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Out of the Darkness Community Walk to Prevent Suicide, Oct. 6, Town Center Park, Hamden

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP creates a culture that’s smart about mental health through education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide.

The AFSP’s Community Walks, the core of the Out of the Darkness movement, began in 2004. These events give people the courage to open up about their own connections to the cause, and a platform to create a culture that’s smarter about mental health. Friends, family members, neighbors and coworkers walk side-by-side, supporting each other and in memory of those we’ve lost. (continued on next page)

The New Haven County Walk will be held on Oct. 6 at 9 a.m. in Town Center Park, Hamden. It’s more important than ever for us to stay connected. Register today at https://tinyurl.com/bddhww6f and help save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide.

Contacts: Eileen Januszkiewicz ([email protected]) & Caleb Warner ([email protected]).

CT Green Energy News Sept. 13, 2024

Excerpts from CT Green Energy News, a publication of People’s Action for Clean Energy (PACE). Visit their website to get the latest CT-focused energy news delivered to your inbox each Friday: pacecleanenergy.org.

As tri-state offshore wind auction moves forward, CT decides to delay decision
Connecticut Public.​ Connecticut surprised some environ-mentalists on Friday, when Massachusetts and Rhode Island were the only states to announce which new offshore wind turbine projects they would buy electricity from, if the projects are constructed. “The evaluation of project bids remains underway in Connecticut and we will announce a final decision in our solicitation at a future date,” a CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection spokesperson said in a statement.

CT was no-show at wind energy auction it helped organize.
Hartford Courant. Massachusetts has signaled it is recep-tive to an agreement, proposed by Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, that could put Connecticut back into offshore wind procurement. Under the plan, according to industry and government officials, Massachusetts would join Connecticut in a long-term agreement to buy energy from the Millstone nuclear power station in Waterford. Connecticut, in return, would partner with Massachusetts on buying power from the offshore wind project Vineyard Wind 2, planned for a tract of ocean about 25 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard.

Opponents of proposed Brookfield gas compressor expansion bolstered by new study on health risks
NewsTimes. Bolstered by new research outlining the potential dangers of the project, town and state officials are engaged in an all-out effort to pull the plug on plans to expand a natural gas compressor station located near many homes and just 1,900 feet from Whisconier Middle School. The expansion would result in increased emissions of and exposure of local residents to toxins, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides….The study says the facility “should be over a mile away from residents,” [said Nick Katevich from the Sierra Club]…. “But in the Brookfield facility, there’s hundreds of residents that live within a half a mile of the facility…” Brookfield needs Gov. Ned Lamont and state Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes to take a stand against the expansion, he said.

Waterbury schools set for solar panel expansion
CT Examiner. The city school district aims to lead the region in solar power, with the Board of Aldermen set to approve bonding next week for panel installations at five more schools….“There is money available to get this done and the technology is further advanced today. [Solar panels] are much more efficient and they are more accepted than they once were.” Although there is bonding for the project, local leaders said the city would ultimately pay nothing for the installations…. “Essentially, we are getting these solar panels at zero cost to us,” said Board of Education Chief Operating Officer Nick Albini, noting that Waterbury will see $4.6 million in savings over 20 years.​

Opinion: CT leaders must address gas system ‘death spiral’
Kat Burnham, CT Mirror. Connecticut suffers from some of the highest electricity rates in the country, and these challenges need to be addressed urgently. But the conversation in the state about how to combat the growing cost of energy for households and businesses has so far been incomplete, focusing on only one half of the equation. Left entirely undiscussed: the gas utility sector and looming crisis of affordable heat…households and businesses are moving away from the direct use of gas, either for cost, comfort, climate, health, or safety reasons. The state’s natural gas utilities risk diminishing customer enrollment and demand per customer, spread over the same – or growing – infrastructure costs. This lethal confluence of trends is bound to send gas bills skyrocketing. Called the “gas utility death spiral,” this process will hit vulnerable communities (e.g. renters, low-income residents, fixed-income seniors) the hardest.

