Nominations Open for State's First Connecticut Entrepreneur Awards

A consortium of public and private associations and agencies, higher education institutions and entrepreneur-assisting nonprofit and for-profit organizations is launching the CT Entrepreneur Awards, designed to celebrate “the entrepreneurs and support system that make Connecticut work.” The inaugural awards, to be presented this spring, will recognize a variety of individuals and organizations that connect, collaborate and communicate amongst each other to help entrepreneurs succeed, according to organizers of the initiative. Nominations are now open for the CT Entrepreneur Awards, which will recognize the individuals and organizations that are instrumental in running the state’s ecosystem. From community builders and events to government officials and advisors that continuously support entrepreneurs, the awards are intended to highlight local leaders “that make a difference.”

Award categories include: Venture, Community Builder, Program, Space, Event, Education, Funding, Corporate/Institutional, and Government.

The CT Entrepreneur Awards are described as “community driven,” reflecting the easy online nomination form. The nine main categories were established in an effort to gather and honor “a broad array of leaders that create the foundation for entrepreneurs to succeed.” Individuals are asked “to nominate as many leaders that deserve recognition for their work in the community.”

During January, nominations are being sought and collected. From that broad list, the consortium will narrow the field and hold final online voting in February. Plans are to hold an awards in late March or early April, with event serving to “bring together all of the people dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs throughout the state.”

The CT Entrepreneur Awards are a product of the CT Entrepreneur Event Organizers consortium, an all-volunteer cooperative effort of people and organizations that host and facilitate entrepreneur facing events in throughout the state.  Proceeds from the CT Entrepreneur Awards will be directed to fund the statewide Entrepreneur Events Calendar, www.ctevents.co.

Consortium members include Accelerated Ventures, Axis 901, Baypath University, BEACON, Bridgeport Innovation Center, Business New Haven, CBIA, CCSU, ColoDesk.com, Congressman Jim Himes, Connecticut Economic Resource Center, Inc., Connecticut Innovations, CTNEXT, Connecticut Small Business Development Center, Connecticut Technology Council, CountMeIn!Hartford, Crossroads Venture Group, CT Entrepreneur Meetup, CT Hackerspace, CT Invention Convention, CT User Experience, Design Professionals CT ,Women's Small Business Development Council, CURE, and Danbury Hackerspace.

Consortium members also include the state Department of Economic & Community Development, Digital Surgeons, Economic Development Corp of New Haven, Enhanced Capital, Entrepreneurship Foundation, Fairfield University, Founderstood, Goodwin College, Hartford Business Journal, Help CT Grow, Innovate Hartford, Innovation Destination: Hartford, Launch EZ, LEARN TO PROGRAM MEDIA, LootScout, M5 Information Services, Madison Mott, MakeHaven, MakerspaceCT, Metro Hartford Alliance, Miles Finch Innovation, and MJX Asset Management

Also participating in support of the initiative are National Invention Convention, New Haven Chamber of Commerce, New Haven Lean Startup Meetup, Remarkable Technologies, reSET, SCORE – Hartford, SCORE - Western Connecticut, Senator Chris Murphy’s office, Spark, SPARK MakerSpace, Stamford Innovation Center, Stamford Tech Meetup, Startup Grind - New Haven, Startup Hartford, TAN2000 International, Test My Pitch, The Business Council of Fairfield County, The Diversion, The Grove, The Refinery, Thrise, Town of Old Saybrook, and Transactions Marketing, Inc.

Members also include the U.S. Small Business Administration, University of Connecticut, UConn - Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, UConn - Entrepreneurship and Innovation Consortium, UConn - School of Business, UConn - School of Engineering, UConn - Technology Incubation Program, University of Hartford - Entrepreneurial Center, University of Hartford - Women's Business Center at Entrepreneurial Center, University of New Haven - Tagliatela College of Engineering, Wesleyan University, Western Connecticut State University, Westfair Communications, Whitneyville Cultural Commons, Yale Center for Molecular Discovery, Yale Entrepreneurial Institute, Yale Office of Cooperative Research & Yale Entrepreneurial Institute, Yale School of Management, and Yale University.

