Community, Ownership, and the Road to Energy Justice  

by Lucy Marinelli, Neighborhood Housing Services

On Sept. 22, 2022, Kathy Fay, Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) of New Haven’s Director of Community Sustainability, had the honor of presenting to the Yale School of Environment’s “Green Building: Issues and Perspectives” class.  

Kathy took students down the road to energy justice by beginning with the discussion of redlining. This racially discriminatory act denied Black people mortgage loans and various financial services required to purchase a home. Although redlining was banned 50+ years ago, the systemic impact of redlining is still very evident, even in New Haven. A historically redlined area today manifests as a community with people of color living in financial instability as renters, not homeowners.  

Kathy stated, “Being able to keep property in the family becomes difficult when you’re struggling with energy bills and leaky, old buildings.” This is a common plight in formerly redlined communities and creates a snowball effect: people are living in an area where past generations did not have the ability to finance mortgages. This means that when houses were not passed down to future generations, poverty is still rampant today, thus, generational wealth was never achieved. 

NHS works to make change a reality by transforming these old houses into safe, energy-efficient, affordable homes. The work is done by I Heart My Home CT, an NHS program. Clients get counseled in ways to have home-energy conversations with landlords, how to identify trusted services (for example, barrier remediation programs to remove mold or asbestos), and the advantages of getting home energy audits.  

Kathy hopes to see the intersection of energy efficiency and equity be more prevalent. One way to accomplish this is through a mandated landlord energy-efficiency requirement. She left the students with a call to action: “Reach out to your local representatives.”  

The CT General Assembly proposed Governor’s Bill No. 5041, An Act Concerning Home Energy Affordability for Home Renters. The bill essentially holds landlords accountable regarding transparency with “home energy labels.” Tenant right-to-know is important. If people use their voice to encourage their local representatives to vote in favor of this bill next session, they will have the power to change the trajectory of energy justice in Connecticut. 

 For more info: https://nhsofnewhaven.org/ 

On Instagram and Facebook: @NHSofNewHaven

203-562-0598 Admin@nhsofnewhaven.org 

People Rally to Demand Free Bus Service to Continue

by Melinda Tuhus, WPKN News, Nov. 17,2022

A group of transit advocates rallied outside the headquarters of the CT Dept of Transportation in Newington on Wednesday [Nov. 16] waving their signs as a few buses drove past them.

The group was calling for an indefinite extension of fare-free buses as well as support for the mostly Black and brown bus drivers who have experienced more stress ever since the pandemic, and then had to deal with more riders on the free buses who sometimes needed mental health support themselves.

Tenaya Taylor, head of the Nonprofit Accountability Group and lead organizer of the event, explained why they came out. “So, you know, for us supporting fare-free transit will mean lifting some economic burdens on frontline communities because they’re saving money on the bus, and also cleaner air because it’s reducing emissions since more people are hopping on the bus and less people are driving their individual cars to get to work and school.”

Gov. Ned Lamont has indicated he will likely extend both the gas tax holiday and free transit for another few months, but these rallyers want “free fares forever,” as some of their signs indicated.

Friends of Kensington Playground

by Jane Comins, FKP

Photo: Jane Comins

Pumpkin Festival: Saturday, October 29 was a great day in Kensington Playground, as we hosted our Pumpkin Festival. Kensington Playground was filled with kids and families enjoying the warm weather and colorful trees. Kids laughed and smiled as they decorated free pumpkins and played Pumpkin Balloon Pop for treats. Everyone enjoyed free ci-der and donuts, took festive pictures in front of the deco-rated splash pad, and shopped for free clothing at Renee’s Closet.

Holiday Festival: We are planning our Holiday Festival and Tree Lighting event in Kensington Playground on Saturday, December 10, 3-5 p.m. (Rain date: Sunday, December 11). We hope to have a holiday tree with festive lights, ornament making for the kids, singing, and hot chocolate and cookies. We welcome donations and need volunteers for this event.