Opinion: Everyone in Connecticut has the right to clean air
Quanishe Flippen, Hartford Courant.  The Capitol Area System​ [CAS], which has a decades-long history of polluting our air, needs to be replaced. We have the opportunity to choose 100% clean, renewable energy solutions, such as ground-source electric heat pumps, that will significantly reduce harmful emissions and improve our air quality. These solutions are not just about cleaner air; they represent a commitment to the future of our children and our community…[So] it is disappointing to see that the ​[CAS] study still includes fossil fuel options. This is not just a step backward for Hartford; it’s a step backward for our entire state. Governor Lamont and our leaders must act on their commitments to clean energy and reject any fossil fuel alternatives. Our health, our environment, and our future depend on it.

Unforgotten: Connecticut’s Hidden History of Slavery

CT Public Radio www.npr.org/podcasts/organizations/s546

It’s a history lesson many of us didn’t get in school: Slavery has deep roots in Connecticut and across New England. Enslaved people helped build the foundation of much of this state. Get to know some of these men and women and the lives they lived. Hear from descendants who reflect on their loved ones. And learn from historians and experts going on a journey of discovery to recover this hidden history. In this five-part episode podcast from Connecticut Public, Report-er/Producer Diane Orson and Editorial Consultant and Curator Frank Mitchell talk about some of the issues in, and around these stories.

Visit www.ctpublic.org/unforgotten to learn more, including additional videos, photos and digital stories.

Can Connecticut at Least Divest the Drone Company?

by Stanley Heller, Executive Director, Middle East Crisis Committee

Responding to a resident’s request, the State Treasurer’s office revealed that investments of state money in Israel have ballooned to over $113 million. This is a big increase since 2021 when it was $85 million.

The Israeli government, which is widely recognized as guilty of the international crime of apartheid, is committing the crime of genocide in Gaza, and since October of 2023 has killed hundreds of Palestinian civilians in the West Bank. For a decade, groups and individuals have been calling on various treasurers and CT governors to divest from Israel. They’ve argued that it’s a shame to make profit from financing oppression. However, these calls have been ignored. To make some headway an effort is underway to get rid of just one Israeli stock.

The Treasury has now over a million dollars invested in Elbit, Israel’s biggest weapons company, which has made drones that are implicated in several massacres. In 2014 its Hermes drone was involved in a notorious incident at a Gaza beach where the drone gunned down four cousins playing soccer. The oldest was 11. Elbit produces cluster munitions, weaponized white phosphorus, and flechette projectiles. The use of these weapons is prohibited under a 2008 international treaty signed by 111 countries.

A petition campaign has been started calling on the state of Connecticut to divest its Elbit stock. This is the link to the Change.org petition: https://tinyurl.com/divest-elbit. The campaign should be of special interest to public worker unions. The overwhelming majority of money in the state treasury is money to be used for pensions for Connecticut teachers, state employees and city employees. Much of it has been deducted from those workers’ salaries. Other money comes from general taxes. None of that money should be used to finance Israeli wars, prisons and walls.

Often one hears the argument that we’re wasting our time with divestment efforts because nothing can be done and that the companies are just too powerful. Yet just recently it was announced that Elbit is permanently closing down its offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts, after months of picketing.

As Israel Expands Its Lebanon Attacks…

The need to divest from Israel grows as Israel becomes more aggressive in its bombings in Lebanon, which has faced acts of war from the Zionist government for many decades. In September, many memorialized the Sabra and Shatila massacres of mid-September 1982 when over 1400 Palestinians and Lebanese were killed during Israel’s invasion. Since the genocide in Gaza began there’s been limited attacks from Hezbollah forces in Lebanon in solidarity with Palestinians. Israel has responded with jets dropping bombs. Some include white phosphorus, whose use against civilians is regarded as a war crime. There’s been a steady drumbeat by rightist forces in Israel for a full-scale attack on Lebanon. The mass explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies that killed scores and maimed thousands may be the start of that attack.

Connecticut should divest from Israel if only for its constant aggression against Lebanon.
For questions or more information: [email protected].

Confronting the Plastic Pollution Crisis 

by Faye Park, President, ConnPIRG

Support bans on the worst form of single-use plastic! One in three Americans now live in a state with a ban on at least one form of single-use plastic — including here in Connecticut.

Hold plastic producers accountable for the waste their products become by supporting producer responsibility legislation at the national and state levels. PIRG helped lead the charge to win groundbreaking producer responsibility laws for packaging in Colorado, California and Oregon — and Connecticut could be next.

One of the most impactful things we can do to protect our planet and our health is stem the tide of plastic pollution.

