Volunteers needed to help parents, families of New Haven kindergarten pupils
Volunteers from across New Haven will gather in two weeks to welcome
parents and families of incoming kindergartners to the New Haven Public
Schools. More than 100 volunteers are needed to make this event a success.
Calling all families, kayakers and canoeists: It's West River Water Festival 2012
A 'tidal wave of family fun' is coming your way Saturday, as the West River Watershed Partnership hosts its annual West River Water Festival from 1-4 p.m. at West River Memorial Park, corner of Ella T. Grasso Blvd and Route 34.
The day kicks off with a pre-festival cleanup in the park from 10 a.m. to noon; also in the West River for participants with a small watercraft.
Children and families can enjoy kiddie pools and sprinklers, mermaids reading story books, arts and crafts, pirate tales, water magic show, bike safety demonstration, games and educational activities.
"By involving young people from New Haven neighborhoods with their watershed, we hope to inspire them to pursue further education and perhaps resource conservation or scientific careers," said Doreen Abubakar, founder of the West River Watershed Partnership.
A companion event at the Barnard Nature Center will feature live sea and river animals, museum artifacts and objects such as animal skulls that kids will be able to touch.
Kayakers and canoeists are invited to bring your vessels and join in water exploration. If you love to walk, there will be a nature walk to the newly restored Duck Pond in nearby Edgewood Park.
Bird watchers will be able to catch views of herons, egrets, ospreys, cedar wax wings, woodpeckers and other birds.
If you go: The West River Watershed Partnership provided pictures for an online gallery from the 2011 festival, that we hope you will contribute your pictures to and help expand it to include the 2012 event.
Send your pictures in using the #waterfest hashtag on Twitter or via email to yourpics@nhregister.com.
High School in the Community performers give flight to 'Urban Dreams'
"Urban Dreams" Cast and Crew - High School in the Community, New Haven, Conn.
Upcoming Performance: "Urban Dreams"
Location: Hight School in the Community, 175 Water St., New Haven, Conn.
Date: 6 p.m. Monday, June 18
The Urban Dreams production will address "the everyday issues that teenagers face inside & outside the
classrooms. Through a story of explosive Rap & Hip-Hop lyrics, soulful
singing, live music & spoken word, these teens will confront issues such as
violence, relationships, media, teacher student conflicts, faith and more;
dealing with harsh realities of growing up in environments that feel more like
warzones, these teens strive to re-define Urban Dreams," says director Frank E. Brady.
From the minds of the talented students
of High School In the Community comes “Urban Dreams,” a cutting edge play created by teenagers in New Haven that combines
comedic outlooks, gripping performances and spell binding monologues.
Autism, literacy, farming: New blogs add to variety in the Community Media Lab
By Ed Stannard, Community Engagement Editor estannard@nhregister.com / Twitter: @edstannardnhr, @nhrvoices
It’s time to pay a visit to our Community Media Lab.
You might be surprised at who you’ll find.
Do have a loved one with autism? Do you care about increasing literacy among
our youth? Are you interested in sustainable farming? Our newest bloggers are
passionate about those topics.
Shirley Blaier-Stein has a son with autism. She left her career as a lawyer to
care for him, wrote a book called “Autism Mother,” and writes a blog called Autism Parents Community.
We’re thrilled to add her blog to our media lab, offering those who love people
with autism support and information.
It’s well known that literacy is vital to success in school and the job market.
The Literacy Coalition of Greater New Haven is a group of volunteers aiming to
increase the ability of both children and adults to read. If you’ve considered
volunteering to be a tutor, the Literacy Coalition is the place to call. And to
stay abreast of what the organization is doing, bookmark Literacy, Every Day.
Melissa Waldron runs the blog Fertile
Ground USA, whose motto is “Farming is a Transformative Act.” The site is
chock full of information about the sustainable-agriculture movement, including
urban farming.
