High School.

Credit: Ebony Labrador-Barnes, ABLE Productions

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draws upwards of 230 participants and focuses on men’s mental health, brotherhood, and spiritual growth.

For Jones, and for fellow committee members Bradford-Fleming and Reggie Hayes, a former coach at Quinnipiac College and West Haven High School, it all goes back to Saulsbury.

“He was a gentleman’s gentleman,” said Bradford-Fleming, as the Hillhouse Academics boys’ basketball team entered the arena through two lines of pom-pomwaving cheerleaders. “He wanted his players to project a positive image for the school and the city, and that meant jacket and tie every game of the season.”

Roslyn Morrison, Saulsbury’s daughter and a committee member, said her father was always in the community, even during summers. “He would go to the Q house, he would talk to his players, check up on them,” she said. That sense of empathy came from his family background.

“His mother, Grandma Saulsbury, cared about people, and how they were doing and making sure they were okay, and that’s what my father did too.”

She added that the financial aid scholarships awarded from the ticket-sale proceeds would go “not just to students with A-pluses but students with grit and determination, as well as leadership qualities.”

Coach Saulsbury, who was taking in the Hillhouse-Hand tilt, pronounced satisfaction with the award recipients. “These are people who are concerned with helping youngsters succeed,” he said, the crowd cheering as Tyshawn Menyfield swished a jumper. (Hillhouse would go on to win 87-26 against Madison’s Hand High School.) “They are examples for everyone.”

HAMDEN, CT — More than 80% of registered voters have seen video of a masked ICE agent shooting Renee Good to death in Minneapolis, and a majority think the shooting was unjustified, according to the results of a Quinnipiac University poll released January 13.

According to the poll, 82% of voters had seen the video. By a 53% to 35% margin, voters said the shooting was not justified, although 12% said they had no opinion.

A majority of registered Democrats (92-4) and independent voters (59-28), along with women (61-30) and men (4442) all said the shooting was not justified.

Republicans by a 77-10 margin said the shooting was justified.

On the topic of immigration in general, Americans by a 57-40 margin disapproved of the way ICE is operating.

Again, majorities of Democrats (94-4), independents (64-43), women (63-34) and men (50-48) disapproved of ICE’s tactics, while Republicans (84-12) approved. This result is essentially unchanged since the school polled the same topic in July.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem earned a 36% approval rating from voters, with 52% disapproving.

Again, Republicans were the only group to approve of Noem, with 77% approval among party members compared to 12% disapproval. Democrats (85-4), independents (57-30), women (56-31) and men (46-43) disapproved. This is a drop from July, when 39% of voters approved of Noem’s performance compared to 50% disapproval.

According to the university, the poll results were based on a survey of 1,133 self-identified registered voters nationwide from January 8 – 12 with a margin of error of +/- 3.7 percentage points, including the design effect. Surveys adhere to industry best practices and are based on probability-based samples using random digit dialing with live interviewers calling landlines and cell phones, according to poll director Doug Schwartz.

Faith Matters: Divine Light In Times Of Darkness

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 14, 2025 - January 20, 2025

By Rabbi Herb Brockman “Faith Matters” is a column that features pieces written by local religious figures.

I must admit that in the 50 years I have served in the rabbinate, these past 9 years I have asked myself more often, “Does faith still matter?” During the Covid epidemic and again during these frightful days when so many of our neighbors are suddenly vulnerable and live in fear, I am now more than ever assured that faith does matter.

It was that very faith which President Washington asserted as the Biblical foundation upon which this country was established, a place “where each person may abide under his vine and fig tree, and none shall make him afraid!”

While one may or may not be a conventionally religious person, the light I find in the groups that want the world to be just, people who eschew violence and are not afraid to stand up to the forces that use violence to accomplish political goals, I see a light whose source must be holiness. On this weekend when we celebrate the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, or hear the resounding voice of Pope Leo, their voices remind me of faith’s power.

An early 20th Hasidic rabbi asked the question, “What is the job of a rabbi?” He answered, “To purify the hearts of those who gather in His presence, to illuminate their souls in the light of holiness.”

We may all do that differently. Some of my younger colleagues along with our cantorial colleagues do so through music.

Giving voice to the cacophony of our hopes and prayers as they ascend upward. Others help to create an environment where groups of individuals form communities of support, of celebration of the good times and comfort in times of the inevitable challenges. Some rabbis bring their own love of learning and explore the texts of a 3,500-years-old tradition with evidence of how a people managed their own times.

And then through preaching, teaching and storytelling show others the strength of faith.

As I would tell my student in our Supervised Ministry class at Yale, when you begin your first pulpit, you must establish your own credibility. Whether you live your faith through social activism — tikkun olam — helping make the world a better place, by your presence in the hospital room in the shadow of illness, or accompanying them to the grave of a loved one, your presence will be beside them. When a congregant or a country will despair, remind them that they will not walk through the Valley of shadows alone. You will have raised up a community where you are God’s hands accompanying them along the way.

Yes, faith matters!

And by the way, to my colleagues of other traditions which I cherish, and have over the past decades, it is you who have been my example of the divine light. For that I am ever grateful.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 15, 2025 - January 21, 2025

OK Cello Brings Everyone Into The Music Brian Slattery

OK Cello Shubert Theatre New Haven Jan. 8, 2025 At a sold-out show at the Shubert Theatre's cabaret space on College Street on Thursday night, almost everyone in the capacity crowd had their eyes closed.

In the middle of the thick semicircle of chairs, Okorie Johnson, or OK Cello, improvised a melody over a waltzing chord progression he had played into his looper. The audience's eyes were closed at Johnson's request; he had asked them to conjure a movie in their minds that his music was the soundtrack to. At the end, he asked if anyone was willing to share what they imagined.

Hands shot up. One person talked about taking a walk with her grandchild.

Another recalled an adolescent memory of borrowing her mother's shoes to go to a dance, and her mother finding out and punishing her by making her peel potatoes. Another person spun out a tale of animals eating other animals, the circle of life.

Johnson was thrilled. "This is the coolest thing about art and community," he said. Together in the room, "we're all having these personal experiences, but we usually don't get a chance to hear them."

In every moment of his performance — whether he was playing or speaking — Johnson displayed a winsome and uncanny gift for connecting with his audience, whether he was telling a self-deprecating joke, enthusiastically declaring his love of music, or making a substantive, empathetic comment about the fractured state of the country. His funny and heartfelt show perhaps found its ideal setting in the Shubert's cabaret, a small enough space to feel intimate, but large enough for a full house to feel like a community.

"It is an amazing way to start 2026 with a sold-out show," said Anthony McDonald, the Shubert's executive director at the beginning of the evening, noting that the theater's cabaret space is now officially a year old, hosting jazz shows, community events. "We have been trying things out, seeing what sticks, seeing what lands. Clearly this show connected with you all." The next events at the cabaret will be a trivia night on Jan. 27, a paint and sip on Feb. 7, a documentary screening on Feb. 18, and local singer-songwriters on Feb. 19.

This is my first time in Connecticut ever," said Johnson, and the crowded cabaret was "a wonderful welcome." He then introduced himself: "I'm a cellist.

I'm a looper. I'm a storyteller and composer," with his music being "largely informed by the African diaspora." He advised the audience that his would not

Okorie Johnson's journey through two worlds wows a sold-out Shubert crowd.

be a classical concert and would involve some participation. "There are no safe seats in my audience," he said, getting a laugh.

He began with a composition called "Fire," for which, he said, "you should imagine a small flame growing into a towering inferno" and then diminishing again. He also added a small nod to current events, as if testing the waters.

"This is a hard time," he said, and "I'm just going to play a small prayer to get us into the show."

He bowed a single note, then an octave above it, and a fifth, a simple mu-

sical declaration that he developed fast into a searching, urgent phrase. He then plucked an intricate pattern into the looper that he first used as the basis for floating musical ideas, then used to build a stack of harmonies that thickened and melted away again. A sharp break to return to pizzicato, and he was done.

"How many people saw the fire?" he asked, and got enthusiastic murmurs from the audience. "Did you at least hear the alarm?"

He explained to the audience how the

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looper worked, both to repeat a single phrase and to overlay phrases. "I can record over and over until I have a whole orchestra on stage," he said. "Can we give the looper some applause? It thinks it does all the work and I get all the love."

But the truth, for Johnson, was that cellos and loopers were made for each other. "Whoever made the cello 500 years ago didn't know they were making it for the looper, and whoever made the looper in the 1970s didn't know they were making it for the cello, but they're a perfect match."

This was so because to Johnson the cel-

lo had "five instruments" in it. It could be a small bass, a set of drums, a guitar, a church organ, and a lead saxophone, he said, demonstrating as he went. "All this is right there in the cello," he said, and with the looper, "I get a chance to explore what the cello can do, not what the cello has done."

As evidence, his next composition started with a plucked bass line Curtis Mayfield may have appreciated. He added percussion and a plucked guitar part.

Next, a simple melody. Improvising a verve, he returned to the chorus to suggest it needed words, eliciting them from the audience. Within a few seconds, the audience was singing "New Haven is a fun place to be." Johnson fed their voices into the looper as well. The audience was now with him, ready to go with him on whatever musical journey he laid out.

He decided, for the next piece, to go "heavy," he said. "We live in a complicated world right now, so I think we can hold heavy." He told a story of a Trinidadian couple that moved to the United Kingdom. "They thought the streets would be paved with gold," he said.

"That found that it was not that. It was classist and racist. And it was cold."

But they persevered and had a daughter, and that daughter went to college. The parents felt they had at last arrived in British society, and the mother bought a tea set. The daughter didn't like that, Johnson said; she associated it with colonialism, the powers that oppressed her parents in the first place. Which meant that one day, when the daughter accidentally broke one of the teacups on a visit home and faced her mother's wrath, she responded with a argument of her own.

"To be honest with you, there's nothing more to the story," Johnson said, to laughter. But it inspired him to write a composition that featured dueling voices, set to a texture inspired by the Police.

"I love the Police," Johnson said, but couldn't help noticing early how much they had borrowed from Black music, and reggae in particular, and got bigger than any reggae act over it.

"I used to be an English teacher," he added, "if you were wondering why there's so much talking at a cello concert." The stories and the music kept coming.

At the end of his first set, Johnson offered his first cover, of U2's "With or Without You." He explained that he loved it as a teenager, with its lyrics about a painful relationship. As an adult, however, he had come to understand it as "a love song to our country," he said.

"We are in a toxic relationship with each other," and "half of us would like to throw the other half out of the boat. But we can't." Why did we stay in it then?

Maybe, he ventured, "we're also hoping for a sweetness we have never known."

And "if there is optimism, there is perhaps a chance."

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 14, 2025 - January 20, 2025

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About Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 15, 2025 - January 21, 2025

Dr. King Jr.

During the less than 13 years of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s leadership of the modern American Civil Rights Movement, from December 1955 until April 4, 1968, African Americans achieved more genuine progress toward racial equality in America than the previous 350 years had produced. Dr. King is widely regarded as America’s pre-eminent advocate of nonviolence and one of the greatest nonviolent leaders in world history.

Drawing inspiration from both his Christian faith and the peaceful teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. King led a nonviolent movement in the late 1950s and ‘60s to achieve legal equality for African-Americans in the United States.