As the world’s largest online retailer, Amazon produces a ton of plastic trash in the form of packaging. The company has said it’s committed to reducing its plastic waste – but the amount of plastic packaging it uses in America is actually growing, not shrinking.

New research shows that Amazon produced 208 million pounds of plastic packaging trash in the U.S. in 2022, a 10% increase over the prior year.

We need Amazon to get its plastic production under control and turn to more sustainable packaging alternatives. To keep our work going strong, we need everyone who believes in a zero-waste future to come together.

Visioning Continues for Six Lakes

July 31 Update from the Six Lakes Coalition

…. People from all over Hamden and Greater New Haven gathered… for three public visioning sessions… to dream a future for Six Lakes. The idea was… to share a vision for the 102-acre forested wetlands tucked away in southern Hamden ….

Justin Farmer, a member of the Six Lakes Park Coalition steering committee, attended all three public sessions and a fourth for the residents of Whitney Center… Altogether about 100 people attended… All had a chance to view a stunning six-minute video of the property created by the Mill River Watershed Association and to share their desires for a future park through conversations ….

“There is a consensus that people want to see green space and accessible trails,” says Justin, adding that opinions were mixed on development. “Even people who might not live to see the completion of the project were very strong in wanting the space to be preserved….”

Not everyone was in agreement about what a future park might look like. Some people wanted access for bicycles, while others wanted just pedestrians using the trails. Some wanted picnic tables and playground equipment, while others wanted a less developed space for wildlife and quiet contemplation. Few people have actually been on the property, which has been fenced off by its owner, Olin Corporation, for decades. “Without having seen it, it’s hard to imagine what it could be like,” Justin adds….

About 175 people have filled out surveys on what they’d like to see in a park at Six Lakes… steering committee members will be focusing for the next month on getting a lot more people to fill them out by going door-to-door and by promoting the survey at public events and online… The Coalition will issue a final Vision Report based on its findings from the visioning sessions and surveys sometime this fall. That report will help inform future decisions by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and Olin as testing and, eventually, cleanup of the property moves forward.

Check out the Six Lakes video at: vimeo.com/956769518/8314bc38d2.

For more information and to fill out the survey, email [email protected].

Hiroshima and Nagasaki Vigils – We Remember

by Millie Grenough, New Haven Peace Commission

On August 6, peace activists gathered at the New Haven Green to remember the devastation caused by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and to advocate for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

Youth activist Manuel Camacho from Ice the Beef and the City of New Haven Peace Commission opened the event by highlighting the lack of awareness among his generation regarding the nuclear threat. He emphasized that the United States was the first to use nuclear weapons and continues to develop more powerful ones that could endanger the planet.

The vigil included readings of a proclamation from Hiroshima Mayor Matsui Kazumi

Youth activist Adrian Huq from the New Haven Climate Movement spoke of the two existential threats, nuclear weapons and climate change.

The vigil included readings of a proclamation from Hiroshima Mayor Matsui Kazumi, who reminded the audience of the catastrophic human toll of the bombing and the ongoing risks posed by nuclear weapons. Former Mayor Toni Harp reflected on the personal significance of August 6, as it coincides with her birthday and the tragic events in Hiroshima.

The commemoration continued August 9 at New Haven City Hall, marking the 79th anniversary of the Nagasaki bombing. Henry Lowendorf, Chair of the Greater New Haven Peace Council, stressed the importance of remembering past atrocities to prevent future ones. Mayor Justin Elicker expressed gratitude to those who work tirelessly for peace, noting that funds used for nuclear weapons could better serve community needs. Roberto Irizzary, Chair of the New Haven Peace Commission, read a proclamation from Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki, urging global action for peace.

Youth activist Manuel Camacho from Ice the Beef and the City of New Haven Peace Commission opened the event by highlighting the lack of awareness among his generation regarding the nuclear threat.

Youth activist Manuel Camacho from Ice the Beef and the City of New Haven Peace Commission relates details about the deaths, city destruction, and ongoing deaths and diseases brought on by the August 9 bombing.

Atomic veteran Hank Bolden shared his harrowing experience of being used in a Defense Department experiment to test the effects of radiation, describing the long-term health consequences he and others endured. Despite the ongoing challenges, the events were a powerful reminder of the urgent need to abolish nuclear weapons, a call echoed by many speakers, including Manny Camacho, who again underscored the horrific legacy of these bombings and the continuing dangers of nuclear proliferation.