Park Proposal: Thanks to everyone who came out to support us at the Parks Commission meeting in October. Our Park Proposal, which asks the City to commit to the idea that every neighborhood should have at least one public play-ground that has a playscape, splash pad and trees, was on the agenda. After a brief discussion the proposal was tabled, until we can provide more information. We expect to do so at the January 18th meeting, and will keep you updated, so that you can join us at the meeting in a show of support and solidarity.

Lawsuit: Our lawsuit continues. Currently, we are in the discovery phase of the trial. No trial date has been set. We recently received an invoice for $1,995. We paid $1,000 of that, but still owe our lawyer $995.

We hope that you will make a donation to legal costs now to keep our work moving forward, as we expect another legal bill soon. All donations will be used towards legal expenses, unless you specify that your donation is to be used for an event. We are now a 501(c)(3), so all donations are tax deductible.

Our website is kensingtonplayground.org.

Did You See the Notice in Your Electric Bill from UI?

United Illuminating is requesting permission from the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) to increase their electric rates 8%. If approved, the bill for the average residential customer will be raised $16.63 a month. Many people can’t afford their electrical bills as is! Let PURA know what you think of this increase request! In December, there will be two Zoom hearings in which you can participate.  1- Tuesday, Dec. 13 at noon. Register at ctdeep.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYtcuGvqzMuGtQLJ0g8YoslFHhuja6jXuXM 2- Thursday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. Register at ctdeep.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0sd-uvpzMsE92fo03vV7n1obVu8TQoud4l Update: UI sent the notice in the October bills that the monthly increase to expect in January is $16. Seems the notice is already outdated – the New Haven Register reported that we can expect an $83 per month increase to start in January (for the “average” 700 kWh/month).

An Evening with Nonviolent Strategist, Activist and Storyteller, George Lakey 

From training students for Mississippi Freedom Summer to victories over the banks funding climate destruction a half-century later, George has spent his life fighting for peace, civil rights, LGBTQ+ rights, labor justice and the environment. He shares serious stories with great humor and love, and clearly imparts the lessons learned. 

George will be speaking (in person and virtually) on Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. about his new memoir, Dancing with History, at the Unitarian Society of New Haven, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden. 

The PAR Mission: To inform the greater New Haven community about the activities of many progressive groups, so that people may learn about them and become involved in discussions and actions on issues for the common good, such as peace, health, racial equity, justice, clean energy and the environment. Refreshments and book signing after the talk. Bring cash or check to pay for books. To register, please email melinda.tuhus2@gmail.com. 

Día De Muertos Parade Lights Up Fair Haven

Lindsay Skedgell, New Haven Independent, Nov 7, 2022

 

Photo: Lindsay Skedgell

 

Mill Street danced to life with jewel-painted faces, neon-colored skulls, and at least one hairless dog and its golden-spike-crowned owner, as over 100 people gathered for Fair Haven’s annual Día de Muertos parade.  

That was the scene Saturday at a warehouse at 26 Mill River St. for a ​“Day of the Dead” event organized by Unidad Latina en Acción (ULA). That was just one of at least two such events to take place in Fair Haven on Saturday, with the Semilla Collective also hosting a Día de Muertos celebration at Bregamos Theater off of Peck Street and Blatchley Avenue. 

The back parking lot of 26 Mill St. Saturday evening was full of people in traditional dresses, faces painted with jewels framing their eyes and cheeks, getting ready for the parade. Behind them, a float was being set up, the flatbed of the truck that carried it lined with painted skulls in neon pink, green, orange, and blue. Around the float, a hairless dog whose leash was colorfully woven walked enthusiastically with its owner, whose head was adorned with a golden spiked headband. 

Inside the white warehouse space, an altar was laid out and collectively built at the entrance, a deer skull in the middle of the floor surrounded by lit candles, bread, tables bordered by apples, marigold flowers, and photographs of loved ones who had passed. Faces were being painted in bright paint and puppets lined the walls of the room. 

