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Michael Dimenstein |
Oct 20, 2023 10:55 am
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Robyn Teplitzky, MSW, Honoree of the Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven
This write-up was submitted by Jewish Historical Society President Michael Dimenstein.
Last Sunday, more than 200 members and friends of the Jewish community gathered to recognize Robyn Teplitzky’s four decades of leadership, advocacy, and service to a host of local organizations and agencies. Following an intense week that included violence in Israel and multiple bomb threats against Jewish institutions, the Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven’s Annual Award Celebration provided an opportunity for the community to gather in solidarity and support, and perhaps for a temporary antidote to the pain and grief.
LaToya Howard (right) with Elm City Montessori's David Weinreb.
The following writeup was submitted by Elm City Montessori School to celebrate Thursday’s recognition of statewide parental involvement awardee LaToya Howard.
Elm City Montessori School parent and former NHPS T.A.P.S award winner LaToya Howard was honored at the Connecticut Family & Community Engagement Conference in Rocky Hill on Thursday as one of five recipients of this year’s State Education Resource Center (SERC) Parental Involvement Recognition Award.
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Sheila Carmon |
Oct 5, 2023 10:00 pm
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Contributed photo
At the Sept. 29 New Haven Museum meetup, with author Michelle Hord.
The following photos were submitted by Links member Sheila Carmon about a Sept. 29 book signing and meet and greet with Daytime Emmy Award winner, author, and media executive Michelle Hord. The event was organized by the New Haven chapter of The Links, Incorporated.
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Babz Rawls Ivy |
Sep 8, 2023 8:55 am
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Nina Westervelt -El Nino production photo
Julia Bullock.
The following writeup was submitted by Babz Rawls-Ivy, the host of WNHH’s morning radio show “LoveBabz LoveTalk” and the editor-in-chief of the Inner-City News.
Yale Schwarzman Center announced its 2023 – 24 season lineup featuring boundary-pushing artists and powerful performances. From Corinne Bailey Rae to Renée Fleming, attendees from the Yale and New Haven communities will experience deeply personal and culturally immersive performances.
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Desire Sessions |
Aug 16, 2023 12:45 pm
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Contributed photo
The following write-up was submitted by Elm City Communities/Housing Authority of New Haven about a back-to-school fair that took place at Clinton Avenue School on Aug. 1.
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Connecticut CASA |
Jul 26, 2023 8:34 am
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Chynna Sherrod, Claire Criscuolo, and Josiah Brown.
Connecticut CASA, a New Haven-based nonprofit organization, submitted the following account of a recent event held on its behalf.
On July 20, Connecticut Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) held a “Cooking for CASA” Benefit with Chef Claire Criscuolo and a musical performance by Chynna Sherrod.
Dr. Ece Tek, Chief Medical Officer, Mental Health and Addiction Services, Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center; LindyLee Gold’s grandson Ari Kroop; Michael Taylor, CEO of Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center; LindyLee Gold, President of the Amour Propre Fund and recently named Chair of the Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center Foundation board; and local attorney Keith Bradoc Gallant, who assists with the Amour Propre Fund.
Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center has received the largest donation in its 55-year- history, a $1 million infusion that will support a wellness center within a new facility for women in recovery from addiction.
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Petisia M. Adger |
Sep 13, 2022 9:57 am
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ECFFPC’s first all-Black-women parade committee members: Petisia M. Adger (Board of Directors); Joy Sawyer (volunteer); Chanelle Goldson (president); Diane X. Brown (Board of Directors); Jacqueline Glover (Board of Directors); Nina Silva (member).
Petisia M. Adger of the Elm City Freddy Fixer Parade contributed this write-up and these photos from the organization’s Saturday night gala.
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Connecticut CASA |
Jul 25, 2022 8:00 am
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Connecticut CASA, a New Haven-based nonprofit organization, submitted the following account of a recent event held on its behalf. … The Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) movement, now in the Waterbury as well as New Haven child protection courts, is growing toward statewide reach. (See the Newsroom.)
Addressing “Music, Culture, Social Change,” the evening featured a panel discussion moderated by Jeffrey Ogbar, Professor of History and founding Director of the Center for the Study of Popular Music at UConn. Panelists were:
Brandon Sherrod (on Spotify here) played the piano and sang, too. Though he also writes and performs original songs (for example, “Corona Freestyle”) and has a new album due out in October, on this occasion Brandon did acoustic renditions of “Lean on Me” (by Bill Withers) and “Ordinary People” (by John Legend).