Save the Date! Fall Community Engagement Workshops at the New Haven Free Public Library

by Rory Martorana, NHFPL Public Services Administrator for Communications and Adult Services

The New Haven Free Public Library (NHFPL)’s 2025-2028 Strategic Framework planning has begun! Every few years, the NHFPL crafts a Strategic Framework—a roadmap of initiatives designed to bring our Mission, Vision, and Values to life. These frameworks are built on the insights and ideas shared by you—the residents of New Haven and visitors to NHFPL—to meet the city’s informational, cultural, and educational needs.

We need your help to make this project successful. Join us at one of our ten Community Engagement Workshops (presented in one of three languages) to share feedback on what our community needs. Tell us what you love, what we might do differently, and your thoughts on new and innovative programs you would like to see at NHFPL. Your input will help guide our goals and services for the next three years.
Community Engagement Workshops Schedule:

September 9, 6-7:30 p.m. at Mitchell Branch, 37 Harrison
Street (English)
September 19, 6-7:30 p.m. at Fair Haven Branch, 182
Grand Avenue (English)
September 23, 6-7:30 p.m. at Ives Main Library, 133 Elm
Street (English)
September 24, 6-7:30 p.m. at Wilson Branch, 303
Washington Avenue (English)
September 26, 6-7:30 p.m. at Fair Haven Branch, 182 Grand
Avenue (Spanish)
September 28, 1:30-3 p.m. at Ives Main Library, 133 Elm
Street (English)
September 30, 6-7:30 p.m. Virtual, Zoom (English)
October 1, 6-7:30 p.m. at Wilson Branch, 303 Washington
Avenue (Spanish)
October 2, 6-7:30 p.m. at Stetson Branch, 197 Dixwell
Avenue (English)
October 8, 6-7:30 p.m. at Ives Main Library, 133 Elm Street
(Mandarin)

Registration is required and refreshments will be served. Each workshop is limited to a maximum 25 participants. Call 203-946-8130, ext. 101 for more information and to register. Check our planning progress at http://nhfpl.org, and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok @nhfpl for the latest updates, details on Community Engagement Workshops, and more. Please spread the word to your neighbors and local loved ones. Let’s work together to create a better future for New Haven! Let’s work together to create a better future for New Haven!

Resolution 77: End the Madness of New Arms Race

by Ann Froines, CT Back from the Brink

As a representative of Back from the Brink (BftB), I spoke at the Hiroshima/Nagasaki Remembrance events this August 6 and 9 in New Haven, asking the attendees to join the campaign to get House Resolution 77 passed in the U.S. Congress. Experts are sounding the alarm that the risks of nuclear war are greater than ever since the beginning of the Atomic Age. (Bulletin of Atomic Scientists has an excellent, free, online newsletter to keep up to date on the risks of nuclear war.)

The events were organized by the Greater New Haven Peace Council, the New Haven Peace Commission, and Veterans for Peace. Each organization had representatives who spoke movingly about the human suffering after the Hiroshima/Nagasaki bombings and the existential threats from a future nuclear exchange, whether intended or accidental.

House Resolution 77 calls for our government to actively pursue negotiations for arms control with other nuclear powers, to end the madness of a new arms race, and to take nuclear weapons in the U.S. off hair-trigger alert. Forty-four Congresspeople have signed on to the Resolution, and BftB groups are working nationwide to get support from a majority in the House.

None of the five CT members of the House of Representatives has yet endorsed the resolution, and BftB and other groups will pursue this goal into 2025, when there will be a new House of Representatives and a new administration.

We ask you to write your Congressperson and urge him or her to cosponsor House Resolution 77. You can reach Congressional offices through their switchboard at 202-224-3121. For further information on getting involved in CT, please contact Joe Wasserman at [email protected].

Visit the website of Back from the Brink at www.preventnuclearwar.org to learn more about the urgency of communities working together to stop the arms race and reduce the threat of nuclear war before a catastrophe happens that could threaten human existence on the planet.

