Israeli Speech Communication Firm Earns $1.5 Million Investment at State's VentureClash

An Israeli company developing “a revolutionary mobile application that translates indistinguishable speech into understandable language” won praise and the top investment award of $1.5 million in VentureClash, Connecticut's $5 million global investment challenge for early-stage companies in digital health, financial technology, insurance technology and the Internet of Things. Connecticut Innovations (CI), the leading source of financing and ongoing support for Connecticut’s innovative, growing companies, runs the annual competition. In all, nine companies from six different countries participated in the final pitch event. VentureClash judges awarded six companies with investments, mentoring and customer introductions to help them grow and succeed.  The winning companies are required to establish a presence in Connecticut.

The top placing company, Voiceitt, points out that the market for their product, in the U.S. and worldwide, is vast.  In the US and Europe, a combined 10.4 million people suffer from speech disabilities, and 8 percent of all children suffer from a consistent or temporary communications disorder. (see video, below)

Voiceitt’s core mission is to “make voice recognition technology truly accessible to everyone. Our principal aims are inclusion and independence, and we are committed to helping children and adults around the world communicate freely, spontaneously, and naturally by voice.”

Through a hybrid of unique statistical modeling and machine learning, Voiceitt is working to enable “tens of millions of people to overcome communication barriers and help them connect with the world.”

Two second-place winners were each awarded a $1 million investment:

• DOZR: A Canadian company that has developed a marketplace for the online rental of heavy equipment, enabling business owners to earn additional revenue from their idle equipment and allowing contractors to rent equipment at lower rates than traditional rental companies.

• IronYun: A Stamford-based next-generation, AI deep-learning, big-data video search business-to-business software company providing enterprise customers with hyper-converged, private cloud computing and big-data video software products.

Three additional finalists were selected to each receive a $500,000 investment award:

• CloudKPI: An Irish company developing an insight engine that enables SaaS businesses to predict likely outcomes.
• Invixium: A Canadian manufacturer of modern biometric solutions for markets needing strong user authentication, convenience and data analytics.
• Paygilant: An Israeli technology company working to prevent mobile payments fraud on mobile devices in the preauthorization phase.

The finalists pitched their ideas in front of a live audience and a panel of judges at the Yale School of Management in New Haven on October 18. The other finalists were:

• Kasko: A London-based digital insurance intermediary bridging the gap between the digital and insurance economies.
• Panoply: An Israeli startup developing a smart data warehouse, using machine learning and natural language processing to automate data integration, data management and query optimization.
• SnapSwap: A Luxembourg-based company offering white-label end-to-end know-your-customer (KYC) services for financial institutions and businesses.

“The VentureClash competition continues to introduce some of the world’s most innovative and promising early-stage companies to all that Connecticut has to offer,” said Matt McCooe, CEO of CI. “From the initial application period through to the finals, we were so impressed with the caliber of leadership and the depth of innovation represented by the companies involved in the competition. We thank them for their efforts and commitment and look forward to working with the companies to help them make Connecticut a center point of their growth strategy.”

The VentureClash competition started with applications from 300 companies from more than 15 countries. After two rounds of judging, nine finalists were named, and they then went on to compete at the live pitch event.  The judges included investors and subject-matter experts from Greycroft Partners, Oak HC/FT, Real Ventures, Stanley Ventures, Teamworthy Ventures, Travelers and the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Event partners and sponsors included Aetna; aventri; Bernstein; Boehringer Ingelheim; Diameter Health; Disruptive Technologies; Elm Street Ventures; FML; Harman; Hartford Healthcare; Magellan Health; MasterCard; Medtronic; Nassau Re; NatWest Markets; Payflex; Pitney Bowes; Health Venture; ISG; Stanley, Black & Decker; startlab powered by Bank of Ireland; The Hartford; Shipman & Goodwin; Sikorsky Innovations; Synchrony Financial; Teamworthy Ventures; Travelers; Updike, Kelly & Spellacy; Voya Financial; Webster Bank; Yale University; and Yale University’s Office of Cooperative Research.

https://youtu.be/6-rng3rGYws

CT Minimum Wage Tied for 10th Highest in USA

Connecticut's state minimum wage rate is $10.10 per hour, greater than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 but not nearly the highest in the nation. The top five states are District of Columbia: $12.50 per hour; Washington: $11.50 per hour; California: $11.00 per hour; Massachusetts: $11.00 per hour and Oregon: $10.75 per hour, according to U.S. Department of Labor data analyzed by the website howmuch.com.  Arizona and Vermont are just behind the leaders at $10.50, followed by New York at $10.40 and Colorado at $10.20.  Maryland, Hawaii and Rhode Island join Connecticut at $10.10 in a four-way tie.