While others were advocating for freedom by “any means necessary,” including violence, Martin Luther King, Jr. used the power of words and acts of nonviolent resistance, such as protests, grassroots organizing, and civil disobedience to achieve seemingly-impossible goals. He went on to lead similar campaigns against poverty and international conflict, always maintaining fidelity to his principles that men and women everywhere, regardless of color or creed, are equal members of the human family.

Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, Nobel Peace Prize lecture and “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” are among the most revered orations and writings in the English language. His accomplishments are now taught to American children of all races, and his teachings are studied by scholars and students worldwide. He is the only non-president to have a national holiday dedicated in his honor and is the only non-president memorialized on the Great Mall in the nation’s capital.

He is memorialized in hundreds of statues, parks, streets, squares, churches and other public facilities around the world as a leader whose teachings are increasingly-relevant to the progress of humankind.

Some of Dr. King’s Most Important Achievements In 1955, he was recruited to serve as spokesman for the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which was a campaign by the African-American population of Montgomery, Alabama to force integration of the city’s bus lines. After 381 days of nearly universal participation by citizens of the black community, many of whom had to walk miles to work each day as a result, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in transportation was unconstitutional.

In 1957, Dr. King was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), an organization designed to provide new leadership for the now burgeoning civil rights movement.

He would serve as head of the SCLC until his assassination in 1968, a period during which he would emerge as the most important social leader of the modern American civil rights movement.

In 1963, he led a coalition of numerous

MLK

civil rights groups in a nonviolent campaign aimed at Birmingham, Alabama, which at the time was described as the “most segregated city in America.” The subsequent brutality of the city’s police, illustrated most vividly by television images of young blacks being assaulted by

dogs and water hoses, led to a national outrage resulting in a push for unprecedented civil rights legislation. It was during this campaign that Dr. King drafted the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” the manifesto of Dr. King’s philosophy and tactics, which is today required-read-

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ing in universities worldwide.

Later in 1963, Dr. King was one of the driving forces behind the March for Jobs and Freedom, more commonly known as the “March on Washington,” which drew over a quarter-million people to the national mall. It was at this march that

Dr. King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, which cemented his status as a social change leader and helped inspire the nation to act on civil rights. Dr. King was later named Time magazine’s “Man of the Year.”

In 1964, at 35 years old, Martin Luther King, Jr. became the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize. His acceptance speech in Oslo is thought by many to be among the most powerful remarks ever delivered at the event, climaxing at one point with the oft-quoted phrase “I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant.”

Also in 1964, partly due to the March on Washington, Congress passed the landmark Civil Rights Act, essentially eliminating legalized racial segregation in the United States. The legislation made it illegal to discriminate against blacks or other minorities in hiring, public accommodations, education or transportation, areas which at the time were still very segregated in many places.

The next year, 1965, Congress went on to pass the Voting Rights Act, which was an equally-important set of laws that eliminated the remaining barriers to voting for African-Americans, who in some locales had been almost completely disenfranchised. This legislation resulted directly from the Selma to Montgomery, AL March for Voting Rights lead by Dr. King.

Between 1965 and 1968, Dr. King shifted his focus toward economic justice – which he highlighted by leading several campaigns in Chicago, Illinois – and international peace – which he championed by speaking out strongly against the Vietnam War. His work in these years culminated in the “Poor Peoples Campaign,” which was a broad effort to assemble a multiracial coalition of impoverished Americans who would advocate for economic change.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s less than thirteen years of nonviolent leadership ended abruptly and tragically on April 4th, 1968, when he was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. King’s body was returned to his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, where his funeral ceremony was attended by high-level leaders of all races and political stripes.

• For more information regarding the Transcription of the King Family Press Conference on the MLK Assassination Trial Verdict December 9, 1999, Atlanta, GA. • For more information regarding the Civil Case: King family versus Jowers.

Click here.

• Later in 1968, Dr. King’s wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, officially founded the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, which she dedicated to being a “living memorial” aimed at continuing Dr. King’s work on important social ills around the world.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 14, 2025 - January 20, 2025

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s

Time in Connecticut

Researching the Legacy of

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day is observed annually on the third Monday of January. The day honors King’s contributions to civil rights and the tradition of nonviolent protest. UTA Libraries has a wealth of resources to help researchers better understand the impact of King’s work.

Dedicated to Nonviolence

In the summer of 1944, a young Martin Luther King Jr. worked at the Simsbury tobacco farm of Cullman Brothers, Inc. Like many other African American students from the South who came to work in Connecticut’s fields, he hoped to earn money for school and his family. King returned to work in Connecticut in the summer of 1947.

King’s letters home to his mother and father reveal a 15-year-old’s astonishment at the prospects open to African Americans in the comparatively less restrictive North. He wrote of worshiping alongside white people in a Simsbury church and of dining in Hartford. “I never though[t] that a person of my race could eat anywhere,” he wrote, “but we…ate in one of the finest resturant[s]….” The state was not free of racism, but the lack of overt segregation, such as King experienced in the South, made a lasting impression.

Years later, in his autobiography, King observed that his experiences in Connecticut and during the train ride back home to Atlanta helped heighten his awareness of the cruel injustice of segregation:

“After that summer in Connecticut, it was a bitter feeling going back to segregation. It was hard to understand why I could ride wherever I pleased on the train from New York to Washington and then had to change to a Jim Crow car at the nation’s capital in order to continue the trip to Atlanta.

The first time that I was seated behind a curtain in a dining car, I felt as if the curtain had been dropped on my selfhood. I could never adjust to the separate waiting rooms, separate eating places, separate rest rooms, partly because the separate was always unequal, and partly because the very idea of separation did something to my sense of dignity and self-respect.”

In addition to the summers he spent in Connecticut as a youth, King returned to the state as an adult for his civil rights work. In 2021, the Town of Simsbury and the Trust for Public Land bought and protected Meadowood, the 285-acre area of land that King and other students worked during their summers in Connecticut.

This article has been updated, learn more about content updating on ConnecticutHistory.org here.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. traced his commitment to nonviolent activism to his time as a freshman at Morehouse College when he read Henry David Thoreau’s 1849 essay “Civil Disobedience.” He was also inspired by Mahatma Gandhi who was a leader in the Indian independence movement. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times includes issues from 18512021 and provides access to many articles about all three influential leaders.

For example, this article from August 30, 1931 discusses how neither Ghandi nor Thoreau feared being jailed for their nonviolent resistance against the government. Almost thirty years later, this article from September 18, 1960 outlines a comprehensive strategy by multiple Black American civil rights groups to conduct sit-ins, stand-ins, peaceful picket lines, and selective buying programs to put economic and political pressure on political leaders in the segregated south. The article also notes that King is “considered one of the foremost exponents of Ghandi’s principle of nonviolence.”

Demands for Progress

While King always insisted on nonviolent actions, that doesn’t mean he was willing to take a slow approach to progress. Search in HeinOnline: Civil Rights and Social Justice and you will find his 1963 Letter from Birmingham City Jail. King was responding to public statements from some white religious leaders who advised King and his followers not to press their cause so forcefully. The Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers, stood with King in his insistence that the protesters should not have to wait for justice, and they helped publish a printed version of the letter. With his signature eloquence and clarity, King describes the steps that organizers took to create “constructive nonviolent tension that is necessary for growth.” Addressing those who were telling them to wait for some undefined better time King says, “We have waited for more than three hundred and forty years for our constitutional and God-given rights…and we still creep at horse and buggy pace to-

15

ward the gaining of a cup of coffee at a lunch counter.”

In addition to his writing, King is remembered for his powerfully motivating speeches. In American History in Video you can listen to a partial recording of his 1968 “Mountaintop” speech. This final address to civil rights activists was delivered in support of the Memphis sanitation strike. The workplace deaths of Echol Cole and Robert Walker, two Black sanitation workers, touched off the event.

King again encouraged workers to use nonviolent forms of pressure, “Go out and tell your neighbors not to buy Coca-Cola in Memphis. Go by and tell them not to buy Sealtest milk…As Jesse Jackson has said, up to now, only the garbage men have been feeling pain; now we must kind of redistribute the pain.”

The Work Goes On

Part of King’s “Mountaintop” speech proved to be tragically prophetic. Publicly, King always strove to maintain an optimistic tone while also acknowledging the danger that he, and all civil rights activists, faced. “I've seen the Promised Land! I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land!

So I'm happy tonight, I'm not worried about anything! I'm not fearing any man!” On April 4, 1968, the day after giving this speech, King was shot at a Memphis hotel.

King had been receiving death threats for some time. In Historical Newspapers: Chicago Defender, search for the April 13, 1957 issue to read an article that describes King as “walking calmly on the edge of a seething volcano” after receiving multiple threats and attempts on his life and the lives of his family members. The Chicago Defender was founded in 1905 and was the nation’s largest Black owned daily during the height of the civil rights movement. It published hundreds of articles documenting King and his contemporaries from the perspective of the Black community.

King was assassinated while he was still in the depths of fighting for equality and social justice. Many others joined in this struggle and documented their experience of working with King and other civil rights leaders. The 1970 documentary “Oh, Freedom!”, found in the database Sixties: Primary Documents and Personal Narratives, 1960-1974, opens with Andrew Young who was a close confidant of King and would later serve as a U.S. Congressman and Mayor of Atlanta. Young speaks about his time working alongside King and demonstrates the protective postures activists

would take when police beat them.

A Complex Legacy

Near the end of his life, some believed that King had slowed the progress of Black civil rights by putting his efforts towards additional causes such as the Poor People’s Campaign and Vietnam War protests. Others felt that these issues were all on the same spectrum of civil rights. In an article by historian Herbert Aptheker titled Dr. Martin Luther King, Vietnam and Civil Rights, the author engages with this debate asserting that “Where Dr. King points to the connection between unjust and aggressive wars and the poison of racism he certainly is on sound historical grounds.”

People are still grappling with how to remember King and honor his contributions while acknowledging his human flaws. Katori Hall’s 2010 play The Mountaintop can be found on the shelves at the UTA Central Library. In an interview with NPR, Hall talks about her mother’s unwavering admiration of King and her own decision to portray a “warts and all” version of the iconic leader. “I feel as though by portraying him with his flaws and foibles, we, too, can see — as human beings who have these flaws — that we, too, can be Kings; we, too, can carry on that baton that he has passed down to us."

One prominent leader who carried on that baton was King’s wife Coretta Scott King. Just days after his death she stood in her husband’s place at marches and events. Over a career spanning decades, she took up many causes including benefits for the unemployed, women’s rights, voting rights, and LGBTQ+ rights.

Scholars have documented her work in books and articles including this 2016 article from the journal Souls which describes Scott King’s tireless efforts in the 1970s and 1980s to limit what she called “economic violence” and enact legislation barring the government from intentionally making unemployment worse.

She and others worked to get Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday recognized as a federal holiday, a goal that was accomplished in 1983. The first observance of the holiday occurred three years later in 1986.

The cover image for this blog post shows Opal Lee, left, and Brenda Polk carrying a painted banner depicting the likeness of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. during a January 15, 1986 memorial march along Rosedale Street in Fort Worth in honor of Dr. King. The photograph was taken by Paul Moseley and is part of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection at the UTA Libraries.