U-ACT and the Amistad/Rosette Neighborhood Village Community Demand that Homelessness in New Haven Be Decriminalized

by Mark Colville, U-ACT and Amistad Catholic Worker

Every Friday from 12-1 p.m., the Unhoused Activist Community Team (U-ACT) hosts a community lunch and public speak-out on the New Haven Green, directly across from City Hall, 165 Church St. Our purpose is twofold: 1) To reach out with direct hospitality to our unhoused neighbors who are forced to take refuge on the street each day, and 2) To give a loud public voice to the misery and unnecessary suffering imposed on them by Mayor Elicker’s continued inaction and the policies that criminalize low-income people. The speak-out is often joined by public health experts, street medicine caregivers, tenants’ rights groups, immigrants’ rights collectives, anti-violence and anti-police brutality organizations, and Palestine solidarity folks, all demanding justice and decriminalization.

Central to U-ACT’s demands is a moratorium on police sweeps of tent city encampments. These are a direct violation of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which authorizes economic refugees to take up residence on unused public land when the state fails to provide them with adequate and affordable housing. We further demand that the city come into compliance with the UN—to which it is bound by congressional treaty—by designating one or more parcels of public land for the development of a supported emergency encampment for our un-housed economic refugee neighbors.

Rosette Neighborhood Village, located in the backyard at the Amistad Catholic Worker at 203 Rosette St., is a private initiative that is currently providing a working model of what a supported encampment looks like, and how the city could eliminate homelessness by replicating it on a larger scale. We demand that this form of emergency shelter be immediately and permanently legally zoned before another deadly harsh winter descends. Instead, Mayor Elicker shut off the power to this vibrant backyard micro-neighborhood in June, during the hottest days of the year so far. This cruelty must stop. This mayor must be stopped.

Please come join us for lunch and speak-out every Friday and stay for U-ACT’s weekly organizing meeting from 1-2:30 p.m. in the public library across from the Green at 133 Elm St.

For more information please contact Mark Colville at 203-645-5417.

THE EMERGENCY IS TONIGHT!
“The only solution is love and love comes with community” – Dorothy Day

2024 Greater New Haven Labor History Association Conference Sept 8, 4 – 6 p.m.

by Steve Mooser, Greater New Haven Labor Association

Les Leopold, the Executive Director of the Labor Institute, is the Keynote Speaker at the Greater New Haven Labor History Association’s annual conference on September 8. He and longtime community organizer and housing advocate, Kim McLaughlin, will receive the organization’s Augusta Lewis Troup award.

For decades, Leopold has been an impassioned and articulate advocate for workers’ rights and financial well-being. He founded the Labor Institute in 1975 to work for a more equitable and just society. The Institute conducts educational programs for unions, environmental organizations and other community activist groups. Bringing diverse groups out of their respective “silos” to work together has been a priority.

In 2009, Leopold wrote “The Looting of America: How Wall Street’s Game of Fantasy Finance Destroyed Our Jobs, Pensions and Prosperity and What We Can Do About It.” His 2015 book, “Runaway Inequality: An Activist’s Guide to Economic Justice,” focused on the causes of income inequity. The most significant impact has been caused by the growth of the financial sector. Neo-liberal austerity measures and significant cuts in corporate taxes and those of the wealthy forced communities to scramble to fund basic service needs, including incurring greater debt to financial entities.

In his latest book, Wall Street’s War on Workers, he expands on how the financial sector has strip-mined middle-class wealth. Leopold clearly demonstrates the result of stock buybacks. Venture capitalists buy up control of an economically healthy company by incurring tremendous debt. Borrowed funds are used for bonuses and to buy back stock. The once-healthy company is saddled with debilitating debts, resulting in massive layoffs.

A second theme is using polling data to debunk the commonly presented message that the blue-collar workforce and white working class are lost to extreme right-wing political forces.

We look forward to an exciting meeting, including music by labor troubadour Frank Panzarella. Admission is free; donations appreciated!

GNHLHA Conference is Sunday, Sept. 8, 4–6 p.m. at The Labor Center/NHFT Union Hall, 267 Chapel Street, New Haven. Parking is available in the back.

Pizza will be served at the conclusion of the program. For more info: Steve Mooser, [email protected].

Betsy Ross Arts School and New Haven Peace Commission Celebrate International Day of Peace

by Millie Grenough, New Haven Peace Commission

Cultivating a Culture of Peace is the 2024 theme of the United Nations’ International Day of Peace. To celebrate this theme locally, Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School will collaborate with the City of New Haven Peace Commission to host the annual planting of the Peace Tree on their school grounds, 150 Kimberly Ave., New Haven, on Friday, September 20, at 10 a.m.