The Connecticut minimum wage was last changed in 2008, when it was raised $2.45 from $7.65 to $10.10. A proposal considered by the Connecticut legislature in 2018 – but not approved - would have raised the state minimum hourly wage from $10.10 to $12 on Jan. 1, 2019; from $12 to $13.50 on Jan. 1, 2020; and from $13.50 to $15 on Jan. 1, 2021. After reaching $15 in 2022, it would have indexed any future increases to annual increases in the consumer price index.  A similar proposal is expected to be considered when the legislature next convenes in January.

The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, a rate used by 20 states. That includes five states – Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee – that have no state minimum wage laws and therefore the federal minimum wage is the default.  And two states – Georgia and Wyoming – have minimum wages below the federal level, so the federal minimum is in effect. 

The Massachusetts minimum wage will rise to $15 an hour over five years under legislation approved earlier this year, becoming the third state – after California (effective 2022) and New York – to approve legislation putting the state on a path to a $15 minimum wage in the years ahead.  In New York, the current rate of $10.40 will increase incrementally in the coming years, to $12.50 as of January 1, 2020. Thereafter, it will be adjusted annually for inflation until it reaches $15.00.

Delaware enacted a two-step increase in 2018. The rate rises from $8.25 to $8.75 effective January 1, 2019, and will increase again to $9.25 effective October 1, 2019.

Eighteen states began 2018 with higher minimum wages than the previous year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Eight states (Alaska, Florida, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio, and South Dakota) automatically increased their rates based on the cost of living, while eleven states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington) increased their rates due to previously approved legislation or ballot initiatives.

Seattle, Washington’s largest city and half of the state’s population, has moved toward a local minimum wage of $15 per hour, based on a city law passed in 2014 that incrementally increased the local minimum over several years.

New Haven, Bridgeport at Bottom of Ranking for Disability-Friendly Cities

Connecticut’s two largest cities are not particularly hospitable for individuals with disabilities, according to a new national analysis.  New Haven and Bridgeport are at the bottom of a list of 182 cities that were included in the review, released this month to coincide with National Disability Employment Awareness Month The personal-finance website WalletHub compared the largest U.S. cities – including at least two from each state - across 31 key indicators of disability-friendliness. The data set ranges from wheelchair-accessible facilities per capita to rate of workers with disabilities to quality of public hospital system. The 31 indicators were grouped into three categories:  Economy, Quality of Life and Health Care.

The report on 2018’s Best & Worst Cities for People with Disabilities placed New Haven at the bottom of the list, and Bridgeport just two positions higher.  They were the only Connecticut cities evaluated in the analysis.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four U.S. adults, or 61 million total, have a disability that impacts their major activities. And among Americans age 65 and older, that number rises to two in five. In 2017, nearly 5.7 million people with disabilities were employed.

New Haven, which ranked number 182 overall, ranked 180 in Economy, 134 in Quality of Life and 173 in Health Care.  Bridgeport, just above New Haven at number 179 in the overall ranking, placed 164 in Economy, 128 in Quality of Life and 163 in Health Care.

WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez explained that among the metrics dragging down New Haven's overall ranking was the second lowest employment rate for people with disabilities, at 71.03 percent. This refers to the civilian non-institutionalized population aged 18-64 in the labor force. Other areas where New Haven ranked poorly, Gonzalez pointed out, were the share of people with disabilities living in poverty, which is almost 37 percent, and the relatively low number of family doctors and general practitioners per capita.