Saturday’s parade and festival in Fair Haven marked the 12th annual event organized by ULA, held to celebrate Mexican and indigenous cultures in New Haven and to honor the deceased. The Day of the Dead is a holiday to remember those who have passed, often involving puppets, altars, offerings and gifts, and vibrant storytelling to pay respect to the deceased. 

 “This is my husband who passed,” said Joelle Fishman, gesturing toward a tall puppet built in honor of her deceased husband, Art Perlo. He wore a black ​“People & Planet Before Profits” shirt, his hat, glasses, and mustache placed beautifully to mirror him. ​“I’m carrying on for the both of us,” Fishman stated. Perlo, who was a lifelong activist, passed away last year. 

[The article can be read in its entirety at newhavenindependent.org/article/dia_de_muertos_2022] 

Yale and Local 33 Agree on Union Election Date and Voter Eligibility

 

by Megan Vaz, Yale Daily News, Nov. 16, 2022 

After weeks of negotiation between Yale and Local 33, the National Labor Relations Board has set official dates, terms and eligibility rules for the graduate and professional worker union election. 

The election — the product of decades of Local 33 organizing on campus, including the collection of thousands of union authorization signatures over the past year — will occur on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. Eligible voters, as deter-mined by the NLRB, will decide through a simple majority vote whether or not to form a collective bargaining unit with University recognition. 

“I’m glad that the Yale administration is listening to the will of graduate workers and allowing us to proceed with our election with no delays,” Javier Porras Madero GRD ’26 wrote in a Local 33 press release. “I can’t wait to cast my vote to win a union for myself and my coworkers!”

University spokesperson Karen Peart affirmed to the News that the University is satisfied with the settled election terms. Peart also wrote that University Provost Scott Strobel “has encouraged graduate and professional school students to take an active role in weighing the issues involved in unionization,” including in a previous statement shared with the community. 

Just three weeks ago, the union filed an official petition with the signed authorization of three-quarters of eligible voters. Four days later, the University announced it would hold a recognized election for the first time, as federal labor law requires employers to respond to petitions within two weeks.

After a few short weeks of election term negotiations, which included hearings over voter eligibility and an agreement to accept both manual and mail-in ballots, the University and Local 33 will now prepare for their first-ever union election. 

Although Local 33 has spent the past three decades organizing for a union, the finalization of election terms this week marks the closest the group has ever come to official unionization.

Courthouse Protest Targets Wrongful Convictions 

by Laura Glesby, New Haven Independent, Nov. 16, 2022

During Darcus Henry​’s 13 and a half years in prison, he would spend every possible minute at the law library with a group of nearly 15 other men who all maintained their innocence. Together, they’d meet for the permitted hour every Tuesday and Thursday to read about court precedents, research their own cases, and exchange stories of pressured witnesses and suppressed evidence. 

 

Photo: Laura Glesby   Darcus Henry: Sentenced, then exonerated Six of those law library regulars — including Henry himself — have since won exonerations and left prison with cleared records. 

 

On Wednesday, nearly a decade after he walked free, Henry stood in the wind outside the state court-house at 235 Church St. to help lead a protest against wrongful convictions like his.

All the while, he thought of Maurice Blackwell, Cory Turner, and the others still researching in the prison library, hoping to prove their innocence. 

Henry joined a group of other Black men in New Haven who have asserted and in many cases proven that their convictions were unjust outside the downtown courthouse on Wednesday.  

“I’m here to lend my voice,” he said. He also lent his story — of being one of four suspects charged in a December 1996 murder at the Farnam Courts housing complex, of being sentenced to 100 years in prison, and of being freed alongside his three friends in 2013.

Together with family members of people still incarcerated for crimes they say they never committed, Henry and other attendees on Wednesday amassed a group of 20 people.  

The group gathered to call for accountability for the cops and prosecutors who falsified or suppressed evidence, and for state prosecutors to reexamine cases that have not yet been overturned.  