State’s First Law Incubators Set to Launch in Hartford, Bridgeport

Connecticut’s first law incubators are due to open early this year at the Center for Family Justice, a Bridgeport-based nonprofit, and at UConn School of Law,  being established to provide affordable legal services to people who need them and help lawyers establish solo practices. The Connecticut Community Law Center, an initiative of the law school and the Hartford County Bar Association, aims to help people who have traditionally been underserved by the justice system: low- and moderate-income clients who don’t qualify for legal aid but can’t afford standard legal fees, the UConn School of Law announced this month.

“Too many people face legal problems concerning essential human needs without proper representation because they fall into the growing access-to-justice gap, between the very poor who qualify for legal aid and those with the financial means to pay a private lawyer,” said attorney Mark Schreier, who was appointed director of the Connecticut Community Law Center. “Standing alone and without professional guidance, those individuals enter our justice system at a tremendous disadvantage.”

The incubator is set to open in February in William F. Starr Hall on the UConn Law campus in Hartford. In addition to the services of the director, the law school will provide office space and support – including training, guidance, and legal research resources – for up to six solo practitioners. The Hartford County Bar Association and the law school faculty will provide mentors, and Greater Hartford Legal Aid will help with training and referrals.

The subsidized working environment will allow participating lawyers to provide legal services at a modest cost that is lower than standard legal fees, with each lawyer setting the fee on a case by case basis. Schreier said he expects cases to involve a wide range of legal problems, including family, consumer, probate, housing, bankruptcy, employment, immigration, and other general civil matters.

In Bridgeport, the Center for Family Justice, a Bridgeport-based nonprofit that provides services to trauma survivors affected by domestic violence, sexual assault or child abuse, will house the incubator.

The Center is working with Connecticut law schools to help build the center’s legal apparatus, Fairfield County Business Journal reported, with several professors from Quinnipiac University on the steering committee to help develop the parameters of the program.  Four attorneys are being sought.

Lawyers in the incubator program at the Center will provide the legal advices services and representation needed by victims of domestic violence, including restraining orders, divorce proceedings, child custody and support, housing and immigration issues.  An Open House was held in September to interest local attorneys in participating.

“A legal incubator is like a business incubator,” Jennifer Ferrante, who joined the Center for Family Justice staff as the coordinator for the new service, told the Journal.  At the center’s office at 753 Fairfield Ave., “We are going to be housing four attorneys here on site,” she said. Two of the first attorneys who applied and were accepted in the program are recent law school graduates.

The American Bar Association counts more than 60 lawyer incubators around the country, three-fourths of them established since 2014. The Connecticut Community Law Center and the Justice Legal Center at the Center for Family Justice in Bridgeport, will be the first in Connecticut.

Participating lawyers will spend 18 to 24 months at the Connecticut Community Law Center before moving on with their practices. The training and experience they receive will not only help them jump-start their practices, it will spread seeds of innovation in the delivery of legal services at an affordable cost, UConn Law Dean Timothy Fisher said.

Clients who qualify for services at the Hartford incubator will be those whose incomes exceed the limits for legal aid but fall within three times the federal poverty level. For a family of four, this would mean a maximum household income of $72,900. Clients wishing to apply for services may do so beginning in February, when information will be available at the center’s website: cclc.law.uconn.edu.

“I think it will give the low- and moderate-income community a real chance in getting their legal needs met and ending their cycles in abuse and poverty,” Ferrante said of the new Bridgeport center.

Planning for the legal incubator has been ongoing since 2009. Although the Center for Family Justice is focused on serving six Fairfield County municipalities – Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford and Trumbull – it also welcomes those seeking help from elsewhere in the state, officials said.