Bridgeport ranked as the fourth worst city for people with disabilities. One of the issues driving the ranking, Gonzalez said, was similar to New Haven's - a low employment rate for people with disabilities, at 74.28 percent. The other issues are mostly related to the quality of life.

“Bridgeport has one of the lowest number of wheelchair accessible art, entertainment and recreational establishments per capita, and a large number of older buildings with little to no access for disabled residents," Gonzalez said.

The analysis found that only Detroit had a lower employment rate for individuals with disabilities that New Haven.  On the overall list, Providence, RI was just one notch above New Haven, at the bottom of the rankings.

The cities ranked at the top of the list were Overland Park, KS; South Burlington, VT; Sioux Falls, SD; Scottsdale, AZ; Columbia, MD; San Francisco; Rapid City, SD; St. Louis, MO; Bismarck, ND; and Grand Rapids, MI.

Data used to create this ranking, according to WalletHub, were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Council for Community and Economic Research, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Education Statistics, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Trust For Public Land, Genworth Financial, United Cerebral Palsy, WalkScore, Yelp, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Affordable Housing Online, Kaiser Family Foundation, Eligibility.com, Redfin and WalletHub research.

CT Office of Early Childhood Receives Global Recognition for Effective Communication

The Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC) – a state agency that didn’t exist just over five years ago - has earned global recognition for success and innovation in serving the state’s youngest children and their families. The agency was chosen to receive the “Future of Feedback Award” at the annual Feedback Summit in Washington, D.C.   The award was presented last week to OEC Commissioner David Wilkinson for his agency’s efforts at effective listening to the people it serves and the nonprofit providers who serve them.

“The Office of Early Childhood is honored to be recognized for its efforts in communicating effectively with Connecticut’s families and providers, and for finding strategies to meet their needs,” said Commissioner Wilkinson. “The parents we serve and the community providers we support are the best experts in what they need to succeed, but too often they don’t have a seat at the table.  OEC is trying a new approach to put parents and our hardworking providers at the center of our policymaking.  We’re saying, ‘nothing we plan for you should be done without you.’’

"Connecticut’s Office of Early Childhood is pioneering innovative ways of both listening and acting.  OEC’s outreach to families – and frontline service providers – is creating conversations about what matters most, and what they can all do together," said Dennis Whittle, Co-Founder of Feedback Labs and GlobalGiving.

Feedback Labs, the organizer of the Summit, is a global network of over 400 leading aid, philanthropy, and governance organizations around the world.  Feedback Labs was conceived in 2013 and launched in connection with the Obama White House. Whittle also co-founded GlobalGiving, a leading marketplace connecting social, environmental, and economic development projects to individual and corporate donors. Since its inception GlobalGiving has facilitated $335 million in funding to over 20,000 projects in 170 countries.

Established in 2014 through a bipartisan effort of Gov. Dannel Malloy and the legislature, OEC oversees and funds Connecticut’s early childhood programming – including child care, pre-K, early intervention for children with developmental delays, and family support services for at risk families – components that once were housed in five disparate state agencies.

Among the 10 largest state agencies in Connecticut, OEC’s goal is to keep the state’s children safe, healthy, learning and thriving. Through its innovative feedback efforts, the agency is acting on evidence that engaging providers and parents in policymaking yields better results.  Officials said that the agency combined data from 1,700 family surveys, another survey shared with all providers in the state, and 400 community and provider meetings in order to build a draft plan to transform the ECE system in the state, which serves 200,000 children.

Wilkinson added that “An award like this is an encouraging validation of our efforts to listen to families and providers, and then do all we can to act on their advice.  We believe that by listening and responding, we will provide better, more effective services for Connecticut families with young children – and in so doing help create a brighter future for the state.”

"OEC’s approach contains key ingredients of more responsive, innovative, and effective government.  OEC’s leadership in asking for and responding to feedback has the potential to spread widely through the public sector,” Whittle added.

“Child care centers work hard every day for children,” Said Dr. Monette Ferguson, Executive Director of ABCD, Inc., a nonprofit operating several leading child care centers in and around Bridgeport. “Usually the state tells us what to do and by the time we share any concerns, it’s too late.  I am not used to a state agency asking what I think before it acts.  It’s good to feel heard and to see OEC acting on our advice.”