And Zurcher is not the only environmental blogger. Others on our site include Green Cities, Blue
Waters from the Connecticut Fund for the Environment and Yale Environment 360 by the Yale School of Forestry
and Environmental Studies, as well as nature-oriented blogs such as Matthew
Houskeeper’s Soundbounder and
Nick Bonomo’s Shorebirder.
In politics, our bloggers read from left to right: Aldon Hynes’ Orient Lodge and Andrew Rose’s Political Insomniac, to name
two.
Our bloggers’ coverage enhances the news and features the Register’s reporters
bring you every day, and we’re always interested in adding local bloggers — or
helping you start a blog — who have a passion to share.
Let me or Angi Carter know if you’re interested in joining the Community Media
Lab by emailing voices@nhregister.com.
You can call me at 203-789-5743 and Angi at 203-789-5752. And check out OUR
blog, Your Open Newsroom, and let us know what you think!
Let me first say what an honor it was to be invited to a special screening of the "Bully" documentary and a very moving discussion afterwards, facilitated by Brian K. Perkins, Ph.D., director of the Urban Education Leadership Program at Columbia University's Teachers College Department of Organization and Leadership.
About 50 students, parents, teachers and administrators from several New Haven public schools participated in the event, held at Criterion Cinemas in New Haven, as well as Tom Ficklin, owner of The Ficklin Media Group, LLC and a blogger with the Register's Community Media Lab.
The film chronicles how the actions of bullies affected Tyler, a boy who hung himself at age 17; Alex, who is called "fish face" by his siblings and schoolmates; and Ja'Meya, a girl who fights back against bullies by secretly taking her mother's gun with her to school one day.
Dr. Perkins and several participants offer their perspective in the video below on the bullying epidemic, their impressions of the film and how they hope society will respond:
New Haven's school district has a Safe School Climate Plan and assigns a coordinator in each school to handle bullying complaints. The district's bullying policy states, in part:
"The New Haven Public Schools requires students, staff and/or parents to report all cases of bullying immediately, to the school’s administrator, administrator’s designee, or director.
Discrimination and retaliation against an individual who reports or assists in the investigation of an act of bullying are prohibited. Teachers and other school staff who witness or receive reports of bullying are required to notify the appropriate administrator immediately. The notification must be made in writing."
Among the high school students at the screening were Sarah Farquharson, Maeve Cunningham and Arijan Ager, who all are members of the group ThinKING. The school-based organization works in partnership with the Connecticut Center for Non-violence to teach youths how to resolve conflicts peacefully.
Farquharson said the group applies the methodologies of slain civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
"To watch with my students, what could be better," said Suzannah Holsenbech, an instructor for ThinKING.
If a child in your family is subjected to bullying, Connecticut law requires that a formal complaint be filed with the state Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) within 180 days of the incident being reported.
Brian K. Perkins, Ph.D.
Dr. Perkins is the former chairman and a professor of Education Law and Policy at Southern Connecticut State University and former member of the research faculty at Yale University School of Medicine. He is the author of several published articles and book chapters and serves as the principal investigator and author of Where We Learn (2006), Where We Teach (2007) and What We Think (2008). His forthcoming manuscript, "Improving School Climate from the Inside Out" is under review and is scheduled for release early next year. He received his bachelor's degree in chemistry from Grambling State University, a master's in public health from Yale School of Medicine and a doctorate in education from Columbia University's Teachers College.
Facebook: Angi Carter, Community Media Lab (Update: The aldermanic Joint Finance/Legislation Committee on June 14 approved Downtown Crossing's proposed zoning map and text changes and the project's development agreement. The plan now goes to the full Board of Aldermen later this summer.)
There was only light discussion Thursday about developer Carter Winstanley's request for a zone change to create a bioscience hub at 100 College St. or the particulars of the development agreement language.
The prospect of creating jobs dominated people's testimony during two public hearings on the proposed $100 million "Downtown Crossing" project, to be built if approved by New Haven's Board of Aldermen, which doubles as the city's Zoning Commission.