CT Seen As Hiding Bad Budget News

In an article headlined “Bad Budget News? Some States Just Bury It.” Connecticut is one of two states selected as a poster child for what a national publication describes as “hindering transparency.” The Connecticut policy that brought the unwelcome attention was put in place last year.  As Governing explains:

“Connecticut ended its practice of current services projections. That’s a boring-sounding way of talking about how much programs will cost over time, assuming there are no policy changes. It’s a baseline against which to compare any proposed cuts or increases in spending.”

Ben Barnes, Connecticut’s budget director (Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management), said last year that it didn’t make sense to project shortfalls or surpluses into the future, Governing explains. “There’s no such thing, in my view, as a deficit or a surplus in years in which there is no appropriation in place,” said Barnes, whose photo accompanies the article.

Some legislators complained that the new rules would be a blow against transparency in the budget. The change was adopted anyway, the publication noted, adding that a majority of states already choose not to publish current services projections.

“There is kind of a tendency for policymakers to focus on the immediate and not the future,” Liz McNichol of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, told Governing. “This reduces the outside pressure to look beyond one year.”

The publication’s report notes that Connecticut “will have to fill a shortfall of more than $1 billion in its budget this year.”

The other state highlighted in the article is Kansas, where a state task force recommended that the department stop releasing monthly budget reports after numerous reports indicated that the state had fallen short of anticipated revenues.   The Governor’s administration also “decided to kill a quarterly economic report that was also habitually filled with bad numbers.”

Governing is the nation's leading media platform covering politics, policy and management for state and local government leaders.

CT Employers Less Optimistic About Hiring in First Quarter

Employers nationwide are slightly more optimistic about hiring in the first quarter of 2017 than employers in Connecticut, according to the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, although both expect to hire at a favorable pace during the first quarter of 2017. From January to March, 17 percent of Connecticut companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while 7 percent expect to reduce their payrolls. Another 73 percent expect to maintain their current workforce levels and 3 percent are not certain of their hiring plans. This yields a Net Employment Outlook* of 10 percent.

For the coming quarter, job prospects appear best in Durable Goods Manufacturing, Nondurable Goods Manufacturing, Transportation & Utilities, Wholesale & Retail Trade, Financial Activities, Professional & Business Services, Education & Health Services, Leisure & Hospitality and Government. Employers in Construction, Information and Other Services plan to reduce staffing levels.

“Hiring intentions are weaker compared to Q4 2016 when the Net Employment Outlook was 12%,” said ManpowerGroup spokesperson Betty Gooding said about the Connecticut outlook. “The hiring pace is expected to pick up compared to one year ago when the Net Employment Outlook was 8%.” Of the more than 11,000 employers surveyed in the United States, 19 percent expect to add to their workforces, and 6 percent expect a decline in their payrolls during Quarter 1 2017. Seventy-three percent of employers anticipate making no change to staff levels, and the remaining 2 percent of employers are undecided about their hiring plans.

When seasonal variations are removed from the data, the Net Employment Outlook is +16 percent, a slight decrease compared to the Quarter 4 2016 Outlook, +18 percent.  That’s a somewhat more optimistic view than employers in Connecticut, the survey found.

State Steps Up to Help Residents Locate What’s Lost

Connecticut’s Office of State Treasurer has long been responsible for what is described as “unclaimed property” – assets that rightful owners have lost track of – as well as efforts to reunite people with their money.  Now, the State Department of Insurance is getting into the “lost and found” business, too. Insurance Commissioner Katharine L. Wade has announced that the Department is offering a free online service to help consumers search for a deceased family member’s lost life insurance policies and annuities.

“It can be a frustrating and overwhelming process at times to locate a missing policy. Whether you are settling the estate of a deceased loved one or trying to help an elderly relative sort out his or her affairs, the Department has resources to help,” Commissioner Wade said. “We are pleased to offer this latest tool that will streamline and simplify the process while protecting confidentiality.”

The Department’s  Frequently Asked Questions    will help consumers through the process. Consumer requests to find a lost policy are encrypted and secured to maintain confidentiality. Participating insurers will compare submitted requests with available policyholder information and report all matches to state insurance departments through the locator. Companies will then contact beneficiaries or their authorized representatives within 90 days.