Special Collections Identifier: AR406-68271 [Frame 13A]

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 15, 2025 - January 21, 2025

Celebrate MLK Day with these events around CT The nation honors Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 19. King's legacy has roots in Connecticut, and events around the state will honor the civil rights activist and minister.

King worked in the tobacco fields in Simsbury as a college student in the 1940s. Simsbury recognizes King's summers in town with an exhibit outside Simsbury Free Library, 749 Hopmeadow St.

The series of panels was a project by Simsbury High School students and unveiled in 2021.

While the panels are a lasting tribute, events around Connecticut honor King in January.

Jan. 15, New Haven

Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church hosts its 56th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Love March on Jan. 15 at 10:30 a.m. It's set to step off from the church at 100 Lawrence St., rain or shine.

Jan. 17, Stamford

The Ferguson Library, 1 Public Library Plaza, Stamford, hosts a screening of he HBO documentary 'King In the Wilderness,' a film that follows King during the last years of his life, as told through personal stories of the people who were around him. Jan. 17 starting at 12:30 p.m. Registration in advance is appreciated.

Jan. 19, Branford

Civil rights attorney Preston Tisdale is scheduled to speak at Branford's MLK Breakfast at Branford High School starting at 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 19. Tisdale is expected to encourage participants to step forward and take a stand in King's model. Tickets are $20, $5 for students, including a breakfast prepared by Branford High School students and Branford Rotary Club.

Jan. 19, Hartford

The Wadsworth recently dropped 'atheneum' from its name, but free admission, performances and hands-on art activities on Martin Luther King Jr. Community Day remain a staple.

Textile artist Ed Johnetta Miller will lead an activity highlighting prominent civil rights leaders by creating art. Kids can join a music workshop by Shades of Yale.

Dejavé Dance Company will perform and The Wadsworth will host a screening of 'We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest.' Events run from noon to 4 p.m.

Jan. 19, New Canaan

The Interfaith Council of New Canaan will host its 24th Annual Celebration of the life of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 19 at 10 a.m. at the United Methodist Church of New Canaan, 165 South Ave. The service will include music and speakers from the ABC House and keynote speaker the Rev. Richard Williams, executive director of Pivot Ministries.

Jan. 19, New Haven

Yale Peabody Museum, 170 Whitney Ave, New Haven, will feature more than a dozen New Haven community organizations from noon to 7 p.m. New Haven Public School musicians will perform as a social justice and service resource fair, hands-on crafts and zine making are offered through the museum. The day concludes with an open mic and Z Experience Poetry Slam.

Jan. 19, New Britain

The New Britain Museum of American Art in partnership with the CT Center for Nonviolence (CTCN) will offer chances to make art, music and dance and guided gallery conversations focused on the theme "Choose Love" starting at 11 a.m. Events include drop-in art activities, interactive drumming, a poetry workshop and dance. Admission is free that day at the museum, 56 Lexington St., New Britain.

Jan. 19, West Hartford

The town of West Hartford will hold its annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration at the Town Hall Auditorium, 50 S. Main St., starting at 10 a.m. on Jan. 19.

Jan. 22, Hartford

Hartford Symphony Orchestra presents The Fierce Urgency of Now: MLK Tribute Concert on Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. at Asylum Hill Congregational Church, 814 Asylum Ave., Hartford.

Jan. 30, the University of Connecticut

UConn’s Office for Inclusion and Civil Rights hosts its 2026 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Living Legacy Convocation on Jan. 30 at 6:30 p.m. in the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, 2132 Hillside Rd., Storrs. The evening will feature six Connecticut poet laureates, spoken word artists and musical performances. The event is free and open to the public. Reservations opened Jan. 5.

Feb. 3, the University of Hartford

Jay Williams, president and CEO of the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation (previously known as the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving), is the keynote speaker at the University of Hartford's Martin Luther King commemoration on Feb. 3 starting at 12:45 p.m. in the Lincoln Theater. The observance is free and open to the public.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 14, 2025 - January 20, 2025

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 15, 2025 - January 21, 2025

A Jacksonville journalist brings humanity to an NFL Press Conference Lynn Jones of the Jacksonville Free Press offered up encouragement to Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen after a devastating loss in the 2025 NFL Playoffs.

A reporter offered up encouragement to an NFL head coach after a devastating playoff loss. The Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Buffalo Bills 27-24 in the Wild Card playoff on Sunday at Everbank Stadium. You would think this team’s loss would make the rounds on social media, but it was what happened after the game that actually went viral.

ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter posted a clip of the post-game exchange between Lynn Jones-Turpin from the Jacksonville Free Press News and Jaguars head coach Liam Coen. In the clip, you only hear Lynn’s comments towards Coach Coen, but I immediately began searching for her name and publication. The exchange was warm and uplifting.

“I’m going to tell you, congratulations on your success, young man,” Jones said.

“You hold your head up. You guys have had a most magnificent season. You did a great job out there today. You just hold your head up, OK? Ladies and gentlemen, Duval. You keep it going. We got another season.”

However, many media members voiced their displeasure. Media Members such as ESPN NFL reporter Brooke Pryor, who covers the Pittsburgh Steelers; Yahoo Sports senior writer Dan Wolken; The Atlantic Contributing writer Jemele Hill; and Associated Press Sportswriter Mark Long.

First, Brooke stated, “Look, it’s a kind sentiment, but it’s not the job of a reporter to console a coach in a postgame press conference. Pressers are to ask questions to gain a better understanding of what happened or figure out what’s next– and do it in a limited amount of time.”

Now I know Brooke thought she ate that, considering this tweet had over a million views, but mam shut up. Lynn is a seasoned journalist who covers local news and culture, so she was ethically correct to share the comment she had.

The Jacksonville Free Press represents the Jaguars fan base, which supports the team.

Now, let’s jump into Dan Wolken’s comments.

Dan simply quote-tweeted Adam Schefter’s tweet, “What would give you the impression that was a reporter?” First off, Dan asked this question to try to dismiss Lynn’s presence in the post-game press conference. Secondly, he continued to explain why he asked that question, which only pissed me off more. Dan stated to someone on Twitter, “the only reason why you’re in that room is to get information about what happened in the game so that you can relay it to the public.”

In that case, Lynn exceeded her job’s expectations. She didn’t need to beat a loss over this coach’s head because she knew everyone else in that room would do it after her. The connection that local journalists and media outlets have with sports teams is often dismissed because of the popularity of national media outlets.

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen Lynn Jones of the Jacksonville Free Press

For example, South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley consistently says the local media shows up everywhere her team is, and she demands they be credentialed to be in the room.

Let’s go visit the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Instagram page, where you will see the team posted the full video clip of Lynn’s introduction and the naming of the publication she works for.

I am telling you now that if that team and organization didn’t like how she did what she did, they wouldn’t have posted that on their main page. Not even for engagement.

Let’s move on to what Jemele had to say. Jemele Hill quote-tweeted Adam Schefter’s tweet by saying, “That can’t be a reporter. Cause if so, I would not have used the term awesome.” Here we go again. Another media member dismissed someone’s role because they didn’t do what they thought Lynn should’ve done.

Let’s continue.

Jemele also replied to one of my favorite Twitter accounts, DragonflyJonez,

after he quote-tweeted Brooke Pryor.

DragonflyJonez, whose real name is Tyler Puryear, explained to Brooke who Lynn Jones was.

“Hard disagree. This wasn’t some dude from Cincinnati who works for NBC Sports. Saying this was just “consoling” is reductive to the dynamic between local reporters and the coaches/teams they cover. Those who cover sports locally are not just covering X’s and O’s. They’re covering community and a shared kinship in a city. And I’m sure she was speaking for that community when expressing this sentiment. I do not believe that reporters solely need to just ask questions. Sometimes they need to be the mouthpiece for the fandom they cover as well.”

FINALLY SOMEONE WHO GETS IT!!!

Jemele’s reply to this, “Ehhhh… I hear you, but I’m going to push back. You can echo the fan without coming off like this coach’s Auntie. I get it. The media is never going to win these battles because

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people see the media as self absorbed, but also realize this is a working press room and a lot of other reporters there are on a deadline and need to ask a question. So I imagine a couple of them were like… aight now Auntie.”

Now Jemele, full stop. To be clear, Associate Editor Lynn Jones from the Jacksonville Free Press News has been covering news in Duval County for over 20 years. She has rapport with this team and its organization to the extent that, if she uses her time to address the head coach in this way, it is ethically acceptable.

What’s not acceptable is how many seasoned media members chose this moment to call out a Black woman who was clearly doing her job and being human in that moment. It wasn’t a fan moment.

It was a “I SEE YOU” moment. There have been many college football or NFL post-game conferences I’ve sat in where a white man or white woman has said something similar or just overall inappropriate to a head coach and players. This was NOT that moment.

Let’s add this video clip from the Browns post-game conference, where NO media member said this exchange was unprofessional. I don’t have to wonder why because that was a white man speaking to another white man.

Now let’s add what Mark had to say here, because he actually needs to apologize to Lynn Jones and the Jacksonville Free Press News.

Mark really fixed his fingers to quotetweet Adam Schefter’s tweet saying, “Nothing ‘awesome’ about fans/fake media doing stuff like that. It should be embarrassing for the people who credentialed her and her organization, and it’s a waste of time for those of us actually working.” Heavy sigh, and did he really call the Jacksonville Free Press “fake media”? This is how mainstream media outlets and reporters tend to view Black Press outlets and journalists, yet they get their top news stories from us. The Black Press fights against fake news and disinformation daily.

Conversely, Pat McAfee absolutely fried Jones’s critics after seeing the outrage.

“Love seeing these sports ‘journalists’ getting ABSOLUTELY BURIED for being curmudgeon bums..” he wrote. “OBVIOUSLY NOT ALL OF THEM but a LARGE % of these things hate sports.. they hate what sports are for people (happiness).. They hate what sports are for society (unifier).. they’re political journalists by nature who’ve preyed on sports because they saw it as an easier path to ‘make it.’

One thing that I’ve loved the most about working with the Black Press is our freedom to cover news and connect with our communities. We can use our free will and discernment in our press coverage, and that freedom scares the mainstream media. To know that this Black woman was bold enough to speak to this white man and encourage him in that moment really ruffled feathers amongst media members.

I want to give credit to Robert Littal of Black Sports Online, who was one of the first media members on Twitter to properly state Lynn Jones’ name and publication. I will say that he misspoke about the Jacksonville Free Press being one of the few Black newspapers out here, when we have over 200 black newspapers still active across this country. I would also like to note that while more mainstream and legacy press publications have stopped printing, our Black newspapers have not.

At this moment, the Black press needs your support. During these difficult times, it was refreshing to hear Lynn express her care and support, when all we hear and see on our social media timelines is terrible news. This is just one of those moments where you need to be okay with what happened and move on. But I am afraid that because it’s the Black press, people will continue to pile on their negative thoughts and energy.

Media members must do better.

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 14, 2025 - January 20, 2025

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 15, 2025 - January 21, 2025

Empowering Black Parenting: Tips and Insights That Matter

NNPA NEWSWIRE — As a Black person, you are probably finding that the journey of being a good parent is laced with more parenting challenges than you expected, especially as the world is changing rapidly around you. If you feel like you could do with some more tools to help you navigate this journey, then you are in the right place.

Pexels.com royalty-free image #7114417, uploaded by user Monstera, retrieved from https://www.pexels. com/photo/happy-black-family-oncouch-7114417/ on August 12th, 2021.