For decades, the City of New Haven Peace Commission has planted a tree on the grounds of a different city school, library, or public building. The trees and plaques remind us of those killed by gun violence in our community and in wars abroad, and affirm the commitment of New Haven as a United Nations-designated Peace Messenger City, for action toward peace and justice everywhere.

At the Sept. 20 event, students will perform and will unveil an inscribed marker bearing a message that expresses their desire and commitment to work actively for peace. The plaque will be mounted near a tree that they choose, donated and planted by Urban Resources Initiative.

When the General Assembly of the United Nations initiated the Day of Peace in 1981, it stated that peace “not only is the absence of conflict, but also requires a positive, dynamic participatory process where dialogue is encouraged and conflicts are solved in a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation.”

Betsy Ross teachers and students are known for their creativity in music, dance, theatre, and the visual arts. We are eager to see how they will highlight their vision of peace. Expect creative performances by students and a few peace-loving grown-ups.

Photos of earlier peace monuments and dedication ceremonies: www.PeaceCommission.org. Put the date on your calendar now: Friday, Sept. 20, 2024 at 10 a.m. at Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School, 150 Kimberly Ave., New Haven 06519.

Up-to-date info: http://www.PeaceCommission.org and http://www.rossarts.org

Social Media: http://facebook.com/newhavenpeacecommission and Instagram: @nhpeacecommission

Contact: Principal Jennifer Jenkins, Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School, email: [email protected], phone: 475-220-5300 and Fred Brown, City of New Haven Peace Commission, email: [email protected], phone: 203-415-1370.

Unemployment Is Largely an Unrecognized and Underestimated Problem in Connecticut and Nationwide

by Sarianna Sabbarese, Jobs and Human Rights Task Force

Official Unemployment: 3.9% or 72,573 CT workers
Hidden Unemployment: 47,808 (working part-time because they can’t find full-time work)
Want Jobs But Are Not Currently Looking: 58,760 (left out of most statistics)
Full, Accurate Count Of Un- And Under-Employed Workers In CT: 181,141

Many not included in the official “unemployment” statistics grapple with underemployment. For instance, those who are not currently looking for work, those who string together multiple part-time jobs to make ends meet, and those who work “under the table” because they aren’t granted access to stable, life-supporting opportunities through the labor market.

The Jobs and Human Rights Task Force is a CT-based group working under the auspices of the National Jobs For All Network. The nationwide long-term goal is to advance and advocate for a policy plan that radically reimagines the existing labor system. We seek a Federal Job Guarantee for all people that recognizes access to meaningful, living wage employment as a human right to which all who wish to work are entitled. We believe that systemic inequality and injustice make all people poorer.

We work at the state level to lay the groundwork for this human rights-based employment framework. Connecticut contains both soaring wealth and deep poverty within its borders. The economic disparities found here mirror those seen across the US. Thus, it can serve as an ideal state in which to push for, test out, refine, and model interventions that address the root causes of this unjust and unequal system — interventions that can then be applied on the national level.

Help us reach our goal of establishing a job creation program that will employ 10% of un- and underemployed people in Connecticut! We meet on the second Wednesday of each month. Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 11, at 8 p.m. via ZOOM. Email Sarianna Sabbarese at [email protected] for the link, or for more info about the Task Force.

Brian Tokar To Give the 2024 Shafer Lecture

by Stanley Heller, Administrator, Promoting Enduring Peace

The annual Shafer Lecture, presented by Promoting Enduring Peace, will feature Brian Tokar, author of “The Green Alternative,” “Earth for Sale,” “Toward Climate Justice,” and “Climate Justice and Community Renewal: Resistance and Grassroots Solutions.”

This free event will be held on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 3 p.m. at the Unitarian Society of New Haven, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden. Please see the enclosed insert for more information.

To learn more about Promoting Enduring Peace, please see PEPeace.org or @pepeace on social media.