The Life Insurance Policy Locator, developed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), provides free nationwide access for help in finding old policies and annuities. There are an estimated $1 billion in benefits and life insurance policies that are unclaimed in the U.S.

Also this month, the State Treasurer’s office is closing the year with a push urging consumers to check the agency’s CT Big List to determine if misplaced assets can be claimed.  State Treasurer Denise L. Nappier said the special online publication is one component of the Treasury’s efforts to reunite rightful owners with their unclaimed property and is available through its homepage, www.ott.ct.gov.

The mission of the Treasury’s Unclaimed Property Division is to safeguard assets until rightful owners step forward to claim them. Unclaimed property includes money from uncashed payroll checks, bank accounts and utility deposits, insurance proceeds, liquidated assets from safe deposit boxes, stocks, and bonds.

The electronic special edition at www.CTBigList.com has 49,729 names with property valued between $50 and $100; 36,467 names with property valued between $100 and $500; 4,941 names with property valued between $500 and $1,000; 3,538 names with property valued between $1,000 and $5,000; and 551 names with property valued greater than $5,000. Five owners have unclaimed property valued at more than $100,000, with two having property valued at more than $250,000.

The Treasury’s interactive website, www.CTBigList.com, contains the complete list of about 1.5 million names of individuals and entities that may be entitled to as much as $807 million in unclaimed property. The website features a searchable database -- updated with new names weekly -- that makes it easy for residents to find their names. Often, people are unaware that they have inherited money, and others may simply have forgotten an old savings account or payroll check that went uncashed, officials point out.

Treasurer Nappier emphasized, “Searching the Treasury’s unclaimed property website is free.” She said that state residents are regularly contacted by firms, often called “finders,” offering search services for fees that go as high as 10 percent of assets recovered – and that some individuals hire these firms, believing it is the only way to recover lost assets.

“But that’s not true. My advice is that before you send your hard earned money to strangers, check out the CT Big List first – there is no charge for this public service,” Treasurer Nappier said.

Seven CT Businesses Among 500 Fastest Growing Tech Companies in US

Where in Connecticut are the fastest growing technology companies?  New Haven, Branford, Trumbull, Madison, Norwalk, and Farmington. Seven Connecticut companies earned a ranking rank on the recently released 2016 Technology Fast 500 rankings of the fastest-growing tech companies in North America, compiled by professional-services firm Deloitte.  That’s the same number of Connecticut firms on last year’s list.

Four of the state’s representatives produce software, aligning with the dominance of that sector, with some 58 percent of this year’s Fast 500 companies in software. Two of the Connecticut companies work in biotechnology, which comprised the second-most represented segment on the list, covering 13 percent of firms.

New Haven-based Achillion Pharmaceuticals ranked highest among Connecticut companies, at No. 43, posting 2,436 percent growth. It was ranked #12 among biotechnology/Pharmaceutical companies. Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a "science-driven, patient-focused company leveraging its strengths across the continuum from drug discovery to commercialization to provide better treatments for people with serious diseases," according to the company website.  

Following at No. 239, Farmington-based Evariant Software recorded a 303 percent increase. Next came HPOne, a Trumbull health-insurance solutions firm, which recorded 199 percent growth.  Madison's Clarity Software Solutions was No. 385, Norwalk-based software company etouches ranked No. 461, with 132 percent growth.  Rounding out the Connecticut tech firms earning a slot among the top 500 were Branford-based Core Infomatics at No. 469 and Alexion Pharmaceuticals, now headquartered in New Haven, at No. 473.

New York City and California firms accounted for nine of the top 10 companies on the list. By region, the San Franciso Bay area had 20 percent of the companies, New York 17 percent,  Los Angeles 8 percent,  Washington 6 percent and New England 5 percent.