David Wilkinson was named Commissioner by Gov. Malloy in April 2017 to serve as the second Commissioner of the state’s Office of Early Childhood (OEC). He previously served as Director of the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation under President Barack Obama. While at the White House, Wilkinson worked closely with the Malloy Administration on signature early childhood efforts, including a first-of-its-kind initiative – scaling a program proven to reduce parental substance use and child welfare interaction – for which the administration has achieved national acclaim.  He has also served as an advisor to the Yale Child Study Center, a leading collaborator with the state and its early childhood service providers.

Christine Johnson-Staub is the Interim Director of Child Care and Early Education at CLASP, a 50-year-old national nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., that focuses on shaping policy to support families living in poverty. She said, “OEC’s approach to setting its policy direction was unique because not only did it build on input from the community and existing research and data, but it went back to a wide range of impacted people, including parents, providers and other stakeholders, to make sure they got it right.”

“Parents and child care providers know the challenges facing the early care system better than anyone but rarely does anyone from state government ask our opinion,” said Merrill Gay, Executive Director of the nonprofit Early Childhood Alliance, a state consortium of providers and advocates. “That's why it was so refreshing to have the Office of Early Childhood ask us: ‘What are the pain points?  How do we make this system work better for you?’  I'm really excited to see OEC now turning that agenda for improvement into concrete action to better serve children and families.”

The strategy of communicating successfully with a target audience, and then acting upon that communication, is known as a “feedback loop” – an approach widely studied and increasingly appreciated by thought leaders, initially gaining traction in international development, but seen to have powerful implications for advancing more responsive, cost-effective and impactful government services in the US. The 2018 Feedback Summit was attended by over 150 feedback pioneers and leaders from around the U.S. and the world.

“They speak. We listen. We make change. It’s about being responsive to the needs of the young children in our state and, of course, their parents and caregivers,” Wilkinson said.  To contact the Office of Early Childhood, visit www.ct.gov/oec or call (860) 500-4412.

UConn Adds Major in Arabic and Islamic Civilizations; Southern Expands Drone Applications to Academic Minor

If you’re wondering about the degree to which Connecticut universities are keeping up with world trends, the University of Connecticut and Southern Connecticut State University seem to indicate the answer is yes. UConn has approved a new major in Arabic and Islamic civilizations, developed to equip students with a working knowledge of the Arabic language, and allow them to explore classical Islamic civilizations, as well as the literature, culture, heritage, and intellectual life of the modern Arab world.

The program, housed in the Department of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, stresses the many different aspects of the Arab world, and the different linguistic, cultural, and religious traditions that shaped it.

At Southern, a new interdisciplinary minor in Drone Applications has a decidedly journalistic flavor, but extends to provide a basis for careers utilizing the rapidly unfolding drone technology.

Approved by the UConn Board of Trustees this summer, the Arabic and Islamic civilizations major appeals to students who are studying in many other areas, including the sciences. Some students are native speakers of Arabic or have a Muslim background; others are not sure what it means to be “Arab” or to be “Muslim,” and so come to learn, according to program director and assistant professor of literatures, cultures, and languages Nicola Carpentieri, who spoke recently with UConn Today.

UConn is unusual in offering such a robust program in the language.  “The program is unique in the U.S. in that we delve so much into Arabic literature, poetics, and other cultural aspects such as music, science, art, and architecture,” Carpentieri noted. “That’s what sets it apart.”

“Students in our classes come from all majors, but they are curious and motivated students,” Carpentieri said. “They may have seen bad press about the Arab world. But they’re open-minded, and aware that simplistic divisions are fabrications. We want to shatter the binaries of East and West.”

Students in the program take courses in both classical Arabic, or the formal version of the language used in education and literature, and other dialects, like Media Arabic and Levantine Arabic. It’s especially useful to learn these types of “street language,” Carpentieri points out.

Unlike most other languages, Arabic gives its speakers access to many different nations and cultures, including Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and others. In addition, students in the major will learn about the many influences that Muslim conquests had on the Europe we know today.

