by | Sep 23, 2021 2:56 pm | Comments (4)
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Mutual Housing’s Aaron Hoffman walks a skeptical Council through the revised site plan for 560 Newhall.
The 560 Newhall property.
Local lawmakers heard a new plan to turn an abandoned middle school into affordable housing — and it sounded a lot like a stalled plan from six years ago.
by | Sep 22, 2021 11:08 am | Comments (2)
Al Lotto: I am not and was never looking for a career in politics.
Independent Candidate Al Lotto formally withdrew from Hamden’s mayoral race on Wednesday morning, citing pressure from “important people in town” urging him to drop out.
Continue reading ‘Independent Candidate Drops Out Of Hamden Mayoral Race’
by | Sep 22, 2021 8:01 am | Comments (4)
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Engineering Director Mark Austin addresses the council Monday night.
Safer bridges, freshly paved sidewalks, and more expansive trails are on deck for Hamden, according to a newly approved $2.875 million capital budget for the town’s Engineering Department.
Continue reading ‘Hamden OKs $2.8M Engineering Capital Budget’
by | Sep 21, 2021 9:12 am | Comments (1)
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Austin Cesare congratulates the council Monday night on a “team” success.
Hamden’s Legislative Council voted unanimously Monday night in support of a new law that prohibits the town and its employees from acquiring, accessing, or utilizing facial recognition technology.
by | Sep 20, 2021 12:23 pm | Comments (2)
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Chamber of Commerce members Madison Stout, Mimsie Coleman, Nancy Dudchik, and Meegia Wojcik.
Hamden a capella group Silk’n Sounds, featuring lead singers Mary Beth and Michele Cohen and baritones Debbie Clark and Louise Talarczyk. They posted sign-ups for auditions and booked two private gigs during their first run at Hamden Fest.
Hamden Fest returned for a second spin after a pandemic pause, planting its roots Saturday in Town Center Park.
by | Sep 20, 2021 8:05 am | Comments (0)
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Seated on the Best Video deck Sunday evening, Mamady Kouyate reached behind him to trigger a tight, intricate loop of drums and synthesized backup. The loops offered harmonic and rhythmic structure, but no sway. That was the humans’ job. Ousmane Kouyate on rhythm guitar and Jocelyn Pleasant on djembe breathed velocity and relaxation into the music, falling in with the programmed elements and bringing them all to life. Now Mamady stood up, and in the light of the setting sun, brought cascades of keening notes, intricate rhythmic figures, idea after idea, speaking of aching joy.
Continue reading ‘Mandingo Ambassadors Bring Guinea To Hamden’
by | Sep 17, 2021 12:57 pm | Comments (0)
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Parent Marty Edwards at school pick-up: Kids love to wear masks!
Two weeks into the school year, Hamden appears to be rolling with multiple Covid-19 challenges, as families adjust to routines and so far no high-school cases have been reported.
by , and | Sep 14, 2021 8:53 pm | Comments (17)
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Lauren Garrett with sons Bobby and Connor and their Schitzu Maltese Penelope at home Tuesday night after winning mayoral primary.
“Row A all the way”: victorious Council candidate Laurie Sweet and Town Clerk candidate Karimah Mickens with DTC campaign manager Brian Murphy at the victory party.
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Leng with supporters after the results came in: Not sure if he’ll endorse Garrett in general election.
(Updated) Hamden Democrats voted for change Tuesday night, as Lauren Garrett defeated three-term incumbent Mayor Curt Leng in a Democratic primary by a 2 – 1 margin.
And Garrett had coattails: All nine other candidates running on her Town Committee-endorsed line, including town clerk candidate Karimah Mickens and a host of Legislative Council and Board of Education candidates, won their primaries as well.
Continue reading ‘Garrett Crushes Leng In Hamden Primary; Progressive Slate Goes 10 For 10’
by | Sep 13, 2021 4:10 pm | Comments (0)
Polls will open Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. throughout Hamden and in New Haven’s Newhallville neighborhood for Democratic primary elections.
by | Sep 13, 2021 10:06 am | Comments (9)
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Joshua Watkins and Rachel Scolnic Dobin: Row B’s a team.
Mariam Khan (center) with fellow Row A candidates Justin Farmer and Abdul Osmanu: “Vote the best, then the rest.”
When Hamden Democrats go to the polls Tuesday, they will decide among 21 different candidates seeking office — or simply between teams on two rows that will appear on the ballot. Row A and Row B.
Well, add an asterisk: Row A, Row B, and “Row C.”
by | Sep 12, 2021 5:49 pm | Comments (8)
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Lillian Clayman returns to Hamden from Long Island Sunday to cheer on Garrett.
Volunteers and Row A candidates crowd around Clayman and Garrett.
Lillian Clayman, Hamden’s first female mayor, “passed the torch” at spirited campaign rally Sunday to the woman she said should be the town’s next leader: Lauren Garrett.
Continue reading ‘Garrett, Leng Land Endorsements From Former Mayors’
by | Sep 10, 2021 3:51 pm | Comments (4)
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Leng: Cop union in his corner.
Hamden’s police union has made a first-ever mayoral endorsement, for the reelection of Incumbent Mayor Curt Leng.
by | Sep 10, 2021 10:39 am | Comments (4)
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Attendees and participants at Thursday night’s youth mayoral forum.