Sponsors were Yale University, Claire’s Corner Copia, NewAlliance Foundation, and Russell Hall Co. Chef Claire Criscuolo of Claire’s donated catering, with the Wine Thief donating wine.
Historical Context, Music, Identity, Mental Health
Professor Ogbar — as a historian whose next book, for Basic Books, is on white nationalism in the shaping of Atlanta — framed the discussion with allusions to figures ranging from Billie Holiday, Sam Cooke, and Nina Simone to Woody Guthrie. Then, Jeff Ogbar (who grew up in Chicago and Los Angeles in the 1970s and ’80s before attending Morehouse College in Atlanta) spoke of the 1980s, when urban deindustrialization, fraying social safety nets, rising crime and incarceration coincided with the rise of hip-hop. He noted that the genre has seen both misogyny and female empowerment, glorification of materialistic capitalism and critiques of extreme inequality, mass incarceration, and violence.
Lisa Dent, with a career across artistic media before her current leadership role at Artspace, evoked “Prince and the Revolution” as a point of departure, for not only music but understanding of gender fluidity and other matters of identity. As the conversation moved from music and culture to mental health, she remembered her late father, a psychiatrist who preceded her at Howard University and became a trusted confidant to many, including to fellow Black men.
The challenge of sharing one’s vulnerability, especially in the public eye and especially given bias around Black masculinity, was another theme.
Brandon Sherrod spoke about intersections of artists and athletes. A native of Bridgeport, he came to prominence nationally when, as a Yale political science student and member of the men’s basketball team, he left the university during 2014 – 15 to tour the world as a Whiffenpoof singer. (See articles in the New York Times, Guardian, ESPN, Boston Globe, Sports Illustrated, etc. ) He returned a year later, helping his team to win the Ivy League and defeat Baylor in the NCAA tournament, while setting the NCAA record for consecutive field goals. Since, he spent five years playing pro basketball (and speaking Italian) in Italy, before playing in Finland and then Israel in 2021 – 22. As noted at the July 14 Benefit event, he is playing this summer with the “Nerd Team” in a national tournament televised by ESPN.
(That team won its first two games, Brandon among three former Yale players — with Azar Swaim and Jordan Bruner — in the starting lineup. The team is scheduled to play again Monday night, July 25, at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.)
Along the way, Brandon is creating his own musical catalog with pioneering label Spinach Records.
Bradford Watson, his colleague as CEO/Founder of Spinach Records, spoke about the label’s fundamental emphasis on artists’ mental health. A graduate of Wilbur Cross High School and more recently of Harvard, he recalled meeting Brandon in New Haven — while the latter was a Yale undergraduate and Brad Watson himself was still in high school. Their artistic collaboration continues to develop, as Spinach Records now has a recording space in midtown Manhattan, while balancing music with artists’ well-being.
Q & A with the Audience
In attendance were not only Board and other volunteers for Connecticut CASA (such as Advisory Council member Jessica Sager of All Our Kin) but also a range of leaders and advocates from across the region — from Ronnell Higgins of Yale University to Dotty Weston-Murphy of the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and Lauren Ruth of CT Voices for Children.
Amos Smith, who as CEO of the Community Action Agency of New Haven was one of four colleagues from that agency at the July 14 event, commented as a former clinician himself — on the power he saw in this public discussion of mental health (days before the new national 988 hotline took effect).
In response to a question from Lindy Lee Gold (whose civic leadership with nonprofits from ‘r Kids to Christian Community Action is well documented), Bradford Watson explained that Spinach Records is indeed now a B Corp, after having begun in the form of an LLC.
Brad Watson also conveyed the label’s ironically named Instagram handle: @SpinachGang. The company obviously defies stereotypical assumptions about “gangs,” while offering camaraderie and mutual support to its community.
“Community” was a word that Brandon Sherrod used in concluding with his singing of Bill Withers’ and John Legend’s songs, each of which elicited rousing applause.
(In the days ahead, see Connecticut CASA’s YouTube channel for video of Brandon’s rendition of “Lean on Me” — piano and voice.)
Community is also (with collaboration, integrity, respect, quality, service, and stewardship) among Connecticut CASA’s core values.
Connecticut CASA Growing
The Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) movement is now in Waterbury as well as New Haven, the two largest Child Protection courts, growing toward statewide reach. (See the Newsroom.)
The CASA program model assumes 1 staff person for each 30 volunteers, on average serving 75 children in need. Working with professionals in the child welfare system, Connecticut CASA’s volunteers are supervised by staff who ensure high-quality advocacy and follow-through, including regular reporting to judges.