License details available at https://www. pexels.com/photo-license/ - image is licensed under the Pexels License.

Parenting is a challenge for all cultures, considering that you have the desire to transmit knowledge, love, and acceptance to your child so they can be prepared to go on the journey that matters. This involves having open conversations about the world they live in, prioritizing emotional wellness, and more.

As a Black person, you are probably finding that the journey of being a good parent is laced with more parenting challenges than you expected, especially as the world is changing rapidly around you.

If you feel like you could do with some more tools to help you navigate this journey, then you are in the right place.

Empowering Black parenting is all about honoring your heritage, nurturing emotional well-being, and giving your children the strategies to survive in an increasingly complex and dangerous world.

Centering Culture and Identity Early The biggest gift that African American parenting can bestow upon its children is a strong sense of identity. In a world that’s constantly pulling them in all directions, they need an anchor that will show them who they are and where they stand.

You can begin this journey early by making everyday choices relevant to your culture: • Choosing books that feature Black protagonists • Listening to music and experiencing art that’s rooted in Black culture • Watching movies that have brilliant, strong African American actors and actresses (Black Panther being one great example) • Sharing family stories and showing Black family dynamics that display resilience and achievement

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• To laugh freely • To explore interests • To experiment, and more You will also benefit from rest, so teach self-care not only to your child but to yourself as well. Practicing healthy boundaries will also help here.

Frequently Asked Questions How Can Black Parents Challenge Stereotypes Through Everyday Actions?

As Black parents, you are probably going to notice stereotypes being foisted upon your children regularly. People are ignorant, and there’s nothing you can do about them.

But you can make your child’s identity and individuality strong enough that they can handle all of these prejudices without faltering. Affirmations, positive reinforcement, and consistent support remind children that they are capable, valued, and deserving of opportunity.

It’s not about celebrating Black History Month and then forgetting about it for the rest of the year.

places. You want your child to go into these spaces and feel accepted, loved, and supported.

Having Open Conversations about the World They Live In The world is getting increasingly complicated and complex. It’s not the same as when you or your parents grew up, and that needs to be acknowledged.

Your children need to understand the world they live in so they can navigate it better. This is especially true for African American children living in certain parts of the United States, where they are in more danger than in other spaces.

Keep your conversations at age-appropriate levels, but start having these conversations right now. These chats about fairness, justice, safety, and self-advocacy will ensure your children process their experiences, rather than internalizing confusion, fear, or even shame.

Advocating Within Educational Spaces The cost of childcare in NYC can be exorbitant, and if you cannot do without it, then you will want to find a way to advocate for your child in such educational

They should be treated fairly, supported fully, and challenged appropriately, so: • Attend the meetings • Communicate regularly with the teachers • Understand the school policies • Join any additional extracurricular activities as necessary Remember that advocacy isn’t about confrontation but about collaboration.

Focusing on Emotional Wellness Your child needs to be emotionally healthy as much as they need to do well academically. That emotional wellness comes from you and the skills you transmit to them.

For generations, emotional struggles were ignored, unnamed, and relegated to the sidelines or minimized. The time has come to remove that silence, to break that cycle.

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when they feel overwhelmed with their emotions or anything else. Your children need to know that you will be there for them no matter what emotional hurdle comes their way.

Modeling Financial and Life Skills We live in a capitalistic society where financial knowledge, or lack thereof, can make a huge difference in a child’s life.

Start modeling financial and life skills right now, speaking to your child about it regularly so they don’t miss out on this important capability.

Teaching basic financial literacy, goal setting, and decision-making skills will go a long way in the future. Start a 529 College Savings Plan for them so they don’t have to go into heavy debt for their education in the future.

Encouraging Joy, Rest, and Play Life isn’t just about toiling away at some task until you die. It should also be joyous and beautiful.

You can help your children by making space for them: • To be creative

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How to Build Strong Black Parenting Support Networks?

Children need a community of supportive people around them, and that’s why building a strong support network around you is going to be crucial. It’s not only for your child, but also for yourself.

You can’t do it all yourself, no matter how much you would like to. Having a group of friends, family members, loved ones, and colleagues who all support you in this parenting journey is going to ensure you don’t burn out on the journey.

It will also teach your child about teamwork and the importance of good friendships and strong family roots.

Empowered Black Parenting Raises Confident Children Empowering Black parenting is rooted in intention, love, and vision. It honors the past while actively shaping a better future.

Take the steps listed above, and it will ensure you equip your children with all the skills necessary to take on the world as it comes at them, without breaking down or becoming anxious. Every conversation, tradition, and lesson contributes to raising children who know who they are and believe in what they can become.

Please read through related articles on our website for more articles sharing the voice of the Black community.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 14, 2025 - January 20, 2025

Questions about your bill?

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By appointment, patients can speak one-on-one with a financial counselor during regular business hours. For your convenience, extended hours are available in-person at Yale New Haven Hospital the third Monday of every month.

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THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 15, 2025 - January 21, 2025

ACA sign-ups fall as higher premiums push people off plans Courtesy of HBCUNEWS.com

By Berkeley Lovelace Jr.

As open enrollment for Affordable Care Act insurance comes to an end, people are moving to cheaper plans or dropping their coverage entirely, according to state and federal data.

Last year, Congress failed to extend enhanced tax credits for Obamacare customers. The result was soaring monthly premiums across the U.S. “People are saying: ‘I just can’t make the math work. I cannot afford this. I’m going to just have to roll the dice and hope I don’t have any health issues this year,’” said Audrey Morse Gasteier, executive director of the Massachusetts Health Connector, the state’s ACA marketplace.

NBC News reached out to the 20 states, plus Washington, D.C., that run their own ACA exchanges about changes in signups for 2026. Ten state health officials responded with their latest numbers. In the 30 states that NBC did not ask, people purchase their ACA insurance through HealthCare.gov, run by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

On Monday, the agency released data showing that nationally, sign-ups are down more than 800,000 from last year.

Fewer new enrollees are signing up and fewer people are renewing their coverage.

In three states, Idaho, Massachusetts and Virginia, state health officials say roughly twice as many people have dropped their coverage for 2026 compared with the same point last year. In Pennsylvania, terminations have more than tripled, to above 70,000, officials say, and are still growing.

Other states, California, Kentucky and New York, report that new sign-ups are down and that more enrollees are shifting to bronze plans, the lowest-tier option, which come with high deductibles. Three other states, Colorado, Minnesota and New Mexico, say overall sign-ups are flat or higher.

State officials and health policy experts caution that the sign-up totals do not necessarily reflect how many people will ultimately have health insurance this year.

The open enrollment period ends Jan. 15 in most states, meaning there is still a chance for people to sign up.

State data also offers only a partial pic-

premium was going to triple to $3,300 a month after the enhanced tax credits expired.

Bidet switched from a silver to a bronze plan for 2026, but she still had to pick up two additional jobs to help cover the monthly cost of $2,800.

Now, her family’s deductible is far higher than before. On Sunday, Bidet said, her 10-year-old daughter, Juliet, hurt her wrist, but Bidet decided to forgo going to the emergency room over fear about the potential high out-of-pocket cost.

“It feels like a punch in the gut,” Bidet said.

ture, and final nationwide enrollment figures from the federal government are still likely to be weeks away.

Cynthia Cox, director of the program on the ACA at KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research group, said that based on her research, “it sounds like national sign-ups are down from last year, but on the surface they don’t seem to be down as much as some had expected.”

It’s possible that Congress could still pass a bill to restore the enhanced subsidies. Last week, the House passed a bill to extend the credits three more years, and the Senate is drafting its own separate version.

President Donald Trump said Sunday, however, that he might veto the legislation on the three-year extension.

Coverage losses to get worse

Some people who signed up for 2026 plans may never make their first premium payments, and insurers typically terminate unpaid plans weeks or months later — meaning the full scope of coverage losses may not become clear until late spring or summer.

“It’s kind of like the difference between putting something in your shopping cart and paying for it,” Cox said. “The sign-up data could make it look like more people are enrolled than actually are.”

State health officials in Virginia said they expect more people to drop their coverage through March — when the grace period for people to make their first payments ends and insurers can terminate coverage.

“The worst is yet to come for the enrollment trend,” said Kevin Patchett, the director of Virginia’s Insurance Marketplace. “It’s going to be another month or two before we see the impacts.”

Idaho health officials expect more people to drop coverage through April.

Pat Kelly, executive director of Your Health Idaho, the state’s ACA marketplace, said there is an optional questionnaire when people disenroll. “We saw about three times as many consumers citing affordability on that question than we saw over the same period last year,” he said.

Moving to a cheaper option Sophie-Charlotte Bidet, a contract public defender in Mammoth Lakes, California, said her family’s health insurance

California officials said that nearly three-quarters of people renewing their ACA coverage moved to bronze plans.

More than a third of new enrollees this year have selected bronze plans, compared with 1 in 5 last year.

In Kentucky, Beth Fisher, deputy executive director in the public affairs office in the state’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said nearly 15,000 enrollees changed plans, with the majority moving to a “more affordable option.”

Morse Gasteier, of Massachusetts, said officials are seeing more people in the middle class move to less expensive plans.

The shift toward cheaper plans or dropping coverage altogether can have ramifications that reverberate through the health care system.

“When we think about people who are uninsured or who have bogus junk insurance, we know what happens to people,” Morse Gasteier said. “They put off care.

Their health conditions worsen. And it’s not as if they never end up touching the health care system. They still do show up in the emergency rooms. They still do show up at the doors of hospitals and community health centers.”

Those patients still need care; hospitals cannot turn away people who cannot pay.

“Many hospitals, especially in rural areas, will have to reduce services or close,” said Larry Gostin, director of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University. “The failure to extend ACA premium subsidies is going to provoke a national crisis.”

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22

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 14, 2025 - January 20, 2025

DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY The Town of Wallingford is accepting applications for Director of Information Technology. Wages: $137,135 to $174,569 annually. For additional information and to apply online by the January 15, 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

Building Maintenance Technician The Town of Wallingford is accepting applications for Building Maintenance Technician. Wages: $31.21 to $37.09 hourly. For additional information and to apply online by the December 28, 2025 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

Custodian

The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management is recruiting for a Municipal Assessment Professional 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= 260106&R2=5864AR&R3=001 The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/ affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities & persons with disabilities.

Maintenance workers needed for the Wallingford Public Schools to work the 2:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. shift. Hourly rate: $20.27 to $26.41. Requires some experience in building maintenance work. The closing date will be October 20, 2025. To apply online, 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 Glendower Group Request for Proposals

Union Square (Church Street South) Phase I Investor Request for Proposals Elm City Communities (“ECC”), in partnership with The Glendower Group (“Glendower”) and the City of New Haven, invites proposals from qualified equity investors and capital partners for Phase 1 of the Union Square (Church Street South) Redevelopment.

This procurement is conducted in accordance with HUD requirements, including 2 CFR Part 200, Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD), and Choice Neighborhoods Implementation regulations.. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Notice of Public Hearing

Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at 3:00PM.

The Bristol Housing Authority is developing its 2026-2030 Agency Plan in compliance with the HUD Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998. A Public Hearing will be held on March 3, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at Gaylord Towers Community Hall located at 55 Gaylord Street, Bristol, CT.