Alisha Martindale photo
Leng holds separate forum with U.S. Rep Rosa DeLauro and Hamden Chief of Staff Adam Sendroff.
What are the root causes of food insecurity, and who is responsible for combating them?
Are Hamden schools equitable? Should we sell Wintergreen?
Why should we vote for you? What makes you stand out?
Hamden’s three Democratic mayoral candidates faced that final flurry of publicly posed questions at two different forums on Thursday night, five days in advance of the Sept. 14 primary.
Continue reading ‘Mayoral Candidates Tackle Hunger, Schools, Experience’
by | Sep 9, 2021 7:02 am | Comments (9)
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Chief Sullivan: What if technology improves?
A proposed ordinance that promises to ban town use and acquisition of facial recognition technology has moved one step closer to approval, sparked by concerns about bias and wrongly charged criminal suspects.
by | Sep 9, 2021 7:01 am | Comments (15)
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State Sen. Jorge Cabrera with Lauren Garrett: “She has the passion and character” to do the job.
State Sen. Jorge Cabrera announced his support for Hamden mayoral candidate Lauren Garrett on Wednesday night, six days before a three-way Democratic primary.
Continue reading ‘Cabrera Endorses Garrett For Hamden Mayor’
by | Sep 8, 2021 12:00 pm | Comments (4)
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The tenant’s apartment on Putnam Avenue, above a Whitneyville bodega.
A Hamden renter was spared eviction on the last day of August, thanks to a flood of federally-funded financial assistance for tenants — and a state requirement that landlords tap into that program before they can kick someone out for nonpayment of rent.
Continue reading ‘State Rental Relief Keeps Hamden Renter Housed’
by | Sep 8, 2021 7:49 am | Comments (17)
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Hamden mayoral candidate Peter Cyr at WNHH FM.
You know those social-media addicted millennials? Peter Cyr doesn’t count himself among them.
by | Sep 7, 2021 2:43 pm | Comments (4)
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Leonard Young, founder and director of “Gimme Shelter,” as well as bartender and dog walker. He said dogs have served as quietly communicative therapists for him after 30 years working in the noisy and oppressive food and beverage industry. He took in his own dog, Goober, after Goober’s owner received a “life changing diagnosis” and could no longer care for him. Because Young adopted her, the owner’s teenage daughters have been able to stay in touch with their dog.
“If we can’t agree on the puppies, what can we agree on?”
Independent Hamden Legislative Council candidate Jay Kaye posed that question while standing outside of a bar where animal rights advocate organization “Gimme Shelter” was hosting a fundraiser. A political fundraiser.
by | Sep 2, 2021 12:18 pm | Comments (18)
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Rev. Andal at Hamden, New Haven candidate forum: “It is our faith that compels us to build a better world.”
“Yes.” “Yes.” “Yes*.”
“No.”
Four Hamden and New Haven Democratic mayoral candidates consistently offered that litany of answers to policy demands posed by a grassroots organizing group at a public health and safety forum.
by | Sep 2, 2021 8:20 am | Comments (6)
Pitkin Tunnel under 200 Orange Street, flooded by Ida.
Eleven days after New Haven and Hamden hunkered down for a hurricane that never arrived, the remnants of a different hurricane flooded streets and basements and left hundreds without power.
by | Sep 1, 2021 3:55 pm | Comments (4)
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School and town officials at Wednesday’s press conference.
Hamden has reached a deal to sell Wintergreen school for $16 million— which Mayor Leng said will result in Church Street and Shepherd Glen Elementary School remaining open and the town getting a new fire station.
Continue reading ‘$16M Wintergreen School Sale Deal Struck; 2 Other Schools Saved’
by | Aug 31, 2021 7:41 am | Comments (4)
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Robinson updates wife over phone for third time: I found the kids!
John Robinson circled around Dunbar Hill Elementary in search of his two daughters.
“This is too stressful!” he exclaimed. His 4‑year-old nephew clung to his neck while the voice of his worried wife echoed in his ear.
Continue reading ‘Day 1 Dismissal Difficulties Create Chaos’
by | Aug 30, 2021 3:07 pm | Comments (1)
The driver of an alleged mailbox-thieving crew was clinging to life Monday after running a stop sign — and crashing into a CT Transit bus.
Continue reading ‘Alleged Mailbox Thieves Crash Into CT Transit Bus’
by | Aug 30, 2021 6:43 am | Comments (8)
Emani Arnold: “Confident side” ready for school.
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Imani Moore, 5, searches for her hair style of choice at Sunday’s event at The Village.
“Everyday I look in the mirror and tell myself, ‘You can do this,” 14-year-old Emani Arnold said from a folding chair where she patiently waited two hours for a back-to-school hairdo of bright red braids.
Those burgundy plaits will frame Arnold’s face Monday morning when she performs the mirror routine in preparation for her first day of 11th grade.
Continue reading ‘It Took A Village To Prepare Hair For Day 1’
by | Aug 27, 2021 11:03 am | Comments (7)
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Andrew Mills signs charter petition circulated Wednesday evening by Sarah Gallagher and Lauren Garrett.
A new Hamden town charter isn’t dead — at least not yet.
A week after the Legislative Council shot down a proposed once-in-a-decade revision of the charter, over 50 people in town are hitting the streets in a long-shot bid to collect signatures to put the proposed changes on November’s ballot after all.