The aldermanic chamber at City Hall was packed with New Haven residents and students, business leaders, city officials, labor organizers, environmental activists, historic preservationists and professionals who help the unemployed and underemployed.
New Haveners are hopeful that the development could bring new jobs, but they have reservations about whether they would fill them or be eclipsed by suburbanites who would commute into the city and possibly compound traffic patterns. Highway exit modifications off of Interstate 91 into downtown were not covered.by city planning officials.
"We're here talking about the zoning, but let's get real, we're here to talk about giving somebody a chance," said George Cunningham, a general contractor who owns a painting company.
Jobs and the state of the economy have also been the top issues identified by voters for the 2012 election, since the Register and its sister Connecticut papers, The Register Citizen, Middletown Press and Litchfield County Times started polling in December. As part of our new Citizens' Agenda project, we are assigning reporters to cover the priority topics chosen by voters in the 5th Congressional District and U.S. Senate races for open seats.
Winstanley, who has commuted to New Haven for 13 years from Massachusetts, where his commercial development company Winstanley Enterprises LLC and his family are based, told the Register Thursday there would be three "buckets" of jobs: construction, full-time positions created by tenant companies at the building and "follow-on" or "multiplier" jobs such as HVAC technicians, security officers or sandwich shops, for example.
"It's all of the people employed around indistries like this," Winstanley said of the multiplier positions. "These are hard to quantify. They could be the police force. They could be almost anything."
Winstanley described the project's hiring goals and challenges during a recent meeting of the Dixwell Corridor Community Partners organization:
Winstanley Enterprises is partnering with colleges and universities such as Gateway Community College and job assistance and training programs such as Workforce Alliance and the city Commission on Equal Opportunites to identify contractors and workers who are "qualified" or "capable" and might need more training or assistance with matters such as bonding, insurance or lines of credit.
"This is about jobs for the future," said James Rawlings, a pharmacist and president of the Greater New Haven branch of the NAACP. "It's up to us as a community to prepare our young people for these careers."
James Rawlings (left at podium) and Maurice Williams of the NAACP address New Haven aldermen.
Industry in New Haven and around New England is strong in biotechnology, medicine and public health, Rawlings said, and students must be given the foundation to compete in those fields.
The Occupy movement and the labor community around the world held actions on May Day to bring attention the needs of workers and the unemployed seeking jobs. In New Haven, that was followed up last Sunday by gathering at The People's Center to discuss solidarity, New Haven's Jobs Pipeline and the 2012 Elections.
Recent panel discussion among (from left to right) Steve Thornton, a labor organizer at Waterbury Hospital; David Roy and Nollysha Canteen of the Jobs Pipeline coordinating committee; and moderator Sherman Malone.
Paula Panzarella, a resident of New Haven's West River neighborhood who is active in socio-economic and environmental advocacy, testified about her concerns over traffic management and pollution and asked the aldermen not to focus on matters of air quality and public health in their efforts to boost the city's workforce.
Business and nonprofit leaders including builder and property manager Lynn Fusco, William Placke, president of Start Community Bank, George Clark, head of the Greater New Haven Business and Professional Association, and William Ginsberg, executive director of the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, said the project would bring new tax revenue and contribute to long-term economic growth.
The public hearings were continued to clarify a matter related to noticing, but members of the New Haven Urban Design League said they would return when the hearings are rescheduled to present concerns around parking requirements, active uses and safe walkability, buffer zones and open space.
Girl Friends Inc. of New Haven to host book fair 'in pursuit of excellence'
The Girl Friends Inc. Books and Art Fair will return for a second year to Wexler Grant School from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday under the theme "In Pursuit of Excellence."
In addition to book exhibits, vendor displays and a children's reading room two thought-provoking panels will take on the topics of overcoming racial stereotypes and building a movement for academic excellence in the black community.