Listing: Technician Apprentice

Information is available for review and inspection at Bristol Housing Authority, 164 Jerome Ave., Bristol, CT during regular business hours.

Please call (860) 582-6313 for an appointment.

Opening for a full time HVAC/Oil/Heating Technician Apprentice. Candidate must possess a technical school certificate in heating, ventilation, air conditioning, oil, propane and natural gas. Send resume to: HR Manager, P. O. Box 388, Guilford, CT 06437 or email HRDept@eastriverenergy.com

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

**An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer including Disabled and Veterans**

Invitation for Bids Scattered Sites East- Various Sites-Batch 1

Listing: Night Dispatcher

The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven d/b/a Elm City Communities is currently seeking bids from qualified firm to complete projects that include various architectural, structural upgrades This project involves improvements to three Elm City Communities (ECC) residential properties comprising a total of five (5) dwelling units, located at 759 Quinnipiac Avenue (Units 1 and 2), 1091 Townsend Avenue (Units 1 and 2), and 140 Harrington Avenue, New Haven, Connecticut.. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https:// newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Extremely fast paced petroleum company is looking for a full time (which includes on call and weekend coverage) detail oriented experienced Night Dispatcher. A strong logistics background and a minimum of one year previous experience is required. Send resume to: HR Manager, P.O. Box 388, Guilford, CT. 06437. Email: HRDEPT@eastriverenergy.com

Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 3:00 PM.

*An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, including Disabled and Veterans*

Collections Maintainer II

Request for Qualifications

The Town of Wallingford is accepting applications for Collections Maintainer II. Wages: $31.27 to $36.78 hourly. For additional information and to apply online by the January 25, 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 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): Congestion Management Study, Scenario Planning Study, and Ridge Road Safety Study. Responses are due by January 7, 2026 (12 noon local time). 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.

23

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 15, 2025 - January 21, 2025

Galasso Materials LLC,

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES Invitation for Bids Unit Upgrades- Scattered Site West Side

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,

The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven d/b/a Elm City Communities is currently seeking bids from qualified firm to complete projects that include various architectural, structural upgrades. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/ gateway beginning on

sex, orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

Listing: Mechanic

Monday, December 22, 2025 at 3:00 PM.

Immediate opening for a full-time mechanic; maintenance to be done on commercial diesel trucks and trailers. Minimum of three years experience required. A valid driver’s license is required in order to run company errands efficiently and safely. Send resume to: HR Manager, P. O. Box 388, Guilford, CT 06437 or emailhrdept@eastriverenergy. com.

360 Management Group Invitation for Bids

***An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, including disabled and veterans***

Elevator Services

360 Management Group is currently seeking bids from qualified contractors to perform Elevator services. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/ gateway beginning on

MAINTENANCE REPAIR TECHNICIAN I The Town of Wallingford is accepting applications for Maintenance Repair Technician I. Wages: $32.34 to $38.04 hourly. For additional information and to apply online by the January 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

Wednesday January 7, 2026, at 3:00PM.

360 Management Group Invitation for Bids

Agency Wide Driveway- Repair-Sealing

360 Management Group is currently seeking bids from qualified contractors to perform Driveway Repair-Sealing services. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management is recruiting for a Planning Analyst and a GIS Analyst (Research Analyst) in the Intergovernmental Policy and Planning and the Data and Policy Analytics divisions.

Wednesday January 7, 2026, at 3:00PM.

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

ATTENDANT III

https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/sup/ bulpreview.asp?b=&R1=260108&R2=6297AR&R3=001 and

The Town of Wallingford is accepting applications for Attendant III. Wages: $36.32 to $41.08 hourly. For additional information and to apply online by the January 27, 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) 2942084. EOE

https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/sup/ bulpreview.asp?b=&R1=260108&R2=6855AR&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.

241 Quinnipiac Avenue, New Haven which are two bedrooms and rent from

$1,950-$2,000 and include heat, hot water and cooking gas, private entrance, off street parking and onsite laundry. I have a couple with washer/dryer which are $2,000.

Please bill 241 Quinnipiac Avenue, LLC, 111 Roberts Street, Suite G1, East Hartford, CT 06108.

The Glendower Group Request for Qualifications

Also, I have a 3 bedroom unit at 254 Fairmont Avenue, New Haven. They rent for $2,050 and the tenant pays all the utilities. Off street parking and private entrance.

Section 8 welcomed.

Architectural & Engineering Services for RAD/LIHTC Multifamily Scattered Sites & Essex Townhomes Redevelopment

Also, I have a 2 bedroom at 248 Fairmont Avenue, New Haven. They rent for $1,950.00 and the tenant pays all the utilities. Off street parking and private entrance. Section 8 welcomed.

Please bill the Fairmont Avenue to 258 Fairmont Avenue, LLC at the same billing address as 241 Quinnipiac Avenue. I will be the contact person for them to call at 860-231-8080, ext. 161.

The Glendower Group is currently seeking proposals from qualified firms for Architectural & Engineering Services for the Redevelopment of Scattered Sites & Essex Townhomes. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

24

Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at 3:00PM.

THEINNER-CITY INNER-CITYNEWS NEWS -- November November20 13,,2024 2024 -- November November26, 19,2024 2024 THE THE INNER-CITY NEWS -February January 14 January 20, 2025 July 2016 THE INNER-CITY NEWS 05 2025 February 11, 2025 --August 02, INNER-CITY NEWS INNER-CITY NEWS July27, 27, 2016 THE INNER-CITY NEWS - -November 13 ,, 2024 -- November 19, 2024 August 02, 2016 2016

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks: VERSIÓN REVISADA

NOTICE Construction DE Equipment Mechanic preferably experienced in Reclaiming NOTICE AVISO AUDIENCIA PÚBLICA PARAand NOTICE Road Milling Equipment. We offer factory training on equipment we operate.

LA AUTORIDAD DECTVIVIENDA DE NEW HAVEN Location: Bloomfield We offer excellent hourly rate &(ECC/HANH) excellent benefits

VALENTINA MACRIDE RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE INFORME ANUAL TRABAJO (MTW) DEL AÑO FISCAL 2024 VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PREAVAILABLE VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE-APPLICATIONS APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE Contact: Tom Dunay Phone: 860243-2300

Email: tom.dunay@garrityasphalt.com behalf ofVII Columbus House the New Housing Authority, La HOME SecciónINC, II y on la Sección del Acuerdo de and Trabajo de laHaven Autoridad {el "Acuerdo") HOME on House and Authority, INC, onbehalf behalf ofColumbus Columbus House and the NewHaven Housing Authority, Women &laof Minority Applicants arethe encouraged toHousing apply is HOME accepting pre-applications for studio and one-bedroom apartments at this develexige que INC, antes de que Agencia pueda presentar suNew Plan yHaven Informe Anual de Trais accepting pre-applications for and one-bedroom apartments atat this development located at 108 FrankAction/ Street, New Haven.

Maximum income limitations apis accepting forstudio studio and one-bedroom apartments this develbajo Aprobado al pre-applications Departamento de Vivienda yOpportunity Desarrollo Urbano de los EE. UU. (el Affi rmative Equal Employer opment located atat108 Frank Street, New Maximum income ap"HUD"), debe realizar una audiencia pública, considerar los beginning comentarios del público ply.

Pre-applications will be available from 9AM TO 5PM Monday Ju;y opment located 108 Frank Street, NewHaven.

Haven.

Maximum incomelimitations limitations apply.

Pre-applications will from 9AM 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y sobre las enmiendas propuestas, obtener aprobación de la(approximately Junta de Comisionados y 25,ply.

2016 and ending when sufficient pre-applications 100) have Pre-applications willbebeavailable availablela from 9AMTO TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y 25, and when (approximately have presentar las enmiendas HUD. been received atending thealoffices ofsufficient HOMEpre-applications INC. Applications will be mailied100) upon re25,2016 2016 andending whensufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) have been atHOME HOME INC. Applications will bebe upon reEl período decalling comentarios de (30) días comienza el viernes 1mailied de noviembre de quest byreceived INCtreinta atofof 203-562-4663 during hours.

Completed preReclaimer Operators and Milling Operators with those current and clean beenreceived atthetheoffices offices HOME INC. Applications willlicensing mailied upon re2024 y finaliza el sábado 30 de noviembre de 2024.

Se pondrán a disposición copias quest by calling HOME INC at 203-562-4663 during those hours.

Completed preapplications must be returned to HOME INC’s offices at 171 Orange Street, Third driving record, be willing to travel throughout the Northeast & NY. prequest by calling HOME INC at 203-562-4663 during those hours. Completed delapplications Informe Moving toCT Work (MTW) del año fiscaloffices 2024 at en 171 el sitio web Street, de la agencia must totoHOME Orange Floor, New Haven, 06510.

We offer excellent hourly rate &offices excellent benefi ts Street,Third applications mustbe bereturned returned HOMEINC’s INC’s at 171 Orange Third www.elmcitycommunities.org o a través de Twitter, www.twitter.com/ECCommunities Floor, New Haven, CT 06510.

Floor, New Haven, CT 06510. o a través de Facebook www.facebook.com/ElmCityCommunities.

Contact: Rick Tousignant Phone: 860- 243-2300 Se le invita a enviar comentarios por escrito dirigidos a: ECC/HANH, Moving to Work FY2024 Annual Report, Attn:rick.tousignant@garrityasphalt.com Evelise Ribeiro, 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT Email: MACRI DE ALQUILERarePRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES 06511VALENTINA o por correo electrónico a: eribeiro@elmcitycommunities.org.

Women &VIVIENDAS Minority Applicants encouraged to apply De conformidad con las Secciones IIDE y Equal VII mencionadas, seEmployer ha programado una audiVALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES Affi rmative Action/ Opportunity VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DEHouse ALQUILER DISPONIBLES HOME INC,enenlanombre la Columbus y de New Haven Housing Authority, está encia pública que se de aceptarán y registrarán loslaPRE-SOLICITUDES comentarios públicos para el lunes aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de un dormitorio en este desarrollo 25 HOME de noviembre de 2024 a las 3:00 p. m. a través de RingCentral: https://v.ringcentral.

INC, en nombre de la Columbus House y de la New Haven Housing Authority, está HOMEenINC, en nombre de la Columbus House y de Se la New Haven Housing Authority, está com/join/185686287?pw=d7db4e4f735df6289ed5adfb24f3f113 ubicado la calle 109 Frank Street, yNew Haven. limitaciones ingresos aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios apartamentos deaplican un dormitorio en estededesarrollo aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de unp.m. dormitorio en esteMartes desarrollo máximos.

Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 comenzando 25 ubicadoTrailer en la calle 109forFrank Street, New Haven.

Se aplican limitaciones ingresos & Highway Equipment.

Mustde have a100) CDL IDTractor de la reunión: ubicado en laDriver calle185686287 109 Frank Street, New Construction Haven.