Northeast Electric Vehicle Symposium (NEEVS)

On Sunday, Sept. 15, noon to 4 p.m., and Monday, Sept. 16, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Hotel Marcel, 500 Sargent Drive, get charged up at NEEVS, the ultimate gathering for EV enthusiasts, policymakers, and those seeking trusted guidance on driving electric. Sunday is dedicated to educating and informing consumers as they meet and talk with a variety of EV owners showcasing their cars and as they participate in a ride and drive event to experience EVs on a 1.5-mile route. The NEEVS symposium is a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of electric vehicles and network with industry experts. Discover the latest incentives, policies and advances in zero-emission vehicles and pathways to decarbonizing the built environment. Register at https://tinyurl.com/4uvn7hva.

Walk with Guilford Peace Alliance Sept. 21

by Yann van Heurck, Guilford Peace Alliance

The Guilford Peace Alliance (GPA) invites all progressives to join them walking in the annual town fair parade on Saturday morning, Sept. 21, 2024. The march begins at 9:30 a.m. at 40 High Street in central Guilford to walk in the parade at 10. Join and help hand out leaflets.

The GPA holds weekly Saturday morning vigils, which have been going on for 45 years! Attend their Saturday peace vigils on the Guilford Green (11 a.m. to noon) to highlight important issues of the day.

ALL ARE WELCOME! Bring signs and issues, come to talk. GPA also sponsors public lectures, opposes the arms industry and US colonialism and supports pro-democracy movements and freedom for Palestine from the US political arrangements that partitioned and stole its land.

For more information, contact Yann at [email protected] and 203-245-9720.

Zionist Betrayal of Jews Slide Show Available

by Stanley Heller, Middle East Crisis Committee

A new and expanded edition of the book “Zionist Betrayal of Jews” has been published. The book was first published in 2019 but is now updated with new material about the Zionist embrace of Trump and white-nationalist enabler Elon Musk. It also has a new section about the collaboration of a Hungarian Zionist leader with the Nazis.

I have created an 80-photo slideshow about the revelations of the book that I’d be happy to present to your organization online or in person. It’s one thing to read about events and another to see photos of the history. For instance, there are photos in the slideshow of an anti-Nazi campaign capped by the 100,000 who turned out in New York in 1933. The Zionists undermined this effort with their sabotage of the anti-Nazi boycott. Photos also show Zionist leaders’ deals with dangerous antisemitic governments in South America and the nefarious activities of Trump and Musk.

The information is not only of great value for Jews but also for all non-Jews sympathetic to Palestinian rights. The latter are routinely tarred as antisemites. My book and slide show demonstrate the utter hypocrisy of the Zionists, who collaborated again and again with violent antisemitic forces. The slide show lasts about 35 minutes and is followed by Q&A and discussion.

More about the book at stanleyheller.com. Reach me at [email protected].

Reentry Program for People Who Were Formerly Incarcerated and Their Families

by Rebeka Bamgboye, Outreach Specialist, Urban League of Southern CT

The Urban League of Southern Connecticut’s True Haven program supports individuals and families affected by incarceration, focusing on stable housing and mental wellness. Participants receive six months of intensive financial education and housing support. The program also trains community members in trauma-informed counseling to improve their mental health and the community’s safety. True Haven aims to break cycles of instability and empower families within our community.

To participate, one must be:

  • 18 or older
  • Recently released from prison or have an incarcerated family member
  • Live in Beaver Hills, Newhallville, Hill North and South, Fair Haven, Dwight/West River, or Dixwell

    Visit www.ulsc.org or call 203-327-5810 for more information.

Elm Shakespeare Company presents Richard III

Elm Shakespeare Company presents Richard III, Tuesday-Sunday at 7:30 p.m. through Sept. 1.

This production is free in Edgerton Park!

Elm Shakespeare Company’s 29th annual summer production, Richard III, directed by Rebecca Goodheart, Elm’s seasoned Producing Artistic Director, is set to be a landmark event at the Alexander Clark Playhouse Stage in Edgerton Park, running until Sept. 1st.

With over two decades of experience in directing, acting, and teaching Shakespeare, Goodhearted will explore the role society plays in creating villains and the cost of political violence on us all.

This year’s production features Lisa Wolpe, an internationally renowned theater artist known for her groundbreaking work on Shakespeare and gender, in the title role of Richard. Wolpe’s involvement brings a unique depth to the character, offering audiences a new perspective on the classic play. Her innovative approach to gender in theater juxtaposed to a traditional medieval setting, promises to be a production that continues Elm Shakespeare’s tradition of bringing thought-provoking and accessible Shakespeare to New Haven.

For more information, visit https://www.elmshakespeare.org.

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