Los Angeles-based Loot Crate, which delivers entertainment and pop culture-themed collectibles, ranked No. 1 overall, with 66,661 percent growth between 2012 and 2015. Founded in 2012, Loot Crate has more than 650,000 subscribers worldwide in 35 countries. The ranking summary points out that "Loot Crate’s position at the top of this year’s list showcases how innovation isn’t always about new technology and invention, but also about ingenuity, the recombining of existing assets, and know-how in new ways to maximize value."

Yieldbot, a New York City-based company focused on media, ranked No. 2.

"Amid a fierce business climate, there seems to be no shortage of new and established companies that are unlocking a seemingly unlimited potential for growth and advancement through technology’s continued disruption and proliferation across industries," said Sandra Shirai, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP and US Technology, Media, & Telecommunications leader.

The focus of the Connecticut firms that made this year’s list reflected the overall composition of the rankings, which were based on companies’ revenue growth between 2012 and 2015.  Software continues to have the greatest impact across technology sectors, representing 58 percent of the entire list and five of the top 10 winners overall.

"Combining technological innovation, entrepreneurship, and rapid growth, Fast 500 companies—large, small, public, and private—hail from cities far and wide across North America and are disrupting the technology industry," the introduction to the rankings emphasized.

MA Overtakes CT, Jobs on Horizon for EB - Bad News, Good News for State Economy

Connecticut is “in a rut”according to one regional newspaper, while another is reporting on plans by a local company to hire 14,000 workers during the next decade.  Bad news and good news, simultaneously. “Ten years ago, it was the undisputed economic king of New England, with average incomes 13 percent higher than Massachusetts and 40 percent above third-ranked New Hampshire,” the Boston Globe's data reporter says of Connecticut.  “Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, low- and middle-wage workers in Connecticut consistently took home bigger paychecks than their Massachusetts peers.  In the past few years all these economic advantages have disappeared. Unemployment is now far lower in Massachusetts. And Bay State employees get the best wages — whether you look at low-earners, top-earners, or those in the middle.”

The Globe cites recent housing data to underscore the point.

“Of all the cities tracked by the National Association of Realtors, 90 percent have seen their housing prices rise since 2010. That leaves just 17 metropolitan areas still trying to claw back from the recession. Four of those underwater markets are in Connecticut — and they extend to virtually every corner of the state, from Stamford in the southwest to New London in the east and as far north as Hartford.”

“Among the biggest changes in the Massachusetts economy,” the Globe column points out, “has been the explosion of professional, scientific, and technical services — think architects, engineers, software designers, consultants, and scientific researchers. Since 2000, this sector has grown by nearly 50 percent in Massachusetts, which is a key reason the state as a whole has performed so well. In Connecticut, these same fields have expanded by just 6 percent.”

Globe reporter Evan Horowitz, who writes the paper’s Quick Study column using data to discuss policy,  notes that “without a hub like Boston, Connecticut can’t simply pull pages from the Massachusetts playbook.”  He suggests that “a Trump-fueled surge in corporate profits and stock valuations could provide a much-needed boost to the state’s fortunes. But if there’s one lesson of recent years, it’s that counting on Wall Street excess to compensate for other economic ills is a dangerous strategy; bubbles burst, recessions happen, and in the absence of a long-term economic strategy, Connecticut could once again find itself floundering.”

A brighter ray of potential economic sunshine is reported by the Day of New London, outlining plans by General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton for a massive decade-long hiring spree resulting from an increase in submarine orders by the U.S. Navy, spurred by “strong Congressional support.”

“The company will hire 14,000 new employees over the next 13 years,” the Day reports.  “Those employees will fill new positions and those being vacated by retirees and those who leave for other reasons. The burst in new hires will take EB from its workforce of 14,500 today to 18,000 in 2030.  This year alone, the company hired 1,600 new full-time employees. Another 800 received conditional job offers and are in the process of applying for a security clearance or awaiting that clearance.”

Reporter Julia Bergman indicates that “six different submarines are currently under construction there. Another is in for its ‘50,000 mile checkup.’ And an eighth is undergoing a major overhaul.”

The work – and the jobs – extend beyond EB.