The Journalism Department at Southern now offers an interdisciplinary minor with the Geography Department in Drone Applications. Students study how drones (small unmanned aerial systems) are employed for geography, environmental sciences, journalism and other industries. This interdisciplinary minor prepares students with the fundamental knowledge, skills and experience in the technological, legal and ethical considerations and applications of drones in various fields.

The minor is aimed at students who are interested in learning about emerging drone technologies and how they can be applied to professional settings. It complements environmental sciences, geography, journalism and communication programs.

The 18-credit minor requires courses such as Basic Drone Technology, Drone Journalism, Introduction to GIS and Remote Sensing or Advanced Drone Journalism.

The coursework focuses on flying drones for the purposes of news gathering in both image and data applications and includes the legal, ethical, and safety requirements for flying drones and reviewing necessary requirements for getting licensed by the FAA.

The drone courses are taught by Assistant Professor of Journalism Vern Williams, who has more than two decades in news photography and served as photo director of the New Haven Register for 15 years, where he supervised the photographic and video coverage of the news. His teaching experience includes work at Southeastern Associated Press Managing Editors Association, University of South Carolina, and Cornell University.

Manufacturing Day Highlights Changes for Next Generation of Workers

There are 25 Manufacturing Day events planned in Connecticut in 2018, with most taking place this week and many open to the public.  Manufacturers across the country and across Connecticut use MFG Day (October 5 this year) as “an opportunity to inspire and recruit the next generation of manufacturers,” according to organizers, with hundreds of students across the state expected to participate.  Nationwide, more than 2500 events are planned.  Manufacturing Day is observed annually on the first Friday in October.

• Manufacturing is responsible for $42 billion in economic activity annually, officials underscore.  Among the participants: Associated Spring in Bristol will offer a detailed tour of their plant on Friday midday, to include presentations on careers in manufacturing, to include apprenticeship programs, engineering, and the role of machinists.  Associated Spring is business of Barnes Group Inc.
• Chester-based CHAPCO, the Small Business Administration’s Connecticut and New England Manufacturer of the Year, will also be offering tours to the public on Thursday which will showcase the company’ s equipment, employees and overall capabilities.  The company has been providing metal fabrication, assembly, product development and engineering services since 1964.
• Marion Manufacturing Company, located in Cheshire, will offer visitors a “first-hand look at manufacturing in today’s high tech world.”  Marion Manufacturing, which began operations in 1946, was started as a progressive die stamper and remains that today, enjoying a worldwide customer base, company officials indicated.

State officials highlight a series of statistics to underscore manufacturing's importance to the state economy:

• 4,500 businesses and more than 160,000 employees
• Every dollar spent on manufacturing adds $1.35 in total economic activity
• Manufacturing generates 11% of Connecticut’s Gross State Product
• Connecticut manufacturers export $15B+ each year, representing 96% of the state’s exports.

Among the other businesses that will be providing the public with a glimpse of modern-day manufacturing are Dymotek in Ellington (October 5 Interactive tour), HoloKrome in Wallingford (October 5 facilities tour), Click Bond in Watertown (October 18 Open House), Mastercam in Tolland (October 5 tour to include explanations of environmental practices), and Fisher Unitech in East Hartford (October 30).

Organizers point out that Manufacturing Day - which began in 2012 - addresses common misperceptions about manufacturing by giving manufacturers an opportunity to open their doors and show, in a coordinated effort, what manufacturing is — and what it isn’t. By working together during and after MFG DAY, manufacturers will begin to address the skilled labor shortage they face, connect with future generations, take charge of the public image of manufacturing, and ensure the ongoing prosperity of the whole industry.

Manufacturing Day is produced by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the Manufacturing Institute. The NAM is the nation’s largest industrial trade association, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states.

The full list of participating manufacturers in Connecticut can be seen here.

https://youtu.be/jcUsrdTbZU0

Record-Setting Travelers Championship Nets $2 Million for Charity

The 2018 Travelers Championship generated $2 million for more than 150 local charities throughout the region, the largest amount for charity generated in the history of Connecticut’s premier sporting event.  The record-setting total includes a $200,000 contribution from three-time Travelers Championship winner and 2018 champion Bubba Watson. Charity representatives joined officials from Travelers and the tournament in Hartford this week for the annual Travelers Championship Charity Celebration, where funds were distributed to each organization.