The CASA approach is associated with greater stability, fewer placements and increased permanency for children, as those with CASA volunteers are only half as likely to return to the foster care system and spend 25% less time there, with a one-on-one connection to an adult and greater access to community services through the sustained, resourceful efforts of that caring adult. Connecticut CASA is governed by a Board, who with an Advisory Council, Ambassadors, and professional staff extend the reach of Volunteers for children’s best interests.
CASA volunteers meet with children regularly, getting to know them and their circumstances — including teachers and social workers, foster parents and families. CASA receives court appointments in both Foster Care and Protective Supervision cases. Carefully screened and trained through a systematic curriculum and part of a national network recognized for improving outcomes, CASA volunteers make evidence-based recommendations to judges. At the center: these caring, consistent volunteers’ relationships with the children themselves — with whom these adults can make a lifelong difference through one-on-one interactions at a difficult time.
Connecticut CASA is funded through a blend of public dollars, foundation grants, individual donations, and sponsorships such as those that made the July 14 Benefit possible.
As summer kicks into full swing, the Dixwell Q House announces a new Farmers Market in collaboration with CitySeed. The Farmers Market will occur at the Dixwell Q House plaza (197 Dixwell Avenue) every Wednesday from 3 pm to 6 p.m. starting on June 22nd until October 26th. The Q‑House Farmers Market is a partnership also involving LEAP, the Stetson Branch of the New Haven Public Library, the City of New Haven’s Dixwell-Newhallville Senior Center, and Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center. Opening day for the Farmers Market will bring together Connecticut farmers, artists, musicians, community members, and, most importantly, plentiful fresh food in the heart of the neighborhood.
Friends Center for Children sent in this article and these photos about a recent event it organized.
What do we want? To fix child care! – and have some fun along the way.
Last Saturday marked the 10th New Haven Family Stroll and Festival, an annual event to raise awareness and much-needed funds for high-quality early care and education. After a two-year Covid-induced hiatus, this year’s event grew by over 300 people and had over 1,220 children, parents, educators and advocates converge at the Quinnipiac River Park for a day of awareness, fundraising and family fun
The Board of the Connecticut Children’s Museum submitted this article.
The board of the Connecticut Children’s Museum is delighted to welcome Jessica Bialecki as the new executive director and third leader of the institution.
LEAP co-founder Anne Calabresi, LEAP alumna Yvonne Temple, LEAP co-founder Roz Meyer, and LEAP alumna Tomi Veale.
The following was submitted by LEAP:
It’s not every day that you have the chance to share a meal with the Dean of Yale’s School of Management or rub elbows with a CNN host and best-selling author. The opportunity to cross paths with the production designer of Hollywood’s most complex cinematic universe arises maybe once in a blue moon. Leadership, Education, and Athletics in Partnership’s (LEAP) annual LEAP Year Event (LYE) promises those opportunities and more for New Haveners and supporters across the globe.
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Jose Sala and Lisa Rodriguez |
Dec 22, 2021 3:08 pm
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This year as part of the Wreaths Across America, James Hillhouse High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) honored the veterans by placing armed services wreaths at Westville Cemetery.
Recent youth-led “climate strike” action at City Hall.
The following letter to Mayor Justin Elicker, who has promised to make addressing climate change a focus one priority of his upcoming second term, was written by members of the youth-led New Haven Climate Movement.
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Lillian Price & Winter Szarabajka |
Nov 8, 2021 9:02 am
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Lillian Price Photos
Sixth-grader Samantha Braren getting her Covid-19 vaccine.
This story was submitted by Elm City Montessori seventh-graders Lillian Price & Winter Szarabajka.
Elm City Montessori School (ECMS) Friday hosted one of the first Covid-19 vaccine clinics for children between the ages of 5 and 11. Many families with young children showed up from around New Haven, particularly Westville, hoping to receive their first dose of the vaccine.
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Barbara Chesler, Steve Driffin and Pastor Valerie Washington |
Oct 29, 2021 9:11 am
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Emily Hays Photo
2020: It was the best of times and the worst of times. If there had to be a rewrite of the Charles Dickens classic, it could revolve around our current times. COVID-19 struck like an unexpected tsunami. As devastating as the virus still is, during its early stages, it — for just a moment — made us all take a moratorium and stop and be still. Maybe we had to realize just how vulnerable we are and, like dust in the wind, can be gone at any given moment. That we should appreciate the sand in our hourglass and love more and not value the things that are value-less. Perhaps this lesson is far from over.