“While the engineering workforce has neared its peak, EB will continue to hire a larger number of shipyard personnel such as welders, machinists, and electricians,” the Day reports. “About 40 percent of this year’s new hires were tradespeople.”  Training programs and local colleges are straining to meet the demand, the newspaper reports.

Underscoring the importance of healthcare to Connecticut’s economy, there is a new number one employer (by number of employees) in the state, according to published reports.  A year ago, United Technologies was the largest employer in Connecticut, according to 24/7 Wall Street.  After selling its helicopter division, Sikorsky, UTC’s employee headcount dropped from around 24,500 to an estimated 16,000. With 20,396 total employees, Yale New Haven Health is now the largest employer in Connecticut, the publication notes.  Yale New Haven Health includes Bridgeport Hospital, Greenwich Hospital, Yale New Haven Hospital, Yale New Haven Children's Hospital, Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven and Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital.  The Hartford Business Journal last year ranked Hartford Healthcare, with 18,000 employees, just behind Yale New Haven Health.  Hartford Healthcare acute care facilities include Backus Hospital, Hartford Hospital, The Hospital of Central Connecticut, MidState Medical Center and Windham Hospital.

Education Is Key to Improving State of Black Hartford, New Report Says

"The State of Black Hartford,"  published more than two decades after a landmark sociological text originally published in 1994, squarely focuses on education as the overriding issue on which Hartford’s future, and Connecticut’s, will be determined, flatly stating that “the future of Hartford rests with how we educate our children so they can contribute to the state and survive as productive citizens.” “The mis-education of children is a human rights struggle. Children of color are our children and the thousands that are failing can no longer be tolerated. We have a moral, ethical and economic responsibility to educate children in Hartford. Hartford’s future is our children and they deserve an opportunit to compete and survive,” the new report’s conclusion states.

The report, published in recent weeks and unveiled at a public session in Hartford, points out that “the city remains challenged with high unemployment rates, uneven public education, missed opportunities in economic development, and a work force that is not adequately prepared to achieve sustainable living wages.  There are new forms of discrimination where children graduate from high school without a real education to support themselves.”

Observing that “education in Hartford has been a priority for many years,” the report goes on to suggest what should happen next.  “Leaders with great intentions have tried, but it is time to require and invite the involvement and participation from parents and families as partners in their children’s education. There is no other way to address the needs of children. Our society has made it very clear it will not take care of them.”

The 220 page report, made possible through a $36,000 grant from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, was written by volunteers from a diverse group of disciplines, including educators, social workers and ministers. It was published by the Urban League of Greater Hartford, Inc.  Stanley F. Battle, director of the University of St. Joseph's master's of social work program was Editor; Ashley L. Golden-Battle was content editor.

The State of Black Hartford 2016 addresses challenges that African Americans face at both the national and local level through a series of briefs and chapters.  The chapter authors “pay close attention to how Blacks are perceived by the public” and “incorporate barriers to education, economic stability, health and welfare.”  Metrics and case studies are used "to better understand Black Hartford."  Chapter authors include Peter Rosa, Amos Smith, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, Maris Dillman, Rodney L. Powell, Yan Searcy, Kimberly Hardy, Yvonne Patterson, Eunice Matthews, Clyde Santana, Trevor Johnson, and Rev. Shelley Best.

Noting that Hartford holds the “distinction of being both the capital for one of the wealthiest states in the country and being one of the poorest cities in country,” among the key observations highlighted in the report:

• “We need family stability, livable wages, economic development, and education to fully bridge the achievement gap.”
• “Hartford is a great place to work—the Greater Hartford community is aware of this fact. It is important to make sure that Hartford residents receive some of those benefits.”
• “Economic growth and business development are the foundation for Hartford’s survival. With downtown development and the presence of universities, it is time to develop new business incubators in the arts, home repair, healthcare, biotechnology, and business.”
• “In Hartford, 37 percent of the population is Black yet they make up only 10 percent of the population throughout the rest of Connecticut and 12 percent of the population in the United States (DHHS, 2012). The population of Hartford is younger than other Connecticut and U.S. cities with over 70 percent of the residents being under 45 years old (DHHS, 2012).”
• “The lifeblood of Hartford depends on education, business, employment, economic status and mortality, housing and food.”