“This is always a special day because it signifies the hard work everyone puts into the tournament,” said Travelers Championship Tournament Director Nathan Grube. “Through the support we receive from volunteers, fans, players and businesses, we’re able to help charitable groups across the region make the community a better place.”

This year’s effort brings the total amount generated for charity by the tournament to more than $16.7 million since Travelers became title sponsor in 2007. The tournament donates 100 percent of its net proceeds to charity.

“Reaching the $2 million mark is an important milestone, and it will have such a meaningful impact on so many local organizations,” said Andy Bessette, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at Travelers. “Bubba’s generosity mirrors our charity-first approach, and follows a similar sentiment that runs through the PGA TOUR and many of its players.”

Watson, who became just the second player to win the Travelers Championship more than twice – he also won in 2010 and 2015 – is representing the United States this week at the Ryder Cup in France. He recorded a video message that was played during the Charity Celebration.

“Wish I could be there. I just want to say thank you to Travelers for their hard work and their dedication to the community and all the charity dollars they’ve raised over the years,” Watson said. “Especially this year; $2 million dollars, what an achievement.”

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp was the primary beneficiary of this year’s tournament, with three campers also serving as honorary co-chairs. Watson directed his $200,000 donation to Camp, which is naming the trading post at the Travelers Mini Golf Course on its campus in Ashford, Connecticut, as “Bubba Watson’s Trading Post,” in recognition of the 12-time PGA TOUR winner. Back in December, the 2017 Travelers Championship was honored by the PGA TOUR winning the prestigious “Tournament of the Year” award, along with recognition as the “Most Fan-Friendly Event,” “Best Sales” and the inaugural “Players Choice.” Award.  With approximately 4,000 volunteers working over 80,000 hours, the 2017 event generated more than $1.7 million for 165 deserving charities – totals that were exceeded this summer at the 2018 tournament. 

An economic impact study last year found that The Travelers Championship has an annual economic impact on the state of Connecticut of $68.2 million.  The study, conducted by the Connecticut Economic Resource Center, Inc. (CERC), found that the economic impact had more than doubled between 2011 and 2017, due to two primary factors; a much larger total number of spectators, especially the increased number of individuals from outside the state, and increased spending by the tournament in preparing for and administering the increased number of events that occur during the tournament week.

At least 750 charities have benefited over that time. Since the tournament’s debut in 1952, more than $40 million has been distributed to local charities.

Never an effort to reset on its laurels, preparation has already started for the 2019 Travelers Championship, which will be held June 17-23 at TPC River Highlands.

Suicide Numbers Increasing; Efforts Intensify to Respond, Prevent

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report this year that suicide rates nationally jumped by 25 percent since 1999, a finding that “shocked” even experts who believed the rate had been flat. Each year, more than 41,000 individuals die by suicide, leaving behind their friends and family members to navigate the tragedy of loss, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Connecticut's rate, 9.7 deaths per 100,000, rose 20 percent during that time, and 49 states saw an increase, according to the CDC. Connecticut’s suicide rate, is ranked number 46 in the country.

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. with one occurring on average every 13.3 minutes. September is National Suicide Prevention Month.

For every suicide, there are 30 people who made the attempt, Dr. James F. O'Dea, vice president of the Behavior Health Network of Hartford Healthcare, recently told the Meriden Record-Journal.  The U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration reports that “approximately 45% of suicide victims had contact with primary care providers within 1 month of suicide.”

“Connecticut suicide rates may have not have increased as much in comparison to other states, but isn’t the real question, ‘Why is it increasing at all?’” Luis Perez, president and CEO of Mental Health Connecticut, told The Hartford Courant earlier this year.

“It’s been well-researched that most people who die by suicide do so because they want the pain to stop — and they don’t see any other way,” Perez said. “Prevention is critical. Knowing the safe and right way to talk to someone who may have thoughts of suicide and letting people know they are not alone, that millions of people struggle with suicide ideation is key.”