Admission is free to the public. The school is at 55 Foote St.
"We're highlighting reading as the key to success for black children," said Enola Aird, vice president of the New Haven Chapter of Girl Friends, Inc. "For black children, we need to be helping them understand they are as capable as any other children in the world."
Aird said the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman in Florida exemplifies the potential for stereotypes to kill.
"We must set high standards for our children and help them to reach them. The key to that is reading," she said.
Among the confirmed panelists are Gwen Samuels of the Connecticut Parent Union, Jean Jamal of the Saving the Black Family initiative of the National Council of Negro Women, Tracie Addy, professor of mathematics at Quinnipiac University and Stephen L. Carter, a novelist and Yale Law School professor.
President Diane Turner said the program also includes a read-in at Wexler Grant's library, where community leaders will sit in a circle with children and read stories to them. "If the children have any questions, it gives them an opportunity to ask about their professions. There's always a message about doing well in school," Turner said.
Lisa Harrison, Books and Art Fair Committee co-chairwoman, said Girl Friends Inc. is partnering with distributor Books Are Fun to provide hundreds of books for families at the event.
The chapter also will collect gently used children's and adult books Saturday that will be donated to New Haven Reads. Last year, the organization donated more than 1,000 books to New Haven Reads and Ronald McDonald House, Harrison said.
"Each year we pick a different theme to focus on," Harrison said. "We want to foster literacy in the New Haven community."
Teachers and educators are encouraged to attend as well, she said.
The New Haven chapter is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year and will have a special event on Sept. 30, Turner said.
'Hoodies Up New Haven' march for Trayvon Martin takes place Saturday
The Black Student Alliance at Yale on Saturday is sponsoring a "Hoodies Up New Haven" march and rally in support of Trayvon Martin's family, the arrest of his shooter, George Zimmerman, and amending the Connecticut's Alvin Penn Racial Profiling Act to strengthen its enforcement.
The event begins at 3 p.m. at the Dixwell Community "Q" House, 197 Dixwell Ave. Participants will march to the New Haven Green for a rally and are encouraged to wear hoodies.
Martin, 17, was shot on Feb. 26 in Sanford, Fla. by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watchman who claims he killed Martin in self-defense.
Martin's family is calling for Zimmerman's arrest and protests have erupted nationwide against self-defense laws, such as the so-called 'stand your ground law' in Florida.
Organizations co-sponsoring "Hoodies Up" with the Black Student Alliance include My Brother's Keeper, MEChA de Yale, NAACP branches at Yale, Southern Connecticut State University and University of New Haven, Connecticut African American Emancipation Committee, Unidad Latina En Accion, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Yale College Democrats and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority.
The public may follow updates on these activities using the Twitter hashtag #hoodiesupnhv.
Christian Community Action Inc., Advocacy & Education, based in New Haven, is offering a 10-week training course on ways to make your community better. At the end of the training sessions, participants will present their community projects during an award ceremony.
Training dates are from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on May 2, 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 and June 7, 14, 21 and 28. The location will be announced at a later time.
Citizens in Action: Grassroots groups teach advocacy skills
Unidad
Latina en Acción (ULA) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) are
offering a Legislative Advocacy Training Tuesday, March 6 from 7 to 9 p.m. at
the New Haven People's Center, 37 Howe St.
The
organizations will give participants background on five bills being considered
by the Connecticut General Assembly that affect civil rights, and teach people
how to prepare and give testimony before a legislative committee.
Here the
bills that will be addressed Tuesday:
¡La legislatura de Connecticut está considerando
cambios de ley que afecten nuestros derechos humanos! Aprenda sobre
propuestas de ley sobre:
Racial Profiling by The Police - Discriminación racial por la policía
Right to Record The Police - Nuestro derecho de grabar video de la policía
Abolishing the Death Penalty - Aboliendo la pena de muerte
Red Light Cameras & Surveillance - Uso de cámaras de vigilancia por la
policía
Medical Use of Marijuana - Uso medicinal de marijuana
Pizza will be served.