Issues including criminal justice, housing, healthcare, child welfare are also discussed in depth in the report.  Case studies, anecdotal evidence and data are highlighted throughout the report.  The central role of faith, and religious institutions is also the focus of the report, in the context that “presently Black Churches are still striving to meet increasing demands with decreasing resources.” 

That uphill effort is reflected in the report indicating that “the Black Church cannot continue to operate as an independent agent with sparse budgets drawn from the meager donations of an already struggling congregation.  Clergy and congregations need to build coalitions with other churches…”  The importance is underscored as the report stresses that “active involvement of faith leaders as community leaders in the ongoing struggle for social, political, and economic justice is no less necessary now than it has ever been.”

The report bluntly states that “…if we do not educate children from urban school districts, the future of this state will be at serious risk. The achievement gap continues to expand with little improvement. It is true that there has been some improvement in graduation rates. However, many graduating seniors from urban school districts must endure remedial work if they decide to attend a two or four-year institution.”

Education is viewed as essential to solving a range of persistent challenges facing the city’s African-American community and city residents: “The challenges that confront Hartford include the overarching issue of poverty.  While some efforts to address economic development, crime, and financial stability have been discussed in this book, education is the ultimate determinate of success.  In order for Hartford to excel, the population must be educated. The emerging majority must be able to support itself and children require cutting edge educational opportunities.”

Among the data points:

• One half of high school graduates need help when they start a community college or a state university. Sixty-three percent of Hartford high school graduates require a remedial coursework.
• Slightly less than one third of Black males and slightly more than one third of Latino males to begin college education at public institutions of higher education complete their education within six years.

The report notes that “Frequently, urban youth can’t afford to attend community colleges, so how will they be able to earn a four- year degree?  Hartford has the right idea to focus on education and economic development. Children need their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and the community to be successful.”

The report also calls for crime and homicide rates to be addressed at the community level. “There are families who have lived in Hartford for over 30 years and all of their children graduated from the Hartford Public school system. Their children are successful.  How did they do it and why don’t we ask them?”

Economic development, the report explains, is another pivotal area that requires attention that differs from past efforts: “Blacks must become a major part of the growth strategy of these neighborhoods. The promise will only work if there is a diverse group of investors with Black investors in these zones. Black people must become owners in the city in greater numbers.”

Dr. Stanley F. Battle, educator, author and civic activist is currently Director/Professor of the MSW Program in the Department of Social Work and Latino Community Practice at the University of Saint Joseph.  Previously, Dr. Battle was the Interim President at Southern Connecticut State University, Chancellor at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCA&T) and President of Coppin State University in Baltimore.

The mission of the Urban League of Greater Hartford is “To reduce economic disparities in our communities through programs, services and educational opportunities.”

Mattress Recycling Has Solid First Year in Connecticut

Saying bye-bye to a used mattress in Connecticut has changed dramatically during the past year-and-a-half, as Connecticut became one of only three states in the nation to institute a statewide mattress recycling program. The initiative, approved by the state legislature two years ago and underway since May 2015, has gained a solid foothold here, according to its first annual report.  The Mattress Recycling Council (MRC), a non-profit organization established by the mattress industry that created and manages the program in Connecticut, California and Rhode Island, presented its inaugural Annual Report of the Connecticut Bye Bye Mattress Program to Connecticut municipal leaders and state regulators last month. The report summarized the Program’s performance from its inception through the end of the state’s 2016 fiscal year (June 30).

The Connecticut program has “exceeded, met or is on pace to achieve nearly all benchmarks” set in its plan, which was approved by the state in 2014. Highlights include:

• Recycled 150,000 mattresses.
• Recovered more than 2,800 tons of steel, foam and other materials that will be made into new useful products.
• Expanded the collection network to 101 free drop-off sites throughout the state.