A spokesperson for the state judicial branch declined to comment for this article. A representative from the state’s attorney’s office did not return a request for comment by the publication time of this article. 

The protest was organized by Gaylord Salters, who spent 20 years in prison for a shooting he maintains he never committed. Salters got out of prison this summer due to a shortened sentence after the sole witness against him recanted.  Local civil rights attorney Alex Taubes, who has represented many clients with similar stories, also organized the rally.  

[The article can be read in its entirety at newhavenindependent.org/article/freed_new_haveners_protest_wrongful_convictions]

Holiday Village On The NH Green Starts Dec. 1

 

Come to the New Haven Green on Thursday, December 1, 4-9 p.m. with the Tree Lighting Ceremony at 5:30-7:30 p.m. The City of New Haven’s Holiday Village is a winter market featuring a variety of local artisans selling their crafts and merchandise on the New Haven Green plus Live Entertainment!

Kicking off the night of the New Haven Holiday Tree Lighting, the Holiday Village will feature holiday entertainment, photo opportunities with Santa & Mrs. Claus, and many more surprises for the whole family! This event is family-friendly, pet-friendly, FREE to attend and enjoy with retail goods perfect for holiday gifts all while supporting local entrepreneurs.

Activities and live performances: John S. Martinez 3rd grade choir under the direction of Music Teacher Jennie Kerney; Celentano School Chorus under the direction of Mr. David Minnella; Alliance Children’s Theatre under the direction of Ellen Maust; and more! WTNH News Channel 8 live celebration featuring lighting of the tree begins at 7 p.m. Special thank you to Alma Sauro for donating this year’s tree.

Shop Small Business Holiday Village on the Green on Friday, Dec. 2, noon – 8 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 3, noon – 6 p.m. Shop Small Business Holiday Village on the Green!

Celebrate the holidays in the Greatest Small City in America – New Haven!

What the Ballot Question Means for Connecticut Voters: Early Voting FAQs

by League of Women Voters of CT

The question that will be on Connecticut’s ballot on November 8, 2022, is: Shall the Constitution of the State be amended to permit the General Assembly to provide for early voting?

Did you know that as of July 2022, Connecticut is one of only 4 states without in-person early voting? Sounds absurd, right? The busy citizens of Connecticut deserve more time to vote in person, not just the 14 hours on Election Day.

Our election laws are part of our state constitution, so in order to make Early Voting (EV) a reality, eligible voters would need to vote “yes” on the referendum question.

Why do we need Early Voting?

Early Voting offers all voters another in-person option; more flexibility means more opportunities for eligible voters to cast their ballot without worrying about whether or not they can make it to the polls on Election Day.

I voted by absentee ballot in the Town Clerk’s office. Isn’t that the same thing as Early Voting?

No. Voting by absentee ballot is not the same as Early Voting. In our state, you can only vote by absentee ballot with a valid excuse, per our state constitution. Early Voting would allow any eligible citizen the choice to vote on a day besides Election Day.

Is Early Voting safe and reliable?

Yes, the process is the same as on Election Day, with the same amount of checks and balances.

Will Early Voting cost the taxpayers a lot of money?

Not necessarily. There are ways to keep the cost to a minimum. The overwhelming number of states who have Early Voting have figured out ways to make the change cost neutral. Connecticut can too.

When will Early Voting become law if the referendum passes?

If the Early Voting question is passed, it will be up to the legislature to determine the parameters and therefore, the state will not be able to institute Early Voting until 2024.

The League’s mission has always been to defend democracy and empower voters, and that includes giving voters more ways to cast their ballot. A “yes” vote on the Early Voting question will help give voters who want to cast their ballot in person another option if they can’t make it to the polls during the hours of voting on Election Day.

It’s time for Connecticut to join the ranks of other states and adopt Early Voting. Let’s give Connecticut voters more freedom to choose how to participate in our democracy.

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