Se aplican limitaciones de ingresos julio, 2016 hasta cuando seHeavy han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente máximos.clean Las driving pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09heavy a.m.-5equipment; p.m. comenzando Martes 25 License, record, ofdisponibles operating willing to travel Contraseña: enmáximos. las oficinas depre-solicitudes HOME INC.capable Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas porbe correo aMartes petición Lasyaw6Zk28PK estarán 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando 25 julio, 2016 hasta cuando se han&recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100) throughout the Northeast NY. We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefi ts llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse julio, 2016 hasta cuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100) en las oficinas de HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas por correo a petición O marque: . a las de HOME INCINC. en 171 Street, tercer New Haven , CT 06510 en oficinas las oficinas HOME LasOrange pre-solicitudes seránpiso, enviadas pordeberán correo a petición llamando a HOMEdeINC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes remitirse +12679304000 Estados Unidos (Filadelfia, PA) llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse Email: dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com a las oficinas de HOME INCde en la 171reunión: Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510 .

Código de acceso/ID 185686287 a las oficinas de HOME INC en 171 Orange Street, piso, New & Minority Applicants are tercer encouraged toHaven apply, CT 06510 .

ContraseñaWomen de acceso telefónico: 9296952875

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks: NOTICIA NOTICIA NOTICIA

Union Company seeks: Contact Dana at 860-243-2300

Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer

Números internacionales disponibles: https://v.ringcentral.com/teleconference

NEW HAVEN Construction

Cualquier persona que requiera una adaptación razonable para participar en la audienciaSeeking puede llamar al Gerente de adaptaciones razonables (203) 498-8800, ext.and 1506 o al to employ experienced individuals in the labor,Ave foreman, operator teamster 242-258 Fairmont número (203) 497-8434. trades TDD for a (203) heavy 497-8434.mber outside work statewide.

Reliable personal transportation and a valid 2BR Townhouse, 1.5Fairmont BA, 3BR, 1orlevel , 1BA drivers license required. To242-258 apply please call (860) 621-1720 send resume to: Personnel Ave All new apartments, new appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 & I-95 242-258 Fairmont Ave Department, P.O. Box 368, Cheshire, CT06410.

NEW NEWHAVEN HAVEN

Listing: Mechanic

2BR Townhouse, BA,&3BR, 1 center level , 1BA highways, near 1.5 bus stop shopping 2BR Townhouse, 1.5Opportunity BA, 3BR, 1close level , 1BA All new apartments, new appliances, new carpet, to I-91 & I-95 Affi rmative Action/Equal Employer underfor40lb allowed.

Interested parties to contact Maria @M/F/V 860-985-8258 ImmediatePet opening a full-time mechanic; maintenance be done on commercial diesel&trucks All new apartments, new appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 I-95 and Drug Free highways, near bus stop shopping center trailers. A valid driver’s license is required in order to Workforce run & company errands efficiently and safely. Send highways, near busCTstop & or shopping center resume to:Pet HRunder Manager, O. Box 388, Guilford, 06437 email hrdept@eastriverenergy.com 40lbP.allowed.

Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258 CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s underThis 40lb allowed.

Interested parties contact Maria @formation 860-985-8258 Listing: Commercial CertificatePet Program. is a 10 month program designed to assist in the Driver intellectual of Candidates

Town of Bloomfield

Salary Range:

$87,727 to $136,071 TheDeputy Stateof ofConnecticut, Connecticut, Officeofof The State Office Finance Policy Policyand andManagement Management is is recruiting recruitfor Director/Controller ing foran anInformation InformationTechnology Technology

Senior(Information Policy Advisor to the Manager Technology Pre-employment drug testing.

Secretary in the Office of Finance.

Manager 1) in the Office of Finance.

AA/EOE.regarding the Furtherinformation information Further regarding the Details go to duties,For eligibility requirements and duties, eligibility requirements and www.bloomfieldct.org application instructions are available at: application instructions are available at: https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/ https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/ sup/bulpreview.asp?b=&R1= sup/bulpreview.asp?b=&R1= 241015&R2=5571MP&R3=001 250105&R2=1561MP&R3=001

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

CORPORATION

APPLY NOW!

WANTED

Steel Fabricators, Erectors & Welders The State of Connecticut, Office of Top pay for top performers. Health Policy and Management is recruiting Benefits, 401K, Vacation Pay. for an Open Data Analyst Email Resume: Rose@qsrsteel.com Hartford, CT (Research Analyst) in the EMPLOYE Data R AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY and Policy Analytics division.

TRUCK DRIVER Construction

Further information regarding the duties, eligibility requirements and application instructions are available at: https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/ Seeking to employ experienced sup/bulpreview.asp?b=&R1= individuals in the labor, foreman, op251222&R2=6855AR&R3=001

Truck Driver with clean

LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT CHIEF NOTICE OF STOCKPERSON PUBLIC HEARING ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS FOR THE ELM CITYCOMMUNITIES, HOUSING AUTHORITY OF NEW HAVEN (ECC/HANH) REVISED VERSION

The Town of Wallingford Electric Division is seeking a highly motivated individual to MOVING TO WORK (MTW) FY2024 ANNUAL REPORT supervise the Redevelopment Division’s perpetual and real-time material inventories, including various The Milford & Housing Partnership (MRHP) is seeking sealed bids for records and reports pertaining to inventory control, material usage, workCT. orders. the following Fire Alarm Upgrades at Catherine McKeen Village in and Milford Bids Section II and Section VII of the Authority's Moving to Work Agreement {the "AgreeApplicants shoulduntil possess a H.S.5,diploma equivalent, and 3 yearsRedevelopment of experience in will be received December 2024 ator2:00 pm at the Milford & ment") requires that before the Agency can file its Approved Annual Moving to Work storekeeping, materials management, inventory control.

1 year 06460. of supervisory Housingand Partnership located atand/or 75 DeMaio Drive, Milford, All bids Report Report tooffi theces U.S. Department of Housing and UrbanCT Development (the experience is preferred.

Must possess and maintain a valid Connecticut Driver’s Liwill be opened and read aloud. pre-bid walk thru will be held on November 18, 2024 "HUD") that it must conduct aA public hearing, consider comments from the public on cense.

Wages: $41.63 to Drive, $43.92Milford, hourly. The Town offers an excellent fringe benefits at 2:00 pm at 95 Jepson CT, Catherine McKeen Village – Community the proposed amendments, obtain approval from the Board of Commissioners, and subpackage that includes pension plan, paid sick and vacation time, individual and family Room.

Contract documents mit the amendments to HUD.including plans & specifications can be viewed on-line and medical insurance, life insurance, 13 paid holidays, and voluntary deferred compenpurchased from Digiprint’s website November 11, 2024.

Visit www.diThe thirty (30) days comment periodbeginning begins on on Friday, November 1, 2024 to Saturday, sation plan.30, To 2024 apply online

by Security the December 6,$25K 2024 closing pleasePerformance/ visit: www.

- Join Our Head Start Team -date, giprintplanroom.com.

5%copies Bid (Over ONLY) and 100% November and of the Moving to Work (MTW) FY2024 Report, will Elm CityONLY) Communities esta actualmente wallingfordct.gov/government/departments/human-resources/.

Applications also Payment Bonds (Over required. Bidders will noteorrequirements be made available on the$100K agency websiteare www.elmcitycommunities.org viaare Twitter, aceptando aplicaciones para la lista de available at the Department of Human in Room #301 of the Town of minimum wage rates, nondiscrimination/equal opportunity rules (Executive Order www.twitter.com/ECCommunities or viaResources Facebooklocated www.facebook.com/ElmCityComespera de Crawford Manor Hall, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492.

Phone: (203) 294-2080; Fax: (203) 11246) and related provisions in the General Conditions.

No bid shall be withdrawn for munities.

294-2084. sixty (60) EOE days. Complete bidding requirements are noted in the Contract Documents.

Crawford Manor, ubicado en un vecindario bienmust establecido, estáthe following This project is federally assisted. with You are invited to provide writtenTherefore, commentsbidders addressed to:comply ECC/HANH, Moving to aceptando solicitudes para suDevelopment lista de espera.

Esta oportunidad de Open Positions: requirements: Housing and Urban Act of 1968; Equal Opportunity proviWork FY2024 Annual Report, Attn: Evelise Ribeiro, 360 Orange Street, New Haven, vivienda es exclusivamente para personas mayores y con discapacidades. sions of Executive Order 11246; Non-Discrimination provision of Title VI of the Civil CT 06511 or via email to: eribeiro@elmcitycommunities.org.

Family Advocate La comunidad ofrece apartamentos tipo estudio y de una habitación Rights Act of 1964; Labor Standards provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act and related acts con diseños espaciosos, que incluyen dormitorios más grandes y Compliance and Contract Work HoursIIStandards Act; prevailing wage determinations as issued by Pursuant said Sections andManager VII),Division a public where public comments willfor be The Townto of Wallingford ishearing seeking skilled applicants balcones privados.

LosElectric residentes disfrutan de un highly acceso conveniente a the Unitedand States Department of Labor; and all applicable provisions under Title I of the accepted recorded is scheduled for Monday, November 25, 2024 at 3:00pm via Full-Time Assistant Teacher First Class Lineman.

Applicantsmédica, must be atransporte H.S, trade school, or yvocational high school instalaciones de atención público entretenimiento Housing and Community Development Act of 1974.

RingCentral: graduate with https://v.ringcentral.com/join/185686287?pw=d7db4e4f735df6289ed5ad 4 de years’ experience in electric line construction/maintenance en el centro la ciudad, además de servicios de mantenimientowork de with Part-Time Assistant Teacher MRHP is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and Housing Provider. fb24f3f113 experience working with energized 13,800-volt equipment.

Must possess and maintain emergencia las 24 horas.

Rate: $16.35) Any individual(Hourly with a disability who needs special assistance to participate should cona valid Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) to operate equipment. Wages: $51.88 to tact Cheryl Giers at Town cgiers@mrhp.org at least five (5) days before the bid opening.

Meeting ID: 185686287 $57.67Apply hourly.

The offers an excellent fringe benefits package that includes penonline Password: yaw6Zk28PK REQUIREMENTS: sion plan, paid sick and vacation time, individual and family medical insurance, life inLos ingresos no deben superar el 80 % del ingreso Anthony J.Scan Vasiliou, Executive Director or13 surance, paid holidays, and voluntary deferred compensation plan. To apply online medio del área (AMI).& Consulte laPartnership tabla a Or dial:Redevelopment Milford Housing FAMILY ADVOCATE PART TIME FULL TIME code bycontinuación theQR December 6, 2024 closing date, please visit: www.wallingfordct.gov/governparaUnited conocerStates los límitesJOB máximos por ID: 5918 de ingresos TEACHER TEACHER +12679304000 (Philadelphia, PA)familiaresJOB 75 DeMaio Drive COMPLIANCE MANAGER ID: 3724 ment/departments/human-resources/. are also available atlathe Department ID: 6183 en tamaño de familia. La inclusión enApplications la lista de espera seJOB basará fecha www.NHPS.net Access Code / Meeting ID: 185686287 JOB ID: 5927 Milford, CT 06460 hora enResources que se reciba la solicitud. solicitudes se sellarán la fecha ofyHuman located in Room Las #301 of the Town Hall, 45con South Main Street, Dial-in password: 203-877-3223 y hora a medida que9296952875 se reciban. ¡Use el código QRL para294-2084. presentarEOE su Wallingford, CT 06492.

Phone: (203) 294-2080; Fax: (203)

WE ARE HIRING

Lineman – Electric Utility

CDL license New Emergency ATTENDANT III Generator at Bonnie Acres

erator and teamster trades for a heavy solicitud!