“We are pleased with the program’s productive start and will continue to work with city leaders, businesses and the state to improve the program, expand the number of communities served, and increase the volume of mattresses recycled,” said Ryan Trainer, President of MRC and the International Sleep Products Association.

Bye Bye Mattress allows Connecticut residents to drop-off used mattresses at participating collection sites, collection events and recycling facilities free of charge. This collection network is made possible by the $9 recycling fee that Connecticut consumers pay when they buy a new mattress or box spring. The fee provides for collection containers, transporting the discarded mattresses and recycling costs.

Industry-led recycling programs like Bye Bye Mattress will play an important part in helping Connecticut reach its goal to divert 60 percent of materials from disposal by 2024, officials indicated in the 59-page report.

“We applaud the mattress industry for developing a successful statewide program under the mattress stewardship law that has already recycled thousands of mattresses in an environmentally sound manner,” said Robert Klee, Commissioner of Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.  “This program has created jobs, recovered vast quantities of resources to be reused, saved municipalities $1.5 million in disposal costs and given residents an easy way to recycle a cumbersome item.”

MRC is also working with more than 130 other public and private entities, including mattress retailers, hotels, military bases, universities and healthcare facilities in Connecticut to divert their discarded mattresses from the solid waste stream.  The MRC website indicates that the organization continues to enroll interested municipal transfer stations in the program and work with those interested in hosting recycling events.

Connecticut’s Public Act 13-42 (enacted in 2013 and amended in 2014) required the mattress industry to create a statewide recycling program for mattresses discarded in the state. Connecticut residents can find their nearest participating collection site, collection event or recycling facility at www.ByeByeMattress.com.

Panera in Connecticut: State of Flux

If you’re looking for a Panera location in Connecticut, check twice before you head out for a sandwich.  There may be a new location opening nearby, or the locale you’re familiar with may have already closed its doors. The churn at Panera may not be unusual, but it did come as an unwelcome surprise to regulars at the Newtown location when it abruptly closed in mid-November, with a sign on the door saying farewell (and please visit other locations.)   And later this month, the long-time location in Darien will be closing.

The Darien store has been renting 3,754-square-feet — the entire first floor of its building, since 2007, when it became the first Panera Bread restaurant to open up in Connecticut, according to published reports.

The chain now has more than 2,000 locations, including in Connecticut – some owned by the company, most by franchisees.  While the departure from Newtown was an unexpected surprise to customers, plans to leave the Darien location have been known since June, when it was first reported by local media.

Last fall, a Panera location closed in Meriden and a location in nearby Wallingford opened. Also on the plus side, a Panera opened earlier this year at Evergreen Walk shopping plaza in South Windsor.  As of this spring, there were 17 Panera Bread locations in Connecticut, all across the state.  The Downtown Hartford location, its first in the city, opened in 2013.

As of June 28, 2016, there were 2,007 bakery-cafes in 46 states and in Ontario, Canada operating under the Panera Bread, Saint Louis Bread Co. or Paradise Bakery & Cafe names. Published reports indicate the company has 97,000 employees nationwide and saw a 3.4 percent growth in sales in its third quarter this year. In 2015, it reportedly generated roughly $2.7 billion in revenue. Founder and CEO Ron Shaich attended college at Clark University in Worcester in the 1970’s.

Earlier this year, Fortune magazine reported that the company estimated that over 20% of orders would be produced and paid for digitally by the end of 2016, up from 16%. In some markets, digital sales are making up more than a third of retail sales, according to the company. The restaurant chain says digital orders could make up half of the total business down the road, the magazine reported.

According to the industry website Fast Casual, Panera Bread does not sell single-unit franchises, so it is not possible to open just one bakery-cafe. Rather, the company has chosen to develop by selling market areas which require the franchise developer to open a number of units, typically 15 bakery-cafes in a period of 6 years.

Panera says it serves 3 to 4 percent of all Americans every week.