For more information, contact (para mas informacion, puedes llamar) Unidad
Latina en Acción (ULA) at (203) 479-2959.
For those who may be reading this from the
Hartford area, the University of Connecticut's Urban Community Studies
Program will be sponsoring two events this week.
On Wednesday, March 7 there will be a discussion
at 7 p.m. on economic individuality and social activism.
On Thursday, March 8 local community activists and
organizers will share experiences and tools that can be used to create
change.
Both events will be held at the UConn Greater
Hartford campus, Room 104 in the Information Technology Building, 1796 Asylum
St., West Hartford.
Special thanks to the the sponsors of the New
Haven and West Hartford gatherings.
Feel free to send community news to Angi Carter or
Ed Stannard via email at voices@nhregister.com.
We're also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Your
Open Newsroom
Facebook: Angi Carter or New Haven Register Community Media Lab
Sooo, Ed and I have discovered a great resource for thecommunity, businesses and bloggers – all in one spot.
It’s called The Grove on Orange Street in New Haven. Every2nd Monday of each month, bloggers and folks with social media or marketingexpertise get together there for a “Bloggers and Beer” networking event.
We got turned onto it by Giulia Gouge, a master Twitter useryou should follow: @giuliag.
#thankyou.
Ed and I got a chance to meet other folks who are startingblogs or looking for ways to improve their blogs. We also encouraged them tobecome part of the Register’s online blogging hub the Community Media Lab.
Even though we are full-time journalists, we don’t know itall when it comes to writing or blogging skills and we don’t pretend to.
As Ed and I figure out the offerings of this blog and growthe Community Media Lab, we’ll be offering weekly tidbits that we pick up alongthe way. So here are some tips we lucked out on hearing at The Grove. I hopeyou find this first edition of “Get Your Blog On” as helpful as it was for us:
Know your mission and purpose for blogging:
Start your blog and create each post with a clear sense ofthe message you want to convey, who you are trying to reach and what you aretrying to achieve with the content you provide for that audience.
Content is Queen:
Content is the most important tool we have as bloggers toengage our audiences. Spruce it up with links to previous posts or to websitesthat can help provide context; videos or maps; and photographs.
Give people an idea of what they can expect in a future postand issue a call to action. Ask them to comment or hit your Google+ and Likebuttons.
We will definitely be returning to The Grove – with someother bloggers alongside us.
It’s a big new digital world we live in, and we’re all at different places on the path. So it’s great to meet up with others and trade ideas.
That’s the idea behind “Bloggers and Beer,” a monthly event at The Grove, a kind of social-entrepreneurial incubator and nice place to hang out. I went there today with Angi to find out what was happening. We had an ulterior motive too—to spread the word about our Community Media Lab of bloggers. We’re always looking for new writers to add to our stable.
I don’t know if it was the blogging or the beer, but more than 15 people were there: everyone from a guy who’s running multiple blogs, to someone getting ready to launch, to a hat designer. Some had no clue how to get a blog going. Most had something they weren’t sure about. (I include myself in the category of “have a clue, but not a big one.”)
The topic of the day was content—how to make a blog interesting to draw traffic. There was talk about having bright, interesting headers, photos, graphics, and how people sharing on social media makes the audience bigger.
Someone said something like, “Once someone tells me how to do something, I feel like I should have known that already.” I’ve felt that many times. Here’s my take on it: This digital medium is like going to a new country. Even when you know what’s going on, it can feel foreign and strange. We should assume we know everything there is to know, even if we knew it when we put out a newspaper or a newsletter. That’s why we need to get together, share ideas. The bottom line: There are no stupid questions, and if anyone asks me something that’s obvious to me, I need to remember that I have asked others things that were obvious to them.
That was the tone at today’s gathering at the Grove: People helping each other, bringing them along. It was exciting and fun. Join us next time!
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