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/peroutside work statewide.

Reliable International numbers available: https://v.ringcentral.com/teleconference affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the Invitation to Bid: sonal transportation a valid drivapplications of women, minoritiesand & persons with disabilities. # Personas PLUMBING WORKERS NEEDED. Have you ever wanted to become a plumber or work in the 1 2 enael hogar ers license required. To apply please2nd Notice Any individual requiring Reasonable Accommodation to participate in thejourneymen hearing plumbing LBR Mechanical Corp is seekingfor plumbing mechanics, Invitation to Bid: The Town fiofeld?

Wallingford is accepting applications Attendant III. Wages: $36.32 to $65,050 $74,350 Máximo may call the Reasonable Accommodation Manager (203) 498-8800, ext. 1506in orplumbat the call (860) 621-1720 or send resume and helpers for a construction project located in Bridgeport, CT. Experience Invitation to Bid: nd $41.08 hourly.

For additional information and to apply online by the January 27, 2026 TDD Number (203) 497-8434.

Please send resume to: Personnel Department, P.O.to Box2 ndNotice ing/heating, roughing a plus. Will train the right candidates. Driver’s closing date construction please visit: and www.wallingfordct.gov/government/departments/human-reNotice 2 Old Saybrook, CT Solicite en línea en https://ecc.myhousing.com for Bid 368, Cheshire, CT06410. license and proof of citizenship required.

Please call 914-276-1493 for an application sources/.

Applications are alsoInvitation available at the Department of Human Resources located attielordan@gmail.com

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE The Housing Authority of the City of Bristol SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE descargue una aplicación en: (4 Buildings,The 17 Units) Housing Authority ofo the City of Bristol (BHA) is seeking sealed bids from a

SAYEBROOKE VILLAGE

to Room start your new career. in #301 of the Townhttp://www.elmcitycommunities.org Hall, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Phone: PJF Construction Corporation AA/EOE Old Prevailing Saybrook, CT Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity qualified contractor for a New Emergency Tax Exempt & Not Wage Rate Project (203) 294-2080; Fax: (203) EOE Generator at Bonnie Acres, 59 Vance Dr., Saybrook, CTCT. Sealed bids will294-2084.

Employer M/F/V Bristol, berecibir received or before p.m.

(4Old Buildings, 17 Units) Para unaon solicitud por 2:00 correo, porEST, favorThurs, llame Dec. 475- 19, Drug Free Workforce (4 Buildings, 17Wage Units) 2024, and Materials publicly opened, forthwith at BHA’s office at por 164escrito Jerome Ave., Bristol, CT 355-7289 o envíe una paving solicitud a Atención: Galasso LLC, a quarry and contractor, has positions Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Rate Project New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, Waitlist Elm City Communities, Box 1912, 06010.

Sealed bidProject packages must Coordinator, beCastclearly marked “New Generator PO at Bonnie Acres” MAINTENANCE REPAIR TECHNICIAN I Tax Exempt & Not Prevailing Wage Rate for the construction season. We are seeking candidates Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity including veterans*** New Haven, CT 06509 in-place Concrete, Asphaltopen Shingles, Vinylupcoming Siding, in***An response to the Church’s Ministry needs.

The costEmployer, is $125. Classes start disabled Saturday,and August 20, 2016 1:30Attention: Mitzy Rowe, CEO. No electronic bids will be accepted.

3:30Unified Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, for a variety of positions, including: Scalehouse EquipCT. Deacon’s Association is pleased toM.S., offerB.S. a Deacon’s New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Demolition, Site-work, CastA pre-bid walk through will be held on Thurs., Dec. 5,applications 2024, atDispatcher/ 2:00 p.m. meet Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, Full Class driver for a fast-paced for days and week(203)Time 996-4517 Host,BGeneral Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D.petroleum Pastor of Pitts company Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster The TownDemolition, ofse Wallingford is accepting forPlease MainteCertificate Program.

ThisAssociation is a 10 month programtodesigned to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates Las solicitudes pueden presentaCastCT. Unified Deacon’s is pleased offer a Deacon’s New Construction, Wood Framed, Housing, Selective Site-work, ment Operators and Laborers.

NO PHONE CALLS. Please email reinShingles, frontand of 59 Vance Dr., Bristol, CT 06010.

Attendance is strongly recommended for all Continuum of Care, New Haven, Connecticut – in-place Concrete, Asphalt Vinyl Siding, in to the Church’s Ministry needs.

The cost is $125.

Classes start Saturday, August 20, 2016 1:30ends.

Previous experience required.

Competitive wage, 401(k) and benefits.

Send Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing Fire Protection.

St.response New Haven, CT • EnTechnician persona en 356I.Orange St, New Haven,to CT06511 Certificate Program.

This isthe a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates clients is key to the growth and nance The Repair Wages: $32.34 $38.04 hourly.

For Advertising and cultivation of existing and new advertising 3:30 Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, M.S., B.S. bidders. deadline for RFI questions shall be Fri., Dec. 13, 2024, at 2:00 pm.

Conin-place Concrete, Asphalt Shingles, Vinyl Siding, sume and cover letter to “Hiring Manager”, Galasso Materials LLC, in response to theManager, Church’s Ministry needs.

The costGuilford, is $125. Classes start Saturday, August 20, 2016 1:30(a través de un buzón ubicado en la puerta principal); o resume to: HR P. O. Box 388, CT 06437 or email HRDept@ Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Appliances, Residential Casework, This contract is subject to state set-aside and contract compliance requirements.

(203) Host, General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. PastorNews. of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church Brewster additional and to apply online the January 2026 continued success of Joe The Inner-City The paper is64delivered weekly to businesses, schools, tract 3:30996-4517 Contact: Chairman, Deacon J. Davis, M.S., B.S. documents including plans &CT specifications can beby viewed online purchased •information Enviada por correo al PO Box 1912, New Haven, CT 06509and20, eastriverenergy.com POAppliances, Box 1776, East Granby 06026.

Flooring, Painting, Division 10 Specialties, Residential Casework, 996-4517 Host, General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor of Pitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster and Fire Protection.

St. (203) New Haven, CT from Advanced Reprographics website www.advancedplanroom.com or by calling shopping outlets and wherever newspapers can be found. This is a remote salesMechanical, position.Electrical, Plumbing closing date please visit: www.wallingfordct.gov/government/deElectrical, and necesita Fire Protection.

St. New Haven, CTINVITATION TO BID: CONTINUUM OF CARE, NEW HAVEN Bid Extended, DuePlumbing Date: 5,compliance 2016 usted acomodación razonable para completar su aplicación llame al This contract isMechanical, subject to state set-aside andSi August contract requirements.

LEGAL NOTICE (860) 410-1020. *****An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer including Disabled and Veterans***** Galasso Materials is an Affirmative Action/Equal partments/human-resources/.

Applications are also Employer. available at 203-498-8800 ext. 1507 Opportunity This contract is subject to state set-aside and contract compliance requirements. is requesting licensed and insured contractor bids for their property located at 979 QuinA 5% applicants Bid Security and 100% Performance/Payment Bonds are required.

Bidders will Anticipated Start: August 15, 2016 All will be considered for employment without attention to#301 race, color, Work closely with the Publisher and editor to create a successful sales strategy.

Las solicitudes estarán disponibles el 31/01/2025 the Department of Human Resources located in Room ofrules the Sealed bids are invited by the Housing Authority of the Town of Seymour nipiac Avenue, New Haven. Complete first floor kitchen renovation. Scope to include note requirements of minimum wage rates,national nondiscrimination/equal opportunity Project documentsDue available via ftpsex, link below: religion, orientation, gender identity, origin, veteran or disability status.

Bid Extended, Date: August 5, 2016 Las solicitudes deben presentarse del 07/03/2025 until 3:00layout. pm onOwner Tuesday, August 2016 atScope its office 28 Smith Street, Town Hall, 45 South Street, Wallingford, CT 06492.NoPhone: new kitchen to supply new 2, cabinets. to alsoatinclude new flooring (Executive Order 11246) andMain related provisions inantes the General Conditions. bid shall http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage BidAnticipated Extended, Start: Due Date: August 5,for2016 August 15, 2016 of Seymour, area. Job also includes complete first floor bathroom renovation.

This includes a be withdrawn sixty (60) days.

Complete bidding requirements are noted in the Con06483 for by Concrete Sidewalk Repairsofand at the (203) 294-2080; Fax: (203) 294-2084. EOE Sealed bidsCTare invited the Housing Authority theReplacement Town of Seymour August 2016below: complete gut (down to studs) of theLiving bathroom.

Environmental testing will be conducted ProjectAnticipated documentsStart: available via 15, ftp link tract Documents.

Smithfield Gardens Assisted Smith Seymour.

Sealed bids are invited by the Housing Authority of Street the Town ofaspects Seymour until 3:00 pm onincludes Tuesday, August 2,Facility, 2016 at26Responsible its 28 Street, Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com byHVAC the owner.

Scope and installing newoffice step inatshower vanity, department has ansupplying immediate opening. forSmith allstall, of This project is federally Project documents available via ftp link below: assisted. Therefore, bidders must comply with the following http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran,requirements: S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified until 3:00CTpm onwall Tuesday, August 2016Repairs atPotential office at 28 travel.

Smith Street, Seymour, 06483 forwhich Concrete and lighting, Replacement at the toilet, tileestimation/sales flooring and finishes, tileSidewalk 4ft2, wainscot is its desired, grab bars by HVAC includes system design, sheet metal, piping, orgaHousing andBusinesses Urban Development Act of 1968; Equal Opportunity provilocal http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 A pre-bid conference will be held at the Housing Authority Office 28 Smith toilet and showers, exhaust fan with motion sensor, and baseboard heating.

The scope sions of Executive Order 11246; Non-Discrimination provision of Title VI of the Civil nizing vendor information analyzing customer needs.

This candidate Seymour, CT 06483 for and Concrete Sidewalk Repairs and Replacement atmust the and Skills: Smithfield Gardens Assisted Living Facility, 26 Smith Street Seymour.

Senior Sales Representative Qualifi cations Invitation for BIDS Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: DawnAA/EEO Lang @EMPLOYER 203-881-8372 dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com ofbe work include floor drain for self-motivated, the bathroom.

Scope toJuly include replacement of existStreet CT atAssisted 10:00 am, on Wednesday, 20, 2016.

Rights Act ofWide 1964; Labor Standards provisions&ofPreventative the Davis-Bacon Maintenance Act and related acts welltoSeymour, organized, hands-on, dependable and ableSeymour. toand work inde- communication skills.

Agency Plumbing Services Communicates well and has strong written verbal Smithfield Gardens Living Facility, 26 Smith Street encourages the&participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE &dawnlang@haynesconstruction.com Section 3 Certified Businesses FaxHCC or Email Questions Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372 ing windows,Minimum entry doors.

Owner to select tile style, colors, and style of have faucets and and Contract Work Hours Standards Act; prevailing wage determinations as issued by pendently. of 5 years of sales/estimating experience.

Must a valid Knows effective ways to market products and services and learns about new offerings quickly.

Haynes the Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave,&Seymour, 06483Businesses A pre-bid conference will be held at will the Housing Authority Office Smith HCC$78,813/yr. encourages participation of all Veteran, SectionDepartment 3CT Certified light fixtures.

Further detailed information be given on the scheduled site28 visit.