According to the state Department of Public Health, approximately 31 percent of victims had a history of treatment for mental illness and 42 percent had previously attempted or thought about suicide or disclosed their intent to commit suicide. The CDC offers 5 steps to help someone at risk: 1. Ask. 2. Keep them safe. 3. Be there. 4. Help them connect. 5. Follow up.

The U.S. government’s anti-bullying website, stopbullying.com, points out that “many issues contribute to suicide risk, including depression, problems at home, and trauma history. Additionally, specific groups have an increased risk of suicide, including American Indian and Alaskan Native, Asian American, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth.”  The site indicates that “this risk can be increased further when these kids are not supported by parents, peers, and schools. Bullying can make an unsupportive situation worse.”

Matt Riley, Chief Operating Officer of the Connecticut-based Jordan Porco Foundation, recently told WTNH-TV that suicide is the second leading cause of death for Americans ages 15 to 24. One in ten college students and one in five high school students consider suicide. Young people considering suicide are most likely to talk to peers, so the Jordan Porco Foundation focuses on peer-to-peer outreach and awareness, with a series of successful program initiatives on college campuses in Connecticut and across the country.

In recent years, a new student-driven primary prevention program was piloted to help high school students develop positive coping skills and enhance protective factors in preparation for life beyond high school. Schools and organizations participating included Manchester High School, Immaculate High School in Danbury, Enfield Public Schools, Capital Preparatory High School in Hartford, Institute of Living in Hartford, Jewish Family Services in West Hartford, Wilton High School, Boys & Girls Club of Bristol, and Guilford Youth & Family Services.

Numerous organizations across Connecticut offer Mental Health First Aid, an 8-hour training to teach participants how to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. The evidence behind the program demonstrates that it helps trainees identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders.  The course is often offered to participants free of charge.

https://youtu.be/TT_HLG5FkKA

https://youtu.be/jl87bmuCTdM

Bender-Fromson to be Honored for Community Involvement; Public Service Career Included Historic Run for Lt. Gov.

In December, the Hartford Public Library’s Caroline M. Hewins Medal will be presented to Sandra Bender Fromson and Howard Fromson, longtime supporters of the library and numerous community organizations. It is the third year the award will be presented to a person (or persons) who have had a transformational impact upon and legacy of service to Hartford, according to library officials. Sandra Bender’s service to her community dates back more than a quarter century, where it flourished in the suburbs, was reflected in organizations across the Capitol City, and was part of an historic election year in Connecticut - the first time two women were candidates for Lieutenant Governor on the same November ballot.  Decades ago, she had a role in a series of unanticipated and groundbreaking political events that contributed  to increased prominence of women at the highest echelons of politics and public service in Connecticut.

Sandra Bender served as Mayor of South Windsor 1975-77, when relatively few women served in that role in Connecticut, rising to prominence in the financial services industry, also very much a male bastion at the time.

Just over a decade later, her business acumen and history of public service put her on a ticket for statewide office.  In 1990, New Haven-area Congressman Bruce Morrison won a primary to be the Democrats choice for Governor, former U.S. Senator Lowell Weicker started his own political party to launch is comeback with a candidacy for Governor, and Republicans nominated another Congressman, John Rowland of Waterbury.

Morrison selected Bender as his running mate, Weicker chose Hartford corporation counsel Eunice Groark, and Rowland decided on then-House Republican leader Robert Jaekle.

That year, the Weicker-Groark ticket was elected with 40.4 percent of the vote, narrowly defeating the Rowland- Jaekle ticket, which received 37.5 percent of the vote.  Finishing third in the unusual three-way race, the Democratic ticket of Morrison-Bender was the choice of only 20.7 percent of voters making their way to the polls on November 6.  Groark, not Bender, became the state’s first female Lieutenant Governor.  Only Ella Grasso, elected Governor in 1974 and 1978, had risen higher in statewide office.

Rowland ran again four years later, facing then-Lieutenant Governor Groark when Weicker chose not to seek re-election.  His choice as a running mate in his second run at the state's top job was a woman - M. Jodi Rell, a member of the state House of Representatives.