GC theS/W/MBE United States of Is Labor; and allseeking applicable provisions under TitlePlumbI of the driver’s license.

Must have the ability to read and comprehend blueprints.

Must 360 Management Group, Co. currently bids for Agency Wide Bidding documents are available from the Seymour Housing Authority OfWorks well independently and has advanced time management and organization AA/EEO 32 EMPLOYER Haynesskills.

Construction Company, Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483Development Act of 1974 price should include dumpster and permit feeds.

Minority/women’s business enterRequired testing, general A pre-bid conference will be held at the Housing Authority Office 28 Smith Street Seymour, CT at 10:00 am, on Wednesday, July 20, 2016.

Housing and Community have knowledge ofPotential HVAC systems. have Microsoft Office knowledge. ing Services & Preventative Maintenance. A complete copy of the requirements manage sales representatives has good leadership skills. fice,are 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CTMust 06483 (203) 888-4579.

Looking for a full-time welder in our shop-Skills include prises to Ato bidding meeting will be held at 979and Quinnipiac Streetencouraged Seymour, CTapply. at 10:00 am, onsiteWednesday, July 20, 2016. info, and apply online:AA/EEO EMPLOYER may be obtained from 360 Management Group’s vendor Collaboration Portal.

Builds relationships with customers and coworkers and has strong interpersonal skills.

The Housing Authority of the City of Bristol is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. SBE, MBE, Avenue, New Haven on 11/22/2024 at 1pm.

All bids are due by 12/6/2024 at 10 am.

Senddocuments resume to: HR Manager, P. Seymour O. Box 388, Guilford, CTOfbut not limited to MIG/TIG welding, plasmabeginning ARC-Strucare available fromofin the Housing Authority https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway on www.bristolct.gov An associate or bachelor’s degree marketing, business, or a related major is a plus but not required.

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

AllBidding bids, W9, work scope timeline and copy license and questions should be submitThe Housing Authority reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, to 06437 or email HRDept@eastriverenergy.com tural steel and miscellaneous metals.

28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579.

Bidding documents are available from the Seymour Housing Authority OfAt least [number] years of sales representative experience is preferred. tedfice, in writing to Monica O’Connor via email moconnor@continuumct.org or delivered reduce the scope of the project to reflect available funding, and to waive any DEADLINE: 12-07-25 **An Action/Equal Opportunity Employer including Disabled & Veterans** to 109 Legion Avenue, New Seymour, Haven.

Monday, September 23, 2024, at 3:00 PM. Please send your resume to: Jillherbert@gwfabrication.com fice, 28Affirmative Smith Street, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579.

Senior Sales RepresentativePortland Wanted

LEGAL NOTICE INVITATION TO BID

Police Officer full-time

Sales 360 MANAGEMENT GROUP, CO.

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY SEYMOURMust HOUSING AUTHORITY be a self-starter and highly motivated.

POLICE OFFICER

HOUSING Listing:SEYMOUR Outside HVAC SalesAUTHORITY Representative

Go to www.portlandct.org for details

ENTRY LEVEL Salary (base pay) + Commission to beRepresaentative discussed

Wanted

City of Bristol

Weekly Print Publication

Call John

203 435-1387

Interested apply Thomas, eldcomm.com informalities incandidates the bidding, if should such actions are into theJohn best interest of theJThomas@penfiEOE The Housing Authority reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, to Housing Authority. reduce the scope of the project to reflect available anyto The Housing Authority reserves the right to acceptfunding, or rejectand anytoorwaive all bids, informalities in theofbidding, if such actions are infunding, the bestand interest of the reduce the scope the project to reflect available to waive any

19 25 22 23 20

e-EDITION-ONLINE

TheInner Citynews.com

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 15, 2025 - January 21, 2025

From Civil Rights to ICE Raids, Trump’s Unchecked Power Puts Every Community at Risk What Black America has warned about for years is now playing out in real time. A presidency that treats civil rights as disposable, dissent as criminal, and federal power as personal authority does not stop at one community.

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent

Donald Trump’s presidency has long carried a familiar weight for Black America. What feels different now is that the force once aimed primarily at Black and brown communities is no longer contained there. With the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a 37-year-old white mother of three, by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, the unchecked power of the federal government has moved into spaces many Americans once believed were insulated.

Good was killed during an immigration operation after her vehicle moved forward as agents blocked a roadway. Federal officials quickly labeled the shooting self-defense and branded Good, a “domestic terrorist,” even as video and eyewitness accounts raised questions and Minnesota officials accused the Trump administration of weaponizing immigration enforcement. Protests spread across the state, and Minnesota, Minneapolis, and St. Paul sued the federal government, calling the deployment of immigration agents a “federal invasion.”

As the unrest grew, Trump responded with a Truth Social post aimed at Minnesotans that read less like a call for calm and more like a threat. He warned that a “DAY OF RECKONING & RETRIBUTION IS COMING,” while painting entire communities as overrun by criminals and praising ICE for removing “thousands of criminals,” claims local leaders sharply disputed.

For many Black Americans, the moment felt grimly familiar.

“This is what unchecked power looks like,” said Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of National Action Network.

“Donald Trump sent up his latest test

balloon for erasing Black history with his twisted, alarming claims that white Americans were discriminated against from the civil rights protections that many fought, bled, and in many cases died for.”

Sharpton’s remarks came after Trump told The New York Times that white people were “very badly treated” by laws adopted during the Civil Rights Movement.

The president framed civil rights protections as a form of “reverse discrimination,” echoing a broader administration effort to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives across the federal government.

“The facts simply don’t match up to the

reality Donald Trump has chosen to live in,” Sharpton said. “Even more than 60 years after the Civil Rights Act or the Voting Rights Act, many Black Americans continue to lack access to equitable education, capital dollars, or even their right to exercise democracy.”

Under Trump, those disparities have widened. His administration has eliminated DEI programs, curtailed civil rights enforcement, and backed legal efforts that have weakened affirmative action and pushed the Voting Rights Act closer to irrelevance. Civil rights leaders say the policies are not abstract. They translate into lost jobs, closed pathways, and com-

munities left unprotected.

The timing of Trump’s comments struck another nerve.

“That he made these statements on the eve of the King federal holiday is perhaps the most telling,” Sharpton said. “The Trump administration has already made attempts to minimize this holiday, as well as Juneteenth, while propping up his own birthday.”

At the same time Trump has elevated claims of discrimination against white Americans, his administration has expanded aggressive immigration enforcement that critics say operates with little transparency or accountability. Investi-

gations have documented immigration agents using banned chokeholds, detaining U.S. citizens, and conducting masked operations that leave communities fearful of leaving their homes.

The consequences now extend beyond immigrant communities. Good’s killing, and the administration’s rapid defense of the agent involved, has jolted Americans who once viewed federal force as distant or theoretical.

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus say the pattern is unmistakable. In a separate statement, caucus leaders condemned Trump for bypassing Congress to carry out an unauthorized military operation in Venezuela, calling it a grave abuse of power and warning that the president is increasingly willing to act without legal restraint, whether abroad or at home.

“While Nicolás Maduro is, in fact, an illegitimate leader, the deployment of U.S. military power to impose political change in a sovereign nation without the consent of Congress threatens to draw the United States into an indefinite conflict,” the caucus said in its statement.

For Black institutions, the pressure has been economic as well as political. The Black Press of America, founded nearly two centuries ago to give voice to people denied access to mainstream media, has seen corporate advertisers and sponsors retreat under the Trump era’s hostility toward racial equity. Newsrooms have shrunk. Resources have dried up. The mission has grown harder just as the stakes have risen.

What Black America has warned about for years is now playing out in real time.

A presidency that treats civil rights as disposable, dissent as criminal, and federal power as personal authority does not stop at one community.

Secret Service Expansion Accelerates as Global Tensions Rise

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The strain on federal protection services became visible over the weekend as Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was transported under heavy guard to federal court in Manhattan, prompting protests across the United States and overseas. Demonstrations erupted in Washington, New York, Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, and San Francisco, while crowds gathered in Bogotá, Caracas, and other cities to denounce the U.S. operation that removed Maduro from power.

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent The U.S. Secret Service is preparing for one of the largest expansions in its history as officials confront what they describe as an unprecedented volume of credible threats, fueled by escalating global tensions and a series of aggressive U.S. actions overseas that have triggered unrest at home and abroad.

The agency plans to hire roughly 4,000 new employees by 2028, a surge that would increase its workforce by about 20 percent, according to internal planning documents and senior officials familiar with the effort. The expansion comes as the United States faces heightened security demands following military operations in Venezuela and Nigeria, along with continued threats and warnings directed at

Cuba, Greenland, Colombia, Mexico, and other sovereign nations.

The strain on federal protection services became visible over the weekend as Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was transported under heavy guard to federal court in Manhattan, prompting protests across the United States and overseas.

Demonstrations erupted in Washington, New York, Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, and San Francisco, while crowds gathered in Bogotá, Caracas, and other cities to denounce the U.S. operation that removed Maduro from power.

Outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, protesters questioned the scope of American authority.

“What’s stopping Trump from doing this to other countries?” said Zoe Alexandra of the ANSWER Coalition.

The Secret Service has not publicly tied

its expansion to any single event, but officials acknowledge that the protective mission has grown sharply. The agency is responsible for safeguarding the president, former presidents, visiting foreign leaders, major political candidates, and major public events, while responding to a surge in online and direct threats deemed credible by investigators.

Deputy Director Matthew Quinn said the agency’s workload has outpaced its staffing levels.

“Our numbers are low to meet those needs,” Quinn said.

Internal projections show the Secret Service aiming to increase its special agent ranks from about 3,500 to roughly 5,000, while adding hundreds of officers to the Uniformed Division and expanding specialized units, including counter-sniper teams, emergency response units, and

26

canine explosives detection teams.

To attract recruits, the agency is offering some of the largest bonuses in federal law enforcement, with incentives reaching up to $60,000 for certain roles, including counter assault, counter sniper, and hazardous response positions.

The expansion effort unfolds during volatile international rumbles. The U.S. capture of Maduro has drawn condemnation from several world leaders, including Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who accused powerful interests of driving military escalation.

“A clan of pedophiles wants to destroy our democracy,” Petro said. “To keep Epstein’s list from coming out, they send warships to kill fishermen and threaten our neighbor with invasion for their oil.”

Inside the United States, lawmakers from both parties raised questions about the le-

gality of the action and the precedent it could set. Some warned that escalating confrontations abroad increase the risk of retaliation at home, placing additional pressure on already stretched security agencies.

Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the agency faces steep obstacles.

“They are going to have to turn headquarters into a hiring machine,” Napolitano said.

As the Secret Service prepares for the 2028 presidential election cycle and the Los Angeles Olympics, officials acknowledge that even a successful expansion may not ease the pressure quickly.

“No matter what,” Quinn said, “it’s still going to be a rough summer.”

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 14, 2025 - January 20, 2025

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Burial Lots (infant, single, two-grave, or four-grave) Monuments & Markers (black, gray, or pink granite) Flower placement (single or multiple placement) All orders can be placed at the Evergreen office or the website.

769 Ella T. Grasso Boulevard, New Haven CT 06519 203.624.5505 or evergreencem.org

27

THE INNER-CITY NEWS - January 15, 2025 - January 21, 2025

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