The Rowland-Rell ticket’s victory in 1994 meant Connecticut would have its second consecutive female Lieutenant Governor, rather than its second female Governor.

Rell later earned that distinction as well, succeeding to the office when Rowland resigned amidst a scandal and impeachment hearings, announcing on June 21, 2004 that he would step down on July 1.  Rell went on to be elected in her own right in 2006.

Bender-Fromson’s recognition later this year affirms her contributions over many decades to the Hartford Public Library and numerous other organizations.

She is also remembered as the Democratic candidate the first time two women were on the November ballot for Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut.  That occurred again in 1994 and 2014.   At least one woman has been a candidate for Lieutenant Governor or Governor - or both - in every election cycle since 1986, and Connecticut's voters elected Nancy Wyman to serve as Lieutenant Governor in 2010 and 2014, following one term of a man in that role, the only such term since 1990.  This year, Susan Bysiewicz is on the ballot for that office.  A woman has been elected either Governor or Lieutenant Governor in Connecticut in every election since 1990.

The Caroline M. Hewins Medal recognizes an individual who embraces the City of Hartford and its people, who breaks the mold and provides service of a revolutionary kind, who stretches the boundaries of a social or cultural institution with a humanistic approach to public service, and who shows strong guardianship of and advocacy for the basic right of equal access to information and opportunity.

308 Structurally Deficient Bridges Across CT: Average Age 69 Years

Just last month, it was revealed that more than 1,500 of California’s bridges are structurally deficient, meaning there is significant deterioration of the bridge deck, supports or other major components. More than half – 56 percent – of California’s bridges are at least 50 years old – the eighth highest rate in the nation. Yesterday, it was announced that 59 percent of Connecticut’s more than 4,000 bridges are 50 years or older, the fourth highest rate in the nation. The average age of all Connecticut’s bridges is 53 years, while the average age of the state’s 308 structurally deficient bridges – seven percent of the total - is 69 years.  Structurally deficient bridges in Connecticut are crossed daily by 4.3 million vehicles.

Both reports were done by TRIP, a national transportation research group, based on an analysis of Federal Highway Administration National Bridge Inventory (2017).  The organization did a similar report about Wisconsin, also released this week.  It found that nine percent of Wisconsin’s locally and state-maintained bridges are structurally deficient.

Connecticut has 4,252 bridges (20 feet or longer), compared with 14,253 in Wisconsin and 25,657 in California.

The 20-page Connecticut report indicated that “To retain businesses, accommodate population and economic growth, maintain economic competitiveness, and achieve further economic growth, Connecticut will need to maintain and modernize its bridges by repairing or replacing deficient bridges and providing needed maintenance on other bridges to ensure that they remain in good condition as long as possible.”

The report also noted that “annually, $489 billion in goods are shipped to and from sites in Connecticut, largely by truck,” adding that “approximately 731,000 full-time jobs in Connecticut in key industries like tourism, retail sales, agriculture and manufacturing are completely dependent on the state’s transportation network.”

Hartford, Fairfield and New Haven counties each have 60 or more structurally deficient bridges, with 65, 61 and 60 respectively.  Litchfield County has 39; New London County has 32.  The report listed Middlesex County with 22, Windham County with 17 and Tolland County with 12.

The report also sounded an alarm for Connecticut, a state seeking to attract and retain businesses to bolster a sluggish economy:  “Increasingly, companies are looking at the quality of a region’s transportation system when deciding where to re-locate or expand. Regions with congested or poorly maintained roads may see businesses relocate to areas with a smoother, more efficient and more modern transportation system.”

Highway accessibility, the report pointed out, was ranked the number one site selection factor in a 2017 survey of corporate executives by Area Development Magazine.

“Without a substantial boost in federal, state and local funding, numerous projects to improve and preserve Connecticut’s bridges will not be able to proceed, hampering the state’s ability to improve the condition of its transportation system and to support economic development opportunities in the state,” the report concluded.

This summer,  CT by the Numbers reported on a ranking developed by CNBC, found that 73 percent of Connecticut roads are in bad shape, giving the state a grade of D, while noting that nearly 8 percent of Connecticut’s bridges are deficient.